Raymond Scott & His Swinging Strings - Amor

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 37:06
Size: 84.9 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 1965/2009
Art: Front

[3:16] 1. How High The Moon
[3:31] 2. Summertime
[2:27] 3. Orchids In The Moonlight
[4:09] 4. Amor
[1:57] 5. What Is This Thing Called Love
[3:08] 6. Deep Purple
[3:30] 7. Stardust
[2:18] 8. True Love
[3:47] 9. All The Things You Are
[2:00] 10. La Cumparsita
[3:26] 11. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
[3:30] 12. Where Is Your Heart (Song Of The Moulin Rouge)

Composer, bandleader, and inventor Raymond Scott was among the unheralded pioneers of contemporary experimental music, a figure whose genius and influence have seeped almost subliminally into the mass cultural consciousness. As a visionary whose name is largely unknown but whose music is immediately recognizable, Scott's was a career stuffed with contradictions: though his early work anticipated the breathless invention of bebop, his obsession with perfectionism and memorization was the very antithesis of jazz's improvisational ethos. Though his best-known compositions remain at large thanks to their endless recycling as soundtracks for cartoons, he never once wrote a note expressly for animated use, and though his later experiments with electronic music pioneered the ambient aesthetic, the ambient concept itself was not introduced until a decade after the release of his original recordings. ~Jason Ankeny

Amor

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Frank Rosolino - I Play Trombone

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 37:26

Size: 85.7 MB

Styles: Bop, Trombone jazz

Year: 1956/2014

Art: Front

[7:03] 1. I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful)

[4:17] 2. The Things We Did Last Summer

[6:07] 3. Frieda

[7:46] 4. Doxy

[7:34] 5. My Delux

[4:37] 6. Flamingo

It was said that Frank Rosolino played what he did on trombone because he didn’t know it was impossible. First gaining notice with Stan Kenton in the Forties, his fast solos and stratospheric high notes were unlike any heard up to that time. Part of a large crowd to leave Kenton en masse in the Fifties (Art Pepper, Bob Cooper, Shorty Rogers, Shelly Manne) he was a major part of the West Coast school, even though his hard-charging style didn’t fit the "mellow" stereotype. Best known as a sideman, he rarely got the chance to lead his own sessions; one such effort, from 1958, was planned to be the first West Coast hard-bop album. His attack and his tone helped direct the modern style on trombone.

Frank Rosolino was born into a musical family; his earliest instruments were guitar and accordion. When he was thirteen he began taking trombone lessons and continued through high school, despite being unable to read music. His agility and horn speed supposedly came from his youthful attempts to emulate his brother playing the violin. He served in the Army at the tail end of World War II, stationed in the Philippines. After completing guard duty one night (and bored with it), Rosolino went onstage during an Army dance, and played with the rhythm section during the band’s intermission. The crowd was impressed, and Frank was transferred to a band unit – as was his plan. It was there that he learned how to sight-read, and upon discharge joined the Bob Chester band in 1946. Several jobs followed: the Casa Loma Orchestra in 1947, Gene Krupa in 1948 (Frank’s comedy vocal on "Lemon Drop" might be his most famous performance) and Stan Kenton from 1952 to ’54 … at its peak of popularity.

Frank became a star with Kenton, and shortly afterwards joined the Lighthouse All-Stars, where he played with other Kenton veterans for a number of years. He recorded often in this period, but rarely as a leader; he was particularly upset that Free for All, which he considered his best album, was never released in his lifetime. He became very productive as a studio musician, playing on movie soundtracks, singing occasionally, and working on the pop recordings of Phil Spector. While he still played jazz now and then (he appears on some Paulinho Da Costa sessions for Pablo, and toured with Benny Carter in 1974) but in the Seventies he played commercial music most of the time. In an event still clouded with mystery and speculation, Frank Rosolino died in a group suicide with his two sons. (One of the boys did survive the wounds.) His music remains vibrant, and often emulated.

Bass – Wilfred Middlebrooks; Drums – Stan Levey; Piano – Sonny Clark; Trombone – Frank Rosolino.

