Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Michelle Walker - Slow Down

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:11
Size: 119.5 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[3:51] 1. Nature Boy
[3:46] 2. Be My Baby
[2:27] 3. Pennies From Heaven
[4:15] 4. East Of The Sun
[3:52] 5. The Very Thought Of You
[2:42] 6. Sometimes I'm Happy
[4:25] 7. Summertime
[2:48] 8. Straighten Up And Fly Right
[3:40] 9. Kiss Of Life
[2:49] 10. Daddy
[4:05] 11. Slow Down
[3:59] 12. Your Song
[3:27] 13. Time After Time
[2:43] 14. Crazy He Calls Me
[3:14] 15. On The Sunny Side Of The Street

Her arrangements of straight-ahead standards and contemporary pop tunes blend genres effortlessly and with a fresh level of originality that is solidifying her own distinctive sound. Dave Nathan at AllAboutJazz.com says, Walker demonstrates an extraordinary degree of musicality. Michelle is often compared to Cassandra Wilson, Nina Simone and Betty Carter in style and tone. Based in New York City, Michelle Walker is a versatile singer blessed with a beautifully distinctive voice. This charismatic jazz vocalist uses an artful blend of blues, bebop, swing and soul that provides a musical playground for her and her band mates. With playful rhythmic expressiveness, Walker brings a level of sophisticated musicality to her lyrical phrasing that reveals her appreciation for mentor Mark Murphy. Yet, it is in her live performances where you hear the influences of Carter, Simone and Wilson. All seem to have provided her with a musical foundation but her study of them does not seem to have skewed her journey to find a singular voice.

Slow Down

Sonny Fortune - You and the Night and the Music

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:37
Size: 132,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:38)  1. Sweet Georgia Brown
(7:56)  2. You and the Night and the Music
(7:12)  3. Charade
(6:48)  4. 'Round Midnight
(6:37)  5. Besame Mucho
(6:05)  6. Love Song
(7:44)  7. The End of a Love Affair
(5:08)  8. For Duke and Cannon
(5:24)  9. BeBop

From the generation of post-bop saxophonists following in the shadow of John Coltrane, multi-instrumentalist Sonny Fortune comes closest to capturing Coltrane's spirit and intensity. Since the late 1960s, Fortune has made an indelible mark on jazz history, collaborating with Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis and Mongo Santamaria, among other luminaries. Despite his numerous side-man appearances and a fertile solo career, he remains a respected but unsung hero of the jazz cognoscenti. Dominated by standards and traditional tunes, You and the Night and the Music is a rarity in his oeuvre. The majority of Fortune's discography concentrates on his own compositions augmented with the occasional classic cover tune. Two Thelonious Monk tributes, Monk's Mood (Konnex, 1995) and Four In One (Blue Note, 1993), are the only sessions released under his own name where he isn't the primary writer.

Reveling in the tight-knit camaraderie of a veteran ensemble, his previous release, Continuum (Sound Reason, 2004), featured a similar line-up. Pianist George Cables, bassist Chip Jackson and drummer Steve Johns have all played with Fortune for well over a decade. With effusive commentary and attentive interaction, they revitalize these durable favorites with inspired verve and subtle twists.At age 68 Fortune shows no sign of losing steam. His tart alto tone and keening vibrato uncoil rapid-fire intervallic leaps and roiling cadences on a sweltering reading of "BeBop." Even the old chestnut, "Sweet Georgia Brown," is given a punchy reading as the quartet careens along with visceral ebullience.

Borrowing rhythmic traditions south of the border, the title track and "The End of a Love Affair" simmer over percolating Latin grooves. With winning invention, Henry Mancini's lilting "Charade" is given a noir-ish twist, transformed into a sultry escapade. Revealing a tender side, the leader's lyrical flute work on "'Round Midnight" and Cable's own "Love Song" attest to his melodic gifts. Demonstrating melodic maturity, deep-seated respect for tradition and an adventurous improvisational spirit, Fortune's tight-knit quartet re-envisions timeless standards as fertile launching pads for continued exploration. 
~ Troy Collins  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/you-and-the-night-and-the-music-sonny-fortune-18th-and-vine-review-by-troy-collins.php

Personnel: Sonny Fortune: alto saxophone, flute; George Cables: piano; Chip Jackson: double bass; Steve Johns: drums.

