Marlene Arden & Phil Conti - 'S Wonderful

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:56
Size: 108,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:27)  1. Undecided
(5:14)  2. Rio de Janeiro Blue
(4:17)  3. Lovin' You More & More
(2:47)  4. Night & Day
(4:22)  5. Fever
(3:57)  6. Down in Brazil
(4:58)  7. Moondance
(4:19)  8. Ronnie's Samba
(4:19)  9. I Miss You So
(3:16) 10. 'S Wonderful
(3:43) 11. Why Don't You Do Right?
(3:11) 12. Hold On I'm Coming

Contemporary Jazz Vocalist Marlene Arden and Pianist Phil Conti perform in Five-Star hotels and onboard luxury cruise ships Worldwide. Their vast repertoire encompasses Classic Jazz & Blues Standards, The Great American Songbook, Contemporary/ Smooth Jazz, Brazilian/Latin, and an array of Contemporary selections.  Marlene Arden & Phil Conti are more than just fine musicians performing on stage. They engage the audience with their warm personalities and enthusiasm for their music. They draw from each other’s talents to create their own distinctive style. Marlene Arden is a lifelong musician. The daughter of trumpet player and Big Band leader Ben Arden and virtuoso violinist Sylvia Arden. Marlene was literally “born on the road,” she spent her childhood under the influence and company of family friends such as Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, and many more. Marlene became the first Jazz and Contemporary Singer to earn a Degree in Voice from The American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. Her smooth and smoky voice transports the listener into the very heart of the song. An artist of truly International appeal whose repertoire of songs are sung in English, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Spanish and Italian. Phil Conti is a world class pianist and composer who started playing classical piano at the age of five. As a teenager, he expanded his playing to Jazz, Pop and R&B. Phil Conti was performing in the Los Angeles area professionally from the age of fifteen with his own trio, as well as touring with various bands throughout the United States and Canada. His travels led him to Las Vegas where he played extensively in Hotels and Casinos. Since then Phil has been performing on Five-Star cruise ships for the last twenty plus years. 

Marlene Arden and pianist Phil Conti found perfect harmony when they performed together as “The Marlene Arden Trio” in The Downbeat Jazz Lounge onboard The Carnival Destiny. After nearly a decade, they reunited to form “Marlene Arden & Phil Conti.” They were the featured Guest Entertainers aboard Japan Cruise Line’s, The Pacific Venus sailing from Australia, The South Pacific, and Japan. The Marlene Arden Quartet received excellent reviews from their performances onboard The Celebrity Solstice, The Grand Princess, and more. Their career path to date has been broad-based including long-term engagements worldwide in Five-Star hotels: The Ritz Carlton Chicago; Four Seasons Hotel Newport Beach, California; The Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel, California; Westin Bonaventure Los Angeles, California; Four Seasons Hotel, Calgary, Canada; Westin Banyan Tree, Bangkok, Thailand; Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia; Sheraton Imperial Hotel (ITT Sheraton Luxury Collection), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Las Vegas Hilton and The Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas. Luxury Cruise Ship long-term engagements include: Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Japan Cruise Line, Crystal Cruise Line, Holland America, Disney Cruise Line, NCL, and Carnival Cruise Lines. Marlene Arden & Phil Conti’s latest CD, entitled ”‘S Wonderful” is an eclectic mix of Jazz and Contemporary Jazz. Selections include Cole Porter’s “Night & Day”; Gershwin's “‘S Wonderful”;  Van Morrison’s “Moondance”; Michael Franks’s “Down in Brazil”; Sassy Bluesy songs, “Fever” and “Why Don’t You Do Right”...to Contemporary Jazz selections, “Rio de Janeiro Blue”, Ronnie’s Samba, and more.... http://www.marlenearden.com/performer/marlene-phil.html

Personnel:  Marlene Arden: Vocals;  Phil Conti: Keyboards & Bass;  Steve Yates: Drums & Percussion;  James Hurley: Acoustic Guitar ("Down in Brazil" Track 6)

'S Wonderful

Helen Merrill - Helen Merrill Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:22
Size: 79,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:20)  1. It Might As Well Be Spring
(4:59)  2. Hello Young Lovers
(4:00)  3. I Have Dreamed
(2:51)  4. People Will Say We're In Love
(3:13)  5. Getting To Know You
(3:09)  6. My Lord And Master
(3:34)  7. If I Loved You
(2:55)  8. My Favourite Things
(4:18)  9. The Sound Of Music

The songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein, with some notable exceptions, have not attracted jazz interpretations to the extent that the songs of Rodgers & Hart have. Helen Merrill, that oxymoron a "jazz singer," here puts her stamp on nine Rodgers & Hammerstein standards, creating an album that is a triumph of the performer's art over the material. For the most part, Merrill, accompanied by a chamber group consisting of a piano, four strings, a horn, a harp, an occasional vibraphone, bass, and drums, imposes her introspective ballad style even on songs that, from the lyrics and their original arrangements, might seem to suggest a more vibrant treatment. In particular, "People Will Say We're in Love" and especially "Getting to Know You" tend to be thought of as lighter songs than Merrill chooses to make them. With her funereal tempos and considered, word-by-word interpretations, she suggests that having people say you're in love could be fatal, and what interests her in "Getting to Know You" is the fear the lyrics describe. 

Not surprisingly, "It Might as Well Be Spring" is more mournful than yearning, and "Hello Young Lovers" concentrates on the aging narrator. The only song on which Merrill's becalmed approach sounds exactly right is "My Lord and Master," even if she drains it of anger, leaving only pain. After all these slow, disembodied performances, however, "My Favorite Things" is given an uptempo treatment, while the singer's vocals seem to have been strangely compressed. But then it's back to the furrowed brow for a joyless reading of "The Sound of Music." Of course, Merrill has sung this music before, and not always this way. (Recall the lively "People Will Say We're in Love" from 1956's Dream of You LP.) In her fifties, she seems to be deliberately trying to reinterpret Rodgers & Hammerstein for a troubled, complicated age. Anyone familiar with these songs (and who isn't?) will be forced to think about them again after hearing this album. Richard Rodgers, who died two years before it was made, would have disliked it, as he did all jazz versions of his work, although he probably would have approved of the slow tempos. ~ William Ruhlmann   http://www.allmusic.com/album/helen-merrill-sings-rodgers-hammerstein-mw0000269928

