Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet - When The Sun Goes Down

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 58:31

Size: 134.0 MB

Label: House Kat

Styles: Vocal jazz, Vocal harmonies

Year: 2002

Art: Front

[2:32] 1. Love Walked In

[5:58] 2. You're Everything

[4:52] 3. 'Deed I Do

[5:20] 4. And the Melody Still Lingers On (A Night in Tunisia)

[6:29] 5. Le Souffle Dernier D'hiver

[5:19] 6. Birth of the Blues

[3:52] 7. Jazz Face

[3:49] 8. When the Sun Goes Down

[6:46] 9. Secrets Held By Time

[4:56] 10. He Beeped When He Should Have Bopped

[4:43] 11. You Don't Love Me Like You Used To

[3:48] 12. In the Gloaming

A rising star on the jazz horizon, Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet has been captivating audiences internationally with its creative, lush vocal arrangements sung against a blazing jazz rhythm section. They have put their mark on group vocal jazz with their own tightly harmonized arrangements, inventive lyrics and swinging renditions of classic and original jazz.

An interview and sampling of the group's musical excerpts on NPR's broadcast of "Weekend Edition" with Susan Stamberg made the group's first release, "Half-Past Swing", a top-selling jazz CD on Amazon in 2000.

The group has appeared at the Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival and Ottawa International Jazz Festival, sharing the main stage with such jazz greats as Nancy Wilson, Tony Bennett, Abbey Lincoln, Mingus Big Band, and Sonny Rollins. They have teamed in concert with the Four Freshmen, been profiled by PRI's Jazz Smithsonian in the documentary series "The Jazz Singers", hosted by Al Jarreau, been profiled on Radio Jazz Copenhagen, and played extensively on jazz and public radio across the US, Canada and Europe. They have also appeared as symphony orchestra guest artists, adding another dimension to their growing resume of live performances in jazz festival, concert, club, and educational venues.

When The Sun Goes Down                

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Andy Bey - The World According To Andy Bey

Styles: Jazz
Label: Blue Note
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:36
Size: 116,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:27)  1. It Never Entered My Mind
(6:07)  2. But Not For Me
(3:21)  3. Dedicated to Miles
(6:46)  4. The Demons Are After You
(4:03)  5. Love Is Here To Stay
(6:08)  6. There's So Many Ways to Approach the Blues
(2:32)  7. This Joint is Jumpin'
(4:44)  8. Being Part of What's Happening Now
(3:57)  9. The Morning After
(2:07) 10. S'Wonderful
(5:18) 11. Dissertation On A State Of Bliss

Andy Bey is one of those vocalists who every jazz enthusiast knows but is not generally well-known. He has been performing since he was 17 when he formed a trio with his two sisters called Andy And The Bey Sisters. When the group broke up in 1967, Bey went out on his own as a sometime pianist with Horace Silver and Gary Bartz, and then doing his own thing as a pianist/vocalist. It is in this last configuration that Bey emerges with The World According To Andy Bey, his first release since 2007.

Perhaps not surprisingly, given the context (piano/vocals) and the material that Bey has chosen, most of the compositions are sung as ballads or in slower tempos. The two ex-ceptions are Fats Waller’s “The Joint Is Jumpin’” and the George Gershwin standard “’S’ Wonderful” both of which are offered in a slightly more robust fashion than all the other tunes. The Waller opus has more bounce, given the engaging and witty lyric.

Unadorned, and supported by his own minimalist piano-playing, Bey’s baritone voice has a swooping throaty tone, but filled with a dramatic command of resonance and tex-ture. Using all his proficiency, Bey leads off this session with a surely attuned rendition of “It Never Entered My Mind” which is faultlessly followed by the George and Ira Gershwin classic “But Not For Me”. Bey’s skill with vocalese is brought into sharp relief with his own composition “Dedicated To Miles”, which is just one of several of his own tunes that populate the album. Songs such as “The Demons Are After You”, “There’s So Many Ways To Approach The Blues” and “Being Part Of What’s Happening Now” are word-stories more talked thru than sung, but still replete with expressiveness.

Andy Bey is an adroit and fascinating vocalist who teases the best out of his material to give his listeners an invigorating experience.~Pierre Giroux (http://audaud.com/2013/06/the-world-according-to-andy-bey-high-note-records/)

The World According To Andy Bey

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Kimiko Kasai & Gil Evans - Satin Doll

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label: Sony
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:26
Size: 81,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. Day by Day
(3:35)  2. Poor Butterfly
(2:54)  3. Bye Bye Blackbird
(3:05)  4. I Fall in Love Too Easily
(3:51)  5. Satin Doll
(5:47)  6. I'm Walkin'
(3:25)  7. When Sunny Gets Blue
(3:40)  8. There'll Never Be Another You
(3:51)  9. Good-bye

When Gil Evans came to Japan in 1972, he was revered as one of the best jazz arrangers in the world and often referred as the "magician of the sound." Many top Japanese jazz musicians wanted to collaborate with him, and talented singer Kimiko Kasai was no exception. Kasai had visited Evans' home in New York earlier and agreed on most of the tunes and rough arrangements. When Evans came to Japan, he only had a few days to rehearse with eitht other musicians. Despite the short preparation time and the fact that he probably had not met the six Japanese musicians before, Evans produced a magical result. It is astonishing to hear such dense and airy sound from only five horn players. The arrangements support Kasai beautifully: they are musical, unobtrusive, sympathetic and very effective. 

