The Manhattan Transfer - The Best Of The Manhattan Transfer

Styles: Vocal Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:25
Size: 107,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:07)  1. Tuxedo Junction
(3:40)  2. Boy From New York City
(3:56)  3. Twilight Zone
(4:27)  4. Body And Soul
(3:27)  5. Candy
(3:49)  6. Four Brothers
(5:59)  7. Birdland
(2:58)  8. Gloria
(2:21)  9. Trickle Trickle
(3:12) 10. Operator
(2:46) 11. Java Jive
(3:47) 12. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
(2:55) 13. Chanson D'Armour

There's no annotation to speak of on this 12-track collection, but little is needed, as this particular group's work speaks for itself. This is a smooth and impressive cross-section of the renowned vocal group's work across the first six years of its successful "reincarnation" nothing of the original late-'60s quartet is here, apart from the newer group's successful reworking of "Java Jive" near the end of the disc. But basically this album moves from strength to strength, in something of a jumble in terms of original release order the live "Tuxedo Junction," the hit single "Boy from New York City," their stylized homage to Marius Constant's (not Bernard Herrmann, as erroneously listed on the composer's credit) "Twilight Zone" theme, the soaring "Body and Soul," the doo wop homage "Gloria," etc. There are no personnel or detailed recording data, but the release dates and original album information make it easy for anyone who wants more of what they hear to track down the original Atlantic albums and CDs. ~ Bruce Eder  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-the-manhattan-transfer-mw0000194748

Manhattan Transfer: Tim Hauser, Janis Siegel, Alan Paul, Laurel Masse, Cheryl Bentyne (vocals).

The Best Of The Manhattan Transfer

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P.J. Perry - Worth Waiting For

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:02
Size: 156,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. I Cried for You
(3:44)  2. Stardust
(5:07)  3. You'd Be So Easy to Love
(4:31)  4. Blue and Sentimental
(5:24)  5. Poor Butterfly
(3:32)  6. Blue Daniel
(4:18)  7. The Star-Crossed Lovers
(4:36)  8. Namely You
(6:22)  9. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
(7:17) 10. My Old Flame
(3:23) 11. Dig
(5:40) 12. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
(4:38) 13. My Ideal
(4:31) 14. Never Let Me Go

A top Canadian altoist who is still relatively unknown in the United States, P.J. Perry is a bop-oriented veteran who occasionally resembles Sonny Stitt. However Perry's sounds on both alto and tenor are fairly original and he has the bop vocabularly down pat, with few hints of later developments. Joined by a top-notch rhythm trio for this set of swing and bop standards (pianist Kenny Barron who takes "Star Crossed Lovers" as an unaccompanied feature, bassist Chuck Deardorf and drummer Victor Lewis), P.J. Perry is an underrated but major player who deserves to be discovered by straightahead jazz fans. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/worth-waiting-for-mw0000678276

Personnel: P.J. Perry (alto & tenor saxophones); Kenny Barron (piano); Chuck Deardorf (bass); Victor Lewis (drums).

Worth Waiting For

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Mark Isham + Kate Ceberano - Bittersweet

Size: 119,6 MB
Time: 51:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. My One And Only Love (4:25)
02. Skylark (4:06)
03. In A Sentimental Mood (4:53)
04. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (4:20)
05. In My Solitude (4:27)
06. Night And Day (5:02)
07. I Wanna Be Loved (6:45)
08. Easy Living (4:14)
09. Lush Life (4:15)
10. Do It Again (4:09)
11. Every Time We Say Goodbye (5:08)

Although best known as a trumpet player, Mark Isham is actually an immensely gifted multi-instrumentalist—a virtual study in contrasts depending on what the musical situation requires. I’d heard of Isham back in the late ‘70s when he’d joined the Rubisa Patrol album with Art Lande. Next thing you know it’s 1980 and Isham had just released the groundbreaking first Group 87 album, an Lp that paved the way for both a new brand of cinematic American rock fusion sound as well as starting a number of new careers for all the members. You can read my interview with Mark Isham from 2000 where he discusses the Group 87 album in depth. And you can also read my liner notes printed with the first ever CD reissue of Group 87 released by One Way Records back in 2000. Now nearly 30 years after the original release of Group 87, Isham picks up his trumpet and returns to his jazzy roots sound with his 2009 CD, Bittersweet—an album that sizzles with a smokey, late night jazz club sound and vibe. Recording with singer Kate Ceberano and jazz legends Alan Pasqua (keyboards), Pete Erskine (drums) and Tom Warrington (acoustic bass), Isham’s horn revisits the golden age of jazz with timeless updates of song classics form the pen of Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Billy Strayhorn—in other words pure jazz classics. Even though she’s being billed as part of the duet album with Isham, the vocals of Ms. Ceberano has a great effect on all these players here, who each really rise to the occasion. Mastered by Bernie Grundman, the CD release on Isham’s Earle Tones imprint presents a state of the art look back at the classic jazz sound of yesteryears. So, you might be thinking, will Mark Isham ever get back to making the kind of music he made his breakthru with on the 1980 Group 87 album? Well part of the answer to that is a resounding yes, especially after giving a good listen to Isham’s 2009 soundtrack to the Crash movie released by Lions Gate Records. This is the kind of experimental neo-rock based album in the guise of a soundtrack that Isham does best. Although missing Group 87 genius guitarist Peter Maunu and New Age keyboardist / bassist Patrick O’Hearn, (not to mention the great G-87 engineer Ed E. Thacker or the budget of Columbia Records producer Bobby Colomby), Crash nevertheless features a fine pairing of Isham and his co-composer on this CD, Cindy O’Connor. Compared to the jazzy vocal vibe of Bittersweet, the Crash CD is a great instrumental electronica album that sounds more like Vangelis or William Orbit than say, Herb Alpert? Anyone who dug the two Group 87 albums should take a listen to Isham’s Crash soundtrack. Though sadly not as well recorded as the trendsetting Group 87 album, (not too many albums comes close) Crash is pretty darn good and is nevertheless a modern masterpiece of instrumental electronic soundtrack music that adds to Isham’s reputation as being among the great soundtrack composers of the past fifty years.

