Joscho Stephan & Olivier Holland - Gypsy Meets Jazz

Styles: Gypsy Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:05
Size: 103,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:21)  1. Made In France
(4:57)  2. Morning Drop Off
(4:49)  3. Take the Train
(2:58)  4. Sleepless
(4:51)  5. Spain
(3:05)  6. Crazy Daisy
(4:12)  7. Afro Shuh
(2:54)  8. Donna Lee
(3:53)  9. Tears
(3:43) 10. Senor Carlos
(2:39) 11. Babik
(3:38) 12. Gutted

Two virtuosos of the strings sought and found each other: On the one hand, the master guitarist from Mönchengladbach, Joscho Stephan, on the other, the German-New-Zealander double bass player Olivier Holland. Ever since the 1990s, the paths of these two exceptional musicians have crossed in joint projects. The two artists always find new ideas and inspiration for their playing, which gave riseto a collaborative studio effort, where the two artists bundled their creative energies to form an exciting fusion style that also gave the album its title: "Gypsy Meets Jazz". The two musicians are joined by Stephan's father Günter on rhythm guitar, bass Max Schaaf, violinist Sebastian Reimann and percussionist Thomas Kukulies. Together they create a fascinating musical kaleidoscope with compositions by the two string virtuosos themselves and refreshingly interpreted classics by Bireli Lagrène and Charlie Parker, Chick Corea and Django Reinhardt. "Gypsy Meets Jazz" shows two brilliant trailblazers engaging in an extremely creative and highly entertaining excursion that enriches both genres in a fascinating manner.  http://www.joscho-stephan.de/en/music

Gypsy Meets Jazz

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Larry Coryell - The Virtuoso Guitar of Larry Coryell

Styles: Guitar Jazz, Fusion
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:20
Size: 131,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:25)  1. Inner Urge
(6:50)  2. Spiral Staircase
(4:49)  3. Something
(5:30)  4. Complusion
(6:45)  5. Star Eyes
(2:38)  6. Limehouse Blues
(5:16)  7. New High
(7:07)  8. Bumpin' On Sunset
(4:48)  9. Tonk
(8:08) 10. Good Citizen Swallow

Larry Coryell, along with colleague John McLaughlin, nearly single-handedly redefined the technique and sound of jazz guitar. He brought what amounted to a nearly alien sensibility to jazz electric guitar playing in the 1960s, a hard-edged, cutting tone, phrasing and note-bending that owed as much to blues, rock and even country as it did to earlier, smoother bop influences. Yet as a true eclectic, armed with a brilliant technique, he is comfortable in nearly every style, covering almost every base from the most decibel-heavy, distortion-laden electric work to the most delicate, soothing, intricate lines on acoustic guitar. On this best-of anthology, Coryell s crackling up-tempo bursts and engagingly rough-hewn energy give this music a vividness and infectious enthusiasm that should appeal to a wide spectrum of the guitarist's jazz and fusion fans. ~ Editorial Reviews   http://www.amazon.co.uk/Prime-Picks-Virtuoso-Guitar-Coryell/dp/B003IY47JA

The Virtuoso Guitar of Larry Coryell

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Aldo Romano - New Blood Plays the Connection

Styles: Avant Garde
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:49
Size: 89,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:55)  1. Who Killed Cock Robin
(4:36)  2. Wigglin'
(3:58)  3. Music Forever
(4:13)  4. Time to Smile
(3:04)  5. Theme for Sister Salvation
(3:00)  6. Jim Dunn's Dilemma
(3:04)  7. O.D. (Overdose)
(5:42)  8. Murmur
(2:42)  9. Conception
(4:31) 10. Ballade for Jackie

Although born in Italy, Aldo Romano moved to France with his family at a young age. He was already playing guitar and drums professionally in Paris in the '50s when he heard Donald Byrd's group with drummer Arthur Taylor. Since then, he has dedicated himself to the drums and contemporary jazz. In Paris jazz clubs like le Chat Qui Pêche and the Caméléon, Romano has accompanied visiting Americans like Jackie McLean, Bud Powell, Lucky Thompson, J.J. Johnson, and Woody Shaw while also exploring free music with Don Cherry and Gato Barbieri, Frank Wright and Bobby Few, Michel Portal, François Tusques, Jean-Louis Chautemps, and Steve Lacy. Romano's boundless curiosity for any living music brought him in contact with electric jazz in the '70s, playing at the Riverbop with longtime associate/bassist Jean-François Jenny-Clark, in addition to François Jeanneau, Henri Texier, Charlie Mariano, and Philip Catherine. In 1978, he released his first album as a leader with Claude Barthélémy (Il Piacere, OWL), followed by 1980's Night Diary with Didier Lockwood and Jasper Van't Hof, and 1983's Alma Latina with Philip Catherine. In 1980, Romano brought pianist Michel Petrucciani to the world's attention, introducing him to the producer of Owl Records. 

