Howard Alden, Bucky Pizzarelli - In A Mellow Tone

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:02
Size: 149,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:30)  1. In a Mellow Tone
(7:03)  2. Do Nothing 'Till You Hear from Me
(4:57)  3. Tangerine
(5:20)  4. Snow Fall
(5:08)  5. Cherokee
(3:01)  6. In the Dark
(4:07)  7. The Very Thought of You
(3:51)  8. Three Little Words
(6:06)  9. What's New?
(4:55) 10. Moon Glow
(6:14) 11. Jitterbug Waltz
(1:20) 12. I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
(5:24) 13. Blues for Emmett

Good taste never goes out of style and knows no demographic, as this delicate album by two masters of the seven-string demonstrates. The 45-year old Alden and the 77-year old Pizzarelli may be a generation apart, but they are certainly cut from the same cloth. A great example of how their comping and strumming styles mesh so effortlessly is heard on "Tangerine," where they trade back and forth like one guitarist overdubbed on two tracks. "Cherokee" starts with a tom-tom-inspired beat and turns into a mutual admiration society meeting with the two swapping solos back and forth with abandon. They take "Three Little Words" at an appropriately brisk tempo, but never do you get the impression that the old master and the young buck are trying to outdo each other. Rather, the feeling is of two people comfortable with each other and a shared interpretation of the material.

Alden is showcased by himself on two tunes, Bix Beiderbecke's "In the Dark," and ever-so-briefly on an old warhorse, "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles." Alden imbues the Bix tune with a light and airy feel and rids "Bubbles" of any sense of cliché with a treatment that is beautifully introspective. The two manage to breathe new life into "Jitterbug Waltz," as if that was even necessary, taking turns dancing their way around the melody in single notes and chord phrasing. Their solos culminate in a fine bit of counterpoint before returning to the tune's basic structure. This album is a testament to both Pizzarelli's enduring genius on the guitar and Alden's innate ability to absorb the styles of those who came before and come up with something of his own making. 

~ Mitchell Seidel  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/in-a-mellow-tone-howard-alden-concord-music-group-review-by-mitchell-seidel.php

Personnel: Howard Alden and Bucky Pizzarelli: guitar.

In A Mellow Tone

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Bobby Broom - The Way I Play: Live In Chicago

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:50
Size: 155,6 MB
Art: Front

( 5:49)  1. Strike Up the Band
( 6:32)  2. Donna Lee
( 9:21)  3. Fly Me to the Moon
(12:23)  4. Airegin
( 6:36)  5. Body and Soul
( 7:54)  6. Unit 7
( 7:17)  7. The Surrey With the Fringe on Top
(11:55)  8. Inception

Guitarist Bobby Broom could have easily taken a different musical direction when he released the popular contemporary/funk jazz album, Clean Sweep (GRP) in 1981. But with his early influences, guitarists Wes Montgomery, early George Benson and mentor/saxophonist Sonny Rollins, he has developed his own unique style on recordings such as Song and Dance (Origin, 2007). This voice is heard in a live setting on The Way I Play , an uncut, as it went down performance, as Broom states ..."it really is a record of how I approach my instrument." Joined by longtime members, bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer Kobie Watkins, the recording is a taste of the weekly gig the trio has held for the past few years at Pete Miller's Steakhouse in Evanston. It also mirrors Broom's other live trio recording, Deep Blue Organ Trio: Goin' To Town Live At The Green Mill (Delmark, 2006). Broom's approach is a lesson in soulfulness, lyricism, and an innate sense of timing and swing, that goes beyond academics. Carroll and Watkins do more than keep things tight rhythmically; they are integral parts of the vibrant trio connection, through interaction and individual performances.

This is an entire album of "OPM" (Other People's Music) standards from the Gershwin Brothers, Rogers and Hammerstein, et al. But it's the way that the trio approaches and interprets these classics that keeps them fresh: the retelling of Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee," each player delivering passionate solos and quick trades; or the lovely "Fly Me to the Moon," where Broom sets up the melody with a nice intro, leading into a purposed mid-tempo groove. The execution of a good ballad can be difficult, but Broom's tone and phrasing, as well as artistic touch, are simply exquisite on the trio's redo of "Body and Soul." The "cool" factor is strong on the swinging "Unit 7" with Watkins' colorful trap-work getting the spotlight on some heavy trading with Broom. Things end nicely with McCoy Tyner's "Inception." Broom plays some Django-like chords at the onset, with Carroll's bombastic bass walking and solo and another wonderful drum spot from Watkins. One audiophile criticism that comes with the territory of this unedited performance is found in the sound quality, which includes some minor crowd noise and the tinny treble from Watkins' cymbals. But in no way does it detract from this wonderful document of live jazz by one today's most authentic jazz guitarists. ~ Mark F.Turner  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-way-i-play-bobby-broom-origin-records-review-by-mark-f-turner.php

Personnel: Bobby Broom: guitar; Dennis Carroll: bass; Kobie Watkins: drums.

