Sounds Orchestral - Cast Your Fate To The Wind

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 34:30

Size: 79.0 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 1965/1994

Art: Front

[3:05] 1. Something's Coming

[3:11] 2. Cast Your Fate To The Wind

[2:26] 3. Scarlatti Potion No. 9

[2:33] 4. While We Danced At The Mardi Gras

[3:29] 5. When Love Has Gone

[2:33] 6. To Wendy With Love

[3:39] 7. Sounds Anonymous

[2:30] 8. Carnival (Manha De Carnival)

[2:38] 9. Downtown

[2:28] 10. Scarlatti Potion No. 9

[2:52] 11. Love Letters

[3:01] 12. Like The Lonely

Johnny Pearson - Piano; Peter McGurk - Bass; Kenny Clare & Ronnie Verrell - Drums; Tony Gilbert - Violin; John Schroeder Orchestra.

British pianist Johnny Pearson and producer John Schroeder teamed up initially to cover Vince Guaraldi's US hit "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" - and went on to make 20 best-selling albums of jazz-influenced pop instrumentals together. Always accessible but with a cool middle-eight, and touches of classical.

Cast Your Fate To The Wind

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Bill Wyman - Back To Basics

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:42
Size: 106.9 MB
Styles: Jazz/Blues/Rock
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[3:35] 1. What & How & If & When & Why
[3:35] 2. I Lost My Ring
[3:39] 3. Love, Love, Love
[4:03] 4. Stuff (Can't Get Enough)
[3:59] 5. Running Back To You
[3:54] 6. She's Wonderful
[3:46] 7. Seventeen
[3:04] 8. I'll Pull You Through
[3:41] 9. November
[3:39] 10. Just A Friend Of Mine
[2:02] 11. It's A Lovely Day
[3:48] 12. I Got Time
[3:52] 13. Exciting

Back To Basics does exactly what it says on the tin. It is unashamedly stripped back. The snappy lyrics are refreshingly audible and the instrumentation is clean, subtle and accomplished.

Back To Basics wears its influences on its sleeve – Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, JJ Cale – and there’s more than a passing nod to Bill’s own English background. It is that rare thing, a meld of styles and genres that actually work together – uplifting in a jaunty, dancey way and pensive in a bluesy, narrative way.

Bill Wyman’s last solo UK album, ‘Bill Wyman’, was released in 1982. Back To Basics comprises only his fourth ever UK solo release. But Bill has not been idle of course. 31 years in the Rolling Stones, author of seven learned books, globally exhibited photographer, metal detecting expert with his own brand of metal detector, producer, composer for film and TV and founder of the very successful Rhythm Kings’, who still release CD’s and tour regularly – he has had a pretty full calendar. It was only when archiving old demos last year he realised he had around 60 songs he’d never released.

He chose three songs that needed reworking and did just that. He put them together with a bunch of brand new songs and went into his studio to record them. The CD comprises 13 tracks in total, eight of which are brand new songs. Musicians joining Bill in the studio include long time collaborator/guitarist Terry Taylor, Guy Fletcher (Mark Knopfler), Graham Broad and Robbie McIntosh, while co-production credit goes to Andy Wright (Jeff Beck, Eurythmics, Simply Red). On Bill Wyman’s Back To Basics you get music that’s the real deal… and you’re all the better for it.

Back To Basics

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Phil Woods Quintet - Ballads & Blues

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:42
Size: 145,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:11)  1. Blood Count
(5:01)  2. Flower is a Lovesome Thing
(4:04)  3. Balcony Serenade
(4:13)  4. Isfahan
(7:56) 5. Ballad Medley: I Didn't Know About You/Lotus Blossom/Don't You Know I Care
(8:33)  6. How Little We Know
(5:00)  7. Ballad for Very Tired and Very Sad Lotus Eaters
(3:54)  8. Lush Life
(4:12)  9. My Little Brown Book
(5:00) 10. Rain Check
(5:09) 11. Johnny Come Lately
(5:24) 12. Take the A Train

Ballads & Blues celebrates compositions by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington (as well as one by Hoagy Carmichael). Trumpeter Brian Lynch, a member of Woods' quintet since 1992, is a good foil for the alto legend, as on Carmichael's "How Little We Know". Lynch's solo is a model of tasteful note selection and his unison lines with Woods blend perfectly. 

Bill Charlap's solo rendition of "Lush Life" has a tender, precise quality, which epitomizes his attitude in Woods' ensemble for 14 years. The band sways with a tinge of sadness on "Blood Count" and swings "Johnny Come Lately" with optimism. ~ Greg Thomas  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/phil-woods-ballads-and-blues-live-at-the-jazz-showcase-the-childrens-suite-by-greg-thomas.php

Personnel:  Phil Woods – Alto Sax;  Brian Lynch – Trumpet;  Bill Charlap – Piano;  Steve Gilmore – Bass;  Bill Goodwin – Drums

Ballads & Blues

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Ray Charles & Cleo Laine - Porgy & Bess

Styles: Jazz, Vocal

Year: 1976

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 62:41

Size: 144,1 MB

Art: Front

(6:16)  1. Summertime

(4:43)  2. My Man's Gone Now

(2:45)  3. A Woman Is A Sometime Thing

(3:04)  4. They Pass By Singin'

(2:25)  5. What You Want Wid Bess?

