Maria Schneider Orchestra - Data Lords (Disc 1), (Disc 2)

Album: Data Lords (Disc 1)
Styles: Big Band
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:58
Size: 121,6 MB
Art: Front

( 9:41) 1. A World Lost
(13:37) 2. Don't Be Evil
(10:17) 3. CQ CQ Is Anybody There?
( 8:11) 4. Sputnik
(11:11) 5. Data Lords

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Album: Data Lords (Disc 2)
Time: 43:06
Size: 99,1 MB

( 5:45) 1. Sanzenin
( 5:42) 2. Stone Song
( 9:04) 3. Look Up
( 3:59) 4. Braided Together
(11:11) 5. Bluebird
( 7:22) 6. The Sun Waited For Me

The skillfully designed cover art tells part of the story; a leaf half as nature intended the remainder, a circuit board doppelganger. The pastoral soundscapes associated with the music of Grammy-winning composer/bandleader Maria Schneider belie her activist alter-ego. An outspoken critic of copyright protections, prejudicial revenue schemes and the abuses of "big data," Schneider has authored op-eds and testified before the US Congress. She ventures onto unfamiliar terrain, coalescing her passions on a masterwork double album, Data Lords.

The two discs are respectively designated as "The Digital World" and "Our Natural World" and the first CD opens with the ominous "A World Lost." Ben Monder's brooding guitar and Richard Perry's tenor sax preside over rumbling brass; the piece is as dark as the title suggests. Monder's electric guitar becomes an emblematic figure in a substantial portion of the digitally-focused disc. "CQ CQ, Is Anybody There?" is based on the low-tech forerunner of the digital world; Schneider's engineer father was a ham radio operator.

The piece features Donny McCaslin on tenor saxophone and Greg Gisbert on trumpet, with electronics, a rarity in Schneider's recordings. The two set up a clash between organic and enhanced sounds. A harbinger of the competition for technological dominance is manifested in the shadowy "Sputnik" where Scott Robinson's baritone sax takes center stage. The title track closes the first disc with an appropriately chaotic and conflicted warning of the potential risks of an AI dominated world.

Returning to more familiar ground, "Our Natural World" is not a divestiture from the concept but solace from the intrusion of mechanization. The striking "Sanzenin" is a meditative reflection on the Buddhist gardens in Ohara, Japan. Gary Versace's accordion evocatively soars above the low reeds. Schneider further lifts the spirits with the lavishly textured "Look Up" with Marshall Gilkes' inspired trombone interwoven with pianist Frank Kimbrough. Schneider builds on her visual observations of nature in the eleven-minute "Bluebird" and the second-disc closing piece "The Sun Waited for Me." Both of those, hopeful and energized arrangements are in the vein of her work on The Thompson Fields (ArtistShare, 2015).

Schneider found her inspiration to take a larger risk in working briefly with David Bowie on his final studio album Blackstar (ISO Records, 2016). The post-production version of the single "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" caught Schneider off guard but also opened her mind to new ideas. Data Lords was commissioned by the Library of Congress and premiered at the Library in 2016. Schneider has described the project as "very dark, chaotic, and intense." By comparison to her other releases, it's true but that account shouldn't be off-putting to her fans. Data Lords is often gorgeous and always intriguing. It is Schneider's best collection to date and sure to end up on most of the appropriate year-end lists. This is intoxicating music and highly recommended. By Karl Ackermann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/data-lords-maria-schneider-orchestra-artist-share

Personnel: Composed By, Conductor – Maria Schneider; Accordion – Gary Versace; Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo Flute – Dave Pietro; Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Alto Flute – Steve Wilson (2); Bass – Jay Anderson; Bass Clarinet, Contrabass Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone – Scott Robinson (2); Bass Trombone – George Flynn (2); Drums, Percussion – Johnathan Blake; Guitar – Ben Monder; Piano – Frank Kimbrough; Tenor Saxophone – Rich Perry; Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Donny McCaslin; Trombone – Keith O'Quinn, Marshall Gilkes, Ryan Keberle; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Greg Gisbert, Mike Rodriguez (9), Nadje Noordhuis, Tony Kadleck

Data Lords (Disc 1),(Disc 2)

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Sarah Vaughan - Songs with the Joe Lippman Orchestra

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:08
Size: 85,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:18) 1. Black Coffee
(3:31) 2. That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day)
(3:09) 3. Bianca
(3:20) 4. The Nearness Of You
(3:16) 5. Summertime
(2:35) 6. As You Desire Me
(3:00) 7. I’m Crazy To Love You
(3:01) 8. Just Friends
(2:41) 9. Make Believe (You Are Glad When You're Sorry)
(3:11) 10. You’re Mine, You
(2:42) 11. Give Me A Song With A Beautiful Melody
(3:18) 12. You Taught Me To Love Again

In the 1940s, when most women singers adorned big bands as stage attractions rather than legitimate members of jazz ensembles, Sarah Vaughan, along with her predecessor Ella Fitzgerald, helped elevate the vocalist's role as equal to that of the jazz instrumentalist. A woman known for her many vicissitudes, Vaughan's outspoken personality and artistic eloquence brought her the names "Sassy" and "The Divine One.” A talented pianist, she joined the ranks of the 1940s bebop movement and became, as a member of the Earl Hines and Billy Eckstine bands, one of its most celebrated vocalists. Her dynamic vocal range, sophisticated harmonic sense, and horn-like phrasing brought Vaughan million-selling numbers and a stage and recording career that spanned half a decade.

Sarah Lois Vaughan was born the daughter of Asbury and Ada Vaughan on March 27, 1924, in Newark, New Jersey. As a youth Vaughan took piano lessons and attended the Mount Zion Baptist Church, where she served as a church keyboardist. At home Vaughan played the family's upright piano and listened to the recordings of jazz artists Count Basie and Erskine Hawkins. After discovering Newark's numerous theaters and movie houses, she skipped school and left home at night to watch dances and stage shows. By age 15, she performed at local clubs, playing piano and singing.

Not long after, Vaughan took the train across the river to Harlem to frequent the Savoy Ballroom and the Apollo Theatre. One evening, in 1943, she sat in at the Apollo amateur show, a fiercely competitive contest that often exposed lesser talents to the harsh criticism of the theater's audience. Vaughan's moving performance of "Body and Soul" not only brought a fever of applause from the crowd, it also caught the attention of singer Billy Eckstine. Eckstine informed his bandleader Earl "Fatha" Hines about the young singer. Hines then allowed Vaughan to attend the band's uptown band rehearsal. At the rehearsal, Vaughan's singing won immediate praise from Hines and his musicians. One of the premiere modern big bands of the era, Hines's ensemble included such talents as trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Navarro, saxophonist Charlie Parker, and trombonist J. J. Johnson. As the only female bandmember, Vaughan shared the vocal spotlight with Eckstine and played piano, often in duet settings with Hines. Vaughan debuted at the Apollo with Hines's band on April 23, 1943.

Not long after, most of Hines's modernist sidemen, including Gillespie, Parker, and Eckstine, gradually left the band. Vaughan remained briefly with Hines's band until she accepted an invitation to join Eckstine's newly-formed bebop big band in 1944. In December of that year, she cut her first side "I'll Wait and Pray," backed by the Eckstine band, which included Dizzy Gillespie, saxophonists Dexter Gordon and Gene Ammons, and pianist John Malachi.

Through the intercession of jazz writer and pianist Leonard Feather, Vaughan recorded her first date as a leader for the small Continental label. Under the production of Feather, Vaughan and Her All-Stars attended their session on New Year's Eve 1944. Acting as the session's producer and pianist, Feather assembled such sidemen as Dizzy Gillespie and saxophonist Georgie Auld to cut four sides: "Signing Off," Feather's "No Smoke Blues," Gillespie's "Interlude" (a vocal version of "Night in Tunisia"), and "East of the Sun," on which Gillespie replaced Feather on keyboard.On a second session, Feather relinquished the piano duties to Nat Jaffe, and brought together Gillespie and Charlie Parker.
.....More https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/sarah-vaughan/

Songs with the Joe Lippman Orchestra

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Andrea Pozza Trio - Blue Toy

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:42
Size: 178,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:35) 1. Blue Toy
(6:35) 2. Night Flower
(6:04) 3. I Was Doing All Right (Feat. Mila Ogliastro)
(4:52) 4. You Can Say That Again
(4:59) 5. If This Isn't Love (Feat. Mila Ogliastro)
(7:00) 6. By Herself (Mila In Silence)
(4:37) 7. Close To The Rainbow
(6:54) 8. Isn't This A Lovely Day (Feat. Mila Ogliastro)
(5:54) 9. Non Stop Riders
(3:31) 10. I Don't Know Why (Feat. Mila Ogliastro)
(6:46) 11. Isfahan
(6:37) 12. Who Cares (Feat. Mila Ogliastro)
(6:13) 13. Peggy's Blue Skylight

Andrea Pozza is considered "true jazzman:" eclectic pianist capable of handling with great ease any repertoire, he has been active on the national and international jazz scene for nearly 30 years and is recognized by critics and audiences as one of the most representative figures in jazz. Andrea Pozza is a complete artist as well as a valuable partner for great musicians. Thanks to these qualities he plays both as a sideman and frontman and is one of the most respected jazz pianists in Italy and abroad.

