Till Bronner - Chattin With Chet

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:59
Size: 126,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:33)  1. You Don't Know what Love Is
(5:53)  2. Everything Happens to Me
(4:46)  3. She Was Too Good to Me
(4:42)  4. Have You Met Chet
(5:15)  5. When I Fall in Love
(3:00)  6. My Funny Valentine
(4:44)  7. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
(5:37)  8. Tell Me
(5:28)  9. But Not for Me
(2:39) 10. Not Like This
(5:16) 11. Chattin with Chet

Trumpeter and crooner Till Brönner is the most famous German jazz musician of his generation, updating traditional bebop sensibilities via elements of contemporary R&B and hip-hop. Born in Viersen, Germany, on May 6, 1971, Brönner discovered the music of Charlie Parker at 13, and later studied jazz trumpet at the Hochschule für Musik Köln. After just three semesters, he turned professional as a member of pianist Horst Jankowski's RIAS-Tanzorchester. In 1993 he cut his debut solo LP, Generations of Jazz, a traditional hard bop homage recorded with guests including bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jeff Hamilton. The album won a number of awards, among them the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik and the Preis der Deutschen Plattenindustrie. With his third release, 1996's German Songs, Brönner arranged classic German film themes for jazz quartet and classical orchestra, anticipating the creative detours of sessions to follow. 1998's Love heralded his first release for the venerable Verve imprint as well as his debut as a singer, and two years later he issued Chattin with Chet, a project that cemented his growing debt to the American cool jazz legend Chet Baker. After scoring the acclaimed 2001 feature Jazz Seen, a documentary spotlighting the influential photographer William Claxton, Brönner resurfaced a year later with the ambitious Blue Eyed Soul, a collaboration with Japanese DJ Samon Kawamura and soul vocalist Mark Murphy that embraced electronica idioms to update the trumpeter's sound into the postmodern era. 

A concert tour with soul singer Joy Denalane followed, setting the stage for Brönner's biggest mainstream hit to date: 2004's That Summer, which reached number 16 on the German pop charts and made him the nation's biggest-selling jazz artist of all time. Two years later he resurfaced with the Larry Klein-produced Oceana, an all-star effort featuring contributions from singers spanning from Madeleine Peyroux to model Carla Bruni. In 2009, Brönner paid tribute to the the music of Brazil with Rio  particularly the bossa nova. In addition to his own vocals, he also enlisted artists Melody Gardot, Kurt Elling, Annie Lennox, Sergio Mendes, Luciana Souza for the project. A collection of softer versions of rock classics At the End of the Day appeared a year later. The set included the unlikely pairing of his band with metal band Type O Negative on a surprisingly reverent cover Seals & Crofts' "Summer Breeze." Brönner eschewed vocals altogether on his next project, a self-titled album that featured his own band and some background strings, released in 2012. The set looked back at the production sounds of labels like CTI and Verve under Creed Taylor for inspiration, in a thoroughly modern jazz context; the tunes showcased his trumpet chops as the predominant voice of the recording. In 2014, Brönner fulfilled a life-long dream by recording The Movie Album. Cut in Los Angeles with a host of the city's top-flight studio musicians, it collects a wide range of film themes and songs from the classic to 21st century (including "As Time Goes By" from Casablanca and "Happy" from Despicable Me 2). The set also featured appearances by notable vocalists (including Gregory Porter) who assisted him in realizing these interpretations. It was issued by Universal International in September of 2014. ~ Jason Ankeny http://www.allmusic.com/artist/till-br%C3%B6nner-mn0000927067/biography

Personnel:  Till Brönner- Trumpet, Keyboards, Flugethorn, Ride Symbal, Vocals;  Frank Chastenier- Piano, Fender Rhodes;  Wiebke Schroeder- Voices;  Carmen Cuesta- Vocals;  Gregorie Peters- Tenor Sax;  Chuck Loeb- Guitar;  Dean Brown- Guitars;  Karl Schloz- Rhythm Guitar;  Dieter Ilg- Bass;  Tim Lefebvre- Electric Bass;  Gene Lake, Wolfgang Haffner- Drums;  Zach Danzinger- Drum Programming;  David Charles- Percussion;  Samon Kawamura- Turntables

Chattin with Chet

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Mary Stallings - Remember Love

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:50
Size: 146,5 MB
Art: Front

(1:30)  1. What A Difference A Day Makes
(4:18)  2. No Greater Love
(6:24)  3. Hello Yesterday
(4:47)  4. Centerpiece
(4:18)  5. Moment To Moment
(5:37)  6. Dindi
(3:56)  7. Remember Love
(4:35)  8. Lucky To Be Me
(3:22)  9. I Just Found Out About Love
(3:12) 10. Make Me Rainbows
(7:18) 11. Why Should There Be Stars
(3:31) 12. Still THe One
(5:57) 13. Stuck In A Dream
(2:53) 14. Funny Not Much
(2:04) 15. What A Difference A Day Makes

