Rodney Jones - Articulation

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:36
Size: 101,3 MB
Art: Front

( 4:36)  1. Articulation
(13:17)  2. 1978
( 6:52)  3. Hard New York Swing
( 1:20)  4. Interlude 1
( 3:54)  5. Childville
( 8:17)  6. Blues For Wes
( 5:18)  7. Nereda

Rodney Jones was only 22 when, in 1978, he recorded Articulation, his first album as a leader. At the time, the guitarist was in Dizzy Gillespie's employ, and he was capable of playing both fusion and straight-ahead jazz. Jones favors acoustic-oriented post-bop on this self-produced effort, which Timeless reissued on CD in 1991. Although it falls short of exceptional, Articulation is definitely solid. The tunes (all of which are by either Jones or bassist Bruce Johnson) are worthwhile, and no one would accuse any of the musicians of not having chops (even if some of them still had some growing and developing to do in the late '70s). The participants range from alto sax great Arthur Blythe to up-and-coming players such as tenor saxophonist Bob Mintzer, acoustic pianist Kenny Kirkland, and trumpeter Wallace Roney. In 1978, Mintzer, Kirkland, and the Miles Davis-minded Roney had yet to become major names in the jazz world; but in the 1980s and 1990s, all of them were quite visible. Blythe's passionate solos are a definite asset in 1978, he was the session's best-known player. Nonetheless, Jones is the man in the driver's seat, and one hears his potential on tracks that range from the hard-swinging "Blues for Wes" (which acknowledges fellow guitarist Wes Montgomery) and the driving "1978" to the mysterious "Nereda." The latter employs wordless background vocals by singer Bemshi Jones, who remains in the background. Articulation is very much an instrumental album, and it paints a likable picture of Jones at 22. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/articulation-mw0000366528

Personnel:  Bass – Benjamin Brown;  Drums – Kenwood Denard;  Flute – Bernadine Davis;  Guitar – Rodney Jones;  Piano – Kenny Kirkland;  Saxophone – Arthur Blythe, Bob Mintzer;  Trumpet – Wallace Rooney III;  Voice – Bemshi Jones

Articulation

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The Four Preps - How To Succeed In Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:30
Size: 67.6 MB
Styles: Vocal group harmony
Year: 1964/2007
Art: Front

[2:46] 1. How To Succeed In Love
[2:07] 2. My Love, My Love
[2:41] 3. Pretend
[2:40] 4. Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup
[2:31] 5. Love Letters
[2:46] 6. Lollipops And Roses
[3:10] 7. My Special Angel
[2:39] 8. Put Your Head On My Should
[2:21] 9. French Song
[2:42] 10. The Object Of My Affection
[3:02] 11. Quiet Nights

The sound of any great vocal group is ultimately defined by the voice of its Lead Singer. In the case of THE FOUR PREPS, that voice belongs to BRUCE BELLAND who Co-founded the Preps in 1954 while still in high school and has been their front man ever since. Bruce is the only original member heard on every Four Preps track ever recorded. Over five decades he's become what one critic called "that rare creature - an Original Lead Singer from the Fab. 50's who can still bring audiences to their feet."

It all began in the Fall of 1954 when 35 girls and not one boy showed up to audition for the annual Hollywood High student talent show. The next day the school bulletin pleaded for "any guys out there who can do anything" and a show business tale of triumph began. Unable to resist such amorously appealing odds, four talented and highly motivated boys in the school choir, Lead Singer Bruce Belland, baritone Glen Larson, bass Ed Cobb and high tenor Marvin Ingram, literally formed a quartet overnight and stepped into the crinoline void as THE FOUR PREPS. After stealing the show with choice hits by their idols, The Crew Cuts and The Four Lads, they quickly found themselves in demand for every kind of event imaginable. "We didn't turn anything down", Bruce remembers. "We once performed on the back of a flatbed truck for the opening of a parking lot. They paid us $75.00; enough to buy gas and our first matching sport coats. We were totally stoked."

In 1956 legendary Capitol Records Producer Voyle Gilmore, who recorded stars like Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Louie Prima & Keely Smith, heard a tape of a live performance by the Preps and signed them to a long term recording contract. At the time the Preps were the youngest act ever to sign with a major record label. (In an article about their signing, Variety dubbed them "Capitol's jolly juveniles".) They quickly became a favorite of the nation's disc jockeys and soon their voices blanketed the airwaves. As 1957 began, Cashbox honored them as "the most promising Newcomer of the Year." and critics began to praise their distinctive sound – and Bruce's Lead - as "fresh", "clean", "bracing", "warm" and "rich" which inspired Capitol to renew their contract for a second year while searching for that elusive hit record

How To Succeed In Love

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Billy May & His Orchestra - The Greatest Hits Of Billy May

