Slide Hampton - Mellow-Dy

Styles: Trombone Jazz

Year: 1968

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 55:02

Size: 127,0 MB

Art: Front

( 4:15)  1. Lament

( 7:11)  2. Impossible Waltz

(12:15)  3. Chop Suey

( 5:16)  4. Mellow- Dy

(18:32)  5. The Thing

( 7:30)  6. Us Six

Trombonist Slide Hampton's writing ability has long overshadowed his skills as a player. This CD reissue sets the record straight by putting the focus on Hampton's boppish and consistently creative trombone. The first three selections (a couple of originals and J.J. Johnson's "Lament") showcase Hampton really stretching out with a quartet also including pianist Martial Solal, bassist Henri Texler and drummer Daniel Humair. The second half of the CD has Hampton joined by tenor saxophonist Nathan Davis, vibraphonist Dave Pike, pianist Hampton Hawes (sounding quite modern), Texler, and Humair for a couple more originals and Hawes' "Us Six." Overall, the advanced straight-ahead music on this CD comprises one of Hampton's best showcases as a trombonist, and the release is easily recommended. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/mellow-dy-mw0000234931

Personnel: Slide Hampton (trombone); Nathan Davis (tenor saxophone); Dave Pike (vibraphone); Martin Solal, Hampton Hawes (piano); Henri Texier (bass); Daniel Humair (drums).

Mellow-Dy

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Jon Mayer - My Romance

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:17
Size: 108,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:12)  1. Dream Dancing
(5:06)  2. Yours Is My Heart Alone
(4:09)  3. I Have Dream
(3:16)  4. But Beautiful
(4:51)  5. Be My Love
(5:59)  6. I'm Gonna Laugh You Out Of My Life
(4:11)  7. Yesterdays
(4:50)  8. My Romance
(4:57)  9. If You Never Come To Me
(4:43) 10. Everything I Love

Jon Mayer got a rather belated start on his solo career, but he seems to be making up for lost time with his series of CDs for Reservoir. His third date for the label is a trio session with bassist Rufus Reid once again on hand, along with drummer Dick Berk, with whom he last played nearly a half-century earlier. The ten selections should be familiar to seasoned jazz fans, though Mayer's buoyant take of "Yours Is My Heart Alone," his upbeat arrangement of "I Have Dreamed" (from The King and I), and his brisk setting of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "If You Never Come to Me" make one wonder why these songs are performed so infrequently by jazz musicians. 

Mayer's fleet bop arrangement of Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays" and dreamy take of "But Beautiful" demonstrate that he can find something fresh within time tested standards as well. The rhythm section provides strong support throughout the disc. While this release may seem a little brief by CD standards at 47 minutes, it is an absolute delight from start to finish, without a hint of filler material. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/my-romance-mw0000345767

Personnel:  Jon Mayer (piano);  Rufus Reid (bass instrument);  Dick Berk (drums)

My Romance

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Lucy Woodward - Til They Bang On The Door

Styles: Vocal

Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:44
Size: 117,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:23)  1. Ladykiller
(3:31)  2. Kiss Me Mister Histrionics
(3:43)  3. Be My Husband (feat. Everett Bradley)
(4:01)  4. I Don’t Know
(0:18)  5. Interlude: Hush
(4:13)  6. Too Hot to Last
(3:29)  7. Never Enough
(3:38)  8. Live Live Live
(3:55)  9. Free Spirit
(0:24) 10. Interlude: Afterglow
(4:02) 11. If This Were a Movie
(3:23) 12. The World We Knew (Over and Over)
(6:32) 13. I Don’t Know (feat. Snarky Puppy) [Live in Holland]
(6:05) 14. Be My Husband (feat. Snarky Puppy) [Live in Holland]

Award-winning songwriter and vocalist Lucy Woodward returns to the Adult Pop spotlight with her long-awaited fourth album and debut for GroundUP Music/Universal Music Classics, Til They Bang On The Door. The 12-song albums emotional depth, electric energy and personally-charged song craft frame Lucys indomitable voice, described by Marie Claire as brassy, ticklish, and one that will have you hitting Repeat. 

Sandwiched in-between originals are a classic from the Nina Simone archive (Be My Husband), and tracks made famous by the likes of Ruth Brown (I Dont Know) and Frank Sinatra (The World We Knew (Over and Over). Jazz Weekly best described Lucys whole oeuvre, by saying Her voice … is a pleasant mix of wide-eyed charm and in-the-know playfulness, Like a piece of clove gum, shes got a good kick, and the flavor lingers pretty well afterwards. Seeing Lucy live in concert, Billboard summed it up best: a performance that fosters an image of the vocalist clinging to the mic stand with one hand, glass of champagne in the other and a faraway look in her eyes, toying sensuously with her audience. 

