New York Trio - Always

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:37
Size: 114,0 MB
Art: Front + Back

(5:19)  1. Always
(5:45)  2. Cheek To Cheek
(4:01)  3. They Say It's Wonderful
(5:23)  4. I Got The Sun In The Morning
(4:02)  5. How Deep Is The Ocean
(4:48)  6. Change Partners
(5:28)  7. What'll I Do
(5:43)  8. Isn't This A Lovely Day
(6:55)  9. The Song Is Ended
(2:07) 10. Russian Lullaby

The New York Trio, led by pianist Bill Charlap with bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Bill Stewart, exists exclusively as a band to record for the Japanese jazz market, as Charlap has a regular trio with Peter Washington and Kenny Washington, while both Leonhart and Stewart are busy session musicians who occasionally also lead their own record dates. These 2007 sessions focus exclusively on the extensive songbook of the prolific Irving Berlin. Most of the ten tunes heard on this CD have long since become standards and are frequently recorded by jazz artists. One that isn't typically heard as an instrumental is "I Got the Sun in the Morning" (from the musical Annie Get Your Gun), heard in a loping yet infectious interpretation. "How Deep Is the Ocean" is one of Berlin's most recorded songs, yet this version sizzles with energy, unlike the typical ballad treatments. Other highlights include the breezy, joyful setting of "Cheek to Cheek," with Stewart's whispering brushes propelling Charlap's buoyant piano, along with the bittersweet "What'll I Do," featuring Leonhart's intimate solo. Even though this isn't a working band, things seem to gel quickly for The New York Trio when the group assembles to record. 

~ Ken Dryden   http://www.allmusic.com/album/always-mw0001427436

Personnel: Bill Charlap: piano; Jay Leonhart: bass; Bill Stewart: drums.

Always

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Ornette Coleman - Free Jazz

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:13
Size: 124,2 MB
Art: Front

(37:10)  1. Free Jazz
(17:02)  2. First Take (Bonus Track)

Alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman's masterpiece, Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation by the Ornette Coleman Double Quartet, is one of the hinges of jazz evolution. As a musical hinge, Free Jazz, heard from this side of its development, is a bit of an anticlimax compared with the two-label, five album prelude to this point: Something Else!!!! (Contemporary, 1958), Tomorrow is the Question! (Contemporary, 1959), The Shape of Jazz to Come (Atlantic, 1959), Change of the Century (Atlantic, 1959) and This is Our Music (Atlantic, 1959). Had Coleman done nothing else but release these first five recordings, his legacy as one of the pioneers of free jazz would still be assured. But on Free Jazz Coleman took that final step into the chaos of untethered group improvisation and in doing so took the "free" in free jazz as far as it would go. Tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, taking his own route, would do the same five years later with Ascension (Impulse!, 1966). If following the cause-and-effect explanation for the development of free jazz, Coleman's music was an evolved response to the highly structured be bop of the late 1940s and early 1950s and swing-era big band jazz before that. Unlike Coltrane, free jazz's other high priest, Coleman did not have a slew of recordings before he began disassembling the genre. 

Coleman emerged anxious and impatient with the music when he started to record in 1958. Coleman's creative evolution in free jazz lasted a mere three years and was dense and rapid. Coleman took a hard right emerging from This is Our Music, increasing the size of his standard ensemble to his "double quartet." In this, Coleman solved his problem of employing sympathetic drummers Billy Higgins and Ed Blackwell and bassist Charlie Haden and Scott LaFaro by simply using them all. Coleman retains trumpeter Don Cherry, adding trumpeter Freddie Hubbard as Cherry's cohort and taking on no less than multi-reedist Eric Dolphy as his own. The modus operandi of Free Jazz is even simplier than what trumpeter Miles Davis famously employed three years earlier, when he and his famous sextet recorded Kind of Blue (Columbia, 1959): Coleman sketched out a brief and dissonant fanfare to introduce and separate solo sections of his mass improvisation and then they entered the studio and blew. This might stand as a last vestige of the traditional jazz "head-solo-head" configuration. You have to start and end somewhere. No matter how you cut it, Free Jazz cannot be heard in a post-modern vacuum. Without context, this "music" is effectively un-listenable. 

