Shirley Horn - The Main Ingredient

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:58
Size: 124,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:18)  1. Blues For Sarge
(5:24)  2. The Look Of Love
(3:50)  3. Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now
(7:57)  4. The Meaning Of The Blues
(3:28)  5. Here's Looking At You!
(9:11)  6. You Go To My Head
(4:45)  7. Fever
(4:53)  8. Come In From The Rain
(2:58)  9. Peel Me A Grape
(7:10) 10. All Or Nothing At All

This Shirley Horn CD is a little unusual, as it was recorded at her home. The four sessions utilized some of her favorite musicians, including bassists Steve Novosel and Charles Ables; drummers Steve Williams, Elvin Jones, and Billy Hart; trumpeter Roy Hargrove (on "The Meaning of the Blues") and Joe Henderson; and Buck Hill on tenors. As usual, virtually all of the songs are taken at slow tempos, with "All or Nothing at All" given a definitive treatment. Other highlights include "The Look of Love," "Fever," and Henderson's playing on "You Go to My Head."~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-main-ingredient-mw0000180447

Personnel: Shirley Horn (vocals, piano, Roland electric piano); Buck Hill, Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone); Roy Hargrove (flugelhorn); Charles Ables (guitar, bass); Steve Novosel (bass); Steve Williams, Elvin Jones, Billy Hart (drums).

The Main Ingredient

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Willis Jackson - Bar Wars

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:34
Size: 104,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:56)  1. Later
(3:04)  2. Blue and Sentimental
(7:03)  3. Bar Wars
(4:55)  4. The Breeze and I
(5:05)  5. The Goose Is Loose
(7:13)  6. It's All Right With Me
(5:14)  7. The Breeze and I
(7:02)  8. It's All Right With Me

The late great Gator is back in this reissue by Joel Dorn's 32 Jazz of Willis "Gator" Jackson's 1978 Muse release, Bar Wars. The title is apt: W. A. Brower states it straightforwardly in his liner notes: "His music is my idea of popular music (not to be confused with pop musics which are a wholly different species), because wherever you go from Boston to Chicago and of course in Gator's favorite, Atlantic City there is a Club Harlem, a Baby Grand or a Showcase or an Ebony Inn where the music on this record is the music." Standrard R&B-flavored organ-tenor bar jazz it may be, but the late Mr. Jackson was one of its foremost exponents, and Bar Wars one of his most consistently pleasing products. His tone is gruff and grainy, in the tradition of all the booting R&B tenors in bars far and wide across this great land. He is joined here not only by the nimble Charlie Earland on organ, but by none other than Pat Martino, whose guitar is exuberant and strongly deployed. Then there’s Idris Muhammad on drums, so there's no doubt that the proceedings move along briskly from start to finish. Muhammad is propulsive without being flashy, yet on tracks like "The Breeze and I," he shows how much a jazz drummer differs from an ordinary R&B or rock and roll timekeeper (not that his timing isn't rock solid). Buddy Caldwell provides some congas for color.

Jackson adds two originals, the title track and "The Goose is Loose" to an otherwise fairly standard good-time music program. Brower observes, "He makes no pretenses and no matter the raised eyebrows of the highbrows there is nothing wrong with old favorites. With Gator what it is...is...what it is..." "What it is" is a fine lather worked up by Martino and Earland on "The Goose is Loose" before Gator steps up with his electric "a little bit louder now" routine. It's a breathy Willis (is he playing his long, straight Gator sax?) lovin you, baby, on "Blue and Sentimental." It's a sharper, brighter-toned Gator charging through Cole Porter's "It's All Right With Me" in a solo bound to remind the avants that ‘Trane himself played an awful lot of this kind of music, and never really lost the feel for it. After the organ solo he returns with just the sort of keening entrance ‘Trane used to such great effect in such different surroundings on Kind of Blue. These two had some common sources. Bar Wars is rounded out with alternate takes of "The Breeze and I" and "It's All Right with Me." It isn't as if Willis brings any radically different concept to these, but they are just as pleasant and straightforward as the masters. All in all, Bar Wars is very fine organ-tenor jazz / R&B. It's much more energetic and sincere than most of today's "smooth jazz" synthesized funk workouts. Willis Jackson is a first-rate "tennaman," surrounded here by first-rate sidemen commendation should not escape Martino, but check out Earland on "It's All Right with Me." New (old) meaning to the word electric.~Robert Spencer http://www.allaboutjazz.com/bar-wars-32-records-review-by-robert-spencer.php

Personnel:  Willis Jackson - tenor saxophone;  Charles Earland – organ;  Pat Martino – guitar;  Idris Muhammad – drums;  Buddy Caldwell – congas, percussion

Bar Wars

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Billy Paul - 360 Degrees Of Billy Paul

