Sunday, February 9, 2014

Lisa Young Quartet - Grace

Size: 122,6 MB
Time: 53:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007/2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Brazilian Rhythms, World Fusion
Art: Front

01. Grace (6:22)
02. 'cause I Weep (4:52)
03. Sa Ri Ga (5:21)
04. A Change Of Plea (5:37)
05. Free Flow (6:25)
06. If We Be (4:02)
07. Drifting (5:21)
08. Mani's Samba (2:56)
09. The Moon Has Made Other Plans (6:11)
10. Overflow (5:52)

The award winning Lisa Young Quartet (‘Bell Awards’ Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album), is well known to Jazz and World Music listeners as an ensemble of creative improvisers incorporating Indian and African elements in their work. Renown as an exceptionally creative vocal stylist and improviser, Lisa is a long time student of mridangam maestro Karaikudi Mani in Chennai, and specialises in ‘konnakol’ – South Indian vocal percussion.

The quartet features the intuitive musicality of Ben Robertson (Double Bass), Steve Magnusson (Guitar) and Dave Beck (Drums).

Lisa Young’s new CD “The Eternal Pulse” was nominated for “Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album 2012”.
Her CD “Grace” won the “Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album 2007” award.

Grace

Rosie Carlino - So In Love With You

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:04
Size: 129,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:20)  1. That Old Black Magic
(5:40)  2. But Beautiful
(5:59)  3. So in Love
(3:59)  4. My Foolish Heart
(4:16)  5. Old Devil Moon
(5:48)  6. Bewitched
(4:06)  7. Fools Rush In
(4:55)  8. Unforgettable
(6:02)  9. In The Still Of The Night
(4:13) 10. My Romance
(5:41) 11. They Say It's Wonderful

So In Love With You from the acclaimed new performer Rosie Carlino is the most romantic thing to come out of the music industry since Rosemary Clooney. It is a lushly orchestrated collection of old standards made new again. Sultry, sexy and smooth, this CD awakens the smoldering poignancy of classic songs by Gershwin, Porter and Rodgers, and brings romance to a whole new generation. 
http://www.amazon.com/So-In-Love-With-You/dp/B0009FUV00

Spitfire Band - Make Believe Ballroom

Styles: Big Band
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:40
Size: 179,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:07)  1. Sing Sing Sing
(4:46)  2. I Can't Get Started
(2:46)  3. St. Louis Blues
(5:11)  4. Medley: You Made Me Love You - I'll Never Smile Again - For All We Know
(3:07)  5. After You've Gone
(2:53)  6. Marie
(3:03)  7. Tuxedo Junction
(3:31)  8. Medley: Green Eyes - Amapola - Tangerine
(3:04)  9. American Patrol
(2:56) 10. Sentimental Journey
(2:53) 11. Leap Frog
(2:43) 12. I've Got A Gal In Kalamazoo
(2:23) 13. Let's Dance
(2:59) 14. Near You
(4:32) 15. Medley: Basin Street Blues - Stars Fell On Alabama - Georgia On My mMnd
(3:08) 16. Cherokee
(2:35) 17. Medley: Accentuate The Positive - On the Atchison, Topeka, and The Santa Fe
(3:34) 18. G.I. Jive
(2:47) 19. Pennsylvania 6-5000
(2:54) 20. Shanty In Old Shanty Town
(2:34) 21. Bugle Call Rag
(3:01) 22. Stompin' At The Savoy
(2:51) 23. Make Believe Ballroom Time
(4:11) 24. No More Dancin'

If there was ever a TIME to get on the new big band bandwagon, the TIME is now! The Spitfire Band is a happening band. And it's happening BIG TIME! "The greatest band in the world today! Big Time! With today's recorded sound and Micky Erbe's arrangements, just phenomenal." - Bill Randle, WRMR, Cleveland, OH. Timely hits include: "Just in Time," "Time After Time," "As Time Goes By," "Witchcraft," and "Hey There." 
~ Editorial Reviews   
http://www.amazon.com/Make-Believe-Ballroom-Spitfire-Band/dp/B000001H43

The Spitfire Band includes: Jackie Rae (vocals); Arnie Chycoski (trumpet).

