George Shearing, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Louis Stewart - The MPS Trio Sessions (4-Disc Set)

George Shearing: George Shearing (piano); Louis Stewart (guitar); Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (bass instrument). Recording information: MPS-Studio, Villingen, Germany (06/??/1977-11/06/1980); Music Center Sound Studio, Wembley, England (06/??/1977-11/06/1980).

For those fortunate enough to hear and own the immaculately produced Germany/Black Forest based MPS recordings, distributed as imported pristine virgin vinyl LPs that were pressed in the '70s, you already know the quality of this four-CD set of George Shearing's trio. With the peerless Dane Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen and Ireland's genius guitarist Louis Stewart, they can hardly do anything wrong musically. The first three CDs have Shearing playing standards, occasionally contemporizing his repertoire on Chick Corea's "Windows" and "500 Miles High," doing NHOP's "Cowboy Santa" and "My Little Anna," and offering two of his own originals, "The Fourth Deuce" and "G & G." The final CD has the threesome accompanied by strings, arranged and conducted by the brilliant Robert Farnon, and while a bit syrupy, lend pleasant late-night contrast at the end of a long day to the proceedings. This is a welcome addition to Shearing's collections discography, and a reminder of how good, in a short time period, MPS and producer Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer were. ~ Michael G. Nastos

Album: The MPS Trio Sessions (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:48
Size: 136.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[2:49] 1. Tricotism
[4:20] 2. Windows
[5:18] 3. No Moon At All
[2:45] 4. Some Other Spring
[4:08] 5. Wait Till You See Her
[3:33] 6. Tune Up
[5:18] 7. The Party's Over
[3:39] 8. The Lamp Is Low
[5:28] 9. Lazy Afternoon
[4:49] 10. Cowboy Samba
[2:48] 11. Cheryl
[4:46] 12. Miles High
[5:28] 13. I Wished On The Moon
[4:31] 14. Old Folks

The MPS Trio Sessions (Disc 1)

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Album: The MPS Trio Sessions (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:56
Size: 128.1 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014

[5:12] 1. Jordu
[7:32] 2. P.S. I Love You
[3:53] 3. Everything Happens to Me
[5:39] 4. Here's That Rainy Day
[3:02] 5. Invitation
[6:10] 6. In Your Own Sweet Way
[6:13] 7. Alice in Wonderland
[7:02] 8. All This and Heaven Too
[5:14] 9. No Greater Love
[5:55] 10. Con Alma

The MPS Trio Sessions (Disc 2)

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Album: The MPS Trio Sessions (Disc 3)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:52
Size: 125.6 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014

[5:31] 1. The Fourth Deuce
[4:35] 2. The Wine of May
[6:16] 3. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[5:11] 4. Consternation
[7:05] 5. sweet and lovely
[3:46] 6. My Little Anna
[3:58] 7. Sweet Lorraine
[2:56] 8. Louis Ann
[5:49] 9. G & G
[3:17] 10. Poinciana
[6:24] 11. This Can't Be Love

The MPS Trio Sessions (Disc 3)

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Album: The MPS Trio Sessiions (Disc 4)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:17
Size: 101.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:59] 1. Fjarlins Vingor
[4:51] 2. Last Night When We Were Young
[3:47] 3. Amaryllis
[5:08] 4. Strange Enchantment
[4:11] 5. Look at That Face
[5:14] 6. Portrait of Jennie
[5:29] 7. Song Bird
[5:41] 8. This Is All I Ask
[4:55] 9. A Nightingale Sang in Berklee Square

The MPS Trio Sessiions (Disc 4)

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Allan Holdsworth - None Too Soon

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:46
Size: 116.2 MB
Styles: Fusion
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. Countdown
[5:38] 2. Nuages
[5:27] 3. How Deep Is The Ocean
[5:40] 4. Isotope
[7:42] 5. None Too Soon, Pts. 1 & 2
[5:53] 6. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
[7:40] 7. Very Early
[3:21] 8. San Marcos
[6:14] 9. Inner Urge

For his ninth album, guitar wizard Allan Holdsworth takes on jazz classics by saxophonists John Coltrane and Joe Henderson, pianist Bill Evans and more, plus pop classics just as famous for their jazz interpretations, in a set put together by Holdsworth's longtime musical associate and pianist, Gordon Beck. "Gordon chose most of the tunes, which I hadn't grown up playing and so wasn't that familiar with," Holdsworth recalls. "When he taught me one, it would be just like I was learning a piece of original music."

Holdsworth pops the top off of None Too Soon (recorded in 1996 but remastered to take advantage of 2012's digital technology) with a frantic electric guitar introduction to Coltrane's "Countdown" that screams out "Mahavishnu Orchestra"! After he settles into a more measured approach, the sound of Holdsworth's synthesizer-guitar flows between jazz-rock, jazz and progressive rock in a single voice, like different aspects of the same musical continuum. Holdsworth and Beck modernize Django Reinhardt's emotive classic "Nuages" with harmonized synth-axe and keyboards which shift and rock upon subtle pulses from the rhythm section of bassist Gary Willis bass and drummer Kirk Covington, cohorts in the jazz-rock fusion institution Tribal Tech. "How Deep Is the Ocean" sounds nothing like the Irving Berlin ballad: Beck uses it as a framework for him and Holdsworth to rock out and jam while bass and drums toss its powerful rhythms back and forth like waves rocking the ocean. Beck's original title suite ("None Too Soon Part One / Interlude / None Too Soon Part Two") is well-considered and articulate in design and execution.

"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" paints an impressionistic watercolor of The Beatles' brooding, timeless classic in soft but bright guitar chords that more than once suggest Pat Metheny in sound and structure; after Beck brilliantly plays the acoustic piano role of Lyle Mays, Holdsworth's electric guitar roars back in and shreds this "Wood" to splinters. Holdsworth's meandering but profoundly emotional sound that opens "Very Early," written by Bill Evans, also suggests Metheny in a ruminative mood, while Beck spreads out a bright, dynamic acoustic piano solo like a blanket through the rest of the tune. Holdsworth takes a bop-oriented approach to Joe Henderson's "Isotope," twisting and elongating melodic phrases like a sharp John Scofield, and, after another sparkling Beck solo, returns for a closing solo that explodes with the bright yet brittle metallic edge of harder rock guitar.

