David 'Fathead' Newman - Time And Again

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:16
Size: 179.2 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[6:35] 1. Lady Day
[4:27] 2. Hello There
[6:32] 3. Summertime
[2:24] 4. Deed I Do
[7:23] 5. Batista's Groove
[3:39] 6. Alto Sauce
[4:36] 7. Skylark
[2:48] 8. When Your Lover Has Gone
[7:04] 9. Cousin Slim
[3:05] 10. Unchain My Heart
[4:18] 11. Congo Chant
[5:37] 12. Cellar Groove
[2:32] 13. Lonely Avenue
[7:55] 14. Night Of Nisan
[5:13] 15. Scufflin'
[4:01] 16. Esther's Melody

As both a musician and man, David Newman expressed extreme elegance. His manner was understated. He was an unusually handsome man who carried himself with dignity and grace. He walked through the world with quiet confidence. His spoken voice, like his musical voice, was warm and loving. His tender soul was evident in everything he said and played.

In jazz's hard-edged culture, gentlemen are rare. David was the very model of a gentle man. By the time he had reached his late twenties, he had risen to the rank of a musical master, yet never with the slightest hint of self-congratulatory conceit. For all his humility, his storied six-decade career is a model of deep and enduring work.

His mentors spoke readily of his prodigious talent. "I heard him as more than a sideman," said Lowell Fulson, the great bluesman with whom Newman played in the early fifties. "I heard him as a star in his own right." Fulson's piano player, Ray Charles, hired David when he began a small band of his own in 1954. "He has one of the kindest, sweetest dispositions of anyone I'd ever known," Said Ray. "They called him 'Fathead' but I called him 'Brains' because of his keen intelligence. He had it all covered—down-and-dirty blues and high-flying bop. And he put it together with a smoothness that had me wishing I could blow sax half as good as him." ~David Ritz

Time And Again

---

Jay Hoggard - Swing 'Em Gates: A Tribute To Lionel Hampton

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:20
Size: 122.1 MB
Styles: Vibraphone jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:54] 1. Take The A Train
[6:16] 2. Flying Home
[5:24] 3. Swing Em Gates
[4:27] 4. How High The Moon
[6:09] 5. Memories Of You
[4:44] 6. Uptown Vibes
[3:56] 7. Air Mail Special
[6:06] 8. In A Mellow Tone
[5:02] 9. Stardust
[6:17] 10. Shiny Stockings

SWING 'EM GATES, is a tribute to the late vibraphone grand master Lionel Hampton. “Eight of the compositions on this recording are tunes that I played when Lionel Hampton sent me to sub for him with his band in the 1990’s…Once, when Hamp called me to play for him, I asked what tunes he wanted. He replied, ’Just swing ‘em,gates.’ ” That conversation was the inspiration for Jays’ composition of the same name as well as the direction of this musical tribute to Hampton in Hoggard’s musical voice The recording features stellar performances by top New York collaborators with a guest appearance by piano master, Dr. Billy Taylor on three tunes.

Swing 'Em Gates: A Tribute To Lionel Hampton

---

Leo Parker - Legendary Bop, Rhythm & Blues Classics

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 23:06
Size: 52.9 MB
Styles: Bebop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. Anything Can Happen
[3:08] 2. Tippin' Lightly
[2:55] 3. Blue Sails
[2:37] 4. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[2:37] 5. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (dub in)
[3:01] 6. Candlelight Serenade
[2:56] 7. Hornet
[2:41] 8. Leo's Blues

The first jazz be-bop musician to play the baritone sax, Leo Parker was a rising force in the be-bop community of the late 1940's and might have become a huge star had not a drug addiction derailed his career and eventually claim his life at the age of 36. With a sound that wedded gospel drenched R&B with the advanced harmonies of be-bop, Parker's style and flawless technique became a prime inspiration for scores of young be-boppers to come. The first five tracks presented here were recorded in Chicago in August of 1953 with an unidentified rhythm section; the remaining tracks are from a July, 1951 Chicago session featuring Parker's baritone with Eddie Johnson on tenor sax; Claude Jones on piano (organ on "Candlelight Serenade"); Johnny Pate bass and Al Williams on drums. All selections have been newly remastered.

Legendary Bop, Rhythm & Blues Classics

---

Jackie & Roy - Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:55
Size: 84.5 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1955/1984/1992
Art: Front

[2:29] 1. Says My Heart
[2:38] 2. Let's Take A Walk Around The Block
[4:16] 3. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
[1:55] 4. Mine
[2:44] 5. Bill's Bit
[3:22] 6. Lover
[4:09] 7. Tiny Told Me
[3:10] 8. You Smell So Good
[3:19] 9. Lazy Afternoon
[2:26] 10. Daahoud
[3:32] 11. Listen Little Girl
[2:50] 12. I Wish I Were In Love Again

Among other delights, this 1955 Storyville title--reissued on Black Lion--boasts one of the first versions of Tommy Wolf and Fran Landesman's classy jazz standard, "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most." It's one of those songs that most jazz singers feel they must attempt at some point or other. (Norah Jones demo-ed it for her Bluenote audition, in fact.) The vaguely exotic "Lazy Afternoon" was also very popular among cabaret singers at the time. Otherwise, this is a typically fresh Jackie & Roy outing with some older standards ("Lover"), a bonafide jazz tune (Clifford Brown's "Daahoud"), and some choice novelties and unknowns ("Tiny Told Me," "You Smell So Good"!). ~Richard Mortifoglio

Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most

---

Hank Jones - The New York Rhythm Section

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:15
Size: 160.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2004/2010
Art: Front

[3:37] 1. Blues For Sal
[3:36] 2. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
[3:14] 3. Jimmy's Tune
[3:53] 4. Minor's Club
[3:19] 5. They Look Alike
[3:40] 6. He Was Too Good To Me
[2:38] 7. Ain't We Got Fun
[3:26] 8. Wolf Talk
[3:10] 9. Milt's On Stilts
[3:21] 10. Mambosies
[2:51] 11. Out Of Braith
[3:19] 12. The Legal Nod
[3:08] 13. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
[2:15] 14. Hallelujah!
[2:48] 15. Sahara
[3:42] 16. Mona's Feeling Lonely
[3:16] 17. Kookin' In The Kitchen
[3:35] 18. Walk Chicken Walk With Your Head Picked Bald To The Bone
[2:50] 19. Ruby, My Dear
[3:37] 20. Koolin' On The Settee
[4:49] 21. Blues

During the second half of the 1950s, pianist Hank Jones, guitarist Barry Galbraith, bassist Milt Hinton and drummer Osie Johnson were constantly in demand for studio dates, recording in a countless number of settings. The music on this CD, which is an entire LP plus a few related selections by the same quartet, features the rhythm section as its own entity. Trombonist Jimmy Cleveland guests on three numbers and there are individual features for Hinton and Galbraith although Jones is generally the lead soloist. The music falls between swing and bop (just like Jones' style), ranging from a variety of melodic and catchy originals to Thelonious Monk's "Ruby, My Dear." The music features each of the musicians in prime form and is particularly valuable for the Galbraith solos since the guitarist did not record often enough in small-group jazz settings. Recommended. ~Scott Yanow

The New York Rhythm Section

---

B.J. Thomas - Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:06
Size: 114.7 MB
Styles: Pop-Country-Rock
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[2:47] 1. Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head
[2:36] 2. Hooked On A Feeling
[2:55] 3. The Eyes Of A New York Woman
[2:58] 4. I Just Can't Help Believing
[4:05] 5. Rock And Roll Lullaby
[3:00] 6. Bring Back The Time
[2:52] 7. It's Only Love
[2:49] 8. Mama
[3:10] 9. Mighty Clouds Of Joy
[4:32] 10. Happier Than The Morning Sun
[3:53] 11. Long Ago Tomorrow
[2:43] 12. Tomorrow Never Comes
[2:50] 13. Most Of All
[2:46] 14. I Can't Help It
[3:10] 15. I'm So Lonesome I Could Die
[2:52] 16. No Love At All

B.J. Thomas (born Billy Joe Thomas) straddled the line between pop/rock and country, achieving success in both genres in the late '60s and '70s. At the beginning of his career, he leaned more heavily on rock & roll, but by the mid-'70s, he had turned to country music, becoming one of the most successful country-pop stars of the decade.

Thomas began singing while he was a child, performing in church. In his teens, he joined the Houston-based band the Triumphs, who released a number of independent singles that failed to gain any attention. For the group's last single, Thomas and fellow Triumph member Mark Charron wrote "Billy and Sue," which was another flop. After "Billy and Sue," Thomas began a solo career, recording a version of Hank Williams' standard "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" with producer Huey P. Meaux. Released by Scepter Records in early 1966, the single became an immediate hit, catapulting to number eight on the pop charts. Although he had a series of moderate follow-up hits, including a re-release of "Billy and Sue," Thomas failed to reenter the Top Ten until 1968, when "Hooked on a Feeling" became a number five, gold single. The following year, he scored his biggest hit with Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," taken from the hit film Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid. It was followed by a string of soft rock hits in the next two years, including "Everybody's Out of Town," "I Just Can't Help Believing," "No Love at All," and "Rock and Roll Lullaby," which featured guitarist Duane Eddy and the vocal group the Blossoms.

After "Rock and Roll Lullaby," Scepter Records went out of business and B.J. Thomas headed to Paramount Records. At Paramount, Thomas had no hits, prompting the singer to pursue a new country-pop direction at ABC Records. "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song," his first single for ABC, became his second number one record on the pop charts, as well as establishing a country career for the vocalist. For the next decade, he continued to have hits on the country charts, with a couple of songs -- most notably "Don't Worry Baby" -- crossing over into the pop charts. During this period, he switched record companies at a rapid pace, but it did nothing to slow the pace of his hits. Thomas hit his country peak in 1983 and 1984, when he had the number one hits "Whatever Happened to Old Fashioned Love" and "New Looks from an Old Lover," as well as the Top Ten hits "The Whole World's in Love When You're Lonely" and "Two Car Garage." Throughout the '80s, B.J. Thomas recorded a number of hit gospel records for Myrrh concurrently with his country hits, but his most prominent song was "As Long as We Got Each Other," a tune that served as the theme song to the sitcom Growing Pains. ~bio by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

---

Diane Marino - On The Street Where You Live

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz, Brazilian Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:11
Size: 126,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:25)  1. Moanin'
(4:21)  2. Só Danço Samba - Jazz 'N' Samba
(5:35)  3. Once I Loved
(5:35)  4. O Amor Em Paz - Love In Peace
(2:45)  5. I Concentrate On You
(7:15)  6. On The Street Where You Live
(5:00)  7. Toucans Dance
(5:58)  8. I'm Glad There Is You
(4:07)  9. What Now My Love
(3:40) 10. Retrato Em Branco e Preto - Picture In Black And White
(4:25) 11. Bernie's Tune

Singer/pianist Diane Marino was born in Manhattan, NYC. She received her early piano training of classical studies and improvisation from the age of 10. Diane was accepted on NYC'S 'Famed' High School for the Performing Arts as a classical piano major. She later attended the Mannes College of Music in Manhattan where she studied piano with world-renowned concert pianist Murray Perahia. While working towards her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance, Diane began singing with small groups in the NYC tri-state area, After graduating from Mannes, she was singing professionally 6 nights a week. It was only natural and a matter of time before she would combine her singing and piano playing skills. Diane performed solo gigs for several years in the NYC area before teaming up with bassist Frank Marino. 

