Emilie-Claire Barlow - Clear Day

Size: 153,4 MB
Time: 65:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Amundsen (Feat. Metropole Orkest) (0:59)
02. On A Clear Day (Feat. Metropole Orkest) (5:16)
03. Midnight Sun (Feat. Metropole Orkest) (3:55)
04. Because (Feat. Metropole Orkest) (4:51)
05. Fix You (Feat. Metropole Orkest) (5:39)
06. Unrequited (6:35)
07. Under Pressure (Feat. Metropole Orkest) (4:59)
08. Si J'etais Un Homme (Feat. Metropole Orkest) (4:58)
09. It's Just Talk (5:11)
10. Feelin' Groovy (4:26)
11. La Llorona (Feat. Metropole Orkest) (7:16)
12. I Don't Know Where I Stand (Feat. Metropole Orkest) (4:10)
13. Sweet Thing (3:22)
14. Mineiro De Coraçao (3:55)

Clear Day’ is made up of her versions of great tunes by groups and artists from the Beatles to Cold Play and David Bowie, to name a few. The songs were chosen for their verisimilitude to her own experiences over the past few years.

She describes the songs as the soundtrack to her life. The accompaniment of the Dutch-based Orkest Metropole magnifies the cinematic quality. “At the opening of ‘On a Clear Day’ you’ll hear these very dramatic cellos and this high pling pling pling of the piano and that’s basically representing the moment when I’m on the helicopter and I’m going to land on the ship.”

Bio:
Because Emilie-Claire Barlow is a female jazz singer from Canada, some American jazz enthusiasts have inevitably compared her to Canada's most famous jazz export: Diana Krall. But truth be told, Barlow doesn't sound anything like Krall. While Krall's performances have a sultry, dusky, very nocturnal quality, Barlow's singing has favored a youthful, girlish sweetness. That isn't to say that Barlow's bop-oriented work is unswinging -- in fact, she has no problem tackling complex arrangements, high-speed scat singing, and vocalese. Besides, Barlow is from Toronto, not western Canada (where Krall grew up). Barlow has spent her entire life in Toronto, where she was born on June 6, 1976. Her father is jazz drummer Brian Barlow, who has also gone by Brian Leonard and is best-known for his work with the Boss Brass (a Canadian big band led by trombonist Rob McConnell). Not surprisingly, the drummer instilled an appreciation of jazz in his daughter and encouraged her to sing. Brian Barlow also encouraged her to study several instruments, including piano, violin, cello, and clarinet. By the time she was seven, Emilie-Claire Barlow was singing for television and radio commercials. She went on to become quite active on Toronto's jazz scene, and in 1997, Emilie-Claire Barlow and her father formed the Barlow Group -- an acoustic-oriented octet whose soloists have included trombonist Russ Little and saxman John Johnson. The singer co-produced her first album, Emilie-Claire Barlow Sings, with her father in 1998 before recording Tribute (also co-produced with Brian Barlow) in 2000 (when she turned 24). Both albums were released independently in Canada on the Rhythm Tracks label. ~ Alex Henderson

Clear Day

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Matthew Shipp - The Conduct Of Jazz

Size: 113,7 MB
Time: 48:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Modern Jazz
Art: Front

01. Instinctive Touch ( 5:06)
02. The Conduct Of Jazz ( 7:48)
03. Ball In Space ( 6:44)
04. Primary Form ( 4:45)
05. Blue Abyss ( 6:33)
06. Stream Of Light ( 5:24)
07. The Bridge Across (12:34)

One of today's foremost pianists, Matthew Shipp has demonstrated the breadth of his artistry in numerous settings over his three decade career, including genre-defying electro-acoustic experiments. Recent years have found him narrowing his focus to concentrate on intimate acoustic efforts however, especially in one of the jazz tradition's most venerable formats—the classic piano trio.

The Conduct of Jazz is the fifth trio recording to feature Michael Bisio as Shipp's principal bassist since 2011's The Art of the Improviser (Thirsty Ear), and the first to include the legendary Newman Taylor Baker in place of longstanding drummer Whit Dickey. In contrast to Dickey's abstract tendencies, Baker brings a more conventionally structured approach to the proceedings, with a protean technique informed by years of experience working with luminaries like Billy Harper, Diedre Murray and Henry Threadgill.

A singular stylist, Shipp's urbane writing often evinces a dark, foreboding quality, alternating brooding ambience with tempestuous swing. The group subsequently covers a vast dynamic range, demonstrating its improvisational mettle in episodes that veer from impressionistic neo-classical reflections to fervent bop-inflected explorations.

