Paul Desmond - Easy Living

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:17
Size: 154,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:48)  1. When Joanna Loves Me
(5:49)  2. That Old Feeling
(5:51)  3. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
(5:43)  4. Here's That Rainy Day
(7:09)  5. Easy Living
(4:19)  6. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
(6:25)  7. Bewitched
(6:28)  8. Blues For Fun
(5:42)  9. Rude Old Man
(6:13) 10. Polka Dots And Moonbeams (alternate take)
(7:47) 11. Bewitched (alternate take)

As the Paul Desmond/Jim Hall quartet's recording activities gradually came to a halt by 1965, RCA Victor assembled the remains of a number of their later sessions into one last album. These are anything but leftovers, however indeed, they constitute the best Desmond/Hall album since Take Ten, more varied in texture and mood, and by and large more inspired in solo content, than Bossa Antigua and Glad to Be Unhappy. As a near-ideal example of this collaboration at its intuitive peak, "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" opens with Hall paraphrasing the tune, and Desmond comes in on the bridge with a perfectly timed rejoinder that sounds as if he's asking a question. "Here's That Rainy Day" is another apt match of a standard to Desmond's sophisticated personality; he is at his dry, jaunty best on the uptempo "That Old Feeling"; and both have a ball jamming on the blues in Desmond's wry, quick "Blues for Fun." [Some reissues add a pair of outtakes, plus "Rude Old Man."] ~ Richard S.Ginell  http://www.allmusic.com/album/easy-living-mw0000652725

Personnel: Paul Desmond (alto saxophone); Jim Hall (guitar); Eugene Wright, Eugene Cherico, Percy Heath (bass); Connie Kay (drums).

Easy Living

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Johnny Frigo - Debut of A Legend

Styles: Jazz, Swing
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:58
Size: 132,3 MB
Art: Front + Back

(4:34)  1. Get Happy
(4:03)  2. I'm Old Fashioned
(3:04)  3. Osaka Saki
(5:09)  4. Too Late Now/Street of Dreams
(3:30)  5. Bow Jest
(4:25)  6. Nuages
(6:14)  7. Jitterbug Waltz
(5:25)  8. Heather On The Hill/How Are Things In Glocca Morra
(5:01)  9. I Love Paris
(6:18) 10. Here's That rainy Day
(3:09) 11. Lush Life
(5:03) 12. Jeannine

Violinist Johnny Frigo's third album as a leader (he had previously made a forgotten date for Mercury in 1957 and a Chesky CD in 1988) is his definitive set, even though he was 77 at the time. With a good supporting cast (guitarist Gene Bertoncini, Bob Kindred on tenor and clarinet, pianist Joe Vito, bassist Michael Moore, and drummer Bill Goodwin), Frigo mostly explores standards, plus two of his originals. The music, falling between swing and bop, is superior straight-ahead jazz; among the highlights are "Get Happy," "Bow Jest," "Jitterbug Waltz," and "Jeannine." Frigo's sudden prominence in his '70s (considering he spent most of his career as a bassist) was as unlikely and welcome an event as trumpeter Doc Cheatham's late-period triumphs. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/debut-of-a-legend-mw0000119053

Personnel: Johnny Frigo (violin); Gene Bertoncini (guitar); Bob Kindred (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Joe Vito (piano); Bill Goodwin (drums).

Debut of A Legend

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Mark Crooks - How My Heart Sings

Size: 117,7 MB
Time: 50:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2005
Styles: Jazz Instrument
Art: Front

01. The Lady's In Love With You (3:30)
02. Everytime (3:45)
03. I Wish I Knew (5:46)
04. When Day Is Done (5:57)
05. Garden In The Rain (4:40)
06. How My Heart Sings (4:37)
07. Everything I've Got (4:40)
08. Young And Foolish (5:58)
09. Bud Powell (4:32)
10. Bess You Is My Woman Now (2:51)
11. At Long Last Love (4:20)

Personnel: Mark Crooks (ldr/ten/clt), John Pearce (piano), Matt Miles (bass), Steve Brown (drums)

The clarinet is an often unfairly maligned instrument in the jazz world. Frank Wess, the eminent octogenarian saxophonist, was reputed to have said, 'the clarinet was invented by two guys who didn't know each other'. Another standout saxophonist, George Coleman, was one of many to have uttered the quip 'the only time Woody Allen made me laugh was when he picked up the clarinet'. These glib and offhand remarks aside, there is a difficulty with the clarinet in many modern jazz groups and big bands for sheer projection and volume reasons alone. It often has to resort to its sometimes shrill high register to be heard above these ensembles and, as a result, is compromised musically.

Practitioners of the instrument will no doubt be aware of the limpid and loamy qualities of the clarinet's chalumeau register, which is probably its least known and featured attribute. However, this was an area of the instrument that Ellington highlighted frequently with 1930s Crescent City stylists like Barney Bigard and Otto Hardwicke, as well as the more modem Jimmy Hamilton.

