Veronneau - Jazz Samba Project

Styles: Brazilian Jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:00
Size: 96,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:57)  1. É Luxo Só
(5:01)  2. Waiting in Vain
(4:40)  3. September Moon
(3:20)  4. Mas Que Nada
(3:53)  5. Meditation
(2:55)  6. One Note Samba
(3:53)  7. Samba Saravah
(4:00)  8. Samba Triste
(4:48)  9. Autumn Leaves
(3:30) 10. Wave

Musical revisionists often view the outstanding Getz/Gilberto (Verve, 1963) as the point of ignition for the stateside bossa nova explosion of the early '60s, but those in the know are fully aware that Jazz Samba (Verve, 1962) is the album that actually lit the fuse. While saxophonist Stan Getz's classic recordings with Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Gilberto and Astrud Gilberto have taken their rightful place at the top of the heap, his earlier, trailblazing collaboration with guitarist Charlie Byrd is of greater importance in the big picture of jazz history. Byrd became enamored with Brazilian music during a State Department-sponsored tour of South America and couldn't hide his enthusiasm when he returned to America. He exposed Getz to the magical strains of sound that he encountered during this jazz junket and they joined forces to create one of the finest examples of stylistic fusion in the history of music. They put their signature sound prints atop bossa nova structures and struck a chord of interest that still resonates throughout the world today. Now, a full fifty years after Byrd and Getz joined Brazilian music and jazz in holy matrimony, Veronneau pays tribute to that triumphant teaming with its own Jazz Samba Project.

Subtle bossa nova beats, lightly strummed guitars, seductive horn work and attractive vocals are served up in sensitive fashion during this highly enjoyable program. Vocalist Lynn Veronneau and her able-bodied band mates deliver a ten-song program that honors the historic pairing of Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz but stands on its own as a separate work. Veronneau visits the past with performances of Ary Barroso's "E Luxo So," Baden Powell's "Samba Triste" and Jobim's "One Note Samba," but the group doesn't live in the past; the inclusion of a bossa-tinged take on a Bob Marley classic ("Waiting In Vain") and a gently swaying original ("September Moon") prove this point. Lynn Veronneau's easy-going vocals, whether in Portuguese, English or French, set the tone here and everybody falls in line with her measured mannerisms. While Brazilian jazz has become more buoyant and boastful over the years, Veronneau's version hearkens back to a time when less-is-more delivery and dynamic sensitivity were key elements in the architectural design of the music. This band clearly understands the nature of Jazz Samba and honors that classic recording through its own fine work. ~ Dan Bilawsky  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/jazz-samba-project-lynn-veronneau-veronneau-music-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Lynn Veronneau: vocals; Ken Avis: acoustic guitar, vocals; David Rosenblatt: acoustic guitar; Pete Walby: drums; Jeff Antoniuk: tenor saxophone (1, 6, 8, 10); Alejandro Lucini: percussion; Jim McFalls: trombone (1-5, 9).

Jazz Samba Project

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Mary Foster Conklin - Blues For Breakfast

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:29
Size: 127,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:34)  1. Before The Show
(4:03)  2. Spring Isn't Spring Anymore
(3:40)  3. Show Me The Way To Get Out Of This World
(5:52)  4. Angel Eyes
(2:19)  5. That Tired Routine Called Love
(3:56)  6. Encanto D'Amor
(4:34)  7. Blues For Breakfast
(3:28)  8. Will You Still Be Mine
(2:47)  9. Where Am I To Go
(5:23) 10. The Night We Called It A Day
(3:45) 11. Let's Get Away From It All
(3:19) 12. Let's Just Pretend
(4:14) 13. Learn To Love
(4:30) 14. Violets For Your Furs

I don't review many albums by singers these days, but I couldn't pass up a tribute to Matt Dennis, one of the most talented and sadly neglected songwriters of the Twentieth Century. Before scoffing, remember "Angel Eyes," "Will You Still Be Mine," "Everything Happens to Me," "Violets for Your Furs," "Let's Get Away from It All," "Show Me the Way to Get Out of This World" and "The Night We Called It a Day." All were written by Dennis, who sang them (and others) for many years in nightclubs across the country while accompanying himself at the piano. To Mary Foster Conklin's credit, she doesn't rest her case on these familiar melodies but has unearthed a cache of other forgotten treasures with lyrics by Sammy Cahn, Bobby Troup, Ted Steele, Jerry Gladstone and Ginny Dennis, and performs a duet with Cuban artist David Oquendo on "Encanto d'Amor," Dennis/David Gillam's "It Wasn't the Stars That Thrilled Me" translated into Spanish by Oquendo.

