Carol Albert - Magic Mirror

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:51
Size: 96,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:40) 1. Magic Mirror
(4:10) 2. Fire & Water
(3:42) 3. Paradigm Shift
(4:27) 4. Sol Ipanema
(4:26) 5. Gemini Sun
(4:09) 6. The Chase
(4:06) 7. Crashing
(3:59) 8. Sapporo Dream
(4:21) 9. Sometime
(3:46) 10. Angels Watching Over Me

When Carol Albert released her debut vocal and instrumental album Love in Your Eyes back in 1992, there’s no way the multi-talented pianist/composer could have known that 25-30 years down the road, she’d not only be a Billboard chart sensation, but that her elegant and soulful, dreamy and free flowing melodic piano style, combined with her passion for R&B grooves and sexy tropical Brazilian rhythms, would make her a spot on fit for the urban centric vibe that drives today’s smooth jazz.

Though she had released an album of solo piano covers (Morning Music) in 2006 and a lovely holiday album (Christmas Mystique) in 2015, Carol seemed to come out of nowhere in 2016 to launch the most prolific and radio friendly phase of her career with a burning cover of “Mas Que Nada” – the first single from her 2017 breakthrough album Fly Away Butterfly, which also included the Top 5 Billboard title track and her first charting single “One Way.” She’s been smooth jazz radio gold ever since, most recently scoring the Top 5 singles “Perfect Sunday” and “Stronger Now” (from her 2020 album Stronger Now) and “Fire & Water,” the funky, festive and exotic samba lead single from her extraordinary, stylistically eclectic (and provocatively titled!) new album Magic Mirror, which reached #4.

Among her other accolades, perhaps Carol’s most extraordinary achievement – and testament to her widespread impact and success – is having Spotify streaming totals all but unheard of among even the most popular of her smooth jazz peers. “Perfect Sunday” has racked up nearly 6.7 million streams on Spotify, with “Stronger Now” currently at 2.3 million.

No doubt, the success of “Fire & Water” is just the beginning of the many chart and streaming accolades coming Carol’s way with all the potential hits on Magic Mirror. But the multi-talented Atlanta based performer isn’t just about cranking out infectious hits. On her previous two albums and now this collection, she starts with personally meaningful themes and concepts that reflect her unique emotional journey – from deep sadness to personal empowerment, from desire to enlightenment and, to draw from some of her best known titles, soaring on “Femme Flight” (a SiriusXM Watercolors smash featuring flutist Ragan Whiteside and saxophonist Magdalena Chovancova) to the liberating feeling of “Perfect Sunday” and “Sun’s Out.”

Even on a multi-faceted album that has many potential hits and everything from sumptuous, hot and festive samba (“Fire & Water”) and bossa nova (the breezy and intoxicating/exotic “Sol Ipanema”) to a hard thumping, piano pounding, certifiable dance jam (“The Chase”), it’s indicative of her compositional depth that the tunes on Magic Mirror that resonate most are the ones least likely to be chosen as radio singles.

One of five tracks co-produced by Carol and her new collaborating partner, bassist and genre stalwart Roberto Vally, the Carol-composed “Gemini Sun” reminds me that Carol’s sensibilities harken back to what the genre was like in the early 90s, when a tune like this - gentle, dreamy, laid back, with old school atmospheres and a sweet, witty conversation with Whiteside’s flute could be a big hit. Its charm and whimsy reminds me of the vibe of one of my favorite albums of the time, Peter Kater’s Rooftops.

My other favorite is the similarly sweet and blissfully ethereal “Someday,” which flows gracefully as a piano-guitar conversation with Paul Brown, who produced the other five songs on the album. Like the closing tune that follows it, the symphonic new age influenced gem “Angels Watching Over Me,” it’s a master class in purposeful relaxation, literally transporting the listener’s heart mind and soul to simpler times where cares can effortlessly drift away for a few minutes.

Of note, “Sometime” was written by Carol, Brown, Vally and Tom Schumann (who adds strings), while “Angels…” was composed and arranged by Carol and co-produced and mixed by Vally. Even if the credits are distinctive, with Brown and Vally each adding their unique touches on their home instruments (Vally being particularly effective on bowed bass), in the end, both serve to illuminate the seamless flow of Carol’s rich artistry.

It was insightful to learn that the whole process of developing Magic Mirror began with Brown who had produced five songs on Stronger Now sending Carol the foundation of “Sometime” that he had worked up with Vally. Carol of course wanted to collaborate with Brown again, but her love of this track and realization of what Vally brought to it launched a conversation which led to her next great collaborations, all brought to life on the album.

Magic Mirror’s second and current radio single is “Paradigm Shift,” a spirited light funk tune that features Carol’s playful piano melody in dialogue with Brown’s snappy acoustic guitar, riding over a tight soulful groove as it heads towards the irrepressible hook. Another tune with obvious hit potential is the opening title track, a silky, seductive, increasingly grooving ballad (penned by Carol, Brown and guitarist Shane Theriot) featuring some of Carol’s most expressive playing and the beautiful sax passion of Greg Vail.

Other tracks include the digital only single “Crashing,” a hypnotic romantic ballad given a touch of dramatic flair with the additional strings of Ben Babylon, who adds similarly lush textures to the lighthearted, easy funk adventure Carol’s ivories take us on in the sharing of her delightful “Sopporo Dream.”

With most albums in the smooth jazz genre these days, if you hear the hits, you’ve pretty much experienced the whole thing. With Albert’s magnificent Magic Mirror, it’s truly the proverbial journey, best immersed in fully and experienced from start to finish over and over. It’s easily one of the genre’s best albums of 2022. By Jonathan Widran https://www.jwvibe.com/single-post/carol-albert-magic-mirror

Magic Mirror

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Pepper Adams - Any Day Now - Where or When

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:17
Size: 159,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:58) 1. Blackout Blues
(6:26) 2. Minor Mishap
(3:53) 3. My One And Only Love
(6:23) 4. Unforgettable
(5:57) 5. Afternoon In Paris
(5:55) 6. Muezzin
(4:45) 7. You Turned The Table On Me
(5:50) 8. Alone Together
(5:36) 9. Cottontail
(8:42) 10. High Step
(5:27) 11. Apothegm
(5:21) 12. Your Host

Pepper Adams handled the baritone saxophone with the driven facility of hard bop and fueled the big horn with a propulsive intensity that caused him to be nicknamed "the Knife" for his "slashing and chopping technique," which had a humbling effect upon musicians fortunate enough to gig with him. From 1954 until shortly before his passing in 1986, Pepper Adams existed as an indispensable ingredient in the North American jazz ensemble, releasing more than 20 albums as a leader, emanating a special warmth as a featured soloist, and serving as a strongly supportive sideman and an often overlooked accompanist, for he anchored many an ensemble behind vocalists such as Brook Benton, Aretha Franklin, Jon Lucien, Carmen McRae, Helen Merrill, Esther Phillips, Dakota Staton, Joe Williams, and Jimmy Witherspoon.

Often mentioned in the same breath with Serge Chaloff, Gerry Mulligan, and Cecil Payne, his powerhouse approach was closer to that of Harry Carney and Leo Parker. Born Park Adams III on October 8, 1930, in Highland Park, MI, he was five years old when his family moved to Rochester, NY, where he soon developed a passionate interest in jazz by listening to Fats Waller, Jimmie Lunceford, Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway on the radio. At 12 he was blowing clarinet and tenor sax and was soon sitting in with local bands, including one led by veteran reedman Ben Smith. Pepper's primary inspiration was tenor archetype Coleman Hawkins, and Harry Carney inspired him to take up the baritone.

Moving back to Detroit in 1946, he played in a group led by Lucky Thompson and worked in the house band at the African-American-owned Bluebird Inn with Barry Harris, Billy Mitchell, and Thad and Elvin Jones while holding down a job manufacturing automobiles. He blew tenor with Lionel Hampton for a while and served in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953, including a spell in Korea. Resuming his routine at the Bluebird, he developed his stamina while working with Miles Davis, Sonny Stitt, and Wardell Gray, whose influence he always acknowledged. Adams worked in a group led by guitarist Kenny Burrell, then recorded with alto saxophonist Lennie Niehaus.

His most memorable session of 1955 was with bassist Paul Chambers and emerging tenor John Coltrane. Moving to New York in January 1956, he recorded with Kenny Clarke, Curtis Fuller, and Quincy Jones. Pepper toured with Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson and while on the West Coast he jammed with Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars. During 1957 Adams made records with harmonica ace Toots Thielemans; pianists Hank Jones and Ahmad Kharab Salim; trumpeters Shorty Rogers and Lee Morgan; and saxophonists Dave Pell, John Coltrane, Frank Wess, Coleman Hawkins, Hank Mobley, and Shafi Hadi (later reissued with the complete Debut recordings of Charles Mingus).

