Marianne Matheny-Katz - Somewhere In Paradise

Size: 108,9 MB
Time: 46:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Our Love Is Here To Stay (5:06)
02. Whisper Not (3:35)
03. All Blues (5:22)
04. Fair Weather (4:57)
05. Comes Love (4:45)
06. The Way You Look Tonight (3:24)
07. Still We Dream (Ugly Beauty) (3:24)
08. You Must Believe In Spring (6:28)
09. You Taught My Heart To Sing (5:49)
10. Look For The Silver Lining (3:57)

Somewhere in Paradise features engaging jazz standards with surprising new arrangements. In the liner notes, jazz critic John Murph calls Matheny-Katz “a captivating singer [who] possesses a quintessential jazz voice, which she enlivens with lissome, conversational phrasing.”

The disc features some of Baltimore’s best musicians, including reed players Todd Marcus, Tim Green, Craig Alston; bassist Eric Wheeler; pianist Vince Evans; drummer Eric Kennedy; and superstar Warren Wolf on vibraphone, piano and drums. Also featured is Philadelphia trumpeter Terell Stafford.

Born in Staten Island, Matheny-Katz spent her teens singing folk music in coffeehouses. She left the stage for a decade to raise a family, but after moving to the Mid-Atlantic region, returned as a blues singer. For 11 years, she performed and recorded with Maryland based group Park House Jam.

Her move into jazz was dramatic. She entered Baltimore’s annual Billie Holiday competition in 2000. She took second place in the prestigious competition that year and again in 2002, and was subsequently invited to perform in a Billie Holiday tribute concert at Artscape 2010 at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

Matheny-Katz studied jazz vocals with Vince Evans, JD Walter and mentor Jay Clayton. She formed the M2K Jazz Ensemble in 2003. She has performed in the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, New Jersey Jazz Festival, Patterson Park Concert series, the Eubie Blake Center, Germano’s, The Carlyle Club, Acton Jazz Café (near Boston), and often at the Tremont, Radisson and Colonnade Hotels in Baltimore.

In 2007 she and her husband Howard Katz opened Jazzway 6004, presenting top-notch local and touring talent. (Downbeat Magazine named it one of the nation’s top three house concert venues.) The two are also producing a documentary film on Baltimore jazz, directed by Jonathan Bevers. “Tell Me More—and Then Some” is due out in 2015. Meanwhile the savvy singer maintains a busy performance schedule.

Somewhere In Paradise

---

Various - Saturday Afternoon Jazz

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 62:13
Size: 142.4 MB
Styles: Smooth jazz, Mainstream jazz, Standards
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[4:48] 1. Mary Stallings - Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[5:53] 2. Tal Farlow - Nuages
[5:45] 3. Ken Peplowski - The Best Things In Life Are Free
[7:53] 4. Gene Harris, Jack McDuff - Soft Winds
[4:26] 5. Karrin Allyson - O Barquinho
[4:55] 6. The Monty Alexander Trio - The Summer Wind
[3:47] 7. Scott Hamilton, Howard Alden - Chelsea Bridge
[5:47] 8. Toots Thielemans - Hello Young Lovers
[5:25] 9. Howard Roberts - Dolphin Dance
[3:09] 10. George Shearing - On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[6:32] 11. Bill Mays - I'm Just A Lucky So And So
[3:48] 12. Joey DeFrancesco - Young At Heart

Another volume of classic jazz from the popular Concord series, Saturday Afternoon Jazz presents a collection of smooth yet vibrant music including songs from Django Reinhardt, Billy Strayhorn, Herbie Hancock, and Fletch Henderson. ~Stacia Proefrock

Saturday Afternoon Jazz

---

Don Grolnick - Hearts And Numbers

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 38:28
Size: 88.1 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1985/2010
Art: Front

[6:12] 1. Pointing At The Moon
[3:04] 2. More Pointing
[5:14] 3. Pools
[5:10] 4. Regrets
[5:23] 5. The Four Sleepers
[5:20] 6. Human Bites
[4:58] 7. Act Natural
[3:04] 8. Hearts And Numbers

Don Grolnick was a subtle and rather underrated pianist throughout his career, but his flexibility and talents were well known to his fellow musicians. Grolnick played in rock bands while a teenager but was always interested in jazz. He worked in the early fusion group Dreams (1969-1971), the Brecker Brothers (starting in 1975), and in the early '80s with Steps Ahead. He has long been a busy session musician often utilized by pop singers. In the 1980s, Grolnick appeared in many settings including with Joe Farrell, George Benson, Peter Erskine, David Sanborn, John Scofield, Mike Stern, and the Bob Mintzer big band.

