Silky Denims

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Blossom Dearie - Whisper For You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:13
Size: 151.6 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 1997/2002/2010
Art: Front

[3:42] 1. That's Just The Way I Want To Be
[3:17] 2. Long Daddy Green
[3:12] 3. Sweet Surprise
[3:26] 4. Hey John
[3:19] 5. Sweet Georgie Fame
[3:14] 6. Both Sides Now
[1:49] 7. Dusty Springfield
[3:02] 8. Will There Really Be A Morning
[3:21] 9. I Know The Moon
[2:09] 10. Inside A Silent Tear
[5:06] 11. Yesterday, When I Was Young
[2:36] 12. I Like London In The Rain
[1:59] 13. Just One Of Those Things
[4:28] 14. Like Someone In Love
[2:25] 15. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
[3:22] 16. Try Your Wings
[3:45] 17. The Riviera
[2:32] 18. The Middle Of Love
[2:28] 19. Plus Je T'embrasse
[2:38] 20. Give Him The Ooh-La-La
[4:12] 21. I Walk A Little Faster

An odd Japanese collection, Whisper for You reissues one of the New York cabaret singer's rarer sessions, 1970's That's Just the Way I Want to Be, and adds nine songs from her 1958 Verve LP Give Him the Ooh-La-La. Though the schmaltzy title and cover (featuring a sleepy kitten) may deter vocal fans, anyone wanting to hear one of her only post-'60s records available on CD would do well to search this one out. Blossom Dearie adapted pretty well to the changing times, stretching out on atmospheric songs that sound familiar to any fans of singer/songwriter or folk-rock forms. The title-track opener of That's Just the Way I Want to Be is a good start, her own composition (one of nine here, most of them collaborations) and one that nicely illustrates her outsider status -- a plus, as far as rock audiences were concerned. Brian Gascoigne's floating arrangement makes good use of vibes and flute, and his charts wisely stay out of the way, except on one dated arrangement for Dearie's "Long Daddy Green" (it has the same muddy sound as the spots for Schoolhouse Rock, which Dearie contributed to). Elsewhere, Dearie finds common ground with Joni Mitchell ("Both Sides Now"), and also sings tributes to (presumably) her favorites among British rock singers, "Sweet Georgie Fame" and "Dusty Springfield" (both probably owed small debts to her as well). The nine tracks tacked onto the end, from her Verve date Give Him the Ooh-La-La, far outshine any from the later session, including "Just One of Those Things" and "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea." ~John Bush

Whisper For You

Bob Fleming Quartet - The Music Of Brazil

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:27
Size: 159.0 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:04] 1. An Affair To Remember
[3:03] 2. Cheek To Cheek
[3:21] 3. Stormy Weather
[2:11] 4. Love Letters In The Sand
[3:44] 5. My Funny Valentine
[2:59] 6. Because Of You
[3:26] 7. Almost Paradise
[2:24] 8. Manhattan
[4:05] 9. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[2:53] 10. Over The Rainbow
[1:58] 11. Who
[2:21] 12. I Won't Cry Anymore
[2:41] 13. Fascination
[2:32] 14. Indian Summer
[2:24] 15. Can't I
[2:03] 16. Sonny Boy
[2:29] 17. There Goes My Heart
[2:37] 18. Tammy
[3:12] 19. It's Not For Me To Say
[2:12] 20. Around The World In 80 Days
[2:49] 21. A Portrait Of Jennie
[2:20] 22. So Rare
[3:49] 23. E'bello
[4:38] 24. Without A Song

The Music Of Brazil

Clifford Brown & Max Roach - Brown & Roach

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:40
Size: 93.1 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1954/2004
Art: Front

[6:39] 1. Sweet Clifford
[7:19] 2. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
[6:23] 3. Stompin' At The Savoy
[4:09] 4. I'll String Along With You
[4:30] 5. Mildama
[4:01] 6. Darn That Dream
[7:36] 7. I Get A Kick Out Of You

In 1954, months before the Jazz Messengers, spearheaded by Art Blakey and Horace Silver, formed serendipitously at a Blue Note recordings session, Max Roach was forming his own quintet with Clifford Brown in Los Angeles. It would become the first defining group in the music that would soon be known as hard bop. There was some trial and error in landing on the perfect combination of players. But by August, the group's line-up with Harold Land, Richie Powell and George Morrow and a major label deal with Emarcy Records were secured. Four marathon sessions that month yielded "Brown And Roach Incorporated" and most of the second album "Clifford Brown And Max Roach."

What was immediately striking was the fresh sound of the quintet. The remarkable empathy within the group, the careful selection of material and the exciting arrangements by Powell all contributed mightily to that sound. Clifford Brown had come into his own as composer as "Sweet Clifford," "Joy Spring" and "Daahoud" demonstrate. It didn't hurt that Roach and Brown were complete originals and among the greatest performers on their instruments.

Six months later, the ensemble went into the studio to cut 11 gems, two of which were used to complete "Clifford Brown And Max Roach" while the rest formed the third album "Study In Brown." Their growth as a band is evident and, by this time, Powell and Land were also composing for the group.

