Meade Lux Lewis - Cat House Piano

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:27
Size: 173.5 MB
Styles: Blues-jazz piano
Year: 1954/1998
Art: Front

[4:59] 1. The Pittsburgh Flyer
[4:53] 2. Dragon Blues
[6:08] 3. Jabouti
[5:14] 4. Torpedo Juice
[5:35] 5. Joe Prein's Boogie
[6:33] 6. 620 Boogie
[5:46] 7. Meade's Mambo
[6:13] 8. San Francisco Shuffle
[3:57] 9. Spoony Sam
[5:47] 10. Mama's Bounce
[5:17] 11. Shooboody
[6:09] 12. Hangover Boogie
[3:43] 13. Yancey's Last Ride
[5:27] 14. Bush Street Boogie

This single CD from 1998 has all of the music from boogie-woogie pianist Meade Lux Lewis' two Verve LPs of 1954-1955. The earlier date is a set of duets with drummer Louie Bellson, while the later session finds Lewis accompanied by bassist Red Callender and drummer Jo Jones. The packaging is perfect, and with 76-and-a-half minutes of playing, the amount of music is generous. The only problem is that there is a definite sameness to the 14 selections (which mostly clock in between four and seven minutes), the majority of which are medium-tempo blues romps. None of the melodies (all Lewis originals) are at all memorable. The romping momentum of the music overall is difficult to resist, but it is advisable to listen to this set in small doses. Scott Yanow

Cat House Piano

---

Oscar Brown, Jr. - Tells It Like It Is!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:52
Size: 75.2 MB
Styles: Jazz/Funk/Soul/Blues vocals
Year: 1963/1989
Art: Front

[2:29] 1. Sing Hallelujah
[2:22] 2. One Foot In The Gutter
[2:57] 3. So Help Me (A Little 3 4 For God And Co.)
[2:30] 4. Man, Ernest Boy
[3:07] 5. The Tree And Me
[3:02] 6. Jeannine
[2:41] 7. The Snake
[3:44] 8. A Young Girl
[4:04] 9. All Blues
[3:16] 10. If I Only Had
[2:35] 11. Tall Like Pine

This is a small-group date, recorded in Chicago, featuring a couple of Brown's originals, plus new lyrics for Miles Davis' "All Blues" and Clark Terry's "So Help Me." ~John Bush

Although rooted in jazz, singer, poet, and activist Oscar Brown, Jr. defied musical categorization throughout his long and eclectic career -- a forerunner of the political consciousness that would become predominant in soul, funk, and hip-hop in the decades to follow, his efforts to exact social change spread across the arts and even into government, spurring two unsuccessful but memorable campaigns for office. Born on Chicago's South Side on October 10, 1926, Brown was the son of a successful attorney and property broker who wanted his firstborn someday to assume control of the family business; instead, Brown was drawn to writing and performing, and by 15 was a regular on writer Studs Terkel's radio program Secret City. After skipping two grades, he entered the University of Wisconsin at 16, but finding the world of academia little to his liking, Brown returned to broadcasting, and in 1944 was tapped to host Negro Newsfront, the nation's first black news radio broadcast. Dubbed "America's first Negro newscaster," he relinquished the gig in 1948 to run for the Illinois state legislature on the Progressive Party ticket -- he did not win, and spent the remainder of the decade working on writer/producer Richard Durham's Black Radio Days series, followed by a two-year stint in the U.S. Army. ~partial bio by Jason Ankeny

Tells It Like It Is

---

Ithamara Koorax - Got To Be Real

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 59:21

Size: 135.9 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 2013

Art: Front

[4:49] 1. Got To Be Real

[3:16] 2. Up, Up And Away

[5:11] 3. Never Can Say Goodbye

[3:11] 4. Goin' Out Of My Head

[5:32] 5. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

[5:06] 6. Butterfly

[3:19] 7. I Get A Kick Out Of You

[5:38] 8. Toque De Cuica

[4:12] 9. Negue

[2:13] 10. My Favourite Things

[4:35] 11. Ho-Ba-La-La

[4:47] 12. Pigmaliao

[4:07] 13. Vesti Azul

[3:18] 14. Got To Be Real (Radio Mix)

