Massimo Farao' - Roses Scatter in Beauty

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 2015

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 58:32

Size: 134,3 MB

Art: Front

(6:11)  1. Roses Scatter In Beauty - The Rose Of Versailles

(4:54)  2. Thanatos If I Can't Be Yours - Neon Genisis Evangelion

(5:32)  3. The Tears of Cleopatra - Cleopatra

(4:40)  4. Sailor Moon Theme - Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon

(5:32)  5. Marvelous Melmo - Fushigi Na Melmo

(5:58)  6. A Whisper of Flower - A Little Princess Sara

(7:46)  7. Soul's Refrain - Neon Genisis Evangelion

(5:56)  8. Love Squall - Lupin the Third

(6:02)  9. Love Theme - Lupin the Third

(5:57) 10. Cruel Angel's Thesis - Neon Genisis Evangelion

Massimo Farao (16th March 1965 in Genoa) is an Italian jazz - pianist. Massimo Farao studied with Flavio Crivelli and worked with local formations; In 1983 he visited the United States, where he among other things, with the first Red Holloway and Albert 'Tootie' Heath played. In the 1990s he worked with Tony Scott, Adrian Mears, John Enders, Jesse Davis, Franco Ambrosetti, at its Enja -albumsGrazie Italia and Light Breeze he participated. He also played in the Nat Adderley Quintet at a European tour. In 1993 he took for Splasc (h) his debut album For Meon; his teammates included the trumpeter Flavio Boltro and bassist Dado Moroni. In 1995 the album Ciao Baby (on Monad).

In Trio with Ira Coleman and Jeff Tain Watts played Farao 1998 Brooklyn for Enja album Black Inside a; 2000 followed (also on Enja) the recorded in trio and quartet album Thorn on which Drew Gress, Jack DeJohnette and saxophonist Chris Potter participated. In 2001, he was (with Wayne Dockery and Bobby Durham)member of the quartet of Archie Shepp; 2001-2005 was the artistic director of the jazz department Farao the label Azzrra Music. In 2003, he stepped on the Jazz Piano Festival in Lucerne. In 2006 he recorded an album with compositions by Ennio Morricone on; In 2007 he toured in a trio with Joey DeFrancesco through Europe and the USA. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massimo_Farao

Musicians:  Massimo Farao' – Piano;  Aldo Zunino – Bass;  Marco Tolotti - Drums

Roses Scatter in Beauty

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Ron Carter And The WDR Big Band - My Personal Songbook

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:26
Size: 182,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:03)  1. Eight
( 5:59)  2. Receipt, Please
( 6:08)  3. Ah, Rio
( 7:48)  4. Doom Mood
( 9:46)  5. Blues for D.P.
( 6:13)  6. Wait for the Beep
( 9:14)  7. Little Waltz
( 8:37)  8. For Toddlers Only
(10:59)  9. Sheila's Song
( 7:36) 10. Cut and Paste

My Personal Songbook is the perfect amalgamation of sterling bassist and composer, world-leading jazz orchestra and distinctive arranger forged together on this heroic recording. Arguably the most proment and innovative modern jazz bassist today, Ron Carter is no mean composer either, and provides ten of his pieces of varying style feel and tempi. They offer ace arranger Richard DeRosa the handy challenge of harnessing this melange of repertoire into the seamless collection that results. Delivering this in stellar form is the WDR Big Band, based in Cologne, a first class ensemble boasting an array of brilliant soloists that include trumpeter, John Marshall; Paul Heller on tenor sax, Johan Hörlen alto sax, and trombonist Ludwig Nuss. Frank Chastenier's melodic but driving piano solos score throughout alongside the churning battery of Carter's bass and Hans Dekker's drums.

The leader's voice has such a sound and presence that goes well beyond his role in the rhythm section keeping time and goading on soloists.Its as if every note and rhythm and instrumentalist playing them are imbued with Carter's aura and message sending it well into an atmosphere of larger proportions. On a lighter note, Carter's playful propensity for quoting runs amok on his solo on "Receipt Please". He manges to squeeze in a circus call theme, Anything Goes and "All Blues" in as many bars. A feat worthy of a "red card" (in British football parlance) but all the better for his Puckish humour- always welcome in the music. The magisterial arranging prowess of Rich DeRosa is exemplary throughout. Born and bred in Long Island, New York, Rich is the progeny of the late percussionist and jazz educator, Clem DeRosa. Rich's other writing credits include the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra (dig his swinging vocal chart on "Lullaby of Birdland")and Gerry Mulligan (with whom he drummed with for many years) as well as a 1980s orchestral jazz concern lead by (Garry) Dial and (Dick) Oatts.
 
DeRosa's Thad Jones-like rhythmic swagger and "red note" harmonies on Receipt Please, Blues for D.P. and Cut and Paste score highly in the 1960s/70s modern post Ellington/Basie tradition. For me , the real tour de force though is Sheila's Song which clearly draws from the sound world of the Gil/Miles 1958 Sketches of Spain collaboration. Not in a pastiche kind of way but more celebrating it in a contemporary fashion. A flamenco mood is established from the outset with a clever balance of mutes and flutes outlining transparent harmonies that belie their size and shape. One of Gil Evans' most remarkable skills  was to disguise and soften bracing dissonances (close and angular harmonies that could be accused of containing incorrect notes) with an orchestration that soothes and salves. 

DeRosa has clearly mastered this skill  bringing about a distinctive early 20th Century rural Spanish ambience to the proceedings....a "Manuel Defy Ya" vibe if you will.....(sorry..). What is also remarkable is that the composer solidly supplies the repeating ostinato bassline throughout the eleven minute track while allowing guitarist Paul Shigihara, and trumpeter Ruud Breuls to handle the solo spots.

