Betty Carter - I Can't Help It

Styles: Jazz, Vocal

Year: 1960

File: MP3@224K/s

Time: 62:32

Size: 101,2 MB

Art: Front

(2:46)  1. I Can't Help It

(2:08)  2. By The Bend Of The River

(2:49)  3. Babe's Blues

(2:31)  4. You're Getting To Be A Habit W

(3:59)  5. But Beautiful

(2:15)  6. All I Got

(1:45)  7. You're Driving Me Crazy

(2:22)  8. Foul Play

(2:03)  9. On The Isle Of May

(4:31) 10. Make It Last

(1:31) 11. The BlueBird of Happiness

(3:37) 12. Something Wonderful

(2:19) 13. For You

(2:03) 14. What A Little Moonlight Can Do

(2:23) 15. Remember

(2:43) 16. At Sundown

(2:04) 17. Mean To Me

(2:23) 18. I Don't Want To Set The World

(1:55) 19. On The Alamo

(1:56) 20. Jazz (Ain't Nothin' But Soul)

(3:09) 21. There's No You

(3:22) 22. Stormy Weather

(2:48) 23. My Reverie

(3:01) 24. Don't Weep For The Lady

This single-CD reissues the second batch of Betty Carter recordings, her Peacock and ABC-Paramount dates which followed her Epic/Columbia titles by two years. Formerly available as a two-LP set (What a Little Moonlight Can Do), the 24 selections find the already-distinctive vocalist carving out her own sound from the bebop tradition; her more innovative work was in the future. Quite a few of the renditions are memorable including "I Can't Help It" (which is somewhat autobiographical), "You're Driving Me Crazy," "What a Little Moonlight Can Do," "Jazz (Ain't Nothin' but Soul)" and "Don't Weep for the Lady." While the second half of the CD has Carter accompnied by an orchestra arranged by Richard Wess, the first 12 numbers feature such top players as trumpeters Ray Copeland and Kenny Dorham, either Jerome Richardson or Benny Golson on tenor and pianist Wynton Kelly. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-cant-help-it-mw0000081210

I Can't Help It

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Joe Williams - A Man Ain't Supposed To Cry

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:22
Size: 81,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:48)  1. What's New?
(3:15)  2. It's The Talk Of The Town
(3:04)  3. I'll Never Smile Again
(2:56)  4. I'm Through With Love
(2:52)  5. Where Are You?
(2:52)  6. I've Only Myself To Blame
(2:55)  7. Say It Isn't So
(2:41)  8. What Will I Tell My Heart?
(2:48)  9. You've Got Me Crying Again
(2:35) 10. Can't We Talk It Over?
(2:57) 11. I Laugh To Keep From Cryin'
(3:35) 12. A Man Ain't Supposed To Cry

When Joe Williams passed away in March of 1999 while walking home in Las Vegas, he of course was acknowledged as one of the greatest vocalists in jazz. Legions of jazz musicians enjoyed performing with him and admired the way he crafted a song, not to mention the way he knew how to add character to a big band with the sound of his voice. Nancy Wilson's respect overflowed when she interviewed him on Nancy Wilson's Jazz Profiles. A concert at the Hollywood Bowl after Williams' death attracted musicians from New York, as well as from the West Coast, so that they could honor his legacy. No male jazz singers seem to be on the horizon to even hint at recalling Williams' way of affecting an audience. But when Roulette recorded A Man Ain't Supposed To Cry , Williams' reputation was sealed for big band and blues singing, primarily because of his hit, "Every Day I Have The Blues." What A Man Ain't Supposed To Cry revealed, and what is now taken for granted, was that Williams was a supreme balladeer as well.

With lush string arrangements by Jimmy Mundy, known for his Earl Hines and Benny Goodman arrangements, Williams delivers songs like "Say It Isn't So" with an ease that proves his versatility and remarkable sense of connecting with his audience even an audience that was imagined in the recording studio during that October in 1957. Not that the arrangement detracts from Williams' talent, but he could be just as effective with a trio or in solo. His consistency throughout the CD positions him in the tradition of male romantic singers, like Sinatra, as his articulation and sense of phrasing conveys the meaning of each tune in an unmistakable clear baritone voice. For instance, he delivers a slight pause with the "gee" of "What's New" to communicate a sense of wistfulness. Or he lengthens the tones at the end of a phrase to extend its final thought. Williams' conversational style throughout this long-out-of-circulation, breakthrough CD gives evidence of his concentration upon the meaning of the tunes and how they affect the listener.

