Sunday, October 26, 2014

Phil Kelly & The New Prevailing Winds - Convergence Zone

Size: 150,8 MB
Time: 65:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Jazz: Big Band
Art: Front

01. Damp Brown Places (6:39)
02. Cuzn Bubba Luvz Ewe (6:11)
03. Subztatoot Shuffle (7:32)
04. Sweet Georgia Upside Down (5:17)
05. Bella Luce (7:06)
06. You And The Night And The Music (6:32)
07. Yada Yada (5:28)
08. Otbs (7:22)
09. Kathy's Waltz (4:33)
10. The Refrigerator (8:25)

A "convergence zone" is where winds from all over gather together to blow up a storm, which is an entirely appropriate metaphor for this tempestuous new album by composer/arranger Phil Kelly & the NW Prevailing Winds—except that Kelly not only has those formidable winds at his command but muscular brass and rhythm as well.

The tornadic uproar begins with Kelly's tongue-in-cheek "Damp Brown Places" (apologies to Stephen Foster) and doesn't subside until trumpeter Jay Thomas, tenor Pete Christlieb, pianist Pat Coil and the band have finished raiding "The Refrigerator." In all, eight of Kelly's impressive compositions (including the best known, "Sweet Georgia Upside Down") are performed by his stalwart ensemble, with Joe LaBarbera's loving tribute to the late Conte Candoli, "Bella Luce," and the standard "You and the Night and the Music" sandwiched midway between them.

One of the themes, "Yada Yada," sounds as though it could have been checked out almost intact from the Sammy Nestico/Count Basie library. The others are pure Kelly, including two ("Cuzn Bubba Luvz Ewe," "Refrigerator") that use a rhythm section imported from Nashville via software files with horn parts cleverly positioned around it and Christlieb and Bill Ramsay overdubbing the reed section. The results are so seamless it's hard to imagine that that everyone wasn't seated together in the same recording studio.

There's one brief respite along the way, the gracious "Kathy's Waltz," featuring Ramsay's soulful alto with programmed strings; the rest is breathtaking big-band fireworks punctuated by warm-blooded solos, chiefly by Christlieb and Thomas, who share the spotlight not only on "Cuzn Bubba," "Refrigerator" and "Yada Yada," but with drummer Gary Hobbs on "Damp Brown Places" and trombonist Dan Marcus on "Sweet Georgia." Thomas also pours heart and soul into his soliloquy on "Bella Luce."

Other prominent soloists include baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan (with Christlieb and Marcus) on "Subztatoot Shuffle" and trombonist Andy Martin with tenor Jim Coile, trumpeter Vern Seilert and pianist John Hansen on "You and the Night," Ramsay, Thomas, pianist Butch Nordal, trombonist Gary Shutes, alto Travis Ranney and bassist Chuck Deardorf on Kelly's "O.T.B.S." (which stands for "old time blues... expletive"). Speaking of Hobbs and Deardorf, they anchor a shrewd and sinewy rhythm section that provides an unerring compass and keeps everyone marching in close formation. Big-band albums this rewarding don't come along very often. ~Jack Bowers

Personnel: Phil Kelly, leader, composer, arranger; Brad Allison, Jay Thomas, Paul Baron, Vern Seilert, trumpet, flugelhorn; Andy Martin, Gary Shutes, trombone; Dan Marcus, trombone, tuba; Nelson Bell, bass trombone; Bill Ramsay, Travis Ranney, Pete Christlieb, Jim Coile, Gary Smulyan, reeds; John Hanson, Butch Nordal, piano; Chuck Deardorf, bass; Gary Hobbs, drums. Rhythm section on ?Bubba? and ?Refrigerator? -- Pat Coil, piano; Mark Baldwin, guitar; Craig Nelson, electric bass (?Bubba?); Gerald Stockton, electric bass (?Refrigerator?); Paul Leim, drums. Matt Bennett, string programming.

Convergence Zone

Carol McCartney - Be Cool

Size: 126,6 MB
Time: 54:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Be Cool (4:56)
02. I'm Old Fashioned (3:26)
03. For Heaven's Sake (5:20)
04. Tulip Or Turnip (5:30)
05. Yesterdays (4:35)
06. Ev'rything I've Got (Belongs To You) (3:10)
07. Solitary Moon (4:50)
08. Just You Just Me (5:15)
09. 'S Wonderful (4:08)
10. West Coast Blues (4:58)
11. Almost Twelve (4:04)
12. More Than You Know (4:02)

"How heavenly heaven can be."

That's a line from an old jazz standard called For Heaven's Sake that Billy Holiday made a hit a very long time ago.

If your idea of heaven is jazz/pop/blues driven by sumptuous arrangements, with an assured, mature vocalist at the controls, you can listen to the newest release from Mississauga songstress Carol McCartney and discover just how heavenly jazz can be.

For Heavens Sake is just one of the standouts on a record that is well-paced, well- played and well-conceived.

Inexplicably, this is just the second release under her own name for McCartney, a 26-year Port Credit resident who's sinuous and supple voice deserves a much wider audience.

A Night in Tunisia, recorded in 2007, won raves from critics and her live work features the same tasteful, evocative touch that graces her records.

The new release, titled Be Cool , shows that the vocalist is once again in complete control of the material, which is often mined from that sub-category of minor standards, the ones that have wandered slightly off the beaten track.

Standouts in that genre include the moody Solitary Moon, More Than You Know and Everything I've Got Belongs to You.

