Jonathan Butler - Ubuntu

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:28
Size: 130,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:58) 1. Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)
(5:04) 2. Ubuntu
(4:14) 3. When Love Comes In
(4:52) 4. No Tomorrow
(5:19) 5. Bon Appétit
(4:02) 6. Rainbow Nation
(5:10) 7. Peace in Shelter
(4:49) 8. Coming Home
(7:04) 9. Silver Rain
(5:14) 10. Springtime in Afrika
(5:38) 11. Our Voices Matter (Bonus Acoustic Version)

Legendary singer-songwriter Jonathan Butler traveled back to his home country of South Africa to craft his most exciting and deeply personal album to date. Featuring producer/bassist Marcus Miller, Ubuntu is a reintroduction of Butler’s life story, going back 60 years to his upbringing in apartheid-era Capetown, which shaped his world view, prompted years of advocacy and instilled the ideology of ‘Oneness’ (Ubuntu).

Featuring special guests Keb’ Mo’ and Stevie Wonder on harmonica, the new album serves both as a rebirth of musical creativity and reconciliation with systemically biased history to forge a brighter future.
https://jonathanbutler.com/products/jonathan-butler-ubuntu

Ubuntu

---

Tony Bennett - Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 57:05

Size: 130.7 MB

Styles: Vocal

Year: 2001

Art: Front

[3:28] 1. Alright, Okay, You Win (With Diana Krall)

[3:35] 2. Everyday (I Have The Blues) (With Stevie Wonder)

[2:41] 3. Don't Cry Baby

[4:53] 4. Good Morning Heartache (With Sheryl Crow)

[3:14] 5. Let The Good Times Roll (With B.B. King)

[4:12] 6. Evenin' (With Ray Charles)

[3:52] 7. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues (With Bonnie Raitt)

[3:49] 8. Keep The Faith, Baby (With K.D. Lang)

[3:23] 9. Old Count Basie Is Gone (Old Piney Brown Is Gone)

[3:19] 10. Blue And Sentimental (With Kay Starr)

[4:29] 11. New York State Of Mind (With Billy Joel)

[3:15] 12. Undecided Blues

[3:32] 13. Blues In The Night

[4:32] 14. Stormy Weather (With Natalie Cole)

[4:45] 15. Playin' With My Friends (With Others)

Tony Bennett's latter-day albums tend to have themes, and this one has two, as indicated by its double-barreled title: It is both a duets album and a blues album. The duet partners include ten singers who range from his recent touring partners Diana Krall and k.d. lang to fellow veterans Ray Charles, B.B. King, and Kay Starr, and younger, but still mature pop stars Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt, and Billy Joel. All sound happy to be sharing a mic with Bennett. Not surprisingly, the singer's conception of the blues does not extend to the Mississippi Delta or the South Side of Chicago; rather, he is interested in the blues as filtered through the sound of the Swing Era, particularly from around Kansas City, and as interpreted by Tin Pan Alley and show tunes. For the former, his true mentor is Count Basie, whose overt influence is heard on six of the 15 tracks. Bennett makes no attempt to hide this, leading off the album with two songs, "Alright, Okay, You Win" (a duet with Krall) and "Everyday (I Have the Blues)" (a duet with Wonder), closely associated with Basie singer Joe Williams. The Broadway and Hollywood blues style is introduced in three selections written by Harold Arlen. On about half the tracks, the Ralph Sharon Quartet is augmented by Harry Allen's saxophone and Mike Melvoin's Hammond organ, but this remains a small, intimate affair that emphasizes the singers. There are missteps -- Sheryl Crow's Billie Holiday impersonation on "Good Morning, Heartache" is unfortunate, and Natalie Cole, as usual, sounds out of her depth on "Stormy Weather." But the trade-offs Bennett enjoys with King and Charles are priceless, and the Joel duet is surprisingly effective. On the whole, this is yet another entry in Bennett's lengthening series of autumnal recorded triumphs. ~William Ruhlmann

Playin' with My Friends"

---

The Count Basie Orchestra - All About That Basie

Styles: Jazz, Big Band, Swing
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:11
Size: 110,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Everyday I Have The Blues
(4:26)  2. Can't Hide Love
(3:38)  3. My Cherie Amour
(3:24)  4. Don't Worry ‘Bout Me
(4:25)  5. Tequila
(4:53)  6. Hallelujah
(3:53)  7. April In Paris
(3:08)  8. Honeysuckle Rose
(4:35)  9. Hello
(4:56) 10. Sent For You Yesterday
(6:08) 11. From One To Another

