Ryan Kisor - Awakening

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:49
Size: 121,2 MB
Art: Front

(12:56)  1. Awakening, Pts. 1-2
( 7:58)  2. Sioux City
( 4:53)  3. UFO
( 6:28)  4. Harlem Moon
( 5:13)  5. Effing Blues
( 7:10)  6. What Can I Say?
( 8:08)  7. Free As a Bird

On his first album of all original material, trumpeter Ryan Kisor delivers an atmospheric mix of organ-based post-bop. Calling to mind the work of such late-'60s luminaries as Pat Martino, Freddie Hubbard, and Wayne Shorter, Awakening coalesces various harmonic and rhythmic themes Kisor has explored on his previous efforts. That said, there is something deeper and more crystallized about his work here, especially on the two-part opening title track, an eerie, spacy, and fractured bossa nova piece. Throughout the album, Kisor displays a knack for unpredictable, intellectual improvisation. He draws you in with warm storytelling phrases and pretty birdcall-like tones. Urging him on are the expansive organ sounds of Sam Yahel and sensitively funky guitar work of Peter Bernstein. Together they bring a mix of angular minimalism and gooey nonlinear swing to Kisor's understatedly hip compositions. Similarly, tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart and drummer Willie Jones III add their distinctive styles to an ensemble that seems to thrive on subtle group interplay. While Kisor does not push the boundaries of jazz style and form to their edges, he has found a fresh way to imprint his persona on the tradition with an album that ranks as his best so far. ~ Matt Collar  http://www.allmusic.com/album/awakening-mw0000324295

Personnel: Ryan Kisor (trumpet); Grant Stewart (tenor saxophone); Sam Yahel (Hammond B-3 organ); Peter Bernstein (guitar); Willie Jones III (drums).

Awakening

---

Hilary Kole - You Are There

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:40
Size: 139,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:56)  1. If I Had You (with Hank Jones)
(5:03) 2. Every Time We Say Goodbye (with Cedar Walton)
(4:53)  3. It's Always You (with Freddy Cole)
(6:58)  4. Lush Life (with Kenny Barron)
(4:11)  5. These Foolish Things (with Dave Brubeck)
(4:15)  6. I Remember (with Mike Renzi)
(4:32)  7. How Do You Keep the Music Playing (with Michel Legrand)
(4:37)  8. But Beautiful (with Hank Jones)
(4:12)  9. Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise (with Benny Green)
(4:18) 10. Strange Meadowlark (with Dave Brubeck)
(4:16) 11. You Are There (with Alan Broadbent)
(4:24) 12. Two for the Road (with Steve Kuhn)
(5:01) 13. All the Way (with Monty Alexander)

Vocalist Hilary Kole is more than a mere interpreter of songs. Like the great singers who came before her, Kole is a master storyteller who merges cabaret sensibilities, jazz vocal craft and a slight hint of folk charm into one appealing package. She possesses a voice that could fit naturally on a Broadway stage or in a swanky jazz club, and she puts it to good use on this all-standards affair. Kole sticks to the softer side of the jazz canon, interpreting thirteen ballad gems with eleven different pianists of note. Had she only been able to get one of these master craftsmen like Hank Jones or Dave Brubeck the project would likely have drawn interest from the jazz listening public, but with a roster of ivory ticklers that's as deep as the ocean, she ups the interest quotient considerably.

Each pianist merges with Kole in a different, wondrous way, bringing a little bit of themselves into the songs. Hank Jones largely takes a back seat to Kole, befitting a pianist who spent many a year supporting singers, but his playing on "But Beautiful" is all class and charm. Kole brings an overwrought sense of drama to Michel Legrand's "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?," as the composer also magnifies the intense emotional outpouring on piano. Mike Renzi provides rippling tides of sound on "I Remember," and Kole's vocals are as lovely as a clear blue sky.

While the aforementioned differences from track to track might not pop up on everybody's radar, there are other things to help make certain songs stick out. Freddy Cole adds his vocals to the mix on "It's Always You," while Benny Green brings more of himself into his performance, perhaps, than anyone else, with some bluesy licks and a bit of honky tonk machismo taking "Softly, As A Morning Sunrise" to a different place. Kenny Barron's superb playing ups the ante on "Lush Life," and Kole proves up to the challenge, delivering a jewel of a performance. 

When Barron solos, he takes the music in a different direction, with his staccato left hand playing against his running right. Other highlights include Alan Broadbent's masterful shaping of the title track, and Kole's two meetings with Brubeck. If people are truly measured by the company they keep, then Kole deserves all the accolades in the world for You Are There; fortunately, she does just as well when measured on her own merits throughout this captivating set. ~ Dan Bilawsky  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/you-are-there-hilary-kole-justin-time-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Hilary Kole: vocals; Hank Jones: piano (1, 8); Cedar Walton: piano (2); Kenny Barron: piano (4); Dave Brubeck: piano (5, 10); Alan Broadbent: piano (11); Freddy Cole: vocals and piano (3); Benny Green: piano (9); Steve Kuhn: piano (12); Michel Legrand: piano (7); Mike Renzi: piano (6); Monty Alexander: piano (13).

