Gipsy Kings - Roots

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:09
Size: 130.8 MB
Styles: European traditions, Flamenco, Gypsy
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[4:37] 1. Aven, Aven
[4:10] 2. Legende
[1:27] 3. Fandango (Patchai)
[4:34] 4. Bolerias
[4:08] 5. Rhythmic
[3:20] 6. Como Siento Yo
[3:43] 7. Amigo
[2:54] 8. Tarantas
[2:36] 9. Fandango (Nicolas)
[3:20] 10. Boogie
[3:11] 11. Nuages
[3:23] 12. Como Ayer
[5:55] 13. Soledad
[3:05] 14. Tampa
[3:01] 15. Hermanos
[3:35] 16. Petite Noya

On ROOTS, the Gipsy Kings deliver on the promise suggested by the title, completely forgoing the synthesizers, bass guitars, and drum kits that have added a contemporary touch to many of the ensemble's previous releases. Instead, the group has gone back to basics in grand style, not only concentrating on the purity of acoustic instrumentation, but also playing with a fire and passion rarely heard in modern music of any genre.

Though nearly all the 16 songs here are self-penned (the odd man out being a composition by the legendary gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt), they sound utterly timeless, as if the group were channeling the material directly from the vintage black & white photos that grace the album's stunning packaging. The emotionally charged vocals of Nicolas and Canut Reyes are perfectly matched by the fleet-fingered, genre-bending lead guitar of Tonino Baliardo throughout, and the album's sound quality is absolutely pristine. One of several high-water marks in an accomplished career, ROOTS is recommended to anyone desirous of the glorious rapture only afforded by the purest of music.

Nicolás Reyes (vocals, guitar, palmas); Andre Reyes (vocals, guitar, background vocals); Canut Reyes (vocals, guitar); Paco Baliardo, Tonino Baliardo (guitar, palmas); Yacouba Sissoko (kora); Garth Hudson (accordion); Greg Cohen (double bass); Cyro Baptista (washboard, shaker, percussion); Diego Baliardo (palmas).

Recording information: Le Mas De Gourgoubes, St-ANdre-De-Bueges, France (06/09/2003-06/26/2003).

Roots

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Cat Conner - Cat Tales

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:12
Size: 114.9 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:20] 1. Hello Ma Baby
[6:27] 2. I Want To Talk About You
[2:43] 3. Them There Eyes
[6:27] 4. If You Could See Me Now
[7:45] 5. In A Mellow Tone
[7:34] 6. Some Other Time
[3:38] 7. Caravan
[6:29] 8. Embraceable You
[3:44] 9. I Hear A Rhapsody

One of the greatest jazz performance challenges is playing and singing ballads slow...sometimes called "calendar slow." The trick is playing slowly without dragging or stalling. It is simple physics, the difference between velocity and momentum. Simple tempo may be understood in terms of speed (or velocity) but swing, swing has the added element of musical weight about it, ensuring that once motion is started, no matter how slow, it is properly maintained by the spirit of the delivery.

The mistress of the slow ballad was the late Shirley Horn, who trumpeter Miles Davis, after hearing her debut, Embers and Ashes (Stereo-Craft Records, 1960), told Horn he like her music, but ..."she played awfully slow."

This was no dig at Horn as Davis himself, inspired by Ahmad Jamal's "less is more" approach to piano playing, preferred a lot of "space" within which to play. Horn calmly blazed a trail in this most demanding performance form. But, while Horn was a slow ballad beacon, she was far from the last of them. Vocalists Rebecca Parris and Patti Wicks have also mastered this mercurial method and produced many fine recordings of the same.

Add to this school a voice that has been a long time coming. West Coast vocalist Cat Conner has been performing the better part of her adult life as part of her rather impressive collection of creative talents that include body art and performance art. After enduring a considerable amount of encouragement from her friends in the music industry, Conner brings her light from beneath the basket on her long overdue debut, Cat Tails. This recording is a collection of mostly 1930s and '40s standards performed with a minimum of instrumentation and haste.

Cat Tails compares only with Rebecca Parris' phenomenal My Foolish Heart for sheer ballad performance. Conner's well-structured voice and delivery beg the question of what took so long for this talent to be recorded. Thankfully, that question is moot. ~Michael Bailey

Cat Tales

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Stan Kenton - Artistry In Bossa Nova

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 36:22
Size: 83.3 MB
Styles: Big band, Bossa nova
Year: 1963/2013
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. Artistry In Rhythm
[3:06] 2. Opus In Charteuse
[2:23] 3. Interlude
[3:49] 4. Kentonova
[3:29] 5. Eager Beaver
[3:13] 6. Concerto To End All Concertos
[2:18] 7. Brasilia
[3:21] 8. Painted Rhythm
[2:57] 9. Opus In Pastels
[3:25] 10. Jump For Joe
[2:47] 11. Loco-Nova
[2:48] 12. Artistry In Bossa Nova

This LP features the Stan Kenton Orchestra (during the period when it had a mellophonium section) performing some of its familiar standards and a few newer songs with a light Brazilian rhythm provided by percussionists Frank Guerrero and Milt Holland (Larry Bunker fills in for Holland on three songs). Although one might consider this project to be an example of Kenton jumping on the bandwagon (since the bossa nova fad was at its peak at the time), the music is quite enjoyable. Kenton on piano is the main soloist throughout, with Conte Candoli having a couple solos on trumpet and high-note trumpeter Bud Brisbois getting a few spots. Kenton's "Brasilia" is a charming piece deserving to be revived. Otherwise, it is interesting to hear such songs as "Interlude," "Concerto to End All Concertos," "Eager Beaver," and even "Artistry in Rhythm" in this setting. ~ Scott Yanow

Limited Japanese CD pressing of this album from the Jazz great. Recording information: 04/16/1963/04/17/1963.