Bittersweet

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Brian Kellock Trio - Something's Got To Give

Size: 133,7 MB
Time: 58:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Jazz: Straight-Ahead/Mainstream
Art: Front

01. They Can't Take That Away From Me (11:33)
02. The Way You Look Tonight ( 5:39)
03. I Won't Dance ( 8:13)
04. I Concentrate On You ( 4:36)
05. The Continental ( 4:17)
06. Fred's Revenge (Part 1) ( 2:58)
07. Isn't This A Lovely Day ( 6:17)
08. Change Partners ( 6:18)
09. Fred's Revenge (Part 2) ( 2:00)
10. Something's Got To Give ( 6:10)

A graduate of Scotland's Edinburgh University, Brain Kellock has worked and/or recorded with several jazz notables including Herb Geller, Art Farmer and Sheila Jordan. Now he has released his own album which gives a major nod to Fred Astaire. This album honors Fred Astaire not for his work as a dancer, but as a singer. Astaire probably introduced to the public more entries in the Great American Popular Songbook than any other performer. He was especially favored by Cole Porter. The play list also includes a two-part piece dedicated to Astaire written by bassist Kenny Ellis and drummer John Rae.

Perhaps the characteristic that singles out Kellock's trio from others is the very active work of John Rae on drums. He is no passive timekeeper, but has a lot to say on almost every cut including his alternating rim shots accentuating Kellock's work on "The Continental". Drumming aside, the star of the show is Kellock as it should be. His light, but harmonically inventive playing, gives some new life to these oft played classics. His imagination shines through on such tunes as "Isn't This a Lovely Day". As he plays, one can almost see Astaire and Ginger Rogers floating over the dance floor to this tune in the 1935 film Top Hat. Another winner is his different arrangement of "Something's Got to Give". Usually played at a quick pace, Kellock holds back, playing it slow and soft allowing full exposition of all the tune's crooks and crannies which are lost when played quickly. This arrangement also allows for an agreeable interlude by Ellis. With his dazzling arpeggios, Kellock's virtuosity is put on full display on "They Can't Take away from Me".

The members of the trio have been with each other for quite a spell. They started off in 1988 as the rhythm section for the Scottish band, the John Rae Collective. Their mutual familiarity comes through on their first album which is recommended. ~Dave Nathan

Personnel: Brian Kellock - Piano; John Rae - Drums; Kenny Ellis - Bass

Something's Got To Give

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Laura Jurd - Human Spirit

Size: 108,4 MB
Time: 46:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Vocals, Trumpet
Art: Front

01. Opening Sequence Verificar (2:03)
02. She Knew Him (5:38)
03. Brighter Days (6:25)
04. Prelude (1:51)
05. Pirates (3:56)
06. Blinded (5:33)
07. Human Spirit (6:41)
08. More Than Just A Fairytale (8:33)
09. Closing Sequence (5:38)

From the opening minute or so all the elements are in place: the metallic electric guitar of Alex Roth, the punchy drums of Corrie Dick, the highly expressive, ever so slightly smeared trumpet tone of Laura Jurd, and the rich, gruff brass choir of Chris Batchelor on trumpet, Colm O’Hara on trombone and Mick Foster on bass saxophone, with vocalist Lauren Kinsella placing her words precisely along the melody line and mixed in with the brass.

There is a lot packed into the one minute 49 seconds of the Opening Sequence, and that, too, is preparation for what is to come: as a composer Laura Jurd doesn’t rest on just one melody and a few chords, she seems to treat a song as a suite.

Take She Knew Him, there is perky opening riff for voice, trumpet and drums, which then slows into a brass chorale of sorts, the perkiness morphed into sobriety, before the opening riff returns in enriched form and we get the leader’s first real trumpet solo, all rising lines and dirty-toned, bent notes, before the whole thing turns into stadium rock with Roth adding the extra grunt. What sounds like a final chord from Roth turns into an extended ending with a bass saxophone solo over it, which then turns out not to be the end at all – we’re back to the perky opening melody.

