Duke Ellington and His Orchestra - Such Sweet Thunder

Styles: Big Band, Swing
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:56
Size: 176,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. Such Sweet Thunder (Cleo)
(3:00)  2. Sonnet For Caesar
(1:23)  3. Sonnet To Hank Cinq
(3:40)  4. Lady Mac
(2:22)  5. Sonnet In Search Of A Moor
(3:05)  6. The Telecasters
(3:09)  7. Up And Down, Up And Down (I Will Lead Them Up And Down) (Puck)
(2:23)  8. Sonnet For Sister Kate
(4:00)  9. The Star-Crossed Lovers (aka Pretty Girl)
(3:26) 10. Madness In Great Ones (Hamlet)
(4:19) 11. Half The Fun (aka Lately)
(1:49) 12. Circle Of Fourths
(4:16) 13. The Star-Crossed Lovers (aka Pretty Girl) Stereo LP Master
(1:49) 14. Circle Of Fourths Stereo LP Master
(2:58) 15. Suburban Beauty Master Take
(2:35) 16. A Flat Minor Preferred Take
(2:45) 17. Cafe Au Lait Preferred Take
(4:12) 18. Half The Fun (aka Lately) Alternate Take
(2:59) 19. Suburban Beauty Alternate Take
(3:52) 20. A Flat Minor Outtakes
(6:22) 21. Cafe Au Lait Outtakes (Mono)
(8:54) 22. Pretty Girl (aka The Star-Crossed Lovers) First Recording
(0:06) 23. Pause Track

The 1999 reissue of this album marks a total reconstruction and rethinking of the original LP, and such a complete break from the original album that its story could fill a book. Such Sweet Thunder was originally announced as a stereo and mono release, but only showed up in mono thanks to the technical problems inherent in early stereo in creating a concert-like ambience in which the performance seemed continuous. The reissue presents the original album as it was intended, using alternate takes from the original sessions, plus the stereo masters of the takes used on the original album, all rounded out with a mono outtake or two. 

The music itself counts among Ellington's most well-realized "concept projects," all inspired by Shakespeare's work and filled with memorable melodies and ample opportunities for solos by Cat Anderson, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, and Quentin Jackson. The Ellington-Strayhorn compositions treat their soloists like actors doing scenes and, in effect, playing parts, even quoting lines after a fashion Clark Terry "plays" Puck in "Up and Down, Up and Down (I Will Lead Them Up and Down)," and Johnny Hodges turns in one of the most sensuous performances of his career for "Half the Fun," from Antony and Cleopatra. These moments more than justify the cost of the CD, and the bonus tracks, many of which are different takes and others are simply material that came from the same sessions, more than double the length of the original LP. The extended notes by Phil Schaap deserve some kind of award for detail and clarity. ~ Bruce Eder   

http://www.allmusic.com/album/such-sweet-thunder-mw0000237420

Personnel: Duke Ellington (piano); Russell Procope (alto saxophone, clarinet); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Jimmy Hamilton (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone); "Cat" Anderson, Ray Nance, Clark Terry, Willie Cook (trumpet); John Sanders, Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson (trombone); Jimmy Woode (bass); Sam Woodyard

Such Sweet Thunder

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Dannah Garay - From You... To You: Remembering Nat King Cole

Size: 131,4 MB
Time: 56:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. The Very Thought Of You (5:00)
02. Dream A Little Dream Of Me (2:47)
03. Day In Day Out (2:53)
04. Stardust (3:30)
05. I'm Thru With Love (3:05)
06. How Does It Feel (4:20)
07. Makin' Whoopee (3:56)
08. Smile (4:32)
09. That Ain't Right (3:35)
10. When I Fall In Love (5:30)
11. Almost Like Being In Love (2:31)
12. I Love You For Sentimental Reasons (4:47)
13. Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You (2:56)
14. Straighten Up And Fly Right (2:17)
15. Just One Of Those Things (2:48)
16. You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You (1:46)

Dannah Garay (born January 12, 1984) is a Mexican Jazz singer. She began to feel curious about music, especially Jazz, at a young age. Her father used to play the guitar for her and this greatly influenced her musical development.

Dannah won a scholarship from the Jazz Fest Foundation and was a part of the Foundation’s representative ensemble for a year. Dannah has performed in the U.S., Latinamerica and in acclaimed Jazz festivals all over Mexico. She also performed at the inaugural concerts of the Global Jazz Institute at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

She received her fist award for the album “Forever and Ever Bossa and Jazz” after it sold 15 thousand copies during the first months of its release in Mexico. Her latest album, “From you… to you”: A tribute to Nat “King” Cole, made the list of the top ten best-selling Jazz albums of the most important music stores in Mexico.

Her strongest musical influences are Nat “King” Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Hartman, Dianne Reeves, Kurt Elling, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, Frank Sinatra, B.B. King, Duke Ellington, as well as classical music and other genres.

Dannah Garay presents her album “From you… to you”: A tribute to Nat “King” Cole, who has been a deep source of inspiration even before she began her musical career. For this recording, Dannah worked with international musicians such as Gabriel Hernández, an acclaimed Cuban pianist, who is the music arranger and musical director of this project. Gabriel has shared the stage with great artists such as Roy Hargrove and Chucho Valdéz and he is currently a member of the Afro-Cuban All-Stars; Ken Basman, virtuoso guitar player from Canada; Tyler Mitchell, double bass player who has performed with renown Jazz artists such as Shirley Horn, Jon Hendricks and Wynton Marsalis; and Juan Alejandro Sáenz one of the youngest and most acclaimed Mexican drummers who won the Steve Gadd Award from the Berklee College of Music in 2012.

