Herb Geller - At the Movies

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:51
Size: 123,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:36)  1. Close Enough for Love from 'Agatha'
(3:31)  2. Theme from 'Taxi Driver'/Marnie
(4:00)  3. Troubled Waters from 'Belle of the Nineties'
(3:46)  4. Ding Dong, the Witch Is Dead from 'Wizard of Oz'
(3:31)  5. I Wish I Knew from 'Diamond Horseshoe'
(5:52)  6. Theme from 'The Pawnbroker'
(3:14)  7. Emily from 'The Americanization of Emily'
(3:42)  8. Call Me Irresponsible from 'Papa's Delicate Condition'
(3:47)  9. Invitation from 'Life of Her Own'
(5:04) 10. Laura
(4:58) 11. Theme from 'The Odd Couple'
(4:17) 12. Never Let Me Go from 'Scarlet Hour'
(3:28) 13. The Bad and the Beautiful

Veteran altoist Herb Geller, who doubles on soprano, performs 13 songs that originated in Hollywood films on this CD. The underrated "Call Me Irresponsible" is taken as a duet with bassist Martin Wind while Geller duets with pianist Don Friedman on David Raskin's always-magnificent "The Bad and the Beautiful." The tunes feature the saxophonist with either a three- or four-piece rhythm section. Geller, who seems to have found the Fountain of Youth in Europe, sounds quite ageless, playing with power, creativity, and joy. In addition to a few standards, such pieces as "Troubled Waters," "Pawnbroker Theme," and a medley of "Taxi Driver" and "Marnie" are effectively revived. Respect is paid to each of the melodies before Geller and Friedman play melodic solos that derive logically from the themes. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/at-the-movies-mw0000580750

Personnel: Herb Geller (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Martien Oster (guitar); Martin Wind (double bass, bass guitar); Hans Braber (drums). Additional personnel: Don Friedman (piano).

At the Movies

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Charles Mingus - Mingus In Wonderland

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:12
Size: 101,3 MB
Art: Front

(12:18)  1. Nostalgia In Times Square
(10:08)  2. I Can't Get Started
(12:51)  3. No Private Income Blues
( 8:54)  4. Alice's Wonderland

This live date, recorded January 16, 1959 at Nonagon Art Gallery in New York City features John Handy on alto sax, Booker Ervin on tenor sax, Richard Wyands on piano, Dannie Richmond on drums, and Charles Mingus on bass. It's a chance to hear Mingus the bassist and Mingus the leader in action with a small group; the recording quality is excellent. The left channel provides the alto saxophone and the right channel provides the tenor saxophone. Mingus takes lengthy bass solos on three of the four numbers. "Nostalgia In Times Square" has that unique harmony at the beginning between alto and tenor sax; it's distinctive. As Handy moves through his first solo, it's interesting to hear Mingus, with his assertive bass pattern, change the tempo two times. Keeping the same form, Mingus does it again while Ervin moves out with his solo. Then, after a lengthy bass excursion, Mingus exchanges fours with drummer Richmond. They bounce ideas off each other, Mingus quoting "Dixie" and "Camptown Races" and Richmond quoting Gene Krupa. 

The ballad "I Can't Get Started" is a feature for John Handy, who stayed with Mingus through 1958 and 1959 and returned to the fold after the leader's death to perform with Mingus Dynasty and presently the Mingus Big Band. His strong lyrical approach presents a smooth melodic foray from start to finish. Mingus soars on a lengthy solo that stays mostly with the melody; his lyrical ballad work includes tremolos that sustain and embellishments that are woven into the framework. "No Private Income Blues" and "Alice's Wonderland" are lesser-known Mingus compositions. The up-tempo blues number features solo work from Handy and Ervin, one from each channel; Ervin's tenor is first and Handy second. It's interesting, this being a live session, to hear Ervin playing as he walks toward the microphone after Handy's solo; that begins a fiery exchange of fours and leads to twos and finally a rip-roaring two-saxophone blend where the different melodies are woven together. "Alice's Wonderland" is a slow piece with built-in imagery that finds the saxophones working both in unison and apart. Solo work from Mingus, Wyands, and Handy results in a lengthy and thought-provoking ballad. In the liner notes Nat Hentoff tells us that this tune and "Nostalgia In Times Square" were both written for the film "Shadows" produced by John Cassavetes. "Alice's Wonderland," however, was not used in the film; it was originally written for a love scene, and the sensitive approach used by Mingus for this one is quite special. ~ Jim Santella   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/mingus-in-wonderland-charles-mingus-blue-note-records-review-by-jim-santella.php#.U3ZPuii9a5w

Personnel: Charles Mingus (bass); John Handy (alto saxophone); Booker Ervin (tenor saxophone); Richard Wyands (piano); Dannie Richmond (drums).

Recording information: Nonagon Art Gallery, New York, NY (01/16/1959); Nonagon Gallery (01/16/1959).

