Timo Lassy - Love Bullet

Size: 102,2 MB
Time: 43:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Love Intro (0:26)
02. Green Pepper Strut (5:27)
03. Love Bullet (3:49)
04. Hip Or Not (4:32)
05. Fast Fabio (2:34)
06. Stay Close (5:21)
07. We Jazz Theme (6:28)
08. Waltz Unsolved (4:11)
09. Undecided (8:10)
10. Bullet Outro (2:18)

Finnish tenor player Timo Lassy started his career in Amsterdam and returned to his homeland to do some notable work with the Five Corners Quintet and then with Fiver Corners alumnus Jukka Eskola (Review) , who guests on trumpet here. In a part of the world where electronic music tends to dominate, Lassy has remained faithful to acoustic playing, and performs adroit, world class hard bop and soul jazz.

Having recently supported singer Joyce Elaine Yuille on her debut album (reviewed here), Lassy is now back as a leader on this CD, his fifth album, with virtually the same line-up as featured accompanying Yuille: the gifted Georgios Kontrafouris on keyboards, Antti Lötjönen on bass and Abdissa Assefa percussion. They’re a great unit and freed of the discipline of comping, they really soar here.

The title Green Pepper Strut suggests Memphis Rn'B of the Booker T variety, and initially delivers this in spades, a funky, honking, hand-clapping treat with Timo Lassy probing forward and Kontrafouris adding characteristically virtuosic slabs of Wurlitzer. But it rapidly moves into a more polished CTI mode and then onto increasingly complex and modernistic pastures, with Kontrafouris ably conducting the tour and displaying all kinds of ability on the keyboard as he adapts along the way. It’s virtually a compact fifty year survey of popular jazz idioms, returning to its rhythm and blues roots as it wraps up.

Love Bullet presents wonderful soft cloud-of-sound sax from Lassy, alternately gorgeously gruff and beguilingly gossamer, supported by judicious vibes, lazy, lambent and concise, from Panu Savolainen. Subtle keyboard stabs courtesy of Kontrafouris help to set the pace. Hip or Not has a strong soul jazz feel with a hint of modernist astringency. There are superb chiming and shimmering keyboard passages with smart use of space, and lucid virile trumpet from Jukka Eskola. He hands over to Lassy, who raises his game in the afterglow of Eskola’s solo, playing spiky and eloquent tenor. The drumming — from Teppo Mäkynen — and Abdissa Assefa’s percussion are outstanding, contributing a Latin feel.

Undecided is a feature for Jukka Eskola and is initially suggestive of Freddie Hubbard in his prime, but soon Eskola, and indeed the whole ensemble, are evoking electric era Miles Davis in a sweetly thunderous, roiling and rolling workout. Bullet Outro is hypnotically rhythmic, weaving a pattern of percussion (great work by Assefa, in cahoots with Teppo Mäkynen), supported by Kontrafouris’s trademark keyboard stabs, before Lassy comes in to offer a tender commentary. ~by Andrew Cartmel

Love Bullet

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Nat King Cole Trio - The Best Of The Nat King Cole Trio: Instrumental Classics

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:39
Size: 118.2 MB
Styles: Small combo jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[2:25] 1. Jumpin' At Capitol
[3:18] 2. The Man I Love
[3:17] 3. Body And Soul
[2:54] 4. Prelude In C Sharp Minor
[2:55] 5. What Is This Thing Called Love
[3:09] 6. Easy Listening Blues
[2:16] 7. Sweet Georgia Brown
[3:00] 8. This Way Out
[2:53] 9. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[2:36] 10. Honeysuckle Rose
[2:31] 11. Rhumba Azul
[3:10] 12. Moonlight In Vermont
[2:38] 13. How High The Moon
[2:47] 14. I'll Never Be The Same
[3:11] 15. These Foolish Things
[3:18] 16. Laugh! Cool Clown
[2:34] 17. Bop-Kick
[2:37] 18. Peaches

When Nat King Cole started he had to overcome the perception that small groups were not viable entertainment (this was the big band heyday.) What he did, with two kindred spirits - Oscar Moore and Johnny Miller - was to prove that not only could a small trio be a powerhouse, but a drummer was not needed. Pretty heady stuff for the times.

The tracks on this album are not only superb examples of the virtuoso musicianship of Cole, Moore and Miller, but rivaled what was arguably the greatest rhythm section in jazz: Basie, Freddie Green, Walter Page and Papa Jo Jones. However, unlike the All American Rhythm Section, Nat's trio have to also handle melody and harmony. Their music excelled in all three, and especially harmony which set the trio apart from any other small group of not only the era, but just about any trio that has since followed.

Regarding the instruments in the ensemble: Oscar Peterson came close to achieving the same level of musicianship in his earlier trio, which included Herb Ellis on guitar and Ray Brown on bass. One of the best examples of their music (and a good comparison to this album) is Oscar Peterson Trio At The Stratford Shakesperean Festival. This same format was successfully employed by another piano great, Hank Jones, with this album showcasing yet another drummerless piano trio that set high standards: The Very Best Of 1953-1960.