The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra celebrates their 80th anniversary as the premiere big band in jazz with a collection of classic material a twist on a few modern hits (Adele, Leonard Cohen, Stevie Wonder, and others). Special guests include: Stevie Wonder, Carmen Bradford, Kurt Elling, Take 6, Jamie Davis, Jon Faddis, Wycliffe Gordon, Joey DeFrancesco, Eric Reed, Rickey Woodard, and Gregg Field. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Basie-Count-Orchestra/dp/B07FDVCMHP

Featuring Take 6, Kurt Eling, Carmen Bradford, Jon Faddis, Wycliffe Gordon, Jamie Davis, Joey Defrancesco and Stevie Wonder…

All About That Basie

---

Stevie Wonder - The Jazz Soul Of Little Stevie

Styles: Jazz Soul
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:29
Size: 67,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:56)  1. Fingertips
(2:59)  2. Square
(2:18)  3. Soul Bongo
(3:44)  4. Manhattan At Six
(2:44)  5. Paulsby
(5:07)  6. Some Other Time
(2:49)  7. Wondering
(3:15)  8. Session Number 112
(3:35)  9. Bam

Stevie Wonder's debut album, released when he was 11, is still an amazing musical document, showcasing his skills as a percussionist (drums and bongos), chromatic harmonica player, keyboardist (piano and organ), and composer and he was prodigious in all four categories. All of these skills are highlighted throughout this record, and Wonder's youthful, exuberant voice had a maturity suggesting that greatness was around the corner. Perhaps most surprising to contemporary listeners will be the emphasis on instrumentals, which made this a fairly unusual album by Motown standards to begin with. Apart from a few shouts in the background in some of the more free-form tracks, there's not a vocal to be heard here, yet the sounds are rich and diverse enough that one never misses them. What's more, a lot of what's here is extremely sophisticated instrumental music for its time, and the "jazz" reference in the title is not a matter of optimistic convenience or self-aggrandizement a lot of this is legitimate jazz. ~ Bruce Eder https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-jazz-soul-of-little-stevie-mw0000675222

The Jazz Soul Of Little Stevie

---

Arturo Sandoval - Ultimate Duets

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:46
Size: 126,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:19)  1. Don´t You Worry 'Bout A Thing
(5:56)  2. Corazón Partio
(6:28)  3. People
(4:48)  4. Granada
(3:31)  5. Arturo Sandoval
(5:20)  6. Solo Esta Soledad
(5:01)  7. La Bilirrubina
(4:41)  8. Andante, Andante
(5:14)  9. El Ruido
(4:59) 10. After All
(4:25) 11. Quimbara

Although a superstar in the jazz community, trumpeter Arturo Sandoval is a broadly celebrated performer whose titanic trumpet chops and charismatic stage presence are recognized around the globe. His life story, punctuated by his dramatic defection from Fidel Castro's Cuba, is legendary, and even resulted in the 2000 HBO film For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story, starring Andy Garcia. From his early days with the innovative Afro-Latin ensemble Irakere, to his own jazz, fusion, and classical recordings, Sandoval has cultivated a wide-ranging cultural footprint, and earned the respect of music fans from disparate stylistic corners. It's with that wide, stylistic, and cultural scope that he crafted his 2018 album, Ultimate Duets. Produced by Sandoval and multi-Grammy Award-winning drummer Gregg Field, the album finds the trumpeter showcased alongside a series of high-profile guest performers from across the music industry. Included are spots from Stevie Wonder, Alejandro Sanz, Al Jarreau, Josh Groban, and others. From his sparkling, brightly arranged cover of Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" featuring Prince Royce, to his dramatic, flamenco-tinged reading of "Granada" with Placido Domingo and Vicente Amigo, Sandoval lifts Ultimate Duets with a joyous, theatrical passion. It's also fun to hear him take on some more cheeky, pop-oriented material, as on his buoyant, Eurovision-ready rendition of ABBA's "Andante. Andante" with Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Admittedly, a few of these grand studio productions, like the Latin groove of "Arturo Sandoval" featuring Pharrell Williams and Ariana Grande, feel less cohesive. Surprisingly compelling is his album-ending match-up with the late Cuban vocal legend Celia Cruz on "Quimbara." As Cruz passed in 2003, the track is a digital reworking of an older recording. Nonetheless, it sounds absolutely fresh, and roils with an earthy glee, as if Sandoval and Cruz were smiling at each other in the studio. Similarly engaging is the lush, gorgeously rendered Spanish classical piece "Solo Esta Soledad," featuring Groban. Cinematically arranged, it finds Sandoval answering Groban's yearning vocals with his warm, burnished trumpet lines. While Ultimate Duets intermittently transcends its studio confines, Sandoval soars throughout, imbuing the album with all the heartfelt love and enthusiasm one feels from his live concerts. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/ultimate-duets%21-mw0003169269 

