Joe Liggins - Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 71:18

Size: 163.2 MB

Styles: R&B, Jump blues, West Coast blues

Year: 1989/2006

Art: Front

[2:59] 1. Pink Champagne

[2:43] 2. Ramblin' Blues

[3:01] 3. Rag Mop

[4:47] 4. Rhythm In The Barnyard

[2:49] 5. Going Back To New Orleans

[3:13] 6. I've Got A Right To Cry

[3:08] 7. The Honeydripper

[2:44] 8. I Just Can't Help Myself

[2:41] 9. Don't Miss That Train

[2:52] 10. Frankie Lee

[2:27] 11. Brand New Deal In Mobile

[2:49] 12. Little Joe's Boogie

[2:23] 13. One Sweet Letter

[2:32] 14. Whiskey, Gin & Wine

[3:04] 15. Louisiana Woman

[2:48] 16. Trying To Lose The Blues

[2:48] 17. Shuffle Boogie Blues

[3:00] 18. Rain, Rain, Rain

[2:14] 19. The Flying Dutchman

[3:06] 20. Tanya

[2:47] 21. Blues For Tanya

[2:43] 22. Freight Train Blues

[2:42] 23. Whiskey, Women & Loaded Dice

[2:28] 24. The Big Dipper

[2:17] 25. Do You Love Me Pretty Baby

Pianist Joe Liggins presented a fairly sophisticated brand of swinging jump blues to jitterbuggers during the early '50s, when his irresistible "Pink Champagne" scaled the R&B charts. Twenty-five of his very best 1950-1954 Specialty sides grace this collection, including a tasty remake of "The Honeydripper;" "Rhythm in the Barnyard," and the syncopated "Going Back to New Orleans" (recently revived by Dr. John). ~Bill Dahl

Recording Date: January 20, 1950 - March 12, 1954

Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers         

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Luciana Souza - The New Bossa Nova

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:44
Size: 127.6 MB
Styles: Vocal, Bossa Nova
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[5:01] 1. Down To You
[4:33] 2. Never Die Young
[5:34] 3. Here It Is
[5:14] 4. When We Dance
[4:37] 5. Satellite
[4:57] 6. Were You Blind That Day
[5:25] 7. Love Is For Strangers
[4:33] 8. You And The Girl
[3:16] 9. Living Without You
[3:59] 10. I Can Let Go Now
[3:49] 11. God Only Knows
[4:40] 12. Waters Of March

When pianist Herbie Hancock released The New Standard (Verve, 1996)—an album of radically reworked pop tunes by artists ranging from Peter Gabriel to Prince—it wasn't exactly revolutionary, but it was the first time a major jazz artist had devoted an entire album to contemporary popular song. Singer Luciana Souza may not be as significant an artist—yet—as Hancock, but The New Bossa Nova explores a similar concept. By adapting material, ranging from Joni Mitchell and James Taylor to Leonard Cohen and Randy Newman, to the Brazilian bossa nova form, Souza has created a deeply heartfelt disc that deserves to raise her profile exponentially.

With the stellar group of players she's recruited—many of whom she's intersected with multiple times over the past few years, including saxophonist Chris Potter, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Antonio Sanchez—one might expect some high energy and extended improvisation, but The New Bossa Nova is, instead, an album of understatement, concision and simplicity. While no strangers to the aesthetic of serving the song, principle soloists Simon and Potter work within producer Larry Klein's defined, but never confining, arrangements. Sometimes saying something in eight bars is more challenging than having all the time in the world, and both Potter and Simon deliver memorable, lyrical solos throughout.

While the bossa form is inherently easy on the ears, Souza has chosen material that covers a broad emotional range, a subtext of the album being the complexity and multifaceted nature of love. Souza's voice is warm and soft, with a controlled but rich vibrato that's not unlike that of iconic singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, whose "Down to You, from the classic Court and Spark (Asylum, 1974), opens the disc. The vibe may be soft, but Souza's delivery gets to the core of Mitchell's despondent lyrics. Her mellifluous voice is a considerable contrast to Leonard Cohen's near-spoken delivery, but she's no less at the heart of his starkly dark "Here It Is.

The New Bossa Nova is not, however, all about darkness and despair. A duet with guest James Taylor on his poignant "Never Die Young" reveals just how lush Souza's voice is contrasted with Taylor's sharp tenor, while she reworks Antonio Carlos Jobim's classic "Waters of March" into an uplifting set closer.

