Joe Friedman - Cup O' Joe

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 52:33

Size: 120.3 MB

Styles: Guitar jazz

Year: 2006

Art: Front

[5:02] 1. Pure Imagination

[6:48] 2. Bolivar Blues

[7:57] 3. A Darker Shade Of Rose

[4:37] 4. Cup O' Joe

[5:34] 5. My Romance

[6:08] 6. Who's That Lady

[3:37] 7. 'round Midnight/Battle Hymn Of The Republic

[2:56] 8. Myna Bird Blues

[6:08] 9. Stairway To The Stars

[3:41] 10. Blowin' The Blues Away

Cup O' Joe is a surprisingly upbeat and enjoyable debut album for St. Louis-born guitarist Joe Friedman. After playing alongside contemporaries like Cyrus Chestnut and ably providing guitar duties on tour for chanteuse Eartha Kitt, Friedman was given the chance to record his first album as a leader by a fellow Oberlin College alumni, producer and drummer Neal Smith. Alumni brotherhood aside, Smith obviously saw a certain special something in Friedman's playing and his instincts were apparently right on the mark, since that something special comes through so brilliantly loud and clear on this outing.

Ably assisted by the restrained Smith on drums; a facile and tasteful George Colligan on piano; the ever-subtle but rock-steady Peter Washington on bass; and percussionist Renato Thoms lending support, Friedman nimbly but soulfully plays through a variety of well-selected tunes, all demonstrating that this boy has chops. His technique, while amply quick, is respectfully bluesy and can trace its roots to tinges of players like early George Benson and perhaps elder statesman Kenny Burrell in his Jimmy Smith days. His playing is well thought-out and logical, but within it comes nuances of phrasing that are soulfully executed, with great deference to the production of a classic, clean blues-oriented tone reminiscent of Grant Green. When listening, it's easy to realize Friedman is not just another good guitarist.

His playful treatment of "Pure Imagination" from the Willy Wonka movie soundtrack is a case in point, where the music is successfully taken from outside the normally traveled paths of jazz guitar. "Darker Shade of Rose is a fine example of his compositional and arranging skills. The tune starts out with a slow and pretty interplay between Friedman's sensitive guitar and Washington's restrained bowed bass, and quickly heats up to a scorching demonstration of some fine, slow-hand jazz/blues guitar work; a real treat. Throughout the outing, Friedman is accompanied by an able rhythm section, with special mention to Colligan's bow to Monk on the maestro's "Bolivar Blues.

Washington's bouncing bass and the jumpin' solo piano work by Colligan, on the cleverly rendered Isley Brothers tune "Who's That Lady, are perfect compliments to Friedman's free-swinging, extended fret work. A delicately fingered acoustic version of the seminal "'Round Midnight shows the sensitive side to Friedman's playing, especially as he seamlessly melds the tune into a melancholic version of the unlikely "Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Cup O' Joe is a tasteful first effort from Joe Friedman, a record that stands up well to repeated listening and offers a new voice to be watched for in the world of jazz guitar. ~Ralph A. Miriello

Joe Friedman: acoustic and electric guitars; George Colligan: piano; Peter Washington: bass; Neal Smith: drums; Renato Thoms: percussion.

Cup O' Joe

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Eddie Vinson - Clean Head's Back In Town: Eddie Vinson Sings

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:30
Size: 90.5 MB
Styles: West Coast blues, Jump blues
Year: 1957/2015
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. Cleanhead's Back In Town
[2:27] 2. That's The Way To Treat Your Woman
[2:25] 3. Trouble In Mind
[2:27] 4. Kidney Stew Blues
[2:54] 5. Sweet Lovin' Baby
[2:47] 6. Caldonia
[2:46] 7. It Ain't Necessarily So
[2:40] 8. Cherry Red
[2:49] 9. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby
[3:10] 10. I Just Can't Keep The Tears From Tumblin' Down
[2:24] 11. Your Baby Ain't Sweet Like Mine
[2:27] 12. Hold It Right There
[2:22] 13. Trouble In Mind
[2:25] 14. Kidney Stew Blues
[2:22] 15. Hold It Right There

