Zara Mcfarlane - If You Knew Her

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:09
Size: 124,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. Open Heart
(3:34)  2. Her Eyes
(5:58)  3. Move
(3:36)  4. You'll Get Me in Trouble
(6:54)  5. Police & Thieves
(1:20)  6. Spinning Wheel
(4:25)  7. Plain Gold Ring
(7:35)  8. Angie La La
(4:00)  9. The Games We Played
(5:12) 10. Woman of the Olive Groves
(6:47) 11. Love

On her full-length follow up to 2010's EP Until Tomorrow, London-based singer Zara McFarlane perfects her blend of austere instrumentation and mantra-like rhythms supporting her rich and warm voice that owe more to Mongo Santamaria than reputedly Nina Simone or Roberta Flack. An album centerpiece, "Woman in the Olive Groves" undulates like "Afro Blue" while being able to act as its logical prelude. Backed by a traditional rhythm trio, McFarlane fulfills the potential of her subtle and muscular voice which sets perfectly against Brinker Golding's obtuse and probing tenor saxophone solo. Pianist Peter Edwards sinks McCoy Tyner chords into the ground like tent poles erected for elemental cover. It is this brief and honest instrumental and vocal simplicity that McFarlane, in her compositions, brings to this modern amalgam of jazz and soul.  McFarlane's voice swells to the challenge of sparse instrumentation. 

She capitalizes on the music's pulse, that necessary element propelling this collection of sweetly opaque songs forward. On "Move" McFarlane sings of motion and strength among uncertainty, motion provided by the shimmer of Edwards' right melodic hand tacked down by his precise left. The sole non-original composition is Junior Murvin's 1977 "Police & Thieves," later covered by the Clash. McFarlane takes the song far afield of Murvin's original Jah-happy rebellion and the Clash's boiling mercury version into the blended jazz-soul terrain of 21st Century London. A gentle heart is Zara McFarlane's, one that burns in a low smolder of creation. ~ C.Michael Bailey   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/if-you-knew-her-zara-mcfarlane-brownswood-recordings-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php#.U3VaFCi9a5w

Personnel: Zara McFarlane: vocals (all), piano (6), guitar (4); Peter Edwards: piano (2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11); Gavin Barras: Bass (1, 8); Max Luthert: bass (2, 3, 5, 7, 10); Moses Boyd: drums (3, ; Andy Chapman: drums (2, 10); Taz Modi: drums (8); Binker Golding: tenor saxophone (10); Leron Thomas: trumpet (8); Rachel Gladwin: harp (8).

If You Knew Her

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Cindy Bradley - Bliss

Styles: Smooth Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:48
Size: 116,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:25)  1. Button Legs
(5:14)  2. Bliss
(5:29)  3. Riverside Jive
(6:54)  4. Squeeze Me
(4:33)  5. 49th & 9th
(5:03)  6. Could It Be You
(4:31)  7. Comin' Home to My Baby
(4:22)  8. Lost and Found
(5:21)  9. Sharp a Strut
(3:51) 10. God Bless the Broken Road

It's always difficult when you have set the bar so high as Cindy did with her groundbreaking and highly heralded second recording 'Unscripted', voted 'Critic's Choice 2011' by Jazziz Magazine, and one that spawned back to back #1 Billboard singles, to not only follow but to continue to stretch higher. With the release of BLISS, Bradley's third she again finds Grammy award winning producer Michael Broening at the rudder steering the ship and together again they not only grab hold of the bar they set, but leap over it, carried forward by the current of her wave of popularity.

Bliss is the apropos title for this set of musical sketches that continues to expose the many facets of this extraordinary artist who laid bare her emotions and challenges in 'Unscripted' and now finds a place in her life where she is finding great peace and joy through her perseverance and increase in capacity. These musical portraits painted with a variety of different brushes and strokes cover the gamut of moods and emotions, open, honest and revealing. From her trademark swing and sass to the beauty and sensitivity through which she caresses the muted Harman, it's all here. Her jazz chops are in full display on 'Squeeze Me' a wistful rendering chock full of artistic expression and interplay. Gospel, Funk, House and blues all find appearance in this new exploration of what is Cindy Bradley and the results are robust and satisfying.

