Ronald Baker Quintet - Celebrating Nat King Cole

Size: 148,5 MB
Time: 64:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'm Lost - Five Brothers (4:04)
02. That Ain't Right (Feat. China Moses) (5:05)
03. Walkin' My Baby Back Home - Swingin' My Baby Back Home (Feat. Michele Hendricks) (7:54)
04. L-O-V-E (Feat. Jesse Davis) (7:02)
05. Suite For Nat, Pt. 1 (Smile) (Feat. Jesse Davis) (4:06)
06. Suite For Nat, Pt. 2 (I Love You For Sentimental Reasons) (Feat. Jesse Davis) (4:15)
07. Suite For Nat, Pt. 3 (Nature Boy) (Feat. Jesse Davis) (5:10)
08. Suite For Nat, Pt. 4 (I'm Thru With Love) (Feat. Jesse Davis) (3:31)
09. Suite For Nat, Pt. 5 (The Christmas Song) (Feat. Jesse Davis) (3:38)
10. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You (Feat. China Moses) (4:06)
11. Come Along With Me (3:21)
12. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (5:08)
13. Straighten Up And Fly Right (7:02)

It's pretty obvious that Ronald Baker belongs "body and soul" to the prestigious family of the trumpet singers. Just like Louis Armstrong (the pioneer), nearly a century ago. With a natural gift, influenced by Eddie Jefferson and Jon Hendricks, this amazing jazzman knows what he owes to the great Nat King Cole: the unrivaled crooner of all times. This was bound to happen, the quintet directed by Ronald Baker had to pay him a vibrating tribute. With his long-time sidemen, and the presence of the great drummer Mario Gonzi and prestigious guests(the alto player Jesse Davis, the singers Michele Hendricks and China Moses), Ronald Baker has made it a beautiful jazz session with the Strings of the Alhambra Colbert Orchestra. Nat King Cole is still alive!

Celebrating Nat King Cole

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Alysha Umphress - I've Been Played: Alysha Umphress Swings Jeff Blumenkrantz

Size: 133,2 MB
Time: 56:46
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Broadway
Art: Front

01. Two Cents (3:11)
02. Why Can't I Kiss You (4:03)
03. I Don't Need Anything But You (3:35)
04. I've Been Played (6:03)
05. Mayday! M'aider! (4:39)
06. Time Does Not Bring Relief (3:10)
07. Celebrate (3:47)
08. Steal Away (3:12)
09. Spring Is Here Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most (7:39)
10. Man In The Moon (4:29)
11. You Are Never Away/Ten Minutes Ago (5:58)
12. Giving Thanks (3:49)
13. You Smell So Good (Bonus Track) (3:06)

Alysha Umphress, currently dazzling Broadway theatergoers as the taxi driving Hildy in the revival of On The Town, is giving audiences the world over a reason to rejoice in her talent. I was luckily enough to see On The Town in late November, and I instantly fell in love with her plucky bravado and infectiously charismatic performance. That same energy and passion for performance is pristinely captured on Yellow Sound Label's I'VE BEEN PLAYED: ALYSHA UMPHRESS SWINGS JEFF BLUMENKRANTZ, making this album a sure-fire toe-tapping dazzler.

Jeff Blumenkrantz first met Alysha Umphress at the 2006 Raw Impressions Musical Theatre Festival, and she immediately became "one of [his] muses." Together, they recorded the album while she was in rehearsals for On The Town, and the end product is a swinging jazz compilation of mostly original music. Some of which you may recognize from places like SUBMISSIONS ONLY, as the track "Two Cents" was featured in the fifth episode of the second season and "Steal Away" was featured in sixth episode of the third season.

Whether you've heard them before or not, each of Jeff Blumenkrantz's original compositions and his arrangements of classics will have you dancing around your living room, snapping your fingers on your daily commutes, and grinning from ear to ear. His up-tempo and upbeat music radiates happiness and joy, filling the soul and heart with mirthful warmth. He also lends his own vocals to a handful of songs, pairing nicely with Alysha Umphress as well. Naturally, the album isn't wholly upbeat music, and his ballads, especially as sung by Alysha Umphress, are intoxicating. The musicality featured on these tracks is supple and sublimely gorgeous.

The star of the album is Alysha Umphress' wondrous and sparkling alto instrument. Across the recording her voice is sweet, landing on each pitch with a balanced and soft caress. She truly delights on each track, whether she has us bouncing along with her lively and energetic performances on numbers like "I Don't Need Anything But You" (Charles Strouse/Martin Charnin) or "Celebrate" (Jeff Blemnbrantz). Additionally, Alysha Umphress croons with devastating perfection on the stirring jazzy ballads on the disc. She makes songs like "Why Can't I Kiss You" (Blumenkrantz), "I've Been Played" (Blumenkrantz), "Spring Is Here" (Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart), "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" (Tommy Wolf/Fran Landesman), and "Man in the Moon" (Blumenkrantz) simultaneously stunning and unforgettable.

With Alysha Umphress stealing the show as Hildy in On The Town, the jazzy throwback aural landscape of this album couldn't be more time appropriate. Since you'll have to wait until March 3, 2015 to get your hands on PS Classic's highly anticipated On The Town (New Broadway Cast Recording), let this at times effervescing and always lovely album scratch your itch for music that sounds as if it sprung from the pre-World War II era of 1940s nightclubs.

