Patricia Sosa, Chucho Valdés - ONCE: Concierto para Dos

Styles: Vocal, Piano
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:53
Size: 114,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:47) 1. Alli
(3:53) 2. Envidia
(3:39) 3. Distancia
(3:24) 4. Ningún Amor Es Perfecto
(6:22) 5. Vela Encendida
(6:44) 6. Dias de Otoño
(3:44) 7. Me Has Echado al Olvido
(5:14) 8. Marcada a Fuego
(5:02) 9. Ya No Me Dueles
(3:32) 10. De Aqui a la Eternidad
(4:28) 11. Concierto para Dos

The Argentine singer-songwriter, Patricia Sosa, gives a turn in her career with the presentation of "Once (Concierto para dos)", an album of boleros and ballads that features the participation of the emblematic Cuban pianist, Chucho Valdés. This record was recorded at Chucho's studio in Málaga, with the participation of artists Dany Leis, Daniel Casares, Esperanza García de Soria and Miguel Poveda. https://www.amazon.com/Once-Concierto-PATRICIA-VALD%C3%89S-CHUCHO/dp/B0784W1HC7

ONCE: Concierto para Dos

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Scott Hamilton - Scott Hamilton Plays Ballads

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:30
Size: 128,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:14) 1. I'll Only Miss Her When I Think Of Her
(6:13) 2. Dream Dancing
(5:58) 3. 'Round Midnight
(4:47) 4. Two Eighteen
(4:50) 5. Laura
(3:40) 6. Maybe September
(4:53) 7. Emily
(4:57) 8. In A Sentimental Mood
(5:28) 9. A Beautiful Friendship
(5:22) 10. Body And Soul
(5:03) 11. Embraceable You

Its title accurately describes the romantic music on this CD. The warm tenor of Scott Hamilton (accompanied by pianist John Bunch, guitarist Chris Flory, bassist Phil Flanigan and drummer Chuck Riggs) brings out a great deal of beauty on 11 ballads, including his own "Two Eighteen" and a variety of veteran melodies.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/scott-hamilton-plays-ballads-mw0000654142

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Scott Hamilton; Bass – Phil Flanigan; Drums – Chuck Riggs; Guitar – Chris Flory; Piano – John Bunch

Scott Hamilton Plays Ballads

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The Royal Bopsters - Party of Four

Styles: Vocal, Big Band
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:41
Size: 135,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:21) 1. But Not for Me
(5:10) 2. On a Misty Night/Gipsy
(6:20) 3. How I Love You (Let Me Count the Reasons)
(4:38) 4. Lucky to Be Me
(4:51) 5. Why'd You Do Me the Way You Did?
(3:54) 6. Day Dream
(5:09) 7. Cuando Te Vea (When I See You)
(4:27) 8. Baby, You Should Know It
(4:39) 9. Our Spring Song
(3:26) 10. Rusty Dusty Blues
(7:35) 11. Infant Eyes
(4:07) 12. My Shining Hour

At a quick glance, the Royal Bopsters’ new recording, Party of Four (Motéma), appears to be a straightforward continuation of their 2015 debut, The Royal Bopsters Project. The group remains a quartet carrying the torch of vocalese from Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, the Manhattan Transfer, and New York Voices. Like their debut, the new album is highlighted by contributions from vocal legends Bob Dorough and Sheila Jordan. It also features a guest appearance by the great bassist Christian McBride, who shares the Bopsters’ fondness for soulful vibes and a sense of bebop cool. But look closer; a lot has changed. Darmon Meader, a co-founder of NY Voices who sang tenor on the first recording, has been replaced by Pete McGuinness. The new recording presents the quartet less as a “project” than as a working group. Dig a little deeper and that’s fraught too: The group suffered tragedy this spring when founding member Holli Ross passed away after a three-year battle with cancer. Thus, the Royal Bopsters circa autumn 2020 are in a vastly different place from where they were five years ago. One late September morning, McGuinness, soprano Amy London, and bass Dylan Pramuk jumped on a Zoom call to discuss jazz singing past, present, and future and their group’s role in it.

“The first record was really created as a celebration of these legendary heroes of ours,” Pramuk said. “We’re still celebrating them now, but we’ve come into our own as a group.” Pramuk has played an important role in this evolution, having written the arrangements for eight of the 12 new tracks. McGuinness, also a noted arranger, contributed the other four. “Swing-oriented, bebop-oriented, vocalese-oriented music that’s still at the heart and soul of what we do,” he said. But don’t mistake the Royal Bopsters for revivalists; that music is certainly at their root, but they’re seeking to branch out further. London said it goes beyond musical innovation: “I think the whole bebop movement represented freedom for the people that were involved in it. It’s a frame of mind; it’s a way of living.”

She continued, “Pete is a composer and he brought an original called ‘Spring Song,’ and I wrote a lyric for it. It still employs the concepts of bebop a shout chorus and a scat four-part harmony chorus, which is kind of a small-band, Tadd Dameron concept but it’s brand new.”Pramuk cited McGuinness’ arrangement of Wayne Shorter’s “Infant Eyes” as a prime example of their modernism: “We wanted to tackle more pushing-the-envelope compositions. Pete’s very adept at modern arranging techniques; that song is very intricately arranged.” McGuinness added, “A lot of groups have covered swing stuff and then some have covered pop music New York Voices have with Paul Simon. But most vocal groups don’t touch someone like Wayne Shorter. That’s a little too abstract.”

The road ahead for the Bopsters has become more complicated in the wake of Ross’ death; her lithe alto was a cornerstone of the group’s harmonies. “We were not in a rush to replace Holli’s chair in the current climate, but we’re discussing it,” Pramuk said. “We’re working with some friends, and we will be ready when touring resumes.” In discussing their search, London described the sort of singer that could become a Royal Bopster. “We’re looking at altos that have been in groups before because it’s a specific skill,” she said. “Singing in a vocal jazz group is not so easy. The four of us are what I call choral geeks. Dylan and I started in choir in third grade in America, it seems like third grade is the year where you join the choir and then there are those that stick with choir all the way through high school. We love it, and we’re good at it. We can memorize, we can set harmonies, and then you hear jazz and you’re like, ‘Oh, vocal jazz choir.’ So it’s a certain kind of singer that does that.” Going forward, the group wants to refine its style. “Our four personalities have come together as one,” Pramuk said. “And I see that that is going to continue to happen as we bring another member into the group and further develop. We’re already getting excited about creating the next set of material!” ~ Martin Johnson https://jazztimes.com/features/profiles/the-royal-bopsters-keep-their-group-identity-alive/

All four singers pull their weight — Amy London, Dylan Pramuk, Pete McGuinness, and the late Holli Ross. The band does a good job backing the singers: Steve Schmidt (piano), Cameron Brown (bass), Steve Williams (drums), and Steven Kroon (percussion).

Party of Four

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Don Patterson - Boppin' & Burnin'

Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:51
Size: 91,7 MB
Art: Front

(14:02) 1. Pisces Soul
( 6:18) 2. Donna Lee
( 6:42) 3. Island Fantasy
( 5:09) 4. Epistrophy
( 7:37) 5. Now's the time

Although organist Don Patterson is the leader of this set that in 1998 was reissued on a CD, the quintet date is most notable for the playing of trumpeter Howard McGhee. McGhee, who had not been heard from much on record for a few years, proves to still be in prime form.

Altoist Charles McPherson, the young guitarist Pat Martino and drummer Billy James complete the group. The repertoire is particularly strong with two McGhee originals (including the memorable and haunting "Island Fantasy"), "Epistrophy," "Now's The Time" and a trumpet feature on "Donna Lee." Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/boppin-and-burnin-mw0000599981

Personnel: Organ – Don Patterson Trumpet – Howard McGhee; Alto Saxophone – Charles McPherson; Drums – Billy James; Guitar – Pat Martino

Boppin' & Burnin'

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Ben Sidran - Who's the Old Guy Now

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 19:58
Size: 46,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:38) 1. We the People
(3:44) 2. Who's the Old Guy Now
(3:38) 3. The Blues Is the Bottom line
(5:33) 4. Too Many People
(3:23) 5. Old Wine New Bottle

For the second year in a row, I talk to my dad, musician/producer/journalist/philosopher Ben Sidran in honor of his birthday. This time he's turning 77, and we consider his recent projects, including the books "The Ballad of Tommy LiPuma" and "There Was a Fire: Jews, Music and the American Dream," and his latest single "Look Who's the Old Guy Now."