One of only two albums that altoist/singer Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson led during 1956-1966, this infectious set finds him performing some of his best known tunes. With assistance by a medium-size group that plays in a Count Basie groove (including such Basie-ites as trumpeter Joe Newman, trombonist Henry Coker, either Frank Foster or Paul Quinichette on tenor, and pianist Nat Pierce), Cleanhead makes such songs as "Kidney Stew," "Caldonia," "Cherry Red," "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby," and "Hold It Right There" sound full of joy. This CD reissue adds three alternate takes that were originally recorded in stereo. A good sampling of the great Cleanhead. ~Scott Yanow

Clean Head's Back In Town: Eddie Vinson Sings

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Benny Waters - Plays Songs Of Love

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:24
Size: 116,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:47)  1. What Is This Thing Called Love
(4:12)  2. You Are the Sunshine of My Life
(6:31)  3. I'm in the Mood for Love
(3:54)  4. The Love Nest
(6:59)  5. When Your Lover Has Gone
(5:04)  6. Almost Like Being in Love
(2:56)  7. Always
(4:37)  8. I Love You
(5:59)  9. Love Me Or Leave Me
(5:21) 10. Taking A Chance On Love

Until his death at the age of 96, Benny Waters was not only the second oldest active jazz musician (to Eubie Blake who made it to 100) but a powerful altoist who would be considered impressive if he were only 50. Waters' personal history covered virtually the entire history of recorded jazz, although he never really became a major name. He worked with Charlie Miller from 1918-1921, studied at the New England Conservatory, and became a teacher; one of his students was Harry Carney, remarkably. Waters played, arranged for, and recorded with Charlie Johnson's Paradise Ten (1925-1932), an underrated group that also for a time included Benny Carter and Jabbo Smith. Waters, who was primarily a tenor saxophonist and an occasional clarinetist during this period, was influenced to an extent by Coleman Hawkins, and he recorded with both Clarence Williams and King Oliver in the 1920s. During the next two decades, Waters played in many groups including those led by Fletcher Henderson (for a few months), Hot Lips Page, Claude Hopkins, and Jimmie Lunceford. He led his own unit during part of the 1940s, played with Roy Milton's R&B band, and in 1949 went to France with the Jimmy Archey Dixieland group.

Waters settled in Paris, working steadily, although he was largely forgotten at home. By the 1980s, he was visiting the U.S. more frequently, and Waters is heard in brilliant form on a 1987 quartet set for Muse on which he plays tenor, alto, and clarinet, in addition to taking some effective vocals. A short time later he went blind and stuck exclusively to playing alto (on which he played in a jump style reminiscent of Tab Smith, that shows the occasional influence of John Coltrane). The seemingly ageless Benny Waters continued recording and performing with a remarkable amount of energy, touring with the Statesmen of Jazz in 1995 and creating some miraculous music prior to his death on August 11, 1998. Bio ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/benny-waters-mn0000053948/biography

Plays Songs Of Love

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Térez Montcalm - I Know I'll Be Alright

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:23
Size: 116,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:27)  1. Superwoman
(3:55)  2. If I Could Turn Around
(3:35)  3. Je reviens te chercher
(3:32)  4. Philadelphia
(4:31)  5. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
(3:59)  6. Lily
(4:42)  7. Honest To the Bones
(4:05)  8. Fling
(4:23)  9. If You Don't Know Me By Now
(3:33) 10. Chambre d'hôtel
(3:36) 11. I Could Have Told You
(3:39) 12. Tell It Like It Is
(3:19) 13. Ashes To Ashes

Térez Montcalm is a Canadian jazz singer and guitarist who broke through to international success in 2007. Born in Quebec, Canada, she grew up bilingually in a family where French and English were spoken interchangeably and where music was important. Her father, a native English speaker originally from Toronto, was a jazz fan who enjoyed Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Nat King Cole. The youngest of five children, she had brothers who were into Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa as well as sisters who were into the Beatles and Edith Piaf. In addition to these influences, Montcalm had favorites of her own, above all Eurythmics lead singer Annie Lennox. Exhibiting an extraordinarily strong voice from an early age, she attended music school as a teenager and ultimately made her full-length recording debut in 1994 with the album Risque on BMG. Sung primarily in French and comprised of original material as well as covers of Charles Aznavour, Tom Waits, and others, Risque was well received from a critical standpoint, and in the wake of its release, Montcalm was awarded a Prix Rapsat-Lelièvre in 1995. 