You and the Night and the Music

Duke Ellington & Teresa Brewer - It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:02
Size: 68,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:05)  1. It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
(3:18)  2. I Ain't Got Nothing' But The Blues
(2:27)  3. Satin Doll
(3:49)  4. Mood Indigo
(2:53)  5. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(2:05)  6. I'm Beginning To See The Light
(2:37)  7. I've Got To Be A Rugcutter
(3:36)  8. I've Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
(1:55)  9. Tulip Or Turnip
(2:18) 10. It's Kind Of Lonesome Out Tonight
(1:53) 11. Poco Mucho

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American composer, pianist and bandleader of jazz orchestras. He led his orchestra from 1923 until his death, his career spanning over 50 years. Born in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s onward, and gained a national profile through his orchestra's appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem. In the 1930s, his orchestra toured in Europe. Though widely considered to have been a pivotal figure in the history of jazz, Ellington embraced the phrase "beyond category" as a liberating principle, and referred to his music as part of the more general category of American Music, rather than to a musical genre such as jazz. Some of the musicians who were members of Ellington's orchestra, such as saxophonist Johnny Hodges, are considered to be among the best players in jazz. Ellington melded them into the best-known orchestral unit in the history of jazz. Some members stayed with the orchestra for several decades. 

A master at writing miniatures for the three-minute 78 rpm recording format, Ellington often composed specifically to feature the style and skills of his individual musicians.Often collaborating with others, Ellington wrote more than one thousand compositions; his extensive body of work is the largest recorded personal jazz legacy, with many of his extant works having become standards. Ellington also recorded songs written by his bandsmen, for example Juan Tizol's "Caravan", and "Perdido", which brought a Spanish tinge to big band jazz. After 1941, Ellington collaborated with composer-arranger-pianist Billy Strayhorn, whom he called his writing and arranging companion. With Strayhorn, he composed many extended compositions, or suites, as well as additional short pieces. Following an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival, in July 1956, Ellington and his orchestra enjoyed a major career revival and embarked on world tours. Ellington recorded for most American record companies of his era, performed in several films, scoring several, and composed stage musicals. Due to his inventive use of the orchestra, or big band, and thanks to his eloquence and charisma, Ellington is generally considered to have elevated the perception of jazz to an art form on a par with other traditional musical genres. His reputation continued to rise after his death, and he was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize for music in 1999. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington

Teresa Brewer (May 7, 1931 – October 17, 2007) was an American pop singer whose style incorporated elements of country, jazz, R&B, musicals and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of the 1950s, recording nearly 600 songs.Theresa Veronica Breuer was born in Toledo, Ohio, the eldest of five siblings. Her father was a glass inspector for the Libbey Owens Company (now part of Pilkington Glass), and her mother was a housewife. When she was two years old, her mother entered her in an audition for a radio program, Uncle August's Kiddie Show on Toledo's WSPD. She performed for cookies and cupcakes donated by the sponsor. Although she never took singing lessons, she took tap dancing lessons. From age five to twelve, she sang and danced on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour, then a popular touring radio show. Her aunt Mary traveled with Theresa until 1949, when Theresa wed William Monahan.

At the age of 12, Brewer returned to Toledo and ceased touring in order to have a normal school life. She continued to perform on local radio. In January 1948, the 16-year-old won a local competition, and (with three other winners) was sent to New York to appear on a talent show called Stairway to the Stars, featuring Eddie Dowling. It was at about that time that she changed the spelling of her name from Theresa Breuer to Teresa Brewer. She won a number of talent shows and played night clubs in New York (including the Latin Quarter) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Brewer

It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing

Hendrik Meurkens - A Night In Jakarta

Styles: Harmonica jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:05
Size: 123,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:01)  1. A Night in Jakarta
(5:36)  2. A Ilha
(5:05)  3. Choronto
(4:41)  4. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(4:20)  5. September Choro
(6:21)  6. The Winter Sea
(6:36)  7. Bolero Para Paquito
(2:52)  8. Choro no.8
(6:51)  9. Prague In March
(4:39) 10. Here's That Rainy Day

Ever since he started taking harmonica solos in the mid-'50s, Toots Thielemans has been without any close competition on his instrument, at least until Hendrik Meurkens arrived on the scene. Born in Germany to Dutch parents, Meurkens began as a vibraphonist, not playing harmonica until he heard Thielemans when he was 19. He traveled to the U.S. to study at Berklee and spent time in Brazil in the early '80s, during which he immersed himself in Brazilian jazz. Back in Berlin, Meurkens worked in the studios, but also recorded with the Danish Radio Orchestra and had his own jazz group. He made a record in Brazil for the Bellaphon label (1989) and since 1991 has recorded several sets for Concord and Concord Picante as a leader, in addition to appearing on records as a sideman with Charlie Byrd. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/hendrik-meurkens-mn0000575401/biography

Personnel:  Hendrik Meurkens - harmonica, vibes;  Misha Tsiganov – piano, fender rhodes;  Gustavo Amarante – bass; Adriano Santos – drums, pandeiro, perc.