Tenorist and clarinettist Mark Crooks brings many of the clarinet's sides to light in this CD on the Mac label, How My Heart Sings ,with great effect. This is accomplished through no mean contribution by the crack rhythm support team present, led by pianist John 'the pro' Pearce, a consummate accompanist whose elegant melodocisms in his solos do much to spice up the proceedings. Bassist Matt 'Melody' Miles's timekeeping is matched by his unrelenting lyricism in his improvisations and drummer to the stars, Steve 'Beat' Brown's steady time is enhanced by his ebullient verve both as a person and percussive conversationalist. The added bonus on this date is the rich-toned guitar of Colin 'Ice' Oxley, whose solos burn coolly, laced with steadfast poise. One of the highlights included is Gershwin's Bess You Is My Woman Now from his seminal 1934 opera. Played poignantly by just clarinet and piano the melancholic yearning passion of the piece is captured to its tearful best. As the late saxophonist, Spike Robinson said to young lion Mark a few years back, 'if the tune's good enough, why spoil it, just play the tune'. The listener bathes in the pathos of the clarinet lament yet is heartened by the hopeful grace of John Pearce's rhapsodic, yet supportive piano.

Mark's Zootish tenor picks the mood up a bit with its swing and swagger on his original Everytime along with the Hague/Horwitz evergreen Young and Foolish. Other clarinet offerings include the title track composed by pianist Bill Evans's friend Earl Zindars, and the London-based American bandleader Carroll Gibbons's opus Garden in the Rain.

This disc features something for everyone; as well as a virtual history of the styles and colours beholden to the clarinet there is some fruity tenor sax to add muscle and bounce. ~Frank Griffith.

How My Heart Sings

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Trio Esperança - Doce França

Size: 99,6 MB
Time: 42:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Chanson, Brazilian Rhythms
Art: Front & Back

01. Les Copains D'abord (2:38)
02. Quelques Mots D'amour (3:40)
03. Ce N'est Rien (3:01)
04. La Chanson Des Vieux Amants (Cançao Dos Velhos Amantes) (3:26)
05. Lily (Lily A Somali) (3:18)
06. Et Maintenant (2:54)
07. Chaque Jour De Plus (2:53)
08. La Boheme (Uma Bela Historia) (4:17)
09. Sob O Ceu De Paris (3:02)
10. Que Reste-t-il De Nos Amours (Bem Mais Que Tudo) (2:25)
11. Bancs Publics (Os Amantes Dos Bancos Publicos) (3:19)
12. La Vie En Rose (2:33)
13. Message Personnel (2:52)
14. Tendresse (2:18)

Trio Esperança is a Brazilian vocal trio, formed in the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1958, by the siblings Mário, Regina and Evinha Correia José Maria. They had several hits in Brazil, such as "Festa do Bolinha" and "Filme Triste" - a version of the pop song Sad Movies (Make Me Cry), released as a single in 1962 - and released albums through Polygram Records, EMI, Universal Music and Philips Records.

After releasing 4 albums in France, the Trio Esperança took a break from the music business in 2002. The band returned on stage in 2008. In 2010, the Trio Esperança, composed by Evinha, Regina and Mariza, released a new album De Bach a Jobim on French label Dreyfus Jazz. The disc featured covers of music by The Beatles, Bach, Antonio Carlos Jobim, in addition to original material.

In 2013, almost 20 years after the release of "A Capela do Brasil", the first album they released in France, the Trio Esperança decided to pay tribute to French music, with their personal take on 14 songs by emblematic French artists, releasing a new album "Doce França"

Doce França

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Marta Krol - Thank God I'm A Woman

Size: 106,1 MB
Time: 45:46
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front & Back

01. Thank God I'm A Woman (5:26)
02. Things Above (3:51)
03. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning (3:48)
04. From This Moment On (3:28)
05. A House Is Not A Home (4:17)
06. Usmiech (3:54)
07. Começar De Novo (6:23)
08. Mr Busy Man (3:58)
09. Song Of Longing (6:23)
10. Thank God I'm A Woman (Radio Edit) (4:14)

Born in Bytom, Poland. Is a classically trained and graduated viola player from Chopin`s Music School in Bytom, but during her education without a doubt it was her voice that became her main instrument.

Winner of many important vocal festivals in Poland, including:

- 1st Prize and a Special Polish Television Prize at the Young Vocalists Fesival – Debuts in Lublin (2005 and 2007)
- Grand Prix at the national English Song Festival in Brzeg (2007)
- Special Prize at International Jazz Festival New Hope of Jazz in ?omz.a (2009)

Her first album The First Look has appeared in May 2011, was reviewed by many critics and journalists and nominated for the most prestigious music awards in the country.

Thank God I'm A Woman

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Jeremy Baum - The Eel

Size: 120,2 MB
Time: 50:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Funky Soul-Jazz, Blues, Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. The New Pollution (4:16)
02. Funky Monkey (4:39)
03. Three More Bottles (5:31)
04. Charlie Baum (5:00)
05. Dance With Me (3:21)
06. Borracho (3:19)
07. Pacific Drive (5:44)
08. Ain't It Funky Now (5:47)
09. Purple Rain (7:09)
10. The Eel (6:09)

Jeremy Baum plays the Hammond Organ and piano and leads his own band, which is rooted in the blues and funky soul-jazz sounds of the late 60s (think Booker T and the MG’s, the Meters, Jimmy Smith!) His style is also informed by the current masters of the groove from the jam-band scene (Medeski, Martin & Wood, Soulive, Derek Trucks Band, Marco Benevento.)