(3:52)  6. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'

(3:24)  7. Buzzard Song

(5:29)  8. Bess, You Is My Woman

(2:13)  9. Oh, Doctor Jesus

(1:44) 10. Crab Man

(1:23) 11. Her Come De Honey Man

(0:55) 12. Strawberry Woman (instrumental)

(1:19) 13. Strawberry Woman

(4:17) 14. It Ain't Necessarily So

(3:24) 15. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York

(5:03) 16. I Loves You, Porgy

(3:23) 17. Oh, Bess, Oh Where's My Bess (instumental)

(3:36) 18. Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess

(3:19) 19. Oh Lord, I'm On My Way

Charles and Cleo Laine duet on the songs from George Gershwin's opera, in a version arranged and conducted by Frank DeVol (who provides extra instrumentals) and produced by Norman Granz. The material is perfect for the performers, and they give it an effective, if unstudied, treatment. ~ William Ruhlmann  http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1519969/a/porgy+%26+bess.htm

Personnel: John Morell, Joe Pass, Lee Ritenour (guitar); Denizel Gail Laughton, Catherine Gotthoffer, Dorothy Remsen (harp); Ronald Folsom, Thelma Beach, Marvin Limonick, Anatol Kaminsky, Paul Lowenkron, Karen Jones , George Kaufman, Charles Veal, Ambrose Russo, Marcia Van Dyke, Daniel Shindaryov, Spiro Stamos, Bernard Kundell, Jacob Krachmalnick, Marshall Sosson, Israel Baker, Nathan Ross, Ralph Schaeffer, Harry Bluestone (violin); Dan Neufeld, Meyer Bello, Rollice Dale, Norman Forrest, Pamela Goldsmith, Allan Harshman (viola); Ron Leonard, David H. Speltz, Ronald Cooper, Anne Goodman, Harry Shlutz, Douglas Davis (cello); Tommy Morgan (harmonica); Ernie Watts, Gary Herbig, William Hood, Jerome Richardson, Sam Most, Bill Perkins, Wilbur Schwartz, Bud Shank (clarinet); Plas Johnson , William Green (saxophone); Harry "Sweets" Edison , Oscar Brashear, Ray Triscari, Bill Berry , Al Aarons, Buddy Childers (trumpet); George Roberts , J.J. Johnson , Jimmy Cleveland, Benny Powell, Britt Woodman (trombone); Joe Sample (piano, organ); Victor Feldman, Paul Smith , Ralph Grierson (piano); Washington Rucker (drums); Alan Estes, Emil Radocchia, Jerry Williams , Larry Bunker (percussion).

Porgy & Bess

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Anke Helfrich feat. Tim Hagans - Dedication

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:49
Size: 132,9 MB
Art: Front

( 5:52)  1. Invictus
( 7:30)  2. Chan's Song
( 1:11)  3. Interlude - Lost & Found
( 7:11)  4. Rise and Shine
( 1:04)  5. Interlude - Wehklage
( 7:03)  6. Sagrada Familia
( 6:07)  7. Think of One
( 6:31)  8. Aspettami (Wait for Me)
(11:58)  9. The Prize
( 3:17) 10. A Simple Act of Kindness

Anke Helfrich belongs to the exclusive elite of European pianists who has been able to contribute a new kind of energy and spirit to jazz music. She is a fantastic pianist, known for captivating her audiences. Now, with Dedication, she reveals new facets of her musicianship. This release is a personal project where she successfully maintains jazz’ American roots while offering her own interpretation of jazz as it sounds today. We will always need artists who take chances, and Anke Helfrich does this masterfully.~ Christian Brorsen, Music Director  Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen.

Anke Helfrich in her liner notes: "Dedication means commitment and devotion. Being a jazz musician and playing improvised music requires total commitment, in every way. It is a constant challenge. It offers the possibility to express yourself through music and to transform emotions into your playing and compositions. Each track of this CD is dedicated to inspirational figures, influential people in my life and themes, that have inspired me."

"During my childhood in Namibia my parents were committed to an anti-apartheid organization. I accompanied my mother regularly to the kindergarten of the black town ships to distribute donations, clothes and toys. It was a ritual to hold each other’s hands and to sing together "We shall overcome". Nelson Mandela was, also during the time of his incarceration, the venerated man. His determination and perseverance to believe in something and to not have his will power broken even in decades of captivity is inspiring and gives courage. The poem Invictus by William Ernest Henry gave strength to Mandela during this period. I created a dialogue between words and melody which culminates and than leaves space for the important message: I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul!