I've Been Played

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Paul Bollenback - Portraits In Space And Time

Size: 180,1 MB
Time: 78:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Guitar Jazz
Art: Front

01. Call Of The Spirits (1:51)
02. Homecoming (7:45)
03. 3 Days (9:06)
04. Collective (2:06)
05. Sunset (8:23)
06. Jungle (1:16)
07. Little Island (7:24)
08. Bird In The Sky (6:00)
09. Open Hand (9:46)
10. Dance Delicious (4:25)
11. Joseph (1:31)
12. Dance Of Hands (5:46)
13. Lights (5:25)
14. Swingin' At Capones (7:21)

Guitarist Paul Bollenback is valued by listeners and musicians alike for his incisive and inventive guitar work, wholly in the tradition while simultaneously branching out beyond the same old same old. His playing has been a key ingredient—in some cases, the key ingredient—in much of organ kingpin Joey DeFrancesco's recorded output, saxophonist Jim Snidero's highly praised Savant dates, vocalist Chris McNulty's post-millennial releases, and elsewhere, but it's his own albums that truly provide a full picture of his talent(s). Bollenback doesn't subscribe to the churn-out-an-album-per-year philosophy, and he's never had to since he's remained extremely busy as a sideman and educator, so he makes each and every record count; this one, for example, comes seven years after his previous album—Invocation (Elefant Dreams, 2007)—and it's a doozy.

Portraits In Space And Time finds Bollenback in the company of bassist Joseph Lepore and drummer/percussionist Rogerio Boccato, spinning out everything from starry night music to Brazilian-tinged constructs. High-level communication is on display throughout, whether these three are delivering sophisticated sounds of the wild ("Jungle"), a winner in five ("Little Island"), a light touch John Scofield-ish jam number ("Open Hand"), or a slow moving waltz ("3 Days"). There's plenty of life and lift in this music ("Homecoming"), but it's sensitivity and a gentle(r) bearing that carry the day; background-foreground alternation between Bollenback and Lepore, the delightfully deft drumming of Boccato, and the marriage of all three personalities make the ears stand up and take notice.

Hints of everybody from Bill Frisell to John Abercrombie to Jim Hall to Vinicius Cantuaria come out at times in Bollenback's playing, but his work is never really derivative; it's simply in tune with so many different aspects of jazz language(s), so there's bound to be some crossover in vocabulary. Add to that the taut and focused bass work of Lepore and the inimitable drumming of Boccato and you have something truly special: three who play as one, listening, moving, and creating with the spirit of cooperation. ~Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Paul Bollenback: electric guitar, acoustic guitar; Joseph Lepore: bass; Rogerio Boccato: drums, percussion.

Portraits In Space And Time

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The Golden Gate Quartet - The Golden Gate Quartet: 80 Years

Size: 121,2 MB
Time: 51:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Blues, Gospel, Soul
Art: Front

01. The Golden Gate Quartet 80 Years (3:25)
02. Billie Jean (4:03)
03. Out Goes The Light (When Your Time Is Done) (3:09)
04. Part Time Lover (4:08)
05. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (2:37)
06. Shadrack (2:22)
07. Lonely (3:11)
08. It's A Good Day (2:32)
09. Wonderfull World (2:36)
10. Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay (4:21)
11. Stand By Me (3:27)
12. St Louis Blues (3:23)
13. Rock My Soul (2:17)
14. Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho (2:14)
15. Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen (2:54)
16. Soon Will Be Done (With The Trouble Of This World) (2:24)
17. Down By The Riverside (2:19)

Members:
Paul BREMBLY
Frank DAVIS
Terry FRANCOIS
Timothy RILEY

The Golden Gate Quartet is a part of History, but it is far from being history. Almost eight decades after they emerged in the segregated South of the Depression, the Gates prove their resilience singing music as cutting edge as anything they've done before.

In the course of an unwavering career, the Gates have seen members come and go; yet the Gates have maintained inordinate cohesion and consistency throughout their career, both in their personnel and artistic vision.

Unlike Motown groups such as the Four Tops and the Temptations whose current traveling versions are only remotely associated with the spirit of theirs founders, the Golden Gate Quartet is a continuum: every time Orlandus "Dad" Wilson and Clyde Riddick - respectively members from 1936 and 1940 until their demise in 1998 and 1999 hired a new recruit, they taught him the importance of both tradition and innovation.

The group's current leader, Paul Brembly ("Dad" Wilson's grandnephew), makes sure that the music of the quartet remains as relevant today as it's always been.4/18 For the Gates have spent their lives opening doors. Imagined by a neighborhood barber from Berkeley, Virginia, the quartet broke the mould and created a different approach from that of the African-American groups of old.

At a time when gospel music - a conjunction of the Holy Spirit with the blues spirit - wasbreaking new grounds, the Golden Gate revolutionized jubilee, no less, featuring a swing and groove clearly associated with jazz. Patterning themselves after the most popular secular quartet of the day, the Mills Brothers, they also added a sprinkling of pop tunes to their repertoire and introduced the church to vocalized "instrumental" riffs, a technique that allowed them to mimic trumpets, saxophones, and sounds from everyday life.

