Linda Lawson - Easy To Love

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:03
Size: 104,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:28)  1. Are You With Me
(3:19)  2. Where Flamingos Fly
(2:42)  3. But Beautiful
(2:47)  4. Me And My Shadow
(3:17)  5. You Don't Know What Love Is
(1:49)  6. Easy To Love
(3:18)  7. Meaning Of The Blues
(2:45)  8. Mood Indigo
(3:01)  9. Like Young
(2:39) 10. Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
(3:01) 11. Make The Man Love Me
(2:52) 12. Up Pops Love
(2:31) 13. Somehow
(2:48) 14. More Than Never
(2:51) 15. Salty, Salty Is The Sea
(2:49) 16. Never Like This

Born Linda Gloria Spaziani in Ann Arbor, Mich in 1936, Linda Lawson began her music career at the top, singing at The Sands in Las Vegas and, in 1957, making singles for the Verve label with an orchestra arranged and conducted by no less than Henry Mancini. She seemed set to make a considerable impact in music, but instead decided to focus on an acting career and by 1960 was busy in movies and on TV, where her rising profile led to "Introducing Linda Lawson", her debut album as a singer. Recorded in 1960, with an orchestra arranged and conducted by the gifted Marty Paich and packed with the finest West Coast jazz talent, her performance suggested that a successful career in music was hers for the taking. But acting remained her first love and these recordings are the only examples of her notable musical ability. In them she combined the highly complementary skills of singing and acting, splendidly uniting them to tackle the range of high-quality and demanding material chosen for these sessions. That she did it with persuasive aplomb is abundantly clear from the results. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Lawson-Love-22-Arranged-Conducted-Introducing/dp/B00D5O7ZQK

Featuring: Linda Lawson (vcl), with orchestras arranged & conducted by Marty Paich & Henry Mancini, featuring Jack Sheldon (tp), Frank Rosolino (tb), Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Bill Perkins (saxes), Jimmy Rowles (p), Joe Mondragon (b), Mel Lewis (d).

Many thanks to a great friend of our blog for this album!

Easy To Love

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Maria Vincent & The Millionaires - She'll Be Gone

Styles: Vocal, Rock
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:35
Size: 94,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:25)  1. Walkin' Blues
(2:59)  2. Easy Easy Baby
(2:14)  3. I Love You Honey
(3:41)  4. Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens
(3:11)  5. Rock This Joint
(2:57)  6. She'll Be Gone
(2:41)  7. Choo Choo Ch'Boogie
(3:37)  8. Them There Eyes
(3:08)  9. I'll Wait for You
(2:51) 10. Hook Line & Sinker
(3:08) 11. No More Love
(2:58) 12. House of Blue Lights
(3:39) 13. Promises Promises Promises

Maria Vincent & The Millionaires, a swingin\' six-piece, are one of the hottest bands on the Rhythm & Blues, Rock \'n\' Roll and Swing scenes. Their sound is based around the early 1950s when Rock \'n\' Roll emerged of Rhythm & Blues via great artists such as LaVern Baker, Ruth Brown, Louis Jordan & Wynonie Harris  hence their popularity on all 3 related scenes, and appearances at high-profile events including The Rhythm Riot, Hemsby Rock & Roll and the Colne & Burnley Blues Fests. \"She\'ll Be Gone\" is their second studio album, and it suceeds magnificently in capturing the sound of the birth of Rock \'n\' Roll, when the Big Beat, the swingin\' saxophone, and the jump blues sound still dominated.  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mvmillionaires

Personnel: Maria Vincent (vocals);  Zdravkovic (guitar); Richie "Rich" Vincent (double bass).

She'll Be Gone

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Bill Jennings - Stompin' With Bill

Styles: Guitar Jazz,  R&B
Year: 1950
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:00
Size: 94,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:43)  1. Stompin' With Bill
(3:04)  2. Lonesome Traveller
(2:47)  3. You Came A Long Way From St. Louis
(2:51)  4. Alexandria, Va. - Previously Unreleased Take
(2:43)  5. Stompin' With Bill (Alt)
(3:11)  6. St. Louis Blues
(2:48)  7. Frankie & Johnny Boogie
(2:30)  8. Real Choice Blues
(2:28)  9. I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart
(2:24) 10. Temptation
(2:40) 11. Flat Foot Floojie
(2:21) 12. Roll On
(3:29) 13. Bittersweet
(1:22) 14. Ray's Blues (Take 1)
(3:35) 15. Ray's Blues (Take 2)

These five titles (circa mid-'50s) by guitarist Jennings originally came from the Gotham label. The disc also has five Ray Bryant Trio, two Tiny Grimes (g), one Billy Davis, and one Gay Crosse from the same period and the same source. The quality varies but all the music is rare, and there are interesting moments in much of it. ~ Bob Porter  http://www.allmusic.com/album/stompin-with-bill-mw0000262689

Stompin' With Bill

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Hank Crawford - Memphis, Ray & A Touch Of Moody

