Harry James - In Hi-Fi

Styles: Big Band, Swing
Year: 1955
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 49:00
Size: 105,8 MB
Art: Front

(0:44)  1. Ciribiribin
(2:43)  2. Trumpet Blues
(3:35)  3. You Made Me Love You
(5:12)  4. James Session
(2:58)  5. I've Heard That Song Before
(3:16)  6. Cherry
(3:12)  7. I'm Beginning To See The Light
(3:17)  8. My Silent Love
(3:14)  9. Sleepy Lagoon
(3:04) 10. Two O'Clock Jump
(3:24) 11. I Cried For You
(3:14) 12. Jalousie
(3:12) 13. It's Been A Long, Long Time
(3:43) 14. Velvet Moon
(3:12) 15. Music Makers
(0:53) 16. Ciribiribin

Harry James was one of the most outstanding instrumentalists of the swing era, employing a bravura playing style that made his trumpet work instantly identifiable. He was also one of the most popular bandleaders of the first half of the 1940s, and he continued to lead his band until just before his death, 40 years later. James was the child of circus performers. His father, Everette Robert James, was the bandleader and trumpet player in the orchestra for the Mighty Haag Circus, and his mother, Maybelle Stewart Clark James, was an aerialist. Growing up in the circus, James became a performer himself as early as the age of four, when he began working as a contortionist. He soon turned to music, however, first playing the snare drum in the band from about the age of six and taking trumpet lessons from his father. At 12, he took over leadership of the second band in the Christy Brothers Circus, for which his family was then working. 

He attended grade school in Beaumont, Texas, where the circus spent the winter, and when he was 14 he won a state music contest as a trumpeter. That inspired him to turn professional and begin playing in local bands. James' first job with a national band came in 1935 when he was hired by Ben Pollack. In May 1935, he married singer Louise Tobin, with whom he had two children and from whom he was divorced in June 1943. He made his first recordings as a member of the Pollack band in September 1936. Not long after, he was tapped by Benny Goodman, then leading one of the country's most popular bands, and he began working for Goodman by the end of 1936. He rapidly gained notice in the Goodman band, and by December 1937 he had begun to make recordings under his own name for Brunswick Records (later absorbed by Columbia Records). In early 1939, he left Goodman and launched his own orchestra, premiering it in Philadelphia in February. That spring, he heard the then-unknown Frank Sinatra on a radio broadcast and hired him. The band struggled, however, and when the more successful bandleader Tommy Dorsey made Sinatra an offer at the end of 1939, James did not stand in his way. Around the same time, he was dropped by Columbia and switched to the tiny Varsity Records label. After two years of difficulties in maintaining his band, James changed musical direction in early 1941. He added strings and turned to a sweeter, more melodic style, meanwhile re-signing to Columbia Records. The results were not long in coming. 

In April 1941, he first reached the Top Ten with the self-written instrumental "Music Makers." (His band was sometimes billed as Harry James and His Music Makers.) A second Top Ten hit, "Lament to Love," featuring Dick Haymes on vocals, followed in August, and late in the year James reached the Top Five with an instrumental treatment of the 1913 song "You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)." This was the record that established him as a star. But with its sweet style and what was frequently described as James' "schmaltzy" trumpet playing, it was also, according to jazz critic Dan Morgenstern (as quoted in the 1999 biography Trumpet Blues: The Life of Harry James by Peter J. Levinson), "the record that the jazz critics never forgave Harry for recording." James was second only to Glenn Miller as the most successful recording artist of 1942. During the year, seven of his recordings peaked in the Top Ten: the Top Five "I Don't Want to Walk Without You," with vocals by Helen Forrest; the number one instrumental "Sleepy Lagoon"; the Top Five "One Dozen Roses," with vocals by Jimmy Saunders; the Top Five instrumental "Strictly Instrumental"; "He's My Guy"; the Top Five "Mister Five by Five"; and "Manhattan Serenade," the last three with vocals by Helen Forrest. In September, when Miller went into the armed forces and gave up his radio show, Chesterfield Time, he handed it over to James, a symbolic transference of the title of top bandleader in the country. (James was ineligible for military service due to a back injury.) 

Meanwhile, wartime travel restrictions and the recording ban called by the musicians union, which took effect in August 1942, had limited James' touring and recording activities, but another avenue had opened up. He began appearing in movies, starting with Syncopation in May 1942 and continuing with Private Buckaroo in June and Springtime in the Rockies in November. His next hit, "I Had the Craziest Dream," with vocals by Helen Forrest, was featured in Springtime in the Rockies; it hit number one in February 1943. The movie is also memorable for having starred Betty Grable, whom James married in July 1943; they had two children and divorced in October 1965. More Bio ~ William Ruhlmann  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/harry-james-mn0000950571/biography

More info about this release:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vinyl-LP-Record-Harry-James-in-Hi-Fi-1955-Capitol-Records-W654-VG-/301094093341

In Hi-Fi

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The Stanley Clarke Band - Up

Styles: Jazz Fusion
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:02
Size: 103,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:17)  1. Pop Virgil
(2:04)  2. Bass Folk Song #14: Dance of the Giant Hummingbird/ Bass Folk Song #15: Eleuthera Island
(5:30)  3. School Days
(4:08)  4. La Canción de Sofia
(3:32)  5. Last Train to Sanity
(3:16)  6. Up
(6:36)  7. Brazilian Love Affair (Dedicated to George Duke)
(0:57)  8. Bass Folk Song #13: Mingus
(6:25)  9. I Have Something to Tell You Tonight
(3:38) 10. Trust (Dedicated to Nana)
(1:51) 11. Bass Folk Song #7: Tradition
(3:42) 12. Gotham City

Bass virtuoso Stanley Clarke’s new recording, The Stanley Clarke Band: UP, is scheduled for release September 30 on the Mack Avenue Records label. He considers UP to be the most energetic, fun, rhythmic and upbeat album that he has ever done and with more than forty albums under his belt, that’s saying quite a lot. Clarke’s signature bass virtuosity and amazing technical acumen is present throughout, but the enjoyment he had in making this album is also apparent. Unlike his predominant acoustic bass work on the last few albums, UP is almost equal electric and acoustic bass. Entirely produced by Clarke, he is extremely proud of the quality of digital sound achieved as well as how the album as a whole is thoughtfully paced. “My aim here was to make a record with my friends. Every single recording session was nothing but fun. The environment I established allowed me to be much less bothered by outside elements,” says Clarke. “Surrounding myself with people I enjoy being with made the sessions effortless. Everyone came prepared and ready to play. All were great musicians and we played together naturally. They came to the studio to give everything they had. I can truly say it was a process that I am grateful to have experienced.”