Half the six-person band on the record actually live within a couple of blocks of McCartney's Port Credit home, including pianist Brian Dickinson, who provided arrangements for half the tunes. The always reliable bassist Kieran Overs, particularly effective on For Heaven's Sake, is also a Mississaugan.

Rick Wilkins, long-time saxophonist with Rob McConnell's Boss Brass who sits atop the pile of the country's best jazz arrangers, provided the charts for three songs including Solitary Moon.

The singer worked in studio and on stage for years with pianist and arranger John Sherwood. When he wanted to spend more time with his own trio she started working with the Juno-award winning Dickinson, who heads the keyboard department in the Humber College jazz program.

"He brought that contemporary vibe," says McCartney, who teaches vocal jazz at Mohawk College.

The singer steps a little out of her comfort zone with reworkings of Wes Montgomery's West Coast Blues and Joni Mitchell's Be Cool. The latter was a bit of a revelation for McCartney, a longtime Joni fan. "I'd never sung a Joni tune," she said in an interview at a Port Credit coffee shop. "It's tricky because she throws in more words than scan to the metre. It took me a while to master it. "There are interesting horn lines around the vocal that are different. This was a fresh idea for me I usually do more classic kinds of jazz this was a little out of the mould."

It's one of the freshest tracks on the record.

Ironically, so is "I'm Old-Fashioned," the classic 1942 Johnny Mercer-Jerome Kern song which has a Dickinson arrangement featuring an especially effective drum/vocal entrance from veteran Terry Clarke.

Also featured on the record are saxophonist Chris Robinson, guitarist Lorne Lofsky and Mike Malone on flugelhorn.

Be Cool  

Stanley Cowell - Are You Real?

Size: 145,9 MB
Time: 63:06
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. Photon In A Paper World (11:29)
02. You Taught My Heart To Sing ( 9:51)
03. Mrs. Parker Of Kc ( 6:05)
04. I Remember Diz ( 8:26)
05. Hot House ( 6:44)
06. Are You Real ( 7:03)
07. The Wedding Recessional ( 6:29)
08. Off Minor ( 6:55)

Stanley Cowell during the last five decades has not only been active on the jazz scene but also devoted himself in the musical education of younger generation.

Now his well-earned retirement from teaching at the Rutgers enables him to spend more time in performing and recording. The latest album, which is his 13th release on this label, Stanley Cowell presents himself as a supreme interpreter of jazz’s standard titles.

Are You Real?

The Lost Jazz Ensemble - The Lost American JazzBook

Size: 118,4 MB
Time: 51:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Blues And The Bebop (3:38)
02. How Many Times (5:14)
03. Sandy In The Rain (6:01)
04. Lovesick Boys (5:46)
05. Regular Guy (3:52)
06. Neve In A Hundred Years (4:54)
07. Without You (5:15)
08. Jazz Is Like Rain (5:09)
09. You Hold Up Half The Sky (5:20)
10. So Long (6:17)

Dan Zemelman is one of the most sought-after jazz pianists in the San Francisco Bay Area. As musical director for The Lost American JazzBook, Dan has truly made the music sing.

Mads Tolling is a two-time Grammy winner with the Turtle Island String Quartet. Among his many other credits, he toured for eight years with acclaimed bassist Stanley Clarke.

Rose Armin-Hoiland is one of the hidden gems that makes the Bay Area such an incredible place for music. Her singing has transported the songs to a whole new level--both intoxicating and nuanced.

Argentine guitarist, Enrique Coria has a long and distinguished career in Latin music, including many recordings with the great Mercedes Sosa, and in this country with the David Grisman Band. His playing is nuanced and subtle, adding an extraordinary level of sophistication to the music.

Bassist, Zachary Ostroff, was the only 2011 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts for jazz. Enough said.

Drummer, Bryan Bowman, has performed with a long list of distinguished jazz musicians from Eric Reed to Mary Stallings to Mark Levine. He brings a musicality to his playing that is positively swell.

Albert Greenberg has been composing original music for the stage for over 30 years. He is co-artistic director of ALICE Arts and Media, an arts and education nonprofit. With the creation of “The Lost American Jazzbook”, he is going back to his first love. And love it is!
J
ulie Wolf, Producer
Producer Julie Wolf is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, sound designer, producer, teacher and music director. She has collaborated with Carly Simon, Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco and Maceo Parker, among many others.

Production:
The Lost American JazzBook was recorded at Fantasy Studios between June and August of 2014. It was mixed by Adam Muños, engineered by Adam, Jesse Nichols and Alberto Hernandez and mastered at Ken Lee Mastering.

The Lost American JazzBook

Reuben Simpson - Introducing Reuben Simpson

Size: 113,0 MB
Time: 48:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Swing
Art: Front

01. New York, New York (3:14)
02. The Best Is Yet To Come (2:51)
03. Let's Fall In Love (2:07)
04. Manhattan (3:42)
05. My Kind Of Girl (2:53)
06. I Only Have Eyes For You (3:10)
07. The Girl From Ipanema (3:00)
08. As Time Goes By (3:16)
09. Smile (2:49)
10. Fly Me To The Moon (2:28)
11. Swinging On A Star (2:20)
12. Route 66 (2:57)
13. The Look Of Love (3:30)
14. Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love) (3:31)
15. Bella Notte (1:20)
16. Luck Be A Lady (5:12)

Reuben is currently studying in Auckland, although he regularly travels back to his home-town in Tauranga for performances.