Size: 177,6+166.9 MB
Time: 76:28+71:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998/2009
Styles: Jazz: Mainstream Jazz, Soul Jazz
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. Boo's Tune (6:36)
02. Angel Eyes (6:31)
03. Four Five Six (5:05)
04. The Story (4:40)
05. Dat Dere (4:50)
06. Misty (5:30)
07. Sister Sadie (4:36)
08. Don't Cry Baby (4:19)
09. Sweet Cakes (3:36)
10. You've Changed (3:17)
11. Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand (3:51)
12. Sherri (Sherry) (4:36)
13. The Peeper (3:06)
14. But On The Other Hand (5:00)
15. Stoney Lonesome (5:40)
16. What Will I Tell My Heart (5:08)

CD 2:
01. Blueberry Hill (3:21)
02. I Left My Heart In San Francisco (2:41)
03. Stormy Weather (3:14)
04. Sweet Slumber (2:49)
05. If I Didn't Care (2:43)
06. Stardust (3:54)
07. Any Time (2:40)
08. Whispering Grass (Don't Tell The Trees) (2:43)
09. Time Out For Tears (2:55)
10. I'm Getting Senimental Over You (3:17)
11. There Goes My Heart (3:12)
12. Have A Good Time (2:53)
13. Dig These Blues (4:30)
14. Don't' Get Around Much Anymore (4:59)
15. Banana Head (2:56)
16. H.C. Blues (2:46)
17. It's A Sin (2:33)
18. Hollywood Blues (3:17)
19. Baby Won't You Please Come Home (5:44)
20. New Blues (4:21)
21. Bluff City Blues (3:49)

This excellent two-disc set brings back four (!) of the best and earliest of Crawford's long out-of-print Atlantic LPs: his debut, More Soul (1960); his third, From the Heart (1961); his fourth, Soul of the Ballad (1963); and his sixth, Dig These Blues (1964). It's a remarkably cohesive, swinging set of first-rate soul jazz, blues and soulful ballads.

More Soul starts it all off with a straight-ahead, fun-filled set of seven solid swingers (even "Misty" swings here). Crawford's well-constructed septet features an alto/tenor/baritone/two trumpet frontline. David "Fathead" Newman shines on tenor, Leroy Cooper grinds on baritone and the trumpeters take several nice spots. But Crawford testifies : he jumps, soars, swoops and glides, never resorting to pretense or showiness. He means what he says and it sounds good.

The same group returns for the great From the Heart, a slowed-down, low-down set of nine blues. Guitarist Sonny Green turns out on three tracks, doing Crawford's sound up Basie style. Crawford, covering soulful standards like "Dat Dere" and "Sister Sadie" on his previous outing, explores more of his own blues here: "Sweet Cakes," "Sherri," "The Peeper" and "Stoney Lonesome."

Soul of the Ballad is a sax-and-strings affair that seems a little out of place here. Nevertheless, Crawford invests warm gusto in a set of too-familiar ballads, arranged by Marty Paich in the same country-soul style he was helping Ray Charles popularize at the time. The excellent Dig These Blues returns Crawford to more familiar ground, digging deep in on some good blues, and Crawford sitting in on piano for the noir blues of "Bluff City Blues" and "The Crazy Saloon."

Memphis, Ray and a Touch of Moody, despite its odd title (referring to Crawford's birthplace, his musical benefactor and, presumably, the saxophonist's affinity for James Moody), offers a satisfying portrait of one of jazz's most soulful alto players and a heaping helping of delicious soul jazz at its best. Recommended. ~Douglas Payne

Personnel: Hank Crawford: alto sax, piano; David "Fathead" Newman, Abdul Baari, Wilbur Brown, Wendell Harrison: tenor sax; Leroy Cooper, Howard Johnson: baritone sax; Phillip Guilbeau, Oliver Beener, Marcus Belgrave, Julius Brooks, Jimmy Owens: trumpet; John Hunt: trumpet, fluegelhorn; Edgar Willis, Ali Mohammed, Charlie Green: bass; Milt Turner, Bruno Carr: drums; Sonny Forrest: guitar; The Marty Paich Orchestra.

Memphis, Ray & A Touch Of Moody CD 1
Memphis, Ray & A Touch Of Moody CD 2

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Estrela Guia - Acustico Equilibrio

Size: 135,5 MB
Time: 58:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Brazilian Jazz, Bossa Nova
Art: Front

01. Madame Zajj (4:06)
02. Oreade (6:27)
03. Nos Teus Braços (7:31)
04. Aquela Mulher (4:40)
05. Alma (7:15)
06. Caminhando Em Voce (2:32)
07. De Quem A Voz (4:51)
08. Roger (5:29)
09. Samba Da Minhaturizada (5:08)
10. Mercy, Mercy Me (6:16)
11. Easy (3:43)

The album includes 11 tracks of a heavenly fusion between bossa nova, jazz samba, & lounge, a combination balanced between the past & present. The entire album was richly recorded with acoustic instruments, characterized by a studied research of vintage sounds that leave a work that is extremely enjoyable, & refined.

