Carmen Leggio - Sax After Midnight For Lovers

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:38
Size: 153,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:22)  1. My Foolish Heart
(5:40)  2. The Night We Called It A Day
(4:24)  3. That's All
(4:13)  4. Medley: Blues For A Midnight Owl/When Your Lover Has Gone
(3:49)  5. Angel Eyes
(5:03)  6. Medley: Speak Low/Easy To Love
(4:52)  7. Everything Happens To Me
(3:38)  8. It Could Happen To You
(2:49)  9. Imagination
(4:05) 10. Star Eyes
(5:27) 11. Medley: I Don't Know Why/Mean To Me
(3:09) 12. There Is No Greater Love
(3:19) 13. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(4:29) 14. Am I Blue
(3:51) 15. Medley: I Thought About You/I'll Be Seeing You
(3:20) 16. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

Carmen Leggio, the saxophonist who played in Maynard Ferguson's best bands of the late 1950s and who passed away recently, recorded Sax After Midnight for Lovers in 1996. Based on the cheesy cover design, you'd think this one was cut in the mid-1950s. Beyond the retro feel, the design execution is painfully literal. Strangely, the ghostly sax appears to be playing by itself or having a smoke in between sets. And based on the wattage of the spotlight (or is it the moon?), the photo session seems to have taken place in an interrogation room or prison yard. The editor in me can't help but note that "For Lovers" could have been dropped from the title. I think "Sax After Midnight" kind of says it all. ~ Marc Myers http://www.jazzwax.com/2009/05/sunday-wax-bits-2.html

Sax After Midnight For Lovers

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David Kikoski - Surf's Up

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:10
Size: 151,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:30)  1. Oh No
( 6:24)  2. Cardboard
(10:04)  3. Four in One
( 7:06)  4. A noite Do Meu Bem
( 7:08)  5. Little Melonae
(13:49)  6. Surf's Up
( 7:42)  7. Bird Feathers
( 6:22)  8. Muito A Vontade

David Kikoski's fourth Criss Cross is another fine trio effort, featuring James Genus on bass and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums. Quite unlike Kikoski's previous discs, however, this one features no original material at all. It begins with a surprising choice: Frank Zappa's "Oh No," from the Lumpy Gravy album, an intricate piece of work that Kikoski makes his own (cf. Mike Mainieri's version of "King Kong" on American Diary). The pianist honors another of rock's visionaries, Brian Wilson, with the title track, "Surf's Up," giving the obscure song a soaring treatment that stretches to nearly 14 minutes. For good measure, Kikoski also takes aim at several less-than-routine items from the bop canon: Charlie Parker's "Cardboard" and "Bird Feathers," Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae," and Thelonious Monk's challenging "Four in One." He rounds out the program with two contrasting Brazilian songs, Dolores Duran's "A Noite Do Meu Bem" and Joao Donato's "Muito a Vontade." Kikoski has firmly established himself as one of jazz's most distinguished pianists. Surf's Up shows that he is also an exceptional, risk-taking interpreter of non-jazz material. ~ David R.Adler   http://www.allmusic.com/album/surfs-up-mw0000014457

Personnel includes: David Kikoski (piano); James Genus (bass); Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums).

Surf's Up

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Jimmie Noone - Apex Blues

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:31
Size: 130,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:52)  1. I Know That You Know
(3:07)  2. Sweet Sue, Just You
(3:10)  3. Four or Five Times
(2:33)  4. Every Evening (I Miss You)
(2:59)  5. Ready for the River
(2:51)  6. Forever More
(3:02)  7. Apex Blues
(3:00)  8. My Monday Date
(2:55)  9. Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me
(2:40) 10. Oh Sister, Ain't That Hot
(3:01) 11. King Joe
(3:12) 12. Sweet Lorraine
(2:44) 13. It's Tight Like That
(2:52) 14. Chicago Rhythm
(2:59) 15. My Daddy Rocks Me (With One Steady Roll)
(2:39) 16. Off Time
(2:24) 17. El Rado Scuffle
(2:46) 18. Deep Trouble
(2:00) 19. So Sweet
(2:38) 20. San

This CD reissues the first dozen selections from clarinetist Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra (all of the numbers with pianist Earl Hines, although not the four alternate takes), plus eight slightly later numbers. Noone had an unusual quintet/sextet in which altoist Joe Poston constantly stated the melody (but never actually had any solos), giving the band a unique sound for the period. Many of Noone's greatest recordings are on this CD (including "I Know That You Know," "Four or Five Times," "Apex Blues," "My Monday Date," "Sweet Lorraine," and "My Daddy Rocks Me With One Steady Roll"), although serious collectors will prefer to get the more complete two CDs from the Classics label instead. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/apex-blues-mw0000623088

Personnel: Jimmie Noone (vocals, clarinet); Junie C. Cobb (vocals, guitar, banjo); Joe Poston (vocals, clarinet, saxophone, alto saxophone); May Alix (vocals); Wilbur Gorham, Bud Scott (guitar, banjo); Richard Hadlock (clarinet); Eddie Pollack (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); George Mitchell (cornet); Fayette Williams (trombone); Bill Newton, Lawson Buford (tuba); Zinky Cohn, Alex Hill , Alexander Hill , Earl Hines (piano); Johnny Wells (drums).

