Alexandra Shakina - All The Way

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:29
Size: 176,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:08)  1. All The Way
(5:24)  2. Let Me Love You
(5:07)  3. Get Out Of Town
(4:38)  4. Dedicated To You
(4:48)  5. I Concentrate On You
(5:12)  6. Weaver Of Dreams
(6:19)  7. I'm Just Lucky So And So
(4:23)  8. That Old Black Magic
(6:41)  9. Come Fly With Me
(4:43) 10. Where Or When

The debut album from Russian vocalist Alexandra Shakina, performing standards with backing from the Massimo Farao' Trio.
 

Personnel:  Alexandra Shakina, vocals;  Massimo Farao', piano;  Aldo Zunino, bass;  Ruben Bellavia, drums

All The Way

---

Ilya Portnov - Strong Brew

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:30
Size: 92.7 MB
Styles: Harmonica blues/jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[3:34] 1. Sunny Afternoon Blues
[4:25] 2. Surfin' The Baltic Sea
[3:50] 3. Dance Of A Lonely Doll
[2:56] 4. Cincinnati Flow Rag
[5:13] 5. In A Town Garden
[3:25] 6. Behind The Wall
[5:38] 7. Strong Brew
[5:14] 8. 1928
[6:10] 9. Till The Early Morning

The twenty-eight year old Ilya Portnov grew up in Russia and started playing piano at the age of four. His father exposed him to British rock but he mostly studied classical and folk music. His first harmonica teacher introduced him to the music of Jason Ricci, Howard Levy, and Carlos del Junco.

Portnov came to the U.S. to further study at the New England Conservatory in Boston. He was the first person to be accepted with the diatonic harmonica as his main instrument and has since earned a Master’s degree. Using a technique he learned to play a full chromatic scale on a diatonic harp. Since living in the States he has been playing a lot of blues, roots and jazz. This all instrumental album includes seven originals and two covers in a variety of musical styles.

This is Portnov’s solo debut and the album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Kid Anderson at Anderson’s Greaseland Studios in San Jose. Portnov plays both diatonic and chromatic harmonicas; included also are Anderson, guitar and bass; Chris Burns, piano and keyboards; and June Core, drums and percussion.

Strong Brew mc
Strong Brew zippy

---

Vladimir Shafranov Trio - Kids Are Pretty People

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:30
Size: 185,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. O Que Tinha De Ser
(5:07)  2. With Malice Toward None
(6:12)  3. Avila And Tequila
(6:52)  4. I Wish I Knew
(3:44)  5. Cinema Paradiso 'Love Theme'
(5:54)  6. Glad To Be Unhappy
(5:16)  7. Firm Roots
(6:08)  8. Brigas Nunca Mals 'No More Fighting'
(4:15)  9. Easy Walker
(3:26) 10. Cup Bearers
(6:50) 11. Kids Are Pretty People
(4:36) 12. Prelude No.20
(3:02) 13. It Never Entered My Mind

Vladimir Shafranov , Russian jazz pianist , born December 31, 1946, residing in Jomala.Vladimir started playing piano and violin at four years of age. At the beginning of 1973, he moved from his hometown St. Petersburg to Israel . A few years later, he moved to Finland and since 1980 he is a Finnish citizen. During his time in Finland he played with the best Finnish jazz musicians. 1983 moved to New York where Vladimir played with musicians like Art Farmer , Stan Getz , Chet Baker , George Coleman , Ron Carter , Dizzy Gillespie and Al Foster . Nowadays Vladimir lives in Jomala with his wife Lena. They have three children, Alexandra (f 92), Rebecca (f 97) and David (f 99). He composes and releases regular discs. Famous producers include Kompass Records, Atelier Sawano and Venus Records. https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=sv&u=https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Shafranov&prev=search

Personnel:  Vladimir Shafranov - piano; Pekka Sarmanto - bass;  Jukkis Uotila - drums.

