Boyd Lee Dunlop - Boyd's Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 58:57
Size: 135.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz/blues
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[ 7:40] 1. Boyd's Mellow Blues
[ 3:30] 2. Boyd's Bowed Blues
[ 4:51] 3. Boyd's Swinging Blues
[ 5:04] 4. Boyd's Solo Flight
[ 5:45] 5. Boyd's Place
[ 7:34] 6. St. James Infirmary Blues
[ 6:01] 7. Boyd's Funky Blues
[13:33] 8. Boyd's Epic Journey
[ 4:55] 9. Boyd's End Of The Day Blues

For nearly eighty years, Boyd Lee Dunlop has been a live musician. Then, at age eighty-five, he stepped into a recording studio in Buffalo, NY with Sabu Adeyola on bass and Virgil Day on drums and, finally, recorded an album of his own. Now, at age eighty-six, he’s recorded his second.

When you hear Dunlop play, you know there’s a lot to his story, and a lot of it is missing. And that great mystery comes out in the music presented here, and forces us to wonder about all those notes that Dunlop played, live, unrecorded, over eight decades. A smidgen of Art Tatum here, and a dash of Bud Powell there, hints of Jaki Byard sprinkled on top, sometimes in the space of one song. But where Tatum and Powell often spearheaded their songs with lightning fills and the elaborate technical prowess youth will cling to, Dunlop lays back in a pocket of blues, deftly knowing when to slow the pace, shifting from standards to improvised embellishment. Dunlop’s passion and inventiveness are finally captured, and these notes will continue to ring out, over and over, as many times as we play his records.

Boyd's Blues

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Poncho Sanchez - Latin Spirits

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 62:10
Size: 142.3 MB
Styles: Afro-Cuban jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[6:14] 1. Sambia
[4:29] 2. Next Exit
[4:53] 3. Latin Spirits
[6:16] 4. Quieres Volver
[4:41] 5. Going Back To New Orleans
[4:25] 6. On Time
[7:06] 7. Ju Ju
[6:34] 8. Batiri Cha Cha
[6:27] 9. The Things We Did Last Summer
[4:27] 10. Tito In The City
[6:34] 11. Early In The Mornin'

Much marketing ado will no doubt be made over the wonderful dream-come-true nature of the legendary conguero's pairing with jazz piano great Chick Corea, in a setting which brings the latter back to his roots playing with Mongo Santamaria in the '60s. And the two Corea-touched tracks are definite highlights. He wrote the jumpy, heavy-chorded jam title track, which finds him doing call and response with feisty horns as Sanchez pitter patters fancifully in the background; the piano improvisations between these interactions are characteristically mind-boggling, as Corea switches off from bebop to hardcore Latin ivory sweeps. He also tackles the frisky Wayne Shorter piece "Juju," dipping and swooping over and under the horns as, once again, Sanchez works up a frenzy all around him. But Sanchez' vision extends way beyond just the Corea songs, as he creates an exciting travelogue through various styles that go beyond just Latin jazz. "Sambia" is sassy Havana salsa all the way, but the bluesy "Next Exit" -- featuring David Torres on piano -- is what might happen if Ramsey Lewis found himself at a Latin jazz party. The fun part of being a percussionist is surrounding yourself with brilliant soloists, and Sanchez picks a true winner in saxman Scott Martin, whose rich baritone drives "Next Exit." "Going Back to New Orleans" is all party blues with shouting voices and a Dr. John-like vocal by Dale Spalding. "Quieres Volver" is a dreamy romance set firmly in San Juan, with strings and Sanchez' own raspy vocals. Tucked deep into the disc are two other can't-miss spots on the itinerary: the festive Manhattan-styled jaunt "Tito in the City" (an obvious tribute to the mastery of Tito Puente) and the funky, struttin' "Early in the Morning," which recalls Louis Jordan's Calypso jive circa the mid-'40s (also featuring Spalding on lead vocals). Just when you think this disc can't get any better, Sanchez delights in making every next note and tour stop a surprise. ~Jonathan Widran

Poncho Sanchez congas, percussion, lead vocals on tracks 1, 4, 8; David Torres piano, Hammond B-3 Organ; Bruce Malament piano (tracks 5 & 11); Tony Banda bass, background vocals; Tom Gargano bass (tracks 5 & 11); Ramon Banda timbales; Tiki Pasillas timbales (tracks 5 & 11); Jose "Papo" Rodriguez bongos, percussion, background vocals; James Gadson drums (tracks 5 & 11); Sal Cracchiolo trumpet, flugelhorn; Scott Martin tenor, soprano, alto saxophones; Lon Price tenor, soprano, alto saxophones (tracks 5 & 11); Francisco Torres trombone, background vocals; Randy Waldman strings (track 4).

Latin Spirits

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Judy Kuhn - Serious Playground: The Songs Of Laura Nyro

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:00
Size: 116.8 MB
Styles: Pop-jazz vocals
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[3:23] 1. Blackpatch
[4:04] 2. Sweet Blindness
[3:23] 3. Stoney End
[3:23] 4. To A Child
[2:18] 5. California Shoeshine Boys
[3:20] 6. Stoned Soul Picnic
[4:39] 7. Lonely Woman
[5:07] 8. Been On A Train
[3:42] 9. Mother's Spiritual
[2:46] 10. Luckie
[3:40] 11. Capt. St. Lucifer
[3:30] 12. Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp
[3:52] 13. Buy And Sell
[3:45] 14. Save The Country

As a singer and songwriter, Laura Nyro was the equal of Carole King and Joni Mitchell. Yet, while we discovered King and Mitchell’s compositions from their own albums, most of us learned Nyro’s songs through hit covers from the likes of the 5th Dimension, Barbra Streisand and Three Dog Night. So, though most of Nyro’s albums are available on CD, her work (or, at least, a small slice of it) survives largely as fodder for Golden Oldies stations. Fortunately, venerable music theater performer Judy Kuhn has opted to dig deeper, mixing the familiar with the comparatively obscure to salute the remarkable depth and breadth of the Nyro songbook.