Pozza’s career started more than thirty years ago and has led him to perform at an early age (he made his debut only 13) with superstars such as Harry "Sweet" Edison, Bobby Durham, Chet Baker, Al Grey, Scott Hamilton, George Coleman, Charlie Mariano, Lee Konitz, Massimo Urbani, Luciano Milanese. Pozza has been part of the Enrico Rava Quintet (with Roberto Gatto, Rosario Bonaccorso and Gianluca Petrella) from 2004 to 2008 with whom he recorded "The Words And The Days" (released in 2007).

His intense concert activity, in addition to his solo career, sees him present in different formations including Rosario Bonaccorso Quartet and New York Connection co-directed with Emanuele Cisi. In addition, Pozza collaborates with Fabrizio Bosso, Tullio DePiscopo, Dado Moroni, Ferenc Nemeth, Bob Sheppard. He also played with Sal Nistico, Steve Grossman and Gianni Basso, with whom he has worked steadily for more than 25 years and recorded several CDs.

In 2011 the piano jazzman released "Gull's Flight" (Abeat rec, 2011) with the Andrea Pozza European Quintet, involving Christian Brewer on alto sax, Shane Forbes on drums, Dick DeGraaf on tenor and soprano sax and Jos Machtel on upright bass. In 2013 Andrea Pozza recorded "A Jellyfish from the Bosphorus" (Abeat Rec.,2013) the last one in trio with Aldo Zunino on upright bass and Shane Forbes on drums. His most recent albums are "I Could Write a Book" and "Who cares?" (Fonè Jazz, 2014) with Scott Hamilton, one of the most important sax in the world.

Among the other record projects, Andrea Pozza loves to remember: “Plays Ellington, Monk and Himself” (GoFour, 2005); “Sweet Lorraine” (Venus, 2005); “Love Walked In” (33Records, 2007); “Drop This Thing” (2007), "New Quiet" (2010) e “Blu Daniel” (2011) with Aldo Zunino (bass) and Shane Forbes (drums) by Dejavu Records. And two others cds recorded with Enrico Rava, “Andrea Pozza meets Gianni Basso feat. Enrico Rava – Making ’whoopee” (Philology, 2003) and "The Words And The Days" with Enrico Rava Quintet (ECM, 2005).http://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/artist/andrea-pozza

Blue Toy

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Tim Armacost - The Inevitable Note

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:07
Size: 163,1 MB
Art: Front

(9:05) 1. Lazy Afternoon
(6:08) 2. Since Before We Met
(8:56) 3. Work Wonk
(7:19) 4. Ramble In The Gramble
(9:43) 5. Yaomacost
(7:25) 6. I Love My Chiru
(8:48) 7. The Mayor's Counsel
(6:26) 8. A Sliver Of Silver
(7:12) 9. Lynn's Tune

Saxophonist Tim Armacost is a force to be reckoned with. He has slowly and steadily built a reputation and a body of work that has marked him out as a player of great originality and distinction. It is only to be hoped that recordings such as this will help propel his musical trajectory further.

In danger of becoming a musician’s musician, Armacost is very much his own man having processed his influences and distilled them into his own unique take on the modern jazz tradition. In his playing one can detect the influence of John Coltrane in the saxophonist’s steely tone, and the rhythmic dexterity and lyrical agility of Sonny Rollins, yet Armacost is able to project this in his own voice to which he adds his harmonic ingenuity.

Not prone to pyrotechnics, although he can turn up the heat when required, Armacost’s solos have a patient quality about them, and delivered if he all the time in the world to say what needs to be said before moving on.

With The Inevitable Note Armacost presents a neatly programmed set of contemporary hard bop with some cracking compositions that suit this new quintet very well indeed. Opening with ‘Lazy Afternoon’, the quintet settles into their groove. The theme is delivered with a commanding tenor statement for Armacost before he launches into his first solo of the album.

Immediately capturing the attention with a hard edged tone and melodic figures that never quite go where one might expect. This is followed by Joe Locke’s vibes solo that brings the pace down and releasing the tension built up by the saxophonist.

‘Ramble in the Gramble’ kicks off with a frantic bass riff that lifts the drummer and pianist carrying them along as the tenor picks up the theme. Armacost’s solo is a little more fragmentary as he rides the bass line that continues to propel the music along. Joe Locke’s vibes solo follows a similar path as the notes fly from his mallets, carefully building his melodic phrases over the tumultuous rhythm section.

Davis’s bass is again to the fore as he introduces ‘Yaomacost’ with his strong and full sound on the instrument gripping the attention. Switching to soprano saxophone, the playing is lyrical and tender from Armacost. If the tone is not as full as his tenor sound, his control and use of dynamics give his playing a lightness if touch that is most appealing. This can be evidenced on ‘A Sliver of Silver’ where his phrases tumble over each other in a lucid solo that generates real excitement.

Back on tenor, Armacost displays a gentle swagger on ‘The Mayor’s Counsel’ in a statement of real authority, as does a splendid solo from pianist Jim Ridl, once again propelled along with urgency and good taste by the bass and drums team of Kenny Davis and Rudy Royston.

Interestingly this fine album will be released not just digitally, but in the physical format of a 180gram LP, with no immediate plans to release on CD. For audiophiles everywhere a chance to add another quality album to the collection while the rest of us should make haste and dust off our turntables in readiness.By Nick Lea https://jazzviews.net/tim-armacost-the-inevitable-note/

Personnel: Tim Armacost (tenor & soprano saxophones); Joe Locke (vibraphone); Jim Ridl (piano); Kenny Davis (double bass); Rudy Royston (drums)

The Inevitable Note

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Candy Dulfer - Golden Sax

Styles: Jazz Funk
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:06
Size: 163,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:24) 1. Lily Was Here
(4:29) 2. Saxuality
(5:37) 3. Man In The Desert
(4:16) 4. Wake Me When It's Over
(4:36) 5. I Can't Make You Love Me
(6:03) 6. Heavenly City
(4:46) 7. Capone
(4:51) 8. 2 Funky
(5:19) 9. Donja
(6:18) 10. 2 Miles
(4:57) 11. Sax-A-Go-Go
(6:01) 12. September
(5:37) 13. Mister Marvin
(1:45) 14. Lily Was Here (reprise)

Grammy nominated Dutch saxophonist and vocalist Candy Dulfer has been performing since age seven, leader of the band Funky Stuff since age fourteen, an international recording artist since age nineteen, and has toured world-wide since age twenty.

Dulfer has recorded and / or performed with numerous noted artists such as Prince, Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Van Morrison, Maceo Parker, Beyoncé, Pink Floyd, Chaka Khan, David Sanborn, Larry Graham, Aretha Franklin, Jimmy Cliff, George Duke, Blondie, Jools Holland, Jamie Cullum, Angie Stone, Tower of Power, The Time, Alan Parsons, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Joey DeFrancesco, Jonathan Butler, Mavis Staples, and the list goes on and on. Perhaps just as impressive is the thought that even jazz sax legend Sonny Rollins may be counted among Candy's fans and has commented favorably upon her work.

In 1989 "Lily was here" her first collaboration with former Eurythmics member Dave Stewart was a Number 1 hit all over Europe. In 1999 they worked together on the soundtrack of the Robert Altman motion picture Cookie's Fortune and in 2002 they toured Europe with Stewart's new project Da Univerzal Playaz, featuring reggae legend Jimmy Cliff.

Candy Dulfer's solo debut album Saxuality (Arista, 1991) sold over a million copies worldwide and was nominated for a Grammy. Her fourth album For the love of you (1997) was a major hit in the USA and remained in the Billboard charts for more than forty weeks. Sales of Dulfer's solo albums now total well into the millions worldwide

Dulfer appeared with Prince in the Partyman video, was featured on the Graffiti Bridge soundtrack, and performed with him on a special anniversary edition of Saturday Night Live. In 1998 and 2002 she once again toured with Prince, appeared on his 3-CD live box set One Nite Alone... Live! (Npg, 2002) and performed on his internet-only album Xpectation (Npg, 2003).