"Instinctive Touch" opens the album like a furtive fanfare, the unit extrapolating the tune's oblique melody with pointed focus. The angular title track ventures further into vanguard territory as Shipp's bristling cadences ascend into feverish mantras buoyed by Bisio and Baker's modulating undercurrent. "Blue Abyss" grooves hard in contrast, while the episodic tour de force "The Bridge Across" concludes the program in dramatic fashion, regaling with blistering call and response interplay that is both adventurous and accessible.

Bisio's robust tone and Baker's vivacious trap set work are featured prominently, with the bassist's sinewy arco harmonics introducing "Ball in Space" alone, while "Primary Form" is dominated by the drummer's thunderous percussion volleys. Bisio and Baker share an uncanny conversational rapport with Shipp; their cubistic dialogue blurs the lines between accompanist and soloist, exponentially expanding the rhythm section's role in the process.

Unsurprisingly, the majority of the session spotlights the leader, whose tortuous cadences ebb and flow with their own idiosyncratic logic, whether transposing minimalist motifs into hypnotic ostinatos or negotiating labyrinthine detours with deft precision. From abstract expressionism to bluesy introspection, every facet of Shipp's artistry is on display—even romantic allusions materialize on the lyrical piano soliloquy "Stream of Light." Bolstered by the exemplary contributions of his distinguished colleagues, The Conduct of Jazz offers irrefutable proof of Shipp's enduring mastery of the jazz idiom.

Personnel: Matthew Shipp: piano; Michael Bisio: bass; Newman Taylor Baker: drums.

The Conduct Of Jazz

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Bud Freeman - Chicago Styled

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:43
Size: 107.0 MB
Styles: Mainstream jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[2:44] 1. Copenhagen
[2:44] 2. Big Boy
[2:49] 3. Sensation
[2:57] 4. Oh! Baby
[2:39] 5. Tia Juana
[2:39] 6. I Need Some Pettin'
[2:50] 7. Fidgety Feet
[2:58] 8. Susie
[3:10] 9. Keep Smilin' At Trouble
[3:30] 10. What Is There To Say
[3:01] 11. The Buzzard
[3:19] 12. Tillie's Downtown Now
[2:28] 13. As Long As I Live
[2:33] 14. The Sail Fish
[3:15] 15. Satanic Blues
[2:59] 16. Sunday

When Bud Freeman first matured, his was the only strong alternative approach on the tenor to the harder-toned style of Coleman Hawkins and he was an inspiration for Lester Young. Freeman, one of the top tenors of the 1930s, was also one of the few saxophonists (along with the slightly later Eddie Miller) to be accepted in the Dixieland world, and his oddly angular but consistently swinging solos were an asset to a countless number of hot sessions.

Freeman, excited (as were the other members of the Austin High School Gang in Chicago) by the music of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, took up the C-melody sax in 1923, switching to tenor two years later. It took him time to develop his playing, which was still pretty primitive in 1927 when he made his recording debut with the McKenzie-Condon Chicagoans. Freeman moved to New York later that year and worked with Red Nichols' Five Pennies, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Ben Pollack, Joe Venuti, Gene Kardos, and others. He starred on Eddie Condon's memorable 1933 recording "The Eel." After stints with Joe Haymes and Ray Noble, Freeman was a star with Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra and Clambake Seven (1936-1938) before having a short unhappy stint with Benny Goodman (1938). He led his short-lived but legendary Summe Cum Laude Orchestra (1939-1940) which was actually an octet, spent two years in the military, and then from 1945 on, alternated between being a bandleader and working with Eddie Condon's freewheeling Chicago jazz groups. Freeman traveled the world, made scores of fine recordings, and stuck to the same basic style that he had developed by the mid-'30s (untouched by a brief period spent studying with Lennie Tristano). Bud Freeman was with the World's Greatest Jazz Band (1968-1971), lived in London in the late '70s, and ended up back where he started, in Chicago. He was active into his eighties, and a strong sampling of his recordings are currently available on CD. ~bio by Scott Yanow

Chicago Styled

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Ron Carter & The WDR Band - My Personal Songbook

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:05
Size: 181.1 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[ 6:59] 1. Eight
[ 5:57] 2. Receipt, Please
[ 6:07] 3. Ah, Rio
[ 7:48] 4. Doom Mood
[ 9:41] 5. Blues For D.P.
[ 6:13] 6. Wait For The Beep
[ 9:14] 7. Little Waltz
[ 8:33] 8. For Toddlers Only
[10:55] 9. Sheila's Song
[ 7:35] 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. 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. ~Frank Griffith

My Personal Songbook

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Rosemary Clooney - Jazz Singer