Ultimate Duets

---

Stevie Wonder - With A Song In My Heart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:36
Size: 74.6 MB
Styles: Soul, Motown
Year: 1963/2008
Art: Front

[3:11] 1. With A Song In My Heart
[3:00] 2. When You Wish Upon A Star
[3:20] 3. Smile
[5:04] 4. Make Someone Happy
[2:41] 5. Dream
[2:37] 6. Put On A Happy Face
[3:55] 7. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[2:13] 8. Get Happy
[2:17] 9. Give Your Heart A Chance
[4:13] 10. Without A Song

Having tried to turn Little Stevie Wonder into Big Ray Charles, then broken him through with "Fingertips, Pt. 2," Motown then gave us "Steve Wonder, Lounge Lizard." At least, that's what you'd think listening to this string-filled crooning session, in which the 13-year-old earnestly makes his way through the likes of Johnny Mercer's "Dream," "Get Happy," "Without A Song," and other supper club standards. Berry Gordy's wish for all his artists may have been to play the Copacabana, but this one was far below the legal drinking age, and, although Wonder brought his usual willingness to the project, it was years beyond his abilities. ~William Ruhlmann

With A Song In My Heart

---

Stevie Wonder - Music Of My Mind

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:57
Size: 109.8 MB
Styles: R&B
Year: 1972/2012
Art: Front

[7:23] 1. Love Having You Around
[8:08] 2. Superwoman
[3:55] 3. I Love Every Little Thing About You
[4:59] 4. Sweet Little Girl
[5:17] 5. Happier Than The Morning Sun
[3:36] 6. Girl Blue
[4:21] 7. Seems So Long
[6:40] 8. Keep On Running
[3:33] 9. Evil

With a new contract from Motown in his hand, Stevie Wonder released Music of My Mind, his first truly unified record and, with the exception of a single part on two songs, the work of a one-man-band. Everything he had learned about musicianship, engineering, and production during his long apprenticeship in the Snakepit at Motown Studios came together here (from the liner notes: "The sounds themselves come from inside his mind. The man is his own instrument. The instrument is an orchestra.") Music of My Mind was also the first to bear the fruits of his increased focus on Moog and Arp synthesizers, though the songs never sound synthetic, due in great part to Stevie's reliance on a parade of real instruments -- organic drumwork, harmonica, organs and pianos -- as well as his mastery of traditional song structure and his immense musical personality. The intro of the vibrant, tender "I Love Every Little Thing About You" is a perfect example, humanized with a series of lightly breathed syllables for background rhythm. And when the synthesizers do appear, it's always in the perfect context: the standout "Superwoman" really benefits from its high-frequency harmonics, and "Seems So Long" wouldn't sound quite as affectionate without the warm electronics gurgling in the background. This still wasn't a perfect record, though; "Sweet Little Girl" was an awkward song, with Stevie assuming another of his embarrassing musical personalities to fawn over a girl. ~John Bush

Music Of My Mind

---

Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:36
Size: 97.5 MB
Styles: R&B
Year: 1974/2013
Art: Front

[3:28] 1. Smile Please
[5:02] 2. Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away
[3:29] 3. Too Shy To Say
[4:56] 4. Boogie On Reggae Woman
[4:20] 5. Creepin'
[3:23] 6. You Haven't Done Nothin'
[4:01] 7. It Ain't No Use
[5:59] 8. They Won't Go When I Go
[3:48] 9. Bird Of Beauty
[4:07] 10. Please Don't Go

After the righteous anger and occasional despair of the socially motivated Innervisions, Stevie Wonder returned with a relationship record: Fulfillingness' First Finale. The cover pictures his life as an enormous wheel, part of which he's looking ahead to and part of which he's already completed (the latter with accompanying images of Little Stevie, JFK and MLK, the Motor Town Revue bus, a child with balloons, his familiar Taurus logo, and multiple Grammy awards). The songs and arrangements are the warmest since Talking Book, and Stevie positively caresses his vocals on this set, encompassing the vagaries of love, from dreaming of it ("Creepin'") to being bashful of it ("Too Shy to Say") to knowing when it's over ("It Ain't No Use"). The two big singles are "Boogie on Reggae Woman," with a deep electronic groove balancing organic congas and gospel piano, and "You Haven't Done Nothin'," an acidic dismissal of President Nixon and the Watergate controversy (he'd already written "He's Misstra Know-It-All" on the same topic). As before, Fulfillingness' First Finale is mostly the work of a single man; Stevie invited over just a bare few musicians, and most of those were background vocalists (though of the finest caliber: Minnie Riperton, Paul Anka, Deniece Williams, and the Jackson 5). Also as before, the appearances are perfectly chosen; "Too Shy to Say" can only benefit from the acoustic bass of Motown institution James Jamerson and the heavenly steel guitar of Sneaky Pete Kleinow, while the Jackson 5 provide some righteous amens to Stevie's preaching on "You Haven't Done Nothin'." It's also very refreshing to hear more songs devoted to the many and varied stages of romance, among them "It Ain't No Use," "Too Shy to Say," "Please Don't Go." The only element lacking here, in comparison to the rest of his string of brilliant early-'70s records, is a clear focus; Fulfillingness' First Finale is more a collection of excellent songs than an excellent album. ~John Bush

