Wynton Marsalis - Live at the House of Tribes

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:04
Size: 153,6 MB
Art: Front

(15:49)  1. Green Chimneys
(17:48)  2. Just Friends
(12:13)  3. You Don't Know What Love Is
( 6:47)  4. Donna Lee
(10:27)  5. What Is This Thing Called Love?
( 3:57)  6. Second Line

Wynton Marsalis' dominance seems at times so complete that it's easy to either become suspicious of the musician represented by the vita sheet, or take it as a given that he's the world's greatest trumpet player, if not music-maker. Live at the House of Tribes offers little conclusive evidence for either position, but it certainly makes the case for a non-controversial middle ground.

The program appears designed to appeal to a wide audience within the liberal spectrum of mainstream modern jazz. The opening selection, Monk's rarely heard "Green Chimneys," is a riff-driven, primarily single-chord piece introduced over an infectious boogaloo street beat an ideal vehicle, in other words, for introducing the musical personalities of the band. "Just Friends" is taken at an uncharacteristically laid-back tempo, with Latin percussion and heavy emphasis on the off-beats. "You Don't Know What Love Is" and "Donna Lee" are the two least compromising performances on the date, the latter conjuring up the ghosts of Bird, Diz, and 52nd Street halcyon days. "What Is This Thing Called Love," normally a bebop staple, returns to the accessible rhythmic feel of "Just Friends," and the closer, "2nd Line," is an elemental New Orleans blues march that's obviously a crowd-pleaser.

Listening to Marsalis on this occasion, I couldn't help but notice no small amount of Clark Terry's influence on his playing. Like Terry, he alternates between a classically pure sound and occasional vocal effects, and he's continually playful and engaging, teasing his audience with minimal virtuosity before cutting loose. If his playing lacks passion and drama, it more than compensates with consummate technical command and undeniable flare. Although producer Delfeayo Marsalis seems to have had microphones placed at select tables to convince us that the audience was eating up every note, he's otherwise to be commended for the audio quality of the recording. The sound has depth and natural presence, without the annoying boosting of the bass that's endemic on recording sessions these days. The other musicians on the date especially alto saxophonist Wessell Anderson manage to impress while attending to their supportive roles. Overall, a solid entry by Mr. Marsalis and a spirited musical party by his ensemble. ~ Samuel Chell   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=20503#.UqoU-OJc_vs

Live at the House of Tribes

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Michael Buble - Christmas

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:43
Size: 118.4 MB
Styles: Holiday
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:25] 1. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
[2:50] 2. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
[2:39] 3. Jingle Bells
[3:36] 4. White Christmas
[2:51] 5. All I Want For Christmas Is You
[1:59] 6. Holly Jolly Christmas
[3:51] 7. Santa Baby
[3:50] 8. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
[3:07] 9. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
[3:46] 10. Silent Night
[3:41] 11. Blue Christmas
[3:17] 12. Cold December Night
[4:24] 13. I'll Be Home For Christmas
[3:59] 14. Ave Maria
[4:23] 15. Mis Deseos Feliz Navidad

Except for a 2003 EP, Michael Bublé hadn't released a holiday album until 2011's Christmas, which coincided with a television special on NBC, A Michael Bublé Christmas. The album was produced by David Foster, Bob Rock and Humberto Gatica, and featured duets with Shania Twain, the Puppini Sisters, and Thalía, among others. Along with holiday favorites ("Silent Night," "Jingle Bells," "White Christmas," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), Christmas also features "Cold December Night," an original from Bublé. Special editions included three bonus tracks and an exclusive ornament within extended packaging.

Recording information: Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; Germano Studios, New York, NY; Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; LionShare Studios, Los Angeles, CA; The Warehouse, Vancouver, B. C., Canada.

Christmas

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Clora Bryant - Gal With A Horn

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 28:13
Size: 64.6 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz, Bop
Year: 1957/1985
Art: Front

[2:48] 1. Gypsy In My Soul
[3:29] 2. Makin' Whoopee
[3:53] 3. Man With A Horn
[4:32] 4. Sweet Georgia Brown
[3:47] 5. Tea For Two
[4:31] 6. This Can't Be Love
[3:05] 7. Little Girl Blue
[2:05] 8. S'posin'

This VSOP CD (which reissues a Mode LP from 1957) features Bryant heading a quartet (comprised of pianist Roger Fleming, bassist Ben Tucker, and drummer Bruz Freeman) that is sometimes augmented by Walter Benton on tenor and trumpeter Normie Faye (who sticks to section work). Bryant, who also sings, does a fine job of interpreting eight standards, with the highlights including "Sweet Georgia Brown," "Tea for Two," and "This Can't Be Love." ~Scott Yanow

Clora and her two brothers were raised by her father, Charles Bryant, whom she credits for her success. She took up the trumpet at 15 in Denison, Texas, and in 1944 she won a scholarship to Prairie View A&M University, a historically black college near Houston. She played in the Prairie View Co-Eds, an all-girl swing band that toured the South and Northeast.

