Graham Dechter - Right On Time

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 59:46
Size: 136.8 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[6:36] 1. Low Down
[6:03] 2. Wave
[6:15] 3. The Nearness Of You
[6:36] 4. I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues
[5:12] 5. Broadway
[7:26] 6. Right On Time [db Tune]
[4:21] 7. Squatty Roo
[4:08] 8. With Every Breath I Take
[5:53] 9. Lined With A Groove
[7:12] 10. In A Mellow Tone

Guitarist Graham Dechter's debut album as a leader could hardly be more charming or enjoyable. He does several things just right: for one thing, he presents a program that demonstrates impeccable taste, nicely combining familiar standards ("In a Mellow Tone," "The Nearness of You") with more obscure fare (Ray Brown's "Lined with a Groove," a nearly-forgotten Johnny Hodges bop number called "Squatty Roo"). For another, he quietly demonstrates his confidence by including a very fine pianist in the quartet -- a move that many guitarists' egos would prevent. And for another, he keeps his tempos moderate and his solos lyrical and self-possessed -- a sure sign of that rarest of commodities, a virtuosic young guitarist with nothing to prove. None of this is to say that his playing isn't expert or adventurous: he tackles headlong "Squatty Roo" with almost offhand grace and skill, and his playing on a strutting arrangement of "Nothing But the Blues" bespeaks complete self-assurance as well as impressive musical invention.

There are a few moments when you wish he would cut loose just a bit, especially on a rather pedestrian rendition of "I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues" (on which his solo sounds more like a string of pro forma blues clichés than an original statement), but for the most part, his understatement works beautifully. His solidly swinging take on the Thad Jones composition "Low Down," and his contrastingly gentle interpretation of the Jobim standard "Waves," stand together as bookended examples of both his skill and his taste. ~Rick Anderson

Right On Time   

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Joya Mooi - Crystal Growth

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 47:30
Size: 108.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:52] 1. Intro
[5:15] 2. Tomorrow
[4:09] 3. Looking Backwards
[1:10] 4. Change Time
[3:44] 5. When He's Seen
[6:10] 6. Interlude
[5:08] 7. Beyond Of You
[4:07] 8. Before You Know
[3:07] 9. Tomar Medidas
[4:25] 10. Out Of Love
[3:16] 11. Way Of Life
[4:01] 12. I Left

Joya was brought up in a house filled with jazz. After playing years of saxophone, she questioned herself if she could compose music with her own vocals. Joya started taking vocal lessons, and got accepted to Artez Conservatory to study jazz. At that time she discovered other genres of music and began writing her own songs. Two years later she was asked to create a soundtrack for a theatre play for theatre production house MC, called “BH”. The project turned out to become a multilateral album with the help of producers SirOj, Presto, Big2, Hayzee, Wan and Full Crate. In 2011 she released an EP with Kubus called “Mister Sinister”, inspired by the book Lord of the Barnyard.

She was featured on Saux’ Rear Window EP, released in Feb 2012. And past june her track “Looking Backwards with producer/dj Anthony Valdadez was released on Anthony’s album JUST VISITING (label Plug Research). On the 31st of January 2013 she was invited by Dutch poet Ramsey Nasr to perform their song ” From Istiklal to the Herengracht” accompanied by the Metropole Orchestra in Paradiso, Amsterdam.

Joya is currently working a new project, a studio album with her band, songs written by Dennis Maks and herself.

Crystal Growth

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Paul Gonsalves - Cookin': Complete 1956-1957 Sessions

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 77:51
Size: 178.2 MB
Styles: Mainstream jazz
Year: 1957/2011
Art: Front

[3:13] 1. It Don't Mean A Thing
[2:55] 2. Take Nine
[3:05] 3. Everything Happens To Me
[3:17] 4. Don't Blame Me
[6:52] 5. Festival
[3:36] 6. Clark's Bars
[2:14] 7. Daddy's Patio
[4:59] 8. Blues
[4:18] 9. Impeccable
[2:46] 10. Paul's Idea
[3:16] 11. Phat Bach
[2:31] 12. Mili Terry
[4:01] 13. Funky
[3:31] 14. The Girl I Call Baby
[3:11] 15. Falmouth Recollections
[4:54] 16. The Way You Look Tonight
[6:58] 17. Foofy For President
[4:20] 18. The Man From Potter's Crossing
[4:22] 19. Dance Of The Reluctant Drag
[3:23] 20. Empathy For Ruth

This compilation includes the contents of two LPs and part of a third, all featuring Paul Gonsalves and Clark Terry, though only one of them, Cookin', was originally issued under the tenor saxophonist's name. The CD opens with four songs from The Jazz School, one side of a 1956 recording featuring the two Ellingtonians with pianist Junior Mance, bassist Chubby Jackson, the little known baritonist Porter Kilbert, and drummer Gene Miller. Gonsalves contributed "Take Nine" with the other tracks being enjoyable, if unremarkable arrangements of familiar standards. The ten tracks from Cookin' include fellow Duke Ellington bandmembers Jimmy Woode on bass and Sam Woodyard on drums, with Willie Jones on piano. The date consists of originals by either Gonsalves or Terry, with the tenorist taking lots of long solos, as was typical for him. None of the compositions ended up becoming lasting vehicles in either man's repertoire. The final six tracks actually represent the entire contents of Jimmy Woode's sole recording as a leader, with fellow Ellington sidemen Gonsalves, Terry, and Woodyard, in addition to Kilbert (on alto sax) and flautist Mike Simpson. This session was a rare opportunity for Woode to showcase his songwriting abilities, with one standard, "The Way You Look Tonight," becoming a vocal feature for the bassist. ~Ken Dryden