This original recipe drew the attention of the Victor Company and their very first 78 was an immediate success. Published under the Bluebird imprint, "Golden Gate Gospel Train" was a musical tour de force that put their career in orbit. The Gates soon found in New York an audience well outside the scope oftheir usual African-American following, especially in the wake of their appearance at Carnegie Hall on Christmas

Eve 1939, as part of the "From Spiritual to Swing" program. Yet the experience that brought the Gates mainstream success on an unprecedented level was their prolonged stay at Cafe Society, a famous New York cabaret where they became a mainstay until the mid forties, sharing the stage with icons like Big Bill Broonzy, Billie Holiday and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. After discovering them there, then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt invited the Gates to the White House and they made history when they performed at Constitution Hall for President Roosevelt's inauguration in 1941.

Two years later, the Gold Gate made the news once again when it became the first Black religious group to appear on V-Discs, the records produced by the US government for the use of military personnel overseas. By the time the war was over, the name Golden Gate Quartet had become synonym with sophisticated harmonies in Europe and Japan.

Surfing on their global popularity, the Gates reinvented themselves as an international act and took Europe by storm, eventually settling In Paris.5/18Their biggest achievement for the past fifty years has been their unchallenged triumph as ambassadors of Afro-American music throughout the world. With the names of almost one hundred countries stamped on their passports, this is not a mere formula, but a fact confirmed by the large number of concerts they have given over the years at the request of the State Department.

More than anything else, the Gates' resume displays their will to innovate. After bridging the gap between spiritual and gospel, after announcing the hip-hop revolution with the long raps that have been the feature of their preaching style for three quarters of a century, the quartet is eager to demonstrate that modernity, unlike fads and fashions, is a state of mind.

The Golden Gate Quartet: 80 Years

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Colette Wickenhagen - The Kick Of The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 73:31

Size: 168.3 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 1994

Art: Front

[7:20] 1. Isn't This A Lovely Day

[8:22] 2. Billie's Blues

[3:38] 3. Love Me Or Leave Me

[7:11] 4. The Shadow Of Your Smile

[7:15] 5. Cheek To Cheek

[5:31] 6. I Was Born To Be Blue

[5:22] 7. Nature Boy

[3:55] 8. I Thought About You

[7:31] 9. All Blues

[7:38] 10. Stormy Monday

[9:42] 11. 'round Midnight

Even if we would call Colette Wickenhagen just a singer, we wouldn't do her any justice at all. Even if we don't see her, if we only listen to the music on this cd, we can hear that she does a lot more than just use her vocal chords. She is one piece of dynamite that can make any stage rock and explode. She just forces the audience to listen. In view of the varied course of her career, it is not so strange.

She studied successively at the Conservatoir in The Hague (NL), the Arts Educational Scool in London / Tring Park (GB), at the renowned (amongst ex-students the cherished as well as notorious) Nel Roos Academy and the Art of the Cabaret Academy in Amsterdam. Furthermore she worked as a dancer with the ballet company Intro Dans (NL), as an actrice in the tv-series "De weg naar Peruwelz" (TROS / NL), as a Dramatic Arts & Musical teacher at cultural centres in Nijmegen and Harderwijk (NL) and as a singer in her own ensembles as well as in other peoples bands, ranging from trio's to big bands.
Of course she brings this enormous amount of stage experience with her; she knows how to move, how to send the right mimicry, in short she knows how body language can enhance her musical expression. Still, while performing she gives a lot more than just a professional sophisticated show; she gives herself.

That enormous physical expressiveness, the willingness to throw herself deeply into a song, the art of swingingly taking in tow a full concert hall, is part of her being. From the top of her head to the tip of her toes, she ís music. Even if we have to "make do" with just listening to this cd, she is an almost tangible presence. Especially since she won the Soloist / Polaroid Award in 1990 together with the Big Band Nijmegen, and was awarded the Breukelen Jazz Award in 1992, people often asked in vain about a cd of this impressive singer. The cd was of course recorded 'live' in the intimate jazz club atmosphere of the eminent CNM Studio in Hilversum (NL), situated in a stylishly altered farmhouse.

It is only logical that Colette Wickenhagen in her choice of repertory had a preference of songs that fit in with her extrovert radiation; bob-pieces saturated in blues like the swinging "Love me or leave me", the overly well known but still freshly interpreted "Cheek to Cheek", the humorous "I was born to be blue", or the passionate and in a somewhat slower tempo sung "Nature Boy". But also real ballads fit well into her program. You only have to listen to "Billie's Blues", (it is no coincidence that the word blues was used in the title of this cd) or with the slightly latin touch brought "The Shadow of your Smile". After the warmly coloured "'Round Midnight" with the melancholy sound of Jan Verwey's mouth-organ - which is the last song on this cd - there's only óne possibility left; to just start the cd all over again. ~jan Rensen

The Kick Of The Blues

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Dave Green & Barry Green - Turn Left At Monday

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:14
Size: 110.4 MB
Styles: Chamber jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:20] 1. I'll Be Around
[3:00] 2. Where Do You Go
[3:27] 3. The Sounds Around The House
[5:54] 4. Turn Left At Monday
[4:41] 5. Johnny Come Lately
[4:13] 6. Ideally
[4:30] 7. Dreamsville
[3:52] 8. Unbelievable
[4:11] 9. I Wish I Knew
[2:07] 10. All My Life
[6:55] 11. The Ballad Of The Sad Young Men

