Renee Olstead - Renee Olstead

Styles: Jazz, Vocal

Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:24
Size: 106,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Summertime
(3:31)  2. Taking A Chance On Love
(3:20)  3. Is You Or Is You Ain't My Baby?
(4:26)  4. Someone To Watch Over Me
(4:11)  5. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
(3:32)  6. A Love That Will Last
(2:56)  7. Meet Me, Midnight
(4:34)  8. Sunday Kind Of Love
(3:16)  9. On A Slow Boat To China
(3:27) 10. What A Difference A Day Makes
(3:21) 11. Midnight At The Oasis
(3:32) 12. Sentimental Journey

With a seriously bluesy jazz voice, Olstead wows everyone who hears her, including the renowned David Foster who co-produced this album of classics. Unless someone told you, you might never suspect that Olstead is only in high school! Renee Olstead...hear her...you won't believe your ears. 

No less an expert on pop affairs than Neil Sedaka likens the impossibly mature voice of 14-year-old vocalist/TV star (CBS' Still Standing) Renee Olstead to "Patsy Cline, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday all wrapped in one." There's no disputing the sultry vocal talents showcased on this debut that balances familiar chestnuts from the great American songbook ("Summertime," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Sentimental Journey") with more recent fare that veers from R 'n' B sass ("Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby") to 70s chart hits like Sedaka's own "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" and Maria Muldaur's "Midnight at the Oasis." 

A cynical ear might question how much of Olmstead's own life informs these bluesy performances: how trying can eigth grade be for an attractive redhead with a major label contract? Indeed, the tagline for at least one latter-day Ella Fitzgerald project comes frequently to mind here: "Is it real, or it Memorex?" Olmstead is yet another teen protege of hugely successful producer David Foster (who's midwifed the careers of Josh Groban and Michael Buble in recent years), and he provides her with some sturdy jazz arrangements to riff emotively on here even if his production is as slick and bloodless as ever. Still, Foster's penchant for overwrought melodrama is kept mercifully in check on his own composition "I Want a Love to Last," while his shrewd teaming of the young chanteuse with fellow teen pop phenom Peter Cincotti on Sedaka's "Breaking Up.." deftly underscores the promising talents of both. ~ Jerry McCulley - Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Renee-Olstead-RENEE-OLSTEAD/dp/B00020HEL6

Personnel: Reneé Olstead (vocals); Carol Weisman (vocals); Dean Parks (guitar, acoustic guitar); Don Shelton (clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone);  Warren Luening (trumpet); Alan Broadbent, Billy Childs, Billy Childs Trio, Gerald Clayton (piano); Brian Bromberg (bass instrument); Jeff Hamilton , David Tull (drums); Neil Devor (programming); Peter Cincotti (vocals, piano); Dennis Budimir (guitar); Chris Botti, Rick Baptist (trumpet); Chris Dawson (piano); Joe La Barbera, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums).

Renee Olstead

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Ernestine Anderson With The Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra - Boogie Down

Styles: Jazz, Vocal, Big Band
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:47
Size: 102,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:09)  1. Boogie Down
(6:39)  2. That Sunday That Summer
(4:40)  3. Love Walked In
(4:32)  4. Only Trust Your Heart
(2:16)  5. Day By Day
(4:45)  6. Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You
(3:24)  7. Wait Till You See Him
(6:17)  8. One Mint Julip
(8:01)  9. Le Blues

A solid but unspectacular effort, this CD matches singer Ernestine Anderson with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. The big band is mostly heard in the background (except on the instrumental "Le Blues"), with the spotlight otherwise totally on the vocalist. Anderson sounds fine, but the material (which ranges from Al Jarreau's "Boogie Down" to "Love Walked In" and "One Mint Julep") offers few surprises, and she is not really smoothly integrated into the big band. However, the music still has its enjoyable moments.By Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/boogie-down-mw0000204454

Personnel: Ernestine Anderson (vocals); Jim Hershman (guitar); Jeff Clayton (flute, oboe, alto saxophone); Bill Green (clarinet, alto saxophone); Herman Riley, Rickey Woodard (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Jack Nimitz (bass clarinet, baritone saxophone); Clay Jenkins, Oscar Brashear, Ray Brown , Snooky Young (trumpet, flugelhorn); George Bohannon, Thurman Green, Ira Nepus (trombone); Maurice Spears (bass trombone); Larry Fuller (piano); Jeff Hamilton (drums).

Boogie Down

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Jeff Hamilton Trio - Live At Jazz Port Townsend 2022

Styles: Jazz,Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:35
Size: 98,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:19) 1. Make Me Rainbows
(6:43) 2. Catch Me If You Can
(4:53) 3. Helen’s Song
(7:42) 4. Bucket of Fat
(6:08) 5. Thou Swell
(5:07) 6. The Pond
(6:40) 7. The Barn

The Jeff Hamilton Trio concert from the 2022 Jazz Port Townsend will air this week on Jazz Northwest. The trio includes Jeff Hamilton on drums, Tamir Hendelman on piano and Jon Hamar on bass. The trio plays a crowd-pleasing selection of jazz standards and originals in this main stage matinee concert recorded last month.
https://www.knkx.org/podcast/jazz-northwest/2022-08-22/jeff-hamilton-trio-live-at-jazz-port-townsend