They do this magnificently, as well. This is a CD of epic proportions combining flawless bassistry and distinctive compositions performed brilliantly by the WDR band with DeRosa's unparalled arrangements. A hallmark CD indeed. Bravo to all hands. http://www.londonjazznews.com/2015/06/cd-review-ron-carter-and-wdr-big-band.html

My Personal Songbook

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Oliver Nelson - Meet Oliver Nelson

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:22
Size: 83.3 MB
Styles: Post bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1960/2013
Art: Front

[7:00] 1. Jams And Jellies
[6:49] 2. Passion Flower
[3:42] 3. Don't Stand Up
[5:28] 4. Ostinato
[6:50] 5. What's New
[6:31] 6. Booze Blues Baby

Oliver Nelson's debut as a leader found him at the age of 27 already a distinctive and skilled tenor-saxophonist. For this quintet set (reissued on CD in the OJC series), Nelson teams up with the veteran trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist Ray Bryant, bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Art Taylor for four of his originals plus the ballads "Passion Flower" and "What's New." Although none of these Nelson tunes caught on, this was an impressive beginning to a short but productive career and gives one a strong example of the multi-talented Nelson's tenor playing. ~Scott Yanow

Meet Oliver Nelson

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The Mark Craddock Trio - Goodbye Blue Monday

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:15
Size: 115.0 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[4:34] 1. Goodbye Blue Monday
[6:46] 2. Womp
[6:43] 3. J-Bird
[4:59] 4. Tres Dados
[4:16] 5. Jam Night
[5:31] 6. Lost Ballad
[3:54] 7. Nosferatu
[6:35] 8. Funk In D
[6:53] 9. Libre

A San Francisco player through the 1990s, Mark Craddock was a member of “Thunder Blue,” a heavily Jimi Hendrix-influenced blues-rock band fronted by Bay Area veteran Regi harvey. Mark also was a member of a popular San Francisco free-jazz group, “The Lab Rats,” and did occasionals, session work and jams with many Bay Area notables such as percussionist Hugh “Sweetfoot” Manard (Caribbean All Stars), blues harpist Red Archibald, and steel guitarist Freddie Roulette. At one time or another, he played in most of the Bay Area’s major blues and rock venues, including New George’s (San Rafael); Skip’s Tavern, The Blue Lamp, Lou’s Pier 47, Biscuits and Blues, The Boom Boom Room (all San Francisco clubs); and JJ’s Blues (San Jose). In late 2001, Mark moved to Walsenburg, Colo., his wife’s hometown.

In addition to gigging with local musicians such as Brent and Babz Seawell, Steve Hohn, and Glenn Wilbanks, Craddock formed his own 9-piece funk/fusion band “Blue Monday,” which gigged frequently around Pueblo and Colorado Springs from 2002 to 2004. In 2004, Mark met Chicago blues pianist Ken Saydak and Nashville songwriter Fred James at a local watering hole. For the next three years he played extensively around Colorado and New Mexico as a member of Ken’s band, as well as gigging with Fred’s “Blazz” (blues-jazz) project.

For the last year and a half, Mark been playing pretty much exclusively with his own jazz combo, “The Mark Craddock Trio,” with bassist Tom Read and percussionist David Zehring. The trio has just released its first CD project on the L.A.-based Snailworx label, engineered by Steve Hohn, produced by Fred James, and featuring Ken Saydak, who stopped by the studio to lay down some incredible Hammond B3 tracks.

Goodbye Blue Monday

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James Taylor - 2 albums: Covers / Other Covers

Album: Covers
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:43
Size: 95.5 MB
Styles: Adult Contemporary, Soft Rock
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:08] 1. It's Growing
[3:15] 2. (I'm A) Road Runner
[3:39] 3. Wichita Lineman
[2:39] 4. Why Baby Why
[2:37] 5. Some Days You Gotta Dance
[4:47] 6. Seminole Wind
[3:34] 7. Suzanne
[3:00] 8. Hound Dog
[4:32] 9. Sadie
[4:08] 10. On Broadway
[2:39] 11. Summertime Blues
[2:40] 12. Not Fade Away

A cozy companion to One Man Band, James Taylor's 2007 intimate stroll through his back pages for Starbucks' Hear Music, Covers once again finds the singer/songwriter on familiar, friendly territory, as he returns to his easy rolling full band and digs into the songbook of the rock & roll era. It's his era, of course, the time he had hit singles, including many hit cover versions, as he points out himself in his brief liner notes to the album. All of this makes Covers feel perhaps even more comfortable than One Man Band, which had the distinction of its unique guitar-and-piano arrangements, something that made his hits sound relatively fresh. Here, standards -- and despite a couple of oddball choices like the Spinners' "Sadie," John Anderson's "Seminole Wind," and the only modern song here, the Dixie Chicks' "Some Days You Gotta Dance," this is all standards like "Wichita Lineman," "Suzanne," "Hound Dog," "On Broadway," "Summertime Blues," and "Not Fade Away" -- are given Taylor's warm, mellow signature, so Covers winds up feeling a bit like an outdoor concert on a sunny summer Sunday afternoon: something that is wholly relaxing and not in the least surprising. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Covers

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Album: Other Covers
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:59
Size: 59.5 MB
Styles: Adult Contemporary, Soft Rock
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:10] 1. Oh, What A Beautiful Morning
[4:05] 2. Get A Job
[3:08] 3. Memphis Tennessee
[4:17] 4. Shiver Me Timbers
[4:13] 5. Wasn't That A Mighty Storm
[3:14] 6. In The Midnight Hour
[3:49] 7. Knock On Wood

2009 release, the companion to his successful 2008 Covers album. When James Taylor and his band went into the studio last year to record Covers, he had the foresight to record additional material. He took advantage of the time in the woods with this full touring band. This seven-song, specially-priced digipak CD is as powerful and perfectly conceived as the original.

