Robin Nolan Trio - Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

Styles: Vocal Jazz, Guitar Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:34
Size: 136,4 MB
Front:

(3:41)  1. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
(5:35)  2. Route 66
(3:38)  3. The Lonely One
(2:39)  4. That's A Natural Fact
(3:03)  5. Oh, Lady Be Good
(4:14)  6. Out Of Nowhere
(3:26)  7. Caravan
(2:13)  8. Take The  A  Train
(3:58)  9. Honeysuckle Rose
(5:16) 10. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(3:57) 11. September Song
(3:17) 12. Shoo Shoo Baby
(2:59) 13. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(4:39) 14. All Of Me
(6:51) 15. Once In A While

If the Los Angeles-based Nat King Cole Trio of the '30s and '40s had employed Django Reinhardt on guitar instead of Oscar Moore and didn't use any piano or if Cole had been a featured vocalist for Reinhardt's European groups -- the results might have resembled what acoustic guitarist Robin Nolan does on Boulevard of Broken Dreams. This swing-oriented effort, which was recorded in Amsterdam, Holland, in 2000, finds Nolan featuring a very Cole-minded vocalist on all of the tracks: Randy Greer, the grand nephew of drummer Sonny Greer (who was with the Duke Ellington Orchestra from 1924-1951). Greer certainly isn't the only singer with a Cole obsession; the others have included Freddy Cole (Nat King Cole's younger brother), Allan Harris, and the late Sonny Brown (a Philadelphia resident who was little-known outside of that city). And even though Greer is hardly the most original singer in the world, he is good at what he does and isn't an exact replica of his main influence like Freddy Cole, Greer has a huskier voice than Nat King Cole. Together, Nolan and Greer (who are joined by Paul Meader on upright bass and Kevin Nolan on acoustic rhythm guitar) give listeners a CD that has one foot in the L.A. of the '30s and '40s and the other in the Europe of that era. Unfortunately, their choice of material is way too obvious; most of the tunes are warhorses that have long since been beaten to death. But the CD's concept Reinhardt's gypsy jazz meets Nat King Cole is certainly intriguing. And when all is said and done, Nolan and Greer provide a likable, if imperfect, disc that both Reinhardt and Cole fans will be glad to have in their collections. ~ Alex Henderson   http://www.allmusic.com/album/boulevard-of-broken-dreams-mw0000021258

Personnel: Robin Nolan (guitar); Randy Greer (vocals); Kevin Nolan (guitar); Paul Meader (acoustic bass).

Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

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Joe Williams & Harry 'Sweets' Edison - Together

Styles: Vocal, Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:53
Size: 138,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:52)  1. Winter Weather
(2:30)  2. I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)
(2:19)  3. There's a Small Hotel
(2:14)  4. Out of Nowhere
(2:27)  5. Aren't You Glad You're You
(1:52)  6. Remember
(2:32)  7. Together
(2:51)  8. Deep Purple
(2:40)  9. Always
(4:08) 10. Lover, Come Back to Me
(1:59) 11. By the River Sainte Marie
(2:35) 12. Alone Together
(2:52) 13. Have a Good Time
(2:45) 14. Sometimes I'm Happy
(2:55) 15. Old Folks
(2:50) 16. Until I Met You
(3:18) 17. I Won't Cry Anymore
(2:22) 18. S'sposin'
(2:59) 19. A Blues Serenade
(2:12) 20. September in the Rain
(2:37) 21. Summertime
(2:17) 22. Moonlight in Vermont
(2:34) 23. Falling in Love With Love

When singer Joe Williams left Count Basie's orchestra to go out on his own in early 1961, at first he co-led a group with veteran trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison. Their two joint recordings for Roulette have been reissued in full on this single CD. The Together set matches Williams and Edison with tenor saxophonist Jimmy Foster and a four-piece rhythm section that includes pianist Sir Charles Thompson. Among the highlights of the dozen standards are "I Don't Know Why," "Aren't You Glad You're You," and "Lover Come Back to Me." Have a Good Time has 11 songs performed by a mostly unidentified larger group arranged by Ernie Wilkins, including fine versions of "Sometimes I'm Happy," "Old Folks," "September in the Rain," and "Moonlight in Vermont." Throughout the sets, Joe Williams did his best to de-emphasize the blues (he wanted to be known as a well-rounded singer), instead choosing to uplift and personalize standards. Excellent music. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/together-have-a-good-time-mw0000591021

Personnel:  Harry "Sweets" Edison – trumpet; Jimmy Jones – piano; Joe Williams – vocals; Charlie Persip – drums; Tommy Potter; Ernie Wilkins – arranger; Joe Benjamin – bass;

Together

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Gail Marten - In Love Again

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:57
Size: 170,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:03)  1. Never Let Me Go
(4:25)  2. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(3:27)  3. Reinventing Me
(8:47)  4. If He Walked Into My Life
(3:12)  5. Alice In Wonderland
(5:53)  6. Alfie
(7:02)  7. You Must Believe In Spring
(4:08)  8. I'm Old Fashioned
(5:02)  9. Skylark
(6:29) 10. Like A Lover
(5:49) 11. Cry Me A River
(2:48) 12. An Occasional Man
(6:52) 13. Where Do You Start
(3:54) 14. Hello Young Lovers

Not every singer can easily achieve intimacy; Gail Marten has thoroughly mastered the art. Ms Marten is still endeavoring to attain a similar level of perfection with intonation, yet her latest album is a joy to behold. That is mainly due to her knowing approach to ballads. I don't mean that corny old line about being able to tell a story. Gail's strength lies in her deep understanding of the emotions that well-crafted lyrics convey, and above all, her impeccable taste. Her choice of material agreed to by her accompanist, pianist/arranger Larry Willis reveals her knowledge of, and appreciation for, the Great American Songbook. Prime examples are her interpretations of "Skylark," "Alfie," "Never Let Me Go" and "Cry Me A River." What they all have in common is they tend to separate the women from the girls, the professionals from the ingénues, the cabaret hip from the jazz pretenders. Each of those tracks is given a heart-wrenching reading. 

