Geri Allen - Open On All Sides In The Middle

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:17
Size: 101,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:49) 1.Open On All Sides / The Glide Was In The Ride...
( 4:26)  2. Forbidden Place
( 2:36)  3. The Dancer
( 4:06)  4. In The Middle
( 4:22)  5. Ray
(12:48) 6. I Sang A Bright Green Tear For All Of Us This Year...
( 2:29)  7. Drummer's Song
( 5:05)  8. In The Morning (For Milton Nascimento)
( 1:34)  9. The Dancer Pt. 2

Electric and acoustic pianist Geri Allen joins with fellow Detroiters for one of her more ambitious projects, offering a large ensemble featuring bassist Jaribu Shahid, drummer Tani Tabbal, soloists David McMurray and trumpeters Rayse Biggs and Marcus Belgrave, and New Yorkers as saxophonist Steve Coleman and trombonist Robin Eubanks. The tour de force "I Sang A Bright Green Tear For All Of Us This Year" is stunning, featuring the wonderful vocals of Shahida Nurullah, insistent rhythm, haunting refrains from Allen's keyboards, and shifting dynamics that are compelling. The rest of the material is not as innovative within a jazz-funk/M-Base framework, but contrasts her piano trio work. Not essential, but still an invigorating session. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/open-on-all-sides-in-the-middle-mw0000196997

Personnel: Geri Allen (piano), Steve Coleman (saxophone), Marcus Belgrave (trumpet), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Jaribu Shahid (bass), Lloyd Storey (tap dancer), Shahita Nurallah, David McMurray, Racy Biggs, Mino Cinelu.
 

R.I.P.

Open On All Sides In The Middle

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Robert Hurst - Presents: Robert Hurst

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1992
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 67:09
Size: 123,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:20) 1. Down 4 the Cause
(6:28) 2. Detroit Red
(6:36) 3. Aycrigg
(4:41) 4. Joyce Faye
(1:23) 5. Incessant Lullaby
(7:53) 6. The Snake Charmer
(2:55) 7. Evidence
(5:54) 8. Walk of the Negress
(7:59) 9. Blue Freeze
(6:45) 10. Bert's Flirt
(7:24) 11. Devil's Night in Motown
(2:46) 12. Incessant Lullaby.... Bye

This set finds bassist Robert Hurst leading the Tonight Show All-Stars (with Branford Marsalis on various reeds and pianist Kenny Kirkland), plus trumpeter Marcus Belgrave and guest Ralph Miles Jones III (on bass clarinet and bassoon) through 11 of his originals and a solo bass version of Thelonious Monk's "Evidence." The music is complex and hard-driving, but the improvisations are rather cold and sometimes boring. Hurst, a superior bassist, is not a superior composer, and his compositions at best set moods. Of the supporting cast, the most distinctive voices are Belgrave and Jones; the latter has a colorful bass clarinet solo on "The Snake Charmer." This is a decent effort, but not all that essential.~Scott Yanowhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/robert-hurst-presents-robert-hurst-mw0000098147

Personnel: Bass – Robert Hurst; Bass Clarinet, Bassoon – Ralph Miles Jones III; Drums – Jeff "Tain" Watts; Piano – Kenny Kirkland; Sopranino Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Branford Marsalis; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Marcus Belgrave

Robert Hurst Presents: Robert Hurst

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Regina Carter - Motor City Moments

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:48
Size: 116,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:17)  1. Don't Git Sassy
(6:17)  2. Don't Mess With Mr. T
(5:53)  3. For Someone I Love
(3:48)  4. Forever February
(6:56)  5. Higher Ground
(6:24)  6. Love Theme From Spartacus
(3:47)  7. Prey Loot
(4:56)  8. Fukai Aijo
(3:50)  9. Chattanooga Choo Choo
(3:36) 10. Up South

Two years after her stunning debut on Verve, violinist Regina Carter offers listeners her exceptional string virtuosity on ten great songs inspired by her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Motor City Moments features a stellar collection of songs written by some of the best musicians from Detroit including Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Thad Jones, and Milt Jackson. Regina Carter applies her pure skill, pizzicato, and arco passages to "Don't Mess With Mr. T" and "Higher Ground" with impeccable tuning and multiple approaches. Her string virtuosity on Milt Jackson's "For Someone I Love," is a masterful performance backed adeptly by Mayra Casales on percussion and spotlights a brilliant piano solo by Werner "Vana" Gierig. Two originals, "Forever February" and "Up South," which was co-written with guitarist Russell Malone, provide an interesting contrast of the artist's use of reflective temperament and folk-ornamented cadences. Each song also emphasizes Carter's adept techniques with melodic phrasing and song forms. Accompanied by her touring band of Darryl Hall on bass, Alvester Garnett on drums, percussionist Mayra Casales, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and flugelhorn, James Carter on bass clarinet and tenor sax, Barry Harris on piano, Lewis Nash, as well as several special guests, Regina Carter has rapidly become one of the most exciting and original violinists to arrive on the jazz scene. ~ Paula Edelstein https://www.allmusic.com/album/motor-city-moments-mw0000672434

