Jeni Fleming - Come To Life

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:02
Size: 130.6 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[6:30] 1. When You Fall
[4:58] 2. Drift Away
[4:25] 3. Happy Valentine's Day
[3:51] 4. Never My Love
[4:57] 5. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[5:24] 6. Can't Buy Me Love
[6:00] 7. Come To Life
[5:24] 8. Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground
[5:15] 9. We Work The Black Seam Together
[4:53] 10. Chega De Saudade
[5:20] 11. The Other Side

After 7 albums and many cross-country tours, JENI is fast becoming one of the west’s most sought-after musicians, bringing a breathtaking originality to some of the best music of the American songbook. From classic jazz standards from composers such as Gershwin, Cole Porter and Jobim, to re-arranged pop hits by Cyndi Lauper, The Grateful Dead, or The Beatles, JENI defies easy classification simply saying in defense “a good song is a good song.” Her signature ballads drip with so much emotion that an audience member suggested adding Kleenex boxes on each chair in her Tech Rider. The Big Sky Journal commented “an evening of this and you’re both whipped and exhilarated, you’ve wiped your eyes, yet your cheeks hurt from all the grinning.” With every performance, the songs and stories of JENI FLEMING are winning the hearts of audiences from coast to coast.

Come To Life

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Pablo Bobrowicky - Southern Blue

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 58:21
Size: 133.6 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:05] 1. Sos Vos
[4:25] 2. Barbados
[5:13] 3. Luiza
[3:29] 4. La Anera
[4:11] 5. Cotton Tail
[2:42] 6. Rythm A Ning
[8:41] 7. Idle Moments
[3:35] 8. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[6:34] 9. Eclipse De Luna
[4:09] 10. La Reparada
[5:50] 11. C Jam Blues
[4:22] 12. Delilah

Argentinian guitarist Pablo Bobrowicky has a beautifully unadorned and organic tone, as naked as an electrified guitar can be. He makes it a point not to hide behind reverb, sustain, or overdrive, producing a plectrum sound halfway between electric and acoustic. On Southern Blue, his fourth Red Records recording as a leader, Bobrowicky returns to the trio format he so successfully led on 2001's Where We Are (Red Records), spinning out an excellent collection of standards and originals, rendered like a fine, aged wine.

Bobrowicky's opening tune is an original, "Sos Vos?," based on the harmonic structure of the jazz warhorse "All The Things You Are." In the greatest of jazz traditions, the guitarist transforms the original standard by expertly tinkering with the tempo, time and chords. In doing so, he creates something new altogether: an elegant and swinging tribute to the original. More than with a piano trio, the guitar trio lays plain the "space" in music with which Miles Davis was always so obsessed. Bobrowicky sharpens this with clean phrasing devoid of Joe Pass cum Art Tatum 64th- note ejaculations that, while impressive, can clutter a good melody. In this case, less is more. This music is as clean as a whistle, smelling of pine. ~C. Michael Bailey

Pablo Bobrowicky: guitar; Ben Street: bass; Pepi Taveira: drums.

Southern Blue

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Quinn Deveaux - Under Covers

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 30:23
Size: 69.6 MB
Styles: R&B/Soul, New Orleans blues
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:26] 1. Come & Go
[2:33] 2. Packin' Up
[3:36] 3. Tiger In Your Tank
[3:22] 4. Good News
[3:14] 5. All Night Long
[2:57] 6. I'm In Love Again
[3:10] 7. Glory Glory
[2:41] 8. Leave My Woman Alone
[5:21] 9. They All Asked For You

Under Covers is a collection of our most favorite songs. These are the songs that inspired us to start a band and to write original tunes. These are dance songs and are part of the basis for the blue beat sound we are inventing or attempting to invent. We love the Muddy Waters, the Sam Cooke, the Meters, the Fats Domino, the Chris Kenner, and the Ray Charles and we only hope be as good as this music. This is the new Blue Beat. ~Quinn DeVeaux

Under Covers

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Madeleine Peyroux - The Blue Room

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:31
Size: 106,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:12)  1. Take These Chains
(3:28)  2. Bye Bye Love
(3:10)  3. Changing All Those Changes
(4:27)  4. Born to Lose
(3:50)  5. Guilty
(5:37)  6. Bird On the Wire
(4:18)  7. I Can't Stop Loving You
(6:42)  8. Gentle On My Mind
(4:01)  9. You Don't Know Me
(4:20) 10. Desperados Under the Eaves
(3:21) 11. I Love You So Much It Hurts

The nucleus of Madeleine Peyruoux's The Blue Room is Ray Charles' Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music (ABC, 1962). It was an idea percolating in the brain of long-time Peyroux producer Larry Klein, who was considering a re-examination of the Charles classic and evolved into something more than a simple homage, something with the same intention as Charles had fifty years ago. Collaborating with Peyroux, Klein decided on other songs the two favored, adding to the Charles Country canon Randy Newman's "Guilty," Warren Zevon's "Desperado's Under the Eaves" and John Hartford's "Gentle On My Mind," as well as Leonard Cohen's "Bird on a Wire" and the rare "Changing All Those Changes" by Buddy Holly. 

The result is this ravishing collection of North Americana.  Using only the sparest core keyboard-guitar quartet led by Larry Goldings, Peyroux re-imagines this material, giving its spirit a second generation of consideration. The Charles material was provocative and controversial to begin with, bucking the conventional wisdom of the period recording industry, earning its I-told-you-so genius rating for Charles. While Peyroux's approach is not as shockingly genre-shattering, it is nevertheless a progression using this older music as a vehicle to great effect. Regarding the Charles material, Goldings' use of electric piano is a nice tip-of-the-hat to Charles a la "What'd I Say?" as Vince Mendoza's strings arrangements are for the same. Peyroux's voice is a paradox. Clearly informed by Billie Holiday, for which she has been criticised and praised, Peyroux has assimilated this influence into an instrument as unique as it is progressive. She infuses this famous music with a languid pathos, whose essence is like that familiar but undefinable aroma wafting from the family memory kitchen.

