Micha Schellhaas - Double Take

Size: 99,7 MB
Time: 42:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Blues, Jazz Rock
Art: Front

01. Velocity (5:10)
02. Ford F-150 (3:57)
03. Double Take (4:27)
04. Your Turn (4:19)
05. False Fork (5:54)
06. 5&6 (4:52)
07. Travel Song (3:45)
08. Texaleans (4:07)
09. Slow Blues For B.B (6:05)

Micha Schellhaas is a virtuoso guitarist from Germany, who is located in LA now. In 2013 Micha released his debut EP “Wings of Fire”, which was produced by famed guitarist Carl Verheyen (Supertramp).

This album was also produced (as the EP) by Carl Verheyen (Supertramp). It was mixed by Jorge Costa at RedCello Studios and mastered by Robert Hadley in LA. Micha has the well-known musicians Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa) on drums, Dave Marotta (Manhattan Transfer) on bass and Jim Cox (Mark Knopfler) on keys by his side. I guess none can complain about the performances, right? The musicianship is amazing indeed.

“Double Take” is an instrumental, jazz-rock, soft-jazz album with various blues-rock & experimental elements. The improvisations are part of the music too. On such albums the musicians have the freedom to “improvise” at will in order to achieve the desired result… and they did it here. Chad provides two guest solos on “Your Turn” & “Texaleans” and additional guitars/mandolin on “Travel Song” & “Texaleans”. Surely, “Double Take” will be appreciated by the fans of the genre and the musicians who are into this kind of music much more. Micha presents a very solid album in general.

Double Take

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René Marie - Sound Of Red

Size: 151,6 MB
Time: 65:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Sound Of Red ( 5:57)
02. If You Were Mine ( 6:28)
03. Go Home ( 5:45)
04. Lost (10:33)
05. Stronger Than You Think ( 4:30)
06. Certaldo ( 7:03)
07. Colorado River Song ( 4:45)
08. This Is (Not) A Protest Song ( 5:36)
09. Many Years Ago ( 4:46)
10. Joy Of Jazz ( 4:06)
11. Blessings ( 5:53)

René Marie, the “outrageous” (Wall Street Journal) vocalist has taken the recording process one giant step further with the release of her most personal album on May 13. As the follow-up to 2013’s Grammy award-nominated album I Wanna Be Evil (With Love to Eartha Kitt), ‘Sound of Red’ is her first album of all-original songs written and co-produced by the contemporary jazz chanteuse herself.

It’s been a “remarkable path to jazz” (NPR) for René. As a fearless force in the contemporary jazz world, René has never been afraid to look into the more challenging places of human experience where love and contentment give way to discord and struggle. ‘Sound of Red’ is a musical statement that according to René, “attempts to cover the spectrum of human emotion.” The album’s 11 songs – most of them autobiographical – provide glimpses of the many small but profound turning points that are a part of an individual’s life.

She explains, “I wanted to make a record that people could go back to again and again to excavate their emotions,” says René. “We cover things over every day. We have to in order to move through the day and move through our lives. We can’t always afford to be vulnerable to things like pain, loss, confusion, hurt and frustration. I want this record to provide some kind of architecture to provide support in those moments when our emotions are not necessarily happy ones.”

The album features two-thirds of her longstanding trio – bassist Elias Bailey and co-producer, drummer Quentin Baxter, both of whom have been a part of her backup crew for fifteen years, with newcomer pianist John Chin. René summoned special guests for final polishing, like saxophonist Sherman Irby who delivers a bold solo on its title track. Trumpeter Etienne Charles is another guest of honor who performed on and arranged the horn sections – Michael Dease on trombone and Diego Rivera on tenor saxophone – for “If You Were Mine,” and the endorphin-lifting tune “Joy of Jazz.” The rich and sensual “Certaldo,” dedicated to the Italian town of the same name, gets its sensibility from guest guitarist Romero Lubambo.