You Are There

---

Lee Lessack - In Good Company

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:21
Size: 170,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:35)  1. Lee Lessack With Nita Whitaker - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
(3:50)  2. Lee Lessack With Susan Egan - The Look Of Love
(3:09)  3. Lee Lessack With Jon Philip Alman - Sweet Mystery
(4:39)  4. Lee Lessack With  Mary Jo Mundy - Never Saw Blue Like That
(4:56)  5. Lee Lessack With  Brian Lane Green - Opens Arms
(6:15)  6. Lee Lessack With Ann Hampton Callaway - Bring Back Romance
(3:50)  7. Lee Lessack With Johnny Rodgers - Here's To You
(5:13)  8. Lee Lessack With Joanne O'Brien - Summer Wine
(4:54)  9. Lee Lessack With Franc D'Ambrosio - Vincero Perdero
(4:54) 10. Lee Lessack With Maureen McGovern - If You Go Away
(4:05) 11. Lee Lessack With Stephen Schwartz - For Good
(3:15) 12. Lee Lessack With Susan Werner - Blue Guitar
(3:58) 13. Lee Lessack With David Burnham - Let It Be Me
(3:31) 14. Lee Lessack With Amanda McBroom - The Rose
(4:42) 15. Lee Lessack With Ken Page - Vincent
(3:54) 16. Lee Lessack With Stacy Sullivan - Stay the Night
(4:34) 17. Lee Lessack With Michael Feinstein - May I Suggest

No one is working harder than Lee Lessack to keep the increasingly fragile art of cabaret singing on life support. To date, he has released more than 100 discs by some 70 artists (including himself) on his L.A.-based LML label. But never before has Lessack launched so overt an assault as with this 17-track collection that pairs him with a brigade of the genre's top singers and players. The results are uniformly lovely, especially when Lessack joins forces with Susan Egan on "The Look of Love," Maureen McGovern on "If You Go Away," David Burnham on a slow-roasted "Let It Be Me" and composer Stephen Schwartz on the magical "For Good" from his score for Broadway's Tony-winning Wicked.

Trouble is, despite the accuracy of its title, In Good Company lacks cabaret's most essential spice-variety. The all-ballad assortment is like a damask table runner: beautiful and tasteful, but ultimately just passively decorative. The one notable-indeed, soaring-exception is his teaming with keyboardist Johnny Rodgers (who coproduced the album with Lessack and whose band backs each track) on the Rodgers-penned "Here's to You" that pays superlative homage to Simon and Garfunkel. ~ Christopher Loudon  http://jazztimes.com/articles/16099-in-good-company-lee-lessack

Personnel: Lee Lessack (vocals); David Burnham , Franc d'Ambrosio, Joanne O'Brien, Ken Page, Michael Feinstein, Amanda McBroom, Nita Whitaker, Ann Hampton Callaway, Stacy Sullivan, Stephen Schwartz, Susan Egan, Susan Werner, Maureen McGovern, Jon Philip Alman, Mary Jo Mundy, Johnny Rodgers, Brian Lane Green (vocals); Joe Ravo (guitar); Una Tone (violin); Wolfram Koessel (cello); John F. Rodgers (piano, organ); Danny Colfax Mallon (drums); Tom Harrell (trumpet, flugelhorn).

In Good Company

---

Allen Toussaint - From A Whisper To A Scream

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:29
Size: 86,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:30)  1. From A Whisper To A Scream
(3:23)  2. Chokin' Kind
(3:18)  3. Sweet Touch Of Love
(3:35)  4. What Is Success
(3:13)  5. Working In The Coalmine
(3:11)  6. Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky
(2:54)  7. Either
(3:04)  8. Louie
(3:21)  9. Cast Your Fate To The Wind
(3:30) 10. Number Nine
(4:27) 11. Pickles

Kent Soul has done an exceptional job in remastering and reissuing Allen Toussaint's classic sophomore long-player which was known simply as Allen Toussaint and the "bonus" selection, a vocal-less blues-meets-funk titled "Number Nine." When these songs first surfaced circa 1970, Toussaint (piano/vocals) had become a decade-long veteran of the New Orleans' Crescent City soul movement. Under his own name as well as the pseudonym of Naomi Neville, he was a composer, producer, and even a recording session musician. He left a trail of influential R&B titles that would resound back across the pond in the form of cover versions by the likes of the Rolling Stones ("Pain in My Heart"), the Yardbirds ("A Certain Girl"), and the Who ("Fortune Teller"), along with countless others. Toussaint's uncanny musical malleability resulted in a diverse yet solid second solo outing. He is supported by Mac Rebennack (organ/guitar) (aka Dr. John), Terry Kellman (guitar), Eddie Hohner (bass), Freddie Staehle (drums), John Boudreaux (drums), Clyde Kerr (trumpet), Earl Turbinton (alto sax), and none other than Merry Clayton (backing vocals) and Venetta Fields perhaps the most in demand studio voices of the rock & roll era. 

