Rosana Eckert - At The End Of The Day

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label: GEM Records
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:59
Size: 105,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:57)  1. I Know I've Seen This Thing Before
(3:46)  2. Something's Gotta Give
(4:13)  3. Ela é Carioca
(3:45)  4. Mr. Hooper's Find It In A Minute Book
(4:22)  5. At The End Of The Day
(4:40)  6. You're Makin' Me Crazy
(4:58)  7. For Elizabeth
(5:12)  8. Lament
(3:45)  9. Rock Me To Sleep
(5:11) 10. One Mint Julep
(3:05) 11. You Are There

There has been a trend for the past number of years of jazz vocalists opting for original compositions primarily and simply peppering their recordings and performances with stray standards. El Paso native Rosana Eckert conforms to this trend with a collection of original and standard compositions that are fresh and sophisticated. Backed by a crack team of Dallas musicians, including percussionist/husband Gary Eckert, Ms. Eckert effortlessly swings with her well-shaped alto and intelligent ear for lyrics.

The opener, "I Know I’ve Seen This Thing Before," penned by the singer and her hus-band, flows with that jazz perfection one always wishes for in a vocal recording. Ms. Eckert duets first with bassist John Adams, progressively adding the remaining band members, building a quiet tour-de-force. Johnny Mercer’s "Something’s Gotta Give" allows pianist Brian Piper to display his wares in a jaunty fashion. "Ela E Carioca" is a Bossa sway and "Mr. Hooper’s Find It In A Minute Book" a swing-era phonetic and poetic marvel, complete with a growling muted trumpet. Ms. Eckert’s ballads are uni-formly fine. "At the End of the Day" is almost necessarily a lullaby quietly accented with Rodney Booth’s exquisite brass. 

She accomplishes the same with "Lament," a plaintive and pure melody piece gently driven by the core rhythm section. Two wonder-ful inclusions are Benny Carter’s "Rock Me To Sleep," which struts the recording stage with a swagger and wink, and "One Mint Julep" which is a fast, rocking piece with no peers on this recording.  The piece highlights Aaron Kelley’s electric guitar. Ms. Eckert’s debut recording is an occasion for celebration. It is a well conceived and well performed pleaure.~ C. Michael Bailey http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=11836#.Uhpz0T9vA1I

At The End Of The Day

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Corey Christiansen - Lone Prairie

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Label: Origin Records   
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:09
Size: 122,0 MB
Scans: Front

(7:10)  1. Dying Californian
(6:52)  2. Streets Of Laredo
(6:55)  3. In The Pines
(4:39)  4. California Widow
(4:22)  5. Sittin' On Top Of The World
(6:32)  6. El Paso
(4:46)  7. Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie
(4:02)  8. Chaparrel
(3:40)  9. Il Grande Massacro
(4:06) 10. Red River Valley / Bootyard

Guitarist Corey Christiansen has released two previous recordings on the Origin label in Roll With It (2008) and Outlaw Tractor (2010). Both were well received and featured Christiansen's ethereal playing, characterized by a deep reverb beneath a slightly overdriven tone. These recordings are uniformly fine, but generally lacked a thematic center (not that one was required).

Having said that, Christiansen provides here a disc with a central theme of music of the American West on Lone Prairie but, if one is expecting "Streets of Laredo" or "Bury Me Not" to feature a border guitar part, think again. Christiansen and his sextet lay a postmodern play over this collection of traditional American western music and compositions inspired by the same. The presence of two keyboardists, Steve Allee and Zach Lapidus, establishes a plushly digital foundation for the ten selections on this recording. Here is a successful musical case that is completely inorganic in the sense that this is music arranged for the postmodern (that word again) soundscape. This is not your father's acoustic jazz.

And Christiansen's cover of "El Paso" is neither Marty Robbins nor the Grateful Dead. It is a fearlessly re-imagined piece with the two keyboards swirling around a muscular and assertive Christiansen while he solos. The song is the Western tone poem that resulted, had Aaron Copland met Robbins for a beer in Austin, then found themselves in Tombstone, AZ. at the O.K. Corral. Likewise is the musical myth created around "Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie." Opened with a simple bass figure by Jeremy Allen, the song slowly builds and ebbs dramatically. Both pieces brag on Christiansen's arrangement abilities and his pacing control.

Lone Prairie works well within its concept, providing music that could score a 21st Century Spaghetti Western as evidenced by the presence of Ennio Morricone's "Il Grand Massacro." Christiansen continues to grow both as a guitarist and as a creative force in his West Coast environment. ~C. Michael Bailey  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=44801#.Uh0CWlcucv4

Personnel: Corey Christiansen: Guitar; Steve Allee: Keyboards, Piano; Zach Lapidus: - Keyboards, Piano, Supercollider; Jeremy Allen: Acoustic And Electric Bass; Matt Jorgensen: Drums; Michael Spiro: Percussion.

Lone Prairie

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Bucky Pizzarelli, Michael Moore, Johnny Frigo, Howard Alden - Hot Club of 52nd Street

Styles: Dixieland/New Orleans/Swing
Label: Chesky Records
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:00
Size: 114,5 MB
Scans: Front

(4:42)  1. Rosetta
(6:23)  2. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(5:39)  3. Tangerine
(6:42)  4. Nuages
(5:15)  5. Strike Up The Band
(4:07)  6. Some Of These Days
(5:02)  7. Avalon
(6:10)  8. Melancholy Baby
(5:59)  9. I've Got Rhythm

There is no lack of talent or passion on Hot Club of 52nd Street ; for these two reasons alone it would be a noteworthy album. But this is a rare kind of swinging, foot-stomping, finger-tapping live session, as expressive and fiery as it is expertly controlled. Conceived and carried out in the spirit of guitar great Django Reinhardt (incidentally, Hot Club guitarists Bucky Pizzarelli and Howard Alden trained the actors and laid down the soundtrack for Woody Allen’s Django film homage Sweet and Lowdown ), Hot Club of 52nd Street certainly does credit to the wayward genius gypsy’s illustrious name.