She again joined Prince in 2004 for the massive Musicology tour, playing over ninety shows in sell-out arenas across the USA to more than 1.5 million excited fans. Prior to the Musicology tour Dulfer performed with Prince and Beyoncé at the prestigious Grammy Awards and also performed with Prince on Jay Leno's Tonight Show. She was featured prominently with sax and vocals on Prince's hit album Musicology (Sony, 2004), including the smashing duet "Life 'o' the Party".

TV appearances include Jay Leno's Tonight Show, Good Morning America, CNN's Showbiz Today, Saturday Night Live, The Sinbad Show, and a recurring spot on The Arsenio Hall Show. Dulfer has also appeared on numerous major television shows in Japan. Her European TV appearances include Ohne Filter, The Harald Schmidt Show, Rockpalast and Pepe Linhardt.

"Finsbury Park, Café 67" from Dulfer's solo album Right in my Soul (Eagle Music Europe, 2003) became a major smash at all the smooth jazz stations across the USA and in October of that year reached the Number 1 position on the R&R Smooth Jazz chart making it the most played smooth jazz song in the USA.

Her second live album Live at Montreux (Video Arts Japan, 2005) was released on DVD and CD as part of a prestigious group of releases by Eagle Vision from the archives of the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival.

In 2006 Candy Dulfer performed as a special guest at the renowned Berks Jazz Fest in the USA, followed by more shows in the States in July together with Jason Miles (of Miles Davis fame) with a band that included Dulfer's fellow Prince bandmembers Rhonda Smith and Chance Howard. By popular demand, she continues to play numerous dates each year primarily in the USA, Europe, Canada, and Japan (including the famous Blue Note clubs).

Dulfer's latest effort titled Candy Store (Heads Up International, 2007) includes performances by Ulco Bed and Chance Howard. The album features a sprinkling of techno-style special effects, but it's funk and R&B roots are clear. A subsequent album is already in the works with an anticipated release in Spring 2009.

Although her music is often labeled "smooth jazz," Dulfer considers herself to be an R&B saxophone player. There are several videos available below which clearly illustrate Candy Dulfer's versatility and extraordinary musical ability.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/candy-dulfer

Golden Sax

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Raphael Laffont Quartet - Late Night At the Bar

Styles: Smooth Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:52
Size: 83,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:55) 1. Mad About You
(2:13) 2. Midnight Romance
(2:33) 3. Devil In The Bottle
(2:13) 4. Ballad In Blue
(2:23) 5. Midnight Bop
(2:45) 6. Cocktail Hour
(2:47) 7. Blues For My Lady
(2:10) 8. Sunny Blues
(2:41) 9. Sweet Piano Rag
(3:14) 10. I'm In The Mood For Jazz
(2:35) 11. Around The Blues
(2:07) 12. The Way We Were
(2:42) 13. Last Call
(2:30) 14. Left Me Lonely

Late Night At The Bar in a smoky jazz club listening to sophisticated, nostalgic and romantic themes, bluesy tunes and ballads featuring a Jazz quartet with sultry tenor saxophone, soulful piano, upright bass and light drums with brushes. Includes alternative versions, underscores and 30 second commercial cuts.
https://www.bammusic.com/fr/release/late_night_at_the_bar/62e0f961e38f4c3d1adaa5cc

Late Night At the Bar

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Jonathan Butler - Ubuntu

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:28
Size: 130,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:58) 1. Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)
(5:04) 2. Ubuntu
(4:14) 3. When Love Comes In
(4:52) 4. No Tomorrow
(5:19) 5. Bon Appétit
(4:02) 6. Rainbow Nation
(5:10) 7. Peace in Shelter
(4:49) 8. Coming Home
(7:04) 9. Silver Rain
(5:14) 10. Springtime in Afrika
(5:38) 11. Our Voices Matter (Bonus Acoustic Version)

Legendary singer-songwriter Jonathan Butler traveled back to his home country of South Africa to craft his most exciting and deeply personal album to date. Featuring producer/bassist Marcus Miller, Ubuntu is a reintroduction of Butler’s life story, going back 60 years to his upbringing in apartheid-era Capetown, which shaped his world view, prompted years of advocacy and instilled the ideology of ‘Oneness’ (Ubuntu).

Featuring special guests Keb’ Mo’ and Stevie Wonder on harmonica, the new album serves both as a rebirth of musical creativity and reconciliation with systemically biased history to forge a brighter future.
https://jonathanbutler.com/products/jonathan-butler-ubuntu

Ubuntu

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Pharoah Sanders - Great Moments with Pharoah Sanders

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 99:44
Size: 229,2 MB
Art: Front

( 7:53) 1. Times Past (This Is For You, John)
( 6:54) 2. Origin
( 5:31) 3. Naima
( 8:25) 4. Africa
( 4:57) 5. You Don't Know What Love Is
(12:19) 6. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
( 7:22) 7. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
(10:43) 8. Moniebah
( 9:24) 9. Soul Eyes
(10:06) 10. You've Got To Have Freedom
( 8:10) 11. Moon Child
( 7:55) 12. Central Park West

"The double-LP Great Moments With Pharoah Sanders documents the music of Pharoah Sanders from 1983 to 1990, showcasing both the raw energy and tender nature of his music. It contains 12 of his recordings, including 'Africa', 'Naima', 'You've Got To Have Freedom' and also the previously unreleased version of 'Central Park West'.

Featured guest musicians are John Hicks, Idris Muhammad, Curtis Lundy, Benny Golson, Cedar Walton, Ron Carter and more jazz masters. For this compilation, Bret Primack has written new liner notes and Timeless Records founders Ria and Wim Wigt here share additional great moments from Sanders's sublime work.Great Moments Withis available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on translucent blue color vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve."
https://www.inneroceanrecords.com/products/pharoah-sanders-great-moments-with-pharoah-sanders

Great Moments with Pharoah Sanders

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Kurt Elling - SuperBlue

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:41
Size: 112,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:45) 1. SuperBlue
(4:18) 2. Sassy
(5:29) 3. Manic panic epiphanic
(4:51) 4. Where to find it
(5:49) 5. Can't make it with your brain
(4:22) 6. The seed
(5:58) 7. Dharma bums
(4:55) 8. Circus
(6:54) 9. Endless lawns
(1:16) 10. This is how we do

A collaboration with guitarist Charlie Hunter, SuperBlue finds vocalist Kurt Elling exploring a sophisticated funk and soul sound. Hunter, who plays here and also produced the album, is primarily known for his fusion-informed jazz and adventurous, funk-influenced projects like Garage a Trois. However, he has also made significant contributions to albums by forward-thinking neo-soul and R&B artists, including D'Angelo and Frank Ocean.

It's this deep grasp of those funky, groove-oriented vibes that he brings to his work with Elling on SuperBlue. Also contributing are Butcher Brown bandmates drummer Corey Fonville and bassist-keyboardist DJ Harrison, who bring their own hip-hop sensibilities to the proceedings. The ensemble initially began sharing tracks and musical ideas online while in quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eventually, Elling and Hunter met up in an Illinois barn turned studio to add vocals and guitar to the arrangements.

Despite the implied difficulty of the process, SuperBlue is one of Elling's most sleek and relaxed recordings, bringing together some of the beat poetry-influenced spoken word of his early work with the warm, lyrical vocal swagger he's known for. Cuts like the title track, "Manic Panic Epiphanic," and "Can't Make It with Your Brain" are fluidly engaging jams that marry Elling's burnished lyrical flow with Hunter's knack for kinetic grooves. We also get a dusky reworking of "Endless Lawns," originally recorded on 2018's The Questions.

If the earlier version already evoked the romantic '70s soul of Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, this version magnifies the influence as Hunter frames Elling in slow-burning organ and supple bass accents. SuperBlue certainly straddles the line between electric jazz fusion and groove-based neo-soul, with a heavy leaning toward the latter.

While there are some superb solo moments here from Hunter, not to mention dazzling sections of vocal gymnastics by Elling, the focus is less on post-bop improvisation and more on a song's overall vibe. For Elling and Hunter, the choice feels purposeful and right for the funky, organic nature of these songs. SuperBlue is an ebullient and creative production that further underlines Elling's dynamic and endlessly adaptable vocal skills, regardless of genre.By Matt Collar
https://www.allmusic.com/album/superblue-mw0003515798

Personnel: Kurt Elling: Voice; Charlie Hunter: Hybrid Guitar; DJ Harrison: Keyboards; Corey Fonville: Drums, Percussion

SuperBlue

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Miles Davis - Live At Johanneshov Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden, October 3, 1964

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:29
Size: 104,8 MB
Art: Front

(12:26) 1. Autumn Leaves
(11:59) 2. So What
(10:18) 3. Stella by Starlight
(10:45) 4. Joshua / The Theme (Incomplete)

Miles Davis, in full Miles Dewey Davis III, (born May 26, 1926, Alton, Illinois, U.S. died September 28, 1991, Santa Monica, California), American jazz musician, a great trumpeter who as a bandleader and composer was one of the major influences on the art from the late 1940s.