Lucys a ball, equally appreciable for fans of melodic sing-along baubles and highbrow aficionados of finely honed musical composition. Til They Bang On The Door features first single, Kiss Me Mister Histrionics. ~ Edtorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/They-Bang-Door-Lucy-Woodward/dp/B01F3OUZK2

Til They Bang On The Door

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Various - Cuban All Jazz

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:59
Size: 171.6 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Salsa
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[7:33] 1. Juan Pablo Torres - Moonlight Serenade
[6:46] 2. Michael Philip Mossman - Mambanita
[5:53] 3. Julio Barreto Cuban Quartet - Latineo
[5:52] 4. Tony Perez - Encanto
[6:36] 5. Frank Chastenier - Habana
[5:43] 6. Humberto Ramírez - El Ministro
[6:21] 7. Paoli Mejias - Asora
[6:55] 8. Humberto Ramírez - A Puerto Rico
[3:35] 9. Juan Pablo Torres - Ensalada De Mambo
[4:20] 10. Julio Barreto - Caravan
[8:50] 11. Jane Bunnett - Spirits Of Havana
[6:30] 12. Sebastian Schunke - Mi Sueño (My Spanish Dream)

The first compilation "CUBAN ALL JAZZ," took care of young gifted artists as Michael Philipp MOSSMAN, Jane BUNNETT, Sebastian SCHUNKE, Julio BARRETO and Humberto RAMIREZ. But don't forget the already established stars of Latin Music, as Paquito D'RIVERA, Chucho VALDES, Arturo SANDOVAL, Juan Pablo TORRES or Patato VALDES, who were a fixed component in any Cuban music repertoire.

Cuban All Jazz

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Ahmad Jamal - In Search Of Momentum

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:57
Size: 132.7 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[6:19] 1. In Search Of
[5:25] 2. Should I
[3:06] 3. Excerpts From I'll Take The 20
[6:34] 4. Whisperings
[4:37] 5. Island Fever
[6:12] 6. I've Never Been In Love Before
[7:00] 7. Where Are You
[6:55] 8. Where Are You Now
[6:46] 9. You Can See
[4:58] 10. I'll Always Be With You

A guy who Miles Davis called his favorite piano player, Ahmad Jamal has always earned respect among other musicians and critics for his consistent and innovative five-decade career, but the general public has never celebrated him. Why is anybody's guess, except that he's never been one for self-promotion; he's always been too busy making music to talk about it much. This trio date, featuring the greatest soul-jazz drummer of all time -- Idris Muhammad -- and bassist James Cammack, is one of the most fiery and inspired of Jamal's career. Kicking it off with "In Search Of," Jamal's more percussive style is in evidence, kicking it with ninths and even elevenths in shifting time signatures in a modern version of something that unites McCoy Tyner's Coltrane period with the barrelhouse. Jamal's trademark dissonances are juxtaposed against his whimsical lyric side in "Should I," a tune he has played live for decades. His right-hand legato phrasing and a near Monk-ish sense of harmony highlight his cascading arpeggios and enormous chord voicings. And harmony is the central motif of this album. Jamal's sense of melodic and harmonic development is under-recognized, even as he has used both Ellington and Oscar Peterson for starting points and built upon them via Monk's engagement with rhythm and "wrong" notes. His chords are unique among jazz pianists in that they can be incorporated wholesale as part of a rhythmic attack or in single- or double-note clusters to swing the tune into its lyric.

As a rhythm section, Muhammad and Cammack are perfectly suited to Jamal because the seemingly teetering shifts in time and pulse are never taken for granted and never merely followed, but executed according to the pianist's penchant for making his compositions swing in a songlike manner. A wonderful surprise here is the vocal of soul singer O.C. Smith on the Jamal/Aziza Miller tune "Whispering." Smith is best known as the singer of the soul hit "Little Green Apples," but his talent is far more diverse than that. Here are traces of Big Joe Williams, Lou Rawls, and Charles Brown caressed by the trio's shimmering accompaniment. His performance is flawless. While Jamal's compositions are the album's high points, there are no dead-dog tracks here at all: A reading of the Frank Loesser nugget "I've Never Been in Love Before" reflects in the trio's playing the vocal stylings of both Dinah Washington and Ella Fitzgerald. Also, Monty Alexander's "You Can See" is reinvented by the Jamal trio and comes off as a splashy, singing number suited for the stage as much as a jazz band. Jamal's ostinato and glissandi theatricality are dramatic but never showy. He punches the melodic invention in his solos and keeps the rhythm section moving, but never overshadows the body of the tune. This is a beautiful offering by one of the true jazz masters of our time. At 72, Jamal is even more of a pianistic enigma than he was as a young man. Highly recommended. ~Thom Jurek

In Search Of Momentum

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Tessa Souter - Nights Of Key Largo