Artistry In Bossa Nova

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Sofia Laiti - The Midnight Sun Will Never Set

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label:  Midnight Sun Music
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:32
Size: 111,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:15)  1. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
(4:57)  2. The Say It's Wonderful
(3:39)  3. I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues
(4:45)  4. The Midnight Sun Will Never Set
(4:21)  5. Fever
(3:46)  6. For Heaven's Sake
(4:38)  7. New York State of Mind
(4:20)  8. I'll Close My Eyes
(3:02)  9. When Your Lover Has Gone
(4:11) 10. But Beautiful
(3:30) 11. A Place In The Sun
(5:02) 12. Everytime We Say Goodbye

Houston Person is a superb musician a soulful tenor saxophonist with a big, attractive tone that isn't hard to recognize. Person has a track record, so when he produces an album, one wants to check it out. It was Person who, in 1995, produced Sofia Laiti's third album, The Midnight Sun Will Never Set, which the Finnish singer released on her own Midnight Sun label the following year. Person's presence is definitely a plus; in addition to providing his share of warm, soulful tenor solos, he helps guide a group of New York-based jazzmen that includes pianist James Weidman, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Mark Johnson. But the main attraction is Laiti, who is undeniably expressive on standards that range from "For Heaven's Sake" to "But Beautiful" and "I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me." Laiti  who handles ballads and up-tempo material equally well  is also appealing on Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" (a gem that many other jazz singers wouldn't think to record), the title track (a Quincy Jones song), and the Peggy Lee hit "Fever." Like Lee's original '50s recording, Laiti's version of "Fever" is downright sexy. However, Laiti brings a charisma of her own to the song. Although Laiti sings with a Scandinavian accent, she is understandable and her accent proves to be a plus because it gives these performances a lot of character. All of the pieces fall into place nicely on The Midnight Sun Will Never Set, which is well worth searching for.~Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-midnight-sun-will-never-set-mw0000244088.

The Midnight Sun Will Never Set

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Bennie Wallace - Someone to Watch over Me

Styles: Jazz
Label: Enja
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:48
Size: 125,4 MB
Art: Front

( 5:13)  1. Nice Work If You Can Get It
( 5:46)  2. The Man I Love
( 6:53)  3. Who Cares
( 5:11)  4. Someone To Watch Over Me
( 7:21)  5. I Was Doing All Right
( 5:20)  6. How Long Has This Been Going On
(12:18)  7. It Ain't Necessarily So
( 6:42)  8. I Loves You Porgy

There will be those fans of Tennessee tenor saxophonist Wallace who may hear this as an anomalous aside in his career of playing mostly progressive modern jazz. Others may view it a logical step, a concept album dedicated to the music of George Gershwin. What this reviewer finds fascinating about it is that Wallace plays so flexibly within the melodic intent of these well-worn lines, yet always finds a way to make them all his own. There's a certain restraint, and the simple approach is more refined due to the centered focus provided by the always brilliant pianist Mulgrew Miller, rock-solid bassist Peter Washington, and witty drummer Yoron Israel.

Miller's attention-grabbling persona is most clearly present on his arpeggiated intros of the warm waltz take on "Who Cares?" and the mad love-tinged ballad "I Loves You Porgy." Songs such as the ballad version of "How Long Has This Been Going On?" and the easy swing of "The Man I Love" seem like sleepwalking, when in fact these expert musicians can easily play them with effortless elegance. Wallace evokes sonic images of the masters with similar aplomb; he uses wonderful Coleman Hawkins-like embellishments during the title track played with Miller sans rhythm section, and goes into deep blue Ben Webster territory during the lightly swung "I Was Doing Alright." Wallace cannot be completely tamed, though; the 12-minute-plus piece, churning Afro-Cuban switching to steady, driving swing in the bridge, has Wallace in fever pitch with stretched, angular, rambling melodicism, and Miller similarly all over the place as well. Wallace practices typical octave leaping on his solo of the fairly straight-laced melody line of "Nice Work If You Can Get It," proving he can embrace both cool and animated aspects of improvisation.

There's little chaos or bombast, which might disappoint longtime listeners, but instead a nice balance that Wallace attains while retaining the unique flourishes that have made him one of the more recognizable players in jazz.~Michael G. Nastos  http://www.allmusic.com/album/someone-to-watch-over-me-mw0000246401 .

Personnel: Bennie Wallace (tenor saxophone); Mulgrew Miller (piano); Peter Washington (bass); Yoron Israel (drums).

