Lyambiko - Shades Of Delight

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:11
Size: 181,6 MB
Art: Front

( 8:03)  1. Moondance
( 5:25)  2. Tenderly
( 4:43)  3. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
( 7:42)  4. Lush Life
( 3:28)  5. Your Mind Is on Vacation (And Your Mouth Is Working Overtime )
( 4:27)  6. Black Coffee
( 6:05)  7. Morning
(12:47)  8. Dindi
( 4:51)  9. Malaika
(15:40) 10. Savannah Suite: Drum and Bass and Bananas/Ilangamo/Afro
( 5:56) 11. Isn't This a Lovely Day

Lyambiko has a diverse repertoire, perhaps due to the singer being part German and part African. For her second recording, she utilizes the same trio as on the first: pianist Marque Lowenthal, bassist Robin Draganic, and drummer Torsten Zwingenberger. The group is tight, versatile, and quite alert, with the music ranging from a few standards (including a touching version of "Dindi," "Tenderly," a swinging "Isn't It a Lovely Day," and the humorous Mose Allison song "Your Mind Is on Vacation and Your Mouth Is Working Overtime") to some wordless vocals that reflect Lyambiko's African heritage. 

On part of the 15-and-a-half-minute "Savannah Suite," Lyambiko plays claves before eventually singing in a haunting fashion. She overdubs her voice on three songs, but the effect accentuates the music rather than seeming excessive. She has a lovely instrument and is definitely an up-and-comer in the jazz world. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/shades-of-delight-mw0000693329

Personnel: Lyambiko (vocals, claves); Marque Lowenthal (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, synthesizer, shaker); Robin Draganic (acoustic bass); Torsten Zwingenberger (drums, percussion).

Shades Of Delight

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Richard Groove Holmes, Gene Ammons - Groovin' With Jug

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:09
Size: 124,5 MB
Art: Front

(8:40)  1. Happy Blues (Good Vibrations)
(7:10)  2. Willow Weep For Me
(3:22)  3. Juggin' Around
(7:23)  4. Hittin' the Jug
(9:06)  5. Exactly Like You
(4:17)  6. Groovin' With Jug
(7:53)  7. Morris the Minor
(6:14)  8. Hey You, What's That?

Ironically, Gene "Jug" Ammons tended to be critical of organists; he was quoted as saying that "organ players don't know any changes." However, as critical the Chicago tenor saxman might have been of organists most of them, anyway he did some of his best work in their presence. When you united Ammons with Jack McDuff, Johnny "Hammond" Smith and other B-3 masters in the '60s, the sparks would fly. They certainly fly on this excellent album, which finds Ammons and Richard "Groove" Holmes co-leading a soul-jazz/hard bop organ combo that also includes guitarist Gene Edwards and drummer Leroy Henderson. The quartet is heard in two settings on August 15, 1961 three of the eight selections were produced by Richard Bock in a Los Angeles studio in the afternoon, while the other five were recorded several hours later an L.A. club called the Black Orchid. 

Ammons and Holmes prove to be a strong combination in both settings, although their playing is somewhat looser at the Orchid, where the delights include some slow blues (Ammons' "Hittin' the Jug"), a smoky ballad ("Willow Weep for Me") and a lightning-fast barnburner (Ammons' "Juggin' Around"). However critical Ammons might have been of most organists, it's obvious that he and Holmes share a lot of common ground on Groovin' With Jug. ~ Alex Henderson  http://www.allmusic.com/album/groovin-with-jug-mw0000206027

Personnel: Richard Groove Holmes (organ); Gene Ammons (tenor saxophone); Gene Edwards (guitar); Leroy Henderson (drums).

Groovin' With Jug

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Roy Brown - Jazz Is The Music I Play

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:11
Size: 73,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:21)  1. Stella By Starlight
(5:53)  2. Tenderly
(5:14)  3. Stolen Moments
(7:09)  4. Lush Life
(4:06)  5. Summer in Central Park
(4:25)  6. Blue Train

Roy Brown born in Sacramento ,California was exposed to jazz at the age of 5 by his parents who were big jazz fans . He played a number of instruments including viola, clarinet, alto and Tenor saxophones before settling with the piano , which was his true calling.He studied music throughout Junior High and High School and after some private instruction began playing piano and organ for several churches before branching off into Jazz. Before relocating to the San Francisco bay area he formed his own group which he lead for 7 years. This ensemble included a singer and allowed Brown to feature his original compositions. He released and independently produced a CD entitled "COURAGE" in 1994 on his own label Roday Records followed by another release in 2005 entitled "Jazz Is The Music I Play". 