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:05
Size: 144.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[5:56] 1. The Island
[7:13] 2. Close Enough For Love
[4:15] 3. Moondance
[4:21] 4. So Many Stars
[4:01] 5. The Look Of Love
[4:47] 6. You Only Live Twice
[3:57] 7. Key Largo
[4:35] 8. Slow Hot Wind
[4:25] 9. Moon And Sand
[5:16] 10. I'm Glad There Is You
[4:50] 11. All Or Nothing At All
[4:42] 12. Morning Of The Carnival
[4:40] 13. Imagine

Since arriving in New York City, Tessa Souter has built a dedicated following. She was a relative latecomer to jazz, taking time out to raise a family at a young age and work as a journalist before studying at the Manhattan School of music and privately with vocal great Mark Murphy, though she has developed into a formidable singer in a relatively short time. Souter's gorgeous, natural vocals never show pretension or gimmickry, while her taste in songs is amazingly wide-ranging and occasionally risk-taking. For these 2008 sessions, her accompanists include the brilliant pianist Kenny Werner (who works especially well with vocalists), saxophonist Joel Frahm, Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo, veteran first-call bassist Jay Leonhart, and the in-demand drummer Billy Drummond. Souter's lush treatment of "Close Enough for Love" captures the essence of this beautiful standard (a favorite of the late Shirley Horn and many others). The haunting setting of "Morning of the Carnaval" opens with Werner's elegant piano and Leonhart's mournful arco bass, while Souter's spacious, lovely performance is also complemented by Frahm's moving soprano sax. The vocalist uncovered a gem in Benny Carter's neglected "Key Largo," which she casts in a setting that suggests a midnight stroll along the beach with her lover. But Souter is at her most stunning when she tackles songs that one doesn't normally hear in a jazz setting. Her infectious, slinky take of Van Morrison's "Moondance" opens with her sexy vocals over Leonhart's walking bass, with judicious use of reverb that is never overdone. John Lennon's "Imagine" has long been a pop standard, though jazz arrangements have been few and mostly disappointing, but Souter is buoyed by her imaginative rhythm section, though she takes few liberties with it until she is well into the song. Tessa Souter will win you over, as well, if you give her the opportunity. ~Ken Dryden

Nights Of Key Largo

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Teddy Wilson - Of Thee I Swing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:18
Size: 142.6 MB
Styles: Swing, Piano jazz
Year: 1990/2004
Art: Front

[2:57] 1. You Turned The Tables On Me
[2:54] 2. Sing, Baby, Sing
[3:16] 3. Easy To Love
[3:21] 4. With Thee I Swing
[3:05] 5. The Way You Look Tonight
[3:17] 6. Who Loves You
[3:17] 7. Pennies From Heaven
[3:10] 8. That's Life I Guess
[2:51] 9. Sailin'
[3:28] 10. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
[3:26] 11. Right Or Wrong (I'm With You)
[2:52] 12. Where The Lazy River Goes By
[3:15] 13. Tea For Two
[2:42] 14. I'll See You In My Dreams
[2:55] 15. He Ain't Got Rhythm
[3:14] 16. This Year's Kisses
[2:56] 17. Why Was I Born
[3:02] 18. I Must Have That Man!
[3:06] 19. The Mood That I'm In
[3:04] 20. You Showed Me The Way

Hep's Teddy Wilson series sticks to his all-star band sides (skipping his solo piano performances), many of which feature the vocals of Billie Holiday. This entry starts with a pair of vocals by the long-forgotten Redd Harper ("You Turned the Tables on Me" and "Sing, Baby, Sing"), has two spots for the talented singer Midge Williams and also a couple of instrumentals; otherwise, the set is comprised of Holiday vocals that are readily available in more complete form elsewhere. The highlight is Lady Day's first recorded meeting with tenor saxophonist Lester Young and trumpeter Buck Clayton which resulted in "He Ain't Got Rhythm," "This Year's Kisses," "Why Was I Born," and "I Must Have That Man." ~Scott Yanow

Of Thee I Swing

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Marty Robbins - Love Songs

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:26
Size: 85.7 MB
Styles: Country, Ballads
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[3:08] 1. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
[2:03] 2. Half As Much
[2:40] 3. Too Young
[2:31] 4. My Happiness
[3:02] 5. Love Me Tender
[2:11] 6. Can't Help Falling In Love
[2:18] 7. Unchained Melody
[3:25] 8. I'm In The Mood For Love
[3:22] 9. Misty
[2:56] 10. All The Way
[1:51] 11. To Each His Own
[2:22] 12. I Don't Know Why (I Just Do It)
[2:52] 13. Return To Me
[2:38] 14. Yours (Quiereme Mucho)

Outside of country music, Robbins is mostly recalled these days for his Western throw-back hit "El Paso," and for the occasional spin of 1957's "White Sports Coat." But this is the prototypical tip of his catalog's iceberg. As a Columbia artist for over 30 years, this collection has a tremendous range of material to draw upon, and sampling tracks from 1957 through 1977, it is a concise showcase of the variety that Robbins' brought to one of his strongest suits: ballads.