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:52
Size: 121.0 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[2:46] 1. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
[3:26] 2. I'll Be Around
[2:25] 3. How About You
[3:32] 4. Blues In The Night
[3:33] 5. Memories Of You
[3:08] 6. I'm Checkin' Out -- Go'om Bye
[3:20] 7. What Is There To Say
[2:04] 8. The Lady Is A Tramp
[2:03] 9. Bad News
[3:51] 10. Hey Baby
[2:54] 11. It's Bad For Me
[3:01] 12. A Touch Of The Blues
[2:41] 13. Together
[3:48] 14. Learnin' The Blues
[2:08] 15. Don'cha Go 'way Mad
[2:56] 16. Sophisticated Lady
[1:57] 17. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[3:09] 18. Goodbye

After finishing her period as one of the Clooney Sisters with Tony Pastor's orchestra, Rosemary Clooney became famous for her pop hits on the Columbia label in the early '50s. Although never really a jazz singer on a consistent basis, Clooney had a few opportunities to record in jazz settings in the 1950s, most notably an album with Duke Ellington's orchestra. This sampler has four of the numbers with Ellington, three songs with a Benny Goodman small group, a few selections from the combo album Tenderly, numbers from sets titled Ring Around Rosie, Red Garters, and On Stage, and a song apiece with the orchestras of Percy Faith, Paul Weston, and Nelson Riddle. The repertoire is of high quality, and Clooney fares quite well. In fact, these were her most jazz-oriented recordings until she signed with Concord in the late '70s. Highlights include "How About You," "I'm Checkin' Out, Goombye," "Hey Baby," "Doncha Go 'Way Mad," "Sophisticated Lady," and "Goodbye." ~Scott Yanow

Jazz Singer

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Earl Klugh - HandPicked

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:08
Size: 126.2 MB
Styles: Jazz guitar
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:31] 1. Alfie
[2:26] 2. Lullaby Of Birdland
[6:09] 3. Blue Moon
[4:05] 4. In Six
[3:12] 5. Cast Your Fate To The Wind
[8:02] 6. Hotel California
[3:37] 7. More And More Amor
[2:29] 8. 'round Midnight
[1:45] 9. But Beautiful
[3:43] 10. All I Have To Do Is Dream
[3:36] 11. Going Out Of My Head
[1:57] 12. If I Fell
[2:01] 13. Where The Wind Takes Me
[3:14] 14. Morning Rain
[2:19] 15. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
[3:55] 16. This Time

In a recording career of over three decades, master guitarist Earl Klugh has been lauded as a prodigy and a groundbreaker of contemporary jazz. Klugh's highly-anticipated Concord debut, HandPicked, is a self-produced solo album with guest guitarists Bill Frisell, Vince Gill, Jake Shimabukuro and others.

HandPicked

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Joe Magnarelli - Always There

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:53
Size: 140,7 MB
Art: Front

( 8:42)  1. I'm Old Fashioned
( 6:17)  2. Allison's Welcome
( 8:01)  3. I Fall in Love Too Easily
( 4:52)  4. J.J.'s Busride Blues
(10:36)  5. Always There
( 8:20)  6. Rah-Sah
( 7:35)  7. Waltz for Aunt Marie
( 6:26)  8. Put On A Happy Face

Trumpeter Joe Magnarelli's second Criss Cross CD, Always There, is easily the equal of his impressive debut. Leading an all-star sextet that has percussionist Daniel Sadownick on two of the eight selections, Magnarelli performs modernized versions of three standards and five of his originals.

The music fits securely into hard bop and not only features warm solos from the leader but heated statements and trade-offs by baritonist Gary Smulyan and altoist Jim Snidero. Alternating driving pieces with thoughtful ballads, Always There is a memorable effort and makes one realize that Magnarelli would have fit in perfectly with Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/always-there-mw0000035296

Personnel: Joe Magnarelli (trumpet); Jim Snidero (flute, alto saxophone, piano); Gary Smulyan (baritone saxophone); Larry Goldings (piano); Kenny Washington (drums); Daniel Sadownick (percussion

Always There

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John Proulx - Baker's Dozen (Remembering Chet Baker)

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:15
Size: 138,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:05)  1. Let's Get Lost
(4:21)  2. Long Ago And Far Away
(4:29)  3. Time After Time
(4:44)  4. But Not for Me
(5:15)  5. I Get Along Without You Very Well
(3:58)  6. Reunion/There Will Never Be Another You
(4:00)  7. I Remember You
(5:23)  8. You Don't Know What Love Is
(3:29)  9. Before You Know It
(6:25) 10. I Fall in Love Too Easily
(3:21) 11. Line For Lyons
(6:02) 12. My Funny Valentine
(3:36) 13. Look For The Silver Lining