No, they're not related, although pianist Barry and bassist Dave Green play together as though they were. You really need to be sitting down quietly to savour this set of 11 delicate improvisations on under-the-radar songs. Five of them, including the title piece, which is recorded here for the first time, are by the late Alec Wilder, the archetypal composer's composer. This kind of chamber jazz depends for its effect on sketching in elusive harmonies and keeping you hanging on as they unfold. It also keeps your ears busy while the rest of you relaxes. ~Dave Gelly

Turn Left At Monday

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Chasing The Moon - Nuages

Styles: Jazz, Gypsy Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:11
Size: 142,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:05)  1. Noto Swing
(5:20)  2. Stomping at the Savoy
(3:41)  3. Minor Swing
(5:52)  4. Nuages
(3:36)  5. Daphne
(4:52)  6. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
(4:04)  7. Djangology
(4:46)  8. Night and Day
(4:29)  9. Douce Ambience
(3:27) 10. Undecided
(4:15) 11. O Pato
(4:52) 12. Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me
(4:03) 13. Swing 42
(4:45) 14. Fields of Gold

Chasing the Moon features Kathy Bluff on lead vocals and violin, Paul Burjan on saxophone and flute and Peter Malone on guitar with the rhythm section consisting of John Conley on double bass and Tony Keep on drums. For the CD they are joined by Garry Steel on accordion and keyboards. All members are highly accomplished musicians with previous engagements including Galapagos Duck, ABC Sinfonia, Castanet Club, Edinburgh Festival, Adelaide Festival, Hey Ba Ba Re Bop, Happening Thang, Chain of Hearts, Hippos, Bushwhackers and Musica Viva. They bring this wealth of diverse experience to this project blending a variety of influences into the gypsy jazz genre. 

The group has featured at a number of jazz festivals in Australia including Wagga, Dubbo, Illawarra and Moruya and has twice won the people's choice award at Moruya Jazz Festival. A beautiful Django Reinhardt ballad sung in French as well as English by vocalist Kathy Bluff, features sumptuous vocals, lyrical guitar, sweet soprano saxophone with a touch of Ravel, all supported by some atmospheric accordion and a shimmer of Hollywood strings.  http://airit.org.au/airit/Chasing-the-Moon-Nuages.html

Nuages

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Rosanne Cash - The List

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:57
Size: 91.5 MB
Styles: Americana, Country
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:11] 1. Miss The Mississippi And You
[3:04] 2. Motherless Children
[3:05] 3. Sea Of Heartbreak (Feat. Bruce Springsteen)
[3:30] 4. Take These Chains From My Heart
[3:19] 5. Heartaches By The Number (Feat. Elvis Costello)
[3:43] 6. I'm Movin' On
[3:01] 7. 500 Miles
[3:08] 8. long black veil (Feat. Jeff Tweedy)
[3:07] 9. She's Got You
[3:31] 10. Girl From The North Country
[3:40] 11. Silver Wings (Feat. Rufus Wainwright)
[3:33] 12. Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow

The List—an exploration of essential songs as selected and given to Rosanne by her father, Johnny Cash—was also named Album of the Year by the Americana Music Association. In addition, her best-selling 2010 memoir, Composed, was described by the Chicago Tribune as “one of the best accounts of an American life you will likely ever read.”

The List

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Johnny Hodges - Stompy Jones

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:28
Size: 104.1 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1961/2007
Art: Front

[5:32] 1. Big Shoe
[5:50] 2. You Need To Rock
[2:56] 3. Bend One
[4:34] 4. Squeeze Me
[4:49] 5. Going Up
[6:36] 6. Stompy Jones
[5:51] 7. Just A Memory
[6:45] 8. Let's Fall In Love
[2:31] 9. Ruint

American jazz saxophonist Johnny Hodges, a featured soloist in Duke Ellington's orchestra, was among the most influential sax players in the history of jazz.

Johnny Hodges was born July 25, 1906 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He took up the soprano saxophone at 14. He worked in Boston and New York during the mid-1920s, playing in bands led by Lloyd Scott, Chick Webb, Bobby Sawyer, Luckey Roberts, and Bechet. He joined Duke Ellington's orchestra in 1928 and was the band's most-featured soloist for the next four decades. In 1951 he formed his own combo.

Stompy Jones

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Scott Hamilton & Andrea Pozza - Who Cares

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:00
Size: 125.9 MB
Styles: Saxophone & piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[6:13] 1. Airegin
[7:25] 2. Who Cares
[5:39] 3. I'm Through With Love
[6:25] 4. Old Devil Moon (4th October Take)
[7:26] 5. Don't Worry 'bout Me
[7:29] 6. On A Misty Night
[6:23] 7. All Of Me
[7:58] 8. Old Devil Moon (3th October Take)

Two highly accomplished musicians playing in a historic venue! For once, it is the place to determine the release and success of a record. The place is an ancient residential palace in the heart of Tuscany, a family property turned into a hotel which has become over the last years a meeting place for artists and musicians. The meeting in this case was between Scott Hamilton, Andrea Pozza, Giulio Cesare and Alfred Kramer on the occasion of a concert of the two musicians held in the music room of the historic venue.

The magic of music and location together has fascinated Giulio Cesare and just a few months later, they were back to the scene of the crime and what you are holding in your hands is the result. Brazilian poet Vinicius de Moraes wrote "a vida é a arte do encontro (life is the art of meeting), but certainly without humans meeting no artform could survive.