Brighter Days contains some gorgeous jazz-folk brass writing and a great nonsense-scat intro from Kinsella (at least I’m assuming it’s nonsense – it could be Gaelic!); Pirates has a rumbustious ska beat and loads of intersecting melody lines which stretch into simultaneous solos; Blinded has more of Jurd’s instinctive writing, with the horns patterns dancing around Kinsella’s vocal storyline.

The title track has a bright brass declamatory opening, then sets Kinsella’s vocal line over a lumpy rhythm which then broadens into a rich, rock section before breaking up again into overlapping riffs and lots of space. Roth has great fun punching out the power chords on the richer chorus sections before adding spiky comments to a juddering Batchelor solo, and some more of Kinsella’s admirable nonsense-scat. It all ends in a kind of Zappa-meets brass band chaos.

More Than Just A Fairytale has a distinctly Arthurian legendary feel to its brass section parts, albeit set over funky rhythm groove. An example of the range of Laura Jurd’s writing – she can do most things, I reckon.

And so this album goes on, packing an awful lot into a tight 46 minutes. It’s another substantial addition to modern British jazz from one of the most interesting composers and band leaders currently working here. ~Peter Bacon

Human Spirit

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Lowell Hopper - Soulful Feeling

Size: 108,6 MB
Time: 46:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz, Soul Jazz
Art: Front

01. Soulful Feeling (5:39)
02. Live And Learn (4:55)
03. All Night Cruise (Version 2) (5:19)
04. Picture This (5:13)
05. Could Be True Love (4:18)
06. Dream Come True (5:00)
07. Bay View (Version 2) (5:49)
08. Breakthrough (4:46)
09. Inspiration (1:25)
10. Listen To Your Heart (4:27)

Lowell Hopper is a “soul-jazz” guitarist known for his heavy use of 1970s- and 1980s-style musical nuances. Currently based in Panama City, Florida, Lowell has a distinct funky-jazz style that is a product of performing with a variety of rock, RnB, blues, and fusion jazz bands over the years. Besides playing electric and classical guitars, Lowell is well versed on keyboards, four- and five-string electric basses, and produces as well. He performs regularly in jazz/funk bands in northern Florida.

Soulful Feeling

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Elizabeth Edwards - House Of Mirrors

Size: 89,6 MB
Time: 38:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Country Pop
Art: Front

01. When Grace Rains (3:30)
02. House Of Mirrors (3:06)
03. Cut Me Loose (3:25)
04. Child Of Light (3:52)
05. Something Real (4:19)
06. Clean (3:04)
07. Thank You (2:57)
08. Where Did Beautiful Go (4:34)
09. Power To Change (3:43)
10. When I'm With You (6:09)

Elizabeth Edwards is known for her graceful melodic style, her rich lyrics and beautiful vocals but it’s her message of hope and transformation in songs like Surrender to Win, Orchid In the Rain and Clean that have garnered her a loyal fan base.

As an award winning singer songwriter Edwards was chosen to participate in the Lilith Fair’s talent search hosted by Bill Graham Presents and Alice Radio 97.3 in San Francisco. She’s opened for the late Dan Fogelberg and other songwriting legends such as Jesse Colin Young. She has worked with comedian Mark Lundholm on several occasions and recently performed with Richie Supa, Kasim Sulton, and Randi Fishenfeld at the RIR Festival in South Florida.

She’s performed at the world famous Bluebird Café in Nashville TN and many other coffeehouses and songwriter haunts. She’s toured the country’s college campuses and was awarded a grant by The State of California Arts Council as an Artist in Residence where she taught songwriting to kids who were working hard to overcome life challenges in order to graduate.

House Of Mirrors

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Linda Presgrave - Along The Path

Size: 167,8 MB
Time: 72:12
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. Along The Path (7:33)
02. Where East Meets West (Macau) (5:22)
03. Harbor Lights (Hong Kong) (5:00)
04. Asakusa View (Tokyo) (7:39)
05. Colors Of Collioure (5:46)
06. Bird Of Ceret (7:13)
07. You Just Never Know (6:19)
08. Blues For A Rainy Night (7:38)
09. Place Picasso (7:14)
10. Bird Of Ceret (The Story) (3:47)
11. Universal Freedom (8:36)

Pianist Linda Presgrave has been a well respected presence in the New York jazz arena for 16 years now, so much so that she attracted the inimitable Harvie S to her ensemble and, man, does he ever insert a number of great solos throughout the session! Then there's Allison Miller who understands exactly where the volume adjustments for her voices on the traps should go: sometimes brushy and mellow, other moments zippy and conversational, and every so often bashing hell out of 'em so the listener knows where the emphases lie. Presgrave herself is constantly arriving from bucolic fields in solidly baroque jazzifications, many times even magisterial, oft mindful of olden Richie Beirach (his early ECM content), Art Lande, and Dave Brubeck. No matter where the rest of the combo may wander, she always has firm control but in the pleasantest of ways.