Like Swiss singer Susanne Abbuehl, Souza's range and emotional resonance are made all the more powerful for her avoidance of overstatement. With words as potent as these, nuance trumps excess, and while the bossa rhythm is the essence of The New Bossa Nova, there's plenty of diversity to keep things interesting, even as Souza and the group explore shades of a color rather than a broader spectrum. With the emphasis on The New, it's an accessible album that's got the potential to make Souza a popular name like Krall and Jones, but remains no less substantial for it. ~John Kelman

Luciana Souza: vocals; James Taylor: vocals (2); Chris Potter: tenor saxophone; Romero Lubambo: guitar, cavaquinho; Edward Simon: piano, estey; Scott Colley: bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums, percussion; Matt Moran: vibraphone (1, 6-8).

The New Bossa Nova

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Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Deja Vu

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:57
Size: 82.3 MB
Styles: Rock
Year: 1970/1995/2005
Art: Front

[4:24] 1. Carry On
[2:52] 2. Teach Your Children
[4:27] 3. Almost Cut My Hair
[3:35] 4. Helpless
[3:52] 5. Woodstock
[4:10] 6. Deja Vu
[2:59] 7. Our House
[2:05] 8. 4 + 20
[5:09] 9. Country Girl A. Whiskey Boot Hill. B. Down, Down, Down. C. Country Girl [i Think You're Pretty]
[2:20] 10. Everybody I Love You

One of the most hotly awaited second albums in history -- right up there with those by the Beatles and the Band -- Déjà Vu lived up to its expectations and rose to number one on the charts. Those achievements are all the more astonishing given the fact that the group barely held together through the estimated 800 hours it took to record Déjà Vu and scarcely functioned as a group for most of that time. Déjà Vu worked as an album, a product of four potent musical talents who were all ascending to the top of their game coupled with some very skilled production, engineering, and editing. There were also some obvious virtues in evidence -- the addition of Neil Young to the Crosby, Stills & Nash lineup added to the level of virtuosity, with Young and Stephen Stills rising to new levels of complexity and volume on their guitars. Young's presence also ratcheted up the range of available voices one notch and added a uniquely idiosyncratic songwriter to the fold, though most of Young's contributions in this area were confined to the second side of the LP. Most of the music, apart from the quartet's version of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock," was done as individual sessions by each of the members when they turned up (which was seldom together), contributing whatever was needed that could be agreed upon. "Carry On" worked as the album's opener when Stills "sacrificed" another copyright, "Questions," which comprised the second half of the track and made it more substantial. "Woodstock" and "Carry On" represented the group as a whole, while the rest of the record was a showcase for the individual members. David Crosby's "Almost Cut My Hair" was a piece of high-energy hippie-era paranoia not too far removed in subject from the Byrds' "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man," only angrier in mood and texture (especially amid the pumping organ and slashing guitars); the title track, also by Crosby, took 100 hours to work out and was a better-received successor to such experimental works as "Mind Gardens," out of his earlier career with the Byrds, showing his occasional abandonment of a rock beat, or any fixed rhythm at all, in favor of washing over the listener with tones and moods. "Teach Your Children," the major hit off the album, was a reflection of the hippie-era idealism that still filled Graham Nash's life, while "Our House" was his stylistic paean to the late-era Beatles and "4+20" was a gorgeous Stephen Stills blues excursion that was a precursor to the material he would explore on the solo album that followed. And then there were Neil Young's pieces, the exquisitely harmonized "Helpless" (which took many hours to get to the slow version finally used) and the roaring country-ish rockers that ended side two, which underwent a lot of tinkering by Young -- even his seeming throwaway finale, "Everybody I Love You," was a bone thrown to longtime fans as perhaps the greatest Buffalo Springfield song that they didn't record. All of this variety made Déjà Vu a rich musical banquet for the most serious and personal listeners, while mass audiences reveled in the glorious harmonies and the thundering electric guitars, which were presented in even more dramatic and expansive fashion on the tour that followed. ~Bruce Eder

Deja Vu

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Ingram Washington - What A Difference A Day Makes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:57
Size: 116.7 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. What A Difference A Day Makes
[3:06] 2. But Not For Me
[4:35] 3. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[3:06] 4. My Funny Valentine
[3:20] 5. Smile
[2:40] 6. Hey There
[4:07] 7. I Thought About You
[4:16] 8. Unforgettable
[3:57] 9. Autumn Leaves
[3:02] 10. Laughing At Life
[4:00] 11. Always On My Mind
[3:19] 12. Somebody Loves Me
[3:29] 13. Our Love Is Here To Stay
[4:48] 14. What A Wonderful World

Easy listening jazz standards with original arrangements by Cajan Witmer & Ingram Washington. The songs speak for themselves. What more can be said about these long lived evergreens?

