Maria Muldaur & Tuba Skinny - Let's Get Happy Together

Styles: Vocal And Cornet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:56
Size: 93,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:51) 1. I Like You Best of All
(3:46) 2. Let's Get Happy Together
(2:31) 3. Be Your Natural Self
(3:32) 4. Delta Bound
(2:35) 5. Swing You Sinners
(3:35) 6. He Ain't Got Rhythm
(3:21) 7. Got The South In My Soul
(3:13) 8. I Go For That
(2:53) 9. Patience And Fortitude
(3:12) 10. Some Sweet Day
(3:47) 11. Big City Blues
(3:35) 12. Road of Stone

Any album by Maria Muldaur is a cause for joy and celebration, and Let’s Get Happy Together, her collaboration with New Orleans band Tuba Skinny - Shaye Cohn (cornet), Todd Burdick (tuba), Barnabus Jones (trombone), Jason Lawrence (banjo), Craig Flory (clarinet), Greg Sherman (guitar), Max Bien-Kahn (guitar), and Robin Rapuzzi (washboard) - lives up to its title. Every song on the album dances exuberantly, strutting with the jaunty rhythms of second line swingers, with tuba, clarinet, trombone, and cornet sliding under and around one another and riding on a bed of guitar strums and banjo rolls. Muldaur sat in with the band when she was in New Orleans, but she and the band played a rousing official showcase at the 2020 Folk Alliance, and this album grew out of that rollicking performance of New Orleans blues and jazz standards from the 1920s and 1930s.

The album kicks off in high spirits with Cohn’s toodling cornet chasing Flory’s snaking clarinet leading into Muldaur’s buoyant vocals, which dazzle with a luminous joy as the singer affirms that of all the things in life that make her happy, “I Like You Best of All”; every instrument takes a turn on the instrumental bridge, allowing the band to bask in its glory. The swaying, toe-tapping “Let’s Get Happy Together,” written and originally recorded by Lil Hardin Armstrong, jubilantly showcases Tuba Skinny’s musical genius and Muldaur’s gift for conveying the emotions of a song’s lyrics in her vocals. The slow-burning “Delta Bound” contains similar sonic features to Muldaur’s classic version of “Can’t You Feel My Leg,” while the hopping juke joint number “Swing You Sinners” cannily illustrates that the gospel and jazz are two sides of the same coin and that there’s as much redemption in a Saturday night jazz ramble as there is in a Sunday morning gospel shout. Muldaur captures the tongue-in-cheek spirit of Irving Berlin’s “He Ain’t Got Rhythm,” as Tuba Skinny’s swinging rhythms deliver a sly parody of the song’s theme. The album closes with two sultry blues tunes, “Big City Blues” and “Road of Stone.”

Let’s Get Happy Together is a match made in jazz heaven, and we can only hope that Muldaur and Tubby Skinny will join forces again for another sashay and romp down Bourbon Street.By Henry Carrigan https://www.folkalley.com/album-review/2021/album-review-maria-muldaur-with-tuba-skinny-lets-get-happy-together#

Personnel: Tuba Skinny: Shaye Cohn – cornet; Todd Burdick – tuba; Barnabus Jones – trombone; Jason Lawrence – banjo; Craig Flory – clarinet; Greg Sherman – guitar; Max Bien-Kahn – guitar; and Robin Rapuzzi – washboard.

Let's Get Happy Together

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Ray Brown Jr. - Friends And Family

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:47
Size: 130.0 MB
Styles: R&B/Jazz/Soul
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:44] 1. Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (Feat. Jane Monheit)
[2:42] 2. I’m Beginning To See The Light (Feat. Melba Moore & Terry Gibbs)
[3:46] 3. Sunny Side Of The Street (Feat. James Moody)
[4:33] 4. Too Close For Comfort (Feat. Maria Muldaur)
[4:36] 5. I Wish You Love (Feat. Dionne Warwick & David Fathead Newman)
[3:30] 6. Lullaby Of Birdland (Feat. Freda Payne & Terry Gibbs)
[4:23] 7. Up On The Roof (Feat. Sophie B. Hawkins)
[4:27] 8. Ordinary Fool (Feat. Paul Williams)
[2:11] 9. A-Tisket-A-Tasket (Feat. Haylee)
[3:18] 10. Something’s Gotta Give (Feat. Freda Payne)
[4:03] 11. Everybody’s Cryin’ Mercy (Feat. Dr. Lonnie Smith)
[3:43] 12. Girls On The Beach (Feat. Dave Somerville)
[3:55] 13. Laughter In The Rain (Feat. Kim Hoyer)
[3:22] 14. I Thought About You (Feat. Sally Kellerman)
[3:27] 15. How High The Moon (Feat. Ella Fitzgerald & Ray Brown Sr)

If you’re expecting any vocal similarity between Ray Brown Jr. and his mother, Ella Fitzgerald, you’ll be disappointed. Brown is, after all, not her natural son, but was adopted by Fitzgerald and Ray Brown in 1949, midway through their six-year marriage. But if his parents’ acute musicality isn’t in his genes, then he must have absorbed it, because Jr. is a first-rate performer with a deep, slightly raspy sound that suggests a blend of Bobby Short and Michael McDonald, plus a soupcon of Billy Eckstine.