Cookin': Complete 1956-1957 Sessions

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Houston Person - Nice 'n' Easy

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:51
Size: 128,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:46)  1. Someday You'll Be Sorry
(5:37)  2. All My Tomorrows
(5:01)  3. Stolen Sweets
(4:06)  4. It's All in the Game
(5:41)  5. Nice 'n' Easy
(7:02)  6. If It's the Last Thing I Do
(5:51)  7. Ill Wind
(3:53)  8. Let's Fall in Love
(7:02)  9. Sweet Life
(5:49) 10. Bluesology

Even though Houston Person isn't, strictly speaking, a "Texas tenor" he hails from Florence, SC the crafty veteran hits the mark in almost every other respect, from his clear and powerful sound to his unremitting propensity to brighten a melody and to swing under any and all conditions. On his latest album, Person, still marshaling all the right notes at age seventy-eight, is said to be taking it Nice 'n' Easy, but that's anyone's guess, as he makes what he does sound easy no matter how intense or heated the surroundings.

While the spotlight shines brightest on the leading man, his supporting cast should not be overlooked, and Person has assembled a superior team for this largely even-tempered session, starting with the tasteful pianist John di Martino and including (on several tracks) vibraphonist Chuck Redd, the reliable bassist Ray Drummond and drummer par excellence Lewis Nash. Di Martino, Drummond and Nash have been Person's backup trio of choice for several years, and in tandem with Redd they see to it that the leader's every step is beyond question nice 'n' easy. It's good that Person is a charming balladeer, as half the songs on offer ("All My Tomorrows," "It's All in the Game," "If It's the Last Thing I Do," "Ill Wind," "Sweet Life") abide in that realm. Person unsheathes the luster in each of them, as he does the more hurried numbers ("Someday You'll Be Sorry," "Stolen Sweets," "Nice 'n' Easy," Let's Fall in Love," "Bluesology").

While nothing here is less than admirable, the standards by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler ("Ill Wind," "Let's Fall in Love") are especially engaging, mainly because they are simply marvelous compositions. On the other hand, it's hard to find fault with any of the others, in particular Sammy Cahn / Jimmy van Heusen's "All My Tomorrows," Alan and Marilyn Bergman's "Nice 'n' Easy" or Milt Jackson  vibraphone 's "Bluesology" (like those Texas tenors alluded to earlier, Person has always been a bluesman at heart). Those who have heard Houston Person before will know pretty much what to expect from Nice 'n' Easy; those who haven't are in for a pleasant ride. Even though Person never strays from conventional norms, neither does he undervalue the music or its import, lending every tune the full measure of his attentiveness and ardor. ~ Jack Bowers  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=45763#.UqtjRrRc_vt

Personnel: Houston Person: tenor saxophone; John di Martino: piano; Chuck Redd: vibraphone; Ray Drummond: bass; Lewis Nash: drums.

Nice'n'Easy

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Magnolia Jazzband & Topsy Chapman - Live At Oslo Concert Hall

Styles: Gypsy Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:42
Size: 151,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:48)  1. Lonesome And Sorry
(5:37)  2. Shout, Sister, Shout
(6:12)  3. I'm Through With Love
(7:39)  4. St. Louis Blues
(5:36)  5. Muddy Waters
(7:21)  6. Blue Bells Goodbye
(8:17)  7. Fine And Mellow
(5:30)  8. I Cried For You
(8:06)  9. My Man
(5:30) 10. Down In Honky Tonk Town

The 35th anniversary concert was a great success. The audience also had the benefit of hearing Magnolia's former pianist, the one and only Morten Gunnar Larsen, accompanying Topsy on "Muddy Waters". We took the liberty of sending a test copy of the resulting CD to Butch Thompson, asking him what he thought. Butch wrote:

"The partnership of Topsy Chapman with the Magnolia Jazzband is magic. Ms. Chapman brings that to all her performances, but with these guys you know there is something very special going on the moment she walks onstage. New Orleans music is all about connections between people, and the easy way the music comes together on this CD is born of longtime friendship and respect. Everybody is happy to be there, and it shows.

The Magnolia is simply one of the very best old-style New Orleans groups on the scene today. These tracks taken from their ambitious 35th anniversary performance at the Oslo Concert Hall in late 2007, are testimony to their remarkable cohesion. It's all about teamwork. Yes, they are fine soloists, but it all works so very well because they have mastered the art of the ensemble, the true basic of the music they have immersed themselves in for so long.

A Bonus here is the magical duet by Topsy and the superb Norwegian pianist Morten Gunnar Larsen, who made a cameo appearance that evening. The tune is Muddy Water,  well-remembered both for Bessie Smith's classic 1927 recording and for its dramatic performance by Thais Clark in Vernel Bagneris' hit off-Broadway show One Mo' Time. Like Ms. Clark, Topsy Chapman was a member of that show's original cast, but her performance here is entirely different from that of Ms. Clark, whose intense performance regularly stopped the show. For Topsy, it's something else: Intense, yes, but in her own very different, more relaxed style, finely and sensitively phrased and perfectly accompanied by the versatile Mr. Larsen, whose perfectly chosen tempo and sensitive playing are, as always, a marvel."  http://www.magnoliajazzband.com/eng/news.html

Magnolia Jazzband : Anders Bjørnstad - trumpet, Georg Michael Reiss - clarinet and alto sax, Gunnar Gotaas - trombone, Håkon Gjesvik - grand piano, Arild Holm - banjo, Per Hobbel - string bass and Torstein Ellingsen - drums; Topsy Chapman - vocal; Morten Gunnar Larsen accompanies on "Muddy Waters".