Robbins' was equally comfortable on a twangy, Hank Williams-styled remake of Gene Autry ("Have I Told You Lately That I Love You") as he was crooning a song actually covered by Williams ("Half as Much"). He covered pop hits ("Unchained Melody") and standards ("I'm in the Mood for Love" "Misty") that had strong associations with their hit versions and lent them an original feel. His cover of "All the Way" may not make you forget Sinatra's, but it will certainly command your attention. His 1970s takes on songs associated with Elvis ("My Happiness" "Love Me Tender" "Can't Help Falling in Love") show off a voice that's still strong, even if the arrangements are a bit soft. More successful is a lush Billy Sherrill production of "I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)" and the South of the border "Return to Me." Additional highlights including the Western harmonies of 1961's "To Each His Own" and Mexicali style of 1962's "Yours (Quiereme Mucho)." A recording career as vast as Robbins' could hardly be captured in 14 tracks; even his ballad singing is broader than a single disc. Still, this collection provides a nice sample of 20 years of work. ~Hyperbolium

Love Songs

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Michael Brecker - Two Blocks From The Edge

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:44
Size: 127,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. Madame Toulouse
(8:31)  2. Two Blocks from the Edge
(6:58)  3. Bye George
(7:40)  4. El Nino
(6:45)  5. Cat's Cradle
(7:13)  6. The Impaler
(7:39)  7. How Long 'Til the Sun
(5:36)  8. Delta City Blues

Two Blocks from the Edge is one of Michael Brecker's most impressive efforts. His tenor saxophone playing is at a peak of power and virtuosity. His band (pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist James Genus, drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts and percussionist Don Alias) stays with him every step of the way. Two Blocks from the Edge is an example of contemporary jazz at its best: it isn't a pallid rehash of the archives, but it isn't tuneless and forbidding either. Of course, there are echoes. Brecker thanks John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, and Stanley Turrentine in the liner notes. That about sums it up, but the overall feel and arrangements here hark back to Pharoah Sanders' Journey to the One : accessible jazz tunes just tinged with a pop feel and played with passion and power. Brecker doesn't sound much like Pharoah, but they're mining similar territory. Pharoah's ghost appears on "El Ni'o," which is tricked out with an ostinato rhythm backing while Brecker wails away at his most Coltraneian ' and veers into Pharoahnic multiphonics at the climax. 

Brecker is, of course, his own man, and an deservedly influential voice in his own right. Check out the title tune, "Two Blocks from the Edge." Brecker alternates between full-bore high-energy passages and quiet moments of spontaneous and clich'-free lyricism. This tour de force is a marvelous example of the man's mastery of his instrument, but it is only one highlight of this album. The more relaxed and bouncy "Bye George" and the dusky ballad "Cat's Cradle" display Brecker's emotional versatility."The Impaler" may refer to the tricky harmonics of the tune, which of course Brecker navigates with confidence. "How Long 'Til the Sun" is tasty, leading into a long unaccompanied intro to "Delta City Blues." Brecker's wailing tenor recalls the best of the honking blues tenors, and he carries the pulse with Rollinsian precision, bringing a close to one of his best efforts. ~ Robert Spencer https://www.allaboutjazz.com/two-blocks-from-the-edge-michael-brecker-impulse-review-by-robert-spencer.php

Personnel: Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Joey Calderazzo (piano); James Genus (bass); Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums); Don Alias (percussion).

Two Blocks From The Edge

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Richie Cole - Signature

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:54
Size: 103,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:27)  1. Sunday In New York
(6:02)  2. Trade Winds
(3:23)  3. Doing The Jungle Walk
(6:01)  4. An Occasional Man
(5:32)  5. Rainbow Lady
(3:08)  6. Take The Cole Train
(4:55)  7. If Ever I Would Leave You
(5:46)  8. Peggy's Blue Sky Light
(2:36)  9. America The Beautiful

There is a lot of variety on this Richie Cole set with such musicians as pianists Tee Carson, Ben Sidran and Dick Hindman, guitarist Vic Juris and steel drum wizard Andy Narell getting plenty of solo space. With the exception of a duet version of "America the Beautiful" with Hindman, the altoist/leader's repertoire is less off-the-wall than usual but he is in good form on such tunes as "Sunday in New York," Charles Mingus's "Peggy's Blue Skylight" and his own "Take the Cole Train." On two songs Cole overdubbed himself on six additional saxes, calling it the "Mega-Universal Saxophone Orchestra." 

