Daniele di Bonaventura, Michele Di Toro - Vola vola

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:54
Size: 125,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:38) 1. Ninna nanna
(7:30) 2. One Day I'll Fly Away
(7:12) 3. Jeanne y Paul
(3:51) 4. Corale
(4:17) 5. Blossom
(2:55) 6. Sus ojos se cerraron
(4:54) 7. Sogno di primavera (Medley)
(6:22) 8. Touch Her Soft Lips and Part
(6:37) 9. Vola vola vola
(5:34) 10. Soledad

It is the project "Vola flies", by Daniele Di Bonaventura at the bandoneon with Michele Di Toro at the piano, whose 2019 album entitled as the traditional Abruzzo song has aroused great interest for the fusion of funk, jazz and of course tango in a new sound . Daniele Di Bonaventura says: "After spending several years playing together, Michele Di Toro and I have decided to record in this album the songs that are closest to our musical poetics and aesthetics, but one in particular unites us and excites us more than others, the Abruzzo song Vola Vola Vola. This song represents our common roots, the land of Abruzzo, and for this reason we wanted to dedicate it to our grandparents and call the album "Vola Vola". https://www.italiajazz.it/eventi/javier-girotto-aires-tango-special-guest-ralph-towner-daniele-di-bonaventura-e-michele-di

Personnel: Daniele Di Bonaventura (Bandoneon, Piano, Conductor); Michele Di Toro (Piano); Gianluca Petrella (Trombone); Mirco Rubegni (Trumpet); Blake CS Franchetto (Electric bass); Federico Scettri (Drums); Simone Padovani (Percussion)

Vola vola

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Ernestine Anderson - Miss Ernestine Anderson

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:03
Size: 254,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:12) 1. Let's Get Away From It All
(3:02) 2. The End Of A Love Affair
(2:56) 3. So Nice
(4:17) 4. Funny How Time Slips Away
(2:40) 5. Talk To Me Baby
(4:12) 6. Tears Have To Fall
(2:21) 7. Big Spender
(4:13) 8. What Did I Have That I Don't Have
(2:33) 9. On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
(4:12) 10. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(3:14) 11. Feelin' Good
(3:04) 12. Make It Another Old-Fashioned Please

Positioned squarely in the mainstream, at home in the worlds of jazz and pop standards as well as the blues, comfortable with small groups and big bands, Ernestine Anderson regularly received a lot of airplay on traditional jazz radio stations. She fit those demographics well with her tasteful, slightly gritty, moderately swinging contralto; she rarely probed too deeply into emotional quagmires (and thus didn't disturb the dispositions of those who use the radio as background) but always gave listeners an honest musical account. Anderson's career actually got rolling in the embryonic R&B field at first; as a teenager, she sang with Russell Jacquet's band in 1943, and she moved on to the Johnny Otis band from 1947 to 1949, making her first recording with Shifty Henry's orchestra in 1947 for the Black & White label. In the '50s, however, she converted over to the jazz side, working with Lionel Hampton in 1952-1953 and recording with a band featuring Jacquet, Milt Jackson, and Quincy Jones in 1953, and with Gigi Gryce in 1955. Upon hearing the latter record, Rolf Ericson booked Anderson on a three-month Scandinavian tour; while in Sweden, she made a recording called Hot Cargo that, ironically, established her reputation in America. Once back in the U.S., she signed with Mercury and made a number of albums for that label until the early '60s.

She moved to England in 1965 and remained largely invisible on the American radar until 1975, when Ray Brown heard her sing at the Turnwater Festival in Canada. Brown became her manager, and got her to appear at the 1976 Concord Jazz Festival, which led to a Concord contract that immediately bore fruit with the albums Live from Concord to London and Hello Like Before. These and other comeback albums made her a top-flight jazz attraction in the U.S. again this time for the long haul and in the '80s, she was recording with the Hank Jones Trio, George Shearing, Benny Carter, the Capp-Pierce Juggernaut, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and her own quartet. By 1992, she had attracted major-label attention once again, signing with Quincy Jones' Qwest outfit. For Koch, Anderson issued Isn't It Romantic in 1998. The live album I Love Being Here with You appeared in 2002, while 2003’s Love Makes the Changes found her signed to Highnote. The label released her album A Song for You in 2009. Anderson remained with the label for 2011's Nightlife, a live album that featured the singer in a number of small-group settings, with a guest appearance by labelmate Houston Person. Anderson passed away from natural causes on March 10, 2016 at the age of 87. ~ Richard S. Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ernestine-anderson-mn0000200777/biography

Thank you Flyingfinger!

Jane Ira Bloom - Sometimes the Magic

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:16
Size: 121,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:08) 1. Denver Snap
(5:23) 2. Now You see It
(3:03) 3. Bewitched
(5:45) 4. Blue Poles
(4:53) 5. Pacific
(5:28) 6. Truth in Timbre
(4:36) 7. Without Words
(4:20) 8. In Everything
(5:26) 9. Varo
(4:19) 10. Many Landscapes
(3:50) 11. How Are Things in Glocca Morra

Sweeping right and left past the microphone, Jane Ira Bloom throws sound around the room, as a visual artist would apply paint on canvas. The directional movement provides a unique sound to her work and serves to highlight the feelings she wishes to express. Romantic and refreshing, Bloom's tenth recording as leader features her soprano saxophone with a creative supporting trio. Nine modern mainstream originals and two solo saxophone ballad chestnuts complete a program rich in harmony and somewhat introspective. The quartet leaves ample space for settling impressions, while blues roots and emotions pervade.

"Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" oozes a romantic spirit: passionate and yet subdued. Bloom's "Varo" infuses a lively street samba rhythm with a crisp, festive, percussion framework. "Without Words" stands out as a lovely sax/bass duet that allows the pair to express as one. Most of the session allows for the passing of creative ideas back and forth between the four artists, keeping the mood quiet and making room for quiet contemplation. Bloom's gorgeous saxophone tone and unique method of presentation makes this and her live performances a special treat. ~ Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sometimes-the-magic-jane-ira-bloom-arabesque-jazz-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Jane Ira Bloom: saxophone, soprano.

Sometimes the Magic

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Frédéric Schlick - New Day's Horizon

Styles: Jazz, Gypsy Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:41
Size: 147,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:28) 1. Speak Italian
(3:18) 2. Hollywood Night
(3:38) 3. Xantia
(4:55) 4. I'm Mood for Love
(5:09) 5. A la mode
(5:02) 6. Golden Line
(5:56) 7. Blusette
(6:53) 8. Summer of 42
(5:04) 9. A chantal
(7:39) 10. Polka Dots and Moonbeans
(4:15) 11. Pacific Blue
(5:12) 12. New Day Horizon
(3:08) 13. Summertime In Paris

Frédéric Schlick (* 1935 in Strasbourg ; † December 14, 2006 ) was a French accordionist of gypsy jazz .

Schlick, who lived in Alsace , learned the accordion at the age of eight. As a teenager he played in a band and continued to be active as an amateur until 1980. Influenced by Art Van Damme , with whom he played in 1997, he only began his musical career on the edge of retirement age. He worked primarily with musicians from Alsace, such as Franck Wolff or Biréli Lagrène , but also with Armin Heitz and André Ceccarelli, and recorded twelve albums under his name.

