Buddy Collette - Jazz Heat Bongo Beat

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 31:52
Size: 73.7 MB
Styles: Bop, Latin jazz
Year: 1960/2004
Art: Front

[3:20] 1. Jazz Heat Bongo Beat
[3:16] 2. Pesadilla
[2:53] 3. Selvatico
[3:20] 4. Goza Nena
[3:19] 5. Rapture
[2:55] 6. Bongosville
[4:05] 7. Azul
[2:49] 8. Tobasco
[3:09] 9. Guajiro Cha Cha Cha
[2:41] 10. Tenura

An important force in the Los Angeles jazz community, Buddy Collette was an early pioneer at playing jazz on the flute. Collette started on piano as a child and then gradually learned all of the woodwinds. He played with Les Hite in 1942; led a dance band while in the Navy during World War II; and then freelanced in the L.A. area with such bands as the Stars of Swing (1946), Edgar Hayes, Louis Jordan, Benny Carter, and Gerald Wilson (1949-1950). An early teacher of Charles Mingus, Collette became the first black musician to get a permanent spot in a West Coast studio band (1951-1955). He gained his greatest recognition as an important member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet (1955-1956), and he recorded several albums as a leader in the mid- to late '50s for Contemporary. Otherwise, he mostly stuck to the L.A. area, freelancing, working in the studios, playing in clubs, teaching, and inspiring younger musicians. Although a fine tenor player and a good clarinetist, Collette's most distinctive voice is on flute; he recorded an album with one of his former students, the great James Newton (1989). In addition, Collette participated in a reunion of the Chico Hamilton Quintet, and recorded a two-disc "talking record" for the Issues label in 1994, in which he discussed some of what he had seen and experienced through the years. ~Scott Yanow

Recording information: Los Angeles (1959).

Buddy Collette (flute); Tommy Tedesco (guitar); Eddie Cano (piano); Larry Bunker (drums); Darias (congas); Carlos Mejía (bongos).

Jazz Heat Bongo Beat

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Chicago Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble - Blueprints

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 56:57
Size: 130.4 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[ 6:17] 1. Send Eggs
[ 8:38] 2. Milesmiles
[ 8:19] 3. Captain Spok
[ 5:33] 4. Vuelvo A Vivir
[ 5:50] 5. Blueprints
[ 6:06] 6. Bossa Pegajosa
[ 5:42] 7. Tierra
[10:28] 8. Timeless

When cooking a marvelous soup or stew from scratch with all the finest ingredients, there's that special moment when the culinary creation rushes to a boil and marvelous flavors burst out explosively into the air. It's the penultimate moment only surpassed by the delicious devouring. Contentment follows.

The selections contained in the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble's fine Blueprints are wonderfully reminiscent of a musical recipe that simmers slowly and then bursts into a fiery buffet. This is a marvelously entertaining offering by a group of outstanding musicians, writers and arrangers. Forget the designations "Latin" and "jazz." This is outstanding, high-energy music. The recipe here is exclusively spicy Latin with wonderful, generous dollops of inventive, hard jazz playing across the board. While the Latin (and one reggae) grooves might sound familiar, it's the playing and exciting soloing over those rhythmic/harmonic structural underpinnings that blow white-hot. There's an air of machismo that runs throughout Blueprints from note one.

Not surprisingly, this group delivers. Each selection also offers intelligent and compelling writing. The arrangements all seem to be neatly constructed to allow room for both ensemble and solo showcases to reach a climax, all while avoiding any Latin band rhythmic or harmonic clichés. The ensemble playing is tight and the arrangers demand absolutely everything of the band, including cascading pyramids and melodic/time complexities on tracks like "Captain Spok." The one vocal cut, "Vuelvo a Vivir," segues from a rather restrained reggae groove to a blistering salsa, complete with screaming trumpet dog-whistle holdover. Soloists Juan Turros, on tenor sax, and trumpeter Victor Garcia (both of whom also add marvelous compositions and arrangements) delight. Alto saxophonist Greg Ward II inspires, while pianist Darwin Noguera throbs. The addition of trombonist/shell player Steve Turre is a wonderful, exciting touch, his playing always intelligently emotional. Noted trumpeter Roger Ingram helps add atmosphere and supreme lead playing to an ensemble whose rhythm section drives everything unmercifully.

The Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble soars with this exciting CD. It also further embraces the important and integral mix of Afro-American jazz and Latin pulses. Blueprints delivers the goods and cooks. Mama, this is not your average Latin paella. This is muy fuego. ~Nicholas F Mondello

Victor Garcia: trumpet; Tito Carrillo: trumpet; Roger Ingram: trumpet; Freddie Rodriguez: trumpet; Steve Turre: trombone, shells; John Mose: trombone; Craig Sunken: trombone; Greg Ward II: alto sax; Rocky Yera: tenor sax, baritone sax, flute; Steve Eisen: baritone sax; Rich Moore: alto sax (7), clarinet (7); Neal Alger: guitar; Darwin Noguera: piano: Joshua Ramos: electric bass; Paoli Mejia: congas; Victor Gonzales, Jr. congas; Juan Picorelli: timbales; Ernie Adams: drums (1, 3, 4, 6, 8); Juan Daniel Pastor: drums (2, 5, 7); Juan Daniel Pastor: cajon; Nythia Martinez: vocal; Ricky Luis: vocal.

