Jody Sandhaus & Pete Malinverni - Afterglow

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:27
Size: 115,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:29)  1. Isn't It a Pity?
(5:13)  2. Afterglow/In The Days Of Our Love
(3:44)  3. Love Is a Necessary Evil
(5:34)  4. I Never Meant To Hurt You
(3:38)  5. It's April Again
(3:59)  6. I'd Like To Hate Myself in The Morning
(4:50)  7. I Don't Know Where To Turn
(3:12)  8. Do You Know Why?
(5:13)  9. I'm In Love Again
(5:30) 10. Love Came On Stealthy Fingers
(2:58) 11. Impossible

Jazz singer Jody Sandhaus and pianist Pete Malinverni set out to record a beautifully intimate album together. No need to light the fire or top off your glass of wine here-just put on the music, relax, and listen. You can, of course, have your favorite drink, but it is not necessary with this selection of songs. The recording is so personal you'll feel as if they are performing in your living room, right there, for you. AFTERGLOW will set you aglow. Different from Ms. Sandhaus' previous three albums done with a trio- Afterglow offers very personal interpretations of some stunning songs. Beautiful arrangements-lyrical improvisations.  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sandhaus4 .

Personnel: Jody Sandhaus (vocals); Pete Malinverni (piano).

Afterglow

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Bobby Hackett & Jack Teagarden - Baby, Won't You Please Come Home

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:20
Size: 76,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:02)  1. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home
(3:28)  2. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
(4:38)  3. 55th And Brodway
(2:24)  4. Everybody Loves My Baby
(2:55)  5. Indiana (Back Home Again in Indiana)
(2:26)  6. Oh Baby
(2:41)  7. 'S Wonderful
(3:56)  8. It's Wonderful
(2:42)  9. Mama's Gone, Good Bye
(2:25) 10. Sunday
(2:39) 11. I Found a New Baby

One of the classic giants of jazz, Jack Teagarden was not only the top pre-bop trombonist (playing his instrument with the ease of a trumpeter) but one of the best jazz singers too. He was such a fine musician that younger brother Charlie (an excellent trumpeter) was always overshadowed. Jack started on piano at age five (his mother Helen was a ragtime pianist), switched to baritone horn, and finally took up trombone when he was ten. Teagarden worked in the Southwest in a variety of territory bands (most notably with the legendary pianist Peck Kelley) and then caused a sensation when he came to New York in 1928. His daring solos with Ben Pollack caused Glenn Miller to de-emphasize his own playing with the band, and during the late-'20s/early Depression era, "Mr. T." recorded frequently with many groups including units headed by Roger Wolfe Kahn, Eddie Condon, Red Nichols, and Louis Armstrong ("Knockin' a Jug"). 

His versions of "Basin Street Blues" and "Beale Street Blues" (songs that would remain in his repertoire for the remainder of his career) were definitive. Teagarden, who was greatly admired by Tommy Dorsey, would have been a logical candidate for fame in the swing era but he made a strategic error. In late 1933, when it looked as if jazz would never catch on commercially, he signed a five-year contract with Paul Whiteman. Although Whiteman's Orchestra did feature Teagarden now and then (and he had a brief period in 1936 playing with a small group from the band, the Three T's, with his brother Charlie and Frankie Trumbauer), the contract effectively kept Teagarden from going out on his own and becoming a star. It certainly prevented him from leading what would eventually became the Bob Crosby Orchestra. In 1939, Jack Teagarden was finally "free" and he soon put together a big band that would last until 1946. However, it was rather late to be organizing a new orchestra (the competition was fierce) and, although there were some good musical moments, none of the sidemen became famous, the arrangements lacked their own musical personality, and by the time it broke up Teagarden was facing bankruptcy. 

The trombonist, however, was still a big name (he had fared quite well in the 1940 Bing Crosby film The Birth of the Blues) and he had many friends. Crosby helped Teagarden straighten out his financial problems, and from 1947-1951 he was a star sideman with Louis Armstrong's All-Stars; their collaborations on "Rocking Chair" are classic. After leaving Armstrong, Teagarden was a leader of a steadily working sextet throughout the remainder of his career, playing Dixieland with such talented musicians as brother Charlie, trumpeters Jimmy McPartland, Don Goldie, Max Kaminsky, and (during a 1957 European tour) pianist Earl Hines. Teagarden toured the Far East during 1958-1959, teamed up one last time with Eddie Condon for a television show/recording session in 1961, and had a heartwarming (and fortunately recorded) musical reunion with Charlie, sister/pianist Norma, and his mother at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival. He died from a heart attack four months later and has yet to be replaced.   https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jack-teagarden/id279808#fullText

Baby, Won't You Please Come Home

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Buddy Greco - Big Band & Ballads

Size: 75,4 MB
Time: 31:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2005
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals, Big Band
Art: Front

01. Wild Is Love (1:59)
02. It's A Beautiful Evening (3:24)
03. Girl Talk (3:16)
04. I'll Only Miss Her When I Think Of Her (3:35)
05. Watch What Happens (3:21)
06. What Did I Have The I Don't Have (3:24)
07. Love (3:12)
08. Funny (3:17)
09. Once Upon A Summertime (La Valse De Lilas) (2:52)
10. The More I See You (3:35)

Buddy Greco (born Armando Greco on August 14, 1926 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American singer and pianist.

Greco began playing piano at the age of four. His first professional work was playing with Benny Goodman’s band.

Most of Greco’s work has been in the jazz and pop genres. He has had hits such as “Oh Look At Her Ain’t She Pretty”, “The Lady is a Tramp”, and “Around the World”. He has recorded about 65 albums and 100 singles. He has had an active concert career playing in symphony halls, theatres, nightclubs, and Las Vegas showrooms (in the 1960s he made appearances with the Rat Pack). On screen, he had a memorable turn as the nightclub singer Lucky in the 1969 film The Girl Who Knew Too Much.