From You... To You 

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Rick Allen - B3 King Of New Orleans

Size: 109,6 MB
Time: 47:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Tailbone (5:37)
02. The River (7:47)
03. Grooving Home (4:34)
04. Blues After Hours (4:02)
05. Manhattan Standard Time (3:37)
06. New Orleans Nocturne (5:16)
07. Viva Selena (4:58)
08. Louisiana Soul Fry (5:26)
09. Angola Prison, Louisiana (6:07)

Throughout his career, sideman Rick Allen has played Hammond B3 organ with rock and blues legends. While still in high school, he was hired by Leon Russell’s guitarist Don Preston to play teen dances in East L.A. before moving up the ranks by playing the music he loved. Whether in the studio with Sonny Boy Williamson or Dr. John, in a Detroit lounge with Howlin' Wolf, or on cross-country tours with The Doobie Brothers, The Beach Boys, Linda Ronstadt, Loggins and Messina, Rod Stewart and Boz Skaggs, culminating in a gig at Madison Square Garden and his first visit to NYC, Rick has played every kind of venue and traveled many roads.

While still in his teens, Rick backed up The Coasters, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, The Penguins of “Earth Angel” fame, and Jimmy Clanton. A few years later, he played sessions for major label rock and blues artists in Los Angeles and New Orleans: Etta James, Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett, Ernie K-Doe (Mr. “Mother-In-Law”), Freddy Fender, King Floyd, Allen Toussaint and The Dukes of Dixieland on their Grammy-nominated album, Gloryland.

B3 King Of New Orleans

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Gloria Cooper - Dedicated To You

Size: 150,4 MB
Time: 64:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2005
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. All My Love, Especially For You (5:20)
02. Just A Little Boy (7:12)
03. Garden In The Sand (5:48)
04. Two Reflect As One (5:08)
05. Dedicated To You (5:18)
06. Seabreeze (6:12)
07. Something Unusual (4:35)
08. You Never Leave My Mind (5:50)
09. Reveling In The Beat (4:23)
10. Big Brown Eyes (4:24)
11. Without You (4:45)
12. Come Rain Or Come Shine (5:55)

A fairly straight singer with a warm but cool voice, Gloria Cooper at times hints at Maxine Sullivan and Shirley Horn. The program on Dedicated to You is filled with superior obscurities taken from Don Sickler's Second Floor Music publications Sing Jazz and Sing More Jazz. Many of the songs, written by jazz musicians, received their recording debut (particularly as vocals) on this set, including numbers by John Oddo, Hank Mobley, Jon Burr, Renee Rosnes, and the late James Williams. Cooper does a fine job of adding warmth to the lyrics, also playing piano in the backup group, which on some numbers is a full sextet featuring excellent trumpet solos from Sickler. Dedicated to You, which only includes two standards among the dozen songs, shows that some fine new originals were written by jazz musicians in recent times, even if most remain unknown to the general public. Singers in need of fresh material are particularly recommended to explore this outing. ~Review by Scott Yanow

Dedicated To You

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Scott Chapman - Scott Chapman Swing: Cover Album

Size: 212,3 MB
Time: 91:06
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Swing, Big Band
Art: Front

01. Luck Be A Lady (5:16)
02. Ain't That A Kick In The Head (2:26)
03. Let There Be Love (2:42)
04. Put Your Head On My Shoulder (4:22)
05. Me And My Shadow (2:57)
06. Kissing A Fool (4:23)
07. Hey There (2:44)
08. Manhattan (3:26)
09. Volare (3:02)
10. Mack The Knife (3:12)
11. And I Love Her (3:10)
12. One For My Baby (One More For The Road) (3:53)
13. Cry Me A River (4:14)
14. Smile (2:52)
15. Fly Me To The Moon (3:13)
16. That's Amore (2:45)
17. Mr. Bojangles (3:14)
18. Me And Mrs. Jones (4:22)
19. Unforgettable (3:40)
20. Always On My Mind (4:24)
21. Bessame Mucho (4:09)
22. Can't Help Falling In Love With You (3:44)
23. Birth Of The Blues (3:30)
24. Song For You (4:38)
25. My Way (4:37)

Scott’s new cover album ‘Swing’ is a treat for all you romantics as it features Scott’s cover versions of the great american song book classics as well as a collection of swing/jazz songs. The album features songs from the late greats such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, as well as modern day swing and jazz enthusiasts such as Michael Buble and Harry Connick Jr.

Scott is from the North West of England. He studies music, writes and produces his own material and has built up an extensive repertoire of original songs and covers . Scott’s passion is music and is known for his loyal support of several charities.

He is known as a versatile artist who enjoys singing songs from all types of genres such as Swing, Pop, R & B, and Musicals. At the age of 19 Scott performed on ITV1 ‘The Alan Titchmarsh Show’.

Scott has performed at a variety of venues from corporate events, stately homes, restaurants, museums, racecourses and at Premiership Football Clubs. He has performed on several occasions for ‘The Prince’s Trust’ at the fabulous St Georges Hall in Liverpool.

Scott can perform many of the greatest classic numbers of all time, made familiar by The Rat Pack/ Bublé. Scott is guaranteed to impress anyone who likes this genre of music. He is able to cater for mixed audiences and this is the main reason why Scott is often asked to return, to sing and perform at many events and functions. He can judge the mood of the audience and adapt his sets accordingly.

