Django Reinhardt - Peche A La Mouche (2-Disc Set)

Legend has it that guitarist Django Reinhardt was at his absolute peak in the 1930s during his recordings with violinist Stephane Grappelli and that when he switched from acoustic to electric guitar after World War II, he lost a bit of his musical personality. Wrong on both counts. This double CD documents his Blue Star recordings of 1947 and 1953 and Reinhardt (on electric guitar) takes inventive boppish solos that put him at the top of the list of jazz guitarists who were active during the era. Most of the earlier tracks feature Reinhardt in the Quintet of the Hot Club of France with clarinetist Hubert Rostaing but the eight later selections in which he is backed by a standard rhythm section are most interesting. These well-recorded performances hint at what Django Reinhardt might have accomplished in the 1950s had he lived longer. Highly recommended. ~Scott Yanow

Album: Peche A La Mouche (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:54
Size: 107.4 MB
Styles: Swing, Guitar jazz
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[2:33] 1. Pêche à La Mouche
[2:46] 2. Minor Blues
[2:54] 3. For Sentimental Reasons
[3:01] 4. Danse Norvégienne
[2:51] 5. Blues For Barclay
[2:49] 6. Folie A Amphion
[3:14] 7. Vette
[3:31] 8. Anniversary Song
[2:47] 9. Swing 48
[3:19] 10. September Song
[2:45] 11. Brazil
[2:39] 12. I'll Never Smile Again
[2:35] 13. New York City
[3:07] 14. Django's Blues
[3:06] 15. Love's Mood
[2:51] 16. I Love You

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Album: Peche A La Mouche (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:00
Size: 114.5 MB
Styles: Swing, Guitar jazz
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[3:04] 1. Topsy
[2:23] 2. Moppin The Bride (Micro)
[3:15] 3. Insensiblement
[2:55] 4. Mano
[2:43] 5. Blues Primitif
[3:02] 6. Gipsy With A Song (Take 1)
[2:58] 7. Gipsy With A Song
[3:00] 8. Night And Day
[3:02] 9. Confessin' (That I Love You)
[3:19] 10. Blues For Ike
[2:31] 11. September Song
[2:49] 12. Night And Day
[3:05] 13. Insensiblement
[2:34] 14. Manoir De Mes Rêves
[3:13] 15. Nuages
[2:24] 16. Brazil
[3:35] 17. Confessin' That I Love You

Peche A La Mouche(Disc 1)(Disc 2)

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Philip Catherine - Blue Prince

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:33
Size: 149,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:34)  1. Coffee Groove
(5:03)  2. Global Warming
(3:50)  3. With a Song in My Heart
(7:42)  4. The Creeper
(5:39)  5. The Postman
(6:35)  6. More Bells
(4:22)  7. Memories of You
(6:02)  8. Kwa Heri
(4:10)  9. Blue Prince
(6:32) 10. Arthur Rainbow
(6:18) 11. Magic Box
(4:38) 12. Sweet Lorraine

Belgian guitarist Philip Catherine has performed with the creme de la creme of modern jazz and fusion. Noticeably inspired by the late great Django Rheinhardt, Catherine has emerged as a true stylist who melds lush romanticism with bold, simmering lines, witnessed here on Blue Prince. The guitarist utilizes his warm-toned hollow bodied electric guitar to great effect via shrewd employment of volume control techniques, jazzy chord progressions and scathing leads, evidenced on the often blistering yet predominately cool and sleek Bop-ish burner, “Coffee Groove”. Trumpeter Bert Joris proves to be a near perfect foil for Catherine, as the twosome frequently engage in brisk unison choruses, while also trading sprightly fours during this groove-laden set primarily consisting of medium tempo swing motifs. The band turns in a peppery walking blues, titled “The Creeper” and continues along with a series of pieces featuring amicable melodies and sonorous themes amid sympathetic accompaniment by the rhythm section. On, “Blue Prince” Joris articulates Chet Baker-style, understated lyricism as everyone gets a spot to exhibit their wares, yet a few more accelerated or rapidly paced pieces tossed into the mix might have elevated the excitement factor a few notches. Otherwise, Blue Prince is a solid and expertly executed effort, as Catherine implicitly illustrates why he is one of the finest guitarists on the globe. ~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blue-prince-philip-catherine-dreyfus-records-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: Philip Catherine; guitars: Bert Joris; trumpet, bugle: Hein Van de Geyn; double bass: Hans Van Oosterhout; drums

Blue Prince

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Toots Thielemans - Giants Of Jazz

Styles: Harmonica Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:12
Size: 185,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:18)  1. Isn't It Romantic
(7:17)  2. East Of The Sun
(2:30)  3. Don't Blame Me
(2:47)  4. Scotch On The Rocks
(2:14)  5. Cocktails For Two
(2:26)  6. I Let Song Go Out Of My Heart
(3:01)  7. Sophisticated Lady
(4:39)  8. Don't Be That Way
(3:14)  9. Stars Fell On Alabama
(4:33) 10. Strutting With Some Barbecue
(4:30) 11. Imagination
(3:49) 12. 18th Century Ballroom
(7:05) 13. Soul Station
(4:56) 14. Fundamental Frequensy
(4:43) 15. On The Alamo
(4:33) 16. Diga Diga Doo
(2:03) 17. Skylark
(4:27) 18. Sonny Boy