Personnel: Regina Carter - violin; Marcus Belgrave -trumpet; James Carter - tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Werner "Vana" Gierig - piano; Darryl Hall - bass; Alvester Garnett - drums; Barry Harris - piano; Russell Malone - guitar; Lewis Nash - drums.

Motor City Moments

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David Murray Quartet - Black & Black

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:14
Size: 128,9 MB
Art: Front

(10:12)  1. Anti - Calypso
(11:16)  2. Duke's Place
(11:13)  3. Cool
(10:47)  4. Black And Black
(12:45)  5. Head Out

In general, tenor saxophonist David Murray's Red Baron recordings are not on the same level of his Black Saints albums; the settings tended to be more conservative and the material not as strong. This outing with pianist Kirk Lightsey, bassist Santi Debriano, drummer Roy Haynes and trumpeter Marcus Belgrave is better than most of his Red Baron releases. The material is fairly basic (including "Duke's Place" and the two-note "C Jam Blues" theme, which is listed as being composed by four people), Murray tends to play fairly freely despite the boppish rhythm section, and the closing "Head Out" (the longest of the five lengthy jams) has plenty of fiery intensity. Not essential but worth picking up by David Murray fans. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/black-and-black-mw0000073349 

Personnel:  David Murray - tenor saxophone;  Marcus Belgrave - trumpet;  Kirk Lightsey - piano;  Santi Debriano - bass;  Roy Haynes - drums.

Black & Black

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Betty Blake - Betty Blake Sings In A Tender Mood

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:26
Size: 72.0 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1961/2014
Art: Front

[1:57] 1. Let There Be Love
[2:14] 2. I'll Be Around
[1:58] 3. Moon And Sand
[2:27] 4. Trouble Is A Man
[2:17] 5. Love Is Just Around The Corner
[5:12] 6. Lilac Wine
[2:32] 7. It's So Peaceful In The Country
[2:32] 8. While We're Young
[2:23] 9. Blue Fool
[2:43] 10. All Of You
[2:32] 11. Don't Say Love Has Ended
[2:34] 12. Out Of This World

Vocalist Betty Blake made one fine recording for Bethlehem in 1960, Betty Blake Sings in a Tender Mood. On the strength of it, she deserved more opportunities and exposure. ~Ron Wynn

If you haven’t figured it out by now, here it is spelled out for you: any release of an obscure vocalist on the Fresh Sound label from Spain is going to impress you, and make you wonder why you’ve never heard of him or her before. Here’s another case in point-Betty Blake. She sang in the 50s for Buddy Morrow’s orchestra, and then after a ’57 session with vibist Teddy Charles, was invited to do an album for Bethlehem Records. After that, she simply disappeared as if abducted by aliens. Maybe they liked jazz on Mars or something, as this album of her 1961 session, as well as her handful of tunes with Charles, are delightful.

Her voice is a kind of husky mix of Chris Connor and June Christy: cool and swinging but with a dash of molasses. She is in the company of some of the classiest guys around, with Mal Waldron/p, Kenny Burrell/g, Ed Shaughnessy/dr, Zoot Sims/ts, Charles/vib, Marcus Belgrave/tp and Charlie Persip/dr just a sample of the rotating team. Even better, she wisely keeps the standards under wraps, and does some wonderful things with obscurities like “Moon and Sand,” “Lilac Wine” and “Blue Fool.” Her reading of “All of You” is rich and inviting, while “I’ll Be Around” has her in warmth and assurance. In a larger setting of an orchestra lead by Jack Zimmerman, she gets a bit Chet Bakery on “But Not For Me.” Who talked her out of more sessions? This one’s a keeper! ~GWJazz

Betty Blake Sings In A Tender Mood mc
Betty Blake Sings In A Tender Mood zippy

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Cecil Payne - Scotch & Milk

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:12
Size: 163,4 MB
Art: Front

( 9:04)  1. Scotch and Milk
( 8:46)  2. Wilhelmenia
( 9:56)  3. I'm Goin' In
( 5:15)  4. If I Should Lose You
( 8:10)  5. Que Pasaning
(11:18)  6. Cit Sac
( 8:13)  7. Lady Nia
(10:27)  8. Et Vous Too, Cecil?