I have read and researched a great deal about the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. As with Nelson Mandela I am touched and inspired, by his courage and incredible commitment, his fight for equal rights, improvement of living conditions, and change in thelaw. He is an icon for many jazz musicians and his attachment to blues and jazz is documented in the preface "On the Importance of Jazz", introducing the first Berlin Jazz Festival 1964. Here he describes how important this music was for the American Peace Movement. I harmonized his most significant speech and accompanied it on the the piano, giving it an almost gospel-like melody and sound." Excerpts from the liner notes. http://www.anke-helfrich.de/music/cd4/nucd4.htm

Personnel:  Anke Helfrich, piano, fender rhodes, harmonium;  Tim Hagans, trumpet, flugelhorn;  Ardie Walser: voice;  Martin Wind, bass;  Jonas Burgwinkel, drums

Dedication

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John McLaughlin - Black Light

Styles: Guitar Jazz, Jazz Fusion
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:26
Size: 129,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:27)  1. Here Come the Jiis
(5:58)  2. Clap Your Hand
(5:41)  3. Being You Being Me
(6:14)  4. Pandit Ji
(6:31)  5. 360 Flip
(5:37)  6. El Hombre Que Sabia
(4:15)  7. Gaza City
(5:54)  8. Kiki
(3:44)  9. Nothing to Lose but the Blues

All my recordings are personal and reflect what is happening in my interior world, and I’m happy about the way the diverse cultural influences that have impacted on me for so many years, are showing themselves in this new album. The inclusion of ‘movements’ inside the pieces is a new development for me and I like the way they work within, giving a breath, or pause with a different dynamic. The work here relates to, and is a development of the work I began with the album ‘Industrial Zen’.  In addition there are a number of homages:, namely in ‘Here come the Jiis’ to the memory of the wonderful musician with whom I played for 14 years, Mandolin Shrinivas. The piece ‘Panditji’ is a small thank you to a great human being and musician, Pandit Ravi Shankar, with whom I had the honor of studying under during the middle 1970’s.

‘El Hombre que Sabià’ is for the unforgettable Paco de Lucia, and is one of the pieces we had planned to record together last year. He was particularly fond of this piece, so I changed the title and worked out an arrangement with the great musicians of 4D; I’m really happy how it turned out. ‘Being you being me’comes out of an experience of seeing the One in the many. I am personally convinced that the only real evolution in humanity will be when we all see the divine in each other, and so accord the respect that every individual merits. In the opening and closing of this piece, you’ll hear the synth guitar. ‘360 Flip’ comes from skateboard move my son introduced me to, and reminded me of a 360 Flip that can happen in your mind, when your mind turns 360 degrees and you see everything the same but differently. This can happen while playing music, meditating or even walking in the mountains.’Clap your hand’ is a pun on the Zen koan, ‘What is the sound of one hand clapping?’

’Gaza City’ requires no explanation after the bombardment of that City in the summer of 2014. I played the synth guitar and electric guitar on this piece. And finally ‘Kiki’ who is such a dear friend and wonderful drummer. I hope you find something in the music. ~ John McLaughi  http://www.johnmclaughlin.com/project/black-light/

Personnel: John McLaughlin (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synthesizer); Ranjit Barot (vocals, drums); Gary Husband (piano, synthesizer, drums, percussion); Etienne Mbappé (electric bass).

Black Light

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B.B. King - Reflections

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:09
Size: 105.7 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[3:19] 1. Exactly Like You
[3:20] 2. On My Word Of Honor
[2:47] 3. I Want A Little Girl
[3:29] 4. I'll String Along With You
[3:01] 5. I Need You
[2:56] 6. A Mother's Love
[3:28] 7. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
[4:25] 8. Neighborhood Affair
[3:34] 9. Tomorrow Night
[3:26] 10. There I've Said It Again
[3:54] 11. Always On My Mind
[4:28] 12. Cross My Heart
[3:55] 13. What A Wonderful World

B.B. King was 77 years old when Reflections was released, which perhaps entitled him to reflect back on the song standards the album contained. Despite advancing age, King had already been unusually busy on the recording front for a septuagenarian, turning out the gold-selling duets album Deuces Wild in 1997, Blues on the Bayou in 1998, Let the Good Times Roll: The Music of Louis Jordan in 1999, the double-platinum Riding With the King with Eric Clapton and Makin' Love Is Good for You in 2000, and the seasonal recording A Christmas Celebration of Hope in 2002. For Reflections, he again worked with Simon Climie, who produced Riding With the King, and collaborated with a session band including such notables as Joe Sample, Nathan East, and Doyle Bramhall II. The songs ranged from pop evergreens like "I'll String Along With You" and "For Sentimental Reasons" to blues favorites such as Lonnie Johnson's "Tomorrow Night," with oddities like "Always on My Mind" thrown in and even a couple of remakes of the earlier King songs "Word of Honor" and "Neighborhood Affair." The arrangements, which included horn and string parts, left room for King's distinctive blues guitar work, but really supported his always expressive voice. The result was a confident, easygoing album that stylistically could have been made in 1953 as easily as 2003. Blues purists and aficionados of blues guitar would find it only partially satisfying, but it reflected the breadth of musical taste of an artist who always played the blues but never restricted himself only to blues music or blues fans. ~William Ruhlmann

Reflections

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Marian McPartland - Yesterdays: Marian McPartland The First Lady Of Jazz Piano

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:06
Size: 94.1 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Standards
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[2:44] 1. Strike Up The Band
[3:14] 2. It Might As Well Be Spring
[2:51] 3. Yesterdays
[2:47] 4. Love Is Here To Stay
[2:27] 5. Love For Sale
[2:57] 6. Gypsy In My Soul
[2:41] 7. All The Things You Are
[2:21] 8. Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away)
[3:43] 9. Embraceable You
[3:47] 10. The Lady Is A Tramp
[3:06] 11. A Foggy Day
[4:02] 12. Manhattan
[4:19] 13. I've Got The World On A String

