Gerry Mulligan Meets Scott Hamilton - Soft Lights & Sweet Music

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:42
Size: 98,6 MB
Art: Front + Back

(4:10)  1. Soft Lights And Sweet Music
(6:24)  2. Gone
(4:23)  3. Do You Know What I See?
(5:04)  4. I've Just Seen Her
(7:40)  5. Noblesse
(7:14)  6. Ghosts
(7:44)  7. Port Of Baltimore Blues

Starting in the late '50s, Gerry Mulligan recorded a series of encounters with fellow saxophonists that included such immortals as Stan Getz, Paul Desmond, Johnny Hodges and Ben Webster. In 1986 he resumed the practice for this one date on which his baritone is matched with the tenor of the young great Scott Hamilton. 

The music, which includes warm ballads and fairly hot romps (five of the seven songs are Mulligan originals), consistently swing and are quite enjoyable.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/soft-lights-sweet-music-mw0000649667

Personnel: Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone), Scott Hamilton (tenor saxophone), Mike Renzi (piano), Jay Leonhart (bass), Grady Tate (drums)

Soft Lights & Sweet Music

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Diane Schuur - Blues for Schuur

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:55
Size: 115,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:25)  1. I'm Not Ashamed To Sing The Blues
(4:16)  2. When Did You Leave Heaven?
(3:04)  3. Stormy Monday Blues
(4:42)  4. These Blues
(4:23)  5. Moonlight & Shadows
(3:09)  6. All Right, OK, You Win (I'm In Love With You)
(2:29)  7. Who Will The Next Fool Be?
(5:05)  8. Save Your Love For Me
(6:05)  9. Someone To Love
(1:57) 10. Toodle Loo On Down
(4:57) 11. You've Got To Hurt Before You Heal
(3:18) 12. I Want To Go Home

Diane Schuur is, in my opinion and many others', one of the premiere vocalists of this era. But I've been disappointed with her last couple solo releases, forgettable collections of sappy love songs. Thankfully, with Blues For Schuur, Deedles has some material she can really sink her teeth into, and the result is one of her best albums in years! The program, as the title suggests, is all blues; gut-wrenching, soul-searching, emotion-dripping blues. Schuur milks every stylistic nuance for all it's worth and backs it up with her full, powerful voice. You can tell she's really getting into it. Of course, great arrangements help a lot. The credit here goes to former Tower of Power horn arranger Greg Adams. Adams wrote the complete arrangements, not just the horns. And the all-pro seven-piece horn section (two trumpets, two trombones, three saxophones) gives the music all the punch it needs. The sweetly stinging guitar solos of David T. Walker fit the mood just right, too. Diane Schuur's collaboration album with B.B. King gave us a good indication of her ability to sing the blues. This album provides all the proof you need.~Dave Hugles https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blues-for-schuur-diane-schuur-grp-records-review-by-dave-hughes.php

Personnel: Diane Schurr (vocals); Gary Herbig, Johnnie Bamont, Larry Williams (saxophone); Chuck Findley, Greg Adams (trumpet); Nick Lane, Matt Finders (trombone); Jai Winding (piano, organ); David T. Walker (guitar); Melvin Davis (bass); Harvey Mason (drums).

Blues for Schuur

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Eric Alexander - Mode For Mabes

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:50
Size: 162,5 MB
Art: Front

( 8:42)  1. Mode For Mabes
( 8:05)  2. Sugar Ray
(10:11)  3. For Heaven's Sake
( 8:53)  4. Erik The Red
( 8:36)  5. Love Thy Neighbor
( 6:19)  6. Stay Straight
( 8:43)  7. Stairway To The Stairs
(11:17)  8. Naima

Coming of age as a premier tenor saxophonist, Alexander pays tribute to the jazz icon from Memphis, pianist Mabern, by featuring him on this recording with a sextet who also pay a debt to the great edition of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers frontlined by Wayne-Shorter, Lee Morgan, and Curtis Fuller. This is modern mainstream post-to-hard bop at its finest, wth Alexander and Mabern's supporting cast making all of this music simply come alive. Trombonist Steve Davis, trumpeter Jim Rotundi, bassist John Webber, and drummer George Fludas clearly have Blue Note and Riverside late-'50s jazz in their bones, and it seeps out of every swinging pore. Alexander shows much influence from Shorter, George Coleman, and Joe Henderson. His sound is fleet, literate, and blues-drenched, and he hits every note with seeming perfection and deep knowledge. Featured on the ballad to easy-swinging versions of "Stairway to the Stars" and "For Heaven's Sake," his performances further evidence his development as a topnotch interpreter and improvisor. The rest of the band achieve good solos on the over ten-minute "Heaven's Sake" and the 11-minute plus, 6/8 version of "Naima." The musicians in this frontline, with their rich harmonic tilt, assert themselves collectively on "Naima," the title track, and "Erik the Red," their strong suit. "Erik," penned by Davis, is truly a great piece of spirited writing that displays unity, anchored by Mabern's repeated triple chords and Alexander's long, loping giraffe-neck lines. "Mode for Mabes" not only lets the band fly on a Jazz Messenger-flavored, easy-swinging, democratic melody, but it also casts a bright spotlight on Mabern. 

He is about as lyrical a pianist as there is in jazz today, and this piece, as well as the other compositions, shows the compatible group making those melodic statements blossom. Whether chiming and resonant for the intro of "Stairway," brimming with soul and conviction on Phineas Newborn Jr.'s "Sugar Ray," or absolutely killing on his solo during "Naima," Mabern's musicianship is as precious as a truckload of diamonds. 