Among the others, Dennis/Steele's "That Tired Routine Called Love" is especially clever, right up there with Rodgers and Hart's "Everything I've Got Belongs to You," Lerner and Loewe's "How Can Love Survive," any Cole Porter lyric, and Dennis/Tom Adair's "Let's Get Away" and "Will You Still Be Mine."  Conklin's midrange voice is sweet and expressive, her articulation clean, and she caresses each lyric with notable warmth and perception. She's not quite as irresistible as Dennis himself, but few singers, no matter how adept, have ever equaled his offhanded charm. The backup group is splendid, with pianist John di Martino doubling as arranger and saxophonist Joel Frahm making brief but welcome appearances on three tracks. Dennis/Troup's "Where Am I to Go?" is a graceful duet with guitarist Tony Romano. Conklin also sings the seldom-heard verses to "Angel Eyes," "Will You Still Be Mine" and (spoken) "The Night We Called It a Day." Conklin deserves applause for breathing life into such moribund classics as "Before the Show," "Spring Isn't Spring Anymore," "Blues for Breakfast," "Let's Just Pretend," "Learn to Love" and the other songs already cited. The album is worth hearing for them alone, even more so for Conklin's earnest and caring interpretations. Even for those who thought they knew Matt Dennis, it should be a real eye-opener. ~ Jack Bowers  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/blues-for-breakfast-remembering-matt-dennis-mary-foster-conklin-rhombus-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Mary Foster Conklin: vocals; John di Martino: piano, arranger; Tony Romano: guitar; Sean Smith: bass; Ron Vincent: drums; Joel Frahm (1,3,13): tenor, soprano saxophone; Wilson "Chembo" Corniel (3,6): percussion; Leo Traversa (3,6): electric bass; David Oquendo (6): vocal, lyrics.

Blues For Breakfast

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Joe Magnarelli - Mr. Mags

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:08
Size: 122,1 MB
Art: Front

( 5:20)  1. 215 #1
( 8:19)  2. Our Song
( 5:38)  3. Passage
( 7:16)  4. I Should Care
( 5:54)  5. Mean What You Say
( 5:01)  6. Oh' Suzanne
(10:45)  7. Blue Opus
( 4:50)  8. Mississippi Jazz Club

At a time when many contemporary jazz trumpeters seem to be pushing to the extremes (i.e. Russell Gunn’s rap/world beat groove or Dave Douglas’ avant stance), a player like Joe Magnarelli might seem more like a throw back to the past. A great reader and reliable sideman, Magnarelli can run down the bebop or blow pretty, depending on what the situation calls. He also possesses a crisp and burnished tone that is immediately attractive. But it would be unfair to suggest that the trumpeter is stuck in a time warp. More accurately, Magnarelli excels in the mainstream tradition and has found his own voice within such structures. His third set as a leader for Criss Cross, Mr. Mags is certainly nothing radically different from past endeavors, yet it offers further sustenance in an area where swing and melodic integrity are at a premium. 

Pacing is particularly strong, as the rapid “215 #1” (Coltrane’s “Countdown” seems to be an inspiration here) gives way to the lilting waltz tempo of “Our Song.” Pure bebop marks Jim Snidero’s “Passage,” “I Should Care” provides for Magnarelli’s ballad feature, “Oh, Suzanne” is a Latin romp, and “Blue Opus” taps, of course, the blues. It’s not often these days that we hear a trumpet-alto sax front line, so the pairing of Magnarelli and Snidero seems like a very sagacious choice. So too, pianist David Hazeltine puts his stamp on the proceedings with his advanced sense of harmony. So if your tastes run toward the adventurous this may not cut it for you, but those with middle-of-the-road sensibilities will find much to sink their teeth into. ~ C.Andrew Hovan  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/mr-mags-joe-magnarelli-criss-cross-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php
 

Personnel: Joe Magnarelli (trumpet), Jim Snidero (alto sax & flute), David Hazeltine (piano), John Webber (bass), Tony Reedus (drums)

Mr. Mags

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Ben Sidran - Mr. P's Shuffle

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 56:38
Size: 129.6 MB
Styles: Smooth jazz
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[5:29] 1. I'm Back
[4:31] 2. Like A Boat On The Water
[5:24] 3. Sentimental Journey
[4:51] 4. Get Happy
[5:16] 5. Jive Samba
[3:58] 6. I'm Not Talking
[2:25] 7. The Glory Of Love
[4:33] 8. Mr. P's Shuffle
[3:40] 9. Walk Right In
[8:21] 10. Lover Man
[4:02] 11. No Moon At All
[4:01] 12. Memory Lane

When I was a young man of 20, I played six nights a week for a period of several months at at club called The Tuxedo Lounge, one of the warmest musical environments I have known; several decades later, the club had changed its name to Mr. P's Place and I started playing there again; this recording is a document and a testament to that spirit of groove and return.

Ben Sidran - Piano, Vocals; Frank Morgan - Saxophone; Richard Davis - Bass; Clyde Stubblefield - Drums; Phil Upchurch - Guitar; Roscoe Mitchell - Saxophone; Ricky Peterson - Organ; Howard Levy Harmonica; Margie Cox - Vocals; Alejo Poveda - Percussion; Leo Sidran - Drums.

Mr. P's Shuffle

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Rich Perry & Harold Danko - Cancoes Do Brasil

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 67:06
Size: 153.6 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[ 6:37] 1. Canto Triste
[ 9:10] 2. Cafe
[ 7:54] 3. Beijo Partido
[ 7:46] 4. A Tarde
[ 5:35] 5. Choro Das Aguas
[ 7:36] 6. Leila (Venha Ser Feliz)
[ 5:09] 7. Memoria E Fado
[ 7:09] 8. Hora E Lugar
[10:07] 9. Folhas Secas

On this unusual recording, we find two widely experienced North American jazzmen, tenorman Rich Perry and pianist Harold Danko, embracing nine pieces by Brazilian composers that seem to have come about independently of the bossa nova movement. As a matter of fact, so as to emphasize the uniquely lyrical quality of this material, Perry and Danko eschewed the support of a conventional Latino or even jazz rhythm section. Using all of the freedom inherent in a duo setting, they engage Edu Lobo's "Canto Triste," Egberto Gismonti's "Cafe" and "Memoria E. Fado," Toninho Horta's "Beijo Partido," Francis Hime's "A Tarde" and "Hora E. Lugar," Ivan Lins' "Choro Das Aquas," Milton Nascimento's "Leila, Venha Ser Feliz," and Nelson Cavaquinho's "Folhas Secas" as if to the manner born. Presumably not designed for dancing, this music is nevertheless subtly rhythmic and in a sense almost hypnotic in its charm.