What A Difference A Day Makes

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Al Cohn & Al Porcino - Al Cohn Meets Al Porcino

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:21
Size: 165.7 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1987/2003
Art: Front

[3:54] 1. Tiny's Blues
[3:34] 2. I Cover The Waterfront
[4:55] 3. No Thanks
[7:06] 4. Body And Soul
[3:18] 5. Dancing In The Dark
[4:06] 6. Lover Come Back To Me
[3:20] 7. Music To Dance To
[3:13] 8. The Goof And I
[4:14] 9. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[3:58] 10. Autumn In New York
[5:57] 11. Mambo Di Paulo
[4:34] 12. All The Things You Are
[4:25] 13. The Fuzz
[3:43] 14. Get Me To The Church On Time
[7:40] 15. Sophisticated Lady
[4:17] 16. Jumpin' With Symphony Sid

This was one of Al Cohn's last recordings, a live session with trumpeter Al Porcino's European big band. Cohn's Lester Young-influenced tone had darkened quite a bit through the years and his tough tone was now closer to Illinois Jacquet than to Young. However he still swung in a boppish style and is the main soloist throughout this excellent outing, playing eight of his arrangements plus older charts from Gerry Mulligan and Bill Holman among others. Surprisingly Al Porcino does not take a single solo, being content to play in the ensembles and listen to his old friend perform in prime form. ~Scott Yanow

Al Cohn Meets Al Porcino

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Nina Simone - Let It All Out

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:26
Size: 83.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Torch songs
Year: 1966/2004
Art: Front

[2:25] 1. Mood Indigo
[3:01] 2. The Other Woman
[4:04] 3. Love Me Or Leave Me
[4:18] 4. Don't Explain
[2:31] 5. Little Girl Blue
[2:48] 6. Chauffeur
[2:05] 7. For Myself
[4:54] 8. The Ballad Of Hollis Brown
[2:57] 9. This Year's Kisses
[2:50] 10. Images
[4:29] 11. Nearer Blessed Lord

Let It All Out is one of Nina Simone's more adult pop-oriented mid-'60s albums, with renditions of tunes by Duke Ellington ("Mood Indigo"), Billie Holiday ("Don't Explain"), Irving Berlin ("This Year's Kisses"), and Rodgers & Hart ("Little Girl Blue"). As ever, Simone ranges wide in her selection: Bob Dylan's "The Ballad of Hollis Brown," a swaggering adaptation of "Chauffeur Blues" (credited to her husband of the time, Andy Stroud), the gospel hymn "Nearer Blessed Lord," and Van McCoy's "For Myself." "Images" is an a cappella adaptation of a poem about the beauty of blackness by Waring Cuney. All of Simone's Philips albums are solid, and this is no exception, while it isn't the best of them. This LP has been combined with the 1965 album Pastel Blues on a single-disc CD reissue. ~Richie Unterberger

Let It All Out

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Wynton Kelly - Someday My Prince Will Come

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 75:49

Size: 173.6 MB

Styles: Hard bop, Piano jazz

Year: 1961/1993

Art: Front

[3:02] 1. Someday My Prince Will Come

[4:18] 2. Gone With The Wind

[4:25] 3. Autumn Leaves-Take 2

[3:33] 4. Come Rain Or Come Shine

[7:13] 5. Weird Lullaby

[5:12] 6. Sassy

[8:00] 7. Wrinkles

[5:13] 8. On Stage

[4:57] 9. Char's Blues-Take 1

[2:34] 10. Love, I've Found You

[3:40] 11. Surrey With The Fringe On Top-Take 3

[6:34] 12. Joe's Avenue-Take 4

[3:00] 13. Someday My Prince Will Come-Take 5

[8:22] 14. Autumn Leaves-Take 1

[5:37] 15. Char's Blues-Take 2

Pianist Wynton Kelly is heard on this CD reissue (the ten songs from the original LP plus five "new" alternate takes) with either bassist Sam Jones and drummer Jimmy Cobb or bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones. His light touch and perfect taste are very much present along with a steady stream of purposeful single-note lines that are full of surprising twists. Trumpeter Lee Morgan and tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter drop by for one song (the blues "Wrinkles"), but otherwise this recommended set (a definitive Wynton Kelly release) showcases magical trio performances. ~Scott Yanow

Recording Date: September 20-21, 1961

Someday My Prince Will Come

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Judy Niemack - Blue Nights

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:37
Size: 168,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:09)  1. I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues
(5:47)  2. Night In Tunisia
(5:17)  3. Afro Blue
(9:25)  4. All Blues
(5:15)  5. Bluesette
(5:28)  6. Blue
(5:12)  7. Interplay
(6:43)  8. Moanin'
(7:25)  9. Blue In Green
(5:27) 10. A Crazy Song To Sing
(6:23) 11. Lullaby Of The Leaves
(7:02) 12. In A Sentimental Mood

Judy Niemack has released so many outstanding CDs that it seems unfathomable that this 2007 release for Blujazz is her first U.S. recording since Heart's Desire and only her third U.S. album overall. But she makes up for lost time with a typically adventurous outing, backed by guitarist Jeanfrançois Prins (her husband), pianist Jim McNeely, bassist Dennis Irwin, and drummer Victor Lewis, with guest appearances by saxophonist Gary Bartz and trumpeter/flügelhornist Don Sickler on selected tracks. Niemack's sassy take of Duke Ellington's "I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues" and her scatting in unison with Prins' guitar in a romp through "Bluesette" open the disc with a bang, but she cools things down with her intricate interpretation of Bill Evans' "Interplay," for which she supplied delightful lyrics. 