Of course, these are atypical times, and so this is an atypical episode, in which we discuss being alive on the planet in Covid times, watching livestream jazz, getting older, the difference between Troubadours, Shamans and Griots, going "underground," why jazz is sometimes called "the sound of surprise," whether or not the idea of "popular music" will endure into the twenty-first century, how a bill becomes a law, Miles Davis' posture, and just what exactly "hay foot straw foot" means.~ Leo Sidran https://www.allaboutjazz.com/ben-sidran-whos-the-old-guy-now-ben-sidran

Personnel: Ben Sidran: piano, Wurlitzer, Hammond organ, vocals, Leo Sidran: drums, bass, guitar, Hammond organ, vocals, John Ellis: bass clarinet and clarinet (4), Billy Peterson: bass (1), Paul Peterson: guitar (1) Ricky Peterson: Hammond organ (1), Moses Patrou: percussion (1,3)

Who's the Old Guy Now

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Opus 5 - Tickle

Styles: Trumpet And Saxophone Jazz Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:42
Size: 137,3 MB
Art: Front

(8:27) 1. Silver Pockets
(9:02) 2. Tickle
(9:36) 3. New Old Ballad
(8:43) 4. Five Corners
(9:05) 5. Equilibrium
(7:33) 6. Crack to the Crevice
(7:13) 7. Murzake

Despite busy schedules, the five co-leaders of Opus 5 return once again with a fourth album, Tickle, a statement of great virtuosity, melodic integrity and rhythmic focus. Taking its place alongside Introducing Opus 5, Pentasonic and Progressions, this session finds the band in peak form, interpreting compositions by all the band's members. From the shifting funk to swing of drummer Donald Edwards-penned title track, to the singable purity of tenorist Seamus Blake's opening Silver Pockets, to the poetic bass cadenza and plaintive mood of bassist Boris Kozlov's closing ballad Murzake, Tickle secures Opus 5's place as one of the most compelling and long-lived collectives in recent years. Pianist David Kikoski composed the beautiful New Old Ballad, trumpeter Alex Sipiagin wrote Equilibrium. ~ Opiniones Editoriales https://www.amazon.com/Tickle-Opus-5/dp/B0143DKJI2

Seamus Blake - saxophone, compose; Alex Sipiagin - trumpet, flugelhorn, composer; David Kikoski - piano, fender rhodes, composer; Boris Kozlov - bass, composer; Donald Edwards - drums, composer

Tickle

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Janet Carroll - I'll Be Seeing You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:24
Size: 107,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:23) 1. I'll Be Seeing You
(2:59) 2. When I Leave This World Behind
(3:20) 3. It Had To Be You
(3:19) 4. Just a Closer Walk With Thee
(3:10) 5. But Not For Me
(4:09) 6. St. Louis Blues
(4:18) 7. Strike Up The Band
(3:45) 8. Buddy Bulden's Blues
(3:15) 9. Golden Gate
(4:48) 10. What a Wonderful World
(3:16) 11. Feeling I'm Falling
(4:36) 12. Battle Hymn of the Republic

Janet Carroll is best known as an actress, having appeared in a long list of television, stage and movie productions. Music, however, is also one of her loves, and she has an affinity for jazz and the blues. She has put out a trio of albums, with more in the works, and for two decades she has sung at numerous North American jazz festivals in cities ranging from New Orleans and Monterey in the U.S. to Vancouver and Victoria in Canada. At the Redding Jazz Festival, she was honored with an award for Best Vocalist. Her appearances feature backing by a seven-piece band playing.

Carroll's first major film role came when she was cast in Risky Business as parent to a teenaged Tom Cruise. More film roles followed, casting her alongside such leading men as Sean Connery, Michael York, Henry Winkler, Matthew Broderick, Edward James Olmos, Beau Bridges, Keifer Sutherland, and Dustin Hoffman, among others. Her television appearances include Murphy Brown, Married With Children, and Melrose Place, as well as numerous movies of the week. Before landing in Hollywood, she appeared on stage in many musical theater productions, among them South Pacific, Mame, Pajama Game, Annie Get Your Gun, and The Sound of Music. Her appearance in Elektra garnered a Drama League Award. ~ Linda Seida https://music.apple.com/tt/artist/janet-carroll/6002573

I'll Be Seeing You

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Joanie Sommers - Golden Lady

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 175:31
Size: 408,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:02) 1. Makin' Whoopee
(2:43) 2. What's New?
(2:43) 3. I Concentrate On You
(3:55) 4. Heart and Soul
(3:42) 5. This Heart of Mine
(3:50) 6. 'Round Midnight
(2:45) 7. Hard Hearted Hannah
(3:07) 8. Blues in the Night
(2:35) 9. I Feel a Song Coming On
(2:14) 10. You Came a Long Way from St. Louis
(4:45) 11. My Ship
(2:29) 12. Hey! Jealous Lover
(3:58) 13. Why Shouldn't I
(2:31) 14. I Feel Pretty
(2:31) 15. Let's Talk About Love
(2:04) 16. I'm Old-Fashioned
(2:13) 17. I Don't Want to Walk Without You
(3:25) 18. Out of This World
(2:30) 19. Mean to Me
(2:38) 20. Shake Hands With a Fool
(2:02) 21. One Boy
(2:21) 22. Theme from a Summer Place
(2:37) 23. Ev'rything I've Got
(2:39) 24. Little Girl Blue
(2:51) 25. What's Wrong With Me
(2:02) 26. I Need Your Love
(2:06) 27. The Piano Boy
(4:16) 28. Spring Is Here
(2:29) 29. I'm Nobody's Baby
(2:32) 30. Since Randy Moved Away
(3:06) 31. Cherokee
(2:23) 32. Something's Coming
(2:22) 33. So in Love
(3:48) 34. Make the Man Love Me
(2:22) 35. Seems Like Long, Long Ago
(2:27) 36. I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me
(2:33) 37. Johnny Get Angry
(2:16) 38. A Wonderful Guy
(3:23) 39. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
(2:31) 40. Till There Was You
(3:10) 41. Why Try to Change Me Now
(2:52) 42. A Lot of Livin' to Do
(3:33) 43. Just Squeeze Me
(2:13) 44. There's No Such Thing
(3:16) 45. Namely You
(3:21) 46. For All We Know
(2:35) 47. Kiss and Run
(2:12) 48. Old Devil Moon
(3:15) 49. I'll Never Stop Loving You
(2:21) 50. In a Matter of Moments
(2:17) 51. My Heart Belongs to Daddy
(3:32) 52. Something I Dreamed Last Night
(3:03) 53. It Might as Well Be Spring
(2:24) 54. I Like the Likes of You
(2:12) 55. I'm Beginning to See the Light
(2:43) 56. Oh but I Do
(2:59) 57. Too Young for the Blues
(1:57) 58. The Best Thing for You
(2:27) 59. Let There Be Love
(2:18) 60. Nobody Else but Me
(2:06) 61. Aren't You Glad You're You
(2:07) 62. This Can't Be Love
(3:22) 63. After the Lights Go Down Low

Joanie Sommers scored her biggest chart success with "Johnny Get Angry" in 1962. The single, her second solo release, peaked at the number seven spot and charted for more than two months. Her first solo record, "One Boy," was a number from the musical Bye Bye Birdie and only hit number 54 in 1960. She continued to record through the decade, but never had another winner that rose as high on the charts as "Johnny Get Angry." She later achieved a different kind of success in commercials with several different jingles that she sang for Pepsi during the '60s and again two decades later. (The title of one of her later albums, Come Alive, was even derived from one of the Pepsi ad campaigns.)

Sommers, whose real name is Joan Drost, was born in New York but grew up in California. During her high school and college years, she sang in school bands. She was 18 years old when Warner Bros. signed her to a contract in 1959 and paired her with Edd Byrnes on one of his singles. She also had a small role in 77 Sunset Strip, the television series that featured Byrnes in the role of Kookie. In addition, she sang on Byrnes' "I Don't Dig You" and "Hot Rock," which appeared on one of his albums. Sommers released an album of her own, the jazz-oriented Positively the Most, and it helped establish her presence in easy listening and adult circles. Fans and critics often cite her 1965 album, Softly the Brazilian Sound, as one of her best efforts.