Allan Holdsworth: guitar and synthaxe; Gordon Beck: digital piano, keyboards; Gary Willis: bass guitar; Kirk Covington: drums.

None Too Soon

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John Mcdermot - Stories Of Love

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:48
Size: 107,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:04)  1. Dindi
(4:35)  2. I Concentrate On You
(3:14)  3. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
(3:15)  4. Quiet Nights (Of Quiet Stars)
(3:37)  5. Put Your Dreams Away (For Another Day)
(2:59)  6. If You Never Come To Me
(4:10)  7. Meditation
(4:42)  8. This Is All I Ask
(3:28)  9. How Insensitive (Insensatez)
(3:09) 10. Girl from Ipanema
(4:03) 11. Change Partners
(4:26) 12. Once I Loved

Celtic balladeer John McDermott was born in Scotland, but following his family's relocation to Canada in the mid-'60s, he went on to hone his crystalline tenor at Toronto's St. Michael's Choir School. After graduating he accepted the position of circulation manager with a Toronto newspaper; discovered while singing at a private party, McDermott was befriended by publishing magnate Conrad Black, who funded the sessions that led to the release of the singer's smash 1992 debut, Danny Boy, a record originally intended as a gift for his parents' golden wedding anniversary. Old Friends followed in 1994, and a year later McDermott issued Christmas Memories; with 1996's Love Is a Voyage, he even earned a Canadian Juno Award nomination as Male Vocalist of the Year. 

When I Grow Too Old to Dream appeared in 1997, and a year later he resurfaced with If Ye Break Faith,We Shall Not Sleep (retitled Remembrance for American consumption). Between 1998 and 2006 he released Old Friends, Time to Remember, Celtic Tenor, and Love Is a Voyage, as well as a collection of some of his most beloved material called Timeless Memories: Greatest Hits. He reunited with Irish Tenors Finbar Wright and Anthony Kearns during this period, recording a new album with the Tenors (2005's Deus Meus) and embarking on a U.S. tour in 2004. In 2007, McDermott found himself with three new albums and an EP under his belt: O Canada, When I Grow Too Old to Dream, On a Whim: Songs of Ron Sexsmith, and Daughter of Mine. ~ Bio  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/john-mcdermott/id15982836

Stories Of Love

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Sonny Stitt - Endgame Brilliance: Tune-Up! & Constellation

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:01
Size: 178,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:00)  1. Constellation
(4:47)  2. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
(3:31)  3. Webb City
(6:39)  4. By Accident
(3:55)  5. Ray's Idea
(5:02)  6. Casbah
(5:13)  7. It's Magic
(5:35)  8. Topsy
(4:55)  9. Tune Up
(5:35) 10. I Can't Get Started
(4:31) 11. Idaho
(4:29) 12. Just Friends
(4:33) 13. Blues For Prez And Bird
(4:26) 14. Groovin' High
(9:42) 15. I Got Rhythm

Although the "endgame" part of this CD's title is not quite accurate (the sets from 1972 were made a decade before Sonny Stitt's passing), the "brilliance" definitely fits. Two of the prolific saxophonist's most exciting sessions ever were his Muse albums, Constellation and Tune-Up. This essential single CD reissues the complete contents of both dates. Strangely enough, Constellation is listed in this set as having been recorded June 27, 1971 (it is actually from 1972), and thus cut earlier, so it takes up the first (rather than the second) half of this CD. On both dates, Stitt (doubling on tenor and alto) is joined by the superb bop pianist Barry Harris and bassist Sam Jones with either Roy Brooks or Alan Dawson on drums. Stitt, who recorded many quartet sets through the years, was very inspired on both of these occasions. His renditions of "Constellation," "Webb City," "Just Friends," and "Groovin' High" in particular are quite memorable. 

The high point is a nine-and-a-half-minute version of "I Got Rhythm" that features the classic saxophonist first taking a long solo on tenor and then following it up with an equally stunning flight on alto. A master of the bebop vocabulary, the competitive Sonny Stitt would have deserved fame if he had only recorded these two sessions and not bothered with the other 150 albums he led. This CD is essential for all bebop collections. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/endgame-brilliance-constellation-tune-up-mw0000020869

Personnel: Sonny Stitt (alto & tenor saxophone); Barry Harris (piano); Sam Jones (bass); Roy Brooks, Alan Dawson (drums).

Endgame Brilliance: Tune-Up! & Constellation

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Carol Saboya, Antonio Adolfo, Hendrik Meurkens - Copa Village

Styles: Brazilian Jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:26
Size: 116,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:55)  1. The Girl From Ipanema
(4:22)  2. Copa Village
(4:07)  3. Show de Bola
(5:03)  4. O Bôto
(4:09)  5. Como Se Fosse
(4:34)  6. Água de Beber
(5:02)  7. Pois É
(3:26)  8. Pretty World
(4:54)  9. Two Kites
(4:17) 10. Nosso Mundo
(5:33) 11. Visão

Back in 1969, pianist Antonio Adolfo was working with vocalist Elis Regina. While touring through Sweden, Regina and her band had the opportunity to connect with Toots Thielemans, leading to the recording of Elis & Toots (Philips, 1969). Now, more than forty-five years later, Adolfo finds himself in a similar situation, working alongside another sunny Brazilian singer and European harmonica player—vocalist Carol Saboya, who happens to be his daughter, and vibraphonist/harmonica player Hendrik Meurkens. Copa Village finds these three delivering a program of cheery originals and Antonio Carlos Jobim numbers. The album ostensibly draws a parallel between Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana sector and New York's Greenwich Village in the '50s and '60s; the music, however, does not. The cast may include New York-based Brazilians, and Copa Village may have been recorded in The Big Apple, but these sun-dappled songs don't speak to the intense and gritty attitude of that city. This beautiful music flows in the Brazilian breeze, inducing smiles and soothing ears as it flies along.

The album opens with "The Girl From Ipanema/Garota De Ipanema," giving Saboya a chance to work through both the English and Portuguese lyrics connected to this oft-covered song. From there, it's off to the chipper, choro-ish title track, Meurkens' "Show De Bola," and Jobim's lesser-known "O Boto." Each one is different and distinct, yet all are winsome in nature. There are reflective moments to be found further down the line, as everybody slowly glides along on "Pois é" and gently coasts through "Visão," but gaiety and effervescence often win out on this outing. Saboya, Adolfo, and Meurkens prove to be a well-matched set of charmers, delivering seductive and stylish songs in seemingly effortless fashion. ~ Dan Bilawsky  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/copa-village-carol-saboya-aam-music-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Carol Saboya: vocals; Hendrik Meurkens: harmonica, vibraphone; Antonio Adolfo: piano; Claudio Spiewak: acoustic guitars, electric guitars; Itaiguara Brandao: bass; Adriano Santos: drums; Andre Siquera: percussion.