Tamir Hendelman, piano; Jon Hamar, bass; Jeff Hamilton, drums

Live At Jazz Port Townsend 2022

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Nicola Sabato - California Hang

Styles: Hard Bop
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:29
Size: 137,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:18) 1. These Are Soulful Days
(6:23) 2. The Masquerade Is Over
(4:44) 3. Brigas Nunca Mais
(5:30) 4. Bad Motor Scooter Blues
(5:56) 5. Jingles
(7:41) 6. I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
(4:46) 7. Happy Go Lukey
(7:00) 8. Buhaina Buhaina
(3:53) 9. L.a. Bounce
(7:14) 10. Everything Happens To Me

With the creative passion that characterizes him, Nicola Sabato has transformed the California sun into a pure groove extract. The ingredients are simple: just go on site to dialogue with the most highly rated musicians of the jazz world and its surroundings (they have played with Diana Krall, Roy Hargrove, Nancy Wilson, John Pizzarelli, Kurt Elling, Barbra Streisand , Gladys Knight…). An inspired guitarist, a virtuoso pianist and a boosted drummer, each at the height of his personal expression this could only give a jazz cocktail of rare intensity!

Such a meeting of high-flying musicians, united by an uncompromising musical project, reminds us of what an artistic enterprise based on passion and culture is. Evocation of Wes Montgomery and Art Blakey, shuffles, samba, blues… the musical vitality of this album is worth the detour! A jazz that speaks to everyone, with the intensity of sincere projects.Translate By Google
By Jean Szlamowicz https://www.nicolasabatojazz.com/news-1

Personnel: Nicola Sabato : bass/arr.; Graham Dechter : guitar; Tamir Hendelman : piano; Jeff Hamilton: drums

California Hang

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Craig Davis (with John Clayton & Jeff Hamilton)- Tone Paintings: The Music of Dodo Marmarosa

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
Time: 50:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 117,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:23) 1. Mellow Mood
(5:13) 2. Dodo’s Bounce
(6:08) 3. Dodo’s Blues
(2:53) 4. Escape
(4:03) 5. A Ditty For Dodo
(3:57) 6. Opus No. 5
(4:12) 7. Compadoo
(4:12) 8. Dary Departs
(3:24) 9. Tone Paintings
(3:16) 10. Battle Of The Balcony Jive
(7:06) 11. Dodo’s Lament

The subtitle of pianist Craig Davis' second album, Tone Paintings, is "The Music of Dodo Marmarosa." For those who may be inclined to ask, "Dodo who?" the album offers a mini-biography of Pittsburgh-born Michael (Dodo) Marmarosa, an exceptionally talented pianist whose promising early career was cut short by the crushing weight of mental and emotional problems that proved too unbearable for him to overcome. At his peak, in the decade from 1940-50, Marmarosa was a member of big bands led by Gene Krupa, Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw, and played and/or recorded with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie (on Parker's first recordings for Dial Records), Wardell Gray, Lionel Hampton, Mel Torme, Lester Young and Willie "The Lion" Smith, among others, as well as recording with his own groups. The peerless Art Tatum, asked in the mid-'40s to name the most promising young pianists he'd heard, singled out Marmarosa and Red Garland.

Like Marmarosa (and legendary pianist Erroll Garner), Davis hails from Pittsburgh, and was well aware of Dodo's trail-blazing career at the keyboard. What is lesser known (and what Davis chooses to emphasize here) is Marmarosa's singular proficiency as a composer. To do so, he has enlisted the services of a blue-chip rhythm section comprising bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton to perform ten of Marmarosa's seductive original compositions and one flat-out charmer ("A Ditty for Dodo") by Davis. The bop influence is strong throughout, as is Marmarosa's capacity to write enchanting melodies that also swing.

The album's opening number, the Garner-like "Mellow Mood," was written when Marmarosa was a scant fourteen years old (yes, he was a child prodigy who became a professional musician in his mid-teens and listed among his early musical influences Chopin, Ravel, Debussy and Stravinsky). "Mood" is delightful, but no more so than Dodo's eight other themes, which include a blues, a bounce, a battle, a lament and "Tone Paintings." There is even a clever contrafact ("Compadoo") of the standard "Sweet Georgia Brown." The tasteful and deeply grooved "Dary Departs" is among the album's several highlights, as is the animated "Battle of the Balcony Jive," which leads to the pensive and suitable closing number, "Dodo's Lament."

The album's other numbers are "Dodo's Bounce," "Dodo's Blues," "Escape" and "Opus No. 5." The guess here is that Davis an artist to keep an eye on plays them precisely as Marmaroso would have wanted. As for Clayton, he is simply one of the finest bassists on the scene (his solos are models of elegance and perception), while Hamilton's superior talents with sticks and brushes remain at their peak. As trio sessions go, it does not get much better than this. An exemplary tribute to a remarkable musician whose legacy should neither be undervalued nor overlooked.By Jack Bowers
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tone-paintings-craig-davis-mcg-jazz

Personnel: Craig Davis: piano; John Clayton: drums; Jeff Hamilton: drums.

