Sophie Milman - Live At The Winter Garden Theatre

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 17:28
Size: 40,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:01)  1. Whatever Lola Wants
(3:27)  2. My Baby Just Cares For Me
(3:37)  3. Ochi Chernye (Dark Eyes)
(4:21)  4. Bye Bye Love

Jazz vocalist Sophie Milman is a sophisticated and torchy singer with a bent toward American popular songbook standards. Born in Russia of Jewish heritage, Milman spent much of her childhood in Israel, where her parents moved after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the early '90s, Milman's family emigrated once again to Toronto, Canada. Having sung from a young age, the then teenage Milman was already familiar with such iconic vocalists as Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and others. In 2004, a chance performance at "Real Divas" night a local Toronto jazz series brought Milman to the attention of producer Bill King, who then secured a few showcase performances for the burgeoning star. Subsequently, Milman signed a recording contract with Linus Entertainment and released her self-titled debut album. Make Someone Happy followed on JVC in 2007. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sophie-milman-mn0000864677/biography

Live At The Winter Garden Theatre

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Sophie Milman - iTunes Live from Montreal

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:56
Size: 60,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:46)  1. Do It Again
(4:52)  2. Moonlight
(4:43)  3. Tenderly
(3:34)  4. Watch What Happens
(5:13)  5. No More Blues
(3:46)  6. Santa Baby

Jazz vocalist Sophie Milman is a sophisticated and torchy singer with a bent toward American popular songbook standards. Born in Russia of Jewish heritage, Milman spent much of her childhood in Israel, where her parents moved after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the early '90s, Milman's family emigrated once again to Toronto, Canada. Having sung from a young age, the then teenage Milman was already familiar with such iconic vocalists as Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and others. In 2004, a chance performance at "Real Divas" night a local Toronto jazz series brought Milman to the attention of producer Bill King, who then secured a few showcase performances for the burgeoning star. Subsequently, Milman signed a recording contract with Linus Entertainment and released her self-titled debut album. Make Someone Happy followed on JVC in 2007. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sophie-milman-mn0000864677/biography

iTunes Live from Montreal

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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 

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Peter Appleyard - Sophisticated Ladies

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:12
Size: 106,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:35)  1. Peter Appleyard Feat. Emilie-Claire Barlow - After You've Gone
(3:33)  2. Peter Appleyard Feat. Elizabeth Shepherd - It's Only A Paper Moon
(4:09)  3. Peter Appleyard Feat. Jill Barber - Love For Sale
(6:32)  4. Peter Appleyard Feat. Jackie Richardson - Georgia On My Mind
(5:23)  5. Peter Appleyard Feat. Sophie Milman - If You Could See Me Now
(5:02)  6. Peter Appleyard Feat. Molly Johnson - Sophisticated Lady
(4:03)  7. Peter Appleyard Feat. Carol Welsman - Night And Day
(4:12)  8. Peter Appleyard Feat. Barbra Lica - Satin Doll
(5:30)  9. Peter Appleyard Feat. Carol McCartney - Mood Indigo
(4:10) 10. Peter Appleyard Feat. Diana Panton - Smile

Peter Appleyard seems to have a way with the ladies. The octogenarian vibraphonist brings his virile mallet work to bear while escorting a dozen lovely songbirds through some smartly arranged standards on this, his second release the span of a few months. Appleyard started off the year by looking toward the past, issuing a previously unreleased all-star jam session from 1974, but his gaze is firmly on the present throughout Sophisticated Ladies. He hobnobs with some of the finest vocalists operating north of the 49th parallel today and a sense of mutual respect for the music and one another comes through in the music. 

While astute jazz vocal fans are probably aware that bassist Charlie Haden beat Appleyard to the conceptual punch, releasing his own Sophisticated Ladies (Emarcy, 2011) a year ahead of Appleyard, the basic format and album title are the only thing that these two releases share. Haden's album mixed instrumental pieces and vocal numbers, favoring slow material containing string sweetening and came off as a mostly-manicured set of music with mellow appeal. Appleyard, on the other hand, shares the stage with a singer on every song, covering a wider range of emotions. The playlist has no surprises, but Rick Wilkins' arrangements have their fair share. Tempo changes, funk-to-swing shifts ("Love For Sale"), double-time adjustments, Brazilian-tinged turns and intimate introductions ("Smile") keep things interesting. Each singer brings something different to the table and Appleyard responds in kind by shaping his solos around the specific songs and singers. 

Emilie-Claire Barlow shows great range on the slow-to-fast "After You've Gone," Elizabeth Shepherd engages Appleyard in a scat-vibraphone solo trading session, Jackie Richardson's deeply resonant voice takes center stage on a soulful "Georgia On My Mind," Diana Panton turns the lights down low for "Smile" and Sophie Milman takes her time fleshing out the emotional ideals of "If You Could See Me Now." Molly Johnson, who interprets the title track with her smoky and dusky pipes, proves to be the only singer who seems ill-suited to her number. The female musicians on this album will probably get the lion's share of attention, but Appleyard has top billing for a reason. His vibraphone soloing enlivens and enhances the music. Guitarist Reg Schwager's comping is a key ingredient in the mix, as pianist John Sherwood takes the right tack on every tune, drummer Terry Clarke expertly navigates the through each number and bassist Neil Swainson keeps everything in check.  Appleyard may be 84 now, but his playing doesn't betray that fact. He's clearly young at heart and Sophisticated Ladies is the evidence that proves this case. ~ Dan Bilawsky   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=42527#.UwelFoVZhls

Personnel: Peter Appleyard: vibraphone; John Sherwood: piano; Reg Schwager: guitar; Neil Swainson: bass; Terry Clarke: drums; Emilie-Claire Barlow: vocals (1); Elizabeth Shepherd: vocals (2); Jill Barber: vocals (3); Jackie Richardson: vocals (4); Sophie Milman: vocals (5); Molly Johnson: vocals (6); Carol Welsman: vocals (7), piano (7); Barbara Lica: vocals (8); Carol McCartney: vocals (9); Diana Panton: vocals (10).

Sophisticated Ladies

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Sophie Milman - Her Very Best ... So Far

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:47
Size: 116,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. Agua De Beber (Water To Drink)
(4:19)  2. I Concentrate On You
(4:28)  3. Speak Low
(4:14)  4. Be Cool
(3:19)  5. Matchmaker, Matchmaker
(2:20)  6. Ochi Cherneye (Dark Eyes)
(4:43)  7. (It's Not Easy) Bein' Green
(4:53)  8. La Vie En Rose
(4:09)  9. So Sorry
(3:25) 10. Eli, Eli (A Walk To Caesarea)
(3:06) 11. So Long, You Fool
(3:26) 12. I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby
(4:22) 13. No More Blues

Jazz vocalist Sophie Milman is a sophisticated and torchy singer with a bent toward American popular songbook standards. Born in Russia of Jewish heritage, Milman spent much of her childhood in Israel, where her parents moved after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the early '90s, Milman's family emigrated once again to Toronto, Canada. Having sung from a young age, the then teenage Milman was already familiar with such iconic vocalists as Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and others. In 2004, a chance performance at "Real Divas" night  a local Toronto jazz series  brought Milman to the attention of producer Bill King, who then secured a few showcase performances for the burgeoning star. Subsequently, Milman signed a recording contract with Linus Entertainment and released her self-titled debut album. Make Someone Happy followed on JVC in 2007.  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/sophie-milman/id73368614#fullText

Her Very Best ... So Far

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