Blueprints

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Eddie Chamblee - Chamblee Special

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 66:42
Size: 152.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:09] 1. Chamblee Special
[4:26] 2. Without A Song
[2:39] 3. At Your Beck And Cal
[3:57] 4. And The Angels Sing
[4:38] 5. Whisper Not
[3:13] 6. Flat Beer
[4:10] 7. Sometimes I'm Happy
[3:57] 8. Stella By Starlight
[4:34] 9. Stella By Starlight (2)
[2:22] 10. Strollin' Sax
[4:34] 11. Stardust
[2:37] 12. Swing A Little Taste
[4:00] 13. Robbin's Nest
[4:22] 14. Doodlin'
[4:16] 15. Village Square
[2:14] 16. Lone Gone
[3:23] 17. Lester Leaps Again
[2:11] 18. Solitude
[1:51] 19. Back Street

This CD brings together two excellent sessions that Chamblee made in Chicago in 1957 and 1958, fronting a septet of outstanding category that had previously served as a very efficient backing group on some of the recordings made by his wife Dinah Washington. They were most certainly not just mere blowing sessions in the studio but effective and exciting arrangements executed with enormous precision and swing.

Throughout these sessions we can hear Chamble in his triple facet of impressive honker, excellent composer and quality arranger. Apart from the splendid labours of the leader, on many of the themes that appear on this CD we can hear other experienced jazzmen such as Joe Newman, Johnny Coles, Charlie Davis or Jack Wilson. A very suitable example of the extraordinary quality of a musician who made some of his best performances fronting small combos, the type of formation that allowed him to demonstrate his great musical qualities and his enormous capacity for swinging.

Tracks #1-5: Johnny Coles (tp), Julian Priester (tb), Eddie Chamblee (ts), Charlie Davis (bs), Jack Wilson (p), Richard Evans (b), Charlie Persip (d).
#6-9: Joe Newman (tp) and Osie Johnson (d) replaxe Coles and Persip.
#10-19: Flip Ricard (tp), Julian Priester (tb), Eddie Chamblee (ts, vcl #11), Charlie Davis (bs), Jack Wilson (p), Robert Wilson (b), Charlie james Slaughter (d).
Recorded in Chicago, 1957 (1-9) and 1958 (10-19).

Chamblee Special

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Pablo Bobrowicky - Southern Blue

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 58:21
Size: 133.6 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:05] 1. Sos Vos
[4:25] 2. Barbados
[5:13] 3. Luiza
[3:29] 4. La Anera
[4:11] 5. Cotton Tail
[2:42] 6. Rythm A Ning
[8:41] 7. Idle Moments
[3:35] 8. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[6:34] 9. Eclipse De Luna
[4:09] 10. La Reparada
[5:50] 11. C Jam Blues
[4:22] 12. Delilah

Argentinian guitarist Pablo Bobrowicky has a beautifully unadorned and organic tone, as naked as an electrified guitar can be. He makes it a point not to hide behind reverb, sustain, or overdrive, producing a plectrum sound halfway between electric and acoustic. On Southern Blue, his fourth Red Records recording as a leader, Bobrowicky returns to the trio format he so successfully led on 2001's Where We Are (Red Records), spinning out an excellent collection of standards and originals, rendered like a fine, aged wine.

Bobrowicky's opening tune is an original, "Sos Vos?," based on the harmonic structure of the jazz warhorse "All The Things You Are." In the greatest of jazz traditions, the guitarist transforms the original standard by expertly tinkering with the tempo, time and chords. In doing so, he creates something new altogether: an elegant and swinging tribute to the original. More than with a piano trio, the guitar trio lays plain the "space" in music with which Miles Davis was always so obsessed. Bobrowicky sharpens this with clean phrasing devoid of Joe Pass cum Art Tatum 64th- note ejaculations that, while impressive, can clutter a good melody. In this case, less is more. This music is as clean as a whistle, smelling of pine. ~C. Michael Bailey

Pablo Bobrowicky: guitar; Ben Street: bass; Pepi Taveira: drums.

Southern Blue

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Jennifer Scott & Brasileira - Sonho Meu

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 66:16
Size: 151.7 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz vocals
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:33] 1. Corrida De Jangada
[4:19] 2. Sonho Meu
[5:36] 3. Agua De Beber
[6:31] 4. Voce Es Com Deus
[4:32] 5. Aguas De Marco
[5:01] 6. Lua Soberana
[4:31] 7. Romaria
[7:31] 8. Loro
[5:54] 9. Meu Pais
[6:18] 10. Gema
[5:42] 11. Once I Loved
[6:43] 12. A Felicidade

I’ve got to admit that I have a deep and abiding lack of interest in Brazilian jazz, especially when it’s played by non-Brazilians. So I thought I’d start with Sonho Meu by judging its cover—which is wonderful. Local painter and jazz maven Eric Metcalfe is a musician himself, and his jungle-toned cover image manages to be both lushly tropical and stimulatingly abstract. No mean feat.