Brown & Roach

Kitty Margolis - Evolution

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 91:53
Size: 210,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:01) 1. Anthropology
(4:51) 2. I'm old fashioned
(5:03) 3. Evolution
(5:26) 4. Ancient footprints
(5:10) 5. Midnight sun
(3:33) 6. Nothing like You
(5:27) 7. Please send me someone to love
(5:48) 8. You don't know what love is
(4:34) 9. All or nothing at all
(5:08) 10. Tristeza de amar
(2:49) 11. Gone with the wind
(3:48) 12. Someone else is steppin' in
(4:45) 13. When lights are low
(6:19) 14. Where do you start
(5:10) 15. Are what you need
(5:02) 16. Getting to know you
(7:30) 17. I concentrate on you
(5:00) 18. Sophisticated lady
(2:18) 19. We kiss in a shadow

This is an amazing album. There are few jazz singers with the range of expression of Kitty Margolis, a singer equally at home in bop, blues and ballads. Possessed of unerring pitch and flawless enunciation, Margolis can also scat with the best of them. Indeed, her versatility brings to mind Ella Fitzgerald and Carmen McRae. In this album we hear Kitty Margolis in almost every style imaginable. Margolis begins bop anthem “Anthropology” unaccompanied and at a breakneck speed and delivers a truly inspired performance. In “I’m Old Fashioned” the singer turns the tune on its head and gives an intense reading of the old ballad with the able assistance of tenor sax giant Joe Henderson. The two later team up for a swinging version of “Gone With the Wind.” Brazilian composer Ivan Lins’ “Evolution” is the album’s title track and Margolis hits the mood exactly right in this English language song. Joyce Cooling’s guitar solo is a textbook example of understatement and taste. “Midnight Sun” is a tune that has been overlooked for too long by singers. Its sophisticated text and highly chromatic melody is ideally suited for Margolis and she delivers one of the finest recorded versions of the Lionel Hampton/Johnny Mercer song.

Margolis also demonstrates that she knows a thing or two about the blues in “Someone Else Is Steppin’ In” where she gives a throaty performance in the best blues shouting tradition. The album ends with Stephen Sondheim’s “Where Do You Start?” performed by just the singer and Dick Hindman on piano. Sondheim’s tune is all about the pain of separation, and Margolis’ performance makes this pain come alive, a pain that is only matched when you have to separate yourself from listening to this extraordinary album. ~ William Grim http://www.allaboutjazz.com/evolution-kitty-margolis-mad-kat-review-by-william-grim.php

Personnel: Kitty Margolis, vocals; Joe Henderson, tenor sax; Joe Louis Walker, guitar; Dick Hindman, piano; Joyce Cooling, guitar; Seward McCain, bass; Gaylord Burch, drums; Jay Wagner, keyboards; Kenny Brooks, tenor sax; Tom Peron, trumpet; Jorge Pomar, bass; Art Love, bass; Dave Rokeach, drums; Kent Middleton, percussion

Evolution

George Robert & Kenny Barron - The Good Life

Styles: Piano and Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:33
Size: 111,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:04) 1. The Good Life
(3:10) 2. Hymn To Life
(8:00) 3. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
(5:03) 4. Florence
(5:57) 5. Japanese Garden
(5:41) 6. A Time For Love
(3:23) 7. Billy Strayhorn
(4:54) 8. Pully Port
(3:50) 9. Lush Life
(2:25) 10. Goodbye

Both George Robert and Kenny Barron have confessed the pleasure of playing together ‘The Good Life ‘ is their sixth album collaboration and the second in duo about the first one, Kenny Barron once referred it was one of his top three favourite albums he ever did in his career. Furthermore George Robert sounds like someone from Jersey which is far from being true to say the least. https://jazzyoutoo.wordpress.com/2015/02/26/george-robert-kenny-barron-the-good-life/

Personnel: George Robert, Alto Sax; Kenny Barron, Piano

The Good Life

Arnett Cobb & Guy Lafitte - Tenor Abrupt

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:11
Size: 172,3 MB
Art: Front

( 7:49) 1. On Green Dolphin Street
( 5:25) 2. Climb Every mountain
( 5:43) 3. Que Reste-t-it de nos Amours
( 8:52) 4. Make Someone Happy
(11:22) 5. Blues Abrupt
( 6:13) 6. The Nearness of You
( 7:15) 7. I Got Rhythm
( 5:21) 8. Go Red Go
( 8:33) 9. Blues in Deauville
( 6:33) 10. Junpin' at the Woofside

As part of The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions series, tenor saxophonist Arnett Cobb is spotlighted on ten digitally remastered tracks, recorded live in France on March 16 and 29, 1980. Cobb recorded several records for Black & Blue, but this straight-ahead live session is special. Paired up with tenor associate Guy Lafitte, Roland Hanna on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Eddie Locke on drums, Cobb is still in excellent form even though this was recorded late in his career.

Among the previously unreleased tracks are "Oue Reste-T-Il de Nos Amours," "Make Someone Happy," "The Nearness of You," and "Blues in Deauville." ~ Al Campbell http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-definitive-black-blue-sessions-tenor-abrupt-mw0000032296

Personnel: Arnett Cobb (tenor saxophone); Guy Lafitte (tenor saxophone); Roland Hanna (piano); Eddie Locke (drums).

Tenor Abrupt

Al Miller - American Love

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:37
Size: 109,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:19) 1. St. Louis Blues
(4:43) 2. What a Wonderful World
(3:27) 3. The Way You Look Tonight
(4:30) 4. Willow Weep For Me
(5:08) 5. The Twelfth of Never
(4:46) 6. The Very Thought of You/ My One and Only Love
(4:01) 7. Can't Help Falling in Love With You
(3:19) 8. Sposin'
(3:07) 9. Wee Small Hours of the Morning
(3:45) 10. All the Things You Are to Me
(2:29) 11. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(3:57) 12. Unchained Melody

Al Miller's passion for the American songbook was developed at a young age reaching back to his earliest memories of watching his father perform. Now, many years later, Al Miller has appeared in numerous musical productions at colleges and universities, dinner theatres, and community theatres in New York, Florida, Illinois and Southern California.