John Proulx is a new jazz singer and pianist with a light touch (and very good taste), as evidenced by his 2006 debut on MaxJazz, MOON AND SAND, which featured the sultry Alec Wilder bossa-inflected title track as well as nods to both Bill Evans ("Alice In Wonderland") and Dinah Washington ("What A Difference A Day Made"). As the subtitle to BAKER's DOZEN indicates, Proulx's followup is a more-or-less straight tribute to Chet Baker, the eerily romantic vocalist even more than the cool jazz trumpter. The warmed-toned Dominick Farinacci ably takes care of the trumpet and flugelhorn duties anyway, so this is very much a singer's album, a singer with a strong, lush style on piano it should be mentioned. As a singer, Proulx has a youthful spare sound, much like Baker himself, although he has greater range and staying power. (As effective as he was, Baker's semi-amateur vocals always made it on novelty value too). 

It's a pleasure to hear these note-perfect versions of "Let's Get Lost," "Look For The Silver Lining," "My Funny Valentine," and other Chet Baker signature tunes. For lovers of song-oriented jazz musicianship in a contemporary context, one could hardly improve on John Proulx. ~ Richard Mortifoglio  http://www.allmusic.com/album/bakers-dozen-remembering-chet-baker-mw0000822417

Personnel: John Proulx (vocals, piano); Dominick Farinacci (trumpet, flugelhorn); Joe La Barbera (drums).

Baker's Dozen (Remembering Chet Baker)

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Joni Janak - Let's Live Again

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:29
Size: 152,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:37)  1. Let's Live Again
(4:08)  2. S'Wonderful
(3:15)  3. What Is This Thing Called Love
(4:20)  4. Bewitched
(3:44)  5. I Didn't Know What Time it Was
(6:39)  6. Someone To Watch Over Me
(4:47)  7. Night And Day
(2:46)  8. I Could Write a Book/I've Got You Under My Skin
(3:58)  9. For You, For Me, For Evermore
(2:40) 10. Lover
(4:55) 11. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
(3:53) 12. Let's Get Lost
(5:45) 13. Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
(3:40) 14. My Romance
(4:48) 15. My Funny Valentine
(3:27) 16. All of You

Born 24 August 1944, Amarillo, Texas, USA. Raised in a very musical family Janak was taught singing, dancing and piano at the Amarillo College of Music which was owned and operated by her parents and grandparents. She gave public recitals from the age of eight and had her first professional singing job at 13. She received a vocal scholarship to Texas Tech University in Lubbock and, after returning to Amarillo, sang with many different bands and performed a concert with the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra at the age of 22. She went to Houston, Texas, to sing in the Carriage Club at the Sheraton Lincoln Hotel until 1969 when she moved to Denver, Colorado, to further her career. 

In Denver, she sang with many resident and visiting jazz musicians at various clubs, among them Dale Bruning, Ellyn Rucker, Phil Urso, Peanuts Hucko, Bobby Greene, Todd Reid, the Hot Tomatoes Jazz Band, Howard Davis and Jim Riley, recording with both of the last named. It was while Janak was appearing at the El Chapultepec club in Denver, where she has long held a residency, that she met Carl Fontana who invited her to Las Vegas to work with him. In Las Vegas, she also worked with Carson Smith, Tom Montgomery, Vinnie Tano, Bill Berry, Herbie Phillips and Bill Watrous. She also sang on a jazz cruise with the Johnny Carson Tonight Show Allstars. Janak has appeared at many jazz festivals and at concerts, sometimes with Bruning and storyteller Jude Hibler in their theme concerts celebrating the music of significant composers. 

In the early years of the new millennium, her name was beginning to attract attention overseas with appearances in Europe and the release there of her first own name album and a set with Fontana. A dynamic and highly polished performer, owing in large part to her background of training and extensive experience, Janak’s maturity of sound result in highly satisfying performances. https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/joni-janak/id45288044#fullText

Let's Live Again

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John Vance - Dreamsville

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:54
Size: 121,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:33)  1. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
(4:23)  2. Darn That Dream
(2:50)  3. Like A Lover
(4:24)  4. Invitation
(5:57)  5. If You Go
(3:57)  6. Better Than Anything
(2:29)  7. I'm Beginning to See the Light
(6:27)  8. My Foolish Heart
(4:46)  9. Speak Low
(3:24) 10. You Don't Know What Love Is
(3:04) 11. Not Like This
(3:14) 12. Bluesette
(4:19) 13. Dreamsville

Singer John Vance's It's All Right With Me (Erawan, 2003), was an enjoyable debut; a breath of fresh at a time when Peter Cincotti, Michael Bublé and Harry Connick, Jr., were being touted as the next Male Vocal Jazz Star.  Dreamsville initially appears to be more of the same, consisting of songs from the Great American Songbook, jazz standards and one original composition. A change in personnel gives the album more depth, and Vance, again, provides the same vocal qualities as on his debut.

