Kris Berg & The Metroplexity Big Band - This Time/Last Year

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:09
Size: 133.1 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[6:53] 1. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
[5:48] 2. Games
[6:27] 3. This Time/Last Year
[6:10] 4. Forgotten Thoughts
[6:48] 5. Ru Chicken
[5:31] 6. The Gentle Rain
[6:50] 7. Pah-Dáh-Pah-Dah
[7:58] 8. Night Dreamer
[5:41] 9. I'm Okay, We're Okay

As Director of Jazz Studies at Collin College near Dallas, TX, award-winning bassist Kris Berg has vast experience teaching the music, directing various ensembles, as well as being founder of the annual Collin Jazz Festival and the Texas All-Star Jazz Camp. However, This Time / Last Year is his first project as bandleader, directing the large, twenty-plus-piece Metroplexity Big Band through nine electrifying orchestrations of originals and rearranged standards in the finest tradition of contemporary big band music.

Comprised of musicians from what Berg states are, "the crème de la crème of the jazz scene in the Dallas / Ft. Worth area, also known as the Metroplex," (from which the group's name is drawn), Berg harnesses the collective energy of some of the finest players in the business into a muscular ensemble on steroids. Special guests, trumpeters Wayne Bergeron and Clay Jenkins, trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis and flautist Chris Vadala, are the musical steroids helping to deliver that extra kick; that jolt, if you will, that makes this recording such a pleasure to hear.

The bassist delivers a fresh new arrangement of the Sigmund Romberg / Oscar Hammerstein classic, "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," featuring longtime friend Jenkins, and Marsalis, both doing the honors with solos in-between powerful brassy lines. The funk-infused "Games" originates from a composition for an old Berg fusion group and jumps out on electrifying chords from Dallas guitarist Noel Johnston and hard drum beats from Stockton Helbing, as Bergeron plays the lead. The funk continues on the original "RU Chicken," recorded with a smaller band, which takes the original melody of composer James "Pee Wee" Ellis's well-known "Chicken," and alters the rhythm to feature solos from electric pianist Kent Ellingson, a bit from tenor saxophonist Jeff Robbins, and more from Helbing.

Penned for wife Yvette, the title track features beautiful orchestrations, highlighting Helbing and former Maynard Ferguson band mate Ken Edwards on a sublime flugelhorn excursion. The Luiz Bonfa staple, "The Gentle Rain," is the soft spot of the recording, in an arrangement specifically designed to feature reed man Vadala on alto flute, to which Berg adds delicate ensemble work for an especially tender version of this standard. In an arrangement written specifically for vocalist Kurt Elling, who had been a special guest of Berg in the past, saxophonist Wayne Shorter's "Night Dreamer" turns into the defining chart of the recording, staying true to the melody but adding a full band intro with plenty of mutes, bass clarinets and flutes, ultimately featuring delicious solo spots from Jenkins and tenor saxophonist Brian Clancy.

The set ends on a big bang note with the lively and swinging "I'm Okay, We're OK!" and with that, Kris Berg and his Dallas area orchestra take a Texas-sized leap. This Time / Last Year is a classic big band album that features an array of excellent soloists on an impressive debut presented with a measure of funk, swing and swagger. ~Edward Blanco

Kris Berg: bass; Wayne Bergeron: trumpet (2, 4, 7); Clay Jenkins: trumpet (1, 3, 8); Chris Vadala: alto flute (6); Delfeayo Marsalis: trombone (1); Keith Jourdan: trumpet; Micah Bell: trumpet; Ken Edwards: trumpet; Jack Evans: trumpet (1, 3, 6, 8); Tyler Mire: trumpet (2, 4, 7, 9); Tim Ishii: alto saxophone, flute (1-4, 7, 8); Collin Hauser: alto saxophone, flute (1-4, 6, 9); Jeff Robbins: tenor saxophone, flute, alto saxophone (5, 6); Brian Clancy: tenor saxophone, flute; Kevin McNerney: baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone (6); Bruce Bohnstengel: alto saxophone, flute (3, 8, 9); Sarah Roberts: alto saxophone, flute, bass clarinet (6, 8); Michael Burgess: trombone; Chris Seiter (1-4, 6-9); Simon Willats: trombone (1, 3, 6, 8, 9); Milas Yoes: trombone (2, 4, 7); A.G. Robeson: trombone; Stockton Helbing: drums; Kent Ellingson: piano (1-5, 7-9); Roberto Verastegui: piano (6); Tom Burchill: guitar (1, 3-9); Noel Johnston: guitar (2).

This Time/Last Year

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Patricia Dean - You Go To My Head

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:58
Size: 121.3 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:05] 1. Take The A Train
[6:43] 2. You Go To My Head
[5:34] 3. Little Boat
[5:41] 4. Beautiful Love
[4:41] 5. In Love In Vain
[5:47] 6. The More I See You
[3:53] 7. The Lamp Is Low
[5:15] 8. Stew's Blues
[5:20] 9. Everytime We Say Goodbye
[4:55] 10. If I Were A Bell

