Jeri Southern - You Better Go Now

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:10
Size: 82.8 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[2:53] 1. You Better Go Now
[3:03] 2. Give Me Time
[3:32] 3. Something I Dreamed Last Night
[3:02] 4. The Man That Got Away
[2:57] 5. When I Fall In Love
[2:47] 6. Just Got To Have Him Around
[3:01] 7. Dancing On The Ceiling
[2:31] 8. Speak Softly To Me
[2:58] 9. What Good Am I Without You
[3:04] 10. I Thought Of You Last Night
[3:10] 11. That Ole Devil Called Love
[3:07] 12. Remind Me

If you were to leaf through all the material written about Jeri Southern in the past five years or so by record reviewers, night club critics, newspaper columnists and others, you would notice a constant recurrence of such words as delicacy, sensitivity, taste, subtlety and restraint. If you find these qualities admirable, then it's a fine experience you have in store as you listen to these lyrical little milestones in Miss Southern's recording career. On some of them she sounds very close to tears, on others she sounds wise and profound and perhaps just a bit cynical. Sometimes she seems like a wistful little girl, and the next minute she's silken and sultry and seductive. The moods are many and complex, and they are all Jeri Southern's. They are all yours too, to share with her here in this album.

You Better Go Now

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David Hazeltine - Close To You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:53
Size: 144.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[6:01] 1. Close To You
[5:43] 2. Waltzing At Suite One
[6:52] 3. I'm Old Fashioned
[7:05] 4. You Don't Know What Love Is
[4:59] 5. Barbara
[6:39] 6. Buddy's Tune
[6:18] 7. Blues For P. Wash
[6:17] 8. Minor Adjustment
[4:44] 9. I'll Only Miss Her
[8:13] 10. Willow Weep For Me

As a member of the hardbop unit One For All and a perennial sideman, David Hazeltine has firmly established his identity as a pianist and composer/arranger of considerable talent. With tried and true partners Peter Washington and Joe Farnsworth on hand, Hazeltine presents his latest trio set Close To You. Along with a clever new take on the title track originally made famous by The Carpenters, Hazeltine spruces up a great set of standards in his own inimitable way.

Close To You

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Howard Alden, Manu Lafer, Swami Junior - Trip The Light Fantastic

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:42
Size: 116.1 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[2:21] 1. High Is Better Than Low
[2:58] 2. Simon & Tha Amazing Dancing Bear
[3:53] 3. Mabel, Mabel
[3:20] 4. Guess Who's In Town
[3:22] 5. Some Of These Days
[3:08] 6. The Poor People Of Paris
[4:01] 7. The Very Thought Of You
[3:02] 8. You Should Have Told Me
[3:15] 9. Sky Girl (Fathom's Theme)
[3:03] 10. Who's Who
[3:24] 11. That Travelling Two Beat
[3:24] 12. Paint Yourself A Rainbow
[3:24] 13. You're An Old Smoothie
[3:26] 14. Sidewalks Of New York (East Side, West Side)
[4:33] 15. Right Now

Born in Newport Beach, California, in 1958, Howard Alden began playing at age ten, inspired by recordings of Armstrong, Basie and Goodman, as well as those by guitarists Barney Kessel, Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt and George Van Eps. Soon he was working professionally around Los Angeles playing in groups ranging from traditional to mainstream to modern jazz. In 1979, Alden went east, for a summer in Atlantic City with Red Norvo, and continued to perform with him frequently for several years. Upon moving to New York City in 1982, Alden's skills, both as soloist and accompanist, were quickly recognized and sought-out for appearances and recordings with such artists as Joe Bushkin, Ruby Braff, Joe Williams, Warren Vache` and Woody Herman.

Swami Jr. is a brazillian acoustic guitar player (7-string), bass player, producer, arranger and composer. He recorded and played with several artists world wide, such as Omara Portuondo (Cuba), Chico Cesar, Elba Ramalho, Lokua Kanza (Congo), Zelia Duncan, Vanessa da Mata, Rita Lee, Elza Soares, Zeca Baleiro,Tom Ze, Rita Ribeiro, Luciana Souza, Jose Miguel Wisnik, Na Ozzetti, Danilo Caymmi, Virginia Rosa, Chico Pinheiro, Vania Bastos, Luiz Tatit, Marco Pereira, Marcos Suzano, Moska, Dominguinhos, and others.

