Jimmy Smith - Fourmost Return

Styles: Hard Bop, Soul Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:20
Size: 111,7 MB
Art: Front

( 5:36)  1. Sonnymoon For Two
( 6:15)  2. Mood Indigio
( 3:31)  3. Ain't She Sweet
( 6:36)  4. Back At The Chicken Shack
( 5:06)  5. Organ Grinder's Swing
(10:48)  6. Laura
(10:25)  7. Blues For Stanley

Recorded during the same 1990 gig at Fat Tuesday's as the earlier Fourmost CD, Fourmost Return features Jimmy Smith, Stanley Turrentine, Kenny Burrell, and Grady Tate in great form once again, so this is no compilation of lukewarm leftovers. The music includes a burning, up-tempo take of "Sonnymoon for Two" and a bluesy and lyrical interpretation of "Mood Indigo," as well as an initially lounge-like "Laura" that gives way to a hot solo by Burrell.

Smith also revives his popular "Back at the Chicken Shack" and adds a good-natured but rather hoarse vocal to the oldie "Ain't She Sweet." All the players are in top form and this release should appeal to fans of soul-jazz.~Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/fourmost-return-mw0000001872

Personnel: Jimmy Smith (vocals, organ); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone); Grady Tate (drums).

Fourmost Return

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Salena Jones - Feelings Change

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:36
Size: 104,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:38)  1. Stuck On You
(3:16)  2. My Guy
(4:44)  3. Just A Gentle Rain
(3:26)  4. Stand By Me
(4:47)  5. You Are Always On My Mind
(4:07)  6. Something In Return
(3:30)  7. Even The Nights Are Better
(4:10)  8. You Decorated My Life
(4:39)  9. Up Where You Belong
(4:14) 10. Make The Most Of Love Tonight
(4:00) 11. Feelings Change

Born in Newport News, VA, in 1944, Salena Jones (real name: Joan Elizabeth Shaw) would over the course of a 60-plus-year career become one of the leading vocalists of swing music, performing in a number of countries in Europe and Asia and recording a number of albums. Jones got her first break at the famed Apollo Theater in New York, winning a talent contest that resulted in a record deal. She spent the early part of her career touring and performing with such leading lights as Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, and Duke Ellington. Her first forays overseas, to Spain and the U.K., were in the mid-'60s and were to begin a life spent mostly outside the rather fickle confines of the United States. In 1978, she made her first appearance in Japan and performed there on an annual basis. By the first decade of the 21st century, she had performed on most continents, recorded more than 40 albums, and sang at the 2006 Shanghai International Jazz Festival.~Chris True http://www.allmusic.com/artist/salena-jones-mn0000290681

Feelings Change

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Al Caiola - Deep in a Dream

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:07
Size: 108,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Love Letters
(3:57)  2. There'll Never Be Another You
(4:29)  3. I Got it Bad
(4:33)  4. Everything Happens to Me
(4:39)  5. Deep in a Dream
(4:21)  6. You are too Beautiful
(3:55)  7. I Got a Crush on You
(4:57)  8. Thunderbird

Al Caiola is a guitarist who initially made his reputation as a session musician, playing on records made by Percy Faith and Andre Kostelanetz, among others. Caiola was the conductor and arranger for United Artists Records in the late '40s and early '50s. After leaving UA, he signed with RCA, where he released a number of singles in the '50s. In the early '60s, he went back to United Artists, which is where he scored his first hit with the theme to the film The Magnificent Seven. The single peaked at 35 in early 1961 and it was quickly followed by the theme to the television series Bonanza, which climbed to number 19. 

For the rest of the '60s, Caiola released a number of easy listening instrumental albums. During the decade he also hosted a television show, which was only aired for a short while. Caiola continued to record throughout the '70s and into the '80s.~Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/artist/al-caiola-mn0000609000

Personnel: Al Caiola (guitar), Bernie Privin (trumpet), Hank Jones (piano), Clyde Lombardi (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

Deep in a Dream

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Mose Allison - Blues Pianist

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 62:08

Size: 142.3 MB

Styles: Jazz/blues piano

Year: 2014

Art: Front

[4:05] 1. Everything I Have Is Yours

[4:08] 2. Let Me See

[3:54] 3. I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues

[2:33] 4. The Song Is Ended

[2:15] 5. I Don't Worry About A Thing

[2:41] 6. It Didn't Turn Out That Way

[2:34] 7. Your Mind Is On Vacation

[3:46] 8. If You're Goin' To The City

[3:56] 9. Stand By

[4:15] 10. Idyll

[3:22] 11. Stop This World

[3:20] 12. The Well

[3:02] 13. New Parchman

[2:44] 14. Don't Forget To Smile

[2:52] 15. What's With You

[1:45] 16. Just Like Livin'

[2:40] 17. Everybody's Cryin' Mercy

[2:58] 18. Rollin' Stone

[2:33] 19. Meet Me At No Special Place

[2:34] 20. Seventh Son

In 2012 Mose was honored with a blues marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in his home town of Tippo, Mississippi.

Mose Allison, pianist/singer/composer, has been a major influence on musicians of the last 50 years and has spent a good deal of his life touring and playing in jazz rooms all over the world. His songs have been recorded by many, among them, The Who, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, The Clash and Diana Krall. His singular style, a unique blending of jazz and blues, and his profound lyrical wit, mark him as a true American original.