However, it all started with Nat who was fortunate to have found both Johnny Miller and Oscar Moore (and Moore's later replacement, Irving Ashby.) As great as Nat was on piano Moore and Miller made significant contributions to the trio's success, and a careful listen to this album and how they played off each other will illustrate that. ~Mike Tarrani

The Best Of The Nat King Cole Trio: Instrumental Classics

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Charly Antolini - Jazz-Power

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:28
Size: 136.2 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[7:09] 1. The King
[6:38] 2. Willow Weep For Me
[4:08] 3. Please, Close The Door
[4:12] 4. I'm Coming Virginia
[6:42] 5. Lover Come Back To Me
[4:05] 6. You're My Everthing
[4:55] 7. What Is This Thing Called Love
[5:33] 8. Cry Me A River
[6:34] 9. In Walked Bud
[6:21] 10. Moten Swing
[3:05] 11. C-Jam Blues

Charly Antolini (born May 24, 1937 in Zürich) is a Swiss jazz drummer. Antolini started playing the traditional Swiss Basler drum and in 1956 went to Paris where he played with Sidney Bechet, Bill Coleman among others, and playing in the Oldtime Jazz Band "The Tremble Kids" with trumpeter Oscar Klein and clarinettist Werner Keller.

In 1962 he went to live in Stuttgart, Germany where he spent 5 years playing with bassist Peter Witte and pianist Horst Jankowski in the SWR Bigband led by Erwin Lehn. He also played in big bands with Kurt Edelhagen, Peter Herbolzheimer and Max Greger in the NDR Bigband. In 1976 he set up his own band, "Charly Antolini's Jazz Power", originally featuring Steve Hooks (tenor sax); Andrei Lobanov (trumpet); David Gazarov (keyboards) and Rocky Knauer (bass), although later members were Len Skeat and Brian Lemon. In the 80s he toured Germany, Italy and Denmark with Benny Goodman, as well as with Lionel Hampton, Barbara Dennerlein, Albert Mangelsdorff, Earl Hines, Roy Eldridge, Jimmy Giuffre, Art Farmer, Oliver Nelson, Art Van Damme, Stuff Smith, Baden Powell among others. In the late 80s-early 90s he recorded three live albums with British tenor saxophonist Dick Morrissey and in 1994 he set up the band Super Trio with pianist Dirk Raufeisen and bassist Jimmy Woode. At the end of 2004 Herman Rarebell, Pete York and Antolini formed a three drummer project called Drum Legends, and released a live CD and DVD. He also toured the Soviet Union. Charly lives in Munich - Germany and tours regularly with his own band Jazz Power.

Jazz-Power

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Benny Carter, Billy Eckstine - Billy Eckstine Sings With Benny Carter

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 50:32

Size: 115.7 MB

Styles: Vocal jazz, Standards

Year: 1988/2013

Art: Front

[5:22] 1. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

[3:32] 2. My Funny Valentine

[3:51] 3. Here's That Rainy Day

[3:52] 4. Summertime

[3:52] 5. A Kiss From You

[3:45] 6. Memories Of You

[4:40] 7. I've Got The World On A String

[3:51] 8. Now That I Need You

[4:39] 9. Over The Rainbow

[3:56] 10. September Song

[3:43] 11. My Name

[5:24] 12. Didn't We

Billy Eckstine's final recording (although he would live until 1993) finds the 72-year old singer showing his age. Mr. B's famous baritone voice at this late date only hints at his earlier greatness although his phrasing and enthusiasm uplift what could have been a depressing affair. Ironically altoist Benny Carter (who was 79) still sounds in his prime on alto and he takes an effective trumpet solo on "September Song." Singer Helen Merrill opens and closes the set by interacting vocally with Eckstine on "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" and "Didn't We." Eckstine, backed by a trio headed by his longtime pianist Bobby Tucker, does his best on such songs as "My Funny Valentine," "Memories of You" and "Autumn Leaves" but his earlier recordings are the ones to get. ~Scott Yanow

Billy Eckstine Sings With Benny Carter    

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Ariana Savalas - Sophisticated Lady

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:22
Size: 60,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:27)  1. One Man Show
(4:43)  2. Peel Me a Grape
(3:16)  3. Shotgun
(5:22)  4. Too Late
(4:26)  5. Perfect Man
(4:07)  6. Sophisticated Lady

The youngest daughter of actor Telly Savalas and his wife Julie, Ariana Savalas is a singer/songwriter, dancer, and actress. Following the death of her father in 1994 when Ariana was seven, she and her family moved to her mother's home state of Minnesota, where Ariana studied at a convent high school to participate in its theater program. Her career as a pop singer got an early start when she recorded a song at a mobile karaoke station while on vacation in Austria in her teens. The song made its way to the label Startrax, for whom she recorded a single and an EP produced by European producer Jack White (not to be confused with the former White Stripes founder). This led to Savalas touring Europe and appearing on Austrian television. Following her tour, she was accepted into London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she studied acting and Shakespeare. 