Reportedly, Nat Cole said that A Man Ain't Supposed To Cry was the best record he ever heard. With over 40 years of recorded singing accumulating since Williams' album was produced, that claim may be harder to make now because of all of the singers who have come and gone since then. But A Man Ain't Supposed To Cry certainly is one of the most important records by one of the greatest male jazz singers. It's essential to the collection of any Joe Williams enthusiast. ~ AAJ Staff  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-man-aint-supposed-to-cry-joe-williams-label-m-review-by-aaj-staff.php

Personnel: Joe Williams (vocals); Jimmy Jones (piano).Jimmy Mundy Orchestra

A Man Ain't Supposed To Cry

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Debra Hope Miller - Cat Walk Boogie And Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:04
Size: 75.7 MB
Styles: Boogie Woogie, Blues piano
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. The Dirty Dozens
[3:47] 2. Sweet Lotus Blossom
[1:32] 3. Cat Walk Boogie
[3:24] 4. Amazing Grace-Down By The Riverside Boogie
[3:34] 5. Georgia
[2:35] 6. Otis In The Dark
[3:02] 7. St. Louis Blues
[3:14] 8. After Hours
[3:50] 9. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
[2:11] 10. Ain't Nobody's Business
[2:54] 11. How Long Blues

Pianist/Composer/Singer-Songwriter/Arranger/Author. Boogie-woogie, Blues to Classical! 6th Place Nominee for Best Blues/Jazz Artist, 2014 Chicago Independent Music Awards. In 2004, Debra Hope Miller...aka Little Debra, got hooked on the blues and boogie-woogie old time piano playing. She emersed herself in the style. Prior to that time, she played mainly classical piano and a little jazz. With her first CD, Cat Walk Boogie and Blues, Debra plays tribute to old classic blues and boogie-woogie piano from the past. The CD title comes from her original piano piece, Cat Walk Boogie.

As a composer and singer/songwriter, Debra writes in many styles. Her composition Sea of Clouds, combines her piano playing with her singing in a classical/pop type composition. Her composition, Spanish Interlude in G, is a classical composition she composed for piano and had separately orchestrated for piano and ensemble can be heard here as well. Her Piano Concerto in Eb Major is a one movement concerto she wrote and was orchestrated by her nephew, Tyler Katz who is a composer too. And Conversations from Within is another classical piano piece of Debra's combining classical here with a kind of new age feel with Debra on piano. And then back to her blues/pop/jazz side can be heard with her songs What is Freedom to Me, The Meaning of Life (is Within Every One of Us), I Thought Friends Were Forever, I Got the Blues, Parking Meter Blues, River of Tears and other songs she has written.

Cat Walk Boogie And Blues

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Randy Sandke and the Buck Clayton Legacy - All The Cats Join In

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:36
Size: 179.9 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 1994/2007
Art: Front

[6:46] 1. All The Cats Join In
[4:54] 2. Come Again
[6:07] 3. Buckin' The Blues
[7:14] 4. Lester Leaps In
[3:22] 5. Fiesta In Blue
[5:17] 6. Toot Sweet
[7:47] 7. Christopher Columbus
[4:34] 8. Blue And Sentimental
[6:22] 9. Professor Jazz
[7:02] 10. Jumpin' At The Woodside
[6:15] 11. Robbins Nest
[4:53] 12. Top Brass
[7:59] 13. Lean Baby

Randy Sandke - trumpet; Harry Allen - tenor sax; Danny Moss - tenor sax; Antti Sarpila - clarinet, saxes; Jerry Tilitz - trombone; Brian Dee - piano; Len Skeat - bass; Oliver Jackson - drums. Recorded on November 17 and 18, 1993 at Birdland Studio, Hamburg.

Since his emergence in the mid-'80s, Randy Sandke has been one of the top swing-oriented trumpeters in jazz. His older brother Jordan (himself a fine trumpeter) introduced Randy to the many styles of jazz. In 1968 he formed a rock band with Michael Brecker that featured a horn section and they played at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival. However, Sandke had to turn down the opportunity to join Janis Joplin's band due to a hernia in his throat. Although an operation corrected the problem, Sandke's loss of confidence resulted in him deciding to take up the guitar and he worked in New York as a guitarist for the next decade. Finally, he was persuaded to take up the trumpet again and Sandke spent five years with Vince Giordano's Nighthawks, worked regularly with Bob Wilber, and he was a part of Benny Goodman's last band during 1985-1986. Since that time Sandke has worked and recorded with Buck Clayton, Michael Brecker, the Newport All-Stars, Jon Hendricks, Ralph Sutton, Kenny Davern, Benny Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, the World's Greatest Jazz Band, Mel Tormé, and Joe Williams among many others, touring Europe over 20 times. In addition, he has recorded several impressive albums as a leader for Jazzology and Concord. ~bio by Scott Yanow