Of course, the band can swing hard, as they do on the dramatic, meaty melody of "Stay Straight"; they can also get happy, chasing all cares away on the easy swinger "Love Thy Neighbor." You won't find a better modern mainstream jazz recording of the '90s than this one. It's a canididate for best jazz CD of 1998, a feather in Alexander's cap, and a musical triumph for Mabern; it can not come less than highly recommended.~Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/mode-for-mabes-mw0000035945

Personnel: Eric Alexander (tenor saxophone); Jim Rotondi (trumpet); Steve Davis (trombone); Harold Mabern (piano); John Webber (bass); George Fludas (drums).

Mode For Mabes

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Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:08
Size: 151,8 MB
Art: Front + Back

(26:02)  1. Part I
(14:54)  2. Part II A
(18:14)  3. Part II B
( 6:57)  4. Part II C

Recorded in 1975 at the Köln Opera House and released the same year, this disc has, along with its revelatory music, some attendant cultural baggage that is unfair in one sense: Every pot-smoking and dazed and confused college kid  and a few of the more sophisticated ones in high school  owned this as one of the truly classic jazz records, along with Bitches Brew, Kind of Blue, Take Five, A Love Supreme, and something by Grover Washington, Jr. Such is cultural miscegenation. It also gets unfairly blamed for creating George Winston, but that's another story. What Keith Jarrett had begun a year before on the Solo Concerts album and brought to such gorgeous flowering here was nothing short of a miracle. With all the tedium surrounding jazz-rock fusion, the complete absence on these shores of neo-trad anything, and the hopelessly angry gyrations of the avant-garde, Jarrett brought quiet and lyricism to revolutionary improvisation. Nothing on this program was considered before he sat down to play. All of the gestures, intricate droning harmonies, skittering and shimmering melodic lines, and whoops and sighs from the man are spontaneous. Although it was one continuous concert, the piece is divided into four sections, largely because it had to be divided for double LP. But from the moment Jarrett blushes his opening chords and begins meditating on harmonic invention, melodic figure construction, glissando combinations, and occasional ostinato phrasing, music changed. For some listeners it changed forever in that moment. For others it was a momentary flush of excitement, but it was change, something so sorely needed and begged for by the record-buying public. Jarrett's intimate meditation on the inner workings of not only his pianism, but also the instrument itself and the nature of sound and how it stacks up against silence, involved listeners in its search for beauty, truth, and meaning. 

The concert swings with liberation from cynicism or the need to prove anything to anyone ever again. With this album, Jarrett put himself in his own league, and you can feel the inspiration coming off him in waves. This may have been the album every stoner wanted in his collection "because the chicks dug it." Yet it speaks volumes about a musician and a music that opened up the world of jazz to so many who had been excluded, and offered the possibility  if only briefly of a cultural, aesthetic optimism, no matter how brief that interval actually was. This is a true and lasting masterpiece of melodic, spontaneous composition and improvisation that set the standard.~Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-k%C3%B6ln-concert-mw0000188364

Personnel: Keith Jarrett (piano).

The Koln Concert

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Flora Purim - Nothing Will Be As It Was... Tomorrow

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:53
Size: 86.7 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Fusion
Year: 1977/2005
Art: Front

[5:38] 1. You Love Me Only
[5:01] 2. Nothing Will Be As It Was (Nada Sera Como Antes)
[6:18] 3. I'm Coming For Your Love
[3:34] 4. Angels
[6:30] 5. Corre Niña
[5:18] 6. Bridges
[4:07] 7. Fairy Tale Song
[1:23] 8. Angels (Reprise)

Bass – Byron Miller; Brass – George Bohanon, Oscar Brashear; Drums, Tom Tom [Roto Toms] – Ndugu (Leon Chancler); Handclaps – Dennis Moody, Eryke McClinton*, Gregory Walker; Harp – Dorothy Ashby; Reeds – Ernie Watts, Fred Jackson.

This is Purim's first album for Warner Bros. after spending 1973-1976 with Milestone. While Purim's last dates with Milestone began to reflect a more commercial jazz sound, the style came to fruition by the time of this 1977 album. Drummer Leon "Ndugu" Chancler is listed as producer, and George Duke is also here, under his alias of Dawili Gonga. Given that fact, this effort sounds like a Duke production job, and like one of his late-'70s classic albums. Patrice Rushen's meditative "You Love Me Only" strikes the delicate balance between Purim's singular phrasing and persona and more streamlined production values. Earth Wind and Fire members Al McKay and Phillip Bailey contribute "Angels," and it has the sound of period EWF juxtaposed to Purim's patented and sensual wordless vocalizations. Although the artist adapts to each style, Nothing Will Be As It Was...Tommorow also has her covering the work of Brazilian artist Milton Nascimento, who co-wrote the title. Nascimento's whimsical "Fairy Tale Friend" gets a funkier treatment, as the song's lyrics lose nothing in translation. The album's most poignant track from Nascimento, "Bridges," has a doleful arrangement and a gentle vocal from Purim. Although this effort seemed to get lost in the shuffle, it is well worth seeking out, especially for lovers of late-'70s jazz fusion. ~Jason Elias

Nothing Will Be As It Was... Tomorrow

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Stan Kenton - The Stage Door Swings