Styles: Vocal, Jazz Soul
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:45
Size: 123,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:35)  1. Brown Baby
(8:05)  2. I'm Just A Prisoner
(4:34)  3. It's Too Late
(4:45)  4. Me And Mrs. Jones
(5:16)  5. Am I Black Enough For You
(6:26)  6. Let's Stay Together
(6:32)  7. Your Song
(4:23)  8. I'm Gonna Make It This Time
(9:04)  9. Me And Mrs. Jones

Paul's first album for Philadelphia International was straight club jazz; sales were slow. This time, Gamble & Huff gave Paul material strong enough to make his sophomore release a viable commercial entity. "Brown Baby's" speaks of people of color making their parents and others proud. "I'm Just a Prisoner" is real, but would have been better served without the string section. It's a stark depiction about a man who has served five years and is contemplating his future. It is about the unsettling fact that he's just a prisoner. Its chilling chorus tells it all  "The cell is cold as hell, you'll never get use to the smell, my bed is hard as wood, I got to fight to keep my manhood," the riveting saga doesn't just end, the fade is lengthy, and features a dejected Paul woefully mourning the conditions, the situation, and the turmoil of prison life. He sounds believable and frustrated belting out "Me & Mrs. Jones," a classic that many relate to, and those who don't have no problem being down with the passionate singing and clawing lyrics describing the unapologetic infidelity. His "It's Too Late" is a fine rendition of Carole King's classic. You might not recognize "Let's Stay Together," popularized by Al Green. Paul does it it MOR/Jazz style, with a lot of improvising before crooning the original lyrics. It shows versatility, but it's unlikely that people who bought Green's "Jones" appreciated it. A version of Elton John's "Your Song" introduced the Brit to fans of soul music. Vince Montana's magical vibes punctuate the rhythm, which turns into a lightweight gospel revival. "Am I Black Enough for You" fit in with the times of overt black consciousness, a social message moved along by a perky bongo and clavinet-dominated beat, and well-spaced, brassy horn hits. A too staid "I'm Gonna Make It This Time," co-written by Bunny Sigler, marked Paul's second adventure in urban club jazz on 360 Degrees; this one has bite, and Billy sings it with fire.~Andrew Hamilton http://www.allmusic.com/album/360-degrees-of-billy-paul-mw0000318617

Personnel:  Billy Paul (vocals, arranger); Bobby Martin (arranger); David Bay, Bunny Sigler, Norman Harris, Roland Chambers, Bobby Eli (guitar); Eddie Green, Leon Huff (piano); Lenny Pakula (organ); Vince Montana (vibraphone); Anthony Jackson, Ronnie Baker (bass); Norman Farrington, Earl Young (drums); Larry Washington (congas).

R.I.P
Born: December 1, 1934 / Died: Died: April 24, 2016

360 Degrees Of Billy Paul

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Victor Feldman's Generation Band - High Visibility

Styles: Piano And Marimba Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:30
Size: 95,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:26)  1. Cafe Lido
(5:07)  2. High Visibility
(5:42)  3. Brazilia
(4:03)  4. Candy Dance
(5:31)  5. Low Visibility
(5:08)  6. Downtown Dallas
(5:35)  7. China Blues
(4:54)  8. Seven Steps to Heaven

Victor Stanley Feldman (April 7, 1934 – May 12, 1987) was an English jazz musician, best known as a pianist and percussionist. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as an adult. Feldman immigrated to the United States in the mid-1950s, where he continued working in jazz and also as a session musician with a variety of pop and rock performers. Feldman caused a sensation as a musical prodigy when he was "discovered", aged seven. His family were all musical and his father founded the Feldman Swing Club in London in 1942 to showcase his talented sons.[1] Feldman's first professional appearance was playing drums at No. 1 Rhythm Club as a member of the Feldman Trio with brothers Robert on clarinet and Monty on piano accordion. He featured in the films King Arthur Was a Gentleman (1942) and Theatre Royal (1943). In 1944 he was featured at a concert with Glenn Miller's AAAF band, as "Kid Krupa" (in reference to drummer Gene Krupa). His drums teacher Carlo Krahmer encouraged Feldman to play the vibraphone which he did first in the Ralph Sharon Sextet and later in the Roy Fox band. He worked in India in 1952 and 1953 in a band led by pianist Eddie Carroll. His vibraphone and conga drum playing were notable, but it was as a pianist that he became best known.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Feldman

Personnel: Bass – Max Bennett;  Drums – Trevor Feldman;  Lyricon, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Tom Scott;  Producer – Josh Feldman, The Generation Band;  Rhodes Piano, Acoustic Piano, Percussion, Vibes, Marimba, Synthesizer – Victor Feldman; Synthesizer – Joseph Conlan

High Visibility

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Teresa Brewer - What A Wonderful World

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:23
Size: 91,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:04)  1. What A Wonderful World
(4:04)  2. June Night
(4:15)  3. I Dream Of You
(5:03)  4. Just Imagine
(3:22)  5. Isn't It A Lovely Day?
(3:45)  6. I've Got A Feeling
(2:55)  7. Live Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries
(3:46)  8. On The Road Again
(3:50)  9. Come And Drive Me Crazy
(5:18) 10. My Heart Belongs To Daddy