All The Cats Join In

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Cass Elliot - Dream A Little Dream: The Cass Elliot Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:36
Size: 113.6 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[1:16] 1. Introduction Cass Dialogue
[3:17] 2. Don't Call Me Mama Anymore
[3:06] 3. Wild Women
[3:11] 4. California Earthquake
[2:59] 5. It's Getting Better
[3:00] 6. Lady Love
[2:36] 7. Move In A Little Closer, Baby
[2:23] 8. Make Your Own Kind Of Music
[2:54] 9. Who's To Blame
[2:33] 10. I Can Dream, Can't I
[2:08] 11. New World Coming
[2:46] 12. One Way Ticket
[2:52] 13. The Good Times Are Coming
[4:05] 14. Disney Girls
[3:32] 15. My Love
[0:07] 16. Dialogue, Intro
[3:31] 17. I'm Coming To The Best Part Of My Life
[3:13] 18. Dream A Little Dream Of Me

After she left The Mamas and The Papas, Cass Elliot became one of few solo artists to come out of the 60s and the 70s and STILL be well remembered today by people of all ages. Although her life was tragically cut short, she did not leave us before she entertained us with a mature vocal command of her songs that only a great singer could produce. Her vocal style always allowed the nuances of the lyrics to come through and this CD shows that clearly.

In essence, this is a fine compilation album. There are songs recorded live from her TV special/record album entitled "Don't Call Me Mama Anymore;" and there are two infectiously beautiful "bubblegum music" numbers entitled "Move In A Little Closer, Baby" and "It's Getting Better." Watch out, though, because Cass could sing folksy/bluesy songs including "Wild Women" (recorded here when she was with a group called The Big Three) and the rock style song called "California Earthquake." A most versatile singer, indeed! ~Matthew G. Sherman

Dream A Little Dream: The Cass Elliot Collection

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Ramsey Lewis - Wrappin' It Up

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:23
Size: 177.2 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[4:01] 1. Please Send Me Someone To Love
[3:26] 2. My Funny Valentine
[5:19] 3. Delilah
[4:39] 4. Mahade Carnaval
[4:01] 5. The Wind
[4:17] 6. Dance Of The Reluctant Drag
[2:26] 7. C.C. Rider
[4:46] 8. Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair
[2:54] 9. Early In The Morning
[3:38] 10. On The Street Where You Live
[3:14] 11. Walls Of Jericho
[4:41] 12. Tres
[4:31] 13. It Ain't Necessarily So
[4:04] 14. Love For Sale
[8:00] 15. The Way You Look Tonight
[2:40] 16. Trouble Is A Man
[4:48] 17. Happiness
[1:59] 18. I Love Paris
[3:50] 19. Consider The Source

Wrappin' It Up

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Conrad Herwig - Land Of Shadow

Styles:  Trombone Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:11
Size: 131,2 MB
Art: Front

(10:03)  1. Lullaby Of The Leaves
( 7:35)  2. The Dream Master
(11:02)  3. Land of Shadow
( 4:36)  4. Forbidden Pool
( 7:38)  5. Shadows Of The Past
( 8:19)  6. Gypsy Without a Song
( 7:56)  7. Homeward Bound

Conrad Herwig is a musician on a mission to bring trombone into the front rank of jazz horns. And over his two-decade long career he's succeeded admirably in demonstrating the horn's flexibility. Still, his playing sometimes seems weighted down by that sense of mission. At his best, as he is consistently on Land of Shadow, he lets it rip, with the trombone's natural voice, complete with its slight slurs and slides, coloring the relentless torrent of notes. Though, as on most of his sessions, this date is devoted to his own originals, Herwig opens with a high-powered take on the standard "Lullaby of Leaves," which sets the tone and introduces his sidemen. Pianist David Kikoski is especially impressive here, stretching the tune's harmonic structure to its limits. His more lyrical side is shown on the date's only other cover, Duke Ellington's "Gypsy Without a Song." Trumpeter Tim Hagans complements the leader's ethos, evoking such progressive boppers as Booker Little and Ted Curson. The trumpeter, Hagans, charges through the harmonic mazes with the urgency of a fullback trying to gain a few more yards. 