When Willis alone backs her, Ms Marten is able to plumb the depths and soul of the lyrics in the ideal dramatic atmosphere: rubato, as they do in "If He Walked Into My Life" to this pair of ears, the high point of the CD. That in no way infers that Willis' rhythm mates bassist Herman Burney and drummer Eric Kennedy fail to carry their weight. Au contraire, Burney's pedal points on the fifth add just the right touch to "Alice In Wonderland," a 3/4 bouyancy that Kennedy's subtle brush work enchances. Both "Where Do You Start?" and "You Must Believe in Spring" reveal Gail's ability to stretch her high range as well as cope with sudden modulations They also show her preference for the literate eloquence of the Bergmans, whether it be lavished over the changes of Johnny Mandel or Michel Legrand. "Hello Young Lovers" (one of Willis' cleverest charts) a juxtapostion of bright bossa and uplifting jazz pulse in the release proves that Gail can swing, when she wishes to. 

Another talent she can call on whenever the Muse allows, is her lyric writing. Her witty "Reinventing Me," a collaboration with Clem Ehoff, includes her plan to "reconstruct my derriere," among many other revisions. Her self-improvement project breaks me up every time I hear it. The album is dedicated to Shirley Horn, who put Marten hip to Larry Willis around six years ago. ~ Harvey Siders   http://jazztimes.com/articles/25867-in-love-again-gail-marten

Personnel: Eric Kennedy (drums); Gail Marten (vocals); Larry Willis (piano).

In Love Again

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Robin Stine - Daydream

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:57
Size: 104,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:12)  1. Don't I Know
(4:22)  2. Nature Boy
(4:11)  3. Half My Heart
(3:06)  4. Sweet Blossom
(3:37)  5. Never Say Goodbye
(3:40)  6. Daydream
(3:32)  7. I've Got a Secret
(2:21)  8. Shy Boy
(5:01)  9. I Could Have Loved You
(2:36) 10. Made for Two
(2:01) 11. For Me
(3:40) 12. Get Over Her
(3:31) 13. Singing to Me

Seduction comes in many forms. Those who can seduce with style make it seem effortless, unintentional, irresistible. Robin Stine's music seduces with a whiff of subtle perfume and a casual graze of her hand as she walks past, leaving the listener powerless to do anything but follow. As a singer, her voice floats on the stylish edge of contemporary cool-light, but never lightweight. As a songwriter, her enchanting originals set her in the upper echelon of today's songwriters.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Robin began her musical journey as a child singing in school groups and church choirs. When she left for college she had no idea that music would take her around the world. For three of her collegiate years she performed with gospel groups, traveling across the U.S. as well as in Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Hong Kong and China. She then moved to Miami in 1996 to begin her graduate studies. During this time she performed with “Mike Suman’s Swing City” and her own band “Simply Stellar” at festivals, hotels and clubs throughout South Florida. In 2003 she moved to Pensacola to focus on the next phase of her musical career-writing and recording her original music.

Her debut album Daydream is a sleek collection of a dozen original jazzy, bluesy numbers that immediately sound like comfortable standards. The melancholy title track “Daydream”, the only co-write on the album, was written with Chris Whiteman at the University of Miami. The album's other originals were written over a six-month period while Robin rebuilt her home in the wake of Hurricane Ivan. “These songs are very personal. They were gifts from ‘the muses’ of genuine emotion, faith and hope-and they’re my gift to the world.”

Her opening track “Don't I Know” is a playful tune about finding happiness within, which according to Robin is “Something that most people struggle with in life, but the only way to enjoy it.” The album also features the bittersweet tune “Half My Heart”, a song she wrote about being separated from the one you love, while the flirty “Sweet Blossom” is about love’s anticipation. “Never Say Goodbye” is a sultry tune where Robin conveys by her own admission, “Life can be more fun if you let yourself be naughty sometimes.” As one of Robin’s favorite jazz songs and the only cover on the album, she includes the haunting “Nature Boy”, by Eden Ahbez.

Under the guidance of producer Mark Bingham, who's worked with everyone from Dr. John to the Blind Boys of Alabama to the Black Eyed Peas, she's assembled an enviably experienced crew including pianist Warren Bernhardt (Steps Ahead, Jack DeJohnette, Gerry Mulligan), drummer Gary Burke (Joe Jackson, Bob Dylan), trumpeter Steven Bernstein (Roswell Rudd, Medeski Martin & Wood, Don Byron), and her fellow Kansas City native, guitarist Steve Cardenas (Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux, Paul Motian, Mark Isham).

A lifelong love of performing inspired by family and further fueled by the completion of her album, have culminated in a desire to return to the touring stage after a rebuilding period in the post-Hurricane Ivan year. Now based in Pensacola, Florida, Robin is ready to follow the upcoming release of Daydream with a festival and club scene tour in a way that will also leave the world powerless to do anything but follow. (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/robinstine)

Daydream

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Bobbi Humphrey - Freestyle

Styles: Jazz Funk
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:31
Size: 86,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. Home-Made Jam
(4:37)  2. My Destiny
(5:00)  3. I Could Love You More
(4:16)  4. Sunset Burgundy
(4:42)  5. Freestyle
(4:28)  6. If You Want It
(4:30)  7. If You Let Me
(4:53)  8. Good Times

The second release In the new series of classic jazz/funk reissues from SoulMusic.com Records is an expanded edition of the original 1978 Epic album Freestyle by famed flautist and musician Bobbi Humphrey.
Texas-born Bobbi was initially encouraged by jazz great Dizzy Gillespie to pursue a musical career: after winning the famous Apollo Theater Amateur Talent contest in New York, she became a popular performer in the city. In 1971, Bobbi signed with Blue Note Records and made six albums for the label. In 1977, Bobbi signed with Epic Records who released her label debut “Tailor Made” the same year.