"I have been wanting to record with Andrea Pozza for twenty years, so this was a great opportunity for me. In addition we recorded at home in Certaldo Alto so the atmosphere was very relaxed and friendly. I am looking forward to hearing how I sound without any effects - just the very good natural acoustics of the Castello." -Scott Hamilton

"Few times in life one has the feeling to be in the right place at the right time. It happened to me in the cellar of Hotel Il Castello in Certaldo on the occasion of the recording of this album. To record with Scott Hamilton, one of my all time favourite musicians, in an extraordinary place with invaluable microphones skillfully maneuvered by Giulio Cesare Ricci, a real 'guru' of hifi recording, enjoying the hospitality Alfred Kramer (and his snare drum and brushes in a couple of takes) and the amazing food at Il Castello — what do you think, isn't that enough?" ~ Andrea Pozza

Who Cares

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Bettina Pohle & Ralf Ruh - Time And Again

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:30
Size: 74,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:23)  1. Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)
(2:45)  2. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
(3:27)  3. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?
(4:49)  4. Black Coffee
(4:00)  5. Love For Sale
(3:51)  6. (I'm Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over
(2:58)  7. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(2:33)  8. Peel Me A Grape
(3:40)  9. Cry Me A River

Bettina Pohle has been singing all her life. Born in Berlin, she started taking piano lessons at age 6, later adding flute and voice to her music education. She sang with the Berliner Konzertchor for years, before leaving for the United States in 1986, where she studied literature and voice at the University of Georgia , placing 2 nd at the classical student competition NATS the same year, and concentrating on oratory performances as a soprano soloist. After moving to California, she continued her studies in literature, graduating with a Ph.D. in from UC Berkeley, California in 1994. While studying, Bettina continued to sing in classical and contemporary music ensembles, among them Anthony Pasqua's Perfect Fifth Chamber Choir and Robert Geary's The San Francisco Chamber Singers. 

Eventually she switched to vocal jazz, when - after working with pianist Ellen Hoffmann and participating in a workshop with Mark Murphy - she joined Bill Ganz's UC Vocal Jazz Ensemble, with whom she also went on tour to Hawaii. She was given the University of California Chorale Ensembles': Award for Greatest Musical Achievement, 1993-1994 . Due to her vocal qualities, Bettina also worked in the Bay Area as a sought-after voice-over artist for many years. From 1995-1997, Bettina was employed as Asst. Prof. in the Humanities at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in San Francisco, California.After 12 years in the US, Bettina returned to Germany, After pausing to raise her two daughters Morghan and Avril, Bettina picked up singing jazz again in 2008, this time concentrating on solo vocal jazz, studying with the husband-wife jazz musicians/teachers team Connie Moore (voc) & Reggie Moore (piano) from 2008-2010, and working with with the Jazz pianist, percussionist, teacher and composer Ralf Ruh since 2008.  http://www.bettinapohle.com/english/biography.html

Time And Again

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The Caribbean Jazz Project - Island Stories

Styles: Latin Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:17
Size: 153,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:27)  1. Bluellespie
(6:24)  2. Sadie's Dance
(9:29)  3. Calabash
(4:56)  4. Tjaded Motion
(7:18)  5. Zigzag
(5:57)  6. Andalucia
(7:33)  7. Shadow Play
(5:52)  8. Libertango
(6:24)  9. The Lost Voice
(6:55) 10. Grass Roots

The second recording by this co-op group (which has three leaders in steel drummer Andy Narell, Dave Samuels on marimba and vibes and Paquito D'Rivera tripling on alto, clarinet and soprano) crosses a lot of boundaries. Designed as a musical tour through Latin America, the music ranges from a tribute to Cal Tjader and Astor Piazzolla's "Libertango" to "Andalucia" (better known as "The Breeze and I") and "Bluellespie" (which fuses together parts of several Dizzy Gillespie-associated songs). The blend between the vibes and steel drums is unique, the rhythm section (pianist Dario Eskenazi, bassist Oscar Stagnaro, drummer Mark Walker and percussionist Pernell Saturnino) is versatile and exciting, and D'Rivera's soprano playing in particular is impressive. Easily recommended to all jazz listeners. ~ Scott Yanow  

http://www.allmusic.com/album/caribbean-jazz-project-island-stories-mw0000617230

Personnel: Paquito d'Rivera (clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Dario Eskenazi (piano); Dave Samuels (vibraphone, marimba); Mark Walker (drums); Pernell Saturnino (congas, percussion); Andy Narell (steel pan).

Island Stories

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Garrett Jacobson Trio - In The Moment

Size: 126,7 MB
Time: 54:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. In The Moment (4:42)
02. The Flirt (6:17)
03. Skillet Gravy (5:41)
04. Clarity (7:53)
05. Sonnymoon For Two (4:49)
06. Love For Sale (9:34)
07. Little Sunflower (7:51)
08. Tangerine (8:00)

Recorded February 2013 at Studio 7 - Oklahoma City, OK

Garrett Jacobson (organ)
Jeremy Thomas (drums)
Grant Goldstein (guitar)

A dynamic and soulful singer/guitarist, Garrett “Big G” Jacobson has been satisfying audiences since 1998. To date, he has released a total of four CD's which have received critical praise in such publications as Living Blues, Blues Revue and Southwest Blues. In addition to having performed at numerous casinos, festivals and clubs throughout the midwest, Garrett has also performed with such blues greats as Jimmy Johnson, Carl Weathersby, Smokey Wilson and Joe Louis Walker. His latest CD release, In Person, captures the dynamic energy of his live show—Garrett and his tight working band serve up an offering of soul-blues with the raw energy and spontaneity that only a live recording can capture. Garrett Jacobson always delivers a soul-satisfying show that is guaranteed to please.