Apologists for free jazz dismiss this characteristic as part of the music's experimental nature. Needless to say, this "experimental nature" renders this music less appropriate for consideration over a glass of neat single malt and more at home with Fantasia on the television with the sound muted, under the influence of ergot's muse. That is not to imply that Free Jazz has no artistic merit, only that a bit of background more fully enhances the experience. Starting with the premise that Free Jazz, after the briefest of direction, devolves into an eight-part improvisation with all parts equally independent, observations may be noted. While nature, when left to her own devices, typically migrates from a state of order to greater disorder, the musical synthesis on Free Jazz tends to go into the opposite direction: from a greater disorder to order. "Free Jazz" begins as a schizophrenic note salad, borne in chaos and given only a whiff of direction. The music may best be described as the best New Orleans Dixieland exposed and mutated by radiation exposure. It is the phenomenon where the music, at first blush, sounds completely untethered, at least until ideas begin to coalesce. Once the piece is started in earnest, certain characteristics begin to manifest. Among these is Coleman's experiences playing blues. It saturates his playing and is present throughout the piece. Cherry's and by proxy, Hubbard's hard bop bona fides reveal themselves potently. From an ensemble point of view there is a migration through evolution, where the elements of swing can be heard in call-and-response phrasing and some natural Count Basie big band riffing emerges naturally among the horns. Also revealed is the innate sense of humor of the musicians, heard in the quotes of nursery rhymes and other jazz pieces. Again, this music is meaningless in a vacuum.

The musical environment improves as the 37-minute plus piece evolves. The end section contains provocative bass and drum interplay, occurring after the horns make their combined and separate statements. On that note, let there be no doubt that Eric Dolphy possessed the freedom vision, seemingly from the very beginning, and Freddie Hubbard's post bop experience prepared him well also. From a full-ensemble direction, it is instructive to listen to the 17-minute plus "First Take" to hear the dry run of what would become Free Jazz.

It is readily evident that the longer version benefited from a run through showing that some ideas solidified between the two versions.  Free Jazz may exist as a piece of music to possess for historic reasons rather than aesthetic musical ones. If a lesson exists in this music it is that context is always important and a little knowledge about that music is not a dangerous thing, but a catalyst to further investigation and listening. In that, lies the values of Free Jazz. ~ C.Michael Bailey   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=40430&pg=1#.Uxz13IVZhhk

Personnel: Ornette Coleman: alto saxophone; Don Cherry: pocket trumpet; Eric Dolphy: bass clarinet; Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; Scott LaFaro: bass; Charlie Haden: bass; Billy Higgins: drums; Ed Blackwell: drums.

Free Jazz

Roy Meriwether - The Art Of The Groove

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:37
Size: 105,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:18)  1. I'll Take Romance
(6:26)  2. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
(6:22)  3. Woodline
(4:09)  4. Me & Mrs. Jones
(7:16)  5. Blues For Big Maceo
(4:02)  6. A Tribute To You My Lady
(4:28)  7. Sexual Healing
(5:33)  8. Jonah

A multi-dimensional and self-taught virtuoso, Roy Meriwether blends jazz, blues, and gospel with classical elements in a unique and innovative style that has drawn enthusiastic crowds to night clubs, colleges, and concert halls across the country. Born in Dayton, Ohio, Mr. Meriwether started playing piano at the age of three and had composed two pieces before he was four. Shortly thereafter, he began playing in his father’s church, accompanying the family choir, and performing with gospel singers throughout the Midwest. Mr. Meriwether turned professional with his own group at age 18 and has devoted himself to both composing and performing ever since. Reviewers are frequently impressed by his power. Critic Arnold Shaw once described him as a “two-fisted pianist who in this day of right-handed wizards has the sound of a champion, with thunder in his left hand and lightning in his right.” As recently reported in the Scottsdale, Arizona Daily Progress: “Mr. Meriwether performs both standards and original compositions with a creativity that is nothing short of genius. Meriwether himself is the epitome of a ‘giving’ musician, at his best with a responsive, listening audience. 

He does not require it, but appreciates it and rewards it with dynamite delivered with the power his hands produce.” In 1973, the National Endowment for the Arts bestowed on Mr. Meriwether a Jazz Composition Fellowship Grant for the purpose of writing a musical work tracing the history of the black experience in America. The scope and breadth of the project resulted in the 21-piece suite, BLACK SNOW, written and premiered for the United States Bicentennial Celebration, April, 1976, with the Howard Roberts Chorale and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Guild. Living in New York City since 1976, Roy continually elicits standing ovations from his audiences.  He is frequently called upon to compose specific works for special events such as the November, 1989 NAUBA Salute to Women Conference in the Bahamas, where he performed his piece, “A Tribute To You, My Lady.”