Bobbi’s sophomore Epic album Freestyle was the most successful of her LPs for the label. Produced by renowned percussionist Ralph MacDonald, Freestyle’s stellar cast of musicians includes Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, Anthony Jackson, David Spinozza and Marcus Miller with background vocals from Gwen Guthrie among others. No less a luminary than Stevie Wonder provides a solo on the funky track, “Home-Made Jam.”~ David Nathan   

http://www.soulmusic.com/index.asp?S=1&T=38&ART=280

Freestyle

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Ken Peplowski - In Search of...

Styles: Clarinet, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:54
Size: 158,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. The Thespian
(8:02)  2. Love's Disguise
(5:18)  3. When Joanna Loved me
(7:05)  4. Falsa Baiana
(5:55)  5. A Ship Without a Sail
(4:57)  6. With Every Breath i Take
(5:34)  7. In Flower
(5:31)  8. Peps
(4:40)  9. This Nearly was Mine
(6:22) 10. No Regrets
(4:51) 11. Within you and Without you
(5:20) 12. Rum and Coca Cola

Ken Peplowski is a clarinet virtuoso, with a tone of such warmth and beauty that it takes only a few bars to create a feel-good atmosphere, either in performance or, as he ably demonstrates on In Search Of ..., in the studio. Although Peplowski has over 20 albums to his name as leader, he's still experimenting, still trying out new ideas still, presumably, in search of something. The first nine tunes are recordings from a February 2010 quartet session. Peplowski makes some terrific choices for this set, from Robert Wells and Jack Segal's beautiful ballad "When Joanna Loved Me" to pianist Shelly Berg's lovely "In Flower" and his infectiously swinging tribute to the clarinetist, "Peps." Peplowski is a veteran of the Tommy Dorsey band and Benny Goodman's post-retirement ensemble. He's also been influenced strongly by bop saxophonist Sonny Stitt. 

With such diverse influences Peplowski can move effortlessly between styles. He's an especially effective ballad player, something he does with aplomb on Rodgers and Hart's "A Ship Without A Sail" and Cy Coleman's "With Every Breath I Take." The final three numbers find Peplowski in a slightly more adventurous mood, at a 2007 session originally intended to record material for a self-produced album. On "No Regrets" Peplowski duets on tenor sax with bassist Greg Cohen: both musicians swing and glide through the tune, Cohen's fluid bass playing creating a rock steady rhythm that allows Peplowski freedom to weave some snaking lead lines. "Within You And Without You" is a reworking, and slight re-titling, of George Harrison's "Within You, Without You" from The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Parlophone, 1967). 

Peplowski and Cohen are joined by percussionist Joe Ascione and vibraphonist Chuck Redd, for a fascinating treatment of this pop classic. Percussion, vibes and bass create a floating wash of sound over which Peplowski's clarinet swoops in seductive, almost free-form, patterns. Lionel Belasco and Lord Invader's calypso, "Rum and Coca Cola," is another duet, this time with Ascione joining Peplowski. The clarinetist is, again, in terrific form, but he's matched by Ascione's amazingly vibrant drumming on a tune that is a delight from the first beat. Peplowski's sleeve notes give some insight into the making of this album, but no clue as to what he might be In Search Of .... Bill Griffith's lovely artwork just adds to the enigma. But little mysteries make life that bit more enjoyable. So, too, does this music. ~ Bruce Lindsay   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=39186#.UxYaB4VZhhk
 

Personnel: Ken Peplowski: clarinet, tenor saxophone; Shelly Berg: piano (1-9); Tom Kennedy: bass (1-9); Jeff Hamilton: drums (1-9); Greg Cohen: bass (10, 11); Chuck Redd: vibraphone (11); Joe Ascione: percussion (11), drums (12).

In Search of...

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Renee Yoxon & Mark Ferguson - Here We Go Again

Size: 123,2 MB
Time: 53:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. So Far (4:38)
02. Drinking Coffee (4:28)
03. Here We Go Again (4:30)
04. Watching (5:52)
05. Just Say The Word (4:10)
06. Just As We Are (3:32)
07. Sao Paulo (5:05)
08. Canary (4:24)
09. 1-2-3 (3:58)
10. Have We Been In Love Before? (5:17)
11. Don't Go (3:43)
12. There's Only You (3:21)

Here We Go Again is Canadian singer/songwriter Renee Yoxon's follow-up to 2010's Let's Call It A Day (Self Produced). She teams with pianist/trombonist Mark Ferguson for a dozen original compositions that are refreshingly familiar, meaning they all have a traditional form and mainstream sensibility that softens the blow to even the most stalwart traditionalist deaf to any material composed after 1960.

But new material, this is. From afar, this is a collection of slow- and medium-tempo ballads that have a faint familiarity that is difficult to pin down. "Drinking Coffee" has a whiff of Jackson Browne in its structure (or is it Warren Zevon) and sounds as if Linda Ronstadt would have sung this 30 years previous. Craig Pedersen's pinched trumpet adds just enough jazz to keep things unbalanced, not a bad thing here as it curtails this music's predictability making it at once fresh but not out of reach. The title piece is a lyrically complex waltz that modulates through times and tempi providing the listener something continually new. "Watching" is a delicate pastoral, opened with Joel Kerr's arco bass delicately balanced upon Ferguson's piano. Yoxon's voice is confident and knowing, comfortable and intimate.