In fact, Metcalfe’s untitled graphic must have put me in such a good mood that I ended up liking long stretches of Sonho Meu, contrary to whatever expectations I might have had. It helps that the band here, anchored by singer and pianist Jennifer Scott’s husband, René Worst, on bass, is so stellar that it’s not worth singling out individual contributions; everyone plays brilliantly. And as the bandleader, Scott has chosen her material well: too many Braz-jazz efforts never escape comfortable mediocrity, but Scott operates on the assumption that diversity is as desirable as ease. The fierce intimacy evident on a voice-and-bass version of Egberto Gismonti’s “Loro” embodies the love that has carried Scott and Worst through some recent health scares; meanwhile, the singer’s vocal duet with percussionist Pepe Danza on “Romaria” draws on the lonesome tones of country music, albeit with a side of feijoada rather than chuckwagon beans.

There are moments here that come too close to the middle of the road for my left-field tastes, but on the whole Sonho Meu is carefully crafted, engagingly performed, and beautifully recorded. Given the calibre of the participants, I shouldn’t be surprised—but I am, and delightfully so. ~Alexander Varty

Jennifer Scott: Vocals, Piano & Ukulele / Bill Coon: Guitars, Cavaquinho / Cory Weeds: Tenor Saxophone / Rene Worst: Acoustic & Electric Bass / Nino DiPasquale: Drums & Percussion / Pepe Danza: Percussion & Vocals

Sonho Meu

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Ray Charles - Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:41
Size: 106.9 MB
Styles: R&B
Year: 1962/1990
Art: Front

[2:08] 1. Bye Bye Love
[3:12] 2. You Don't Know Me
[3:23] 3. Half As Much
[3:31] 4. I Love You So Much It Hurts
[3:27] 5. Just A Little Lovin'
[3:13] 6. Born To Lose
[2:52] 7. Worried Mind
[3:30] 8. It Makes No Difference Now
[3:27] 9. You Win Again
[3:56] 10. Careless Love
[4:11] 11. I Can't Stop Loving You
[2:10] 12. Hey Good Lookin'
[3:14] 13. Here We Go Again
[4:20] 14. That Lucky Old Sun

Ray broke barriers. In the '50s he invented soul by mixing the sacred and profane of black music: R & B and gospel. In 1962 he went completely crazy, interpreting classic country. It was one of his finest moments. From the start the record is an oddity. A big band pumps, female background singers rip through a chorus of "Bye Bye Love," and Ray brings high energy to the Everly Bros. teeny-bop lyrics. Some songs suffer from syrupy choir and string arrangements, but Ray is always there to set things straight. He gives country some funk, and erases, for a day, all questions of black and white. ~Steve Tignor

Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music

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Delicatessen - My Baby Just Cares For Me

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 43:24
Size: 99.4 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:40] 1. Don't Be That Way/Águas De Março
[3:45] 2. Mickey
[2:54] 3. He's Funny That Way
[4:01] 4. My Melancholy Baby
[3:05] 5. Be Careful, It's My Heart
[3:11] 6. My Baby Just Cares For Me
[4:52] 7. You've Chanched
[2:28] 8. Why Don't You Do Right
[4:18] 9. How Long Has This Been Going On
[4:59] 10. My Foolish Heart
[3:26] 11. Delicatessen
[2:39] 12. Amores Musicais/Fotografia

The Brazilian Group of jazz and Bossa Nova Delicatessen was conceived in late 2006. With Ana Kruger (Vocals), Carlos Badia (Guitar), Nico Bueno (Bass), Mario Gomes (Drums) and produced by Beto Callage and Carlos Badia, Delicatessen has been recreating standards of jazz with the delicacy and simplicity of Bossa Nova.

My Baby Just Cares For Me

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Tchavolo Schmitt - Miri Familia

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:59
Size: 116.7 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:06] 1. Rêves D'automne
[4:27] 2. The Sheik Of Araby
[4:26] 3. Oh, Lady Be Good
[5:26] 4. Sonny Boy
[3:35] 5. Jean-Paul Blues
[2:26] 6. Valse Pour Nous
[4:02] 7. After You've Gone
[5:54] 8. Miri Familia
[4:04] 9. Jersey Bounce
[4:47] 10. Djieské
[4:33] 11. Seul Ce Soir
[4:09] 12. Just One Of Those Things