"A Crazy Song to Sing" has more of a vocalese quality, describing the appeal of performing Thelonious Monk's "Mysterioso," punctuated by Bartz's smoldering alto sax solo. "In a Sentimental Mood" is set up by an intriguing blend of guitar, flügelhorn, and alto sax, with Niemack delivering a captivating performance. Judy Niemack has been one of the most underrated jazz vocalists of her generation, and this brilliant effort should awaken critics who have unjustly overlooked her consistently excellent work. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-nights-mw0000574510

Personnel: Judy Niemack (vocals); Jean françois Prins (guitar); Don Sickler (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jim McNeely (piano); Dennis Irwin (bass instrument); Gary Bartz (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Victor Lewis (drums).

Blue Nights

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Oscar Peterson - Plays the Harold Arlen Song Book

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:21
Size: 175,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:20)  1. As Long As I Live
(5:05)  2. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
(4:25)  3. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(3:14)  4. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
(3:08)  5. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
(3:46)  6. I've Got The World On A String
(3:24)  7. It's Only A Paper Moon
(3:00)  8. That Old Black Magic
(3:32)  9. Let's Fall In Love
(3:33) 10. Stormy Weather
(3:49) 11. Blues In The Night
(3:32) 12. Over the Rainbow
(2:10) 13. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe
(2:40) 14. Stormy Weather
(2:15) 15. Over The Rainbow
(2:36) 16. The Man That Got Away
(2:30) 17. Ill Wind
(2:14) 18. Let's Fall In Love
(2:22) 19. As Long As I Live
(2:34) 20. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(1:59) 21. Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive
(2:39) 22. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
(2:25) 23. I've Got The World On A String
(2:58) 24. That Old Black Magic

This re-release combines all the tracks from two earlier albums recorded in 1954 & 1959 with two versions of the trio. Oscar and Ray Brown are on both, but the later trio has Ed Thigpen on drums instead of Ray Ellis on guitar. Both sessions demonstrate Oscar Peterson’s complete mastery of the works of Harold Arlen. Although I feel certain it was not intended, the trio took over where Nat Cole left off. Nat was himself a great jazz pianist and he often performed in Jazz at the Philharmonic in its earlier forms. Oscar of course made that chair his own, when he took over from Nat and stayed to the end. Nat Cole didn’t do so bad either as No1 Male vocalist worldwide! It may be of interest for readers to know that on the very few vocal recordings Oscar has made, he sounds just like Nat ‘King’ Cole. For my money, Oscar is without any doubt the greatest pianist that jazz has produced. There are people like Art Tatum, who had perhaps a better sense of harmonics and many players have maybe pushed the frontiers harder, but there has never been anyone to swing at the drop of a hat on every session, the way Oscar has always done. 

Genius is an overused word these days, but Oscar truly merits it. The 1954 tracks, 1 to 12 have a certain amount of surface noise, as they have been re-mastered from the original disc, but it doesn’t detract in any way from the enjoyment, fortunately the masters were available for the later recordings. The sound is obviously different between the two trios and despite my being a big fan of Herb Ellis, I prefer the trio with Ed Thigpen on the drums. Oscar is such a monster piano player that he does not need anyone to ‘comp’ whilst he is soloing, he does that as well. It seems a little curious to me that the tracks on the second part of the album are so short, on most we get the melody, one improvised chorus and then out. Many of the tunes are played in both halves of the record and as you would expect with a jazz performance, if you visit the same tune five years later, it has developed and changed. This of course is the essence of the jazz performance as opposed to other musical forms and it is what makes jazz such interesting music. 

An earlier reference to Nat Cole reminded me that ‘It’s Only a Paper Moon’ was a tune he regularly featured with his trio. Oscar’s technique and ideas are well illustrated in this track, it is a simple tune, but he makes it into something special and Herb Ellis also has a fine if short solo. Most of all it swings all the way through. This re-release will be very welcome by all the Peterson fans and let us hope that anyone not familiar with his past work will take the opportunity to catch up. ~ Don Mather  http://www.musicweb-international.com/jazz/2001/Nov01/Peterson_Arlen.htm

Personnel : Oscar Peterson (piano); Herb Ellis (guitar); Ray Brown (bass); Ed Thigpen (drums).