Starting with Concord Jazz in the '90s and continuing with MaxJazz and now Half Note Records, Mary Stallings's talents have finally been revealed.  On Remember Love, she is abetted by a stellar band, including pianist Geri Allen (who also provides arrangements and serves as producer), drummer Billy Hart, Frank Wess on tenor and flute, trumpeter Wallace Roney, and alto saxophonist Vincent Herring. Stallings sings well and stays focused, avoiding a distracting habit of singing the wrong words. She seems to relish the lyrics of Henry Mancini's "Moment to Moment as well as Allen's Latin-inflected setting. The gorgeous "Dindi, however, never finds its focus. Like the great Etta Jones, Stallings is at her best as a flat-footed (Jones' apt term for her own sorely missed art), straight-shooting raconteur of love lost and found. As if to prove this point, with just Darryl Hall's bass, she smokes "Centerpiece, and she outswings the curiously restrained band on "I Just Found Out About Love.  

The band seems reluctant to let loose, creating an atmosphere far too somber at times. The rough-and-tumble accompaniment of Gene Harris and Monty Alexander on previous sessions is missing here. And, because of this restraint, there is too much of one mood. Songs like Shania Twain's "Still the One and "Stuck in a Dream, although nicely sung, fail to take off. One of the session's finest moments comes, however, when Stallings stands "Funny Not Much on its head, eschewing the usual slow tempo for a bracing stroll. Likewise, she negotiates the rhythmic shifts of "There Is No Greater Love skillfully. Allen's organ solo is thoughtful and restrained. "Hello Yesterday and "Why Should There Be Stars showcase her art so well as she lingers over blue-hued melodies, singing of lost loves. This type of singing, almost a forgotten art today, is not merely a lesson in nostalgia, but a reminder of the continuing importance of tradition in jazz. Here the arrangements lovingly frame the singer, and Wess and Roney carefully caress her declarations. Stallings takes the long-honored blues-ballad approach, shows she is not afraid to swing hard, and revitalizes a venerable tradition in jazz singing. ~ Andrew Rowan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/remember-love-mary-stallings-half-note-records-review-by-andrew-rowan.php
 

Personnel: Mary Stallings: vocals;  Geri Allen: piano, organ;  Darryl Hall: bass;  Billy Hart: drums;  Frank Wess: tenor saxophone, flute;  Vincent Herring: alto saxophone;  Wallace Roney: trumpet.

Remember Love

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Duke Pearson - How Insensitive

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:29
Size: 79,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Stella By Starlight
(2:44)  2. Clara
(3:25)  3. Give Me Your Love
(3:54)  4. Cristo Redentor
(2:55)  5. Little Song
(2:15)  6. How Insensitive
(3:31)  7. Sandalia Dela
(4:37)  8. My Love Waits
(3:30)  9. Tears
(2:51) 10. Lamento

Like most Blue Note artists, Duke Pearson moved toward commercial-oriented soul-jazz in the late '60s. At least, How Insensitive was supposed to be commercial. Pearson simplified his original compositions, chose standards like "Stella By Starlight," and covered contemporary pop songs like Jobim's "Lamento." He also assembled a large band with rock instrumentation like electric guitars, bass, electric pianos, and drum kits. Most importantly, he hired the New York Group Singers' Big Band a group of singers that are arranged like a horn section (males are the trombones, females are alto saxes, etc.) to sing on each song. The vocalists may be technically gifted in particular, Andy Bey has a rich voice but their presence on these arrangements is quite bizarre, especially since they take center stage. 

Each song on How Insensitive boasts extravagant, layered arrangements that flirt with schmaltz, but the voicings and attack are so unusual, the result is a weird variation on easy listening. There is little opportunity for Pearson to showcase his tasteful playing through improvisation, yet the arrangements are so off-kilter, the music never quite works as background music. In other words, it's a very interesting failure and one of the strangest by-products of Blue Note's late-'60s commercialization. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/how-insensitive-mw0000463221

Personnel:  Duke Pearson - piano, electric piano, arranger;  Al Gafa - guitar (tracks 1-6 & 8);  Dorio Ferreira - guitar, percussion (tracks 7, 9 & 10);  Bob Cranshaw - bass (tracks 1-6 & 8);  Bebeto Jose Souza - bass (tracks 7, 9 & 10);  Mickey Roker – drums;  Airto Moreira – percussion;  Andy Bey - lead vocals (track 2), vocals (1, 3-6 & 8);  Flora Purim - lead vocals (tracks 7, 9 & 10);  The New York Group Singers' Big Band - vocals (tracks 1-6 & 8);  Jack Manno - conductor

How Insensitive

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Pharoah Sanders - With a Heartbeat

Styles: Flute And Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:43
Size: 113,9 MB
Art: Front

(17:06)  1. Across Time
( 7:45)  2. Morning Tala
( 8:58)  3. Alankara (Beats of the Heart)
(15:52)  4. Gamaka