The horns are essential to Along the Path. Without 'em, the gig would have lost a distinctive top end. Stan Chovnick (Presgrave's husband) is the mainstay and stalwart on soprano sax, Todd Herbert pitching in on tenor, Vincent Herring on alto (and particularly azure on Blues for a Rainy Night). On only one cut, Place Picasso, do all three join together, interlocking for the melodic refrain before taking wing in succession for the blowingest section of the CD…including Miller's upstart segues between passages in the fiery interchanges. As matters progress, Presgrave's comping is always bright and illustrative, her solos a logical progression from them, the combination of the two the environment the group walks through.

Save for one cut, the entirety of Path is instrumental, 90% written by Presgrave, but I wasn't too enthralled with MJ Territo's vocals on Bird of Ceret. She flattened things out too much, took the sky out of the song, compressed the dynamics. Following it, however, is the CD's closer, Universal Freedom, written by Chovnick and a track demanding the most from Presgrave, to which she responds marvelously, with ardor and vivacity. It's also the number on which Chovnick most fully spreads his wings, on his own and while trading off with Herbert before ushering the drum kit in, in a dramatic solo (there's very good reason Miller was chosen for three of Linda's past six releases). Though Path may titularly address two geocultural environments, I listened to the entirety as one long piece of multiple movements, more in the way of a Paul Winter set of pastiches rather than, say, Brubeck's more eclectic colorations. I suspect you'll do the same. ~by Mark S. Tucker

Along The Path

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Bettye Lavette - Worthy

Size: 101,5 MB
Time: 44:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Blues Soul, R&B
Art: Front

01. Unbelievable (3:15)
02. When I Was A Young Girl (3:40)
03. Bless Us All (2:49)
04. Stop (4:24)
05. Undamned (3:33)
06. Complicated (3:43)
07. Where A Life Goes (5:05)
08. Just Between You Me And The Wall You're A Fool (6:39)
09. Wait (3:40)
10. Step Away (3:04)
11. Worthy (4:08)

Bettye LaVette doesn't write her own songs, but she doesn't have to -- by the time she's finished singing a tune, LaVette has turned it into something entirely her own, an emotional statement that's original and complete. Since LaVette reminded American listeners that she was still working at the top of her game with the 2003 live set A Woman Like Me, she's been releasing a steady stream of new albums confirming her status as one of the strongest and most individual interpretive vocalists in the 21st century. LaVette's first studio album after A Woman Like Me was the outstanding I've Got My Own Hell to Raise, produced by Joe Henry, and for 2014's Worthy, LaVette has teamed up again with Henry and several of the same musicians who played on those sessions. Henry is a producer whose approach is less about studio technique and more about setting a mood and letting artists go where they will, and LaVette is the sort of artist who responds best to this treatment; on Worthy, LaVette sings with strength and passion, but she understands dynamics, knowing when to go full-out and when to rein herself in, and her tough but thoughtful approach to the material is powerfully effective and full of keen emotional intelligence and her soulful, sweet and sour voice. Worthy finds LaVette covering songs by the Beatles ("Wait"), the Rolling Stones ("Complicated"), Bob Dylan ("Unbelievable"), and Beth Nielsen Chapman (the title cut), but if LaVette doesn't necessarily make you forget the originals, each time she takes them to a place that's clearly of her own making. LaVette discovers something fresh and deeply personal in every number here, and the backing band on these sessions (including Doyle Bramhall II on guitar, Chris Bruce on bass, and Patrick Warren on keyboards) works with her beautifully, with a give and take that's a master class in how to accompany a vocalist. Worthy is another impressive release from an outstanding singer, and if it follows the pattern of some of her recent albums, nothing here sounds rote; this is the sound of an artist doing what she does best, and she is far more than worthy of this great music. ~Review by Mark Deming

Worthy

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Lynne Arriale - Convergence

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:18
Size: 117.5 MB
Styles: Straight ahead jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:52] 1. Elements
[6:27] 2. Here And Now
[4:22] 3. Here Comes The Sun
[4:29] 4. Sister Moon
[5:08] 5. Call Me
[4:02] 6. Dance Of The Rain
[4:38] 7. For Peace
[5:23] 8. Paint It Black
[4:30] 9. Something I Can Never Have
[4:47] 10. Convergence
[3:34] 11. The Simple Things

Lynne Arriale has made her mark with a number of CDs of her own during her career. This predominantly trio date with bassist Omer Avital and drummer Anthony Pinciotti, adding tenor saxophonist Bill McHenry on several songs, mixes originals and covers of pop songs. Arriale's songwriting skills match her chops at the piano. The driving post-bop vehicle "Elements" provides a solid opener for Arriale's trio, with the pianist's unpredictable blues constantly shifting. Her rambunctious Irish jig "Convergence" features McHenry's powerful tenor and Arriale's furious solo. "The Simple Things" is a low-key, lyrical ballad played by the trio. The infectious "Here and Now" draws from multiple musical influences from around the world, showcasing McHenry's wailing tenor. The Middle Eastern-flavored "Dance of the Rain" includes an unidentified oud player, with Pinciotti presumably being playing the hand percussion. Arriale also shines with her fresh interpretations of the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun," Sting's "Sister Moon," and the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black." Only Nine Inch Nails' "Something I Can Never Have" never manages to gain traction. ~Ken Dryden

Convergence

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Steve Grossman - Way Out East Vol. 1