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 94:40
Size: 216.8 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:11] 1. All Of Me
[2:06] 2. Bali Ha'i
[2:23] 3. Recorded At 12 28
[1:59] 4. Bijou-Cha-Cha
[3:02] 5. Charmaine
[2:38] 6. Ebb Tide
[2:57] 7. Fat Man Boogie
[1:57] 8. Flamingo
[2:32] 9. Flyin' Home
[1:47] 10. Artistry In Rhythm-Cha-Cha
[2:21] 11. Forevermore
[1:30] 12. Goodbye-Cha-Cha
[2:44] 13. Humming Waters
[2:51] 14. I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan
[1:52] 15. I Remember-Cha-Cha
[3:22] 16. If I Had You
[2:37] 17. In A Mellow Tone
[2:45] 18. In The Mood
[3:13] 19. Lean Baby
[1:59] 20. Leap Frog
[3:13] 21. Lulu's Back In Town
[2:43] 22. Man With The Golden Arm
[2:42] 23. Mayhem
[3:10] 24. My Silent Love
[2:25] 25. Poinciana
[2:38] 26. Shangri-La
[2:26] 27. Snowfall Cha Cha
[2:47] 28. Strange Enchantment
[2:40] 29. The Hawaiian Wedding Song
[2:15] 30. Moon Of Manakoora
[1:53] 31. The Poor People Of Paris-Cha-Cha
[2:33] 32. There Is No Greater Love
[2:47] 33. Tuxedo Junction
[2:26] 34. Twelfth Street Rag
[2:35] 35. Unforgettable
[2:45] 36. When My Sugar Walks Down The Street
[2:36] 37. You're Lovable

The last of the great arrangers who wrote regularly for Frank Sinatra, Billy May had several varied careers in and out of jazz. His first notable gig was as an arranger/trumpeter with Charlie Barnet (1938-1940), for whom he wrote the wah-wah-ing hit arrangement of Ray Noble's "Cherokee." Later, he worked in the same capacities for Glenn Miller (1940-1942) and Les Brown (1942) before settling into staff jobs, first at NBC studios, then at Capitol Records, where he led his own studio big band from 1951 to 1954. His arrangements for Sinatra, beginning with Come Fly With Me (1957) and ending with Trilogy (1979), are often in a walloping, brassy, even taunting swing mode, generating some of the singer's most swaggering vocals. May also did extensive scoring for television, film, and commercials. Although May was largely inactive in the '80s and '90s , he unexpectedly surfaced in 1996 with some typically bright big band charts for comic Stan Freberg's The United States of America, Vol. 2 (Rhino), 25 years after his contributions to Vol. 1. The veteran arranger died quietly at home on January 22, 2004 at the age of 87. ~ Richard S. Ginell

The Greatest Hits Of Billy May

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Nicole Henry - Teach Me Tonight

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:50
Size: 123.3 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:51] 1. Lover Come Back To Me
[3:24] 2. Blue Skies
[4:33] 3. Teach Me Tonight
[5:09] 4. Blame It On My Youth
[3:37] 5. I've Got You Under My Skin
[6:55] 6. Angel Eyes
[3:51] 7. Summer Wind
[5:57] 8. Cry Me A River
[3:45] 9. Night And Day
[5:36] 10. You Don't Know What Love It
[3:27] 11. 's Wonderful
[3:36] 12. Young At Heart

Nicole Henry gained attention in 2004 when she released her debut CD, The Nearness of You, on Banister Records. She started off singing in church and school choirs, and she studied cello for six years. Henry received a scholarship to study architecture in college but instead graduated with a degree in advertising and theater. In 2000 she toured as a background singer for Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise, performing dance music. She has since worked as an actress, a spokesperson, an R&B singer, and more recently a jazz singer. She discovered jazz when she was singing in Miami Beach. Bassist Paul Shewchuk invited her to learn some jazz standards and gig with his trio. She found that she enjoyed the freedom of the music, and that has been her main direction ever since. Based in Florida, Nicole Henry has performed in Korea, Japan, Mexico, London, and throughout the U.S. In addition to The Nearness of You, she recorded the 2007 Japan-only release Teach Me Tonight and The Very Thought of You, the latter CD issued by Banister in 2008. Henry returned three years later with Embraceable. In 2012, Henry delivered the concert album So Good, So Right: Nicole Henry Live. ~bio by Scott Yanow

Teach Me Tonight

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Dee Dee Bridgewater - Prelude To A Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:13
Size: 121,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:26)  1. Midnight Indigo
(5:02)  2. I'm Beginning To See The Light
(4:15)  3. Bli-Blip
(3:30)  4. Fleurette Africaine
(3:52)  5. Prelude To A Kiss
(4:29)  6. Caravan
(4:20)  7. Solitude
(4:27)  8. Mood Indigo
(4:16)  9. Night Creature: Fast
(7:28) 10. Night Creature: Andante Misterioso
(3:52) 11. Night Creature: Moderato - Faster Swing - Moderato
(4:11) 12. Come Sunday

This release is more properly identified as a various artists compilation, which includes the pop sounds of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Most of the orchestrations and arrangements are pleasant, even if they're not blatantly original. Alto saxophonist Bobby Watson is superb on "Mood Indigo" and the exotic "Fleurette Africaine." 