His bass-baritone renditions of personal favorites has warmed audiences with his passion for America's greatest love ballads. He has become a popular guest artist at retirement communities, nightclubs, restaurants, fairgrounds, and fund-raising events throughout Southern California. Al Miller's voice is not simply heard, it's experienced. Mr. Miller's current release, American Love, is without question, one of the greatest collections of American love ballads available. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/almiller

American Love

Maria Muldaur - Live In Concert

Size: 184,3 MB
Time: 79:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Blues Rock, Folk Rock
Art: Front

Tracklist:
01. Buckets Of Love (Live) (4:49)
02. Lay Lady Lay (Live) (4:35)
03. To Be Alone With You (Live) (4:59)
04. Heart Of Mine (Live) (4:05)
05. Make You Feel My Love (Live) (4:38)
06. Meet Me In The Moonlight (Live) (4:54)
07. Your Gonna Make Me Lonesome (Live (5:51)
08. Cajun Moon (Live) (7:22)
09. Golden Loom (Live) (5:57)
10. On A Night Like This (Live) (4:11)
11. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (Live) (5:10)
12. Bessie's Advice (Live) (5:10)
13. Midnight At The Oasis (Live) (5:28)
14. Wedding Song (Live) (7:42)
15. Ride Me High (Live) (4:14)

As a long time, full time Muldaur fan, there are parts of this review that were hard for me to write, but here goes:

I can't help but feel that this whole package was slapped together for whatever reason and unceremoniously thrown into the ether. Certainly, though unfortunately, there is no huge market demand. So with the lady herself listed as one of three executive producers, why such chintzy artwork and packaging? As an avowed Dylan fan, why are a third of the twelve Dylan titles listed incorrectly? (ie: Buckets of Tears is "Buckets of Love". The crooning Moonlight from Love and Theft is known here as "Meet Me in The Moonlite")

Essentially an uninspiring recording of her noteworthy Heart of Mine—The Love Songs of Bob Dylan Muldaur and her road cronies—guitarist Craig Cafall, drummer Dave Tucker—are joined by guitarist Dave Caron and other guests and go low key and predictable on the first several selections. The set only starts to simmer as Caron's guitar takes JJ Cale's Cajun Moon to new heights. Golden Loom, a collector's outtake from Dylan's Desire era gypsy sprawl, roils on a loping groove while the languid I'll Be Your Baby Tonight would put anyone in the mood.

But the mood is seriously broken with an embarrassing Midnight at The Oasis, the hit she has seriously outgrown but insists on performing because her audience demands it. Maria should stop for a moment and consider where Dylan and his music would be if, as his audience demanded, he never went electric or kept writing songs like Blowin' in The Wind. In her defense, it is true he has taken to playing Like A Rolling Stone and All Along The Watchtower virtually every night, but if you've heard some of the performances (and I have, either live or bootlegged) you would agree it's not in his best interest artistically to do so. A rollicking You Ain't Goin' Nowhere listed here as "Ride Me High" closes this baffling, ultimately unsatisfying set.

Live In Concert

Kitty Margolis - Straight Up With A Twist

Size: 156,7 MB
Time: 67:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

Tracklist:
01. Getting To Know You (4:59)
02. Fever (5:14)
03. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes (4:02)
04. In Walked Bean (4:16)
05. For All We Know (6:05)
06. All Or Nothing At All (4:36)
07. The In Crowd (5:17)
08. We Kiss In A Shadow (6:00)
09. My Romance (4:14)
10. Today I Sing The Blues (5:01)
11. Speak Low (7:20)
12. Wouldn't It Be Loverly (5:38)
13. Prayer For Everybody (To Be Free) (4:47)

Kitty Margolis' third recording for her Madkat label is certainly her most varied and eccentric. Each of the 13 selections has its share of surprises, with Kitty's regular sextet joined by several guest players, most notably including trumpeter Roy Hargrove (heard in a supporting role on three numbers) and Charles Brown (featured in vocal duets with Margolis on a playful version of "The 'In' Crowd" and a barely recognizable "Wouldn't It Be Loverly"). The usually childlike "Gettin' To Know You" is given a complex but logical arrangement that utilizes Kitty's overdubbed voices, the sensuous classic "Fever" is taken in 7/4 time, "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" gives the singer a chance to shine over Brazilian rhythms, and Thelonious Monk's "In Walked Bud" is made funky, given new lyrics and renamed "In Walked Bean." Other interesting moments include Kitty showing off her bop chops on "My Romance," getting lowdown on "Today I Sing The Blues," and concluding "Speak Low" in surprising fashion by showing off her interest in Indian music with some very odd wordless vocalizing over the closing vamp. Kitty Margolis' continually intriguing set (which is much less bop-oriented than her previous efforts) also has a few misses, but overall is a strong step forward. ~Review by Scott Yanow

Straight Up With A Twist

Robert Kennedy Trio - Big Shoes

Size: 132,1 MB
Time: 56:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

Tracklist:
01. Long Strides (5:39)
02. Pleasant Company Expected (7:02)
03. Root Bound (6:22)
04. Radio Blues (6:16)
05. Upper Market (4:57)
06. Big Shoes (6:26)
07. Never Speak Your Name (6:30)
08. Love And Youth And Spring (6:08)
09. Lambadame (7:11)