Blues Pianist

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Donald Byrd & Doug Watkins - The Transition Sessions (2-Disc Set)

This CD compilation collects three separate sessions recorded by Donald Byrd and Doug Watkins for Transition with various small groups. The 1955 recordings (first issued under the title Byrd's Eye View) were made shortly after Byrd replaced Kenny Dorham in the Jazz Messengers, all of whom (Horace Silver, Art Blakey, and Hank Mobley, along with Byrd and Watkins) are present, with the addition of local trumpeter Joe Gordon as a guest on two tracks. The half-dozen songs mix an improvised blues ("Doug's Blues"), a favorite from the swing era ("Crazy Rhythm"), a ballad feature for Byrd and Mobley ("Everything Happens to Me"), plus a pair of potent hard bop pieces contributed by the tenor saxophonist. The second session, recorded at engineer Stephen Fassett's Beacon Hill home, features two local musicians (pianist Ray Santisis and drummer Jimmy Zitano) joining Byrd and Watkins; it was first released as Byrd Blows on Beacon Hill. This set is heavily ballad-oriented, with the exception of the surprising choice of Joe Sullivan's "Little Rock Getaway." Byrd sits out both "People Will Say We're in Love" and "What's New." The final of the three sessions in this two-CD set marks the bassist's debut release (Watkins at Large), and it proves to be the most interesting. Hank Mobley, Kenny Burrell, Duke Jordan, and Art Taylor are on hand, with the music including a piece written for a 1953 movie soundtrack (Dmitri Tomkin's "Return to Paradise"), Thad Jones' pulsating "More of the Same," as well as originals contributed by both Burrell and Jordan. These three enjoyable but often overlooked studio dates from the early days of hard bop make this reissue well worth purchasing. ~Ken Dryden

Album: The Transition Sessions (Disc 1)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 73:16

Size: 167.7 MB

Styles: Hard bop

Year: 2002

[12:06] 1. Doug's Blues

[10:02] 2. El Sino

[ 7:33] 3. Crazy Rhythm

[ 5:44] 4. Everything Happens To Me

[ 7:28] 5. Hank's Other Tune (Aka The Late Show)

[ 7:42] 6. Hank's Tune

[ 7:01] 7. Little Rock Getaway

[ 7:18] 8. Polka Dots And Moonbeams

[ 4:38] 9. If I Love Again

[ 3:40] 10. Stella By Starlight

The Transition Sessions (Disc 1)

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Album: The Transition Sessions (Disc 2)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 49:28

Size: 113.3 MB

Styles: Hard bop

Year: 2002

Art: Front

[12:47] 1. Return To Paradise

[ 9:21] 2. Phinupi

[ 4:53] 3. Phil T. Mcnasty's Blues

[10:01] 4. More On The Same

[ 3:48] 5. Panonica

[ 3:36] 6. People Will Say We're In Love

[ 5:00] 7. What's New

The Transition Sessions (Disc 2)

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Janiece Jaffe - It Takes Two

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:56
Size: 123.5 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[4:07] 1. Blue Bossa
[2:45] 2. Till There Was You
[3:46] 3. You Go To My Head
[3:27] 4. My Romance
[5:26] 5. Blue Moon
[3:20] 6. La Vie En Rose
[5:10] 7. Angel Eyes
[3:12] 8. Harlem Nocturne
[3:57] 9. Rain On The Roses
[2:52] 10. The Nearness Of You
[4:57] 11. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
[2:58] 12. Prelude To A Kiss
[3:19] 13. Lotus Blossom
[4:35] 14. Gentle Rain

For her second album as a leader, Indiana denizen Janiece Jaffe has chosen to limit her accompaniment to guitar and bass, each separately. Guitar player Marcos Cavalcante provides the support on six cuts, while bass player Tom Hildreth is on the remaining eight tracks. Jaffe is in good company with just the one instrument approach. Sheila Jordan recorded with bass players Arild Andersen and Harvie Swartz behind her. More recently, fine Chicago songstress Jackie Allen has recorded with bass player Hans Sturm. On the guitar/voice side, Nancy King has been to the studio with guitar player Glen Moore to turn out exceptional albums.

With this sparse instrumental assistance, the singer has to be ready to carry more of the performance than she otherwise would. The results of Jaffe's efforts are mixed. She has exceptional range, good diction and works well with her accompanists. Her voice carries a slight vibrato which she uses to good effect, especially at the end of a phrase. On some cuts, however, she stays too long at the higher end of her range causing her voice to get a bit thin, as on "My Romance" and "Angel Eyes." Hildreth saves the track with some choice bass soloing. When Jaffe takes a more balanced direction, using her full vocal capacity, the results are more satisfying, as on a blusey "Just a Lucky So and So," highlighted by some good wordless vocalizing. Another outstanding rendition comes with "Gentle Rain." Both these cuts find her with Cavalcante's guitar, which fits her voice better than the bass, at least on this disc. The very good vocal/bass rendition of "Till There Was You," however, shows that it is possible for Jaffe to work well with a bass without straining. But this cut is the exception rather than the rule. Nonetheless, this CD has much to offer and will be a welcome addition to one's vocal collection. ~Dave Nathan

It Takes Two

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Eric Dolphy With Booker Little - Far Cry

Styles:  Saxophone, Clarinet And Flute Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:24
Size: 111,3 MB
Art: Front

(8:03)  1. Mrs.Parker of K.C. (Bird's Mother)
(8:45)  2. Ode To Charlie Parker
(3:55)  3. Far Cry
(4:18)  4. Miss Ann
(6:42)  5. Left Alone
(4:20)  6. Tenderly
(5:41)  7. It's Magic
(6:37)  8. Serene

In the early sixties, Eric Dolphy was one of the young rebels responsible for moving jazz forward in giant strides, advancements that led some to call his music “anti-jazz”. Although not quite as deliberately bizarre as Out to Lunch, Far Cry is still exactly that: a far cry from what virtually everyone considered jazz to be. On this session Dolphy is joined by two like-minded weirdos in Little and Byard, as well as an able rhythm section in Carter and Haynes (who benefit the most from the 20-bit remastering). Everything that we’ve come to love about Dolphy is on display here, from the unorthodox instruments to the stuttering, belligerent solos that seem to go from New York to LA by way of Saturn.