Other Covers

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Eddie Condon & His All-Star Dixieland Band - Confidentially, It's Condon

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 27:46
Size: 63.6 MB
Styles: Dixieland jazz
Year: 1958/2013
Art: Front

[3:08] 1. That's A-Plenty
[2:14] 2. Ballin' The Jack
[2:45] 3. Cherry
[2:29] 4. Wherever There's Love (There's You And Me)
[2:47] 5. Ja-Da
[3:05] 6. It's Been So Long
[2:43] 7. Royal Garden Blues
[2:50] 8. Sugar
[2:54] 9. Back In Your Own Backyard
[2:46] 10. Indiana

Nice memories, Eddie Condon was a legendary performer in the world of jazz. This recording ,unavailable for over 50 yrs, was done during the time he had a club in the 'Village'. Plenty of foot tapping jazz, but without the coarseness typical of some dixie groups. Not sure who the sidemen were, but everyone plays smooth n easy, nothings forced. Typical late 1950s era...a joy to hear. ~Cody

Confidentially, It's Condon

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Bud Shank & Bill Perkins - Bud Shank & Bill Perkins

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, West Coast Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:29
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:06)  1. Paradise
(4:21)  2. Fluted Columns
(3:34)  3. I Hear Music
(3:59)  4. Royal Garden Blues
(3:20)  5. A Sinner Kissed An Angel
(3:19)  6. It Had To Be You
(3:35)  7. Fluted Colums (alt. take)
(3:28)  8. I Hear Music (trio version)
(4:45)  9. Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?
(7:25) 10. Blues In The Night
(2:43) 11. Bojangles of Harlem
(4:43) 12. It's A New World
(3:41) 13. Angel Eyes
(3:47) 14. Sonny Speaks
(3:36) 15. Ain't Got A Dime To My Name

Two of the stars of cool jazz, Bud Shank and Bill Perkins, are featured to various degrees throughout this session. Shank in the 1950s was practically the epitome of West Coast jazz. His cool tones on alto and his fluid flute were utilized on many dates; the main set here also finds him switching in spots to tenor and baritone. Perkins, always a versatile reed soloist, is best known for his tenor playing but during that date he also plays alto, and (on two versions of "Fluted Columns") there are some rare examples of his flute. Shank and Perkins team up quite effectively with pianist Hampton Hawes, bassist Red Mitchell, and drummer Mel Lewis for the May 2, 1955 session, which includes a trio feature for Hawes ("I Hear Music"). Four numbers from February 19, 1956 (with Shank on flute and alto, pianist Russ Freeman, bassist Carson Smith, drummer Shelly Manne, and, on "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?," Perkins on tenor) are actually from a session led by Freeman but never completed, and were only put out previously on samplers. "Angel Eyes" (by a quartet with Perkins and pianist Jimmy Rowles) is a leftover track from a later date, as is "Sonny Speaks," which showcases Rowles in a trio without Perkins. 

This set concludes with the one surviving number ("Ain't Got a Dime to My Name") surviving from a truncated Perkins quartet set from 1958. Taken as a whole, there are many rewarding solos to be heard by Shank, Perkins, and the piano players on these formerly rare selections, even if the collection falls short of being classic. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/bud-shank-and-bill-perkins-mw0000598499

Personnel: Bud Shank (flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Bill Perkins (flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Hampton Hawes, Jimmy Rowles, Russ Freeman (piano); Mel Lewis, Shelly Manne (drums).

Bud Shank & Bill Perkins

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Barbara Leah Meyer - Winter Child

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:34
Size: 145,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:15)  1. Bridges
(7:55)  2. I Thought About You
(6:54)  3. Detour Ahead
(4:44)  4. I've Never Been in Love Before
(4:43)  5. Never Let Me Go
(5:48)  6. Saudade
(4:27)  7. Nature Boy
(3:25)  8. Up Jumped Spring
(5:43)  9. Like a Lover
(5:19) 10. Winter Child
(5:33) 11. So Many Stars
(3:43) 12. Slap That Bass

Barbara Leah Meyer has been a dynamic member of the Canadian and European music scenes for many years. A native of Edmonton, Canada she has entertained a variety of audiences across Canada and throughout Europe, Scandinavia, Japan and the Middle East, as a solo artist, with jazz ensembles, big bands and symphony orchestras. Barbara's musical background is diverse. She studied classical piano and music theory from an early age, going on to graduate from Grant MacEwan Community College in Edmonton with a diploma in jazz vocal performance and piano. She then co-founded the popular jazz vocal trio Alley Scatz. Performances at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, the Edmonton Jazz City Festival, Expo 86, Canadian and international touring, a United Nations Entertainment Tour to Cyprus and Israel and numerous television and radio appearances were but a few of the highlights.

In 1989 Barbara began a long touring career throughout Europe, eventually settling in Frankfurt, Germany in 1997. Based in the centre of a bustling European music scene she toured extensively and enjoyed enormous success with various projects. She has performed as a solo vocalist/ pianist at many of Europe and Scandinavia’s top luxury hotels and was the Music Director at the Hotel Intercontinental in Frankfurt am Main from 1998 until 2005. Barbara has been a guest vocalist with symphony orchestras, big bands, jazz ensembles, and various music groups. 

Highlights were performances with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the Baden-Badener Philharmonie, the Krimm Orchestra in Yalta, the Philharmonie Suedwestfalen and the European Philharmonia Baden Baden as well as invitations to perform at the Baku Jazz Festival (Azerbaijan), at Canada Day celebrations in Istanbul and Ankara and recent solo engagements in Fuerteventura, Spain. As a member of the renowned female vocal group Ladies Nyght she appeared at numerous jazz festivals and on club and concert stages across Europe. As a recording artist Barbara has been very prolific. 1989 marked the release of her first compact disc Out On A Limb. The album reached the Top 10 in several European countries, was #12 on Canada's Country Music Hit Chart and was the first Canadian production to be chosen as the Independent Record of the Month by a leading music publication in London, England. Barbara was honored to have been selected as Female Vocalist of the Year at the 1992 ARIA (Alberta Recording Industry Association) Awards.