Copa Village

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José James - Yesterday I Had The Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:57
Size: 112,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:48)  1. Good Morning Heartache
(5:55)  2. Body And Soul
(5:09)  3. Fine And Mellow
(5:23)  4. I Thought About You
(5:36)  5. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
(3:22)  6. Tenderly
(6:39)  7. Lover Man
(6:12)  8. God Bless The Child
(4:48)  9. Strange Fruit

José James has a reputation as a 21st century musical renaissance man. He's issued a remarkably consistent series of records that blur the lines between soul, funk, dance music, jazz, and rock. In addition, in 2010, he released For All We Know, a fine collection of jazz standards in duet with Belgian pianist Jef Neve. It is from this place that James releases Yesterday I Had the Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday. In his liner essay he cites Holiday as the artist who made him aspire to be a jazz singer. Accompanied by pianist Jason Moran, drummer Eric Harland, and bassist John Patitucci, James delivers a program of beauty and restraint for the centennial of her birth. James, who has the ability to accomplish startling vocalese and scat techniques, brings none it. He offers these songs with nuance, subtlety, and grace, allowing his considerable discipline to inform his readings. He doesn't imitate Holiday because no one could, though many have tried but instead showcases how she opened herself to the songs themselves, and imbued them not only with sophistication but the cavernous honesty of emotional experience. 

"Good Morning Heartache" is elegantly paced and sparsely articulated. It emerges from the shadows just enough to reveal how deep these blues go and James responds to them with his own inimitable phrasing. In "Body and Soul," passion simmers with longing and disconsolate heartache as Moran layers his chords with gentle fills. They anchor James, keeping him from slipping beneath the weight of the emotional waves. In return, he allows the material to speak through him with slight skillful improvisational touches. In "What a Little Moonlight Can Do," this fine band flexes its muscles. Moran sprints through harmonically inventive runs atop Patitucci's frenetic comping as Harland adds elastic syncopation to bop. James doesn't enter until halfway through and glides through the lyric, creating contrast without limiting the swing. The slow, simmering "Lover Man" builds and dissipates tension several times in coming from the blues' deep well. On "God Bless the Child," the pianist opts for a Fender Rhodes. James uses this change to the song's advantage. He finds the seam in the lyric just as Holiday did and allows it to carry him inside the gorgeous melody, and everything gels.

"Strange Fruit" is a song covered and badly interpreted so many times it's nearly painful to hear any version but Holiday's. Until now. Accompanied only by trancelike handclaps and a chorale of (his own) hummed backing vocals in four-part gospel harmony, James imbues his haunted reading with moral authority and harrowing impact. James' phrasing is chilling. His accusation, like Holiday's before him, comes through the painful bewilderment of delivering the lyric, not overdramatization of it. On Yesterday I Had the Blues, James stays exceptionally close to the spirit of Holiday's work. 

He does so without embalming her music as a museum piece or smothering his own voice, thereby adding a real contribution to her legacy. This is his most intimate, powerful, and masterful date. ~ Thom Jurek  http://www.allmusic.com/album/yesterday-i-had-the-blues-the-music-of-billie-holiday-mw0002805344

Personnel: José James, vocals;  Jason Moran, piano, Fender Rhodes, piano; Eric Harland, drums.

Yesterday I Had The Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday

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Ray Brown - The Man: Complete Recordings 1946-1959 (2-Disc Set)

Ray Brown had not reached his 19th birthday when he arrived in New York in 1945 and made an immediate impact as a member of the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet. The following year he was part of the memorable Gillespie big band that included James Moody, John Lewis, and Kenny Clarke. More or less simultaneously, Brown and the late Oscar Pettiford became the first significant representatives of the bass in the bebop revolution’s first generation. The second stage of his career as a nationally known artist lasted from 1948 to 1951, when his own trio accompanied Ella Fitzgerald (then Mrs. Brown). The third, of course, began in 1951, when his alliance with Oscar Peterson turned out to be one of the happiest and most durable in modern jazz. This set contains all the recordings he did as a leader, from his early be-bop days in the Forties, to the late Fifties, when every jazz poll considered him the top bass player in the field.

Album: The Man: Complete Recordings 1946-1959 (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:53
Size: 134.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Mainstream jazz
Year: 2011

[2:56] 1. For Hecklers Only
[3:03] 2. Smokey Hollow Jump
[3:07] 3. Boppin' The Blues
[2:33] 4. Moody Speaks
[1:54] 5. Slow Down
[2:18] 6. Blue Lou
[3:34] 7. Song Of The Volga Boatmen
[4:51] 8. Little Toe
[3:59] 9. All Of You
[4:27] 10. Everything I Have Is Yours
[4:45] 11. Alone Together
[2:40] 12. After You've Gone
[3:42] 13. Will You Still Be Mine
[4:07] 14. My Foolish Heart
[0:19] 15. Bass Introduction
[4:41] 16. Blues For Sylvia
[2:59] 17. Blues For Lorraine
[0:21] 18. Bass Conclusion
[2:29] 19. Cat Without A Playmate

CD 1 Sources: Tracks #1-4 were originally issued on different Savoy 78 rpm discs: Savoy 976, MG 9012, MG 12110 & SJL 2225; Track #5 is a previously unreleased Clef recording; Tracks #6-7 from the 78 rpm Clef 8936; Tracks #8-11 & #13-19 from the 12" LP "Bass Hit!" (Verve MGV-8022); Track #12 not included on the previous album.

