Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Boogie Woogie String Along For Real

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 44:42

Size: 102.3 MB

Styles: Hard bop

Year: 1977/2006

Art: Front

[8:52] 1. Boogie Woogie String Along For Real

[1:47] 2. I Loves You, Porgy

[7:17] 3. Make Me A Pallet On The Floor

[5:05] 4. Hey Babehips

[6:14] 5. In A Mellow Tone

[1:38] 6. Summertime

[7:11] 7. Dorthaan's Walk

[6:34] 8. The Watergate Blues

The final album Rahsaan Roland Kirk ever recorded remains one of his finest. Post-stroke, Kirk struggled with his conception of the music he was trying to make. Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real is the payoff. The title track features strings playing distended harmonics over his blowing and the backing of a guttersnipe rhythm section and a full-blown horn section -- including a very young trombonist named Steve Turre -- behind him. From here, Kirk works veritable magic with the material of the age, swimming deeply in the blues that Gershwin didn't know he had in "I Loves You Porgy," getting an aging Tiny Grimes to wail his guitar-playing ass off on "Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor," and then flowing elegantly on Ellington's "In a Mellow Tone" and Gershwin's "Summertime." It's almost too much to bear as the emotions come falling from the horn and the rhythm section tries to keep them balanced, but the heartbreak and joy are everywhere. When Kirk closes the disc with his own stomping hard-swing R&B of "Dorthaan's Walk" (dedicated to his wife) and takes it out with Percy Heath's "Watergate Blues," he closes the circle. With Hilton Ruiz playing a deep-grooved Latin funk against Kirk's harmonica and alto, Heath playing cello, and Turre opening up a huge space of feeling behind the front line as Sonny Brown and Phil Bowler keep it all in check on drums and bass respectively, Kirk sums it all up in his alto solo.

There is so much sadness, betrayal, pain, and resolve in his lines that the rules of Western music no longer apply. The all-inclusive vision Kirk has of a music embraces all emotions and attitudes and leaves no one outside the door. This is Kirk's Black Classical Music, and it is fully realized on this final track and album. ~Thom Jurek

Boogie Woogie String Along For Real 

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Toots Lorraine - Make It Easy

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:16
Size: 129,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:07)  1. Make It Easy
(6:45)  2. When Did You Stop Tryin'
(3:11)  3. Let Your Tears Fall Baby
(5:38)  4. Get Back to Lovin'
(3:48)  5. Satisfied
(4:18)  6. Wade In The Water
(4:00)  7. Built For Comfort
(5:34)  8. Wrong Side of Love
(4:15)  9. Chad Mo Shuffle
(3:16) 10. Low Down Dog
(6:01) 11. Hindsight
(4:18) 12. Love the World

Firstly, who can possibly deny the name "Toots Lorraine?" That name is to the barrelhouse music on Make It Easy as Harmon Killebrew or Dizzy Dean are to baseball. So what's in this name, Toots Lorraine? Well, that's where things expand. Along with husband, guitarist and co-leader of The Traffic, Chad Dent, Lorraine is a potent powerhouse of blues and jump conscience. Collectively, the band is fluent in several blues-related styles largely due to the presence of harmonica player Aki Kumar and keyboard specialist Lorenzo Farrell. Lorraine opens the disc with the title tune, a West coast jump tune propelled by the overdriven-chromatic harp of Kumar. Here Kumar takes the language of Marion Walter Jacobs and builds upon it, perfecting Little Walter's attempts to emulate a saxophone on the harmonica. 

His solo is muscular and full-throated: a harmony-driven juggernaut. Kumar retains the tone for "When Did You Stop Tryin'" and evokes with pianist Farrell, a Muddy Waters' vibe when Otis Spann occupied the piano bench. On "Get Back to Lovin'" Chad Dent plays his best Hubert Sumlin, playing with a wide-open, deeply reverbed overdrive. His solo comes from deep in the Chicago flood. Lorraine spins a bit of gospel covering "Wade in the Water" following that bit of the sacred with Willie Dixon's profane "Built for Comfort" (written for Howlin' Wolf). This is Lorraine's most potent and seamless vocals. Lorraine closes the disc with a Jimmy Vaughan tune, "Love the World," bringing her message of the blues right up to the present day. ~ C.Michael Bailey  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/make-it-easy-toots-lorraine-greaseland-records-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php
 

Personnel: Toots Lorraine: vocals; Chad Dant: guitar, vocals (6); Lorenzo Farrell: keyboards; Mike Phillips: bass; June Core: drums and percussion; Aki Kumar: harmonica; Chris Anderson: guitar (5, 12), vocals (6), bass (12), piano (11).

