Anna Gréta - Nightjar in the Northern Sky

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:23
Size: 112,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:47) 1. Nightjar in the northern sky
(4:43) 2. Ray of sun
(4:34) 3. Sleepless
(3:06) 4. The tunnel
(4:26) 5. Blue streams
(4:25) 6. Mountain
(3:08) 7. Falling down
(3:17) 8. Like a river
(3:25) 9. Home
(5:16) 10. Waiting never ends
(3:04) 11. Guide the way
(4:06) 12. Carry me across the sky

Anna Gréta’s Nightjar In The Northern Sky unfolds with the metamorphic diversity of a year’s seasons. The album’s opener, which is also the title track, seems primed for the increasing darkness of the autumn and winter seasons. Delicate brushstrokes that sound like bursts of light rain serve as the primary rudder for the meter and a sparse piano melody that’s intermittently minor in its tonality and mildly loose in its sustain and decay. It ushers forth the urge to find light and warmth, and to huddle. Conversely, on songs like “Ray Of Sun” and “Blue Streams,” Gréta’s dynamically light, gentle and crisp performance pairs with uptempo, major-key melodies and a drier vocal tone. These characteristics give the songs more sonic clarity and vibrance, which makes them seem, by contrast, like a natural companion for the energetic afternoons of spring or summer.

Much like the ever-changing colors of the enduring Northern lights, Gréta’s voice ties the album together. However, taking in the whole experience means traversing a wide chasm of creative change. A track like “Mountain” really accentuates the stylistic distanced traveled, as the audible drag of fingers against the metal winding of electric guitar strings feels miles away from the almost impressionistic musical aesthetic presented at the outset. Yet, by the finale “Carry Me Across The Sky,” the divergent emotional settings of the album converge in a song that is rich with tonal variety, harmonic expanse and percussive character appearing to showcase the album’s complete seasonal character, in the last musical journey.~ Kira Grunenberg https://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/nightjar-in-the-northern-sky

Personnel: Anna Gréta, piano, keyboards, vocals; Skúli Sverrisson, bass; Einar Scheving, drums; Hilmar Jensson, guitar; Sigurður Flosason, saxophone; Johan Tengholm, bass; Ragnheiður Gröndal, backing vocals.

Nightjar in the northern sky

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LaVern Baker - The Best Of The Rest: Singles As & Bs 1960-1962

Size: 139,0 MB
Time: 58:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: R&B, Blues, Soul, Jazz
Art: Front

01. Shadows Of Love (2:18)
02. Wheel Of Fortune (1:58)
03. A Help Each Other Romance (2:40)
04. How Often (2:37)
05. Bumble Bee (2:26)
06. My Time Will Come (2:22)
07. You're The Boss (2:15)
08. I'll Never Be Free (2:13)
09. Saved (2:55)
10. Don Juan (2:25)
11. I Didn't Know I Was Crying (2:38)
12. Hurting Inside (2:15)
13. Voodoo Voodoo (1:47)
14. Hey Memphis (2:27)
15. Must I Cry Again (2:33)
16. No Love So True (2:17)
17. See See Rider (2:24)
18. Story Of My Love (2:00)
19. Loads Of Love (2:25)
20. You Don't Tell Me (2:52)
21. Eager Beaver (2:07)
22. Senor Big And Fine (2:14)
23. Eternally (1:56)
24. He's A Real Gone Guy (2:14)
25. Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes (2:29)

LaVern Baker was one of the sexiest divas gracing the mid-'50s rock & roll circuit, boasting a brashly seductive vocal delivery tailor-made for belting the catchy novelties "Tweedlee Dee," "Bop-Ting-a-Ling," and "Tra La La" for Atlantic Records during rock's first wave of prominence.

Born Delores Williams, she was singing at the Club DeLisa on Chicago's south side at age 17, decked out in raggedy attire and billed as "Little Miss Sharecropper" (the same handle that she made her recording debut under for RCA Victor with Eddie "Sugarman" Penigar's band in 1949). She changed her name briefly to Bea Baker when recording for OKeh in 1951 with Maurice King's Wolverines, then settled on the first name of LaVern when she joined Todd Rhodes' band as featured vocalist in 1952 (she fronted Rhodes' aggregation on the impassioned ballad "Trying" for Cincinnati's King Records).

LaVern signed with Atlantic as a solo in 1953, debuting with the incendiary "Soul on Fire." The coy, Latin-tempo "Tweedlee Dee" was a smash in 1955 on both the R&B and pop charts, although her impact on the latter was blunted when squeaky-clean Georgia Gibbs covered it for Mercury. An infuriated Baker filed suit over the whitewashing, but she lost. By that time, though, her star had ascended: Baker's "Bop-Ting-A-Ling," "Play It Fair," "Still," and the rocking "Jim Dandy" all vaulted into the R&B Top Ten over the next couple of years.