Helen Merrill Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein

---

Quincy Jones - Q: Soul Bossa Nostra

Styles: R&B
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:34
Size: 150,7 MB
Art: Front + Back

(3:55)  1. Ironside
(3:53)  2. Strawberry Letter 23
(4:08)  3. Soul Bossa Nostra
(3:45)  4. Give Me The Night
(4:31)  5. Tomorrow
(5:00)  6. You Put A Move On My Heart
(3:11)  7. Get The Funk Out Of My Face
(5:53)  8. Secret Garden
(7:05)  9. Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me
(5:24) 10. Everything Must Change
(4:57) 11. Many Rains Ago (Oluwa)
(4:05) 12. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
(2:36) 13. It's My Party
(2:56) 14. Hikky-Burr
(4:08) 15. Sanford and Son

Other than a handful of one-offs, producer, composer, and arranger Quincy Jones has been busy outside of the music world, acting as a film producer and a cultural ambassador. Q: Soul Bossa Nostra is his first proper "new" album in 15 years, though it revisits tracks he either composed, recorded, or produced previously with a host of the current era's most popular artists from the R&B, pop, and hip-hop worlds. Given his rep, the star power here is not surprising, but re-recording classic songs with new singers or in some cases adding vocals to a track that never had them at all is risky. Soul Boss Nostra feels like a tribute exercise assembled more for radio play and to attract the holiday and single-track download markets than a creative one. One need only go to the remake of Shuggie Otis' classic "Strawberry Letter 23," which Jones produced for the Brothers Johnson in 1977. The vocal and production by Akon employ shimmering, slippery hip-hop rhythms, Auto-Tune, and layers of programmed keyboards and backing vocals, without the tune's signature bassline! It's thin and hollow. The oft-sampled hit "Soul Bossa Nova" appears here as a collaboration between Naturally 7 and Ludacris (who has sampled it himself). 

Jones' new arrangement is streamlined; it lacks the dynamic punch and humor of the hit. Q composed "Ironside" for the '70s television series; he uses the original orchestral and vocal tracks with a rap by Talib Kweli on top. It's better, but still feels disconnected. Why Jones re-arranged and re-corded "Tomorrow" with John Legend is a mystery; this version is void of the warmth of Tevin Campbell's from 1990. Campbell is here on a remake of Al B. Sure/Barry White track "Secret Garden" that keeps White's original vocal, and adds Campbell's with Robin Thicke, LL Cool J, Usher, and Tyrese. It is utter lacking in finesse or emotion. "Get the Funk Out of My Face," with Snoop Dogg, at least retains the Brothers Johnson feel; his rap almost works. "P.Y.T." is remade here by T-Pain and Thicke with so much Auto-Tune, it sounds like a cartoon soundtrack. Amy Winehouse's remake of "It's My Party" (which Jones produced for Lesley Gore in 1962), is tepid. Bebe Winans' reading of "Everything Must Change" is easily the set's classiest, most soulful track; it stands out beautifully from the dross. Given Jones' legendary stature and reputation for taste, this set feels unnecessary at best, and downright cynical at worst. ~ Thom Jurek   

http://www.allmusic.com/album/q-soul-bossa-nostra-mw0001989335

Q: Soul Bossa Nostra

---

Kenny Werner & Jens Sondergaard - Play Ballads: A Time for Love

Styles: Piano and Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:10
Size: 124,2 MB
Art: Front + Back

(7:09)  1. But Beautiful
(6:13)  2. 'Round Midnight
(7:42)  3. A Time for Love
(6:51)  4. Lover Man
(7:15)  5. Over the Rainbow
(7:04)  6. Willow Weep for Me
(4:50)  7. Darn That Dream
(7:03)  8. Everything Happens to Me

After many years of knowing each other, Danish saxophonist Jens Søndergaard and pianist Kenny Werner decided that it was the right time to translate years of friendship into music. The result is the enchanting A Time For Love, which digs deep into a program of classic ballads. Songs like Jimmy Van Heusen's "But Beautiful" and Ann Ronell's "Willow Weep For Me" have entered the general consciousness, and the challenge to every ballad player is to make them speak with new relevance; the drama of the songs has to be rediscovered. To Werner and Søndergaard, the solution is simple: they play from the heart. Werner lays a carpet of pretty notes as background for Søndergaard's singing saxophone, and together they understand how tell a story and make every note count. 

Art Pepper's inspiration looms large, especially the beautiful duo albums the late saxophonist recorded with pianist George Cables Goin' Home (Galaxy/OJC, 1982) and Tete À Tete (Galaxy/OJC, 1983). Like that famous duo, Werner and Søndergaard speak to each other and create a magic conversation where songs like "Over The Rainbow" (a signature Pepper piece) is played with empathic elegance. Elsewhere, Werner's introduction to Johnny Mandel's "A Time For Love" reveals Bill Evans' inspiration for his ballad "Peace Piece." The late pianist's impressionistic sensitivity closely resembles Mandel's song as it is played in Werner's interpretation. Throughout, Søndergaard and Werner manage to keep the impromptu magic of the session. They play like they have known these songs for years and have just been waiting for this particular moment to express all the things there are to say in them. Timing is everything, and the album shows why it certainly was time for Søndergaard and Werner to get together, and lovers of good music can only be grateful that they did. ~ Jakob Baekgaard   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=35084#.UyN634U7aQM
 

Personnel: Kenny Werner: grand piano; Jens Søndergaard: alto saxophone.

Play Ballads: A Time for Love

---

Sally Night - Love For Sale

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:54
Size: 166,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:24)  1. My Funny Valentine
(4:03)  2. Love For Sale
(2:49)  3. Wisper Not
(4:51)  4. Angel Eyes
(3:57)  5. It's Alright With Me
(6:16)  6. Black Coffee
(4:10)  7. Tendery
(2:19)  8. Just You Just Me
(6:06)  9. Bossa Medley
(3:50) 10. The Lady Is A Tramp
(2:54) 11. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(4:55) 12. Day In Day Out
(4:09) 13. Why Don't You Meet Me Downtown
(4:24) 14. Enbraceable You
(6:07) 15. I Thought About You
(4:16) 16. Honeysuckle Rose
(3:18) 17. The Way You Look Tonight

.......“Sally is one of the new 'Greats' ! She has an amazing voice & talent both as a singer and a composer”.~  Frank Omar, of  Frankly Speaking, arts & cultural Chanel 34 mnn.

