Betty Roché - Singin' & Swingin'

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:35
Size: 71,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:52)  1. Come Rain or Come Shine
(3:40)  2. A Foggy Day
(3:57)  3. Day by Day
(3:21)  4. When I Fall in Love
(3:04)  5. Blue Moon
(2:59)  6. Where or When
(2:12)  7. September Song
(4:14)  8. Until the Real Thing Comes Along
(3:13)  9. Billie's Bounce

Betty Roché should have been much more famous. She had two barely documented periods with Duke Ellington's orchestra and recorded three excellent albums as a leader from 1956-1961 (all of which are available on Cd), but then faded away into complete obscurity. This reissue (which is mistakenly given the incorrect date of January 24, 1961, which was actually Roché's following release) matches the singer with tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest, organist Jack McDuff (near the beginning of his career), guitarist Bill Jennings, bassist Wendell Marshall, and drummer Roy Haynes. Roché performs nine famous standards, coming up with fresh variations in her phrasing to such numbers as "Come Rain or Come Shine," "When I Fall in Love," "Blue Moon," and "Billie's Bounce." Recommended, as are all of the other recordings in her slim discography.

~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/singin-swingin-mw0000615285

Personnel: Betty Roché (vocals); Bill Jennings (guitar); Jimmy Forrest (tenor saxophone); Jack McDuff (organ); Roy Haynes (drums).

Singin' & Swingin' 

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Jack McDuff - The Prestige Years (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:40
Size: 180.1 MB
Styles: Soul jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[8:13] 1. The Honeydripper
[2:59] 2. Brother Jack
[4:49] 3. Sanctified Waltz
[8:55] 4. Yeah, Baby
[5:00] 5. Mellow Gravy
[6:01] 6. He's A Real Gone Guy
[6:22] 7. Candy
[7:00] 8. Tough 'Duff
[2:23] 9. Grease Monkey
[6:46] 10. Jive Samba
[2:59] 11. Organ Grinder's Swing
[7:18] 12. Screamin'
[2:56] 13. Hot Barbeque
[6:54] 14. Opus De Funk

Alto Saxophone – Leo Wright; Bass – Wendell Marshall; Drums – Bill Elliot, Joe Dukes; Guitar – Bill Jennings, Eddie Diehl, George Benson, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell; Organ – Brother Jack McDuff; Tenor Saxophone – Gene Ammons, Harold Vick, Jimmy Forrest, Red Holloway; Vibraphone – Lem Winchester.

The history of jazz is full of great musicians who died tragically young; Clifford Brown, Bix Beiderbecke, Eric Dolphy, Fats Navarro, Charlie Christian, Booker Little, and the seminal Charlie Parker were among the many legendary improvisers who died in their twenties or thirties. But when Jack McDuff passed away on January 23, 2001, at the age of 74, his fans could take some comfort in knowing that he had lived a long and productive life. The soul-jazz/hard bop organist left behind a huge catalog, which is why best-of releases like The Prestige Years and The Best of the Concord Years are sorely needed. While the latter is devoted to McDuff's Concord Jazz recordings of the '90s and early 2000s, this 79-minute CD focuses on his Prestige output of 1960-1965. Although McDuff only spent a fraction of his career at Prestige and was still keeping busy 35 years after leaving the label, Prestige was the company that put him on the map as a recording artist -- and most soul-jazz enthusiasts would agree that he recorded some of his most essential work there. The Prestige Years bears that out; "Rock Candy," "Yeah, Baby," and McDuff's 1960 version of Joe Liggins' "The Honeydripper" are required listening for anyone with even a casual interest in gritty, down-home organ combos. The list of musicians who join McDuff on these recordings reads like a who's who of '60s soul-jazz; Gene Ammons, George Benson, Red Holloway, Jimmy Forrest, and Grant Green are among the major names appearing in the credits. The Prestige Years is far from the last word on McDuff's long recording career -- for that matter, it's far from the last word on his Prestige output. But if one is seeking an introductory overview of McDuff's five years at that label, The Prestige Years wouldn't be a bad investment at all. ~Alex Henderson

The Prestige Years (Remastered)

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Kenny Burrell - Guitar Soul

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:29
Size: 80,2 MB
Art: Front

( 3:03)  1. Billie's Bounce
( 7:05)  2. Prelude To A Kiss
( 4:13)  3. It Don't Mean A Thing
( 3:50)  4. It's Alvin Again
(10:53)  5. Lost Weekend
( 5:23)  6. Dood I Did