Trip The Light Fantastic

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Sue Tucker - Back Home

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:24
Size: 110.8 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[3:09] 1. Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'
[3:50] 2. Will You Still Be Mine
[3:50] 3. Lullaby In Rhythm
[3:10] 4. Day Dream
[3:06] 5. Whisper Not
[4:13] 6. When Lights Are Low
[4:20] 7. Exactly Like You
[3:37] 8. That Old Feeling
[3:57] 9. Bye Bye Baby
[4:33] 10. Beautiful Love
[3:28] 11. Under A Blanket Of Blue
[3:21] 12. Soon
[3:42] 13. Why Did I Choose You

Sue Tucker: vocals; Tanner Taylor: piano; Gary Raynor: bass; Kent Saunders: guitar; Luis Santiago: congas.

For her third album, singer Sue Tucker wanted to try something different. Her concept was to explore a more earthy jazz vocal album in which "jazz meets the gravel road" through the use of rhythm guitar instead of drums. She was also seeking less familiar tunes with great melodies and lyrics that apply to today's environment—and which haven't been overexposed on recordings. Appropriately, the album is titled Back Home.

Sue Tucker comes from a most musical family. Her father, Jack Oatts, was one of Iowa's first jazz educators; her brothers are trumpeter Jim Oatts and the much-recorded reedman Dick Oatts. The singer also has woodwind training and experience. Her last album, May I Come In (2004), benefited from the presence of Dick Oats, Ted Rosenthal, Joe Magnarelli and John Mosca. Here she utilizes local talent: pianist Tanner Taylor, bassist Gary Raynor and conguero Luis Santiago; the only familiar face from previous sessions is the guitarist, Kent Saunders.

I really enjoyed May I Come In, especially the mix of relatively obscure songs and Tucker's ability to make them swing. I don't know that the choice of material is any different on this album. Sue Tucker has a bit of a Susannah McCorkle-ish lilt to her voice and manages once again to make the music come alive.

The well-trodden Strayhorn/Ellington tune "Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'" opens the album in a mid-tempo pace, and Tucker smartly rides it along with Taylor. The Benny Goodman/Edgar Sampson piece "Lullaby in Rhythm" remains an untouched jazz vocal on contemporary recordings. The lyrics to Benny Golson's "Whisper Not" and Benny Carter's "When Lights Are Low," by Spencer Williams, make a solid choice for the singer, complemented by an arco solo from Raynor. Raynor also begins the Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh standard "Exactly Like You" with a bass intro and then a duet with Tucker. Saunders takes a tasty guitar solo on the break.

On the Leo Robin/Jule Styne tune "Bye Bye Baby," Tucker begins with the sweetly voiced verse and then shifts into a swing tempo, with Kent Saunders taking a burning solo on guitar. On Victor Young's "Beautiful Love," a tune long associated with Bill Evans, Tucker chooses a rarely tackled vocal with some assistance from Santiago. The album concludes with a touching and effective ballad, a Broadway tune from Martin and Leonard, "Why Did I Choose You." ~Michael P. Gladston

Back Home

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The Hal Galper Quintet - Let's Call This That

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 63:57

Size: 146.4 MB

Styles: Piano jazz, Post bop

Year: 1999

Art: Front

[ 8:14] 1. Let's Call This That

[ 9:11] 2. The Babes Of Cancun

[ 9:02] 3. Diane's Melody

[12:03] 4. Upon The Swing

[ 8:20] 5. In Love In Peacock Park

[ 9:58] 6. I'll Keep On Loving You

[ 7:06] 7. Constellation

Hal Galper expanded his regular trio to a quintet for this 1999 studio session, adding trumpeter Tim Hagans and tenor saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi; bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer Steve Ellington round out the group. The pianist kicks off the date with Sam Rivers' angular blues "Let's Call This That"; following his guests' straight-ahead solos, Galper mixes some unusual runs into his solo. Jaki Byard's "Diane's Melody" had special meaning to the leader, as its composer was found shot to death just two weeks prior to the making of this recording. Written as a tribute to one of Byard's two daughters, it takes on a melancholy air. Bergonzi is prominently featured in the soothing treatment of Bud Powell's "I'll Keep on Loving You," backed by Galper and Johnson. University of Miami music professor Ron Miller (one of Galper's favorite composers) contributed two songs, the lively "The Babes of Cancun" and the lyrical waltz "In Love in Peacock Park." The quintet finishes the date with a flourish, with a wild interpretation of Charlie Parker's "Constellation," in which Byard's influence on Galper's piano style is readily apparent. This CD is well worth acquiring. ~Ken Dryden