Someone to Watch over Me

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Denzal Sinclaire - Denzal Sinclaire

Styles: Vocal
Label: Universal/Verve
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:16
Size: 126,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:23)  1. Day in day out
(3:00)  2. Exactly like you
(2:28)  3. Tofu & greens
(4:01)  4. Where or when
(4:27)  5. You and the night and the Music

(2:46)  6. You treat me so good
(3:53)  7. The art of living
(0:37)  8. I got rhythm (verse)
(3:39)  9. I got rhythm (refrain)
(4:31) 10. Never let me go
(2:48) 11. This is my lucky day
(3:34) 12. (You don't know) how glad I am
(3:31) 13. If I should lose you
(3:11) 14. Be my love
(3:46) 15. Having found you
(4:21) 16. A peaceful soul
(1:14) 17. Still got it

Toronto-born vocalist/pianist/composer, Denzal Sinclaire has earned his reputation as Canada’s most popular male jazz vocalist. Sinclaire is a graduate of Montreal’s McGill University where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance. Denzal’s vocal timbre is similar to some of the great singers. Nat King Cole, Johnny Hartman and there are even glimpses of Johnny Mathis’ jazz days. However, Denzal does have what every artist strives for. After singing just a few notes you know it is him. His trademark is the joyfulness in his voice and a special approach to phrasing a lyric or pushing or laying back on a beat. He is blessed with exquisite delivery, sensitivity to melody and a lyrical imagination. For Denzal,singing is as natural as breathing. A multiple Juno Award nominee, and recipient of the 2004 National Jazz Award for “Best Album”, he has graced the stages of numerous high-profile jazz festivals , performed with symphony orchestras, and starred in his own one hour television special for BRAVO! In 2005, Denzal was inducted into the British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame. Among Denzal’s admirers are Diana Krall, who was introduced to Denzal at the 1995 Jazz Winnipeg Festival and Diane Reeves, who became a fan after Denzal opened for her at the 2002 Vancouver International Jazz Festival. He has recorded three albums for Universal Music, I Found Love(EmArcy); the self-titled, Denzal Sinclaire (Verve); and his highly anticipated new release, My One and Only Love (Verve).

~ http://www.theagencygroup.com/artist/denzal-sinclaire/

Denzal Sinclaire

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Richie Havens - Richard P. Havens, 1983

Styles: Pop/Rock
Label:  Raven
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:48
Size: 164,4 MB
Art: Front

(1:51)  1. Stop Pulling and Pushing Me
(7:05)  2. For Heaven's Sake
(3:39)  3. Strawberry Fields Forever
(4:39)  4. What More Can I Say, John?
(3:10)  5. I Pity the Poor Immigrant
(1:59)  6. Lady Madonna
(5:16)  7. Priests
(3:04)  8. Indian Rope Man
(4:02)  9. Cautiously
(3:00) 10. Just above my Hobby Horse's Head
(4:06) 11. She's Leaving Home
(2:53) 12. Putting Out the Vibration, and Hoping It Comes Home
(7:48) 13. The Parable of Ramon
(5:19) 14. With a Little Help from My Friends
(4:55) 15. Wear Your Love Like Heaven
(2:11) 16. Run Shaker Life
(6:41) 17. Do You Feel Good?

Havens' third Verve album was an ambitious double LP, using about a couple dozen backing musicians in various combinations on instruments ranging from conga and sitar to steel guitar and organ. Though recorded for the most part in the studio, it also included several live recordings from a July 1968 concert. As with many double albums, it perhaps could have used some pruning, although in general it was a worthy expansion of his sound as captured on record. Divided almost equally between originals and covers, the music has the moving and melancholy vibe, yet also somewhat rambling feel, typical of Havens' prime. Certainly his "What More Can I Say John?" is a subtle and admirable anti-Vietnam war song, while his interpretations of Leonard Cohen's "Priests" and Maurey Hayden's (aka Lotus Weinstock's) "Cautiously" are unusual cover choices that are imaginatively done. An Indian influence makes itself heard occasionally, as on "Just Above My Hobby Horse's Head" and "Putting Out the Vibration, and Hoping It Comes Home"; "Indian Rope Man," with Jeremy Steig on flute, is one of his better compositions. However, there's an over reliance on Beatles covers (there are four here). And the live stuff on side four, with its cutesy five-minute version of "With a Little Help From My Friends" (in which Havens wordlessly scats the lyrics), seems like an afterthought to push the set to double-LP length. ~Richie Unterberger  http://www.allmusic.com/album/richard-p-havens-1983-mw0000195918 .

Richard P. Havens, 1983

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Nina Bradlin - Right Where You Are

Size: 107,0 MB
Time: 46:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz, Folk, Blues, Others
Label: Nina Bradlin
Art: Front

01. Martha (4:04)
02. She's The One (3:56)
03. Right Where You Are (3:33)
04. La Premiere Nuit (3:21)
05. Daydreaming (3:59)
06. Rejected Secrets (4:26)
07. Dreams Grow On Solid Ground (3:42)
08. Beauty Queen (3:00)
09. Movie Scene (4:12)
10. Nameless (2:33)
11. The Only Heart I Ever Had (3:14)
12. Death Is Worth Waiting For (2:45)
13. Le Pelerinage (3:36)

The new album "Right Where You Are", written in entirety by Nina Bradlin (with Kieran Kennedy and Michael Turtle), surpasses boundaries of genre to create a dynamic mix of styles which reflect the artist's diverse music passions and influences. A fusion of jazz, folk, pop, chanson, torch song, blues and more, the connecting element is Nina's desire to communicate each song as a unique piece and to create a work that surprises the listener.