In 1997 Barbara released her first jazz CD “Comes Love”. Described as "sultry, stunning and impeccable" this album showcases her lush vocals and the superb playing of some of Western Canada's top jazz musicians. “Winter Child” (Laika Records - DE) was recorded in February 2001 in Frankfurt am Main. It features Barbara’s work as a jazz lyricist as well as the masterful musicianship of some of the top names in the German jazz scene. Subsequent releases include CD recordings with the Baden-Baden Philharmonie, the German vocal trio Ladies Nyght (“How to Fly”) and an innovative and charming English/ German children’s’ CD entitled Maple Surple “Sing Together!”Barbara Leah Meyer is very active as a vocalist, pianist, accompanist, arranger, music director, voice and piano teacher and repertoire coach. She has taught at the prestigious Frankfurt Musikhochschule (Frankfurt University of Performing Arts) and at the Scream Factory (Frankfurt). She also offers workshops on jazz/pop vocal technique, interpretation, improvisation and performance.After enjoying many fulfilling years living in Germany Barbara is happy to have returned “home” to Alberta in 2010. 

She now resides in St. Albert with her two young children Carmen and Evan. http://barbaraleahmeyer.com/bio.html

Winter Child

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Ken Peplowski - Illuminations

Styles: Clarinet and Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:39
Size: 146,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:12)  1. June Night
(5:30)  2. Trubbel
(5:41)  3. Panama
(6:51)  4. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
(5:14)  5. How Long Has This Been Going On
(5:45)  6. Jim Dawgs
(4:55)  7. Smada
(4:50)  8. Alone Together
(3:25)  9. Did I Remember
(4:58) 10. Nancy (With the Laughing Face)
(5:49) 11. The Best Things in Life Are Free
(3:24) 12. If We Never Meet Again

Ken Peplowski on clarinet and tenor is a superb swing-based soloist who has taken elements from several classic players, fusing them together in his own strangely familiar but fairly original style. Peplowski's clarinet solo on this CD's version of the cooking "June Night" seems to shout out "Benny Goodman Lives!" "If We Never Meet Again," "Alone Together" and a delightful rendition of "Panama" are taken as stirring duets with guitarist Howard Alden. Other selections feature Peplowski in a quintet also including pianist Junior Mance, bassist Dennis Irwin and drummer Alan Dawson. The leader's tenor on "Jim Dawgs" and the romantic "Nancy" are additional highlights of this easily recommended mainstream set. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/illuminations-mw0000674475

Personnel:  Ken Peplowski - clarinet, alto & tenor sax;  Junior Mance – piano;  Howard Alden – guitar;  Dennis Irwin – bass;  Alan Dawson - drums

Illuminations

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Richard Galliano & Charlie Haden - Love Day: Los Angeles Sessions

Size: 150,5 MB
Time: 64:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Jazz: Latin Jazz, World
Art: Front

01. Aurore (5:22)
02. Bonjour (4:31)
03. Birds (5:13)
04. Hymne (3:11)
05. Mister J (6:48)
06. Love Day (6:23)
07. Apple Pie (4:37)
08. Serenite (4:10)
09. Pourquoi (8:45)
10. Poeme (6:37)
11. Aria (4:56)
12. Crepuscule (3:56)

French-Italian accordionist Richard Galliano began recording for the Milan label in the mid-2000s, since when he's released two tango-based albums, Luz Negra (Milan, 2007) and Live In Marciac (Milan, 2007), made with his Tangaria Quartet. Galliano's Love Day: Los Angeles Session finds him returning to another love, new musette, a jazz-inflected recalibration of the bal-musette cafe music developed by French and Italian musicians in late 19th century Paris.

Love Day: Los Angeles Sessions is bal-musette with a further twist though. Throughout his substantial discography, Galliano has recorded, in the main, with European musicians. On Love Day he's chosen a line-up of American or American-based musicians—pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Mino Cinelu. None of these players have any sort of history in musette, new or traditional (including French-born Cinelu).

It's not the first time Galliano has recorded with a US line-up, and it seems to be a context he's growing fond of—Love Day follows close after Ruby My Dear: New York Trio (Dreyfus, 2004), made with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Clarence Penn, and L'hymne a L'amour (Cam Jazz, 2007), made with Penn, vibraphonist Gary Burton and bassist George Mraz. These albums mark an internationalisation of new musette together with a stronger embrace by Galliano of the American jazz tradition.

Anyone hoping to find a touristic aroma of Gauloises cigarettes, pastis and onion soup in Love Day will be disappointed. Others, who love tuneful chamber jazz, will find much to enjoy. The tunes, all written by Galliano, are undiluted new musette, pretty and in the main moderately paced. Some are of singular beauty—"Aurore," "Hymne," "Serenite" and "Poeme" stand out—others are less memorable, more musette-generique. But the playing, as you'd expect from a line-up like this, is consistently on the money, the coin in question being gentle lyricism. Galliano and Rubalcaba are the soloists, turning in mellifluous improvisations on most tracks; Haden and Cinelu are an unobtrusive but virile pulse.

The album was recorded over three days in April, 2008 at Capitol Records Studios in Los Angeles, and Galliano's growing embrace of Americana is made plain in his liner notes, which talk of the studios as "a mythical place...still filled with the vibrations of...artists like Nat "King" Cole (and) Frank Sinatra."

It doesn't take many risks and, like Cole and Sinatra, it is unashamedly easy on the ear, but if you're in the mood, Love Day will ring your bell.

Personnel: Richard Galliano: accordion; Gonzalo Rubalcada: piano; Charlie Haden: bass (1, 2, 4-6, 8- 12); Mino Cinelu: drums and percussion (1, 2, 4-7, 9, 10, 12).