With such a wonderful backing, Kasai sounds relaxed and gives a swinging, soulful vocal performance. (http://www.eastwindimport.com/product-info.asp?ProductId=52).

Kimiko Kasai - vocals; Gil Evans - arranger, conductor, piano, electric piano; Marvin Peterson - trumpet; Hiroshi Fukumura, Hiroshi Munekiyo - trombone; Kosuke Mine - soprano saxophone, alto saxophone; Billy Harper - tenor saxophone, flute; Masayuki Takayanagi - guitar; Yoshio Suzuki - bass, electric bass; Yoshiyuki Nakamura - drums

Satin Doll

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John Pizzarelli - All Of Me

Styles: Swing Revival
Label:  Novus
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:44
Size: 111,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:54)  1. Three Little Words
(4:20)  2. If I Had You
(4:43)  3. The More I See You
(6:11)  4. S'Wonderful
(4:02)  5. This Will Make You Laugh
(4:23)  6. All of Me
(4:08)  7. The River Is Blue
(2:35)  8. I Know That You Know
(4:24)  9. For All We Know
(4:22) 10. Love Falls Into Place
(3:37) 11. My Baby Just Cares For Me
(2:59) 12. Roslyn

This CD is a middle-of-the-road showcase for the pleasant but somewhat limited vocals of John Pizzarelli. Dick Lieb's big band and string arrangements occasionally border on Muzak and are extremely predictable. The tunes (most from the swing era) are superior, but Pizzarelli's treatments pale next to the originals (particularly Nat King Cole), and very little is heard from the leader's guitar. John Pizzarelli would improve as a singer within the next few years so; despite his charm, this project indispensable. ~ScottYanow(http://www.allmusic.com/album/all-of-me-mw0000273170

 

All Of Me

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Bill Evans & Shelly Manne - Empathy

Styles: Jazz
Label: Wax Time
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:43
Size: 79,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:26)  1. The Washington Twist
(3:42)  2. Danny Boy
(4:32)  3. Let's Go Back To The Waltz
(9:09)  4. With A Song In My Heart
(5:07)  5. Goodbye
(5:46)  6. I Believe In You

This album came about through a fortuitous convergence of circumstances. Shelly Manne & His Men were appearing at New York's Village Vanguard, sharing the bill with the Bill Evans Trio. Getting Riverside's permission to let the pianist participate, Creed Taylor set up a session at Rudy Van Gelder's studio with Evans and Manne sharing top billing. Manne's bass player, Monty Budwig, made up the trio. This was a busman's holiday for Evans, who was freed from the musical parameters he had set for his then-current trio. The result is that his playing seemed lighter, freer, and more relaxed than it had for a while. The album kicks off with a jaunty version of Irving Berlin's "The Washington Twist" from the unsuccessful Mr. President with Budwig sharing the honors with Evans as much as Manne. Manne spends most of his time driving Evans into more diminished and sharper playing than was usually Evans' wont. Another relatively unfamiliar Berlin work, "Let's Go Back to the Waltz," gives full reign to Evans' lyricism. The longest tune on the set is an audacious, almost lampooned version of "With a Song in My Heart" with light chordal phrasing that pretty much characterized much of the tone coming from this session. Listening to these three, it's clear that everyone was having a good time and simply enjoying being relieved of their duties with their regular combos, even if for just one day. Empathy has been reissued by Verve as a CD that also includes another Evans' goody, A Simple Matter of Conviction.~Dave Nathan (http://www.allmusic.com/album/empathy-mw0000531139).

Empathy

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Beth McKee - Next To Nowhere

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 41:00
Size: 93.9 MB
Label: Swampgin Music
Styles: Louisiana blues vocals, R&B
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:01] 1. Next to Nowhere
[4:13] 2. On the Verge
[2:53] 3. Shoulda Kept on Walkin'
[3:01] 4. Not Tonight, Josephine
[4:42] 5. New Orleans to Jackson
[3:22] 6. River Rush
[3:47] 7. Tug of War
[4:07] 8. Someone Came Around
[3:34] 9. Same Dog's Tail
[4:03] 10. Return to Me
[4:12] 11. Already Mine