Interestingly, Kuhn sounds akin to the Tapestry-era King as she examines the many facets of a richly versatile writer who was equally skilled at exploring the giddiness of communal tipsiness (“Sweet Blindness”) and the darkness of fatal drug abuse (“Been On a Train”), the joy of motherhood (“To a Child,” “Mother’s Spiritual”) and the temptation of demons (“Captain Saint Lucifer”), the cacophonous underbelly of her native New York (“Buy and Sell”) and the social unrest of her generation (“Save the Country”). Listening to Nyro filtered through Kuhn, it’s hard not to be reminded of composer Jonathan Larson’s Rent. And the parallel seems apt, party because of Kuhn’s innate theatricality, but more because Nyro and Larson, though separated by several decades, embraced many of the same themes—New York as a creative melting pot, sexual freedom, the incomparable value of friendship, the lights at the end of dark tunnels, internal and external quests for peace, love and understanding—in their passionately-woven songs. And both died far too young. ~Thomas Conrad

Serious Playground: The Songs Of Laura Nyro

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Simone Zanchini & Frank Marocco - Bebop Buffet

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 41:49
Size: 95.7 MB
Styles: Accordion jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:05] 1. Yardbird Suite
[5:34] 2. Yesterdays
[3:27] 3. Home Again
[7:49] 4. Spanish Song
[4:20] 5. Green Dolphin St
[4:27] 6. Jitterbug Waltz
[4:29] 7. There Will Never Be Another You
[4:17] 8. Peace
[3:16] 9. The Flinstones

Simone Zanchini; accordion Frank Marocco, accordion.

When I was a boy I had a tape I had worn down because of continuos listening; you could listen to a kind of jazz , played with the accordion that in those years, it wasn’t able to find. That was Frank Marocco and I spent many days of my life listening to him, and now, it seems incredible to me, I had the chance, after twenty years, to live this DUO experience with Frank. This meeting led me to develop a feeling, a style the be-bop that I’ll be always thankful to and gave birth to a deeply-felt work Be-bop buffet. ~Simone Zanchini

Frank Marocco was born in Joliet, Illinois USA 1/2/1931 - passed away in Los Angeles on 3/3/2012 He studied classical Accordion for 9 years in The Chicago area. Frank Marocco also studied clarinet, Piano, Harmony & Theory. His passion is Jazz and in recent years has been playing concerts in Europe, Japan, Brazil and China.

Bebop Buffet

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Lisa Wahlandt - Stay A While

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:19
Size: 103,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:00)  1. Kiss
(3:48)  2. Light My Fire
(4:29)  3. Stay A While
(4:02)  4. My Funny Valentine
(3:15)  5. Here There And Everywhere
(3:45)  6. As Tears Go By
(5:17)  7. Enjoy The Silence
(5:26)  8. Gute Nacht
(3:31)  9. I Will Survive
(5:41) 10. Inner City Blues

With this CD Lisa Wahlandt has discovered the song cycle for the Jazz again. "Stay a while" is a love log in songs, quiet, intense and ever so slightly blue.
With its fascinating hot cold, sensual voice staged Lisa Wahlandt a very personal, almost private Chamber match, meet in the Beatles and Doors on Broadway and Prince and Franz Schubert stands next to Gloria Gaynor. An emotional journey through all the feelings that offers love, touching and long echoing.

Decelerating, enjoyable moments of life. Great cinema for the ears. Lisa Wahlandt band and create a warm atmosphere, striding across borders without offending. Playful, leidenschaftich, sovereign. ~ Rainer Molz, monstersandcritics   

http://www.lisa-wahlandt.com/en/shop/stay-a-while

Personnel:  Lisa Wahlandt (vocals) Walter Lang (piano) Sven Faller (bass) Gerwin Eisenhauer (drums)

Stay A While

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Ruby Braff & Scott Hamilton - A Sailboat in the Moonlight

Styles: Cornet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:01
Size: 98,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:36)  1. A Sailboat in the Moonlight
(5:21)  2. Lover Come Back to Me
(4:26)  3. Where Are You?
(6:02)  4. 'Deed I Do
(5:10)  5. When Lights Are Low
(6:24)  6. Jeepers Creepers
(4:09)  7. The Milkman's Matinee
(5:49)  8. Sweethearts on Parade

Taken from the same sessions as A First, this collaboration between veteran cornetist Ruby Braff and the relatively young tenor great Scott Hamilton lives up to its potential. With strong assistance from pianist John Bunch, guitarist Chris Flory, bassist Phil Flanigan and drummer Chuck Riggs, Braff and Hamilton are a perfect team on such joyful swing tunes as "A Sailboat in the Moonlight," "'Deed I Do," "Jeepers Creepers" and "Sweethearts on Parade." All eight selections (even the obscure "Milkman's Matinee") are well wotth hearing, making this a highly recommended set. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-sailboat-in-the-moonlight-mw0000649419

Personnel: Ruby Braff (cornet), Scott Hamilton (tenor saxophone), Chris Flory (guitar), Phil Flanigan (bass), Chuck Riggs (drums).