Live At Oslo Concert Hall

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Christine Tobin Band - Aililiu

Size: 128,3 MB
Time: 55:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Folk Jazz, Bossa Nova
Art: Front

01. Siul Arun - Circular Knotwork (10:29)
02. Lavender's Blue ( 8:33)
03. The Priest ( 4:44)
04. Aililiu Na Gamhna ( 2:26)
05. The Cargo Cafe ( 5:33)
06. Promised Land ( 5:35)
07. Those Who Love The Lord ( 4:48)
08. E So Tinha De Ser Com Voce ( 7:44)
09. Lord Gregory ( 5:39)

As anyone who has heard the folk/jazz group Lammas will know, Christine Tobin, a Dublin-born singer now resident in London, is as adept at raising gooseflesh with plaintive folk laments as she is at negotiating the hairpin bends of jazz improvisation. Leading her own band, however, she draws her material from an even wider variety of sources: Brazilian music (represented on this CD by a Jobim song impeccably performed in Portuguese), young UK jazz musicians to whose tunes she writes unusually cogent lyrics, and early influences on her style and approach such as Joni Mitchell – the latter’s ‘The Priest’ (from Ladies of the Canyon) is a highlight of the album. But Tobin is no mere musical magpie; she has clearly assimilated into her own style the music from all these apparently disparate fields. The strength, control and purity of her voice, and the telling contributions of her regular band – particularly the ever adventurous Huw Warren – ensure that the album is a satisfying artistic whole. An inspiring debut from a singer to watch. Chris Parker

Performer:
Tobin (vocals); Huw Warren (p, acc); Steve Watts (b); Roy Dodds (d), plus guests: Steve Buckley (whistle); Ben Davis (cello); John Parricelli, Phil Robson (g); Mike Pickering (d)

Aililiu

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LaVern Baker - Your Christmas With LaVern Baker

Size: 96,9 MB
Time: 41:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Blues, R&B, Holidays
Art: Front

01. There'll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight (2:40)
02. On Revival Day (3:16)
03. Baby Doll (3:27)
04. Gimme A Pigfoot (And A Bottle Of Beer) (3:06)
05. Empty Bed Blues (4:53)
06. Backwater Blues (4:42)
07. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out (3:54)
08. Money Blues (2:50)
09. Young Woman's Blues (2:49)
10. Preaching The Blues (2:50)
11. After You're Gone (3:06)
12. I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle (4:02)

LaVern Baker was one of the sexiest divas gracing the mid-'50s rock & roll circuit, boasting a brashly seductive vocal delivery tailor-made for belting the catchy novelties "Tweedlee Dee," "Bop-Ting-a-Ling," and "Tra La La" for Atlantic Records during rock's first wave of prominence.

Born Delores Williams, she was singing at the Club DeLisa on Chicago's south side at age 17, decked out in raggedy attire and billed as "Little Miss Sharecropper" (the same handle that she made her recording debut under for RCA Victor with Eddie "Sugarman" Penigar's band in 1949). She changed her name briefly to Bea Baker when recording for OKeh in 1951 with Maurice King's Wolverines, then settled on the first name of LaVern when she joined Todd Rhodes' band as featured vocalist in 1952 (she fronted Rhodes' aggregation on the impassioned ballad "Trying" for Cincinnati's King Records).

LaVern signed with Atlantic as a solo in 1953, debuting with the incendiary "Soul on Fire." The coy, Latin-tempo "Tweedlee Dee" was a smash in 1955 on both the R&B and pop charts, although her impact on the latter was blunted when squeaky-clean Georgia Gibbs covered it for Mercury. An infuriated Baker filed suit over the whitewashing, but she lost. By that time, though, her star had ascended: Baker's "Bop-Ting-A-Ling," "Play It Fair," "Still," and the rocking "Jim Dandy" all vaulted into the R&B Top Ten over the next couple of years.

Baker's statuesque figure and charismatic persona made her a natural for TV and movies. She co-starred on the historic R&B revue segment on Ed Sullivan's TV program in November of 1955 and did memorable numbers in Alan Freed's rock movies Rock, Rock, Rock and Mr. Rock & Roll. Her Atlantic records remained popular throughout the decade: she hit big in 1958 with the ballad "I Cried a Tear," adopted a pseudo-sanctified bellow for the rousing Leiber & Stoller-penned gospel sendup "Saved" in 1960, and cut a Bessie Smith tribute album before leaving Atlantic in 1964. A brief stop at Brunswick Records (where she did a sassy duet with Jackie Wilson, "Think Twice") preceded a late-'60s jaunt to entertain the troops in Vietnam. She became seriously ill after the trip and was hospitalized, eventually settling far out of the limelight in the Philippines. She remained there for 22 years, running an NCO club on Subic Bay for the U.S. government.