Plays the Harold Arlen Song Book

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Mark Douthit - Groove

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:48
Size: 123,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:04)  1. What a Shame
(5:19)  2. You And I
(4:08)  3. You Can't Hide Love
(5:34)  4. What You Won't Do For Love
(5:31)  5. Sunset Beach
(6:59)  6. Linda
(5:17)  7. Use Me
(6:08)  8. Voice Of The Heart
(4:35)  9. I Just Want To Stop
(5:10) 10. What Was

Douthit turns in a textbook easy listening performance on his Hillsboro Jazz debut. He has the distorted upper-register growl; the urgent intonation; the full-bored, slightly quivery Kenny G-like timbre on alto; the blues/gospel licks; and, quite likely, the squint-eyed grimace on high notes that are apparently required for this genre, along with the velvety electric piano backup, gently insistent drums, and other similar essentials. His arrangements nod toward a Steely Dan influence, and not just on the cover of "What a Shame About Me," with the kind of milky brass unison lines and sharp horn jabs that have long been a hallmark of Donald Fagen's charts. 

Douthit writes with a concise technique and an ear for a hook; the last four bars of the chorus on his "Voice of the Heart," for instance, tweak the chord movement in order to nudge the tune along to the next verse a nice, though not exactly riveting, twist. The final track, a rendering of Stevie Wonder's "You and I," provides the most refreshing moment on the record, precisely because this piano/sax duo gives Douthit a chance to interact with one other musician rather than just fit into a fairly static rhythm bed. This proves both that Douthit has what it takes, and that it's possible to stretch out while still keeping your jazz "lite." ~ Robert L.Doerschuk  http://www.allmusic.com/album/groove-mw0000214502

Personnel : Mark Douthit (saxophone); Chris Rodriguez (vocals); Tom Hemby (guitar); Mike Haynes, Jeff Bailey (trumpet); Chris McDonald (trombone); Pat Coil (keyboards); Craig Nelson (bass); John Hammond (drums).

Groove

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Johanna Graham Quartet - Don't Let Me Be Lonely

Size: 120,0 MB
Time: 51:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. The Man With The Child In His Eyes (3:56)
02. Funny Not Much (4:37)
03. I Will (4:15)
04. Too Much (5:57)
05. I'm Though With Love (5:01)
06. Don't Let Me Be Lonely (3:39)
07. People Are Strange (2:32)
08. Empty Serenade (6:40)
09. When Sunny Gets Blue (5:11)
10. Stormy Weather (5:49)
11. Summertime (3:31)

Debut album from Cornish based award-winning vocalist Johanna Graham, featuring a mixture of classic jazz songs and interesting contemporary pop standards. A sophisticated outfit with a real air of glamour, the band consists of vocalist Johanna Graham, guitarist Martin Bowie double bassist Tim Greenhaugh and drummer Damian Rodd.

Johanna Graham is a talented jazz singer whose star is on the rise. She has a rich and characterful voice with an uncanny ability to remind the listener of singers famously associated with the songs she's singing, but delivered in her own unique style. A class act!

Don't Let Me Be Lonely

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Adam Tvrdy & Brian Charette Project - Suspicious Activities

Size: 116,1 MB
Time: 49:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Five For Blues (7:01)
02. Serenity (5:11)
03. A Prayer (7:35)
04. Norwegian Wood (6:09)
05. Charm Of November (6:29)
06. It Could Happen To You (7:05)
07. Airy Icons (5:32)
08. Suspicious Activities (4:39)

Trio Jazz with a progressive, contemporary sound featuring Adam Tvrdy, guitar, Brian Charette, Hammond organ and Petr Mikes, drums.

Suspicious Activities

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Jonah Jones - Jonah Jones Greatest Recordings

Size: 117,3 MB
Time: 50:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Trumpet Jazz, Dixieland, Swing
Art: Front

01. A Kiss To Build A Dream On (2:02)
02. Apollo Jumps (2:57)
03. Around The World (2:23)
04. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home (2:17)
05. Baubles, Bangles And Beads (2:09)
06. Cecilia (2:38)
07. Colonel Bogey (1:55)
08. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (2:25)
09. Echos Of Harlem (3:20)
10. Get Me To The Church On Time (2:07)
11. Hot Lips (2:39)
12. I Can't Get Started (2:41)
13. I Dig Chicks! (2:05)
14. It's A Good Day (2:19)
15. Jumpin' With Jonah (2:17)
16. Just A Gigolo (1:59)
17. Just In Time (1:51)
18. Lazy River (2:07)
19. Mack The Knife (3:00)
20. Mandy, Make Up Your Mind (1:55)
21. Memories Are Made Of This (2:58)