In Germany he performed mainly with Wedeli Köhler , Pouro Sinto, Ferry Baierl and Joe Bawelino , but also in the ensemble of Romeo Franzon. He died after suffering from cancer.

New Day's Horizon

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Alain Jean-Marie - Biguine Reflections

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:20
Size: 102,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:17) 1. Bégonia
(4:49) 2. Doudou pa pléré
(4:26) 3. Ta ta ta
(2:55) 4. Tou sa sé pou doudou
(2:47) 5. Tiéri an lan démil
(3:30) 6. Ka i fé-w
(2:25) 7. Boné an mwen pati
(4:43) 8. Haïtian Child
(2:35) 9. Pa ban mwen kou
(3:55) 10. Gwadloup an nou
(5:43) 11. Driv
(3:09) 12. Chofé bigin la

Jean-Marie taught himself to play piano from age eight. He played in dance orchestras in Guadeloupe (especially that of Robert Mavounzy), lived in Canada from 1967 to 1970 and then in the Antilles. He made his first recordings in 1969 (released in 1997 as piano biguines). At the same time he played regularly with the trio of Winston Berkley and Jean Claude Montredon. In 1973, he moved to Paris, where he accompanied jazz musicians such as Chet Baker, Sonny Stitt, Art Farmer, Johnny Griffin, Lee Konitz, and Max Roach. In 1979, he debuted with his own trio (Al Levitt on percussion, Gus Nemeth and later Riccardo Del Fra on bass). Since the 1980s, he has regularly performed with Barney Wilen, including as a duo on albums such as La Notenbleue (1986) and Dreamtime (1992). In 1986, he regularly accompanied Dee Dee Bridgewater. In 1987 he recorded the album Latin Alley in a duo with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. In 1990 he accompanied Abbey Lincoln on the album World Is Falling Down with Jackie McLean, Billy Higgins and Charlie Haden. In 1991 he played with Henri Texier (bass) and Aldo Romano (drums) on The Scene Is Clean. His 1992 trio album Biguine Reflections was influenced by the music of the Antilles as well as bebop. He also played in a trio with Gilles Naturel and John Betsch (Lazy Afternoon, 2000) and recorded his first solo album in 1999 (Afterblue, which received the Prix Boris Vian). In 2004, a second solo album, Thats What, followed.

Jean-Marie also played with Guadeloupe musicians such as the guitarist André Condouant (Clean & Class, 1997), a group of musicians from Guadeloupe under the trumpeter Franck Nicolas (Jazz Ka Philosophy) and the saxophonist Jocelyn Ménard (Men Art Works). He also worked with Jacques Vidal / Frédéric Sylvestre, with Michel Graillier (Portrait in Black & White, 1995), Boulou and Elios Ferré (Intersection, 2001, Live in Montpellier, 2006), with Xavier Richardeau, Sara Lazarus and Ted Curson (In Paris, Live At The Sunside, 2006). In 1979 he received the Prix Django Reinhardt and in 2000 the Django d'Or. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Jean-Marie

Biguine Reflections

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Kate Ceberano - The Dangerous Age

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:29
Size: 98,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:23) 1. All Tied Up
(4:17) 2. Monument City Lights. 1973
(3:51) 3. On Love
(2:51) 4. The Dangerous Age
(3:15) 5. Shot From Memory
(3:17) 6. My Restless Heart
(3:08) 7. Girl On The Highwire
(2:58) 8. So Long Ago
(2:59) 9. Not The Loving Kind
(4:09) 10. The Losing Game
(4:09) 11. Glacial Speed
(3:07) 12. Whatever Happened To Steven Valentine?

This is an extraordinary album for extraordinary times. Initially, I wondered if the title was a reference to the Trump era, the rise of extremism, catastrophic climate change and heightened global tension. These are, after all, dangerous times. Reading the news on my phone has become a daily exercise in existential crisis. Today, the sense of danger all around us has risen exponentially as our seemingly indestructible world shuts down, victim to a menacing, insidious, killer pandemic.It is a most dangerous age.This album is one of those rare but memorable instances where art is created before a significant event occurs but its release coincides with that event and it becomes forever associated with it.

Think of Wilco’s album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. It was written and recorded before September 2001, with the cover featuring two towers in Chicago known as the Marina City towers. The album was released seven days after the terrorist attacks on New York’s own twin towers, the World Trade Center. Although the lyrics and music explore personal themes, the album’s feeling, tone and cover represent that moment in time when the world stopped in terror, and then had to cope in the aftermath. It helped people deal with their shock and grief. In the same way, The Dangerous Age will, for me, forever be tied to this moment in time; a symbol of these dangerous times, in which we shelter in our homes to avoid contracting or spreading a deadly virus, and how we cope. This is music as coping mechanism. https://indaily.com.au/arts-and-culture/music/2020/03/26/album-review-the-dangerous-age/

Personnel: Kate Ceberano – vocals, Steve Kilbey – vocals, Sean Sennett – vocals, Rod Bustos – acoustic guitar, electric guitars, slide guitar, synth bass, table, drum programming, piano, synthesisers, glockenspiel, Jason Millhouse – guitar, John Salerno – drums, Paul Cecchinelli – piano, keys, cello, Alison Ainsworth – backing vocals

The Dangerous Age

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Antti Sarpila - Let's Swing: Plays a Tribute to the Benny Goodman Small Groups

Styles: Clarinet Jazz, Swing
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:43
Size: 156,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:30) 1. Let's Swing
(4:35) 2. What Can I Say Dear
(5:50) 3. Stealin' Apples - Live
(3:17) 4. He's Funny That Way
(4:57) 5. Avalon
(2:45) 6. Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland
(3:53) 7. My Gal Sal
(5:32) 8. Rose Room
(6:47) 9. Song of the Wanderer
(3:21) 10. You'll Always Be Mine
(4:31) 11. Somebody Stole My Gal
(3:20) 12. Old Spinning Wheel
(3:41) 13. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
(4:52) 14. I've Got the Heartful of Music
(3:10) 15. Japanese Sandman
(3:34) 16. I Want to Be Happy

Antti Sarpila pays tribute to the king of swing and his chamber jazz combos. There are five previously unreleased tracks and a compilation of the best tracks by Antti Sarpila in the Goodman vein. Apart from Antti's band, there are some tracks featuring vibraphone player Lars Erstrand doing his rendition of Lionel Hampton and pianist Ulf Johansson Werre with his Teddy Wilsonish touch. http://www.anttisarpila.com/en/recordings?start=10

Let's Swing

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Evans Bradshaw - Look Out for Evans Bradshaw

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:19
Size: 102,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:08) 1. Georgia on My Mind
(5:40) 2. Hallelujah!
(7:28) 3. The Prophet
(4:29) 4. Love for Sale
(6:58) 5. Coolin' the Blues
(7:38) 6. Blueinet
(4:59) 7. Angel Eyes
(2:54) 8. Old Devil Moon

This pianist was born in Memphis and died there as well, but is associated with the Detroit jazz scene. Despite the fact that his name sounds quite classy, it is possible most jazz listeners have not heard of Evans Bradshaw, who began his professional career as a child and died when he was only in his mid-fifties. He was a childhood pal of the superb pianist Phineas Newborn, and may have even been influential in Newborn's interest in the keyboards in the first place. Bradshaw's first move upon learning to crawl was to try and mount the piano bench; he learned to play at the age of nine and was in his father's band three years later.