Apex Blues

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Dudu Lima Trio - Classicos

Size: 149,9 MB
Time: 64:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Suíte Das Nuvens E Dos Ventos (14:40)
02. Autumn Leaves ( 6:12)
03. Prelúdio Suíte N.1 Para Violoncelo ( 3:05)
04. Bye Bye Brasil ( 6:22)
05. Jesus Alegria Dos Homens ( 8:15)
06. Insensatez ( 8:09)
07. Nardis ( 3:38)
08. Lamentos ( 3:46)
09. Seven Steps To Heaven ( 5:46)
10. The Days Of Wine And Roses ( 4:58)

Dudu Lima, bassist, arranger and composer, has one of the most prolific carreers in the brazilian instrumental music nowadays, having launched 6 CDs, 4 DVDs and 1 LP, in this sophisticated market.

In 2012 he launches his new album, the CD/DVD/LP "Dudu Lima Trio Live at Cine Theater Center"("Dudu Lima Trio ao vivo no Cine Theatro Central" (Blues time Records), with the special participation of the great North-American guitarist Stanley Jordan.

Dudu Lima performs his own compositions, among them "Regina" with Stanley Jordan, and also some Brazilian "standards" like "Brasileirinho" (Waldir Azevedo),"As Rosas não falam" (Cartola)" Asa Branca" (Luiz Gonzaga/Humberto Teixeira), "O Ronco da Cuíca" (João Bosco/Aldir Blanc) and "Clube da Esquina" (Milton Nascimento/Lõ Borges).

And All performed in a very new way with modern arrangements, innovating as a solist and as a bandleader at the both electric and acoustic basses.

Classicos

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Holly Burke - Nature Girl

Size: 127,2 MB
Time: 54:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Seraphina (5:28)
02. Serengeti (5:23)
03. Nature Girl (4:46)
04. First Snow On Cypress (1:06)
05. Transcendance (6:05)
06. Inner River (4:50)
07. River Of Stars (4:41)
08. The 12Th Of Always (4:25)
09. Happy Organ (6:50)
10. Foreign Correspondent (2:40)
11. Hypnotique (3:41)
12. A Leaf Falls (4:25)

“Nature Girl“ is the newest CD release from leading Vancouver Composer/Lyricist/Flutist/Vocalist Holly Burke. Holly has been on the scene in Canada and the US for decades and has quietly persisted to produce creative, texturally rich and evocative music that often transcends genre.
This current offering combines elements of World Beat, Fusion Jazz, Avant-Pop, Ambient, and enigmatic forms that defy description. Some of the wide ranging musical influences include; Paul Horn, Diane Reeves, Hubert Laws, Eric Satie, Bill Evans, Pat Metheny, and Michael Brecker.
The compositions include some moving lyric content, exciting and thoughtful improvised instrumental soloing and some infectious grooves combined with fresh harmonic content, thoughtful arrangements, brilliant performances by a crack band that includes some of Canada’s best musicians, pristine recording values, and a pervasive sense magic and mystery...

Nature Girl

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Bruce Hector, Richard McCrae & Don Williams - Moonrise

Size: 145,6 MB
Time: 62:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Guitar/Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Close To You (5:59)
02. Playing Hooky (4:03)
03. Street Of Dreams (5:34)
04. Cat Walk (4:33)
05. Chant Of The Orient (4:17)
06. Song For Carol (Ann) (3:47)
07. Moonrise (4:50)
08. Down Here On The Ground (4:54)
09. Theme From 'Mr. Lucky' (3:35)
10. If You Could See Me Now (5:51)
11. Two Left Feet (4:36)
12. Drivin' Stick (4:46)
13. Saving All My Love (5:48)

My love affair with the guitar started in the early 60's, with the folk music craze. But when I got to college, two things happened -- I heard my first Wes Montgomery record, and I met a guy who had just traded in his accordion for a Hammond B-3. We spent the rest of our college years trying to play jazz on club dates, and one great night had the chance to open for the great Jimmy Smith. After college and law school, I "took the day job", but still played at home and decided to study with a teacher, since up to that point I had played by ear. I started with Ted Makler in NYC for a brief time, followed by Joe Carter (a great player who focuses on Brazilian music) for many years. About 15 years ago, I ended up playing with the great Bucky Pizzarelli at a guitar workshop, and have since had the privilege of learning from him. More recently, Dave Stryker has also been sharing his vast jazz savvy with me. Playing out at jam sessions gave me the opportunity to meet Don Williams, who in turn introduce me to Richie McCrae. With them, I finally have the opportunity to pursue that jazz Holy Grail -- the fat sound of a Gibson hollowbody with an organ trio, a goal I've been chasing ever since I first heard Wes play!