Compassion and despair fuel “This Is (Not) a Protest Song,” a song tackling the plight of homelessness that affected her family as a young girl. “We were homeless for a few months. It was an experience that you don’t forget after you’re through it,” said René. Her tumultuous past coupled with a wealth of perspective on life’s highs and lows inform these songs that dig deep into the hearts of a broad audience. “I wrote these songs to create a safe place for people to tune in to their emotions and perhaps deal with them in a way that they might not be able to do otherwise.”

Sound Of Red

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Jennifer Scott - Le Temps De L'Amour

Size: 117,9 MB
Time: 50:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Latin Jazz
Art: Front

01. La Vie En Rose '16 (2:57)
02. Oblivion (5:02)
03. Brindo (3:43)
04. Le Temps De L'amour (2:55)
05. Perfidia - La Mer (5:54)
06. Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour (4:17)
07. Besame Mucho (4:26)
08. Vuelvo Al Sur (4:22)
09. Corcovado (4:06)
10. La Nuit Est Sur La Ville (4:11)
11. Chega De Saudade (4:12)
12. Preparense (4:16)

Genre-defying, dulcet vocals spin and dip through French and Latin classics, producing gems that are elegant, playful, and passionate.

Jennifer Scott's debut album, Le temps de l'amour, reflects a musical archeology that began in years of classical piano, expanded into French and Spanish vocals, and culminated in a kaleidoscope of French and Latin music that evokes the unpretentious glamour of the 60’s. The soft, haunting melodies of Françoise Hardy and Astrud Gilberto receive new life in an album that shifts effortlessly from Paris and bossa nova to neo-tango and Cuban classics. Yet the cosmopolitan feel of the tracks sound just as wonderful in the park, at the beach or at home with friends. A jolt of champagne to kick off spring!

Le Temps De L'Amour

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Jane Ira Bloom - Early Americans

Size: 120,9 MB
Time: 51:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Modern Jazz
Art: Front

01. Song Patrol (2:54)
02. Dangerous Times (4:19)
03. Nearly (1:45)
04. Hips & Sticks (5:32)
05. Singing The Triangle (5:20)
06. Other Eyes (3:05)
07. Rhyme Or Rhythm (3:21)
08. Mind Gray River (5:24)
09. Cornets Of Paradise (3:29)
10. Say More (4:02)
11. Gateway To Progress (5:45)
12. Big Bill (4:16)
13. Somewhere (2:30)

Saxophonist/composer Jane Ira Bloom is one of the few jazz players to concentrate solely on the soprano saxophone. In 35 years she has recorded sixteen albums as a leader, most often in a quartet with piano. This is her first trio album, in the company of longtime playing partners bassist Mark Helias and drummer Bobby Previte. Their high level of communication is evident on a tune like "Singing the Triangle," which features a recurring theme that is clearly stated by all three instruments in unison (with Previte using his toms melodically). Both the head and the band's approach recall the late Steve Lacy, another soprano saxophone specialist and experimentalist. The start-and-stop "Gateway to Progress" has a similar feel (it also demonstrates how hard this band can swing). Bloom definitely has her own sound, but Lacy is the closest comparison that comes to mind.

The aptly-named opener "Song Patrol" demonstrates just how tuneful Bloom's composing can be, a fact that may be obscured by the avant-garde tag she is sometimes saddled with. She has long had an interest in live electronics and sound design, which first appears here in the panning between the left and right stereo channels on "Dangerous Times." I believe this particular effect was achieved the old fashioned way, by simply moving the horn between the pair of stereo microphones—there is a photo in the CD liners showing her playing in the studio with tape on the floor to mark the mic placement. Bloom also employs some discreet electronic processing on her saxophone. It's especially noticeable on "Rhyme or Rhythm," which also features overdubbed hand drums and agogô bell from Previte, creating a denser group sound with a latin flavor.