A Sailboat in the Moonlight

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Ken Peplowski - It's a Lonesome Old Town

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:38
Size: 134,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:43)  1. More Than Ever
(4:25)  2. They Can't Take That Away from Me
(5:00)  3. It's a Lonesome Old Town
(5:06)  4. These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)
(3:10)  5. Supposin'
(3:40)  6. Bonicrates de Muletas
(5:06)  7. It Never Entered My Mind
(5:13)  8. In My Life
(6:16)  9. Last Night When We Were Young
(4:55) 10. The Eternal Triangle
(6:28) 11. Zingaro
(2:34) 12. Crimehouse

Ken Peplowski has long been open to playing in more modern idioms of jazz while not losing his facilities or interest in the older styles. On this CD, Peplowski doubling as usual on clarinet and tenor is joined by guitarist Alden, pianist Allen Farnham, bassist Greg Cohen and the late drummer Alan Dawson. In addition, all but the final two of the dozen selections add either guitarist Charlie Byrd (who is on five songs), trumpeter Tom Harrell or pianist Marian McPartland (the latter two, on three songs apiece, both appear on "Last Night When We Were Young"). The repertoire, which has several expected swing standards, also includes a boppish original by Harrell (the opening "More Than Ever") and a song apiece by Lennon & McCartney, Sonny Stitt and Antonio Carlos Jobim. "These Foolish Things" and "Supposin'" are particularly delightful, for they feature a trio comprised of Pep and the two guitars. This was the first time Alden and Byrd had recorded together, and their interplay is quite special. There are many subtle surprises throughout the set, such as the tango rhythm given "It's a Lonesome Old Town," the pure joy to be heard in the jubilant Brazilian folk song "Bonicrates De Muletas," the cooking bebop of "The Eternal Triangle," and the effective transformation of the Beatles' "In My Life" into a jazz ballad. The tricky Peplowski original "Crimehouse" (based on "Limehouse Blues") wraps up the inventive and rewarding set. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/its-a-lonesome-old-town-mw0000182102

Personnel: Ken Peplowski (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Tom Harrell (trumpet); Allen Farnham, Marian McPartland (piano); Howard Alden, Charlie Byrd (guitar); Greg Cohen (bass); Alan Dawson (drums).

It's a Lonesome Old Town

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Jack Jezzro - Romance In Rio

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:14
Size: 121,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. The Girl From Ipanema
(4:14)  2. Brazil
(4:31)  3. Wave
(4:38)  4. Meditation
(4:09)  5. Island Of Love
(4:23)  6. Black Orpheus (Carnival)
(5:10)  7. Regado
(4:23)  8. Romance In Rio
(4:56)  9. Gentle Rain
(4:18) 10. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
(3:59) 11. Brazil, With Love
(3:41) 12. Once I Loved (O Amor En Paz)

Diversity best describes the artistry of guitarist, bassist, and producer Jack Jezzro. His recordings and productions have sold well into the millions, and he surely ranks high in formal education, knowledge of his instrument, and sheer musicality. But even more than that, Jezzro has a style and taste that are all his own qualities that are a breath of fresh air to the music of today and qualities that breathe new life into the music of yesterday. The Early Years Jazz is a natural expression for this West Virginia native, who seems to have been born musical. Jack Jezzro grew up in the small town of Rivesville, starting on piano and accordion when he was very young. "I would go to the piano and start banging out tunes when I was four or five," he recalls. His remarkable skill at simultaneously fingering melody and chord changes came naturally to him as a young listener. 

"I had a stack of Chet Atkins records, and that’s how I learned to play," Jezzro reports. "As a kid, I’d want to play all the parts. I’d listen to a tune by James Taylor, The Doobie Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel, or whomever. I’d play the bass part, the piano, the vocal and I’d want to do it all right there on the guitar." Education For his bass-playing skills, Jezzro earned a scholarship to West Virginia University in nearby Morgantown. "I still kept playing guitar, but they didn't have a guitar program," he says. "I wanted to go to school there because it was close by, so I picked the bass and really got into it." The year was 1976. "That fall, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra came to Morgantown, and I got to meet the principal bass player, Sam Hollingsworth. We immediately hit it off."

Hollingsworth took Jezzro under his wings, preparing him for a professional career. By 1978, Jack knew that if he wanted to become a professional, it was time to move on. So he took the year off from school and began playing in the Charleston Symphony Orchestra (CSO). After a year with CSO, Jezzro won a scholarship and sailed into the sophistication of the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. While a student at Eastman, he won an audition for and subsequently played in the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for two years. Meanwhile, he continued developing as a guitarist by absorbing the sounds of George Benson, Joe Pass, and Jim Hall. After graduation, "it was either New York, Nashville, or Los Angeles, and Nashville felt more like home" where he landed a job with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and began breaking into the studio scene. The Jezzro Style For an instrumentalist, speed and flash are often yardsticks. Innovation and technique unquestionably enter into play. Rhythmic invention, tonal dynamics, repertoire selection, or sophistication of arrangement are also called into the discussion. 

But Jack Jezzro has something more; and that something is taste. His latest guitar projects combine those elusive qualities instantly recognized when you hear them discrimination, polish, grace, and artistry. In addition to sheer taste, another element of Jezzro’s unique style is that he’s a contrapuntal guitarist, integrating chordal harmony and melodies into one distinct sound clean, lucid, and smooth often performing on a nylon-string guitar. "I like to be true to a song," Jezzro begins. "At the same time, I try to do something fresh with a tune. My own sound or style that's the freshness. I guess we all try to find our unique voice. That's what we're all striving for. I'm always going to be working for it." A lot of guitar trio records sound a little thin, so the challenge is to accompany yourself. "One of the things that’s always been there naturally is being my own accompanist," Jezzro says of his special fingerstyle playing. "I was sort of developing this accompanimental thing before I knew what it was." http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jezzrojack6

Romance In Rio

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Tina May - No More Hanky Panky