The next year she moved to California and continued her musical education by listening to recordings and sitting in at jazz clubs. In 1956 her friend, trombonist Melba Liston, was playing in Dizzy Gillespie’s band. After telling Dizzy about Clora, Melba introduced them, and they became lifelong friends. In 1957 she cut her only record: Clora Bryant … Gal with a Horn. ~Susan Fleet

Gal With A Horn

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Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - Mama Mama Blues: The Best Of Louis Jordan

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:44
Size: 123.0 MB
Styles: R&B, Jump blues, Blues-jazz
Year: 2005/2012
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. Mama, Mama Blues (Rusty Dusty Blues)
[2:49] 2. Mister Lovingood
[3:10] 3. Ration Blues
[2:57] 4. The Things I Want I Can't Get At Home
[2:56] 5. I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town
[3:17] 6. Do You Call That A Buddy
[3:11] 7. T-Bone Blues
[3:08] 8. Paper Boy
[2:24] 9. Reconversion Blues
[2:46] 10. Choo Choo Ch'boogie
[2:49] 11. Let The Good Times Roll
[2:39] 12. Fore Day Blues
[3:13] 13. Hard Lovin' Blues
[2:46] 14. Buzz Me Again
[3:22] 15. Early In The Morning
[3:13] 16. Daddy-O
[3:14] 17. Lemonade
[2:38] 18. Caldonia

Most people associate Louis Jordan with up tempo boogie based rhythym & blues tunes like Calendonia, saturday night fish fry, choo choo choo boogie and others. This collection has a few of those too, but the main focus is the slower blues tunes. Louis did plenty of blues over his years with Decca records, and this collection features a number of them. As a matter of fact, "I'm going to move to the outskirts of town", a slow blues was his first hit with the tympani five.If you're into Louis' jump tunes, give a listen to the man do some blues. A side of Louis that sadly gets little mention. This collection could go a ways to correct that. ~Rick from Boston/amazon

Mama Mama Blues: The Best Of Louis Jordan

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Giacomo Gates - Fly Rite

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 58:37
Size: 134.2 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[5:13] 1. Senor Blues
[4:24] 2. Girl Talk
[4:31] 3. But Not For Me
[5:26] 4. Spinnin' (Speed Ball)
[4:47] 5. I Cover The Waterfront
[5:00] 6. Baby, You Should Know It
[6:46] 7. Jeannine
[6:14] 8. You Go To My Head
[3:26] 9. Fly Rite (Epistrophy)
[6:01] 10. How I Wish (Ask Me Now)
[6:44] 11. Night In Tunisia

Male jazz singers seemed like a endangered species in the '80s and '90s; for every noteworthy male jazz singer who came along, there seemed to be 50 to 100 women who were taking up jazz singing. The very fact that Giacomo Gates was a jazz-singing male in the '90s made you want to at least check him out and satisfy your curiosity, and thankfully, he had solid albums like Fly Rite to back himself up. Joined by trumpeter/flügelhornist Jim Rotondi, pianist David Hazeltine, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Ben Riley, the smoky-voiced, expressive Gates brings a saxophone-like approach to bop classics like Thelonious Monk's "Ask Me Now" (for which he embraces Jon Hendricks' lyrics), Horace Silver's "Señor Blues," and Duke Pearson's "Jeannine." Quite adept at scat singing and vocalese, Gates is well-served by such influences as Mark Murphy, King Pleasure, and Eddie Jefferson but makes it clear that he's very much his own man. And Gates' lyrics to Monk's "Epistrophy" and Lee Morgan's "Speedball" let us know that he isn't a bad lyricist either. The singer was in his late forties when this CD was recorded, but he was still quite obscure. One hoped that Fly Rite would make him better known. ~ Alex Henderson

Recording information: Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, NY (01/22/1998).

Giacomo Gates (vocals); Jim Rotondi (trumpet, flugelhorn); David Hazeltine (piano); Ben Riley (drums); Peter Washington (bass).

Fly Rite

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Polly Gibbons - Moanin'

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:23
Size: 147,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:42)  1. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
(5:52)  2. Black Coffee
(5:49)  3. Don't Explain
(5:17)  4. Something Real
(7:29)  5. God Bless The Child
(5:47)  6. Moanin'
(5:37)  7. Everything Must Change
(4:40)  8. Hallelujah
(4:30)  9. Saving Grace
(4:07) 10. Comes Love
(4:31) 11. Happies Day
(3:57) 12. Tell Me Who's Wrong

Polly Gibbons is a talented, 24-years-old British jazz/soul singer who received the prestigious BBC Jazz Award in 2006. With her powerful, soulful voice, she is already performing at some of the top UK venues and international festivals. Quick to find new talent, Japanese producer Makoto Kimata invited to come to Italy and record her Japanese debut CD with young, talented Italian musicians. Gibbons agreed on the condition that she would bring her trusted musical partner and pianist Tim Lapthon with her. 