The pianist headed to Flint, MI in 1953, picking up a day job in an auto factory. At night, he was out and about gigging with his own trio. At one of these live gigs, a talent scout connected with the group and arranged a contact with the Riverside label. In both 1958 and 1959 the label released albums by Bradshaw which have continued to represent his entire discography.

There are no recordings available of Bradshaw as a sideman in anyone else's groups. His own trio played at the Village Vanguard and the Detroit Jazz Festival as a result of the Riverside buzz.~ Eugene Chadbourne https://www.allmusic.com/artist/evans-bradshaw-mn0000544525

Personnel: Evans Bradshaw - piano; George Joyner - bass; Philly Joe Jones - drums

Look Out for Evans Bradshaw

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Chris Barber - Chris Barber Plays, Vol.4

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1957/2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:05
Size: 65,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:18) 1. When The Saints Go Marching In
(4:18) 2. Olga
(2:49) 3. Old Rugged Cross
(2:27) 4. Bye Bye
(3:22) 5. Pound Of Blues
(2:38) 6. When You And I Were Young
(6:10) 7. Just A Closer Walk With Thee

The March 1957 sessions that ended up on the seven-song 10" LP Chris Barber Plays, Vol. 4 were Barber's final studio recordings for the Pye label prior to his move to Columbia/EMI, though he'd do a couple more live albums for the company in 1958. The sound of the group was loosening up a little, albeit not much, while maintaining its format of reverent facsimiles of early-20th century American jazz. Ottilie Patterson sang on a couple of the tracks, "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," but otherwise it was an instrumental set, perhaps with greater sonic presence than some of his earlier Pye sides, with more depth to the bass in particular at times. "Pound of Blues" rates as a highlight of their Pye catalog, with its swinging Hucklebuck riff, and the bandmembers sound like they're actually having fun, not just playing the notes properly, on the extended instrumental tag of "Just a Closer Walk With Thee."~ Richie Unterberger https://www.allmusic.com/album/chris-barber-plays-vol-4-mw0001095200

Personnel: Trombone – Chris Barber, Banjo – Eddie Smith (2), Bass – Dick Smith (2), Clarinet – Monty Sunshine, Drums – Ron Bowden. Sleeve – Ian Bradbery, Trumpet – Pat Halcox

Chris Barber Plays, Vol.4

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Noah Preminger - Contemptment

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:49
Size: 144,6 MB
Art: Front

( 6:45) 1. The Late 90s
( 8:05) 2. Hygge
( 7:02) 3. Kamaguchi
( 6:54) 4. Hamburg
( 6:44) 5. Porcelain
( 8:35) 6. Hey J
( 7:12) 7. Contemptment
(11:28) 8. Promises Kept

If you followed saxophonist Noah Preminger's early career you might have read an interview where he revealed his fascination with boxing. The fact that he trained in the sweet science for nearly a decade while making music is evident in the pugilistic blues heard on self-released albums Pivot: Live At The 55 Bar (2015) and Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground (2016). On those two recordings and Genuinity (Criss Cross, 2018), he had a perfect sparring partner in trumpeter Jason Palmer. As he has progressed and his music has seasoned, the brawl has been displaced by the brain and the aggression has diminished while the complexity increased, evidenced by the Chopin Project (Connection Works Records, 2017) and his mini masterpiece Zigsaw: Music Of Steve Lampert (Self Released, 2018).

With Contemptment Preminger comes back to the quartet format with his longtime bassist Kim Cass and the return of drummer Dan Weiss, but Palmer's trumpet is replaced by the guitar of Max Light. The music swaps sparring for a consensual dance and this may be a better way to display the immense talent Preminger possesses. The disc opens with "The Late 90s," as homage to the state of jazz at the close of the 20th century where Preminger and Light have clothed themselves in the sounds of Mark Turner and Kurt Rosenwinkel. From there the quartet explores every possible time signature with "Hygge," performing a kind of musical chairs with tempo. "Kamaguchi," most likely written for bassist Masa Kamaguchi, opens with the gentlest guitar phrases of Light before Preminger and Cass perambulate a most charming melody together. The gentleness continues with a cover of the Red Hot Chili Pepper's "Porcelain," where Preminger's breathy tenor floats over the atmospherics created by Weiss and Light. The title track finds a very busy rhythm section unable to disturb the self possessed tenor man. Sonny Sharrock's "Promises Kept, the final track, opens with an amazing Preminger solo flight before the quartet engages in a most crafty and (can we say 'comforting'?) swing. Sounds like they could have danced all night.~ Mark Corroto https://www.allaboutjazz.com/contemptment-noah-preminger-steeplechase-records

Personnel: Noah Preminger: saxophone, tenor; Kim Cass: bass, acoustic; Max Light: guitar, electric; Dan Weiss: drums.

Contemptment

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New York Voices - Reminiscing in Tempo

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:27
Size: 121,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:13) 1. Round, Round, Round (Blue Rondo a La Turk)
(5:11) 2. Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly
(5:06) 3. Answered Prayers (E De Deus)
(3:59) 4. A Dance for Me
(2:08) 5. Los Tres Golpes
(4:06) 6. Moments in a Mirror
(5:07) 7. It's Alright with Me
(5:02) 8. Reminiscing in Tempo
(4:47) 9. The Forecast is Sunny
(4:07) 10. Invitacion
(2:24) 11. Avalon
(3:11) 12. In My Life

Time flies, so why shouldn't New York Voices revel in that passage on life's jet stream? Reminiscing In Tempo marks the celebrated vocal quartet's 30th anniversary in style, presenting a dozen performances delivered with imaginative flair. The arrangements and vocals, not surprisingly, are airtight, and the joy in the music is palpable. Demonstrating mastery of an idiom too often ignored, the Voices put their magnetic pipes and impossibly accurate harmonies on display in myriad settings, moving artfully through Ivan Lins' buoyant and vibrant frames, Cole Porter's swinging setups, and The Beatles' timeless glances at life's past. A crack band is often right there with this foursome, enhancing explorations of time remembered. But sometimes Peter Eldridge, Lauren Kinhan , Darmon Meader, and Kim Nazarian are alone together, sharing their deep experiences all by their collective lonesome. That variety, par for the course with New York Voices, makes for an easy sale here.

Opening with "Round, Round, Round (Blue Rondo à la Turk)," there's a display of gratitude not only to Dave Brubeck, but also to Al Jarreau, whose lyrics pop through the speakers. Then the Voices take us across time and space, visiting different styles and locales with their customary shine. There's a gleaming performance of Chick Corea's "Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly," an enchanting a cappella take on Cuban pianist Ignacio Cervantes' "Los Tres Golpes," an easygoing slice of Ellingtonia in the form of the title track, and a nod to Al Jolson by way of Ray Charles on an "Avalon" throwback.