The Way I Play: Live In Chicago

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Aki Takase - Aki Takase Plays "Fats" Waller

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:36
Size: 115,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:49)  1. Lookin' Good, But Feelin Bad
(6:46)  2. Vipers Drag
(4:51)  3. Ain't Misbehavin
(4:46)  4. Handful Of Keys
(4:43)  5. Any Tune, But Fats Tune
(2:07)  6. Your Feet's Too Big Word And Music
(2:04)  7. Intermezzo 1.
(3:33)  8. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
(1:03)  9. Intermezzo 2.
(2:10) 10. Hold Tight
(3:00) 11. Kuroneko Yamato
(0:53) 12. Intermezzo 3.
(2:15) 13. I Have Got A Feeling I'm Falling
(4:05) 14. Tintenfisch In Wien
(4:25) 15. Kauf Dir Einen Bunten Luftballon

What the world does not need is yet another slavish tribute to the great Fats Waller, one in which his original arrangements are re-created and his personal style respectfully reproduced. Aki Takase, being the slightly slantwise genius that she is, conceived of something very different for this project: a tribute album that would incorporate some of Waller's compositions alongside pieces by other New Orleans composers and original pieces by Takase herself some of which would allude slyly to the great man's sound, and others which would bring a completely different flavor to the mix. Her helpers include bass clarinetist Rudi Mahall, trombonist Nils Wogram, and the even more slantwise genius Eugene Chadbourne, who contributes vocals, banjo, and guitar. Familiar tunes like "Viper Rag" and "Handful of Keys" are given slightly twisted but delightful arrangements, and other period pieces like "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans" rub shoulders with Takase's own numbered intermezzi, which are often contemplative and harmonically spiky. The vocals tend to be a bit goofy, and some of the arrangements start out with long sections of skronky, atonal group improvisation. But the whole album hangs together surprisingly well and serves its purpose admirably: it celebrates the spirit of Waller's music without aping it thoughtlessly. ~ Rick Anderson  http://www.allmusic.com/album/plays-fats-waller-mw0000810088

Personnel: Aki Takase (piano, toy piano); Eugene Chadbourne (vocals, guitar, banjo); Rudi Mahall (bass clarinet); Thomas Heberer (trumpet); Nils Wogram (trombone); Paul Lovens (drums).

Aki Takase Plays "Fats" Waller

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Mirjam Van Dam - Dead Singers Society

Size: 122,4 MB
Time: 51:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Ain't Nobody's Business (2:55)
02. Lady Sings The Blues (2:48)
03. I Just Wanna Make Love To You (4:06)
04. At Last (4:46)
05. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2:20)
06. The Greatest Love Of All (3:04)
07. God Bless The Child (5:42)
08. Rehab (3:18)
09. Help Yourself/Saving All My Love (5:06)
10. Poor Little Rich Girl (3:44)
11. Mercedes Benz (2:28)
12. Cry Baby (3:33)
13. Piece Of My Heart (2:48)
14. Me Myself And I (2:01)
15. Over The Rainbow (3:12)

Personnel:
Mirjam van Dam (vocals, percussion)
Ed Boekee (piano)

Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, Billie Holiday, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Judy Garland ...
All famous singers!
Dead singers.
All succumbed to their own fame and drugs.
Kudos must be a not to wear fate.
Fame and drugs seem to be a couple.
It is only a countdown to the next big star makes an end to (or not accidentally). Then she will also accede to the Dead Singers Club.

Dead Singers Society

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Dale Head - Swing Straight Up

Size: 124,1 MB
Time: 53:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Swing, Big Band, Broadway
Art: Front

01. It's All Right With Me (2:56)
02. Love Is The Name Of The Game (3:49)
03. Teach Me Tonight (4:01)
04. The Way You Look Tonight (4:00)
05. So Close To Getting Close To You (3:41)
06. My Favorite Things (4:02)
07. Come Rain Or Come Shine (4:54)
08. Blue Rondo A La Turk (4:36)
09. No Easy Way To Say Goodbye (5:01)
10. Georgia (4:38)
11. Night And Day (3:55)
12. Don't Get Me Started (7:47)

Dale Head is a high-energy singer who doubles on trumpet and makes up in drive and enthusiasm for what he may lack in singularity and polish. Swing Straight Up, on which Head is backed by Rory Snyder's admirable Night Jazz Band, underlines the singer's strengths (strong voice, an abundance of self-confidence) while serving as a reminder that Head is several furlongs short of his leading role model, the incomparable Frank Sinatra.

There's no doubt that Head's heart is in the right place (a blurb inside the album's jacket declares "Support Music in Public Schools!") but the voice doesn't always keep pace with the credo. His phrasing sometimes misses the mark, and whereas Sinatra, for one, was always solidly in control of his pipes, there are times when Head seems to be shouting to make a point. Perhaps that's simply his style, but the lack of restraint does him no favors. A firmer hand on the throttle would be helpful. On a more positive note, it's clear that Head loves what he's doing, and the warmth is contagious.

The songs, with a handful of exceptions, are from the Great American Songbook including a pair of classics by Cole Porter ("It's All Right with Me," "Night and Day"), and it is here that the contrast with Sinatra is most apparent, as Ol' Blue Eyes defined both of them and Head is unable to re-create the magic on either (thus entering the ranks of many other successors who have tried and failed). Another of the standards, Rodgers and Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things," has been given a brand new lyric (and manic tempo), while words have also been added to Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo a la Turk." Completing the program are three engaging originals by Joel Evans, "Love Is the Name of the Game," "So Close to Getting Close to You" and "No Easy Way to Say Goodbye." The closing number, "Don't Get Me Started," is performed by the ensemble, with crisp solos by trombonist Sandy Hughes, tenor Stephen Herrick and trumpeter Walt Beveridge. ~Jack Bowers

Personnel: Dale Head: vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn. Rory Snyder’s Night Jazz Band – Rory Snyder: director, alto sax solo (1); Dan Fava: trumpet; Jeff Lynn: trumpet; Walt Beveridge: trumpet; John Christensen: trumpet; Antony Pickard: alto sax; Ian Williams: alto sax; Stephen Herrick: tenor sax; Ryan Tomko: tenor sax; Brenda Thompson: baritone sax; Sandy Hughes: trombone; Ron Wetzel: trombone; Will Betts: trombone; Kevin Grant: bass trombone; James Wrubel: piano; Greg Reginato: guitar; Karl Hartmann: bass; Paul Yonemura: drums.