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:37
Size: 99.9 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1984/2010
Art: Front

[6:59] 1. Bye Bye Blackbird
[5:49] 2. On Green Dolphin Street
[4:21] 3. I'll Remember April
[4:50] 4. Taurus People
[7:02] 5. Star Eyes
[4:26] 6. There'll Never Be Another You
[4:01] 7. This Time The Dream On Me
[6:05] 8. Four

The first volume of Steve Grossman's two trio sessions, Way out East, with bassist Joony Booth and drummer Joe Chambers, exhibits the strong influence of Sonny Rollins, though the aura of John Coltrane is also present in his playing. The big-toned tenor saxophonist excels in this setting. Grossman's aggressive take of the opener, "Bye Bye Blackbird," falters slightly in places with some unnecessary reed squeaks, but overall it is a fine effort. Better are the flawless takes of such perennial favorites as "On Green Dolphin Street," "I'll Remember April," "Star Eyes," and Miles Davis' "Four." Chambers' strong percussion drives Grossman's first-rate original "Taurus People." Recommended. ~Ken Dryden

Way Out East Vol. 1

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Ronnie Milsap - Summer Number Seventeen

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:43
Size: 102.4 MB
Styles: Country
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[2:59] 1. Summer Number Seventeen
[2:57] 2. It's All In The Game
[3:08] 3. Personality
[3:07] 4. Tears On My Pillow
[4:10] 5. What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted
[5:11] 6. You Make Me Feel Brand New
[3:06] 7. Mack The Knife
[4:47] 8. Mustang Sally
[3:51] 9. Georgia On My Mind
[3:36] 10. I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
[3:28] 11. Make Up
[4:18] 12. Lost In The Fifties Tonight

Before winning six Grammy Awards and placing 40 singles atop the country charts, Ronnie Milsap was an all-American boy, discovering his potential as a musician while growing up and having fun like so many other teens in North Carolina. Milsap's new album, Summer Number 17, is a tribute to those golden years as only he could tell it - through song.

In more ways than one, Summer Number 17 is wrapped in layer after warm layer of carefree nostalgia. For one, the album finds Milsap united once again with the Sony Music family, eight years since his last record for RCA Nashville (2006's My Life) and four decades since his 1973 debut for the label, the Top 5 country album Where My Heart Is.

Summer Number 17 takes listeners back to Ronnie's favorite tunes, from pop standards ("It s All in the Game," "Mack the Knife") to early rock and roll classics ("Mustang Sally," "Personality," "Tears on My Pillow") all the way to iconic R&B songs ("Georgia on My Mind," made famous by Milsap's idol Ray Charles, and Motown classic "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted"). The album is bookended by the newly-written title track, an ode to those carefree days of teenage adventure, and a new recording of Milsap's nostalgic No. 1 hit from 1985, "Lost in the Fifties Tonight."

Summer Number Seventeen

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Jan Lundgren Trio - New York Calling

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:42
Size: 153,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:42)  1. Fun Run
(5:41)  2. Sometime Ago
(5:05)  3. Danny's Dream
(6:42)  4. Hi-Fly
(7:41)  5. Lena
(6:40)  6. Buttercup
(4:18)  7. Star Crossed Lovers
(6:33)  8. Shades Of Light
(5:25)  9. Beatrice
(9:52) 10. Time To Leave Again
(2:56) 11. Dear Old Stockholm

Lundgren, the brilliant young Swedish pianist, leads trios from both sides of the Atlantic and proves that he is equally impressive in the company of home boys and that of top New York players. His colleagues on New York Calling are bassist Peter Washington and drummer Billy Drummond. His repertoire includes three attractive originals and compositions by Duke Ellington, Bud Powell, Randy Weston, Sam Rivers, Sergio Mihanovich and Hubert Laws. He also plays two superb Swedish pieces, Lars Gullin's "Danny's Dream" and the traditional "Vrmlandsvisan (Dear Old Stockholm)." He performs his one unaccompanied chorus of "Dear Old Stockholm" in its unadulterated form; that is, without the interludes inserted by Miles Davis in the 1950s and slavishly copied by jazz players ever since. How refreshing. In the introduction to Mihanovich's "Sometime Ago," Lundgren evokes Ellington's "Reflections in D." 

His interpretation of Rivers' "Beatrice" is exquisite. Swedish Standards is a collection of songs native to Lundgren's homeland, some popular, some traditional, one by his great piano predecessor Bengt Hallberg. All of them nicely serve his jazz purposes, inspiring full-bodied, occasionally astringent, harmonies. Lundgren maintains his easy but firm touch through the fastest passages, producing an unusual consistency of tone. His time feeling is relaxed and unfailingly swinging. Hallberg's "Waltz-a-nova" has the potential to become a jazz standard. "Min Blekingsbygd" has the kind of charm that made "Dear Old Stockholm" attractive to Americans when Stan Getz imported it nearly 50 years ago. Bassist Mattias Svensson and drummer Rasmus Kihlberg are definitely in Lundgren's league. Throughout, Svensson plays with strength, sensitivity and gorgeous tone. His solos on "Solen glimmar blank och trind" and the funky "Joachim uti Babylon" are highlights of the album. At 32, Lundgren has developed into one of the most impressive pianists of his generation. ~ Doug Ramsey  http://jazztimes.com/articles/8748-swedish-standards-jan-lundgren