Meanwhile, she taught herself piano and began writing songs inspired by Queen, David Bowie, and the Beatles as well as Frank Sinatra and other jazz and vocal pop stars from the '40s and '50s. After moving to Los Angeles, Savalas landed the lead role in the independent film Miriam, about holocaust survivor Miriam Shafer; her other acting credits include the film Akrasia and a role on the CBS drama Criminal Minds. During this time, she also pursued her music, performing as a jazz singer on the cabaret scene and recording her debut album, Kingdom, with producer Mark Portmann. Her debut single, Perfect Man, arrived in January 2012 and featured Grey's Anatomy's Eric Dane in its music video. Bio ~ Heather Phares  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ariana-savalas-mn0002374392/biography

Sophisticated Lady

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Jessy J - My One And Only One

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:08
Size: 110,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:37)  1. Una Mas
(4:14)  2. My One and Only One
(5:16)  3. Lovesong
(4:26)  4. The Tango Boy
(3:52)  5. Paraíso Mágico
(6:15)  6. Back To the Basics
(6:23)  7. You're Makin' Me High
(4:53)  8. Siempre
(4:28)  9. Cuba
(4:39) 10. Strawberry Letter 23

Jessy J's solo albums Tequila Moon (2008), True Love (2009), Hot Sauce (2011) and Second Chances (2013) mark her constant way to fame and popularity in the smooth jazz community. Her fifth project is My One and Only One, scheduled for release May 26th, 2015. Paul Brown, Gregg Karukas, Roberto Vally, Sergio Gonzalez, Richie Gajate, Michael Ripoll, Zoux, Oskar Cartaya, Ruslan Sirota, Alex Al, Taku, Michael Angel, Frank Abraham, Iajhi Hampden, Bryant Siono, Norman Jackson, Jay Gore, Lee Thornberg, Dave Hooper, Ronnie Gutierrez, Janis Leibhart & Dave Darlington are mentioned as supporting musicians on her website. Jessy is toying gladly with her Mexican American ancestry. Many of her songs have a Latin American reference like the starting Una Mas. Capricious but warm on the skin like a soothing spring breeze soars the melody. The title track is more down to earth, so if she tried to retain My One and Only One.

Lovesong previous recorded by alternative rock band The Cure and British singer Adele is essential reinterpreted and immaculately limited to the melody. Swaying comes along The Tango Boy, the first single of the new album. Backed by a powerful horn arrangement, electric piano, Paul Brown on guitar, this is a tight show opener. On Paraíso Mágico Jessy J dives into the Latin American world sharing the melody on flute and vocally. Back To The Basics is enhanced with Brazilian rhythmic instruments, an awesome piano solo and a jazz-inspired Jessy on sax. With You’re Making Me High, Toni Braxton's former hit single from her album Secrets, Jessy moves on solid ground. Singing in Spanish belongs to Jessy's repertoire. 

With the euphonious Siempre she is in her element. In 2014 Jessy J had the pleasure of visiting Havana, Cuba for the International Jazz Festival. Cuba is at the same time remembrance and tribute to this island and their inhabitants connected with the music. Strawberry Letter 23, legendary by The Brothers Johnson, was also covered by Quincy Jones, the group Kiara, Tevin Campbell and Phil Upchurch. A melody worth to replay. The packaging makes music. Jessy J's appearance is outstanding, her stage presence is always a highlight for every event especially since she has preserved her naturalness. With such a jump start each album of her will succeed. http://www.smooth-jazz.de/firstview/JessyJ/MyOneAndOnlyOne.htm

My One And Only One

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Anne Sofie Von Otter, Brad Mehldau - Love Songs Disc 1 And Disc 2

American jazz pianist and composer Brad Mehldau and Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter pair up on this two-disc set of love songs. The first disc is devoted to Mehldau's Love Songs, a seven-song cycle commissioned by Carnegie Hall, KölnMusik, and Wigmore Hall. He takes as his texts five poems by Sara Teasdale and one each by e.e. cummings and Philip Larkin. Although the influence of American vernacular music is evident throughout, these are clearly not pop songs; they fit better in the "New American Art Song" category exemplified by composers like Ricky Ian Gordon, Jake Heggie, and John Musto. Mehldau's songs are notable for their generous lyricism, subtly complex rhythmic drive, a gift for melody, and a potent emotional punch. Although they make a striking set all together and each song is fully successful, "Twilight" and "Dreams" are especially evocative and memorable. 

The texts describe a variety of romantic experiences, but Mehldau's settings are essentially positive and optimistic. Not so the majority of songs on the second disc, most of which have the character of profoundly melancholy torch songs. About half are French, by composers such as Michel Legrand, Jacques Brel, and Léo Ferré, and there are songs by Joni Mitchell (the heartbreaking "Marcie"), Bob Telson ("Calling You"), and Leonard Bernstein ("Some Other Time"), among others. Von Otter does not have the sound of a crossover artist, but she has the maturity and flexibility to being just the right looseness and expressive freedom to these songs to make her performances fully persuasive. Her tone is full and pure, and her investment in the songs is absolute. Mehldau's exceptionally sensitive and inventive accompaniments contribute immeasurably to the success of the album. The sound is appropriately warm and intimate, but is a little on the close side on the second disc. ~ Stephen Eddins  http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-songs-mw0002044857

Personnel:  Anne Sofie von Otter (Vocal), Brad Mehldau (Piano)

Disc 1

Styles: Vocal, Chanson

Year: 2010

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 30:48

Size: 70,9 MB

Art: Front

(5:43)  1. It May Not Always Be So

(4:02)  2. We Met At The End Of The Party

(2:19)  3. Child, Child

(2:51)  4. Twilight

(4:39)  5. Because

(5:30)  6. Dreams

(5:41)  7. Did You Never Know?