In 1958 Adams worked with Benny Goodman, Johnny Griffin, Chet Baker, Manny Albam, Gene Ammons, and Donald Byrd, with whom he would co-lead a band and cut quite a number of albums over the years. In 1959 Pepper put out an LP with trombonist Jimmy Knepper and led a group that was recorded live at the Five Spot. He supported Art Pepper and Sonny Red on their album Two Altos and sat in on Philly Joe Jones' Showcase. Adams helped solidify the orchestra that appeared with Thelonious Monk at Town Hall and served as a sort of living furnace among trombonist Jimmy Knepper and saxophonists Jackie McLean, John Handy, and Booker Ervin during the session that resulted in Blues and Roots, the album that virtually defines the artistic legacy of Charles Mingus.

He began the 1960s by recording with multi-instrumentalist Herbie Mann, pianist Herbie Hancock, vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, saxophonist Jimmy Forrest, and trumpeters Howard McGhee and Freddie Hubbard. He also recorded with pianists Duke Pearson and Red Garland, helped saxophonist Pony Poindexter cut his first album, and appeared live with Mingus at New York's Town Hall and Birdland. In 1963 Pepper Adams Plays Charlie Mingus was co-produced by Mingus and vibraphonist Teddy Charles. Other collaborations from this period include Ben Webster's See You at the Fair, Oliver Nelson's More Blues and the Abstract Truth, and dates led by pianist Joe Zawinul and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine.

In 1966 Thad Jones and Pepper Adams co-led the album Mean What You Say. This coincided with the first of the Monday night performances at the Village Vanguard by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band, an 18-piece unit that would stay together for ten years. Throughout the late '60s Pepper Adams performed with trumpeter Blue Mitchell, with Dizzy Gillespie at the Vanguard, behind organist Jimmy Smith on Stay Loose...Jimmy Smith Sings Again, and on various albums by saxophonists Lou Donaldson, Hank Crawford, Zoot Sims, Houston Person, and Roland Kirk. He closed out the decade by sitting in with bassist Richard Davis, with guitarist George Benson on the album Giblet Gravy, and in a large band behind Mose Allison on the LP Hello There, Universe. Pepper Adams showed up on several Blue Note sessions presided over by Elvin Jones from 1969 to 1973, on two albums with soul-jazz organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith, and with composer and multi-instrumentalist David Amram on various projects that materialized throughout the 1970s.

Adams demonstrated terrific adaptability as he assisted Felix Cavaliere and the Rascals with their jazz-rock crossover Peaceful World and even signed on with comedian Martin Mull, appearing on his 1974 album, Normal, where he lent ballast to a tidy big-band arrangement of "Flexible" with Phil Bodner, Thad Jones, Jimmy Knepper, and Joe Farrell. Further engagements during the 1970s (including tours of the U.K. and Europe) involved pianists Arif Mardin, Ben Sidran, and Mickey Tucker; guitarist Eric Gale; saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr.; and Lalo Schifrin's disco album Black Widow. A return to jazzier turf came about on Nick Brignola's Baritone Madness, on sessions with pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., and on Charles Mingus' last albums Me, Myself an Eye and Something Like a Bird in 1978. Pepper's Urban Dreams came out in 1981, ushering in what would be his last five years of artistic productivity. He assisted with Teo Macero's Impressions of Charles Mingus and recorded with pianist Bess Bonnier, guitarist Peter Leitch, pianists Hank Jones and Hod O'Brien, and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler. Pepper's last recording, The Adams Effect, brought him together with saxophonist Frank Foster and a rhythm section of Tommy Flanagan, Ron Carter, and Billy Hart. A lifelong tobacco addict, Pepper Adams died of lung cancer in Brooklyn, NY, on September 10, 1986. By arwulf arwulf https://www.iheart.com/artist/pepper-adams-43860/

Any Day Now - Where or When

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Emmet Cohen - Uptown in Orbit

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:55
Size: 131,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:11) 1. Finger Buster
(8:13) 2. Uptown In Orbit
(5:36) 3. My Love Will Come Again
(7:05) 4. Spillin' The Tea
(7:13) 5. Li'l Darlin'
(5:23) 6. The Loneliest
(1:19) 7. Uptown In Orbit (Reprise)
(7:18) 8. Distant Hallow
(3:46) 9. Mosaic
(3:03) 10. Venus De Milo
(3:43) 11. Braggin' In Brass

Emmet Cohen’s time has come. Since his debut Mack Avenue release, "Future Stride," Cohen has toured the world consistently bringing the joy of music to people in need during a global pandemic all while hosting weekly livestream concerts from his home in Harlem, NY. These livestreams provided a sense of community and a home to the displaced musicians of New York, reminiscent of the 1920s rent parties.

On "Uptown in Orbit," his sophomore release for Mack Avenue, Cohen brings the tradition of jazz to the forefront while providing the modern twist needed for the current times. Featured on this release is trumpeter/educator Sean Jones, saxophonist Patrick Bartley, bassist Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole. https://emmetcohen.bandcamp.com/album/uptown-in-orbit

Personnel: Emmet Cohen — piano (all tracks); Russell Hall — acoustic bass (all tracks);Kyle Poole — drums (all tracks); Patrick Bartley — alto sax (2, 3, 6, 7, 8); Sean Jones — trumpet (2, 3, 6, 7, 8)

Uptown in Orbit

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Nathan Davis - If

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:52
Size: 97,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. Stick Buddy
(5:06)  2. If
(4:38)  3. Bahia
(6:30)  4. African Boogie
(5:25)  5. Tragic Magic
(6:22)  6. A Thought for Cannon
(3:26)  7. New Orleans
(5:29)  8. Mr. Jive by Five

The debut release on Nathan Davis' own Tomorrow International label, If remains the funkiest, hardest-driving of the saxophonist's LPs; some distance removed from his previous MPS and Polydor dates, the record boasts a streamlined approach that perfectly serves its relentless grooves: every note and beat means something, and each speaks volumes. Moving deftly from alto to tenor to soprano to flute and back again, Davis' restless energy galvanizes compositions like "Stick Buddy," "New Orleans," and "African Boogie," serving as a fiery counterpoint to Abraham Laboriel's pummeling basslines and Dave Palmer's deeply soulful drum breaks -- his playing possesses a sense of urgency and immediacy often missing from the jazz-funk aesthetic, and it transforms If into one of the finest recordings of its kind. ~ Jason Ankeny http://www.allmusic.com/album/if-mw0001448092

Personnel:  Nathan Davis - Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Flute [Alto]; Abraham Laboriel – Bass; Dave Palamar – Drums; George Caldwell - Piano, Electric Piano.

If

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Matt Dusk - Sinatra

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:52
Size: 71,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:26) 1. Fly Me To The Moon
(3:29) 2. I've Got You Under My Skin
(1:56) 3. Too Marvelous For Words
(3:01) 4. I Only Have Eyes For You
(2:41) 5. Summer Wind
(4:21) 6. Luck Be A Lady
(2:53) 7. Come Fly With Me
(2:36) 8. Lady Is A Tramp
(2:56) 9. You Make Me Feel So Young
(4:29) 10. My Way

Go big or go home. That might’ve been Matt Dusk’s mantra as he contemplated the making of his second album, Back in Town.. With impeccable taste to match his formidable talent, Dusk knows that style and sophistication•in everything from song selections and studio choices•are important factors that contribute to successful recordings.

The Toronto-born Matt Dusk will join Patrizio Buanne on his North American AEG Live tour this spring, which coincides with the Decca release of Dusk’s Back in Town on April 3rd. The 27-year-old crooner already had a sensational major-label debut under his belt with 2004’s Two Shots, which was partially recorded at London’s famous Abbey Road Studios with a 42-piece string section from the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

With Back in Town Dusk pulled out all the stops. He recorded much of the album in Los Angeles, at the fabled Capitol Studio in Studio A•where the walls have resonated with the voices of singers such as Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin and Ella Fitzgerald. Then, as if that magical setting wasn’t enough, several renowned arrangers including Patrick Williams and Sammy Nestico were brought in to provide original arrangements for classic numbers like “More” and “As Time Goes By.” On top of that, the legendary Al Schmitt, winner of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards, recorded and mixed all of the album’s big band tracks.

“I wanted this album to have the best of everything,” explains Dusk, who produced Back in Town with Terry Sawchuk. “We approached it like it’s our last big record, with the best arrangers, best musicians and best studios. We didn’t want there to be any regrets or excuses in the future!”