He has worked and studied with several well known bay area musicians including Mark Levine, Babatunde Lea, Dr. Dee Spencer, Vocalist Frankye Kelly and Jimmy Robinson ,Eric Swinderman and Kamal Saitu.He recently performed internationally with bay area singer Frankye Kelly at ths Jazz Las Casas festival in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico July 2005 and The International festival de Jazz. Villahermosa , Mexico, November 2005.  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/royb1

Jazz Is The Music I Play

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Red Callender - Speak Low

Styles: Mainstream Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:31
Size: 100,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:27)  1. Speak Low
(4:14)  2. Nice Day
(3:28)  3. In A Sentimental Mood
(5:15)  4. Foggy Day
(3:57)  5. Cris
(2:45)  6. Darn That Dream
(4:00)  7. Gone With The Wind
(3:02)  8. Autumn In New York
(3:10)  9. Lowest
(2:45) 10. I'll Be Around
(3:23) 11. Dedicated to the Blues

In the mid-Fifties Red Callender began working on a series of combos with experimental instrumentations. One line of continuity was his use of tuba, which because of its unexplored potential, was very close to him. His execution is clean, with good tonal definition and technique. He thought the most important thing of all was to be true to yourself, and he felt that everybody had a different message and what everyone had to say was important; communication was the thing. He did all the arrangements and filled them with generous doses of good musical humor. The soloists are heavily featured and the leader plays some of the most engaging and relaxed tuba jazz that has ever appeared on record. http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/speak_low-cd-4849.html

Featuring: Gerald Wilson (tp), Red Callender (tuba), Buddy Collette (fl, cl), Vince DeRosa, Irving Rosenthal (frh), Bob Bain, Billy Bean (g), Gerald Wiggins (p), Red Mitchell (b), Bill Douglass (d)

Speak Low

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Oscar Peterson - Perfect Peterson: Best of the Pablo & Telarc Recordings (Disc 2)

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:24
Size: 173,1 MB
Art: Front

( 8:49)  1. Honeysuckle Rose
(12:09)  2. Kelly's Blues
( 8:55)  3. Wheatland
( 4:50)  4. In A Mellow Tone
( 5:45)  5. Tin Tin Deo
( 8:48)  6. Nighttime
( 6:25)  7. Reunion Blues
( 8:27)  8. Satin Doll
( 7:27)  9. Ja-Da
( 3:47) 10. Morning In Newfoundland

Perfect Peterson: Best of the Pablo & Telarc Recordings (Disc 2)

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James Moody - Cookin' The Blues And Another Bag

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:19
Size: 174.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[6:40] 1. The Jazz Twist
[5:55] 2. One For Nat
[5:39] 3. Bunny Boo
[4:19] 4. Moody Flooty
[5:51] 5. It Might As Well Be Spring
[2:15] 6. Disappointed
[2:51] 7. Sister Sadie
[2:12] 8. Little Buck
[6:19] 9. Home Fries
[4:45] 10. Sassy Lady
[7:46] 11. Ally Parts 1, 2, 3
[3:09] 12. Spastic
[3:16] 13. Minuet In G
[6:52] 14. Cup Bearers
[5:29] 15. The Day After
[2:53] 16. Pleyel D'jamie

Twofer: Tracks #1-9, from the album “Cookin' the Blues” (Argo LPS 756); Tracks #10-16, from the album “Another Bag” (Argo LPS 695). James Moody (as), Howard McGhee (tp), Bernard McKinney (tb), Musa Kaleem (bs), Sonny Donaldson (p), Steve Davis (b), Arnold Enlow (d), Eddie Jefferson (vcl) / Paul Serrano (tp), John Avant (tb), Kenny Barron (p), Ernest Oulaw (b), Marshall Thompson (d). James Moody’s full-bodied sound on tenor was always original and hard swinging, but as he demonstrated leading these fine small bands, he felt equally at home playing alto sax or flute.

“Cookin’ the Blues”, the first album here, features his septet recorded live at the Jazz Workshop in June 1961, during his tour on the West Coast. Moody, wonderfully relaxed and in good form, fronts a band (with trumpeter Howard McGhee in his come back to the coast) offering inspired performances and more musical content than groups with a bigger name. Eddie Jefferson was also was one of the moving forces behind the whole show, with his humorous, and happily frantic singing.

All seven songs in “Another Bag”—the second album of this compilation—are excellent originals. Tom McIntosh, arranger on the date, contributed five, with his craftsmanship throughout distinguished by skillful voicings, interesting harmonic structures and beautiful melodies, somewhat reminiscent of the writing of Tadd Dameron and Gigi Gryce. Besides a forceful and driving Moody, the group features the consistently effective Paul Serrano on trumpet and the excellent solo and comping of pianist Kenny Barron.

