The Keynoters With Nat King Cole: The Essential Keynote Collection 9

Styles: Swing, Jazz
Year: 1986
Time: 47:29
File: MP3 @ 128K/s
Size: 47,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:17) 1. You're Driving Me Crazy (Alternate Take)
(4:15) 2. You're Driving Me Crazy
(4:38) 3. I'm In The Market For You
(4:31) 4. Blue Lou (Unissued Master 1)
(4:22) 5. Blue Lou (Unissued Master 2)
(4:20) 6. I Found A New Baby (Unissued Master)
(3:18) 7. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me (Alternate Take)
(3:06) 8. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
(3:11) 9. The Way You Look Tonight (Alternate Take)
(3:10) 10. The Way You Look Tonight
(2:38) 11. Airiness A La Nat (Alternate Take)
(2:39) 12. Airiness A La Nat
(3:00) 13. My Old Flame

Valuable anthology in the huge Complete Keynote Sessions anthology line. This set featured Cole playing with group assembled for recording sessions organized by Harry Lim for his Keynote label. They are solidly in swing mode and present Cole at his peak as soloist and accompanist. Unfortunately, both this and the total 21-disc package are difficult to find and expensive.By Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-keynoters-with-nat-king-cole-mw0000651253#review

Personnel: Trumpet – Charlie Shavers (tracks: 1 to 6), Jonah Jones (tracks: 1 to 6); Tenor Saxophone – Budd Johnson (tracks: 1 to 6); Alto Saxophone – Willie Smith (2) (tracks: 7 to 13); Bass – Milt Hinton (tracks: 1 to 6), Red Callender (tracks: 7 to 13); Drums – J. C. Heard (tracks: 1 to 6), Jackie Mills (tracks: 7 to 13); Piano – Johnny Guarnieri (tracks: 1 to 6), Nat King Cole (tracks: 7 to 13)

The Keynoters With Nat King Cole: The Essential Keynote Collection 9

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Slam Stewart - Fish Scales

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:05
Size: 142,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:27)  1. I Want To Be Happy
(5:34)  2. The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else
(3:34)  3. Fish Scales
(5:12)  4. At Sundown
(5:35)  5. Memories Of You
(3:53)  6. Bye Bye Blackbird
(4:59)  7. Undecided
(4:49)  8. Sleep
(3:01)  9. Runnin' Wild
(4:47) 10. St.James Infirmary
(4:26) 11. I'm Just Wild About Harry
(3:36) 12. Fish Scales (Take 1)
(5:07) 13. Undecided (Take 1)
(3:57) 14. Bye Bye Blackbird (Take 1)

The late bassist Slam Stewart had relatively few opportunities to record as a leader, and most of them took place in the last 15 years of his life. Noted for playing bass while simultaneously scat singing an octave above it, he is, of course, the primary soloist on nearly every track of Fish Scales. This CD compiles portions of three studio dates which originally appeared on two Black & Blue LPs, adding a pair of previously unreleased tracks. Most the music comes from a quartet date with pianist Johnny Guarnieri, guitarist Jimmy Shirley, and drummer Jackie Williams, all of whom acquit themselves during their brief solos. Unfortunately, the tempos for many of the songs are rather turgid compared to other versions recorded elsewhere by Stewart, whether as a leader or sideman. A turbocharged duet with drummer Jo Jones, "Foolin' Around" eventually adds pianist Gene Rodgers to its swinging conclusion, while "Indiana" pales in comparison to Stewart's famous 1945 Town Hall performance with tenor saxophonist Don Byas. A rather subdued but extended "Willow Weep for Me" features Al Casey's bluesy guitar along with Wild Bill Davis (on piano rather than his customary organ) and drummer Joe Marshall; this track feels more like a warm-up to a session or something that would have normally been rejected by most producers. Overall, this is an enjoyable but hardly essential CD for fans of Slam Stewart. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/fish-scales-mw0000267708

Personnel includes: Slam Stewart (bass), Jo Jones (drums) Johnny Guarnieri, Wild Bill Davis, Al Casey.

Fish Scales

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Don Byas - Tenor Giant

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:41
Size: 79.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[2:55] 1. Three O'clock In The Morning
[2:44] 2. One O'clock Jump
[3:05] 3. Harvard Blues
[2:41] 4. Slammin' Around
[2:47] 5. Laura
[3:01] 6. Stardust
[3:00] 7. Slam, Don't Shake Like That
[3:00] 8. Dark Eyes
[2:44] 9. Humoresque
[2:57] 10. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
[2:47] 11. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[2:53] 12. Slamboree

Bass – Slam Stewart; Drums – Harold "Doc" West, J.C. Heard; Piano – Erroll Garner, Johnny Guarnieri; Tenor Saxophone – Don Byas. Recorded August 30, September 6 and November 1, 1945.

