Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Pass - Easy Living

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:04
Size: 146.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Guitar jazz
Year: 1986/2011
Art: Front

[4:24] 1. My Ship
[3:01] 2. Don't Be That Way
[3:27] 3. My Man
[2:46] 4. Don't Worry 'bout Me
[3:04] 5. Days Of Wine And Roses
[4:15] 6. Easy Living
[6:04] 7. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
[4:39] 8. Love For Sale
[4:20] 9. Moonlight In Vermont
[3:28] 10. On Green Dolphin Street
[2:56] 11. Why Don't You Do Right
[3:27] 12. By Myself
[2:47] 13. I Want A Little Girl
[2:37] 14. I'm Making Believe
[5:06] 15. On A Slow Boat To China
[3:08] 16. Don't Be That Way [take 3, Alternate]
[4:27] 17. Love For Sale [take 1, Alternate]

For her third duo recording with guitarist Joe Pass, Ella Fitzgerald swings 15 mostly familiar standards that range from "My Ship" and "Don't Be That Way" to "Why Don't You Do Right?" and "On a Slow Boat to China." Although her voice was visibly fading, Fitzgerald's charm and sense of swing were still very much present. But this CD is not one of her more significant recordings, other than being one of the final chapters. ~Scott Yanow

Easy Living

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Joe Cohn - Restless

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 63:01

Size: 144.3 MB

Styles: Guitar jazz

Year: 2007

Art: Front

[5:48] 1. Never Look Back

[5:58] 2. Too Marvelous For Words

[4:57] 3. Little Juicy

[6:41] 4. Restless

[4:10] 5. Fast

[6:06] 6. Woody's Lament

[5:53] 7. Diffusion Of Beauty

[6:28] 8. I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone

[5:45] 9. Shadow Waltz

[6:31] 10. Comes Love

[4:39] 11. I Hadn't Anyone Till You

There are jazz musicians who haplessly attempt to reinvent themselves with every passing fad and then there are those, like guitarist Joe Cohn, who diligently progress their art with integrity and conviction. A mainstay on the New York scene, Cohn consistently delivers with a nod to the past and an intensity full of forward motion. Restless is no exception. The guitarist is at the top of his game and the disc has the feel of a late-night jam session where everyone involved gets ample opportunity to stretch out.

Cohn dispenses every phrase of every solo with vibrancy and mastery of conception. His style is rooted in the classic sounds of Barney Kessel, Tal Farlow and Kenny Burrell, however his approach is void of imitation and maintained with warmth and personality. The guitarist's seemingly effortless, horn-like weaving of ideas on "Too Marvelous for Words and "Comes Love stands out as exceptional. Saxophonist's Dmitry Baevsky and Harry Allen share the solo spotlight equally with Cohn. Like Cohn, both horn men are adept in the language of swing and bebop. Baevsky's alto tears through Thad Jones' "Little Juicy and Allen dominates with his brawny tenor tone on the title track. The inclusion of two tunes from the pen of Cohn's father, the late Al Cohn, pays tribute to the legacy of the oft-forgotten tenor saxophone giant. The up tempo burner, simply titled "Fast, is contrasted nicely with the minor-key stroll of "Woody's Lament.

Pianist Hod O'Brien comps and solos with flawless execution, swinging along tirelessly. The veteran pianist contributes as composer with "Diffusion of Beauty, a spirited hard-bop romp. Bassist Dennis Irwin and drummer Chuck Riggs keep time with clock-like precision and elevate each groove with fervent buoyancy. With well-chosen repertoire and on-the-money performances, Cohn and company deliver a robust, high-spirited session. Restless stands out as a first-rate effort from one of jazz's most underrated guitarists. ~John Barron

Joe Cohn: guitar; Hod O'Brien: piano; Dmitry Baevsky: alto saxophone; Harry Allen: tenor saxophone (1, 4, 6, 7, 10); Dennis Irwin: bass; Chuck Riggs: drums.