Moonrise

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Rebecca Jenkins - Rebecca Jenkins & Her Trio: Live At The Cellar

Size: 110,4 MB
Time: 47:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. My Favourite Things (4:06)
02. Night And Day (3:08)
03. How Much Love (3:41)
04. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (3:16)
05. Blue Moon (3:14)
06. Son Of A Preacher Man (2:54)
07. You Are (3:54)
08. I'm Beginning To See The Light (2:35)
09. Hallelujah (7:00)
10. Cheek To Cheek (3:03)
11. Ode To Billie Joe (5:59)
12. Am I Blue (4:18)

Rebecca Jenkins and Her Trio, Live at The Cellar was recorded at Vancouver’s storied Cory Weeds’ Jazz Cellar in February 2014, just weeks before the club closed its doors for the last time. It was a magical evening for both the musicians and audience as Rebecca and the trio swung and grooved their way through two sets of jazz standards, cool covers, and haunting originals, every tune infused with easy soulfulness and joy. Backed by her long-time trio this is Rebecca’s third solo album, after Blue Skies (2008) and Something’s Coming (2012), and adds to a body of work that includes albums with the Parachute Club, Jane Siberry, and Kevin Breit, among others, as well as a soundtrack album from the film Bye Bye Blues in which Rebecca played a 1940s jazz singer, a role for which she won a Genie Award for best actress. That film helped launch Rebecca’s career as one of Canada’s most beloved and accomplished film and television actors, with numerous starring and award-winning roles over the years (alongside the likes of Tim Robbins, Kevin Spacey, and Ellen Page), and most recently in Sarah Polley’s critically-acclaimed Stories We Tell (2012).

Live At The Cellar

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Harry Allen Quartet - The King

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 79:07
Size: 181.1 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1994/1999
Art: Front

[ 9:27] 1. 'deed I Do
[ 9:51] 2. Close Your Eyes
[ 5:31] 3. But Beautiful
[ 9:41] 4. The King
[10:02] 5. Did You Call Here Today
[ 5:23] 6. Honeysuckle Rose
[ 4:56] 7. This Time The Dream's On Me
[ 8:52] 8. My Heart Stood Still
[ 5:08] 9. Everyday I Have The Blues
[10:11] 10. Limehouse Blues

Tenor saxophonist Harry Allen came on the New York mainstream-swing scene in the 1980s while he was still pursuing his music degree at Rutgers. He has been recording on smaller swing-oriented labels (Audiophile, Progressive, Nagel-Heyer) for a dozen years with groups that often included John Pizzarelli, guitar; Randy Sandke, trumpet, and Keith Ingham, piano - all first-rate mainstream swingers.

Stan Getz was once asked for his idea of the perfect tenor saxophone soloist. His answer-pianist Lou Levy was present and heard it-was, "My technique, Al Cohn's ideas, and Zoot's time," The fulfillment of that ideal may well be embodied in tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, who is so good that after several takes of a tune on a record date, arranger/composer Johnny Mandel said from the control booth, "Harry, would you mind screwing up on some of these to make our choices easier?"

No major record company is spending fortunes on publicity for Harry, His career is happening on its own. There is a lot of Zoot Sims in Harry Allen For one thing, he has Zoot's exhilarating time feeling, and he has captured that trick of Zoot's of leaping from the low register of the horn up to the top in a sort of celebratory sunburst. "Zoot was the master of that," Harry said "So was Stan."

Harry's work traces back to pre-Coltrane saxophone, One hears his admiration for Zoot, for Al Cohn, and for Ben Webster, which is manifest during ballads in a furry, breathy sound, But it could also be the influence of Paul Gonsalves, tenor soloist with Duke Ellington. Harry's father, Maurice, a drummer during the big band era went to high school and played with Gonsalves. Harry was listening to Paul with the Ellington band as far back as he can remember.

Harry Allen: Tenor Saxophone; John Bunch: Piano; Dennis Irwin: Bass; Duffy Jackson: Drums. Recorded live on May 28, 1994 at the Amerika Haus, Hamburg.