Indeed, Back in Town has all the ingredients to catapult the Juno Award nominated singer well into the pop stratosphere: timeless songs, stylish arrangements, cutting-edge production and powerhouse vocals. Quite simply, Dusk has never sounded better, and it’s the album’s combination of classic and original songs that has clearly brought out the best in him. Along with big-band material, drawn from the American Songbook, Back in Town features such contemporary pop numbers as the inspirational “All About Me” and the forceful title track. Both were given the chart-topping treatment from Chris Lord-Alge; one of the world’s best mixing engineers with credits ranging from Madonna to Green Day.

“Chris has a way of finding these frequencies that make your speakers blow up,” says Dusk. “But his mother was a jazz singer, so he understands that genre too. After I heard Chris’ first mix I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is huge.’ I knew immediately that he’d found the sound both Terry and I were looking for that was radio compatible.”

Several tracks on Back in Town, including “Learnin’ The Blues,” “As Time Goes By” and “The Best is Yet to Come,” are songs associated with Frank Sinatra, but Dusk was adamant about putting a fresh spin on that material. “I didn’t want to perform stock arrangements of those songs,” he says, “…like the classic Nelson Riddle and Billy May charts used for Sinatra. Been there, done that… so why not try something new? I won’t deny that I’m a fan of Sinatra and that I definitely learned from him, but I want to put my own stamp on this genre.”

Working with a full big-band orchestra and strings, plus arrangements from Williams, Nestico and Vince Mendoza, Dusk and Sawchuk took those songs in new directions, from the Latin tinge of “More” to the playful phrasing of “As Time Goes By.” Similarly, “Who’s Got the Action,” once popularized by Dean Martin, gets the big, brassy treatment, while “Get Me to the Church On Time” and “On the Street Where You Live,” two of Dusk’s favorites from My Fair Lady, are nicely updated. Dusk says Nestico’s arrangement for “Get Me to the Church On Time,” in particular, blew him away. “Sammy, who’s best known for his work with Count Basie, sent over his chart with a big yellow post-it note on it saying, ‘This is one of my best charts•please don’t change a thing,’” recalls Dusk. “I was like ‘you’ve got to be kidding•I wouldn’t touch it.’ It was that good.”

Meanwhile, Dusk was able to bring some first-hand experience to “Get Me to the Church On Time”•not that he’s married. “I used to sing at a ton of weddings,” says Dusk, who studied at Toronto’s famed St. Michael’s Choir School before attending the city’s York University taking master classes with Oscar Peterson in the jazz program. “I’d get invited to all the stags and see how the grooms were hell bent on sowing their wild oats and having their last hurrah. So I can totally relate to that scene.”

Although he refrains from divulging many details, Dusk’s personal life has helped to shape both Back in Town and its predecessor. “The songs on Two Shots were more on the sad side because I was going through a rough time at that point in my life,” he explains. “Most of the songs were about lost love and self discovery. On this album, it’s the exact opposite. The majority of these songs are more about finding love, being happy and laughing, because the pendulum’s definitely swingin’ the other way.”

Swinging is one way to describe Back in Town, which puts Dusk firmly back in the pack of young crooners like Michael Bublé and Dusk’s label mate Jamie Cullum. “We’ve all got our own approaches to this genre,” says Dusk, about his colleagues. “Me? I’m not here to change the world. You could say my goal is to bring jazz a little more into the mainstream. But basically, at the end of the day, all I really want to do is entertain people.” With the big, bold and defiantly upbeat Back in Town, Dusk is doing just that. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/matt-dusk

Sinatra

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Benny Golson - One Day, Forever

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:35
Size: 144,1 MB
Art: Front

( 5:08) 1. One Day, Forever
( 6:18) 2. Blue Walk
( 7:54) 3. Killer Joe
( 6:59) 4. Are You Real?
( 4:46) 5. Sad To Say
( 9:18) 6. Out Of The Past
( 4:13) 7. Blues Alley
( 7:36) 8. Along Came Betty
(10:20) 9. On Gossamer Wings

Benny Golson’s latest Arkadia release, One Day, Forever, arose from a taping of some of Golson’s previous band members from the Jazztet: Art Farmer and Curtis Fuller. At the end of a European tour, they were so rushed they that they didn’t record long enough to fill an entire CD. Arkadia owner Bob Karcy kept the tape in the can, and he and Golson kept that recording in mind, in the intervening five years, during which Farmer passed. After Golson wrote some new original music, it was agreed that the tapes from the “Whisper Not 40 Years Of Benny Golson” European tour would finally be heard by the public.

The result is a CD in three mentalities, all of which are contained by Golson’s imagination: the famous sextet sound that produced numbers like “Killer Joe,” a string orchestra backing Shirley Horn as she sings the words to Golson’s new music, and a piano piece introducing Golson’s first classical composition. While not consistent in theme, One Day, Forever does reveal in startling contrast the creative curiosity of Benny Golson.

Joined by Geoff Keezer, Dwayne Burno and Joe Farnsworth, the Jazzteters recall the longevity of Golson’s contributions to the jazz vocabulary. Not confined just to the famous Jazztet works, the group entertained European audiences with some of Golson’s compositions for Art Blakey, like “Along Came Betty” and “Are You Real?”

Golson and Farmer never worked together again, although they remained close friends, so much so that Golson wrote “One Day, Forever” as a reminiscence of Farmer’s wife, who passed a few years before he did. As Horn sings it, sadly and tentatively with lots of space as always, “One Day, Forever” could allude to the abstract concept of loss of intimacy which, of course, it does. By broadening the idea, Golson has expanded the sense of aloneness to apply to anyone who experiences loss. “Sad To Say,” again, is, well, sad, and the cellos reinforce the sense of guardedness and hurt. The melancholy of Golson’s new music has found a perfect outlet in the delicacy and woundedness of Shirley Horn’s style.

The surprise, even for those who expect it, is Lara Downes’ ten-minute premier of Golson’s piano étude, which would be expected in a recital hall rather than on a jazz CD. Certainly, one could say that One Day, Forever contains something for everyone.

The interesting aspect of the CD, though, is the darkening of Golson’s musical interests, with their melancholy themes and their veering away from the brightness, bustling energy and optimism that marked his work in the fifties.By AAJ Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/one-day-forever-benny-golson-arkadia-jazz-review-by-aaj-staff

Personnel: Benny Golson, tenor sax; Shirley Horn, vocals; Art Farmer, trumpet; Curtis Fuller, trombone; Mulgrew Miller, Geoff Keezer, Lara Downes, piano; Ron Carter, Dwayne Burno, bass; Carl Allen, Joe Farnsworth, drums.

One Day, Forever

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Dick Haymes - No More Little White Lies

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:27
Size: 65,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:13) 1. Little White Lies
(2:32) 2. It's A Grand Night For Singing
(2:45) 3. You'll Never Know
(2:45) 4. Love Letters
(3:05) 5. How Blue The Night
(2:32) 6. It's Magic
(2:41) 7. I'll Get By
(2:41) 8. Put Your Arms Around Me, Honey
(3:03) 9. The More I See You
(3:05) 10. 'Till The End Of Time

There was a time when no one would have left Dick Haymes (1918-1980) out of the top class of his contemporaries such as Frank Sinatra and Perry Como. But now the Argentine-born baritone is known only to those ardent fans and music historians who still claim him as one of the most talented popular singers of the twentieth century.

He worked with several great bandleaders, including Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey, before beginning a solo career that vaulted him to Hollywood stardom. In 1944, he worked with Twentieth Century-Fox, headlining such hit musicals as Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe and State Fair. Popular recordings such as "Little White Lies," "The More I See You," "How Blue the Night," "For You, For Me, For Evermore," "Speak Low," and "Another Night Like This," made him a top draw at the box office.

In the 1950s, when television took over the media landscape and the appeal of musicals declined, Haymes's career suffered. Despite efforts in the 1970s, he never re-established success. In The Life of Dick Haymes: No More Little White Lies, Ruth Prigozy uses over forty personal interviews with singers, musicians, composers, arrangers, and Haymes's family members. She searches archival recordings of The Dick Haymes Show, films, recordings, music studies, and histories to present a full portrait of this complicated man.