"Bird on a Wire" and "Gentle on My Mind" are all morphine and molasses while "Desperado Under the Eaves" and "Guilty" are polished to an antique brass gleam. Peyroux is using a formula used earlier by Cassandra Wilson in the 1990s, one where pop, country and folk songs are given a contemporary makeover. Where Wilson did this very organically, Peyroux retains the more modern jazz trappings, conservatively rendering the old music to make some of the most progressive mainstream art realized. ~ C.Michael Bailey  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-blue-room-madeleine-peyroux-emarcy-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php#.U8lrb7FryM0 

Personnel: Madeleine Peyroux: vocals; Larry Goldings: keyboards; Dean Parks: guitars; David Piltch: bass; Jay Bellerose: drums; Larry Klein: arrangements; Vince Mendoza: string arrangements.

The Blue Room

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Alexandra Caselli - Out The Aquarium

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:29
Size: 130,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:59)  1. Out The Aquarium
(4:38)  2. It Might As Well Be Spring
(4:59)  3. I Remember You
(4:51)  4. How Deep Is The Ocean
(3:35)  5. Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
(4:35)  6. Chinese Moondream
(4:49)  7. Flying Colors
(5:11)  8. When The Red Red Robin Comes B
(4:54)  9. Follow Your Road
(3:09) 10. Side By Side
(4:39) 11. Notre Dame
(3:16) 12. Whiff
(3:47) 13. Out The Aquarium

With a cosmopolitan name like Alexandra Caselli, how can one go wrong? Add to that great name the classical heritage of Muzio Clementi, the impressionistic philosophy of Lynne Arriale (by way of Bill Evans), and a great ear for melody, and you have the total package that is Ms. Caselli. Out The Aquarium is Caselli's new recording. She has previously been associated with the Jennifer York Trio and quartet. The pianist is equally adept at electric and acoustic jazz, with experience in both arenas.  Out The Aquarium employs two trios differing in the use of electric or acoustic bass. This seemingly small change alters dramatically the swing factor in the music. The difference is that between straight piano trio mainstream and contemporary jazz.

Compare directly "Out the Aquarium and "It Might as Well be Spring" with "I Remember You," "Follow Your Road," and "Side By Side." With the change in drumming (along with the electric bass), the latter three pieces are prime Adult Contemporary stock and very effective stock at that. What makes this disc so appealing is Ms. Caselli's musicality in both her treatments of standards and her own originals. She plays with a double-fisted, block chord abandon that imparts a real orchestral sound to her trio. I kindly recommend this recording to all lovers of the piano trio format, be they traditional middle-of-the-roaders or Adult Contemporary wonks. ~ C.Michael Bailey  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/out-the-aquarium-alexandra-caselli-moon-jumpers-records-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php#.U8r8d7FryM0

Personnel: Alexandra Caselli--Piano; Adam Cohen, Randy Landis--Bass; Dick Weller, Eric Wells, Dave Derge--Drums.

Out The Aquarium

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Kerry Strayer Quartet - Play It Where It Lays

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:39
Size: 144,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:28)  1. 3625 Central
(7:26)  2. Blues O'Mighty
(7:24)  3. Perfectly Frank
(6:00)  4. Jammin' At The Kirk
(7:15)  5. Funk In Deep Freeze
(5:49)  6. Mentor
(5:27)  7. All Too Soon
(6:11)  8. Friends Again
(6:00)  9. Play It Where It Lays
(5:36) 10. Bertha The Dragoness

A baritone saxophonist heavily indebted to Gerry Mulligan, Kerry Strayer tends to favor a soloing style that sticks close to the original melody and phrasing that emphasizes the instrument's buzzy lower register. Play It Where It Lays is an album of standards and originals the Kansas City-based saxophonist recorded with his standard rhythm section and his friend and mentor, Gary Foster, on alto and tenor. Strayer was one of Foster's students at the Kansas City Conservatory of Music in the mid-'80s, and both saxophonists have a similarly measured, cerebral playing style that keeps the album from becoming just a blowing session. 

The set list features some well-chosen tunes from the catalogs of Johnny Hodges, Duke Ellington, and Hank Mobley, and Strayer is the sort of "old wine, new bottles" jazz performer who is careful to point out in his liner notes what familiar chord changes he's nicking on the handful of Strayer and Foster originals. As a result, there's an air of respectful academia about Play It Where It Lays that's both a blessing and a curse: as both a writer and a soloist, Strayer is so reverential to the giants of jazz past that there's a certain lack of personality here. By the end of Play It Where It Lays, the listener is struck by the taste and the tastefulness of the players, but is left with little sense of who they really are. ~ Stewart Mason  http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7375096&style=music&fulldesc=T
 

Personnel: Kerry Strayer (baritone saxophone); Paul "Scooby" Smith, Frank Mantooth (piano); Todd Strait (drums).