Swing Straight Up

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Organic Picnic - Creatures

Size: 124,5 MB
Time: 53:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Host I Dalarna (6:11)
02. Make Up Your Mind (4:50)
03. Love Lizards In The Sand (5:38)
04. Tain What You Do (4:29)
05. Walz For Slesvigvej (4:57)
06. Chevak No. 5 (5:39)
07. Hardly (5:06)
08. Daphneville (2:59)
09. Peking Duck Blues (4:20)
10. Hemlandsvisa (4:23)
11. New Devil Moon (5:06)

Personnel:
Jens Christian Kwella (guitar)
Søren Bech (B3-org)
John Nehen-Hansen (drums)

CREATURES is the newest album from Organic Picnic, a well renowned Danish jazz organ trio.

Creatures

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Magos & Limon - He For She

Size: 139,6 MB
Time: 59:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/World Vocals
Art: Front

01. Reencuentro (Live) (4:07)
02. La Martiniana (Live) (5:40)
03. Essa Mulher (Live) (4:44)
04. Deja La Vida Volar (Live) (4:50)
05. Soy Pan, Soy Paz, Soy Mas (Live) (4:39)
06. Rabo De Nube (Live) (3:57)
07. Brigas Nunca Mais (Live) (4:16)
08. Vengo A Ofrecer Mi Corazon (Live) (4:06)
09. Al Lado Del Camino (Live) (5:58)
10. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (Live) (3:33)
11. De Que Callada Manera (Live) (3:14)
12. Calabrian Nights (Live) (5:35)
13. Among The Waters (Live) (5:05)

Personnel:
Magos Herrera: vocals
Javier Limón: guitar
Eugenia León:vocals
Fito Paez: vocals
Chabuco: vocals
Sachal Vasandani:vocals
Gregoire Maret-harmonica
Oran Etkin: clarinet & sax
Rogerio Boccato:Percussions

With a soulfull repertoir of latinamerican classics and originals, Magos & Limón join forces to record a second album together inviting international top artists like Fito Paez, Eugenia León, Gregoire Maret, Chabuco, Oran Etkins, Sachal Vasandani and Rogerio Boccato, to support the “He for She” UN campaign, a musical conversation around gender equality.

The acoustic duo of Mexican jazz vocalist Magos Herrera and Spanish Flamenco guitarist Javier Limón made their debut in 2014 with the album Dawn, a richly nuanced collection of American and Latin jazz standards. Prior to their collaboration, Herrera was based out of Mexico City where she was widely known as one of the country's premier jazz vocalists. After relocating to New York, she met up with the Madrid-based Limón, a multiple Grammy-winning guitarist, producer, and composer who has worked with artists like Caetano Veloso, Wynton Marsalis, and Paco de Lucia. ~Timothy Monger

He For She   

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Della Reese - Be My Love

Size: 111,1 MB
Time: 47:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals, R&B
Art: Front

01. Be My Love (2:10)
02. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (3:03)
03. Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home (2:23)
04. Put On A Happy Face/I Want To Be Happy (2:09)
05. But Not For Me (2:23)
06. I Could Have Danced All Night (1:41)
07. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (3:18)
08. The Best Thing For You (1:56)
09. Don't You Know (2:07)
10. Keep Smiling At Trouble (2:35)
11. What Is There To Say (2:24)
12. You Came A Long Way From St. Louis (2:07)
13. If Ever I Should Leave You (2:40)
14. Nobody's Sweetheart (2:25)
15. The Lamp Is Low/After The Lights Go Down Low/Fly Me To The Moon (4:57)
16. See What The Boys In The Back Room Will Have (1:52)
17. Anything Goes (1:59)
18. My Man (2:47)
19. Don't Cry Joe (2:18)

Renowned as both a television star and a top-flight interpreter of jazz, blues, R&B, gospel, and straight-ahead pop music, Della Reese's many talents have ensured a long, varied, and legendary show biz career. In addition to being nominated for both an Emmy and a Grammy and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Reese is also an ordained minister in the Universal Foundation for Better Living, an association of churches she helped found in the early '80s.

Born Deloreese Patricia Early on July 6, 1931, the young Reese began singing in the Baptist church choir in her hometown of Detroit at age six. In 1945, having developed quite rapidly, she caught the ear of legendary gospel queen Mahalia Jackson, who invited Reese to join her touring choir; Reese did so for the next five summers. Upon entering Wayne State University to study psychology, Reese formed a women's gospel group, the Meditation Singers, but her college career was cut short by the death of her mother and her father's serious illness. Reese worked odd jobs to help support the rest of her family; she also continued to perform with the Meditation Singers and various other gospel groups. Encouraged by her pastor, Reese began singing in night clubs in hopes of getting a singing career off the ground; recently married to a factory worker named Vermont Adolphus Bon Taliaferro, her name was too long to fit on marquees, and she eventually arrived at her performing alias by splitting up her first name. After impressing a New York agent, who promptly signed her, Reese moved to New York and joined the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra in 1953. A year later, she had a recording contract with Jubilee, for whom she scored hits like "And That Reminds Me," a 1957 million-seller.

Switching to RCA Victor, Reese landed her biggest hit in 1959 with "Don't You Know?," a song adapted from Puccini's La Bohème; this cemented her career, leading not only to plentiful appearances on variety shows, but successful nightclub tours of the country and eventually nine years of performances in Las Vegas, as well as recording contracts with a variety of labels over the next few decades.