OK, this sounds like a pretty hokey concept: Pharoah Sanders and some of Bill Laswell's Material crew perform along with recordings of a heartbeat, supplied by Dr. Jean-Louis Zink. Fortunately, it comes off far better in execution than one might expect. First off, the heartbeat itself is sonically treated to be more of a bass pulse, which Laswell then elaborates on when his bass is in the picture. As might be expected with Laswell, there are strong elements of dub throughout, from the sound of the basslines to the way the instruments fade in and out. Besides the heartbeat, which is always present to varying degrees, the main sounds are the guitar and electric sitar of Nicky Skopelitis and keyboards either by Jeff Bova or Laswell. Pharoah Sanders' playing is excellent, and the album is enjoyable, but one gets the sense that this is Laswell's project, and Pharoah just plays on it. If you're looking to start a Pharoah Sanders collection, begin with something from the Impulse catalog, like Karma or Thembi. As a Pharoah Sanders record, With a Heartbeat makes a fine Bill Laswell album. ~ Sean Westergaard http://www.allmusic.com/album/with-a-heartbeat-mw0000028192

Personnel: Pharoah Sanders (flute, tenor saxophone); Nicky Skopelitis (guitar, electric sitar); Bill Laswell (flute, keyboards); Graham Haynes (cornet, electronics); Jeff Bova (keyboards); Trilok Gurtu (tabla).

With a Heartbeat

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Groove Holmes, Jimmy McGriff, Junior Parker - Troubadours Of Groove

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:49
Size: 86.6 MB
Styles: R&B, Soul- jazz
Year: 1996/2012
Art: Front

[3:30] 1. Richard 'Groove' Holmes - Groove Grease
[3:11] 2. Richard 'Groove' Holmes - The Bird
[3:34] 3. Richard 'Groove' Holmes - Plain Brown Bag
[3:38] 4. Richard 'Groove' Holmes - Ain't It Funky Now
[2:46] 5. Jimmy McGriff - River's Invitation
[3:19] 6. Jimmy McGriff - Love Ain't Nothin' But A Business Goin' On
[5:15] 7. Jimmy McGriff - Night Glider
[3:30] 8. Jimmy McGriff - Fly Jack
[5:19] 9. Junior Parker - You've Got It Bad
[3:42] 10. Junior Parker - Red Onion

"The Troubadours" are not actually a group, but these are three groovemeisters who made important individual contributions to the soul-jazz and R&B-blues movements. The four Jimmy McGriff and four Richard "Groove" Holmes' organ combo numbers are good but far from essential tracks in their careers. Two Junior Parker numbers are the same. It's hard to understand the concept behind the release of Troubadours of Groove, as many other recordings yield better music and more vital sessions than these. It's not a bad party record though, one time through. ~Michael G. Nastos

Troubadours Of Groove

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Nilson Matta Brazilian Trio - Forests

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:20
Size: 142.7 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[6:19] 1. Amor
[7:04] 2. Forests
[6:39] 3. Samba Alegre
[6:22] 4. Montreux
[7:06] 5. Pro Zeca
[5:48] 6. Tarde
[6:24] 7. Ubatuba
[5:54] 8. Paraty
[3:37] 9. Flying Over Rio
[7:03] 10. Vera Cruz

Helio Alves: piano; Nilson Matta: bass; Duduka Da Fonseca: drums, percussion.

This exciting recording is a perfect example of the thorough absorption of the Bossa Nova being integrated with the mainstream jazz piano trio. All three members of Brazilian Trio are, in fact, Brazilians but have lived in New York City for decades,settling in the 1970s, '80s and '90s.

Pianist Helio Alves is the youngest of the three, having worked with Oscar Castro-Neves, Rosa Passos and Paquito D'Rivera. His decidedly modal approach to piano jazz is undoubtedly a credit to the influence of Bill Evans. Like Alves, bassist Nilson Matta hailed from Sao Paulo and has been a prolific musician seemingly appearing on scores of dates over the years. Drummer Duduka Da Fonseca relocated from Rio in 1970 and has been a vital part of the New York jazz scene ever since; at one time he was a part of the Don Pullen Afro-Brazilian Connection. His wife is Brazilian vocalist Maucha Adnet, who has established herself as a primary interpreter of Antonio Carlos Jobim. Da Fonseca and Matta form two-thirds of Trio Da Paz along with guitarist Romero Lubambo.