I Play Trombone

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Muriel Zoe - Red and Blue

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:43
Size: 123,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:31)  1. Bye Bye Blackbird
(4:37)  2. You Go To My Head
(3:09)  3. Up Jumped Spring
(3:17)  4. Lovesong, No. 1
(5:37)  5. My One And Only Love
(4:04)  6. Round Midnight
(4:14)  7. Don´t Explain
(5:38)  8. Willow Weep For Me
(4:20)  9. You Don't Know What Love Is
(2:16) 10. Second Time Around
(2:52) 11. Happiness Is Just A Thing Called Joe
(2:50) 12. The Masquerade Is Over
(3:55) 13. All The Way
(3:17) 14. Autumn Leaves

Muriel Zoe’s creativity springs from a rare skill in two fields: she has not just a great musical but also an artistic talent which developed early and which have fed off each other since then. Muriel Zoe is today a freelance musician and painter as well as a teacher of painting and graphic art in Hamburg. Muriel Zoe was born in 1969 in Ludwigshafen. Part of her schooling was at an English boarding school in South India. Back in Germany, she began to play guitar at age 12 and wrote her first songs with English lyrics at 15.  

In 1988 she began to train as painter and engraver at the art school in Nurtingen in the Southern region of Baden-Wurttemberg and continued her education from 1990 at the technical university for design in Hamburg. Since 1994 she has exhibited in both group and solo shows.  In 1990 she began studies... https://www.actmusic.com/en/Artists/Muriel-Zoe/Red-And-Blue/Red-And-Blue-CD

Personnel: Muriel Zoe: vocals, acoustic guitar; Michael Verhovec: drums, percussion; Matthias Pogoda: acoustic guitar; Johannes Huth: bass; Michael Leuschner: trumpet

Red and Blue

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Gary Smith - The Midnight Sun

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:01
Size: 128,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:55)  1. Angel Eyes
(6:53)  2. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
(6:02)  3. Twilight
(7:01)  4. Midnight Sun
(5:41)  5. Lullaby Of The Leaves
(5:31)  6. Stardust
(6:11)  7. Say What?
(3:49)  8. Emily
(5:25)  9. Sopros Suaves
(3:29) 10. Easy To Love

The Midnight Sun

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Peter Pearson - Lost In A Summer Haze

Styles: Lounge
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:18
Size: 83,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:18)  1. We're Looking at the Stars
(5:40)  2. So Beautiful
(4:55)  3. French Favour
(4:56)  4. Cafe De Paris
(2:46)  5. A Long Way Off
(5:59)  6. Lost In A Summer Haze
(5:40)  7. Stars In The Sea

Born in London 1947, qualified as a Doctor 1970, and subsequently became a General Practitioner until retirement in 1997. He dabbled in guitar (with brother), piano, and songwriting (with sister) in an earlier life, and played keyboards in a blues band (Blue Shift) in the nineties. After retirement from medicine, Peter was then able to concentrate on his other great passion- music composition. He completed "Music for the Media" course, obtaining a Diploma in Media Composition, and was awarded a Diploma in Music (composition) by the WMF. He achieved some notable successes in various song contests. He collaborated with and received much guidance from Nic Rowley. Several of his pieces have been published by Music Libraries, and over 200 tracks released, including a dozen albums. He is proud to be published by Mustard Music. 

Peter's chief earlier influences have been Rachmaninov, Elgar, Chopin, Ray Charles, Burt Bacharach, John Barry, Francis Lai, Michel Legrand, Jobim, and Ennio Morricone; and then the great pop composers of a later era, with emotive, romantic and soul influences. More recently, he has been heavily influenced by the Chillout scene, notably Michael e.. A curiously diverse combination that may explain his equally diverse styles, that crosses the genres of Easy Listening and Chillout, with elements of Ambient, Lounge, Jazz, Blues, light Classical and Rock.His primordial need in composition is to be emotionally moved- if there is no passion there is no music. 

He also feels a need to share his music, and strives to compose for the enjoyment of others. Peter's compositions are mainly instrumental. Being essentially a keyboardist, his chief materials are keyboards and a computer, with occasional use of an acoustic guitar and accordion. Peter's other passions include wine, sun, nature and his family. He lives happily in the south of France with his patient and supportive wife. As Francis Lai once told him: when music becomes a passion, it is an outlet that helps us surmount the imponderables of life. Bio ~ http://www.peterpearsonmusic.com/bio

Lost In A Summer Haze

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Michael Brecker - Nearness Of You : The Ballad Book

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 60:23
Size: 97,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:15)  1. Chan's Song
(4:44)  2. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
(6:18)  3. Nascente
(6:23)  4. Midnight Mood
(4:38)  5. The Nearness Of You
(5:22)  6. Incandescence
(5:29)  7. Sometimes I See
(7:11)  8. My Ship
(5:37)  9. Always
(5:34) 10. Seven Days
(3:49) 11. I Can See Your Dreams