The 59-year-old scion started out in the music business in the ’70s, toying with rock and then country before setting into a pop/soul groove. Friends and Family is his fourth album, but the first that inches toward jazz. The “friends” are an eclectic bunch, spanning young (Jane Monheit, Sophie B. Hawkins), old (septuagenarian David Somerville, one-time lead singer of the ’50s group the Diamonds), iconic (James Moody, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Dionne Warwick), obscure (little-known but impressive jazz chanteuse Kim Hoyer) and unexpected (Oscar-nominated M*A*S*H actress Sally Kellerman).

The results are generally excellent—particularly a funky “Memphis” featuring both Smith and Dr. John, a slow and sexy “Too Close for Comfort” with Maria Muldaur and a scorching “I’m Beginning to See the Light” with Melba Moore and Terry Gibbs. Unfortunately, the “family” portion of the program proves less rewarding. Brown teams with daughter Haylee for a rendition of “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” that zooms way past cute toward cloyingly sticky-sweet. Most disappointing is the disc-closing attempt at a family reunion, with Jr. awkwardly wedged into the middle of a muddy, old recording of mom and dad performing “How High the Moon.” ~Christopher Loudon

Friends And Family

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Maria Muldaur - Maria Muldaur's Music For Lovers

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:10
Size: 124.0 MB
Styles: Louisiana Blues vocals
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[5:26] 1. Fanning The Flames
[5:25] 2. Think About You
[4:49] 3. Latersville
[6:50] 4. It Feels Like Rain
[4:23] 5. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
[4:05] 6. We Can Let It Happen Tonight
[4:21] 7. Soothe Me
[4:17] 8. Talk Real Slow
[4:16] 9. I Wanna Be Loved
[5:09] 10. Someday When We're Both Alone
[5:05] 11. Southland Of The Heart

Maria Muldaur, Johnny Adams, Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, Charles Brown (vocals); Danny Caron, Sonny Landreth, Anthony Paule, Cranston Clements (guitar); Jim Rothermel (clarinet, alto & tenor saxophones); Marty Grebb (saxophone, piano); Steve Campos (trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn); David Matthews (piano, organ); Mike Thompson (keyboards); Hutch Hutchinson, Reggie McBride (bass); Steve Potts, Lee Spath, Tony Braunagel (drums); Tracy Nelson, Jenni Muldaur, Ann Peebles, Linda Tillery, Lady Bianca, Jon Cleary (background vocals).

The musicianship, production, and song selection are all top-notch, and Muldaur, whose voice has grown huskier and even sexier since her '70s heyday, wraps her pipes around these tunes like a heavy fog slowly rolling in over New Orleans' Lake Ponchartrain. She effortlessly straddles jazz and blues, transforming anything she touches into a smooth, easygoing, yet sizzling slice of oozing romance. The way her voice lingers over words, adding just a trace of Southern twang as the subtle backing musicians set up a languid groove, makes the listener feel like they're sinking into their favorite easy chair. The song titles tell it all; "Soothe Me," "Fanning the Flames," and "We Can Let It Happen Tonight" set the mood without even hearing a note, and after you've played this once, you'll want to find your special someone to share it with all over again. If you own none of the trio of Maria Muldaur albums where these songs originated, this is a reasonable place to begin your collection of this classic singer, especially if you're in the mood for love. ~ Hal Horowitz

Maria Muldaur's Music For Lovers

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Jay McShann - Still Jumpin' The Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 62:21