PATRICIA DEAN and the legendary Grady Tate are among the few artists in the history of jazz who play drums and sing, and who do both at an exceptional level. PATRICIA DEAN is no mere "singing drummer" or "drumming singer". As a drummer she's an inspiring and supremely tasteful time keeper, accompanist, and soloist. As a jazz vocalist, Dean is swinging, sensitive, and quite simply, just wonderfully musical. This Tampa, Florida native was literally and figuratively surrounded by music while growing up. Her father, formerly lead alto saxophonist on the famed "Sherwood's Forest" recording by Bobby Sherwood, was also a talented composer, clarinetist, and pianist. Her older brother, an accomplished bassist was already playing in youth orchestras and backing up name acts while still in high school. But what led Patricia to seriously consider a career in music was none other than the singer/drummer Karen Carpenter. Dean went through her "banging on pots and pans stage" while playing with The Carpenter's records, finally got an actual drum set, began studying privately, and played her first professional gig at the age of 14. Along the way she listened and listened. She sites Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Shirley Horn and Julie London as among her singing influences. Careful listeners may hear some overtones of Dinah Washington, who of course, greatlly influenced Nancy Wilson and Duke Ellington's Betty Roche. Indeed, Dean's version of "Take the "A" Train" recalls the memorable Roche/Ellington recording of that song in 1952. What is so special about Dean's singing is that she is equally skilled and convincingas a heartfelt ballad singer, swinging scatter, and evocative interpreter of Braziian melodies. That's rare.

In terms of drumming, Dean names Ed Thigpen, Sonny Payne, Tony Williams and Jack DeJohnette as some of the percussionists she listened carefully to. Dean has taken the best of what these players represent and combined them to forge her own, unique identity. Above all, no matter what the style or the song, "taste" is at the forefront. Pianist Stu Shelton is technically astounding, to be sure, but he's a player who never lets his chops get in the way of what a jazz pianist and accompanist for a singer is supposed to do: swing and support the vocalist in that order.

Bassist Rick Doll is a versatile and in demand player who is at home playing virtually any style of music. Guest artist Bob Zottola, who plays trumpet on the gorgeous ballad "You Go To My Head", was a first call New York city session player who backed everyone from Benny Goodman and Frank Sinatra to Chick Corea and Maynard Ferguson.

There is, in fact, great depth and beauty, and some joyous swinging to be heard on every track on this recording. ~Bruce Klauber

You Go To My Head

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Kenny Drew - A Harold Arlen Showcase

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:34
Size: 74.6 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1957/2010
Art: Front

[2:40] 1. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[3:20] 2. That Old Black Magic
[3:10] 3. Over The Rainbow
[2:17] 4. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
[2:46] 5. As Long As I Live
[2:11] 6. It's Only A Paper Moon
[2:58] 7. Stormy Weather
[2:17] 8. I've Got The World On A String
[2:32] 9. Let's Fall In Love
[2:59] 10. Ill Wind
[2:37] 11. Blues In The Night
[2:43] 12. Get Happy

Kenny Drew — piano, Wilbur Ware — bass

A Harold Arlen Showcase is an album by pianist Kenny Drew recorded in 1957 and released on the Riverside Records subsidiary Judson label. The album was rereleased on CD by Milestone Records as a compilation with its companion album A Harry Warren Showcase as Kenny Drew Plays the Music of Harry Warren and Harold Arlen in 1995.

A Harold Arlen Showcase

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The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Jazz: Red, Hot And Cool

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:12
Size: 131,1 MB
Art: Front

( 5:08)  1. Lover
(10:39)  2. Little Girl Blue
( 7:23)  3. Fare Thee Well, Annabelle
( 5:23)  4. Sometimes I'm Happy
( 2:46)  5. The Duke
( 5:55)  6. Indiana
( 8:47)  7. Love Walked In
( 4:12)  8. Taking A Chance On Love
( 6:57)  9. Closing Time Blues

The "red hot" in the title comes from this album's cover photograph. A lovely model with bright red attire worked with Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond to provide the visual nightclub perspective. The "cool," of course, comes from the quartet's music. Recorded at Basin Street in New York at three dates in 1954 and '55, The Dave Brubeck Quartet works through several programs that offered happy-go-lucky fare. It's the kind that had already led Brubeck and Desmond to success. This version of the quartet features Bob Bates and Joe Dodge. San Franciscans all, the foursome provides cohesive interplay with mellow refrains. "Love Walked In," for example, offers both smooth group counterpoint and fluid soloing, typical of the work from Brubeck and Desmond. 

Two previously unreleased tracks, "Taking a Chance on Love" and Brubeck's "Closing Time Blues," offer up-tempo adventures that should have been issued long ago. Brubeck solos on the former with spirits soaring, while the latter drives with a pleasant bounce, featuring piano. Wire brushes and walking bass characterize all the sessions, while these last two add a little more. With its great sound reproduction, Jazz: Red Hot And Cool offers an accurate glimpse of the quartet's attractiveness and adds several unexpected surprises. ~ Jim Santella http://www.allaboutjazz.com/jazz-red-hot-and-cool-dave-brubeck-columbia-records-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel:  Dave Brubeck- piano;  Paul Desmond- alto saxophone;  Bob Bates- bass;  Joe Dodge- drums.

Jazz: Red, Hot And Cool

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Cris Barber - Comes Love

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:01
Size: 124,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:06)  1. East Of The Sun
(3:25)  2. Better Than Anything
(6:01)  3. Comes Love
(4:17)  4. O Pato
(6:47)  5. You Go To My Head
(4:11)  6. Exactly Like You
(3:15)  7. Hallo Haven't I seen You Before
(3:43)  8. Just A Little Lovin'
(4:28)  9. Teach Me Tonight
(4:19) 10. Dindi
(4:53) 11. You Taught My Heart To Sing
(5:33) 12. Lousiana Sunday Afternoon

"For an artist to come full circle in range with rhythmic vocals along with flawless precision in a single cut is special. Thus describes the craft of Cris Barber as for the third time this artist has released a smooth and genuinely exquisite production titled Comes Loves. Feminine is the performance, her tones rich and expressions that carry a true cool mystique."~ Karl Stober, international freelance columnist, JazzReview

Winner of the prestigious Orange County Music Award® for Best Jazz Artist, noted vocalist Cris Barber capped a winning year by re-entering the studio to record her 3rd Album, “Comes Love”. With a vocal style that conjures the grand jazz traditions while staying true to her 21st Century rhythmic soul, Cris' skillful vibe is sure to appeal to sophisticated jazz enthusiasts.