There comes a time, it seems, when every major-label jazzer has to add a ballads album to his or her discography. That time has come for Michael Brecker, who enlists the formidable Pat Metheny as both producer and guitarist. Along for the ride are three players you may have heard of: Herbie Hancock, Charlie Haden, and Jack DeJohnette. The 11 tracks (divided into two five-track "chapters" and a one-track "epilogue") are flawlessly executed practically airbrushed and as mainstream as can be, but darned if they don't raise a few goosebumps. Brecker is restrained and mellow-toned throughout, shelving some of his pet licks and pushing himself into more lyrical territory. Metheny's guitar work is exquisite, particularly on Hancock's "Chan's Song," which contrasts nicely with Jacky Terrasson's version on 1997's Rendezvous (Blue Note). These aren't the ballads you'd expect, and that's primarily what makes the date work. There are two cuts from Metheny's 1996 album Quartet (Geffen), "Sometimes I See" and "Seven Days." 

There's also Brecker's "Incandescence" and "I Can See Your Dreams," the latter serving as the wistful "epilogue." Joe Zawinul's "Midnight Mood" is another unusual entry. The only standards are "Always," "My Ship" (Gil Evans's Miles Ahead arrangement, Gil Goldstein's adaptation for quintet), and "The Nearness of You," the last of which features James Taylor (!) on vocals. Taylor's presence raises some interesting issues. His is not a jazz voice by any means, and in a way, that's what redeems his performance on "The Nearness of You." Cynics may lambaste his inclusion as a commercial ploy, and they may be partly right, but one thing's for sure: he puts his own stamp on the tune, preventing it from sounding recycled and retro. The same can be said for "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," which also features Taylor's singing. One could argue that Taylor is this track's saving grace. Without him, the group might have played the song as a boring, muzaky instrumental. Instead, we hear Taylor revisiting one of his own classics, rearranged as a jazz ballad. There's artistic merit there for sure. ~ David Adler  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/nearness-of-you-the-ballad-book-michael-brecker-verve-music-group-review-by-david-adler.php#.VC3iFBawTP8

Personnel: Michael Brecker, tenor sax; Pat Metheny, guitars, producer; Herbie Hancock, piano; Charlie Haden, bass; Jack DeJohnette, drums; James Taylor, vocals (2, 5)

Nearness Of You:The Ballad Book

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Mimmo Langella - Funk That Jazz

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:48
Size: 102.6 MB
Styles: Guitar rock-jazz, Fusion
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:11] 1. Follow Me Now
[6:09] 2. Scò
[5:57] 3. Up Two
[4:09] 4. The Gig Una Razza
[6:56] 5. The Harmony Of The Soul
[5:12] 6. In The Air
[4:05] 7. Come On
[7:06] 8. Jean Paul

"Langella continues the musical journey begun some years ago with the record "The Other Side". The jazz/blues influences absorbed after all these years merge naturally into a fine blend of styles on the rhythmic territory of black music roots (with pleasand hints of modern electro-lounge trends), colored with "retro" timbres so warm and "alive" that, when the listener closes their eyes, they seem to be there in the studio during the recording sessions. The bandleader shows great maturity in conducting the combo, accommodating his partners and relegating his fine guitar technique in the sevice of his music. The music of Langella is once again personal, fresh and melodically engaging; the phrases of the neapolitan guitarist are articulated in the rhythm that has the naturalness of one." Funk That Jazz features guest guitarist Scott Henderson on "Up Two" and "The Harmony Of The Soul"

Funk That Jazz

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Kelly Dickson & Werner Kristiansen - Doodlin'

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 40:24
Size: 92.5 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[5:00] 1. Beautiful Love
[6:53] 2. Gentle Rain
[3:21] 3. Like Someone In Love
[4:36] 4. If I Should Lose You
[3:17] 5. Doodlin'
[5:32] 6. My One And Only Love
[3:22] 7. I'm An Errand Girl For Rhythm
[4:02] 8. That Was Then
[4:17] 9. To Michael Brecker

Doodlin’ is vocalist Kelly Dickson’s second New York jazz recording. This album is a collaboration with Norwegian guitarist Werner Kristiansen and features the great George Garzone on Saxophones throughout. Recorded in January 2007 the trio was also joined by Jeff Pedraz on Double Bass and Pete Zimmer on drums.

Doodlin’ comprises a selection of jazz standards as well as two originals compositions, one written by Kristiansen and the second penned by Garzone honoring the late Mike Brecker.

Doodlin'

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Jimmy Bosch - A Million!