The King

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June Christy - The Intimate Miss Christy

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 39:04

Size: 90.3 MB

Styles: Easy Listening, Vocal

Year: 1962/2006

Art: Front

[3:05] 1. Spring Is Here

[3:15] 2. Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)

[2:29] 3. I Fall In Love Too Easily

[2:23] 4. Time After Time

[3:03] 5. The More I See You

[2:39] 6. Don't Explain

[3:31] 7. It Never Entered My Mind

[2:55] 8. You're Nearer

[3:06] 9. Misty

[2:43] 10. Suddenly It's Spring

[3:09] 11. I Get Along Without You Very Well

[3:22] 12. Ev'rytime

[1:36] 13. Sometimes I'm Happy

[1:42] 14. Tommy, Tommy

June Christy is usually associated with the booming big-band sound that dominated most of her work with Capitol in the 1950s and '60s, which is ironic given her restrained, casual singing. For this reason, THE INTIMATE MISS CHRISTY is one of the gems in the vocalist's discography. Accompanied only by bassist Don Bagley and guitarist Al Viola, Christy gives up-close-and-personal performances in a setting expertly matched to her style. The warm melancholia of the songs, as heard on "I Fall In Love Too Easily" and "I Get Along Without You Very Well," makes THE INTIMATE MISS CHRISTY a perfect choice for late-night listening.

June Christy (vocals); Al Viola (guitar); Bud Shank (flute); Jonah Jones (trumpet); Teddy Brannon (piano); Don Bagley, John Brown (upright bass); George Foster (drums).

The Intimate Miss Christy

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Stephen Bishop - Be Here Then

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 33:47
Size: 77.4 MB
Styles: Soft rock
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:40] 1. Pretty Baby
[3:33] 2. Rescue You
[2:57] 3. Sparkle U Shine
[4:12] 4. Make It Last
[3:55] 5. Promise Me The World
[2:47] 6. Vacant
[3:25] 7. Fooled By Love
[2:57] 8. Cry Of The Broken Hearted
[3:24] 9. Loveless
[2:53] 10. Love Is You

Stephen Bishop is another one of those pop singer songwriters from the late 70′s / early 80′s that drifted away from consciousness for most of the past couple decades and reemerged recently with an album of easy on the ears pop songs. Known primarily for the hit single “On & On” and the title theme song from the movie “Animal House”, Bishop hasn’t changed much with Be Here Then.

Like Boz Scaggs, in 2013, Bishop’s Be Here Then is easy to listen to which is probably both it’s greatest strength and weakness. Put the CD on, and it will make great music to have on in the background while working, reading or relaxing. Unfortunately, it’s also likely to stay in the background of your musical memories as it’s fairly forgettable as well. Bishop has a soft easy voice which also has a hint of Jackson Browne to it.

Be Here Then

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Teraesa Vinson - Opportunity Please Knock

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 51:20
Size: 82,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:02)  1. What A Difference A Day Made
(2:49)  2. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
(4:37)  3. Moon Ray
(7:07)  4. I Can't Make You Love Me
(5:16)  5. While We're Young
(3:49)  6. I've Got The World On A String
(3:55)  7. The Song Is You
(5:19)  8. Young and Foolish
(4:59)  9. A Beautiful Friendship
(3:11) 10. The Way You Look Tonight
(4:11) 11. Opportunity Please Knock

Vocalist Teraesa Vinson's debut album, Opportunity Please Knock , opens with a deceivingly innocent interpretation of "What A Difference a Day Made." She begins with an uncomplicated duet with bassist Nicki Parrot, which develops into a refined quartet. The track blossoms into a raucous swing that proves Vinson and her group mean business. Theraesa Vinson's sass and personality radiate throughout this album, yet never in excess. Vinson possesses a keen ear in respect to harmonic choices when she strays from the written melody. Her natural rhythmic drive is clearly evident throughout this disc. The intuitive nature of the musical rapport between Vinson and drummer Dion Parson is undeniable with a perfectly placed hit during a climactic chorus of "What a Difference a Day Made." One of several highlights on the album is Vinson's recording of Bonnie Raitt's pop hit "I Can't Make You Love Me." 

This selection shows Vinson's versatility and willingness to "sing outside the box" that is often associated with jazz. Ron Blake's ardent tenor playing on this track strikes a bright contrast to the previous introspective mood. His solo is heartfelt and true testament to what a seasoned jazz musician can create with any song regardless of genre. Vinson's maturity is further demonstrated by her ease in handling the tempo of "The Song is You." Despite the breakneck speed and dazzling riffs by her band, Vinson remains restrained, not rushing to spit out the words or ever overwhelming the listener. Throughout this album, newcomer Teraesa Vinson gracefully finds a natural balance of song, improvisation, and musicians, creating an exceptional album debut.

~ Jeff Hedberg  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/opportunity-please-knock-teraesa-vinson-amplified-records-review-by-jeff-hedberg.php#.U5tyASioqdk
 

Personnel: Teraesa Vinson, Vocals; Ron Blake, Saxophone; Tom Dempsey, Guitar; Carlton Holmes, Piano; Dion Parson, Drums; Nicki Parrott, Bass

Opportunity Please Knock

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Bradley Leighton - Soul Collective

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:29
Size: 97,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:58)  1. It's On!
(4:46)  2. Rock Me Softly!
(4:31)  3. She's Gone!
(3:56)  4. That Man!
(4:46)  5. Ode to Billy Joe!
(6:01)  6. Wake Up Call!
(3:54)  7. Undercover!
(5:08)  8. Café Con Leche!
(4:26)  9. Keep That Same Old Feeling!

