Mary J. Blige - No More Drama

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:15
Size: 182,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:46) 1. Love
(4:25) 2. Family Affair
(4:27) 3. Steal Away
(5:37) 4. He Think I Don't Know
(4:51) 5. P.M.S.
(5:26) 6. No More Drama
(4:36) 7. Rainy Dayz [feat. Ja Rule]
(4:33) 8. Where I've Been [feat. Eve]
(3:34) 9. Beautiful Day
(3:24) 10. Dance for Me [feat. Common]
(4:05) 11. No More Drama (P. Diddy/Mario Winans Remix) [feat. P. Diddy]
(4:59) 12. Flying Away
(4:03) 13. Never Been
(4:45) 14. 2U
(4:14) 15. In the Meantime
(1:41) 16. Forever No More - Poem
(5:00) 17. Testimony
(4:41) 18. Girl from Yesterday

Mary J. Blige has come a long way since 1992's breakthrough, What's the 411?, and that's made very clear on this solid disc. The singer/songwriter has blossomed into an all-out R&B diva with a hip-hop edge full of soul and command. Her songs on this recording exude the wisdom of a woman who's seen it all and has found her center. The woman's voice is truly inimitable. It's husky, strong, soulful, and full of maturity. She can still flow like no one's business, too; just check out the bouncy album opener "Love."

While love is a common theme, No More Drama is essentially a personal journey through evolution and spirituality. The final cut, "Testimony," best summarizes the album's theme: finding what's real in life. For Blige, that's self-love and God. Blige has a killer instinct for penning lyrics that people can relate to and creating gritty, thick, and soul-infused R&B fare. Her music is more than heard. It is felt, and audiences would be hard-pressed to not surrender to her groove. [No More Drama was re-released in early 2002 with a handful of different tracks.]~Liana Jones https://www.allmusic.com/album/no-more-drama-mw0000658167

No More Drama

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Franco Ambrosetti - Close Encounter

Styles: Flugelhorn,Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:20
Size: 100,4 MB
Art: Front

( 8:29) 1. Close Encounter
( 5:46) 2. Napoleon Blown Apart
( 8:21) 3. Sad Story Of A Photographer
(14:36) 4. Morning Song Of A Spring Flower
( 6:07) 5. Rumba Orgiastica

Franco Ambrosetti's debut for Enja (his previous releases were all for Italian labels) finds the talented cool-toned flugelhornist holding his own with the notable sidemen (Bennie Wallace on tenor and soprano, pianist George Gruntz, bassist Mike Richmond and drummer Bob Moses). The sometimes episodic repertoire (two Ambrosetti originals and one apiece by his father Flavio, Gruntz and Kuhn) is quite obscure and generally hard bop-oriented. Everyone plays well on this lesser-known but enjoyable effort.~Scott Yanowhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/close-encounter-mw0000906992

Personnel: Franco Ambrosetti – flugelhorn, trumpet; Bennie Wallace – tenor saxophone; George Gruntz – piano; Mike Richmond – bass; Bob Moses – drums

Close Encounter

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Bobby Scott - Scott Free

Styles: Piano, Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:37
Size: 100,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:31) 1. Two Toes
(2:45) 2. What's New
(4:53) 3. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
(3:07) 4. Summer Night
(4:16) 5. Over the Rainbow
(3:05) 6. Squaw Rock
(4:14) 7. Potatoe Zalud
(4:17) 8. These Foolish Things
(3:49) 9. Milt Shake
(6:06) 10. Skyline
(3:30) 11. Richard the Lion Hearted

Robert William Scott (January 29, 1937 – November 5, 1990) was an American musician, record producer, and songwriter. Scott was born in Mount Pleasant, New York, United States, and became a pianist, vibraphonist, and singer, and could also play the accordion, cello, clarinet, and double bass. He studied under Edvard Moritz at the La Follette School of Music at the age of eight, and was working professionally at 11. In 1952, he began touring with Louis Prima, and also toured and performed with Gene Krupa, Lester Young, and Tony Scott in the 1950s. In 1956 he hit the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with the song "Chain Gang", peaking at number 13. (This was not the same song as the 1960 pop hit "Chain Gang" by American singer/songwriter Sam Cooke.) It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

As a bandleader, he did sessions for Verve, ABC-Paramount, Bethlehem, and Musicmasters. As a songwriter, he won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition for the song "A Taste of Honey". In addition to "A Taste of Honey", Scott also co-wrote the song "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". In the 1960s he became a music teacher and studied again under Moritz, but occasionally recorded as well, including a Nat King Cole tribute album released in the 1980s. He also composed film soundtracks, including the scores to Slaves (1969), Joe (1970), and Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow! (1971). During the 1980s he composed music for classical guitar, harp, and piano. He also arranged for jazz and easy listening musicians such as Les and Larry Elgart. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Scott_(musician)

Personnel: Bobby Scott (p, vib), Whitey Mitchell, Jim Corbett, Nabil 'Knobby' Totah (b), Will Bradley Jr., Al Levitt (d)

Scott Free

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Maureen Budway - Sweet Candor

Size: 147,3 MB
Time: 63:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'll Close My Eyes (5:58)
02. Sweet Lover No More (4:12)
03. Del Sasser (5:11)
04. Trav'lin' Light (5:22)
05. The House I Live In (4:38)
06. White Cliffs Of Dover (3:40)
07. Hard Times Come Again No More (3:51)
08. Say It With Firecrackers Song Of Freedom (4:46)
09. Gershwin Medley (How Long Has This Been Going On, Fascinating Rhythm, Someone To Watch Over Me, The Man I Love) (9:00)
10. Spring Is Here (6:26)
11. Aquas De Março (5:25)
12. Lonely Cane (4:33)

Maureen Budway's Sweet Candor is a masterclass in style and elegance.

A former editor once gave me some sage advice about interjecting too much personal opinion unless there was some relevance to the release. Sweet Candor is the first release from Budway and sadly the last as this lyrical warrior lost her twenty year fight with cancer. I too am fighting cancer but this is not a sad occasion as Budway delivers an exemplary performance moving effortlessly through a variety of genres with a range most singers can only hope they achieve.

Budway passed on January 27, 2015 and Sweet Candor was delivered to their families on Christmas Eve. Powerful and the personification of true passion on a shiny silver disc her critically acclaimed brother David Budway joins her on piano. The best releases result in reviews that write themselves and Sweet Candor is no exception. The eclectic diversity includes the David Frishberg tune "Sweet Lover No More" featuring Sean Jones on trumpet and "Aquas De Marco" from Antonio Carlos Jobim. The Rogers and Hart classic "Spring Is Here" takes wings as this harmonic chameleon weaves a melodic spell that is captivating.

This is not a release you review but a release that you savor, embrace and cherish. A reminder of the joy of making music and the reality that life while fleeting is indeed a gift. This is Maureen's lasting gift and she will never be forgotten.

Sweet Candor

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