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 56:30
Size: 129.4 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Salsa
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[ 4:26] 1. Bailalo Si Te Atreves
[ 7:08] 2. Maracayero
[ 5:19] 3. Foreclosure Ejecucion De Una Hipoteca
[ 4:38] 4. Mujeres Mandan
[ 4:01] 5. Te Adoro Mami
[ 6:26] 6. Cuantas Veces
[ 6:20] 7. Quedate
[ 5:12] 8. Alma Compartido
[12:57] 9. Foreclosure -Long Version-Ejecucion De Una Hipoteca

Jimmy Bosch is known throughout the world to be a powerful force as a trombonist, as a composer, as an entertainer and as the producer of his own records for his own Independent record label, JRGR Records, Inc. People all over the world who follow Jimmy know to expect something different from the norm. He does it his way and his records are like no other records in the world.

“A MILLON,” is Jimmy’s 4th solo record release. On this record, he introduces yet another lead vocalist, a true young “Sonero” from Puerto Rico. He also presents a female, singing lead on one track. And if that’s not enough, he wrote and sang a Bolero himself on this production. A powerful song about the love between a mother and her son, audiences will no doubt be moved by its delivery and its sincerity.

People worldwide refer to Bosch as Salsa’s Brutal Trombone, “a real person”, “awesome”, “extraordinary”, “most expressive”, “great soloist,” etc. Considered one of today’s most important composers/lyricists in Salsa music, his songs are thought provoking, educational, inspiring, socially reflective and even comedic. His ability to conquer the rhythmic complexities with his heartfelt and gifted trombone playing styles has placed him in the Royal Court of the music world, covering the Salsa, Latin Jazz and World music genres.

Appearing on over 70 recordings, Bosch has made records and/or toured with his 11 piece band as well as with Israel Cachao Lopez, Ruben Blades and Son del Solar, Celia Cruz, Ray Barretto, Willie Colon, Manny Oquendo y Libre, Paquito D’Rivera, Oscar De Leon, Jose Alberto “El Canario,” Marc Anthony, FANIA Allstars, Eddie and Charlie Palmieri, Steve Turre, Incognito, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Jon Faddis, Arturo O’farril and the list goes on.

A Million!

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The Ed Bickert Trio - Out Of The Past

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:33
Size: 149,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:49)  1. Con Alma
(8:01)  2. Soft Winds
(9:00)  3. When Sunny Gets Blue
(5:28)  4. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
(5:26)  5. Where Is The One
(4:52)  6. Deep In A Dream
(5:34)  7. Have You Met Miss Jones
(7:34)  8. Skating In Central Park
(9:46)  9. Nica's Dream

Ed Bickert was born in Hochfeld, Manitoba on November 29th, 1932, and raised in Vernon, British Columbia. His early interest in guitar was in part influenced by his musical household (his mother and father played piano and guitar in country bands). He was self-taught, developing an interest in jazz harmony by studying and analyzing Stan Kenton records. Via radio broadcasts from the American West Coast, he heard and was influenced by Nat “King” Cole Trio guitarist Oscar Moore, Barney Kessel and Les Paul. In his early teens he gained experience by playing onstage with his parents. In 1952 Ed moved to Toronto, working as a radio station engineer and playing after-hours jazz clubs on the side. Shy and retiring, he was slow to work himself into the Toronto jazz circuit, but by 1955 he was a regular club performer and in 1957, he made his first studio recording date, appearing on Moe Koffman's fluke hit single Swinging Shepherd Blues. 

In the 60s, Ed worked regularly with Koffman and other major figures of Canadian jazz. He was invited to be a founding member of Rob McConnell's Boss Brass in 1968 and has played with that unit ever since, as well as becoming increasingly in demand as a session guitarist. In 1974, on the recommendation of the legendary Jim Hall, the equally legendary Paul Desmond sought out Ed to form a performing quartet, marking Desmond's return to the musical stage after an absence of seven years. Desmond, a jazz star who had seen the world and played with the best, was utterly blown away by Ed's playing, and determined to record with him; this marked Ed's first session for an American label, with consequent wider exposure. During the next three years [Desmond's last], the Desmond-Bickert quartet performed frequently, and many of these gigs were recorded. (Lucky for us! Paul and Ed brought out the best in each other, and their records together constitute a high-water mark in jazz.)