"Other Eyes" goes the other way, paring things down to a gentle saxophone/bass duet. Bloom closes the album with a beautiful solo rendition of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's "Somewhere." The whole program is full of variety, beautiful and exploratory at the same time. The trio format works so well that it is surprising that Bloom hasn't used it before. I'd love to hear more from these three. ~Mark Sullivan

Personnel: Jane Ira Bloom: soprano saxophone; Mark Helias: bass; Bobby Previte: drums.

Early Americans

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Lauren White - Out Of The Past Jazz & Noir

Size: 99,9 MB
Time: 37:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. When All The Lights In The Sign Worked (4:20)
02. He's Funny That Way (4:17)
03. Again (3:39)
04. I'd Rather Have The Blues (4:15)
05. I'm Gonna Go Fishin' (3:29)
06. Amado Mio (4:28)
07. Laura - The Night We Called It A Day (5:05)
08. You Kill Me (3:22)
09. Haunted Heart (4:42)

Lauren White (vcl); Mitchel Forman (pno); Trey Henry (bs); Abe Lagrimas Jr. (dms); Andrew Carney (tpt); Andrew Synowiec (gtr); Hitomi (ten) + Lisa Liu String Quartet & Eclectic Plus One Brass Band.

Jazz vocalist Lauren White brings to life tunes featured in some of the most popular movies of the Film Noir era. With hip, contemporary arrangements, the CD is a sexy, fun, swinging, edgy project that will appeal to Film Noir buffs and to anyone who enjoys great songs sung with style and authority.

White is backed by an all-star band of top L.A. based musicians. With arrangements by Kathryn Bostic and produced by Mark Winkler, Out of the Past: Jazz & Noir is a superb undertaking that highlights the talents of a singer who has been flying under the radar for far too long.

Out Of The Past Jazz & Noir

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Jimmy Gourley - Our Delight

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:52
Size: 141.6 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues guitar
Year: 1995/2006
Art: Front

[4:37] 1. Our Delight
[4:46] 2. Maybe You'll Be There
[6:01] 3. Here's To Alvy
[5:18] 4. I Wish I Had The Blues Again
[5:29] 5. North American Samba
[5:54] 6. I Never Told You
[6:12] 7. That Tired Routine Called Love
[4:52] 8. That Old Devil Called Love
[4:02] 9. Pepee's Dance
[5:43] 10. Pass It On
[5:14] 11. This Is New
[3:39] 12. By Myself

A bebopping guitarist with a solid enough rhythmic edge for R&B, Jimmy Gourley came from a family background that more than just leaned toward conservatory training. Gourley's father actually founded the Monarch Conservatory of Music itself, located in Hammond, IN. Gourley was still popping pimples when he began bumping up against would-be boppers: one of the guitarist's high-school mates was none other than Lee Konitz, a wizard on the alto saxophone but at that point toting a tenor to high-school band class.

Heading south, Gourley went on his first tours in commercial outfits combing the territory of Louisiana and Arkansas. From 1944 through 1946 he shipped out with the Navy. When he returned he picked up a job in Chicago replacing the equally fine guitarist Jimmy Raney in a combo led by the somewhat obscure Jay Burkhart. In the late '40s Gourley was still keeping Windy City company but the names became more prominent, including singers Anita O'Day and the duo of Jackie Cain and Roy Kral.

The '50s would be best described as the guitarist's French period. Basing himself out of Paris, Gourley was associated mostly with Henri Renaud as well as his own house band stints at various clubs. Excellent recording sessions during this period present the guitarist in the company of tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, alto saxophonist Gigi Gryce, trumpeter Clifford Brown, drummer Roy Haynes, and trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, not to mention homeboy Konitz. There was a dash back to Chicago during this decade but Gourley primarily spent his time in Paris, a long run as one of the local accompanists at the Blue Note allowing him the opportunity to continue associating with the cream of the jazz crop.