The duo formed the nine member Brazilian group, 'Som Brasileiro' (Sounds of Brazil) in 1993 and have performed at numerous jazz festivals, venues and concerts in the Southeast sharing the bill with artists such as Tania Maria, Pete Escovedo, Joe Henderson and Dr. John, to name a few. Diane's debut jazz quartet CD 'A Sleepin' Bee' was released in 2003 and has received national acclaim, extensive radio airplay and rave reviews. In August of 2003 Diane's CD reached # 25 in the National JazzWeek Charts and held for four weeks. WRTI radio in Philadelphia had Diane's version of "Don't Misunderstand" at #15 in their top 100 songs for 2003. This CD offers a wide array of vocal and instrumental traditional jazz standards, Latin jazz, and Brazilian jazz (sung in Portuguese). Diane's second CD release, 'On the Street Where You Live' proves once again that Diane is a natural whether playing, singing, or both. This CD will take the listener to the very depths of emotions. There is a re-current theme throughout that tells stories of love, and love lost, as well as playful gems of Latin and Brazilian jazz. http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=6730081&style=music&fulldesc=T

Personnel: Diane Marino (vocals, piano); Frank Marino (bass instrument); Mitch Reilly (flute, saxophone); Chris Brown (drums).

On The Street Where You Live

---

Paul Kirby Trio - If Not Now

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:01
Size: 117,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:38)  1. Square Pegs
(2:37)  2. Blues for Jaki
(4:27)  3. Beatrice
(3:54)  4. If You Want Joy
(5:06)  5. Just One of Those Things
(5:18)  6. Floating Through the Sun
(6:06)  7. You Stepped Out of a Dream
(4:22)  8. Y-S-K
(3:29)  9. Long Ago and Far Away
(4:35) 10. If Not Now
(6:23) 11. Southbridge Queen

“The Edinburgh pianist is making a huge reputation for himself with his intelligent and highly musical take on hard swinging, always exciting modern jazz”. ~ Edinburgh Festival Review

“Kirby’s touch, whether in vigorous Spanish dance mode, Bach-influenced intricacy or Bill Evans-like reflection,was hugely impressive”. ~ The Glasgow Herald

Paul Kirby is a genuine East-West musician, having firmly established his musicianship throughout Europe, the Far East and North America.  His playing and writing draws deeply from the tradition of swinging, melodic jazz with inspiration also coming from music he hears on his travels. This debut album reflects some of his wide ranging influences and showcases his current trio with German bassist Martin Zenker and English-born, New York-based drummer Mark Taylor. Paul is currently Professor of Piano at Paekche Institute of the Arts, South Korea. As well as teaching and composing, Paul performs constantly with both local and touring musicians across South Korea, Japan, China and Mongolia, and throughout Europe.  He has also employed his global ties in various multicultural collaborations, including bringing a group of outstanding young Korean jazz musicians to the Edinburgh Jazz Festival for the inaugural Paul Kirby East-West concert. 

Paul was born in Scotland in 1981 and has played piano since he was eight. After first studying mathematics at Cambridge University, he won a prestigious Dewar Arts Award in 2009 and took a Masters in Music degree at Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA, studying with Stanley Cowell, Jason Moran and Kenny Werner amongst others. 

Paul has toured and collaborated on recordings with some of the world’s best modern jazz instrumentalists including Herb Geller, Jesse Davis, Jim Snidero, Billy Hart, Tim Armacost, Ken Peplowski, Valery Ponomarev, Vincent Herring and Eric Alexander. http://www.nagelheyer.de/cd-details/cd/if-not-now.html?tt_products[backPID]=3&cHash=360a9ec6c31877418f37a14bb89d1088

Personnel:  Paul Kirby – piano;  Martin Zenker – bass;  Mark Taylor - drums

If Not Now

---

Freddie Hubbard - Back To Birdland

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:35
Size: 79.2 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1982/1998
Art: Front

[5:15] 1. Shaw Nuff
[6:00] 2. Star Eyes
[5:31] 3. Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be )
[6:52] 4. For B.P
[5:14] 5. The Uninvited Stella By Starlight
[5:41] 6. Birdlike

This well-recorded outing (which has been reissued on CD by Drive Archive) was trumpeter Freddie Hubbard's first worthwhile studio recording (with the exception of Super Blue) since the mid-'70s.