Guitarist Larry Koonse (on three tracks) and trumpeter Stacy Rowles trumpet (on two) are effective in adding texture to Vance's piano trio. As with It's All Right With Me, Vance's extensive background in acting aids his vocal jazz sensibilities by allowing his phrasing to be more sympathetic than a pop music reading of the same tunes. On "Like A Lover", a tune from Dori Caymmi, Nelson Matta, and Alan and Marilyn Bergman that has been around since the late 1960s, Vance is accompanied only by the simpatico Koonse. Vance brings great appreciation to the lyrics, describing how forces of nature and inanimate objects (e.g. the river wind, a coffee cup) are instruments of jealousy to the singer because they are in close proximity to the woman of his affection. Vance is at his best on romantic ballads like the ever-popular Young/Washington standard, "My Foolish Heart," and the title tune from Henry Mancini. Rowles turns up for her appearances on "Speak Low" and "I Hadn't Anyone Till You." ~ Michael P.Gladstone  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/dreamsville-john-vance-erawan-records-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php
 

Personnel: John Vance: vocals; Jeff Colella: piano; Trey Henry: bass; Kendall Kay: drums; Stacy Rowles: trumpet and flugelhorn (1, 9); Larry Koonse: guitar (3, 8, 13).

Dreamsville

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Buck Clayton - Buck 'n' The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 44:45

Size: 102.4 MB

Styles: Swing, Trumpet jazz

Year: 1957/2009

Art: Front

[5:25] 1. Buck Buckles

[8:47] 2. Claytonia

[2:57] 3. Cool Too

[5:47] 4. Squeeze Me

[8:56] 5. Good Morning Blues

[5:12] 6. Ballin' The Jack

[3:13] 7. Blues Blase

[4:25] 8. The Queen's Express

Buck Clayton-trumpet; Vic Dickenson-trombone; Earle Warren-alto sax; Hank Jones-piano; Kenny Burrell-guitar; Aaron Bell-bass; Jo Jones-drums.

One of the yeoman trumpeters of the swing era, Buck Clayton's career extended into the early-'90s as an arranger and band leader. Clayton was born in Parsons, Kansas, began piano lessons at age 6, and switched to trumpet at 16. The early days of his career were spent in California, where he organized a band to play in Shanghai in 1934. After returning to California, he continued to lead his own groups. During a tour to the Midwest he met Count Basie, who hired him to replace Hot Lips Page as soloist and arranger.

Clayton's trumpet style--a full, clear tone, warm lyricism, with swinging improvisations derived from Louis Armstrong and the often overlooked Joe Smith, can be heard on Basie's early recordings such as "Swingin' The Blues," "Jumpin' at The Woodside," and "Good Morning Blues." He also played sessions with Billie Holiday and jams produced by John Hammond and later with Jazz at the Philharmonic. After leaving Basie he led his own groups, toured Europe and worked with Jimmy Rushing. Clayton appeared in the film "The Benny Goodman Story" and played with Sidney Bechet at the World's Fair in Brussels.

Buck 'n' The Blues

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Jim Hall - Guitar & Folk Jazz

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:06
Size: 167.3 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:30] 1. Deep In A Dream
[4:28] 2. Tangerine
[5:41] 3. 9.20 Special
[3:35] 4. Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen
[4:36] 5. Stompin At The Savoy
[5:45] 6. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[4:11] 7. A-Roving
[4:29] 8. Seven Come Eleven
[5:03] 9. Look For The Silver Lining
[3:26] 10. Three Blind Mice
[2:47] 11. This Is Always
[4:17] 12. John Henry
[5:14] 13. Thanks For The Memory
[4:19] 14. Wayfaring Stranger
[6:42] 15. Go Down, Moses
[3:55] 16. Stella By Starlight

Jim Hall, born in Buffalo, and educated at the Cleveland Institute of Music, moved to Los Angeles where he began to attract national, and then international, attention in the late 1950s. By 1960 Jim had arrived in New York to work with Sonny Rollins and Art Farmer, among others. His live and recorded collaborations with Bill Evans, Paul Desmond, and Ron Carter, are legendary.

