Simone Kopmajer, Paul Urbanek & Reinhardt Winkler - Soulmates

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:34
Size: 126,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:32) 1. All Along The Watchtower
(3:17) 2. Brazil
(3:54) 3. The In Crowd
(3:53) 4. All You Need Is Love
(3:54) 5. The Beat Goes On
(4:56) 6. Imagine
(4:38) 7. What's Going On
(4:32) 8. Angie
(3:48) 9. Never Said
(3:25) 10. Time After Time
(3:04) 11. But Not For Me
(3:34) 12. Jeepers Creepers
(6:02) 13. Time

A cool-toned Austrian jazz vocalist, Simone Kopmajer sings in flawless English. She had classical piano lessons starting at the age of eight and at 12 began playing saxophone. She performed in a youth big band and sang regularly in her father's band as a teenager. At 17 she studied with Sheila Jordan, who encouraged her. Kopmajer also studied with Mark Murphy, Jay Clayton, and Michele Hendricks. Since earning a Masters from the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria, Kopmajer has toured the Netherlands twice with the Euro Big Band, appeared at European jazz festivals, and recorded three CDs: Moonlight Serenade (for the Japanese Venus label), her best-known set Romance (for Zoho), and her privately released Taking a Chance on Love. Each CD emphasizes her own fresh versions of standards.~Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/simone-kopmajer-mn0001897290/biography

Personnel: Simone Kopmajer - vocals; Paul Urbanek - piano, keyboards, keyboard-bass; Reinhardt Winkler - drums; Patrice Héral - percussion, background vocals; Herfried Knapp - upright bass; Beate Wiesinger - bass

Soulmates

---

Bill Evans & Jim Hall - Undercurrent

Styles: Piano And Guitar Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:58
Size: 122,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:24) 1. My Funny Valentine
(4:40) 2. I Hear a Rhapsody
(4:34) 3. Dream Gypsy
(5:23) 4. Romain
(5:24) 5. Skating in Central Park
(5:09) 6. Darn That Dream
(5:41) 7. Stairway to the Stars
(4:17) 8. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(6:57) 9. My Funny Valentine (Alternate Take)
(5:24) 10. Romain (Alternate Take)

This is the first of two superb albums recorded by Bill Evans, and guitarist Jim Hall, and it was recorded over two sessions in April and May 1962. Arrangements simply for piano and guitar are rare in Jazz, and it is even more seldom that the results are truly inspiring and as musically worthwhile as in this case. It is usual for intuitive musical relationships to develop over a number of years, but here we find two musicians who clearly shared an immediate understanding. Both men are on absolute top form here Bill Evans was on fire throughout the early and mid sixties, nd after the tragic death of his previous musical partner, virtuoso bass player Scott Le Faro (at the age of 23), he was searching for new directions.

Jim Hall is a guitarist of tremendous skill and powerful technique, with a highly developed rhythmic and harmonic sense that shines through on this album. What is so special about the performances here is an almost telepathic anticipation of where the music is heading both musicians contribute equally, and there is a constant exchange of ideas, each reacting to the other with apparent ease, whatever the mood. This is a brilliant jazz album, of great depth and tremendous atmosphere, and both players express some exceptional ideas. Highly recommended.~Dominic L Brown https://lightintheattic.net/releases/3466-undercurrent

Personnel: Piano – Bill Evans; Guitar – Jim Hall

Undercurrent

---

Ben L'Oncle Soul - Ben L'Oncle Soul

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:43
Size: 127,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:59) 1. Seven Nation Army
(3:44) 2. Soulman
(4:13) 3. Petite Soeur
(3:50) 4. Mon Amour
(4:05) 5. Elle Me Dit
(4:23) 6. I Don't Wanna Waste
(3:47) 7. Come Home
(4:48) 8. L'ombre D'un Homme
(3:51) 9. Ain't Off To The Back
(4:17) 10. Lise
(3:07) 11. Demain J'arrête
(4:11) 12. Partir
(3:34) 13. Lose It
(4:48) 14. Back For You

Ben l'Oncle Soul is a French soul singer with a retro style who made his eponymous Top Five hit album debut in 2010. Born Benjamin Duterde in 1984 in Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France, he took his name and look from Uncle Ben, the fictitious elderly African-American man dressed in a bow tie who serves as the brand image of Uncle Ben's Rice. The moniker Ben l'Oncle Soul was chosen rather than Uncle Ben to avoid any charges of trademark infringement. Years before Duterde adopted the Ben l'Oncle Soul moniker, he got his professional start as a vocalist in the Fitiavana Gospel Choir, which he joined in 2004. The Tours-based gospel choir made its album debut with I Have a Dream (2009), a collection of English-language soul classics such as "Killing Me Softly," "Lean on Me," and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman."