The album comprises nine standards, all performed with an ear for pure melody. Things begin playfully enough with “Rosetta,” as the rhythm guitarist (Alden? Pizzarelli? Does it even matter with a quartet as cohesive as this?) twice shimmies his way down a partial scale, allowing Johnny Frigo to enter with his violin and spin, dance, pirouette, somersault. As he bows out, the other guitarist comes in. He seems to dismantle and reassemble his acoustic guitar, strumming all the while. Throughout the four-minute tune, Michael Moore plucks his bass notes, each as clear and distinct as though he were slyly mirroring the guitar picking.

The rendition of “On the Sunny Side of the Street” which follows is one of the best I have ever heard jaunty, confident, carefree, brimming with optimism and goodwill. “Tangerine” simply rockets forward. (Despite its speed, it isn’t the 3:39 the liner notes claim. It’s actually 5:39.) Here rhythm guitar and bass unite to propel the song via a locomotion that suggests an all-out sprint rather than a mere pitter-pat. They use this same technique to astounding, vibrant effect later on “Strike up the Band.”

Reinhardt’s own ballad “Nuages” floats and drifts as lazily, as it ought to. Frigo’s double solo, with all the weeping and laughing of his instrument, is the most salient among them. “I Got Rhythm,” the closing track, takes the Gershwins' tune to a country hoedown: impressive finger picking by at least one of the guitarists matched with Frigo’s fiddle-like exuberance.

For a Chesky release, the quality of the recording is open to debate. Pristine sound is not the issue here, it’s the applause that enthusiastically and invariably follows each solo, always far louder than the quartet itself. This is fine for those who listen to a live recording and enjoy feeling a part of the audience. If you prefer a more privileged vantage somewhere closer to the musicians than the crowd in New York City’s A.C. Pianocraft Recital Hall  Hot Club of 52nd Street will be something of a disappointment. Playing the disc at the volume it deserves means reaching for the volume knob three or four times per song to compensate for the whistles, shouts and clapping.~ Eric J.Iannelli http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=13820#.Uh0AQlcucv4

Personnel: Bucky Pizzarelli, acoustic guitar; Michael Moore, bass; Johnny Frigo, violin; Howard Alden, acoustic guitar

Hot Club of 52nd Street

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Down To The Bone - Cellar Funk

Styles: Jam Band
Label: Narada Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:06
Size: 176,5 MB
Scans: Front

(5:33)  1. Back In Business
(5:18)  2. Cellar Funk
(5:56)  3. I'll Always Hold You Close
(5:53)  4. Timeless
(6:59)  5. The Flow
(5:20)  6. Crossing Boundaries
(6:49)  7. You're The Only Reason
(7:00)  8. Dancing To A Samba
(5:43)  9. Global Village
(5:45) 10. L.A. Shakedown
(5:02) 11. Little Smile
(4:57) 12. Down In The Basement
(6:44) 13. Back In Business (The Business Mix)

In 1996, when Down to the Bone’s From Manhattan to Staten shook the doldrums off smooth jazz, this new sound was fresh, funky and just plain fun. It still is. DTTB, led by British producer Stuart Wade, is now a veteran of the groove-jazz genre, whose dance staples are hip enough to be packaged into many smooth jazz discs.

DTTB works like this: Wade hums a melody, hears what instruments might come into play, and, along with his mates in his regular band, recruits session musicians who help fine-tune melodies and rhythms. Guests include Hammond B-3 player Brian Auger and Brazilian jazz vocalists Flora Purim and Guida de Palma. The creative process works for Wade, who will admit to anyone that he can’t play a lick of music. Scoff, but the proof is in the jam.

As a true jam band, DTTB’s music often dulls the senses with its repetition, as on “I’ll Always Hold You Close.” But wait, that’s a good thing. Your mind wanders for a few minutes, then flits back to the groove when Auger’s Hammond work tears through the speakers. Same with “Timeless,” which offers a tasty acoustic guitar lick, something the band hasn’t tried before. Elsewhere, Purim’s Carioca vocalese is perfectly suited for “The Flow,” where a horn riff blows over a festival-like rhythm. “Crossing Boundaries” and “Dancing to a Samba” also have a Brazilian flavor, and are driven by percussion that shakes like dancers at Rio’s carnaval.

Although most of DTTB’s songs are fairly busy (“LA Shakedown” is inspired by Blaxplotation movies and has a great Chic-like guitar riff), once in a while the band shows it can make a tight single as well. Exhibit A is “You’re the Only Reason,” an in-the-pocket groove with some tasty Hammond work and simply stated bass-and-drum line. ~Brian Soergel  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=13119#.Uhz-t1cucv4

Personnel: Stuart Wade (programming); Neil Angilley (keyboards); Neil Cowley (keyboards); Richard Sadler (bass); Shilts (tenor saxophone, flute); Ian Crabtree (guitar); Andy Watson (trombone); Lee Vivian (trumpet); Martin Gray (saxophone); Brian Auger (Hammond B3); Flora Purim (vocals); Guida De Palma (backing vocals); Matt Coldrick (guitar); Martin Shaw (trumpet); Julian Crampton (bass)

Cellar Funk

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Grant Green - The Complete Quartets with Sonny Clark (2-disc set)

THE COMPLETE QUARTETS WITH SONNY CLARK includes the albums NIGERIA, GOODEN'S CORNER and OLEO as well as 3 additional tracks. This two-disc set gathers together the cuts for three Blue Note sessions teaming Grant Green with Sonny Clark. The first, NIGERIA, was originally release posthumously in 1980 and features Green's only collaboration with drummer Art Blakey. GOODEN'S CORNER and OLEO were both only released in Japan in 1979 and 1980, respectively. The latter two sessions featured Louis Hayes on drums along with Sam Jones, the bassist for all three albums. Luckily these sessions have been carefully restored and release for all to hear. The focus of all three session is mainly on standards. In the hands of Green and Clark, however, these familiar tunes become something else entirely. The force of their strong musical personalities is so consuming that works like Gerswin's "It Ain't Necessarily So," here taken as a grungy shuffle, take on a whole new light. Likewise, the Kern-Hammerstein classic "The Song Is You" and Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love" are both as fresh and exciting as the day they were written. Disc two features Henry Mancini's "Moon River" reshaped into a delightful bounce and Green's shockingly unusual read of Sonny Rollins' "Oleo." Also found here are some Green originals including the dynamic "Hip Funk."

Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on December 23, 1961 and January 13 & 31, 1962. I

Grant Green (guitar); Sonny Clark (piano); Sam Jones (bass); Art Blakey, Louis Hayes (drums).

Album: The Complete Quartets (Disc 1)

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 69:33

Size: 159.2 MB

Label: Blue Note

Styles: Guitar jazz

Year: 1997

[ 7:29] 1. Airegin

[10:18] 2. It Ain't Necessarily So

[ 5:44] 3. I Concentrate On You

[ 5:52] 4. The Things We Did Last Summer

[ 7:42] 5. The Song Is You

[ 6:21] 6. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)

[ 7:34] 7. Airegin (Alt Take)

[ 6:21] 8. On Green Dolphin Street

[ 6:19] 9. Shadrack

[ 5:49] 10. What Is This Thing Called Love

The Complete Quartets With Sonny Clark (disc 1)

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Album: The Complete Quartets (Disc 2)

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 64:30

Size: 147.7 MB

Label: Blue Note

Styles: Guitar jazz

Year: 1997

Art: Front

[5:34] 1. Moon River

[8:10] 2. Gooden's Corner

[7:36] 3. Two For One

[5:40] 4. Oleo

[7:10] 5. Little Girl Blue

[7:16] 6. Tune Up

[8:35] 7. Hip Funk

[8:27] 8. My Favorite Things

[5:58] 9. Oleo (Alt Take)

The Complete Quartets With Sonny Clark (disc 2)

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Bre Gregg - On The Wind

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:29
Size: 101.8 MB
Label: (Self released)
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:53] 1. Temptation
[5:21] 2. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
[4:00] 3. Hit The Road To Dreamland
[4:44] 4. Angel From Montgomery
[3:47] 5. Chega De Saudade (No More Blues)
[3:46] 6. Blame It On My Youth
[3:38] 7. Love Me Like A Man
[5:14] 8. Someone To Watch Over Me
[3:21] 9. Devil May Care
[4:06] 10. You're Just In Love
[2:33] 11. In The Evening By The Moonlight

Bre Gregg combines her love of Jazz and Blues music with her passion and experience on stage to create an unforgettable performance. With years of classical training and study with some of the industry's top music and voice teachers, Bre's voice is beautiful, expressive and versatile. She has a deep love of performance as an honest communication that draws her audiences in, creating music that is passionate, raw and truly memorable.

Bre Gregg's first jazz album, "on the wind" is a new, more authentic direction for Bre. Growing up in a family of musicians, she regularly sang jazz and blues and has always loved listening to the great singers of this genre - Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Nancy Wilson and Bonnie Raitt. A mix of sultry jazz, blues and soulful pop, this album is truly one of a kind.

Bre was honored to be joined by the incomparable Dave Captein on bass, musical genius Dan Gaynor on piano and Dan Stueber, monster on the drums.

On The Wind 

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Hot Club Of Detroit - Night Town

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 63:33
Size: 145.5 MB
Label: Mack Avenue
Styles: Gypsy jazz, Swing
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. I Want To Be Happy
[4:39] 2. J'attendrai
[2:45] 3. Valse A Rosenthal
[3:19] 4. Seven Steps To Heaven
[4:37] 5. Speevy
[5:11] 6. Coquette
[3:21] 7. Sweet Substitute
[3:46] 8. Blues Up And Down
[5:56] 9. Pour Parler
[3:28] 10. Melodie Au Crepuscule
[5:04] 11. Two Weeks
[3:41] 12. Tzigane
[4:11] 13. Django's Monkey
[5:09] 14. Night Town
[5:21] 15. Swing 05

While the legendary Belgian jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt might not be a household word, his influence extends far beyond his 1930s and `40s heyday. Many jazz musicians (along with eclectics David Grisman and John Jorgenson) have been influenced directly or indirectly by his unique six-string style and his synthesis of Swing-era jazz with Central European folk, gypsy, and pop sounds. The Hot Club of Detroit pays direct tribute to Django without coming off as unoriginal or retro. Basically acoustic, the HCD have an arsenal of guitars, accordion, sax, clarinet, and bass, and NIGHT TOWN is an inspired mix of standards and originals performed with plenty of jovial, earnest swing and old-school gentility. There are post-Django influences as well, such as the pre-electric cool style of Miles Davis ("Seven Steps To Heaven").

Recording information: Lava Room Recording Studios, Clevland, OH.

Evan Perri (guitar); Paul Brady (steel guitar, nylon-string guitar); Julien Labro (accordion); Carl Cafagna (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Shannon Wade (upright bass)

Night Town

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Brian Bromberg - Wood II

Styles: Fusion/Progressive Rock

Label: Artistry Music   

Year: 2006

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 63:34

Size: 145,5 MB

Scans: Front

(6:32)  1. Caravan

(5:54)  2. Bolivia

(5:39)  3. Blue Bossa

(7:09)  4. Witch Hunt

(5:17)  5. A Love Affair

(5:16)  6. Butterfly

(3:11)  7. Shining Star

(5:04)  8. I'll Remember April

(7:55)  9. Pensativa

(3:35) 10. Carry On Wayward Son

(4:18) 11. Four Brothers

(3:39) 12. Let 'Em In

On Wood II, bassist Brian Bromberg, instead of showcasing new material, prefers to give his take on songs by a different range of composers, some of whom, like Paul McCartney and Kansas, are not directly associated with jazz. He opens with a classic Duke Ellington number, "Caravan, showing incredible speed during certain moments and also giving a lot of space to pianist Randy Waldman to show his chops.

