Leon Redbone - Any Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:43
Size: 100.1 MB
Styles: Pop/Rock/Jazz, Ragtime
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[3:56] 1. Any Time
[4:06] 2. If You Knew
[2:32] 3. Ain't Gonna Give You None Of My Jelly Rol
[3:52] 4. All I Do Is Dream Of You
[2:58] 5. Louisiana Fairytale
[2:58] 6. So Tired Of Livin' All Alone
[3:36] 7. Sittin' On Top Of The World
[2:42] 8. Sweet Substitute
[3:16] 9. Blossoms On Broadway
[4:05] 10. In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree
[2:20] 11. Sweet Lorraine
[3:42] 12. Moonlight Bay
[3:34] 13. Your Feets Too Big

Seven years passed between 1994's Whistling in the Wind and Leon Redbone's next studio album, Any Time -- which, like his previous recordings, demonstrates that the singer was born in the wrong time. Redbone should have been born in 1900 or 1905, but lucky for listeners, he wasn't -- and his nostalgia has made for a lot of enjoyable moments. On this 2001 release, Redbone continues his love affair with the jazz, pop, and folk of the '20s and '30s. The crooner takes listeners back to a time when Herbert Hoover or Franklin Delano Roosevelt was in the White House, and he maintains a relaxed, congenial, laid-back ambience on vintage tunes that include "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree," "All I Do Is Dream of You," and Jelly Roll Morton's "Sweet Substitute." Drawing on influences that range from Hoagy Carmichael to Bing Crosby -- although he has more of a rural, folksy, down-home outlook than the latter -- Redbone pays tribute to what is often thought of as a more innocent and naïve period of American music. Of course, not all of the music from the '20s and '30s was innocent. Classic blues singer Lucille Bogan's "Shave 'Em Dry" (just to give one example) is as raunchy and X-rated as anything by 2 Live Crew, Prince, or Lil' Kim. But a lot of '20s and '30s songs did have an innocent sort of charm -- at least by today's standards -- and that is the type of mood that Redbone goes for on this CD. Anyone who has enjoyed Redbone's previous releases will find Any Time to be a rewarding addition to his catalog. ~Alex Henderson

Any Time

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Leon Redbone - Up A Lazy River

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:53
Size: 79.9 MB
Styles: Pop/Rock/Jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[3:06] 1. Play Gypsy Play
[2:37] 2. At The Chocolate Bon Bon Ball
[3:01] 3. Lazy River
[3:01] 4. When Dixie Stars Are Playing Peek-A-Boo
[2:47] 5. Mr. Jelly Roll Baker
[2:34] 6. Gotta Shake That Thing
[2:08] 7. You're A Heartbreaker
[2:49] 8. Bittersweet Waltz
[3:12] 9. Goodbye Charlie Blues
[3:40] 10. That Old Familiar Blues
[2:57] 11. A Dreamer's Holiday
[2:55] 12. I'm Going Home