Love Day

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Tianna Hall - Hit Me With A Hot Note

Size: 155,3 MB
Time: 67:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Bill Bailey (Won't You Please Come Home) (2:47)
02. Hit Me With A Hot Note (And Watch Me Bounce) (5:08)
03. Cry Me River (4:40)
04. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me (5:29)
05. Angel Eyes (6:45)
06. Too Marvelous For Words (3:49)
07. You Go To My Head (5:03)
08. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (6:50)
09. Just One Of Those Things (5:27)
10. Love For Sale (5:53)
11. The Man I Love (4:06)
12. Exactly Like You (3:58)
13. Goody Goody (4:00)
14. Rock Me Baby (3:02)

With Texas Troubadour Jacqui Sutton splitting her time between Texas and parts West and taking on roll of Houston Jazz Mafia consigliere and Aussie reeds-mistress capo regime Alisha Pattillo staking out the Gulf, vocalist Tianna Hall remains as the undisputed Godmother of this Houston Jazz family. Hall has decided, in the hellish climes of the Texas summer, to release her finest recording to date, Hit Me With a High Note. A collection of standards that any lesser artist should take great care in covering, Hall throws these tunes off like Lord Byron did poetry on a bender. Addressing all of the high points of recording: song selection, musician selection and programming, Hall comes fully into her own.

Houston is home to an impressive collection of excellent musicians, several of whom Hall assembles here. Eschewing piano as harmony instrument, Hall taps the superb guitarist Paul Douglas Chester whose grace and musical charm knows no equal. Trumpeter Dennis Dotson and saxophonist Warren Sneed carefully season these sacred jazz pieces as they are held still by the rhythm section of Chester, bassist David Craig and drummer Sebastian Whittaker.

"Angel Eyes," "Bill Bailey," and "Cry Me a River" set the pace for this compelling look at the Great American Songbook at ground level. The title song employs everyone in a strolling, blues-inflected piece of excellent writing. Hall's voice is at once sexy and familiar, like the girl next door you finally noticed. Sneed and Dotson provide note-perfect solos that whisk Hall and company right along to a near perfect performance.

A Cole Porter expert, Hall rips a brisk-paced, Latin "Love for Sale" featuring Chester's best single-string and chordal soloing, illustrating that a singer need only a rhythm section to make things great happen. She rips through an up-tempo "The Man I Love" sliding home into a lowdown "Rock Me Baby" where Hall gets her socks dirty while Chester plays a crisp Texas blues for a masters' class in how-to-do-it. Hall and company have produced a recording every bit as intoxicating as the closer, "You Go to My Head." Warm island breezes and a kicker in a julep or two... ~by C. Michael Bailey
Personnel: Tianna Hall: vocals; Paul Chester: guitar; David Craig: upright bass; Sebastian Whittaker: snare drum/brushes, Dennis Dotson: trumpet; Warren Sneed: saxophone.

Hit Me With A Hot Note

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Tommy Emmanuel - It's Never Too Late

Size: 109,4 MB
Time: 46:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Only Elliot (2:02)
02. It's Never Too Late (3:32)
03. The Bug (1:57)
04. El Vaquero (2:07)
05. Hope Street (3:26)
06. Blood Brother (4:53)
07. Miyazaki's Dream (4:20)
08. One Day (3:34)
09. Traveling Clothes (2:39)
10. Te Ranch (2:28)
11. Hellos And Goodbyes (4:21)
12. One Mint Julep (3:38)
13. The Duke (3:24)
14. Old Photographs (3:59)

Tommy Emmanuel is not only one of Australia’s most respected musicians; his legendary guitar skills are admired the world over. The remarkable guitarist has been entertaining and mesmerising audiences for over five decades – a prolific career that has produced over 20 albums and two Grammy nominations, and has seen the artist honoured with the very rare title of “Certified Guitar Player”, by the eminent Chet Atkins. A virtuosic performer of his complex fingerstyle technique, Emmanuel has become a household name in Australia, recording an arsenal of solos, duets, ensemble works, covers, and originals on both his electric and acoustic guitars. On It’s Never Too Late, his first completely solo album since 2000, Emmanuel returns to the intricate acoustic mastery that has shaped his career.

Tommy Emmanuel - It's never too lateHis supreme layering ability resonates from the outset in the spirited joviality of Only Elliott, and continues to sing on the starry-eyed It’s Never Too Late, a title inspired by the recent birth of his daughter; and at 60 years old its sentiment could not ring truer. The relentless frenzy and innocent bliss of The Bug perfectly personifies its subject in less than 2 minutes, before Emmanuel effortlessly traverses continents and styles. He blends country and western and Spanish traditions with natural conviction on EL Vaquero, becomes intoxicated with the blues on the lumbering One Mint Julep, floats on dreamy folk in The Duke and One Day, as well as delving into more contemporary pop-oriented tracks.

An undeniable visionary with his instrument, Emmanuel not only explores different styles, but evokes a spectrum of distinctive emotions with visceral rawness. From comforting optimism on Hope Street, the rollicking wonder and joy of Travelling Clothes and T.E. Ranch, to an ethereal stillness that swathes Miyazaki’s Dream, and the wounded, but resolute, Blood Brothers.