From the beginning of the opener, James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," the listener would realize that she is a real vocal talent. Her voice is powerful, soulful, bluesy and emotional. She bravely tackles Billie Holiday's  her main jazz influence classics "Don't Explain" and "God Bless The Child," and impressively, she more than stands on her own. The straight-forward but tasteful, contemporary arrangements by Lapthon and the cast of Italian musicians support Gibbons effectively. This CD is a real find: I'm sure this will be remembered as one of the best vocal albums of 2008, and we will be hearing a lot more from Ms. Gibbons in the future. Very highly recommended!  

http://www.eastwindimport.com/product-info.asp?CategoryName=Gibbons%2C+Polly&ProductID=518

Personnel : Polly Gibbons (vocal); Antonio Iasevoli (guitar); Stefano Cantarano (bass); Alessandro Marzi (drums); Marcello Allulli (tenor sax); Francesco Fratini (trumpet)

Moanin'

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Gill Manly - The Lies of Handsome Men

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:27
Size: 127,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. The Lies of Handsome Men
(3:37)  2. Peel Me a Grape
(4:10)  3. Before Love Went Out of Style
(3:11)  4. Witchcraft
(3:28)  5. Windmills of Your Mind
(3:14)  6. Stolen Moments
(4:15)  7. Mad World
(3:42)  8. Woman Talk
(3:20)  9. Charade
(3:26) 10. A Single Woman
(3:35) 11. Second Time Around (feat. Buddy Greco)
(3:42) 12. Wild is the Wind
(4:21) 13. Go Away Little Boy
(4:15) 14. How Insensitive
(2:32) 15. Not Like This

It's been 30 years since Gill Manly began singing jazz standards around the clubs and bars of London, after a few years honing her skills in West End musicals and fringe theatre. She has garnered much praise during that time, working with fellow singers Mark Murphy and Ian Shaw, among others. The Lies Of Handsome Men is only her third album a decade-long absence from the music business between her debut, Detour Ahead (Parrott Records, 1995), and With A Song In My Heart (Linn Records, 2009) may go some way to explaining the scarcity. The beauty of Manly's voice and the relationship between that voice and Simon Wallace's piano across these 15 songs leads to a fervent hope that such scarcity is at an end.

Wallace, who was lyricist Fran Landesman's long-term songwriting collaborator, is a sensitive and unselfish accompanist who also produced this album. All of these songs are Manly's personal favorites, selected from her "personal treasure trove." Manly delivers the lyrics with such emotion and honesty that it's easy to believe that these songs are autobiographical, even with the knowledge that someone else wrote them all. Of course, some of these narratives may well touch on Manly's personal experiences she describes Francesca Blumenthal's title track as "a tongue-in-cheek biographical nod to my past" but even when she sings standards like "Witchcraft" or "Charade," she brings an individuality to each song.

Guest singer/pianist Buddy Greco joins Manly for Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen's "Second Time Around." It's not really a duet Manly sings the first half of the song, Greco the second but Greco's piano playing is stylish and, while his voice lacks the strength of past years, his phrasing remains strong.

In such sterling musical company a couple of songs Tears For Fears' rather portentous "Mad World" and Rod McKuen's "A Single Woman" are less impressive, despite the quality of Manly's vocals. But never fear, for the highlights are many: Oliver Nelson and Mark Murphy's soulful "Stolen Moments," Landesman's lovely "Before Love Went Out Of Style" (with music by Dudley Moore) and the world-weary grace of John Scott and Caryl Brahms' "Woman Talk" are all standout performances.

The finest performance of all is Manly's interpretation of Dmitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington's "Wild Is The Wind." Wallace's accompaniment is spacious and considered; a perfect foundation for Manly's restrained yet heartfelt vocal. It's a striking example of "less is more," and it just might be the benchmark interpretation of this great song. ~ Bruce Lindsay  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=42971#.UqdvIeIufkc

Personnel: Gill Manly: vocals; Simon Wallace: piano; Buddy Greco: piano and vocals (11).