Jose Roberto Bertrami – organs, Rhodes, synthesizer, Jorge Pescara – bass, Haroldo Jobim – drums, Arnaldo DeSouteiro – percussion, Sidinho Moreira – percussion, Paulo Fernando Marcondes Ferraz – percussion, Marcelo Martins – tenor sax, Jesse Sadoc – trumpet, Aldivas Ayres - trombone

The song selection and the effective use of the synthesizer on Ithamara Koorax new release Got to be real gives the album a vintage 70s feel. The first half of the album starting with the slow, sexy, smooth jazz arrangement of this Disco hit "Got to be real" has a that distinct fusion jazz sound. Koorax displays her amazing range and sultry, sexy voice all throughout the album and even though all the musicians do a great job on Got to be real, Koorax and her voice are the stars here, especially on the bossa nova arrangements of "Up, up an away", and "Going out of my head".

On the second half of the album, Koorax goes into her brazilian roots in the samba "Toque de cuica", the sublime interpretation of Joao Gilberto "Ho ba la la", and the beautiful ballad "Negue". But two of the highlights of the album are Cole Porter "I get a kick out of you", where Koorax demonstrates she is a true jazz singer capable of swinging with the best, and on the ingenious samba arrangement of "My Favorite Things". On the eclectic blend of styles on Got to be real (bossa nova, samba, jazz, mpb, smooth and fusion jazz) Koorax shows once again why she is recognized as one of the best female jazz singers in recent years. ~Wilbert Sostre

Got To Be Real

---

Tommy Newsom - Friendly Fire

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:02
Size: 162.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[6:01] 1. Close Your Eyes
[5:27] 2. Just Friends
[5:09] 3. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
[7:17] 4. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
[4:22] 5. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
[5:52] 6. Cotton Tail
[7:13] 7. Stardust
[5:18] 8. (I Would Do) Anything For You
[4:41] 9. Billie's Bounce
[4:48] 10. Easy Living
[4:36] 11. Take The A Train
[4:10] 12. Rainbow Connection
[6:04] 13. Things Ain't What They Used To Be

Tommy Newsom spent such a long time in the Tonight Show Orchestra that jazz fans overlook his contributions. Finally recording regularly as a leader at the dawn of the 21st century, this solidly swinging tenor saxophonist has plenty to say on this studio session, which covers the music of several decades. Joined by veteran valve trombonist Bob Enevoldsen and a rhythm section including pianist John F. Hammond, guitarist Bob Bain, bassist Jim Hughart, and drummer Dave Hunt, Newsom's imaginative arrangements bring out the best in each track. The songs lean heavily toward the swing era, including an easygoing "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me," a lush "Star Dust," and a pulsating "Cotton Tail." But Newsom adds a cool-toned "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" featuring a beautifully interwoven counter melody by Enevoldsen, a snappy take of Charlie Parker's "Billie's Bounce," and a waltzing treatment of a song made famous on Sesame Street, "The Rainbow Connection," the latter which omits the horns. The musicianship of all parties is superb throughout this delightful session. ~Ken Dryden

Friendly Fire

---

Julie London - Cry Me A River

Styles: Vocal Jazz

Year: 1995

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 63:57

Size: 153,5 MB

Art: Front

(2:59)  1. Cry Me A River

(4:11)  2. One For My Baby

(2:47)  3. Making Whoopee

(3:15)  4. It Could Happen To You

(3:24)  5. When I Fall In Love

(1:49)  6. What Is This Thing Called Love

(3:11)  7. They Can't Take That Away From Me

(3:58)  8. Angel Eyes

(1:55)  9. I Love You

(2:32) 10. I'm In The Mood For Love

(2:29) 11. I'm Glad There's You

(1:46) 12. Laura

(2:33) 13. Blue Moon

(2:10) 14. Spring Is Here

(3:04) 15. The More I See You

(2:26) 16. It's A Blue World

(3:01) 17. A Stranger In Town

(3:17) 18. Two Sleepy People

(2:21) 19. Goody Goody

(2:53) 20. Little White Lies

(2:11) 21. I Got Lost In His Arms

(2:06) 22. The One I Love Belongs To Someone Else

(3:28) 23. Learning The Blues

A sultry, smoky-voiced master of understatement, Julie London enjoyed considerable popularity during the cool era of the 1950s. London never had the range of Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan, but often used restraint, softness, and subtlety to maximum advantage. An actress as well as a singer, London played with heavyweights like Gregory Peck and Rock Hudson in various films, and was married to Jack Webb of Dragnet fame for seven years before marrying songwriter Bobby Troup ("Route 66").