One of the greatest of all tenor players, Don Byas' decision to move permanently to Europe in 1946 resulted in him being vastly underrated in jazz history books. His knowledge of chords rivalled Coleman Hawkins, and, due to their similarity in tones, Byas can be considered an extension of the elder tenor. He played with many top swing bands, including those of Lionel Hampton (1935), Buck Clayton (1936), Don Redman, Lucky Millinder, Andy Kirk (1939-1940), and most importantly Count Basie (1941-1943). An advanced swing stylist, Byas' playing looked toward bop. He jammed at Minton's Playhouse in the early '40s, appeared on 52nd Street with Dizzy Gillespie, and performed a pair of stunning duets with bassist Slam Stewart at a 1944 Town Hall concert. After recording extensively during 1945-1946 (often as a leader), Byas went to Europe with Don Redman's band, and (with the exception of a 1970 appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival) never came back to the U.S. He lived in France, the Netherlands, and Denmark; often appeared at festivals; and worked steadily. Whenever American players were touring, they would ask for Byas, who had opportunities to perform with Duke Ellington, Bud Powell, Kenny Clarke, Dizzy Gillespie, Jazz at the Philharmonic (including a recorded tenor battle with Hawkins and Stan Getz), Art Blakey, and (on a 1968 recording) Ben Webster. Byas also recorded often in the 1950s, but was largely forgotten in the U.S. by the time of his death. ~ Scott Yanow

Tenor Giant mc
Tenor Giant zippy

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Vic Dickenson - Gentleman of the Trombone

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:23
Size: 134,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:05)  1. Too Marvelous for Words
(6:03)  2. Nice and Easy Blues
(4:59)  3. Just Too Late
(4:18)  4. Shine
(5:03)  5. Sweet Sue, Just You
(6:19)  6. Bye Bye Blackbird
(3:01)  7. More Rain
(8:01)  8. S'posin'
(4:29)  9. Love Letters in the Sand
(5:28) 10. Christopher Columbus
(5:34) 11. I Ain't Got Nobody

Vic Dickenson was one of the great trombone stylists whose relaxed sound, slurred notes, and impeccable feel invested every solo with a unique warmth never duplicated by anyone else. While he was often recorded as a sideman, he was rarely captured as a leader. This mid-'70s studio session, recorded late in his career, features a mature Dickenson leading a sympathetic rhythm section of pianist Johnny Guarnieri, bassist Bill Pemberton, and drummer Oliver Jackson. The real treasure is the chance to hear the trombonist playing tunes with which he was comfortable and improvising at length. His renditions of "Sweet Sue, Just You," "Christopher Columbus," and "Bye Bye Blackbird" are perfect expositions of his classy way of capturing the essence of a tune. The trombonist sings on a couple of tracks ("Just Too Late" and "More Rain"), but his vocals are more of interest as novelty items for completists. Johnny Guarnieri struts his stuff on "Shine," with a hot solo worthy of the era in which the piece was written. ~ Steve Loewy http://www.allmusic.com/album/gentleman-of-the-trombone-mw0000232307

Vic Dickenson (vocal and trombone), Johnny Guarnieri (piano), Bill Pemberton (bass), Oliver Jackson (drums).

Gentleman of the Trombone

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Ruby Braff - Ruby Braff Sings

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 22:13
Size: 52,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:42)  1. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
(2:59)  2. Mean to Me
(2:25)  3. Ellie
(2:55)  4. You're a Sweetheart
(2:36)  5. Blue and Sentimental
(2:46)  6. Blue Room
(3:11)  7. I Can't Get Started
(2:35)  8. This Can't Be Love

One of the great swing/Dixieland cornetists, Ruby Braff went through long periods of his career unable to find work because his music was considered out-of-fashion, but his fortunes improved by the 1970s. A very expressive player who in later years liked to build his solos up to a low note, Braff's playing was instantly recognizable within seconds. Braff mostly worked around Boston in the late '40s. He teamed up with Pee Wee Russell when the clarinetist was making a comeback (they recorded live for Savoy), and after moving to New York in 1953, he fit easily into a variety of Dixieland and mainstream settings. Braff recorded for Vanguard as a leader, and with Vic Dickenson, Buck Clayton, and Urbie Green. He was one of the stars of Buck Clayton's Columbia jam sessions, and in the mid-'50s worked with Benny Goodman. 

But, despite good reviews and occasional recordings, work was hard for Braff to come by at times. In the 1960s, he was able to get jobs by being with George Wein's Newport All-Stars and at jazz festivals, but it was not until the cornetist formed a quartet with guitarist George Barnes, in 1973, that he became more secure. Afterward, Braff was heard in many small-group settings, including duets with Dick Hyman and Ellis Larkins (he had first met up with the latter in the 1950s), quintets with Scott Hamilton, and matching wits with Howard Alden. He remained one of the greats of mainstream jazz until his death in 2003. Bio ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ruby-braff-mn0000357057/biography

Personnel:   Ruby Braff - Trumpet,  Johnny Guarnieri - Piano, Walter Page - Bass, Bobby Donaldson - Drums.

