Monday, August 28, 2023

Martina DaSilva - Living Room 1

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:29
Size: 119,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:08) 1. I've Got A Woman
(3:09) 2. Where or When
(4:13) 3. Lovefool
(7:23) 4. Invitation
(3:01) 5. Garota de Ipanema
(5:49) 6. Crazy
(3:14) 7. Tú Me Acostumbraste
(3:42) 8. Retrato em Branco E Preto
(3:31) 9. Perfidia
(3:10) 10. Por Causa de Você
(6:09) 11. That Lucky Old Sun
(3:54) 12. Sometimes I'm Happy

Early in 2020, Martina DaSilva set a goal for herself. Once a week, the jazz singer and New York City-native decided she would invite a group of friends and collaborators over to her house, and they would shoot a live performance of a song. She would organize everything, coordinate the band, pick the music, craft the look of the footage, then release it on social media. And she would do it all on a shoestring budget. Over six months later, having stayed true to her weekly plan, DaSilva is now bringing together all of her recordings to date, releasing them in three artistic, deeply enjoyable compilations the first of which, Living Room 1, will arrive on October 8.

At the heart of Living Room 1’s track list are DaSilva’s gorgeous vocal performances. The singer has a keen sense of her own tastes “I like really lyrical music,” she says with frankness, “I choose songs with beautiful melodies.” This leads her to a delicious array of material: she finds her melodies in jazz, bossa nova, 90s pop, and everything in between. As a result, Living Room 1 has treats for listeners of all stripes. And no matter the genre, DaSilva’s ability to work wonders with a melody, and her sheer charisma as a performer, remain dazzling constants.

DaSilva also took Living Room 1 as a chance to embrace the full scope of her creative interests, appointing herself director, production designer, editor, and more. She immersed herself in the smallest visual details, obsessing over colors and the feel of the camerawork. The videos she’s created have a distinct look hip, DIY, fun that draw you in. “I come from a family of visual artists,” she explains, “that was my first artistic language.” After spending a decade intensely focused on the jazz world, she felt a need to reincorporate her other passions. “To me, I’m half a visual artist, half a musician. It took me a long time to be brave enough to embrace both parts of myself, and to realize that doesn’t diminish my musicality, it actually expands it. Doing this made me feel like an artist again.”

Quite intentionally, Living Room 1 also functions as a visual piece about the New York jazz community today, and the people who are part of it. “I think some of the best musicians alive are in this community,” DaSilva says, “and I felt it wasn’t being documented in a contemporary way that could bring in a larger audience. And I would like it to have a larger audience.” For her, this means removing the distance between spectator and musician she literally brings us into her living room alongside her and her band as they play. Short of sitting front row in a club, DaSilva’s videos offer one of the most authentic, intimate and enjoyable views you can get of jazz as it exists today in New York.

Living Room 1

Eastern Rebellion - Simple Pleasure

Styles: Bop, Post Bop
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:20
Size: 129,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:31) 1. In The Kitchen
(6:36) 3. Dear Ruth
(6:09) 4. Simple Pleasure
(5:24) 5. Sixth Avenue
(7:18) 6. My Ideal
(6:24) 7. All The Things You Are
(7:04) 8. My Man's Gone Now
(4:29) 9. Theme For Ernie

A wonderful title for this album of understated brilliance a strong early 90s offering from Walton's Eastern Rebellion group, done in a mode that's very similar to their initial Timeless recordings of the 70s! The quartet this time around features Walton's piano alongside the drums of co-founder Billy Higgins plus bass by David Williams, and tenor by Ralph Moore, fresh off of some excellent work as a leader for the Landmark label in the late 80s.