Kids Are Pretty People

---

Vladimir Shafranov Trio - Whisper Not

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:45
Size: 153,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:14)  1. You And The Night And The Music
(6:21)  2. Hply Land
(7:10)  3. I Remember Clifford
(4:43)  4. Whisper Not
(8:48)  5. Moon And Sand
(9:21)  6. Hush-A-Bye
(6:41)  7. Day Dream/Star-Crossed Lovers
(3:18)  8. Oblivion
(4:58)  9. If You Could See Me Now
(8:06) 10. A Beautiful Friendship

Born December 31 1948 in Leningrad,Russia.  Vladimir Shafranov was educated in Leningrad Conservatory on violin and piano. Already as a teenager he began playing jazz at the local scene,much to dismay of his teachers. He emigrated to Israel in 1973 and then to Finland in 1974. While in Finland he was one of the most in demand pianist especially accompanying visiting Americans. Greatly encouraged by many of them to move to New York he did so in 1983 and was very active in Manhattan Jazz Scene playing at clubs such as Bradley's, Blue Note, Village Vanguard,Village Gate among others. He was a duo partner w. bassists like Ron Carter,Red Mitchell,George Mraz and Buster Williams, led trios with Ron Carter-Al Foster, Rufus Reid-Victor Lewis, George Mraz-Albert "Tootie" Heath to name but a few. He also played with many top soloists such as Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie,Art Farmer, Clifford Jordan,George Coleman, Pepper Adams and accompanied singers such as Carmen McRae,Ernestine Anderson, Etta Jones and Jimmy Scott.Since 1998 he and his family settled on Åland Islands and has become one of best-selling jazz pianists in Japan having released 11 CD's and DVD. His latest release is "I'll Close My Eyes"(20010) featuring Jesper Lundgaard on bass. https://www.last.fm/music/Vladimir+Shafranov/+wiki

Personnel:  Vladimir Shafranov - piano;  Peter Washington - bass;  Victor Lewis - drums.

Whisper Not

---

Yelena Eckemoff Quartet - Desert

Size: 161,3 MB
Time: 69:16
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Bedouins (9:23)
02. Mirages (7:36)
03. Desert's Cry (5:58)
04. Dance (8:26)
05. Colors Of Nothingness (6:45)
06. Condor (4:11)
07. Dust Storm (8:32)
08. Desert Remained (5:25)
09. Garden Of Eden (5:29)
10. Sands (7:27)

Personnel:
Yelena Eckemoff - Piano
Paul McCandless – Oboe
Arild Andersen – Bass
Peter Erskine- Drums

She was born and raised in Moscow, emigrated with her family to North Carolina, and knows of deserts mainly from books. But if you think Yelena Eckemoff’s lack of direct exposure to Bedouins, sand dunes, and dust storms would keep her from recording a work that evokes those things, you don’t know the power of this pianist-composer’s imagination.

Yelena Eckemoff has been imprinted by her Russian soul. With her modern, sometimes free-leaning approach and the weight and intensity her music attains, Eckemoff and her music are strikingly original.

Desert captures the Arabian Desert in all its mystery and natural allure not only with its 11 thematically linked compositions, but also with original poems, prose, and (as she frequently provides) album art.

Desert

---

Anna Buturlina - All That Jazz

Size: 135,3 MB
Time: 58:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. From This Moment On (2:28)
02. Evil Blues (5:59)
03. Nothing Like You (2:42)
04. Alfie (5:57)
05. Jersey Bounce (4:57)
06. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big (3:45)
07. The Real Thing (5:09)
08. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover (6:00)
09. Love Came On Stealthy Fingers (4:56)
10. Oh! Look At Me Now (3:38)
11. This Can't Be Love (2:21)
12. But Beautiful (5:23)
13. Unchain My Heart (4:47)

Personnel:
Anna Buturlina - vocals
Alexey Bekker - piano
Makar Novikov - double bass
Serge Korchagin - double bass (6,8,9,10)
Alex Zinger - drums
Roman Sekachev - bariton-sax
Peter Vostokov - trumpet

The brightest star on Russian jazz vocal scene, Anna Buturlina was the first female artist to be featured on the cover of Russia's jazz magazine, Jazz.Ru.
At 19, Anna sang in the famed Anatoly Kroll Big Band, which skyrocketed her career. The singer of choice for Russia's most popular jazzmen: Georgy Garanian, Alexei Kuznetsov, Vladimir Danilin, Igor Butman, Daniil Kramer, Alex Rostotsky, Yakov Okun, Buturlina's discography includes four albums under her name, “Black Coffee”, “My Favorite Songs”, "Be Carefull (Music)" and "Key Of The Kingdom". Besides performing with her own band on major festivals and concert venues in Russia and Europe, Buturlina is the featured vocalist with Sergei Skripka's Russian State Symphony Cinema Orchestra and with the legendary Oleg Lundstem Jazz Orchestra. She also sings in movies, and is Disney's Russian singing voice: it's Anna Buturlina who spoke and sang for Princess Tiana in 'The Princess and the Frog' and Princess Elsa in 'Frozen'.
This is the third album by Anna Buturlina under her name.