Cookin' The Blues And Another Bag

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Louisiana Rhythm Kings - It's All About Swing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:39
Size: 65.6 MB
Styles: New Orleans jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[2:56] 1. Futuristic Rhythm
[2:58] 2. Out Where The Blues Begin
[2:45] 3. That's A-Plenty
[3:10] 4. Ballin' The Jack
[2:49] 5. I'm Walking Through Clover (I'm Happy In Love)
[3:10] 6. That Da Da Strain
[2:59] 7. Last Cent
[2:40] 8. Swanee
[2:22] 9. Meanest Kind O' Blues
[2:45] 10. I Have To Have You

It's All About Swing

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Benny Golson - Just As Much

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:24
Size: 179.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[4:42] 1. Namely You
[5:23] 2. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
[3:35] 3. Little Karin
[7:30] 4. Alone Together
[5:55] 5. Whisper Not
[4:46] 6. I Fall In Love Too Easily
[4:17] 7. You're Mine, You
[6:14] 8. Another Git Together
[5:05] 9. April In Paris
[8:34] 10. Blues After Dark
[5:19] 11. Cry A Blue Tear
[5:15] 12. The Touch
[7:34] 13. Thursday's Theme
[4:10] 14. My Heart Belongs To Daddy

Benny Golson is a talented composer/arranger whose tenor playing has continued to evolve with time. After attending Howard University (1947-1950) he worked in Philadelphia with Bull Moose Jackson's R&B band (1951) at a time when it included one of his writing influences, Tadd Dameron on piano. Golson played with Dameron for a period in 1953, followed by stints with Lionel Hampton (1953-1954), and Johnny Hodges and Earl Bostic (1954-1956). He came to prominence while with Dizzy Gillespie's globetrotting big band (1956-1958), as much for his writing as for his tenor playing (the latter was most influenced by Don Byas and Lucky Thompson). Golson wrote such standards as "I Remember Clifford" (for the late Clifford Brown), "Killer Joe," "Stablemates," "Whisper Not," "Along Came Betty," and "Blues March" during 1956-1960. His stay with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (1958-1959) was significant, and during 1959-1962 he co-led the Jazztet with Art Farmer. From that point on Golson gradually drifted away from jazz and concentrated more on working in the studios and with orchestras including spending a couple of years in Europe (1964-1966). When Golson returned to active playing in 1977, his tone had hardened and sounded much closer to Archie Shepp than to Don Byas. Other than an unfortunate commercial effort for Columbia in 1977, Golson has recorded consistently rewarding albums (many for Japanese labels) since that time including a reunion with Art Farmer and Curtis Fuller in a new Jazztet. Through the years he has recorded as a leader for Contemporary, Riverside, United Artists, New Jazz, Argo, Mercury, and Dreyfus among others. Returning once again to the spirit of the original Jazztet, Golson released New Time, New 'Tet on Concord Records in 2009. ~ bio by Scott Yanow

Just As Much

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Elizabeth Shepherd Trio - Start To Move

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:05
Size: 117.0 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:52] 1. Start To Move
[3:43] 2. George's Dilemma
[6:29] 3. Roots
[2:57] 4. Four
[4:01] 5. Circles
[3:23] 6. Reversed
[6:35] 7. Melon
[5:42] 8. Ton Visage
[7:26] 9. Along The Way
[4:42] 10. Just Getting By
[1:09] 11. Price Is Right

Imagine a cold winter night in Toronto, walking past a small jazz club, when you catch through the folds of your scarf the warm deep grooves of a jazz trio playing to an intimate crowd. Welcome to the scene a fresh new sound from Elizabeth Shepherd Trio.

There are times when something new comes along at once familiar and yet completely original. The album ‘Start to Move’ from the Elizabeth Shepherd Trio is just that. But what’s more she has added her own unique blend of jazz-funk, soul, blues, and samba to the fundamentals of Jazz – improvising a deep driving bass from Scott Kemp, the swinging beat of the drum from Colin Kingsmore, and Elizabeth’s playful piano and captivating voice to tie it all together. Recorded over the winter of 2005/2006, you can feel yourself with them, locked away in a small studio, protected from the cold winter night, pushing through track after track for that deep warm sound.

Elizabeth’s lyrics sing to us her struggle to find a place in a dynamic yet crowded jazz scene, as well as drawing on stories of love and life. From the jazz funk of ‘Reversed’ to the samba beats of ‘Melon’, the hip hop influenced ‘George’s Dilemma’ and the swinging modal of ‘Roots’, the Elizabeth Shepherd Trio has given us music that seems effortless in its perfection, displaying her talents and the remarkable chemistry she shares with her band to never compromise her style for those seeking tradition.