Essentially a bebop date, Hubbard is teamed with a sextet comprised of altoist Richie Cole, trombonist Ashley Alexander, pianist George Cables, bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer John Dentz; altoist Med Flory sits in on "Byrdlike." Hubbard shows on such standards as "Shaw Nuff," "Star Eyes" and "Lover Man" that he could still play straightahead jazz with the best of them, Alexander is featured on "Stella by Starlight" and Cole is also in excellent form. ~Scott Yanow

Back To Birdland

---

B.B. King - The Life Of Riley OST

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:34
Size: 170.7 MB
Styles: Modern electric blues, Soundtrack
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:20] 1. Walking Dr. Bill
[1:27] 2. Nobody Loves Me But My Mother
[8:34] 3. To Know You Is To Love You
[2:32] 4. Paying The Cost To Be The Boss
[2:59] 5. Three O'clock Blues
[3:10] 6. Sweet Little Angel
[2:30] 7. Catfish Blues (Fishin' After Me)
[2:36] 8. Everyday I Have The Blues
[3:34] 9. How Blue Can You Get
[4:52] 10. Chains And Things
[5:23] 11. The Thrill Is Gone
[3:57] 12. Caldonia
[6:08] 13. Sweet Sixteen
[4:07] 14. Hold On (I Feel Our Love Is Changing)
[4:15] 15. When Love Comes To Town
[4:22] 16. Riding With The King
[2:32] 17. Messy But Good
[3:20] 18. Precious Lord
[2:47] 19. Think It Over

B.B. King became the very face of modern blues at the close of the 20th century, mixing his warm and weary vocals with an elegant call and response electric guitar style, bridging the old country blues with the urban elements of R&B, jazz, and soul, and all of it done with a consistent class and style. King's story, which begins as an orphaned child working in a cotton field and ends with him playing headlining shows in the best clubs all over the globe, was given a fine film treatment in Jon Brewer's bio documentary The Life of Riley, and this set is the soundtrack for that film. Following the storyline of the documentary closely, it does a wonderful job of showing King's musical development chronologically, beginning with 1951's “3 O’Clock Blues” and running all the way through to his comeback (although he'd never really been away) hit "Riding with the King" from 2000, and adding live tracks at key intervals, featuring guest spots from Eric Clapton, Ronnie Wood, Derek Trucks, and others. Assembled with care, this release makes a great introduction to the history, depth, and scope of King's iconic career. ~Steve Leggett

The Life Of Riley OST

---

The Sandpipers - Misty Roses

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 26:18

Size: 60.2 MB

Styles: Easy Listening, Folk-pop

Year: 1967/2012

Art: Front

[2:35] 1. Cuando Sali De Cuba (The Wind Will Change Tomorrow)

[3:20] 2. And I Love Her

[1:53] 3. Fly Me To The Moon

[2:44] 4. Strange Song

[2:29] 5. The Honeywind Blows

[3:30] 6. Misty Roses

[2:24] 7. Today

[2:48] 8. I Believed It All

[2:14] 9. Daydream

[2:18] 10. Wooden Heart

This is the third long-player from A&M artists' the Sandpipers. A distinction should be made from this quartet and others that have used the same name. These are not the folks whose recording of the "(Theme From) Mighty Mouse" was mimed by Andy Kaufmann on Saturday Night Live. Nor, is this the South African-originated combo -- who, apart from their moniker, seemed to share no other similarities with these Sandpipers. During an era when pop acts were becoming celebrities in their own right, the band took a backseat to their easy listening, middle-of-the-road music. A&M even went so far as to only feature members' photos on the rear of the album jackets. Which is where James Brady, Michael Piano, and Richard Shoff are seen -- minus the distinct presence of Pamela Ramcier. The reasons she was rarely (if ever) credited is vague. Yet the aural evidence remains that she was an active participant in the Sandpipers when Misty Roses (1967) hit store shelves in late 1967. The modus operandi was pretty much the same as their previous platters, blending light and affective cover versions of concurrently popular music from a remarkably wide variety of sources, and not always in English, either. As the Sandpipers had scored a Top Ten Pop hit with their interpretation of "Guantanamera," presumably it was considered a mandate to include at least one foreign-sung selection on each LP. They kicked off the affair with the heartfelt "Cuando Sail de Cuba (The Wind Will Change Tomorrow)" before turning the tables on two pop classics. The Beatles' ballad "And I Love Her" was given a poignant lyrical Spanish translation, while "Fly Me to the Moon" was refurbished into a lively Spanish language samba. On the opposite side of the interpretive coin, the reading of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Daydream" doesn't do the song -- or the singers for that matter -- any good. The title track -- a wispy and carefree update of Tim Hardin's "Misty Roses" is infinitely better, as is the folk-derived "The Honey Wind Blows," easily besting the Brothers Four and Glenn Yarborough's respective takes. Similarly, the Sandpipers weave their spacious harmonies through a well-tempered run on Chip Taylor's wistful "Strange Song." ~Lindsay Planer

Misty Roses

---

Rebecca Kilgore - Sure Thing: Sings The Music Of Jerome Kern

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:44
Size: 134.5 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz vocals
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[2:54] 1. Why Do I Love You
[4:20] 2. Dearly Beloved
[4:33] 3. Bill
[3:48] 4. I've Told Ev'ry Little Star
[4:15] 5. Long Ago And Far Away
[4:16] 6. Look For The Silver Lining
[3:12] 7. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
[3:17] 8. You Couldn't Be Cuter
[4:28] 9. A Fine Romance
[3:44] 10. Nobody Else But Me
[4:01] 11. I'm Old Fashioned
[4:24] 12. Make Believe
[3:52] 13. Remind Me
[4:01] 14. Who
[3:33] 15. Sure Thing

15 track collection of Rebecca Kilgore singing the classic music of Jerome Kern. Becky is at her tender, witty best with this repertoire. there is the palpably beautiful sound of her voice but, more than that, her subtle understanding of the lyrics, her willingness to become one with the song rather than attempting to overpower it. Hers is the deepest art in that it appears conversational, but sounding so casual is the hardest task of all. Although she is poised before a microphone, it sounds as if she is singing just for the listener.