~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/signature-mw0000198518

Personnel: Richie Cole (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Vic Juris (guitar); Tee Carson (piano, maracas); Ben Sidran, Dick Hindman (piano); Keith Jones (electric bass); Mel Brown (drums); Andy Narell (steel drum); Babatunde (percussion).

Signature

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Oliver Jones - Speak Low, Swing Hard

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:01
Size: 119.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1985/1999
Art: Front

[5:14] 1. Softwinds
[4:31] 2. On The Trail
[5:17] 3. Street Of Dreams
[3:41] 4. Ballad For Claire
[4:51] 5. Hilly
[4:57] 6. I'm An Old Cowhand
[7:05] 7. Up Jumped Spring
[4:40] 8. Soul Eyes
[4:15] 9. The Reverend Mr. Jones
[7:25] 10. Speak Low

Bass – Skip Beckwith; Drums – Jim Hillman; Piano – Oliver Jones.

By the time pianist Oliver Jones recorded this set, his sixth release for Justin Time, he was finally gaining recognition in the U.S. for his brilliant playing. A virtuosic pianist, Jones is heard in excellent form on a trio date with bassist Skip Beckwith and drummer Jim Hillman, playing modern mainstream jazz interpretations of such standards as "Soft Winds," "Up Jumped Spring" and "Speak Low," along with his own "Hilly" and a pair of Beckwith originals, including "The Reverend Mr. Jones." ~Scott Yanow

Speak Low, Swing Hard

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Denilson Big D Martins - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:59
Size: 105.3 MB
Styles: R&B, Jazz-blues saxophone
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:22] 1. Get Hot
[2:46] 2. 3d (Feat. Sax Gordon)
[5:16] 3. Bee Hive
[3:30] 4. Oh Mariel (Feat. Sax Gordon)
[5:17] 5. Just A Close
[2:49] 6. Seven To Eleven
[3:46] 7. Joogie The Boogie
[2:39] 8. I Have Decided
[4:42] 9. Rock It
[4:14] 10. Bluejeans
[4:22] 11. The Newborn Shuffle (Feat. Junior Watson)
[3:09] 12. Boogie & Barbecue

Denilson Martins can play anything it seems, but here he’s chosen to apply his considerable abilities to a set of traditional, old-fashioned American Rhythm & Blues. This is rocking music from the days when the saxophone was the go-to instrument for excitement, back in the 1940s and 1950s when Rock & Roll was born, when wild performers pushed the limits of their instruments and their audiences. Things have changed in the music world since then and now it’s rare to find performers so committed and accomplished at this art, but what hasn’t changed is the effect this music has on audiences. Whether you’re dancing, partying, or just sitting back listening, Denilson and his band, led by guitarist and producer Igor Prado, will transport you to a place where the music is real, wild, fun, and spontaneous…a world where musicians and fans, dancers and listeners, are all in it together to have the time of their lives. This CD will bring you there until you get the chance to catch ‘em live! ~SAX GORDON BEADLE

Denilson Big D Martins

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The Hot Sardines - Live At Joe's Pub

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:43
Size: 132.1 MB
Styles: Dixieland jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[ 5:01] 1. T'ain't Nobody's Business
[ 0:58] 2. Bib's Bachification
[ 6:07] 3. Comes Love
[ 9:14] 4. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen
[ 4:04] 5. Meet Me At The Bottom Of The Bottle
[ 7:45] 6. Summertime
[ 5:17] 7. I Love Paris
[11:10] 8. St. James Infirmary
[ 8:03] 9. Bourbon Street Parade

The Hot Sardines sound – wartime Paris via New Orleans, or the other way around – is steeped in hot jazz, salty stride piano, and the kind of music Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt and Fats Waller used to make: Straight-up, foot-stomping jazz. (Literally – the band includes a tap dancer). They manage to invoke the sounds of a near-century ago and stay resolutely in step with the current age.

These tracks were recorded live at one of our absolutely favorite places to play in New York City, Joe's Pub, on January 9, 2013.

Live At Joe's Pub

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Bob Berg - The Best Of Bob Berg On Denon

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:25
Size: 156.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1995/2009
Art: Front

[ 5:24] 1. Friday Night At The Cadillac Club
[ 8:06] 2. Kalimba
[11:16] 3. Pipes
[ 7:25] 4. Mayumi
[ 7:19] 5. In The Shadows
[ 4:55] 6. Autumn Leaves
[ 8:07] 7. Silverado
[ 4:06] 8. When I Fall In Love
[ 6:23] 9. Amazon
[ 5:19] 10. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man

