Madeline Eastman - A Quiet Thing

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:03
Size: 135,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:33)  1. Alfie
(4:45)  2. Pick Yourself Up
(3:36)  3. Sea Journey
(5:44)  4. Spring Can Really Hang You Up
(4:35)  5. A Face Like Yours
(3:29)  6. I Remember
(2:46)  7. The Bad And Beautiful
(3:53)  8. All Of Us In It
(6:17)  9. I Never Meant To Hurt You
(3:50) 10. You Are All I Need
(5:08) 11. It's A Quiet Thing
(3:54) 12. I Think It's Going To Rain Today
(3:31) 13. With One More Look At You
(1:57) 14. God Only Knows

The beauty of vocalist Madeline Eastman is that she is an undaunted improviser who remains conservative in her improvising. In this context, the word conservative harbors no negative connotations. Eastman has an abiding respect for the melody that is reflected in her thoughtful interpretations of the fourteen ballads making up A Quiet Thing. The piano-voice format also reflects this careful conservative approach to the material.  The repertoire for this recording is what is truly provocative. Reading the subtitle, A Collection of Ballads, brings to mind any number of assemblies of tired standards belonging in writer Scott Yanow's "Songs That Should Be Avoided," from his book The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide (Backbeat, 2008). But Eastman completely sidesteps the issue by choosing ballads off the beaten path. "Alfie," "Pick Yourself Up" and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up" are what pass for well-worn standards, and all are treated impeccably by Eastman and pianist Randy Porter, both of whom deliver tastefully and with grace. Eastman's voice is beautifully well-balanced, confident and in control. Porter's pianism is understated and subtle, even in his solos. Both artists shine on a well-considered cover of Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going to Rain Today." In the duo's voice and hands, Newman's piece takes on a firm pastoral grace. Brian Wilson's "God Only Knows" closes the disc in an abbreviate performance where Eastman shows the song's brilliant melody, slowed down and not over-sung. Sweet are the fruits of this collaboration, rewarding in every way. ~ C.Michael Bailey  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=43745#.UvLVe7SGeNA

Personnel: Madeline Eastman: vocals; Randy Porter: piano.

A Quiet Thing

---

Salena Jones - Let's Fall in Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:34
Size: 126,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:23)  1. How Do You Keep The Music Playing?
(3:33)  2. Smile
(3:28)  3. Let's Fall In Love
(5:18)  4. Why Did I Choose You?
(3:04)  5. The Days Of Wine And Roses
(4:42)  6. If You Go Away
(3:02)  7. Eternally
(4:08)  8. The Summer Knows
(3:13)  9. I've Got The World On A String
(3:35) 10. Charade
(4:13) 11. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
(3:27) 12. All Or Nothing At All
(4:04) 13. If I Should See You Again
(3:18) 14. Now That Its Ended

She was born Joan Elizabeth Shaw in Newport News, Virginia, the same home town as Ella Fitzgerald. Jones said, "I loved Sarah Vaughan so much and adored Lena Horne's elegance; I put them together as ‘Salena.’ It looked good. And I kept Joan in ‘Jones.’” And that's how Salena Jones was born."

Jones began singing in church, school and began club work at the age of fifteen. After winning a talent contest in New York's Apollo Theater, singing "September Song". She began making demonstration records for Peggy Lee and Lena Horne, acquired her own contract. Her first disc was 1949's "He Knows How to Hucklebuck", with the Paul Williams Orchestra and she toured and sang throughout the 1950s with Louis Armstrong, Arthur Prysock, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Big Maybelle sharing bills with fellow Newport News natives the The Five Keys as well as LaVern Baker, before touring in Spain (1965) and Britain (1966), where she appeared for an extended season at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. Since then she has appeared at most leading concert halls and clubs in Europe, Africa, South America and Asia, and appeared regularly on radio and TV, with her own series in the United Kingdom. Since visiting Japan for the first time (1978) she appeared there annually, memorably in the Unesco Save The Children Telethon (1988),  and on a concert tour with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1992).  In 1964, Down Beat jazz critic Leonard Feather chose Salena Jones as one of the female vocalists of the year, alongside Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald and Nancy Wilson. Salena has also appeared throughout Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Turkey, Austria and Bulgaria. 

She has also made numerous television and radio broadcasts in Britain, and throughout Europe, often supported by the BBC Big Band. Also performed in Australia, Africa, South America, China, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan. Since her first visit to Japan in 1978 she has returned at least annually, appearing in concert halls, on television, radio and regularly at the Blue Note Jazz Clubs in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka. In her career to date Salena has recorded over forty albums, covering nearly five hundred songs, and sold over 500,000 albums worldwide and her album entitled "My Love" recorded in Tokyo won her an award in Japan for outstanding sales.  Salena's musical biography includes many distinguished musicians, band leaders and other artists with whom she has performed or recorded. These include such performers as her long-time producer and husband Keith Mansfield, King Curtis, Herman Foster, Arthur Prysock, Tom Jones, The Coasters, Count Basie Orchestra, Adelaide Hall, Art Farmer, Brook Benton, Barney Kessel, Art Themen, Sarah Vaughan, Hank Jones, Maynard Ferguson, Dudley Moore. . . . and many more.