The Lies of Handsome Men

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Lady Antebellum - Lady Antebellum

Styles: Country
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:49
Size: 98,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Love Don't Live Here
(3:07)  2. Lookin' For A Good Time
(4:40)  3. All We'd Ever Need
(3:34)  4. Long Gone
(4:16)  5. I Run To You
(3:21)  6. Love's Lookin' Good On You
(3:45)  7. Home Is Where The Heart Is
(3:50)  8. Things People Say
(3:06)  9. Slow Down Sister
(4:45) 10. Can't Take My Eyes Off You
(4:30) 11. One Day You Will

2008 debut album from the Country trio consisting of two guys and a girl: co-lead singers Charlie Kelley and Hillary Scott with multi-instrumentalist Dave Haywood. The group is a songwriting collective who co-wrote most of the songs on this self-titled album. Some of the album's highlights include "Long Gone," "I Run to You," "Home Is Where the Heart Is," and the first single "Love Don't Live Here." ~ Editorial Reviews  

http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Antebellum/dp/B0014CBXOK/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_5

Lady Antebellum

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Wynton Marsalis & Ellis Marsalis - Joe Cool's Blues

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:41
Size: 152,6 MB
Art: Front + Back

(4:41)  1. Linus & Lucy
(4:38)  2. Buggy Ride
(3:19)  3. Peppermint Patty
(4:53)  4. On Peanuts Playground
(4:58)  5. Oh, Good Grief!
(4:42)  6. Wright Brothers Rag
(4:24)  7. Charlie Brown
(4:50)  8. Little Red-Haired Girl
(4:38)  9. Peble Beach
(6:35) 10. Snoopy & Woodstock
(4:24) 11. Little Birdie
(4:08) 12. Why, Charlie Brown
(9:29) 13. Joe Cool's Blues (Snoopy's Return)

For this CD, Wynton and Ellis Marsalis perform music both old and new that is heard on the Peanuts television specials. Wynton's septet (altoist Wessell Anderson, Victor Goines on tenor, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, pianist Eric Reed, bassist Benjamin Wolfe, and drummer Herlin Riley in addition to the trumpeter-leader) jam on several of Marsalis' compositions, Ellis Marsalis' trio performs six of Vince Guaraldi's themes and, on "Little Birdie," an all-star group (including three of the Marsalises but not Wynton) back Germaine Bazzle's vocal. The music is reasonably enjoyable but not too substantial, worth getting even if it is not one of Wynton's more significant albums. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/joe-cools-blues-mw0000124956

Joe Cool's Blues

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Cris Oak - Estudos De Jazz E Bossa Nova

Size: 76,9 MB
Time: 33:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Bossa Nova
Art: Front

01. Speak Low (4:33)
02. Summertime (3:58)
03. Rock With You (3:47)
04. My Funny Valentine (4:40)
05. Sunny (3:27)
06. What A Difference A Day Made (4:10)
07. Dindi (4:45)
08. Crazy Little Thing Called Love (3:43)

Cris Oak, the newest revelation of jazz in Brazilian lands, was born in 1986 and always lived in São Paulo. Graduated in Law, Cris has expanded its interests in fine arts, psychology and philosophy, has made music the shaft of his artistic career and jazz, his passion.

His first experiences, though unassuming in the Bar nights in Sao Paulo Baretto, happened alongside Dave Gordon, the first promoter of his career, for whom she has great affection to.

Studies Jazz and Bossa Nova is the debut CD of this young singer with special guest Dave Gordon

Between vocal and instrumental solos, the project shows the musical personality of the singer, constructed from his inspirations, among them: Nina Simone, Elza Soares , Elizete Cardoso, Tania Maria, Chet Baker, Dave Brubeck and others.

Estudos De Jazz E Bossa Nova

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Christine Tobin - Yell Of The Gazelle / You Draw The Line

Album: Yell Of The Gazelle
Size: 140,0 MB
Time: 61:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1996
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Evergreen (7:14)
02. Retrato Em Branco E Preto (5:49)
03. You Know Who I Am (5:26)
04. Happy House (5:46)
05. Cuirt Bhaile Nua (2:56)
06. A Chair In The Sky (6:50)
07. Angel Eyes (3:46)
08. The Black Shoes (5:49)
09. Behind The Wall (6:39)
10. Night (4:28)
11. The Generous Lover (6:20)

The material on this, Dublin-born singer Christine Tobin’s second album under her own name, comes from largely the same sources drawn on by her debut: Irish traditional music, jazz standards, modern folk, plus the odd original and a tune by Antonio Carlos Jobim. There are definite signs, though, of increased maturity and sophistication, both in the poise with which Tobin approaches familiar fare – her daringly accelerated version of the usually slow-burning ‘Angel Eyes’ is a particular delight – and in the intelligent adventurousness of her own writing. Like one of her chief inspirations, Joni Mitchell (whose collaboration with Charles Mingus, ‘A Chair in the Sky’, is featured here), Tobin has a talent both for writing complex but cogent melodies and supplying appropriate words and resettings for existing jazz tunes – here exemplified by a broodingly intense version of John Abercrombie’s ‘Night’, particularly well suited to her smooth, smoky voice. Her reworking, with Huw Warren, of Leonard Cohen’s ‘You Know Who I Am’, transformed from a slow waltz to a slightly sinister, dark shuffle embellished with bursts of freeish jazz, is also highly effective, and the album as a whole more than fulfils Tobin’s considerable promise. CP