Tenor saxophonist Bob Berg channeled the bold dynamics of hard bop to emerge as one of contemporary jazz's most expressive and resourceful improvisers, honing a richly articulated sound bolstered by flawless technical command. Born in New York City on April 7, 1951, Berg grew up in Brooklyn, initiating piano lessons at age six. At 13, he moved to alto saxophone, first discovering jazz when a high school teacher introduced him to the music of Cannonball Adderley and Horace Silver. After dropping out of New York's High School of Performing Arts, Berg enrolled in a special non-academic curriculum at the Juilliard School of Music. In 1968, he made his professional debut touring behind Brother Jack McDuff, and by the time the 1960s drew to a close, he specialized in tenor saxophone, his subsequent creative path profoundly shaped by John Coltrane. After a brief flirtation with free jazz Berg renounced the avant-garde in favor of postwar bop. On the recommendation of fellow saxophonist Michael Brecker, he joined Silver in 1973, remaining with his boyhood hero for three years, when he replaced George Coleman in Cedar Walton's Eastern Rebellion. In 1978 Berg stepped out to record his debut LP, New Birth, and after leaving Walton in 1981 he cut his sophomore effort, Steppin': Live in Europe; he rose to new levels of renown upon joining Miles Davis in 1984, a three-year stint that set the stage for his 1987 breakout session, Short Stories. Berg closed out the decade in the band he led with co-founder/guitarist Mike Stern, cutting a series of LPs including 1988's Cycles and 1990's In the Shadows. In 1992, he signed on with Chick Corea's acoustic quartet, and that same year led his own quartet on a U.S. Department of State-sponsored tour of the Caribbean. Upon releasing the 1997 solo date Another Standard, Berg joined an acoustic reincarnation of the group Steps Ahead, and in 2000 he also joined the cooperative project the Jazz Times Superband, collaborating with Randy Brecker, Joey Defranchesco, and Dennis Chambers. Berg next surfaced alongside vibraphonist Joe Locke in the group 4 Walls of Freedom. Sadly, their eponymous debut set did not appear until after the saxophonist's death in an auto accident near his home on Long Island on December 5, 2002. ~bio by Jason Ankeny

The Best Of Bob Berg On Denon

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Frankie Avalon - 25 All-Time Greatest Hits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:18
Size: 140.4 MB
Styles: Early pop/rock
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[2:23] 1. Venus
[2:52] 2. I'll Wait For You
[2:10] 3. Dede Dinah
[2:01] 4. Gingerbread
[2:27] 5. Just Ask Your Heart
[2:38] 6. Where Are You
[2:17] 7. A Perfect Love
[2:35] 8. Why
[2:54] 9. Tuxedo Junction
[2:08] 10. Too Young To Love
[2:37] 11. Bobby Sox To Stockings
[1:57] 12. A Boy Without A Girl
[2:30] 13. Togetherness
[2:43] 14. Don't Let Love Pass Me By
[1:54] 15. Swinging On A Rainbow
[2:30] 16. All Of Everything
[2:28] 17. Don't Throw Away All Those Teardrops
[2:23] 18. Who Else But You
[3:04] 19. You Are Mine
[2:48] 20. Call Me Anytime
[2:19] 21. A Miracle
[2:12] 22. Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea
[2:18] 23. Two Fools
[2:00] 24. Beach Party
[2:55] 25. Don't Stop Now

This package is part of the Varese Sarabande label's general campaign to put out new greatest-hits packages of artists they've already given the best-of treatment to, the chief difference being the inclusion of more tracks the second time around. The company's The Best of Frankie Avalon, issued in 1995, had 18 songs; 25 All-Time Greatest Hits, as is self-evident, has seven more. The biggest hits are on both CDs, but alas it's not an automatic given that 25 All-Time Greatest Hits makes other Avalon anthologies redundant, since it's missing a number 56 chart hit that was on The Best of Frankie Avalon, "The Puppet Song." Granted that tune's not a world-beater, but its inclusion would probably mean something to a lot of fans who bother to select an Avalon best-of off the shelves. That omission aside, this has everything almost anyone would want by Avalon, including a bunch of songs beyond the half-dozen or so that still cling to oldies radio play lists. The best of the obscure tracks are the ones from the 1963 non-charting 45 "Beach Party"/"Don't Stop Now," which are far harder-rocking than most of his output, though they're not memorable. "Beach Party" was written by Gary Usher and Roger Christian, who were involved in composing many a hot rod and surf record, including some for the Beach Boys; "Don't Stop Now," which sounds like it would have fit in well in one of his beach movies, even has some early fuzz guitar. Beyond that, it might be noted that a surprisingly high portion of this has no relation to rock music, being far more in the orchestrated pop balladeer school that rock & roll did so much to close down. ~Richie Unterberger

25 All-Time Greatest Hits

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Irene Kral, Alan Broadbent - Where Is Love?