Ever since the early years of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France and its leader, the trailblazing Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, Gypsy (or manouche) jazz combos have been characterized by a number of idiosyncratic factors: no drums, multiple guitars (all acoustic), and arrangements that combine a powerfully swinging rhythm with the dark modalities of traditional Gypsy melodies along with jazz standards. The Alsatian guitarist Tchavolo Schmitt takes some of those characteristics to something of an extreme on this album, which features a sextet comprised of five guitars and a bass. Since the other guitarists all play rhythm, this leads to a curiously flat musical texture and a rather one-dimensional sound (the slightly ramshackle production quality doesn't help much in that regard). But it also means that Schmitt has an absolutely rock-solid rhythmic foundation with which to work, and it serves him very well on material like the original blues composition "Jean-Paul Blues" and a particularly energetic and tuneful rendition of "After You've Gone." "Jersey Bounce" starts off with a promisingly jaunty strut, but bogs down a bit toward the end. The title track is a lovely ballad, also composed by Schmitt, and it is perhaps the finest demonstration of his musical maturity, a quality that permits him to take as much pleasure in long, nicely shaped melodic lines as in the virtuosic stunt-guitar pyrotechnics for which the genre is best known. Fans of Gypsy jazz will love this album, but newcomers may want to start with something a bit more varied in texture. ~ Rick Anderson

Tchavolo Schmitt (guitar); Gogo Berbedes, Mandino Reinhardt, Sony Reinhardt, Hono Winterstein (guitar); Gautier Laurent (bass instrument).

Miri Familia

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Stan Getz - O Pato

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 32:57
Size: 75.5 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova
Year: 1961/2012
Art: Front

[6:38] 1. Baia
[2:28] 2. O Pato
[3:31] 3. Samba Dees Days
[5:48] 4. Desafinado
[6:08] 5. Samba De Uma Nota So
[3:38] 6. E Luxo So
[4:42] 7. Samba Triste

Combine the words "jazz" and "samba" together and what you get is bossa nova. This 1961 watershed album introduced bossa nova to America and was a sensation, becoming the rare pure jazz album to hit No. 1 on the album charts ("Desafinado," one of three Jobim tunes on the set, was also a hit single). Guitarist Charlie Byrd hand-picked Stan Getz to collaborate with him on the album, and its success revived both their careers and helped kick-off the Mod-era bossa nova craze. ~ Nick Dedina

new link O Pato

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Juliet Kelly - Delicious Chemistry

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:03
Size: 114.6 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:00] 1. Secret
[5:51] 2. Delicious Chemistry
[2:39] 3. I Wish You Love
[3:29] 4. Unicorn Dream
[4:55] 5. Alone Again
[5:00] 6. Behind Her Smile
[4:35] 7. Parallel Universe
[4:41] 8. Searching For Clues
[4:26] 9. Letting You Go
[4:56] 10. Guardian Angel
[5:26] 11. Black Rose

After the very well received release of her first album, APHRODITE'S CHILD, in 2003 Juliet Kelly now embarks on a new project; DELICIOUS CHEMISTRY, a charming album of original songs: DELICIOUS CHEMISTRY (Chantiko) is a collection of original songs that further showcase Juliet's talent for writing laid-back, accessible jazz. As well as featuring her regular band of Carl Orr, Tom Barlow and Mercury Award nominee Seb Rochford; DELICIOUS CHEMISTRY involves some of the many great names Juliet has worked with recently, including BBC Jazz Award winner trumpeter Byron Wallen, Cuban violinist Omar Puente (Kirsty McColl), pianist Kate Williams and one of the early acid jazz pioneers Roger Beaujolais on vibes.

A highlight for Juliet in 2005 was performing with award winning saxophonist and BBC radio presenter Courtney Pine at the Barbican for the BBC's Jazz Britannia season. They connected through their work and as a result Courtney features on the album in BLACK ROSE and Juliet appears on vocals on Courtney's acclaimed new album "Resistance" released in late 2005.It was this wonderful and varied mix of musicians that led to Juliet naming the album: "I chose the title Delicious Chemistry because the musicians - although all from jazz - come from a real mix of styles" DELICIOUS CHEMISTRY saw Juliet write an entire album of original songs because as much as she loves the classic standards she wants to share her own fresh perspective on the beauty, freedom and expression of jazz-influenced music - music that can appeal to a younger audience as well as to more mainstream jazz fans. Tracks like UNICORN DREAM and BEHIND HER SMILE demonstrate perfectly how Juliet really lives up to her aim of making an album of very accessible original songs. As with all the tracks they have a really fresh, clean, new sound, but are still unmistakably written and performed in the tradition of jazz. It is an album that can't help but make the listener feel relaxed and content with the world, while the beautifully rich, velvety vocals of Juliet similarly can't help but inspire and uplift the audience.

Juliet, sometimes described as a cross between Sade, Norah Jones and Cassandra Wilson, has in this sassy album developed a distinct style that needs no classification and will soon see her name spoken in its own right along side the great jazz divas.

"I've been extremely fortunate to work with such exceptionally talented musicians. We really enjoyed playing the songs and recording the album - I hope you enjoy the results!"