Tone Paintings

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Scott Hamilton - Ballad Essentials

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:35
Size: 152,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:57)  1. Skylark
(3:40)  2. Everything Happens to Me
(5:26)  3. My Foolish Heart
(3:47)  4. That's All
(4:59)  5. In a Sentimental Mood
(4:44)  6. I Should Care
(5:39)  7. Body and Soul
(5:57)  8. 'Round Midnight
(5:33)  9. My Romance
(4:01) 10. Stardust
(4:26) 11. I'll Be Around
(5:24) 12. Tonight I Shall Sleep (With a Smile on My Face)

The musical line leading up to tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton is not confusing. He wears his influences on his sleeve. You hear Lester Young's phrasing, Ben Webster's languid tone, and more than a dash of Zoot Sims's overall presentation. And while 1989's Scott Hamilton Plays Ballads is a gorgeous showing off of these influences, Ballad Essentials is a magnificent overview of his smoldering command of the genre. There's a pair of tracks from Plays Ballads ("In a Sentimental Mood" played as limber, late-night swing and "Round Midnight" given a robust, big-hearted embrace) and a pair from With Strings. The other eight pieces come from all over Hamilton's catalog, and describing any particular tune would tax the vocabulary "aching" and "tender" have only so many synonyms. Hamilton's sense of swing is easy to love, as is his brawny tone even when it slips into whispering mode. Ballad Essentials is meant as a themed collection, and it not only succeeds as such, it also serves as a primer for Hamilton's whole output. Editorial Reviews ~ Andrew Bartlett  http://www.amazon.com/Ballad-Essentials-Scott-Hamilton/dp/B00004NRVM

Personnel: Scott Hamilton (tenor saxophone); Chris Flory, Howard Alden, Cal Collins (guitar); Ken Peplowski, Spike Robinson (tenor saxophone); Dave McKenna, Gerry Wiggins, John Bunch, Alan Broadbent, Nat Pierce, Norman Simmons, Brian Lemon (piano); Connie Kay, Jake Hanna, Jeff Hamilton , Allan Ganley, Roy McCurdy, Chuck Riggs (drums).

Ballad Essentials

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Akiko Tsuruga - Equal Time

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:59
Size: 108,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:57)  1. Mag's Groove
(5:09)  2. Orange Coals
(5:32)  3. Osaka Samba
(6:42)  4. A Baptist Beat
(5:08)  5. Moment's Notice
(6:25)  6. Lion's Gate
(4:59)  7. I Remember You
(7:03)  8. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big

These three are all leaders of their own bands in different places. Here they combine to form what used to be called a super group. The music is all in the blues and bop domain, with easy swing, crisp, inventive solos and a solid rhythmic pulse throughout. Ms Tsuruga and guitarist Dechter play in solo mode and quickly revert to rhythmic duties when their own solos end. Hamilton is the only one whose duties are solely to provide a solid beat on every track and this he does handsomely. His own solos are well structured with attention to the contours of each piece of music. The three kick off with a solid blues, Mag’s Groove, that gives all three players a chance to shine. Orange Coals is a faster blues written by Dechter. He takes the first extended solo with the other two in full flow behind him. Akiko provides stimulating Hammond organ solos and also manages to keep a solid bass line going at all times, whether she is in the spotlight or not. The Osaka Samba is an attractive line from the organist, a sort of Japan embraces the samba but it all sounds very Latin and has a cracking beat. Still on the blues and gospel trail the trio next tackle A Baptist Beat, Hank Mobley’s funky line. Taken at much the same tempo that Hank used in the 60s, the piece is very downhome. Dechter manages an original solo spot here; this is very much his own take on the material. Akiko digs in too and there is much of the American bop and blues flavour in her solo and virtually nothing Oriental. There is a personal approach to Coltrane’s Moment’s Notice although the trio keep very much to the spirit of the composition in their straightahead, uptempo reading. Lion’s Gate is a gentle ballad by Akiko with singing guitar and organ and drums offering flowing rhythm. The set finishes with two hardy standards. Hamilton kicks off I Remember You with crisp brushwork and keeps it moving throughout in the same manner. Fine, well thought out solos from Dechter and Tsurugo follow on. Finally we have This Could Be The Start Of Something Big and who knows, maybe it can at that. ~ Derek Ansell https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2019/08/11/akiko-hamilton-dechter-equal-time/

Personnel: Akiko Tsuruga -organ; Jeff Hamilton - drums; Graham Dechter - guitar

Equal Time

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Akiko Tsuruga - So Cute, So Bad

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:38
Size: 132,4 MB
Art: Front

( 6:51)  1. So Cute, So Bad
( 5:28)  2. The Lady Is a Tramp
( 6:32)  3. Face to Face
(10:02)  4. Frame for the Blues
( 7:41)  5. You Don't Know What Love Is
( 7:36)  6. Peachie
( 6:27)  7. Tanabata
( 6:57)  8. Pretty Please

“Akiko's playing is like watching a flower blooming, a bird spreading her wings in the music world. Akiko is here to stay.” ~ Legendary organist Dr. Lonnie Smith

Hammond B3 organist Akiko Tsuruga has been a regular on the New York jazz scene since her arrival in 2001. Almost immediately, she began working with artists like Jimmy Cobb, Frank Hess, and Lou Donaldson, whose quartet she joined in 2007. As a bandleader, she has toured internationally and released several acclaimed albums, garnering extensive radio play and “rising star” designations in DownBeat reader’s polls. Tonight, she celebrates the release of her latest album, featuring Graham Dechter and Jeff Hamilton. Dechter is an up-and-coming musician, making a name for himself as a straight-ahead jazz guitarist, and Hamilton is a veteran drummer and bandleader who will soon be headlining Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola again for a two-night run. Check them out at the club before Tsuruga’s new album takes over the airwaves. http://www.jazz.org/dizzys/events/182104/akiko-tsuruga-trio/

Personnel:  Akiko Tsurunga-hammond B3;  Jeff Hamilton-drums;  Graham Dechter -guitar.