Gourley shows up on in one classic film on jazz, the noted 'Round Midnight, his featured number perhaps asking a question directly about his career, "How Long Has This Been Goin' On?" About a decade later, his own liner notes described him as "still searching, still stumbling" in a session involving his regular trio with drummer Philippe Combelle and bassist Dominique Lemerle. The guitarist is considered one of the most accomplished members of the jazz expatriate community. ~bio by Eugene Chadbourne

Our Delight

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Various - Timeless: Savoy 60th Anniversary (2-Disc Set)

Savoy Jazz marks its 60th anniversary with this double-disc compilation of the early pioneers of bebop. This classic collection features some of the first recordings by such bebop masters as Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, and Stan Getz, among others, playing their classic repertoire of the '40s and '50s. These 32 compositions are also among those that helped to establish and solidify this newly introduced style of jazz in the hearts and souls of many swing and big-band followers around the globe, despite the early thumbs-down given by jazz purists of that decade. Titled Savoy 60th Anniversary: Timeless, the CDs feature state-of-the-art transfers from the actual acetate and tape masters created by these legendary artists at the original historic recording sessions. Listeners can now fully realize such great songs as "Parker's Mood," "Bohemia After Dark," and Little Jimmy Scott's first big record, "When Did You Leave Heaven?," in their finest quality available to date. A best buy for jazz history buffs. ~Paula Edelstein

Album: Timeless: Savoy 60th Anniversary (Disc 1)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 60:38

Size: 138.8 MB

Styles: Jazz/ZBlues/R&B/Vocal

Year: 2002/2010

[3:01] 1. Charlie Parker - Parker's Mood [original Take 3]

[3:04] 2. Dexter Gordon - Long Tall Dexter

[2:20] 3. Charlie Parker - Sipping At Bells [original Take 2]

[5:38] 4. Dizzy Gillespie - The Champ

[2:35] 5. Stan Getz - Don't Worry 'bout Me

[2:51] 6. The Be Bop Boys - Bebop In Pastel [take 3]

[2:17] 7. Stan Getz - Fat Girl

[3:16] 8. 8. Lennie Tristano - Master

[2:37] 9. Art Pepper - These Foolish Things

[3:53] 10. Kai Winding - Bernie's Tune

[6:17] 11. Charles Mingus - Tea For Two

[6:03] 12. Adderley Brothers - Bohemia After Dark

[7:46] 13. Donald Byrd - Star Eyes

[4:24] 14. Lee Morgan - P.S. I Love You

[4:30] 15. John Coltrane - B.J

Timeless: Savoy 60th Anniversary (Disc 1)

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Album: Timeless: Savoy 60th Anniversary (Disc 2)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 50:18

Size: 115.2 MB

Styles: Jazz/Blues/R&B/Vocal

Year: 2010

Art: Front

[3:14] 1. Lester Young - Jump Lester Jump

[3:14] 2. Charlie Parker - Now's The Time

[3:05] 3. Billy Eckstine - Oop Bop Sh'bam

[3:02] 4. Ben Webster - I Surrender, Dear

[2:58] 5. Illinois Jacquet - Illinois Goes To Chicago

[2:47] 6. Big Jay Mcneely - Deacon's Hop

[3:07] 7. Paul Hucklebuck Williams - The Hucklebuck

[2:57] 8. Hal Singer - Cornbread

[3:10] 9. George Shearing - Moon Over Miami

[2:29] 10. Erroll Garner - The Goodbye

[2:50] 11. Marian Mcpartland - Love Is Here To Stay

[2:54] 12. Milt Jackson - 'round Midnight

[3:15] 13. Eddie Jefferson - Body And Soul

[2:36] 14. Joe Williams - Every Day I Have The Blues

[2:54] 15. Gene Ammons - Trav'lin' Light

[3:15] 16. Little Jimmy Scott - When Did You Leave Heaven

[2:25] 17. Big Maybelle - Say It Isn't So

Timeless: Savoy 60th Anniversary (Disc 2)

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The Jazz Crusaders - Old Socks, New Shoes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 38:59

Size: 89.3 MB

Styles: Soul/Jazz/Funk

Year: 1970/2015

Art: Front

[5:32] 1. Thank You

[4:02] 2. Funny Shuffle

[2:35] 3. Why Do You Laugh At Me

[2:43] 4. Jackson!