Start To Move 

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Roy Haynes - Roy-Alty

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:42
Size: 150.4 MB
Styles: Post bop, Straight ahead jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:54] 1. Grand Street
[3:37] 2. They Call The Wind Mariah
[8:40] 3. Off Minor
[8:20] 4. These Foolish Things
[5:25] 5. Milestones
[8:40] 6. Tin Tin Deo
[7:40] 7. All The Bars Are Open
[3:49] 8. Pinky
[6:44] 9. Equipoise
[6:50] 10. Passion Dance

Roy Haynes celebrated his 86th birthday on March 13, 2011. Had the veteran drummer retired from music 30 or 40 years earlier, he still would have gone down in history as someone with a long list of accomplishments. But thankfully, Haynes continued to perform well into his eighties. Recorded in early 2011 (when Haynes was still 85), Roy-Alty is a solid hard bop/post-bop outing that boasts well-known guests like Chick Corea (who is heard on acoustic piano) and trumpeter Roy Hargrove. Corea is featured on two selections: the dusky "All the Bars Are Open" and Thelonious Monk's "Off Minor," while Hargrove is heard on six of the ten tracks (including the insistent "Passion Dance," the standard "These Foolish Things," the Afro-Cuban favorite "Tin Tin Deo," and Miles Davis' "Milestones"). It should be noted that the "Milestones" that Haynes performs on Roy-Alty is the bop standard that Davis played with Charlie "Bird" Parker in 1947, not the modal standard he unveiled in 1958, and playing something with a Bird connection is quite appropriate, given that Haynes was a member of his quintet from 1949-1952 (when the drummer was in his twenties). Most of the songs on Roy-Alty find Haynes employing a group that he bills as the Fountain of Youth (alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, pianist Martin Bejerano, and bassist David Wong), and while the personnel can vary from track to track on this 66-minute CD, the constant is Haynes' skillful drumming. After all these years, Haynes hasn't lost his touch as either a drummer or a group leader, and his skills in both of those areas is evident on Roy-Alty, which falls short of essential but is nonetheless a pleasing addition to his catalog. ~Alex Henderson

Roy-Alty

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Oscar Peterson - Perfect Peterson: Best of the Pablo & Telarc Recordings (Disc 1)

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:21
Size: 168,5 MB
Art: Front

( 4:52)  1. Tenderly
( 3:20)  2. How High the Moon
( 8:01)  3. Nuages
( 5:21)  4. Blues Etude
( 6:57)  5. Caravan
( 7:17)  6. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
( 4:26)  7. Summertime
(10:47)  8. If I Were a Bell
( 3:18)  9. (Back Home Again In) Indiana
( 4:47) 10. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
( 7:11) 11. Nigerian Marketplace
( 6:57) 12. On the Trail

While it's true that Oscar Peterson compilations appeared with regularity form the early '60s on, only a few of them as with most recording artists have any real merit. This two-disc collection from the Concord Music Group's Telarc label, is one of them. Appearing less than a year before his death, this compilation concentrates on recordings issued from the '50s through the middle of the '80s on Dizzy Gillespie's Pablo label, and those made for Telarc between 1990 and 2000. Many live dates are included here from both labels, including "Tenderly" with Herb Ellis and Ray Brown at the J.A.T.P. concerts in Japan; the trio dates at Zardi's in 1955 ("How High the Moon"), in Copenhagen with Joe Pass, Stéphane Grappelli, and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen in 1979, and Mickey Roker in 1979 ("Nuages"). There's the beautiful duet reading of Juan Tizol's "Caravan" with Gillespie in the studio in 1974, as well as the title track form the Nigerian Marketplace album but recorded live in Japan in 1982.

The biggest complaint is that there isn't anything here actually from that classic album on this set. Disc two begins with the great reunion of the trio at the Blue Note in 1990, from which the historic set was taken with Bobby Durham on drums: "Honeysuckle Rose," "Kelly's Blues," and "Wheatland" all come from those sets. Other live cuts include "Reunion Blues," with Benny Green, Ellis, Brown, and drummer Lewis Nash from the Tribute to Oscar Peterson concert in New York, and "Night Time" from Oscar in Paris. There are a few studio numbers here as well including "In a Mellow Tone," with Brown, Nash, Benny Carter, Clark Terry, and Lorne Lofsky, and the stellar version of "Tin Tin Deo," with Roy Hargrove, Ørsted-Pedersen, and Ralph Moore was recorded in Canada for release on mid-'90s albums like The More I See You and Trail of Dreams: A Canadian Suite. With the exception of the aforementioned minor complaint, this is a fine overview of some of Peterson's most productive years. Included is an excellent liner essay by writer James Isaacs. ~ Thom Jurek  http://www.allmusic.com/album/perfect-peterson-best-of-the-pablo-telarc-recordings-mw0000727150