Prigozy chronicles Haymes's childhood, his rise in the 1940s, his decline into alcoholism, his multiple marriages among them to such leading stars as Rita Hayworth and Joanne Dru and divorces, and the minor resurgence of his career in Europe during the last years of his life. By Ruth Prigozy https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/326018

No More Little White Lies

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Claude Diallo & Bruno Spoerri - Situation: Live

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:42
Size: 164,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:34) 1. Goodbye Blanche Neige
(8:52) 2. All The Things You Are
(5:52) 3. I Remember Jsl
(7:39) 4. Two Deaf Lice
(9:44) 5. One Last Prayer For You
(7:33) 6. When Will The Blues Leave
(7:26) 7. Body And Soul
(7:46) 8. Next Life
(9:14) 9. Generations Blues

Internationally acclaimed jazz pianist Claude Diallo travels around the globe to play his music which entices a cosmopolitan audience. With his trio Claude Diallo Situation he released several albums, won various awards and performed at different jazz festivals and venues in Europe, America and Asia.

His early love to Jazz happened through the music of Oscar Peterson and after intense studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston and the Aaron Copland School of Music in New York, Claude Diallo launched his career in the city that never sleeps and stayed there for 11 years, collaborating with the best musicians in his field.

With his motto: Traveling with Music, he started touring outside of his native Switzerland at the age of 20 and through his curiosity, admiration and passion towards other cultures, he built a worldwide network, which is still growing.

Claude Diallo demonstrates a thorough understanding of the jazz piano tradition, but is also strikingly original clearly, someone with a unique voice and sensibility. His compositions are very involved and take the listener on an incredible imaginative journey. ~ David Berkman (pianist and composer) https://claudediallo.com/biography/

Personnel: Claude Diallo - piano; Bruno Spoerri - saxophones; Luques Curtis - bass; Tupac Mantilla - percussion and drums

Situation: Live

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Oscar Peterson Trio - On a Clear Day: Live in Zurich, 1971

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:46
Size: 144,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:33) 1. The Lamp Is Low
( 7:00) 2. Younger Than Springtime
( 6:15) 3. On A Clear Day
(10:28) 4. Young And Foolish/a Time For Love
( 8:10) 5. Soft Winds
( 8:57) 6. Mack The Knife
( 7:38) 7. Where Do I Go From Here?
( 6:42) 8. On The Trail

Pianist Oscar Peterson had some year in 1971. He recorded Oscar Peterson in London (in March), In Tune with the Singers Unlimited (in July), Reunion Blues with the Milt Jackson Quartet (in July), In Concert (in July) and Great Connection (in October). What all of these albums have in common is they were recorded in Europe. Now we can add a sixth On a Clear Day: Live in Zurich 1971 (Mack Avenue) recorded on November 24, 1971 at Zurich's Kongresshaus, a complex of meeting spaces on Lake Zurich that includes the historic Tonhalle Zürich concert hall.

Accompanying Peterson in Zurich and on his entire six-week European tour were bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and drummer Louis Hayes. Previously unreleased, the music on the new album was recorded originally for a single broadcast on Radio Zurich. After airing, the tape went up on a shelf where it remained until now.

The songs performed are The Lamp Is Low, Younger Than Springtime, On a Clear Day, Young and Foolish / A Time for Love, Soft Winds, Mack the Knife, Where Do I Go From Here? and On the Trail.

Peterson's playing here ranges from terrific to sensational. While the early tracks lean toward pensive and rollicking (The Lamp Is Low, Younger Than Springtime, Young and Foolish and Soft Winds), his keyboard attack virtually explodes on On a Clear Day and the last three tracks Mack the Knife, Where Do I Go From Here? and On the Trail. The drive and speed with which Peterson plays and his cascades of flawless improvisation is hair-raising. [Poster above for a concert on the same tour three days later in Geneva, Switzerland]

Mack the Knife is perhaps the show-stopper. You won't know what he's playing until 4:05, which must have been quite a surprise for an audience wondering what his lengthy introduction was building toward. A sharp ear can pick out where it's heading, but he did a wonderful job of disguising his intention. Another high point are Peterson's chords on Younger Than Springtime. An exhilarating album and a terrific find. We have Kelly Peterson, Oscar's wife and the album's producer, to thank. Oscar Peterson died in 2007 at age 82; Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen died in 2005 at age 58. By JAZZWAX BY MARC MYERS https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/oscar-peterson-live-in-zurich-1971/

Personnel: Piano – Oscar Peterson; Bass – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen; Drums – Louis Hayes

On a Clear Day: The Oscar Peterson Trio - Live in Zurich, 1971

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Nicki Leighton-Thomas - One Good Scandal

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:13
Size: 109,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:48) 1. Semi Detached
(4:13) 2. One Good Scandal
(4:01) 3. Overture To Corrupt And Deprave
(4:22) 4. Did We Have Any Fun
(3:43) 5. The Secret Of Silence
(1:59) 6. It's Only A Movie
(5:07) 7. Hyde Side Blues
(4:26) 8. Depravity
(3:48) 9. This Little Love Of Ours
(4:10) 10. Don't Fall In Love With Me
(2:39) 11. The Girl You Can't Forget
(3:51) 12. Stranger

Personnel: Nicki Leighton-Thomas (vocals); Simon Wallace (piano; Alec Dankworth (bass); Rod Youngs, Mike Pickering & Roy Dodds (drums); Dave O’Higgins (saxophones); Paul Stacey (guitar); Steve Waterman (trumpet); Gary Hammond (percussion)

A long time coming but here we have the follow up to Nicki’s excellent Forbidden Games released in 2001, and it does not disappoint. Once again, Nicki focusses on the music of Fran Landesman and Simon Wallace with devastatingly impressive results.

Incredibly Nicki has managed to assemble all the musicians from the original album to record One Good Scandal, with the intervening years finding that all have developed further as musicians and yet retained the freshness and enthusiasm that was so appealing on Forbidden Games.

Fran Landesman and Simon Wallace collaborated on hundreds of songs together, and this presents another issue of which is just which ones do you choose? All in all, Nicki’s songs choices are impeccable.

The opening number ‘Semi Detached’ is a real swinger, with some excellent tenor playing from O’Higgins that frames Nicki’s vocals superbly. This is also true of the title track, taken at a gentle tempo the saxophonist is again totally in tune with the singer and the song.

Nicki Leighton-Thomas now has enough experience to handle the darker side of Landesman’s lyrics, as evidenced on ‘Depravity’ in partnership this time with Steve Waterman’s resigned and melancholy trumpet.

Nicki’s vocals embrace Landesman’s lyrics with pathos, joy, sorrow and resignation, and even a little optimism and levity on ‘This Little Love Of Ours’, with the music provided by on this occasion by Tommy Wolf and performed with just the rhythm section.

Trimming down the line up is a neat trick that Nicki repeats on a couple of delightful duets. The first is ‘It’s Only A Movie’ that feature words and music by Landesman with guitarist Paul Stacey. Stacey made a major contribution to the earlier record, and it is a real pleasure to hear their work further in such an intimate setting.

The other duet is with Wallace on piano on a song that was in fact written for the singer by Landesman, ‘The Girl You Can’t Forget (Nicki)’. Incredibly after singing the title song and ‘Depravity’, Nicki delivers the lyrics with an innocence and touch of naivety that is spellbinding.

From beginning to end the album is a triumph, and dare I say it that Nicki Leighton-Thomas sings with a maturity that is rare. There is total conviction in everything she sings, and this total belief in the song makes this a compelling listen. By Nick Lea https://jazzviews.net/nicki-leighton-thomas-one-good-scandal/

One Good Scandal

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Hermine Deurloo - Glass Fish

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:49
Size: 98,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:19)  1. Benny's Dream
(6:02)  2. Ode for Tomtem
(4:31)  3. Almost Always Never
(3:18)  4. Zombi Zui
(5:14)  5. Fleurette Africaine
(4:02)  6. Glass Fish
(3:44)  7. Mein Junges Leben Hat Ein End
(3:57)  8. Oktober In Oosterpark
(4:21)  9. Venice Cowboy's
(3:17) 10. Anna Virus

With five CDs under her belt, Hermine Deurloo teams up with Tony Overwater, Joshua Samson, and Jesse van Ruller on Glass Fish. Deurloo is an internationally known jazz chromatic harmonica player who has played with the Willem Breuker Kollectief, Toots Thielemans, John Engels, Candy Dulfer, and Al Jarreau, among others. The light percussive touch and transparency of the instruments on this album are anything but standard!~Editorial Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Fish-Hermine-Deurloo/dp/B008QCBFDK

Personnel: Hermine Deurloo (harmonica), Tony Overwater (bass), Joshua Samson (percussion), and guest Jesse van Ruller (guitar).