Radio is licking its collective chops and Bradley's legions of fans will line up and welcome with full embrace this long awaited expose. The sails are set and this ship is prepared to leave port for destinations unknown. Welcome aboard. ~ Editorial Reviews   http://www.amazon.com/Bliss-Cindy-Bradley/dp/B00JJNLXEG

Bliss

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Cedar Walton - Underground Memoirs

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:47
Size: 124,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:26)  1. Milestones
(6:50)  2. Lost April
(4:38)  3. Someday My Prince Will Come
(4:06)  4. Con Alma
(4:50)  5. Skylark
(6:25)  6. Everytime We Say Goodbye
(5:55)  7. On Green Dolphin Street
(5:53)  8. Underground Memoirs
(5:46)  9. Sophisticated Lady
(4:54) 10. I Want To Talk About You

The strength of any great musical interpreter is his or her ability to see the truth at the core of any great tune. This capability to assess the inner beauty of a memorable tune, regardless of context, can sometimes turn an inspired player into an equally noteworthy composer. That's the case with pianist Cedar Walton, who, now in his early '70s, contributed a number of well-known pieces to the late drummer Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers songbook of the early '60s, and has continued to pen memorable hard bop tunes in the ensuing years. Underground Memoirs is Walton's fourth solo outing in a career that spans six decades and collaborations with a veritable who's who of jazz, including saxophonists John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, and Joe Henderson; and more recently, guitarist Larry Coryell, Manhattan Transfer singer Janis Siegel, and saxophonist David "Fathead Newman. He has chosen to interpret a programme of largely well-heeled standards, rather than contribute from a compositional perspective. Still, Walton understands the concept of a good story well told, adopting a decidedly non-virtuosic approach and remaining true to the material in a way that echoes Keith Jarrett's similarly faithful and uncharacteristically unflamboyant '99 home recording The Melody at Night, With You. That's not to say that Walton and Jarrett share much in common; Jarrett's typical stream-of-consciousness approach is far removed from Walton's more thoughtful, but never overly-considered, means of interpretation. 

But both players, at least on these two recordings, share an apparent common musical goal that places the song first and the ego second, although there is certainly no lack of personality on either disc. Three of the tunes covered by Walton are inspired by the late Miles Davis someone with whom Walton never worked, but whose directness clearly informs his take on "Milestones, as well as two tunes commonly associated with Miles: "Someday My Prince Will Come and "On Green Dolphin Street. Walton retains a stronger hard bop approach than Miles would employ from the early '60s onwards, and he demonstrates an unfailing ability to get inside the melody of everything from Hoagy Carmichael's "Skylark and Cole Porter's "Everytime We Say Goodbye to Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady. He also uses the freedom afforded by the solo setting to be more interpretive in a time sense, also stretching the compositions' harmonic potential while still remaining well inside the mainstream. Walton's better-known role as the consummate accompanist sometimes overshadows his evocative strengths as a soloist, but Underground Memoirs offers an opportunity to hear him in that most exposed of contexts. The result is just under an hour's worth of nuanced reinvention and reverent reimagining. ~ John Kelman   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/underground-memoirs-cedar-walton-highnote-records-review-by-john-kelman.php#.U30BhSi9a5w
 

Personnel: Cedar Walton (piano)

Underground Memoirs

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Rosemary Clooney - The Last Concert

Size: 105,6 MB
Time: 44:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2002
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Overture Medley: Tenderly/White Christmas/Half As Much/Sisters This Ole House (4:34)
02. Sentimental Journey (4:14)
03. Dialogue (1:23)
04. I'm Confessin' That I Love You (3:45)
05. Just In Time (2:59)
06. Dialogue 2 (0:48)
07. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe (4:32)
08. You Go To My Head (4:55)
09. Rockin' Chair (4:08)
10. Dialogue 3 (0:55)
11. Ol' Man River (2:07)
12. The Singer (2:30)
13. They Can't Take That Away From Me (3:47)
14. God Bless America/They Can't Take That Away From Me (4:10)

SwinginRosemary Clooney's performance at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu, HI, on November 16, 2001, backed by the big band Big Kahuna & the Copa Cat Pack and the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, turned out to be her final show before her death on June 29, 2002. Not surprisingly, though, there isn't anything about it to suggest finality specifically. But, as an appearance by a veteran performer with a long career to draw upon, it necessarily had a retrospective feel and, occurring only two months after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, it concluded with a reverent tone, Clooney's first recording of "God Bless America." Following an instrumental overture canvassing some of her better known songs (none of which she went on to actually sing in the show), Clooney opened with "Sentimental Journey," the first of her borrowings from other "girl singers," since it is associated with Doris Day from her period with Les Brown's band. The song set the stage for a collection of standards written by the likes of Comden and Green and Jule Styne ("Just in Time"), Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg ("Happiness Is Just a Thing Called Joe"), Hoagy Carmichael ("Rockin' Chair"), Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II ("Ol' Man River"), George and Ira Gershwin ("They Can't Take That Away From Me"), and Irving Berlin ("God Bless America"). Clooney also paid tribute to other singers, including her sister Betty Clooney, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra. The album contains many of Clooney's stage remarks, which are punctuated with self-deprecating humor. (She notes, for example, that the last time she played Hawaii was the day it became a state and now she is back "by popular demand.") On the whole, the show is a typically wonderful Clooney show that just happens to have been her last. ~Review by William Ruhlmann