Reuben has sung in hotels, theatre shows, rest homes, at weddings, restaurants, functions, wineries & estates, birthdays, festivals and at other events at various locations in the North and South Island of New Zealand, including a performance on live television (TV1).

With a wide selection of swing, jazz and bossa nova numbers, Reuben is able to provide hours of quality entertainment. Reuben is also available for hire with the Sunset Coast Big Band.

Introducing Reuben Simpson

Alysha Brilla - Womyn

Size: 124,7 MB
Time: 53:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Pop Jazz
Label: Sunny Jam Records
Art: Front

01. Rescue (4:24)
02. Womyn (3:38)
03. Blue Moon (5:29)
04. Immigrant (3:51)
05. Closer (3:09)
06. He's Not You (3:37)
07. Jenna (3:37)
08. Too Soon (3:56)
09. Where Does All The Time Go (5:02)
10. Jenna (En Français) (3:37)
11. Let Me Love You (Feat. Mic Dainjah) (3:27)
12. Never Gonna Get Me Back (U.K. Edit) (4:54)
13. Rescue (Feat. Mic Dainjah) (4:42)

2014 Juno nominee Alysha Brilla is a critically acclaimed Tanzanian-Canadian singer, songwriter and producer. She plays guitar, piano and djembe, creating a unique original soul-folk sound which has been featured on stages internationally. In the summer of 2013, Brilla released her first full length record, "In My Head", available on iTunes. The music video for her Swahili-infused song, "Nobody", won the 2013 Ibiza Music Video Festival Fan Choice Award. Brilla's music has been featured on major network television shows such as "King" and "Degrassi; the Next Generation". She has performed for audiences internationally and been featured on CBC, Global TV and Omni network. Brilla is a proud supporter of CWEF Tanzania; helping children access education.

“What a voice, I could listen to her all day” – Indie Music Magazine

“When hearing the name ‘Alysha Brilla’, one can only think bold, charismatic and full of life.” – Spoke Newspaper

“You can tell she writes her own lyrics because of the emotion that comes across when she sings them.” -Vanessa Cardoso

Womyn

Sonny Rollins - The Impulse Story

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 63:38
Size: 145.7 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[ 6:56] 1. Three Little Words
[ 7:05] 2. On Green Dolphin Street
[ 5:27] 3. Hold 'em Joe
[ 9:41] 4. Alfie's Theme
[ 3:58] 5. Street Runner With Child
[ 4:27] 6. On Impulse
[20:23] 7. East Broadway Run Down
[ 5:37] 8. We Kiss In A Shadow

Sonny Rollins issued only three albums on the Impulse! label, all of them recorded between 1965 and 1966. This volume in The Impulse Story series features three tracks each from Sonny Rollins on Impulse!, Alfie (the music included consists of re-recorded titles he wrote for the score), and East Broadway Run Down. These three albums feature Rollins in a number of settings. The numbers from Alfie were recorded with a ten-piece band arranged and conducted by Oliver Nelson. The On Impulse! tunes were recorded with ace drummer Mickey Roker, pianist Ray Bryant, and bassist Walter Booker. East Broadway Run Down features the great saxophonist in the company of Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison, and Freddie Hubbard on the title track. What they all reveal is an artist at the absolute top of his game as an improviser and as a composer. Rollins' star may have shone differently from Coltrane's during these years, but just as brightly. The standout cuts on this set are the the standard "On Green Dolphin Street," "Alfie's Theme," and the stunning 20-plus-minute "East Broadway Run Down," with Rollins blowing further out than he ever had on one of his own records. ~Thom Jurek

The Impulse Story

Les McCann - Les McCann Sings

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 77:21
Size: 177.1 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Soul-jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:27] 1. Sweet Georgia Brown
[3:01] 2. Wonder Why
[3:38] 3. Since I Fell For You
[2:48] 4. 'deed I Do
[3:09] 5. It's Way Past Suppertime
[3:23] 6. Next Spring
[3:01] 7. But Not For Me
[5:13] 8. Django
[2:36] 9. Please Send Me Someone To Love
[2:26] 10. I Cried For You
[3:10] 11. On The Street Where You Live
[3:18] 12. Love Letters
[2:07] 13. Bye Bye Blackbird
[5:19] 14. Dorene Don't Cry, I .
[5:45] 15. Pretty Lady
[6:20] 16. I'll Take Romance
[5:35] 17. Stella By Starlight
[6:40] 18. On Green Dolphin Street
[7:17] 19. Little Girl Blue

This album, this one right here, exposes a fugitive. It flips the lid off Les McCann the piano player to reveal Les McCann the singer. The hidden man behind the man, the McCann behind the McCann. That in itself will be good news for previous McCann appreciators. (If some basketball players can rebuild 300 SL engines and some plumbers can reset broken bones, why shouldn't some piano players also sing?)

But do not think that McCann's vocal merit lies in the not-so-novel fact that he's also a fine jazz pianist. No. This singer stands on his own two feet. The fact is that he could (if absolutely necessary) sing with his hands tied behind him. Fortunately, strait jackets were ruled out of this recording session (wild though it may have been) and the piano you hear behind, above, below, around and in spite of the voice in these songs is being played by McCann.