Glass Fish

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Ed Cherry Quartet - The Spirits Speak

Styles: Guitar Jazz, Straight-ahead/Mainstream 
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:41
Size: 135,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:36)  1. Little Girl, Big Girl
(5:46)  2. The Spirits Speak
(7:50)  3. Top Hat
(9:05)  4. Woo! / Sharock
(7:04)  5. Peace
(5:40)  6. Joe's Thing
(7:19)  7. Lennox Ave, 1 A.M.
(8:18)  8. Share a Life

It’s really a shame that so few jazz followers are aware of the talents of guitarist Ed Cherry. He’s been on the scene for quite some tine now, playing gigs with such name artists as Sam Rivers, Paquito D’Rivera, and Tim Hardin, not to mention the fourteen years he spent as a sideman with the legendary Dizzy Gillespie. The Spirits Speak is only the third set as a leader to be cut by the 47-year-old guitarist since Gillespie’s death in 1993. Unique too in the fact that it marks the first time that Cherry is leading an organ combo for his own purposes, let us not forget that he excels in this format as evidenced by two current Big John Patton discs featuring the guitarist (namely Minor Swing and This One’s for Ja, both for DIW/Disc Union). 

You won’t get an argument from anyone when it comes to the company that Cherry keeps. Organist Lonnie Smith and drummer Nasheet Waits hold down the fort, with saxophonist Joe Ford fronting things as a lead voice. There’s really little need for going into detail about individual tracks. With a large number of Cherry’s originals making up the program, the moods are varied and inspired. Inclined to make some sort of recommendation, a clear highlight has to be the electric twang of “Woo!/Sharrock,” where Cherry plays homage to the late Sonny Sharrock. Normally a mellower player with a single note style that recalls the approach of Grant Green, Cherry turns up the distortion on this one and rocks out. Vocalist Laird Jackson appears on a version of Horace Silver’s “Peace” and her own “Share a Life.” While she doesn’t embarrass herself, she also doesn’t necessarily present anything of any great significance to the proceedings. That reservation aside, Cherry adds yet another solid effort to his meager discography and makes another bid for wider recognition.~C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-spirits-speak-ed-cherry-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Ed Cherry (guitar), Joe Ford (saxophones), Lonnie Smith (organ), Nasheet Waits (drums), Laird Jackson (vocals on 4 & 8 only)

The Spirits Speak

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Tracye Eileen - You Hit the Spot

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:12
Size: 67,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:21) 1. I Love Being Here With You
(3:01) 2. You Hit The Spot
(3:11) 3. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(2:40) 4. It's Almost Like Being In Love
(5:31) 5. The Very Thought Of You
(3:52) 6. Just In Time
(2:49) 7. This Can't Be Love
(4:45) 8. The End Of A Love Affair

You Hit the Spot is either the third or fourth album by sultry-voiced, Chicago-based vocalist Tracye Eileen. It was recorded in two sessions: one with a trio (and audience), the other with a sextet. She gets a good head start thanks to a splendid choice of material eight blue-chip tunes, all from the Great American Songbook.

Eileen fares reasonably well with each of them, spreading a bluesy blanket over what are essentially straight-ahead renditions. She has excellent range, and is suitably emotive when required. The diction is fine save on the fast-paced opener, "I Love Being Here with You," wherein a number of words and phrases are less than clear. Elsewhere, no problems. Eileen does make at least one lyric misstep, on Lerner and Loewe's "Almost Like Being in Love," when she sings (twice), "all the music of love seems to be" instead of "all the music of life seems to be," as written, but that's a minor quibble.

"You Hit the Spot" follows "Being Here" and precedes half a dozen winners including "They Can't Take That Away from Me," "Almost Like Being in Love," "The Very Thought of You," "Just in Time" (including a rarely heard verse), "This Can't Be Love" and "The End of a Love Affair" (the only theme aside from the first two sung without an audience). Eileen numbers Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington among her role models, but has a style of her own that doesn't mirror any of them.

Eileen's back-up groups are impressive, giving her solid support on every number. While solos are few, there are brief yet effective statements by trumpeter Victor Garcia ("You Hit the Spot"), bassist Paul Martin ("This Can't Be Love"), tenor Steve Eisen ("The End of a Love Affair") and pianists Jeremy Kahn and Dennis Luxion. Even though the music is respectable from start to finish, it must be noted that the album's playing time is a concise thirty minutes. If that doesn't bother you and you appreciate well-written and well-performed songs Eileen and her first-rate groups may "hit the spot."By Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/you-hit-the-spot-tracye-eileen-self-produced

Personnel: Tracye Eileen: voice / vocals; Jeremy Kahn : piano; Jon Deitemyer: drums; Stewart Miller: bass; Steve Eisen: flute; Raphael Crawford: trombone; Victor Garcia: trumpet; Dennis Luxion: keyboards; Paul Martin: saxophone, baritone.

You Hit the Spot

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Seamus Blake - New York Factor Vol 1

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:16
Size: 104,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:19) 1. Alone Together
(7:54) 2. From The Heart
(5:33) 3. Waltz For Debby
(9:59) 4. Points Of A Star
(6:10) 5. Hearts Alone
(8:18) 6. Willow Weep For Me

New York based tenor saxophonist/composer Seamus Blake is recognized as one of the finest and most creative young players in jazz.

John Scofield, who hired him for his “Quiet Band,” calls him “extraordinary, a total saxophonist.” In February 2002, he took first place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in Washington D.C. As the winner, he performed with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock.

Seamus Blake was born in England and raised in Vancouver, Canada. At age 21, while still a student at Boston's prestigious Berklee College, he was asked to record with legendary drummer Victor Lewis. After graduation, he moved to New York, where he rapidly established himself on the New York jazz scene.

Seamus has released six albums on Criss Cross Records, from his 1993 debut The Call to the 1995 premiere of the "Bloomdaddies," a “funky, alternative grunge jazz band”, to Way Out Willy, which was released in February 2007. He has also recorded as a leader for the Fresh Sound label. "Stranger Things have Happened" (now available on itunes) features Kurt Rosenwinkel as well as Jorge Rossy and Larry Grenadier from the Brad Mehldau trio. Fresh Sound also recorded a Bloomdaddies cd, " Mosh for Lovers" in 2001. In 2009 the Italian label, Jazz Eyes, released "Live in Italy", Seamus' most successful cd to date. It received 4 1/2 stars from Downbeat.

Blake is a long standing member of the Grammy nominated group, the Mingus Big Band, and is featured on the last six albums. He continues to play and record with the Victor Lewis Quintet, as well as with Bill Stewart and Kevin Hays. He has also performed and/or recorded with Franco Ambrosetti, Dave Douglas, Jane Monheit, Kenny Barron, Sam Yahel, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Pat Metheny, Joe Lovano, Joshua Redman, Brad Meldhau, Larry Grenadier, Wayne Krantz, Jorge Rossy, Jack Dejohnette, Brian Blade, Jeremy Pelt, Eric Reed, David Kikoski, Al Foster and many others.

Most recently Seamus has been touring with the Seamus Blake Electric Band which includes Scott Kinsey, Tim Lefebvre and Jordy Rossy.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/seamus-blake

Personnel: Seamus Blake tenor saxophone; David Kikoski piano; Alex Claffy bass; Bill Stewart drums; Victor Lewis drums

New York Factor vol 1

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Hazel Scott - Piano Prodigy

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1946/1947/2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:12
Size: 76,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:44) 1. How High The Moon
(2:34) 2. I've Got The World On A String
(2:34) 3. Butterfly Kick
(2:42) 4. Mary Lou
(3:04) 5. Valse In C Sharp Minor
(2:51) 6. Love Will Find A Way
(3:07) 7. A Rainy Night In G
(3:08) 8. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(3:15) 9. Nightmare Blues
(3:28) 10. Nocturne In B Flat Minor
(3:41) 11. Fantasie Impromptu

Hazel Dorothy Scott (June 11, 1920 – October 2, 1981) was a Trinidad-born American jazz and classical pianist and singer. She was an outspoken critic of racial discrimination and segregation. She used her influence to improve the representation of Black Americans in film.

Born in Port of Spain, Scott moved to New York City with her mother at the age of four. Scott was a child musical prodigy, receiving scholarships to study at the Juilliard School when she was eight. In her teens, she performed at Café Society while still at school.She also performed on the radio.