Another impressive track is Kenny Dorham's "Blue Bossa, which Bromberg plays as a solo piece, showing amazing technique, alternately soloing and playing chords in a breathtaking progression. He also takes on Kansas' "Carry On My Wayward Son as a solo, expanding the rock bass line into an acoustic realm. What makes this particular track a standout is that the song, stripped as it is, still has that unmistakable classic rock feel, even though it somehow does also sound like jazz. Few musicians can do that.

The four-part whistling choir you hear in Woody Herman's "Four Brothers is Bromberg, who decided to experiment with overdubbing after being encouraged by session guitarist Dean Parks during a past engagement. The result is a very playful melody in which everybody seemed to have a good time. He softens things up on the melodious "A Love Affair, a song that has a definite bossa feel, giving room for the piano to shine while drums and bass provide the background.

He closes with a faithful solo rendition of Paul McCartney's "Let 'Em In. There are no pyrotechnics here, just Bromberg painting the song as if it were a blank canvas. He puts chords only where they were originally present in the song, allowing for a little improvisation at the end. Fans of the former Beatle would recognize the song and McCartney himself would be satisfied with Bromberg's rendition. ~Ernest Barteldes http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=20979#.Uh0Bl1cucv4

Personnel: Brian Bromberg: bass; Randy Waldman: piano; Vinnie Colaiuta: drums.

Wood II

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Dianne Reeves - Quiet After The Storm

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label: Blue Note
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:42
Size: 138,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:55)  1. Hello, Haven't I Seen You Before
(5:37)  2. Comes Love (Nothing Can Be Done)
(4:12)  3. Smile
(0:43)  4. Jive Samba
(4:14)  5. The Benediction (Country Preacher)
(6:46)  6. Detour Ahead
(5:08)  7. Vermonja  / Sargaco Mar
(4:52)  8. Nine
(5:19)  9. In A Sentimental Mood
(5:47) 10. When Morning Comes (Jasmine)
(7:02) 11. Both Sides Now
(5:02) 12. Sing My Heart

Dianne Reeves, who has always had a beautiful voice and the potential for greatness in jazz, has conducted a rather directionless career, performing many concerts filled with spontaneity while at the same time recording erratic albums that usually feature both veteran jazz ballads and newer material that is closer to pop and folk music. There are some strong jazz moments on this CD. "Comes Love" has an inventive arrange
ment that uses a riff from the Miles Davis version of "'Round Midnight" and a familiar rhythmic phrase from "Star Eyes" in surprising ways. "Detour Ahead" is fine and "The Benediction" ("Country Preacher" with Reeves's lyrics) is a sincere tribute to Cannonball Adderley (who makes a brief appearance on soprano via sampling) but on some of the other pieces Reeves wanders far away from jazz. She sings a couple of folk songs with guitarist Dori Caymmi, introduces the heartwarming if poppish original "Nine" and performs a very straight version of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" that makes the song sound like a Broadway show tune. Perhaps Dianne Reeves's eventual niche will be as a jazz-influenced folk-pop singer; someday she should probably make up her mind.~Scott Yanow (http://www.allmusic.com/album/quiet-after-the-storm-mw0000643710).

Personnel: Dianne Reeves (vocals); Ron Blake (soprano & tenor saxophones); Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (soprano saxophone); Everette Harp (alto saxophone); Joshua Redman (tenor saxophone); Roy Hargrove, Gary Grant (trumpet); Hubert Laws (flute); George Duke (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Synclavier); Jacky Terrasson, David Torkanowsky, John Beasley (piano); Kevin Eubanks (acoustic guitar); Dori Caymmi (guitar); Chris Severin (bass); Terri Lyne Carrington (drums, background vocals); Billy Kilson (drums); "Jazzman" Luis Conte (congas, percussion); Airto Moreira (percussion); The Cherub Femmes & Two Cherub Mens (background vocals).

Quiet After The Storm

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Amy Allison - Sheffield Streets

Styles: Pop: Folky Pop                

Label: Self Released

Year: 2009

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 34:00

Size: 80,1 MB

Art: Front

(2:09)  1. Calla Lily

(2:39)  2. The Needle Skips

(2:43)  3. Anywhere You Are

(3:27)  4. Monsters of the Id (with Elvis Costello)

(2:53)  5. Why Must It Be?

(2:30)  6. Everybody Ought To Know (with Dave Alvin)

(3:28)  7. I Wrote A Song About You

(3:43)  8. Dream World

(3:10)  9. Hate At First Sight

(3:08) 10. Come, Sweet Evening

(4:05) 11. Mardi Gras Moon

Her best album. Amy Allison in many ways is the quintessential cult artist, possessed of a fan base that borders on rabid and an equally avid following among her fellow musicians, even if she never broke through to a mass audience. Which is somewhat mystifying until you consider the climate of the music business she grew up in (her now out-of-print albums with her 90s indie rock band Parlor James remain locked in a Warner warehouse somewhere). Allison already has a couple of genuine classic country albums to her credit, her debut The Maudlin Years and Sad Girl. This one is both musically and lyrically richer and considerably more diverse, ranging from characteristically gemlike, tersely metaphorical country songs to jangly pop to saloon jazz (including a duet with Elvis Costello on her dad Mose Allison’s wry, brooding classic Monsters of the Id, with the Sage himself on piano) And her voice has never sounded better – like all the best song stylists, she’s able to say more in a minute inflection than Kelly Clarkson could relate in an entire box set. Sheffield Streets is also notable for its purist sonics, producer and former Lone Justice drummer Don Heffington imbuing it with the warm feel of a 70s vinyl record.