UP’s connection with his last Grammy-winning Stanley Clarke Band album is the inclusion former bandmates Ruslan Sirota (acoustic piano/keyboards) and Ronald Bruner Jr. (drums), who toured with him for seven years and were Clarke’s co-Grammy Award winners for the 2011 Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Clarke’s current touring Stanley Clarke Band members, Beka Gochiashvili (acoustic piano) and Mike Mitchell (drums), are also represented on the album. Both are quite young, in their teens, and talented way beyond their years. Among the other friends Clarke lets shine on UP are: Joe Walsh, Jimmy Herring and Paul Jackson, Jr., on guitar; Greg Phillinganes on keyboards; Phil Davis on synthesizer, keyboards; Chick Corea on acoustic piano; Kamami Washington, Doug Webb and Dan Higgins on saxophone; Jessica Vautor, Natasha Agrama and Patrice Quinn on vocals; Gary Grant (trumpet) and Andy Martin (trombone) on horns; Lenny Castro on percussion; Nick Mancini on marimba; and the Harlem String Quartet with Ilmar Gavilán (violin), Melissa White (violin), Jaime Amador (viola) and Matthew Zalkind (cello) on strings. As a bassist, Clarke has a special affinity for drummers and UP is an album drummers will appreciate. In his opinion the most important musical relationship in a band for a bassist is with the drummer. In UP he brings Stewart Copeland, Gerry Brown, John Robinson, Ronald Bruner, Jr. and Mike Mitchell, some of his favorite drummers. “I can play very easily with these drummers. We understand each other rhythmically and emotionally. That makes it very fruitful when you’re making music. 

Drums are a very emotional instrument and the driving force behind a band,” Clarke states. In addition to the musicians, Clarke enlisted veteran chief engineers, Dennis MacKay (multi-Grammy winner known for working with Return to Forever, David Bowie and Jeff Beck among many) and Gerry “The Gov” Brown (over 47 Platinum and Gold Records and 15 Grammy bids), both whom he has worked with in the past. This only added to the success and comfortable mood of the sessions. Other engineers on various tracks are Yan Perchuk, Jon Hakakian, Alex Venguer, Dave Luke and Danny Johnson. “I put myself in really in good hands. I surrounded myself with great friends, great engineers and recorded the album at great studios. Almost all of the tracks were recorded at The Village in Los Angeles. I love working in this acclaimed studio. It has an atmosphere of the Seventies I like,” Clarke enthusiastically commented. The architecture of the album is very deliberate. Tracks 1 through 4 are very upbeat. 

The first cut is “Pop Virgil.” “Everyone in my family will say that this song reminds them of my grandfather. It has a warm funky and bluesy feel to it, much like him. This actually came out of a drum/bass interlude in my stage performances of ‘School Days.’ I’ve always wanted to turn it into a song of its own. I couldn’t go wrong with the great Michael Jackson session rhythm section of John Robinson, Paul Jackson, Jr. and Greg Phillinganes. Also Jerry Hey did a great horn arrangement,” Clarke says. Clarke considers “Last Train to Sanity” one of the best pieces he has ever written and it is the only track on the album that deals with the music as a film composition. “It’s a theme to a movie that hasn’t been written yet,” says Clarke. “The song is about an individual who has an epiphany and finds his way back to sanity. I’m so glad that the Harlem String Quartet, who I’ve toured with a bit over the last year, was willing to be part of this recording.” The title song “UP” is the essence of the album’s sensibilities. “Drummer Stewart Copeland was on my mind with this song. His vibe is one of the most upbeat and positive that I know and that consciousness carries throughout the song. Old friends Joe Walsh and Paul Jackson, Jr., join the fun on this upbeat and lighthearted cut,” comments Clarke. Brazilian Love Affair is one of Clarke’s favorite George Duke compositions. In homage to Duke, Clarke made a conscious decision to include his very good friend’s music in every show and project he does this year. With the foundation of a tremendous arrangement, robust rhythms and a vigorous samba influence predominate the song that expresses Duke’s love of Brazil and its gorgeous beaches, beautiful people, good food and openness of heart. Clarke sings Duke’s parts and is joined by Jessica Vautor on lead vocals. The track also showcases an outstanding piano solo by 17-year-old Beka Gochiashvili. UP’s mood slows down and smoothes out a bit with acoustic “Bass Folk Song #13: Mingus,” a homage to Charles Mingus done on solo acoustic bass. 

As in previous recordings, Clarke unveils four more bass compositions in UP that he has dubbed Bass Folk Songs. Clarke says, “They’re very specific compositions and each one is different. I started writing them when I was much younger and have about twenty now. They are specifically written for a solo bass.” Former bandmates Ruslan Sirota and Ronald Bruner, Jr., join Clarke on I Have Something To Tell You Tonight. The addition of the luscious sounds of Kamasi Washington on sax creates a dreamy improvisational jam. An interesting aspect of this cut is that it was done in one take with no overdubbing. After playing with these musicians for over seven years, the collaboration was intuitive. Trust is a straight ahead jazz piece. The song is dedicated to Clarke’s daughter NaNa (Natasha) and arose from a family discussion one evening. Though lyrics would seem appropriate to convey the conversation, here Clarke captures the feel and emotion of the exchange through an instrumental. “Bass Folk Song #7: Tradition evolved from thoughts on musicians that Clarke played with early in his career including Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Stan Getz and others. Ironically it’s an Alembic electric tenor bass solo. Ramping up the album’s ambiance again, Clarke and the musicians have fun with Gotham City. A fan of superheroes in films and comics since childhood, this is Clarke’s homage to the genre. “I just let my Alembic bass go and have a great time with Ruslan, Mike Mitchell, Phil Davis on keys and Doug Webb on tenor sax,” laughs Clarke. “Bass Folk Song #14: Dance of the Giant Hummingbirds/Eleuthera Island” are two Bass Folk songs put together for solo acoustic bass. They convey the frantic movements of the giant hummingbirds found in Chile with the succulent Caribbean overtones of the serene Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas.

“I knew the idea of re-recording “School Days” was potentially dangerous, but just because a song is good and deemed to be a classic doesn’t mean you can’t record it again,” Clarke states. The legendary Jimmy Herring does the dynamic guitar lead on this version. Joining them is drummer Gerry Brown, who was the original “School Days” drummer in 1975.

“I revisited “School Days” recently on tour. I had been told that over the years it had become a bass anthem and a classic must-learn for nearly every up-and-coming bassist. But, I had no idea of the incredible reception it would get from today’s audiences. They were hungry for it,” adds Clarke. “I can’t wait to take it back on tour later in the year.”