Scott Chapman Swing

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Mary Lofstrom - Ginger Comes To Stay

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:16
Size: 104,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:33)  1. Palm Springs Jump
(4:44)  2. Sugar In My Bowl
(3:34)  3. I Don't Know Enough About You
(4:54)  4. Ginger
(2:31)  5. I'll Do Dot
(4:00)  6. So Nice
(4:35)  7. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
(5:13)  8. Minnesota's Lament
(3:40)  9. You Hit The Spot
(4:10) 10. My Baby Just Cares For Me
(3:16) 11. Your Good Girl Is Gonna Go Bad

Mary Lofstrom brings a glimmer of old-fashioned silken artistry to songs that are ripe for this moment. A unique flavor is brought to the jazz world through Mary Lofstrom's songwriting and song choices. Seated at once smack dab in the middle of traditional jazz, yet tugging at its fringes with her openly lesbian lyrics and modifications, Lofstrom makes her listener's feel at ease with her clear, emotive style. These eleven songs could easily accompany the listener to daylight, come along for a lazy drive, take a turn in the garden of the soul, or leave one in the dark with martini in hand. Ms. Lofstrom is buoyed and nudged by her collaboration with Dawn Clement and Laura Welland. Sometimes relaxed and affable Mary sinks easily into a vibrant trio groove of 'what's next' with her lyrical, boisterous solos. Dawn Clememt is stunning in her cultivation and growth of ripe song soil and perfect in her harvest of ideas for the three original songs presented. Laura Welland's melodic and impeccably wise bass create a vibrant backdrop for frolic, folly and adoration.   http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lofstrom

Ginger Comes To Stay

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Ben Sidran - Too Hot To Touch (Enivre D'Amour)

Styles: Jazz, Vocal, Smooth Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:04
Size: 92,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. Shine a light on me
(4:58)  2. Enivre d'amour
(4:12)  3. Everything happens to me
(4:04)  4. Freedom jazz dance
(3:14)  5. On the sunny side of the street
(4:51)  6. Critics
(0:04)  7. Pepper
(5:23)  8. Too hot to touch
(4:45)  9. Longing for Bahia
(3:47) 10. I wanna be a Bebopper

Pianist Ben Sidran grew up in Racine, WI. In the early '60s, he played with Steve Miller and Boz Scaggs in a band called the Ardells at the University of Wisconsin. After Miller moved to San Francisco and secured a recording contract, he called on old friend Sidran to join him in the Steve Miller Band following the departure of original keyboardist Jim Peterman. Sidran contributed on the keys and as songwriter on several Miller albums beginning with Brave New World in 1969, co-writing the classic "Space Cowboy" and three other tunes on that LP. He also authored "Steve Miller's Midnight Tango" on Number 5 and collaborated with Miller on several other tunes through the years. He produced his friend's under appreciated release, Recall the Beginning...A Journey From Eden in 1972. Sidran received a Ph.D. in philosophy/musicology, writing his doctoral thesis on African-American culture and music in the United States. 

The thesis was published to positive critical response in 1971 as Black Talk. Since 1972, he has released a number of solo albums in a cool, easy swinging style similar to Mose Allison. His early albums relied on acoustic instruments and lyrical references to his musical heroes. Later releases used electronic instruments and tasty synthesizers for an interesting sound best presented on albums like 1985's On the Cool Side and Cool Paradise from 1990. Through the years, Ben Sidran and Steve Miller have remained close friends, popping up from time to time on one another's recordings or live performances. In 1988, Sidran co-produced one of Miller's most interesting latter-day recordings, Born 2B Blue, a collection of jazz standards dressed up in the same cool, low-key arrangements Sidran employs on his own albums. Sidran has produced recordings for Mose Allison, Diana Ross, and others, and collaborated with Van Morrison and Georgie Fame on the tribute album The Songs of Mose Allison: Tell Me Something in 1996. In addition to making music himself, Sidran has hosted programs on VH1 and continues to write about the music he loves.  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ben-sidran/id3564964#fullText

Personnel: Ben Sidran (vocals, piano, keyboards); John de la Silva, Paul Peterson (guitar); Bob Malach (flute, saxophone, tenor saxophone); Ricky Peterson (piano, synthesizer); Billy Peterson (electric bass); Gordon Knudtson (drums); Lucia Newell (background vocals).

Too Hot To Touch (Enivre D'Amour)

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Scott Hamilton and Danny Moss - Mainstream Giants of Jazz 2007

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:55
Size: 176,6 MB
Art: Front + Back

(5:55)  1. Fine & Dandy
(8:57)  2. Poimciana
(5:24)  3. Like Someone In Love
(5:32)  4. A Smo-o-o-o-oth One
(4:03)  5. It Could Happen To You
(3:40)  6. Star Dust
(6:38)  7. It's You Or No One
(6:21)  8. Sugar
(7:06)  9. My Shining Hour
(7:56) 10. It's All Right With Me
(6:41) 11. On The Alamo
(8:37) 12. St. Louis Blues

Saxophonist Danny Moss's final Edinburgh Jazz Festival gig before his death last year saw him paired with a fellow tenor titan, American Scott Hamilton. This CD, recorded a month after their Edinburgh summit, is characterised by the same magic: these two players were perfectly matched  both have a bluesy, forthright style  and their duets here are electric. There's excellent accompaniment from a rhythm section that includes Dave Cliff (guitar) and John Pearce (piano).   http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/music/album-review-scott-hamilton-and-danny-moss-1-1353713

Mainstream Giants of Jazz 2007

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Eddie Henderson - For All We Know

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:41
Size: 121,0 MB
Art: Front

(9:00)  1. Jitterbug Waltz
(5:34)  2. Be Cool
(8:03)  3. For All We Know
(4:54)  4. Sand Storm
(9:52)  5. By Myself
(5:23)  6. Cantaloupe Island
(3:58)  7. Missing Miles
(5:53)  8. Popo

