Various - The Very Best Of Cole Porter

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 66:26

Size: 152.1 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals, Easy Listening

Year: 2004

Art: Front

[3:46] 1. Ella Fitzgerald - Too Darn Hot

[2:07] 2. Peggy Lee - My Heart Belongs To Daddy

[3:24] 3. Tony Bennett - Begin The Beguine

[3:59] 4. Sarah Vaughan - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

[2:06] 5. Jeri Southern - It's De-Lovely

[2:30] 6. Dean Martin - True Love

[3:50] 7. Shirley Horn - Love For Sale

[3:05] 8. Helen Merrill - Anything Goes

[8:40] 9. Ella Fitzgerald - Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)

[3:27] 10. Eartha Kitt - Let's Misbehave

[2:59] 11. Billie Holiday - Easy To Love

[2:54] 12. Mel Tormé - What Is This Thing Called Love

[2:05] 13. Anita O'day - Just One Of Those Things

[6:18] 14. Dinah Washington - I Get A Kick Out Of You

[4:47] 15. Aaron Neville - In The Still Of The Night

[3:01] 16. Carmen Mcrae - Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

[4:58] 17. Fred Astaire - Night And Day

[2:21] 18. Ella Fitzgerald - You Do Something To Me

The Very Best Of Cole Porter

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Sara Wasserman - Solid Ground

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:54
Size: 100.5 MB
Styles: Contemporary Pop-rock
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:39] 1. Little Bird
[4:00] 2. I Am A Song
[3:47] 3. Leap Of Faith
[4:15] 4. Fly Away
[3:11] 5. Sara Smile
[3:47] 6. Fresh Out Of Tears
[5:03] 7. Solid Ground
[4:20] 8. Somehow Forever
[3:56] 9. Need To Know
[4:03] 10. Hindsight
[3:48] 11. Little Bird (Reprise)

The average singer, on her debut album, does not get Lou Reed and Vernon Reid to play guitars, Christian McBride to play bass, and Stephen Perkins (of Jane's Addiction) to play drums (not all on the same track), nor does she get to duet with Aaron Neville on a song for which she has set his lyrics. And she doesn't get to collaborate extensively with the noted bassist Rob Wasserman, either. But then, the average singer is not Sara Wasserman, Rob Wasserman's daughter, who has used her family connection to make other connections. This isn't simple nepotism, however. Rob Wasserman himself has made a career out of putting together guest-star-filled albums such as his Duets and Trios collections, so the star power that fuels Solid Ground constitutes a family tradition. And once one actually listens to the resulting music, the names don't make that much difference. McBride's bass playing is noticeable, particularly in "Little Bird (Reprise)" (a song written by Rob Wasserman and Jules Shear), on which he is the sole instrumentalist. Otherwise, however, only Neville, with his unmistakable high tenor, takes the spotlight away from the featured artist. Happily, Sara Wasserman proves worthy of all the attention, writing a series of quality jazz/blues songs and singing them in a slightly throaty contralto that is full of feeling. She is at her best when she is going for a blues feel, as on "Little Bird," or a blue-eyed soul impression, such as on the cover of Hall & Oates' "Sara Smile." Less impressive is a tendency to wander into Christina Aguilera/Beyoncé territory, as on "Somehow Forever." But it must be hard for any singer who grew up in the 1980s and '90s not to have suffered even a little bit from the influence of the inane Whitney Houston sound-effects-for-their-own-sake school of over-singing. Most of the time, however, Wasserman recalls Bonnie Raitt and Raitt's antecedents instead of Houston and her little sisters, making this a debut that easily transcends being just the sum of its guest shots. ~William Ruhlmann

Solid Ground mc
Solid Ground zippy

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Aaron Neville - New Orleans Soul

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:41
Size: 168.7 MB
Styles: Soul
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[3:15] 1. It's All Right
[3:53] 2. Congo Square
[2:57] 3. Tick Tock Tick
[3:11] 4. Baby What You Want Me To Do
[5:02] 5. Summertime
[2:33] 6. Everybody Plays The Fool
[4:51] 7. Feels Like Rain
[3:57] 8. What's Goin' On
[4:42] 9. Ain't No Sunshine
[8:02] 10. A Change Is Gonna Come
[1:31] 11. Three Little Birds
[2:18] 12. Stir It Up
[3:47] 13. Drift Away
[3:43] 14. Hercules
[3:50] 15. Sara Smile
[3:46] 16. Down By The River
[3:21] 17. Louisiana 9127
[3:58] 18. Tell It Like It Is
[2:06] 19. Amazing Grace
[2:48] 20. One World

Until now, it’s been easy to separate Aaron Neville’s career into two separate but equal strains: the funky stuff he’s favored when working with his esteemed band of brothers, and the angelic balladry you associate with him when he’s punching his own time card as a solo artist. Casual fans might admit they don’t know much — to borrow a phrase — about Neville’s musical center, but they’ve perceived a certain split in his career. An education is about to be provided that makes the case for Aaron Neville as the most holistic of soul men. Its hard R&B side matches anything the Neville Brothers ever recorded for true grit, while still allowing plenty of space for a singer who’s arguably the most distinctive vocal stylist on the planet to tell it like it is.