The final song on the album is La Canción de Sofia (A Song for Sofia). Written for Clarke’s wife Sofia, who is from Chile, this track is a live performance of an acoustic duet with Chick Corea. It was recorded live at Kitara Hall in Sapporo, Japan, last year. ~ Diane Hadley Public Relations  http://news.allaboutjazz.com/bass-legend-stanley-clarkes-new-album-up-reaches-new-heights-the-stanley-clarke-band-up-release-date-september-30-2014--mack-avenue-records.php#.VGYy0MmHmtg

Up

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Dakota Staton - The Late, Late Show

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 30:35

Size: 70.0 MB

Styles: Vocal jazz, Standards

Year: 1957/2009

Art: Front

[2:47] 1. Broadway

[2:44] 2. Trust In Me

[2:08] 3. Summertime

[2:32] 4. Misty

[2:16] 5. A Foggy Day

[2:33] 6. What Do You See In Her

[2:31] 7. The Late, Late Show

[2:41] 8. My Funny Valentine

[2:15] 9. Give Me The Simple Life

[2:45] 10. You Showed Me The Way

[2:37] 11. Moonray

[2:39] 12. Ain't No Use

Singer Dakota Staton's first full-length album was one of her best. She had a hit with "The Late, Late Show" and performed memorable versions of "Broadway," "A Foggy Day," "What Do You See in Her," "My Funny Valentine" and "Mooney." Backed by a largely unidentified orchestra arranged by Van Alexander (with Hank Jones on piano), Staton sounds both youthful and mature, displaying a highly appealing voice on a near-classic set. ~Scott Yanow

The Late, Late Show

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The Gene Harris Quartet - Like A Lover

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 58:05
Size: 133.0 MB
Styles: Mainstream jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[4:31] 1. Like A Lover
[7:27] 2. Misterioso
[4:25] 3. Strollin'
[6:24] 4. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
[6:36] 5. Jeannine
[5:19] 6. I Can't Stop Loving You
[6:53] 7. You Make Me Feel So Young
[4:25] 8. Oh, Look At Me Now
[4:25] 9. Just One More Chance
[7:35] 10. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)

Pianist Gene Harris' 1992 quartet (with guitarist Ron Eschete, bassist Luther Hughes, and drummer Harold Jones) explores ten wide-ranging selections on this CD. But despite the very different chord changes, they are able to infuse the music with so much soul that the results are consistently bluesy. Among the tunes that Harris and his group explore are Horace Silver's "Strollin'," "Until the Real Thing Comes Along," "Jeannine," "You Make Me Feel So Young," and "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams." An excellent effort. ~Scott Yanow

Like A Lover

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Rebecca Kilgore - Rebecca Kilgore's Lovefest at the Pizzarelli Party

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:23
Size: 138,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. How Are You Fixed for Love
(5:27)  2. Middle of Love
(3:11)  3. Loads of Love
(5:15)  4. Let There Be Love
(4:29)  5. Where Is Love?
(5:02)  6. It's Love
(4:58)  7. That Tired Routine Called Love
(5:02)  8. Love Is a Necessary Evil
(5:16)  9. That Old Devil Called Love
(4:45) 10. Take Love Easy
(7:49) 11. Down With Love / Hooray for Love
(4:03) 12. Something Like Love

One can almost hear Rebecca Kilgore smiling as she sings. Since she launched her jazz career, she's been a jazz party favorite and has often displayed a penchant for digging up forgotten songs. For these 2010 sessions, she shares the spotlight with some of her regular collaborators on record dates (most of whom she's shared the stage with as well), including guitarists Bucky and John Pizzarelli, bassist Martin Pizzarelli, tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, pianist Larry Fuller, drummer Tony Tedesco, and violinist Aaron Weinstein, with love being a common theme in the music. The little licks added behind her vocals in the swinging opener, "How Are You Fixed for Love," demonstrate the natural chemistry of the musicians. The haunting ballad "Where Is Love?," written for the movie Oliver!, is a warm feature with John Pizzarelli's soft guitar; Tedesco adds gentle brushwork, while Weinstein detours into "Who Will Buy?" from the same film in his brief solo.

Kilgore's lively approach to Matt Dennis' "That Tired Routine Called Love" makes one wonder why jazz singers have overlooked this gem for so long. Harry Allen's sassy tenor is the perfect accompaniment to the singer in her swinging take of Duke Ellington's obscure "Take Love Easy." There isn't a weak spot throughout this enjoyable CD, something Rebecca Kilgore fans have long come to expect when giving her latest release its initial spin. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/lovefest-at-the-pizzarelli-party-mw0002087161

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore, vocal; John Pizzarelli, guitar; Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar; Martin Pizzarelli, bass; Aaron Weinstein, violin; Harry Allen, tenor sax; Larry Fuller, piano; Tony Tedesco, drums.

Rebecca Kilgore's Lovefest at the Pizzarelli Party

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The Bob Wilber Big Band - Bufadora Blow-Up

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:54
Size: 163,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Bufadora Blow-Up
(5:51)  2. Dancing On A Rainbow
(3:50)  3. Patterns Of Ecstasy
(3:55)  4. It's Been So Long
(3:11)  5. Early Morning Blues
(1:06)  6. I'm Checking Out
(3:27)  7. Clarion Song
(4:35)  8. Goodnight, My Love
(1:01)  9. Mostly Mozart
(2:53) 10. In A Melancholy Mood
(0:58) 11. Movin' N' Groovin'
(3:00) 12. Tango Royale
(3:32) 13. The Big Pearl
(3:57) 14. Mdina
(3:20) 15. We'll All Go Ridin' On A Rainbow
(3:55) 16. Jumpin' At The Woodside
(0:27) 17. Untitled
(4:31) 18. Untitled
(4:48) 19. Untitled
(7:58) 20. Untitled

Recorded at the third annual March of Jazz party put on by Mat and Rachel Domber of Arbors Records, this concert gave Bob Wilber a rare opportunity to put together a big band and present his own charts. Of the 16 songs, 11 are his originals, and in general, despite the fresh repertoire, the music is in the style of Benny Goodman's Orchestra with touches of Ellington and Basie. Wilber is generally the main soloist, and although there are short spots for many of the notable players (which include trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso and pianist Dick Hyman), the emphasis is mostly on the written ensembles and often moody melodies. Pug Horton sings on about half the songs in the same straightforward and lightly swinging manner as Helen Ward did with BG 60 years ago. None of Wilber's originals are destined to become standards, but taken as a whole, they are quite enjoyable. After performing the tightly controlled music, the band had the opportunity to close the concert with a rousing rendition of "Jumpin' at the Woodside" that features solos from a dozen of the musicians, including a tenor player using the pseudonym of "Shoeless Henry Aaron" who I am unable to positively identify (Harry Allen?). Although not an essential release, this CD should interest swing collectors. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/bufadora-blow-up-at-the-march-of-jazz-96-mw0000595256

Personnel: Bob Wilber (clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Howard Alden (guitar); Chuck Wilson, Jerry Jerome, Scott Robinson (saxophone); Wendell Brunious, Jon-Erik Kellso, Bob Merrill , Charlie Bertini (trumpet); Dan Barrett , George Masso (trombone); Dick Hyman (piano); Ed Metz, Jr. (drums).