Personnel in CD 1: Tracks #1-4: Ray Brown Octet: Ray Brown (b), Izzie Goldberg (alias Dizzy Gillespie), Dave Burns (tp), John Brown (as), James Moody (ts), Milt Jackson (vib), Hank Jones (p) and Joe Harris (d). Recorded in New York, on September 25, 1946. Tracks #5-7: Ray Brown Trio: Ray Brown (b), Hank Jones (p) and Buddy Rich (d). Recorded in New York, April & July 1950. Tracks #8-12: Ray Brown Big Band: Ray Brown (b), Pete Candoli, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Ray Linn, Conrad Gozzo (tp), Herbie Harper (tb), Herb Geller, Jack Dulong (as), Bill Holman (ts), Jimmy Giuffre (cl, ts & bs), Jimmy Rowles (p), Herb Ellis (g) and Alvin Stoller (d). Marty Paich (arranger & conductor). Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California, on November 21, 1956. Tracks #13-18: Same personnel, but Conrad Gozzo (tp) and Mel Lewis (d), replaced Candoli and Stoller. Recorded at Radio Recorders, on November 3, 1956. Track #19: Ray Brown unaccompanied bass solo.
Recorded at Radio Recorders, on November 23, 1956.

The Man: Complete Recordings 1946-1959 (Disc 1)

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Album: The Man: Complete Recordings 1946-1959 (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:40
Size: 152.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Mainstream jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[12:06] 1. Body And Soul
[ 2:48] 2. Bass Ball
[ 5:30] 3. Bric-A-Brac
[ 6:37] 4. Upstairs Blues
[ 4:35] 5. (Back Home Again In) Indiana
[ 6:13] 6. The Nearness Of You
[ 8:03] 7. Take The A Train
[ 6:28] 8. Cool Walk
[ 8:58] 9. Jim
[ 5:18] 10. Mighty Cool Penthouse

CD 2 Sources: Track #1 originally issued on the 12" LP "Historic Jazz Concert At Music Inn" (Atlantic 1298); .Track #2 originally issued on the double 12" LP "The Playboy Jazz All Stars" (Playboy PB-1957): Tracks #3-9 from the 12" LP "This Is Ray Brown" (Verve MGV-8290): Track #10 originally issued on the 12" LP "The Playboy Jazz All Stars, Vol.3" (Playboy PB-1959).

Personnel in CD 2: Track #1: Ray Brown (b), Oscar Pettiford (cello), Herbie Mann (fl), Dick Katz (p) and Connie Kay (d). Recorded live at "Music Inn", Lenox, Massachussetts, on August 30, 1956. Track #2: Ray Brown Trio: Ray Brown (b), Herb Ellis (g) and Stan Levey (d). Recorded at Radio Recorders, on July 31, 1957; Tracks #3-9: Ray Brown Quintet: Ray Brown (b), Jerome Richardson (fl), Oscar Peterson (org, p on #5 & 7), Herb Ellis (g) and Osie Johnson (d). Recorded in New York, on February 27 & 28, 1958; Track #10: Ray Brown Trio: Ray Brown (b), Hank Jones (p) and Ed Thigpen (d). Recorded in New York, on July 10, 1959.

The Man: Complete Recordings 1946-1959 (Disc 2)

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Mike LeDonne Trio - Common Ground

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:00
Size: 132.8 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[6:02] 1. Jingles
[6:25] 2. Tonight I Shall Sleep (With A Smile On My Face)
[4:26] 3. Doujie
[5:16] 4. Sir Rah
[5:05] 5. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
[6:49] 6. Machado
[7:38] 7. The Rev
[8:23] 8. A Change Of Heart
[7:52] 9. Told You So

On this excellent piano trio date, Mike LeDonne explores four of his swinging originals (including "Sir Rah," named backwards for Barry Harris) plus songs by Wes Montgomery, Duke Ellington ("Tonight I Shall Sleep"), Don Redman, and Milt Jackson ("The Rev"). Pianist LeDonne works well with bassist Dennis Irwin and drummer Kenny Washington, and their interplay is one of the main reasons to acquire this fine hard bop outing. Their playing on "The Rev" is particularly soulful. Mike LeDonne, an unsung hero of the New York modern straight-ahead jazz scene, is always worth checking out. ~Scott Yanow

Common Ground

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Monica Borrfors - Second Time Around

Time: 49:56
Size: 114.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1990/2010
Art: Front

[2:23] 1. Happy Again
[4:59] 2. 'round Midnight
[3:43] 3. How Deep Is The Ocean
[5:19] 4. When Sunny Gets Blue
[4:56] 5. Flying Colors-Alone Together
[4:11] 6. Little Man You've Had A Busy Day
[6:55] 7. Old Folks
[3:23] 8. Star Spangled Rhythm/That Old Black Magic
[4:12] 9. Since Love
[5:00] 10. Twisted
[4:49] 11. High Time/Second Time Around

Double Bass – Per Nilsson; Drums – Magnus Öström; Piano – Gösta Nilsson; Tenor Saxophone – Stefan Isaksson; Vocals – Monica Borrfors.

In 1986 Monica Borrfors was chosen to do the Jazz in Sweden recording, and with that much acclaimed CD she received a Swedish Grammy Award. Second Time Around is her second CD with the Quintet, this time reinforced on some of the tracks with brass. Some of the arrangements are made by Bernt Rosengren. This CD was also nominated for The Swedish Grammy Award (Grammis).

Second Time Around

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The Bobby Hackett Quintet - A String Of Pearls

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:32
Size: 88.2 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz, Easy Listening
Year: 1965/2002
Art: Front

[2:45] 1. Perfidia
[2:36] 2. Adios
[3:09] 3. Blue Moon
[3:38] 4. Georgia On My Mind
[2:58] 5. Tuxedo Junction
[3:10] 6. Jersey Bounce
[3:39] 7. Poor Butterfly
[3:52] 8. Rhapsody In Blue
[3:05] 9. A String Of Pearls
[3:15] 10. Moonlight Serenade
[2:58] 11. Stompin' At The Savoy
[3:22] 12. In The Mood

Bobby Hackett was in Glenn Miller's band for a little over a year in 1941-1942, and he had a memorable solo on "A String of Pearls." This collection, recorded more than 20 years later, recalls Hackett's tenure with Miller, but in a noticeably different style. "And Other Great Songs Made Famous by the Glenn Miller Orchestra" is the subtitle, but the contents do not live up to that claim. "Blue Moon," "Georgia on My Mind," and "Rhapsody in Blue" were famous long before Miller ever organized a band, and "Jersey Bounce," "Poor Butterfly," and "Stompin' at the Savoy" were not hits for him, but for others. That's half the tracks that don't conform to the album's concept. Hackett is accompanied by what the liner notes call "Wall-to-Wall Strings and Brass," a large ensemble, in new arrangements by Miller alumnus George Williams. This is really an attempt to update Miller in a style more reminiscent of Lawrence Welk or Jackie Gleason. As he did with Gleason, Hackett gives the music some jazz credibility, playing distinctively when he gets in front of the microphone. But the result is still closer to easy listening music than swing. ~William Ruhlmann