Davis grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, where his father was a prosperous dental surgeon. (In later years he often spoke of his comfortable upbringing, sometimes to rebuke critics who assumed that a background of poverty and suffering was common to all great jazz artists.) He began studying trumpet in his early teens; fortuitously, in light of his later stylistic development, his first teacher advised him to play without vibrato.

Davis played with jazz bands in the St. Louis area before moving to New York City in 1944 to study at the Institute of Musical Art (now the Juilliard School) although he skipped many classes and instead was schooled through jam sessions with masters such as Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. More...https://www.britannica.com/biography/Miles-Davis

Live At Johanneshov Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden, October 3, 1964

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Harry Belafonte - The Very Best Of Harry Belafonte

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:24
Size: 172.6 MB
Styles: Calypso, International folk
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[2:54] 1. Land Of The Sea And Sun
[3:20] 2. Done Laid Around -A K A Gotta Travel On
[3:05] 3. Banana Boat (Day-O)
[3:10] 4. Suzanne (Every Night When The Sun Goes Down)
[3:53] 5. Angelina
[5:16] 6. Cotton Fields
[2:39] 7. Angelique-O
[1:57] 8. Jump Down, Spin Around
[3:38] 9. Jump In The Line
[5:28] 10. Cu-Cu-Ru-Cu-Cu Paloma
[3:17] 11. Coconut Woman
[2:48] 12. Jamaica Farewell
[3:02] 13. I'm Just A Country Boy
[2:31] 14. Gomen Nasai (Forgive Me)
[2:33] 15. Hold 'em Joe
[4:30] 16. Two Brothers
[2:46] 17. Island In The Sun
[2:29] 18. Man Smart (Woman Smarter)
[3:00] 19. Mama, Look A Boo Boo
[5:56] 20. Bam Bam Bamba
[2:42] 21. Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)
[4:21] 22. Mary's Boy Child

The Very Best of Harry Belafonte fulfills the promise of the title in fine fashion, compiling 20 of Belafonte's best-known hits onto a single CD (though it cheats slightly by adding a pair of unreleased tracks, "Bam Bam Bamba" and "Two Brothers"). Fans of his breakout Calypso LP from 1956 will find several tracks here -- the obvious "Banana Boat Song (Day-O)" plus "Jamaica Farewell" and "Man Smart (Woman Smarter)," though unfortunately not "Brown Skin Girl." Other highlights include "Coconut Woman" and "Island in the Sun." Interested parties who find much too much to love on Belafonte's three-disc set Greatest Hits will find everything they need right here. ~John Bush

R.I.P.
Born: March 1, 1927, Harlem, New York, United States

Died: April 25, 2023, Manhattan, New York, United States

The Very Best Of Harry Belafonte

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Paul Carrack & The SWR Big Band - Don’t Wait Too Long

Styles: Vocal, Big Band
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:50
Size: 106,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:50) 1. I'll Always Be In Love With You
(3:51) 2. Don't Wait Too Long
(4:29) 3. Cryin' Won´t Help You
(3:40) 4. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying
(3:54) 5. Ain't Nothing You Can Do
(3:52) 6. Question
(4:48) 7. The Only Thing Missing Is You
(3:59) 8. Got To Get You Off My Mind
(3:24) 9. Frim Fram Sauce
(4:18) 10. Trust In Me
(3:36) 11. Bring It On Home To Me
(3:04) 12. Next Time You See Me

Celebrating a momentous five decades in the industry, legendary musician and songwriter Paul Carrack (Four Time GRAMMY® Nominated), who's 'Golden Voice' features on numerous classic world wide hits such as 'How Long' (ACE'), 'Tempted' (Squeeze), 'The Living Years', 'Over My Shoulder' (Mike and the Mechanics) teams up with the Two Time GRAMMY® Nominated SWR Big Band & Strings on epic new album " Don't Wait Too Long".

The covers album celebrates the pioneering golden era in music from the 50s and beyond spanning blues, gospel, country and jazz. The first single "Cryin' Won't Help You" out in Jan 2023 is Paul's tribute to the legendary BB King.Paul has a deep love of R&B songs from the fifties and beyond. For him, 50s music was filled with intense emotion, it was wildly kinetic and had a profound impact on his career.In Paul's mind, it's where all modern pop music began, the sounds were spectacular and revolutionary.

Days when the change from jazz to pop was stretched via pioneers and great singers like Bobby Bland, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Lloyd Price.These artists always resonated as fantastic performers with stylistic records that had such joy and intensity.The 50s were not only a time for musical revolution but a social and generational upheaval of vast and unpredictable scope. The power of this music is as vital today as it ever was with the power to change lives forever.

After working with the SWR band on a number of projects, Paul and his producers had the idea to find and record a selection of these time-warped classics, some well-known, others not so much, and the title track, a modern song that harks back to those times called 'Don't Wait Too Long'.The result is an impassioned, compelling album. Honest, epic, touching, the album showcases a great vocalist who is at home with his art and talent.By Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Wait-Long-Paul-Carrack

Don’t Wait Too Long

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Claude Tissendier Quintet & Teddy Edwards - Three Tenors Session

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 38:45

Size: 88.7 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 2008

Art: Front

[6:04] 1. Sunset Eyes

[3:51] 2. Wheelin' And Dealin'

[7:13] 3. Midnite Creeper

[5:06] 4. Number One

[5:03] 5. Lovin' It, Lovin' It

[4:44] 6. T'n't' (Tiss And Teddy)

[6:43] 7. If I Had You/That's All/Tenderly

Claude Braud, Claude Tissendier (tenor saxophone) Philippe Milanta (piano) Pierre-Yves Sorin (bass) Vincent Cordelette (drums) and Teddy Edwards (tenor saxophone).

Featuring the French swinging bop tenor Claude Tissendier & 'the first' bop tenor Teddy Edwards. Features seven tracks recorded in 2002 in Paris, France, this is warm, soulful, & swinging jazz music!

Three Tenors Session

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Billie Holiday - The Complete Commodore & Decca Masters Cd 1, Cd 2, Cd 3

Size: 117,5+134,6+122,0 MB
Time: 50:44+58:05+52:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. Strange Fruit (3:11)
02. Yesterdays (3:24)
03. Fine And Mellow (3:16)
04. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues (2:49)
05. How Am I To Know (2:43)
06. My Old Flame (3:01)
07. I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You) (2:57)
08. I Cover The Waterfront (3:29)
09. I'll Be Seeing You (3:29)
10. I'm Yours (3:15)
11. Embraceable You (3:14)
12. As Time Goes By (3:10)
13. He's Funny That Way (3:14)
14. Lover, Come Back To Me (3:19)
15. Billie's Blues (3:06)
16. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (3:01)

CD 2:
01. Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be) (Single Version) (3:15)
02. No More (Single Version) (2:46)
03. That Ole Devil Called Love (Single Version) (2:52)
04. Don't Explain (Single Version) (3:20)
05. You Better Go Now (Single Version) (2:29)
06. What Is This Thing Called Love (Single Version) (3:08)
07. Good Morning Heartache (3:05)
08. No Good Man (Single Version) (3:04)
09. Big Stuff (2:29)
10. Baby, I Don't Cry Over You (1991 Box Set Version) (3:09)
11. I'll Look Around (Edit) (3:13)
12. The Blues Are Brewin' (Single Version) (3:02)
13. Guilty (3:11)
14. Deep Song (Single Version) (3:10)
15. There Is No Greater Love (Single Version) (2:56)
16. Easy Living (Single Version) (3:10)
17. Solitude (Single Version) (3:07)
18. Weep No More (Single Version) (3:19)
19. Girls Were Made To Take Care Of Boys (Single Version) (3:12)

CD 3:
01. I Loves You Porgy (Single Version) (2:54)
02. My Man (Mon Homme) (Single Version) (2:55)
03. 'tain't Nobody's Business If I Do (Single Version) (3:18)
04. Baby Get Lost (Single Version) (3:13)
05. Keeps On A Rainin' (Papa He Can't Make No Time) (Single Version) (3:14)
06. Them There Eyes (Single Version) (2:49)
07. Do Your Duty (Single Version) (3:14)
08. Gimme A Pigfoot And A Bottle Of Beer (Single Version) (2:42)
09. You Can't Lose A Broken Heart (Single Version) (3:13)
10. My Sweet Hunk O' Trash (Single Version) (3:18)
11. Now Or Never (Single Version) (3:15)
12. You're My Thrill (Single Version) (3:21)
13. Crazy He Calls Me (Single Version) (3:01)
14. Please Tell Me Now (Single Version) (3:12)
15. Somebody's On My Mind (Single Version) (2:55)
16. God Bless The Child (Single Version) (3:08)
17. This Is Heaven To Me (Single Version) (2:50