Although the first two tracks bear titles that pay tribute to Charlie Parker, Dolphy mainly keeps his Bird influences in his back pocket, instead exploring daring intervallic leaps and abstract phrasing (there’s even an unaccompanied saxophone solo, something no one since Coleman Hawkins had really successfully explored). Like Dolphy, Little was another prodigy who died early in his career; his smoothly wandering lines provide a sharp contrast to Dolphy’s prickly approach. Byard, of course, has an affection for all styles of piano playing and often welds them into the same passage, a technique he would really perfect in the company of Roland Kirk. At the time, this was forward thinking music that even today has a whiff of the avant-garde.However, some may prefer Dolphy’s earlier work as a sideman; in more straightforward sessions like Oliver Nelson’s Blues and the Abstract Truth or Chico Hamilton’s Gongs East, Dolphy makes more of an impact, simply because his contributions are so startling compared to the other players. Far Cry, a bold attempt to challenge the status quo, shows how others had begun to catch up to the new thing.~David Rickert http://www.allaboutjazz.com/far-cry-eric-dolphy-fantasy-jazz-review-by-david-rickert.php

Personnel: Eric Dolphy-bass clarinet, alto sax, flute; Booker Little-trumpet; Jaki Byard-piano; Ron Carter-bass; Roy Haynes-drums.

Far Cry

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Brad Mehldau - Live In Tokyo

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:40
Size: 162,9 MB
Art: Front

( 4:37)  1. Things Behind The Sun
( 2:42)  2. Intro
( 9:55)  3. Someone To Watch Over Me
( 7:55)  4. From This Moment On
( 7:59)  5. Monk's Dream
(19:29)  6. Paranoid Android
( 9:00)  7. How Long Has This Been Going On
( 8:59)  8. River Man

With boundless energy and seemingly endless imagination, Brad Mehldau has evolved into one of the most prolific jazz musicians in the world today. Little surprise then, that a little over six months after the latest release with his trio, we have another sterling piece of work, his first on his new label affiliation. Fans of his oeuvre are well acquainted with his live recordings both solo and in a group setting and some may miss the intricate interaction with drummer Jorge Rossy and Larry Grenadier on Live in Tokyo at least to start. But throughout this disc, Mehldau plays beautifully on his own, his work is florid with detail, yet never just flowery. There is a deeply felt passion in all he plays, and that's exactly why he is so engrossing to hear: in a solo setting Mehldau demonstrates how he selects his ideas altogether discriminatingly from what must be a veritable flood of variations that occur to him as he plays. It's not long into listening to Live in Tokyo that you are reminded how skillfully he runs the gamut of emotion in his playing. Like precocious guitar wunderkind Derek Trucks, Mehldau becomes so deeply immersed in his playing it's as if he is in some kind of meditation and certainly, without any religious or even secular trappings to intrude, there is a definite spiritual aspect to Mehldau's music. But it is based on a deep knowledge of jazz history and an equally profound confidence that he can pay homage to icons such as Monk and Gershwin and still transcend tribute by dint of his own technical skill and improvisational inspiration. From carefree flights of fancy to dark ruminations on a chord progression, to knotty resolutions of melodic motifs. Mehldau makes music of these songs that stands on its own, on par with the material itself, no easy task and no small accomplishment.

On 2002's Largo studio project, Brad Mehldau incorporated horns, electric guitars and electronic ambience into this solid traditional jazz foundation without shortchanging either approach. It was an utterly contemporary marriage of style, not unlike the way Jeff Tweedy and Wilco have transformed folk music into new millennium rock. Perhaps not unconfidently, Live in Tokyo is bookended by interpretations of unsung British folk iconoclast Nick Drake and in addition, during this comparatively pure solo setting Mehldau reminds us of his special fondness for Radiohead as he covers "Paranoid Android"; the young pianist covered the Beatles ("Dear Prudence" on Largo ) and Paul Simon ("Still Crazy After All These Years" appeared prominently on his early 2004 trio session Anything Goes ), proof positive he appreciates a melody both minimal and ornate, and adjusts his playing accordingly. In much the same way he modifies his pace when performing with his aforementioned bandmates: he doesn't so much slow down as make room for them and allow them to catch up and keep pace with the flow of ideas. He is the center of gravity around which they orbit, the playing intersecting at various points on their shared plane. Alone Mehldau utilizes his right and left hands in a similar manner and in so doing, expands the scope of dynamics he uses, moving slower or faster when so moved, his playing more or less spare, more or less complex, but never merely complicated for its own sake. It's not to demean Brad Mehldau to say that, watching him on stage, as he collects his thoughts, centers himself, then bends over the keyboard to play, he recalls Charles Schulz's character Schroeder from the Peanuts comic strip. Remember how the musical notes just flow without interruption from that little guy's head when he begins to play? The effect is much the same when you watch this man, a marvelous vision not all that much less impressive when you are just listening to this disc.~Doug Collette http://www.allaboutjazz.com/brad-mehldau-live-in-tokyo-by-doug-collette.php

Personnel: Brad Mehldau: solo piano

Live In Tokyo

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Peter Bernstein, Larry Goldings, Bill Stewart - Live At Smalls

Styles: Guitar Jazz

Year: 2011

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 69:27

Size: 159,3 MB

Art: Front

(10:56)  1. Chant

(10:00)  2. Molto Molto

(10:53)  3. Everytime We Say Goodbye

( 9:09)  4. Just A Thought

(12:13)  5. Milestones

( 9:17)  6. Nobody Else But Me

( 6:56)  7. The Danger Zone

Here’s proof that guitarist Peter Bernstein, Hammond B3 organist Larry Goldings and drummer Bill Stewart excel at the art of the slow burn. Tempos aren’t rushed. Solos aren’t feverishly pitched. Call-and-response exchanges aren’t overheated. Instead, the trio shrewdly hews to a series of organ-combo grooves, turning this Manhattan club date into a simmering, soulful delight. Nothing is more sublime than the performance of “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye.” Bernstein subtly embellishes the theme with Jim Hall-like finesse and, thanks largely to Stewart’s cushioning brushwork, it isn’t long before the melody is floating in the air. The burn factor rises on this track, and elsewhere on the album, when Goldings begins to pull out the stops, but don’t anticipate a lot of fuss and flash. Even Goldings’ performance on “Molto Molto,” which he wrote, isn’t molto busy. Look forward, instead, to Bernstein’s softly glowing rumination “Just a Thought,” and a slinky, blues-hued arrangement of Jerome Kern’s “Nobody Else But Me.” A 12-minute take on “Milestones” burns brightest, but there are times when even that track, with its bleeping sci-fi atmospherics, sounds more whimsical than wired. Not to be overlooked, too, is the way the trio salutes Ray Charles via Percy Mayfield’s “The Danger Zone,” which is saved for last. Bernstein is in slow shuffle mode, fluidly mixing blues riffs with jazz chromaticism until Goldings adds touches of Southern gospel fervor just the right note for the album’s closer. Amen.~Mike Joyce http://jazztimes.com/articles/29605-live-at-smalls-bernstein-goldings-stewart