As for variety of moods, you name it, you got it. McCann's a table hopper anyway. He jumps from frisk ("I Cried For You") to funk ("Sweet Georgia Brown"). Then he gets quiet ("Since I Fell For You") or all-out no-doubt down ("It's Way Past Suppertime"). And don't underestimate the steady but subtle ground floor built by Herbie Lewis' bass and Ron Jefferson's drums. Ochestrally they form the bottom but anyone with half an ear (even if it's atrophied, probably even if it's got a plug in it) can tell you that they're also the top. ~Vicki Arnold

Les McCann Sings

Charlie Palmieri - Latin Cool Classics

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 31:19
Size: 71.7 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[3:36] 1. Strangers In The Night
[3:15] 2. Louie's Boogaloo
[3:15] 3. Day Tripper
[3:25] 4. Cool Jerk
[3:39] 5. Way Out Mambo
[3:14] 6. Boogaloo In Apt 41
[2:59] 7. Yesterday
[2:44] 8. Tijuana Grass
[2:35] 9. Ozzaboo
[2:32] 10. Boots Are Made For Walkin

Before his Charanga Duboney, the pianist Charlie Palmieri formed his jazz quartet in 1954. They played in Chicago, Washington, Boston and New York, and recorded this interesting latin jazz album. Here appears a young Johnny Pacheco as a percussionist. He will later be known as one of the best latin flutist in New York.

Recorded in New York, April 1959. Charlie Palmieri (p), Al 'Guito' Gonzalez (bass), Joe Rodriguez (d), Johnny Pacheco (cga, d)

Latin Cool Classics

Adam Rogers - Sight

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:18
Size: 140,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:36)  1. Sight
(6:24)  2. Dexterity
(6:12)  3. I Hear A Rhapsody
(4:56)  4. Kaleidoscope
(7:23)  5. Yesterdays
(5:10)  6. Memory's Translucence
(7:35)  7. Let's Cool One
(4:30)  8. Hourglass
(6:59)  9. The Moontrane
(5:29) 10. Beautiful Love

Guitarist Adam Rogers returns with Sight, an album that continues his exploration of heady originals and standards, in the trio format that, with Time and the Infinite (Criss Cross, 2007), took a left-turn from his earlier quartet and quintet records. Surrounded by friends old and new on Time, with Sight Rogers returns to longtime drummer Clarence Penn after that brief hiatus. John Patitucci may replace equally longtime bassist Scott Colley, but they're hardly new acquaintances. Rogers spent plenty of time with Patitucci in the studio and on the road with the late Michael Brecker's Quindectet project, Wide Angles (Verve, 2003), resulting in a trio chemistry here that possesses both that wonderful "first encounter" energy, and no shortage of established empathy between the individual players. That best of both worlds makes Sight an improvement over the undeniably fine Time. As meticulous here as in his sideman stint with saxophonist Chris Potter's Underground on Ultrahang (ArtistShare, 2009), in the director's chair Rogers is more decidedly cerebral, with often knotty and unpredictable compositions and arrangements. 

That doesn't mean a lack of resonance, however. Rogers' title track grooves mightily, a modal tune that opens with a vamp which could easily ratchet into the red zone were it not for the same dark, warm, and woody tone that largely defines Rogers playing throughout the disc, the one exception being his fairly literal look at the balladic standard "Beautiful Love," that Rogers makes his own on nylon-string guitar. After emerging as a chops meister in the 1980s with Chick Corea's Akoustic and Elektric bands, Patitucci has evolved into one of his generation's most important bassists. His work in Wayne Shorter's nearly decade-old quartet has contributed to the revitalization of the legendary saxophonist/composer's career, and he brings a similar telepathic elasticity to Rogers' trio. He constantly juggles the role of anchor with that of lyrical foil, and while he clearly still has chops to burn it's never in service of anything but the music. The near-classicism of Rogers' "Kaleidoscope" finds Patitucci acting as contrapuntal partner and harmonic focus for Rogers, whose lithe, graceful lines weave in and out of this ethereal composition with the increasing confidence that's marked the guitarist's trajectory for two decades. Penn engenders loyalty, whether with Rogers or trumpeter Dave Douglas, in whose electro-acoustic quintet he's held the drum seat since inception nine years ago.

Here he creates a stable but flexible pulse to Rogers' complex rhythmic, harmonic, and temporal rearrangement of Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays" and a more faithful version of Woody Shaw's enduring "The Moontrane," the latter a song that with brass removed and guitar its primary melodic and chordal instrument still swings, but with in a lighter, more open-ended fashion. When compared to Kurt Rosenwinkel's standards-heavy Reflections (Wommusic, 2009), Sight is a more challenging and overtly virtuosic look at music that spans decades. For a younger generation of players, it's clear that music at the very foundation of jazz continues to provide inspiration for ultra-modern exploration. ~ John Kelman  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/sight-adam-rogers-criss-cross-review-by-john-kelman.php#.VEqeX8lZi5g
 
Personnel: Adam Rogers: guitars, piano (1); John Patitucci: bass; Clarence Penn: drums.