Rachel Z Trio - First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:37
Size: 123,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:34)  1. Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro)
(6:17)  2. Fragile
(8:02)  3. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
(8:03)  4. Autumn Leaves
(4:57)  5. Heart-Shaped Box
(4:09)  6. Crestfallen
(6:13)  7. Hurt
(4:35)  8. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
(6:45)  9. Don't Give Up

Over the latter half of the '90s, pianist/keyboardist Rachel Z blossomed into one of the top female performers in contemporary mainstream jazz. Because of her work in fusion and jazz-pop, she hasn't always enjoyed universally high critical regard, but it's clear that commercial accessibility doesn't constitute the full breadth of her ambition. Plus, the more she came into her own as a solo artist, the more committed she became to spotlighting and collaborating with other female jazz players.  Rachel Z was born Rachel Nicolazzo in Manhattan; her mother was an opera singer, and so Rachel began voice training at the mere age of two, adding classical piano lessons at seven. At 15, she began playing in a Steely Dancover band, and discovered jazz when she heard Miles Davis' Miles Smileswhile attending a summer program at Boston's Berklee School of Music. Upon returning to Manhattan, she formed her own quintet, Nardis; she later graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Joanne Brackeen, and gigged with several prominent artists in the Boston area, including George Garzone, Miroslav Vitous, and Bob Moses. She returned to Manhattan once again in 1988, first touring with Conservatory classmate Najee and then joining the fusion group Steps Ahead. Drawn to fusion because that was where the gigs were, Nicolazzo also played with Al DiMeola (Kiss My Axe), Larry Coryell,Special EFX, and Angela Bofill during this period, and also collaborated with Najee on 1990's big-selling smooth jazz hit Tokyo Blue, co-writing the title track and playing on the supporting tour. 

It was Steps Ahead leader/vibraphonistMike Mainieri who suggested Nicolazzo change her name to Rachel Z, which was simply easier to spell.  In 1993, a year after she debuted with Steps Ahead on Yin-Yang, Mainieriproduced Rachel Z's first album as a leader, Trust the Universe. Released on Columbia, it displayed the influence of Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, and also spawned a smooth jazz radio hit in "Nardis." In 1994, she began collaborating heavily with saxophone legend Wayne Shorter on his Verve debut and comeback effort, High Life, orchestrating his compositions (mostly on synth) and adding her own synthesizer and piano work. Released in 1995, the results were a commercial and (for the most part) critical success, winning a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. 

After serving as musical director on the supporting tour, Z officially left Steps Ahead and signed with Mainieri's NYC label as a solo artist. Her label debut, A Room of One's Own, was a series of compositions dedicated to the female artists (in all fields) who'd inspired her. Appropriately, her backing group  which featured, among others, her regular trio of the time in bassist Tracy Wormworth and drummer Cindy Blackman  was heavily weighted toward female musicians. Released in 1996, the accessible acoustic jazz of A Room of One's Own was generally well-reviewed. For her next project, Z signed with GRP and cut a hip-hop-flavored smooth jazz outing dubbed Love Is the Power, which was informed by her recent divorce and released in 1998. The following year, she participated in the fusion supergroup Vertú with former Return to Forever rhythm sectionStanley Clarke and Lenny White, and subsequently returned to acoustic jazz with her next album for Tone Center. 

On the Milkyway Express: A Tribute to the Music of Wayne Shorter featured her young new trio of bassist Miriam Sullivan and drummer Allison Miller, with whom she'd been playing for several years and now made her primary group. Additionally, she and Sullivan began playing together in a rock-oriented outfit called Peacebox.  Although her own career was going quite well, an invitation from Peter Gabriel to perform on his 20 city U.S. tour in 2002 was too much to resist. She found herself going on the road at the same time her newest solo album, Moon at the Window, was arriving in stores. A disc of Joni Mitchell covers and interpretations, the album was very personal to Rachel, but the chance to work with Gabriel was one of the few reasons she would purposefully not tour behind her own record. ~ Steve Huey  (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/rachel-z-mn0000380614)

Personnel : Rachel Z, Nicki Parrot.