Buddy Greco recently closed his club in Cathedral City, California.

Big Band & Ballads

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Brian Charette - Square One / The Question That Drives Us

Album: Square One
Size: 106,4 MB
Time: 45:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Post-Bop
Art: Front

01. Aaight! (3:18)
02. If (3:53)
03. Three For Martina (3:48)
04. People On Trains (4:43)
05. True Love (4:44)
06. Ease Back (4:03)
07. Time Changes (4:12)
08. A Fantasy (3:22)
09. Yei Fei (4:22)
10. Things You Don't Mean (5:12)
11. Ten Bars For Eddie Harris (3:50)

With the exception of John Medeski, there are aren’t a whole lot of Hammond B3 players as imaginative as Brian Charette. And even Medeski didn’t come up with the idea to put his B3 alongside a four-part horn section like Charette did a couple of years back. Charette follows up that the uncommonly exciting Music for Organ Sextette with the much more common organ-guitar-drums getup for Square One (March 18, 2014), his first for the well-regarded Posi-Tone label.

Scaling back his combo doesn’t necessarily equate to scaling back on ambitions, however. Charette is plenty talented enough to have modeled this record after Jimmy McGriff or Jack McDuff and it would have certainly gotten a warm reception from jazzbos. But the former Joni Mitchell and Lou Donaldson sideman just can’t settle for the easy route. That’s why any grease found on Square One is just one of many elements he pours into this record.

“Aaight!” has a groovy funky vibe alternating with swing. Charette plays it tough during the funky parts and his guitar player Yotam Silberstein plays it nice ‘n’ breezy during the swinging parts. Charette integrates harmony into rhythm for “Yei Fei,” with drummer Mark Ferber inserting complex wrinkles into the rhythm, but Ferber makes it seem easy. The quick-paced “Ten Bars for Eddie Harris” sizzles and bristling with highlights, like Silberstein’s fuzzy toned lead lines, Charette’s typical organ burns and the song coming to a standstill for Ferber’s showstopping, spirited drum solo.

Charette picks the sleeper cut “If” from Larry Young’s Unity, featuring tasty licks by Silberstein and Charette making plain that Young is a major influence of his. Charette’s own “Time Changes” is remindful of “If,” full of interesting chord and tempo changes. The one other cover is the early Meters tune “Ease Back,” where Silberstein’s clipped notes and psychedelic sound evoke that vintage Big Easy funk feel without mimicking it.

Though not credited, background synthesizer sounds (from producer Marc Free) can be heard on four of the tracks, an odd juxtaposition with the vintage vibe coming from an organ trio but Charette isn’t afraid to take chances. It works best on “A Fantasy,” a choice slice of stormy rock-soul fusion jazz played in 7/4 time.

Brian Charette goes back to Square One but he doesn’t land on the rote or mundane. This is bound to be one of the more adventurous, eccentric and — ultimately — satisfying organ trio releases of the year.

Square One

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Album: The Question That Drives Us
Size: 141,9 MB
Time: 61:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Post-Bop
Art: Front

01. Blazinec (6:53)
02. The Question That Drives Us (4:49)
03. Medium/Up (4:24)
04. Answer Me (4:16)
05. Labor Day (6:27)
06. Svichkova (6:35)
07. 5Th Base (6:47)
08. #9 (5:55)
09. Denge Marenge (5:10)
10. I Came So Far To See You (3:37)
11. Moose The Mooche (7:01)

The second release by organist Brian Charette's unique, reed-based sextet, which features the tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm and clarinettist John Ellis. They perform a set of all original compositions by Charette, plus a version of "Moose the Mooche" by Charlie Parker.

Brian Charette's Organ Sextet released their first album 'Music for Organ Sextette' in 2012 to critical and public acclaim. Dan Bilawsky noted in All About Jazz: "Charette weaves a unique and gripping aural tapestry together with a mélange of woodwinds serving as the thread. He channels his energy into creating constructs that benefit from the blending of multiple voices...Music For Organ Sextette is an anomaly in the world of organ-centric jazz...Charette challenges the status quo with this one and winds up the victor in every way."

Personnel: Brian Charette (Hammond B3 organ), Itai Kriss (flute), Mike Dirubbo (alto saxophone), Joel Frahm (tenor saxophone), John Ellis (bass clarinet), Jochen Rueckert (drums)

The Question That Drives Us

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Clarice Assad - Imaginarium

Size: 89,1 MB
Time: 37:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: MPB, Brazilian Jazz, World
Art: Front

01. De Perna Pro Ar (4:27)
02. Passaros (3:34)
03. Tempestade (2:52)
04. Fantasia (3:52)
05. Da Imaginaçao (4:28)
06. Perto Do Luar (3:53)
07. Revolta Das Flores (3:39)
08. A Morte Da Flor (3:49)
09. Lachrimae (1:23)
10. Why (2:54)
11. Dedezinha De Maio (3:00)

The release of Clarice Assad’s Imaginarium puts her in contention for some major recognition, for with this recording, Ms. Assad has created a veritable museum of music; a cultural cornucopia—with Brasil at the centre of this spectacular universe. Ms. Assad is one of those musicians who have their fingers on the pulse of the science and the mysticism of art all at once. Moreover, being made almost entirely of music she appears to see and hear things almost in their entirety. And not only that, Ms. Assad also hears the music that she is going to write in its finest detail. The result is writing and producing music that is almost pre-written in her head. And because she is so sophisticated; so well-schooled and such a complete musician the results are—especially here—like certain classical composers and musicians: completely perfect. Traversing through this album is like walking through a museum of life, but a completely imagined one—an Imaginarium. The tour takes place in three dimensions—and a fourth and spectral one as well. However all of the music is almost palpable so that even the hidden, spectral ones, pierce the heart and soul and the mind’s mind as if it were the music of the deepest desires of the subconscious, calculated to draw in the soul of every one beguiled by its utterly spectacular beauty.