Finally, in 1988, Baker returned stateside to star in Atlantic's 40th anniversary bash at New York's Madison Square Garden. That led to a soundtrack appearance in the film Dick Tracy, a starring role in the Broadway musical Black & Blue (replacing her ex-Atlantic labelmate Ruth Brown), a nice comeback disc for DRG (Woke Up This Mornin'), and a memorable appearance at the Chicago Blues Festival. Baker died on March 10, 1997. ~Biography by Bill Dahl

Your Christmas With LaVern Baker

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America - Holiday Harmony

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 45:10
Size: 103.4 MB
Styles: Holiday
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[3:11] 1. Winter Wonderland
[2:42] 2. Let It Snow
[3:50] 3. White Christmas
[3:51] 4. A Christmas To Remember
[3:40] 5. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
[3:58] 6. Sleigh Ride
[4:49] 7. Silver Bells
[3:21] 8. Christmas In California
[2:33] 9. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
[3:40] 10. Winter Holidays
[2:27] 11. Frosty The Snowman
[4:35] 12. Silent Night
[2:26] 13. The First Noel

Although Dan Peek left America in 1976, the remaining members--Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley--recapture the magic that put the folk rock trio atop the charts 25 years ago on Holiday Harmony, their first Christmas album. Much of the credit must go to seminal 1970s figure Andrew Gold, who not only produced and engineered the record, but played all the instruments (save Beckley's and Bunnell's guitars) and added his own soaring background vocals to the 13 songs. Gold also cowrote "Christmas in California," one of the three originals on the disc, which, with its tight harmonies and breezy subject matter, could have been lifted off The Beach Boys' Christmas Album. In an unusual twist for a holiday album, America's newly penned songs are the best tunes on the collection. Beckley and Bunnell haven't lost their chemistry and homespun imagination, conjuring images of Yuletides past on the excellent "Christmas to Remember" and the witty "Winter Holidays." When the duo cover Christmas classics, they seem to bend them to their will, adding background harmonies on "Winter Wonderland" that recall the ones they used on "A Horse with No Name." On their version of "White Christmas," Beckley and Bunnell incorporate the melody line from "Tin Man," with surprisingly good results. ~Jaan Uhelszki

Holiday Harmony

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Hugh Masekela - Almost Like Being In Jazz

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 42:25
Size: 97.1 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[5:47] 1. You'll Never Know
[0:19] 2. Answer Me My Love
[0:07] 3. Don't Explain
[3:32] 4. It Never Entered My Mind
[4:55] 5. Paper Moon
[0:13] 6. Betcha By Golly Wow
[5:29] 7. Midnight Sun
[0:02] 8. I Remember Clifford
[4:26] 9. Smile
[5:45] 10. You Don't Know What Love Is
[4:21] 11. My Ship
[7:24] 12. Presente De Natal

Hugh Masekela is a world-renowned flugelhornist, trumpeter, bandleader, composer, singer and defiant political voice who remains deeply connected at home, while his international career sparkles. He was born in the town of Witbank, South Africa in 1939. At the age of 14, the deeply respected advocator of equal rights in South Africa, Father Trevor Huddleston, provided Masekela with a trumpet and, soon after, the Huddleston Jazz Band was formed. Masekela began to hone his, now signature, Afro-Jazz sound in the late 1950s during a period of intense creative collaboration, most notably performing in the 1959 musical King Kong, written by Todd Matshikiza, and, soon thereafter, as a member of the now legendary South African group, the Jazz Epistles (featuring the classic line up of Kippie Moeketsi, Abdullah Ibrahim and Jonas Gwangwa).

In 1960, at the age of 21 he left South Africa to begin what would be 30 years in exile from the land of his birth. On arrival in New York he enrolled at the Manhattan School of Music. This coincided with a golden era of jazz music and the young Masekela immersed himself in the New York jazz scene where nightly he watched greats like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Mingus and Max Roach. Under the tutelage of Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong, Hugh was encouraged to develop his own unique style, feeding off African rather than American influences – his debut album, released in 1963, was entitled Trumpet Africaine.

Hugh is currently using his global reach to spread the word about heritage restoration in Africa – a topic that remains very close to his heart. “My biggest obsession is to show Africans and the world who the people of Africa really are,” Masekela confides – and it’s this commitment to his home continent that has propelled him forward since he first began playing the trumpet.

Hugh Masekela on flugelhorn, Larry Willis on piano, John Heard on bass and Lorca Heart on drums.

being re-processed. new link soon.

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Julie Bond Rhyne - Here's That Rainy Day

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 39:39
Size: 90.8 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:51] 1. Here's That Rainy Day
[3:56] 2. Someone To Watch Over Me
[4:15] 3. Four
[4:16] 4. When I Fall In Love
[3:38] 5. Once I Loved
[3:11] 6. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
[4:04] 7. There's A Light Within
[3:53] 8. Green Dolphin Street
[3:29] 9. Everything Must Change
[4:01] 10. I'll Be There For You

This project actually originated when I was living in Nashville a couple years ago. It's hard not to get bitten by the songwriter bug there, and I was a willing victim. In the end, only two of my songs appear on this collection, "There's A Light Within" and "I'll Be There For You". As this is my first solo outing, I wanted to first pay tribute to some of the amazing writers of the "Great American Songbook" who inspired me since I was a little girl growing up in Houston. My goal was to bring something new to the table, while staying true to the melodic and emotional intent of these great songs. Luckily I had the perfect "partner in crime" for this project with my husband Chris. He is an amazing veteran pianist and arranger, who has worked with a diverse who's who in music (Santana, Gino Vanelli, Jean Luc Ponty, Dianne Reeves and Burt Bacharach to name a few). With his mastery of both standard tunes and more modern genres, we came up with our own hybrid blend of the old and the new. We had more fun than is legal, working on this project and are both very happy with the results. I sincerely hope you enjoy it too!