Yell Of The Gazelle

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Album: You Draw The Line
Size: 116,3 MB
Time: 50:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Tower Of Song (6:35)
02. Stone Cold (3:54)
03. Go Tell (5:00)
04. Night Talking (4:06)
05. You Draw The Line (6:06)
06. Concepta (6:04)
07. All I Really Want To Do (7:07)
08. The Intellectual Engineer (5:24)
09. Hell Hath No Fury (6:28)

Accompanied by a late-night quartet of piano, guitar, double bass and drums, Christine bends her flexible, warm voice around seven of her own compositions and songs by Leonard Cohen ("Tower Of Song") and Bob Dylan ("All I Really Want To Do").

The mood is mellow, redolent of candlelight in a smokey basement club at midnight. But her songs are anything but comfortable, titles such as "Hell Hath No Fury", "The Intellectual Engineer", "Stone Cold" and the title track revealing a turmoil within.

You Draw The Line

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Andrea Bocelli - My Christmas

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:23
Size: 131.4 MB
Styles: Holiday
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:58] 1. White Christmas
[3:52] 2. Angels We Have Heard On High
[3:31] 3. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
[4:32] 4. The Christmas Song
[4:24] 5. The Lord's Prayer
[4:31] 6. What Child Is This
[3:32] 7. Adeste Fideles
[4:16] 8. O Tannenbaum
[3:32] 9. Jingle Bells
[4:40] 10. Silent Night
[4:17] 11. Blue Christmas
[4:34] 12. Cantique De Noel
[0:00] 13. Caro Gesù Bambino
[4:23] 14. I Believe
[3:15] 15. God Bless Us Everyone

Andrea Bocelli's 2009 My Christmas album finds the Italian tenor performing various classic holiday-themed songs that touch on classical, opera, and pop. Included are such well-known holiday songs as "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," "O Tannenbaum," and "Silent Night." The versatile Bocelli also delves into such iconic Christmas hits as "Blue Christmas" and "The Christmas Song" (featuring a duet with Natalie Cole). Of course, the opera and classic songs are Bocelli's bread and butter, and here listeners get such lavishly produced cuts as "Adeste Fidelis," "Cantique del Noel," and "Caro Gesu Bambino." My Christmas is not only a warm and inviting holiday album, but also a superb classical crossover entry worthy of Bocelli's discography. ~ Matt Collar

Recording information: Chartmaker Studios in Los Angeles; Abbey Road Studio; Chartmaker Studios in Los Angeles.

Arrangers: William Ross ; David Foster.

My Christmas

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Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto - Take Your Pick

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 59:04
Size: 135.2 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[4:19] 1. Jazzy Bullets
[6:05] 2. Nite Crawler 2010
[4:54] 3. The Way We Were
[4:34] 4. Islands Of Japan
[6:13] 5. Neon Blue
[4:30] 6. Tokyo Night
[3:15] 7. Hotalu
[5:28] 8. East West Stroll
[5:08] 9. Easy Mystery
[4:08] 10. Ao
[4:49] 11. Take Your Pick
[5:34] 12. A Girl From China

Guitarists Larry Carlton and Tak Matsumoto -- the former a prolific American who's played on hundreds of albums and recorded under his own name since the late '60s, the latter a rock legend in Asia via his group B'z (he's reportedly sold 80 million albums in Japan alone) -- find common ground on this collection of duets. Their styles are simpatico and there are virtuoso licks to spare. But while both of these guys are undeniably masters, what's missing is a sense that they have much to say when they join forces, something both have proven they can do on their own. Carlton and Matsumoto appear to be carrying on a conversation with each other that excludes the audience -- we can marvel at their technique, and there's plenty of that to go around, but there's rarely a sense that the two musicians have put their hearts and souls into these songs. The bandmembers -- keyboardist Jeff Babko, drummer Billy Kilson, bassist Michael Rhodes, and various horn men -- are up to the task of fleshing out whatever the two axemen toss their way, but they don't always seem to know where to go with what they've been given. The arrangements -- split about half and half between Carlton and Matsumoto -- are never overly complex, and while the musicians have ample room to stretch out, they rarely run with it, staying within prescribed boundaries. Perhaps that's because the material, although quite melodic, is rarely memorable -- the songs take a back seat to the presentation of proficiency itself. At times the leaders appear to stop themselves short -- it seems that they would love to break out and truly kick some ass but are constraining themselves -- and so the band follows suit, playing admirably but failing to make a personal statement. Fans who only care about craft will undoubtedly find much here to praise, but those more interested in music's emotional powers and a more visceral listening experience are likely to find this display rather cold and unmoving. ~Jeff Tamarkin

