Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas, let your heart be light.

May this Christmas season bring you closer to all those that you treasure in your heart.

Wishing you and your family health, happiness, peace and prosperity this Christmas and in the coming

New Year. 

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!

Giullia

Donald Byrd - Stepping Into Tomorrow

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:36
Size: 91,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:13) 1. Stepping Into Tomorrow
(4:20) 2. Design a Nation
(4:25) 3. We're Together
(6:12) 4. Think Twice
(3:49) 5. Makin' It
(6:09) 6. Rock and Roll Again
(4:31) 7. You Are the World
(3:54) 8. I Love the Girl

Beginning with a crack of thunder, like it was made to trail Gary Bartz's "Mother Nature" (actually recorded at a slightly later date), Stepping into Tomorrow contains almost all of the Mizell trademarks within its title track's first 30 seconds: a soft and easy (yet still funky) electric-bass-and-drums foundation, silken rhythm guitar, organ and piano gently bouncing off one another, light synthesizer shading, and coed group vocals to ensure true liftoff. It's only one in a line of many magnetic '70s sessions led by Fonce and Larry Mizell, and it differs from their two previous Donald Byrd dates the polarizing and groundbreaking Black Byrd and the deceptively excellent Street Lady by not featuring any of Roger Glenn's flute, and by focusing on heavily melodic and laid-back arrangements.

Even the speedy "You Are the World," by some distance the most energetic song, seems more suited for relaxing in a hammock than shooting down a freeway. Many of the musicians present on the previous Byrd-Mizell meetings are here, including drummer Harvey Mason, bassist Chuck Rainey, keyboardist Jerry Peters, and guitarist David T. Walker. As ever, those who pined for the approach of Byrd's '60s dates would tune out a sublime set of material, but maybe some of those who sniffed at the straightforward nature of some of the rhythms and riffing were won over by the supreme layering of the many components (the way in which "Think Twice" lurches forward, peels back, and gathers steam is nothing short of heavenly), not to mention some deeply evocative playing from Byrd himself.~Andy Kellman https://www.allmusic.com/album/stepping-into-tomorrow-mw0000057832

Personnel: Trumpet [Solo Trumpet], Soloist [Solo Trumpet], Flugelhorn, Vocals [Solo Vocals], Soloist [Solo Vocals] – Donald Byrd; Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – Gary Bartz; Backing Vocals – Fonce Mizell, Fred Perrin, Kay Haith, Larry Mizell, Lorraine Kennar, Margie Evans, Stephanie Spruill; Clavinet, Trumpet – Fonce Mizell; Congas – Mayuto Correa; Drum [Batah Drum], Jew's Harp [Mouth Harp] – Harvey Mason; Drums – Harvey Mason; Electric Bass [Fender Bass] – Chuck Rainey; Guitar – David T. Walker, John Rowin, Rhonghea Southern; Piano [Acoustic Piano], Organ – Jerry Peters; Synthesizer [Arp Synthesizers], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Larry Mizell

Stepping Into Tomorrow

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Marjorie Barnes - Both Sides Now

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:13
Size: 118,1 MB
Art: Front
v
(2:40) 1. Soon
(5:37) 2. I Haven't Got Anything Better
(3:41) 3. Moon River
(4:24) 4. Something To Live For
(5:22) 5. Detour Ahead
(2:46) 6. Never Will I Marry
(5:02) 7. A Sleepin' Bee
(4:11) 8. Smile
(3:44) 9. That's All
(5:37) 10. Both Sides Now
(3:40) 11. I Will Wait For You
(4:23) 12. How Do You Keep The Music Playing?

Marjorie Barnes native New Yorker who has been living in Europe for almost fifty years including several decades in the Netherlands, summons her many years of experience to brighten and embroider Both Sides Now, her impressive debut recording with the world-class Millennium Jazz Orchestra (MJO). Barnes sang in the mid-1970s with the multiple Grammy Award-winning ensemble, The Fifth Dimension, and has worked with such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstine and many others. She is relaxed and comfortable in a big-band setting, astutely enriching the splendid arrangements by MJO director Joan Reinders.

The program that Barnes and Reinders have chosen is an attractive blend of standards and one original, closing with a trio of classics, Joni Mitchell's spellbinding "Both Sides Now" and Michel Legrand's "I Will Wait for You" and "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" Barnes is a throwback to an era in which singers let a song tell its story, eschewing any flamboyance or pretension that would subvert the composer's purpose. She simply sings each song the way it was meant to be sung.

Reinders, meanwhile, lends ample support by deftly arranging every number and choosing a single soloist to complement Barnes on most of them. Tenor saxophonist Joao Driessen escorts her on the Gershwin brothers' "Soon," which opens the session, and Henry Mancini's "Moon River," alto saxophonist Gerlo Hesselink on "Never Will I Marry" and the lone original composition, "I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do." Pianist Dirk Balthaus is front and center on "Detour Ahead," flautist Rob Sijben on "A Sleepin' Bee," baritone saxophonist Job Helmers on "That's All," trumpeter Suzan Veneman on "Both Sides Now" and "I Will Wait for You." Needless to say, every solo is exemplary.

That is a word which suits Barnes too, as she skates easily through every number with nary a false note or misstep. Listening to Both Sides Now, it is easy to see how Barnes could have replaced the peerless Marilyn McCoo, as she did for two years in The Fifth Dimension. Even now, nearly half a century onward, Barnes seems to have lost none of the elegance and charm she brought to that gig. She and the MJO make a lovely coup https://www.allaboutjazz.com/both-sides-now-marjorie-barnes-millennium-jazz-orchestra-zennez-records

Both Sides Now

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Jeff Bradshaw - Jeff Bradshaw 20

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:09
Size: 109,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:56) 1. Dubai Voices
(4:29) 2. How You Gonna Act Like That (Feat. Mike Burton)
(3:49) 3. Ridin Dirty
(4:02) 4. Make Some Time (Feat. Eric Roberson)
(4:13) 5. Time (Feat. Keith Phelps)
(4:19) 6. Carrie's Bread Puddin'
(3:11) 7. Destiny (Feat. Rebecca Jade)
(3:45) 8. Ay Ay Ay (Feat. Raheem Devaughn & Chill Moody)
(2:47) 9. Young, Broke, & Brave (Feat. Saint Ezekiel)
(1:44) 10. A Lil Love (Interlude)
(3:15) 11. Don't Wanna Wait (Feat. Liz Vaughn)
(4:39) 12. God Says (Feat. Jamie Knight)
(3:57) 13. The Maintenance Man (Feat. B.slade)

Accomplished trombonist Jeff Bradshaw has been making music professionally for almost 30 years. Over that time, he has collaborated with a who's who of jazz and R&B artists including Jill Scott, the Roots, Erykah Badu, Kirk Franklin and many others. Jeff Bradshaw 20 is a celebration of his career with all-new recordings and collaborations with Eric Roberson, Raheem DeVaighn and more.By Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Bradshaw-20/dp/B0C3RJWR1T

Jeff Bradshaw 20

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Wes Montgomery & The Wynton Kelly Trio - The Unissued 1965 Half Note Broadcasts

Styles: Guitar And Piano Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:25
Size: 145,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:11) 1. Impressions
(3:34) 2. Mi Cosa [unaccompanied guitar]
(5:45) 3. Blues #1
(5:41) 4. Birks' Works
(6:46) 5. Laura
(8:42) 6. Cariba
(3:04) 7. Blues #2
(8:07) 8. Four On Six
(1:26) 9. Blues #3 / Closing Announcements
(6:43) 10. All The Things You Are
(7:21) 11. I Remember You

It never ceases to amaze what previously unheard recordings suddenly pop up. Take this pair of Station WABC Portraits In Jazz broadcasts which predate this lineup's must-have Smokin' At The Half Note taped by the same personnel (except for Carter and Ridley subbing for Paul Chambers). These half-hour broadcasts are presented replete with announcements thereby giving the proceedings a sense of immediacy.

The CD opens with Coltrane's ‘Impressions’ during which Wes runs through his entire bag of tricks with the kind of ease that one has come to expect. An unaccompanied ‘Mi Cosa’ follows before a further nine selections that take in three variations of the blues, a couple more originals (‘Cariba’ and ‘Four On Six’) a look at Dizzy's ‘Birk's Works’ and a trio of standards of which ‘Laura’ is the highlight, are done and dusted.