A Night In Jakarta

Paul Motian Trio - One Time Out

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:18
Size: 113,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:47)  1. One Time Out
(5:24)  2. If You Could See Me Now
(4:22)  3. For the Love of Sarah
(5:04)  4. The Storyteller
(5:06)  5. Portrait of T.
(5:54)  6. Morpion
(7:33)  7. Monk's Mood
(4:22)  8. Good Idea
(5:43)  9. Circle Dance

The key to this unusual trio is not the muscular tenor of Joe Lovano or the propulsive timekeeping of the drummer/leader but the remarkable guitarist Bill Frisell. Able to somehow produce sounds from this guitar that could be mistaken for a keyboard or a steel guitar, in styles ranging from heavy metal and avant-garde jazz to country music, Frisell is the reason that the trio can sound like a full band despite not having a keyboardist or a bassist. The music, which includes seven Motian originals along with "Monk's Mood" and "If You Could See Me Now," features both intense three-way free improvisations and introspective spacey ballads. Few of the tunes themselves will stick in one's mind (although "Morpion" could be an imaginary meeting betwee 1966 John Coltrane and Jimi Hendrix) but it is the basic sound of the unique group that makes the CD of great interest. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/one-time-out-mw0000316600

Personnel:  Paul Motian (drums), Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone), Bill Frisell (guitar).

One Time Out

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Diahann Carroll - Fun Life

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:24
Size: 69.6 MB
Styles: Pop-jazz vocals
Year: 1961/2005
Art: Front

[2:39] 1. Let's Face The Music And Dance
[2:47] 2. Runnin' Wild
[2:49] 3. Once Is Enough For Me
[3:09] 4. Falling In Love Again
[2:15] 5. Don't Worry 'bout Me
[1:43] 6. I'm Not At All In Love
[3:02] 7. The Boys In The Backroom
[2:10] 8. Fun Life
[2:06] 9. Do What You Wanna Do
[3:04] 10. There'll Be Some Changes Made
[2:48] 11. Blah, Blah, Blah
[1:46] 12. I Don't Care

Still only in her mid-twenties, Diahann Carroll had a varied career leading up to her sole Atlantic Records album, including nightclub appearances, several albums on RCA Victor and United Artists, and appearances in such musical films as Carmen Jones and Porgy & Bess (although her singing was dubbed in by others). But she remained best-known for her appearance in the 1954 Broadway musical House of Flowers, a succès d'estime that annotator Roger Whitaker brought up immediately in his liner notes to Fun Life. It was that credit which legitimized Carroll's credentials as an interpreter of show music, but she further made her case here, handling favorites by Irving Berlin and the Gershwins. The obvious antecedent for Carroll was Lena Horne, but her voice had a purer tone and much less archness. She was content to float where Horne might have pounced, and this was most noticeable in her versions of two songs associated with the quintessentially arch Marlene Dietrich, "Falling in Love Again, Can't Help It" and "The Boys in the Backroom." Where Dietrich sang the former with a bored sophistication and the latter with a raucous lustiness, Carroll remained playful and kittenish throughout. As usual, arranger/conductor Peter Matz contoured his charts to match his singer's style and energy; he even contributed a good tune, "Once Is Enough for Me." Carroll's lightness of tone made her an excellent choice for her next defining stage role, which was less than a year away, the black lover of a white writer in Richard Rodgers' No Strings. ~William Ruhlmann

Fun Life

Lee Morgan - The Gigolo

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:10
Size: 108.0 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1965/2006
Art: Front

[ 7:21] 1. Yes I Can, No You Can't
[ 5:57] 2. Trapped
[ 5:29] 3. Speedball
[11:00] 4. The Gigolo
[ 7:19] 5. You Go To My Head
[10:01] 6. The Gigolo

Lee Morgan was the leading trumpeter in hard bop during the 1960s and he recorded quite a few classic albums for Blue Note. This is one of them. The CD reissue (which adds an alternate take of the title cut to the original five-song program) features Morgan at his best, whether playing his memorable blues "Speed Ball," an explorative ballad version of "You Go to My Head," a lengthy "The Gigolo," or his other two originals ("Yes I Can, No You Can't" and "Trapped"). There are no weak selections on this set and the playing by the leader, Wayne Shorter on tenor, pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Billy Higgins is beyond any serious criticism. ~Scott Yanow

The Gigolo

David Basse & The City Light Orchestra - Kansas City Live

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:19
Size: 117.5 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[5:45] 1. St. James Infirmary
[3:43] 2. Do Nothing 'til You Hear From Me
[2:31] 3. The Gypsy In My Soul
[4:29] 4. The Eyes Of A Desperado
[6:27] 5. Kansas City
[9:12] 6. Little Sunflower
[5:35] 7. St. Louis Bound/Mary Ann
[3:09] 8. She's No Lady, She's My Wife
[3:57] 9. Caldonia
[6:27] 10. Roberta

David Basse (vocals, drums, percussion), Gerald Dunn (saxophone), Pat Morrisey (trumpet, background vocals), Tim Perryman (trombone), Joe Cartwright (piano), Ricky Anderson (bass).

