Hot Club D'Europe - Kouvola Junction

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:02
Size: 100.8 MB
Styles: Swing, Gypsy jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:58] 1. Anniversary Song
[4:45] 2. Cheek To Cheek
[3:31] 3. Others Of Us (Toiset Meistä)
[3:28] 4. Songe D'automne
[4:33] 5. Concierto De Aranjuez (Theme) Joseph, Joseph
[2:22] 6. Nuages
[3:08] 7. French Heels (Ranskalaiset Korot)
[2:56] 8. Fly Me To The Moon
[3:07] 9. Dark Eyes
[8:19] 10. Autumn Leaves
[3:49] 11. Kouvola Junction

Behind this ambitious Hot Club of Europe that comes his debut album this summer hiding three names already well known gypsy jazz: Paulus Schäfer, Sinti famous guitarist from Holland, author of three books including the recent and very successful Twelfth Year . Beside her, a young 22 year old Finnish Olli Soikkeli, the festival regulars Samois already know well, having crossed regularly over the years on the stand and AJL in Late Samoreau jams. Finally, the bass is provided by the inevitable Arnoud van den Berg, solid Dutch musician who already have a good CV (Voet Reiner, Jimmy Rosenberg, Robin Nolan, Nomy Rosenberg, Tolga during ...).

Convened in March by the producer Jarno Kanerva side of Kouvola in Finland, the trio recorded an album in a day comprised mostly of standar...ds: nothing new in that directory rather conventional, if not a few occasions of local composer Finnish Rauno Lehtinen (the lovely bossa Others of us ) and vibraphonist Erik Lindström (blues shuffle very French Heels ) and an original composed by the team, Kouvola Junction, bluesy swing (in the spirit of the Blues clear Django) and that naturally gives its name to the album: questions / answers from the duo We offer great flights of joining on a nice theme in unison.

The two guitarists are not the same age, nor the same experience. On the one hand, Paulus Schäfer proposes a game very safe, built, and virtuoso borrowing a nice feeling. We feel perfectly into his sentences the influence of the Dutch school through Stochelo Rosenberg and Wasso Grünholz. Especially since it is expressed here on acoustic guitar kind Selmer (it is also very good on archtop ...). Olli in young guitarist in the making that sign still here his second album, we appreciate the impeccable technique, already very safe sound and the fury: one feels that he wants to budge, the guitar itch, but fortunately never it is set loose and keep tempo Olli knows!

The clash of two swordsmen programmed turns so nicely to the friendly help of two musicians who enjoy playing together while they learn. A highly contagious fun!"

Kouvola Junction mc
Kouvola Junction zippy

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Iiro Rantala - My Working Class Hero

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:54
Size: 139.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[5:12] 1. Norwegian Wood
[4:42] 2. Working Class Hero
[5:56] 3. Just Like Starting Over
[4:36] 4. Because
[7:00] 5. Woman
[4:37] 6. Imagine
[4:38] 7. Help
[5:27] 8. Watching The Wheels
[3:34] 9. Oh My Love
[4:35] 10. In My Life
[5:53] 11. Happy Xmas, War Is Over
[4:38] 12. All You Need Is Love

John Lennon would have been seventy-five on October 9th 2015. On “My Working Class Hero,” the Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala pays tribute to this master of modern song. Rantala has demonstrated a particular gift for making this kind of homage once before. His 2011 album “Lost Heroes” recaptured the spirit of a different musical idol in each of its ten songs, and received the annual prize of the Deutsche Schallplattenkritik and an ECHO jazz award, whilst Germany's foremost broadsheet newspaper the FAZ proclaimed it as having “intelligence, humour, loads of feeling, unpredictable ideas and especially finely crafted piano playing.”