He has received numerous awards including Jamaica Queens New York Jazz Community Award, the New York Manhattan Association of Cabaret Award (MAC Award), and has been considered for a Grammy nomination. In March of 1999, Mr. Meriwether received a Lifetime Achievement to Music Award. Mr. Meriwether's sound is unmistakable and his music is timeless!  His latest releases “The Art Of The Groove”, "Inspiration", "Live at John Word's", and "Live at Gordy's", and he continues to tour regularly throughout the US and Europe. ~ Bio   http://www.roymeriwether.biz/id9.html

The Art Of The Groove

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Benita Hill - Fan The Flame / Tangerine Moon

Album: Fan The Flame
Size: 106,1 MB
Time: 45:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1995
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Jazz/Pop
Art: Front

01. Old Love Letters (3:01)
02. Fan The Flame (3:09)
03. Something Old, Something Blue (2:56)
04. I'm Not Satisfied (3:56)
05. Here's To Love (3:39)
06. Winter Fire And Snow (2:52)
07. You And The Weatherman Lied (2:48)
08. Two Faces In A Texas Moon (2:57)
09. Walkin' After Midnight (2:15)
10. Take The Keys To My Heart (2:36)
11. Baptize Me In Your Love (4:08)
12. Look Homeward Angel (3:57)
13. How Are Things In Paradise (3:15)
14. Dreams That Don't Come True (3:42)

NASHVILLE- Two number one songs by Garth Brooks-and she's not even country!In the world of jazz, Benita Hill's one-two punch is hitting its mark. The former background singer for the Allman Brothers Band released her first critically acclaimed CD, Fan The Flame, and established herself as a silky-voiced stylist and hit songwriter. "Old Love Letters", the first single from the album, gained popularity across the U.S. as well as Europe; and Hill has shared the stage with Boney James, Chuck Mangione, Kirk Whalum and Bobby Lyle.
Fan the Flame elicited these raves:
"One of the top ten albums of the year"(Entertainment At Home),"An immensely involving vocalist"(Billboard),"Sexy enough to put a eunuch in the mood"(Charles Earle, In Review),"Music with a languid, timeless quality that draws on pop standards and cocktail jazz...a stylist on the order of Julie London or Peggy Lee"(Michael McCall, Nashville Scene),"An exquisitely crafted recording from an amazing talent"(Brent Clanton,KODA,Houston).
Her second CD, Tangerine Moon, features the title cut and fourteen songs ranging from the sultry Southern style "Dream About You" to a swinging "More Money". Warner Brothers recording artist Norman Brown lends his extraordinary smooth guitar on two songs. The final cut on the album, "It Was Your Song" is Benita's touching and emotional tribute to her mother, Carmen Revelle, who in the 1950's sang with a big band that broadcast live on NBC radio from the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.
Jazz from Nashville? Jazz at its purest freely interprets myriad influences.Benita's standard-sounding original songs crossed so many boundaries that even Garth Brooks is a fan and was moved to record three of her compositions."Take The Keys To My Heart" and "Two Pina Coladas" (also a #1 single) were on his Sevens album and "It's Your Song" (renamed as a dedication to his mother) was the first single from his Double Live CD.
Benita's limited edition Christmas release, Winter Fire And Snow (written by Brendan Graham and Macdara Woods) was one of the top selling CDs of the 2000 season and was the Tennessean's critic's choice as best album of the season.
Benita has brought her original music and vocal stylings to audiences everywhere from Chicago,Myrtle Beach, Houston, London, Dublin and Rome. Her road to success has been a roller coaster ride of the highest highs and lowest lows imaginable.The thrill of having Garth Brooks, one of the world's biggest recording artists, record her songs. Divorced, and with a son to care for, finding she had lymphoma. Fully recovered now and with two top singles, Benita is here to stay. She has proved her artistry and her mettle.

Fan The Flame

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Album: Tangerine Moon
Size: 135,0 MB
Time: 57:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Jazz/Pop
Art: Front

01. Dream About You (2:23)
02. Water Water Everywhere (3:44)
03. More Money (3:38)
04. Two Pina Coladas (4:24)
05. Holdin' On To Nothin' (4:01)
06. Love For The Taking (4:42)
07. Valentine Gift To Myself (4:10)
08. Tangerine Moon (2:54)
09. Lookin' For A New Old Man (4:14)
10. When Your Baby's Not Your Baby Anymore (2:47)
11. Two Afternoons In December (3:46)
12. Somebody's Lookin' For You (3:46)
13. All We Know Of Love (4:04)
14. Just Outside Your Heart (3:36)
15. Yours - It Was Your Song (5:34)

Her second CD, Tangerine Moon, features the title cut and fourteen songs ranging from the sultry Southern style “Dream About You” to a swinging “More Money”.

