Showing posts with label Jimmy Raney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jimmy Raney. Show all posts

Sunday, December 18, 2022

Jimmy Raney Quintet - Complete Recordings 1954-1956

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 62:53
Size: 144.0 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:10] 1. Stella By Starlight
[4:13] 2. Five
[4:38] 3. Joanne
[5:53] 4. Back And Blow
[2:51] 5. Spring Is Here
[3:46] 6. One More For The Mode
[2:42] 7. What's New
[3:25] 8. Tomorrow, Fairly Cloudy
[4:03] 9. A Foggy Day
[3:10] 10. Someone To Watch Over Me
[3:51] 11. Cross Your Heart
[3:38] 12. You Don't Know What Love Is
[3:44] 13. Two Dreams Of Soma
[3:52] 14. Scholar's Mate
[3:24] 15. Gone With The Wind
[4:24] 16. Yesterdays

These recordings established Jimmy Raney (1927-1995) as a leading modern jazz guitarist, and introduced two potentially major young jazz talents: trumpeter John Wilson, and altoist Phil Woods.

Raney was both a maturely thoughtful and emotionally honest mind. As a result, he avoids effects as an end in themselves, and whatever he played in a jazz session, he felt. Thereby he communicated directly to the listener whether his communicative materials were complex or simple. He was a man of calmly exciting conception.

Tracks #1-4: John Wilson (tp), Phil Woods (as), Jimmy Raney (g), Bill Crow (b), Joe Morello (d). Recorded in Hackensack, NJ, on August 11, 1954 Tracks #5-16: John Wilson (tp), J. Raney (g), Hal Overton (p), Teddy Kotick (b), Nick Stabulas (d). Recorded in Hackensack, NJ, on February 18, 1955, March 8, 1955, May 4, 1956

Complete Recordings 1954-1956

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Lalo Schifrin - Bossa Nova Groove

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:24
Size: 170,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:42)  1. Mima
(5:32)  2. Samba para Dos
(3:31)  3. Tel Eco Teco Nº 2
(4:57)  4. Lolita Marie
(8:32)  5. Céu e Mar
(5:45)  6. Whispering Bossa Nova
(2:26)  7. Boato
(2:39)  8. Chora Tua Tristeza
(3:16)  9. Poema do Adeus
(2:49) 10. O Apito no Samba
(5:15) 11. Chega de Saudade
(1:52) 12. Bossa em Nova York
(3:30) 13. O Amor e A Rosa
(2:26) 14. O Meniño Desce o Morro
(2:23) 15. Menina Feia
(3:58) 16. Ouça
(3:43) 17. Samba de Uma Nota So
(2:59) 18. Patinho Feio

An Oscar- and Emmy-nominated film and television composer, classical composer, and acclaimed jazz pianist, Lalo Schifrin emerged as a big-band leader in the mid-'50s, collaborating with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Xavier Cugat before beginning to score films in the mid-'60s. His iconic theme to TV's Mission: Impossible was first broadcast in 1966. Following in the footsteps of John Barry and Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme," its orchestral jazz instrumentation (including prevalent flutes, brass, piano, bongos, and jazz drums) and adrenalized staccato, syncopated rhythms helped to define spy music for decades to follow. Much like contemporaries Michel Legrand, Henry Mancini, and André Previn, while he wrote in a variety of styles, Schifrin remained best known for his jazz-inflected scores. They also included crime films like 1968's Bullitt, which set an urban scene with a large jazz ensemble that included electric guitar and electric bass, and the Dirty Harry franchise (1971-1988). Though more varied, the Dirty Harry scores maintained an antsy jazz M.O. while updating the production palette over time to include more keyboards, strings, and rock-styled drums. After his Mission: Impossible theme was repurposed for a big-screen reboot in the mid-'90s, Schifrin combined jazz, rock, and lush orchestral tracks in his lively soundtracks for the Rush Hour action franchise in the late '90s and 2000s. Over 50 years after its introduction, his Mission: Impossible theme was still featured heavily in Lorne Balfe's music for the blockbuster sixth entry in the film series, 2018's Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Born Boris Claudio Schifrin in Buenos Aires in 1932, Schifrin grew up with a father who played violin with the Teatro Colón Orchestra. When Lalo was six years old, his dad arranged for him to begin studying piano with Enrique Barenboim, father of celebrated pianist/conductor Daniel Barenboim. As a teenager, he studied piano with the former head of the Kiev Conservatory, Andreas Karalis, and harmony with composer Juan Carlos Paz. After winning a scholarship to the Paris Conservatory in the early '50s, he studied with French composers Charles Koechlin and Olivier Messiaen. In his off hours, he played in Parisian jazz clubs, and in 1955, he represented Argentina in the Paris International Jazz Festival. After returning to Buenos Aires, he started his own 16-piece, Basie-style jazz band, the first of its kind in Argentina, and found work as a pianist and arranger. 