Clarice Assad is not a vocalist; she is more than that: a griot who having absorbed the history of the world as described by music now sings it, while accompanying herself on the piano or celeste. Like some supernatural being she can entertain and heal with her music as well. While her vocalastics do not subscribe to any order or system of defined pitch, her singing is, nevertheless, beautiful and attractive and touches the soul of the listener with its suggestion of a falling brook, its dramatic glissandos and sudden leaps that cut through the air like great arcs of musical fire, searing the mind with impressions of their memorability. Her pianism is both melodic and rhythmic, and rocks and sways with the pulsating life of Brasil. But it is the whole of her music that mesmerises. Its imagery is replete with the idiom of Brasilian life played by such a myriad of instruments that augment the voice that it is almost mind-boggling how such disparate elements can be forged into something so ineffably perfect. Mighty indeed is her voice and so singular that there is nothing to compare with it. This voice that permeates all of her musicianship and defines her repertoire that is here, vast and varied. Ms. Assad also functions as a consummate arranger, conductor and producer of her own music creating such daredevil feats as melding rap and soaring voices and strings with her earthy Brasilian fare.

The list of performers includes the soprano Melody Moore (“A Morte da Flor”), the great violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (“A Morte da Flor” and the soaring, but elementally melancholic “Lachrimae”) as well as mandolinist Mike Marshall (“Fantasia”), guitarist extraordinaire Romero Lubambo on the breathtaking “Da Imaginação” and the marvelous Luciana Souza (“Perto do Luar”) and a discovery of sorts, vocalist Arooj Aftab (“Tempestade”). Many more stellar performances inform the beauty of this album, but the marquee belongs to Clarice Assad. It is usually difficult to predict how careers will turn out but even at her young age, everything she has done so far suggests that Clarice Assad is destined for great things. ~by Raul da Gama

Imaginarium

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Allison Adams Tucker - April In Paris

Size: 94,2 MB
Time: 40:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. It Might As Well Be Spring (3:54)
02. La Canzone Dei Vecchi Amanti (La Chanson Des Vieux Amantes) (4:55)
03. Le Temps Du Muguet (Moscow Nights) (3:57)
04. April In Paris (3:21)
05. April Child (Maracatu Nação Do Amor) (6:08)
06. Seasons Of Song (3:59)
07. Here Comes The Sun (4:33)
08. Derradeira Primavera (3:47)
09. You Must Believe In Spring (La Chanson De Maxence) (5:58)

Born in San Diego, California, multi-lingual jazz vocalist Allison Adams Tucker began singing before she could speak. Allison was raised by classically trained musical parents, and began performing in front of audiences at age 5. She studied piano, flute, violin, dance and voice from elementary school and holds a BA in Linguistics / Music Vocal Performance and an AA in Italian. Allison's vocal palette has been colored by her experience in a variety of musical genres throughout her life, from punk rock to Elizabethan a cappella. These experiences led her on a natural and steadfast transition to the world of jazz in 2005.

Allison's love for languages and world cultures also began at a young age, and she has studied and sings in 6 languages besides her own. She has lived in Japan and Spain and has traveled to over 15 countries. This “wanderlust” is evident in the music she chooses today. Her music reflects her passion for world cultures with rhythms, melodies, and lyrics of Brazil, Italy, France, Latin America, Japan, and the US.

Allison's debut CD “Come With Me” (Allegato Music, July 2008), co-produced by jazz guitarist Peter Sprague (Dianne Reeves, David Benoit, Chick Corea, Sergio Mendes) and arranged by Kamau Kenyatta (Gregory Porter, Hubert Laws, Earl Klugh, Patti Austin), received international acclaim, was nominated for Best Jazz Album 2009 by the San Diego Music Awards, and continues to receive airplay on radio stations in 18 countries.

Allison's sophomore CD “April in Paris”, celebrating songs of springtime from around the world, was recorded in Paris on UNESCO's 1st Annual International Jazz Day at the end of a 9-concert tour through Italy & France. Arrangers for this album include Kamau Kenyatta, Danny Green, Emmanuel Massarotti, and Jovino Santos Neto. “April in Paris” is scheduled for release in 2014.

As a session vocalist, Allison's voice can be heard in the video game “The Saboteur” soundtrack singing French jazz in the company of Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Madeleine Peyroux, & others. This has resulted in a cult following by the typically “non-jazz listening” gamer audience.

As an international artist, Allison has entertained audiences in Japan, Europe, Mexico, and the US, including performances on local and national television, on radio stations, and in festivals and jazz clubs. Allison has shared festival billing and musical collaborations with jazz greats such as Kenny Burrell, Poncho Sanchez, Ivan Lins, Mindy Abair, Pete Escoveda, Sheila E, Tommy Campbell, Gene Jackson, Mirko Guerrini, Toku (Japan Sony Music) and Ken Ota (Japan Universal Jazz), among others.

April In Paris

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Brian Lynch Quartet - Keep Your Circle Small

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:03
Size: 130.6 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[7:29] 1. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
[6:39] 2. Bolero De Sata
[6:25] 3. Chippin' In
[5:02] 4. Keep Your Circle Small
[6:56] 5. My Old Flame
[5:37] 6. The Trifle
[5:15] 7. Silent Conversation
[6:04] 8. Straight Street
[7:32] 9. Blues For Duane

Trumpeter Brian Lynch helped to kick off the brand new Sharp Nine label in 1995 with the release of this stunning CD. Familiar to jazz devotees for his work with Art Blakey, and also Phil Woods, Lynch is accompanied by pianist David Hazeltine, bassist Peter Washington, and veteran drummer Louis Hayes. His confidence is apparent in a lively arrangement of "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You," while he captures the bittersweet essence of "My Old Flame" without needing a vocalist. Hayes helps power Lynch through a brisk reading of John Coltrane's infrequently performed "Straight Street." He plays both muted and open horn in the attractive samba "Bolero de Sata." Lynch also contributed four strong originals, including the tense post-bop vehicle "The Trifle," showcasing some fine unison playing and chases between the leader and the pianist, as well as a brilliant solo by Hayes. This engaging release will especially appeal to hard bop fans. ~ Ken Dryden

Brian Lynch – trumpet; David Hazeltine – piano; Peter Washington – bass; Louis Hayes – drums.