Ehud Asherie & Harry Allen - Upper West Side

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:51
Size: 138,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:36)  1. Learnin' The Blues
(4:38)  2. It Had To Be You
(5:58)  3. O Pato
(5:17)  4. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(5:11)  5. Have You Met Miss Jones?
(5:39)  6. Passion Flower
(5:05)  7. I Want To Be Happy
(6:04)  8. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
(4:07)  9. I'm In The Mood For Love
(6:30) 10. Love Will Find A Way
(4:42) 11. My Blue Heaven

The closing track on pianist Ehud Asherie's Modern Life (Posi-Tone, 2010), whether intentional or not, came to serve as musical foreshadowing for this album. Modern Life has Asherie leading a crack quartet through a program of largely lesser-performed gems by cream-of-the-crop composers like George Gershwin, Jerome Kern and Tadd Dameron, but when the album reaches its conclusion the rhythm section is relieved of its duties, while tenor saxophonist Harry Allen stays onboard for an emotionally riveting two-man take on Billy Strayhorn's "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing." Three months later, this pair would find itself in a Brooklyn recording studio, ready to make more duo magic with the music of Gershwin, Strayhorn and many others. 

That music from that session, which would come to be called Upper West Side, sat on the shelves for two-and-a-half years, but it couldn't have been due to a lack of quality. This is Grade A jazz performed by two consummate, classy musicians with an intimate knowledge of this repertoire and each other's mannerisms. They casually work their way through the Frank Sinatra-associated "Learnin' The Blues," turning up the heat and grit as they go, deliver playful lines when they visit Brazil (Jayme Silva's "O Pato"), fly through "I Want To Be Happy," and converse via traded solos at various points throughout the album. While Asherie has shown his (post) bop chops and organ abilities on other albums, he has built his reputation on his skills as a practitioner of the lost piano arts which are on display here. He's often a man out of time, performing in a style that one would sooner associate with the early twentieth century than now, but that's what makes him so special. 

Allen, who has his own throwback sound that occasionally touches on stylistic hallmarks of early masters like Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins, is in a similar headspace and, though both men can hold their own in modern digs, it's a pleasure to hear two musicians of this caliber, willing to stop and take a look back. While the pair finds success on every track, the emotional and literal centerpiece of the album comes with another Strayhorn made musical scenario. Allen is Johnny Hodges to Asherie's Duke Ellington on "Passion Flower" and despite Allen playing a larger horn he still manages to capture the mood and spirit that surrounded the famous Ellington-associated altoist. Viewed in its entirety, Upper West Side is a program of delightful duo music that doesn't try to win anybody over with outré ideals, surprise twists or forced displays of showmanship. Allen and Asherie simply play the music, and they do so with clarity, class and charm. ~ Dan Bilawsky   
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=41385#.UuwVTrSgsis

Personnel: Ehud Asherie: piano; Harry Allen: tenor saxophone.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Barbara Ireland - Turning Back Time - Classic Songs To Kiss By

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:39
Size: 116,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:44)  1. Baby Baby All the Time
(3:34)  2. Black Coffee
(2:47)  3. He's a Tramp
(3:12)  4. Whatever Lola Wants
(5:05)  5. Cry Me A River
(3:11)  6. Blue Skies
(4:06)  7. Stormy Monday
(3:52)  8. Ain't Misbehavin'
(4:51)  9. Good Morning Heartache
(2:36) 10. I Love Being Here With You
(4:33) 11. Romance In the Dark
(3:33) 12. Angel In Blue Jeans
(5:27) 13. St James Infirmary