When Cecil Payne turned 70 in 1992, the baritone saxophonist was showing no signs of slowing down. Payne was 73 when he recorded Scotch and Milk, a fine hard bop date employing trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, tenor saxmen Lin Halliday and Eric Alexander, pianist Harold Mabern, bassist John Ore, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. Payne's chops are in top shape on this 1996 date, and the veteran saxman plays with a lot of passion on such exuberant originals as "Wilhemenia" (a Sonny Rollins-type jazz/calypso number), "Que Pasaning," and "Cit Sac" (which finds Payne switching to the flute). The only tune on the CD that Payne didn't write is the standard "If I Should Lose You," which serves as a nice example of his soulful ballad playing. Nothing groundbreaking takes places on Scotch and Milk; most of the material could have been recorded for Blue Note in the 1950s or 1960s instead of 1996. Scotch and Milk is a perfect example of a veteran improviser excelling by sticking with what he does best. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/scotch-and-milk-mw0000595078

Personnel: Cecil Payne (flute, baritone saxophone); Paul Serrano (recorder); Eric Alexander , Lin Halliday (tenor saxophone); Marcus Belgrave (trumpet); Harold Mabern (piano); Joe Farnsworth (drums)

Scotch & Milk

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Rodney Whitaker - Hidden Kingdom

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:09
Size: 154,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:14)  1. Childhood
(9:45)  2. Blues in the Closet
(5:34)  3. Repentance
(7:18)  4. Mastery Through Love
(3:42)  5. Pilgrim Progress
(6:40)  6. First Impressions
(7:21)  7. The Child in the Womb
(6:46)  8. Hidden Kingdom
(9:19)  9. Open Hit (D. W.)
(2:26) 10. The Promise of You

On his second CD as a leader, Rodney Whittaker is joined by a rotating cast of Detroit's best jazz players and other guests for a program of original compositions by the group's members and one jazz classic, with Whittaker's big-toned bass anchoring the proceedings. Sax superstar James Carter guest stars on five of the ten selections, with his swing-based tone and cutting edge tendencies, although he is more restrained here than on his own recordings. Favorites include Whittaker's "Childhood," a multi-tempo composition that features an excellent alto sax solo by Cassius Richmond and an exciting trumpet-tenor duel between Dwight Adams and Ron Blake; a joyous romp on Oscar Pettiford's "Blues in the Closet"; Richmond's multi-themed and multi-tempo "First Impressions"; and Whittaker's lovely ballad "The Child in the Womb." Whittaker's bass playing and composing establish him as one to watch in the future.~ Greg Turner http://www.allmusic.com/album/hidden-kingdom-mw0000032518

Personnel:  Dwight Adams – Trumpet (1, 5, 7, 8, 10);  Marcus Belgrave – Trumpet (2, 3, 4, 6);  Cassius Richmond – Flute, Alto Sax (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10);  Ron Blake – Soprano, Tenor (1, 5, 7, 8, 10);  James Carter – Soprano, Tenor Sax (2, 3, 4, 6, 9);  Mark Hynes – Soprano Sax (4);  Peter Martin – Piano (1, 5, 7, 8, 10);  J. D. – Piano (2, 3, 6, 9);  Rick Roe – Piano (4);  Rodney Whitaker – Bass;  Gerald W. Cleaver - Drums (1, 5, 7, 8, 10);  Gregory Hutchinson – Drums (3, 9);  Kariem Riggins – Drums (2, 4, 6);  Leonard King – Vocal (10)

Hidden Kingdom

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Houston Person - The Real Thing Disc 1 And Disc 2

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:16
Size: 92,7 MB
Art: Front

Disc 1
( 8:58)  1. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
( 6:20)  2. Since I Fell For You
( 4:10)  3. Until Is Time For You To Go
(13:56)  4. Pain
( 6:51)  5. Angel Eyes

Disc 2
Time: 40:47
Size: 94,0 MB

(8:32)  1. Easy Walker
(7:32)  2. Kittitian Carnival
(4:16)  3. Could It Be I'm Falling In Love
(4:05)  4. Where Is The Love
(4:28)  5. Ain't Nobody's Business
(5:05)  6. Don't Go To Strangers
(6:47)  7. Crazy Legs

