Jessy J - True Love

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:57
Size: 89,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. Tropical Rain
(4:06)  2. Forever
(3:46)  3. True Love
(3:50)  4. Mr. Prince
(3:56)  5. Morning Of The Carnival From Black Orpheus)
(4:12)  6. Somewhere In a Dream
(3:36)  7. Jessy's Blues
(3:37)  8. Llegaste Tu
(3:51)  9. Brazilian Dance
(3:45) 10. Baila!

If half of life is just showing up and the other half is timing, then Jessica Spinella's timing is right on time. Smooth jazz is filled to the brim with saxophonists and while most of them are technically proficient, the sheer volume makes it difficult for a newcomer to stand out. Spinella, aka Jessy J brings more than just another pretty face to the party; her infusion of jazz with Latin rhythms gives her a foundation upon which to build. True Love, Jessy J's third album and second major label release, bears the signs of a artist standing on the verge of a breakthrough and getting a big push by the record company. Clocking in at just under an economical 40 minutes, True Love is lean and tight with no unnecessary fat or frills. It also contains no unexpected surprises, but showcases the playing of an increasingly confident Jessy J, asserting her own identity as she fuses Latin influences with jazz. There's a trade-off of spontaneity and improvisation in exchange for good groove, but the end result is rewarding enough so there's nothing about which to be disappointed.

"Tropical Rain," "Forever," and "True Love" are likable if not overly original slices of smoothed out goodness. "Morning of the Carnival" ("Manha De Carnaval") is targeted for the dance floor with its bounce-to-the-beat drum programming from Paul Brown and Gregg Karukas's synth bass and strings. Jessy J adds some breezy, sparse vocals that are sweetly affable if not as accomplished as her saxophone skills. She fares better when accompanied by backing harmonies on "Llegaste Tu" and "Baila!" Jessy J's route to crafting an enduring career may not lie in following the beaten path of other smooth jazz saxophonists, but in continuing to consolidate Latin influences of "Llegaste Tu" and "Brazilian Dance." Pablo Aguirre's production seems to better serve Jessy J's vocal on "Llegaste Tu," the only song on which she doesn't play, and the graceful "Brazilian Dance," a sensuous duet between her soprano sax and Sergio Aranda's piano and vocals. True Love ends up evenly divided between the skillful studio wizardry of half its songs and its impassioned, sultry Latin soul. It's a little too soon to chart the trajectory of Jessy J's career arc, but it might eventually fall somewhere between the efficient proficiency as the "hot chick" playing smooth sax and the expressive innovator busy setting trends instead of following them. ~ Jeff Winbush  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/true-love-jessy-j-peak-records-review-by-jeff-winbush.php

Personnel: Jessy J.: tenor and soprano saxophone, flute, vocals; Gregg Karukas: keyboards, bass, strings; Roberto Vally: bass; Sergio Gonzalez: drums; Richie Gajate Garcia: percussion; Paul Brown: guitar, drum programming; Tom Strahle: guitars (8); Danilo Arroyo: percussion (8); Pablo Aguirre: programming (8); Paulina Aguirre: chorus vocals (8); Kenny O' Brien: chorus vocals (8); Sergio Aranda: vocals and piano (9); Paul Brown: chorus vocals (10); Richie Gajate Garcia: chorus vocals (10); Cameron Smith: chorus vocals (10); Roberto Vally: chorus vocals (10).

True Love

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David Hazeltine/Peter Washington\Joe Farnsworth - Blues for Gerry

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:09
Size: 142,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:31) 1. Here Again
(5:50) 2. Tangerine
(7:36) 3. Blues for Gerry
(6:43) 4. Firm Roots
(7:12) 5. Body and Soul
(6:01) 6. It Could Happen to You
(4:46) 7. Skylark
(5:29) 8. Minor Disturbance
(5:40) 9. You Know I Care
(6:16) 10. Here We Go

A longtime member of the Criss Cross family, pianist David Hazeltine began recording for the label in the mid 1990s. Since then he has released around 30 Criss Cross albums, including eight as leader. During this time, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Joe Farnsworth, who complete the trio on Blues For Gerry, have been frequent comrades in arms.