Re-ignite that feeling of hot romance  inside and out  through the sultry rhythms of these classic jazz and blues songs. Ireland's passionate vocals, shimmering above rich jazz performances, will get right under your skin and into your heart.  Barbara Ireland’s sultry vocals on her new cd, ‘Turning Back Time - Classic Songs To Kiss By’ are a perfect example of the genre known as 'Pheromone Jazz.’ Her smokin’ hot renditions of classic jazz and blues tunes transport you back in time to the intoxicating nightclubs of New York in the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s.... More  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/barbaraireland

India Arie - Songversation

Styles: R&B
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:18
Size: 152,6 MB
Art: Front

(0:35)  1. Soulbird Intro
(3:12)  2. Just Do You
(3:53)  3. This Love
(2:52)  4. Nothing That I Love More
(3:53)  5. Flowers
(3:55)  6. Cocoa Butter
(0:36)  7. SoulBird Interlude: Trombone
(4:48)  8. Moved By You
(3:23)  9. Life I Know
(4:09) 10. Break the Shell
(4:10) 11. SoulBird Rise
(4:33) 12. Thy Will Be Done (feat. Gramps Morgan)
(3:40) 13. Brothers' Keeper
(5:25) 14. One
(0:36) 15. Soulbird Outro: Clarinet
(3:52) 16. I Am Light
(0:35) 17. SoulBird Reprise: Ney
(3:43) 18. Thank You
(2:54) 19. 6th Avenue
(5:26) 20. Strange Fruit

Back with Motown, India.Arie is rejuvenated for her fifth album, which follows a lengthy hiatus. A series of mishaps, combined with some dissatisfaction regarding the sound of her recordings, prompted the break. She even contemplated leaving the industry. However, only the most attentive listeners will hear a considerable difference between SongVersation and the Testimony albums. Largely a low-key, gently uplifting affair with a soft, warm glow, 11 of its 16 tracks are enhanced with assistance from several Turkish musicians including percussionists, horn players, an oudist, and the Istanbul Strings who were recorded at the studio of Sezen Aksu (one of the guests on Testimony, Vol. 2). Longtime co-producer and instrumentalist Shannon Sanders remains, while new associate David Ryan Harris (Dionne Farris, John Mayer) is another major factor. 

The album's upbeat tone is set with the driving "Just Do You," a career highlight boasting a chorus that recalls the pre-chorus of Michael Jackson's "Rock with You." Apart from certain accents from the Turkish musicians, none of the material will surprise anybody. Sweet, sighing, relaxed numbers like "Flowers" ("You're the moral compass directing me to light") and "Cocoa Butter" ("You are like cocoa butter on my heart") are among the most India.Arie-like songs laid down. Everything most exemplified by "Break the Shell," inspired by an encounter with Cicely Tyson transmits positivity, even when she admits that, as a woman "almost four decades in" with neither a lifelong partner nor children, she's unsure of her position in life. It's evident that Arie's in a good place, both creatively and personally, yet SongVersation is not about self-satisfaction. She has no trouble bringing her listeners along. ~ Andy Kellman   http://www.allmusic.com/album/songversation-mw0002519717

Chuck Loeb - Plain 'N' Simple

Styles: Smooth Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:26
Size: 161,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:19)  1. D.I.G. (Deep Inner Groove)
(4:26)  2. Organeleptic
(8:12)  3. Red Suede Shoes
(5:54)  4. The Blues App
(7:02)  5. Plain 'n' Simple
(4:51)  6. E Com Esse Que Vou Eu
(4:43)  7. You Got It
(5:19)  8. Skylark
(4:55)  9. Bebop Betty
(6:35) 10. Annie's Song
(5:27) 11. It's About You
(6:38) 12. The Hello