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 31:49

Size: 72.8 MB

Styles: Big band

Year: 1958/2005

Art: Front

[2:38] 1. Lullaby Of Broadway

[2:54] 2. The Party's Over

[2:42] 3. Baubles, Bangles And Beads

[3:14] 4. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

[2:25] 5. Whatever Lola Wants

[2:02] 6. Bali Ha'i

[2:29] 7. Hey There

[2:57] 8. Younger Than Springtime

[2:08] 9. On The Street Where You Live

[2:25] 10. I Love Paris

[3:10] 11. I've Never Been In Love Before

[2:37] 12. All At Once You Love Her

Stan Kenton's orchestra was never the place to hear a nice tune played sweetly; arrangers including Kenton himself, Pete Rugolo, Bob Graettinger, and Bill Holman commonly emphasized the progressive end of jazz -- advanced harmonics, complex charts, powerful soloists -- much more than such a simple thing as swing. When Kenton decided to record an album of show tunes in 1958, however, he proceeded directly to Lennie Niehaus. Niehaus, an altoist with the Kenton band beginning nearly a decade earlier, had written a chart for "Pennies from Heaven" in 1953 that proved to be a highlight of the Sketches on Standards LP. (Kenton would probably have chosen Bill Russo, who had helmed his two previous standards LPs of the '50s, but he had left the band a few years earlier.) Kenton's band of 1958 didn't boast the firepower of earlier editions, but new arrivals Jack Sheldon and Bill Trujillo contribute a lot to the highlight, "The Party's Over" (which, Michael Sparke's liner notes tell us, was often used by the contrarian Kenton to begin his sets). Elsewhere, Niehaus gives himself a feature on the hard-swinging "Baubles, Bangles & Beads. ~John Bush

The Stage Door Swings

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Mary Ann Hurst - Jazzz...d

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:18
Size: 119.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[5:30] 1. In My Own Little Corner
[5:38] 2. I Can't Say No
[4:44] 3. Lush Life
[4:16] 4. Some Cats Know
[2:48] 5. Slow Boat To China
[5:16] 6. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[4:15] 7. My Head's Ok But Heart's Not Smart
[6:52] 8. Some Other Time
[3:30] 9. Call Me
[3:40] 10. Hit The Road Jack, Why Don't You Do Right
[5:44] 11. Time After, You Make Me Feel So Young

I was born in Long Island, New York on an Air Force base and have been mobile ever since. “Home” was many places growing up: Japan, Germany, Thailand, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska and later on my own in California, Minnesota, Texas, Massachusetts, South Carolina and China. My first encounters with the jazz idiom came from my father’s record collection: Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Jackie Gleason, Louis Armstrong, Sophie Tucker. Highlights of my jazz education include seeing Ellington perform under the stars, seaside, in a bandshell, along with French sophisticates in Marseilles, France; watching Ella perform in San Francisco and Minneapolis; at age 9 sitting front-row to hear Louis Armstrong sing; taking workshops with Sheila Jordan and Kurt Elling; and having the opportunity to perform with great musicians like Tuna Otenel in Turkey, to Bucky Pizzarelli in South Carolina. I started singing at age 7 on in choirs, musical theater, symphony choruses and in jazz settings -- duos, trios, quartets, quintets, and once in a while big bands -- all the while working at various other jobs in life...

My life veered toward China when the opportunity to be a Chinese Mandarin linguist in the army reserves presented itself. After the army sent me to language school (basic training and radio operation school first!) I had the opportunity to study in China from 1981-82 in Shanxi, Taiyuan as a graduate exchange student from the University of South Carolina. Then graduate school at the University of Minnesota brought me an M.A. in East Asian Studies and a summer job as a tour guide in China, and the chance to work at China’s most prestigious art academy in Zhejiang Province in the beautiful city of Hangzhou. It was at this art academy I came to fully appreciate the arts of China, from calligraphy to landscape painting. I took a year at Harvard to study Classical Chinese, then worked for a non-profit study abroad consortium taking students to study Chinese at Beijing University. I later helped SBC, Inc (now AT&T) open an office in Beijing. I lived corporate, non-profit, and student lives in China - all diverse, but interesting experiences in a country now making headlines on a daily basis. Jazz in Beijing was just getting going in the 90s. I sang with a Chinese-Japanese quintet there called Beijing Jazz for six months in the Foreign Correspondents Club overlooking the city of 12 million. We jammed with ambassadors and businessmen from around the world. Sometimes Cui Jian, China’s rock star, would come in to play his horn. He sounded a lot like Miles Davis at times. On my last return from China I decided to take the folksongs I’d collected there and turn them into a jazz project. It’s a unique offering of East-West fusion, easy on the ears, very listenable.

Jazzz...d

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Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - The Best Of Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:25
Size: 113.1 MB
Styles: R&B, Doo-wop
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[2:19] 1. Why Do Fools Fall In Love
[3:08] 2. Please Be Mine
[2:52] 3. Love Is A Clown
[2:38] 4. Am I Fooling Myself Again
[2:58] 5. I Want You To Be My Girl 2
[2:49] 6. I'm Not A Know It All
[2:13] 7. Who Can Explain
[2:52] 8. I Promise To Remember
[1:56] 9. The Abc's Of Love
[2:38] 10. Share
[2:39] 11. I'm Not A Juvenile Delinquent
[2:06] 12. Baby Baby
[2:05] 13. Paper Castles
[2:10] 14. Teenage Love
[2:27] 15. Out In The Cold Again
[2:13] 16. Goody Goody
[2:28] 17. Creation Of Love
[2:19] 18. Thumb Thumb
[1:47] 19. Portable On My Shoulder
[2:39] 20. Little Bitty Pretty One