The music on Forests, while reflecting the pulse and passion of Brazil, is not really Bossa Nova or Samba. Rather, it represents a synthesis of those forms with the style of the American jazz trio. The tunes are redolent of the forests of Brazil, presented in a manner that moves the music into a new category. Opening with Ivan Lins' lovely "Amor," featuring Alves' lyrical piano, the session moves into Matta's title tune, dedicated to the forests of the Earth and in particular the Amazon Rain Forest, with Da Fonseca offering some tasty brushwork. Milton Nascimento contributes "Tarde," a beautiful melody that is limned again by Alves' Bill Evans-style work. Hermeto Pascoal's "Montreux" is a hard-to-find and rarely recorded title that made its debut at the 1979 Montreux Jazz Festival. The album concludes with Nascimento's popular "Vera Cruz," a full blown jazz samba. One significant observation about Brazilian Trio is that, despite its members' individual recording experiences, this is a fully interactive trio, bringing the distinctive touch of Brazil to a faraway studio. ~Michael P. Gladstone

Forests

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Margareta Bengtson - I'm Old Fashioned

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:20
Size: 122.1 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:30] 1. I'm Old Fashioned
[6:03] 2. This Is New
[5:36] 3. Corcovado
[5:45] 4. Once Upon A Summertime
[4:26] 5. Twisted
[5:11] 6. It Never Entered My Mind
[4:05] 7. Like Someone In Love
[5:23] 8. Dindi
[6:16] 9. Someone To Watch Over Me
[6:01] 10. Some Other Time

Jazz standards aren't done any better than this! One of the most beautiful soprano voices is that of Margareta Bengtson, one of the founding members of "The Real Group." Melodious, clear and with such lilting voicings, she breathes new life into these well crafted jazz compositions. Her heritage with the Real Group has honed her interpretations of these classic standards like few female vocalists in our time. You'd think this lovely and extremely talented woman from Stockholm, Sweden was "all American". Margareta has captured the soul of this music! ~Barry Fincher

I'm Old Fashioned

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Gary Smith - Soft Jazz For Lovers

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:38
Size: 113.6 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz, Easy Listening
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[6:27] 1. I'm Glad There Is You
[4:18] 2. The Gentle Rain
[4:14] 3. Dancing On The Ceiling
[3:54] 4. You And Me
[4:07] 5. Jazz Baby
[2:43] 6. I'm So Confused
[4:23] 7. Springis Here
[4:11] 8. How Long Has This Been Going On
[5:59] 9. Kathy
[4:09] 10. In A Mellow Tone
[5:08] 11. Hung Up On Spring

Gary Smith has more than 40 years of experience in the music business and has worked with some of America’s leading entertainers which include: Bernadette Peters, Frankie Laine, Billy Daniels, Barbi Benton, The Coasters, The Platters, Vickie Carr, Kaye Starre, Riders in the Sky, Sheckie Greene, Anna Marie Alberghetti, Danny and The Juniors Barry Williams and many more. As a Producer, Gary Smith has produced over 90 Albums in most genres of music. Some Artists Gary has recorded or recorded with include three time GRAMMY winner Ernie Watts, Lloyd Mabrey, Jeannie Walla, Paul Severson, Warren Kime, Jeff Pine, Ed Stabler, Susan Rowland, Krystyn Hartman, Gary McCallister, Carlos and Andrea Elias, Connie Pyle, Jack Gaby, Swing City Express and many more. Gary Smith has won eight national awards (Silver Microphone awards) for music for advertising and is a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (GRAMMYs) as well as a member of BMI. As a recording artist Gary Smith has released over 12 Jazz Guitar Albums, released on the GRS WEST MUSIC label.

Soft Jazz For Lovers

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Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano with Paul Motian - Motian in Tokyo

Styles: Guitar And Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:54
Size: 127,1 MB
Art: Front

( 7:13)  1. From Time to Time
( 6:32)  2. Shakalaka
( 7:05)  3. Kathelin Gray
( 1:00)  4. The Hoax
(11:02)  5. Mumbo Jumbo
( 1:36)  6. Birdsong I
( 7:40)  7. Mode VI
( 5:11)  8. Women from Padua
( 5:24)  9. It Is
( 2:06) 10. Birdsong II

Some improvisers prefer a comfort-zone approach to jazz; in other words, they find a style of jazz they're comfortable with and stick to it which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Scott Hamilton's comfort zone, for example, is a swing-to-bop style that recalls the mid-'40s. The tenor saxman has never been groundbreaking or innovative, but he's undeniably superb at what he does. While the comfort-zone approach works well for a traditionalist like Hamilton, drummer Paul Motian is impressive in a very different way he's the sort of thrill-seeker who enjoys the challenge of hurling himself into a variety of musical situations. Recorded in Tokyo, Japan in 1991, Paul Motian in Tokio finds Motian leading a trio that boasts Bill Frisell on electric guitar and Joe Lovano on tenor sax; piano or keyboards and bass are absent, but neither are missed. In Tokio isn't among Motian's essential recordings, although it's a decent album that draws on influences ranging from Keith Jarrett and the ECM Records catalog to Ornette Coleman. In fact, one of the tunes is "Kathelin Gray," which Coleman and Pat Metheny wrote for their Song X collaboration in 1985. But most of the material was written by Motian himself and easily lends itself to an inside/outside approach. Although cerebral, abstract and avant-garde, In Tokio is far from an exercise in atonality and it certainly isn't harsh or confrontational in the way that a free jazz firebrand like Charles Gayle is harsh and confrontational. Actually, the songs tend to have a floating quality, and Motian's trio demonstrates that outside playing can be reflective rather than in-your-face. Again, In Tokio isn't a five-star masterpiece, but it's a likable document of Motian's association with Frisell and Lovano. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/in-tokio-mw0000329312

Personnel: Paul Motian (drums), Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone), Bill Frisell (guitar).

