Art Farmer - To Duke With Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:59
Size: 91.5 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1975/2005/2015
Art: Front

[7:01] 1. In A Sentimental Mood
[5:33] 2. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
[7:10] 3. The Star Crossed Lovers
[7:24] 4. The Brown Skin Gal In The Calico Gown
[6:22] 5. Lush Life
[6:26] 6. Love You Madly

Recorded less than a year after Duke Ellington's death, this Inner City LP (originally cut for the Japanese East Wind label) features flugelhornist Art Farmer performing five Ellington pieces along with Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life." With impeccable support by pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Billy Higgins, Farmer sounds melodic, lyrical, swinging and typically inventive on such numbers as "In a Sentimental Mood," "It Don't Mean a Thing," "The Brown Skin Gal" and "Love You Madly." This tasteful set (which is long out-of-print) features Art Farmer at his best. ~Scott Yanow

To Duke With Love

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Teddi King - Bidin' My Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:53
Size: 73.0 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1956/2004/2011
Art: Front

[2:32] 1. Bidin' My Time
[3:11] 2. Once Too Often
[3:03] 3. That Old Feeling
[2:51] 4. The I'm Not Supposed To Be Blue Blues
[2:07] 5. Careless Love
[2:32] 6. For All We Know
[2:22] 7. When I Grow Too Old To Dream
[2:25] 8. I'm In Love With The Honorable Mr. So And So
[3:03] 9. I Can't Get Started
[2:22] 10. Love Walked In
[3:02] 11. I Poured My Heart Into A Song
[2:17] 12. Taking A Chance On Love

Theodora King came into this world in Boston, Massachusetts on September 18, 1929, and at an early age knew she wanted to be a singer - specifically a jazz vocalist - citing greats like Mildred Bailey, Mabel Mercer and Lee Wiley as her primary influences. As Teddi King she came out on top at a singing competition sponsored by Dinah Shore which was held at the Tributary Theatre in Boston, and this led to her involvement with a touring show specifically designed to entertain military personnel in the late 1940s. In 1949 she linked up with the Boston-based Nat Pierce orchestra and, if you can find them, can be heard on jazz cuts like Crown Pilots, Oh, You Crazy Moon, Indian Summer, Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea, You Don't Know What Love Is, Goodbye Mr. Chops, Seersucker Blues and It Might As Well Be Spring.

Part way through 1952 she joined the George Shearing aggregation (be sure to check out the CD The George Shearing Quintet: Live At Birdland With Teddi King), and in 1954 cut three albums for Storyville, including one with the Beryl Booker Trio, before spending some time performing in Las Vegas prior to inking a deal with RCA Victor. In addition to registering three hit singles with RCA in 1956/57 (see the excellent CD Teddi King - Mr. Wonderful:The Complete RCA Singles (1956-1958) which contains both sides of those hits), she cut three fine albums there, including this one, Bidin' My Time (RCA Victor LPM 1146) with Al Cohn & His Orchestra, which first came out in 1956. ~AvidOldiesCollector

Bidin' My Time

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James Carter - Chasin' The Gypsy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 54:13

Size: 124.1 MB

Styles: Post bop, Saxophone jazz, Gypsy jazz

Year: 2000

Art: Front

[5:36] 1. Nuages

[6:33] 2. La Derniére Bergére (The Last Shepherdess)

[7:27] 3. Manoir De Mes Reves Django's Castle

[6:52] 4. Artillerie Lourde (Heavy Artillery)

[3:59] 5. Chasin' The Gypsy

[8:01] 6. Oriental Shuffle

[7:15] 7. I'll Never Be The Same

[4:37] 8. Avalon

[3:49] 9. Imari's Lullaby

Just when you had him pegged as a rip-snorting tenor and bari monster with a wicked penchant for ferocious overblowing, he comes across as a shameless romantic on Chasin' the Gypsy, his lovely ode to Django. Still, Carter's characteristic bravado, tenor squeals, trills and remarkable displays of multiphonics are still intact here, even in the lush setting of "The Last Shepherdess" and "Django's Castle." Carter nicely grafts his own sense of swagger onto Django's swing-era aesthetic on "Heavy Artillery," which features some very frisky exchanges between Regina Carter's Joe Venuti/Stuff Smith-styled violinand Carter's blowtorch bass sax. The two also joyously unite on the lithe title track, a giddy homage that has Carter soaring effortlessly on soprano sax while Jay Berliner and Romero Lubambo chunk appropriately behind him on guitars.