Live At Smalls

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Bob Dorough, Bill Takas - Sing And Swing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:29
Size: 124.7 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1984/2011
Art: Front

[4:35] 1. Everything Happens To Me
[4:41] 2. Bijou, I'm Crazy For You
[7:49] 3. When Sunny Gets Blue
[4:56] 4. Be Careful, It's My Heart
[2:53] 5. It's Not Easy Being Green
[5:43] 6. Route 66
[5:07] 7. Moonlight In Vermont
[5:44] 8. Yardbird Suite
[7:15] 9. Quiet Nights
[5:42] 10. Better Than Anything

Bass – Bill Takas; Piano, Voice – Bob Dorough.

Although neglected and underexposed most of his life, Bob Dorough is an adventurous, risk-taking master of vocalese (the process of writing and singing lyrics to instrumental jazz solos) and scat singing who has directly or indirectly influenced Mark Murphy, Michael Franks, Mose Allison, and Kurt Elling. The Arkansas native started out on piano in the 1940s, then took up singing in the early '50s (when he played for boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, an entertainer at the time). From 1954-1955, Dorough lived in Paris, where he recorded with singer Blossom Dearie. The improviser launched his own recording career when he signed with Bethlehem in 1955 and recorded the excellent Devil May Care, which introduced the defiant title song and lyrics to Charlie Parker's "Yardbird Suite." But sadly, he recorded only sporadically after that. In 1962, Dorough co-wrote "Comin' Home Baby" (a hit for Mel Tormé) with Ben Tucker, and in 1966, he recorded his second album, Just About Everything, for Focus. In the early '70s, he began writing and directing the series of educational children's TV programs, Schoolhouse Rock. Though instructional material became his bread and butter, Dorough recorded obscure jazz dates for 52 Rue East, Orange Blue, Pinnacle, Boomdido, Laissez-Faire, and other tiny labels in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1997, a 73-year-old Dorough received some long-overdue attention from a major label when the Capitol-distributed Blue Note released Right on My Way Home. Too Much Coffee Man followed in the spring of 2000. His Sunday brunch residency at New York's Iridium club culminated in 2004's live offering Sunday at Iridium and, at a sprightly 82 years of age, Dorough traveled to England for a series of live dates. The tour culminated in a recording session that spawned the charming Small Day Tomorrow album in 2006. ~bio by Alex Henderson

Sing And Swing

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Morgana King - It's A Quiet Thing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:58
Size: 70.9 MB
Styles: Vocal, Standards
Year: 1965/2009
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. It's A Quiet Thing
[3:56] 2. Dindi
[3:09] 3. Useless Landscape
[2:54] 4. Gone With The Wind
[3:31] 5. Little Girl Blue
[2:05] 6. Mountain High, Valley Low
[3:10] 7. How Insensitive
[2:35] 8. Here's That Rainy Day
[3:34] 9. Deep Song
[3:01] 10. If You Should Leave Me (E Se Domani)

A vocalist whose work unfortunately fell out of favor and went out of print for decades, Morgana King establishes such a brilliant presence on this album's opening and title track that in some ways it is impossible for her to live up to it throughout the program of ten titles. Blessed with incredible range, she operates in a vast dynamic range made possible not only by her technique, but by the sophisticated and classy, indeed outright lush arrangements by Torrie Zito. She gets to dive into "Useless Landscape," one of several bossa nova numbers from the DeOlivereira/Gilbert/Jobim songwriting team, with the strongly assuring backing of a lightly recorded string section, a steadily throbbing classical guitar, and a pungent French horn soloist. The arranger and producer really do seem fond of their bossa, also inserting the genre's trademark guitar waddle into the standard "Little Girl Blue." "Here's That Rainy Day" and "Gone With the Wind" also get nice treatments, with King showing plenty of flair for texture as well as rhythm. It's a consistently pleasing, professionally produced set of renditions, yet it can't be considered a good sign that a stranger wandering in the door would ask if it was a Tiny Tim record. This is most likely the result of the vocalist overdoing it "time after time," to paraphrase Cyndi Lauper, another stylish vocalist whose work in another era shares some similarities. At times one may wish it was Lauper and not the outrageous Yma Sumac that some of King's enunciation and pyrotechnics are reminiscent of. Any tendency to dismiss King outright would be a mistake, however. Like other somewhat eccentric vocalists, such as Al Hibbler and Betty Carter, aspects that seem inexplicable or tasteless at first listening are guaranteed to grow on the listener. ~Eugene Chadbourne

It's A Quiet Thing

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Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio - Live In Studio

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:18
Size: 176.9 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[6:09] 1. Wives And Lovers
[6:01] 2. Summer Of '42
[4:33] 3. The Look Of Love
[3:36] 4. Spartacus Love Theme
[6:44] 5. On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
[3:53] 6. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[6:27] 7. Alfie
[5:22] 8. Watch What Happens
[3:22] 9. A Man And A Woman
[3:32] 10. Cast Your Fate To The Wind
[5:45] 11. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
[4:19] 12. More
[4:05] 13. Watch What Happens (Feat. Cassandra Wilson)
[4:14] 14. Music To Watch Girls By
[4:43] 15. Girl Talk
[4:25] 16. Charade

Kenny Barron: piano; Ron Carter: acoustic bass; Gerry Gibbs: drums; Roy Hargrove: trumpet, flugelhorn (5, 7, 11, 16); Cassandra Wilson: vocals (3, 7, 13).