Toots Thielemans virtually introduced the chromatic harmonica as a jazz instrument. In fact, beginning in the mid-'50s, he never had a close competitor. Thielemans simply played the harmonica with the dexterity of a saxophonist and even successfully traded off with the likes of Oscar Peterson. Thielemans' first instrument was the accordion, which he started when he was three. Although he started playing the harmonica when he was 17, Thielemans' original reputation was made as a guitarist who was influenced by Django Reinhardt. Very much open to bop, Thielemans played in American GI clubs in Europe, visited the U.S. for the first time in 1947, and shared the bandstand with Charlie Parker at the Paris Jazz Festival of 1949. He toured Europe as a guitarist with the Benny Goodman Sextet in 1950, and the following year moved to the U.S. During 1953-1959, Toots was a member of the George Shearing Quintet (mostly as a guitarist) and freelanced for the remainder of his lengthy career in music. He first recorded his big hit, "Bluesette" (which featured his expert whistling and guitar) in 1961, and was subsequently in great demand (particularly for his harmonica and his whistling) on pop records (including many dates with Quincy Jones) and as a jazz soloist. 

Toots' two-volume Brasil Project was popular in the 1990s and found him smoothly interacting on harmonica with top Brazilian musicians. Heard on numerous movie soundtracks (including Breakfast at Tiffany's and Midnight Cowboy) and also on the opening theme of television's Sesame Street, Thielemans received Jazz Master honors from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2009. He died in Belgium in August 2016 at the age of 94.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/toots-thielemans-mn0000159791/biography

Giants Of Jazz

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Philip Catherine, Martin Wind - New Folks

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:30
Size: 129.4 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:49] 1. Old Folks
[4:18] 2. Fried Bananas
[3:51] 3. Hello George (For G. Shearing)
[3:51] 4. Blues In The Closet
[4:12] 5. How Deep Is The Ocean
[2:51] 6. Jenny Wren
[6:05] 7. Song For D
[4:36] 8. Sublime
[2:38] 9. Pivoine
[5:34] 10. L'eternel Desir
[4:59] 11. Standing At The Window Waving Goodbye
[2:47] 12. Toscane
[4:54] 13. Winter Moon

Philip Catherine - the South German Newspaper in Munich just recently wrote that he “plays things that cannot be heard by any other guitarist in the world today”. His partner on the bass, Martin Wind, is one of only a few Germans who made it in New York. Both are aesthetes that love melodic jazz with Swing roots. Without any haste or superficial virtuosity, but instead with complete mutual trust they find the ideal tone, the right timbre for each note, lining up sound and space perfectly. A meeting of generations marked by harmony and respect.

The Belgian guitarist Philip Catherine is a European jazz legend. The now 71-year-old Catherine started playing professionally when he was only 17 and toured with artists such as Lou Bennett, Dexter Gordon, Jean-Luc Ponty, Chet Baker (with whom he recorded 6 albums), Tom Harrell and many others. In 1978 he received the “Artist of the year” award by the German Phono-Academy, and Charles Mingus gave him the nickname “Young Django”. This is also a result of his impeccable time feel, which allows him to sound relaxed and loose even while playing the most breathtaking up-tempo passages. But it is not mainly his technique and dexterity that sets him apart; furthermore what made him so unique is his acoustic guitar sound, as well as an improvisational style, which is based not on other guitarists, but on some of the great horn players in jazz.

New Folks mc
New Folks zippy

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Melanie De Biasio - Lilies

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:13
Size: 87.5 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[3:48] 1. Your Freedom Is The End Of Me
[3:16] 2. Gold Junkies
[3:57] 3. Lilies
[4:04] 4. Let Me Love You
[2:46] 5. Sitting In The Stairwell
[3:08] 6. Brother
[4:31] 7. Afro Blue
[6:41] 8. All My Worlds
[5:58] 9. And My Heart Goes On

Melanie De Biasio is a Belgian vocalist who mixes jazz, blues, and soul.

As Melanie De Biasio explains in her own words; “For me, Lilies has a darkness, but it’s also luminous. After my experiences with (previous releases) 'No Deal' and 'Blackened Cities', I just wanted to retreat to a cave with my Pro-Tools, my computer, and my cheap, 100Euro Shure SM-58 microphone. I could have gone to a big studio, made a big production – but I wanted none of that. I wanted to go back to the seed of creativity, the simplest materials. I was in this room where there was no light, no night or day at all, no heat. Very uncomfortable. But I felt free. I was happy to have this feeling – ‘I don’t need more, I have everything I need here.’”

Lilies resonates with beauty, multi-instrumentalist De Biasio casting a mesmerising shadow over the proceedings alongside her long-term ensemble of players and will undoubtedly once again see her further the acclaim of fans both in Europe and further afield.