  

The title track effectively captures a bittersweetness and yet a fearlessness, as happens to anyone with a sense of adventure caught in a drizzle on unfamiliar turf: “I found a bar and curled up like a cat/I wrote a song on a beer mat.” The gently matter-of-fact, commonsensical second cut, Calla Lily takes existential angst and replaces it with a striking logic and purposefulness. The Needle Skips is vintage Amy Allison, with its vividly metaphorical oldtimey feel: “It’s funny how we lived so many moments, in the minutes of a song that came and went,” Allison reminding that it’s the scratches on the album that give it character.

I Wrote a Song About You sardonically looks at rejection as a self-fulfilling prophecy, set to a swaying country backbeat. A duet with Dave Alvin on an older song, Everybody Ought to Know actually doesn’t work as a duet (Allison realized that with considerable amusement after recording it), but both singers are at the top of their game as honktonk crooners. Hate at First Sight is a juvenile delinquent take on Brill Building pop; Come, Sweet Evening is a flat-out gorgeous nocturne, welcoming the darkness rather than shying away. The single best cut on the album is Dream World, both its bruised, exhausted protagonist and the bums on the street outside looking for escape in dreams, Allison taking care to wish those less fortunate a similar good night. The album winds up with another equally brilliant number, Mardi Gras Moon, its narrator popping pills and drinking: “I hear the distant music of the band/I’m losing all the feeling in my hands,” wishing she hadn’t made the trip to New Orleans only to be jilted. Rich with layers of meaning, shades of emotion and understatedly beautiful playing, this is a classic. http://lucidculture.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/cd-review-amy-allison-sheffield-streets/

Sheffield Streets

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Roy Haynes - Hip Ensemble

Styles: Afro-Cuban Jazz, Soul-Jazz, Latin Jazz
Label: Mainstream Records
Year: 1971
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:18
Size: 78,5 MB
Scans: Front

(4:16)  1. Equipoise
(4:05)  2. I'm So High
(5:51)  3. Tangiers
(4:09)  4. Nothing Ever Changes For You My Love
(6:34)  5. Satan's Mysterious Feeling
(8:27)  6. You Name It
(0:52)  7. Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing

Roy Owen Haynes (born on March 13, 1925, in Roxbury, Massachusetts) is an American jazz drummer and bandleader.

Haynes began his full time professional career in 1945. From 1947 to 1949 he worked with saxophonist Lester Young, and from 1949 to 1952 was a member of saxophonist Charlie Parker's quintet. He also recorded at the time with pianist Bud Powell and saxophonists Wardell Gray, and Stan Getz. From 1953 to 1958 he toured with singer Sarah Vaughan. Haynes went on to work with more experimental musicians, like saxophonists John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy, or pianists Chick Corea and Andrew Hill.

Haynes has recorded or performed with Gary Burton, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Henry Grimes, Christian McBride, Jackie McLean, Pat Metheny, Thelonious Monk, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper, Horace Tapscott and many others. He has also led his own groups, some performing under the name Hip Ensemble. His most recent recordings as a leader are Fountain of Youth and Whereas, both of which have been nominated for a Grammy Award. He continues to perform worldwide and is booked well into 2008. His son Craig Haynes is a drummer with the Sun Ra Arkestra, his son Graham Haynes is a cornetist, and his grandson Marcus Gilmore and nephew Christopher Haynes are both drummers. http://www.discogs.com/artist/Roy+Haynes?anv=Roy+Haynes+Hip+Ensemble

Credits
Artwork – Art Department, The
Bass – Terud Nakamura*
Bass [Fender] – Mervin Bronson
Bongos – Elwood Johnson
Congas – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Roy Haynes
Flute – George Adams
Liner Notes – Leonard Feather
Photography By – Jarry Lang
Piano – Carl Schroeder
Producer – Bobby Shad*
Tambourine – Elwood Johnson
Tenor Saxophone – George Adams
Timpani – Roy Haynes
Trumpet – Marvin Peterson*

Hip Ensemble

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Larry Vuckovich - Somethin' Special

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:32
Size: 169.9 MB
Label: Tetrachord
Styles: Bebop, Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[7:10] 1. Somethin' Special
[6:25] 2. Enchantment
[7:18] 3. What Will I Tell My Heart?
[7:08] 4. Comin' Home Baby
[8:54] 5. Soultrane
[6:06] 6. How Insensitive
[3:36] 7. Pannonica
[9:08] 8. Cheese Cake
[6:45] 9. Loving Linda
[6:29] 10. Zeljko's Blues
[4:29] 11. Star Dust

A veteran pianist deserving of wider recognition, Larry Vuckovich has spent several decades on the American jazz scene since leaving his native Yugoslavia for the U.S. in the early '50s. For the most part the songs on these 2011 sessions focus on bop and hard bop from the late '50s and early '60s, ranging from solo piano to trio, quartet, and quintet, featuring tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton on five selections. Vuckovich's working group includes tenor saxophonist Noel Jewkes, bassist Paul Keller, and drummer Chuck McPherson. Vuckovich's solo treatment of Thelonious Monk's "Pannonica" mixes glistening lines with jaunty bop, while his approach to Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust" is lush with a few Tatum-inspired runs added for fun. Hamilton shares the spotlight with Jewkes for three songs. The robust twin tenor interpretation of Sonny Clark's "Somethin' Special" is a breezy take of an infectious blues with potent solos all around, with Hamilton's hard blowing contrasting with Jewkes' lighter but equally swinging approach, in which they both playfully exchange a tag from Bizet's Carmen. Keller steals the show with his intricate opening solo to "Comin' Home Baby," though the one-two punch of the tenor team energizes this favorite, with the leader's solo blending soul-jazz with a Brazilian air. The tenor men also devour Dexter Gordon's "Cheese Cake" with a delicious performance. Hamilton plays the sole tenor in a snappy rendition of Antonio Carlos Jobim's melancholy "How Insensitive" and the touching ballad "What Will I Tell My Heart," while Jewkes is featured in Horace Silver's infrequently recorded "Enchantment." Vuckovich contributed two fine originals as well. "Loving Linda" showcases Jewkes' impressive chops on soprano sax, a shimmering swinger with a Brazilian touch. The rhythm section tackles the pianist's driving "Zeljko's Blues" with gusto, featuring each of them individually in what should be a natural set-closer for Vuckovich. This CD easily lives up to its title with outstanding performances throughout the sessions. ~ Ken Dryden

Recording information: Megasonic Sound, Oakland, CA (02/14/2011/02/15/2011).