In early 1956, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers -- Herman Santiago, Jimmy Merchant, Sherman Garnes, and Joe Negroni -- achieved international stardom with the song "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?." Lymon, as lead singer (and all of 13 years old), was the star of the act, and they remain one of the finest examples of New York vocal group singing. All of the essentials are on this album, which, among its numerous highlights also includes "Love Is a Clown" and the group's later hits, "Little Bitty Pretty One," "Portable on My Shoulder," and "Thumb Thumb." At the time of its release, this CD collection was notable not only for its generous programming -- 20 songs deep into the group's catalog -- but also for its sound quality. Previous LP compilations of the Teenagers' work, issued either through Roulette Records or labels of dubious legitimacy (such as Guest Star), had suffered from very poor quality mastering and sources; and even the commonly available U.S. LP reissue of the 1958 album The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon -- which boasted one of the coolest covers of the 1950s -- offered miserably poor sound. This collection, either as a 20-song CD or a 16-song LP, was the first decent sounding Frankie Lymon reissue heard in decades; it's been supplanted for audio quality since then, but 20 years later, it's still worth hearing and owning, for the uninitiated. ~Bruce Eder

The Best Of Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers

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Ben Webster - Quiet Now: Until Tonight

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 57:37

Size: 131.9 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 2000

Art: Front

[4:34] 1. Time After Time

[3:55] 2. Chelsea Bridge

[3:01] 3. Tenderly

[4:43] 4. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me

[5:46] 5. It Never Entered My Mind

[3:36] 6. Danny Boy

[5:05] 7. Blue Moon

[4:29] 8. Makin' Whoopee

[4:46] 9. Some Other Spring

[4:40] 10. Where Are You

[5:02] 11. La Rosita

[4:09] 12. Until Tonight (Mauve)

[3:47] 13. That's All

This album features selections from five classic Webster releases: BEN WEBSTER AND ASSOCIATES, MUSIC FOR LOVING, KING OF THE TENORS, SOULVILLE, and COLEMAN HAWKINS ENCOUNTERS BEN WEBSTER. This music is part of Verve's "Quiet Now" series, which not surprisingly, highlights ballads and light swing. A romantic, even sultry compilation, UNTIL TONIGHT is the perfect jazz mood music for any occasion. However, these tunes need not be relegated to the background.

Webster's sensitive and deeply emotional approach to the ballad is elegant beyond compare. UNTIL TONIGHT features such standard love songs as, "Tenderly," "Time After Time" and "It Never Entered My Mind." Selections from MUSIC FOR LOVING are replete with a string orchestra, and other tunes showcase pianists Oscar Peterson, Hank Jones, or Billy Strayhorn (all legends in their own right). Finally, Webster's idol, Coleman Hawkins sits in on the Latin-inflected "La Rosita". ~AMG

Quiet Now Until Tonight    

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Dave McKenna/Scott Hamilton/Jake Hanna - Double Play: No Bass Hit Disc 1 And Major League Disc 2

No Bass Hit  Disc 1

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:13
Size: 96,3 MB
Art: Front + Back

(5:02)  1. But Not for Me
(3:53)  2. If Dreams Come True
(3:53)  3. Long Ago and Far Away
(6:59)  4. Drum Boogie
(5:53)  5. I Love You, Samantha
(6:10)  6. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter
(5:26)  7. Easy to Love
(3:53)  8. Get Happy

Major League  Disc 2

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:04
Size: 94,3 MB
Art: Front + Back

(3:29)  1. Swinging at the Copper Rail
(5:06)  2. A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody
(4:19)  3. Cocktails for Two
(4:20)  4. I'm Through with Love
(4:14)  5. Linger Awhile
(5:01)  6. September in the Rain
(5:26)  7. This Is All I Ask
(4:25)  8. It All Depends on You
(4:40)  9. April in Paris

Concord greatly enriched the revival of more traditional forms of jazz in the 1970s and 1980s when they bought together established players like pianist Dave McKenna and drummer Jake Hanna with new kids on the block like tenor Scott Hamilton. This bassless trio recorded No Bass Hit in 1979, then returned for an encore with Major League in 1986. The two-disc set Double Play re-introduces both titles while keeping the baseball metaphor intact. Quiet standards by the Gershwins and Cole Porter trade places with up-tempo delights like Gene Krupa and Roy Eldridge's "Drum Boogie." One might imagine missing the steady beat of the bass, but a cursory listen to "Easy to Love" verifies that this isn't the case. McKenna plays chords with one hand while keeping a steady bass rhythm with the other, assuring a solid beat even when he's playing lead. The band swings with vim and vigor on "Swinging at the Copper Rail" and "It All Depends on You," while offering relaxed versions of "I'm Through With Love" and "This Is All I Ask." Part of the joy of this band is their versatility, with Hamilton and McKenna exchanging lead lines or with Hanna kicking off a song with a snazzy drum roll. Double Play offers an hour and a half of excellent mainstream jazz and serves as a fine addition to the works of all the players involved.~Ronnie D.Lankford,Jr. http://www.allmusic.com/album/double-play-no-bass-hit-major-league-mw0000220613

Personnel: Dave McKenna (piano, bass); Scott Hamilton (tenor saxophone); Jake Hanna (drums).