She released her follow-up album, Parle Pas Si Fort, on Universal in 1997 and subsequently retreated from the marketplace for a while, not releasing her third album, Térez Montcalm, until five years later in 2002. Montcalm changed direction on her fourth album, Voodoo, which arrived in 2006. Comprised almost entirely of cover songs, many of them well known (e.g., Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams"), and sung primarily in English rather than French, Voodoo was produced by former Uzeb jazz-rock guitarist Michel Cusson and released on the Universal subsidiary label GSI Musique. A year after its release, Voodoo broke into the French albums chart and remained there for a total of 30 weeks, going all the way to number 43. ~ Bio https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/terez-montcalm/id28719874#fullText

I Know I'll Be Alright

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Randy Crawford - Live In Zagreb

Styles: Vocal, R&B
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:38
Size: 98,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. Rainy Night In Georgia
(3:29)  2. One Hello
(3:32)  3. You Bring The Sun Out
(5:25)  4. Knockin' On Heaven's Door
(4:51)  5. Almaz
(5:20)  6. One Day I'll Fly Away
(5:27)  7. Street Life
(5:26)  8. Imagine
(3:45)  9. Oh, Daughter Mine

One of the most readily identifiable voices of any contemporary female vocalist, Randy Crawford's initial recognition came from her fiery vocal on "Street Life," a 1979 song matching her with the Crusaders that was included on the soundtrack for Burt Reynolds' film Sharky's Machine. Crawford was born in Macon, Georgia, and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio; she worked in clubs as a teen, accompanied by her father. Crawford was lead vocalist in a group that included bassist Bootsy Collins before touring as George Benson's opening act in 1972. Cannonball Adderley invited her to sing on his LP Big Man. Crawford recorded "Don't Get Caught in Love's Triangle," a song produced by Johnny Bristol, during a short stay on the label. She soon moved to Warner Bros., and after "Street Life," recorded and toured Europe with the Crusaders. Crawford was tabbed Most Outstanding Performer at the 1980 Tokyo Music Festival. She remained with Warner Bros. through the '80s and early '90s, during which time she developed a strong following in Europe and Britain. In the new millennium, Crawford has remained quite active, often re-teaming with Crusaders keyboardist Joe Sample for such albums as 2006's Feeling Good, 2008's No Regrets, and 2012's concert album Live. ~ Bio https://itunes.apple.com/au/artist/randy-crawford/id74188#fullText

Live In Zagreb

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Kurt Elling - Live In Chicago

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:25
Size: 163,2 MB
Art: Front

( 3:50)  1. Downtown
(12:17)  2. My Foolish Heart
( 8:29)  3. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
( 3:51)  4. Oh My God
( 8:58)  5. Night Dream
( 5:20)  6. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
( 1:44)  7. Intro: (Esperanto)
( 5:16)  8. Esperanto
( 3:38)  9. Don't Get Scared
( 0:44) 10. Intro: (Goin' To Chicago)
( 5:39) 11. Goin' To Chicago
( 0:43) 12. Intro: (The Rent Party)
( 8:18) 13. The Rent Party
( 1:30) 14. Blues Chaser

Fans of Kurt Elling have long known that his recordings, as clever and well-orchestrated as they might be, don't quite match up to the power and charm of his live performances. Years of holding court at the Green Mill and other Chicago clubs are what really have brought Elling his most devoted followers, so it is exciting to see that Blue Note's new Elling album is a document of three special nights spent recording at the legendary Uptown jazz club. And indeed, with a few small exceptions, the album shows off Elling at his best  loose, uninhibited, creative, and solid. His standard backing trio has never been tighter and more balanced, and the performance of pianist (and Elling collaborator) Lawrence Hobgood really shines. Three saxophonists Von Freeman, Ed Petersen and Eddie Johnson manage to blend together in perfectly balanced harmonies, as well as command attention in solos of their own. 