“British singer Sally Night adroitly sang her own compositions and standards, backed by the Florida International University jazz big band to open the Miami Nice Jazz Fest” ~  John Radanovich, Downbeat Magazine

“US-based UK vocalist & songwriter Sally Night is an accomplished singer with a sultry, lissom contralto voice & sensuous delivery, who can also swing & put a fresh spin on old classics. “ ~ Charles Waring for Record Collector & Jazz Collector Magazine

“I love Sally's albums, they are terrific and Sally's new song 'Yes I Do' is Brilliant” ~ Bruce Lundvall, Blue Note Records /EMI

“Sally has a Beautiful voice...Keep Singing Sally!”~ Sheila Jordan , Singer & Nea Jazz Master 2012

“Sally sounds wonderful...I put her album directly into my itunes, I love listening to it” ~ Michael Feinstein, Singer/Pianist multi-platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated artist

Sally Night's first love is music. She grew up singing in church, her various schools, playing various instruments & listening to Jazz, Classical music, Opera and other styles of music at home. Her Farther & Mother loved jazz and performed locally. Although she studied and was trained to sing Opera and has a great love of that music, she found it too restrictive.

After a long musical break and extensive traveling, Sally started to sing and perform Jazz in France. Then she started to tour Europe and work with the great Philadelphia born drummer Bobby Durham (who accompanied Ella Fitzgerald & Oscar Peterson) who taught her how to swing and encouraged her to start composing. After recording a couple of albums and receiving great reviews in Europe for her live shows & recordings and several visits to New York, Bruce Lundvall, EMI-Blue Note Records persuaded Sally to move to New York in 2012!  

http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/musician.php?id=48880#.UyX03IU7aQM

Love For Sale

---

Natalie Cressman - Turn the Sea

Styles: Trombone And Vocal, Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:58
Size: 103,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:26)  1. Turn the Sea
(5:07)  2. Fortune's Fool
(5:22)  3. Blindsided
(3:57)  4. New Moon
(4:49)  5. Do Not as I Do
(5:10)  6. Checkout Time
(3:43)  7. Winter Chill
(7:51)  8. Stolen Away
(4:29)  9. Turn the Sea (Jnthn Stein Remix)

Trombonist/vocalist Natalie Cressman follows-up her excellent debut recording, Unfolding (Self Produced, 2012) with her fully realized yet completely different Turn the Sea. Cressman is a busy artist recently appearing on many projects as disparate as anchoring the horn section of Trey Anastasio's band and appearing on recording dates led by Peter Apfelbaum and Josh Roseman to her conspicuous role on Laura Furci's excellent Think Con La Tua Cabeza (2013). Cressman brings these multiple exposures to bare on Turn the Sea. This is a collection of angular compositions that are as intricate as they are accessible. The title piece is given two mixes bookending the remaining seven songs. The rhythm line is infectious and insistent and very contemporary, representing a new alchemy for Cressman. 

The mix of Cressman's confident voice, tart trombone and crack songwriting establishes the artist well down the road from an already fully-established sound on Unfolding. The Jnthn Stein remix adds pop-synth to the song "Fortune's Fool" uses judicious voice overdubs by Cressman, accentuating her well-conceived melodies within her clever arrangement. "Do Not As I Do" is a brightly sung and orchestrated, again with a complex (and catchy) bass underpinning. Cressman employs a little big band in a very contemporary way. There is a melding of her pop and jazz experience that is well captured in this format. Natalie Cressman continues to arrive and is sure to continue her brilliant evolution as a musician.. ~ C.Michael Bailey   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=46523#.UySQGYU7aQM
 

Personnel: Natalie Cressman: trombone, vocals; Ivan rosenberg: trumpet; Steven Lugerner: flute, clarinet, bass clarinet; James Casey: tenor saxophone; Samora Pinderhuges: keyboards; Gabe Schnider: guitar; Jonathan Stein: acoustic and electric bass; Michael Mitchell: drums, percussion.

Turn the Sea

---

Bruce Barth - Live at the Village Vanguard

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:33
Size: 148,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:50)  1. Little Dirty
(10:03)  2. Star Eyes
( 5:23)  3. Rosalie: In the Still of the N
( 5:01)  4. Song for Alex
( 5:31)  5. San Francisco Holiday
( 5:00)  6. Evidence
( 6:36)  7. Let's Call This
( 8:35)  8. Days of June
( 5:45)  9. Prospect Avenue Blues
( 5:46) 10. When the Sun Comes Out

On Live At The Village Vanguard, Cole Porter’s “In The Still Of The Night” charges straight ahead with the zip, the zig, and the zag of a hound dog chasing a rabbit through open sagebrush. While Bruce Barth is totally unpredictable in places, he is sure to bring back the familiar melody to us before we get lost. His melodies are pretty, but what captures the listener’s ear is the pianist’s spontaneous approach to improvised adventure. Four originals emphasize melody. Barth’s “Prospect Avenue Blues,” however, gets down and dirty with a genuine mood. 

All the same, embellished melody and steady meter can become tiresome when used for too long a time. Fortunately, the leader called in reinforcements during his Village Vanguard performances last year. With Monk to the rescue, Barth perks up his session with a rollicking “San Francisco Holiday,” a dark, solo piano sojourn through “Evidence,” and a medium tempo blues walk through “Let’s Call This.” Monk provides the ammunition to make any performance sizzle and swing. Ugonna Okegwo and Al Foster, who accompany with faithful support, contribute heartily. 

While the pianist’s Village Vanguard session brought cheers those two August nights, it stands marred by the unfair ratio of too little adventure to middle-of-the-road, laid-back rambling. ~ Jim Santella  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=11402#.Uyjn4oUqPro
 

Personnel: Bruce Barth- piano; Ugonna Okegwo- bass; Al Foster- drums.