Perry has a warm, compelling tone, which, at least here, adds an attractively fuzzy edge to what sounds like an essentially Getzian approach to tenor timbre, while Danko's touch, melodic phrasing, and apparent disuse of root voicings suggests the influence of Bill Evans. Together, they make for a very handsome couple, and especially so when wearing these graceful threads. ~Jack Sohmer

Canções Do Brasil

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Melissa Walker - I Saw The Sky

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 60:41
Size: 138.9 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[4:09] 1. You Were Never Lovelier I'm Old Fashioned (Arr. C. Penn) I'm Old Fashioned
[6:11] 2. Some Other Time
[4:47] 3. Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You
[5:38] 4. My Shining Hour
[4:47] 5. I Saw The Sky
[4:44] 6. Twilight Song
[6:19] 7. I Get Along Without You Very Well
[4:15] 8. Let's Take An Old Fashioned Walk
[5:05] 9. The Face I Love
[8:29] 10. Return To Me
[6:11] 11. I'm In Love

I Saw the Sky is Melissa Walker's third release for Enja Records and features 11 compositions penned by notable songwriters from a vast array of musical styles. From standards by the great Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, and Johnny Mercer to originals by Walker, Nina D'Alessandro, Kenny Barron, Shedrick Mitchell, and Andrew "Tex" Allen, the music selected for this CD provides an excellent vehicle for Walker's vocal prowess. She attracts your attention immediately with her impeccable phrasing and resonance that is reminiscent of a young Sarah Vaughan on "I'm Old Fashioned." Kenny Barron's solo adds a nice touch of piano magic to Clarence Penn's arrangement. Together, they take this song off of memory lane and turn it into a great 21st century jazz experience. Walker's interpretation of "Some Other Time" is beautiful. She floats through this song with ease as Larry Willis' signature string arrangement adds another layer of emotion to Walker's lovely vocals and her ability to hold a note effortlessly through the fade. "Return to Me" is a sensitive ballad that evokes passionate memories. Walker's voice surrounds the lyrics with tenderness and that special feeling that gives meaning to the mysteries of love. I Saw the Sky succeeds on several levels where Moment of Truth lingered. Walker's compositional integrity has improved and her choice of accompanying musicians, arrangers, and composers for this CD are among some of the best in the jazz world. If there is any truth to the old saying "The third time is a charm," then Melissa Walker is definitely having her shining hour on I Saw the Sky. ~Paula Edelstein

I Saw The Sky

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Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis With Shirley Scott - On The Same Side

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 111:56
Size: 256.3 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, Organ jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[ 5:13] 1. Pennies From Heaven
[ 5:17] 2. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
[ 4:41] 3. I'll Never Be The Same
[ 6:13] 4. High Fry
[ 7:25] 5. I Can't Get Started
[ 4:35] 6. Willow Weep For Me
[ 4:23] 7. Old Devil Moon
[ 7:41] 8. But Beautiful
[ 9:55] 9. Light And Lovely
[ 4:16] 10. Too Close For Comfort
[ 4:29] 11. Body And Soul
[ 4:08] 12. But Not For Me
[ 5:25] 13. I Surrender, Dear
[ 6:13] 14. Lester Leaps In
[12:53] 15. In The Kitchen
[ 4:17] 16. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
[ 5:00] 17. It's A Blue World
[ 6:04] 18. Smoke This
[ 3:38] 19. Blue Lou

Sources vary regarding the way in which Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis earned his nickname. Some claim he adopted the moniker at an early recording session while creating titles for his compositions; "Lockjaw" consequently, became not only the name of a tune, but also an important part of his billing. Still others point to Davis's habit of clamping down on his tenor saxophone with his mouth as the reason his nickname came about, leading observers to call him "Lockjaw." But regardless of the cause, Davis became for many the quintessential straight-ahead jazz saxophonist. His sound--aggressive, big-toned, and bluesy yet also capable of great sensitivity--made him a much-emulated player. He was among a handful of players who developed an unmistakably personal sound. According to Derek Taylor on the All About Jazz website, Davis was the "bearer of a sound that could cleanly shift from coarse Rhythm and Blues infused wailing to beautifully textured, romantically voiced poetry. In either incarnation his signature sound, a full-bodied articulation that made ardent use of his instrument's rich tonal properties, always shone through as distinct and nonderivative."

An admirer of the seminal Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott has been one of the organ's most appealing representatives since the late '50s. Scott, a very melodic and accessible player, started out on piano and played trumpet in high school before taking up the Hammond B-3 and enjoying national recognition in the late '50s with her superb Prestige dates with tenor sax great Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Especially popular was their 1958 hit "In the Kitchen." Her reputation was cemented during the '60s on several superb, soulful organ/soul-jazz dates where she demonstrated an aggressive, highly rhythmic attack blending intricate bebop harmonies with bluesy melodies and a gospel influence, punctuating everything with great use of the bass pedals. Scott married soul-jazz tenor man Stanley Turrentine, with whom she often recorded in the '60s. The Scott/Turrentine union lasted until the early '70s, and their musical collaborations in the '60s were among the finest in the field. Scott wasn't as visible the following decade, when the popularity of organ combos decreased and labels were more interested in fusion and pop-jazz (though she did record some albums for Chess/Cadet and Strata East). But organists regained their popularity in the late '80s, which found her recording for Muse. Though known primarily for her organ playing, Scott is also a superb pianist -- in the 1990s, she played piano exclusively on some trio recordings for Candid, and embraced the instrument consistently in Philly jazz venues in the early part of the decade. At the end of the '90s, Scott's heart was damaged by the diet drug combination, fen-phen, leading to her declining health. In 2000 she was awarded $8 million in a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the drug. On March 10, 2002 she died of heart failure at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia. ~bio by Alex Henderson