All That Jazz

---

Alina Engibaryan - We Are

Size: 99,3 MB
Time: 37:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. We Are (4:09)
02. I'll Be Around (3:44)
03. Pulse Of The Day (4:30)
04. Doesn't Seem So Real (5:57)
05. Love Song (3:47)
06. The New You (6:10)
07. Little Girl (3:49)
08. There Is A Place (4:06)
09. Lullaby (1:36)

“A lot of songs on my album are about love, empowerment and how people treat each other,” says Alina Engibaryan. “It’s all about some kind of relationship.”

On We Are, the follow-up to the jazz/singer-songwriter’s 2016 critically-acclaimed debut Driving Down the Road, the Russian-born Engibaryan chose to concentrate on making original music — and creating something far more personal.

It marks a huge step forward for the artist, the granddaughter of jazz drumming great Nikolay Goncharov and a budding singer since the age of two. “I kind of changed everything for this record,” she says. “The band is different and the music is stylistically different from the first album. I only had one original song on that record. This time, all except one song are mine.”

Helping Engibaryan along the way is Michael League, the label head of GroundUP Music and co-founder of the Grammy-winning collective Snarky Puppy, who arranged and produced We Are. League discovered the singer while touring the Netherlands, when Engibaryan was studying jazz vocals at the Prince Claus Conservatory.

“A bunch of students and I were talking to Michael after the show, sharing our musical visions and views on life, and he told me to send him what I was working on,” says Engibaryan. “I never thought we’d end up working together; I’ve always been a huge fan of his work.” The two eventually performed at a music festival together and, soon after the singer moved to New York, started working on a new record for GroundUP.

The new label served her well: Along with League, Engibaryan worked closely with Snarky Puppy’s Mike “Maz” Maher, who helped write the lyrics on We Are. “Maz and I would talk about the vibe of song and the state of mind I was in when I was writing it, and then exchange ideas,” says the singer. “Talking with him honestly about my life, he would he would understand my message and exhibit a great deal of sensitivity with it.”

Inspired by the likes of music legends Stevie Wonder, Kurt Elling and Gregory Porter, as well as mentors such as J.D. Walter (a co-writer on the album track “Love Song”) and the late Al Jarreau (who oversaw the 2015 Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition that Engibaryan won), We Are is a beautifully diverse mix of traditional and contemporary jazz, and one that deftly touches on empowerment (“Little Girl”) and worldly trepidation (“Doesn’t Seem So Real”).

“Alina is really quite special,” said Jarreau. “She is kind of like one in a million. There aren’t many people who want to sing jazz, who have this special feeling for the tradition, where jazz singers have been and what they borrowed from horn players. Not every jazz singer has that. What did Louis Armstrong borrow from his horn when he began to sing? Not every singer understands that, she gets that! When she sings, you can hear her heart. That is very special.”

Even the album’s one cover, the jazz standard “I’ll Be Around,” had a personal meaning for the singer. Says Engibaryan: “It just spoke to me. It’s an old tune that’s very melodic, but with a sad message. I thought it was beautiful and worked well with the other music.”

The all-star band on We Are working with Engibaryan (who sang and played keyboards) includes League, Taylor Eigsti, Maria Im, Zach Brock, Nathan Schram, Sam Quiggins, Larnell Lewis, Chris McQueen and Chris Potter.

Going forward, Engibaryan will be a part of this winter’s GroundUP Music Festival in Florida, and continue to perform on her own in New York and throughout Europe. Later this year, she’ll head out on tour with Russian trumpeter Alex Sipiagin.

As far as her own music goes, Engibaryan simply hopes to spark a connection with the listener.

“I feel like when people hear this, they’ll understand the vibe I was going for,” she says. “It’s not a ‘happy’ or ‘sad’ album. I think people will relate to the music in their own way. It’s just a very honest record.”

