Eliane Elias - Brazilian Classics

Styles: Vocal, Piano, Brazilian Jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:45
Size: 169,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:10)  1. Passarim
(3:50)  2. Chega De Saudade
(5:08)  3. Carioca Nights (Noites Cariocas)
(3:54)  4. Garota De Ipanema (Girl From Ipanema)
(7:50)  5. Milton Nascimento Medley
(4:46)  6. Waters Of March / Aqua De Beber
(4:23)  7. One Note Samba
(4:14)  8. Crystal And Lace
(2:09)  9. Jazz 'n' Samba (So Danço Samba)
(4:59) 10. Brazil (Aquarela Do Brasil)
(3:10) 11. Iluminados
(5:14) 12. Jet Samba (Samba Do Aviao)
(3:46) 13. Wave
(6:39) 14. Black Orpheus (Manhã De Carnaval)
(5:48) 15. Dindi
(1:37) 16. O Polichinelo (Clown)

Now that longtime Blue Note pianist/singer Eliane Elias has left the label for RCA/Bluebird, several compilations of her work are being released, including the present item, Brazilian Classics. A cynic might note “just in time for Christmas,” but even if its release is motivated mainly by marketing concerns, the CD provides a useful, focused troll through Elias’s back catalogue. Although Elias has ranged far and wide in her recordings (which include hard bop, pop-jazz, and classical pieces), this is the music with which she is most associated  bossa/jazz classics from the songbooks of Jobim, Nascimento, and others from her native Brazil. Elias is at home with this material and her piano work is muscular and confident. As such, the best tracks on the album are the instrumentals that feature her in a trio setting, mostly with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Throughout punchy and inventive takes on “Passarium,” “One Note Samba,” and “Black Orpheus,” Elias goes toe-to-toe with the rhythm section, with exciting results. Her tendency to introduce subtle reharmonizations and rhythmic variations keeps these well-worn tunes from sounding like boring retreads.

Somewhat less successful are the tracks featuring her vocals. While her thin yet husky delivery is appropriately unstudied on Só Danço Samba,” it can’t quite carry “Chega De Saudade” or “Girl From Ipanema” convincingly. Having Elias’s young daughter sing on “Ponta de Areia” was not the wisest of decisions either, bringing to mind, as it does, grade school recitals best left forgotten. That said, however, Brazilian Classics is an appealing listen, thematically unified and impeccably produced. The hardcore jazz fan may do better with Elias’s Plays Jobim album, from which many of the best tracks with Gomez and DeJohnette are taken. But bossa nova fanatics, or maybe those wishing for a warm Brazilian breeze in the dead of winter, will enjoy this generous selection of Elias’s work.By Joshua Weiner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/brazilian-classics-eliane-elias-blue-note-records-review-by-joshua-weiner.php

Personnel: Eliane Elias, piano, vocals; Eddie Gomez, Marc Johnson, bass; Jack DeJohnette, Peter Erskine, drums; Michael Brecker, sax; Cafe, percussion

Brazilian Classics

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Billy Eckstine - Everything I Have Is Yours: The Best Of The MGM Years (2-Disc Set)

This two-CD set improves upon the original two-LP package by adding 14 more songs. The pop side of Billy Eckstine was emphasized during his period with MGM and many of these selections (including hit versions of "Everything I Have Is Yours," "Blue Moon," "Caravan," "My Foolish Heart," and "I Apologize") feature his warm baritone backed by string sections. There are some exceptions, including "Mr. B's Blues" (which gives Eckstine a chance to solo on valve trombone), dates with Woody Herman and George Shearing, eight numbers on which the singer is accompanied by the Bobby Tucker Quartet, and a pair of wonderful performances with the Metronome All-Stars in 1953 (a group that includes trumpeter Roy Eldridge, both Lester Young and Warne Marsh on tenors, and vibraphonist Terry Gibbs). Although not as essential from the jazz standpoint as Billy Eckstine's earlier big-band dates, this two-fer features the singer at the peak of his powers; five ballad duets with Sarah Vaughan are a highlight. ~Scott Yanow

Album: Everything I Have Is Yours: The Best Of The MGM Years (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:08
Size: 133.1 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 1994/2002