Sadly, Criss Cross founder Gerry Teekens passed in 2019. The good news is that his son Jerry has taken over the reins and the label is once again recording new albums, as well as reissuing back-catalogue gems (see here).

Blues For Gerry is Hazeltine's first recording for the label since 2010 and it confirms why Teekens Snr. held him in such high regard. The pianist is not in the business of frightening the horses, but within the framework provided by jazz standards and the Great American Songbook, he digs deep and comes up with the goods. As he says about "Body And Soul" in the liner notes here, "I'm not shying away from overplayed music."

This is, rather surprisingly, the first time Hazeltine has recorded the Johnny Green standard, and its 7:13 exposition is among the best tracks on the album. Others include Hoagy Carmichael's "Skylark" and Buddy Montgomery's "Here Again." Of the three Hazeltine originals, the title tune, at 7:37 the longest track, is also more than solid.
Other source composers are Victor Schertziner ("Tangerine"), Cedar Walton ("Firm Roots"), Jimmy Van Heusen ("It Could Happen To You") and Duke Pearson ("You Know I Care.")

At no point does Hazeltine feel the need to adorn familiar material with mere complexity. What you hear is what you get, and what you get is what it is.
By Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blues-for-gerry-david-hazeltine-criss-cross

Personnel: Piano – David Hazeltine; Bass – Peter Washington; Drums – Joe Farnsworth

Blues for Gerry

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Doris Day - The Complete Columbia Singles, Volume 1 (1947-48)

Style: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 127:42
Size: 295,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:58) 1. It Takes Time
(3:18) 2. Pete
(2:57) 3. My Young And Foolish Heart
(2:54) 4. Tell Me, Dream Face (What Am I To You?)
(3:01) 5. I'm Still Sitting Under The Apple Tree
(3:18) 6. Just An Old Love Of Mine
(3:00) 7. A Chocolate Sundae On A Saturday Night
(2:57) 8. When Tonight Is Just A Memory
(3:00) 9. That's The Way He Does It
(2:54) 10. Why Should We Both Be Lonely?
(2:30) 11. Papa, Won't You Dance With Me?
(3:03) 12. Say Something Nice About Me Baby (Version 1 - Take 2)
(3:02) 13. Say Something Nice About Me Baby (Version 2 -take 3)
(3:27) 14. It's Magic (With George Sirava And His Orchestra) (Version 1 - Take 6)
(3:27) 15. It's Magic (With George Sirava And His Orchestra) (Version 2 - Take 7)
(3:03) 16. Just Imagine (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(3:04) 17. Pretty Baby (With George Sirava And His Orchestra) (Version 1 - 78-rpm Issue)
(3:02) 18. Pretty Baby (With George Sirava And His Orchestra) (Version 2 - 45-rpm Issue)
(3:00) 19. Confess
(3:04) 20. Love Somebody
(2:52) 21. Tacos, Enchiladas And Beans (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(3:11) 22. No Moon At All (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(3:06) 23. Put 'Em In A Box, Tie 'Em With A Ribbon (And Throw 'Em In The Deep Blue Sea) (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(3:19) 24. Imagination (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(3:19) 25. It's The Sentimental Thing To Do (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(3:24) 26. I've Only Myself To Blame (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(3:13) 27. Thoughtless (Version 1 - Take 3)
(3:10) 28. Thoughtless (Version 2 - Take 4)
(2:21) 29. It's A Quiet Town (In Crossbone County)
(2:50) 30. Someone Like You (With George Sirava And His Orchestra) (From The Film, "My Dream Is Yours")
(3:10) 31. My Dream Is Yours (With George Sirava And His Orchestra)
(2:14) 32. I'm In Love
(3:18) 33. It's You Or No One (With George Sirava And His Orchestra) (Version 1 - Take 3)
(3:18) 34. It's You Or No One (With George Sirava And His Orchestra) (Version 2 - Take 5)
(2:29) 35. My Darling, My Darling (Version 1 - With Piano)
(2:34) 36. My Darling, My Darling (Version 2 - With Orchestra)
(2:10) 37. That Certain Party (Version 1 - Take 1)
(2:10) 38. That Certain Party (Version 2 - Take 6)
(2:09) 39. That Certain Party (Version 3 - Take 9)
(2:53) 40. His Fraternity Pin (Version 1 - Take 3)
(3:10) 41. His Fraternity Pin (Version 2 - Take 4)
(3:18) 42. If You Will Marry Me
(2:46) 43. You Was