Keep Your Circle Small

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Shelby Lynne - Just A Little Lovin'

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 38:53
Size: 89.0 MB
Styles: Adult contemporary, Contemporary country
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[5:17] 1. Just A Little Lovin'
[3:32] 2. Anyone Who Had A Heart
[4:10] 3. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
[3:50] 4. I Only Want To Be With You
[3:20] 5. The Look Of Love
[3:20] 6. Breakfast In Bed
[4:07] 7. Willie And Lauramae Jones
[4:35] 8. I Don't Want To Hear It Anymore
[3:06] 9. Pretend
[3:33] 10. How Can I Be Sure

Shelby Lynne has followed her own sometimes reckless, always adventuresome muse throughout her career. Just a Little Lovin' is her personal homage to the late, legendary Dusty Springfield. Nine of its ten cuts are inextricably linked to the late British vocalist whose sway Lynne came under years ago, but a chance conversation with Barry Manilow -- of all people -- led to the making of this record. Lynne doesn't attempt to sound like Springfield. She uses her own phrasing and rhythmic sensibility. Four cuts here come from the Dusty in Memphis period, as well as the title track to The Look of Love and some of her mid-'60s British hits that were not released in America. All these songs, with the exception of the self-penned "Pretend," were recorded by Springfield. The album was recorded in the Capitol Records studio with Frank Sinatra's microphone and producer Phil Ramone. Lynne's aesthetic sense serves her well: most singers automatically shoot for "Son of a Preacher Man," but Lynne steers clear. She does, however, tackle some truly monolithic Springfield hits: "Just a Little Lovin'," "Breakfast in Bed," "Willie and Laura Mae Jones," and "I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore." Lynne's readings are close, intimate. They're understated but more direct. Ramone used a small quartet in guitarist Dean Parks, keyboardist Rob Mathes, drummer Gregg Field, and bassist Kevin Axt to give her that edge. Lynne's delivery takes these songs straight to the listener's belly. The taut but easy sensuality in her voice adds a very different dimension to them.

When she gets to the in-the-pocket feel of "Breakfast in Bed," she comes at the tune's subject with an up-front sexual expression -- Springfield's trademark vulnerability is willfully absent. A Rhodes and Parks' guitar give her plenty of room to pour out the lyric. "Willie and Laura Mae Jones" has a rough, swampy earthiness; Lynne adds her guitar to its sparse, slow growl. Springfield recorded this tome about interracial love when the subject was taboo in America. She made it palatable with her innocent delivery. Lynne gets at Tony Joe White's lyric with a bluesy toughness expressing incredulity toward injustice. Randy Newman's "I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore" carries inside it the trace of both Lynne's Southern homeland and her adopted West Coast residency. She can tell this heartbreaking tale as if it were her own while uncannily recalling Springfield's empathy. Signature Springfield pieces such as "I Only Want to Be with You" are astonishing for their contrast. The bubbly, poppy original version is slowed here; it offers the impression of genuine surprise by an unsuspecting protagonist. The jazzy piano and Parks' lush guitar lines entwine perfectly. Springfield's version of "The Look of Love" has remained unchallenged for more than 40 years. Lynne doesn't even try. Instead she offers tribute. It's not as sultry as the original was, but feels honest and hungry in stripping off the lyric's mask with her voice. "How Can I Be Sure" by the Rascals -- cut as a British-only single by Springfield -- is startling: Lynne sings it accompanied only by Parks' guitar. It's a radical but fitting closer. Just a Little Lovin' is the finest tribute Springfield has ever received on tape. That such a fine singer and songwriter interpreted her in such an empathic and sophisticated manner is respect personified. Ramone's care with the project is, as usual, celebratory. The multidimensional persona Lynne usually displays on her records is still here in spades. Her diversity, confidence, and wide-ranging ability are the standard to aspire to. ~Thom Jurek

Just A Little Lovin'

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Phineas Newborn Jr. Trio - Piano Portraits

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 70:45

Size: 162.0 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 2011

Art: Front

[2:57] 1. Star Eyes

[3:20] 2. Golden Earrings

[3:56] 3. It's All Right With Me

[3:55] 4. I Can't Get Started With You

[3:33] 5. Sweet And Lovely

[2:24] 6. Just In Time

[3:41] 7. Caravan

[4:14] 8. For All We Know

[4:04] 9. Blues Theme For The Left Hand Only

[3:44] 10. Chelsea Bridge

[2:40] 11. Take The A Train

[3:03] 12. Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You

[3:54] 13. Ain't Misbehavin'

[3:26] 14. I've Got The World On A String

[4:02] 15. The Midnight Sun Will Never Set

[2:11] 16. Real Gone Guy

[3:38] 17. Undecided

[3:45] 18. Ivy League Blues

[4:00] 19. Love And Marriage

[4:11] 20. Give Me The Simple Life

Phineas Newborn’s warm, sensitive and impressionist playing is at its perceptive best in these outstanding examples of jazz piano. Uncluttered and supported by his remarkable technical ability, his ideas are in full flow, developing in sustained melodic lines, rather than relying on simple rhythmic patterns for their impact. Consistently subtle and full of emotional depth, the combination makes for a swinging collection of gripping performances by a piano virtuoso. Backed by John Simmons and Roy Haynes, he breathes new excitement into these familiar portraits.