"An exquisitely crafted recording from an amazing artist" -- Brent Clanton, KODA-FM, Houston

"It's (It Was) Your Song" says everything I've ever wanted to say to my mom" -- Garth Brooks

"She's a talented song crafter and her delicate, frosted glass voice is perfect for her ideas" -- Rusty Russell, Music Row Magazine

Tangerine Moon

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Mike Mangan's Big Organ Trio - Unwound

Size: 156,5 MB
Time: 67:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Jazz: Hammond B-3
Art: Front

01. On The Fritz (6:09)
02. Go For Broke (5:37)
03. Birkenstock Bandit (6:14)
04. Smack Talkin' (5:57)
05. Dragon's Triangle (5:21)
06. Fly In The Ointment (5:49)
07. Hip-Hug-Her (8:36)
08. Jo Daddy (5:24)
09. Manic Depression (3:34)
10. On All Fours (5:33)
11. Wiggle Room (9:18)

Mike Mangan's groundbreaking Hammond B3 Organ playing fuses rock, jazz, funk, and blues in a modern organ power trio. Mike Mangan is the most unique voice on the legendary Hammond Organ in the world today.

Mike Mangan's BIG ORGAN TRIO has recently released their second album, UNWOUND. Mike Mangan's new album once again includes a bevy of great musicians, and his current Big Organ Trio line up includes a spectacular rhythm section. Ryan Krieger mans the drums while Mick Linden currently covers bass duties.

Mangan has used Big Organ Trio to expand the range of the Hammond organ trio format, while diving headfirst into uncharted sonic and technical territory on the legendary keyboard.

Personnel:
Marc Ford - Guitar (Black Crowes)
Steve Molitz - Organ (Particle/Phil Lesh Band)
Skerik - Sax (Darn near everybody)
Leon Mobley - Percussion (Ben Harper)
Munyungo Jackson - Percussion (Stevie Wonder)

Unwound

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Chicago Rose - Setting New Standards

Size: 108,6 MB
Time: 46:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Lullaby Of Birdland (3:42)
02. I Missed You By That Much (3:50)
03. No More Blues (3:52)
04. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life (3:43)
05. In The Still Of The Night (3:39)
06. My Melody Of Love (5:12)
07. Lady Be Good (3:45)
08. Autumn Leaves (2:42)
09. How Deep Is The Ocean (5:04)
10. The Days Of Wine And Roses (3:34)
11. Nature Boy (7:34)

Chicago Rose is a singer for world renowned Cirque du Soleil and was featured in a production called ZAiA that played at the Venetian Hotel Casino and Resort in Macau, China from 2008 - 2012. She has also made herself an Icon on the US National dueling piano circuit. Watching this wonderful talent is fun, entertaining and will fill any audience with energy. She has an extensive repertoire with over a thousand melodies from the nineteenth century to the present which spans a few decades of Pop Hits mixed in with Jazz, Rock Standards and unique Originals. She can be upbeat or soulful. Saucy or Romantic…in fact the spectrums of performance that she can evoke are seldom found all within the same entertainer. In truth, she is a rarity. With a winning smile, charm and onstage wit she involves her audience in the show and gets everybody moving.

This incredible woman is an international talent who is an accomplished flute player when she appears with her Jazz Ensemble Performances and is certainly at home as a solo singer in front of an ensemble. Too, in the fifteen years she has been on the pro circuit, she’s made quite a name for herself on three continents. Her recordings receive airplay currently in Spain, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Norway, Ireland, Australia, France and has appeared numerous times on WGN Radio’s - Rick Kogan Show. As well, she’s appeared a few times on national networks to include the WB Syndicate and FOX!

Setting New Standards

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Dominique Eade - When The Wind Was Cool

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:53
Size: 126,1 MB
Art: Front + Back

(4:45)  1. Moonray
(3:16)  2. Ridin' High
(5:49)  3. Something Cool
(4:31)  4. All About Ronnie
(5:17)  5. Poor Little Rich Girl
(3:46)  6. When the Wind Was Green
(5:18)  7. I'll Take Romance
(4:21)  8. The Wind
(3:08)  9. Intrigue
(3:07) 10. Lullaby of Birdland
(4:39) 11. The Bad and the Beautiful
(2:15) 12. Tea for Two
(4:36) 13. Goodbye

Dominique Eade interprets 13 songs from the 1950s on this CD, most of which had been recorded previously by Chris Connor and June Christy. Eade's voice captures the essence of those cool-toned singers, yet she also sounds fairly distinctive. The instrumentation varies from cut to cut with such players as tenor saxophonist Benny Golson, bass clarinetist Bruce Williamson, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, pianist Fred Hersch, guitarist Peter Leitch, and bassist James Genus (featured on "Tea for Two" in a duet with Eade), among others, making strong contributions. Among the highlights are Eade's timeless yet fresh renditions of "Moonray," "Something Cool," "All About Ronnie," "The Wind," and "Lullaby of Birdland"; the appealing singer herself wrote half of the arrangements. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/when-the-wind-was-cool-mw0000028019