Make It Easy

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Clark Terry - The Chicago Sessions

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:38
Size: 144,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:19)  1. Just Squeeze Me
(5:33)  2. C.T.'s Express
(6:49)  3. The Star-Crossed Lovers
(4:16)  4. Jessica's Day
(3:29)  5. Harlem Airshaft
(4:58)  6. Swinging the blues
(4:53)  7. Do Nothing til' You Hear From Me
(4:34)  8. I Want a Little Girl
(4:46)  9. Easy Does It
(4:37) 10. Launching Pad
(3:23) 11. Cotton Tail
(4:30) 12. Moten Swing
(6:24) 13. Something To Live For

Recorded during the mid-'90s, The Chicago Sessions features legendary trumpeter Clark Terry performing with the Depaul University Big Band under the direction of trumpeter Bob Lark. Compiled out of two hard to-find recordings, this is '50s and '60s style big-band bop that should appeal to fans of straight-ahead jazz. 

Terry sounds in fine form throughout and it is a joy to hear him showcased within such a large and crisply swinging ensemble. ~ Matt Collar  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-chicago-sessions-mw0000484321

Personnel: Steve Jacobson (guitar); Frank Wess, Tim McNamara (flute); Doug Angelaccio, Matthew Dethrow, Dave Hutten, Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone); Rob Denty, Jason Cates, Robert Gardiner (tenor saxophone); Jeff Erikson, Kevin Pike (baritone saxophone); Jason Petti, Matt Lewis , Kirk Garrison (trumpet); Gil Wukitsch, Eric Nelson, Jason Aspinwall, Vance Thompson, Bob Lark (flugelhorn); Troy Anderson, Greg Sunken, Thomas Michaud, Tom Hanton, Steve Bradley, Brian Culbertson (trombone); Michael Stryker (piano); Sharay Reed (bass guitar); James Ward, Tom Hipskind, Bob Rummage (drums); James Ward, Jr. (percussion)

The Chicago Sessions

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Sonny Rollins - Moving Out

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:23
Size: 72,2 MB
Art: Front

( 4:27)  1. Moving Out
( 5:44)  2. Swingin' For Bumsy
( 3:57)  3. Silk 'N' Satin
( 6:24)  4. Solid
(10:50)  5. More Than You Know

The collaborations between Sonny Rollins and any given trumpet player were few and far between, but they did include such notables as Miles Davis, Don Cherry, Clifford Brown, and in this case, his first tandem partnership with Kenny Dorham. At the time, both of them were also members of the Max Roach Quintet, and thus quite familiar with each other's strengths. Add to the mix drummer Art Blakey, bassist Percy Heath, and emerging modern jazz pianist Elmo Hope, and this shapes up to be one of the more potent combos of 1954. It's pretty straightforward music featuring Rollins, with little involvement from Dorham except solos. The fast title track, based on the changes of "Donna Lee" or "Indiana," has the briefest melody line before Rollins leaps into eighth-note madness, while the very fleet "Swingin' for Bumsy" does the same, repeating the slimmest phrase three times. 

An all-time classic, "Solid" does have the two horns together, playing an established, bluesy unison thought, a beauty in economy, while the obligatory ballad "Silk 'n' Satin" is all Rollins wrapped in a fabric of sheen and softness. There's one track that features an entirely different band for some reason, as "More Than You Know" encompasses a full 11 minutes of this program, which in total is just shy of 32 minutes. This unmistakable melody is enveloped by Rollins and Thelonious Monk, with bassist Tommy Potter and drummer Art Taylor in support for a tune that is unlike the others in style and texture. Moving Out contains some fine music, especially for the time period. ~ Michael G.Nastos  http://www.allmusic.com/album/moving-out-mw0000192402

Personnel: Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone); Kenny Dorham (trumpet); Elmo Hope, Thelonious Monk (piano); Percy Heath, Tommy Potter (bass); Art Blakey, Arthur Taylor (drums).

Moving Out

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Elliott Murphy - Night Lights

Styles: Vocal, Pop/Rock
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:45
Size: 157,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:55)  1. Diamonds By The Yard
(5:13)  2. Deco Dance
(3:22)  3. Rich Girls
(4:32)  4. Abraham Lincoln Continental
(4:55)  5. Isadora's Dancers
(4:18)  6. You'll Never Know What You're In For
(4:11)  7. Lady Stilletto
(3:46)  8. Lookin' For A Hero
(2:48)  9. Never As Old As You
(3:01) 10. Night Connection
(3:16) 11. Wha-d-ya-know
(4:00) 12. Drowning
(2:37) 13. Razor Love
(2:57) 14. Everything A Boy Should Know
(1:27) 15. From 20th Century City
(3:29) 16. Deco Dance
(3:13) 17. What's The Matter
(2:02) 18. Rich Girls
(2:35) 19. Fan Mail