Django's melancholy "Oriental Shuffle" is a showcase for Carter's F-mezzo soprano sax, while Regina Carter flashes her considerable chops and musicality on a tender reading of "I'll Never Be the Same." Then the sparks fly on a spirited Hot Clubish rendition of "Avalon," with the two Carters engaging in some explosive violin and tenor sax call-and-response as the tune heats up.Carter is given brilliant support throughout by bassist Steve Kirby and drummer Joey Baron, whose instincts are always right on, whether he's swinging fervently with sticks or conjuring up an alluring mood with brushes. Accordionist Charlie Giordano adds coloristic touches throughout, and Lubambo helps convey a tasteful Brazilian vibe with his soothing nylon-string guitar work. Lubambo's moving duet with Carter on the lovely closer "Imari's Lullaby" is a lyrical highlight. ~Bill Milkowski

Chasin' The Gypsy

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Blood, Sweat & Tears - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:28
Size: 104.1 MB
Styles: AM rock, Contemporary pop-rock, Jazz rock
Year: 1969/1989/2014
Art: Front

[ 2:27] 1. Variations On A Theme By Erik Satie (First Movement)
[ 5:06] 2. Smiling Phases
[ 3:08] 3. Sometimes In Winter
[ 3:04] 4. More And More
[ 4:03] 5. And When I Die
[ 5:51] 6. God Bless The Child
[ 4:04] 7. Spinniing Wheel
[ 4:17] 8. You've Made Me So Very Happy
[11:49] 9. Blues Pt 2
[ 1:35] 10. Variations On A Theme By Erik Satie (1st Movement-Adapted From 'trois Gymnopedies)

Recording Date: August 2, 1968 - October 22, 1968

The difference between Blood, Sweat & Tears and the group's preceding long-player, Child Is Father to the Man, is the difference between a monumental seller and a record that was "merely" a huge critical success. Arguably, the Blood, Sweat & Tears that made this self-titled second album -- consisting of five of the eight original members and four newcomers, including singer David Clayton-Thomas -- was really a different group from the one that made Child Is Father to the Man, which was done largely under the direction of singer/songwriter/keyboard player/arranger Al Kooper. They had certain similarities to the original: the musical mixture of classical, jazz, and rock elements was still apparent, and the interplay between the horns and the keyboards was still occurring, even if those instruments were being played by different people. Kooper was even still present as an arranger on two tracks, notably the initial hit "You've Made Me So Very Happy." But the second BS&T, under the aegis of producer James William Guercio, was a less adventurous unit, and, as fronted by Clayton-Thomas, a far more commercial one. Not only did the album contain three songs that neared the top of the charts as singles -- "Happy," "Spinning Wheel," and "And When I Die" -- but the whole album, including an arrangement of "God Bless the Child" and the radical rewrite of Traffic's "Smiling Phases," was wonderfully accessible. It was a repertoire to build a career on, and Blood, Sweat & Tears did exactly that, although they never came close to equaling this album. ~William Ruhlmann

Blood, Sweat & Tears

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Bill Allred - Allred Hot & Blue I&II

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:27
Size: 154.4 MB
Styles: Trombone jazz, Dixieland
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[6:20] 1. Sugar
[6:47] 2. I'll Never Be The Same
[6:13] 3. On A Slow Boat To China
[3:48] 4. Seems Like Old Times
[3:34] 5. Some Of These Days
[4:22] 6. St. Louis Blues
[4:17] 7. Singing The Blues
[4:39] 8. My Honey's Lovin' Arms
[4:39] 9. Old Folks
[6:40] 10. Indian Summer
[5:53] 11. The Song Is You
[4:55] 12. Too Little Time
[5:14] 13. Dinah

1984: BILL ALLRED - leader, trombone; MILT HINTON bass; BUTCH MILES drums; EDDIE HIGGINS piano; DAVY JONES cornet; JACK MATESE clarinet.

1996: BILL ALLRED - leader, trombone; BUCKY PIZZARELLI guitar; JOHNNY VARRO piano; LOU MAURO – bass; WARREN SAUER – drums; TERRY MYERS – reeds; BOBBY PICKWOOD – trumpet; ALLAN VACHE clarinet; DAVY JONES cornet; JACK MATESE clarinet.

This recording spans a little over twelve years, with a compilation of two different sessions, one in 1984 and one in 1996. Bill Allred, one of the world's finest trombonists, has assembled two amazing bands of different musicians and instrumentation, and somehow, with his unique talents as a leader and musician, he makes it all fit together seamlessly. His swinging, authoritative trombone style is the gravy that makes this meal a feast for anybody's ears. Supported by such greats as Milt Hinton, Eddie Higgins, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Butch Miles, Bill plays some unique and exciting choruses on standards and swing tunes that will delight you. These timeless songs and wonderful musicians will make this album a "regular" in your listening library.

Allred Hot & Blue I & II

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Jimmy Forrest - Most Much!