The dramatic "From a Whisper to a Scream" perfectly captures the synergy existing between Toussaint's ultra cool delivery and the understated yet piercing lyrical indictment. Other highlights include the pop-oriented, upbeat, and classy "Sweet Touch of Love," the author's interpretation of "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky" and "Working in the Coalmine." The latter pair were likewise formerly charting sides Toussaint had inked for vocalist Lee Dorsey. Looking forward to the ensuing years, Toussaint garnered sizable clout for providing Bonnie Raitt with "What Is Success." The instrumentals "Either" and "Louie" foreshadow the type of stylish no-nonsense soul that informed his collaborations with the Meters. "Pickles" on the other hand is comparatively jazzier and doused in the revelry of Mardi Gras, complete with a catchy call-and-response. Finally, Toussaint's masterful touch and craftsman-like imprint is evident on the uplifting take of Vince Guaraldi's "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" as he explores alternate textures that lead the melody to some memorable places. While his mid-'70s platters for Warner Brothers may have provided him with additional exposure, this is a sonic touchstone worth repeated examinations. ~ Lindsay Planer  http://www.allmusic.com/album/from-a-whisper-to

Personnel:  Backing Vocals – Merry Clayton, Venetta Fields;  Bass – Eddie Hohner;  Drums – Ed Greene (2), Freddie Staehle, John Boudreaux;  Guitar – Terry Kellman; Piano – Allen Toussaint;  Saxophone – Earl Turbington, Frederic Kemp;  Trumpet – Clyde Kerr

R.I.P
Born: January 14, 1938/Died:  November 10, 2015

From A Whisper To A Scream

---

Peter Beets - New York Trio - Page Two

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:02
Size: 128,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. The Groove Merchant
(3:22)  2. Paradox
(7:19)  3. For Simon
(9:24)  4. Without A Song
(7:12)  5. It Has Happened
(4:41)  6. So What / Impressions
(8:01)  7. Chelsea Bridge/Upper Manhattan Medical Group
(5:01)  8. In a Hazy Mood
(6:04)  9. Night Mist Blues

Although he's recorded with such American jazz masters as Curtis Fuller and Jeff Hamilton, Dutch pianist Peter Beets is just starting to make a name for himself on the international scene. While the first Criss Cross appearance of his New York Trio brought critical raves and fanfares, "Page Two" is sure to bring Beets an even wider audience. This time around, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Willie Jones III complete the trio as they explore a varied program of originals and standards from the pens of Sonny Rollins, Ahmad Jamal, and Billy Strayhorn. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/New-York-Trio-Page-Two/dp/B00008V5V8

Personnel: Peter Beets (piano); Larry Grenadier (bass); Willie Jones III (drums).

New York Trio - Page Two

---

Ramsey Lewis Trio - The In Crowd

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:17
Size: 90,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:51)  1. The In Crowd
(4:06)  2. Since I Fell For You
(5:02)  3. Tennessee Waltz
(2:59)  4. You Been Talkin''Bout Me Baby
(7:09)  5. Love Theme From Spartacus
(3:28)  6. Felicidade (Happiness)
(3:34)  7. Motherless Child
(4:33)  8. Come Sunday
(2:31)  9. The Party's Over

Ramsey Lewis staked his claim to fame with The In Crowd, an instrumental version of Dobie Gray's Top 40 hit. He also was one of the first soul jazz icons of the mid-'60s, based on the strength of the sales of this recording, done over three days during a club date at the Bohemian Caverns in Washington, D.C. What is not readily acknowledged over the years is that bassist Eldee Young is really the star of the show. He's the one who gets the crowd revved up with his vocalizing in tandem with the notes he is playing. It's on his Ray Charles-like take on "Tennessee Waltz" and a similar treatment of Gale Garnett's minor pop hit "You Been Talkin' 'Bout Me Baby" that gets the patrons off. Of course the quintessential hip shakin' introductory title track gets the groove in motion, but it's Young that lights the fuse. His stellar work with drummer Redd Holt bolsters the style of Lewis, and takes it further for the upbeat bossa "Felicidade." Of course, Lewis is the bluesy centerpiece on "Since I Fell for You," another cover of a pop hit that at the time Lenny Welch did so well. The variant is the dramatic "Theme from Spartacus," which has an up-and-down dynamic more suited for a concert hall than a smoky nightclub. This is the moment where Lewis shined the brightest, the "in crowd" at the club was verbally into it, and the time for this music was right. ~ Michael G.Nastos  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-in-crowd-mw0000654554

Ramsey Lewis Trio: Ramsey Lewis (piano); Eldee Young (bass, cello); Red Holt (drums).

The In Crowd

---

Pelle Trazan Jonasson - Copenhagen Connection

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:32
Size: 132,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:49)  1. Secret Love
(4:52)  2. Little Willie Leaps
(6:47)  3. If You Could See Me Now
(7:34)  4. Star Eyes
(3:36)  5. Prelude In Blue
(4:06)  6. Nothing Special
(4:44)  7. Our Delight
(3:51)  8. You and the Night and the Music
(4:49)  9. Sometime Ago
(3:48) 10. Backgammon
(5:32) 11. Firm Roots

Bebop is spoken throughout this excellent set. Two Swedish musicians (pianist Jan Lundgren and trumpeter Peter Asplund) meet up with a couple of Americans (bassist Dave Carpenter and drummer Paul Kreibich) on a variety of superior standards, plus a couple of jazz interpretations of obscure Swedish songs. Asplund has a bright sound in the Clifford Brown tradition; Lundgren looks toward Bud Powell; and the Americans are quite supportive of the lead voices. 

