Carmen McRae - The Diva Series

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:25
Size: 119,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:13) 1. Falling In Love With You
(3:49) 2. I Only Have Eyes For You
(3:10) 3. Speak Low
(4:15) 4. Midnight Sun
(2:24) 5. I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket
(2:30) 6. How Little We Know
(3:03) 7. Skylark
(4:16) 8. My Man's Gone Now
(2:46) 9. Comes Love
(2:25) 10. All The Things You Are
(3:19) 11. Ain't Misbehavin'
(2:53) 12. Do You Know Why?
(3:27) 13. Bye Bye Blackbird
(3:09) 14. Any Old Time
(3:45) 15. That Old Devil Moon
(3:53) 16. I'm Glad There Is You

If you are making a shortlist of the best jazz singers, Carmen McRae had better be right at the top. She had a distinctive voice, able to do heartbreaking and lighthearted equally as thrillingly. She had an unerring sense of melody and her phrasing is a thing of beauty. This collection covers her work in the mid-'50s for Decca both with small groups and larger orchestras.

She shines on swinging tracks like "Comes Love," "Falling in Love With Love," and "I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket" and won't leave a dry eye in the house with her deeply emotional ballad singing. "Do You Know Why," "Midnight Sun," and the achingly beautiful "I'm Glad There Is You" are prime examples of McRae's way with a ballad.

Each of the 16 tracks here is like a primer on how to be a vocalist, jazz or otherwise. McRae's entry in Verve's Diva Series is a fine introduction to her 1950s recordings. by Tim Sendra
https://www.allmusic.com/album/diva-mw0000026453

The Diva Series

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Michael Blake & Blake Tartare - More Like Us

Styles: Saxophone, Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:43
Size: 125,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:54) 1. Hush
(6:56) 2. The Meadows
(9:36) 3. Happy Old You
(4:05) 4. To Whom This May Concern
(8:01) 5. Maria
(4:57) 6. Something In The Water
(3:51) 7. Africa Used To Be Home
(2:08) 8. Interlude With Soren
(4:39) 9. Paddy Pie Face
(5:30) 10. Johnny To Bad

Michael Blake has long been on the cusp of being more-well known among jazz fans, but like his former employer John Lurie, often seems to be looking in. Regularly recording on fellow Jazz Composer Collective projects like with Ben Allison, he shines when given the opportunity without fail. Yet, the larger light of the jazz masses has yet to really focus in on him.

Following the release of a stripped down trio affair on Clean Feed Records, Right Before Your Very Ears with Allison and Jeff Ballard where a particular rawness was revealed, he returns under the moniker of Blake Tartare where Blake has forged a working group of musicians that share his conception creating that elusive mix of the unique yet familiar that falls within the domain of modern jazz. And with their second release, More Like Us, they are sounding more and more cohesive in performance even as guest musicians are added into the mix.

The trademark sound of Michael Blake's saxophone work is still the major draw to the group even with the strong contributions from his Danish counterparts including a number of impressive spots by pianist Soren Kjaergaard, and in a somewhat surprising move the saxophonist opens the album with some very nice work on the clarinet.

The soft clarity of the sound he manages with the instrument fits the mood perfectly here, and throughout More Like Us Blake never seems out of place. Penned by the saxophonist, "Hush also features guest vocals by Maria Laurette Friis that at first sounds plain and unaffected, but with repeated listens becomes so ingrained to the music's structure that she becomes another lead voice rather than a singer lending her voice to a song.

"Hush is an interesting opening track for Michael Blake's group and shows another facet of their sound. Along with Friis' vocals which Blake utilizes on three of the ten tracks, he also incorporates other guest spots such as the instantly recognizable, former fellow Lounge Lizard Steven Bernstein on "Happy Old Yoy that was written by John Lurie. Bernstein's echoed delay hanging over the band fits nicely during the nine and a half minute track.

Following the debut record by Blake Tartare, self titled, it was easy to see that Blake had a band here that pushed each other. And although that record comes across a little more brash and unfocused, the same intensity persists where you can tell that each musician isn't playing licks or running safe route. One of the many highlights of the more focused More Like Us though is the ballad "Maria penned by Coleman Hawkins, also featuring more wordless vocals by Friis.

Overall, Michael Blake and Blake Tartare have crafted another fine album here for Stunt Records that ideally would shed more light on the man or the band. For those who do seek it out or come across it, they are in for a unique sound and experience driven by a unique saxophonist. After all, not many would include the reggae classic "Johnny Too Bad by The Slickers as their album closer. By Michael McCaw
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/michael-blakes-blake-tartare-more-like-us-michael-blake-by-michael-mccaw

Personnel: Michael Blake: tenor & soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, ghost flute; Soren Kjaergaard: piano, Wurlitzer, effects; Jonas Westergaard: acoustic bass; Kresten Osgood: drums; Maria Laurette Friis: vocals (1, 4, 6); Steven Bernstein: slide trumpet (3); Jane Scarpantoni: cello (1); Jeppe Kjellberg: guitar (3); Teddy Kumpel: baritone guitar (5), guitar (10).

More Like Us

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Stacey Kent - Songs From Other Places

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:55
Size: 94,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:28) 1. I Wish I Could Go Travelling Again
(4:12) 2. Bonita
(5:12) 3. Craigie Burn
(3:09) 4. Les Voyages
(4:10) 5. American Tune
(5:13) 6. Tango In Macao
(4:19) 7. Blackbird
(4:09) 8. My Ship
(2:03) 9. Imagina
(3:56) 10. Landslide

Stacey Kent is a jazz singer in the mould of the greats, with a legion of fans worldwide, a host of honours and awards including a Grammy nomination, album sales in excess of 2 Million, Gold, Double-Gold and Platinum-selling albums that have reached a series of No. 1 chart positions during the span of her career. An interpreter of The Great American Song Book and beyond, Kent's music and influences span multiple genres, a testament to her "wandering, restless spirit" as an artist. Her long time songwriting collaborator is Nobel Prize winning author Kazuo Ishiguro.

In the spring of 2020, "I Wish I Could Go Travelling Again" was the song that was most talked about and requested by Stacey Kent's Fans when they reached out on social media. It was clear, even early on during the Covid crisis, that in lockdown, people were relying on music and imagination to transport them and to find a sense of connection with the world beyond their own four walls. Like many of us, Kent spent the last year online, looking for ways not to lose touch with the world outside. In an effort to stay connected she landed on the idea of a collection of songs that gives expression to our collective desire to roam the world once again through the medium of music. Accompanied on piano by Art Hirahara, 'Songs From Other Places' includes interpretations of songs by Stevie Nicks (Landslide), Paul Simon (American Tune), Lennon & McCartney (Blackbird), Gershwin, Weil, Jobim as well as two new songs written with Nobel Prize winning author Kazuo Ishiguro. https://www.propermusic.com/ccd30032-songs-from-other-places.html

Personnel: Art Hirahara - Piano; Stacey Kent - Vocal

Songs From Other Places

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