Personnel: Oscar Peterson, Benny Green, Count Basie: piano;   Herb Ellis, Lorne Lafsky, Ulf Wakenius, Joe Pass: guitar;   Ray Brown, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, John Heard, David Young: bass; Bobby Durham, Lewis Nash, Martin Drew, Karriem Riggins, Mickey Roker, Louis Bellson: drums; Benny Carter: alto sax; Clark Terry: flugelhorn; Roy Hargrove, Dizzy Gillespie: trumpet; Ralph Moore, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis: tenor sax; Milt Jackson: vibes; Michel Legrand: strings; Stephane Grappelli: violin.

Perfect Peterson: Best of the Pablo & Telarc Recordings (Disc 1)

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Marcus Printup - The New Boogaloo

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:12
Size: 131,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:49)  1. The Bullet Train
(5:29)  2. Sardinian Princess
(6:49)  3. The Weeping Prince
(6:57)  4. The New Boogaloo
(5:51)  5. Soul Waltz
(7:18)  6. In A Sentimental Mood
(5:38)  7. Printupian Prance
(6:37)  8. The Inception
(6:39)  9. Speak Low

Sweet, Intelligent tone in the new Lou Donaldson... The work "Boogaloo" makes me think of the Lou Donaldson soul jazz of the 1960s on Blue Note. Marcus Printup resurrects this term for his debut recording for the Nagel Heyer label and gives it a bit of a dusting off and updating. The New Boogaloo is not a blues blowing session in 4/4 meter. It is an intelligently conceived and deftly executed collection of originals with two standards thrown in, performed by the stars of the new generation of jazz. Mr. Printup, a 35-year-old converse, Georgia native was discovered in 1991 by then Wynton Marsalis pianist, Marcus Roberts. Roberts invited Printup to perform on his Blues for a New Millennium recording. Printup also did time with Marsalis as part of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, appearing on the Pulitzer Prizing winning Blood On The Fields and jazz ballet, Jump Start and Jazz. He has previously recorded for Capitol and Blue Note, through which he released the very fine Nocturnal Traces.  Here, Printup has upped the ante with some smart composing and choices in sidemen. Wycliffe Gordon is always a safe bet as a sideman as there is nothing he cannot do on the trombone in any idiom. Walter Blanding sits in the tenor chair, while the piano chair is shared between Eric Lewis and George Colligan.

Do you detect a trend here? All sidemen are associated with Wynton Marsalis. And, as always, once they leave the nest, all former Marsalians are free to swing as hard as they wish, however they wish. Case in point, "Bullet Train" is a complex funky tome with a bit of a rock back beat that would not be found on a Marsalis recording. It rocks as does Printup on his opening solo. The title piece is much in the same vein, while the ballads like "Sardinian Princess" and "The Weeping Prince" are angular and dissonant in character. "Soul Waltz" is a beautiful dance with a melody that recalls the Swing era. "In a Sentimental Mood" and "Speak Low" are thoroughly investigated standards not smothered in the reverence that many of this generation are subject to. The New Boogaloo is a very fine release by the talented Marcus Printup, leaving this writer anticipating his next release. ~ C.Michael Bailey  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-new-boogaloo-marcus-printup-nagel-heyer-records-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Marcus Printup-- trumpet; George Colligan, Eric Lewis-- Piano; Vicente Archer-- bass; Donald Edwards-- drums; Walter Blanding-- tenor saxophone; Wycliffe Gordon-- trombone.

The New Boogaloo

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Mel Tormé - It's A Blue World

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1955
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 42:31
Size: 68,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:23)  1. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
(2:55)  2. Till the Clouds Roll By
(3:41)  3. Isn't It Romantic
(3:50)  4. I Know Why (And So Do You)
(3:39)  5. All This and Heaven Too
(3:33)  6. How Long Has This Been Going On
(3:56)  7. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
(3:24)  8. You Leave Me Breathless
(3:43)  9. I Found a Million Dollar Baby
(3:17) 10. Wonderful One
(3:45) 11. It's a Blue World
(3:20) 12. Stay as Sweet as You Are

Mel Tormé had spent the first decade of his solo career being treated by record companies as a pop singer when Bethlehem offered to treat him as a jazz artist in 1955. The label requested that his first album be a collection of ballads, probably noting the recent success of Frank Sinatra's In the Wee Small Hours. But Tormé picked the songs, ranging from Jerome Kern and P.G. Wodehouse's "Till the Clouds Roll By" from 1917 to Duke Ellington and Paul Webster's "I've Got It Bad and That Ain't Good" from 1941. The 15-piece orchestra assembled by his accompanist Al Pellegrini backed the singer, and Pellegrini, Sandy Courage, Andre Previn, Marty Paich, and Russ Garcia wrote the arrangements Tormé sang with delicate precision, caressing the lyrics. Despite the album title, his interpretations had none of the darkness of Sinatra. 