A String Of Pearls

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Nashville Jazz - Jazz Instrumentals Of Country Classics

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:56
Size: 89.2 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz, Country-jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. Night Life
[2:35] 2. I'm So Lonesome
[2:07] 3. I Fall To Pieces
[2:15] 4. Heartbreak Hotel
[1:53] 5. Making Believe
[2:47] 6. Funny How Time Slips Away
[2:56] 7. Crazy
[2:31] 8. Today I Started Loving You Again
[2:34] 9. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
[2:44] 10. Last Date
[2:47] 11. Make The World Go Away
[2:29] 12. Sweet Dreams
[3:05] 13. I Can't Stop Loving You
[2:20] 14. Please Release Me
[2:49] 15. Welcome To My World

Jazz Instrumentals Of Country Classics

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Denis Solee - Blues In The Night

Styles: Traditional Jazz Combo
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:58
Size: 124,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:32)  1. Harlem Nocturne
(4:31)  2. Blues In The Night
(3:52)  3. Theme From The Pink Panther
(4:33)  4. Body Heat
(3:53)  5. Laura
(4:20)  6. Dreamsville
(4:32)  7. Theme From Perry Mason
(4:07)  8. Melancholy Serenade
(5:56)  9. 'Round Midnight
(3:51) 10. On Green Dolphin Street
(5:02) 11. Theme For Ernie
(4:43) 12. You Don't Know What Love Is

Sultry tenor sax and orchestra performing film noir classics and bluesy standards.

Personnel: Denis Solee (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Jack Jezzro (guitar); Mary Alice Hoepfinger (harp); Connie Ellisor, Karen Winkelmann, Pam Sixfin, Mary Kathryn Van Osdale, David Davidson , David Angell (violin); Elizabeth Lamb, Jim Grosjean, Monisa Angell (viola); John Catchings, Anthony LaMarchina (cello); Erik Gratton (flute); Lee Levine (clarinet); Ellen Menking (oboe); Beth Beeson, Jennifer Kummer (French horn); Lori Mechem, Beegie Adair (piano); Jeff Steinberg (keyboards); Chris Brown (drums); Eric Darken (percussion).

Blues In The Night

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Hot Club Sandwich - Green Room

Styles: Gypsy Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:23
Size: 111,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:52)  1. Stompin' at KAOS
(2:43)  2. Sweet Sue
(2:57)  3. Gaucho
(4:10)  4. Yogiri No Shinobiai
(2:50)  5. Renegade Cafe
(4:40)  6. Heavy Artillery
(2:50)  7. Old Joe's Hittin' the Jug
(4:33)  8. I'll Never Be the Same
(4:15)  9. Dedos Duros
(3:23) 10. Gotcha
(3:24) 11. Eight, Nine and Ten
(2:29) 12. Twilight in Turkey
(3:12) 13. Waltz Resistance
(2:59) 14. Green Room

The Seattle jazz string combo conjures the gypsy fire of Django Reinhardt and the mellifluous playing of his confrere, the violinist Stephane Grappelli, in a tribute to the music of the Hot Club De France. 

"Gaucho" is a carefree, European-style instrumental romp, and "Stompin' At KAOS" (presumably a reference to the Olympia radio station, not the GET SMART spoof spy organization) evinces a similar easy swing. http://www.allmusic.com/album/green-room-mw0000489111

Personnel: Kevin Connor (vocals, guitar); Rich Sikorski (vocals); Greg Ruby (guitar); Matt Sircely (mandolin); Chris Blacker (accordion)

Green Room

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Joey DeFrancesco - Estate

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:22
Size: 156,9 MB
Art: Front

(13:36)  1. Estate
( 8:59)  2. On a Clear Day
(11:04)  3. Fly Me to the Moon
( 9:43)  4. Voyage
( 6:32)  5. The Nearness Of You
(10:49)  6. Mauro's Blues
( 7:35)  7. I Could Write a Book

At seventeen jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco toured with Miles Davis (who showed DeFrancesco how to play trumpet). Since then this child prodigy and five year consecutive Downbeat Critics and Readers poll winner has changed the landscape of Jazz organ forever. He was the force behind the Hammond B-3 resurgence in the 80’s while embracing and recording with organ legends Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, and Jack McDuff. Grammy Nominated DeFrancesco is one of the finest and complex improvisers today and probably the youngest jazz great. His speed, timing, musicality, and feel, gives him the flexibility to play any style and move smoothly from a slow ballad to a burning swing. His influences are all the greats before him. On this album you’ll hear the influences of Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra and John Coltrane. Joey has it all, this album is a great representation of what he can do-he sings, he plays trumpet, flugel horn, and organ.

Sharing the spotlight is Italian pianist, Massimo Faraò. He tours internationally and has played with such greats as Benny Golson, Archie Shepp, Jimmy Cobb, Ray Brown, Ron Carter, Buster Williams, and Sheila Jordan. One Estate, Faraò delicately interplays with DeFrancesco to create complimentary lines, and beautiful spacing not to get in the others’ way. There is some fantastic counterpoint on the tune, “Fly me to the moon”. Organ and piano records are not so typical because not everyone can play with another chordal instrument-but these two have more the proven it can be tastefully executed with keyboards in an artful way.

The heartbeat is drummer, Byron “Wookie” Landham. Landham spends most of his time on the road and has been playing with DeFrancesco for twenty years. The two share the groove making the simultaneous musical hits and breaks sound as thought it’s coming from the same person. He plays with such sensitivity and intensity that he has been revered by other instrumentalist and singers, including Betty Carter, with whom he toured. Landham, long overlooked by the media, is a long time endorsee for Bosphorus Cymbols, Taye Drums, and Regal Tip (look for the “Byron “Wookie” Landham” signature stick). He has played all over the world at every major jazz festival. Out of his love for Philly, when he is home, if you’re lucky you’ll catch him running a jam session at Ortleibs Jazzhouse.