This recording is one of the best of Marian Mcpartland who is one of the great ones whose style always centers on a strong melody with smooth harmonies that never leave the melody behind. Over the years her radio show has displayed the breadth of her library of the great pieces in the spirit of what is known today as the "Great American Songbook". I never grow tired of her arrangements where I can always find something new even after listening to a piece times after the first play. ~Ernie Dossin

Yesterdays: Marian McPartland The First Lady Of Jazz Piano

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Mel Tormé - Tormé

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:22
Size: 99.3 MB
Styles: Vocal, Standards
Year: 1958/2003
Art: Front

[3:26] 1. That Old Feeling
[5:11] 2. Gloomy Sunday
[3:34] 3. Body And Soul
[1:49] 4. Nobody's Heart
[2:52] 5. I Should Care
[2:49] 6. The House Is Haunted (By The Echo Of Your Last Goodbye)
[8:03] 7. Blues In The Night
[3:03] 8. I Don't Want To Cry Any More
[3:25] 9. Where Can I Go Without You
[3:21] 10. How Did She Look
[3:11] 11. 'round Midnight
[2:32] 12. I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life

Most of Mel Tormé's albums for Verve and Bethlehem during the 1950s concentrated on material either carefree (usually up-tempo) or reflective (mostly down-tempo), but 1958's Tormé blended the two. For every bouncy single like "That Old Feeling" or "I'm Gonna Laugh You Out of My Life," Tormé sinks into the depths with "Gloomy Sunday," "The House Is Haunted (By the Echo of Your Last Goodbye)," or his dramatic eight-minute reading of "Blues in the Night." All this makes for a bit of emotional confusion while listening to Tormé, but the LP pulls together for the most part. ~John Bush

Tormé

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Coleman Hawkins & Pee Wee Russell - Jam Session In Swingville

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:08
Size: 178.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Swing, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1961/1992
Art: Front

[ 9:30] 1. Jammin' In Swingville
[10:40] 2. Cool Sunrise
[ 7:53] 3. Spring's Swing
[ 7:15] 4. Love Me Or Leave Me
[ 2:43] 5. I Want To Be Happy
[ 7:15] 6. Phoenix
[ 5:31] 7. So Glad
[ 6:47] 8. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[ 6:33] 9. I May Be Wrong
[ 3:54] 10. Vic's Spot
[10:00] 11. Years Ago

This single CD has all of the music reissued in the mid-'70s on a two-LP set. Although sometimes issued under the names of Coleman Hawkins and Pee Wee Russell, the two great jazzmen actually do not appear together. The music, which is performed by two all-star groups with arrangements by either Jimmy Hamilton or Al Sears, is generally modern swing. Hawkins' band is comprised of trumpeter Joe Newman, trombonist J.C. Higginbottham, clarinetist Hamilton, altoist Hilton Jefferson and a four-piece rhythm section. Pianist Cliff Jackson plays "I Want to Be Happy," and clarinetist Russell's outfit also features trumpeter Joe Thomas, trombonist Vic Dickenson and both Al Sears and Buddy Tate on tenors. Nothing all that memorable or innovative occurs, but the performances are enjoyable. ~Scott Yanow

Jam Session In Swingville

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Bud Shank featuring Chet Baker - Michelle

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 24:55
Size: 57,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:28)  1. Michelle
(2:42)  2. Petite Fleur
(2:24)  3. Girl
(2:10)  4. As Tears Go By
(2:27)  5. You Didn't Have To Be So Nice
(2:27)  6. Love Theme, Umbrellas Of Cherbourg
(2:36)  7. Sounds of Silence
(2:39)  8. Turn! Turn! Turn!
(2:39)  9. Yesterday
(2:19) 10. Blue on Blue

Bud Shank’s December 1965 recording, Michelle, consisted primarily of recent pop hits by the likes of the The Beatles, The Byrds and The Mamas and The Papas, arranged for the easy listening market by Bob Florence. Drenched in saccharine strings and given a choral backing, it proved to be a surprise hit, reaching #54 on the US album charts. “Chet showed up late, and wanted to borrow twenty dollars,” Shank later recalled. “Past that, everything was all right. He did exactly what he had to do and did it well.” http://www.funnyvalentine.org/funnyvalentine.org/Michelle.html

Personnel: Bud Shank (alto saxophone, flute); Bob Florence (arranger, conductor)

Michelle

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Renée Fleming - Dark Hope

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:26
Size: 111,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:59)  1. Endlessly
(3:41)  2. No One's Gonna Love You
(4:15)  3. Oxygen
(3:22)  4. Today
(4:19)  5. Intervention
(5:33)  6. With Twilight As My Guide
(3:53)  7. Mad World
(5:01)  8. In Your Eyes
(3:26)  9. Stepping Stone
(3:11) 10. Soul Meets Body
(7:39) 11. Hallelujah