Sure Thing: Sings The Music Of Jerome Kern

---

Hot Club De Frank - Sugar And More

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:00
Size: 100.8 MB
Styles: Gypsy swing
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[1:43] 1. Sheik Of Araby
[3:17] 2. Jeepers Creepers
[2:09] 3. Sweet Sue
[2:59] 4. Marie
[2:32] 5. Montagne Saint Genevieve
[2:16] 6. Shine
[2:34] 7. I'se A Muggin'
[2:40] 8. Fantasie
[2:59] 9. Gypsy Swing '92
[1:57] 10. Serdze
[3:20] 11. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
[2:43] 12. Flat Foot Floogie
[4:04] 13. Lilly Belle
[2:34] 14. It Don't Mean A Thing
[2:09] 15. Sugar
[3:14] 16. Chez Jaques
[0:42] 17. Laughing At The Rhythm

Sugar and More is a lovely album by Jazz / Swing sensation Hot Club De Frank. 17 beautiful slow and up tempo acoustic songs ranging from gypsy, klezmer, jazz, and swing Muzet. Both vocal and instrumental numbers continue to intrigue from beginning to end. Truly a fantastic band, recommended to fans of Gypsy and hot club du France music.

Sugar And More

---

Charlie Byrd - Mr. Guitar

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 40:06

Size: 91.8 MB

Styles: Guitar jazz

Year: 1962/1998

Art: Front

[2:57] 1. Blues For Felix

[2:52] 2. Gypsy In My Soul

[3:10] 3. In A Mellow Tone

[4:40] 4. Prelude To A Kiss

[2:31] 5. Travelin' On

[3:34] 6. Play Fiddle Play

[2:46] 7. Funky Flamenco

[2:40] 8. My One And Only

[3:10] 9. Mama, I'll Be Home Someday

[3:39] 10. How Long Has This Been Going On

[2:11] 11. Who Cares

[5:51] 12. Lay The Lily Low

A delightful trio outing with an adroit and light feel, also featuring Keter Betts on bass and Bertell Knox on drums. Byrd's playing combines jazz swing with influences from both Spanish guitar and classical music on a session comprised of both Byrd originals and covers, usually of Gershwin and Ellington tunes. Betts and Knox are both nimble players who flesh out Byrd's arrangements without encumbering them, Knox exhibiting a deft touch on the snares in particular. Byrd swings pretty hard on numbers like "Gypsy in My Soul," and gets more into the Spanish sound on the original "Funky Flamenco"; there is one chance for the musicians to stretch out into more space, on the six-minute "Lay the Lily Low." It sounds like this album was a substantial influence upon the noted eclectic British folk guitarist Davy Graham, whose debut LP from the early '60s, Guitar Player, has arrangements that are similar to much of what's on Mr. Guitar. ~Richie Unterberger

Mr. Guitar

---

Randy Brecker With DR Big Band - The Jazz Ballad Song Book

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream, Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:58
Size: 160,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:52)  1. All Or Nothing At All
(7:48)  2. Round Midnight
(5:16)  3. Cry Me A River
(6:56)  4. Someday My Prince Will Come
(6:24)  5. Foregone Conclusion
(5:19)  6. Goldfinger
(7:35)  7. Skylark
(6:20)  8. I Talk To The Trees
(8:14)  9. This Is All I Ask
(8:10) 10. The Immigrant/ Godfather

On The Jazz Ballad Song Book, trumpeter Randy Brecker, the Danish Radio Big Band and Danish National Chamber Orchestra approach the slow, wistful side of this repertoire as one dimension among others. They expand their view outside of standards to include film works, lesser-known tunes and original compositions. As featured soloist, Brecker displays the colossal tone, impeccable chops and searching impulses that have gifted bands from those led by pianist Horace Silver to singer Bruce Springsteen. His drive makes "All Or Nothing At All" a demand rather than a lament. He stretches out harmonically on his own tunes, with a funky bridge on "Foregone Conclusion" and a spacious theme for "I Talk To The Trees." More traditional ballad settings on "Cry Me A River" and "Skylark" showcase tenderness without sentimentality especially on "Skylark," where Brecker recasts the melody in disillusioned long tones. 

Brecker stays extroverted, even as the intimacy of trumpeter Miles Davis' 1961 Columbia recording looms over "Someday My Prince Will Come" (down to Wynton Kelly's piano solo, orchestrated for strings and woodwinds). After a clear melody statement, Brecker opens up with packed runs and dejected crushes of dissonance. Per Gade's milky guitar is an effective foil, taking as much pleasure dipping into the lower register as it does sailing into higher, Wes Montgomery-inspired territory. Jesper Riis' arrangement also explores contrasts between bitter undertones in the strings and some Nelson Riddle-style shouting from the band. Textured charts surround the trumpet heavyweight, flawlessly interpreted by the Danish groups and rarely settling into predictable accompaniment. Several soloists from the DR Big Band also get their own impressive say. Icy violins, biting sax counterpoint and a hard-edged swing on trombonist Peter Jensen's setting of "All Or Nothing At All" torch any sentimental associations of the tune. Pelle Fridell's baritone sax is heard in both half-time and double-time passages, along with allusions to modernist composers during an ominous deconstruction in triple meter. Occasionally some arrangements rely upon cliché, for example the syrupy, vibrato-laden violins of "The Immigrant/Godfather" or the rhythmic but otherwise generic introduction to "Goldfinger," where John Barry's theme proves better suited for screen heroics than studio improvisation. Yet these moments are few and far between original touches such as a chirpy piccolo leading the elephantine ensemble on "The Immigrant/Godfather," the sleek surfaces of "I Talk To The Trees" or trombonist Vincent Nilsson's arrangement of the little heard but affecting "This Is All I Ask." Following Henrik Gunde's piano, two tightly muted trumpets weave around Brecker's open horn, with dark tuba and tapping triangle underneath. 