Styles: Hard Bop, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:13
Size: 113,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:46)  1. Matilda
(7:43)  2. Annie Laurie
(4:25)  3. Autumn Leaves
(2:40)  4. My Buddy
(5:13)  5. I Love You
(5:37)  6. Soft Winds
(8:48)  7. Robbins' Nest
(6:37)  8. Most Much
(3:19)  9. Sonny Boy

Jimmy Forrest was a very consistent tenor, able to infuse bop and swing standards with soul and his distinctive tone. With the assistance of pianist Hugh Lawson, bassist Tommy Potter, drummer Clarendon Johnson and Ray Barretto on congas, Forrest explores mostly veteran tunes, such as a jumping "Annie Laurie," and the calypso "Matilda," a sentimental "My Buddy," "Robbins Nest," and even "Sonny Boy." Enjoyable music from the warm tenor. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/most-much-mw0000204074

Personnel: Jimmy Forrest (tenor saxophone); Hugh Lawson (piano); Tommy Potter (bass); Clarendon Johnson (drums); Ray Barretto (congas).

Most Much!

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Victor D'Angelo And Harlem River Jazz - Dance With Us

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:28
Size: 134,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:04)  1. Something's Gotta Give
(5:27)  2. Willow Weep For Me
(5:48)  3. You're My Thrill
(4:11)  4. How Insensitive
(5:21)  5. A Night In Tunisia
(5:10)  6. Love For Sale
(4:19)  7. It's Delovely
(4:32)  8. Cry Me A River
(4:56)  9. Lost In A Fog
(3:30) 10. My Reverie
(7:14) 11. Don't Explain
(4:51) 12. Come Sunday

The Dance With Us album is a colabaration with some wonderful jazz artists from New York City. They are Lafayette Harris Jr.(Piano and Band leader), Paul Beaudry (Bass), Dion Parson (Drums and Percussion), Ron Jackson (Guitar) and Victor Provost (Seel Pan). The band has been playing together for years at the famous Lenox Lounge (Jazz Club in Harlem). 

When they got together in the studio it was like recording a live album. The general comments about the album are: Great music, great vocals, and a wonderful concept album, Dance with Us/Harlem River Jazz

The vocalist is quoted as saying, "Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald have inspiried me and still do." http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/victordangelo

Dance With Us

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Bill Evans - The Sideman Years

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:36
Size: 163.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:37] 1. Kimona My House
[5:17] 2. Like Someone In Love
[2:49] 3. Ev'ry Night About This Time
[4:36] 4. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
[4:33] 5. Mother Of Earl
[7:09] 6. Indian Summer
[1:51] 7. Deep Purple
[6:05] 8. Aeolian Drinking Song
[3:23] 9. 'round About Midnight
[3:56] 10. Vanilla Frosting On A Beef Pie
[4:41] 11. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
[3:58] 12. How High The Moon
[5:47] 13. Idol Of The Flies
[3:43] 14. Ogling Ogre
[5:06] 15. Love Letters
[4:58] 16. Avid Admirer

Bill Evans (p), Tony Scott (cl), Jimmy Knepper (tb), Gene Quill (as), Dick Garcia, Joe Puma (g), Jerry Bruno, Oscar Pettiford, Les Grinage, Teddy Kotick (b), Camille Morin, Paul Motian, Lennie McBrowne, Dannie Richmond (d), Eddie Costa (vb).

Bill Evans has been one of the most influential pianists—if not one of the most influential musicians—in the history of modern jazz. Everybody who likes piano music enjoys listening to Bill’s playing, and that is why he is so big today, more than 25 years after he died in 1980. When in 1956 he joined the quartet of the acclaimed clarinetist Tony Scott, Bill’s playing caused much talk among musicians and big things were predicted for him. “When I started out, I worked very simply, but I always knew what I was doing,” said Evans of that time. In these early recordings as a sideman, Bill Evans demonstrates, with apparent effortlessness and without straining for gimmicks, what a strong and intelligent improviser he already was in those early years.

The Sideman Years

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Helen Merrill - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:38
Size: 74.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Standards
Year: 1955/1999
Art: Front

[5:09] 1. Don't Explain
[4:17] 2. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[4:58] 3. What's New
[3:51] 4. Falling In Love With Love
[5:57] 5. Yesterdays
[5:12] 6. Born To Be Blue
[3:12] 7. 's Wonderful

Recording Date: December 22, 1954 - December 24, 1954.

Though she eventually came to be known as a "singer's singer," Helen Merrill's 1954 debut is an unmitigated success of mainstream jazz. Besides introducing the uniquely talented young singer, the date also featured small-group arrangements by Quincy Jones and marks the introduction of another future star, trumpeter Clifford Brown. Formidable as his playing is, Brown never overshadows Merrill. She is fully up to the challenge on all fronts and enthusiastically tackles uptempo numbers such as "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" and "Falling in Love with Love" with aplomb. A winning stylistic combination of cool jazz and hard bop, Merrill particularly excels on Mel Tormé's "Born to Be Blue," making the sophisticated tune her own as she revels in Tormé's down-and-out lyric. ~Richard Mortifoglio