The CD features well-known Los Angeles studio and concert players Karen Hammack (piano), Doug Webb (sax), Kurt Rasmussen (percussion), Barry Cogert (bass) and Aldo Bentivenga (drums). The musicians blend masterfully with Cris' vocal style for a wonderfully cohesive sound indicative of a truly great jazz album.

Cris Barber has gained a reputation as one of the premier jazz vocalists in Los Angeles and Southern California, performing in most of the area's top venues. Her “smooth, womanly vocals*” are dynamic and captivating, and have delighted audiences for over a decade. She has received accolades from around the world, including top 10 airplay in Europe, Australia, Canada, Argentina and the U.S. and CD Sales throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/crisbarber3

Comes Love

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Mary Cleere Haran - This Funny World: Sings Lyrics By Hart

Styles: Vocal, Cabaret
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:58
Size: 142,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:18)  1. Manhattan
(3:06)  2. I Married An Angel
(3:32)  3. I'll Tell The Man In The Street
(2:30)  4. Way Out West
(5:06)  5. Everybody Loves You - Sleepyhead
(3:51)  6. With A Song In My Heart
(3:06)  7. Chicago
(5:04)  8. A Tree In The Park
(4:20)  9. Falling In Love With Love
(4:09) 10. Easy To Remember
(3:11) 11. A Lady Must Live
(3:56) 12. This Funny World
(3:45) 13. Wait Till You See Him
(3:10) 14. Everything I've Got
(4:36) 15. My Friend The Night
(4:12) 16. The Blue Room

Mary Cleere Haran emerged in the 1980s' revival of interest in classic pop and cabaret singing. The second of eight children in an Irish Catholic family, she was the daughter of a professor of theater and film at San Francisco City College and grew up immersed in the music and movies of the 1930s and '40s, forming a permanent attachment to the songs of the classic pop songwriters of that era. She began singing as a teenager and moved to New York in the late '70s, where she made her Broadway debut playing a band singer in The 1940s Radio Hour in 1979. 

She toured with the show, then settled in New Jersey and began performing the club circuit. She made her official cabaret debut at the Ballroom in New York in 1988, where she was acclaimed by critics. She began to appear in other prestigious clubs in major cities, and made her recording debut in 1992 with the album There's a Small Hotel (Live at the Algonquin) on Columbia Records. Also busy as a researcher and television producer for PBS, Haran continued her live performance career while making regular recordings This Heart of Mine: Classic Movie Songs of the Forties (1994), This Funny World: The Songs of Lorenz Hart (1995), Pennies from Heaven (1998), and The Memory of All That: Gershwin on Broadway. Crazy Rhythm was issued in fall 2000. ~ William Ruhlmann http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mary-cleere-haran-mn0000859476/biography

Personnel: Mary Cleere Haran (vocals); Richard Rodney Bennett (arranger, piano); Fred Sherry (cello); Ted Nash (tenor saxophone); Bill Charlap (piano); David Finck (bass); Tim Horner (drums).

This Funny World

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Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie & Harry Edison - Tour de Force

Styles: Trumpet Jazz

Year: 1956

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 37:17

Size: 85,5 MB

Art: Front

(17:26)  1. Steeplechase

( 8:41)  2. Ballad Medley

(11:09)  3. Tour De Force

A triple-trumpet session with a really wonderful sound the kind of all-star date that only a label like Verve could have done so well! As you'll guess from the title, the record's a showcase for the three trumpeters in the lead and the tracks are long, with plenty of space for each player to state their case in a very distinct solo voice. Rhythm is by a familiar quartet that features Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums and the use of guitar in a set like this creates an especially ringing tone at the bottom, one that often seems echoed by the brighter notes of the trumpet over the top. The album's got a great extended "Ballad Medley", plus long takes on "Tour De Force" and "Steeplechase". https://www.dustygroove.com/item/511746

Personnel: Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Harry “Sweets” Edison (tp), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b) and Buddy Rich (d).

Tour de Force

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Red Mitchell, Kenny Barron - The Red Barron Duo

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:05
Size: 135,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:14)  1. The Girl Next Door
(6:19)  2. Oleo
(9:40)  3. Sunshower
(6:59)  4. Bureau Blues
(7:22)  5. Finally
(6:40)  6. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(8:42)  7. Namely You
(7:06)  8. Darn That Dream

Bassist Red Mitchell and pianist Kenny Barron teamed up for these "Red Barron" duos in 1986; they were reissued on CD years later. Mitchell and Barron swing through five standards (including "The Girl Next Door," "Oleo" and "Namely You") plus the pianist's "Sunshower" and a couple of Mitchell originals. Their interpretations swing, are sometimes intuitive and are full of subtle surprises. Barron has since been recognized as a giant of modern mainstream piano while the late Mitchell's virtuosity was never in question. This combination works! ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-red-barron-duo-mw0000690943

The Red Barron Duo

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Freddie Hubbard - Bundle Of Joy