Big Shoes is Robert Kennedy’s first release as the leader of a jazz trio in the classic organ / guitar / drums format. With Robert's original compositions as vehicles for improvisation and trio interplay, the album features Mason Razavi on guitar and Cody Rhodes on drums as well as Robert on Hammond B-3 organ. The music here is centered in straight-ahead jazz, and ranges from the bossa nova of the opening track “Long Strides” and the ballad / samba of “Never Speak Your Name” to the modern-jazz duo number between Robert and Cody “Lambadame.” Along the way the trio visits bebop numbers “Upper Market” and “Love and Youth and Spring,” slow and soulful “Radio Blues,” the jazz waltz “Pleasant Company Expected,” the New-Orleans flavored title track “Big Shoes,” and the funky “Root Bound.” In the driver's seat at the Hammond organ, Robert is inspired by a deep feeling of musical freedom and responsibility, and the album’s title Big Shoes is his celebration of that feeling.

Big Shoes

Chris Lloyds - Chris Lloyds Sings Matt Monro

Size: 103,8 MB
Time: 39:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

Tracklist:
01. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing (2:47)
02. My Kind Of Girl (2:14)
03. Portrait Of My Love (2:29)
04. On Days Like These (3:37)
05. Real Live Girl (2:09)
06. Walk Away (3:07)
07. From Russia With Love (2:28)
08. Around The World (2:07)
09. Who Can I Turn To (2:59)
10. The Shadow Of Your Smile (3:28)
11. I Will Wait For You (3:59)
12. Softly As I Leave You (3:09)
13. You've Got Possibilities (2:07)
14. Born Free (2:48)

Chris was born in Melbourne and started singing at 7 years of age where he became head chorister at Christ Church Grammar in South Yarra. His first pop band was "Mintwood Green" formed by his good friend Greg Shaw while attending The Southport School on the Gold Coast. His professional singing career began in the late 1970s as lead singer of the band Skintite. In the 80s Chris fronted the jazz/rock Brisbane based outfit Big Red who were signed to Mercury/Polygram and released the top 10 hit "The Traveller". The late 80s saw Chris move to Los Angeles where he remained for 2 years writing and recording at Pasha Studios, Studio West, Salty Dog Studios and Herbie Hancock's private studio. On returning to Australia, Chris became one of the country's busiest session singers and his voice was heard on radio and TV shows and commercials in Australia and overseas. During this time he signed to Mega/Sony records and released the single "It's Driving Me Crazy" and the stirring duet "Sometimes When We Touch" with Laurin James.

Chris went on to achieve success in Asia with his first solo album "Caught in the Magic" released through Pony Canyon/Devine in 1995. While performing in Kuala Lumpur at the Barn Thai Jazzaraunt over a few weeks, his self penned song, "Forever", went top 5 in Malaysia.

Returning to Australia, Chris became a regular face on the Ernie and Denise "In Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane Today" shows and appeared on The Midday Show with Ray Martin, Good Morning Australia with Bert Newton and The Don Lane Show, whilst at the same time continuing a busy recording and touring schedule of live performances and studio work.

He was asked to audition for "Neighbours" and was ecstatic when he got the call to play Rod Baker, Natalie Imbruglia's fiance, for three months. Other highlights in Chris's career have been; playing on the same bill as Blondie, Joe Cocker and Meatloaf, touring nationally as a member of Long Way To The Top, Dr Hook and Birtles, Shorrock, Goble, and performing a simulcast jazz version of "I still call Australia Home" on Australia Day at Sydney's Darling Harbour for HRH Prince Charles and thousands of revelers...

Chris comes from a musical family with a long list of accomplishments. His Welsh grandmother was a renowned pianist and singer who, during the 1930s and 40s, had her own radio show in India. His great grandfather, George Walter Lloyds, was a pianist and conductor and an associate of the Royal College of Music. He composed under the name of Paul de Loetz and performed for Queen Victoria in the Royal Albert Hall and on the Royal Yacht on numerous occasions. His great aunt played the violin in Sir Malcolm Sargents Orchestra and Chris's father, Guy, studied the piano in his formative years, as did his father Eric.

Chris Lloyds Sings Matt Monro

Kyoko Satoh & Her Little Orchestra - Momentary

Size: 121,6 MB
Time: 52:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/New Age Fusion
Art: Front

Tracklist:
01. Red Ladders And The Blue Planet ( 9:08)
02. Magic Scope (12:11)
03. Toy Box Blues (11:01)
04. ...And I Listen To The Ocean Blue ( 6:41)
05. Just Friends ( 5:46)
06. A Rabbit On The Moon ( 7:41)

Kyoko started playing the alto saxophone when she entered Yokohama National University. She participated in the jazz club activity at the University and learned jazz theory and how to play the alto saxophone on her own. Later she began to take private lessons with Atsushi Ikeda, one of the great jazz saxophonists in Japan. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts from the University. After her graduation, she entered Berklee College of Music as the Berklee scholarship student, also supported by the Rotary Foundation (Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship).

At Berklee, she was a jazz composition major and mainly studied composition and arranging under the tutelage of such great teachers as Ted Pease, Greg Hopkins, and Phil Wilson (Grammy nominee). Also, she studied saxophone with Frank Tiberi, George Garzone and Shannon LeClaire, performance with Dave Santoro, Ed Tomassi, and Hal Crook, and conducting with Valerie Taylor. She has received two awards from Berklee, the "Toshiko Akiyoshi Award" and the "Woodwind Department Achievement Award" in recognition of outstanding performance and composition abilities. She appeared in some Jazz Festivals including the JVC Jazz Festival.