Let's Call This That

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Sy Oliver - Yes Indeed

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:16
Size: 87.6 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[3:10] 1. Yes Indeed
[3:52] 2. Rumble
[3:18] 3. Creole Love Call
[3:59] 4. Pennies From Heaven
[4:49] 5. Zonky
[2:59] 6. T'aint What You Do It's The Way You Do It
[4:56] 7. Undecided
[3:20] 8. Sophisticated Lady
[3:13] 9. Ain't She Sweet
[4:36] 10. Sy Oliver -Move

Born Melvin "Sy" Oliver on December 17, 1910, in Battle Creek, Michigan, he left home at age 17 to play trumpet with Zack Whyte and his Chocolate Beau Brummels. He later developed his growling trumpet style in Alphonso Trent's territory band. Oliver joined Jimmie Lunceford's band in 1933, playing trumpet and contributing many hit arrangements, including "My Blue Heaven" and "Ain't She Sweet." In 1939, he became Tommy Dorsey's main arranger, providing many hip arrangements for the group at the time (similar to Fletcher Henderson's role with the rival Benny Goodman Orchestra during the same period). After leaving the Dorsey band, Oliver worked as a freelance arranger, including 10 years as musical director at Decca Records, during which time he presided over arrangements of recordings for Ella Fitzgerald. He continued leading his own nine-piece band through the '70s and retired from the music scene in 1984. He passed away on May 29, 1988, at age 77. ~Bill Milkowski

Yes Indeed

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Peter Bernstein - Let Loose!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:53
Size: 127.9 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[6:47] 1. Let Loose
[7:04] 2. Resplendor
[5:59] 3. Hidden Pockets
[5:23] 4. Tres Palabras
[5:03] 5. Cupcake
[6:10] 6. Lullaby For B
[6:32] 7. Sweet Love Of Mine
[6:53] 8. Blue Gardenia
[5:56] 9. This Is Now

Guitarist Peter Berstein is justly renowned as an interpreter of other people’s music. His unerring, relaxed swing, his stunning gift for crafting and developing sophisticated melodies, the un-showy but absorbing narrative arc of his solos, the just plain rightness of his in-the-moment choices—all of these account for his well-established status as one of the most in-demand musicians on the New York jazz scene.

Let Loose, Bernstein’s debut release for Smoke Sessions Records, shifts the focus to Bernstein the composer. Five of the album’s nine tracks stem from the guitarist’s pen. It also features a quartet of artists who are equally well versed in tradition and innovation, who can breathe ecstatic life into these pieces while simultaneously anchoring them with deep roots. Bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Bill Stewart are longtime collaborators stretching back nearly three decades. Gerald Clayton is the newcomer but brings along a reputation as one of the most respected pianists of his generation.

The spirit of the session is pithily captured in the title of the album: Let Loose, a case of simplicity masking complexity. The surface meaning suggests an unbridling of passion, an opening of the floodgates of expression that definitely characterizes the playing of all four members of the quartet. But there’s also the suggestion of the need to allow oneself to be loose, free, open to whatever may come—a guiding principle on the stage as well as off.

Let Loose!

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Bobby Hutcherson - Wise One

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:45
Size: 123.0 MB
Styles: Vibraphone jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[7:51] 1. Wise One
[5:48] 2. Like Sonny
[5:08] 3. Aisha
[5:28] 4. Equinox
[6:58] 5. All Or Nothing At All
[4:34] 6. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)
[6:40] 7. Spiritual
[6:16] 8. Out Of This World
[4:58] 9. Dear Lord

Bobby Hutcherson: vibes; Anthony Wilson: electric guitar; Joe Gilman: piano; Glenn Richman: bass; Eddie Marshall: drums.