Live at the Village Vanguard

---

Paul Desmond - Summertime

Styles: Jazz
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:53
Size: 94,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:32)  1. Samba With Some Barbecue
(5:36)  2. Olvidar
(2:15)  3. Ob-La-Di,Ob-La-Da
(4:53)  4. Emily
(3:09)  5. Someday My Prince Will Come
(3:03)  6. Autumn Leaves
(5:36)  7. Where Is Love?
(3:10)  8. Lady In Cement
(4:34)  9. North By Northeast
(3:59) 10. Summertime

In the midst of lolling away his time in semi-retirement after the Dave Brubeck Quartet broke up in 1967, Paul Desmond allowed himself to be lured back into the recording studio by producer Creed Taylor, who knew exactly what to do with his idle, but by no means spent, alto player. The result is a beautifully produced, eclectic album of music that revives Desmond's "bossa antigua" idea and sends it in different directions, directly toward Brazil and various Caribbean regions, as well as back to the jazzy States. "Samba With Some Barbecue" is a marvelous bossa nova treatment of Louis Armstrong's New Orleans rouser "Struttin' With Some Barbecue," whose opening bars bear an uncanny resemblance to those of "Samba de Orpheus" (which the erudite Desmond was no doubt aware of). No matter how many times you've heard "Autumn Leaves," Desmond's bossa nova treatment will give you a fresh jolt as he offhandedly tosses off the most exquisitely swinging ruminations; too bad it fades after only three minutes. 

In a pliable mood, Desmond even consents to record a then-new Beatles tune, "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," samba-style, quoting "Hey Jude" along the way (it's very possible that he was attracted by the main character of the lyric, a fellow named Desmond), and he makes potent music out of movie tunes like "Emily" and even the snazzy "Lady in Cement." Don Sebesky brings in some intelligently crafted arrangements for big band augmented by French horns, Herbie Hancock turns in some often brilliant solo work in several featured spots, Ron Carter is on bass, and Leo Morris and Airto Moreira alternate on drums. Never before had Desmond's alto been recorded so ravishingly Rudy Van Gelder's engineering gives it a new golden-mellow glow and the original LP had a great, sarcastic cover: gleaming icicles. ~ Richard S.Ginell   

http://www.allmusic.com/album/summertime-mw0000530335

Summertime

---

Linda Ciofalo - Sun Set / Dancing With Johnny

Album: Sun Set
Size: 140,1 MB
Time: 60:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Jazz: Vocals
Art: Front

01. Oh What A Beautiful Morning (4:40)
02. You Took Advantage Of Me (3:39)
03. Orange Blossoms In Summertime (6:47)
04. Here Comes The Sun (4:35)
05. Comes Love (4:16)
06. Love Is Stronger Far Than We (6:20)
07. La Isla Bonita (3:33)
08. I'll Follow The Sun (4:51)
09. Midnight Sun (7:46)
10. Lazy Afternoon (4:00)
11. Blame It On The Sun (5:13)
12. The Last Day Of Summer (4:35)

Linda Ciofalo's Sun Set has connected all the dots to make for an impressive listening experience. Starting with a concept—songs with the word "sun" in the title, or sun-related—the package offers an eclectic collection of selections, innovative arrangements and performances by an engaging vocalist with major chops and choice instrumentalists: John di Martino (piano), John Hart (guitar), Marcus McLaurine (bass), Joel Frahm (sax) and Matt Wilson (drums).

Ciofalo's vocal clarity is refreshing and she knows what to do with her instrument. She can deliver a ballad reading with warmth, but also has enough of an edge to swing when necessary. The opening track, "Oh! What A Beautiful Morning," features Ciofalo's vocal floating over a 6/8 tempo accompanied by Frahm's fills. On "You Took Advantage of Me," Ciofalo swings, backed only by Wilson's wonderful hand drumming, and a straightforward reading of George Harrison's "Here Comes The Sun" takes us back to Beatletime. Another interesting material choice is a lovely and haunting reading of "Love Is Stronger Far Than We" from the film A Man and A Woman.

There is something to be said for every track. The players are well-attuned to each other and comprise a tight ensemble. Di Martino's piano work is outstanding; his harmonies and ability to play exactly what needs to be played behind a vocalist well on display. Frahm also delivers, wailing on his "Summertime" solo and also on "Midnight Sun." Hart has some shining moments on guitar and McLaurine's solid bass work throughout completes the picture. But, most of all, this is a vocalist's album and Ciofalo shows off her talent from start to finish. The CD bears more than one listening to discover all of its pleasurable dimensions. ~Review by Marcia Hillman

Personnel: Linda Ciofalo: vocals; John di Martino: piano; John Hart: guitar; Marcus McLaurine: bass; Joel Frahm: sax; Matt Wilson: drums.

Sun Set

---

Album: Dancing With Johnny
Size: 119,6 MB
Time: 51:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Jazz: Vocals
Art: Front

01. Tangerine (4:06)
02. Talk To Me Baby (3:52)
03. I'm Old Fashioned (3:10)
04. The Days Of Wine And Roses (3:38)
05. That Old Black Magic (4:28)
06. Early Autumn (4:34)
07. P.S. I Love You (4:30)
08. Skylark (4:46)
09. Day In,day Out (3:18)
10. Moon River (3:22)
11. One For My Baby (4:47)
12. I Remember You (3:37)
13. Come Rain Or Come Shine (3:04)

Linda Ciofalo may have missed the Johnny Mercer centenary by a few months, but her addition to last year’s mini-flood of tribute albums serves as a lovely, inventive coda. As the title suggests, Ciofalo’s overarching goal was to interpret Mercer for your dancing pleasure and, more specifically, to assist you in refining your samba skills. Latin rhythms, ranging from soothing to scorching, invade all 13 tracks, invariably enhancing Mercer’s lyrical intent. Ciofalo’s early training as a big-band vocalist shines through on the sizzling opener, “Tangerine,” and a flame-licked “That Old Black Magic,” both superbly propelled by Brian Lynch’s trumpet.