[3:12] 1. Everything I Have Is Yours
[2:58] 2. Fools Rush In
[3:09] 3. Blue Moon
[2:27] 4. Mr. B's Blues
[2:54] 5. Temptation
[3:12] 6. Somehow
[2:48] 7. Caravan
[3:12] 8. Bewildered
[2:53] 9. Body And Soul
[3:02] 10. My Foolish Heart
[2:56] 11. Ev'ry Day (I Fall In Love)
[2:38] 12. Fools Rush In
[2:43] 13. Dedicated To You
[3:04] 14. You're All I Need
[2:55] 15. I Wanna Be Loved
[2:37] 16. You've Got Me Crying Again
[3:00] 17. I've Never Been In Love Before
[2:51] 18. I Apologize
[2:47] 19. You're All I Need
[2:40] 20. I Left My Hat In Haiti

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Album: Everything I Have Is Yours: The Best Of The MGM Years (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:25
Size: 170.4 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 1994/2002
Art: Front

[3:08] 1. Here Comes The Blues
[2:41] 2. Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries
[2:52] 3. Wonder Why
[3:05] 4. Blue Moon
[2:37] 5. Taking A Chance On Love
[3:07] 6. You're Driving Me Crazy (What Did I Do )
[3:17] 7. Early Autumn
[3:40] 8. Temptation
[3:36] 9. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
[3:23] 10. If You Could See Me Now
[3:40] 11. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[3:15] 12. Laura
[3:30] 13. Mister, You've Gone And Got The Blues
[3:37] 14. Ill Wind
[3:05] 15. April In Paris
[3:06] 16. Coquette
[2:55] 17. Send My Baby Back To Me
[5:19] 18. How High The Moon Pts. 1 & 2
[6:18] 19. St. Louis Blues, Pts. 1 & 2
[2:30] 20. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[2:56] 21. Lost In Loveliness
[2:37] 22. Passing Strangers

Everything I Have Is Yours: The Best Of The MGM Years (Disc 1, Disc 2)

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Sam Miltich & The Clearwater Hot Club - Some Of These Days

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 33:20
Size: 76.3 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[3:58] 1. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:42] 2. Sorriso De Crianca
[5:05] 3. In A Sentimental Mood
[5:01] 4. The Mooche
[4:25] 5. Nuages
[2:49] 6. Flambee Montalbanaise
[2:42] 7. Anouman
[2:52] 8. Some Of These Days
[2:41] 9. Improvisation #6

Featuring guitarist, Sam Miltich, and saxophonist, Don Vidal, "Some of These Days" includes traditional American jazz, a Brazilian choro, and a French mussette in the style of Django Reinhardt.

Michael Dregni, author of "Django Reinhardt and the Illustrated History of Gypsy Jazz" (Speck Press,2006) wrote, "Sam Miltich was just eighteen when he first appeared on the jazz scene, playing guitar as if he was channeling Django's spirit!His Minnesota-based Clearwater Hot Club is one of the most exciting and joyful of Gypsy bands anywhere." The Grand Rapids, Minnesota based Clearwater Hot Club was formed in the summer of 2003. The following November they released their first album, "Sammo". The group released a second CD in 2004 entitled "May Rain". Since that time, the Clearwater Hot Club has toured in the U.S., Canada and Japan including appearances at Django Fest Northwest and at the Ginza International Jazz Festival in Tokyo, Japan, with Connie Evingson. Sam has also played with Paul Mehling and the Hot Club of San Francisco, and was part of Amoeba Music's "Gypsy Caravan" tour with David Grisman and the Robin Nolan Trio. Sam has also toured with violinist, Randy Sabien,and performs with Peter Ostroushko.

Since releasing their last CD, "May Rain," Clearwater Hot Club lost their band-mate and song-writing collaborator, violinist, Raphael Fraisse, to leukemia in May 2006. The CWHC began to perform with saxophonist, Don Vidal, music educator, member of Mr. Pumpkinhead, and the Grand Rapids Community Big Band. "Some of These Days" showcases Don Vidal's versatile saxophone along with Sam's guitar work. The saxophone and guitar combination is a variation of the "hot club" sound as Django Reinhardt played with horn players when he and violinist, Stephane Grappelli were separated during WWII.