Play It Where It Lays

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Jim Rotondi - The Pleasure Dome

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:26
Size: 134,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. On Y Va (Let's Go)
(7:59)  2. The Breeze And I
(7:27)  3. The Pleasure Dome
(6:58)  4. My Ideal
(9:35)  5. A Bientôt
(6:41)  6. Yours Is My Heart Alone
(5:45)  7. Mamacita
(8:12)  8. Hush

His already impressive catalog of work for Criss Cross notwithstanding, trumpeter Jim Rotondi's Destination Up is arguably one of his best records, and it gained numerous critical kudos when it was released a few years back. While the trumpeter's follow-up for the Sharp Nine label might not be as ambitious as its predecessor, it's no less engaging. Furthermore, Rotondi continues to foster an individualistic approach that comes out of the Freddie Hubbard/Woody Shaw bag, but which has amalgamated into a technically proficient and emotionally direct and lyrical muse. Two of Rotondi's originals mix with a half dozen well-chosen lines from the hard bop canon, with choice arrangements giving everything a fresh coat of paint. A bristling "On Y Va" finds everyone at the starting gate ready to blow and alto man Jesse Davis makes an immediate impression, his tart and fluid lines taking the Parker/Stitt prototype to the next level. 

"The Breeze and I" is a model of the clever type of arranging tricks that Rotondi uses throughout the date, with the melody delivered over a percolating 6/8 groove. Listen for David Hazeltine's coy solo spot, which includes a well placed quote of "Now's the Time." Facing a proven test for the mettle of a jazz artist, Rotondi really delivers on ballads and his feature spot here on "My Ideal" exudes maturity and lyrical character. A real storyteller, Rotondi also knows how to take his time with a line, and that skill makes an expansive take on Billy Taylor's "A Bientot" one of the highlights of the disc.

Rounding things out, Rotondi and crew revisit two lesser-known items from the Blue Note legacy, namely Joe Henderson's "Mamacita" and Donald Byrd's "Hush." Those who have followed Rotondi over the years and know of his efforts with the band One For All and other projects with his clique of like-minded artists will find it no surprise that the lock-up the trumpeter gets with Hazeltine and drummer Joe Farnsworth is something truly special. In addition, bassist Ray Drummond was no stranger, having filled in for Peter Washington on a few One For All gigs in the past. Davis proved to be the real revelation, and one can only hope that he and Rotondi will choose to join forces again in the future, the pair offering a change of pace from the usual tenor/trumpet front line. ~ C.Andrew Hovan  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-pleasure-dome-jim-rotondi-sharp-nine-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php#.U8mY8rFryM0

Personnel: Jim Rotondi (trumpet and flugelhorn), Jesse Davis (alto sax), David Hazeltine (piano), Ray Drummond (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums)

The Pleasure Dome

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Tony Z - Get Down With The Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 52:34
Size: 120.3 MB
Styles: Jazz/blues, Soul-blues
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[7:00] 1. Get Down With The Blues
[3:29] 2. Something Funky About Your Love
[4:54] 3. Too Fine To Be Mine
[4:06] 4. I've Got A New Love
[8:28] 5. Paradise Memorial Gardens
[3:54] 6. Roger Pace
[6:38] 7. The Blues That Was Waiting For Me
[8:43] 8. Tone-Cool
[5:18] 9. Who Are You Thinking Of

Apparently, Tony Z’s been hiding out on the road with the likes of the Platters and Ronnie Earl just waiting for his chance to spring. And man, has he sprung. Tony says his main influences are "the two Jimmies," Smith and McGriff. When you feel comfortable pulling those names out of the hat, you’d better have something to show for it. He does–in spades.

The first thing you notice is that there’s some real life in these boys. Sounds like somebody wanted to make a record real bad. The excellent liner notes will fill you in on Tony’s whole story–piano lessons in the convent to seasoned road warrior. They don’t say where he picked up his ear for writing. Nine of the ten tunes were penned by Tony, and they’re not all just your father’s I IV V. He manages to toss in some pretty tasty, pretty subtle little twists, particularly on the title track.

That’s not to say they don’t get down and shuffle. How could you not get down with Bernard Purdie, Duke Robillard and Houston Person in tow? Purdie’s as pretty as ever–he kicks the band through the changes and knocks a huge hole in it in the process (will he never quit?). And it goes without saying that Robillard and Person deliver according to their respective legendary statures.

The recording is very fine. Very crisp, very tart and very dynamic. The kind that makes your face scrunch up when the guitar bends into a blue note or the organ slides into home. And slide it does. Forget the solo chops. Tony Z can cut it with the best of them, but those years on the road have whittled his comping sensibilities to a razor edge. He can chop offbeats and swirl shimmering backing textures behind a soloist like nobody’s business. ~Jason Staczek

Tony Zamagni - Hammond B-3 organ and vocals; Duke Robillard - Guitar; Bernard Purdie - Drums; Houston Person - Saxophone; Johnny B. Gayden - Bass; Sugar Blue - Harmonica on "Roger Pace."

Get Down With The Blues

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Angelique Beauvence - Let There Be Love

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 47:45
Size: 109.3 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[2:41] 1. Let There Be Love
[3:16] 2. My Funny Valentine
[3:34] 3. Softly As In The Morning Sunrise
[3:57] 4. More
[3:18] 5. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[1:53] 6. Great Day
[3:07] 7. How Deep Is The Ocean
[2:34] 8. What Do You See In Her
[4:01] 9. Loverman
[2:23] 10. After You've Gone
[1:31] 11. For Me And My Gal
[2:01] 12. Trolley Song
[2:56] 13. The Nearness Of You
[2:27] 14. Smile
[3:57] 15. Send In The Clowns
[4:02] 16. I'm A Fool To Want You

Angelique was raised in the south of the Netherlands. Because she has moved around for most of her life, her experience of different cultures has most certainly influenced her music. Her links to gipsy roots and her strong beliefs in a more just world play a fundamental part in her professions as songwriter, producer, actress, musician, coach, and artist. Apart from her own projects, Angelique is very much in demand as a guest singer for the recordings and performances of a remarkably wide range of musicians.