Intimate may best describe this recording. Yoxon's writing and voice are clearly out there with no net. Even on the more up-tempo "Just As We Are," Yoxon sings as if telling a humorous secret:

"We make such a pair; we match like a new pair of shoes
Why go spoil it all with a pair of "I dos."
And We stay just as we are, our love still shiny and new
No fuss no fight , stayin up all night, whispering dreamily
We should stay just as we are, just you and me..."

"Sao Paulo" is proto-Bossa Nova so fresh and humid, Yoxon's wordless singing equally fresh. the piece, "1-2-3" opens with a jaunty walking bass, Ferguson's trombone doubling with Yoxon's be bop voice that leads into a bit of impressive scat singing. Ferguson's solo is understated and bluesy, contrasting well with Yoxon's voice. Here We Go Again echos the method on Thisbe Vos' Under Your Spell (Self Produced, 2013), one where the mainstream is not forsaken but is tilled into itself making a richer foundation for the newly composed. The music will only grow deeper from such. ~Review by C. Michael Bailey

Personnel: Renee Yoxon: vocals; Mark Ferguson: piano, trombone; ; Joel Kerr: bass; Jeff Asselin: drums; Rene Gely: guitar; Craig Pedersen: trumpet; Frank Lozano: saxophone.

Here We Go Again

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Renee Yoxon & Rene Gely - Let's Call It A Day

Size: 105,8 MB
Time: 41:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. The Look Of Love (4:08)
02. Willow Weep For Me (4:37)
03. Never Let Me Go (3:42)
04. Let's Call It A Day (3:01)
05. Candy (2:54)
06. Lovers' Lullaby (3:25)
07. Centerpiece (3:50)
08. The Masquerade Is Over (3:58)
09. Par Ce Beau Jour De Printemps (3:06)
10. Don't Explain (5:14)
11. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) (3:47)

About Let's Call it a Day:
As Yoxon’s debut album, this work showcases her clear and unembellished lyrical delivery, poignant song choice, and emotionally charged performance. Using a wide variety of guitars, Yoxon & Gely create atmospheric, folk-influenced interpretations of jazz standards.

Artists' Bios:
Young vocalist Renée Yoxon is quickly becoming one of the most in demand jazz singers in the Ottawa region thanks to her grace, captivating presence and beautiful voice. Introduced to jazz music in high school, her tastes and vocal repertoire range from bebop to contemporary favourites. After graduating from high school Renée studied voice with Tena Palmer while completing a degree in physics with minors in math and music from Carleton University. Recently, Renée has participated in the National Arts Centre’s Manhattan on the Rideau masterclasses led by Theo Bleckmann and Peter Eldridge.
Distinguished by more poise and assurance than most young women her age, Renée delivers unique interpretations of jazz standards. Hear her every Monday night at Bar 56 in Ottawa’s Byward Market.

René Gely has pursued his musical passions in San Francisco, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Paris. A Parisian for 12 years, he studied with the French world music guitarist Pierre Bensusan and the acclaimed American expatriate, soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy. René has recorded with Toronto jazz musicians such as Perry White and George Koller, as well as with the Irish singer Mary Reidy. While in San Francisco in 2003, René started his world beat trio Pulse Mondiale. He later relocated to the Ottawa area where he is originally from. Here he has formed a new edition of Pulse Mondiale, as well as new collaborations with the city's best musicians.

Let's Call It A Day

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Chris Standring - Main Course / Don't Talk, Dance!

Album: Main Course (The Early Tapes)
Size: 113,1 MB
Time: 48:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Jazz Funk, Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

01. Tabbouleh (6:49)
02. Look No Strings (5:11)
03. Baklava And Cream (4:47)
04. Touchdown (5:14)
05. Pastourelle (3:45)
06. City Shuffle (5:40)
07. Prelude (1:09)
08. Who Knows (5:01)
09. What Was That (5:49)
10. Sticky Fingers (5:22)

The success of Chris Standring’s groundbreaking 2010 CD Blue Bolero, which topped several year-end lists and produced a No. 1 single, made it a tough act for the guitarist to follow. But Standring has managed quite nicely with Electric Wonderland (March 20, 2012, Ultimate Vibe Recordings), a 10-song CD of original songs that fuses elements of Blue Bolero’s orchestral touches with a deft jazz-pop touch that’s been a hall mark of Standring’s stellar career.

Chris Standring grew up in the small town of Aylesbury in England, later studying at London College of Music and writing music for the BBC and for several theatrical orchestrations before moving to Los Angeles in February of 1991. That’s where Standring first hooked up with Rodney Lee, as they both were playing with Lauren Christy, a U.K. singer who had also moved to Southern California. In 1996, Standring and Lee released an acid-jazz CD by their group Solar System. The CD, featuring vocal covers of “Walk on the Wild Side” and “Me & Mrs. Jones,” introduced Standring’s vibey instrumental tunes to the world.