The album was recorded in Schull, West Cork and Dublin in sessions with the Irish guitarist, singer and composer Kieran Kennedy (Hot House Flowers, Maria Doyle Kennedy), near Basel, Switzerland with percussionist, composer and Nina's main music partner, Englishman Michael Turtle (wearedust) and the intercontinental blues track "Dreams Grow on Solid Ground" was recorded in Basel and near Detroit at Alliance Recording with Al Hurschman (Bob Seger, Grand Funk Railroad).

Right Where You Are

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Larry Carlton & Robben Ford - Unplugged

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:46
Size: 132.3 MB
Styles: Blues/jazz guitar
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[7:33] 1. Nm Blues 08
[8:55] 2. Thet Road
[7:10] 3. Monty
[7:05] 4. Cold Gold
[4:58] 5. Hand In Hand With The Blues
[6:33] 6. Amen Ac
[6:24] 7. I Put A Spell On You
[9:05] 8. Rio Samba

Larry Carlton and special guest Robben Ford sharing the same stage, unplugged. This DVD is a guitar lovers dream. This unique pairing of great guitar legends delivers and unforgettable evening of dueling guitar solos and an uncompromising evening of The Blues the way it was meant to be.

Recording information: New Morning Jazz Club, Paris, France.

Larry Carlton (guitar); Robben Ford (vocals, guitar); Claude Salmieri (drums).

Unplugged

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Sathima Bea Benjamin - A Morning In Paris

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 42:21
Size: 97.0 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1963/2008
Art: Front

[3:46] 1. Darn That Dream
[4:32] 2. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
[3:19] 3. I Could Write A Book
[3:11] 4. I Should Care
[2:00] 5. Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year
[3:29] 6. Solitude
[4:15] 7. The Man I Love
[2:37] 8. Your Love Has Faded
[3:17] 9. I'm Glad There Is You
[3:08] 10. Soon
[3:29] 11. Lover Man
[5:13] 12. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square

In 1963, singer Sathima Bea Benjamin persuaded Duke Ellington to see her future husband, Abdullah Ibrahim (then known as Dollar Brand), play in a club in Europe. Ellington was impressed by both of the recent South African émigrés and arranged with Reprise to record them. While Brand's record came out within a year, Benjamin's debut was lost and not heard for decades, even by the singer. As it turned out, engineer Gerhard Lehner had made a second copy and kept it for all of these years, so the initial 1997 release of this important session was possible. Backed by pianist Ibrahim, bassist Johnny Gertze, drummer Makaya Ntshoko, and (on two songs apiece) Duke Ellington or Billy Strayhorn, and occasionally joined by violinist Svend Asmussen (who here plays exclusively pizzicato, as if he were using a high-pitched guitar), Benjamin's voice sounds quite beautiful. She performs two Ellington tunes, Strayhorn's "Your Love Has Faded," and nine standards, with the emphasis on slow ballads. The moody music is often haunting and quite memorable. ~ Scott Yanow

Recorded at Barclay Studios, Paris, France on February 23, 1963.

Sathima Bea Benjamin (vocals); Svend Asmussen (violin); Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Abdullah Ibrahim (piano); Johnny Gertze (bass); Makaya Ntshoko (drums).

A Morning In Paris

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Bill Carrothers - Home Row

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:48
Size: 142.2 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[ 5:56] 1. When Will The Blues Leave
[12:23] 2. Jesus' Last Ballad
[ 6:20] 3. A Squirrel's Tale
[ 5:45] 4. Hope Song
[ 8:23] 5. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[ 6:16] 6. Off Minor
[ 5:13] 7. Lost In The Stars
[ 7:08] 8. Home Row
[ 4:20] 9. Ballad Of Billy Milwaukee

Pianist Bill Carrothers is joined by bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Bill Stewart for this stunning trio session, a compelling mix of originals, standards, and arrangements of jazz compositions by others. Ornette Coleman's quirky blues "When Will the Blues Leave?" and Thelonious Monk's "Off Minor" are full of humor. The dark, haunting "Jesus' Last Ballad," which was a prominent selection on the collaboration between the late pianist Bill Evans and harmonica virtuoso Toots Thielemans (though Thielemans is incorrectly credited as composer instead of Gianni Bedorri), unwinds slowly in a rhapsodic treatment, with Peacock's understated bass and Stewart's minimal brushwork complementing the leader. Carrothers' brisk, angular setting of Cole Porter's "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" is a delightful romp, while his spacious arrangement of "Lost in the Stars" emphasizes its lyricism. The pianist's originals are equally strong. The rambunctious "A Squirrel's Tale," with its sudden changes in direction, is full of whimsy, while "Home Row" is a spirited, unconventional blues. Highly recommended! ~ Ken Dryden
Recording information: The Studio, New York, NY (01/18/1992/01/19/1992).

Bill Carrothers (piano); Gary Peacock (bass instrument); Bill Stewart (drums).