As effective as Ciofalo is on the swinging numbers, her sound, with its enticing hint of Boz Scaggs-esque nasality, is most appealing in simpler settings. Atop percussionist Little Johnny Rivero’s bongos, she achieves precisely the right tone of conversational intimacy on “P.S. I Love You,” perfectly captures the Lynch-enfolded mistiness of “Early Autumn,” shimmers through the slithery slyness of “Talk to Me Baby” and, amid gentle waves from Paul Meyers’ nylon-string guitar, bathes in the dreamy reflection of “Moon River.” Most poignant is Ciofalo’s “One for My Baby,” neither sorrowful nor self-pitying yet brilliantly manifested in the soul-deep heartache that only a sympathetic bartender and a few too many can allay. ~By Christopher Loudon

Dancing With Johnny

---

The Three Tenors Of Swing - On Stage

Size: 167,2 MB
Time: 71:46
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz: Swing
Art: Front

01. Bean Stalking - Idaho (1:57)
02. Shake It And Break It (3:08)
03. Black And Tan Fantasy (4:00)
04. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise (5:13)
05. Attibert Wropila (5:22)
06. Jubilee Stomp (5:15)
07. La Vie En Rose (4:44)
08. South Rampart Street Parade (6:16)
09. Lester's Bounce (4:51)
10. Six Cats And A Prince (5:17)
11. The Mooche (5:27)
12. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart (5:37)
13. Till Tom Special (5:53)
14. Misty Morning (3:51)
15. Websterity (4:46)

Antti Sarpila, Frank Roberscheuten, Engelbert Wrobel

Inspired by their shared love of and enthusiasm for the swing - jazz and from pleasure and joy of making music together in this tradition , three of the most renowned saxophonist and clarinetist of the European jazz scene have joined forces : Antti Sarpila from Finland, the Netherlands Frank Roberscheuten and Engelbert Wrobel from Germany . With plenty of power and drive , they allow taking a look back at the big time of swing and inspire their audiences with skillful arrangements , mainly from his own pen , and exciting improvisations. All three soloists and stand for years before his own formations .

With a wink, taking the headline reference to the famous " three tenors " from the Opera area. "The 3 Tenors of Swing " but might as well "The 3 Clarinets " or "The 3 Altos Of Swing " hot , or they would have to imagine as "The 3 Reed Men Of Swing" , because these three protagonists are all multi-instrumentalists - everyone plays both tenor and another saxophone, and clarinet - and each of these instruments masterfully.
The sound on the CD is wonderful, the musicians delightfully inspired, and the repertoire varied. I was listening to it for the first time this afternoon, and when the disc was about halfway through, I stopped it, and said to myself, “I have to write about this right now. It is so good.” It features Antti Sarpilla, Frank Roberscheuten, and Engelbert on reeds, with a rhythm section of Rolf Marx, guitar; Chris Hopkins, piano; Henning Gailing, string bass; Oliver Mewes, drums.

On Stage

---

Lisa Kirchner - Umbrellas In Mint

Size: 130,4 MB
Time: 55:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz: Vocals
Art: Front & Back

01. Salty And Blue (I Don't Believe In Romance) (4:32)
02. A Billion Stars Ago (In The Shadow Of A Cow) (4:28)
03. What About You (3:48)
04. The Hudson Bay Inn (5:20)
05. Umbrellas In Mint (4:22)
06. Tim (5:00)
07. Let Us Go Then (5:31)
08. Under The Paris Moon (Manhattan Under The Paris Moon) (4:19)
09. At The Closing Of The Fair (5:06)
10. Old Shoes (4:13)
11. Southern Starlight (Charleston For You) (5:57)
12. Quarters And Dimes (3:07)

When Lisa Kirchner last appeared in these pages, I commented that though production credits went missing, it appeared she was the top dawg in the process and that this element appeared to endow the outing with its several defects among many strengths. This time, out, she is indeed the producer, and the difference, in just one year, is highly discernable. Recruiting an intriguing new backing band loaded with notables who were unafraid to mess around with the traditional aspects of the fare, the entirety of Umbrellas in Mint is everything that Charleston for You pointed towards. This is shown very early in A Billion Stars Ago (In the Shadow of a Crow), the second cut and an excellently blended mélange of cabaret, stage, and jazz, upbeat and reflective simultaneously, with even a short injection of delightfully contrasty bump and grind just before the number fades.

Every song here was in fact written by the wild-maned Kirchner and, for me, brings back tangs of the underlauded Robert Kraft, among others, as the Carmichaelish What About You? (LOVE that "A ceiling at midnight, where stars shine on cue" line!) demonstrates. A wide palette of world influences invade the entire cycle here, subordinated beautifully to the dominantly Broadway ambiance. Don't know what happened in the past year, but Kirchner got waaaaay the hell serious, not only maturing miles beyond expectations, but immersive in the literacy of her chosen milieu. Part of the credit goes to the immaculate choice of musicians (I could've done with a bit more of guitarist Ron Jackson, whose offbeat tempo play is intriguing for its colorations, but, hey, the emphasis is rightly on Kirchner's vocals, lyrical narrative, and cinematic textures), but then it also must be noted that they're rightly operating within her parameters, which have cinched up the aesthete factor rather breathtakingly.

Expect generous doses of Rogers & Hart, Brel, Hammerstein, and a bunch of others in the Songbook milieu, but there are also a number of surprisingly Brechtian tinges, as Kirchner's unafraid of the shadows populating boulevards and hearts. She knows those darksome dimensions are just wellsprings, and saxist Sherman Irby leans into 'em more than once, often with a suppressed grin, lighting up the corners. In sum, Umbrellas is an exhilarating escapade, a collection of songs wrought for a stage musical yet to be put beneath the lights, but, now having heard the disc, I'm not so sure that's even necessary, as the CD does quite well on its own, needing no further explication…though it'd be intriguing as hell to see what could be done with them visually. ~by Mark S. Tucker

Umbrellas In Mint

---

Jeff Elliott - Facing West

Size: 143,0 MB
Time: 61:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Crossover Jazz
Art: Front

01. Magic Jazz Dance (7:23)
02. Out Of The Fog (6:20)
03. Happy Village (5:46)
04. Things Change (5:35)
05. Mad Traffic Jam (5:29)
06. Western Man (5:01)
07. Mine Tonight (5:33)
08. War Zone (6:26)
09. I've Lived 100 Lifetimes (6:20)
10. Resolution (Feat. Ernie Watts) (7:33)

Jeff Elliott – the trumpet leader – has been “jazz is in my veins” since his father, clearly a wise man, bought him a real trumpet in 1963. This album celebrates not only that gift of 50 years ago, but adds up to Jeff’s life in music in the decades since.

These days, he decided to sum it all up, and this album reveals how much Jeff has in his veins because of those 50 years.