So Cute, So Bad

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Cory Weeds & Jeff Hamilton Trio - This Happy Madness

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Bop
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:02
Size: 142,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:07)  1. Blow Your Horn
(7:02)  2. Get Out of Town
(4:01)  3. Early Morning Rain
(6:31)  4. Max
(5:20)  5. Out of the Night Came You
(4:56)  6. This Happy Madness
(6:19)  7. Young At Heart
(6:53)  8. I Thought About You
(6:38)  9. There's a Lull in My Life
(4:16) 10. Secret Love
(5:56) 11. Mr. Baggy Pants

Cory Weeds is at it again with another stellar addition to his impressive discography. Following his critically acclaimed Condition Blue he has teamed up with the always swinging Jeff Hamilton Trio for an invigorating romp through some Great American Songbook tunes, a few originals and a rarely heard Horace Silver tune. The album features the piano stylings of Tamir Hendelman, bassist Christoph Luty and renowned drummer Jeff Hamilton. If you like music that swings This Happy Madness will not disappoint.
~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/This-Happy-Madness-Cory-Weeds/dp/B013BB3W04

Personnel:  Jeff Hamilton ( Drums), Tamir Hendelman (Piano), Christoph Luty (Acoustic Bass), Cory Weeds (Tenor Saxophone)

This Happy Madness

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Herb Alpert - Midnight Sun

Styles: Trumpet Jazz

Year: 1992

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 51:28

Size: 119,1 MB

Art: Front

(6:06)  1. Midnight Sun

(3:54)  2. All The Things You Are

(5:18)  3. Someone To Watch Over Me

(5:53)  4. In The Wee Small Hours

(4:22)  5. Friends

(6:52)  6. A Taste Of Honey

(5:47)  7. Mona Lisa

(5:09)  8. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face

(3:51)  9. Silent Tears And Roses

(4:13) 10. Smile

Having recently sold A&M to PolyGram for a cool $500 million, and with his short but hugely affecting association with the late Stan Getz on his mind, Herb Alpert finally took the plunge and recorded what he called a jazz album, his last for the label he co-founded. But this would not be a conventional blowing session; rather it is an intimate, inward, wee-small-hours kind of album where, muted and not, Alpert's horn sighs, laments and sings over a conventional rhythm section and underneath a blanket of lush strings. Without a doubt, Miles Davis in his introspective '50s mode is Herb's primary inspiration always has been  and he uses space between the notes in similar ways, but always with his own tone and distinct phrasing. Two old favorites from the TJB days, "A Taste of Honey" and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," are revisited; "Taste" is completely transformed into a dark elegy that breaks into the light before turning back to the shadows. One track, "Friends," was left over from 1990, where Herb was joined by a luminous-sounding Getz; they really play like intimate friends together. This is not a terribly spontaneous album Alpert is too much the master of structure to leave very much to chance but it creates a mood of melancholy serenity that is difficult to resist.
By Richard S.Ginell http://www.allmusic.com/album/midnight-sun-mw0000612559

Personnel: Herb Alpert (vocals, trumpet); Larry Carlton, John Pisano, Barry Zweig (guitar); Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Frank Collett, Eddie del Barrio (piano); Monty Budwig (bass); Harvey Mason, Jeff Hamilton (drums).

Midnight Sun

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Pete Malinverni - On The Town, Pete Malinverni Plays Leonard Bernstein

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:52
gwo Size: 135,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:04) 1. New York New York
(5:36) 2. Lucky to Be Me
(5:18) 3. Somewhere
(5:33) 4. Cool
(6:05) 5. Simple Song
(6:00) 6. I Feel Pretty
(5:56) 7. Lonely Town
(5:04) 8. Some Other Time
(8:04) 9. It’s Love
(6:08) 10. A Night on the Town

Pianist Pete Malinverni's album, On the Town, is subtitled "Plays Leonard Bernstein," and it's an homage he has wanted to put on record for many years ever since he met Bernstein in person while performing at an opening-night party for a production of the opera Tosca at the Met in NYC. Bernstein, he recalls, spent much of the evening hanging around the piano, not with his more celebrated dinner companions. ("Real musicians want to hang out with the band," Malinverni says).

And Bernstein was a real musician, one who loved jazz as well as classical music, as Stan Kenton learned one evening when Bernstein was in the audience for a performance by the Kenton Orchestra of the composer's score for West Side Story. Afterward, Bernstein approached Kenton and said simply, "My music has never sounded better."

Bernstein's music sounds pretty good here too, thanks to Malinverni's discerning piano and unerring support from his blue-chip rhythm section: bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Jeff Hamilton. The music with two exceptions is from Bernstein's Broadway oeuvre (On the Town, West Side Story, Wonderful Town). The outliers are the endearing "Simple Tune" from Bernstein's "Mass" and "(A Night) on the Town," Malinverni's clever harmonic synthesis of several Bernstein tunes, which rings down the curtain.