Here's That Rainy Day

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Robin Nolan - Gypsy Blue

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 48:15
Size: 110.5 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz guitar
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:25] 1. Gypsy Blue
[5:11] 2. Ravi
[3:32] 3. Dream Of You
[6:36] 4. The Rain Song
[3:18] 5. Mokum Swing
[5:46] 6. Snow
[5:22] 7. Flora
[3:59] 8. Sweet Georgia Brown
[4:22] 9. Anniversary Song
[3:55] 10. Paquito
[2:44] 11. Buckets Of Rain

Gypsy Blue features twelve songs ranging from the upbeat title track, which opens the album, to the more contemplative jazziness of a song like "Snow", even tossing in some Spanish flamenco on "Paquito". The album also features a range of takes on established classics, including Led Zeppelin's "Rain Song" and Bob Dylan's "Buckets of Rain". One particular highlight of the album is a track called "Ravi", a Beatles-esque composition which Nolan says is not just a tribute to the legendary Ravi Shankar, but also a nod to the Harrison legacy. "Even though it's called 'Ravi' it's a whole melting pot of the feeling I get at Friar Park. I met Ravi there and played with him at George's wake, which was an intense evening, very emotional. So that song is inspired by Ravi, but is a blues basically and reeks of Harrison-there's a couple of things in it that sound very George. I do this kind of Indian slide, which is heartfelt and a mix of those two worlds," says Robin Nolan.

Robin Nolan has been around the world and back to find his wide-ranging musical style. His story begins in the psychedelic 60s no less, in an evacuation hospital in Vietnam, to be precise, where he was born in 1968, before spending his formative years in Hong Kong with his Liverpudlian father teaching him to play guitar. He eventually ended up at the Guildhall School of Music in London before having his entire perspective on music changed forever by a trip to the annual Django Reinhardt Festival in Samois-Sur-Seine, France.

Gypsy Blue

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Clara Vuust - Here's to Love

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:18
Size: 99,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. Don't Care Much
(4:27)  2. Here's to Life
(4:09)  3. Once Upon a Summertime
(6:54)  4. Samba Em Preludio
(2:58)  5. Sicilian Lovesong
(3:31)  6. Time After Time
(3:09)  7. Evening
(5:03)  8. It's Happening Again
(5:14)  9. Smile
(3:06) 10. Você Vai Ver

Denmark's Clara Vuust has a voice as clean and clear as the "ping" you get when you flick your fingernail against a piece of Scandinavian crystal glassware." She uses it to come up with a quite stunning debut album. Hitherto she was known in her homeland only as the sister of saxophonist Christian Vuust and for an educational show for children aged 2-6 called Jazzkatten På Tur (The Jazz Cat On Tour).

Her metamorphosis to major league jazz vocalist seems to have come about largely as a result of her marriage to Sicilian pianist/arranger Francesco Cali. She has also been inspired by Cali's mother, Cara Anna Maria. Vuust describes her as "a seamstress at night, a cook during the day, a mother and a grandmother and last, but not least, a great singer." Sadly, Cara Anna Maria died shortly before this album was recorded. It is dedicated to her memory. Vuust opens with a fine version of the bitter/sweet "I Don't Care," written for Cabaret but dropped from the original production and not reinstated until the 1990s. In a duo with Cali, she wisely resists the temptation to over- dramatize Arnie Butler's modern standard, "Here's To Life," the title song in all but two letters, to produce a wonderfully stark understatement. It vies with Shirley Horn's otherwise classic interpretation and is far more palatable than Joe Williams' sub-Ray Charles tearjerker that Vuust names as her own particular favorite. She uses the Barbra Streisand version of "Once Upon A Summertime," which interestingly contains a verse in French from Michel Legrand's original song from 1956, "La Valse Des Lilas."

There are two other standards, "Time After Time," by Sammy Cahn and Julie Styne and Charlie Chaplin's saccharine "Smile." Three Cali/Vuust originals, "Sicilian Love Song," "Evening" and "It's Happening Again" hold their own in such exalted company and the two bossa novas allow Vuust to display her linguistic talents by singing in Portuguese.

Sometimes she could do with a tad more expression in her voice, occasionally Nico Gori's clarinet gets just a mite too flowery and Flemming Agerskov fluffs a few notes of his trumpet solo on "It's Happening Again." But these are minor complaints about what is otherwise an excellent and warmly recommended album. ~ Chris Mosey  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=45861#.UqdvsuIufkc

Personnel: Clara Vuust: vocals; Francesco Cali: piano; Nico Gori: clarinet; Jeppe Holst: guitar; Daniel Franck: bass; Flemming Agerskov: trumpet.

Here's to Love (feat. Francesco Calí, Nico Gori, Daniel Franck & Jeppe Holst)

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Frank Tiberi - Tiberian Mode

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:24
Size: 131,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:43)  1. Spets Esrever
(6:23)  2. Stella By Starlight
(3:36)  3. I Have Loved
(8:22)  4. Retrospect
(6:24)  5. The Garz and I
(4:49)  6. The Champ
(5:15)  7. Confusion
(9:38)  8. Body and Soul
(6:14)  9. Cherry Key

Better late than never. Although Frank Tiberi’s stature among his fellow musicians approaches legendary, it took a Woody Herman alumnus (John Nugent) with his own record company to appreciate the benefits of bringing the present leader of the Herman Herd into a studio to document his prodigious talents. And while doing so, to invite two of Tiberi’s ardent admirers and former “students,” saxophonists Joe Lovano and George Garzone, to take part in the session. Lovano and Garzone are graduates of the “Herman Academy of Jazz,” having sat next to Tiberi in that awesome sax section, and both say they learned many an important lesson about their craft from “the professor.” 