Delicious Chemistry

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Nancy Wilson - But Beautiful

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 39:01
Size: 89.4 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Vocal jazz
Year: 1969/2013
Art: Front

[2:41] 1. Prelude To A Kiss
[2:47] 2. For Heaven's Sake
[2:51] 3. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe
[3:31] 4. I'll Walk Alone
[3:50] 5. Supper Time
[4:10] 6. But Beautiful
[2:19] 7. Oh! Look At Me Now
[3:14] 8. Glad To Be Unhappy
[2:55] 9. In A Sentimental Mood
[2:01] 10. I Thought About You
[3:03] 11. Easy Living
[2:44] 12. Do It Again
[2:49] 13. Darn That Dream

Nancy Wilson has been on the fringes of jazz throughout her career, mostly performing middle-of-the-road pop and R&B. Most of her albums were major productions, but this CD reissue of But Beautiful is quite different.

On a relaxed and tasteful program of ballads (including three previously unreleased numbers), Wilson sounds properly expressive and a bit influenced by Dinah Washington while backed by a flawless rhythm section comprised of pianist Hank Jones, guitarist Gene Bertoncini, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Grady Tate. Her performances are straightforwrd, a little soulful, and very mindful of the melody and the lyrics. There is little of jazz interest, but this is superior ballad singing and one of Nancy Wilson's finest recordings to date. ~ Scott Yanow

Recorded in New York City on November 4-6, 1969.

Nancy Wilson (vocals); Hank Jones (piano); Gene Bertoncini (guitar); Ron Carter (bass); Grady Tate (drums).

But Beautiful

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Arnett Cobb - Jumpin' The Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 72:25

Size: 165.8 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 2013

Art: Front

[3:01] 1. The Shy One

[2:59] 2. Li'l Sonny

[3:07] 3. Someone To Watch Over Me

[2:52] 4. Open House

[2:50] 5. Whispering

[2:06] 6. Walkin' Home

[2:56] 7. Pay It No Mind

[2:43] 8. Smooth Sailing

[2:39] 9. Big League Blues

[3:04] 10. Flower Garden Blues

[4:17] 11. Jumpin' The Blues

[2:57] 12. Chick She Ain't Nowhere

[2:36] 13. Go Red Go

[2:38] 14. Cobb's Corner

[3:01] 15. Walkin' With Sid

[2:53] 16. I'm In The Mood For Love

[2:34] 17. Still Flying

[2:58] 18. Running With Ray

[3:10] 19. Dutch Kitchen Bounce

[2:45] 20. Arnett Blows For 1300

[2:43] 21. Cobb's Boogie

[5:27] 22. When I Grow Too Old To Dream

[2:53] 23. Top Flight

[3:05] 24. Cobb's Idea

A stomping Texas tenor player in the tradition of Illinois Jacquet, very robust and sometimes raw, who mixes the musical vocabularies of swing, bebop, blues and R&B, and originator of the “Open Prairie” tone and “Southern Preacher” style of playing. Arnett Cobb has that honking, bar-walking saxophone sound that used to blast from jukeboxes coast-to-coast. There was always excitement elicited by Cobb’s uninhibited, blasting style which earned him the label “Wild Man of the Tenor Sax.”

Cobb was a prolific showman, writer, stylist, arranger, and tenor saxophone technician. His saxophone technique and music style directly influenced Illinois Jacquet, Gene Ammons, Johnny Griffin, Houston Person, Sonny Stitt, Stanley Turrentine, King Curtis, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and a generation of musicians in jazz, swing, R&B, soul, and funk music.

Baritone Saxophone – Charles Fowlkes, Johnny Griffin; Bass – Carl Pruitt, Gene Wright, Walter Buchanan; Drums – Al Walker, George Ballard; Piano – George Rhodes; Tenor Saxophone – Arnett Cobb, Willard Brown; Trombone – Michael Wood, Dickie Harris; Trumpet – David Page, Ed Lewis, Lamar Wright, Willie Moore.

Jumpin' The Blues

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Karen Lane - Beautiful Love

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:27
Size: 122.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[5:36] 1. Softly As In The Morning Sunrise
[5:00] 2. Angel Eyes
[4:20] 3. Feeling Good
[5:02] 4. Beautiful Love
[4:14] 5. Meditation
[3:12] 6. Day In Day Out
[3:56] 7. We'll Be Together Again
[4:16] 8. Midnight Sun
[2:56] 9. More
[4:38] 10. Mood Indigo
[4:11] 11. Outta This World
[6:00] 12. I Thought About You

b. 1970, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. Encouraged to study music, Lane learned piano from the age of six and also played guitar. She heard pop music on radio and records and from a very early age had ambitions to become a singer. She sang in school shows and also in some teenage bands. Mainly, though, these years were spent studying for a Bachelor of Science degree and qualifying as a speech therapist. At 21 Lane moved to Sydney where she sang in clubs and pubs with a soul funk band and also with a jazz trio. She also began writing her own songs. Gradually, Lane developed her own style and found a following. Over the next few years her skills were enhanced and she wrote and produced music for the National Institute of Dramatic Art dance production Appetite, which was performed at 1994’s Melbourne International Arts Festival. In 1996, she founded Bloomers, a government-sponsored but independent project to record female singer-songwriters. The following year, she recorded a funk soul album, Sheherazade 1001 Nights, but then went to Singapore where she sang at prestigious clubs and hotels.