A talented and flashy trumpeter, Jonah Jones hit upon a formula in 1955 that made him a major attraction for a decade; playing concise versions of melodic swing standards and show tunes muted with a quartet. But although the non-jazz audience discovered Jones during the late '50s, he had already been a very vital trumpeter for two decades. Jones started out playing on a Mississippi riverboat in the 1920s. He freelanced in the Midwest (including with Horace Henderson), was briefly with Jimmie Lunceford (1931), had an early stint with Stuff Smith (1932-1934), and then spent time with Lil Armstrong's short-lived orchestra and the declining McKinney's Cotton Pickers. Jones became famous for his playing with Stuff Smith's Onyx club band (1936-1940), recording many exciting solos. He gigged with Benny Carter and Fletcher Henderson and became a star soloist with Cab Calloway (1941-1952), staying with the singer even after his big band became a combo. Jones played Dixieland with Earl Hines (1952-1953), toured Europe in 1954 (including a brilliant recording session with Sidney Bechet), and then led his quartet at the Embers (1955), hitting upon his very successful formula. His shuffle version of "On the Street Where You Live" was the first of many hits and he recorded a long series of popular albums for Capitol during 1957-1963, switching to Decca for a few more quartet albums in 1965-1967. Jonah Jones recorded a fine date with Earl Hines for Chiaroscuro (1972) and still played on an occasional basis in the 1980s and early '90s; he died April 30, 2000, at the age of 91. ~by Scott Yanow

Greatest Recordings

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Back Door - 8th Street Nites

Size: 95,6 MB
Time: 35:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1973/2000
Styles: Jazz Rock, Jazz Blues
Art: Front

01. Linin' Track (3:57)
02. Forget Me Daisy (2:12)
03. His Old Boots (Sein Alter Stiefel) (3:20)
04. Blue Country Blues (2:45)
05. Dancin' In The Van (1:51)
06. 32-20 Blues (2:24)
07. Roberta (2:48)
08. It's Nice When It's Up (2:54)
09. One Day You're Down, The Next Day Your Down (3:32)
10. Walkin' Blues (3:13)
11. The Bed Creaks Louder (2:20)
12. Adolphus Beal (3:52)

More bass-driven brilliance, produced by the late Felix Pappalardi, former producer of Cream. Though the album is less cohesive than their debut, it soars to even greater heights with its stand-out covers of Leadbelly and Robert Johnson. These blues numbers are largely played as unaccompanied bass and vocal pieces. There's something to this unadorned combination -- the inherent grittiness of the bass matched against his voice hearkens back to the raw power of Delta blues, where it's just a guy and his crappy old guitar. On "32-20 Blues," Hodgkinson sings an old Robert Johnson number while throttling away at the bass; on the opening "Laying Track," the whole band takes on Leadbelly in a sort of restrained funkiness, with the constant thrashing of a tambourine underlining the rhythm section's punches on the downbeat.

8th Street Nites

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Kenji Shimizu - Japanese Standards

Size: 110,7 MB
Time: 47:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Saxophone Jazz
Art: Front

01. Aa Jinseini Namidaari (3:39)
02. Kawano Nagarenoyouni (3:30)
03. Blue Chateau (3:55)
04. Amachan Theme (2:28)
05. Oyoge! Taiyakikun (3:43)
06. Uki Uki Watching (3:33)
07. Koino Kisetsu (4:06)
08. Yogiriyo Konyamo Arigatou (5:15)
09. First Love (3:43)
10. Kurodabushi (3:48)
11. Koisuru Fortune Cookie (5:49)
12. Hanawa Saku (3:58)

Kenji Shimizu (KEN G) jazz saxophonist & composer.
Kenji Shimizu (KEN G) was born in Yamaguchi, Japan in 1967. He began studying saxophone at age fourteen and was giging at the local jazz club in Yamaguchi all through high school.
In 1986, after graduation, He moved to Tokyo and switched to tenor sax, studying under Takao Uematsu, the wizard of the Japanese jazz music world.
In 2005, 2007 and 2009, he played at the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival with San Murata Trio. And He released 4CDs recorded in Toronto and New York.
His playing style is commonly called "Japanese Joe Henderson", a style with great flexibility that makes him an all round player. He has made this style his own and his sound will surely move his co-players and audiences everywhere.