The City Light Orchestra has long been Kansas City's premier jazz and blues ensemble. Releasing their first recording Raised Spirits to a packed house at KC's Folly Theater, the group then hit the road and appeared at the Improv in Los Angeles, New York's Hanratty's, Santa Fe's Club West and Antoine's in Austin. Gary Giddins called David Basse and the City Light Orchestra 'one of the best swing bands to come out of Kansas City since Jay McShann's.' On Kansas City Live, trumpeter Pat Morrissey is a driving force in the band and coproduced this swinging CD.

Kansas City Live

Karsu Dönmez - Live Aan't Ij

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:12
Size: 85.2 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:47] 1. Mistress
[4:18] 2. Three Lives
[2:08] 3. Mona
[5:47] 4. Divane Asik Gibi (Rutger (Rutti) Kroese & Karsu Dönmez)
[3:50] 5. Our Memoirs
[5:31] 6. I'll Leave Alone
[4:34] 7. Suffer Too Long
[7:15] 8. Adio Kerida

Bass – Egemen Maden; Cello – Bence Huszar; Drums – Kağan Han; Guitar – Sebastiaan Lunsingh Scheurleer; Lead Vocals, Piano – Karsu Dönmez; Ney – Tamer Coşkun; Trumpet – Jan van Duikeren; Violin, Vocals – Müge Alpay.

Karsu is a multi-talent. The Dutch musician with Turkish roots is not only a gifted singer and pianist, but also a composer, musical arranger and lyricist. Karsu wrote almost all the compositions for her debut album CONFESSION (2012), as well as for her latest album COLORS (2015).

Since her early youth Karsu has been performing on local and international stages. She started playing for an audience as a young girl in her father’s restaurant, Kilim, in Amsterdam, Holland. From there she made it to the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, she played the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Istanbul Jazz Festival and she performed – a few times already – at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York. Already from a very young age it became obvious that Karsu has music flowing through her veins. As a child she was fascinated by piano music. “I saw those pianists on television with their long, flowing hair, these Einstein-like types and I thought, “That’s really cool” I was instantly fascinated by the tunes they played,” is how Karsu describes her love for her favorite instrument.

When she was 7 years old Karsu got her own piano and started taking music classes immediately. She learned to play classical pieces by Chopin, Mozart, Bach and Beethoven, alongside traditional Turkish songs and contemporary jazz songs. Karsu started singing more or less by chance, following a school competition. “When I was in high school, I participated in an open music competition. I wanted to compete on piano, but to my surprise, I won in the vocal category. I had been practising the piano for years and here I was, winning with my voice.”

Karsu suspected the members of the jury of giving her false compliments. “At that time tv-formats like Idols just started to become popular. Sometimes less talented singers also competed and they would tell the jury: “You might think I’m a bad singer but people in my favourite cafe always tell me that I’m great.” I thought, maybe the jury gives me compliments just to be nice to me? I mean, you can not judge yourself, is it? But suddenly I was asked to perform as a singer.” Karsu’s voice appeared to be very distinctive for such a young girl: adult, deep and strong. Close your eyes and you under the impression that you are listening to a ‘big, old jazz mama’ from New Orleans.

Karsu has since toured at home and abroad. In her last theater tour 2014-2015, called ‘From New York to Istanbul’, she recollects her experiences during the many trips she made. If Karsu is not performing somewhere, she is working on new material.

Live Aan't Ij

Frank Wess - Magic 201

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:24
Size: 117.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[5:11] 1. It Could Happen To You
[6:28] 2. A Cottage For Sale
[3:56] 3. After Paris
[4:57] 4. The Summer Knows
[7:02] 5. Embraceable You
[8:43] 6. Blues For Ruby
[9:24] 7. If You Can't Call, Don't Come
[5:40] 8. If It's The Last Thing I Do

Frank Wellington Wess was born on January 4th 1922 in Kansas City, Missouri. 
 At the age of 10 he started to learn the alto saxophone. The great saxophonist and flute player, a pioneer of that instrument in jazz, died on October 30 at age 91. Wess spent over a decade with Count Basie beginning in 1953; Dan Morgenstern called him the band's "spark plug." He was active until the last weeks of his long life. After moving to Washington DC he started playing in local bands, first on alto and later on tenor saxophone as well. During World War II Frank played tenor saxophone and solo clarinet in the army band and later led a band accompanying Josephine Baker. 
Baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan has said, `His playing was always heartfelt and soulful, and his way with ballads could make you cry and shake your head in disbelief wondering how a person could cajole that much spirit from a saxophone.'