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:37
Size: 120,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:59)  1. Around the World
(5:07)  2. Dansez Sur Moi
(5:35)  3. No More Hanky Panky
(3:01)  4. Chillin'
(4:32)  5. My Ship
(3:40)  6. This Is New
(4:58)  7. Waiting for the Breeze
(3:06)  8. My Little Sherri
(3:13)  9. Well, So Long
(4:00) 10. Tu Peux Compter Sur Moi
(3:28) 11. Tu Veux Ou Tu Veux Pas
(7:53) 12. My Ship (Bonus Version)

With would-be jazz singers appearing daily out of the woodwork, the occasional album from Tina May comes as a particular treat. Along with her other talents, such as writing witty lyrics to established jazz tunes in both English and French she possesses the basic but invaluable gift of swing. Among these dozen numbers is an almost throwaway version of "You Can Depend on Me", sung as a duet with veteran French star Marcel Zanini, which is simply immaculate in this respect. The Paris-based band is most impressive, especially pianist Patrick Villanueva and saxophonist Pascal Gaubert. ~ Dave Gelly  http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/oct/09/tina-may-hanky-panky-review

May is on stunning form throughout...her vocalese treatment of Dexter Gordon's 'Hanky Panky' highlights her super-fine technical control. ~ Jazzwise, (Peter Quinn), December 2011 / January 2012

A particular treat...May possesses the basic but invaluable gift of swing...the Paris-based band is most impressive. ~ The Observer, (Dave Gelly), October 9, 2011  http://www.amazon.co.uk/More-Hanky-Panky-Tina-May/dp/B005H55VHK

No More Hanky Panky

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Jesper Thilo - Tributes

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:03
Size: 145,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:39)  1. Let's Face the Music and Dance
(7:15)  2. Four
(4:56)  3. I Got It bad and That Ain't Good
(6:55)  4. You Stepped out of a Dream
(6:44)  5. That Lucky Old Sun
(5:22)  6. Sweet Georgia Brown
(6:29)  7. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
(6:04)  8. C'est Si Bon
(6:20)  9. Days of Wine and Roses
(7:14) 10. I'm Confessin'

One of the top European straight-ahead jazz musicians from 1970 onward, Danish reedman Jesper Thilo has appeared on many records with American artists in addition to recording with his fellow countrymen. His tenor sound is reminiscent of Zoot Sims. Thilo, who has also occasionally played alto and clarinet, first recorded as a leader for Storyville in 1973, and in the 1980s and 1990s on Storyville his sidemen at various times included Hank Jones, Kenny Drew, Clark Terry, Roland Hanna, and Harry "Sweets" Edison. Thilo also appeared on Miles Davis' Aura (with compositions and arrangements by fellow Dane Palle Mikkelborg), released by Columbia in 1989. After the turn of the millennium Thilo has continued recording for a variety of labels, including several releases on Stunt Records: Remembering Those That Were (2009), On Clarinet (2010), and Scott Hamilton Meets Jesper Thilo (2011). Bio ~ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jesper-thilo-mn0000342073/biography

Tributes

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Willie Nelson - Island In The Sea

Styles: Country
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:57
Size: 87,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:21)  1. Island In The Sea
(4:12)  2. Wake Me When It's Over
(3:15)  3. Little Things
(5:23)  4. Last Thing on My Mind
(2:33)  5. There Is No Easy Way (But There is a Way)
(2:50)  6. Nobody There But Me
(4:17)  7. Cold November Wind
(4:43)  8. Women Who Love Too Much
(5:09)  9. All in the Name of Love
(3:09) 10. Sky Train

Island in the Sea is a 1987 album by country singer Willie Nelson. Its title track was a minor hit. The album also includes the song "Nobody There But Me", featuring Bruce Hornsby and the Range, released as the second single. ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_in_the_Sea

Personnel: Willie Nelson – Guitar, vocals, producer; Paul English – Drums; Mickey Raphael – Harmonica; Bee Spears – Bass; Bobbie Nelson – Piano; Grady Martin – Guitar; Jody Payne – Guitar, vocals; Billy English – Percussion; Chip Young – Acoustic guitar; Mike Leech – Bass; David Briggs – Keyboards; Pete Wade – Electric Guitar; Martin Parker – Drums; Bobby Odgin – Piano; Farrell Morris – Percussion, vibes; Booker T. Jones – Drums, keyboards, acoustic guitar, bass; Bruce Hornsby – Piano, synthesizer; Peter Harris – Guitar; George Marinelli, jr. – Guitar; John Mollo – Drums; Joe Puerta – Bass; Bill Johnson – Art direction; Bill Imhoff – Illustration

Island In The Sea

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The Harper Brothers - Artistry

Styles: Jazz, Straight-Ahead Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:54
Size: 151,6 MB
Art: Front

(8:39)  1. 1239A
(5:42)  2. Dakini
(3:36)  3. J.W.
(8:58)  4. Artistry
(7:11)  5. In God We Trust
(5:25)  6. Reflections
(5:55)  7. Belulah
(6:24)  8. Yes Sir, That's My Baby
(5:31)  9. A Mother's Love
(8:30) 10. Down on Duncan

During 1988-1992, the Harper Brothers were one of the leading Young Lions groups in jazz, younger musicians playing within the style of hard bop as typified by the 1960s recordings on Blue Note. The third of the Harper Brothers' four recordings is very much in the tradition, and much of the time sounds very much like 1965 or the early-'60s Jazz Messengers. Philip Harper's style mixes together aspects of Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard, Javon Jackson could almost pass for Joe Henderson, and the rhythm section is laid-back, soulful, supportive, and swinging. The originals are in the hard bop style (with "J.W." influenced by "Giant Steps"), and even "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" undergoes an effective transformation. The results are enjoyable if derivative. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/artistry-mw0000263268

The Harper Brothers: Phillip Harper (trumpet); Winard Harper (drums). Additional personnel: Javon Jackson (saxophone); Kevin Hayes (piano); Nedra Wheeler (bass).