A 1989 release of Brewer singing and being backed by Stephane Grappelli and Ruby Braff. I'd rather hear them.~Ron Wynn http://www.allmusic.com/album/what-a-wonderful-world-mw0000201527

Personnel: Teresa Brewer (vocals); Bob Haggart (whistling); Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); John Bertoncini (guitar); Diz Disley (acoustic guitar); Martin Taylor (electric guitar); Stéphane Grappelli, Svend Asmussen (violin); Bob Wilber (clarinet, saxophone); Bud Freeman (tenor saxophone); Yank Lawson (trumpet); Ruby Braff , Bobby Hackett (cornet); Vic Dickenson, Benny Morton (trombone); Derek Smith , Hank Jones , Ralph Sutton , Earl Hines (piano); Ron Traxler, Grady Tate, Gus Johnson , Oliver Jackson (drums)

What A Wonderful World

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Brian Charette - Music For Organ Sextette

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:36
Size: 157,8 MB
Art: Front

( 5:52)  1. Computer God
( 5:25)  2. Fugue For Kathleen Annex/Ex Girlfriend Variation
( 8:50)  3. Risk
( 7:46)  4. The Elvira Pacifier
( 7:11)  5. Equal Opportunity
( 4:43)  6. Prayer For An Agnostic
( 5:17)  7. Late Night TV
( 6:01)  8. French Bird
(10:06)  9. Mode For Sean Wayland
( 6:21) 10. Tambourine

Finding an organ in a gathering of more than four in jazz seems to be taboo, yet no logic exists behind this unspoken truth. The organ is constantly making friends with guitars and drums, with the occasional singular horn dropping by to converse with them, but the possibility of a broader social circle always seems to elude this unwieldy instrument. Thankfully, organist Brian Charette is helping to rectify this issue. On Music For Organ Sextette, Charette weaves a unique and gripping aural tapestry together with a mélange of woodwinds serving as the thread. He channels his energy into creating constructs that benefit from the blending of multiple voices, yet remain flexible enough to allow for outspoken soloists to have their say. Charette's organ voice is prominent throughout as he cuts swaths through the sonic fields that lay before him and rides the tides of energy created by drummer Jochen Rueckert, but this outing is a true team effort.

The personnel list remains consistent from start to finish, but stylistic direction does not. Charette explores reggae ("Elvira Pacifier"), touches on churchy hymns with intentionally ironic titling ("Prayer For An Agnostic") and dabbles in outré modernism ("Mode For Sean Wayland"). His funky side comes out on occasion ("Late Night TV" and "Tambourine") and swing sneaks into the party ("Equal Opportunity"), but no single style reigns supreme on this tasting menu of music.

All four horns distinguish themselves as individuals, but they work even better as a unit. They move through the Baroque-influenced "Fugue For Kathleen Anne" with sensitivity and end up engaging in a raucous game of musical twister atop Rueckert's Tony Williams-meets-Clyde Stubblefield drumming when the music morphs into "Ex Girlfriend Variations." "Tambourine," likewise, benefits from their delightfully dovetailing lines, but they can also be found making magic with simple riffs in various places. Music For Organ Sextette is an anomaly in the world of organ-centric jazz, but not for the obvious reason. It's a recording that emphasizes the importance of textural exploration, multiple stylistic personalities, groove variations and the balance between group dynamics and solo statements. Charette challenges the status quo with this one and winds up the victor in every way.~Dan Bilawsky http://www.allaboutjazz.com/music-for-organ-sextette-brian-charette-steeplechase-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php 

Personnel: Brian Charette: organ; Jochen Rueckert: drums; Jay Collins: flute; Mike DiRubbo: alto saxophone; Joel Frahm: tenor saxophone; John Ellis: bass clarinet.

Music For Organ Sextette

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Dave 'Fathead' Newman - Straight Ahead

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 1960

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 38:09

Size: 88,1 MB

Art: Front

(7:27)  1. Batista's Groove

(4:39)  2. Skylark

(7:58)  3. Night Of Nisan

(7:07)  4. Cousin Slim

(6:35)  5. Summertime

(4:21)  6. Congo Chant

The title of this 1961 release best sums up this quartet album. There is nothing particularly innovative about this recording, but the level of expertise and musical maturity displayed here is truly astonishing. This is simply straight-ahead hard bop performed by some of the finest musicians in 1960s jazz, including saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman and pianist Wynton Kelly. Newman's playing is not only confident, it is unbelievably inspired. He rips through all six selections here, employing the great bebop vernacular developed by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Newman plays tenor, alto, and flute on Straight Ahead, providing some variation to this set. Newman's flute work on his composition "Night of Nisan" is particularly energetic, as is his alto solo on his bluesy "Congo Chant." The highlight of the record, however, is the smoking, Caribbean-flavored opening track, "Batista's Groove."http://www.allmusic.com/album/straight-ahead-mw0000661652

Personnel: David "Fathead" Newman (alto & tenor saxophones, flute); Wynton Kelly (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Charlie Persip (drums).