Frank Wess Septet - Opus De Blues

Styles: Flute And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:06
Size: 76,6 MB
Art: Front

( 4:12)  1. I Hear Ya Talkin
( 3:35)  2. Liz
( 8:42)  3. Boop-Pe-Doop
(10:58)  4. Opus De Blues
( 5:37)  5. Struttin' Down Broadway

Previously unreleased until 1991, this 1959 date features Frank Wess leading a septet of players mainly associated with Count Basie, pianist Hank Jones the only one not from some version of the Count's organization. Unlike some of the other Savoy releases in the Opus De series, this is not chamber jazz, but a relaxed, blowing session. The five blues-based themes are pleasant, easygoing vehicles, familiar ground for any Basie associate. The playing is skillful, although unremarkable. The exceptions, typical for a Wess session, occur when the leader switches to flute, giving listeners a taste of the most interesting aspect of his musicianship: a satisfying blend of fluid grace and breathy impertinence. Besides the leaders' flute work, the Jones brothers, Hank and Thad, contribute the session's more original blues interpretations. There is also some tight ensemble work from the horns on Wess's "I hear Ya Talkin'" and Thad Jones' "Struttin' Down Broadway." Not essential listening, but of possible interest to Basiephiles. The sound recording is good, accurately capturing the horns, rhythm section, and ensemble parts. ~ Jim Todd  http://www.allmusic.com/album/opus-de-blues-mw0000094277

Personnel: Frank Wess (flute, tenor saxophone); Charlie Fowlkes (baritone saxophone); Thad Jones (trumpet); Curtis Fuller, Henry Coker (trombone); Hank Jones , Jimmy Jones (piano); Gus Johnson , Osie Johnson (drums).

Jocelyn Brown - I Want to Know Where Love Is

Styles: Soul, R&B
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:42
Size: 125,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:07)  1. Mind Buster
(5:24)  2. Freedom
(4:20)  3. Somebody Else's Guy
(5:01)  4. Absolutely
(4:51)  5. Reach Out
(5:14)  6. I Want to Know Where Love Is
(4:12)  7. Turn out the Lights
(4:12)  8. This Love Is True
(4:02)  9. Everyday
(4:20) 10. Feel Like Making Love
(4:51) 11. Many Rivers to Cross
(4:01) 12. No Excuse

Unless you've been living in a cave since the late '70s, you have heard Jocelyn Brown's voice at one point or another. As clichéd as it sounds, if the term "disco diva" appeared in a dictionary, a picture of Jocelyn Brown would most likely be placed next to its definition. Brown's immensely power-packed and impassioned voice has been the lead behind several definitive and timeless disco classics, and it has also been present in background roles on numerous others. Short-lived disco groups like Inner Life and Musique hit the upper reaches of the dance charts in large part due to Brown's contributions, and she has also had success as a solo performer. Producer Patrick Adams, an associate of Brown's during her time spent with Inner Life and Musique, has referred to Brown as one of the greatest vocalists he has ever known. After becoming familiar with the vocalist's scattered but rich discography, it's hard to disagree with that observation. It comes to no surprise after hearing Brown's voice to learn that her background is rooted in gospel. 

Born in 1950 in Kingston, SC, Brown grew up in a very musical and religious family. Several members of her family participated in church choirs and performed as minstrel singers, but it was her aunt, Barbara Roy (aka Barbara Gaskin) a member of disco group Ecstasy, Passion & Pain who helped inspire her to move on to secular music. Though Brown had been familiar with studio settings since the age of 14, she began working prolifically during the latter half of the '70s and set aside her aspiration to become a teacher. Session work with stateside groups like Machine, Kleeer, and Disco Tex & the Sex-O-Lettes was just as steady as work with international artists like Italy's Cerrone and Change. (During this period, the then-married Brown was often credited as Jocelyn Shaw.) One of Brown's most noteworthy runs of success came as a member of Patrick Adams' Musique, a group that scored a pair of major disco hits in 1978 with "Keep on Jumpin'" and "In the Bush," the latter of which caught on especially for its double-entendre refrain of: "Push push in the bush." A Prelude-released 12" with both songs on one platter reached number one on Billboard's club chart. The following year, Greg Carmichael and Patrick Adams initiated the longer-lived Inner Life. With Brown front and center, the group's debut single, "I'm Caught Up (In a One Night Love Affair)," hit number seven on the club chart before cracking the Top 25 of the R&B chart the next year. A version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (remixed to great, dramatic, sweeping effect by DJ Larry Levan of the Paradise Garage, an infamous disco club where Brown often performed) and "Moment of My Life" followed, respectively, in 1981 and 1982; though neither charted as high as "I'm Caught Up," they have slowly gathered steam as disco classics. Brown finally broke as a solo artist in 1984 with "Somebody Else's Guy," a number two R&B smash written with her sister, Annette Brown. Vinyl Dreams issued an LP that year that collected Inner Life material with her recent solo work. An album for Warner Bros., One From the Heart, didn't perform commercially and got her bumped from the label. More solo singles followed in 1986 and 1987 that charted but didn't fare nearly as well as her earlier success.

During this hot period from the late '70s to the close of the '80s, Brown also kept a busy schedule as a session singer for a wide range of artists: Bette Midler, Manu Dibango, Chic, Candido, Steve Winwood, Lou Reed, Culture Club, Mick Jagger, and Diana Ross are just some of the artists who sought Brown's talent during this period. Brown continued to work steadily throughout the '90s and early 2000s (an album, Diva, was released by Black Tiger in 1996), though she was frequently the victim of sampling as well. Snap's "The Power," an unavoidable dance-pop single from 1990, sampled the singer's voice from her own "Love's Gonna Get You," a song that was also appropriated by Bizarre Inc. in 1992 for "I'm Gonna Get You." During the '90s, Brown worked extensively with Todd Terry, Incognito, Masters at Work, and several others. She began working as a jingle artist and delivered music for commercials for major corporations within the fast food, soft drink, and credit card industries. Throughout the years, a number of anthologies have sprouted: Deep Beats (Deep Beats, 1996), Hits (Incredible, 1999), Moment of My Life (EMI, 1999), and Turn on the Hits (Bellaphon, 2000). Bio ~ https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jocelyn-brown/id7117384#fullText