As on their last CD, Sam's sister, Mateya M. Miltich, created the cover art for the new CD. "Some of These Days" is dedicated to the memory of Raphael Fraisse and the spirit of joy he communicated in his playing.

Some Of These Days

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Joan Chamorro & Friends - Jazz House Sessions with Scott Hamilton

Styles: Mainstream Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:42
Size: 172,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:12) 1. Blues Up and Down
(4:57) 2. Prisoner of Love
(6:39) 3. If I Should Lose You
(3:07) 4. Você Vai Ver
(7:30) 5. Groove Yard
(5:34) 6. Alone Together
(4:28) 7. Dizem que o Amor
(5:37) 8. Tickle Toe
(5:11) 9. Old Folks
(4:40) 10. Groovin' High
(3:45) 11. Este seu Olhar
(6:40) 12. Lotus Blossom
(4:43) 13. É Preciso Perdoar
(5:33) 14. Lester Leeps in

Since 2013 there have been many collaborations with the great tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton. In Jazz House we have had him on many occasions. This new CD brings together themes from four sessions, themes that have not formed part of any of the albums already published:

1- A tenor battle with Joan Martí and Marçal Perramon, former musicians of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, which recreates the atmosphere of this type of session, just as Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Johnny Griffin, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Al Cohn, Zoot Simms, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Paul Quinichette, Lester Young and Scott Hamilton himself, along with other great tenor saxophonists, played in their day

2- Some unreleased tracks from the session "Èlia Bastida meets Scott Hamilton".

3- Tracks recorded during the recording sessions of the album "Joan Chamorro presenta Alba Esteban".

4- A couple of Brazilian songs from a session we did with Alba Armengou and Vicente López.

In total, 14 songs in which Scott shows why, today, he is still one of the great tenors of the world jazz scene.https://joanchamorro.com/album/jazz-house-sessions-with-scott-hamilton

Jazz House Sessions with Scott Hamilton

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Taylor Swift - Speak Now

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 104:45
Size: 247,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:51) 1. Mine
(4:21) 2. Sparks
(4:54) 3. Back To December
(4:02) 4. Speak Now
(6:45) 5. Dear John
(3:58) 6. Mean
(4:27) 7. The Story Of Us
(4:52) 8. Never Grow Up
(5:53) 9. Enchanted
(3:40) 10. Better Than Revenge
(5:01) 11. Innocent
(4:05) 12. Haunted
(6:09) 13. Last Kiss
(5:18) 14. Long Live
(3:55) 15. Ours
(4:35) 16. Superman
(4:26) 17. Electric Touch
(4:12) 18. When Emma Falls in Love
(4:33) 19. I Can See You
(5:06) 20. Castles Crumbling
(5:11) 21. Foolish One
(5:21) 22. Timeless

Speak Now, the third of Taylor Swift's albums she's re-recorded in their entirety, belongs among her earliest work the last of the three albums Swift made while still in her teens, her last to be aimed primarily at a country audience. These distinctions are lost, or at least softened, on Speak Now (Taylor's Version), which pairs a re-recording of the original 14-track album with two re-cut bonus tracks and six new tunes excavated "From the Vault."

Much of the shift is due to Swift revisiting these songs when she's a woman in her early thirties. Maturation has brought a hint of a grain to her voice, and she's gained control as a vocalist, two elements that give Speak Now (Taylor's Version) an appealing sense of distance; she sings as an observer, commenting on the emotions of the songs instead of inhabiting them. It's a subtle difference but it's especially notable on such songs as "Mine," "The Story of Us," and "Dear John," which benefit from the slight sense of increased gravity.

Apart from a lyrical change on "Better Than Revenge," the primary change on the 2023 version of Speak Now is Swift's vocals the arrangements are generally the same which means the main attraction is the six new songs added to the end. Swift brings in Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump and Paramore's Hayley Williams to duet on two separate songs, cameos that help push the album as a whole closer to pop than country, a shift that the ballad "When Emma Falls in Love," the sprightly radio-ready "I Can See You," and bubbling adult contemporary tune "Foolish One" underscore.

This understated makeover casts Speak Now not as the final Taylor country record but as the first pop album from the singer/songwriter, a revision that offers its own gentle revisions. By Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/speak-now-taylors-version--mw0004015858

Speak Now

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