Not only is Jim Hall one of the jazz world's favorite guitarists, but he has also earned critical acclaim for his skills as a composer and arranger. Some years ago, Guitar Player magazine quoted Jim as saying “I do feel good about my playing. The instrument keeps me humble. Sometimes I pick it up and it seems to say `No, you can't play today.' I keep at it anyway though.”

Guitar & Folk Jazz

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June Christy - Big Band Specials

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:23
Size: 74.2 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[2:15] 1. You Came A Long Way From St. Louis
[2:22] 2. Swingin' On Nothin'
[2:46] 3. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby
[3:53] 4. Prelude To A Kiss
[3:00] 5. Skyliner
[2:50] 6. A Night In Tunisia
[1:43] 7. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
[2:20] 8. Frenesi
[2:28] 9. Stompin' At The Savoy
[3:03] 10. Goodbye
[2:54] 11. Time Was (Duerme)
[2:46] 12. Until (The Mole)

By the time this album was recorded in 1962, singer June Christy had already cut the great bulk of her discography. Many, critics especially, put her past her prime. This album demonstrates that the critics were wrong and the "Misty Miss Christy" was still at the top of her form. Her instantly recognizable voice takes the listener through a roster of tunes associated with the big bands. And she has a big band backing her that is made up of some of the best players on the West Coast -- or any coast, for that matter -- many of whom were habitues of the Stan Kenton band before Kenton's music became pretentious. The charts also came from former Kenton chart makers, Bill Holman, Shorty Rogers, and husband Bob Cooper. Most everything on this disc is done up-tempo. But things slow down a bit for a track or two, especially a typical Christy haunting version of "Goodbye" and a medium-tempo "Frenesi." The list of players in the band itself speaks eloquently of how good they sound. There are eloquent solos by Cooper, and Bob Mondragon basslines stand out on a few of the tunes. Jimmy Rowles and Mel Lewis round out the rhythm section. With Christy singing in her inimitable manner, backed by a big band of five star performers with top of the list charts, there's no way this album wasn't going to be successful. Originally issued on the Capitol label, the LP was reissued as a CD on Blue Note in 1999. A must for any jazz/pop vocal collection. ~Dave Nathan

Big Band Specials

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Spiral Starecase - More Today Than Yesterday

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:25
Size: 97.1 MB
Styles: AM pop, Sunshine pop
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:05] 1. More Today Than Yesterday
[2:59] 2. Broken Hearted Man
[2:58] 3. For Once In My Life
[3:26] 4. This Guy's In Love With You
[2:25] 5. Sweet Little Thing
[2:38] 6. Proud Mary
[2:58] 7. The Thought Of Loving You
[2:44] 8. Our Day Will Come
[2:29] 9. No One For Me To Turn To
[2:35] 10. Since I Don't Have You
[2:30] 11. Judas To The Love We Knew
[2:18] 12. Baby What I Mean
[2:17] 13. Makin' My Mind Up
[1:51] 14. I'll Run
[2:28] 15. Inside, Outside, Upside Down
[2:37] 16. She's Ready

Spiral Starecase's sole completed LP was recorded less than five weeks before its release -- astonishingly, it's a thoroughly polished, smoothly enjoyable upbeat collection of romantic songs, all featuring delectable horn charts and Pat Upton's inimitable voice, which would be worth hearing in almost any repertory. As it happens, the band's covers of "Proud Mary," "Our Day Will Come," "For Once in My Life," and "Since I Don't Have You," add enough new wrinkles, by way of the guitar parts, the accompaniment, or the singing, to make them worth hearing. The Upton originals, including "Judas to the Love We Knew," are superb pieces of songwriting, and point up the loss that this group was never able to sustain itself for another year. This wasn't the best record of 1969, but it's arguably one of the most consistently enjoyable pop/rock LPs of its period, of which the title track is merely one highlight. ~Bruce Eder

More Today Than Yesterday

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Ben Sidran - Cien Noches (One Hundred Nights At The Cafe Central)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 64:54

Size: 148.6 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals, B3 Organ jazz

Year: 2008

Art: Front

[ 1:35] 1. Welcome To The Central

[ 5:14] 2. Gotta Serve Somebody

[ 7:39] 3. Take Me To The River

[ 5:04] 4. Drinkin' N Thinkin'

[ 6:29] 5. A Room In The Desert

[ 5:50] 6. Straight No Chaser

[ 0:22] 7. Something For You To Do

[ 7:14] 8. See That Rock

[ 5:47] 9. Subterranean Homesick Blues

[ 8:57] 10. Folio

[10:37] 11. Cave Dancing

This is Ben Sidran's first Hammond B3 organ project. It's an instrument he has played for forty years, and occasionally (as on his recent radio-friendly CD Nick's Bump) featured on recordings. But CIEN NOCHES -- the title refers to the fact that over a period of ten years he performed one hundred nights at Madrid's famed Cafe Central -- is the first time he has paid direct tribute to the instrument and the club scene it spawned.