On The Same Side

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Jim Hall - Blues & Jazz

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 83:18
Size: 191,2 MB
Art: Front

(8:35)  1. I Get A Kick Out Of You
(7:09)  2. Bill Not Phil
(2:02)  3. Greensleeves
(6:24)  4. You Go To My Head
(7:24)  5. 2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West
(5:29)  6. For All We Know
(5:54)  7. Good Friday Blues
(3:29)  8. Reuben, Reuben
(5:41)  9. East Of The Sun
(4:43) 10. I Was Doing All Right
(6:09) 11. Time After Time
(7:23) 12. I Remember You
(6:21) 13. Willow Weep For Me
(6:29) 14. When I Have You

Born in Buffalo, New York, before moving to Cleveland, Ohio, Hall was from a musical family, his mother played the piano, his grandfather violin, and his uncle guitar. He began playing the guitar at age ten when his mother gave him an instrument as a Christmas present. As a teenager in Cleveland, he performed professionally, and also took up the double bass. Hall's major influences since childhood were tenor saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Paul Gonsalves, and Lucky Thompson. While he copied out solos by guitarist Charlie Christian (and later Barney Kessel), it was horn players from which he took a lead. In 1955, Hall attended the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied piano and bass, in addition to theory. About a year later, he moved to Los Angeles, where cool jazz was prominent at the time. He focused on classical guitar, and, from 1955 to 1956, played in Chico Hamilton's quintet. It was at this time that he began to gain attention. In the Jimmy Giuffre Three, Hall developed some of his own personal musical preferences, including "challenging arrangements and interactive improvisation in duos and trios." 

He taught at the Lenox School of Jazz in 1959; toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic; and worked with Ben Webster (1959), Bill Evans (1959), Paul Desmond (1959–65), Ella Fitzgerald in Europe (1960), Lee Konitz (1960–61), Sonny Rollins (1961-2, 1964), and Art Farmer (1962-1964). Working with all of these prominent and established artists furthered Hall's career and aided in producing his own bands and own styles. By 1960, Hall was living in New York. In 1962, he led a trio with Tommy Flanagan and Ron Carter with the addition of Red Mitchell in 1965. Furthermore, he landed a gig playing with Bill Berry, Bob Brookmeyer, Benny Powell, Art Davis and Jake Hanna as a house band for The Merv Griffin Show on television. Most notably, he arranged and recorded duos with Evans and Carter, which allowed his complex arrangements and improvisations to shine. Hall had incredible improvisational ability and creativity. He was an arranger as much as an artist, known for developing motives and using blues inflections. These characteristics are showcased in his 1975 album Jim Hall Live!, with Don Thompson and Terry Clarke. Around this time he also recorded with pianist George Shearing and classical violinist Itzhak Perlman. He further continued creating music with Mitchell and Ron Carter until 1985. 

More Bio ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hall_%28musician%29

Blues & Jazz

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Great Jazz Trio - Love For Sale

Styles: Cool, Post Bop
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:44
Size: 102,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:55)  1. Love For Sale
(6:51)  2. Glad To Be Unhappy
(6:42)  3. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
(6:05)  4. Secret Love
(6:22)  5. Someone To Watch Over Me
(5:48)  6. Autmn Leaves
(6:00)  7. Tenderly - Bonus Track

The name of the group might be immodest, but the combination of pianist Hank Jones, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Tony Williams lives up to its billing. Originally cut for the Japanese East Wind label and last available domestically as an Inner City LP, this swinging but unsurprising session features boppish interpretations of six jazz standards including "Love for Sale," "Secret Love," and "Autumn Leaves." [Originally released in 1976, a Japanese CD version of Love for Sale was released in 2002. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-for-sale-mw0000649542

Great Jazz Trio: Hank Jones (piano); Buster Williams (upright bass); Tony Williams (drums).

Love For Sale

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Kat Edmonson - The Big Picture

Styles: Folk
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:08
Size: 96,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:26)  1. Rainy Day Woman
(2:54)  2. You Said Enough
(2:48)  3. Oh My Love
(2:48)  4. Avion
(3:24)  5. Crying
(2:50)  6. All The Way
(3:49)  7. You Can't Break My Heart
(3:43)  8. Till We Start To Kiss
(3:27)  9. The Best
(3:26) 10. Dark Cloud
(4:25) 11. For Two
(4:01) 12. Who's Counting

Austin-based singer/songwriter Kat Edmonson has built a cult following around her cherubic, jazz-inflected songs. And while she has always utilized the colorful harmonies and clever lyrical melodies of jazz and American popular song, at her core she's a jazz-influenced pop artist, and this album finds her embracing those sensibilities more than ever. If Edmonson's 2012 sophomore album, Way Down Low, found her moving even further afield from the cabaret jazz of 2009's Take to the Sky, then 2014's The Big Picture reveals another evolution toward an all-original approach to making music. Working with producer Mitchell Froom, Edmonson wrote and/or co-wrote all of the songs on The Big Picture. Froom, no stranger to the art of presenting quirky singer/songwriters, having worked with such similarly inclined artists as Ron Sexsmith, Crowded House, Suzanne Vega, and others, is the perfect collaborator for Edmonson. 