Despite having been deeply influenced from an early age by the great organ trio recordings of guitarist Wes Montgomery and legendary organist Jimmy Smith, guitarist Chuck Loeb managed to spend the first 20 years of his career without ever working in that format, focusing instead on jazz fusion (with Steps Ahead and Fourplay) and spending some time as musical director for Stan Getz. But on his first organ trio project, Loeb sounds as comfortable as if he'd been doing this stuff for his whole career. Not only is his playing by turns supple, bluesy, and funky, but the eight original compositions that dominate the program all sound like standards (which is a compliment). "D.I.G." and "Annie's Song" lope along nicely at midtempo, driven gently by Loeb's soft-toned guitar, while "Organeleptic" is a beautiful but complicated headlong romp. Of the originals, only the title track (which is a bit on the smoove side) disappoints. Of the covers, highlights include a lovely take on Pedro Caetano's bossa classic "E Com Esse Que Vou Eu" (featuring Loeb's wife, singer Carmen Cuesta) and an even better interpretation of Hoagy Carmichael's "Skylark" (featuring vocals by Loeb and Cuesta's daughter Lizzy). Though it occasionally gets a bit soft in the middle, this album is a consistent pleasure from beginning to end. ~ Rick Anderson   http://www.allmusic.com/album/plain-n-simple-mw0002165235

Geoffrey Keezer - Heart Of The Piano

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:43
Size: 114,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:45)  1. Limelight
(6:06)  2. My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose
(5:39)  3. Come Talk To Me
(3:04)  4. New York
(6:03)  5. Still
(5:45)  6. Suddenly I See
(2:45)  7. Chirizakura
(6:11)  8. Lullaby For A Ladybug
(2:59)  9. Grunion Run
(6:20) 10. Take Time For Love

The title Heart of the Piano makes it plain: after over a decade of collaborations, pianist Geoffrey Keezer has returned with a solo acoustic piano session. Perhaps the title also suggests something sentimental and he does dedicate four of the songs to individual members of his family but this isn't a collection of sticky love songs. Keezer takes some happy, subtle risks with his material, opening the album with Rush's classic rock warhorse "Limelight," working his way to moody selections from Peter Gabriel ("Come Talk to Me") and Alanis Morissette ("Still"), and finding time for KT Tunstall's joyous "Suddenly I See" and Christian McBride's "Lullaby for a Ladybug" while still working in a couple of originals as well. Keezer lets all of these songs breathe sometimes speeding up, sometimes drawing things out either with tension or a luxurious, lax sense of dreaminess dancing around the melody without neglecting it, gliding up and down the keys but skirting a sense of indulgence. It's a sweet, slyly mischievous set that truly lets Keezer show a full range of emotions without ever seeming like he's showing off. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine  http://www.allmusic.com/album/heart-of-the-piano-mw0002548481

Thank You Mai Neime

Heart Of The Piano

Friday, February 7, 2014

Sweet Baby J'ai - The Art Of Blue

Size: 137,7 MB
Time: 59:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Blues Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. There Was A Time (4:52)
02. Soldiers Of Love (4:13)
03. Carmen's Blues (4:22)
04. Left Alone (5:45)
05. Stop The Word (5:29)
06. Neighbor, Neighbor (4:06)
07. Hop On The Pony (2:55)
08. Willow Weep For Me (4:56)
09. I Don't Want The Neighbors To Know (6:30)
10. Louisiana Stomp (4:33)
11. Don't Touch Me (5:41)
12. The Art Of Blue (5:41)

Elisa Kermody says... Yes, Sweet Baby J ai plays the washboard,and occasionally the spoons. But this ain t no backyard hoedown. With an amazing voice fresh and classic this woman could be a diva. She performs with known jazz talents, including pianist NateMorgan, bassist Nedra Wheeler, drummer Fritz Wise and saxophonist Louis Taylor Jr. She writes many of the songs she performs, a talent she s honed since writing her first blues song at 5. On her new album, The Art of Blue, she also acts as producer, composer and arranger. And she turns the washboard into a jazzboard, adding rhythmic accents and even solos using spoons, sticks and brushes, depending on the mood of the song. Beyond entertaining, Sweet baby J ai also informs, giving lessons in musical geography and history, as she takes you from LA to Kansas City to Texas to Louisiana, and tips her hat to jazz legends like Billie Holiday, Ray Charles and Carmen McRae ( Carmen s Blues ) sounds like a familiar jazz stand while at the same time contemporary). Sweet Baby J ai grooves, and her infectious personality and realness come through as she shares her love of jazz and blues in all its forms: It s all good; it s the art of blue. OC Weekly --The Weekly