In 1999 Lane moved to London where she worked on corporate projects, visiting Europe and Asia with her musicians. Among musicians with whom she has worked are pianists Robin Aspland and Phil Peskett, saxophonist Derek Nash, Andy Hamill, violinist Julian Ferraretto, drummer Nic France and in particular with guitarist Dave Colton, with whom Lane writes many of her arrangements. Three of Lane’s cousins are also musical and they too relocated to London where they formed the Fairer Sax. A stylish and elegant singer with a special flair for ballads, Lane is a highly professional performer with a very pleasing vocal sound. ~bio from AMG

Beautiful Love

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Allan Vache & Friends - Ballads, Burners & Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:17
Size: 167.8 MB
Styles: Clarinet jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:36] 1. The Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me
[7:40] 2. It Could Happen To You
[5:31] 3. Some Of These Days
[6:44] 4. I'm Glad There Is You
[6:45] 5. The Yellow Dog Blues
[5:49] 6. Lazy Mood
[8:04] 7. Besame Mucho
[5:18] 8. It's All Right With Me
[5:49] 9. Prof's Blues
[4:08] 10. A Minor Majority
[6:22] 11. Danny Boy
[5:25] 12. Our Day Will Come

Allan Vaché has made his name as a clarinetist in the traditional New Orleans style, and if you look at the instrumentation here you'll probably expect more of the same: he leads a traditional front line consisting of clarinet, cornet (Ed Polcer), and trombone (the great Dan Barrett), and the program opens with a joyfully straight-ahead rendition of that Dixieland chestnut "The Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me." But then things get a bit twisted: a piano-and-clarinet duet setting on "I'm Glad There Is You," a shuffling R&B arrangement of W.C. Handy's "Yellow Dog Blues," a stately rendition of "Besame Mucho," and even a sprightly swing version of the 1960s pop hit "Our Day Will Come." Vaché's playing is sweet and limpid throughout; his solos are never needlessly complicated, but they're also never simplistic. The sumptuous recording quality is also worth noting. Fans of traditional jazz aren't necessarily known for adventurousness, but they should make it a point to check this one out -- this wonderful album shows that it really is possible to respect tradition and break the rules at the same time. ~ Rick Anderson

Live Recording Recorded at Lone Pine Studios, Clearwater, Florida on April 28-29, 2003.

Allan Vache (vocals, clarinet); Ed Polcer (vocals, trumpet); Dan Barrett (trombone); Vannessa Vache (clarinet); Mark Shane (piano); Phil Flanigan (bass); Ed Metz, Jr. (drums).

Ballads, Burners & Blues

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Jack McDuff - Crash! (Featuring Kenny Burrell)

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 76:21

Size: 174.8 MB

Styles: Organ jazz

Year: 1994

Art: Front

[ 6:33] 1. Something Slick

[ 7:34] 2. How High The Moon

[ 4:58] 3. Shaky

[ 7:27] 4. Love Walked In

[ 6:21] 5. Smut

[ 5:22] 6. It's a Wonderful World

[10:49] 7. Our Miss Brooks

[ 3:22] 8. Grease Monkey

[ 4:28] 9. The Breeze and I 2

[ 6:39] 10. Call It Stormy Monday

[ 8:01] 11. Nica's Dream

[ 4:41] 12. We'll Be Together Again

Organist Jack McDuff has long had a powerful style and the two former LPs that are combined on this single CD offer some strong examples of his accessible playing. In both cases McDuff is joined by guitarist Kenny Burrell (in fact one of the two sets was originally under Burrell's name), drummer Joe Dukes and occasionally Ray Barretto on congas. In addition Harold Vick is on tenor for most selections and Eric Dixon guests on tenor and flute during three songs. Highlights include a driving "How High the Moon," "Love Walked In" and a pair of original blues: "Smut" and "Our Miss Brooks." McDuff and Burrell work together quite well. This 76-minute CD is easily recommended to fans of the jazz organ. ~ Scott Yanow

Jack McDuff (organ); Harold Vick, Kenny Burrell (guitar); Eric Dixon (flute, tenor saxophone); Joe Dukes (drums); Ray Barretto (congas).

Recording information: Englewood Cliffs, NJ (01/08/1963/02/26/1963).

Crash!

