Friday, August 7, 2015

Claude Williamson Trio - Song For My Father

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:49
Size: 91,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:16)  1. My Romance
(6:50)  2. Easy Living
(5:07)  3. Feelin' Fine
(3:43)  4. Work Song
(4:43)  5. Alone Together
(4:02)  6. There Will Never Be Another You
(7:05)  7. Song For My Father

A superior bop pianist influenced by Bud Powell, Claude Williamson has been busy playing on the West Coast since the 1950s. The older brother of trumpeter Stu Williamson, Claude started on piano when he was seven and had ten years of classical piano lessons, also studying at the New England Conservatory. Williamson's first major musical job was with Charlie Barnet's orchestra in 1947. This was followed by stints with Red Norvo (1948), Barnet's bebop big band of 1949, and June Christy (1950-51). In the 1950s, Williamson worked regularly with Bud Shank, Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars, with his own trios, and as a studio musician. He spent most of the 1960s and '70s in the studios, although he returned to jazz in the 1980s with his improvising style virtually unchanged. 

Claude Williamson who has led sessions for Capitol (1954-1955), Bethlehem, Criterion, Contract (1961-1962), Sea Breeze (1977), Interplay, Discovery, Fresh Sound, and a few Japanese labels  recorded a memorable tribute to Bud Powell for V.S.O.P. in 1995. He currently plays regularly in the Los Angeles area. ~ Bio  https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/claude-williamson-trio/id400487693#fullText

Song For My Father

Helen Forrest - The Complete Helen Forrest With Harry James

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:47
Size: 136,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:45)  1. The Devil Sat Down and Cried
(3:06) 2. He's 1-A in the Army and He's A-1 in My Heart
(3:06)  3. Make Love to Me
(2:40)  4. J.P. Dooley III
(2:54)  5. I Don't Want to Walk Without You
(3:08)  6. But Not for Me
(3:24)  7. I Remember You
(3:23)  8. Skylark
(3:07)  9. You're Too Good for Good-For-Nothing Me
(3:10) 10. You're in Love with Someone Else (But I'm in Love with You)
(3:21) 11. He's My Guy
(2:59) 12. That Soldier of Mine
(3:10) 13. I Cried for You
(3:00) 14. I Heard You Cried Last Night
(2:52) 15. Manhattan Serenade
(3:15) 16. My Beloved Is Rugged
(3:26) 17. I Had the Craziest Dream
(2:56) 18. Mister Five by Five
(2:56) 19. I've Heard That Song Before

Helen Forrest spent more time and made more recordings with bandleaders Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman, but her two-year tenure with Harry James (1941-43, resulting in only 19 cuts) had the biggest impact on her career. Seven of those 19 tracks made the Top Ten "I Had the Craziest Dream," "I've Heard That Song Before," "I Don't Want to Walk Without You," "Mister Five by Five," "I Heard You Cried Last Night," "He's My Guy," and "Manhattan Serenade." 

No wonder that, as Forrest prepared to launch a solo career in 1943, she was ranked as the top female band vocalist in several polls. Except for a string of duets with fellow James band veteran Dick Haymes that ran through 1946, Forrest's solo career didn't pan out, but her work with James, the big hits, some smaller ones, and some interesting obscurities, confirms that she deserved the accolades. She came into James' band shortly before Pearl Harbor, when the country was already arming for World War II, and the material often reflects the national situation, whether explicitly in numbers like "He's 1-A in the Army and He's A-1 in My Heart," "That Soldier of Mine," and "My Beloved Is Rugged," or in the wistfulness of "I Don't Want to Walk Without You." 

Forrest captures the conflicting moods of the war, sometimes sounding proud, loyal, and affectionate, sometimes sad and lonely. Though her voice is showcased in the arrangements, this is still big band music, and bandleader James is very much in evidence with his signature trumpet sound. Maybe a singer so closely associated with her time couldn't transcend it to succeed in the post-war era, but the recordings continue to evoke that period perfectly. ~ William Ruhlmann  http://www.allmusic.com/album/complete-helen-forrest-with-the-harry-james-orchestra-mw0000669048

The Complete Helen Forrest With Harry James

Erik Truffaz - The Mask

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:21
Size: 147,9 MB
Art: Front

( 2:07)  1. Sweet Mercy
( 6:26)  2. Arroyo
( 6:10)  3. More
( 3:55)  4. Less
( 7:09)  5. No Choice
( 4:15)  6. Mask
( 5:45)  7. Dawn
( 4:14)  8. Betty
( 8:10)  9. Bending New Corners
( 5:57) 10. Minaret
(10:13) 11. And

Erik Truffaz’ sweet, open trumpet tone reveals the influence of a 1970s Miles Davis. The Fender Rhodes with echo serves to drive that message home. Most of the compilation employs acoustic bass and a tasteful drummer in the mainstream jazz tradition. However, it’s the French trumpeter’s intimacy with Davis’ fusion periods that takes center stage. From the small town of Gex, ten miles from the French/Swiss border, Truffaz got his early training working with his father’s dance band. 