In 1966, the singer signed with Columbia Records. One of her following recordings was a version of "Alfie," which both Cher and Dionne Warwick also covered it. While Sommers' version didn't get the notice that the other two did, she had the satisfaction of placing in the Top Ten in the easy listening category. She also appeared in On the Flip Side, a television special that starred Rick Nelson. The show's soundtrack contains two versions of "Try to See It My Way," one of which is a duet with Nelson while the other is a Sommers solo. The singer, married with three children, stepped out of the spotlight as the '70s approached. Before retiring, she made numerous television appearances on the shows of Johnny Carson, Dinah Shore, Dean Martin, Mike Douglas, Bobby Darin, and others. Sommers started singing and making appearances again during the '80s.~ Linda Seida https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joanie-sommers-mn0000784759/biography

Golden Lady

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Aga Zaryan - What Xmas Means To Me

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:45
Size: 105,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:49) 1. Sleigh Ride
(5:32) 2. Little Drummer Boy
(3:01) 3. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
(2:46) 4. Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern)
(5:25) 5. Someday At Christmas
(2:51) 6. The Secret Of Christmas
(3:02) 7. Jingle Bells
(4:17) 8. Christmas Cheer
(6:51) 9. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
(3:50) 10. What Christmas Means To Me
(5:16) 11. Nim przyjdzie wiosna

What Xmas Means To Me

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Donna Burke - Donna Burke with the David Silverman Quartet

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:32
Size: 132,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:09) 1. The Way You Look Tonight
(4:47) 2. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(5:04) 3. Summertime
(3:54) 4. All Of Me
(2:45) 5. Nice Work If You Can Get It
(3:08) 6. Round Midnight
(4:03) 7. Someone To Watch Over Me
(2:59) 8. You Took Advantage Of Me
(4:11) 9. The Man That Got Away
(4:51) 10. Moon River
(2:38) 11. When You Wish Upon A Star
(4:43) 12. Crazy He Calls Me
(2:32) 13. Mona Lisa
(5:43) 14. My Funny Valentine

Donna Burke, singer-actor, was born in Melbourne, Australia but moved to Perth when she was 2. She is one of 7 children and has a twin brother. In 1996 after studying voice, speech and drama, media and religion and teaching high school she moved to Japan and settled in Tokyo where she met her husband, guitarist Bill Benfield. She is a voice actress, recording artist and performer and has sung the theme songs for famous games such as Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker and Metal Gear Solid V. Donna's voice is famous in Japan as the English announcement on the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train. She sings and voices characters in anime and her song from Tokyo Ghoul Season 2 has over 5 million views on Youtube since it's release in 2015. Also in 2015 the epic MGSV song Sins of the Father was released on two albums- the official soundtrack and a special vocal album which featured Donna's remakes of popular Metal Gear Solid songs from the 28 year old franchise. Donna is an improvisation performer with the Tokyo Comedy Store Improvazilla show. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1051234/bio

Donna Burke with the David Silverman Quartet

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Rodney Whitaker - Cranbrook Christmas Jazz

Styles: Christmas
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:12
Size: 164,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:01) 1. Personent Hodie
(4:55) 2. The Christmas Song
(4:59) 3. In the Bleak Midwinter
(4:41) 4. We Three Kings
(2:54) 5. I Love the Winter Weather
(3:10) 6. Christmas Time is Here
(8:49) 7. Winter Wonderland
(5:35) 8. O Holy Night
(4:52) 9. A Child is Born
(4:44) 10. My Favorite Things
(4:49) 11. It's Easy to Blame the Weather
(5:41) 12. Little Drummer Boy
(4:31) 13. Silent Night
(5:23) 14. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Legendary bassist Rodney Whitaker has been a celebrated force in Michigan's jazz eco-system since returning to develop the world-class program at Michigan State University. Active with numerous jazz legacy institutions, Whitaker has spent five-years as Artist in Residence with the historic Christ Church Cranbrook near Detroit, where its wide-ranging arts and community offerings has afforded Whitaker and choir director Christopher Wells to collaborate, providing rich opportunities to bring together the worlds of jazz and traditional choir music. This recording documents their long-running Sacred Jazz Concerts and features preeminent jazz vocalist Vanessa Rubin, with Whitaker's sextet and the Church's choir, performing arrangements of hymns, Christmas favorites, and jazz standards of the season, including Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" and Vince Guaraldi's "Christmas Time Is Here." https://www.challengerecords.com/products/16079376420078

Personnel: Rodney Whitaker: Bass; Timothy Blackmon: Trumpet; Len’I McKinney: Baritone & Alto Saxophone; Chris Glassman: Bass Trombone; Vanessa Rubin: Vocal; Rockelle Whitaker: Vocal; Christopher McDole: Vocal; Marc Meyers: Vocal; Kate Lucander: Vocal.

Cranbrook Christmas Jazz

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Joel Paterson - Hi-Fi Christmas Guitar

Styles: Christmas,Guitar
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:18
Size: 96,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:51) 1. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
(3:03) 2. I'll Be Home For Christmas
(2:37) 3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
(2:46) 4. Mele Kalikimaka
(4:15) 5. Silver Bells
(2:53) 6. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
(2:17) 7. Jingle Bell Rock
(2:56) 8. Blue Christmas
(2:48) 9. Pretty Paper
(2:15) 10. Jingle Bells
(2:32) 11. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
(2:48) 12. White Christmas
(3:34) 13. Winter Wonderland
(3:36) 14. Christmas Time Is

In the fall of 2017, Joel Paterson finally released the Christmas album he had been threatening us with for some time, Hi-Fi Christmas Guitar. This all instrumental offering didn’t make it into my mailbox until December 26th. This of course meant I didn’t hear it until December 1, 2018, as there is no way in hell or the North Pole for that matter that I’m going to listen to a Christmas album after December 25th. I’m sure you understand. I can barely tolerate the sounds of the season…in the season. After that, forget about it. Many of our readers know Joel Paterson for his guitar work in the Chicago blues collective known as The Cashbox Kings. He was a member of The Four Charms. He is also the driving force in the bands The Modern Sounds and The Joel Paterson Trio. The Joel Paterson Trio backed Jim Liban for his 2014 release, I Say What I Mean, which is one of the strongest straight-ahead blues releases in this millennium. His prints are all over the simply outstanding 2017 release by vocalist Oscar Wilson One Room Blues. Yeah, it is safe to say that we are big fans of Joel Paterson out here at the JUNCTION.

When I finally heard the recording, Hi Fi Christmas Guitar, it was exactly When I finally heard the recording, Hi Fi Christmas Guitar, it was exactly what I expected, the consummate guitar player Joel Paterson applying his deft touch and impeccable taste to some traditional holiday favorites. The album features Paterson playing guitar, steel and lap steel guitar creating a lush, multi-track soundscape in the mold of his 2013 release Handful of Strings. With a nod to Les Paul, Buddy Merrill and Jorgen Ingman, Paterson creates dense layers of guitar and applies this seemingly forgotten mid-century art form to Christmas music. The entire album is one big thrill for guitar geeks and yet is just as enjoyable to mere civilians like myself.

By applying his immense talent to traditional Christmas fare, Paterson is free from any stylistic restrictions. Here he bounds from jazz to traditional Nashville country and to western swing all loosely tethered to the blues with touches of space age cool thrown into this warm Christmas cocktail. Paterson is joined by long time Modern Sounds cohort’s bassist Beau Sample and drummer Alex Hall. The entire fourteen song holiday extravaganza was engineered by Joel Paterson and Alex Hall. It was mixed and mastered by Hall at Reliable Recorders and Hi-Style Studio in Chicago. This is, by the fire with a goosed-up eggnog and strategically situated mistletoe music. You could then listen to it with the folks the next day and they wouldn’t be offended by Paterson’s treatment of traditional Christmas fare. This might even bring a crooked smile to Grandpa, who might be overcome with memories of his “hi-fi” rig in those bachelor pad cool days of yesteryear. Heck, this might be where he snagged Grandma for the first time in a Christmas story that you’ll never hear.