Love Songs Disc 1

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Disc 2

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 48:27

Size: 111,6 MB

Art: Front

(4:14)  1. Avec le temps

(4:03)  2. Pierre

(3:58)  3. Marcie

(3:22)  4. Something Good

(5:14)  5. Chanson de Maxence

(4:11)  6. Chanson des vieux amants

(2:39)  7. Sakta vi ga genom stan

(2:42)  8. Att angora en brygga

(4:12)  9. Dis, quand reviendras-tu?

(3:10) 10. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?

(4:08) 11. Calling You

(2:26) 12. Blackbird

(4:03) 13. Some Other Time

Love Songs Disc 2

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Red Garland Trio - A Garland Of Red

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:46
Size: 141.4 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1956/1991
Art: Front

[25:22] 1. A Foggy Day
[16:11] 2. Little Girl Blue
[ 3:16] 3. What Is This Thing Called Love
[ 3:11] 4. Makin Whoopee
[ 3:30] 5. September In The Rain
[ 3:26] 6. Little Girl Blue
[ 3:33] 7. Constellation
[ 3:14] 8. Blue Red

Thirty-three at the time of this, his first recording as a leader, pianist Red Garland already had his distinctive style fully formed and had been with the Miles Davis Quintet for a year. With the assistance of bassist Paul Chambers (also in Davis's group) and drummer Art Taylor, Garland is in superior form on six standards, Charlie Parker's "Constellation" (during which he shows that he could sound relaxed at the fastest tempos) and his own "Blue Red." Red Garland recorded frequently during the 1956-62 period and virtually all of his trio recordings are consistently enjoyable, this one being no exception. ~Scott Yanow

A Garland Of Red

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Merle Travis - Strictly Guitar

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 24:09
Size: 55.3 MB
Styles: Country, Americana
Year: 1969/2004
Art: Front

[2:12] 1. Heart Of My Heart
[2:21] 2. Lazy River
[2:11] 3. Guitar Rag
[2:14] 4. Dance Of The Goldenrod
[2:40] 5. Cuddle Up A Little Closer
[2:00] 6. Cannonball Rag
[1:54] 7. Ma (He's Making Eyes At Me)
[1:53] 8. I'll See You In My Dreams
[2:56] 9. I Gotta Have My Baby Back
[2:19] 10. Way Down In New Orleans
[1:22] 11. Fisher's Horn Pipe

The thumb- and index-finger guitar picking method Merle Travis learned as a kid in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky served him very well throughout his long career, and he developed into one of the most skilled and innovative guitar players on the country (or any other) scene, capable of making an electric guitar sound like a complete swing orchestra. Strictly Guitar was recorded in Nashville in 1968 with Kelso Herston producing, and saw Travis revisit some of the tunes he cut his teeth on when he was first starting out in the 1920s and '30s, as well as tackling slightly later pieces like Floyd Tillman's 1949 hit, "Gotta Have My Baby Back," which Travis turns into an elegant, dream-paced instrumental masterpiece. This CD version of Strictly Guitar reproduces the original Capitol LP's cover art and set sequence, which means it comes in at under 25-minutes in length, making it a good deal short by digital-era standards, and one wishes Sundazedhad added some bonus material, but what is here is pretty amazing, including the set closer, a blistering guitar rendition of the old fiddle reel called "Fishers Horn Pipe." ~Steve Leggett

Strictly Guitar

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Charlie Shavers - Gershwin, Shavers And Strings

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:55
Size: 70.8 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz, Easy Listening
Year: 1955/2015
Art: Front

[2:36] 1. I've Got A Crush On You
[3:05] 2. Someone To Watch Over Me
[2:45] 3. Somebody Loves Me
[3:08] 4. The Man I Love
[3:04] 5. It Ain't Necessarily So
[3:06] 6. Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away)
[3:10] 7. Embraceable You
[2:54] 8. I've Got Rhythm
[3:46] 9. Summertime
[3:17] 10. But Not For Me

The music of George Gershwin, but taken to some great late night territory by the trumpet of Charlie Shavers! The album's a sublime "with strings" date – one that has Charlie blowing beautifully over backdrops from Sy Oliver – charts that certainly use some string instruments, but often in a very spare, mellow way – so that once Shavers gets going, his trumpet is right out front – often with a beautifully moody tone! Titles include "I've Got A Crush On You", "Embraceable You", "Liza", "Summertime", "But Not For Me", and "It Ain't Necessarily So".

Gershwin, Shavers And Strings

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Madeline Bell & The Swingmates - Have You Met Miss Bell?