His status as a bandleader helped him meet Dizzy Gillespie in 1956, and Schifrin offered to write a suite for Gillespie. He completed the five-movement Gillespiana in 1958, the same year he became an arranger for Xavier Cugat. In 1960, Schifrin moved to New York City and joined Gillespie's quintet, which recorded Gillespiana to much acclaim. He became Gillespie's musical director until 1962, contributing another suite, The New Continent, before leaving the position to concentrate on his writing. Schifrin accepted his first film-scoring assignment in the U.S. in 1963 (Rhino!) and moved to Hollywood, soon finding a niche composing for both TV and the silver screen. In the meantime, he composed works marked by his jazz-classical fusion style, including the 1963 ballet Jazz Faust and 1965's Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts. After establishing himself on episodes of television series such as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Schifrin joined the music department of the spy series Mission: Impossible. It premiered on CBS in 1966 and featured his catchy 5/4 instrumental "Theme from Mission: Impossible," a track that would live on in TV-music collections for decades to come. He followed it a year later with his theme to Mannix, around the same time he was becoming known for his jazzy scores to high-profile crime films such as Cool Hand Luke (1967) and Bullitt (1968). He earned his first Academy Award nomination for Cool Hand Luke and his second a year later for the D.H. Lawrence drama The Fox. Schifrin composed the music for the Don Siegel-directed Coogan's Bluff, starring Clint Eastwood, in 1968. 

He reunited with the pair on 1971's Dirty Harry and went on to write music for four of the five remaining films in the series, which extended through the '80s (1976's The Enforcer was composed by Jerry Fielding). During that time span, he also wrote scores for films as diverse as the 1976 war film Voyage of the Damned (his third Oscar nomination), Disney's The Cat from Outer Space from 1978, and the 1979 horror classic The Amityville Horror (his fourth Oscar nomination). He received two more Academy Award nominations in the '80s, for The Competition (1980) and The Sting II (1983).  While he continued to write frequently for movies and TV, Schifrin returned some of his focus to classical works during the '90s, a decade that saw the release of the first three in a series of orchestral jazz albums called Jazz Meets the Symphony. He also arranged much of the music for the first three of the Three Tenors concerts. In 1996, his Mission: Impossible theme reached another generation when it was repurposed for a series of films starring Tom Cruise. U2's Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. produced a dance version of the theme that reached the Top Ten of the singles charts in the U.S. and U.K. Still writing original material for film, beginning in 1998, Schifrin provided playful orchestral scores for the first three entries in the Rush Hour series, starring Jackie Chan. Schifrin stayed active in Hollywood in his seventies, scoring films such as the crime film After the Sunset and the horror movie Abominable (directed by his son, Ryan Schifrin), in addition to Rush Hour 3 in the 2000s. The third, fourth, and fifth Mission: Impossible films saw release during the 2010s, as did the Schifrin-scored romantic comedy Love Story (2011) and basketball bio-pic Sweetwater (2016). ~ Marcy Donelson https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lalo-schifrin-mn0000781932/biography

Personnel: Lalo Schifrin (piano), Leo Wright (alto sax), Eddie Harris (tenor sax), Jimmy Raney (guitar), Art Davis, Chris White (bass), Chuck Lampkin, Rudy Collins (drums), Osvaldo Cigno, Jack Del Rio (percussion).

Bossa Nova Groove

Monday, August 12, 2019

Thelma Gracen - Thelma Gracen / Introducing Milli Vernon

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:01
Size: 165,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:50)  1. I’ll Remember April
(3:01)  2. Night and Day
(4:17)  3. I’ll Never Be the Same
(2:34)  4. Tea for Two
(3:40)  5. I’ll Get By
(2:35)  6. Out of Nowhere
(3:55)  7. Solitude
(1:47)  8. Just You, Just Me
(4:14)  9. I’m Yours
(2:46) 10. People Will Say We’re in Love
(3:48) 11. More Than You Know
(1:59) 12. Let There Be Love
(2:19) 13. Weep for the Boy
(2:11) 14. Moments Like This
(2:58) 15. Spring Is Here
(2:48) 16. ST. James Infirmary
(3:14) 17. My Ship
(2:05) 18. This Year’s Kisses
(3:03) 19. Moon Ray
(2:35) 20. Everything but You
(3:02) 21. Every Time
(2:52) 22. Blue Rain
(2:39) 23. I Don’t Know What Kind of Blues I’Ve Got
(3:37) 24. I Guess I’ll Have to Hang My Tears out to Dry