Mingus In Wonderland

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Nina Ferro - Into The Light

Size: 113,8 MB
Time: 48:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Blues/Country/Jazz/Soul
Art: Front

01. To Get To My Heart (3:42)
02. When I Find You (3:51)
03. Plutonic Delirium (3:02)
04. Step Into The Light (3:31)
05. Cry Cry Cry (3:59)
06. Look Speak Fall (4:01)
07. I Turn To Stone (3:43)
08. I Never Wanted (4:13)
09. Dangerous Move (4:12)
10. Finish What You Started (3:45)
11. I'm In (3:08)
12. Let You Go (3:36)
13. All In The Name Of God (4:08)

The trick with a singer songwriter is always to finds a suitable niche with which to build their profile. In the case of Anglo Australian Nina Ferro things are slightly different. She’s already a multi award-winning vocalist, songwriter, session singer and recording artist, but the question remains how best to market a voice that can make ice melt at 20 paces?

The answer of course is Nashville. Not the Grand Ole Opry model of old, but the contemporary music scene that houses the likes of Dan Baird and Gary Nicholson, who contributes to this album. Then there’s the essential vision of guitarist /producer and project collaborator Sam Hawksley who has placed Nina’s versatile vocals within a roots rock, song-driven environment.

The assembled muso’s apparently nailed 16 songs in as many days and the 13 that made the cut are carried by a sense of purpose that permeates the album as a whole. Thereafter the subtle production emphasizes the harmony heavy hooks, and Nina’s occasional spine tingling phrasing.

And yet there’s still the question of how to label her? After all, there’s blues, jazz, soul, alt- country, and funk. Nina navigates a delicate balance between polished and by turns emotive singing, on a batch of songs that derive their equilibrium from carefully chosen song styles, and the consistency of her performances.

The outstanding thing about this album is that Nina brings such presence and authority to the material through her phrasing and interpretive skills, that the closing ‘All In The Name Of God’ comes as less of a shock than it might do. She shifts her focus from relationship songs to the lack of woman’s rights in different parts of the world and imbues the heartfelt lyrics with a spiritual quality that lifts the whole album beyond its mere commercial possibilities.

‘Into the Light’ is simply a magisterial album, and both her singing and the accompanying musicianship would be difficult to better. Whether Sam Hawksley heard something special before extending his invitation for her to go to Nashville, is something only he will know, but other than the rather formulaic opening track ‘To Get To My Heart’ – a predictable pedal steel guitar line meets a telegraphed chorus – and the radio friendly funk of ‘When I Found You’, this is an album that sparkles with her eloquent phrasing, pristine diction and intuitive timing over nuanced backing vocals.

The album builds subtly by degrees and flows naturally into the one of the album highlights, the percussive funk and ironic message of ‘Plutonic Delirium’. The title track in contrast, is a more relaxed funky groove with an uplifting chorus flecked by guitar and keyboard splashes.

And almost to order, she wraps her warm vocals round the slow blues of ‘Cry Cry Cry’ and hovers, swoops and soars magnificently on the piano led ‘I Turn To Stone’. On the funky ‘Dangerous Move’ the tightly wrapped rhythm section underpins Sam’s brief ascending guitar break to cut through the tension, before Nina’s second vocal attack takes things up a notch with some startling phrasing, on a song that could easily find a home on blues radio play list.

And it is the crossover appeal that makes ‘Into The Light’ more than just another MOR vocal album. There’s a nice ‘live in the studio’ feel, counterweighted by a polished production and Nina’s impressive interpretive skills to push the songs to their potential. And I guess it wouldn’t be Nashville without a brace of country tinged outings, with ‘Finish What You Started’ being the kind of relationship song that fits the old Nashville mould perfectly. And then there’s the confessional ballad ‘Let You Go’, on which she fills the track with a Karen Carpenter style vocal, except for the spiky lyrics given emphasis by a sudden tempo change: I’ve moved all the furniture around, I took all your pictures down, but I still feel the ghost of you, Erased your number from my phone, got use to sleeping all alone, I’ve been putting off the hardest thing to do’.

Sandwiched between the two, there’s the undulating funk of the rockier ‘I’m In’, which gives the album a notable lift at the three quarter mark, as she soars over a sweeping baking vocals in a perfect match of voice, song, and production. It’s also the track on which the session really sparks and nicely frames what has gone before.

‘Into The Light’ is full of good songs, well crafted musicianship and is shaped by Nina Ferro expressive vocals, which much like Amy Winehouse before her, makes light of any stylistic considerations. **** ~Review by Pete Feenstra

Into The Light

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Freyja - This Girl

Size: 111,0 MB
Time: 47:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Fold Your Hand (3:56)
02. Hearts (Les Coeurs Tendres) (4:17)
03. Seventh Son (2:40)
04. This Girl (4:25)
05. All In Grey (4:12)
06. Summer Fly (3:39)
07. Right To Cry (4:46)
08. Nature Boy (4:50)
09. Here's To Life (5:29)
10. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying (4:03)
11. Bye Bye Mon Bel Ange (5:06)

At last, the moment FREYjA's fans been all been waiting for. FREYjA went to Paris many years ago to work on a new album & here it is - with a mixture of her own stuff, & for the very first time, an album with her own sensitive renditions of some favourite french chansons & standards. This CD will take you on an emotional journey inspiring you to both celebrate & question life & love

This Girl

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The Real Thing - Back On Track

Size: 131,9 MB
Time: 57:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Jazz: Soul/Funk
Art: Front