Rather, Tormé invested the songs with warmth and confidence. Recorded and released around the time he turned 30, It's a Blue World marked a turning point in Mel Tormé's recording career. ~ William Ruhlmann  http://www.allmusic.com/album/its-a-blue-world-mw0000196852

It's A Blue World

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Wild Bill Davis & His Orchestra - Dance The Madison!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:29
Size: 79.0 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz, Organ jazz
Year: 1960/2009
Art: Front

[3:01] 1. The Madison Time (Part 1)
[4:06] 2. In A Mellow Tone
[2:50] 3. Smooth Sailing
[4:18] 4. Flying Home
[4:14] 5. Organ Grinder's Swing
[2:44] 6. The Madison Time (Part 2)
[2:12] 7. Blue Skies
[2:49] 8. Soft Winds
[4:11] 9. It's All Right With Me
[4:01] 10. Intermission Riff

The great Wild Bill Davis was, like Jimmy Smith, who cited him as a primary influence, both an innovator and a popularizer of jazz organ. One of the very first to play the organ as the instrument it is and not like a piano which most practitioners did before him, Davis was the first to establish the classic organ trio format with guitar and drums eventually adding a tenor sax later on occasionally. These classic 1960 recordings feature Bill Jennings (guitar), Grady Tate (drums) and George Clark (tenor sax, flute). All selections newly remastered.

Dance The Madison!

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Blossom Dearie - Jazz Masters 51

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:55
Size: 121.2 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[3:39] 1. They Say It's Spring
[2:41] 2. Let Me Love You
[2:42] 3. Once Upon A Summertime
[3:39] 4. Little Jazz Bird
[3:20] 5. Bang Goes The Drum
[5:56] 6. Someone To Watch Over Me
[2:24] 7. L' Étang
[2:36] 8. Give Him The Ooh-La-La
[2:10] 9. Rhode Island Is Famous For You
[3:21] 10. Tea For Two
[4:15] 11. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[2:43] 12. I Won't Dance
[1:37] 13. Down With Love
[3:08] 14. Blossom's Blues
[4:14] 15. Manhattan
[4:22] 16. The Party's Over

Long an icon among jazz musicians and fans alike, this album samples tunes from the six albums Blossom Dearie made for Norman Granz' Verve label during the period 1956 to 1960. Dearie doesn't have a particularly big voice, but, like a will-o-wisp, she skirts through her material in a whispery, smoky tone that demands and receives attention from her audience, whether that audience be in a club or concert, or listening to one of her many albums. She exudes a coy sexiness that adds an aura to her interpretations few other vocal artists have been able to match. This album is loaded with Dearie gems. Her classic rendition of "Once Upon a Summertime" with Mundel Lowe, Ray Brown, and Ed Thigpen typifies her ability to avoid the routine by turning the song she is performing into an intimate storytelling session. "Someone to Watch Over Me" comes across like a waif begging to be cuddled against the world's trials and tribulations, made even more endearing by the slight tremor in Dearie's voice. Her ability to get away with an unusual interpretation of a well-worn standard comes through on her slow, languorous rendition of "Tea for Two" with her piano inserting exclamation points at the right places, helping her to make her musical point. Her renowned ability to expand her interpretative ability by singing in French is shown off in "I Won't Dance." Dearie was also equally at home with less familiar material. In fact, she excels at delivering the lesser-performed tunes, infusing a life into them others seem unable to achieve. Along these lines, this album treats us to such melodies as "Little Jazz Bird" (which Dearie pretty much has made her own), "Bang Goes the Drum," and on her own "Dearie's Blues," showcasing her facility for combining wordless and regular singing the same line of lyric. All of the cuts but one on the album are small group sessions with the artist doing her own work on piano, thus avoiding the task of coming up with a good accompanist which most vocalists must cope with. The one cut with an orchestra, led by Russ Garcia, confirms that Dearie, with her light voice, is more effective with a small group.