The orchestra does a fine job with the rarely heard suite "Night Creature." Singer Dee Dee Bridgewater shines frequently; backed by a superb quartet including Wynton Marsalis, she delivers a delightful cover of "I'm Beginning To See The Light." But it is her hypnotic, chanting introduction, backed by Middle Eastern percussion and Steve Turre's conch shells, that gives this release an occasional freshness usually lacking in similar Ellington tributes. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/prelude-to-a-kiss-the-duke-ellington-album-mw0000611119

Personnel: Dee Dee Bridgewater (vocals); The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra; John Mauceri (conductor); Robert Sadin, Slide Hampton, Alan Broadbent, Henry Martin, Clare Fischer (arrangers); Hassan Hakmoun (vocals, gimbra, percussion); Charles McPherson, Bobby Watson (alto saxophone); Wynton Marsalis (trumpet); Steve Turre (shells); Bruce Dukov (concertmaster); Cyrus Chestnut (piano); Robert Sadin (organ); Vincent Nguini (guitar); Ira Coleman (bass, drums); Jeff Hamilton (drums); Cyro Baptista (percussion).

Prelude To A Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album

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Candy Dulfer - Girls Night Out Styles

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:16
Size: 133,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:25)  1. Girls Night Out
(4:44)  2. 2025
(4:26)  3. Fred's Joint
(4:05)  4. Mr. Slim
(4:56)  5. Island Lady
(3:13)  6. Nikki's Dream
(5:42)  7. So Cool
(5:10)  8. Dance 'till You Bop
(5:10)  9. No Problem
(3:50) 10. I'm The One
(4:08) 11. Soullala
(4:17) 12. What Does It Take (To Win Your Love For Me)
(5:03) 13. Cookie

Alto saxophonist Candy Dulfer was brought into the limelight by Prince, who introduced her to the world via his video for "Partyman." Raised in a family heavily involved in the Dutch jazz scene, Dulfer is the daughter of Hans Dulfer, a respected jazz tenor saxophonist. Thanks to him, she listened to and studied the recordings of Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, and Dexter Gordon. He also introduced her to the stage early in life. When she was 12, she began playing in a band with Rosa King, an American expatriate who lived in Holland. Her career began by playing with brass bands but soon she was fronting her own band, Funky Stuff, who were invited to backup Madonna for part of her European tour. 

She began leading the band at age 15. Her appearances with Prince led to session work with Eurythmics guitarist/producer Dave Stewart, who gave Dulfer a credit on "Lily Was Here," which reached number six in the U.K. and number one on the Dutch radio charts in 1990. Recording sessions for her debut album were followed by more guest star dates with Van Morrison, Aretha Franklin, and Pink Floyd. Her debut, Saxuality, released later in 1990 for RCA Records, was very successful in Europe and the U.S. While it was by no means a straight-ahead jazz album, her funky alto sax stylings caught on with fans of contemporary jazz at several recently launched "smooth jazz" radio stations around the U.S. Saxuality was nominated for a Grammy and certified gold for sales in excess of a half-million units worldwide. Her 1991 album Sax-a-Go-Go includes "Sunday Afternoon," a song by Prince, and also teams her up with some of her musical mentors, the JB's and the Tower of Power horns. Her other influences include Sonny Rollins and David Sanborn, and while Dulfer hasn't carved the niche for herself that Sanborn has in the jazz world, she does have a great career ahead of her as she continues to synthesize classic R&B, blues, pop, and jazz in her own unique, creative ways. In 1999, she released What Does It Take with Girls' Night Out and Right In My Soul following in 2001 and 2003 respectively. ~ Richard Skelly https://itunes.apple.com/au/artist/candy-dulfer/id348671#fullText

Girls Night Out

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Stryker- Slagle Band - Routes

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:16
Size: 135,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:23)  1. City Of Angels
(6:07)  2. Nothin' Wrong With It
(6:36)  3. Self-Portrait in Three Colors
(7:30)  4. Routes
(5:46)  5. Ft. Greene Scene
(5:34)  6. Great Plains
(5:57)  7. Extensity
(7:36)  8. Gardena
(7:43)  9. Lickity Split Lounge

Long-time friends and collaborators, guitarist Dave Stryker and saxophonist Steve Slagle have been developing their sound for almost two decades and have led their band on several recordings. Throughout their enduring association, The Stryker/Slagle Band has produced some of the best contemporary jazz heard anywhere. On the audacious Routes, their sixth album as a group, the band continues their journey through a landscape of bop, hard-driving grooves and swinging rhythms of the kind that have often defined their unique sound. Except for the gorgeous soft rendition of the Charles Mingus ballad, "Self-Portrait in Three Colors," the repertoire presents a selection of originals from the duo releasing the kind of musical energy the band is known for. What is very different in this recording that separates this band from their classic quartet groups of the past is, an augmented cast of players to include keyboards and three additional horns creating a three and four-piece horn section on several tracks. The band's core rhythm section of bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer McClenty Hunter are backed up for this project by guests' pianist extraordinaire Bill O'Connell and saxophonist Billy Drewes among others.