Larry Vuckovich (piano); Noel Jewkes (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Scott Hamilton (tenor saxophone); Chuck McPherson (drums).

Somethin' Special

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Kelly Eisenhour - Now You Know

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 54:01

Size: 123.7 MB

Label: (Self released)

Styles: Vocal jazz

Year: 2005

Art: Front

[2:56] 1. Now You Know

[4:58] 2. Lazy Afternoon

[3:54] 3. Moondance

[5:02] 4. My Funny Valentine

[3:02] 5. You Do Something To Me

[4:56] 6. Gentle Rain

[4:49] 7. The Right Thing

[4:08] 8. God Bless The Child

[3:03] 9. Day By Day

[6:58] 10. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most

[3:00] 11. Just In Time

[4:02] 12. Love Is Here To Stay

[3:07] 13. It Had To Be You

A collection of original jazz and classic standards with a twist. Great arrangements with sultry, sophisticated, yet soulful vocals. Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Pops says "...she's the real thing."

Kelly Eisenhour is a prolific jazz vocalist, and the winner of the 6th annual Seattle-Kobe Female Vocal Jazz Competition in 2010. Her last album released in 2007, "Seek and Find" featuring Bob Mintzer, reached #14 on JazzWeek national radio airplay charts, #11 on College radio, and #3 on the respected national jazz radio show, "The Bob Parlocha Show." It received continuous airplay for 7 months after it's release. Kelly has performed in various jazz festivals and has toured as guest soloist with the Boston Pops conducted by Keith Lockhart. She is also a songwriter and arranger, and has done numerous projects in that capacity, including the 2006 Grammy award winning album, Gladys Knight: One Voice, in which she serves as songwriter, soloist, co-arranger, and assistant choir director. Kelly has two more jazz recordings, "Kelly Eisenhour, Now You Know," released in 2001, and "Kelly Eisenhour with the Jeff Hamilton Trio." She is a graduate of Berklee College of Music as a vocal performance major, and has an M.M. from the University of Utah in jazz studies, composition and performance. Her career has taken her many places, starting as a jazz singer in her hometown of Tucson, Arizona (sometimes working with another native Tucsonan -Brian Bromberg), and then diving into the various music scenes in Boston, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and currently in Seattle. Other career highlights: opened for Ramsey Lewis at the Park City Jazz Festival, performed live at the Apollo Theatre, and was an invited performer at the 2007 International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) conference. As an educator, Kelly is a sought after clinician, and was the vocal jazz instructor for the 2006 3-day Teacher's Training Institute for IAJE, as well as workshops for UMEA. She was the vocal jazz director at Brigham Young University as an adjunct instructor, and made the move to a full-time faculty position as the choral director at Green River Community College in Washington state where she now resides. Kelly loves the combination of teaching and performing and feels she has the best of both worlds. The great sax player Bob Mintzer says, "I truly enjoyed playing on her recording and I look forward to watching Kelly's rise to the recognition level she deserves."

Now You Know      

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Joe Loco - Vaya! With Joe Loco

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 29:18
Size: 67.1 MB
Label: Hallmark
Styles: Latin jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[2:21] 1. Vaya
[2:28] 2. Los Marcianos
[2:10] 3. Aqui Viene El Swing
[2:20] 4. Rhumba Rhapsody
[2:43] 5. En Vano Te Espero
[2:41] 6. Anaboaca
[2:20] 7. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
[2:30] 8. Almendra
[2:49] 9. My Rival
[1:50] 10. Coco Seco
[2:54] 11. Pan Con Queso
[2:07] 12. Siboney

A composer of numerous hit recordings, quality music orchestrator and top contender for the title of "most melodic pianist." Started with Montecino's Happy Boys in 1938. He was Machito's pianist before being drafted into the US Air Force in November, 1945. After his discharge in 1947, he free lanced with Latin music's top bands, which included Polito Galindez, Marcelino Guerra, Pupi Campo, and Julio Andino before striking gold whith his monstrous hit recording of "Tenderly" in 1952. His Latinized arrangements of American pop standard tunes enabled Loco's Quintet to perform at jazz clubs and other popular spots which never featured Latin music. ~bio by Max Salazar

Vaya! With Joe Loco

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Lyn Stanley - Lost in Romance

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label: Self Released
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:10
Size: 143,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:44)  1. Change Partners
(4:00)  2. Watch What Happens
(4:08)  3. Fever
(4:00)  4. That Old Black Magic
(5:18)  5. The Nearness of You
(5:00)  6. You Go To My Head
(3:48)  7. I Just Want To Make Love To You
(4:26)  8. My Foolish Heart
(3:36)  9. What Am I Gonna Do With a Bad Boy Like You?
(4:47) 10. Losing My Mind
(4:07) 11. One For My Baby
(4:29) 12. Sugar on the Floor
(2:40) 13. Too Close For Comfort
(3:53) 14. Something
(3:09) 15. The Last Dance

Singer, dancer, ingenue, Lyn Stanley is a fully realized and mature talent exploding into her own. An award-winning ballroom dancer, Stanley melds that physical experience of movement with her performance of jazz standards, bringing the genre back to its dancing, kinetic roots. As executive producer, Stanley brings a Midas touch to the proceedings, producing in wholly urbane and sophisticated collection of the best the Great American Songbook has to offer. It takes a certain fortitude to record one more collection of jazz standards,but, then again, this is the most appropriate starting place for Stanley. Standards are the proving ground for Stanley's singing philosophy and that philosophy is a sound and entertaining one. 