New York Calling

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Jeff Lorber, Chuck Loeb, Everette Harp - Jazz Funk Soul

Styles: Jazz Funk, Fusion
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:04
Size: 115,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Speed Of Light
(5:09)  2. Swingette
(4:29)  3. Adrenaline
(6:24)  4. Silent Partner
(4:26)  5. Telephone
(5:48)  6. We Were There
(4:27)  7. Line Drive
(4:33)  8. Serious Business
(4:15)  9. D.C.
(4:58) 10. Raccoon

Jazz Funk Soul is the new Smooth Jazz super group featuring 3 of the most important hit makers on the scene today: Jeff Lorber, Everett Harp and Chuck Loeb. As artists and producers they are responsible for selling millions of albums and scoring close to 50 #1 Smooth Jazz radio hits! As a touring ensemble, they are wowing audiences from coast to coast. Jeff Lorber is famous for launching the career of Kenny G and his productions and collaborations with such greats as Dave Koz, Janet Jackson, Lalah Hathaway and Miles Davis. He is one of the most sought after producers and performers in Jazz. Chuck Loeb is widely regarded as one of the finest guitarists ever. Both as a solo artist and as the producer and lead guitarist of the iconic group Fourplay, Loeb has amassed an astonishing record of Smooth Jazz hits!

Everette Harp has recorded and shared the stage with such musical giants as Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Billy Joel and Patti LaBelle. A hit maker in his own right, Jazziz magazine hails his amazing virtuosity and Jazz Times calls him a rare talent. Since Jazz Funk Soul began touring in 2013, the popularity of the group and the audience s enthusiasm has been tremendous. This new album was created to satisfy the demand from their growing audience. Jazz Funk Soul is overflowing with soaring saxophone solos, brilliant guitar riffs, super funky piano riffs and incredibly compelling melodies. Highlights include the soon to be hit single, In the Moment, the sensuous Loeb original Feel Me, the high spirited romp All Over , and much more! ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Funk-Soul/dp/B00IPL2BHG

Personnel: Jeff Lorber- keyboard, Chuck Loeb – Guitar;  Everette Harp – saxophone

Jazz Funk Soul

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Jeff Hackworth - Where The Blue Begins

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:44
Size: 133,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:35)  1. Can't Help Falling In Love
(6:45)  2. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
(5:24)  3. What Will I Tell My Heart
(4:31)  4. Just A Sittin' And A Rockin'
(7:10)  5. Just One More Chance
(3:02)  6. Stranger In Paradise
(6:16)  7. Oh You Crazy Moon
(4:56)  8. One Mint Julip
(6:27)  9. Then I'll Be Tired Of You
(4:35) 10. Stairway To The Stars

Tenor saxophonist Jeff Hackworth is back. This time he has chosen to dwell on 10 pop tunes. On his previous CD, How Little We Know (Big Bridge Music, 2007), he brought to the fore his fluent sense of style and development. He shows that once again on Where the Blue Begins, as he gives the songs their integral melodic due and then turns them into pleasant little experiences. Hackworth has a firm grip on emotion and never lets a song descend into pap. His natural sense of swing runs a balmy air through several of the selections. However, when it comes to Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” Hackworth has a becoming take on the indelible classic. He sways in with deep phrases, letting the redolent melody rise, and then switches the rhythm to a bossa. It’s done very nicely indeed, and the tune breathes freely of the new idiom. Jazz harmony is present in the development, and Hackworth knows just how to make that perceptible. 

At first, “One Mint Julep” is pure funk. The beat is buoyant, Hackworth revels in the music, and then as he likes to do, makes a switch. Then it’s time for some earthy swing, and the band fires it up with Lafayette Harris Jr. on piano and John Basili on guitar adding juicy runs. This certainly is top-notch. Hackworth is at ease in any tempo, and he mixes the tunes for maximum impact. He closes out with another strong effort in the beautiful ballad “Stairway to the Stars.” His pacing is articulate and deliberate, and he invests just the right sentiment. Some fine brushwork from Alvin Atkinson adds to the appeal. Pop music has had its votaries among jazz musicians. Turning them into jazz tunes, even in a contemporary styling has not always been successful. Hackworth proves otherwise. ~ Jerry D’Souza  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/where-the-blue-begins-jeff-hackworth-big-bridge-music-review-by-jerry-dsouza.php
 

Personnel: Jeff Hackworth: tenor saxophone; Lafayette Harris Jr.: piano; John Webber: bass; Alvin Atkinson: drums; John Basili: guitar (1, 4, 7, 8, 9).