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Beth McKee came to the attention of those outside the deep south with her stellar 2009 album I'm That Way, a collection of Bobby Charles covers. Like him, she possesses one of the most unaffected singing voices out there; it takes pleasure in the act of singing itself. That's part of what makes Next to Nowhere, her first collection of original material, so special; the other is her songs. McKee is a smoking piano, organ, and accordion player, and all are amply displayed here. The set was self-produced and Tony Battaglia's mix is clean and true. The band is a close-knit group of friends and family including drummer/husband Juan Perez. Subdudes founder Tommy Malone lends his slide guitar playing. McKee's songs effortlessly criss-cross the entire panorama of Southern music. The title track, with its funky electric Cajun choogle, is a churning rocker that accepts responsibility for life's mistakes. It's the most danceable articulation of hard times in a dog's age. This is quickly countered by gratitude in the bluesy rocking R&B of "On the Verge," that celebrates survival and second chances. The Swamp Sistas gospel-flavored backing chorus sweetly sings its assent to the protagonist's testimony. "Not Tonight, Josephine" is a rollicking piano stomper in the grand NOLA 88s tradition. "New Orleans to Jackson," with its ghostly violin and B-3, could be covered by Lucia Micarrelli on the Treme series, but McKee singing it would be far better: David Simon, sign this woman up! Gospel and R&B fuel "River Rush," with its grooving Fender Rhodes and popping snare. McKee sings with conviction without having to strive -- it's there as soon as she opens her mouth -- this is modern Southern soul personified. She can lay out the blues too: "Tug of War" is worthy of Bonnie Raitt at her early best. Cajun-meets-R&B and barroom stroll in "Same Dog's Tail," and the shimmering rocker "Return to Me" would have been worthy of Delaney & Bonnie with Eric Clapton. The set closes with the swampy, sensual blues of "Already Mine," a swaggering testament to all forms of love: unconditional, mutual, and sensual. While the sounds on Next to Nowhere are rooted in the great musical hallmarks of the past, it's only because they speak eternally. So do McKee's songs: they poetically yet directly come right at the gristle and grain of life itself -- without reservation. They wear their scars as badges of honor; their victories with grace, sass, and swagger. Her protagonists detail our own struggles, failures, celebrations, loves, and losses with honesty, commitment, acceptance, and willingness. All this in an era when we need them most. Tough, tender, and resilient, McKee's excellent Next to Nowhere comes from a songwriter we need to hear more from. Period. ~ Thom Jurek.

Next To Nowhere

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Blue Mitchell - S/T

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 31:25
Size: 71.9 MB
Label: Mainstream Records
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1963
Art: Front

[6:18] 1. Soul Village
[7:13] 2. Blues For Thelma
[4:55] 3. Queen Bee
[7:30] 4. Are You Real
[5:28] 5. Hi Hermano

Owner of a direct, lightly swinging, somewhat plain-wrapped tone that fit right in with the Blue Note label's hard bop ethos of the 1960s, Blue Mitchell tends to be overlooked today perhaps because he never really stood out vividly from the crowd, despite his undeniable talent. After learning the trumpet in high school -- where he got his nickname -- he started touring in the early '50s with the R&B bands of Paul Williams, Earl Bostic, and Chuck Willis before returning to Miami and jazz. There, he attracted the attention of Cannonball Adderley, with whom he recorded for Riverside in 1958. That year, he joined the Horace Silver Quintet, with whom he played and recorded until the band's breakup in March 1964, polishing his hard bop skills. During his Silver days, Mitchell worked with tenor Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor, drummer Roy Brooks, and various pianists as a separate unit and continued recording as a leader for Riverside. When Silver disbanded, Mitchell's spinoff quintet carried on with Al Foster replacing Brooks and a young future star named Chick Corea in the piano chair. This group, with several personnel changes, continued until 1969, recording a string of albums for Blue Note. Probably aware that opportunities for playing straight-ahead jazz were dwindling, Mitchell became a prolific pop and soul session man in the late '60s, and he toured with Ray Charles from 1969 to 1971 and blues/rock guitarist John Mayall in 1971-1973. Having settled in Los Angeles, he also played big-band dates with Louie Bellson, Bill Holman, and Bill Berry; made a number of funk and pop/jazz LPs in the late '70s; served as principal soloist for Tony Bennett and Lena Horne; and kept his hand in hard bop by playing with Harold Land in a quintet. He continued to freelance in this multifaceted fashion until his premature death from cancer at age 49. ~bio by Richard S. Ginnell

Bass – Larry Gales; Drums – Doug Sides; Piano – Walter Bishop, Jr.; Saxophone [Tenor] – Jimmy Forrest; Trumpet – Blue Mitchell.

Blue Mitchell

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Lou Rawls - Rawls Sings Sinatra

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 33:37

Size: 77.0 MB

Label: Paradise Music Works

Styles: Vocal jazz, Easy Listening

Year: 2003

Art: Front

[3:04] 1. Come Fly With Me

[2:54] 2. Nice 'n' Easy

[3:52] 3. All The Way

[3:29] 4. Learnin' The Blues

[3:35] 5. That's Life

[4:11] 6. The Lady Is A Tramp

[2:43] 7. Summer Wind

[3:22] 8. The Second Time Around

[3:21] 9. My Kind Of Town Chicago

[3:01] 10. They Can't Take That Away From Me

Tackling the Sinatra songbook seems like a dicey proposition. Who wants to be compared to one of the greatest singers of all time? Most likely you are going to come up short in comparison. Lou Rawls decided to take on the challenge on his 2003 release Rawls Sings Sinatra, which features Rawls wrapping his distinctive baritone around 12 songs associated with Sinatra. It is produced very cleanly by Billy Vera, arranged swingingly by Benny Golson, and split between up-tempo songs like "Come Fly With Me," "That's Life," and "My Kind of Town/Chicago" and ballads like "All the Way," "One for My Baby (And One More for the Road"), and "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning." Vera and Rawls make a few interesting choices song-wise, picking a few lesser-known songs like "Summer Wind," "The Second Time Around," and "Learnin' the Blues." All the pieces are in place to make this a pleasant exercise in Sinatra-worshipping nostalgia. The only problem is the less-than-perfect state of Rawls' vocals. He definitely shows his age as he occasionally scrapes his way through the trickier passages and growls his way through the swinging tunes. If you can handle him not sounding exactly as he did in his prime, Rawls actually sounds pretty good on most of the disc. In fact on some of the songs, and especially on the ballads like "All the Way" and "One for My Baby (And One More for the Road"), his newfound vocal unsteadiness adds a new shade of vulnerability that is quite interesting. Fans of Rawls who want to live in the past should avoid this disc for certain, but those who are willing to hear the real Rawls of 2003 will find themselves in possession of a pleasant and swinging disc. (Oh yeah, the Sinatra comparison. Does it stack up well against Sinatra in his prime? Not even close. How about against Sinatra when he was 68 as Rawls is in 2003? Well, Sinatra was still better, but not by much.)