She was active as a jazz singer throughout the 1930s and 1940s. In 1950, she became the first black American to host her own TV show, The Hazel Scott Show. Her career in America faltered after she testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1950 during the era of McCarthyism. Scott subsequently moved to Paris in 1957 and began performing in Europe, not returning to the United States until 1967........More
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_Scott

Piano Prodigy

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Gato Barbieri - Club Jamaica (Buenos Aires) En Vivo 1961

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:47
Size: 96,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:25) 1. Impressions
(7:07) 2. Round Midnight
(7:11) 3. Village Blues
(7:32) 4. My Shining Hour
(7:47) 5. You Say You Care
(4:43) 6. What Is This Thing Called Love

He began playing tenor with his own band in the late 50s and moved to Rome with his Italian born first wife Michelle in 1962, where he began collaborating with Cherry. The two recorded two albums for Blue Note, “Complete Communion.” and “Symphony for Improvisers,” which are considered classics of free group improvisations. Barbieri launched his career as a leader with the Latin flavored “The Third World,” in 1969, and later parlayed his Grammy winning “Last Tango In Paris” success into a career as a film composer, scoring a dozen international films over the years in Europe, South America and the United States.

From 1976 through 1979, Barbieri released four popular albums on A&M Records, the label owned by trumpet great Herb Alpert. “The Shadow of the Cat,” is a reunion of sorts for the two, with Alpert playing trumpet and trumpet solos on three songs.

Barbieri officially took up the clarinet at age 12 when he heard Charlie Parker’s “Now’s The Time,” and even as he continued private music lessons in Buenos Aires, he was playing his first professional gigs with Lalo Schifrin’s orchestra. “During that time, Juan Peron was in power”, he recalls. “We weren’t allowed to play all jazz; we had to include some traditional music, too. So we played tango and other things like carnavalito.” In Buenos Aires, Barbieri also had the opportunity to perform with visiting musicians like Cuban mambo king Perez Prado, Coleman Hawkins, Herbie Mann, Dizzy Gillespie, and João Gilberto.

Barbieri credits his learning of musical discipline to his years working with Don Cherry while living in Europe. While collaborating with Cherry in the mid ‘60’s, he also recorded with American expatriate Steve Lacy and South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim. Other associations during Barbieri’s free jazz days included time with Charlie Haden, Carla Bley and the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, as well as dates with Stanley Clarke, Airto Moreira, Chico O’Farrell, and Lonnie Liston Smith.

He had recorded a handful of albums on the Flying Dutchman label in the early 70s and then signed with Impulse where he recorded his classic Chapter Series “Latin America ,” “Hasta Siempre,” “ Viva Emiliano Zapata,” and “Alive in New York .” While at Impulse, “Last Tango”hit, and by the mid-70s, his coarse, wailing tone began to mellow with ballads like “What A Difference A Day Makes” (known to Barbieri as the vintage bolero “Cuando Vuelva a tu Lado”) and Carlos Santana’s “Europa.” Barbieri’s A&M recordings of the late ‘70’s, featured this softer jazz approach, but early 80s dates like the live “Gato…Para Los Amigos,” had a more intense, rock influenced South American sound.

After many years of limited musical activity due to the passing of his first wife Michelle (also his closest musical confidant and manager) and his own triple bypass surgery six weeks later, Barbieri returned stronger than ever with the 1997 Columbia offering “Que Pasa,” the fourth highest selling Contemporary Jazz album of the year.

There have been several recent highlights in Gato’s life: In July of 2003, Long Island University and WLIU combined to give Gato a Lifetime Achievement Award. In September of the same year, Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Jazz Festival headlined Gato Barbieri at the Ozawa Concert Hall. The performance was broadcast live by Boston’s WBGH and New York ’s WBGO; it was the beginning of the fledgling NPR station network as the concert was simulcast over eight stations from New England to Pennsylvania to Chicago .

The 2004 Puerto Rican Heineken Jazz Festival featured Gato as the 2004 Honoree. Late in 2004, Gato was honored by his homeland of Argentina when the Argentine Ambassador presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award at a special function at the Argentine Consulate in New York City.

Also in 2004, Universal Music released four new compilation CD’s in their world renown “20th Century Masters” series: Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Parker, Carmen McRae, and Gato Barbieri. This association with other jazz icons only serves to once again confirm Barbieri’s legendary status both within the music business community and to the entire world. In 2009 Barbieri released "In Search of the Mystery." Gato's new album "Encounter" will be released in late 2010, featuring Gato Barbieri, Carlos Franzetti, David Finck and Nestor Astorita. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/gato-barbieri

Club Jamaica (Buenos Aires) En Vivo 1961

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Roy Eldridge Quintet & Ella Fitzgerald Quintet - In Concert

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:01
Size: 119,9 MB
Art: Front

(9:36) 1. Soft Winds
(5:19) 2. Roy's Riff
(3:57) 3. Cheek To Cheek
(3:19) 4. You Brought Me A New Kind Of Love
(3:32) 5. All I Need Is You
(2:51) 6. Too Close For Comfort
(2:55) 7. Whatever Lola Wants
(5:18) 8. Allright, Okay, You Win
(3:54) 9. Lady Be Good
(4:44) 10. I Loves You, Porgy
(6:30) 11. How High The Moon

Roy Eldridge’s name on this disc is a bit of a red herring. The trumpeter plays the first two songs, accompanied by the same band that will back Ella Fitzgerald on the remainder of the program. Make no mistake: This recording belongs to the First Lady of Song, who’s in top form for this May 1959 Copenhagen performance.

Granted, it’s hard to find a Fitzgerald title from this period where she wasn’t in top form, so perhaps In Concert is just par for the course. But what a par. Her flawless flower of a voice coats each song like a soothing balm; only on close listening do we hear details like her masterful rubato on “You Brought Me a New Kind of Love” or the delicately sung syllables of “Lady Be Good” (here even slower than on her then-recent Gershwin Songbook album). But there are also delights right on the surface: “All Right, Okay, You Win” is loaded with Fitzgerald’s famous ad libs in both scat and lyric. (“He got eyes like diamonds, teeth shine like yellow gold FORT KNOX!”)

The album’s jewel is an on-point reading of “Whatever Lola Wants.” Fitzgerald melds with precision to Gus Johnson’s drums, then guitarist Herb Ellis melds with precision to Fitzgerald; they hold the line through more of Ella’s rubato, flourishes and growls, moving on a dime into high gear when the song becomes a medley with “Who’s Got the Pain?”

Does that make the Eldridge tunes throwaways? Hardly. Both “Soft Winds” and the rhythm-changes “Roy’s Riff” are brilliant showcases for his serrated-edge trumpet sound and timeless swing, the former doubling as a feature for Ellis’ surprisingly caustic guitar. He and Eldridge are a magical combination. Good as they are, though, they’re appetizers. Ella is the main course.By Michael J.West
https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/roy-eldridge-quartet-ella-fitzgerald-quintet-in-concert-steeplechase/

Personnel: Roy Eldridge - (trumpet on tracks 1 & 2); Ella Fitzgerald - (vocal on tracks 3 -11); Herb Ellis - (guitar on tracks); Lou Levy - (piano); Wilfred Middlebrooks - (bass); Gus Johnson - (drums)

In Concert

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Ray Collins' Hot Club - For The Ones With The Blues

Styles: Jazz Funk
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:21
Size: 65,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:54) 1. These Little Things
(2:37) 2. The Curtain Falls
(3:16) 3. Kellerbar
(3:07) 4. It Ain't What It Is
(2:55) 5. Blip Blop
(2:56) 6. Willow Weep For Me
(2:16) 7. Quit Work
(3:06) 8. Toes Song
(2:11) 9. Missing You
(2:59) 10. For The Ones With The Blues

Imagine a band which could play to perfection a mixture of 40 and 50' s Jump-blues, swing, jive and of rock' roll with authenticity and an overflowing energy while developing their own style and composing some solid songs. A band which could set a ballroom on fire with only the first bars of a brass section. Imagine nine guys ready to party and make you spend an unforgettable evening and which for that will give all that they have! You think that kind a band has never existed and will never exist neither in Europe, neither in States nor in any area of the world. But I can swear to you that this band really exist (cause I saw them!) and that they just released their third album "Tohuwabohu" for Crazy Love Records. This group is The "Ray Collins’ Hot Club", a german bunch of wild guys which signed their first album in 2001 -“Shaking That Boogie”- and which since became a reference.

Some bands are good in studio and disappointing on stage. Some others are just the opposite; they are great entertainers but their albums are flat and without any “fever” or “guts” whatever you call it. In this case, we are dealing with this rare species of band who are at the same time achieved showmen and which sign original albums with no fillers or tracks to be thrown away.