Thelma Gracen
Just where the boundary lies between the singer of popular songs and the real jazz singer is very often difficult to delineate. Thelma Gracen’s name may not ring any bells for neither jazz fan nor pop addict, but don’t let that deter you. After enjoying a few of her songs, you will realize that she had what it takes to be not only a good singer, but a good jazz singer. She has the beat, the feeling, and that special inner understanding of a lyric that can make an indifferent song sound good, a good song sound great, and a great song sound the way it was meant to sound.

Introducing Milli Vernon
Before this recording session, Jazz singer Milli Vernon was virtually unknown, and for good reason. She had served her apprenticeship singing with various bands under the name Pat Cameron, and on club dates in the New York area for about six years. Her voice was pretty and expressive, and she had a strong sense of time, good intonation and a kind of flexible, intimate quality to her voice that makes her sound like no other. For her first album, Milli was backed beautifully by Dave McKenna, Jimmy Raney, Wyatt Ruther, Jo Jones, and on all but three of the tracks by Ruby Braff as well, in a collection of seldom recorded tunes which include Artie Shaws’s moody Moon Ray. https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/thelma-gracen-milli-vernon-albums/46591-thelma-gracen-introducing-milli-vernon-2-lp-on-1-cd.html

Personnel: Thelma Gracen, Milli Vernon (vcl), Ruby Braff (tp), Georgie Auld (ts), Quentin Anderson (tb), Lou Levy, Dave McKenna (p), Barney Kessel, Jimmy Raney (g), Joe Comfort, Wyatt Rhuter (b), Sid Bulkin, Jo Jones (d)

Thelma Gracen / Introducing Milli Vernon

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Sam Most - The Amazing Mr. Sam Most

Styles: Flute, Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:24
Size: 70,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:46)  1. It Might as Well Be Spring
(6:09)  2. You Stepped Out of a Dream
(3:10)  3. Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise
(4:20)  4. Lover Man
(4:31)  5. Alone Together
(6:25)  6. When Your Lover Has Gone

One of the first great jazz flutists, a cool-toned tenor, and a fine (if infrequent) clarinetist, Sam Most was the younger brother of clarinetist Abe Most. He picked up early experience playing with the orchestras of Tommy Dorsey (1948), Boyd Raeburn, and Don Redman. By the time he led his first session (1953), Most was a brilliant flutist (among the first to sing through his flute) and he briefly had the jazz field to himself. Most recorded fine sessions for Prestige, Debut (reissued on Xanadu), Vanguard, and Bethlehem during 1953-1958, doubling on clarinet. He also worked in different settings with Chris Connor, Paul Quinichette, and Teddy Wilson. After playing with Buddy Rich's Orchestra (1959-1961), he moved to Los Angeles and became a studio musician. Sam Most worked with Red Norvo and Louie Bellson, gained some new prominence with his Xanadu recordings of 1976-1979, and became a local fixture in Los Angeles, sometimes playing in clubs with his brother. Most died of cancer in June 2013; he was 82 years old. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sam-most-mn0000240834/biography

Personnel:  Sam Most - flute,  clarinet; Hall Overton - piano; Jimmy Raney - guitar; Addison Farmer - bass; Roy Haynes - drums

The Amazing Mr.Sam Most

Friday, April 13, 2018

Kenny Burrell, Jimmy Raney - 2 Guitars

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:14
Size: 112.7 MB
Styles: Bop, Guitar jazz
Year: 1957/1992
Art: Front

[ 8:49] 1. Blue Duke
[ 4:04] 2. Dead Heat
[ 5:11] 3. Pivot
[ 4:47] 4. I'll Close My Eyes
[ 9:27] 5. Little Melonae
[12:21] 6. This Way
[ 4:31] 7. Out Of Nowhere

Alto Saxophone – Jackie Mclean; Bass – Doug Watkins; Drums – Arthur Taylor; Guitar – Jimmy Raney, Kenny Burrell; Piano – Mal Waldron; Trumpet – Donald Byrd. Recorded in 1957.