Those lessons are put to good use immediately on Tiberi’s “Spets Esrever” (the first and last sections of Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” written backward) whose unharnessed energy and power (after a charming a cappella intro by the saxophone trio) are akin to that released when one uncaps an oil well or opens the door to let a whirlwind in the house. Garzone and Tiberi frolic together on two more of Frank’s compositions, “Retrospect” (based on the standard ”I’ll Remember April”) and “The Garz and I,” and Garzone and Lovano (sans Tiberi but with Dave Reikenberg’s baritone sax added) enliven a loping rendition of Dizzy Gillespie’s “The Champ.” Tiberi, who is widely known as a master of all the woodwinds, plays soprano on the fleet–footed finale, “Cherry Key” (cherry key; get it, kemo sabe?), tenor the rest of the way. 

While Tiberi is wholly unflappable at breakneck speed, he’s even more comfortably at ease at more moderate tempos, wresting every nuance of warmth and soulfulness from the evergreens “Stella by Starlight” and “Body and Soul” as well as from his own compositions, “I Have Loved” (a marvelous duet with pianist Andy Laverne) and “Confusion.” The only minor problem I have is with drummer Adam Nussbaum, whose playing leans at times toward boisterous, drawing one’s ear away from the soloists, where it properly belongs. Laverne and James Williams, who alternate at the keyboard, are first–rate, and bassist Drummond is as dependable (and welcome) as a morning sunrise. While Tiberi may be the antithesis of a “young lion,” the teeth and claws haven’t been dulled by the passage of time but remain razor–sharp and eager for combat. Our thanks to Nugent and NY Jam for giving him an opportunity bare them one more time. ~ Jack Bowers  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=4127#.UqtSSLRc_vs 

Personnel:  Frank Tiberi, tenor and soprano saxophones; Joe Lovano, George Garzone, tenor saxophone; Andy Laverne, James Williams, piano; Ray Drummond, bass; Adam Nussbaum, drums; David Reikenberg, baritone sax

Tiberian Mode

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Lou Donaldson - Here 'Tis

Styles: Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:14
Size: 90,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:37)  1. A Foggy Day
(9:30)  2. Here 'Tis
(6:56)  3. Cool Blues
(7:34)  4. Watusi Jump
(8:35)  5. Walk Widme

Here 'Tis is in the front rank of Lou Donaldson records, an exceptionally funky soul-jazz session that finds the saxophonist swinging harder than usual. As he moves from hard bop to soul-jazz, Donaldson reveals a bluesy streak to his playing while keeping the vigorous attack that defined his best bop. Donaldson's playing is among his finest in the soul-jazz vein, but what makes Here 'Tis such an enjoyable session is his interaction with his supporting trio of guitarist Grant Green, organist Baby Face Willette, and drummer Dave Bailey. As support, all three know how to keep a groove gritty and flexible, following Lou's lead and working a swinging beat that keeps flowing, never growing static. Green and Willette also have their time in the spotlight, and both musicians are frequently stunning. Green's single-note leads are clean and inventive; Willette is rhythmic and forceful, but also capable of soulful, mellow leads on the slow blues. Their talent, combined with Donaldson at a peak, results in a terrific record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine  http://www.allmusic.com/album/here-tis-mw0000496644

Here 'Tis

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Kelly Clarkson - Wrapped In Red

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:38
Size: 106.8 MB
Styles: Holiday
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:34] 1. Wrapped In Red
[3:50] 2. Underneath The Tree
[3:36] 3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
[2:26] 4. Run Run Rudolph
[3:17] 5. Please Come Home For Christmas (Bells Will Be Ringing)
[3:45] 6. Every Christmas
[2:50] 7. Blue Christmas
[3:00] 8. Baby It's Cold Outside
[3:19] 9. Winter Dreams (Brandon's Song)
[3:00] 10. White Christmas
[2:47] 11. My Favorite Things
[3:32] 12. 4 Carats
[3:28] 13. Just For Now
[4:07] 14. Silent Night

If American Idols are ready for anything, it's that industry standard, the Christmas album. It is to Kelly Clarkson's credit that she waited a decade to deliver a seasonal platter, but 2013's Wrapped in Red is worth the wait; a testament to her confidence as an interpreter. Generally, the 14 songs here emphasize Clarkson's skills as a full-throated diva -- the arrangements are bold and brassy, as is her delivery -- but when the tempo slows and the arrangements scale back, she's perhaps even more alluring, turning "Blue Christmas" into a sweet fireside crawl and effortlessly overshadowing the overmatched Ronnie Dunn on "Baby It's Cold Outside." Clarkson's selections favor the bold -- there aren't many carols here, these are primarily secular holiday tunes, and she doesn't resist Vegas glitz, giving "My Favorite Things" a bit of a gaudy makeover -- but she fares well in this setting, always sounding like the strongest element in the mix. Perhaps the concept and execution are conventional, but even in this utterly expected setting, Clarkson retains her fiery, individual spirit, and that's what makes Wrapped in Red appealing: to the letter, it delivers what it promises. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Recording information: East West Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Echo Studio, Los Angeles, CA; Starstruck Studios, Nashville, TN; The Barn, Nashville, TN.