Lilies mc
Lilies zippy

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David Linx - 7000 Miles

Size: 107,1 MB
Time: 45:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Poses (5:23)
02. From One Family To Another (3:22)
03. 7000 Miles (6:05)
04. America (5:32)
05. A Fool To Never Know (4:55)
06. Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay (4:45)
07. Night And Day (3:15)
08. Distortions (2:32)
09. The Promise Of You (4:53)
10. Out On A Limb (5:02)

Personnel:
David Linx, chant
André Ceccarelli, drums
Pierre-Alain Goualch, piano
Diego Imbert, double bass

David Linx (1965) is a Belgian singer of jazz and chansons, composer and lyricist. He studied percussion and worked as a drummer with the American jazz singer Mark Murphy, which motivated him to take up singing himself.
In 1996, together with a group of musicians, including Pierre Van Dormael and Slide Hampton, he made a recording with the American writer and activist James Baldwin, who recites poetry on this album.

With pianist Diederik Wissels David Linx recorded various duo albums over the years. Additionally, he recorded with among others Toots Thielemans, the quartet of guitarist Tam De Villiers, the quartet of pianist Ivan Paduart and the Brussels Jazz Orchestra.

David is also active as a singer of the French chanson. He recorded an album with chansons and collaborated with the singer Maurane. Addtionally, he composes music for film and dance theatre. In 2005, he was awarded the Prix Bobby Jaspar by the Académie du Jazz in Paris.

David Linx has been a jazz voice teacher at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels since 1993 and is a regular guest teacher at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

7000 Miles

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Arnould Massart, Philippe Aerts, Phillippe Mobers - Three To Get Ready

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:38
Size: 127.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Contemporary jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[4:24] 1. Packed Orgy
[5:06] 2. Toujour'
[5:16] 3. Anima
[4:24] 4. Samba De Uma Nota
[7:06] 5. A Garota Da Garota
[7:55] 6. Song For John Merrick
[3:33] 7. Vivement Ce Soir !
[4:54] 8. So Danco Samba
[7:08] 9. La Valse Du Cyclothymique
[5:48] 10. Three To Get Ready

Bass – Philippe Aerts; Drums – Philippe Mobers; Piano – Arnould Massart.

A versatile musician, pianist, pedagogue, researcher, Arnould Massart evolves in styles as diverse as jazz, contemporary music or variety, where his open-minded conception of music makes him a valued collaborator as artistic director, composer, arranger or accompanist whether Maurane, Alain Chamfort, Khaled and many others ...

Bright, cheerful, jazzy, Latin, at the confluence of samba and jazz, improvisation and emotion, "Three to get ready" offers a repertoire of compositions by Arnould Massart where dynamism and rigor, virtuosity and depth are in constant contact A "samba-bop" that succeeds the bet of the osmosis between the Brazilian sensual rhythms and the flights of the bop, without forgetting the touch of humor proper to the leader! (Translated from French.)

Three To Get Ready

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David Linx & The Brussels Jazz Orchestra - Changing Faces

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 80:42
Size: 184.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[6:11] 1. Deep Night
[6:53] 2. Down On Lovers Lane
[8:09] 3. Black Crow
[5:47] 4. Bilhete
[4:12] 5. Then We'll Be Home
[9:46] 6. A Day's Journey
[4:54] 7. Home, In The Spring
[5:33] 8. The Land Of Joy
[2:17] 9. Por Toda Minha Vida
[5:32] 10. Miziane
[5:34] 11. There Is You
[9:33] 12. Sweet Suite
[6:15] 13. For The Time Being

Never thought I’d be mentioning that pre-Crosby crooner, Rudy Vallee, in this space, but one of the tunes associated with the megaphone meister, “Deep Night,” receives a surprisingly hip, propulsive makeover. It typifies the extremes to be found here. Linx, the Belgian jazz singer, will resort to any idiom, any language, any time signature. Occasionally he seems to dispense with bar lines altogether, or he will go beyond lyrics, as he abandons his own words on “A Day’s Journey,” for some free-wheeling scat. “Home, In the Spring” features Linx and the wordless Natalie Dessay in a wistful duet. While he strains for falsetto, she leaps octaves effortlessly. The most impressive tour de force is “The Land of Joy,” in which Linx resorts to jet-speed unison scat with pianist Nathalie Loriers. Linx wrote some of the tunes, which compete quite well against entries by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joni Mitchell. He can do it all, at the highest level of professionalism, like the superb Brussels Jazz Orchestra, a 17-piece band, used to the coloristic effects that accrue from their apparently endless doublings. ~Harvey Siders

Changing Faces

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Gare Du Nord - Sex 'N' Jazz (Expanded)

Size: 122,4+103,4 MB
Time: 53:05+44:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. Somethin' In My Mouth (Sex 'n' Jazz 1) (Blue Note Version) (3:49)
02. Marvin & Miles (Blue Note Version) (3:47)
03. Ride On (Feat. Paul Carrack) (Blue Note Version) (3:45)
04. Cool Summer Breeze (Blue Note Version) (0:28)
05. Beautiful Day (Blue Note Version) (3:40)
06. You're My Medicine (Feat. Marvin Gaye) (Blue Note Version) (4:15)
07. More Medicine (Blue Note Version) (2:09)
08. Chet's Chat (Blue Note Version) (4:16)
09. Quiet Storm (Blue Note Version) (0:48)
10. I Want Love (Blue Note Version) (4:23)
11. Lobster For Love (Sex 'n' Jazz 2) (Blue Note Version) (3:38)
12. Hey, Mr Glider (Feat. Erik Truffaz) (Blue Note Version) (4:18)
13. Hot Glue (Blue Note Version) (5:48)
14. Sex 'n' Jazz 1&2 (Ibiza Club Mix) (Blue Note Version) (7:55)