Phineas Newborn Jr. (p), John Simmons (b) and Roy Haynes (d).

Recorded in New York City, June 17 (#1-10), and October 26-29 (#11-20), 1959.

Piano Portraits

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Jennifer Lee - J-Walkin'

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:10
Size: 148,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:52)  1. Blue Skies
(6:05)  2. Night And Day
(7:01)  3. I'm Old Fashioned
(4:54)  4. Jaywalkin'
(4:51)  5. Note To My Niece
(5:45)  6. The Inchworm / Inchworm Rap
(4:31)  7. Rosa / Claire De Lune
(6:03)  8. Baltimore Oriole
(6:16)  9. November In The Snow
(4:42) 10. Chega De Saudade
(4:52) 11. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
(3:11) 12. Cathy's Song

From the first note of this debut album, one can't help but be smitten with the charm and delivery of this San Francisco-based singer. I would expect that such an effort would be worthy of a jazz chanteuse on the order of Susannah McCorkle or another San Fran singer, Weslia Whitfield. The album was produced by guitarist Peter Sprague, a personal favorite during the late '70s and '80s. I wasn't surprised to find seven Sprague albums in my collection on Xanadu, Concord and Nova. Jennifer Lee is a late-in-life jazz singer who has studied with Kitty Margolis. She is also the house vocalist at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in San Francisco. As a pianist-vocalist, Lee has put together a good mix of standards, some originals and two Brazilian tunes. What is striking is the warmth and clarity of her voice, reminiscent of the June Christy-Chris Connor school of jazz vocals. 

On three of the tunes the title tune penned by Sprague, "Baltimore Oriole," and "November in the Snow" from Bill Mays/Mark Murphy she scats in perfect unison with her own piano solo, the accordion of Rich Kuhns and the tenor sax of Tripp Sprague. The result is a delightful musical experience that I've only heard from Dena DeRose, another talented pianist-singer. "Note to my Niece," a Lee original, is a latter day "Waltz For Debby." The Brazilian entries, "Chega de Saudade" and the lesser known "Rosa," coupled with Debussy's "Claire de Lune," are both sung effectively in Portugeuse. Frank Loesser's "Inchworm," not heard too frequently these days, is given an interesting reading replete with a spoken word "rap." The session closes with an original instrumental, "Cathy's Song," written for an ailing friend.  The remainder of the album, "Blue Skies," "Night and Day," "I'm Old Fashioned" and "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone," could have been given a tired presentation inasmuch as they've been heard so often, but Jennifer Lee gives these songs a respectively bright or reflective treatment. 

All of the musicians chosen for this date play an important part ranging from Sprague and Magnusson's support to the fine tenor sax work of brother Tripp Sprague, subtle percussion from Lewis and Aros, and atmospheric accordion work from Kuhns. I don't know when Ms. Lee will be appearing in the NYC area next, but I do hope that I can be there too. ~ Michael P.Gadstone   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/j-walkin-jennifer-lee-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php#.U4--Hiioqdl
 

Personnel: Jennifer Lee, vocals,piano; Peter Sprague,guitar; Bob Magnusson,bass; Tommy Aros, percussion; Tripp Sprague,tenor sax; Rich Kuhns, accordion; Jason Lewis,drums

J-Walkin'

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Erik Soderlind - Twist for Jimmy Smith

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:41
Size: 141,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:09)  1. Wiwes and Lovers
(6:43)  2. Close Your Eyes
(6:14)  3. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
(5:25)  4. Mr C.
(5:20)  5. Twist for Jimmy Smith
(5:27)  6. The Shadow of Your Smile
(4:51)  7. Broadway
(7:13)  8. Willow Weep for Me
(3:20)  9. Blues for Pat Martino
(4:28) 10. Flamman
(5:27) 11. The Nearness of You

Erik Söderlind is a young man in no particular hurry. Not yet 30, he plays jazz guitar with supreme assurance, and on his debut album Twist For Jimmy Smith, he has put together a lovely, leisurely paced, always swinging collection of standards and originals that deserves worldwide recognition. Of course, he's unlikely to get it. We live in a world obsessed with image, a world that all too often mistakes image for the real thing. As the video link that follows this review indicates, Söderlind doesn't give a hang about image. For him it's the music that counts. So the world will no doubt pass him by. Should Sweden's Söderlind be passed over, it's the world's loss. Here he teams up with two other extremely talented local musicians, organist Kjell Öhman and reed man Magnus Lindgren to make an album that brooks repeated listening. 

Söderlind plays in a line stemming from Charlie Christian and continuing through Wes Montgomery and George Benson and that's George Benson when John Hammond billed him "The Most Exciting New Guitarist On The Jazz Scene Today." Before someone discovered he could sing, dressed him in glittery suits and stuck him on the cabaret circuit.  Twist For Jimmy Smith provides a glimpse of what jazz was all about in those far off days; though this album is not about nostalgia. It's about the real thing, what Söderlind, on the sleeve calls "the joy of making music" and communicating that joy. From the opener, Burt Bacharach's "Wives and Lovers" to Hoagy Carmichael's closing "The Nearness of You" via "Willow Weep For Me," with Söderlind doffing his cap to Montgomery there is nearly an hour's worth of classic, straight-ahead jazz, with the accent on melody but with Öhman giving it just that hint of rhythm 'n' blues in the old sense of the term. New ground is not broken and there are no tormented experiments with atonality or discord. It's just music but oh so superbly well-played and enjoyable.  ~ Chris Mosey http://www.allaboutjazz.com/twist-for-jimmy-smith-erik-soderlind-prophone-records-review-by-chris-mosey.php#.U4yr-Cioqdk
 

Personnel: Erik Söderlind: guitar; Kjell Öhman: organ; Magnus Lindgren: tenor saxophone, flute; Claes Orlandersson: trumpet; Martin Sjöstedt: bass; Moussa Fadera: drums.