Personnel: Dominique Eade (vocals); Benny Golson (tenor saxophone); Bob Malach (flute); Bruce Williamson (bass clarinet); Steve Nelson (vibraphone); Fred Hersch (piano); Peter Leitch (guitar); James Genus (bass); Matt Wilson (drums); Jamie Haddad (frame drum); Cafe (percussion).

 

When the wind was cool

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Banu Gibson - Banu Gibson Sings Johnny Mercer

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:25
Size: 132,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:52)  1. I Thought About You
(3:35)  2. Bob White
(5:14)  3. I'm Old Fashioned
(5:51)  4. And The Angels Sing
(4:39)  5. I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man
(4:13)  6. One For My Baby
(2:42)  7. Say It With a Kiss
(4:56)  8. Dearly Beloved
(2:40)  9. Shake It But Don't Break It
(4:33) 10. Drinking Again
(3:40) 11. Come Rain or Come Shine
(3:00) 12. Have You Got Any Castles, Baby
(4:47) 13. This Time The Dream's On Me
(2:38) 14. Pardon My Southern Accent

Banu Gibson performs 16 songs on this set that have Johnny Mercer lyrics. Gibson is usually heard in the context of her New Orleans jazz band, so this project (which has her backed by a trio/quartet) is a change of pace. Banu's voice is heard at its peak and there is plenty of solo space for the excellent swing pianist John Sheridan. One does miss Gibson's band, which would have uplifted some of these songs, most notably "Jeepers Creepers," "And the Angels Sing" (sung without the fralich section), "Come Rain or Come Shine," and "Pardon My Southern Accent." But that reservation aside, this is an excellent outing for the underrated but top-notch singer and the rhythm section. Mercer would have enjoyed this spirited mixture of standards and obscurities.

 ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/banu-gibson-sings-johnny-mercer-mw0000325733.

Personnel: Jeff Hamilton – drums; John Sheridan – piano; Bill Huntington – bass; Hank Mackie – guitar; Banu Gibson - vocals

Banu Gibson Sings Johnny Mercer

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Kenny Werner - Peace

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:49
Size: 134,7 MB
Art: Front

(12:52)  1. Pinocchio/Fall
( 6:35)  2. All Things Are You
( 8:53)  3. Jabali
( 9:44)  4. Peace
( 6:03)  5. Stella By Starlight
( 8:56)  6. Evidence
( 5:42)  7. Chach

Kenny Werner has long seemed to be one of the best-kept secrets in jazz, recording a number of fine dates for various labels but never achieving the wide acclaim he clearly deserves. This live set, recorded in early 2003 at the Blue Note, features the veteran pianist with bassist Johannes Weidenmüller and drummer Ari Hoenig, kicking off with a breathtaking medley of two Wayne Shorter compositions, "Pinocchio" and "Fall." His playful reworking of the standard "All the Things You Are," called "All Things Are You," refuses to be pigeonholed, at times suggesting the influence of Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell, though eventually moving into post-bop. Werner's lush ballad "Jabali" is accented by Hoenig's crisp brushwork and Weidenmüller's spacious bassline. The leader begins Horace Silver's "Peace" with an extended solo before his bandmates join him. The old warhorse "Stella By Starlight" sounds like a brand new work with Werner's abstract arrangement, which slowly unfolds in a tense setting before eventually revealing itself. Weidenmüller's skipping bass introduces Thelonious Monk's "Evidence," which mixes bop with Latin jazz percussion. The elegant "Chach" almost suggests a hymn; in any case, this lovely ballad deserves to have lyrics. Highly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden   http://www.allmusic.com/album/peace-mw0000337091

Peace

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Thad Jones - The Magnificent Thad Jones

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:41
Size: 114,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:43)  1. April In Paris
( 7:30)  2. Billie-Doo
( 7:27)  3. If I Love Again
( 5:51)  4. If Someone Had Told Me
(10:35)  5. Thedia
( 7:38)  6. I've Got A Crush On You
( 3:54)  7. Something To Remember You By

Trumpeter Thad Jones' greatest notoriety was as a member and leader of large ensembles, including the Count Basie Orchestra and later the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. But as great as his big band work was, it's a shame he didn't dedicate more time to small combos. He recorded a handful of really first-rate dates for Blue Note in the mid-1950s chief among them, perhaps, 1956's The Magnificent Thad Jones. It's timeless music that reveals a musician with great chops, fine composing and arranging skills, and a serious understanding of the blues. "April In Paris" sets the mood for the date, the standard swinging softly with Jones' graceful delivery. His improvisation has an almost vocal quality to it, with vibrato and melodic truth. Moving into the first original, "Billie-Doo," Jones wears his blues on his sleeve, using tenor saxophonist Billy Mitchell as a second comp alongside the great pianist Barry Harris. Mitchell adds to the improvisational canon, drawing on elements of Ben Webster and Charlie Parker to create a smoky soundscape. 