Helen Merrill

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Donald Fagen - Sunken Condos

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:44
Size: 100.1 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:08] 1. Slinky Thing
[4:28] 2. I'm Not The Same Without You
[4:13] 3. Memorabilia
[5:25] 4. Weather In My Head
[4:33] 5. The New Breed
[4:51] 6. Out Of The Ghetto
[4:40] 7. Miss Marlene
[4:51] 8. Good Stuff
[5:33] 9. Planet D'rhonda

It took Donald Fagen nearly a quarter century to release his Nightfly Trilogy, which started with 1982’s ‘The Nightfly’ and wrapped up with 2006’s ‘Morph the Cat.’ ‘Sunken Condos,’ the fourth solo album by the Steely Dan singer, is a slightly looser record than its predecessors, with more emphasis on groove this time around. And it sounds like it could be the next chapter in the solo odyssey Fagen started 30 years ago. Maybe it has something to do with his recent tour with the Dukes of September Rhythm Revue, which included soulful old friends Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs, or maybe it has to do with the 64-year-old Fagen settling into his AARP years, but he doesn’t sound so uptight here. And let’s face it: Steely Dan were one of the ‘70s fussiest bands, so obsessed with getting every single detail right in their songs that they quit touring in the middle of their peak decade (they finally hit the road again in support of Fagen’s 1993 album ‘Kamakiriad’ and Steely Dan’s 2000 comeback LP ‘Two Against Nature’).

Either way, ‘Sunken Condos’ is jazzy, bluesy and as musically precise as anything Fagen has recorded, with or without Steely Dan. No surprise, since many of the musicians have played with him in one form or another over the years. And he still doesn’t take the short way around. Most of the nine songs make room for efficient solos, tasteful backing vocals and the cleanest production this side of the late 1970s. ~Michael Galucci

Sunken Condos

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Earl 'Fatha' Hines Quartet - Lost 1971 Studio Masterpiece

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:57
Size: 91.5 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[2:43] 1. Little Girl
[5:14] 2. You're Mine, You
[4:35] 3. Coquette
[4:25] 4. Sometimes I'm Happy
[4:16] 5. More Than You Know
[9:49] 6. Texas Ruby Red
[4:49] 7. Ramona
[4:01] 8. Cavernism

Once called "the first modern jazz pianist," Earl Hines differed from the stride pianists of the 1920s by breaking up the stride rhythms with unusual accents from his left hand. While his right hand often played octaves so as to ring clearly over ensembles, Hines had the trickiest left hand in the business, often suspending time recklessly but without ever losing the beat. One of the all-time great pianists, Hines was a major influence on Teddy Wilson, Jess Stacy, Joe Sullivan, Nat King Cole, and even to an extent on Art Tatum. He was also an underrated composer responsible for "Rosetta," "My Monday Date," and "You Can Depend on Me," among others.

Lost 1971 Studio Masterpiece

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Rory Block - 2 albums: Shake 'em On Down / I'm Every Woman

Album: Shake 'em On Down
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:27
Size: 115.9 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2011
Art: Full

[4:40] 1. Steady Freddy
[4:53] 2. Mississippi Man
[4:02] 3. Kokomo Blues
[5:17] 4. Good Morning Little School Girl
[4:53] 5. What's The Matter Now?
[4:15] 6. Shake 'em On Down
[3:43] 7. Worried Mind
[3:41] 8. The Man That I'm Lovin'
[3:11] 9. Ancestral Home
[4:21] 10. The Breadline
[3:30] 11. Woke Up This Morning
[3:55] 12. Write Me A Few Of Your Lines

When she paid tribute to Robert Johnson on her 2006 album The Lady and Mr. Johnson, Rory Block tried to replicate Johnson's style exactly. She was not so reverent on 2008's Blues Walkin' Like a Man, a tribute to Son House, and on the third album she considers part of her Mentor Series, she takes some creative license with Mississippi Fred McDowell on Shake ‘Em on Down. One difference is that she actually met House and McDowell, which seems to have freed her to take a more creative approach. She acknowledges that McDowell's driving, repetitive playing also served as a challenge, noting that he played more for dancing, intent on keeping a constant rhythm, than with any sense of virtuosity. And while she has counted the number of times a given figure might have been repeated in a particular performance of one of his songs, in her own versions she has added solo guitar lines to the basic riffs and also included other features, such as overdubbed vocal choruses. She also has written songs concerning McDowell, such as the leadoff track, "Steady Freddy," an imagined autobiography, and its successor, "Mississippi Man," her account of meeting the bluesman when she was 15. And she has adapted some of his songs, switching gender on "Good Morning Little School Girl" (which she acknowledges uneasily as being about "child predation") and "The Girl That I'm Lovin'." All of this is to say that she has applied a fan and scholar's attention as well as an artist's vision to McDowell and his work, demonstrating that a tribute requires both. ~William Ruhlmann

thank you kempen.
Shake 'em On Down

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Album: I'm Every Woman
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:33
Size: 113.5 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2002
Art: Full