Twist for Jimmy Smith

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Roy Hargrove - With The Tenors Of Our Time

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:02
Size: 167,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:59)  1. Soppin' The Biscuit
(5:59)  2. When We Were One
(6:57)  3. Valse Hot
(5:45)  4. Once Forgotten
(5:24)  5. Shade Of Jade
(5:46)  6. Greens At The Chicken Shack
(5:36)  7. Never Let Me Go
(5:35)  8. Serenity
(6:48)  9. Across The Pond
(6:50) 10. Wild Is Love
(6:25) 11. Mental Phrasing
(3:54) 12. April's Fool

Trumpeter Roy Hargrove has the opportunity of a lifetime on this recording, sharing separate songs with five great tenors: Johnny Griffin, Joe Henderson, Branford Marsalis, Joshua Redman, and Stanley Turrentine. Everyone fares well, including Hargrove's group (Ron Blake on tenor and soprano, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Rodney Whitaker, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson). The young trumpeter (who is vying for Lee Morgan's unoccupied chair) keeps up with the saxophonists on this generally relaxed affair; recommended for hard bop fans. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/with-the-tenors-of-our-time-mw0000114085.

Personnel: Roy Hargrove (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ron Blake (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Joe Henderson, Johnny Griffin, Joshua Redman, Stanley Turrentine, Branford Marsalis (tenor saxophone); Cyrus Chestnut (piano); Gregory Hutchinson (drums).

With The Tenors Of Our Time

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Horace Silver & The Jazz Messengers - S/T

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 43:32

Size: 99.7 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 1955/2004

Art: Front

[5:18] 1. Room 608

[7:24] 2. Creepin' In

[4:03] 3. Stop Time

[5:08] 4. To Whom It May Concern

[5:21] 5. Hippy

[4:16] 6. The Preacher

[5:15] 7. Hankerin'

[6:43] 8. Doodlin'

In 1954, pianist Horace Silver teamed with drummer Art Blakey to form a cooperative ensemble that would combine the dexterity and power of bebop with the midtempo, down-home grooves of blues and gospel music. The results are what would become known as hard bop, and the Jazz Messengers were one of the leading exponents of this significant era in jazz history. Before Silver's departure and Blakey's lifetime of leadership, this first major session by the original Jazz Messengers set the standard by which future incarnations of the group would be measured. The tunes here are all Silver's, save the bopping "Hankerin'" by tenor man Hank Mobley. Such cuts as the opening "Room 608," the bluesy "Creepin' In," and "Hippy" are excellent examples of both Silver's creative composing style and the Messengers' signature sound. Of course, the most remembered tunes from the session are the classic "The Preacher" and "Doodlin'," two quintessential hard bop standards. In all, this set is not only a stunning snapshot of one of the first groups of its kind, but the very definition of a style that dominated jazz in the 1950s and '60s. ~ROVI

Horace Silver & The Jazz Messengers

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Django Club - S/T

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 39:22
Size: 90.1 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz, Swing
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. Club Sandwich
[3:37] 2. Lilie
[4:29] 3. It's Time
[3:23] 4. Marée basse
[3:51] 5. Blues Arranger
[4:22] 6. Valse pour Marie
[4:00] 7. Loin
[4:20] 8. Momentum
[4:09] 9. Elo
[4:10] 10. Va-et-vient

Django Club is the encounter of 5 young heirs of the tradition of the ‘Hot Club de France’. They are all aged between 24 and 35, they have all grown up with Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli’s music and they have all come together to make an album in tribute to their grand masters!

That means four boys and a girl, three guitars, one violin, a double bass, overwhelming energy and irresistible swing. Welcome to the Club!

Fiona Monbet: violin; Richard Manetti: guitar; Adrien Moignard: guitar; Sebastien Giniaux: guitar; Jeremie Arranger: double bass.

django club

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Rebekka Bakken - Is That You?

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 45:39
Size: 104.5 MB
Styles: Adult alternative, Jazz vocals
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:14] 1. As Tears Clear Our Eyes
[2:56] 2. As I Lay Myself Bare
[4:13] 3. Didn't I
[3:58] 4. Going Home (Is A Lonely Travel)
[3:30] 5. Is That You
[2:52] 6. Even If You Buy Me Thousand Cars
[4:01] 7. Why Do All The Good Guys Get The Dragons
[4:39] 8. So Ro
[3:29] 9. Just A Little Moon
[6:13] 10. Innocence
[5:29] 11. As Long As There Is A Voyage Away

Nordic folk-jazz chanteuse Rebekka Bakken was the most successful exponent of a new generation of Scandinavian jazz singers that also included Silje Nergaard, Sidsel Endresen, and Solveig Slettahjell. Born in Oslo in 1970, Bakken studied violin and piano as a child, and in 1995 relocated to New York City to pursue a professional music career. There she paired with Austrian-born guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel, and together they toured the local nightclub circuit as a duo. In time Bakken also befriended German pianist Julia Hülsmann, with whom she recorded the 2003 album Scattering Poems, a collection of jazz performances inspired by the poems of e.e. cummings. Upon completing the project Bakken returned to Europe, settling in Vienna and signing a solo deal with the Universum label. Her debut LP, The Art of How to Fall, followed by year's end, and in 2005 she resurfaced with her commercial breakthrough, Is That You? I Keep My Cool followed a year later. ~bio by Jason Ankeny

Eivind Aarset (guitar, electronics); Bendik Hofseth (saxophone); Nils Petter Molvær (trumpet); Peter Scherer (organ); Per Lindvall (drums); Knut Koppang (background vocals)