Here, he frames her lilting, Billie Holiday-meets-Blossom Dearie vocals with the kind of '50s and '60s traditional pop sound that Edmonson lightly flirted with on Way Down Low. However, on The Big Picture the singer truly makes this style her own. There is a charming, vintage vibe to many of the album's tracks, with Froom and Edmonson striking a nice balance between cuts that have a retro, orchestral AM pop sound, such as the swinging ballad "Oh My Love," and a more contemporary folk sound, as on the poignant "All the Way." Elsewhere, Edmonson delves into Ennio Morricone spaghetti Western drama ("You Can't Break My Heart"), breezy '60s lounge music ("Avion"), and Brill Building echo-chamber romanticism ("For Two"). Ultimately, by bringing all of her influences together with Froom's help, Edmonson's own unmistakable sound comes into fine focus on The Big Picture.~ Matt Collar  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-big-picture-mw0002718063

The Big Picture

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Daryl Sherman - I've Got My Fingers Crossed / Born To Swing

Album: I've Got My Fingers Crossed: A Celebration Of Jimmy McHugh
Size: 106,2 MB
Time: 44:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1991
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I've Got My Fingers Crossed (3:39)
02. Top Of The Town (2:29)
03. I Just Found Out About Love (2:54)
04. Never Trust A Dream (4:03)
05. South American Way (2:02)
06. Hooray For Love (2:12)
07. I'm In The Mood For Love (1:47)
08. I'm Livin' In A Great Big Way (3:05)
09. Exactly Like You (3:09)
10. Where Are You (4:21)
11. Doin' The New Low Down (3:56)
12. Dream, Dream, Dream (3:16)
13. You're The One For Me (2:52)
14. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (4:58)

The fine swing singer Daryl Sherman pays tribute to composer Jimmy McHugh on this CD by performing 14 of his tunes, ranging from big hits to obscurities. Sherman sounds perfectly at home on such songs as "I've My Fingers Crossed," "South American Way" (introduced by Carmen Miranda), "I'm Livin' In a Great Big Way," "Doin' the New Lowdown" and "On the Sunny Side of the Street" among others. She is assisted on various songs by pianist Dave McKenna (otherwise Sherman is on piano), the reeds (clarinet, tenor and alto) of Ken Peplowski, veteran tenorman Eddie Barefield (on one of his final recordings), guitarist John Pizzarelli and bassist Jay Leonhart. The latter two occasionally join in with Sherman on vocal duets. Overall, this is an excellent tribute with plenty of subtle surprises. ~Review by Scott Yanow

I've Got My Fingers Crossed

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Album: Born To Swing
Size: 140,0 MB
Time: 59:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2002
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Breezin' Along With The Breeze (Feat. Kenny Davern) (3:33)
02. Maybe It's The Moon (4:12)
03. Trav'lin' All Alone (Feat. Kenny Davern) (4:30)
04. I Found A Million Dollar Baby (3:22)
05. I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So (Feat. Kenny Davern) (5:06)
06. The Kind Of Man A Woman Needs (3:49)
07. Pretty Eyed Baby (Feat. Kenny Davern) (3:50)
08. Try To Forget (4:15)
09. Happy As The Day Is Long (2:01)
10. I Double Dare You (Feat. Kenny Davern) (6:21)
11. Bittersweet (3:17)
12. What Kind O' Man Is You (3:28)
13. Bing Crosby Medley (7:41)
14. Born To Swing (Feat. Kenny Davern) (4:05)

One of the finest swing singers of the 1980s and '90s, and a masterful interpreter whose sweet voice sometimes recalls Mildred Bailey, Daryl Sherman displays plenty of versatility on this effort. She not only sings a few standards (including "Breezin' Along With the Breeze," "I Found a Million Dollar Baby," and "I'm Just a Lucky So-And-So") but uncovers some real obscurities, including Walter Donaldson's "Maybe It's the Moon," Mary Lou Williams' "Pretty Eyed Baby," Jerome Kern's "Try to Forget," and Billy Strayhorn's "Bittersweet." The personnel and instrumentation change from track to track with such notable players making strong contributions as cornetist Ed Polcer, trombonist Bob Havens, clarinetist Kenny Davern, pianist John Sheridan, guitarist James Chirillo, bassist Frank Tate, and drummer Joe Ascione. On six songs, Sherman also plays piano, faring quite well on "Happy As the Day Is Long." In addition, there is a "Bing Crosby Medley" that she shares with singer/bassist Jay Leonhart that has the two vocalists providing brief excerpts from a couple dozen songs in a "And Then I Wrote" fashion. The main star throughout is Daryl Sherman's very appealing voice. Particularly on ballads, she shows quite a bit of individuality and, although she expresses a lot of emotions, there is an inner joy to her voice. One never doubts that she loves to perform this music. ~Review by Scott Yanow

Born To Swing

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Coleman Hawkins - Classics

Size: 148,1 MB
Time: 63:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Mainstream Jazz, Saxophone Jazz
Art: Front