Slagle sizzles with a solo intro on the beginning original "City of Angels" followed by riffs from the guitarist and some nice key work from Latin jazz piano man O'Connell. The following Stryker original is so appropriately titled because "Nothin' Wrong With It" describes the essence of this tune, there's really nothing wrong with this one, it's all good. The swinging Stryker title track features the guitarist on some of his best solo riffs of the session but still leaves room for his musical partner to float the alto with some hot sounds of his own on a terrific melodic tune. Penned for the Brooklyn, NY neighborhood where he once lived and first collaborated with his co-leader, Slagle's "Ft. Greene Scene" is a funky-like deep grooving piece with a lot of soul in stark contrast to the almost solemn-sounding and haunting "Great Plains" composed by the guitarist in a tip of the hat to his Midwestern roots. The band turns up beat once again on the explosive "Extensity," clearly one of the liveliest burners of the albums then, delivers the defining piece of the date on the evocative homage to Los Angeles with the Slagle original "Gardena." Paying tribute to some of the places that have left an influence in their lives, Dave Stryker and Steve Slagle lead The Stryker/Slagle Band (Expanded) on a musical road map of swinging, creative and dynamic fresh music that makes Routes an assertive musical statement that's hard to ignore. ~ Edward Blanco https://www.allaboutjazz.com/routes-the-stryker-slagle-band-expanded-self-produced-review-by-edward-blanco.php
 

Personnel: Dave Stryker: guitar; Steve Slagle: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone (2), flute (3, 6); John Clark: French Horn; Billy Drewes: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet (2-3); Clark Gayton: trombone, tuba (3, 6); Bill O'Connell: piano, Fender Rhodes (2, 5-6); Gerald Cannon: bass; McClenty Hunter: drummer.

Routes

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Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson - Kidney Stew

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:12
Size: 133.2 MB
Styles: Jazz/Blues/R&B
Year: 1987/2007
Art: Front

[3:00] 1. Old Kidney Stew Is Fine
[3:13] 2. Wait A Minute Baby
[3:45] 3. Old Maid Boogie
[3:17] 4. Somebody's Gotta Go
[4:46] 5. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[3:17] 6. Wee Baby Blues
[4:32] 7. Juice Head Baby
[3:36] 8. Just A Dream (On My Mind)
[3:17] 9. I'm In An Awful Mood
[4:08] 10. Please Send Me Someone To Love
[2:51] 11. Person To Person
[5:40] 12. Alimony Blues
[7:19] 13. Hey Little Doggy
[5:23] 14. Totsy

Alto Saxophone, Vocals – Eddie Vinson; Bass – Roland Lobligeois; Drums – Paul Gunther; Guitar – T. Bone Walker; Piano – Jay Mc Shann; Tenor Saxophone – Hal Singer. Recorded on March 28th 1969 at Pathé Marconi Studio, France.

This set is the only recording that exists of Vinson, pianist Jay McShann, and guitarist T-Bone Walker playing together; the sextet is rounded out by the fine tenor Hal Singer, bassist Roland Lobligeois, and drummer Paul Gunther. Vinson, whether singing "Plese Send Me Somebody to Love," "Just a Dream," and "Juice Head Baby" or taking boppish alto solos, is the main star throughout this album, a date that helped launch Vinson's commercial comeback. ~Scott Yanow

Kidney Stew

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Bennie Green & Paul Quinichette - Blow Your Horn

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:20
Size: 76.3 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 1956/2012
Art: Front

[2:39] 1. Blow Your Horn
[3:03] 2. Blues In Lament
[2:48] 3. People Will Say We're In Love
[2:49] 4. Rhumblues
[3:03] 5. Takin' My Time
[2:19] 6. I Wanna Blow
[3:00] 7. The Heat's On
[2:42] 8. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
[3:10] 9. Humpty Dumpty
[2:56] 10. I Remember Harlem
[2:24] 11. Mine
[2:20] 12. The Heat's Off

Great album that features rare 50's sides by Bennie Green and Paul Quinichette. Tracks 1 to 6 are hard blowin' tracks from Bennie, with some of the best material he recorded away from the Prestige label. Tracks include "Blow Your Horn", "I Wanna Blow", "Rhumblues", and "Blues In Lament", and the set features him with orchestra or quintet (which features Billy Root on tenor and Cliff Small on piano). On tracks 7 to 12, the Quinichette sides are equally great, and have him playing with small – one of which includes Marlowe Morris on organ! Tracks on the Quinichette side include "The Heat's Off", "I Remember Harlem", and "The Heat's On". Great stuff, and a really tough one to find.