To break up the strict quartet format, Barney Kessel's "Swedish Pastry" is taken by the rhythm trio; Lundgren and Asplund play a duet version of "Sodermalm"; Lundgren is absent on "I Hear a Rhapsody"; and "How Deep Is the Ocean" is a piano-bass duet. Other highlights include "Au Privave," "What Is This Thing Called Love," and "When It's Sleepy Time Down South." Easily recommended to bebop collectors.  https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/copenhagen-connection/id349049202

Personnel:  Jan Lundgren(p);  Jesper Lundgaard(b);  Pelle Trazan Jonasson(ds);  Nisse Sandstrom(ts)

Copenhagen Connection

---

Nils Wulker - Just Here, Just Now

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:36
Size: 116,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:08)  1. Lakeside
(4:57)  2. Goodbye Sorrow
(5:31)  3. Walking on Air
(6:07)  4. Just Here, Just Now
(5:07)  5. Today's Gravity
(4:49)  6. September Skies
(5:36)  7. High and Rising
(3:55)  8. All We Need
(3:44)  9. Itchy Feed
(6:37) 10. Farewell

Wülker received from the age of seven piano lessons from the age of ten trumpet lessons with classical orientation. 1994 visited Wülker for one year as ASSIST -Stipendiat a private school in the US. There he discovered jazz and has been prepared by acid jazz and Miles Davis marked. Back in Germany played Wülker soon the Youth Jazz Orchestra NRW, with which he participated in 1996 and 1998 on two tours to China. In 1998 he studied after high school at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler", which he successfully completed of 2002. In 2005, Wülker his own record label (Ear Treat Music), before joining Warner 2015th .

During his studies he played in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, representation, in the RIAS Big Band, from 2001 in the ensemble of its university lecturers Nicolai Thärichen ("Thärichens Tentett"), but also in the Judy Niemack Group and the Berlin Jazz Orchestra of Jiggs Whigham. Already before the end of his studies, he went with his own group into the studio to produce shots. The resulting CD "High Spirits" went as the first publication of a German jazz musician with Sony Music in company history; as the second album was released as Space Night Vol. 10 at Sony. Wülker took the publication of further plates before his band on his own label. In his Quintet he plays with Jan von Klewitz on saxophone, Lars Duppler on piano, Dietmar Fuhr on bass and Jens Dohle on drums. 2010, the band around guitarist was Arne Jansen and Edward Maclean expanded on bass, Benny Greb took over in 2012 the position of drummer.

He attracted attention by his published compositions on CD for the night program Spacenight des Bayerischen Rundfunks. In his compositions he combines the rhythmic and harmonic finesse of jazz with melodic and groovebetontem game of funk, rock and pop. Besides working with his own band, he played with Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Don Grusin, Wolfgang Schmid and William Kennedy as "Hang All Stars" with Omara Portuondo, Dominic Miller, Joe Locke, Silje Nergaard, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Ute Lemper and Samy Deluxe, for his album Dis where I he Herkomm 2009, the track talk like I produced speech. 2013 Wülker received the ECHO Jazz in the category "Instrumentalist / in the year National Brass / Brass". 2014 he received the German Jazz Award in Gold for his album "Safely Falling", 2015, the German Jazz Award in Gold for his album "UP". https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Wülker

Just Here, Just Now

---

Richard Elliot - Lip Service

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:20
Size: 97,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Desire
(4:33)  2. Lip Service
(3:58)  3. Givin' It Up
(3:55)  4. Sweet Spot
(3:36)  5. Sookie Sookie
(4:13)  6. All The Way
(3:33)  7. When I Was Your Man
(4:49)  8. Shining Star
(3:58)  9. City Lights
(5:26) 10. Anytime

With Lip Service, Richard Elliot has come full circle as one of the reigning merchants of Soul Jazz and cementing his role as one of the great contemporary sax players in the world. While working on Summer Horns in 2013, he had the opportunity to revisit his roots as one of the founding members of Tower of Power by performing "So Very Hard To Go" and working alongside arranger Greg Adams again. This led to Greg Adams arrangement for the Grammy-nominated "Shining Star" on Lip Service. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Lip-Service-Richard-Elliot/dp/B00KDKM0IC

Lip Service

---

Dave Valentin - Live at the Blue Note

Styles: Flute Jazz, World Fusion
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:18
Size: 131,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:30)  1. Cinnamon and Clove
(5:12)  2. Columbus Avenue
(4:52)  3. Footprints
(4:01)  4. Mountain Song
(5:30)  5. Marcoshino
(5:56)  6. Shamballa
(6:54)  7. Blackbird
(5:29)  8. Monkey Buttons
(6:10)  9. Dansette
(7:40) 10. Afro Blue

Aggressive and incendiary, yet also languid and sensitive, Dave Valentin's Live at the Blue Note not only demonstrates this artist's wide range, but the rich possibilities for the Latin jazz genre at large. Performing material from the pen of some of the great voices of his day, including Milton Nascimento's "Cinnamon and Clove" and Dave Grusin's "Marcosinho," Valentin brings a variety of both well- and lesser-known compositions to the table. All are treated with sensitive individuality, ranging in style from three-fourths samba to rhumba to funk, all performed expertly. This is thanks, no doubt, to the A-list players on the date, including premier Afro-Cuban drummer Robby Ameen, conga virtuoso Giovanni Hidalgo, the brilliant Lincoln Goines on bass, and Latin jazz staple Bill O'Connell on piano and keys. 