While Wes is in command of a truly remarkable technique he never grandstands or allows things to get out of control, even when during ‘Four On Six’ he offers up complex runs that other guitarists can only aspire to but seldom manage to replicate. The only drawback is that on some performances Wynton Kelly's is under-recorded, apart from that it's Wes close to his best.
https://www.jazzwise.com/review/wes-montgomery-and-the-wynton-kelly-trio-the-unissued-1965-half-note-broadcasts

The Unissued Half Note Broadcasts

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Melody Gardot Feat. Philippe Powell - Entre Eux Deux (The Paris Sessions)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 20:47
Size: 47,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:52) 1. This Foolish Heart Could Love You
(4:57) 2. Perhaps You'll Wonder Why
(7:13) 3. Samba Em Prelúdio (Un Jour Sans Toi)
(4:43) 4. Darling Fare Thee Well

Melody Gardot And Philippe Powell Add Strings For ‘Entre Eux Deux’ EP. It features hand-picked selections from their successful 2022 collaboration, in new versions with string arrangements.

Vocal jazz stylist Melody Gardot reunites with French composer and pianist Philippe Powell for the EP Entre eux deux: The Paris Sessions, out now via Decca Records. It features hand-picked selections from their successful 2022 collaboration Entre eux deux, in new versions with string arrangements.

The songs on the new EP chosen by Gardot and Powell are “This Foolish Heart Could Love You,” which Jazzwise hailed as a “standard-in-the-making”; “Perhaps You’ll Wonder Why”; “Darling Fare Thee Well”; and “Samba Em Prelúdio.” which pays tribute to, and revisits the legacy of, Powell’s father, the Brazilian composer, and guitarist Baden Powell.

The arrangements have been overseen by the celebrated pianist, composer, and arranger Alan Broadbent, whose credits include such major figures in jazz as Charlie Haden, Diana Krall, and Natalie Cole. The songs also feature the violinists Astghik Vardanyan and Gohar Papoyan and violist Astghik Gazhoyan, all members of the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, and Armenian-born musician-producer Artyom Manukyan on cello. This distinguished ensemble also went on the road with Gardot for the 2022 tour that was named after the album.

“We’re thrilled to be working with such an incredible team of musicians and collaborators,” says Gardot. “We wanted to create something special for our fans to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Entre eux deux, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. Press releases are boring. Just listen to it…”

Adds Powell: “In Paris, during the rehearsals, the stunning musical encounter with these four incredible artists took place. They came from Yerevan, during a time when the Armenians were suffering the effects of a war that continues to this day. Yet, from the first notes played together, the songs we had written were suddenly reinvented with their hope, love, and strength. At each concert, this expression became deeper, and the music was renewed. Through this recording, we had the chance to capture this musical communion. We hope it will touch your hearts.”

In a banner year that saw the release of Entre eux deux as her sixth studio album and first duo collaboration, 2022 also saw Gardot receive the prestigious Chevalier in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, the highest cultural accolade in France. Her extensive tour included five sellout shows in Paris, and she is now preparing for a new global tour to run from June into early 2024, with multiple runs in North America and Europe. Full tour dates and ticket information are at her website. (Published on June 11, 2023 By Paul Sexton)

https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/melody-gardot-philippe-powell-entre-eux-deux-ep/

Entre eux deux (The Paris Sessions)

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Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox - The Fourth Tuning

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:42
Size: 149,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:21) 1. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)
(4:41) 2. Man! I Feel Like A Woman!
(4:14) 3. The Power Of Love
(4:24) 4. I Was Made For Lovin' You
(3:10) 5. Basket Case
(5:17) 6. Nothing Else Matters
(3:55) 7. Flowers
(3:45) 8. Late Night Talking
(3:50) 9. American Boy
(4:01) 10. Lucky
(4:10) 11. Bad Habits
(3:51) 12. Love Story
(3:17) 13. Stayin’ Alive
(4:16) 14. Angel
(3:47) 15. A World Without Love
(3:34) 16. Ddu-du Ddu-du

Ever since I was in middle school, I knew I was something of an old soul. While my friends listened to ’90s pop hits, I listened to old jazz and Motown records and spent hours upon hours attempting to figure out their inner workings on the piano. Listening to these records truly transported me I appreciated the creativity, skill, and above all natural talent that went into their creation. Years later, as a musician living in New York City, I formed Postmodern Jukebox as way to bring the classic sounds I loved back into the mainstream, and to build a platform to celebrate real, unadulterated, deserving talent.

Today, it’s been five years since Postmodern Jukebox performed its first show, and our family has grown to include nearly fifty singers and another fifty instrumentalists, all of whom now have the opportunity to perform the classic genres they love for the audiences who appreciate them. The vocalists sing every note live, without any tuning help. The musicians make every sound you hear on stage and in my living room with the instruments you see them playing. That doesn’t matter to everyone, but it matters to us and I believe it matters to our fans. We do it the old fashioned way and we love every second of it.

Thanks to our millions of fans around the world, Postmodern Jukebox has become the rotating collective of musical outcasts that have somehow found a home and there are still many incredible, undiscovered talents out there that I really am excited to share with you. And its my promise to continue to share with you, the best natural performers from around the world, and give them a platform they deserve in this wonderful, musical universe we call Postmodern Jukebox.https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/scott-bradlees-postmodern-jukebox

The Fourth Tuning

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Dee Dee Bridgewater - This Is Dee Dee Bridgewater: Retrospective

Size: 116,7+132,3 MB
Time: 50:20+57:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Soul Jazz, Chanson
Art: Front

CD 1
01. J'ai Deux Amours (4:21)
02. Just One Of Those Things (2:53)
03. Fascinating Rhythm (4:03)
04. A-Tisket, A-Tasket (2:30)
05. Song For My Father (5:35)
06. Nica's Dream (5:13)
07. Good Morning Heartache (5:08)
08. Les Feuilles Mortes/Autumn Leaves (6:47)
09. Ne Me Quitte Pas (5:46)
10. This Is New (3:44)
11. Speak Low (4:15)

CD 2:
01. Mack The Knife (3:57)
02. Midnight Sun (7:19)
03. My Heart Belongs To Daddy (5:01)
04. Afro Blue (5:08)
05. Four Women (5:22)
06. Compared To What (5:18)
07. Lady Sings The Blues (3:28)
08. God Bless The Child (5:11)
09. Precious Thing (Till The Next... Somewhere) (5:02)
10. Cherokee (Live) (6:09)
11. What A Little Moonlight Can Do (Live) (5:13)

One of the best jazz singers of her generation, Dee Dee Bridgewater had to move to France to find herself. She performed in Michigan during the '60s and toured the Soviet Union in 1969 with the University of Illinois Big Band. She sang with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis orchestra (1972-1974) and appeared in the Broadway musical The Wiz (1974-1976). Due to erratic records and a lack of direction, Bridgewater was largely overlooked in the jazz world by the time she moved to France in the '80s. She appeared in the show Lady Day and at European jazz festivals, and eventually formed her own backup group. By the late '80s, Bridgewater's Verve recordings started to alert American listeners to her singing talents. Her 1995 Horace Silver tribute disc (Love and Peace) was a gem, and resulted in the singer extensively touring the U.S, reintroducing herself to American audiences. She found even more success with another tribute album, Dear Ella, which won a Grammy in 1997. This Is New, released in 2002, featured Bridgewater singing Kurt Weill songs, while 2005's J'ai Deux Amours found her tackling French classics. For 2010's Eleanora Fagan (1917-1959): To Billie with Love from Dee Dee, Bridgewater moved from Verve to Decca/Emarcy, and offered her versions of several songs associated with Billie Holiday. She followed this in August 2011 with her sophomore effort for the label: a compilation collection of jazz standards entitled Midnight Sun, with tunes from previous albums ranging from "Angel Eyes" to Horace Silver's "Lonely Woman." In 2014, she produced and appeared on trumpeter Theo Croker's album, Afro Physicist. Bridgewater's 2015 effort, Dee Dee's Feathers, found her paying homage to the history of New Orleans, as well as marking the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. A collaboration between Bridgewater, New Orleans trumpeter Irvin Mayfield, and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, the album also featured appearances from such New Orleans luminaries as keyboardist Dr. John and percussionist Bill Summers. ~by Scott Yanow

This Is Dee Dee Bridgewater CD 1,CD 2

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Nikki Iles/NDR Bigband - Face to Face

Styles: Piano Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:52
Size: 137,6 MB
Art: Front

(8:18) 1. Misfits
(7:15) 2. Red Ellen
(6:28) 3. Face to Face
(8:38) 4. Wild Oak
(6:16) 5. Big Sky
(6:41) 6. The Caged Bird
(9:28) 7. Hush
(6:45) 8. Awakening

This highly anticipated album stands as a resounding testament to the unmatched quality, meticulous artistry, and virtuosity of these extraordinary musicians. “Face to Face” marks a transformative turning point, propelling her artistry onto a grand stage where it rightfully belongs. Her piano compositions bear an unparalleled emotional depth, captivating listeners with each exquisite note.”