The Last Concert

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John Morrison - Swingin' Upstairs (Feat. Andrew Firth, Ian Date)

Size: 166,2 MB
Time: 70:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Mainstream Jazz, Swing
Art: Front

01. You Do Something To Me (4:50)
02. Don't Be That Way (5:19)
03. Sly Mongoose (4:16)
04. I Want To Be Happy (5:29)
05. Petit Fleur (3:38)
06. Yacht Club Swing (4:57)
07. Your Smile (4:16)
08. It's Only A Paper Moon (4:49)
09. S'wonderful (4:32)
10. I'll Get By (3:55)
11. Cotton Tail (3:55)
12. These Foolish Things (4:19)
13. Running Wild (3:05)
14. Tea For Two (3:58)
15. Stranger On The Shore (3:23)
16. Avalon (2:10)
17. China Boy (3:54)

Swingin' Upstairs is a back issue from the catalogue of John Morrison. Recorded in 1997, it features clarinet/sax wiz Andrew Firth, guitarist extraordinaire Ian Date, violin impressario Ian Cooper, and of course the leader of Big Band, Swing City, drummer John Morrison.
A great collection of mainstream and old school standards, this album reflects the legendary Benny Goodman in his small group days, with a touch of Charlie Christian and Stephane Grappelli.
The CD comes with a "Caution Hot" label....so be warned!!!!

Swingin' Upstairs

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The Dave Miller Trio With Rebecca DuMaine - Better Than Anything

Size: 121,0 MB
Time: 51:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Better Than Anything (3:09)
02. You For Me (3:27)
03. Sometime Ago (4:13)
04. Oh, Look At Me Now (3:18)
05. No More Blues (2:52)
06. What Is There To Say (3:49)
07. I'm Gonna Go Fishin' (3:26)
08. Telephone Song (2:32)
09. I Just Found Out About Love (2:46)
10. It Might As Well Be Spring (3:47)
11. Cheek To Cheek (3:56)
12. It's Love (2:55)
13. Dreamer (4:24)
14. Lucky To Be Me (2:48)
15. That's All (4:04)

Better Than Anything is about past and present, songs and singers, influences and memories, and father-and-daughter chemistry. It's the second album, following Deed I Do, that finds vocalist Rebeccas DuMaine joining forces with her father, pianist Dave Miller.

DuMaine and Miller share more than genetic code, as they both seem to thrive in customized, straightforward settings. They don't really try to do anything out of the ordinary, but they aren't about mundane music making either. DuMaine and Miller basically take these songs down the center lane, have a blast doing it, and remind the world that too much ado has been made about too-clever-by-half arrangements and performances.

All fifteen tracks on this album are tightly organized numbers that fall into the two-and-a-half to four-and-a-half minute range. Miller's solos are concise and well-formed, DuMaine's performances are poised and pleasing, and bassist Mario Suraci and drummer Bill Belasco prove to be solid backers all the way through.

The program includes nods to Frank Sinatra ("Oh, Look At Me Now"), Irene Kral ("Better Than Anything"), Antonio Carlos Jobim ("No More Blues" and "Dreamer") and numerous others, but DuMaine doesn't try to recreate what those artists did with these songs. She just finds inspiration in their work and goes on her way, delivering the songs as she pleases.

Better Than Anything is simply a smartly-tailored collection of songs put together by a foursome that knows of what it speaks. ~Review by Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Rebecca DuMaine: vocals; Dave Miller: piano; Mario Suraci: bass; Bill Belasco: drums.