We Are

---

Olinka Mitroshina & Georges Guy - Gershwin's Blues

Size: 141,0 MB
Time: 60:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. Backwater Blues (5:18)
02. Fascination Rhythm (6:06)
03. Goodmorning Blues (3:21)
04. My Man's Gone Now (6:19)
05. Blues Stay Away From Me (2:55)
06. Bessie's Mood (3:16)
07. I Got Rhythm (5:27)
08. Somebody Loves Me (2:59)
09. Green River Song (3:48)
10. I Got Rhythm (Version 2) (5:00)
11. But Not For Me (2:30)
12. Nice Work If You Can Get It (2:51)
13. It Ain't Necessarily So (4:00)
14. Bess, You Is My Woman Now (2:55)
15. Hear Me Talkin' To Ya (3:19)

Une chanteuse et pianiste russe, associée à un guitariste français, réinventent la musique de Gershwin à travers une lecture dépouillée, sans rythmique, avec beaucoup d’émotion, de charme, et de sensibilité.

Une voix singulière avec un grain blues qui sait scatter avec bonheur et utiliser avec élégance des effets de vibrato saisissant qui nous touche droit au cœur. Un jeu de piano sobre et efficace, qui privilégie l’accompagnement de la voix et un guitariste inventif et fin, qui mixe avec beaucoup de tact plusieurs sonorités de guitares afin d’apporter une dimension orchestrale raffinée, idéale pour ce projet. Telle est la formule de ce duo attachant et sensible, qui outre Gershwin, revisite aussi avec bonheur Bessie Smith, Leadbelly, Louis Armstrong, ou les Delmore Brothers. Un cocktail de blues, de jazz, de swing, et d’émotion, porté par le talent de deux interprètes hors-norme.

Gershwin's Blues

---

Olga Konkova & Jens Thoresen - Old Songs

Size: 124,4 MB
Time: 53:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Futile Sentiments (4:14)
02. Lamento (7:00)
03. Blue In Green (4:13)
04. Bossa Verde (4:43)
05. The Things We Could Have Been (6:51)
06. Minor Tweaks (4:03)
07. One Day! (5:13)
08. Slow Walk (5:36)
09. Tristissimo (7:10)
10. Sol (4:14)

Olga Konkov and Jens Thoresen seemingly can't sit down for a chat without something beautiful coming out. Each has a mellifluous touch on their instrument, but their eloquent back-and-forth chemistry is the bigger part of what makes their duo recordings special. Following on from the holiday collection December Songs (Losen, 2016), the pair sticks to the same approach of re-shaping their source songs almost beyond recognition, producing another excellent release suitable for late-night quiet moments during any time of year.

Old Songs puts some of the genre's best-known standards through the duo's looking glass to beautifully contemplative results. It would be a fun game for the jazz connoisseur to take a first blind listen here before reading the full "inspired by" list that accompanies the track titles. Spotting John Coltrane's iconic chord progression from "Giant Steps" isn't too hard, for instance, though its two renditions here amble at a determinedly non-frenetic pace that oozes with subtle warmth (and even comes out worthy enough for us to almost forgive the spelling of "Little Tweakz"). Such transformations remain the order of the day, whether they're giving the Beatles a gentle yet busily-rumbling tribute or turning Jobim's "The Girl from Ipanema" into the most soothing of sambas.

Konkova takes the more edgy role with piano cascades or rambling solo lines, though she's still willing to settle down to floating chords or briefly sit out when called for. Thoresen for his part sticks largely to deceptively simple lines and smooth-toned strums that create a perfectly soft bed for the songs to breathe. It would be great to hear what this pair could also do with a collection of original pieces or improvisations somewhere down the line. As long as this lovely banter is intact, though, it'll remain a small joy to hear them doing anything at all, old songs or new or anything in between. ~Geno Thackara

Personnel: Olga Konkova: piano; Jens Thoresen: guitar.

Old Songs

---

Ludmila Svarovskaya - Like An Elegant Wine

Size: 104,8 MB
Time: 42:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front & Back

01. If We Never Meet Again (5:00)
02. Midnight Sun (7:58)
03. Kenny (3:51)
04. Ruby, My Dear (4:34)
05. Whisper Not (4:29)
06. Tango (4:47)
07. Winter (5:27)
08. An Older Man Is Like An Elegant Wine (6:29)

Russian jazz singer, vocal tutor, the head of vocal studio ‘Prizvanie’. Headliner of various international jazz concerts, the prize holder of ‘Public Acceptance’ awards 2017.