To the modern listener, this 1988 date might sound dated at times, thanks primarily to the compressed, fat tone of the recording, and the occasional yet liberal application of processors on the part of Valentin. It is because of these considerations that Valentin enthusiasts are no doubt thankful that this is a live recording, and hence dodged some of the era's greater production sins. All things considered, Live at the Blue Note escaped the late-'80s virtually unscathed. Bursting with energy and stylistic innovation, this could be Valentin at his very finest. ~ Evan C.Gutierrez  http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-blue-note-mw0000652648

Personnel: Dave Valentin (flute, bamboo flute, pan flute, pipe); Bill O'Connell (electric piano); Robby Ameen (drums); Giovanni Hidalgo (congas, percussion).

Live at the Blue Note

---

June Christy With The Kentones - The Uncollected (1946)

Styles: Vocal

Year: 1986

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 37:27

Size: 86,7 MB

Art: Front

(1:56)  1. Don't Worry 'Bout Me

(1:55)  2. Mean to Me

(3:25)  3. Lover Man

(2:55)  4. The One I Love

(2:31)  5. Lullaby in Rhythm

(2:31)  6. Sweet Lorraine

(3:41)  7. September in the Rain

(2:57)  8. Moonglow

(2:09)  9. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams

(3:14) 10. This is Romance

(2:42) 11. June's Blues

(1:36) 12. I Can't Believe that you're in Love with Me

(3:02) 13. How Long Has This Been Going On?

(2:48) 14. Get Happy

The well-recorded radio transcriptions on this album predate all of singer June Christy's regular solo recordings; she had only been with Stan Kenton's Orchestra for about a year at the time. The identification of the backup personnel has been lost to history (despite the anonymous title of "the Kentones"), but Christy is the star of the 14 concise performances anyway. June Christy had the ability to swing in any song she was given, and in this case, all of the selections (except for "June's Blues") were superior standards. The young singer is heard in her early prime on such numbers as "Don't Worry 'Bout Me," "The One I Love," "September in the Rain," "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" and "Get Happy." ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-uncollected-june-christy-with-the-kentones-1946-mw0000613588

Personnel: June Christy (vocals).

The Uncollected  (1946)

---

Michel Legrand - Lost in Music: Sounds of Summer

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 103:48
Size: 238,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:19)  1. Blue and Sentimental
(3:29)  2. The Windmills of Your Mind
(2:52)  3. Baby, Just for Me
(2:55)  4. 'Round Midnight
(2:39)  5. This Can't Be Love
(1:36)  6. People Will Say We're in Love
(5:15)  7. Blue Moon
(2:27)  8. Falling in Love With Love
(3:20)  9. Wild Man Blues
(2:26) 10. There's a Small Hotel
(2:31) 11. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(3:15) 12. Too Marvelous for Words
(2:34) 13. My Funny Valentine
(5:07) 14. The Lady Is a Tramp
(3:44) 15. Stompin' At the Savoy
(2:14) 16. A Wonderful Guy
(2:30) 17. Some Enchanted Evening
(2:35) 18. Summertime
(3:16) 19. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
(2:24) 20. Have You Met Miss Jones
(5:15) 21. Jitterbug Waltz
(2:32) 22. It Might as Well Be Spring
(2:26) 23. Getting to Know You
(4:11) 24. Django
(2:49) 25. You're Just the Kind
(3:10) 26. Yesterdays
(2:28) 27. Old Devil Moon
(2:20) 28. Nuages
(3:16) 29. In a Mist
(2:10) 30. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
(5:49) 31. A Night in Tunisia
(2:33) 32. Marie
(1:04) 33. With a Little Bit of Luck
(3:02) 34. If I Loved You

Michel Legrand has made his fame and fortune from writing for films, but he has done significant work in jazz on an occasional basis. In 1957, he arranged a set of Dixieland and swing standards for a French orchestra (recorded on Philips), in 1958 he used three different all-star groups for the classic Legrand Jazz (with such sidemen as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Phil Woods, Herbie Mann, Bill Evans, Ben Webster, Art Farmer, and others), in 1968 he recorded a strictly jazz set with a trio and Legrand has written for albums led by Stan Getz (1971), Sarah Vaughan (1972), and on several occasions, Phil Woods. Several of his songs (such as "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life," "Watch What Happens," and "The Summer Knows") have been recorded many times by jazz musicians. ~ Scott Yanow  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/michel-legrand/id10943#fullText