01. Out Of Nowhere (3:41)
02. Body And Soul (3:14)
03. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (4:15)
04. Mood Indigo (5:54)
05. One Note Samba (Samba De Uma Nota So) (5:58)
06. It Never Entered My Mind (5:47)
07. La Rosita (5:02)
08. O Pato (The Duck) (4:08)
09. Cocktails For Two (2:39)
10. Desafinado (5:45)
11. I Remember You (3:55)
12. Go Li'l Liza (6:22)
13. Intermezzo (3:35)
14. I'll Never Be The Same (3:28)

Coleman Hawkins was the first great saxophonist of Jazz. As a child he was a gifted musician. In 1922, Mamie Smith spotted him in Jesse Stone and his Blues Serenaders in Kansas City theatre and hired him away to play with her Jazz Hounds. Hawkins stayed with Smith until 1923, and appeared on some of her records. After leaving The Jazz Hounds, he played with Wilbur Sweatman and then made his first recordings with Fletcher Henderson. He joined Henderson's Orchestra in 1924 and stayed with him for the next ten years. In addition to his work with Henderson, he recorded with McKinney's Cotton Pickers, and with Red McKenzie's Mound City Blue Blowers in 1929. When he left Henderson in 1934 he moved to Europe, and stayed there until 1939 playing first with Jack Hylton's Orchestra in England and then traveling and recording throughout the continent. In 1937 he appeared on a famous recording date with Benny Carter, Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. In 1939 as World War II started, Hawkins wisely returned to America. He recorded a version of "Body and Soul" in 1940 that became his most famous record. Hawkins was one of the few Hot Jazz musicians who made the shift to Be Bop in the Forties. He hired Thelonious Monk for his quartet in 1944 and led an early bop recording session the same year which included Dizzy Gillespie. He also hired Miles Davis and Max Roach to play on his bands early in their careers. In 1946 he recorded with J.J. Johnson and Fats Navarro. By the early 1950s, the innovations of Lester Young and Charlie Parker made Hawkins' style seem a bit old fashioned. However Hawkins was able to adapt to the changing currents in Jazz again, when he teamed up with Roy Eldridge. Throughout the rest Fifties and Sixties he appeared on records made by Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Eric Dolphy and John Coltrane. In the early 1960s Coleman Hawkins recorded with Duke Ellington, and made a record with Sonny Rollins.

Classics

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Leigh Barker & The New Sheiks - Flow Like Wine

Size: 116,0 MB
Time: 49:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter ( 3:54)
02. It's All Coming Home To You ( 4:44)
03. Neighbourhood Blues ( 4:42)
04. Come On In My Kitchen ( 3:56)
05. Flow Like Wine ( 3:31)
06. Don't Fix My Blues ( 5:48)
07. Are You Lonesome Tonight ( 5:33)
08. Seven Years ( 5:02)
09. The Lonesome Gertrude (12:43)

Leigh Barker and his six-piece group, for the last five years touring under the moniker ‘The New Sheiks’ but now equally well known as the musical half of the innovative dance company the ‘Melbourne Rhythm Project’, continue to build on their reputation as one of the most engaging, entertaining and hard-swinging groups currently performing in the Australian Jazz Scene.

Saturday November 15th will see the launch of Barker’s seventh full length release: a CD and digital album titled ‘Flow Like Wine’. Drawn from several studio sources and live sessions during the band’s 2012 and 2013 touring schedule, the album features guest appearances by triple Bell Award winning saxophonist Julien Wilson, piano genius Steve Grant and to top it all off was mastered in New York by the great Rob ‘Wacko’ Hunter, full time sound engineer for all of Branford Marsalis’ various projects. Combined with the regular members Heather Stewart on violin and vocals, Eamon McNelis trumpet, Matt Boden piano, Don Stewart trombone and Sam Young on the drums, this may just be Barker’s most cohesive release to date.

Flow Like Wine

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Jeff Sipe Trio - Jeff Sipe Trio

Size: 98,8 MB
Time: 41:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Funk, Fusion
Art: Front

01. Trumpets (2:57)
02. Alberta (4:14)
03. Banana Pudding (5:24)
04. April (3:15)
05. Lightning Man (6:00)
06. Renee (3:33)
07. Naima (5:11)
08. Home Town (4:23)
09. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (3:37)
10. Happy Evil Happy (2:42)

Two-time Grammy nominee Jeff Sipe brings together the incredible virtuosos Mike Seal on guitar and Taylor Lee on bass to form the Jeff Sipe Trio. An alumni of Berklee College of Music, Sipe has established himself as one of the greatest drummers in the United States. He has toured and/or recorded with highly renowned artists such as Bela Fleck, Phil Lesh, Jimmy Herring Band, Trey Anastasio Band, Derek Trucks, Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit and many others.

Jeff Sipe Trio

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Andy Cowan - After The Rain

Size: 100,9 MB
Time: 42:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Contemporary Blues, Blues Soul
Art: Front

01. With You In Mind (3:44)
02. What Good Am I (3:28)
03. Janelle (2:51)
04. Hold On To Me (3:58)
05. Make You Feel My Love (4:02)
06. Back When We Were Beautiful (3:11)
07. When You Smile (3:28)
08. Over The Rainbow (3:11)
09. You Don't Know What Love Is (3:37)
10. Memories Of Tomorrow (3:53)
11. Georgia On My Mind (3:37)
12. Falling (3:25)

Seminal Australian soul and blues visionary Andy Cowan returns with a new collection of 12 timeless, and seamless contemporary songs with After The Rain.

Andy’s evocative song writing and timeless vocals have cemented him as one of the country’s foremost singer songwriters, revered for his passion and lyricism.