London performed her biggest hit, "Cry Me a River," in the Jayne Mansfield film The Girl Can't Help It. After recording her last album, Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, in 1969, she continued to act playing a nurse on the NBC medical drama Emergency from 1974-1978. Despite her "sex symbol" image London was known for her sexy LP covers, which make them collector's items she was surprisingly shy, and left show biz altogether in the late '70s. In the mid-'90s London suffered a stroke, which led to a half-decade of poor health and ultimately contributed to her death on October 18, 2000.~Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/artist/julie-london-mn0000247966/biography

Cry Me A River

---

'Big' John Patton - Oh Baby!

Styles: Soul Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:48
Size: 94,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:43)  1. Fat Judy
(6:19)  2. Oh Baby
(5:41)  3. Each Time
(7:54)  4. One To Twelve
(6:36)  5. Night Flight
(6:32)  6. Good Juice

Patton's fourth album for Blue Note. Big John Patton with Grant Green on guitar and Harold Vick on tenor sax. With tunes like "Fat Judy" and "Good Juice," there is no worry about there being a groove. The addition of a trumpet (Blue Mitchell) means you have a horn section, and this tends to be a little much now and again.

Although a little on the light side, thanks to Patton and Green, the groove does go down.~Michael Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/oh-baby!-mw0000766666

Personnel: Big John Patton (organ); Grant Green (guitar); Harold Vick (tenor saxophone); Blue Mitchell (trumpet); Ben Dixon (drums).

Oh Baby!

---

Doug Watkins - Soulnik

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:60
Size: 98,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:19)  1. 01. One Guy.mp3
(6:50)  2. 02. Confessin' (That I Love You).mp3
(5:48)  3. 03. Soulnik.mp3
(7:00)  4. 04. Andre's Bag.mp3
(5:37)  5. 05. I Remember You.mp3
(6:12)  6. 06. Imagination.mp3

Bassist Doug Watkins only led two recording sessions before his death in 1962, and this set (which was cut for New Jazz and reissued on CD in the OJC series) has sometimes appeared under Yusef Lateef's name. Watkins doubles on cello (an instrument he had reportedly only begun playing three days earlier) during the set with Lateef (who triples on tenor, flute, and oboe), pianist Hugh Lawson, bassist Herman Wright, and drummer Lex Humphries. The quintet performs three standards, Watkins' "Andre's Bag," and a couple of Lateef tunes. The use of oboe and cello on some numbers makes the date stand out a bit from the usual hard bop sessions of the period and straight-ahead jazz fans will want to get this CD.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/soulnik-mw0000644708

Personnel: Doug Watkins (cello); Yusef Lateef (flute, oboe, tenor saxophone); Hugh Lawson (piano); Lex Humphries (drums).

Soulnik  

---

Dave McKenna Swing Six - No Holds Barred

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:58
Size: 148.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[7:08] 1. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
[6:11] 2. Idaho
[6:10] 3. Memories Of You
[5:34] 4. Avalon
[4:14] 5. You're Lucky To Me
[4:19] 6. Look For The Silver Lining
[5:00] 7. Dave's Blues
[6:01] 8. Idaho
[4:37] 9. Look For The Silver Lining
[3:58] 10. You're Lucky To Me
[6:14] 11. Memories Of You
[5:27] 12. Avalon

Dave McKenna piano + leader, Warren Vache trumpet, Scott Hamilton tenor saxophone, Al Cohn tenor saxophone, Milt Hinton bass, Butch Miles drums.

Dave McKenna is undoubtedly the hardest swinging pianist on today's music scene. Long a favorite of players like Red Norvo, Carl Fontana and many others, McKenna has had a recording career dating back to the sixties. He's made some solo records as well as many small group dates.The disc at hand is probably the best he has produced up to the present. Backed by a truly compatible all-star group of players, everybody, including Dave, is given much space to stretch out....