Take Your Pick

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Anita O'Day - Anita O'Day Sings The Winners

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 55:39

Size: 127.4 MB

Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz

Year: 1958/1990/2012

Art: Front

[2:49] 1. Take The 'A' Train

[2:37] 2. Tenderly

[2:34] 3. Interlude (A Night In Tunisia)

[2:48] 4. Four

[3:08] 5. Early Autumn

[2:23] 6. Four Brothers

[3:30] 7. Sing, Sing, Sing

[3:34] 8. My Funny Valentine

[3:02] 9. Frenesi

[3:20] 10. Body And Soul

[3:47] 11. What's Your Story, Morning Glory

[2:39] 12. El Manisero (Peanut Vendor)

[2:55] 13. Whisper Not

[2:35] 14. Blue Champagne

[3:17] 15. Stompin' At The Savoy

[2:05] 16. Hershey Bar

[2:31] 17. Don't Be That Way

[3:03] 18. Peel Me A Grape

[2:50] 19. Star Eyes

For this 1958 LP, Anita O'Day sings standards associated with other musicians, including "Four" (Miles Davis), "Early Autumn" (Stan Getz), "Four Brothers" (Woody Herman), "Sing, Sing, Sing" (Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa) and "Peanut Vendor" (Stan Kenton). Some of the material is unusual for a singer to interpret, but O'Day, one of the top jazz vocalists of the decade, improvises when the lyrics are not that strong (or barely exist).

The backup by the Russ Garcia Orchestra is not all that memorable, but the focus is entirely on the vocalist, and O'Day really comes through. [An expanded reissue nearly doubled the original running time with the addition of similar material from the late '50s and early '60s.] ~Scott Yanow

Anita O'Day Sings The Winners

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The Mulgrew Miller Trio - Live At Yoshi's Vol 1

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:40
Size: 168.6 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[11:44] 1. If I Were A Bell
[ 8:20] 2. Waltz For Monk
[ 8:29] 3. O Grande Amor
[ 7:44] 4. The Organ Grinder
[ 9:43] 5. Peace
[10:19] 6. Don't You Know I Care
[ 8:26] 7. What A Diff'rence A Day Makes
[ 8:52] 8. Pressing The Issue

Named the most in-demand pianist by a recent New York Times poll, Mulgrew Miller forges a multi-dimensional sound that can seamlessly shift time, throttle through hard-driving grooves, and delve into gentler persuasions, all with distinctive heart and soul. So why is it that the pianist struggles to carve out a career as a leader? Actually, this is beginning to change because it is obvious that here is a pianist with something important to contribute. This CD makes that point clearly. One is hard-pressed to find a trio that surpasses Miller with bassist Derrick Hodge and the masterful young drummer, Karriem Riggins, in cohesiveness, sensitivity, and pure joyful swing. The up-tempo pieces are pulse-quickening and muscular showcasing and Mulgrew’s characteristically relentless runs (like the original “Pressing the Issue” and Woody Shaw’s “The Organ Grinder”). There are gorgeous ballads (Jobim’s “O Grand Amor”) and even Horace Silver’s “Peace” played as a Chopin nocturne, no less.

Music is a language and playing it with others is a conversation. If you say it right the first time you play it then you only add a level of redundancy if you keep replaying it. That is what so many young players do. Mulgrew Miller, despite a proclivity for note density, does not insult the listener by playing clichés or beating motifs to death. He tends to play within the chord changes rather than venturing outside, but he is fresh and invigorating, leaving the listener begging for even more. This is a wonderful trio. Check out his quintet, too!

Live At Yoshi's Vol 1

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Anandi - The Song is You

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:51
Size: 121,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:26)  1. Ancient Footprints
(5:15)  2. Dear Ruby
(3:52)  3. My Buddy
(4:59)  4. Round Midnight
(5:48)  5. A Night In Tunisia/Caravan
(4:05)  6. A Felicidade
(5:35)  7. Another Star
(4:17)  8. Precious
(3:58)  9. Forgiveness
(4:28) 10. It's Crazy (But I'm In Love)
(4:02) 11. The Song Is You

An enthusiastic fan once told Anandi, “If I bring a date to your show, your music will make her fall in love.” With a name that means ‘bliss’ in Sanskrit, one could easily infer that Anandi was born to create music that is capable of putting the listener in a very pleasant state indeed, conjuring sounds and images pleasing to the senses. One journalist describes “A rich, dusky voice, poignant lyricism and just a touch of sadness to make the blues go down right.” Anandi’s special brand of contemplative soul contains a mix of wisdom and poetry rarely encountered in today’s popular music. Whether she’s singing jazz standards or her own original songs, this Portland-based vocalist projects a special mood, mesmerizing the listener with a spacious and thoughtful approach to every song.