This is the album I’ll be traveling with this holiday season. I like playing defense at Christmas parties. If you put this bad boy on the Hi-Fi this will keep you from having to listen to some really shmaltzy, candy cane influenced holiday music. I’d rather have a silent night than listen to somebody else’s Christmas kitsch. This Ventrella Records release comes with the great packaging and liner notes you have come to expect from Paterson’s independent label. Spotify that Scrooge. Hi-Fi Christmas Guitar is a real winner and a very welcome addition to our Christmas library.~ David Mac http://bluesjunctionproductions.com/monthly_album_spotlight_joel_paterson_-_hi_fi_christmas_guitar

Hi-Fi Christmas Guitar

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Janet Carroll - Lady Be Good

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:51
Size: 169,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:59) 1. The Lady is a Tramp/ Oh, Lady Be Good
(6:27) 2. Black Coffee
(5:39) 3. Willow Weep for Me
(3:59) 4. I Love Paris
(4:12) 5. Skylark
(4:55) 6. I Thought About You
(3:58) 7. What is This Thing Called Love
(4:40) 8. I Just Don't Know
(3:58) 9. Mountain Greenery
(5:12) 10. Georgia on My Mind
(4:15) 11. Takin' a Chance on Love
(6:04) 12. I Hadn't Anyone Till You/ There Was You
(5:31) 13. Besame Mucho
(6:17) 14. Fore Day Creep
(2:36) 15. You'll Never Know

Janet Carroll may not be a name that jumps out to seasoned jazz fans, but the veteran singer/actress has built an extensive résumé in film, television, and on-stage, in addition to several earlier self-produced jazz albums. The gifted alto has performed extensively with jazz bands, and this 2010 Arbors release is a sure bet at getting her much wider recognition in the jazz world. Starting with Cole Porter's whimsical "The Lady Is a Tramp," she sticks closer to its original (though somewhat dated) lyrics, but injects them with a personal touch and sense of humor, then seamlessly segues into "Lady Be Good." She captures the essence of "Black Coffee" (a hit for Peggy Lee and other female vocalists), with Warren Vaché adding a playful second voice on muted cornet. One of the biggest surprises is her choice of Ida Cox's "Fore Day Creep." She dives headfirst into this vintage blues from the '20s, with David Finck providing a delicious walking bassline and tenor saxophonist Harry Allen adding gritty backing while she inserts amusing asides. The midtempo setting of "What Is This Thing Called Love" is a refreshing departure from the usual racehorse tempi on record dates, opening in a bossa nova mood then transforming into bop. Carroll is also very relaxed when she sings the original Spanish lyric to the bittersweet "Besame Mucho." Her final selection is a dreamy rendition of "You'll Never Know," backed solely by Mike Renzi's elegant piano. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/lady-be-good-mw0002040746

Lady Be Good

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Karel Boehlee Trio - Silent Nocturne

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:40
Size: 146,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:15) 1. Another Life
(5:19) 2. Nocturne Op. 9
(5:40) 3. Orange City
(5:30) 4. Good Morning Heartache
(5:19) 5. Northern Moon
(4:17) 6. Telkens Weer
(4:04) 7. Amazing You
(5:32) 8. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life
(6:06) 9. Wherever You Might Go
(6:27) 10. It Never Entered My Mind
(4:52) 11. Song for Sad
(4:14) 12. A Thousand Stories

Karel Boehlee (April 23, 1960), a pianist and composer.From his youngest years Boehlee was a revelation in the Dutch jazz scene. From his birthplace he started from his 16th to play with various bands and jazz artists. His first records were an immediate success, especially in Japan. And since 1989 he was invited with his European Jazz Trio for several performances in Japan. Over the years, Boehlee emerged himself as one of the greatest pianists in the Netherlands which resulted in performances with the very greatest international jazz musicians. He has been playing for over twenty years as a pianist with such as Toots Thielemans and Philip Catherine. He also plays regularly with our national jazz greats like Toon Roos, Fay Claasen and Trijntje Oosterhuis. He is also in demand as a session musician with pop artists like Gino Vanelli and many others. His recognizable piano playing and compositions are also increasingly being asked in Japan, Korea where Boehlee increasingly performs as a solo artist. Besides his career as a pianist Karel Boehlee is also main piano teacher at the Conservatory van Amsterdam. https://karelboehleepiano.wordpress.com/bio/

Silent Nocturne

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Peter Asplund - All My Septembers

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:34
Size: 155,8 MB
Art: Front

(1:58) 1. Ozymandias Melancholia
(5:44) 2. Hermanos Del Alma
(9:01) 3. Le Grand Michel
(9:10) 4. All My Septembers
(5:33) 5. Viudo
(6:20) 6. Melancholia ll
(8:41) 7. She and Me
(5:28) 8. La Escogida
(9:48) 9. A Lotta' Love
(5:47) 10. Lullaby for Melina

Peter Asplund is one of Sweden's foremost trumpet players. Or why not say it like it is? He is one of Europe's or even the world's foremost trumpeters. Why draw a line when there is no need to? Jazz is not limited by any national borders. It has been written: "A fantastic musician who always plays straight from the heart" and to which we can all readily agree! Over the years he has developed his dynamic and energy-loaded, slightly melancholic and melodic trumpet style until he can express what he feels when he feels. This applies when he plays a standard by, say, George Gershwin, Cole Porter or Duke Ellington. And it also applies when he plays some of his own original compositions, tunes with a distinct accent on melody, "my own standards" he calls them. Of his new release, he writes: "I was born in September. There is something special about that month. The light, the air, the scent of nature. For many it is a beginning of something, for others, an end. You reminisce. You look forward in time. You pause and regard the present. Wherever you happen to be, September brings forth both feelings and thoughts on life. These are mine. "All my Septembers stay with me forever."http://www.cede.com/en/movies/?view=detail&aid=17095712

Personnel: Peter Asplund -voc, tpt, flh; Hans Andersson - b; Johan Löfcrantz Ramsay d; Lars Jansson - p; Joakim Milder - ts, ss; Isabella Lundgren - v; Asplund Big Band Horn

All My Septembers

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John McNeil & Tom Harrel - Look to the Sky

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:12
Size: 131,5 MB
Art: Front

( 5:46) 1. Chasing the Bird
( 8:05) 2. Namely You
( 6:47) 3. Terrestris
( 6:18) 4. Little Dancer
( 6:27) 5. Look to the Sky
( 7:29) 6. Unit 7
(10:15) 7. Look to the Sky - Take 1
( 6:01) 8. Chasing the Bird - Take 1

An expressive, harmonically nuanced jazz trumpeter, composer, and educator, John McNeil has carved a distinctive path over his 50-year career, moving ably between straight-ahead jazz, standards, and more avant-garde-leaning productions. A California native, McNeil first arrived on the scene as a freelancer in New York in the 1970s, playing often with the Horace Silver Quintet. He caught the attention of SteepleChase Records, which signed him to a recording contract and released a handful of well-regarded standards-based albums beginning with 1978's Embarkation. From there, he recorded intermittently in the '80s and '90s, and moved increasingly into teaching, including maintaining a long association with Boston's New England Conservatory. Since the '2000s, McNeil has remained quite active, balancing his time between teaching, and performing with his progressive ensemble Hush Point. Born in 1948 in Yreka, California, McNeil taught himself trumpet and learned to read music on his own. By his late teens, the young trumpeter was playing in combos throughout Northern California; by the mid-'70s he was freelancing in New York City and gaining a reputation as an innovative, lyrical player. He performed with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra at the Village Vanguard, and led his own groups at various area clubs. By the latter part of the decade, McNeil had joined the Horace Silver Quartet and secured a solo contract with SteepleChase. The label issued a flurry of McNeil releases, including 1978's Embarkation and The Glass Room and 1979's Faun and Look to the Sky (with Tom Harrell).

In the '80s, the trumpeter continued to work as both a sideman and leader. He appeared as a soloist with Gerry Mulligan's band, and formed the John McNeil Trio/Quartet for 1983's I've Got the World on a String. He toured internationally, and was recognized by the contemporary jazz community as a go-to writer, arranger, and producer. McNeil went on to issue a series of critically acclaimed albums, including the Kenny Burger collaborations Hip Deep (1996, Brownstone) and Brooklyn Ritual (1998, Synergy). Also during this period, he dedicated more of his time to teaching, joining the faculty of Boston's New England Conservatory. Away from teaching, McNeil continued to record. Released in 2001, Fortuity featured a few pop-inspired numbers, like a Latin-flavored interpretation of the Beatles' "I Will." The Latin influence continued with 2003's This Way Out (Omnitone), which McNeil recorded in Barcelona with tenor saxophonist Gorka Benitez and bassist Giulia Valle. Since then, McNeil has kept busy, releasing Sleep Won't Come in 2004, East Coast Cool in 2006, and Rediscovery in 2008. Two years later, he paired with longtime collaborator, saxophonist Bill McHenry for the live album Chill Morn He Climb Jenny. Around this time, he formed the forward-thinking jazz outfit Hush Point with saxophonist Jeremy Udden, bassist Aryeh Kobrinsky, and drummer Anthony Pinciotti. The group debuted in 2013 with a self-titled release, followed a year later by Blues and Reds. In 2017, McNeil was back with the ensemble for Hush Point, Vol. 3. ~ Johnny Lotus https://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-mcneil-mn0000223613/biography

Personnel: John McNeil - trumpet, flugelhorn; Tom Harrell - trumpet, flugelhorn; Kenny Barron - piano; Buster Williams - bass; Billy Hart -drums

