Monday, August 18, 2025

Chris Hopkins - Chris Hopkins Meets The Young Lions: Live! Vol. 1

Styles: Vocal, Swing
Year: 2024
Time: 45:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 105,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:12) 1. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreamss
(4:49) 2. Indiana
(4:41) 3. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
(4:56) 4. Rockin' Chair
(3:19) 5. The Best Rhings In Life Are Free
(4:32) 6. Satin Doll
(4:22) 7. Moonlight Serenade
(4:44) 8. My Baby Just Cares For Me
(4:31) 9. I Never Knew
(4:21) 10. Blue Moon

A superb swing and classic pianist (he held his own with Dick Hyman on a duo piano album), Chris Hopkins is based in Germany where he records for his Echoes Of Swing Productions. He has been on records since 1994 including with (among others) the Swedish Jazz Kings (featuring cornetist Bent Persson), clarinetist Engelbert Wrobel’s Swing Society, Dan Barrett, Bob Barnard, and his own Echoes Of Swing quartet which features him on alto.

Chris Hopkins Meets The Young Lions – Live Vol. 1 has Hopkins on piano leading a quintet also featuring trumpeter Thimo Niesterok, guitarist-vocalist Tijn Trommelen, bassist Caris Hermes, and drummer Mathieu Clement. The lack of liner notes is unfortunate since I have not heard of any of the sidemen before who I assume are a lot younger than Hopkins. However one does need written commentary to know immediately that this is a talented bunch.

Trumpeter Niesterok in particular is a very good soloist with an attractive sound who also contributes a solid lead. He is well featured, competing with Hopkins for solo honors while the rhythm section is solid and supportive. Among the highlights are such numbers as “Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams,” “Indiana,” “The Best Things In Life Are Free,” and “My Baby Just Cares For Me.”

Chris Hopkins recordings are always pretty rewarding and this one has the extra bonus of introducing listeners to some new talents.https://syncopatedtimes.com/chris-hopkins-meets-the-young-lions-live-vol-1/

Chris Hopkins Meets The Young Lions: Live! Vol. 1

Babbba - Cabaret Canvas

Styles: Jazz Fusion
Year: 2024
Time: 71:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 165,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:59) 1. The sidewalk swing
(3:36) 2. Keeps on loving you
(2:49) 3. In the dark there's nothing to fear
(3:10) 4. Creating something new
(3:34) 5. Paint the dark, paint the light
(3:13) 6. Here's lovers' hearts
(2:22) 7. Groove so smooth
(2:53) 8. It's a jazzy sweet romance
(2:34) 9. Smooth fusion of sound
(2:43) 10. Fusion all around me
(3:33) 11. Walking down the street
(1:46) 12. Nobody knows
(2:23) 13. A triolet in perfect time
(2:15) 14. We sway the intimate space
(3:00) 15. Under the soulful sky
(3:11) 16. Midnight canvas
(3:06) 17. Everybody needs the surface
(2:46) 18. Shufflin'
(3:47) 19. Harmonies we create
(3:35) 20. Blend of hopes
(2:40) 21. Sweet stroll of love
(2:57) 22. Every step feels fresh and new
(2:52) 23. Dancing shadows
(2:50) 24. Speeding in the night

"Babbba - Cabaret Canvas" is a musical piece, specifically a song from a YouTube video by "Babbba". The song is described as a mix of sound and hue, with a fusion of light and rhythm. The video features a percussive line and a clear voice, creating an atmosphere of a vibrant and dynamic performance.

The song's lyrics, as described, include lines like "silent steps on rhythm percussion leads the way" and "canvas painted brightly a mix of sound and hue". The music is described as a fusion of sound and light, with a rhythmic flow.

Cabaret Canvas

Crystal - Clear

Styles: Funk
Year: 1986
Time: 36:32
File: MP3 @ 128K/s
Size: 35,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:01) 1. The Groove Tune
(3:24) 2. Turnaround
(3:54) 3. 2nd Line Tonight
(4:16) 4. Let's Give Us One More Try
(3:08) 5. Scratch
(0:34) 6. Hank
(3:32) 7. 3 to 2
(3:09) 8. You Never Know
(4:13) 9. Ain't That The Way
(3:58) 10. Percolator
(2:19) 11. Dangerous Curves

Personnel: Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Rex Wertz; Art Direction – Zand Gee; Bass, Vocals, Written By – James Lucas (8); Drums, Vocals, Written By – James ("Cadillac") Cardarelli; Executive-Producer – Eric Schabacker; Flute, Alto Flute – Glenn Goss; Guitar – Charlie Morris; Keyboards, Vocals, Producer, Written By, Arranged By – Charlie Carmorata; Mastered By – George Horn; Congas – Bob Weldon; Tenor Saxophone – Dr. Fred; Vocals, Keyboards, Written By – Holly Camorata

Clear

Carmen Cuesta-Loeb - Toda una vida

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:43
Size: 119,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:46)  1. Voy a Apagar la Luz
(3:50)  2. Quizás, Quizás, Quizás
(4:23)  3. Contigo Aprendí
(4:40)  4. Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar
(4:02)  5. El Reloj
(4:57)  6. La Puerta
(4:40)  7. El Día Que Me Quieras
(4:52)  8. No Te Confundas
(4:09)  9. Dos Gardenias
(4:16) 10. Como Fue
(3:16) 11. Bésame Mucho
(3:46) 12. Toda una Vida

“Toda Una Vida” is not your typical Boleros album even though it has mostly Bolero standards. Spaniard singer Carmen Cuesta gives a nice jazzy spin to classic Boleros in her CD with the help of jazz guitarist and husband Chuck Loeb. “Most singers at one point in their career will want to do a Boleros album…” Carmen told me in an interview with Latino Music Café. “There are so many good Bolero albums out there, that I wanted to give mine something different. I wanted to combine the American influence of Jazz with the Latin essence of the Bolero” said the singer raised in Madrid.To be able to achieve this beautiful differentiation in “Toda Una Vida”, it helps to work (and be married ) with legendary guitarist Chuck Loeb, who played in Stan Getz´s band. 

“Collaborating with Chuck allowed me to take (the songs) into a slightly different dimension, a new approach” says Carmen in her press release for “Toda Una Vida” (released January 2014). In our conversation, Carmen said that they wanted to change the tempo of the typical Bolero, but still keeping the essence of the message and feeling of each song. This extraordinary mix of beautiful Bolero standards with a slightly different musical approach was achieved thanks to Chuck Loeb’s musical mastery as well as the participation of Madrid-based renown musicians. “Toda Una Vida” was co-produced by popular Spanish music producer Paco Ortega and was recorded in Ortega’s Musicgrama recording studio in Madrid.¨ For her 6th album, Carmen Cuesta selected a combination of songs that include renown Bolero standards, a few less known Boleros, and then added one song of her own authorship. “My first thought was to record less known but beautiful Boleros that people might not be familiar with; but then decided that I also wanted to record some Bolero standards that I really love. To round up the album I thought, ‘why not add one of my own compositions?’, and added “No Te Confundas”. http://www.latinomusiccafe.com/2014/02/16/carmen-cuestas-jazzy-boleros-in-toda-una-vida/

Personnel: Carmen Cuesta: vocals; Chuck Loeb: guitars, additional keyboards; José San Martín: drums, shakers; Antonio “Toño” Miguel: acoustic bass; Moisés P. Sánchez: piano, electric piano; Yuvisney Aguilar: percussion; Antonio Serrano: harmonica (3); Kike Perdomo: flute (2); Oli Rockberger: piano (12).

Toda una vida