Rawls Sings Sinatra               

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Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet - Hustlin' For A Gig

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:37
Size: 102.1 MB
Label: HouseKat
Styles: Jazz vocal harmonies
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:02] 1. He Was The Cat [a Tribute To Eddie Jefferson]
[5:28] 2. Hustlin' For A Gig
[5:02] 3. Gone Gone Gone
[4:33] 4. I'll Remember Why
[3:02] 5. Caught You Spreadin' Your Love All Over The Place
[2:42] 6. This Is The Life
[5:00] 7. A Million Miles
[3:45] 8. Java Junkie
[6:45] 9. Now I Have This
[4:14] 10. You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

Their sound reminds the listener of such iconic vocal groups as Lambert/Hendricks/Ross and The Manhattan Transfer, but Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet has put their own distinctive signature on 4-part harmony jazz vocals with this diverse package of new music, clever lyrics, and arrangements they wrote themselves! spanning vocalese, bop, big band swing, sentimental ballads, Chicago blues, cool jazz, driving samba, lilting bossa nova, Basie-style swing, lyricized scat, and even a warm dose of harmonized R&B.

Recording information: Bias Studios, Springfield, VA.

Ginny Carr (vocals, keyboards); Andre V. Enceneat, Robert McBride, Holly Shockey (vocals); Steve Herberman (guitar); Chris Vadala (clarinet, alto saxophone); Leigh Pilzer (tenor saxophone, bass saxophone); Chris Walker (trumpet); Jen Krupa (trombone); Alan Blackman (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Frank Russo (drums, percussion).

Hustlin' For A Gig 

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Laura Ainsworth - Necessary Evil

Styles: Jazz, Cabaret
Label: Eclectus Records
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:56
Size: 111,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:08)  1. Necessary Evil
(3:22)  2. One More Time
(4:19)  3. The Gentleman Is a Dope
(3:20)  4. Just Give Me a Man
(3:25)  5. Love Is a Dangerous Thing
(4:37)  6. My Foolish Heart
(4:39)  7. The Lies of Handsome Men
(3:24)  8. Get Out and Get Under the Moon
(5:24)  9. Out of This World
(3:20) 10. Hooray for Love
(3:30) 11. I'd Give a Dollar for a Dime
(4:24) 12. Last Train to Mercerville

“Singing in a satiny, impossibly old-fashioned, nearly three-octave voice, Ainsworth is the very portrait of West Coast cool…"~Nick DeRiso, SomethingElseReviews.com

As the daughter of renowned saxophonist Billy Ainsworth, Laura Ainsworth grew up watching her dad accompany such legends as Tony Bennett and Ella Fitzgerald. Her first album, "Keep It To Yourself," announced to the world that the sophisticated vocal style of the 1940s and '50s was still alive and well. Now, her second album, "Necessary Evil," extends that legacy of great music even further, and in new and exciting directions. On the film noir-themed "Necessary Evil," Laura and her partner/producer/pianist Brian Piper (2011 Dallas Jazz Musician of the Year and leader of the Newport Jazz Beach Party spotlight group, the Brian Piper Trio) offer a collection of terrific songs from the 1920s to today, all about love. 

Not love as a happily-ever-after fairy tale, but love with a twist: songs of heartache, lust, infatuation, fantasy, self-delusion and all the other aspects that sometimes make it feel less like a beautiful dream than a "necessary evil." Love is presented in all its forms, from heartbreaking (Laura's gorgeous new rendition of "My Foolish Heart") to hilarious ("Just Give Me A Man"). Opening with a blast of cool, Vegas-style big band brass from a 13-piece horn section on the title cut, "Necessary Evil" runs the stylistic gamut. Snap your fingers to the irresistibly bopping "The Gentleman Is A Dope"...be enchanted by the lush, exotic world jazz reinvention of "Out Of This World"...be transported back in time with the lilting "Get Out And Get Under The Moon"...and raise a martini to the cynical AC-style anthem to female empowerment, "The Lies Of Handsome Men." In the end, we realize that the only place you can always turn to for true, pure, eternal love is in the great old songs on the jukebox ("I'd Give A Dollar For A Dime). 

And so the album concludes with the brilliant new tribute to the king of romantic standards, "Last Train To Mercerville." Accompanied by a swinging big band and Piper's genius arrangement, this track cleverly weaves together lyrical and musical references to dozens of timeless Johnny Mercer songs. It's a brand new Big Band classic for the 21st century, and a song that Laura believes her late dad would've loved. So hop on the train back to a time when men donned fedoras to take dames with dangerous curves and long, satin gloves to swank gin joints, to hear great music by a stunning flame-haired chanteuse who's earning worldwide airplay and gushing reviews. But don't take our word for it. Download a FREE SONG at lauraainsworth.com, join her on Facebook and Twitter, or just check out what the critics had to say...More (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lauraainsworth3).