Wrapped In Red

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Cal Tjader & Mary Stallings - Cal Tjader Plays, Mary Stallings Sings

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 39:16
Size: 89.9 MB
Styles: Vibraphone jazz, Vocal jazz
Year: 1961/2005
Art: Front

[3:46] 1. Mighty Rumblin' Blues
[2:28] 2. It Ain't Necessarily So
[3:16] 3. God Bless The Child
[2:35] 4. Just Squeeze Me
[3:48] 5. I Didn't Know About You
[3:06] 6. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[2:38] 7. Goodbye
[2:35] 8. Why Don't You Do Right
[2:07] 9. Honeysuckle Rose
[2:28] 10. I'm Just So Lucky So And So
[3:07] 11. Ain't Misbehavin' (I'm Saving My Love For You)
[2:39] 12. Mr. Blues
[1:58] 13. Just In Time
[2:38] 14. Why Don't You Do Right (alternate)

CAL TJADER PLAYS/MARY STALLINGS SINGS is a noteworthy album in that it represents Mary Stallings's recording debut. Only 22 at the time, Stallings sings with a remarkable amount of conviction and control here, displaying the rich tone and heavy gospel influence that would mark all her work. Tjader leads a fine band through a set filled with standards and tunes by Fats Waller and Duke Ellington, and his cool-toned vibes add a shimmering atmosphere to the proceedings. The 2005 reissue boasts excellent remastered sound and two alternative takes from the session.

Cal Tjader (vibraphone); Cal Tjader; Lonnie Hewitt (piano, electric piano, keyboards); Victor Venegas, Freddie Schrieber (bass instrument); Mary Stallings (vocals); Paul Horn (flute); Clare Fischer (piano); Johnny Rae (drums).

Recording information: RCA Studios, Hollywood, CA; Sound Recorders, San Francisco, CA.

Cal Tjader Plays, Mary Stallings Sings

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Marcus Tenney Trio - As You See It

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 45:57
Size: 105.2 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:46] 1. Unzipped
[6:20] 2. As You See It
[6:13] 3. Gray Sea
[6:21] 4. Iranian Square
[7:30] 5. Yes Or No
[4:09] 6. Response #1
[5:41] 7. I'm Allergic To Cats
[4:54] 8. The "O"

A saxophone trio is all sinew, stripped down to essentials. Every note counts and there's no space for relaxation. All of which makes the Marcus Tenney Trio's lilting dancing lines, recorded here live on a Sunday night at the Commercial Taphouse & Grill, all the more amazing. The theme alternates between angular triplets and flowing melodic lines. The players — saxophonist Tenney, drummer Devonne Harris and bassist Andrew Randazzo — are well matched in fluency and invention. The overall sound is classic Blue Note post-bop, although an opening descending line echoes, briefly and perhaps inadvertently, the melody of Frank Zappa's "King Kong." ~ Peter McElhinney

As You See It

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Giorgia Barosso - Stories yet to Tell

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:25
Size: 111,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:36)  1. Love for Sale
(5:38)  2. Stories yet to Tell
(5:05)  3. Time After Time
(5:11)  4. Come Rain or Come Shine
(6:05)  5. Crystal Glow
(5:18)  6. Shadow of Sound
(5:55)  7. Oh Lady Be Good
(3:53)  8. I
(5:41)  9. But Not for Me

"Stories yet to Tell " is the new album by Giorgia Barosso published in November 2013, by Raffinerie Musicali . Giorgia Barosso , jazz singer , composer , pianist and songwriter also boasts 25 years of experience in the music business internationally and his name appears in another ten albums recorded since 1993 . He has worked very wide , ranging from jazz to gospel, new age , instrumental music , the compositions of soundtracks for film. You do not count his numerous collaborations with important Italian jazz musicians as a singer . Since 2012 it is also a radio presenter and creator of the program " Jazz All One " in the schedule of Web radio Vertigo One. His eleventh album, " Stories yet to Tell " is the fruit of his collaboration , both as a singer and author of music and lyrics, with the stated pianist - composer - arranger Mario Zara , in a project that offers very balanced way original songs and famous jazz standards completely rearranged . The training is complemented by leading Italian jazz musicians such as Fabrizio Bosso, Riccardo Bianchi, Marco Antonio Ricci and Michele Salgarello .

Since first hearing of the disk we see two main features :
In the original songs emerge pleasantly stylistic homogeneity that is the confirmation of the great musical harmony established between Georgia Barosso and Mario Zara as authors . The originals are in fact all characterized by intimate and refined atmosphere, sometimes ethereal and night , sometimes more solar , but all capable of creating a great suggestion by the surrounding sounds , soft and very elegant . And as for the interpretation of the standards is clear what is the approach adopted in this project: the transformation of jazz classics (which originally were predominantly fast pieces and swing ) in songs much more sinuous and sensual through new arrangements of Mario Zara that changing the rhythm and mood in an operation to modernize very successful also thanks to the skilful work of Salgarello on drums and Ricci on bass . 