Bradley Leighton is a fine flute player who is a bit reminiscent in tone and style of Herbie Mann. Like Mann, Leighton is often heard in a wide variety of settings, ranging from creative jazz to crossover pop. The music on Soul Collective almost ranges that far, from fine examples of funky jazz to a pair of throwaway R&B vocals. Some of the music seems aimed at the smooth market while other selections would function best as background music for dancers. The musicianship is excellent, the rhythm sections groove, and the horn section (which includes Tom Scott on three selections) is full of talent. Leighton plays quite well throughout. But nothing all that unexpected occurs and the results are a bit too predictable and safe to be all that memorable. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/soul-collective-mw0000784407

Bradley Leighton brings a unique and powerful sound to flute. His style of swing evolved from listening to the big, hi-octane bands of Kenton, Herman and Ferguson in the 60's-70's. His funkiness derives from years of listening to Tower of Power, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Brecker Brothers and countless other soul/R&B acts. He brings a fire and flair not usually heard nor expected from a flutist. Bradley has performed across the US and Asia, as both sideman and bandleader, for over 25 years. His most recent gigs included headlining the Gainesville Jazz Festival and opening for Gerald Albirght at the Greater Hartford Jazz Festival. Bradley Leighton is currently a Yamaha Performing Artist, a teacher and clinician and performing at venues across the United States and in Europe. He's flute coach at Oak Park Elementary in San Diego, CA - the music magnet school. He now resides in San Diego.  http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/bradleyleighton

Personnel: Bradley Leighton (flute, alto flute); Paula Prophet, Katreese Barnes (vocals, background vocals); Evan Marks, Sherrod Barnes (guitar); Tom Scott (saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Tom Braxton (saxophone, alto saxophone); Mic Gillette (trumpet, trombone); Greg Adams (trumpet); Allan Phillips (keyboards, drums, percussion, programming); Jason Miles (keyboards); Cesar Lozano, Brian Dunne (drums).

Soul Collective

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Rebecca Richardson - Stirred, Not Shaken

Size: 110,3 MB
Time: 47:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. All Of You (3:08)
02. E Preciso Perdoar (4:58)
03. Do It The Hard Way (2:55)
04. Tea For Two (4:49)
05. Whisper Not (4:01)
06. Daddy (3:14)
07. Nana/Daydream (6:50)
08. My Romance (2:56)
09. Teach Me Tonight (3:31)
10. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (3:05)
11. I Didn't Know What Time It Was (2:47)
12. C'est L'amour (4:57)

Featuring the soothing, sultry vocals of Rebecca Richardson:
Rebecca earned her Bachelor's of Vocal Jazz Performance from Cornish College of the Arts (Seattle, WA) and went on to study in New York, with esteemed jazz musicians (David Budway) and masterclasses at the Juilliard School. Her performance career has spanned ten years, beginning in Seattle, where she performed jazz in various venues including: Tula's, The Space Needle, and the Sorrento Hotel; as well as performed for Spirit Cruises, The Seattle Symphony, Civic Light Opera, Dickens Carolers, as well as Disney. She then moved to New York to develop her style futher, and continued performing, working with the Hank Lane Orchestra, and with smaller jazz groups at venues such as Kavehaz, Cleopatra's Needle, The French Consulate, The Waldorf Astoria, The C Note, and Flute. She also served on the CPSM voice faculty at Queens College. Sunny weather lured her to Naples, Florida, where she now resides and performs with her trio at the chic Campiello Ristorante four nights a week, as well as other area venues/organizations such as: The Ritz Carlton, The Hilton, Aldo's, Bellasera, and Opera Naples.

Stirred, Not Shaken

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Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom - Mo' Jazzy Grooves

Size: 161,5 MB
Time: 69:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Some Sorta Blue ( 7:00)
02. After Midnight Grooves ( 8:37)
03. Indian Summer Waltz ( 5:47)
04. The Wes Side ( 5:51)
05. Big Fine Lil' Lass ( 6:21)
06. Love Retoined ( 4:46)
07. Long Time Ago ( 6:41)
08. Green Eye Soul ( 7:41)
09. A.J. Bustah ( 6:27)
10. Back At The Levshack (10:28)

This album is part of a four part series showcasing Ron Levy as a composer and master musician. It is an anthology drawn from the various recordings Mr. Levy produced, arranged and played his signature sound on piano, electric piano, vibes, guitar and Hammond organ. There are even a couple of his Blues inspired vocals!