And so this new recording serves as a mighty epitaph for the genius Frank Wess that is no longer with us. The ensemble gather for this recording is as follows: Frank Wess, tenor and flute, Kenny Barron, Piano, Rufus Reid, bass, Russell Malone, Guitar, Winard Harper, drums. ~Grady Harp

Magic 201

Monday, February 1, 2016

Johnny Summers - Piano Sessions Vol. 1 (Deluxe Editon)

Size: 131,7 MB
Time: 56:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. I Wonder (Feat. Chris Andrew) (3:41)
02. She Thinks I Still Care (Feat. Chris Andrew) (5:50)
03. Maybe This Time (Feat. Chris Andrew) (5:35)
04. Dream A Little Dream Of Me (Feat. Chris Andrew) (3:20)
05. Folsom Prison Blues (Feat. Chris Andrew) (3:52)
06. My Baby Just Cares For Me (Feat. Chris Andrew) (3:14)
07. Simple Song (Feat. Chris Andrew) (4:19)
08. Exactly Like You (Feat. Chris Andrew) (2:39)
09. You Don't Know Me (Feat. Chris Andrew) (5:50)
10. I'm An Errand Boy For Rhythm (Feat. Chris Andrew) (4:08)
11. Going Home (Feat. Chris Andrew) (4:30)
12. Look For The Silver Lining (Feat. Chris Andrew) (3:41)
13. This Time The Dreams On Me (Feat. Chris Andrew) (5:52)

Johnny Summers is a triple threat musician – trumpet player, singer, and song writer/arranger. He’s from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In addition to having played and sung at various venues, he founded the Calgary Jazz Orchestra, the first permanent repertory large jazz ensemble in Canada. It was formed ten years ago and is still going strong.

On his Piano Sessions, Volume 1 CD, Summers collaborated with pianist Chris Andrew for an intimate, smoky bar album that is mellow in all the right ways. Various guest artists are imported for some of the tracks but the overall idea of intimacy is preserved throughout. That said and the fact that are no drums, might fool you into thinking there’s no rhythm; but Andrew provides plenty of it, helped by Sheldon Valleau’s mandolin playing on two tracks.

Interestingly enough, the album is not all jazz standards, since there are country & western tunes and one Broadway song via Hollywood. That latter piece is “Maybe this Time” from the film version of Cabaret, such a success that it’s now incorporated into many stage productions of the show. The country & western songs are quite different from one another. One is “She Still Thinks I Care,” the other one is “You Don’t Know Me.” The former is given a barroom flavor by the piano, the latter is accorded pop anthem treatment. Both are sung and played by just Summers and Andrew, which doesn’t ever seem like a deficiency of forces.

The albums quieter moments are among the best. The disc ends with a poignant rendition of “Going Home,” which proves that you don’t have to play fast and loud to make a point. Summers puts down the trumpet to sing his own composition, “Simple Song.” I think it’s the best thing on this disc, a very appealing love song that is kept, as the title implies, plain and simple, direct and moving. I can hear other singers covering it in my mind, which doesn’t mean Summers doesn’t give it a good reading, just that it’s a good enough song that others should want it in their playbooks. As a performer, Summers’ trumpet playing is beyond reproach but his singing could use a little polish.

The recorded sound is also simple and direct. Vocals and instrumentals are presented realistically, with just the right warmth so the clarity is never in doubt. ~Rad Bennett

Piano Sessions Vol. 1

Marc Ferrer Trio - 3 Coffees

Size: 134,9 MB
Time: 57:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Blues
Art: Front

01. 3 Coffees (4:16)
02. Down By The Riverside (5:10)
03. The World Is In Your Hands (4:17)
04. Night Train (5:11)
05. Fat Morning (3:56)
06. Masquefa (4:57)
07. La Bella Y La Bestia De Su Madre (3:26)
08. Barcelona In Blues (5:04)
09. 7 Roses (4:19)
10. The Watergate Blues (4:12)
11. Shot (3:49)
12. Mare (4:20)
13. Miriam's Song (4:50)

Personnel:
Marc Ferrer: Piano
Pep Rius: Upright bass
Olivier Rocque: Drums

He began playing piano at 5 years and are studying piano and music theory at the Conservatory of Barcelona. From an early age begin to show interest in Blues and Jazz. After being in several bands, in 1996 he joined the group & the Hot Wheels Chevy, now recreated as The Big Jamboree, with two discs edited.