Where The Blue Begins

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Carmel - As I Am

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:40
Size: 116.0 MB
Styles: R&B, Jazz vocals
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:15] 1. Heaven
[5:11] 2. Time
[4:41] 3. Promises (As I Am)
[5:17] 4. This Masquerade
[6:17] 5. Down Tonight
[3:41] 6. One Thing (Feat. Kevin Johnsen)
[6:27] 7. Just Don't Ring True
[4:23] 8. Moon Dance
[5:04] 9. Not Alone
[4:19] 10. Lover Man

Born and raised in Texas, Carmel traveled and sang in New Zealand, Australia, and the Fiji Islands. She trained formally in voice for four years, singing classical concerts and appearing in musical theater productions in college. Carmel also traveled to Thailand and Nepal, and credits her time abroad with helping shape a reflective and tolerant world-view.

Five years ago her music took a distinct change of direction. She began to focus on songwriting and singing mainly jazz/R&B. Carmel's songs are inspired by personal experiences and those of others. She describes often "getting caught somewhere in the middle" with a deep sense of empathy.

The recently released CD: Carmel, As I Am contains seven out of ten songs which are original compositions, several co-written with her husband and keyboard player, Kevin Johnsen.

As I Am

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Wily Bo Walker - Wily Bo Walker & The Danny Flam Big Band

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:59
Size: 125.9 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:00] 1. The Openator
[6:07] 2. Moon Over Indigo
[4:59] 3. Appointment In Samarra
[3:49] 4. Jawbreaker
[4:45] 5. Rendez-Vous Des Cheminots (Feat. Kareña K)
[3:35] 6. Irritated Shadow (Feat. Amir Ben-Haim)
[4:44] 7. When The Angels Call Your Time
[3:47] 8. Drive
[5:18] 9. Same Thing
[4:13] 10. Long Way To Heaven (Feat. The Brown Sisters)
[3:21] 11. Tony's Good Morning (Instrumental)
[6:15] 12. You Don't Know What Love Is (Feat. Teddy Charles)

The 'Wily Bo Walker & The Danny Flam Big Band' album is a collection of tracks with a hard hitting brass section celebrating horn section styles from across the decades coloured with Wily Bo's own inimitable style and Danny Flam's Grammy award winning musical direction.

The Big Band instrumentals hark back to the Prima/Armstrong/Calloway era with 'The Openator', the sixties Vegas 'rat-pack' feel of 'Tony's Good Morning', the seventies 'Big Band Fusion' stylings of 'Appointment In Sammara' and exploitation movie soundtrack groove of 'Jawbreaker'. Wily Bo also adds the New Orleans funeral marching band celebration of 'When The Angels Call Your Time', the hard rockin' brass blast of 'Drive' as well as the cinematic landscape of 'Same Thing' which also features Cenovia Cummins' String Quartet. There is the 'swing-noir' (think 'Sam Spade pulp fiction B-movie') of 'Rendez-Vous des Cheminots' featuring the vocal talents of Kareña K, the Gospel big band working of 'Long Way To Heaven' featuring The Brown Sisters of Chicago and the New York powerhouse funk of 'Irritated Shadow' featuring Amir Ben-Haim with Will Lee on Bass and Nir Z on drums. And, finally, the moody, bluesy, laid back feel of the instrumental version of Wily Bo's signature song 'Moon Over Indigo' featuring the amazing trumpet work of Kenny Rampton and Wily Bo's cover of Billie Holiday's 'You Don't Know What Love Is' featuring the stunning, last ever recording of jazz legend Teddy Charles.

Wily Bo Walker & The Danny Flam Big Band

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Rick Zunigar - Rick Zunigar Organ Trio

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:48
Size: 136.9 MB
Styles: Organ jazz, Hard bop
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[7:42] 1. Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dum
[8:08] 2. Look Ahead
[9:39] 3. Highway One
[5:32] 4. Ahimsa
[7:03] 5. (Old) Milestones
[8:07] 6. In A Sentimetal Mood
[6:55] 7. All Blues
[6:38] 8. While You’re Sleeping

The Rick Zunigar organ Trio embodied on this disc heralds the state of the jazz organ trio genre at the dawn of the 21st Century. The archetype of this venerated form emerged in the mid '50s and was championed by such major proponents as Jimmy Smith, Brother Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, Shirley Scott, Big John Patton, along with guitarists, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Kenny Burrell, and drummers Grady Tate, Bernard Purdie. Blues-based and always swinging, the organ trio was usually a forum for blowing and was characterized by long solos and exploration of varied moods and soulful expression. From the early '60s, it seems as though just about every local tavern in the Black neighborhoods of the cities of this country had a Hammond B3-based group -- sometimes duos, sometimes trios, sometimes quartets with tenor saxophone or singer. These groups provided a proving ground for young musicians of the day, as well as a satisfying outlet for people who wanted to hear live music which they could relate to. The body of work by the leaders in the organ trio idiom in its heyday has been well-documented, owing to the fact during that era, based on record sales, the organ groups -- most significantly those led by Jimmy Smith -- represented perhaps the most popular genre of jazz.

In the late '60s Larry Young and others ventured into more remote territory, expanding the harmonic palette of the form, but gradually, through the natural evolution of jazz -- particularly because of the advent of jazz fusion which also featured guitar and electronic keyboards, but with a decidedly different style, the organ trio as a recording medium for jazz faded into the background. In recent years, jazz has seen a movement towards a renewed interest in its historical styles and consequently, the recent past has seen a resurgence of interest in the form, spearheaded by new recordings by Jimmy Smith and Joey DeFrancesco, among others. Guitarist Rick Zunigar's conception of the organ trio gives us a present-day look at the genre, filtered through all of the tradition of the past, but also infused with other influences and trends that have their roots in the major jazz movements of the last 30 years.