In this John Lennon tribute, Rantala turns to the musician who is perhaps greatest of all of his ‘lost heroes’. “I heard John Lennon before I knew anything about jazz” says Rantala, “’Happy Xmas, War Is Over’ was my first encounter with his music when I sang it in the school choir at a Christmas concert. Even then, it took my breath away. How is it, I wondered, that this guy can write something quite so simple and yet so powerful?” That same combination of simplicity and strength is perhaps also the greatest attribute of Rantala himself. The introduction to “Norwegian Wood” is remarkable for the way in which Rantala builds a chordal pulse which is precise, featherlight, and masterful. He subtly alters the colour and the dynamic with each separate attack of the keys. Even before the theme, with its 4/4 feel, has been fully and truly stated, a waltz has also magically stumbled into being.

My Working Class Hero

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Montenia - Each And Every Day

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:00
Size: 146.5 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[6:32] 1. Throw It Away
[3:34] 2. I Thought About You
[2:44] 3. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[4:30] 4. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[3:18] 5. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[4:42] 6. I've Got You Under My Skin
[6:31] 7. I Wish You Love
[5:11] 8. Corcovado
[4:35] 9. Misty
[5:01] 10. A Foggy Day
[3:54] 11. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:33] 12. Somebody Loves Me
[9:48] 13. Everything Must Change

Montenia - Each And Every Day with the Wade Mikkola Trio Plus One. Direct from Finland. First time available in North America and many other locations worldwide!!

Montenia has appeared many times in Scandinavia, but most often in Helsinki, Finland with the Wade Mikkola Trio Plus One (Lasse Hirvi, piano; Wade Mikkola, bass; Tomi Parkkonen, drums; and Joonatan Rautio, tenor saxophone). "Each And Every Day" was recorded on December 12, 1999 at the Happy Jazz Club Storyville on a night with Montenia and her backing musicians in splendid form. Familiar standards and other musical gems are on hand, all performed to summon up a variety of emotions the very same ones we all face and experience "Each And Every Day."

Hard to categorize but easy to snap your fingers to, or just relax to and lyrically savor like a musical sauna, Montenia frequently reminds listeners of many famous singers, but she actually has always been completely and uniquely herself, creating grooves, conveying moods, and thrilling listeners.

Each And Every Day

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Inga Soder - Stream Carries

Size: 100,6 MB
Time: 41:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Stream Carries (4:38)
02. Trust Yourself (4:47)
03. Heal Me (4:13)
04. I Just Feel That You Love Me (5:28)
05. Home Is Near You (5:00)
06. Silence Of Soul (3:54)
07. Too Much Of My Heart (4:03)
08. Don't Want You To Go (4:06)
09. Falling In Love It Isn't Hard (5:14)

Personnel:
Bass, Guitar [Additional], Keyboards, Percussion – Ape Anttila
Cello – Juhana Ritakorpi
Drums – Ville Pynssi
Guitar – Matti Oja
Piano, Piano [Wurlitzer], Keyboards – Joonas Haavisto
Trumpet – Jukka Eskola
Viola – Susanna Nietula
Violin – Anne Somero, Lasse Joamets
Vocals – Inga Söder

Singer, songwriter and voice teacher, Inga Söder is from Rovaniemi, Finland. She is remembered, among other things, Tartu Mikkiin and 2013. The Voice of Finland programs. Inga has performed with a number of prominent artists and renowned orchestras.

Stream Carries

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Timo Lassy - Love Bullet

Size: 102,2 MB
Time: 43:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Love Intro (0:26)
02. Green Pepper Strut (5:27)
03. Love Bullet (3:49)
04. Hip Or Not (4:32)
05. Fast Fabio (2:34)
06. Stay Close (5:21)
07. We Jazz Theme (6:28)
08. Waltz Unsolved (4:11)
09. Undecided (8:10)
10. Bullet Outro (2:18)

Finnish tenor player Timo Lassy started his career in Amsterdam and returned to his homeland to do some notable work with the Five Corners Quintet and then with Fiver Corners alumnus Jukka Eskola (Review) , who guests on trumpet here. In a part of the world where electronic music tends to dominate, Lassy has remained faithful to acoustic playing, and performs adroit, world class hard bop and soul jazz.