Building on her previous variety show experience, Reese made a small bit of television history in 1969 when she became the first woman to guest-host The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Later that year, she became the first black woman to host her own variety show, the syndicated Della, which ran until 1970. Following its cancellation, Reese returned to her night club tours, often putting in guest appearances on television shows like The Mod Squad, Sanford and Son, and Chico and the Man; after three prior failed marriages, Reese also found a lasting relationship with producer Franklin Lett, whom she married in 1978.

On October 3, 1980, while taping a song for The Tonight Show, Reese suffered a brain aneurysm which nearly proved fatal; however, thanks to a successful operation, she was able to make a full recovery. She kept up her singing career and appeared on television shows like Designing Women, L.A. Law, and Picket Fences, as well as the Eddie Murphy films Harlem Nights and The Distinguished Gentleman. Most recently, Reese starred in the Redd Foxx sitcom The Royal Family from 1991-1992, and in the inspirational drama series Touched by an Angel. ~by Steve Huey

Be My Love

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Tomas Bostrom - Mitt Gomda Jag

Size: 115,3 MB
Time: 49:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: Folk/Pop
Art: Front

01. I Mitt Gomda Jag (In My Secret Life) (5:25)
02. Alla Manskor Vet (Everybody Knows) (4:22)
03. Dar Ljuset Sipprar In (Anthem) (4:21)
04. Susanna (Suzanne) (4:47)
05. Bernadettes Sang (Song Of Bernadette) (2:57)
06. Komma Hem Igen (Coming Back To You) (2:59)
07. Med Stort Hjarta (Sisters Of Mercy) (4:02)
08. Vem Av Eldar (Who By Fire) (3:32)
09. Mot Karleken Finns Inte Nagon Bot (Ain't No Cure For Love) (5:09)
10. Halleluja (Hallelujah) (4:55)
11. Fagel I Bur (Bird On A Wire) (3:16)
12. Har (Here It Is) (3:36)

Musicians: Tomas Boström, Johan Linström, Bebe Risenfors, Micke Lyander

Guest singers: Anna Stadling, Tomas Andersson Wij, Toni Holgersson, Stephan Forkelid

All songs from Leonard Cohen.

Tomas Bostrom, registered Karl Thomas Gunnar Boström, born 28 January 1953 in Halling's southern parish registration district, Kalmar County, is a Swedish song writer, musician and priest in Care clock church, Visby.

Mitt Gomda Jag

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Jesse Van Ruller - Circles

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:19
Size: 134,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:20)  1. One
(8:52)  2. Circles
(6:43)  3. Here Comes the Sun
(7:05)  4. Black Dahlia
(6:25)  5. 33 Waltz
(7:18)  6. Zoab
(7:07)  7. Gone With The Wind
(8:25)  8. Secret Champ

Award-winning Dutch guitarist Jesse Van Ruller changes gears on his second Criss Cross outing, fronting a stellar quartet with Seamus Blake on tenor sax, Sam Yahel on organ, and Bill Stewart on drums. His previous album focused mainly on standards and classic jazz vehicles. In contrast, "Circles" showcases the leader's compositional talents first and foremost. In addition to six varied Van Ruller originals and one by tenorman Seamus Blake, the group offers a ballad reading of "Gone with the Wind" and a brisk, odd-metered rendition of the Irving Berlin classic "Cheek to Cheek." With his crisp tone, fluid phrasing, and vibrant imagination, Van Ruller continues to stake his claim as one of the globe's most promising straightahead jazz stylists. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Circles-Jesse-Van-Ruller/dp/B00008V5UY

Personnel: Jesse Van Ruller (guitar); Seamus Blake (tenor saxophone); Sam Yahel (organ); Bill Stewart (drums).

Circles

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Ilona Knopfler - Some Kind Of Wonderful

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:35
Size: 142,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:45)  1. Some Kind Of Wonderful
(3:18)  2. It's The Time Of The Season
(6:38)  3. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
(3:57)  4. One
(3:11)  5. Something
(4:44)  6. Moondance
(6:41)  7. Alfie
(4:47)  8. Unchain My Heart
(3:56)  9. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
(3:15) 10. He's Not There
(4:20) 11. River Man
(3:21) 12. Never My Love
(4:36) 13. Can't You See

The global influence of classic American pop songs is very apparent on Some Kind of Wonderful, Ilona Knopfler's impressive and multifaceted debut, which finds the Parisian-born singer (who spent some of her formative years in Hong Kong) tackling '60s and '70s favorites in a variety of styles. She shows her aggressive, bluesy Bonnie Raitt-flavored wares on the brass-funk driven twist through Grand Funk's "Some Kind of Wonderful" (featuring a feisty electric guitar solo by Pat Kelley), then goes jazz-trio cool on the Zombies' "It's the Time of the Season," revealing a different dimension of the tune (with the help of Eugene Maslov's piano). This kind of balance between pop/rock and different jazz forms carries throughout, and it's clear that Knopfler is most comfortable on the mid-tempo ballads, delivered with panache with jazz inflections. Although the grooves are organic and provide the most fun, Knopfler's deeper vocal artistry comes alive on gentle acoustic interpretations of "Alfie" and "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do." ~ Jonathan Widran  http://www.allmusic.com/album/some-kind-of-wonderful-mw0000037626

Personnel: Ilona Knopfler (vocals); Bill Armstrong (trumpet); Eugene Maslov (piano); Pat Kelley (guitar); Dave Carpenter (bass); Skeeto Valdez (drums); Lenny Castro (percussion).