Elliott Murphy returned to recording in New York City for his third album, emphasizing the point by posing for the cover in the middle of 42nd Street. Enlisting producer Steve Katz, who had handled the last three Lou Reed albums, Murphy fronted a studio band including former Velvet Underground singer/guitarist Doug Yule and former Modern Lovers Ernie Brooks (bass) and Jerry Harrison (keyboards), who was soon to join Talking Heads. They gave Murphy a more contemporary and diverse rock sound, further distinguished from the first two albums by Murphy's development into a more expressive singer. He had even cut back on the referential nature of his lyrics, relying instead on clever wordplay and evocative free association, though he was still capable of throwing out lines like "Just a ballad of a thin girl," dangerous stuff for anyone who had been tagged a "new Dylan." For the most part, though, Night Lights showed Murphy to be moving beyond his obvious influences, even if his lyrics sometimes seemed in need of a sharper focus. [BMG Japan's 2008 edition included ten bonus tracks.] ~ William Ruhlmann  http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/night-lights-japan-bonus-tracks-mr0002644154

Night Lights

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Elliott Murphy - Lost Generation

Styles: Vocal, Pop/Rock
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:58
Size: 84,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:56)  1. Hollywood
(3:31)  2. A Touch of Mercy
(3:05)  3. History
(2:57)  4. When You Ride
(4:05)  5. Bittersweet
(4:38)  6. Lost Generation
(4:03)  7. Manhattan Rock
(3:44)  8. Visions of the Night
(3:42)  9. Lookin' Back
(3:13) 10. Visions of the Night

After his debut album, Aquashow, proved a critical success and a commercial failure, Elliott Murphy switched from Polydor to RCA for Lost Generation, on which Doors producer Paul A. Rothchild and a group of L.A. session musicians gave him a better sound, while his songs seemed like outtakes from the first record. Again, Murphy was endlessly referential, name-checking everyone from Andy Warhol to Ezra Pound, mixing a contemporary New York City milieu with literary, cinematic, musical, and historical allusions in his sometimes whiney sawdust tenor while the band made like Blonde on Blonde. It was the same set of elements that had made Aquashow such a delight, but they weren't blended quite as well this time. Nevertheless, Murphy remained an intriguing songwriter with a nervy cultural sense, and his future seemed promising. 

~ William Ruhlmann  http://www.allmusic.com/album/lost-generation-mw0000839674

Lost Generation

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Debbie Kirkland - In Session

Size: 113,8 MB
Time: 48:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997/2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Forbidden Fruit (4:01)
02. In The Thick Of It (4:02)
03. Waiting On You (5:34)
04. Who (7:49)
05. Badembe' (5:26)
06. Can We Still Be Friends (6:00)
07. Couldn't You Read My Mind (3:57)
08. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most (6:38)
09. Pain Management (5:29)

Jazz singer Debbie Kirkland began singing as a child and attended the Duke Ellington School of Performing Arts in DC, where one of her classmates was future opera diva Deniece Graves. During her late teens, Kirkland spent a summer performing in a street theater program. While in college, one of Kirkland's favorite nightspots was Charlie's, a Georgetown jazz club whose stage hosted Rosemary Clooney, George Shearing, Mel Tormé and Nancy Wilson. One night at Charlie's, Wilson was introduced to Kirkland by D.C. jazz guitarist Bill Harris. The jazz legend became one of Kirkland's most ardent supporters. Graduating from the University of Maryland with a bachelor's degree (music in vocal performance), Kirkland joined a band and began touring Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. While in Italy, Kirkland was hired by an American composer to sing on the commercial jingles that he produced. One of the projects, a cover of "America the Beautiful," received a Dove/Steller Award nomination.

Her 1997 debut album Debbie Kirkland in Session is a collection of inventively arranged acoustic jazz. The album's first single, the lilting, ethereal "Who," was played on urban adult and contemporary jazz stations around the country. The Washington, D.C., native has shared the stage with George Duke, Lonnie Liston Smith, Jack McDuff, and Sonny Stitt. She's also appeared on Black Entertainment Television's BET on Jazz and performed at the prestigious Capitol Jazz Fest at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbus, MD.

In Session

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Stephen Haynes - Pomegranate

Size: 137,9 MB
Time: 59:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Sillage ( 6:08)
02. Mangui Fii Reek (I Am Still Here) ( 9:37)
03. Pomegranate (10:13)
04. Becoming (17:11)
05. Crepuscular ( 7:13)
06. Odysseus (Lashed To The Mast) ( 9:08)

New Atlantis Records is honored to present Pomegranate, a new offering from cornetist Stephen Haynes. This quintet is an extension of Haynes’ lauded trio, Parrhesia, with guitarist Joe Morris and percussionist Warren Smith augmented by bassist William Parker and tubaist Ben Stapp. Pomegranate was conceived as a posthumous dedication to the monumental spirit and influence of trumpeter Bill Dixon, Haynes’ longtime (40 years) mentor and collaborator. Bill Dixon left specific instructions with regards to tributes... “If you want to pay tribute to me, you should (be) do (ing) your own work. If you have really paid attention to me, then you will understand that.”

From Dixon, Haynes learned much, beginning with how to play the trumpet based upon Dixon’s unique technique; unquestionably a moving target, across the years. Haynes had his last lesson with Dixon in 2010, three weeks before his passing. Dixon was a model organizer in the music, and Haynes has picked up and carried Dixon’s commitment to redefining artists’ working conditions through an emphasis on community and local work.