Bufadora Blow-Up

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Sonny Clark - Good As Gold

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 108:54
Size: 250,2 MB
Art: Front

( 9:31)  1. Deep Night
( 8:16)  2. Sippin' At Bells
( 6:12)  3. Personality
( 9:50)  4. Be-Bop
( 5:35)  5. Since I Fell for You
( 5:59)  6. Tadd's Delight
( 5:04)  7. C.T.A
( 4:57)  8. Who Do You Love I Hope
( 4:19)  9. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
( 6:31) 10. Softly As in a Morning Sunrise
( 9:20) 11. Cool Struttin'
( 7:02) 12. Candy
( 4:52) 13. I'll Remember April
(10:17) 14. Blue Minor
( 3:41) 15. Two Bass Hit
( 7:22) 16. All the Way

Like Fats Navarro and Charlie Parker before him, Sonny Clark's life was short but it burned with musical intensity. Influenced deeply by Bud Powell, Clark nonetheless developed an intricate and hard-swinging harmonic sensibility that was full of nuance and detail. Regarded as the quintessential hard bop pianist, Clark never got his due before he passed away in 1963 at the age of 31, despite the fact that it can be argued that he never played a bad recording date either as a sideman or as a leader. Known mainly for seven records on the Blue Note label with a host of players including such luminaries as John Coltrane, Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Art Taylor, Paul Chambers, Wilbur Ware, Philly Joe Jones, and others, Clark actually made his recording debut with Teddy Charles and Wardell Gray, but left soon after to join Buddy DeFranco. His work with the great clarinetist has been documented in full in a Mosaic set that is now sadly out of print. Clark also backed Dinah Washington, Serge Chaloff, and Sonny Criss before assuming his role as a leader in 1957. Clark's classic is regarded as Cool Struttin' but each date he led on Blue Note qualifies as a classic, including his final date, Sonny's Crib with John Coltrane. And though commercial success always eluded him, he was in demand as a sideman and played dozens of Alfred Lion-produced dates, including Tina Brooks' Minor Move. Luckily, Clark's contribution is well documented by Alfred Lion; he has achieved far more critical, musical, and popular acclaim than he ever did in life. Bio ~ https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/sonny-clark/id1004725#fullText

Good As Gold

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Stevie Nicks - In Your Dreams

Styles: Rock
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:58
Size: 159,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:15)  1. Secret Love
(4:32)  2. For What It's Worth
(3:58)  3. In Your Dreams
(5:36)  4. Wide Sargasso Sea
(5:34)  5. New Orleans
(5:26)  6. Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream)
(5:58)  7. Annabel Lee
(4:12)  8. My Heart
(5:16)  9. Soldier's Angel
(5:16) 10. Everybody Loves You
(6:06) 11. Ghosts Are Gone
(5:26) 12. You May Be The One
(4:38) 13. Italian Summer
(3:38) 14. Cheaper Than Free (Featuring Dave Stewart)

Stevie Nicks built her legend on the California-Babylon chronicles she perfected in the Seventies with Fleetwood Mac, and in the Eighties on underrated solo gems like The Other Side of the Mirror. But she still has that eternal edge-of-17 tremor in her voice. The gypsy queen is in royal form on In Your Dreams it's not just her first album in 10 years, it's her finest collection of songs since the Eighties.
In Your Dreams has the high-gloss L.A. production of her collaborators, Glen Ballard and Eurythmics' Dave Stewart. But the material is Nicks in platform-soled hyper-romantic mode, with her voice in surprisingly supple shape. "Secret Love" is an oldie she wrote in 1976 who knew she was still keeping secrets from her Rumours days? It seems to be about one of her rock-star beaus, although she coyly maintains she can't remember which one. Yet it isn't even one of the better tracks on In Your Dreams. The over-the-top seduction ballad "Italian Summer" could be her answer to the Stones' "Wild Horses." It climaxes in a very Stevie credo: "Love was everywhere/You just had to fall."

Nicks finds storytelling inspiration everywhere, from the Twilight series ("Moonlight [A Vampire's Dream]") to Jean Rhys ("Wide Sargasso Sea"). But the real showstopper here is the Edgar Allan Poe tribute "Annabel Lee," a fan fave that's been kicking around on bootlegs since the Nineties. It's a six-minute meditation on love and death with echoes of the Fleetwood Mac classic "Dreams." Poe's key line "The moon never beams without bringing me dreams" might have been written in 1849, but it was clearly meant for Stevie Nicks to sing.  http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/in-your-dreams-20110427

Personnel: Stevie Nicks (vocals, keyboards, percussion, background vocals); Dave Stewart , Lindsey Buckingham (vocals, guitar); Mike Campbell (guitar, lap steel guitar, keyboards, drums, percussion); Glen Ballard (guitar, piano, keyboards); Neale Heywood, Al Ortiz, Rob Cavallo, Waddy Wachtel (guitar); Greg Leisz (mandolin); Ann Marie Calhoun, Torrey Devito (violin); Ricky Peterson (piano, Hammond b-3 organ); Mike Rowe (Hammond b-3 organ, keyboards); Zach Rae (Hammond b-3 organ); Ned Douglas (keyboards, programming); Mick Fleetwood, Blair Sinta, Steve Ferrone (drums); Scott Campbell (percussion, programming); Lenny Castro, Mike Fasano (percussion); Sharon Celani, Lori Nicks (background vocals).

In Your Dreams

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Tina May - Sings The Ray Bryant Songbook

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 63:07
Size: 144.5 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:49] 1. Swinging My Life Away
[5:08] 2. I'll Blame It On The Samba
[5:12] 3. Hey You, Yes You
[3:55] 4. Little Lullaby
[4:55] 5. When The Wind Blows
[4:33] 6. One Fine Day
[5:05] 7. Talk To Me
[5:07] 8. If You Believe
[4:20] 9. Lonely Man
[3:14] 10. Give The Drummer Some
[4:22] 11. If You Want To Shake A Lady
[5:38] 12. Fantasy For Two
[5:43] 13. Sweet Sounds

Ray Bryant's been a fan of Tina May's singing since they first met in Paris in 1997. They collaborated in a wonderful project, Tina May Sings The Ray Bryant Songbook, with Tina writing lyrics and singing.