Some Kind Of Wonderful

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New York Jazz Quartet - Blues For Sarka

Styles: Post-Bop, Hard Bop
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:13
Size: 103,8 MB
Art: Front

(15:29)  1. All Blues
( 5:44)  2. Rodney Round Robin
( 7:14)  3. I'll Tell You Tonite
( 7:11)  4. Blues For Sarka
( 9:33)  5. Smelly Jelly Belly

The New York Jazz Quartet, an excellent though overlooked band which was active in the 1970s and 1980s, is heard live at Jazzclub Domicile in Munich on this Inner City album. Pianist Roland Hanna, the founder of the group, is accompanied by tenor saxophonist Frank Wess, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Grady Tate, who had just replaced Richard Pratt. Aside from an extended workout of Miles Davis' "All Blues," which centers on Wess' soulful tenor sax, the remainder of this performance consists of originals each by Hanna or Mraz. The pianist's exciting "Rodney Round Robin," which he had debuted only two years earlier while recording a studio date under Red Rodney's leadership, contrasts strikingly with his dark, funky "Smelly Jelly Belly." The bassist's contributions are also laudable. The feverish "I'll Tell You Tonight" is like a roller coaster with plenty of hairpin turns, while his "Blues for Sarka" isn't actually a blues at all but a heartfelt ballad. Issued by both Inner City and Enja, this now out of print disc is easily one of the best releases by The New York Jazz Quartet. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/blues-for-sarka-mw0000600525

New York Jazz Quartet: Frank Wess (tenor saxophone, flute); Roland Hanna (piano); George Mraz (bass); Grady Tate (drums).

Blues For Sarka

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Frank D'Rone - Double Exposure

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:39
Size: 109,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:11)  1. When the Sun Comes Out
(4:40)  2. Make Someone Happy
(4:17)  3. Pure Imagination
(4:04)  4. Just Imagine
(4:08)  5. Pick Yourself Up
(4:19)  6. The Very Thought of You
(4:12)  7. The One I Love
(3:51)  8. Dancing on the Ceiling
(4:55)  9. Speak Low
(3:59) 10. Oh, You Crazy Moon
(4:58) 11. Lover Come Back to Me

Chicago singer Frank D'Rone recorded four LPs for Mercury during the late '50s and early '60s, one of them (After the Ball) with name arranger Billy May. A swinging vocalist having much in common with Bobby Darin, D'Rone was originally a band guitarist before making his debut on Mercury in 1957 with a trio of short sessions. His first LP, Frank D'Rone Sings, was followed in 1959 by Blue Velvet. D'Rone made a trip to Los Angeles in order to record with Billy May for 1960's After the Ball, but his time with Mercury ended in 1962 after In Person. D'Rone has continued to perform and record into the 21st century, with his latest CD, Double Exposure, slated for release in January 2012. The album includes big-band arrangements featuring Phil Kelly & the Northwest Prevailing Winds. https://itunes.apple.com/br/artist/frank-drone/id2557816#fullText

Double Exposure

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Dave Shepherd - Good Enough To Keep

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:58
Size: 162,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Poor Butterdly
(2:40)  2. Breakdast Feud
(3:45)  3. More Than You Know
(4:09)  4. Limehouse Blues
(3:53)  5. Tiger Rag
(3:26)  6. Sheik Of Araby
(4:51)  7. Body And Soul
(2:37)  8. Wholly Cats
(3:42)  9. Exactly Like You
(4:08) 10. Good Enough to Keep
(2:50) 11. At the Jazz Band Ball
(4:15) 12. Do You Know What It Means To..
(4:05) 13. That’s A-Plenty
(4:27) 14. Lonesome Road
(2:17) 15. Shepherd’s Market
(3:42) 16. Tin Rood Blues
(3:56) 17. Blues For A Black Girl
(3:00) 18. Original Dixieland One Step
(4:53) 19. Basin Street Blues

David Joseph "Dave" Shepherd (born 7 February 1929) is an English jazz clarinetist born in London. Shepherd began on piano before switching to clarinet at age 16. He studied under a clarinetist from the Hamburg State Opera Orchestra while stationed in Hamburg after World War II. Upon his return to England he played with Reg Rigden (1950), Joe Daniels (1951–53), and Freddy Randall (1954–55). He played with Billie Holiday and Gerry Mulligan on their tours of Britain. He played in New York City in 1956 with Ted Kotick, then returned to England to play with Jazz Today Unit (1956–57) and with the Jazz at the Philharmonic (1957). He also played with Mary Lou Williams several times in the 1950s. In the 1960s and '70s he played with Randall again and with Teddy Wilson, as well as at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1973 and in South Africa in 1975. He played in the Pizza Express All Star Jazz Band from 1980 to 1999. He led several of his own bands, and has done extensive work producing music for film and television. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Shepherd

Good Enough To Keep

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Tianna Hall & The Mexico City Jazz Trio - Two For The Road

Size: 126,3 MB
Time: 54:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Til There Was You (2:39)
02. What Is This Thing Called Love (3:21)
03. When October Goes (4:37)
04. They Can't Take That Away From Me (3:09)
05. Creep (3:24)
06. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (3:01)
07. Black Hole Sun (4:25)
08. I've Never Been In Love Before (3:06)
09. Good Morning Heartache (4:51)
10. I'm Not In Love (4:50)
11. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself A Letter (2:34)
12. So In Love (5:57)
13. Moon River (3:36)
14. Two For The Road (4:29)

Tianna Hall's fifth recording, Two For The Road, and her first since Never Let Me Go (Blue Bamboo, 2011), continues to document the singer's evolution within the mainstream of jazz vocals. Thoroughly trained in the vocal arts at the University of Houston, Hall has progressively refined her smart and sexy delivery with each recording. Hall has achieved a vocal facility that is the equivalent of Lauren Bacall telling Humphrey Bogart how to whistle in the 1944 film To Have and Have Not: "You just put your lips together...and blow."