After initially pursuing jazz fusion early in his career, Eddie Henderson has been focused on bop. This 2009 session features the trumpeter/flügelhornist with guitarist John Scofield, bassist Doug Weiss, and drummer Billy Drummond. Henderson explores several timeless compositions, conjuring a bit of Miles Davis as he plays muted trumpet in a lively workout of "Jitterbug Waltz," switching to flügelhorn for a richly textured interpretation of "For All We Know" and an extra funky setting of "Cantaloupe Island," while taking the standard "By Myself" into new territory with an abstract treatment. Henderson is back on muted trumpet for Al Foster's bittersweet ballad tribute "Missing Miles," with Scofield's soft guitar providing the perfect backdrop. The trumpeter's compositions, which include the tense bop vehicle "Sand Storm" and the playful "Popo," are matched by his wife Natsuko's infectious "Be Cool," the latter a splendid feature for the rhythm section. ~ Ken Dryden   http://www.allmusic.com/album/for-all-we-know-mw0002078790

For All We Know

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James Witherite - Modern Organ Trio

Size: 95,7 MB
Time: 41:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Indiana (6:22)
02. The Ducks Of Boston (8:00)
03. Murray Avenue Blues (8:20)
04. Manny's On Roosevelt (4:51)
05. Santa Fe (7:35)
06. All The Things The Barrelmaker's Daughter Never Could Even Dream Of Sight-Singing (6:05)

Fresh off the heels of his big band album "+17", James sets down his flugelhorn in favour of a Nord C2 organ, and he turns in this organ trio effort with the help of guitarist Ken Karsh (on loan from Alanna Records) and drummer Shaun Chesley. After fresh takes on standard "Indiana" and Karsh's 1977 tune "The Ducks of Boston", the trio tackles four of James's new originals, ranging from the bluesy to the sadistically difficult. Pittsburgh-based saxophonist (and James's former composition teacher at Duquesne University) Mike Tomaro pops in for a couple solos, as well.

Modern Organ Trio

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Mary Ann McCall - Detour To The Moon

Size: 86,8 MB
Time: 36:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1958
Styles: Jazz: Vocals
Art: Front & Back (Vinyl)

01. Detour Ahead (2:43)
02. I Wished On The Moon (3:32)
03. The Moon Was Yellow (2:49)
04. Oh! You Crazy Moon (2:31)
05. Moonlight Becomes You (3:37)
06. Moonglow (2:22)
07. Shine On Harvest Moon (2:54)
08. Blue Moon (4:10)
09. East Of The Sun (2:36)
10. No Moon At All (3:49)
11. It's Only A Paper Moon (2:48)
12. Moon Country (2:43)

Strongly influenced by Billie Holiday and one of the better big band "girl" singers, Mary Ann McCall worked with outfits led by Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Ventura, and Woody Herman. In 1950, the year she left Herman, she was voted best singer by several jazz magazines including DownBeat. At this stage of her career, her style took a decided turn toward jazz as she began singing with more of the top jazz performers of the day, including her husband, tenor saxophonist Al Cohn. Detour to the Moon captures McCall at her artistic peak. Performing in two different musical settings created by Teddy Charles, the musical director for the session, she works through a program of 12 tunes, all but one with the word "moon" in it. For six of the album's tracks the accompaniment was principally string -- cello, viola, bass and guitar -- along with Charles on vibes. This musical arrangement is especially compelling on "Moonlight Becomes You" and the title tune, "Detour Ahead." The violist is Walter Trampler, perhaps the leading performer on that instrument in the world at that particular time. For the other configuration, the backing was provided by a more traditional instrumental format, including Charles on vibes, Jimmy Raney on guitar, Mal Waldron on piano, and Oscar Pettiford on bass. This less somber mix goes well with such livelier tracks as "Shine on Harvest Moon" and "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)." Although McCall sang well into the '70s, she continued to be plagued by a significant addiction to drugs. Nonetheless, during the '50s she was among the top white female vocalists along with Chris Connor, June Christy, and Anita O'Day. It's criminal that this LP and her other major disc, Easy Living, where she's backed by a band headed by Ernie Wilkens, have not been transferred to CD. ~Review by Dave Nathan

Detour To The Moon

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Perry Beekman - So In Love / Bewitched

Album: So In Love: Perry Beekman Sings And Plays Cole Porter
Size: 119,1 MB
Time: 50:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz: Vocals
Art: Front

01. Let's Misbehave (2:53)
02. I Get A Kick Out Of You (4:50)
03. Always True To You In My Fashion (3:31)
04. I Happen To Like New York (2:06)
05. Anything Goes (3:12)
06. In The Still Of The Night (3:59)
07. My Heart Belongs To Daddy (2:56)
08. Miss Otis Regrets (3:23)
09. Night And Day (3:30)
10. Let's Do It (3:15)
11. Just One Of Those Things (3:16)
12. It's De-Lovely (3:42)
13. So In Love (2:53)
14. I Love Paris (3:56)
15. You're The Top (3:23)

In '92, the Verve label finally collected its three Cole Porter Songbooks into a 3-CD box set, a knock-out of an anthology featuring a Who's Who of jazz (Torme, Blossom Dearie, Louis Armstrong, Ella, Evans, Farlow, etc.) and that gatherum remains one of the best expositions of the inimitable Porter's catalogue. The immortal Cole is a ceaseless mainstay as The Great Amrican Songbook enjoys its eternal youth, but that particular set is tough to beat as a milestone tribute. Then, of course, came the Red, Hot, & Blue trib, featuring a killer collection of modern paeans to the late master, all trotted out by rockers andothers: Iggy Pop/Stooge, Annie Lennox, the Pogues, the Neville Bros., Fine Young Cannibals, etc. The competition, y'see, stiffened appreciably. Not everyone has since been able to bear up under the pressure…and you may already be intuiting where this review is going.