After graduated from Berklee, she moved to New York City, she played many gigs, offered compositions/arrangements for various styles of bands, instructed from teenagers to elderly people in both New York and the Boston area. Now she is very active as a performer and composer in Tokyo, leading her own orchestra and small group.

Momentary

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Richard Williams & Leo Wright Quintets - New Horn In Town + Blues Shout

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:07
Size: 142.2 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[6:16] 1. I Can Dream Can't I
[6:25] 2. I Remember Clifford
[4:58] 3. Ferris Wheel
[4:45] 4. Roucous Notes
[4:37] 5. Blues In Quandary
[8:43] 6. Over The Rainbow
[5:27] 7. Renita's Bounce
[5:00] 8. Blues Shout
[5:22] 9. A Night In Tunisia
[4:40] 10. The Wind
[5:51] 11. Two Moods

Tracks #1-7 are from the album “New Horn in Town” (Candid Stereo 9003). Recorded at Nola Penthouse Sound Studio, New York City, on November 19, 1960: Richard Williams, trumpet; Leo Wright, alto sax, flute, Richard Wyands, piano; Reggie Workman, bass; Bobby Thomas, drums.

Tracks #8-11 are taken from the album “Blues Shout” (Atlantic SD1358). Recorded in New York City, on May 25, 1960. Richard Williams, trumpet; Leo Wright, alto sax, Junior Mance, piano; Art Davis, bass; and Charlie Persip, drums. Gigi Gryce, arranger.

This CD features the leader recording premieres of trumpeter Richard Williams and reedman Leo Wright, whose emergence created quite a stir on the late Fifties jazz scene. Both played on each other’s debuts. Williams, whose power, range and ideas had impressed hugely with the Oliver Nelson and Gigi Gryce groups, made his expected appearance as leader with “New Horn in Town”, while Wright, whose direct, exciting alto and flute were showcased when he joined Dizzy Gillespie’s quintet in 1959, debuted with “Blues Shout”. Both were made in 1960 and fulfilled expectations of two rising young talents.

In these quintet sessions Williams displays his capacity for explosive and inventive playing, with the scope, sweep, conception, technique and the versatility of an assured young lion. Wright’s excellence is also self-evident, regardless of instrument; his style is straight-ahead, warm and emotional, uncluttered and flowing. To complete the success of these debut sessions, both rhythm sections provide vigorous, swinging support, with pianists Richard Wyands and Junior Mance adding further solo voices idiomatically on the button.

New Horn In Town + Blues Shout

Pat Martino - All Sides Now

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:49
Size: 118.6 MB
Styles: Post bop, Guitar jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[5:02] 1. Too High
[5:52] 2. Two Of A Kind
[5:34] 3. Progression
[4:42] 4. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
[3:09] 5. Ellipsis
[3:53] 6. Both Sides Now
[7:46] 7. Ayako
[5:14] 8. Two Days Old
[7:40] 9. Outrider
[2:52] 10. Never And After

The Blue Note Records debut by guitarist extraordinaire Pat Martino is spotty at best. It is primarily a series of duets and ensemble settings with a wide array of top notch guitarists spanning different genres. This recording was co-produced by jazz/fusion critic Bill Milkowski along with Matt Resnicoff. The feeling here is that Mr. Martino had been granted a minimal amount of artistic control from the onset. What we have here is something short of a hack job!

The CD commences with the Stevie Wonder tune "Too High". Charlie Hunter provides his trademark bass/leslie guitar shtick and Martino takes care of the single note runs; therefore, dictating the melody line. All in all a harmless and uneventful rendition of this generally delightful Wonder composition. The 2nd cut, a Martino original features the master along with Tuck Andress, Andress provides some sympathetic acoustic strumming behind Martino's airy electric lead. A nice tune but altogether uninspiring. The affair procedes with a Martino original called "Progression" in essence it's a duet between Kevin Eubanks on acoustic and Martino again, on the electric. Eubanks is mixed behind Martino's over the top electric. A fairly nondescript outing with Eubanks mainly comping in the background. These two guitar greats take on the chemistry of oil and water on this cut. The styles are so distinctly opposite and the listener feels that these two are off in different directions. A forgettable tune nonetheless. "I'm Confessin'" is an effective and low key effort between Pat and Les Paul. One tune with acoustic guitarist Micheal Hedges is pleasant but Hedges remains fairly low in the mix. "Ellipsis" is a totally negligible duet between Martino and rock guitar great Joe Satriani. Satriani is in the wrong neighborhood and the song never gets off the ground. These guys sounded as though they didn't want to be there but perhaps the producer's thought it was a novel approach? Satriani opens with some heavy metal type distortion than Martino enters with his his "as expected" single note runs at this juncture Satriani reduces his playing to remedial comping in the background. This is a disaster! A huge mistake. Satriani is a gifted stylist in his own right but had no business being here. Perhaps 2 or 3 days in the studio may have produced something more meaningful but I seriously doubt it. Things proceed with Martino backing Cassandra Wilson's vocal rendition of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now". Two more cuts in a quartet setting with "chops of doom" guitarist Mike Stern. "Ayako" is a Martino original and along with Stern there finally seems to be a hint of chemistry in the air. The best cut on the CD, "Outrider" again features Stern along with drummer Ben Perowsky and Scott Colley on bass. This is a fast paced cut. Martino and Stern proceed at a blistering pace. Things finally get moving and we've reached the second to last tune on the entire CD. The final cut is another abysmal duet with Satriani.