Joined by the NDR Bigband, known for their impeccable performances and musical prowess, this album delves into the heart of contemporary jazz. Together, they craft a sonic tapestry that redefines the genre and transcends conventions. Beyond a mere celebration, “Face to Face” is a revelation of Nikki Iles’ genius and a testament to her impact on the music world. It offers an intimate encounter with her raw talent and undeniable charisma. With each listen,

“Face to Face” unravels the layers of Nikki Iles’ musical brilliance, perfectly complemented by the grandeur of the NDR Bigband. This album invites us into the magic of true artistry. “Face to Face” is an album that will leave an indelible mark on the world of jazz and beyond.
https://editionrecords.com/releases/nikki-ilesndr-bigband-face-to-face/

Face to Face

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Camille Thurman - Waiting for the Sunrise

Styles: Vocal And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:01
Size: 117,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:26)  1. I Just Found out About Love
(6:32)  2. Some of These Days
(3:24)  3. Tarde
(7:42)  4. After You've Gone
(4:45)  5. September in the Rain
(5:04)  6. The Nearness of You
(3:04)  7. Easy to Love
(5:43)  8. I'm on Your Side
(7:22)  9. World Waiting for the Sunrise
(3:59) 10. If You Love Me (Really Love Me)

Saxophonist, flutist, and vocalist Camille Thurman is a soulful performer with a warm sound that she applies to both acoustic jazz standards or more contemporary R&B-influenced songs. A native of Queens, New York, Thurman began playing music at a young age and honed her skills while attending Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts. However, after high school she earned a degree in Geological & Environmental Science from Binghamton University before returning to pursue her music career in New York City. In 2013, she caught the public's attention after placing third in the Sarah Vaughan Vocal Competition. That same year, she released her debut album, Spirit Child, on Hot Tone Music. A year later, she returned with Origins. An in-demand performer, Thurman has shared the stage with such luminaries as Chaka Khan, Benny Golson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Alicia Keys, Nicholas Payton, Russell Malone, and many others. She is a 2015 Martin E. Segal Award recipient recognizing Young Outstanding Artists and a two-time recipient of the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award. In 2017, she made her Chesky Records debut with Inside the Moment. ~ Matt Collar https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/waiting-for-the-sunrise/1402200392

Personnel:  Camille Thurman: Voice and Tenor Saxophone;  Cecil McBee: Bass;  Jack Wilkins: Guitar;  Steve Williams: Drums;  Jeremy Pelt: Trumpet

Waiting for the Sunrise

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Daniel Hersog Jazz Orchestra - Open Spaces

Styles: Trumpet, Big Band
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:33
Size: 171,5 MB
Art: Front

( 4:21) 1. The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
( 6:54) 2. How Many Roads
( 4:52) 3. Ahead By A Century
( 8:12) 4. Shenandoah
(11:07) 5. I Hear
( 8:27) 6. Jib Set
( 9:35) 7. Canadian Folk Song
( 9:42) 8. Rentrer
( 5:44) 9. Sarracenia Purpurea
( 5:36) 10. Red River Valley

Locked down and socially distanced during the pandemic, composer-arranger Daniel Hersog had an interesting idea: rearrange some well-known and well-loved folk songs, most with Canadian roots, for jazz orchestra and throw in a handful of his own original compositions with a folk-tune ambience. The result is Open Spaces: Folk Songs Reimagined, the sophomore album by Hersog's Vancouver-based ensemble.

As on his debut recording, Night Devoid of Stars (Cellar Music, 2020), Hersog welcomes a number of talented guest artists to sit in: trumpeter Brad Turner, saxophonists Scott Robinson and Noah Preminger, guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, pianist Frank Carlberg. With an orchestra and guests of that caliber, it would seem a sure bet to number Open Spaces among the more persuasive big-band albums of the year.

As you can't, however, judge a book by its cover, so you can't appraise an album by its pedigree. In spite of presumably having every element in place to allow it to soar, Open Spaces seldom makes it off the ground. While the words "ponderous" and "overblown" spring to mind, the reasons are several, and Hersog's generally unimpressive charts account for only one of them. Soloists pose another problem. Although there is ample room for improvisation on most numbers, no one has much of interest to say—not even the usually dependable Robinson, whose unassuming baritone solo on "Shenandoah," Hersog writes, "had [him] in tears."

Truth be told, there is a reason why folk songs always have been and remain so popular among the masses: they tell persusasive stories that are usually upbeat and hopeful, making listeners feel good about themselves and humanity in general. There is little of that optimism or cheerfulness here. Indeed, the opposite is far too often true, as everyone seems intent not only to "reimagine" folk songs but to make them as somber and tedious as possible. Everything, it seems, plods glumly along, from Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" to the traditional "Red River Valley," which brings the largely austere session to a suitable close.

So what can be done to spruce up a dismal album such as this and make it shine? The answer, dear friend, may be "blowin' in the wind," but you won't find it here. By Jack Bowers
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/open-spaces-daniel-hersog-cellar-music

Personnel: Daniel Hersog. trumpet.; Kurt Rosenwinkel. guitar.; Scott Robinson. saxophone, tenor.; Noah Preminger. saxophone, tenor.; Frank Carlberg. piano.; Ben Kono. saxophone.;Brad Turner. trumpet.;Kim Cass. bass, acoustic.

Open Spaces (Folk Songs Reimagined)

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Eleonora Kouneni - If You Just...

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 17:36
Size: 40,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:17) 1. No Winners Here
(4:57) 2. Effortlessly
(5:19) 3. Pieces
(4:42) 4. For Granted
(3:01) 5. Stay

Originally from Greece, Eleonora Kouneni is a London-based singer-songwriter and jazz vocalist. At the age of 16, she started writing and regularly performing her own songs at bars in Athens and Greek islands. She also participated in concerts and festivals in Greece, the most prominent of which was the 16th Anti-Racism Festival (Athens, Greece, 2012), where she opened for legendary greek vocalists Maria Farantouri and Savina Yannatou.

She moved to London in her early twenties to pursue a career in music, where she fell in love with jazz. Since 2018, Eleonora has been establishing herself in the London jazz scene, performing in various London bars and venues, including the Vortex Jazz Club and the Green Note.In 2022 she released her first two singles, "Stay" and “Effortlessly”, both of which were commended in the UK songwriting competition. Her debut EP "If You Just..." will be released in spring 2023.
https://encoremusicians.com/Eleonora-Kouneni

If You Just...

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Darius Brubeck & Dan Brubeck - Gathering Forces

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:17
Size: 99,2 MB
Art: Front

(10:14)  1. Earthrise
( 5:52)  2. Three Mile Island
( 6:09)  3. Kearsage Strut
( 2:49)  4. Just Think About WHat Happens
( 6:33)  5. Tugela Rail
( 4:55)  6. The Parrot
( 6:44)  7. I Say There's Hope

Brubeck majored in ethnomusicology and the history of religion at Wesleyan University, graduating cum laude. Brubeck holds an MPhil from Nottingham University. "He was awarded a Bellagio Project Residency (Rockefeller Foundation) as Composer in 2005 and received 'Outstanding Service to Jazz Education' awards in 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2005 and 2006." Darius performed (with all three of his brothers) at the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors Gala when his father received a medal for his lifetime contribution to American culture. President Barack Obama and Mrs Michelle Obama were in the audience. Brubeck currently lives in the south of England in East Sussex.