The songs include a smoldering "Fever," an island humid "That Old Black Magic" and a late-night "The Nearness of You" (featuring the inestimable Bob Sheppard on tenor saxophone) that set a relaxed mood, one that is sure of the talent to which it's being devoted. There are no steep cliffs here, only straight and elegant byways to pass the time, with some exceptional ballad and mid-tempo vocal performances by the dense loam of talent that is Lyn Stanley. Stanley takes these songs on with a conservative ear, opting for a traditional performance. The value of this approach is to always allow the composer to speak as intended when conceiving these pieces. Stanley's singing is beyond sexy or sensuous; it is whatever transcends these anemic descriptors. This is singing and delivery that must wait for the proper word to come along to define it. The same applies for the elegance and grace her accompanying musician bring to the project, a who's who of West Coast jazz talent convening for a holiday and that holiday is Lost In Romance.~C.Michael Bailey 

(http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=45010#.UhdknX-Ac1I).

Personnel: Lyn Stanley: vocals; Tamir Hendelman: piano (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 15); Mike Lang: piano (3, 6, 9-11); Llew Matthews: piano (7, 13, 14); Trey Henry: bass (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 15); Jim DeJulio: bass (3, 6, 9-11); Kevin Axt: bass (7, 13, 14); Jeff Hamilton: drums (1-3, 6, 9, 15); Bernie Dresel: drums (4, 5, 8, 10-12); Paul Kreibich: drums (7, 13, 14); Gilbert Castellanos: flugelhorn (1), trumpet (15); Bob Sheppard: tenor saxophone (4, 5); Thom Rotella: guitar (10-14); Bob McChesney: trombone (6, 9).

Lost in Romance

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Harry Allen & John Pizzarelli - Harry Allen Meets the John Pizzarelli Trio

Styles: Jazz
Label: Slider Music
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:46
Size: 146,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:35)  1. Pennies from Heaven
(3:33)  2. Dear Old Stockholm
(7:01)  3. P-Town/You're Driving Me Crazy
(3:23)  4. Early Autumn
(5:30)  5. I Want to Be Happy
(6:00)  6. These Foolish Things
(3:47)  7. Blue Lou
(5:35)  8. Body and Soul
(4:43)  9. Sunday
(5:43) 10. Dot's Cheesecake
(3:15) 11. When Harry Met Martin
(4:28) 12. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
(5:07) 13. Limehouse Blues

After a decade on the scene, tenor-saxophonist Harry Allen, in 1995, was finally on the brink of being discovered, or at least recognized, by the greater jazz world. At that point in time, his tenor sound often recalled Stan Getz and Zoot Sims, but in a more swing-oriented setting. Teamed up with the John Pizzarelli Trio (with Pizz on guitar, pianist Ray Kennedy and bassist Martin Pizzarelli), Allen performs 11 vintage standards plus Bucky Pizzarelli's "Dot's Cheesecake" and his own "When Harry Met Martin" (which he co-wrote with Martin Pizzarelli). Among the highlights of this melodic and swinging set are "Pennies from Heaven," "Dear Old Stockholm," "I Want to Be Happy," "Sunday" and "Limehouse Blues." Easily recommended to mainstream swing collectors and an excellent example of Harry Allen's tenor playing.~Scott Yanow (http://www.allmusic.com/album/harry-allen-meets-the-john-pizzarelli-trio-mw0000602194).

Harry Allen Meets the John Pizzarelli Trio

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Marian McPartland - All My Life

Styles: Jazz, Piano Jazz
Label: Savoy Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:30
Size: 153,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:00)  1. Gypsy In My Soul
(3:18)  2. It Might As Well Be Spring
(2:46)  3. Strike Up the Band
(2:50)  4. Love is Here to Stay
(2:58)  5. Lullaby of Birdland
(3:17)  6. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
(2:27)  7. Limehouse Blues
(2:48)  8. It's Only a Paper Moon
(3:06)  9. Hallelujuh!
(2:59) 10. Moonlight In Vermont
(3:04) 11. Moonlight In Vermont
(2:31) 12. Love For Sale
(2:31) 13. Love For Sale (Previously Unreleased Version)
(2:54) 14. Yesterdays
(2:44) 15. All the Things You Are
(3:04) 16. All My Life
(5:48) 17. Love You Madly
(3:08) 18. The Lady is a Tramp (Previously Unreleased Version)
(3:42) 19. Four Brothers (Previously Unreleased Version)
(3:10) 20. Aunt Hagar's Blues (Previously Unreleased Version)
(3:14) 21. A Foggy Day (Previously Unreleased Version)

This Savoy Jazz anthology compiles various recordings pianist Marian McPartland made in the studio as well live performances recorded at the Hickory House in New York City during the 1950s, with the pianist backed energetically by various rhythm sections. Showcasing a startling technique and impeccable melodic sense, McPartland was just beginning to lead her own trio and develop a personal style on these tracks. Some of these cuts are rare, and longtime fans should find the newly discovered live recordings fascinating.~Matt Collar(http://www.allmusic.com/album/all-my-life-mw0000032546).

Personnel: Marian McPartland (piano); Max Wayne, Eddie Safranski, Bob Carter, Vinnie Burke (bass); Mel Zelnick, Elmer "Mousie" Alexander, Don Lamond, Joe Morello (drums).

R.I.P.
All My Life

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Paul Desmond - Like Someone In Love

Styles: Jazz
Label: Telarc Distribution
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:09
Size: 140,0 MB
Art: Front

( 8:45)  1. Just Squeeze Me
( 9:46)  2. Tangerine
(10:59)  3. Meditation
(10:37)  4. Nuages
( 9:50)  5. Like Someone In Love
(11:11)  6. Things Ain't What They Used To Be

In 1992, Telarc unveiled a series of performances from the vault on a short-lived label punningly entitled "Telarchive," beginning with this long-delayed encore to the original releases from Paul Desmond's "Canadian" quartet. Recorded live in Toronto's Bourbon Street Jazz Club several months before the live dates released on Horizon and Artists House, it finds Desmond growing comfortable with his new Toronto friends but not quite settled into their laid-back ways quite yet. There are passages in this session where Desmond sounds a bit uncharacteristically scattered and unfocused, where guitarist Ed Bickert becomes the more fluid and stable solo partner, and bassist (and engineer) Don Thompson takes a lengthy solo on every track. 