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:50
Size: 127,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. Where Or When
(3:50)  2. Honeysuckle Rose
(5:37)  3. September Song
(1:55)  4. Wonderful Day Like Today
(4:25)  5. Old Devil Moon
(6:20)  6. Someone To Watch Over Me
(2:35)  7. Just You, Just Me
(2:02)  8. Lemon Drop
(5:52)  9. Black Coffee
(3:04) 10. Let's Face The Music
(4:03) 11. Am I Blue
(2:52) 12. Making Whoopee
(5:17) 13. Willow Weep For Me
(3:53) 14. When The Saints Go Marching In

Madeline Bell (born July 23, 1942) is an American soul singer, who became famous as a performer in the UK during the 1960s, having arrived from the US in the gospel show Black Nativity in 1962, with vocal group the Bradford Singers. Bell was born in Newark, New Jersey, United States. She worked as a session singer, most notably backing for Dusty Springfield, and can be found on early Donna Summer material as well. Her first major solo hit was a cover version of Dee Dee Warwick's single "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", which performed better on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart than the original.

Bell then joined contemporary pop combo Blue Mink, with whom she had a number of Top 20 hits with Philips Records in the UK, including "Melting Pot", "Our World", "Randy", "Banner Man", "Good Morning Freedom", "Sunday", "By The Devil I Was Tempted" and "Stay With Me". Before joining Blue Mink in late 1969 she sang solo, and her cover version of "Picture Me Gone" is still a Northern Soul favourite today, as is "What Am I Supposed To Do", from 1968, a two-minute B-side tune co-written with future Led Zeppelin member John Paul Jones, then working as one of London's most in-demand session bassists. (Bell also sang backup on Joe Cocker's "Bye Bye Blackbird" in 1969, which featured a guitar solo from another Led Zeppelin member, Jimmy Page.) Jones later arranged, produced and recorded Bell's 1973 RCA album Comin' Atcha. She contributed to the soundtrack of the romance film A Touch of Class (1973). She also sang backup for the Dave Clark Five's single release, "Everybody Get Together", and contributed backing vocals to Elton John's 1972 album, Honky Chateau.

Bell has also provided backing vocals on a number of other artists' recordings, notably Tom Parker's neo-classical arrangements, and in 1975 performed with Sunny and Sue (originally members of Brotherhood of Man) at the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Sweden, providing backing vocals for the German entry "Ein Lied kann eine Brücke sein", performed by Joy Fleming. She worked with Kiki Dee and Lesley Duncan. In 1976 Bell sang backing vocals on We Can't Go on Meeting Like This, the second album by the band Hummingbird. In 1975 she appeared on Sunny Side of the Street for Bryn Haworth. She also joined the French disco group Space, providing lead vocals on two of their albums. One of the songs she provided lead vocals on was "Save Your Love For Me" from 1978, which charted high in many countries. She also provided backing vocals for another French artist; Cerrone. Madeline also appears on Giorgio Moroder's 1979 album, E=MC2.

Since the 1970s, Bell has continued singing solo and also performed in a number of stage shows. She continues to live in Spain since her husband, drummer Barry Reeves (once of the Ferris Wheel) died on February 6, 2010, from pneumonia. She regularly tours Europe singing jazz and popular songs. In 1982, she added background vocals to the fantasy film Alicja. She then again teamed up with John Paul Jones in 1985, contributing performances ("Take It or Leave It" and "Here I Am") to the soundtrack album Scream for Help. Bell was the voice behind the 1980s advertising campaign for Brooke Bond D, a brand of tea bag in the UK. The music was composed by Ronnie Bond. She also provided vocals on the jingles of another 1980s advertising campaign, British Gas's Wonderfuel Gas, which began in 1982. ~ Bio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeline_Bell

Have You Met Miss Bell?

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Warren Vaché - The Warren Vaché Quintet Remembers Benny Carter

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:47
Size: 146,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:35)  1. A Walking Thing
(2:34)  2. When Lights Are Low
(4:42)  3. Doozy
(3:54)  4. Key Largo
(5:34)  5. Evening Star
(6:52)  6. Boulevard Bounce
(5:38)  7. Summer Serenade
(4:08)  8. Only Trust Your Heart
(6:01)  9. Souvenir
(3:50) 10. Rock Me to Sleep
(4:44) 11. I'm Sorry
(4:45) 12. All That Jazz
(4:24) 13. The Romp

There's lots of life to this recording. Veteran trumpeter Warren Vache knows a thing or two about an old friend, mentor Benny Carter. With The Warren Vache Quintet Remembers Benny Carter we take a step back in time even as we venture forth into the present. A present that finds cornetist Vache's style and personage slightly at odds with that goofy-looking guy with the lid shaking hands with Carter for the cover of this release. It's a remarkable transformation for someone who, during Carter's life, was enthralled by the man's spirit as well as his humanity and substantial musical contributions. Then and now. That's what these kinds of recordings are all about, aren't they? 

The trick is to pull it off convincingly, which means you gotta inhabit that spirit and wonder with your whole heart and still have the means to convey it. In Vache's case, that's just what happens with this recording of 13 tunes associated with the multi-instrumental maven, whose career spanned a mind-boggling number of years and eras. To perhaps repeat, then and now is furthered along by the visual presentation of this CD. You get the younger, livelier Vache shaking hands with the master along with more recent photos which show a man weathered by the times since Carter's death in 2003 at age 95. Gone is that goofy smile of innocence, replaced by a more taciturn and wry grimace. Vache's seasoning no doubt has included some trials and disappointments in the intervening years. And that's just what seems to be so much a part of this recording: the sound of a man in love with his music and, in this case, the music of another, a more mature voice.