Also a jazz organist, Garrett plays various jazz venues in-between blues dates.

In The Moment

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Ruby Braff & His Buddies - Controlled Nonchalance At The Regatta Bar Vol. 1 & Vol. 2

Album: Controlled Nonchalance At The Regatta Bar Vol. 1
Size: 143,3 MB
Time: 61:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2005
Styles: Jazz: Mainstream Jazz, Trumpet Jazz
Art: Front

01. Rosetta ( 8:05)
02. Struttin' With Some Barbeque ( 9:24)
03. Sunday ( 4:42)
04. Love Me Or Leave Me ( 8:44)
05. Mean To Me (11:59)
06. What's New ( 5:59)
07. The Lady Is A Tramp ( 8:58)
08. Lester Leaps In ( 3:55)

Personnel:
Ruby Braff: Cornet
Scott Hamilton: Tenor Sax
Dave McKenna: Piano
Gray Sargent: Guitar
Marshall Wood: Bass
Chuck Riggs: Drums

The first thing that hits you about Ruby Braff is that sound: full, round, warm, vibrant, voluptuous and unmistakably his. He had it from the start, but it´s grown wider and deeper with time and is, quite simply, one of the marvels of jazz today ... There´s only one Ruby Braff, and if you are like me, you can´t ever get enough of him. So add this little gem to your Braff shelf. -- Dan Morgenstern, Director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University

Controlled Nonchalance At The Regatta Bar Vol. 1

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Album: Controlled Nonchalance At The Regatta Bar Vol. 2
Size: 163,0 MB
Time: 70:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2005
Styles: Jazz: Mainstream Jazz, Trumpet Jazz
Label: Arbors Records
Art: Front

01. It's All Right With Me ( 9:08)
02. Ain't Misbehavin' ( 6:55)
03. Pennies From Heaven ( 9:47)
04. Ellington Medley: In A Sentimental Mood I Got It Bad (12:02)
05. Swinging On A Star ( 5:38)
06. These Foolish Things ( 9:09)
07. If You Were Mine ( 6:15)
08. Them There Eyes ( 8:25)
09. On The Sunny Side Of The Street ( 2:49)

Although cornet player Ruby Braff passed away in 2002, Arbors has continued to honor his legacy by releasing previously unavailable material. As a result, Braff's oeuvre continues to grow along with his reputation as a central figure in revival jazz. Controlled Nonchalance at the Regattabar, Vol. 2, recorded on November 26 and 27, 1993, may be an odd title for an album, but the music is fabulous. Braff is joined by tenor Scott Hamilton, pianist Dave McKenna, guitarist Gray Sargent, bassist Marshall Woods, and drummer Chuck Riggs for a 70-minute set featuring mostly familiar standards. As one might guess from glancing at the lengths of these pieces, there's a lot of room for spontaneous soloing on extended versions of "It's All Right with Me" and "Pennies from Heaven." These performers exceed in their ability to play as a band, and the instrumental mix, with heavy horns balanced by lighter piano and guitar, works well. Braff and friends offer a treat for Ellington fans with a relaxed 12-minute medley featuring "In a Sentimental Mood" and "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good." Overall, the set is fairly mellow, which makes the upbeat wildness of "Swinging on a Star" and "Them There Eyes" stand out even more. For classic jazz fans, Controlled Nonchalance is a lovely disc that will be much appreciated. ~Review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Controlled Nonchalance At The Regatta Bar Vol. 2

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Rigmor Gustafsson & Jill Seifers - New York Jazz Vocals (Feat. Mika Pohjola)

Size: 66,3 MB
Time: 28:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. My Shining Hour (Feat. Mika Pohjola) (3:41)
02. Desafinado (Feat. Mika Pohjola) (4:59)
03. Skylark (Feat. Mika Pohjola) (4:26)
04. I'll Be Around (Feat. Mika Pohjola) (2:35)
05. It's All Right With Me (Feat. Mika Pohjola) (3:25)
06. When Sunny Gets Blue (Feat. Mika Pohjola) (4:03)
07. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face (Feat. Mika Pohjola) (5:02)

The UK’s Guardian newspaper has called Rigmor Gustafsson “penetratingly delicate, and subtle,” and she continues to establish herself as one of the leading jazz vocalists in Scandinavia.

She has released 9 CD’s since 1997. Three have sold gold in Sweden, the first jazz artist to have that honor since Monica Zetterlund’s 1991 classic Varsamt. Rigmor’s “Alone with You” (2008) won a Swedish Grammy, and “I Will Wait for You” (2003) received The Jazz Award in Germany. In November 2013 she received the most prestigious jazz award in Sweden, “The Royal Musical Academy’s Jazz Award”. Her new CD, “When You Make Me Smile” with piano trio and orchestra, was released in August 2014.