Pomegranate is fundamentally refreshing listening, deeply imbued with the free-ranging, iconoclastic spirit inherent to Haynes’ work - a sensibility/aesthetic central to Dixon’s oeuvre. The sound of the ensemble is devoid of the typical trappings of style and genre and defies easy categorization. A bracing, percolating rhythmic foundation shifts like tectonic plates, transmuting, in constant motion; gradually, climactically rumbling into periods of wonderfully rollicking intensity. Haynes’ partnership with Joe Morris - musically, and as co-curators of the long-running Improvisations concert series in Hartford, CT where Haynes lives and works - is a steady, grounding singularity throughout the music. The two knit and unfold a rich, endlessly transmuting lexicon, each somehow furthering the expressive orbit of the other in equal measure.

Bill Dixon loved the low end, and he would have dug this instrumentation. It is worth noting that a key part of making the music work – the orchestration, a la Ellington – is in the selection of players. Who is playing the instrument is, perhaps, more important than the instrument itself. This is a stellar ensemble, and the results are alternately propulsive and contemplative, angular and lyrical. The unit finds its footing from the outset, realizing a dynamic, bracing new aesthetic in Free Music.

Pomegranate

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Bill Liggett & Ruddy Nickel - North On 51

Size: 105,5 MB
Time: 45:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Blues/Folk/Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Big Things (4:15)
02. House Of Cards (4:55)
03. Lessons Learned (4:47)
04. North On 51 (4:08)
05. I'll Be Gone (4:52)
06. Living This Dream (4:43)
07. Let Me Down Easy (3:58)
08. Sailed That Sea (5:16)
09. Wedding In June (4:30)
10. One Good Metaphor (3:38)

Jazzed Up Blues with a twinge of Folkyness.

Bill Liggett and Ruddy Nickel is the result of a live studio recording session at "Chris Sipos Music Studio" in the Chicago area, consisting of Bill Liggett ( guitar and vocals ) Rick Ledgerwood ( Bass ) and Larry Sell ( Harmonica ) This recording was made in Sept of 2014 while the band Ruddy Nickel was still with their drummer Kevin Lingin, but does not include Kevin on the recording. At the time they were in rehersal for many months and gigging sporadically. Life pressures saw the group slowly drift apart and currently Bill and Larry mostly play shows as a duo.

The songs are all Bill Liggett originals with significant artistic input from the band members. This particular session started as " Lets get the show on the road and record our demo so we can start knocking on doors and booking some gigs ". Then it became " well , lets just all mic up and see if we cant pull off some decent live takes and save ourselves some time and money ". We figured that it would be fine because what we really wanted was an accurate representation of our live sound, sort of , what you hear is what you get.... you like , you buy.

Many other tracks were recorded that day... some tracks were covers and others were originals with takes we didnt feel made the grade.

The title " North on 51 " came about when Larry asked his daughter Deanna if she would please do the art for the eventual CD cover. OR... she might have just came out and offered to do it on her own.. I'll have to ask Larry.. anyhow ,SHE picked the title track AND theme. The song is about " Going up north and fishin and stuff ". Hence the rare and beautiful fish.

This is the first official release of Bills original songs. Being quite prolific , Bill has a huge catalog of songs yet to be recorded . Plenty more songs in this genre ( which is pretty hard to pinpoint ) which he calls the " Make em drink " genre, songs written specifically for a certian kind of targeted venue. Mostly drinkin and eatin establishments. Many more in different genres such as Quasi classical instrumentals , Americana , Folk songs and " Other ".

Bill and Larry have plans to do another CD of " Real Mellow " stuff... so , the faster this one sells , the sooner they can finance it. ( Wink )

Oh, yeah , the band name , " Ruddy Nickel " is a reference from one of Bills songs entitled " Endless Hourderves " ( Spelling... sue me ) which is not on this CD. It goes something like this ,." Down to my last Ruddy Nickel, Glad I dont smoke cigarettes...." so on and so forth " Endless Hourderves and drinks to calm your nerves , sunday morning cocktails on the beach "..

You Know the rest....

North On 51

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Mezcolanza - Headbanger

Size: 124,6 MB
Time: 53:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Afro Cuban Jazz, Latin Jazz
Art: Front

01. Headbanger (5:04)
02. Wise Guy (5:32)
03. Brute (4:49)
04. The Road We Walk Again (6:56)
05. One Note Boogaloo (4:31)
06. Pal Monte (6:31)
07. Bra-Dap (4:51)
08. Circuit (4:44)
09. Why You (4:44)
10. The Chili Peppers (5:46)

Mezcolanza is here to stay! On their debut album called ‘Headbanger’, the band takes the listener into a deep-rooted musical tradition of catchy jazz-melodies and afro cuban rhythms. The craftsmanship and musical ingenuity of keyboardist Peter Wenk (and associates) gives this record memorable melodies, depth and a danceable feel. Since its birth, the band has experienced a growing maturity and their group dynamics have become noticeably strong. This all comes together in the recordings sessions that Mescolanza did in November 2014 for O.A.P. Records. Interesting detail: percussionist Gerardo Rosales recently received a Grammy for his percussion work for various studio sessions in the USA. His contribution to 'Headbanger' is therefore a sign that Mezcolanza is an act to reckon with!