His Italian roots were lovingly remembered with the foundation of his Italian Quartet with Paolo Fresu, Franco D'Andrea, and Furio Di Castri. The quartet recorded To Be Ornette to Be and Water Dreams (Owl) and Non Dimenticar, a collection of Italian songs (Verve). Palatino  named for the Rome-Paris night train  also includes Fresu, with Glen Ferris on trombone. Intervista (Verve, 2001)  with bassist Palle Danielsson, saxophonist Stefano di Battista, and Brazilian guitarist Nelson Veras  is a magnificently played overview of his musical career, with Ornette Coleman-ish tunes, Latin-American compositions, and operatic arias; a bonus CD contains a charming interview. https://itunes.apple.com/nz/artist/aldo-romano/id3572852#fullText

Personnel:  Aldo Romano – drums; Baptiste Herbin - alto sax; Alessandro Lanzoni- piano; Michel Benita - bass

New Blood Plays the Connection

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Lester Young - Blue Lester

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:25
Size: 101.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[2:53] 1. (Back Home Again In) Indiana
[3:21] 2. Blue Lester
[3:14] 3. Jump, Lester, Jump
[3:18] 4. Ghost Of A Chance
[2:58] 5. Basie English
[2:55] 6. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)
[3:11] 7. Exercise In Swing
[3:20] 8. Salute To Fats
[2:45] 9. Crazy Over J-Z
[2:23] 10. Blues 'n' Bells
[2:23] 11. Ding Dong
[2:34] 12. June Bug
[3:11] 13. Circus In Rhythm
[2:55] 14. Poor Little Plaything
[3:00] 15. Tush

Basically Young's Savoy Master Takes, Blue Lester finds the svelte tenor innovator on a prime mix of sides from 1944 and 1949. As was the trend of most swing soloists by the mid-'40s, Young heads up a few different extended combos here, featuring the likes of pianist Johnny Guarnieri, trumpeter Jesse Drakes, drummer Cozy Cole, and old Basie bandmates Freddie Green and the Count himself. The numbers with Basie are particularly good, especially "I Don't Stand a Ghost of Chance With You" and "Back Home in Indiana." And for the topper, Young is heard in the company of the entire Basie band (Clyde Hart is on piano, though) for the three tracks that close things out. Not a bad place to start your Lester Young collection. ~Stephen Cook

Blue Lester

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The Hi-Lo's - The Hi-Lo's Happen To Bossa Nova

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 33:34

Size: 76.9 MB

Styles: Vocal group, Bossa Nova

Year: 1963/2005

Art: Front

[2:34] 1. Carnaval

[2:51] 2. The Gift (Recado Bosso Nova)

[2:20] 3. Let's Go To Brazil

[3:08] 4. A New Dream

[3:03] 5. Gold Brazilian Sun

[2:40] 6. One Note Samba (Samba De Uma Nota So)

[2:07] 7. The Duck (O Pato)

[2:44] 8. Cry Your Sadness (Chora Tua Tristeza)

[2:42] 9. Desafinado

[2:59] 10. Once Again (Outra Vez)

[3:01] 11. Love And The Rose (O Amor E A Rosa)

[3:19] 12. No More Blues (Chega De Sauade)

Looking back on the long history of popular music in the U.S., there are fewer periods as overlooked or misunderstood as the post WWII to pre-rock ‘n’ roll period---or roughly 1946 to 1956. Tucked away in that ten year time frame, hidden away in the awful dreck of novelty tunes and saccharine love songs so common in that era was a vocal group with a style and substance that confounded critics, arrangers, and record producers alike. In fact, they were so singular they confounded many record buyers as well.

Despite this fact, their many hard-core fans included the likes of Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Rosemary Clooney, Nelson Riddle, Sammy Davis, Jr, Jose Ferrer, Steve Allen ("without a doubt the best vocal group of all time."), Bing Crosby ("these guys are so good they can whisper in harmony."), Marty Paich, Ralph Farnon and many more. Herbie Hancock has even remarked that as a young student at Grinnell College he would study the group's records for their sophisticated harmonies.

The group was called the Hi-Lo’s. And, even if you’ve never heard the name before, their legacy has been carried forth by contemporary groups such as The Manhattan Transfer, Take 6, The New York Voices, The Bobs, and Chanticleer. ~James Bridges

The Hi-Lo's Happen To Bossa Nova

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June Bisantz-Evans - Let's Fall In Love

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 40:22
Size: 92.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:22] 1. For Heaven's Sake
[3:11] 2. There's A Lull In My Life
[3:14] 3. I Fall In Love Too Easily
[4:27] 4. Little Girl Blue
[2:19] 5. My Funny Valentine
[2:35] 6. Like Someone In Love
[4:16] 7. I've Never Been In Love Before
[4:49] 8. Everything Happens To Me
[3:53] 9. Imagination
[2:21] 10. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[3:22] 11. There's A Lull In My Life Reprise
[1:26] 12. Blue Room

June Bisantz Evans is a visual artist and musician, who has co-written and produced several albums of original jazz, all of which received national attention. She has recorded with distinguished jazz and pop musicians such as Steve Swallow, Bob Moses, Lou Soloff and Will Lee. Reviews and articles about her work include People Magazine, USA Today, Downbeat Magazine, Jazziz Magazine, Sound Choice, High Performance Review, New York Newsday, the Boston Globe, the Hartford Courant, the Hartford Advocate and the New York Native.

Her new release "Let's Fall in Love" is a collection of jazz ballads based on the vocal music of legendary trumpet player Chet Baker. The CD features Alex Nakhimsovsky on piano, Norman Johnson on guitar, Genevieve Rose on bass, Greg Caputo on drums and Gabor Viragh on trumpet and flugelhorn.

Let's Fall In Love

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The John Scofield Band - Uberjam Deux

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:44
Size: 141.3 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[5:15] 1. Camelus
[5:04] 2. Boogie Stupid
[6:07] 3. Endless Summer
[6:06] 4. Dub Dub
[5:53] 5. Cracked Ice
[5:50] 6. Al Green Song
[7:12] 7. Snake Dance
[4:34] 8. Scotown
[5:50] 9. Torero
[4:44] 10. Curtis Knew
[5:04] 11. Just Don't Want To Be Lonely

It's been a decade since Up All Night (Verve, 2003), John Scofield's second and, at the time it seemed, final album with his Überjam band, a group of younger players who, following his earlier forays into the territory—1998's first meeting with Medeski, Martin & Wood, A Go Go (Verve), and the larger-casted Bump (2000)—placed the guitarist smack dab on the jam band map with a combination of viscerally accessible grooves and oodles of solo space to focus on his more soulful, blues-tinged side. Still, regardless of context, Scofield has always possessed a singular ability to push even the most seemingly conventional blues line outside the box—and the precise intuition to know exactly when to reel it back in.