Saxophonist Ben Schachter is a new voice. An educator from Philadelphia he plays with a tone like a fine carving knife buffed and burnished and sharpened to a fine edge. Drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts slashes across the beat, dealing out rhythmic wisecracks at every turn. Bassist James Genus, like his rhythm section mates a regular participant in Herwig-led sessions, plays the straight man, helping guide the ensemble with an insistent throb on the bottom. This helps the listener as well to negotiate Herwig's intriguing originals. The pieces range from the complex structures such as "The Dream Master" to the open jam on the minor-key blues, "Land of Shadow." Another shining entry into Herwig's impressive body of work. ~ David Dupont  http://www.allmusic.com/album/land-of-shadow-mw0000018422

Personnel: Conrad Herwig (trombone); Ben Schachter (tenor saxophone); Tim Hagans (trumpet); David Kikoski (piano); James Genus (bass); Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums).

Land Of Shadow

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Count Basie - Ultimate Big Band Collection

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:00
Size: 73,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:02)  1. One O'Clock Jump
(3:05)  2. Lady Be Good
(3:23)  3. Goin' to Chicago Blues
(3:04)  4. Rock-A-Bye Basie
(3:03)  5. And the Angels Sing
(3:12)  6. Lester Leaps In
(2:52)  7. Somebody Stole My Gal
(3:06)  8. Royal Garden Blues
(2:49)  9. Blue Skies
(4:19) 10. Jumpin' At the Woodside

The Count Basie volume in Sony's Masterworks Jazz series is a solid, decent-sounding, budget-priced introduction to some of this fine band's best-known numbers during a peak period in their long tenure. Along with "One O' Clock Jump," "Lester Jumps In," and "Rock-A-Bye Basie," are perennials like "Jumpin' at the Woodside," "Lady Be Good," and "Blue Skies." For those who've not heard much Basie, this will provide a solid starting point because everything in it is a stone-cold classic; it makes for one hell of a swinging jump compilation of big-band jazz Kansas City style. ~ Thom Jurek  http://www.allmusic.com/album/ultimate-big-band-collection-count-basie-mw0002100015

Ultimate Big Band Collection

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Shaynee Rainbolt - Charmed Life: Shaynee Rainbolt Sings Russell Garcia

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:40
Size: 130,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:13)  1. When I First Saw You
(4:06)  2. Flyin Free
(4:13)  3. I Remember
(3:34)  4. Soft Warm Lips
(3:14)  5. Come Home Again
(4:12)  6. Sounds in the Night
(2:08)  7. What to Do
(3:25)  8. After Winter
(3:19)  9. Go Slow
(4:11) 10. When I Go I Go All the Way
(2:31) 11. Haunted by Desire
(3:36) 12. Livin' in Harmony
(5:13) 13. Warm and Wonderful
(3:51) 14. Five A.M.
(3:23) 15. The Time Traveler
(3:24) 16. Charmed Life

One of the tracks included on this great vocal tribute to the music of Russell Garcia (and Gina Garcia, his wife of more than a half-century, who wrote the majority of the lyrics) is entitled “Warm and Wonderful.” As we learn from Don Heckman’s impressively edifying liner notes, the song’s beautiful, central chord was inspired by a street address. But it also provides an ideal description of Shaynee Rainbolt’s voice, sweet as jasmine and honeysuckle, bold as brass and yet as seductive as a candlelit boudoir.

As Heckman tells the story, after two widely praised platters of standards, Rainbolt wanted to take a new tack for her third release. Serendipitously, a friend introduced her to Julie London’s sultry recording of Garcia’s “Go Slow.” Determined to seek out more of the legendary composer-arranger’s work, Rainbolt traced the 92-year-old Garcia to New Zealand (where he now lives), then to Sherman Oaks (where he spends most summers). They met, Rainbolt began digging through a trunk full of Garcia songs, then convinced Garcia to not only arrange and conduct the ensuing album, but to also add his Four Trombone Band to the mix and himself play vibes.