Through the years Rigmor has toured around the globe, mostly with her own trio, but she has also featured in other constellations (Radio String Quartet Vienna, Danish Radio Big Band, The Royal Filharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Jazz Orchestra), and has appeared on a number of TV shows. She has performed twice at celebrations for Crown Princess Victoria: Her Royal Highness’ birthday and the 2010 royal wedding concert, both performances broadcasted live on Swedish National TV. Rigmor also performed at the 2003 Nobel Prize Ceremony, broadcasted on TV in numerous countries.

Jill Seifers Walsh (1965-2012) grew up in Portland, Oregon, studied at Berklee College of Music, started her career in New York City, and lived in Nashville until her untimely death in December 2012.

Jill was a modern songwriter with a gift for beautiful melodies and a voice as pure as the Pacific Northwest. Backed by some of New York's and Nashville's finest musicians, Jill's own compositions brought a sense of musicianship and integrity that is sometimes missing in today's music. A musician since the age of four, Jill shared the stage and studio with Shawn Colvin, Jessica Simpson and she is featured on the top 5 single (BBC Radio 1) "Breathe", which is from the album Nightbird by Erasure. Her debut solo album was produced by Steve Walsh whose credits include productions with Erasure, Fil Izler, and Amy Atchley. Jill's vast parallel career as a jazz vocalist has been documented on recordings with some of today's most established jazz musicians, most notably pianist Mika Pohjola, guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, saxophonist Chris Cheek, drummer Jorge Rossy and pianist Michael Kanan. She was in the prestigious faculty of the New School and New York University jazz programs while living in New York City.

New York Jazz Vocals

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The Megaflame Big Band & Cabaret - The CCSF Sessions

Size: 70,2 MB
Time: 30:12
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Big Band, Swing, Revival, Blues
Art: Front

01. Shorty’s Got To Go (2:54)
02. Temptation (5:42)
03. 7 Nation Army (6:22)
04. Black Coffee (6:49)
05. Comes Love (3:49)
06. If It Takes All Night (4:35)

Personnel:
Vocal: Meghan Rutigliano
Vocal: Angela LaFlamme
Vocal: Casey Basstians
Guitar: Richie Leeds
Alto Sax: Jimmie Sancious
Trumpet: Pete Sembler (Danny Cao on tracks 3 & 5)
Bass: Greg Olwell (Bill Leigh on tracks 3 & 5)
Drums: Tim Orr
Keys: Finnegan Kelly

The MegaFlame Big Band and Cabaret plays a mish-mash of mid-century jazz, blues, and cool "re-conceived" versions of contemporary tunes. We include a lot of theatrical elements in our playa-inspired set which runs the gamut from Ella Fitzgerald to Morphine and from Tom Waits to Big Mama Thorton.

A MegaFlame event is always a BIG show with a constantly evolving family of performers. Not only killer tunes from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, but also vintage-style burlesque, fire arts, schtick, and plenty of costume changes! MegaFlame is a step back in time with a modern twist.

We also perform in various sized smaller configurations—from three pieces all the way up to the full 10 person musical crew.

The CCSF Sessions

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Melinda Stanford - Off The Cuff

Size: 105,9 MB
Time: 44:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Keeping Out Of Mischief Now (2:50)
02. Summertime (4:26)
03. Hit Me With A Hot Note And Watch Me Bounce (2:23)
04. My Romance (2:56)
05. God Bless The Child (5:02)
06. Someone To Watch Over Me (4:51)
07. Route 66 (2:32)
08. My Coloring Book (3:21)
09. Body And Soul (5:34)
10. Blues In The Night (3:38)
11. Over The Rainbow (4:23)
12. Lost In The Stars (2:57)

Melinda Stanford, a native of California, has been working professionally as a singer, songwriter, and pianist for over 15 years since she graduated from Yale University.

Melinda has performed in a broad range of venues in New York, from the Rainbow Room to downtown clubs such as the Knitting Factory, the Duplex, and Cafe Sin-é. She has performed at the O’Neill Theatre Cabaret Symposium, where she studied with Margaret Whiting. She also wrote, produced, and performed in a one-woman show called “Where Do the Mermaids Stand?” at Eighty-Eight’s. As a writer of both theater and pop music, she was one of a small number of composers selected to write for the BMI Theater Workshop in New York City. She has performed in jazz, folk, and cabaret venues in Boston and along the East Coast, as well as in Japan. Melinda lives in the Boston area, where she performs individually and with bands, writes and acts, and is a vocal coach.

Melinda has produced two CDs. Tread On My Dreams features her own settings of favorite poems, spanning pop and jazz styles. Her new CD, Off The Cuff offers her interpretations of jazz standards, with a stripped-down arrangement of piano and voice.

Off The Cuff

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Tony Smith - Talkback

Size: 101,6 MB
Time: 40:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Soul Jazz, Blues Jazz
Art: Front

01. The Runner (7:11)
02. Michelle's Song (7:06)
03. Renegade (5:10)
04. Talkback (7:43)
05. Dark Bark (6:26)
06. Arabella (6:34)

Tony's solos are some of the most exciting and innovative that I have heard in a very long time.....Roy Ayers

“Fusing a jazz brain with a blues heart, Smith's coruscating signature sound and passionate intensity continues to impress"
Peter Quinn - JAZZWISE

"Tony Smith delivers a punchy, energised brand of fusion and his solos fly - A musician who is really going places - Watch out for him!" Stuart Nicholson - The Observer

I'm a jazz/rock guitarist from Canada. I lived in Toronto, London UK, and now am in Limoges, France. Over the years I have recorded instrumental music with some great musicians. I have played live with many bands including my own and most notably Roy Ayers (8 years touring). I continue to record and play live with various projects.