Dispensing with the horns and woodwinds that distinguished Up All Night from its predecessor, Überjam Deux is a more logical follow-up to the group's 2002 self-titled Verve debut. Scofield's reunion with guitarist/sampler Avi Bortnick demonstrates, once again, the true importance—and often underestimated and undervalued skill—of an exceptional rhythm player. Scofield's relentlessly inventive, sonically expansive improvisational explorations are key to Überjam Deux's success, but so, too, is Bortnick's support, which ranges from chunky chords to snaky, muted single-note lines that almost subliminally anchor the music. Former Gov't Mule/Black Crowes bassist Andy Hess—who replaced Überjam's Jesse Murphy on Up All Night—is back, as dexterous, muscular and solid as ever, as is original drummer Adam Deitch, who handles the lion's share of Überjam Deux's twelve tracks with similar aplomb, though 28 year-old drummer Louis Cato takes over on four tracks and is equally impressive.

The biggest surprise is keyboardist John Medeski's participation on half of Deux. Mixed, at times, so in the weeds as to be more felt than heard (the funkified "Boogie Stupid"), elsewhere playing a more dominant role (the reggae-tinged "Dub Dub") and occasionally adding some psychedelic mellotron tinges (the fiery "Curtis Knew," with a heavily effected Scofield adding his own acid flashbacks), Medeski is largely there for color. Still, on these studio concoctions, Medeski substitutes a broader palette for what will, no doubt, be more exciting and extended jams as the quartet hits the road for summer and fall touring.

What distinguishes Deux is the writing. Sure, the largely original material—much of it collaborative between Scofield and Bortnick—is intended as a launching point for some serious jam activity, but there's greater depth this time around. Not that Überjam was light, but Deux's greater emphasis on arrangement (especially the scored interaction between the two guitarists) and songs that reflect both guitarists' broader interests—like the appropriately titled, soul-drenched "Al Green," the Afrobeat-informed "Snake Dance" and, well, shuffle-driven "G.P. Shuffle"—will give Überjam Deux greater longevity over the long-haul.

Speaking of longevity, it also demonstrates that, in any context, Scofield's work is inimitable and instantly recognizable. He may shift gears on a regular basis—his last three recordings ranging from a very personal look at ballads on A Moment's Peace (EmArcy, 2011), to a large ensemble revisitation of his repretoire in collaboration with composer/arranger Vince Mendoza on the enigmatically titled 54 (EmArcy, 2010), and a vocal-driven visit to gospel/New Orleans territory on Piety Street (EmArcy, 2009)—but taken as a whole, and now with the addition of Überjam Deux, it's increasingly clear that no matter what the focus, every Scofield album sounds like it could come from nobody but Scofield. As he enters his early sixties, Scofield has reached that point in his career where he can follow his muse and still retain what's made him one of modern jazz's most influential guitarists, with the kind of lasting significance that truly speaks for itself. ~John Kelman

John Scofield: guitar; Avi Bortnick: guitar, samples; Andy Hess: bass; Adam Deitch; drums (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 10-12); Louis Cato: drums (3, 6, 8, 9); John Medeski: organ, Wurlitzer and mellotron (2, 4, 6, 10-12).

Uberjam Deux

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The Ukelele Orchestra Of Great Britain - The Secret Of Life

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 42:26
Size: 97.2 MB
Styles: Rock
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. Dy-Na-Mi-Tee
[3:13] 2. Leaning On A Lampost
[2:27] 3. Hard To Handle
[2:08] 4. Wonderful Land
[2:50] 5. Je T'aime - Mais Non Plus
[6:10] 6. Macarthur Park
[3:33] 7. Le Freak
[2:32] 8. Only You
[2:09] 9. Antiphon
[3:19] 10. The Stage
[3:10] 11. You Talk About My Drinking
[7:43] 12. The Secret Of Life

Perhaps the greatest live act in the UK today, the mighty Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain is a unique collision of post-punk performance and toe-tapping oldies reinterpreted on Ukulele's. The Orchestra has rhythm, bass, baritone, tenor, soprano and lead Ukulele players, creating a rich palate of orchestration possibilities and registers. Sitting shoulder to shoulder in a semi-circle, they dress in formal evening wear like a symphony orchestra, reworking classics of rock 'n' roll, punk, jazz and classical music. In highlighting both the beauty and vacuity of the material, the Orchestra revel in the triviality and the self-reverence of popular and highbrow music, while being both serious and light-hearted.

Audiences like to have a good time with the Ukulele Orchestra, which shows that musical intelligence and levity are not incompatible with acoustic versions of heavy metal, performance art techniques and the homage of a live karaoke. The band have been selling out shows all over the world and appearing on many TV shows and radio stations, most notably BBC's Jool's Holland's Hootenany, Richard And Judy, Blue Peter, XFM, Radio 1 and Johnny Walker's show on BBC Radio 2. Their album 'The Secret Of Life', produced by Richard Durrant features their brilliant versions of 'Miss Dyna-mi-tee', 'Le Freak' and 'Leaning On A Lamppost'.