No Holds Barred

---

Christine Ebersole - Strings Attached

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:09
Size: 114.8 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:00] 1. Shall We Dance
[4:27] 2. The Things We Did Last Summer
[3:48] 3. This Time The Dream's On Me
[5:12] 4. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
[3:32] 5. Am I Blue
[5:33] 6. Moon Dreams
[2:44] 7. I Wish I Were In Love Again
[3:45] 8. Our Love Is Here To Stay
[5:09] 9. After You've Gone Too Gone Too Long
[3:41] 10. I'll Be Seeing You
[4:35] 11. Jitterbug Waltz
[3:08] 12. Something There
[1:29] 13. La La Lu

Two-time Tony Award®-winning actress Christine Ebersole teams with virtuoso violinist/arranger Aaron Weinstein for a program of classic songs imbued with originality, musicality, and swing. Known for her brilliance as an actress and cabaret artist, Ebersole proves that shes equally talented in the jazz arena on a selection of beautifully arranged versions of gems from the Great American Songbook. Tony Award® winner for her roles in 42nd Street and Grey Gardens, Ebersole is currently starring in the hit TBS sitcom Sullivan & Son, is featured in the 2013 blockbuster The Big Wedding (which ends with a song she wrote and performs), and appears in the Fall 2013 Scorsese drama The Wolf of Wall Street. Named a Rising Star Violinist by DownBeat, Aaron Weinstein is quickly earning a reputation as one of the finest jazz violinists of his generation. As a featured soloist he has performed at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Wolftrap Center, Birdland, Blue Note, Iridium, and more.

Strings Attached

---

Jim Rotondi - Jim's Bop

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:38
Size: 141.1 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[ 7:48] 1. King Of The Hill
[10:29] 2. Last Call
[ 7:12] 3. El Patito
[ 6:33] 4. We'll Be Together Again
[ 6:03] 5. All Or Nothing At All
[ 8:53] 6. Moon Rays
[ 8:00] 7. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
[ 6:37] 8. Jim's Bop

Rotondi is a solid trumpeter whose crackling neo-boppish fights recall Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan. His charts, like the Silver-esque El Patito are similarily strong. With inspired support from tenorman Eric Alexander, pianist Harold Mabern, bassist John Webber, and drummer Joe Farnsworth, Rotondi’s adroit mix of standards and originals take us from the high-flying All of Nothing at All to the leader’s gospel-influenced Last Call, co-written with Alexander. ~Chuck Berg

Jim's Bop

---

Yusef Lateef - Cry!-Tender

Styles: Saxophone, Oboe, Flute Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:12
Size: 85,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:11)  1. Sea Breeze
(3:18)  2. Dopolous
(6:00)  3. Cry!-Tender
(5:45)  4. Butter's Blues
(4:24)  5. Yesterdays
(3:13)  6. The Snow Is Green
(4:49)  7. If You Could See Me Now
(6:30)  8. Ecaps

In 1959, Yusef Lateef began using the oboe in his recording sessions and on live dates. This album marks that occasion, and is thus a turning point in an amazingly long and varied career. Accompanied by Lonnie Hillyer on trumpet, Hugh Lawson on piano, bassist Herman Wright, and drummer Frank Gant, Lateef was digging deeply into a new lyricism that was Eastern-tinged (the full flavor of that obsession would be issued two years later on Eastern Sounds and had been touched upon two years earlier on Other Sounds, released on New Jazz, where Lateef had used an argol as well as his sax and flute), modally informed, and distinctly light in texture with the exception of the deep, dark, arco work at the beginning of "Dopolous," by Wright. Lateef was already moving away from what most people would call jazz by this time, yet, as evidenced here, his music remained challenging and very accessible. This is meditative music with a stunningly rich rhythmic palette for how muted and edgeless it is. And, like John Cage or Morton Feldman, the absence of those edges was written in; it's not random. On tunes like the aforementioned, "Butter's Blues," or even "If You Could See Me Now," Lateef could take the blues and move it into shadowy territory, pulling out of the intervals and changes certain harmonic concepts to turn the music back on itself. If restraint got practiced in the dynamic range, the drama in the music would be all the greater because of the wider harmonic palette -- because it could be heard, not just felt. The result is a seamless, velvety, yet poignant take on the blues that echoed the tears referenced in the title of the album. And yet, the beauty, such a tender beauty, was so unspeakably fragile that the brass and reed instruments seemed to hover over the rhythm section and cut holes in the air like fine razors that can only be praised for the fineness of their slash. This was the beginning of Lateef's change in direction and, as a result, it deserves to be noted for that. However, it needs to be doubly noted for its truly magnificent sound, texture, playing, composition, and choice of tunes.~Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/cry!-tender-mw0000691032