Veronica Farnararo - Vocals
Daniele Santimone - Guitar
David Falconi - Piano
David Garattoni - Bass
Roberto Rossi - Drums
Massimo Greek - Trumpet And Flugelhorn

Acustico Equilibrio

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Trey Wright - Songs From Oak Avenue

Size: 127,0 MB
Time: 54:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Guitar Jazz
Art: Front

01. Boomerang (4:39)
02. Teddy Baffle (5:00)
03. Sitting Still (4:35)
04. Joni (7:49)
05. Untitled (6:18)
06. Chance Of Snow (6:02)
07. I've Been Meaning To Tell You (6:50)
08. The Way Forward (6:54)
09. Don't Panic (6:44)

Personnel:
Trey Wright (guitar)
Marc Miller (upright bass)
Marlon Patton (drums)
Sam Skelton (saxophone, track 1)
Mace Hibbard (saxophone, tracks 4 & 6)

Trey Wright is a jazz guitarist, composer and recording artist based in Rosewll, GA. Initially inspired by the blues, Trey was exposed to jazz early in his development by a private instructor. While studying Sociology at the University of Georgia, Wright furthered his study of jazz improvisation with pianist and composer Steve Dancz. In 1994, he co-founded the Athens/Atlanta based jazz band Squat. The group is a six-time winner of Best Jazz Band at the Flagpole Athens Music Awards and has been a featured artist at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, Bel Chere, The Twilight Athens Jazz Festival, the Cherry Blossom Festival, Harvest Midtown and Athfest. Several of Trey’s compositions with the group have received international airplay and have been featured on Sirius/XM radio and NPR’s All Things Considered.

Trey also performs freelance in the Athens and Atlanta area and has performed with Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets), John Patitucci, Joe Lovano, Corey Christiansen and Darmon Meader of the New York Voices. Trey has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jazz A Vienne and the World Sacred Music Festival in Bangalore, India. As a solo guitarist and with his trio, Trey has been a featured performer at the Athens Music and Arts Festival, The Lake Oconee Jazz Festival and the Atlanta Jazz Festival. In early 2008, Trey began playing with the Georgia Symphony Jazz Orchestra.

In December of 2002, Trey completed a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies at Georgia State University and he currently teaches Applied Jazz Guitar, Jazz Theory and Composition, Jazz Guitar Ensemble, Jazz History, Jazz Improvisation and The History of Rock at Kennesaw State University. Trey has also taught at LaGrange College, Gainesville College, the Atlanta Institute of Music and was a Jazz Artist in Residence at The University of Georgia. In addition, Trey writes a column on Jazz Harmony for the Guitar for the quarterly print magazine Just Jazz Guitar.

In 2006, Trey released his first CD Where I’m Calling From, receiving rave reviews and airplay throughout the United States, New Zealand, England, Australia, Germany, Italy, Canada, Luxembourg, Scotland and The Netherlands. The Trey Wright Trio released Thinking Out Loud in the summer of 2009 on Blue Canoe Records. In 2010, The CD was included in the first round of Grammy Nominations/Entries for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. In the fall of 2012, the Trey Wright Trio’s version of Thom Yorke’s “Analyze” was included on the compilation Head Radio Retransmissions: A Tribute to Radiohead on the German label ESC records. Trey’s long awaited collaboration with Grammy winning saxophonist Mace Hibbard The Hibbard/Wright Project was released in May 2013.

Songs From Oak Avenue

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Jeff Cascaro & Hr-Bigband - Soul Town: The Live Concert

Size: 58,4 MB
Time: 25:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Soul Vocals
Art: Front

01. Gettin' Started & Roots (Live) (5:56)
02. Inner City Blues (Live) (6:13)
03. Waiting (Live) (4:13)
04. How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You (Live) (3:53)
05. The Other Man (Live) (5:02)

Jeff Cascaro, born in 1968, started his career at the young age of 18 as the winner of a youth jazz contest. He gained experience as a background singer and guest musician with the NDR and Rias Big Bands, as well as with German stars like Ute Lemper, die Fantastischen Vier, Sasha, Joe Sample of the Crusaders, Götz Alsmann, Klaus Doldinger's band Passport, the Guano Apes, and Paul Kuhn – just to name a few, as they stand for Cascaro's wide spectrum in music of different genres. One thing that has never changed about him is that he unmistakebly wears his heart right next to his soul. Since 2000 the versatile practicioner also works academically: he is a professor of jazz singing at the "Franz List" Conservatory in Weimar.

Soul Town

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Duduka Da Fonseca Trio - Jive Samba

Size: 124,7 MB
Time: 53:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Brazilian Jazz
Art: Front

01. Jive Samba (4:27)
02. Lucky Southern (5:12)
03. Sco's Bossa (6:38)
04. Recorda Me (5:04)
05. Peresina (6:43)
06. Clouds (6:34)
07. Pensativa (6:00)
08. Speak Like A Child (4:25)
09. El Gaucho (4:11)
10. Samba Yantra (4:36)

Personnel:
Duduka Da Fonseca: drums
David Feldman: piano
Guto Wirtti: acoustic bass
Paulo Levi: tenor saxophone

• Master drummer Duduka Da Fonseca and his Rio-based Trio, interpreting Brazilian Samba Jazz compositions by North American jazz icons Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and others.