[1:14] 1. Guitar Ditty 1
[3:43] 2. I'm Every Woman
[3:05] 3. Fool For You
[1:26] 4. Sea Lion Woman (& Gaye Adegbalola)
[3:57] 5. Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down (& Jordan Block Valdina)
[3:39] 6. Tired Of Being Alone
[4:27] 7. Love Tko
[2:22] 8. Rock Island Line (& Paul Rishell & Annie Raines)
[5:45] 9. Talkin' 'bout My Man
[3:30] 10. Ain't Nothin' Like The Real Thing (& Keb' Mo')
[5:14] 11. Pretty Polly
[5:06] 12. Hold On-Change Is Coming (& Rev. Herb Sheldon).
[5:34] 13. I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody's Home.
[0:24] 14. Guitar Ditty 2

After listening to the opening track of I'm Every Woman, one might be inclined to expect 45 minutes of acoustic blues to follow. "Guitar Ditty" features no more than a girl and her guitar with a great big sound. It's quite surprising, then, when Rory Block cuts loose on the title cut, a pastiche of slide guitar, disco beat, and funky '70s orchestra. Clearly, the listener isn't in the Delta anymore. Indeed, Block pretty much keeps her guitar in the corner of the studio for most of the album, trading her deep blues for a healthy dose of soul, a bit of gospel, and few other odds and ends. It's probably impossible to compare I'm Every Woman to Confessions of a Blues Singer, Block's 1998 recording. One features songs by Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, and Blind Willie McTell; the other, by Al Green and Ashford-Simpson. One maintains a fairly straightforward production, centering on acoustic guitar and vocals; the other jumps from guitar ditties to a cappella gospel to full-tilt boogie. Kelly Joe Phelps lends his vocals and a nice bit of guitar to "Pretty Polly," while Annie Raines and Paul Rishell help out on a stirring vocal version of "Rock Island Line." Block also successfully tackles Bonnie Raitt/Toni Price territory with the vibrant "I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody's Home." While there are several memorable moments on I'm Every Woman, the overall approach seems more scattershot than eclectic, and will confuse and perhaps anger Block's fans. ~Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.

thank you kempen.
I'm Every Woman

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Benny Golson - My Funny Valentine

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:51
Size: 180.5 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[4:32] 1. My Funny Valentine
[3:31] 2. Lament
[6:03] 3. Blues On Down
[5:49] 4. Hi-Fly
[3:02] 5. The Cool One
[5:53] 6. Wonder Why
[4:52] 7. Bean Bag
[3:17] 8. Five Spot After Dark
[5:00] 9. Con Alma
[2:45] 10. The Best Thing For You Is Me
[4:09] 11. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[3:01] 12. Impromptune
[3:33] 13. Little Karin
[1:33] 14. You're My Thrill
[4:24] 15. Swing It
[4:45] 16. I Fall In Love Too Easily
[5:13] 17. The Touch
[3:33] 18. Time
[3:46] 19. Out Of This World

This 1960 session from the Jazztet, featuring tenor saxophonist Benny Golson and trumpeter Art Farmer, is a swinging, straight-ahead date. The follow-up to the ensemble's debut, 1960's Meet the Jazztet, Big City Sounds includes the midtempo groover "The Cool One," which echoes Golson's previous hit, "Killer Joe." ~Matt Collar

My Funny Valentine

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Nicki Parrott - Angel Eyes

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:59
Size: 136,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:08)  1. I Wanna Be Around
(3:23)  2. You Make Me Feel So Young
(4:39)  3. The Nearness Of You
(3:11)  4. I'll Never Be The Same
(4:34)  5. The Very Thought Of You
(4:10)  6. One For My Baby
(4:06)  7. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
(4:53)  8. I Told Ya I Love Ya, Now Get Out
(3:50)  9. I'm Beginning To See The Light
(3:17) 10. Can Anyone Explain (No, No, No)
(2:11) 11. Something's Gotta Give
(4:59) 12. I'm Glad There Is You
(2:46) 13. I Cried For You
(3:02) 14. You Don't Know
(5:45) 15. Angel Eyes

Born in Newcastle, Australia, Nicki started her musical training at age four with the piano, followed by the flute, soon after. Nicki switched to double bass at the age of 15.  After graduating high school she moved to Sydney to study jazz at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music where she began to play with Australian musicians such as Mike Nock, Dale Barlow, Paul Grabowsky, Bernie McGann, and Ten Part Invention. She also toured Australia with Russian musicians Daniel Kramer and Alexander Fischer and American trumpeters Bobby Shew and Chuck Findley. She continued her studies with various bassists including visiting artists Ray Brown and John Clayton. Nicki was the recipient of two awards, a scholarship to Pan Pacific Music Camps at the age of 16, and first place in the 1992 Jazz Action Society’s Annual Song Competition for her composition “Come and Get It”, which is the opening track of Nicki and her sister Lisa’s debut CD, “Awabakal Suite”. She was also nominated for the annual Australian Young Achievers Award by the Arts Council of Australia who granted her the funds to come to New York to study with Rufus Reid. Nicki came to New York in May 1994. In June 2000, Nicki began performing on Monday nights at the Iridium Jazz Club with the legendary guitarist and inventor, Les Paul. 