Doug Webb - Last Trane To Georgia

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:03
Size: 161,0 MB
Art: Front

(8:30)  1. Last Trane To Georgia
(6:42)  2. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
(9:43)  3. O Amor Em Paz (Once I Loved)
(5:36)  4. Emily
(5:02)  5. Rhythm-A-Ning
(6:22)  6. You've Changed
(6:28)  7. Speak Low
(9:46)  8. Carter's Blues
(8:49)  9. I Can't Get Started
(3:01) 10. Giant Steps

Doug Webb was born in Chicago and moved to California at the age of 3. He is a graduate of Edison high school in Huntington Beach, CA and received a Bachelor of Music from Boston’s Berklee College of Music. He began playing the clarinet at the age of 8 and added saxophone and flute at 15. He lives in Los Angeles with his beautiful wife Alex and his son, Ryan. Over his career Webb has played and recorded with such notable talents as Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, Sal Marquez, Stanley Clarke, Quincy Jones, Mat Marucci, Kyle Eastwood, Billy Childs, Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, Art Davis, Kenny Rogers, Bonnie Raitt, Pancho Sanchez and Vikki Carr. He played with the house band for the Dennis Miller TV show, the Jimmy Cleveland orchestra and continues to tour with the Doc Severinsen big band. He has recorded music for hundreds of movies and television programs. He solos on the sound track for Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby and Jersey Boys. Webb has been featured on hundreds of recordings. ~ Bio  http://www.dougwebb.us/biography.html

Personnel:  Doug Webb – Tenor Sax; Les Portelli – Piano;  Dave Enos – Bass;  Rob Perkins – Drums.

Last Trane To Georgia

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Cal Tjader Quintet - Mambo With Tjader

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 40:56
Size: 93.7 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Vibraphone jazz
Year: 1954/2009
Art: Front

[2:36] 1. Mamblues
[4:12] 2. Midnight Sun
[2:47] 3. Sonny Boy
[3:38] 4. Cherry
[3:34] 5. I'll Remember April
[3:17] 6. This Can't Be Love
[4:05] 7. Tenderly
[4:14] 8. Dearly Loved
[2:44] 9. Chloe
[3:30] 10. Lucero
[3:12] 11. Bye Bye Blues
[3:02] 12. Autumn Leaves

Along with the tracks on Tjader Plays Mambo (OJC-274), this collection from the fall of 1954 represented Tjader's increasing dedication to Latin jazz--first on 78-RPM singles, then EPs, and finally LPs. Cal's enthusiastic vibes work as well as his timbales playing and occasional singing is joined by the brothers Manny (piano) and Carlos (bass) Duran, and percussionists Bayardo Velarde and Edgard Rosales. Tjader's combined love of ballad improvisation and Latin rhythms is obvious--"Midnight Sun," "Tenderly," and "Autumn Leaves" are beautiful renditions, attractively arranged (by Tjader) for the unusual complement.

Bass – Carlos Duran; Congas – Edgar Rosales; Piano – Manuel Duran; Timbales, Bongos – Bayardo Velarde; Vibraphone – Cal Tjader.

Mambo With Tjader

Veronica Mortensen - I'm The Girl

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 48:18
Size: 110.6 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:36] 1. Chuck E's In Love
[5:06] 2. All I've Seen
[4:44] 3. Busy
[5:26] 4. Make Sure You're Sure
[6:37] 5. Sleepless
[4:44] 6. Julie
[4:21] 7. Too Late
[6:05] 8. I'm The Girl
[5:36] 9. Not Just A Date

Born in Aarhus (Denmark), singer VERONICA MORTENSEN was raised by her mother in Athens, Greece. At the age of 20, she moved back to Denmark to pursue a singing career - a natural choice, being the daughter of 2 musicians. She started her own soulband, a mini-bigband playing Aretha Franklin covers and Motown-classics, and soon after joined the more experimental acidjazzband Virtual Fantasy. VERONICA graduated from Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus in the summer of 1996 and took her Diploma exam from Rythmic Conservatory of Copenhagen in 1998. She has performed on several albums and TV-shows, both as a lead singer and as a background vocalist. VERONICA has been a popular guest with the Kluvers Big Band for the last 12 years, with whom she has played the Aarhus International Jazzfestival, toured Estland and played "Sacred Concerts" of Duke Ellington. She also has appeared in rockmusicals like "A tribute to the Blues Brothers", "Another Brick In The Wall" and "Hair" playing in both Copenhagen and Paris. VERONICA's first album "Pieces In A Puzzle" (2003), was very well received by the critics and was chosen for "Album of the week" by the Danish national radio (DR P4). Following the album she played concerts in Denmark and abroad, among them at the "Bankok Heineken Jazzfestival" (Thailand) and at "Ladies' Jazzfestival" in Gdynia (Poland). Beside her own music and band, she has also appeared with Peter Vuust Quartet, with whom she recorded the cd "Image Of Falling" (Imogena Records 2005). In April 2007, Veronica released her second album ”HAPPINESS is not included” at Stunt Records.