For this 1957 studio session, the two distinctive but complementary guitarists Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Raney are teamed up in a septet with trumpeter Donald Byrd, altoist Jackie McLean, pianist Mal Waldron, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor. The full group gets to stretch out on one original each by Watkins and McLean ("Little Melonae") and three from Waldron, while the two standards ("Close Your Eyes" and "Out of Nowhere") are individual features for Burrell and Raney. This is a well-rounded set that may not contain any real surprises, but will be enjoyed by collectors of hard bop. ~Scott Yanow

2 Guitars mc
2 Guitars zippy

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Jimmy Raney - Jimmy Raney Visits Paris

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:15
Size: 115.1 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1958/1989/2017
Art: Front

[4:30] 1. Tres Chouette
[4:34] 2. Imagination
[4:01] 3. Dinah
[3:01] 4. Love For Sale
[5:17] 5. Have You Met Miss Jones
[4:50] 6. What's New
[4:18] 7. Fascinating Rhythm
[4:42] 8. Too Marvelous For Words
[2:32] 9. Cherokee
[4:05] 10. Everything Happens To Me
[4:22] 11. Night And Day
[3:58] 12. Someone To Watch Over Me

Bass – Jean-Marie Ingrand; Drums – Jean Louis Viale; Guitar – Jimmy Raney; Piano – Maurice Vandair; Tenor Saxophone – Bobby Jaspar; Trumpet – Roger Guerin. Recorded in Paris, February 10, 1954.

It is a mid-winter's day, 1954. The French publication, Jazz Hot", comes out with the French jazz poll results: Jimmy Raney has just been voted "Number One Guitarist". That same evening, the Jazz Club U.S.A. tour plays a one-night stand in Paris. One of the featured groups is the Red Norvo Trio. Featured with the trio was Jimmy Raney. Some weeks later this LP was cut with Bobby Jaspar, Maurice Vandair, Jean-Marie Ingrand and Jean Louis Viale. These Paris recordings gave the American audiences an opportunity to hear not only more of Raney's fine style and sound, articulated as always with brilliance and taste, but also something of what was going on in jazz across the ocean.

Jimmy Raney Visits Paris mc
Jimmy Raney Visits Paris zippy

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Jimmy Raney, Doug Raney - Stolen Moments

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:29
Size: 90.4 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1979/1994
Art: Front

[3:51] 1. Jonathan's Waltz
[5:09] 2. Chelsea Bridge
[5:54] 3. Stolen Moments
[4:49] 4. How My Heart Sings
[6:37] 5. I Should Care
[6:07] 6. Samba Teekens
[6:59] 7. Alone Together

Other than one number on a Jimmy Raney album from 1975, this set was the first joint recording by Jimmy and his son Doug Raney. The two similar-sounding guitarists team up with bassist Michael Moore and drummer Billy Hart on five standards (including "Chelsea Bridge," "Stolen Moments" and "Alone Together") and a couple of Jimmy's originals. The guitarists blend together quite well, and often one does not know who is soloing; the results should delight fans of cool-toned modern mainstream guitar. ~Scott Yanow

Stolen Moments

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Al Cohn, Bill Perkins, Richie Kamuca - The Brothers!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:51
Size: 174,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:48)  1. Blixed
(3:13)  2. Kim's Kaper
(3:08)  3. Rolling Stone
(3:08)  4. Sioux Zan
(2:48)  5. The Walrus
(3:12)  6. Blue Skies
(3:17)  7. Gay Blade
(3:13)  8. Three Of A Kind
(3:19)  9. Hags!
(3:04) 10. Pro-Ex
(3:19) 11. Strange Again
(3:39) 12. Cap Snapper
(3:02) 13. Memories Of You
(3:22) 14. Saw Buck
(3:22) 15. Chorus For Morris
(3:15) 16. Slightly Salty
(5:09) 17. Just Friends
(4:32) 18. All Of Me
(3:18) 19. Limehouse Blues
(4:31) 20. Solid De Sylva
(5:02) 21. Sweet And Lovely

This release presents the complete original 1955 album The Brothers! (RCA Victor LPM1162), featuring the wonderful West Coast frontline of Al Cohn, Bill Perkins and Richie Kamuca. In addition to the complete original album, this CD also includes all of the tunes recorded during those sessions that were originally excluded from the LP, as well as a splendid complete quintet session that also features Perkins and Kamuca. http://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/9356/al-cohn/the-brothers

Personnel:  Al Cohn, Bill Perkins, Richie Kamuca, tenor saxes,  Hank Jones, piano;  Barry Galbraith, guitar (on 2-3, 6-8, 10, 13 & 16);  Jimmy Raney, guitar (on 1, 4-5, 9, 11-12 & 14-15); John Beal, bass;  Chuck Flores, drums

The Brothers!