The resultant 16 tracks embrace the immense breadth of Garcia’s talents, extending from the noirish propulsion of “Sounds in the Night” and enigmatic mistiness of “Five A.M.” to the sweeping, heartbroken grandeur of “Come Home Again” and swingin’ ebullience of “Flyin’ Free” (written as a birthday present for Count Basie). But ears alone aren’t enough to fully appreciate Charmed Life. You’ll need your eyes, too, to follow along with Heckman’s notes, for the stories behind the songs are as enticing as the tunes themselves. ~ Christopher Loudon  http://jazztimes.com/articles/21202-charmed-life-shaynee-rainbolt-sings-russell-garcia-shaynee-rainbolt

Charmed Life: Shaynee Rainbolt Sings Russell Garcia

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Jackie Gleason - Music, Martinis And Memories

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:59
Size: 112,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:14)  1. Once In a While
(3:24)  2. I Can't Get Started
(3:25)  3. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
(2:30)  4. My Ideal
(3:02)  5. Yesterdays
(3:15)  6. I Love You (Je T'Aime!)
(3:15)  7. Unforgettable
(2:10)  8. How High the Moon
(3:02)  9. I'll Be Seeing You
(3:28) 10. Shangri-La
(3:11) 11. I Remember You
(2:51) 12. It Could Happen To You
(2:58) 13. Somebody Loves Me
(3:08) 14. Time On My Hands
(3:37) 15. The Nearness of You
(2:21) 16. The Song Is Ended

The arrangements on Music, Martinis, and Memories are really very simple: massed violins play the melody while Bobby Hackett's trumpet flits around the edges, or sometimes Hackett takes the lead over a bed of swelling strings. The music sets a romantic mood, but compared to the arrangements of Percy Faith or Les Baxter, Gleason is plain vanilla. Many of the orchestral pop leaders made a point of boiling down their music to its essentials without fancy flourishes, and their success proves the mainstream appeal of such an approach. 

But if you're looking for depth, you won't find much of it here. Music, Martinis, and Memories is fine dinner music, and Hackett's technique is superb, but the album fails to hold the listener's attention when brought to the foreground. ~ Greg Adams  http://www.allmusic.com/album/music-martinis-and-memories-mw0000193416

Music, Martinis And Memories

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Claudio Roditi, Klaus Ignatzek & Jean-Louis Rassinfosse - Beyond Question

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:31
Size: 141,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:59)  1. Pleasant Journey
(7:06)  2. Early Hour
(5:10)  3. Hot Temper
(6:44)  4. Sound of the Sea
(4:37)  5. Change of Air
(5:59)  6. Piccolo Blues
(4:47)  7. Stay Within Sight
(5:42)  8. Hanksome
(5:55)  9. Hidden Secret
(3:55) 10. Other Side of the Coin
(6:32) 11. Love Dance

The Brazilian trumpeter Claudio Roditi, the German pianist Klaus Ignatzek and the Belgian bassist Jean-Louis Rassinfosse are one of today's leading chamber jazz ensembles. They have been playing together for more than 20 years now, they perform mostly their own compositions rooted in jazz and Brazilian music as well as specially arranged versions of standards. Countless concerts throughout Europe stand as impressive documents of their long term collaboration in the trio format. On their latest release Claudio Roditi, Klaus Ignatzek and Jean-Louis Rassinfosse demonstrate one more time that they belong to the top of the jazz scene. Melodic jazz doesn't get much better than this. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Question-Ignatzek-Jean-Louis-Rassinfosse-Claudio/dp/B001J1HBOM

Beyond Question

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Various - Tell Me Something: The Songs Of Mose Allison

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:00
Size: 82.4 MB
Styles: Adult contemporary, Jazz/pop vocals
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[3:13] 1. Van Morrison - One Of These Days
[3:17] 2. Van Morrison - You Can Count On Me (To Do My Part)
[3:42] 3. Ben Sidran - If You Live
[3:24] 4. Georgie Fame - Was
[2:05] 5. Ben Sidran - Look Here
[3:21] 6. Georgie Fame - City Home
[2:11] 7. Ben Sidran, Georgie Fame - No Trouble Livin'
[2:57] 8. Ben Sidran - Benediction
[2:19] 9. Georgie Fame - Back On The Corner
[2:36] 10. Van Morrison - Tell Me Something
[1:59] 11. Van Morrison - I Don't Want Much
[2:39] 12. Van Morrison - News Nightclub
[2:12] 13. Van Morrison - Perfect Moment