Desmond seems to produce his best work in the material that he seems most familiar with. The title track is the one that catches fire most brightly (with a wry assist from "We're in the Money") and "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" finds him working in some clever asides from, yes, Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe." The wistful European melancholy of Django Reinhardt's "Nuages" suits him perfectly and Jobim's "Meditation" makes its first appearance on a Desmond recording. The boxy, confined live sound doesn't suit the late saxophonist nor, obviously, the perfectionist standards at Telarc but every precious unreleased note from Desmond is definitely worth sampling at whatever sonic level.~Richard Ginell (http://www.allmusic.com/album/like-someone-in-love-mw0000088986).

Personnel: Paul Desmond (alto saxophone); Ed Bickert (guitar); Don Thompson (bass); Jerry Fuller (drums).

Like Someone In Love

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Meredith D'Ambrosio - By Myself

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:43
Size: 141.3 MB
Label: Sunnyside
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:38] 1. By Myself
[4:46] 2. Through a Thousand Dreams
[4:30] 3. Once Upon a Long Ago
[4:24] 4. If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You
[6:01] 5. All Through the Night
[4:44] 6. High and Low
[3:01] 7. I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan
[4:37] 8. You and the Night and the Music
[4:08] 9. Something to Remember You By
[3:10] 10. Dancing in the Dark
[5:22] 11. Then I'll Be Tired of You
[3:12] 12. Why Go Anywhere at All
[3:00] 13. I See Your Face Before Me
[6:05] 14. Haunted Heart

As a title, By Myself contains multiple levels of meaning. For starters, it's the first album on which jazz vocalist and pianist Meredith D'Ambrosio has devoted herself to the work of a single composer (Broadway songwriter Arthur Schwartz). Secondly, it's her first recording since 1981's Another Time on which she appears as the sole instrumentalist. Lastly, it is her first recording since the death of her husband, pianist Eddie Higgins. All but three of these 14 Schwartz compositions were written with longtime partner, lyricist Howard Dietz, and most of them are standards. Two exceptions are "All Through the Night" (with Johnny Mercer) and "Then I'll Be Tired of You" (with Ernie "Yip" Harburg). In addition, there are two little-known Schwartz compositions here, "Once Upon a Long Ago" and "Through a Thousand Dreams," written with Leo Robin. These last two were handpicked for her to sing by her son. D'Ambrosio's approach sounds a bit austere, at least initially. That's only because we're familiar with iconic singers -- from Sinatra and Streisand to Fitzgerald and Vaughan -- performing these tunes with more populated and complex arrangements. But D'Ambrosio's intimate setting provides a prime setting for her signature vocal interpretation of these songs. She slows tempos, transposes keys, and gives them over to her unique phrasing. Her piano actually becomes a second voice. Her sense of timing is impeccable; she isn't showy, but she is precise and flowing in her economy. With her voice she can wring nuances, impressions, and ghost traces from these melodies that we didn't know were there, and her piano knows just where to highlight them, as in "Something to Remember You By." The title track is full of simmering intensity; "High and Low," "Dancing in the Dark," and "You the Night and the Music" are sung not in the moment, but in the moment of remembering; not nostalgically, but emotionally. The closer, "Haunted Heart," is the lone exception, sung in the moment to the absent beloved, of her own ache and loneliness. The sense of restraint D'Ambrosio's so well known for serves these songs beautifully, because none of them can ever appear overwrought. Instead, they are abundant with meaning. Their melodies entwine with the lyrics in complete balance, expressing a musical poetry of the heart itself. In listening to By Myself, and long after it has ended, D'Ambrosio's voice reveals to the listener that she knows exactly what these songs mean as a highly skilled musician, and as a human being who has lived, loved, and lost.

By Myself

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Dion Parson & 21st Century Band - Live At Dizzy's Club Coca Cola Vol. 2 (Discs 1&2)

Dion Parson And The 21st. Century Band: Here is the followup to Live At Dizzy's Coca Cola Vol. 1. Dion Parson is back with a star studded ensemble of first rate jazz musicians including Ron Blake (Saxophone), Marcus Printup (Trumpet), Rueben Rogers (Bass), Carlton Holmes (Piano) Victor Provost (Steel Pan) and Alioune Faye (Talking Drums). This is a two disc set with over 98 minutes of the best jazz, recorded at Jazz At Lincoln Center. A must have for any jazz fan.

Recording information: Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, New York City (09/03/2011).

Dion Parson (drums); Ron Blake (saxophone); Marcus Printup (trumpet); Carlton Holmes (piano); Alioune Faye (talking drum, djembe, sabar); Victor Provost (steel pan).

Album: Live At Dizzy's Club Coca Cola Vol. 2 (Disc 1)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:33
Size: 116.7 MB
Label: MVD Audio
Styles: Bop
Year: 2012

[ 6:31] 1. Quelbe Song
[10:43] 2. What A Wonderful World
[ 6:14] 3. Lullaby For Belle
[ 8:35] 4. D's Blues
[ 7:30] 5. Song For Maya
[10:57] 6. Knights At The Round Table

Live At Dizzy's Club Coca Cola Vol. 2 (Disc 1)

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Album: Live At Dizzy's Club Coca Cola Vol. 2 (Disc 2)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:43
Size: 117.2 MB
Label: MVD Audio
Styles: Bop
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:09] 1. Appointment
[7:51] 2. Avocado
[5:34] 3. The Things I Ame
[8:26] 4. 21st Century
[8:38] 5. Redemption Song
[8:22] 6. Rain-O-Rama
[7:40] 7. Down D Road

Live At Dizzy's Club Coca Cola Vol. 2 (Disc 2)

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