Angelique followed several courses in classical singing and a professional and private tutorial at the University for Performing Arts in The Hague and Zwolle. Combined with her daily studies she did an extensive course ‘Method Acting’, tutored by Mr. Clif Sutton in Amsterdam.

Let There Be Love

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Ted McNabb & Co. - Big Band Swing

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 33:04
Size: 75.7 MB
Styles: Swing
Year:1984/2012
Art: Front

[2:55] 1. Mountain Greenery
[2:43] 2. I'll Never Say Never Again Again
[2:07] 3. Blue Moon
[2:26] 4. Margie
[2:40] 5. That Old Feeling
[2:49] 6. Have You Met Miss Jones
[2:22] 7. Lover
[3:22] 8. You're My Thrill
[2:36] 9. It Had To Be You
[2:41] 10. Three Little Words
[3:32] 11. Spring Is Here
[2:46] 12. Close As Pages In A Book

One of the finest (and rarest) big band recordings of the late 1950s is Ted McNabb & Co. for Columbia's Epic label. Arranged and conducted by Marion Evans, the session was recorded over three days in November 1959 and featured the cream of the New York studio scene.

On the date were Burt Collins, Bernie Glow, Doc Severinsen, John Bello (tp); Sy Berger, Frank Rehak, Urbie Green, Dick Hixson (tb); Dick Meldonian, Gene Quill (as); Al Cohn, Zoot Sims (ts); Sol Schlinger (bar); Nat Pierce (p); Barry Galbraith (g), Milt Hinton (b) and Osie Johnson (d). When a few musicians couldn't make it for the second and third dates, Al Derisi and John Frosk (tp), Herb Geller (as), John Drew (b) and Don Lamond (d) stepped in. Not too shabby.

But who exactly was Ted McNabb? The notes on the reverse side of the LP simply say that McNabb had long-time ambitions to record such an album and as a youngster had studied piano, clarinet and drums. Not only isn't McNabb listed anywhere else on the album, he isn't listed in any jazz discography. Hmmm. A pseudonym?

Big Band Swing

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Halie Loren - Heart First

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:23
Size: 140,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. Taking A Chance On Love
(3:41)  2. A Woman's Way
(2:59)  3. C'est Si Bon
(4:59)  4. Waiting In Vain
(3:45)  5. Sway / Quien Sera
(3:14)  6. Heart First
(4:03)  7. My One And Only Love
(4:10)  8. Feeling Good
(4:31)  9. Tender To The Touch
(3:32) 10. Fly Me To The Moon
(3:18) 11. Lotta Love
(3:36) 12. In Time
(2:54) 13. Smile
(3:49) 14. Crazy Love
(4:03) 15. Ellie My Love
(4:54) 16. What A Wonderful World

Though vocalist Halie Loren has made a name for herself by bringing her warm and inviting alto to bear on a mixture of pop and jazz classics, she has received far too little attention in the United States. Much of the praise heaped upon her comes from Japan, where her fan base is strong and plentiful, but this Alaska-born, Eugene-based beauty may finally be able to make major inroads in the U.S. market with Heart First. This fourteen-track program is heavy on the heart theme, her diverse material drawn from disparate sources that fit this overall concept. Nevertheless, it all comes together to perfection. Depending on the song, Loren can be sweet, sly, or sultry, but she always finds the right read. All of the covers on Heart First have been done ad infinitum, but Loren's ability to find something new in the old makes this a fun ride. 

She finds the middle ground between Bob Marley's impassioned delivery and Annie Lennox's pop sheen on "Waiting In Vain," strips "Sway (Quién Será)" to its seductive core, and removes any hint of Eartha Kitt from "C'est Si Bon." "All Of Me," underscored by a slow burning bass and tom groove, receives a reading that's far more provocative than the norm. In Loren's able hands, Neil Young's twang is nowhere to be found on his "Lotta Love," which sounds like a cross between a Michael Buble pop hit and "Everyday Is A Holiday (With You)" from Esthero and Sean Lennon. While innovation is present in many of the arrangements, Loren doesn't mess with some standards on some standards. "Taking A Chance On Love" and "My One And Only Love" both receive fairly routine deliveries, giving the young vocalist a chance to shine in a more straightforward manner. 

While Loren's talents as a songwriter are downplayed here (there are only four originals sprinkled amongst the fourteen tracks), she does make an impact with her self-penned pieces. "In Time," the most moving of Loren's originals, crosses Hem-like serenity with a Sophie Milman-leaning sound, while the title track mixes country inflections with traces of barroom informality. "Tender To The Touch," with its strong R&B influence, is the most pop-leaning of the bunch, and the album-opening "A Woman's Way" proves to be the most breezy, in music if not in words. The backing band on this album does a fine job throughout, even if it largely serves as window dressing for Loren. Pianist Matt Treder, who regularly brings class, charm and his own instrumental voice into the picture, and trumpeter Rob Birdwell, who makes an impact with only a scant presence on a few tracks, are the notable exceptions. Heart First should help to elevate Halie Loren's profile on the home front. She's deserving of more attention, and this record is pure magic. ~ Dan Bilawaky  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/heart-first-halie-loren-justin-time-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php#.U8ipd7FryM0
 

Personnel: Halie Loren: vocals, piano (12); Matt Treder: piano, Rhodes piano; Mark Schneider: bass; Brian West: drums; William Seiji Marsh: guitar; Sergei Teleshev: accordion (1), button accordion (13); Rob Birdwell: trumpet (2), flugelhorn (4, 11); Hank Shreve: harmonica (7); Dale Bradley: cello (12).