Artistry

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Diane Nalini - Tales... My Mama Told Me

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:21
Size: 133,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:09)  1. Blues in the Night
(2:55)  2. Yellow Bird
(3:01)  3. Sometime Ago
(4:23)  4. La vie en rose
(5:23)  5. While You're Sleeping
(3:59)  6. Noturna
(4:05)  7. Mickey
(2:39)  8. Moose the Mooch
(4:51)  9. Les feuilles mortes
(3:55) 10. Cheek to Cheek
(4:11) 11. Corcovado
(4:44) 12. Cradle Song
(3:46) 13. Come Away
(5:13) 14. Lorelei

Diane Nalini was born in Montreal, Quebec, and began singing jazz at the age of three. A gifted and sophisticated singer; she has performed in the United Kingdom, Malta, South Africa, and Canada, and has received airplay in Denmark and Brazil. In addition to her flourishing jazz career, Nalini also studied Chinese calligraphy and watercolour for ten years with Virginia Chang. In that time she exhibited and sold paintings with Chang, and was also a member of the Ting Sung group. Nalini received an honours physics degree from McGill University, and earned a doctoratal degree in Physics from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. She now works as a physics professor at the University of Guelph. Nalini released her first album, After Dusk, in 2001, and Tales … My Mama Told Me in 2002. Songs of Sweet Fire (2006) is her third full length album, and features original music set to the sonnets and songs of William Shakespeare. 

The evolution of the album dates back to 2000, when Nalini was a student in the UK. Having previously experimented setting music to texts by Lord Alfred Tennyson and García Lorca, she turned to Shakespeare for an ensemble show in Oxford. It was here that she first set original music to Shakespearean texts, completing “Mistress Mine” and “Rain Every Day,” two songs from Twelfth Night. Nalini comments that after her initial experience, “Shakespeare was in my blood, and every year after that, I would tackle a few more songs from the plays” (Setting Shakespeare to Music). Her fifteen-song collection covers a wide array of music, from original jazz to funk and blues. 

The sonnets and poems were each carefully selected, as she comments, “It was very important to me to let the phrasing of the words dictate the style of music I wrote for each song. I decided to set only those songs which were in more modern sounding English, to highlight the timelessness of Shakespeare’s words” (University of Guelph News Release).Nalini’s adaptation puts “a uniquely modern spin” on the words of Shakespeare, which is rarely done musically, and is rarer still within the jazz and blues genre (Biography). Her renditions have been hailed by critics as “overwhelming,” “eloquent,” and “captivating” (Diane Nalini Reviews). While Shakespeare’s plays and words have been an inspiration to musicians for centuries, spurring musicals, operas, and even rock music, Nalini states that her music has a fun, and original sound as it “is groove-based…. and rhythm-based” (Cosmic Coincidence and Shakespeare). It is this fresh sound that has great potential to deliver the unchanged words of Shakespeare, to an audience largely outside theatrical culture. 

Nalini also put another of her talent to work, as a means of adapting Shakespeare. The lyrics in the linear notes are accompanied by fifteen original watercolours she created for the album. Her designs, while not directly relatable to Shakespeare, without the corresponding prose, have a notable distinction as they are one example of how the works of Shakespeare have transposed into contemporary Canadian society, inspiring unlikely and beautiful contributions to the artistic community. In a recent proposal, Nalini outlines her visualization process for each piece, and how the language, and themes of Shakespeare were the underlying force in colour, design, and framing. In the piece accompanying Desi’s Blues, for instance, Nalini explains, “a hand kept coming to mind. 

To me, the hand belongs to Othello or Iago, Desdemona’s oppressors.  It overpowers her source of solace, the willow tree” (Proposal 5).  Nalini's Songs of Sweet Fire debuted at the University of Guelph on May 25th, 2006 and served as a kick-off event to the Shakespeare-Made in Canada Festival, which ran from January to May 2007. ~ Danielle Van Wagner  http://www.canadianshakespeares.ca/multimedia/audio/a_nalini.cfm

Tales... My Mama Told Me

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Francesco Cafiso - New York Lullaby

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:48
Size: 164,8 MB
Art: Front

( 7:57)  1. Lullaby Of Birdland
( 4:11)  2. Reflections
( 6:26)  3. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
( 9:44)  4. My Old Flame
(11:38)  5. Estate
( 7:23)  6. What's New
( 6:32)  7. Imagination
(10:15)  8. Willow Weep For Me
( 7:42)  9. Speak Low

Yes, he is that good. Or was, on the occasion of this 2005 session, which features the fifteen-year-old native Sicilian saxophonist making his American recording debut accompanied by a crack New York rhythm section. Although it's common to hear rueful expressions about what a Charlie Parker or Clifford Brown might have accomplished had they lived longer, a player as precocious as Francesco Cafiso reminds us of the challenges facing an artist who appears to "be there already, yet has a lifetime before him. In June 2007, when he was seventeen, the altoist made history of sorts when he entered Birdland, the domain named after the music's most acclaimed improviser, to play the "Bird role in a re-creation of the predecessor-father figure's most popular recording, Charlie Parker with Strings. From the evidence on New York Lullaby, the young player is perhaps one of the few musicians up to such a formidable if not unenviable assignment. 