Is That You                 

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JC Stylles - Blakey Grease

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 46:18

Size: 106.0 MB

Styles: Guitar jazz

Year: 2014

Art: Front

[6:41] 1. Hammerhead

[6:12] 2. Ping Pong

[6:51] 3. Yama

[5:04] 4. United

[6:11] 5. Hipsippy Blues

[4:16] 6. Stretching

[5:10] 7. Pensativa

[5:50] 8. One by One

New York based Jazz Guitarist JC Stylles (aka Jason Campbell) first touched a guitar around 7 years of age, and was introduced to the world of jazz in the most unlikely of places, that being in the rainforests of Kuranda, a tiny, predominantly aboriginal town in the tropics of Far North Queensland Australia, via his stepfather's jazz record collection. At 16 years of age he left the rainforests for Sydney where significantly in his development, he had the opportunity to attend 2 shows a night for nearly a week in front row seats of the touring jazz guitar great George Benson. This sponge-like absorption at such a close range left an indelible mark in his development long term as a guitarist. He also had the opportunity simultaneously to study with an incredible array of touring jazz giants at the time that included John Scofield, Steve Erquiaga, Miroslav Vitous, Woody Shaw, Johnny Griffin and others. Having initially immigrated to New York in 1992, he continued studies with the likes of Pat Martino, Tal Farlow, Rodney Jones, John Abercombie and Barry Harris and further developed his skills in clubs like Visione’s before returning to Australia in the mid-nineties for personal matters.

JC Stylles relocated permanently back to New York in 2005 where he released the recordings “Chillin’ at Home” and “Live and Unveiled” of which both are in the guitar/organ trio format, where he has staked his claim. He also concentrated on performing with the best Jazz Organists in the business including, Jimmy McGriff, Dr Lonnie Smith, Tony Monaco, Pat Bianchi, Seleno Clarke, Jimmy “Preacher” Robbins, Melvin Davis, Nathan Lucas, Akiko Tsuruga and others.

His previous recording “Ex-hil-a-ra-tion and other states” for Motema Music, featuring Pat Bianchi on organ, Lawrence Leathers on drums, and produced by the Grammy award winning producer Jack Kreisberg, received rave reviews from those in the know. C Stylles' Libran commitment to ensuring the balance of the important musical elements that makes for great jazz experiences for listeners, are what sets him apart from many others in the field today.

With his most current release in 2014 being "Blakey Grease", he teams up again with Grammy winning producer Jack Kreisberg for an exclusive project on American Showplace Music, featuring a quintet line-up delivering an "all Art Blakey"repertoire in an organ combo setting for the first time in recorded history!

Blakey Grease 

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Kathleen Holeman - I'm All Smiles

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:11
Size: 147,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:07)  1. I'm All Smiles
(5:01)  2. Love Dance
(3:48)  3. In The Still Of The Night
(5:21)  4. Why Did I Choose You?
(3:53)  5. Your Smiling Face
(8:57)  6. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
(3:51)  7. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(4:31)  8. Smile
(4:56)  9. Lush Life
(5:31) 10. Smile All The While
(4:49) 11. Close Enough For Love
(4:19) 12. Autumn Nocturne
(5:00) 13. The Bare Necessities

Kathleen Holeman is a chameleon, able to make her voice be exactly what she wants on any song she wants, and she scats like the pro she is. Jazz standards, vintage swing,blues and pop, ballads and fast romps, relaxing to hot.she does it. 

"Kathleen Holeman is the real deal, a singer who can sing." I had the pleasure of writing those words for a rave I penned for the Topeka Capital-Journal titled "KC Jazz Diva Soars at Topeka Jazz Workshop." I therefore come to the happy task of writing these notes as a partisan. I am a devoted Kathleen Holeman fan!
Since first meeting Kathleen several years ago in preparing notes for her debut album, the acclaimed Don't You Wonder?, I've had the joy -- as countless other Kansas City area jazz fans have had -- of watching her continue to grow. With I'm All Smiles the happy beat goes on. In fact, there's a palpably positive feeling that's just plain life-affirming. In Kathleen's hands, even Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" exudes good cheer.

"Life is wonderful and I feel so blessed to be able to share these feelings and sounds with so many people," the St. Joseph, Missouri, native told me recently. Speaking of sharing, Kathleen also gives full credit to her fellow musicians. "The guys helped me pick some of the tunes, and I feel that this is their album as much as its mine," Kathleen stressed. "Most of our small group arrangements are a collective effort and it was great fun to see how the songs would turn out!" Now, we get to share that "fun." More.... http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/holeman2

I'm All Smiles

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Holly Hofmann - Low Life

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:29
Size: 114,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:03)  1. Jack of Hearts
(6:49)  2. Touch the Fog
(4:17)  3. Grow (For Dick Oatts)
(5:48)  4. Lumiere de la vie
(5:49)  5. Cedar Would
(5:48)  6. The Very Thought of You
(5:08)  7. Make Me Rainbows
(5:50)  8. Soul-Leo
(4:51)  9. Farmer's Trust

Holly Hofmann has been a fairly high profile jazz flautist for years, working with everybody from bassist Ray Brown to pianist Bill Cunliffe to trombonist Slide Hampton. Her work in Flutology, a flute trio-plus-rhythm group that put her in a front line with Ryerson and the great Frank Wess, raised her profile quite a bit, and a string of positively-received releases on the Capri and Azica imprints have helped her establish a reputation as one of the finest jazz flute players operating today. Low Life is Hofmann's twelfth album, and it finds her working exclusively with alto flute. It's an instrument that, as Hofmann notes, has a limited range, but in her hands, its expressive qualities are limitless. The idea for this record was to take the negative connotation away from the concept of an "easy listening" record. Hofmann just wanted to present "simply arranged songs that show the beauty of the music and the alto flute," and that she does. 