Japanese Standards

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Bekah Kelso & The Fellas - No Stranger

Size: 98,7 MB
Time: 37:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Pop Soul, Folk Pop
Art: Front

01. Tranquilo (1:20)
02. Moonwalker (4:52)
03. Lucky Son Of A Gun (3:39)
04. Get On Home (3:24)
05. The Point (3:09)
06. Raven's Song (3:30)
07. Devil's Rope (3:33)
08. Wicked Love (3:50)
09. Heaven Can Wait (3:09)
10. Odyssey (4:13)
11. Half Mile Down (2:25)

Personnel:
Bekah Kelso - lead vox, guitar, ukulele
Damian Rodriguez - bass, bg vox
Ryan Kelso - drums, bg vox
Ricky Hernandez - keys, bg vox

On No Stranger, we aimed to capture the raw and occasionally growly, gritty, downright dirty vibe that we've been cultivating over the last year (our first year performing together as a band.) These 10 tracks were pulled from my (Bekah's) year writing a song-a-week in the Global Soulwriters Group. Over the course of the year, I brought these tunes to The Fellas and they put the proverbial stank on 'em.
Or sweetness, where applicable.

We've worked hard and at last have captured the sound and vibe of a BKTF live show experience.

We named this album for the band of friends who've "never met a stranger" and also for some the quirkier tunes found within, which, as we down South might say, "couldn't get no stranger".

"It’s a leap forward for the talented Kelso whose voice on her new originals can conjure Janis Joplin’s more commercial pop side (on “Lucky Son of a Gun”), a deeper Rickie Lee Jones (on “Get On Home”), Fiona Apple’s manic intensity (on “The Point” and “Raven’s Song”), a Broadway chanteuse (on “Devil’s Rope”) and romantic old-school R&B singer Roberta Flack (on “”Odyssey” and “Wicked Love”)." - Hector Saldana, San Antonio Express News

No Stranger

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Doc Watkins - The Outlaw

Size: 100,0 MB
Time: 38:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Piano/Organ Jazz
Art: Front

01. On The Road Again (1:37)
02. Skylark (4:15)
03. Even Song (4:45)
04. I've Never Been In Love Before (3:19)
05. Oleo (0:23)
06. Sweet Georgia Brown (3:46)
07. Daddy Longlegs Blues (4:04)
08. Interlude (1:49)
09. Lean On Me (3:58)
10. Renewal (7:40)
11. The Outlaw (2:52)

Pianist, Organist, and Bandleader Doc Watkins is based in San Antonio, Texas. Currently performing over 200 shows per year, he has quickly risen to become one of Texas’ most active and versatile artists, leading multiple groups ranging from a Hammond Organ Trio to an 18-piece big band. His latest album, The Outlaw features Watkins with his hard-swinging trio in an exciting collection of tunes ranging from Jazz to Country to original compositions.

Originally from the state of Oregon, Watkins relocated to Austin, Texas in 2003 to pursue a Master's and Doctorate in music from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2006 he relocated to San Antonio and quickly found work performing along San Antonio's legendary Riverwalk. Within less than a year, he was leading his own groups and performing full-time throughout the South Texas region. In January 2014, Watkins and his trio performed at New York City’s Carnegie Hall to a full and enthusiastic house.

Watkins currently resides in San Antonio with his wife, Jessica and their 4 children. When not on the road or in the studio, he can be found performing around town in San Antonio’s finest music venues, including the Majestic and Empire Theatres, Bohanan’s, and the Esquire Tavern. He is a self-declared enthusiast of Texas BBQ.

The Outlaw

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Jimmy Hamilton - Can't Help Swingin'

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 76:44

Size: 175.7 MB

Styles: Clarinet jazz

Year: 1993/2009

Art: Front

[6:39] 1. Mr. Good Blues

[5:12] 2. Peanut Head

[9:44] 3. Nits And Wits

[5:17] 4. Stupid But Not Crazy

[5:48] 5. Two For One

[4:53] 6. Gone With The Blues

[3:12] 7. Definite Difference

[7:07] 8. Panfried

[4:35] 9. Lullaby Of The Leaves

[4:38] 10. Baby Won't You Please Come Home

[6:00] 11. There Is No Greater Love

[6:32] 12. Dancing On The Ceiling

[3:47] 13. Route 9w

[3:14] 14. Town Tavern Rag

Jimmy Hamilton spent 25 years (1943-68) with Duke Ellington's Orchestra, gaining recognition as a technically skilled cool-toned clarinetist and an occasional (but underused) booting tenor player. His own recording projects were very infrequent and his two Swingville LPs (reissued in full on this 1999 CD) were formerly very scarce. For one of the dates (originally called It's About Time), Hamilton is matched in a sextet with flugelhornist Clark Terry, trombonist Britt Woodman, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Mel Lewis for a set of mostly blues. Terry and Woodman are quite exuberant throughout. The Can't Help Swingin' album showcases Hamilton with pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Earl Williams in a quartet. Although Hamilton plays some clarinet (most notably on the atmospheric "Dancing on the Ceiling"), the emphasis throughout both sets is on his rarely heard tenor. He is less bop-oriented and more basic on the bigger horn than on his usual ax, swinging hard and showing just how strong a tenor player he could be. Worth exploring. ~Scott Yanow

Can't Help Swingin'