01. Back On Track (2:20)
02. Silly Hat Walk (4:20)
03. Endless Stream (5:22)
04. Pickin' Chicken (4:49)
05. The Spring (5:13)
06. Olsson's Samba (4:35)
07. Pimblett's Pie (5:00)
08. Seemingly Unaffacted (4:35)
09. Minor Stretch (5:30)
10. New Swede Blues (5:42)
11. Do It Like That (3:36)
12. Wimbo (6:06)

The Real Thing (1992-1995) was a Soul Jazz Band from Oslo, Norway, founded in 1992 when Sigurd Køhn and Palle Wagnberg formed the forerunner, The B3 Blues Band with Vidar Busk and Hamlet Pedersen. They changed the name when Staffan William-Olsson and Fredrik Carl Stormer joined the band. Størmer was replaced by Torstein Ellingsen in 1995, and Ellingsen again by Børre Dalhaug in 1998. Due to the sudden death of the band's saxophonist Sigurd Køhn in December 2004 The Real Thing was hibernating until a reunion in 2010.

The quartet released eight albums, their debut in 1992 with the album The Real Thing and later both live and studio recordings. They for the most play original music, combining influences from American Blue Note jazz (represented by people such aslike Jimmy Smith, George Benson and Wes Montgomery) and elements from modern popular music. The result is a mixture of genres including swing, blues, soul, Latin, funk and rock.

Personnel:
Paul Wagnberg - Hammond organ
Staffan William-Olsson - guitar
Torstein Ellingsen - drums
Dave Edge - alto saxophone

Back On Track

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Erane - Artigos Variados

Size: 62,0 MB
Time: 26:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: MPB, Blues
Art: Front

01. Dream A Little Dream Of Me (2:50)
02. Meditaçao (3:27)
03. Light My Fire (3:25)
04. A Queda D'agua (1:30)
05. Estrada Do Sol (3:19)
06. Roxanne (4:02)
07. Da Maior Importancia (4:35)
08. Misterios (3:24)

Artigos Variados apresenta canções da MPB e Blues com arranjos de qualidade e interpretação singular.

Este senhor austero bate à minha porta: o tempo, como diz Machado, esse tecido invisível em que se pode bordar tudo. Dentro de mim, desde sempre, a paixão pela música me acompanha e graças a ela aprendi também a cuidadosa e delicada condição para a escuta em psicanálise. Somos nós parceiras na solidão, na alegria e na dor, num interminável casamento onde o som e a poesia possibilitam expressar e compartilhar as emoções mais profundas e imponderáveis.
Numa singela homenagem a esta fonte de arte e vida, capaz de tocar na alma de todos, além das idades, credos e etnias decidi produzir “Artigos Variados”, porque algo pulsa há mais de 50 anos em mim e, quem sabe, democrática e amorosamente também possa alcançar outros que partilham das mesmas emoções. ~Erane Paladino

Personnel:
Erane Paladino: Vocais
Flavio Ianuzzi: Piano
Kiko Perrone: Violão e guitarras
Bruno Migotto: Baixo
Vitor Cabral: Bateria
Ricardo Takahachi: Cordas
Welligton “Pimpa” Moreira: Percussão
Julia Donley Gonzales: Flauta
Elton Lu e Clara Hennel: Backing vocais

Artigos Variados

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Lionel Hampton - Ring Dem Bells

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 48:49
Size: 111.8 MB
Styles: Vibraphone jazz, Big Band
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[3:08] 1. Hampton Stomp
[3:15] 2. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[3:00] 3. Stompology
[2:47] 4. China Stomp (Chinatown)
[3:27] 5. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
[2:56] 6. Piano Stomp (Shine)
[3:03] 7. After You've Gone
[3:22] 8. Ring Dem Bells
[2:33] 9. Don't Be That Way
[3:23] 10. Shoe Shiner's Drag
[3:14] 11. Memories Of You
[2:12] 12. When Lights Are Low
[2:52] 13. I've Found A New Baby
[3:24] 14. Shades Of Jade
[3:08] 15. Jack The Bellboy
[2:57] 16. Flying Home

The word jazz and the term "mass appeal" are seldom used in the same sentence. Occasionally, a well-marketed jazz artist will connect with popular culture -- singer Diana Krall, for example -- but label execs usually assume that jazz won't sell as well as rock, R&B, rap, country, adult contemporary, or Latin music. However, there was a time when jazz did, in fact, enjoy mass appeal. It was called the swing era, and Lionel Hampton was among the many swing stars who connected with popular culture even though he wasn't a pop artist. Assembled by Bluebird/RCA in 2002, this collection spans 1937-1940 and takes listeners back to a time when Hampton reached the pop market by playing warm, soulful, infectious, hard-swinging jazz. The disc is full of five-star gems from the vibist's early period, including "On the Sunny Side of the Street," "Memories of You," and Hampton's signature song "Flying Home." And the list of sidemen reads like a who's who of swing -- people like Ziggy Ellman, Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster, and Nat King Cole. So why doesn't Ring Dem Bells merit a higher rating? For one thing, it isn't terribly generous by CD standards. The disc clocks in at around 49 minutes, and RCA could have easily provided another 30 minutes' worth of material. But the main problem is the sound quality; these recordings sound a lot scratchier and noisier on Ring Dem Bells than they do on other Hampton CDs that RCA has put out. This time, Bluebird/RCA's digital remastering leaves much to be desired. The haunting "Shades of Jade," for example, sounds a lot cleaner on Tempo and Swing (a 1992 release) than it does here. This carelessly assembled reissue simply doesn't do justice to an artist of Hampton's magnitude. ~Alex Henderson