Here, Hofmann works with longtime piano mate Mike Wofford and a trio of West Coast heavies guitarist Anthony Wilson, bassist John Clayton, and drummer Jeff Hamilton. The results are predictably positive. Hofmann connects with Wilson on the guitarist's "Jack Of Hearts," melds with Wofford on Clayton's haunting "Touch The Fog," and keeps crossing lines, moving from the serious to the serene to the soulful, on her own "Lumiere De La Vie." A hip bass-and-drum-rims groove makes Mulgrew Miller's "Soul-Leo" an easy sell, a flute-and-piano duet on "The Very Thought Of You" puts the spotlight on the established Hofmann-Wofford team, and tranquility triumphs during Pat Metheny's "Farmer's Trust." If only all easy listening records were this easy to listen to. ~ Dan Bilawsky   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/furthering-the-flute-in-jazz-holly-hofmann-and-bill-mcbirnie-by-dan-bilawsky.php#.U46ofiioqdk

Personnel:  Holly Hofmann (Flute); Mike Wofford (Piano); John Clayton (bass); Jeff Hamilton (drums);  Anthony Wilson (guitar)

Low Life

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Jackson, Hazeltine, Reedus, Gill - Sugar Hill : The Music Of Duke Ellington And Billy Strayhorn

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:09
Size: 124,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:18)  1. Caravan
(6:29)  2. Warm Valley
(5:54)  3. In My Solitude
(7:10)  4. Prelude To A Kiss
(5:02)  5. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
(6:36)  6. Chelsea Bridge
(5:33)  7. In A Mellow Tone
(7:02)  8. In A Sentimental Mood
(5:01)  9. Lotus Blossom

This is a tight little quartet date led by saxophonist Javon Jackson, celebrating the music of the Duke. His co-conspirators on the session are arranger/pianist David Hazeltine, drummer Tony Reedus, and bassist Paul Gill. The material ranges from the obvious like "Caravan," "Chelsea Bridge," and "Lotus Blossom," to selections usually not played by quartets such as "In My Solitude." The emphasis here is on the bluesier and moodier side of Ellington's music, which works beautifully. The colors and textures a larger orchestra display may be richer, but in the quartet setting they can go deeper. It puts additional pressure on the individual players, but Jackson and Hazeltine as front line soloists are more than up to the challenge. The greatest proof of this lies in the ballads like "Warm Valley," and in the more lithe and slightly more up-tempo tunes like "In a Sentimental Mood." This is a fine session, and utterly lyrically beautiful all around.      ~ Thom Jurek   http://www.allmusic.com/album/sugar-hill-music-of-duke-ellington-and-billy-strayhorn-mw0000795709

Sugar Hill

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McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath - Country Cooking

Styles: Avant-Garde Jazz , Big Band
Year: 1988
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 55:50
Size: 102,7 MB
Art: Front

( 5:12)  1. Country Cooking
( 7:34)  2. Bakwetha
( 6:21)  3. Sweet As Honey
( 6:55)  4. You And Me (Sejui)
( 3:49)  5. Thunder in the Mountain
( 7:14)  6. Big G
(10:04)  7. Maxine
( 8:37)  8. Dakar

Pianist McGregor has tamed his BOB big band for this recording it isn't the fire-breathing monster it has been in past years. It's a more refined musical, lyrical beast, less sloppy and raw, with different personnel and approach. The music reflects South African townships beats, swing, Latin underpinnings, and expansive horn charts that represent the best orchestral jazz offerings of the modern era. McGregor also seems more at ease with his role, dishing out more solos and ensemble passages that cue his very able bandmates. Typical highlife music is the focal point on the title track and "You & Me." The former tune is happy, a bouncy rhythm by drummer Gilbert Matthews leading into McGregor's slight melodic notion for the horns respond to, extending the pianist's line, after which Annie Whitehead's trombone solo is backed by the horns in joyous fashion.

 "You & Me" takes the highlife funky; tiny mezzo-piano horns swell to loud staccato flashes, with piano dominating them all in the middle. 6/8 beats solidify "Dakar" with dancing clarinets and high woodwinds, while various skittering melodies skate across "Bakwetha" in a peaceful framework, McGregor's piano rambling over this terrain. In a more straight-ahead jazz vein, atypical for this group, "Sweet As Honey" is simpler in terms of its Basie-like chart and trading of fours by different band members with Matthews, while "Maxine" is McGregor's famous easy swing ballad, with tangy tenor saxophonist Steve Williamson and trumpeter Harry Beckett's poignant solos, plus an ever-changing multi-melody line a la Ellington's "Come Sunday." There's confusion in the titles of "Thunder in the Mountain" or "Big G." Seven cuts are listed on the disc, eight in the liners and back cover. Likely it's "G" missing and "Thunder" present and accounted for, with an Afro-Cuban rhythm from percussionist Tony Maronie underpinning a swing that sets up a one-note to many-note melody, horns in unison expressing an impessive, kinetic dynamic range. 

This is McGregor's most accessible Brotherhood lineup, though somewhat less potent, and the only domestically available document of his work. It's a good, easily recommended primer to encourage you to explore the possibility of hearing his import recordings for Ogun, and other groups The Blue Notes and District Six. ~ Michael G.Nastos   http://www.allmusic.com/album/country-cooking-mw0000202868

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Steve Williamson ; Baritone Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Julian Argueles; Bass Guitar, Bass, Percussion – Ernest Mothle ;Drums, Percussion – Gilbert Matthews ;Percussion – Tony Maronie ;Piano – Chris McGregor ; Recorded By – John Temperley ; Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Flute – Jeff Gordon (4) ;Tenor Saxophone, Bassoon – Robert Juntz ; Trombone – Annie Whitehead, Fayyaz Virji ; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Claude Deppa, David Defries, Harry Beckett

Country Cooking

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