Styles: Trumpet Jazz

Year: 1977

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 40:38

Size: 93,4 MB

Art: Front

(5:34)  1. Bundle of Joy

(3:59)  2. Rainy Day Song

(6:19)  3. Portrait Of Jenny

(4:37)  4. From Now On

(4:42)  5. Tucson Stomp

(6:34)  6. Rahsann

(4:00)  7. I Don't Want To Lose You

(4:50)  8. From Behind

Freddie Hubbard's string of commercial albums for Columbia in the mid-to-late '70s ruined the trumpeter's reputation. This particular LP is not as bad as some (at least his duet with harpist Dorothy Ashby on "Portrait of Jenny" is pretty and Ernie Watts gets a good tenor solo on "Rahsaan") but it is not one of his finer moments either. With an oversized funky rhythm section, a string section and five "background" vocalists, Hubbard had little to do. Skip this and get his CTI and Blue Note albums instead. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/bundle-of-joy-mw0000819876

Personnel: Freddie Hubbard (trumpet, horns); Pat Henderson, Dee Ervin, Julia Tillman Waters, Maxine Willard Waters, Venetta Fields (vocals, background vocals); Jay Graydon, Richard Littlefield (guitar, guitars); David T. Walker, Craig McMullen (guitar); Craig McMalien (guitars); Dorothy Ashby (harp); David Garfield (cello, celesta, keyboards); Bill Henderson (strings); Ernie Watts (flute, alto flute, saxophone, tenor saxophone); Bill Green (flute, saxophone, tenor saxophone); Bill Green (flute, tenor saxophone); David Sherr (oboe, wind); Eric Ward (bassoon, bass instrument); Azar Lawrence (saxophone, tenor saxophone); Ernie Fields Jr. (baritone saxophone); Nolan Andrew Smith, Snooky Young, Bobby Bryant (trumpet); Marilyn Robinson (French horn, horns); George Bohannon, Garnett Brown (trombone); Michael Stanton (keyboards); Curtis Robertson, Jr., Henry Davis (bass instrument); Frederick J. Alexander, Ed Greene, Fred Alexander, Carlos Vegas, Carlos Vega (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (congas, percussion); Bob Zimmitti, Bob Zimmon, Bob Zimitti, Tommy Vig (percussion); Julia Waters (background vocals).

Bundle Of Joy

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Pinky Winters - Lonely One

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:45
Size: 73,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:22)  1. Lonely One
(3:36)  2. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
(2:02)  3. Cheek To Cheek
(2:15)  4. It Never Entered My Mind
(2:11)  5. You Smell So Good
(3:47)  6. Easy Living
(2:38)  7. Jeeper's Creepers
(2:43)  8. I've Got Plenty Of Love
(2:59)  9. Gone With The Wind
(2:39) 10. Pennies From Heaven
(2:48) 11. My Heart's A Child
(1:40) 12. October's Dream

The zenith of the slim Pinky Winters catalog, Lonely One remains a lost classic of the West Coast jazz idiom. Buoyed by the contributions of drummer Chico Hamilton, pianist Gerald Wiggins, and guitarist Howard Roberts, its lithe and lively approach proves the perfect complement for Winters' intimate vocals. Despite its melancholy title cut (one of four originals composed by the team of Dick Grove and Jack Smalley), Lonely One for the most part favors up-tempo material well matched to Hamilton's spirited rhythms. Winters may not redefine standards like Irving Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek" and Johnny Mercer's "Jeepers Creepers," but she nevertheless invests the lyrics with uncommon intelligence and care, clearly savoring the give-and-take with her crack supporting unit. ~ Jaspn Ankeny http://www.allmusic.com/album/lonely-one-mw0000921714

Lonely One

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Kenny Drew Trio - If You Could See Me Now

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 1974

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 47:29

Size: 109,0 MB

Art: Front

(7:33)  1. In Your Own Sweet Way

(4:02)  2. If You Could See Me Now

(5:21)  3. All Souls Here

(5:56)  4. I'm Old Fashioned

(7:54)  5. A Stranger In Paradise

(5:05)  6. Prelude To A Kiss

(8:01)  7. This Is The Moment

(3:34)  8. Oleo

A talented bop-based pianist (whose son has been one of the brightest pianists of the 1990s), Kenny Drew was somewhat underrated due to his decision to permanently move to Copenhagen in 1964. He made his recording debut in 1949 with Howard McGhee and in the 1950s was featured on sessions with a who's who of jazz, including Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Milt Jackson, Buddy DeFranco's quartet, Dinah Washington, and Buddy Rich (1958). Drew led sessions for Blue Note, Norgran, Pacific Jazz, Riverside, and the obscure Judson label during 1953-1960; most of the sessions are available on CD. He moved to Paris in 1961 and relocated to Copenhagen in 1964 where he was co-owner of the Matrix label. He formed a duo with Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson and worked regularly at the Montmartre. Drew recorded many dates for SteepleChase in the 1970s and remained active up until his death. ~ Bio https://itunes.apple.com/br/artist/kenny-drew/id2740491#fullText

Personnel:  Kenny Drew – piano;  Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen – bass;  Albert "Tootie" Heath - drums

If You Could See Me Now

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Martial Solal - Bluesine

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:38
Size: 88,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. The End Of A Love Affair
(3:00)  2. Bluesine
(3:55)  3. Lover
(5:45)  4. I'll Remember April
(2:49)  5. Moins De 36
(6:02)  6. 'Round About Midnight
(3:04)  7. Yardbirde Suite
(4:04)  8. 14 Septembre
(3:41)  9. Have You Met Miss Jones?