Drummer Gerry Gibbs has been living a recurring dream with slight variations for the past few years. In December of 2012, he laid down tracks with two of his idols—the legendary Ron Carter and the estimable Kenny Barron—and dubbed their group the Thrasher Dream Trio. The eponymous debut from that band, featuring fifteen tracks recorded at those sessions, was, not surprisingly, a strong and classy affair filled with standards, some originals, and other jazz-friendly fare, such as Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" and Burt Bacharach's "Promises, Promises."

At the time of that album's release, those last-mentioned tracks could simply be viewed as part of the well-rounded program. But looking back now, it actually seems like they were dropped as hints of what was to come. About a year-and-a-half after that first Thrasher Dream Trio album was recorded, Gibbs brought the band together again to lay things down for We're Back (Whaling City Sound, 2014), a jazz-does-R&B project with A-list guests—vibraphonist Warren Wolf, saxophonist Steve Wilson, and organist Larry Goldings. That album offered multiple helpings of Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire along with single servings of Bacharach, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, and the Average White Band. As on the trio's first album, the sparks were flying. The playing field, however, had changed a bit.

For this, the third go-around for this group, Gibbs does it again, tweaking the formula without altering the essence of the trio. This time he turned the focus toward pop-ish material from the '50s and '60s—the work of Bacharach, Henry Mancini, Michel Legrand, and others of that ilk—and put an audience in front of the band, recording live at Systems Two Recording Studio. Guests are part of the package again—now it's trumpeter Roy Hargrove and vocalist Cassandra Wilson, each appearing on a few tracks—and they help to add another wrinkle or two to the project without drawing focus away from the trio.

The album opens on a fluid "Wives And Lovers" that allows Barron's lyricism to shine through, gives Carter a chance to step into the spotlight, and puts Gibbs' brushwork at center stage. From there, the trio moves on with an unusually upbeat take on "The Summer Knows," a Wilson-enhanced version of "The Look Of Love" that moves from bossa nova to swing, and a variety of other familiar hits of yesteryear. Hargrove joins in for "On A Clear Day," quoting Ellington at one point and playfully trading solos with Gibbs; Vince Guaraldi's cheerfulness shines through on a perky trio performance of his "Cast Your Fate To The Wind"; "More" is transformed from a stale confection into an enjoyable swinger; and "Watch What Happens" happens twice—first as a cheerful, Brazilian-based instrumental, then as a swing-centered feature for Wilson.

Along the way there are plenty of other bright spots—an appropriately noir-ish "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" with Hargrove on flugelhorn, a leisurely stroll through "Girl Talk"—and plenty of moments that serve as simple reminders as to why Barron and Carter are loved, respected, and emulated the world over. Their time and taste are impeccable, and when married to Gibbs' in-the-tradition drumming, you know the music is going to go in the right direction every time. ~Dan Billawsky

Live In Studio

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The Goodfellas - Olly Meets The Good Fellas

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:47
Size: 164.3 MB
Styles: Swing
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:15] 1. No One Knows
[2:23] 2. Secret Agent Man
[3:29] 3. Beautiful People
[2:11] 4. Triste Sera
[4:31] 5. Whose Side Are You On
[3:44] 6. No Worries
[3:47] 7. Vedrai Vedrai
[3:44] 8. Too Darn Hot
[3:41] 9. Un Bimbo Sul Leone
[2:17] 10. That Mellow Saxophone
[3:13] 11. Un Bimbo Sul Leone
[3:36] 12. Whose Side Aare You On (Live)
[2:50] 13. Cheek To Cheek (Live)
[2:35] 14. Pizza Gangster (Live)
[3:45] 15. Small Town (Live)
[3:25] 16. The Beautiful People (Live)
[4:11] 17. No One Knows (Live)
[5:43] 18. That Mellow Saxophone (Live)
[3:50] 19. Un Bimbo Sul Leone (Live)
[4:28] 20. Whose Side Are You On (Live)