When Emmanuel performs completely solo his outstanding, raw expertise is highlighted even more; the man is able to sing, strum, and drum not only with a single instrument, but in a single moment. It’s Never Too Late is not only a solid and brilliant example for any aspiring instrumentalist; studied guitarists and everyday music fans alike will admire and enjoy it. ~By Meggie Morris

It's Never Too Late

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Judy Collins - Strangers Again (Deluxe Edition)

Size: 138,1 MB
Time: 58:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Folk, Country, Rock
Art: Front

01. Strangers Again (Feat. Ari Hest) (4:38)
02. Miracle River (Feat. Michael Mcdonald) (4:37)
03. Belfast To Boston (Feat. Marc Cohn) (3:42)
04. When I Go (Feat. Willie Nelson) (4:25)
05. Make Our Garden Grow (Feat. Jeff Bridges) (3:26)
06. Feels Like Home (Feat. Jackson Browne) (3:58)
07. From Grace (Feat. Thomas Dybdahl) (3:43)
08. Hallelujah (Feat. Bhi Bhiman) (4:09)
09. Someday Soon (Feat. Jimmy Buffett) (3:18)
10. Stars In My Eyes (Feat. Aled Jones) (3:44)
11. Send In The Clowns (Feat. Don Mclean) (3:50)
12. Races (Feat. Glen Hansard) (4:39)
13. Last Thing On My Mind (Feat. Stephen Stills) (Bonus Track) (2:54)
14. Diamonds And Rust (Feat. Joan Baez) (Bonus Track) (3:32)
15. When Your Eyes Close (Feat. Puressence) (Bonus Track) (4:13)

In the four years since her previous studio LP, 2011's Bohemian, vocal icon Judy Collins added a spate of live releases and another holiday album to her prolific late-career catalog. Well into her sixth decade as a recording artist, she has little left to prove and yet she shows no signs of slowing her pace as she delivers Strangers Again, a 12-song collection of duets, all with men. The format was casual with each of her chosen counterparts given the option to either sing a song of Collins' choosing or bring his own selection to the table. While much of the material here falls pretty squarely in each vocalist's wheelhouse, there are a few surprises. With his pleasantly rough-hewn voice, actor Jeff Bridges has tended to skew toward country and roots songs in his music career, but his choice of the Leonard Bernstein-penned "Make Our Garden Grow" from the musical Candide puts both singers on common ground as they step out beyond their expected repertoire. Other tracks make perfect sense, like her duet with veteran songwriter Marc Cohn on James Taylor's poignant "Belfast to Boston" or on Randy Newman's lovely "Feels Like Home" which apparently was given to Jackson Browne when Newman politely refused to pair his limited vocal chops with Collins' still-fluid soprano. Among her well-established gentlemen peers, there are also some younger foils holding their own, with New York singer/songwriter Ari Hest offering up his own song for the title track and Norwegian indie folk crooner Thomas Dybdahl doing the same on "From Grace." Still, one the album's strongest cuts features another prolific icon whose strange, sandy tenor has dueted with the best of them. When Willie Nelson's timeless cracked tenor interweaves with Collins' dreamy musings on the moody, banjo-led "When I Go," it's the sound of two interpretive masters doing what they do best.

Strangers Again

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Karrin Allyson - Many A New Day: Karrin Allyson Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein

Size: 126,3 MB
Time: 53:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin’ (4:05)
02. Many A New Day (2:58)
03. Happy Talk (3:50)
04. I Cain't Say No (4:17)
05. I Have Dreamed (4:53)
06. Out Of My Dreams (3:32)
07. Bali H'ai (5:05)
08. When I Think Of Tom - Hello Young Lovers (4:32)
09. We Kiss In A Shadow (4:36)
10. You've Got To Be Carefully Taught (4:09)
11. Something Wonderful (2:34)
12. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top (3:29)
13. Something Good (3:16)
14. Edelweiss (2:30)

Featuring Kenny Barron & John Patitucci
Four-time ‘Best Vocal Jazz Album ‘Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson's ‘Many A New Day (Karrin Allyson Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein)’ is a 14-song collection featuring Allyson’s romantic, sly and swinging take on songs that have become part of our cultural fabric, from ‘Oh, What a Beautiful Morning’ to ‘Happy Talk’ to ‘I Cain’t Say No’ and numerous others. The collection, which marks the singer’s debut on the Motéma label, features the distinctive pairing of Kenny Barron on piano and John Patitucci on bass (only the second time the two have recorded together). Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s legendary musical partnership is among the greatest of the 20th century, resulting in such seminal Broadway productions as The King and I, South Pacific, Sound of Music, Oklahoma and Carousel. With her distinctive vocals, Allyson takes an array of these beloved songs on an elegant, intimate and joyful ride. Her arrangements, impeccably performed by Barron and Patitucci, manage to infuse these musical theater gems with a spare, sophisticated and intimate vibe that recalls the wee-hours in a late night Paris jazz club.

Many A New Day

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Eddie Harris - Eddie Harris Sings The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 41:09

Size: 94.2 MB

Styles: Hard bop, Soul jazz

Year: 1972/2005

Art: Front

[ 7:10] 1. Please Let Me Go

[ 4:57] 2. Ten Minutes To Four

[ 3:48] 3. A Child Is Born

[ 4:05] 4. Walk With Me

[12:29] 5. Eddie Sings The Blues

[ 8:38] 6. Giant Steps

Eddie Harris had sung through his horn prior to this release, but not to such a great extent as on this wide-ranging LP. Here he tries to shape words through the filters of a reed mouthpiece, a slightly noisy wah-wah pedal and electronic amplification, and the results are genuinely expressive despite the aura of gimmickry. Indeed "Please Let Me Go," thanks to Harris' pleading sax vocal and Richard Evans' string drapery, deliberately and hauntingly evokes Billie Holiday's orchestral sessions from the 1950s. In the category of funk, "Ten Minutes to Four" is almost a reworking of "1974 Blues" in the exotic 10/4 meter and, "Walk with Me" could have been a minor hit single with its catchy tune, wah-wah sax vocals and stentorian brass riffs. Finally, if for no other reason than ego (Harris admitted so himself), he tackles "Giant Steps" at a galloping Latin beat, the scattershot solo with the freak high notes all in his own style. Another fascinating installment in Harris' long Atlantic period. ~Richard S. Ginnell