The album includes the original songs "Get It Yourself," an acerbic commentary on the rock and roll industry, and "Cave Dancing," an extended parable of jazz and the roots of religion. In addition, it features two Bob Dylan classics, "Gotta Serve Somebody" and "Subterranean Homesick Blues," along with saxophonist Bob Rockwell's "Drinkin' and Thinkin," an obvious party favorite.

Sidran is no stranger to combining jazz, party music and story telling. Raised in the industrial lakeshore city of Racine, Wisconsin, while still in high school, he went to Madison, the home of the University of Wisconsin, to play with his own jazz trio and soon joined a Southern comfort party band led by frat boy singer Steve Miller and his Texas friend, Boz Scaggs. He eventually penned the lyrics for Miller's hit song "Space Cowboy" earning a place in rock history and royalties enough to cover his graduate education.

Cien Noches (One Hundred Nights At The Cafe Central)

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Jerry Bergonzi - Lineage

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 2010

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 59:56

Size: 137,5 MB

Art: Front

(12:52)  1. Inner Urge

(11:09)  2. Everything Happens to Me

(11:36)  3. Red's Blues

(10:40)  4. On The Brink

(13:37)  5. Jones

Jerry Bergonzi has long been an important part of the New England jazz scene, while he may very well be better appreciated in Europe than in his homeland. This 1989 concert features the powerful tenor saxophonist stretching out on each of the five selections, backed by the driving, equally inventive pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Dave Santoro, and drummer Adam Nussbaum. Starting with a roaring extended workout of Joe Henderson's "Inner Urge" that equals the fire of the studio version recorded by its composer with McCoy Tyner, the quartet quickly switches gears for a heartfelt, expressive rendition of the standard "Everything Happens to Me." The disc concludes with three strong originals by the leader, with the brisk, breezy Latin-flavored "On the Brink" sounding like it is descended from Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee." This is one of many excellent recordings in Jerry Bergonzi's vast discography. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/lineage-mw0000089050

Personnel: Jerry Bergonzi (tenor saxophone); Mulgrew Miller (piano); Adam Nussbaum (drums).

Lineage

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Joe Krown - Exposed

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:58
Size: 118,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:19)  1. Exposed
(3:39)  2. Rum & Coca Cola
(4:44)  3. All That and Then Some
(3:39)  4. Pop's Dilemma
(5:19)  5. Last Call
(3:51)  6. Monkey On My Back
(4:55)  7. 13th Ward Boogie
(4:13)  8. Mother in Law
(3:27)  9. Man Down
(3:37) 10. Mardi Gras in New Orleans
(4:24) 11. So Fine, All the Time
(3:45) 12. Hucklebuck

Joe Krown is an American keyboardist, based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is known for his long tenure with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown's band. As a solo artist, he has been playing in several different styles. When he plays the piano, he typically plays in the traditional New Orleans style. When he plays with his band the Joe Krown Organ Combo, the sound is jazzy and funky, and he plays the Hammond B-3 organ. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Krown

Exposed

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Carrie Wicks - Maybe

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:25
Size: 122,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:14)  1. Ghost of a Perfect Flame
(6:50)  2. Small Day Tomorrow
(4:22)  3. Desolation Moon
(4:04)  4. It Could Happen to You
(3:23)  5. Maybe
(5:43)  6. Watercolor Rhyme
(6:11)  7. Afternoon
(4:20)  8. The Bottom of Your Heart
(5:23)  9. Dreamtime
(4:04) 10. Waltz Beyond
(4:48) 11. Solitude

Reaching deep into a space of quiet joy and beauty, tinged with bit of melancholy, Seattle vocalist Carrie Wicks presents a new set of original songs that complement lyrically and melodically the three accompanying classics, Bob Dorough's 'Small Day Tomorrow,' Van Heusen and Burke's 'It Could Happen To You,' and Ellington's 'Solitude. ' Featuring the same superb, simpatico trio as her prior two recordings, pianist Bill Anschell, Jeff Johnson on bass, and drummer Byron Vannoy provide a comfortable, warmly swinging environment for Wicks' lyrics to shine. '. . . a skilled vocalist, top-notch in her phrasing and intonation, but she also possesses an ineffable 'something extra' that's both compelling and engaging. . . Carrie Wicks proves herself a very convincing storyteller. ' - All About Jazz ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Maybe-Carrie-Wicks/dp/B013R4QHC0

Personnel: Carrie Wicks: vocals; Bill Anschell: piano; Jeff Johnson: bass; Byron Vannoy: Drums.