During the 1970s and early '80s, pianist Brubeck led his own groups, played with Don McLean, Larry Coryell and toured the world with Two Generations of Brubeck and The New Brubeck Quartet (Dave, Darius, Chris and Dan Brubeck). Several albums were recorded along the way. Brubeck's focus changed to South Africa in 1983, when he initiated the first degree course in Jazz Studies offered by an African university. He taught at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Durban, South Africa, and was later appointed Director of the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, where he remained until 2006. 

After leaving full-time teaching, he was made a Senior Research Associate of the School of Music. While based in London, he taught courses at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Brunel University. He has an M.Phil Degree from Nottingham University, where he also taught jazz history for a year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_Brubeck

Personnel: Darius Brubeck (piano, keyboards); Chris Bishop (vocals); Nelson Bogart (guitar, trumpet, background vocals); Bob Hanlon (flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, background vocals); Dan Brubeck (drums, percussion); Dave Weckl (drums).

Gathering Forces

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Judy Niemack & Jay Clayton - Voices in Flight

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:18
Size: 168,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:50) 1. Questions And Answers (Play Pen)
(7:25) 2. Ditto
(6:10) 3. With You (Orange Blossom): Body And Soul
(6:58) 4. You (Hum)
(4:25) 5. Beloved
(4:34) 6. Beginner
(4:51) 7. Looking Back (Reflections)
(4:49) 8. Soaring (Lotus Blossom)
(2:13) 9. Haperchance
(6:24) 10. Eagle Poem
(5:41) 11. He’s A Man (Sagittarius)
(5:10) 12. Like Water Off A Stray Dog
(2:43) 13. Badadadat
(4:57) 14. Wondering

New York City is the center of many worlds, the jazz world being one of them, and musicians have always felt the pull of the Big Apple. In 1977, California-born vocalist Judy Niemack’s improvisation teacher, saxophonist Warne Marsh, told her to move there if she wanted to be a jazz singer, and once she did, she never looked back. Niemack’s experiences in New York shaped her career and life, and by the early 80’s she realized her dream to be professional jazz singer. However, in order to have a career as a jazz singer, it was necessary to perform abroad, and this led to her move to Europe in 1992, where she resided in Brussels and later in Berlin, teaching vocal jazz and performing.

The album “Voices In Flight" is the result of her collaboration with veteran vocalist Jay Clayton, a brilliant and highly influential improviser and teacher. Judy and Jay met in the late 1970s on New York City's vibrant music scene. At the time, Jay was performing avant-garde and experimental music in the jazz lofts and Judy had just arrived from California, making her debut at the Village Vanguard with Warne Marsh. Judy was on the lookout for inspired vocal improvisers and Jay fit the bill a singer with her own sound, a free approach to improvising and an authentic way with a story. Over the years their friendship grew deeper and they became a source of inspiration for each other. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/album/voices-in-flight-judy-niemack-jay-clayton

Personnel: Judy Niemack, Jay Clayton- vocals; Jay Anderson - bass.; Jean francois Prins - guitar; John J. DiMartino - drums.

Voices in Flight

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Don Menza & Sam Noto - Steppin'

Styles: Saxophone And Trumpet Jazz
v Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:31
Size: 182,6 MB
Art: Front

(16:18) 1. Something Old, Something Blue
( 9:11) 2. Lover Man
(15:47) 3. Spanish Boots
(14:05) 4. Paddelin' Maddeline
( 7:39) 5. These Are Things I Love
(16:29) 6. Steppin'

July 1980 I was in Buffalo, N.Y. visiting family and playing a few gigs when I got a call from Sam Noto who was living in Toronto, Canada. He asked if I was interested in doing a gig at Bourbon St. (180 Queen St.) the jazz club in Toronto. I was very much into it. Sam explained it would be a pianoless quartet no problem. In the summer of 1963 we had a pianoless quintet at a club in Buffalo (Big Mothers).

It was 4 months of musical expansion and experimentation for all of us I joined Sam in Toronto and we had a short rehearsal. What you hear on this CD is a result of what I feel was a very special week. There is not much that can be said about Sam that hasn’t already been said. His time with Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Louie Bellson and numerous small group recordings are all well-documented and worth hearing. As for the rhythm section, Dave Young and Terry Clarke are both what a jazz rhythm section should be but too often is not. They represent the best of jazz players. I was and still am proud to be part of this jazz happening. These are truly the things I love. By Don Menza (February 2023)

Personnel: Sam Noto (trumpet & flugelhorn), Don Menza (tenor sax), Dave Young (bass), Terry Clarke (drums).

Steppin'

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Ruby Braff - Cornet Chop Suey

Styles: Cornet Jazz, Swing
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 59:31
Size: 137,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:09) 1. Cornet Chop Suey
(4:29) 2. Nancy with the Laughing Face
(5:12) 3. Ooh, That Kiss
(4:33) 4. Do It Again
(4:55) 5. Love Me or Leave Me
(4:38) 6. It’s the Same Old South
(4:31) 7. It Had to Be You
(3:45) 8. I Must Have That Man
(4:14) 9. Sweet and Slow
(6:24) 10. Shoe Shine Boy
(4:34) 11. High Society Medley
(7:03) 12. Lover, Come Back to Me

For this Concord CD, the great veteran cornetist Ruby Braff is joined by guitarist Howard Alden, bassist Frank Tate and (on five of the twelve numbers) clarinetist Ken Peplowski and drummer Ronald Zito. Braff has never recorded a dull album and his highly expressive playing is the main reason to acquire this disc although Alden is also in particularly good form. Highlights include a rapid rendition of "Cornet Chop Suey," "Do It Again," an unusual instrumental version of "It's the Same Old South," an emotional "It Had to Be You" and a medley of songs from the film High Society. By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/cornet-chop-suey-mw0000116513#review

Personnel: Cornet – Ruby Braff; Bass – Frank Tate (2); Clarinet – Ken Peplowski (tracks: 3, 6, 7, 10, 12); Drums – Ronald Zito* (tracks: 3, 6, 7, 10, 12) Guitar – Howard Alden

Cornet Chop Suey

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Ida Nielsen - More Sauce, Please!

Styles: Funk, Soul
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:53
Size: 87,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:17) 1. Been Trying
(3:37) 2. Bounce Like A Grandma
(4:38) 3. Bounce Back
(3:44) 4. Ninja
(2:28) 5. More People Like You
(3:43) 6. Glorious Disco
(3:23) 7. Shake It Off
(1:28) 8. Slappadibopbop
(3:02) 9. Kuku Put Some Sauce On It
(4:54) 10. Its Gone
(3:34) 11. Give Me A Bit Of...

The audaciously funky and multi-talented Danish bassist-singer-songwriter-bandleader Ida Nielsen, a former member of two of Prince’s backing bands New Power Generation and the four-piece rock-edged 3rd Eye Girl is set to release her sixth album as a leader overall and fourth since the passing of her former mentor in April 2016. Playing her signature 4-string Sandberg California electric bass with typical authority while fronting all the vocals and also supplying multiple keyboard parts, Nielsen combines slamming funk beats, slap bass virtuosity, agile rapping, catchy pop hooks and tons of attitude on More Sauce, Please!

From the hard-hitting opener, “Been Trying,” featuring slick turntable scratching by Congolese DJ Amazulu Nanga and a burning alto sax solo from her countryman Jakob Elvstrøm, to the orchestral pop rap closer, “Give Me A Bit Of…,” More Sauce, Please! throbs with high energy and bristles with stunning musicianship by the multi-talented bandleader. Added to the potent mix are the adept rapping of Son of Light on the slow-chugging funk of “Bounce Like a Grandma,” the playful call-and-response between Ida and Finnish beat boxer/scratch maestro Felix Zenger on the slamming rock-funk number,“Ninja,” the infectious ‘70s flavored “Glorious Disco” and the mondo-slap bass and two-handed tapping showcase, “Slappadibopbop,”

Nielsen showcases her own formidable rapping chops by spitting some rapid-fire rhymes on “Kuku Put Some Sauce On It,” and she supplies multi-layered vocal harmony on the entrancing “More People Like You.” Her meditation on love lost, “It’s Gone,” features some telling lines from rapper Victor Danos while Ida’s exhortation to “tap into emancipation” on “Shake It Off” reads like an optimistic anthem for her fellow funkateers: “If your life sucks, whatcha gonna do? (Shake it off!)/If your heart breaks, whatcha gonna do? (Shake it off!)/If you’re stress level’s going through the roof, whatcha gonna do? (Shake it off!).”