Chicago's own Khalil El'Zabar makes a fine appearance, and a rare contribution by legendary jazz vocalist Jon Hendricks shows that he can still steal a show. The enthusiasm of the highly appreciative audience is captured, as well as more than a little evidence of the noise in the surrounding bar. The three nights of recording produced some fine versions of new and classic songs, including "Esperanto," Elling's pairing of the poetry of Pablo Neruda with the music of Vince Mendoza's jazz classic, "Esperança"; and "The Rent Party," which recalls Elling's jazz-poet days at the beginning of his career. ~ Stacia Proefrock http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-in-chicago-mw0000672757

Personnel: Kurt Elling, Jon Hendricks (vocals); Von Freeman, Ed Petersen, Eddie Johnson (tenor saxophone); Laurence Hobgood (piano); Rob Amster (acoustic bass); Michael Raynor (drums); Kahil El 'Zabar (hand drums).

Live In Chicago

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Marty Paich - Arranger, Conductor, Piano

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:52
Size: 167,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:13)  1. It Don't Mean A Thing
(3:12)  2. Just In Time
(5:03)  3. Moanin'
(3:45)  4. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
(3:34)  5. It's All Right With Me
(4:16)  6. Things Ain't Want They Used To Be
(3:28)  7. Move
(6:13)  8. I Love Paris
(4:26)  9. No More
(4:29) 10. Love For Sale
(4:27) 11. Warm Valley
(3:25) 12. Groovin' High
(3:01) 13. Four Brothers
(5:18) 14. Walkin'
(2:37) 15. Doggin' Around
(4:28) 16. Swingin' The Blues
(3:24) 17. All The Things You Are
(2:24) 18. Marty's Blues

Marty Paich was a pianist, composer, arranger, producer, music director, and conductor. In a career which spanned half a century, he worked in these capacities for such artists as Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Sarah Vaughan, Stan Kenton, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Stan Getz, Sammy Davis Jr, Michael Jackson, Art Pepper, and a hundred others. However, his name is essentially unknown outside professional circles. He took little interest in self-promotion, never acquired a personal agent, happily saw his business affairs managed by his capable first wife Huddy, and as soon as finances permitted decamped Los Angeles for a ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley north of Santa Barbara. There he engaged his twin fantasies of riding horses and operating a private museum devoted to the saddles, books, rifles and guns of the American west. For a boy raised in urban Oakland California, this was a charmed leap.He was born Martin Louis Paich on 23 January 1925. His earliest music lessons were on the accordion, and thereafter on the piano. By age 10 he had formed the first of numerous bands, and by age 12 was regularly playing at weddings and similar affairs. Marty first attended Cole Elementary School in Oakland. After graduating from McClymonds High School he attended a series of professional schools in music, including Chapman College, San Francisco State University, the University of Southern California, and the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music where he graduated (1951) magna cum laude with a Master's degree in composition.

His private teachers included Mario Castelnuevo-Tedesco (studying in his home at 269 South Clark, in Beverly Hills) and Arnold Schoenberg. The Gary Nottingham Orchestra provided his earliest paying work as arranger; together with Pete Rugulo he wrote some of that band's best-known charts. Paich served in the US Air Corps during World War II, there leading various bands and orchestras and helping build troop morale.From the beginning of his professional career, he also learned music in the time-honored ways: he transcribed countless tunes and charts from recordings, he attended innumerable concerts, and he sat-in on a thousand jams. And from the beginning Paich had an extraordinary ear for style, and tremendously eclectic taste. These gifts would serve him well in his career and provide the opportunity to work in an amazingly large circle of musicians.