• Duduka Da Fonseca has been hailed as one of the leading drummer/band leaders in Brazilian Samba Jazz, re-uniting here with his Brazil-based Trio for their third ZOHO CD release, in ten exquisite arrangements, including "Jive Samba", "Sco's Bossa" and "Speak Like a Child".

• Since his arrival in New York in 1975, Da Fonseca has performed with, and has appeared as a sideman on over 200 CDs, with North American jazz greats Joe Henderson, Tom Harrell, John Scofield, Gerry Mulligan, Claudio Roditi, Phil Woods, Kenny Barron, Joe Lovano and many more.

• Da Fonseca has toured internationally with Brazilian legends Antonio Carlos Jobim and singer Astrud Gilberto, and formed the outstanding Brazilian jazz group Trio da Paz with guitarist Romero Lubambo and bassist Nilson Matta.

Jive Samba

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Heather Powell - A Haze Of Grays And Blue

Size: 100,2 MB
Time: 36:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Adult Contemporary, Jazz Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Unexpected (3:32)
02. Black And White Thinking (3:50)
03. Remember The Love (3:33)
04. Blue Light (3:34)
05. Awaken (4:02)
06. Wishing (3:38)
07. Falling (3:10)
08. Distant One (3:49)
09. Unstoppable (3:26)
10. See Me (4:10)

Are you ready for something unexpected from the Big Apple? Well, for fans of Celine Dion, Barbara Streisand, and Kelly Clarkson we've got the latest from Heather Powell, A Haze of Grays and Blues.

Opening the album is Unexpected, a grooving little song about meeting up for a night of fun and “unexpected bliss” - a real night on the town kind of track. Following this jiving and romantic track is the harder and grittier Black and White Thinking. This song is filled with many darker tones and lyrics, without overshadowing the groove of the song.

Skipping along to the center pieces of the album, Awaken Me sounds like something you'd hear in an old, dark club. Something from the classic silver screen. Awaken Me, with its gentle rhythm section and cocktail of horn melodies, transports you through time.

Following this is what may be simply the most beautiful song of Powell’s, Falling, a simple and soft song about someone falling in love. It wraps you up from the intro with a dazzling string section that then carries you throughout the duration of the song. Then comes Unstoppable, a track that sounds like Powell reminiscing about days past, boys, books, pizza, and beer. Powell somehow makes beer and pizza sound sweeter than ever in this soft, easy listener.

Finally to sum up A Haze of Grays and Blue is See Me, a song that seems to be about not letting herself just be a dream to someone and pleading to them to just “see me". See Me proves to be the most vocally pleasing song on the album, with Powell really pushing out some very over the tops lines and beautiful vibrato over top of all this shiny music that’s happening in the background.

A Haze of Grays and Blue is a fantastic and well produced album, likely suited for an older crowd, or fans of Dion, Streisand, and Clarkson.

A Haze Of Grays And Blue

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Howard Roberts - Guilty

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:14
Size: 57.8 MB
Styles: Cool jazz, Easy Listening
Year: 1967/2014
Art: Front

[1:59] 1. Watch What Happens
[2:14] 2. Ode To Billie Joe
[2:01] 3. Triste
[2:13] 4. Can't Take My Eyes Off You
[2:46] 5. The Look Of Love
[2:16] 6. Yellow Days
[2:13] 7. Walk Tall
[1:56] 8. You And I (Voce E Eu)
[2:19] 9. O Barquinho (Little Boat)
[2:47] 10. Wait Until Dark
[2:27] 11. Up, Up And Away

Dave Grusin - Organ, Chuck Berghofer - Bass, Al Hendrickson, Jack Marshall - Guitar, John Guerin - Drums, Paulo Fernando de Magalhaes, Larry Bunker - Drums and Percussion, Claudio Miranda - Drums and Percussion, Vic Feldman - Electric Piano and Percussion.

"Despite being locked away in the Hollywood studios for almost 3 decades, Howard Roberts remained a true giant of jazz guitar. His early albums for Verve (Good Pickins and Plays Guitar) showed his heavy debt to Tal Farlow and Barney Kessel. The series of recordings he made for Capitol some 5 years later, however, revealed a fully rounded, complete player with his own , unique, identity. True, the Capitol sessions were, taken collectively, rather more commercially biased with shorter tracks and less improvisation. At the same time, however, Roberts had learned the art of saying more with less, and notched up the intensity of his playing several degrees. Other influences had also crept in, noticeably blues, which now characterized his work.