In 1979, Ed recorded a duo album with his fellow Desmond Quartet alumnus Don Thompson the album won the 1980 Juno Award for Best Jazz Recording of the Year. In the 80s, Ed continued to work regularly with Koffman and McConnell. Furthermore, he signed with Concord Jazz Records, which meant even greater exposure in the States. For Concord, he frequently backed up Rosemary Clooney, toured with the Concord Jazz All-Stars, and [finally] began to record as a session leader on a regular basis. In 1983, Ed also became co-leader of a dual-guitar quartet with Lorne Lofsky, an arrangement that lasted a full ten years. The 90s have seen Ed go on unstoppably working with Canada's jazz élite, hotly sought after by fellow musicians but shunning the limelight, playing like God on that same old, worn, creamy-yellow Tele. And finally, on January 7, 1997, our Governor-General appointed Ed as a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of his “distinguished service” to Canadian music. This entitles Ed to wear a medal like the one pictured over there, and to append to his name the honorific CM. (Chances are he greeted the news with an “aw shucks” worthy of Gary Cooper...) Bio ~ http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/edbickert

Personnel: Ed Bickert (guitar); Terry Clarke (drums); Don Thompson (bass)

Out Of The Past

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The Jive Bombers - Jump! With The Jive Bombers

Styles: Jazz, Swing
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:37
Size: 95,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:39)  1. Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens
(3:18)  2. We're Gonna Make It
(7:45)  3. Theme For Coleman Hawkins (feat. Alex Dean)
(3:55)  4. Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair
(3:02)  5. Harlem Nocturne (feat. Bobby Brough)
(2:47)  6. A Chicken Ain't Nothin' But a Bird
(2:34)  7. Goin' Out the Back Way (feat. Del Dako)
(4:02)  8. Person To Person
(2:53)  9. On Revival Day
(3:54) 10. Hallelujah I Love Her So
(3:42) 11. St Louis Blues

The Jive Bombers (who are not to be confused with the rockabilly group bearing the same moniker) are best known for their Savoy single "Bad Boy" which reached number seven on the R&B charts in 1957. The group Earl Johnson, Al Tinney, William Tinney (aka "Pee Wee"), and lead vocalist Clarence Palmer were formed from the membership of two other vocal acts: Sonny Austin & the Jive Bombers and the Palmer Brothers. They were originally known as the Sparrows again, these weren't the Sparrows who recorded "Why Did You Leave Me?" for Jay Dee when they recorded early in their career for Coral in 1949; they later changed names back to the Jive Bombers when they switched over to Citation Records in 1952.  The Jive Bombers' "Bad Boy" (written by Avon Long and Lillian Hardin Armstrong, better known perhaps as "Lil Hardin" and wife of Louis Armstrong from 1924-1938) was their only charting hit, it peaked at number 36 on the pop/number seven on R&B in 1957. Clarence Palmer's beautifully sung classic has been re-recorded by a number of artists, including the Escorts ('50s), Mink Deville, Ringo Starr, Sha Na Na, and many more. It was later featured prominently in the John Waters-directed movie, Cry Baby. Bio ~ https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-jive-bombers/id62048189

Jump! With The Jive Bombers

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Loston Harris - Swingfully Yours

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:51
Size: 86,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:26)  1. Kiss And Run
(3:04)  2. Nice Work If You Can Get It
(3:13)  3. I'm Old Fashioned
(2:52)  4. Hey You With The Crazy Eyes
(6:20)  5. How About You
(4:24)  6. I've Got The World On A String
(4:08)  7. 9:26 Special
(4:39)  8. The Lamp Is Low
(2:40)  9. You Can't Love 'Em All

The liner notes for Loston Harris’ Swingfully Yours set a clear agenda. “This recording is all about swing,” declares the pianist and singer, a mainstay at New York’s famed Carlyle Hotel. “No torch songs or ballads, just tunes with tempos that make you wanna tap your toes.” Harris delivers on his promise with this nine-track collection, his quartet deep in the pocket of their frontman’s all-swing, all-the-time marching orders.Harris isn’t out to re-conceptualize the standards that make up the setlist for Swingfully Yours. This is old-school small-group swing, with a bounce and ebullience that works for laidback listening as well as it would for the dance floor. Harris’ work on the 88s is crisp and elegant, simultaneously devoted to pace and melodic clarity. 

But he’s unafraid to lay down hammer-blow block chords on “Hey You With the Crazy Eyes,” and he burns through a finger-busting solo on his own instrumental arrangement of Earl Warren’s “9:20 Special.” While perhaps not as stylistically distinctive as his piano, Harris’ vocals, smoky-smooth with a minimum of croon, caress Ralph Freed’s legendary lyrics for “How About You?,” and he brings a pleasing breathiness to Cahn and Van Heusen’s “You Can’t Love ’Em All.” Tenor saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith offers a fine, full tone whether soloing or comping behind Harris’ vocals. Gianluca Renzi works his bass’ natural woodiness for all it’s worth on “Kiss and Run,” and Carmen Intorre Jr.’s slick snare shots and sharp ride cymbal give the music a splashy energy throughout. Swingfully Yours runs a brisk 39 minutes, but Harris and his ensemble pack every second with pure, no-nonsense swing. ~ Matt R.Lohr  http://jazztimes.com/articles/132473-swingfully-yours-loston-harris

Personnel: Loston Harris (vocals, piano); Ian Hendrickson-Smith (tenor saxophone); Carmen Intorre (drums).