Ruby Braff Sings

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Johnny Guarnieri - Cheerful Little Earful

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 24:08
Size: 55,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:04)  1. At Sundown
(2:01)  2. Three Little Words
(2:10)  3. Ain't We Got Fun
(2:01)  4. After You've Gone
(1:49)  5. Cheeful Little Earful
(1:53)  6. I Love Louisa
(2:12)  7. Ain't Misbehavin'
(2:12)  8. Facinating Rhythm
(1:57)  9. Breezin' Along With The Breeze
(1:58) 10. Let's Have Another Cup Of Coffee
(1:54) 11. I Know That You Know
(1:52) 12. Anything Goes

One of the most talented pianists of the 1940s, Johnny Guarnieri had the ability to closely imitate Fats Waller, Count Basie, and even Art Tatum. Not too surprisingly, he was in great demand during his prime years. Guarnieri started classical piano lessons when he was ten and soon switched to jazz. In 1939, he joined Benny Goodman's orchestra, recording frequently with both the big band and B.G.'s sextet. In 1940, Guarnieri became a member of Artie Shaw's orchestra and gained fame playing harpsichord on Shaw's popular Gramercy Five recordings. 

After further associations with Goodman (1941) and Shaw (1941-1942), he was with Tommy Dorsey (1942-1943) and then freelanced. Among Guarnieri's many recordings during this era were important dates with Lester Young ("Sometimes I'm Happy"), Roy Eldridge, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Rex Stewart, Don Byas, and Louis Armstrong ("Jack-Armstrong Blues"). He also recorded frequently as a leader during 1944-1947, including one date on which Lester Young was his sideman. Guarnieri joined the staff of NBC in the late '40s, appeared in the Coleman Hawkins/Roy Eldridge television pilot After Hours (1961), moved to California in the '60s where he often played solo piano, and a few times in the 1970s toured Europe. Guarnieri's later records often found him playfully performing stride in 5/4 time. He recorded as a leader through the years for such labels as Savoy, Majestic, Coral (1956), Golden Crest, Camden, Dot, Black & Blue, Dobre, and Taz-Jazz (1976 and 1978). Bio ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-guarnieri-mn0000210757/biography

Cheerful Little Earful

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Johnny Guarnieri - Walla Walla

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:26
Size: 120,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:32)  1. Gliss Me Again
(1:56)  2. Walla Walla
(3:59)  3. I Left My Heart in San Francisco
(2:23)  4. Sweet Georgia Brown
(2:56)  5. Tea for Two
(3:03)  6. My Honey's Lovin' Arms
(2:37)  7. The Sheik of Araby
(4:13)  8. Love for Sale
(4:03)  9. Sometimes I'm Happy
(2:37) 10. Cherokee
(3:59) 11. Back Home Again in Indiana
(0:56) 12. One O'Clock Jump
(1:58) 13. Walla Walla (take 2)
(3:19) 14. Black and Blue
(3:38) 15. Gypsy in My Soul
(3:28) 16. Back Home Again in Indiana
(3:41) 17. Gliss Me Again (take 2)

Johnny Guarnieri (March 23, 1917 – January 7, 1985) was an American jazz and stride pianist, born in New York City, perhaps best known for his big band stints with Benny Goodman in 1939 and with Artie Shaw in 1940. Guarnieri is also noted for his embellishment and juxtaposition of jazz with classical piano, such as Scarlatti and Beethoven. In the early 1980s, Guarnieri recorded "Johnny Guarnieri plays Duke Ellington" on a Bosendorfer Grand "SE" player piano, for the Live-Performance Jazz Series.

Throughout the 1940s Guarnieri was a busy sideman, recording with artists such as Charlie Christian, Cozy Cole, Ike Quebec, Charlie Kennedy, Hank D'Amico and Ben Webster. He also led his own group called the "Johnny Guarnieri Swing Men" and recorded with them on the Savoy label, a group that included Lester Young, Hank D'Amico, Billy Butterfield and Cozy Cole. He also led a trio in the 1940s composed of himself, Slam Stewart and Sammy Weiss, recording again for Savoy. During the 1940s he also recorded for the short-lived Majestic label, playing solo piano and with his trio. In 1949 Guarnieri recorded an album with June Christy titled June Christy & The Johnny Guarnieri Quintet.

In his later years Guarnieri shifted more toward jazz education. In commemoration of his reputation as a teacher, Guarnieri's students financed a label for him called Taz Jazz Records. In the 1970s Guarnieri recorded numerous albums on his new label, and until 1982 worked at the "Tail of the Cock" nightclub in Studio City, California. He died onstage during a performance with Dick Sudhalter.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Guarnieri

Walla Walla

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