CD 2:
01. Marvin & Miles (3:55)
02. Somethin' In My Mouth (Sex 'n' Jazz 1) (3:39)
03. Ride On (3:40)
04. You're My Medicine (3:10)
05. More Medicine (2:34)
06. Summer Breeze (0:43)
07. Beautiful Day (3:41)
08. Chet's Chat (4:15)
09. Lobster For Love (Sex 'n' Jazz 2) (3:38)
10. Hey, Mr Glider (4:22)
11. Quiet Storm (0:48)
12. I Want Love (4:22)
13. Hot Glue (5:56)

Originally released in March 2007, Sex 'n' Jazz, starring Marvin Gaye, Paul Carrack and Erik Truffaz, immediately captured the public's attention and became an overnight success for Dutch groove jazz band Gare du Nord. Tracks like 'Marvin & Miles', 'You're My Medicine' and 'Beautiful Day' would become instant classics and kick started a new jazz pop wave in The Netherlands. The appeal of the album was also recognized by jazz label Blue Note and in 2009 a remixed version of the album hit the shelves. With the key tracks, originally mixed in the chill mode, dramatically remixed in club soul style, the blue label parachuted Sex 'n' Jazz into platinum heaven. This 2017 expanded edition brings together both the Blue Note remix album master and the original vintage album master from early 2007 for the very first time. State of the art remastered, this landmark edition of Sex 'n' Jazz sounds as crispy as ever. This must be the ultimate fan experience to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the trendsetting club soul masterwork and it's prelude.

Sex 'N' Jazz CD 1
Sex 'N' Jazz CD 2

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Jef Neve Trio - Nobody Is Illegal

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:19
Size: 122.1 MB
Styles: R&B, Piano jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[2:14] 1. Airplane
[8:57] 2. Nothing But A Casablanca Turtle Slide-Show Dinner
[6:23] 3. Abschied
[3:40] 4. Astra
[6:25] 5. Nobody Is Illegal
[1:04] 6. Unprepared
[9:32] 7. Second Love
[2:07] 8. Goldfish
[6:46] 9. Together At Last
[4:13] 10. Until Now
[1:51] 11. Delayed

Double Bass – Piet Verbist; Drums – Teun Verbruggen; Horns – Hans Verhulst (tracks: 2, 3, 7), Simon Haspeslag (tracks: 2, 3, 7); Piano, Producer – Jef Neve; Saxophone [Tenor] – Nicolas Kummert (tracks: 4, 6, 8); Trombone [Bass] – Pieter Kindt (tracks: 2, 3, 7); Trombone [Tenor] – Frederik Heirman (tracks: 2, 3, 7); Tuba – Berlinde Deman (tracks: 2, 3, 7). Tracks 1 to 4, 6 to 9, 11: Recorded at 'La Chapelle', Waimes, on April 17-19, 2006. Tracks 5, 10: Recorded at Bijloke, Ghent, on July 18th, 2006.

Pianist/composer Jef Neve (1977) has become a prominent figure in his homeland Belgium and his reputation is rapidly spreading to the rest of the world. He studied at the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven and graduated in 2000 as Master of Music in Jazz and classical piano, both with great distinction. In 2001 he specialized in Chamber Music and was rewarded the diploma 'cum laude'. He followed master classes with Brad Mehldau, Martial Solal, Lew Tabackin, Billy Hart, Bill Carothers, Kenny Werner, Bruce Barth and others.

Nobody Is Illegal

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David Linx, The Brussels Jazz Orchestra - Changing Faces

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 80:42
Size: 184.7 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals, Big band
Year: 2007/2013
Art: Front

[6:11] 1. Deep Night
[6:53] 2. Down On Lovers Lane
[8:09] 3. Black Crow
[5:47] 4. Bilhete
[4:12] 5. Then We'll Be Home
[9:46] 6. A Day's Journey
[4:54] 7. Home, In The Spring
[5:33] 8. The Land Of Joy
[2:17] 9. Por Toda Minha Vida
[5:32] 10. Miziane
[5:34] 11. There Is You
[9:33] 12. Sweet Suite
[6:15] 13. For The Time Being

Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute – Dieter Limbourg; Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Art Direction – Frank Vaganée; Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Bo Van Der Werf; Bass Trombone – Laurent Hendrick; Double Bass – Jos Machtel; Drums, Cajón – Martijn Vink; Guitar – Hendrik Braeckman, Manu Codjia; Percussion – Minino Garay; Piano – Nathalie Loriers; Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Bart Defoort; Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute – Kurt van Herck; Trombone – Ben Fleerakkers, Frederik Heirman; Trombone [Lead] – Marc Godfroid; Trumpet [Lead], Flugelhorn – Serge Plume; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Gino Lattuca, Nico Schepers, Pierre Drevet. Recorded at Hogent Studios, Ghent (Belgium).