Eddie Harris Sings The Blues

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Manfred Mann - The Very Best Of Manfred Mann

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:26
Size: 126.9 MB
Styles: Contemporary Pop-rock, AM pop
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[2:21] 1. Do Wah Diddy Diddy
[1:57] 2. 5-4-3-2-1
[2:28] 3. Sha La La
[2:23] 4. Hubble Bubble (Toil And Trouble)
[2:27] 5. If You Gotta Go, Go Now
[2:19] 6. Oh No, Not My Baby
[3:49] 7. Bare Hugg
[3:08] 8. I Got My Mojo Working
[3:14] 9. (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man
[3:29] 10. Smokestack Lightning
[2:30] 11. Pretty Flamingo
[3:00] 12. You Gave Me Somebody To Love
[2:56] 13. Don't Ask Me What I Say
[2:41] 14. I'm Your Kingpin
[2:31] 15. I Think It's Gonna Work Out Fine
[2:31] 16. Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
[3:38] 17. Stormy Monday
[2:42] 18. The Abominable Snowmann
[2:31] 19. Since I Don't Have You
[2:42] 20. Come Tomorrow

Manfred Mann's line-up included a saxophonist, a rarity in the sixties pop music scene. This very successful group had three distinct phases in their career. The second phase, with Mike D'Abo as lead singer, yielded seven top ten UK hits including Mighty Quinn, while the third phase, Manfred Mann's Earth band, yielded three top ten UK hits including Blinded by the light. This compilation focuses on the first phase when Paul Jones was the lead singer.

During this phase, which covers the period to mid-1966, the group had six top ten UK hits, two of which (Do wah diddy diddy, Pretty Flamingo) made number one. Two other hits peaked at number eleven. Their final hit, You gave me somebody to love (an excellent song), failed to make the top thirty but this may have been because of lack of promotion due to the change in record label that coincided with Paul Jones leaving the group.

5-4-3-2-1 provided Manfred Mann with their breakthrough when it was used as a TV theme. It followed two singles (not included here) that failed to chart. The failed singles can be found on another compilation, Manfred Mann at Abbey Road. ~Peter Durward Harris

The Very Best Of Manfred Mann

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Ben Wolfe - From Here I See

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:14
Size: 126.5 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[6:28] 1. The Good Doctor
[6:30] 2. Angela
[6:22] 3. Baby Tiger
[1:43] 4. Interlude
[5:37] 5. So Lovely
[4:34] 6. Mellow As You Please
[1:59] 7. Lovely Lady
[4:04] 8. Who's Lily
[6:18] 9. How You Love
[5:53] 10. Two-Beat Numba
[3:35] 11. From Here I See
[2:04] 12. 12 More

BEN WOLFE, bass; ORRIN EVANS, piano; DONALD EDWARDS, drums; JD ALLEN, tenor. Special Guests: WYNTON MARSALIS, trumpet (01 & 05); RUSSELL MALONE, guitar (02 & 08); MARCUS STRICKLAND, soprano (11 & 12); CYRUS BEROUKHIM, violin; OWEN DALBY, violin; KENJI BUNCH, viola; GREG HESSELINK, cello.

If you were to initially mistake From Here I See for a leaderless small-combo session with strings, chances are Ben Wolfe would be pleased. The bassist-composer isn’t merely in self-effacing form on this outing—he puts into play a group of top-flight musicians who adroitly and discreetly follow suit. As Branford Marsalis comments in his accompanying liner notes, “… there is no overplaying … no massive technical displays of prowess or excessively long solos on the entire recording. The single focus seems to be on serving the melody.”

Yes, the melodies—that’s where the album’s chief allure resides. Though Wolfe solos sparingly, his imprint here is evident throughout the album’s dozen selections—tunes that may or may not have been written with precisely this lineup in mind. It’s hard to imagine, however, Wolfe wishing for a more striking take on his gorgeous ballad “Angela,” a melody softly illuminated and embellished by guitarist Russell Malone, or a more appealing performance of the waltzing “Who’s Lily?,” a splendid showcase for Malone, pianist Orrin Evans and its composer.

Likewise, Wolfe takes full advantage of the remaining talent gathered, providing trumpeter Wynton Marsalis with more than ample inspiration on two cuts, the highlight being the lyrical gem “So Lovely.” The Baltimore-bred bassist also neatly accommodates his reedmen—JD Allen and, on two particularly enjoyable tracks, Marcus Strickland. Drummer Donald Edwards, dependable as ever, rounds out the rhythm section. As for the string quartet, it’s far from intrusive, often helping reveal the melodic charms inherent in Wolfe’s writing. ~Mike Joyce

From Here I See

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Johnny 'Hammond' Smith - Talk That Talk

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:55
Size: 162.4 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Soul jazz, Hammond organ jazz
Year: 1960/1995
Art: Front

[5:11] 1. Talk That Talk
[2:32] 2. An Affair To Remember
[5:19] 3. The End Of A Love Affair
[5:43] 4. Minors Allowed
[4:46] 5. Rip Tide
[3:59] 6. Misty
[4:57] 7. Bennie's Diggin'
[2:20] 8. A Portrait Of Jennie
[8:53] 9. Swanee River
[3:59] 10. Just Say So Long
[5:14] 11. Lid Flippin'
[7:11] 12. Gettin' The Message
[5:27] 13. Princess
[5:17] 14. Dementia