His formal training came later at the Geneva Conservatoire where the trumpeter studied composition, theory and technique. Each track is an original, composed by the quartet. Truffaz wrote "Betty," a light, lyrical waltz with open trumpet, acoustic piano and acoustic bass. A vocal-like trumpet message becomes soaked in the piano’s overlapping harmony. The title track a modal, fusion number - combines rock drumming with electric bass and Fender Rhodes around Truffaz’ meandering trumpet melody. "Less" and "More" follow in the same tradition, with one employing minimalist traits, while the other adds more electronic echo and a tightly muted Harmon sound. While "No Choice" takes an acoustic piano approach with upright bass and open trumpet, the comfortable quartet style weaves modern mainstream drama around a bright, uplifting harmony.

Elsewhere, an electronic trumpet device with echo, and a forward-leaning quartet recall the later fusion experiments of Miles. Although Erik Truffaz treads step-for-step too close to the shadow of Miles Davis, his quartet captures the essence of a searching ensemble that is looking in all the right directions. ~ Jim Santella  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-mask-erik-truffaz-blue-note-records-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Erik Truffaz- trumpet; Patrick Muller- piano, Fender Rhodes; Marcello Giuliani- electric bass, acoustic bass; Marc Erbetta- drums, percussion.

The Mask

Dave Stryker - Messin' With Mister T

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:37
Size: 162,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:04)  1. La Place Street
(6:49)  2. Pieces of Dreams
(8:13)  3. Dont Mess With Mister T
(6:27)  4. In a Sentimental Mood
(9:10)  5. Impressions
(6:29)  6. Gibraltar
(7:02)  7. Salt Song
(6:55)  8. Sugar
(5:40)  9. Side Steppin'
(6:43) 10. Let It Go

On Messin' with Mister T, guitarist Dave Stryker could have enlisted only his organ trio to salute friend, mentor and musical hero Stanley Turrentine; instead, he chose to step back and let other voices do most of the talking. The encomiums are thus provided by ten of the world's most accomplished tenor saxophonists, making this one of the most unique and impressive testimonials ever recorded. Turrentine would no doubt have been pleased to see such heavyweights as Houston Person, Jimmy Heath, Don Braden, Chris Potter, Bob Mintzer, Eric Alexander and others lining up to pay homage to his artistry, and even more pleased that every one of them, in Stryker's words, "came immediately on board" when asked to take part in the enterprise.

Not only did Stryker's guests agree enthusiastically to appear on the album, each of them, doubtless in deference to Turrentine, brought his "A" game, an observation that is borne out on every number. No one is phoning anything in, from Person who opens the session with Turrentine's bluesy "La Place Street" to young lion Tivon Pennicott who seals it with another engaging Turrentine composition, "Let It Go." The highlights are many, among them Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood," played with warmth and dexterity by eighty-eight-year-old Jimmy Heath, and Potter's emphatic reading of John Coltrane's "Impressions." Alexander is eloquent on the powerful "Salt Song," as are Braden on Marvin Gaye's "Don't Mess with Mister T," Mintzer on Freddie Hubbard's funky "Gibraltar," Javon Jackson on Turrentine's jazz evergreen "Sugar," Mike Lee on the enchanting "Pieces of Dreams" and Steve Slagle on Stryker's frisky "Sidesteppin,'" introduced by Turrentine in 1995 on the album T Time.

As for the organ trio, it is there to offer unflagging support, amplified on most numbers by tasteful solos from Stryker and organist Jared Gold. Drummer McClenty Hunter, a diligent and sturdy timekeeper, is aided and abetted on half a dozen tracks by percussionist Mayra Casales. Together, they make sure that each guest is loose and comfortable. The result is an album whose artistry and passion mirror that of its honoree, the sublime Stanley Turrentine. Kudos to everyone involved, and especially to Stryker for bringing them together. ~ Jack Bowers  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/messin-with-mister-t-dave-stryker-strikezone-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Dave Stryker: guitar; Jared Gold: Hammond B3 organ; McLenty Hunter: drums; Mayra Casales: percussion (2, 6-10). Special guests – Houston Person: tenor sax (1); Mike Lee: tenor sax (2); Don Braden: tenor sax (3); Jimmy Heath: tenor sax (4); Chris Potter: tenor sax (5); Bob Mintzer: tenor sax (6); Eric Alexander: tenor sax (7); Javon Jackson: tenor sax (8); Steve Slagle: tenor sax (9); Tivon Pennicott: tenor sax (10).