Main Course

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Album: Don't Talk, Dance!
Size: 137,3 MB
Time: 58:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Funk, Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

01. Sky High (5:16)
02. Inside Outside (3:54)
03. Sneakin' Out The Front Door (3:54)
04. Voices In My Head (4:16)
05. Soul Symphony (4:20)
06. Another Fine Mess (4:49)
07. Crazy Bom Baizy (5:33)
08. Ride (Feat. Lauren Christy) (4:14)
09. Absolute Madness (4:18)
10. Yesterday's Heaven (4:33)
11. Imagine That (3:56)
12. Scatterfunk (5:05)
13. Nothing Lasts Forever (4:35)

Chris Standring returns in 2014 with another musical left turn with Don't Talk, Dance!, a deep European progressive soul-jazz-dance influenced project featuring the best funk and soul studio musicians in Los Angeles. This 13-track set features Chris as arranger, orchestrator and producer, along with his signature solo jazz and fusion guitar sounds.

Drawing on 70's style funk and soul inspiration, Chris raises the bar once again with an album that is impossible to sit still to. The first radio single "Sneakin' Out The Front Door," features Chris on guitar talkbox, and harks back to a time reminiscent of early Jeff Beck or Herbie Hancock, with a hook that is clearly all Chris Standring.

Don't Talk, Dance!

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Mariana Martin - Bossa Nova

Size: 85,7 MB
Time: 36:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Bossa Nova, Brazilian Jazz
Art: Front

01. A Felicidade (4:32)
02. Summer Samba (So Nice) (3:37)
03. Girl From Ipanema (3:46)
04. Flor De Lis (4:27)
05. Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars) (3:37)
06. Madalena (3:11)
07. Triste (4:14)
08. Pra Dizer Adeus (4:43)
09. Wave (4:39)

Born in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Mariana is a consequence of the Bossa Nova movement. American mother and Brazilian father she lived most of her life between the USA and Brazil. She started her singing career at age 18 in Rio singing Brazilian Jazz at the popular local clubs of Rio. She studied music at the Brazilian conservatory of music in Rio de Janeiro and Dick Grove School of Music in LA. By the age of 19 she was a recording artist for the label Som Livre in Brazil where she had two albums produced by Guto Graca Mello. At Age 21 Mariana was invited by Chicago Musician Brazilian percussionist Laudir de Oliveira to join a Brazilian Jazz band called The Brazilian Secrets in Los Angeles. Together they performed for four consecutive years the Brazilian Carnival at the Hollywood Palladium in LA and opened a live concert for Duran Duran in Anaheim, California. Together with musicians: Don Grusin (keyboards), Lee Ritnower (guitar), Tom Scott (Winds), Jimmy Haslip (bass/Yellow Jackets), Kay Akagi (keyboards), and many others the Brazilian Secrets played live in several night clubs in LA.
Mariana is now based in Miami where she performed for 3 consecutives years at the Van Dyke Café Jazz Club in Miami Beach and together with musicians Don Wilner / Bass (Music Director of the Van Dyke Café) and Mike Orta / Piano (Head Director of the Music Dept. FIU) and Claudio Spiewak (Acoustic guitar) she recorded a Brazilian jazz CD called "BOSSA NOVA BLUES". She is now playing in local night clubs and is in the process of releasing her new album “Forbidden Fruit Lounge” better described as a fusion of her American and Brazilian heritage.

Bossa Nova

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Majken Christiansen - Comes Love

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:20
Size: 114,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. Girl Talk
(3:57)  2. Teach Me Tonight
(3:03)  3. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
(4:00)  4. 'S Wonderful
(3:54)  5. Over The Rainbow
(3:46)  6. Comes Love
(3:06)  7. Sing, Sing, Sing
(3:54)  8. Moonlight In Vermont
(5:19)  9. Stompin' At The Savoy
(5:05) 10. It Ain't Necessarily So
(5:37) 11. Take The "A" Train
(3:22) 12. Almost Like Being In Love

Majken sings revitalized jazz in the tradition of the great jazz divas, where Ella Fitzgerald always will be one of the biggest inspirations. But Majken doing their thing with an open and updated expression, and no matter what she sings, so interprets and conveys her classic lyrics and melodies from The American Songbook with warmth, honesty and conviction.

Since the mid-1990s, Majken been Denmark's most popular swing jazz singer. She has done numerous concerts in Denmark, has recorded several CDs and has got her own Danish fankkubb! From 2001 to 2010 stayed Majken stuck in Oslo, where she ia was a soloist with a number of bands. Today Majken residing in Copenhagen. published in 2011 Majken CD Speak Love . It contains nine handpicked standard melodies, both famous and less famous, plus a new song by guitarist Frode Kjekstad. In the beautiful ballad "Throw It Away" shows Majken and guest Bodil Niska extensive experience in interpreting profession. Like the rest of the CD, it seeks to address even beyond jazz church. 

- Unlike their predecessors in the history of jazz, these musicians feel at home in any genre or style (...) With such a versatile quartet from Norway, is Majken Christiansen perfect Danish counterpart. Elegant, funny and sensitive, but also powerful as a "big fat mama" a surprising contrast to the events sleek look. Trained as an actor and singer in Denmark, Norway and the United States, Majken all it takes to grab an audience, be it in a theater, a concert hall, or in a small club ... ( Erling Wicklund, producer NRK 2003) Bodil Niska Majken Christiansen on Sildajazz 2004 Crew Majken Christiansen - vocals Frode Kjekstad - Guitar Ove Billington - piano Stig Hvalryg - bass Torstein Ellingsen - drumsBooking torstein@jazzprovider.com + 47 91713877 See Majkens has sung much live in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, but also in Germany, Holland, Poland and Ukraine. She has been a lot of touring for Concerts, with the two productions Ella Fitzgerald - First Lady Of Song and weird animals .... Translate by google  http://www.jazzprovider.com/majken.html