Perry Beekman plays guitar and sings, the former in the old Green / Ellis / Kessel vein, the latter as a combo of Barry Manilow, Peter Allen, and what it would sound like if Kyle McLauchlan were a vocalist. In So in Love, he formulated a trio format to keep things simple but swingin' and, in the instrumental aspects, succeeded very nicely, but, hoo boy!, when it comes to talents as a vocalist, the disc drives itself as a community college recitation presented in the secondary theater, not the main stage. Beekman plays a very clean axe bridging France's hot jazz inclinations with the American bop stringbenders just cited, and had this CD been purely instrumental, this would be a completely different review, but his voice is sufficiently unpolished, much too straight, uninflected, and more than a little Boy Scouty.

Miss Otis Regrets, one of the truly classic American tragedian compositions (a whole film could be made from the track), is perhaps the most vivid illustration of Beekman's defects as a singer: too Manilowesque (which, to some, will be a virtue, I guess). He starts an intro with promise but, as the band kicks in, the atmosphere becomes mellifluously carnivalesque, way too uptone, and diametrically opposed to everything the song is about. On the other hand, check out the instrumentals—My Heart Belongs to Daddy and Always True to You in my Fashion—as well as the half-instrumental In the Still of the Night and it's readily seen where his true virtues lie. And, on that last song, the same complaints arise again…and again…and again as the disc proceeds. Perry Beekman needs to keep that finessey-fingers part of himself employed and fire the vocalist. THAT would be a CD I'd be VERY interested in. ~Review by Mark S. Tucker

So In Love

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Album: Bewitched: Perry Beekman Sings And Plays Rodgers & Hart
Size: 126,6 MB
Time: 54:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Vocals
Art: Front

01. I Wish I Were In Love Again (2:48)
02. Mountain Greenery (3:30)
03. Wait Till You See Her (2:38)
04. Have You Met Miss Jones (3:36)
05. Bewitched (5:05)
06. Thou Swell (3:27)
07. It Never Entered My Mind (4:31)
08. My Heart Stood Still (3:38)
09. There's A Small Hotel (3:18)
10. Spring Is Here (2:54)
11. This Can't Be Love (4:19)
12. Blue Room (3:10)
13. This Funny World (2:48)
14. Falling In Love With Love (3:31)
15. The Lady Is A Tramp (4:57)

The follow up to the critically acclaimed So In Love finds Perry Beekman embracing the music of Rodgers and Hart with imaginative arrangements and a nuanced texture that reinvents these timeless classics for the next generation. The guitar, piano, and bass trio is not an unusual ensemble, the ability to perform with such a remarkable lyrical chemistry is indeed quite rare. While the arrangements are fresh and vibrant, the melodic intent of Rodgers & Hart is never mangled and politely pushed aside as with some artists do when seeking a self indulgent pat on the back.

As a vocalist, Perry Beekman can hold his own with any of his contemporaries. As a guitarist, Perry adds a bit of the New York panache that elevates these classics to a new rarefied level of excellence. You know the tunes and the highlights here are almost too numerous to list. "My Heart Stood Still" is pure swing, a groove you can use. A personal favorite "Mountain Greenery" is a deceptively subtle swing that attacks when lease expected while "Bewitched" is an exquisite ballad that showcases the Beekman style of literally crawling inside a tune and fully understanding the meaning of each word. A singer sings, a vocal artist tells stories. Enter Perry Beekman.

Pianist Peter Tomlinson shines on "There's A Small Hotel" while Lou Pappas holds court with a stand out solo on "Have You Met Miss Jones." Perhaps the most surprising reharm would be that of "Blue Room" adding a J.S. Bach riff without venturing off the improvisational path. Easily one of the finest trios working the more traditional side of the jazz street.

Perry Beekman raises his game and with that moves to the very top of the pack in the traditional jazz setting. Bewitched is about as close to perfect as you can find.

Personnel: Perry Beekman: Vocals, Guitar; Peter Tomlinson: Piano; Lou Pappas: Bass

Bewitched

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Banu Gibson - My Romance

Styles:  Jazz, Vocal, Dixieland
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:12
Size: 147,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:54)  1. Somebody Loves Me
(4:24)  2. I Wished On The Moon
(3:14)  3. Love Walked In
(2:49)  4. You Do Something To Me
(5:13)  5. Sweet And Slow
(5:22)  6. Fools Rush In
(2:42)  7. A Woman's Intuition
(4:24)  8. I Just Couldn't Take It Baby
(4:10)  9. Night Wind
(4:23) 10. Blues In My Heart
(4:39) 11. When Your Lover Has Gone
(3:16) 12. I'm Thru With Love
(2:54) 13. I Wish I Were In Love Again
(4:45) 14. That Old Feeling
(4:10) 15. Taking A Chance On Love
(4:45) 16. My Romance

My Romance is an unusual, wonderful CD of 16 selections by jazz vocalist, Banu Gibson, with solo piano backing from John Sheridan and David Boeddinghaus. Banu Gibson puts wonderful feeling and tone into her performances, reminding me of a very contemporary bluesy sweet version of legend Ethel Waters. Banu is that good! She knows how to sing, and her phrasing for each selection is flawless! Here are some of the selections with year of original publication for those of you who are jazz history researchers: The Gershwin brothers' "Somebody Loves Me" (1924), and "Love Walked In" (1938); "Fools Rush In" by Rube Bloom and Johnny Mercer (1940); "Blues in My Heart," by Benny Carter and Irving Mills (1931); "That Old Feeling," by Sammy Fain and Les Brown (1937); "A Woman's Intuition," by Victor Young and Ned Washington (1951); "My Romance" by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart (1935); "You Do Something To Me" by Cole Porter (1929). Jazz pianist John Sheridan shines brightly with Banu on "You Do Something To Me," and his gifts as a great jazz artist are readily revealed. 