Having recently supported singer Joyce Elaine Yuille on her debut album (reviewed here), Lassy is now back as a leader on this CD, his fifth album, with virtually the same line-up as featured accompanying Yuille: the gifted Georgios Kontrafouris on keyboards, Antti Lötjönen on bass and Abdissa Assefa percussion. They’re a great unit and freed of the discipline of comping, they really soar here.

The title Green Pepper Strut suggests Memphis Rn'B of the Booker T variety, and initially delivers this in spades, a funky, honking, hand-clapping treat with Timo Lassy probing forward and Kontrafouris adding characteristically virtuosic slabs of Wurlitzer. But it rapidly moves into a more polished CTI mode and then onto increasingly complex and modernistic pastures, with Kontrafouris ably conducting the tour and displaying all kinds of ability on the keyboard as he adapts along the way. It’s virtually a compact fifty year survey of popular jazz idioms, returning to its rhythm and blues roots as it wraps up.

Love Bullet presents wonderful soft cloud-of-sound sax from Lassy, alternately gorgeously gruff and beguilingly gossamer, supported by judicious vibes, lazy, lambent and concise, from Panu Savolainen. Subtle keyboard stabs courtesy of Kontrafouris help to set the pace. Hip or Not has a strong soul jazz feel with a hint of modernist astringency. There are superb chiming and shimmering keyboard passages with smart use of space, and lucid virile trumpet from Jukka Eskola. He hands over to Lassy, who raises his game in the afterglow of Eskola’s solo, playing spiky and eloquent tenor. The drumming — from Teppo Mäkynen — and Abdissa Assefa’s percussion are outstanding, contributing a Latin feel.

Undecided is a feature for Jukka Eskola and is initially suggestive of Freddie Hubbard in his prime, but soon Eskola, and indeed the whole ensemble, are evoking electric era Miles Davis in a sweetly thunderous, roiling and rolling workout. Bullet Outro is hypnotically rhythmic, weaving a pattern of percussion (great work by Assefa, in cahoots with Teppo Mäkynen), supported by Kontrafouris’s trademark keyboard stabs, before Lassy comes in to offer a tender commentary. ~by Andrew Cartmel

Love Bullet

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Walter Wolff - Tomorrow

Size: 119,2 MB
Time: 51:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. Backstabber Bebopper (6:50)
02. Tomorrow (7:09)
03. The White Guy (3:23)
04. Spark (5:58)
05. Jean (1:56)
06. Simple Line (2:32)
07. Look At My Face (5:24)
08. Second Song (4:58)
09. Morava (5:01)
10. Waiting For Angela (4:12)
11. Where Are We Going Heen (4:04)

Personnel:
Walter Wolff - piano
Francesco Angiuli - double bass
Andreas Fryland - drums

The music of Wolff/Angiuli/Fryland is founded in a solid knowledge of the tradition of jazz. But the trio also encapsulates a fresh approach to this old musical form – resulting in a lyrical and melancholic, yet at the same time energetic and intense sound. During the past 6 years this trio has performed throughout Europe and in 2008 the trio both toured and recorded with legendary vibraphonist Teddy Charles, receiving great international acclaim by both the press and the public. On their debut CD “Prelude” compositions by the trio members as well as more familiar jazz repertoire are taken into treatment. Now this trio is back with their second album and a debut on Challenge Jazz: again an extraordinary jazz album!.

Tomorrow

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Antti Sarpila - Jazz Party

Styles: Swing
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:10
Size: 179,4 MB
Art: Front

( 8:39)  1. China Boy
( 6:02)  2. Ballin' The Jack
( 4:55)  3. Till There Was You
( 2:20)  4. Handful Of Keys
( 6:22)  5. When You're Smiling
( 4:19)  6. Savoy Blues
( 4:50)  7. Runnin' Wild
( 3:48)  8. Harmonica Boogie
( 7:34)  9. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
( 6:00) 10. Royal Garden Blues
( 5:56) 11. Sweet Georgia Brown
( 5:20) 12. That's A Plenty
(12:00) 13. I Got Rythm