Voice and solo instruments interact with balance and even the solos are well balanced : each has its own contribution but never exceed or surpass others.
The disc opens with a lively LOVE FOR SALE that appears to be a bridge between past and present, which follows the original song that gives title to the cd , Stories yet to Tell , intimate tones and " night " , especially in its part initial . With TIME AFTER TIME , and even more with AS RAIN OR SHINE AS perceive the transformation of the standards into something new and more modern , however that does not betray the matrix jazz . CRYSTAL GLOW is one of the most evocative original songs on the album, ethereal composition and classy . In SHADOW OF SOUND guitar is always ample space with elegance and sophistication, the plot stretched over the battery. 

Surprising is the transformation of OH LADY BE GOOD that deviates significantly from the famous original version : the track is dilated rhythmically thus being slowed down and softened a lot , but at the same time is supported by the battery that 's almost like a second voice is constantly accompanied by singing both the ' trumpet solo by Fabrizio Bosso while maintaining the sense of swing , but back into an environment very unusual and new. In the song titled "I" , of which only Giorgia Barosso is the author of the lyrics , voice and piano initially intersect softly, and the song has changed as a piano ostinato and a determined change of pace that revitalizes and even in this original composition reflected the agreement between the voice of Giorgia Barosso , the piano of Mario Zara and the drum of Salgarello . The final surprise is represented by a BUT NOT FOR ME with an intro very free for voice and piano followed by the well-known theme rearranged in a slow and gentle 3/4 that makes the song very relaxed and laid back, with a completely different color than the original version .

" Stories yet to Tell " is a project in which Giorgia Barosso is expressed with maturity and security in the choice of their own language and aesthetics that are the product of years of musical experience and research of their own personal vocal style . Great synergy that is created between the singer and the musicians that flank . The project is also successful in the demanding challenge to revive , next to " new stories " told by interesting original songs , even five standards famous , but in a totally renewed , proving once again that even the great jazz repertoire of the past have endless stories to tell through the sensitivity and creativity of serious professionals as they are Giorgia Barosso and all the protagonists of this album. 

~ Rossella Del Grande  https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/giorgiabarosso

Stories yet to Tell

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Jacinta - Recycle Swing

Styles: Vocal, Swing
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:02
Size: 145,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:21)  1. You Stepped Out of a Dream
(5:05)  2. They Can't Take That Away from Me
(3:26)  3. Yesterdays
(6:18)  4. How Long Has This Been Going On
(4:58)  5. Feeling Good (Radio Cut)
(4:48)  6. I’ve Got the World On a String
(6:45)  7. Prelude to a Kiss
(3:46)  8. Our Love Is Here to Stay
(3:28)  9. Too Darn Hot
(5:47) 10. When Sunny Gets Blue
(3:57) 11. Frim Fram Sauce
(3:43) 12. Everyday I Have the Blues
(5:35) 13. Feeling Good

Singer Jacinta's Recycle Swing is a tribute to Broadway's Golden Era, when cabaret music abounded and the likes of the Gershwins and Leonard Bernstein were getting increasingly popular. Indeed, Broadway had "the world on a string," and so does the jazz vocalist in this remarkable homage which includes, coincidently, the Ted Koehler/Harold Arlen masterpiece "I've Got The World On a String" (1932).

Singer Jacinta's ethereal baritone is the perfect vessel for these iconic songs, accurately conveying the compositions' message and tone whilst never failing to bring something new to the table. Adding Lorenzo Petrocca's guitar to a quintessential jazz trio was a clever move; while it merges with the other instruments in a fitting way, it most definitely adds a fresh touch that is all-pervasive throughout the entire album.

Jacinta is, undeniably, in good company. Accompanied by a panoply of extraordinary musicians including eminent drummer Marcel Gustke, Recycle Swing by and large grasps the Broadway feel. There's no need for colossal arrangements or changes; the music speaks for itself in its simplicity and brilliance, all-embracing and articulate, never turned into something it was not before while remaining as contemporary as ever. 

~ Ana Francisca Gonçalves Pereira  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=43430#.Uqdud-Iufkc

Personnel: Jacinta: vocals; Lorenzo Petrocca: guitar; Gee Hye Lee: piano; Jens Loh: double bass; Marcel Gustke: drums.

Recycle Swing

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Pasadena Roof Orchestra - Rhythm Is Our Business!

Styles: Big Band
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:51
Size: 139,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:44)  1. Anything Goes
(3:11)  2. My Baby Just Cares For Me
(3:13)  3. Truck'in
(4:16)  4. Stardust
(4:00)  5. My Blue Heaven / Singing In The Rain
(4:03)  6. Rhythm Is Our Business
(4:32)  7. After You've Gone
(3:35)  8. Body And Soul
(3:25)  9. Cheek To Cheek
(3:18) 10. Oh! Mo'nah
(4:03) 11. Hong Kong Blues
(5:22) 12. Stormy Weather
(3:58) 13. Double Check Stomp
(3:18) 14. Hesitation Blues
(5:21) 15. Summertime
(2:24) 16. Let Yourself Go

The Pasadena Roof Orchestra have long been one of England's best hot dance bands. Usually the group concentrates more on music from the 1920s, but this CD finds the orchestra looking more toward the early swing era. Sounding much larger than their ten pieces, the ensemble (which features James Langston on vocals) revives such pieces as "My Baby Just Cares for Me," "Hong Kong Blues," Duke Ellington's "Double Check Stomp," "Hesitation Blues," and better-known tunes including "Truckin'," "After You've Gone," and "Let Yourself Go." The musicians solo well within the vintage style and fans of early jazz will enjoy this group's performances. 

~Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/rhythm-is-our-business-mw0000904570

Rhythm Is Our Business!

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