Guilty

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Atsuko Hashimoto - ...Until The Sun Comes Up

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:26
Size: 147.5 MB
Styles: Organ jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[6:05] 1. All Or Nothing At All
[5:44] 2. Soul Station
[5:52] 3. So In Love
[8:22] 4. Moon River
[6:08] 5. What A Wonderful World
[6:20] 6. Blues For Naka
[4:18] 7. You Are My Sunshine
[6:30] 8. Cherry
[4:18] 9. Your's Is My Heart Alone
[5:46] 10. The Good Life
[4:56] 11. Hallelujah, I Love Her So

Jazz organists often have a tendency to gravitate toward the funkier side of things, and have done so since the glory days of Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff. Organist Atsuko Hashimoto, on the other hand, seems to have focused more tightly on developing her sense of swing, and it pays off mightily on this, her first album for the venerable Capri label. The program is a mix of originals and truly well-worn standards, and what may be most impressive about the album is her ability to bring freshness and energy to some of these chestnuts through sheer energy and the elephantine power of her swing; listen, for example, to her renditions of both "Cherry" and "Yours Is My Heart Alone." Not only are her solos amazing for their joyful inventiveness, but the rhythmic power she generates along with her sidemen Graham Dechter (guitar) and Jeff Hamilton (drums) is like a force of nature. Elsewhere she takes brisk, no-nonsense midtempo renditions of "So in Love" and "Moon River" and turns them into something brand new. The group's arrangement of "It's a Wonderful World" is the album's sole disappointment, a predictably sappy rendition that is just barely redeemed by yet another brilliantly constructed organ solo. The album ends on a very high note, with the joyfully gospel-flavored "Hallelujah I Love Her So." This is a brilliant and thrilling album. ~Rick Anderson

Recording Date: August 8, 2010 & August 9, 2010

...Until The Sun Comes Up

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Benny Waters - Hurry On Down

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:34
Size: 141.0 MB
Styles: Clarinet & Saxophone jazz
Year: 1981/2013
Art: Front

[3:54] 1. Hurry On Down
[8:09] 2. Up A Lazy River
[4:05] 3. Topsy
[4:29] 4. Blue Moon
[4:09] 5. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[5:12] 6. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[4:21] 7. As Time Goes By
[7:08] 8. Lady Be Good
[7:13] 9. Autymn Leaves
[3:50] 10. It Had To Be You
[4:30] 11. Have You Met Miss Jones
[4:29] 12. Fuzzy Blues

Although he has been professionally active for the better part of eighty years and is almost as old as the century, Benny Waters has largely escaped the attentions of musicologists and jazz theorists. Perhaps this indifference arises from his steady consistency, his unflappable ability to fit into a great variety of musical surroundings and his lack of eccentric behaviour patterns. Sadly for the jazz romantics, Benny neither died young nor ruined his talent with excessive self-indulgence. More relevantly, Benny has never allowed himself to believe that his development as a soloist is complete or attempted to coast along on reputation alone. This album will prove a revelation to those who only know of Benny Waters as a footnote in the jazz history books. They will hear a jazz musician whose creative excursions are always inspired, energetic and entertainingly direct. And one who swings magnificently, too. The album's opener, and title track, Hurry On Down (popularised by Nellie Lutcher) spots Benny's knowingly cheeky vocal before featuring some hot alto and a fluent Sealey chorus. The eight-minute version of Lazy River proves to be a marvellous showcase for Benny's clarinet, limpid at slow tempo, hard-edged and passionate in the quicker passages. There's more good alto. As usual, Edgar Battle's Topsy is a swinger, taken here on tenor. Blue Moon is played at a bounce tempo and comes off well. Sunny Side recalls the Hodges alto style and As Time Goes By is slow tenor balladry at its best. See the Light fairly motors along and Lady Be Good is jump tenor, again with a vocal (dig the lyrics!) while Autumn Leaves is taken as a bossa nova, with tenor and alto both featured. Have You Met Miss Jones is relaxed, the tenor warm and luxuriant, before the closer, an understated impromptu blues, breathy tenor to the fore, rounds out a fine set of performances.

Recorded April 21 & 28, 1981. Benny Waters: clarinet, alto/tenorsax, vocal - Paul Sealey: guitar Erica Howard: bass - John Cox: drums

Hurry On Down

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Carlos Barbosa-Lima - Frenesi

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:21
Size: 119.9 MB
Styles: Jazz guitar, Latin jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[3:41] 1. Chega De Saudade
[3:27] 2. Porro
[2:37] 3. Batucada
[3:34] 4. Matia Bonita
[3:54] 5. Frenesi
[3:27] 6. Natalia
[2:56] 7. Sigo Pensando En Ti
[2:09] 8. Danza Caracteristica
[3:28] 9. El Nino
[2:49] 10. La Reina
[3:33] 11. Perfume De Gardenia
[3:40] 12. Lejos Del Hogar
[2:06] 13. Angostura
[2:52] 14. Preludio
[4:21] 15. Adios
[3:40] 16. Don't Cry For Me Argentina