In Rio de Janeiro not long before Antonio Carlos Jobim's death she recorded Salena Sings Jobim With The Jobims (1994) (licensed from Japanese Victor by Vine Gate Music UK), Jobim's hits sung in English, with Paulo Jobim on vocals, flute and guitar, grandson Daniel Cannetti Jobim on piano and the composer himself on two duets, Kenny Burrell on one track: 14 Jobim songs plus Michael Franks's tributes "Antonio's Song (The Rain- bow)" and "Abandoned Garden", and including two duos with Antonio Carlos "Tom" Jobim himself. A beautiful recording and one of her best. In the 1990s Salena made a sequence of six albums all consisting of standards and, incidentally, completed in six weeks, including mixing. Some of these albums, including Dream with Salena, Journey with Salena, Broadway and Hollywood are themed with songs appropriate to the titles. Early 2000 saw Salena starring at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Idaho, backed by the Hank Jones Quartet including such current luminaries as Russell Malone, Lewis Nash, and also featuring trumpeter Roy Hargrove, singer Dianne Reeves and Freddie Cole. January 2001 saw Salena return to Israel for eight sell-out shows, and she took her trio to Japan in May for two weeks appearing for Cartier, the exclusive jewellers, at their prestigious trade fairs throughout the country. In May 2006, Salena was thrilled to sing again in China opening the Shanghai International Jazz Festival (opened in 2005 by Diana Krall). Salena opened with Lee Ritenour, and Tower of Power. She is now based in the United Kingdom. In Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, Salena is mentioned to have her lyrics written by Schopenhauer. Bio ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salena_Jones

Let's Fall in Love

---

Dino & Franco Piana Septet - Seven

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:10
Size: 158,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:49)  1. Open Dialogues (Suite, I Mov.)
(6:52)  2. Open Dialogues (Suite, II Mov.)
(6:54)  3. Open Dialogues (Suite, III Mov.)
(7:11)  4. Open Dialogues (Suite, IV Mov.)
(4:38)  5. Your Smile
(7:47)  6. Eighty and One
(9:54)  7. Dark Eyes
(8:08)  8. Asimmetrico
(6:41)  9. Sunlight
(8:12) 10. Step By Step

This all-star aggregation features some of the most prominent names on Italy’s modern jazz scene, including trumpeters Enrico Rava and Fabrizio Bosso, drummer Roberto Gatto, superb pianist Enrico Pieranunzi and the father-son team of valve trombonist Dino Piana and his gifted offspring, the trumpeter-composer-arranger Franco Piana. The four-movement Open Dialogues bears the harmonically rich stamp of Gil Evans and includes expressive solos from each of the band members; their collective swing factor is evident on the exhilarating final movement of this impressive 24-minute suite, which includes a bold tenor sax solo from Max Ionata and an adventurous plunger solo from Bosso (who nonchalantly drops in a quote from Monk’s “Nutty” along the way). “Your Smile” is a gorgeous vehicle for Franco’s lyrical flugelhorn playing, and the uptempo burner “Eighty and One” is another swinging showcase with solo-section fireworks. “Asimmetrico” is a tip of the hat to Monk, while the beautiful ballad “Sunlight” has Pieranunzi channeling Bill Evans. Trumpet great Rava appears on one track, the buoyant calypso-flavored closer, “Step by Step.” Classy mainstream jazz at its finest. ~ Bill Milkowski   http://jazztimes.com/articles/54693-seven-dino-franco-piana-septet

Personnel:  Dino Piana – trombone; Franco Piana – flugelhorn; Fabrizio Bosso - trumpet and flugelhorn; Enrico Rava – trumpet ; Max Ionata – sax; Enrico Pieranunzi, Luca Mannutza – piano; Giuseppe Bassi - double bass;  Roberto Gatto - drums

Seven

---

Robin Kenyatta - Ghost Stories

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:16
Size: 106,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. Ghost Stories
(2:50)  2. Calypso Girl
(5:02)  3. The Breeze And I
(6:23)  4. My Favorite Things
(4:45)  5. Swinging Regards
(7:03)  6. His Love
(4:50)  7. Blues For Mama Doll
(4:28)  8. Lullaby Of the leaves
(5:58)  9. It's Alright With Me

Born Robert Prince Haynes in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, United States, Kenyatta grew up in New York. He played with Bill Dixon there in the 1960s, playing with his project "The October Revolution in Jazz". Later that decade he played with Jazz Composer's Orchestra, Roswell Rudd, Sonny Stitt, Archie Shepp, and Buddy Miles among others. In the 1970s he played with Alan Silva and Andrew Hill; for a brief time he experimented with instrumental pop music during this decade as well. He moved to Europe during that decade, finding it easier to make a living there as a jazz musician. Later, he played with musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, B. B. King, Dr. John and George Benson, played the Montreux Jazz Festival, and went with his own groups on a European tour. He also led a jazz school in Lausanne. In 2002, Kenyatta was again back in the United States and active as a director of music in Boston. He died in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2004.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Kenyatta

Ghost Stories

---

Sarah McKenzie - Don't Tempt Me

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:35
Size: 117,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:11)  1. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to
(6:10)  2. Love Me or Leave Me
(4:53)  3. I Won't Dance
(4:51)  4. Love Me Tender
(5:00)  5. Bye Bye Blackbird
(3:45)  6. Don't Tempt Me
(7:16)  7. Dindi
(5:04)  8. I've Got the Blues Tonight
(5:11)  9. Summertime
(4:09) 10. St James Infirmary Blues