Nielsen also pays tribute to Prince on the Minneapolis styled funk number, “Bounce Back,” which features her singing in Prince-like falsetto, a la “Kiss” or “Cindy C,” and also carries a rampaging slap bass solo in mid-song. “I learned so much from Prince that it is difficult to boil down to a few lines,” she explained, “but what I usually say about the whole experience is that it was a huge gift and the most magical musical journey ever, and an ongoing learning experience beyond all imagination.’” Ida, who dedicated her 2016 album TurnItUp to her late mentor, added, “The most important thing Prince taught me was to play with my heart, always!”More........
https://bassmagazine.com/ida-nielsen-releases-new-album-more-sauce-please/

More Sauce, Please!

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Bill O'Connell - Live in Montauk

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:18
Size: 136,4 MB
Art: Front

( 6:29) 1. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me (Live) (Feat. Randy Brecker)
(10:25) 2. Sparks (Live)
( 6:01) 3. Moanin' (Live)
( 8:59) 4. No Rhyme Or Reason (Live)
( 9:21) 5. One Finger Snap (Live)
( 6:41) 6. Ripty Boom (Live)
(11:19) 7. Tip Toes (Live) (Feat. Randy Brecker)

After years of gigging in the New York City area, while honing his credentials as a first-call contemporary jazz pianist, Bill O'Connell and his family moved to Montauk, the easternmost point on Long Island, where he expressed his appreciation of the area's many wonders by recording this impressive album at the celebrated Gosman's Dock, during the annual Hamptons Jazz Festival in August 2021.

It is essentially a quartet date with trumpeter Randy Brecker sitting in on two numbers, Duke Ellington's oft- recorded "Do Nothing till You Hear from Me" and O'Connell's nimble finale, "Tip Toes." The other members of the quartet are tenor saxophonist Craig Handy, bassist Santi Debriano and drummer Billy Hart, none of whom need be introduced to reasonably well-informed jazz enthusiasts.

O'Connell is cheerful and congenial at the keyboard, which well suits his choice of material and seems to please his companions too, as everyone plays with vigor and enthusiasm. Brecker, who remains at the top of his game after more than half a century in the spotlight, delivers typically sharp and resourceful solos on his two numbers, while Handy is as brash and outspoken as ever, reining in his more frenzied instincts most of the way (indulging them only on O'Connell's well-named "Sparks" and fast-moving "Tip Toes").

The group opens with O'Connell's Latinized arrangement of "Do Nothing," which precedes "Sparks," Bobby Timmons' well-traveled "Moanin'" (whose preamble is taken at a livelier-than-usual pace) and O'Connell's wistful ballad, "No Rhyme or Reason." Herbie Hancock's "One Finger Snap" is sunny and invigorating, Debriano's "Ripty Boom" a colorful and charming blues waltz. "Tip Toes" is the sort of finger-popping closer that leaves an audience pleading for more, and O'Connell and his companions lend it all the earnestness and energy they can muster.

O'Connell is persuasive throughout, Handy an able partner, Debriano and Hart a sturdy rhythm component. Together, they made sure the audience at Montauk was not short-changed, a promise that holds true for anyone who is moved to check out the recorded narrative of that splendid concert. By Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-in-montauk-bill-oconnell-savant-records__24171

Personnel: Bill O’Connell: piano; Craig Handy: tenor saxophone; Santi Debriano: bass; Billy Hart: drums

Special Guest: Randy Brecker: trumpet (tracks 1 & 7)

Live in Montauk

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Jean-Luc Ponty, Daniel Humair & Eddy Louiss Vol. 1 e Vol. 2

Album: Jean-Luc Ponty, Daniel Humair & Eddy Louiss Vol 1

Styles: Jazz

Year: 1991

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 45:53

Size: 105,7 MB

Art: Front

( 8:43) 1. You've Changed

( 9:33) 2. Summertime

( 6:56) 3. 'Round Midnight

(14:33) 4. So What?

( 6:05) 5. Nostalgia in Times Square

 

Drummer Daniel Humair's name might be listed first on this double CD, and organist Eddy Louiss may be the dominant voice, but it is the inclusion of violinist Jean-Luc Ponty as part of the trio that really makes it quite historic. Recorded in Paris in 1968, the live set features Ponty at the beginning of his career, before he came to the U.S., teamed up with the George Duke Trio, joined forces with Frank Zappa, became part of the second Mahavishnu Orchestra and had his long string of fusion albums for Atlantic.

Not quite 26 at the time, Ponty is featured on the date mostly playing standards including "You've Changed," "Summertime" (which is taken double time), "So What," "Bag's Groove" and "Oleo." Sometimes his violin sounds a little like a saxophone and it is clear, even at this early stage, that Ponty had a great deal of potential in jazz. Louiss' organ is fairly original, breaking away from Jimmy Smith to hint at the avant-garde and modal music in spots while always swinging. Humair is excellent in support. The program, never before available in the U.S., is quite intriguing and enjoyable. Since it is very doubtful that Jean-Luc Ponty can be persuaded to play straight-ahead jazz again (his musical tastes have long been elsewhere although his musicianship is still in prime form), this two-fer is a must for jazz violin collectors.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/humair-louiss-and-ponty-vol-1-mw0000899823#review

Humair Louiss Ponty Vol 1

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Album: Jean-Luc Ponty, Daniel Humair & Eddy Louiss Vol 2

Styles: Jazz

Year: 1991

File: MP3@320K/s 

Time: 49:33

Size: 114,0 MB

Art: Front

(13:42) 1. Carole's Garden

(11:54) 2. That's All

( 9:47) 3. Bag's Groove

( 9:13) 4. Sonny Moon for Two

( 4:55) 5. Ole O

 
Humair Louiss Ponty Vol 2

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Helen Rogers - Smooth Jazz meets Reggae (Remastered 2023)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:14
Size: 95,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:46) 1. Summer In The City
(4:57) 2. In The Light
(4:24) 3. Let It Be
(4:05) 4. Scheherazade
(4:57) 5. In The Light (Solo Flute Version ) (Feat. Sadiki & Marvin Weatherspoon)
(3:35) 6. Be Thankful For What You Got
(3:04) 7. Woman Overboard
(3:31) 8. I'm Still In Love With You
(3:57) 9. Don't Know Whyered
(3:54) 10. Faith For Love

Singer/ Songwriter Helen Rogers, best known as the voice of the Jazzmasters and Direct Drive, encapsulates the vibe of two distinctive music movements, Lovers Rock Reggae and Smooth Jazz Funk giving a cool retro feel to her sound. Vocally she has a distinctive smooth, sweet tone that is instantly recognisable.

She began her singing career in London in the 80’s, firstly with One Stop a South London reggae label, where she met and recorded with reggae legend Ken Parker and worked with lovers rock band Natural Touch. She went on to become lead singer of the #1 Brit Funk band Direct Drive, and was signed to Polydor Records in this capacity. They had a massive hit with their song ‘Anything’ which remained #1 on the Black Echoes Soul chart for 8 weeks then crossed over to the UK National Chart. Helen then went on to co-write and record a series of Adult Contemporary Smooth Jazz albums called Jazzmasters with multi-instrumentalist and producer Paul Hardcastle of ‘19’ fame.

Throughout the 90’s the Jazzmasters series entered Billboard’s Smooth Jazz charts numerous times with several entries peaking at the #1 position. Helen also featured strongly on Paul’s eponymous album projects. In 2007 Helen recorded an album of Reggae versions of pop hits from the 70’s titled Homage with multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Black Steel. Her solo EP Eyes Like Midnight released in 2008 was a departure in style, featuring violin and cello played by Tony Qunta, and remained on the CD Baby bestseller list for many months.

Helen has been creating a lot of interest on the London Reggae specialist radio stations with her recent releases ‘Moving On’ hitting the #1 spot on the BBC Worldbeat Reggae show, and ‘Just Be Thankful’, ‘Faith For Love’ and ‘Woman Overboard’ receiving a massive amount of UK airplay.

Helen has been blessed to perform at many major events and venues in the UK, including London’s Summer Soulstice Festival, Hootananny’s, Black Grape Club, Excelsior Club, O2 Indigo, Good Ship and The Scoop.