Blow Your Horn

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Michele Hendricks - A Little Bit Of Ella

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:52
Size: 143.9 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[5:22] 1. Sweet Georgia Brown
[6:58] 2. How High The Moon
[5:34] 3. Love For Sale
[5:34] 4. It Don't Mean A Thing
[5:23] 5. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[6:03] 6. Oh! Lady Be Good
[6:21] 7. Our Love Is Here To Stay
[5:12] 8. A Little Bit Of Ella (Now And Then)
[4:11] 9. Airmail Special
[4:58] 10. Everytime We Say Goodbye
[7:11] 11. Sweet Geogia Brown (Ext Vers)

Michele Hendricks (voc), Tommy Flanagan (p), Peter Washington (b), Lewis Nash (dm), Brian Linch (tp), Robin Eubanks (tb), David Newman (ts), Jon Hendricks (voc on 2)

The daughter of Jon Hendricks, Michele has gradually emerged from her father's shadow to carve out a niche of her own. She started singing at the age of eight and often accompanied her dad on road trips, sometimes getting the opportunity to sing with him on-stage. After being a dance and drama student in London at Gradison College, Michele joined Jon Hendricks & Family. She performed with her father's Evolution of the Blues show and then from 1981, was part of Jon Hendricks & Company, one of the top vocal groups of the 1980s and a logical extension of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. Michele Hendricks spent a couple years outside of jazz in the mid-'80s, trying to decide her eventual musical path and then in 1987, she recorded the first of several excellent bop-oriented dates as a leader for Muse. ~ Scott Yanow

A Little Bit Of Ella

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Jimmy Heath - The More I See You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:28
Size: 172.8 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:05] 1. Dew And Mud
[6:09] 2. Gemini
[5:14] 3. Bruh Slim
[4:23] 4. The More I See You
[7:04] 5. Goodbye
[3:42] 6. Make Someone Happy
[5:40] 7. Prospecting
[8:01] 8. Project S 2
[5:04] 9. On The Trail
[4:21] 10. Cloak And Dagger
[4:37] 11. Vanity
[5:22] 12. All The Things You Are
[5:12] 13. I Should Care
[5:27] 14. Gingerbread Boy

Jimmy Heath has long been recognized as a brilliant instrumentalist and a magnificent composer and arranger. Jimmy is the middle brother of the legendary Heath Brothers (Percy Heath/bass and Tootie Heath/drums), and is the father of Mtume. He has performed with nearly all the jazz greats of the last 50 years, from Howard McGhee, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis to Wynton Marsalis. In 1948 at the age of 21, he performed in the First International Jazz Festival in Paris with McGhee, sharing the stage with Coleman Hawkins, Slam Stewart, and Erroll Garner. One of Heath’s earliest big bands (1947-1948) in Philadelphia included John Coltrane, Benny Golson, Specs Wright, Cal Massey, Johnny Coles, Ray Bryant, and Nelson Boyd. Charlie Parker and Max Roach sat in on one occasion.

During his career, Jimmy Heath has performed on more than 100 record albums including seven with The Heath Brothers and twelve as a leader. Jimmy has also written more than 125 compositions, many of which have become jazz standards and have been recorded by other artists including Art Farmer, Cannonball Adderley, Clark Terry, Chet Baker, Miles Davis, James Moody, Milt Jackson, Ahmad Jamal, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie J.J Johnson and Dexter Gordon. Jimmy has also composed extended works - seven suites and two string quartets - and he premiered his first symphonic work, “Three Ears,” in 1988 at Queens College (CUNY) with Maurice Peress conducting.

After having just concluded eleven years as Professor of Music at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, Heath maintains an extensive performance schedule and continues to conduct workshops and clinics throughout the United States, Europe, and Canada. He has also taught jazz studies at Jazzmobile, Housatonic College, City College of New York, and The New School for Social Research. In October 1997, two of his former students, trumpeters Darren Barrett and Diego Urcola, placed first and second in the Thelonious Monk Competition.

The More I See You

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The Champs - Tequila: Greatest Hits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 21:54
Size: 50.2 MB
Styles: Instrumental rock n roll
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[2:15] 1. Tequila
[2:17] 2. El Rancho Rock
[2:11] 3. Too Much Tequila
[2:02] 4. Limbo Rock
[2:16] 5. Chariot Rock
[2:09] 6. Midnighter
[2:35] 7. Rebel Rouser
[2:18] 8. Percolator
[1:56] 9. Go Champs Go
[1:50] 10. La Cucaracha

An instrumental quintet formed in Los Angeles in 1957, the Champs comprised Challenge Records executive Dave Burgess (born Lancaster, CA) (guitar) and session players Buddy Bruce (guitar), Chuck Rio (born Daniel Flores, Rankin, TX) (saxophone), Cliff Hills (bass), and Gene Alden (born Cisco, TX) (drums). This lineup recorded Rio's "Tequila" as a B-side to Burgess' "Train to Nowhere." "Tequila" topped the charts in 1958. The Champs essentially were a one-hit wonder, though they recorded a few more singles in the same Latin dance style and kept going until the mid-'60s. The group's lineup was fluid, and later members included Glen Campbell as well as Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts, who formed the successful '70s duo Seals and Crofts. ~bio by William Ruhlmann

Tequila: Greatest Hits

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Stan Getz - Getz Plays Jobim: The Girl From Ipanema

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:20
Size: 147.3 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[4:12] 1. Corcovado
[5:48] 2. Desafinado
[4:11] 3. Chega De Saudade (No More Blues)
[5:20] 4. The Girl From Ipanema
[6:54] 5. O Morro Não Tem Vez
[2:54] 6. Vivo Sonhando (Dreamer)
[6:09] 7. One Note Samba
[2:27] 8. Eu E Voce (Me And You)
[4:10] 9. Desafinado
[6:39] 10. Once Again (Outra Vez)
[5:23] 11. O Grande Amor
[3:42] 12. So Danço Samba
[3:19] 13. Insensatez (How Insensitive)
[3:06] 14. One Note Samba