This is a band that has clearly absorbed the structures of bebop, but with Jones' guidance the music is slowed, becomes deeper, and delivers greater expressive content. Perhaps the greatest moment of the date combines all these elements, as Jones savors the melody of "If Someone Had Told Me." It's taken as a trio, with just Harris and the light swish of Max Roach's brushes. There may be more beautiful, more emotionally packed trumpet recordings out there, but not many. In the continuing vinyl resurgence, The Magnificent Thad Jones has now been reissued on two 45 RPM LPs by the wizards at Music Matters, whose entire raison d'être is to meticulously reissue classic Blue Note sessions. Only the original master tapes are used as sources to press what are likely the finest editions of these records ever cut. In this case, the album is a true monaural recording. 

Perhaps not quite so revealing as the series' mono champ, Gil Melle's Patterns in Jazz (also released in 1956), The Magnificent Thad Jones nonetheless delivers truly outstanding sound with an impressive level of detail. This is a truly exceptional pressing, befitting a premium priced package. The full-sized original album cover is an added bonus: a black and white photograph of Jones smoking a cigarette in a New York streetscape, surrounded by pigeons. It's one of the better Blue Note covers, and the full 12" x 12" cover really does it justice.  A member of one of jazz's royal families, among Thad Jones' ten brothers were Elvin Jones (saxophonist John Coltrane's explosive drummer during the 1960s) and Hank Jones, the elegant and versatile pianist who's longevity may be unsurpassed, remaining active until his death in 2011, at the respectable age of 92. Thad Jones held his own in this esteemed company, and left his own remarkable recording legacy. The opportunity to hear some of his best work, remastered with exceptional attention to detail should be welcome to his fans. ~ Greg Simmons   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=41154#.UxnmDYVZhhk
 

Personnel: Thad Jones: trumpet; Billy Mitchell: tenor sax; Barry Harris: piano; Percy Heath: bass; Max Roach: drums; Kenny Burrell: guitar (7).

The Magnificent Thad Jones

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Anna Lundqvist Quartet - Borderline Fiesta (Feat. Kristian Harborg)

Size: 139,8 MB
Time: 60:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Not Meant To Be (5:35)
02. Are You Insane (3:42)
03. Happy Time (5:28)
04. Restless Feet (4:19)
05. Paint Me A Picture (6:13)
06. Changing (6:16)
07. Surprising Refrain (6:26)
08. How To Walk Away (4:44)
09. Tango (8:25)
10. What Do I Know (4:43)
11. Getting Over You (4:20)

“As a whole, BORDERLINE FIESTA is a successful debut, probably one of the best Swedish debuts this year.” Bertil Sundin, OJ Orkesterjournalen (4/5)

I’m born in 1977 in Stockholm but I’m raised in a small town called Mellerud in Dalsland, together with my little sister and little brother. My parents are musicians from Värmland ( Hagfors and Karlstad). Before my life became all about jazz I played the cello and sang only classical music. In music high school at SundstaÄlvkullegymnasiet in Karlstad I found jazz. I dedicated my time traning my voice into the technique of afro and learning about the world of jazz. After that I studied jazz at Skurup Folkhögskola and I have been working profesionally since 2000. I live in Gothenburg where I fill my days with work as a freelancing singer, composer and vocal coach. Anna Lundqvist Quintet is my head project and 2009 we released our first album, Borderline fiesta. In 2010 my second, City and October 2012 we released a third cd, Before you I was almost fine.

Borderline Fiesta

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Alexandra Lehmler - Jazz, Baby!