"Sarah McKenzie is a musical marvel. She sings with the kind of phrasing that only a true jazz singer can come up with while her groove of the piano is the stuff that makes people want to play jazz. Don't miss a chance to hear this lady perform live!"~ James Morrison

At 23 years of age, pianist, vocalist and composer Sarah McKenzie is one of Australia's up-and-coming jazz musicians. Since graduating from WAAPA completing a Bachelor of Jazz (Composition), Sarah has won the Jack Bendat Scholarship, the Hawaiian Award for “Most Outstanding Jazz Graduate” and the Perth Jazz Societies Award for the “Most Outstanding Group of the Year for 2008”. A recipient of the National Songwriters Competition (ACMF 2002) Sarah also won the prestigious James Morrison Scholarship (Vocal) this year, with a prize valued at $5000. Sarah had been a finalist in the scholarship for the last 6 years and was the only finalist to be nominated in both vocal and instrumental sections. Sarah has performed at some of Australia’s highest profile jazz festivals and events including the Wangaratta Jazz Festival, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Stonnington Jazz festival, Riverboats food and wine festival and the Melbourne Women in Jazz Festival. Such opportunities have put Sarah alongside greats such as James Morrison, Graeme Lyall, Joe Chindamo, Mat Jodrell and Jamie Oehlers. Sarah made her television debut performing with David Campbell at the L’Oreal Paris AFI awards and sang backing vocals for Michael Buble on the multi-platinum artist’s “Call Me Irresponsible” tour. In 2010 Sarah was signed onto the ABC Music Label. Her first Album ‘Don’t Tempt Me’ will be released in May 2011.  http://abcmusic.com.au/sarah-mckenzie

Don't Tempt Me

---

Oliver Nelson - Soul Battle

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:03
Size: 108,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:43)  1. Blues at the Five Spot
(9:37)  2. Blues for M.F. (Mort Fega)
(5:42)  3. Anacruses
(9:22)  4. Perdido
(7:30)  5. In Passing
(9:07)  6. Soul Street

This intriguing session matches together three powerful tenor players: Oliver Nelson, King Curtis (in a rare jazz outing) and Jimmy Forrest. With fine backup work by pianist Gene Casey, bassist George Duvivier and drummer Roy Haynes, the tenors battle to a draw on a set of blues and basic material (including a fine version of "Perdido"). This CD reissue adds one selection ("Soul Street") from the same date to the original LP program and is easily recommended to fans of big-toned tenors and straightahead swinging. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/soul-battle-mw0000612736

Soul Battle

---

Tape Five - Swing Patrol

Styles: Swing
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:51
Size: 110,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:57)  1. Fabulous Swing Kid
(3:09)  2. Geraldines Routine
(3:22)  3. Three Butterflies
(3:25)  4. I Spy You
(3:29)  5. Black Cotton Blues
(3:17)  6. Bunga Book
(3:35)  7. Ice From Russia
(3:45)  8. Slow Serenade
(3:23)  9. Peace Patrol
(3:38) 10. City Of Lights
(3:09) 11. Love Tonite
(2:35) 12. Tintarella Di Luna
(4:52) 13. Tequila
(3:08) 14. Pink Lullaby

After international success with Tonight Josephine" Tape Five now steps forward with some 1940's inspired flavours!  Tape Five with his pacifist attitude has always been inspired by the Great  "Big Bands" from the 30's and 40's who entertained the troops with their unique, powerful and cleverly arranged swingin´sounds, put him right in the mood... For the Swing Patrol, the fourth album by songwriter/producer Martin Strathausen and his Orchestra, he recruited singers and musicians from ten different countries  from California to Cameron via Brazil, England, Italy, Ukraine, Romania and of course his home base in Germany. With alliances around the world Tape Five is stationed on hundreds of music compilations. An ever expanding, swinging Universe.... http://www.mightymusicmachine.com.au/browse/cd/1072

Swing Patrol

---

Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham - Moments From This Theatre

Styles: Pop/Rock
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:19
Size: 127,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:14)  1. I'm your puppet
(3:47)  2. Sweet inspiration
(2:59)  3. Cry like a baby
(4:48)  4. Do right woman, do right man
(2:55)  5. I met her in church
(3:38)  6. Lonely Women Make Good Lover
(3:58)  7. It Tears Me Up
(3:50)  8. The Dark End Of The Street
(3:24)  9. You Left The Water Running
(4:27) 10. Out of left field
(4:05) 11. Memphis women and chicken
(4:05) 12. A woman left lonely
(5:17) 13. I'm living good
(3:46) 14. Ol' folks

After starting out in Muscle Shoals Alabama and then moving on to Memphis to work with Chips Moman at American Studios, Dan Penn proceeded to co-write and produce several '60s soul hits for artists like Solomon Burke, Aretha Franklin, James Carr, and blue-eyed soul band the Box Tops. Some of the classics Penn and Memphis/Muscle Shoals' studio veteran Spooner Oldham wrote include "Cry Like a Baby," "Sweet Inspiration," "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man," "The Dark End of the Street," and "I'm Your Puppet." These and several other of their tunes are featured on Moments From This Theatre, a collection of live duets taken from 1998 dates in Dublin, London, and South Petherton, Somerset. With Oldham laying down a tasty soul base on the Wurlitzer piano and Penn strumming easeful guitar chords and singing in his sweetly powerful way, the duo glide through 14 gospel-inflected, country-soul gems, eloquently touching on southern living, loneliness, and the joys and trials of love. There's also a good dose of humor here in songs like "Lonely Women Make Good Lovers" and "Memphis Women and Chicken." An intimate and inspiring recording by two of the unsung giants of southern soul. ~ Stephen Cook  http://www.allmusic.com/album/moments-from-this-theater-mw0000251807

Personnel: Dan Penn (vocals, guitar); Spooner Oldham (vocals, keyboards).