Straight Ahead

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Cristina Zavalloni - Special Dish

Size: 139,0 MB
Time: 59:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Black Is The Color (1:55)
02. Canto Fones (8:06)
03. Vacanze Romane (4:47)
04. Sweet Dreams (3:17)
05. Ixelles (4:45)
06. To Yasemi (4:19)
07. My Favourite Things (7:08)
08. L'America (2:54)
09. Doralice (3:30)
10. Elison Parade (3:59)
11. Ingorgo (4:43)
12. Don't Talk (4:52)
13. Poinciana (4:52)

Personnel:
Cristina Zavalloni - Vocals
Cristiano Arcelli - Sax
Daniele Mencarelli - Bass
Alessandro Paternesi - Drums

Special Dish is the result of a collaboration between Cristina Zavalloni together with Cristiano Arcelli, Alessandro Paternesi and Daniele Mencerelli; the members of the Radar Band which was brought together under the aegis of the Egea label, with which Zavalloni recorded La Donna di Cristallo (2012).
Mencarelli, Paternesi and Arcelli understand pop and folk stock, are classically trained and have strong leanings towards jazz and improvisation; three factors making them, in Cristina Zavalloni’s eyes, ideal travelling partners for more than an incursion into what she describes as an ‘international repertoire’.

Special Dish

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The Funky Organics - The Funky Organics

Size: 123,7 MB
Time: 52:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Funk/Soul, Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Mojowinder (4:01)
02. Cissy Strut (5:22)
03. The Lizard (4:55)
04. Lentil Soup (5:21)
05. Silly (4:32)
06. Groove With Me (5:42)
07. Soul Bossa (4:36)
08. Funk Time (6:22)
09. Fungi Groove (6:01)
10. Grease Ball (5:44)

Staying true to the Chicken Coup mission statement, this CD is funky, cool, tap-your-toes B3 organ rock! On this very hip recording from an accomplished and polished player, the tunes are accessible, catchy, and downright tasty.

Educated at world renowned music school Indiana University, jazz trumpeter Rick Savage has lived and worked in and around New York City for the past 25 years. He is proud to be a part of 2 cd projects for 2012; for free jazz enthusiasts "INNERrOUTe" & for straight ahead jazz enthusiasts, legendary drummer Eliot Zigmund's "Trio EZ".

Rick also has a rich composing background. He recently scored "A Whole New Day" for Cinemax, staring James Gandolfini. Other composing credits include jingles & industrial films for Nissan & Pfizer. Rick's experiences as a former band member/studio musician for the following well known artists, set the stage for the makings of an extremely versatile musician.

Rick has performed and/or recorded with Tania Maria, Gerry Mulligan, Jack McDuff, Mel Lewis, Nancy Wilson, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Toshiko Aikioshi, Warne Marsh, Randy Brecker, Michael Jackson, Daniel Ponce, Nestor Torres, Henry Mancini and many others.

The Funky Organics

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Denny Earnest - Earnest Jazz Ballads: Pat Felitti Piano

Size: 101,2 MB
Time: 43:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Why Don't You Love Me (All The Time) (4:19)
02. How I Long For (3:52)
03. Nod To Thelonius (3:26)
04. On This Velvet Afternoon (4:16)
05. Rose (4:03)
06. Watch The Leaves Turn (4:03)
07. Forest From The Tree's (3:40)
08. Lost (3:56)
09. Hold You In My Arms (2:59)
10. Beautiful Girl (4:29)
11. Life Goes On (4:09)

Continuing to draw on his unique take on his "New American Songbook", Denny carves out 11 more songs, all ballads here, with piano by NY's Pat Felitti, and Upright Bass added by Bill Watson. Vocals are playfully done by Denny in the Frank style, with all the hubris and swank of the 60's Reprise classics.

Pianist Pat Felitt (NYC) does great work here reminiscent of Bill Evans, as on "Beatiful Girl", and at times like Kenny Baron "Nod to Thelonius", classically trained his work ethic shines through on all tracks.

Bill Watson of Kent Ohio rumbles on the Upright Bass, a long time cohort of Denny's, a member of the Deadly Earnest Band back in the good old days, 80's... currently plays also with the "Numbers Band", and Rachel Brown and the "Beatnik Playboys" fine writers and players also.