Recently named NEA Jazz Master, Bobby Hutcherson has an extensive discography, though opportunities to record as a leader have slowed a good bit since the dawn of the 21st century. Hutcherson is still very much an important vibraphonist, as this excellent tribute to John Coltrane reveals. All nine songs were either written or recorded by Coltrane, though Hutcherson's choice of instrumentation deliberately moves away from the jazz master's typical groups. Guitarist Anthony Wilson takes the place of a second reed instrument while pianist Joe Gilman and drummer Eddie Marshall both have a lighter style of playing in comparison to McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones respectively. Bassist Glenn Richman is not as well known as his fellow musicians on the date, though he establishes himself as a solid player from the onset. Hutcherson, who, despite being active in jazz for the last seven years of Coltrane's life, never recorded with him, offers interpretations that provide a striking contrast to those heard on the late saxophonist's albums.

The four Coltrane pieces, for the most part, are infrequently explored by other jazz musicians. The brooding, powerful "Spiritual" retains its tension, though the vibes are much lighter than Coltrane's soprano sax, as is Wilson's guitar in place of Eric Dolphy's piercing bass clarinet. The breezy Latin setting of "Like Sonny" contrasts with the reflective interpretation of the title track and the gently swinging "Dear Lord."

Although Coltrane was a prolific composer during the 1960s, he took time out to explore compositions by others. Two standards, "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)" and "All or Nothing at All," appeared on the Ballads album, rumored to have been a rebuttal to critics who thought Coltrane was no longer capable of playing a great melody without an avalanche of notes. Hutcherson takes the former in a reserved fashion while the latter is played as a brisk bossa nova, with delightful comping by the rhythm section. Tyner's "Aisha" is a rarity because Coltrane rarely recorded his sidemen's originals. Hutcherson's spacious, shimmering arrangement does much to unveil its beauty, an early work that is deserving of greater exploration by others. ~Ken Dryden

Wise One

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Solveig Slettahjell - Slow Motion Orchestra

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:32
Size: 120.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[4:30] 1. All The Way
[5:41] 2. Comes Love
[5:14] 3. Blame It On My Youth
[6:46] 4. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[3:06] 5. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
[4:17] 6. Little Girl Blue
[4:32] 7. I've Got A Crush On You
[5:34] 8. I Remember Clifford
[3:05] 9. Reaching For The Moon
[6:45] 10. Beatiful Love
[2:59] 11. Wild Is The Wind

Solveig Slettahjell: vocals; Sjur Miljeteig: trumpet, alto and barytone horns, electronics, vocals; Even Hermansen: guitar, vocals; Morten Qvenild: grand piano, synthesizers, harps, marxophone, programming, vocals; Andreas Ulvo: organ, vocals; Jo Berger Myhre: bass, baritone guitar, vocals; Per Oddvar Johansen: drums, percussion, electronics, musical saw, vocals.

From a simple idea, great things can sometimes come. When Solveig Slettahjell formed Slow Motion Orchestra for a 2001 performance that became the 15-piece group's eponymous first recording on Norway's Curling Legs, the premise was simple: take a collection of songs from the Great American Songbook, and slow them down. Way down. But over the course of three albums and an eye-opening performance at Kristiansand's 2007 Punkt Festival, the Norwegian singer and her trimmed-down quintet proved that slow, powerful and dramatic need not be mutually exclusive terms. ~John Kelman

Slow Motion Orchestra                

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Horace Parlan - Hi-Fly

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:32
Size: 163.8 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[6:55] 1. Hi-Fly
[7:27] 2. Round Abour Midnight
[4:43] 3. Once I Loved
[6:59] 4. Darn That Dream
[5:30] 5. Who Cares
[4:41] 6. West Coast Blues
[6:33] 7. Hi-Fly
[7:25] 8. Round Abour Midnight
[4:46] 9. Once I Loved
[6:51] 10. Darn That Dream
[5:12] 11. Who Cares
[4:25] 12. West Coast Blues