Moments From This Theatre

---

Betty Shirley - Close Your Eyes

Size: 158,6 MB
Time: 68:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Bursting In With The Dawn (4:07)
02. You Stepped Out Of A Dream (4:29)
03. Fever (4:52)
04. Perdido (5:21)
05. Miss Celies Blues (2:55)
06. That Old Black Magic (5:45)
07. Triste (4:00)
08. Im Glad There Is You (4:11)
09. The Song Is You (3:03)
10. Summertime (7:38)
11. The Man I Love (5:27)
12. Wave (6:24)
13. The Very Thought Of You (5:05)
14. You're My Thrill (4:39)

A native of Mississippi, jazz vocalist Betty Shirley moved to New York as a teen-ager to study music. That’s where she established her career singing in such clubs as Birdland and Greenstreet. In the early 1990s she followed her muse and moved to New Orleans, which is still her home.

Shirley ranges from classic jazz standards to Bossa Nova/Latin. Blessed with all the range and tonal control one might expect from a first-class jazz singer, she can scat, she can hang on to a note, she can coax and she can propel. Shirley improvises with unerring instincts and delivers exactly what a song needs, spinning songs like silk. She is a versatile jazz performer who mesmerizes audiences with her ability to make a song her own. Her range and command of the stage make Shirley’s a voice that should be heard around the world.

Shirley’s appearances have included the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Pensacola Jazz Festival, and the Women in Jazz Series. Thanks to the great work of Word of Mouth Studio this CD master was able to survive Hurricane Katrina.

About this her third CD:
"From “Bursting with the Dawn” through “You’re my Thrill”, Betty Shirley documents why she is one of the top female vocalist on the New Orleans scene … Sensitive, sassy, coy and a great interpreter sum up some of the many qualities she manifests on this outing…” declares Michael “MR JAZZ” Gourrier, host of “Bebop &Beyond” WRIR-FM, Richmond, Virginia and Formerly of WWOZ-FM New Orleans.

Personnel:
Betty Shirley - vocals
with:
Richard Moten - bass #1-14
Kirk Branch - piano #3-6, 8, 10-14
Karl Budo - drums #3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12
Wayne Mereau - drums #1, 2, 7, 9
Chuck Chaplan - #1, 2, 7, 9
Percy Williams - percussion #1, 2, 7, 9
Matthew Freaky - guitar # 1, 2, 7, 9
Herman LeBeaux - drums #11, 13, 14

Close Your Eyes

---

Karen Oberlin & Sean Harkness - A Wish

Size: 115,1 MB
Time: 49:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'll String Along With You (2:50)
02. More Than You Know (5:29)
03. A Wish (3:29)
04. Train In The Distance (4:00)
05. Do You Think This Happens Every Day (3:00)
06. The Kind Of Man A Woman Needs (3:30)
07. Love (3:15)
08. Autumn Nocturne (4:54)
09. My Valentine (3:13)
10. Poor You (2:47)
11. No One Knows (3:59)
12. My One And Only Love (4:26)
13. Remind Me (4:24)

A Wish, like a hope or a dream, whether simple or complex, is always personal. Yet the wishes of two artists can be expressed in one creative project like this one by Karen Oberlin and Sean Harkness. Karen had wished for years to make a duo recording with only guitar and vocals, and she found the ideal partner in Sean. When they first played together, spontaneously in an impromptu performance, they both knew they had to make an album together, or that became their great, mutual wish. Kitty Skrobela of Miranda Music, as is her way, made their dream come to life, their hope become reality, their wish come true. The fascinating, eclectic mix of extraordinary songwriters on this album, like Dorothy Fields, Paul McCartney, Fred Hersch and Joni Mitchell, unwittingly collaborated on this project as the song springboard for what these two artists wished to express. Collectively, Karen and Sean have brought to life this multi-faceted, deeply felt wish with a deliciously personal perspective on life and love...as if anything else matters.

A Wish

---

Sarah Edmonds - This Time The Dream's On Me

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:54
Size: 89,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:14)  1. This Time the Dream's On Me
(4:46)  2. In a Sentimental Mood
(3:40)  3. East of the Sun
(4:19)  4. Never Let Me Go
(3:15)  5. It's You Or No One
(3:40)  6. Taking a Chance On Love
(4:36)  7. I Do It for Your Love
(3:54)  8. Corcovado
(4:20)  9. Chega De Saudade
(4:06) 10. You Are There

It's been a great pleasure for me to meet and work with Sarah Edmonds. I have a soft spot for good singers who love the music. Sarah's choice of material tells me she's not afraid to test the outer limits of the American Songbook, moving easily from Johnny Mandel to Paul Simon, with a side trip or two to Harold Arlen, and a short stop in Brazil. June Christy's cheeky modulations in Taking a Chance On Love might have daunted someone who didn't understand what was happening, but Sarah took them and ran with them. June would be proud, and so am I. There's a lot going on here. Smart, supple arrangements, with soloists who are enjoying being there, and Sarah, who is a joy to listen to. You should listen too. You'll be pleasantly surprised. ~  Beegie Adair  http://www.amazon.com/This-Time-The-Dreams-On/dp/B0051XJZU2