Restless

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Archie Shepp - Essential Best

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 71:16

Size: 163.1 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 2011

Art: Front

[ 9:51] 1. The Shadow Of Your Smile

[ 9:59] 2. Here's That Rainy Day

[10:25] 3. Blue Train

[ 9:39] 4. I Want To Talk About You

[ 4:50] 5. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life

[ 7:46] 6. Sous Le Ciel De Paris

[ 7:53] 7. Blue In Green

[10:50] 8. Alone Together

Archie Shepp has been at various times a feared firebrand and radical, soulful throwback and contemplative veteran. He was viewed in the '60s as perhaps the most articulate and disturbing member of the free generation, a published playwright willing to speak on the record in unsparing, explicit fashion about social injustice and the anger and rage he felt. His tenor sax solos were searing, harsh, and unrelenting, played with a vivid intensity. But in the '70s, Shepp employed a fatback/swing-based R&B approach, and in the '80s he mixed straight bebop, ballads, and blues pieces displaying little of the fury and fire from his earlier days. Shepp studied dramatic literature at Goddard College, earning his degree in 1959. He played alto sax in dance bands and sought theatrical work in New York. But Shepp switched to tenor, playing in several free jazz bands. He worked with Cecil Taylor, co-led groups with Bill Dixon and played in the New York Contemporary Five with Don Cherry and John Tchicai. He led his own bands in the mid-'60s with Roswell Rudd, Bobby Hutcherson, Beaver Harris, and Grachan Moncur III. His Impulse albums included poetry readings and quotes from James Baldwin and Malcolm X. Shepp's releases sought to paint an aural picture of African-American life, and included compositions based on incidents like Attica or folk sayings. He also produced plays in New York, among them The Communist in 1965 and Lady Day: A Musical Tragedy in 1972 with trumpeter/composer Cal Massey. But starting in the late '60s, the rhetoric was toned down and the anger began to disappear from Shepp's albums. He substituted a more celebratory, and at times reflective attitude. Shepp turned to academia in the late '60s, teaching at SUNY in Buffalo, then the University of Massachusetts. He was named an associate professor there in 1978. Shepp toured and recorded extensively in Europe during the '80s, cutting some fine albums with Horace Parlan, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and Jasper van't Hof. Shepp continued to tour and record throughout the '90s and '00s. Moving from provocative free-jazz icon in his youth to elder jazz journeyman in his latter years, Shepp has appeared on a variety of labels over the years including Impulse, Byg, Arista/Freedom, Phonogram, Steeplechase, Denon, Enja, EPM, and Soul Note. ~bio by Ron Wynn

Essential Best

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Mary Coughlan - Red Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:56
Size: 107.4 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues vocals
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[4:16] 1. Ain´t No Love In The Heart Of The City
[4:47] 2. Blue Light Boogie
[3:00] 3. You Can Leave Your Hat On
[4:41] 4. Portland
[5:47] 5. I´d Rather Go Blind
[5:49] 6. Black Coffee
[4:28] 7. Pull Up To The Bumper
[4:31] 8. At Last
[3:00] 9. She´s Got A Way With Men
[4:10] 10. One For My Baby
[2:23] 11. Strange Fruit

Irish torch singer Mary Coughlan was born in Galway in 1956. After enduring a painful adolescence that included bouts with drugs and alcohol as well as a stay in a mental hospital, she relocated to London at the age of 19, living in a hippie squat. Coughlan returned to Ireland in 1974, where a chance encounter with Dutch musician Erik Visser helped point her towards a singing career. Specializing in jazz and blues, she began slowly earning a reputation on the pub circuit, which resulted in a handful of television appearances. On this CD, she's playing mostly blues recorded in Bremen, Germany in 2001, joined by bluesmen Kester Smith, Bill Rich, Peter O'Brien, Frank Mead, Madagascar Slim, Lester Quitzau and Bill Bourne.

Red Blues

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Caterina Zapponi - Romantica

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:35
Size: 112,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:25)  1. J’ai ta main
(4:15)  2. Polvere di stelle (Stardust)
(6:13)  3. Estate
(4:39)  4. Count Basie (Lil' Darlin')
(2:45)  5. Torna a Surriento (Come Back to Sorrento)
(3:08)  6. Bora Bora
(3:36)  7. Non Dimenticar
(4:01)  8. Que reste-t-il de nos amours
(3:31)  9. Fenesta vascia
(2:56) 10. ‘Na voce, ‘na chitarra (e o’ poco e’ luna)
(2:47) 11. Maladie d’amour
(3:06) 12. Redis-moi (You Can See)
(4:06) 13. Vorrei (Got to Go)

Though Caterina Zapponi was born in Rome and raised among Italy’s artistic cognoscenti (her mother is a singer of French origin, her screenwriter father crafted both Roma and Satyricon with Federico Fellini), it was a viewing of the Cole Porter musical High Society that ignited her desire to study jazz in America. She earned a scholarship to Berklee and subsequently finished fourth in the 1994 Monk vocal competition. But her biggest break came later in the ’90s, when she met pianist Monty Alexander, who, as her husband, manager and frequent accompanist, has facilitated her musical maturation.