While this album primarily focuses on classics and the occasional hidden gem, a pair of originals sneak into the mix and deserve a good look. Meader's "Moments In A Mirror," with Gabriel Hahn adding some notable vocal and body percussion, grooves in line with the album's theme; and "The Forecast Is Sunny," co-written by Kinhan and Eldridge, takes on wider ambitions in story and scope, appealing to the singer-songwriter streak that both composers share. Reminiscing In Tempo can be seen as a strong distillation of what this vocal force is all about, yet there's really no way the group can boil itself down into a single record. If time has taught us anything, it's that New York Voices' gifts simply can't be contained. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/reminiscing-in-tempo-new-york-voices-origin-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Peter Eldridge: vocals, piano (9); Lauren Kinhan: vocals; Darmon Meader: vocals; Kim Nazarian: vocals; Andy Ezrin: piano, Rhodes; Alon Yavnai: piano (10); David Finck: bass (1, 4, 8, 9); Paul Nowinski: bass (3, 7, 11); Will Lee: bass (2); Ben Wittman: drums (1, 2, 4, 8, 9), percussion (2, 9); Marcello Pellitteri: drums (3, 7, 11); Gabriel Hahn: vocals (6), body percussion (6); Jay Ashby: percussion (3); Marty Ashby: guitar (3, 11); Jesse Lewis: guitar (2, 9); Darmon Meader: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone; Steve Kenyon: baritone saxophone; Frank Greene: trupet; Tatum Greenblatt: trumpet; Mike Davis: trombone; Randy Andos: trombone.

Reminiscing in Tempo

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Dinah Washington - September In The Rain

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:09
Size: 75,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:05) 1. September In The Rain
(3:05) 2. Without A Song
(2:24) 3. This Heart Of Mine
(1:58) 4. As Long As I'm In Your Arms
(3:51) 5. With A Song In My Heart
(2:31) 6. Softly (Baby)
(2:47) 7. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
(2:25) 8. I Was Telling Him About You
(3:13) 9. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
(2:30) 10. I'll Never Kiss You Goodbye
(2:30) 11. I'll Come Back For More
(2:47) 12. Tell Love Hello

Dinah Washington was at once one of the most beloved and controversial singers of the mid-20th century beloved to her fans, devotees, and fellow singers; controversial to critics who still accuse her of selling out her art to commerce and bad taste. Her principal sin, apparently, was to cultivate a distinctive vocal style that was at home in all kinds of music, be it R&B, blues, jazz, middle of the road pop and she probably would have made a fine gospel or country singer had she the time. Hers was a gritty, salty, high-pitched voice, marked by absolute clarity of diction and clipped, bluesy phrasing. Washington's personal life was turbulent, with seven marriages behind her, and her interpretations showed it, for she displayed a tough, totally unsentimental, yet still gripping hold on the universal subject of lost love. She has had a huge influence on R&B and jazz singers who have followed in her wake, notably Nancy Wilson, Esther Phillips, and Diane Schuur, and her music is abundantly available nowadays via the huge seven-volume series The Complete Dinah Washington on Mercury.

Born Ruth Lee Jones, she moved to Chicago at age three and was raised in a world of gospel, playing the piano and directing her church choir. At 15, after winning an amateur contest at the Regal Theatre, she began performing in nightclubs as a pianist and singer, opening at the Garrick Bar in 1942. Talent manager Joe Glaser heard her there and recommended her to Lionel Hampton, who asked her to join his band. Hampton says that it was he who gave Ruth Jones the name Dinah Washington, although other sources claim it was Glaser or the manager of the Garrick Bar. In any case, she stayed with Hampton from 1943 to 1946 and made her recording debut for Keynote at the end of 1943 in a blues session organized by Leonard Feather with a sextet drawn from the Hampton band. With Feather's "Evil Gal Blues" as her first hit, the records took off, and by the time she left Hampton to go solo, Washington was already an R&B headliner. Signing with the young Mercury label, Washington produced an enviable string of Top Ten hits on the R&B charts from 1948 to 1955, singing blues, standards, novelties, pop covers, even Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart." She also recorded many straight jazz sessions with big bands and small combos, most memorably with Clifford Brown on Dinah Jams but also with Cannonball Adderley, Clark Terry, Ben Webster, Wynton Kelly, and the young Joe Zawinul (who was her regular accompanist for a couple of years).

In 1959, Washington made a sudden breakthrough into the mainstream pop market with "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes," a revival of a Dorsey Brothers hit set to a Latin American bolero tune. For the rest of her career, she would concentrate on singing ballads backed by lush orchestrations for Mercury and Roulette, a formula similar to that of another R&B-based singer at that time, Ray Charles, and one that drew plenty of fire from critics even though her basic vocal approach had not changed one iota. Although her later records could be as banal as any easy listening dross of the period, there are gems to be found, like Billie Holiday's "Don't Explain," which has a beautiful, bluesy Ernie Wilkins chart conducted by Quincy Jones. Struggling with a weight problem, Washington died of an accidental overdose of diet pills mixed with alcohol at the tragically early age of 39, still in peak voice, still singing the blues in an L.A. club only two weeks before the end.~ Richard S. Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dinah-washington-mn0000260038/biography

Personnel: Ernie Freeman, Joe Zawinul (piano) Rone Hall, Barney Kessel (guitar) Red Callender, Jimmy Rowser (bass) Earl Palmer (drums) Dinah Washington (vocals)

September In The Rain

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Toni Harper - Lady Lonely (1959) [Original Jazz Sound]

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:23
Size: 109,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:20) 1. Lady Lonely
(3:02) 2. In The Dark of The Night
(4:05) 3. He Was a Man
(3:13) 4. My Hearth Is Lonely Hunter
(3:10) 5. The Lack of Love
(3:23) 6. Blue It Grows
(3:14) 7. I Love The Blues
(3:25) 8. You Taught Me How To Cry
(3:13) 9. The Velvet Hammer
(4:15) 10. The Other Woman
(3:45) 11. Nobody Home But The Blues
(2:58) 12. Busy Blues
(3:08) 13. Love Has Come, Love As Gone
(3:05) 14. River Weep

Toni Harper's childhood was made of the magic any aspiring adult artist would kill for: a platinum record, a performance at Carnegie Hall, evenings spent sharing a stage with such performers as Cab Calloway, and invitations to appear on television with Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Milton Berle, and Ed Sullivan. And all of the magic unfolded before she'd turned 12 years old. The jazz vocalist, who now goes by the name Toni Dunlap, got her big break in 1945 when she went up against a couple hundred other kids at an audition held by choreographer Nick Castle. Harper, who had been a dance student of Maceo Anderson, passed muster as far as her dancing, but when she sang "Waitin' for the Train to Come In," she had the audition sewn up on the spot. Castle cast her in his production of Christmas Follies, which was staged at Los Angeles' Wilshire Ebell Theatre. Harper drew enthusiastic reviews and went on to earn a platinum record when she was eight years old with "Candy Store Blues." Harper paired with Herb Jeffries for "You're Too Tall 'n' I'm Too Small," the number for which she later paired live with Calloway at Los Angeles' Million Dollar Theatre. Television beckoned the young singer and she was a guest on numerous programs, among them Sullivan's weekly variety show. When she wasn't appearing on television, she was singing at numerous New York hot spots that included the Apollo, the Strand, and the Paramount. At the age of 11, Harper topped it all off by singing at Carnegie Hall.