"gumbo" probably would have been a more appropriate album title, because all the author: Steve Fullwood What do you do with a sister who possesses a voice of honey, an ear for the blues and jazz, and can play a washboard like nobody's business? You drop everything and run out to purchase her music, of course! (Wait. Finish this review first!) I'm referring to the one and only Sweet Baby J'ai, and the CD is The Art of Blue. Now run out and get it! (Need to know more? Read on.) The Art of Blue is exquisite, and by using such an overused word, I am bound to explain. Exquisite in that traditional blues and jazz seamlessly blend into a sound uniquely J'ai's. On the sublime, "I Don't Want the Neighbors to Know" she carefully drips her voice onto the sparse, silky muscular arrangements, and your ears eagerly lick it up. If that wasn't enough, she has the nerve to follow it up with "Louisiana Stomp," a down home romp through Cajun country that'll leave you longing for a nice bowl of gumbo! In fact, "gumbo" probably would have been a more appropriate album title, because all the songs make for one mesmerizing treat. She honors the legendary Carmen McCrae on "Carmen's Blues," explaining that it was McRae who taught her the value of precise pronunciation. Other notable cuts, many of them J'ai originals, include the charming "There Was a Time," the heartfelt "Soldiers of Love," and the raunchy "Hop on the Pony." End of story, now go, get outta here and buy it! --Music Connection Magazine

Los Angeles Times "....swinging...powerful...and haunting." New Times "...her voice is part cream, part honey and all soul..." Jazz Now "...extraordinary!" --The Times

Featuring some of the finest musicians on the scene today, with a special guest performance by renowned trumpeter, Oscar Brashear, her debut release, The Art Of Blue is a wonderful collection of jazz, blues and spoken word. Composer/producer Sweet Baby J'ai, serves up a multi-hued palette of songs that highlight her warm, velvety tones; sometimes fun and often thought-provoking lyrics. According to Scott Yanow, Editor of the All Music Guide to Jazz, "Every selection on the set is memorable in its own way and several have the potential of becoming future standards." Oscar Brashear - trumpet Nate Morgan - piano Bill Cunliffe - piano Wayne Peet - piano Trey Henry - bass Nedra Wheeler - bass Reggie Hamilton - bass Greg Brown - drums Jerry Brown - drums Mike O'Neill - guitar Louis Taylor, Jr. saxophone Ann King - trumpet

The Art Of Blue

Lionel Cole & The Family Business - Chicagoland

Size: 112,2 MB
Time: 48:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. All Of Me (2:13)
02. Lullaby Of Broadway (3:39)
03. The Late Late Show (2:23)
04. In A Sentimental Mood (3:03)
05. The Blues Don't Care (2:09)
06. Save Some Time For Me (4:11)
07. Steal Away (4:51)
08. My Lady (4:11)
09. Let's Do It (4:46)
10. Smile Again (5:29)
11. The Golden Hour (5:55)
12. Cool Blue Mountain Stream (5:22)