Messin' With Mister T

Buddy Tate, Al Grey - Just Jazz

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:11
Size: 110,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:10)  1. Just Jazz
(6:24)  2. Blues In My Heart
(6:33)  3. Straighten Up And Fly Right
(6:52)  4. Topsy
(6:07)  5. Blue Creek
(6:27)  6. Tangerine
(5:20)  7. Straighten Up And Fly Right (alternate)
(5:16)  8. Just Jazz (alternate)

Tenor-saxophonist Buddy Tate (who also contributes a bit of clarinet) blends in perfectly with trombonist Al Grey on this swinging quintet session. With pianist Richard Wyands, bassist Major Holley and drummer Al Harewood completing the group, Tate and Grey perform on original apiece and four veteran standards; the CD reissue adds two alternate takes. Both Tate and Grey were in their late prime at the time and the highpoints include Grey's title cut, "Straight Up And Fly Right," "Topsy" and "Tangerine." ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/just-jazz-mw0000665553

Personnel: Buddy Tate (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Al Grey (trombone); Richard Wyands (piano); Al Harewood (drums).

Just Jazz

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Monica Lewis - Fools Rush In

Size: 97,6 MB
Time: 32:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 195?/2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. But Beautiful (2:41)
02. What'll I Do (3:13)
03. Do It Again (2:25)
04. You'd Better Go Now (2:13)
05. But Not For Me (3:00)
06. Isn't This A Lovely Day (2:25)
07. You Make Me Feel So Young (2:14)
08. Fools Rush In (2:13)
09. Am I Blue (2:23)
10. I'd Do Anything For You (2:44)
11. People Will Say We're In Love (3:50)
12. You Don't Know What Love Is (3:20)

Fools Rush In pairs Monica Lewis with arranger/pianist Jack Kelly for what would prove her most intimate and nuanced LP. Kelly's soft, moody approach perfectly complements the feminine complexity of Lewis' vocals -- while never the most gifted or accomplished singer, there's no denying the kittenish appeal she brings to familiar material like "But Not for Me" and "Am I Blue." Moreover, the songs and sequencing create a unified whole all too rare among albums from the era in question. More than just a slapdash collection of performances, Fools Rush In is a stunning evocation of mood and texture from a singer all too often overlooked in favor of less compelling contemporaries.

I Fools Rush In

Diana Franco - I Believe In You

Size: 120,7 MB
Time: 51:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Brazilian Rhythms
Art: Front

01. Gabriela (3:30)
02. What Is This Thing Called Love (2:47)
03. Nature Boy (3:55)
04. Dindi (5:07)
05. I Believe In You (6:31)
06. I Loves You Porgy (4:09)
07. Stella By Starlight (2:58)
08. Esta Tarde Vi Llover (3:56)
09. Speak Low (3:59)
10. Estate (7:02)
11. On Green Dolphin Street (2:59)
12. Insensatez (4:57)

Raised since childhood in a mixture of U.S., Spanish (Caribbean coast of Colombia), Italian and Brazilian cultures, then switched from lyric soprano to jazz, here is my collection of American Standards, Jobim's Bossa Novas, a Bolero and an Italian standard.

I Believe In You

Vera Marijt - Inside Out

Size: 105,2 MB
Time: 45:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz, Bebop
Art: Front

01. Beautiful Love (4:51)
02. Remember (5:39)
03. Mister And Mississauga (6:05)
04. Homage Danny Boy (7:01)
05. Cheeriokee (6:00)
06. You Look Familiar (5:23)
07. La Tempete De Neige (4:37)
08. Toys (5:44)

Vera Marijt released her debut album 'Insight Out' in July, 2015. It consists of original music as well as her arrangements of Jazz standards, and reflects the story of her experiences the past year in Montréal.

Vera's style can best be described as traditional bebop/swing, mixed with modern influences.

Personnel:
Vera Marijt - piano
Mathieu McConnell-Enright - bass
Louis-Vincent Hamel - drums
Benjamin Deschamps - alto sax (track 5 and 7)
Steven Willem Zwanink - bass (track 8)
Robbert Jan van Straalen - drums (track 8)

Bio:
Vera's appreciation for Jazz developed at a young age, while she was listening to Diana Krall and got introduced to the music of jazz icons such as Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong.

After reading a book about the life of pianist Bud Powell and listening to his music, she got fascinated by the Bebop style and was hooked and determined to conquer the technique and language of this complex genre.