Never thought I’d be mentioning that pre-Crosby crooner, Rudy Vallee, in this space, but one of the tunes associated with the megaphone meister, “Deep Night,” receives a surprisingly hip, propulsive makeover. It typifies the extremes to be found here. Linx, the Belgian jazz singer, will resort to any idiom, any language, any time signature. Occasionally he seems to dispense with bar lines altogether, or he will go beyond lyrics, as he abandons his own words on “A Day’s Journey,” for some free-wheeling scat. “Home, In the Spring” features Linx and the wordless Natalie Dessay in a wistful duet. While he strains for falsetto, she leaps octaves effortlessly. The most impressive tour de force is “The Land of Joy,” in which Linx resorts to jet-speed unison scat with pianist Nathalie Loriers. Linx wrote some of the tunes, which compete quite well against entries by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joni Mitchell. He can do it all, at the highest level of professionalism, like the superb Brussels Jazz Orchestra, a 17-piece band, used to the coloristic effects that accrue from their apparently endless doublings. ~Harvey Siders

Changing Faces

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Toots Thielemans - Blues Pour Flirter

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:07
Size: 82.7 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 1989/2001
Art: Front

[2:44] 1. Winter In Madrid
[5:30] 2. Willow Weep For Me
[2:37] 3. Satin Doll
[3:18] 4. Bag's Groove
[3:46] 5. We'll Be Together Again
[2:23] 6. Hot Toddy
[4:00] 7. Try A Little Tenderness
[3:18] 8. Talk To Me
[2:42] 9. Le Trottoir
[2:57] 10. Honeysuckle Rose
[2:46] 11. Flirt

Double Bass – Roland Lobligeois; Drums – Philippe Combelle; Guitar – Toots Thielemans; Piano – George Arvanitas; Whistling – Toots Thielemans (track 11). Recorded January 3 and 4, 1961 at the Polydor studio, Paris. Digitally remastered on 24-bit.

Although Toots Thielemans is far better-known for his virtuoso harmonica playing, he sticks exclusively to guitar on this pair of studio dates, initially taped in 1961 for Polydor. Accompanied by pianist Georges Arvanitas, bassist Roland Lobligeois, and drummer Philippe Combelle, Thielemans leads a primarily laid-back session with the focus on the leader, covering standards ("Willow Weep for Me" and "We'll be Together Again"), adding a soft wordless background vocal to "Satin Doll," and giving a loping treatment to Milt Jackson's "Bags' Groove." No matter that none of Thielemans' compositions have come close to matching the widespread popularity of his huge hit, "Bluesette"; two blues he wrote for this date, "Le Trottoir" and "Flirt" (the latter of which is the only track to feature his famous whistling), are very enjoyable. Even if this Verve CD reissue falls short of being an essential purchase, any fan of Toots Thielemans will want to acquire it. ~Ken Dryden

Blues Pour Flirter

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Brussels Jazz Orchestra - Wild Beauty

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:14
Size: 151.6 MB
Styles: Orchestral jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[10:07] 1. Wild Beauty
[ 5:10] 2. Powerhouse
[ 6:25] 3. Streets Of Naples
[ 6:49] 4. Our Daily Bread
[11:50] 5. Big Ben
[ 8:31] 6. Sanctuary Park
[ 8:37] 7. Miss Etna
[ 8:42] 8. Viva Caruso

None other than the American saxophone player Joe Lovano and the Brussels Jazz Orchestra present the project Wild Beauty featuring compositions by Lovano and arrangements by Gil Goldstein (US), another big name from the jazz and music world. This production is the icing on the BJO's birthday cake as it celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2013.

Wild Beauty comprises 8 compositions by Lovano, brought together in one seamless music sequence that tells the story of composer and soloist Joe Lovano. All the compositions were previously released on various CDs by Lovano, but this is the first time they are performed by a big line-up. “Wild Beauty” is a showcase of his compositions, as it were, as it presents an overview of Lovano’s work, drawing inspiration from his Italian roots. Lovano has dedicated “Wild Beauty” to his Sicilian mother Josephine (Giuseppina) Verzi Lovano, who died in May last year. Gil Goldstein rearranged Lovano’s compositions for the BJO, having been given carte blanche by Joe.

The Brussels Jazz Orchestra (BJO) is not the kind of jazz orchestra that sticks to standards. It prefers to achieve the highest level by composing original music, creating unique arrangements and playing inventively as well as passionately. In fact, it really is jazz with a dynamic orchestral sound, with a classic strength in which each musician is also a brilliant soloist. Call it an ‘orchestrated passion for jazz’ that incites BJO to create world-class music.

Wild Beauty

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Bert Joris, Brussels Jazz Orchestra - Smooth Shake

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:32
Size: 154.6 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[7:26] 1. O.U.T
[8:24] 2. Smooth Shake
[6:27] 3. Only For The Honest
[7:44] 4. Brussel-Parijs
[6:57] 5. Spaces
[8:23] 6. How Could We Forget
[8:49] 7. Mr. Dado
[8:12] 8. Nasty Boy
[5:06] 9. Smooth Shake (Radio Edit)

The new CD by Bert Joris with Brussels Jazz Orchestra is called Smooth Shake. This is the fourth large-scale production with Bert in which he shines as a soloist, composer and arranger, following Signs and Signatures (2010), Dangerous Liaison (2006) and the double CD The Music of Bert Joris in 2002. Bert Joris says: "A warm sound – that’s what I had in mind for this album. A sound that envelops you, fills you with energy, like a meaningful friendship. The result is a serene record which invites you to move nonetheless, to dance. Not too exuberantly, but smoothly."