Heart First

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Charles Tolliver Big Band - Emperor March: Live At The Blue Note

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:35
Size: 141,1 MB
Art: Front

(13:34)  1. On The Nile
( 7:06)  2. I Want To Talk About You
(13:51)  3. Emperor March
( 5:35)  4. Chedlike
(10:02)  5. In The Trenches
(11:24)  6. Toughin'

With Love (Blue Note, 2007) chronicled the return of the Charles Tolliver Big Band, one of the most progressive big bands of the Post-War years. Inspired in part by the vibrant creative energy of the burgeoning Loft Scene, trumpeter Tolliver and pianist Stanley Cowell's cooperatively led big band was immortalized by two landmark records, Music Inc. & Big Band (Strata-East, 1970) and Impact (Strata-East, 1975). After a quartet reunion gig with Cowell in 2002, Tolliver was encouraged by fellow trumpeter David Weiss to reconvene the legendary big band. Emperor March: Live at the Blue Note marks the first live recording of the newly revived ensemble, documenting two nights at the famed New York jazz club of the same name. 

Consisting of new compositions, a venerable cover, and classics from the Strata-East days, Tolliver's multi-generational band burns with a fervor typical of younger groups. Incorporating an exhilarating mix of interlocking layers, sudden tempo shifts, and dramatic mood changes, this veteran ensemble negotiates Tolliver's cantilevered charts with the graceful fluidity of a unit a fraction its size. The exotic "On The Nile" opens the set, culminating in an explosive statement from tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland that scales Coltrane-esque heights of expressionism before spotlighting Cowell's jaunty runs and Tolliver's penetrating cadences. Tenor saxophonist Billy Harper unveils his own take on post-Coltrane tradition on a stirring interpretation of "I Want To Talk About You," complete with a harmonically bold cadenza. The title track was inspired by the film March of the Penguins, which documents the almost insurmountable odds faced by Emperor Penguins to persevere in a hostile environment. Unveiling a series of opulent theme and variation based solos, the tune's driving march rhythm is enriched by a mellifluous horn chart dominated by flutes and trombones. 

The same dulcet instrumental tonalities drive "Chedlike," a swinging ode to Tolliver's son Ched, with a lyrical contribution from the leader. "In The Trenches" and "Toughin'" are staples of Tolliver's quartet, Music, Inc., with the former a punchy blues and the latter a brisk swinger featuring most of the band in brief, boisterous solo spots. Emperor March: Live at the Blue Note is a welcome reminder of the visceral intensity a contemporary big band can generate. Bolstered by intricate arrangements and dynamic writing, this live set captures Tolliver's big band in all its glory. ~ Troy Collins  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/emperor-march-live-at-the-blue-note-charles-tolliver-half-note-records-review-by-troy-collins.php#.U8ljcbFryM0

Personnel: Charles Tolliver: trumpet; Michael Williams: lead trumpet; Keyon Harrold: trumpet; Cameron Johnson: trumpet; David Weiss: trumpet; Mike Dease: trombone; Stafford Hunter: trombone; Jason Jackson: trombone; Ernest Stuart: trombone; Aaron Johnson: bass trombone; Bill Saxton: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, flute; Bruce Williams: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, flute; Todd Bashore: alto saxophone, flute, piccolo; Billy Harper: tenor saxophone; Marcus Strickland: tenor saxophone; Jason Marshall: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet; Stanley Cowell: piano; Anthony Wonsey: piano; Reggie Workman: bass; Gene Jackson: drums.

Emperor March: Live At The Blue Note

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Teddy Bunn & Spencer Williams - Teddy Bunn 1929-1940

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 1930
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 73:37
Size: 118,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:10)  1. The Chicken and The Worm
(2:51)  2. It's Sweet Like So
(3:20)  3. Pattin' Dat Cat
(3:09)  4. Tampa Twirl
(3:00)  5. Goose and Gander
(3:03)  6. The New Goose and Gander
(3:18)  7. Clean It Out
(3:08)  8. Blow It Up
(3:01)  9. Crooked World Blues
(3:06) 10. Swingin' For Mezz (Careless Love): Take 2
(3:00) 11. Royal Garden Blues: Take 2
(2:23) 12. Everybody Loves My Baby: Take 2
(2:53) 13. I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None of My Jelly Roll: Take 2
(2:57) 14. If You See Me Comin': Take 2
(2:52) 15. Gettin' Together: Take 1
(2:44) 16. Brownskin Gal Is The Best Gal After All
(2:47) 17. Voo Doo Blues
(3:11) 18. King Porter Stomp
(3:03) 19. Bachelor Blues
(3:09) 20. Blues Without Words (Take A)
(3:38) 21. Blues Without Words (Take B)
(3:13) 22. Guitar in High
(3:29) 23. Doggin' That Thing
(3:04) 24. Yo Yo

Teddy Bunn was one of the finest acoustic jazz guitarists of the 1930s, although he had relatively few opportunities to be showcased on record. This CD (from the Austrian RST label) features Bunn on a series of hokum vocal duets with Spencer Williams (Clarence Profit or James P. Johnson provide the piano accompaniment); backing singers Buck Franklin, Fat Hayden, and Walter Pichon; jamming with clarinetist Mezz Mezzrow and trumpeter Tommy Ladnier (six alternate takes from the famous Panassie Sessions); and leading a session of his own. The latter (which is also included on a Mosaic box set) features Bunn on two memorable unaccompanied guitar solos and on three occasions (including an alternate take of "Blues Without Words") backing his own vocals. It is strange that Bunn recorded so rarely after 1940, for he lived until 1978. This is his definitive set. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/teddy-bunn-1929-1940-mw0000060171

Personnel: Teddy Bunn (vocals, guitar); Walter "Fats" Pichon (vocals, piano); Spencer Williams (vocals); Mezz Mezzrow (clarinet); Sidney DeParis, Tommy Ladnier (trumpet); Clarence Profit, Sam Price (piano); Manzie Johnson, Zutty Singleton (drums); Bruce Johnson (washboard).