Great idea on paper -- invite rock's Van Morrison, his then-organ/vocal-sidekick Georgie Fame, singer/pianist/producer Ben Sidran, and Mose Allison himself to compile a celebration of one of the most delightfully idiosyncratic songwriters of our time. And these are serious Allison buffs indeed, for they chose tunes from the back catalog that Mose rarely performed live in the '90s, with hardly a well-known Allison standard in the batch (the exception being "I Don't Want Much"). The hang-up is that Allison's own performances over the decades are so unique and right for their material that they pose a creative problem for anyone who wants to give these songs a different slant. Accordingly, with one exception, these guys fall back upon imitating the master, bowing low and not really saying anything new. Sidran is an outright Allison vocal clone -- he's got all of the slides, accents, and hip attitudes down pat -- though his piano doesn't sound anything like Allison's. Fame is not quite as literal, and he seems a bit stodgier by comparison. Meanwhile, Van the Man just does his own thing, paying little mind to the Mose manner, bending these tunes to his will, and pulling it off in style. Mose's participation consists of a couple of loose, chummy duets with Morrison on "I Don't Want Much" and "Perfect Moment." The band is a small combo that you can imagine playing in an English pub, with saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis and trumpeter Guy Barker giving the sound an R&B flavor. It's a good record actually, but it makes you aware of why there hadn't been many Mose tributes before. How can one compete when the creator is still alive and swinging? ~Richard S. Ginnell

Tell Me Something: The Songs Of Mose Allison

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Pearl Django - Time Flies...

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:24
Size: 99.4 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz, Hot Club Swing
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[3:17] 1. Django Bop-Bistrot D'Eustache
[4:45] 2. Grisology
[3:11] 3. Djangolatry
[4:25] 4. Napoli '61
[3:01] 5. Something Borrowed
[3:49] 6. Waltz For 12
[4:59] 7. Springing
[4:48] 8. A Supernator In Italia
[3:09] 9. Momento
[1:48] 10. Manha De Carnaval (Prelude)
[6:08] 11. Manha De Carnaval

Time Flies . . . is the twelfth release by Pearl Django in a little over 20 years of performing. For the period of the past four CDs the group has moved away for Django style covers and has exploited the composing skills of the band members. On this CD you will find nine PD originals and a beautiful cover version of Black Orpheus by Luiz Bonfa. While there is still strong evidence o for the influence of Django Reinhardt, with titles, Django Bop, Djangolatry and Something Borrowed, there are a few compositions which, push the boundaries of what may be considered Gypsy jazz or Hot Club Swing. The compositions are quite good, quite good indeed.

Time Flies...

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Calvin Newborn - Upcity

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 70:21

Size: 161.1 MB

Styles: Blues/jazz guitar

Year: 2009

Art: Front

[ 7:12] 1. Upcity!

[ 8:59] 2. Them New Blues

[ 6:19] 3. Song For Basie

[10:57] 4. Vision

[ 5:42] 5. Rhythm Makes The Heart Grow Stronger

[ 7:28] 6. Seventh Heaven

[ 7:08] 7. A Piece Of The Pie

[ 7:11] 8. Newborn Blues

[ 4:48] 9. Ubiquity

[ 4:32] 10. Going Home

Although he is the brother of the late hard bop pianist Phineas Newborn, Jr., guitarist Calvin Newborn has never been a major name in the jazz world. One of the problems is the fact that he has only recorded sporadically; in a perfect world, Newborn would have a much larger catalog. Nonetheless, the guitarist has his admirers, especially in Memphis jazz and blues circles -- and those admirers will easily appreciate what he does on Up City. Recorded in Memphis in 1996 and New York City in 1998, this hard bop/soul-jazz effort was originally released on his own label, Omnifarious Music, before being reissued by the Memphis-based Yellow Dog Records in 2005. Anyone who is familiar with Newborn's history knows that he isn't just the guitar-playing version of his brother; both are part of hard bop, but while Phineas could be a very cerebral pianist (Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell were primary influences), Calvin definitely favors the soul-jazz side of things. From the lively arrangements to Newborn's gritty, hard-swinging guitar solos, Up City is a prime example of how funky and blues-minded hard bop can be. The earthiness of the blues is evident throughout this enjoyable album, which unites the guitarist with skillful improvisers like Bill Mobley (trumpet, flugelhorn), Bill Easley (tenor sax, flute), and Tony Reedus (drums). Nothing groundbreaking occurs on Up City, but Newborn's accessible performances are consistently solid and make one wish that he hadn't recorded so infrequently over the years. ~Alex Henderson

Upcity 

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Nicki Parrott - Black Coffee

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:47
Size: 141.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:48] 1. Dark Eyes
[5:32] 2. Black Coffee
[3:16] 3. Why Don't You Do Right
[4:09] 4. Alright, Okay, You Win
[3:02] 5. Don't Smoke In Bed
[4:11] 6. Fever
[4:23] 7. Go Slow
[4:37] 8. Hallelujah, I Love Him So
[3:02] 9. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
[3:58] 10. Just One More Chance
[3:21] 11. No Moon At All
[4:16] 12. Our Day Will Come
[4:49] 13. So In Love
[4:23] 14. Where Or When
[4:54] 15. When I Fall In Love

Nicki is joined by Harry Allen (tenor sax), John Di Martino (piano), Lisa Parrott (baritone and soprano saxophone, b. clarinet), Paul Myers (guitar) and Dion Parson (drums).