[4:08] 5. Rainy Night In Georgia

[4:07] 6. Golden Slumbers

[4:16] 7. Jazz!

[4:27] 8. Time Has No Ending

[3:02] 9. Hard Times

[4:03] 10. Way Back Home

Old Socks, New Shoes...New Socks, Old Shoes was the final album by the Jazz Crusaders. Immediately thereafter they dropped the word "jazz" from their name, leaving them the Crusaders and most of the rest is history. This killer set was released on the Chisa label in 1970 and distributed by Motown. While the Jazz Crusaders had long made then-current popular songs part of their repertoire, and had moved from their hard bop origins into the soul-jazz groove years before, this disc was a shock, and sounded like a different band -- almost. For starters, pianist Joe Sample moved over the Rhodes for the majority for this date (he is still one of the greatest voices on this strange, imprecise instrument), and along with drummer Stix Hooper, saxophonist Wilton Felder, and trombonist Wayne Henderson, guitarists Arthur Adams and Freddie Robinson helped out on bass and guitar, respectively. The Jazz Crusaders soul-jazz sound slid on over to an early version of jazz-funk, without sacrificing any of its emotionally engaged interplay or melodic foundation. Still, hearing the two electric guitars, a fat, nasty electric bassline, and Sample's big chunky funk chords signaling the beginning of Sly & the Family Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" as the album's kick off must have made fans do a double take -- until the horns kick in. It's trademark Jazz Crusaders there. The front line of Felder and Henderson with those near patented breaks of Hooper's would assure all that despite the electricity, the group was onto something new, different, and as greasy and soulful as they had been in the past. This is one of those forgotten Crusaders albums, being on the seam of their transition. Even Pass the Plate, which followed on Chisa, was better known than Old Socks and has been served by history a little better.

Henderson composed four tunes here and Sample one, and Felder's "Way Back Home," a live staple for the group, closed this set out. Henderson's tunes are the real stand-outs of the originals. "Funky Shuffle," with its slippery backbeat and alternating guitars before the rolling horns and Sample's all-over-the-keyboard chord voicings give the wide base for the melody. It's a subtle but addictive track with lots of compelling tonal colors -- and fine breakbeats by Hooper. Two other selections are gorgeous and very innovative readings of pop tunes: the version the Crusaders did of Tony Joe White's "Rainy Night in Georgia" is rumored to have brought tears to the songwriter's eyes when he heard it. Sample plays both Rhodes and electric harpsichord on the tune, and Freddy Robinson's whispering blues fills turn a Southern soul number into a textbook exercise in arrangement and melodic improvisation. "Golden Slumbers" by Lennon and McCartney functions with the melody side in the chart from the very beginning, but the harmonic engagement of Henderson and Felder brings the mournful, sleepy intro some real melancholy as Sample, Adams, and Robinson color the entire center with quiet movement and shading before Hooper's drums kick it into gear and still it remains a ballad of stirring soul. Just before the recording ends, there's a wildly different and uptempo arrangement of "Hard Times," which became the group's soul theme on subsequent studio records and on the wonderful live LP Scratch. This one feels more defiant, more resilient, where the latter versions are all longer and dig deeper into the slow soul and blues bags. It's easy to love them all, but this is such a contrast to the others that it's worth noting. The set closes with another group standard: Felder's beautiful, midtempo shuffle "Way Back Home," that offers the same punch that its subsequent studio and live recordings does. It's pure soul-jazz and the evidence of the great experience this already seasoned unit has in allowing everyone to shine simultaneously in the most minimal of arrangements. Despite the fact that many serious jazzheads see this as the beginning of the creative end for the Crusaders, they are just plain wrong. This is the start of a new beginning, one that would roll on through most of the '70s and bring the group its greatest commercial and radio successes and makes them such an excellent source of inspiration and samples for hip-hop and dance music producers for another couple of generations. This is an absolute classic. [ The Crusaders '70s music brought such joy to so many people, it's a wonder this album was not available on CD in America until the 21st century. Verve reissued it as part of their excellent Originals series.] ~Thom Jurek