Better Than Anything

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John Sheridan's Dream Band - Easy As It Gets

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 63:29
Size: 145.3 MB
Styles: Swing
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:10] 1. Devil May Care
[6:10] 2. Easy As It Gets
[3:33] 3. Spring Cleaning
[4:45] 4. Morning Glory
[3:17] 5. You Leave Me Breathless
[3:14] 6. Cherry
[5:02] 7. It's So Peaceful In The Country
[3:20] 8. You Lucky People You
[4:30] 9. The Gypsy
[4:25] 10. Someone Like You
[3:49] 11. When We're Alone
[2:46] 12. You Do Something To Me
[4:02] 13. Me, Myself And I
[4:55] 14. Dedicated To You
[5:26] 15. I'm Sitting On Top Of The World

Pianist John Sheridan delivers another superb album of swing jazz and standards with his Dream Band on Easy as It Gets. Once again featuring the talents of cornetist Randy Reinhart, trombonist Russ Phillips, clarinetist Ron Hockett, tenor saxophonist Scott Robinson, guitarist Bob Leary, bassist Phil Flanigan, drummer Joe Ascione, and, of course, vocalist Rebecca Kilgore, the band is traditional and old-timey without seeming staid. A solid dance-oriented ensemble, Sheridan's Dream Band keeps the tone light and lively with lesser performed songs including "You Leave Me Breathless," "Me, Myself and I (Are All in Love With You)," and "Devil May Care." Fans of old-school jazz should be very pleased with Easy as It Gets. ~ Matt Collar

John Sheridan (vocals, piano); Rebecca Kilgore (vocals); Bob Leary (guitar); Ron Hockett (clarinet); Scott Robinson (tenor saxophone); Randy Reinhart (cornet); Russ Phillips (trombone); Joe Ascione (drums).

Easy As It Gets

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Carl Allen & Rodney Whitaker - Get Ready

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 72:18
Size: 165.5 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[8:02] 1. La Shea's Walk
[9:01] 2. Get Ready
[7:39] 3. Inner City Blues
[5:34] 4. Desperate Desires
[6:14] 5. Alternative Thoughts
[6:54] 6. Summer (The Sweet Goodbye)
[6:09] 7. Preference Of Conviction
[7:33] 8. A Heart Enflamed, A Soul Enchanted
[8:26] 9. We Fall Down
[6:40] 10. Now Silence

Drummer Carl Allen and bassist Rodney Whitaker have a lot in common. They're both from the Midwest— Allen's from Milwaukee, Whitaker's from Detroit. Both grew up in homes filled with the sounds of gospel and R&B, and for the last twenty years or so both have achieved high ranking as two of the most heavy swinging sidemen in jazz. Get Ready, the muscular debut for the rhythm duo on Mack Avenue Records, is a collaborative effort of prolific achievement supported by pianist Cyrus Chestnut, guitarist Rodney Jones, organist Dorsey "Rob Robinson and saxophonist Steve Wilson. The dynamic set features original compositions, inventive interpretations of Motown classics and contemporary gospel repertoire. ~John Barron

Get Ready

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Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Plays Swing

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:34
Size: 102.0 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz, Swing
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[ 3:53] 1. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)
[11:50] 2. Rock And Roll
[ 9:51] 3. Me And You Blues
[10:44] 4. Body And Soul
[ 2:26] 5. Embraceable You
[ 5:49] 6. Saturday Night Fish Fry

Little Jazz had a great influence on Dizzy Gillespie -one of the founders of bebop. Although he played with most the early bebop stars, he did not make the switch to bebop. Feeling out-dated musically, Eldridge moved to France for a year and came back to the United States reinvigorated and committed to playing his own brand of swing jazz. He continued to play as a virtuoso trumpeter in several venues. he made some great recordings with Coleman Hawkins and Benny Carter and also toured with Norman Grantz's Jazz at the Philharmonic on a regular basis and recorded for Norman Grantz. His trumpet playing was stopped by a heart attack in 1980 and Roy Eldridge died on February 26, 1989.

Known as the musical bridge between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge was also a hugely important jazz trumpeter in his own right.

Little Jazz Plays Swing

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Morgan James - Live From Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:17
Size: 138,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:58)  1. I Put A Spell On You
(5:54)  2. Little Girl Blue
(6:06)  3. Don't Explain
(3:38)  4. Be My Husband
(4:32)  5. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
(4:57)  6. My Man's Gone Now
(4:09)  7. Funkier Than A Mosquita's Tweeter
(4:01)  8. My Baby Just Cares For Me
(4:50)  9. Tell Me More And More And Then Some
(6:22) 10. Save Me
(4:11) 11. Trouble In Mind
(5:34) 12. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out