The Secret Of Life

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Champian Fulton - Champian Sings And Swings

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 56:47
Size: 131.8 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:15] 1. Tenderly
[3:59] 2. You're Getting To Be A Habit
[4:50] 3. It's Alright With Me
[3:11] 4. I'd Give A Dollar For A Dime
[7:07] 5. I Cover The Waterfront
[5:47] 6. Samba De Orfeu
[4:26] 7. It's Too Late (Baby, Too Late)
[3:26] 8. Foolin' Myself
[4:52] 9. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down
[3:33] 10. The Shadow Of Your Smile
[4:39] 11. Celia
[6:35] 12. Summertime

Called ''...the most gifted pure Jazz singer of her generation'' by noted jazz critic Mark Stryker of the Detroit Free Press, singer/pianist Champian Fulton marks her Sharp Nine debut with a program of twelve tunes that conveys the depth and breadth of her musical talent: from the sauciest blues of It's Too Late, Baby Too Late to the sophisticated bebop lines she spins on Bud Powell's Celia, the common denominator is the natural born swing that emanates from every word she sings and every note she plays. Accompanied by her working rhythm section throughout, with guest appearances from tenor man Eric Alexander and flugelhornist Stephen Fulton, this set announces the emergence of a complete musical stylist well on her way to making a significant mark on the vocal jazz scene.

Champian Sings And Swings

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Kate Reid - The Love I'm In

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:52
Size: 139,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:31)  1. Just Squeeze Me
(4:21)  2. The Lamp Is Low
(6:04)  3. Where Do You Start
(4:06)  4. Nice & Easy
(7:27)  5. So In Love
(3:30)  6. I'm Through With Love
(6:19)  7. I Love You Porgy
(3:17)  8. Something Good
(5:06)  9. Portrait In Black And White
(6:14) 10. With Every Breath I Take
(6:01) 11. Close Enough For Love
(3:50) 12. Nobody Else But Me

Dr. Kate Reid is a faculty member of the Fine Arts department of Cypress College in Southern California. However, Reid is no stuffed shirt, ivory tower type. No, she is a living, breathing, practicing jazz singer, one who holds on to tradition loosely, having fun with the music she performs. She belongs to that treasured group of jazz singers who also plays piano, a group that includes the likes of Shirley Horn, Blossom Dearie, Nina Simone, Patti Wicks, Patricia Barber, Dena DeRose, Diana Krall and Norah Jones. That is quite a creative tradition. Reid is a known entity; her previous self-produced release, Sentimental Mood (2008), is a collection of the singer's favorite standards. The Love I'm In sharpens her focus to compositions with "love" at their core. "The Lamp Is Low" is a popular song from the 1930s. 

Written by Peter de Rose and Bert Shefter, it is based on Maurice Ravel's "Pavane pour une infante défunte," with lyrics provided by Mitchell Parish. Mildred Bailey and Frank Sinatra covered the piece in 1939, keeping it on the pop charts for several months. Reid, back by a standard piano trio, takes up this fine pedigree, delivering a humid, flirty, sexy, smoky version. Reid is closely miked, giving her alto voice a breathy immediacy that floats above the accompaniment. Her piano is sure and true, and her voice swinging. ~ C.Michael Bailey   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=41529#.U0c4D1dSvro

Personnel: Kate Reid: vocals, piano; Ernie Watts: tenor sax; Steve Reid: trumpet; Chris Conner: bass; Steve Barnes: drums.

The Love I'm In

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LaGaylia Frazier & Jan Lundgren Trio - Until it's time

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:07
Size: 142,2 MB
Art: Front

(8:07)  1. Until It's Time for You to Go
(5:22)  2. When We Say Goodbye
(6:35)  3. I'm All Smiles
(7:14)  4. The Sandpiper: The Shadow of Your Smile
(3:18)  5. Walkin' After Midnight
(7:37)  6. Jean
(8:30)  7. If You Go
(9:17)  8. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
(6:02)  9. What's Going On

LaGaylia Frazier is an American born Swedish jazz singer and Until it’s time is her second album but as you listen to it the question immediately forms itself, how can such an obviously great jazz singer not have made many others. The answer may be partly attributed to her move to Sweden a decade ago. In any event hers is a wonderfully silky smooth richly layered voice that can be compared with many of the very best voices in jazz. The choice of songs on this album is an excellent one that perfectly shows her talents off in the best possible light. She is accompanied by the Jan Lundgren Trio which is joined by guitarist Andy Pfeiler on three of the tracks and by LaGaylia’s father on track 5, with Jonas Johansen replacing Zoltan Csörsz Jr. on tracks 3 and 4, presumably because dates clashed for him at that time. Jan’s trio provides great and infinitely sympathetic backing for LaGaylia and is a joy to hear on its own too. Highlights for me were Until it’s time for you to go which was a reminder to me as to how good a songwriter (and singer) Buffy Sainte-Marie was and LaGaylia gives it a beautiful rendition that showcases it to perfection. 

I also loved The shadow of your smile a really great song which suits her voice to a tee. It was a nice touch to duet with her father Hal, a nightclub singer on Walkin’ after midnight which I very much enjoyed. The Marvin Gaye/James Nyx song Inner City blues (Make me wanna holler) written in 1971 depicted what it was like to live in black ghettos in the USA and how the situation would make you want to cry out against it. This song has been covered by many of the all-time greats such as Grover Washington Jr, Sarah Vaughn and Joe Cocker. LaGaylia makes it her own with a gutsy and impassioned performance of it. It appeared on a Marvin Gaye album together with this album’s last song What’s going on which earned Gaye 1,000,000 sales. What’s going on is also a fitting song with which to close this album with its message that we need more love in the world about which there can be no argument. This is a disc to savour and there’s no doubt I shall play it often. ~ Steve Arloff   http://www.musicweb-international.com/jazz/2013/Frazier_Lundgren.htm

Personnel:  LaGaylia Frazier (vocals), Jan Lundgren (piano), Mattias Svensson (bass), Zoltan Csörsz Jr. (drums, except 3,4), Special guests: Hal Frazier (vocals on 5), Andy Pfeiler (guitar on 2,8,9), Jonas Johansen (drums on 3,4).