Like An Elegant Wine

---

Sophie Milman - In The Moonlight

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:41
Size: 129.8 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:46] 1. Do It Again
[3:25] 2. Oh Look At Me Now
[5:28] 3. Moonlight
[4:26] 4. Speak Low
[4:01] 5. Till There Was You
[4:41] 6. Watch What Happens
[4:34] 7. Prelude To A Kiss
[5:06] 8. Ces Petits Riens
[4:05] 9. So Sorry
[4:37] 10. Detour Ahead
[3:30] 11. Let Me Love You
[4:57] 12. Day Dream
[3:58] 13. No More Blues

Widely regarded as one of Canada's best jazz singers, Russian-born, Toronto-based vocalist Sophie Milman changes tact slightly for her fourth studio album, In the Moonlight. The twinkling piano chords, shuffling, brushed stroke rhythms, and gentle brass instrumentation which defined her previous output are still very much in evidence, but having traveled to New York to record with producer Matt Pierson (Jane Monheit, Michael Franks), the Juno Award winner has capitalized on the opportunity to expand her sound by inviting a string ensemble on board for the first time in her career. However, avoiding the temptation to smother the timeless, smoky, jazz bar arrangements in layers of bombastic layers of strings, the pair only use their newly recruited musicians sparingly and when needed, with only the Duke Ellington standards "Prelude to a Kiss" and "Day Dream," and the Umbrellas of Cherbourg number "Watch What Happens" offering anything more than the occasional orchestral flourish. It's an approach which entirely befits Milman's intimate and understated cabaret tones, whose seductive French-language delivery of Serge Gainsbourg's "Ces Petits Riens" and expressive, timeless performance of the Gershwin classic "Do It Again," belie her twenty-something years. The constant low-key, candlelight vibes inevitably begin to wear a little thin, but luckily, Milman occasionally shakes things up a little bit, whether it's the sensuous bossa nova reworking of the Billie Holiday favorite "Speak Low," the toe-tapping swing jazz rendition of Jon Hendricks' "No More Blues" or, in a rare concession to the modern music scene, the yearning and heartfelt torch song treatment of Feist's folk-pop album track "So Sorry." Indeed, it's the latter's convincing transition which makes you wish that Milman would tackle more contemporary material more often. Nevertheless, In the Moonlight is still a beautifully arranged selection of songs which, while nothing particularly revolutionary, unarguably provides one of the classiest Sunday morning soundtracks of the year. ~Jon O'Brien

In The Moonlight 

---

Uralsky All Stars, Chris Barber - We'll Meet Again

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:54
Size: 137.1 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[4:38] 1. Volga Boatman's Song
[6:10] 2. Back Home Again In Indiana
[4:57] 3. Dream A Little Dream Of Me
[5:57] 4. Nobody's Sweetheart
[4:11] 5. Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody
[6:09] 6. Night Train
[4:04] 7. Amapola
[7:19] 8. Night And Day
[5:48] 9. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
[5:41] 10. Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland
[4:55] 11. We'll Meet Again

Banjo, Whistle, Backing Vocals – Sergei Noskov; Bass, Vocals – Sergei Ouzkikh; Clarinet, Vocals – Vyacheslav Chachkov; Drums, Vocals – Andrei Makarov; Piano, Vocals, Directed By [Musical] – Oleg Plotnikov; Trombone – Chris Barber; Trombone, Vocals – Nail Zaguidoulline; Trumpet, Vocals – Yuri Klishin; Vibraphone – Hein De Jong.

The Uralsky All Stars are very popular in Netherlands. They bring pleasant old jazz, joining a large audience. On We'll Meet Again is heard as a guest trombonist Chris Barber, who immediately already strong soloist in the opening song, the Russian folk song Volga Boatman's Song. Total recorded on this CD eleven songs, including: Back Home Again in Indiana, Nobody's Sweetheart, Amapola, Struttin 'With Some Barbecue and the title track. For lovers of (old) jazz it must be a pleasure to listen to this second CD of Uralsky All Stars at the Timeless label. (Translated from Dutch.)