New Orleans Soul

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Aaron Neville - My True Story

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:22
Size: 87.9 MB
Styles: R&B, Adult Contemporary
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:53] 1. Money Honey
[2:59] 2. My True Story
[2:30] 3. Ruby Baby
[3:28] 4. Gypsy Woman
[2:47] 5. Ting A Ling
[3:48] 6. Be My Baby
[2:39] 7. Little Bitty Pretty One
[3:30] 8. Tears On My Pillow
[2:53] 9. Under The Boardwalk
[3:05] 10. Work With Me Annie
[4:30] 11. This Magic Moment True Love
[3:16] 12. Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams)

Back in 1985, Aaron Neville offered fans a glimpse of his love of doo wop with the EP Orchid in the Storm. Over a quarter-century later, he returns to it on My True Story. Doo wop pre-dates rock & roll. Its reliance on the human voice in group harmony communicates not only melody but rhythm, and influenced the sounds of Motown, Stax, and early rock & roll. Even Frank Zappa claimed it as a prime influence. Co-produced by Keith Richards and Blue Note label boss Don Was, the dozen tunes here make prime use of Neville's voice, placing his high, smooth, vulnerable tenor way up front; he is backed by vintage-era doo wop singers and an all-star band that includes Richards and Greg Leisz on guitars, Benmont Tench on keyboards, bassist Tony Scherr, and drummer George R. Receli. Lenny Pickett helps out on horns and winds on a number of tracks as well. The production is clean, the musical backing used more as texture and color than as real support -- Neville and his vocalists offer all the impetus needed to pull this off (indeed one wonders what this set might have sounded like a cappella). The tunes are all classics. Standouts include Lieber & Stoller's "Ruby Baby," a medley of Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman's "This Magic Moment" and "True Love," Hank Ballard's "Work with Me Annie" (featuring a guest appearance from Art Neville on B-3), Sylvester Bradford's and Al Lewis' "Tears on My Pillow," and Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman." The latter marries doo wop to early Chicago soul, and Neville celebrates this in his reading. "Be My Baby," which will forever be associated with the Ronettes and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, is stripped back to the source music that inspired its authors, Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, and Spector -- even when adding a Pickett flute solo to the chart. Ultimately, My True Story is a smooth, mostly laid-back, and soulful recording by Neville. He provides a healthy -- sometimes overly -- reverential respect for the original material. Coupled with his vocals, these restrained yet imaginative arrangements offer some surprising twists and turns. ~Thom Jurek

My True Story

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Aaron Neville - Bring It On Home: The Soul Classics

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:15
Size: 135.7 MB
Styles: Soul, Adult Contemporary
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:37] 1. Rainy Night In Georgia (Feat. Chris Botti)
[3:37] 2. Ain't No Sunshine
[4:26] 3. (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
[3:50] 4. Stand By Me
[4:13] 5. You Send Me
[4:04] 6. Respect Yourself (Feat. Mavis Staples)
[3:22] 7. When A Man Loves A Woman
[4:02] 8. Let's Stay Together (Feat. Chaka Khan)
[3:31] 9. It's All Right
[4:05] 10. People Get Ready (Feat. David Sanborn)
[3:57] 11. My Girl
[3:40] 12. Ain't That Peculiar
[4:09] 13. A Change Is Gonna Come
[3:29] 14. (You're Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher
[4:06] 15. Bring It On Home To Me

For Aaron Neville, the impact of Hurricane Katrina could only be expressed through music, specifically on songs that are uplifting, meaningful, and close to the heart. Bring It on Home...The Soul Classics is about recovery: a positive response not only to the natural disaster of the hurricane, but undoubtedly to the blasé attitude about it from the federal government. Tragedy can bring out the best in people, and Neville's disc not only aims to deal with his personal pain, but specifically reaches out to those who survived the storm the best way he knows how. These songs are familiar enough to deliver the listener a sense of warmth which hopefully opens the door to healing, grace, and power. Out of the 13 tracks, four are duets: with Mavis Staples on "Respect Yourself," Chaka Khan on "Let's Stay Together," brother Art Neville with David Sanborn for "People Get Ready," and Chris Botti on "Rainy Night in Georgia." Katrina's aftermath found other musicians reaching out to their audience as well, musicians who have created a few painfully triumphant releases like Dr. John & the Lower 911's Sippiana Hericane, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band's reworking of Marvin Gaye's 1971 album What's Goin' On, and the various artists who contributed to Our New Orleans: A Benefit Album for the Gulf Coast. It's safe to say Aaron Neville's Bring it on Home...The Soul Classics should be added to that list. ~Al Campbell