Bernstein's uncanny ear for a lovely melody is everywhere present, as on "Lucky to Be Me," "Somewhere," "I Feel Pretty," "Lonely Town," "Some Other Time" and "It's Love," each one given its due with a masterful treatment by the trio. The opener, "New York New York," isn't the familiar paean to the Big Apple by John Kander and Fred Ebb but the ebullient anthem sung by a trio of sailors on one-day leave in On the Town.

Malinverni and his mates give each song their tender love and care, refreshing a series of masterworks in a way that surely would have brought a smile to Bernstein's lips and perhaps a tear or two to his eyes. Malinverni is a superb pianist, and there is simply no rhythm section that could lend more earnest and agreeable support than Okegwo and Hamilton. Blend in music by the incomparable Leonard Bernstein, and what's not to like?~Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/on-the-town-pete-malinverni-plays-leonard-bernstein-pete-malinverni-planet-arts-records

Personnel: Pete Malinverni: piano; Ugonna Okegwo: bass; Jeff Hamilton: drums.

On The Town, Pete Malinverni Plays Leonard Bernstein

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Gene Harris And The Philip Morris Superband - Live At Town Hall, N.Y.C.

Styles: Piano Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:39
Size: 151,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:41)  1. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
(4:42)  2. Creme De Menthe
(4:25)  3. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
(5:31)  4. Love Is Here To Stay
(6:39)  5. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
(6:41)  6. Serious Grease
(4:14)  7. Like A Lover
(5:05)  8. Old Man River
(5:57)  9. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
(6:26) 10. Porgy And Bess Medley: Strawberry Woman / I Loves You Porgy / It Ain't Necessarily So
(3:18) 11. You're My Everything
(3:48) 12. There Is No Greater Love
(4:06) 13. Things Ain't What They Used To Be

This CD documents one of the first concerts by Gene Harris' star-studded big band, an orchestra heard at the beginning of an 80-day world tour. Unlike his earlier big band Basie tribute album, Harris is not the only musician to get significant solo space on this set although, due to the overflowing lineup, not enough is heard from everyone. The straightforward arrangements (by John Clayton, Frank Wess, Torrie Zito, Bob Pronk and Lex Jasper) balance swingers with ballads. Among the more memorable tracks are Harry "Sweets" Edison's feature (both muted and open) on "Sleepy Time Down South," a pair of fine vocals apiece by Ernie Andrews and Ernestine Anderson, the roaring "Old Man River" and Harris' interpretation of Erroll Garner's ballad "Creme de Menthe." Toss in short solos from the likes of Ralph Moore, James Morrison (on trombone), Frank Wess, Michael Mossman and baritonist Gary Smulyan and the result is a satisfying, swinging and fairly fresh big band date.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-town-hall-nyc-mw0000202851

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone, Flute – Frank Wess, Jerry Dodgion;  Baritone Saxophone – Gary Smulyan;  Bass – Ray Brown;  Bass Trombone – Paul Faulise;  Drums – Jeff Hamilton;  Guitar – Herb Ellis;  Piano – Gene Harris;  Tenor Saxophone – Ralph Moore ;  Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – James Moody; Trombone – Eddie Bert, James Morrison, Urbie Green;  Trumpet – Harry "Sweets" Edison, Joe Mosello, Johnny Coles, Michael Philip Mossman;  Vocals – Ernestine Anderson, Ernie Andrews .

Live At Town Hall, N.Y.C.

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Kristin Korb - Where You'll Find Me

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:48
Size: 133,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:51)  1. How About You
(5:45)  2. Wouldn't It Be Loverly
(5:49)  3. East of the Sun
(6:25)  4. They Say It's Spring
(3:56)  5. Where You'll Find Me
(5:07)  6. Benny
(4:43)  7. Mac
(4:33)  8. My Gingerbread Boy
(5:41)  9. The Man I love
(4:43) 10. Yes, I Know When I've Had It
(5:11) 11. Darn That Dream

Kristin Korb is both a swinging bassist and an occasional jazz singer. Originally she was a guitarist and singer who loved country music; Barbara Mandrell was one of her early musical heroes. Korb also studied piano and violin. She attended the Soundsation Jazz Camp one summer and came away interested in performing jazz. She switched from guitar to electric bass to join a vocal jazz group in the seventh grade, taking up the acoustic bass in 11th grade. Korb earned a degree in Music Education at Eastern Montana College in 1992 and spent the next two years working on her masters in Classical Bass Performance at the University of California at San Diego. She took lessons from Bertram Turetzky who inspired her to sing and play bass at the same time. In 1994, she met and started studying with Ray Brown, who recorded her debut the following year, Introducing Kristin Korb with the Ray Brown Trio. Where that CD has Korb just singing, her other recordings, for Grace Bass and Double K, feature her as both a vocalist and a bassist. Korb taught jazz history, bass, and the vocal jazz ensemble at Grossmont Community College during 1996-2000, and was the Director of Jazz Studies at Central Washington University during 2000-2002. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2002, she has performed at jazz parties, occasionally toured, and led her own trio.
~Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/kristin-korb/id85824690#fullText

Personnel: Kristin Korb (vocals); Mike Wofford (piano); Jeff Hamilton (drums).