Another great album from the unheralded but incredibly fantastic Ms. Parrott. Great bassist too, and wonderful sultry vocals. Small minus is that much of the material is VERY familiar: but that doesn't take away from the performance. And I think admirers of Rebecca Kilgore will also dig Parrott. Good support too from the wonderful Harry Allen on tenor, her sister Lisa on on baritone, soprano & clarinet, and everyone else. Great mainstream jazz for anyone wondering if any singers can still do this stuff well today. ~E. C Goodstein

Black Coffee

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Randy Weston - Capitol Vaults Jazz Series (Disc 3 of 3)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:35
Size: 159.3 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[2:35] 1. Intro Uhuru Kwanza
[5:48] 2. First Movement Uhuru Kwanza (Part Two)
[8:28] 3. 2nd Movement African Lady
[8:03] 4. Third Movement Bantu
[8:01] 5. Fourth Movement Kucheza Blues
[2:43] 6. Caban Bamboo Highlife
[5:00] 7. Niger Mambo
[4:40] 8. Zulu
[7:43] 9. In Memory Of
[2:31] 10. Congolese Children
[6:21] 11. Blues To Africa
[7:37] 12. Mystery Of Love

Capitol Vaults Jazz Series (Disc 3)

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Bill Charlap - Distant Star

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:35
Size: 120,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:39)  1. Along the Way
(8:25)  2. While We're Young
(8:19)  3. Last Night When We Were Young
(7:37)  4. Here I'll Stay
(2:53)  5. Distant Star
(7:12)  6. Bon Ami
(6:08)  7. '39 World's Fair
(2:42)  8. Starlight
(2:35)  9. The Heather On The Hill

Bill Charlap attracted the attention of Phil Woods during a 1994 jazz cruise, so it's no surprise that the veteran saxophonist snapped him up the second there was a vacancy on the piano bench in his quintet. This trio session, with bassist Sean Smith and drummer Bill Stewart, gives one a great opportunity to hear the inventiveness, passion, and intense ability to swing that makes Charlap one of the top musicians of his generation. The program is a cut above the usual play list, starting with two brilliant interpretations of standards, including a dancing "While We're Young" and an introspective "Last Night When We Were Young." Jim Hall's "Bon Ami" is not one of his better-known works, but Charlap's crisp approach to this soft speaking tune should grab anyone's attention. The pianist contributed the tense post-bop miniature "Starlight," while "Distant Star" is a brief, very captivating free improvisation by the trio. In addition to his superb work on bass, Smith composed the subtle but twisting theme "'39 World's Fair," while Stewart's brushwork is an important ingredient to this highly recommended CD. An additional bonus is provided by Phil Woods' hip, very enthusiastic liner notes. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/distant-star-mw0000597472

Personnel: Bill Charlap (piano); Sean Smith (bass); Bill Stewart (drums).

Distant Star

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Etta Jones - Lonely And Blue

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:09
Size: 116,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:55)  1. I'll Be There
(2:55)  2. In The Dark
(3:16)  3. Out In The Cold Again
(3:37)  4. I'm Pulling Through
(2:20)  5. My Gentleman Friend
(3:20)  6. I Wonder
(3:51)  7. You Don't Know My Mind
(3:09)  8. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
(3:50)  9. Good For Nothing Joe
(3:26) 10. I Miss You So
(3:43) 11. Trav'lin' Light
(4:28) 12. But Not For Me
(4:22) 13. If You're But A Dream
(4:51) 14. Cool Cool Daddy

Singer Etta Jones often recalls late-period Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington on her CD reissue of Lonely and Blue. The first 11 songs find her accompanied by tenor-saxophonist Budd Johnson on four of the songs, guitarist Wally Richardson on seven, and the Patti Bown Trio throughout; the final three numbers (bonus tracks), are actually from a date led by tenor great Gene Ammons and are among the highlights of this set. But overall, despite some fine performances (particularly "You Don't Know My Mind" and "Trav'lin Light"), Jones' lack of individuality at that point in time makes this CD of less importance than her later sets for Muse. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/lonely-and-blue-mw0000678904

Personnel: Etta Jones (vocals); Budd Johnson, Gene Ammons (tenor saxophone); Patti Bown (piano); Wally Richardson (guitar); George Duvivier, Art Davis (bass); Ed Shaugnessy, Walter Perkins (drums).