Until it's time

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Fraser Macpherson Quartet - Encore

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:19
Size: 140,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:46)  1. Up in Steve's Room
(6:02)  2. Everything I Love
(6:12)  3. Someday You'll Be Sorry
(3:57)  4. Chelsea Bridge
(6:10)  5. Comes Love
(6:25)  6. Rabbit's Habit
(5:23)  7. If Dreams Come True
(4:49)  8. Come Sunday
(5:07)  9. You're Driving Me Crazy
(5:58) 10. Easy Street
(5:27) 11. Night Spot

Swing/bop saxophonist Fraser MacPherson (1928-1993) possessed a style deeply rooted in the tradition of the great pre-bop saxophonists, owing a significant stylistic debt to Zoot Sims. Born in Victoria, British Columbia in 1928, MacPherson moved to Vancouver in 1948 and began a career as a studio and nightclub musician. In 1975, MacPherson formed a trio with guitarist Oliver Gannon and bassist Wyatt Reuther and began to focus solely on jazz. He won a Juno Award in 1983 for Best Canadian Jazz Recording and in 1987 was made a member of the Order of Canada (which is fundamentally the Canadian equivalent of being knighted). ~ Bio   https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/fraser-macpherson-quartet/id268255590#fullText

Encore

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Paul Desmond - Take Ten

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 55:30
Size: 127.1 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1963/1999
Art: Front

[3:09] 1. Take Ten
[5:36] 2. El Prince [alternate Take]
[3:23] 3. El Prince
[6:52] 4. Alone Together
[4:55] 5. Embarcadero [alternate Take]
[4:00] 6. Embarcadero
[4:11] 7. Theme From Black Orpheus
[7:18] 8. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes [alternate take]
[6:04] 9. Nancy
[4:20] 10. Samba De Orfeu
[5:36] 11. The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else)

Alto saxophonist Paul Desmond has been considered one of the avatars of the cool school of jazz. One of the few saxophonists of his generation to not be overly influenced by Charlie Parker, Desmond favored a sound that was somewhat mellow, suave, smooth and dry--so much so that critics and fans would liken his style to "a very dry martini." These appellations certainly weren't meant to imply that there's no emotion or swing in his playing, only that the focus is away from forced emotionalism.

TAKE TEN was recorded in 1963, with a small crew of sympatico musicians, including one of the finest mainstream jazz guitarists ever, Jim Hall. Hall and Modern Jazz Quartet drummer Connie Kay are the closest thing to "counterparts" on their instruments to the Desmond approach: tight, economical, tasteful. Everyone compliments each other perfectly. The program mixes originals, standards ("Alone Together") and several bossa nova pieces ("Samba De Orpheau," "Theme From Black Orpheus"). Desmond makes each piece his own. Nicely recorded, this album is recommended for both fans and newcomers.

Recorded at Webster Hall, New York, New York between June 5 & 25, 1963.

Paul Desmond (alto saxophone); Jim Hall (guitar); Gene Cherico, Gene Wright (bass); Connie Kay (drums).

Take Ten

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Anita O'Day - Careless Love

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 77:19
Size: 177.0 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:51] 1. I Can't Get Started
[2:52] 2. I Fall in Love Too Easily
[3:39] 3. You Turned the Tables On Me
[3:56] 4. I've Got the World On a String
[3:35] 5. We'll Be Together Again
[4:05] 6. Time After Time
[2:25] 7. No Moon At All
[3:42] 8. I Cover the Waterfront
[3:23] 9. Anita's Blues
[3:53] 10. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
[2:20] 11. Taking a Chance On Love
[3:14] 12. All Too Soon
[2:53] 13. You Don't Know What Love Is
[3:36] 14. As Long As I Live
[3:23] 15. Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year
[4:29] 16. My Ship
[2:23] 17. Let's Fall in Love
[2:42] 18. You're Getting to Be a Habit With Me
[3:18] 19. Tenderly
[3:58] 20. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
[3:12] 21. Who Cares
[2:32] 22. I'm Not Supposed to Be Blue
[3:48] 23. Fly Me to the Moon

Few female singers matched the hard-swinging and equally hard-living Anita O'Day for sheer exuberance and talent in all areas of jazz vocals. Though three or four outshone her in pure quality of voice, her splendid improvising, wide dynamic tone, and innate sense of rhythm made her the most enjoyable singer of the age. O'Day's first appearances in a big band shattered the traditional image of a demure female vocalist by swinging just as hard as the other musicians on the bandstand, best heard on her vocal trading with Roy Eldridge on the Gene Krupa recording "Let Me Off Uptown." After making her solo debut in the mid-'40s, she incorporated bop modernism into her vocals and recorded over a dozen of the best vocal LPs of the era for Verve during the 1950s and '60s. Though hampered during her peak period by heavy drinking and later, drug addiction, she made a comeback and continued singing into the new millennium. ~John Bush

Careless Love

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Pamela Rose - Wild Women Of Song: Great Gal Composers of the Jazz Era