Necessary Evil

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Larry Coryell - Fallen Angel

Styles: Jazz, Fusion
Label: CTI Records
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:42
Size: 118,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:31)  1. Inner City Blues
(3:45)  2. Fallen
(3:34)  3. Never Never
(5:40)  4. (Angel on Sunset) Bumpin' on Sunset
(0:54)  5. Stardust
(4:31)  6. Misty
(3:07)  7. I Remember Bill
(5:52)  8. Pieta
(4:49)  9. Thus Spoke Z
(4:32) 10. Stella by Starlight
(6:25) 11. Monk's Corner
(2:03) 12. Westerly Wind
(2:53) 13. The Moors

On Fallen Angel, Larry Coryell teams up with arranger Don Sebesky to produce a wide-ranging album full of sampled sounds and programmed tracks in an attempt to mix the old CTI sound of the '70s with the production techniques and rhythms of the '90s. "Inner City Blues" kicks things off with great promise, as Coryell jams over a pre-programmed rhythm track with background vocalists. On "(Angel on Sunset) Bumpin' on Sunset," he improvises along with a sampled Wes Montgomery, then turns Erroll Garner's classic "Misty" into a mid-tempo reggae jaunt through which he and pianist Mulgrew Miller travel lightly. The CTI connection is brought to the forefront with a remake of Deodato's "2001" hit called "Thus Spoke Z," on which the famous theme is implied but never stated. Other highlights include a funky, angular tribute called "Monk's Corner," Sebesky's attractive "I Remember Bill" and the solo "Westerly Wind." 

There are also two pleasant smooth jazz vocal pieces at the front of the album, the beautiful ballad, "Fallen," a duet between vocalists Klyde Jones and Jeanie Bryson, and the funky made-for-radio "Never Never," featuring saxophonist Richard Elliot and a vocal from Ms. Jones. Fallen Angel was obviously an attempt to find Larry Coryell a place on the smooth jazz playlist, a task it didn't really accomplish. While it is not likely to appease those who bemoan the guitarist's failure to live up to his initial promise, it can be enjoyed if taken on its own terms.~Jim Newsom(http://www.allmusic.com/album/fallen-angel-mw0000622907).

Personnel: Larry Coryell (electric guitar); Klyde Jones (vocals); Chris Hunter (alto saxophone); Richard Elliot (tenor saxophone); Mulgrew Miller, Ted Rosenthal (piano),Mulgrew Miller (piano); Don Sebesky, Jamie Lawrence (synthesizer).

Fallen Angel

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George Duke - Reach For It

Styles: Vocal
Label: Legacy
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:18
Size: 97,4 MB
Art: Front

(1:50)  1. The Beginning
(4:13)  2. Lemme At It
(5:31)  3. Hot Fire
(4:53)  4. Reach For It
(4:28)  5. Just For You
(4:50)  6. Omi (Fresh Water)
(3:11)  7. Searchin' My Mind
(5:24)  8. Watch Out Baby
(6:45)  9. Diamonds
(1:07) 10. The End

By 1977, the jazz content of George Duke's albums had decreased considerably, and soul and funk had become his main priorities. Reach for It has more to offer from an R&B standpoint than a jazz standpoint, though the fusion it does contain is first rate  including the Latin-influenced "Hot Fire" and "Lemme at It" (an aggressive gem that's in a class with some of the keyboardist/pianist's best work with the Billy Cobham/Duke Band). Reach's heavy R&B content resulted in Duke facing the same accusation as George Benson, Patrice Rushen and other improvisers who moved away from jazz in the '70s  that he was a sellout. But none of this CD's R&B content comes across as contrived or formulaic. In fact, Duke is downright inspired on the haunting "Just for You" and the Parliament-influenced title song. Even so, it's always regrettable when a gifted improviser pretty much abandons jazz -- and Duke is a prime example. It should be stressed that the high rating awarded this CD is primarily from an R&B standpoint  and that those strictly interested in hearing Duke playing jazz would be better off investing in earlier efforts like Faces in Reflection.~Alex Henderson(http://www.allmusic.com/album/reach-for-it-mw0000319716).

Personnel: George Duke (vocals, keyboards); Charles Icarus Johnson (vocals, guitar); Leon "Ndugu" Chancler (vocals, drums, roto-toms, timbales); Deborah Thomas, Dee Henrichs, Sybil Thomas (vocals); Raul De Souza (trombone); Byron Miller (keyboards, bass); Mike Sembello (guitar); Stanley Clarke (bass); Manolo Badrena (bongos, congas, percussion).

Recording information: Paramount Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA.