The effect is uncluttered, silken but strong, and builds beautiful tension, before the release of lush strings. When Brecker steps back from double-time for a few halting notes, the effect is similarly arresting. Peter Fuglsang's smooth alto sax dueting with Brecker makes an ideal coda. Thelonious Monk's beloved "Round Midnight" is a fitting end to any collection of ballads. Here it sports the slowest tempo on the disc, as well as the catchiest swing. The massive, transparent ensemble and Brecker's subtle yet dynamic reimagining also sum up this album's strengths (even if the superfluous Latin feel also points to its occasional excesses). The Jazz Ballad Song Book strikes a satisfying balance between re-imagined standards, tasteful explorations and straightforward big band brawn. ~  Andrew J.Sammut  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/randy-brecker-with-dr-big-band-the-jazz-ballad-song-book-by-andrew-j-sammut.php

Personnel: Randy Brecker: trumpet; The Danish Radio Big Band; The Danish National Chamber Orchestra.

The Jazz Ballad Song Book

---

Alexis Cole - A Kiss in the Dark

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:27
Size: 132,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:04)  1. Ain't We Got Fun
(4:32)  2. Whip-poor-will
(3:47)  3. Do You Ever Think Of Me?
(3:46)  4. Limehouse Blues
(3:16)  5. Chicago, that Toddlin' Town
(5:00)  6. Bimini Bay
(2:47)  7. Nobody Knows when You're Down and Out
(3:44)  8. After You've Gone
(4:33)  9. There's a Broken Heart for Every Light on Broadway
(2:36) 10. A Kiss in the Dark
(4:10) 11. Indian Summer
(3:37) 12. Turn Back the Universe and Give Me Yesterday
(3:40) 13. Let the Rest of the World Go by
(3:54) 14. Till We Meet Again

With a voice praised as “a deep contralto as smooth and dark as the richest espresso” (Jazz Times, November 2007,) award-winning jazz vocalist Alexis Cole has made an impressive impact on audiences ever since she first took the stage as a teenager. Yet it is impossible to understand Alexis’s power to touch listeners with her music without recognizing the influence that her devotion to a full spiritual life has played throughout her career. This holiday season, Alexis’ spiritual and musical interests once again coincide to miraculous effect as she offers The Greatest Gift to the world. A touching Christmas album with a jazzy twist that benefits a terrific cause, The Greatest Gift was inspired, says Alexis, “by Jesus’ love for humankind” as well as by her father, composer/arranger Mark Finkin. Sales of the CD will benefit World Bicycle Relief, an organization which provides sustainable access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities in developing nations through The Power of Bicycles©. One specific event from Alexis’ youth resonates through the years to find a fitting echo in The Greatest Gift. 

While in high school, she collided with a car while riding her bicycle. Her recovery from the experience led to the beginning of her Christian Journey. It makes sense, then, that Alexis decided that the profits from the sale of The Greatest Gift would be donated to World Bicycle Relief, as the organization’s mission resonated with her own love of bicycles and her ongoing desire to make an impact on the world. Raised in Florida, Alexis came from a musical family, so it was only natural that she had begun to perform at the South Beach Hotel when still in high school, rapidly earning a reputation as one of the most talented young singers in town. She went on to enroll in the University of Miami's Jazz Studies program with the help of a Young Arts Scholarship. She transferred to finish her degree at William Paterson University, later integrating her musical studies with work that satisfied a spiritual calling at churches in New Jersey and North Carolina. Eventually, she relocated to New York City, where she worked as the music minister at the Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, leading the congregation with a blend of historic hymns and popular songs, music from the Taize tradition and Christian folk. Alexis released her first CD in 1999, a duet project with pianist Harry Pickens, titled Very Early. In 2005, she earned her Masters degree in music, and began to perform frequently at clubs throughout New York City, including The Oak Room, Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, The 55 Bar, The Zinc Bar, Smoke, Smalls and Sweet Rhythm. That same year, she released a second CD. 

Nearer the Sun, which renowned jazz critic Scott Yanow lauded as “a particularly strong effort from a jazz singer well worth discovering.” As her performing career took wing, Alexis traveled across Europe, Asia and South America. She also taught at a Berklee College of Music in Quito, Ecuador, and has entertained audiences during several three-month-long residencies at clubs in Tokyo. Despite her penchant for globetrotting, Alexis managed to release a third CD, Zingaro, in 2007, which Time Out New York praised as a “disc that will please purists and more adventurous listeners alike.” True to Alexis’ eclectic nature, the tracks on The Greatest Gift span genres. Selections include jazz and classical instrumentals, children’s chorale arrangements, Indian classical and overtone singing, straight ahead jazz, and bluesy pop. Alexis reinvents the Christmas favorites “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and she contributes a heart-warming new song, “The Call,” to the lineup of Christmas standards. Mark Finkin, Alexis’ father, pens an uplifting, catchy, and sure-to-become holiday classic for the album, “Jesus Is the Best Part of Christmas,” and also delivers perhaps the most blues-y version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” ever on record. 