This Horace Parlan session is a bit different from most of his albums for Steeplechase. First, he utilizes a drummerless trio with guitarist Doug Raney and bassist Wilbur Little. Second, it was recorded initially via direct-to-disc, which meant no editing was possible and an entire album side had to be recorded in one take without stopping. The short-lived revival of this process produced albums of exquisite sound, but they had to be limited edition due to the limited wear the few disc masters could endure in the manufacturing process. Fortunately, the masters were either in great condition or the session was also taped on reels as well, because the identical six songs (played in the same order) are heard in alternate versions on this expanded CD reissue. The ease with which Parlan and Raney handle "Hi-Fly" over Little's walking bass is the mark of masters, while the bittersweet air of the bossa nova "Once I Loved" is carried by the guitarist. The alternate takes are just as viable as the masters, so it must have been difficult for producer Nils Winther to choose between them when the original LP was being prepared. ~Ken Dryden

Hi-Fly

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Sergio Pires & Bobby Broom - Passport Not Required

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:54
Size: 128.0 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz, Latin rhythms
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[7:18] 1. A Tua Presenca
[4:50] 2. Zoom Zum
[7:57] 3. Dragao
[5:19] 4. Nove Meses
[3:47] 5. Tempo De Estio
[8:10] 6. Boipeba
[6:26] 7. Baton
[5:54] 8. Beira Do Mundo
[6:08] 9. Tarde Em Itapua

Sergio Pires was born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, self taught songwriter, playing original musical since his early twenties back in Brazil. Met Bobby Broom while living in Chicago around 1992 and since then they have been playing together around town. Bobby Broom is a gifted guitarrist, who played with Miles Davis, Stanley Turrentine, Sonny Rollins, among others. Currently on tour with Sonny Rollins, Bobby has a strong following all over the world and he is also a part of the Deep Blues Trio and his own trio.

Passport Not Required was produced by Sergio Pires and Bobby Broom in 2007, it has 9 songs blending from Brazilian music to jazzy organic grooves. Besides the original material written by Sergio Pires, it has two songs written by Cateano Veloso and Tarde em Itapua written by Toquinho and Viniicius de Moraes.

Passport Not Required

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Joey Calderazzo - Secrets

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 1995

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 46:46

Size: 107,3 MB

Art: Front

(5:42)  1. Secrets

(4:32)  2. No One Knows I'm Here

(6:07)  3. Aurora

(4:55)  4. Scriabin

(7:36)  5. Echoes

(5:13)  6. Filles De Kilimenjaro

(5:34)  7. Last Visit Home

(7:03)  8. ATM

Joey Calderazzo may not have achieved the acclaim of some of the pianists of his generation like Benny Green and Bill Charlap, but he has consistently created CDs that stand the test of time. These 1995 sessions for Audio Quest feature him leading a variety of different ensembles ranging from trios to octets with potent arrangements by Bob Belden. Six of the eight tracks are Calderazzo's compositions, highlighted by the infectious horn lines in his rhythmic "Echoes" and the wistful air of "Last Visit Home." His trio with bassist James Genus and drummer Clarence Penn are afire in his driving "No One Knows Why I'm Here" and the explosive "ATM." Belden's setting of Miles Davis' "Filles de Kilimenjaro" has an exotic air with the addition of guitarist Fareed Haque and Charles Pillow's English horn. This is a rewarding disc that deserves to be more widely known.~Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/secrets-mw0000645669

Personnel: Joey Calderazzo (piano); Tim Ries (soprano saxophone, flute); Charlie Pillow (tenor saxophone, English horn, bass clarinet); Tim Hagans (trumpet, flugelhorn); Earl McIntyre (bass trombone, tuba); John Clark (French horn); Tomas Ulrich (cello); Fareed Haque (guitar); James Genus (bass); Clarence Penn (drums).