Back in the 1960s, Jeff’s father made sure Jeff heard the records of Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Jonah Jones, the high standard bearers and blowers of jazz then. But, when his father left the room, Jeff grabbed his own guitar and played along with The Beatles.
In high school, he dreamed of being a rock star, even if the school sat him in its orchestra’s first chair, as first trumpet.

As Jeff Elliott grew into his twenties, he began thinking of himself as “a musical mutt,” a guy with more than just one style and instrument in his repertoires. And to help this mixture, whether Mutt or purebred, Jeff was blessed with perfect pitch.

Jeff Elliott always craved being “in the band,” whether it was a concert band or a jazz big band. Which didn’t matter, because Jeff grew up playing professionally at least those two loves: jazz trumpet and rock everything. Over the years, he has blended those genres into his own styles, passions, and beliefs about music.

As Jeff matured, playing with his and other bands and appearing night after night with West Coast clubs out on the Pacific shores, his ears began to hear a fresh style of music.

That style is not to be put in words here. It is best defined in your ears.

He thinks of it as and refers to it as “Pacific” and describes the ten compositions on this album as “another branch to the left of the great music tree: The West side, where I am from, facing west to the ocean and the sun.”

And thus this CD, which compiles the influences of Jeff’s past: jazz, folk, rock, orchestra, ethnic, funk, and concert band.

It’s amazing what you can create in only 50 years, if you’ve put all your different hearts into an album like this.

Facing West

---

Madeline Eastman - Can You Hear Me Now?

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:45
Size: 129,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:49)  1. You Say You Care
(7:33)  2. Make Someone Happy
(4:55)  3. Show Me
(2:34)  4. Pent Up House
(5:44)  5. Slow Boat to China
(6:37)  6. Don't Look Back
(0:42)  7. Intro Baubles
(5:02)  8. Baubles, Bangles and Beads
(4:58)  9. Gone with the Wind
(5:05) 10. Haunted Heart
(3:53) 11. I Love You
(4:46) 12. Epistrophy

Californian Madeline Eastman, blessed with an absolutely perfect voice, can run rings around just about any jazz singer, but chooses not to blow you away with animated or histrionic acrobatics, preferring to dig deep into a sophistication that is quite easy to enjoy and if you listen closely, she mainlines straight to the heart of any matter. This live concert date at the famous Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, at Half Moon Bay near the San Francisco area, features Eastman with her prime elements of playfulness, heightened emotion, abstract cool, and deftly enunciated phrasings that mark her as one of the few original jazz singers who refuses to compromise commercially. Her outstanding band with pianist Randy Porter and the imported East Coast pros of peerless bassist Rufus Reid and lithe, limber drummer Matt Wilson supplies all the top-notch musicianship required to match Eastman's hip, literate, and precise vocal legerdemain step for step. Her cut-up version of the Sonny Rollins favorite "Pent Up House" is an "aw shucks" tune with her original lyrics, a tale where she eventually tells a recent acquaintance she "forgot your name." The band tears up "I Love You" and the solid swinger "You Say You Care" with extrapolated second and third choruses, and she extols the virtues or perils of shopping for jewelry on television on the intro before the cute "Baubles, Bangles and Beads." 

Eastman and Jeff Pittson's arrangement of "Slow Boat to China" wedded to Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage" works very well, a nice twist and corollary, where the soulful, modal "Show Me" could easily have been charted by Horace Silver. Vocalists have a thing for doing a duo with their bassists, and Reid is her perfect foil during the midtempo "Gone with the Wind," while the closer, "Epistrophy," is a perfectly funky get-up/get-down affair. Madeline Eastman has produced several very good recordings, but she's at the top of her game when captured live, and cheesy cell phone slogan title notwithstanding, she should be listened to by a larger chunk of the general populace. Her kind of jazz singer is far from a dime a dozen. ~ Michael G. Nastos   http://www.allmusic.com/album/can-you-hear-me-now-madeline-eastman-live-mw0000797780

Madeline Eastman (vocals); Randy Porter (piano); Rufus Reid (bass instrument); Matt Wilson (drum).

Can You Hear Me Now?

---

Manhattan Jazz Quintet - Latino-Bop

Styles: Post-Bop, Latin
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:38
Size: 132,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:55)  1. El Cumbanchero
(8:42)  2. Besame Mucho
(6:23)  3. Volare
(7:08)  4. Libertango
(5:01)  5. La Malaguena / Granada
(8:00)  6. Sway (Quien Sera)
(7:16)  7. Taboo
(7:10)  8. Passion Fruit

The Manhattan Jazz Quintet are an unusual group in that they very rarely perform as a unit in the United States (much less Manhattan) but have been a major hit in Japan, both for their recordings and occasional tours. Originally comprised of leader/pianist David Matthews, trumpeter Lew Soloff, tenor saxophonist George Young, bassist Eddie Gomez, and drummer Steve Gadd, the band (which emphasizes straight-ahead hard bop swinging) first came together in 1983 at the suggestion of the King label and the top Japanese jazz magazine Swing Journal. To everyone's surprise, its first recording (simply called Manhattan Jazz Quintet) became such a big seller that it was awarded Swing Journal's annual 1984 Gold Disk Award as the number one album in Japan. Several years later the group broke up when Gomez and Gadd needed more time to pursue their individual projects and all of the quintet members later became quite successful in their own careers but this edition of the MJQ recorded reunions in 1990 (which found John Scofield guesting on a few selections) and in 1993. 

Victor Lewis replaced Gadd that year, and subsequently Young was replaced by Andy Snitzer and Gomez by Charnett Moffett. The Manhattan Jazz Quintet recorded primarily for King in Japan (those dates were mostly made available in the U.S. by Projazz) during the 1980s, although they cut some later recordings among the comparative very few that actually took place in Manhattan! for the Sweet Basil label. During the new millennium the Manhattan Jazz Quintet have recorded regularly for Video Arts. Bio ~ https://itunes.apple.com/nz/artist/manhattan-jazz-quintet/id79729527#fullText.