Simply put, here are the most successful 14 cuts covering two years in the collaboration between Stan Getz and Antonio Carlos Jobim, during which both men became accustomed to having hit singles. Unfortunately, only one of them got to ride that horse for the rest of the decade -- in the United States, anyway. Nonetheless, this material marks the Americans obsession with the bossa nova and was the music that made Getz and Jobim household names for a while -- after all, we were just climbing out of the "swinging bachelor pad" music era and still had all those weird hi fi records to explore. Seriously though, the great sensitivity shown by Getz for this material, and the adventurousness of Jobim were a match made in heaven and would change the faces of jazz and Brazilian pop forever. This is a fine collection for anyone interested in bossa, and Getz in this period as well. ~Thom Jurek

Getz Plays Jobim: The Girl From Ipanema

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Chuck Loeb - In a Heartbeat

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:37
Size: 164,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:35)  1. North, South, East and West
(0:19)  2. Mingling with Mike
(5:04)  3. Rhythm Ace / Funky Stuff
(5:40)  4. Billy's Song
(5:14)  5. Pocket Change
(5:25)  6. New Life
(4:34)  7. Vincent
(6:14)  8. Santa Cruz
(4:39)  9. On and On / Fire
(5:00) 10. Sway
(7:32) 11. Big Time
(4:59) 12. Soulmate
(4:46) 13. In a Hearbeat
(6:30) 14. The Goodbye

For the past 15 years or so, Chuck Loeb has been a first-call session guitarist and producer, as well as recording and performing under his own name and with the bands Petite Blond, Metro, and the Fantasy Band. His earlier touring gigs included Chico Hamilton, Hubert Laws, Ray Baretto, Stan Getz, and Steps Ahead. So it's fair to say that he has experience in a wide range of musical settings. On his latest release, In A Heartbeat, you can hear the breadth of his musical experience expressed throughout the program. 

Some of the tunes are standard contemporary fare: nice melodies, fairly basic chord structure and rhythms, but with tasty solos by Loeb and a bevy of big-name guests. Loeb's full, warm guitar sound is like a duck floating on a pond - smooth and serene above water, yet paddling energetically beneath the surface. But there's much more diversity and variety here. The second tune opens and closes with some relaxed noodling on Rhodes from Mike Ricchiuti (called "Mingling with Mike"), but the body of the song is a medley of funky R&B fun - a blending of two tunes called "Rhythm Ace" and "Funky Stuff." Alto saxophonist Andy Snitzer and tenor man David Mann get down with some meaty solos, and the in-the-pocket rhythms, unison sax-guitar-bass lines, horn section, and earthy Rhodes and organ provide a cookin' groove. The "Sway" is a straight-ahead jazz shuffle. "Big Time" has darker chords and a more edgy, hard-driving intensity; Andy Snitzer on tenor is grittier and more intense than we usually hear from him. The tender ballad "Billy's Song" is inspired by and dedicated to a friend who recently passed away unexpectedly.

On most instrumentalist's CDs, the guest vocal spots are often included for the sake of commercial appeal and are more of a disruption to the rest of the program, especially when they suffer from trite, sappy lyrics. Such is never the case with Chuck Loeb's CDs, as they always include the vocal talents of his wife, Carmen Cuesta. She's a welcome part of each release, and merits attention in her own right. (Record labels, are you listening?) The CD's title cut introduces vocalist Brandon Singleton, whose gentle tenor lovingly interprets the optimisticly romantic lyrics. (Shanachie 5078) ~ Dave Hugles https://www.allaboutjazz.com/in-a-heartbeat-chuck-loeb-shanachie-records-review-by-dave-hughes.php

Personnel: Chuck Loeb - guitars, keyboards, programming;  Mike Ricciuti, Jon Werking - keyboards;  Will Lee, Mike Pope, Jerry Brooks, Ron Jenkins, Tim LeFebvre, Mark Egan - bass;  Wolfgang Haffner, Brian Dunne, Vinnie Coliauta - drums;  David Charles - percussion; Nestor Torres,  Christina Loeb - flute; Elizabeth Loeb - piccolo; Andy Snitzer - alto and tenor sax; Walter Beasley - alto sax; David Mann - tenor sax, flute; Tony Kadleck, Larry Lunetta - trumpet; Jim Pugh - trombone, bass trombone, baritone horn; Tony "The Fish" Lakatos - soprano and tenor sax; Kim Waters - soprano sax; Carmen Cuesta, Brandon Singleton - vocals.