Although many of Billie Holiday's recordings for Commodore and Decca are often overlooked -- at least in comparison to the songs that bookend her career (for Columbia and Verve) -- they include some of her best work, beginning at the end of the '30s with "Strange Fruit" and stretching to the end of the '40s with "God Bless the Child." In 1939, Billie Holiday was a jazz sensation without a hit record. She gained that hit record, and began her journey to musical immortality, when her label Columbia refused to record "Strange Fruit," and jazz fan Milt Gabler welcomed her to his aficionado label, Commodore. Gabler recorded Holiday often over the next ten years, both at Commodore and through his work at Decca in the mid-to late '40s. While on Commodore, Holiday focused on downcast ballads, including "I Cover the Waterfront" and "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" (dubbed "loser" songs by Gabler), but she also excelled with warm and affectionate material too, "Embraceable You" and "On the Sunny Side of the Street." Regardless of the material, her backing consisted of small groups usually led by a pair of saloon-sound maestros: Doc Cheatham on trumpet and Eddie Heywood on piano. That sound was in for a switch when Holiday moved to Decca, however, beginning with another big hit, "Lover Man," a pop ballad with the full crossover treatment -- strings and all. (Gabler had no compunction about false notions of purity, and he happily recorded Holiday with strings and backing choruses whenever the song demanded it.) Even more than her work for Commodore, Holiday's work for Decca was melancholy and resigned in the extreme, with sterling treatments of yet more loser songs: "Don't Explain," "Good Morning Heartache," "You Better Go Now," and "What Is This Thing Called Love." Individually, the songs are excellent, and as a package, The Complete Commodore & Decca Masters can hardly be beat. It's a splendid accompaniment to similar sets devoted to Billie Holiday's Columbia and Verve output, and while completists will bemoan the lack of the many alternate takes -- most of the Commodore sides have two alternate takes for each master recording, available elsewhere -- this is all the war-years Billie Holiday one could hope for. ~Review by John Bush

The Complete Commodore & Decca Masters Cd 1, Cd 2, Cd 3

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Bossacucanova & Roberto Menescal - Bossa Got The Blues

Styles: Brazilian Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:54
Size: 32,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:10) 1. 1937
(2:42) 2. Mandacaru
(3:21) 3. Train To Ipanema
(4:18) 4. Sambalaya
(2:06) 5. Blues Bossa
(3:41) 6. Laudi's Theme
(3:00) 7. Bossa Got The Blues
(3:16) 8. Kalunga Rocket
(3:07) 9. Vou Nessa
(4:08) 10. Galeria Menescal

Listening to BossaCucaNova creates the impression that you're driving an exquisite Italian sportscar on a leisurely and sunny Sunday afternoon. You can hear the smooth purr of the engine powering your rhythm, soft but ferocious, a napping tiger, through the open window. Slicing through the breeze moderates its temperature so that it feels both warm and cool simply perfect on your skin. You turn to the left and the right and smile to return the greetings extended by the colorful and inviting scenery bathing in the golden light of that friendly sun above. Bossacucanova makes every day feel better than a good day feel like a simply perfect day for a nice ride.

Bossa Got The Blues maintains the preeminence of Bossacucanova Alex Moreira on keyboards, Marcelinho Da Lua on scratches and samples, and Marcio Menescal on Fender and keyboard bass among contemporary Brazilian bands whose sound springs from filtering traditional bossa nova through modern production and electronica. It also showcases one of the founding fathers of bossa nova guitar: guitarist, composer, and producer Roberto Menescal, who wrote the famous "O Barquinho (Little Boat)" and happens to be father of Bossacucanova bassist Marcio. (Father also joined son and crew for the band's 2001 global debut Brasilidade [Zuirigiboom/Six Degrees].)

Thanks to Papa Roberto, Bossa Got The Blues and some sweet, swinging Grant Green jazz guitar, too, all wrapped up in Bossacucanova's trademark luxurious 1960s production and presentation. Flavio Guimarães' harmonica leads "Laudir's Theme" out from a Brazilian jungle into an acoustic blues, his howls and wails pouring down on the guitar hook like sweet and sticky syrup. Leo Gandleman, whose saxophones have graced recordings by Gilberto Gil and other Brazilian stars for four decades, also climbs onboard to sing the blues.

These ten tracks would split and retrofit quite nicely into two sides of a vinyl LP, and Gandleman plays on the songs that would close side one (track five, "Blue Bossa") and two (track ten "Galeria Menescal"). "Blues Bossa" cribs the melody to "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" before opening up a dance floor jointly rocked by Menescal's electric guitar chords and Gandelman's moaning and groaning baritone and tenor saxophones. Gandelman adds tenor, baritone and flute in a lovely dance with acoustic guitar and vibraphone to "Galeria Menescal" (which opens, in case you missed all the old school, with the sound of a needle coming down on a vinyl album).

Yes, you could downshift and grind your Bossacucanova sportster into a deeper, harder and more powerful gear. But when you feel as good as the sound of Bossa Got the Blues!, why mess with simply perfect?By Chris M. Slawecki
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bossa-got-the-blues-bossacucanova-e-roberto-menescal-six-degrees-records

Personnel: BossaCucaNova: arranger; Alex Moreira: keyboards; Marcelinho Da Lua: producer; Marcio Menescal: bass; Roberto Menescal: guitar.

Additional Instrumentation: Cris Delanno: vocals; Laudir DeOliveira: percussion; Renato Endrigo: percussion; Leo Gandelman: saxophones, flute, horn arrangements; Flávio Guimarães: harmonica; Carlos Malta: bass flute, piccolo; Jota Moraes: vibraphone; Ian Moreira: percussion; Sidinho Moreira: percussion; Rio Maracatu: percussion; Paulinho Trompete: flugelhorn, horn arrangements, trombone, trumpet.

Bossa Got The Blues

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Hazel Scott - Great Scott! Collected Recordings 1939-57 Disc 1, Disc 2, Disc 3

Album: Great Scott! Collected Recordings 1939-57 Disc 1
Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:00
Size: 167,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:51) 1. Calling All Bars
(2:53) 2. Mighty Like The Blues
(2:41) 3. You Gave Me The Go-By
(2:37) 4. Why Didn't William Tell?
(2:46) 5. Ritual Fire Dance
(2:12) 6. Two-Part Invention In A Minor
(2:53) 7. Country Gardens
(2:22) 8. Prelude In C Sharp Minor
(3:04) 9. Valse In D Flat Major
(3:21) 10. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
(2:20) 11. Hazel's Boogie Woogie
(2:49) 12. Blues In B Flat
(2:58) 13. Embraceable You
(2:36) 14. Three Little Words
(3:13) 15. Dark Eyes [Otchitchornyia]
(3:04) 16. Hallelujah
(3:27) 17. People Will Say We're In Love
(4:03) 18. Honeysuckle Rose
(4:06) 19. Body And Soul
(3:45) 20. C Jam Blues
(3:18) 21. Take Me In Your Arms
(3:17) 22. I'm Glad There Is You
(2:28) 23. Fascinating Rhythm
(2:45) 24. The Man I Love

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Album: Great Scott! Collected Recordings 1939-57 Disc 2
Time: 73:00
Size: 170,1 MB

(3:25) 1. I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plans
(3:02) 2. Valse In C Sharp Minor
(3:38) 3. Fantasie Impromptu
(3:26) 4. Nocturne In B Flat Minor
(3:02) 5. A Rainy Night In G
(2:41) 6. How High The Moon
(1:21) 7. Sonate In C Minor - Toccata
(3:06) 8. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(2:34) 9. I've Got The World On A String
(2:34) 10. Butterfly Kick
(3:08) 11. Ich Vill Sich Spielen
(2:50) 12. Soon
(3:05) 13. Love Me Or Leave Me
(2:43) 14. Emaline
(2:49) 15. Love Will Find A Way
(2:41) 16. Mary Lou
(2:55) 17. Dancing On The Ceiling (He Dances On My Ceiling)
(3:13) 18. Nightmare Blues
(2:54) 19. Brown Bee Boogie
(2:39) 20. That Old Black Magic
(3:04) 21. For All We Know
(2:56) 22. Tinkerbell Blows Again
(2:56) 23. Soothe Me
(3:02) 24. Un Gamin De Paris
(3:03) 25. Whatever Happened To Captain Hook