The opening track, Shearing's "Lullaby of Birdland, introduces the listener to the featured performer's qualifications. His sound is full and lustrous, maintained throughout by strong breath support; his articulations are varied, ranging from quick and crisp attacks to expressive legato tonguing; his lines during the pyrotechnical passages are not merely slick but "linguistically dense, capturing the intricacy, complexity and sophistication of Parker's language. At times the youngster is undeniably overly deliberative, extending his high tones to the point that they begin to wear out their welcome. Moreover, in the upper register his commanding sound has a purity and somewhat rapid vibrato that, while winning the approval of "legit players, would not earn him points from Birdwatchers. But it's the ballads that hold the biggest surprises, as the Italian teenager, rather than employ them as virtuoso showcases, exercises the utmost respect for the material itself. Whether he's been listening to singers like Sinatra and Johnny Hartman or absorbed the message from a player like Dexter Gordon, his phrasing, dynamics, and even articulations (with occasional airy cushions of sound) reveal a mature and sensitive interpreter thoroughly familiar with the lyrics of these standards. When I play this recording for acquaintances, the response isn't "He's incredible! but "That's beautiful music. 

Give a lot of credit to David Hazeltine, a pianist capable of storming the instrument and playing fiery, gloves-off bop in the Bud Powell tradition. On this occasion, he as well as bassist David Williams and drummer Joe Farnsworth hold back, being extra careful not to offer the prodigy any unwanted, gratuitous "encouragement to display his stuff. It's as though Hazeltine is saying, "It's just another session, kid. Relax and play the song as beautifully as you know how. That this recording, made in a New York studio with three American musicians, let alone the Cafiso story itself go largely unnoticed by the American public is scandalous. I ordered my copy from a CD import specialist and finally received it in the form of a vinyl LP, with notes in Japanese. Again, shame on the American recording industry. ~ Samuel Chell  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/new-york-lullaby-francesco-cafiso-venus-records-review-by-samuel-chell.php#.VG_dFcmHmtg
 

Personnel: Francesco Cafiso: alto sax; David Hazeltine: piano; David Williams: bass; Joe Farnsworth: drums.

New York Lullaby

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Lee Ritenour - World Of Brazil

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:33
Size: 138,0 MB
Scans:

(5:06)  1. Water To Drink (Agua De Beber)
(6:16)  2. Latin Lovers (Incompatibilidada De Ginios)
(5:27)  3. Linda (Voce é Linda)
(4:57)  4. Dindi
(8:47)  5. Stone Flower
(4:59)  6. San Isidro
(4:42)  7. Harlequin (Arlequim Desconhecido)
(4:51)  8. Bahia Funk
(5:21)  9. Asa
(4:20) 10. Windmill
(4:42) 11. E (Yeah!)

Guitarist Lee Ritenour has long been associated with Brazilian styles (especially after playing with Sergio Mendes's Brasil '77 in the '70s), and 2005's  World Of Brazil continues that association to excellent effect. Ritenour's smooth, soulful style lends itself perfectly to bossa nova and samba grooves on this mix of originals and covers (including, not surprisingly, several tunes by the genre's greatest composer, Antonio Carlos Jobim).

But one of the things that makes World Of Brazil such a treat is the host of guest stars, which includes keyboardists Herbie Hancock and Dave Grusin, bassist John Pattitucci, singer El Debarge, and percussionist Carlinhos Brown. No less a luminary than Tropicalia pioneer Caetano Veloso appears on his own "Linda," and his sultry tenor sounds as alluring as ever. With its mix of smooth jazz and Brazilian flavors, the overall vibe of this disc is relaxed, sophisticated, and cool. http://www.allmusic.com/album/world-of-brazil-mw0000408791

Personnel: Lee Ritenour (guitar, keyboards, synthesizer); Lee Ritenour (bass instrument); Djavan (vocals, guitar); El DeBarge, Gonzaguinha, Kevyn Lettau (vocals); Oscar Castro-Neves, Paul Jackson, Jr. (guitar); Dan Higgins (flute); Larry E. Williams (tenor saxophone, keyboards, synthesizer); Jerry Hey (trumpet, horns); Russell Ferrante (keyboards, synthesizer); David Witham, Greg Phillinganes (keyboards); Barnaby Finch (midi piano); John Patitucci, Anthony Jackson (bass instrument); Gary Novak, Omar Hakim, Carlos Vega (drums); Alex Acuña (percussion); Marietta Waters, Kate Markowitz (background vocals); Joao Bosco (vocals, guitar); Ivan Lins, Caetano Veloso (vocals); Art Porter (soprano saxophone); Ernie Watts (tenor saxophone); Dave Grusin (piano, keyboards); Herbie Hancock (piano); Carlinhos Brown (djembe); Paulinho Da Costa, Cassio Duarte (percussion); Gracinha Leporace (background vocals).

World Of Brazil

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Zona Sul - Beira

Styles: Jazz, Brazilian Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:14
Size: 101,5 MB
Art: Front

(1:44)  1. Por Toda Minha Vida
(4:20)  2. Tout Les Garçons Et Les Filles
(5:52)  3. Vai e Vem
(2:59)  4. Canto de lemanjá
(3:01)  5. And I Love Her
(4:01)  6. Lugar Comum
(4:20)  7. Mais Feliz
(1:59)  8. Encontros e Despedidas
(3:36)  9. Dança da Solidão
(4:29) 10. Samba de Orly
(4:49) 11. Mães e Filhas

“Germany‘s number one bossa nova singer.” ~ Welt am Sonntag

BEIRA “sounds even more relaxed than its predecessor and holds the charm of lastingly unnerving melancholia. Sophie relates to jazz in a remarkably flexible manner, lending many of her songs not only a lyrical, but also a lasciviously intellectual note.” ~ Süddeutsche Zeitung

“The sun, finally! With these great songs – who needs to travel to Rio de Janeiro?” ~ Petra

BEIRA is an “enchanting journey to Rio‘s sugarloaf mountain, where even Françoise Hardy and the Beatles meet. The band‘s whole trip into Brazilian music is wonderful and really worth listening to. With her sweetly sensuous and relaxed voice Sophie Wegener knowingly seduces in English, French and particularly in Portuguese.” ~ Jazzthing  http://sophiewegener.net/about/press/