R.I.P.
Reach For It

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Oscar Peterson Trio - West Side Story

Styles: Jazz
Label: Verve
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:22
Size: 81,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:58)  1. Something's Coming
(5:36)  2. Somewhere
(7:48)  3. Jet Song
(4:37)  4. Tonight
(4:56)  5. Maria
(4:29)  6. I Feel Pretty
(3:56)  7. Reprise

West Side Story was a bit of an unusual session for several reasons. First, the popularity of both the Broadway musical and the film version that followed meant that there were many records being made of its music. Second, rather than woodshed on the selections prior to entering the studio, the Oscar Peterson Trio spontaneously created impressions of the musical's themes on the spot. "Something's Coming" seems like a series of vignettes, constantly shifting its mood, as if moving from one scene to the next. Ray Brown plays arco bass behind Peterson in the lovely "Somewhere," while the feeling to "Jet Song" is very hip in the trio's hands. The snappy interplay between the musicians in the brisk setting of "Tonight" turns it into a swinger. "Maria" initially has a light, dreamy quality, though it evolves into a solid groove. The romp through "I Feel Pretty" is full of humor, while the CD closes with a brief reprise of several themes from the musical to wrap the session with a flourish.~Ken Dryden(http://www.allmusic.com/album/west-side-story-mw0000123965).

Oscar Peterson Trio: Oscar Peterson (piano); Ray Brown (bass); Ed Thigpen (drums).

West Side Story

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Toots Thielemans - The Amazing Sound Of Toots Thielemans

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:02
Size: 167.2 MB
Label: Fresh Sounds Records
Styles: Harmonica jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[2:19] 1. On The Alamo
[4:35] 2. Don't Be That Way
[2:24] 3. I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket
[2:59] 4. Sophisticated Lady
[2:46] 5. Scotch On The Rocks
[2:23] 6. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
[3:12] 7. Stars Fell On Alabama
[4:27] 8. Diga Diga Doo
[2:45] 9. So Rare
[2:02] 10. Skylark
[4:18] 11. Sonny Boy
[2:12] 12. Cocktails For Two
[3:20] 13. The Nearness Of You
[3:13] 14. In A Sentimental Mood
[2:40] 15. You Took Advantage Of Me
[2:53] 16. Cool And Easy
[2:16] 17. Body And Soul
[4:08] 18. The Cuckoo In The Clock
[2:35] 19. Tangerine
[3:41] 20. Early Autumn
[2:34] 21. Them There Eyes
[3:26] 22. A Handful Of Stars
[2:59] 23. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
[2:45] 24. Clap Yo' Hands

Featuring: Urbie Green, Billy Byers, Chauncey Welsch, Santos Russo, Lou McGarity, Al Godlis, Billy Rauch, Jack Satterfield (tb), Toots Mondello, Artie Beck (as, cl), Carl Prager (bs, cl), Al Cohn, Zoot Sims (ts), George Berg (ts, cl), Al Epstein, Danny Bank (bars),

Jean “Toots” Thielemans arrived in the U.S. from his native Belgium in 1951. His first works in jazz were as a guitarist, instrument on which he achieved recognition as soon as he joined the George Shearing Quintet in late 1952. However, he was also a skilful harmonica player.

The present selection was intended to introduce the several facets of the instrument as exposed by Toots Thielemans’ thorough musicianship, his swing, and his unique achievements in versatility. For him, the ingredients of jazz are the beat (the motor) and sound, melody, and harmony (the intelligence). In this collection you will find Toots playing harmonica on every track, and even overdubbing guitar solos on four of them. With feats like this, not only he proved that jazz is a music of many moods, but he also brought a new perspective to the use of the harmonica in the jazz field; because one thing is certain: he can make it swing!

The Amazing Sound Of Toots Thielemans

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Rita Lee - Aqui, Ali Em Qualquer Lugar

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 39:41
Size: 90.9 MB
Label: Random
Styles: Easy Listening, Pop
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[3:45] 1. A Hard Day's Night
[2:46] 2. With A Little Help From My Friends
[2:39] 3. Pra Voce Eu Digo Sim (If I Fell)
[3:04] 4. All My Loving
[2:24] 5. Minha Vida
[2:37] 6. She Loves You
[2:46] 7. Michelle
[2:29] 8. Aqui, El, Em Qualquer Lugar
[2:18] 9. I Want To Hold Your Hand
[2:38] 10. Tudo Por Amor
[4:40] 11. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
[2:27] 12. Aqui, El, Em Qualquer Lugar 2
[2:23] 13. In My Life
[2:39] 14. If I Fell

Brazilian singer Rita Lee's bossa nova tribute to the Fab Four is a well-chosen set that occasionally veers towards the sublime, as on her interpretation of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," and "Minha Vida," her Brazilian version of "In My Life." "All My Loving" becomes a sultry love letter, while "Here, There, and Everywhere" only adds to the swooning romanticism of the original.