Bring It On Home: The Soul Classics

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Aaron Neville - Apache

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:20
Size: 113,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:13)  1. Be Your Man
(3:50)  2. All of the Above
(4:09)  3. Orchid in the Storm
(5:50)  4. Stompin' Ground
(4:31)  5. Heaven
(4:35)  6. Hard to Believe
(3:59)  7. Ain't Gonna Judge You
(3:46)  8. I Wanna Love You
(3:52)  9. Sarah Ann
(3:47) 10. Make Your Momma Cry
(5:43) 11. Fragile World

There are few vocalists as distinctive as New Orleans’ Aaron Neville. Between solo outings and those with his brothers in the legendary Neville Brothers Band, Neville’s golden tenor has captivated generations of lovers mostly through ballads. From his first hit “Tell It Like It Is” to 1989’s “Don’t Know Much,” his Grammy-winning collaboration with Linda Ronstadt, and onto 2013’s terrific set of Don Was produced doo-wop covers, his dulcet voice has charmed a generation. But one thing Neville isn’t known for is his songwriting. Even 1967’s “Tell It Like It Is” was penned by someone else and given to Neville. Proving it’s never too late to change, the 75-year-old Neville pens or co-writes all but one track on this album that also shifts away from the honeyed (some might say syrupy) love tunes most listeners associate with him. The opening “Be Your Man” starts with a ’70s funk vibe that sounds like an outtake from the Shaft soundtrack, while other tunes dip into Dap-Kings styled R&B (“All of the Above”) and a gutsy, bubbling New Orleans groove with horns on “Hard to Believe.”

Certainly Neville has benefitted from the work of sympathetic producers. From Don Was to Daniel Lanois, as well as this disc’s Eric Krasno (who is known for his work with Soulive, co-wrote nearly every song and contributes guitar), Neville excels when the production supports but doesn’t overwhelm his unique shimmering voice. Kranso has nailed a perfect sound for the singer to delve into, providing a tougher, grittier backing and letting Neville reveal that his singing is just as effective on harder edged material. That doesn’t mean he has abandoned the ballads he sings so convincingly. On the contrary, songs such as the cliché titled “I Wanna Love You,” the slow gospel/blues of “Heaven” and the Spanish Harlem rhythms of “Sarah Ann” allow Neville to let that sweet tone splash over quieter, more tender fare. But the album’s title that has not only been Neville’s nickname (a picture of his Apache tattoo spread across his back is included in the booklet), but an indication of the various bloods including Native American  that run through his DNA, suggesting this might be Neville’s most personal project yet. His approach, even this late in life, hasn’t lost an ounce of its shimmering luster and these original tunes never devolve into some of the sappy qualities that occasionally marred Neville’s earlier releases. Those who believe the singer’s best work is behind him will rethink that after one spin of the impressive Apache, an album significantly the first on his own label  that ranks with the finest in Neville’s storied career. ~ Hal Horowitz http://americansongwriter.com/2016/07/aaron-neville-apache/

Personnel:  Aaron Neville – Vocals;  Eric Krasno – Bass, Guitar, Vocals;  Adam Smirnoff – Guitar;  Adam Deitch – Drums;  Nigel Hall – Vocals;  Eric Bloon – Trumpet;  Ryan Zoidis – Saxophone

Apache

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Johnny Adams - Man of My Word

Styles: Vocal, R&B
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:58
Size: 137,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:27)  1. Even Now
(4:12)  2. It Ain't The Same Thing
(4:40)  3. This Time I'm Gone For Good
(4:27)  4. Going Out of My Mind Sale
(4:38)  5. Now You Know
(4:48)  6. Up and down World
(4:11)  7. I Don't Want To Know
(4:55)  8. Man Of My Word
(4:28)  9. You Don't Miss You Water
(4:35) 10. Bulldog Break His Chain
(3:37) 11. It Tears Me Up
(5:00) 12. Looking Back
(4:54) 13. Never Alone

Adams kept cranking out solo albums for the Rounder imprint and this one was the ninth such effort, finding him in tip-top shape vocally and in full command of his consummate powers.

In addition to top-notch new material from Dan Penn ("It Ain't the Same Thing"), Carson Whitsett ("Bulldog Break His Chain"), Bobby Charles ("I Don't Want to Know") and Jonnie Barnett ("Going Out of My Mind Sale"), Adams takes on William Bell's "You Don't Miss Your Water," Brook Benton's "Looking Back" and Percy Sledge's "It Tears Me Up." 