This Time The Dream's On Me

---

Satin Doll - I'm Glad There Is You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:49
Size: 82,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:22)  1. You Took Advantage of Me
(3:19)  2. They Say It's Spring
(2:51)  3. I'm Glad There Is You
(3:46)  4. Just Squeeze Me
(2:00)  5. Moonlight Saving Time
(4:05)  6. Nevertheless
(2:04)  7. Rock Me To Sleep
(3:12)  8. Easy Street
(2:04)  9. I Wish You Love
(2:10) 10. When I Take My Sugar To Tea
(3:44) 11. All Or Nothing At All
(3:07) 12. Cry Me A River

Three proves a charm on the Satin Doll Trio's "I'm Glad There Is You," a CD inspired by the coziest recordings made by Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee, Julie London and Ella Fitzgerald. This Washington-based jazz ensemble likes to keep things simple: just voice, guitar and bass, along with a thoroughly seductive blend of classic pop and jazz tunes. The vocals are unruffled, the arrangements are uncluttered, and the songs are uncommonly good.  Singer Patrice Ferris doesn't have the distinctive voice that her role models possessed in their prime  who does?  but she always places her considerable talent at the service of the song, making the words count and moods linger. In fact, it's hard to imagine any lyricist frowning on her interpretations, since there's not even a hint of self-infatuation or gratuitous embellishment here. Instead, Ferris lets these romantic refrains and delightful melodies take hold. As a result, her often dreamy, always engaging recitals are hard to resist, whether the lyric is playful ("Just Squeeze Me"), ruminative ("They Say It's Spring") or unapologetically bitter ("Cry Me a River"). Of course, it helps that Ferris is accompanied by two like-minded musicians  guitarist Ken Kilpatrick and bassist Fred Ferris. Together, they weave a series of subdued and seamless arrangements that never fail to flatter the singer and the song. ~ Mike Joyce   http://www.satindolltrio.com/reviews.htm

I'm Glad There Is You

---

Butch Miles - Straight On Till Morning

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:29
Size: 134,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:43)  1. Hangover Blues
(4:55)  2. Another Drum Thing
(4:22)  3. Frank's Blues
(3:51)  4. Cute
(7:17)  5. Dreamsville
(6:44)  6. When I Wish You Upon A Star
(8:13)  7. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
(3:19)  8. Quick Fix
(5:50)  9. After Hours
(5:57) 10. Outside Inn
(4:13) 11. I'm Leavin'

Another gem for those who like their swing served straight up. Recorded in Texas at Willie Nelson's studio (!), this is a propulsive, happy session where the group doesn't catch its breath till past halfway with "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing," the only ballad in the bunch. (Even "When You Wish Upon a Star" is taken up-tempo.) Butch Miles, a fine, slamming drummer in the Rich tradition, has a pedigree that includes two long stints with Basie, time with Tormé and Brubeck, and work with nearly everyone else. Here he enlists bassist Lynn Seaton, another Basie alum who, aside from his reliably excellent playing and imaginative solos, contributes some amusing Slam Stuart-esque vocalizing on "Frank's Blues," one of the CD's highlights. It was written by trumpeter Bob Ojeda during a lunch break in the studio, and in fact most of the compositions are his; while they're all pleasant, and "After Hours" is a tuneful rumba, in general they're more canvases for the band to stretch out on than melodic groundbreakers. But considering how well this group stretches out, that isn't a bad thing at all. Other notable moments include the classical guitar intro to Henry Mancini's "Dreamsville" and Kenny Drew Jr's strong, fluid playing throughout, especially on "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing," which is especially lyrical. Reportedly a one-take track, this lovely tune is marred slightly - but not fatally - by the salience of the brushes, but otherwise the mix is well-balanced. Frank Wess's contributions on sax and flute (six tracks in all) are also splendid. All told, it's a buoyant, well-executed excursion, and great fun to take. ~ Dr.Judith Schlesinger  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=12666#.Uu5ZiLSgsis

Personnel: Butch Miles (drums), Bob Ojeda (trumpet), Bill Porter (trombone), Doug Lawrence (tenor sax), Kenny Drew Jr. (piano), Lynn Seaton (bass), with Frank Wess (tenor sax, flute) and Alex Saudargas (classical guitar)

Straight On Till Morning

---

Helen Merrill - With Clifford Brown & Gil Evans

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:34
Size: 144,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:13)  1. Don't Explain
(4:22)  2. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(5:01)  3. What's New
(3:56)  4. Falling In Love With Love
(6:01)  5. Yesterdays
(5:15)  6. Born To Be Blue
(3:16)  7. 'S Wonderful
(3:04)  8. He Was Good To Me
(3:36)  9. I've Never Seen
(4:10) 10. I'm A Fool To Want You
(3:17) 11. Troubled Waters
(3:25) 12. By Myself
(2:36) 13. People Will Say We're In Love
(3:28) 14. You're Lucky To Me
(2:52) 15. Dream Of You