Earnest Jazz Ballads

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BWB - BWB

Size: 101,4 MB
Time: 43:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz, Soul, Funk
Art: Front

01. Triple Dare (3:57)
02. Bust A Move (5:08)
03. Bwb (5:02)
04. Bolly Bop (4:11)
05. I Want You Girl (4:38)
06. Lemonade (4:05)
07. Memphis Steppin' (4:26)
08. Hey Baby (4:19)
09. North Star (4:37)
10. Turn Up (2:47)

You can almost smell the tangy barbecue sauce dripping from the forthcoming third album "BWB" by chart-topping trio BWB, who throw down like a sweaty garage band at a Memphis backyard house party on their debut for the Artistry Music label arriving April 22. It's the first time the band made up of GRAMMY® winners Norman Brown (guitar, vocals) and Kirk Whalum (saxophone, flute, vocals) and Rick Braun (trumpet, flugelhorn, valve trombone, vocals) cooked up a festive, sticky-fingered feast of ten new contemporary jazz, R&B, soul and funk joints. Braun produced the session in his suburban Los Angeles-area home studio where the band moved in with their families and lived together for an entire week. The result is a collaborative disc celebrating brotherhood and live music. The tantalizing title track is the first radio cut, which enters Billboard's Top 10 on next week's singles chart and appears to be ticketed for the top spot.

Anytime the three solo stars get together to record, it's an instant candidate for event album of the year in the contemporary jazz world. BWB has been itching to record original material ever since they first recorded as a high-wattage trio in 2002 when they released a collection of covers entitled "Groovin'." Over a decade later, they reunited as a combo in 2013 with "Human Nature," paying tribute to Michael Jackson's songbook and scoring their first No 1 hit with "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)." This time around, they decided to compose the material entirely on their own, creating party jams specifically with their spirited live shows in mind.

BWB

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Rosie Carlino - The Letting Go

Size: 128,4 MB
Time: 55:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. What Do I Do With Me (3:13)
02. All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart (3:33)
03. On My Way To You (4:27)
04. Why Should I Care (4:48)
05. Like A Fool (3:26)
06. If I Didn't Care (5:28)
07. Close To You (4:30)
08. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning (3:30)
09. I'll See You In My Dreams (3:59)
10. That Old Feeling (4:17)
11. There Will Never Be Another You (5:18)
12. My Favorite Year (4:15)
13. The Letting Go (4:14)

"Rosie Carlino sings from her heart on this intimate recording, choosing beautiful standards from the American Songbook that musically express her personal journey through some of Life’s most poignant transitions."

"Rosie Carlino is a jazz singer who performs from her heart. Impeccable phrasings, not hurried, unwavering vocals, a gorgeous voice and a beautiful spirit."

The Letting Go

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Victor Feldman - Rio Nights

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 1987

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 43:32

Size: 100,0 MB

Art: Front

(4:16)  1. In My Pocket

(4:20)  2. I Am Happy

(5:26)  3. Don't Ask Oscar

(4:30)  4. Skippin'

(4:12)  5. Welcome To The Party

(5:08)  6. You Gave Me The Runaround

(3:39)  7. Ruby Jubilation

(7:36)  8. Basin Street Blues

(4:22)  9. Rio

Victor Feldman was a child prodigy who was a professional from the age of seven and sat in on drums with Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Band in 1944 when he was ten. He was active in his native England through the bebop years (mostly on drums), debuting as a leader in 1948. By 1952, Feldman was getting better-known for his vibes playing and he recorded extensively during the 1950s. After touring with Woody Herman (1956-1957), he decided to move to the U.S. in 1957, where he worked at the Lighthouse with Howard Rumsey. Feldman recorded (on vibes and piano) for Mode, Contemporary, and Riverside during 1957-1961, a period in which he became a busy studio musician. Feldman was with Cannonball Adderley's Quintet (mostly as a pianist) for six months in 1960-1961 and recorded with Miles Davis in 1963 (who offered him a job with his new quintet and recorded his original "Seven Steps to Heaven"), but remained in L.A. and the studios. He cut jazz dates for Choice, Concord, Palo Alto, and TBA and in the 1980s up until his death he led a soulful crossover group (the Generation Band) that often featured his son, Trevor Feldman, on drums.~Scott Yanowhttps://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/victor-feldman/id2753987#fullText

Personnel: Victor Feldman (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Fred Tackett (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Hubert Laws (flute); Eddie Karam (marimba); Chuck Domanico (upright bass, electric bass); Harvey Mason, Sr., Trevor Feldman (drums).

Rio Nights

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Lisa Lynn - Ten Cents A Dance

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:11
Size: 104,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. Comes Love
(2:44)  2. Deed I Do
(2:48)  3. I Love Paris
(3:38)  4. I Wanna Little Sugar In My Bowl
(3:25)  5. Miss Jenny's Ball
(2:53)  6. Nice Work If You Can Get It
(3:38)  7. After You've Gone
(2:51)  8. All Of Me
(4:51)  9. You Don't Know What Love Is
(3:00) 10. I'm Beginning To See The Light
(4:13) 11. Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me
(3:09) 12. Bye Bye Blackbird
(4:32) 13. Ten Cents A Dance

A wonderful blend of jazz standards, Lisa Lynn has been described as a sultry, bluesy, bust your heart in half singer. Like many others before her, Ohio-born vocalist Lisa Lynn felt she'd never realy found a home until she his New Orleans. 