Home Row

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Kris Adams - This Thing Called Love

Styles: Vocal
Label:  Jazzbird
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:26
Size: 117,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Honeysuckle Rose
(6:07)  2. In Your Own Sweet Way
(5:50)  3. Her Last Years
(3:47)  4. What Is This Thing Called Love?
(3:26)  5. Secret Love
(5:25)  6. Retrato Em Branco E Preto
(5:38)  7. Waltz For Debby
(4:07)  8. Indian Summer/when The World Was Young
(4:19)  9. Lover
(4:11) 10. Double Rainbow
(3:16) 11. I Didn't Know What Time It Was

If risk-taking is a crucial element in jazz singing, then Boston-based Kris Adams takes the ultimate plunge on her maiden album, This Thing Called Love. Working from a playlist composed of standards, a couple of Antonio Carlos Jobim masterpieces, and an original, Adams presents the material in a meter not usually associated with this style of music, attacking the songs in a decidedly offbeat manner. The digression from the melody varies from tune to tune. Adams' rendition of "Honeysuckle Rose" features a melody line and meter totally unlike those used in Nat King Cole's, or even Thelonious Monk's, version. At first, Adams' singing seems out of tune (it isn't), but after a few listens, her vocalizing begins to take on a pleasing shape and form. Bill Evan's "Waltz for Debby" is stimulating, as is Jobim's "Double Rainbow." Those who are willing to open their ears, or those who cozy to creative jazz and adventurous vocalists like Norma Winstone and Ursula Dudziak, will enjoy this album. Traditionalists, though, are likely to be turned off by Adams' unusual treatment of the music.~Dave Nathan http://www.allmusic.com/album/this-thing-called-love-mw0000233630// .

This Thing Called Love

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Walter Ostanek - Non-Stop Dancing

Styles: Easy Listening
Label:  Unidisc
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:36
Size: 78,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:15)  1. Rolling Rock Polka
(2:37)  2. Somewhere My Love (Lara's Theme)
(2:38)  3. There's A New Moon Over My Shoulder
(2:36)  4. Tiny Bubbles
(2:42)  5. Friendship Polka
(2:30)  6. Spanish Nights and You
(2:13)  7. Euclid Vet's Polka
(2:14)  8. Isle Of Capri
(4:21)  9. Medley
(2:24) 10. Walk Through This World With Me
(2:14) 11. Mama Inez
(1:46) 12. EE-I-EE-Oh Polka

Walter Ostanek is a living legend in the world of polka music. He is known to many as Canada's Polka King  a title he has well-earned. During more than four long decades as a professional performer, he has made somewhere over 50 recordings, and earned a number of Grammy Awards and nominations. He has also been inducted into the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and the International Polka Hall of Fame, both as a Lifetime Achievement Honoree. Ostanek was born in Duperquet, Quebec, in the spring of 1935 as Ladislav John Ostanek. His parents, both from Yugoslavia, moved the small family to St. Catharines, Ontario, about the same time young Ostanek started school. With a natural love for music, he began playing the button diatonic accordion when he was only nine. Before he reached his teens, he moved on to a piano accordion. He excelled with the instrument. When Ostanek was 16 he put together his first band. The group landed small gigs, playing a mixture of country & western polkas. After polishing his skills for a couple more years, he moved on to a radio show called "Abbie Andrews & his Canadian Ranch Boys." He performed with the act a number of times a week until about 1956 when he left to form the Walter Ostanek Band. In 1963, Ostanek completed his debut album, Gay Continental Dance Party. If anyone thought the young accordion player was going to be no more than a short-lived flash of fame, they were very wrong. Ostanek went on to have his own long-running radio program, as well as his own television series like It's Polka Time and Polka Party. In the '70s and '80s, between working on a string of recordings, Ostanek toured through many countries including Austria and Italy. He still found time to perform on numerous popular television shows like the Phil Donohue Show, Lawrence Welk, and the Johnny Carson Show. During this time he earned several awards and gold records.  In the '90s, albums still appeared from the musician. A few of the many full-length recordings Ostanek has released over the years are Yearning for Polkas and Waltzes, Accordionally Yours, Instrumental Button Box Classics with Canada's Polka King, On Our Way for More Non-Stop Dancing, Music and Friends, Continental Dance Party With Walter Ostanek & Band, Memories Polkas and Waltzes, Just for You, and As Time Goes By. ~Bio  https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/walter-ostanek/id289238235#fullText.

Non-Stop Dancing

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Bob James - The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (2-disc set)

Issued by the U.K. -based Metro Doubles label in 2002, Essential Collection: 24 Smooth Jazz Classics only overlaps 2001's Restoration anthology with eight of the same tracks, and concentrates on material originally released from 1974 to 1984 (apart from 1995's "Ensenada Madness," everything fits into that time frame). A fine chronological overview of James' most productive period, this is a very attractive package that includes informative and insightful liner notes. "Nautilus," "Westchester Lady," "Take Me to the Mardi Gras," "Angela (Theme From Taxi)," "Touchdown," and "Sign of the Times" are among the inclusions. Naturally, this double-disc set can serve any number of purposes: as pleasant, occasionally funky background music, as proof of your extensive knowledge of hip-hop samples, or as cruel torture for your jazz purist peers. ~ Andy Kellman

Bob James (keyboards); Richie Resnicoff (guitar); Harold Kohon, Charles Libove, David Nadien, Gene Orloff, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin (violin); Seymour Barab, Jesse Levy, Charles McCracken , Alan Shulman, George Ricci, Anthony Sophos (cello); George Marge, Romeo Penque (alto flute, recorder); Jon Faddis, Alan Rubin, Lew Soloff, Marvin Stamm, Victor Paz, Thad Jones (trumpet); Wayne Andre (trombone); Jack Gale, Alan Raph, Paul Faulise (bass trombone); Gary King (bass instrument); Steve Gadd (drums); Ralph MacDonald (percussion); Dave Friedman.