Also part of The Big 3, released an album with Velvet Candles, Big5 and has collaborated with musicians like Big Dani Perez released three albums, Augustine Burriel, Pablo Ruiz, Eugenio Muriel, Alba Pujol and international artists such as Dale Hawkins (composer of the legendary song "Suzy Q"), Barrence Whitefield, Roddy Jackson, The Extraordinaires and JD McPherson.

He has performed in several rooms at La Boîte highlight the Jamboree, Belluno Jazz Club Milano Cocktail Bar, Marula, Casa Fuster, El Sol (Madrid) ...

He has also performed at various festivals highlight the Festival of Barcelona Blues Festival Cerdanyola Blues, Jazz Festival Escaldes Engordany (Andorra), Santa Blues de Tenerife, Crossroads Gijon, Jingle Bell Rock (Alicante), R & R Festival Paris Toulouse Country Rock, Rock & Roll Festival Attignat (FANCI), Jazz Cittaducale (Rome), Moondog (Ravenna) Hemsby (UK), Rhythm 'Riot (UK) and Blues Festival Benicássim. ~automatic translation.

3 Coffees

Takako Uemura - Common Ground

Size: 107,6 MB
Time: 46:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Common Ground Intro (0:30)
02. Common Ground (3:28)
03. I've Never Been In Love Before (4:25)
04. Once I Had A Sweetheart (3:39)
05. Some Other Time (6:02)
06. That Old Feeling (2:56)
07. Waltz For Debby (4:29)
08. Reach Out For Me (4:06)
09. They Can't Take That Away From Me (3:05)
10. Lazy Afternoon (5:14)
11. Moonglow (4:05)
12. We'll Be Together Again (3:57)

Born and raised on the Japanese island of Hokkaido.Takako's debut CD " Common Ground" was produced by world renowned drummer Peter Erskine. The CD also includes Vadan Ovsepian on piano, Joshua Davis on bass, Bob Shepperd on saxophone, Mitchell Long on guitar, Mike Mainieri on vibes, Judd Miller on synthesizer and Peter Erskine on drums bring out unique sound that evokes a nostalgic of exotic worldliness.

Common Ground

Mel Lewis - Live In Montreux: Mel Lewis & The Jazz Orchestra Play The Compositions Of Herbie Hancock

Size: 113,9 MB
Time: 49:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1982/2016
Styles: Jazz: Big Band, Bop, Post Bop
Art: Front

01. One Finger Snap ( 8:50)
02. Dolphin Dance ( 9:40)
03. Wiggle Waggle ( 8:01)
04. Speak Like A Child (10:47)
05. Eye Of The Hurricane (11:55)

Personnel:
Alto Saxophone – Dick Oatts, Steve Coleman
Baritone Saxophone – Gary Pribek
Bass – John Lockwood
Bass Clarinet – Gary Pribek
Bass Trombone – Doug Purviance, Earl McIntyre
Clarinet – Dick Oatts, Joe Lovano, Richard Perry, Steve Coleman
Drums – Mel Lewis
Flugelhorn – Earl Gardner, Joe Mosello, John Marshall, Simo Salminen
Flute – Dick Oatts, Joe Lovano, Richard Perry, Steve Coleman
French Horn – Stephanie Fauber
Piano – Jim McNeely
Soprano Saxophone – Dick Oatts, Steve Coleman
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Lovano, Richard Perry
Trombone – John Mosca, Lee Robertson
Trumpet – Earl Gardner, Joe Mosello, John Marshall, Simo Salminen

The 1980 version of the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra performs five Herbie Hancock tunes arranged by Bob Mintzer, quite an assignment for the young tenor saxophonist, who was not even a member of the big band. Mintzer's reworkings of such tunes as "Dolphin Dance" and "Speak Like a Child" are fresh and unpredictable. Such soloists are featured as pianist Jim McNeely, altoist Dick Oatts, future tenor great Joe Lovano (heard on "Eye of the Hurricane"), and trumpeter Earl Gardner; also in the band at the time (but not featured) is altoist Steve Coleman. It is a pity that this music (originally put out on the European MPS label and made available domestically by the now-defunct Pausa label) is difficult to find. ~by Scott Yanow

Live In Montreux

The Nola Jazz Band - Vol. 1 Genesis: Live From The Ark

Size: 153,7 MB
Time: 65:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: New Orleans Jazz/Blues, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Livery Stable Blues (Live) (5:02)
02. I'm Checkin' Out Goombye (Live) (2:51)
03. Horn Man Blues (Live) (6:34)
04. Tin Roof Blues (Live) (6:08)
05. Don't Let Your Love Go Wrong (Live) (5:13)
06. Lucky Devil (Live) (4:26)
07. Si Tu Vois Ma Mere (Live) (4:04)
08. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (Live) (5:02)
09. Bring It Back (Live) (3:57)
10. So Is The Day (Live) (4:48)
11. Rattlin' Bones (Live) (3:04)
12. Yellow Moon (Live) (3:04)
13. Queen Of Your Dreams (Live) (2:56)
14. All About The Bass (Live) (3:56)
15. Farewell Blues (Live) (4:24)