In a Heartbeat

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Cheryl Bentyne - Something Cool

Styles: Vocal Jazz 
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:12
Size: 103,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:45)  1. Something Cool
(4:50)  2. Les modernes (Still They Tango)
(3:58)  3. Les Enfants
(3:23)  4. Fever
(5:01)  5. Moonray
(4:14)  6. Invitation
(4:39)  7. Daydream
(5:36)  8. Let's Go Out Tonight
(3:32)  9. Lonely House
(5:09) 10. I Didn't Know About You

The Manhattan Transfer's Cheryl Bentyne tries a solo album of pop standards, backed by trumpeter/producer/arranger Mark Isham, and comes up with a winner. Bentyne sings both evergreens like the title track, "Fever," and Duke Ellington's "I Didn't Know About You," plus newer material, in a sensuous, smoky voice that sounds made for a late-night second set, and even with the somewhat modernistic backings Isham conceives, the songs have a traditional feel. An excellent entry in the classic pop lists.~ William Ruhlmann http://www.allmusic.com/album/something-cool-mw0000612198

Personnel: Cheryl Bentyne (vocals); David Torn (guitar); Lisa Johnson , Steven Scharf (violin); Raymond Tischer (viola); Mathew Cooker (cello); Bobby Militello (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Mark Isham (trumpet, flugelhorn); Corey Allen, David Goldblatt (piano); Larry Bunker (vibraphone); Kurt Wortman (drums).

Something Cool

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Brian Culbertson - Long Night Out

Styles: Vocal And Trombone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:51
Size: 116,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:34)  1. City Lights
(5:27)  2. Fullerton Ave.
(4:41)  3. Beyond The Frontier
(4:53)  4. Heroes Of The Dawn
(3:54)  5. Beautiful Liar
(4:22)  6. Double Exposure
(3:59)  7. Twilight
(4:08)  8. Horizon
(4:24)  9. Alone With You
(4:28) 10. Long Night Out
(3:58) 11. Changing Tides

Brian Culbertson's major label debut Long Night Out is a one-man band tour de force. All those years of sequestering himself away in his bedroom/recording studio have paid off. Except for a few other musicians, Culbertson writes and performs all the music himself. Instead of a vapid "look ma, no band" effort, the tracks sparkle with creativity. On the laid-back opener "City Lights," Culbertson lays down a swaying groove punctuated by muted trumpet, elegant piano, and lazy, lower register electric guitar runs. It's great for a midnight drive. "Heroes of the Dawn" conveys optimism through its use of syncopated percussion and interwoven horn lines. 

The lilting "Beautiful Liar" has solid acoustic piano and tasteful fuzz guitar by Harry Hmora. The double time-tempoed "Double Exposure" smoothly glides along atop a sinewy melody. The strutting "Horizon" has a unison lead line that consist of Culbertson's piano and the muted trumpet of Scott Hall-Harmon. Amid a bell-like synth pad Culbertson's piano weaves a romantic motif on "Alone With You." Don't listen to this one alone. Based around a telegraphic-like riff, the title track brassily chugs along on with the lead duties handled by saxophonist Mark Colley. The languid, ethereal "Changing Tides" has intermittent vocal riffing by Damian Smith and soft cello by Michelle Akin. Culbertson dedicates a track to a popular Chicago fairway, "Fullerton Ave." The closer, "Twilight," showcases a jaunty clarinet that somehow manages to keep a solemn tone amid the dynamic double stops. ~ Ed Hogan http://www.allmusic.com/album/long-night-out-mw0000107857

Personnel: Brian Culbertson (vocals, trombone, keyboards, drum programming); Michelle Akin (vocals, cello); Damian Smith (vocals); Harry Hmura (guitar); Mark Colby (saxophone); Scott Hall (trumpet, flugelhorn); James Ward , Lavelle Peete (drums).

Long Night Out

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LaVon Hardison - Choices

Size: 100,3 MB
Time: 37:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006
Styles: Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. Ain't Misbehavin' (2:32)
02. Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (3:07)
03. Choices (3:24)
04. Don't Fence Me In (2:46)
05. Superstition (4:03)
06. The Owl And The Pussycat (2:03)
07. It's Alright With Me (3:49)
08. Shop Around (5:39)
09. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (2:59)
10. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (3:59)
11. Coffee Song (3:12)

Personnel:
LaVon Hardison: vocals
Joe Baque: piano
Lorree Gardener: bass, vocals
Brad Gibson: drums
Russell Gores: saw
Pat Locke: guitar
Steve Luceno: guitar, bass, percussion, vocals
Barbara Metcalf: fiddle
Skuff Acuff: washboard
Bruce Whitcomb: keyboards

“When LaVon performs a song, you can be assured that not only will it sung beautifully, with the playfulness and the poignancy the song deserves, … each song becomes a distinct and memorable experience for the listener.”

Authenticity and soul are the foundations upon which LaVon stands when she sings. She simply has a rare ability to become a direct connection between the listener and the music.

On her debut release, Choices, LaVon shows why audiences rave about her performances. Each song oozes with personality and character, from the dark disfunction of “Perhaps” -- enhanced by the eerie musical saw of Russell Gores -- to the glass-half-full optimism of “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.”

Choices is remarkably cohesive, given the breadth of LaVon’s song selections. With two exceptions, the songs are well-known jazz standards and pop covers. In LaVon’s highly creative arrangements, these become tools for exploring the characters in the stories, and even familiar tunes take on new meaning and depth. Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” for example, gets the swamp blues treatment, complete with Scuff Acuff’s fingers scurrying across his washboard like cockroaches fleeing the light.