Let's hope that Pat Martino enjoys a longstanding and prosperous relationship with Blue Note. He's one of the great guitarists of our time. Unfortunately, he's not off to a good start with this poorly produced and unadventurous recording. Martino doesn't blend very well with an onslaught of guitar heroes. His voice is too distinctive on the instrument. ~Glenn Astarita

Pat Martino: guitar; Tuck Andress: guitar; Les Paul: guitar; Joe Satriani: guitar; Mike Stern: guitar; Charlie Hunter: guitar; Cassandra Wilson: vocal; and various support. Recording Date: June 1, 1996 - January 15, 1997

All Sides Now

Merle Haggard - Unforgettable

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:41
Size: 93.2 MB
Styles: Country
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. As Time Goes By
[3:30] 2. Gypsy
[3:02] 3. Unforgettable
[3:59] 4. Stardust
[3:18] 5. I Can't Get Started
[2:45] 6. Still Missing You
[3:21] 7. Pennies From Heaven
[3:58] 8. Cry Me A River
[3:05] 9. I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You)
[2:37] 10. You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You
[3:30] 11. What Love Can Do
[4:23] 12. Goin' Away Party

Merle Haggard is, as the great Duke Ellington used to say, "beyond category." Like the best, he is a genre-defying artist. There is a strong influence of both jazz and blues in Haggard's work, though it's usually labeled as country and western. For example, he phrases like a jazz singer and he features horns in his exceptional band, The Strangers—and, unlike almost all other country singers, he actually gives the band a chorus. Perhaps most importantly, he and the band swing. Like full-fledged jazz singers, Haggard phrases with the assurance of a singer who knows where the pulse is all the time.

Only now, however, as he approaches 68, has he decided to record a full set of standards from the Great American Songbook. Whereas jazz singers often search these old songs for a phrase or a melody they can elaborate and transform, Haggard lets the song do all the work; all he has to do is use his expressive voice to bring out the bruised tenderness present in most old songs, including "Stardust." In addition, he includes "As Time Goes By," and "I Can't Get Started," which are often selected by jazz-oriented singers. Haggard also swings gently through "Pennies From Heaven" (graced by Clint Strong's superb country-jazz guitar) and he brings new life to "Cry Me A River," exhibiting a world-weariness light years from Julie London's sultry original version. Haggard is not, of course, the first country artist to make this leap into standards. Willie Nelson, another C&W artist (and jazz fan), noted for his jazz phrasing, came out with his classic Stardust LP back in 1978; more recently, in 1998, country artist Lorrie Morgan, with her husky jazz timbre, released a CD titled Secret Love.

Unforgettable contains no surprises. Haggard is not stretching any envelopes, but this recording is filled with low-key piano-driven arrangements suited for a late-night smoky bar. Haggard's smooth and effortless voice, uncomplicated phrasing, and warm timbre give the lyrics a clear-headed beauty that is the hallmark of a performer with few pretensions. There are more technically gifted singers than Haggard, of course, but he does something that a lot of those technical singers cannot do, which is convey a helluva lot of truth and emotion. The key to anything touched by Haggard is honesty—whether he's explaining his sinful past in one of his own drinking and cheating songs, or breathing life into an old standard like "I'll Get By." ~Roger Crane

Joe Manuel: electric and acoustic guitar; Freddy Powers: drums, acoustic guitar; Kevin Price: cello; Joe Reed: bass; Clint Strong: electric guitar; Catherine Styron: piano; Redd Volkaert, acoustic guitar; Tony Savage: conductor, string arrangements; Terry Domingue, drums; Rose Katai, violin; Soo Kyong Kim, viola; Don Markum: saxophone, trumpet; Bruce McBeth, violin; B.B. Morse, bass; Bobby Wood, piano; Biff Adam, drums; Gary Church: trombone; Merle Haggard: electric guitar and vocals; other personnel.

Unforgettable

Hollywood Blue Flames - Road to Rio (2-Disc Set)

The Hollywood Blue Flames emerged from the smoldering embers of The Hollywood Fats Band, arguably the best young blues band to come out of the 1970s, led by guitar phenomenon Michael “Hollywood Fats” Mann. Along with bassist Larry Taylor (fresh from Canned Heat), drummer Richard Innes (ex-Rod Piazza), Lloyd Glenn protégé Fred Kaplan on piano, and featuring the multi-talented Al Blake on harmonica and vocals, Hollywood Fats almost single-handedly ignited a traditional blues revival that still echoes loudly to this day. Whenever you hear the warm retro sounds of classic Chicago blues coupled with a swinging rhythm section and tasty-but-nasty guitar, you’re hearing the legacy of the Hollywood Fats Band. Sadly, Fats passed away unexpectedly in 1986, and the band members all went on to other successful musical ventures.

The Hollywood Blue Flames / Hollywood Fats Band music contained on “Road To Rio” and “Larger Than Life” stands on its own as some of the most enjoyable blues and roots music to be released in recent memory, but with the inclusion of the previously unheard live recordings, it’s also an important and historic document of musical geniuses whose likes we will not see again.