Upon finishing high school in 2007 Vera attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA for the summer which became her entrance into the world of jazz. In the Hague she studied with the accomplished jazz pianist Juraj Stanik and participated in masterclasses by Barry Harris, Branford Marsalis, Mike Manieri, Alan Broadbent, Hein van de Geyn, Rob van Bavel and others.

Upon invitation to attend the annual International Association for Schools of Jazz (IASJ) at Graz, Austria in 2012, she played with international musicians from all over the world and was mentored by Dave Liebman and Hervé Sellin.

Vera Marijt performs arrangements of Jazz standards and originals at several occasions with her own trio. She won prices at competitions such as the Leidse Jazz Award and the Zoetermeer Jazz Concour in the Netherlands.

Besides her own project, Vera played in the West Coast Big Band, in which she had the privilege to play with some of the best musicians in the Dutch Jazz scene such as Ferdinand Povel, Martijn van Iterson, Bert Boeren, Frits Landesbergen and Joke Bruijs. For years she was a core member of Alice in Dixieland, a women's jazz band with whom she toured through Germany twice.

While in the Hague, Vera began collaborating with fellow band members Camilla van der Kooij on violin and guitar, and Oukje den Hollander on vocals in their trio called 'Mannekijn'. This trio's repertoire includes original compositions and arrangements of existing music by composers such as Jacques Brel, translated in Dutch. With this group she has toured through the Netherlands in 2013/2014 and just released a videoclip, available on Youtube.

Vera and Oukje den Hollander have a long history of collaboration. Last April they performed three nights in the famous Compagnie theatre in Amsterdam with the show 'Aria van een Angsthaas'.

In 2014, Vera moved to Montréal, Canada, to study with André White, Francois Bourassa and Rémi Bolduc at McGill Schulich of Music. Since then, she had the privilige to play with some of Montréal's finest musicians such as Fraser Hollins, Alec Walkington, Norman Marshall Villeneuve, Joe Sullivan and Jim Doxas. She did a small tour in Toronto with saxophonist Rémi Bolduc and played with the renowned McGill Jazz Orchestra featuring the great Danilo Perez.

In July 2015, Vera released her debut album Insight Out, featuring original music as well as arrengements of jazz standards. She launched her CD on July 15th, playing the opening concert of the Festival Internacional Jazz de Verano in Querétaro, Mexico.

Inside Out

Teddy Randazzo - The Way Of The Clown

Size: 143,5+128,2 MB
Time: 60:45+54:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Pop, Jazz Vocals, Swing
Art: Front

CD 1: I'm Confessin'
01. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) (3:01)
02. What Is This Thing Called Love (2:06)
03. Among My Souvenirs (2:52)
04. River Stay Away From My Door (2:04)
05. But Beautiful (2:41)
06. Pagan Love Song (1:55)
07. Old Man River (1:56)
08. You Go To My Head (2:59)
09. Black And Blue (1:46)
10. My Foolish Heart (3:16)
11. You're Driving Mr Crazy (2:12)
12. For All We Know (3:02)
13. Lady Of Spain (2:42)
14. A Foggy Day (2:42)
15. Canadian Sunset (2:54)
16. It Happened In Monterey (2:18)
17. Blue Hawaiian Moon (2:20)
18. Under Paris Skies (2:25)
19. Brazil (2:41)
20. Autumn In New York (3:47)
21. On A Slow Boat To China (2:11)
22. Arriverderci, Roma (2:36)
23. Journey To Love (2:06)
24. To The Ends Of The Earth (2:00)

CD 2: Teddy Randazzo Twists
01. Bo Diddley (3:13)
02. U.S. Mail (2:15)
03. Shout (5:37)
04. Late Date Baby (2:09)
05. The Peppermint Twist (2:42)
06. Too Young To Fall In Love (1:56)
07. Twistin' To The Locomotion (2:34)
08. Foot Stompin' (2:58)
09. What'd I Say (4:44)
10. Cotton Fields (1:58)
11. Ooh-Poo-Pah-Doo (3:00)
12. Let The Sunshine In (3:13)
13. The Way Of The Clown (2:39)
14. But You Broke My Heart (2:15)
15. It's Magic (2:26)
16. Cherie (2:14)
17. Broken Bell (3:19)
18. Mother Goose Twist (2:31)
19. Triste Pagglacio (The Way Of The Clown - Italian Version) (2:36)

Teddy Randazzo is perhaps best remembered today for being a songwriter and producer during the mid to late 1960s. However he was initially immersed in the girl swooning teen idol sub-genre along with the likes of Fabian, Dion et al.