Friday, August 11, 2017

Bob Brookmeyer - The Dual Role of Bob Brookmeyer

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:47
Size: 91,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Rocky Scotch
(5:07)  2. Under the Lilacs
(5:49)  3. They Say It's Wonderful
(4:49)  4. Potrezebie
(5:46)  5. Revelation
(4:29)  6. Star Eyes
(4:25)  7. Nobody's Heart
(4:38)  8. Loup-Garou

This CD reissue has four selections apiece from two different bands, both of which feature subtle interplay and cool tones. Bob Brookmeyer plays valve trombone and piano on two songs apiece with his 1955 quartet, a group also including guitarist Jimmy Raney, bassist Teddy Kotick and drummer Mel Lewis. The other half of this disc is actually led by vibraphonist Teddy Charles who features Brookmeyer on both of his instruments along with bassist Teddy Kotick and drummer Ed Shaughnessy; Nancy Overton takes a vocal on "Nobody's Heart." Although the overall set is not all that essential, the music is pleasing and reasonably creative. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-dual-role-of-bob-brookmeyer-mw0000203311

Personnel: Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone, piano); Nancy Overton (vocals); Jimmy Raney (guitar); Teddy Charles (vibraphone); Mel Lewis, Ed Shaughnessy (drums).

The Dual Role of Bob Brookmeyer

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Al Haig - Al Haig Trio and Sextets

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:35
Size: 119,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:59)  1. Just One Of Those Things
(3:07)  2. Yardbird Suite
(2:44)  3. Taboo
(4:51)  4. Mighty Like A Rose
(3:37)  5. S'wonderful
(1:52)  6. Just You, Just Me
(2:48)  7. The Moon Was Yellow
(5:21)  8. 'round Midnight
(2:34)  9. Sugar Hill
(2:54) 10. Five Star
(3:09) 11. It's The Talk Of The Town
(3:08) 12. In A Pinch
(2:26) 13. Skull Buster
(2:46) 14. Ante Room
(2:52) 15. Poop Deck
(3:20) 16. Pennies From Heaven

Bop pianist Al Haig was unfortunately overlooked, with few opportunities to record for a long stretch in the middle of his career. Fortunately, this Original Jazz Classics compilation highlights several sessions recorded between 1949 and 1954 for Period. The first eight tracks feature bassist Bill Crow and drummer Lee Abrams, where Haig's light touch is especially of interest. A number of these pieces were recorded by Art Tatum, but Haig puts his own stamp on them, inserting a humorous bit of "Sing, Sing, Sing!" into an easygoing "Taboo" (to contrast with Tatum's showstopping virtuoso arrangement) and offering a rambunctious bop treatment of "Just You, Just Me" as a quicky. Four tracks feature Haig in a group with tenor saxophonist Wardell Gray and guitarist Jimmy Raney, with vocalist Terry Swope scatting in unison on two of them. Best is Haig's potent original "In a Pinch." Stan Getz is present (along with Raney) on the last four selections, including a breezy take of Haig's "Skull Buster" (a transparent reworking of "[Back Home Again In] Indiana") and the pianist's lighthearted "Poop Deck." Released as a limited-edition reissue in 2000, bop fans are advised not to tarry if interested in this excellent compilation of Al Haig's early recorded efforts. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/trio-and-sextets-mw0000609148

Personnel: Al Haig (piano); Terry Swope (vocals); Wardell Gray, Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Jimmy Raney (guitar); Tommy Potter, Bill Crow, Gene Ramey (bass); Lee Abrams, Charlie Perry (drums); Carlos Vidal (congas).

Al Haig Trio and Sextets

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Irene Kral - The Band And I / Steveireneo!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:53
Size: 144.0 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[2:10] 1. I'd Know You Anywhere
[3:40] 2. Detour Ahead
[2:35] 3. Comes Love
[1:59] 4. Everybody Knew But Me
[2:52] 5. Lazy Afternoon
[2:58] 6. What's Right For You
[2:43] 7. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
[2:55] 8. Memphis In June
[2:04] 9. This Little Love
[2:32] 10. The Night We Called It A Day
[2:29] 11. It Isn't So Good
[2:11] 12. Something To Remember You By
[2:21] 13. Too Late The Spring
[2:26] 14. Run (Don't Walk)
[2:27] 15. The Best Time Of The Day
[2:28] 16. Yes
[2:46] 17. There He Goes
[3:03] 18. And Even Then
[3:02] 19. Houseboat
[2:02] 20. Cool Blue
[2:30] 21. What Is A Woman
[2:49] 22. Spring Is Where You Are
[2:58] 23. Impossible
[2:42] 24. Pleasant Dreams