Jazz trumpeter Bert Joris (°1957) has built a solid reputation as improvisor, composer, arranger and teacher. His work is performed by musicians allover the world. Joris received several awards and prizes for his work and his most recent solo album ‘Only for the honest’ was widely acclaimed by the press. Bert Joris has published three albums with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra so far. Over the years, Joris and the BJO toured together from Sweden to the USA.

Smooth Shake

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René Thomas, Jimmy Raney - 2 Guitars In Paris

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:49
Size: 173.6 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:15] 1. Pennies From Heaven
[2:59] 2. Yesterdays
[3:35] 3. Body And Soul
[3:36] 4. All The Things You Are
[2:49] 5. The Continental
[2:22] 6. There Will Never Be Another You
[4:26] 7. There Will Never Be Another You
[4:29] 8. Stella By Starlight
[4:30] 9. Once In A While
[2:38] 10. Easy To Love
[4:15] 11. The Real Cat
[2:32] 12. How About You
[6:53] 13. You Go To My Head
[4:28] 14. Tres Chouette
[4:03] 15. Someone To Watch Over Me
[3:17] 16. Someone To Watch Over Me
[3:34] 17. Lover Man
[3:13] 18. Get Happy
[4:45] 19. Too Marvelous For Words
[4:00] 20. Goodnight, Wherever You Are

One of the finest European jazz guitarists to emerge during the 1950s, René Thomas appeared on many sessions with Americans during the next few decades. Influenced as one might expect by Django Reinhardt, Thomas was mostly self-taught and by the 1950s he was a greatly in-demand cool-toned guitarist, playing in a style similar to Jimmy Raney's. In addition to performing with the top European jazz musicians, Thomas worked with Chet Baker (1955), lived in Montreal during 1958-1963, played with Toshiko Akiyoshi and Sonny Rollins, was back in Europe by 1963, and during the next few years worked with Kenny Clarke, Lou Bennett, and Han Bennink among many others. During the 1969-1972 period, Thomas was a member of Stan Getz's European Band (with whom he recorded Dynasty). He died of a sudden heart attack in Spain when he was 47. As a leader, Thomas recorded for Vogue (1954), Barclay, Polydor, Jazzland (1960), RCA, Royal Jazz, and the Italian Vogel label (1974).

Jimmy Raney was different from the other jazz guitarists who came up during the bebop revolution in New York in the 1940s and ’50s. He was a complete composer as well as a talented player, and he was a quiet man looking to play an explosive style of music. Raney kept his amp turned down and found his own way of playing jazz. Jim Hall described Raney’s playing as a cross between Charlie Parker and Béla Bartók. Raney didn’t play the staccato riffs and lightning-fast bursts of notes that many bop players favored. Raney played long, legato melodic lines that seemed to ignore measures, took surprising twists and turns and often resolved in unexpected places.

Raney was born in Louisville, Ky. His father was a journalist and his mother played a little guitar and she showed young Jimmy a few chords. He later took classical lessons, and Raney landed his first professional job when he was 13. Raney managed to work quite a bit in Louisville during WWII because the draft took most of the older players, but he was playing mostly hillbilly and pop tunes. Then a teacher introduced Raney to Charlie Christian; Raney said he almost fainted. That same teacher recommended Raney to bandleader Jerry Wald and the young guitarist was off to New York. Wald’s pianist, Al Haig, took Raney to Harlem and introduced him to Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Tatum. After returning to Louisville for a bit, Raney eventually landed in Woody Herman’s Second Herd. He left within a year because he hated the relentless touring schedule and he didn’t get much of a chance to solo. But he did meet saxophonist Stan Getz in the band and that relationship would put Raney in the spotlight.

2 Guitars In Paris

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Bobby Jaspar - At Ronnie Scott's

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:06
Size: 177,3 MB
Art: Front

( 8:48)  1. Sonnymoon For Two
(10:21)  2. Like Someone In Love
( 9:46)  3. Stella By Starlight
(12:48)  4. Be Like Bud
( 8:20)  5. Our Delight
( 7:43)  6. Darn That Dream
( 8:12)  7. Pent-Up House
(10:05)  8. Oleo

Recorded just a year before his death, this English album (releasing previously unknown music for the first time in 1986) is about the only one released from Bobby Jaspar's final four years. Doubling on tenor and flute while joined by guitarist Rene Thomas, bassist Benoit Quersin and drummer Daniel Humair, Jaspar is heard stretching out on his "Be Like Bud" and five boppish jazz standards. The numbers clock in between 7-10 minutes at this live concert, giving Bobby Jaspar an opportunity to take some of his longest solos on record. Highlights of the spirited set include "Pent-Up House," "Our Delight" and "Oleo." ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-bobby-jaspar-quartet-at-ronnie-scotts-1962-mw0000882127

Personnel:  René Thomas – guitar;  Bobby Jaspar – saxophone;  Benoît Quersin – bass;  Daniel Humair – drums.