Motian in Tokyo

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Carol Sloane - When I Look In Your Eyes

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:22
Size: 145,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:17)  1. Give Me The Simple Life
(4:16)  2. Isn't This A Lovely Day
(7:34)  3. Midnight Sun
(3:24)  4. Take Your Shoes Off, Baby
(5:31)  5. I Didn't Know About You
(3:49)  6. Soon
(4:47)  7. Old Devil Moon
(6:54)  8. Let's Face The Music And Dance
(5:23)  9. Something Cool
(2:54) 10. Tulip Or Turnip
(4:39) 11. I Was Telling Him About You
(5:34) 12. When I Look In Your Eyes
(3:15) 13. Will You Still Be Mine?

This is one of Carol Sloane's finest recordings. Having developed into a superb interpreter of lyrics who always swings, Sloane works closely with pianist Bill Charlap (who is sometimes joined by bassist Steve Gilmore, drummer Ron Vincent, and guitarist Howard Alden) on a variety of haunting ballads and an occasional romp. Her rendition of "Something Cool" ranks with June Christy's (Sloane really sounds purposely pitiful); "I Didn't Know About You" and "I Was Telling Him About You" are quite expressive, and Sloane brings a happier mood to "Give Me the Simple Life" and "Tulip or Turnip." Highly recommended to fans of first-class singing. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/when-i-look-in-your-eyes-mw0000119385

Personnel: Carol Sloane (vocals); Bill Charlap (piano); Howard Alden (guitar); Steve Gilmore (bass); Ron Vincent (drums).

When I Look In Your Eyes

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Sadao Watanabe - Dedicated to Charlie Parker

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:32
Size: 93,0 MB
Art: Front

( 8:53)  1. Parker's Mood
( 6:56)  2. A Song for Bird
( 4:11)  3. Everything Happens to Me
( 5:38)  4. I Can't Get Started
(10:13)  5. Au Privave
( 4:39)  6. If I Should Lose You

Dedicated To Charlie Parker album for sale by Sadao Watanabe was released Jun 08, 1993 on the Denon label. One of his best, due mainly to material. ~ Ron Wynn http://www.allmusic.com/album/dedicated-to-charlie-parker-mw0000188917

Personnel: Sadao Watanabe (alto saxophone); Terumasa Hino (trumpet); Kazuo Yashiro (piano); Masanaga Harada (bass); Fumio Watanabe (drums).

Dedicated to Charlie Parker

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Till Bronner - The Good Life

Styles: Trumpet Jazz

Year: 2016

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 60:00

Size: 138,0 MB

Art: Front

(4:57)  1. The Good Life

(4:04)  2. Sweet Lorraine

(5:21)  3. For All We Know

(4:41)  4. Come Dance with Me

(4:57)  5. Change Partners

(5:49)  6. Love is Here to Stay

(4:58)  7. I Loves You Porgy

(3:48)  8. I Might Be Wrong

(4:45)  9. O Que Resta

(3:57) 10. I'm Confessin' that I Love You

(5:08) 11. I'll be Seeing You

(4:10) 12. Her Smile

(3:20) 13. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

The Good Life is the debut album on Sony Music Masterworks from renowned jazz trumpeter, Till Brönner, Germany's best known and best-selling jazz artist. The album is conceived for relaxed moments and draws inspiration form the great American jazz songbook, including new arrangements of works made famous by Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole and many more. Along with his masterful trumpet playing, The Good Life also features Brönner singing on eight of the tracks and includes two original songs written by the two-time Grammy® nominee. Featuring an all-star band John Clayton/bass, Anthony Wilson/guitar, Larry Goldings/piano and Jeff Hamilton/drums The Good Life is an intimate, pared-down, back-to-basics tour de force and testimony to the unique power of jazz to amplify and enrich the most beautiful and poignant moments of our lives.