No Bass Hit  Disc 1 And Major League  Disc 2

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Kevyn Lettau - Bye-Bye Blackbird

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:39
Size: 102,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. I've Got You Under My Skin
(3:41)  2. Bye-Bye Blackbird
(5:44)  3. I Fall in Love Too Easily
(2:50)  4. Love You Madly
(4:03)  5. It Amazes Me
(3:36)  6. I Concentrate on You
(2:47)  7. It's Delovely
(4:18)  8. Being Green
(3:23)  9. Let's Fall in Love
(6:04) 10. Gone With The Wind
(3:55) 11. Sophisticated Lady

With strings and the gentle acoustic guitar of Dori Caymmi, singer Kevyn Lettau interprets favorite songs for a standards album that's been a long time coming. She first recorded with Caymmi in 1988, before her eight-year stint with Sergio Mendes took her on a whirlwind adventure that colored her life's work with a Brazilian tinge. Possessing a smooth soprano voice that lends itself to romantic interpretation, Lettau gives her audience an armful of class. Songs by Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Cy Coleman, and Harold Arlen bring her timeless message to a wide audience. Special circumstances, such as "Bye Bye Blackbird" and "Being Green," give the album a heart-melting quality.The singer is at her best with a suave bossa nova or a sentimental ballad. Caymmi's musical arrangements ensure that she's given appropriate surroundings to color each of these pleasant melodies. Rhythm and harmony add a bit of depth, but it's the melody that comes at you full force as Lettau sends her message out clearly. Wordless melodies alternate with sensual lyrics to fit each concern. At times she turns the music inwardly and projects her voice less forcefully, resulting in an uneven session. Rubato passages, such as the intro to "Let's Fall in Love," leave the listener in a vacuum, wondering where all the stars have gone. Each piece picks up, however, as Lettau steers her vocal message comfortably with passion and with genuine interest. Like the smooth sensations that she delivered with Sergio Mendes, each of these lovely standards slips gently into our lives.~Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bye-bye-blackbird-kevyn-lettau-review-by-jim-santella.php
 

Personnel:  Kevyn Lettau: vocal;  Dori Caymmi: acoustic guitar;  Russell Ferrante: piano, electric piano;  Jerry Watts, Jr.: electric bass;  Mike Shapiro: drums;  Paulinho da Costa: percussion;  Larry Goldings: melodica on "Being Green;" Gina Kronstadt: concertmaster, violin;  Peter Kent, Armen Garabedian, Berj Garabedian, Kathleen Robertson, Vladimir Polimatidi, Norm Hughs, Shari Zippert, Pam Gates, Adriana Zoppo, Cameron Patrick, Kristen Fife: violin;  Bob Becker, Miriam Meyer, Novi Novog,  Lynn Grants: viola;  Larry Corbett, Stafanie Fife, Maurice Grants, Rudolph Stein: cello.

Bye-Bye Blackbird

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Jonathan Butler - So Strong

Styles: Vocal, Guitar, Jazz Funk
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:23
Size: 134,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:44)  1. So Strong
(5:01)  2. You Got to Believe in Something
(3:29)  3. Make Room for Me
(4:09)  4. Factual
(3:45)  5. Feels So Good
(4:38)  6. Be Here With You
(4:25)  7. Avia / For My Baby
(3:31)  8. I'm Right Here
(3:59)  9. Color Green
(4:02) 10. Good Times
(4:54) 11. I Can See Clearly Now
(5:09) 12. I Pay Respect
(4:04) 13. So Strong (Steppers Mix)
(3:27) 14. So Strong (Urban AC Mix)

Vocalist/guitarist Jonathan Butler has been fairly consistent in his quest to be the next George Benson, as his recordings could all be easily mistaken for the classic pop/jazz album Breezin'. So Strong follows those same non-discretionary lines, as Butler makes no bones about playing the exact same style of tunes that Benson popularized in the mid-'70s, establishing the so called smooth jazz format. You hear relatively similar light funk beats, spare guitar chords, or easygoing, simple lines, and the kind of underdeveloped, lazy affectations that are formulaic to this production model, cookie-cutter music. As Butler plays this genre of singer/songwriter pop, he sounds well, creeping closer vocally to Stevie Wonder, his fans should be pleased at the end result. 

In the pocket and on the make, songs like the title track and "Feels so Good," are purpose-built to slink and seduce one into a late-night lull, while moaning ballads and cooing come-ons dot the surface of these marginal compositions. Butler does hearken back to his South African heritage with ringing chords and a horn complement (Rick Braun and Dave Koz) during "Make Room for Me," and does a quite credible version of the 1972 Johnny Nash hit "I Can See Clearly Now." 

There's nothing outstanding or all that different to suggest Butler has an interest in establishing his own identity past commercial considerations. Perhaps someday he'll do the pure highlife, kwela, or township jazz album that is within his native soul.~Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/so-strong-mw0001980388

So Strong

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Kevin Eubanks - Shadow Prophets

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:20
Size: 104,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:02)  1. Songhouse
(4:38)  2. Village Dance
(5:11)  3. Twilight Tears
(5:31)  4. G-Town Hang
(4:47)  5. He Smiled The Sea
(5:05)  6. Mice Mobsters
(5:45)  7. Shadow Prophets
(4:05)  8. Jenna's Dream
(5:12)  9. Eye Spy

Shadow Prophets was a marked improvement over The Heat of Heat, but it was obvious that GRP was trying desperately to find a niche for Kevin Eubanks. Despite a distinctive guitar style and an endless stream of ideas, Eubanks was again being molded in the same style as George Benson (the pop version). The inclusion of Mark Ledford also indicates an effort to ride the Pat Metheny wave that was so popular on contemporary radio stations at this time. 

Commercial efforts aside, there is some excellent playing here not just by Eubanks, but also by the underrated drummer Tommy Campbell, whose playing on the opening tune, "Songhouse," is breathtaking. Eubanks was certainly compromising his style at this point in his career, but the folks at GRP gave him a little more space and creative freedom. The results are mixed, but worth exploring for the sheer fact that Eubanks is such a great musician and makes the most of this limiting style of music.~Robert Taylor http://www.allmusic.com/album/shadow-prophets-mw0000196508

Personnel:  Acoustic Guitar, MIDI Guitar Synth – Kevin Eubanks;  Lead Vocals – Mark Ledford;  Electric Bass – Rael Wesley Grant,  Victor Bailey;  Keyboards – Onaje Allan Gumbs;  Backing Vocals – Kevin Eubanks, Mark Ledford;  Drums – Gene Jackson, Tommy Campbell.