Comes Love

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Lauren Shub - Dream Dancing

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:15
Size: 114,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:27)  1. Too Darn Hot
(3:57)  2. Caravan
(3:03)  3. Can't Take My Eyes Off of You
(4:22)  4. The Very Thought of You
(2:51)  5. Can't Buy Me Love
(3:19)  6. Dream Dancing
(3:08)  7. So in Love
(3:14)  8. Teach Me Tonight
(2:31)  9. Just One of Those Things
(3:23) 10. It Might as Well Be Spring
(3:52) 11. They Can't Take That Away from Me
(3:59) 12. My Funny Valentine
(3:10) 13. I've Got the World On a String
(4:49) 14. Moondance

Lauren  Shub is a professional singer and actor who has performed on Broadway, regional theater and clubs. She has appeared with a range of jazz musicians in NY and NJ she frequently performs with jazz guitarist Hal Hirsch and pianist Ilya Maslov and their respective ensembles. Most recently she has also performed with noted saxophonist Karel Ruzicka, Jr. She has also sung with guitarist Joseph Frame and the Framework Acoustic Jazz Quartet. Among Lauren's local appearances have been performances at the Watchung Arts Center, Crossroads, Verve, Perkins Art Center's DeCafe Series, the Hunt Club at the Grand Summit Hotel, North Maple Inn, Giamano's, Johnny K's and annual appearances at Westfield's Sweet Sounds Downtown.

"Lauren has a handle on the 1940s sound, yet she brings her own sensibility to the well-known standards from the American Songbook. She grabs you with a smooth, precise, and controlled approach to singing, and tops that off with a sweet tone and a lilt to her vibrato, that is reminiscent of the legendary Sarah Vaughan" . "A voice that sails on breathless notes" Star Ledger   http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/laurenshub2

Dream Dancing

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Joe Sample - Old Places Old Faces

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:53
Size: 126,5 MB
Art: Front + Back

(4:27)  1. Free Yourself
(5:30)  2. Black And White
(7:40)  3. Clifton's Gold
(5:16)  4. Old Places Old Faces
(3:03)  5. Tones For Ben
(5:57)  6. Hippies On A Corner
(6:35)  7. Souly Creole
(4:41)  8. First Love
(6:05)  9. Miles Of Blues
(5:36) 10. Angels On My Mind

As many of his smooth jazz contemporaries have done later in their careers, Sample approached this set of 10 originals in a way more attuned to bop than pop. With just a bass player (Jay Anderson), drummer (Ralph Penland) and an occasional cameo by Coltrane acolyte Charles Lloyd, this is a more intimate record than most of its predecessors, more like Bill Evans than Michael Franks. "Miles of Blue" swings nicely, the pensive "Angels of My Mind" beautifully highlights Sample's affinity for chordal melodies and "Hippies On A Corner" is a sly samba groove."As many of his smooth jazz contemporaries have done later in their careers, Sample approached this set of 10 originals in a way more attuned to bop than pop. With just a bass player (Jay Anderson), drummer (Ralph Penland) and an occasional cameo by Coltrane acolyte Charles Lloyd, this is a more intimate record than most of its predecessors, more like Bill Evans than Michael Franks. "Miles of Blue" swings nicely, the pensive "Angels of My Mind" beautifully highlights Sample's affinity for chordal melodies and "Hippies On A Corner" is a sly samba groove." ~ Michael Verity   

http://jazz.about.com/od/albumreview1/ss/Jazz-Buyers-Guide-Fusion-Pianist-Joe-Sample_6.htm

Personnel: Joe Sample (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Dean Parks (guitar); Charles Lloyd (tenor saxophone); Jay Anderson (bass guitar); Lenny Castro (drums, percussion); Ralph Penland (drums).

Old Places Old Faces

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Tim Armacost - Live At Smalls

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:41
Size: 155,2 MB
Art: Front

( 0:59)  1. Tim Introduces The Band
(10:58)  2. Libra
(11:29)  3. Tenor Vibe
(11:29)  4. Invisible
( 9:57)  5. Whistling Away the Dark
(13:11)  6. Hank's Other Bag
( 9:35)  7. You Don't Know What Love Is

This is a burning set recorded live at one of New York's hottest jazz clubs, Smalls. The presence of the great Tom Harrell on trumpet and flugelhorn ratchets up the intensity, but the lesser-known quintet members Gerald Cannon on bass, Shingo Okudaira on drums, and the delightful Jonny King on piano turn in excellent performances as well. Tim Armacost's tenor sound is rich and his solos are steeped in classic post-bop vocabulary. He shines on the ballads "Whistling Away the Dark" and "You Don't Know What Love Is," ably handles the faster tempos of Gary Bartz's "Libra" and Ornette Coleman's "Invisible," and plays a mean soprano sax on Hank Mobley's "Hank's Other Bag," a 14-bar blues. ~ David R. Adler   

http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-smalls-mw0000670899

Personnel: Tim Armacost (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Tom Harrell (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jonny King (piano); Gerald Cannon (upright bass); Shingo Okudaira (drums).

Live At Smalls

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Karin Mast - Incurably Romantic

Size: 162,8 MB
Time: 70:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. A Foggy Day In London Town (4:10)
02. Incurably Romantic (2:33)
03. Black Orpheus (6:24)
04. I Can't Get Started (5:33)
05. Never Said (Chan's Song) (7:07)
06. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do (6:17)
07. This Masquerade (9:44)
08. She Acts Like A Woman Should (5:37)
09. I'm Thru With Love (8:12)
10. Days Of Wine And Roses (4:05)
11. But Not For Me (4:22)
12. Isn't It A Pity (6:31)

At the age of 16 Karin Mast had her first Jazz Band, and - besides all the other important things - she's been singing since then. But after having fulfilled her bit with regard to job, family and honorary posts as far as possible – and this by no means without fun – some years ago she decided to concentrate more and more on the pleasure side of life, so music became the centre of her attention.