Fulfillingness' First Finale

---

Herbie Hancock - Then and Now - The Definitive Herbie Hanckock

Styles: Piano Jazz, Jazz Fusion
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:03
Size: 179,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:54)  1. Maiden Voyage
(5:27)  2. Cantaloupe Island
(5:50)  3. Wiggle Waggle-
(7:40)  4. Chameleon (Edit)
(5:52)  5. St. Louis Blues
(4:16)  6. Chan's Song (Never Said)
(5:26)  7. River
(4:52)  8. Don't Explain
(5:07)  9. All Apologies
(6:28) 10. Watermelon Man
(4:10) 11. Rockit (Live)
(5:39) 12. River (Live)
(9:15) 13. Maiden Voyage (Live)

The idea of collecting tracks off several of jazz legend Herbie Hancock's albums from the influential '60s Blue Note years through to his Grammy-winning 2007 album River is a nice idea that doesn't quite come together on Verve's Then and Now: The Definitive Herbie Hancock. Obviously designed to showcase the whole of Hancock's career post his 2007 Grammy win for River: The Joni Letters, Then and Now doesn't really give you the full picture. With only five tracks devoted to his '60s/'70s recordings (arguably his most essential and defining period), there's just not enough "then" here to really qualify this as a "definitive" collection. Not to mention that Then and Now basically ignores Hancock's '70s recordings, opting for merely an "edit" of "Chameleon" and the album version of "Watermelon Man," which comes out of chronological order near the end of the collection. Add in that you only get a live version of "Rockit" and you're left with less a definitive view of Hancock's career and more of a thumbnail sketch. ~ Matt Collar  http://www.allmusic.com/album/then-and-now-the-definitive-herbie-hancock-mw0000798281

Personnel: Herbie Hancock (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Clavinet, ARP synthesizer); Stevie Wonder (vocals, harmonica); Damien Rice, Joni Mitchell, Lisa Hannigan (vocals); Eric Gale, Billy Butler , Lionel Loueke (guitar); John Scofield (electric sitar); Vyvienne Long (cello); Bennie Maupin (alto flute, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, saxello, tenor saxophone); Joe Henderson (alto flute, tenor saxophone); Wayne Shorter (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Bob Sheppard (soprano saxophone); George Coleman (tenor saxophone); Arthur Clarke (baritone saxophone); Eddie Henderson, Ernie Royal, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Newman, Johnny Coles (trumpet); Ray Alonge (French horn); Garnett Brown, Benny Powell (trombone); Paul Jackson (marimbula, bass instrument); Dave Holland, Jerry Jemmott, Marcus Miller, Ron Carter, Shane Fitzsimons, Alex Al (bass instrument); Harvey Mason, Terri Lyne Carrington, Tomo, Tony Williams, Vinnie Colaiuta, Bernard Purdie (drums); George Devens, Bill Summers (percussion);

Then and Now The Definitive Herbie Hanckock

---

Stevie Wonder - Eivets Rednow

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 31:40

Size: 72.5 MB

Styles: R&B, Motown, Soul

Year: 1968/2004

Art: Front

[3:12] 1. Alfie

[3:45] 2. More Than I Dream

[3:28] 3. A House Is Not A Home

[3:04] 4. How Can You Believe

[2:24] 5. Never My Love Ask The Lonely

[6:46] 6. Ruby

[2:43] 7. Which Way The Wind

[3:19] 8. Bye Bye World

[2:54] 9. Grazing In The Grass

By 1968, Motown had Wonder pegged as a soul-pop shouter, so his harmonica instrumental of "Alfie," and the movie theme that had been a Top 15 hit for Dionne Warwick in 1967 was released under another name -- his own spelled backwards and on a different record label. This album, issued after that single made number 66 on the pop chart, consists of more harmonica instrumentals, everything from "A House Is Not a Home" to "Grazing in the Grass," and is enough to convince you that Wonder, who, after all, broke through playing harmonica, is a tuneful player of the instrument, more a Larry Adler than a Bob Dylan. Nevertheless, this is a minor item in the Wonder catalog. ~William Ruhlmann

Eivets Rednow 

---