The combination of Hall with The Mexico City Jazz Trio, which also joined her on her 2007, self-produced Lost in the Stars, makes for a potent and swinging synergy that breathes new life into the standard repertoire. Hall shows she is the complete package on the opening "Til There Was You," where she sings with effortless and conversational confidence. The trio is sharp and precise, accenting Hall's vocal twists and turns. She turns her playful and smart sexiness on in her duet with saxophonist/vocalist David Caceres on Duke Ellington's "They Can't Take That Away from Me." Frank Loesser's "Baby, It's Cold Outside" deserves these two as singers. "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" and the title tune prove Hall's Swing ability at brisk and slow tempi.

Ever the surprise, Hall introduces three (relatively) recent compositions to her recorded repertoire. She makes Soundgarden's staple, "Black Hole Sun," sway as if scored by Antonio Carlos Jobim. Radiohead's "Creep" receives a stripped-down, emotive reading, with Hall singing sardonically in tandem with bassist Agustin Bernal's determined momentum. Hall fashions the piece in the mainstream jazz idiom effectively, demonstrating that even newer and more demanding compositions can provide the fuel for interpretation and improvisation.

Eric Stewart and 10cc's 1970s ballad, "I'm Not In Love," fits perfectly between "Good Morning Heartache" and "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter," while cleverly interpolating Miles Davis' "So What." The art of jazz vocals has a good keeper in Tianna Hall. C. Michael Bailey

Personnel: Tianna Hall: vocals; Miguel Villicana: piano; Agustin Bernal: bass; Gabriel Puentes: drums; David Caceres: vocals and saxophone (4); Mike Wheeler: guitar (4, 14); Lisa Vosdoganes: cello.

Two For The Road

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Gianni Chiarello & The Same Beat - Gianni Chiarello & The Same Beat

Size: 110,3 MB
Time: 47:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Funky Jazz
Art: Front

01. Breaking Point (6:36)
02. My Last Bit Of Soul (5:15)
03. Jigsaw (Feat. Mary Santo) (4:25)
04. Gotcha Back (5:46)
05. To L.A. And Back (5:11)
06. Where I Want To Be (5:45)
07. Charlie And Tambo (5:22)
08. New Old Stock (5:10)
09. Leap Of Faith (3:47)

Personnel:
Gianni Chiarello - guitars
Ray Drury - keys, hammond organ
Stuart Ross - bass, percussion
Richard Preston/drums, percussion
Paul Jordanous - trumpet
Matt McNaughton - saxophone
Ben Greenslade-Stanton - trombone
Mary Santo - vocals

Gianni Chiarello is joined in this album of original jazz-funk tunes by Ray Drury (keys), Stuart Ross (bass) and Richard Preston (drums), collectively known as 'The Same Beat'. Old school grooves and tones, with harmony borrowed from the modern jazz world.

Funk guitar lines, Hammond solos, horn section stabs, foot tapping grooves and richer chords: from a tribute to all those 60's and 70's groove based bands like Stuff and The Crusaders, all the way to more recent nu-funk tunes, featuring vocals.

Gianni has gained a reputation for being a very versatile musician, having professional credits as a guitarist, bassist, arranger and producer in many diverse genres. Originally from Italy, he moved to Boston, MA graduating from Berklee College of Music. Active across different areas of music, he has been performing in many countries alongside celebrities like The Platters, The Coasters, Bobby Arvon, The Diamonds, many Vegas and Broadway entertainers and after relocating to England with some of the UK's household names (Robbie McIntosh, Jeremy Stacey, Jason Rebello, Iain Ballamy).

Ray, Stuart, Rich are much in demand UK sessions musicians and have collectively played with James Taylor Quartet, John Illsley, Valentine Brothers, Leroy Hutson, Tricky, The Snitch, The Producers and many others.

Gianni Chiarello & The Same Beat

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Helena Josefsson & Kontur - Happiness

Size: 114,2 MB
Time: 49:12
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. You Don't Dave To Say You Love Me (3:26)
02. Det Vi Saknar Nu (I Varlden) (With Tingsek) (3:45)
03. Happiness (3:13)
04. Sunday Morning (4:13)
05. Ordinary World (6:02)
06. Sunny Afternoon (4:15)
07. Time After Time (4:13)
08. Close To Me (4:02)
09. Ride (6:56)
10. Little Sparrow (5:20)
11. Det Vi Saknar Nu (I Varlden) Epilog (3:41)

Soft and gentle, with a girlish expression on the outside, but with a flaming fire and a surprisingly firm heart on the inside, she began her journey through adult life. She wore her compositions and experiences from nature as a warm coat to protect and soothe her. From the difficulties that surrounded her. And the stage or the forest were the safest places to be. There she could be who she wanted to be. No one could tell her what was right or wrong there. She learned how to perform on a stage, she practiced song writing. Using two cassette players, she could harmonize and record loads of vocals on top of each other.

As the years passed, so did her first bands. In high school she tried metal inspired music and 90s indie bands. Guided by bands like The Cranberries and Skunk Anansie, The Cardigans, Blur, Lenny Kravitz and K´s Choice. One year was spent at a school of jazz where she got many artistcal friends. She skipped the second year of the education, to write her own music, more in the world of pop. Working to make a living in factories, homes for elderly, stores, telemarketing, or dressed up as a dinosaur giving out food samples.