Antti Sarpila (born 1964) is one of the few internationally known jazz musicians from Finland. Although based in Helsinki, he performs extensively as a solo artist all over the world. Antti Sarpila has been a student of the world famous American clarinet and saxophone player Bob Wilber during the 1980's. Wilber himself was a student of legendary Sidney Bechet in the 1940's. This legacy is the reason for Sarpila's dedication and respect to the tradition of jazz. He wants to combine the influences captured from the early masters (from Louis Armstrong to Charlie Parker) with his own personal style to create what would be best described as "classic jazz".The continuing association between Antti and Bob has reaped many rewards. One of the highlights was in 1988, when Antti was asked to join Bob in doing a "Tribute to Benny Goodman" concert in Carnegie Hall, New York. In 2000 Antti renewed his visit to this legendary concert hall with the Swedish vibraphone player Lars Erstrand.  During his career, Antti has performed on numerous jazz festivals and concerts all over Europe, USA, Asia and as far as in Australia. 

Despite his relatively young age he has had the honour to play with such giants as Doc Cheatham, Wild Bill Davison, Buddy DeFranco, Vic Dickenson, Panama Francis, Bob Haggart, Scott Hamilton, Jake Hanna, John Henrics, Milt Hinton, Peanuts Hucko, Thad Jones, Dave McKenna, Bucky Pizzarelli, Marshal Royal, Zoot Sims, Dick Wellstood, Frank Wess, Trummy Young... and to guest world famous orchestras as Count Basie Orchestra, Metropole Orchestra, Dutch Swing College Band. In Finland Antti Sarpila has his own group - the Antti Sarpila Swing Band, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2007. In the fall it has already become a tradition for Antti Sarpila Swing Band to go on tour bringing "Swinging Christmas" to every corner of Finland. In addition, he performs regularly as a solo artist with small groups, big bands as well as symphony orchestras. Finnish jazz federation has awarded Antti Sarpila with annual "George" award 1997 and Classic Jazz Society with the "Louis Armstrong" award 1996. Antti Sarpila has made numerous recordings under his own name, the latest one being "Gospel & Spirituals" (ASCD-29). Antti Sarpila has done six recordings with Wilber, in New York, Stockholm, London, Bern (with Byron Stripling, John Allred, Mark Shane, Phil Flanigan, Joe Ascione), Hamburg and Florida (with Dick Hyman, Dan Barrett, Peter Appleyard, Ed Metz Jr.). 

In Hamburg he has also recorded six times with top American jazz musicians (incl. Ralph Sutton, Jack Lesberg, Bill Allred, Oliver Jackson, Butch Miles, Harry Allen, Jon-Erik Kellso, Randy Sandke, Ken Peplowski, Allan Vache). In Sweden he's been featured on several recordings (incl. Swedish Swing Society live in New York, Swedish Jazz Salutes USA live at Carnegie Hall). His contribution as a skilled jazz artist has also been featured on about 100 different recordings. Hans Westerberg has written a Antti Sarpila bio-/discography - "The Swinging Beginning" giving information about all recordings as well as all known broadcasts and telecasts between 1980 and 1998. Included in the book is a cd, compiled from the essential recordings during Antti Sarpila's early career.~ Bio http://www.anttisarpila.com/en/biography

Personnel: Oscar Klein, Antti Sarpila, Jesper Thilo, Roy Williams, Henri Chaix, Peter 'Banjo' Meyer, Vic Pitt, Charly Antolini

Jazz Party

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Laura Garam - This Gentle Rain

Size: 96,3 MB
Time: 41:12
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. An Easy Tune (2:57)
02. Lonely Hours (4:51)
03. Don't Be That Way (2:43)
04. Summer Goodbye (3:20)
05. Shiny Stockings (3:22)
06. Get The Feeling (2:27)
07. I Didn't Know What Time It Was (3:59)
08. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big (2:14)
09. Sweet Georgia Brown (3:44)
10. This Gentle Rain (3:17)
11. Look For Me I'll Be Around (3:56)
12. That's All (2:28)
13. Once Again (1:49)

Laura Garam comes as something of a surprise. A household name, even in her homeland Finland, she left full obscurity one and a half year ago and began singing jazz in the old way. Her voice, a natural and enjoyable one, shows exceptional talent and sense of style. Jazz ballads’ sentiment comes off amazingly and expressively, without compulsion over a jazz song cliché.