Rick Zunigar Organ Trio

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Jeanie Bryson - I Love Being Here With You

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:37
Size: 128,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:05)  1. Cheek To Cheek
(4:55)  2. Squeeze Me
(5:35)  3. Bittersweet
(3:55)  4. A Sleepin’ Bee
(8:35)  5. Love Dance
(4:17)  6. I Feel So Smoochie
(5:14)  7. You’ve Changed
(6:45)  8. Sunshower
(3:03)  9. Cloudy Morning
(4:25) 10. Change Partners
(4:42) 11. I Love Being Here With You

Jeanie Bryson, Dizzy Gillespie's daughter, made her recording debut on this CD. Her voice is highly appealing and often sensuous, hinting at Peggy Lee and Susannah McCorkle. A fine middle-of-the-road song stylist (rather than a jazz singer), Bryson does an excellent job on a set dominated by standards. She mostly concentrates on melody statements with subtle improvising and is at her best on ballads. Steve Nelson's vibes fit in well during his appearances and trumpeter Wallace Roney (as usual sounding like Miles Davis) also takes some good solos. This is a promising beginning for Jeanie Bryson. ~ Scott Yanow  

http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-love-being-here-with-you-mw0000109321

Personnel : Jeanie Bryson (vocals); Don Braden (tenor saxophone); Wallace Roney (trumpet); Steve Nelson (vibraphone); Kenny Barron (piano); Vic Juris (guitar).

I Love Being Here With You

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Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins - Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:18
Size: 78,7 MB
Art: Front

( 5:15)  1. The Way You Look Tonight
( 7:46)  2. I Want to Be Happy
( 5:20)  3. Work
( 5:20)  4. Nutty
(10:35)  5. Friday the 13th

Since a 50th Anniversary edition of this recording was released only several years ago, it's possible that this recent RVG edition was seen by the parent company, Concord, as an opportunity to capitalize on the success critical and popular of the Monk/Coltrane Carnegie Hall concert (Blue Note, 2005). Regardless, this early meeting of masters, while yielding music of undeniable historical significance and timeless interest, is no match for the later one.To begin with, the title is deceptive. Rollins and Monk play together on three of the five tracks on the album, which comprises three separate sessions recorded between November 1953 and September 1954. On the opening "Way You Look Tonight Monk's solo is a mere half chorus played in a fairly conventional bebop style. This leaves but two tunes, "I Want to Be Happy and "Friday the 13th, on which the two strong musical personalities seek to negotiate a happy result. The proceedings are enjoyable, frequently original and illuminating, but not as miraculous as some reviews of earlier editions have suggested. It's instructive to hear the "real" Monk emerge on "Happy," allowing the beat to establish itself before he plays off of and around it, making the piano another polyrhythmic, percussive voice as opposed to a solo voice accompanied by rhythm section or simply another member of the accompanying team itself. 

The individualist/pianist solos for three choruses, each discretely original in conception and execution. After a chorus of connected, seamless lines played in the middle register, he leaps to the upper register for the second chorus, jabbing dissonant chord clusters at irregular intervals in the unfilled space. The third chorus finds him relinquishing his left hand to its independent devices while maintaining an elliptical melody in the right. Always an authoritative solo voice, Rollins seems emboldened by Monk's example, playing with unmistakable conviction, especially compared to his work on an earlier session like Miles Davis' Diggin' (Prestige, 1951), where the tenorist clearly was aiming to make an impression. Still, after hearing the Monk/Coltrane concert this encounter is inescapably anticlimactic. Rollins, whose playing anticipates some of the melodic/rhythmic characteristics of his successor Charlie Rouse, lacks the light articulations and responsive quickness of the less-renowned player. Compared to Rouse's sportive playfulness, the tenor colossus sounds somewhat heavy and ponderous in Monk country. On the other hand, Coltrane's intensity meshes with Monk's whimsy because the piano "grounds the rapturous, altissimo flights of the tenor saxophone, as though Monk's insistent harmonies and unyielding time are the falconer around which the falcon's gyres are free to expend themselves without spiraling out of control. 

Julius Watkins adds his solo voice for Monk's extended and challenging (certainly for the listener) four-bar composition, "Friday the 13th, and the album is rounded out by the two trio numbers which, though they include Blakey, aren't the equal of the later dialog between the pianist and the percussionist on Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk (Atlantic, 1957) a fascinating and lively, yet ultimately one-sided conversation that might just as well have been titled "The Thelonious Monk Quintet."

~ Samuel Chell  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/thelonious-monk-sonny-rollins-thelonious-monk-prestige-records-review-by-samuel-chell.php
 

Personnel: Thelonious Monk: piano; Sonny Rollins: tenor saxophone; Julius Watkins: French horn; Tommy Potter and Percy Heath: bass; Arthur Taylor, Art Blakey and Willie Jones: drums.

Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins

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