Mister “Ray Collins” (Andreas) talked to Long Tall some years ago about the first album of the gang and soon he will tell you more about what has happened since and their plans. Just have a read and learn more about the number one jumpin’ and jivin’ band in Europe and don’t forget to have a look at their first class website : http://www.the-hot-club.com/ Be there or be square!! ~ Dave "Long Tall" Phisel https://www.last.fm/music/Ray+Collins%27+Hot-Club/+wiki

For The Ones With The Blues

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Jan Lundgren Trio - Plays The Music Of Victor Young

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:51
Size: 139.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:49] 1. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You (With Stacey Kent)
[5:19] 2. A Weaver Of Dreams (With Johnny Griffin)
[5:44] 3. Song Of Delilah
[2:36] 4. Golden Earrings
[5:02] 5. A Hundred Years From Today (With Deborah Brown)
[3:56] 6. Street Of Dreams (With Stacey Kent)
[4:41] 7. Sweet Sue (Just You)
[3:59] 8. Love Letters
[6:21] 9. Stella By Starlight (With Deborah Brown)
[6:19] 10. When I Fall In Love (With Johnny Griffin)
[5:35] 11. Alone At Last
[4:37] 12. Beautiful Love (With Deborah Brown)
[2:47] 13. My Foolish Heart (With Stacey Kent)

Pianist Jan Lundgren is a jazz musician much in the mold of such '60s icons as Dave Brubeck and Horace Silver. Lundgren's measured and crisp technique give him an edge in bringing challenging, modern jazz to a wider more populist audience. He plays in an "in" style reminiscent of many late-'50s to early-'60s musicians but always seems to be able to add a harmonic nod toward the future. Similarly, Victor Young, one of the most prolific Hollywood composers during the 1940s, produced some of the most performed songs in jazz history. These "standards" with their unique combination of hummable melodies over complex harmonic arrangements fit perfectly with Lundgren's style. This immensely listenable session opens with a gorgeous rendition of "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You" featuring vocalist Stacey Kent. Kent has a sweet, sprightly, utterly irresistible voice that is the perfect introduction to the rest of this well-paced album. Juxtaposed to Kent's light, swinging approach is adventurous vocalist Deborah Brown who combines the best improvisatory abilities of Betty Carter and Ella Fitzgerald. Brown joins Lundgren and bandmates, bassist Mattias Svensson and drummer Rasmus Kihlberg on songs such as "Stella By Starlight" and "Beautiful Love." Rounding out the disc is the legendary tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin who brings his ruddy, warm sound to the up-tempo "A Weaver of Dreams" and "When I Fall in Love." ~Matt Collar

Plays The Music Of Victor Young

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McCoy Tyner & Jackie McLean - It's About Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:27
Size: 85.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1985
Art: Front

[5:56] 1. Spur Of The Moment
[6:34] 2. You Taught My Heart To Sing
[6:19] 3. It's About Time
[6:30] 4. Hip-Toe
[5:38] 5. No Flowers Please
[6:28] 6. Travelin'

Alto Saxophone – Jackie McLean (tracks: 1 to 4); Bass – Ron Carter (tracks: 1, 4, 5); Drums – Al Foster; Electric Bass – Marcus Miller (tracks: 2, 3, 6); Percussion – Steve Thornton (tracks: 2, 3, 6); Piano – McCoy Tyner; Trumpet – John Faddis (tracks: 1, 4). Recorded at: Right Track Studios, New York City, on April 6, 7, 1985

As far as McLean is concerned, the title of this album should be changed to `It`s Overdue,` because almost eight years have passed since this magnificent alto saxophonist entered a recording studio.

In today`s revivalistic climate, McLean is the model for most of the young alto players who are mining the hard-bop lode. But each phrase McLean plays here makes it clear that there is a vast difference between imitation and the real thing. The constant sense of pressure in McLean`s solos the feeling that vital emotional and musical choices are being made at all timesis simply overwhelming; and it seems appropriate when, on one track, either Tyner or bassist Ron Carter begins to moan in approval as McLean carves out an especially heartfelt line. `It`s About Time` is not a perfect setting for McLean. One wishes he had played on all six tracks instead of just four, and trumpeter Jon Faddis gets rather circusy on `Spur of the Moment. But Tyner certainly rises to the occasion throughout (his `Spur of the Moment` solo comes close to shattering the keyboard), while Carter, who has become rather self-indulgent in recent years, seems to be uncommonly involved in the proceedings. ~Larry Kart

It's About Time

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Maria Kim - Stellive Vol.16 Two for the Road

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:40
Size: 137,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:19) 1. Basin Street Blues
(5:55) 2. Better Than Anything
(6:25) 3. Walkin’ After Midnight
(6:43) 4. Two For The Road
(4:58) 5. Centerpiece
(2:59) 6. Bitter With The Sweet
(6:44) 7. So Many Stars
(4:37) 8. Got To Get You Into My Life
(8:31) 9. Home (When Shadows Fall)
(8:23) 10. Lost In The Stars

Maria Kim is steadily consolidating her position in many ways. She has been active since 2010, and at the beginning of this year, her album was selected as the best jazz vocal album at the 19th Korean Popular Music Awards, which must have gained momentum internally. , released this time as her driving force, is a live performance performed as a simple duo with her bassist Kim Dae-ho.

Maria Kim is basically a vocalist with a minor voice. She also has a subtle soft vibrato (especially her 9th song 'Home') and impressive stable piano playing (especially her 10th song 'Lost in the stars') . Because she has a soft voice, her early bossa nova works were well embedded in her voice. Her previous work, , was also a wise choice, as the string sound in the background complemented Maria Kim's voice in the background, bringing out a rich overall sound.

Judging from his career, he is well aware of his strengths and weaknesses, and thinks he has produced results accordingly, but the partner he chose for this work is bassist Daeho Kim. She may have her long-standing partnership with him, but I think her round and stable walking base that he has puts her in a very comfortable state. In November 2020, this piece contains sound sources recorded live by Stellive, a professional live performance agency, Miles Davis' famous performance 'Basin Street Blues', Henry Mancini's 'Two for the Road', Serge Mendes' 'So Many Stars' ', Carol King's 'Bitter with the Sweet', and The Beatles' 'Got to Get You Into My Life'.

Above all, what was particularly impressive in this work was that the sensitivity and interpretation of the songs buried in her songs were more intimate and resonant than I thought. Her selected standard numbers are by no means sung by taking common and easy songs, and she tries her musical challenge by presenting a deeper and more meaningful interpretation than her previous works in both her arrangement and improvisation. do. However, from a vocalist's point of view, it is a bit regrettable that her vocalization is not as rich and elegant as the song's interpretation idea and scat's approach, but even taking that into account, in terms of musical content I think that this work is rather better than the last string album, and there is a glimpse of sincere depth.
Translate By Google https://www.genie.co.kr/magazine/subMain?ctid=6&mgz_seq=12750

Personnel: Piano/Vocal : Maria Kim; Acoustic Bass: Daeho Kim

Stellive Vol.16 Two for the Road

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Clark Tracey & Dominic Galea - The Legacy

Styles: Bop, Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:26
Size: 106,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:31) 1. Rainbow At The Five Mile Road
(5:41) 2. November The 15th
(5:40) 3. The Scorpion (F.r.t.s.)
(7:05) 4. Sweet Used To Be
(6:13) 5. At Sunset
(6:13) 6. Baby Blue
(5:24) 7. Birds
(4:33) 8. Cuddly

The legacy referred to in the title of this wonderful release harks back to the friendship between Maltese pianist, Sammy Galea and the UK’s own Stan Tracey, who were both highly respected jazz musicians in their home countries. Through coincidence or fate their sons also became firm friends, and both followed their father’s profession in becoming first class jazz musicians in their own right.

This collaborative album captures both Dominic and Clark at their best in a programme comprising of compositions written by Galea and Tracey Snr. Assembling a top drawer band using the reliable and inventive Arnie Somogyi on bass and the front-line horns of Alan Barnes and Mark Armstrong. All members of the quintet are of the same generation and have played extensively together in various line up over the years. This familiarity with each other’s playing lends an air of maturity and experience to proceeding that shine through in each and every number.

The compositions are all exceptional and delivered with an authority that is immediately attention grabbing and does not let up until the last note fades. That the band mean business is evident from the opening bars of ‘Rainbow At The Five Mile Road’ by Stan Tracey.

After the full steam ahead approach to ‘Rainbow’, Galea follows with ‘November The 15th. Far more relaxed with a controlled vibrancy that yields a lovely solo from Dominic Galea and very different solos from Alan Barnes on alto and the trumpet of Mark Armstrong.

This relaxed state of mind is picked up again on Stan’s wonderful ballad ‘Sweet Used To Be’. Galea’s opening piano is exquisite prior to Alan Barnes’s plangent alto and the burnished sound of Armstrong’s open horn in his finest solo of the set. Lovely stuff!