Sophie Wegener (vocals): Born to a French mother and a German father, she grew up in a bilingual household and had music lessons at an early age. She received a liberal arts education attending university in the US, France, England and Germany. Later, Sophie studied jazz privately at numerous late-night jam sessions in New York City and with Sheila Jordan, Luciana Souza, Judy Niemack and jazz legend Barry Harris. Sophie started out as a jazz singer but fell in love with the bossa nova and Brazil and founded ZONA SUL in 1999. She sings in English, French and Portuguese. The press called her “Germany‘s number one bossa nova singer.“ (Die Welt)

Pedro Tagliani (guitar & vocals): Guitarist, arranger and composer. Born in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Attended the conservatory in Porto Alegre, where he later taught guitar. Guitarist and composer of the band “Raiz de Pedra“, with whom he recorded four albums, among which “Diário de Bordo“ (Enja). He has worked with Egberto Gismonti, Dave Samuels, Wolfgang Lackerschmidt and Thomas Kugi, with whom he recorded “Arvoredo“.

Personnel: Tizian Jost (piano): One of Germany‘s best jazz pianists. He worked with, among others: Mark Murphy, Tony Lakatos, Brazilian singer Leny Andrade, Dusko Goykovich. He studied Brazilian music intensely and founded the band DOMUNDO with Brazilian singer and pianist Lygia Campos. With his Trio he recently recorded “United in the big Blue“ (Enja) with Mario Gonzi (drums) and Thomas Stabenow (bass).

Matthias Engelhardt (bass): Impresses listeners with his enthusiastic and very “Brazilian“ bass-playing. In 1996, he won first prize at “Jugend jazzt“, a jazz competition for young musicians. Then he was granted a scholarship for the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he intensely studied jazz and world-music. He is a free lance musician in Munich since 2000. Worked with Bobby Shew, Wolfgang Haffner, Peter Herbolzheimer, George Garzone, Zoe and many others.

Hajo v. Hadeln (drums): An experienced, creative and sensitive accompanist, he intensely studied Brazilian rhythms and did “further training“ with Rosa Passos‘ drummer Celso Almeida and with Portinho and Duduka da Fonseca, From 1998 to 2010, Hajo’s Trio LaHaze could be seen live on German sports television‘s weekly talk show “Doppelpass“. Hajo also worked with Brazilian singer Ithamara Korax, recorded with Paula Morelenbaum and world class percussionist Marco Lobo. He is an endorser for Tama drums and Meinl Cymbals. “With his technical brilliance, v. Hadeln needs not fear the comparison with world-class jazz drummers like Art Blakey.“ (Sueddeutsche Zeitung)

Beira

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Charleston Chasers - Steaming South

Size: 188,4 MB
Time: 79:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1996
Styles: Jazz: Big Band, Early Jazz
Art: Front

01. Swanee (2:27)
02. Funny Honey (3:28)
03. Stomp Off, Let's Go (2:44)
04. Baby! (4:35)
05. Charleston (2:32)
06. Carolina Stomp (2:45)
07. Paddlin' Madelin' Home (3:52)
08. Mixy Rag (3:28)
09. My Pretty Girl (2:33)
10. Allah's Holiday (5:08)
11. I'm On The End Of The Phone (3:18)
12. San (2:37)
13. I Want To Be Bad (3:04)
14. I Never Knew (2:46)
15. Melancholy Lou (3:10)
16. I Love My Baby (3:41)
17. Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now (4:36)
18. Sunday (3:01)
19. Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down (3:00)
20. She's Funny That Way (3:37)
21. Naughty Man (2:42)
22. I'll Be A Friend With Pleasure (3:32)
23. Steaming South (3:47)
24. Just Another Day Wasted Away (3:19)

The Charleston Chasers (a ten-piece British group that has no connection to the 1920s group) plays a wide repertoire of music from the mid- to late '20s. This CD is a step up from their previous Stomp Off release Pleasure Mad due to the developing writing talents of pianist Raina Reid. The band's main arranger, Reid also contributed four originals that fit well into the group's style; a highlight is her "I'm on the End of the Phone," which is in the style of McKinney's Cotton Pickers complete with Nik Payton whispering a vocal that sounds like Don Redman. The other vintage tunes generally avoid strict recreations and, even when based on a certain recording, the solos and some of the ensembles are different. The revivals of such rarely heard numbers as "Allah's Holiday," "I Want to Be Bad," "Melancholy Lou" and "Just Another Day Wasted Away" (which has the fine singer Debbie Arthurs accompanied only by Raina Reid's piano) are four additional reasons why classic jazz fans should search for this one. ~Review by Scott Yanow

Steaming South

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Alex Pangman - New

Size: 93,6 MB
Time: 36:12
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Fit As a Fiddle (3:36)
02. I'll Never Smile Again (3:03)
03. It's Never Enough (3:32)
04. Rhythm Is Our Business (2:48)
05. The World Is Waiting For the Sunshine (3:25)
06. You Let Me Down (5:15)
07. When I Got Low I Get High (3:16)
08. Sweet Substitute (4:14)
09. Who-oo? You-oo? That's Who! (2:25)
10. My Man Rocks (4:32)

Toronto’s Alex Pangman is set to release “new”, her 3rd album with Justin Time Records on November 3rd, at Toronto’s Hugh’s Room, with subsequent launches on November 7th at Montreal’s Upstairs Jazz, and November 9th at London ON’s Aeolian Hall.

The album was recorded in New Orleans. New being the theme, it represents both a new chance at life — Pangman had second lung transplant just seven months before recording this album — but also a shock of new things. New co-producer Andrew Gilchrist recorded Pangman in New Orleans using new musicians from the city where jazz was born. “I wanted to test myself as an artist by taking this record someplace different, physically and sonically. This new session has a slightly different soundscape, and I think it’s groovy and very swinging.”