One of the leading exponents of straight-ahead jazz guitar, Kenny Burrell is a highly influential artist whose understated and melodic style, grounded in bebop and blues, made him in an in-demand sideman from the mid-'50s onward and a standard by which many jazz guitarists gauge themselves to this day. Born in Detroit in 1931, Burrell grew up in a musical family in which his mother played piano and sang in the Second Baptist Church choir, while his father favored the banjo and ukulele. Burrell began playing guitar at age 12 and quickly fell under the influence of such artists as Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, Oscar Moore, T-Bone Walker, and Muddy Waters. Surrounded by the vibrant jazz and blues scene of Detroit, Burrell began to play gigs around town and counted among his friends and bandmates pianist Tommy Flanagan, saxophonists Pepper Adams and Yusef Lateef, drummer Elvin Jones, and others. In 1951, Burrell made his recording debut on a combo session that featured trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie as well as saxophonist John Coltrane, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, and bassist Percy Heath. Although his talent ranked among the best of the professional jazz players at the time, Burrell continued to study privately with renowned classical guitarist Joe Fava, and enrolled in the music program at Wayne State University. Upon graduating in 1955 with a B.A. in music composition and theory, Burrell was hired for a six-month stint touring with pianist Oscar Peterson's trio. Then, in 1956, Burrell and Flanagan moved to New York City and immediately became two of the most sought-after sidemen in town, performing in gigs with such luminaries as singers Tony Bennett and Lena Horne, playing in Broadway pit orchestras, and recording with an array of legendary musicians including Coltrane, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, organist Jimmy Smith, vocalist Billie Holiday, and many others. Burrell made his recorded debut as a leader on the 1956 Blue Note session Introducing Kenny Burrell technically his second session for the label, but the first to see release. From the late '50s onward, Burrell continued to record by himself and with others, and has appeared on countless albums over the years including such notable albums as 1957's The Cats featuring Coltrane, 1963's Midnight Blue featuring saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, 1965's Guitar Forms with arrangements by Gil Evans, and 1968's Blues -- The Common Ground.

Beginning in 1971, Burrell started leading various college seminars including the first regular course to be held in the United States on the music of composer, pianist, and bandleader Duke Ellington. He continued performing, recording, and teaching throughout the '80s and '90s, releasing several albums including 1989's Guiding Spirit, 1991's Sunup to Sundown, 1994's Collaboration with pianist LaMont Johnson, 1995's Primal Blue, and 1998's church music-inspired Love Is the Answer. In 2001, Burrell released the relaxed quartet date A Lucky So and So on Concord and followed it up in 2003 with Blue Muse. He celebrated turning 75 years old in 2006 by recording a live date, released a year later as 75th Birthday Bash Live! In 2010, Burrell released the live album Be Yourself: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, recorded at Lincoln Center's smaller club-like venue, followed two years later by Special Requests (And Other Favorites): Live at Catalina's. In 2015, Burrell released The Road to Love, recorded live at Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood. Another Catalina's live date, Unlimited 1, appeared in 2016 and featured Burrell backed by the Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra. Besides continuing to perform, Burrell is the founder and director of the Jazz Studies Program at UCLA, as well as president emeritus of the Jazz Heritage Foundation. ~ Matt Collar http://www.allmusic.com/artist/kenny-burrell-mn0000068780/biography

Personnel:  Kenny Burrell – Guitar;  Barry Galbraith – Guitar;  Leonard Gaskin – Bass;  Bobby Donaldson – Drums;  Bill Jennings – Guitar;  Jack McDuff – Organ;  Wendell Marshall – Bass;  Tiny Grimes – Guitar;  Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Tenor Sax;  J.C. Higginbotham – Trombone;  Ray Bryant – Piano;  Osie Johnson - Drums

Guitar Soul

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Wild Bill Davis & His Orchestra - Dance The Madison!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:29
Size: 79.0 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz, Organ jazz
Year: 1960/2009
Art: Front

[3:01] 1. The Madison Time (Part 1)
[4:06] 2. In A Mellow Tone
[2:50] 3. Smooth Sailing
[4:18] 4. Flying Home
[4:14] 5. Organ Grinder's Swing
[2:44] 6. The Madison Time (Part 2)
[2:12] 7. Blue Skies
[2:49] 8. Soft Winds
[4:11] 9. It's All Right With Me
[4:01] 10. Intermission Riff

The great Wild Bill Davis was, like Jimmy Smith, who cited him as a primary influence, both an innovator and a popularizer of jazz organ. One of the very first to play the organ as the instrument it is and not like a piano which most practitioners did before him, Davis was the first to establish the classic organ trio format with guitar and drums eventually adding a tenor sax later on occasionally. These classic 1960 recordings feature Bill Jennings (guitar), Grady Tate (drums) and George Clark (tenor sax, flute). All selections newly remastered.