We'll Meet Again

---

Victoria Mozalevskaya Trio - Freedom To Be You

Size: 99,7 MB
Time: 42:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Notice Of A Moment (3:46)
02. Pacific Motion (5:59)
03. Incentive (6:10)
04. Freedom To Be You, Pt. 1 (3:19)
05. Freedom To Be You, Pt. 2 (4:40)
06. My Ballad (6:06)
07. Anahata (7:09)
08. After Work Blues (5:36)

Victoria Mozalevskaya is a Russian saxophonist. Born in Kazakhstan, the first possibility was to learn to play an instrument at the age of 7 years. With a self-painted keyboard, she took her first "piano lessons" with a school colleague. After moving to the Russian region of Altai two years later Victoria received her first piano and vocal lessons at a music school. At the age of 13, the clarinet was taught for the first time, but it had to give way to the saxophone after only one year. Already during this classical education at the "Altai College of Culture" Victoria was so enthusiastic about the jazz that she switched to the music college in Novosibirsk in 2005, which offered as a single training place in Siberia a jazz course. Soon she founded the "Jazz City Band", very active in the local scene. In 2008, Victoria moved into the world: After an intensive, three - week jazz practice as part of the "Open World" sponsorship program, which was conducted by Bob Mintzer in California (USA), she began her apprenticeship with Andy Scherrer at the Swiss Jazz School in Berne. With her own bands as well as as a sidewoman in various projects, Victoria continued her career in Switzerland and played at several festivals. In 2012, she realized her biggest dream and lived in New York City for a whole year, where she was inspired by the tireless pulse of the jazz metropolis and gained unique experiences, which she has since incorporated into her music and projects. Back in Switzerland, Victoria 2014 completed her master's degree in music performance at the jazz department of the HKB in Bern.

Freedom To Be You

---

Anna Kolchina - Dark Eyes

Size: 106,5 MB
Time: 45:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Dark Eyes (3:16)
02. The Shadow Of Your Smile (4:28)
03. If You Never Come To Me (3:33)
04. My Old Flame (3:42)
05. Beautiful Love (5:10)
06. Let's Face The Music And Dance (3:05)
07. Time After Time (4:21)
08. Angel Face (4:42)
09. Witchcraft (4:04)
10. Just Squeeze Me (2:58)
11. Since I Feel For You (1:45)
12. 'S Wonderful (2:10)
13. They Say It's Wonderful (2:06)

Personnel:
Anna Kolchina, vocal
Massimo Farao, piano
Aldo Zunino, bass
Marco Tolotti, drums
Alessandro Fabbri, drums
Claudio Chiara, alto sax
Fulvio Albano, baritone sax

Anna Kolchina is a Jazz Singer. Currently lives in St. Petersburg and collaborates with the best Russian and European musicians.

Dark Eyes, Anna Kolchina's second album, was released in 2016. Recorded in collaboration with pianist Massimo Farao' and his band in Italy in March 2016. Mixed, mastered and produced by Tetsuo Hara in Japan at Venus Records.

Dark Eyes

---

Anton Chekurov - Extraordinary

Size: 134,0 MB
Time: 57:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. New Day Start (9:51)
02. Haze (7:17)
03. Steps Out The Door (8:16)
04. Rain Man (7:02)
05. Underground Line (9:43)
06. Place From Your Origin (9:09)
07. Extraordinary (6:29)

Personnel:
Anton Chekurov (alto saxophone)
Alexei Podymkin (piano)
Yuriy Galkin (double bass)
Jason Palmer (trumpet)
Anton Kuznetsov (drums)

Igor Butman Records presents a brand new release Extraordinary, a debut by a young Moscow alto saxophone player Anton Chekurov. Despite Anton’s young age, the album glows with its musical maturity and emotional variety. Of course, last but not least, because of experienced musicians – pianist Alexei Podymkin and bassist Yuri Galkin – are taking part in the recording. A wonderful trumpeter Jason Palmer from Boston has become Anton’s fellow partner in the horn section. His voice, no doubts, adds a special groove to the sound of the CD. Drummer Anton Kuznetsov, Chekurov’s peer, yields to none of his partners on this album and demonstrates an outstanding musicality, as well as refined solo and accompaniment technique. Anton Chekurov as a composer (all the pieces on the record are written by him) and as an improviser proves himself to be a true master with a perfect sense of form and a great understanding of modern jazz language.