Shadow Prophets

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Guinga - Guinga & Convidados Vol. 1 & Vol. 2

Album: Guinga & Convidados Vol. 1
Size: 129,6 MB
Time: 55:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Brazilian Jazz, Samba, Bossa
Art: Front

01. Lendas Brasileiras (Feat. Chico Buarque) (3:21)
02. Baiao De Lacan (Feat. Leila Pinheiro) (3:02)
03. Cha De Panela (Feat. Alceu Valença) (4:46)
04. O Silencio De Iara (4:02)
05. Nem Cais, Nem Barco (Feat. Leny Andrade) (6:08)
06. Mingus Samba (Feat. Lenine) (2:23)
07. Guia De Cego (Feat. Ivan Lins) (3:50)
08. Rio De Exageros (Feat. Chano Dominguez) (4:20)
09. No Fundo Do Rio (Feat. Nei Lopes E Sergio Cabral) (3:41)
10. Concubinato (Feat. Fatima Guedes) (3:27)
11. Par Constante (Feat. Ed Motta) (5:45)
12. Yes, Ze Manes (Feat. Chico Buarque) (5:20)
13. Constance (Feat. Toots Thielemans) (5:26)

Guinga began his musical studies as a self-taught violonista at 13. Later, he would deepen his apprenticeship of classical violão. At 16, he began to write his own compositions and in 1967, he presented one of them at II FIC (Rede Globo, Rio). In 1973, MPB-4 recorded two of his songs written with the illustrious Paulo César Pinheiro: "Conversa Com o Coração" and "Maldição de Ravel." Always flirting with the musical scenery, but was unable to make a living in it (as many sincere artists in Brazil). He became a dentist, but nevertheless registered his love for the true Brazilian tradition in appearances as sideman in several samba albums since then, like the second solo album by Cartola recorded in 1976, in which he plays the violão on "As Rosas Não Falam." As an instrumentalist, he has accompanied such artists as Beth Carvalho, Cartola, Alaíde Costa, Clara Nunes, and João Nogueira. His first solo show is from 1989, where he performed in the Vou Vivendo nightclub (São Paulo) with Paulo César Pinheiro and Ithamara Koorax. His first solo album, Simples e Absurdo (Velas 1991), featured lyrics by Aldir Blanc and special guests Chico Buarque, Cláudio Nucci, Leila Pinheiro, Paulinho Malaguti, Ivan Lins, Zé Renato, Leny Andrade, Be Happy, and others. His second album is Delírio Carioca (Velas 1993), with special guests Djavan, Boca Livre, and Leila Pinheiro. The third album, Cheio de Dedos (1996), is almost entirely instrumental, with special guests Chano Dominguez, Diapasón, Chico Buarque, Nó em Pingo D'água, and Ed Motta. This one was awarded with the Prêmio Sharp in 1996 in three separate categories: Best Instrumental Album, Best Instrumental Song ("Dá o Pé Loro," by Guinga), and Best Production (Paulo Albuquerque). In 2000, they released a fourth album, Suíte Leopoldina (Velas), with special guests Toots Thielemans ("Dos Anjos" and "Constance"), Chico Buarque/Nei Lopes ("Parsifal"), Alceu Valença ("Chá de Panela"), Ivan Lins ("Guia de Cego"), Lenine ("Mingus Samba"), and Ed Motta ("Par Constante"). Since 1993, he has become an international artist, performing at the Festival Internacional de Guitarra (Cordoba, Spain), and the Festival Braziliana -- Jazz House (Copenhagen, Denmark). His compositions have been recorded by such artists as Paulo César Pinheiro, Elis Regina, Cauby Peixoto, Leila Pinheiro, Sérgio Mendes, Turíbio Santos, and others. ~ Alvaro Neder

MC
Ziddu

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Album: Guinga & Convidados Vol. 2
Size: 101,4 MB
Time: 37:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Brazilian Jazz, Samba, Bossa
Art: Front

01. Rio-Orleans (Feat. Ivan Lins) (4:18)
02. Simples E Absurdo (Feat. Lucia Helena) (1:18)
03. Ramo De Delirios (Feat. Claudio Nucci) (3:12)
04. Fonte Abandonada (Feat. Leila Pinheiro) (3:27)
05. Parsifal (Feat. Chico Buarque & Nei Lopes) (3:15)
06. Mingus Samba (Feat. Lenine) (2:23)
07. Delirio Carioca (Feat. Djavan) (2:14)
08. Aria De Opereta (Feat. Ed Motta) (4:19)
09. Canibaile (Feat. Leila Pinheiro) (2:37)
10. Por Tras De Bras De Pina (Feat. No Em Pingo D'agua) (2:36)
11. Impressionados (Feat. Chico Buarque) (3:42)
12. Dos Anjos (Feat. Toots Thielemans) (4:33)

MC
Ziddu

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The Michael Blum Quartet - Initiation

Size: 143,3 MB
Time: 61:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Rebecca (4:59)
02. Stella By Starlight (6:32)
03. Castle Rock (6:37)
04. A Child Is Born (6:41)
05. Yellow Alert (7:48)
06. When Sunny Gets Blue (8:27)
07. Six Weeks (3:38)
08. Brown Ave (5:14)
09. Corcovado (7:09)
10. High Summer (4:33)

Presenting an equal balance of originals and familiar jazz standards in stylish fashion, the very appealing Initiation is the inaugural album from Hanover, NH—based Michael Blum and his vibrant quartet. Blum is a twenty-year old guitarist and student at Dartmouth College with a passion for jazz. His interest in jazz as a serious pursuit, drew him to study with bassist and renowned educator/clinician and Professor at the Berklee School of Music, Jim Stinnett, who was so comfortable with the young guitarist's development, that his encouragement to document his playing, led to this strong debut. With the help of mentor Stinnett—who not only plays acoustic bass, contributes several compositions and serves as the album's producer—Blum assembled a seasoned cast of players providing stellar support as the young leader's first band.