Lonely And Blue

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Charlie Haden, Kenny Barron - Night and the City

Styles: Jazz, Mainstream Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:47
Size: 162,3 MB
Art: Front

(12:44)  1. Twilight Song
(10:46)  2. For Heaven's Sake
(10:20)  3. Spring Is Here
(10:25)  4. Body And Soul
( 7:00)  5. You Don't Know What Love Is
( 8:28)  6. Waltz for Ruth
(11:01)  7. The Very Thought Of You

The third in a series of Charlie Haden duet projects for Verve in the 1990s finds the increasingly nostalgia-minded bass player working New York City's Iridium jazz club with pianist Kenny Barron. Moreover, it is entirely possible that we are getting a skewed view of the gig; according to Haden, he and his co-producer wife Ruth tilted this album heavily in the direction of romantic ballads, eliminating the bebop and avant-garde numbers that the two may have also played at the club. 

Be that as it may, this is still a thoughtful, intensely musical, sometimes haunting set of performances, with Barron displaying a high level of lyrical sensitivity and Haden applying his massive tone sparingly. Most of the seven tracks are fantasias on well-known standards, although one of the most eloquent performances on the disc is Barron's playing on his own "Twilight Song." If Haden deliberately set out to create a single reflective mood, he certainly succeeded, although those coming to Haden for the first time through this and most of his other '90s CDs would never suspect that this man once played such a fire-breathing role in the jazz avant-garde. ~ Richard S.Ginell  http://www.allmusic.com/album/night-and-the-city-mw0000598110

Personnel: Kenny Barron (piano); Charlie Haden (acoustic bass).

Night and the City

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Cedric Caillaud Trio & Harry Allen - Emma's Groove

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:31
Size: 148,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:32)  1. Our Delight
(4:00)  2. Emma's Groove
(5:20)  3. Dancing On The Ceiling
(5:51)  4. That's All
(3:31)  5. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
(2:58)  6. Yours Is My Heart Alone
(7:59)  7. The Jamfs Are Coming
(4:23)  8. New Father's Bop
(7:01)  9. Robbin's Nest
(4:08) 10. I Want To Be Happy
(6:39) 11. Blame It On My Youth
(8:04) 12. What Can I Say Dear

What if bassist Cedric Caillaud's sophomore effort had been recorded at Rudy van Gelder's fabled Englewood Cliffs studio and released on Blue Note Records in 1959, rather than France in 2009? The sound of Patrick Cabon's piano might have been slightly less warm (succumbing to engineer van Gelder's tendency to render pianos with a metallic tinge). Probably a bit of the players phrasing might have struck some listeners as vaguely futuristic but not too much, really. Overall, though, qualities appreciated fifty years ago are found here, as evidenced by the quartet's capacity to seize the blues vigorously as on "The JAMFs Are Coming," Johnny Griffin's exhortation about the jive-ass mother figures (or something to that effect) even as they round the edges off the hard bop just coming into fashion in 1959. The repertoire, too  lovely ballad treatments of "That's All" and "Blame It On My Youth," simmering mid-tempo version of "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me," a frenzied "I Want To Be Happy" would have delighted the Eisenhower-era boppers.

And that's OK. That is, Emma's Groove does not sound dated a half- century later. As Daniel Yvinec who is, like Caillaud, French, and a jazz bassist, though the resemblance pretty much ends there reminded an interviewer in 2009, early-'60s jazz embraced a vast stylistic range, from Ahmad Jamal to Ornette Coleman and many points in between. And so it is today, schools of jazz piled atop one another in a thoroughly post-modern, but healthy, fashion. The saxophone being what it is, Harry Allen's is the most upfront voice here, his honeyed tone capable of a-setting and a-rocking in the manner of Ben Webster. But it's the rhythm section, the same as on Caillaud's earlier June 26 (Aphrodite, 2006), that makes the longest-lasting impression. Understated pianist Cabon, in particular, embodies the best features of the playing of Wynton Kelly and Red Garland, gritty yet elegant. He's the perfect foil for Caillaud's Ray Brown-inspired playing. And if all those references point back to 1959, well, no harm done, is there? ~ Jeff Dayton-Johnson  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/emmas-groove-cedric-caillaud-aphrodite-records-review-by-jeff-dayton-johnson.php
 

Personnel: Harry Allen: tenor saxophone; Patrick Cabon: piano; Cedric Caillaud: double bass; Philippe Soirat: drums.

Emma's Groove

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