Born into fascinating circumstances as a child of two deaf parents determined to give their child what they couldn’t have, Mark was introduced early on to the piano, and remains a passionate and prolific composer and performer. Finkin’s unique story, in part, inspired Alexis to record The Greatest Gift. In 2007, as Alexis sat in the audience of her father’s long-awaited college graduation recital, where he performed original compositions and unique arrangements of hymns, she reached a musical and personal epiphany. She decided to collaborate with her father on a Christmas benefit album, reinvesting herself in their relationship, and in her relationship to the church. A winner of the 2007 Jazzmobile competition and an award recipient at the Montreux Jazz Voice Competition, Alexis was cited as “a rising star in the jazz world” by Hot House Magazine. She continues to perform regularly at jazz clubs in her home base of New York City, as well as throughout the world. A dedicated educator, Alexis teaches privately and has also served on the faculty of at the 92nd St. Y in New York City and Berklee College of Music in Quito. Most recently, she’s also added the position of lead vocalist for the West Point Jazz Knights, the U.S. Army’s big band, to her always eclectic resume. http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/alexiscole

Awards & Grants 2007 New York City Jazzmobile Vocal Competition 1st Place Winner 2004 Montreux Jazz Festival Shure Vocal Competition, 3rd Prize Winner 2003& 2005 Montreux Jazz Festival Shure Vocal Competition finalist 2004 Council for Arts and Humanities on Staten Island Emerging Artist Grant 1998National Endowment for the Arts Charles Cinnamon Grant 1994 National Endowment for the Arts A.R.T.S. Scholarship

Personnel:  Alexis Cole – vocals;  Dan Block - saxophone, clarinet;  Saul Rubin – guitar;  Pat O'Leary – bass;  Phil Stewart - drums

A Kiss in the Dark

---

Ragan Whiteside - Evolve

Styles: Jazz, Vocal, Soul, R&B
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:32
Size: 104,5 MB
Art: Front

(0:27)  1. Intro
(4:18)  2. Eight Thirty Seven
(3:52)  3. Feelin' Free
(4:09)  4. Off Kilter
(4:14)  5. Memories of You
(3:42)  6. Livin' Lovin'
(3:11)  7. On the Dance Floor
(4:18)  8. Sweet Sticky Thing
(3:37)  9. Sun Up in My Sky
(3:37) 10. Mean to Me
(4:38) 11. Until Next Time
(4:23) 12. Evolve

If versatile vocalist and urban jazz flutist Ragan Whiteside had emerged about two decades earlier, her soulful melodies, pocket grooves, and spirited improvisations would have been huge in the emerging smooth jazz format. But somewhere along the way, even during the time when the genre was at its peak, the flute fell out of flavor as a lead instrument and artists like Whiteside and Althea Rene could only find traction going the independent route. Timing aside, Whiteside who picked up steam as a solo artist after winning the New Artist Competition at the Capital Jazz Festival in the mid-2000s delivers a hot mix of infectious R&B-funk-jazz tunes on her sophomore disc. Though there's little doubt that her strong songwriting and colorful playing style (and her ability to weave in dreamy backing vocals) could have made this collection an artistic triumph on its own, it make sense to namedrop because a few of the genre's biggest names are vibing with her. 

The lighthearted, easy grooving "Feelin' Free" (featuring an inspiring lead vocal by Whiteside) features the snazzy retro-soul keys of Bob Baldwin. The crunch retro-funk piece "Off Kilter" has one of the flutist's brightest performances, backed by the electric guitar snap and a spirited solo by Chieli Minucci. She also pairs beautifully with the dreamy soprano sax harmonies of Marion Meadows on the lyrical ballad "Until Next Time." Those "all-star" assisted tracks are just the springboard for one of the most solid indie urban jazz sets of 2012. ~ Jonathan Widran  http://www.allmusic.com/album/evolve-mw0002419953

Evolve

---

Eyal Vilner Big Band - Almost Sunrise

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:56
Size: 139,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:04)  1. The Rabbit
(3:37)  2. Centerpiece
(4:33)  3. Tee Pee Time
(5:51)  4. Almost Sunrise
(6:32)  5. Centerpiece (Bonus Track)
(4:41)  6. Stablemates
(3:29)  7. It Don't Mean a Thing
(5:58)  8. Lush Life
(5:29)  9. It Be Feeling Like the Blues
(4:12) 10. Straighten Up and Fly Right
(4:23) 11. The Gypsy
(4:26) 12. The District of the Blues
(4:34) 13. It's All Right With Me

A touch of boogie woogie threaded with strands of swing and vintage ballroom jazz and the result is Eyal Vilner Big Band’s Almost Sunrise. The saxophonist and clarinet player, Eyal Vilner takes over the role as leader exhibiting the enthusiasm of Jimmy Dorsey, administering the meticulous arranging of Artie Shaw, and demonstrating a knack to create melodic prose liken to Benny Goodman. Vilner is a bandleader whose attributes fuse the traits of his predecessors and update ballroom dance to a post-dancehall swing grade. Brass and reed filled riffs are punctuated by fiery solos in “The Rabbit” with zigzagging motifs that resemble the theme song for the TV program American Bandstand, a synthesis of Artie Shaw’s “High Society” and Charles Albertine’s “Bandstand Boogie.” Vilner captures the merriment of Benny Golson’s “Stablemates” blazing with bebop style horns and tapping drum beats that coast into the springy jive-driven rhythm of Duke Ellington‘s “It Don’t Mean a Thing” flanked in thrusting solos intermittently played by the clarinet and sax as the throaty vocals of nightclub singer Charenee Wade give the number ballroom savvy.  Glittering keys produce soft arches along “Lush Life” as Wade’s vocals stroke gently across the sequences while the sensual swagger of the saxophone in “It Be Feeling Like the Blues” is dotted in swizzling horns that shimmer and flutter against the strolling drum strikes. 