Line-up:
Peter Wenk - Piano/Keyboard
Christof May - Sax/Clarinet/Sound effects
Gerardo Rosales - Congas/Percussion
Mick Paauwe - Bass
David Barker - Drums

Headbanger

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Budd Johnson - Mr. Bechet

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:49
Size: 100.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:30] 1. Mr. Bechet
[4:54] 2. Am I Waisting My Time
[9:02] 3. The Dirty Old Man
[5:56] 4. Linger Awhile
[9:49] 5. Blues For Sale
[4:54] 6. Gone With The Wind
[4:41] 7. If You Were Mine

Budd Johnson didn't do much recording as a leader, so this French studio date is particularly valuable. He's reunited with Earl Hines, with whom he played during three stints between 1932-1942; they're joined by drummer Panama Francis and bassist Jimmy Leary. The title track is an original tribute to the king of soprano saxophonists, though it was his second instrument, Johnson delivers a powerful solo with his own unique tone. He's back to tenor sax for the bluesy "Am I Wasting My Time?" and clearly enjoys himself on Hines' romping "Linger Awhile." Like all of Budd Johnson's releases, this CD is strongly recommended. ~Ken Dryden

Mr. Bechet

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Josephine Biundo - Let There Be Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:30
Size: 106.5 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:12] 1. Meglio Stasera (It Had Better Be Tonight)
[3:22] 2. My Darling Daughter
[3:53] 3. Let There Be Love
[4:08] 4. To Love Somebody (Cosi Ti Amo)
[4:01] 5. Adesso Mi Trovo
[3:12] 6. Lover Come Back
[4:28] 7. Bei Mir Bist Du Schon
[3:59] 8. Io Non Ti Penso Piu
[4:16] 9. Teach Me Tonight
[3:34] 10. Who Will I Love Today
[3:54] 11. Time To Say Goodbye
[3:26] 12. Evil Gal Blues

In case her effervescent personality doesn’t make it perfectly obvious, singer Josephine Biundo wants to assure you that that she’s a born entertainer. “I’m naturally very much a people person,” she says divulging a trait that has stood out like an exclamation point since childhood. “I’d always sing and dance at family gatherings at a very young age.” (And like any up-and-coming young musician, she admits debt to her supportive family, who never complain about the noise.) Biundo has since emerged as a passionate singer and heartfelt singer/songwriter who’s as serious about her craft as she is about the joy of singing.

A 20-year-old former honours student at Mohawk College’s jazz music program, she has won numerous songwriting competitions over the past several years. Her proudest is an International win, first runner up in an original song competition at the International Festival of Napoli.

Studying under some of the top vocal coaches in Canada has given her a range and versatility that has served her well. Playing in diverse settings has also strengthened her chops. In April, she took part in the Hamilton All Star Jazz Band’s recreation of Duke Ellington’s 1954 Hamilton Forum Concert. But you might just as easily catch her in a classical setting, singing standards at a wedding, fronting a rock/R&B five piece band Stella or playing an intimate acoustic gig. Discipline, she says, is everything. “It’ like training to run a marathon,” she explains, nothing that her work as a vocal instructor at the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts and Binbrook’s Broadway Bound Studio helps keep her voice in shape.

Let There Be Love

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Booker Little - Bee Tee's Minor Plea

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:57
Size: 80,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:38)  1. Opening Statement
(5:36)  2. Minor Sweet
(5:36)  3. Bee Tee's Minor Plea
(6:48)  4. Life's A Little Blue
(4:53)  5. Grand Valse
(5:23)  6. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)

Trumpeter Booker Little's second session as a leader (there would only be four) is a quartet outing (with Wynton Kelly on piano, bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Roy Haynes) that puts the emphasis on relaxed tempoes. Little's immediately recognizable melancholy sound and lyrical style are heard in top form on "Who Can I Turn To" and five of his originals, some of which deserve to be revived. His jazz waltz "The Grand Valse" (inspired by Sonny Rollins' "Valse Hot") is a highpoint of this set which has been reissued by Bainbridge/Time on CD. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/booker-little-mw0000313900

Personnel: Booker Little (trumpet), Wynton Kelly (piano), Scott LaFaro (bass), Roy Haynes (drums)

Bee Tee's Minor Plea

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Abbie Gardner - Hope

Styles: Vocal, Folk
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:17
Size: 83,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:09)  1. Break it Slow
(3:27)  2. Liar
(3:06)  3. Comes Love
(3:22)  4. I Can't Be Good for You
(4:38)  5. Hope
(3:11)  6. It's You
(2:32)  7. Bang Bang
(1:58)  8. Do It (feat. Craig Akin)
(2:59)  9. Nellie
(3:31) 10. Walkin' Cane
(3:19) 11. Too Soon