After finishing his formal studies, Paich took a series of jobs in the Los Angeles music and recording industry. These included arranging (and playing) the score for the Disney Studio's full length cartoon film The Lady and The Tramp, working as accompanist for vocalist Peggy Lee, playing piano for the Shorty Rogers' Giants, touring with Dorothy Dandridge, and providing arrangements for many local bands in Los Angeles.During the 1950's, Paich was active in West Coast Jazz performance while also working intensively in the studios. He not only played on, but arranged and produced, numerous West Coast jazz recordings, including albums by Ray Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, Terry Gibbs, Stan Kenton, Shelley Manne, Anita O'Day, Dave Pell, Art Pepper, Buddy Rich, Shorty Rogers, and Mel Tormé. His professional and personal association with Tormé, though occasionally a difficult one, would last decades. Many jazz critics feel their work with the Marty Paich Dektette to be the high point of their respective careers.

In the 1960s, he became more active in commercial music, and extended his talents to include work for such pop musicians as Andy Williams, Al Hirt, Dinah Shore, Jack Jones, and others of that style. From the late 1960s into the mid-1970s, Paich was the studio orchestra leader for such television variety shows as The Glen Campbell Good-Time Hour, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (where he replaced Nelson Riddle), and The Sonny and Cher Show. He also scored such television programs as Ironside, for which he won an Emmy Award. At this time he began serving as teacher and life-long mentor to his son David, soon to make his own reputation with the band Toto, and to become a distinguished musician in his own right. Marty Paich's work in the 1980s to 1990s built on his long-standing reputation as an artist of wide stylistic gifts, particularly in scoring for strings (he was often hired to 'sweeten' the work of other arrangers), and he received calls to work for musicians ranging from Barbra Streisand to Michael Jackson. During the same period he became active in film, often working as conductor (and on-site arranger) in a number of well-received studio projects. These films, usually scored by his student James Newton Howard, included Flatliners, For The Boys, Grand Canyon, The Package, Pretty Woman, and Prince of Tides.

In 1991 he was honored at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion by Singers' Salute to the Songwriter, Inc., and there received the title 'Songwriter of the Year'. He also led the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in what would be one of Sarah Vaughan's last public appearances. In this latter period he announced a semi-retirement to his beloved ranch on Baseline Road in Santa Ynez. From this domain he worked on occasional projects, the last of which was with Aretha Franklin. He died of colon cancer on 12 August 1995, at home, surrounded by his family. Those with him at the end included his brother Tom, second wife Linda, children David and Lorrie, their children, and friends Bea, Ruth, Neal and Charles. http://www.martypaich.com/biography.html

Arranger, Conductor, Piano

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Bill Perkins - I Wished On The Moon

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:28
Size: 115.5 MB
Styles: Post bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[3:54] 1. I Wished On The Moon
[5:08] 2. Remember
[3:09] 3. Beautiful Love
[7:05] 4. Besame Mucho
[5:39] 5. Opals
[5:27] 6. No More
[3:31] 7. Last Port Of Call
[4:58] 8. Rockin' Chair
[6:40] 9. The Summer Knows
[4:51] 10. Caravan

Bill Perkins is a special guest of the Metropole Orchestra on these studio sessions from 1989 and 1990. Backed by conductor Rob Pronk's lightly swinging arrangements, Perkins packs a punch with his effusive tenor sax in "I Wished on the Moon." He switches to flute for "Beautiful Love," which starts slowly before picking up the pace, while Perkins occasionally calls Eric Dolphy to mind with his bird-like runs. He is also hip to more contemporary sounds, as he plays soprano sax in the funky "Last Port of Call" (co-written by Lorraine Feather and Michael Cimbello). But Bill Perkins saves the best for last with a marvelous soprano sax solo in the exotic, tense arrangement of "Caravan." The strings tend to get a little too prominent in spots, but this is still a very enjoyable CD. ~Ken Dryden

I Wished On The Moon

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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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