For those who want to sample Dearie's work, this compilation should fill the bill. And for her dyed-in-the-wool fans, this album allows them to visit highlights of her work with Verve on a single CD. ~Dave Nathan

Jazz Masters 51

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James Chirillo - Sultry Serenade

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:15
Size: 163.1 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[5:54] 1. When Lights Are Low
[4:45] 2. I Love You, Samantha
[6:03] 3. Sultry Serenade
[6:42] 4. Counterpoise #2 For Electric Guitar And Trumpet
[5:24] 5. If I Only Had A Brain
[6:49] 6. Move
[4:47] 7. Elend
[7:07] 8. Can't We Be Friends
[3:04] 9. Bourbon Street Parade
[5:33] 10. Lush Life
[4:49] 11. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
[5:05] 12. Fancifree
[5:06] 13. Blues For Valerie

James Chirillo debuts as a leader with a superb guitar jazz disc. As soon as I would like to compare Mr. Chirillo to, say, a Joe Pass, a Herb Ellis, or a Charlie Byrd, I would just as soon say he was a Teddy Wilson on guitar. Urbane, that is how I would describe James Chirillo. He is more Oscar Peterson than Art Tatum and more Gene Harris than either. Chops to spare, Chirillo wastes no notes. He is precise, like Basie and Miles. His recital here, with various sized groups is an exercise in elegant restraint. No death defying arpeggios, only clear, clean playing.

There are the usual standards. "When The Lights Are Low" and "Lush Life" are well played standard fare. "If I Only Had a Brain", to my knowledge only covered by Tuck Andress, is grandly executed here. It is definitely not the standards that are most interesting here. It is the classical pieces. One is a tone poem composed by John "Israel" Carisi shortly before his death. "Counterpoise" is a moody duet for trumpet and guitar with Carisi himself providing the trumpet. "Elend", a tome by the 20thCentury Zemlinski, adds more to the reputation of these classical capabilities. Otherwise, this is a grand mainstream fare. Randy Sandke, a N-H regular, is on hand, adding his regular brand of panache and aplomb. As for Chirillo, he is superb, a talent awaiting the appropriate recognition. ~C. Michael Bailey

James Chirillo: Guitar; Alan Simon: Piano; Greg Cohen: Bass; Dave Ratajczak: Drums, Percussion; Randy Sandke: Trumpet; Scott Robinson: Tenor Saxophone, Bass Saxophone; Vera Mara: Vocals; John Carisi: Trumpet.

Sultry Serenade

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Dmitri Matheny - Grant & Matheny

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 53:22

Size: 122.2 MB

Styles: Chamber jazz

Year: 2010

Art: Front

[4:23] 1. The Crucifixion

[1:47] 2. Think Of One

[9:08] 3. Around The World Suite

[5:53] 4. Bach To Brazil

[6:08] 5. Nature Boy Fragile

[3:12] 6. Boplicity

[6:30] 7. Fleurette Africaine

[4:15] 8. Country

[3:18] 9. Without A Song

[8:42] 10. Spirituals

Since their 1998 debut at New York's Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the classically-trained jazz duo of Darrell Grant (piano) and Dmitri Matheny (flugelhorn) has solidified their reputation as "pioneers and champions of the chamber jazz movement" (Public Radio International).

Exploring the lyricism, the swing, and the soul of songs, GRANT & MATHENY blend the intimate elegance of European chamber music with the playful, spontaneous spirit of American jazz. They perform a large and diverse repertoire with material drawn from many musical genres: classical works of Barber and Bach, jazz standards by Ellington and Monk, contemporary songs of Keith Jarrett and Sting, Negro spirituals, New Orleans second line, American Popular Song, Argentenian tango, ambient film music and more.

Spicing each show with personal stories, impromptu vocal riffs and warm camaraderie, Grant & Matheny are the modern day heirs to a legacy that reaches back to the days of vaudeville and early jazz. The duo appears on major concert stages and festivals around the country, following in the footsteps of legendary teams of touring entertainers who pioneered the art and craft of duo performance: Williams & Walker, Sissle & Blake, Mitchell & Ruff, Armstrong & Hines.

According to Stereophile, "Grant & Matheny are intense listeners, sometimes anticipating and instantly echoing ideas, yet always weaving one fabric." All About Jazz agrees: "Grant & Matheny have played together for years, and it shows: they share the lead; they finish each other's phrases. Both players have refined their instrumental technique to the essentials, giving the music a relaxed, uncomplicated sensibility that makes it fun to listen to. Not surprisingly, the audience loves them."