Look to the Sky

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Caterina Valente - Estrellita - The Great Caterina Valente

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:07
Size: 77,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:25) 1. Estrellita
(2:49) 2. Besame Mucho
(2:48) 3. My Shawl
(3:08) 4. Malaguena
(2:36) 5. Poinciana
(3:04) 6. More
(3:01) 7. La Paloma
(2:26) 8. The Peanut Vendor
(2:51) 9. What a Difference a Day Made
(3:10) 10. The Breeze and I
(2:34) 11. La Golondrina
(2:13) 12. Amapola

A gifted singer, guitarist, and dancer, Caterina Valente is a multilingual artist who emerged in Europe during the 1950s and became one of the most beloved and iconic performers of her generation. Born in Paris, France in 1931, Valente grew up in an Italian circus family. Her mother was a clown and her father was an accordion player; as a child she worked in the circus as well. She performed in Europe as a singer for several years (and in a duo with her brother Silvio Francesco), but her career as an internationally known vocalist began in 1953 when she joined Kurt Edelhagen's band in Germany. She was soon signed to Polydor and made her recording debut, Bouquet de Mélodies, in 1955. Her first big hits came soon after that on albums like The Hi-Fi Nightingale and Olé Caterina. Two songs written by Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona charted in Europe and eventually England and the U.S. "Malagueña" was her first big hit, followed by "Andalucia," which, when re-released in an English version as "The Breeze and I," became a Top Ten hit in both the U.K. and the U.S. By this time, Valente had become a truly multilingual artist, performing her cabaret act and issuing recordings in six languages: French, German, Italian, English, Spanish, and Swedish. During the '50s and '60s she notched hits in the charts of many countries, including Italy ("Till," "Personalita," "Nessuno al Mondo"), Germany ("Ganza Paris Träumt von der Liebe," "Wo Meine Sonne Scheint," "Steig in das Traumboot der Liebe"), and France ("Bimbombey," "39 Fievere," "Saitôn-Jamais"). Her version of "La Golondrina" appeared on one of the first charity albums, 1963's All Star Festival, whose proceeds aided refugees.

In the mid-'70s, Valente married her musical director, British jazz pianist Roy Budd, although the marriage was short-lived. She continued recording into the mid-'80s, issuing Caterina 86, a recording made with the Count Basie Orchestra. Valente retreated into semi-retirement in the '90s, making the occasional live appearance. In 2002, just prior to her official retirement, she paired with harpist Catherine Michel for Girl Talk, which found her revisiting some of her favorite songs from her career. The following year, she was bestowed an ECHO Lifetime Achievement Award.~ Stacia Proefrock https://www.allmusic.com/artist/caterina-valente-mn0000166279/biography

Estrellita - The Great Caterina Valente

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Stanley Cowell - Reminiscent (Plus a Xmas Suite)

Styles: Piano Jazz, Christmas
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:59
Size: 149,9 MB
Art: Front

( 4:10) 1. Intermezzo
( 6:05) 2. Re-Confirmed
( 7:54) 3. A Child Is Born
(10:02) 4. Medley: A Xmas Suite
( 6:44) 5. Peace
( 9:06) 6. Midnight Diversion
( 3:33) 7. Hear with Me
( 6:48) 8. Time
( 5:11) 9. Reminiscent
( 5:21) 10. Sweet Song

'Reminiscent' includes a featured program of Christmas melodies ("A Xmas Suite") as well as Stanley Cowell originals and compositions by Brahms, Thad Jones and Richie Powell. His trio includes the acclaimed bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Billy Drummond. Since his retirement in 2013 from the professorship at the prestigious Rutgers University, where he led its jazz department, pianist/composer Stanley Cowell has been increasingly active on the scene both in concerts and recordings.

In a glittering career Cowell has recorded for labels such as Strata-East - the cult jazz label he started with Charles Tolliver, ECM, Galaxy, and as a sideman on Blue Note, Atlantic, Muse, Impulse! and many others. He has recorded with an array of jazz stars, including Bobby Hutcherson, Stan Getz, Johnny Griffin, Art Pepper, Max Roach, Charles Tolliver and Clifford Jordan. "It's a great pleasure to hear Stanley Cowell's It's Time: a finely crafted collection of mostly originals that is at once sophisticated, both aggressive and pensive, and simply fascinating to listen to."
~ Greg Simmons, All About Jazz(on 'It's Time') https://www.amazon.es/Reminiscent-Plus-Suite-Stanley-COWELL/dp/B011Q9HDCG

Personnel: Stanley Cowell (piano, thumb piano), Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums)

Reminiscent (Plus a Xmas Suite)

R.I.P.
Born: 05-05-1941
Died: 17-12-2020

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Scott Hamilton - Live at Museo Piaggio

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:36
Size: 183,6 MB
Art: Front

(10:53) 1. If I Were a Bell
( 8:49) 2. When the Sun Comes Out
( 9:47) 3. Groovin' High
( 6:31) 4. Anos Dourados
( 8:46) 5. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
(13:47) 6. Cherokee
( 6:00) 7. If You Could See Me Now
( 8:37) 8. Tiny's Blues
( 3:14) 9. Meglio Stasera
( 3:08) 10. Pure Imagination

Live at Museo Piaggio is Scott Hamilton’s sixth DSD release from Fone Jazz available at NativeDSD Music. Scott Hamilton is considered to be one of the greatest Jazz sax players today. His Fonè albums have been appreciated by music fans all over the world. All recorded in places with natural acoustics but without the presence of the public. This time Fone brings you the first live recording with the great American saxophonist in the company of three great jazz musicians Paolo Birro, Aldo Zunino, and Alfred Kramer, his usual partners when he performs in Italy.

This is a Live to Stereo DSD recording made at the Piaggio Auditorium located inside the famous Museum in Pontedera, the place where Piaggio was born and where it still continues to produce today. Inside the Museum every year the public from all over the world can admire the Piaggio production made over the years, all the models of the Vespe and Ape, all the Aprilia, Gilera and Moto Guzzi motorcycles that have won national and international awards over time. It is a live recording with great pathos. You will experience great realism, great dynamics, great music in an album not to be missed. Each listener, closing his eyes, will be able to relive the emotion of the live performance as if you were present at the performance of these four great artists. https://www.nativedsd.com/catalogue/albums/sacd209-live-at-museo-piaggio/

Personnel: Scott Hamilton on saxophone, Paolo Birro on piano, Aldo Zunino on bass and Alfred Kramer on drums

Live at Museo Piaggio

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Andrew Hill - Show Me

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 110:13
Size: 254,2 MB
Art: Front

( 5:35) 1. Carolyn
( 6:15) 2. Ghetto Lights
( 4:12) 3. Flight 19
( 7:18) 4. Me 'N You
( 7:02) 5. Dedication
( 9:46) 6. Spectrum
( 7:19) 7. Catta
( 6:37) 8. Idle While
( 7:49) 9. Three Way Split
( 6:40) 10. Les Noirs Marchant
( 7:04) 11. New Monastery
( 6:44) 12. No Room for Squares
(10:00) 13. Dialogue
( 8:28) 14. Jasper
( 5:30) 15. Carolyn II
( 3:48) 16. Flight 19 II

Andrew Hill was a great and even groundbreaking composer and pianist, yet the relatively circumscribed scale of his innovations might have originally caused him to get lost in the shuffle of the '60s free jazz revolution. While many of his contemporaries were totally jettisoning the rhythmic and harmonic techniques of bop and hard bop, Hill worked to extend their possibilities; his was a revolution from within. Much of the most compelling '60s jazz was nearly aleatoric; Hill, on the other hand, exhibited a determined command of his materials, however abstract they might sometimes be. His composed melodies were labyrinthine, and rhythmically and harmonically complex tunes like "New Monastery" from his Point of Departure album exhibit a sophistication born of mastery, not chance or contingency. As a pianist, Hill had a flowing melodicism and an elastic sense of time. Like his composing, Hill's playing had an ever-present air of spontaneity and was almost completely devoid of cliché. He began playing the piano at about the age of 13. As a youngster in Chicago, Hill was encouraged by pianist Earl Hines. Jazz composer Bill Russo also took an interest, and introduced Hill to the renowned classical composer Paul Hindemith, with whom Hill studied from 1950-1952. While in his teens, he gigged with prominent jazz musicians passing through the Midwest, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker among them. In 1955, he recorded So in Love with the Sound of Andrew Hill for the Warwick label. He moved to New York in 1961 to work with singer Dinah Washington. After a brief foray to Los Angeles with Rahsaan Roland Kirk's band in 1962, Hill moved back to New York, where he began his recording career in earnest.