Album: The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (Disc 1)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:03
Size: 167.3 MB
Label: Koch
Styles: Piano jazz, Crossover jazz
Year: 2013

[5:49] 1. Night On Bald Mountain
[6:35] 2. Feel Like Making Love
[5:03] 3. Nautilus
[8:22] 4. Farandole (L'arlesienne Suite No. 2)
[5:47] 5. Take Me To The Mardi Gras
[8:00] 6. Women Of Ireland
[7:23] 7. Westchester Lady
[6:40] 8. Where The Wind Blows Free
[6:37] 9. Heads
[6:16] 10. Night Crawler
[6:25] 11. Kari

The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (Disc 1)

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Album: The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (Disc 2)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:16
Size: 167.7 MB
Label: Koch
Styles: Piano jazz, Crossover jazz
Year: 2013

[5:40] 1. Angela
[5:36] 2. Touchdown
[5:31] 3. Blue Lick
[6:39] 4. Shepherd's Song
[7:19] 5. Thoroughbred
[5:40] 6. Reunited
[5:34] 7. Sign Of The Times
[6:57] 8. Spunky
[4:53] 9. Miranda
[5:20] 10. Marco Polo
[4:47] 11. Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
[5:28] 12. Ensenada Madness
[3:46] 13. Brooklyn Heights Boogie

The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (Disc 2)

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Humphrey Lyttelton & His Band - Between Friends

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 70:38
Size: 161.7 MB
Label: Callograph
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:45] 1. Now That We're Here, Let's Go!
[3:38] 2. Boston Glider
[3:14] 3. Everything But You
[6:12] 4. Cross A Busy Street
[4:57] 5. Blue Mist
[7:26] 6. You're Driving Me Crazy Moten Swing
[2:59] 7. Hand-Me-Down Love
[3:25] 8. You're Lucky To Me
[3:38] 9. I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So
[5:58] 10. Unbooted Character
[3:28] 11. If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight
[5:00] 12. Rain
[5:08] 13. Sugar
[5:21] 14. Get Ready To Fly
[6:21] 15. Creole Love Call

The grand old man of British jazz, trumpeter and bandleader Humphrey Lyttelton spearheaded the postwar trad jazz revival before renouncing the movement in favor of more contemporary and restless creative vision. A larger-than-life figure, he also excelled as a writer and cartoonist, and for decades was a fixture of radio, serving as the hilariously deadpan host of the long-running I'm Sorry, I Haven't a Clue. Born in Eton on May 23, 1921, Lyttelton was the product of a distinguished and wealthy family -- a lifelong jazz enthusiast, he received his first trumpet at age 15 and formed a band with some Eton College classmates. He also studied military drumming under a former Coldstream Guards drum major and joined the school band as a percussionist. Lyttelton enlisted in the British Army on D-Day and saw combat in Italy -- on leave in London he sat in with local jazz bands, and upon returning to civilian life in 1945 he enrolled at the Camberwell School of Art. In March 1947, he signed on with semi-professional trad jazz combo George Webb's Dixielanders; when Dixielanders clarinetist and professional cartoonist Wally Fawkes was promoted to write and illustrate a full-fledged daily strip for The Daily Mail, Lyttelton was tapped to fill Fawkes' previous position sketching "column-breakers" -- i.e., humorous or decorative drawings inserted into the text. He also reviewed jazz and classical recordings for the newspaper, and later scripted the Fawkes-drawn strip Flook as well.

Between Friends

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Cris Delanno - Grandes Canções: Clássicos Do Cinema

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:50
Size: 107.2 MB
Label: Albatrozmusic
Styles: Brazilian jazz vocals, Bossa Nova
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[4:22] 1. Smile
[3:37] 2. Love Letters
[3:55] 3. Summer Of '42
[4:43] 4. As Time Goes By
[2:00] 5. Someday My Prince Will Come
[2:36] 6. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
[4:51] 7. Laura
[5:24] 8. The Sound Of Music
[3:50] 9. Secret Love
[3:56] 10. The Shadow Of Your Smile
[4:01] 11. Moon River
[3:29] 12. Over The Rainbow