Secrets

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Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan - Goin' Home

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:15
Size: 118,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:10)  1. Goin' Home
(4:43)  2. Nobody Knows The Troubles I've Seen
(4:21)  3. Go Down Moses
(6:14)  4. Steal Away To Jesus
(4:51)  5. Deep River
(4:40)  6. My Lord What A Morning
(4:22)  7. Amazing Grace
(5:20)  8. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
(2:43)  9. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
(7:48) 10. Come Sunday

Archie Shepp's two duet albums with pianist Horace Parlan on SteepleChase (the other one is 1980's Trouble in Mind) both find the innovative avant-garde tenor in relaxed and melodic form, respectfully interpreting music of the 1920s and before. Goin' Home features Shepp (who doubles on soprano) and Parlan playing tasteful versions of nine ancient black folk melodies including "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Nobody Knows the Troubles I've Seen" and "Deep River." Those listeners only familiar with Shepp's earlier Fire Music will find these compelling performances to be a revelation.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/goin-home-mw0000192507

Personnel: Archie Shepp (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Horace Parlan (piano).

Goin' Home

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Dave Stryker Quartet - Blue Degrees

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:07
Size: 153.7 MB
Styles: Blues/jazz guitar
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[10:54] 1. Blue Degrees
[ 8:17] 2. Scorpian Dance
[ 5:29] 3. Alfie
[ 7:56] 4. Out Of Bounds
[ 9:40] 5. Spirit In The Wind
[10:39] 6. Talkin' About J.C.
[ 7:12] 7. Stella By Starlight
[ 6:57] 8. Blues For Brother Jack

Whether you’ve heard guitarist Dave Stryker leading his own group (with 26 CD’s as a leader to date), co-leading The Stryker/Slagle Band, or as a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff, and many others, you know why the Village Voice calls him “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.”

Early on Stryker realized that as much as he loved playing standards and the jazz repertoire he had to have something of his own to give to the music. He feels that his writing combined with his playing is what shapes his musical expression. He has recorded and published over 150 of his own compositions and has released “The Dave Stryker Songbook” with most of his original music. Also 18 of the compositions (from the first five SteepleChase CD’s) are compiled in the book: “The Music of Dave Stryker”.

Blue Degrees

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Ranee Lee - Ranee Lee Lives Upstairs

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:21
Size: 142.7 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:37] 1. I Just Found Out About Love
[6:01] 2. In Love In Vain
[6:26] 3. A Time For Love
[8:49] 4. A Crooked Road
[5:30] 5. Four
[9:36] 6. Gershwin Medley
[6:09] 7. Fire And Rain
[4:42] 8. Beautiful Love
[6:05] 9. The Storm
[5:21] 10. Dearly Beloved

Ranee Lee has been Canada's most enjoyable, reliable jazz singer for many decades running, and shows no signs of slowing down over nearly a dozen albums. This live effort at the nightclub Upstairs in Montreal, Quebec, shows Lee still loves standards done her way, and adds a few tunes with a more contemporary tag placed on them. Her voice still holds the perfect tonal values of her idol Sarah Vaughan, shaded with soulful phrasings closely linked to Ernestine Anderson. But Lee has always been her own woman in personalizing whatever song she sings with only a hint of drama, bravado, or vibrato. She's as strait-laced a singer in jazz as anyone worldwide, and swings with the best alongside her band of local heroes, including her husband/guitarist Richard Ring. When Lee sings "In Love in Vain," you know the spirit of Vaughan is present and accounted for, while her take on "Four" is a bit more elongated, not as clipped as the staccato notes of the melody line. Her unusual choice of Pat Metheny's "A Crooked Road" contrasts in an underground, mysterious manner unlike the other selections, while her lone original, "The Storm," is a blues that only foreshadows the clouds, rain, and thunder. Ring's guitar provides supple support, but is much more resonant during "Beautiful Love," showing a dexterity that perhaps should be showcased on his own date. It's somewhat criminal that Ranee Lee is not ranked among the best jazz singers in the world by polls and record sales, but Lives Upstairs proves beyond a doubt she belongs in that upper echelon. ~Michael G. Nastos

Ranee Lee Lives Upstairs

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Clark Terry - Daylight Express