Coming five years and three Red Molly albums after her last solo CD, Hope is Abbie Gardner's latest solo recording- set to be released on April 1, 2011. The CD features her versatile voice backed by 3 types of slide guitar (dobro, lap steel, and National bottleneck) and a band comprised of not only her father, Herb Gardner (piano), but also her sister, Sarah Gardner, on organ. Ben Wittman (the drummer on Red Molly's James) locks in with upright bassist Craig Akin, who is featured on the first instrumental Abbie has ever recorded (a bass and dobro duet). The songs range from heartache to hope, from gritty lap steel to singing cellos, courtesy of Emily Hope Price. Folk sweetheart Robby Hecht lends his voice to three tracks and fellow member of Red Molly, Laurie MacAllister, is heard throughout. Longtime friends and collaborators Fred Gillen, Jr. and Beaucoup Blue also lend their voices.

"I feel like the songs revolve around Hope, both the song and the idea. Rather than having all hopeful songs, this CD reflects the glimmer of hope we all look for when in the midst of darkness."~ Abbie Gardner, talking about her new solo CD Hope.

"Abbie Gardner shows her prodigious writing chops in her new album, Hope. Tales of love and loss, both gritty and sweet, ride the back of her by-now familiar, formidable slide guitar licks. She channels Lucinda and Bonnie, but remains pure Abbie." ~  Richard Cuccaro, Publisher, Acoustic Live

"Abbie Gardner gives the grit to Red Molly with her Dobro playing. On her new solo CD we get to hear not only her instrumental and songwriting prowess, but her marvelously versatile voice, which can convey pain or playfulness or pure bad girl blues power."~ John Platt, WFUV   http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/abbiegardner7

Hope

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Benny Green - Source

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:30
Size: 122,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:08)  1. Blue Minor
(4:07)  2. Way 'Cross Town
(6:49)  3. I Waited For You
(4:47)  4. Little T
(6:05)  5. Cool Green
(3:32)  6. Tempus Fugit
(6:30)  7. Park Avenue Petite
(5:30)  8. Chant
(6:32)  9. Born To Be Blue
(4:26) 10. Opus De Funk

Pianist Benny Green has not been in the studio leading a recording date since his collaboration with Russell Malone, Bluebird (Telarc, 2004). Far from stagnating, Green has most recently been found providing support on recordings like Hilary Kole's You Are There (Justin Time, 2010), Kenny Burrell's Be Yourself (HighNote , 2010) and Anat Cohen's Clarinetworks: Live at the Village Vanguard. All this adds up to his attractiveness to Jazz Legacy Productions, a label that specializes in recording those artists without contract, or who are under-recorded. For this date, Green is joined by bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington - Vocals. Both Washingtons had previously recorded with Green, but not together. Recently, the trio performed together in Japan, Kenny Washington convincing Green to pursue the working chemistry of the trio. Source is the result of that working chemistry. Green decided on a play list that included compositions from many of the finest bebop and hard bop pianists, among them Bud Powell ("Tempus Fugit"), Sonny Clark ("Blue Minor"), Horace Silver ("Opus de Funk") and Kenny Drew ("Cool Green"). Green also pays and plays homage to trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie ("I Waited for You") and Donald Byrd ("Little T"). 

Conspicuously absent from Green influences is former employer Ray Brown, with whom Green recorded in the middle-to-late 1990s. Brown's "Dejection Blues" would have gone far for Green. Green's playing is exact and exemplary. He plays and solos precisely, as do the Washingtons, when called upon. This disc displays the art of the piano trio as it lies somewhere between the bandstand and the stage. It is not played so reverently to be consigned to a museum gathering dust but is played reverently enough to pay proper homage to those composers it represents. ~ C.Michael Bailey http://www.allaboutjazz.com/source-benny-green-jazz-legacy-productions-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php
 

Personnel: Benny Green: piano; Peter Washington: bass; Kenny Washington: drums.

Source

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Roz Corral - Telling Tales

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:49
Size: 125.5 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:17] 1. Too Close For Comfort
[5:04] 2. Wheelers And Dealers
[4:35] 3. Little Girl Blue
[4:38] 4. I'll Never Be The Same
[5:10] 5. Anyone Can Whistle
[5:13] 6. Let's Face The Music And Dance
[3:20] 7. I've Got No Strings
[6:11] 8. Change Partners
[5:58] 9. Out Of This World
[5:33] 10. Say It Ain't So
[3:46] 11. Something's Gotta Give

Roz Corral, vocals; Bruce Barth, piano; Larry Grenadier, bass; Jeff Ballard, drums; John Hart, guitar; Steve Wilson, alto saxophone and clarinet; Steve Davis, trombone.