And lastly, Italian bassist, Aldo Zunino plays with groove, poise and intent. He started playing very young and as a teen played with Shirley Scott. He has toured with many groups, and has recorded with the likes Bobby Durham, Tony Scott, and Jimmy Cobb. He has performed in Europe with Art Farmer, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Lew Tabackim, Gary Bartz, Tommy Flanagan, George Cables, and Kenny Burrell. Estate is a great representation of all four of these amazing players and would be enjoyed by the jazz novice to the jazz enthusiast. Enjoy… http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/zuccarecords

Personnel: Joey DeFrancesco (vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn, organ); Massimo Faraò (piano); Aldo Zunino (bass instrument); Byron Landham (drums).

Estate

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Percy Sledge - Percy Sledge Live

Size: 172,9 MB
Time: 73:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Soul, R&B
Art: Front

01. My Special Prayer (4:44)
02. Cover Me (4:05)
03. Take Me To Know Her (3:43)
04. My Girl (4:33)
05. Let Me Wrap You In My Warm And Tender Love (5:12)
06. Bring It Home To Me (4:39)
07. At The Dark End Of The Street (3:02)
08. Sitting On The Dock Of The Baby (3:39)
09. 24-7-365 (3:44)
10. It Tears Me Up (2:54)
11. I'll Be Your Everything (3:28)
12. Blue Water (4:11)
13. Out Of Left Field (4:12)
14. Big Blue Diamonds (3:37)
15. White Shade Of Pale (5:04)
16. Sudden Stop (3:16)
17. Going Home Tomorrow (3:53)
18. When A Man Loves A Woman (5:51)

Percy Sledge (November 25, 1940 – April 14, 2015)

Percy Sledge will forever be associated with "When a Man Loves a Woman," a pleading, soulful ballad he sang with wrenching, convincing anguish and passion. Sledge sang all of his songs that way, delivering them in a powerful rush where he quickly changed from soulful belting to quavering, tearful pleas. It was a voice that made him one of the key figures of deep Southern soul during the late '60s. Sledge recorded at Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama, where he frequently sang songs written by Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn. Not only did he sing deep soul, but Sledge was among the pioneers of country-soul, singing songs by Charlie Rich and Kris Kristofferson in a gritty, passionate style. During the '70s, his commercial success quickly faded away, but Sledge continued to tour and record into the '90s.

While he worked as a hospital nurse in the early '60s, Sledge began his professional music career as a member of the Southern soul vocal group the Esquires Combo. On the advice of local disc jockey Quin Ivy, he went solo in 1966. Ivy fancied himself a record producer and he agreed to help shape Sledge's song "When a Man Loves a Woman" into a full-fledged single, hiring Spooner Oldham to play a distinctive, legato organ phrase. Ivy released the single independently and quickly licensed it to Atlantic Records, who quickly bought out Sledge's contract. "When a Man Loves a Woman" became a huge hit in the summer of 1966, topping both the pop and R&B charts. It was quickly followed that year by two Top Ten R&B hits, "Warm and Tender Love" and "It Tears Me Up," which were both in the vein of his first hit. Although few of his subsequent singles were hits -- only "Take Time to Know Her" reached the R&B Top Ten in 1968 -- many of the songs, which were often written by Dan Penn and/or Oldham, were acknowledged as classics among soul aficionados.

Despite his strong reputation among deep soul fans, Sledge's sales had declined considerably by the early '70s, and he headed out on the club circuit in America and England. In 1974, he left Atlantic for Capricorn Records, where he surprisingly returned to the R&B Top 20 with "I'll Be Your Everything." Instead of re-igniting his career, the single was a last gasp, as far as chart success was concerned. Over the next two decades he continued to tour, and in the late '80s, "When a Man Loves a Woman" experienced a resurgence in popularity, due to its inclusion in movie soundtracks and in television commercials. Following its appearance in a 1987 Levi commercial in the U.K., the single was re-released and climbed to number two. Two years later, he won the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Award. Sledge was able to turn this revived popularity into a successful career by touring constantly, playing over 100 shows a year into the '90s. In 1994, he released Blue Night, his first collection of new material in over a decade, to uniformly positive reviews. ~by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Percy Sledge Live

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Sue Ramsay - Once Upon A Summertime

Size: 123,3 MB
Time: 53:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Comment Allez-Vous (2:36)
02. A Sleepin' Bee (3:35)
03. Les Moulins De Mon Coeur (4:22)
04. The Water Is Wide (4:37)
05. Charade (2:53)
06. Once Upon A Summertime (3:40)
07. Gypsy In My Soul (2:48)
08. If You Go Away (3:37)
09. Summer Night (3:08)
10. Moon And Sand (4:53)
11. I Will Wait For You (3:50)
12. The Folks Who Live On The Hill (5:25)
13. 'Tis Autumn - September In The Rain (4:33)
14. Charade - Alternate (2:57)

Between spinning records at CJTT and digging deep into their jazz collection as a teenager and growing up around a piano as a means of socializing.....it was only natural Sue would become a singer. She came from a long line of them. Her grandfather, father and aunt all sang.....and yes, she grew up around a piano. Her Daddy also was a trumpet player and had a big band in his younger days. Lets say, she knew from the get go, singing was her thing .


Her professional musical journey began in the early 80's while studying music at Sheridan College . A summer run at the Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville led to a 2 year tour throughout Canada and several eastern States with a 4 piece vocal jazz ensemble called the Sheridan Way . Suzanne then relocated to the Hamilton area. While working & attending McMaster University , she did studio session work at Grant Avenue Studios and sang with several local bands at area night and golf clubs.

Then the millennium happened! She got married, moved to Niagara wine country and passionately put together her dream project…a retrospective look at late 50's jazz. Sue performed at the Niagara Casino for over 18 months and continued to play various jazz venues in the Niagara area. She was content to work with her trio when she reconnected with Mike Stanutz and decided it was time to try her hand at writing lyrics. In 2006, she and Mike Stanutz released their first all original cd, Reunion. Suzanne's band quickly became a quintet....and she was very pleased to perform at MacMaster's Convocation Hall as well as the Burlington Blues and Jazz Festival. 2011 saw the release of a new Cd from she and Mike entitled "Dichotomy" . The fifties crashed into the sixties. It's a lot of jazz....some definite 60's grooves and a hint of folk. Definitely Canadian. They topped it off with 24 months of "hippy jazz". It was so fun....but family comes first, Mike became a rep hockey Dad and coach and Sue switched her focus to her trio.