Size: 142.8 MB

Styles: Piano blues-jazz, Jump blues

Year: 1999

Art: Front

[ 4:32] 1. Goin' To Chicago

[ 4:19] 2. Moten Swing

[ 4:55] 3. On The Sunny Side Of The Street

[ 3:40] 4. Ain't Nobody's Business

[ 3:06] 5. Come On Over To My House

[ 3:29] 6. Trouble In Mind

[ 4:11] 7. Say Forward, I'll March

[ 6:53] 8. Backwater Blues

[ 4:51] 9. She's Got It

[ 4:31] 10. Hootie's K.C. Christmas Prayer

[17:48] 11. Interview

At age 83, pianist/vocalist Jay McShann was still at the top of his game and providing many lessons for the younger "swing" cats and kittens. He is the epitome of what can be done when jazz and blues are mixed equally, especially when the fun factor is liberally added in. While some might find this typical, many others should revel in the sound of one of this music's last living legends who is still doing it, and doing it very well at that. The chemistry between McShann and guitarist/session leader Duke Robillard is considerable and undeniable, and makes Still Jumpin' the Blues enjoyable throughout. With such solid support from Robillard and the band, McShann has nothing to worry about. Everything you might want is here: classic versions of "Goin' to Chicago," "Ain't Nobody's Business," and "Trouble In Mind"; a nice rearrangement with tempo shift from mellow to mid-tempo on "Sunny Side of the Street"; Maria Muldaur's sultry singing on "Come on Over to My House," and especially the Bessie Smith evergreen "Backwater Blues"; wonderful instrumentals like "Moten Swing" and "Say Forward, I'll March"; and even a little Hawaiian slide accenting "Hootie's K.C. Christmas Prayer." The disc ends with a short solo piano version of "Georgia on My Mind," followed by a lengthy interview with McShann, explaining his nickname "Hootie," happenings in Kansas City, and other topics. Recordings this precious, historical and relevant cannot be dismissed. Instead they should be celebrated, as should the career of McShann, a most enduring figure in American music. His signature spare piano, with its bluesy flourishes, and his slightly mushy vocal style are as distinctive as any, and come shining through on this exceptional document of one of our true musical treasures. ~Michael G. Nastos

Still Jumpin'The Blues 

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Maria Muldaur - Jazzabelle

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:36
Size: 120.4 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues vocals
Year: 1993/2006
Art: Front

[2:56] 1. Your Molecular Structure
[4:32] 2. Weeping Willow Blues
[4:48] 3. Everybody Cryin' Mercy
[3:43] 4. Rio De Janeiro Blue
[3:22] 5. You're My Thrill
[2:57] 6. Long As You're Living
[5:45] 7. Elona
[3:32] 8. Do Your Duty
[4:18] 9. Don't You Feel My Leg (Don't You Get Me High)
[6:30] 10. September Rain
[4:57] 11. Southern Music
[5:12] 12. Where

Bass – Al Obudinsky (tracks: 1, 3, 7, 10), Chris Severin (tracks: 4, 5, 9), Roly Salley* (tracks: 2, 6, 8); Drums – Billy Kilson (tracks: 4, 5, 9), Mike Hyman (tracks: 1 to 3, 6 to 8, 10 to 12); Piano – David Matthews (tracks: 1, 6, 10), David Torkanowsky (tracks: 4, 5, 9), John R. Burr (tracks: 2, 3, 7, 8, 11, 12); Producer, Vocals – Maria Muldaur; Saxophone – Jim Rothermel.

Maria Muldaur's Jazzabelle is a set of jazz and blues material recorded with piano trios, which are fronted by David Torkanowsky, Dave Matthews, and John R. Burr. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Jazzabelle

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Maria Muldaur - Heart Of Mine: Love Songs of Bob Dylan

Styles: Pop, Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:19
Size: 113,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Buckets of Rain
(3:38)  2. Lay Baby Lay (Lay Lady Lay)
(4:15)  3. To Be Alone With You
(3:13)  4. Heart Of Mine
(3:29)  5. Make You Feel My Love
(4:16)  6. Moonlight
(4:53)  7. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
(5:21)  8. Golden Loom
(3:30)  9. On A Night Like This
(4:08) 10. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
(4:36) 11. Wedding Song
(3:42) 12. You Ain't Goin' Nowhere

Maria Muldaur has been taken by Bob Dylan's music from the very start. They were on the coffeehouse circuit in New York in the early '60s, and she's had occasion to sing his praises from the stage and in Martin Scorsese's film No Direction Home. And while other artists from Joan Baez to Judy Collins have cut entire albums of Dylan's tunes, none of them feels quite like this one. Muldaur, a fine blues and jazz singer, has taken the songs form Dylan's romantic canon and has fashioned them in her own image without losing their original bite, wonder, and humor. Accompanied by her road band and a slew of guests that include Amos Garrett, Danny Caron, and Suzy Thompson, she has created a dreamy, languid, memorable song cycle. 