He made several records for Blue Note from 1963-1969, both as leader and sideman. Hill's Blue Note work featured some of the best and brightest post-bop musicians of the day, including Eric Dolphy, Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, Tony Williams, and Freddie Hubbard. Like many jazz musicians, Hill eventually turned to academia to make a living. He relocated to the West Coast, teaching in public schools and prisons in California. He eventually landed a teaching position at Portland State University, where he established the school's Summer Jazz Intensive. In addition to his teaching, Hill continued to perform and record in the '70s and '80s, making records for the Arista/Freedom and Black Saint/Soul Note labels. In 1989 and 1990, Hill recorded twice more for Blue Note, Eternal Spirit and But Not Farewell. Hill moved back to the New York area in the '90s; a series of performances and new recordings helped place him back in the jazz spotlight. Hill formed a new Point of Departure Sextet for the Knitting Factory's 1998 Texaco Jazz Festival. The band included saxophonists Marty Ehrlich and Greg Tardy, trumpeter Ron Horton, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Billy Drummond. The band went on to play New York club engagements to much acclaim. In 2000, Palmetto Records released Dusk, which was named the best album of 2001 by Down Beat and Jazz Times magazines. It was followed by A Beautiful Day in 2002, Passing Ships in 2003, and Black Fire in 2004, as well as a solid series of Blue Note reissues of his '60s work that included bonus tracks and new liner notes. His 2006 album, Time Lines, reunited him with both trumpeter Charles Tolliver and the Blue Note label. Hill also participated in a 17-piece big band, and a January 2002 engagement at New York's Birdland was filmed and recorded by Palmetto for future broadcast. After battling lung cancer for many years, Hill succumbed to the disease on April 20, 2007, leaving behind a stunning legacy of work. ~ Chris Kelsey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/andrew-hill-mn0000034617/biography

Show Me

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Harry Allen - The Bloody Happy Song

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:52
Size: 103,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:22) 1. The Bloody Happy Song
(3:13) 2. Sweet Little Things
(5:53) 3. I Got Lost in His Arms
(4:33) 4. Too Close for Comfort
(5:24) 5. The Summer Knows
(4:37) 6. More
(4:28) 7. Somebody I Just Met
(2:36) 8. Should I?
(5:59) 9. The Single Petal of a Rose
(3:44) 10. I Get Along Without You Very Well

Harry Allen is excited to announce the release of his latest CD, The Bloody Happy Song! Recorded exclusively during the pandemic lockdown, it is a totally new kind of recording for him and the one of which he is the most proud (of over 70 CDs as a leader). https://myemail.constantcontact.com/A-New-Kind-Of-CD-from-Harry-Allen.html?soid=1103577314899&aid=iShI4H1q4qo

Stay healthy everyone!

"Harry Allen's playing is nothing less than perfect" - John Pizzarelli

The Bloody Happy Song

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Nancy Walker - Layers of Rust and Time

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:27
Size: 89,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:56) 1. Dreamwalker
(2:59) 2. Good For Her
(4:25) 3. December Song
(3:56) 4. Big Sky
(4:08) 5. Here's Lookin At Love
(3:41) 6. Bury Me Beneath The Willow
(4:41) 7. One Man's History
(4:34) 8. Corinna Corinna
(4:13) 9. Quecreek Was Water
(1:50) 10. Talk About Sufferin

I’ve been singing all my life as far back as I can remember. As a young girl my first experience working with a private music teacher began with piano lessons which later led to guitar lessons. In my late teens I toured professionally (in a top 40 band performing covers) and began exploring singing in different genres. After years of performing with different groups I started writing original songs and went on to record and release 3 CDs. As a performing songwriter I found my home for many years working with a trio from Chicago called Sons Of The Never Wrong. While living in Chicago I created showcases for artists who were writing original songs and later, following a move to NY, I coordinated and hosted an open mic. specifically for my voice students.

“...Nancy is the focus of the room. That feeling, that depth of knowledge and experience, allows her to inhabit every song, whether it’s singing for the souls of miners or recalling her Old Town School of Folk Music roots...” ~ Michael Eck, Multi-Instrumentalist and freelance writer https://yourvoicecoach.net/nancy-walker

Layers of Rust and Time

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Steve LaSpina - A Change in the Weather

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:24
Size: 153,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:48) 1. A Change in The Weather
(5:29) 2. Clouds
(7:29) 3. Always Believe
(6:25) 4. The Road Ahead
(7:24) 5. Life In The Cove
(5:41) 6. Moving Forward
(4:56) 7. No Way
(7:11) 8. Serenety
(6:21) 9. So Dance
(2:22) 10. Lost Lullaby
(7:12) 11. When It's Time Again

Bassist Steve LaSpina has been contributing his phenomenal musicianship both as performer and composer to this label since the late 90s. Since his debut album New Horizon SteepleChase has been LaSpina’s main outlet for his marvelous compositions. This is his 12th leader album, which explores some of his old tunes as well as new works, giving us a rare opportunity of experiencing how originalcompositions in jazz develop after decades of live performance on stage. https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/83831/steve-laspina/a-change-in-the-weather

PERSONNEL: Steve LaSpina - bass ; Joel Frahm - tenor & soprano saxophone; Luis Perdomo - piano; Eric McPherson - drums

A Change in the Weather

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Steve Lacy, Don Cherry - Evidence

Styles: Saxophone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:10
Size: 76,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:45) 1. The Mystery Song
(4:59) 2. Evidence
(6:42) 3. Let's Cool One
(4:28) 4. San Francisco Holiday
(5:48) 5. Something To Live For
(5:26) 6. Who Knows

Digitally remastered two-fer containing two albums from the Jazz great. Contains the complete 1962 album Evidence, which was Lacy's fourth album as a leader. It presents him in a piano less quartet with Don Cherry on trumpet, Carl Brown on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The repertoire consists of four pieces by Thelonious Monk, and two by Duke Ellington. As a bonus, we have added Lacy's complete first LP as a leader, Soprano Sax (1957), which also includes compositions by both Monk and Ellington. Poll Winners. Opiniones editoriales https://www.amazon.com/Evidence-Don-Cherry-STEVE-LACY/dp/B006A9XS04

Personnel: Soprano Saxophone – Steve Lacy; Trumpet – Don Cherry; Bass – Carl Brown ; Drums– Billy Higgins

Evidence

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Rebekka Bakken - Winter Nights

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:19
Size: 104,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:01) 1. Wonder in Your Eyes
(2:55) 2. Kyrie Eleison
(4:21) 3. This Year Is Different
(3:51) 4. Last Christmas
(5:29) 5. Calling All Angels
(3:35) 6. May the Night Be Gentle
(3:31) 7. Fairytale of New York
(4:12) 8. Mary's Child
(2:30) 9. Angels Never Sleep
(2:35) 10. December Nights
(4:29) 11. In the Bleak Midwinter
(3:43) 12. Silent Night

2020: The new normal consists of distance and hygiene rules, contact restrictions as well as postponed and canceled concerts. But in these uncertain times there are still constants. The fact that the musical pre-Christmas season is now slowly approaching was as certain as the amen in church. Fortunately, you ca n't go wrong with Rebekka Bakken's "Winter Nights" if you want to come to your senses during the next lockdown. The record not only offers cover versions of various Christmas classics, but also seven tracks from the native of Oslo. She also arranged all the pieces. Just jazz , it doesn't even appear on the album, which is not surprising. The now 50-year-old had always emphasized that she does not see herself as a jazz singer. The opening original composition " Wonder In Your Eyes " features mostly timid piano and acoustic guitar sounds, over which Bakken puts her emotional, multi-octave voice. At the end, background choirs join in, which ensure a soulful conclusion. In the reinterpretation of Ingvar Hovland's " Kyrie Eleison " you can hear a little unobtrusive use of steel guitars here and there, so that the angelic vocals don't miss their creepy effect.

The Bakken piece " This Year Is Different " finally invites you to the saloon with its casual string sounds and economical piano swabs. But the lyrics are not as lively as the music. Ahead of its release, the Scandinavian said: " 'This Year Is Different' is a song about how to spend Christmas for the first time after a loss. The anticipation itself to see someone's absence for Christmas can be so painful. I wrote this song after my father passed away, but with an eye on those who, like me, did not have the advantage of having the experience and maturity to face this challenge. " She then underlines the sadness of the text with her cover version of the Wham! -The number " Last Christmas " when her voice floats lonely through the room to restrained piano and spherical organ sounds. She also had something to say about the feelings she associates with the song: " 'Last Christmas', what a depressing song about being betrayed and knowing that you will be betrayed again. It's so strange that this song, when it came out by Wham !, was received as the happiest Christmas carol of all time. "It's just a shame that even their approach doesn't change much about the fact that you can no longer hear the piece because it's on the radio every year anyway is played up and down until vomiting.