Lost in Music: Sounds of Summer

---

Nelson Rangell - Blue

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:58
Size: 152,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:36)  1. Little Face
(6:42)  2. Dizzy
(6:23)  3. Le Tombeau De Couperin
(6:28)  4. Children's Games
(5:54)  5. Peter and the Wolf
(6:42)  6. Sweetest Somebody I Know
(2:29)  7. I Loved You
(6:15)  8. Pavane
(7:09)  9. Free as a Bird
(5:16) 10. Ao Mar
(6:00) 11. The Magician (El Mago)

Nelson Rangell has primarily played pop-jazz throughout his career, although he did a credible job playing some soulful alto with the straight-ahead GRP All-Star Big Band. The records he cut for GRP in the early '90s made him into a popular contemporary jazz attraction in the David Sanborn tradition. A native of Denver, CO, Rangell learned how to play flute at the age of 15, and within six months, he was studying music at the Interlochen Arts Academy. Shortly afterward, he learned the saxophone, and in 1979 he won Down Beat's Best High School Jazz Soloist competition. Following his graduation from high school, he attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston; this time, he won the Down Beat contest on the college level. In 1984, Rangell moved to New York. He spent three years in New York playing clubs and working as a sideman, not only on jazz sessions, but also on jingles and pop records. Rangell finally began his solo career in 1987, releasing To Begin Again on the Gaia label. 

Two years later, he moved to GRP, where he released Playing for Keeps. His second album became a major contemporary jazz hit, and with each subsequent release, his popularity grew. His next four albums Nelson Rangell (1990), In Every Moment (1992), Truest Heart (1993), Yes Then Yes (1994) were all popular on the contemporary jazz charts. In addition to recording his solo albums, Rangell was involved in the GRP All-Star Big Band, playing both in the studio and on the road. Destiny, an album that found Rangell incorporating hip-hop rhythms into his sound, was released in 1994. It was followed in 1997 by Turning Night into Day; Far Away Day appeared three years later. In 2003, Rangell released his 12th album, the typically smooth and eclectic Look Again, followed by a collection of Christmas essentials (All I Hope for Christmas) and the instrumental pop tribute album My American Songbook, Vol. 1. Soul to Souls was released in 2006. ~ Scott Yanow & Stephen Thomas Erlewine  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/nelson-rangell/id75477#fullText

Blue

---

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Music from West Side Story

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:19
Size: 117,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:17)  1. Maria
(5:10)  2. I Feel Pretty
(4:16)  3. Somewhere
(2:22)  4. A Quiet Girl
(3:49)  5. Tonight
(6:17)  6. What is This Thing Called Love
(5:19)  7. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
(4:56)  8. Night and Day
(6:49)  9. My Romance

For reasons that aren't clear, this is one of the more often overlooked albums in Dave Brubeck's Columbia Records catalog of the early '60s. It's certainly less well known than Stan Kenton's very different 1961 album of music from West Side Story, and also less unified, as it also reaches out to the score for Wonderful Town and back to 1930s Broadway. And none of that means that it isn't a lot of fun and well worth hearing, with "Maria" done as a swinging, uptempo ballad, while "Tonight" becomes a jumping-off point for all concerned into a jazz excursion across several decades' worth of tunes. By contrast, "What Is This Thing Called Love?" is done in a slow, pensively lyrical, lilting fashion. Paul Desmond's playing shines every bit as much as Brubeck's, and the whole record including the Cole Porter and Rodgers & Hart material swings in some unexpected directions that still delight four-plus decades later. ~ Bruce Eder  http://www.allmusic.com/album/music-from-west-side-story-mw0000187912

Personnel:  Piano – Dave Brubeck;  Alto Saxophone – Paul Desmond;  Bass – Eugene Wright;  Drums – Joe Morello

Music from West Side Story

---

Mabel Mercer - Once in a Blue Moon

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:42
Size: 100,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:44)  1. Once in a Blue Moon
(2:04)  2. In the Spring of the Year
(2:45)  3. Look at 'Im
(4:00)  4. Guess I'll Go Back Home
(3:05)  5. I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore
(3:45)  6. My Shining Hour
(4:05)  7. The Twelve Days of Christmas
(3:21)  8. Whenever Winds Blow
(2:45)  9. Isn't He Adorable
(3:56) 10. Isn't It a Pity
(2:50) 11. If You Leave Paris
(2:38) 12. Sunday in New York
(2:49) 13. If Love Were All
(2:48) 14. Sail Away

Respected and honored by her peers, cabaret singer Mabel Mercer was one of the strongest song interpreters in traditional pop, a large influence on singers including Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, as well as a ready rediscoverer of once-forgotten nuggets like "Fly Me to the Moon." Born in Staffordshire, England, Mercer was the child of American jazz singer Warren Mercer, Sr. (who died before Mabel's birth), and British music hall actress Gertrude Doak. Though she was classically trained in voice, her professional debut came as a dancer, while she was still in her teens. Mercer was back to vocals by the '20s, and during the decade she appeared in clubs throughout Europe as well as the Middle East. 