Like many child stars, Harper's career slowed down as she began to mature. As a teenager, she was too old for the childhood image that had given her a great start, but too young to effectively take on a more adult image. She attended high school in Los Angeles, involving herself in such extracurricular activities as drama, choir, and the glee club. She continued to take professional singing jobs during the school's summer break. Having completed high school in the mid-'50s, and still hampered by her youth, she sang for the teenaged record-buying public. For a young woman of her age, "One Hamburger to Go" was more acceptable in the public eye than any of the more sophisticated songs that she would record in later years, such as "Love for Sale." The vocalist got her chance to sing the more adult songs when she recorded for Verve. In addition to "Love for Sale," Harper recorded such songs as "I Could Write a Book" and "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered." Backing Harper on her self-titled first recording for Verve were pianist Oscar Peterson, drummer Alvin Stoller, guitarist Herb Ellis, and bassist Ray Brown. The vocalist later signed with RCA Victor, recording for the label for about four years and ending in 1963. Harper quit the business in 1966 after devoting more than 20 years to her singing career.~ Linda Seida https://www.allmusic.com/artist/toni-harper-mn0000616072

Lady Lonely (1959) [Original Jazz Sound]

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Papo Vazquez - Mighty Pirates Troubadours, Chapter 10: Breaking Cover

Styles: Trombone Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:04
Size: 113,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:11) 1. Mr. Babu
(5:06) 2. NY Latin Jazz Mambo
(6:21) 3. El Cuco / The Boogeyman
(5:11) 4. Saludo Campesino
(6:08) 5. Fiesta en la Sanse
(4:55) 6. Fairmount Park
(5:53) 7. Shadows
(4:24) 8. No Te Rindas
(5:50) 9. Broke Blues

It’s a rare occurrence when I put on a record and I’m instantly hooked. An album usually has to grow on me but from the first note I knew this was special. Papo Vázquez fuses jazz and Puerto Rican folkloric music in a way only he can. Out this Friday, November 13th, Vázquez releases his newest album, Chapter 10: Breaking Cover with his Mighty Pirates Troubadours. An iconic career that spans 40 years, GRAMMY-nominated Latin music artist Papo Vázquez, proves on this album why he is one of the leading artist of the contemporary Latin jazz scene. His love of jazz ignited by John Coltrane and J. J. Johnson, added to his knowledge of indigenous music of the Caribbean peoples, gives us a rhythm and tempo that is sure to make you listen again and again.

The album right from the start gives me hints of Jackie McLean and Chick Corea in the compositions and arrangements. It takes us on a journey through the celebration of life, our oneness in it, and when it’s all over the party we will have. We open with an introduction to "Mr. Babu." He’s from Africa and likes to dance. The dance he likes most is the second song off the album, "NY Latin Jazz Mambo." Then enters the Boogeyman and perhaps my favorite track off the album.“El Cuco/The Boogeyman.” Ben Ratliff says in his liner notes: “El Cuco/The Boogeyman is built on a piano riff Papo wrote a few years ago; he realized that it could stand for the knock on our psychic doors we all started hearing in March.” Other notable and stand out songs are the rumba “No Te Rindas” (“don’t give up”) which features vocalist Jose Mangual Jr., who worked with Papo in Hector Lavoe’s band back in the ‘70s. "Fiesta En La Sanse,” named after the carnival in Old San Juan, evokes a feeling of celebrating and party when everything is over. The last track “Broke Blues,” is probably the best track on the album. This is composition at its finest and the perfect way to end the album. It is a not to be missed track.

Chapter 10: Breaking Cover is an album made truly in the time of COVID 19. Vázquez had plans to record this past April when lockdown regulations came into effect. Finally in June, when gatherings of 25 people or less were approved in the tri-state area, Vázquez and his Mighty Pirate Troubadours were able to rehearse and eventually record, all while safely social distancing. The current iteration of the septet includes Vázquez at the helm, with saxophonist Ivan Renta, pianist Rick Germanson, bassist Ariel Robles, drummer Alvester Garnett and percussionists Carlos Maldonado and Reinaldo DeJesus. Augmenting the group are invited guests: vocalist and percussionist Jose Mangual Jr., saxophonist Sherman Irby, bassist Dezron Douglas, guitarist Antonio Caraballo and trumpeter Antoine Drye. https://www.bleubop.com/post/listen-to-this-papo-v%C3%A1zquez-chapter-10-breaking-cover

Mighty Pirates Troubadours, Chapter 10: Breaking Cover

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George Coleman - The Quartet

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:31
Size: 169,3 MB
Art: Front

( 6:27) 1. Paul's Call
( 6:05) 2. I Wish You Love
( 8:25) 3. Prelude to a Kiss
( 6:17) 4. Lollipops and Roses
(12:05) 5. East 9th Street Blues
(10:59) 6. When I Fall in Love
( 5:54) 7. Along Came Betty
(10:16) 8. You've Changed
( 6:57) 9. Triste

It took nearly 20 years for tenor saxophonist George Coleman to bring his working quartet (featuring the late pianist Harold Mabern, in one of his final recording sessions, along with bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth) into the studio. That wait time is the only real complaint about The Quartet. It’s as straight-ahead an album as it gets, created by an octogenarian who despite being an NEA Jazz Master remains undervalued in his greatness. Greatness is assuredly the only word applicable to the player behind this samba-fied take of “I Wish You Love.” Coleman trips the light fantastic, plotting his phrases carefully and concisely, always mindful of the beat but slipping ahead and behind as each phrase dictates. For all his light touch, though (here as well as on sweeter pieces, like “You’ve Changed”), he also applies a gruff growl to the edge of his tone. On the intro to “You’ve Changed,” he even tweaks that growl into dissonant, faintly avant-garde whines. It’s a warning that even though he can retract them, Coleman still has claws.