Personnel:  Yusef Lateef - tenor saxophone, flute, oboe;  Lonnie Hillyer - trumpet (tracks 1-7);  Wilbur Harden - flugelhorn (track 8);  Hugh Lawson - piano (tracks 1-7);  Ernie Farrow (track 8), Herman Wright (tracks 1-7) – bass;  Frank Gant (tracks 1-7), Oliver Jackson (track 8) - drums, percussion

Cry!-Tender

---

Andra Day - Cheers To The Fall

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:59
Size: 115,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:19)  1. Forever Mine
(3:24)  2. Only Love
(3:45)  3. Gold
(3:53)  4. Not Today
(3:34)  5. Mistakes
(4:27)  6. Goodbye Goodnight
(4:04)  7. Rearview
(3:48)  8. Red Flags
(3:18)  9. Honey Or Fire
(3:31) 10. Gin & Juice (Let Go My Hand)
(4:13) 11. Rise Up
(4:53) 12. City Burns
(3:46) 13. Cheers To The Fall

Retro-soul singer and songwriter Andra Day was performing at a store opening when she caught the attention of Kai Millard Morris, Stevie Wonder's second wife. Through Morris, then Stevie, the San Diego native met studio lifer Adrian Gurvitz, whose varied career as a side musician, leader, songwriter, and producer dates back to the late '60s. Day signed on with Gurvitz's Buskin label, which led to a deal with Warner Bros. and sessions that involved R&B giant Raphael Saadiq and Fitz & the Tantrums collaborator Chris Seefried, among others. Day's approach is similar to those of fellow "old souls" like Amy Winehouse, Alice Smith, and Nikki Jean, though it is ultimately as distinctive as any of the three. On her traditionally styled debut, Cheers to the Fall  for which she co-wrote every song she retraces the steps of a broken relationship in relation to learning from faults and moving on. The prevalence of ballads among the 13 songs can be fatiguing, but almost every selection has a distinguishing detail or two, whether it's a sly nod to a classic hip-hop artist, an unexpected place Day takes her dynamic voice, or some clever expression of heartache. Some verses are brilliantly written and elegantly phrased, such as the third one of "Gold": "I see the reel, now it's real to me/I gave up gold for grains of sand slipping through my hand." Saadiq isn't the only big name who is involved. The Gurvitz and James Poyser production "Only Love," which has all the cinematic tension and release necessary for a James Bond theme, was made with an all-star cast that includes drummer Questlove, bassist Pino Palladino, and a load of Dap-Kings. For all the finely crafted ballads that recall mid- to late-'60s soul, it's "Mistakes" that stands out most. It's a midtempo mover that has hints of the early-'70s proto-disco variants that came from labels like Philadelphia International and Motown, coated in a little Southern grit.~Andy Kellman http://www.allmusic.com/album/cheers-to-the-fall-mw0002860629

Cheers To The Fall

---

Big John Patton - Blue John

Styles: Soul Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:35
Size: 168,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:59)  1. Hot Sauce
(5:59)  2. Bermuda Clay House
(6:17)  3. Dem Dirty Dues
(6:53)  4. Country Girl
(5:34)  5. Nicety
(7:31)  6. Blue John
(9:06)  7. Jean De Fleur (bonus track)
(5:45)  8. Chunky Cheeks (bonus track)
(4:49)  9. I Need You So (bonus track)
(5:05) 10. Kinda Slick (bonus track)
(8:33) 11. Untitled Patton Tune (bonus track)