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:38
Size: 145,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:10)  1. I Don't Know Enough About You
(5:09)  2. That Ole Devil Called Love
(5:55)  3. Down Hearted Blues
(5:02)  4. I'm Not Missing You
(4:46)  5. What A Difference A Day Makes
(4:09)  6. Wild Women (Don't Have The Blues)
(4:58)  7. Bruised Around the Heart
(4:25)  8. And Then Some
(3:31)  9. A Fine Romance
(4:30) 10. My Silent Love
(5:01) 11. I'm In the Mood For Love
(3:36) 12. Can't We Be Friends
(5:03) 13. Close Your Eyes
(4:17) 14. If You're So Special

Pamela Rose would make one helluva politician. She's already a firmly established jazz and blues vocalist bearing a slight physical and musical resemblance to Bette Midler. And like Midler, Rose infuses her live and recorded performances with non-stop energy. The political reference involves her fifth release, sub-titled "Great Gal Composers of the Jazz Era." She is not only paying lip service to the likes of Peggy Lee and the lesser-known Dorothy Fields, but the seldom-heard-of Ida Cox, Alberta Hunter, and (thanks to Lee Hildebrand's encyclopedic notes) Bernice Petkere, once known as "the queen of Tin Pan Alley," who wrote "Close Your Eyes;" "The Girl Gershwin," Dana Suesse, who wrote "My Silent Love;" and one who actually worked with Gershwin, Kay Swift, who wrote "Can't We Be Friends." Pam has become a swinging lobbyist, and we're the beneficiaries. No attempt here to channel anyone; Pamela Rose simply honors them with her own approach to all 15 tracks. 

Pianist Tammy Hall provides a 1920s environment for Rose on "Down-Hearted Blues. Mat Catingub comes up with an R & B big band sound for the title track; and he is literally beside himself for "I Get The Blues When It Rains," playing keyboards, saxes, and dubbing a number of voices (himself and Gayle Wilhelm), for a hip vocal cushion behind, and with, Rose. Don't think the accent is on blues. Rose pulls out all the stops for this session: scatting with Hammond B-3 organist Wayne De La Cruz on "I'm In The Mood For Love;" alternating between Latin and straightahead jazz with De La Cruz on "Close Your Eyes;" tenorist Joe Cohen helps Pamela get down and dirty on "If You're So Special," one of three originals by Rose. As infectious as her raucous numbers are, her most memorable singing is devoted to ballads such as "What A Difference A Day Made," "Can't We Be Friends," "And Then Some," and particularly "My Silent Love." The latter is heightened by the sensitive backing of guitarist Mimi Fox. It all adds up to nearly 69 minutes of well-balanced entertainment mixed with heartfelt, female-centric jazz anthropology. ~ Harvey Siders   

http://jazztimes.com/articles/25543-wild-women-of-song-pamela-rose

Wild Women Of Song: Great Gal Composers of the Jazz Era

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Hal Galper Trio - Airegin Revisited

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:09
Size: 156,4 MB
Art: Front

(11:23)  1. Embraceable You
( 6:09)  2. Ascendant
( 7:28)  3. One Step Closer
( 9:27)  4. Ambleside
( 8:44)  5. Melancholia
(10:57)  6. Conception
(13:59)  7. Airegin

Hal Galper's Airegin Revisited is exhilarating. The pianist has been working at his artistry for more than a half century, and he is moving surely into the "elder statesman of jazz" category, riding the furious wave of several distinctive and idiosyncratic trio recordings. Galper, like alto saxophonist Lee Konitz and pianist Martial Solal, has gone deeper into the music than seems possible, taking a great many standards and unleashing them, reshaping the familiar tunes with his unwavering vision into a new art. Galper has, in recent years, found a new home at Origin Records, offering a discography Furious Rubato (2007), Art-Work (2009) E Pluribus Unum (2010) and Trip the Light Fantastic (2011) that gets better and more compelling, with each subsequent release. He has also found two likeminded musical brothers in bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop, versatile and sophisticated players who can keep up with his rubato concept, one of playing loose and free with tempo and harmony even structure twisting the familiar forms like a rubber band, then pulling them back and letting them fly free. 

Opening with an eleven minute-plus take on George Gershwin's "Embraceable You," the trio shifts shapes and colors, playing with the melody in a joyous exploration that slips, near the end, into a brief straight reading. The floating "One Step Closer," a Galper original inspired by Brazilian harmony, finds Johnson and Bishop laying down a subtle and graceful rhythm, with the pianist going into a sparkling Erroll Garner groove in his solo. Galper did what he calls his "post-graduate work" in Sam Rivers' band in the mid-sixties, and played on the saxophonist's A New Conception (Blue Note, 1966). Homage is paid to the teacher on Rivers' "Melancholia." Rivers was a rule-breaker, and student Galper learned lasting lessons, with the trio's version paying homage by slowing things down to evoke a sense of loss at Rivers' passing near the end of 2011. In another homage, Galper closes the disc with saxophone legend Sonny Rollins' title track. A fourteen-minute tour de force with, Bishop's cymbals steaming, and Johnson, bowing, it adds a viscous underpinning to an exuberant finale to this stunning album.    ~ Dan McClenaghan  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=43489#.U0WjF1dSvro
 

Personnel: Hal Galper: piano; Jeff Johnson: bass; John Bishop: drums.