The album is a definitive recording of Ray Bryant's compositions with lyrics sung and mostly written by Tina with arrangements by Don Sickler.

Sings The Ray Bryant Songbook

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Bossacucanova & Roberto Menescal - Brasilidade

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:14
Size: 117.3 MB
Styles: Latin jazz-pop
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. Telefone
[4:01] 2. Nana
[3:20] 3. Rio
[5:17] 4. Guanabara
[5:13] 5. Água De Beber
[5:00] 6. Garota De Ipanema
[3:06] 7. A Morte De Um Deus De Sal
[5:23] 8. Brasilidade
[3:30] 9. Surfboard
[4:06] 10. Nós E O Mar
[3:46] 11. Mais Perto Do Mar
[5:35] 12. Bye Bye Brasil

For '90s artists ranging from Japanese loungesters Pizzicato 5 to techno producer Ian Pooley, the fluid, effortless music of Brazil has acted as both an influence and a spur for their own music-making. The Bossacucanova trio not only retranslates its native Brazilian music back into a contemporary setting with programming and mixing, but adds bossa nova pioneer Roberto Menescal to the lineup in order to hark back to the glory days. (No coincidence, then, that his son Marcio is in the band.) The opener cruises along with a crisp woodwind section that smacks of '50s space age pop, some brisk percussion/programming along the lines of drum'n'bass, and Menescal Sr.'s nimble guitar work and vocals over the top. Some of the covers, however, don't turn out quite as well; Bossacucanova can't quite conjure the emotion necessary for standards like "Agua de Beber" or "Garota de Ipanema" ("The Girl From Ipanema"), though the versions are curios of a sort. ~John Bush

Brasilidade

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Red Norvo & His Band - Mister Swing

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 43:44
Size: 100.1 MB
Styles: Vibraphone jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[4:16] 1. Seven Come Eleven
[2:40] 2. Which Switch Witch
[5:06] 3. Lagwood Walk
[5:02] 4. The Sergeant On Furlough
[4:36] 5. Too Marvellous For Words
[4:39] 6. Blue Skies
[4:50] 7. Purple Feathers
[3:07] 8. The Bass On The Bar Room Floor
[5:06] 9. In A Mellotone
[4:17] 10. Flying Home

Red Norvo was born Kenneth Norville in Beardstown, Illinois. The story goes that he sold his pet pony to help pay for his first marimba. Norvo’s career began in Chicago with a band called “The Collegians”, in 1925. He played with many other bands, including an all-marimba band on the vaudeville circuit, and the bands of Paul Whiteman, Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, and Woody Herman. Norvo recorded with Mildred Bailey (his wife), Billie Holiday,Dinah Shore and Frank Sinatra, among others. Together, Red and Mildred were known as “Mr. and Mrs. Swing.” He also appeared in the film Screaming Mimi (1958), playing himself, and in Ocean’s 11, backing Dean Martin‘s “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?“

Red Norvo (vibes) is featured on this album with Flip Phillips (tenor sax), Dick Pierce (trumpet), Dick Taylor (trombone), Aaron Sachs (clarinet), Ralph Burns/Danni Negri (piano), Remo Palmieri (guitar), Clyde Lombardi/Johnny Blowers/Al Hall (bass) and Specs Powell/Eddie Dell (drums). Not all players appear on all tracks.

Mister Swing

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Noshir Mody - Union Of Hearts

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 48:47
Size: 111.7 MB
Styles: Fusion, Guitar jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:49] 1. What Is Love
[4:42] 2. Swirl
[5:29] 3. Spread Your Wings
[5:30] 4. My Wish For You
[5:00] 5. A Stubborn Man
[7:05] 6. Belonging To You
[4:58] 7. Union Of Hearts
[5:26] 8. Onset Of Summer
[5:43] 9. Schwabacher's Landing

Although a guitar virtuoso, Noshir Mody has a quiet sound and a relaxed approach. His improvisations build up slowly but purposefully, expressing deep emotions at a low volume. Both his unclassifiable style and his ability to let his music play him rather than the other way around display his openness to a wide variety of music. Born and raised in Bombay, India, he heard many different styles of music, was impressed early on by Al DiMeola's Elegant Gypsy, and spent time playing rock covers. Self-taught on the guitar, Mody moved to the United States when he was 22 in 1995 where he was fully exposed to jazz. His 2008 recording In This World With You was a set of often cinematic guitar solos.

Since then, Noshir Mody has formed his own trio which on Union Of Hearts includes bassist Daniel Foose and drummer Kim Garey. During this set of nine originals, the interplay between the musicians is quite impressive. Foose's accompaniment and occasional bass solos sound like an extension of Mody's guitar while Garey's tasteful drums are felt as much as heard.

The guitarist's selections form a type of suite, with one piece leading logically to the other. Many of the titles have to do with love such as the mysterious opener “What Is Love,” the floating ballad in 7/4 time “Swirl,” and the melodic and relaxed “Onset Of Summer.” Other highlights include the introspective “Spread Your Wings,” a medium-tempo “My Wish For You” which has Mody's chord voicings being a little reminiscent of Gabor Szabo,” and the Indian-flavored “Union Of Hearts” which is in 5/4 time. The upbeat “Schwabacher's Landing” closes the highly enjoyable and soothing set.

Union Of Hearts grows in interest with each listen. Its rich melodies, quietly joyful vibes and subtle creativity make it well worth exploring. ~Scott Yanow

Union Of Hearts

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Helen Schneider - Cool Heat

Size: 135,2 MB
Time: 57:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Broadway
Art: Front

01. Love For Sale (6:20)
02. Solitude (4:36)
03. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (2:03)
04. Stormy Weather (4:54)
05. Over The Rainbow (4:24)
06. Love You Madly (1:33)
07. Lush Life (4:21)
08. I've Got The World On A String (5:11)
09. Come Rain Or Come Shine (3:49)
10. Some Cats Know (5:27)
11. Get Out Of Town Night And Day (6:04)
12. Travelin' Light (5:05)
13. Beginning To See The Light (2:31)
14. It's A New World (1:25)

Helen Schneider (born December 23, 1952 in Brooklyn, New York City) is an American singer and actress working mainly in Germany.

Born the daughter of Dvora und Abraham Schneider (the name is German and means tailor), she studied piano before starting to perform as a singer in venues in New England and New York.