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Dakota Staton - Crazy He Calls Me

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 31:47
Size: 72.8 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1958/2009
Art: Front

[3:23] 1. Crazy He Calls Me
[2:01] 2. Idaho
[3:26] 3. Invitation
[2:32] 4. Can't Live Without Him Anymore
[2:21] 5. I Never Dreamt
[2:39] 6. The Party's Over
[3:30] 7. Angel Eyes
[2:09] 8. No Moon At All
[2:32] 9. What Do You Know About Love
[2:45] 10. Morning, Noon Or Night
[2:17] 11. How Does It Feel
[2:08] 12. How High The Moon

Possessing a sprawling voice, Dakota Staton marked her Capitol heyday with sets taking in everything from torch ballads and Shearing-soft swing to bluesy sides and novelty numbers. At times, though, she could overdo things a bit, awkwardly shifting from belting intensity to coy whispers within a single bar and giving it all a little too much of an interpretive spin. This is a minor quibble, though, because what's really memorable about this and other late-'50s and early-'60s Capitol releases of hers is that Staton delivers top-quality interpretations with a dazzling and usually well-gauged array of vocal nuances. In this regard, Staton's debut, The Late, Late Show, is deservedly considered her best; but the equally impressive Crazy He Calls Me should not be missed. Featuring singular takes on the title track, "How Does It Feel?," and "The Party's Over" -- not to mention a fine and varied selection of charts by Nelson Riddle, Sid Feller, and Howard Biggs -- the album figures in with many other classic jazz vocals dates of the era. ~Stephen Cook

Crazy He Calls Me

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John Cocuzzi Quintet - Swingin' And Burnin'

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 65:59
Size: 151.1 MB
Styles: Swing, Straight ahead jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:39] 1. Benny's Bugle
[6:48] 2. Broadway
[5:11] 3. What Did I Do To Be So Black And Blue?
[6:48] 4. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[5:18] 5. Crazy 'bout My Baby
[4:27] 6. Slipped Disc
[6:39] 7. Cheek To Cheek
[3:23] 8. You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You
[6:07] 9. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
[4:23] 10. Oh, Lady Be Good
[3:44] 11. The Curse Of An Aching Heart
[4:52] 12. Comes Love
[4:34] 13. 'tis Autumn

John Cocuzzi is a versatile, talented multi-instrumentalist jazz musician who, with his quintet, stretches out for an entertaining 60 minutes-plus of solid, straight ahead jazz on this very good album. A Washington, D.C. native, Cocuzzi gained an appreciation of jazz at an early age listening to his record collection and to his father, who was a percussionist with the U.S. Marine Band. Initially studying piano and then drums after hearing Lionel Hampton, vibes were added to his arsenal of instruments. Swingin' and Burnin' revisits the small group swing of the '30s and '40s popularized by Benny Goodman, Hampton, Artie Shaw, and others. Cocuzzi adds his own flavor along with some artful arrangements to such warhorses from the past as "Slipped Disc," "Benny's Bugle," and "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You." On the latter, Cocuzzi shows off his vocal skills along with a boogie woogie piano. "Broadway" epitomizes the adroit swinging of the quintet, with each member of the group getting a chance to show their wares during the seven minutes they devote to this Teddy McRae/Bill Bird melody. The New Orleans idiom is represented on the CD as well with "What Did I Do to Be So Black and Blue?" This tune, a favorite of Louis Armstrong, is done slow drag featuring muted vibes' mallet by Cocuzzi working with a very soulful clarinet by Allan Vaché. This track is one of the highlights of the album. This session is in no way limited to up beat "swingin' and burnin'" pieces. There's some pretty slow stuff here as well. "Ghost of A Chance" features electrically enhanced Cocuzzi vibes, coupled with some imaginative bass by John Previti. "Cheek to Cheek" belongs to veteran Washington D.C. guitar player, Steve Abshire. Abshire, who has graced the albums of jazz diva Ronnie Wells, plays in a calm, flowing fashion bringing out the best this lovely melody has to offer. "Things Ain't What They Used to Be', another slow piece, spotlights a bluesy Cocuzzi piano with Big John Maher's drums laying a solid foundation. Vaché and Cocuzzi, on clarinet and vibes respectively, combine on a striking"Comes Love" with Vaché's impulsive and sometimes wailing clarinet recalling Artie Shaw's 1949 rendition. The album's coda brings Cocuzzi's cheerful voice to the mike again in a pretty rendition of "'Tis Autumn" accompanying himself on the piano and showing a romantic side with the ivories. This is an agreeable ending to a highly recommended album. ~ Dave Nathan

Recorded at Mapleshade Studio, Upper Marlboro, Maryland on July 12 & 13, 1999.

John Cocuzzi (vocals, vibraphone, piano); Allan Vache (clarinet); Steve Abshire (electric guitar); John Previti (bass); Big Joe Maher (drums).