When I heard this version of a much overlooked classic Cole Porter song, I recalled that 1957 movie of Ernest Hemingway's novel, "The Sun Also Rises," which starred Tyrone Power, Ava Gardner, and Errol Flynn. That song was featured in the movie. David Boeddinghaus' fine talents as a pianist are in top form and the listener will enjoy his versions of the Gershwin selections, among others. His playing, like that of Sheridan, is excellent. These two pianists know how to blend style and techniques, and each is a perfect example of how jazz stride piano is handled in performance! For a really nice look at a new jazz singer, get a CD copy of Banu Gibson's "My Romance." It will give you a good feeling every time you listen to these old standards. A great blend of contemporary jazz and swing! Great performances! Excellent! Five stars plus for a rating on Banu Gibson's "My Romance." http://jazzreview.com/cd-reviews/jazz-vocals-cd-reviews/my-romance-by-banu-gibson.html

Personnel:  Banu Gibson (vocals); John Sheridan (piano, tracks 2,4,6,7,8,12,13,15); David Boeddinghaus (piano, tracks 1,3,5,9,10,11,14,16)

My Romance

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Dave Weckl - Synergy

Styles: Jazz Funk, Fusion
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:11
Size: 158,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:48)  1. High Life
(5:22)  2. Panda's Dream
(4:51)  3. Swunk
(4:55)  4. A Simple Player
(6:56)  5. Cape Fear
(6:12)  6. Wet Skin
(7:15)  7. Synergy
(4:54)  8. Where's My Paradise
(5:57)  9. Lucky Seven
(5:24) 10. Swamp Thing
(3:25) 11. Cultural Concurrence
(6:07) 12. Tower '99

Although Dave Weckl is an excellent drummer, not all of his recordings have been excellent. In the 1990s, you never knew if you would find something exciting or mundane on a Weckl album. But this fusion/soul-jazz disc turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Synergy, in fact, is the drummer's most consistently satisfying CD. Excessive producing was a major problem on some of his previous releases, but this time he generally avoids overproducing and goes for a real band sound. Joined by tenor and soprano saxman Brandon Fields, keyboardist Jay Oliver, guitarist Buzz Feiten, and electric bassist Tom Kennedy, Weckl has a solid team to work with and emphasizes improvisation and honest-to-God playing not high-tech studio gloss. Weckl's band sounds quite cohesive on a diverse, unpredictable outing that ranges from the funky "Wet Skin" and the Latin-influenced title song to the ominous "Cape Fear" and the delicate "A Simple Prayer." If you could purchase only one of Weckl's 1990s albums, Synergy would be the best choice. ~ Alex Henderson   http://www.allmusic.com/album/synergy-mw0000666868.

Personnel: Dave Weckl (drums, tambourine, percussion); Brandon Fields (soprano, tenor & baritone saxophones, keyboards, synthesizer); Jay Oliver (organ, keyboards, synthesizer); Buzz Feiten (electric, nylon string & steel string guitars); Tom Kennedy (bass).

Synergy

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Emmanuel Bex - B2Bill - A Modern Tribute To Bill Evans

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:33
Size: 118,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:18)  1. Peri's Scope
(4:12)  2. B Minor Waltz
(6:38)  3. Five
(5:06)  4. Very Early
(0:26)  5. Prelude for Mickey
(4:15)  6. Bill's Heart
(2:56)  7. Funkallero
(2:51)  8. Bill in Space
(2:21)  9. Twelve Tone Tune
(3:23) 10. Chidren's Play Song
(3:45) 11. Bill in Puglia
(1:12) 12. Bill's Eyes
(4:53) 13. B Mood
(5:11) 14. Waltz for Debbie

Add this the list of inventive trios with the collaboration of French musicians organist Emmanuel Bex and pianist Nico Morelli, joining forces with New York spoken word artist Mike Ladd. They spin and reinterpret covers and original tunes from the great Bill Evans served up with plenty of panache that's totally hip. ~ Mark F. Turner  ( Mark F.Turner’s Best Of 2013)   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=46314#.U1mvOlchElU

Personnel:  Emmanuel Bex - Hammond organ, vocoder; Nico Morelli – Piano;  Mike Ladd - Slam, Spoken words

B2Bill - A Modern Tribute To Bill Evans

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Curtis Stigers - Hooray For Love

Size: 91,8 MB
Time: 39:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Vocal Jazz Pop
Art: Front

01. Love Is Here To Stay (4:19)
02. Valentine’s Day (3:41)
03. You Make Me Feel So Young (With Cyrille Aimee) (4:32)
04. Hooray For Love (2:45)
05. The Way You Look Tonight (4:51)
06. Give Your Heart To Me (3:51)
07. That’s All (3:44)
08. A Matter Of Time (2:53)
09. If I Were A Bell (3:13)
10. You Don’t Know What Love Is (5:20)

A one-time adult contemporary star -- his 1991 eponymous debut was produced by Glen Ballard and, not long afterward, he made Nick Lowe a millionaire thanks to his cover of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding" on The Bodyguard soundtrack -- Curtis Stigers long ago established himself as a skilled jazz singer and his 2014 set, Hooray for Love, is perhaps his most traditional record yet. Light on originals -- the title track and "Give Your Heart to Me" are the only tunes that bear his credits -- and also skimpy on the kinds of unexpected covers that distinguished his new millennial records (only Steve Earle's "Valentine's Day" fits that bill), Hooray for Love is anchored on the songs that everybody knows and loves: "You Make Me Feel So Young," performed here as a duet with Cyrille Aimee, "The Way You Look Tonight," "A Matter of Time," and "If I Were a Bell." As recognizable as these songs are, Stigers doesn't seem stifled by their reputation. The intimate setting -- featuring no more than pianist Matthew Fries, guitarist Matt Munisteri, bassist Cliff Schmitt, drummer Keith Hall, and trumpeter John "Scrapper" Sneider, who also produces -- allows Stigers to be limber and he's also happy to fade into the background and let his band just play. This looseness is what keeps Hooray for Love so engaging: Stigers isn't simply enjoying singing, he's enjoying playing with his band. ~Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Hooray For Love