Doris Day (born Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress and singer. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, "Sentimental Journey" and "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" with Les Brown and His Band of Renown. She left Brown to embark on a solo career and recorded more than 650 songs from 1947 to 1967.

Day was one of the greatest Hollywood film stars of the 1950s and 1960s. Her film career began with Romance on the High Seas (1948). She starred in films of many genres, including musicals, comedies, dramas and thrillers. She played the title role in Calamity Jane (1953) and starred in Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) with James Stewart. Some of her best-known films are those in which she costarred with Rock Hudson, including Pillow Talk (1959), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She also worked with James Garner on both Move Over, Darling (1963) and The Thrill of It All (1963) and starred alongside Clark Gable, Cary Grant, James Cagney, David Niven, Ginger Rogers, Jack Lemmon, Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, James Garner and Rod Taylor in various films. After ending her film career in 1968, only briefly removed from the height of her popularity, she starred in her own television sitcom The Doris Day Show (1968–1973).
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In 1989, Day was awarded the Golden Globe and the Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement in Motion Pictures. In 2004, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2008, she received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as well as a Legend Award from the Society of Singers. In 2011, she was awarded the Los Angeles Film Critics Association's Career Achievement Award. In 2011, Day released her 29th studio album, My Heart, which contained new material and became a UK Top 10 album. As of 2020, she was one of eight recording artists to have been the top box-office earner in the United States four times. times..https://musicboard.app/artist/5860

The Complete Columbia Singles, Volume 1 (1947-48)

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Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Boy Named Charlie Brown

Styles: Piano Jazz, Soundtrack
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:49
Size: 98,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:24)  1. Oh, Good Grief
(2:51)  2. Pebble Beach
(3:43)  3. Happiness Is
(1:54)  4. Schroeder
(4:24)  5. Charlie Brown Theme
(3:07)  6. Linus and Lucy
(7:29)  7. Blue Charlie Brown
(3:17)  8. Baseball Theme
(4:38)  9. Freda (With the Naturally Curly Hair)
(8:57) 10. Fly Me to the Moon

Originally titled Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown, this is an important album not only because it is Guaraldi's first Peanuts soundtrack, but also because the music heard here probably introduced millions of kids (and their parents) to jazz from the mid-'60s onward. Actually, this music is the score for a documentary on the Peanuts phenomenon called A Boy Named Charlie Brown, which ran before the first Peanuts specials per se appeared on the CBS network. The most remarkable thing, besides the high quality of Guaraldi's whimsically swinging tunes, is that he did not compromise his art one iota for the cartoon world; indeed, he sounds even more engaged, inventive, and lighthearted in his piano work here than ever. It must have been quite a delightful shock back then to hear a straight-ahead jazz trio (Guaraldi, Monty Budwig, bass; Colin Bailey, drums) backing all those cartoon figures and genuine children's voices, a mordant running musical commentary that made its own philosophical points. The music on this album laid the groundwork for much that was to come; here is the first appearance of the well-known bossa nova-influenced "Linus and Lucy," and fans of the series will recognize such themes from future episodes as "Baseball Theme" and "Oh, Good Grief" (which is a rewrite of the Dixie Belles' hit "Down at Papa Joe's"). The LP came with 12 bonus lithographs of Charles Schulz's celebrated Peanuts drawings. ~ Richard S.Ginell http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-boy-named-charlie-brown-original-soundtrack-mw0000188138

Personnel: Vince Guaraldi (piano); Monty Budwig (bass); Colin Bailey (drums).

A Boy Named Charlie Brown

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