Personnel: David Matthews – Piano; Lew Soloff – Trumpet; Andy Snitzer - Tenor Saxophone; Francois Mutin – Bass; Victor Lewis - Drums

Latino-Bop

---

Bruce Gertz - Shut Wide Open

Styles: Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:20
Size: 145,4 MB
Art: Front

( 7:37)  1. Letter From Ghana
( 8:17)  2. Toots
( 6:17)  3. Shut Wide Open
( 8:49)  4. Tenerife
( 7:04)  5. Pluto Was Here
( 4:07)  6. I See You
( 5:31)  7. Booga Chacha Lu
( 5:07)  8. Blueprint
(10:27)  9. Revolving Door

The art of the ensemble, led here by bassist Gertz and trumpeter Cervenka, displays itself in a lively and diverse set of originals by band members Jerry Bergonzi (tenor) and Bruce Barth (piano). What's consistent is the good taste and mutual understanding, which extends itself even to the new compositions, which sound confident enough to have been around for ages: Gertz's breezy "Letter From Ghana," based on Cole Porter's "Love for Sale," flows flawlessly into the next track, a whimsical tribute to "Toots" by Bergonzi. Cervenka's title tune is a post-bop scamper built on "Rhythm" changes, while "Tenerife" is a kind of "Caravan" for the '90s, resonating with open horn harmonies and imaginative solos. Drummer Jorge Rossy neatly splashes his cymbals to underscore all the fun, which goes south for a samba on Gertz's "Pluto Was Here," loosely based on Jobim's "Triste" and a cha-cha on Barth's "Revolving Door," sustaining the excitement and good vibes to the album's final measure. ~ Jeff Kaliss   http://jazztimes.com/articles/10376-shut-wide-open-bruce-gertz-ken-cervenka.

Personnel: Bruce Gertz (bass); Ken Cervenka (trumpet); Jerry Bergonzi (tenor saxophone); Bruce Barth (piano); Jorge Rossy (drums).

Shut Wide Open

---

Nancy Wilson - Hollywood - My Way

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1963
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 46:50
Size: 75,8 MB
Art: Front

(1:57)  1. My Shining Hour
(3:26)  2. The Days Of Wine And Roses
(2:07)  3. Moon River
(3:05)  4. Secret Love
(2:13)  5. Dearly Beloved
(2:39)  6. I'll Never Stop Loving You
(2:56)  7. When Did You Leave Heaven?
(2:30)  8. Almost In Your Arms
(2:50)  9. Wild Is The Wind
(2:53) 10. The Second Time Around
(3:44) 11. Did I Remember
(2:34) 12. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(3:04) 13. Alfie
(2:26) 14. The Look Of Love
(3:14) 15. More (Theme From 'mondo Cane')
(2:01) 16. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(3:04) 17. Watch What Happens

Like one of her biggest selling CDs Yesterdays Love Songs/Tomorrow's Blues, Hollywood My Way is filled with strong material, fine arrangements, and more than enough evidence of Wilson's considerable and elegant vocal talents. One thing the Hollywood My Way doesn't have, though, is a big hit like Yesterday's Love Song's "Guess Who I Saw Today" and that goes a long way in explaining Capitol's reticence about releasing it. Regardless, this collection of movie songs ranging from 1931's "When Did You Leave Heaven" to 1962's "Days of Wine and Roses" with stellar Jimmy Jones' arrangements is one of Wilson's best. As usual she deftly works through a variety of tempi with aplomb. "My Shining Hours"' breakneck speed arrangement is kept in check by her behind-the-beat, elongated phrasing, while the ballad tempo in "Days of Wine of Roses" is ignited with an assured and dramatic vocal buildup. Wilson's supple voice seems especially fit for the bossa nova treatment of "Moonriver"; she easily shifts from a whisper to full-throated dynamics over the lilting, yet steady beat. Equally impressive is her urbane blues delivery on "When Did You Leave Heaven." [The 2006 CD reissue added five bonus tracks.] ~ Stephen Cook  http://www.allmusic.com/album/hollywood-my-way-mw0000571551

Personnel: Nancy Wilson (vocals); Nancy Wilson; Herb Ellis, Howard Roberts , Al Hendrickson, John Collins (guitar); Ann Mason Stockton (harp); Justin Gordon (reeds, saxophone); Bob Richards, Jules Jacob, Jack Nimitz, Abe Most, Plas Johnson , Bill Perkins, Skeets Herfurt, Buddy Collette (reeds); Harry Klee, Wilbur Schwartz (saxophone); Don Fagerquist, Harry "Sweets" Edison , Ray Triscari, John Audino, Tony Terran, Bud Brisbois (trumpet); Dick Noel, Lew McReary, Bill Schaefer, Vern Friley, Tommy Pederson (trombone); Donn Trenner (piano, harpsichord); Ronnell Bright (piano); Mike Melvoin (organ); Buster Williams (bass instrument); Larry Bunker (percussion); Pete Candoli (trumpet); Earl Palmer (drums, percussion, bells).

Hollywood - My Way

---

Rick Vito - Band Box Boogie

Styles: Swing, West Coast Blues
Released: 2003
Label: Hypertension Records
File: mp3@320K/s
Size: 123 MB
Time: 49:05
Art: full

1. Rhythm - 2:19
2. Blues Town - 4:32
3. Last Change To Mambo - 3:39
4. Little Sheba - 4:16
5. Band Box Boogie - 2:49
6. Where Did You Go Bettie Page ? - 3:39
7. The Ways Of Sin - 4:46
8. Baby's In The Big House - 4:04
9. The Gypsy Serenade - 3:45
10. Message From Mister Jordan - 5:19
11. Hungry Man - 3:21
12. I Cant't Stop Rockin' - 3:28
13. Jack Knife Jump - 3:03

Notes: This CD blends Rick's unique brand of tasty guitar flash on material that incorporates elements of jump blues, cool swing and sensual slide guitar-driven rock and roll.
Backed by a pumping rhythm section that features the sax work of Jim Hoke, acoustic bassist Glen Worf, and drummer Ian Wallace (among others), Rick makes an impressive vocal delivery on tunes such as "Where Did You Go, Bettie Page?," "Last Chance to Mambo," and "Little Sheba," and tears up the frets on "Blues Town," and the fiery swing instrumental title track, "Band Box Boogie."
This is a great guitar-lovers CD, and will also be appreciated by those who appreciate their bluesy rock & roll with a jump and jive feel to it.
"BAND BOX BOOGIE" received a five star pick from Guitar Techniques magazine ("...an album that took our breath away from track one!"), and will soon receive featured reviews in both Guitar Player, and Vintage Guitar magazines.
We're betting that you'll love this one!