Insanely wonderful and pretty darn rare! This album by John Patton was cut during the 60s, but never issued until the 80s and even then, only briefly yet it's easily one of our favorite records ever by this legendary Hammond player, thanks to lots of weird twists and turns! Although the record's led by Patton, it's more in the mad style of George Braith who plays some wonderful sax on the session, in the manner of his excellent Laughing Soul album a Prestige Records session cut with Patton and Grant Green around the same time. The vibe is very different than some of Patton's other Blue Notes very rhythmically playful, and mixed with mad reed lines from Braith with superbly sharp guitar lines from Grant Green, top trumpet work from Tommy Turrentine, and this great sense of skittish rhythm from the always-amazing drummer Ben Dixon. Titles include "Hot Sauce", "Bermuda Clay House", "Nicety", and "Blue John". Includes the bonus tracks "Jean De Fleur", "Chunky Cheeks", "Kinda Slick" & "Untitled Patton Tune"https://www.dustygroove.com/item/700809

Personnel:  John Patton – organ;  Tommy Turrentine - trumpet (track 5);  George Braith - soprano saxophone, stritch;  Grant Green – guitar;  Ben Dixon - drums

Blue John

---

Doug Watkins - Watkins At Large

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop

Year: 2006

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 41:17

Size: 101,5 MB

Art: Front

(12:54)  1. Return To Paradise

( 9:28)  2. Phinupi

( 4:57)  3. Phil T. McNasty's Blues

(10:06)  4. More Of The Same

( 3:50)  5. Panonica

A great session and one of the few lost ones on the legendary Transition label! The album was originally recorded in Boston in 1956, and it features a group led by bassist Doug Watkins, with Donald Byrd on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor, and Art Taylor on drums really a Blue Note lineup, if you come to think of it and the album's definitely got a Blue Note vibe overall! Mobley's tenor is always a treat, and brings out a new sort of fire in Byrd's young horn  and Watkins, who didn't always work as a leader, has a hip conception that really keeps things interesting a slight exotic undercurrent amidst the hardbop. Tracks are long, and titles include "More Of the Same", "Return To Paradise", "Panonica", and "Phinupi".https://www.dustygroove.com/item/57697

Personnel:  Bass – Doug Watkins;  Drums – Arthur Taylor;  Guitar – Kenny Burrell;  Piano – Duke Jordan;  Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley;  Trumpet – Donald Byrd

Watkins At Large

---

New York Trio & Ken Peplowski - Stardust

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:23
Size: 149.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[ 9:46] 1. In The Middle Of A Kiss
[ 8:15] 2. Body And Soul
[ 8:18] 3. Serenade To Sweden
[ 7:20] 4. No Regrets
[ 4:57] 5. My Funny Valentine
[10:11] 6. So In Love
[ 6:32] 7. Stardust
[ 7:49] 8. Summertime
[ 2:10] 9. Stardust Reprise

Ken Peplowski (tenor sax, clarinet) Bill Charlap (piano) Jay Leonhart (bass) Bill Stewart (drums). Avatar Studios, NYC, June 19 & 20, 2008.

A wonderful gift for jazz fans has arrived from Venus Records! Nobody argues that Bill Charlap is one of the most preeminent jazz pianists of his generation. His encyclopedic knowledge of the American Songbook is second to none, and his beautiful touch, amazing skills and imagination make it a pleasure to listen to him at all times. Ken Peplowski, on the other hand, is without a doubt one of the best clarinet and tenor sax players in the swing tradition.

Each of them had recorded a number of albums for Venus Records of Japan separately -- Charlap with his great New York Trio (with Jay Leonhart and Bill Stewart) and Peplowski with his own quartet and the Eddie Higgins Quintet. Now, wouldn't it be nice to put them together in a studio and make an album? Yes, it would, and they actually did it!

They are a match made in heaven, and you can hear from the first note of the first song that they are inspired. Peplowski's supple, rich, and lyrical clarinet and tenor sax playing is simply beautiful, and Charlap's quietly intense solos are awe-inspiring. Leonhart and Stewart are also given ample room to stretch out and impress, as many of the tunes go over seven minutes. I cannot help but marvel at these masters' skillful and soulful music making.