Alexander was the cornerstone of her multilingual debut album, 2001’s Universal Love Songs, and is again for this long-overdue sophomore release. While the first album provided a lovely introduction, Zapponi’s ease and assuredness have since grown exponentially. Favoring a smoldering style that is equal parts Julie London and Françoise Hardy, she again opts for a cross-cultural playlist, venturing from a shimmering “Stardust” sung in Italian and sweltering “Estate” to a breathy “Que reste-t’il de nos amours” and lazily inviting “Non Dimenticar.” The mood is mellow and seductive (even when she salutes Count Basie in a clever French reworking of “L’il Darlin’”), much enhanced by all-star support that includes dual Pizzarellis (guitarist Bucky and bassist Martin), guitarist Frank Vignola, violinist Kristian Jorgensen and Etienne Charles on the lute-like cuatro. ~ Christopher Loudon  http://jazztimes.com/articles/138245-romantica-caterina-zapponi

Personnel: Caterina Zapponi (vocals); Yotam Silberstein, Frank Vignola, Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Kristian Jorgensen (violin); Monty Alexander (melodica, piano).

Romantica

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Conrad Herwig - A Voice Through The Door

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:25
Size: 141,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:42)  1. A Voice Through the Door
(8:06)  2. Traceless Moon
(8:54)  3. The Sun Within
(6:53)  4. Morning Shade
(7:14)  5. Water Rising Into Mist
(7:06)  6. All Or Nothing At All
(8:10)  7. Thorn Witness
(9:16)  8. Free Action Reaction

It would be fellow Criss Cross associate Walt Weiskopf who would bring Conrad Herwig into the label's fold back in 1992. The trombonist would then go on to record his own Criss Cross debut, Heart of Darkness in 1998. Now some 15 years into his tenure, Herwig has recorded eight remarkable and engagingly diverse albums with A Voice Through the Door being his latest breakthrough. Highlighting a distinguished composer, this inspired recital includes seven new Herwig originals along with a reworking of the standard All or Nothing At All. Then emphasis is on shared communication, an aspect that is clearly evident through Herwig's long track record with pianist Orrin Evans and drummer Donald Edwards. Adding something new to the mix, however, are new associations with tenor man Ralph Bowen and bassist Kenny Davis, themselves frequent collaborators going back to their days with the band Out of the Blue. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/A-Voice-Through-The-Door/dp/B008I66CIC

Personnel: Conrad Herwig – trombone;  Ralph Bowen - tenor sax;  Orrin Evans – piano;  Kenny Davis – bass;  Donald Edwards – drums.

A Voice Trough The Door

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Claude Williams - King Of Kansas City

Styles: Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:12
Size: 124,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. Lester Leaps In
(4:31)  2. For All We Know
(4:13)  3. St. Louis Blues
(4:42)  4. Solitude
(2:50)  5. Smooth Sailing
(3:24)  6. Nice Work If You Can Get It
(4:15)  7. Canadian Sunset
(4:01)  8. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You?
(3:26)  9. Exactly Like You
(5:12) 10. Fine and Mellow
(3:25) 11. Them There Eyes
(3:16) 12. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
(5:28) 13. East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)

Eighty-eight at the time of this date, the apparently ageless violinist Claude Williams plays a variety of swing standards with plenty of energy, an appealing tone, and creative ideas. He features some excellent players (all from Kansas City) in the supporting cast, including tenor saxophonist Kim Park (who steals the show on the opening "Lester Leaps In"), guitarist Rod Fleeman, and singers Karrin Allyson and Lisa Henry (who are on two songs apiece). 