So, take all that in, and then listen to this music and discover a kind of transcendence that speaks to the music's ability to be ageless, Vache's formal treatments of these songs are true to the spirit of Carter's own muse and whatever Vache picked up by being associated with him. There is a joyous quality to everything here, except when "lights are low," but then it somehow remains surreptitiously buoyant. Take any tune and find a group cohesion fostered by the leader of this makeshift group and you'll hear something that's rare in today's marketplace of jazz recordings: an authentic embrace of ... then and now. With regular cohort Tardo Hammer at the keys, along with old friends and colleagues tenorist Houston Person, Nicki Parrott on bass and vocals and Leroy Williams on drums on selective cuts, the moods tend to be mellow when they aren't a tad bouncy. The transition between "Boulevard Bounce" and "Summer Serenade," for example, is the transition between that bounce featuring Vache playing a real cozy mute with tasteful brushwork from Williams to yet another example of Hammer's modest eloquence as he brings the serenade forward, Parrott's basslines and solo work simpatico all the way. 

"Summer Serenade" is that kind of rendition that certainly suggests what the song implies, a lazy river coursing through a nearby meadow, everything in its rightful place as the late-afternoon sun finds its way through the willows and the breezes are soft and reassuring. It's a trio piece, sans Vache, that serves as the midpoint to this collection, having followed what might be considered the overall mood of the album with "Boulevard Bounce," namely, a lighthearted party. And so, with Remembers Benny Carter (featuring incisive, Carter-centered liner notes from Carter biographer Ed Berger) there's the seemingly inevitable gesture that comes with age and the talent to deliver it: a bittersweet melancholy and a certain longing for what was, maybe best heard when Parrott's voice enters here and there, her feminine energy a vital ingredient here as she expands on her bassist role via a samba version of "Only Trust Your Heart" and the more rightfully easygoing "When Lights Are Low" (featuring some delicate muted-horn work from the leader). Her voice is intimate, relaxed, lilting, as she inhabits the words to these songs in ways that make her an ideal foil to Vache's sometimes more caustic yet generous spirit. A generous spirit that leaves others to carry the tune, so to speak, from time to time without him.

With the quiet eloquence of "Souvenir" Vache returns with a full-bodied open horn, cradling the song's melody in this gently delivered ballad, a certain highlight that could be adapted to any time of day, but especially when those lights are low. Tardo's piano is once again a voice that provides that rare mesmerizing balance to Vache's clear, recital-like tones. You can practically feel the love for Mr. Carter. "Rock Me To Sleep" kicks it up a notch, echoing not only Carter the trumpeter but an even earlier master of that instrument, Louis Armstrong, the song's medium-tempo swing a lure for anyone who loves to hit the dance floor anytime of day. And with "All That Jazz," Vache joining Parrott in the vocal department, we hear not only more up-tempo swinging but some real harmonizing between these two singers that makes you wish they'd done another. Ending with the up-tempo swinging blues "The Romp" may have you forgetting everything that came before, this quintet seemingly refusing to go out quietly, but instead opting for just a wee bit more fun. Vache's horn and leadership on this date should be a welcome treat for any music lover, regardless of age or taste. His ultimate compliment to Carter could be Vache's overt presence implied as well as stated and his subdued, age-appropriate enthusiasm for this music, and his hitting every note just right even as he also allows everyone in on the party, for everyone to come celebrate the wonder that Benny Carter will always represent. ~ John Ephland  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/warren-vache-quintet-remembers-benny-carter-by-john-ephland.php

Personnel: Warren Vache, cornet; Houston Person, tenor saxophone; Nicki Parrott, bass, vocals; Tardo Hammer, piano; Leroy Williams, drums.

The Warren Vaché Quintet Remembers Benny Carter

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Barney Kessel - Solo

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:38
Size: 81,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:35)  1. Brazil
(2:55)  2. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?
(3:21)  3. Happy Little Song
(3:25)  4. Everything Happens to Me
(4:56)  5. You Are the Sunshine of My Life
(4:13)  6. Manhã De Carnaval
(4:55)  7. People
(3:49)  8. Jellybeans
(5:25)  9. Alfie

This is an unusual set, the only full-length program of unaccompanied guitar solos recorded by Barney Kessel. Although Kessel was not as skilled in solo work as Joe Pass, the music is relaxed, melodic and tasteful. The interpretations are concise and highlighted by "Brazil," "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," and "Alfie," although "People" could have been skipped. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/solo-mw0000665062

Personnel: Barney Kessel (guitar).

Solo

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Monique Thomas & Jacki Berecochea - Can't We Be Friends - Combo!