If Brazilian music has an official instrument, it is the nylon-string guitar, so we begin with Carlos Barbosa-Lima's Frenesi (ZoHo). Lima is a classical virtuoso, but over the last 20 years he's explored the music of Scott Joplin, the Beatles and many others. This lyrical session, previously released as Natalia by the Khaeon label (ZoHo's predecessor), focuses on music by an array of Latin American composers. We hear Lima in solo settings or with John Benitez on bass (four tracks), Gustavo Colina on the cuatro (five tracks) and Edgardo Aponte on percussion (four tracks). Beginning with "Chega de Saudade" and ending with "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (a pretty song, let's admit), Lima gives loving attention to every melody and produces a beautiful, bell-like tone. He and Benitez don't always jell-the time feel on the opener is a bit rough, and Lima's bass notes, in conjunction with Benitez's, can sometimes muddy the waters. Lima's solo performances, particularly on a pair of contrasting pieces by the Cuban modernist Leo Brouwer, are far more satisfying. The cautro/guitar duets, mainly on pieces by Antonio Lauro ("Natalia," "El Nino," "Angostura"), are wonderfully lighthearted, with the quality of Baroque parlor music. In May 2005 look out for Lima's Carioca, which will feature more of these. ~David R. Adler

Frenesi

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Paul Chambers Quartet - Bass On Top

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:21
Size: 94.7 MB
Styles: Hard bop
Year: 1957/2007
Art: Front

[5:48] 1. Yesterdays
[7:13] 2. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[6:15] 3. Chasin' The Bird
[6:41] 4. Dear Old Stockholm
[6:11] 5. The Theme
[4:11] 6. Confessin'
[5:00] 7. Chamber Mates

Bass on Top is another thoroughly engaging set of straight-ahead, mainstream jazz from Paul Chambers. The bassist leads a quartet comprised of guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Hank Jones, and drummer Art Taylor through a selection of standards, including "Yesterdays," "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," and "Dear Old Stockholm," as well as a handful of contemporary jazz numbers and originals. There's a relaxed, friendly atmosphere to the music, both in its tone and in the fact that Chambers lets Jones and Burrell have some time in the spotlight. The result is a warm, entertaining collection of mainstream jazz that nevertheless rewards close listening. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Recording Date: July 14, 1957

Bass On Top

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Kelley Johnson - Music Is The Magic

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:44
Size: 129.9 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:54] 1. Lucky To Be Me
[4:13] 2. Tea For Two
[5:06] 3. Without A Song
[3:19] 4. The Tender Trap
[6:13] 5. Old Devil Moon
[4:20] 6. Moon And Sand
[8:37] 7. Music Is The Magic
[7:38] 8. Brother, Can You Spare A Dime
[5:37] 9. When Springtime Turns To Fall
[6:42] 10. What The World Needs Now Is Love

Kelley Johnson reaches her audience with storytelling, subtlety, soulfulness and swing. Twice chosen to be a Musical Ambassador abroad, her quartet auditioned live and was chosen by Wynton Marsalis and Lincoln Center in 2007, and the Kennedy Center in 2004 for lengthy tours for the US State Department. Kelley is the 2003 first place winner of the International Jazzconnect Vocal Competition, and the Jazz Education Journal listed her “Live at Birdland” as a Blue Chip Jazz Vocal album of 2004. Most recently, the CD recording “Music is the Magic” with it’s passionate world-view and original spoken-word, rose to#15 on the national jazz radio chart, Jazzweek. Kelley’s lithe velvety voice mixes with a feisty delivery, tricky colorful arrangements and spirited players like Geoffrey Keezer, Ingrid Jensen, John Hansen, and Brian Lynch. The result is music that is personal and moving.

Recording Date: June 17, 2002 - June 18, 2002

Music Is The Magic

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Illinois Jacquet - Toronto 1947

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 70:38

Size: 161.7 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 2013

Art: Front

[ 6:12] 1. Bottoms Up (Theme)

[14:13] 2. Medley All The Things You Are/She's Funny That Way/Music Hall Beat

[ 9:25] 3. Music Hall Beat

[ 6:28] 4. Body And Soul

[ 4:34] 5. Throw It Out Of Your Mind Baby

[ 6:54] 6. Oh, Lady Be Good

[ 7:40] 7. Medley Memories Of You /Unidentified Tune (Jacquet's Salt Peanuts)

[ 3:30] 8. Robbins' Nest

[ 4:53] 9. Mutton Leg

[ 5:09] 10. Bottoms Up (Theme)-Reprise

[ 1:36] 11. Home, Sweet Home

Tenor saxophonist Illinois Jacquet and baritone saxophonist Leo Parker are captured live on this previously unreleased recording from April 29th, 1947 at the Mutual Street Arena. 11 tracks and over 70 minutes of music featuring trumpeter Joe Newman and Russell Jacquet, pianist Sir Charles Thompson, bassist Al Lucas and drummer Shadow Wilson.