The reinterpretation of Jane Siberry's " Calling All Angels " afterwards compensates for this, which slowly builds up with acoustic guitar and melancholic piano, only so that towards the middle the vocals move in clear, ethereal spheres. Towards the end, the drums tighten the dynamics a bit, so the track ends in a heartbreaking finale. This dynamic ensures that cheesy moments are the absolute exception rather than the rule in the rest of the songs. Only the bells and the contemplative background choirs in the Bakken piece " Mary's Child " shouldn't have been.

But when the Scandinavian in " Angels Never Sleep " conjures up wistful memories of her childhood, carried by sweeping steel guitar and beautiful piano sounds, then you can ignore such small blemishes. Here every single note sits, just like in the new setting of Christina Rossetti's Christian poem " In The Bleak Midwinter ", the bakken to gentle whisk, atmospheric strings and accompanying piano sounds, which briefly attract powerfully, from their vulnerable and intimate side shows. The cover of the most famous Christmas carol in the world, " Silent Night ", finally forms a beautiful conclusion with weightless country-style tones and her heavenly voice, which soars to dramatic heights here and there, which sounds as warming as a fireplace. In any case, "Winter Nights" cannot be described as typically Scandinavian at all, as Rebekka Bakken's preference for wistful American sounds shines through in the arrangements. Vocally, the Scandinavian presents herself at the height of her ability, i.e. as variable and adaptable as possible. Review by Toni Hennig https://www.laut.de/Rebekka-Bakken/Alben/Winter-Nights-115323

Winter Nights

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Milt Jackson - Soul Believer

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:05
Size: 96,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:27) 1. Ain't Misbehaving
(4:30) 2. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
(4:04) 3. I've Got The Blues
(4:09) 4. Heartstrings
(2:19) 5. Roll 'Em Pete
(3:51) 6. Yes Sir, That's My Baby
(5:08) 7. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
(2:58) 8. I've Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
(3:33) 9. Someone I Love
(4:01) 10. Parking Lot Blues

As vibraphonist Milt Jackson relates in the liner notes of this CD, he was a singer before he ever played vibes. This is one of his very few vocal albums and Jackson (who also takes some solos) is reasonably effective, displaying a personable voice and a gentle swing in his style. The backup utilizes synthesizers on three of the ten selections (a very unusual event at Pablo) but otherwise the lineup for these ballads and jump tunes is comprised of old musical friends, most notably pianist Cedar Walton ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/soul-believer-mw0000276236

Personnel: Vibraphone – Milt Jackson; Bass – Ray Brown; Drums – Frank Severino; Guitar – Dennis Budimer, John Collins; Piano – Cedar Walton; Tenor Saxophone – Plas Johnson

Soul Believer

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Lisa Hilton - More Than Another Day

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:15
Size: 104,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:37) 1. More Than Another Day
(4:19) 2. Retro Road Trip
(3:31) 3. Secret Beach
(4:49) 4. I’ve Got You Under My Skin
(6:15) 5. Blues & Beauty
(4:33) 6. No Sleep Until
… (4:06) 7. Dear Life of Mine
(3:56) 8. Karma Chaos
(4:18) 9. Today I Looked at Love
(4:46) 10. So This Is Love

More Than Another Day is the latest jazz release by composer/pianist/producer Lisa Kristine Hilton, this time showcasing a trio with Luques Curtis and Rudy Royston. Hilton, Curtis, Royston and bandmate JD Allen were halfway through their 2020 tour when the U.S. corona virus lockdown began. Fearful for a family member who was stuck and sick in Italy, and worried about the health and safety of the world, Hilton turned as always, to her creative side. “I grew up in a small quiet town where it seemed nothing ever happened. I always turned my abundant energy into creativity is lockdown just reminded me of those early days. To me, quiet propels my creative side.” https://lisahiltonmusic.com/more-than-another-day/

Personnel: Lisa Hilton/piano, Luques Curtis/bass, Rudy Royston/drums

More Than Another Day

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George Coleman - Manhattan Panorama

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:43
Size: 137,4 MB
Art: Front

( 3:31) 1. Mayor Koch
(19:12) 2. New York Suite
( 6:12) 3. Subway Ride
( 6:03) 4. El Barrio
( 9:39) 5. New York Housing Blues
(15:04) 6. Ray Of Light

Why George Coleman is not immediately mentioned when the discussion turns to great tenor sax veterans is baffling, because there are not many better mainstream/blues stylists. Other than a good-natured but ultimately empty vocal, Coleman was routinely brilliant on every number during this live Village Vanguard set originally issued on Theresa vinyl. Pianist Harold Mabern's bluesy, vibrant phrases and bassist Jami Nasser's supple licks and accompaniment are ably punctuated by Idris Muhammad's capable drumming. There is a no-nonsense (the opener aside), no-frills attitude exemplifed by the quartet. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/manhattan-panorama-mw0000201197

Personnel: Alto Saxophone – George Coleman; Bass – Jamil Nasser; Drums – Idris Muhammad; Piano – Harold Mabern

Manhattan Panorama

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Kate Ceberano And Her Sextet - Kate Ceberano And Her Septet Live

Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:17
Size: 126,0
Art: Front

(2:30) 1. Im Beginning to See the Light
(3:53) 2. My Baby Just Cares for Me
(3:03) 3. Midnight Sun
(4:56) 4. Love Me or Leave Me
(3:09) 5. Ill Wind
(5:31) 6. Memory Serves
(3:46) 7. Two Sleepy People
(2:43) 8. Heart
(2:44) 9. Im Hip
(6:16) 10. Lush Life
(2:41) 11. One Note Samba
(2:23) 12. And the Angels Sing
(6:05) 13. Im Afraid the Masquerade Is Over
(4:29) 14. Yeah Yeah

One of Australia's most gifted and versatile performers, Kate Ceberano's music crossed several genres and made her one of the most popular female vocalists of the 1980s and '90s. Ceberano first rose to prominence as the teenage lead singer of Australian funk-pop outfit I'm Talking in 1985. Their debut (and as it transpired, only) album, Bear Witness, produced three hit singles, including "Love Don't Live Here Anymore." I'm Talking disbanded in 1987, and Ceberano released her debut solo jazz album in that same year. Kate Ceberano and Her Septet, featuring her brother Phil and veteran session musicians Alex Pertout and Jex Saarelaht, became a huge hit, and was followed in 1988 by You've Always Got the Blues, which featured Ceberano and Wendy Matthews as vocalists. In 1988 the first single from Ceberano's eagerly awaited first pop album was released. "Bedroom Eyes" became the highest-selling Australian single of 1988 and helped Ceberano win two ARIA awards for best female vocalist in 1988 and 1989. The album, Brave, was released in 1989 and went triple platinum. "Young Boys Are My Weakness" was also released as a single from this disc. Another jazz album called Like Now followed in 1990, then her second pop album, Think About It, appeared in 1991. However, it could not build on the success of Brave and failed to produce a strong single. 1992 saw a stage production of Jesus Christ Superstar open in Australia. Ceberano won the part of Mary Magdalene, and performed alongside John Farnham, Noiseworks frontman Jon Stevens, and former Rose Tattoo lead singer Angry Anderson in the show. The Australian cast album went four-times platinum and Ceberano's song from the production -- "I Don't Know How to Love Him" -- was released as a single. In 1996, another pop album, Blue Box, was released, and this was followed in 1998 with Pash. The '60s-influenced pop of the title track became her biggest hit since "Bedroom Eyes." A best-of collection entitled True Romantic appeared in 1999. ~ Jonathan Lewis https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kate-ceberano-mn0000363528

Personnel: Vocals – Kate Ceberano; Bass – Stuart Speed ; Drums – Peter Jones ; Guitar– Phillip Ceberano; Piano, Arranged By – Jex Saarelaht; Saxophone [Sax] – Robert Bourke; Trombone – Russell Smith ; Vibraphone [Vibes], Percussion – Alex Pertout

Kate Ceberano And Her Septet Live

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Jamie Cullum - The Pianoman At Christmas