The program begins with the light and warm "Rebecca," an original contribution from the bassist, where the guitarists' appreciable talents are immediately on display, followed by a brisk interpretation of the Victor Young standard "Stella By Starlight" featuring pianist Brad Smith. The band's play takes a hard turn on the up tempo burner "Castle Rock," providing bassist Stinnett and drummer ((Dom Moio}} strong solo spots without overshadowing Blum's own performance. One of the definite highlights on the disc has to be the superb rendition of the time-honored classic "When Sunny Gets Blue," a beautiful harmonization of the melody.

The slow and almost humbling "Six Weeks," is the guitarists' only original piece of the album which, allows the guitarist the opportunity to perform in an intimate duet with mentor Stinnett as well as providing ample space to demonstrate his skills on the instrument. Blum plays Brazil with a tasteful treatment of Antonio Carlos Jobim's immortal "Corcovado" supported by the beats and cymbal accents from Moio, turning into a pleasant jam session with every band member getting into the act. The perky and melodic Stinnett original, "High Summer," is the perfect album closer showcasing the quartet once again.

No doubt about this one, Initiation is an impressive beginning for the young student who, with this stellar debut, marks his formal acceptance into the jazz world of recorded artists. Michael Blum plays with seemingly flawless technique, whose musical style and driving ambition, may one day carry him to elite status. ~Edward Blanco

Personnel: Michael Blum: guitar; Jim Stinnett: bass; Brad Smith: piano; Dom Moio: drums.

MC
Ziddu

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Katy Free - Fine Day

Size: 106,7 MB
Time: 42:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Moondance (6:16)
02. Come Together (3:24)
03. Walking After Midnight (5:22)
04. That Man (2:43)
05. Man Like That (2:31)
06. I Feel The Earth Move (3:36)
07. One Fine Day (5:31)
08. The Way You Make Me Feel (4:58)
09. God Bless The Child (3:42)
10. Love (4:38)

Sure, Katy's first memory of singing is "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" for her church while actually missing her two front teeth. After that auspicious beginning she studied classical voice and applied that to musicals and choirs that toured and performed in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. While studying musicology and jazz voice at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, she toured the eastern United States sharing her passion and love of jazz music. Katy's multifaceted musical experience and versatile voice make her well equipped for many types of music and performance. Her specialty is taking songs from every genre and creating jazz stylings with her velvet voice that will reach out and wrap itself around you.

Katy released her debut album, Fine Day, in 2016 and is currently supporting it with dates in the southeast US. She is incredibly busy as a solo jazz artist and hosts Katy Free’s Singers Series at The Red Piano Lounge in Knoxville, Tn. She performs as a duo with the extremely gifted jazz pianist and composer, Wendel Werner. Additionally she sings with her guitar duo, trio "Katy Free Three," four-piece, "Katy Free Fourtet," and full bands. Any and all of these talented musicians perform in concert halls, jazz clubs, bars and restaurants, weddings, church services, and other venues.

With her wide array of musical experiences, interest in various genres, and her desire to be the very best musician she can be, Katy is in constant study and strives to share her deep love of music with her audiences. Katy Free’s style reveals the soul-baring interpreting power of her influences Sarah Vaughan, Jane Monheit, Etta James, Esperanza Spalding, and Stevie Wonder. She calls on the vocal vulnerability of Joni Mitchell with the versatility of Linda Ronstadt while reflecting the instrumental influence of the greats like Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. Her musicality, savvy use of drama, and creativity are spurred by influences from Sammy Davis Jr. to Post Modern Jukebox. Katy, above all, gives of herself to her listeners in shows and recordings that are all her own.

MC
Ziddu

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Kevin Dozier - A New York Romance

Size: 145,0 MB
Time: 61:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Introduction (Live) (0:19)
02. Oh What A Beautiful Mornin' (Live) (3:19)
03. Take Me To The World (Live) (3:16)
04. Sailing On (Live) (3:43)
05. That Face - Put On A Happy Face (Live) (3:50)
06. Wonderful! Wonderful! (Live) (4:36)
07. I'll Tell The Man In The Street (Live) (2:48)
08. Les Miserables Audition (Live) (0:07)
09. Brady Miserables (Live) (3:24)
10. Another Hundred People - So Many People (Live) (2:32)
11. New York Romance (Live) (3:53)
12. Almost (Live) (3:00)
13. Always - Time Heals Everything (Live) (3:15)
14. On My Way To You - Bless Your Heart (Live) (4:48)
15. What More Can I Say (Live) (3:46)
16. The Best Things In Life Are Free (Live) (2:50)
17. I Hear Bells (Live) (2:45)
18. I Hear Bells (Outro) [Live] (0:58)
19. Sidewalks Of New York - Sunday In New York - New York, New York - There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York (Medley) (Live) (5:02)
20. I Believe (Live) (2:27)
21. Playoff (Live) (0:58)

Kevin Dozier was awarded the MAC and Backstage Bistro Awards for ‘Outstanding Vocalist’ in 2011. He was a 2015 and 2016 BroadwayWorld.com nominee for Outstanding Male Vocalist for his shows, "It's About Time", and "A New York Romance" at '54 Below' and 'The Metropolitan Room' in NYC.