As part of the Les Paul Trio, Nicki worked side-by-side with guitar greats from Paul McCartney, Slash, Steve Miller to fellow Aussie, Tommy Emmanuel. Since then she has performed with such notable musicians as Michel Legrand, Joe Wilder, Randy Brecker, Clark Terry, Jose Feliciano, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, Dick Hyman, Patti Labelle & the New York Pops Orchestra, Harry Allen, Warren Vache, Marlena Shaw, David Krakauer, Ken Peplowski, Ann Hampton Callaway, Bill Mays, Scott Hamilton, Lillian Boutte, Larry Carlton and Houston Person, to name a few.  

In 2007 and 2008, Nicki received back to back honors for Swing Journal’s Best Jazz Vocal Album (“Moon River” and “Fly Me to The Moon”, respectively). In 2010 her album Black Coffee (Venus) received Swing Journal’s Gold Disc award. In 2012, Nicki headlined the Fujitsu Concorde Jazz festival after the release of her eighth CD from Venus Records, “Sakura Sakura”.Nicki has performed at most major festivals around the globe including the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Jazz in July at the 92nd Street Y, Litchfield Jazz Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and the Newport Beach Jazz Party, Jazz Ascona and Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland and many others. Nicki has also performed in several Broadway shows such as “Avenue Q”, “Imaginary Friends”, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”, “Summer of ’42” and “Jekyll and Hyde” and has made several television and documentary appearances including “The Gossip Girls”, “Chasing Sound” and “Thank You Les”, which recently debuted on PBS.  http://www.nickiparrott.com/about-us.html

Personnel:  Nicki Parrott, vocals & bass;  John Di Martino, piano

Angel Eyes

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John Scofield - Hand Jive

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:48
Size: 146,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:00)  1. I'll Take Les
(7:43)  2. Dark Blue
(8:08)  3. Do Like Eddie
(5:53)  4. She's So Lucky
(5:28)  5. Checkered Past
(4:47)  6. 7th Floor
(7:38)  7. Golden Daze
(6:11)  8. Don't Shoot The Messenger
(5:39)  9. Whip The Mule
(5:16) 10. Out Of The City

Guitarist John Scofield and tenor saxophonist Eddie Harris make a very complementary team on this upbeat set of funky jazz, for both have immediately identifiable sounds and adventurous spirits. Along with a fine rhythm section that includes Larry Goldings on piano and organ, Scofield and Harris interact joyfully on ten of the guitarist's originals. 

~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/hand-jive-mw0000626033

Personnel: John Scofield (guitar); Eddie Harris (tenor saxophone); Larry Goldings (piano, organ); Dennis Irwin (bass); Bill Stewart (drums); Don Alias (percussion).

Hand Jive

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The Dutch Jazz Orchestra - You Go To My Head: Strayhorn And Standards

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:44
Size: 144,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:50)  1. Autumn in New York
(3:40)  2. Where or When
(5:49)  3. The Man I Love
(4:41)  4. I'll Remember April
(4:48)  5. I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance
(3:25)  6. Moon River
(6:30)  7. Lover Man
(5:16)  8. You Go To My Head
(2:58)  9. Night and Day
(3:19) 10. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
(2:56) 11. I'll Buy That Dream
(4:18) 12. Skylark
(4:33) 13. I've Got the World on a String
(2:35) 14. Yesterdays

The ballad component of the Great American Songbook has seldom sounded better than it does on this marvelous collaboration between the superlative Dutch Jazz Orchestra and the brilliant composer / arranger Billy Strayhorn, who wrote these exquisite charts for the Duke Ellington Orchestra over two decades beginning in the early ’40s. Eight of the arrangements are presented here for the first time, with four others preserved solely on hard-to-find radio broadcasts, and only two “Where or When” and “Lover Man” ever recorded commercially, the last in an abridged form. The most recent, a delightfully brisk cruise along Henry Mancini’s “Moon River,” dates from around 1962, five years before Strayhorn’s death at age fifty one. “Where or When” and “Lover Man” are sung by Marjorie Barnes, as are Hoagy Carmichael’s “Skylark” and Jerome Kern’s “Yesterdays.” Nothing is said about Barnes in the liner notes, but if she’s not an American living in the Netherlands she fashions one of the most remarkable impressions of one I’ve ever heard.