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:59
Size: 127,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:08)  1. Can't We Be Friends?
(3:30)  2. Old Devil Moon
(3:23)  3. I Said No
(3:30)  4. Sweet Georgia Brown
(5:03)  5. Save Your Love for Me
(5:27)  6. Dolo Blues
(2:49)  7. Just You, Just Me
(3:20)  8. Speak Low
(2:26)  9. It's Love
(4:51) 10. I'm Old Fashioned
(3:56) 11. Indian Summer
(4:12) 12. Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most
(4:59) 13. Whisper Not
(5:18) 14. This Can't Be Love

It is said that young singers have this fresh passion envied all jazz musicians. That's the effect we've had by meeting Monique Thomas. She sang a version of "burning-hot" Cherokee full of promises for the hearing of vocal jazz department at William Paterson University. The music integrity of Monique, his talent and experience are evident in each piece. She swings while telling each sentence of the text she sings very personal way. His passion and sensuality in the ballads, like his spark and his swing in fast tempos are beautifully highlighted by brilliant musicians and very successful arrangements. This disc is a wonderful musical adventure. Translate by google  http://www.agorila.com/-combo-monique-thomas-et-berecochea-685.php

Can't We Be Friends - Combo!

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Coleman Hawkins - Blues Wail: Coleman Hawkins Plays The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:31
Size: 168.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Swing, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1996/2006
Art: Front

[11:15] 1. Juicy Fruit
[13:31] 2. Blues For Tomorrow
[ 6:43] 3. Blues Wail
[ 9:52] 4. Soul Blues
[ 5:57] 5. Skrouk
[ 4:29] 6. Stealin' The Bean
[ 8:50] 7. Foot Pattin'
[ 6:14] 8. Blues For Ron
[ 6:34] 9. Pedalin'

Tenor great Coleman Hawkins was usually bored with the blues, at least until the period covered by this CD sampler. A master at deciphering complex chord changes, Hawkins found the blues to be overly simple but around 1957 (after 35 years of major league activity) he began to explore the blues more seriously, at least on an occasional basis. This CD has nine performances from as many sessions. The music is consistently excellent (particularly "Juicy Fruit," the lengthy "Blues For Tomorrow" which also features John Coltrane, "Stealin' The Bean" with trumpeter Charlie Shavers and a pair of collaborations with fellow tenor Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis), but it is recommended that listeners (beginners and experts alike) instead acquire the complete sessions, since the blues were only a small aspect of the Coleman Hawkins story. ~Scott Yanow

Blues Wail:Coleman Hawkins Plays The Blues 

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Hope Levy - Menagerie

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:36
Size: 79.2 MB
Styles: Cabaret
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[2:07] 1. No Time For Love
[3:32] 2. Why Does A Dog Have More Rights Than I
[2:52] 3. My Blue Hawaii
[3:22] 4. Party At The Sneaker Store
[3:12] 5. Third Time Around
[2:48] 6. Gingie Boy
[3:22] 7. Blair Witch
[3:07] 8. Georgia O'Keeffe
[3:55] 9. Don't Explain
[2:35] 10. Where Did All The Phone Booths Go
[3:40] 11. 3rd Time Around

Hope Levy is a Los Angeles based Actress & Singer Songwriter. Hope Levy's debut CD, "Menagerie", is a compilation of material she has written including one cover of a Billie Holiday song. Hope's vocal stylings are deeply rooted in cabaret singing and her quirky catchy lyrics and music have similarities to that of Dory Previn, Blossom Deary, Jonathan Richman and Aimee Mann.

Menagerie

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BWB - Groovin'

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:38
Size: 138.8 MB
Styles: Crossover jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[4:45] 1. Groovin'
[4:47] 2. Brown Sugar
[5:44] 3. Ruby Baby
[5:42] 4. A Woman's Worth
[7:26] 5. Hip Hug Her
[6:43] 6. Mercy Mercy Mercy
[7:20] 7. Let's Do It Again
[4:50] 8. It's Your Thing
[7:27] 9. Povo
[5:48] 10. Up for the Down Stroke

This concept sounds like the set-up for a joke: What do you get when you cross three smooth-jazzers with topnotch straight-ahead players? Turns out Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum, and Rick Braun have the last laugh and a damn good time. While they may be three of the most distinct stylists in smooth jazz, they had to turn up the pots to cook with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Keyboardist Ricky Peterson, maybe the funkiest organist in contemporary jazz outside of Larry Goldings, plays a producing role and is probably the MVP of BWB. The players aren't the only stars. The impeccable choice of 10 well-known cover tunes adds to an unapologetically fun record that allows B, W, and B to stretch out much more than they do on other recordings. Braun quotes Freddie Hubbard on "Povo," while Whalum explores Cannonball Adderley on "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," and Brown pays back Wes Montgomery throughout the proceedings. From the sexually charged "Let's Do It Again," featuring a purring Dee Dee Bridgewater and a scatting Brown, to the inspired arrangements of Alicia Keys's "A Woman's Worth" and D'Angelo's "Brown Sugar," there are no holes in any of these grooves. ~Mark Ruffin

Groovin'

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The Cy Coleman Trio - Comin' Home

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:21
Size: 78.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1963/2005
Art: Front