This is where life gets really interesting as we're here and now......Sue and her trio, Bob Shields on guitar and Clark Johnston on bass have recorded her latest cd "Once Upon a Summertime". They have just finished the Twilight Jazz Series, and are poised for Jazz on the Ridge.....the future looks bright. We'll see what we see...... :) Stick around. I think things are about to get really interesting.

Once Upon A Summertime

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Toots Thielemans - Now Playing Toots Thielemans

Size: 244,3 MB
Time: 105:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Bluesette (Feat. Quincy Jones) (7:00)
02. Flirt (2:44)
03. Big Bossa (Feat. Ferdinand Povel) (4:00)
04. Hummin' (Feat. Valerie Simpson) (8:06)
05. Sicilienne (Feat. Kenny Werner) (4:27)
06. For My Lady (Feat. The Shirley Horn Trio) (4:28)
07. Vai Passar (Feat. Sivuca) (5:09)
08. Wave (Feat. Elis Regina) (3:07)
09. A Volta (Feat. Elis Regina) (4:28)
10. Nocturne (3:04)
11. Sinatra Medley All The Way - My Way (Feat. Kenny Werner (5:51)
12. Autumn Leaves (Feat. Kenny Werner (6:00)
13. Body And Soul (Feat. George Shearing Quintet) (2:33)
14. Windows (Feat. Kenny Werner (3:32)
15. Inspiration (3:56)
16. Dolphin Dance (Feat. Kenny Werner (7:03)
17. C To G Jam Blues (2:55)
18. Disney Medley: When You Wish Upon A Star/Someday My Prince Will Come (Feat. Kenny Werner (5:35)
19. You're My Blues Machine (3:06)
20. Tenor Madness (8:07)
21. Bill Evans Medley: Time Remembered/Very Early (Feat. Kenny Werner (7:05)
22. What A Wonderful World (Feat. Kenny Werner (3:31)

Although preceded by Larry Adler (who has actually spent much of his career playing popular and classical music), Toots Thielemans virtually introduced the chromatic harmonica as a jazz instrument. In fact, ever since the mid-'50s, he has had no close competitors. Toots simply plays the harmonica with the dexterity of a saxophonist and has even successfully traded off with the likes of Oscar Peterson.

Toots Thielemans' first instrument was the accordion, which he started when he was three. Although he started playing the harmonica when he was 17, Thielemans' original reputation was made as a guitarist who was influenced by Django Reinhardt. Very much open to bop, Thielemans played in American GI clubs in Europe, visited the U.S. for the first time in 1947, and shared the bandstand with Charlie Parker at the Paris Jazz Festival of 1949. He toured Europe as a guitarist with the Benny Goodman Sextet in 1950, and the following year moved to the U.S. During 1953-1959, Toots was a member of the George Shearing quintet (mostly as a guitarist) and has freelanced ever since. He first recorded his big hit "Bluesette" (which featured his expert whistling and guitar) in 1961, and ever since has been greatly in demand (particularly for his harmonica and his whistling) on pop records (including many dates with Quincy Jones) and as a jazz soloist. Toots' two-volume Brasil Project was popular in the 1990s and found him smoothly interacting on harmonica with top Brazilian musicians. ~ by Scott Yanow

Now Playing Toots Thielemans

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Lisa Bjorange Quintet - Bang!

Size: 140,3 MB
Time: 60:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Outside The Box (6:11)
02. Lay All Your Love On Me (6:31)
03. Help! (6:01)
04. Go Away (4:07)
05. Gimme Gimme Gimme (5:24)
06. You Need To Be Gentle (4:43)
07. Sos (6:45)
08. Kill The Doubts (6:26)
09. Falling Fast (7:01)
10. Mamma Mia (7:23)

Lisa Björänge - Voice, Klas Toresson - Tenor Saxophone, Fabian Kallerdahl - Piano, Pär-Ola Landin - Double Bass & Jon Fält - Drums

Swedish vocalist and improviser Lisa Björänge transforms ABBA into playful jazz!

A jazz singer that pushes musical boundaries. With an adventurous group of musicians she plays her own music and presents ABBA tunes in jazz versions.

”Behind the microphone, one of the most expressive of all the young jazz vocalists that have made an appearance on the jazz scene lately. Lisa Björänge dares to show herself from many sides. Tender at times, bold at others, composed when it is appropriate and damn intensive at other crucial moments. Her scat singing is high class and the collaboration with her band members is a joy to see and hear.”

”Lisa Björänge sings open and lively while staying true to the melodies and avoiding sounding pretencious in her frasing. With Mattias Windmo on guitar, Klas Toresson on saxophone, Pär-Ola Landin on bass and Jon Fält on the drums, she’s got a strong accompaniment- and what’s maybe the most important is that they sound like a band and not hired musicians.”

”You can hear and tell by the choice of songs that Lisa, despite the fact that this is her debut album, has a whole lot of experience. She has written all but four of the album’s thirteen tracks and they are of high quality. She sings with great character while maintaining full control and has a beautiful range with a poetic touch. It doesn’t get much better than this. Arguably one of this year’s big breakthroughs. An extra plus for her quartet that lifts her up to these heights.”

Bang!

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Syberen Van Munster - Plunge For Distance

Size: 111,2 MB
Time: 47:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Label: Syberen Van Munster
Art: Front

01. Royksopp (5:52)
02. Elegy For Edgar Adams (5:39)
03. You Wore Plaid (5:09)
04. Do You Know Reinier Baas (3:36)
05. Diminuition (5:28)
06. La Sorella (4:25)
07. Midlife Mohawk (5:50)
08. Cais (5:35)
09. Plunge For Distance (6:21)

A fresh talent from the Low Countries, Dutch guitar player and composer Syberen van Munster didn’t come to NYC to be ‘just another jazz guitarist,’ because his opening salvo album Plunge For Distance isn’t just another jazz debut album. A graduate of the Conservatory of Amsterdam and active in the Big Apple since 2009, van Munster has had the adaptive skills to thrive in whatever this unrelenting music scene throws at him, but Plunge For Distance, that opening salvo, is where he goes on the offensive.

He carefully assembled his quintet with Ben van Gelder (alto sax), Vitor Gonçalves (accordion, Wurlitzer), Rick Rosato (bass), and Mark Schilders (drums), and wrote his songs around them. Syberen van Munster’s music is a sort of blend fusion of jazz and fusion jazz, where intelligent melodic development that’s easy to embrace is his main strength as a composer. He generously shares the spotlight with his band mates in order to make his songs and their heady execution the real star of this strong debut offering.