For this CD she has chosen 12 songs out of her repertoire which cause feelings of happiness hearing or singing them. Although it was not intended, but what a coincidence: She selected some songs out of her concert programs “To Marilyn with love” and “Tribute to George Gershwin”.

Meanwhile she has created more concert programs as "Tribute to Cole Porter", "Ringelnatz und Jazz" - and began to read talking books - adventures, horror, phantasy and some for kids.

She loves to combine poetry with music, her audience loves that too, as for example the "songs of a poor girl" from Friedrich Hollaender.

Incurably Romantic

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Ingrid Lucia - Living The Life

Size: 86,1 MB
Time: 36:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: New Orleans Jazz/Blues, Jazz Rock
Art: Front

01. Do You Remember Walter (3:42)
02. Put The Radio On (2:01)
03. Going Dancing (2:40)
04. You're In For A Wild Ride (3:04)
05. Mexican Love Song (2:31)
06. Dawn Of A New Day (3:48)
07. Dreams Aren't Just For The Young (3:10)
08. Living The Life (2:33)
09. Yes Yes Girl (4:22)
10. Anchors Aweigh (2:52)
11. I Wave Bye Bye (3:24)
12. Taking A Vacation From Myself (2:23)

Living the Life’s been a long time coming: Ingrid Lucia already discussed the album in an OffBeat cover story and promised a Voodoo-timed release a full 13 months ago. But you can tell how important it was to get this one right. Lucia’s a gifted musical actress who’s slipped into different roles over the years, first appearing as a retro-styled siren and gradually turning hipper and edgier. Along the way, she managed to personalize songs as diverse as Lou Reed’s “After Hours” and Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman.” But Living the Life is about dropping the masks and telling her own story—which, as it turns out, is the most compelling one she’s told to date.

Because Lucia conceived the album soon after her father’s death, there’s a certain amount of growing up and taking stock in the lyrics. (Lucia wrote all but two songs, collaborating with guitarist John Fohl and bassist/producer Roland Guerin on those). But if that suggests a sobering album about mortality, guess again. Rather, it’s about living—not just well, but coolly and romantically—as things get more complicated. She turns to Jesse Winchester for the one flat-out tearjerker, “I Wave Bye Bye,” which is effectively understated. But there’s a different statement of purpose in “You’re in for a Wild Ride”—a tune she’s done live in recent months and dedicated to the straight-laced guys who’ve gotten involved with edgy women. “I’ve got ideas that will blow your mind,” she promises, before shifting to come-hither mode for the chorus. Women can take this song as an anthem; guys are more likely to ask where they can sign up.

Musically, Living the Life is her most diverse album. While Lucia has flirted with rock in the past, it’s always been from a safe distance. But rock is fully in the mix here, along with torch ballads, jazz and bachelor-pad exotica. Opener “Do You Remember Walter” hails from the Kinks’ fan-favorite album, Village Green Preservation Society, and her casting Walter as an ex-flame instead of a school friend only makes it more poignant. Even the retro-styled tunes feel more personal this time, whether she’s being tender on the title song or playfully neurotic on “Taking a Vacation from Myself.” While one ballad here notes that “Dreams Aren’t Just for the Young,” this album as a whole says that love and adventure aren’t, either.

Living The Life

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Christine Ebersole - Strings Attached

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:28
Size: 116,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. Shall We Dance
(4:28)  2. The Things We Did Last Summer
(3:48)  3. This Time The Dream's On Me
(5:14)  4. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
(3:35)  5. Am I Blue
(5:35)  6. Moon Dreams
(2:46)  7. I Wish I Were In Love Again
(5:10)  8. After You've Gone/Too Gone Too Long
(3:47)  9. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(3:43) 10. I'll Be Seeing You
(4:37) 11. Jitterbug Waltz
(3:08) 12. Something There
(1:29) 13. La La Lu

Two-time Tony Award®-winning actress Christine Ebersole teams with virtuoso violinist/arranger Aaron Weinstein for a program of classic songs imbued with originality, musicality, and swing. Known for her brilliance as an actress and cabaret artist, Ebersole proves that shes equally talented in the jazz arena on a selection of beautifully arranged versions of gems from the Great American Songbook. Tony Award® winner for her roles in 42nd Street and Grey Gardens, Ebersole is currently starring in the hit TBS sitcom Sullivan & Son, is featured in the 2013 blockbuster The Big Wedding (which ends with a song she wrote and performs), and appears in the Fall 2013 Scorsese drama The Wolf of Wall Street. Named a Rising Star Violinist by DownBeat, Aaron Weinstein is quickly earning a reputation as one of the finest jazz violinists of his generation. As a featured soloist he has performed at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Wolftrap Center, Birdland, Blue Note, Iridium, and more. ~ Editorial Reviews  

http://www.amazon.com/Strings-Attached-Christine-Ebersole/dp/B00FMSGYLE

Personnel: Christine Ebersole (vocals); Aaron Weinstein (violin); Tedd Firth (piano).