Williams, who sings "St. Louis Blues" and "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You," has rarely sounded better, and he is remarkably youthful throughout. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/king-of-kansas-city-mw0000405019

King Of Kansas City

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Barbara Carroll Trio & Ken Peplowski - Something To Live For (Live)

Size: 131,1 MB
Time: 55:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Jazz, Vocals
Art: Front

01. All I Need Is The Girl (Live) (6:06)
02. Lonely Town (Live) (7:46)
03. I Wanna Be Yours (Live) (3:44)
04. How Could You Do A Thing Like That To Me (Live) (7:07)
05. Single Petal Of A Rose (Live) (1:51)
06. In A Sentimental Mood (Live) (2:41)
07. Mood Indigo (Live) (3:37)
08. Things Ain't What They Used To Be (Live) (5:15)
09. How About You (Live) (4:13)
10. Something To Live For (Live) (2:09)
11. Lotus Blossom (Live) (5:26)
12. A Night In Tunisia (Live) (5:48)

(Barbara Carroll, piano & vocals; Ken Peplowski, tenor sax & clarinet; Jay Leonhart, doiublebass; Alvin Atkinson, drums)

Known as “the first girl to play bebop piano,” Barbara Carroll is one of the top women in jazz and is now 85 years old and still working. While she dropped out of the jazz world for a period when public tastes changed, she is now back and much appreciated in the jazz club and cabaret world. This recording was made in 2008 at Lincoln Center and is superb from beginning to end – fully supporting Duke Ellington’s definition of Carroll being “beyond category.” Not only does she offer clever, swinging and highly original takes on all dozen tracks here, but she even does the vocals on two of them. And in spite of her age she sounds better than the majority of the female jazz vocalists on disc that we receive for review!

Carroll has the terrific Jay Leonhart as the bassist in her trio, and she has rounded out her trio with one of my favorite reed-men, Ken Peplowski, making it really more of a quartet than a trio. Several of her tune choices are also not the expected ones: She does gorgeous lyrical treatments of two Ellington masterpieces (well, the second is really by Strayhorn) – Single Petal of a Rose and Lotus Blossom. Leonhart’s skillful use of his bow is prominent on these. In fact six of the tracks are Ellington or Strayhorn numbers. Peplowski’s clarinet shines on the seldom-heard How Could You Do a Thing Like That To Me? And he switches to tenor sax for Ellington’s Things Ain’t What They Used to Be. The quartet swings lustily on Dizzy’s closing A Night in Tunisia.

What a treat, from start to finish! ~John Henry

Something To Live For

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Lola Haag - Love Notes

Size: 102,0 MB
Time: 39:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. The Very Thought Of You (3:05)
02. I've Got A Crush On You (2:41)
03. I Wish You Love (2:35)
04. I Got Lost In His Arms (4:06)
05. I Thought About You (2:33)
06. Isn't It Romantic (3:41)
07. A Certain Smile (2:23)
08. Your Song/The Way We Were (4:47)
09. Secret Love (2:40)
10. When I Fall In Love (4:36)
11. Moonlight Becomes You (3:49)
12. Just In Time (2:28)

"Lola Haag in an Incredible Jazz Singer" Terrence Love, (Owner) Steamers Jazz Club, Fullerton, CA

Lola has headlined many of the top Jazz Clubs from New York to Los Angeles. She understands the art of entertaining like the great saloon singers of the past. Her live show is a blend of contemporary and timeless classics that can be sultry, romantic, sassy or classy. Critics have called her “first-rate…her show is reminiscent of the classy days of the nightclubs of a bygone era”. (LA Times)

Lola is a musical stylist. Each song she performs is bent and molded into something unique while still maintain the core of the original melody. “Take a seat, order your martini, and dig Lola’s vibe”. (Jazz Club Magazine)

The breadth of her music and the soulful sound of her voice make this album a treasure for any jazz music collection. It's always nice to hear someone who takes her music seriously, like Lola Haag does (William Grother Jazz News)

Love Notes

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Chris Barber - Chris Barber Live 1995 Denmark

Size: 217,4 MB
Time: 93:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Blues
Art: Front

01. Isle Of Capri (Live) (3:21)
02. Chimes Blues (Live) (5:08)
03. Hiawatha Rag (Live) (3:30)
04. We Sure Need Him Now (Live) (4:11)
05. Hushabye (Live) (2:30)
06. Can't You Line'em (Live) (1:06)
07. Over In The New Burying Ground (Live) (1:48)
08. Worried Man Blues (Live) (3:23)
09. Lonnie's Blues (Live) (2:07)
10. Grand Coolie Dam (Live) (2:16)
11. Ice Cream (Live) (5:38)
12. Bourbon Street Parade (Live) (5:40)
13. All The Girls Go Crazy (Live) (5:24)
14. Ellingtonia (Live) (5:02)
15. Big Noise From Winnetka (Live) (9:08)
16. Medley (Live) (8:42)
17. Goin'up The River (Instrumental) (Live) (5:30)
18. Goin'up The River (Live) (5:58)
19. Petite Fleur (Live) (8:06)
20. High Society (Live) (4:38)