Maybe

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Jazzanova - Of All The Things

Styles: Pop/Rock
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:42
Size: 118,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:00)  1. Look What You're Doin' To Me
(6:25)  2. Let Me Show Ya
(3:29)  3. I Can See
(4:29)  4. Lie
(6:04)  5. Little Bird
(4:42)  6. Rockin' You Eternally
(4:11)  7. So Far From Home
(4:45)  8. What DoYou Want?
(3:32)  9. Lucky Girl
(2:38) 10. Gafiera
(4:08) 11. Morning Scapes
(4:13) 12. Dial A Cliche

Could it be? Is it really possible that one of the most innovative collectives in modern music could stoop to making a throwback soul record? (Perhaps they should have recruited Joss Stone as a guest vocalist.) Sarcasm aside, it's obvious that a soul record from a group like Jazzanova is quite a different proposition from the usual retro rot. So confident in their middle age that they feel no need to innovate (at least, purely for its own sake), the Berliner sextet ends up delivering one of the best soul albums of the era (or any other). True, the influences may be easy to spot Philly soul here, Motown there, plenty of '70s progressive jazz with taut strings or breezy woodwinds but with arrangements as accomplished as these are, and productions that crackle as gloriously as these do, the group can rest comfortably with their theft, genius as it is. Each track has a vocal feature, which might disappoint a few dance fans, but as with the first Jazzanova production LP (In Between), listeners won't spend long wishing they could hear instrumentals of these songs. The caressing vocalist Paul Randolph is responsible for a large share of the highlights, while Jazzanova must be proudest for snaring the smooth soul maverick Leon Ware to appear on a cover of his own "Rockin' You Eternally," with backing vocals from fellow Detroiter Dwele. 

(Still, Phonte from Little Brother is responsible for the record's greatest feat delivering a fine soul vocal on the opener "Look What You're Doin' to Me," then rapping just as well for "So Far from Home.") It's to be expected that Jazzanova would turn in excellent productions with every track, but what's most impressive about Of All the Things is the work that Jazzanova haven't made their forté in the past songwriting, arrangements, and the pairing of each vocalist with a song that works perfectly for them. (Credit for much of the songwriting and arranging for horn or strings goes to Stefan Leisering.) Whereas in the past, Jazzanova's preeminence was obvious on the surface, Of All the Things displays their subtle powers for music-making. ~ John Bush  http://www.allmusic.com/album/of-all-the-things-mw0000800609

Personnel: José James, Bembe Segue (vocals); Kalle Kalima (guitar, acoustic guitar); Volodymyr Korobov, Ralf Zettl, Kim Hyun Jung, Alexandra Shipilo, David Canisius, Sandor Farkas (violin); Astrid Hengst, Dieter Vogt, Verena Wehling, Benker Steiner, Matthias, Peter Bock (viola); Dirk Steglich (flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Magnus Lindgren (flute); Frank Fritsch (saxophone); Skip Reinhart (trumpet); Stephanie Böhm (trombone); Roberto Jose Bertrami (Fender Rhodes piano); Paul Kleber (acoustic bass); Alex Malheiros (electric bass); Ivan Conti (drums, percussion); Wilson Michael (background vocals).

Of All The Things

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Kenny Davern - I'll See You In My Dreams

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:22
Size: 124.5 MB
Styles: New Orleans jazz, Clarinet jazz
Year: 1989
Art: Front

[5:11] 1. Blue Lou
[3:46] 2. Sweet And Lovely
[5:53] 3. Liza
[7:02] 4. Pee Wee's Blues
[5:32] 5. Riverboat Shuffle
[4:12] 6. Oh, Miss Hannah
[4:19] 7. My Melancholy Baby
[8:20] 8. Royal Garden Blues
[4:53] 9. In My Solitude
[5:11] 10. I'll See You In My Dreams

Recorded at the same two sessions as One Hour Tonight, this CD gets the edge due to more tempo variation. Clarinetist Kenny Davern, guitarist Howard Alden, bassist Phil Flanigan and drummer Giampaolo Biagi are all heard in excellent form, coming up with fresh ideas on "Blue Lou," "Riverboat Shuffle," "My Melancholy Baby," "Royal Garden Blues" and six other veteran standards. Easily recommended to mainstream and Dixieland collectors. ~Scott Yanow

I'll See You In My Dreams

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