The DJO is loaded with world-class soloists, several of whom  flugel Ack van Rooyen (“Moon River,” “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man”), clarinetist John Ruocco (“Ghost of a Chance,” “I’ve Got the World on a String”), tenor Toon Roos (“I’ll Remember April”), alto Albert Beltman (“Night and Day”), baritone Nils van Haften (“I’ll Buy That Dream”), pianist Rob van Bavel (“You Go to My Head”) are showcased on the various instrumentals. Van Rooyen escorts Ruocco on “Autumn in New York,” trombonist Martijn Sohier on “The Man I Love,” while Roos adds shapely commentary on three of the four vocal tracks. Strayhorn was nearly as prolific as he was gifted, and close to six hundred of his elegant arrangements survive. Thanks to the DJO and Strayhorn scholar Walter van de Leur, at least some of them are now accessible in state-of-the-art digital sound. This is the second DJO / Strayhorn album I’ve heard (the other is Portrait of a Silk Thread, Dutch Jazz 95001). Challenge Records has apparently produced two others, So This Is Love (CHR 70091) and Something to Live For (CHR 70092). If they are anywhere near as grand and rewarding as You Go to My Head, they're worth your attention. 

~Jack Bowers 

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/you-go-to-my-head-billy-strayhorn-and-standards-challenge-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Marjorie Barnes (vocals); Mieke Honingh (violin); Erica Korthals Altes (viola); Olaf Groesz (cello); Albert Beltman (clarinet, alto saxophone); John Ruocco (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Nils Van Haften (bass clarinet, baritone saxophone); Hans Meijdam (alto saxophone); Toon Roos, Ab Schaap (tenor saxophone); Ack Van Rooijen, Ack Van Rooyen (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jan Hollander, Jan Wessels, Jan Oosthof, Ruud Breuls, Peter Van Soest (trumpet); Bert Van Dijk, Ilja Reijngoud, Martijn Sohier, Hansjörg Fink (trombone); Rob van Bavel (piano); Eric Ineke, Martijn Vink (drums).

You Go To My Head: Strayhorn And Standards

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Red Holloway Quartet - Nica's Dream

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 46:01

Size: 105.3 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 1984/1995

Art: Front

[ 4:19] 1. Reshma Rani Barnase

[10:25] 2. Lover Man

[ 7:52] 3. Love For Sale

[ 7:10] 4. Nica's Dream

[ 5:38] 5. Georgia On My Mind

[ 6:07] 6. 369 Blues

[ 4:27] 7. Wee

Doubling on tenor and alto, Red Holloway shows on this no-nonsense quartet set how strong an improviser he is within the world of bebop. Joined by pianist Horace Parlan, bassist Jesper Lundgaard and drummer Aage Tanggaard, Holloway plays two basic originals and five jazz standards, highlighted by a lengthy "Lover Man," "Love for Sale" and a speedy "Wee." ~Scott Yanow

Recording Date: July 7, 1984

Nica's Dream

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Rose Room - Am I Blue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:29
Size: 99.6 MB
Styles: Gypsy swing
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:04] 1. Me, Myself And I
[3:42] 2. China Boy
[4:31] 3. J'attendrai
[4:14] 4. Bossa Dorado
[3:25] 5. Sweet Sue
[5:41] 6. Am I Blue
[3:30] 7. Songe D'automne
[3:05] 8. 'deed I Do
[3:34] 9. Limehouse Blues
[5:08] 10. I'll See You In My Dreams
[3:29] 11. It's A Sin To Tell A Lie

Scottish Jazz Awards finalists Rose Room have become one of Scotland’s leading ensembles influenced by the Gypsy Jazz genre. Sharing a love of Swing music and the style of the great Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, their“vigorous and vivacious” performances seem to go “down a storm” with any audience as their 1930s ‘Hot Club’ standards and self-penned originals are always served up with great energy and panache.

Based in Glasgow, the quartet features award-winning virtuoso violinist and vocalist Seonaid Aitken (who also performs with Scottish Opera, folk singer Roddy Woomble and recently orchestrated the music for the BBC/Richard Curtis film ‘Esio Trot’), guitar maker to the stars Jimmy Moon on double bass, and Danny Kyle Award-winners ‘Swing Guitars’ Tam Gallagher and Tom Watson on rhythm and lead guitars respectively.

Am I Blue

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Mike Melvoin - Oh Baby

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 59:22

Size: 135.9 MB

Styles: Straight ahead jazz, Piano jazz

Year: 2007

Art: Front

[6:54] 1. There Is No Greater Love

[6:54] 2. The Melody Is You

[7:22] 3. You And The Night And The Music

[8:34] 4. Sandy

[5:13] 5. North Star

[7:55] 6. I'll Never Smile Again

[6:59] 7. Fifth Power

[5:29] 8. So In Love

[3:59] 9. Oh Baby

Oh Baby is about as good a jazz piano trio album as you’ll ever hear, at least in this millennium. Mike Melvoin is one of the unsung heroes of the music industry, a prolific composer/arranger/producer for countless albums, television shows and films. As a pianist he’s logged more hours in the recording studio than just about any pianist on the planet. He’s been President of NARAS, he’s been the musical director for the Grammy Awards, and now he’s going back to his first love, straight ahead jazz.