“This Gentle Rain” is a welcome debut from a new European jazz vocalist. Laura's voice has charm, and her willingness to go beyond the standard vocal repertoire is to be applauded.

The thirteen songs are accompanied by Mikki Nuorivaara (piano), Jukka Kampman (double bass, guitar) Antti Snellman (flute, saxophone) and Roni Kaspi (drums, percussion).

This Gentle Rain

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Johanna Grussner - Come Rain Or Come Shine

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 40:38
Size: 93.0 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:55] 1. Caravan
[3:10] 2. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[4:50] 3. Save Your Love For Me
[4:31] 4. A Felicidade
[4:09] 5. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:21] 6. Moon And Sand
[4:11] 7. How Long Has This Been Going On
[2:56] 8. Norwegian Wood
[3:02] 9. Samba De Um Nota So
[6:28] 10. Little Guy At Bachin's

Her clear-as-a-bell vocals, assured phrasing and near perfect grasp of English put Johanna Grüssner right at the top of the current crop of Scandinavian female jazz singers. Come Rain Or Come Shine is her third solo album and best yet: a gently swinging, highly enjoyable mix of straight jazz and Brazilian samba, performed with supreme professionalism.

Grüssner, from the Finnish Åland islands, makes use of a broad musical palette. On previous albums she has sung both Swedish and Finnish traditional songs, interpreted songs featured in Finnish author Tove Jansson's Moomintroll children's stories and, with her two sisters Ella and Isabella, been a lynch pin of the folk group Daughters Of The Wolf.

Jazz, however, remains her principal bag. She's paid her dues with studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and Manhattan School of Music, and with sporadic gigging in New York City. On this release, she's accompanied by some of the most talented musicians in Stockholm, where she now lives. They include Ulf Karlsson, who helped her produce and whose work on both six and twelve-string guitars is impeccable. ~Chris Mosey

Come Rain Or Come Shine

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Jessica Riippa - Calm My Nerves

Size: 70,0 MB
Time: 30:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazzy Blues
Art: Front

01. I Can't Remember (4:18)
02. The Lake (3:11)
03. Just Alone (3:27)
04. I Said Yes (3:54)
05. Dreamer (5:04)
06. Ja Veit (3:51)
07. Calm My Nerves (2:42)
08. Complicated (3:57)

The album "Calm my nerves" is singer/songwriter Jessica Riippas debut album. Being her first album, it is filled with music both old and new, and varying in musical style. Jessica moves from bluesy jazz to songs she originally composed for theatre, but later finding their way into her own musical interpretation, to her own story.

Calm My Nerves

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Eeppi Ursin - Yellow Page Girl

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:53
Size: 98,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:10)  1. Yellow Page Girl
(4:15)  2. Have You Ever
(3:45)  3. Take a Look
(5:10)  4. Say Goodbye
(6:02)  5. Right Now
(2:52)  6. Purple Mind
(4:05)  7. Got to Run
(4:28)  8. Chasing a Vision
(5:40)  9. Past and Gone
(2:20) 10. Tuuli

Eeppi Ursin is a Helsinki-based freelance musician. She has created a versatile career working as a singer, composer, arranger and pianist. She has released two albums with her own name: Violet (2005) and Yellow page girl (2009). She is also known for various projects with theatre and music and working with bands like AiA, Maija Kaunismaa&Yhtye, Warp!, Castafioren Korut, AinoA, Soi and for her collaboration with New York based pianist Mika Pohjola. In 2011-2013 she was singing in vocal ensemble Club For Five. Eeppi has performed at festivals all around the world and recorded numerous albums with different groups. At the moment her singer-songwriter type of music combines elements from jazz, pop and rock. Eeppi has also worked as a composer and an arranger in several theater productions and has been teaching solo and vocal ensemble singing. Bio..

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eeppi-Ursin/142678342434839?sk=info

Yellow Page Girl

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