They never quite come all the way out, though a good bit of them are bared on the spontaneously composed “East 9th Street Blues.” He still phrases judiciously (though not for lack of ideas: the tenor solo comprises 17 choruses), but punctuates with guttural moans, shrieks, and even some lowdown honking. That same tune, though, also shows how Coleman’s chemistry with his band is crucial to his magic. Farnsworth’s popping accents become the wireframes from which the sax hangs, and Webber’s bass provides the contour (which it will do even more on the closing “Triste”). In particular, Coleman’s relationship with Mabern, his fellow Memphian and 70-year collaborator, is glorious. The pianist turns even the saxophonist’s longer and more linear lines into conversation; he also makes his own steely vamps on “Paul’s Call” sound tailored to Coleman’s extemporizations, and he approaches the jaunty “Prelude to a Kiss” with the energy of a playful duet.~ Michael J.West https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/george-coleman-the-quartet-smoke-sessions/

Personnel: George Coleman (ts); Harold Mabern (p); John Webber (b); Joe Farnsworth (ds)

The Quartet

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Joanna Berkebile - Love Me or Leave Me

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:58
Size: 83,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:15) 1. The Gentleman Is a Dope
(3:39) 2. Comes Love
(3:37) 3. My Last Affair
(3:32) 4. Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby
(3:24) 5. Mean to Me
(6:08) 6. Peel Me a Grape
(3:06) 7. Goody Goody!
(4:25) 8. Temptation
(3:49) 9. Love Me or Leave Me

These songs, Joanna says, are “fresh imaginings of some of my favorite tunes. I have a rather curious mind so I love to play around with all the angles of a subject. Romance has TONS of angles! Each tune in “Love Me or Leave Me” contains a completely different personality and perspective, just none of that straightforward lovey-dovey stuff.” Each piece, she says, has the quality of meeting a person and getting their candid take on the whole complicated love subject.

The above words are taken verbatim from the blurb and, by and large, convey what the album is all about. Berkebile trained as an opera singer in Los Angeles but, after moving to Kansas City soon became immersed in the jazz scene of that metropolis.That she successfully traversed the gap twixt the genres is evident in the way she uses her operatic range without sounding like a posh tottie out slumming. In particular her scatting on the title track, taken at the fashionably fast tempo currently favoured for that tune, would be a credit to many a more well-known jazz singer. The songs, some well-known, some not so well-known are very much based on the power struggles of relationships that are less or more than 50%.
https://lance-bebopspokenhere.blogspot.com/2020/11/album-review-joanna-berkebile-love-me.html

Personnel: Joanna Berkebile (vocals); Leslie Maclean (piano); Tim Brewer (bass); Jerry Pollock (drums).

Love Me or Leave Me

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Kate Ceberano And Paul Grabowsky - Tryst

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:23
Size: 145,9 MB
Art: Front

( 5:20) 1. Wild Is The Wind
( 4:08) 2. Song For You
(13:57) 3. For Cilla - Medley
( 5:10) 4. Make You Feel My Love
( 5:18) 5. Suzanne
( 9:09) 6. Melange D'Amour - Medley
( 6:14) 7. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
( 3:44) 8. I Touch Myself
( 4:54) 9. Forever Young
( 5:23) 10. Skylark

Tryst brings together two Australian musical icons in a fertile collaboration, effectively combining the proven commercial appeal of singer Kate Ceberano with the keyboard mastery of a celebrated jazz musician Paul Grabowsky. Ceberano is not a complete jazz singer she does not improvise, nor indulge in wordless vocals but her considerable strengths are palpable here: a gorgeous voice, authoritative phrasing, and a feel for lyrics that renders them truthful. In Make You Feel My Love, she sings “I could hold you for a million years” so tenderly that one feels she means it. It’s significant that the latter is a big hit from the pop singer Adele. In a repertoire brimming with quality, Ceberano takes on some of the more esoteric songs that have emerged in popular music over recent years, including Wild Is The Wind (previously best-known for versions by Nina Simone and David Bowie); Leon Russell’s A Song For You; Leonard Cohen’s Suzanne; the Divinyls’ I Touch Myself; Bob Dylan’s Forever Young; and others.

Great versions of such songs are already in the collective memory, and only a brave vocalist would take them on in such a highly exposed setting, backed only by solo piano. Still, with nowhere to hide, Ceberano brings the project off with considerable aplomb. The multi-talented Grabowsky is a tower of strength, his accompaniments incisive and sparse when required, and orchestral when passion in the music calls for a fuller sound. Blessed with the keyboard touch and melodic sensibility we associate with great jazz pianists such as Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, he provides introductions, interludes and improvisations, where he moves through the harmonic changes in masterly fashion. For the purist jazz fan, he provides the album’s chief interest. While not wishing to snap at the heels of two such distinguished artists, there is an aberration in the medley For Cilla, Ceberano’s tribute to Cilla Black. In Burt Bacharach’s This Girl’s In Love With You the chosen key is a little too high for Ceberano’s voice, and there are uncomfortable moments as she strains to hit the top notes of the melody. I am surprised that the producers (Mal Stanley and Grabowksy himself) did not rectify this admittedly minor oversight.~ Eric Myers https://ericmyersjazz.com/cd-reviews-page-22

Tryst

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Jonathan Fritzén Jazz Trio - Bach and Jazz

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:02
Size: 110,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:58) 1. Ave Maria
(4:58) 2. Arioso (From Harpsichord Concerto No. 5 in F Minor)
(3:24) 3. Badinerie (From Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor)
(5:05) 4. Minuet in G Major
(4:42) 5. Minuet in G Minor
(4:51) 6. Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme
(4:43) 7. Bist Du Bei Mir
(5:35) 8. Minuet (From Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor)
(4:54) 9. Aria Variata in a Minor (Variation No. 2)
(3:47) 10. Air (From Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major)

A contemporary Swedish jazz and instrumental pop pianist with a warm, sophisticated style, Jonathan Fritzén has scored several number one albums and built a strong global following. Born in Stockholm in 1982, Fritzén grew up in a musical family the son of noted American-born keyboardist Steve Dobrogosz and Swedish flutist Katrina Fritzén. Interested in music from a young age, he started out on drums and by the time he graduated high school, he was proficient on several instruments including piano, guitar, flute, and vocals. He honed his skills studying at Stockholm's Royal Swedish Academy of Music where he graduated with a Master's degree from the jazz department. As a solo artist, he debuted in 2008 with Love Birds, on which he produced and played every instrument.

He returned with a handful of increasingly well-received albums including 2009's V.I.P. with vocalist Laila Adele, 2010's Diamonds, featuring the hit single "Dance with Me," and 2012's Magical, which featured guest appearances from Boney James, Jackiem Joyner, and more. In 2015, he released his fifth studio album, Fritzénized, which showcased collaborations with such crossover jazz luminaries as Gerald Albright, Paul Taylor, and Nils Landgren. Two years later, he delivered the mellow and romantic Ballads, which included contributions from violinist Peter Ferencz, guitarist Alex Crown, and his mother, flutist Katrina Fritzén. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jonathan-fritz%C3%A9n-mn0002441319/biography

Bach and Jazz

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Karin Krog & John Surman - Infinite Paths

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:01
Size: 110,5 MB
Art: Front

( 5:38) 1. Wild Bird
( 4:21) 2. World Overheard
( 6:58) 3. Casting High
( 3:59) 4. Picture Postcard
( 9:18) 5. Mother of Light
(12:38) 6. The Red Dragon
( 5:05) 7. Infinite Paths

Although vocalist Karin Krog and saxophonist John Surman have been appearing in concert as a duo for over three decades, all of the recordings available until now have been studio based. Finally, with this album, comes the opportunity to hear a recording of the duo performing live. With the assistance of Ben Surman's electronic wizardry the duo are able to re-invent a few old favourites from their repertoire and spontaneously explore some completely new territory in front of an enthusiastic audience. https://www.propermusic.com/mr23-infinite-paths.html