This solo piano affair by Martial Solal dates from early 1983, mixing striking interpretations of standards and familiar jazz compositions along with his own stunning originals. His take of "The End of a Love Affair" has the virtuosity of Art Tatum and the lyricism of Tommy Flanagan in a rather curious blend. His stutter-step introduction to Richard Rodgers' "Lover" is only the beginning of his wild approach to this familiar waltz; his topsy-turvy arrangement is full of humor. "I'll Remember April" is often subjected to rather dull, predictable performances in the world of jazz, though Solal approaches it in angular fashion, working only gradually toward its very recognizable theme. Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight" is also tackled in a roundabout way instead of the usual direct fashion, while his enlightened take of Charlie Parker's "Yardbird Suite" is a bit more accessible, though no less novel. Solal's two originals nicely round out this rewarding CD, which is getting more to difficult to acquire after being dropped from the Soul Note catalog. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/bluesine-mw0000192863

Personnel: Martial Solal (piano).

Bluesine

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Eddie Higgins Quartet Featuring Scott Hamilton - My Funny Valentine

Styles: Piano and Saxophone Jazz

Year: 2004

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 68:03

Size: 156,7 MB

Art: Front

(7:02)  1. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

(3:56)  2. I'm A Fool To Want You

(4:55)  3. When Sunny Gets Blue

(7:08)  4. Alone Together

(3:39)  5. My Funny Valentine

(7:53)  6. It's All Right With Me

(7:11)  7. Stardust

(6:45)  8. I Only Have Eyes For You

(7:01)  9. Don't Explain

(7:13) 10. On A Slow Boat To China

(5:19) 11. Imagination

A solid bop-based pianist, Eddie Higgins has never become a major name, but he has been well-respected by his fellow musicians for decades. After growing up in New England, he moved to Chicago, where he played in all types of situations before settling in to a long stint as the leader of the house trio at the London House (1957-1969). Higgins moved back to Massachusetts in 1970 and went on to freelance, often accompanying his wife, vocalist Meredith D'Ambrosio, and appearing at jazz parties and festivals. Eddie Higgins has led sessions of his own for Replica (1958), Vee-Jay (1960), Atlantic, and Sunnyside; back in 1960, he recorded as a sideman for Vee-Jay with Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter. Bio ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/eddie-higgins-mn0000364205/biography

Personnel: Eddie Higgins (piano); Scott Hamilton (saxophone);  Jay Leonhart (bass); Joe Ascione (drums).

My Funny Valentine

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Mary Cleere Haran - Crazy Rhythm

Styles: Vocal, Cabaret
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:05
Size: 128,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:56)  1. Medley: Sidewalks of New York/Manhattan
(3:23)  2. Medley - Crazy Rythm, Runnin' Wild
(4:30)  3. Tree In The Park
(1:54) 4. When The Midnight Choo Choo Leaves For Alabam
(2:28)  5. Pack Up Your Sinners And Go To The Devil
(3:28)  6. What'll I Do
(2:15)  7. They're Blaming The Charlston
(4:00)  8. The Half Of It Dearie Blues
(4:25)  9. It Had To Be You
(2:02) 10. Monkey Doodle Doo
(4:10) 11. Harlem On My Mind
(3:26) 12. Poor Little Rich Girl
(2:24) 13. There'll Be Some Changes Made
(4:55) 14. Moanin'Low
(2:50) 15. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
(4:51) 16. Lullaby of Broadway

Early in Mary Cleere Haran's dazzling new cabaret show, ''Crazy Rhythm: Manhattan in the 20's,'' at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel, she assures us that the distant decade of jazz, flappers and speakeasies was not a dream. Moments later, as she and her invaluable accompanist and vocal partner, Richard Rodney Bennett, sail into ''Crazy Rhythm,'' a frantically upbeat Charleston by Joseph Meyer, Roger Wolfe Kahn and Irving Caesar, from the 1928 show ''Here's How,'' the essence of what we call the Roaring 20's is revealed to have been a beat. Buoyant and high-stepping, it was a rhythm propelled by a hysterical urge to throw off the chains of the past, live for the moment and if possible become airborne. As she has done in earlier cabaret shows, especially last year's brilliant and moving evocation of the flaming talent that was George Gershwin, Ms. Haran has created an impressionistic mosaic of an era by blending songs, witty quotations and show business lore with funny self-explanatory asides. Among the personalities she sketches are F. Scott Fitzgerald, Josephine Baker and the brassy speakeasy hostess Texas Guinan.

Leading ''Crazy Rhythm's'' list of musical revelations are its numbers that reveal the friskier, racier side of the young Irving Berlin. ''Pack Up Your Sins and Go to the Devil,'' a comic gem from the 1922 edition of his ''Music Box Revue,'' is a hilarious pitch for the superior life style of the netherworld, a place awash with jazz and where no ''old reformers in heaven'' are making you ''go to bed at 11.'' It is matched in lighthearted subversion by ''The Monkey Doodle-Doo,'' from the 1925 Marx Brothers show ''The Cocoanuts,'' in which Berlin gleefully alludes to the Scopes trial and the fad for injecting monkey glands to restore flagging virility. The song caps a smart monologue in which Ms. Haran suggests how deeply the writings of Freud and Darwin influenced the era's erotic climate. Anyone who thinks that the denunciation of contemporary pop by finger-pointing moralists is a relatively recent phenomenon should appreciate Berlin's ''They're Blaming the Charleston,'' an irresistible upbeat retort to 1920's cultural alarmists.