An excellent piece of early soul-jazz, 1960's Talk That Talk isn't as bop-oriented as Shirley Scott's albums with Stanley Turrentine from the same period, as flashy and ornate as the albums Jimmy Smith was starting to make with Creed Taylor and Lalo Schifrin, or as funky and blues-based as the best of Jimmy McGriff or "Brother" Jack McDuff. Smith's playing on this album is low-key almost to the point of being conservative, deeply soulful without resorting to what would soon become tired funk clichés. For the most part, the settings are the standard organ/bass/drums trio, with occasional appearances by tenor saxophonist Oliver Nelson, vibraphonist Lem Winchester, and guitarist Eddie McFadden to provide textural variety. Smith is always at the center of the arrangements, taking almost all the solos, which means that less organ-besotted listeners might find the album a bit samey, but on tracks like a loping, gentle version of "An Affair to Remember" and a gorgeously soulful "Misty," Johnny "Hammond" Smith shows exactly why he deserves his nickname. [The 1995 CD reissue of Talk That Talk appends six additional tracks, originally released as Smith's Gettin' the Message LP, also from 1960.] ~Stewart Mason

Talk That Talk

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Various - A Tribute To Joni Mitchell

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 53:10

Size: 121.7 MB

Styles: Folk rock, Singer-songwriter

Year: 2007

Art: Front

[4:59] 1. Sufjan Stevens - Free Man In Paris

[5:05] 2. Björk - The Boho Dance

[4:56] 3. Caetano Veloso - Dreamland

[5:08] 4. Brad Mehldau - Don't Interrupt The Sorrow

[5:58] 5. Cassandra Wilson - For The Roses

[3:30] 6. Prince - A Case Of You

[2:46] 7. Sarah Mclachlan - Blue

[3:38] 8. Annie Lennox - Ladies Of The Canyon

[3:40] 9. Emmylou Harris - The Magdalene Laundries

[5:56] 10. Elvis Costello - Edith And The Kingpin

[3:58] 11. K.D. Lang - Help Me

[3:32] 12. James Taylor - River

Joni Mitchell covers dot the musical landscape the way Tim Hortons doughnut shacks line the highways of Ontario. It's a little surprising, then, that the first Mitchell tribute album to be released on a major U.S. label didn't emerge until 2007, which was coincidentally the same year Mitchell was scheduled to release Shine, her first studio effort to appear in some ten years. And as far as tribute albums go, A Tribute to Joni Mitchell isn't half bad. The compilation is split up between songs that were recorded specifically for the tribute album, such as Sufjan Stevens' "A Free Man in Paris," and those that were recorded and released previously, such as James Taylor's "River." The tracks that were recorded specifically for A Tribute are far and away the best. Stevens approaches "A Free Man in Paris" with his characteristic, and fitting, over-the-top irony and band geek sensibilities. Opening with a brass fanfare, the kind that wouldn't be out of place in the opening credits of a network news show, Stevens' cover tackles the original with an appropriate sense of theatricality and fun. Björk's lilting cover of "Boho Dance," lush with synthesized bells and whorls, arguably rivals the original. She does a very good job of allowing Mitchell's lyics to unfurl, even while she twists and transforms the song, fairy godmother-style, into something otherworldly. And Caetano Veloso's rendition of "Dreamland" is simply a revelation. It's not a huge stretch from the original, but Veloso's light, gentle vocals, augmented by the the warm, loose Brazilian instrumentation, somehow manages to grab Mitchell's narrative and bring it to life. Mitchell is a storyteller, and the best tracks on here are those that welcome and explore her narratives. The worst ignore or misinterpret them. Prince pays little attention to Mitchell's lyrics on "A Case of You," slashing the first two verses in order to cut right to the chase. This abridged version has a lot of soul, but it does little to pay tribute to Mitchell's original; Prince cut out the pathos and made the song sappy. To be fair, Mitchell's a difficult person to pay tribute to, let alone cover, seeing how she's one of those rare singer/songwriters whose abilities as a performer are equal to her compositions. This stands in stark contrast to someone like Bob Dylan, whose songs were often just as, if not more, enjoyable in their Jimi Hendrix or Joan Baez incarnations. But while she's ultimately the best performer of her own work, Mitchell, with her warbly soprano and idiosyncratic sense of composition, hasn't always lent herself to the unaccustomed ear. A Tribute to Joni Mitchell is thus a great listen for those who'd like to ease into the breadth and range of Mitchell's work by way of established, accessible artists like Prince, Sarah McLachlan and Taylor. Granted, fans will probably find themselves yearning for the original material after listening to this disc, but this is only another way in which A Tribute succeeds. These interpretations, imperfect as they can be, provide new vantage points from which Mitchell's original albums can be located, analyzed, and appreciated. ~Margaret Reges

A Tribute To Joni Mitchell

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Don Lanphere, Bud Shank, Denney Goodhew - Lopin'

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 1995

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 64:30

Size: 149,1 MB

Art: Front

(8:54)  1. I Really Didn't Think That

(6:27)  2. Love's Question

(5:19)  3. Lighten Up

(5:50)  4. A Time For Love

(8:26)  5. The Lope Of A Dolt

(4:57)  6. Have You Met Miss Jones?

(8:09)  7. Fall

(9:54)  8. El Balie De Las Munecas (Dance Of The Dolls)

(6:30)  9. M.K. & M.K.

Don Lanphere, a veteran of the late '40s, really came into his own in the 1980s, as can be heard on his recordings for the Scottish Hep label. An inquisitive player who has not forgotten (or felt restricted by) his bop roots, Lanphere is matched with baritonist Denney Goodhew and alto great Bud Shank on this sextet date. They perform an original apiece from Lanphere and Miller, four by pianist Marc Seales (who leads the fine rhythm section), and three standards. Shank is consistently passionate (really showing emotion on "A Time for Love"), Lanphere is featured on an abstract ballad version of "Have You Met Miss Jones," and Goodhew plays strong enough not to be overshadowed by the better-known saxophonists. This superior modern mainstream release has fresh material and several surprising moments. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/lopin-mw0000664192

Personnel: Don Lanphere (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Doug Miller (bass instrument); John Bishop , John Bishop (drums); Bud Shank (alto saxophone); Denney Goodhew (baritone saxophone); Marc Seales (piano).

Lopin'

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