Personnel: Karin Krog (vocal), John Surman (soprano and baritone sax, bass clarinet, recorders), Ben Surman (electronics)

Infinite Paths

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Anne Paceo - Empreintes

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:04
Size: 148,2 MB
Art: Front

( 6:53) 1. Poutchoum
( 5:52) 2. Immersion
( 6:04) 3. Fais de beaux rêves
( 6:57) 4. Le tonnerre est là
( 4:23) 5. Poussières
(10:57) 6. Noun
( 7:42) 7. Jo-Anna's Nirvana
( 7:04) 8. Sérénité
( 3:30) 9. Nirvana (Edit) [Bonus Track]
( 3:48) 10. Pas de problème - Bonus Track
( 0:49) 11. Blues - Bonus Track

Always the famous long awaited confirmations !!! “Empreintes” indicates the path to be followed without any doubt but also and especially the road travelled since the first album. The stage and the numerous concerts at the end of 2008 and during 2009 have affirmed the Trio in France and in Europe, the consecration of Anne at the Django D’Or last December, the performances on important events such as Jazzahead in Germany, all these appointments have had fantastic echoes with the public, the organizers and the Professionals. Trio in music, Trio in composition, our three comrades unfold a real color and express a very strong originality and identity. Triphase likes to remind that already 5 years of complicity, work, joy and difficulties represent the culmination of this Production. The fluidity of the themes, the distinct presence of each one, the harmonies developed through the eight themes present on this opus suits us in a story, a musical tale where three beautiful personalities are revealed, three imprints that are not ready to fade away. https://annepaceo.com/en/discography/empreintes/

Personnel: Anne Paceo: drums; Leonardo Montana: piano; Joan Eche-Puig: double basse

Empreintes

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Mark Colby - Yesterday's Gardenias

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:30
Size: 141,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:17) 1. Isfahan
(5:54) 2. Ugly Beauty
(5:17) 3. Estate
(5:52) 4. Three and One
(8:57) 5. Mellow Minor
(6:13) 6. The Summary
(7:29) 7. Angel Eyes
(5:22) 8. Yesterday's Gardenias
(6:05) 9. Touch of Her Lips and Part
(4:00) 10. Just In Time

Mark has performed with Gerry Mulligan, Jaco Pastorius, Frank Sinatra, Maynard Ferguson, Bob James, Charlie Haden and Mose Allison. He is a first call studio musician, and has played on over 2,000 commercials in the competitive Chicago market. He has been a jazz faculty member at DePaul University since 1983, as well as Elmhurst College. Currently, he is performing as a guest soloist and clinician/ adjudicator at high schools and colleges throughout the United States representing the Selmer Company. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/markcolby

I've been listenting to Mark Colby for twenty years, and I've seen him grow into a master of the saxophone and master of the music he plays.” ~Stan Getz

“Mark was a great asset to our event, providing incisive comments and excellent clinic work. He has an uncanny ability to lock in with both youngsters and adults.” ~Dr. John Harding, Director of Jazz Studies University of North Carolina

“A brilliant saxophone soloist in the virtuoso range.” ~John Wilson, The New York Times

Yesterday's Gardenias

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Aldo Romano - Reborn

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:40
Size: 112,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:48) 1. Annobon
(2:32) 2. Sud-ouest jump
(3:55) 3. Petionville
(3:39) 4. Twenty Small Cigars
(3:58) 5. Il piacere
(5:12) 6. Dreams and Waters
(4:51) 7. Dear Old Stockholm
(9:38) 8. Positano
(2:53) 9. Spring Tide
(8:10) 10. Darn That Dream

Although born in Italy, Aldo Romano moved to France with his family at a young age. He was already playing guitar and drums professionally in Paris in the '50s when he heard Donald Byrd's group with drummer Arthur Taylor. Since then, he has dedicated himself to the drums and contemporary jazz. In Paris jazz clubs like le Chat Qui Pêche and the Caméléon, Romano has accompanied visiting Americans like Jackie McLean, Bud Powell, Lucky Thompson, J.J. Johnson, and Woody Shaw while also exploring free music with Don Cherry and Gato Barbieri, Frank Wright and Bobby Few, Michel Portal, François Tusques, Jean-Louis Chautemps, and Steve Lacy. Romano's boundless curiosity for any living music brought him in contact with electric jazz in the '70s, playing at the Riverbop with longtime associate/bassist Jean-François Jenny-Clark, in addition to François Jeanneau, Henri Texier, Charlie Mariano, and Philip Catherine. In 1978, he released his first album as a leader with Claude Barthélémy (Il Piacere, OWL), followed by 1980's Night Diary with Didier Lockwood and Jasper Van't Hof, and 1983's Alma Latina with Philip Catherine. In 1980, Romano brought pianist Michel Petrucciani to the world's attention, introducing him to the producer of Owl Records. His Italian roots were lovingly remembered with the foundation of his Italian Quartet with Paolo Fresu, Franco D'Andrea, and Furio Di Castri. The quartet recorded To Be Ornette to Be and Water Dreams (Owl) and Non Dimenticar, a collection of Italian songs (Verve). Palatino named for the Rome-Paris night train also includes Fresu, with Glen Ferris on trombone. Intervista (Verve, 2001) with bassist Palle Danielsson, saxophonist Stefano di Battista, and Brazilian guitarist Nelson Veras is a magnificently played overview of his musical career, with Ornette Coleman-ish tunes, Latin-American compositions, and operatic arias; a bonus CD contains a charming interview.~ Francesco Martinelli https://www.allmusic.com/artist/aldo-romano-mn0000684164/biography

Personnel: Aldo Romano (ds); Geraldine Laurent (as); Glenn Ferris (tb); Henri Texier (b); Enrico Rava (tp; Baptiste Trotignon (p); Darryl Hall (b); Michel Benita (b); Yoann Loustalot (tp); Mauro Negri (cl); Jasper van’t Hof (p)

Reborn

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Geri Allen - Twylight

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:44
Size: 105,0 MB
Art: Front

(8:43) 1. When Kabuya Dances
(6:08) 2. Shadow Series
(1:45) 3. Skin
(4:12) 4. A Place of Power
(1:15) 5. Twylight
(4:08) 6. Stop the World
(2:36) 7. Wood
(4:26) 8. Little Wind
(3:45) 9. Dream Time
(4:13) 10. Blue
(4:29) 11. Black Pool

Geri Allen's fifth recording overall, and second effort that features both acoustic and electric instruments, is a stunning display in merging basic natural and spiritual ideas with jazz, funk, soul, space, and tribal elements. Sticking with Metro-Detroit friends like drummer Tani Tabbal, bassist Jaribu Shahid, and percussionist Sadiq Bey and Eli Fountain, Allen's role as a musical sorceress was never more pronounced and uniquely realized. The music, part of her self-dubbed "Black Pool Project," is altogether punctuated by multi-ethnic percussion, while liquid, mercurial, and elusive modal melodies, extended by the fresh harmonic pianistics of Allen, sends this brand of jazz into a third dimension. Tracks like the funky, angular "Shadow Series" have an Asian flavor spiced by her feline synthesizer lines, "Wood" is slowed, very mysterious, and cave-dweller like, "Little Wind" darker and wispy, while "Black Pools" is a circus siren's song, wonderfully macabre and even bizarre.