Barber/Ball/Bilk are a British traditional jazz trio comprised of trombonist Chris Barber, trumpeter Kenny Ball, and clarinetist Acker Bilk, whose individual recordings were compiled from time to time on joint best-of collections such as At the Jazz Band Ball (1994) and Boaters Bowlers & Bowties (2009). The recordings of Barber (born on April 17, 1930, in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England), Ball (born on May 22, 1930, in Ilford, Essex, England), and Bilk (born on January 28, 1929, in Pensford, Somerset, England) were first compiled jointly in 1962 on The Best of Ball, Barber & Bilk, which was released in the wake of "Stranger on the Shore." Performed by Mr. Acker Bilk & the Leon Young String Chorale and originally released in October 1961, "Stranger on the Shore" was one of the biggest hits of 1962 in not only the U.K., where it was the best-selling single of the year, but also the U.S., where it topped the Billboard singles chart for a week in May. Even though "Stranger on the Shore" isn't featured on The Best of Ball, Barber & Bilk, which includes songs by Mr. Acker Bilk & His Paramount Jazz Band, Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen, and Chris Barber & His Jazz Band, the song's popularity, along with that of the British traditional jazz movement, propelled the compilation to the top of the U.K. albums chart in September 1962. From time to time over the years, the recordings of Barber, Ball, and Bilk were likewise compiled jointly. At the Jazz Band Ball (1994) is a particularly notable compilation of 1962 recordings drawn from the BBC Archives. In addition, Boaters Bowlers & Bowties (2009) is notable for its double-disc length as well as for its inclusion of "Stranger on the Shore."

Chris Barber Live 1995 Denmark

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Freeman L. Semons Jr. - The Color Of Jazz

Size: 70,5 MB
Time: 30:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. A New Day (3:25)
02. From Me To You (4:16)
03. New Year Groove (3:36)
04. Every Step Of The Way (4:12)
05. A Touch Of Brubeck (2:34)
06. Secret Rendezvous (4:26)
07. Heart To Heart, Soul To Soul (4:09)
08. The Color Of Jazz (3:25)

Freeman L. Semons, Jr is a published fiction author, a songwriter, a smooth jazz keyboardist and a graphic artist/designer.

He started drawing things around age 5. He studied Commercial Art in high school at Milwaukee Tech and Graphic Design at MATC. He graduated from MATC in May 2013. earning an Associate's Degree in Graphic Design.

He has been writing fiction since age 10. He released his first novel The Oracle Book through Stonegarden.net Publishing (an independent book publisher) in 2008. His next novel Archangel is near completion and should be ready for publication in 2015.

Freeman has been writing and composing music under his own Morning Breeze Music imprint since age 20. To date, he has produced 28 CD albums ranging from R&B and Gospel to Smooth Jazz and New Age Soundscapes. His current album is entitled The Color of Jazz.

Back in the spring of 1993, Freeman gained local media attention when an article spotlighting him and his music appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In the summer of 2008 prior to the release of his first novel, he was interviewed by Cassandra McShepard during her tenure on the 1290am Talk Radio program “That’s What I’m Talking About.” In the spring of 2009, the Milwaukee Public Library officially added his first novel to their catalog.

More recently, Christopher's Project (a renowned jazz group in the greater Milwaukee area) covered four of Freeman's songs for their new 2011 CD release entitled "Givin' It To You" with plans to record another song, Soulful Salsa, on their upcoming Voices of Milwaukee CD. Freeman has plans to do a musical collaboration album with guitarist Darryl T. Thomas as well as songwriting production work with long time friends Steve Thomas and Kenneth Brumfield during the latter months of 2015.

The Color Of Jazz

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Dick Hyman - The Way You Look Tonight

Size: 76,6 MB
Time: 32:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. The Way You Look Tonight (Remastered) (3:00)
02. Marv (Remastered) (1:55)
03. The Moon Was Yellow (Remastered) (1:46)
04. Early Autumn (Remastered) (8:15)
05. Pleasure (Remastered) (2:38)
06. Sleep (Remastered) (2:13)
07. Here Comes Cookie (Lookie Lookie Lookie) (Remastered) (2:32)
08. Look For The Silver Lining (Remastered) (2:13)
09. All Too Soon (Remastered) (2:42)
10. Topsy (Remastered) (2:51)
11. If I Had You (Remastered) (2:28)