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Album: Great Scott! Collected Recordings 1939-57 Disc 3
Time: 73:32
Size: 170,7 MB

(3:14) 1. J'aime Bien Paris
(3:50) 2. Like Someone In Love
(4:04) 3. Peace Of Mind
(4:45) 4. Lament
(3:58) 5. The Jeep Is Jumpin'
(4:28) 6. Git Up From There
(6:07) 7. A Foggy Day
(4:46) 8. Mountain Greenery
(3:03) 9. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
(3:26) 10. It's You Or No One
(4:17) 11. It's Easy To Remember
(2:54) 12. Just Imagine
(3:11) 13. Lucky To Be Me
(3:00) 14. 'Round Midnight
(3:01) 15. I Wish I Didn't Love You So
(3:05) 16. For You, For Me, For Evermore
(3:09) 17. Ev'ry Time
(2:49) 18. Maybe
(2:54) 19. Love Is The Thing
(3:24) 20. Warm All Over

Hazel Scott was a jazz pianist and singer, about whom we hear very little these, but who was a stylish and respected performer, especially known for her jazz interpretations of classical pieces and styles, but also a noted composer as well as a fine vocalist with a sophisticated approach to the Great American Songbook. This 69-track 3-CD collection brings together a significant proportion of her recordings during the primary era of her career, before she largely relocated to France in the wake of McCarthy-ite persecution as a committed civil rights activist.

It features solo piano recordings, plus piano and vocal performances with small groups and orchestras, so offers an entertaining cross-section of her output for the Bluebird, Decca, V-Disc, Signature, Columbia, Capitol and Debut labels. It includes most of the titles from her albums Swinging The Classics, A Piano Recital, Great Scott, Grand Jazz, Relaxed Piano Moods and Round Midnight, and features recordings with Charles Mingus, Max Roach, J.C. Heard, Sidney Catlett, Toots Camarata, Charlie Shavers, Ernie Caceres, Red Callender, Everett Barksdale and many others. It's a substantial and enjoyable showcase for a talented artist whose work deserves a much higher profile than she has generally enjoyed.By Editorial Reviews
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Scott-Collected-Recordings-1939-57/dp/B0BTTRLGNJ

Great Scott! Collected Recordings 1939-57 Disc 1, Disc 2, Disc 3

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Nino Tempo & April Stevens - Sweet & Lovely: The Best Of

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:12
Size: 109,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:44)  1. Deep Purple
(2:59)  2. Sweet & Lovely
(2:24)  3. Teach Me Tiger
(2:30)  4. Paradise
(2:24)  5. (We'll Always Be) Together
(2:28)  6. Begin the Beguine
(2:30)  7. Whispering
(3:00)  8. Stardust
(2:29)  9. Tea for Two
(2:11) 10. I'm Confessin' That I Love You
(2:59) 11. The Coldest Night of the Year
(2:42) 12. I Love How You Love Me
(3:02) 13. All Strung Out
(2:05) 14. You'll Be Needing Me Baby
(2:42) 15. I Can't Go On Livin' Baby Without You
(3:11) 16. I'm Fallin' for You
(3:44) 17. Why Don't You Do Right?

Seventeen-track anthology focuses mostly on their popular 1963-66 recordings, including "Deep Purple," "Whispering," "Stardust," "All Strung Out," several lower-charting items, and some LP tracks. They milked the "Deep Purple" formula too many times, but this is enjoyably frothy pop, and "All Strung Out" is a genuinely soulful, accurate approximation of Phil Spector's work with the Righteous Brothers. The disc also includes Stevens's 1959 solo single "Teach Me Tiger," a bizarre cover of "I Love How You Love Me" (with battling bagpipes and fuzzy guitars), and one undistinguished track each from 1985 and 1996.By Richie Unterberger http://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-lovely-the-best-of-nino-tempo-april-stevens-mw0000182365

Sweet & Lovely: The Best Of

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Melissa Lesnie & Jean-Baptiste Franc - The Wonderful Things To Come: The Songs of JC Hopkins

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:15
Size: 90,3 MB
Art: Front

(0:51) 1. Rainy Afternoon In The Latin Quarter
(3:53) 2. The Wonderful Things To Come
(3:47) 3. Let's Pick Up Where We Left Off
(2:45) 4. Remember When
(3:33) 5. I Will Always Be There For You
(3:06) 6. Gabrielle
(1:54) 7. It's A Lovely, Lovely Thing
(3:14) 8. A Grand Way To Live
(3:39) 9. Not So All Alone
(2:36) 10. The Leaves Are Turning Brown
(3:25) 11. Do You Want to Go to France?
(2:12) 12. I'm Getting Over You
(2:13) 13. Painter Song

The Wonderful Things To Come - The JC Hopkins Songbook. a new album by Parisian vocalist Melissa Lesnie and pianist Jean-Baptiste Franc of original compositions by JC Hopkins: The album features intimate, exclusive interpretations of Grammy-nominated songwriter's unabashedly romantic jazz tunes, performed by Paris-based duo Melissa Lesnie (voice) and Jean Baptiste-Franc (piano), with jazz quartet (William Brunard, double bass and Jonathan Gomis, drums), and additional string quartet arrangements by Daniel Garlitsky.

Based in Brooklyn, the composer and songwriter JC Hopkins has built a career in the entertainment industry on originality and quality, co-authoring songs for Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux, and other major singers. His ensemble the Biggish Band has performed with Norah Jones, Jazzemia Horn, Jon Hendricks, Andy Bey and Elvis Costello, among others. In February 2022, Hopkins traveled to Paris to produce an album of his own songs in an intimate setting, Studio Libretto.

World champion of stride piano (2018) Jean-Baptiste Franc was entrusted with the task of recording these songs (many for the first time), alongside Australian-born jazz singer Melissa Lesnie, with whom Franc had already released a first album of standards in 2020. Of the ten songs on the album, some were entirely new compositions written in the wake of the pandemic; others among Hopkins's most beloved hits, such as Painter Song, originally recorded by Norah Jones.

The Wonderful Things to Come is a hope-filled journey through memory, romance, cohabitation and second chances. The JC Hopkins Songbook showcases not only the composer's skill as a lyricist and melodist, but also the talent and tenacity of these Parisian musicians at a time when the City of Lights was reawakening following the pandemic, with many lost souls seeking a soundtrack to a better world they are building for themselves and their communities.By Editorial Reviews
https://www.amazon.com/Wonderful-Things-Come-Songs-Hopkins/dp/B0BVBWQM83

The Wonderful Things To Come: The Songs of JC Hopkins

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Teddy Edwards - Steppin' Lightly

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:18
Size: 97,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:23) 1. Steppin' Lightly
(5:16) 2. Lover, Come Back To Me
(4:13) 3. A Little Later
(5:38) 4. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(4:56) 5. Fool Rush In
(4:29) 6. You Don't Know What Love Is
(5:36) 7. The Cellar Dweller
(4:44) 8. Our Last Goodbye

A pioneer hard bopper on the tenor and recognized as one of the masters in the L.A. Central Avenue scene, Edwards leaves a huge legacy of recorded music, stretching from the Forties right through to his death in 2003.

Born in Jackson, Mississippi, on 26th April 1924, Edwards moved to Los Angeles in 1945, first coming to attention the following year when, with trumpeter Howard McGhee's group, he recorded the groundbreaking bebop tune, “Up In Dodo's Room.”

By the end of that decade Edwards was sufficiently well known to front his own bands. In 1949 he was also one of the first members of the Lighthouse All Stars, the group based at the famous Lighthouse Club in Hermosa Beach.

Five years later, in 1954, Edwards was invited to join the Max Roach Quintet, a group that also featured legendary trumpeter Clifford Brown. Edwards' tenor perfectly complemented Brown's eloquent style, a partnership also helped by Teddy's growing talents as a composer. Indeed, the Quintet's recording of Edwards' classic “Sunset Eyes” is a testament to the effectiveness of the relationship.

By the mid-Fifties Edwards was long established as a regular at West Coast festivals and clubs and, over the next few years, he worked with such diverse musicians as Benny Goodman, Les McCann, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Ray Brown, Benny Carter, Hampton Hawes, Earl Hines and Gerald Wilson. He also wrote songs for Nancy Wilson, Jimmy Witherspoon and Ernie Andrews.

In 1978 Edwards came to Europe for the first of what became regular visits. Among the dates were festivals in Norway, Holland and Belgium.

Edwards' talents came to the attention of a wider audience when, in 1982, he teamed up with the singer Tom Waits on his Oscar-nominated soundtrack for Francis Ford Coppola's film, “One From the Heart.” Edwards also joined Waits on a tour of Australia and New Zealand that same year. It was the start of a lifetime friendship, a relationship that also included Waits' appearance on Teddy Edwards' 1991 album, “Mississippi Lad.”