Baker's statuesque figure and charismatic persona made her a natural for TV and movies. She co-starred on the historic R&B revue segment on Ed Sullivan's TV program in November of 1955 and did memorable numbers in Alan Freed's rock movies Rock, Rock, Rock and Mr. Rock & Roll. Her Atlantic records remained popular throughout the decade: she hit big in 1958 with the ballad "I Cried a Tear," adopted a pseudo-sanctified bellow for the rousing Leiber & Stoller-penned gospel sendup "Saved" in 1960, and cut a Bessie Smith tribute album before leaving Atlantic in 1964. A brief stop at Brunswick Records (where she did a sassy duet with Jackie Wilson, "Think Twice") preceded a late-'60s jaunt to entertain the troops in Vietnam. She became seriously ill after the trip and was hospitalized, eventually settling far out of the limelight in the Philippines. She remained there for 22 years, running an NCO club on Subic Bay for the U.S. government.

Finally, in 1988, Baker returned stateside to star in Atlantic's 40th anniversary bash at New York's Madison Square Garden. That led to a soundtrack appearance in the film Dick Tracy, a starring role in the Broadway musical Black & Blue (replacing her ex-Atlantic labelmate Ruth Brown), a nice comeback disc for DRG (Woke Up This Mornin'), and a memorable appearance at the Chicago Blues Festival. Baker died on March 10, 1997. ~by Bill Dahl

The Best Of The Rest

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Suede - Dangerous Mood

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:59
Size: 123.6 MB
Styles: Jazz/blues vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:05] 1. Let Me Love You
[6:29] 2. Dangerous Mood
[3:39] 3. I Like To Lead When I Dance
[4:45] 4. New Coat Of Paint
[3:55] 5. Defying Gravity
[2:58] 6. You Can Leave Your Hat On
[5:24] 7. Teach Me Tonight
[4:04] 8. Do It Again
[4:35] 9. Never Neverland
[5:49] 10. No Goin' Back
[4:39] 11. Love And Regret
[4:31] 12. Here's To Life

Imagine a cross between Ella Fitzgerald and Bette Midler, add a dash of Louis Armstrong, and you might get some idea of Suede's powerful presence, musical talents, and well honed skills. She is a consummate entertainer and song stylist among the likes of Tony Bennett and company - the classic singer's singer. Suede sings original material and pop, blues and jazz standards like nobody you've ever heard. Think sophisticated pop/jazz; think naughty blues with a sizzling trumpet, think love songs that make you swoon, think funny, think wow, what a voice!

Recording information: Bennett Studios, NJ.

Janice Friedman (vocals, guitar, trumpet, piano); Tim Horner (viola, drums, percussion); Justine Flynn (flute, clarinet, alto saxophone); Frank Basile (flute, clarinet, baritone saxophone); Lily White (flute, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, horns); Marc Mommaas, Jenny Hill (flute, tenor saxophone); William Galison (harmonica); Tom Christiensen (tenor saxophone); Nathan Eklund (trumpet, flugelhorn); Tim Ouimette, Vinnie Cutro (trumpet); Ben Williams II (trombone); Mike Christianson (bass trombone, tuba); Janice Friedman (piano, organ); Bill Moring (bass guitar).

Dangerous Mood

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Hendrik Meurkens - Samba Jazz Odyssey

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:16
Size: 145,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:22) 1. A Night in Jakarta
(5:41) 2. Manhattan Samba
(5:37) 3. Prague in March
(5:40) 4. Sambatropolis
(7:51) 5. Mountain Drive
(9:03) 6. You Again (Live)
(5:56) 7. Bolero para Paquito
(7:42) 8. Samba Tonto
(8:20) 9. Choro

Maestro Hendrik Meurkens isn’t just an acclaimed artist, whom we have all come to admire. He’s a man brimming with incandescent ideas which manifest into musical gold. What makes Meurkens so special is the singularity of his sound. A German-born, New York-based harmonica player who performs Latin Jazz. If there is a Venn diagram of these attributes, he would be one of the few in the middle. That he has carved such a niche over a storied career should put this album under a special light. Samba Jazz Odyssey is an adventure with seven pieces composed by Meurkens, which were undoubtedly informed by his trailblazing musical journeys around the world. The maestro pairs with the august WDR Big Band, from Cologne, Germany, with arrangements which were also conducted by Michael Philip Mossman, a Grammy-nominated arranger. “This project is very special to me,” said Meurkens. “It is everybody’s dream to record with the WDR Big Band, and I was honored to collaborate with them.” The resulting production is a vivid voyage through samba jazz in its many forms.