The tracks are all long and inventive soulbop at its best, with titles that include "Roni's Decision", "In The Kitchen", "Dear Ruth", "Simple Pleasure", and "Sixth Avenue". © 1996-2023, Dusty Groove, Inc.
https://www.dustygroove.com/item/514346/Eastern-Rebellion:Simple-Pleasure

Personnel: Cedar Walton on piano, Billy Higgins on drums, David Williams on bass, and Ralph Moore on saxophones

Simple Pleasure

Sam Miltich & Friends - Live At The V.F.W. (2-Disc Set)

Sam Miltich, lead guitar; Mike Miller, rhythm guitar, drums; Matthew Miltich, upright bass; Pat Downing, trombone - Disc 1, Tracks 3, 7; Disc 2, Tracks 3, 7, 9, 10; Featuring:Tony Balluff, clarinet; Connie Evingson, vocals; Doug Haining, saxophone, clarinet; Patrick Harison, accordion; Dave Karr, saxophone; Mark Kreitzer, guitar; Martha Larson, cello; Charmin Michelle, vocals; Sara Pajunen, violin; Gary Schulte, violin.

The album is a snapshot of what has become an arts phenomenon in the community of Grand Rapids, Minnesota: a weekly jazz night at the local VFW Post regularly featuring some of the best musicians in the state. Hearing these musicians perform anywhere would be a pleasure, but in Itasca County – 200 miles from the state’s major Metro area – it is a truly unexpected treat.

A Note from Sam: This recording is the culmination of what my band and I have been doing every Wednesday night for the past three years. It is a record of what is, not something imagined or patched together in a studio. This is who we are and what we really sound like: some guys in a small town bar playing music for the joy of it (and hopefully bringing some joy to others as well). We had such a good time playing each week that we started inviting guest musicians up from the Twin Cities to join us not just because we love to play with them but also to share some great music with people in northern Minnesota. We call ourselves friends because that’s what we really are. Each guest is not only a fine musician but a dear friend as well. As I reflect back on each relationship, I am particularly struck by the kindness and generosity that each person has brought to me. Whether it be a bed to sleep in, a ride to a gig in the big city, a good meal, or just good counsel, each one of these friends has truly touched me.

Album: Live At The V.F.W. (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:28
Size: 179.6 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz, Swing
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[7:35] 1. In A Mellow Tone (Feat. Dave Karr)
[4:44] 2. I Wished On The Moon (Feat. Charmin Michelle)
[5:34] 3. Si Tu Vois Ma Mére (Feat. Tony Balluff)
[4:53] 4. Limehouse Blues (Feat. Patrick Harison)
[8:13] 5. For Sephora (Feat. Gary Schulte)
[7:10] 6. Flirty Bird (Feat. Doug Haining)
[5:11] 7. Dinette (Feat. Tony Balluff)
[2:31] 8. Metsakukkia (Feat. Sara Pajunen)
[8:17] 9. Cotton Tail (Feat. Dave Karr)
[5:21] 10. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
[6:28] 11. Bossa Dorado (Feat. Martha Larson)
[5:34] 12. I'll Get By (Feat. Doug Haining)
[6:50] 13. Moten Swing (Feat. Doug Haining)

Album: Live At The V.F.W. (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:42
Size: 159.6 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz, Swing
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[8:16] 1. Oh, Lady Be Good (Feat. Dave Karr)
[3:50] 2. The Joint Is Jumpin' (Feat. Charmin Michelle)
[5:54] 3. Georgia Cabin (Feat. Tony Balluff)
[4:37] 4. Swing Gitan (Feat. Patrick Harison)
[5:42] 5. Homesick
[5:33] 6. Minor Swing (Feat. Mark Kreitzer)
[5:24] 7. Meditation (Feat. Pat Downing)
[5:11] 8. Nuages (Feat. Connie Evingson)
[4:19] 9. Rose Room (Feat. Tony Balluff)
[3:44] 10. Nearness Of You (Feat. Pat Downing)
[5:35] 11. Broadway (Feat. Doug Haining)
[5:36] 12. East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon (Feat. Charmin Michelle)
[5:56] 13. In Walked Bud (Feat. Dave Karr)

Live At The V.F.W.(Disc 1), (Disc 2)