Album: Road to Rio Disc 1
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:36
Size: 125.2 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2006

[3:45] 1. Road to Rio
[2:44] 2. Everybondy's Blues
[3:12] 3. Coffee Grindin' Man
[4:02] 4. Steady Rollin'
[3:53] 5. Long Black Cadillac
[3:04] 6. Gumbo Grinder
[2:52] 7. Gone Away
[4:19] 8. 3rd Degree Burn
[4:37] 9. Let's Rock a While
[2:38] 10. Dr. Blake's Boogie
[3:41] 11. Black Chili Pepper
[3:19] 12. Sharpest Man in Town
[2:24] 13. Junior's Boogie Rocket
[6:16] 14. Let Me Love You
[3:43] 15. Honeydripper

thank you kempen.
Road to Rio Disc 1

Album: Road to Rio Disc 2
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:55
Size: 142.0 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2006
Art: Full

[3:56] 1. Fats Fries One
[5:00] 2. Nasty Boogie Woogie
[4:43] 3. Baby Let's Play House
[4:06] 4. Side Tracked
[3:59] 5. Kidney Stew Blues
[5:19] 6. Cleanhead Blue
[6:45] 7. Shake, Rattle and Roll
[3:41] 8. Rockinitis
[3:37] 9. This Little Voice
[8:15] 10. Love for Sale
[6:52] 11. Boogie Woogie Blues
[5:36] 12. Motel Time

thank you kempen.
Road to Rio Disc 2

Cheryl Russell - Quiet Nights

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:45
Size: 111,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:11) 1. Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars)
(4:30) 2. All The Things You Are
(2:57) 3. Misty
(4:44) 4. Gentle Rain
(3:50) 5. East Of The Sun (West Of The Moon)
(3:14) 6. Blue Moon
(3:33) 7. How Insensitive (Insensatez)
(5:44) 8. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
(6:13) 9. Let's Face The Music and Dance
(4:32) 10. Moon River
(5:12) 11. I Thought About You (Live)

Cheryl Russell is a graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music at Griffith University, where she completed post-graduate Music Studies specialising in Vocal Pedagogy and Jazz Voice. She is a highly respected Singing Teacher and Vocal Coach working on the Gold Coast. Cheryl is also the proud owner of Gold Coast Sound City Music Education, a highly successful music school on the Gold Coast. http://www.reverbnation.com/cherylrussell

Cheryl Russell is a Singer and Vocal Coach from Australia whose rich warm voice delights audiences through her love of smooth, romantic jazz standards, sensual latin and bossa nova love songs and uplifting inspirational repertoire. Cheryl's voice has often been described as “smooth as silk”, “sultry & sexy”, “relaxing & intimate”. Cheryl is a graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music based at Griffith University, Brisbane. Cheryl completed post-graduate Music Studies specialising in Vocal Pedagogy and Jazz Voice. For nearly ten years Cheryl has been teaching Popular Contemporary Singing from two busy studios on the Gold Coast and Hinterland.

Cheryl is presently advancing further professional music studies at Central Queensland University. Cheryl is currently in the studio recording her debut album. This long anticipated album expresses Cheryl's love of romantic ballads from the 1930's & 40's along with some seductive Latin love songs. This blend of romance and sensuality creates a wonderfully intimate and dreamy listening experience. Perfect for lovers, and lovers of fine music.

Quiet Nights

Susanne Menzel & Klaus Ignatzek - Mariposa

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:02
Size: 140,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:02) 1. Things to Dig
(5:23) 2. Mariposa
(4:18) 3. Fort, Nur Fort
(5:37) 4. Between Lines
(3:59) 5. Rain in Vain
(3:55) 6. Time Will Tell
(4:39) 7. Whats the Use
(4:39) 8. Wishing (You) Well
(5:38) 9. View from Above
(4:37) 10. Sound of the Sea
(5:16) 11. Silent Reverie
(3:26) 12. Change of Time
(4:27) 13. Lifes Clover

Daring improvisation and a variety of moods and rhythms can listen as well as and the seamless interplay between the singer and pianist. "Mariposa" which are 13 beautiful songs where the music always comes from Klaus Ignatzek and lyrics of singer Menzel were written. Sometimes trendy and catchy, sometimes profound and poetic, these pieces are created, which always sounds through the Great American Songbook. There is no question here a duo presented a work that is full of emotion and the audience touched intensive.

Klaus Ignatzek is a virtuoso pianist and experienced the European jazz scene and can refer to a variety of phonograms. His imaginative improvisations can be heard on "Mariposa". Susanne Menzel studied among others in the US jazz singing and performed in numerous bands as guest soloist with. Just as Ignatzek she teaches at the Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg. On "Mariposa" she amazes with aesthetic phrasing and her delicate timing. "Mariposa" was recorded in the MPS studio in Villingen. Translate by google http://www.klausignatzek.de/klaus-ignatzek/mit-susanne-menzel/

Personnel: Susanne Menzel – vocals; Klaus Ignatzek - piano

Mariposa

Tim Warfield - Spherical

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:06
Size: 149,6 MB
Art: Front

( 8:59) 1. Blue Hawk
( 7:46) 2. Oska T
( 6:49) 3. That Old Man
( 5:48) 4. Gallop's Gallop
( 9:24) 5. Off Minor I
( 5:09) 6. Ugly Beauty
( 5:58) 7. Coming on the Hudson
(11:21) 8. Off Minor II
( 3:47) 9. 'Round Midnight

Thelonious Monk tribute albums are certainly nothing new in the jazz world. As early as 1961, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin recorded Lookin' at Monk and pianist Bud Powell recorded Portrait of Thelonious. Even while his career was still going strong, Monk's importance as a composer and influence on other jazz musicians was already clear. Today Monk's legendary status as one of jazz's most important figures is still clear. As far as I know, there is no hard data to back up the fact, but few jazz artists would argue with the claim that Monk is probably the most-covered jazz composer of all time. On this most recent outing, Spherical, saxophonist Tim Warfield tackles music written and inspired by Monk. With seven previous releases on the Criss Cross label and multiple appearances as a sideman, Warfield returns to the label with a cast of familiar names for his dedication to Thelonious Sphere Monk. Joining Warfield on this album is trumpet legend Eddie Henderson, making his first re-appearance on the label since 1998.