By the end of the Roaring '20s, she had settled in Paris and gained fame on the city's cabaret scene, populated and made famous by American expatriates, from Cole Porter to Ernest Hemingway. Mercer made her New York debut in 1938 and soon began a club residency that eventually lasted 20 years. Her notable influence on Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, and Nat King Cole gained her additional fans; after signing to Atlantic in the early '50s, Mercer recorded several LPs during the decade. During the '60s, she recorded two live LPs with Bobby Short. The following decade saw her appearing at Carnegie Hall and on her own British television special. Despite a brief retirement, she returned in the early '80s and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. ~ John Bush  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mabel-mercer/id50234517#fullText

Personnel: Mabel Mercer (vocals); George Cory (arranger, conductor, piano).

Once in a Blue Moon

---

Jesse Van Ruller - Here And There

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:12
Size: 115,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. Best Things in Life Are Free
(6:03)  2. Christina
(4:11)  3. Bye, Bye Baby
(5:12)  4. Subconscious-Lee
(5:40)  5. Prelude To a Kiss
(4:52)  6. Debits And Credits
(5:34)  7. Everything I Love
(3:40)  8. In Walked Bud
(5:25)  9. Ballad of the Sad Young Men
(4:36) 10. Cedar's Blues

It’s no surprise that Jesse Van Ruller makes a strong statement as a mainstream soloist on his first Criss Cross release, Here and There. What is a bit confounding is that fact that it’s taken so long for the Dutch native to find such a perfect forum for his talents. Back in 1995, the guitarist won that year’s Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition (the first European artist to do so) and yet American audiences have yet to really pick up on van Ruller’s talents. In the tradition of Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, and Jim Hall, this young guitarist keeps the fast company of two different groupings, one in a quartet with David Hazeltine on piano and the other a sparse trio setting with just bass and drums. Standards are the order of the day, although van Ruller offers a few tweaks here and there (no pun intended!) to keep things interesting, his electric hollow body producing a warm and fuzzy sound that is undeniably attractive. 

There’s also a clear Tristano connection that raises its head on a teeming upbeat version of Lee Konitz’s “Subconscious-Lee.” They say that it’s on a ballad that any jazzman worth his salt will stand out from the poseurs. If that’s the case, then van Ruller stakes his claim on “Prelude to a Kiss,” caressing Duke’s melody with authority and confidence. As strong as these quartet performances may be, it’s within the trio format that the guitarist really rises to the occasion, presenting solid chordal work along with solos that stay largely in the realm of single note runs. “In Walked Bud” and “Cedar’s Blues” are both bristling with youthful exuberance, the latter bringing to a brisk close this accomplished effort. No doubt that van Ruller is well on his way to becoming a formidable contender on the New York jazz scene, if he chooses to do so. Mainstream guitar fans will surely enjoy this swinging set while rejoicing at the arrival of a considerable new talent. ~ C.Andrew Hovan  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/here-and-there-jesse-van-ruller-criss-cross-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Jesse van Ruller (guitar), David Hazeltine (piano), Nat Reeves (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums), Frans van Geest (bass on tracks 7-10), Willie Jones III (drums on tracks 7-10)

Here And There

---

Lee Lessack - I Know You By Heart

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:56
Size: 112,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:44)  1. Dreamers
(3:26)  2. It Feels Like Home
(4:03)  3. Storybook
(3:21)  4. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
(3:47)  5. I Know You By Heart
(4:41)  6. Dreamscape
(4:23)  7. When October Goes
(2:56)  8. Much At All
(2:41)  9. I Can See It
(4:22) 10. I'll Imagine You a Song
(4:30) 11. Endless Night
(4:15) 12. Right As The Rain / Soon It's Gonna Rain
(3:40) 13. Perfect

The play list for record company executive cum cabaret performer Lee Lessack is like a book of short stories which examine the ins and outs of one of our favorite pastimes and most puzzling conundrums, love and its trappings, especially its darker side. The subject is perfect for Lessack's soft, dedicated delivery. He wears his emotions on his sleeve as he recites the words of songs that are selected for the story they tell, not for their familiarity. It's the character, not the popularity of the song, that matters. Many tunes come from the musical stage. But again, not necessarily the most popular or successful musicals. "Storybook," from the The Scarlett Pimpernel, is done as a lilting serenade, almost Chopin-esque, as Lessack's vocalizing rides atop Boswell's waltzing piano. 

Stephen Schwartz, who provided the music for The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Prince of Egypt, is here with his "Dreamscape." Fading love is captured in the songs of another troubadour of note, Barry Manilow (with John Mercer), in "When October Goes." Here the solemn flugelhorn of Dennis Farias helps create the necessary ambience. More solemnity comes from the cello of Stefanie Fife on such tracks as "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress." Brian Lane Green is featured on "I Can See It" as he joins Lessack for a heartfelt rendition on that tune from Fantasticks. If one were looking for a common denominator to color each of the protagonists in the songs, it would have to be forlorn. While talent oozes from Lessack and his compatriots, there's little glee found in the compositions they play. It may take a couple of hearings to fully appreciate this fine performance. ~ Dave Nathan  http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-know-you-by-heart-mw0000048688

Personnel: Lee Lessack (vocals); Laurence Juber (acoustic guitar); Stefanie Fife (cello); Alex Rannie (harp); Phil Feather (flute, English horn, clarinet, soprano saxophone); Dennis Farias (trumpet, flugelhorn); John Boswell (piano, keyboards); Bob Mair (bass); M.B. Gordy (drums, percussion).