Helen's new album “Smooth Jazz Meets Reggae” (Skinny Bwoy Records), brings together the best of both her worlds – Smooth Jazz & Reggae. It was released in November of 2015 to rave reviews.Helen is currently planning a series of shows in support of the new album.
http://www.helenrogersmusic.com/biography.html

Smooth Jazz meets Reggae
v

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Caesar Frazier - Live At Jazzcup

Styles: Soul Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:35
Size: 148,2 MB
Art: Front

(8:25) 1. Jive Samba
(7:11) 2. You Don't Know What Love Is
(5:45) 3. King Of Leonne
(7:57) 4. Thieves In The Temple
(5:48) 5. You've Changed
(7:44) 6. A Night In Tunesia
(8:17) 7. 1-2-3
(5:23) 8. I Wanna Make It With You
(8:00) 9. Willow Weep For Me

The African-American Hammond B3 specialist Frazier first earned his spurs working in bands led by Marvin Gaye and Lou Donaldson before branching out on his own. His hitherto limited discography has included a ‘name’ album (Hail Caesar, 1972) and more recent collaborations with Eric Alexander and Peter Bernstein. He also sings, but not here.

Now comes his first-ever live album, made while on a short Danish tour, and given the very specific quartet template of organ-tenor-guitar-drums, it works pleasingly well, placing Frazier’s music firmly in in the ‘funky soul-jazz category’ where I guess it always has been.

This is given initial impetus with Nat Adderley’s ‘Jive Samba’, suitably chunky and vigorous, drummer Osgood’s unrelenting back-beat dominant. Frazier says he was inspired by Jimmy Smith. and he certainly knows his way around this bluesy combo format, with tenorman Kullhammar, moving easily from gutsy drive to rather more complex improvisations;

I particularly liked what the quartet made of Prince’s ‘Thieves In The Temple’, guitarist Wamberg letting everything rip, as Frazier builds a series of tremolo-based riffs. ‘A Night in Tunesia’ (sic) was a surprise, with a prolonged drum entry and some fairly random interplay. Len Barry’s ‘1-2-3’ is more settled with Kullhammar’s best playing of the set and David Gates’ groovy ‘I Wanna Make It With You’, a true crowd-pleaser, swings insistently. ‘Willow Weep For Me’ is likeable too, sedate and relaxed. Should you hanker for the era when Smith, McGriff and McDuff were in their pomp, then this is for you. By Peter Vacher https://www.jazzwise.com/review/caesar-frazier-live-at-jazzcup

Personnel: Caesar Frazier – Hammond B 3; Jonas Kullhammar – tenor sax; Johannes Wamberg – guitar; Kresten Osgood – drums

Live At Jazzcup

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Jessy J - True Love

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:57
Size: 89,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. Tropical Rain
(4:06)  2. Forever
(3:46)  3. True Love
(3:50)  4. Mr. Prince
(3:56)  5. Morning Of The Carnival From Black Orpheus)
(4:12)  6. Somewhere In a Dream
(3:36)  7. Jessy's Blues
(3:37)  8. Llegaste Tu
(3:51)  9. Brazilian Dance
(3:45) 10. Baila!

If half of life is just showing up and the other half is timing, then Jessica Spinella's timing is right on time. Smooth jazz is filled to the brim with saxophonists and while most of them are technically proficient, the sheer volume makes it difficult for a newcomer to stand out. Spinella, aka Jessy J brings more than just another pretty face to the party; her infusion of jazz with Latin rhythms gives her a foundation upon which to build. True Love, Jessy J's third album and second major label release, bears the signs of a artist standing on the verge of a breakthrough and getting a big push by the record company. Clocking in at just under an economical 40 minutes, True Love is lean and tight with no unnecessary fat or frills. It also contains no unexpected surprises, but showcases the playing of an increasingly confident Jessy J, asserting her own identity as she fuses Latin influences with jazz. There's a trade-off of spontaneity and improvisation in exchange for good groove, but the end result is rewarding enough so there's nothing about which to be disappointed.

"Tropical Rain," "Forever," and "True Love" are likable if not overly original slices of smoothed out goodness. "Morning of the Carnival" ("Manha De Carnaval") is targeted for the dance floor with its bounce-to-the-beat drum programming from Paul Brown and Gregg Karukas's synth bass and strings. Jessy J adds some breezy, sparse vocals that are sweetly affable if not as accomplished as her saxophone skills. She fares better when accompanied by backing harmonies on "Llegaste Tu" and "Baila!" Jessy J's route to crafting an enduring career may not lie in following the beaten path of other smooth jazz saxophonists, but in continuing to consolidate Latin influences of "Llegaste Tu" and "Brazilian Dance." Pablo Aguirre's production seems to better serve Jessy J's vocal on "Llegaste Tu," the only song on which she doesn't play, and the graceful "Brazilian Dance," a sensuous duet between her soprano sax and Sergio Aranda's piano and vocals. True Love ends up evenly divided between the skillful studio wizardry of half its songs and its impassioned, sultry Latin soul. It's a little too soon to chart the trajectory of Jessy J's career arc, but it might eventually fall somewhere between the efficient proficiency as the "hot chick" playing smooth sax and the expressive innovator busy setting trends instead of following them. ~ Jeff Winbush  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/true-love-jessy-j-peak-records-review-by-jeff-winbush.php

Personnel: Jessy J.: tenor and soprano saxophone, flute, vocals; Gregg Karukas: keyboards, bass, strings; Roberto Vally: bass; Sergio Gonzalez: drums; Richie Gajate Garcia: percussion; Paul Brown: guitar, drum programming; Tom Strahle: guitars (8); Danilo Arroyo: percussion (8); Pablo Aguirre: programming (8); Paulina Aguirre: chorus vocals (8); Kenny O' Brien: chorus vocals (8); Sergio Aranda: vocals and piano (9); Paul Brown: chorus vocals (10); Richie Gajate Garcia: chorus vocals (10); Cameron Smith: chorus vocals (10); Roberto Vally: chorus vocals (10).

True Love

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David Hazeltine/Peter Washington\Joe Farnsworth - Blues for Gerry

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:09
Size: 142,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:31) 1. Here Again
(5:50) 2. Tangerine
(7:36) 3. Blues for Gerry
(6:43) 4. Firm Roots
(7:12) 5. Body and Soul
(6:01) 6. It Could Happen to You
(4:46) 7. Skylark
(5:29) 8. Minor Disturbance
(5:40) 9. You Know I Care
(6:16) 10. Here We Go

A longtime member of the Criss Cross family, pianist David Hazeltine began recording for the label in the mid 1990s. Since then he has released around 30 Criss Cross albums, including eight as leader. During this time, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Joe Farnsworth, who complete the trio on Blues For Gerry, have been frequent comrades in arms.

Sadly, Criss Cross founder Gerry Teekens passed in 2019. The good news is that his son Jerry has taken over the reins and the label is once again recording new albums, as well as reissuing back-catalogue gems (see here).

Blues For Gerry is Hazeltine's first recording for the label since 2010 and it confirms why Teekens Snr. held him in such high regard. The pianist is not in the business of frightening the horses, but within the framework provided by jazz standards and the Great American Songbook, he digs deep and comes up with the goods. As he says about "Body And Soul" in the liner notes here, "I'm not shying away from overplayed music."

This is, rather surprisingly, the first time Hazeltine has recorded the Johnny Green standard, and its 7:13 exposition is among the best tracks on the album. Others include Hoagy Carmichael's "Skylark" and Buddy Montgomery's "Here Again." Of the three Hazeltine originals, the title tune, at 7:37 the longest track, is also more than solid.
Other source composers are Victor Schertziner ("Tangerine"), Cedar Walton ("Firm Roots"), Jimmy Van Heusen ("It Could Happen To You") and Duke Pearson ("You Know I Care.")