In turn, Duterde was offered a solo recording deal with the French division of Motown Records. Billing himself as Ben l'Oncle Soul, he made his solo recording debut with the Soul Wash EP (2009). Comprised of cover material, the majority of it sung in English, the six-track EP is performed in a retro style informed by the Motown and Stax sounds of the 1960s. A cover of the Gnarls Barkley smash hit "Crazy" was released as a single. A half-year later, Duterde made his full-length debut with the eponymous album Ben l'Oncle Soul (2010). Produced by Guillaume Poncelet and Gabin Lesieur, the album is comprised entirely of original material, plus the cover version of the White Stripes hit "Seven Nation Army" from the Soul Wash EP. With "Seven Nation Army" released as its lead single, Ben l'Oncle Soul was a Top Five hit on the French albums chart.~ Jason Birchmeier https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ben-loncle-soul-mn0002459668/biography

Personnel: Backing Vocals – Crystal Night, Lisa Spada; Baritone Saxophone – Frank Deruytter; Bass – Jérémie Coke, Olivier Carole; Bass [Synth Bass] – Guillaume Poncelet Cello – Anaël Rousseau; Drums – Arnaud Renaville; Guitar – Hailé Jno-Baptiste; Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Ben L'Oncle Soul; Piano, Keyboards, Programmed By – Gabin Lesieur; Piano, Keyboards, Programmed By, Trumpet – Guillaume Poncelet; Tenor Saxophone – Christophe Panzani; Trombone – Alain Palizeul; Trumpet – Olivier Bodson; Viola – Cédric Rousseau

Ben L'Oncle Soul

---

Clark Terry - Clark After Dark: The Ballad Album

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:20
Size: 122,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:33) 1. Misty
(4:26) 2. Nature Boy
(5:25) 3. Georgia On My Mind
(5:07) 4. November Song
(6:16) 5. Clark After Dark
(5:50) 6. Willow Weep For Me
(4:27) 7. Yesterdays
(4:33) 8. Emily
(5:34) 9. Angel Eyes
(5:06) 10. Girl Talk

Clark Terry's 1977 studio date with an orchestra conducted by Peter Herbolzheimer might very well fall into the easy listening category were it not for his brilliant improvisations on fluegelhorn, which he plays throughout the session. Most of the material consists of classic songs that Terry was undoubtedly very familiar with by the time of this 1977 recording, including "Misty," "Willow Weep for Me," "Angel Eyes," and "Yesterdays," with the arrangements all having pretty much a low-key, late-night feeling, hence the album title. Producer Mike Hennessey co-wrote "November Song" with Willi Fruth, a ballad with swirling strings; and Herbolzheimer contributed "Clark After Dark," a tasty blues that is a good deal looser than most of the rest of the album, which also features great solos by pianist Gordon Beck and trombonist Dave Horler, as well as some great muted horn from Terry. The loping "Girl Talk" showcases tenor saxophonist Tony Coe and guitarist Martin Kershaw briefly. While this isn't one of Clark Terry's most essential LPs, his flawless playing make it a worthwhile investment if you can only find it.~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/clark-after-dark-the-ballad-album-mw0001182361

Personnel: Flugelhorn – Clark Terry; Alto Flute – Stan Sulzman; Alto Saxophone – Al Newman, Roy Willox; Baritone Saxophone – Ronnie Ross; Bass – Chris Laurence; Bass Clarinet – Al Newman; Cello – Alan Dalziel, Bram Martin, Derek Simpson, Vivien Joseph; Clarinet – Ronnie Ross, Roy Willox, Tony Coe; Concertmaster [Violin, Leader] – Tony Gilbert; Double Bass – Arthur Watts, Rodney Stratford; Flute – Roy Willox, Stan Sulzman, Tony Coe; French Horn – Terry Johns; Guitar – Martin Kershaw; Piano – Gordon Beck; Tenor Saxophone – Stan Sulzman, Tony Coe; Trombone – Cliff Hardy*, Dave Horler, Nat Peck, Ray Premru; Trumpet – Dave Hancock, Derek Watkins, Eddie Blair, Kenny Wheeler, Tony Fisher); Viola – Ken Essex, Luciano Jorio, Margaret Major, Rusein Gunes; Violin – Bela Dekany, Charles Vorzanger, Dennis McConnell, Derek Solomon, Desmond Bradley, Diana Cummings, Fred Parrington, Hans Geiger, Homi Kagnga, Jim Archer, John Willison, Max Salpeter, Michael Jones (6), Paul Sherman (3), Peter Benson, Bill Armon, Bill Reid

Clark After Dark: The Ballad Album

---