The most cursory glance down the roster of America’s most popular troubadours, immediately reveals one prime and inescapable fact- the majority are of Italian-American extraction. Caruso, Sinatra, Como, Prima, Monte, Bennett, Darin…the list seems endless. “Why”, many an eager bobby-soxer has asked “are so many of the great singers Italian?” Why, indeed? The answer is, of course, to step into the history and folkways of a people that it would take thousands of words to explain. But, we can briefly say, it’s because of their warm-hearted, unrestrained humour and passion for life. As a part of this good company we can find “THE GOOD FELLAS”. Better known as the “GANGSTERS OF SWING”, dressed in old fashioned, strictly Italian made, double breast Capone suites, wearing two tone shoes, laughing at life like everyone does deep down in the land of pizza and mandolino. To be a “good fellow” means to be a true gentleman, loyal and respectful of strong heritage and traditions., It means to smell of the full Italian flavour, while always hungry for a lady’s kiss among the scene of a Neapolitan moonlight. What they do best is the well-known, truly genuine, Italian way of entertaining known the world over. Swingin and jokin’ all the time with the audience in that half Italian, half English, macaroni language. This band truly swings from “Oh Marie”, “Tu vuo fa l’americano”(You wanna be American) to Basie’s “Whirly Bird”, and from Haley’s “A rockin’ little tune” to Lou Monte’s Italian version of Fats Domino’s classic Rock’n’Roll “I’m Walkin”. They walk the junction between Italian American and Afro American music, follow the steps of the giants of swing era, spacing from a shuffle beat to a Philly houserock to Texas blues. Like many of the Italian citizens of the World War II age, the GOOD FELLAS feel the “American Dream”, falling in love with the American brashness, cleverness, then impossible madness, but never really thinkin’ to leave the country of sea and sun, their food, their roots. Lean against his big bass, he’s the boss, Mr. LUCKY LUCIANO, created his own way of swingin’ way back in 1993, always guarded by his “shadow”, boxeur/drummer BUM BUM LA MOTTA. With an experience of more than 100 gigs every year, these great musicians entertained the audiences of England, Germany, France, Switzerland, Wales, Belgium, Slovenjia and every corner of their beautiful Country. Over the Rockin’ scene, they blew the fuse of a spectacular audience at “THE RHYTHM RIOT” at Camber Sands, UK, and rocked the house at “SUMMER JAMBOREE” in Senigallia, obtaining massive compliments as top international act. It’s been a pleasure, during the years of their activity to be backing international stars such as JACK SCOTT, BLUE LOU MARINI, DAVE TAYLOR, GRAHAM FENTON, SCREAMIN’ LORD SUTCH, CHARLIE GRACIE, BIG JAY McNEELY, and they work very often with long time friend fellow musician RAY GELATO. Together, they recorded two albums; GELATO ALL’ITALIANA (1996) and GANGSTERS OF SWING (1998). The GOOD FELLAS have been featured several times on top TV shows and reviews, and recently played a role in the major Italian film “I FOBICI” that includes the beauty of international star SABRINA FERILLI. Fall 1999; the Fellas played the most important show in Italy, featuring the famous comedians ALDO, GIOVANNI E GIACOMO. The show, “Tel chi el Telùn” has been attended by more than 80,000 people during 52 days at the No Limits Hall in Milano, and seen by over 10 million per night on TV. The “SALUTE!” Cd was released in the year 2k. In 2002 Mr. Lucky is the music director for Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo’s brand new motion picture movie “La leggenda di Al, John and Jack”, based on a gangster story, New York 1959. The fellas play 5 tunes of which 3 Lucky’s originals. Again in that same year and the following, they play their music on a superb new Variety show headlined by famous comedian Paolo CEVOLI, aka L’Assessore PALMIRO CANGINI, called “THE RONCOFRITTO SHOW”, which in 2003 became a theatrical comedy show “MOTONAVE CENERENTOLA” starring Russian beauty and Tv star NATASHA STEFANENKO, with over 120 replicas. 2004, the cd “SONGS FOR AL, JOHN AND JACK” hit the market. The new year 2005 began with a full swingin feeling. The band performs at “UMBRIA JAZZ WINTER”, main Italian jazz festival, selling out every show. Therefore, Carlo Pagnotta, promoter of the event, signs the band immediately for the forthcoming 2005 Summer edition of the Festival! April 2005, the latest release: OLLY MEETS THE GOOD FELLAS, starring guest singer Olly from ska core Italian top act SHANDON. A colourful, miscellania of Italian ballads, jazz tunes, early sixties soundtracks stuff and the unbelievable a-la-fellas versions of Marylin Manson and Queens of the Stone Age modern rock tracks! Wear your best suite, put on your dancin’ shoes, grab your girl and bring your best smile; and WATCH OUT, the GANGSTERS OF SWING are back in town!

Olly Meets The Good Fellas

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Paul Bley Trio - If We May

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 55:36

Size: 127.3 MB

Styles: Avant garde jazz

Year: 1994

Art: Front

[ 9:32] 1. Long Ago And Far Away

[ 9:40] 2. Don't Explain

[10:04] 3. If We May

[ 5:57] 4. Indian Summer

[ 9:23] 5. All The Things You Are

[ 5:08] 6. Goodbye

[ 5:50] 7. Confirmation

Paul Bley has long enjoyed engaging in fairly free improvising, making this set of standards (along with the title cut, an original blues) a bit of a surprise. With bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Adam Nussbaum, Bley plays such songs as "Long Ago and Far Away," "All the Things You Are" and "Confirmation" fairly straight at first, almost as if he were normally a bop-based improviser. The music is quite accessible to straightahead fans even if Bley gives these warhorses some new twists, and he shows that he can swing with the best of them (not that anyone really doubted it). ~Scott Yanow

If We May   

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Al Caiola - Serenade in Blue

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:54
Size: 80,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:38)  1. Serenade in Blue
(4:50)  2. Don't Worry About Me
(5:05)  3. Moments Like This
(4:15)  4. Early Autumn
(3:43)  5. Black and Blue
(5:02)  6. Indian Summer
(4:23)  7. Blue the Night
(2:56)  8. Dram-Buei

Al Caiola (whose name is misspelled Caiora throughout the outside of this CD, although it is correct on the inside!) was a studio guitarist who led some nice easy listening melodic jazz dates during 1955-60. On this budget release, he is heard on four numbers apiece with a pair of overlapping quintets featuring either Romeo Penque (on flute, bass clarinet, and English horn) or trumpeter Bernie Privin; Hank Jones or Ronnie Ball on piano; bassist Clyde Lombardi (listed as Clyde Rombaldi!); and drummer Kenny Clarke. The music, which includes "Don't Worry About Me," "Early Autumn," and "Indian Summer," is light and easy to enjoy, serving both as superior background music and melodic jazz. It is too bad that the packaging (which credits most of the standards, including "Serenade to Blue" and "Early Autumn," to "Caiora") basically stinks! Hopefully someday this set, and Caiola's earlier Savoy album, will be reissued in much more coherent form; they could easily be repackaged as a single CD.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/serenade-in-blue-mw0000241191

Personnel:  Alto Flute, Bass Clarinet, English Horn – Romeo Penque (tracks: 2, 3, 6, 8);  Bass – Clyde Lombardi;  Drums – Kenny Clarke;  Guitar – Al Caiola;  Piano – Hank Jones (tracks: 2, 3, 6, 8), Ronnie Bell (tracks: 1, 4, 5, 7);  Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Bernie Privin (tracks: 1, 4, 5, 7)

Serenade in Blue

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Chantal Chamberland - Serendipity Street