Till Brönner holds an unrivalled position as Germany s most successful jazz musician. His exceptional international career sees him perform, sing, produce, compose, arrange, record and collaborate with the world s greatest artists from the jazz world and beyond. Throughout his stellar career, he has worked with great musicians such as Dave Brubeck, Herbie Hancock, Tony Bennett, Annie Lennox, Michael Brecker, Al Di Meola, Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole and many more. Guest appearances on Brönner s past albums include a wide range of internationally renowned artists such as Gregory Porter, Arturo Sandoval, Aimee Mann, Sergio Mendes, Kurt Elling, Madeleine Peyroux and Milton Nascimento. https://www.amazon.com/Good-Life-Till-Br%C3%B6nner/dp/B01BGGTZ84

The Good Life

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Don Byas - Avalon

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:37
Size: 83.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:04] 1. Avalon
[3:14] 2. Blue And Sentimental
[2:49] 3. Little White Lies
[3:16] 4. Out Of Nowhere
[3:03] 5. Deep Purple
[3:04] 6. Them There Eyes
[3:19] 7. Once In A While
[3:05] 8. My Melancholy Baby
[2:39] 9. Should I
[2:55] 10. You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love)
[2:53] 11. Jamboree Jump
[3:12] 12. Pennies From Heaven

One of the greatest of all tenor players, Don Byas' decision to move permanently to Europe in 1946 resulted in him being vastly underrated in jazz history books. His knowledge of chords rivalled Coleman Hawkins, and, due to their similarity in tones, Byas can be considered an extension of the elder tenor. He played with many top swing bands, including those of Lionel Hampton (1935), Buck Clayton (1936), Don Redman, Lucky Millinder, Andy Kirk (1939-1940), and most importantly Count Basie (1941-1943). An advanced swing stylist, Byas' playing looked toward bop. He jammed at Minton's Playhouse in the early '40s, appeared on 52nd Street with Dizzy Gillespie, and performed a pair of stunning duets with bassist Slam Stewart at a 1944 Town Hall concert. After recording extensively during 1945-1946 (often as a leader), Byas went to Europe with Don Redman's band, and (with the exception of a 1970 appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival) never came back to the U.S. He lived in France, the Netherlands, and Denmark; often appeared at festivals; and worked steadily. Whenever American players were touring, they would ask for Byas, who had opportunities to perform with Duke Ellington, Bud Powell, Kenny Clarke, Dizzy Gillespie, Jazz at the Philharmonic (including a recorded tenor battle with Hawkins and Stan Getz), Art Blakey, and (on a 1968 recording) Ben Webster. Byas also recorded often in the 1950s, but was largely forgotten in the U.S. by the time of his death. ~bio by Scott Yanow

Avalon

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Hélio Alves - Musica

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:09
Size: 133.1 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[4:21] 1. Gafeira
[7:17] 2. Kathy
[6:29] 3. Sombra
[5:54] 4. Black Nile
[6:47] 5. Flor Das Estradas
[7:39] 6. Musica Das Nuvens E Do Chao
[6:50] 7. Adeus Alf
[5:36] 8. Tribute To Charlie
[7:10] 9. Chan's Song

Given his world-class chops, Helio Alves should be famous, but he doesn’t quite fit into any known category. He is originally from São Paulo, Brazil, and sounds like it. But he also sounds like a pianist with years of classical training, and like a street-smart jazz musician. Alves emigrated to the United States in 1986, graduated from Berklee, and has worked with as many North Americans (Joe Henderson, Phil Woods, Slide Hampton) as Brazilians (Airto Moreira, Duduka Da Fonseca). He performs rhythmically intricate, sensual music with the precision and harmonic sophistication of a classical musician and the edgy energy of a jazz player. It’s a heady blend.

“Kathy,” by Moacir Santos, is representative. It alternately prances and floats in graceful 5/4, with a sweet melodic piquancy that is affirmational yet wistful. Alves’ improvisations retain a given song’s complexity even as they elaborate that initial content into spontaneous logical new structures. Everything he plays, regardless of tempo, sounds elegant and refined. “Música Das Nuvens E Do Chão” by Hermeto Pascoal and “Sombra” by Alves also contain his signature combination of exact fingering and ecstatic momentum. They start slowly and softly and relentlessly intensify, partly because of the sheer athletic prowess of bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Antonio Sanchez, but mostly because Alves’ internal motor runs hot.

His transcultural encounters with jazz standards are unique and seductive. The hard 4/4 clarion core of Wayne Shorter’s “Black Nile” is set to dancing in Bahia rhythms. “Chan’s Song,” by Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock, from the film Round Midnight, has a new fervent pulse and ornate decorations from guest guitarist Romero Lubambo. Helio Alves is his own category. ~Thomas Conrad

Musica

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Irene Kral - You Are There

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:35
Size: 147.9 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[2:07] 1. Watch What Happens
[3:16] 2. If Love Were All
[4:04] 3. Emily
[2:57] 4. Wheelers And Dealers
[4:41] 5. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
[3:31] 6. Mad About The Boy
[3:30] 7. The Underdog
[2:54] 8. You Were There
[1:46] 9. A Child Is Born
[2:57] 10. The Shadow Of Your Smile
[2:47] 11. A Time For Love
[2:21] 12. The Winds Of Heaven
[4:31] 13. A Noel Coward Medley
[3:43] 14. Small Day Tomorrow
[3:10] 15. Pieces Of Dreams
[1:50] 16. Unlit Room
[2:44] 17. Summer Me, Winter Me
[2:40] 18. Love Came On Stealthy Fingers
[2:12] 19. A Room With A View
[2:06] 20. Nothing Like You
[2:18] 21. You Are There
[2:22] 22. I Like It Here (And Here Is Where I'll Stay)

Irene Kral, vocals; Loonis McGlohon, piano, leader, arrangements; Terry Lassiter, bass; Jim Lackey, drums.