At Ronnie Scott's

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Toots Thielemans & Elis Regina - Aquarela do Brasil

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:32
Size: 77,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:12)  1. Wave
(3:02)  2. Aquarela do Brasil
(2:54)  3. Visão
(2:05)  4. Corrida de Jangada
(2:11)  5. Wilsamba
(2:26)  6. Você (You)
(2:45)  7. Barquinho
(2:15)  8. O sonho
(1:59)  9. Five for Elis
(3:14) 10. Canto de Ossanha
(2:54) 11. Honeysuckle Rose
(4:28) 12. Volta

Jean 'Toots' Thielemans is widely regarded by most people as the most accomplished harmonica player in the world. Of course, that's not all he does and it would be a great injustice to label him as just a good harmonica player. If you are not into Jazz, you may not have heard of his name but you have probably heard his music many times and I suspect you liked it. He is equally good at playing guitar, the accordeon and many other instruments. For instance, you will never hear anyone whistle jazz better than Toots. Born on 29 April 1922 in Brussels, he quickly got interested in music and was playing the accordeon at age 3. Later he started playing the harmonica and the guitar. He got seriously hooked on jazz in earnest during the German occupation and has been influenced predominantly by Django Reinhardt, another Belgian who invented a particular way of playing the guitar, and the legendary Charlie Parker. Other influences were Toots Mondello and Toots Camarata, resulting in Jean Thielemans being nicknamed 'Toots' early on in his career.In an interview in 1983 with a Belgian radio station, he said : “My parents had a pub and each Sunday there was an accordionist. They have told me that when I was in my cradle, I already was imitating the gestures of the musician. One of the clients said “that kid wants to play accordion”. My father bought me a little cardboard accordion, and when I was three I got this little machine. (plays a little bit, accompanied by the barking of his little dog called Duke Yorkshire Ellington Thielemans)”.

He made his big breakthrough when he went on European tour with Benny Goodman in 1950. He moved to America in 1952 (and became a US citizen the same year) where he is extremely well-known, especially among the jazz community. Quincy Jones said this about him in 1995 : “I can say without hesitation that Toots is one of the greatest musicians of our time. On his instrument he ranks with the best that jazz has ever produced. He goes for the heart and makes you cry. We have worked together more times than I can count and he always keeps me coming back for more”. Toots hates his favourite instrument, the harmonica, being called a 'miscellaneous instrument'. Indeed, the late Clifford Brown said : “Toots, the way you play the harmonica they should not call it a miscellaneous instrument”. His successes include harmonica solo contributions to film scores for Midnight Cowboy, The Getaway, Sugarland Express, Cinderella Liberty, Turks Fruit (Turkish Fruit), Jean de Florette and others. In 1962 he had a massive hit with 'Bluesette'. He also did many concerts and recordings with legends such as George Shearing, Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones, Bill Evans, Jaco Pastorius, Natalie Cole, Pat Metheny, Paul Simon and Billy Joel. Many people also will remember him from the music used for the 'Old Spice' TV commercial. Toots succeeded in doing something that is very difficult for Jazz musicians: being well-known by the general public and still practice high-class Jazz. Receiving the high appreciation of his peers and connoisseurs is no mean feat and Toots is regularly voted first in his category in the famous Down Beat Jazz Magazine in the USA by critics and public. In 1981, Toots suffered from a major stroke that left part of his body with little feeling. Today he has pretty much recovered from the stroke and admits that while he may not be able to play as many notes as he used to, he can still “play the good ones”. He has always suffered from asthma which makes his success even more remarkable. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/tootsthielemans

Personnel:  Toots Thielemans (guitar and harmonica), Elis Regina (vocals), Antonio Adolfo (piano), Roberto Menescal (guitar) and Wilson das Neves (percussion).

R.I.P.
Born:  April 29, 1922, Brussels, Belgium
Died: August 22, 2016, Brussels, Belgium

Aquarela do Brasil

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David Linx & Brussels Jazz Orchestra - Brel

Size: 182,9 MB
Time: 79:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Chanson
Art: Front

01. Quand On N'a Que L'amour (8:00)
02. La Chanson Des Vieux Amants (5:43)
03. Vesoul - Amsterdam (7:34)
04. Ces Gens-La (6:48)
05. Mathilde (6:25)
06. Ne Me Quitte Pas (4:24)
07. Le Plat Pays (8:02)
08. Bruxelles (8:51)
09. Isabelle (5:00)
10. La Valse A Mille Temps (5:12)
11. Bruxelles (Radio Edit) (Bonus Track) (4:12)
12. La Ville S'Endormait (Bonus Track) (8:55)

While David Linx's name may not be writ large here in the States, the fifty-one year-old singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist is a mega-star in his native Belgium, and in 2005 was named Best Jazz Musician in Europe, which covers a whole lot of territory. On Brel, Linx sings music composed by his Belgian forerunner, the late and legendary Jacques Brel, accompanied by the world-class Brussels Jazz Orchestra (whose personnel are not listed on the bare-bones promotional copy save for saxophonist / music director Frank Vaganee).