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:27
Size: 92,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:09)  1. I Like You, You're Nice
(3:38)  2. When I Look in Your Eyes
(6:31)  3. A Time for Love/Small World
(3:10)  4. Love Came on Stealthy Fingers
(4:36)  5. Never Let Me Go
(5:03)  6. Spring Can Really Hang You Up
(6:44)  7. Lucky to Be Me/Some Other Time
(4:22)  8. Where Is Love?
(3:09)  9. Don't Look Back

It's really quite amazing to read anything about the late jazz vocalist Irene Kral. I've never seen anything less than superlative adjectives applied to her all-too-brief career. The younger sister of singer-pianist Roy Kral (Jackie & Roy) who died in July 2002, she spent some time with Maynard Ferguson's band in 1957 and Herb Pomeroy's organization in Boston in '58. I've always enjoyed her presence as Eliza Doolittle on Shelly Manne's 1964 My Fair Lady with the Unoriginal Cast, in which she sings with, and without, a clowning Jack Sheldon as Henry Higgins. After leaving the business in the mid 1960s to raise a family, Irene Kral returned to record a series of ballad albums with pianist-arranger Alan Broadbent and a final work with Loonis McGlohan, before succumbing to breast cancer in 1978. Which brings us to Where is Love, recorded in 1976. It's been almost 30 years since it was released and I haven't heard my vinyl copy in a while (well... decades), so I don't mind telling you that if I had my Desert Island Discs all lined up, Kral's would certainly be represented.

With just a spare piano accompanyment, the vocalist tackles nine very well chosen ballads that are meant not only to entertain us but to advise us about the compositions of singer-songwriters like Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg and Blossom Dearie. Her "Lucky To Be Me"/"Some Other Time" medley are two of the best reasons to see the Leonard Bernstein-Comden/Green musical Wonderful Town (just revived in NYC). It's no wonder that musicians like Bill Evans/Mark Murphy/Fred Hersch have gravitated to recording these tunes. Her unhurried and moving delivery opens up the lyrical content of show tunes like the title song from Oliver or Leslie Bricusse's "When I Look In Your Eyes." I defy you to find a better recording of "Love Came On Stealthy Fingers" or the jazz chanteuse standard "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most."  Although Kral chose to perform in a low-key manner in her final years, she was a fine interpreter of mid- and up-tempo vocals. Clint Eastwood was well aware of this when he chose two of her selections with the Junior Mance Trio to use in his Bridges of Madison County film. When the Eastwood character wanted to demonstrate the power of jazz music circa 1965, he turned on the truck radio and received her versions of "It's A Wonderful World" and "This is Always." ~ Michael P.Gladstone https://www.allaboutjazz.com/where-is-love-irene-kral-choice-candid-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php

Personnel: Irene Kral, vocals; Alan Broadbent, piano

Where Is Love?

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Peter Bernstein - Stranger In Paradise

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:31
Size: 153,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:19)  1. Venus Blues
(6:51)  2. Stranger In Paradise
(6:24)  3. Luiza
(6:04)  4. How Little We Know
(6:03)  5. Bobblehed
(8:42)  6. Just A Thought
(6:30)  7. This Is Always
(5:40)  8. Soul Stirrin
(6:34)  9. That Sunday,That Summer
(6:20) 10. Autumn Nocturne

Guitarist Peter Bernstein is reunited with pianist Brad Mehldau once more (their fourth recording together under Bernstein's name) and also keeps the rhythm section intact from his earlier Criss Cross CD Heart's Content, with Larry Grenadier on bass and drummer Bill Stewart. These rewarding sessions blend elements of hard bop and post-bop, including an intriguing, slightly off-center approach to "Stranger in Paradise" and an intricate, moving interpretation of "This Is Always," a ballad that can become stale in the wrong hands. The quartet also tackles quite a few works that don't get all that much attention, like a greasy arranging of Babs Gonzales' "Soul Stirrin'" and a breezy take of "That Sunday, That Summer," the latter a hit for Nat King Cole during his years as a popular singer. 

Bernstein also adds four potent originals, all of which set the band afire. It is a shame that Peter Bernstein is overlooked by American record labels, but be thankful that the Japanese know talent when they hear it and invest the time and money to document his work. Highly recommended! ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/stranger-in-paradise-mw0000697592

Personnel: Peter Bernstein (guitar); Brad Mehldau (piano); Larry Grenadier (bass); Bill Stewart (drums).

Stranger In Paradise

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McCoy Tyner - Blue Bossa

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:43
Size: 88,9 MB
Art: Front

(9:57)  1. Blue Bossa
(5:50)  2. Recife's Blues
(7:45)  3. I'll Take Romance
(6:49)  4. Rotunda
(8:21)  5. We'll Be Together Again