Post-bop and vocal fans both have a reason to check out Roz Corral's debut album, Telling Tales, an impeccable presentation of a seasoned, confident voice singing well-written, enjoyable tunes with a swingin', modernist combo.

Arranger, singer, and musicians alike rarely give such attention to lyrics. This is the beauty of Telling Tales. The album tells a sort of musical story that is richly illustrated and comes full-circle emotionally—up, down, around, and finishing upbeat again. The icing on the cake is Roz Corral's voice; with distinctive timbre that isn't too much, and a delivery that's right-on with each and every note. ~Paul Lewis

Telling Tales

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Joey DeFrancesco - All Or Nothing At All

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:33
Size: 120.3 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Soul jazz
Year: 1998/2006
Art: Front

[6:48] 1. All Or Nothing At All
[5:46] 2. I Concentrate On You
[6:28] 3. Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)
[5:12] 4. Yes Or No
[8:36] 5. Young Love
[7:54] 6. On The Street Where You Live
[5:29] 7. I'm Confessin'
[6:17] 8. Cobalt Blue

Recorded Jan. 7th 1996 at Big Mo Recording Studios, Kensington MD Personnel: Producers: Ed Eastridge/ Joey DeFrancesco Joey DeFrancesco Hammond B-3, Wurlitzer Electric Piano Paul Bollenback Guitar Byron Landham Drums Engineers: Ed Eastridge/ Kevin Wait Mastered by Bill Wolf at Wolf Productions.

Joey DeFrancesco’s emergence in the 1980s marked the onset of a musical renaissance. Organ jazz had been a form of music that literally went into hibernation from the mid-seventies to the mid-eighties largely because of the introduction of high-tech, light-weight keyboards. It was Joey, however, that ignited the flame once again with the sound of his vintage Hammond organ and Leslie tone cabinet. He not only illuminated this once dormant music form but brought back the many proponents of jazz organ who had been shuffled by record producers and club owners to lesser roles within the music industry. Befriending and supporting those who preceded him, Joey became the new-age proponent of an instrument that had been pushed aside in favor of the growing technology.

Considered a child prodigy, Joey remembers as far back as age four, playing jazz tunes modeled by his father, Papa John DeFrancesco and memorizing music from the many jazz albums in their home. Papa John, a jazz organist himself, took young Joey under his wing and nurtured his rapidly developing skills, bringing Joey along with him to gigs, Joey would sit-in with as many seasoned Philadelphia musicians who were around. Legendary players like tenor saxophonist, Hank Mobley, or drummer, Philly Joe Jones, would soon become aware of young Joey DeFrancesco and acknowledge his enthusiasm. Joey’s grandfather and namesake, Joseph DeFrancesco, was the patriarch and, himself, a musician’s musician; able to pick up a new instrument and teach himself to play. This gift was passed down to young Joey and now manifests itself in Joey’s extraordinary keyboard skills; piano playing; and organ wizardry.

All Or Nothing At All

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Alex Sipiagin - Generations: Dedicated To Woody Shaw

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:14
Size: 154,3 MB
Art: Front

(8:41)  1. Greenwood I
(5:48)  2. Obsequious
(5:49)  3. Cassandranite
(7:33)  4. Beyond All Limits
(8:35)  5. Windy Bahn
(7:11)  6. Katrina Ballerina
(7:12)  7. Chance
(8:13)  8. Blues For Wood
(8:07)  9. Greenwood II

Alex Sipiagin pays it forward with his eighth Criss Cross release, Generations, dedicated to the late Woody Shaw, a lesser celebrated but brilliant trumpeter who performed with artists including Anthony Braxton, Chick Corea, Eric Dolphy, Andrew Hill. A fiery stylist with perfect pitch and lyricism, Shaw was admired by peers and emulated by up-and-comers as Sipiagin confirms, "Even now, many years later, every time I listen to Woody, I always find something new and inspiring." Sipiagin is also a stylist himself; an exceptional player and leader whose clarion horn has been called upon by bassist Dave Holland and saxophonist Michael Brecker. The trumpeter's band members are also leaders who have appeared on many of his releases, and were all members of various Brecker groups over the years, including the rhythmic underpinning of bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Antonio Sanchez. 

Adam Rogers, another leader in his own right, is the perfect complement to Sipiagin's warm tonality; a guitarist who continues to unveil his superlative skills on the similarly themed Due Reverence (Posi-Tone, 2010), saxophonist Ralph Bowen's tribute to other lesser-known but influential musicians. The trumpeter's group is convincing, with a persuasive mix of fresh Sipiagin originals and Shaw reworks that are pristine reflections and contrasts of both musicians. Rogers cooks up a funky riff throughout Sipiagin's "Greenwood I" and "Greenwood II" (an alternate take and a nod to older recordings), as the trumpeter throws down melodic notes with cool precision, shifting between multiple changes of swing. "Windy Bahn" is another original, initially sketched on the trumpeter's computer, a composition that features jagged tempo changes. The spirit of the great B3 organist Larry Young, with whom Shaw frequently performed, looms on three tracks Young's "Obsequious," as well as Shaw's "Cassandranite" and "Beyond All Limits." 