The definitive composition, "A Place of Power," has a memorable piano line plus Allen's brilliant solo sneaking around a light calypso funk expertly rendered by Tabbal. Equally outstanding in a different light, "Dream Time" perfectly represents its sequential title, as quirky, jumpy hooks with a surreal harmonic foundation allows for many layers of subtle rhythms from the percussionists, all cemented by the modal bass of Shahid. Then there's "When Kabuya Dances," a signature song for Allen, as her peaceful, thematic, reverent piano introduction speeds into full-flight fancy, and a kinetic pulse that is magnificent beyond compare. "Skin" showcases a repeat, off-minor theme, "Stop the World" is pure electronica and percussive, while the title track reflects the inexplicable daily shift of light to dark. This is a stunningly beautiful recording marking a distinct progression for Allen, and her complete awareness of the world at large. It might take several listenings to get used to, but the ultimate reward of this high artistic achievement is limitless, as are the possibilities of human endeavor on this Earth.~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/twylight-mw0000202181

Twylight

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Fred Hersch - Songs From Home

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:13
Size: 131,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:09) 1. Wouldn't It Be Loverly
(5:50) 2. Wichita Lineman
(5:15) 3. After You've Gone
(7:16) 4. All I Want
(4:38) 5. Get Out Of Town
(5:47) 6. West Virginia Rose / The Water is Wide
(5:57) 7. Sarabande
(5:10) 8. Consolation (A Folk Song)
(6:04) 9. Solitude
(5:02) 10. When I'm Sixty Four

In order for solo piano playing to be maintained at a high standard, the artist must exhibit a prolific imagination, a wealth of conviction and self-assurance, note-striking precision and a firm sense of swing. Throughout his career, Fred Hersch has exhibited these qualities. Since performers (be they musicians, dancers or actors) are generally defined by their craft (otherwise they are just regular folks like the rest of us) even in these uncertain times, they continue to look for inventive ways to express themselves. Hersch found his in this self-recording from his home in rural Pennsylvania and performed on a familiar but imperfect seven foot Steinway B. He did it by bringing a new openness to an album of covers. "Many of these songs date back to the years before I even knew what jazz was," says Hersch. Hersch belongs to a coterie of jazz pianists who are musically educated and have a versatility in their work that allows them to survive in today's environment. In this eleven track recital, Hersch's overall approach is basically to be faithful to the primary themes of each composition but extend the rhythmic pattern in many ways through the improvisational process. Opening with "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," Hersch lays down a reflective structure as he putters over passages to extract his intended mood. Glen Campbell had a hit with Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman," which talks about love lost on an endless highway. Hersch states the theme then moves on, holding the original material in a standoff fashion, as he explores its contours.

The ever reliable Cole Porter invokes a well known theme in "Get Out Of Town," which Hersch approaches in a rakish upbeat fashion as he plays the theme phrase in a series of eighth notes. As the number progresses, Hersch abandons the melody and replaces it with improvised passages that he negotiates as an ever changing theme before returning to the familiar melody. As he negotiates his way through the remaining compositions, two of which, "West Virginia Rose" and "Sarabande," are is own, Hersch contemplates the structures of the pieces and finds an accessibility that offers a lucidity to their interpretation. During October, Hersch would have celebrated his 65th birthday. So he gave himself a birthday present with a re-imagining of the Lennon/McCartney classic "When I'm Sixty-Four." He uses a playful stride technique to bring the album to a close in anticipation of better days ahead. Throughout this release, Fred Hersch plays with an elusiveness and unconventionality that is meant to sustain the listener's interest, which he unfailingly does. ~ Pierre Giroux https://www.allaboutjazz.com/songs-from-home-fred-hersch-palmetto-records

Personnel: Fred Hersch: piano.

Songs From Home

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Mike Murley - Conversation Piece

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:09
Size: 150,2 MB
Art: Front

(10:51) 1. George Is Gone
( 5:12) 2. I've Got You Under My Skin
( 9:01) 3. Conversation Piece
( 8:20) 4. Touch Her Soft Lips And Part
( 9:06) 5. Green Chimneys
( 8:09) 6. Goodbye Gladstone
( 7:20) 7. Greville Bay
( 7:08) 8. L'homard Bleu

Mike Murley may not be a household name outside of Canada, but his many recordings are consistently stimulating and fresh. On this CD with pianist Dave Restivo, bassist Jim Vivian, drummer Ted Warren and (on four of the eight selections) the Kenny Wheeler-inspired trumpeter John MacLeod, Murley consistently shows off his versatility. He purposely plays "I've Got You Under My Skin" (the only standard of the date) in the style of Sonny Rollins, performs some hard bop originals (in some cases showing off the influence of Joe Henderson), sounds quite tender on Cedar Walton's waltz "Touch Her Soft Lips and Part" and switches to his playful soprano on Thelonious Monk's "Green Chimneys." The medium-tempo blues "L'Homard Blue" wraps up the advanced, straight-ahead date in swinging fashion.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/conversation-piece-mw0000777746

Personnel: Saxophone – Mike Murley; Bass – Jim Vivian; Drums – Ted Warren (2); Piano – David Restivo; Trumpet – John Mcleod

Conversation Piece

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Antigua Jazz Band - 40 Años A La Antigua

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:45
Size: 185,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:57) 1. C Jam Blues (Improvisacion De Un Blues En Do)
(2:42) 2. Take The A Train (Toma El Tren A)
(2:58) 3. Old Man Blues (Blues Del Anciano)
(3:39) 4. Thing's Ain't What They Used To Be (Las Cosas No Son Lo Que Eran)
(3:36) 5. Back Water Blues (Blues De La Inundacion)
(2:13) 6. Tiger Rag (El Paso Del Tigre)
(2:52) 7. The Creeper (El Trepador)
(3:57) 8. Cry Me A River (Llorame Un Rio)
(5:51) 9. Nobody Knows The Trouble I' Ve Seen (Nadie Conoce Mis Pesares)
(4:13) 10. Ain't Misbehavin (No Me Porto Mal)
(4:39) 11. Summertime (Tiempo De Verano)
(3:56) 12. I'Ve Got Rhythm (Tengo Ritmo)
(5:11) 13. Don't Get Arround Much Anymore (Ya No Salgo Tan Seguido)
(4:09) 14. Imagine My Frustation (Imagina Mi Frustacion)
(3:33) 15. Miss Lilly Higgins Sings Shimmy In Mississippi's Spring
(3:32) 16. Mean Mistreater Mama (Tu Me Maltratas)
(7:11) 17. St.Louis Blues (Blues De Saint Louis)
(2:38) 18. Going Nuts (Enloqueciendome)
(6:50) 19. Black And Tan Fantasy (Fantasia En Negro Y Canela)