Idiosyncratic singer/songwriter Leon Redbone spent the 1990s building upon his sizable cult following with more uncanny arrangements of vintage pop and jazz tunes, while simultaneously unveiling a few of his own compositions. Sporting an unmistakable and remarkably limber baritone, Redbone continues his fusion of Americana with some distinct and flavorful overtones that would not sound out of place in the Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli-led Quintet of the Hot Club of France. This is evident right out of the box on Redbone's "Play Gypsy Play," as guitarist Frank Vignola and violinist Stan Kurtis provide a hearty Hot Club vibe. An almost palpable sense of mystery shrouds the somnolent "At the Chocolate Bon Bon Ball," incorporating Alfredo Pedernera on the Argentinean bandoneón -- a native instrument with a tonality close to that of its' European descendant, the concertina. Pedernera weaves hypnotically beneath the march-like cadence, unifying the otherwise disparate sonic elements. The easygoing languid cover of Hoagy Carmichael's "Lazy River" can easily be considered a seminal entry in Redbone's repertoire, with just enough energy to gently move the song along. Special guest Dr. John tickles the ivories further accenting the sumptuous melody. "When Dixie Stars Are Playing Peek-a-Boo" is an obscure side dating to the early 20th century. Asleep at the Wheel's Cindy Cashdollar picks a down-home dobro, modernizing the rural blues amalgam and definitely hearkening to the original. Similarly, Redbone's interpretation of "Mr. Jelly Roll Baker" has one foot in the past while leaping toward a rollicking renewal of the Beale Street blues from whence the selection was derived. Again, Cashdollar is heard here, twanging beneath a full-bodied lead vocal and some buoyant sax interjections from multi-instrumentalist Vince Giordano, who also plays piano, drums and bass on the track. His sax spills over on to the humor-laden take-off/put-on rendering of Papa Charlie Jackson's bawdy blues "Gotta Shake That Thing." Other standouts on Up a Lazy River (1992) include the Redbone co-penned "That Old Familiar Blues" and "Bittersweet Waltz" -- both boasting additional contributions from Dr. John -- although the latter shouldn't be mistaken for the Noël Coward song of the same name. ~Lindsay Planer

Up A Lazy River

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Leon Redbone - Branch To Branch

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:17
Size: 78.5 MB
Styles: Pop-rock-jazz, Ragtime
Year: 1981/1989
Art: Front

[3:00] 1. Tee-Na-Na
[2:25] 2. In The Old Town Tonight
[2:42] 3. Papa's Getting Mad
[3:40] 4. Step It Up And Go
[3:04] 5. Your Cheatin' Heart
[2:39] 6. Seduced
[4:42] 7. Why
[2:23] 8. My Blue Heaven
[4:04] 9. Extra Blues
[2:00] 10. When You Wish Upon A Star
[3:33] 11. Prairie Lullaby

This is as extravagant and complicated a studio production as any of Leon Redbone's releases. Complete details about the musicians involved in each session are printed in miniscule yellow type of the eyestrain-inducing variety, perhaps a gesture at making younger listeners feel more sympathetic to the elderly music fans who would have been old enough to remember some of this material first-hand even back in the early '80s. Other songs are so familiar that recognition is not an issue; the question would be more appropriately, why bother? But questions of taste are not really a subject for this performer, who once having established his shtick and the prerequisite of technical talent required to pull it off, created albums that inevitably mix the sublime with the totally boring. Disastrous moves here include a weak Hank Williams cover, since expressing sincere emotion is not really in Redbone's bones. "Prairie Lullaby" is pretty sappy as well, and not really the sort of thing someone as immersed in vintage music as Redbone should have wanted to create. The tracks featuring Dr. John come off much better, examples of rollicking interplay that producer Beryl Handler, whose name even implies a hands-on touch, is wise to leave in a fairly spontaneous mode. While Redbone's performance of "My Blue Heaven" is fairly hack, a good rhythm section with bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Grady Tate certainly does a good job on the backup. ~Eugene Chadbourne

Branch To Branch

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Leon Redbone - Champagne Charlie

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 32:02
Size: 73.3 MB
Styles: Ragtime, Dixieland, Texas Blues
Year: 1979/1995
Art: Front

[2:56] 1. Champagne Charlie
[2:52] 2. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
[2:41] 3. Sweet Sue, Just You
[4:32] 4. The One Rose (That's Left In My Heart)
[1:42] 5. Alabama Jubilee
[3:19] 6. Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)
[2:48] 7. Yearning (Just For You)
[3:31] 8. If Someone Would Only Love Me
[3:40] 9. I Hate A Man Like You
[3:55] 10. T.B. Blues