Though she eventually came to be known as a "singer's singer," Helen Merrill's 1954 debut is an unmitigated success of mainstream jazz. Besides introducing the uniquely talented young singer, the date also featured small-group arrangements by Quincy Jones and marks the introduction of another future star, trumpeter Clifford Brown. Formidable as his playing is, Brown never overshadows Merrill. She is fully up to the challenge on all fronts and enthusiastically tackles uptempo numbers such as "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" and "Falling in Love with Love" with aplomb. A winning stylistic combination of cool jazz and hard bop, Merrill particularly excels on Mel Tormé's "Born to Be Blue," making the sophisticated tune her own as she revels in Tormé's down-and-out lyric. ~ Richard Mortifoglio  http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/helen-merrill-with-clifford-brown-gil-evans-mr0001164321

With Clifford Brown & Gil Evans

---

Lena Seikaly - Looking Back

Size: 123,2 MB
Time: 52:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'm Nobody's Baby (4:02)
02. Fascinating Rhythm (4:28)
03. Foolin' Myself (4:45)
04. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone (3:16)
05. Baby, What Else Can I Do? (5:07)
06. I'm Coming, Virginia (4:13)
07. I Cover The Waterfront (5:59)
08. Love You Madly (5:47)
09. Guilty (5:41)
10. Supper Time (5:02)
11. After You've Gone (4:19)

Renowned performer Harry Connick, Jr. recently admonished young singers to think about what the lyrics mean, and not to overdo. Lena Seikaly needs no such advice. She is blessed with a beautiful natural instrument; excellent vocal training at the University of Maryland; taste and sensitivity; superb control of pitch and vibrato; and a gift for inventing delightfully improvised lines that remind one of Ella Fitzgerald’s brilliant scat singing at its best.

As a valentine to a golden age of American songwriting and singing, Lena has chosen nearly a dozen of her favorite vintage songs, with an emphasis on material recorded by Ethel Waters, Billie Holiday, or Ella Fitzgerald, but not often performed today. Encompassing a range of tempos and emotions, the songs were composed between 1918 and 1939, plus one outlier from 1950. To accompany her, she assembled a quartet of top musicians, including pianist Chris Grasso, himself an improviser of singable melody lines.

To single out several gems: Irving Berlin wrote Suppertime for Ethel Waters to sing in the 1933 revue As Thousands Cheer. Stretching across gender and color lines, Berlin’s lyrics give voice to an African American wife and mother who has just lost her husband to a lynching. Accompanied only by Chris Grasso’s pensive piano, Lena sings the melody virtually straight, delivering the understated ¬lyric with controlled yet palpable emotion and poignancy, holding the last note a full ten aching seconds. Duke Ellington’s Love You Madly surprises as a delightful duet with bassist Zack Pride. Another highlight, After You’ve Gone, closes the album with infectious scat singing and a big exclamation point, a fitting finale for this bouquet to a bygone era.

-- John Edward Hasse
John Edward Hasse is Curator of American Music at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, and founder of Jazz Appreciation Month. His books include Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington and Discover Jazz.

Looking Back

---

Wendy Zaro & The Laura Caviani Trio - Fly Home Little Heart

Size: 103,8 MB
Time: 44:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Crossover Jazz
Art: Front

01. A Very Precious Love (3:16)
02. Not While I'm Around (4:12)
03. This Love Of Mine (4:01)
04. Fly Home Little Heart (4:00)
05. No One Is Alone (3:41)
06. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (5:03)
07. Bring Him Home (3:49)
08. For You There Is No Song (3:52)
09. In My Life (3:37)
10. How Could I Ever Know (3:39)
11. My Buddy - Old Friends (5:20)

A native born Californian, Wendy Zaro-Mullins has performed to audiences in Europe, Taiwan, and South and North America where critics have hailed her performances as "gripping" with "amazingly powerful vocals" which include a "lustrous robust sound" displaying a "simple, almost effortless, approach."

Zaro-Mullins' concert work includes solo appearances with symphonies throughout the country and abroad. Most recently, Wyoming audiences heard her sing the Verdi Requiem with the Wyoming Symphony and Chorus. She was been featured in Mahler's Second Symphony with the Wichita Symphony and Chorus, and Brahms’ German Requiem with the University of Missouri-Columbia Symphony and Chorus. Numerous appearances with the St. Joseph Symphony and Chorus of Missouri have led to performances of Britten's War Requiem, Verdi's Requiem Mass, and Barber's Summer of Knoxville, 1915. Zaro-Mullins premiered an American debut of Gorecki's Symphony No. 3 with the University of Kansas Symphony Orchestra as well as a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. While a guest of the Paraguayan National Symphony and Orchestra she performed Mendelssohn's Psalm 42 and numerous operatic arias. Minneapolis audiences have heard Zaro-Mullins sing Barber's Summer of Knoxville, 1915 with the Kenwood Orchestra as well as performances of operatic arias with the Symphony of the Lakes.

At home on the opera, music theatre, and concert stages, Zaro-Mullins' credits include San Francisco Opera, American Opera Center, and Eugene Opera. Roles performed by Zaro-Mullins include Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, Susanna in Susanna, Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, Mimi in La Boheme, Mrs. Nolan in The Medium, Pitti-sing in The Mikado, and Olga in The Merry Widow. Performing in the musical theatre genre, Zaro-Mullins has been featured in the roles of Lady Thiang in The King and I with the Eugene Musical Theatre, Maria and Antonia in The Man of La Mancha with the Coachlight Dinner Theatre in New York, and Iris in The Tempest at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angelas. She has performed for several seasons with the Sacramento Music Circus in California.