Size: 125,4 MB
Time: 53:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Mainstream Jazz
Art: Front & Back

01. Autoroute Du Soleil (7:27)
02. Superheld (7:46)
03. Snow In Summer (4:39)
04. Thermoskop (5:36)
05. What's Next (3:25)
06. Unterirdisch (7:09)
07. Klassentreff (4:01)
08. Traenenmeer (5:21)
09. Weltuntergang (4:21)
10. Hangover (4:01)

Alexandra Lehmler loves the straight and clear words. She has called her previous CD not just like this “No Blah Blah”. Now her new album is released with the concise title „Jazz, Baby!“. And also this time, the saxophonist from Mannheim lets actions follow her words. For her, Jazz is not only a bloodless concept, but music which is alive in the highest measure. And at the latest, while hearing her compositions everybody knows what is meant. For the 34-year-old musician from the southwest of Germany the charm of the jazz lies in the almost endless tonal possibilities. Lehmlers music is the sounding counter evidence that jazz fits in any drawers. Jazz is just what one makes out of it … Jazz is an energy that drives forward. Jazz is music for audience which can feel this magic at Alexandra Lehmler’s concerts already after a few moments. This ensures beside the band leader who plays all saxophones, also her very well-functioning band: with Oliver Maa (piano), Matthias Debu (bass), Max Mahlert (percussion) and Rodrigo Villalon (Percussion) she has not only gotten high-carat improvisation musicians, but also team players. And the unmistakable variable, modern sound of the band lets assume that the five musicians do not only play together since yesterday.

However, Alexandra Lehmler also is at the (jazz) pulse of time because she does not play the classics of the jazz literature to the best, but best plays her own compositions. So again, Alexandra and bassist Matthias Debus have tailored on the body of the quintet their home-made pieces which are as coloured as her musical influence. Sometimes coloured tones of the world music shimmer through, sometimes classical elements sparkle; sometimes it also becomes sounding like rock, filthy and crude. And in the end it is just „Jazz, Baby!“: 100% up-to-date and without compromises.

Jazz, Baby!

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Nadine Axisa - Velvet

Size: 129,7 MB
Time: 55:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Easy Listening
Art: Front

01. Velvet (3:00)
02. Tempted (4:22)
03. Stormy Night (6:15)
04. Light Me Up (4:09)
05. 52Nd Street (3:50)
06. Silver Seas (5:52)
07. Sanaa (5:35)
08. Heavenly (6:25)
09. Birds (8:16)
10. My Night (4:51)
11. Free (3:16)

Nadine Axisa this week released ‘Velvet’, an album of 12 original songs in the ‘easy listening jazz’ style penned by various composers and authors.

The album features a total of 38 top musicians renowned in the local jazz scene such as Dominic Galea, Sandro Zerafa, Charles ‘City’ Gatt, Paul Abela, Vinny Vella and Paul Giordimaina amongst others. Nadine is also collaborating with foreign musicians in this album, where two tracks feature bass player Roberto Badoglio and saxophonist Gabriele Comeglio respectively.

Although all tracks fall under the jazz idiom, there is a variation in the style of songs which include Latin, swing, blues, ballads and funky tunes. Eleven tracks have lyrics in English while one song entitled ‘G?anja’ is in Maltese. This was in fact the tune which Nadine launched as a single a couple of weeks ago.

The album was named ‘Velvet’ after one of the tracks which talks about the passion for music, which in turn is compared to velvet.

The album is a very special project for Nadine since it reflects her passion for the style of music. It encompasses the experiences she lived for the past ten years with some of the musicians she collaborated with in events such as the recording of other albums, gigs in Malta and outside Malta, and the Malta Jazz Festival. The album shows her versatility and brings together the talent of local composers and authors together with the ability of all these musicians. Nadine admits that this project is a dream that became a reality and thanks the Malta Arts Fund and other contributors for their support.

Nadine enjoys an interesting track record both in Malta and abroad, however she considers this project to be the most satisfactory accomplishment she has experienced until now.

The album was recorded, mixed and mastered by David Vella at Temple Studios.

Velvet

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The Pace Brothers Organ Trio - Shazam

Size: 112,8 MB
Time: 49:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Hammond Organ, Funky Jazz, Soul Jazz
Art: Front

01. Shazam (5:04)
02. Coming Home Baby (5:01)
03. Two Lines (4:12)
04. In A Hurting Way (7:40)
05. Interlude 1 (1:21)
06. Norwegian Wood (4:10)
07. You Are My Sunshine (4:09)
08. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (3:59)
09. Have A Blast (4:19)
10. Interlude 2 (1:06)
11. On The Spot (8:08)

Modern but connected soul Hammond B3 organ jazz. Funky and fun with great grooves and great spirit.