Old Socks, New Shoes

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Christian McBride & Inside Straight - People Music

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:23
Size: 126.8 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[7:35] 1. Listen To The Heroes Cry
[6:46] 2. Fair Hope Theme
[7:01] 3. Gang Gang
[6:39] 4. Ms. Angelou
[8:27] 5. The Movement, Revisited
[7:26] 6. Unusual Supsects
[6:01] 7. Dream Train
[5:26] 8. New Hope's Angel

Christian McBride: bass; Steve Wilson: alto sax; Warren Wolf: vibes; Christian Sands: piano (1,7); Peter Martin: piano (2-6,8); Ulysses Owens, Jr: drums (1,7); Carl Allen: drums (2-6,8).

Musicians create bands for many things: To gather like-minded artists together, or to achieve some grand artistic vision; Christian McBride created Inside Straight to get a gig. It seems Village Vanguard owner Lorraine Gordon loved McBride but wouldn't book him with his regular, fusion-heavy outfit—or, as Gordon put it, "that rock 'n' roll band." Necessity is the mother, as they say, so McBride built Inside Straight. The thing is, he might have overreacted a tad, because the group's first release Kind of Brown was pure vanilla from end to end. Thankfully, McBride found the right mix of spices in time for Inside Straight's follow-up People Music.

Big piano chords and bigger drums announce the arrival of the opener "Listen to the Heroes Cry," and it's only milliseconds before altoist Steve Wilson and vibes master Warren Wolf yank us into a world that recalls Horace Silver at his mammoth height. Wolf flies formation with Wilson on the first chorus, providing a keyboard harmonic that lets pianist Christian Sands roam free, but Wolf doesn't hang with the pack long. His opening solo shows assertiveness and possession, and he ramps these qualities up even as the band gives him room to flex his muscles. Wilson keeps the Blue Note vibe going with Wayne Shorter range and an attitude that screams, "Bring it!" This piece simply struts, and so do these players, even when they get quiet for McBride's own scrumptious spotlight moment.

Sands isn't the regular keyboardist for Inside Straight, just like Ulysses Owens, Jr. isn't the regular drummer, but they fit in seamlessly on "Listen" and the bopping fun that is "Dream Train." Mind you, the people they were subbing for are no slouches. Drum icon Carl Allen is the polar opposite of Christian McBride Band trapper Terreon Gully, in that Allen is as trad as they come. He keeps the urban cruiser "Gang Green" bubbling as Peter Martin's rolling piano figure gives Wilson and Wolf's work extra buoyancy. Martin comps and counters on "Ms. Angelou" adds depth and color to McBride's love letter to another artist, while Allen's rolling and tumbling kicks up the fun on "The Unusual Suspects."

That Wilson burns like napalm on the rousing "The Movement, Revisited" and the uber-slick "Fair Hope Theme" is no surprise. For an Old School alto sound, Wilson's one of the best in the game, but the real revelation here is the young Wolf who is clearly in his element. While he evokes the West Coast coolness of the Modern Jazz Quartet on Aaron Diehl's Mack Avenue debut The Bespoke Man's Narrative, Wolf lets his inner wolverine out on People Music, swinging for the fences on "Gang" and attacking "Dream Train" like a charging bull.