At no point does Hazeltine feel the need to adorn familiar material with mere complexity. What you hear is what you get, and what you get is what it is.
By Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blues-for-gerry-david-hazeltine-criss-cross

Personnel: Piano – David Hazeltine; Bass – Peter Washington; Drums – Joe Farnsworth

Blues for Gerry

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Doris Day - The Complete Columbia Singles, Volume 1 (1947-48)

Style: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 127:42
Size: 295,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:58) 1. It Takes Time
(3:18) 2. Pete
(2:57) 3. My Young And Foolish Heart
(2:54) 4. Tell Me, Dream Face (What Am I To You?)
(3:01) 5. I'm Still Sitting Under The Apple Tree
(3:18) 6. Just An Old Love Of Mine
(3:00) 7. A Chocolate Sundae On A Saturday Night
(2:57) 8. When Tonight Is Just A Memory
(3:00) 9. That's The Way He Does It
(2:54) 10. Why Should We Both Be Lonely?
(2:30) 11. Papa, Won't You Dance With Me?
(3:03) 12. Say Something Nice About Me Baby (Version 1 - Take 2)
(3:02) 13. Say Something Nice About Me Baby (Version 2 -take 3)
(3:27) 14. It's Magic (With George Sirava And His Orchestra) (Version 1 - Take 6)
(3:27) 15. It's Magic (With George Sirava And His Orchestra) (Version 2 - Take 7)
(3:03) 16. Just Imagine (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(3:04) 17. Pretty Baby (With George Sirava And His Orchestra) (Version 1 - 78-rpm Issue)
(3:02) 18. Pretty Baby (With George Sirava And His Orchestra) (Version 2 - 45-rpm Issue)
(3:00) 19. Confess
(3:04) 20. Love Somebody
(2:52) 21. Tacos, Enchiladas And Beans (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(3:11) 22. No Moon At All (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(3:06) 23. Put 'Em In A Box, Tie 'Em With A Ribbon (And Throw 'Em In The Deep Blue Sea) (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(3:19) 24. Imagination (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(3:19) 25. It's The Sentimental Thing To Do (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(3:24) 26. I've Only Myself To Blame (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(3:13) 27. Thoughtless (Version 1 - Take 3)
(3:10) 28. Thoughtless (Version 2 - Take 4)
(2:21) 29. It's A Quiet Town (In Crossbone County)
(2:50) 30. Someone Like You (With George Sirava And His Orchestra) (From The Film, "My Dream Is Yours")
(3:10) 31. My Dream Is Yours (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(2:14) 32. I'm In Love
(3:18) 33. It's You Or No One (With George Sirava And His Orchestra) (Version 1 - Take 3)
(3:18) 34. It's You Or No One (With George Sirava And His Orchestra) (Version 2 - Take 5)
(2:29) 35. My Darling, My Darling (Version 1 - With Piano)
(2:34) 36. My Darling, My Darling (Version 2 - With Orchestra)
(2:10) 37. That Certain Party (Version 1 - Take 1)
(2:10) 38. That Certain Party (Version 2 - Take 6)
(2:09) 39. That Certain Party (Version 3 - Take 9)
(2:53) 40. His Fraternity Pin (Version 1 - Take 3)
(3:10) 41. His Fraternity Pin (Version 2 - Take 4)
(3:18) 42. If You Will Marry Me
(2:46) 43. You Was

Doris Day (born Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress and singer. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, "Sentimental Journey" and "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" with Les Brown and His Band of Renown. She left Brown to embark on a solo career and recorded more than 650 songs from 1947 to 1967.

Day was one of the greatest Hollywood film stars of the 1950s and 1960s. Her film career began with Romance on the High Seas (1948). She starred in films of many genres, including musicals, comedies, dramas and thrillers. She played the title role in Calamity Jane (1953) and starred in Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) with James Stewart. Some of her best-known films are those in which she costarred with Rock Hudson, including Pillow Talk (1959), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She also worked with James Garner on both Move Over, Darling (1963) and The Thrill of It All (1963) and starred alongside Clark Gable, Cary Grant, James Cagney, David Niven, Ginger Rogers, Jack Lemmon, Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, James Garner and Rod Taylor in various films. After ending her film career in 1968, only briefly removed from the height of her popularity, she starred in her own television sitcom The Doris Day Show (1968–1973).
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In 1989, Day was awarded the Golden Globe and the Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement in Motion Pictures. In 2004, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2008, she received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as well as a Legend Award from the Society of Singers. In 2011, she was awarded the Los Angeles Film Critics Association's Career Achievement Award. In 2011, Day released her 29th studio album, My Heart, which contained new material and became a UK Top 10 album. As of 2020, she was one of eight recording artists to have been the top box-office earner in the United States four times. times..https://musicboard.app/artist/5860

The Complete Columbia Singles, Volume 1 (1947-48)

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Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Boy Named Charlie Brown

Styles: Piano Jazz, Soundtrack
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:49
Size: 98,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:24)  1. Oh, Good Grief
(2:51)  2. Pebble Beach
(3:43)  3. Happiness Is
(1:54)  4. Schroeder
(4:24)  5. Charlie Brown Theme
(3:07)  6. Linus and Lucy
(7:29)  7. Blue Charlie Brown
(3:17)  8. Baseball Theme
(4:38)  9. Freda (With the Naturally Curly Hair)
(8:57) 10. Fly Me to the Moon

Originally titled Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown, this is an important album not only because it is Guaraldi's first Peanuts soundtrack, but also because the music heard here probably introduced millions of kids (and their parents) to jazz from the mid-'60s onward. Actually, this music is the score for a documentary on the Peanuts phenomenon called A Boy Named Charlie Brown, which ran before the first Peanuts specials per se appeared on the CBS network. The most remarkable thing, besides the high quality of Guaraldi's whimsically swinging tunes, is that he did not compromise his art one iota for the cartoon world; indeed, he sounds even more engaged, inventive, and lighthearted in his piano work here than ever. It must have been quite a delightful shock back then to hear a straight-ahead jazz trio (Guaraldi, Monty Budwig, bass; Colin Bailey, drums) backing all those cartoon figures and genuine children's voices, a mordant running musical commentary that made its own philosophical points. The music on this album laid the groundwork for much that was to come; here is the first appearance of the well-known bossa nova-influenced "Linus and Lucy," and fans of the series will recognize such themes from future episodes as "Baseball Theme" and "Oh, Good Grief" (which is a rewrite of the Dixie Belles' hit "Down at Papa Joe's"). The LP came with 12 bonus lithographs of Charles Schulz's celebrated Peanuts drawings. ~ Richard S.Ginell http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-boy-named-charlie-brown-original-soundtrack-mw0000188138

Personnel: Vince Guaraldi (piano); Monty Budwig (bass); Colin Bailey (drums).

A Boy Named Charlie Brown

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Rock4 - Don't Break The Rhythm

Styles: Vocal Pop
Year: 2014
File: MP3@128K/s
Time: 46:25
Size: 43,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:44) 1. Don't Break This Rhythm
(4:33) 2. Vienna
(2:50) 3. One (Your Name)
(4:19) 4. Chasing Cars
(3:19) 5. When Doves Cry
(4:00) 6. Crazy In Love
(4:42) 7. Insomnia
(3:17) 8. Somewhere Only We Know
(6:14) 9. Adagio For Strings
(7:23) 10. Comfortably Numb

Rock4 is best when the group rocks out. Lucky for all of us, this happens a lot. Don't break the rhythm is decidedly new wave, keeping the beat through ballads, uptunes, and everything in between. Even the subdued reptitions of Chasing Cars sound like the lull between one dance track and the next, not like any major change of pace.
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Crazy In Love sounds like it fell onto a Yes record, the poppy percussion and downtempo stylings keeping momentum against the odds. Rock4 isn't a group of wailers; this is more of a classic rock tribute album, a more refined version of The Exboyfriends. The voices are strong, the sound is tight. The album loses a little focus during the choral bits, like the ones that flutter through Vienna, but I hear that as the siren song of the '70s pulling back against the four-on-the-floor of the '80s.
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The rock and roll lines blur completely on Comfortably Numb, when a real guitar floats into the mix. It's a little jarring, but not as much as you'd expect. After nine preceding tracks of late-night dance rock, you just sort of go with it. Speaking for myself, I was still reeling from the Samuel Barber club remix, which is not something I might have picked out but it's got a good beat, and you can totally dance to it. That said, I would have skipped the tambourine on Somewhere Only We Know.
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Rock4 should sell better to an English-speaking audience than some of the other continental groups making similar music. For one thing, the English is better. Dutch transitions a bit better than Deutsch, all other things equal. Also, the uniform sound serves as a strength. Don't break the rhythm is consistent, professional, and stays in character. If you like these songs, you'll like these songs. If you only know some of them, the rest will slot right in. It's time to rock all night long.
By Rebecca Christie https://www.rarb.org/reviews/albums/1452-dont-break-the-rhythm/
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Don't Break The Rhythm