Ring Dem Bells

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Come Shine - Do Do That Voodoo

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:08
Size: 114.8 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[4:00] 1. Saga Of Harrison Crabfeathers
[7:20] 2. My Favourite Things
[4:18] 3. Memories Of You
[2:55] 4. You'll Have To Swing It
[5:12] 5. You've Changed
[3:58] 6. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
[7:00] 7. Nature Boy
[6:13] 8. April In Paris
[4:58] 9. Love For Sale
[4:07] 10. You Do Something To Me

In an unprecedented fashion, Come Shine burst into the national sales charts with their second album “Do that voodoo”. Rave, nearly hysterical reviews followed in the wake of the album’s release, solidifying “Do that voodoo’s” and Come Shine’s positions as jazz release and band of the year. “Do that voodoo’s” focus is on standards – tunes such as My favourite things, Nature Boy and Somewhere over the rainbow that have seen countless interpretations and performances over the years. What sets Come Shine’s renditions apart from the vast majority of standard interpretations is the ensemble’s ability to make the listener feel that the tunes have never heard before. The quartet’s confident, skilled, visionary and aesthetic playing provides a platform from which the tunes grow into new entities – freed from the constraints of past performances and interpretations. ~ Tomas Lauvland Pettersen

Do Do That Voodoo

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Ella Fitzgerald - Miss Ella's Playhouse

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 30:55
Size: 70.8 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[2:35] 1. A Tisket A Tasket
[2:47] 2. Organ Grinder's Swing - Single Version
[2:23] 3. The Muffin Man - Single Version
[3:04] 4. Chew-Chew-Chew (Chew Your Bubble Gum) - Single Version
[2:43] 5. Melinda The Mousie
[2:39] 6. Old Mother Hubbard
[2:41] 7. Molasses, Molasses (It's Icky Sticky Goo)
[3:06] 8. The Bean Bag Song
[3:24] 9. Two Little Men In A Flying Saucer - Single Version
[3:15] 10. The Hot Canary - Single Version
[2:13] 11. Old Mcdonald

It's hard to know if Ella Fitzgerald simply recorded so much material during her life that she just happened to record an album's worth of children's music, or if she truly had a predilection for sing-song novelties. Whatever the reason, the great lady of song churned out enough kid-worthy material to make up this 2008 compilation, which has been titled MISS ELLA'S PLAYHOUSE, and marketed to children ages 1-4. Interestingly, the integrity of Ella's music is in no way compromised by the set. Sure, the material is light and whimsical, but this only enhances her artistry, making it accessible on a number of levels. The set list spans her career too, beginning with 1938's "A Tisket a Tasket" and ending with 1966's "Old McDonald." It's musically flawless, and fun for all ages.

Miss Ella's Playhouse

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David Crosby - Croz

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:58
Size: 107.5 MB
Styles: Rock
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:48] 1. What's Broken
[3:50] 2. Time I Have
[3:42] 3. Holding On To Nothing
[3:58] 4. The Clearing
[3:46] 5. Radio
[4:17] 6. Slice Of Time
[3:58] 7. Set That Baggage Down
[4:57] 8. If She Called
[5:56] 9. Dangerous Night
[3:41] 10. Morning Falling
[5:01] 11. Find A Heart

"The best solo record David Crosby has made, without a doubt. Beautifully produced and recorded, the musicianship is so tasteful. His voice sounds as good as it ever was." ~Glyn Johns

Croz is David Crosby's first studio album in over 20 years, a collection of 11 new tracks from one of America's most notable singer-songwriters and two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. Croz also features guest appearances from Wynton Marsalis, Mark Knopfler, Leland Sklar and Steve Tavaglione.

Croz

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Jeanette Lindstrom & Steve Dobrogosz - Feathers

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:35
Size: 150,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:33)  1. Butterfly
(7:25)  2. Never Let Me Go
(4:12)  3. The Look Of Love
(3:49)  4. Love Makes You Suffer
(5:17)  5. Both Sides, Now
(5:14)  6. My Hands
(6:24)  7. Almost Blue
(5:09)  8. Like Water
(5:51)  9. Breakfast at Tiffany's  Moon River
(3:47) 10. To Whom It May Concern
(3:59) 11. Future Window
(5:27) 12. You Are There
(4:20) 13. Deep Space

Feathers travels a different road than Jeanette Lindström's previous albums. Where earlier releases have her sounding like an Afro-American singer with overtones of Abbey Lincoln and Diane Reeves, her newest is introspective and soft. There is no hint of soul, R&B, or anything resembling an up-tempo pace. This change of rhythms may have something to do with the label. Her earlier recordings were with Caprice, which has featured African/Middle Eastern music. Sweden's Prophone, on the other hand, not only records jazz, but classical as well, and probably is a bit more conservative. It may also have something to do with her fellow performer; Steve Dobrogosz's compositions and recordings are calm and collected as the listener will find out since there are four of his tunes on the 13 tune play list. His songs are also characterized by disconsolate, and in one case, cruel lyrics "So I reached out to rub off its color, break its small body, and pull off its wings" on "Butterfly." Maybe there's an allegory here somewhere. 