McBride could always play trad, but he's been such a renaissance man that trad was never a priority. Still, a job opportunity focuses everyone's mind in this economy. By expanding its sound for People Music, McBride has Inside Straight perfectly focused. ~J. Hunter

People Music

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Johnny 'Hammond' Smith - Opus De Funk

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:05
Size: 160.5 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Soul-jazz-funk
Year: 1961/2004
Art: Front

[4:29] 1. Sticks And Stones
[5:26] 2. Because You Left Me
[7:56] 3. Ribs An' Chips
[4:39] 4. Cry Me A River
[3:50] 5. Que Pasa
[3:04] 6. Invitation
[4:16] 7. Spring Is Here
[2:53] 8. Stimulation
[5:17] 9. Opus De Funk
[4:24] 10. Almost Like Being In Love
[4:07] 11. Autumn Leaves
[4:48] 12. Sad Eyes
[5:42] 13. Gone With The Wind
[4:28] 14. If Someone Had Told Me
[4:38] 15. Shirley's Theme

While organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith never attained the status of Jimmy Smith, he nonetheless fronted first-rate bands and accumulated a fine discography. Recorded in 1961, Opus de Funk brings together two Smith albums in one package, Stimulation and Opus de Funk. Since the same band -- vibraphonist Freddie McCoy, guitarist Eddie McFadden, bassist Wendell Marshall, and drummer Leo Stevens -- played on both sets, and since both albums aren't very long by contemporary standards, the pair fit snuggly on the same CD. The really unusual element here is the presence of McCoy, because one doesn't usually associate vibes with jazz organ combos. The vibes work, however, and give the resonance of Smith's organ a lighter counterpoint that brightens up the overall sound. The band delivers fine versions of familiar pieces -- "Cry Me a River," "Autumn Leaves," and "Gone With the Wind" -- alongside newer pieces like "Ribs an' Chips" and "Que Pasa?" With a couple of exceptions, this snappy unit likes to keep things tight, and seldom extends a piece for over five minutes. The one big exception is Smith's "Ribs an' Chips," a breezy eight-minute bit of blues with fine solos by McFadden and McCoy. Opus de Funk is a welcome reissue and will be greeted warmly by jazz organ fans. ~Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.

Opus De Funk

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Connie Russell - Alone With You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:24
Size: 65.0 MB
Styles: jazz-pop vocals
Year: 1995/2011
Art: Front

[1:57] 1. Alone With You
[2:15] 2. Close Your Eyes
[2:31] 3. Near You
[2:31] 4. All I Do Is Dream Of You
[2:29] 5. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
[2:22] 6. Take Me In Your Arms
[2:13] 7. Dream A Little Dream Of Me
[2:19] 8. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[2:09] 9. You And The Night And The Music
[2:44] 10. That Old Feeling
[2:22] 11. The Touch Of Your Lips
[2:26] 12. You're My Man

A wonderful set from vocalist Connie Russell – a sexy singer whose sound perfectly matches her bottomless look on the cover of the record! Arrangements are relatively soft, but with a nice touch of jazz – and Connie's dusky vocals move effortlessly through the tunes – with nice little inflections that make the familiar tunes her own, and which really illuminate some of the lesser-known numbers. Ian Bernard handles the backings – and titles include “You're My Man”, “You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To”, “Take Me In Your Arms”, “All I Do Is Dream Of You”, “You & The Night & The Music”, and “That Old Feeling”.

Alone With You

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Yakov Okun - New York Encounter

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:21
Size: 129.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:48] 1. Pent-Up Chaos
[8:19] 2. Kind Bug
[6:00] 3. Spillikins
[7:26] 4. Jitterbug Waltz
[6:29] 5. Eric Dolphy's Tomb
[5:09] 6. Falling In Love Again
[6:27] 7. Plain Jane
[5:33] 8. Giant Steps
[5:07] 9. Heaven

Yakov Okun (P); Ben Street (B); Billy Drummond (D). Recorded November 11, 2010 in Brooklyn, NY, USA by Joe Marciano.

A major force in Russian Jazz since the mid ‘90s, pianist Yakov Okun, finally places himself on the international stage with his Criss Cross debut, a trio date with world-class bass-drum team Ben Street and Billy Drummond, on which he mixes challenging original material with strong arrangements and less traveled Songbook repertoire and tunes by Sonny Rollins and Fats Waller.

At 38, Okun is an individualistic voice, an important player, able in his improvisations to refract an entire timeline of jazz vocabulary in a cogent, compositional manner.