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Mary Stallings - Don't Look Back

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:15
Size: 138,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:04)  1. When Lights Are Low
(6:11)  2. The Way You Love Me
(4:27)  3. Night Mist Blues
(6:09)  4. Goodbye Medley
(3:55)  5. Is That...? (This Love)
(6:11)  6. Don't Look Back
(5:07)  7. Love Me or Leave Me
(3:21)  8. Don't Misunderstand
(4:38)  9. Key Largo
(5:31) 10. Soul Eyes
(4:39) 11. Mary's Blues
(5:56) 12. People Time (Forever Mine)

Just over 50 years have passed since 22-year-old Mary Stallings established herself as the finest new voice in jazz with the release of Cal Tjader Plays, Mary Stallings Sings. Since then, Stallings has released fewer albums than the average person has fingers, the earliest dating to 1990. Tempting as it is to ruminate over what could have been, it’s better to celebrate the fact that she has been steadily active throughout the past two decades and remains, at 72, the consummate jazz singer. It’s also tempting to say that her tone and phrasing are strongly reminiscent of Carmen McRae and that her warmth rivals Nancy Wilson. Both statements are true, but comparisons can imply inferiority, and Stallings is second to none. 

In 2001, Stallings found an ideal musical partner in pianist/arranger Eric Reed when they teamed for her Live at the Village Vanguard. They again united two years ago for the sensational Dream. Now, for their third pairing together with bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Carl Allen Stallings and Reed easily surpass their earlier triumphs, achieving the same sort of rare, supreme simpatico as Ella and Louis or Sinatra and Riddle. The playlist is equally marvelous, dipping into the Benny Carter, Ahmad Jamal, Mal Waldron and K. Lawrence Dunham songbooks, and including two exceptional Reed compositions, the lilting “Is That…? (This Love)” and, crafted especially for Stallings, the sassy “Mary’s Blues.” ~ Christopher Loudon   http://jazztimes.com/articles/30111-don-t-look-back-mary-stallings.

Personnel: Mary Stallings: vocals; Eric Reed: piano and arrangements; Reuben Rogers: bass (except 3,9,10,11); Carl Allen: drums (except 3,9,10,11).

Don't Look Back

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Eliane Elias - Sings Jobim

Styles: Brazilian Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:16
Size: 117,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:53)  1. Girl from Ipanema
(3:03)  2. One Note Samba
(2:07)  3. Jazz 'n' Samba
(3:00)  4. She's a Carioca
(2:46)  5. Looks Like December
(3:24)  6. Desafinado
(3:06)  7. Falando de Amor
(3:00)  8. Song of the Jet
(4:02)  9. A Felicidade
(2:51) 10. For All of My Life
(2:56) 11. How Insensitive
(4:16) 12. Forgetting You
(1:35) 13. Pois é
(4:43) 14. Once I Loved
(2:25) 15. Modinha
(4:02) 16. Caminhos Cruzados

Elias started with the piano at age seven. She studied at the Free Center of Music Apprenticeship in São Paulo. She joined Brazilian singer/guitarist/songwriter Toquinho and poet/entertainer Vinicius de Moraes when she was 17 years old, with whom she made concert tours for three years, mainly through South America. On a tour in Europe in 1981, she met jazz bassist Eddie Gomez and was encouraged to travel to New York. After moving there, she was invited to join Steps Ahead, and recorded one album with the group in 1983. After leaving Steps Ahead, she worked with trumpet player Randy Brecker, whom she subsequently married. They recorded an album named Amanda, after their daughter. In 1988 she was elected as "Best New Talent" by the JAZZIZ magazine poll of jazz critics. She divorced Randy in the early 1990s. She has recorded several notable albums, including one featuring duets with Herbie Hancock. 

Their 1995 disc Solos and Duets was nominated for a Grammy in the "Jazz instrumental video" category. In 1997, American musician Bob Brookmeyer dedicated a full album to his arrangements of Eliane's compositions, backed by the Danish Jazz Orchestra and published under the name of Impulsive!, which received another Grammy nomination as "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album" in 2001. Elias was one of the featured artists in the Latin jazz documentary, Calle 54, released in 2000. In 2002 she made her first appearance on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz radio program (and another in 2008). She is married to bassist Marc Johnson, with whom she has produced several albums including the ECM Records release titled Shades of Jade which features Eliane's writing and piano-playing. This recording won the Best Foreign Release Award in Denmark in 2006 and was chosen by Time Magazine as one of the five best Fall releases in 2005. ~ Bio  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliane_Elias

Personnel:  Personnel: Eliane Elias (vocals, piano); Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Oscar Castro-Neves (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Marc Johnson (acoustic bass, background vocals); Paulo Braga (drums, bongos, background vocals); Cafe (percussion); Amanda Brecker, Christine Martin, Elza Silva (background vocals).

Sings Jobim

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Bob Brookmeyer & Bill Evans - The Ivory Hunters

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:25
Size: 97,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:55)  1. Honeysuckle Rose
(6:56)  2. As Time Goes By
(7:39)  3. The Way You Look Tonight
(7:26)  4. It Could Happen To You
(5:57)  5. The Man I Love
(8:30)  6. I Got Rhythm

Yes, that's Bob Brookmeyer the valve trombonist, and it's Bill Evans the pianist who, during the same year as this recording, would appear with Miles Davis on the fabled Kind of Blue session (Columbia, 1959). Some listeners will no doubt be familiar with the session, originally issued by United Artists under Brookmeyer's name and with the descriptive sub-title "Double-Barrelled Piano." But if you're hearing about this curious match-up for the first time, and close to the beginning of April at that, be assured that neither Brookmeyer's listing as a "pianist" nor his playing of the instrument is a joke. The story is that after Evans agreed to the unusual pairing, Brookmeyer was "tricked" by a clever record producer into making this session. Showing up at the studio and seeing Percy Heath and Connie Kay  one-half of the Modern Jazz Quartet Brookmeyer was ready to take out his trombone until the presence of two tuned grand pianos made it clear that the studio had other things in mind. 