After The Rain sees Andy give a nod to the nostalgic stylings of soul and blues greats with version of Georgia On My Mind and What Good Am I, whilst paving the way for modern adult contemporary sounds.

After The Rain

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Jeff Duffield - In The Key Of Christmas

Size: 100,8 MB
Time: 42:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz, Piano Jazz, Holiday
Art: Front

01. It's Christmas In New York (3:20)
02. O Little Town Of Bethlehem (3:37)
03. Pretty Paper (3:26)
04. Christmas Praise (4:26)
05. Grown-Up Christmas List (3:32)
06. Mary, Did You Know (3:15)
07. Blue Christmas (3:39)
08. Count Your Blessings (Instead Of Sheep) (3:16)
09. The Holly & The Ivy (2:38)
10. Tennessee Christmas (4:34)
11. It's A Marshmallow World (2:15)
12. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (4:53)

Jeff Duffield's new Christmas project, "In the Key of Christmas" is available NOW at Duffield Music Store! A blend of smooth jazz, cool country and traditional holiday favorites will be a great addition to your festive music library this year. Keyboardist and arranger, Jeff, also teams with Joel Key (guitars) and Mike McElravy (guitar and steel) for this amazing compilation of seasonal memories.

This is Jeff's third holiday album in over 30 years of music-making. The radio single, "Christmas Praise" written and sung by Sue, is a featured tune on the project.

Jeff is a keyboardist with over forty five years experience in studio and stage performance. As a trained classical pianist, Jeff is known for his unique jazz, country and gospel orchestrations. He studied arranging and production at Berklee School of Music and has performed with artists such as Jimmy Fortune, The Dukes of Hazzard Band, Beatlemania, A Chorus Line, and Gospel artists such as John Starnes, Ann Downing, Gary S. Paxton, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Doug Oldham, Three Bridges, Dave Boyer, and John Hagee Ministries. Jeff resides in Nashville, TN.

In The Key Of Christmas

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Anna Leman - About Dreams

Size: 104,2 MB
Time: 44:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Dreamer (5:57)
02. Unreachable Dreams (2:14)
03. Grey (4:44)
04. Sunshiny Day (4:10)
05. Herzverbrannt (3:35)
06. Day By Day (4:07)
07. Once (4:19)
08. Dem Himmel So Nah (2:34)
09. Right From The Start (4:11)
10. Poor Boy (4:23)
11. Sunrise (4:35)

Her strong stage presence, her expressive interpretation and her natural charm make every evening with Anna Leman into a great musical experience.
Anna Leman grew up with music. Her vocal training began early with her father, a renowned opera singer. Finally, she discovered her love for jazz and studied, among others, with Janet Tyler in Munich. For several years now Anna Leman has thrilled an ever-increasing audience on jazz stages and at events at home and abroad.
Whether she performs ballads, blues, swing or her own compositions, the Munich girl, with great sensitivity, together with musical virtuosity, gives every song a distinctive touch.
Smooth, velvety sounds or bluesy and soulful ones. Into each song she instills new life and it becomes her own story.
Anna Leman takes her audience with her on a journey and dives with them into a world of great emotions. She seems to merge with her musicians. Togetherness is written in capital letters. Improvisation is just as important and celebrated in clever arrangements.
The total dedication to her music and the passion with which Anna Leman reaches into the hearts of the listeners, are very special and unique!
In 2007 her first album "Moon Hours", composed and written by her, came out, in 2010 her second one "Traces". She calls her project with only her own compositions "Lemansland“.

About Dreams

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Vaya Con Dios - Thank You All! (Live)

Size: 163,8 MB
Time: 70:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Pop Rock, Chanson, Blues, Soul
Art: Front

01. One Silver Dollar (3:03)
02. Time Flies (3:51)
03. Johnny (3:41)
04. Quand Elle Rit Aux Eclats (5:36)
05. Heading For A Fall (3:30)
06. Comme On Est Venu.. (4:14)
07. What's A Woman (4:34)
08. Don't Cry For Louie (3:06)
09. Just A Friend Of Mine (3:26)
10. Puerto Rico (4:31)
11. Les Voiliers Sauvages De Nos Vies (3:48)
12. Night Owls (4:38)
13. Don't Break My Heart (4:08)
14. I Don't Wanna Know (4:33)
15. Pauvre Diable (5:07)
16. Look At Us Now (3:54)
17. Nah Neh Nah (4:51)

Personnel:
Dani Klein: vocals
Dirk Schoufs: (acoustic) bass
Willy Willy: guitar
Jean-Michel Gielen: guitar
Philippe Allaert: drums