Shazam

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Diane Schuur - Live in London

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:31
Size: 173,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:09)  1. Deedles' blues
(4:37)  2. I'll close my eyes
(4:17)  3. Close enough for love
(6:47)  4. As
(5:34)  5. Poinciana
(4:07)  6. Don't let me be lonely tonight
(4:14)  7. You'd be so nice to Come home to
(5:37)  8. When october goes
(6:56)  9. Besame mucho
(6:39) 10. The very thought of you
(7:04) 11. So in love
(6:50) 12. It don't mean a thing
(4:03) 13. Send me someone to love
(3:30) 14. Over the rainbow

Does Diane Schuur still matter? Though the vocalist has been performing actively on the national jazz scene since her 1984 GRP debut, Deedles, came out, and she has won two Grammies, critical interest in her work has waned since the early 1990s. Many critics have lauded her powerful voice and stylistic versatility but lamented her tendency toward histrionics and emotional blandness. Live in London, recorded at Ronnie Scott's, might reassert her potential in the vocal pantheon. The disc is a fine example of Schuur the vocalist and pianist, collaborating with a fine band bassist Scott Steed, guitarist Rod Fleeman and drummer Reggie Jackson before an adoring (if subdued) audience. In many ways she represents exactly what is missing from a lot of "contemporary jazz she knows how to balance jazz technique and feeling with emotional accessibility. Schuur is galvanizing on her two elaborate scat solos on the samba-flavored "So in Love and a galloping "It Don't Mean a Thing. 

Fleeman soars on both tunes and Jackson adds a hot, polyrhythmic solo to the latter. Though Schuur has recorded with the Count Basie Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau Band and the Caribbean Jazz Project, she sounds most radiant in a streamlined setting. On these wide-ranging pieces by Duke Ellington, Percy Mayfield, Cole Porter, Steve Wonder and others, Schuur's clear tone, superb diction and pitch-perfect piano scats illuminate the material with aplomb. The quartet is also quite resourceful in establishing a variety of moods and maintaining momentum over the course of the album's 75 minutes. The set features two anthems: a punchy version of the Morgan Ames-penned "Deedle's Blues, followed by a hushed performance of "I'll Close My Eyes, which typifies her ballad style. Schuur's underrated piano playing proves a fine percussive foil for Jackson on the Latin-tinged arrangements of "As, "Poinciana and "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, bundled together on the album. Schuur's stirring version of "Besame Mucho re-creates the scintillating arrangement from her Ferguson collaboration, Swingin' for Schuur, with seamless harmonizing in the final bars. 

Schuur's melodic imagination and harmonic eloquence complements her sleek voice-piano unison combinations and energetic trades with Fleeman, though her scats do get repetitive. Strings and woodwinds often crowd Schuur's recordings, but one of the more striking elements of this live set is its spaciousness. The spare bass and voice opening of "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To establishes a framework for Steed to stretch out and fosters a warm, intimate vocal from Schuur. A piano rendition of the ageless "Please Send Me Someone to Love and her signature a capella "Over the Rainbow delicately conclude the album. Amidst the "nu crooners and singer-songwriter/folk-oriented types currently prevalent in vocal jazz, Schuur probably seems old-fashioned. Regardless of trends, the beautiful vocals, impressive range and tight musicianship on Live confirm that Schuur matters. Ronnie Scott's has welcomed some of world's finest vocal talents check out Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone's classic sets and Live in London places Schuur amongst them. ~ Vicent Stephens   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=22287#.UxYenIVZhhk 
 

Personnel: Diane Schuur: piano, vocals; Scott Steed: bass; Rod Fleeman: guitar; Reggie Jackson: drums.

Live in London

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Sarah Silverman - Sarah

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:55
Size: 108,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:03)  1. Nature Boy
(3:26)  2. Take Love Easy
(5:46)  3. I'm Glad There Is You
(5:14)  4. Samba Em Preludio
(3:34)  5. Two Sleepy People
(3:27)  6. Waiting On the Weather
(5:23)  7. Once I Loved
(6:44)  8. Medley Smoke Gets in Your Eyes  I Get Along Without You Very Well
(5:14)  9. Love Me or Leave Me
(3:01) 10. Arietta

Inspired and mentored by two great contemporary jazz performers, singer Luciana Souza and pianist Bruce Barth, Sarah has emerged as an exciting new jazz vocalist. Drawn to intimate performances, Sarah often sings duo with Bruce, and their inspired collaborations naturally developed into the recording of ‘SARAH’. The album marks a dramatic shift away from her background as a classical pianist, but it is also a natural evolution for a performer drawn to different musical styles, improvisation and the spirit of distinctive collaboration.

“Sarah is a beautiful and curious singer and musician…  I am very excited to see where she is going with her music and her abundant talent”. ~ Luciana Souza   

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sarahsilverman1

Sarah

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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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