But before that, Helena was born in Kalmar, Sweden in 1978. Then moved to Malmö where her parents let her try dancing and singing in a choir. She loved it. Taking piano lessons wasn´t as much fun- Helena liked making her own little songs better. Her parents divorced, and Helena moved to an apartment where they had cable TV- and MTV. This is where she discovered Michael Jackson, early Madonna and “Gimme Gimme Gimme”. She saw “Close to me” (The Cure) and fell in love for the first time- the singer, Robert Smith was so beautiful with his tangled hair and red lipstick. And his looks has surely some impact on Helena´s style today. Other main influences during Helena´s childhood was Marie Fredriksson and Cyndi Lauper.

As a ten year-old, Helena moved with her mother, her boyfriend and her two oldest sisters to the countryside, to a farm near a village called Björnstorp. On the school bus the kids would play music to each other on cassettes. A boy named Johan Duncanson played Roxette album “Joyride”. And it sounded really special. Later, Helena and Johan had a band together. He lived just over the field. They would borrow a portable studio from a guy living nearby. The percussion was empty rolls of toilet paper filled with unboiled rice. His father would come and give them ice cream with toffee sauce now and then. When Helena was going to record her vocals, the other kids had to leave the room. This behaviour continued long after, she needed to turn the lights out while recording so no one could see her, or during a video shoot, she took her contact lenses out, so she wouldn´t notice people were watching. With mr Duncanson she started a band called “Plastic Soul”. They recorded a full length album that was never released but it contained some beautiful songs.

The funny part of the story is that that boy turned into a successful member of “Radio Dept”, touring the world. And Helena, on her behalf, was discovered by mr Per Gessle of Roxette! (Roxettte is one of the most successful groups of Sweden, still)

Now all that is history. Helena has released three albums with her band Sandy Mouche and two solo albums. Her first jazz album is being released this year. She didn´t have to work as a dinosaur any more, since her voice was discovered by many artists. She toured Sweden and Europe with Per Gessle of Roxette, which culminated in a world tour with Roxette in 2011. She has featured singles by Swedish-Iranian artist Arash, where Helena´s voice has been heard by more than 50 million people on Youtube.

Now, as a proud mother of two, she keeps discovering her own musical world and what her voice can express. These days she´s not afraid. She´s just grateful to be here now.

Happiness

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Nicole Glover - First Record

Size: 108,1 MB
Time: 46:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Water Ritual (6:56)
02. Waning And Waxing (7:12)
03. Marshmallow (6:08)
04. Snow Dance (4:07)
05. String Quartet In F (7:23)
06. Blood Moon (4:53)
07. Conscience Of The King (6:38)
08. Tennessee Waltz (3:18)

If for some reason Portland-native Nicole Glover's First Record ended up being her only one, she would still have made a lasting impact on the jazz world. The 24-year-old saxophonist's debut is an ambitious one that lays a lot on the table and seeks not only to establish her as a capable player, but a voice in the crowded world of jazz tenor. Aided by fellow Portlanders, both in her peer group (Jonathan Lakey on bass) and a few generations above her (George Colligan on piano and Alan Jones on drums), Glover's quartet record is a sonically and emotionally powerful one. It leaves aside niceties and dues- paying formalities and comes out swinging, shouting and dancing.

A significant aspect of First Record is a sense of contrast. Glover's originals seize on dichotomies and ranges of ideas in both intensity and function, sometimes over long periods of time and sometimes almost instantly. The first track, "Water Ritual," lilts out a pretty melody in 5/4 that gradually becomes edgier as Colligan's harmony becomes denser and more dissonant, almost as if the optimism of the melody is being called into question. Glover's solo takes a similar arc, shoving its way out of the groove and into an intense stratosphere of searing high notes and full-range atonality. She improvises as such on "Conscience of the King," arcing her solo up from the low, rhythmic vibe of the post-bop head into twisty combinations of runs, tremolos and single-note stabs. Glover's ideas, while organized and rhythmically pocketed, don't often follow the usual path of linear, swung, tension-to-resolution bop soloing. They sort of creep in unexpectedly, dart in unusual ways and explode by the time they're done. It's a textural approach, not just in terms of sound, but also the impression that it leaves after its finished.

The record's diverse trio of covers also celebrates contrast. Glover and Colligan rip their way through "Marshmallow" (an enormously complex Warne Marsh contrafact on "Cherokee" that pushes the limits of harmony and rhythm over familiar changes), wherein Glover wisely doesn't try to outdo the head and just deftly and learnedly plays the Cherokee harmony. She transforms a section of Maurice Ravel's "String Quartet in F" into a sprawling, bombastic jammer, taking on the decades old jazz tradition of taking the powerful melodies and impressionistic harmonies of Western classical music and turning the intensity up. Not all of the covers are war horses, though; her gentle take on Stewart and King's "Tennessee Waltz" is just as poignant and palatable as Patti Paige's version, lingering on gospel roots of the melody and letting Colligan expand into a loose-time expansion that sounds straight out of a church service.

As Glover's teacher and mentor in real life, Colligan's role on the record is no different. He lends his incredible and deft talent at the keys, but doesn't overshadow her. His solo on "Waning and Waxing" fits neatly into record's theme of neatness and beauty meeting unrestrained adventure, slowly evolving into wild, flowing runs with his right hand while the left hammers out polyrhythmic quarter notes. He's fully capable of allowing Glover to keep the spotlight on tunes like "Blood Moon," where he follows Glover's sinewy solo with one composed mostly of chords. Colligan even puts aside his keyboard chops for a pocket trumpet on "Snow Dance," which recalls the jolly melodies and abstract soundscapes of "New York is Now!"/"At Golden Circle"-era Ornette Coleman.