Twofer: Tracks #1-12 from the United Artists 12" LP "The band and I" (UAS 5016); Tracks #13-24 from the United Artists 12" LP "Steveireneo!" (UAS 6052). Irene Kral (vcl), with Herb Pomeroy, Lenny Johnson, Joe Newman (tp), Urbie Green (tb), Charlie Mariano, Zoot Sims, Danny Bank (saxes), Joe Venuto (vib), Ray Santisi, Hank Jones (p), Jimmy Raney (g), John Neves (b), Jimmy Zitano, Charlie Persip (d).

The Band and I was the debut album of the great Irene Kral. On it the outstanding young vocalist, who first came to prominence with Maynard Fergusons band, had the benefit of Herb Pomeroys celebrated big band which, though it had never featured a vocalist before, gave her a backing that no orchestra composed of studio musicians could match. She responded with innate jazz feeling, sensitive phrasing and a warm, unaffected sound. Singer and big band are well served by the excellent Al Cohn and Ernie Wilkins charts.

On Steveireneo!, her second album, she handles a dozen of Steve Allens songs with complete command. Under the direction of Al Cohn, the band ideally complements her singing; Cohns well-conceived arrangements are, like everything he did, extremely musical. And the front-rank East Coast personnel consistently deliver fine solos in a savoury showcase for a superior singer.

The Band I/Steveireneo!

Thursday, December 22, 2016

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

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Ted Brown, Jimmy Raney - Good Company

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:05
Size: 151.3 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[4:44] 1. Blimey
[3:12] 2. We'll Be Together Again
[6:36] 3. Lost And Found
[4:33] 4. Sir Felix
[6:56] 5. Instant Blue
[4:45] 6. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
[6:08] 7. People Will Say We're In Love
[6:20] 8. Lost And Found
[6:25] 9. We'll Be Together Again
[5:05] 10. Blimey
[4:31] 11. Sir Felix
[6:46] 12. People Will Say We're In Love

Ted Brown (Ts); Jimmy Raney (G); Hod O'Brien (P); Buster Williams (B); Ben Riley (D). Recorded December 23, 1985 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA by Rudy Van Gelder.

Tenor saxophonist Ted Brown studied with, and belonged to the coterie of like-thinking players around Lennie Tristano. He recorded with Warne Marsh and Lee Konitz and recorded under his own name with Warne Marsh and Art Pepper as sidemen. Here, after an eight year recording hiatus, in the company of legendary bebop-guitar-great Jimmy Raney and an all star rhythm section with pianist Hod O'Brien, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Ben Riley. This rare session from 1985, recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's Recording Studio, has 5 alternate takes, and was never released as CD before.

Good Company

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Jimmy Raney, Doug Raney - Duets

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:23
Size: 97.0 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1986
Art: Front

[4:02] 1. Have You Met Miss Jones
[5:22] 2. My One And Only Love
[5:10] 3. Action
[6:28] 4. Invitation
[5:15] 5. It Might As Well Be Spring
[5:22] 6. Days Of Wine And Roses
[4:18] 7. Oleo
[6:22] 8. My Funny Valentine

Father and son guitarists Jimmy and Doug Raney first started working together in 1977, usually in a quartet. Fortunately, they had a couple opportunities to record together. The previous recording Stolen Moments matched their guitars with bass and drums; on this particular occasion, they perform an enjoyable set of duets on seven jazz standards and Jimmy Raney's "Action." Although Doug (then 22) was clearly influenced by his father, he had also listened closely to Tal Farlow and Jim Hall; with practice, listeners should be able to tell the Raneys apart. Highlights of the date include "Have You Met Miss Jones," "Invitation" and "Days of Wine and Roses." ~Scott Yanow

Duets  

Friday, January 15, 2016

Bob Brookmeyer - The Street Swingers

Styles: Piano Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:39
Size: 181,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:00)  1. Arrowhead
(6:21)  2. Street Swingers
(6:04)  3. Hot Buttered Noodling
(8:51)  4. Musicale De Jour
(5:26)  5. Raney Day
(5:07)  6. Jupiter
(4:40)  7. Rocky Scotch
(5:07)  8. Under The Lilacs
(5:49)  9. They Say It's Wonderful
(4:49) 10. Potrezebie
(5:46) 11. Revelation
(4:29) 12. Star Eyes
(4:25) 13. Nobody's Heart
(4:38) 14. Loup-Garou

Valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer (who also plays some piano on this long out-of-print Pacific Jazz LP) teams up with guitarists Jim Hall and Jimmy Raney, bassist Bill Crow and drummer Osie Johnson for six group originals. The tunes are fairly basic and all of the cool-toned musicians are up-to-par on the lightly swinging material. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/street-swingers-mw0000868935

Personnel: Bob Brookmeyer (piano), Jim Hall, Jimmy Raney (guitar), Bill Crow (bass), Osie Johnson (drums)

The Street Swingers

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Jimmy Raney Trio - But Beautiful

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:06
Size: 153.6 MB
Styles: Swing, Guitar jazz
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[5:03] 1. Long Ago (And Far Away)
[6:56] 2. Blues Cycle
[7:07] 3. But Beautiful
[5:20] 4. Indian Summer
[8:39] 5. Someone To Watch Over Me
[6:33] 6. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[8:00] 7. Elegy For Ray Parker
[7:22] 8. He Loves And She Loves
[6:46] 9. The Way You Look Tonight
[5:16] 10. Long Ago (And Far Away)

Jimmy Raney (Guitar); George Mraz (Bass); Lewis Nash (Drums). Recorded December 5, 1990 in New York City, New York by Max Bolleman.

This is Raney's last recording and he sounds so good. The lines just flow. While there are no "major riffs" here the music just moves along, with the swinging being very easy. The Way You Look Tonight is very good. Nothing really special, just another fine Raney record. ~James Bonk

But Beautiful

Friday, July 17, 2015

Lalo Schifrin & Bob Brookmeyer - Samba Para Dos

Styles: Trombone and Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:16
Size: 72,0 MB
Art: Front

(10:05)  1. Samba Para Dos
( 3:03)  2. What Kind Of Fool Am I
( 3:35)  3. I Get A Kick Out Of You
( 3:21)  4. Just Obe Of Those Things
( 3:31)  5. Time After Time
( 2:31)  6. Its Allright With Me
( 2:01)  7. My Funny Valentine
( 3:07)  8. But Not For Me

This long unavailable record pairs valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer with pianist Lalo Schifrin in a light but swinging Latin-flavored studio session. Although there is a formidable supporting cast, which includes Phil Woods, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, and Jimmy Raney, the solos are primarily by the co-leaders and Leo Wright, heard on several flute solos. Following Schifrin's extended but lively "Samba Para Dos," the remainder of the date focuses on very familiar standards. Raney's solos are a highlight of "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "My Funny Valentine." The full reed section fleshes out a potent interpretation of "Just One of Those Things," which features an impressive and often humorous solo by Brookmeyer. Although this may not be considered an essential LP by the average jazz fan, it is well worth acquiring. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/samba-para-dos-mw0000471354

Personnel:  Lalo Schifrin - piano, arranger; Bob Brookmeyer - valve trombone; Frank Rehak – trombone; Leo Wright - alto saxophone, flute; Phil Woods, Jerome Richardson - alto saxophone; Zoot Sims, Al Cohn - tenor saxophone; Romeo Penque - bass clarinet; Danny Bank - baritone saxophone; Jimmy Raney – guitar; Ben Tucker – bass; Dave Bailey – drums; Jose Paulo – percussion; Carmelita Koehler - cello

Samba Para Dos

Friday, April 10, 2015

Stan Getz - The Best Of The Verve Years (2-Disc Set)

This two-CD sampler is most highly recommended for listeners not familiar with Stan Getz's recordings of the 1950s and '60s. Starting with a version of "Stella by Starlight" that co-stars guitarist Jimmy Raney, this set matches Getz's cool tenor with such artists as trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Conte Candoli, trombonist J.J. Johnson, baritonist Gerry Mulligan, pianists Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans and Chick Corea, valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer and vibraphonist Gary Burton. Also included are his two main bossa nova hits "Desafinado" and "The Girl from Ipanema" along with a couple of tracks from Getz's highly-rated Focus album. It's a fine overview of the great tenor's middle years. ~Scott Yanow

Album: The Best Of The Verve Years (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:43
Size: 159.6 MB
Styles: Post bop, West Coast jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1991

[2:41] 1. Stella By Starlight
[6:36] 2. Hospitality Creek
[3:32] 3. Nobody Else But Me
[7:22] 4. Flamingo
[6:02] 5. Summertime
[8:51] 6. Shine
[7:50] 7. Blues For Mary Jane
[3:53] 8. It Never Entered My Mind
[8:22] 9. My Funny Valentine
[4:54] 10. Tour's End
[3:54] 11. You're Blasé
[5:42] 12. A Ballad