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz

Year: 2003

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 68:55

Size: 158,2 MB

Art: Front

(4:12)  1. It's You

(4:05)  2. Time After Time

(4:03)  3. Solitude

(3:14)  4. Romance Me

(2:55)  5. Cry Me A River

(4:34)  6. Les Feuilles Mortes

(3:06)  7. Cheek To Cheek

(4:40)  8. Since I Fell For You

(3:34)  9. God Bless The Child

(5:24) 10. At Seventeen

(3:29) 11. Crazy

(4:23) 12. Across The Room

(5:00) 13. Summertime

(4:43) 14. At Last

(4:21) 15. Faded Valentine

(7:08) 16. Ne Me Quitte Pas

" With her smoky, late-night-at-the-club vocal presence, Chantal Chamberland is like a singer from a different era one from the days when standards by Gershwin and Berlin were pop songs of the moment and vintage jazz was the height of fashion. Serendipity Streetis a showcase for the artist's passionate, velvety singing voice and her equally adept skills as a guitarist. Featured are a series of standards, pop covers and original pieces, which include soulful renditions of Billie Holiday's classic "God Bless the Child," Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and Willie Nelson's "Crazy." With each of these timeless torch songs, Chamberland proves herself as a singer with the chops to go up against the best of today's jazz innovators. You'll definitely want to check out this album if you are a fan of Diana Krall. " Chantal Chamberland's latest CD, Serendipity Street, is a passionate labour of love... sweet, sassy, sultry and sad. Not only does it revisit the standards, it offers intimate originals, some penned by Chamberland herself, others written as collaborative efforts. A native of St. Lambert, Quebec, Chantal Chamberland was raised in Montreal on the music of Edith Piaf, Ella Fitzgerald and Artie Shaw. Eventually, she moved to Ontario to pursue her own musical dreams and, of equal importance, to learn how to speak English.

Chamberland launched her professional career as part of an acoustic folk-rock duo, performing at venues and festivals throughout North America. During these years, she was asked to share the stage with such notables as Sarah McLachlan and the Barenaked Ladies. She then took a brief sabbatical during which she began exploring new areas of music and experimenting in a genre that had always been close to her heart Jazz. With that, she embarked on what promised to be the most gratifying adventure of her career. Her first contemporary jazz release, This is Our Time, gave her the opportunity to meet new artists, play new venues and attract a new fan base. Both radio and retail immediately showed their support for this independent release and This is Our Time soon became a testament to her personal evolution. A fan of Billie Holiday, Etta James, and Shirley Horn, among others, Chamberland's vocal delivery is so alluring that Canadian music critic, Nick Krewen, described her singing as "making love to her songs". It's precisely this technique, along with her captivating stage presence, that has made her musical transition to contemporary jazz artist so magical. With the recent release of Serendipity Street, Chantal Chamberland has become a top-selling independent artist in Canada, while also garnering increasing support and amazing critical response south of the border. As a result, says the owner of International Records in Atlanta, Georgia, "Serendipity Street is one of the fastest selling CD's in our 20 year history." Chantal Chamberland's latest burst of magic was her appearance at the prestigious Montreal International Jazz Festival, where she performed two exhilarating concerts for over 150,000 people. The audience was enthralled. They also recognized that the journey was just beginning; that there would be more magic ahead. So why not join Chantal as she sets out on her remarkable stroll down Serendipity Street? http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/chamberland3

Personnel: Chantal Chamberland (vocals, guitar); Bob Doidge (cello, accordion, flugelhorn).

Serendipity Street   

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Jackie McLean - Bluesnik

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:54
Size: 123,7 MB
Art: Front

(9:32)  1. Bluesnik
(6:34)  2. Goin' Way Blues
(5:52)  3. Drew' s Blues
(5:20)  4. Cool Green
(7:19)  5. Blues Function
(6:18)  6. Torchin
(6:42)  7. Goin' Way Blues (alt. take)
(6:15)  8. Torchin' (alt. take)

Bluesnik, Jackie McLean's seventh session as a leader for Blue Note Records, was one of only two recordings issued by McLean in 1961. With a lineup of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, bassist Doug Watkins, pianist Kenny Drew, and drummer Pete La Roca, McLean laid down a hard blowing session of six tunes based completely on blues motifs. Many critics as well as jazz fans hold to the opinion that Bluesnik may be McLean's most accessible session for the label. That said, not all of these tunes are blues numbers strictly speaking. They use blues forms, but don't all fall into the conventional 12-bar structure, and therefore even move hard bop paradigms a bit. The title track opening the set is a prime example of this given that it quotes the theme in 12-bar but moves through a knotty ten-bar sequence before roaring into a furious but fluid cut time structure that allows for a maximum "stretching" of the changes by Drew. Drew's "Cool Green," screws around with the 12-bar in the melody, but given the introductory statements made before each line and in the solo breaks, it too pushes the standard blues architecture. There are the great moments in blues here that helped to establish McLean as a giant, such as "Drew's Blues," and the lovely "Torchin'," that closes the set. Hubbard's role here is relatively minor in that he had not yet established himself as a leader and he was still growing into his choppy, taut method of soloing. The swing factor of the rhythm section is undeniable, especially the interaction between Drew and La Roca. In all, this is a monster session effortlessly performed by a soloist at an early peak with a supporting cast of blazing sidemen.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/bluesnik-mw0000200034

Personnel: Jackie McLean (alto saxophone); Freddie Hubbard (trumpet); Kenny Drew (piano); Doug Watkins (bass instrument, bass guitar); Pete La Roca (drums).