Historically over the last twenty years, Ron has blended many different styles and genres into his own unique musical gumbo within each of his critically acclaimed and popular recordings. Enough so, he has now been able to assemble four separate full length albums comprised in each genre of grooves.

These album titles aptly describe each particular mood and vibe contained in each of them: “Mo’ JAZZY Grooves” - “FUNKY Soul Grooves” - “Mo’ BLUES & Grooves” and “LATIN-a-licious Grooves”.

This newest collection is in addition to his three previously released anthologies: Ron Levy’s Wild Kingdom - “Best Grooves and Jams” - “Jazz-a-licious Grooves” and “Best of RLWK”. All distributed by CdBaby and on his Facebook fan page music store.

As usual, Levy has always surrounded himself with many of the most talented musicians in the world throughout his long and celebrated career. They all have interpreted his compositions with soulful empathy, adding their own unique artistic creative contributions and styles to help fulfill Ron’s vision of his original compositions and are featured throughout all four albums.

Included in this collection are: Karl Denson, Melvin Sparks, The Memphis Horns, Idris Muhammad, James Gadson, David T. Walker, Stanley Banks, Jeff Lockhart, Crispin Cioe, ‘Sax’ Gordon, Albert Collins, Tutu Jones, Johnnie Bassett, Preston Shannon, Smokey Wilson, Bobby Forte, Jim Spake and Scott Thompson, Anson Funderburg and Sam Myers, Kim Wilson, Jimmie Vaughan, Roomful of Blues, Lowell Fulson, Larry Davis and Ronnie Earl.

These songs as well as many of these personalities (and many more) are further explained and candidly revealed in Ron’s web-book, “Tales of a Road Dog” available on his website. Look up Ron Levy / Levtron - online. We hope you enjoy these selections and include them in your regular rotation and consider them among your favorites. So stay tuned, there’s much more to come. Enjoy!

Mo' Jazzy Grooves

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Jim Grant - You Go To My Head

Size: 51,4 MB
Time: 21:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Close Your Eyes (2:08)
02. Big City (2:27)
03. Ain't No Use (3:37)
04. Gentle Rain (2:46)
05. The Letter (1:52)
06. He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother (3:42)
07. Getting Some Fun Out Of Life (2:06)
08. You Goto My Head (3:12)

If there’s a real-world sensibility to this record, a firm grasp on the passion it takes to withstand hard times, you can credit Jim Grant’s resume as a working man. If there’s a remarkable eloquence to his phrasing, look to this Chicago vocalist’s time at the Bloom School of Jazz. That voice, though? It’s a chocolate-y wonder, with all of the complexities that implies: dark and brooding one moment and bursting with soaring bliss the next. Well, that voice is all Grant’s. Pair it with a West Coast jazz-inflected trio and You Go To My Head sets up as an intriguing juxtaposition of styles and substance.

The opening “Close Your Eyes” begins with a ruminative bass signature from Geoff Lowe, before Grant slips in – offering the lyric first with a whispered confidentiality before descending into a girder-shaking baritone. Jim Sellers adds a spritely piano figure, over the lightest of brush strokes from drummer Sam Pincich, and the template for You Go To Me Head is set: Smoothly sophisticated swing running like a current underneath a profoundly suave, midnight blue singer in the manner of Johnny Hartman. A stutter from Pincich opens up into a crisp cadence on “Big City,” as Grant proceeds to give his whole heart over to a metropolis’ hustle and bustle. Sellers offers a series of playful retorts, while Lowe and Pincich keep a brisk time – deftly mirroring the city noise. Grant, however, strides confidently through it all, connecting his passion for the urban landscape with a life’s love. The joy in his voice is palpable.

“Ain’t No Use” is the first inkling that Grant and this group can go deeper into the R&B-inflected soul that marked Hartman’s best sides. Singing with an ocean-bottom’s depth, Grant throws his arms around heartbreak, even as his band makes full use of the track’s darkness and space. When they grind this sad and lonely exploration to a sudden halt, Grant makes the word “please” sound as awful as anyone ever has. They return then to the album’s principal atmosphere of sleek urbanity on “Gentle Rain,” with Grant exploring the middle area of his range while the trio of Sellers, Lowe and Pincich delve into the kind of air-filled, almost confectionary lines that were the hallmark of Bill Evans’ trios. There’s not as much meat on this song’s bones, at least compared to the devastatingly confessional “Ain’t No Use,” but that takes nothing away from its enduring loveliness.

Grant next takes on a couple of charting pop songs in a row, first making an energetic, rhythmically assured run through “The Letter.” Whereas the radio hit boiled with emotion, Grant and Company reshape it here as a rapturous up-tempo piece – made complete by lock-step performance by guest saxist Eric Schneider. “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” follows, and this time they approach this old favorite as a sublimely attenuated ballad. It’s a masterpiece of shading, quietly assertive where another singer might have fallen into easy melancholy.