Grant & Matheny

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Kenny Burrell - Sunup To Sundown

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:10
Size: 128,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. Out There
(7:59)  2. Sunup to Sundown
(6:32)  3. Roni's Decision
(6:59)  4. I'm Old Fashioned
(6:50)  5. Autumn Leaves
(5:52)  6. Smile
(5:23)  7. Love Dance
(6:06)  8. Speak Low
(5:12)  9. Lucky To Be Me

Guitarist Kenny Burrell has a strong all-around showcase on this release from Contemporary. Assisted by pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Rufus Reid, drummer Lewis Nash and percussionist Ray Mantilla, Burrell swings harder than he usually does when paying tribute to the past, coming up with fresh statements on the varied material. Although there are a few standards in the program (such as "I'm Old Fashioned," "Autumn Leaves" and "Speak Low"), there are also such obscurities as "Out There" (a medium-uptempo blues), "Sunup to Sundown" and "Love Dance." This set serves as an excellent introduction to Kenny Burrell's enjoyable brand of straightahead playing. 

~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/sunup-to-sundown-mw0000277509

Personnel: Kenny Burrel (acoustic & electric guitars); Cedar Walton (piano); Rufus Reid (bass); Lewis Nash (drums); Ray Mantilla (percussion).

Sunup To Sundown

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Judy Kuhn - Rodgers, Rodgers & Guettel

Styles: Pop-Jazz Vocals
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:12
Size: 103,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:54)  1. Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' / The Call
(2:43)  2. Am I?
(1:35)  3. This Can't Be Love
(2:58)  4. Dividing Day
(5:17)  5. Nobody's Heart / Hey, Love / Love to Me
(2:41)  6. If You Ask Me
(2:50)  7. Migratory V
(4:11)  8. We're Gonna Be All Right
(2:22)  9. Daybreak
(3:04) 10. Through the Mountain
(3:42) 11. Song of Love / A Wonderful Guy
(3:26) 12. Hello, Young Lovers
(3:22) 13. Hero and Leander

The elder Rodgers's classic "Hello, Young Lovers" is followed by his grandson's luminous song of love at its purest "Hero and Leander"; pairing Oklahoma!'s "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" alongside Floyd Collins's "The Call," Kuhn unearths an optimism - and a sound - common to both. And in a felicitous wedding of Richard Rodgers's "Nobody's Heart," Mary Rodgers's "Hey, Love" and Guettel's "Love to Me," Kuhn weaves a tale of love in its many guises: disillusion that gives way to expectation, yearning that culminates in joy and fulfillment. Rodgers, Rodgers & Guettel features music direction by Todd Almond and orchestrations by Joshua Clayton, plus guest appearances by Malcolm Gets and Shuler Hensley. But the spotlight remains focused on Kuhn, whom The New York Times, in reviewing the evening at Lincoln Center, hailed as "a top-of-the-line singer whose approach might be described as one of passionate restraint... conveying as much insight and empathy as more overtly dramatic singers without straining for a show-stopping theatricality; her delivery is refined but not prim, her intonation impeccable." http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rodgers-Guettel-Judy-Kuhn/dp/B00UIC53XO

Rodgers, Rodgers & Guettel

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Hank Jones, Kenny Clarke, Wendell Marshall - The Trio

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:48
Size: 130,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:07)  1. We're All Together
(4:31)  2. Odd Number
(4:50)3. We Could Make Such Beautiful Music Together
(3:29)  4. Now's the Time
(5:16)  5. Cyrano
(8:12)  6. There's a Small Hotel
(5:51)  7. My Funny Valentine
(4:15)  8. When the Hearts Are Young
(5:36)  9. Little Girl Blue
(5:09) 10. Alpha
(5:26) 11. Wine and Brandy

This is a superb Hank Jones date; highly recommended for fans of piano trio music. In 1955, most jazz pianists were immersed in the school of Bud Powell. Jones is unique in that he developed his harmonic concept prior to Powell's ascendancy and the bebop revolution, but went on to fully assimilate the melodic vocabulary of bop. He has synthesized important elements from many great players into his own recognizable style. 

His versatility is evident on these eight selections. Jones plays swinging bop lines on his original "We're All Together" and his blues head, "Odd Number," displays the Powell influence most clearly. Upon hearing the delicate touch and harmonic subtlety with which Jones plays ballads including "We Could Make Such Beautiful Music Together," "Cyrano," "There's a Small Hotel," and "My Funny Valentine" one can imagine that a young Bill Evans was quite familiar with this recording. Jones' mastery of block chords is particularly impressive. Occasionally reissued under drummer Kenny Clarke's name, this important Savoy session also includes bassist Wendell Marshall, who had spent the previous seven years with Duke Ellington's band.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/the-trio/id537785260
 

Featuring: Hank Jones (p), Wendell Marshall (b), Kenny Clarke (d), and Jerome Richardson (fl, ts)

The Trio

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