Nascida nos EUA, aos cinco anos de idade já era solista do Coral Infantil do Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, participando de óperas como "La Bohéme" e "Carmen". Estudou balé, flauta, piano e teoria musical na infância. Posteriormente teve aulas de técnica vocal, harmonia, improvisação musical e teatro. Começou a cantar profissionalmente em casas noturnas, tendo feito também algumas gravações de jingles para campanhas publicitárias, além de atuar como back vocal. Sua primeira como solista foi no CD "Ditos e feitos", de Roberto Menescal. Depois fez mais gravações em discos de outros artistas, como no CD "50 anos", de Aldir Blanc. Em 1993, participou do Projeto Aquarius, apresentando-se no espetáculo "Cem anos de Copacabana", ao lado da Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, sob a regência do maestro Isaac Karabtchevsky. Em 1993 seguiu para os Estados Unidos, sendo convidada para ser cantora solista do African American Unity, sendo a única branca a participar de um coral tipicamente negro de música gospel americana. Retornou ao Brasil em 1995, gravando seu primeiro disco, "Cris em Tom maior", produzido por Roberto Menescal, só com músicas de Tom Jobim. Em 1999, participou dos espetáculos "Diz que fui por aí" e "Nara, uma senhora opinião" (Teatro Ginástico e Teatro de Arena), concebidos e dirigidos por Solange Kafuri. "Nara, uma senhora opinião" foi registrado em CD no mesmo ano. Foi considerada uma três melhores vozes do Prêmio Visa-MPB de 1999, organizado pela Rádio Eldorado, de São Paulo. Publicou, em 1999, o CD-book "Mais que nunca é preciso cantar", sobre técnica vocal para o canto popular. É membro da Sociedade Brasileira de Laringologia e Voz e do National Association of Teachers of Singing, nos EUA e dá aulas de técnica vocal para o canto popular. foi professora do curso de canto popular no XXII Curso Insternacional de Verão da Escola de Música de Brasília e dá aulas na escola de Música da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Em 2000, lançou o CD "Grandes canções: clássicos do cinema", nos quais interpreta clássicos do cinema norte-americano. Ainda nesse ano, participou do projeto "Novo canto", dividindo o palco com Roberto Menescal. Em 2001, gravou o CD "Filha da pátria", com as canções "It's a long way" (Caetano Veloso), "Ânima" (Zé Renato e Milton Nascimento), "Camisa amarela" (Ary Barroso), "Fantasia" (Chico Buarque) e outras. Em 2002, lançou o CD "Caminhos cruzados - Cris Delanno canta Newton Mendonça", interpretando exclusivamente obras do compositor. Em 2006 lançou pala Deck Discos o CD "Cris Delanno", interpretando músicas de Dorival Caymmi, João Bosco, Baden Powell, João Donato e outros. Em 2012 lançou no Japão o Cd "Nosso Quintal", ao lado de Alex Moreira, seu marido, e um dos membros do grupo Bossacucanova. Embora não seja um membro oficial, Cris Delanno é presença frequente nos shows e discos do grupo.

Grandes Canções: Clássicos Do Cinema

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Hildegunn Gjedrem - The End Of The Beginning

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label: Sitmom
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:05
Size: 128,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:16)  1. What'll I Do
(6:06)  2. I Love You
(5:13)  3. Someone To Watch Over Me
(4:24)  4. Echo
(3:50)  5. I Can't Believe You
(4:48)  6. What Endures
(4:41)  7. Nocturnal
(4:04)  8. Summertime
(5:28)  9. Change Of Heart
(6:30) 10. Body And Soul
(3:41) 11. The End Of The Begining

Hildegunn Gjedrem was born in Norway. She moved to the United States in 2001 to pursue studies in Vocal Jazz at the renowned University of North Texas.  In 2005 she was awarded “Best Jazz Vocalist” by Downbeat Magazine. Also in 2005, Hildegunn was given the G9alt Scholarship of the Arts by Sparebank 1 of Norway. In the summer of 2006 she was one of 8 singers selected from 28 countries to travel to Switzerland and compete in the Montreux Jazz Festival Vocal Competition, judged by Al Jarreau, and was further selected as one of the finalists there. She has been featured vocalist with the Grammy Award winning One O’Clock Lab Band on several occasions, such as their 2005 tour of Poland and their 2007 concert with living legend bassist Rufus Reid. She has performed at Festivals and Conferences such as IAJE in Toronto, Long Beach and New York. She is active as a freelance singer in the Dallas/Ft.Worth Metroplex, at festivals, as a studio singer as well as with her own music. With her 2007 debut album “The End of the Beginning” Hildegunn has proved herself to be a warm and talented performer with a sound all her own, highly musically influenced by her Scandinavian roots. She has excelled as a writer, arranger and singer. The Hildegunn Gjedrem Group has a truly unique voice for modern jazz.~ http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hildegunngjedrem

The End Of The Beginning

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Diane Schuur & Maynard Ferguson - Swingin' For Schuur

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label: Concord Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:54
Size: 130,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:10)  1. Just One of Those Things
(5:20)  2. Besame Mucho
(6:28)  3. Deep Purple
(3:33)  4. Autumn Leaves
(3:53)  5. My Romance
(4:39)  6. Love Letters
(3:35)  7. East of the Sun and West of th
(5:59)  8. Midnight Sun
(4:31)  9. I Fall in Love too Easily
(5:58) 10. Lush Life
(4:59) 11. Just Friends
(3:45) 12. Let's Fall in Love