Band Box Boogie

---

Deborah Shulman & The Ted Howe Trio - Get Your Kicks: The Music & Lyrics Of Bobby Troup

Size: 114,9 MB
Time: 49:06
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz: Vocals
Art: Front

01. You're Looking At Me (5:11)
02. Route 66 (3:34)
03. Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast (3:08)
04. Daddy (3:43)
05. Baby All The Time (5:09)
06. Girl Talk (5:19)
07. Lemon Twist (4:15)
08. February Brings The Rain (3:06)
09. The Three Bears (4:58)
10. It Happened Once Before (5:41)
11. Meaning Of The Blues (4:56)

Songwriter Bobby Troup was a master at composing conversational lyrics, and vocalist Deborah Shulman is a master at interpreting such lyrics. That the two come together on Get Your Kicks: The Music and Lyrics of Bobby Troup should be no surprise; also, it is about time that Troup received an homage treatment like this. His lyrics were always 1950s chic, written in a day before political correctness ended the evolution and expansion of the Great American Songbook. What Shulman does is bring an honest understanding of both a music and its period of popularity.

Ted Howe joins Shulman again after their collaboration with trombonist Larry Zalkind on Lost In The Stars: The Music Of Bernstein, Weill & Sondheim (Summit, 2012). Here, leading his trio, Howe's approach to arrangement is striking and illustrated in the rather dark "Route 66" and pathologically forlorn "Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast." In Shulman's hands these are ballads of experience—too much, in fact, rather than a blushing socialite after an evening tryst.

One of Troup's most striking and controversial songs, "Girl Talk" is give a golden treatment, with Shulman navigating the period's sexism and making the song more ironic than a 1950s vision of women in the Eisenhower era. Get Your Kicks: The Music and Lyrics of Bobby Troup is a wholly conceived project by two masters at the top of their respective games. ~Review by C. Michael Bailey

Personnel: Deborah Shulman: vocals; Ted Howe: piano; Kevin Axt: bass; Dave Tull: drums.

Get Your Kicks

---

Deborah Shulman & Larry Zalkind - Lost In The Stars: The Music Of Bernstein, Weill & Sondheim

Size: 159,1 MB
Time: 67:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jazz: Vocals
Art: Front

01. Something's Coming (3:53)
02. Lucky To Be Me (6:03)
03. Mack The Knife (5:44)
04. The Ladies Who Lunch (3:29)
05. Children Will Listen (5:17)
06. It's Love (4:21)
07. I Feel Pretty (5:35)
08. Losing My Mind (5:34)
09. September Song (4:34)
10. Ain't Got No Tears Left (4:42)
11. My Ship (2:28)
12. Leave You (4:42)
13. Lost In The Stars (5:08)
14. Medley No One Is Alone - Not While I'm Around (6:18)

The respective output from compositional icons Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Weill and, to a lesser extent, Stephen Sondheim has frequently been putty in jazz musicians' and arrangers' hands, proving that malleability is a sine qua non for long-range success in writing; genius-level composing skills, of course, also tend to help.

While the actual act of interpreting the work of these three men is hardly original at this point, the fashion by which vocalist Deborah Shulman, trombonist Larry Zalkind and their talented compatriots dig into their music is wholly unique. They look at each of these fourteen selections as individual opportunities to honor each composer's original intention, while painting their own innovative brushstrokes atop these masterworks. While it would be easy to commit to a single strategy for a project like this, be it art song haughtiness, classical stringency or out-and-out nightclub jazz, Shulman and Zalkind take the high road, touching on everything but committing to no single avenue or approach. Zalkind's tone, honed through his work as the principal trombonist with the Utah Symphony, and Shulman's theatrical delivery hide no secrets about their respective stylistic comfort zones, but both artists prove to be just as malleable as the songs they interpret.

Four different arrangers were tapped for this project and each man brings something different to the table. Jeff Colella gives "Something's Coming" a terrific odd-metered makeover and brings a light-handed approach to "I Feel Pretty," while Terry Trotter moves "It's Love" from easy-does-it swing to Brazilian shores. Brad Warnaar turns "My Ship" into a rich and rewarding piece for a Zalkind overdubbed trombone choir, and Ted Howe removes the happy-go-lucky-swing shackles that often keep "Mack The Knife" from reaching its full potential. Here, it's reborn with chamber grace, riding atop a flowing 12/8 feel with graceful strings, accordion and, of course, trombone, helping to resurface its well-worn exterior.

Studio aces like guitarist Larry Koonse and drummer Joe LaBarbera deserve some credit for helping to shape and mold these songs into their final state, but this is really the Shulman and Zalkind show. Shulman's clear diction and artful interpretations of these songs, and Zalkind's fine and focused trombone work make for a winning combination. ~Review by Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Deborah Shulman: vocals; Larry Zalkind: trombone; Jeff Colella: piano; Chris Colangelo: bass; Joe LaBarbera: drums; Larry Koonse: guitar; Roberta Zalkind: viola; Matthew Zalkind: cello; Frank Marocco: accordion; Steve Schaeffer: drums; Terry Trotter: piano.

Lost In The Stars

---

Rick Wurzbacher - Rick Wurzbacher Live Feat. Joey DeFrancesco

Size: 154,0 MB
Time: 66:46
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. The Sermon ( 7:01)
02. The Reverand ( 8:06)
03. All Blues (12:25)
04. The Champ (11:21)
05. Lenny ( 5:48)
06. Champagne Glass Blues (11:10)
07. Mac Tough (10:52)

Rick Wurzbacher LIVE with very special guest "The Incredible JOEY DEFRANCESCO" on the B-3 organ. This cd was recorded LIVE at Blues Alley, Georgetown DC on July 30, 2001. There are many significant features about this CD; Rick goes into the audience and borrows a patron's champagne glass and uses it as a slide on the guitar. Joey plays the organ, bass lines, and trumpet all at the same time. Bertell Knox plays incredible percussion at the age of 74. This album was mixed and produced at Racetrack Sound Studios' Les Paul Control Room by Paul Chiacchierini and Rick Wurzbacher. Mastering was completed at John Oram's Analogue Barn in Meopham, Kent, England, by JOHN ORAM "The Father of British EQ", assisted by Dave Cherry and Ash Phipps using the patented British Analogue Mastering technique with Maximum Saturation Technology. The results are stunning!

Rick Wurzbacher Live Feat. Joey DeFrancesco

---