Styles: Vocal, Piano, Christmas
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:08
Size: 90,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:14) 1. It's Christmas
(3:30) 2. Beautiful, Altogether
(4:56) 3. Hang Your Lights
(3:04) 4. The Jolly Fat Man
(4:35) 5. The Pianoman at Christmas
(4:15) 6. Turn On The Lights
(3:28) 7. So Many Santas
(2:42) 8. Christmas Never Gets Old
(6:01) 9. How Do You Fly?
(3:18) 10. Christmas Caught Me Crying

With his first holiday-themed album, 2020's The Pianoman at Christmas, Jamie Cullum strikes a festive balance between swinging traditional pop and heartfelt singer/songwriter introspection. It's a balance the singer and pianist has been perfecting ever since breaking through in the early 2000s, moving between urbane re-interpretations of jazz standards and his own lyrical pop/rock originals. It's also a formula that has helped him remain a Top 20 chart regular in the U.K. with albums like 2014's Interlude and 2019's Taller. The Pianoman at Christmas makes the most of these skills as Cullum brings all of his varied experience to bear on a set of original holiday songs. Produced by Greg Wells, the album is a fittingly lush production, recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios with a varied mix of big band, orchestral, and small group arrangements. Tracks like "It's Christmas" and "Christmas Never Gets Old" are big swinging numbers that capture a Frank Sinatra fireside sparkle. Similarly vintage-sounding, "Hang Your Lights" is a snappy, minor-key jump blues rhumba in the Louis Prima tradition, while "So Many Santas" crackles with a Las Vegas high-kicking chorus-girl energy. We also get the bluesy, Ray Charles-sounding "Jolly Fat Man" with its wry, nightclub sense of humor. While much of the album evokes the 1950s and '60s golden age of traditional pop, there are more introspective moments as Cullum settles gently into the Billy Joel-esque title track, the ebullient '70s soft-rock anthem "Turn On the Lights," and the dusky, cinematic string romanticism of "Beautiful Together." The Pianoman at Christmas isn't just a great holiday album, it's a great Jamie Cullum album. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-pianoman-at-christmas-mw0003441306

Personnel: Vocals, Piano – Jamie Cullum; Alto Flute, Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Martin Williams (2), Paul Booth (2); Alto Saxophone, Flute – Graeme Blevins, Howard McGill; Backing Vocals – Aisha Stuart, Naomi Miller, Shanna Goodhead; Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet, Flute – Claire McInerney; Bass [Upright Bass], Electric Bass, Backing Vocals – Loz Garratt; Cello – Bozidar Vukotic, Chris Worsey, Ian Burdge, Tony Woollard; Conductor, Piano, Saxophone, Bells [Sleigh Bells], Tambourine, Backing Vocals – Tom Richards (5); Double Bass – Chris Laurence, Richard Price; Stacey Richard Watton; Drums – Ed Richardson (tracks: 2); Drums, Backing Vocals – Brad Webb; French Horn – Alexei Watkins, Angela Barnes, Laurence Davies, Michael Thompson (2), Richard Bissill; Guitar – Tom VarrallHarp – Hugh Webb; Piano – Ross Stanley; Trombone – Alistair White, Mark Frost, Nichol Thomson, Trevor Mires;Trombone [Orchestral Trombone] – Chris Traves, Dave Stewart (2), Mark Nightingale, Tracey Holloway; Trumpet – Louis Dowdswell, Rory Simmons, Tom Rees-Roberts, Tom Walsh (12); Tuba – Mike Poyser, Owen Slade; Ann Beilby, Helen Kamminga, Julia Knight, Kate Musker, Lydia Lowndes-Northcott, Reiad Chibah; Violin – Beatrix Lovejoy, Ben Buckton, Ciaran McCabe, Daniel Bhattacharya, Dorina Markoff, Everton Nelson, Jeremy Isaac, Kate Robinson, Marianne Haynes, Max Baillie, Natalia Bonner, Patrick Savage, Rita Manning, Steve Morris, Tom Pigott-Smith; Violin, Leader – John Mills (8)

The Pianoman At Christmas

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Champian Fulton - Christmas With Champian

Styles: Vocal, Piano, Christmas
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:20
Size: 136,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:39) 1. White Christmas
(3:32) 2. Pretty Paper
(3:41) 3. I'll Be Home For Christmas
(4:10) 4. Winter Wonderland (Feat. Stephen Fulton)
(6:24) 5. Gracias A Dios (Feat. Stephen Fulton)
(5:03) 6. The Christmas Song
(4:17) 7. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
(6:00) 8. Christmas Time Is Here (Feat. Stephen Fulton)
(4:33) 9. The Christmas Waltz
(4:28) 10. Sleigh Ride (Feat. Stephen Fulton)
(5:21) 11. A Child Is Born (Feat. David Williams)
(3:28) 12. Let It Snow (Feat. Stephen Fulton)
(4:36) 13. Merry Merry Christmas

Pianist-Vocalist Champian Fulton's long awaited release, "Christmas with Champian" is being touted as the best new Jazz Christmas album of the year. With her personal song selection, listeners are invited to sit back and celebrate the season with Champian as she swings her way through this charming program of her favorites. Worth noting is Champian's beautiful rendition of the Los Panchos & Eydie Gormé hit, "Gracias a Dios", a selection inspired by her Mexican heritage; also listen for her original song "Merry Merry Christmas", written as a gift to her fans. "Christmas with Champian" spotlights veteran Jazz royalty David Williams on bass and Fukushi Tainaka on drums, who performed for over 30 years with Cedar Walton and Lou Donaldson respectively; and features Clark Terry protegé (and Champian's father) Stephen Fulton on trumpet and flugelhorn on a stunning rendition of "Christmas Time Is Here." A perfect balance of Christmas spirit and Jazz sensibility, "Christmas with Champian" is guaranteed to make your season bright.

"Champian Fulton, with a gleaming smile built in Santa’s workshop, is a charming vocalist and pianist with a fine entry into the Xmas canon. Christmas with Champian is a nice mix of standard and unusual material, filtered through a voice that surprises in its shifts between child-like and seasoned and a touch at the keys that is sweet without being saccharine." ~ Andrey Henkin, NYC Jazz Record

"Fulton's piano approach especially in her solo turns is a bit quirky, highly original, always inventive. Her vocals brim with appealing, fluid phrasing and gorgeous intonation and soul. " ~ Dan McLenaghan, All About Jazz

“Holiday genialness comes naturally to Champian.... Christmas with Champian finds her dispelling the deadening familiarity of dry evergreens... allowing listeners to hear a shopworn lyric and melody as if for the first time. 4 STARS” ~ Frank John Hadley, Downbeat

I can not think of anyone today who does more to preserve the American classics than Champian. As a musician and a vocalist, she takes the tunes of the masters and brings them to life today; and she does it with such a grace and 'swing' it seems like she has been doing it since birth..." ~ StreetCred Music

"Champian Fulton’s piano combines Erroll Garner’s serendipity and Ahmad Jamal’s dynamic calibrations. Combined with her impish vocals, Christmas With Champian (champion.net) makes a worthy soundtrack to any holiday gathering." ~ Kirk Silsbee, ArtsMeme

"Champian Fulton...has emerged in recent years as the most exciting vocal and pianistic talent on the straight-ahead jazz scene. This is a very nice collection of holiday standards (“White Christmas,” “The Christmas Song,” etc.) and more unusual choices: Willie Nelson’s “Pretty Paper,” for example, and an old Los Panchos & Eydie Gormé number titled “Gracias à Dios,” as well as a lovely original. As always, Fulton and her band swing powerfully and she sings like an unusually creative and playful angel. And her dad, trumpeter Stephen Fulton, makes a guest appearance as well. There’s simply nothing about this album that isn’t delightful, and since there’s a good chance that your library serves some of her growing legion of fans, I’d strongly recommend this one to all collections." - Rick Anderson, CD Hot List

"To be successful, Christmas albums, need to exude a certain joy of the season and this one does, from the finger-snapping backbeat of “White Christmas” (nice work by drummer, Fukushi Tainaka, throughout) to the closer, “Merry, Merry Christmas”, a lovely original number by Ms. Fulton. The rest of the album is filled with familiar songs of the season but thanks to Ms. Fulton’s first-rate piano work and the rock-solid backing of her sidemen; Mr. Tainaka, bassist David Williams and Champian’s dad, trumpeter Stephen Fulton, these tunes have new life." - Curt's Jazz Cafe

"This is a great jazz record in a Santa hat. Fulton never ceases to find both poignancy and exuberant fun in the least expected places."
~ NY Music Daily https://www.champian.net/news/2017/10/19/people-are-raving-about-christmas-with-champian

Christmas With Champian

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