Aqui, Ali, Em Qualquer Lugar  

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Leo Watson - Scat Man Best

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:09
Size: 167.5 MB
Label: Vintage Masters
Styles: Vocal jazz/blues
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[3:02] 1. Honeysuckle Rose
[2:45] 2. I've A Strange New Rhythm In My Heart
[2:32] 3. Nobody's Sweetheart
[2:37] 4. I Got Rhythm
[2:38] 5. Whistle While You Work
[2:22] 6. Tutti-Frutti
[2:47] 7. The Man With The Mandolin
[2:46] 8. Snake Pit
[2:32] 9. Utt Da Zay (The Taylor Song)
[3:10] 10. Scattin' The Blues
[2:54] 11. It's The Tune That Counts
[6:11] 12. Avocado Seed Soup Symphony, Pt. 1
[2:26] 13. Nagasaki
[2:48] 14. Shoot The Likker To Me, John Boy
[2:29] 15. She Ain't No Saint
[2:31] 16. Do You Wanna Jump, Children
[2:49] 17. Tight And Gay
[2:41] 18. Jada
[3:00] 19. Jeepers Creepers
[3:09] 20. Coquette (Chicken Coquette)
[9:14] 21. Sonny Boy
[2:56] 22. Free Wheeling
[2:38] 23. Jingle Bells

Jive vocalist Leo Watson is one of the forgotten masters of scat singing. This is rare stuff that fans of swing and blues will be glad to find on one disc. ~ Matt Collar

Recording information: Los Angeles, CA (09/20/1933-09/07/1945); New York, NY (09/20/1933-09/07/1945).

Leo Watson (vocals, drums); Teddy Bunn (vocals, guitar); Virgil Scroggins, George Vann (vocals, drums); Wilbur Dannils (vocals); Horace Rollins, Ulysses Livingston, Arv Garrison, Al Avola, Frank Victor, Slim Gaillard, Ray Biondi (guitar); Paul Ricci (clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Murray Williams (clarinet, alto saxophone); Artie Shaw (clarinet); Bob Snyder, Mascagni Ruffo, George Siravo, Les Robinson (alto saxophone); Jules Rubin, Carl Biesacker, Sam Donahue, Sam Musiker, Tony Pastor (tenor saxophone); Ralph Muzillo, Tom Dicarlo, Malcolm Crain, Dave Schultze, John McGee, John Best , Charles Frankhauser (trumpet); Dalton Rizzotto, Tony Tyler, George Arus, Bruce Squaries, Charles McCamish, Vic Dickenson, Harry Rodgers (trombone); Eddie Heywood, Leonard Feather, Milt Raskin, Gene DePaul, Les Burness (piano); O'Neill Spencer, Gene Krupa, Harold "Doc" West, Cliff Leeman (drums).

Scat Man Best                 

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The Bob Brough Quartet - Like A Spring Day (featuring Carol McCartney)

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 55:15

Size: 126.5 MB

Label: (Self released)

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 2005

Art: Front

[3:29] 1. Like A Spring Day

[5:13] 2. I Know Love Must Be Near

[5:19] 3. A View Painted Citron And Blue

[5:25] 4. Daisy

[5:44] 5. Indian Summer

[3:01] 6. Paradise Is Good Enough For Me

[5:24] 7. Only Summer Knows

[6:02] 8. There's A Place In My Heart

[5:27] 9. Today

[3:59] 10. Scarborough Fair

[6:06] 11. When The Atmosphere's Right

Surely saxophonist/composer Bob Brough must be one of the best jazzmen in Toronto. His second album, Like A Spring Day offers the opportunity to showcase the talents of singer Carol McCartney. Brough collaborated with lyricist Sonja Tran on all but two of the eleven compositions.

Last year at this time, I reviewed Bob Brough's debut recording, A Decade of Favorites and although he had appeared on over twenty recordings, this was his first album. The songs written for this new album are largely uptempo tunes with optimistic titles like "I Know Love Must Be Near," "Paradise Is Good Enough For Me," and the title tune. Sonja Tran's lyrics are sunny and uplifting as exemplified by the "A View Painted Citron and Blue." The goods are delivered by Carol McCartney who sings in a manner reminiscent of Jackie Cain (Jackie & Roy). Her delivery is enthusiastic and she seems comfortable with the jazz vocal genre scatting with ease. The best example of this is on "Today" where she has an extended scat opportunity and also trades four with the band. Bob Brough impressed us last year on his debut and, likewise, as an accompanist he proves equally adept. We get to hear him solo on every track and also provide gorgeous obbligatos behind McCartney in a manner that you'd associate with Stan Getz or Scott Hamilton. When we get the first ballad, "Daisy," Brough elevates the song per his solo. On the version of the Simon & Garfunkel-associated "Scarborough Fair," taken at a faster tempo, McCartney delivers the melody line and then hands off to Brough who soulfully makes this into a legitimate jazz version. The trio of Stan Fomin, piano; Artie Roth, bass and Kevin Brow, drums are all regular members of the Brough group and provide fine support with Fomin and Roth getting in some brief solo space here. ~Michael Galdstone

Like A Spring Day (featuring Carol McCartney)                 

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Hot Club Of Belgrade - The Balkan Swinging Melody

Styles: Gypsy Jazz
Label: Independent
Released: 2010
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 105,7 MB
Time: 45:39
Art: front

1. Bembasa - 3:03
2. Makedonsko Devojce - 3:20
3. Djelem Djelem - 3:23
4. Jeremija - 3:46
5. Hej Salasi - 3:20
6. Sila Kale Bal - 3:25
7. Cajsukarije - 3:07
8. Biljana Platno Belese - 3:34
9. Vranjanka - 3:51
10. Devojko Mala - 4:01
11. Tamo Daleko - 4:00
12. Bolujem Ja - 3:32
13. Dodji U Kafanu - 3:12

Hot Club of Belgrade members are:
Branko Maćić - lead guitar
Filip Krumes - violin
Srđan Marković - rhythm guitar
Goran Rakočević - double bass

Notes: Hot Club of Belgrade is inspired by the music of the legendary jazz artists Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. Our repertoir consists of classical gypsy jazz manouche compozitions, swing standards and popular evergreen songs.