It’s fitting that Renée Fleming, “the people’s diva,” would make an album of pop songs that feels more like a labor of love than a crossover attempt. Dark Hope is filled with songs and arrangements that wouldn’t appear on a typical attempt to bring a classical vocalist into the mainstream witness her dark, intricate take on the Mars Volta’s “With Twilight as My Guide.” It should almost go without saying that Fleming's voice is just as remarkable here as it is in her usual milieu, but the album proves time and again that she is game for just about anything. Fleming learned how to sing in the more intimate, confessional style that Dark Hope's singer/songwriter and alternative rock fare requires just for this project; combined with her interpretive gifts, she does a masterful job of remaining true to the spirit of the original songs while offering her own twists on them. Her voice dances over the wordy, syllable-heavy lyrics of Willy Mason's “Oxygen,” brings a mature moodiness to “Stepping Stone” that was lacking in Duffy's spitfire version, and remains connected to the intimacy in the Arcade Fire’s “Intervention” even as the song swells around her. Indeed, Dark Hope's swelling arrangements are as much a weakness as they are a strength: at times, it feels like the album’s producers didn’t trust that her gorgeous voice singing these songs would be enough of a draw. Quite a few tracks have busy instrumentation that detracts from Fleming's singing; others have arrangements that try too hard to be tastefully contemporary, and dilute the songs’ impact. 

Fleming is divinely torchy on Muse's “Endlessly,” but her trip-hop-tinged surroundings are no match for her rich vocals. Her interpretation of Band of Horses' “No One’s Gonna Love You” is let down by an arrangement that sounds like generic alt-pop though, on the other hand, it’s a relief that it doesn’t sound like A String Tribute to Band of Horses. Despite these problems, both of these songs are among Dark Hope's standout tracks, along with the subtly sultry electro-folk turn on Jefferson Airplane’s “Today” and the urgent yet airy reading of Death Cab for Cutie's “Soul Meets Body.” It’s just frustrating that even songs as revered as Leonard Cohen's “Hallelujah”which is virtually a standard at this point are burdened with anything that takes away from a voice as remarkable as Fleming's singing a melody that powerful. She deserves credit for undertaking such a bold enterprise, but unfortunately Dark Hope's execution lets down the concept. 

~ Heather Phares  http://www.allmusic.com/album/dark-hope-mw0001989615

Dark Hope

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One For All - No Problem

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:23
Size: 145,5 MB
Art: Front

(8:18)  1. Our Father Who Art Blaky
(8:23)  2. No Problem
(8:31)  3. Moanin'
(7:53)  4. Whisper Not
(6:15)  5. Ugetsu
(7:43)  6. Time Off
(7:51)  7. Prelude To A Kiss
(8:28)  8. One For All

This starlit group hits the ground running with drummer Joe Farnsworth's driving tribute to Art Blakey: it's an introduction that says, "we have arrived, folks, just buckle up and ride." Not a hard thing to do and great fun to boot. Recorded at New York's historic Avatar Studios in April of 2003, the sextet's combined mastery and energy are impressive to say the least. "One for All" includes some of the brightest lights in jazz today, who apply themselves to a spirited program of classics and two band originals the aforementioned blistering "Our Father..." and trombonist Steve Davis's infectious closer, "One for All."

Fans of Eric Alexander's masterful tenor work will be especially delighted by his solo on "No Problem." So will David Hazeltine fans, and Jim Rotondi fans, and....in fact, the consistently strong solos are some of the many pleasures of this disk, along with the band's ability to play together as a driving force. The fact that the arrangements of classics like "Moanin'" and "Whisper Not" are pretty standard detracts nothing from the pleasure of their rendering by a group of this caliber. 

On "Time Off," where trombonist Steve Davis first displays the group's communal intention to take no prisoners, I was reminded of the old Maxell ad where the music blows the listener's hair straight back. The guys finally take a breath on "Prelude," in an interesting arrangement where Alexander evokes the ghost of Coltrane's ballad playing and Drummond steps up to the melody. Recorded so frontally that it sounds live, "One for All" is a powerful supergroup recording that cures the winter blues. ~ Dr. Judith Schlesinger  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/no-problem-one-for-all-venus-records-review-by-dr-judith-schlesinger.php

Personnel: Joe Farnsworth (drums), David Hazeltine (piano), Eric Alexander (tenor sax), Jim Rotondi (trumpet), Steve Davis (trombone), Ray Drummond (bass)

No Problem

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Mark Murphy & Metropole Orchestra - The Dream

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2000
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 64:28
Size: 103,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:25)  1. The Dream
(5:20)  2. Since I Fell For You
(4:27)  3. So Many Stars
(3:39)  4. Laura
(4:19)  5. This Is New
(4:54)  6. Sometimes When You're Lonely
(5:58)  7. Gone (Dedicated to Sarah Vaughan)
(3:57)  8. Estate
(5:41)  9. Down Here On The Ground
(1:22) 10. Hopeless (A Blue Girl In a Red Sunrise)
(4:01) 11. Stairway To Paradise
(4:29) 12. I See Your Face Before Me
(3:16) 13. All In Love Is Fair
(3:52) 14. We Can Try Love Again
(4:41) 15. When The World Was Young