The quality that excites and promises the most from Glover is her simultaneous rejection of tenor saxophone clichés while still celebrating the instrument in its fullest. She mostly avoids the linear and harmonic pitfalls of obviousness that many young tenors mire in, and yet, nothing she plays would make sense on any other instrument. It does, of course, draw crucial bits and pieces from recognizable sources, from Wayne Shorter's mystery to John Coltrane's prayer-like intensity, reaching out to the reedy, understated rhythms of Marsh and Lee Konitz to the elusive and flammable zig-zags of players like Joe Henderson and Tony Malaby. Largely, though, Glover is making quick approaches to sole propriety of her own sound, which, especially for her age, is as important as it is rare. ~Daniel Lehner

Personnel: Nicole Glover: tenor saxophone; George Colligan: piano, pocket trumpet; Jonathan Lakey: bass; Alan Jones: drums.

First Record

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Claudia Franco - Soul Dance

Size: 110,0 MB
Time: 47:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Night And Day (4:39)
02. The Man I Love (4:42)
03. Day In Day Out (3:16)
04. The Boy Next Door (4:47)
05. Dharma (4:45)
06. You're Driving Me Crazy (2:54)
07. The Trolley Song (4:01)
08. Supposed To Be (4:07)
09. How Long Has This Been Going On (3:57)
10. Come Sunday (5:04)
11. E Preciso Dizer Adeus (4:51)

Every day, someone, somewhere, is turned on to jazz. Be it through records, radio, or a riveting live performance. And many make the decision to perform this vibrant art form, in whatever way they feel is appropriate. The amount of jazz that is coming in from around the globe might arguably be at an all-time high. Portugal appears to be no exception to this phenomenon, as vocalist Claudia Franco proves with her release of Soul Dance . She is a vocal teacher in Lisbon, who has extended her talents into the jazz realm, complemented by an effective and accomplished group of musicians, Franco offers a set of standards, some surprises, and penned a couple of originals.

It is a rite of passage for any jazz singer to work their way through the Cole Porter and Gershwin catalogs, and Franco does a commendable job on "Night and Day," "The Man I Love," and "How Long Has This Been Going On." Add to this list Duke Ellington's "Come Sunday," where she obviously has done her homework, with her phrasing and seductive nuances being spot on. It's arduous to do these tunes as they have become larger than life, but she wades in with no trepidation, and makes it out the other side.

"Dharma," and "Supposed To Be," are her own compositions, and they suggest an artist on a mission, searching for her inspiration. Hopefully there will be more of this in future productions, as these songs work for her. "You're Driving Me Crazy," a nice upbeat number, allows her to stretch out and venture into some scatting. Her tasteful approach on the classic show tune "The Boy Next Door," displays her dedication to authenticate the lyrics, though English is not her primary language. She goes back to her native Portuguese in Jobim's "E Preciso Dizer Adeus," a melancholy ballad where she is both comfortable and credible portraying the languid sadness.

As most singers do, Franco leans heavily on her pianist. Rui Caetano, accompanist extraordinaire, who also performs double duty as producer, is the magical force behind this project, and his aptitude in jazz piano is apparent. The rhythm section likewise perform with a solid sense of professionalism, as does the augmented horn section on selected tracks.

This record, as many being produced internationally, is a vital sign that jazz not only continues to develop, but represents its own life force to those who seek to be associated with its positive stimulation. Now on her chosen path, Claudia Franco is to be commended on her passion and perseverance of becoming a jazz singer, and with Soul Dance , she is on her way. ~by James Nadal

Personnel: Claudia Franco: vocals; Rui Caetano: piano; Joao Custódio: bass; Pedro Felgar: drums; Bruno Santos: guitar; Ricardo Toscano: alto sax; Tomas Pimentel: trumpet; Ruben Luz: trombone; Eduardo Lala: trombone; Cesar Cardoso: tenor sax; Joao Alves: doublebass (3).

Soul Dance

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Jim Stubblefield - Encantado

Size: 129,4 MB
Time: 55:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Fusion, World, Pop
Art: Front

01. Beyond The Horizon (3:55)
02. Puesta Del Sol (For Jdz) (4:57)
03. Across The Burning Sands (4:32)
04. Cielo Azul (6:06)
05. Highland Dreams (For Fiona) (4:48)
06. Odyssey Of Fire (6:09)
07. Shadow & Light (5:19)
08. Corazon De Fuego (5:19)
09. Phrygian Suite, Op. 1 (8:54)
10. Terra E Sole (5:24)

Guitarist and composer Jim Stubblefield ventures into a varied world of sonic adventure with Encantado. Fluid guitar solos, soaring non-lyric vocals, majestic strings and infectious percussion abound on this recording. From the expansive Beyond the Horizon (featuring the stellar voice of Moksha Sommer) to the blistering Odyssey of Fire to the meditative Terra e Sole, Jim takes the listener on a global journey. The album was co-produced and mixed by award winning Danish producer Bo Astrup and mastered by the great Bernie Becker. Jim is joined by Randy Tico (Strunz & Farah; Airto) on bass, Ramon Yslas (Strunz & Farah; David Sanborn;Christina Aguilera) on percussion, Moksha Sommer (of HuDost) on vocals, Novi Novog (David Arkenstone; Prince; Frank Zappa) on viola, Eric Hansen on guitar and Mark Barnwell on guitar.

Encantado

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