Swingin' And Burnin'

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Etta Jones - So Warm

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 38:27
Size: 89.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1996/2006
Art: Front

[4:18] 1. Unchained Melody
[3:32] 2. I Laughed At Love
[3:07] 3. You Don't Know What Love Is
[3:34] 4. Hurry Home
[2:02] 5. I Wish I Didn't Love You So
[1:57] 6. You Better Go Now
[3:03] 7. And This Is My Beloved
[4:04] 8. I'm Through With Love
[2:42] 9. If You Were Mine
[2:48] 10. Can You Look Me In The Eyes
[3:33] 11. How Deep Is The Ocean?
[3:42] 12. All My Life

An excellent singer who is always worth hearing, Etta Jones grew up in New York and at 16, toured with Buddy Johnson. She debuted on record with Barney Bigard's pickup band (1944) for Black & White, singing four Leonard Feather songs, three of which (including "Evil Gal Blues") were hits for Dinah Washington. She recorded other songs during 1946-1947 for RCA and worked with Earl Hines (1949-1952). Jones' version of "Don't Go to Strangers" (1960) was a hit and she made many albums for Prestige during 1960-1965. Jones toured Japan with Art Blakey (1970), but was largely off record during 1966-1975. However, starting in 1976, Etta Jones (an appealing interpreter of standards, ballads, and blues) began recording regularly for Muse, often with the fine tenor saxophonist Houston Person. She died from complications of cancer on October 16, 2001, the day her last album, Etta Jones Sings Lady Day, was released. ~bio by Scott Yanow

So Warm

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Joey deFrancesco - Organic Vibes

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 64:16

Size: 147.1 MB

Styles: Organ jazz

Year: 2006

Art: Front

[8:06] 1. The Tackle

[6:29] 2. Little B's Poem

[9:25] 3. I Thought About You

[8:30] 4. Somewhere in the Night

[6:49] 5. Down the Hatch

[7:49] 6. Speak Low

[4:21] 7. Jeneane's Dream

[6:03] 8. My Foolish Heart

[6:41] 9. Colleen

Having reviewed some of Hammond organist Joey DeFrancesco's early albums on Columbia, then caught up with him again when he teamed up with the high-flying guitar acrobat Danny Gatton on Relentless, and then lost track of him, the word that comes to mind upon hearing this effort for Concord is "adult." DeFrancesco's earlier work was that of a young and precocious kid with a burning love of his instrument and something to prove. Fifteen years into what has become a celebrated career, he's settled in and is demonstrating the kind of taste and maturity that separates the flashy young hotshots from the serious musicians, the ones who will leave a legacy. On Organic Vibes, DeFrancesco goes beyond the traditional organ trio format that he has generally preferred up until now and is joined by a group that includes vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson and tenor sax player George Coleman, and his desire to give them the space they need leads him to move away somewhat from center stage; as a result, his solos are tighter, more focused, and less frenetic than they have sometimes been. There's also more of a focus on slower numbers than has often been the case on past DeFrancesco projects, an approach that bears sweet fruit on the group's tender rendition of "I Thought About You" and on the sauntering and funky "Down the Hatch." DeFrancesco's own "Colleen" is lovely bossa nova that ends the album on an almost contemplative note. Very highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson

Recording information: Tempest Recording, Tempe, AZ (08/24/2005-08/26/2005).

Joey DeFrancesco (organ); Joey DeFrancesco (Hammond b-3 organ); Jake Langley (guitar); Ron Blake (saxophone); George Coleman (tenor saxophone); Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone); Byron Landham (drums).

Organic Vibes

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Boots Randolph - A Whole New Ballgame

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 58:57
Size: 135.0 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:09] 1. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[5:40] 2. Billy's Bounce
[3:18] 3. I'll Be Seeing You
[4:08] 4. Take Me Out To The Ballgame
[3:31] 5. Candy
[6:16] 6. Basically Blues
[4:33] 7. 'round Midnight
[3:53] 8. Dream Dancing
[3:49] 9. Stompin' At The Savoy
[5:55] 10. Cry Me A River
[5:09] 11. L-O-V-E
[3:38] 12. You'll Never Know
[3:43] 13. I'll Walk Alone
[1:10] 14. Nature Boy

Boots Randolph will always be best-known for his cornball pop hit "Yakety Sax" and for his association with country music, but he has long loved swinging jazz. Years ago he recorded an effective jazz album with Richie Cole called Yakety Madness! Randolph's huge tone, influenced by Illinois Jacquet, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Coleman Hawkins, perfectly fits into the idiom, and on A Whole New Ballgame, he performs no-nonsense jazz. Although the occasional synthesized strings of keyboardist Jason Webb sounds a little cheesy in spots, Randolph is heard throughout in top form. He displays very impressive technique, knows the songs well and swings hard without going too over the top. The rhythm section is fine in support, with pianist Steve Willets and guitarist Roddy Smith having solo space, but Randolph is the main show, really blowing up a storm on "L-O-V-E," an up-tempo "Take Me out to the Ballgame" and "Basically Blues." Recommended. Unfortunately, Radolph died about a month after this was released. ~ Scott Yanow

Recording information: The Groovhouse, Nashville, TN (02/2006-04/2006).

Boots Randolph (tenor saxophone); Boots Randolph; Mark Stallings (Hammond b-3 organ); Jason Webb (keyboards); Tim Smith (bass guitar); Ray VonRotz (drums, drum, percussion); Roddy Smith (guitar); Steve Willets (piano).

A Whole New Ballgame

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