Strings Attached

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Jozée Devoua - Low Key

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:19
Size: 70,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:04)  1. You Make Me Feel So Young
(5:33)  2. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
(4:22)  3. Chega de Saudades
(4:06)  4. Formi-Formidable
(3:38)  5. My Heart Belongs to Daddy
(4:22)  6. Love Me Like a Man
(5:11)  7. All the Way

A vocalist, a musician, but mostly an avid jazz fan herself, Jozée Devoua's buttery-rich smooth tone coupled with her unsettling sensitivity as a performer has allowed her to develop a unique and refined sound that has multi-audience appeal. Jozée recorded and produced "Low Key" in 2007. Breathing new life into jazz standards, it is an eclectic mix of traditional swing, blues, and latin. Fluent in French and English, she also sings in Spanish and Portuguese to answer to the versatility of her repertoire that includes both the established standards of yesteryear as well as today’s modern classics. (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/devoua)

Low Key

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Ehud Asherie - Lockout

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:10
Size: 142,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:57)  1. Mixed Emotions
(5:17)  2. Chonky
(6:01)  3. Shaw 'Nuff
(7:20)  4. Isn't This a Lovely Day
(7:31)  5. Lockout
(7:05)  6. Special
(9:04)  7. Un Poco Loco
(7:51)  8. I Had the Craziest Dream
(6:59)  9. Bringing Up Father

Bebop is almost seen now as the default form of jazz. Back in the day though, most jazz musicians still swung and swayed like Sammy Kaye, so the "new sound Dizzy Gillespie and his cohorts invented was as jarring as anything coming out of today's New York jazz underground. With Lockout, pianist Ehud Asherie takes that uptown sound and runs with it, spurred on by a monster quartet that features two major players at Smalls, the downtown club where Asherie cooked up his chops. Four of the nine cuts on Lockout are Asherie originals, though they are almost indistinguishable from the bebop standards with which they share space here. "Mixed Emotions shoots out of the gate with Asherie and tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart flying in tight formation, each shaping the head while injecting enough harmony to create their own individual spaces.

Stewart's phrases are sharp and clipped as he plumbs the depths of his tenor sax, while Asherie comps like a fiend behind him. The Israeli-born pianist takes the spotlight with a quick right hand that dances and bangs, snapping off a fast "Yellow Rose of Texas sub-reference in the middle of a blinding solo. That snap never wanes, not even on the Irving Berlin ballad "Isn't This a Lovely Day or during his in-the-clear intro to Harry Warren's "I Had the Craziest Dream. Asherie's music has the same feel as the picture on the back of the CD booklet: New York at night, all neon and shadows and glowing mist, as urban as it gets. "Chonky is a rolling blues that reeks of "Noo Yawk," and has Stewart' smoking tenor in the Coleman Hawkins tradition; "The Special walks those same mean streets, with slightly flat lines that hint of impending danger. 

The title track could have come straight out of the bells of Dizzy and Bird, with Asherie playing Bud Powell chords to complete the illusion.  Drummer Phil Stewart hooks up with bassist Joel Forbes to provide the classic bebop bass and drum foundation. Both players get room to stretch here and there Stewart most notably on Powell's "Un Poco Loco but their primary mission is to lay the floor for the three players who do the bulk of the heavy lifting. The third soloist is Ryan Kisor, whose searing trumpet appears on four cuts, including the Gillespie composition "Shaw 'Nuff. Kisor and Stewart's solos are stunningly chaotic crazed buglers calling the charge as the track careens downhill, almost at the edge of the cliff. Asherie is firmly in control though, and shows wisdom beyond his years by giving his players the space they deserve. Asherie doesn't always take the first solo, but he doesn't have to: Lockout is clearly his vision, and it injects verve and electricity into a sub-genre that began as innovation, but nowadays can lend itself to stagnation. ~ J Hunter   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=27857#.UxVRDIVZhhk
 

Personnel: Ehud Asherie: piano; Grant Stewart: tenor sax; Joel Forbes: bass; Phil Stewart: drums; Ryan Kisor: trumpet (3, 5, 8, 9).

Lockout

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Kenny Werner Trio - With A Song In My Heart

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:16
Size: 165,0 MB
Art: Front + Back

( 7:31)  1. With A Song In My Heart
( 8:48)  2. Nardis
( 6:46)  3. Autumn Leaves
( 7:20)  4. If I Should Lose You
(12:18)  5. Beauty Secrets
( 3:38)  6. All The Things You Are
( 9:24)  7. Balloons
( 7:57)  8. 26-2
( 7:29)  9. Blue In Green

Kenny Werner has long been active as a jazz pianist/bandleader, composer and jazz educator, having recorded around two dozen albums as a leader and many more as a sideman. He has performed with quite a few jazz greats, including Charles Mingus, Bob Brookmeyer, Lee Konitz and Toots Thielemans. He's also a sought after pianist by vocalists, having long worked with Broadway star Betty Buckley and jointly leading the Delirium Blue Project with Roseanna Vitro. This trio date pairs the pianist with bassist Johannes Weidenmueller and drummer Ari Hoenig, two top musicians of their generation. Werner incorporates the lyricism of Bill Evans while blending in his own inventive arrangements and intensity. He starts Miles Davis' "Nardis" with a playful hip introduction that even adds the air of a hoedown, though the arrangement only uses Evans' ideas as a launching pad, Werner taking a more spacious route, a tough challenge given the many recordings available by Evans. 

Regardless of who you credit with writing "Blue in Green" (Evans is more likely its composer), Werner's impressionist introduction sets up a haunting arrangement of this modal masterpiece. The off-center take of John Coltrane's "26-2" is a lively affair as well. Werner's "Beauty Secrets" is a gem that unveils itself slowly with many shimmering facets, eventually evolving into the centuries-old "Greensleeves". 

The pianist is a gifted interpreter of standards, delivering a whispering "With a Song in My Heart," a subtly swinging "Autumn Leaves" and a buoyant, waltzing "All the Things You Are" where he seems at times independent of the rhythm section.~ Ken Dryden http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=31119#.UxYOQ4VZhhk
 

Personnel: Kenny Werner: piano; Johannes Weidenmueller: bass; Ari Hoenig: drums.

With A Song In My Heart

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