Grounding this merriment are classic ballads that Ms. Haran delivers in her signature style, stripping away the sentimentality to uncover the lyrics' private, heartfelt truths with an unadorned simplicity. ''It Had to Be You,'' a number most singers breeze through without much thought is slowed down and delivered as a pensive reflection on romantic destiny. Berlin's ''Harlem on My Mind,'' inflected with a period nasality, is a tour de force of restrained belting. http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/10/arts/cabaret-review-mary-cleere-haran-jazz-baby-roaring-through-the-20-s.html

Personnel: Mary Cleere Haran (vocals); Richard Rodney Bennett (arranger, piano, background vocals); Linc Milliman (bass).

Crazy Rhythm

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Stan Getz - Sweet Rain

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:39
Size: 86,3 MB
Art: Front

(8:33)  1. Litha
(4:45)  2. O Grande Amor
(7:12)  3. Sweet Rain
(8:08)  4. Con Alma
(8:58)  5. Windows

One of Stan Getz's all-time greatest albums, Sweet Rain was his first major artistic coup after he closed the book on his bossa nova period, featuring an adventurous young group that pushed him to new heights in his solo statements. Pianist Chick Corea, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Grady Tate were all schooled in '60s concepts of rhythm-section freedom, and their continually stimulating interplay helps open things up for Getz to embark on some long, soulful explorations (four of the five tracks are over seven minutes). The neat trick of Sweet Rain is that the advanced rhythm section work remains balanced with Getz's customary loveliness and lyricism. Indeed, Getz plays with a searching, aching passion throughout the date, which undoubtedly helped Mike Gibbs' title track become a standard after Getz's tender treatment here. Technical perfectionists will hear a few squeaks on the LP's second half (Getz's drug problems were reputedly affecting his articulation somewhat), but Getz was such a master of mood, tone, and pacing that his ideas and emotions are communicated far too clearly to nit-pick. 

Corea's spare, understated work leaves plenty of room for Getz's lines and the busily shifting rhythms of the bass and drums, heard to best effect in Corea's challenging opener "Litha." Aside from that and the title track, the repertoire features another Corea original ("Windows"), the typically lovely Jobim tune "O Grande Amor," and Dizzy Gillespie's Latin-flavored "Con Alma." The quartet's level of musicianship remains high on every selection, and the marvelously consistent atmosphere the album evokes places it among Getz's very best. A surefire classic. ~ Steve Huey http://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-rain-mw0000188080

Personnel: Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Albert Daily (piano); Chick Corea (electric piano); Stanley Clarke, George Mraz (bass); Tony Williams, Billy Hart (drums).

Sweet Rain

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Ornette Coleman - Tomorrow Is The Question!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:43
Size: 98,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:12)  1. Tomorrow Is The Question!
(5:03)  2. Tears Inside
(3:11)  3. Mind And Time
(4:38)  4. Compassion
(3:21)  5. Giggin'
(4:04)  6. Rejoicing
(5:58)  7. Lorraine
(7:54)  8. Turnaround
(5:19)  9. Endless

Shaking out of the contractual obligation forcing him to employ a pianist on his debut, Something Else!!!! (Contemporary, 1958), alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman dispensed with the instrument altogether on 1959's Tomorrow is the Question!, causing a bit of consternation on the part of the mainstream jazz media. This was Coleman's committed step forward toward a harmonically less restrictive sound, en route to the joyful chaos of Free Jazz (Atlantic, 1961). Following, in form, Gerry Mulligan's famous piano-less quartet of the early 1950s, Coleman greatly liberated his solo and rhythm instruments, taking a quantum greater advantage of this freedom compared with Mulligan, had the baritone saxophonist been so inclined. At the same time, the ensemble writing on Tomorrow is the Question! comes off more precise and filigreed than on Something Else!!!! and considerably more musical. Heard by today's ears, it is not so jarring a progression. Novel at the time was Coleman and trumpeter Don Cherry's tearing loose from harmonic convention in their solos, like Coleman's refractive muse on the title piece (sounding like a Jungian analysis of traditional New Orleans jazz) and, "Mind and Time" (an angular Thelonious Monk-like piece taken to the next level). Coleman shares his space with Cherry, who tends to stay melodically closer to home, providing a tether to Coleman's dissonant flights of fancy and imagination. Tenor saxophonist John Coltrane's later path to harmonic freedom followed approximately this same arc, from Live at Birdland (Impulse!, 1963) through A Love Supreme (Impulse!, 1964),, on to Ascension (Impulse!, 1965).

"Tears Inside" approximates the funk achieved by tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley on his "Funk in the Deep Freeze," from Hank Mobley Quintet (Blue Note, 1957). A jangling head gives way to a blues well-grounded by drummer Shelly Manne and bassist Jimmy Heath, both playing more conservatively than Coleman or Cherry. The piece was also covered shortly after by saxophonist Art Pepper on his ironically titled Smack Up (Contemporary, 1960), the altoist straightening out Coleman's crooks, casting the piece as a straight-ahead blues and possibly offering a window into Coleman's otherwise enigmatic composing and playing. "Compassion" echoes pianist Dave Brubeck's 1959 "Blue Rondo a la Turk," From Time Out (Columbia, 1959), with its off-time playing alternating with the straight 4/4. 

It is a bit of complicated playing that mixes up the rhythm direction without steering the show off the road. The presence of Manne and Heath somewhat grounds Coleman in a way bassist Don Payne and drummer Billy Higgins resisted on Something Else!!!!, with the pair finally loosening up on the jubilant "Rejoicing." Bassist Red Mitchell replaces Heath on the disc's final three cuts. "Lorraine" could be classified as a ballad, but it would be one of a new variety, differing in temperament to the conventional ballad. Coleman's alto playing turns blue on this piece, with Cherry's tart trumpet curling the edges of the charts. "Lorraine" prepares the recording for its bluest moment, "Turnabout." Coleman elongates his solo notes into primal screams as opposed to furious flurries of manically expressed ideas, reaching a groove and maintaining it.