Herein are three original albums, I'm Confessin', Journey To Love and Teddy Randazzo Twists. This is prime late 50s pop. His first two albums were geared to the standards markets and the third was (as the title suggests) devoted to songs that you could twist to.

The bonus material includes his biggest solo hit, 'The Way of the Clown' along with a rare Italian language version of the hit.

The Way Of The Clown CD 1
The Way Of The Clown CD 2

Dave McDonnell Group - The Time Inside A Year

Size: 134,1 MB
Time: 57:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Avant Garde, Free Jazz
Art: Front

01. Bullitt (5:47)
02. Vox Orion (6:39)
03. The Contract With Bees (7:14)
04. Aepse Mvt 1 (4:20)
05. Bakers Man (5:32)
06. Cyclo (6:45)
07. Discovery Of The Ancient Geologist (2:09)
08. Aepse Mvt 2 (2:27)
09. Brandywine (7:15)
10. Nodes Of The Moon (5:06)
11. Aepse Mvt 3 (4:20)

One of Dave McDonnell's biggest takeaways from putting time in with dozens of outfits is a desire for his own music to be immediate and reactive, mindful of pulse and the body's innate rhythm but also cerebral. A groove-oriented framework functions as rhythmic scaffolding for his complex harmonic motifs: witness the stacked polyrhythms on the hard-driving 'Bullitt' and lithe 'Vox Orion,' or the lively Latin feel of 'Nodes of the Moon. ' 'Brandywine' is hook-laden and swings hard, similar to the bookends of 'Bakers Man,' the bulk of which is dominated by explosive free-improv fireworks.

The Time Inside A Year

Von Freeman - Never Let Me Go

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:44
Size: 141,7 MB
Art: Front

( 9:26)  1. I'll Remember April
( 5:33)  2. Never Let Me Go
( 9:48)  3. Alone Together
( 7:32)  4. In My Solitude
( 7:17)  5. I'll Follow You
(12:19)  6. It Could Happen To You
( 9:45)  7. The End Of A Love Affair

Not nearly as famous as his son Chico Freeman (also a tenor saxophonist), Von Freeman was nevertheless an equally if not more so accomplished jazz musician. While not a free jazz player per se, Von exhibited traits commonly associated with the avant-garde: a roughly hewn, vocalic tone; a flexible, somewhat imprecise approach to rhythm, and a fanciful harmonic concept. The son of a ragtime-loving policeman and guitar-playing housewife, Freeman himself began playing music around the age of two, beginning on the family piano. He was surrounded by music from a young age; his maternal grandfather and uncle were guitarists, and his brothers George and Bruz also became jazz musicians (on guitar and drums, respectively). At the age of seven, Freeman made a primitive saxophone by removing the horn from his parents' Victrola and boring holes in it. Shortly thereafter he began playing clarinet, then C-melody saxophone. Louis Armstrong was an early influence.

Freeman attended Chicago's DuSable High School, where his band director was the famed educator Captain Walter Dyett. He also learned harmony from the school's chorus director, Mrs. Bryant Jones. Freeman worked for about a year with Horace Henderson's Orchestra (1940-1941). He played in a Navy band while in the military (1941-1945). Following that, he played in the house band at Chicago's Pershing Ballroom (1946-1950), and for a time with Sun Ra (1948-1949). While at the Pershing, he played with many of the top jazz musicians who passed through town, including Charlie Parker. Freeman developed an underground reputation among Chicago-area musicians, and purportedly influenced members of the city's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Freeman seldom left Chicago and recorded infrequently, therefore never achieving a great measure of fame.

Freeman recorded with Milt Trenier for Cadet in the mid-'60s; Rahsaan Roland Kirk produced a Freeman session for Atlantic in 1972. In the late '70s (as his son Chico became well-known) Von was discovered by a somewhat wider audience. In 1982, Chico and Von shared a Columbia LP with pianist Ellis Marsalis and his sons Wynton and Branford (Fathers & Sons). 

In the '90s Freeman recorded for the Steeplechase and Southport labels. Freeman was one of the great individualists of the tenor saxophone, and remained creatively vital through the end of the millennium. Freeman died of heart failure in 2012. ~ Chris Kelsey  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/von-freeman-mn0000182113/biography

Personnel:  Von Freeman(ts), Jodie Christian(p), Eddie de Haas(b), Wilbur Campbell(dr)

Never Let Me Go

Etta Jones - The Melody Lingers On

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:40
Size: 109,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:58)  1. Somewhere In My Lifetime
(4:21)  2. A-Tisket, A-Tasket
(4:37)  3. For Sentimental Reasons
(5:11)  4. What A Wonderful World
(4:46)  5. What A Difference A Day Makes
(4:19)  6. I Cover The Waterfront
(5:47)  7. Mr. Bojangles
(4:50)  8. I Apologize
(3:07)  9. I'm Having A Good Time
(4:42) 10. Misty