Morgan James Live from Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola features the up-and-coming Broadway vocalist performing a tribute to legendary jazz singer/pianist Nina Simone. Recorded in July of 2012 at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, which is part of Lincoln Center in New York City, the concert features James backed by a top-notch group of N.Y.C.-based musicians including drummer Clarence Penn, guitarist Doug Wamble, pianist David Cook, saxophonist Don Braden, and others. James is primarily known for her appearances in such Broadway musicals as the revival of Godspell and the original cast of Frank Wildhorn's Wonderland, among others. Here, James turns her crisp yet soulful Juilliard-trained chops toward Simone's sultry jazz and R&B-inflected material. Included are such songs as "I Put a Spell on You," "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," "My Baby Just Cares for Me," and more. ~ Matt Collar   http://www.allmusic.com/album/morgan-james-live-from-dizzys-club-coca-cola-mw0002443026

Recording information: Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, New York, NY (07/23/2012); Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (07/23/2012).

Live From Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

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Kirsti Huke - Deloo

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:02
Size: 112,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Old Country
(4:02)  2. Maria
(4:01)  3. Wish You Were Here
(2:37)  4. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
(5:05)  5. Caravan
(4:49)  6. Everytime We Say Goodbye
(6:08)  7. Not Dark Yet
(5:31)  8. I Will Wait For You
(3:01)  9. My Man's Gone Now
(4:31) 10. Someone To Watch Over Me
(5:22) 11. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

Kirsti Huke has become a household name on the Norwegian jazz scene. Her voice has been described as a "honey jar" and a "powerhouse", both apt descriptions of this gifted singer's playful and rooted approach to jazz standards as well as pop and rock songs in a quartet setting. http://www.gubemusic.com/album_9093

Personnel:  STEINAR RAKNES - acoustic bass; ERIK NYLANDER – drums; VIGLEIK STORAAS – piano; KIRSTI HUKE - vocals

Deloo

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Helen Sung - Helenistique

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:00
Size: 129,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:03)  1. H-Town
(4:19)  2. Lover
(6:22)  3. Sweet and Lovely
(7:11)  4. Voyage
(4:56)  5. Willow Weep For Me
(4:40)  6. Where or When
(6:06)  7. Black Narcissus
(5:50)  8. Bye Ya
(3:07)  9. Cottontail
(3:12) 10. Carolina Shout
(4:01) 11. Alphabet Street
(2:08) 12. H*Town [reprise]

The clean, uncluttered sound of the piano trio gets a refreshing workout on Helenistique, Helen Sung's tribute to the jazz standard. For her second recording, Sung works with drummer Lewis Nash and bassist Derrick Hodge. A classically trained pianist, Sung leads her trio well: she solos with authority, intelligence and grit, especially on Rodgers and Hart's "Lover" and above the stuttering rhythms of Thelonious Monk's "Bye Ya," but she knows when to retreat and let Nash and Hodge sparkle. Hodge has played with hip-hop stars like Mos Def and Q-Tip, as well as a host of jazz luminaries, among them Terrence Blanchard, Mulgrew Miller and Clark Terry. His warm bowed solo on Rodgers and Hart's "Where or When" reveals the song's inner melancholy. Nash's hi-hat adds a cushion of subtle rhythm.

The album's strongest feature is the musicians' shared sense of celebration. Not only does the trio's sound project great affection for this music, but the performers demonstrate a ready affinity for each other's contributions. The band churns through Kenny Barron's "Voyage," one of the most harmonically rich numbers on the album. The sound is suffused with a sense of exploration, and each player digs deep during solos. Sung's left hand drives the music as surely as Nash's crisp precision on the snare or Hodge's percolating bass. Joe Henderson's "Black Narcissus" offers some of the album's brightest moments, from Sung's quietly astonishing piano playing to Hodge's searching bass and Nash's kaleidoscopic yet restrained drumming. Sung's chords are lush, her arpeggios and trills feathery. Her ability to corral the tune after her bandmates' brief excursions reveals her poise and flexibility. The album includes one of Sung's own compositions, the funk-infused "H*Town," and Prince's "Alphabet Street." They aren't exactly standards, but they show off the trio's versatility. 

Her solo tribute to James P. Johnson on his "Carolina Shout" bounces with fervor and wholesomeness. Duke Ellington's "Cottontail," Ann Ronell's "Willow Weep For Me," and Arnheim, Tobias and Daniels' "Sweet and Lovely" round out the album. Sung arranged every piece. Sung graduated from the inaugural class at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at the New England Conservatory of Music in 1997. Since then, she has played with Terry, Wynton Marsalis and the late Jackie McLean, among others, and toured with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. She is a musician of serious promise.     ~ John Fidler   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/helenistique-helen-sung-fresh-sound-new-talent-review-by-john-fidler.php#.U35ZWyioqdk

Personnel: Helen Sung: piano; Derrick Hodge: bass; Lewis Nash: drums.