Stardust

---

Neri Per Caso - Le Ragazze

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:52
Size: 68.4 MB
Styles: A Capella, Vocal harmony group
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:26] 1. Le Ragazze
[2:50] 2. Viva La Mamma
[2:23] 3. Je So' Pazzo
[3:08] 4. Non M'annoio
[3:19] 5. Sentimento Pentimento
[3:08] 6. Quando
[2:36] 7. Donne
[2:49] 8. 'a Malatia 'e L'america
[3:04] 9. Con Le Mani
[3:04] 10. Via Con Me

Neri per Caso ("Blacks by chance") are an Italian a cappella musical group. The group formed in Salerno in 1991 and consisted of six elements, two couple of brothers (Diego and Ciro Caravano, Mimì and Gonzalo Caravano) who are also cousins to each other, and two childhood best friend (Mario Crescenzo and Massimo De Divitiis). In 1995 they won the newcomers section at the Sanremo Music Festival with the song "Le ragazze". Their debut album became platinum after just one week and eventually sold over 700,000 copies. In 1996 they came back to the Sanremo Festival, this time entering the main competition with the song "Ti senti sola", and ranked fifth.

Le Ragazze

---

Frank Morgan - You Must Believe In Spring

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:39
Size: 143,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:43)  1. But Beautiful
(5:10)  2. You've Changed
(4:04)  3. With Malice Towards None
(6:45)  4. Something Borrowed, Something Blue
(6:28)  5. I Should Care
(4:45)  6. Embraceable You
(4:50)  7. While The Gettin's Good Blues
(2:57)  8. My Heart Stood Still
(4:33)  9. Enigma
(3:32) 10. I Cover The Waterfront
(6:37) 11. You Must Believe In Spring
(6:10) 12. Come Sunday

A '92 release by marvelous alto saxophonist Frank Morgan, whose life story and triumph over heroin addiction and imprisonment was one of the '80s' great success tales. 

Morgan's biting, yet sensitive and rich alto has rightly been traced to Charlie Parker, but Morgan long ago rid his style of any imitative excesses. He was excellently supported on this program of duets by an amazing lineup of rotating pianists: Kenny Barron, Tommy Flanagan, Barry Harris, Roland Hanna, and Hank Jones.~Ron Wynn  http://www.allmusic.com/album/you-must-believe-in-spring-mw0000614929

Personnel: Frank Morgan (alto saxophone), Kenny Barron, Tommy Flanagan, Roland Hanna, Barry Harris, Hank Jones (piano).

You Must Believe In Spring

---

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Abraça Jobim

Styles: Vocal Jazz, Brazilian Jazz

Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:01
Size: 181,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:56)  1. Somewhere In The Hills
(3:50)  2. The Girl From Ipanema
(6:37)  3. Dindi
(3:41)  4. Off Key
(2:44)  5. Water To Drink
(4:55)  6. Dreamer
(5:40)  7. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars
(2:50)  8. Bonita
(3:51)  9. One Note Samba
(4:07) 10. Triste
(3:00) 11. How Insensitive
(5:14) 12. He's A Carioca
(5:17) 13. This Love That I've Found
(2:19) 14. A Felicidade
(5:22) 15. Wave
(3:40) 16. Song Of The Jet
(3:49) 17. Photograph
(7:59) 18. Useless Landscape

For years, "The Girl fom Ipanema" was a staple in Ella Fitzgerald's songbook, so it's something of a wonder that it was not until 1981 that Ella Abraça Jobim, Fitzgerald's double-album immersion in Antonio Carlos Jobim's back catalog, appeared. Ella's first single-composer release since 1964's tribute to Jerome Kern, Ella Abraça Jobim is, more than anything, final proof of the unassuming Brazilian's place in jazz history alongside the great composers. Sadly Jobim's mellow bossa nova, drenched in the Brazilian concept of saudade, or agreeable melancholy, doesn't necessarily gel with Fitzgerald's swing-based and energetic vocal style. Fitzgerald and her small group take songs like "Agua de Beber (Water to Drink)" at just slightly too speedy a tempo, rushing a bit where they should be gamboling. Fitzgerald is in very good voice compared to some other recordings from her later years, though, sadly, she's clearly not at her peak. Norman Granz's production is typically excellent, however, and the arrangements are refreshingly free of the typical late-'70s/early-'80s post-fusion clichés. Neither Fitzgerald nor Jobim's finest, then, but not without merit.~Stewart Mason http://www.allmusic.com/album/ella-abra%C3%A7a-jobim-sings-the-antonio-carlos-jobim-songbook-mw0000195476