From the opening track, "Champagne Charlie," to the dazzling finale, "T.B. Blues," Leon Redbone presents an introspective collection of blues and big band melodies in timeless fashion, a rare feat because of its release date in 1978. The record was highly acclaimed and regarded as the purest of jazz and classic blues by a remarkable legend and icon in this musical form. Most of the record, like the amiable "Sweet Sue (Just You)" and memorable "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)," is filled with the best that blues and ragtime has to offer. The music itself is quite light and jolly during the more uplifting moments, with others such as "I Hate a Man Like You" very depressing and sorrowful. The band backing up Redbone is delightful, filled with jubilant horns, oboes, and trumpets. "T.B. Blues" closes out this record as a charming look back into the world of blues via pioneer Jimmie Rodgers. Two melodies written and composed by giant Jelly Roll Morton are featured here, with fresh and stunning new arrangements by Leon Redbone and company, "If Someone Would Only Love Me" and "I Hate a Man Like You." The record is somewhat poorly recorded, losing its listening ability though still portraying its exuberant style and antique mysteriousness. A charming and romantic listen and study of this period of ragtime and blues that will surely not disappoint the average listener. ~Shawn M. Haney

Champagne Charlie

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Leon Redbone - Flying By

Size: 82,7 MB
Time: 34:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Vaudevillian, Ragtime, Jazz, Blues
Art: Front

01. Just You And I (2:16)
02. Baby Won't You Please Come Home (2:32)
03. Wanna Go Back Again Blues (3:25)
04. Main Street (2:35)
05. Get Out Get Under The Moon (3:19)
06. Police Dog Blues (2:26)
07. I'll See You In My Dreams (2:50)
08. Where Shall I Be (2:28)
09. When The Lights Are Soft And Low (3:05)
10. Mr. Jelly Lord (4:06)
11. Save Your Sorrow (3:21)
12. But Where Are You (2:20)

With the release of FLYING BY, the enigmatic Leon Redbone releases his first full album in over a decade.

The standard bearer of pre-World War II ragtime, jazz and blues sounds, the neo-Vaudville crooner serves up a blend of a dozen carefully picked nuggets including the traditional: "Police Dog blues," "I'll See You In My Dreams," and "Baby Won't You Please Come Home." Redbone brings the rarely heard Irving Berlin number "Where are You?" into the present shining a light on this rare gem.

With support from Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks and accompanist Paul Asaro, Leon Redbone reemerges with perhaps his most traditional album since his debut ON THE TRACK, from the era when he was lighting up Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and leading popular music fans to the music of a bygone era.

FLYING BY was produced by longtime producer Beryl Handler.

Flying By

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Leon Redbone - Double Time

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 34:43
Size: 79.5 MB
Styles: Jazz-Folk-Rock vocals
Year: 1976/1990
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. Diddy Wah Diddy
[2:12] 2. Nobody's Sweetheart
[3:12] 3. Shine On Harvest Moon
[4:16] 4. Crazy Blues
[1:44] 5. Mississippi Delta Blues
[3:41] 6. Mr. Jelly Roll Baker
[3:08] 7. My Melancholy Baby
[2:33] 8. The Sheik Of Araby
[3:10] 9. Mississippi River Blues
[4:17] 10. Winin' Boy Blues
[3:17] 11. If We Never Meet Again This Side Of Heaven

One of Leon Redbone's best early outings, 1977's DOUBLE TIME finds the mustachioed, fedora-wearing enigma further refining the old-timey aesthetic of his debut. Joel Dorn's crystal-clear production aside, this album could have been created almost 50 years earlier, with Redbone's deep, scratchy voice and lively acoustic guitar-playing readymade for a Louisiana juke joint. The set opens with the sauntering "Diddy Wa Diddie," a horn-laden Dixieland number that would remain a staple in Redbone's repertoire for decades to come. The eccentric singer also offers up two Jimmie Rodgers tunes--the celebratory "Mississippi Delta Blues" and its skid row cousin, "Mississippi River Blues." Other highlights of DOUBLE TIME include Redbone's own amiable "Crazy Blues," which fits seamlessly alongside the vintage material, and "Sheik of Araby," performed with wacky, nonsensical verve in classic "hot jazz" style. Since, oddly enough, there are no Redbone compilations available, this charming album serves as one of the finest introductions to his anachronistic sound.

Double Time

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