Ben Wolfe and Clarence Penn take the bass and drums chairs, respectively. The choice of pianist is obviously an important one on any work dedicated to Monk, and Warfield could not have filled the position with a better choice than Orrin Evans. Without ever sounding like he is trying to directly emulate Monk, Evans channels the spirit and humor of his idiosyncratic playing. The album opens with Monk's slow swing blues "Bluehawk." Evans begins the soloing with a succinct but characteristic solo that centers around intervallic leaps and disjointed, crooked melodies. Warfield follows for an equally entertaining solo, creating an interesting sound between his full-bodied, Coltrane-esque tenor sound and his Monk-like stabs of melodic abstraction. Penn holds the band together, keeping constantly on top of Wolfe's rock-steady walking line while also keeping up a constant dialogue with the soloists. The second track, "Oska T" is also a standout with the band hammering out Monk's simple, but memorable melody. Here Henderson takes the first solo and shines brilliantly with plenty of playful interplay with Evans. The band presents two takes of Monk's classic "Off Minor" which move freely in very different directions after the forceful statement of the melody. The second take morphs into a feel that almost seems to channel the classic Coltrane quartet during Warfield's intense solo.

Warfield switches over to soprano for a delicate re-working of "Ugly Beauty" in which the band shows off its restraint and lyricism. Also on the delicate side of things, is the album closer, a faithful reading of "Round Midnight" that lets Warfield take the spotlight with his soulful, meaty tone and intimate vibrato. Though the idea is nothing new, the approach and treatment of this Monk tribute album is exceptional. Warfield and co. make the classic tunes their own and draw inspiration and attitude from the mentality of Monk. They approach the music with a sense of adventure and playfulness that draws the listener in and holds his attention. Fans of Monk won't be disappointed, nor will fans of any of the members of this band. ~ Andrew Luhn http://www.allaboutjazz.com/spherical-dedicated-to-thelonious-sphere-monk-tim-warfield-criss-cross-review-by-andrew-luhn.php

Personnel: Tim Warfield: Tenor sax, Soprano sax; Eddie Henderson: Trumpet; Orrin Evans: Piano; Ben Wolfe: Bass; Clarence Penn: Drums

Spherical

Whit Williams' Big Band - 'Now's The Time' Big Band

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:54
Size: 135,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:00) 1. This Is What It Is
(5:25) 2. Una Mas
(6:06) 3. I Remember Tangle
(7:49) 4. Losing Game
(6:46) 5. Without You, No Me
(4:24) 6. The Radiator Man Is Well
(6:20) 7. A Day In Copenhagen
(4:29) 8. Diana
(5:12) 9. Get Home Before Dark
(7:18) 10. Little Rootie Tootie

Here's more proof of the vitality of the regional jazz scene around this country. Veteran saxophonist and jazz educator Whit Williams began this big band in Baltimore in 1981 and over the years it has accompanied Aretha Franklin and played Ellington's "Night Creature" with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Here guests Jimmy Heath (tenor sax) and Slide Hampton (trombone) also contribute four and three (respectively) of the ten charts on the CD. Tenor saxophonist Gary Thomas and alto saxophonist Charlie Young are also credited as guest soloists.

A rundown of solos by track would have been nice, but since the featured tenor sax on Heath's "Losing Game" doesn't sound like the composer or Thomas, we can assume it's Williams. The tune a kissing cousin of Harry Warren's "This Is Always" is a model of the classic big band ballad frame/showcase for a tenor saxophonist. Unless Young also plays baritone sax, the solo on Heath's Latin swinger, "This Is What It Is," credited to him in the notes, is probably also by Williams, since it shares the robust vibrato of the "Losing Game" tenor lead. Matching the quality of the guests' solos are those from the band, especially the trumpets, both the uncredited one on Williams' "I Remember Tangle" and Don Junker's on Hampton's cubistic chart of Monk's "Little Rootie Tootie."

Three of Heath's four arrangements (and one of Hampton's) have AfroLatin accents, including time shifts in and out of 4/4 swing on "Without You, No Me," all executed admirably by the big band. It sounds equally accomplished negotiating Hampton's complexities, which include bouncing ball theme tosses across sections, rhythm dropouts and extended preludes and interludes. As the Michelin Guide might say of a restaurant, worthy of a side trip to hear. ~ George Kanzler http://www.allaboutjazz.com/featuring-slide-hampton-and-jimmy-heath-whit-williams-summit-records-review-by-george-kanzler.php

Personnel: Whit Williams: leader, composer, arranger, reeds; Don Junker, Joe Palonzo, Michael Thomas, Eli Asher: trumpet; Jimmy Battallata, Jimmy Kearns, Russel Kirk: alto sax; Howard Burns: tenor sax; Gary Thomas: tenor sax, flute; Steve Swann: baritone sax; Jay Gibble, Richard Ore, Bill Holmes: trombone; Bernie Robier: bass trombone; Charlie Etsel: piano; Earnest Barnes: bass; Harold Summey: drums. Special guests: Slide Hampton: trombone; Jimmy Heath: tenor sax; Charlie Young: alto sax.

'Now's The Time' Big Band