Extraordinary

---

Boris Kozlov - Conversations At The Well

Size: 132,3 MB
Time: 56:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Five (6:26)
02. Conversation (5:46)
03. Orbits (6:10)
04. Semblace (7:18)
05. Prelude To A Kiss (9:07)
06. Eye Of The Hurricane (6:09)
07. Latin Genetics (5:45)
08. Headless Blues (4:49)
09. Pannonica (5:25)

Two-time Grammy Award-winner Boris Kozlov has released his debut album as a bandleader: Conversations At The Well.

The New York-based bassist, who originally hails from Russia, performs on the record with guitarist David Gilmore (Steve Coleman and Five Elements) and drummer Rudy Royston.

MC
Ziddu

---

Yakov Okun - New York Encounter

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:21
Size: 129.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:48] 1. Pent-Up Chaos
[8:19] 2. Kind Bug
[6:00] 3. Spillikins
[7:26] 4. Jitterbug Waltz
[6:29] 5. Eric Dolphy's Tomb
[5:09] 6. Falling In Love Again
[6:27] 7. Plain Jane
[5:33] 8. Giant Steps
[5:07] 9. Heaven

Yakov Okun (P); Ben Street (B); Billy Drummond (D). Recorded November 11, 2010 in Brooklyn, NY, USA by Joe Marciano.

A major force in Russian Jazz since the mid ‘90s, pianist Yakov Okun, finally places himself on the international stage with his Criss Cross debut, a trio date with world-class bass-drum team Ben Street and Billy Drummond, on which he mixes challenging original material with strong arrangements and less traveled Songbook repertoire and tunes by Sonny Rollins and Fats Waller.

At 38, Okun is an individualistic voice, an important player, able in his improvisations to refract an entire timeline of jazz vocabulary in a cogent, compositional manner.

New York Encounter

---

Misha Tsiganov - Spring Feelings

Size: 148,7 MB
Time: 63:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front & Back

01. You And The Night And The Music (7:56)
02. Jed's Place (7:08)
03. October In Kiev (5:52)
04. Yes Or No (7:15)
05. Jumping Michael (6:49)
06. Infant Eyes (8:40)
07. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes (7:07)
08. Blues For Gerry (6:33)
09. Spring Feelings (6:34)

Those who appreciate and follow the art of arranging and orchestration in jazz often point to big band and large ensemble arrangements as examples of excellence, while the art of arranging jazz for the small ensemble is frequently overlooked. Horace Silver, Wayne Shorter, and Andrew Hill are a few who have achieved recognition for their intelligent small-group arrangements, and with his newest release, Spring Feelings, pianist Misha Tsiganov brings his talent to this under-appreciated art.

For his second release on the Criss Cross label, Tsiganov's choice of sidemen to interpret his music is reminiscent of his 2014 release, The Artistry of the Standard. Returning are trumpet virtuoso Alex Sipiagin, tenor veteran Seamus Blake, and rising star drummer Donald Edwards, all common collaborators in the Opus 5 group. Seasoned bassist Hans Glawischnig fills in for Boris Kozlov on bass. Whereas Tsiganov's first Criss Cross release featured only his imaginative reworkings of standards, Spring Feelings mixes in five Tsiganov originals.

Throughout the hour long set, both the original material and the standards unmistakably bear Tsiganov's distinctive stamp. Tsiganov's melodies drift fluidly through constantly shifting meters and are punctuated by skipping, syncopated basslines that fit smartly with Tsiganov's colorful reharmonizations. The opening track, "You and the Night and The Music" exemplifies these characteristics and the band navigates Tsiganov's complex arrangement with ease. Donald Edwards in particular deserves a standing ovation for his graceful navigation of the band through the maze of ever-changing meters. "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" takes a similar approach with the band alternating between straight-eighth 9/4 feel and a up-tempo swing.

Tsiganov also tips his hat to one of jazz's master small group composers, Wayne Shorter, with reworkings of two Shorter tunes. "Infant Eyes" keeps its slow ballad feel but is given a new time feel that switches between 7/4 and 4/4. "Yes or No" also moves through a variety of time signatures with an energetic and attention-grabbing undercurrent from the rhythm section, which leads into some of the best solos in the album. Sipiagin leads things off with fiery solo over the band's tight swing until they switch to a floating 7 feel for the beginning of Blake's melodically driven tenor solo. The band switches back to swing for Tsiganov's excellent solo which builds impressively in intensity to an exciting pyrotechnic conclusion.