Gonçalves’ accordion supplies an Old World charm to “Cais,” where it is instantly apparent that van Munster is a jazz composer with classical insight. A long, probing intro gives way to a more somber mood, and the whole piece is wrapped up with a sumptuous bass solo from Rosato. Van Munster himself plays mostly in a comp role, but without causing much fuss, enriches the melodicism of the song. “Elegy For Edger Adams” is also a song of two personalities, pacing slow and deliberate for most of the way, then breaking out into an odd-metered jig for the last third, a launchpad for van Munster’s liquid bop lines.

For “Diminuition”, Syberen van Munster’s lead is understated but oh so tasteful, and by swinging over the rock beat of “Do You Know Reinier Baas?”, he subtly subverts convention. The title cut features the leader soloing in a fuzz-toned fusion style over the slow march, but it’s no rapid race for notes; he prefers instead to makes each note carry resonance. “Midwife Mohawk” is the energy song of the set; shifty rhythms pace this sax-led song with accordion backing and van Munster turns again to fuzz tone for his solo, this time playing it with rapid fluidity. He and Rosato combine for an unexpectedly muscular bass riff that prods van Gelder’s sax solo to the next level.

The improvs don’t even tell half of the story of this record, however, as Syberen van Munster’s one-of-a-kind compositional style takes left turns without much fanfare and form a coherent whole with individual parts worked into the fabric of the songs. Take “Röyksopp,” an interesting, twisting melody with a guitar/bass riff acting as a counterpart to van Gelder’s single note chirps and Gonçalves on Wurlitzer. Almost everyone takes a solo, but the multiple changes built into the song remain.

Right out the box, Syberen van Munster is a fully formed composer, guitarist and bandleader with his own way of doing things by pulling together familiar elements into a new, intelligent signature language. Moreover, he didn’t have to be fast, loud or atonal to make his music uniquely interesting and captivating. That’s the major achievement of Plunge For Distance. ~S. Victor Aaron

Plunge For Distance

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Elisabetta Antonini - The Beat Goes On

Size: 155,3 MB
Time: 66:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Cookin' At The Continental (3:34)
02. New York Blues (5:32)
03. On The Road (4:49)
04. Orujo (7:46)
05. For Miles (5:32)
06. Requiem For Bird Charlie Parker (4:38)
07. Holy (2:15)
08. Woodstock (4:30)
09. Howl! (7:23)
10. Well You Needn't (5:45)
11. On Nirvana (2:59)
12. Lsd (3:22)
13. Blowin' In The Wind (8:23)

"This is a fantastic recording honoring the Beat Generation and to say this recording is wonderful would definitely be an understatement. This is an album full of great musicianship, strong knowledge of the bebop era and a deep, soulful understanding of jazz. I love you all dearly!" ~Sheila Jordan

Studying voice and specialises in the stylings and language of jazz in the United States and Italy with some of the more notable figures of international jazz (M. Murphy, B. Harris, N. Winstone, J. Niemack, J. Clayton e B. Stoloff, M.P. De Vito, R. Vitro, R. Treece,).
Sophisticated singer, as well as a talented composer and arranger is active in the jazz sphere participating in shows and festivals all over Italy presenting a vast repertoire that goes from the American Songbook to original works and to contemporary jazz, collaborating with the best musicians (K. Wheeler, P. McCandless, V. Tsabropoulos, A. Gravish, G. Petrella, P. Lussu, L. Tucci, P. Ciancaglini, F. Bosso, N. Conte, G. Renzi, C. Filippini, P. Iodice, D. Scannapieco, D. Tittarelli, A. Bassi, G. Sanjust, B. D’Amato, L. Mannutza, M. Ionata, T. Pancella, L. Bulgarelli, etc.).

Vocalist for various lounge music productions collaborating with producer-dj Nicola Conte in the live presentation of his successful Other Directions recorded with the prestigious Blue Note label.
Co-author and soloist on the project Different Lands, multimedia intersection between the worlds of experimental electronic music, progressive rock, jazz and world music, with whom the cd entitled Cities of Dreams received widespread critical acclaim.
Collaborated with composer and arranger Fabrizio Cardosa participating in the recording and theatrical presentation of some of his vocalise operas with the vocal ensemble Kammerton.
Was a part of the staging of the dance opera Jazz Amore with the music of Francesco Pascarito, choreography of Gabriella Furlan, seen in various Italian theatres from which has been recently realised the cd “Ho Sognato un Blues”.
Solo voice of the orchestra directed by M° Gerardo di Lella, performing at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in a project dedicated to the music of Piero Piccioni; of the group Big Night Jive, swing band of the ’50s, recording the cds Las Vegas Stile and Io Mi Ricordo, with the participation of the famous actor Franco Nero; The AMIT Orchestra in a dedication to Billie Holiday within the project “Jazz: Istruzioni per l’uso” directed by M° Massimo Nunzi and staged at Teatro Sistina di Roma.

Numerous projects originated by Elisabetta can be appreciated for the refinement of compositions and arrangements, as:
“Nuance”, the forthcoming cd with the Harp&Voice Duo with the harpist Marcella Carboni by Blue Serge, which presents a contemporary jazz repertoire using live electronics and effects, from European jazz tunes to Brazilian classics and jazz standards;
“Women Next Door”, a jazz mainstream female project with Gaia Possenti, Federica Michisanti e Danielle Di Majo, featuring Giorgio Cuscito at vibes, mostly inspired to the music and the style of George Shearing, recently recorded in the homonymous cd Women Next Door;
“Un Minuto Dopo”. With Alessandro Gwis on piano and live electronics, and Gabriele Coen on clarinets, is a work dedicated to original music and lyrics, recording a cd with the extraordinary participation of oboist Paul McCandless, member of the famous group Oregon;
“In A New York Minute”, a drumless hard bop project with arrangements of unknown jazz compositions from mainstream, with Luca Mannutza, Francesco Puglisi e Max Ionata.
Jazz educator in jazz voice, improvisation and director of the jazz chorus at Saint Louis Music School of Rome; Department of Associated Jazz Musicians of Naples, carrying out singing lessons and jazz workshops all over Italy. Teaching at the prestigious yearly jazz summer clinics directed by Paolo Fresu.

The Beat Goes On

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