With the infectious swing of Ahmad Jamal, the acute harmonic sensitivity of Bill Evans and the deft dexterity of Chick Corea, Mike Melvoin is the consummate jazz pianist. And his sidemen are every bit his equal. John Guerin on drums has impeccable dynamic control that propels the beat but never overwhelms; his solos overflow with taste and musical sensitivity. Brian Bromberg on bass is a phenomenon of nature. The speed at which he plays double- and triple-stops would lead one to believe that he has three or perhaps four arms. And to top it all off, he has impeccable time.

Oh Baby is a fine album by an outstanding jazz pianist and jazz combo. Maybe Mike Melvoin should be onstage receiving a Grammy instead of directing the show. ~William Grim

Mike Melvoin, piano; John Guerin, drums; Brian Bromberg, bass; Tom Scott, alto and soprano saxophone

Oh Baby

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John Lee Hooker - Hooker 'n Heat (2-Disc Set)

When this two-LP set was initially released in January 1971, Canned Heat was back to its R&B roots, sporting slightly revised personnel. In the spring of the previous year, Larry "The Mole" Taylor (bass) and Harvey Mandel (guitar) simultaneously accepted invitations to join John Mayall's concurrent incarnation of the Bluesbreakers. This marked the return of Henry "Sunflower" Vestine (guitar) and the incorporation of Antonio "Tony" de la Barreda (bass), a highly skilled constituent of Aldolfo de la Parra (drums). Sadly, it would also be the final effort to include co-founder Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson, who passed away in September 1970. Hooker 'n Heat (1971) is a low-key affair split between unaccompanied solo John Lee Hooker (guitar/vocals) tunes, collaborations between Hooker and Wilson (piano/guitar/harmonica), as well as five full-blown confabs between Hooker and Heat. The first platter focuses on Hooker's looser entries that vacillate from the relatively uninspired ramblings of "Send Me Your Pillow" and "Drifter" to the essential and guttural "Feelin' Is Gone" or spirited "Bottle Up and Go." The latter being among those with Wilson on piano. Perhaps the best of the batch is the lengthy seven-minute-plus "World Today," which is languid and poignant talking blues, with Hooker lamenting the concurrent state of affairs around the globe. "I Got My Eyes on You" is an unabashed derivative of Hooker's classic "Dimples," with the title changed for what were most likely legal rather than artistic concerns. That said, the readings of the seminal "Burning Hell" and "Bottle Up and Go" kept their familiar monikers intact. The full-fledged collaborations shine as both parties unleash some of their finest respective work. While Canned Heat get top bill -- probably as it was the group's record company that sprung for Hooker 'n Heat -- make no mistake, as Hooker steers the combo with the same gritty and percussive guitar leads that have become his trademark. The epic "Boogie Chillen No. 2" stretches over 11 and a half minutes and is full of the same swagger as the original, with the support of Canned Heat igniting the verses and simmering on the subsequent instrumental breaks with all killer and no filler. The 2002 two-CD pressing by the French Magic Records label is augmented with "It's All Right," with a single edit of "Whiskey and Wimmen." ~Lindsay Planer

John Lee Hooker vocals; guitar; Alan Wilson harmonica; Henry Vestine guitar; Antono de la Barreda bass; Adolfo de la Parra drums.

Not to be confused with the later live recordings Hooker made with Canned Heat at the Fox Venice Theatre (that's currently available on Rhino).

Album: Hooker 'n Heat (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:48
Size: 93.4 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 1971/1991/2005

[3:21] 1. Messin' With The Hook
[4:31] 2. The Feelin' Is Gone
[4:46] 3. Send Me A Pillow
[4:04] 4. Sittin' Here Thinkin
[3:31] 5. Meet Me In The Bottom
[4:30] 6. Alimonia Blues
[4:55] 7. Drifter
[3:14] 8. You Talk Too Much
[5:26] 9. Burning Hell
[2:26] 10. Bottle Up And Go

Hooker 'n Heat (Disc 1)

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Album: Hooker 'n Heat (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:05
Size: 103.2 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 1971/1991/2005
Art: Front

[ 7:44] 1. The World Today
[ 4:24] 2. I Got My Eyes On You
[ 4:34] 3. Whiskey And Wimmen'
[ 7:39] 4. Just You And Me
[ 4:04] 5. Let's Make It
[ 5:05] 6. Peavine
[11:32] 7. Boogie Chillen No. 2

Hooker 'n Heat (Disc 2)

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