Between 1978 and 1984 she achieved some success as a rock singer in Germany; her song Rock’n’ Roll Gypsy even reached the top 10 record charts. 1980 she toured as an opener with the German rock legend Udo Lindenberg. She played one of the leads and the love interest of Eddie Wilson in the 1983 film Eddie and the Cruisers, which has since gained a huge cult following, especially in unusual places for an American film such as Nepal, Russia and especially Germany, where Schneider had name recognition.

In 1987 she began her acting career at the Theater des Westens in Berlin playing the Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret. From 1995 to 1998 she performed as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Since 1998 she mainly performs chansons and songs with lyrics pieces by Kurt Weill. She worked with Eberhard Schoener on the recording of the Short Opera (1996) and on the goodbye-song for the TV series Derrick. From 1999 to 2001 she performed as Eva Perón in the musical Evita at the Bad Hersfelder Festspiele.

A Cool Heat

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Bill Watrous, Pete Christlieb, Carl Saunders, The Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra - A Beautiful Friendship

Size: 140,9 MB
Time: 60:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Big Band
Art: Front

01. A Beautiful Friendship (5:13)
02. Waltz For Debby (5:46)
03. Emmanuel (4:57)
04. Autumn Sojourn (5:39)
05. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry (5:23)
06. It Could Happen To You (5:07)
07. The Gentle Rain (5:53)
08. Shaw 'nuff (6:42)
09. Look To The Sky (5:57)
10. Dear Mr. Florence (5:10)
11. Joy Spring (4:50)

"Combine the creative, swinging arragements of Gary Urwin, and his first-class Los Angeles big band with three superb soloist, and the result is "A Beautiful Friendship", a rwal gem. Trombonist Bill Watrous, tenor saxophonist Pete Christlieb, and trumpeter Carl Sanders are three of the greatest bop.based soloist in the world. Add to the set trumpeters Wayne Bergeron and Bobby Shew plus pianist Christian Jacob, and one has a CD that all straight-ahead jazz fans simply need to have" - Scott Yanow

A Beautiful Friendship

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Paul Michiels - A Singer's Heart

Size: 84,9 MB
Time: 36:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Pop/Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Downtown (3:28)
02. This Guy's In Love With You (3:33)
03. More (2:33)
04. Twilight Time (3:14)
05. You Don’t Know Me (4:04)
06. The Way You Look Tonight (4:30)
07. Somewhere (2:39)
08. Spanish Harlem (2:53)
09. All Alone Am I (2:30)
10. Smile (3:31)
11. Desafinado (3:17)

Paul Michiels (born 15 June 1948) is a Belgian singer and songwriter who became popular for his work with the Belgian music group Soulsister. He has earned the nickname Polle Pap, a name he inherited from a childhood job as a milkman in his hometown of Heist-op-den-Berg, where he was born.

Paul started out with a small band called Purple Bus. From 1974 until 1980, he played keyboards for a British-Belgian band called Octopus. After Octopus broke up, Paul then went solo under the name P.P. Michiels. Under that name, he became famous in his home country for a single titled "Females," which notoriously became popular because it was accompanied by a seducing music video.

In 1986, Paul teamed up with Belgian singer Jan Leyers to form the group The Soul Sisters. They released three very popular singles: "You Get to Me," "Talk About It" and "Like a Mountain." In 1988, they changed their name to Soulsister and hit it big time with the soulful, Motown-sounding song "The Way to Your Heart" on their first album, It Takes Two. The band changed their name again in 1990, this time to Leyers, Michiels, and SoulSister, and released Heat. They released two more studio albums and a live album, and released a "Very Best Of" compilation in 1997 following their split.

After splitting away, Paul returned to his solo career. In 1998, he released The Inner Child, which included the hit "One Day at a Time." In 2001, Paul released a personal compilation titled Forever Young, which included the title song by Alphaville (which Paul sang for the 2000 Belgian movie Team Spirit) as well as pieces by Eddie Cochran, Jacques Dutronc, Donovan, Dionne Warwick, The Wallace Collection, Easybeats, Eddie Floyd, and other artists from Europe and North America.

Paul refrained from releasing another album too soon, but stayed on tour with the "Big M's," the name of his band. In 2006, he released a third solo album, Magic in the House. The album featured the singles "If I Live, If I Breathe" and "The Light," the latter being released as both a standard and instrumental piece.

A Singer's Heart

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Gwen Sampe & Jobic Le Masson - Conversions

Size: 136,7 MB
Time: 58:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. All The Pretty Horses (4:12)
02. Love Came (4:12)
03. Old Devil Moon (6:53)
04. When Winter Called (4:34)
05. All Those Ships (4:13)
06. Fragments (5:46)
07. Not Just Yet (3:16)
08. Caravan (7:15)
09. My Little Brown Book (5:35)
10. The Last Turning (4:44)
11. Over The Rainbow (7:32)

Gwen Sampé:
A native of Houston, Texas, Gwen is a singer, composer, arranger, teacher, workshop facilitator and dancer with a background as rich and diverse as her talents.
In 1990 Gwen directed, performed in and composed the music for "Turnings," a theater piece based on Wole Soyinka's book of poems, "A Shuttle in the Crypt." She played the part God in Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde, the first woman to play the part, she joined Ariya, England's first black opera company and performed in their production of Dido and Aeneas, she has taught in prisons, retirement homes, in special and in universities, she has worked with teenagers at risk and adult learners, written music for a short film. She studied dance with Yolande Burke and Elsa Wolliaston and uses dance to great effect in her live shows. (A DVD is one of the future projects, for those unable to see her live performances.) A blessed life, yes, yet singing jazz has remained her main focus and love. Gwen has been performing in clubs and festivals around Europe for many years and released her first album," Water Gazing," in 2002. Her musical partnership with pianist Jobjc Le Masson started 5 years ago.

Jobic Le Masson:
Jobic Le Masson was born in France in 1968 and started his musical education at the age of 7 at the Conservatory. Age sixteen he moved to the US on his own and attended the Greenwich High School in Connecticut where he studied music theory and composition. In 1987 he attended the Berklee School of Music where he received his BMus and a diploma in sound engineering.and returned to Paris after graduating in 1990.
Jobic divides his time between composing, arranging, performing, recording and teaching. Over the years he has developed and maintained close associations with musicians such as John Betsch, Peter Giron, Aldridge Hansberry, Sebastien Buchholz, Gwen Sampé, Steve Potts, Longineu Pearson, Rasul Siddik, Benjamin Duboc, Didier Lasserre, with whom he records and performs with regularly in festivals and clubs both in France and abroad.
An improviser allergic to clichés, his compositional skills have been acclaimed by the press, notably with the release of his cd "Hill."