Recording information: New York, NY (09/16/1929-03/28/1940).

Teddy Bunn 1929-1940

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Melba Liston - Melba Liston & Her Bones

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:55
Size: 116.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Trombone jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:41] 1. Zagred This
[2:30] 2. The Trolley Song
[3:24] 3. Insomnia
[3:54] 4. You Don’t Say
[4:56] 5. Christmas Eve
[5:04] 6. Never Do An Abadanian
[4:20] 7. Very Syrian Business
[4:17] 8. What’s My Line Theme
[3:18] 9. The Dark Before The Dawn
[6:27] 10. Blues Melba
[4:00] 11. Pow!
[3:57] 12. Wonder Why

Finding an obscure recording, especially one of quality, can be exciting for jazz enthusiasts. This reissue of Melba Liston's only recording as a leader, originally released by the short-lived Metro Jazz label half a century ago, is cause for celebration. The reissued Melba Liston and Her 'Bones also includes four tracks from another session which was originally released under Frank Rehak's name.

Melba Liston is best known as an arranger and composer, thanks to her associations with Dizzy Gillespie and subsequently Randy Weston. But she was a virtuoso trombone player as well. On this recording she joins a variety of other trombonists, including Bennie Green, Al Grey, and Benny Powell (three tracks); Jimmy Cleveland, Frank Rehak and Slide Hampton (five tracks); and Frank Rehak (the four bonus tracks). The leader's interplay with the other trombone players adds to the musical richness of the recording.

Even in the company of high-quality, accomplished master musicians like these, her musical skills stand out. Her lyrical improvisations are melodic, clear and gay when she plays unmuted, and mysterious and warm when muted. This recording is one of the few places to hear Melba Liston solo, in addition to two tracks on Ernie Henry's Last Chorus (Riverside, 1958) and a beautiful solo on "My Reverie with the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra.

This hard-swinging music is firmly planted in the bop tradition, enhanced by the playing of Marti Flax (baritone sax) and Kenny Burrell (guitar) on specific tracks. Melba Liston's playing matches her compositional skills; she wrote four of the twelve pieces, and they shine with originality. Liston has long been ignored as a composer and horn player, in large part due to gender bias, and so this reissue is long overdue—not just because of its historical value, but also the quality of the music. ~HRAYR ATTARIAN

Melba Liston, Bennie Green, Al Grey, Benny Powell: trombone; Kenny Burrell: guitar; George Joyner: bass; Charlie Persip: drums (3,6,7). Melba Liston, Jimmy Cleveland, Frank Rehak: trombone; Slide Hampton: trombone, tuba; Ray Bryant: piano; Frank Dunlop: drums (1,2,4,5,8). Melba Liston, Frank Rehak: trombone; Marty Flax: baritone saxophone; Walter Davis Jr.: piano; Nelson Boyd: bass; Charlie Persip: drums (9-12).

Melba Liston & Her Bones

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Artie Shaw - The Artistry Of Artie Shaw & His Bop Band

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 55:12
Size: 126.4 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2000/2006
Art: Front

[3:21] 1. Smooth And Easy
[3:18] 2. Krazy Cat
[3:42] 3. Afro-Cubana
[3:39] 4. Stardust
[4:06] 5. Fred's Delight
[3:25] 6. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[3:47] 7. Mucho De Nada
[3:12] 8. I Cover The Waterfront
[3:00] 9. 's Wonderful
[3:25] 10. Similau
[3:41] 11. Aesop's Foibles
[2:52] 12. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[3:22] 13. So Easy
[3:06] 14. Carnival
[2:39] 15. Orinoco
[4:30] 16. Innuendo

In 1949, just before he was about to start yet another big band, Artie Shaw made the following statement: "We'll find an identity. Perhaps it would be fairer to say I'll find one. Sooner or later all bands that stick find an identity, and find it through their leader. All the sounds -the creative arrangements, the pop tunes and the originals - must be channelized through the leader."

And on September 14, 1949 Artie Shaw was back on the bandstand, opening at Symphony Hall, Boston. The band's book contained both old and new material, and it was the first time Shaw had gone on the road with a band for many years. The 1949 band features a mixture of numbers associated with the Shaw bands of the early 40's and some in a more modern vein from new writers/arrangers such as Tadd Dameron, Johnny Mandel, Gene Roland and George Russell, with the more exotic Latin sounds coming from the pen of John Bartee.

Artie Shaw (leader, cl) with Don Paladino, Don Fagerquist, Dale Pierce and Vic Ford (tp), Sonny Russo, Fred Zito, Ange Callea and Porky Cohen (tb), Herb Steward and Frank Socolow (as), Al Cohn and Zoot Sims (ts), Danny Bank (bars), Gil Barrios (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Dick Niveson (b), Irv Kluger (d)

The Artistry Of Artie Shaw & His Bop Band

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Rita Lee - Balacobaco

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:20
Size: 106.1 MB
Styles: Ballads, Bossa Nova
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[3:37] 1. Amor E Sexo
[3:47] 2. A Fulana
[3:39] 3. As Mina De Sampa
[3:44] 4. Copacabana
[4:35] 5. B A L A C O B A C O
[3:32] 6. Ja Te Falei
[4:14] 7. Nave Terra
[4:17] 8. A Gripe Do Amor
[3:41] 9. Tudo Vira Bosta
[3:06] 10. Eu E Mim
[3:41] 11. Over The Rainbow
[4:22] 12. Hino Dos Malucos