I'm The Girl

The Hot Club Of San Francisco - Yerba Buena Bounce

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 64:42
Size: 148.1 MB
Styles: Gypsy Swing
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[2:25] 1. Mystery Pacific
[4:25] 2. Hot Lips
[4:40] 3. I'm Happy Just To Dance With You
[3:42] 4. Sway
[3:43] 5. Number Two
[3:10] 6. Souvenir De Villingen
[3:38] 7. Tickle Toe
[4:50] 8. Black And White
[3:40] 9. Lullabye
[2:59] 10. Rythme Futur
[3:53] 11. Yerba Buena Bounce
[4:18] 12. Stardust
[5:14] 13. Borneo
[3:26] 14. Georgia Cabin
[3:14] 15. Improvisation #2
[3:10] 16. Going On
[4:08] 17. Some Of These Days

The Hot Club of San Francisco is more than a tribute band re-creating the recordings of Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli and the Quintette du Hot Club de France; the group covers pieces from many different eras never performed by the group which inspired them. On their tenth CD, Yerba Buena Bounce, the Hot Club of San Francisco, which has identical instrumentation to the French group (lead guitar, violin, two rhythm guitars and a bass), leader Paul Mehling, violinist Evan Price and the rhythm section swing like mad in their updated treatment of the QHCF's speeding locomotive represented by "Mystery Pacific" and the brisk, chugging "Black and White." But they also successfully convert modern pop songs into gypsy swing material, such as the Beatles' ballad "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" (adding Seth Asarnow on bandoneon) and Norman Gimbel's "Sway" (which adds mandolin master David Grisman). Mehling proves himself as a composer as well, contributing the upbeat "Number Two" and the tender "Lullaby" (the latter adding both Asarnow and Grisman). If that's not enough, Mehling adds campy vocals to "Gong Oh" and "Some of These Days." Fans of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli owe it to themselves to investigate these swinging, beautifully recorded sessions by the Hot Club of San Francisco; gypsy swing is very much alive in their hands! ~Ken Dryden

Yerba Buena Bounce

Harry Allen - Here's To Zoot

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 56:35
Size: 131.1 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, Mainstream jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[5:07] 1. I Cover The Waterfront
[4:27] 2. Stars Fell On Alabama
[4:48] 3. Spring Is Here
[4:21] 4. I Cried For You
[6:40] 5. Grooveyard
[6:06] 6. I Remember You
[5:28] 7. Someone To Watch Over Me
[5:13] 8. 9:20 Special
[4:36] 9. The Way You Look Tonight
[4:03] 10. All My Tomorrow
[5:41] 11. I'll Take Romance

Here's another fine Harry Allen CD, recorded in NYC in 1997, and featuring along with Harry on tenor, Dave McKenna (p) Michael Moore (b) and Jake Hanna (d). There are some interesting surprises here.

Harry plays the verse to I COVER THE WATERFRONT slowly, and where you expect him to double the tempo, he doesn't, but keeps it slow. It makes for a different and pleasing approach. He does the same thing on SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME, though this one might be taken just a tad too slowly. I CRIED FOR YOU is taken way up-tempo and features excellent brush work by Hanna. The most ambitious track is I'LL TAKE ROMANCE, done in waltz time, medium-slow at first; then comes an unaccompanied piano solo by McKenna in 4/4, followed by Harry back in 3/4 time and with the tempo doubled. It's an impressive performance. I REMEMBER YOU is played as a Bossa Nova, and THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT has a crisp, jaunty flavor to it. This is a most attractive CD that will not fail to delight Harry Allen fans. ~Bomojazz/amazon

Here's To Zoot

Lorraine & Bill Liswell - Wisdom's Pearls

Styles: Jazz, Swing, Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:50
Size: 79,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:49)  1. Wanna Dance?
(2:28)  2. Wisdom's Pearls
(2:58)  3. Melody for a Day
(2:47)  4. Daddy's Got the Archtop Blues
(2:34)  5. Walking
(2:34)  6. Blue Eyes
(2:08)  7. Chèvre À GoGo
(4:01)  8. Kiss My Blues Away
(2:36)  9. Hearts Entwined
(2:27) 10. Spring Song  (A Song for Spring)
(2:23) 11. Hobohemian Rag

About five years ago, I began composing songs and carried an old tape recorder in my car to capture any good possibilities. Having sung with bands of many styles most of my life, and being ever hopeful, I figured I’d recognize a good song if it came to me. At Christmas about a year later, Bill gave me a small hand-held recorder. I found I could increase my songwriting time by carrying it with me during my daily walks. The songs came, and I became obsessed with composing. Not being an instrumentalist, I called on the combined talents of Bill, and our friend Kevin Gallagher, to create the accompaniments to my songs. All but four of the songs on this CD were created in this way. Of those four, Bill alone wrote the accompaniment for Kiss My Blues Away. Melody for a Day and Hobohemian Rag originated with mandolin and guitar riffs that Kevin had created and then asked me to build songs around. Kevin’s initial ideas are the intros to those songs. Kevin and Bill co-composed Chèvre À GoGo just days before going into the studio. 