[2:53] 1. But Not For Me
[2:21] 2. Green Dolphin Street
[2:49] 3. Fly Me To The Moon
[2:55] 4. Time After Time
[2:45] 5. Blue Grass Groove
[2:59] 6. Robin Hood
[1:58] 7. Mean To Me
[2:31] 8. For Heaven's Sake
[2:50] 9. Comin' Home Baby
[2:20] 10. There Will Never Be Another You
[2:36] 11. I've Got Your Number
[3:17] 12. Sweet Georgia Brown
[2:01] 13. It's A Wonderful World

Well known today as a composer for the stage, Cy Coleman was once a jazz pianist of some distinction, although he was more a melodic interpreter than a dazzling improviser. This 1963 release is a trio date, with Coleman putting his spin on venerable songs like "Green Dolphin Street" and "There Will Never Be Another You," backed by bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Grady Tate. ~Ron Wynn

Comin' Home

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Steve Turre - The Bones of Art

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:16
Size: 156,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:28)  1. Slides's Ride
(4:21)  2. Blue & Brown
(9:42)  3. Settegast Strut
(5:50)  4. Bird Bones
(8:20)  5. Sunset
(7:07)  6. 4 & 9
(6:02)  7. Fuller Beauty
(6:07)  8. Shorter Bu
(6:46)  9. Julian's Blues
(7:29) 10. Daylight

Steve Turre has made a career out of creating and realizing projects that are firmly grounded in the jazz traditions, even when he's playing his conch shells. The Bones of Art may indeed be a first for jazz. Back in 1954, trombonists J.J. Johnson (Turre's greatest influence on the instrument) and Kai Winding recorded the first of five albums with a bone duo in the frontline. Here, Turre goes one better and features three in the frontline with no other horns. His companions are the last three trombonists to play in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers: Robin Eubanks (on three tracks) Frank Lacy, and Peter Washington (who lay out on one cut each). The rhythm section is comprised of drummer Willie Jones III, pianist Xavier Davis, and bassist Peter Washington. Turre wrote just over half of the tunes here, while his bandmates contributed the remainder. The program is mostly straight-ahead, deeply rooted in blues. Opener "Slide's Ride," with its breezy, yet knotty head and hard-grooving accents, is driving hard bop. Lacy's "Settegast Strut" features Davis' piano prominently; it's a joyful celebration of gospel, bop, and blues.

The use of mutes on the funky soul jazz of Turre's "4 & 9," is contrasted beautifully by Rhodes piano and guest Kenny Davis on electric bass. The are tight melodic turns in the bridge and interludes, but it's a stone groover. Eubanks' "Shorter Bu" is modern post-bop in the intro, but its swing quotient is indomitable as the head opens up. The shimmering, nocturnal blues balladry in "Fuller Beauty" melds everything from cool jazz to Miles' early expressions of modal music in its seductive melody and tapestry of sounds. Closer "Daylight," by Steve Davis, is hard-driving Latin jazz, where everyone solos Turre takes his on the shells, the only place on the set they appear and guest Pedro Martinez plays congas bongos and campana; everyone pushes double time to send this one off on a way-up note. The Bones of Art might have been stilted or even gimmicky by a lesser musician, but in Turre's imagination and discipline, it becomes a welcome extension of the tradition; it's a reminder that there is still so much from the past that can and should inform the future. Dynamite! ~ Thom Jurek  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-bones-of-art-mw0002556446

Personnel: Steve Turre (trombone); Xavier Davis (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Willie Jones III (drums).

The Bones of Art

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Rachel Holder & Dan Musselman - Save Your Love for Me

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:00
Size: 127,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. Save Your Love for Me
(3:36)  2. Deed I Do
(4:19)  3. Angel Eyes
(5:49)  4. Georgia
(3:19)  5. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To
(3:36)  6. Baby, Baby All the Time
(4:06)  7. The More I See You
(4:25)  8. It's Alright With Me
(4:04)  9. But Not for Me
(5:34) 10. It Never Entered My Mind
(4:26) 11. Ain't Misbehavin'
(6:24) 12. Over the Rainbow

Rachel Holder and Dan Musselman’s new album, Save Your Love for Me, is one to remember. These two young musicians teamed up to create a stunning and creative album that is sure to delight any listener. Although they are fresh out of college, both Rachel and Dan are professional musicians in Minneapolis, performing as though they are twice their age. In addition to working with Dan, Rachel has worked with extremely well regarded musicians including: Clay Moore, Tanner Taylor, Michael Pilhofer, Gordy Knutson, Lori Dokken, Jay Young, Jay Epstein, Terry Burns, Greg Schutte, and Rick Carlson as well as groups such as Urban Stride, The Girls, The Jazz MN Big Band, The Clay Moore Trio, and the Frontera Jazz Quartet. Rachel is a first call vocalist in the Twin Cities and is quickly on her way up.

Dan certainly has an impressive resume as well. He studied with jazz legends Craig Taborn (pianist for Chris Potter) and Kenny Werner (author of Effortless Mastery) and has been a featured artist in Jazziz Magazine. In addition to appearing on many albums, he recently released his own solo album, Ruminations. Whether working with vocalists or instrumentalists, Dan adds just the right touch and energy to any musical situation. This album is a perfect representation two bright and on the rise stars in Minneapolis. Save Your Love For Me will immediately grab your attention as one of the best jazz recordings of 2009.  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/holdermusselman

Save Your Love for Me

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