Rita Lee is one of Sao Paulo's best known daughters. Initially with the seminal band Os Mutantes during Tropicalia,and later with the band Tutti Frutti, Lee went on his own teamed with husband Roberto in the mid 1970s. Most of her subsequent works were top notch spawning Brazilian rock classics such as DOCE VAMPIRO,ALO MARCIANO & BALADA DO LOUCO. Her latest work,BALACOBACO features ballads (the hit AMOR E SEXO) and other songs that range from bossa nova such as COPACABANA BOY to a more uptempo song like As Mina DE SAMPA. The quality of arrangements,instrumentation and vocals are simply amazing. ~Antonio M Vazquezpausa/amazon

Balacobaco

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Joni Janak - The Wind

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:50
Size: 165,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:13)  1. The Wind
(3:44)  2. Chega de Saudade (No More Blues)
(6:25)  3. Where Do You Start?
(7:22)  4. I Concentrate on You
(5:35)  5. Night Town
(4:49)  6. With a Song in My Heart
(7:20)  7. Close Enough for Love
(6:49)  8. I Have a Feeling I've Been Here Before
(4:44)  9. The Way You Look Tonight
(6:22) 10. Trouble with Hello Is Goodbye
(3:58) 11. Only You
(3:32) 12. Cinnamon & Clove
(5:51) 13. Music Is Forever

Born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, vocalist Joni Janak attended college at Texas Tech University on a Vocal Scholarship. Her passion for music began when she was a youngster. With the attraction for the vocal style of Doris Day as her early influence, Joni soon journeyed into the world of jazz. Her innate talent was influenced by both belonging to a music-oriented family, as well as listening to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Dakota Staton, Ethel Ennis, Irene Kral, June Christy, and other singers - especially those fronting big bands. Her grandparents and parents owned, operated and taught in the Amarillo College of Music. In 1969, she moved to Denver, Colorado and has lived there since. She is considered to be The Song Stylist in that geographic location - and to the ears of many fans, The Singer of Choice throughout the world. 

Her reputation for excellence is heard in her performances, as well as on her recordings as a leader, Let's Live Again (JLECD- 44004), The Wind (JLECD-4123), and on Centerpiece Jazz' Get Outta Here! (JLECD-8400) on the Jazz Link Enterprises label. She is also featured on (drummer) Ron Moewes' CD, Ron Moewes and Friends: All This You Gave to Me (JLECD-6099). Additionally, she is heard on several of KUVO-89.3 FM 24-hour-a-day jazz radio station's live Performance Studio CDs that are compilations of musicians used for fund-raising premiums.

Performing professionally since age 13, she has worked and/or recorded with such notables as Carl Fontana, Stefan Karlsson, Marvin Stamm, Ed Soph, Tom Warrington, Ross Tompkins, Carson Smith, Bill Watrous, Andy Simpkins, Jake Hanna, Bob Cooper and Conte and Pete Candoli. She has worked with many musicians in Colorado, including Ellyn Rucker, Ron Moewes, Ed Stephen, Dean Ross, Dale Bruning, Rich Chiaraluce, Eric Gunnison, Jeff Jenkins, The Gordon Dooley Orchestra, Ken Walker, Roger Campbell, Mark Simon, Colin Gieg, The Hot Tomatoes, Dean Bushnell Big Band, and Paul Romaine.

Her first European tour occurred in Derry, Northern Ireland in 2001, followed by a highly acclaimed appearance during the Derry Jazz Festival in 2002. While there, she was a guest on several television and radio programs. In the United States, her CDs are played by syndicated radio hosts Bob Bednar, Bob Parlocha, Jim Wilke, and Ross Gentile. Collectively, these radio programs are heard in more than 100 cities throughout the United States, as well as being streamed from their websites world- wide. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/janak2

The Wind

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Cyrille Aimée - It's a Good Day

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:03
Size: 99,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:46)  1. Where or When
(2:28)  2. It's a Good Day
(3:51)  3. Bamboo Shoots
(3:20)  4. Twenty-Eight
(3:16)  5. Caravan
(4:11)  6. Nuit Blanche
(3:30)  7. Young at Heart
(3:03)  8. Off the Wall
(2:33)  9. Love Me or Leave Me
(4:59) 10. One Way Ticket
(3:32) 11. Pourtant
(3:03) 12. All Love
(2:25) 13. Tricotism

It's A Good Day is the major label debut by the widely acclaimed young jazz singer Cyrille Aimée-yet another step forward for the rapidly rising vocalist. Winner of both the Montreux Jazz Festival's Vocal Competition and the Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition, Aimée explores a range of musical styles, eras, continents and moods on It's A Good Day (Mack Avenue) with a singular voice on inventive arrangements, produced by Fabrice DuPont (Shakira, Jennifer Lopez). Aimée's musical outlook is reflected in an emphasis on the guitar, an instrument with an indigenous form in nearly every culture of the world-and it was the sound of the gypsy guitar that inspired Aimée to become a musician. While growing up in Samois-sur-Seine, Aimée snuck out of her home to the nearby gypsy encampments and was mesmerized by the music of those who followed the spirit of Django Reinhardt, revered as one of the world's most influential guitarists. Aimée-who as a child also lived in Paris, Cameroon, Singapore and the Dominican Republic-later became fascinated with Brazilian guitar, and her music reveals a thorough understanding of bossa nova and samba idioms. 