Airegin Revisited

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Hugh Masekela - The Americanization Of Ooga Booga

Styles: Soul Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:33
Size: 97,5 MB
Art: Front

(8:05)  1. Bajabula Bonke (Healing Song)
(6:38)  2. Dzinorabiro (The Good Old Days)
(5:22)  3. Unhlanhla (Lucky Boy)
(5:29)  4. Cantelope Island
(5:25)  5. U-Dwi (Song To My Father)
(0:27)  6. Masquenada
(4:04)  7. Abangoma (Song Of Praise)
(7:00)  8. Mixolydia

Getting Americanization of Ooga Booga released was evidently akin to pulling teeth, because MGM Records' president was convinced it would be a bomb what Hugh Masekela and his band had played at this early-1965 gig at the Village Gate was jazz, but it was too African-based for American tastes, so the label chief maintained. What he missed was the infectious joy woven through every note of music here, which was enough to carry any kind of music from anyplace in the world over any unfamiliar patches, including the language, melodies, references to events, and places on the other side of the world; if this was to be New Yorkers' (and the recording world's) introduction to South African music, it was made incredibly genial and accessible, even from a jazz standpoint. The influence of Dizzy Gillespie and Freddie Hubbard can be heard, along with McCoy Tyner in the playing of pianist Larry Willis, and he shows his debt to John Coltrane as an inspiration on "Mixolydia" as well as his affinity for Brazilian music on "Mas Que Nada." But the core sound was what Masekela called "township bop" his short trumpet bursts, sometimes seemingly approaching microtonal territory, are engrossing celebrations of the melodies of his repertory, which is mostly of South African origin (including a pair written by his then-wife, Miriam Makeba). 

Among the latter, the opening number, "Bajabula Bonke," aka "Healing Song," got its first airing on record here  it would later receive a bolder performance at the Monterey Pop Festival, comprising one of that event's numerous musical highlights, but where that later performance streaked and soared, this one starts out slowly and quietly, exquisitely harmonized and rising gradually and gently like a glider catching rising winds; it's impossible to fully appreciate the Monterey performance without hearing this one. With Herbie Hancock's "Cantelope Island" providing one firm reference point in the American jazz idiom, the set really wasn't that removed from 1965 listeners, as its stronger-than-expected sales proved. The later CD reissue (The Lasting Impressions of Ooga Booga), comprising this set and The Lasting Impressions of Hugh Masekela, is the best way to get this material, but the LPs make fascinating artifacts of an era when South Africa was just being discovered by the rest of the world. ~ Bruce Eder   http://www.allmusic.com/album/americanization-of-ooga-booga-mw0001304086

The Americanization Of Ooga Booga

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Carolyn Leonhart & Wayne Escoffery - Tides Of Yesterday

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:14
Size: 156,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:27)  1. Better Next Time
(7:38)  2. The Sweetest Sounds
(5:47)  3. Sometimes I'm Happy
(5:24)  4. Never Never Land
(3:54)  5. You Must Believe In Spring
(6:38)  6. The Harbor
(6:37)  7. Eclipse
(9:18)  8. Big Noise New York
(5:08)  9. Where There Is Love
(5:24) 10. Straight To You
(6:53) 11. Infinity

Vocalist Carolyn Leonhart and saxophonist Wayne Escoffery are a young husband-and-wife team, and Tides of Yesterday is their second recorded partnership. And a partnership it is, because this CD (as the liner notes say) is not about a "vocalist with a band or a band with a guest vocalist." Leonhart's sultry and expressive voice acts, at times, as another instrument, contributing scatting and wordless vocals. Both have worked with the band members Toru Dodo (acoustic and electric piano), Hans Glawischnig (bass), Donald Edwards (drums), Jeff Haynes (percussion) and Adam Rogers (guitar) over the years, so the interplay between all of them is tight and intuitive. The material includes choices from the standard songbook, jazz classics and three originals with lyrics by Leonhart. 

The jazz classic standout is Charles Mingus' "Eclipse" (a piece Escoffery plays regularly with the Mingus Orchestra and Big Band), capturing the eerie, moody feeling of the solar phenomenon with the sensitivity of Leonhart's lyric reading and Rogers' playing. Notable also is a bluesy "Sometimes I'm Happy," where Leonhart and Escoffery feature a call-and-response section and some blistering saxophone work. But perhaps the real highlight is "Big Noise, New York," a good song by Donald Fagen (of Steely Dan fame, Leonhart being part of that band's touring ensemble). The reading grabs the attention from the opening moments to the long fadeout, with Leonhart's richly textured voice and Escoffery's energetic fills. Whether it be for the individual talents of Leonhart, Escoffery and their band mates, their interactions, or the arrangements of the material, more than one listen is needed to appreciate the entire musical tapestry here. ~ Marcia Hillman   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=36476#.U0Ss5VdSvro 

Personnel: Carolyn Leonhart: vocals; Wayne Escoffery: tenor and soprano saxophones; Toru Dodo: piano and Fender Rhodes; Adam Rogers: guitar (2, 7); Hans Glawschnig: bass; Donald Edwards: drums; Jeff Haynes: percussion (2, 6, 7, 10).

Tides Of Yesterday

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Helen Sung - Sungbird

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:38
Size: 98,7 MB
Art: Front

(1:50)  1. Prelude
(2:23)  2. Tango
(1:12)  3. Preamble
(6:29)  4. Shall We Tango
(2:10)  5. Malaguena Miniatura
(3:16)  6. Malaguena
(3:42)  7. Serenata
(6:10)  8. Sungbird
(3:35)  9. Capricho Catalan
(3:28) 10. Capricho American
(5:50) 11. Free Fusion
(2:27) 12. Encore - Zortzico

Pianist/composer Helen Sung could have played it safe. After offering up two fine straight ahead jazz outings  Push (Blue Moon, 2004) and Helenistique, (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2006), the expectation was "more of the same." And that would not have been a disappointment. Though the New York based artist came to jazz late during her college years, after early studies in classical music she came out swinging sweet and lovely on those first two discs. With Sungbird (After Albeniz), the artist takes off on a different tangent, returning, to an extent, to her classical roots. Sung performs Spanish pianist/composer Isaac Albeniz' six piece work for solo piano, Espana, along with her own loose interpretations of the work in six original compositions employing a sax and rhythm section jazz quartet and added percussionist.