For Tsiganov's original tunes he focuses less on complex time signatures and more on memorable melodies. "Jumping Michael" maintains a 4/4 time signature but it's spacious, syncopated melody gives it a distinctively Latin feel. "Jed's Place" is taken at a medium swing and follows a fairly traditional form, allowing the soloists and interplay of the group to really shine. Blake's tenor solo on this tune is particularly memorable as he thoroughly explores and expands upon his melodic ideas. The title track closes out the album on a bright note with an "A" section that is composed entirely of major and suspended chords. Tsiganov's triumphant piano solo on this track serves as a fitting finale to the album.

With "Spring Feelings," Tsiganov explores a new approach to quintet orchestration and in the process, provides a challenging canvas for the musicians to navigate. They succeed admirably and create really remarkable music. The strength of the music is especially remarkable considering the short amount of time the band spent rehearsing (three hours) and in the studio (seven hours). From conception to execution, this music succeeds on all fronts. ~by Andrew Luhn

Personnel: Alex Sipiagin: Trumpet, Flugelhorn; Seamus Blake: Tenor Sax; Misha Tsiganov: Piano; Hans Glawischnig: Bass; Donald Edwards: Drums

Spring Feelings

---

Anna Kolchina - Street Of Dreams

Size: 106,9 MB
Time: 45:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Street Of Dreams (4:04)
02. Just One Of Those Things (2:48)
03. I Remember Clifford (6:01)
04. Imagine My Frustration (3:17)
05. The Good Life (2:58)
06. Easy Living (4:07)
07. Don't Fence Me In (3:30)
08. I Didn't Know About You (4:33)
09. As Long As I Live (3:41)
10. Strollin' (4:42)
11. Can't Help Loving Dat Man (3:37)
12. I Hear Music (2:20)

Anna Kolchina is a Jazz Singer.

Currently lives in St. Petersburg and collaborates with the best Russian and European musicians.
She can be heard in different combination and at various concert venues in the city.
For example, three days a week Anna sings as part of a jazz trio at the "Grand Hotel Europe".
Anna Kolchina is a recording artist of "Venus Records", Japan.

Street Of Dreams

---

Eugene Berger - S/T

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 41:37
Size: 95.3 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:43] 1. Neverland
[4:54] 2. Organic Light
[3:11] 3. Olympic Love Games Award
[4:05] 4. Quad Core
[3:58] 5. Chrome
[3:37] 6. Funkissimo
[4:45] 7. Fire, Water And Brass Pipes
[4:38] 8. In The East Of Nowhere
[4:18] 9. Triple Core
[3:22] 10. Postscriptum

Eugene is a professional guitarist, studio and recording artist, composer,song arranger, music producer and a guitar teacher. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Eugene began as a classically trained violinist, graduating from one of the most selective and competitive music schools for exceptionally gifted children. At around twelve years of age he developed a strong passion for guitar, and he applied his strong knowledge of music theory, as well as his perfect pitch and excellent technique, to quickly pick up the instrument. Eugene's extensive childhood concert experience helped him to consistently win the first prize in all city competitions, held for young electric guitarists, by the age of sixteen. He played in various rock bands, toured Russia and much of Europe with the band that he started when he was seventeen, and produced his own records. He quickly became a highly respected musician for his versatility, advanced technique, rich tones, and accurate and precise performance.

In 1992, Eugene followed his family and settled in Tel-Aviv, Israel. He continued playing in bands, ranging from metal to classic rock music, and once again he developed another aspect of his musical career. He became a producer, record engineer, arranger and studio guitarist; he produced many albums for artists with a variety of different styles, and he nurtured the careers of emerging singers and wrote songs for them. He played in commercials and in TV shows, and for the past ten years he has been a guitarist at the renowned drama theater Gesher in Tel-Aviv. As a seasoned musician with a deep knowledge of guitars and guitar equipment, he has been a consultant to a musical instruments distribution company for fifteen years. As a dedicated guitar teacher, Eugene developed his own unique method for improving finger velocity and hand synchronization, which will be published in the near future.

Eugene Berger

---