The year is 1994 I run a small Music jingle company with a few of my Frat brothers from Northwestern. I have started to carve my own little corner of the all powerful Cole Business. All my fathers brothers and my father are board members (Eddie, Ike, Nat, & Freddy) my cousin Natalie is the Ceo. After years of sending tunes to Babylon (Los Angeles) I get approached by a publisher...to do some tunes that Nat recorded that were not soooo famous. Since this involved players and arrangements, me and my crew decided to add some original tunes (since that is my niche) and make an album of it. 4 Years later Nat's record company suggests a trip to New Orleans to do my Hot buttered Soul Thing for the first time at the source. What you have in your hands is that project. It features The Itty Bitty Big Band from Chicago (with folks like Greg Rockingham on drums , John Harkins on Piano, Jerry Byrd on Guitar, Tom Hubbard on Bass, and Steve Cole on Sax to name a few) doing Arrangements by ed harris, Charles Harrison, III , and me Lionel Cole. The Dirty South Band features Brand New Heavy's mastermind Brady Blade and recording guru Mark Bingham who help Steal Away a Ruff and ready crew of Cajun Superstars that add the deep fried funk to the Golden Hour. Enjoy:)

Chicagoland

Kate McGarry & Keith Ganz - Genevieve & Ferdinand: Live

Size: 113,9 MB
Time: 49:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Full

01. American Tune (3:24)
02. Ten Little Indians (5:14)
03. Aquelas Coisas Todas / Third Wind / Aqui O (6:12)
04. Can't Help Loving That Man (4:33)
05. Plea For A Good Night's Rest (4:48)
06. Line 'em Up (5:24)
07. Mr. Long Gones (2:35)
08. Let's Face The Music And Dance (5:30)
09. Pretending To Care (5:00)
10. Smile (2:06)
11. Beneath A Crozet Trestle Bridge (4:36)

There is no greater beacon of sincerity, honesty and emotional purity than Kate McGarry. She's proven it time and again, whether singing standards, modern day favorites, originals or obscurities, and she does so once more on Genevieve & Ferdinand.

In some ways this album marks a new beginning for McGarry; it's her first live album, first duo recording, and first release on the Sunnyside imprint. All of that might lead people to believe that McGarry's starting with a blank slate here, but nothing could be further from the truth. She actually capitalizes on her own history and an affinity for intimacy during this beautiful and bewitching album. She weaves her way through eleven songs that reference her previous recordings ("Aquelas Coisas Todas," "Aqui O" and "Let's Face The Music And Dance"), her back story ("Ten Little Indians") and the spirit of the American singer-songwriter breed.

As the album unfolds, McGarry's voice is the obvious focal point. Her heartfelt delivery on Paul Simon's "American Tune" and her own "Ten Little Indians" reinforce her reputation as one who sings from the heart. In that respect, nothing changes as the album continues, but the ear's perspective is altered after those first two songs. The chemistry that exists between McGarry and her most trusted ally— guitarist/husband Keith Ganz—becomes readily apparent during "Aquelas Coisas Todas/Third Wind/Aqui O," and it's hard not to notice it after that point. Ganz brings an understated sophistication to every track on the album and he proves to be a master tailor of moods, making the perfect outfits to drape around McGarry.

Together, McGarry and Ganz—a.k.a Genevieve and Ferdinand—wind their way through an eclectic playlist that's charming as can be. They shine a light on underexposed songwriters like Paul Curreri ("Beneath A Crozet Trestle Bridge") and Devon Sproule ("Plea For A Good Night's Rest"), reimagine the work of James Taylor ("Line 'Em Up"), and deliver a haunting and powerful rendition of an Irving Berlin classic ("Let's Face The Music And Dance"). Two other singular vocal talents— Gian Slater and Theo Bleckmann—join up for a slow and enchanted take on Todd Rundgren's "Pretending To Care," but everything else remains a tale of two artists.

Genevieve & Ferdinand doesn't contain bold proclamations or daring musical acts, but it's filled with some of the most genuine music that anybody is likely to ever hear. That's the gift that McGarry and Ganz give, and it's a gift that keeps giving more with each listen. ~Review by Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Kate McGarry: vocals; Keith Ganz: guitar; Theo Bleckmann: vocals (9); Gian Slater: vocals (9).

Genevieve & Ferdinand

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.

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

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

Thursday, February 6, 2014

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

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

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