The NOLA Jazz Band has been together for a few years and is taking the country by storm. All band members have a common love for the sound and “feel” of both traditional and current New Orleans based music – real, gutsy, raw, heartfelt, and entertaining. They enjoy playing off the energy of their audiences, and truly have fun playing together. Their regular monthly gig at the jazz club "The Basement" is standing room only or sold out each month since starting in March, 2015.

They are scheduled to play five festivals the summer of 2016 and are in continued demand as they build their reputation across the US. Band members have played with, and alongside a number of well-known traditional jazz groups including Davina Sowers of Davina & the Vagabonds, and other famous musicians in the US, and abroad including Delfeayo Marsalis, and Kurt Elling to name just a few.

Fans have been heard to say "I don't like jazz, but I LOVE this group", "They are fun and entertaining, I can't classify them", "Their singer is awesome!", "fun, lively, and entertaining". Download for yourself and see what everyone is talking about.

Vol. 1 Genesis: Live From The Ark

Jenny Maybee & Nick Phillips - Haiku (Feat. Paul Eastburn)

Size: 137,4 MB
Time: 59:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Haiku (6:55)
02. You (6:29)
03. Interstellar (5:14)
04. The Meaning Of The Blues (5:28)
05. Blue Monk (4:51)
06. The Setting Sun (3:57)
07. Autumn Moon (2:13)
08. Winter Butterflies (5:52)
09. Heaven (5:08)
10. Idyll Surreal (6:10)
11. Now And Then (6:47)

The collaboration between pianist/vocalist/songwriter/arranger Jenny Maybee and trumpet player/producer/songwriter/arranger Nick Phillips began with a chance meeting at the 2014 West Coast Songwriter’s conference. They discovered a shared love for music arising from a place of stillness, inspired and framed by silence, and conveying frequencies of appreciation, awe, and love. Focusing their shared musical exploration on the experience of the sound and creating a space for relaxed improvisation, the duo developed original compositions and reimagined favorite standards, for the pure joy of making music together.

Opportunity knocked when esteemed audiophile recording engineer, Cookie Marenco, approached Phillips about recording his next project project at her legendary OTR Studios.

The result is the mesmerizing Jenny Maybee & Nick Phillips album, Haiku.

Haiku

Jay McShann, Jimmy Witherspoon - Jay McShann Meets J. Witherspoon

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:44
Size: 171.1 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues, R&B
Year: 1958/2009
Art: Front

[2:41] 1. Spoon Calls Hootie
[2:29] 2. Bar Fly Blues
[3:03] 3. Roll On Katy
[2:53] 4. Please Stop Playing Those Blues, Boy
[2:39] 5. Gone With The Blues
[2:56] 6. In The Evening
[5:57] 7. Ain't Nobody's Business
[2:57] 8. Christmas Bells
[3:06] 9. Backwater Blues
[2:30] 10. Sweet Lovin' Baby
[2:09] 11. Doctor Knows His Business
[2:43] 12. Good Jumping
[2:39] 13. Love My Baby
[2:23] 14. I'm Just A Lady's Man
[2:38] 15. Thelma Lee Blues
[2:15] 16. Baby Baby
[2:23] 17. Geneva Blues Aka Evil Woman
[2:59] 18. I'm Just A Country Boy
[2:54] 19. There Ain't Nothing Better
[3:07] 20. Love And Friendship
[2:57] 21. Slow Your Speed
[2:42] 22. Rain, Rain, Rain
[2:45] 23. Frog-I-More
[2:46] 24. Cain River Blues
[2:48] 25. The Duke And The Brute
[3:13] 26. When I've Been Drinking

This 1958 LP was just a random — and short — roundup of ten tracks from 1949-1951 singles Jimmy Witherspoon had done for Modern. With four national R&B hits, it does supply a fragmentary overview of Witherspoon's early career, in which he — like so many R&B singers — was purveying a brand of West Coast blues that could both swing and croon. It's not up there with the singer's best recordings, as it doesn't have the most forceful of the jazz-blues fusions he'd make. It's respectable early R&B, however, with a bunch of sides recorded in concert with a spontaneous rawness unusual even by the standards of this earlier, more rudimentary era. "Jump Children" (aka "Good Jumpin'") is a pretty transparent imitation of "Good Rockin' Tonight," however. The CD reissue on Ace adds a lot of value, tacking on eight bonus tracks from other 1948-1951 singles.