Known for a dozen or so years as Canada’s sweetheart of swing, Pangman made sure to include Canadian compositions in this collection of tin pan alley gems. her original song It’s Never Enough slide in seamlessly beside Canadian classics, I’ll Never Smile Again, and, The World is Waiting For the sunrise. Her favourite song on the record is Fit As A Fiddle, “Because I am again,” she says. True to form, not even a year after her most recent transplant, she was on the road again touring the jazz festival circuit to prove it.

New

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Glendale One - Live At Asylum Artists (Feat. The B-Town Horns)

Size: 121,9 MB
Time: 52:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Country Rock, Jazz Rock
Art: Front

01. Drive My Car (Live) (2:54)
02. I Saw Her Standing There (Live) (3:31)
03. Things We Said Today (Live) (3:54)
04. No Reply (Live) (2:28)
05. Tell Me Why (Live) (5:12)
06. Norwegian Wood (Live) (3:56)
07. I Call Your Name (Live) (2:53)
08. You Can't Do That (Live) (4:19)
09. A Hard Days Night (Live) (3:12)
10. Back In The U.S.S.R. (Live) (2:56)
11. It Won't Be Long (Live) (3:16)
12. Can't Buy Me Love (Live) (3:21)
13. What Goes On (Live) (4:49)
14. Rain (Live) (5:18)

GLENDALE ONE are five childhood friends reunited after 30 years to share their love for playing, performing and recording music together. Their name is the phone exchange they all shared in grade school. The addition of the B-Town Horns, a stellar five-piece brass section, featuring trombonist and arranger George Guerrette and lead trumpet Dave Harmsworth, has resulted in exciting new arrangements captured in the bands latest recording - LIVE at Asylum Artists

Glendale One pays homage to the Lennon/McCartney catalogue through unique arrangements in styles ranging from Texas Swing to Jazz Rock/Fusion. Proof positive you can go anywhere with a well written song. They are homegrown Canadian talent giving, “jump to your feet and dance”, performances to audiences throughout Ontario, at festivals and outdoor events and in Toronto at Hugh’s Room, the Cadillac Lounge and the Dominion on Queen, to name a few. Glendale One - nothing but fun.

Lead vocalist & guitarist Gordon Smith has a film career stretching from Platoon to X-Men but today explores 3D-listening environments for live amplified music performances with Asylum Artists.

Lead guitarist & vocalist, Brian Gibson, has television career ranging from Nikita to Rookie Blue. A vintage guitar collector, his collaboration with Smith goes back to the grand old days of the Riverboat.

Drummer & vocalist Kevin Frank, is an actor and the artistic director of Second City’s training and education program. He also lectures around the world on how improvisation applies to corporate relationships.

Rhythm guitarist & vocalist, Frank Reid, is an accomplished pianist, acoustics specialist and founder of Progressive Interiors, responsible for most of the professional sound recording studios in Toronto over the past 25 years.

Bass guitarist & vocalist, Craig Ryan, is also a talented drummer, graphic artist, and a professional organizational effectiveness “guru” with clients in both public and private sectors.

Live At Asylum Artists

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Mark Elf - Mark Elf Returns 2014

Size: 126,0 MB
Time: 54:16
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Straight-Ahead/Mainstream
Art: Front

01. A Little Diddy (6:20)
02. It Was So Beautiful (4:19)
03. Jacky's Jaunt (6:52)
04. Time On My Hands (4:46)
05. Michellie's Mambo (5:41)
06. Low Blow (Baritone Guitar) (5:36)
07. Titillating (6:49)
08. The Bottom Line (Baritone Guitar) (3:20)
09. People Will Say We're In Love (5:57)
10. The Sandy Effect (4:32)

Nothing can stop guitarist Mark Elf from making music. He's battled serious health problems, contended with the ups and downs of the music industry for decades, and, most recently, dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the massive storm that flooded his home, delaying the recording of this record for a year. In spite of all of those setbacks and hardships, Elf still manages to have a fairly sunny musical outlook when he straps on the guitar for this, his first album in eight years.

Mark Elf Returns 2014 finds the guitarist swinging alongside an A-list rhythm section made up of pianist David Hazeltine, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Lewis Nash. All three men were aboard for Elf's two previous projects—Glad To Be Back (Jen Bay Records, 2004) and Liftoff (Jen Bay Records, 2006)—so there's instant rapport, something that's really required when recording without rehearsal, as was done here.

The music presented on this one is direct and accessible, as Elf delivers swingers, a couple of ballads, a spicy mambo, and plenty of songs that basically follow the tried-and-true head-solos-head format. And though the song form(s) may be predictable at times, song forms are merely vessels meant to contain the music. It's what the musicians put into those songs that counts, and these men only add the finest musical ideas and ingredients to these successful sonic recipes.

The album opens on "A Little Ditty," a swinging number that's based on the changes of "Jordu," and quickly moves to ballad country with "It Was So Beautiful." After that, there's more modest swing, a one-off guest shot from percussionist Steven Kroon on "Michellie's Mambo," a pair of burning numbers that feature Elf on baritone guitar, and a mellow goodbye in the form of "The Sandy Effect." There's lots to love here solo-wise, with plenty of fine work from Elf and Hazeltine, lots of trading fours with Nash, and an eye-of-the-storm solo from Washington during "Low Blow."

This is straight-ahead jazz as it should be played. Here's to hoping that life doesn't delay the next one from Elf. ~Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Mark Elf: guitar; David Hazeltine; piano; Peter Washington: bass; Lewis Nash: drums; Steven Kroon: percussion (5).

Mark Elf Returns 2014

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