She's been in that music loving city since the 1990s, and has performed, to popular acclaim in more than a dozen top jazz clubs and other prominent musical venues around the town. Lisa has one CD under her own name to her credit, and is currently putting the finishing touches on two others. Offbeat magazine called her first effort, "Ten Cents A Dance," "sultry, bluesy, and even down home gutbucket....but with accent on the drama."http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lisalynn

Ten Cents A Dance

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Kenny Wheeler - One of Many

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:26
Size: 120,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:12)  1. Phrase 3
(5:25)  2. Anticipation
(5:59)  3. Aneba
(3:16)  4. Any How
(4:05)  5. Canter #5
(3:06)  6. Ever After (Duo version)
(5:13)  7. Now and Now Again
(6:58)  8. Old Ballad
(6:26)  9. Fortune's Child
(5:41) 10. Even After

In a 2001 Norma Winstone interview, the British vocalist referred to Kenny Wheeler as "the Duke Ellington of our time." Wheeler, whose reputation has grown almost in spite of his own quiet humility, may not possess Ellington's populist cachet, but that doesn't mean the trumpeter's music is any less distinctive or groundbreaking, and with no small reach: his music, studied in detail at universities around the world; his large ensemble work, grist for many a big band. Not being a household name needn't mean lack of significance, with Wheeler's place in jazz history long since assured as one of the most important composers of the last half century. Equally influential on his instrument with immaculate control facilitating the peppering of his unmistakably melancholic lyricism with sudden leaps into the stratosphere there's no denying the harsh realities of age. The 81 year-old Wheeler may be predisposed to the middle range of his flugelhorn on One of Many, but he can still surprise, executing thrilling intervallic leaps during "Anticipation," the second of nine charts appearing, for the first time, on this, Wheeler's fifth recording for the Italian Cam Jazz label since the sublime delicacy of his duo debut with pianist of choice, John Taylor, Where Do We Go From Here? (2004).

Taylor is back for One of Many, bringing the kind of comfortable chemistry the two have shared dating back to Wheeler's early large ensemble recording, Song for Someone (Psi, 1973). But the wildcard in this trio set is surely Steve Swallow, who last collaborated with Taylor on New Old Age (Egea, 2005). Swallow has intersected with Wheeler before, but this is the first time he's appeared on one of the trumpeter's recordings and the first time Wheeler has used an electric bass on any of his Cam or ECM releases. More than the obvious change in complexion especially with Swallow's instrument, whose warm, full-bodied tone also possesses a unique clarity in the upper register it's the bassist's comfortable dual-role as contrapuntal melodist and rhythmic and harmonic anchor that makes One of Many stand out in Wheeler's discography. Nowhere is this more evident than on "Now and Now Again," reprised from The Widow in the Window (ECM, 1990). On that quintet session, Dave Holland's robust double-bass kept things firmly in ballad territory; here, Swallow keeps it equally simple, but occasionally moves seamlessly into a double-time feel, lending the track a different kind of swing. Wheeler sticks to flugelhorn throughout this elegant, largely low-to-mid-tempo set, though the trio does turn the heat up on "Anticipation," where Swallow's upper-register playing intertwines with Wheeler for its serpentine melody, leaving Taylor largely responsible for maintaining forward motion. Returning to more straightforward blowing after the string-driven Other People (CAM Jazz, 2008) doesn't mean less compositional weight, only that there's greater emphasis on the trio's interpretive interaction. Another superb entry in the discography of an artist whose career has been marked by consistency and the sound of surprise, One of Many is, well, one more reason why comparing Wheeler to Ellington is astute and right on the money.~John Kelman http://www.allaboutjazz.com/one-of-many-kenny-wheeler-cam-jazz-review-by-john-kelman.php
 

Personnel: Kenny Wheeler: flugelhorn; John Taylor: piano; Steve Swallow: electric bass.

One of Many

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Aaron Heick & Romantic Jazz Trio - Europe

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:53
Size: 155,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:13)  1. Europe
(6:34)  2. Harlem Nocturne
(5:48)  3. Summer's Gone
(4:34)  4. Comin' Home, Baby
(8:10)  5. Moon and Sand
(5:11)  6. O Que Sera
(5:24)  7. And I Love Her
(6:44)  8. Infant Eyes
(6:29)  9. Where or When
(7:11) 10. Star-Crossed Lovers
(5:32) 11. Doin' Alright