Sung describes Espana as: "...beautifully-written pieces that were distinctive, simple yet profound, concise and with room for adaptation." They are all of that; and so are her compositions. Her six pieces tint the jazz sound with a classical hue. The title tune has a light, airy swing Marcus Strickland, on soprano sax, is awesome here, with a sweet, delicate strength to his tone and "Capricho American," following Albeniz' "Capricho Catalan," is arranged with a string quartet steeped-in-the-blues feeling check out Reuben Roger's bass moving back and forth from bowed to plucked, with Strickland's tenor sax floating over the top.

"Shall We Tango" has a gentle momentum, a light bounce in its step, with Sung splashing gorgeously in front of drummer Nasheet Waits' soft, insistent rumble, while "Free Fusion" begins with Sung soloing in an abstract mode before the quartet joins her and finds a groove. The Albeniz/Sung, classical/jazz tunes are interwoven, highlighting the differences and similarities of the sounds. Sung says: "Jazz certainly uses elements of classical music, but it definitely is its own thang," (she's from Houston). And then she goes and marries the two forms into a beautiful union. ~ Dan McClenaghan   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=26737#.U0Xw9ldSvro

Personnel: Helen Sung: piano; Marcus Strickland: tenor and soprano saxophones; Reuben Rogers: bass; Nasheet Waits: drums; Samuel Torres: percussion.

Sungbird

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Chris Botti - To Love Again

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:44
Size: 136,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:26)  1. Chris Botti - Embraceable You
(5:05)  2. Chris Botti Feat. Sting - What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?
(5:41)  3. Chris Botti Feat. Paula Cole - My One And Only Love
(3:12)  4. Chris Botti Feat. Michael Bublé - Let There Be Love
(3:59)  5. Chris Botti - What's New
(6:13)  6. Chris Botti Feat. Jill Scott - Good Morning Heartache
(4:38)  7. Chris Botti - To Love Again
(4:01)  8. Chris Botti Feat. Paul Buchanan - Are You Lonesome Tonight
(4:50)  9. Chris Botti Feat. Gladys Knight - Lover Man
(4:18) 10. Chris Botti Feat. Billy Childs - I'll Be Seeing You
(3:46) 11. Chris Botti Feat. Renee Olstead - Pennies From Heaven
(5:07) 12. Chris Botti Feat. Rosa Passos - Here's That Rainy Day
(4:22) 13. Chris Botti Feat. Steven Tyler - Smile

Clearly a ballad album, To Love Again combines Chris Botti's warm trumpet tone and immaculate articulation with strings on a program designed to cure what ails ya. Guest vocalists make the session appeal to a broad audience, while the trumpeter's focus on his intimate ensemble interpretations remains its healthiest feature. His trumpet mastery has developed into a cornucopia of rich fascination. With familiar standards such as "I'll Be Seeing You," "What's New?" and "Embraceable You," Botti lets his open horn shower its melody as if from on high. Gracefully moving from phrase to phrase with a seamless fragrance, the trumpeter enjoys a vocal-like presence that speaks everybody's language. Throughout the history of civilization, ballads have defined communication in its purest form. From the earliest sacred works to opera, folk, pop and rock, the ballad has always held its own. Botti communicates in that universal language that we've been talking about for ages. 

His original "To Love Again" purrs quietly with a smooth, muted trumpet texture that glides stealthily in the night. If Romeo were to enlist the support of this quintet, he'd win Juliet's heart during the overture; before the curtain ever rises. Botti's guest vocalists prove convincing. Michael Bublé swings with a Sinatra swagger. Paula Cole adds heartfelt passion, while Sting questions with sincere honesty. Jill Scott turns in a hip interpretation of "Good Morning, Heartache" that recalls Billie Holiday (just a little). Paul Buchanan expresses with breathy over-emotion, while Gladys Knight turns in a beautiful interpretation of "Lover Man." She's matched with Botti's golden open horn in a teary-eyed adventure. Rosa Passos sings quietly with a hushed presence, while Steven Tyler closes the album with an aching "Smile." Young Renee Olstead sings an old song, "Pennies from Heaven," with a hearty big band arrangement backing her. She, Botti, and the band swing with a jovial mood that contrasts with the rest of the program. It's one of the best tracks, too, putting the trumpeter in the role of Harry James. Ballads make the world go 'round. Chris Botti can be welcomed into every living room, every automobile sound system, and every portable set of earphones, because he communicates freely in a language that we can all understand. ~ Jim Santella   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=19527#.U0SaB1dSvro

Personnel: Chris Botti: trumpet; Billy Childs: piano, Fender Rhodes; Anthony Wilson: guitar; Robert Hurst, Arnie Somogyi, Christian McBride: bass; Billy Kilson, Vinnie Colaiuta: drums; Paulinho da Costa: percussion; Heitor Pereira: guitar (2); Dean Parks: guitar (13); Brian Bromberg: bass (14); Richard Cottle: Hammond organ (10); Greg Phillinganes: Fender Rhodes (6); Peter Erskine: drums (10); Paula Cole: vocal (3); Michael Bublé: vocal (4); Sting: vocal (2); Jill Scott: vocal (6); Steven Tyler: vocal (14); Gladys Knight: vocal (10); Renee Olstead: vocal (12); Rosa Passos: vocal (13); Paul Buchanan: vocal (8); London Session Orchestra 2005.

To Love Again

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