Bluesnik

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Art Tatum - Solos (1940)

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:16
Size: 104,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:16)  1. Elegie
(3:05)  2. Humoresque
(3:01)  3. Sweet Lorraine
(2:45)  4. Get Happy
(3:06)  5. Lullaby Of The Leaves
(2:15)  6. Tiger Rag
(2:59)  7. Sweet Emalina, My Gal (Take A)
(2:52)  8. Sweet Emalina, My Gal (Take B)
(2:21)  9. Emaline
(3:00) 10. Moonglow
(2:43) 11. Love Me
(2:50) 12. Cocktails For Two
(2:31) 13. St. Louis Blues
(2:42) 14. Begin The Beguine
(2:49) 15. Rosetta
(2:53) 16. (Back Home Again In) Indiana

MCA's short-lived Decca cd-reissue program put out this gem, all of Tatum's piano solos from 1940, including two versions of the previously unknown "Sweet Emalina, My Gal." Some of the routines on these standards were a bit familiar by now (this "Tiger Rag" pales next to his 1933 version) but are no less exciting and still sound seemingly impossible to play.~Scott Yanow 

http://www.allmusic.com/album/solos-1940-mw0000203005

Solos (1940)

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Paul Bley - Homage to Carla Bley

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:50
Size: 130,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:20)  1. Seven
(6:40)  2. Closer
(6:30)  3. Olhos de Gato
(5:15)  4. And Now the Queen
(5:37)  5. Vashkar
(3:43)  6. Around Again
(6:52)  7. Donkey
(3:54)  8. King Korn
(1:53)  9. Ictus
(5:07) 10. Turns
(5:56) 11. Overtoned

Pianist Paul Bley, whose earliest recordings sound like Al Haig or Bud Powell, took the styles and techniques associated with Oscar Peterson, Wynton Kelly and Bill Evans to new levels of creative experimentation, becoming an indispensable force in modern music by combining the best elements in bop and early modern jazz with extended free improvisation and procedural dynamics often found in 20th century chamber music. This approach places him in league with artists as diverse as Red Garland, Elmo Hope, Mal Waldron, Jaki Byard, Stanley Cowell, Keith Jarrett, Andrew Hill, Lennie Tristano, Cecil Taylor, Ran Blake, Sun Ra, and Marilyn Crispell. Even a cursory overview of Bley's life and work can be pleasantly overwhelming, for he is among the most heavily recorded of all jazz pianists and his story is inextricably intertwined with the evolution of modern jazz during the second half of the 20th century. Hyman Paul Bley was born in Montreal, Canada on November 10, 1932. A violin prodigy at five, he began playing piano at eight and studied at the McGill Conservatorium, earning his diploma at age eleven. Before long, Hy "Buzzy" Bley was sitting in with jazz bands and had formed his own group. Already a skilled pianist, he landed a steady gig at the Alberta Lounge soon after Oscar Peterson left to begin working for Norman Granz in 1949. The following year Bley continued his musical education at the Juilliard School in New York while gigging in the clubs with trumpeter Roy Eldridge, trombonist Bill Harris, and saxophonists Ben Webster, Sonny Rollins, and Charlie Parker. While enrolled at Juilliard he played in a group with trumpeter Donald Byrd, saxophonist Jackie McLean, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor. He also hung out at Lennie Tristano's residential studio, absorbing ideas.

Paul Bley's earliest known recordings survive as soundtracks from Canadian television; the first in 1950 with tenor saxophonist Brew Moore and the second in February 1953 with Charlie Parker, special invited guest of the Montreal Jazz Workshop, an artist-run organization Bley helped to establish. His first studio recording date took place in November 1953 with bassist Charles Mingus and drummer Art Blakey. The young pianist's constant interaction with archetypal and influential musicians was phenomenal; he also sat in with trumpeter Chet Baker and saxophonist Lester Young. In 1954 he led three different recording sessions with bassists Peter Ind and Percy Heath, and drummer Alan Levitt. At this stage of his career Paul Bley was an inspired, extremely adept bop pianist whose first decisively innovative period was just about to commence. The plot thickened when Bley moved to California in 1957 and began holding down a steady engagement at the Hillcrest Club in Los Angeles, where he was recorded in 1958 with saxophonist Ornette Coleman, trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Billy Higgins. He also performed with Canadian trumpeter Herb Spanier and recorded an album with vibraphonist Dave Pike, featuring liner notes and one composition by Karen Borg, a brilliant musician who married the pianist in 1957 and changed her name to Carla Bley. In 1959 the Bleys moved to New York City where they continued to interact with musicians who were operating on the cutting edge of modern jazz including multi-instrumentalist Roland Kirk, saxophonist and composer Oliver Nelson; composer and bandleader George Russell; composer, bassist and bandleader Charles Mingus; trumpeter and bandleader Don Ellis; bassists Gary Peacock and Steve Swallow; drummer Pete La Roca and multi-reedman Jimmy Giuffre. In 1961 Paul Bley made his first visit to Europe.More..~arwulf arwulf http://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-bley-mn0000745617/biography

Homage to Carla

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Herbie Mann - Live At Newport

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:24
Size: 94,0 MB
Art: Front

( 7:40)  1. Soft Winds
( 7:39)  2. Desafinado
( 6:09)  3. Samba De Orfeu
(10:49)  4. Don't You Know
( 8:05)  5. Garota De Ipanema

Most of Herbie Mann's Atlantic sessions of the 1960s are among the flutist's best and most popular work. Mann and his regular group of 1963 (which includes vibraphonist Dave Pike, pianist Don Friedman, guitarist Attila Zoller, bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Bob Thomas with added percussionists Willie Bobo and Potato Valdez) are heard in spirited form on this set from the 1963 Newport Jazz Festival. There are two surprises, both having to do with Antonio Carlos Jobim tunes. The bossa nova hit "Desafinado" is taken in straight 4/4 time without the percussionists, which makes it sound like a new song. And three months after Stan Getz, Jobim and the Gilbertos recorded "The Girl From Ipanema" (but before it was even released), Mann can be heard playing an instrumental version of the song, here listed as "Garota De Ipanema." A catchy rendition of "Soft Winds," the bossa nova "Samba De Orfeu," and Ben Tucker's "Don't You Know" round out the well-played program.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-newport-mw0000011986

Personnel: Herbie Mann (flute); Attila Zoller (guitar); Don Friedman (piano); Dave Pike (vibraphone, background vocals);  Bobby Thomas (drums); Willie Bobo, Carlos "Patato" Valdes (percussion).

Live At Newport

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