Talkback

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Nancy Wilson - I Want To Be Loved

Size: 169,2 MB
Time: 72:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals, R&B, Pop
Art: Front

01. I Want To Be Loved (2:15)
02. Happy Talk (2:22)
03. I Can't Get Started (4:54)
04. The Masquerade Is Over (4:15)
05. One Man's Dream (5:08)
06. Never Say Yes (3:56)
07. Save Your Love For Me (2:41)
08. Never Will I Marry (2:16)
09. The Old Country (2:58)
10. Passion Flower (2:19)
11. A Sleepin' Bee (2:32)
12. Call It Stormy Monday (2:22)
13. If It's The Last Thing I Do (2:04)
14. Guess Who I Saw Today (3:18)
15. Teaneck (4:28)
16. Little Unhappy Boy (2:13)
17. Sometimes I'm Happy (1:43)
18. In Other Words (2:48)
19. All Of You (1:46)
20. Almost Like Being In Love (1:42)
21. On The Street Where You Live (1:39)
22. Night Mist (2:31)
23. You Leave Me Breathless (2:23)
24. The More I See You (2:08)
25. Unit 7 (6:02)

Diva Nancy Wilson was among contemporary music's most stylish and sultry vocalists; while often crossing over into the pop and R&B markets -- and even hosting her own television variety program -- she remained best known as a jazz performer, renowned for her work alongside figures including Cannonball Adderley and George Shearing. Born February 20, 1937, in Chillicothe, OH, Wilson first attracted notice performing the club circuit in nearby Columbus; she quickly earned a growing reputation among jazz players and fans, and she was recording regularly by the late '50s, eventually signing to Capitol and issuing LPs including 1959's Like in Love and Nancy Wilson with Billy May's Orchestra. Her dates with Shearing, including 1960's The Swingin's Mutual, solidified her standing as a talent on the rise, and her subsequent work with Adderley -- arguably her finest recordings -- further cemented her growing fame and reputation.

In the years to follow, however, Wilson often moved away from jazz, much to the chagrin of purists; she made numerous albums, many of them properly categorized as pop and R&B outings, and toured extensively, appearing with everyone from Nat King Cole and Sarah Vaughan to Ruth Brown and LaVern Baker. She even hosted her own Emmy-winning variety series for NBC, The Nancy Wilson Show, and was a frequent guest performer on other programs; hits of the period included "Tell Me the Truth," "How Glad I Am," "Peace of Mind," and "Now, I'm a Woman." Regardless of how far afield she traveled, Wilson always maintained her connections to the jazz world, and in the 1980s, she returned to the music with a vengeance, working closely with performers including Hank Jones, Art Farmer, Ramsey Lewis, and Benny Golson. By the 1990s, she was a favorite among the "new adult contemporary" market, her style ideally suited to the format's penchant for lush, romantic ballads; she also hosted the Jazz Profiles series on National Public Radio.

In the early 2000s, Wilson recorded two albums with Ramsey Lewis for Narada (2002's Meant to Be and 2003's Simple Pleasures). Her 2004 album R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal) was a blend of straight-ahead jazz and ballads, similar to her next record, 2006's Turned to Blue, which, like R.S.V.P., used a different instrumentalist for each track. In 2005, Capitol released a three-part series to pay tribute to Wilson's contributions to music in the '50s and '60s: Guess Who I Saw Today: Nancy Wilson Sings Songs of Lost Love, Save Your Love for Me: Nancy Wilson Sings the Great Blues Ballads, and The Great American Songbook. ~by Jason Ankeny

I Want To Be Loved

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Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band - The Class Of '78

Size: 145,1+114,8 MB
Time: 62:30+49:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. At The Darktown Strutters Ball ( 5:30)
02. Texas Moaner Blues ( 8:02)
03. Stevedore Stomp ( 3:30)
04. Immigration Blues ( 6:46)
05. Extension 345 (11:26)
06. Heavy Henry ( 4:38)
07. St Louis Blues ( 9:09)
08. We Sure Do Need Him Now ( 4:41)
09. Over The Waves ( 8:44)

CD 2:
01. Sideways (9:42)
02. Ain't Misbehavin' (8:42)
03. Aint Gonna Give Nobody None Of My Jelly Roll (9:24)
04. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (8:06)
05. Petite Fleur (3:44)
06. Sweet Georgia Brown (5:48)
07. Down By The Riverside (3:56)

Chris Barber had been at the forefront of the Trad Jazz Revival during the 1950s and 1960s. When it all fell apart in the mid-60s Chris Barber managed to keep the music alive and fresh which he continues to do today. In the late 1960s he added a Blues guitarist and in 1978 he added a second reed player to the front line which enabled the band to be more flexible and have a bigger sound. The well known Rock drummer, Pete York, also joined the band. The repertoire on these CDs ranges from Trad Jazz standards, to Duke Ellington tunes, to Jazz/Rock tunes like Dick Morrissey's Heavy Henry, to Pete York's drum feature, Extension 345. This collection is a double-CD-for-the-price-of-one set based on a triple LP release which was one of the classic Barber releases of the 1970s.

The Class Of '78 CD 1
The Class Of '78 CD 2

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