Sometimes it takes extremely talented and worthy musicians a long time before releasing an album in which they lead. Some of the musicians never do. Luckily, Aaron Heick got together with the Japanese label Venus Records to release his first album under his own moniker. Easily one of the best modern alto saxophonists in the United States, Heick has performed and recorded with stars such as Chaka Khan, Barbra Streisand, Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra, and Richard Bona. In this one-horn quartet setting with the extraordinary John di Martino and his Romantic Jazz Trio, Heick shows his phenomenal technique, solid sound, and emotionally charged soulfulness. Some of the selections on this album include Carlos Santana's "Europe," flutist Herbie Mann's funky "Comin' Home, Baby," a song by the Beatles "And I Love Her," and the evocative "Infant Eyes," written by Wayne Shorter. There are also two original compositions by Heick himself. The powerful performances from the musicians are heightened by the classic sound produced by Venus' engineering team. This is a fantastic and solid debut from an incredibly talented musician's musician!

http://www.elusivedisc.com/Aaron-Heick-Romantic-Jazz-Trio-Europe-Single-Layer-Stereo-Japanese-Import-SACD/productinfo/VENSA0065/

Personnel:  Aaron Heick, alto saxophone;  John Di Martino, piano;  Boris Kozlov, bass;  Willie Martinez, drums

Europe

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Kenny Wheeler - What Now?

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:54
Size: 151,6 MB
Art: Front

(10:02)  1. Iowa City
( 8:16)  2. One Two Three
( 6:20)  3. March Mist
( 7:43)  4. The Lover Mourns
( 8:48)  5. The Sweet Yakity Waltz
( 7:47)  6. What Now?
( 6:19)  7. For Tracy
( 9:35)  8. Verona

When trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and pianist John Taylor toured Canadian festivals in the summer of '03, the clear high point was their performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival, where they were joined by bassist Dave Holland and saxophonist Chris Potter. Wheeler and Taylor go back many years, working together in a variety of contexts since the '70s. They've also worked with Holland over the years, most notably on Wheeler's ECM recordings The Widow in the Window, Music for Large & Small Ensembles and Double, Double You. Wheeler also had the opportunity to play with Potter on Italian pianist Enrico Pieranunzi's '03 session for Fellini Jazz (CAM Jazz, 2004).  But the performance in Montreal marked the first time everyone had ever worked together as a quartet, and the empathy was so immediate that it just begged to be recorded. A year later this would finally happen, and the result is What Now?, the followup to Wheeler and Taylor's first duo recording for CAM Jazz, Where Do We Go From Here?, and a title that is typical of Wheeler's dry humour and self-effacing personality. In fact, when commenting on this quartet session's lack of a drummer, Wheeler remarked to Ira Gitler, who contributes the liner notes, "This CD could be a Music Minus One for drummers. 

True enough, but with the impeccable time of both Holland and Taylor driving the session rhythmically, there's no way a drummer is missed. And, while Wheeler has worked with Holland in a drummer less configuration before Angel Song, with saxophonist Lee Konitz and guitarist Bill Frisell this session is far more propulsive and outgoing, and considerably less of a chamber jazz outing than that '97 release.  This programme consists of mopstly new Wheeler compositions the jazz waltz "One Two Three and melancholy ballad "For Tracy were also on Where Do We Go From Here? and "The Sweet Yakity Waltz" first surfaced on Guest, a recording by the European Music Orchestra that featured Wheeler. One can only be in awe of Wheeler, who at 75 continues to create new music that is distinctive in its somewhat bittersweet texture, consistently harmonically rewarding but also wholly accessible.

It's also remarkable that one can so easily intuit the potential for his material to be interpreted in a variety of contexts, from small group to large ensemble. With only a two-horn frontline on What Now?, Wheeler's counterpoint is so vivid that there's invariably the implication of a larger section. With Wheeler heard only on flugelhorn, there's a richer warmth and smoother blend between his instrument and Potter's tenor. And while the overall approach is lyrical, that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of excitement every solo on the driving yet relaxed swing of "Iowa City is alive with ever so slightly-contained energy. With the chemistry and sheer magic of their first meeting in Montreal now documented, one can only hope that What Now? is but the first of many future collaborations.~John Kelman http://www.allaboutjazz.com/what-now-kenny-wheeler-cam-jazz-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Kenny Wheeler (flugelhorn), Chris Potter (tenor saxophone), John Taylor (piano), Dave Holland (double-bass)

What Now?

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Basia Trzetrzelewska - The Sweetest Illusion

Styles: Vocal, Jazz Pop
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:52
Size: 121,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:46)  1. Drunk On Love
(5:01)  2. Third Time Lucky
(5:22)  3. Yearning
(4:52)  4. She Deserves It / Rachel's Wedding
(5:00)  5. An Olive Tree
(4:58)  6. The Sweetest Illusion
(3:51)  7. Perfect Mother
(4:13)  8. More Fire Than Flame
(4:53)  9. Simple Pleasures
(4:54) 10. My Cruel Ways
(4:58) 11. The Prayer Of A Happy Housewife

The sweet voiced Polish girl continues to set the standard by which other, less inventive adult contemporary vocalists should be measured. Her tender yet powerful feelings take listeners' hearts to places with fascinating, sometimes surreal imagery. 