New York Encounter

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Richard Harris - A Tramp Shining

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:30
Size: 72.1 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1968/2016
Art: Front

[2:54] 1. Didn't We
[2:47] 2. Paper Chase
[3:50] 3. Name Of My Sorrow
[4:03] 4. Lovers Such As I
[2:40] 5. In The Final Hours
[7:24] 6. MacArthur Park
[2:09] 7. Dancing Girl
[3:14] 8. If You Must Leave My Life
[2:26] 9. A Tramp Shining

The artist's first collaboration with composer/producer Jimmy Webb is a great record, even 35 years later, encompassing pop, rock, elements of classical music, and even pop-soul in a body of brilliant, bittersweet romantic songs by Webb, all presented in a consistently affecting and powerful vocal performance by Harris. Harris treaded onto Frank Sinatra territory here, and he did it with a voice not remotely as good or well trained as his, yet he pulled it off by sheer bravado and his ability as an actor, coupled with his vocal talents -- his performance was manly and vulnerable enough to make women swoon, but powerful and manly enough to allow their husbands and boyfriends to feel okay listening to a man's man like Harris singing on such matters. The production and arrangements by Webb were some of the lushest ever heard on a pop album of the period, with a 35-piece orchestra whose presence was more influenced by the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album than it was by any of Nelson Riddle's work with Sinatra. Strangely enough, "MacArthur Park" -- the massive hit off the album -- isn't all that representative of the rest of the record, which relies much more on strings than brass and horns, and has a somewhat lower-key feel but also a great deal more subtlety. One can also hear the influence of Webb's then-recent work with the Fifth Dimension in the presence of the muted female chorus on "In the Final Hours" and, much more so, on "If You Must Leave My Life" (perhaps the best song on the album, and the most complex, with heavy rhythm guitar, a great beat, and lush orchestrations), which almost sounds like a lost Fifth Dimension cut. None of the support musicians are credited, though it's a safe bet that Larry Knechtel, Hal Blaine, and Joe Osborn are among those present. The domestic CD sounds amazingly good, considering that it was mastered in the 1980s, but serious fans may want to opt for Raven Records' The Webb Sessions, which contains this album plus its follow-up, The Yard Went on Forever. ~Bruce Eder

A Tramp Shining

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Oscar Peterson & Clark Terry - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:21
Size: 94.7 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1975/2006
Art: Front

[4:20] 1. On A Slow Boat To China
[4:40] 2. But Beautiful
[4:25] 3. Shaw 'nuff
[7:09] 4. Satin Doll
[4:44] 5. Chops
[5:52] 6. Makin' Whoopee
[5:36] 7. No Flugel Blues
[4:32] 8. Mack The Knife

Pianist Oscar Peterson and flugelhornist Clark Terry always made for a perfect matchup. Their duet set (one of five Peterson made during this period) is quite friendly, witty and hard-swinging. C.T. generally sets the joyous mood and on numbers such as "On a Slow Boat to China," "Shaw 'Nuff," "No Flugel Blues" and "Mack the Knife," the warm-toned flugelhornist shows that he was one of the few who could truly keep up with the remarkable pianist. ~Scott Yanow

Oscar Peterson & Clark Terry

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The Cutting Edge - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:52
Size: 148.5 MB
Styles: Post bop
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[ 7:57] 1. Footprints
[ 5:53] 2. Yesterdays
[10:05] 3. Code Bleu
[ 6:36] 4. Canaloupe Island
[ 7:56] 5. Cutting Edge
[ 7:20] 6. Secret Of The Andes
[ 5:16] 7. Space Dozen
[ 7:14] 8. Our Destiny
[ 6:31] 9. Get Out Of Town

Bass – Jay Anderson; Drums – Steve Davis; Piano, Arranged By, Producer – Andy Laverne; Tenor Saxophone – Walt Weiskopf; Trombone – Conrad Herwig; Trumpet – Tim Hagans.

The Cutting Edge

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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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