Veteran pianist Joe Baque co-wrote the title song “Choices” decades ago, though LaVon’s is the first recording of this poignant jazz mediation on the confusion of maturity. And LaVon’s original re-imagining of Lear’s poem “The Owl and the Pussycat” finds the two in a sometimes-awkward dating situation, wrapped in an arrangement that sounds like a just-hatched jazz standard.

While Choices will delight jazz fans, its forays into blues and pop give it an even broader appeal. Just call it great vocal music.

MC
Ziddu

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Lani Hall - 2 albums: Sundown Lady / Sweet Bird

The original voice of Sergio Mendes' Brasil '66, singer Lani Hall was also the wife of trumpeter and A&M Records co-founder Herb Alpert. Upon exiting Brasil '66, she made her solo debut in 1974 with the LP Sundown Lady; a series of releases including 1975's Hello It's Me, 1977's Sweet bird and 1979's Double or Nothing followed, but after appearing on the soundtrack to the 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again, Hall largely disappeared from the recording scene, resurfacing only to make the occasional cameo appearance on her husband's recordings. However, the rise of Latin pop during the 1990s inspired Hall to return to the studio, and in 1998 she issued Brasil Nativo. ~bio by Jason Ankeny

Album: Sundown Lady

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 36:56

Size: 84.6 MB

Styles: Latin, Vocal

Year: 1972/2016

Art: Front

[3:11] 1. Love Song

[4:06] 2. Tiny Dancer

[2:57] 3. How Can I Tell You

[4:01] 4. You

[3:42] 5. Siren Song

[3:56] 6. Sundown Lady

[3:39] 7. Come Down In Time

[3:31] 8. Sun Down

[5:57] 9. Vincent

[1:53] 10. Wherever I May Find Him 

Sundown Lady

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Album: Sweet Bird

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 34:19

Size: 78.6 MB

Styles: Latin, Vocal

Year: 1976/2016

Art: Front

[2:21] 1. Send In The Clowns

[3:07] 2. That's When Miracles Occur

[3:40] 3. Early Mornin' Strangers

[3:28] 4. Misty Blue

[4:39] 5. Too Many Mornings

[6:27] 6. At The Ballet

[3:23] 7. Happy Woman

[4:17] 8. Dolphins Lullaby

[2:53] 9. Sweet Bird

Sweet Bird

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Jimmy Raney, Doug Raney - Duets

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 42:23

Size: 97.0 MB

Styles: Guitar jazz

Year: 1986

Art: Front

[4:02] 1. Have You Met Miss Jones

[5:22] 2. My One And Only Love

[5:10] 3. Action

[6:28] 4. Invitation

[5:15] 5. It Might As Well Be Spring

[5:22] 6. Days Of Wine And Roses

[4:18] 7. Oleo

[6:22] 8. My Funny Valentine

Father and son guitarists Jimmy and Doug Raney first started working together in 1977, usually in a quartet. Fortunately, they had a couple opportunities to record together. The previous recording Stolen Moments matched their guitars with bass and drums; on this particular occasion, they perform an enjoyable set of duets on seven jazz standards and Jimmy Raney's "Action." Although Doug (then 22) was clearly influenced by his father, he had also listened closely to Tal Farlow and Jim Hall; with practice, listeners should be able to tell the Raneys apart. Highlights of the date include "Have You Met Miss Jones," "Invitation" and "Days of Wine and Roses." ~Scott Yanow

Duets  

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Dixie Chicks - Playlist: The Very Best Of The Dixie Chicks

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:31
Size: 108.8 MB
Styles: Progressive bluegrass, Country-pop
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:42] 1. Wide Open Spaces
[3:36] 2. You Were Mine
[3:36] 3. Sin Wagon
[4:45] 4. Cowboy Take Me Away
[3:07] 5. Let Him Fly
[4:06] 6. Long Time Gone
[3:47] 7. Landslide
[4:26] 8. Truth, No. 2
[4:32] 9. The Long Way Around
[4:01] 10. Easy Silence
[3:56] 11. Not Ready To Make Nice
[3:52] 12. Lubbock Or Leave It

It’s a sign of the times that the Dixie Chicks' first compilation isn’t a high-profile release but rather a budget-line entry in Sony’s Playlist series; greatest-hits albums aren’t necessarily big-ticket items, but rather a way to get all the big tunes in a quick download. Playlist doesn’t quite fit the bill for the Dixie Chicks: this series is designed to balance big hits with album tracks, intentionally bypassing some charting singles, so there are a few major ones missing here, including “I Can Love You Better,” “There’s Your Trouble,” “You Were Mine,” “Goodbye Earl,” “Ready to Run,” “Tonight the Heartache’s on Me,” “Cold Day in July,” and “Some Days You Gotta Dance.” That said, Playlist does have the biggest hits -- “Wide Open Spaces,” “Sin Wagon,” “Long Time Gone,” “Landslide,” “Not Ready to Make Nice” -- and the tracks are sharply selected, making for a good, representative compilation if not quite a definitive one. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Playlist: The Very Best Of The Dixie Chicks

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