Our recording dream was realized in June 2007, when jazz guitarist Frank Vignola and drummer Rich Zukor joined Bill and I to record six of the songs on this CD. Frank and Rich intuitively knew how to capture the mood for each song. Frank’s virtuosity is astounding. Rich is an exuberant percussionist, his Djembe playing provided dynamic rhythmic accompaniment and drive. It was truly a memorable experience to play with such great musicians. Bill was smiling all day! Drummer Lorne Entress added captivating percussion and solid drumming to the other five compositions. Kevin contributed melodic dobro and mandolin parts to these tracks. Bill’s fine jazz chording, fluid guitar solos, and powerful bass lines are heard throughout the CD. I’m thrilled and honored to have had the chance to sing and savor our songs with such a fine group of musicians. ~ Lorraine Liswell  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lbliswell

Bebo Best & The Super Lounge Orchestra - Trip to Rio De Janeiro

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:26
Size: 160,6 MB
Art: Front

(0:31)  1. Intro (Louis Chirillo Presents)
(4:09)  2. Spaghetti Pizza e Cavaquinho
(3:54)  3. Mambossa Hit (feat. Iain Mackenzie)
(4:35)  4. Soccer Time (Koko Chanel Brazil Mix)
(4:28)  5. James Bond vs. Bebo Best
(4:03)  6. Gigabongo-Surf
(4:10)  7. Toca o Coracao
(4:00)  8. Surfin' the Perfect Wave
(4:00)  9. Catchin On the Waves (feat. Brenda Boykin)
(4:06) 10. La Caleta
(4:00) 11. Maccaroni Bossa
(3:41) 12. Je t'aime moi non plus
(3:56) 13. Bossamba Jazz
(4:07) 14. Looking Out the Sea
(3:56) 15. Da' Ya Think I'm Sexy (Koko Chanel Voce Asha Que Eu Sou Sexy Remix)
(4:07) 16. Mambossa Hit (Koko Chanel Electrotomorrow Remix) [feat. Iain Mackenzie]
(3:36) 17. Tita Mocari (Koko Chanel Brasilafro Club Remix)
(4:00) 18. Soccer Time (Spaghetti Pizza e Cavaqinho Funk Mix)

After the great success of the last tour in Brazil "Alemanha groove", Bebo Best dedicates an album to the great country of samba and bossa nova, enriching the sound carioca with contamination nujazz, funk, and sixties, in that special mix that has led to the success of Bebo Best & The Super Lounge Orchestra. After the great success of "Mambossa", here's another winning goal, a special featuring the English crooner Iain Mackenzie, Brenda Boykin voted best singer of the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2005, of which Bebo has written and produced her latest album, with the special participation of James Taylor of the JTQ Quartet. Producer musician and composer of Italian descent therefore continues his brilliant career. His music has been called "pure class" by the B.B.C. in England. In this "pure class" he add exotic rhythms, sixties sounds, and the vintage flavour of the best Italian composers such as Morricone, Piccioni, and always the Master AC Jobim. Recorded in Spain, Brazil, England, Germany and Italy.  http://www.beatport.com/release/trip-to-rio-de-janeiro/1366105

Tiny Grimes With Roy Eldridge - One is Never too Young to Swing

Styles: Guitar And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:52
Size: 77,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:55)  1. Romance Without Finance
(3:13)  2. West End Phil
(2:33)  3. Tain't What You Do
(4:25)  4. Food For Thought
(3:14)  5. One Is Never Too Old To Swing
(3:54)  6. In A Swinging Mood
(8:37)  7. The Downtown Sound
(3:57)  8. Frantic

Tiny Grimes (1916 – 1989) began his musical career playing drums and piano. In 1938 he took up the guitar choosing the unusual electric 4-string tenor guitar. In 1940 he joined the Cats And A Fiddle as guitarist and singer. In 1943 he joined the Art Tatum Trio as guitarist and made a number of recordings with Tatum. The early Tatum Trio recordings made for the Asch and Comet recording labels are some of the more interesting early examples of Tiny Grimes’ guitar work. Tiny Grimes is the inventor of "rock and roll". Listen to "Tiny's Boogie" (MP3), recorded at WOR studios on August 14, 1946, possibly the very first "rock and roll" recording.After leaving Tatum, Grimes recorded with his own groups in New York and he recorded with a long list of leading musicians; Ike Quebec, Cozy Cole, Leonard Feather and Buck Clayton, among others. He was also selected to record with the famous Metronome All Star Band and appears on the recording Look Out, on which he shared the guitar duties with Billy Bauer. During this time he made four recordings with Charlie Parker that are considered excellent examples of early bebop jazz; Tiny’s Tempo, Red Cross, Romance Without Finance, and I’ll Always Love You. Tiny Grimes continued to lead his own groups into the later 1970’s and he recorded with Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Jacquet and Roy Eldridge. 

Our first contact to Tiny Grimes was as we bought his record with Roy Eldridge "One Is Never Too Old To Swing". This 1977 album was re-released as CD in 1990 and had found its way to the "Super Bargain box" from where it floated to Sini's hand in 1992. The price was 5 FIM, around 1 USD. The music was just great and it became soon our most cherished disc, and we just managed to order through Amazon four other recordings by Tiny Grimes. The CDs are mainly remasterings mainly from the 40s and contain some new, previously unreleased titles and takes. Over hilarous are the "Rocking Highlanders" as the band is dressed in scottish style witk kilts and all as you can see. This was in the late 40s and early 50s, so it was not totally risk free. But the joke was understood as there seems not to be any writing about any problems. http://www.sinijari.fi/linkit/tiny/mytiny.htm

Personnel:  Tiny Grimes – guitar; Roy Eldridge – trumpet; Frank Wess - tenor sax; Lloyd Glenn – piano; Percy Heath – bass; Eddie Locke - drums