I Know You By Heart

---

Lew Jacobs - Color Outside The Lines

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:11
Size: 82,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:37)  1. My Forecast
(3:49)  2. Harmony
(4:06)  3. Eternity
(4:14)  4. Places
(4:48)  5. One More Try
(3:56)  6. Missing Moments
(3:46)  7. Here to Stay
(4:24)  8. My Heart Soars
(2:27)  9. Color Outside of the Lines

Lew’s blend of acoustic folk and jazzy R&B melodies are joined with metaphoric lyrics of love, life and hope that feed the soul. After many years of honing his songwriting skills, Lew collaborated with renowned keyboard extraordinaire and recording artist Mike Blankenship to produce his debut album, Color Outside The Lines.

Lew Jacobs is a Virginia native, growing up in Floyd, a small town perched on the Appalachian trail, well known for its Friday Night Jamboree of bluegrass bands. Lew’s early childhood influences were old-time country music that played on the family TV. Each morning, Lew and his siblings dressed for school while listening to Flatt & Scruggs, Porter Wagner and George Jones. By Lew’s teenage years, his taste had expanded to include the classic folk and R&B tunes of the 1970s and 80s. If you enjoy the smooth and easy listening tunes of The Eagles, James Taylor, Lionel Richie, or Michael McDonald, then Lew Jacobs will appeal to both your musical taste and love of love songs. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lewjacobs

Color Outside The Lines

---

Sant Andreu Jazz Band - Jazzing 3

Size: 179,8 MB
Time: 76:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Easy Money (7:06)
02. Half Nelson (6:16)
03. Boogie's Blues (4:02)
04. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone (4:27)
05. Love Me Or Leave Me (4:37)
06. All Too Soon (3:47)
07. Love Is Here To Stay (4:14)
08. Undecided (5:33)
09. Sweet Lorraine (1:52)
10. Sing Me A Swing Song (2:32)
11. Basin Street Blues (5:10)
12. My One And Love (4:29)
13. So What (6:24)
14. I've Found A New Baby (6:45)
15. Pouttin' (4:54)
16. Perdido (4:38)

Featuring Joan Chamorro, Andrea Motis, Eva Fernandez, Paula Berzal, Jesse Davis, Terell Stafford, Wycliffe Gordon, Ricard Gili, Josep Traver, Esteve Pi, Curro Gálvez.

Sant Andreu Jazz Band is a youth jazz band from Barcelona, featuring 7- to 20-year-old children and teenagers. The bandleader is Joan Chamorro.

The band was founded in 2006 at Escola Municipal de Música de Sant Andreu. The band has performed at numerous concerts and festivals in Catalonia and neighbouring countries. They released their first live CD/DVD Jazzing: Live at Casa Fuster in 2009, featuring alongside established jazz musicians, the precocious 14-year-old, Andrea Motis, among other young talents.

2010 was a breakthrough year for the band, with appearances on more than 20 festivals including Valls, Terrassa, Girona, Barcelona, Platja d'Aro, and legendary venues like el Jamboree, Palau de la Música Catalana, JazzSi, Hotel Casa Fuster, featuring international performers like Dick Oatts, Ken Peplowski, Bobby Gordon, Perico Sambeat, Ignasi Terraza, Matthew Simon, and Esteve Pi. The band also released their second recording Jazzing vol.2.

In 2012 the film director Ramón Tort made the documentary A film about kids and music based on the band's work and efforts. The film was awarded best feature film at the Lights. Camera. Help. festival in Austin, Texas, in 2013.

Sant Andreu Jazz Band - Jazzing 3  

---

Nina Bradlin - Stardust

Size: 100,7 MB
Time: 39:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Let's Do It, Let's Fall In Love (3:24)
02. Dance Me To The End Of Love (5:52)
03. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye (5:44)
04. Lettre A P (3:42)
05. Blue Skies (3:55)
06. Fur Mich Solls Rote Rosen Regnen (3:06)
07. Speak Low (3:22)
08. Stardust (3:18)
09. Tenderly (3:19)
10. What'll I Do (3:54)

STARDUST is an hommage to Nina Bradlin's father William Bradlin (1932-2007). It is a romantic album, pared down to the barest minimum and it features classic standards by Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, chansons and "Dance Me to the End of Love" by Leonard Cohen. Recorded using the vintage equipment at Basel's renowned Idee und Klang Studio, the sound is reduced to only Nina's voice and one brilliant instrumentalist: Philipp Gloor (CH) on guitar, and Christian Gutfleisch (D) and Tiffany Butt (CA) on piano.

“Her voice is a surprise - silvery and clear, yet dramatic...from Billie Holiday to Ella Fitzgerald, from Dinah Washington to Dee Dee Bridgewater: All of these jazz divas have sung the standard and yet she manages to make the song sound fresh and new...with a great voice and understatement, she achieves an intensity that thrills the audience.“
Kulturmagazin Zeitnah Sog der Reinheit

Stardust

---