Brookmeyer is good enough as a pianist to make the comparison with Evans rewarding and instructive. They take turns playing melodies and bridges, then trade whole choruses as well as phrases. In each case, Evans admittedly plays with greater precision, more focused tone, and hipper left-hand voicings, but Brookmeyer holds up his end thanks to his harmonic savvy and finger technique (often arrangers who play piano show their limitations when it comes to digital dexterity). The two pianists complement each other quite well, sounding relaxed in the hands of a bassist and drummer who by this time were playing less as two musicians than a single organism. "The Way You Look Tonight" is one of two highlights on the date, Evans taking a round-toned, nicely shaped solo in the middle register, alternating single-noted with block-chorded melodies while Brookmeyer finds pedal tones and obligato octave phrases that risk little in the way of harmonic discord. 

By now the attentive listener should have no trouble distinguishing the two players, as Evans' mid-register solo on "It Could Happen to You" impresses with intricate melodic invention and cleanly voiced harmonies while Brookmeyer begins to sound somewhat erratic with a mix of widely spaced, random-sounding voicings and occasionally rhythmically stiff phrasings. It's tempting to suggest that virtually anyone who can peck out a melody on the piano would come off sounding at worst "respectable" with support such as that provided by this trio. To Brookmeyer's credit, he neither panics nor plays it overly safe. "The Man I Love," the other stand-out on the date, begins as a ballad before yielding to a potentially unnerving up-tempo groove. The soloists briefly play melodic tag games, though on this tune as well as the concluding "I Got Rhythm," Brookmeyer begins to sound increasingly Monkish, even down to greater reliance on the sustain pedal. And when the more heralded pianist demonstrates his inimitable touch with some flawlessly executed, double-timed whirlwind note-streaming, each note distinct from the other yet receiving equal pressure, you know the game is up. In sum, enjoyable, tasteful music-making but hardly an essential recording unless you're a Bill Evans completist or Bob Brookmeyer. ~ Samuel Chell   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=25128#.U1U511dSvro
 

Personnel: Bill Evans: piano; Bob Brookmeyer: piano; Percy Heath: bass; Connie Kay: drums.

The Ivory Hunters

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John Coltrane - My Favorite Things : Coltrane at Newport

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 2007

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 79:37

Size: 183,0 MB

Art: Front

( 9:41)  1. I Want to Talk About You

(17:20)  2. My Favorite Things

(23:30)  3. Impressions

( 1:08)  4. Introduction by Father Norman O'Connor

(12:43)  5. One Down, One Up

(15:13)  6. My Favorite Things

Complete recordings of saxophonist John Coltrane's 1963 and 1965 Newport Festival appearances, most of the material on My Favorite Things: Coltrane Live At Newport has been available before. Most, but crucially, not all the disc includes some eight minutes of previously unreleased music. When you're talking about the incandescent Coltrane quartet of the mid 1960s, that's a serious chunk of time, more like eight light years to hardcore enthusiasts. The new material forms what is now the first third of "Impressions." It starts with a theme statement from Coltrane, on soprano, a six minute solo from pianist McCoy Tyner, and a brief extract from a solo by bassist Jimmy Garrison. Coltrane sets up the tune before Tyner takes it away for a forceful, dervish-like work-out, his two-fisted block chords framing percussive, rapid-fire single note runs concentrated at the treble end of the keyboard. It's a formidable improvisation by the pianist, and why it was left off previous releases is a mystery. Garrison's abbreviated solo follows. 

The rumbling distortion on his bottom string is so bad that the entire solo was excised from previous releases, and the excerpt included here is presumably the only passage which could be rendered listenable even with the latest digital technology. The track then takes up where the edited version on Newport '63 starts, with Coltrane, now on tenor, engaging in a fierce extended dialogue with drummer Roy Haynes (who was subbing for the quartet's regular drummer, Elvin Jones, laid up during the 1963 festival with a bad case of heroin addiction). The mixes are new too. While avoiding radical recalibrations of the balance between the instruments, they're substantially crisper and more resonant than on previous packagings: Newport '63 (Impulse!/GRP, 1993) and New Thing At Newport (Impulse!, 2000). In particular, the audio quality of first three tracks, from 1963, is mightily improved.Putting these two Newport appearances together on one disc serves, by the by, as a graphic illustration of Coltrane's journey towards the sonic extremes of his final few years from da bomb that was Ascension (Impulse!, 1965), recorded only a week earlier than the second Newport set, until the his death in 1967.

Even allowing for the presence of two massively different drummers the turbulent Jones and the more measured Haynes the shift in Coltrane's aesthetic is profound. The two versions of the soprano showcase "My Favorite Things" bookmark the process, from the more or less conventional lyricism of the first, to the freer, more abrasive tonalities entering the second. We know the story already, of course, but hearing these two tracks practically back-to-back certainly emphasizes it. Factor in the new mixes, and My Favorite Things: Coltrane Live At Newport is far from being "just" another Coltrane re-master. ~ CHRIS MAY    

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=26621#.U11IXlfZf5c

Personnel: John Coltrane: soprano and tenor saxophone; McCoy Tyner: piano; Jimmy Garrison: bass; Roy Haynes: drums (1-3); Elvin Jones: drums (5,6).

My Favorite Things : Coltrane at Newport

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