Dance The Madison!

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Bill Jennings - Stompin' With Bill

Styles: Guitar Jazz,  R&B
Year: 1950
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:00
Size: 94,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:43)  1. Stompin' With Bill
(3:04)  2. Lonesome Traveller
(2:47)  3. You Came A Long Way From St. Louis
(2:51)  4. Alexandria, Va. - Previously Unreleased Take
(2:43)  5. Stompin' With Bill (Alt)
(3:11)  6. St. Louis Blues
(2:48)  7. Frankie & Johnny Boogie
(2:30)  8. Real Choice Blues
(2:28)  9. I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart
(2:24) 10. Temptation
(2:40) 11. Flat Foot Floojie
(2:21) 12. Roll On
(3:29) 13. Bittersweet
(1:22) 14. Ray's Blues (Take 1)
(3:35) 15. Ray's Blues (Take 2)

These five titles (circa mid-'50s) by guitarist Jennings originally came from the Gotham label. The disc also has five Ray Bryant Trio, two Tiny Grimes (g), one Billy Davis, and one Gay Crosse from the same period and the same source. The quality varies but all the music is rare, and there are interesting moments in much of it. ~ Bob Porter  http://www.allmusic.com/album/stompin-with-bill-mw0000262689

Stompin' With Bill

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Bill Jennings - Architect Of Soul Jazz: The Complete Early Recordings 1951-1957

Size: 180,6+160,0 MB
Time: 78:27+69:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Guitar Jazz, R&B, Jazz Blues
Art: Front & Back

CD 1:
01. Alexandria, Virginia (2:56)
02. You Came A Long Way From St. Louis (2:48)
03. Stompin' With Bill (2:45)
04. The Lonesome Traveller (3:06)
05. Piccadilly Circus (2:01)
06. There Will Never Be Another You (2:51)
07. What Will I Do (3:48)
08. Billy In The Lion's Den (2:52)
09. Fine And Dandy (2:28)
10. Just You, Just Me (2:46)
11. Down To Earth (2:18)
12. May I (2:53)
13. Get Hot (2:26)
14. Stuffy (2:57)
15. Solitude (2:49)
16. What's New (3:31)
17. They Can't Take That Away From Me (2:16)
18. Sweet & Lovely (3:26)
19. Blue Grass (3:56)
20. Soft Winds (2:57)
21. Sophisticated Lady (2:15)
22. Big Boy (2:13)
23. 633-Knock! (2:27)
24. Danny Boy (2:31)
25. Darn That Dream (2:39)
26. Alexandria, Virginia 2 (2:54)
27. Stomp (Stompin' With Bill) (2:41)
28. Stompin' With Bill (2:43)

CD 2:
01. Willow Weep For Me (2:47)
02. Day Train (2:33)
03. Glide On (2:38)
04. Three Little Words (2:37)
05. Have You Ever Had The Blues (2:32)
06. Better Ask Somebody (2:44)
07. Sea Breeze (2:30)
08. A Good 'un (2:25)
09. Easy Living (3:51)
10. Nature Boy (2:06)
11. Ja-Da (4:03)
12. Angel Eyes (3:20)
13. You Don't Know What Love Is (2:03)
14. It Ain't Necessarily So/Summertime (4:06)
15. Answer Me My Love (3:16)
16. What Is This Thing Called Love (2:40)
17. It's Easy To Remember (3:10)
18. One For My Baby (3:50)
19. You Go To My Head (2:53)
20. Mood Indigo (2:15)
21. Wishbone (2:37)
22. Blues In My Heart (2:36)
23. Roses Of Picardy (3:03)
24. Down Boy (2:44)

That wonderful Hammond organ sound is at the heart of this tasty project featuring wonderful original compositions and great playing by Delbert Bump(organ), Greg Yasinitsky(sax), Doug Morton(trumpet) and Steve Homan(guitar).

Architect Of Soul Jazz CD 1
Architect Of Soul Jazz CD 2

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