The story of Vaya Con Dios (a Spanish phrase which means "go with god") started in 1986. The group was formed by Dani Klein, Dirk Schoufs (bass from the rockabilly group The Wild Ones) and Willy Lambregt (guitar player for the Scabs). Their first release, the single "Just a friend of mine" characterizes the group with its love for Spanish-influenced music and acoustic instruments. It becomes an overnight hit (300.000 sold copies in France) and their career is on the way.
Willy Willy decides to spend all his time with the Scabs (Vaya Con Dios wasn't "rock'n'roll" enough) and the first full album is recorded with session musicians. The singles "Puerto Rico" and "Don't cry for Louie" open even more doors for the group
The second album continues the success story (with hits like the melancholic "What's a woman" and the joyous European hit "Nah neh nah"). The influence of Spanish flamenco shifts to "old American jukebox hits although with unmistakable influences from gypsy music and French chanson" (Oor).
In 1991 the pair of Dirk Schoufs and Dani Klein lose interest in each other and Dirk leaves the band. Soon afterwards he dies of a drugs-related infection disease. The Album "Time Flies" which is released a year after, is the saddest thus far, with a lot of soul influences but also trips across the border to music of Latin-America. The album is entirely a Dani Klein product, which makes it clear that the group is in fact a singer, a "femme fatale".
According to the record company, this was also the album which had to lift them to the status of superstar, but that wasn't to be. The black but mediocre single "Heading for a fall" got very heavy "rotation" on MTV but didn't produce a lot of excitement.
The group has built a very considerable following all over the world (but especially in Germany, France and Scandinavia) and the band makes a very successful tour around the world in 1993.
The 1995 album "Roots and Wings" doesn't change the musical direction of the group drastically (mainly r&b, but this time also with some musical accents from India and Arabian music). It is recorded in the Muscle Shoals Studios in Alabama (the legendary studio for artists like Etta James and Aretha Franklin). The horn section from Muscle Shoals accompanies Dani on her European tour in 1996. Her son (19-year old Simon Schoovaerts) plays the keyboards on stage.
After 7,000,000 copies of albums sold, Dani Klein felt trapped by the success, however. In 1996 she had become fed up with the circus the group had become, and retired from showbizz to travel and "live her life". She explained the process a few years later : "In the latest phase it was no pleasure anymore. Vaya con Dios felt like a machine that had to be kept turning. I had to cancel the last concerts because I fell ill, the stress was terrible. I didn't have a bond with the musicians anymore, they just came to do their job for two months. I didn't even know if they even liked the music. We didn't talk about such things. No, that was not my cup of tea anymore. But I guess that is how it goes : you start small and then the thing starts getting bigger and bigger." She explained in an interview with Peter Van Dyck in Weekend-Knack "The pressure had become to high, the expectations for each new album had grown too much."
It wasn't until four years later that Dani Klein emerged on the music scene again, with a new band called Purple Prose.

Thank You All!

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Buddy Defranco & Martin Taylor - Buddy Defranco Meets Martin Taylor

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:36
Size: 106.7 MB
Styles: Straight ahead jazz
Year: 1984/2009
Art: Front

[4:42] 1. Whispering Groovin' High
[6:32] 2. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues
[6:54] 3. Manhattan Tea Party
[6:40] 4. Goodbye
[4:40] 5. Just Friends
[6:52] 6. Angels Camp
[3:10] 7. Dark Island
[3:03] 8. Prelude To A Kiss
[3:59] 9. I Got Rhythm

Hep reissues their killer 1984 session with clarinetist Buddy DeFranco meeting up with jazz guitar virtuoso Martin Taylor that also includes Alex Sharp playing piano, Ronnie Bae on bass, and Clark Tracey in the drummer’s chair. DeFranco who was 60 at the time and is in killer form on this set of jazz standards that include “Groovin’ High,” “Prelude to a Kiss,” “I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues,” and others. Taylor is a perfect foil for the gorgeously round and warm tone of DeFranco with his contrapuntal gypsy jazz licks and rhythms. This set was reissued on CD in 2009. ~Thom Jurek

Buddy Defranco Meets Martin Taylor

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Gal Costa - Live At The Blue Note

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:08
Size: 140.0 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:47] 1. Fotografia
[4:58] 2. Desafinado
[4:45] 3. Chega De Saudade
[2:53] 4. Camisa Amarela
[3:45] 5. Pra Manchucar Meu Caracao
[3:45] 6. Ave Maria No Moro
[3:04] 7. Nada Alem
[3:28] 8. I Fall In Love Too Easily
[4:11] 9. Corcovado
[2:14] 10. Triste
[3:51] 11. Wave
[4:33] 12. Coisa Mais Linda As Time Goes By
[2:03] 13. Samba Do Aviao
[4:13] 14. A Felicidade
[3:26] 15. Aquarela Do Brasil
[4:24] 16. Sabado Em Copacabana Copacabana Riberio
[0:40] 17. Garota De Ipanema

Brazilian music legend and superstar (the Brazilians never, ever forget their heroes, they keep buying their records and attending their concerts until they drop) Gal Costa played to a very small jazz club crowd at the Blue Note in New York City in May of 2006. This recording on the DRG label is the complete recording of that performance. Costa was accompanied by a jazz quartet that included bass, drums, guitar, and reed and woodwind instruments. She performed a complete bossa nova repertoire, whose roots and popularity were a full musical generation before her own coming of age during the tumultuous and wildly creative tropicalia movement of the late 1960s and early '70s that threatened the nation's government.

Most of what's here are the classics, written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, Dorival Caymmi, Ary Barroso, and Herivelto Martins: "Corcovado," "Desafinado," "Garota de Ipanema," "Triste," "Wave," and more. And are they ever elegant. The band's playing is slippery and fluid behind her, weaving hypnotically, imparting rhythms and textures through the middle of that glorious voice, a shade lower than it used to be but with all that breezy elegance. There are a couple of surprises, however; Costa's readings of the standards "I Fall in Love Too Easily," and a beautiful medley of "Coisa Mais Linda E" and "As Time Goes By" are a bit inconsistent, but the only real problem with this set is that it seems to flit by in an instant, though its 17 cuts add up to over an hour. This is an utterly enchanting and beautiful recording. All bossa fans should have it. ~Thom Jurek

Live At The Blue Note

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