Don Grolnick is heard at his best on his Hip Pocket debut Hearts and Numbers (1986), and on his two Blue Note albums, which have been reissued as a double-CD. ~bio by Scott Yanow

Hearts And Numbers

---

Judy Collins - Hard Time For Lovers

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 37:18
Size: 85.4 MB
Styles: Folk, Easy Listening
Year: 1979/2013
Art: Front

[3:52] 1. Hard Times For Lovers
[3:10] 2. Marie
[3:08] 3. Happy End
[3:29] 4. Desperado
[3:56] 5. I Remember Sky
[4:26] 6. Starmaker
[4:33] 7. Dorothy
[3:37] 8. Theme From The Universal Picture The Promise (I'll Never Say Goodbye )
[3:25] 9. Theme From Ice Castles (Through The Eyes Of Love) - From The Columbia Motion Picture
[3:38] 10. Where Or When

After scoring an unexpected chart hit with her rendition of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns" and the accompanying Judith album in 1975, Judy Collins seemed to lose career and musical momentum on her follow-up, Bread and Roses. Hard Times for Lovers was an attempt to recapture the momentum of the Judith album and also to update her image. The latter mostly took the form of a striking front-and-back nude photo of Collins (discreetly cropped and framed) on the album's cover; the design boosted her already high stock among adherents of the woman's movement, but engendered some controversy in more politically conservative circles. The musical content, however, was about half of what it should have been -- the title track (authored by Hugh Prestwood) was moderately catchy and memorable, and Collins also covered material by Randy Newman, Carole Bayer Sager, the Eagles, and Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, but there was little excitement or tension to any of the material here, and her voice sounded thin and strained at times. The track that should have elicited the greatest interest, Stephen Sondheim's "I Remember Sky" -- from a lost ABC television-spawned musical called Evening Primrose -- was strangely under-recorded which, coupled with a lack of richness in Collins' singing, left it intrinsically haunting (a fundamental attribute of the composition itself) but pale and inaccessible. "Starmaker" was another good tune that Collins simply failed to carry all the way in the manner that she had with "Send in the Clowns." "Dorothy," by Hugh Prestwood, is a beautiful and fascinating piece of Oz-ephemera inspired by L. Frank Baum's books and the MGM movie, with a gorgeous chorus, and is arguably -- along with the title cut -- the most successful song on the album. Perhaps the strangest part of the album was its second side, which offered a pair of film-related songs associated with a pair of affliction-based romances, Gilbert Cates' disastrous The Promise and Donald Wrye's more successful Ice Castles. Unfortunately, neither was a terribly inspiring recording. Only on the final track, Collins' rendition of Rodgers & Hart's "Where or When," does she really hint at what could have been for this album, her singing and the arrangement evoking depth, power, and beauty somewhat reminiscent but still short of the Judith LP. [Note: This was the only original '70s-era Collins album that wasn't remastered by WEA during the mid-'90s.] ~Bruce Eder

Hard Time For Lovers

---

Delicatessen - My Baby Just Cares For Me

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 43:24
Size: 99.4 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:40] 1. Don't Be That Way/Águas De Março
[3:45] 2. Mickey
[2:54] 3. He's Funny That Way
[4:01] 4. My Melancholy Baby
[3:05] 5. Be Careful, It's My Heart
[3:11] 6. My Baby Just Cares For Me
[4:52] 7. You've Chanched
[2:28] 8. Why Don't You Do Right
[4:18] 9. How Long Has This Been Going On
[4:59] 10. My Foolish Heart
[3:26] 11. Delicatessen
[2:39] 12. Amores Musicais/Fotografia

The Brazilian Group of jazz and Bossa Nova Delicatessen was conceived in late 2006. With Ana Kruger (Vocals), Carlos Badia (Guitar), Nico Bueno (Bass), Mario Gomes (Drums) and produced by Beto Callage and Carlos Badia, Delicatessen has been recreating standards of jazz with the delicacy and simplicity of Bossa Nova.