Personnel:  Ella Fitzgerald – Vocals;  Clark Terry – Trumpet;  Zoot Sims - Tenor Saxophone;  Toots Thielemans – Harmonica;  Henry Trotter – Keyboard;  Mike Lang – Keyboards;  Clarence McDonald – Keyboards;  Joe Pass - Electric guitar (soloist);  Oscar Castro-Neves - Acoustic guitar (soloist);  Paul Jackson, Jr. - Rhythm guitar;  Mitch Holder - Rhythm guitar;  Ronald Bautiste - Rhythm guitar;  Abraham Laboriel - Double Bass;  Alex Acuña – Drums;  Paulinho da Costa - Percussion

Ella Abraça Jobim

---

Bill Barron - The Tenor Stylings of Bill Barron

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:46
Size: 98,2 MB
Art: Front

(9:36)  1. Blast Off
(7:32)  2. Ode to an Earth Girl
(7:08)  3. Fox Hunt
(6:23)  4. Oriental Impressions
(5:47)  5. Black Lash
(6:18)  6. Nebulae

An excellent and flexible trumpeter, Ted Curson will always be best known for his work with Charles Mingus' 1960 quartet (which also included Eric Dolphy and Dannie Richmond). He studied at Granoff Musical Conservatory; moved to New York in 1956; played in New York with Mal Waldron, Red Garland, and Philly Joe Jones; and recorded with Cecil Taylor (1961). After the 1959-1960 Mingus association (which resulted in some classic recordings), Curson co-led a quintet with Bill Barron (1960-1965), played with Max Roach, and led his own groups. He spent time from the late '60s on in Europe (particularly Denmark) but had a lower profile than one would expect after returning to the U.S. in 1976. He led sessions for Old Town (1961), Prestige, Fontana, Atlantic, Arista, Inner City, Interplay, Chiaroscuro, and several European labels. 

Curson died of a heart attack on November 4, 2012. He was 77 years old.~Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/ted-curson/id2751266#fullText

Personnel: Bill Barron (tenor saxophone), Ted Curson (trumpet), Kenny Barron (piano), Jimmy Garrison (acoustic bass), Frankie Dunlop (drums)

The Tenor Stylings of Bill Bar

---

Bill Barron & Ted Curson - Now, Hear This!

Styles: Trumpet and Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:46
Size: 93,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:41)  1. Around the World
(5:08)  2. Big Bill
(6:25)  3. The Leopard
(5:08)  4. Hurdy Gurdy
(4:05)  5. Dwackdi Mun Fudalick
(4:17)  6. Jes Swingin'
(5:33)  7. In a Monastery Garden
(6:26)  8. You Are Too Beautiful

Bill Barron was an advanced and adventurous tenor saxophonist (doubling on soprano) who never compromised his music or received much recognition. He spent his formative years and beyond in Philadelphia, not moving to New York until 1958. Barron first came to the jazz world's attention through his participation on a Cecil Taylor date in 1959. After recording with Philly Joe Jones, Barron co-led a fine post-bop quartet with Ted Curson. However, Barron spent much of the remainder of his career as an educator, directing a jazz workshop at the Children's Museum in Brooklyn, teaching at City College of New York, and becoming the chairman of the music department at Wesleyan University. His "day job" made it possible for him to consistently record non-commercial music for Savoy (in 1972 he made that label's last jazz record), Dauntless, and Muse. 

Every one of Bill Barron's recordings as a leader uses brother Kenny Barron (16 years his junior) on piano.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bill-barron-mn0000059950/biography

Personnel:  Ted Curson (tp), Bill Barron (ts), Kenny Barron (p), Ronnie Boykins (b), Dick Berk (d)

Now, Hear This!

---