The disc closer, "Endless," bounces back to bebop, while breaking completely from the clean turnarounds and brief, pungent solos. Coleman and Cherry reveal that they are not going back to the old ways, but that they are carefully considering where they are going and how they are changing jazz music. Much here sounds like standard bebop/hard bop of the period, but there is an undercurrent of creative anxiety, a nervous tension that continues to build progressively and would be heard more clearly in Coleman's later recordings. ~ C.Michael Bailey http://www.allaboutjazz.com/ornette-coleman-tomorrow-is-the-question-ornette-coleman-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Ornette Coleman: alto saxophone; Don Cherry: trumpet; Percy Heath: bass (1-6); Red Mitchell: bass (7-9); Shelly Mann: drums.

Tomorrow Is The Question!

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Pete Jolly Trio - Little Bird

Styles: Jazz, Cool
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:11
Size: 85,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:22)  1. Little Bird
(2:42)  2. Three Four Five
(6:34)  3. Never Never Land
(8:01)  4. Alone Together
(2:30)  5. To Kill a Mockingbird
(2:59)  6. Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most
(4:22)  7. My Favorite Things
(5:10)  8. Toot, Toot, Tootsie
(2:26)  9. Falling in Love with Love

A hit record for the Pete Jolly Trio in 1963, Little Bird has mostly standards, but it is Jolly's version of the catchy title track that caught on. Pianist Jolly is joined by his trio bassist Chuck Berghofer and drummer Larry Bunker plus a pair of guests, guitarist Howard Roberts and percussionist Kenny Hume. This is a fine all-around straight-ahead session, highlighted by "Never Never Land," "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," and "Falling in Love with Love."~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/little-bird-mw0000866942

Little Bird

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Slam Stewart - Slamboree

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:38
Size: 138,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:51)  1. Slamboree
(3:22)  2. On Green Dolphin Street
(3:46)  3. Foolin' Around
(3:38)  4. When Your Lover Has Gone
(3:47)  5. Back Home Again In Indiana
(3:11)  6. All The Things You Are
(3:35)  7. Yes Indeed
(6:49)  8. Willow Weep For Me
(4:42)  9. A Jam With Sam
(3:13) 10. All The Things You Are (take 1)
(3:28) 11. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
(2:47) 12. On Green Dolphin Street (alt take)
(2:24) 13. Yes Indeed (take 1)
(3:12) 14. All The Things You Are (take 2)
(5:01) 15. Willow Weep For Me (take 1)
(3:44) 16. Foolin' Around (rehearsal)

Leroy Eliot "Slam" Stewart (September 21, 1914 – December 10, 1987) was an African American jazz bass player whose trademark style was his ability to bow the bass (arco) and simultaneously hum or sing an octave higher. He was originally a violin player before switching to bass at the age of 20. 

Stewart was born in Englewood, New Jersey on September 21, 1914, and began playing string bass while attending Dwight Morrow High School. While attending the Boston Conservatory, he heard Ray Perry singing along with his violin. This gave him the inspiration to follow suit with his bass. In 1937 Stewart teamed with Slim Gaillard to form the novelty jazz act Slim and Slam. The duo's biggest hit was "Flat Foot Floogie (with a Floy Floy)" in 1938 (see 1938 in music). Stewart found regular session work throughout the 1940s with Lester Young, Fats Waller, Coleman Hawkins, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, Johnny Guarnieri, Red Norvo, Don Byas, the Benny Goodman Sextet, and Beryl Booker, among others. 

One of the most famous sessions he played on took place in 1945, when Stewart played with Dizzy Gillespie's group (which featured Charlie Parker). Out of those sessions came some of the classics of bebop such as "Groovin' High" and "Dizzy Atmosphere." Throughout the rest of his career, Stewart worked regularly and employed his unique and enjoyable bass-playing style. He taught at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York, and at Yale University. He died on December 9, 1987 in Binghamton. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slam_Stewart

Personnel:  Slam Stewart (Bass, Composer, Primary Artist, Vocals );  Al Casey (guitar);  Gene Rodgers (bass),  Wild Bill Davis (piano);  Joseph "Kaiser" Marshall,  Jo Jones (drums).

Slamboree

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Rumer - B Sides & Rarities

Styles: Vocal, Jazz Soul
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:12
Size: 138,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:56)  1. Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)
(4:07)  2. Dangerous (Bossa Nova)
(4:28)  3. Sailing
(3:24)  4. Hasbrook Heights (with Dionne Warwick)
(3:13)  5. Come Saturday Morning
(3:20)  6. It Might Be You (theme from Tootsie)
(2:33)  7. Moon River (live on BBC Radio 2)
(3:49)  8. Separate Lives (with Stephen Bishop)
(3:21)  9. The Warmth of the Sun
(2:53) 10. Alfie
(3:12) 11. Long Long Day
(3:33) 12. Soul Rebel
(3:49) 13. Here Comes the Sun
(2:41) 14. Marie
(5:29) 15. Frederick Douglas
(3:12) 16. That's All (with Michael Feinstein live on NPR)
(3:05) 17. I Believe in You (theme from Johnny English)

Already sounding of the era, it’s only fitting that Rumer’s B-Sides & Rarities is made up largely of ‘60s and ‘70s soft rock and singer-songwriter staples. Her crystalline, impeccably precise vocals are perfectly suited to the slick arrangements and performances associated with this particular era and style of pop music. And since so many of these songs were and are lovely to begin with, if not necessarily critically revered, her loving renditions simply serve to reaffirm their overall pleasantness. Her take on Christopher Cross’ “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” deviates little from the original, remaining close in both form and arrangement with Rumer sounding as ever like a slightly more assured Karen Carpenter. Giving the song an even smoother (if that’s possible) take, Rumer’s voice is better suited to the material than Cross’ in that hers is a voice in possession of a certain level of weightless effortlessness that feels unhurried, unforced and completely natural. It’s an immensely pleasing and calming voice that manages to toe the line between beauty and pastiche.