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:52
Size: 146.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[2:00] 1. Caravan
[2:20] 2. Candy
[2:28] 3. Clark's Expedition
[4:04] 4. Trumpet Mouthpiece Blues
[3:01] 5. Phalanges
[4:31] 6. Blues For Daddy-O's Jazz Patio Blues
[2:43] 7. Basin Street Blues
[2:15] 8. Daylight Express
[2:18] 9. Taking A Chance On Love
[6:52] 10. Festival
[3:36] 11. Clark's Bars
[2:14] 12. Daddy-O's Patrio
[4:58] 13. Blues
[4:18] 14. Impeccable
[2:46] 15. Paul's Idea
[3:16] 16. Phat Bach
[2:31] 17. Milli Terry
[4:00] 18. Funky
[3:31] 19. The Girl I Call Baby

Bass – Jimmy Woode; Drums – Sam Woodyard; Flute, Saxophone – Mike Simpson (5) (tracks: 1 to 9); Guitar – Remo Biondi (tracks: 1 to 9); Piano – Willie Jones (7); Tenor Saxophone – Paul Gonsalves (tracks: 10 to 19); Trumpet – Clark Terry.

Two obscure but very enjoyable and complementary former Lps are reissued in full on this generous CD. The first half of the disc is primarily a showcase for trumpeter Clark Terry who is joined by Mike Simpson (on tenor and flute) in a sextet. C.T. sounds a bit more influenced by Dizzy Gillespie at this time than he would but he was already quite distinctive on such numbers as "Candy," "Blues For Daddy O's Jazz Patio Blues" and "Basin Street Blues." "Phalanges" is a hot bop line (by Louie Bellson) that deserves to be revived while "Trumpet Mouthpiece Blues" sounds like an ancestor of "Mumbles." The second half of the album matches Terry with tenor-saxophonist Paul Gonsalves (who is actually the leader) and a rhythm section that features some surprisingly advanced piano from Willie Jones that sometimes hints strongly at both Cecil Taylor and Sun Ra! Terry and Gonsalves (who were both with Duke Ellington at the time) always made for a good team. The tenor revisits the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival with his long solo on "Festival" and other tunes (all originals by one of the horn players) are basic and swinging; a previously unissued ballad, "The Girl I Call Baby" closes the rewarding and memorable set. Highly recommended. ~Scott Yanow

Daylight Express

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Abdullah Ibrahim - Cape Town Flowers

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:57
Size: 118,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:52)  1. Excursions
(4:22)  2. Eleventh Hour
(2:38)  3. Kofifi Blue
(3:59)  4. Chisa
(3:28)  5. Song For Aggerey
(3:20)  6. The Stride
(4:45)  7. The Call
(5:25)  8. African Marketplace
(9:30)  9. Joan - Cape Town Flower
(4:35) 10. Maraba Blue
(6:02) 11. Monk In Harlem

Cape Town Flowers is an enchanting effort from Abdullah Ibrahim, finding the pianist in a trio setting performing 11 original compositions. With the exception of the nine-minute title track and "Monk In Harlem," most of the album's songs clock in at under five minutes, many under four. Each of the pieces is understated, lovely, and nearly dreamlike. The length of the tracks may make Cape Town Flowers seem like a slight record, but the truth is, that very brevity and the way the songs form a sonic tapestry is exactly what makes the record a modest gem.

~Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/cape-town-flowers-mw0000025041

Personnel: Abdullah Ibrahim (piano); Marcus McLaurine (bass); George Gray (drums).

Cape Town Flowers

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Nick Colionne - Feel The Heat

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:22
Size: 97,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:30)  1. Some Funky
(3:32)  2. The Windy Dance
(4:24)  3. Let's Spend Some Time
(4:55)  4. The Connection
(3:39)  5. There It Is
(4:39)  6. Midnight And You
(4:02)  7. It's Gonna Be Alright
(5:06)  8. Wessin'
(4:13)  9. Can't Let Go
(4:18) 10. Po' House