“Getting Some Fun Out of Life” arrives then like a sunburst. Powered along by a walking bass line from Lowe, Grant tosses aside all of that introspection for an unvarnished bit of fleet-footed cheer. Sellers plays, too, with a winking charm – adding a just-right accompaniment for the lyric.

Grant closes with an intimate take on the oft-sung title cut, ending an astonishingly consistent album he co-produced along side David Bloom with one more impeccably executed, cliché-free performance. In that way, Grant brings to mind Billy Strayhorn, as well. When Grant pauses midway through the title as this song concludes, it’s both a heartbreaking moment of realism and a final example of a complete command of his vocal instrument. This one will, in fact, go to your head. ~Nick DeRiso

You Go To My Head

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Marc Copland & Randy Brecker - Both/And: That's For You Version

Size: 197,6 MB
Time: 84:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Through The Window (8:26)
02. I Loves You, Porgy (8:14)
03. Over The Hills (8:25)
04. Prometheus' Peace (8:16)
05. The Sidewinder (6:27)
06. Both And (8:17)
07. Easy Living (7:45)
08. Round The Horn (5:04)
09. When The Wind Stops (8:48)
10. Bookends (8:53)
11. Eidolon (6:16)

This album verifies that Randy Brecker’s straightahead improvisational chops are intact, unbesmirched and uncompromised by his various business pursuits in more commercially viable jazz formats. His trumpet tone is distinctively burnished and attractively astringent. His ideas always push against and alter expectation. He sounds unhurried, even at fast tempos.

The other members of this unpretentious yet sophisticated quartet are pianist Marc Copland, bassist Ed Howard and drummer Victor Lewis. Each is capable of commanding attention on his own. On Copland’s teetering, enigmatic title track, the piano solo holds the song’s tension and then releases and spills it. When the arrangement focuses on Howard, his shifting, elusive ostinato becomes a cryptic bass solo. But the strength of this rhythm section lies in creating inspirational contexts for Brecker.

The best piece is “I Loves You Porgy,” because the feeling is retained in Brecker’s luxuriant, luminous trumpet sound even as he smears and fragments one of Gershwin’s most-played songs. Lee Morgan’s “The Sidewinder” is uncharacteristically asymmetrical and oblique, and provokes the freest, most expansive statements on the album by Brecker and Copland. ~By Thomas Conrad

Both/And: That's For You Version

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Barry Harris - Lonesome Lover

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 78:57
Size: 180.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:52] 1. Morning Coffee
[4:04] 2. There's No One But You
[7:35] 3. I've Got A Crush On You
[6:31] 4. My Heart Stood Still
[3:35] 5. I Should Care
[4:48] 6. Woodyn' You
[7:25] 7. Billie-Doo
[4:13] 8. Play Carol Play
[5:09] 9. Don't Blame Me
[7:23] 10. If I Love Again
[5:01] 11. It's The Talk Of The Town
[4:03] 12. What Is This Thing Called Love
[4:38] 13. One Down
[5:47] 14. If Someone Had Told Me
[3:47] 15. Curtain Call

One of the major bop pianists of the last half of the 20th century, Barry Harris has long had the ability to sound very close to Bud Powell, yet he can also do convincing impressions of Thelonious Monk and has his own style within the bop idiom. He was an important part of the Detroit jazz scene of the 1950s, and has been a jazz educator since that era. Harris recorded his first set as a leader while in 1958, and moved to New York in 1960, where he spent a short period with Cannonball Adderley's Quintet. He also recorded with Dexter Gordon, Illinois Jacquet, Yusef Lateef, and Hank Mobley, and was with Coleman Hawkins off and on throughout the decade (including Hawk's declining years). In the 1970s, Harris was on two of Sonny Stitt's finest records (Tune Up and Constellation), and made many recordings in a variety of settings for Xanadu. Barry Harris has mostly worked with his trio since the mid-'70s, and he has recorded as a leader for Argo (1958), Riverside, Prestige, MPS, Xanadu, and Red. ~bio by Scott Yanow

Lonesome Lover

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Laura Fygi - The Best Is Yet To Come

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 47:06

Size: 107.8 MB

Styles: Easy Listening, Vocal jazz

Year: 2011

Art: Front

[3:13] 1. The Best Is Yet To Come

[3:33] 2. Smile

[3:55] 3. Too Darn Hot

[3:46] 4. I've Got A Crush On You

[3:36] 5. This Can't Be Love

[3:51] 6. Cheek To Cheek

[3:53] 7. Fever

[4:16] 8. That Old Black Magic

[4:50] 9. It's Easy To Remember

[3:24] 10. You And The Night And The Music

[4:22] 11. Old Devil Moon

[4:21] 12. The Good Life

Laura Fygi has long considered Julie London one of her principal inspirations. Yes, the lushly exotic Fygi, whose multicultural heritage is Dutch by way of Egypt and Uruguay, can smolder with London-worthy intensity.