The daughter of two musicians, Anandi began her career as a guitar-picking singer-songwriter, solidly based in Boston’s acoustic scene. During this time she recorded and released her first album, Melody of Question. Her next two self-released albums, The Mirror and Forever Days, recorded in New York City, were featured on CDBaby’s home page and received airplay at college radio across the country. After spending several years in New York she returned to her family home in Portland and to her first love: jazz. Developing a repertoire of carefully picked classics, she has chosen material that demonstrates the strength of her voice, while retaining the same serenity and meaningful expression that is the mark of her original material.

On her forthcoming album release, The Song Is You, Anandi takes the opportunity to share the fruits of her latest creative endeavors. Offering a collection of jazz tunes past and present, Anandi weaves contemporary selections (Wayne Shorter’s Footprints and Esperanza Spalding’s Precious) together with lesser known standards (My Buddy, It’s Crazy) and old soldiers ( Night In Tunisia, Caravan, Round Midnight). With her special ability to get inside a song, transcend the genre and find its essence, she’s taken Stevie Wonder’s hard-driving Latin soul track, Another Star, and transformed it into a profound ballad. And she’s enlivened the mix with a new jazz approach to Forgiveness, one of her own original songs.

Anandi’s lovely vocals are enhanced by a generous dose of great piano-playing by longtime collaborator and co-producer Vince Frates, along with the superb saxophonist David Evans, acoustic bassist Dave Captein and drummer Dave Muldoon. Anandi’s dad, Nick Gefroh, contributes some swinging percussion on the Brazilian tune, A Felicidade.

Take your time listening to Anandi and her unique approach to jazz vocals, as she draws you into her world, slowly and inevitably, her silky voice bringing you into the blissful state promised by her name. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/anandi4

The Song is You

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Katrine Madsen - Katrine

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:29
Size: 118,7 MB
Art: Front

(8:20)  1. Ring of Gold
(5:24)  2. Vanishing Point
(6:10)  3. Seaborne
(6:34)  4. After Dark Days
(4:39)  5. In the House On the Hill
(2:18)  6. Cat
(3:54)  7. Chestnuts
(5:47)  8. Two Miles
(8:20)  9. Lost and Found

Katrine Madsen is a shining vocal star on the Scandinavian jazz heaven. Her voice is dark and intense and her recordings have been praised unanimously by jazz critics everywhere.

She has toured extensively throughout Europe, Australia, Asia and Japan. Katrine has released 12 albums, 2 of them has been nominated for a Danish Music Award as “Best Vocal Jazz Album”.

From the very start of her career, Katrine Madsen has revealed a well-developed sense of style and an inherent ability to capture the musical space and lead the listener into her vocal stories. Often in intimate love ballads and pensive songs, where we find some of the key words in life.

“Many women are called to jazz singing, few are chosen. Danish singer Katrine Madsen is one of the chosen few with a voice like dark wine and an unerring instinct for the perfect note at the right moment. No tricks. No showy pyrotechnics!” (The Courier-Mail - Brisbane)

“Katrine Madsen is truly a superb interpreter of jazz. The true measure of her talent is in her interpretation of a song…this lady of song is totally in control of her material. Katrine Madsen is style. Style is the necessary adjunct of talent and genius, a heaven-bestowed capacity for projecting a very personal, a very original image."

(The Age - Australian National Newspaper)  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/katrinemadsen

Katrine

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Sunbirds (Klaus Weiss Sextet) - Zagara

Styles: Jazz Rock Fusion
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:53
Size: 86,9 MB
Art: Front

( 4:09)  1. My Dear Groovin'
( 4:05)  2. I Don't Need
(10:58)  3. African Sun
( 4:43)  4. Fire Dance
( 4:05)  5. Homecoming
( 4:07)  6. Ocean Song
( 2:52)  7. Still Pointing
( 2:51)  8. Zagara

Sunbirds were a band project formed in 1971 by German drummer Klaus Weiss. (17/02/1942-10/12/2008) Weiss had already twelve years of career as a jazz drummer behind him in 1971 and was appreciated by US jazz men touring in Europe. He had played among others with Bud Powell, Johnny Griffin, Kenny Drew and Don Byas. From 1962 to 1965 he had worked with Klaus Doldinger and in 1966 Weiss won the International Jazz Competition in Vienna. 