They're perfect examples of the elders' progressive ideas in structure and harmony, along with the keen arrangements with which Sipiagin highlights each musician the trumpeter's lucidity, Sanchez's detailed traps, Kozlov's meaty yet lithesome fingerings, and Rogers' liquid maneuvers. Referencing Shaw's biography and Sipiagin's liner notes, some historical points concerning these jazz musicians is noteworthy: First, Shaw felt an immediate connection to another forerunner, trumpeter Clifford Brown, who died in June 1956, the same month and year he started playing. Second, the first time Sipiagin heard Shaw was around 1985, while studying in Russia; four years before Shaw's untimely passing in 1989. From one impactful connection to the next; the music continues its vitality. ~ Mark F.Turner  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/generations-alex-sipiagin-criss-cross-review-by-mark-f-turner.php
 

Personnel: Alex Sipiagin: trumpet, flugelhorn; Adam Rogers: guitar; Boris Kozlov: bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums.

Generations: Dedicated To Woody Shaw

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Art Farmer - Silk Road

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:19
Size: 126,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:36)  1. Tonk
(8:22)  2. Ancient Evening
(5:34)  3. Stardust
(7:30)  4. Dance Of The One
(5:48)  5. Silk Road (Dedicated to D. Brown)
(6:57)  6. Flashback
(7:48)  7. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(6:41)  8. Coming Home

Art Farmer has long been one of the most consistent of all brassmen. Playing the flumpet (which is a cross between a trumpet and a flugelhorn), Farmer is heard throughout this 1996 set in top form. He utilizes two complementary young tenor saxophonists (Ron Blake and Don Braden), a skilled pianist-arranger (Geoff Keezer), bassist Kenny Davis, and drummer Carl Allen. The repertoire consists of an original apiece by Farmer, Braden, and Davis, two by Keezer, Ray Bryant's memorable "Tonk," Duke Ellington's "I Let a Song Go out of My Heart," and a slightly altered rendition of "Stardust." 

While his sidemen play quite well, the warm-toned and swinging Farmer is consistently the main star, and at age 68 he proves to still be in his prime. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/silk-road-mw0000058233

Personnel:  Art Farmer – trumpet/flugelhorn;  Ron Blake – soprano tenor saxes;  Don Braden – soprano tenor saxes;  Geoff Keezer – piano;  Kenny Davis – bass;  Carl Allen - drums

Silk Road

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Auction Project - Slink

Styles: Mainstream Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:40
Size: 166,6 MB
Art: Front

(8:28)  1. Bear Island Reel
(8:28)  2. Cleveland
(8:35)  3. Slink
(8:43)  4. Richie Dwyer's Reel
(8:20)  5. The Wind That Shakes The Barley
(8:37)  6. Heron's Egg
(7:00)  7. Marquis Of Huntley
(9:01)  8. Angry White Man
(5:23)  9. Workmanship (Air)

It’s jazz, but then it’s something else. Slink (David Bixler, 2014) is a collection of nine songs, many with Irish or Celtic roots. The group is headed by David Bixler, alto saxophone; and Heather Martin Bixler, violin. The rest of the band are Arturo O’Farrill, piano; Carlo De Rosa, acoustic and electric bass; and Vince Cherico, drums and cymbals. “Bear Island Reel” opens the set. It’s a moderate groove with the sax and violin stating overlapping phrases during the melody. In the notes, the song is described as an early Irish version of the Funky Chicken. Bear Island is a location off the south of Ireland, where composer Finbar Dwyer grew up. A reel, explained in the text, is a folk dance. The Bixlers carry the lead during the main theme, making use of overlapping phrases. The violin is out front for a good bit of the first third of the song, before stepping aside for sax and piano solos. When the song reverts to the main theme, sax has the melody all by itself, with the violin ad-libbing and the piano putting in extra emphasis here and there.

Guitarist Mike Stern sits in on the title track. His unique style is evident from the first note. The title is named for one of the Bixler children, Seth, who is known to slink about and add stress to his parents’ lives. The music reflects that concept well as it changes moods and intensity. One can easily imagine this being the soundtrack to a motion picture sequence wherein some small person gets into things that fall just short of disaster. Cleaning bills will increase, if not medical expenses. Three of the nine songs on Slink were composed by David Bixler. Heather Martin Bixler wrote the closer, “Workmanship.” The other songs were arranged by David. The music is part tribute to Irish and Scottish heritage, and part reflection of the lives of the Bixlers and their children. http://www.smooth-jazz.de/Woodrow/Auction/Slink.htm

Personnel: David Bixler (alto saxophone); Heather Martin Bixler (violin); Arturo O'Farrill (piano); Carlo DeRosa (acoustic bass, electric bass); Vince Cherico (drums, cymbals).

Slink

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