He recently completed a series of acclaimed shows at The Metropolitan Room, entitled "A New York Romance", of which Rex Reed said, "A thrill to hear a polished singer with an impressive range, uncanny good taste, and a voice that is genuinely delightful to listen to. In a cabaret world numb with mediocre male vocalists, Mr. Dozier is very special indeed.". The shows were recorded and will be released as a new CD on May 10th 2016.

Kevin has had sold-out runs at ‘Feinstein’s’, 'The Metropolitan Room', 'The Laurie Beechman Theatre', and 'Don't Tell Mama's' in NYC, and 'The Plush Room' in San Francisco. He has also been a featured performer at 'Jazz at Lincoln Center', 'The National Arts Club', ’54 Below’, 'San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center', and numerous 'Noel Coward Society' functions.

Kevin’s second CD, "Love's Never Lost" was released in February of 2013. This CD, produced by Paul Rolnick, with arrangements, orchestrations, and musical direction by Alex Rybeck, is a collection of songs, old and new, reflecting on the many stages of love.

Kevin's highly acclaimed debut album, "Love-Wise”, made many of 2009's top album lists including Broadwayworld.com's Top 10 Vocal Albums of 2009 and WHLI radio’s Top 50 of 2009. Produced and arranged by Christopher Marlowe (arranger and musical director for Nancy LaMott), the album features love songs from the Great American Songbook.

In December of 2013, Kevin released a small collection of holiday recordings with Alex Rybeck at the piano, "Home for the Holidays".

Kevin was born in Kentucky and grew up in Minnesota, Missouri, and Kansas, where he worked as a studio-singer. While pursuing his business career in marketing, he put his singing career on the back burner. After 10 years in San Francisco, where he was named "Male Cabaret Performer of the Year" in the San Francisco Cabaret Competition, Kevin returned to New York City in 2005, He made his critically acclaimed NYC cabaret debut at 'Don't Tell Mama' in June of 2008, followed by several successful runs at 'The Metropolitan Room'. These performances garnered him a MAC Award nomination in 2009 for Best Male Debut Performance.

MC
Ziddu

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Andrea Cincinelli Organ Trio - Worst Intentions

Size: 126,6 MB
Time: 54:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Blues, Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Urban Dance (3:53)
02. Autumn Leaves (5:07)
03. G Song (4:49)
04. Worst Intentions (6:01)
05. First Rule (3:54)
06. Deep And Smoky (4:06)
07. High Flow (3:54)
08. The Days Of Wine And Roses (2:59)
09. Snails Race (4:03)
10. 12 Bars Bop (4:58)
11. Abyss Promenade (5:18)
12. Prelude To A Kiss (5:06)

Andrea Cincinelli: Guitar, Vocals
Manrico Seghi: Hammond Organ
Giovanni Paolo Liguori: Drums

MC
Ziddu

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The Sky Is Crying - Why Don't You Do Right

Size: 115,9 MB
Time: 49:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Blues Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Miss Celie's Blues (4:55)
02. Why Don't You Do Right (4:50)
03. Don't Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down (3:47)
04. Greveholm (3:12)
05. St. James Infirmary (4:54)
06. Worrisome Heart (3:22)
07. Please Mr. Jailer (4:03)
08. Make You Feel My Love (3:35)
09. Give Me One Reason (Live) (3:47)
10. Your Heart Is As Black As Night (Live) (4:33)
11. Wonderwall (Live) (4:15)
12. I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl (Live) (4:29)

The Sky Is Crying is a blues band from Göteborg, Sweden.

The Sky Is Crying are:
Kristin Ladström - Voice
Gustav Davidsson - Trombone + Piano
Marcus Fenn - Bass + other stringed instruments

MC
Ziddu

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Anne Ducros - Urban Tribe

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:46
Size: 120.8 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[3:52] 1. Sexy Sadie
[3:31] 2. When I Know, If I Know
[5:19] 3. Up Jumped Spring
[5:29] 4. I Fall In Love Too Easily
[4:28] 5. You And The Night And The Music
[3:20] 6. Easy To Love
[5:29] 7. Stairway To The Stars
[4:59] 8. Who Can I Turn To
[4:30] 9. Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay
[3:56] 10. Over The Rainbow
[7:49] 11. Green Dolphin Street

Anne Ducros' second Dreyfus CD is a mixed bag. After an impressive first effort for the label, this session opens with two dreadful numbers, a bland pop interpretation of the Beatles' "Sexy Sadie" (not one of the typical Beatles' pieces chosen by jazz musicians), and an annoying original by her pianist Oliver Hutman, "When I Know, If I Know," which sounds as if it was written during the heyday of disco. Fortunately, Ducros regains focus on the sound of jazz for the remaining tracks, scatting up a storm in "Up Jumped Spring," delivering a moving interpretation of the melancholy "I Fall in Love Too Easily," and offering a playful "Who Can I Turn To." Ducros does not take a lot of liberties with Otis Redding's soulful "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay," though her decision to sing it as a duet with bassist Essiet Essiet keeps it from getting dull. Saxophonist Ada Rovatti is added on several tracks, providing a rich backdrop for the singer in a breezy setting of "Over the Rainbow." Drummer Bruce Cox provides excellent support throughout this disc. ~Ken Dryden

Urban Tribe

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