Where You'll Find Me

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Dawn Lambeth - Let's Get Lost

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:40
Size: 171,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:29)  1. Let's Get Lost
(5:07)  2. (I've Got) Beginner's Luck
(4:12)  3. My Blue Heaven
(4:04)  4. If You Were Mine
(3:25)  5. They All Laughed
(4:12)  6. C'est Si Bon
(4:33)  7. Isn't This A Lovely Day (To Be Caught In The Rain)
(4:28)  8. Give Me The Simple Life
(4:07)  9. With A Song In My Heart
(4:00) 10. Dream Man
(4:07) 11. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(3:39) 12. It Could Happen To You
(4:00) 13. I Wish I Were Twins
(4:52) 14. I May Be Wrong (But, I Think You're Wonderful)
(5:00) 15. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
(2:31) 16. Let's Misbehave
(4:37) 17. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(3:08) 18. Blue Room

Dawn brings her lilting effervescent style to this new collection of standards and oft-overlooked gems. She is joined by an exceptional ensemble of West Coast musicians, with their collective good humor and love of 30’s style small group swing. With her CD, "Let's Get Lost", the young vocalist Dawn Lambeth showcases her love for and dedication to the wonderful popular songs of the 1930&'s and 40's. Dawn and her band play elegant, classic-styled swing music with creativity and vitality. Backed by an all-star group featuring the Teddy Wilson-inspired piano of Chris Dawson and master guitarist John Reynolds, Dawn’s silky, pure voice brings to mind chanteuses of the past such as Connie Boswell, Mildred Bailey and Jo Stafford. 

Dawn specializes in early jazz and swing, the joyous and romantic melodies of the twenties and thirties. She's a classic jazz vocalist in every sense of the word, bringing out the beauty of timeless melodies and the wit of great lyrics. Dawn is fortunate to have some of the best on the West Coast accompanying her. In addition to Dawson’s piano and Reynolds’ guitar, Dawn’s recording features the sophisticated clarinet of Bob Reitmeier, the swinging Kansas City saxophone of John “Butch” Smith, and the searing swing trumpet of Marc Caparone. They’re all supported by the solid bass and guitar of Clint Baker and Jeff Hamilton, one of the finest swing drummers working today.  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lambeth2

Personnel: Bob Reitmeier:clarinet, Marc Caparone:cornet and bass, John Smith:soprano and alto saxophone, Chris Dawson:piano, Dave Caparone:trombone, Clint Baker:bass and guitar John Reynolds:guitar, banjo, and whistling, Jeff Hamilton:drums and piano

Let's Get Lost

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The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra - Absolutely!

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:55
Size: 118,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:03) 1. Blues For Stephanie
(4:40) 2. Jazz Party
(5:09) 3. For All We Know
(3:55) 4. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(7:09) 5. Reverence
(4:56) 6. Black Is Blue
(6:17) 7. Max
(4:34) 8. Prelude To A Kiss
(3:37) 9. A Beautiful Friendship
(3:30) 10. Devotion

Featuring some of Los Angeles' finest jazz musicians, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (which has drummer Jeff Hamilton and altoist Jeff Clayton among its three leaders) performs the arrangements of the other co-leader, bassist John Clayton. There are several classic charts on this CD, including "Blues for Stephanie," "For All We Know" and "Reverence"; all ten selections are well worth hearing. The swinging music has its share of subtle surprises and many fine solos, including some by tenors Rickey Woodard and Charles Owens, pianist Bill Cunliffe, altoist Clayton and trumpeters Oscar Brashear, Snooky Young and Clay Jenkins. Highly recommended for big band fans.~Scott Yanowhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/absolutely%21-mw0000122870

Personnel: Alto Saxophone – Bill Green; Arranged By, Conductor – John Clayton; Baritone Saxophone – Lee Callet; Bass – Dave Bjur, John Clayton, Jr.; Drums – Jeff Hamilton; Guitar – Jim Hershman; Piano – Bill Cunliffe; Saxophone, Woodwind – Jeff Clayton ; Tenor Saxophone – Charles Owens, Rickey Woodard; Trombone – George Bohanon, Ira Nepus, Maurice Spears, Thurman Green; Trumpet – Bobby Bryant, Chuck Findley, Clay Jenkins, Oscar Brashear, Snooky Young

Absolutely!

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Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra - Groove Shop

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:07
Size: 119,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:20)  1. Georgia
(5:35)  2. Rain Check
(3:31) 3. 'Tain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)
(5:27)  4. Brush This
(3:30)  5. How Great Thou Art
(5:48)  6. Groove Shop
(6:06)  7. Sashay
(5:34)  8. Melt Away/A Time for Love: Melt Away / A Time For Love
(3:22)  9. I Won't Dance
(9:52) 10. Night Train

This Capri CD was the debut of the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra, a notable L.A.-based big band co-led by bassist John Clayton, altoist Jeff Clayton, and drummer Jeff Hamilton. The 18-piece group has many top soloists, most notably the three co-leaders; tenor saxophonist Rickey Woodard; trumpeters Snooky Young, Clay Jenkins, and Oscar Brashear; and trombonist George Bohanon. However, it is the arrangements of John Clayton that give the orchestra its own sound. Highlights include "Raincheck," Young's vocal and trumpet feature on "T'Aint What You Do," Hamilton's showcase on "Brush This," Oscar Brashear's "Sashay" (which has a Clayton chart that recalls Thad Jones), and "Night Train." Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/groove-shop-mw0000273728

Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra: Jeff Clayton (soprano & alto saxophones, flute, oboe); John Clayton (acoustic bass); Jeff Hamilton (drums); Bill Green (alto saxophone, clarinet, flute); Ricky Woodard, Bob Hardaway (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Lee Callet (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet); Bobby Bryant, Snooky Young, Oscar Brashear, Clay Jenkins (trumpet, flugelhorn); George Bohanon, Ira Nepus, Thurman Green (trombone); Maurice Spears (bass trombone); Mike Lang (piano); Doug MacDonald (guitar); Herb Mickman (acoustic bass).

Groove Shop

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Banu Gibson - Let's Face The Music And Dance

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:02
Size: 133,9 MB
Art: Front

(0:09)  1. Swing out Fanfare
(2:26)  2. Top Hat, White Tie and Tails
(4:15)  3. Music Makes Me
(3:24)  4. Let's Begin
(4:11)  5. I'll Be Hard To Handle
(3:54)  6. A Needle in a Haystack
(3:01)  7. No Strings
(3:46)  8. Isn't This a Lovely Day?
(3:36)  9. Let Yourself Go
(3:08) 10. I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket
(3:29) 11. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(2:54) 12. (I've Got) Beginner's Luck
(3:45) 13. Bojangles of Harlem
(3:43) 14. Pick Yourself Up
(2:54) 15. Let's Face The Music And Dance
(4:39) 16. Change Partners
(4:25) 17. A Fine Romance
(0:13) 18. Swing Out Swinging Fanfare

Banu Gibson, with the New Orleans Hot Jazz, is a dynamic performer with a big voice, and stage presence to spare she's the consummate entertainer specializing in early classic jazz, and her band is absolutely superb. An evening with Banu and her band features songs by Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Fats Waller, and George Gershwin. Leonard Maltin, film correspondent for Entertainment Tonight, said "Banu Gibson and her band blend musicianship and showmanship in an irresistible brand of entertainment. I'm crazy about them." http://centerstageartists.com/artists/BanuGibson/index.html

Personnel: Harry Shearer (vocals); Hank Mackie, Howard Alden (guitar); Matt Rhody, Ann Taylor (violin); Karen Ray (cello); Tom Fischer, Brian Ogilvie (clarinet, saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Jon-Erik Kellso (trumpet, cornet); Charlie Fardella, Connie Jones, Duke Heitger, Randy Reinhart (trumpet); Bob Havens, Dan Barrett , David Sager, Mark Mullins (trombone); David Boeddinghaus, Dick Hyman, John Sheridan (piano); Chris Tyle, Jeff Hamilton , James Alsanders (drums).

Let's Face The Music And Dance

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Banu Gibson - Love Is Good For Anything That Ails You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:46
Size: 118,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:41)  1. Love Is Good For Anything that Ails You
(4:44)  2. Downhearted Blues
(2:52)  3. Me Minus You
(3:01)  4. Bacause Of Once Upon A Time
(3:02)  5. My Ideal
(2:54)  6. Wrap Your Cares in Rhythm and Dance
(3:15)  7. The Very Thought of You
(4:05)  8. Dinah
(4:02)  9. Junk Man
(2:56) 10. My Melancholy Baby
(2:18) 11. Eeny Meeny Miney Mo
(3:51) 12. Louisiana Fairy Tale
(2:33) 13. S' Posin'
(4:16) 14. As Time Goes By
(2:37) 15. 'Long About Midnight
(2:31) 16. How's About Tomorrow Night?

Banu Gibson, arguably the top singer in the trad jazz field of the '90s, not only understands the idiom but has a strong and versatile voice. Gibson is a well-rounded and good-humored entertainer, has very good taste in picking out material, and leads one of the hottest bands in classic jazz. For this CD, Banu uses her regular group (trumpeter Duke Heitger, Tom Fischer on clarinet and tenor, trombonist David Sager, pianist-arranger David Boeddinghaus, bassist Mike Karoub, and drummer Jeff Hamilton) plus rhythm guitarist Hank Mackie. The band often sounds like Fats Waller's Rhythm; Heitger brings back the chance-taking excitement of Bunny Berigan, and at one point, goes quickly from Jack Teagarden to a close imitation of Tricky Sam Nanton. 

Banu, whose roots are in the '20s, actually looks more toward the music of the mid- to late '30s this time around. A few of the numbers (particularly "As Time Goes By" and "The Very Thought of You") probably didn't need to be performed again, but they are more than compensated for by such obscurities as "Junk Man," "S'posin'," "How About Tomorrow Night," and "Wrap Your Cares in Rhythm and Dance"; on the latter, Gibson not only sings but tap dances a bit. Another highlight is "Me Minus You," which has Gibson overdubbing her voice to bring back the three-part harmony of the Boswell Sisters. Highly recommended to classic jazz fans, as are all of Banu Gibson's Swing Out releases. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-is-good-for-anything-that-ails-you-mw0000247620

Personnel: Banu Gibson (vocals); Hank Mackie (guitar); Tom Fischer (clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Duke Heitger (trumpet); David Sager (trombone); David Boeddinghaus (piano); Jeff Hamilton (drums).