Vocalists Wade, Charles Turner, and Nadia Washington display a harmony reminiscent of the Andrews Sisters rapport in Nat King Cole’s “Straighten Up and Fly Right” giving the recording a Lindy hop atmosphere. The album treads into moonlit waters in “The Gypsy” as Wade’s vocals hug the soft curves of the horns which dive into a burlesque-tinged strut along the smoky riffs of “The District of the Blues,” a swing favorite written by Jimmy Owens. Vilner’s variations on Cole Porter’s “It’s All Right with Me” puts an upbeat pulse in the rhythmic keys which traverse into a cool jazz stride in “Centerpiece,” a signature number of Harry Edison and Jon Hendricks with horns cresting and receding at a tranquilizing pace which proceed into the floating riffs of the title track. Eyal Vilner re-creates several landmark tunes of America’s Swing Era, which stretched across the central decades of the 20th century. The fluidity of the music, navigating through romping uptempos and gently swirling ballads, is laudable liken to the melodic sensibilities of Vilner’s predecessors. The music is made to be celebrated, and incites audiences to celebrate life with its many facets. ~ Susan Frances  http://www.axs.com/album-review-almost-sunrise-from-the-eyal-vilner-big-band-40866

Personnel:  Eyal Vilner - Alto Sax;  John Mosca – Trombone;  Max Seigel – Trombone;  Nick Finzer – Trombone;  Charenee Wade – Vocalist;  Charles Turner – Vocalist;  Nadia Washington – Vocalist;  Tadataka Unno – Piano;  Jennifer Vincent – Bass;  Joe Strasser – Drums;  Dan Block – Clarinet;  Matthew Jodrell – Trumpet;  Bryan Davis – Trumpet;  Wayne Tucker – Trumpet;  Lucas Pino - Tenor Sax;  Asaf Yuria - Tenor Sax;  Andrew Gould - Alto Sax ;  Eden Bareket - Baritone Sax

Almost Sunrise

---

VA - 10 Years Neuklang

Size: 183,1 MB
Time: 78:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz
Label: Neuklang Records
Art: Front

01 Christoph Stiefel - Isorhythm #4 (4:53)
02 Heiri Kanzig Quintet - Beyond Time (4:06)
03 East Drive - Tea Master (4:21)
04 Barbara Burkle Band - Look For The Silver Lining (6:33)
05 Bruno Bohmer Camacho Trio - Recuerdos (4:10)
06 Tian Et Al - Echo From The Past (3:59)
07 Clemens Potzsch & Slavicon - Dresden (5:41)
08 Christian Meyers Quintet - A Glimpse Of Past Events (5:36)
09 Simin Tander - Becoming (5:27)
10 Cologne Saxophone Quintet - Recorda Me (3:17)
11 Olivia Trummer Trio - Nobody Knows (5:24)
12 Tobias Becker Bigband - Independent Blue (5:27)
13 Torque Trio - Stories To Be Told (5:31)
14 Mo' Blow - Endless Escape (4:32)
15 Eyot - The Crest Of The Wave (5:00)
16 Kalima - There (4:21)

10 Years Neuklang

---

Lily Frost - Too Hot For Words

Size: 68,9 MB
Time: 29:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Jazz Rockabilly
Art: Front

01. It Ain't Right (3:10)
02. Swing Brother Swing (1:57)
03. You're My Thrill (3:11)
04. Don't Explain (4:34)
05. What A Little Moonlight Can Do (3:51)
06. All I Can Do Is Cry (2:47)
07. Long Gone Lonesome Blues (3:18)
08. One Never Knows, Does One (2:45)
09. Was It Something I Said (1:57)
10. It's Too Hot For Words (1:51)

Lily Frost is back with her follow up record Too Hot For Words (Marquis Classics/Universal 2015) to the critically acclaimed Lily Swings.

Lily Swings (2007) was received so well by radio and audiences alike that a follow up was inevitable. Both Zoomer and Jazz FM Toronto have been playing the album for 6 years straight without solicitation!

Too Hot For Words features again the repertoire of Billie Holiday using clarinet and lap steel but this time Lily chose to cover some of her favorite songs from the repertoire of Ray Condo himself. Lily Swings was an ode to the late western swing singer Ray Condo who loved Billie Holiday but had a charismatic style of his own. The selections Lily has chosen from Ray’s repertoire move into a rockabilly domain revealing an undeniable energy leading most audiences to the dance floor.

Lily delivers with drama, delicacy and an undercurrent of strength and edge. It is apparent that the material moves her deeply. An old soul.

Featuring both fresh interpretations and classic songs from the great American songbook, Lily’s concert is a jazz show for veteran jazz fans and contemporary audiences alike. Her latest project delivers the promise of a very fun and energetic album — pairing rockabilly with surf and vintage swinging jazz. Too Hot For Words was produced and engineered by Jose Contreras the acclaimed Toronto (Chilean) producer (By Divine Right, Hey Ocean and Lily Frost ) who has a passionate flair for live recordings and a deep understanding of Lily and her artistic vision.

Too Hot For Words

---