Well regarded as one of our greatest living jazz singers, Schuur seems to enjoy album titles created out of puns of her name prior to this there was Friends for Schuur but don't let the novelties distract you from this sassy, explosively brassy swing project blending her inventive vocals with Ferguson's blistering trumpet and the ensemble energy of his Big Bop Nouveau Band. Aside from crisp performances by both, the real key to the success here is the unexpected arrangements of standards by various members of Ferguson's band. Two classics generally rendered as intimate ballads  "Autumn Leaves" and "My Romance" are rendered as easy swaying, frisky finger-snapping romps. The interlude after the first verse on "Autumn Leaves" typifies the way Ferguson lets his guys jam before he steps up and challenges them with a powerful wailing flurry of high notes. "My Romance" finds Schuur moving out of her crystal clear midrange safety zone and reaching the high registers, with a few vocal notes matched at the end by the trumpet. Many of the arrangements are like baritone saxman Denis DiBlasio's twist on "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" Schuur gliding over a snappy but subdued jazz trio before Ferguson and company burst in with increasingly muscular horn textures, which then push her to emotional heights. Most of the songs incorporate such mood swings, but "Deep Purple" stays a slow, seductive, and subdued ballad the whole way through. Schuur once again proves she's an amazing vocalist who can sing along with the best of them. Is there another singer who's made duet recordings with both Ferguson and B.B. King?~ Jonathan Widran (http://www.allmusic.com/album/swingin-for-schuur-mw0000013875).

Personnel: Diane Schuur (vocals); Maynard Ferguson (trumpet, flugelhorn); Mike Dubaniewicz (alto saxophone); Jeff Rupert (tenor saxophone); Denis Di Blasio (baritone saxophone); Paul Armstrong, Peter Ferguson, Patrick Hession (trumpet); Reggie Watkins (trombone); Jeff Lashway (piano); Brian Stahurski (bass); Brian Wolfe (drums).

Swingin' For Schuur

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Brandi Disterheft - Second Side

Styles: Jazz
Label: Justin Time
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:59
Size: 89,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:34)  1. Sketches of Belief
(3:47)  2. Combien de Chances
(2:17)  3. Second Dawn
(4:30)  4. Twilight Curtain
(2:59)  5. My Only Friends Are the Pigeons
(4:10)  6. He's Walkin'
(1:03)  7. Dawn
(4:20)  8. Liege
(1:56)  9. A Night in Haiti
(4:31) 10. Let Her Shine
(2:48) 11. This Time the Dream's on Me

The Canadian equivalent of Esperanza Spalding, young bassist/vocalist Brandi Disterheft crosses over into many forms of modern and contemporary jazz on this, her second recording. Blessed with a sweet voice and instrumental chops to burn, she mixes up funk, pop, or fusion styles with a different group on every track, and diversity in mind. Like Spalding, Disterheft uses a playful sense of wonder, retaining her youthful exuberance and even innocence. Hip and upbeat during the instrumental waltz "My Only Friends Are the Pigeons," she could also easily hit the adult contemporary charts with the exciting, vocal based "Twilight Curtain." There's a restless spirit present during most of these tracks, whether in reference to the electric Miles Davis, the jangling guitar on top of hard funk, or regal sounds during "Liege." Cameo appearances from pop/jazz vocalist Holly Cole, or straight-ahead singer Ranee Lee on the Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer evergreen "This Time the Dream's on Me" with a big band, broadens Disterheft's palette further. Though not definitive or sharply focused, Brandi Disterheft proves to be a formidable talent, ready to break out, essentially scratching the surface of her enormous talent and big ears.~Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/second-side-mw0002028536

Second Side

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Down To The Bone - Best Of

Styles: Jazz Funk
Label: Narada
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:22
Size: 165,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:46)  1. Staten island groove
(5:20)  2. Cellar funk
(7:49)  3. The zodiac
(5:53)  4. Black choice
(5:12)  5. Gotta get back to you
(7:13)  6. Brooklyn heights
(6:57)  7. Electra glide
(5:56)  8. I'll always hold you close (ft. Brian Auger)
(6:46)  9. Carlito's way
(6:42) 10. Pure funk
(5:44) 11. Long way from Brooklyn

Far from your run-of-the-mill contemporary jazz chart-toppers, the duo of Stuart Wade and Chris Morgans come from a long line of British advocates of jazz including the Brand New Heavies and Us3. Their first album as Down to the Bone, 1997's From Manhattan to Staten, did predictably well around their base in Chobham, Surrey, but also transferred to American smooth jazz charts. Their second album, The Urban Grooves, featured a track recorded with one of Wade and Morgans' original inspirations, organist Reuben Wilson, and topped jazz charts in America after its 1998 release date. Spread the Word: Album III followed in early 2001, with Crazy Vibes and Things coming the next year. After moving to Narada, the group released Cellar Funk and Spread Love Like Wildfire in 2004 and 2005, respectively. The label celebrated the band's ten years in the game by issuing the greatest-hits album The Best of Down to the Bone in early 2007. The group’s tenth album, The Main Ingredients, released in 2011, found Down to the Bone taking their signature funk and groove sound to the Trippin 'N' Rhythm label.~ Bio https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/down-to-the-bone/id417709#fullText .

Celebrating a decade of making music, The Best of Down to the Bone collects 11 of the soul-jazz/fusion band's biggest songs -- at least one from each of their six albums -- into one neatly compiled collection. Released by Narada, who Down to the Bone has been with since 2004's Cellar Funk, this best-of is a superfluous addition to anyone who has most, or many, of the group's records, but for someone who just wants to learn what Down to the Bone is about, this hits the spot.~ Marisa Brown  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-down-to-the-bone-mw0000569826 .

Best Of

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