On The Melody Lingers On, Etta Jones pays tribute to ten departed members of show business, with one song apiece saluting Phyllis Hyman, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Sammy Davis, Jr, Billy Eckstine, Alberta Hunter and Sarah Vaughan. The singer does not attempt to emulate any of these greats, and instead sings in her own soulful bluesy style. As usual, Houston Person's tenor is a strong asset while the backup group also features spots for violinist Tom Aalf and pianist Dick Morgan. Fine music. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-melody-lingers-on-mw0000022715

Personnel: Etta Jones (vocals); Tom Aaff (violin); Houston Person (tenor saxophone); Dick Morgan (piano); Frankie Jones (drums).

The Melody Lingers On

Wolfgang Haffner - Music

Styles: Contemporary Jazz, Crossover
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:29
Size: 136,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:08)  1. Coconut Kiss
(5:15)  2. Into The Light
(5:30)  3. Simple Life
(5:19)  4. Dreamland
(5:07)  5. Warm Breeze
(3:13)  6. Miami Beach
(6:07)  7. Far From Home
(4:43)  8. Spring-Roll
(5:37)  9. Cool Blue
(4:21) 10. Right On
(5:15) 11. Night Move
(4:49) 12. The Day After

Wolfgang Haffner was born in Wunsiedel/Germany in 1965. He started playing drums and piano at the age of six. He began his career as a professional musician in the German French Jazz Ensemble, conducted by German Jazz legend Albert Mangelsdorff. The Band played Festivals including the Paris Jazzfestival and the Jazzfest Berlin. Haffner later became the drummer in Klaus Doldingers “Passport”, with whom he played for 11 years, touring Europe and Southafrica. From 1994 to 1995 he was the drummer in the Band of one of the greatest female singers of all times, Chaka Khan. 1994 he joined the US Fusion Superband METRO with Chuck Loeb, Mitch Forman and Anthony Jackson. In 1997 Haffner and his long-time colleague Roberto Di Gioia started their succesful Group “Zappelbude”.

Haffner worked with many great Jazz Artists including Pat Metheny, Michael & Randy Brecker, Larry Carlton, Bill Evans, Earl Klugh,Woody Shaw, Roy Hargrove, Johnny Griffin, CassandraWilson, Joe Pass, Bob James, Joe Lovano, Clark Terry, Pat Martino, Eddie Daniels, Mc Coy Tyner, Art Farmer, Pee Wee Ellis, Esbjoern Svensson, Joe Sample, Fred Wesley, Roy Ayers, Hiram Bullock, Will Lee, Robben Ford… ), also with artists and Bands like Jan Garbarek, Michael Franks, “Die Fantastischen Vier”, No Angels, Stefan Raab Helge Schneider, Xavier Naidoo, Sasha, Wolfgang Niedecken, Konstantin Wecker, DePhazz, Lalo Schifrin, NDR Big Band Hamburg and the WDR Big Band Cologne.

Haffner has played Festivals around the world, such as Montreux, Paris, Chicago, North Sea Jazzfestival, Los Angeles, Berlin, Vienna, San Diego, Geneva, Amsterdam, Nice, Stockholm, Madrid, Oslo, Zurich, London. He toured more than 50 countries (Argentinia, Brasil, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Chile, Uruquay, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia Columbia, Portugal Southafrica, USA, India, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Italy, Jordan, Poland, Hungary, Thailand, England, Spain, Japan, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Russia, China…)

In 2002 Haffner formed the Wolfgang Haffner Band which toured Europe. When not performing with his own Band he plays with the Nils Landgren Funk Unit of sweden. Haffner has played on about 350 Recordings, including 11 albums under his own name. In spring 2004 he produced the new album of the iclandic supergroup “Mezzoforte”. http://www.last.fm/music/Wolfgang+Haffner/+wiki

Music

Vincent Ingala - Coast to Coast

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:54
Size: 91,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:26)  1. Coast to Coast
(3:52)  2. Nasty
(4:38)  3. Making the Journey
(3:51)  4. Baby I'm Hooked (Right Into Your Love)
(3:50)  5. When I'm With You
(3:47)  6. Love On Hold
(3:58)  7. You Fooled Me
(3:55)  8. In Deep
(3:57)  9. Gimme Some
(3:36) 10. T.L.C. (Tender Lovin' Care)

Connecticut-born saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Vincent Ingala makes warm, soulful, smooth jazz and R&B. A musical prodigy, Ingala started out on drums at age four and was teaching himself Elvis Presley songs on the guitar by the third grade. However, it was the tenor saxophone, an instrument Ingala gravitated toward while also studying piano in the fifth grade, that became his passion.