Love Is Good For Anything That Ails You

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BED (Dan Barrett/Rebecca Kilgore/Eddie Erickson) - Four + 1

Styles: Trombone, Vocal And Guitar Jazz, Swing
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:34
Size: 139,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:45) 1. I've heard that song before
(3:47) 2. This can't be love
(7:41) 3. East of the sun
(3:33) 4. Jubilee
(3:39) 5. Cheek to cheek
(4:38) 6. Say it over and over again
(3:41) 7. The hucklebuck
(4:03) 8. You can't lose a broken heart
(5:12) 9. Midnight in Moscow
(4:30) 10. You're a lucky guy
(4:31) 11. Cross your heart
(3:31) 12. The best things in life are free
(3:04) 13. Seven lonely days
(2:44) 14. Drum booguie
(3:08) 15. I'll see you in my dreams

This fun and interesting set of swinging American songs brings together five close friends who share a fondness for good tunes played with heart, and a swinging beat. BED is an acronym formed by Becky, Eddie, and Dan, three of the four members of that special quartet. (Bassist Joel Forbes is the fourth member of the troupe). BED eventually changed its funny name to honor their default leader, vocalist Rebecca “Becky” Kilgore. The group now performs as the Rebecca Kilgore Quartet. For this session, Becky, Eddie Erickson, Dan Barrett, and Joel Forbes invited their good friend Jeff Hamilton to join them on drums.

Please note there are at least two terrific drummers who share that name. This particular Jeff grew up in New Orleans, and absorbed that city’s special regard for rhythm from the musicians he heard and with whom he performed around town. Additionally, Jeff studied with the great Cie Frazier, who for many years was the drummer with the original Preservation Hall Jazz Band! Over the years, Jeff’s approach has evolved into a very personal mix of New Orleans and later swing styles. He’s a perfect fit for his like-minded colleagues in the Rebecca Kilgore Quartet. In addition to Becky’s beautiful singing and Jeff’s tasty time-keeping, Four + 1 also features vocals by Eddie Erickson. Eddie also shines here in masterful guitar work, and several hip, swinging plectrum banjo solos.

In the competitive jazz scene of New York City, Joel Forbes was at the top of the list of great jazz bassists. A long-time friend of Dan Barrett’s Joel contributes consistently propulsive bass lines, and several horn-like solos. Finally, Dan Barrett displays his usual élan in his trombone solos, and in his thoughtful backgrounds behind each of the singers. For the old favorite Midnight In Moscow, Dan puts down the trombone, and plays cornet. If that isn’t enough, he moves over to the piano to back Becky and Eddie on a rollicking version of The Hucklebuck! Don’t miss this great set of swinging vocal and instrumental jazz! https://danbarrett.bandcamp.com/album/four-1

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore Vocals; Dan Barrett Trombone; Eddie Erickson Guitar, Banjo; Joel Forbes Bass

Four + 1

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Kristin Korb - What's Your Story?

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:20
Size: 120,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:30)  1. Will You Still Be Mine
(5:14)  2. Flamingo
(4:42)  3. Traveling Groove Merchant
(3:27)  4. Doralice
(4:27)  5. What's Your Story Morning Glory
(4:07)  6. Don't Fence Me In
(3:16)  7. Them There Eyes
(3:13)  8. Moments Like This
(5:09)  9. Red Wagon
(3:54) 10. Green Dolphin Street
(4:59) 11. Always Searching for My Baby
(5:16) 12. I Wanna Be Loved

Though many a fine bassist Jay Leonhart, John Miller and Clipper Anderson among them occasionally sings, Kristin Korb numbers among the rare few who excel at both. When Korb launched her recording career in 1996, she ceded bass duties to her mentor and hero, Ray Brown. Since then, across five albums including What’s Your Story?, she has accompanied herself, maintaining a distinctly Brown-tinged bass style. As a singer, the Montana-born Korb seems of the same school as Tierney Sutton (who hails from Nebraska), her sunny wide-openness enticingly shaded by a faraway hint of dark clouds. And though Korb tends to be vocally looser than Sutton, they also share an ability to sidle up to a song, size it up and, with vaguely cynical cautiousness, nail its emotional heart. Working in the sparest settings since 2004’s Get Happy, Korb fronts a piano-less trio featuring drummer Jeff Hamilton and guitarist Bruce Forman for a wide-ranging dozen tracks. 

As always, the focus is on standards, including a saucy “Red Wagon,” a loping “Don’t Fence Me In,” a sultry “Flamingo” and a tender “Moments Like This” worthy of Peggy Lee. Korb’s fog-bound “On Green Dolphin Street” best showcases the solidity of her bass skills. And songwriter Amber Navran’s sly, slightly stalker-ish “Always Searching for My Baby,” which finds Korb in freewheeling Annie Ross-meets-Joni Mitchell territory, demonstrates how superbly she can navigate more contemporary material. ~ Christopher Loudon  http://jazztimes.com/articles/96916-what-s-your-story-kristin-korb

Personnel:  Kristin Korb - Bass / Vocals; Bruce Forman – Guitar; Jeff Hamilton - Drums

What's Your Story?

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