Helenistique

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Terrence Brewer - Groovin' Wes

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 52:20
Size: 96,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:00)  1. Speak Low
(8:04)  2. Bumpin' on Sunset
(6:23)  3. In Your Own Sweet Way
(5:58)  4. Road Song
(6:33)  5. Bumpin'
(6:58)  6. Here's That Rainy Day
(6:27)  7. Yesterdays
(4:54)  8. Dearly Beloved

A Musical Expression of Admiration for Wes Montgomery

'Lots of guitarists can imitate Wes Montgomery, I wanted to pay tribute to him with my own voice'...Terrence Brewer

Following QuintEssential, his third album for the Strong Brew Music label, San Francisco based jazz guitarist Terrence Brewer pays homage to the man who set the standard for modern jazz guitar Wes Montgomery.

After receiving both regional and national acclaim for his all original albums, The Calling: Volume One and Volume Two (2006) and QuintEssential (2008 - 12 weeks on the JazzWeek album charts peaking at #17), Brewer is set to light up the jazz scene once again with Groovin' Wes, music written and popularized by one of jazz guitar s greatest heroes, Wes Montgomery.

On Groovin' Wes, Brewer is joined by a familiar cast: B3 organist Wil Blades (John Lee Hooker, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Idris Muhammed, Stanton Moore, winner of Downbeat magazines Rising Star poll) and drummer Micah McClain (Red Rodney, David Baker and James Moody). Both Blades and McClain are veterans when it comes to working with Brewer; Blades is featured on The Calling: Volume Two and McClain has held the drum chair on two of Brewer s previous albums, The Calling Volume One and QuintEssential. Recorded by chief engineer Stephen Hart (McCoy Tyner, Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Branford Marsalis, Flora and Airto) at the world famous Fantasy Studios in Berkeley California, Groovin Wes will, take you on a journey; rejuvenating the classic Guitar, Organ, Drums trio sound like never before. From burnin up-tempo swing to funky Soul-Jazz backbeats, Groovin Wes is a masterpiece.

A naturally gifted player with a beautiful, warm tone and a melodic penchant, his playing is eminently pleasing... Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times.

Brewer is the recipient of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Artist of the Year Award and the winner of San Francisco Weekly s, Best Jazz Artist Award.

Dan King of the San Francisco Chronicle proclaimed, Brewer is, the reason the Bay area jazz scene looks promising. ~ Editorial Reviews  (Amazon.com)

Groovin' Wes

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Kevyn Lettau - Walking In Your Footsteps: Songs Of The Police

Size: 112,7 MB
Time: 48:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2000
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Message In A Bottle (5:48)
02. Wrapped Around Your Finger (4:32)
03. Every Breath You Take (5:47)
04. Murder By Numbers (4:36)
05. Every Little Thing He Does Is Magic (4:18)
06. Walking In Your Footsteps (3:23)
07. King Of Pain (4:14)
08. When The World Is Running Down (0:44)
09. Synchronicity (3:25)
10. Don't Stand So Close To Me (4:34)
11. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da (2:51)
12. I Burn For You (4:08)

Kevyn is on a journey. Her life and career have always been about movement and a refusal to accept boundaries, confinement or stereotypes.

At the age of fourteen Kevyn left her native Germany for the United States, where she finished high school while supporting herself cleaning houses and studying dance on the side. By seventeen the singing bug had gripped her and she was ready to make the fulltime commitment to becoming a singer. She started working with Peter Sprague singing Jazz, R & B and Brazilian music on the streets of Del Mar, California.

Kevyn sang with local San Diego groups until she was discovered by the famous Brazilian legend, Sergio Mendes. She toured and recorded with Sergio for eight years, as she developed her own very personal vocal style.

Kevyn's first two solo releases were on Nova records entitled Kevyn Lettau and Braziljazz respectively. She immediately garnered critical acclaim and a loyal following both in the U.S. and abroad, particularly in Japan and the Philippines, where she achieved near superstar status. She was a spokes model for a San Miguel soft drink, with multiple television commercials and print ads running there for years.

In 1992, Kevyn signed with JVC Music, where she continued her journey of musical and personal exploration. She recorded four albums for JVC including Simple Life in 1992, Another Season in 1994, Universal Language in 1995 and The Language of Flowers in 1998. 1999 brought the release of her greatest hits collection entitled Miracle Voice: The Best of Kevyn Lettau.