Growing up in a large Italian family in Prospect, Connecticut, Ingala was exposed to his family's love of soul, jazz, and R&B. Inspired to play, Ingala began performing locally and eventually drew the attention of professional players, including smooth jazz star Dave Koz, who invited the then-16-year-old Ingala to join him on-stage. A year later, he recorded his first album, 2010's North End Soul. Ingala toured extensively behind the album and quickly built a loyal fan base. 

Two years later, he returned with his sophomore release, Can't Stop Now, which became two Billboard Top Five singles, and in 2015, Ingala returned with his third studio effort, Coast to Coast, inspired by his move to California. https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/vincent-ingala/id379521698#fullText

Coast to Coast

Rickie Lee Jones - The Other Side Of Desire

Styles: Pop/Rock
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:15
Size: 106,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. Jimmy Choo
(4:35)  2. Valtz de Mon Pere
(3:28)  3. J'ai Connais Pas
(3:25)  4. Blinded By The Hunt
(5:29)  5. Infinity
(4:06)  6. I Wasn't Here
(4:48)  7. Christmas In New Orleans
(5:22)  8. Haunted
(6:29)  9. Feet On The Ground
(1:26) 10. Juliette
(3:04) 11. Finale (A Spider in the Circus of the Falling Star)

'Rickie Lee Jones has been pushing down musical boundaries for over four decades with her hauntingly beautiful voice and fearless experimentation' ~ NPR

'a blend of bravado and vulnerability [that] wavers on indefinable borders' ~ Rolling Stone

Two-time Grammy winner Rickie Lee Jones exploded onto the pop scene with her groundbreaking self-titled debut and has fearlessly experimented with her sound and persona over 15 critically acclaimed albums. Her latest, The Other Side of Desire was written, recorded and rooted in the city of New Orleans, where Jones lives on the opposite side of the street made famous by Tennessee Williams. Produced by John Porter (of Roxy Music) and Mark Howard, this is the first new music Jones has written in over a decade. 'This work is inspired by many years of sitting with all the events of my life until I had something to paint with,' says Rickie. 'I came to New Orleans to write and to live a different way than what I have known on the west coast...

Here is another record then, made of my imagination, and whatever else that has no words, using the clay of this place and the shapes of my eyes to form some kind of picture of my life, or my heart, that I alone can understand, and hopefully that others can enjoy.' ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Desire-Rickie-Jones/dp/B00WIB1ZX0

The Other Side Of Desire

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Dick Hyman - Plays Duke Ellington

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:24
Size: 149,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:26)  1. Jubilee Stomp
(4:13)  2. Drop Me Off At Harlem
(3:11)  3. The Clothed Woman
(6:53)  4. Sophisticated Lady
(3:19)  5. Doin' The Voom Voom
(3:26)  6. On A Turquoise Cloud
(3:56)  7. All Too Soon
(5:49)  8. Tonk
(4:24)  9. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(4:48) 10. Echoes Of Harlem
(5:51) 11. Prelude To A Kiss
(4:05) 12. The Gal From Joe's
(5:40) 13. Day Dream
(3:14) 14. Come Sunday

Performed (as was Dick Hyman's previous Fats Waller project) on a Bosendorfer Reproducing Piano and actually recorded from the piano at a later date (one really cannot tell the difference), this outing finds the great Hyman interpreting 14 of Duke Ellington's compositions. Most intriguing are Ellington's nearly atonal "The Clothed Woman" and "Tonk" in which Hyman somehow duplicates an Ellington-Billy Strayhorn piano duet! Other highlights include the joyous "Drop Me Off In Harlem," "Doin' the Voom Voom," "Echoes of Harlem" and "The Gal from Joe's." The recording is as rewarding as one would expect. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/dick-hyman-plays-duke-ellington-mw0000618650

Personnel: Dick Hyman (piano).

Plays Duke Ellington

Sidsel Storm - Sidsel Storm

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:29
Size: 131,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. Let's Move On
(4:52)  2. Where the River Bends
(5:57)  3. Washing Away
(4:37)  4. Angel Eyes
(4:55)  5. Fall in NYC
(6:01)  6. Butterflies and Lovers
(5:11)  7. Just a Step
(4:21)  8. Solen Er Så Rød, Mor
(5:04)  9. Blame It On My Youth
(3:44) 10. My Favourite Things
(5:17) 11. Glimt

New Danish jazz diva is born !!! Here we have a CD debut with a singer who definitely will attract attention! In the series of fabulous young Danish jazz singer who Sinne Eeg and Malene Mortensen ends Sidsel Storm to the group can and will himself! CD offers that-for a whole seven original compositions, including 4 from Sidsel own, which helps to neatly to further develop the genre so as to not only dwelt in the previous millennium American songbook.