Sammy Galea had a knack of writing catchy and memorable tunes that swing hard, and a couple such compositions appear here. First up is ‘The Scorpion(F.R.T.S.)’ that has an exuberant and melodic solo from the pianist which is supported unobtrusively by Clark and Arnie Somogyi. ‘At Sunset ‘is another delightful swinger with an unforgettable melodic hook. The tempo and feel of the piece suits Armstrong down to the ground and he gets in a cracking solo. Galea is up next with a brief and concise offering before Barnes gets in on the action, getting in a Parker quotation while trading fours with the drummer.

The saxophonist switches to baritone saxophone for a couple of Stan Tracey compositions ‘Baby Blue’ has a relaxed and nonchalant air about it, and Barnes takes this as his cue to deliver a suitably laconic solo on the larger horn.

The second baritone feature is on Stan’s ‘Cuddly’ that closes the set. Anything but cuddly, this is a hard swinging number producing excellent solos from all and a fitting way to conclude this fine album.By Nick Lea https://jazzviews.net/clark-tracey-dominic-galea-the-legacy/

Personnel: Dominic Galea (piano); Clark Tracey (drums); Alan Barnes (alto & baritone saxophones); Mark Armstrong (trumpet & flugelhorn); Arnie Somogyi (bass)

The Legacy

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Mike Moreno - Standards from Film

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:33
Size: 153,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:30) 1. Beautiful Love
(5:30) 2. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
(6:55) 3. There Will Never Be Another You
(6:39) 4. Stella By Starlight
(8:17) 5. Laura
(7:31) 6. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(7:00) 7. On Green Dolphin Street
(4:16) 8. My Foolish Heart
(8:06) 9. Invitation
(9:44) 10. Days Of Wine And Roses

At last. An enjoyable alternative to the ghastly albums of "jazzed up" hymns and Christmas carols which spew forth every holiday season. There is nothing overtly Christmassy about guitarist Mike Moreno's Standards From Film, but it is appropriate that the album, recorded in New York in December 2021, was released in the UK in early December 2022 and came out in the US a month or so earlier. It nails the seasonal nostalgia spike and then some.

Moreno, always a lyrical player and never more so than on this occasion, has chosen ten of his favourite evergreens, each of which was either commissioned for a movie soundtrack or included in one within a year or so of being published. They are Wayne King, Victor Young and Egbert Van Alstyne's "Beautiful Love," Herb Brown's "You Stepped Out Of A Dream," Harry Warren's "There Will Never Be Another You," Victor Young's "Stella By Starlight" and "My Foolish Heart," David Raksin's "Laura," Jule Styne's "I Fall In Love Too Easily," Bronislau Caper and Ned Washington's "On Green Dolphin Street," Kaper's "Invitation" and Henry Mancini's "Days Of Wine And Roses." Happily, Moreno does not reinvent, reimagine, recalibrate or otherwise re-screwup any of the tunes; "My Foolish Heart" is given a novel rhythmic foundation, but it works.

After the brief, unaccompanied guitar reading of "Beautiful Love" which opens the album, the remaining tracks have average playing times of just over seven minutes, plenty of time for bookending theme statements and solos that unfold without rush in between. Moreno is the chief soloist, but pianist Sullivan Fortner and bassist Matt Brewer each get turns in the spotlight; Brewer delivers a particular gem on "There Will Never Be Another You."

Moreno, the producer, has inserted brief dialogue soundbites from the source movies at the start or finish of most tracks. This could have been tacky but, if one lightens up and goes with the flow, it works. Check the clip of "Stella By Starlight" below for an example. Less successful is the microphone placement. The piano is close mic'd within an inch of its life and there are occasions, especially when Fortner uses the sustain pedal, that the bass register of the instrument threatens to overwhelm everything else that is going on. But the 4-star rating stands.By Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/standards-from-film-mike-moreno-criss-cross

Personnel: Mike Moreno: guitar; Sullivan Fortner: piano; Matt Brewer: bass; Obed Calvaire: drums.

Standards from Film

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Harry Allen & Martin Sasse - Live At Bird's Eye

Styles: Bop, Swing
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:33
Size: 116,1 MB
Art: Front

( 5:19) 1. When October Goes
(10:11) 2. Swing, Swing, Swing
( 5:02) 3. Tea For You
( 7:08) 4. Telling A Little Story
( 6:38) 5. Blue Skies
( 4:46) 6. Step Right Up
( 5:20) 7. There's No Place For Me
( 6:05) 8. See You At The Fair

Now, the brilliant playing of the two can be followed and enjoyed on their first joint album "Live at Bird's Eye". Together with Markus Schieferdecker and Joost van Schalk as an exquisite rhythm section, they fill the space with compositions from their own pens that are as subtly as they are complexly interpreted, but also with a clever selection of the very finest standards. What unites the four is their deep affection for the melodies of the swing era as well as the mainstream jazz of the 1950s and 1960s. Together they immerse themselves in relaxed, yet highly intense moods, sometimes rhythmically furious, sometimes in pure balladic beauty.

It is anything but a matter of course to start an album right away with an atmospheric ballad: But here it happens, and Barry Manilow's classic "When October Goes" makes an impressive statement. Nancy Wilson, Carmen McRae, Rosemary Clooney, Kevin Mahogany or Inger Maria Gundersen each interpreted Johnny Mercer's lines in their own personal way, now Harry Allen finds his very own language on the saxophone, at first almost whispered, then more and more urgent and powerful, while Sasse on the piano evokes a lyrical fantasy world of rain-soaked city streets and autumn-colored rows of trees.

No less powerful in imagery and association, the cheerfully spotted Ben Webster classic "See You at the Fair" from 1964 and the rather rarely played "Step Right Up," with which Oliver Nelson, as composer, arranger and conductor, opened the Count Basie album "Afrique" in 1971, glow. A special place is given to "Blue Skies" by Irving Berlin: The standard from the 1920s, famous thanks to singers such as Josephine Baker, Ella Fitzgerald and decades later Cassandra Wilson, rises here elegantly from broom accompanied cautiousness to cheerful, occasionally "weird" intensity. Involuntarily, one would like to sing along with the lyrics: "Blue Skies/Smiling at me/Nothing but blue skies/Do I See..."

Organically grown, the original compositions of Martin Sasse and Harry Allen fit into the album, shifting tempos, moods and atmospheres again and again in a new and sophisticated way, swinging and grooving, straight and cool, soulful and sensitive a captivating mixture of blues and swing-saturated floating matter! https://harryallen-martinsasse.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-bird-s-eye

Live At Bird's Eye

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Caity Gyorgy - Featuring

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:37
Size: 153,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:09) 1. I Feel Foolish
(6:06) 2. Cover Up
(4:52) 3. It Might As Well Be Spring
(5:04) 4. Start Again
(5:34) 5. A Moment
(7:54) 6. Look The Other Way
(4:20) 7. I Miss Missing You
(4:35) 8. 'Tis Autumn
(4:47) 9. My Cardiologist
(6:11) 10. Ideal
(4:57) 11. I Never Knew
(4:14) 12. The Feeling Is Mutual
(4:48) 13. It's Pronounced George

Caity Gyorgy (pronounced like George) is a JUNO Award Winning Canadian vocalist, composer, and lyricist who is known for singing bebop and swing music.

Being called one of JazzFM91’s 8 Canadian Women in Jazz You Need to Know, Caity has performed at popular clubs and jazz festivals across Canada including the Toronto Jazz Festival, the Calgary Jazz Festival, the Medicine Hat Jazz Festival, and the Jazz Bistro in Toronto, Upstairs Jazz in Montreal, and Frankie's Jazz in Vancouver.

Caity has worked and recorded with many luminaries in the Canadian jazz scene including Allison Au, Pat LaBarbera, Jocelyn Gould, Bryn Roberts, Christine Jensen and Virginia MacDonald.

In addition to performing, she is also an avid writer and composes songs in the style of the Great American Songbook. Her compositions have been sung by other vocalists around the world, and she was recently crowned the Grand Prize Winner of the 2021 John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the Jazz category for her song "Secret Safe”.

She has independently released her debut album “No Bounds”, which features guitarist Jocelyn Gould, her self titled EP, and several singles. On July 9th 2021 she released an EP of original music arranged for her 10 piece band entitled "Now Pronouncing: Caity Gyorgy" on the Brooklyn based label la reserve. This EP was named one of CBC Music's favourite Canadian Jazz albums of 2021 and received the JUNO for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year at the 2022 JUNO Awards. Her next album, entitled "Featuring”, will be released on la reserve on November 4th, 2022.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/caity-gyorgy

Personnel: Caity Gyorgy: Vocals, Compositions, Arrangements; Felix Fox-Pappas: Piano; Thomas Hainbuch: Bass; Jacob Wutzke: Drums

Featuring

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