In 1971 he formed the multinational Klaus Weiss Quartet featuring American bassist Jimmy Woode, Dutch saxophonist Ferdinand Povel and Austrian pianist Fritz Pauer, The same musicians joined by Philip Catherine on guitar and Juan Romero on percussion recorded in august of 1971 the first self titled Sunbirds record. The record presented an interesting form of early jazz rock with an extensive use of electronic keyboards. One year later in august of 1972 the Sunbirds released their second record, Zagara, again the Klaus Weiss Quartet joined this time by Ron Carter on double bass, Leczek Zadlo on flute, Lucas Costa and Rafael Weber on guitar and Norman Tolbert on percussion. This record presented an orientation towards Latin Fusion.  

http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=6088

Zagara

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Murray Hockridge & Dave Kilminster - Closer To Earth

Size: 137,0 MB
Time: 58:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Rock
Art: Front

01. Losing My Religion (5:27)
02. Rocket Man (4:44)
03. Father Figure (5:51)
04. I'm Not In Love (6:06)
05. Street Spirit (Fade Out) (5:08)
06. Brown Eyed Girl (6:13)
07. Any Major Dude Will Tell You (3:03)
08. Hallelujah (7:28)
09. Sara Smile (3:42)
10. Time After Time (3:45)
11. Wish You Were Here (6:49)

Vocalist Murray Hockridge and guitarist Dave Kilminster just released their first album of beautifully crafted acoustic covers titled 'Closer To Earth' on Killer Guitar Records, via Cherry Red Records. As fate would have it, a chance meeting brought these two musical innovators together for this special project. Says Dave, “This is essentially an album of acoustic covers, where we've taken some songs that we love and reconstructed them in a unique way. Also, it's an interesting format too, as I can't think of another acoustic duo where they both play guitar, sing lead vocals and throw in some crazy soloing too!”

“The creative potential when you find this kind of chemistry is truly open ended,” enthuses Murray (vocals, rhythm guitar & production), “there are so many combinations of instruments and voicings we can call on, both in the studio and on stage – there are no limits.”

Murray's three-octave voice is absolutely breathtaking and appears utterly effortless. Although a talented songwriter, interpreting other writers' songs is very much in Murray's DNA. His dynamic, soulful vocal approach on this album unites an unlikely array of classic tunes from many different genres in a deeply evocative way. In combination with Dave Kilminster's beautiful guitar work, the sound is both spellbinding and unique.

Says Dave, “I met Murray a couple years ago, and just thought that he had the most incredible voice...and so one day we decided to jam together, and there was this instant magical connection... It's almost like ESP! We always have such a great time playing together too, and the audience can sense that...and there's literally no limits to the directions we can take the songs in when we're improvising.”

Best known for his work with Roger Waters and Keith Emerson, Dave Kilminster is a gifted guitarist and songwriter. His debut CD release 'Scarlet' garnered rave reviews from fans and music critics alike worldwide. Dave is also proficient at keyboards, bass and drums; all of these skills he infuses with his own unique blend of elegance, grace and raw passion. 'Closer To Earth' was recorded around Dave's commitments to Roger Waters 'The Wall' tour.

Individually, these two musicians have a enormous amount of talent and a mesmerizing stage presence. The duo's impressive new CD is sure to please music listeners worldwide!

In closing Dave has this to impart, “I am so incredibly proud of this album... It is definitely one of the best things I've ever done. If you're tired of hearing auto tuned, computer generated bleepy crap on the radio, then this really is the perfect answer.”

Closer To Earth

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Kris Adams - Longing

Size: 133,8 MB
Time: 57:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Jazz Fusion
Art: Front

01. The Glide (5:23)
02. The Dawntreader (6:23)
03. Wrong Together (5:01)
04. When You Smile (5:01)
05. All Of You (5:13)
06. Once Upon A Summertime (5:07)
07. Longing (4:45)
08. What's Your Story Morning Glory (5:29)
09. Pulled Pork (4:42)
10. Voce E Eu (5:07)
11. You And Me Love (5:29)

Notes:
An eclectic mix of old and new songs arranged by jazz trumpeter Greg Hopkins for a large ensemble featuring Tim Ray - piano, Paul Del Nero - acoustic bass, Fernando Huergo - electric bass, Mark Walker - drums, Bertram Lehmann - percussion, Shannon LeClaire - alto sax/clarinet, Bob Patton - flutes/engineering, Fernando Brandão - flutes, Rick DiMuzio - tenor sax/clarinet, Ben Whiting - baritone sax/bass clarinet, Eric Hofbauer - guitar and Eugene Friesen - cello.

Review:
Longing is a very interesting and beautiful recording. Kris Adams has a straight-forward and honest delivery to her sound and she is right in the center of every note. She makes these melodies and other vocal lines sound so effortless on a set of songs that are anything but simple. She is surrounded by a cast of great jazz musicians from top to bottom and the arrangements by Greg Hopkins are perfect. This type of recording has so much depth that you know you will listen to it many times in order to catch everything. It is brave and also rare for a vocalist not to bathe her sound in reverb and it works here, very direct and personal. Very enjoyable and highly recommended. ~by Matt Richard

Longing

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