McCoy Tyner's CD for the budget label LRC finds his regular trio of the time (bassist Avery Sharpe and drummer Aaron Scott) augmented by percussionist Raphael Cruz and trumpeter/fluegelhornist Claudio Roditi on most of the tracks. Unfortunately, Cruz proves to be more of an unnecessary distraction, marring an otherwise potent take of "Blue Bossa" and adding little to Tyner's hard driving "Rotunda." Roditi is a better fit with Tyner's group, especially on the lyrical arrangement of "We'll Be Together Again," but his two originals are rather lame compared to the remainder of the release. Tyner's trio tackles "I'll Take Romance" without either one of their guests, with superb results. Three additional tracks from these sessions appeared on the compilation Double Exposure. A later reissue of this CD by Laserlight under the same title omits both Roditi's "The Natural Bridge" and Tyner's "Traces." Although Tyner is in top form throughout, this is not an important release in his considerable discography, but its low price make it worth acquiring. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-bossa-mw0000268506

Personnel: McCoy Tyner (piano); Claudio Roditi (trumpet, flugelhorn); Avery Sharpe (bass); Aaron Scott (drums); Raphael Cruz (percussion).

Blue Bossa

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Kenny Barron - Confirmation

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:32
Size: 166.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1992/2003
Art: Front

[ 8:58] 1. Confirmation
[ 7:08] 2. On Green Dolphin Street
[ 8:25] 3. Tenderly
[ 9:47] 4. Embraceable You
[ 6:14] 5. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm
[ 8:56] 6. Body & Soul
[10:33] 7. East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)
[ 6:17] 8. Oleo
[ 6:09] 9. Nascimento

The combination of two pianists simultaneously on-stage is the recipe for greatness or a train wreck, but with two masters like Barry Harris and Kenny Barron, the former is a sure bet. Joining them for this live set in the great outdoors of New York City during the late summer Riverside Park Arts Festival are bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Ben Riley. There's plenty of give and take in their lively opener "Confirmation," while the lively interpretation of "On Green Dolphin Street" somewhat suggests the influence of Oscar Peterson. The fireworks really come with their rousing "All God's Chillun' Got Rhythm" with Barron offering a touch of stride piano in the opening, before the band shifts gears into an up-tempo bop setting. Lush treatments of "Body and Soul" and "East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)" are true objects of beauty. Their daredevil dash through "Oleo" at a blazing speed incurs no miscues. The sign-off is Harris' tribute to a fine Latin percussionist, "Nascimento," which has the audience clapping along in delight at times. This CD was unavailable for a time when the label changed hands, though it has since been reissued with a new cover with Barron getting top billing instead of Harris. ~Ken Dryden

Confirmation

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Lorraine Feather - Such Sweet Thunder: Music Of The Duke Ellington Orchestra

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:47
Size: 100.3 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2004/2013
Art: Front

[4:42] 1. Rhythm, Go 'way
[3:12] 2. The 101
[4:03] 3. Can I Call You Sugar
[3:22] 4. Imaginary Guy
[5:14] 5. September Rain
[3:07] 6. Tenacity
[3:35] 7. Backwater Town
[3:51] 8. A Peaceful Kingdom
[5:03] 9. Lovely Creatures
[3:28] 10. Antarctica
[4:05] 11. Mighty Like The Blues

It's a shame that Lorraine Feather wasn't able to contribute lyrics to the music of Duke Ellington prior to his death in 1974, as she's a natural storyteller. Ellington composed or co-wrote most of the 11 songs on this CD, though Feather chose lesser-known and especially challenging material to embellish with her gifts. She is also a superb singer who gets the most out of every track, joined by a large cast of talented musicians who sound as if they've played every chart together night after night for years.

It's hard to beat her hilarious "Imaginary Guy" (based upon "Dancers in Love"), a terrific ditty about a girl so fed up with the opposite sex that she dreamed up the ideal man in her mind. The obscure bossa nova "The Ricitic," written by Ellington for his small group session with Coleman Hawkins, is transformed to the sidesplitting "Antarctica" (sample lyrics: "I cried all night/That's half a year"), a song that is guaranteed to tickle the funny bone of the sourest curmudgeon. The dark-tinged "Lovely Creatures" (based upon the second movement to "Night Creature") is not without its humorous moments ("You've got looks and bucks and yet these blues/Seem to stick to you like gum to shoes").

She wrote the words to "September Rain" (adapted from Billy Strayhorn's gorgeous ballad "Chelsea Bridge") a number of years earlier and recorded it with her group In Full Swing. This chart, with the rhythm section arranged by pianist Mike Lang and the vocal group by Morgan Ames, is every bit as lush as the original instrumental, showcasing Feather's upper range and Terry Harrington's mellow tenor sax. "The 101" is a hard-charging reworking of "Suburbanite" that tells of a dash down a highway to catch up with her lover.

The finale, "Mighty Like the Blues," features words and music by the late Leonard Feather, Lorraine's father. Ellington recorded it in 1938 and again in 1960, though her version, jointly arranged by Russell Ferrante and Bill Elliott, will likely eclipse the maestro's own recordings. ~Ken Dryden

Such Sweet Thunder: Music Of The Duke Ellington Orchestra

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