But Fygi is a far more gifted vocalist, with a substantially wider range and significantly sharper interpretive skills. If comparisons need be made, equating her with Peggy Lee seems far more apt. Like Lee, she can swing easy and seduce cunningly, all while maintaining a feisty sense of self-reliance. The Best Is Yet to Come is Fygi’s 12th album as leader and marks the 20th anniversary of her solo career. Remarkably, it is her first recorded session with a big band.

Co-arrangers and producers Jan Menu and Johan Plomp have smartly placed Fygi in settings that recall platters crafted by Lee, Sinatra and their ilk under the hip direction of such craftsmen as Billy May and Neal Hefti. Along the way, Menu and Plomp make several enriching choices. “Smile,” too often misinterpreted as sunnily optimistic, is softly clouded in grey. “Too Darn Hot” rides atop a scorching, brass-wrapped drum line worthy of Buddy Rich. “The Good Life” slowly builds from gentle musing to impassioned vamp, and a pulsating “You and the Night and the Music” sounds as if it has been plucked from hard-hearted Hannah’s songbook. Even “Fever,” where you might expect the Lee echoes to be most evident, is distinctly re-imagined, its slow burn escalated to a three-alarm blaze. ~Christopher Loudon

The Best Is Yet To Come

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Roberto Menescal - Bossa Evergreen

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 42:21
Size: 97.0 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:40] 1. Nós E O Mar
[2:51] 2. Minha Namorada
[3:07] 3. Insensatez
[2:00] 4. Samba De Verão
[3:22] 5. Amor Em Paz
[3:11] 6. Garota De Ipanema
[3:52] 7. Wave
[2:24] 8. Influência Do Jazz
[2:43] 9. Ah! Se Eu Pudesse
[3:27] 10. O Barquinho
[3:51] 11. Corcovado
[2:14] 12. Batida Diferente
[2:50] 13. Até Quem Sabe
[2:43] 14. Você

Roberto Menescal, a pioneer composer and performer of Bossa Nova, and his long-time partner Wanda Sa, offer a delightful selection of classic Brazilian jazz selections including some of Menescal's well-known compositions and those of the "grand master", Antonio Carlos "Tom" Jobim. Their guitars and voices blend wonderfully and create the light, breezy familiar style that has become their trademark. I have had the privlege of seeing and hearing them live and meeting them personally and I have found that the genuine warmth, Brazilian passion and friendliness they showed to me is conveyed effectively through their music. Though well-known in Brazil, many international audiences, especially in the U.S., Europe and Asia are only now discovering one of Brazil's greatest musical national treasures. Listen once, and you too will know that you have found something very special. ~Amazon

Bossa Evergreen

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Louisiana Jazz Band - In A Mellow Tone

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 55:46
Size: 127.7 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[4:33] 1. Take The A-Train
[3:32] 2. Lonesome Road
[3:48] 3. After You've Gone
[2:45] 4. Stardust
[3:37] 5. One O'clock Jump
[3:50] 6. In A Mellow Tone
[2:49] 7. Dream A Little Dream Of Me
[3:41] 8. Secret Love
[3:29] 9. Sophisticated Lady
[2:49] 10. I'm Getting Sentimental
[2:56] 11. Come Rain Or Come
[3:27] 12. All Of Me
[3:53] 13. Annie Laurie
[3:48] 14. Jeeps Blues
[3:44] 15. Stomping At The Savoy
[2:59] 16. Things Ain't What They Used To Be

Bandet består av jazzmusikere med lang erfaring fra deltagelse i norske og internasjonale jazzfestivaler, jazzkonserter på Mississippi's riverboats, jamsessions i New Orleans, kulturarrangementer, jazzklubber, radio, TV, LP, CD-innspillinger, spellemannspris m.m.
Louisiana Jazzband spillestil er supertradjazz basert på New Orleans - jazz og hardtswingende standards med små arrangementer, samt slap - bass a la Pops Foster og Slam Steward.

Bandet har opparbeidet seg en betydelig posisjon innenfor jazz og kulturlivet i Norge, med sin publikumsvennlige attityde og jazzsti
Louisiana Jazzband har i de senere år deltatt og høstet strålende kritikker bl.a. i Smøgen Tradjazzfestival i Sverige, hvor de også markerte sitt 15 års jubileum, deltakelse i åpningen av EURO-SONG's artistshow i Oslo 1996, Color Line's Jazzcruise til Hirtshals, Tynset Kulturfestival, Sildajazzfestivalen i Haugesund, Plankejazzfestivalen i Fredrikstad og
utallige glajazzcruise med veteranbåter i Oslofjorden bl.a. på skoleskipet Christian Radich.

In A Mellow Tone

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