A very versatile virtuoso, Dick Hyman once recorded an album on which he played "A Child Is Born" in the styles of 11 different pianists, from Scott Joplin to Cecil Taylor. Hyman can clearly play anything he wants to, and since the '70s, he has mostly concentrated on pre-bop swing and stride styles. Hyman worked with Red Norvo (1949-1950) and Benny Goodman (1950), and then spent much of the 1950s and '60s as a studio musician. He appears on the one known sound film of Charlie Parker (Hot House from 1952); recorded honky tonk under pseudonyms; played organ and early synthesizers in addition to piano; was Arthur Godfrey's music director (1959-1962); collaborated with Leonard Feather on some History of Jazz concerts (doubling on clarinet), and even performed rock and free jazz; but all of this was a prelude to his later work. In the 1970s, Hyman played with the New York Jazz Repertory Company, formed the Perfect Jazz Repertory Quintet (1976), and started writing soundtracks for Woody Allen films. He has recorded frequently during the past several decades (sometimes in duets with Ruby Braff) for Concord, Music Masters, and Reference, among other labels, and ranks at the top of the classic jazz field. In 2013, Hyman teamed up with vocalist Heather Masse for a set of standards on the Red House label called Lock My Heart. ~by Scott Yanow

The Way You Look Tonight                

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Al Grey-Jimmy Forrest Quintet - Night Train Revisited

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:41
Size: 141.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Trombone jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[6:36] 1. Jumpin' The Blues
[5:30] 2. Truly Wonderful
[6:15] 3. I Can't Get Started
[8:41] 4. Salty Papa
[5:54] 5. Blues Everywhere
[5:04] 6. Night Train
[6:45] 7. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[7:31] 8. Body And Soul
[4:17] 9. C.B. And Me
[5:02] 10. Milestones

The Al Grey-Jimmy Forrest Quintet lived a short, somewhat cantankerous, though fruitful life, leaving a small legacy of some outstanding small group jazz. This recording captures the group live at the Chicago club, Rick's, in the late 1970s. Thankfully, the quality of the recording is superb, and the selections from the three-night stand fairly represent the sound and repertoire of the group. Both veterans, Grey and Forrest have rarely been as well documented on disc. The tunes are ones that both of these war horses could play in their sleep, yet there is a visceral excitement to it all that makes this recording so entertaining. Both horns stretch at length, and swing effortlessly. Al Grey sits out on "Body and Soul," while Forrest gives an emotionally charged classic rendition of the tune. The signature title piece, "Night Train," is performed with the sort of gritty down-home punch to be expected from these masters. The trombonist goes all out with his plunger on "Things What Ain't They Used to be," while "Milestones" (the Miles Davis tune) is played with a slight Latin beat. The rhythm section, especially including the talented Shirley Scott, swings solidly. Grey and Forrest have seldom sounded better, and this recording captures them at peak performance. ~Steve Loewy

Night Train Revisited

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Shirley Bassey - 12 Of Those Songs

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:16
Size: 80.8 MB
Styles: Pop-jazz vocals
Year: 1968
Art: Front

[2:16] 1. Come Back To Me
[3:11] 2. I'm A Fool To Want You
[3:24] 3. A House Is Not A Home
[2:20] 4. If Love Were All
[2:56] 5. Moon River
[2:10] 6. Don't Rain On My Parade
[2:54] 7. Something's Coming
[3:02] 8. Days Of Wine And Roses
[3:47] 9. Call Me
[3:36] 10. Charade
[3:19] 11. I Wish You Love
[2:17] 12. One Of Those Songs (Girls Of De Folies Bergère)

She’s gold, gowns and glamour. Champagne, charisma and chic. Savoir faire, style and showbiz. She’s besequinned, beloved, Bassey.

The buzzwords have been tripping off our tongues for decades, but there can never be enough of them to sum up an artist who defines the word superstar. In a world where true legends of entertainment are an endangered phenomenon, it’s time once again to celebrate the unique force of nature that is Dame Shirley Bassey.

One of Great Britain’s greatest-ever entertainers has been having a love affair with her public for more than 50 years. She’s sung for Presidents, Queens and secret agents, hung out with a King, packed concert halls across the known world and sold an estimated 135 million records in the process. Every step of the way, she has radiated magnetic elegance, and now the moment has come for Dame Shirley to bedazzle yet another new generation.

12 Of Those Songs

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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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