Despite recurring illness, Edwards continued to play and record throughout the Nineties. His schedule included European festivals and UK tours as well as shows throughout the United States. A jazz player of unique talent, Edwards will be remembered as a consistently inventive and dexterous musician.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/teddy-edwards/

Steppin'Lightly

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Smith Dobson, Steve Gadd, Eddie Gomez - Smithzonian

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:47
Size: 99,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:35) 1. Smithzonian
(5:00) 2. Lullaby For V
(4:32) 3. Getting Sentimental Over You
(4:20) 4. Tones For Joan's Bones
(4:00) 5. Warning
(6:49) 6. Where Or When
(3:31) 7. Ottawa On
(4:58) 8. Isotope
(4:58) 9. It's A Quiet Thing

Steve Gadd: is one of the most sought-after studio/live drummers in the world. His feel, technique, and musicality on such tunes as Paul Simon's "Fifty Ways", Steely Dan's "Aja", and Chick Corea's "Nite Sprite" were so awe-inspiring and his concepts so innovative that they instantly assured his special position in the history of the percussive arts. Gadd attended the Manhattan School of Music as well as Eastman School of Music. After the army, he rapidly rose to prominence with a wide variety of artists, including Al DiMeola, Stanley Clarke, Rickie Lee Jones, Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Dr. John, Michel Petrucciani and Stuff. Today, Gadd is as busy as ever, working with James Taylor, Eric Clapton, Blicher Hemmer Gadd, Mika Stoltzman, and his own, Grammy Award Winning Steve Gadd Band!

Eddie Gomez: was born in 1944 in Santurce, Puerto Rico. He moved to New York City with his family when he was a child. He attended the New York City High School of Performing and Art, and later graduated from the Juilliard school in 1963. By age 18 he had also played with such luminaries as Paul Bley, Buck Clayton, and Marian McPartland. Soon after this period, he would begin an 11 year stint with Bill Evans and the Bill Evans Trio. He would tour and record extensively with the group during his time, with 2 albums winning grammy awards. Eddie Gomez left the Bill Evans Trio in 1977, and has since played with Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, McCoy Tyner, Hank Jones, Nancy Wilson, and Chick Corea. Two of the albums that Eddie Recorded with Chick have been awarded Grammys.
Http://www.highresaudio.com/en/artist/view/5c3433e8-5e76-40ad-bbd7-9dfe05884a2d/steve-gadd-eddie-gomez-ronnie-cuber

Smith Dobson: Jazz musician Smith Dobson was a renowned pianist in the South Bay area of California. Dobson initially received his appreciation of music at a young age via his mother, who sang and taught him harmony (his father was also musical, playing piano and accordion). After attending San Francisco State University and the University of the Pacific, Dobson honed his piano skills working the Nevada casino circuit. In 1967, Dobson joined the Airmen of Note (a United States Air Force band) which was the official White House Jazz Band, as he recorded with the likes of Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Joe Pass, Arthur Prysock, Clark Terry, Joe Williams, and Nancy Wilson. Dobson then returned back home, where he either played for or recorded with such artists as Woody Shaw, Bud Shank, Frank Rosolino, Freddie Hubbard, Pharaoh Sanders, Joe Henderson, Art Pepper, Richie Cole, Eddie Jefferson, Mark Murphy, and Bobby Hutcherson. In 1981, Dobson founded what would go on to become San Jose, CA's, most successful and longest-running annual jazz concerts, the Jazz Series at Garden City, during which he shared the stage with Stan Getz, Toots Thielmans, and Herb Ellis, among many others. Dobson also performed on his own, as part of a trio (which appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival from 1984 through 1993), and alongside his wife, jazz vocalist Gail Dobson. In addition to appearing on numerous albums by other artists, Dobson also released his own albums 1986's Smithzonian, 1988's Live at Garden City, and Sasha Bossa and in 1995, he was the featured pianist on arranger Ray Brown's album, Impressions of Point Lobos. Dobson also found time to teach music to others at the University of California (Santa Cruz) and San Jose State University (where he helped form the first San Jose Summer Jazz Camp), and also served on such music boards as the San Jose Jazz Society, the Stanford Jazz Alliance, and the Kuumbwa Jazz Center. On April 20, 2001, Smith Dobson was tragically killed in a car crash while driving home from a performance
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/smith-dobson-mn0000023084/biography

Personnel: Smith Dobson - Piano; Eddie Gomez - Bass; Steve Gadd - Drums

Smithzonian

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Wayne Shorter - The All Seeing Eye

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:33
Size: 102,5 MB
Art: Front

(10:34) 1. The All Seeing Eye
(11:48) 2. Genesis
( 6:57) 3. Chaos
( 5:32) 4. Face Of The Deep
( 9:40) 5. Mephistopheles

With such titles as "The All Seeing Eye," "Genesis," "Chaos," "Face of the Deep," and "Mephistopheles," it is clear from the start that the music on this LP is not basic bop and blues. Wayne Shorter (who composed four of the five originals) picked an all-star cast (trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, altoist James Spaulding, trombonist Grachan Moncur III, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Joe Chambers, along with brother Alan Shorter on flügelhorn for the final song) to perform and interpret the dramatic selections, and their brand of controlled freedom has plenty of subtle surprises. This is stimulating music that still sounds fresh. By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-all-seeing-eye-mw0000097755

Personnel: Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone; Freddie Hubbard – trumpet, flugelhorn; Grachan Moncur III – trombone; James Spaulding – alto saxophone; Herbie Hancock – piano; Ron Carter – bass; Joe Chambers – drums; Alan Shorter – flugelhorn (track 5 only)

The All Seeing Eye

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Mike Melito - To Swing is the Thing

Styles: Jazz, Swing
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:01
Size: 146,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:27) 1. You Said It
(4:57) 2. Big Red
(7:10) 3. A Bee Has Two Brains
(6:53) 4. Blue Key
(6:27) 5. Lush Life
(4:55) 6. Make Believe
(6:38) 7. Ruby My Dear
(7:57) 8. Straight Street
(5:52) 9. Three For Carson
(5:40) 10. Locke Bop

Twenty-eight years ago, in March 1994, Mike Melito's fellow Rochesterian, Chuck Mangione, presented a traveling festival in upstate New York. He hired Roy McCurdy to play with Nat Adderley - with whom McCurdy had played on 7 leaders, plus another 19 with Cannonball Adderley, between 1966 and 1979 - in a band that included pianist Don Menza and Rochester guitar stalwart Bob Sneider. He assigned Melito to the other act, James Moody, in a unit including then up-and-coming pianist Danilo Pérez.

Roy and I hit it off right away, Melito says. I'd obviously been checking him out for years. We played the same set of drums, same cymbals and I learned a lot about sound. He didn't talk to me about anything. I watched him, and figured out what he was doing that I wasn't. I believe you're a student forever. I work a lot on my sound, on my hands, on my cymbal beat. My goal has always been to sound as authentic as possible as a player and strive for the same sound as my heroes.

Melito offered this self-assessment after relating an encounter some thirty years ago with iconic drum conceptualist Max Roach, whom he'd studied closely since age 12, when Melito heard the 1947 Charlie Parker-Miles Davis-Roach classic Dewey Square on the first jazz record I ever bought on my own. Another Rochester friend, trumpeter John Sneider, had played Roach some tapes featuring Melito, and the maestro noticed.