Swingfully Yours

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Rein De Graaff - Bebop, Ballads & Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 60:40
Size: 138.9 MB
Styles: Mainstream jazz
Year: 1990/2000
Art: Front

[5:21] 1. There's No You
[5:03] 2. Blue Skies
[2:17] 3. Darn That Dream
[3:24] 4. Old Folks
[5:43] 5. Take The A Train
[2:58] 6. Improvisation In Confirmation
[1:43] 7. Goodbye
[3:59] 8. Drifting On A Reed
[5:08] 9. I Waited For You
[4:24] 10. Blue Bossa Samba
[4:15] 11. Little Willie Leaps
[5:29] 12. What Is This Thing Called Love
[4:04] 13. My Old Flame
[6:44] 14. Now Is The Time

Take a listen.Great song selection,swinging interpretations and has some fine Dutch aces like Five Diamonds drummer (and two others joining leader and bassist Hank Havehook (if you can find Five Diamonds Brilliant you'll thank me forever) this CD has one of the least appreciated yet still famous tenors of all time, My Man, Charlie Rouse leaving his beautiful tones on Tenor. A must for the Charlie Rouse completion and a fine example of what has always been a vibrant jazz scene in the Netherlands. Maybe not "Kind Of Blue" or Blue Train" nevertheless it's a very good CD worth getting that a hard bop/post bop fan with appreciation for good rendition of standards will enjoy. Cheers. ~Chazz

Bebop, Ballads & Blues

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Judy Wexler - Easy On The Heart

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 58:10
Size: 133.2 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[5:38] 1. Moment To Moment
[4:39] 2. I'm In Love
[3:19] 3. Humdrum Blues
[4:58] 4. Easy On The Heart
[2:46] 5. Nobody Else But Me
[4:22] 6. In My Life
[4:05] 7. Beautiful Love Gorgeous Creature
[5:20] 8. Tell Him I Said Hello
[5:42] 9. Love Is A Necessary Evil
[4:34] 10. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
[3:16] 11. If You Could Love Me
[5:10] 12. Down Here On The Ground
[4:15] 13. I Got Lost In His Arms

Vocalist Judy Wexler makes her recording debut with Easy on the Heart. Wexler is quickly becoming a staple of the Los Angeles jazz scene and, like many other jazz artists in Southern California, deserving of better recognition. Joining her are other LA jazz stalwarts like saxophonist Bob Sheppard, pianist Alan Pasqua (a former member of Tony Williams' Lifetime), bassist Darek Oles, and trumpeter Steven Campos.

Instead of the usual standards, Wexler does well by choosing some lesser-known jazz songs, as well as a couple of pop tunes. Her assertive, no-frills delivery is a dominant and pleasant feature in her singing, as it focuses our attention on the clear and lucid storytelling. The extras in her style are subtle, delicate, well-timed, purposeful, and a testament to her good taste.

Playful and lovely songs like "Nobody Else But Me" and Oscar Brown Jr.'s "Humdrum Blues" are nicely countered with more morose features like Abbey Lincoln's "I'm in Love" and the album's best piece, "Tell Him I Said Hello." Wexler's forte is jazz, though she delves into pop tunes like the Beatles' "In My Life" and Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right." Both are satisfactory, though they lack the dynamic range of the livelier jazz fare. On the album's final offering, for example, Irving Berlin's "I Got Lost in His Arms," she clearly knows what liberties to take, what lines to stretch and, more importantly, how to enchant us fully.

While this album more than meets any demands of a debut effort, here's hoping time and experience challenge Wexler to greater artistry and individuality. Certainly, as heard on Easy on the Heart, her skills are more than ready for such a project. ~Germein Linares

Judy Wexler: vocals; Alan Pasqua: piano; Darek Oles: bass; Tim Pleasant: drums; Bob Sheppard: sax; Steven Campos: trumpet.