Conversions

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Craig Pilo - Drummer Boy

Size: 131,7 MB
Time: 56:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Smooth Jazz, Holiday
Art: Front & Back

01. O Come, All Ye Faithful (5:05)
02. My Favorite Things (4:39)
03. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (5:09)
04. Christmas Time Is Here (6:02)
05. Angels We Have Heard On High (4:41)
06. What Child Is This (4:54)
07. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (7:18)
08. God Bless The Child (9:20)
09. White Christmas (3:44)
10. Little Drummer Boy (5:38)

Drummer Boy, Craig Pilo's third solo album release as drummer and bandleader, features The Craig Pilo Trio with Bart Samolis on bass, Chris Smith on keys, and of course, Craig Pilo on drums. Special guests include bassist Ric Fierabracci on track five, organist Robby Robinson and bassist Rex Robinson on track seven, and Mitchel Forman playing the Fender Rhodes on track ten.

This Christmas themed CD contains jazz instrumental arrangements of ten holiday tunes; traditional hymns to seasonal favorites.

While listening to the album for the first time, I quickly noticed how difficult it was going to be for me to review the album, simply because its well-balanced diversity would not be easy to easy to define with a single label.

The opening track is the classic hymn, "O Come, All Ye Faithful," arranged by Michele Weir and adapted by Craig Pilo. The sound and feel of the track resembles a fusion of "Pools" by Steps Ahead and Billy Cobham's "Stratus;" I love it. Pilo's sixteenth-note groove on this track really breathes, varing between a more relaxed backbeat in the bass drum (quasi-reggae) during the break down sections, to a more driving feel with the backbeat on the snare. With this trio setting, Craig is really able to stretch out, as noted in the displaced, blushda influenced fills as well as the single-stroke flurries around the tom toms.
Craig Pilo - Drummer Boy

Interestingly, the second cut is "My Favorite Things," which is not really a Christmas tune per se, although I assume that the winter-related imagery found in the original lyrics has led many to adopt the tune has a Christmas song. Like many popular songs from musicals, "My Favorite Things" is no stranger to the jazz library. In this arrangement by Randy Waldman, the feel is swung and in triple meter (a jazz waltz, as is the norm), but shows its freshness in the harmonic structure and ensemble figures. Towards the end of the track Pilo caps the track by trading 2's on the drums before winding it all down with the upright bass quoting the melody.

"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" is a unique, upbeat and fun arrangement by Craig Pilo. The tune opens with a heart-felt introduction on the rhodes keyboard (reminds me of "Spain" as played by Chick Corea and Return to Forever) then kicks into a syncopated drum groove in 6/4 (or 3/4 half-time feel). When the melody starts, the groove shifts to 5/4 for the first half, then back into simple triple meter where it remains for the bulk of the track including solo sections. The tune closes with Pilo stretching out on the drums with some displacement and implied metric-modulation.

The trio does great justice to the Vince Guaraldi classic, "Christmas Time Is Here." The silky performance with rhodes keyboard and upright bass, plus the wonderful brush work by Craig, definitely put me in the mood for some hot chocolate and the desire to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas.

The Bob James arrangement of "Angels We Have Heard on High," is the fifth track with the trio. Even if you are familiar with the Four Play rendition, which is guitar driven, you'll truly appreciate this version which focuses on the bass and keyboards.

"What Child Is This?" is a medium swing, straight-ahead jazz arrangement in 4/4 time (the original song is in 3/4) featuring the piano.

In the funky, black gospel arrangement by Robby Robinson, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" features some greasy organ, finger-popping electric bass and fatback drums. This track is sure to have you toe-tapping and moving in your chair ... that is if you can stay seated that long.

I remember first hearing and loving the Keith Jarrett arrangement of "God Bless The Child" with his trio. Although it's not really a Christmas tune, I guess the spiritual nature of the lyric makes for a good fit. The Craig Pilo trio has certainly done a wonderful job with this tune and arrangement; I especially enjoyed the drum groove.

"White Christmas" is a hip, upbeat arrangement from keyboardist, Chris Smith. Pilo's shuffle groove is a nice treat and really makes the tune special.

The final cut is a Bart Samolis arrangement of "Little Drummer Boy." Another upbeat rendition of the holiday classic, this is probably the most through-composed sounding track on the CD. With all of the syncopation within the groove and ensemble figures, it certainly doesn't sound anything close to the standard approach — the band playing the head of the tune, soloing, and closing it out. Towards the end of the tune, Pilo does some spontaneous soloing over the ensemble figures until the fadeout.

I have heard a lot Christmas themed albums over the years, all churning out the somewhat limited selection of classic holiday tunes to choose from. However, I found Drummer Boy to be unique and very refreshing in that there was a pleasant blend of styles, improvisation and production quality. The musicians were able to express themselves within the jazz art-form in such a way that makes the music accessible to all audiences in a variety of listening settings.

For drum fans, there is a lot of great drumming from Craig Pilo — no surprises there. There is also percussion programming on just about each track. Although often times extremely subtle in the mix, it makes the instrumental trio sound amazingly larger than they truly are. Drummer Boy is sure to be a nice addition to anyone's Christmas music collection. Merry Christmas! ~by Bart Elliott

Drummer Boy

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Peter Vuust Quartet Feat. Veronica Mortensen - Image Of Falling

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:58
Size: 167,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:32)  1. Soon
(5:18)  2. My True North
(5:17)  3. Something Else
(4:27)  4. Moonstruck Avenue
(5:55)  5. Not Too Fast
(3:34)  6. As Good As It Gets
(5:30)  7. Image Of Falling
(6:53)  8. Delight
(4:36)  9. Surrounded By You
(5:54) 10. Bounderies & Bridges
(6:23) 11. Silent Rain
(4:56) 12. Season Of You
(6:12) 13. Morten's Night
(3:26) 14. Sleepwalker's Rag

Peter Vuust is a unique combination of a world class musician and a top-level scientist. He plays and records regularly with international jazz stars such as Lars Jansson,Tim Hagans,John Abercrombie and Jukkis Uotila,and appears on more than 80 records,six of these as band leader. Based on his distinguished music and research career,he was appointed professor at The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus (RAMA) in 2008. After graduating from AU in Mathematics,French and Music,he devoted ten years to playing music,before resuming the academic career in 2000. He wrote a book on polyrhythms in Miles Davis quintet,that laid out the music theoretical framework for his PhD in neuroscience in 2006 concerning the neural processing of polyrhythms. Using behavioral measures,magnetoencephalography,electroencephalography and functional MR imaging,he provided evidence of an overlap between the neural substrates underlying processing of music and language syntax and semantics especially in musicians. This led to research into the emotional impact of music studies of neuroplasticity in musicians,and research into general theories about brain organization. Vuust collaborates and publishes with internationally renowned top-researchers such as Chris Frith, Risto Näätänen,Morten Kringelbach,Elvira Brattico,and Mari Tervianemi. Since 2007,Peter Vuust leads the multidisciplinary research group Music in the Brain, which aims at understanding the neural processing of music,by using a combination af advanced music theory,behavioral experience,and state-of-the-art brain scanning methods. 