Toronto 1947 

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The Chris Walden Big Band - Home Of My Heart

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:51
Size: 176,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:27)  1. Cherokee
(6:55)  2. Rainy Day In Vancouver
(4:06)  3. Film Noir - Part I
(3:39)  4. Film Noir - Part II
(3:17)  5. Film Noir - Part III
(5:36)  6. Mulholland Falls
(6:19)  7. Here's Looking At You
(5:02)  8. Star Wars
(8:11)  9. Home Of My Heart
(3:47)  10. Feet First
(7:28)  11. Here's That Rainy Day
(2:45)  12. How Long Has This Been Going On
(3:00)  13. Nonino
(2:38)  14. You Took Advantage Of Me
(6:52)  15. Stolen Moments
(0:43)  16. Dr. Stefan Frank

German-born, Los Angeles-based composer/arranger/flugelhornist Chris Walden looks way too young to be this good at a task as daunting as big band writing. He looks almost too young to be sitting in with the band, though he is pushing the ripe old age of forty. But he started early at the art, writing big band arrangements while he was still in high school, and later putting together the charts for the Frankfurt Radio Big Band and the RIAS Big Band. Since his move to Los Angeles, he's written arrangements for Nancy Wilson, Barbra Streisand, Sheryl Crow, and Christopher Cross, and somewhere in there he's scored more than thirty feature and TV movies, including his current work scoring projects for the SciFi Channel (I thought I'd heard some good sounds there). The Chris Walden Big Band is composed of some of L.A.'s finest studio and jazz artists, and with them he's put together a marvelous debut with Home of My Heart. 

The disc is very much a traditional big band outing arrangers like Bob Belden and Don Sebesky come to mind for comparisons full of interesting song choices. The set opens with the classic "Cherokee," bright and sassy, followed by some cool and subtle harmonies on Christopher Cross's "Rainy Day in Vancouver." Dave Gruisin's "Mullholland Falls," Charlie Haden's "Here's Looking At You," a great jazzed-up version of John Williams' "Star Wars"; and vocalist Tierney Sutton sits in on Gershwin's "How Long has This Been Going On." And much more. This is 77 minutes of music, consistently fine sounds all the way, with a very cinematic feel. The highlights for me are Walden's own compositions, "Film Noir parts 1-3," and the title tune. Here's hoping for continued success for Walden in his film work, so he can bankroll nobody makes money at these big band things a big band disc of all his own material. ~ Dan McClenaghan  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/home-of-my-heart-chris-walden-origin-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Chris Walden (drum programming); Chris Walden (flugelhorn, programming); Christopher Cross (guitar); Rob Lockart, Rick Keller , Tom Petersen (saxophone); Kevin Richardson, Kyle Palmer (trumpet); Jacques Voyemant (trombone); Dave Carpenter (double bass); Tierney Sutton (vocals); Mitch Holder (guitar); Frank Marocco (accordion); Pete Christlieb, Jeff Driskill, Brian Scanlon, Bob Sheppard, Brandon Fields (saxophone); Wayne Bergeron, Ron King , Roger Ingram, Bobby Shew, Carl Saunders (trumpet); Alex Iles, Arturo Velasco, Richard Bullock, Bruce Otto, Bryant Byers, Bob McChesney (trombone); Alan Steinberger (piano); Tony Pia, Peter Erskine (drums); M.B. Gordy (percussion).

Home Of My Heart

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The Blue Vipers Of Brooklyn - Good Night Harry

Styles: Retro Swing
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:26
Size: 107,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:51)  1. Ragg Mopp
(3:19)  2. Down By The Riverside
(4:14)  3. Bei Mir Bist Du Schon
(3:56)  4. I'll See You In My Dreams
(1:20)  5. Goodnight Irene
(3:08)  6. My Bucket's Got A Hole In It
(2:57)  7. Let It Roll
(4:01)  8. Margie
(3:34)  9. I'll Fly Away
(3:57) 10. Gangster Of Love
(4:33) 11. Ice Cream
(4:52) 12. St. James Infirmary
(3:38) 13. Shake, Rattle And Roll

Early jazz, swing, blues and gospel. Acoustic music that rocks. Swinging horns, bouncing rhythm section, powerful lead vocals, four part vocal harmony and a sense of humor.The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn are an early jazz, swing, and blues band, composed of acoustic guitar/vocals, upright bass, homemade washboard percussion, trumpet and saxophone. Their repertoire of witty songs from 1920's and 30's is augmented by original tunes with moving yet often bawdy lyrics and catchy 4 part vocal harmony. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tbvofbrooklyn2

Personnel:  Billy Nemec - Guitar/Lead Vocals;  David Langlois - Washboard/Vocals;  David Luther - Tenor Sax/Vocals;  Chris Pistorino - Upright Bass/Vocals;  Eric Pakula - Alto Sax;  Sam Hoyt – Trumpet