Mark Murphy is one of the world's greatest and hippest jazz vocalists performing today. On this album you will find very special and rare recordings, made in Holland with the METROPOL ORCHESTRA in several sessions from the late 60s till early 90s. GREAT arrangements and a great selection of songs! His coterie of fans includes tap dancer Gregory Hines, who spontaneously jumped up on stage at Mark's Las Vegas engagement in 1995 to join him for an impromptu duet. Legendary composer Alec Wilder said of Mark, 'I was quite literally amazed. Mark's musicianship, range, intonation, diction, inventiveness and incredible rhythmic sense are all of a piece and all marvelous.' Vocal greats Betty Carter, Peggy Lee, Cleo Laine and Shirley Horn all sing Murphy's praises as one of the best in he business and the legendary Ella Fitzgerald declared 'he is my equal.' A six-time Grammy nominee, Mark Murphy has enjoyed a prolific 40-year recording career, with over 40 releases to date. His original lyrics to 'Stolen Moments,' 'Red Clay' and more are known the world over. His innovative projects range from the work of Nat 'King' Cole to Jack Kerouac to Ivan Lins to Eddie Jefferson. Stereo Review dubs Mark 'one of the major artists of our age.' Mark Murphy is a jazz singer. 'For decades the question 'What exactly is a jazz singer' 'has had two easy answers, Betty Carter. And Mark Murphy.' writes the New York Post. 'He is arguably the best male jazz singer in the business,' declares Rex Reed. 'Mark Murphy is to jazz singing what Bobby Fisher is to chess.' Jazz journalist Dan Morgenstern writes, 'I can't help relishing his sure and swinging time, his musical and ever-inventive phrasing and that certain quality of sound and feeling combined with time and taste that to me spells jazz.'

Murphy is 'a hipster's hipster,' writes the New York Post. Jazziz magazine concurs, 'he is one of the true remaining jazz hipsters of our time.' 'Mark has devoted a long career to singing the hippest music with the best musicians,' states Leonard Feather. 'Consider the company he has kept on records. In the '60s, Clark Terry, Dick Hyman, Roger Kellaway. In the '70s, David Sanborn and the Brecker Brothers. In the '80s, Frank Morgan, Richie Cole and the Azymuth Trio. Consider the jazzmen to whose instrumental works he has composed and sung lyrics: Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Pat Metheny, Charlie Parker, McCoy Tyner, Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter.' It was Sammy Davis, Jr. who first discovered the young Mark Murphy in 1953 at a jam session in Murphy's hometown of Syracuse, New York. Impressed with Murphy's talent, Davis invited him to his show that night, where he asked Mark to join him on stage. Davis -- to whom Murphy devoted his Muse release, 'What a Way to Go' -- was supportive of Mark throughout the years and was responsible for getting Murphy on the 'Tonight Show' with Steve Allen. It was Allen's composition, 'This Could Be the Start of Something Big,' that Mark recorded a hit rendition of in 1959. More...http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/markmurphy

The Dream

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Shirley Horn - Embers And Ashes: Songs Of Lost Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:08
Size: 167.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[2:32] 1. Like Someone In Love
[3:21] 2. He Never Mentioned Love
[3:22] 3. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
[3:03] 4. I Thought About You
[2:19] 5. Mountain Greenery
[3:40] 6. God Bless The Child
[3:34] 7. Blue City
[2:35] 8. Day By Day
[3:22] 9. If I Should Lose You
[3:45] 10. Wild Is The Wind
[2:54] 11. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[2:09] 12. Just In Time
[4:27] 13. Where Are You Going
[2:14] 14. Bag Of Money
[2:34] 15. Come On Home
[7:08] 16. Do It Again
[3:24] 17. The Eagle And Me
[5:44] 18. Taste Of Honey
[4:49] 19. L.A. Breakdown
[6:04] 20. Consequences Of A Drug Addict Role

Shirley Horn (vcl & p), Al Gafa (g), Joe Benjamin, Lewis Packer, Marshall T. Harris (b), Herb Lovelle, Harry Saunders, Bernard Sweetney (d).

Twofer: Tracks #1-12 from the 12" LP "Embers and Ashes" (Stere-O-Craft #16), Recorded in New York City, 1960. Tracks #13-20 from the 12" LP "Where Are You Going" (Perception Records Stereo PLP 31), Recorded in New York City, 1972.

Shirley Horn was an accomplished pianist who happened to sing extremely well – infinitely superior to almost all of the many so-called jazz singers who were much better known than she was. Shirley Horn sang like Shirley Horn and no one else. There are no mannerisms borrowed from other singers, no phony funk or resorting to cliché. Her control of vibrato was enough to make her exceptional, but her approach to a pretty song was a mature one. As one of the most pleasing and most musical singers in the business: she embraced the melody, without strain or fuss and her singing was unpretentious and full of grace.

This CD set presents her first album, Embers and Ashes, a gem that, considering her eminent reputation and a host of admirers including Miles Davis, remained incomprehensibly forgotten after its release in 1960, and another outstanding album she recorded years later under the title Where Are You Going. Both deserve to be reissued for the benefit of all her fans.