Similarly, “Sailing” is slowed even more than the original, given a balladic reading that manages to sound just that much more profound than Cross’ somewhat silly lyrics and delivery would have most believe. Given the level of ironic detachment and loosely- defined enjoyment afforded these so-called “yacht rock” songs over the last decade or so, it’s refreshing to hear someone approach the material with a sort of wide-eyed wonder and earnestness that carries not a trace of irony. Rather than using the songs as the basis for humorous interpretation, Rumer approaches these songs as someone who feels them deeply and wishes to do them justice. In this approach, she’s far more successful, imbuing her performance with a level of reverence not generally afforded such ephemeral pop fluff. It’s a refreshing take that allows these songs to be heard again for the first time.

Taking on a pair of Bacharach/David compositions in “Hasbrook Heights” and “Alfie”, she proves herself a deft interpreter, capable of a level of subtle nuance in her phrasing that would no doubt make the composer proud. Notoriously tricky arrangements and atypical in structure, Bacharach/David compositions have long been a favorite of many artists, but rarely are as successful as they are here. “Alfie” in particular, with its melodic jumps that tend to trip up lesser performers, is delivered with the same pleasant effortlessness as nearly everything else on the album. While much of the material itself can be somewhat hard to take seriously (especially “It Might Be You (Theme From Tootsie)”), the casually reverent way in which she approaches these songs makes it hard to adopt an even remotely jaded stance. Rather there’s such a genuine affection inherent in her performances that it’s clear this is the era of pop music in which she finds herself most comfortable. It’s little wonder then that these songs could just as easily have slotted into her most recent collection of original material. In the hands of a lesser interpreter, it would be nearly impossible for these songs not to border on the parodic.

While many of these songs have been done nearly to death (does the world really need another version of “Moon River” or “Here Comes the Sun”? Turns out it does), Rumer manages to inject enough of herself into fairly tame arrangements to make them worth checking out. With a voice as pure as hers, it’s extremely difficult to find much in the way of fault. Her reading of Randy Newman’s “Marie” in particular is nothing short of heartbreaking. The collection is not without its flaws, however. “Separate Lives”, a live duet with Stephen Bishop, sounds more like a contemporary Christian anthem than a soft pop classic. While their voices manage a relatively pleasant pairing, much like Karen Carpenter, her voice is best served solo or in tandem with itself (see her unlikely take on Bob Marley’s “Soul Rebel”). Wisely, the only other pairing on the album, a lovely rendition of “That’s All”, finds Rumer accompanied only by Michael Feinstein on piano.By no means essential, B-Sides & Rarities is a fine stopgap release for those already enamored of Rumer’s previous releases. Fans of soft pop/rock, singer-songwriters and musicians who place greater focus on subtlety and nuance in their performances will find much to like here. http://www.popmatters.com/review/193582-rumer-b-sides-rarities/

B Sides & Rarities

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Stan Getz - The Steamer

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:42
Size: 123,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:53)  1. Blues For Mary Jane
(9:20)  2. There Will Never Be Another You
(4:13)  3. You're Blasé
(6:19)  4. Too Close For Comfort
(6:30)  5. Like Someone In Love
(7:24)  6. How About You?
(6:54)  7. How About You? (Complete Alternative Take, alternate take, complete)
(1:09)  8. There Will Never Be Another You (Breakdown Take) (Incomplete Take)
(0:46)  9. You're Blase (take False Start, false start)
(0:37) 10. Like Someone in Love (Incomplete Take)
(2:30) 11. How About You? (Breakdown Take) (False Start)

It doesn't happen too often, but there are times when the title of a jazz album and the material within interface perfectly. Hence The Steamer, where Stan Getz joined forces with a super West Coast-based rhythm section to produce some truly steaming music. "Blues for Mary Jane" is remarkable; for all of the straight-ahead heat generated by the rhythm section, Getz is incredibly relaxed, poised, and always under control while still managing to swing like mad. In other words, the style that he was able to carry over to his bossa nova adventures in the following decade is right here, ready to go. 

There is also room for the Getz-ballad manner on "You're Blase," and "Like Someone in Love" combines a leisurely swinging tempo with Getz's natural warmth. From the evidence of these sessions alone, not to mention countless others, the team of bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Stan Levey ought to be anointed as one of the greatest rhythm sections in jazz history, and sure-fingered pianist Lou Levy benefits from their finesse and drive. All of this music is available on the three-CD set East of the Sun: The West Coast Sessions, and this Verve Master Edition release offers outtakes from that set at the end of the disc. Indeed, the alternate "How About You?" has some swinging hairpin turns by Getz that will make your head swivel. ~ Richard S.Ginell  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-steamer-mw0000256953

Personnel: Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Lou Levy (piano); Leroy Vinnegar (bass); Stan Levey (drums).

The Steamer

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