Good Night Harry

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Arturo Sandoval - Dear Diz

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:28
Size: 159.0 MB
Styles: Afro-Cuban jazz, Trumpet jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[8:17] 1. Be Bop
[6:45] 2. Salt Peanuts! (Mani Salado)
[5:15] 3. And Then She Stopped
[6:02] 4. Birks Works (Ala Mancini)
[7:07] 5. Things To Come
[5:05] 6. Fiesta Mojo
[5:56] 7. Con Alma (With Soul)
[6:49] 8. Tin Tin Deo
[6:12] 9. Algo Bueno (Woody And Me)
[7:18] 10. A Night In Tunisia (Actually An Entire Weekend!)
[4:38] 11. Every Day I Think Of You

Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval's 2012 tribute to legendary jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You) is a big-band Latin and Afro-Cuban jazz tour de force. Showcasing Sandoval's long-storied titan bop trumpet chops, Dear Diz frames the Cuban-born virtuoso with layered big-band arrangements on many of Gillespie's best-known compositions. Produced by Gregg Field and Sandoval, the album also features a bevy of name jazz musicians, including Hammond B-3 master Joey DeFrancesco, vibraphonist Gary Burton, tenor saxophonist Bob Mintzer, clarinetist Eddie Daniels, and many more. Included here, among others, are such Gillespie songs as "Salt Peanuts!," "Birks Works," "Con Alma," and, of course, Gillespie's trademark theme, "A Night in Tunisia." Gillespie was Sandoval's biggest musical influence and, after the two met during Gillespie's tour of Cuba in 1977, he became one of Sandoval's most ardent champions, mentors, and friends. In that sense, Dear Diz is clearly a labor of love, a sentiment that permeates this joyously exuberant album. ~Matt Collar

Dear Diz

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Steely Dan - 2 albums: The Old Regime / Katy Lied

Album: The Old Regime
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:06
Size: 101.0 MB
Styles: Jazz-rock, Album rock
Year: 1987/2013
Art: Front

[3:03] 1. Brain Tap Shuffle
[4:04] 2. Come Back Baby
[3:16] 3. Android Warehouse
[2:37] 4. Charlie Freak
[3:07] 5. The Old Regime
[6:05] 6. Brooklyn
[3:59] 7. I Can't Function
[3:35] 8. Mock Turtle Song
[3:58] 9. Yellow Peril
[3:02] 10. Let George Do It
[2:20] 11. Stone Piano
[2:05] 12. You Where I Go
[2:50] 13. Sun Mountain

Collecting ten studio tracks that Donald Fagen and Walter Becker recorded between 1968 and 1971 (prior to their 1972 debut album), OLD REGIME provides a fascinating look at the duo as they work on perfecting the sound that would make them one of the most critically respected rock acts of the seventies. Though the sound quality of these recordings is not quite as pristine as that of Steely Dan's celebrated albums, OLD REGIME makes for some wonderful listening.

All of the ingredients that would comprise the "Steely Dan sound"--the inventive arrangements, quirky lyrics, classy songs, tasteful musicianship (including the guitar work of Denny Dias) and the soulful voice of Donald Fagen--are already in place on these recordings. Featuring only one track ("Brooklyn") that would appear on an official Steely Dan album, songs like "Brain Tap Shuffle," "Yellow Peril" and "I Can't Function" are welcome additions to the Steely Dan catalog and they are superb examples of how Becker and Fagen were able to blend their pop, jazz and R&B influences into an exciting, unique style that has never been replicated.

The Old Regime

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Album: Katy Lied
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:59
Size: 80.1 MB
Styles: Album rock, Jazz-rock
Year: 1975/2011
Art: Front

[3:38] 1. Black Friday
[3:17] 2. Bad Sneakers
[3:02] 3. Rose Darling
[3:12] 4. Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More
[3:53] 5. Doctor Wu
[3:42] 6. Everyone's Gone To The Movies
[4:10] 7. Your Gold Teeth Ii
[2:58] 8. Chain Lightning
[3:52] 9. Any World (That I'm Welcome To)
[3:12] 10. Throw Back The Little Ones

Building from the jazz fusion foundation of Pretzel Logic, Steely Dan created an alluringly sophisticated album of jazzy pop with Katy Lied. With this record, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen began relying solely on studio musicians, which is evident from the immaculate sound of the album. Usually, such a studied recording method would drain the life out of each song, but that's not the case with Katy Lied, which actually benefits from the duo's perfectionist tendencies. Each song is given a glossy sheen, one that accentuates not only the stronger pop hooks, but also the precise technical skill of the professional musicians drafted to play the solos. Essentially, Katy Lied is a smoother version of Pretzel Logic, featuring the same cross-section of jazz-pop and blues-rock. The lack of innovations doesn't hurt the record, since the songs are uniformly brilliant. Less overtly cynical than previous Dan albums, the album still has its share of lyrical stingers, but what's really notable are the melodies, from the seductive jazzy soul of "Doctor Wu" and the lazy blues of "Chain Lightning" to the terse "Black Friday" and mock calypso of "Everyone's Gone to the Movies." It's another excellent record in one of the most distinguished rock & roll catalogs of the '70s. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Katy Lied

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