The music is for the most part cerebral and debonair, lending itself quite well to a jazz milieu (one of the few French words salvaged from high school). As for the lyrics, they are generally sung in the aforementioned Gallic tongue; in other words, incomprehensible. Linx employs the universal jazz "language"—scat—on the flag-waving "Mathilde" and sings in English on "Vesoul -Amsterdam" and "Isabelle," reminding the listener why he doesn't choose to do so often. Elsewhere, like most other French singers, he sounds exceedingly French (or Belgian). Those who've heard Brel, Maurice Chevalier, Georges Guetary, Charles Aznavour, Sacha Distel and other standard-bearers should grasp the allusion.

The session opens quietly with the melodious "Quand on n'a Que L'Amour" and ends on a dynamic note with "La Valse a Mille Temps," which must translate into "waltz, fast and loud." Even though the lyrics (in most cases) are foreign, there's no doubt that Linx sings them well, with excellent diction and phrasing. As for the BJO, it plays its ancillary role to perfection, giving Linx a hermetic framework from which to operate while weighing in with a number of brief yet persuasive solos along the way. In spite of his prominence, there haven't been a great number of tributes to Jacques Brel and his music, which makes this one by David Linx and the BJO that much more enticing. ~Jack Bowers

Personnel: David Linx: vocals. Brussels Jazz Orchestra, Frank Vaganee: artistic director.

Brel

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Toots Thielemans - The Soul Of Toots Thielemans

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:24
Size: 98,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. You Are My Sunshine
(5:24)  2. Nuages
(4:37)  3. Five O'Clock Whistle
(4:59)  4. Soul
(4:23)  5. Lonesome Road
(2:59)  6. Misty
(6:34)  7. Confirmation
(4:55)  8. Les Enfants S'ennuient Le Dimanche
(2:12)  9. Brother John

This somewhat obscure date by the great jazz harmonica player Toots Thielemans also features the leader playing some fine guitar (most notably on "Lonesome Road") and taking one of his first whistling solos on "Brother John." With pianist Ray Bryant, bassist Tom Bryant and drummer Oliver Jackson completing the quartet, Thielemans is in excellent form introducing two of his originals and jamming such tunes as "You Are My Sunshine," "Nuages" and "Confirmation." 

The music on this enjoyable 1986 Doctor Jazz reissue LP of a Signature session is currently out of print.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-soul-of-toots-thielemans-mw0000197284

Personnel: Toots Thielemans (harmonica, electric guitar & whistling); Ray Bryant (piano);  Tom Bryant (bass);  Oliver Jackson (drums).

The Soul Of Toots Thielemans

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David Linx - Rock My boat

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:12
Size: 122,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. Rock My Boat
(5:09)  2. I Never Went Away
(3:13)  3. Just Give Me Time
(5:57)  4. Letter To My Son/Aos Nossos Filhos
(4:52)  5. Childhood
(2:06)  6. Foolkiller
(5:22)  7. Northern Star
(4:01)  8. Where Rivers Join
(5:14)  9. A Quiet Place
(5:41) 10. Even Make It Up
(2:48) 11. Yesternow
(3:42) 12. On The Other Side

Belgian vocalist David Linx is to jazz what Rufus Wainwright is to pop, a chameleonic avant-gardist of the first order. Though Linx has been recording since the mid-1980s, a survey of just his 2010 projectsthe richly imaginative tribute Follow Jon Hendricks… If You Can, with Michele Hendricks and the French singer-songwriter André Minvielle; the clever quasi-travelogue Follow the Songlines, with Portuguese vocalist Maria João; and One Heart, Three Voices, a magnificent summit with Dutch vocalist Fay Claassen and pianist Diederik Wissels is enough to illustrate his remarkable dexterity. Throughout Rock My Boat, featuring Rhoda Scott on Hammond B3 and André Ceccarelli on drums, Linx’s adventurous eclecticism continues unabated. At various points, Linx suggests Kurt Elling channeling Jimmy Scott and Allen Ginsberg by way of Smokey Robinson, with shades of Hendricks and George Benson. Half of the dozen tracks are given over to a wide-ranging assortment of covers, extending from the hushed glory of Christian music pioneer Ralph Carmichael’s “A Quiet Place” and a bruised, bilingual exploration of Ivan Lins’ “Aos Nossos Filhos,” to a coolly swinging reading of Mose Allison’s “Foolkiller” and an arresting treatment of Miles Davis’ “Yesternow,” fitted to a Tejan Karefa poem, that suggests a lost, smoke-filled night at San Francisco’s City Lights bookstore. 

The six originals are equally heterogeneous. There’s the rollicking Carnaby Street-esque title track, the sweet innocence of “Childhood,” the stealthily romantic “Where Rivers Join,” the joyful, fresh-from-Sunday-service closer, “On the Other Side,” and, most arresting, the swirling carnival of “Even Make It Up.”~Christopher Loudon http://jazztimes.com/articles/29194-rock-my-boat-david-linx

Personnel: David Linx (vocals); André Ceccarelli (drums); Rhoda Scott (Hammond b-3 organ).

Rock My boat

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