A Night in Jakarta isn’t just a get-up samba with feel good effect. It exemplifies the theme of this project, a veritable tour of samba jazz, which begins in the South Pacific. Meurkens wrote the piece as an honorific for the Java Jazz Festival organizers based in Jakarta. He and his Samba Jazz Quartet have played at this well-regarded festival many times. Meurkens has fond memories, particularly of the late-night jam sessions at the hotel. Paul Heller (tenor saxophone) and Raphael Klemm (trombone) deliver dazzling solos to get this album going.

Meurkens first recorded Manhattan Samba on his album Poema Brasileiro (Concord, 1996). It’s a tune of many layers, runs, and hits. The band plays as one, navigating the sections with aplomb. Pascal Bartoszak (flute) offers an uplifting and thoughtful solo. Meurkens’ harmonica solo is beautiful and buoyant, bright and bluesy. The maestro is at home at this piece because well…he’s at home. After all, he’s a New Yorker. And this piece is a musical dedication to the vibrant samba jazz scene in New York, as many terrific Brazilian artists live in the Big Apple. Next stop, central Europe. Prague in March is one of Meurkens’ veritable hits, as many accomplished artists have recorded it over the years, including Claudio Roditi, the Brazilian trumpeter. This particular arrangement is by Carlos Franzetti for a project on which he and Meurkens collaborated. In fact, Meurkens wrote this masterpiece before he immigrated to the US, just one year after the Berlin Wall fell. The namesake of the song, Prague, is also its inspiration. Meurkens was fascinated with this beautiful city, and on this rendition, check out Ludwig Nuss’ refined trombone solo.

Sambatropolis is another of Meurkens’ popular compositions, recorded previously with English and Portuguese lyrics. It’s a terrific ode to the samba jazz scene of New York. The back-and-forth trades between Meurkens and Johan Hörlén (alto saxophone) are pure delight. This juxtaposition of virtuosity may spark memories or engender one to imagine the music geniuses found at many New York jazz clubs.

On Mountain Drive, we find ourselves somewhere in the American West, driving amid the Rocky Mountains. Meurkens named his piece after a car ride from Denver to Aspen. The natural beauty of the jagged mountains and greenery enveloped Meurkens’ mind. For this particular rendition, Andi Haderer (trumpet) goes to work with a terrific solo. “I love the groove that Mossman found for the band. He added a totally new perspective with his arrangement,” reflects Meurkens.

Beginning with pulsing drum hits, You Again is Mossman’s composition, and it unfolds with a steady groove and blooming harmonies. The band is put through the paces, and it’s clearly up to the task as the full sonic and dynamic range is on display. Meurkens contributes an epic harmonica solo that demonstrates his effortless mastery. Joining him with remarkable solos: Jens Neufang (baritone sax), Andy Hunter (trombone), Mattis Cederberg (bass trombone), Hans Dekker (drums), Paul Shigihara (guitar), and Rob Bruynen (trumpet). This piece is a jam session. Meurkens wrote Bolero Para Paquito for Paquito D’Rivera, the legendary jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. “Paquito remains one of my main inspirations in Latin Jazz, and he has so much positive energy,” said Meurkens. In fact, Paquito recorded the piece, too. And this particular arrangement by Franzetti is a thoughtful and well-placed work. One highlight is indeed Billy Test’s piano solo.

The premiere recording of Samba Tonto is a high point of this album. A samba in seven with a bridge that undulates between 2/4 and 3/8 could make your head spin. But the move among meters is handled gracefully, with colorful woodwinds and lush harmonies. Paul Shigihara (guitar) adds his stamp with a modern and soulful solo. The album ends with Choro, the well-known piece composed by A.C.Jobim. But you’ve never heard it like this before. Mossman’s cinematic arrangement frames the number in a special manner, giving space for solos by Billy Test (piano), Ludwig Nuss (trombone), Ruud Breuls (trumpet), and Meurkens (harmonica).

Jazz Samba Odyssey exemplifies basic addition. One plus one equals two. But the combination of Meurkens, Mossman, and the WDR Big Band have given us something ever more. This album is a calculus of creativity, a diagram of distinction, and a watershed work for the jazz and samba communities. It has been a distinct honor for Doug Davis, Matthew Mayer, and I to help produce this album for maestro Meurkens and the entire group. The project has indeed been an odyssey into the music, from the heart, and out of this world. Kabir Sehgal – Multi-GRAMMY & Latin GRAMMY Award winning producer, New York Times Bestselling Author. https://jazzdelapena.com/new-york-report/hendrik-meurkens-and-the-wdr-big-band-release-samba-jazz-odyssey-may-20-2022/

Samba Jazz Odyssey

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