She has now settled in Brooklyn, where she continues to absorb the inner workings of American jazz and the culture of the music's homeland. The musical accompaniment on It's A Good Day is as novel as Aimée herself: three guitars (Jazz, Gypsy and Brazilian) with bass and drums. This captivating multi-guitar sound is provided by her close collaborator, Michael Valeanu, a player of French and Italian extraction on a contemporary jazz-style electric guitar; her countryman Adrien Moignard on the steel-string guitar gypsies favor due to its piercing, staccato sound; and the Brazilian guitarist Guilherme Mont eiro, who relies on a nylon-stringed instrument which provides the bossa nova its soft and undulating sensuous sound. Thoughtful arrangements of the thirteen songs-both standards and originals-ensure a sumptuous musical blend. "We worked hard to create a road map for each guitar to make the sound beautiful and exciting-without creating a musical traffic jam," explains Aimée. The flexible and fluid rhythm section of bassist Sam Anning and drummer Rajiv Jayaweera holds it all together. Opening the album are two standards, an engaging version of Rodgers and Hart's "Where Or When," and the upbeat title track, "It's A Good Day," made famous by Peggy Lee. "Bamboo Shoots," an alluring original by Anning, somehow manages to sound gypsy, Hawaiian and pop-all at the same time. In the same vein, her arrangement of "Love Me Or Leave Me" has an original multi-cultural spin. "I was inspired to do a version of 'Love Me Or Leave Me' after hearing Nina Simone's recording," recalls Aimée, "and then I found the Billie Holiday version, and was further inspired." Seamlessly added to the mix are covers of Michael Jackson's "Off The Wall" and Duke Ellington's "Caravan." "Caravan was one of the first songs I ever learned," says Aimée, "and it was time to inject some fiery gypsy soul into it." 

That frame of mind found it to "Pourtant," a French pop song that was a hit for Vanessa Paradis, as well as "All Love," which began as an instrumental composition by the late guitarist Babik Reinhardt, the son of the legendary Django. "I heard this beautiful melody so many times, but when they played it at Babik's funeral, I asked for permission to put a lyric to it." It's A Good Day also features catchy original compositions by Aimée. Featured are "One Way Ticket"-the result of a trip to India, "Twenty-Eight" and "Nuit Blanche" ("White Night"), a French expression that refers to an inability to sleep while brooding over lost love. Oscar Pettiford's "Tricotism" is the zesty closer-almost an encore. How better to feature bassist Anning than in a jazz classic by one of the founding fathers of the modern jazz bass? Cyrille Aimée is an artist of many facets. Infused by a novel blend of multicultural influences, a vision for a unique sound and with a voice that is sublime, It's A Good Day makes for a great day for a wide array of lovers of music.  

http://www.criticaljazz.com/2014/06/cyrille-aimee-its-good-day-coming-81914.html

It's a Good Day

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Bobby Enriquez And Richie Cole - The Wildman Meets Madman

Styles: Jazz, World Fusion
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:53
Size: 100,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:15)  1. Groovin' High
(4:54)  2. Once In A While
(4:53)  3. Yardbird Suite
(6:52)  4. Wildman Blues
(6:38)  5. On Green Dolphin Street
(6:33)  6. Blue Hawaii
(2:32)  7. Serenata
(5:13)  8. Um Um

The second recording by pianist Bobby Enriquez is a crazy affair. Enriquez, who had the tendency to throw in an excess of silly song quotes, meets up with the equally crazy Richie Cole, and they bring out the worst in each other. With guitarist Bruce Forman, bassist Bob Magnusson and drummer Shelly Manne keeping the proceedings swinging, Enriquez and Cole generally start out their solos well before getting bogged down in topping each other's absurdity. This set is not without interest, and some of the humor (such as Cole's "vocal" on "Wild Man Blues") works, but much of it is tiresome by the second or third listen. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/wildman-meets-the-madman-mw0000905836

The Wildman Meets Madman

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Sant Andreu Jazz Band - Live At Casa Fuster - Barcelona

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:02
Size: 166,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:03)  1. Cute
(5:49)  2. Some Of These Days
(4:12)  3. Basin Street Blues
(5:14)  4. China Boy
(3:19)  5. Splanky
(2:39)  6. When You're Smiling
(3:39)  7. Tiger Rag
(5:03)  8. In A Sentimental Mood
(3:09)  9. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
(2:09) 10. Bill Bailey
(6:22) 11. Careless Love
(3:12) 12. Shiny Stockings
(3:08) 13. Petite Fleur
(4:11) 14. The Sheik Of Araby
(5:22) 15. Black And Tan Fantasy
(5:14) 16. That's A Plenty
(4:25) 17. You Need To Rock
(1:45) 18. Turtle Walk

"The Sant Andreu Jazz Band is a dream come true. It is the result of sharing my passion for jazz with its members (most of whom are between 10 and 16 years old), of believing that they can do as well or better than me, of feeling like the most advanced student rather than the teacher, and of not putting limits on their abilities. The band was formed in 2006, in the heart of the Escola Municipal de Música de Sant Andreu. Since then it has gradually developed into what it is today: a large, open musical group that is constantly evolving."~ Joan Chamorro

“These young people are very lucky to have someone like Joan Chamorro. It is hard to find someone who can teach people to play with so much heart and with such a wide range of musical forms. They play everything with confidence, from the oldest sounds to swing. I am incredibly impressed. I will tell everyone about these young people when I get to New York”~ Scott Robinson  http://santandreujazzband.bandcamp.com/album/jazzing-live-at-casa-fuster

With Joan Chamorro, Dani Alonso, Juli Aymí, Josep Mª Farràs, Curro Gálvez, Ricard Gili, Carlos Martín, Pepe Robles, Clara Sallago, Ignasi Terraza, Josep Traver, Sergi Vergés.

Live At Casa Fuster-Barcelona

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