Closing out the album is a duet with Aaron Neville on the gospel chestnut "Never Alone." ~ Cub Koda http://www.allmusic.com/album/man-of-my-word-mw0000600071

Personnel: Johnny Adams, Aaron Neville, Nick Daniels, Charles Elam III, Earl J. Smith, Jr. (vocals); Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Michael Toles (guitar); Jim Spake (tenor & baritone saxophones); Scott Thompson (trumpet); Craig Klein (trombone); David Torkanowsky (keyboards); George Porter, Jr. (bass); Donnell Spencer, Jr. (drums); Elaine Foster (background vocals).

Man of My Word

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Aaron Neville - Nature Boy: The Standards Album

Styles: Jazz Vocals, R&B
Label: Verve
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:18
Size: 112,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:42)  1. Summertime
(4:11)  2. Blame It On My Youth
(4:30)  3. The Very Thought Of You
(3:37)  4. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(4:33)  5. Cry Me A River
(2:42)  6. Nature Boy
(4:19)  7. Who Will Buy?
(4:57)  8. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(4:13)  9. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(4:50) 10. In The Still Of The Night
(5:08) 11. Since I Fell For You
(2:29) 12. Danny Boy

Aaron Neville's voice exists in that rarefied air occupied by only the most lyrical musicians, including Paul Desmond's alto saxophone and Miles Davis' muted trumpet. Sweet and throaty, reedy and always crying, it's capable of bewitching anyone within hailing distance including, in some cases, the singer himself. Nature Boy: The Standards Album, his first record for Verve, is naturally a jazz/vocal date; Neville tackled a dozen songs from the popular songbook, with accompaniment from a backing trio comprised of pianist (and arranger/conductor) Rob Mounsey, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Grady Tate (plus one or two appearances each from Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Ry Cooder on guitar, and Ray Anderson on trombone). Though he has never recorded an album of pre-rock standards before, over the four decades of his career Neville has gained a deep familiarity with songs of this weight "Summertime," "Our Love Is Here to Stay," "In the Still of the Night," and "Cry Me a River." 

Understanding their power, he treats them with the utmost respect, a measure of feeling and devotion that causes him to always meet expectations but, unfortunately, never exceed them. Any Aaron Neville fan will know exactly what to expect from his version of "Summertime" or "Nature Boy" or even "Danny Boy," and Neville never displays the focused interaction between song and singer that's necessary to pull off a standard with decades of baggage attached. On several tracks, he does approach deserving the lofty term of jazz singer; he and Linda Ronstadt use their shared affection to anchor "The Very Thought of You," and the burly singer goes along for a splendid ride when the band adds a delicious hint of suspense into "The Shadow of Your Smile" (Neville's voice usually sounds better on darker material, lending a chill as when the sun passes behind a cloud). The American songbook should belong to him, an exceptional vocalist with such a deeply rooted performing persona, but it will do so only when he recognizes that the singer should never humble himself before the song.~John Bush(http://www.allmusic.com/album/nature-boy-the-standards-album-mw0000717783).

Personnel: Aaron Neville (vocals); Rob Mounsey (vocals, guitar, piano, organ, keyboards, drums, percussion); Linda Ronstadt (vocals); Ry Cooder (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Anthony Wilson (guitar, classical guitar); Emily Mitchell (harp); Donna Tecco, Masako Yanagita, Yana Goichman, Marti Sweet, Catherine Livolsi, Maura Gianini, Anahid Ajemian, Elena Barere, Cenovia Cummins , Richard Sortomme, Carol Webb, Ann Leathers, Jan Mullen, Yuri Vodovoz (violin); Julien Barber, Kenneth Burward-Hoy, Crystal Garner, Juliet Haffner, Jill Jaffe, Vince Lionti (viola); Diane Barere, Jeanne LeBlanc, Richard Locker (cello); Lawrence Feldman (alto flute, bass flute, tenor saxophone); David Tofani (alto flute, tenor saxophone); Dennis Anderson (alto flute); Gil Goldstein (accordion); Ronnie Cuber (bass clarinet, baritone saxophone); Michael Brecker, Charles Neville (tenor saxophone); Roy Hargrove (trumpet, flugelhorn); Randy Brecker (flugelhorn); Dave Bargeron, Ray Anderson, Birch Johnson Verve(trombone); Grady Tate (drums); Bashiri Johnson (congas, percussion).

Recording information: 333 Recording, NY (01/05/2003-01/17/2003); Avatar Studios, New York, NY (01/05/2003-01/17/2003); Jim Brady Studios, Tuscon, AZ (01/05/2003-01/17/2003); Sound City Studio, Van Nuys, CA (01/05/2003-01/17/2003).

Nature Boy: The Standards Album

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