Then there's the not so appealing conclusion that "Love Makes You Suffer." Even tunes that one normally hears played if not in quick, at least in medium tempos, are offered in unusually slow measures. But there are gems here as well. Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" has an ethereal quality about it with Lindström's voice floating above the Mozart sonata-like piano of Dobrogosz. The Andy Williams' monster hit "Moon River" opens with a lengthy Dobrogosz introduction which changes the phrasing and accents of this tune, giving it a much different play than Williams'. The hopeful lyrics are sung with an appropriate feeling of longing. Every now and then, one needs to take down an album from the shelf if for nothing else than as a proper backdrop for quiet times. You could do a lot worse than purchasing this CD for that purpose. ~ Dave Nathan   http://www.allmusic.com/album/feathers-mw0001154452

Feathers

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Sharon Marie Cline - This Is Where I Wanna Be

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:32
Size: 137,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:58)  1. Love Dance
(3:40)  2. Happy Talk
(4:36)  3. Sugar On My Lips
(4:28)  4. Laughter in the Rain
(6:38)  5. I Wanna Be Loved
(6:09)  6. This Is Where I Wanna Be
(4:03)  7. If Dreams Come True
(6:51)  8. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:21)  9. Why Can't You Behave
(6:05) 10. How Long Has This Been Going On
(2:55) 11. Deed I Do
(3:43) 12. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars

"This album is a passion piece ... a coming of age project for me. It embodies my fantasies, my dreams, my history, my optimism, and my soul. There is more and more to express each day, yet this album is a launching point for me. So quite literally This Is Where I Wanna Be " This is the kind of album you can pop into the stereo in the car and play on a road trip, or stay at home and curl up by a fire with a loved one... It's romantic, it's dreamy, it's lush and it is swinging!   http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sharonmariecline4

This Is Where I Wanna Be

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Bennie Wallace - The Nearness Of You

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:08
Size: 119,8 MB
Art: Front

(9:23)  1. Come Rain or Come Shine
(5:06)  2. Willow Weep For Me
(4:18)  3. Crazy He Calls Me
(3:52)  4. Cocktails for 2
(4:58)  5. Why Was I Born
(5:56)  6. The Nearness of You
(4:40)  7. You Were Never Lovelier  I'm Old Fashioned
(5:20)  8. My Fair Lady  I've Grown Accustomed to Your Face
(3:59)  9. Some Other Spring
(4:33) 10. 'Tis Autumn

In their quest to beef up a CD’s exposure, good-intentioned industry insiders can sometimes unintentionally steer an album down a dead-end path. On the cover of Bennie Wallace’s The Nearness of You, a voluptuous woman clings to his shoulder looking seductively at his sax. The liner notes feature another babe in a low-cut evening dress resting on a piano with a sax. Viagra-infused lounge lizards trying to impress their first dates with their impeccable taste in mood music and Park Avenue dinner party hostesses seeking lightly rendered jazz standards that won’t overpower the table talk are the established target audiences for this CD. The industry folks just don’t get it: Bennie Wallace (tenor sax), Kenny Barron (piano) and Eddie Gomez (bass) are just too talented to be pigeon-holed into a straight-ahead, mostly easy listening standards album. 

Basically, it’s a nice album but not something that excites the senses, starts the juices flowing or forces you to confront new interpretations and ideas. In sum, it’s a pleasant disc but not one you’ll want to pop into the player on a regular basis. Having offered that much criticism, I would be remiss not to say that there are moments here that are truly delightful. Take for example, Kenny Barron’s soulful blues playing on Ann Ronell’s "Willow Weep for Me." Or Wallace and Gomez’s outstanding duo on Sam Coslow’s and Arthur Johnson’s "Cocktails for Two." The last track, Henry Nemo’s "’Tis Autumn," includes fine solos by all three musicians. ~ Rich Friedman   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-nearness-of-you-bennie-wallace-enja-records-review-by-rich-friedman.php#.U3I46ihnAqY

Personnel: Bennie Wallace: Tenor Saxophone; Eddie Gomez: Bass; Kenny Barron: Piano.

The Nearness Of You

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Big Organ Trio - Big Organ Trio

Size: 95,8 MB
Time: 41:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006
Styles: Jazz: Funk/Rock
Art: Front

01. Diva Mode (4:24)
02. Number 9 (4:40)
03. Holy Roller (4:22)
04. Down And Dirty (3:51)
05. Earthquake (1:27)
06. Organ Grinder (4:33)
07. Dim The Lights (4:33)
08. Showtime (3:57)
09. Clown Boy (4:28)
10. Road Rage (4:51)

Big Organ Trio, (Mike Mangan - Hammond B3 Organ; Bernie Bauer - Electric Bass; Brett McConnell - Drums), whose debut album was recorded and mixed entirely on analog tape, welcomes several guest musicians into the studio. Guitarist Ken Barclay, sax and flute player Mike Sirkin, and percussionist Damion Corideo, all lend their talents to several songs.