In 2000, Universal Music released Kevyn's Police CD, which was Kevyn's exploration of the music from the pop/rock genre-bending group, The Police. She followed in 2001, with another Universal Music release entitled Little Things.

"I feel like music has to grow and change as I do the same. I hate to have to categorize my music as one style or another. It seems impossible to put it into one small box with a neat bow wrapped around it! My hope is just to make good music one song at a time!"

Walking In Your Footsteps

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Ian Date, Andy Firth, Nigel Date & Howard Cairns - A Date With Firth

Size: 131,3 MB
Time: 56:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jazz: Swing, Gipsy
Art: Front

01. Date Fingers (4:28)
02. Call Me Darling (5:12)
03. Flamingo (2:48)
04. South of the Border (4:32)
05. Bei Dir War Es Immer So Schon.mp3 (5:45)
06. Cherokee (2:49)
07. I Left My Heart In San Fransisco (3:37)
08. On The Street Where You Live (3:59)
09. All The Way (6:32)
10. Up A Lazy River (4:37)
11. Besame Mucho (4:07)
12. Starlight Serenade (4:24)
13. Your Smile (Bonus Track) (4:21)
14. Far Away Across The Sea (5:00)

Personnel:
Andy Firth - Clarinet & Tenor Saxophone
Ian Date - Solo guitarist
Nigel Date - Rhythm guitar
Howard Cairns - Upright Bass

"On a very quick trip through my home town of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, Ian, Nigel and Howard came over to my home for a very quick recording session. After 5 hours recording we had about nine good tracks in the can. We all did a few more the next morning and then played a gig that night. In April of 2012 Ian came back over for another duo session with me and we got a further 5 tracks done. The bonus tracks come from a session that Ian and I did with John Morrison and Natalie his bass playing wife at the time. As Ian resides in Ireland I grab every opportunity I can to work and record with this master of Gypsy swing guitar".

A Date With Firth

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Oz Noy - Twisted Blues Vol. 2

Size: 144,0 MB
Time: 62:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Blues Jazz, Jazz Rock
Art: Front

01. You Dig (Feat. Greg Leisz) (6:33)
02. Rhumba Tumba (Feat.Chick Corea) (6:04)
03. Let Your Love Come Down (Feat. Gregroire Maret) (6:32)
04. Come Dance With Me (7:35)
05. Ej's Blues (Feat. Eric Johnson) (6:36)
06. Get Down (6:46)
07. Blue Ball Blues (Feat. Warren Haynes) (6:06)
08. Just Groove Me (Feat. Dave Weckl) (4:59)
09. Slow Grease (Feat. Allen Toussaint) (5:54)
10. Freedom Jazz Dance (Feat. John Medeski) (4:59)

Bassists Will Lee (The Late Show with David Letterman) and Roscoe Beck (Leonard Cohen, Robben Ford, The Dixie Chicks, Eric Johnson) provide the low end for singular guitarist/composer Oz Noy on his sixth album, Twisted Blues: Volume 2. The album is a follow-up to the 2011 release of Volume 1, also featuring Lee and Beck.

An Israeli native who has called the U.S. home since 1996, Noy says his work isn’t as complicated as some may think, and believes an understanding of the blues is key to sounding good. He says the improvisation in his work “is always on straight R&B or blues grooves. To me, blues and bebop are the glue to good music.”

Twisted Blues not only features the two star bassists, but guitarists Johnson and Warren Haynes (Gov’t Mule, The Allman Brothers Band), legendary New Orleans songwriter and musician Allen Toussaint, and another jazz legend, Chick Corea, on piano.

Twisted Blues Vol. 2

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Laura Garam - This Gentle Rain

Size: 96,3 MB
Time: 41:12
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. An Easy Tune (2:57)
02. Lonely Hours (4:51)
03. Don't Be That Way (2:43)
04. Summer Goodbye (3:20)
05. Shiny Stockings (3:22)
06. Get The Feeling (2:27)
07. I Didn't Know What Time It Was (3:59)
08. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big (2:14)
09. Sweet Georgia Brown (3:44)
10. This Gentle Rain (3:17)
11. Look For Me I'll Be Around (3:56)
12. That's All (2:28)
13. Once Again (1:49)

Laura Garam comes as something of a surprise. A household name, even in her homeland Finland, she left full obscurity one and a half year ago and began singing jazz in the old way. Her voice, a natural and enjoyable one, shows exceptional talent and sense of style. Jazz ballads’ sentiment comes off amazingly and expressively, without compulsion over a jazz song cliché.