Embers And Ashes: Songs Of Lost Love

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Luiz Bonfá - Solo In Rio 1959

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:47
Size: 150.6 MB
Styles: Samba, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[1:36] 1. Pernambugo
[2:06] 2. Night And Day
[1:23] 3. Shearing
[2:49] 4. Sambolero
[1:43] 5. Calypso Minor
[2:31] 6. Uma Prece
[2:06] 7. Bonfabuloso
[2:34] 8. Luzes Do Rio
[2:29] 9. Bonfa's Song
[3:21] 10. Peridido De Amor
[2:23] 11. Cancao Do Orpheo
[1:59] 12. Amor Sem Adeus
[1:23] 13. Variacoes Em Violao
[2:49] 14. Seringueiro
[1:44] 15. Chopin
[2:46] 16. Bahia
[2:25] 17. Murder
[5:01] 18. A Brazilian In New York
[1:55] 19. Prelude To Adventure In Space
[1:39] 20. Tenderly
[2:14] 21. Blue Madrid
[1:07] 22. Marcha Escocesa
[0:52] 23. Fanfarra (Fanfare)
[1:10] 24. Samba De Orfeu
[1:20] 25. Manhã De Carnaval 2
[1:51] 26. Perdido De Amor 2
[3:06] 27. Sambolero 2
[2:08] 28. Quebra Mar 2
[0:29] 29. Seringueiro Excerpt
[1:59] 30. Seringueiro 2
[2:35] 31. Luzes Do Rio 2

Solo in Rio 1959 stands as a classic in the massive Luiz Bonfa catalog. Originally issued on the Cook label -- named for its owner, famed audio engineer Emory Cook -- it remained a favorite of the guitarist's throughout his lifetime. The Emory Cook Collection is housed and managed by the Smithsonian and as such, Folkways is able to re-release this masterpiece on CD with many added treasures -- there is an additional half-hour of music on the CD. The original featured 17 cuts. The new version contains 32, including an early version of "Samba de Orfeu." While it is true that it is the guitarist and composer's most famous composition and he recorded it many times, this is the only one on solo guitar. This is the first time it appears anywhere. Also included are two versions of the celebrated "Manhã de Carnaval." The second read is a more up-tempo and shorter version that is breathless in its beauty. Other well-known Bonfa compositions that have alternates here are "Perdido de Amor," "Sambolero," "Quebra Maer," and "Luzes do Rio." Another gem is the startling "Prelude to an Adventure in Space," with its hard swinging samba that transmutes into a dirge-like bolero on a dime. Solo in Rio 1959 offers an early hearing of Bonfa as fully developed, in possession of a stunning range of styles and techniques, all of them employable in the service of the song. The deep lyricism and harmonic richness of Bonfa's playing is unlike anything else before or since. Solo in Rio 1959 is a historic release, and one that will hopefully alert an entirely new generation to the work of this master of the guitar. In addition to the beautifully remastered music in this package, there is a fine biographical and musicological essay by Anthony Weller. ~Thom Jurek

Solo In Rio 1959

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Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Like Someone In Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:39
Size: 106.8 MB
Styles: Hard bop
Year: 1960/1997
Art: Front

[8:00] 1. Like Someone In Love
[9:08] 2. Johnny's Blues
[7:51] 3. Noise In The Attic
[8:03] 4. Sleeping Dancer Sleep On
[5:31] 5. Giantis
[8:03] 6. Sleeping Dancer Sleep On (Alt)

Taken from the same sessions that resulted in A Night in Tunisia, this fine CD features the 1960 version of The Jazz Messengers starring trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter and pianist Bobby Timmons. The title cut is the most impressive performance, but this excellent program of high-quality hard bop also allows listeners to hear three obscure Wayne Shorter compositions and Lee Morgan's forgotten "Johnny's Blue." ~Scott Yanow

Like Someone In Love

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Toni Solà & Ignasi Terraza Trio - Night Sounds

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:32
Size: 125,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:37)  1. End Of A Love Affair (Redding)
(5:19)  2. You've Changed
(4:30)  3. Just In Time
(5:38)  4. Quintessence
(4:57)  5. Beautiful Love
(4:57)  6. My Romance
(4:32)  7. Afternoon In Paris (Lewis)
(5:24)  8. Ciao, Ciao (Turrentine)
(3:48)  9. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
(4:40) 10. When Sunny Gets Blue
(6:06) 11. Night Sounds Blues

Hard to find Toni Solà recording debut as leader, finally available. Really a collector's item and a must have for Modern Mainstream fans. A job emerged from the collaboration of saxophonist Toni Solà with the trio of Ignasi Terraza. There, Toni’s saxophone, with a warm and sensual sound, will gradually seducing us with his serenity and lyricism.  Accompanied by a magnificent Ignasi Terraza trio who shows, with elegance and authority, a wide range of stylistic resources. We can advise in this record this group’s sweet moment, emphasized by the maturity and training reached after three months of playing the show “Jazz a les fosques” on a daily basis, just before this recording. The repertoire, consisting of little known standards, surprise us nailing the proposal. Night falls, the silence is imposed, the time has come to hear the “night sounds.” http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/night_sounds-cd-5548.html

Featuring: Toni Solà (ts & ss), Ignasi Terraza (p), Manuel Alvarez (b), Oriol Bordas (d)

Night Sounds

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Anthony Brown - Far East Suite

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:23
Size: 143,3 MB
Art: Front