Clint Eastwood's Bridges of Madison County is one film that changed my life. Not that I ended up getting a date with Meryl Streep. Nor that I had a Zen awakening to all the bridges that exist in life and love. No, it was the background crooning of two astonishing vocalists whom I, in my regrettable ignorance, had never before heard. When I saw the movie (and listened to its absorbing soundtrack), I glued my eyes to the credits and picked out the names Johnny Hartman and Irene Kral. Since then, my life has become an obsession to find the recordings of these two extraordinary singers who at their best rose far above the crowd of their contemporaries. By now, Hartman's recordings- partly thanks to the movie- are relatively easy to obtain on numerous CD's. With Irene Kral, it is another story. Unfortunately, she was not a prolific recording artist. My life has become one lonely, repetitious series of visits to the jazz section of Tower Records, and with one of every hundred peeks at the "Irene Kral" space (Kral Space is actually the title of one of her albums), I have espied and captured another one of her CD's. At present, I have put my hooks on three: Irene Kral Live ; Gentle Rain ; and now You Are There. All these albums were originally recorded in the 1970's with small groups, or in the case of Gentle Rain, Alan Broadbent's piano accompaniment. This, long after Ms. Kral had done her stints with the best of the big bands- Kenton, Ferguson, etc.- and made that difficult decision to quietly pursue artistic intimacy rather than commercial success.

Johnny Hartman and Irene Kral were both poets of ballads. (Hartman could also swing quite well on up-tempo tunes, while Kral seemed to focus almost entirely on ballads.) Their skill at timing, pitch, and phrase were usually impeccable (Hartman seems to me to have been a bit less consistent than Kral, but that may be because he did diverse recording gigs over several decades.) Their interpretations- their sentiment, their values- were totally pure, such a delicious contrast to the jaded quality of so many of the "greats" whom we all know. They captured the essence of what legendary trombonist J.J. Johnson somewhat mysteriously referred to as "jazz syntax," that special "feel" (with blues somewhere in the background) which makes jazz soulful, meaningful, and creative. As Robert Bly has pointed out, a characteristic of the best modern poets is the way they use vowel sounds. If you listen carefully to Kral's phrasing, you will hear how she emphasizes vowels and gives them her own special speech quality, infusing them with meaning.

You are There was originally recorded in 1977 in record producer Dick Phipps' home music room in Lexington, South Carolina. Kral was somewhere between episodes of breast cancer, which was to take her life at the age of 40 in 1978 (what an incalculable loss!) Her voice, however is strong, and her articulation confident and full of life, with no sign of illness. Her friends, among whom was Carmen McCrae, say that she bore her fate with extraordinary grace. (James Gavin's very helpful liner notes provide useful information about her life and work, as well as a clear appreciation of Kral, the person and the singer.) Each track is excellent: the album is of consistent quality from beginning to end. (The acoustics and recording equipment are quite good, except for a slight "analog" hiss, which is quickly forgotten.) The backup group is the Loonis McGlohon Trio with McGlohon on piano, Terry Lassiter, bass, and Jim Lackey, drums. They are superb accompanists, never intrusive, always to the point. (Ms.Kral's main accompanist at the time was the incomparable Alan Broadbent, but McGlohon, though more restrained in his improvising than Broadbent, provides a perfect frame for Ms. Kral's vocal images.)

Kral always chose her songs carefully. The tunes on this album are tasteful, tender, and interesting. I like her rendition of Mandel's "The Sunshine of Your Smile." "Small Day Tomorrow" seems to reflect Kral's own decision to "follow a different drummer." "A Noel Coward Medley" is a delightful surprise. Kral naturally draws the listener to the uniqueness of both the melody and the words in each song.

If there is a jazz heaven, Ms. Kral's name is surely up there in lights with the great, beautiful, and true jazz artists who will never be known to the marketplace world of the commercial successes. You are There will serve as an excellent introduction to the extraordinary gifts of a singer whose light shone so very brightly for all too short a time. ~AAJ Staff

You Are There

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Horace Parlan - By Horace Parlan

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:55
Size: 102.8 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[5:15] 1. Broken Promises
[6:24] 2. Deep River
[5:05] 3. Party Time
[7:44] 4. Little Esther
[6:45] 5. Norma
[6:38] 6. Arrival
[7:03] 7. Love And Peace

Known for his collaborations with Charles Mingus, Dexter Gordon and Archie Shepp, Horace Parlan's compositions are deeply textured and his piano playing is full of warmth. This is quite remarkable, because Parlan contracted polio at age five, and it constricted the right side of his body. "Horace Parlan by Horace Parlan" reveals his deep passion for music, and his extraordinary persistence in an intimate and touching portrait. Tracks: Broken Promises, Deep River, Party Time, Little Esther, Norma, Arrival, Love and Peace.