“This Gentle Rain” is a welcome debut from a new European jazz vocalist. Laura's voice has charm, and her willingness to go beyond the standard vocal repertoire is to be applauded.

The thirteen songs are accompanied by Mikki Nuorivaara (piano), Jukka Kampman (double bass, guitar) Antti Snellman (flute, saxophone) and Roni Kaspi (drums, percussion).

This Gentle Rain

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David Reinhardt Trio - S/T

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 49:44
Size: 113.9 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[3:09] 1. All The Things You Are
[2:55] 2. Berga
[3:25] 3. Casting
[4:00] 4. Chaumont
[5:07] 5. Dawson
[4:39] 6. Histoire Simple
[5:06] 7. Micro
[4:44] 8. Nina
[3:16] 9. Nuages
[4:20] 10. Oh Samba Lec
[2:44] 11. Pretexte
[6:14] 12. Swing 42

Grandson of the great Django Reinhardt and son of Babik, David Reinhardt was born in Longjumeau, France in 1986. He made his first stage appearance as a guitar player in 1993 at the age of 6, accompanied by his father Babik in a tribute to Django at the Django d'or. Without any concerns for the pressures that might come with such a namesake, David Reinhardt has carried out his family tradition with grace and a style all his own. After the passing of his father in 2001, he naturally took on his role in Christian Escoudé's Trio Gitan. With his David Reinhardt Trio, he has graced the stage of countless jazz events worldwide, including Philips Dubaï International Jazz Festival, Festival Internazionale Jazz Manouche de Turin and Le Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.

David Reinhardt Trio

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Kellylee Evans - Nina

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 48:40
Size: 111.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:23] 1. Do What You Gotta Do
[3:59] 2. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
[2:48] 3. Ain't Got No/I Got Life
[4:27] 4. Mood Indigo
[4:21] 5. Feeling Good
[4:03] 6. Tomorrow Is My Turn
[2:30] 7. I Loves You Porgy
[2:11] 8. July Tree
[3:43] 9. Love Me Or Leave Me
[4:02] 10. Ne Me Quitte Pas
[5:19] 11. Sinnerman
[7:48] 12. Wild Is The Wind

Every once in a while an homage project comes along actually doing what it sets out to do: pay homage. That the object of the present homage is the enigmatic Nina Simone makes Canadian Kellylee Evans' Nina that much more a definitive statement of a courageous cultural career. Add to this that Evans thoughtfully does not cover Simone's "Mississippi Goddamn," and this collection is properly frames not only Simone, but also Evans, whose musical vision, already established, is a formidable one.

Evans employs a small, uncomplicated band for her spare treatment of the Simone songbook. The piano trio is replaced by a svelte guitar trio led by guitarist Marvin Sewell, whose damped round tone provides a retro-Herb Ellis tone. Evans effects a performance of the traditional "Sinnerman" that lays half-way between Simone's 1965 recording pm Pastel Blues (Philips), and Peter Tosh's reggae incarnation "Downpressor Man," from Equal Rights (CBS, 1977). Sewell plays a soupy slide guitar over Francois Moutin's burping jungle groove, propelled by Andre "Dede" Ceccarelli's snare-less drumming. Evans sings with a relaxed urgency, one not unlike Simone. But amidst it all, Evans retains her own potent identity with material that would have eaten lesser talent alive. Simone is properly honored while Evans is properly framed. ~C. Michael Bailey

Kellylee Evans: vocals; Marvin Sewell: guitars; François Moutin: bass; Andre Ceccarelli: drums.

Nina 

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Oscar Peterson Trio - Encore At The Blue Note

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:55
Size: 169.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1990/2009
Art: Front

[ 9:24] 1. Falling In Love With Love
[ 9:00] 2. Here's That Rainy Day
[13:00] 3. Medley: Goodbye Old Girl/He Has Gone
[ 8:35] 4. The Gentle Waltz
[ 9:15] 5. Billie's Bounce
[ 5:10] 6. The More I See You
[ 8:43] 7. I Wished On The Moon
[10:45] 8. Cool Walk

The fourth CD taken from a reunion engagement at the Blue Note by pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Bobby Durham, this set is up to the same level as the other three. The Oscar Peterson Trio of the late '50s (along with Peterson's drummer of a decade later) jam through five standards (including a heated "Falling in Love with Love") and four of Peterson's originals, highlighted by a medley of his "Goodbye Old Girl" and "He Has Gone."

Encore At The Blue Note

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