Very funky 2LP live set that stands as one of Houston Person's last great albums. Recorded for the obscure Eastbound arm of the Westbound funk label, and featuring an all-star cast that includes Grant Green, Jack McDuff, Marcus Belgrave, Sonny Phillips, Spanky Wilson, and Idris Muhammad. Very heavy grooves, and some nice deep funk in the classic Prestige mode. Includes covers of "Pain" by the Ohio Players and "Crazy Legs" by Donald Austin, plus the tracks "Kittitian Carnival", "Where Is The Love", and "Easy Walker". A few mellow tracks, but the funky stuff more than makes up for it.  https://www.dustygroove.com/item/14436

Personnel:  Houston Person, Wild Bill Moore - Tenor Saxophone;  Eli Fountain - Alto Saxophone;  Marcus Belgrave, Donald Townes - Trumpet; Jimmy Watson, Sonny Phillips - Organ;  Buddy Caldwell - Congas;  Robert Lowe, Grant Green - Guitar;  James Jamieson - Bass;  Hank Brown, Idris Muhammad - Drums;  Spanky Wilson, Etta Jones - Vocals.

The Real Thing

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Marcus Belgrave - You Don't Know Me

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 48:18

Size: 110.6 MB

Styles: New Orleans jazz, Trumpet jazz, Vocal jazz

Year: 2007

Art: Front

[0:59] 1. Tailgate Ramble (Overture)

[2:17] 2. Let The Good Times Roll

[3:09] 3. Life Is So Peculiar

[3:19] 4. You Can't Lose A Broken Heart

[3:46] 5. My Sweet Hunk O Trash

[3:38] 6. Sweet Substitute

[4:43] 7. The Mooche

[7:34] 8. You Don't Know Me

[2:59] 9. Unchain My Heart

[7:01] 10. Drown In My Own Tears

[4:43] 11. Cheek To Cheek

[4:04] 12. Tailgate Ramble

Marcus Belgrave presents a tribute to his mentor, Ray Charles, to New Orleans and the Great Ladies of Song featuring Joan Bow and Charlie Gabriel.

Coming into prominence as a teenaged sensation in the Ray Charles Orchestra, Marcus Belgrave has become an internationally recognized jazz trumpet virtuoso. Born in Chester, PA, Marcus has lived in Detroit most of his life. Appointed the "Jazz Master Laureate" for the City of Detroit in 2008. At the request of Wynton Marsalis, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, he represented Detroit as part of the Lincoln Center Motor City Jazz Masters tribute. A tribute which also Included jazz legends Yusef Lateef, Curtis Fuller, Charles McPherson, and Ron Carter.

A true Renaissance man, there isn’t much this musical legend has not done. He is a trumpeter, composer, arranger, educator, recording artist and producer. He is a professor of music at Oberlin University, in Oberlin Ohio, is the co-founder of the Jazz Studies Program at the Detroit Metro Arts Complex and the Jazz Development Workshop in Detroit. His career as a player has intersected with an unparalleled variety of musicians across musical generations including Ray Charles (with whom he collaborated extensively) Ella Fitzgerald, Charles Mingus, McCoy Tyner, Dizzy Gillespie, Eric Dolphy, Aretha Franklin, Wynton Marsalis and Joe Henderson. He has mentored and Recorded with pianist Geri Allen, bassist Bob Hurst alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, and percussionist/composer Lawrence Williams. This only scratches the surface of his musical collaborations.

His community involvement is exemplary. He considers it his personal responsibility to groom and enlighten the next generation of musicians. He happily takes the time to provide joy and music to countless community retirement centers all over the metro Detroit area. His giving ways have endeared him to countless, both young and old.

The collective impact of Belgrave’s mind, music and vision is felt across the spectrum of identities for which he has become rightfully recognized both within and outside of the jazz community. His tribute to Louis Armstrong is unparalleled and is enthusiastically received by audiences all over the globe. . As a singer, Marcus is blessed with a natural low and gravelly voice… so his “Satchmo-like” vocalizing comes off evoking the Armstrong sound, spirit and warmth with uncanny ease. His CD “Tribute to Louis Armstrong” was accepted for inclusion as part of the official Louis Armstrong House and Archives at Queens College, flushing, New York. His CD Tribute to New Orleans, Ray Charles & The Great Ladies of Song, highlight his collaborative side as he has fun with the music in duets and shows the audience a bit of the New Orleans spirit which produced such great music.. He currently also tours (as a special guest) with the Historic New Orleans Preservation Hall Band.

You Don't Know Me

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