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Dara Tucker - Dara Starr Tucker

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:17
Size: 127,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:33) 1. Scars
(3:26) 2. Annie's Song
(3:32) 3. Falling
(4:41) 4. Everything I Wanted
(4:21) 5. If You Asked Me To
(4:48) 6. Letters
(5:33) 7. September Song
(4:14) 8. Standing On The Moon
(3:48) 9. Can We Pretend?
(4:10) 10. Try To Remember
(3:55) 11. Just A Closer Walk With Thee
(7:11) 12. Scars ~ Freedom

“Tucker’s lovely voice goes from quietly empathetic, urging patience as the arc of justice slowly bends, to a steelier instrument that more forcefully argues for pride and determination in the face of hardship.” By Brian Zimmerman, Jazziz
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“Tucker has become adept at channeling her experiences into song, commenting on complex social structures along the way.” By Joe Vitagliano, American Songwriter
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Green Hill Music is proud to announce the June 3, 2023 release of Dara Starr Tucker’s eponymously titled sixth album, Dara Starr Tucker. Referred to as “a fighter for social justice wielding music as a balm,” (Morgan Enos – Grammy.com) the acclaimed vocalist and songwriter melds her presence as a jazz and roots singer-songwriter with her growing notoriety as a social media commentator on race, cultural equity, music, and film on her hotly-anticipated new release. Over the past 18 months, Tucker has amassed an astounding combined audience of one million followers with the largest delegation arriving via the TikTok platform. Her video commentary and original songs have been featured with HBO, FX, OWN Network, Revolt! TV and Ebony/Jet.
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On Dara Starr Tucker, the versatile artist showcases six lively original compositions alongside inspired arrangements of modern and classic songs by writers such as Billie Eilish, Bill Withers, John Denver and Kurt Weill. Tucker’s sonority and lyricism arrives with a “penetrating yet comforting, lullaby quality that is awake and assuring.” (Marc Myers Jazzwax) Her sound is supported by the dynamic musicianship of pianists Aaron Parks, Mike King and James Hurt, bassists Vicente Archer and Greg Bryant and drummer Marcus Finnie.
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Tucker’s evocative new project provides needed catharsis in a post-pandemic world with emphasis on self-reflection, mental wellness and, ultimately, healing. “It’s my hope that the songs would speak to others who are experiencing similar things,” Tucker said. “The TikTok platform is unique in that it has given me the opportunity to reach hundreds of thousands of people numbers that are almost unheard of in the jazz world.” Tucker also acknowledged that her expansive and comprehensive social media reach has the power to reach a much broader audience, including young listeners. “I feel uniquely positioned to connect with people who rarely listen to jazz. When they’ve experienced my social commentary or my satirical videos, and suddenly find out I’m a singer, it sparks their curiosity, and oftentimes, they want to hear more.”
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Tucker’s striking compositions are equal parts contemplation and commentary – an approach that has been integral to her artistry well before her social media stardom. One of the highlights of her previous album Dreams of Waking: Music For a Better World (2021, Green Hill) was “Do We Sleep?”, a thought-provoking, musical response to the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, which received praise by American Songwriter. On her self-titled, Tucker ups the ante by presenting six finely-wrought original compositions that undoubtedly elevates her standing as a premier contemporary songwriter in the jazz space.
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Of the original compositions, highlights include the album opener “Scars” (and the closing reprise), which is a reminder that past hurts can be instructive and “Falling”, a floaty reflection on the passing of time from the point of view of a loved one who has moved on. The groovy “If You Ask Me To” is a fun, upbeat tune that Tucker wrote on a dare and features the punchy horns of trumpeter Giveton Gelin and saxophonists John Ellis and Stacy Dillard.
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A truly multifaceted artist, Tucker displays her mastery at reconfiguring works by others as well. She takes on the emotional Billie Eilish hit “Everything I Wanted” with the empathetic accompaniment of Parks, Archer and Finnie, making it her own with every note. Often used as a concert closer during her live shows, Tucker soars on the traditional roots-gospel hymn “Just A Closer Walk With Thee”, recase here in a buoyant, New Orleans second-line feel.
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As evidenced on Dara Starr Tucker, the Philadelphia-based musician is making her mark in the world of organic, heartfelt music by blending the melodic and lyrical richness of the central plains with the soulful strains of the Black American experience. Her eclecticism is guided by the diversity of her narrative. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to a family of singers and ministers, Tucker and her siblings traveled across the U.S. singing with their parents.
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From there, Tucker has experienced a diverse array of locales that she has called home including Interlaken, Switzerland; Nashville, Tennessee, New York City and now Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tucker is an alumna of The Woodshed Network, sponsored by 651 Arts and founded by NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater. Tucker has toured with her own bands and also with renowned hybrid guitarist Charlie Hunter. In 2020, she teamed up with blues & Americana artist Keb Mo’ to co-write the title track to his GRAMMY-winning Best Americana Album, Oklahoma. She has appeared on NPR’s Jazz Night in America and made her national television debut on The Tavis Smiley Show on PBS. Tucker’s 2021 album, Dreams of Waking: Music For A Better World reached #7 on the JazzWeek National Radio Charts. Her newest album is recorded by GRAMMY-winning engineer Mike Marciano and produced by Greg Bryant.
https://lydialiebman.com/index.php/2023/04/04/new-release-dara-starr-tucker-to-release-self-titled-sixth-album-on-june-3-2023-green-hill-music/

“My desire is that people would sense a unity between the content I share online, and the music I make it all comes from the same place,” Tucker shared.

Dara Starr Tucker

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Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band - Vox Humana

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 84:12
Size: 194,8 MB
Art: Front

( 7:09) 1. Caravan
( 7:18) 2. Capullito De Aleli
( 8:26) 3. Puerto Rico
( 7:24) 4. Partido Alto
( 3:46) 5. Let The Good Times Roll
( 5:56) 6. Who Taught You That
( 5:26) 7. I Love You Porgy
( 4:42) 8. Genie In A Bottle
( 5:44) 9. Amazonas
( 5:40) 10. Spooky
( 4:22) 11. To Be With You
( 5:46) 12. Do It Again
(12:27) 13. Mi Congo

The opening track on Vox Humana could easily have been the encore of this live performance recorded at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, part of Jazz At Lincoln Center in New York City. It is a rousing version of the Duke Ellington crowd pleaser "Caravan" and a boisterous Latin tinged big band version it is, with Matthew Gonzalez 's barril de bomba and requinto pandereta, bandleader and drummer Sanabria and others on congas, bongos and bells prominently leading the percussionists and portending the unfettered upbeat joy to come.

It might help with the lyrics, but you don't have to speak Spanish to understand this music because melody, rhythm and music are universally understood forms of communication and the top notch performances by vocalists and instrumental soloists express it so wonderfully in these songs. The second track, "Capullito De Aleli," is another stand out cut, and features vocals by Jennifer Jade Ledesna as well as great solos by pianist Darwin Noguera and Andrew Gould on alto sax.

The good-time music continues on track five with Antoinette Montague singing the 1946 Louis Jordan hit "Let The Good Times Roll" featuring Armando Vergara on the trombone with plunger mute. Then a couple of tracks later the tempo slows a bit with Montague again singing the Gershwins' "I Love You Porgy."

On the tenth track vocalist Janis Siegel of the The Manhattan Transfer steps up front with a great version of "Spooky" featuring some fine scat vocals. A couple of cuts later she sings the Steely Dan hit "Do It Again" along with Ledesna and Montague joining in, and Noah Bless on trombone and Gabrielle Garo on flute.

While the intention of this album seems to be to feature vocalists, the instrumental soloists and the big band as a whole all shine with tight arrangements and inspired solos. The final track, "Mi Congo," shows us this with violinist Benjamin Sutin starting an array of solos including trumpets and saxophones and percussionists.

In 2023 it may be hard to imagine a time when jazz music was a mainstream popular music, where people would go to clubs, concert venues and dance halls to dance and party. This album recalls those times with updated arrangements and perfect execution.By Cary Tenenbaum https://www.allaboutjazz.com/vox-humana-bobby-sanabria-jazzheads

Vox Humana

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