Easy On The Heart

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Janet Planet - Evidence

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:34
Size: 102,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:08)  1. The Apology
(3:07)  2. Love Is (Amor Es)
(3:09)  3. Amor Es (Love Is)
(4:28)  4. Come Just As You Are
(3:50)  5. Prayer
(6:45)  6. Children Go Where I Send Thee
(4:34)  7. Lift Me Up
(4:00)  8. Feeling Of Joy
(4:51)  9. Very Last Day
(5:38) 10. How Great Thou Art

Vocal music with an inspirational message, using stylistic influences of jazz, Latin, R&B and classical. This music was inspired by the good news of Jesus Christ. Using harmonies found mostly in Jazz and classical, the message is transformed. Elevating and uplifting the listener while allowing the message to prevail, the message of; Love, integrity, compassion and forgiveness, but above all Love. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/JanetPlanet3

Evidence

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New York Voices - A Day Like This

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:27
Size: 145,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:28)  1. Darn That Dream
(4:32)  2. Noticing The Moment (Moment's Notice)
(4:29)  3. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing
(3:43)  4. Stoned Soul Picnic
(4:46)  5. A Day Like This
(4:27)  6. Jackie
(6:06)  7. The World Keeps You Waiting
(5:27)  8. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
(4:58)  9. On A Clear Day
(4:01) 10. For All We Know
(4:17) 11. Love You Madly
(4:22) 12. As We Live And Breathe
(4:48) 13. No Moon At All
(3:56) 14. Chamego (Betty's Bossa)

With ensemble vocal jazz, the danger is always that tight and complex harmony writing will come across as too smooth and too sweet for some reason, chords that sound sharp and bracing when distributed among reed instruments can sound cloying and overly slick when sung by human voices. The vocal/instrumental quartet New York Voices don't avoid that trap entirely on their latest album (and their first as an ensemble in seven years), but they continue to demonstrate their mastery of the genre with a solid program of new and old songs and innovative arrangements. Their take on "Darn That Dream" is startlingly new (and features a fine bass clarinet solo by Bob Mintzer), and the lyrics that group members added to John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice" work very nicely. Not everyone will agree that the world needed a vocal jazz version of Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic," but the New York Voices' version is really lots of fun and is sure to bring a nostalgic tear to more than one baby-boomer eye. Apart from a couple of saccharine moments on "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," A Day Like This is a pleasure from start to finish. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson  http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-day-like-this-mw0000780101

New York Voices: Lauren Kinhan, Peter Eldridge, Kim Nazarian (vocals); Darmon Meader (tenor saxophone).

Additional personnel: Chuck Loeb (guitar); Marty Ashby (acoustic guitar); Gil Goldstein (accordion); Paquito d'Rivera (clarinet); Bob Mintzer (bass clarinet); Jim Guerra (alto saxophone); Eric DeFade (tenor saxophone); Mike Tomaro, Jim Germann (baritone saxophone); Steve McKnight, Bob Matchett, Joe Herndon, Joe Magnarelli, Steve Hawk , Ralph Guzzi (trumpet); Frank Greene (flugelhorn); Jay Ashby, Clayton DeWalt (trombone); Chris Carson (bass trombone); Andy Ezrin (piano); Dave Samuels (vibraphone); Paul Nowinski (acoustic bass); Marcello Pellitteri (drums); Lucas Ashby (pandeiro).

A Day Like This

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Steve Kuhn - Mostly Ballads

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1984
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:02
Size: 100,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:22)  1. Body and Soul
(4:22)  2. Emily
(2:40)  3. Lonely Town
(3:20)  4. Airegin
(2:19)  5. Tennessee Waltz
(2:14)  6. Danny Boy
(5:49)  7. Round Midnight
(3:59)  8. Yesterday's Gardenias
(4:34)  9. Don't Explain
(2:16) 10. How High the Moon
(4:10) 11. Lover Man
(2:53) 12. Two for the Road

For a change of pace, adventurous pianist Steve Kuhn performed a dozen standards (mostly at slower tempos) on this New World release. Half of the selections are duets with bassist Harvie Swartz, while the other songs are unaccompanied piano solos. In addition to such notable tunes as "Body and Soul," "Danny Boy," "'Round Midnight," and "Lover Man," Kuhn cooks a bit on Sonny Rollins' "Airegin." An excellent outing. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/mostly-ballads-mw0000188420

Personnel: Steve Kuhn (piano); Harvie Swartz (acoustic bass).

Mostly Ballads & More

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Randy Cate - A Different Kind Of Same

Styles: Vocal, Adult Contemporary
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:36
Size: 77,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:42)  1. Don't
(2:26)  2. Lullabies and Long Agos
(3:45)  3. Quite Fire
(3:24)  4. Common Ground
(3:16)  5. I'll Never Remember You're Gone
(3:07)  6. Where the Evening Meets the Sun
(4:05)  7. A Different Kind of Same
(3:43)  8. Tanya Duvall
(3:16)  9. Sad Song Writer
(3:48) 10. No More Sadness

This ain't no 70's disco, no 80's big hair show, if you think times were simpler then you've done too much blow. It's not like we don't have the proof, a broken dreams the living truth and truth is just a lie without a name and a different kind of same.