I met Max and he gave me one of the greatest compliments I've ever received, Melito recounts. He said, 'You really know how to phrase; the snare drum...' and gave me a big hug. The 56-year-old master offers a highly personalized refraction of Roach's late 1950s investigations of the possibilities of 3/4 waltz time towards the end of his eighth self-released album, To Swing Is The Thing, a title that efficiently encapsulates the imperatives that have driven him through 40 years as a professional drummer.By Editorial Reviewshttps://www.amazon.com/Swing-Thing-Mike-Melito/dp/B0BVSDM92R

Personnel: Mike Melito- drums; Grant Stewart- tenor saxophone; Joe Magnarelli - trumpet and flugelhorn; Jeb Patton- piano; Neal Miner - bass

To Swing is the Thing

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Chris Byars - Look Ahead

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:42
Size: 143,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:56) 1. Times Square Lights
(6:35) 2. Melatonin'
(6:04) 3. Look Ahead
(5:47) 4. Endure And Remain
(5:39) 5. Bophthalmology
(6:36) 6. Little Quito
(5:51) 7. 3D Flat
(5:45) 8. Four For Plov
(4:54) 9. Blessings For Giacomo
(7:29) 10. This Account Is Private

The tenor of Chris Byars is nicely paired with the guitar of Pasquale Grasso here in an album without any piano at all, which allows for even more freeplay between the two instruments! Things still swing nicely thanks to the work of Ari Roland on bass and Keith Balla on drums but Byars also penned some great original material that really fits the open spirit of the record at a level that showcases the strong sense of color that Grasso has on his guitar, and that lean, almost raspy tone that can make Chris a very distinct player on tenor. Titles include "Little Quito", "3D Flat", "Times Square Lights", "Melatonin", "Blessings For Giacomo", and "This Account Is Private".
© 1996-2023, Dusty Groove, Inc.https://www.dustygroove.com/item/141224/Chris-Byars:Look-Ahead

Personnel: Chris Byars - (tenor saxophone); Pasquale Grasso - (guitar); Ari Roland - (bass); Keith Balla - (drums)

Look Ahead

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Tap That Jazz - Respect - Sing That Fight

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:58
Size: 156,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:41) 1. Respect
(4:41) 2. Strange Fruit
(6:24) 3. Caro Nome - Rigoletto
(4:39) 4. Decolonise (Don't Just Recognise)
(7:40) 5. E Strano!/ah, Fors 'É Lui/follie, Follie! - La Traviata
(4:48) 6. Sodade
(4:32) 7. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
(5:43) 8. Arnaq
(4:46) 9. Casta Diva - Norma
(4:34) 10. Les Tringles Des Sistres Tintaient - Carmen
(5:53) 11. Une Sorcière Comme Les Autres
(4:05) 12. Piece Of My Heart
(5:28) 13. Mississippi Goddam

Jazz (formerly known as Les Oignons), features songs performed by the group in a stage show, Sing That Fight, which celebrated in vintage jazz style the lives and songs of an eclectic range of female vocalists, many outside the jazz idiom, whose careers had been affected by sexism and racism. The belittling of female jazz and blues musicians, rife in the past, has been a cause commendably flagged up by Frémeaux on other albums. Names mentioned in this album’s notes range from Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Billie Holiday to Janis Joplin and Maria Callas.

The basic quintet’s instrumentation, with banjo, sousaphone and washboard as rhythm, suggests archaic New Orleans style, but the group’s musical aims are more ambitious and far reaching. Carefully planned arrangements tackle, with varying degrees of success, repertoire from operatic arias, soul, pop ballads, Latin and blues. Billie’s Strange Fruit is the only familiar jazz classic.
https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2022/05/17/tap-that-jazz-respect/

Personnel: June MILO (chant vocals); Cajoune GIRARD (Washboard | choeurs backing vocals); Julien VARDON (claquettes tap dance); Julien SILVAND (Trompette trumpet | choeurs backing vocals | direction | composition & paroles lyrics (4) | arrangement); Dominique MANDIN (Sax ténor tenor sax | choeurs backing vocals); Rémi OSWALD (Banjo | choeurs backing vocals); Raphaël MARTIN (Soubassophone sousaphone)

Respect - Sing That Fight

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Swing Shift Big Band - Full House

Styles: Swing, Big Band
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:09
Size: 108,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:47) 1. Speak No Evil
(4:15) 2. Triste
(3:32) 3. Singin' In The Rain
(3:45) 4. Afternoon
(4:20) 5. Walk On By
(4:06) 6. From Now On
(5:11) 7. Sweet Chaos
(3:21) 8. Mary Ann
(4:16) 9. The Look Of Love
(5:18) 10. Dream Of The Return
(3:11) 11. The Magic Of Christmas (Bonus Track)

This is the home of Canada’s Premier Big Band - Jim John's Swing Shift Big Band. From the band’s beginning in 1996 it quickly became apparent that this was a band intent on preserving the sounds and quality of the big band era a band that has since been recognized as one of the top big bands in the country.

With 17 talented musicians, male and female vocalists and optional dancers and female vocal trio, this band can entertain audiences of all ages. From dances, corporate galas, and jazz festivals to weddings, theatre shows and everything in-between, Swing Shift has the variety to suit any occasion. We can also provide smaller groups, ranging from solo piano, trio, quartet and right up to our very popular 11 piece group a versatile band that specializes in music for all ages. Leader Jim John has twenty years of leadership experience he knows how to make your event a big success.
https://swingshiftbigband.com/s3/

Full House

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Richie Beirach - Leaving

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:53
Size: 177,2 MB
Art: Front

( 7:51) 1. Nardis
(14:17) 2. What Is This Thing Called Love / Alone Together / Blue In Green
( 5:04) 3. Round Midnight
( 4:53) 4. On Green Dolphin Street
( 7:35) 5. Some Other Time
( 6:10) 6. Solar
(13:49) 7. Spring Is Here / Maiden Voyage / Monk´S Drem / You Don´T Know What Love Is
( 3:42) 8. Footprints
(13:29) 9. Leaving / Sunday Song

On Leaving, recorded in France in 2022, Richie Beirach revisits thirteen evergreen standards, seven of them grouped together in two medleys, and two of his own compositions ("Leaving," "Sunday Song") written in the 1970s. The album is Beirach's first live solo recording since 1981.

All of the material is more than familiar to Beirach and will be equally well known to seasoned jazz fans. In his liner note, Beirach says that this was intentional. He wanted to roam freely over material that he knew as well as the backs of his hands, taking whatever twists and turns flashed into his mind on the hoof, and he wanted the audience, too, to be so at home with the tunes that they would have a frame of reference for every diversion, digression and discursion that he embarked on. Composers include Miles Davis, Cole Porter, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Leonard Bernstein, Richard Rodgers, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. Full track listing below.

Beirach also says that he did not approach the performance with a setlist. Instead he made a long list of many tunes he considered playing that evening and at the top of the list wrote: "Choose from." At this point in his life as a pianist, he says, he has put aside intellectual considerations such as consciously thinking about the music at hand or preparing a programme in advance. He is instead wholly concerned with expressionism and being in the moment. (He expounds further on this in the YouTube clip below).

What results are not definitive, or even necessarily substantial, reimaginings of the thirteen warhorses, but rather the spontaneous musical equivalent of a word association game.

The more familiar the listener is with the source material, the more compelling they are likely to find Beirach's expositions. Non-sequiturs abound, as do rococo embellishments and, frankly, melodramatic flourishes. The prevailing mood is rhythmically intense and the only sustained moments of reflection come with the closing "Leaving" and "Sunday Song." But the overall effect is as Beirach intended, and seventy-five unpredictable minutes fly. By Chris May
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/leaving-richie-beirach-jazzline-records

Personnel: Richie Beirach: piano.

Leaving

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Jan Savitt And His Top Hatters Orchestra - 1938 & 1939 Broadcasts (Live)

Styles: Big Band, Swing
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:26
Size: 140,4 MB
Art: Front

(1:58) 1. Opening Theme
(2:32) 2. I Married An Angel
(3:16) 3. Heart & Soul
(2:51) 4. Could You Pass In Love ?
(3:44) 5. Mood Indigo
(2:15) 6. A - Tisket A - Tasket
(2:51) 7. No Wonder
(3:05) 8. Love Of My Life
(3:06) 9. What Are You Doing Tonight ?
(3:08) 10. The Yam
(1:41) 11. Closing Theme
(0:56) 12. Opening Theme
(2:34) 13. Back To Back
(3:42) 14. I Poured My Heart Into A Song
(2:46) 15. Cinderella
(3:56) 16. Day In, Day Out
(3:02) 17. 720 In The Books
(2:49) 18. To You
(2:53) 19. Ring Dem Bells
(2:57) 20. A Man And His Dream
(4:15) 21. It's A Wonderful World & Closing Theme

The birth date of violinist, vocalist, arranger, and bandleader Jan Savitt is in dispute; although his birthday is officially listed as September 4, 1913, Savitt could have been born as early as 1908. Savitt's father played in Tsar Nicholas II's Imperial Regiment Band, and his family came to America in 1914. Savitt played violin as a child, and was invited to join the Philadelphia Orchestra at 15.

He studied both in Europe and at the Curtis Institute, and in the '30s formed a string quartet that had a nationally broadcast show. He formed his Top Hatters band in 1937 and began touring in 1938. A child prodigy and accomplished player, his real fame came as a bandleader. His groups were thoroughly practiced and disciplined, with an ensemble sound considered among the finest of the era. Their signature song was "Quaker City Jazz," and they had a big hit with "720 in the Books."

Savitt's band included vocalist George Tunnell, who used the name Bon Bon and was one of the first Black singers or instrumentalists to work with a white band. The group had a number of his in the '40s, then made some low-budget films in 1946 and 1947. Savitt died suddenly while on a tour in 1948. By Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jan-savitt-mn0000214192/biography

1938 & 1939 Broadcasts (Live)

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