While still in college, Jeremy joined Murali Coryell's band, and soon began leading his own organ trio. In 2002 Jeremy released his first album, Lost River Jams, on Flying Yak Records. JB’s Band was also featured on Boogaloo to McDuff, a tribute to Jack McDuff, available on Scufflin’ Records. Jeremy has been leading his band at festivals and clubs in the New York and New England region ever since.

Jeremy has been a successful sideman, working with Shemekia Copeland (6 years in her band), Levon Helm, soul-jazz legend Melvin Sparks, Sue Foley, Joe Louis Walker, Debbie Davies, Chris O’Leary, John Hammond Jr., and many more. He has played in nearly every state in the USA, in over 25 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, at countless music festivals, at Carnegie Hall, and many television appearances including Late Night with David Letterman. The man has paid some dues!

Back in the studio for his sophomore release, The Eel, on Flying Yak Records, Jeremy Baum knocks it out of the park with 10 Hammond organ and piano driven arrangements. It's an album of funky, bluesy new compositions as well as original arrangements of songs by Beck, Prince, James Brown and more. Recorded by the amazing Dave Gross at Fat Rabbit Studios, this album features many of the best and brightest musicians from Jeremy's twin musical homes of New York City and the Hudson Valley/Woodstock NY area. Special guests include, among others, Jay Collins, Eric Kalb, Scott Sharrard, guitar prodigy Myles Mancuso, Chris Vitarello, and VizzTone artists Dennis Gruenling, Michael Bram, and Chris O’Leary.

The Eel

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Jack Montrose & Bob Gordon - Two Can Play (2-Disc set)

Largely forgotten in the 1990s and living in the Las Vegas area, tenor saxophonist Jack Montrose was one of the most skillful of the cool jazz arranger/composers of the 1950s. This 1998 CD combines together two dates: arguably Montrose's finest album as a leader (a 1955 outing with baritonist Bob Gordon, trumpeter Conte Candoli, pianist Paul Moer, bassist Ralph Pena, and drummer Shelly Manne), plus a quintet set that was actually headed by the short-lived Gordon (who died in a car accident on August 28, 1955). Montrose's own date has five of his originals plus three reworked standards, while Gordon's album is comprised of six Montrose songs (including two versions of "Two Can Play") and three other standards. Even on the latter album, Montrose's charts (which are full of unexpected surprises while always swinging and leaving room for plenty of solos) are quite notable and show that, despite the restrained tones, there was plenty of excitement to be found in West Coast jazz. In addition, this CD acts as a perfect memorial for the talented Gerry Mulligan-influenced baritonist Bob Gordon. Highly recommended. ~Scott Yanow

CD1 #1-9: Bob Gordon Quintet
Jack Montrose (ts), Bob Gordon (bars), Paul Moer (p), Joe Mondragon (b), Billy Schneider (d). Hollywood, May 6 and 27, 1954

CD1 #10-14 & CD2 #1-4: Jack Montrose Quintet
Jack Montrose (ts), Bob Gordon (bars), Paul Moer (p), Red Mitchell (b), Shelly Manne (d). Hollywood, May 11 & 12, 1955

CD2 #5-12: Jack Montrose Sextet
Conte Candoli (tp), Jack Montrose (ts), Bob Gordon (bars), Paul Moer (p), Ralph Peña (b), Shelly Manne (d). Hollywood, June 24 and July 6, 1955.

Album: Two Can Play (Disc 1)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 49:40
Size: 113.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1955/2012

[2:34] 1. Meet Mr. Gordon
[3:01] 2. Tea For Two
[3:43] 3. Modus Operandi
[3:24] 4. Onion Bottom
[3:35] 5. What A Difference A Day Makes
[3:44] 6. For Sue
[2:21] 7. Love Is Here To Stay
[2:27] 8. Two Can Play
[2:24] 9. Two Can Play (Alternate Take)
[4:56] 10. A Little Duet
[4:02] 11. Paradox
[3:31] 12. When You Wish Upon A Star
[5:13] 13. Have You Met Miss Jones
[4:39] 14. Dot's Groovy

Two Can Play (Disc 1)

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Album: Two Can Play (Disc 2)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 60:29
Size: 138.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1955/2012
Art: Front

[5:43] 1. I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town
[4:32] 2. Cecilia
[5:01] 3. April's Fool
[4:15] 4. The News And The Weather
[5:31] 5. Listen, Hear
[5:15] 6. Pretty
[5:27] 7. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
[5:23] 8. Credo
[5:32] 9. Fools Rush In
[4:11] 10. Speakeasy
[4:26] 11. That Old Feeling
[5:06] 12. Some Good Fun Blues

Two Can Play (Disc 2)

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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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