In 2006, guitarist Nick Colionne released an album called Keepin' It Cool; five years later, this one is called Feel the Heat. (In between came one called No Limits.) The alternating temperature descriptions are not so much an indication of different styles as of a similarity in conceiving clichés and a way of suggesting that Feel the Heat is a collection of more of the same from Colionne. Happily, that is no bad thing. Though lumped in with smooth jazz musicians, Colionne actually harks back to earlier styles. His hero is Wes Montgomery, and he demonstrates that by putting a Montgomery-like track on every album and labeling it as such. This time there's a tune called "Wessin'." Colionne hails from Chicago, and he usually finds a way of indicating that, too. (Another number is called "The Windy Dance.") The importance of his hometown lies in his musical influences. He is quite cognizant of the city's blues and R&B heritage, and he employs a Chicago funk style to open ("Some Funky") and close ("Po' House") the disc, in between applying himself to a straight electric blues on "Can't Let Go." Keyboard player James Lloyd brings in a pop influence on compositions such as "It's Gonna Be Alright." And when he isn't playing, Colionne is singing in a grainy baritone, contributing vocals to four of the ten tracks, most memorably the loverman ballad "Let's Spend Some Time." There are passages during the album that sound like smooth jazz, but most of the time this sounds like another diverse and rootsy Nick Colionne album, one that ranks with its predecessors.

~William Ruhlmann http://www.allmusic.com/album/feel-the-heat-mw0002155308

Feel The Heat

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Cleo Laine & Tubby Hayes - Palladium Jazz Date

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:31
Size: 97,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:53)  1. Old Devil Moon
(3:29)  2. Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'
(2:46)  3. Mean To Me
(4:17)  4. 'Round Midnight
(2:37)  5. Hand Me Down Love
(3:03)  6. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
(7:39)  7. Ah-Leu-Cha
(7:55)  8. Young And Foolish
(6:47)  9. All Members

With a multi-octave voice similar to Betty Carter's, incredible scatting ability, and ease of transition from a throaty whisper to high-pitched trills, Cleo Laine was born in 1927 in the Southall section of London, the daughter of a Jamaican father and English mother. Her parents sent her to vocal and dance lessons as a teenager, but she was 25 when she first sang professionally, after a successful audition with the big band led by Johnny Dankworth. Both Laine and the band recorded for Esquire, MGM and Pye during the late '50s, and by 1958, she was married to Dankworth. With Dankworth by her side, Laine began her solo career in earnest with a 1964 album of Shakespeare lyrics set to Dankworth's arrangements, Shakespeare: And All That Jazz. Laine also gained renown for the first of three concert albums recorded at New York's Carnegie Hall, 1973's Cleo Laine Live! At Carnegie Hall. She also recorded two follow-ups (Return to Carnegie and The 10th Anniversary Concert) the latter of which in 1983 won her the first Grammy award by a Briton. She has proved a rugged stage actress as well, winning a Theater World award for her role in the Broadway musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood, (in addition to Tony and Drama Desk nominations as well). In 1976 she recorded a jazz version of Porgy and Bess with Ray Charles, and also recorded duets with James Galway and guitarist John Williams. Laine and Dankworth continued to tour into the 1990s, and she received perhaps her greatest honor when she became the first jazz artist to receive the highest title available in the performing arts: Dame Commander.
John Bush https://itunes.apple.com/nz/artist/cleo-laine/id2214762#fullText

Palladium Jazz Date

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Archie Shepp - Live In San Francisco

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:02
Size: 172,8 MB
Art: Front

( 1:18)  1. Keep Your Heart Right
( 7:31)  2. The Lady Sings The Blues
( 5:37)  3. Sylvia
( 2:56)  4. The Wedding
(10:25)  5. Wherever June Bugs Go
( 6:17)  6. In A Sentimental Mood
( 7:59)  7. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
(32:54)  8. Three For A Quarter, One For A Dime

A great counterpart to some of Archie Shepp's studio albums for Impulse a live date recorded in San Francisco, with a slightly freer, sharper edge! The sound is almost free at times, but always with that strong sense of focus that Archie brought to his brilliant work of the time and the group's a well-honed ensemble who really understand each others motivations and inspirations Roswell Rudd on trombone, Donald Garrett and Lewis Worrell on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums all almost working at an ESP level together. Shepp plays a bit of piano on the record in sharply angular tones that are almost more modern than his tenor and titles include "The Wedding", "Wherever June Bugs Go", and "Keep Your Heart Right". https://www.dustygroove.com/item/742818

Personnel: Archie Shepp (tenor saxophone, piano); Roswell Rudd (trombone); Donald Garrett, Lewis Worrell (bass); Beaver Harris (drums).

Live In San Francisco

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