( 6:43)  1. Tourist Point of View
( 3:06)  2. Bluebird of Delhi (Mynah)
( 7:02)  3. Isfahan
( 2:47)  4. Depk
( 1:29)  5. Mount Harissa (Prelude)
( 8:24)  6. Mount Harissa
( 5:51)  7. Blue Pepper (Far East of the Blues)
( 3:43)  8. Agra
( 8:02)  9. Amad
(15:12) 10. Ad Lib on Nippon

Of all the compositions Duke Ellington rolled out during his 1960s tenure on the U.S. State Department international touring circuit, Far East Suite was clearly the jewel in 1966 and has remained so since. The Ellington orchestra's famed recording of the work is cited as the best of his '60s material. And perhaps he could have imagined the suite as it appears in the thriving context of percussionist Anthony Brown's Asian American Orchestra. Brown spirits the work away, keeping central parts extra-Ellingtonian, with flourishes from different band sections running headlong across each other, especially on "Ad Lib on Nippon." Brown's band is incredibly resourceful, making a dozen players frequently sound like a much fuller orchestra. Jon Jang plays a double-take-worthy rendition of the original's piano parts, sprucing them with big keyboard blasts here and there but otherwise remaining largely faithful to the score. The horn soloists step out from the tight arrangements in stunning fashion, especially Hafez Modirzadeh's tenor solo on "Mount Harissa" and Melecio Magdaluyo's growling baritone on "Agra." The band interpolates several traditional Asian melodic additions into the Ellingtonian foundation, adding Chinese wind instruments beautifully to "Blue Pepper" and enlivening the overall piece with elements that make it in many ways even more compelling than the original. Brown has been nominated for a 1999 Grammy Award for this work, recognition of a flawless nod to and updating of an Ellington classic. It's one of the most thoughtful and creative tributes to the Duke on record. ~ Andrew Bartlett – Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Far-East-Suite-Duke-Ellington/dp/B00004DTMB

Asian American Jazz Orchestra: Anthony Brown (leader, drums, gong); Hafez Modirzadeh (alto & tenor saxophones, Persian flute, alto clarinet, double-reed instruments, frame drum); Jim Norton (alto & baritone saxophones, piccolo, clarinet, bassoon); Francis Wong (tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet); Melecio Magdaluyo (alto & baritone saxophones); Louis Fasman, John Worley (trumpet, flugelhorn); Qi Chao Liu (reed trumpet, bamboo flute, Chinese mouth organ); Wayne Wallace, Dave Martell (trombone); Mark Izu (Chinese mouth organ, bass); Jon Jang (piano).

Far East Suite

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Wayne Escoffery - Live at Smalls

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:29
Size: 138,7 MB
Art: Front

(13:36)  1. Concentric Drift
(14:26)  2. So Tender
(11:13)  3. A Cottage For Sale
(13:04)  4. Sweet And Lovely
( 8:08)  5. Snibor

"Young Lions" is a term that jazz journalists have been using to describe the long list of straight-ahead, acoustic-oriented jazz improvisers who were born in the '60s, '70s, and '80s, and London native Wayne Escoffery is among the many Young Lions who started building his catalog in the early 2000s. Escoffery, who plays post-bop and hard bop, is a tenor saxophonist with a big, full tone; his influences on the tenor have included, among others, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, and Sonny Rollins. Escoffery plays the soprano sax as a second instrument, and his most obvious inspirations on the soprano include Coltrane and Shorter. But whether he is on the tenor or the soprano, Escoffery has maintained a decidedly straight-ahead perspective that is quite faithful to the spirit of the Young Lion movement. Although he is originally from Great Britain, he has spent most of his life in the northeastern part of the United States. Born in London on February 23, 1975, Escoffery was only 11 when he left the U.K. with his mother and moved to New Haven, CT in 1986. 

That year, he joined the New Haven Trinity Boys Choir, and it was also in 1986 that he began studying the tenor sax with saxophonist/clarinetist Malcolm Dickinson. Escoffery left the New Haven Trinity Boys Choir when he was 16, and playing jazz saxophone not singing became his primary focus. Escoffery was still in his teens when he met the famous alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, who Escoffery has described as a mentor and a major inspiration in his life; Escoffery studied with McLean (who died in 2006) extensively at the Hartt School, a performing arts school in West Hartford. After that, he attended the New England Conservatory in Boston and graduated from that institution with a Masters in 1999 before moving to New York City the following year at the age of 25. Escoffery's visibility in the jazz world continued to increase; in the 2000s, his long list of activities ranged from being a member of trumpeter Tom Harrell's quintet to playing with the Charles Mingus ghost band to touring with veteran drummer Ben Riley's Monk Legacy Septet (a Thelonious Monk tribute band). Escoffery also backed his share of jazz vocalists in the 2000s, including Laverne Butler, Mary Stallings, Carolyn Leonhart, Cynthia Scott and Nancie Banks. Escoffery's first album as a leader, Times Change, was recorded for the German Nagel-Hayer label in early 2001; a second Nagel-Heyer studio date, Intuition, was recorded in 2003. Escoffery's first live album, Veneration, was recorded in 2006 for the Savant label and was followed by a studio session for Savant, Hopes and Dreams, in 2007. ~ Alex Henderson  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/wayne-escoffery/id44804239#fullText

Personnel: Wayne Escoffery (tenor saxophone); Dave Kikoski (piano); Ralph Peterson (drums).

Live at Smalls

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