On the first track, Diva Mode, Bauer and McConnell lay down a powerful funk groove ala James Brown and Bootsy Collins. This cut features spectacular sax solos, ripping organ solos by Mangan, as well as infectious percussion.

Number 9, an energy-packed boogaloo with a few clever time signature twists, introduces some tasty guitar work, utilizes percussion, and exhibits an organ solo that explodes with a fire and tone comparable to Jimi Hendrix.

Holy Roller starts as a soulful gospel/pop tune, utilizing some classic Hammond tones and more guitar. The tune ends with a lively double-time romp that highlights a rollicking Allman Brothers-style slide guitar and organ duel.

Down and Dirty is a trio-only tune that displays a hard funk groove and some of the nastiest tones and riffs on the album.

Earthquake is a specialty track.....a minute and a half of one the craziest organ swells ever put on tape.

Organ Grinder starts with a mellow psychedelic mood while incorporating flute and percussion. The song utilizes a very creative Latin rhythm arrangement for drums, and ends with a hair-raising organ, drums, and percussion extravaganza reminiscent of early Santana.

Dim the Lights is a trio-only tune, and boasts a slow and crazy rock riff coupled with some odd time shifts and powerful Pink Floyd-esque organ and bass solos.

Showtime is an upbeat and funky trio-only cut with amazing band interplay, showcasing spectacular solos from each member and an undeniable groove.

Clown Boy is a trio-only track and features a wonderfully rickety groove, an amazing drum solo ala Elvin Jones, and some maniacal high velocity organ runs.

The last tune's name, Road Rage, speaks for itself. It offers a deep funk groove coupled with some burning bass and organ solos, a little percussion fueled spice, and more cleverly placed Latin grooves pulled off beautifully on the drums.

Big Organ Trio

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Terry Blaine & Mark Shane - My Blue Heaven

Size: 128,9 MB
Time: 55:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Retro Swing
Art: Front

01. My Blue Heaven (3:39)
02. Honeysuckle Rose (3:55)
03. Ain't He Sweet (2:26)
04. Skylark (5:02)
05. Lock And Key (3:24)
06. My Melancholy Baby (4:24)
07. Rockin' Chair (3:08)
08. I Love Being Here With You (3:47)
09. The Nearness Of You (5:52)
10. There'll Be Some Changes Made (2:45)
11. My Special Friend Is Back In Town (3:34)
12. Come Up And See Me Sometime (4:03)
13. Let's Do It (3:12)
14. Some Of These Days (3:38)
15. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (2:38)

Terry Blaine and Mark Shane are remarkable transmitters of wondrous vibrations. In the Thirties they would have been called “solid senders.” Although they have lovingly studied the great improvisers of the past, they emerge whole and joyous as themselves. In swinging synergy, Terry and Mark travel through and beyond any song. Hearing them, we emerge, refreshed and nourished by what they embody in music. They do not “imitate”; they do not approach the music from an ironic postmodern distance. They are the emotions they transmit – sly hilarity, pleasure, longing, romantic fulfillment, contentment. This is the real thing, without pretense, full of warmth.

In the first minutes of this disc, a listener will hear great sincerity in music that never parades itself, an art secure in its wisdom. Terry’s voice is sweetly intuitive, connected to the mood of each song. The way she slides from one note to the next is a caress. Her approach is both generous and wise, for she always lets the song shine through. Mark Shane is a master of delicate yet profound swing; he honors the great musical traditions by creating an orchestra at the piano, with unceasing rhythmic motion. A simple melody statement in his hands has the fluidity of a river, with currents of shading and light, surprising depths and textures. Mark and Terry are a marvelous team, a musical community that needs no other players. Their interpretations of music and words are whole-hearted gifts to the composers, the lyricists, and to us.

We know what our response to this music is: it makes us feel the joy of being alive.

My Blue Heaven

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Marly Marques 5tet - So Ar Ser

Size: 136,2 MB
Time: 58:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Life = Cake (5:16)
02. Baile De Desfase (5:11)
03. 21St Century Man (3:12)
04. He's Trouble (5:45)
05. Só Ar Ser (6:34)
06. Seven Nation Army (5:24)
07. You Go To My Head (6:05)
08. Sweethearth (4:37)
09. Hard Times (5:45)
10. Lagrimas Negras (5:24)
11. Insensatez (5:38)

Marly Marques was born in Luxembourg into a Portuguese family. She discovered her passion for music at a young age, endowed with her grandfather’s good ear for music, lulled by her mother’s Fado and deeply moved by her father’s closeness with the music and culture of Angola.

To put it in a nutshell, Marly Marques Quintet is said to be « the wedding between a dazzling and warm voice, belonging to a ravishingly spontaneous and moving singer, and the delightful jazz tempo of four talented musicians, resulting in a brilliant sound explosion ».

The band does not hesitate to venture on the world music field, but without denying its jazzy roots. The musicians know how to entangle jazz standards with their own compositions, sometimes even tackling a few pop standards (for instance « Seven Nation Army » by the White Stripes). To finish, the Marly Marques Quintet succeeds in distinguishing itself thanks to the Portuguese, Spanish and English authentic lyrics on original compostions, that bring a very smart touch to the performances of the band.