This research has the potential to significantly influence the way we play,teach,and use music clinically,and impact on our understanding of human brain function in general. The expanding group consists of PhDs,post-docs and a wide international network of collaborators who engage through weekly meetings,workshops and international symposia. As a leader PV draws on his many national and international personal relations and foremost on his experience through more than 15 years as leader and fundraiser for his own jazz orchestra,Peter Vuust Quartet a job that demands discipline,stamina and a great deal of psychological insight. Bio ~ http://www.petervuust.dk/?page_id=2

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 Mortensen 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. 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. Her 2 albums “Pieces In A Puzzle” (2003) and “Happiness Is Not Included” (2007) got very fine reviews by the press and were both chosen for “Album of the week” by the Danish national radio (DR). The albums generated concerts in Denmark and abroad, among them at Bangkok Heineken Jazzfestival (Thailand), Beijing Jazzfestival (China) and at Ladies’ Jazzfestival in Gdynia (Poland). Beside her own music and band, she has also appeared with Peter Vuust Quartet, with whom se recorded the cd “Image Of Falling” (Imogena Records, 2005). In 2007 Veronica Mortensen received a prize from Danish Songwriters’ Association (DPA), acknowledging her work as a songwriter. Lately she has been working with several Big Bands, among them Athens Big Band (Greece) and swedish Bohuslän Big Band, with whom she’s been touring a number of times in Sweden. She has been a popular guest with Klüvers Big Band from Aarhus (Denmark) for the last 15 years and among many concerts, they have played the Aarhus Jazzfestival, toured Estland and played “Sacred Concerts” of Duke Ellington. 

Veronica Mortensens 3rd album “I’m The Girl” is a live recording with Klüvers Big Band from Ridehuset in Aarhus, released in April 2010 on Stunt Records. The album shows what a great live performer she is and contains not only her own material, but also interpretations of other well-known songs. Special guests are Dave Samuels (US) on vibraphone/marimba and Dennis Mackrel (US) on drums. Bio ~ http://veronica.dk/biography

Personnel:  Peter Vuust (b),Veronica Mortensen (voc),Lars Jansson (p),Alex Riel (dr),Ove Ingemarsson (sax)

Image Of Falling

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The Jim Mullen Organ Trio Feat. Stan Sulzmann - Smokescreen

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:14
Size: 136,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:56)  1. Consolidation
(6:58)  2. Stairway to the Stars
(5:15)  3. It Never Entered My Mind
(5:56)  4. Walk on By
(4:58)  5. When I Grow Up
(5:07)  6. Smokescreen
(5:08)  7. Aja
(4:28)  8. Cornelius
(5:03)  9. The White Cockade
(4:34) 10. Buzzard Count
(4:48) 11. Chances Are

It's hard to find even the most spartan abstract-music fan who isn't a closet admirer of Hammond organ jazz. The gospel-powered style popularised by Jimmy Smith in the 1960s still crosses generations. (The Hammond's gospel roots go back to the era when not all churches had organs, but the Hammond had wheels, allowing preachers to drive them to the service). Jim Mullen, the great Scottish funk and jazz guitarist, runs a mellow, lightly-swinging, more idiomatically wide-ranging version, with the elegantly boppish Mike Gorman doing the organ honours - and saxophonist Stan Sulzmann is a welcome guest on three tracks. The Scottish traditional The White Cockade works unexpectedly well with Sulzmann's soprano. And Mullen's silky sound, and a slow account of Stairway to the Stars makes the best of the guitarist's singing tone Mullen has the remarkable knack of sometimes making his instrument suggest Ray Charles's voice. 

Mullen's springy rhythmic sense and Gorman's twisting lines also make a classy job of It Never Entered My Mind. The only catch is that the music has a restrained, lounge-jazzy feel occasionally, and you wish for a burst or two of vulgar, old-fashioned Hammond-bashing hyperbole. But this is a popular UK touring band, faithfully presented. ~ John Fordham  http://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/dec/15/jazz3

Personnel:  Jim Mullen – guitar; Mike Gorman - Hammond organ; Matt Skelton – drums; Stan Sulzmann - sax

Smokescreen

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Pete Jolly Trio - Pete Jolly Trio & Friends

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:17
Size: 136,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:23)  1. Little Bird
(2:44)  2. A Sleepin' Bee
(2:51)  3. Here's That Rainy Day
(6:33)  4. No Other Love
(3:04)  5. Soft Winds
(6:30)  6. Can't We Be Friends?
(5:49)  7. I'm Beginning To See The Light
(3:20)  8. Oleo
(2:25)  9. Falling In Love With Love
(2:42) 10. Three-Four-Five
(8:01) 11. Alone Together
(2:32) 12. Sweet September
(2:19) 13. The Moment Of Truth
(2:49) 14. Blues Two Ways
(2:23) 15. The Grass Is Greener
(2:43) 16. The First Of May

This CD contains selections taken from pianist Pete Jolly's three mid-'60s LPs for Ava. Although it would have been preferable to have all of the music complete, this is a fine all-round sampler. The talented bop-based pianist is joined by bassist Chuck Berghofer, guitarist Howard Roberts, either Larry Bunker or Nick Martinis on drums and, on seven of the 16 selections, a string orchestra. All but five of the performances are under 3 1/2 minutes and, although those are enjoyable enough, it is Jolly's longer explorations ("Falling in Love with Love," "Alone Together," "No Other Love," "Can't We Be Friends" and "I'm Beginning to See the Light") that are most memorable. This CD serves as a good introduction to Pete Jolly's fine playing. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/pete-jolly-trio-and-friends-mw0000103244

Personnel: Pete Jolly (piano); Howard Roberts , Barney Kessel (guitar); Anatol Kaminsky, Erno Neufeld, Kurt Dieterle, Lou Raderman, Sid Sharp, Leonard Malarsky (violin); Raphael Kramer, Edgar Lustgarten (cello); Bob Hardaway, John Lowe, Bill Perkins, Bill Robinson , Bud Shank (saxophone); Jim Zit, Jules Chaiken, Lee Katzman, Ollie Mitchell (trumpet); Mike Barone, Bob Edmondson, Ernie Tack (trombone); Norm Jeffries, Nick Martinis, Larry Bunker (drums).

Pete Jolly Trio & Friends

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