On first listen, it was a bit off-putting with all the license she took with the material, but on second and repeated listens, it settled in like an old friend on the couch telling stories. Beginning with a slippery, country-tinged bluesy "Buckets of Rain," and moving into a jazz groove on "Lay Lady Lay," (a weak tune by Dylan even if it was a hit) in which she changes the lyrics along gender lines and transforms the tune, perhaps offering a definitive version. The blues return on "To Be Alone with You," and she delivers a wrenching version of "Heart of Mine." The other stellar cuts here are the poignant "Wedding Song," the jaunty Caribbean-flavored "On a Night Like This," the sultry "Make You Feel My Love," and a funky jazz version of "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go," which sounds like it could have been produced by Allen Toussaint as does "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight." Recommended. ~ Thom Jurek  http://www.allmusic.com/album/heart-of-mine-love-songs-of-bob-dylan-mw0000348506

Personnel: Maria Muldaur (vocals, fiddle); Danny Caron, Amos Garrett (guitar); Chris Haugen (slide guitar); Joel Jaffe (lap steel guitar, E-bow, shaker, tambourine); Richard Greene & Beryl Marriott (violin); Suzy Thompson (fiddle, accordion); James "Hutch" Hutchinson (bass guitar); Kimberly Bass (background vocals); Cranston Clements (guitar, acoustic guitar); David Torkanowsky (keyboards); Tony Braunagel (drums, percussion).

Heart Of Mine: Love Songs of Bob Dylan

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Maria Muldaur - Live In Concert

Size: 184,3 MB
Time: 79:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Blues Rock, Folk Rock
Art: Front

Tracklist:
01. Buckets Of Love (Live) (4:49)
02. Lay Lady Lay (Live) (4:35)
03. To Be Alone With You (Live) (4:59)
04. Heart Of Mine (Live) (4:05)
05. Make You Feel My Love (Live) (4:38)
06. Meet Me In The Moonlight (Live) (4:54)
07. Your Gonna Make Me Lonesome (Live (5:51)
08. Cajun Moon (Live) (7:22)
09. Golden Loom (Live) (5:57)
10. On A Night Like This (Live) (4:11)
11. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (Live) (5:10)
12. Bessie's Advice (Live) (5:10)
13. Midnight At The Oasis (Live) (5:28)
14. Wedding Song (Live) (7:42)
15. Ride Me High (Live) (4:14)

As a long time, full time Muldaur fan, there are parts of this review that were hard for me to write, but here goes:

I can't help but feel that this whole package was slapped together for whatever reason and unceremoniously thrown into the ether. Certainly, though unfortunately, there is no huge market demand. So with the lady herself listed as one of three executive producers, why such chintzy artwork and packaging? As an avowed Dylan fan, why are a third of the twelve Dylan titles listed incorrectly? (ie: Buckets of Tears is "Buckets of Love". The crooning Moonlight from Love and Theft is known here as "Meet Me in The Moonlite")

Essentially an uninspiring recording of her noteworthy Heart of Mine—The Love Songs of Bob Dylan Muldaur and her road cronies—guitarist Craig Cafall, drummer Dave Tucker—are joined by guitarist Dave Caron and other guests and go low key and predictable on the first several selections. The set only starts to simmer as Caron's guitar takes JJ Cale's Cajun Moon to new heights. Golden Loom, a collector's outtake from Dylan's Desire era gypsy sprawl, roils on a loping groove while the languid I'll Be Your Baby Tonight would put anyone in the mood.

But the mood is seriously broken with an embarrassing Midnight at The Oasis, the hit she has seriously outgrown but insists on performing because her audience demands it. Maria should stop for a moment and consider where Dylan and his music would be if, as his audience demanded, he never went electric or kept writing songs like Blowin' in The Wind. In her defense, it is true he has taken to playing Like A Rolling Stone and All Along The Watchtower virtually every night, but if you've heard some of the performances (and I have, either live or bootlegged) you would agree it's not in his best interest artistically to do so. A rollicking You Ain't Goin' Nowhere listed here as "Ride Me High" closes this baffling, ultimately unsatisfying set.

Live In Concert

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Maria Muldaur - Live In Concert

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 79:14
Size: 181.4 MB
Styles: Light rock
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:49] 1. Buckets Of Love
[4:35] 2. Lay Lady Lay
[4:59] 3. To Be Alone With You
[4:05] 4. Heart Of Mine
[4:38] 5. Make You Feel My Love
[4:54] 6. Meet Me In The Moonlight
[5:52] 7. Your Gonna Make Me Lonesome
[7:23] 8. Cajun Moon
[5:57] 9. Golden Loom
[4:11] 10. On A Night Like This
[5:10] 11. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
[5:10] 12. Bessie's Advice
[5:28] 13. Midnight At The Oasis
[7:42] 14. Wedding Song
[4:14] 15. Ride Me High

Within one's lifetime, there will only be only a few rare vocalists who hit the peak of success, remain there for decades, and produce works that last eternally. Maria Muldaur is best known for her no.1 selling hit, Midnight At The Oasis , and is back with her new live DVD, featuring love songs from Bob Dylan. Maria gives us a stellar performance as she bravely recasts several songs in unlikely grooves.

Live In Concert

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