The 14 Jazz Orchestra - Nothing Hard Is Ever Easy

Size: 176,0 MB
Time: 76:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Ummg (5:22)
02. Palladium (4:44)
03. John And Mary (Feat. Ed Calle) (8:14)
04. Black Narcissus (Feat. Ed Calle) (7:36)
05. Donna Lee (In Disguise) [Feat. Ed Calle & Marko Marcinko] (9:13)
06. Pools (Feat. Ed Calle & Marko Marcinko) (9:35)
07. Hit The Road Jack (4:52)
08. Take My Hand Precious Lord (6:00)
09. With A Little Help From My Friends (Feat. Ed Calle & Will Lee) (4:24)
10. Windows (Feat. Ed Calle & Mark Egan) (7:39)
11. You're Under Arrest (Feat. Marko Marcinko) (8:17)

Under the direction of arranger/conductor and educator Dan Bonsanti, The 14 Jazz Orchestra delivers its debut recording with Nothing Hard Is Ever Easy presenting a repertoire of contemporary jazz containing and offering of mainstream, fusion, pop, gospel-styled and classical-tinged elements that make this first effort, one varied musical statement. This fourteen-piece light ensemble is comprised of the finest professionals and educators from the South Florida area—all alumni of the prestigious Frost School of Music from the University of Miami—performing in Miami and throughout Southern Florida since October of 2013.

While boasting an A-list of players, the band is augmented by three special guest which include bassists Will Lee and Mark Egan as well as drummer Marko Marcinko—all UM attendees as well. Though Bonsanti provides the arrangements for the selection of the recording, the music opens up with a muscular version of the Clare Fischer arrangement of Billy Strayhorn's classic "U.M.M.G." featuring splendid solo moments from Ed Maina on the alto, trombonist Dante Luciani and pianist Jim Gasior.

Bonsanti—who also provided arrangements for the Jaco Pastorius Big Band—pays tribute to the spirit of the late renegade bassist by including a couple of tracks with which he is associated with particularly, Wayne Shorter's "Palladium," recalling the bassists contribution to the tune when playing with the jazz fusion group Weather Report and this rousing treatment of Pastorious' dedication to his children "John and Mary," featuring Gasior, Ed Calle on soprano and Matt Bonelli on bass.

One of the stand out tunes on the disc is Joe Henderson's "Black Narcissus," with Calle on a sprite tenor saxophone, Jack Ciano on the drums and Gasior again on the keys and the entire band providing an exceptional rendition of the old classic. The contemporary sound continues with nice reads of Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee (In Disguise)," and Don Grolnick's "Pools" before the band ventures into different territory with a bluesy take of the pop classic "Hit The Road Jack" and a Gospel-styled romp of the Tommy Dorsey piece "Take My Hand Precious Lord" featuring spirited solos from trumpeter Ray Chicalo and baritone saxophonist Peter Brewer.

Saxophonist Calle and guest artist bassist Will Lee, provide the solo moments on Bonsanti-arranged jazz version of Paul McCartney's hit song "With A Little Help from My Friends." Chick Corea's beautiful waltz "Windows' and guitarist John Scofield's funky-flavored "You're Under Arrest" closes out the session leaving one wanting a tad more from this impressive ensemble. Nothing Hard is Ever Easy is not only a common phrase we are all familiar with, it just also happens to be a spectacular musical articulation of contemporary big band jazz with an exclamation point. Kudos to band leader Dan Bonsanti and his amazing cast of players for providing one heck of a performance and testament to their unquestioned steller musicianship. ~Edward Blanco

Personnel: Dan Bonsanti: conductor, synthesizer bass (5); Ed Maina: alto saxophone, flute; Ed Calle: tenor saxophone, soprano; Neal Bonsanti: tenor saxophone; Peter Brewer: baritone saxophone; Stephen Reid: trumpet; Cisco Dimas: trumpet; Ray Chicalo: trumpet; Dante Luciano: trombone; Major Bailey: trombone; Jim Gasior: piano, keyboards; Tom Lippincott: guitar; Matt Bonelli: bass; Jack Ciano: drums; Will Lee: bass (9); Mark Eagan: bass (10); Marko Marcinko: drums (5, 6, 11).

Be Nothing Hard Is Ever Easy