Personnel:
Marly Marques (vocals)
Jitz Jeitz (saxophone, clarinet)
Claude Shaus (piano, keys)
Laurent Peckels (electric bass, double bass)
Paul Fox (drums)

So Ar Ser

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Various - Rave On Buddy Holly

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:40
Size: 116.0 MB
Styles: Rock
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[2:01] 1. The Black Keys - Dearest
[2:17] 2. Fiona Apple - Everyday
[4:32] 3. Paul McCartney - It's So Easy
[3:59] 4. Florence & The Machine - Not Fade Away
[1:28] 5. Cee Lo Green - (You're So Square) Baby, I Don't Care
[2:23] 6. Karen Elson - Crying, Waiting, Hoping
[1:54] 7. Julian Casablancas - Rave On
[2:09] 8. Jenny O. - I'm Gonna Love You Too
[2:05] 9. Justin Towne Earle - Maybe Baby
[2:14] 10. She & Him - Oh Boy!
[1:38] 11. Nick Lowe - Changing All Those Changes
[3:18] 12. Patti Smith - Words Of Love
[3:22] 13. My Morning Jacket - True Love Ways
[2:12] 14. Modest Mouse - That'll Be The Day
[2:06] 15. Kid Rock - Well All Right
[2:16] 16. The Detroit Cobras - Heartbeat
[3:15] 17. Lou Reed - Peggy Sue
[3:55] 18. John Doe - Peggy Sue Got Married
[3:27] 19. Graham Nash - Raining In My Heart

2011 tribute to Rock 'n' Roll pioneer Buddy Holly. The set opens with bluesy revivalists the Black Keys tackling "Dearest," and comes to a close with Graham Nash revisiting "Raining In My Heart." In between, the likes of She & Him take on "Oh Boy," Modest Mouse remakes "That'll Be the Day" and Karen Elson, with husband Jack White, refashions "Crying, Waiting, Hoping." Florence + the Machine cover one of Holly's signature songs in "Not Fade Away," and Fiona Apple, largely absent since the release of her last album in 2005, teams up again with Jon Brion for "Every Day." McCartney, long a champion of Holly's work (he produced and hosted tribute film "The Real Buddy Holly Story") sings "It's So Easy."

Rave On Buddy Holly

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Arturo Sandoval - Collection

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 81:26
Size: 186.4 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:16] 1. Be-Bop
[7:32] 2. Manteca
[3:50] 3. Flight To Freedom
[5:39] 4. Joy Spring
[5:13] 5. The Latin Trane
[4:56] 6. Daahoud
[3:57] 7. La Guarapachanga
[5:06] 8. Caprichosos De La Habana
[4:09] 9. I Remember Clifford
[5:22] 10. A Mis Abuelos
[5:54] 11. Parisian Thoroughfare
[5:06] 12. Cherokee
[6:15] 13. Danzon
[8:14] 14. Swingin'
[5:50] 15. I Left This Space For You

A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on November 6, 1949, just two years after Gillespie became the first musician to bring Latin influences into American Jazz. Sandoval began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world. He has since evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugel horn, as well as a renowned classical artist, pianist and composer.

Sandoval has been awarded 10 Grammy Awards, and nominated 19 times; he has also received 6 Billboard Awards and an Emmy Award. The latter for his composing work on the entire underscore of the HBO movie based on his life, “For Love or Country” starring Andy Garcia. His two latest Grammy award winning albums, “Dear Diz “Everyday I think of you” and Tango “Como Yo Te Siento” are now available worldwide. Recently released, is a new book chronicling his relationship with Dizzy Gillespie entitled “The Man Who Changed My Life”. Arturo is also the 2013 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Collection

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Sharon Lee Grace - Here's To Life

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:40
Size: 147,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:22)  1. Baby It's Cold Outside
(5:04)  2. But Beautiful
(4:32)  3. Some Of My Best Friends Are The Blues
(4:59)  4. It Don't Mean A Thing ( If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(4:31)  5. I Ain't Got Nothin But The Blues
(3:25)  6. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
(5:06)  7. When Did You Leave Heaven
(2:55)  8. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
(2:40)  9. Happiness Is Just A Thing Called Joe
(4:55) 10. You Don't Know What Love Is
(7:26) 11. I Wish You Love
(5:29) 12. Moondance
(7:09) 13. Here's To Life

"Here's To Life" This CD shows the versatility in improvisation, distinctive tone colors and personal performance techniques of Sharon Lee Grace Vocalist, Dana Marsh Piano, Michael Berry Drums, Rich Lamb Bass and Bob Rebholz on Sax and Flute. Sharon Lee Grace was born in Boston, Massachusetts, she is an Alto- Mezzo- Soprano whose vocals are soothing with grace or harsh with vigor, her diction is perfect and her natural vibrato colors and embellishes certain notes as she sings. Sharon's improvisation of timing is credited to old movies of ragtime music, for she is an old soul of back alley blues and jazz. Sharon states "every vocalist wants to be identified by their own originality yet I cannot help wanting to just touch the spirits of the great vocalist that I so much respect and admire. Sarah Vaughn, Alberta Hunter, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainy, Billie Holiday, Judy Garland and the great Ella Fitzgerald and Shirley Horn. "Here's To Life" title was not only selected for its beautiful music and lyrics, it resonated a personal fit for Sharon's return to the World of Music. Many people ask Sharon how she selects her songs to record, " I believe they select me, she laughs" Example, while in session recording, Michael Berry suggested she sing Moondance, Sharon responded," lets do it". One take and it was recorded. 