- A Different Kind of Same is a chronology of disgust with the fact that nothing changes.
- Quiet Fire is the complete opposite, it is about a love that might go right.

In her eyes I'm a jester for the king, a harlequin who would fly if he had wings to the arms that are calling with desire as I lay down beside her in quiet fire. I have always been interested in writing songs that tell stories in a variety of genres. What we have here are 10 different songs by the same writer, Randy Cate. http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=9356502&style=music&fulldesc=T

A Different Kind Of Same

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Al Nicholls Swing Quintet - I'm Old Fashioned

Size: 87,4 MB
Time: 37:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001
Styles: Jazz: Swing
Art: Front

01. Lovers And Other Strangers (3:11)
02. They Can't Take That Away From Me (4:29)
03. Dog Day Blues (5:11)
04. 7 Come 11 (3:13)
05. Portobello (4:13)
06. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered (5:25)
07. Perdu (3:20)
08. On The Street Where You Live (3:59)
09. I'm Old Fashioned (4:25)

Al Nicholls is the product of a sound musical training, both academically through Leeds College of Music and practically via the bands of Ray Gelato, The Big Town Playboys, King Pleasure and many others bigger and smaller.
Al is also the leader and musical driving force of London's renowned jump jive and good time swing band Blue Harlem.

I'm Old Fashioned

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Roseanna Vitro - Clarity: Music Of Clare Fischer

Size: 131,2 MB
Time: 56:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Morning (6:34)
02. Web Of Love (Inquietacao) (5:27)
03. Love's Path (Love's Walk) (5:32)
04. Seagull (Gaviota) (5:15)
05. Swingin' With The Duke (The Duke) (4:55)
06. Pensativa (6:23)
07. Life's Journey (Pavillon) (5:39)
08. Sleep My Child (Sleep Sweet Child) (4:42)
09. Take Your Breath And Sing (O Canto) (5:51)
10. I Remember Spring (5:58)

Roseanna Vitro is a "singer's singer." What does that mean? It means she is so excellent and still warranting much more attention. Her deep and precise alto is perfectly tuned and balanced. Her phrasing is textbook. This is what a jazz singer sounds like.

But Vitro's skill set does not stop at vocal prowess. She is also a crack arranger, programmer and music journalist. That is a wealth of grace and talent from Hot Springs, Arkansas. Vitro's projects are also well-considered and assembled. Throughout her career, she has been intelligently judicious in selecting artist and artistic themes for her recordings. This is evidenced in her more focused recordings that concentrate on a single musical source. In 1997, Vitro released the gutsy Catching Some Rays: The Music of Ray Charles (Telarc, 1997) with the support of frequent collaborator pianst Kenny Werner and tenor saxophonist Eddie "Cleanhead" Vincent.

Vitro followed that recording with Conviction: Thoughts of Bill Evans (A Records) in 2001, where she is joined by Evans sideman, bassist Eddie Gomez and progeny pianists Fred Hersch and Allen Farnham. Again, Vitro produced a well-focused and executed recording date where she re-cast several Evans instrumentals as vocal offerings. In 2011, Vitro almost scared into a Grammy Award with The Music of Randy Newman (Motema Records), where her musical daring and intelligence showed no bounds.

Vitro returns now with a collection of pieces by the late composer and arranger Clare Fischer, who is best known for his championing of all things Latin Jazz, much of which is well represented on the present Clarity: Music of Clare Fischer Vitro keeps her Randy Newman band intact for the recording.

Vitro attends to both the common and obscure of Fischer's work. The oft-covered "Morning," "Seagull" and "Pensativa" appear alongside the lesser known "Take Your Breath and Sing." Vitro's husband and producer, Paul Wickliffe pens the lyrics for the latter piece. Pianist Mark Soskin looms large on songs like "Pensativa" and "Swingin' with the Duke," while violinist Sara Caswell provides a distant, echoing continuo to all on which she contributes.

Vitro sings squarely from between Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Carter. Her scat chops are the most certain of any singer expelling air today. Even a bit of her home-state twang may be detected in the bluesy "Swingin' with the Duke," providing this writer a warm spot in this approaching Autumn. Honor Roseanna Vitro.

Personnel: Roseanna Vitro: vocals and arrangements; Mark Soskin: piano and arrangements; Sara Caswell: violin; Dean Johnson: bass; Tim Horner: drums; Mino Cinelu: percussion; Brett Fischer: vibraphone (9).

Clarity: Music Of Clare Fischer

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