Basia and partner/producer Danny White's real gift is rhythmic diversity, and the tandem take the artsy route on a big, brassy tour through Brazil and Latin America, employing jazzy touches that keep even the most staid tune hopping. The ballads are sweet as well. Nobody in this crowded genre outclassed or outperformed Basia, but as welcome as this comeback after four years was, the singer never followed up with another full-length studio project.~Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/sweetest-illusion-mw0000115018

Personnel: Basia Trzetrzelewska, Trey Lorenz (vocals); Peter White (guitar, accordion); Andy Ross (guitar, mandolin, bandurria); Gavyn Wright (violin); Tony Pleeth (cello); Chris Margary (flute, alto flute, baritone saxophone); Patrick Clahar (alto & tenor saxophone); Steve Gregory (tenor saxophone); Ronnie Chamberlain (baritone saxophone); Kevin Robinson (trumpet, French horn, flugelhorn, vocals); Fayyaz Virji (trombone); Danny White (keyboards, vocals); Julian Crampton, Andres Lafone, Randy Hope-Taylor (bass); Andy Gangadeen (drums, percussion); Karl Vanden Bossche, Bosco De Oliveria (percussion), Mark Anthoni (background vocals).

The Sweetest Illusion

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John Di Martino - A Tribute to King of Jazz

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:39
Size: 120,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:12)  1. Candlelight Blues
(5:58)  2. Magic Beams
(4:22)  3. Falling Rain
(4:47)  4. Love in Spring
(4:24)  5. Love at Sundown
(4:33)  6. Oh I Say
(3:21)  7. Blue Day
(3:57)  8. H.M. Blues
(5:11)  9. I Think of You
(4:08) 10. Still on My Mind
(5:42) 11. Echo

John di Martino is a New York area based pianist, composer, arranger and Venus recording artist. He is a sought after musical director and is in demand by many singers as an accompanist, having accompanied such singers as Jon Hendricks, Sylvia Sims, Diane Schuur and Billy Eckstine. His talents as a pianist and arranger can be heard on recordings with Freddy Cole, Gloria Lynne and Grady Tate. Noted for his versatility, di Martino has also performed and recorded with such notables as Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Joe Lovano, the late David "Fathead" Newman, Pat Martino, Paquito D'Rivera and Houston Person. Di Martino was a long time member of Ray Barretto's "New World Spirit" group and he was a featured pianist and arranger on several recording including Barretto's Grammy-nominated CD, Contact! (Blue Note, 1997). He also enjoyed a long association with percussionist Bobby Sanabria and can be heard on Sanabria's Grammy-nominated CD Afro-Cuban Dream: Live And In Clave (Arabesque, 2000). Born in Philadelphia, di Martino was a student of Lennie Tristano, Don Sebesky and Jimmy Amadie. He has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to the Peoples' Republic of China.~Marcia Hillman http://www.allaboutjazz.com/john-di-martino-piano-man-in-on-demand-john-di-martino-by-marcia-hillman.php 

Personnel:  John Di Martino - musical direction, arrangements, piano, keyboards;  Alex Foster - soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet;  Paul Meyers - acoustic nylon string guitar;  Deanna Kirk – vocals;  Boris Kozlov – bass;  Tim Horner – drums

A Tribute to King of Jazz

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The Isley Brothers - It’s Our Thing

Styles: Vocal, R&B
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:57
Size: 62,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:43)  1. I Know Who You Been Socking It To
(2:38)  2. Somebody Been Messin'
(3:31)  3. Save Me
(2:02)  4. I Must Be Losing My Touch
(3:27)  5. Feel Like the World
(2:49)  6. It's Your Thing
(2:19)  7. Give the Women What They Want
(2:37)  8. Love Is What You Make It
(2:42)  9. Don't Give It Away
(2:05) 10. He's Got Your Love

A very important album for the Isley Brothers, 1969's It's Our Thing found Ronald, O'Kelly and Rudolph Isley reviving their T-Neck label and marked the beginning of their association with Buddah (where they would remain until moving T-Neck to Epic/CBS in 1973). Creatively, this excellent LP put the siblings in the driver's seat they did all of the producing and songwriting themselves and they enjoyed the type of artistic freedom that they could only dream about when they were with Tamla/Motown from 1965-1968. At Tamla/Motown, Berry Gordy's team of producers and songwriters called the shots, but at T-Neck/Buddah, the Isleys' own vision was allowed to flourish. And that creative freedom made It's Our Thing a commercial triumph as well as an artistic one. The funky title track soared to number two on the R&B charts, and equally invigorating gems like "Give the Women What They Want" and "I Know Who You Been Socking It To" also went down in history as soul classics. Nor are tough, gritty album tracks like "He's Got Your Love" and "I Must Be Losing My Touch" anything to complain about. It's Our Thing made it clear that Tamla/Motown's loss was Buddah's gain.~Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/its-our-thing-mw0000075763

Personnel: Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley (vocals).

It’s Our Thing

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