Sometimes the music selects you. This CD' begins with the great classic pop standard, "Baby It's Cold Outside' Sharon and Dana Marsh's playful duet is genuinely charming, you literally can feel the musicians smiling as they play. This nostalgic song will have you tapping along with a sense of joy. Then it takes a complete change to the enchanted Classic Jazz Song, "But Beautiful" accompanied by the talented Matt Kendrick on Bass, Frederic Pivetta on Piano, John Wilson on drums and the multi-talented Bob Rebholz on Sax. Sharon's musical delivery and technique shows her natural vibrato, perfect pitch, precise intonation and perfect diction. Notice her flexible range in pitch and rhythm, the subtle delay of a note, the extension of another across the beat, her control of both her voice and her musical ideas allow her to manipulate time in a very creative way. Just when you think it can't get any better, its Duke Ellington's" It Don't Mean A Thing (if it ain't got that swing) intro begins with a "call and response" between Sharon and elite Sax player Bob Rebholz. The song intensifies in its rhythmic swing as the amazing talented Michael Berry on drums kicks off "a call and "response" to Sharon, which leads to the phenomenal gifted playing of Dana Marsh on Piano to the extraordinary talent of Rich Lamb on Bass. The solos of these musicians explode in their individuality of sound, overall tone color and natural technique. Just when you think it is over Bass player Rich Lamb, leaves you smiling again. It is evident that Vocalist Sharon Lee Grace has made her personal original stamped signature on these thirteen songs. The Bluesy Blues song "I Ain't Got Nothin But The Blues" shows Sharon often singing around the beat, accenting notes either just before or after it. 

She manages to get a yearning quality into some of her phrases along with her natural ability of scoops and slides again show her innate uniqueness of her instrument. It truly is a musical journey as Sharon venues into the realm of Elegance as she sings, "I Wish You Love" in French and English. Then ends with the titled song of her first CD, "Here's To Life" This CD is unique as it's players, although it may sound like a cliche you can feel the love of each individual doing what they love to do. Sharon will perform her first Concert with a Symphony in February of 2009 called, Jus Me and The Music' of, Butler & Molinary/Sondheim, Ellington/Strayhorn, Porter, Berlin, Gershwin, Mercer, Arlen, Kander & Ebb, just name a few. Up coming performances will be listed on her web-site, as her music takes her to Europe in March of 2009.~ Promoter/Agent  Lawrence T. Goldstein   http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7792998&style=music&fulldesc=T

Here's To Life

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Carmen Cuesta-Loeb - One Kiss

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:38
Size: 102,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:45)  1. Tell me something
(4:33)  2. While my guitar gently sleeps
(2:47)  3. All there is
(4:12)  4. What's next
(3:26)  5. Summer dream
(2:34)  6. Si...
(5:28)  7. Don't look back
(3:30)  8. One kiss
(5:42)  9. Child
(3:57) 10. How insensitive
(4:39) 11. A la luz

This album completes the "Sophisticated Pop" trilogy of the New York based singer with SKIP. The basic versions of the tracks recorded for "One Kiss" had, for the most part, already come about prior to "Peace Of Mind" , her debut album for SKIP. What's important is that they have now received what studios term "final form and finesse". The amazingly transparent production presents mostly originals in English and occasionally in Spanish, the fragile instrumentation of top studio-musicians like Wolfgang Haffner (drums), Tim Lefebvre (bass) or Manolo Badrena (percussion) is a perfect undercurrent of sounds laid down to match the intensity of her delicate vocals. On top solistic contributions of Chuck Loeb (guitar) or the saxofonists Bill Evans or Nelson Rangell create sophisticated musical environment.

On this album Carmen Cuesta-Loeb has again chosen two cover versions of such great composers in Pop music history as Antonio Carlos Jobim and George Harrison. While Jobim's "How Insensitive" has an urgent beauty to it that makes the lyrics perceivable in a unique way, the treatment of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" has surely never been given such a sparkle in such lucent simplicity. "One Kiss" is another piece of proof that Pop music can move within a sophisticated musical environment, yet still reach a large number of wide-ranging music-lovers.... http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ccuestaloeb3

Personnel: Carmen Cuesta (vocals, background vocals); Christina Loeb (vocals, flute); Chuck Loeb (guitar, keyboards, drum programming); Howard Levy (harmonica); Bill Evans (soprano saxophone); Nelson Rangell, Andy Snitzer (alto saxophone); Jon Werking (piano, keyboards); Andy LaVerne (piano); Tim Lefebvre (acoustic bass); Wolfgang Haffner (drums, shaker); Zach Danziger (drums); David Charles, Manolo Badrena (percussion); Will Lee (background vocals).

One Kiss

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