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Karin Krog & Steve Kuhn - Together Again

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:18
Size: 108.3 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[6:08] 1. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying
[5:04] 2. I Thought About You
[5:14] 3. Alfie
[3:53] 4. Time On My Hands
[5:01] 5. We'll Be Together Again
[4:09] 6. Wee Baby Blues
[3:43] 7. Lazy Afternoon
[3:06] 8. Time After Time
[5:23] 9. Jim
[5:33] 10. The Party's Over

Norway's leading Lady Karin Krogh in collaboration with the great Steve Kuhn. After guesting in Steve's Trio they concluded their work with this stunning duo recording. Krog's many collaborations over the years have featured some of the jazz world's most prominent musicians - Dexter Gordon, Archie Shepp, Warne Marsh, Toots Thielemans, Bengt Hallberg, Red Mitchell, Kenny Drew, Nils Lindberg and John Surman—and several of these collaborations continue to this day. Among them is Krog's ongoing work with Steve Kuhn, whom she first met in the '70s. "He's my favorite pianist, she reports. In recent years they have released two CDs - Where You At? in 2003 and Together Again in 2006 - and last year they toured Japan, where both enjoy wide recognition.

"I love Karin dearly. When I see her I feel like I'm home, says Kuhn. "She is extremely talented and she's slowly getting the recognition she should. Indeed, while Krog is no stranger to awards, just this year she marked her place in Norwegian cultural history, receiving the Anders Jahre Culture Prize, one of Norway's most prestigious awards.

Karin Krogh - Vocal; Steve Kuhn - Piano.

Together Again

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Harry Allen - New York State Of Mind

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 67:50

Size: 155.3 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 2009

Art: Front

[6:33] 1. Puttin' On The Ritz

[3:40] 2. Harlem Nocturne

[5:37] 3. Broadway Melody

[6:48] 4. Autumn In New York

[4:47] 5. Down In The Depths On The 90th Floor

[7:37] 6. Sidwalks Of New York

[7:52] 7. New York State Of Mind

[7:21] 8. Rose Of Washington Square

[6:34] 9. New York, New York

[5:58] 10. Chinatown My Chinatown

[4:58] 11. Manhattan Serenade

The big, fat, warm and tender tone of Harry Allen's tenor saxophone is impossible to miss. There is no one who sounds quite like him, and that is probably because no other saxophonist has embraced the tenor horn in a similar way. No one since Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster has mined the wealth of that instrument for its burnished elegant timbre except Harry Allen. Following the success of Hits by Brits (Challenge Records, 2007), comes New York State of Mind, a record that leaps into Big Apple madness with eleven standards that celebrate its myriad moods. If there had been any doubt about the relevance of such music, Allen puts it to rest.

Allen infuses relatively older tunes with a great deal of contemporary splendor. His takes on the Don Henley hit "New York Minute" (written by Henley, Danny Kortchmar, and Jai Winding), Paul Simon and Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair," and Herbie Hancock / Jean Hancock's "Manhattan," are all made new in a magical way. Each song offers an earful of glorious colors and textures of the city beloved by some of music's finest; the mad rush for recognition in an idiom is at once tender, spunky and always prismatic.

Other examples abound. The swinging pulse of "Puttin' on the Ritz" recalls the wizardry-in-tap-step of Fred Astaire, while "Harlem Nocturne" sparkles in that languid, glacial manner that might wake the moon. "Broadway Melody," Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" and Vernon Duke's classic, "Autumn in New York" echo with mighty feelings of tenderness. "New York, New York" makes sparks fly with in the fire of the interpretations. There are other ballads that regale the ear with brilliance, superb execution and singular warmth that can only come from living and breathing the music as only Harry Allen can. If there is one question mark on repertoire here, it is probably that the absence of "Take the A-Train" or even "Lush Life" is strongly felt, as few masters had a feel for New York like Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.

Allen is still at the top of his game. His absolute command of melody is only equaled by his ability to create rich layers of harmony. His solos are spry and despite their inventive elegance there is a singular logic to each one as he negotiates the idiom of each song. Trombonist John Allred creates swirls of romance around Allen both in ensemble passages as well in his solos. He is regal and plays with brazen creativity in the upper register. He is especially spectacular in both his contrapuntal opening on "New York, New York" and his inside-out solo, which is devastatingly beautiful. Rossano Sportiello
has probably the most sublime technique and expression to adorn the ebony and ivory. And Allen could not expect a better rhythm section than bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Chuck Riggs. So it is possible to get over the minor mishap with repertoire because of the fine musicians on this record. ~Raul D'Gama Rose

Harry Allen: tenor saxophone; Rossano Sportiello: piano; Joel Forbes: bass; Chuck Riggs: drums; John Allred: trombone (1, 4, 6, 8-10).

New York State of Mind

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