The Best Of The Verve Years (Disc 1)

Album: The Best Of The Verve Years (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:01
Size: 164.9 MB
Styles: Post bop, West Coast jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[4:40] 1. Early Autumn
[8:31] 2. Evening In Paris
[6:10] 3. Her
[8:08] 4. I'm Late, I'm Late
[5:49] 5. Desafinado
[5:46] 6. Manha De Carnaval (Morning Of The Carnival)
[3:19] 7. Insensatez (How Insensitive)
[5:21] 8. The Girl From Ipanema
[5:04] 9. Melinda
[3:58] 10. Here's That Rainy Day
[8:03] 11. Con Alma
[7:07] 12. Sweet Rain

The Best Of The Verve Years (Disc 2)

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Jimmy Raney Quartet - Raney '81

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:19
Size: 167.8 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1981/2009
Art: Front

[5:38] 1. What Is This Thing Called Love
[5:58] 2. This Is New
[4:51] 3. My Shining Hour
[5:12] 4. Peri's Scope
[6:26] 5. Sweet And Lovely
[4:46] 6. Chewish Chive And English Brick
[6:35] 7. If I Should Lose You
[5:38] 8. What Is This Thing Called Love (Alt.Take)
[5:24] 9. Peri's Scope (Alt.Take)
[4:58] 10. My Shining Hour (Alt.Take)
[6:27] 11. Sweet And Lovely (Alt.Take)
[6:34] 12. If I Should Lose You (Alt.Take)
[4:47] 13. Chewish Chive And English Brick (Alt.Take)

Jimmy Raney (G); Doug Raney (G); Jesper Lundgaard (B); Eric Ineke (D). Recorded February 27, 1981 in Hilversum, The Netherlands by Jan Kranendonk

Amazing European debut on Dutch Criss Cross label for Jimmy Raney who sounds here better than ever with his quartet including his son Doug on guitar who, not surprisingly, sounds just like dad - no mean feat!

Raney '81

Friday, October 31, 2014

Urbie Green - All About Urbie Green: His Quintet And Big Band

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 71:00
Size: 162.5 MB
Styles: Trombone jazz, Big band
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:15] 1. Reminiscent Blues
[3:18] 2. Thou Swell
[4:19] 3. You Are Too Beautiful
[2:59] 4. Paradise
[2:45] 5. Warm Valley
[1:48] 6. Frankie And Johnny
[2:44] 7. One For Dee
[2:02] 8. Limehouse Blues
[3:02] 9. Am I Blue
[2:43] 10. Dirty Dan
[3:09] 11. Too Late Now
[2:51] 12. Sleep
[6:28] 13. Soft Winds
[3:09] 14. With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair
[3:30] 15. I Ain't Got Nobody
[3:03] 16. Stella By Starlight
[3:05] 17. Little John
[3:20] 18. Home
[2:36] 19. Cherokee
[3:20] 20. 'round Midnight
[3:15] 21. Springsville
[4:11] 22. Plain Bill From Bluesville

Featuring: Urbie Green (tb, v-tb), Joe Wilder, Johnny Carisi, Phil Sunkel (tp), Chauncey Welsh, Jack Satterfield, Lou McGarity, Rex Peer (tb), Hal McKusick, Al Cohn, Sol Schlinger (saxes), Dave McKenna (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Percy Heath (b), Kenny Clarke (d)

This CD presents Urbie Green, one of the most versatile of all top-ranking trombonists in two facets. On the first quintet recordings we hear him playing relaxed, modern mainstream jazz with strong roots in the blues. His tone is full, his ideas personal and imaginative, and his beat equal to that of his gassing rhythm section.

Urbie’s role on the remaining tracks is that of the leader of a big band. He had often expressed a desire to front a large dance band of his own before he had this opportunity. His choice of Johnny Carisi as chief arranger and unofficial musical director was made because of a rather mutual agreement between the two about the purposes of a band of this kind and the methods of achieving them. Johnny was among the group of writers—like Gil Evans, Gerry Mulligan, Tiny Kahn, et al.—who were setting new stepping-stones in band and small-group arranging. Carisi’s writing in this set is clean and functional— achieving the prime purposes of providing a good jazz and dance-band style and setting a foundation upon which Urbie can project himself as leader-soloist.

All About Urbie Green: His Quintet And Big Band