Her chamber music includes international recitals with chamber series, encompassing Italy, Taiwan, South America and the USA, presenting the traditional and contemporary vocal repertoire. Zaro-Mullins' versatility can also be heard in the early music genre. For several years, she has performed with the Oregon Baroque Ensemble and with the Spencer Baroque Consort of Kansas.

A scholar and performer, Zaro-Mullins received her doctorate from the University of Oregon in vocal performance and pedagogy, completing her dissertation on the Jugendlieder of Alban Berg. This extensive research led to a premier CD recording of the complete Jugendlieder as well as The Seven Early Songs of Berg. Zaro-Mullins has taught on the faculties of the University of Oregon, Oregon State and Lane Community College in Eugene, North Central University in Minneapolis. St. Olaf College. She was Associate Professor of Voice at the University of Kansas and is currently holding that title at the University of Minnesota.

Zaro-Mullins earned her bachelor and master degrees from the University of Southern California. She attended the Juilliard School and the Conservatorio di G. Verdi in Milan, Italy. She was a member of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera Workshop where she received extensive training in musical theatre performance. Zaro-Mullins adjudicates nationally at vocal competitions and conducts master classes on interpretation and vocal technique throughout the country. Her major teachers and coaches included Daniel Ferro, Gwendolyn Koldofsky, Exine Bailey, James Miller, Margaret Schaper, Natalie Limonik and Esther Andreas.

Fly Home Little Heart

---

Paul Millns - Footsteps / Calling All Clowns

Album: Footsteps
Size: 137,8 MB
Time: 59:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001/2010
Styles: Pop/Rock, Blues
Art: Front

01. Old Enough (3:55)
02. Home for the Weekend (4:00)
03. World On Your Shoulders (4:48)
04. Poodle Avenue (3:56)
05. Gasoline Heart (4:08)
06. Wind from the East (5:44)
07. Another Sunset Ride (4:31)
08. Following Footsteps (3:39)
09. Happy Go Lucky Joe (3:31)
10. Saying It Back (3:38)
11. Who Can Really Tell (3:47)
12. What's She Doing Now (4:01)
13. Demolition Kid (2:47)
14. Halfway Happy Home (3:35)
15. Play On (2:54)

With his "Footsteps", Paul Millns has released a very special album: Friends and fans suggested to record a complete acoustic performance. The result surpasses all expectations. Paul’s captivating voice and his powerful piano playing create pearls of songs, whose intimate acoustic atmosphere come fully to the fore thanks to excellent recording technology. Paul Millns combines his roots in black American music with the gentleness of songwriters such as Randy Newman, Joni Mitchell or Bob Dylan. He is a song poet, who knows how to link the perfect telling of tales, dry humor and profound musicality. For fans of songs with great expressiveness, "Footsteps" is a must.

Footsteps

---

Album: Calling All Clowns
Size: 102,5 MB
Time: 44:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Pop Rock, Blues
Art: Front

01. That Perfume (4:12)
02. Calling All Clowns (3:31)
03. Wheather Of The Heart (4:09)
04. Falling For You (4:10)
05. Put On A Sunny Hat (3:22)
06. The Moon Might Know (3:30)
07. Blame It On You (3:19)
08. London In The Rain (3:53)
09. The Way Of The World (3:46)
10. Homing In On You (4:15)
11. Slippery Sam (3:15)
12. My Funny Valentine (2:34)

The pianist and singer, who makes London his home, has an impressive catalogue of successful albums on his scoreboard. For German listeners, however, Paul Millns is most probably best known for his appearance in the ARD Rockpalast television program. On “Calling The Clowns”, this piano virtuoso with a craggy voice, relaxed timbre and pictorial language, takes a look at life’s vicissitudes. And he invites the listener in his unobtrusive, congenial and sensitive way to join in the experience – because Paul Millns is one of the last storytellers, which is what allows him to open people's hearts. Thanks to the support of a poised band, Millns has produced a very personal album featuring emotional ballads, animated piano tunes and thrilling rhythm and blues. Above all, however, with his “Calling All Clowns”, Paul Millns is addressing all those who are secretly clowns at heart.

Calling All Clowns

---

Sarah DeLeo - I'm In Heaven Tonight

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:59
Size: 99,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Rockin' Robin
(3:59)  2. I Feel Pretty
(5:28)  3. I'm In Heaven Tonight
(5:28)  4. No Moon At All
(2:53)  5. On The Street Where You Live
(3:56)  6. Stolen Moments
(4:40)  7. Let It Rain
(2:39)  8. In The Cold, Cold Night
(4:40)  9. Sometimes I'm Happy
(5:22) 10. You're Getting To Be a Habit With Me

The Great American Songbook can be and often is overused when emerging vocalists put together a collection. What sets one apart from another is a little deviation picking standards that aren't covered ad nauseam, or creative arrangements. Sarah DeLeo tries both approaches with I'm in Heaven Tonight.  The New York-based DeLeo began singing at the age of nine and developed a love of jazz soon afterward. She has found inspiration from a variety of jazz and non-jazz artists, including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Wonder. Her primary accompanists are percussionist Mark Bordenet, with keyboard duties split between organist Brian Charette and pianist David Cook. Others who appear on selected tracks are Jay Collins on saxophone and flute, Chris Bergson on guitar, Fabio Morgera on trumpet and Gary Wang on bass. DeLeo delivers a bouncy take on the classic "Rockin' Robin," a delightful arrangement by Collins that puts a jazz spin to a vintage pop song. Collins' flute adds a touch of "bird in flight" to this groove.