My Baby Just Cares For Me

---

Janis Mann & Kenny Werner - Celestial Anomaly

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:51
Size: 130,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Still We Dream
(6:15)  2. Come Down in Time
(4:30)  3. Wild Is the Wind
(6:54)  4. Throw It Away
(2:44)  5. You Must Believe in Spring
(3:36)  6. Early Autumn
(5:00)  7. With a Song in My Heart
(5:01)  8. Fragile
(5:13)  9. So in Love
(5:18) 10. Once I Loved
(4:35) 11. If I Loved You
(3:23) 12. I'll Be Seeing You

Five years ago, L.A.-based vocalist Janis Mann paid exquisite tribute to timekeepers, alternating among a quartet of preeminent drummers on A Perfect Time. Now, two albums later, two of the four Roy McCurdy and Joe LaBarbera return for the equally sublime Celestial Anomaly. This time, though, co-billing is ascribed to pianist Kenny Werner. Bassist Hamilton Price, as impressive as his better-known bandmates, completes the rhythm section. Astronomically speaking, the title refers to an apsis, the farthest point between two bodies in elliptical orbit, which seems an odd insinuation. If the two bodies are Mann and Werner, then their union couldn’t be closer a masterful fusion of musical minds. And though Werner’s playing is expectedly brilliant, the entire ensemble, whether anchored by McCurdy or LaBarbera, is tight and interdependent. Mann is often likened to Sarah Vaughan, and certainly shares Sassy’s dark, rich texture and her versatility. But Mann adds an enticing air of mystery, a dusky hint of veiled possibilities. She is not only one of the most skilled vocalists around, but one of the most alluring as well. Her excellent taste in standards here extends from a smoky “So in Love” and an intriguingly propulsive “Early Autumn” to an entrancing “Wild Is the Wind” and spellbinding “Throw It Away.” More contemporary material is as shrewdly interpreted, including gorgeous readings of Elton John’s “Come Down in Time” and Sting’s “Fragile.” ~ Christopher Loudon   http://jazztimes.com/articles/123113-celestial-anomaly-janis-mann-kenny-werner

Celestial Anomaly

---

David Hazeltine - Manhattan Autumn

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:58
Size: 128,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:22)  1. A Walk In The Park
(7:13)  2. Moon River
(5:28)  3. Blues On The 7
(5:41)  4. The Look Of Love
(7:58)  5. On The Marc
(7:16)  6. Uptown After Dark
(6:35)  7. Ask Me Now
(9:22)  8. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)

It’s always a pleasure to review an album on which tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander is showcased, as I'm pretty sure beforehand that I’ll thoroughly enjoy it. That sense of happy anticipation is appreciably heightened when he’s in the company of such accomplished playmates as leader / pianist David Hazeltine, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Joe Farnsworth, who are among his partners as well in the exciting New York-based co-op sextet, One for All.  Manhattan Autumn is Hazeltine’s sixth album as leader for Sharp Nine, the second on which Alexander has played a leading role (the first was last year’s The Classic Trio Meets Eric Alexander ). He seems to have found a winning combination, and the hope is that we’ll be hearing even more from this “classic quartet.” As on the earliier album, everyone is of a single mind (think hard bop) and all the elements fall neatly into place. This is a throwback to the halcyon days of Prestige, Pablo, Impulse and Blue Note, which means simply that it swings relentlessly and under all conditions. Hazeltine, whose right hand is so mesmerizing that one may overlook how skillfully he uses the left, is as masterful an accompanist as he is a soloist, and his solos are consistently sharp and resourceful.  As for Alexander, his prodigious talents loom larger with every album (and he has recorded a ton of them). 

Eric’s technique and timing are superb, his phrasing beyond reproach, and in my opinion there aren’t more than a handful of players on any horn who can make swinging seem as natural and effortless as he. Washington and Farnsworth are no slouches in that department either, and their superior navigational skills help make the album an unconditional success. Another thing that helps set Manhattan Autumn apart is the excellent choice of material, starting with Hazeltine’s brisk “Walk in the Park” and including two more of his bop-based compositions, “Blues on the 7” and “Updown After Dark,” Alexander’s romping blues “On the Marc,” Henry Mancini’s haunting “Moon River,” Burt Bacharach / Hal David’s “The Look of Love” (on which Alexander takes a breather), Thelonious Monk’s ballad “Ask Me Now,” and an agreeably fast-paced reading of James van Heusen’s “Nancy with the Laughing Face.” This is a quartet that delivers the goods, and an album that rewards the listener each time the “play” button is pushed.    ~  Jack Bowers   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/manhattan-autumn-david-hazeltine-sharp-nine-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php#.U3ZFgii9a5w

Personnel: David Hazeltine, piano; Eric Alexander, tenor saxophone; Peter Washington, bass; Joe Farnsworth, drums.

Manhattan Autumn

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---