The great veteran pianist Jay McShann (also known as Hootie) enjoyed a long career and it is unfair to primarily think of him as merely the leader of an orchestra that featured a young Charlie Parker. He was mostly self-taught as a pianist, worked with Don Byas as early as 1931 and played throughout the Midwest before settling in Kansas City in 1936.

Jay McShann Meets J. Witherspoon

Bud Powell - The Scene Changes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:52
Size: 102.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1958/2007
Art: Front

[4:20] 1. Cleopatra's Dream
[5:05] 2. Moose The Mooche
[3:58] 3. Bud On Bach
[3:41] 4. John's Abbey
[1:57] 5. Buster Rides Again
[3:28] 6. Sub City
[7:54] 7. Don't Blame Me
[5:01] 8. Sub City
[3:59] 9. The Scene Changes
[5:24] 10. Idaho

"The Scene Changes" is a classic jazz trio album by one of the great jazz pianists of all time. While Bud Powell's best recordings for Blue Note are from the late 40s and early 50s in my opinion (captured on the two volumes of "The Amazing Bud Powell"), this is one of three sessions he made for the label in 1957-58. (The other two are "Bud!" and "Time Waits," and while the former is hard to find as a single issue, all of the above sessions are available as part of "Bud Powell - The Complete Blue Note and Roost Recordings.") The hallmark of Bud's second stint at Blue Note for me is the wonderful sound of these recordings. It might just be the difference between the mono recordings of five and ten years earlier, and the distinct stereo sound of the late 50s, but it makes the music come to life. You can even pick out Bud's trademark moans during his solos (which sometimes get a little old, but they are endearing nonetheless). Sure, his playing wasn't quite what was back in the day, but they are terrific nonetheless. Anyone interested in great piano trio jazz should be thankful that "The Scene Changes" is back in print courtesy of the RVG Edition series. ~ Michael Brad Richman

The Scene Changes

Polly Bergen - All Alone By The Telephone

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:17
Size: 73.9 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1961/2010
Art: Front

[2:55] 1. All Alone
[2:22] 2. Something Wonderful
[3:00] 3. Glad To Be Unhappy
[2:35] 4. Too Late Now
[2:11] 5. He Didn't Call
[2:33] 6. Spring Is Here
[2:45] 7. By Myself
[2:42] 8. When The Wind Was Green
[3:24] 9. It's Easy To Remember
[2:37] 10. Not Like Me
[2:52] 11. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
[2:16] 12. I'm Glad There Is You

All Alone by the Telephone pairs Polly Bergen with arranger Luther Henderson to create a deeply melancholy song cycle that explores romantic estrangement and isolation from a refreshingly adult perspective. Bergen's dusky, world-weary vocals never resort to histrionics, finding their mode of expression in restraint, not release -- her thoughtful interpretations of material like "Glad to Be Unhappy," "Too Late Now," and "By Myself" strip the songs to their core, articulating their themes of loss with hard-fought maturity. Henderson's sympathetic, meticulous arrangements are no less essential to the album's uncommon sophistication. ~Jason Ankeny

All Alone By The Telephone

Oscar Peterson - The Sound Of The Trio

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:28
Size: 175.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Bop
Year: 1961/2000
Art: Front

[11:06] 1. Tricrotism
[ 8:51] 2. On Green Dolphin Street
[ 5:39] 3. Thag's Dance
[ 5:32] 4. Ill Wind
[11:06] 5. Kadota's Blues
[ 9:29] 6. Scrapple From The Apple
[ 9:13] 7. Jim
[ 7:47] 8. Band Call
[ 5:05] 9. The Night We Called It A Day
[ 2:34] 10. Billy Boy

Those who consider themselves Oscar Peterson completists should be aware of The London House Sessions, a generous five-CD set that focuses exclusively on the Peterson Trio's 1961 engagement at Chicago's London House. However, completists are the only ones who would want to invest in this collection; others would be better off with individual CDs of the pianist's London House performances. One such CD is the Verve Master Edition of The Sound of the Trio, which was recorded in July 1961 and contains everything from the original LP (including performances of "Tricotism," "On Green Dolphin Street," "III Wind,") as well as five bonus tracks. Although not among Peterson's essential recordings -- you won't find a lot of surprises on this reissue -- the material is consistently enjoyable. Peterson, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Ed Thigpen, clearly enjoy a strong rapport, and the trio never fails to swing. Cheers to Doug Ramsey for his interesting liner notes -- while some jazz journalists would have tried to bore readers to death with overly technical descriptions of the performances, Ramsey provides some amusing anecdotes about the overly talkative audiences at the London House. ~Alex Henderson

The Sound Of The Trio