The musicians on the record constitutes nothing less than an impressive team of up and coming Scandinavian talents consisting of Jacob Karlzon (piano), Jesper Thorn (bass / cello), Gunnar Halle (trumpet) Alexander Kraglund (violin) and otherwise drum icon Morten Lund - as usual guarantor for a highly velsvingende plate!Translate by google  http://en.imusic.dk/cd/5706725100722/sidsel-storm-2012-sidsel-storm-compact-disc_ga=1.30674492.2047816991.1438468675

Sidsel Storm

John Stein Quartet - Bing Bang Boom!

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:04
Size: 124,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:39)  1. Sugar
(4:24)  2. Menina
(5:01)  3. Unraveled Plans
(5:03)  4. Bing Bang Boom!
(7:42) 5. Duke Ellington's Sound of Love/Chelsea Bridge
(4:39)  6. Belo Horizonte
(6:44)  7. Love Me Tonight: Lover
(5:19)  8. Delilah
(5:26)  9. Waiting for Woody
(4:02) 10. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To

A signal achievement at any time in jazz history, ensemble longevity is particularly rare at present; yet the John Stein Quartet, a multi--generational and intercontinental enterprise from the outset survives. And as the present and three previous Whaling City discs have documented, it thrives. Stein provides a lot to work with, including five strong originals . . . well chosen standards . . . and a lyrical solo concept. Best of all, Stein's vision of music as "a conversation among friends, not an excuse for impressing people with chops," sets a tone that is upheld and magnified by his partners. (Bob Blumenthal, from the liner notes) http://www.johnstein.com/Albums/BingBangBoom/

Personnel:  John Stein, guitar;  Jake Sherman, piano and Hammond organ;  John Lockwood, acoustic bass;  Zé Eduardo Nazario, drums.

Bing Bang Boom!

Norm Drubner - It Could Happen To You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:03
Size: 83,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:03)  1. Just Friends
(2:41)  2. It Happened Once Before
(2:25)  3. I've Never Been in Love Before
(2:47)  4. I'm Through With Love
(2:38)  5. My Heart Stood Still
(3:52)  6. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry
(3:40)  7. It Could Happen to You
(3:02)  8. Here's That Rainy Day
(3:20)  9. I Have Dreamed
(4:27) 10. You Go to My Head
(2:08) 11. I'll Take Romance
(2:55) 12. I See Your Face Before Me

Norm Drubner was born in Connecticut and has practiced law along with operating real estate related businesses there for many years. Recently, he has turned his attention to his lifelong passion for music  especially the standards from The Great American Songbook. The results have been a series of vocal CDs performed with a smooth, light jazz touch with an emphasis on songs with great lyrics that make the melodies special. Norm is a lawyer-turned-singer who now inspires all of us would-be singers to follow our dreams while there is still time. Enjoy Norm’s interview (at right) with radio show host Don Wolff who loves jazz. http://www.normdrubner.com/

It Could Happen To You

Ben Besiakov Trio - You Stepped Out Of A Dream

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:53
Size: 165,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:48)  1. Four
(8:31)  2. What's New
(8:39)  3. Sippin' At Bells
(5:48)  4. Tune Up
(6:31)  5. I Hear a Rhapsody
(9:07)  6. Cheese Cake
(7:11)  7. You Stepped Out of a Dream
(5:54)  8. Bud's Bubble
(7:12)  9. Stella By Starlight
(6:07) 10. What Is This Thing Called Love

Ben Besiakov (born 27 October 1956 in the Bellahøj ) is a Danish pianist and keyboardist. Ben Besiakov is a self-taught musician. Besiakov got music lessons at Bernadotteskolen of the musician and educator Adrian Bentzon. Begins as 10-year playing trumpet , flute and then piano . Besiakov contact with the American saxophonist Ben Webster in Copenhagen and Besiakov get an insight into the jazz universe. Besiakov has his first professional job as a pianist in Jazzhus Montmartre in 1971st. Besiakov has played in many contexts including in the Danish groups Buki Yamaz , Crème Fraiche , also with some international musicians. Translate by Google  http://translate.google.com.br/translate?hl=en&sl=da&u=https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Besiakov&prev=search

Personnel:  Ben Besiakov(p);  Keith Copeland(ds);  Ron Mcclure(b)

You Stepped Out Of A Dream