Our recently published CD "The Balkan Swinging Melody" represents a collection of chosen traditional melodies from the Balkans (Serbia, Vojvodina, Macedonia, Bosnia) performed in gypsy jazz manner.

The Balkan Swinging Melody

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Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli - Tea For Two

Styles: Swing, Guitar Jazz

Label: Sony Music

Released: 2001

File: mp3 @320K/s

Size: 126,8 MB

Time: 54:45

Art: front

1. Tea For Two - 2:53

2. Sweet Georgia Brown - 3:07

3. Nuages - 3:02

4. My Sweet - 2:54

5. Daphne - 3:09

6. Nocturne - 3:14

7. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - 2:31

8. Lambeth Walz - 2:46

9. The Flat Foot Boogie - 2:55

10. Billets Doux - 2:53

11. I Got Rhythm - 2:56

12. Honeysuckle Rose - 2:53

13. Night And Day - 2:42

14. The Man I Love - 3:12

15. Louise - 2:37

16. Black And White - 3:04

17. Stompin At Decca - 2:33

18. If I Had You - 2:48

19. Swing From Paris - 2:29

Personnel:
Jan Blok - Guitar
John Etheridge - Guitar
Stéphane Grappelli - Violin
Laurie Holloway - Harpsichord, Piano
Barney Kessel Primary Artist
Yehudi Menuhin - Violin
Pierre Michelot - Bass
Django Reinhardt - Guitar
Ronnie Verrell - Drums

Notes: For the third recorded meeting between violinists Stephane Grappelli and Yehudi Menuhin, the rhythm section is joined by some woodwinds on a few of the selections. Grappelli sounds fine but Menuhin's classical technique did not prepare him to improvise and he weighs down the proceedings a bit, making some of the ballads sound too sweet. This LP is therefore a historical curiosity rather than an essential acquisition.

Tea For Two

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Daryl Sherman - Guess Who's In Town

Styles: Vocal
Label: Arbors Records
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:45
Size: 141,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. Love You Madly
(5:17)  2. I Concentrate On You
(5:15)  3. Then I'll Be Tired Of You
(3:37)  4. Guess Who's In Town
(4:49)  5. Carolina In The Morning
(2:01)  6. Tennessee Fish Fry
(3:57)  7. Angel Eyes
(3:55)  8. Lullaby Of Birdland
(3:06)  9. Underneath The Arches
(6:05) 10. Welcome To Manhattan
(3:43) 11. Embraceable You
(3:12) 12. Like A Puzzle
(3:08) 13. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
(4:21) 14. Someday Sweetheart
(4:58) 15. Dream Awhile

Vocalist-pianist Daryl Sherman performs every week at the Waldorf-Astoria, playing the same piano on which Cole Porter composed. Sherman is the right player for such a setting and such an instrument; she's a swing musician in the most traditional sense of that phrase. Where many singers seek novelty in the hybridization of jazz with other musical idioms, Sherman remains true to a straight-ahead interpretation of jazz standards from the early part of the last century. (Such an orthodox singer is truly the novelty these days.) And Sherman's latest release Guess Who's In Town? her fourth album for Arbors Records, reminds us just how uplifting straight-ahead jazz can be. 

Sherman approaches each of the 15 tunes on the CD in a candid, unhurried manner. She's backed by some of New York's most established sidemen, and as it goes, few jazz singers accompany themselves or hold their own with a band as well as Sherman does. Her wispy, girlish vocals command all the more attention for their understatement and lack of ornamentation; she leaves the solos and the embellishment to her able fingers and her highly skilled band. On most of the cuts Sherman shares changes with guitarist Jim Wheatley and bassist Dave Green; and jazz elder Jay Leonhart (who lent his vintage bass to Green for the recording) backs Sherman's touchingly vulnerable vocals in a bass-vox duet on "Don't Worry 'Bout Me. On different tunes Sherman makes full use of two of New York's more prominent horn players Harry Allen (tenor sax) and The Nighthawks leader Vince Giordano (bass sax) but wisely pairs them on the Reg Connelly/Bud Flanagan song, "Under The Arches. Another winning pair-off: Giordano sings with Sherman in homage to Bobby Short in their charming take on the title cut (though Giordano is uncredited as a vocalist in the list of personnel). 

Along with Sherman's standard offerings (Ellington, Porter, and Gershwin) are some unusual selections, among them a sunny version of "Carolina In The Morning (Walter Donaldson) and an infectious "Tennessee Fish Fry (Arthur Schwartz/Oscar Hammerstein). One sweet surprise: Johnny Mercer's little-known "Dream Awhile. Sherman also demonstrates strong chops as a composer. Her original, "Welcome To Manhattan, is a romantic ballad that details the best the city has to offer. For aficionados of swing, Sherman most certainly belongs on that list.~Suzanne Lorge

(http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=25695#.UhZ2mn-Ac1I).

Personnel: Daryl Sherman: piano, vocals; Harry Allen: tenor sax; Vince Giordano: bass sax; Jon Wheatley: guitar; Dave Green: bass; Jay Leonhart: bass.

Guess Who's In Town

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