Wang, Bordenet and Charette quietly bring up "No Moon at All"; DeLeo's voice is light, and her notes precise. Bergson contributes a mellow guitar solo, with the organ striking complementary chords throughout. Morgera joins the ensemble for "On the Street Where You Live." DeLeo feels happy as she sings of an amorous interest, with emotion that is infectious. Bordenet, Charette, Bergson and Wang play with vigor. Morgera performs a bouncy solo in the middle break. DeLeo's melody to Oliver Nelson's classic "Stolen Moments," to which she composed the lyrics, follows the original perfectly. Using her voice rather than another instrument sets this rendition apart from others, with Bergson and Collins soloing during the middle break.  DeLeo's approach makes I'm in Heaven Tonight unlike most tribute or cover albums, and with her crystal voice and strong supporting cast, it's got excellent repeat-play potential. ~ Woodrow Wilkins  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=31906#.Uu6twbS1QwA

Personnel: Sarah DeLeo: vocals; Chris Bergson: guitar (1, 2, 4-7, 10); Mark Bordenet: percussion; Brian Charette: organ (1, 2, 4-6); Jay Collins: saxophone and flute (1, 6, 7, 10); David Cook: piano (3, 7, 9, 10); Fabio Morgera: trumpet (3, 5, 7); Gary Wang: bass (3, 7-10).

I'm In Heaven Tonight

---

Ralph Sutton - Sweet Sue

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:03
Size: 140,3 MB
Art: Front + Back

( 8:03)  1. Moppin' And Boppin'
( 7:34)  2. Lounging At The Waldorf
( 3:13)  3. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
( 5:48)  4. Yacht Club Swing
( 9:25)  5. Sweet Sue
( 4:32)  6. Black And Blue
( 5:44)  7. Tea For Two
( 5:58)  8. It's A Sin To Tell A Lie
(10:43)  9. Honeysuckle Rose

A number of notable pianists who mastered stride emerged during the second half of the 20th century, but Ralph Sutton surely ranks among the top echelon, as proven on this live date focusing exclusively on music written and/or recorded by the great Fats Waller. Sutton's swinging group includes trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso, Brian Ogilvie (on tenor sax and clarinet), rhythm guitarist and humorous singer Marty Grosz, as well as bassist Dave Green and drummer Frank Capp. Sutton covers the obvious hits like the amusing "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter," the moody "Black and Blue," which features Ogilvie's strong tenor and Kellso's powerful horn as bookends before and after the leader's solo, as well as a lengthy but never dull jam of "Honeysuckle Rose; " but the less frequently played numbers are treasures of equal value. The driving "Moppin' and Boppin'," co-composed by Waller with Benny Carter for the soundtrack of Stormy Weather, the rollicking "Lounging at the Waldorf," and the easygoing "Yacht Club Swing" are all examples of how a fine composer's work benefits when played by masterful musicians. Sutton not only delivers consistently powerful and swinging solos but serves as the consummate accompanist to back other's solos, too. Warmly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden  

http://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-sue-mw0000063519

Sweet Sue

---

Barney Wilen Quintet - Passione

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:18
Size: 138,9 MB
Art: Front

( 6:36)  1. Jitterbag Waltz
(10:01)  2. My Ship
( 4:53)  3. Line For Lyons
( 5:06)  4. Estate
( 7:07)  5. Venetian Rumba
( 5:26)  6. Passione
( 2:37)  7. Begonia
( 7:23)  8. Besame Mucho
( 4:10)  9. Bella Chao
( 6:30) 10. I Cover The Waterfront
( 0:24) 11. Al Herraz

Barney Wilen's mother was French, his father a successful American dentist-turned-inventor. He grew up mostly on the French Riviera; the family left during World War II but returned upon its conclusion. According to Wilen himself, he was convinced to become a musician by his mother's friend, the poet Blaise Cendrars. As a teenager he started a youth jazz club in Nice, where he played often. He moved to Paris in the mid-'50s and worked with such American musicians as Bud Powell, Benny Golson, Miles Davis, and J.J. Johnson at the Club St. Germain. His emerging reputation received a boost in 1957 when he played with Davis on the soundtrack to the Louis Malle film Lift to the Scaffold. Two years later, he performed with Art Blakey and Thelonious Monk on the soundtrack to Roger Vadim's Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1960). Wilen began working in a rock-influenced style during the '60s, recording an album entitled Dear Prof. Leary in 1968. In the early '70s, Wilen led a failed expedition of filmmakers, musicians, and journalists to travel to Africa to document pygmy music. Later Wilen played in a punk rock band called Moko and founded a French Jazzmobile-type organization that took music to people living in outlying areas. He also worked in theater. By the mid-'90s, he was working once again in a bebop vein in a band with the pianist Laurent de Wilde. Much of Wilen's later work was documented on the Japanese Venus label. ~ Chris Kelsey  Bio - http://www.allmusic.com/artist/barney-wilen-mn0000117853/biography

Personnel:  Barney Wilen tenor & alto, soprano saxophones; Enrico Rava trumpet;  Alain Jean-Marie piano;  Gilles Natural bass;  Philippe Soirat drums

Passione

---