By Horace Parlan

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Yusef Lateef - The Golden Flute

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:44
Size: 91,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:47)  1. Road Runner
(3:28)  2. Straighten Up and Fly Right
(4:26)  3. Oasis
(4:06)  4. (I Don't Stand) A Ghost of a Chance with You
(2:57)  5. Exactly Like You
(3:56)  6. The Golden Flute
(3:54)  7. Rosetta
(4:35)  8. Head Hunters
(7:31)  9. The Smart Set

It’s a shame that Yusef Lateef is relegated to the second tier of jazz musicians, left as an artist who is known more for his work as a sideman. His abilities as a multi-instrumentalist place him a category with Roland Kirk, yet with none of the acclaim. It’s true that on his Atlantic releases Lateef was saddled with inferior material, but his earlier recordings are adventurous, melodic, and quite satisfying.

The Golden Flute is a marvelous recording from 1966 that showcases Lateef’s ability to sustain a warm groove through a well-designed program of originals and standards. “Road Runner” is a slow, funky tune with gutsy improvising that segues into a slow, beautiful treatment of “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” a sultry ballad infused with melancholy beauty. Yet what would be a relatively straightforward session is augmented by Lateef’s interest in using other instruments to create new textures. Despite the title, there are only two tracks featuring Lateef on flute, but both show his interest in foreign scales and how they can enhance the palette available for improvisation in a consistent way. On “I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You” the thin, reedy sound of Lateef’s oboe introduces a eerie quality into a straightforward standard. However, the cherry on top is “Head Hunters,” where Lateef sits out and the rhythm section works through a tune you’ll have in your head long after the recording is over. In the end, Lateef proves himself on The Golden Flute to be an artist of merit, capable of creating a haunting session worthy of comparison to Wayne Shorter’s Blue Note recordings. This is an excellent opportunity to discover an artist whose work as a leader is well worth a listen. ~ David Rickert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-golden-flute-yusef-lateef-impulse-review-by-david-rickert.php
 

Personnel: Yusef Lateef (tenor saxophone, flute, oboe); Hugh Lawson (piano); Herman Wright (bass); Roy Brooks, Jr. (drums).

The Golden Flute

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Chaka Khan - Destiny

Styles: Vocal, R&B
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:19
Size: 131,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:30)  1. Love Of A Lifetime
(5:47)  2. Earth To Mickey
(4:50)  3. Watching The World
(3:46)  4. The Other Side Of The World
(4:52)  5. My Destiny
(4:35)  6. I Can't Be Loved
(4:24)  7. It's You
(4:25)  8. So Close
(4:43)  9. Tight Fit
(4:42) 10. Who's It Gonna Be
(1:44) 11. Coltrane Dreams

Most of the solo albums that Chaka Khan provided in the 1980s are excellent. 1986's Destiny falls short of perfect, although the LP is impressive more often than not. Many people were surprised to hear how rock-minded much of Destiny is, but then, Khan's former band Rufus had major rock leanings in the beginning: 1973's Rufus and 1974's Rags to Rufus underscored Khan and Rufus' appreciation of Ike & Tina Turner's soul/rock and were hardly the work of R&B purists. Nor is Destiny; while some of the material is straight R&B (including "Tight Fit" and the exuberant single "Love of a Lifetime"), Khan successfully combines R&B and rock elements on "My Destiny" and "Who's It Gonna Be" (which Janice Marie Johnson of A Taste of Honey fame had recorded on a little-known solo album in 1984). And some of the tunes are really more pop/rock than R&B, including "Watching the World," "The Other Side of the World," and "So Close." As much as Destiny has going for it, the LP isn't without its shortcomings. "Who's It Gonna Be" would have been better off without the fake applause that producers Arif and Joe Mardin pointlessly added, and the post-bop jazz offering "Coltrane Dreams" (which features saxman Sam Rivers) is too brief for its own good. Rivers, a major talent, doesn't get a chance to stretch out, and the piece ends up sounding undeveloped, which is quite frustrating because Khan can be a great jazz singer when she puts her mind to it. But while Destiny isn't perfect, the album has many more pluses than minuses and is easily recommended to both R&B and pop/rock enthusiasts. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/destiny-mw0000458169

Personnel: Chaka Khan (vocals, rap vocals, cowbells, timbales, background vocals); Reggie Griffin (rap vocals, guitar, saxophone, keyboards, synthesizer, programming, background vocals); Randy Fredrix, Nick Moroch, Paul Pesco (guitar, electric guitar); Marcus Miller (guitar, electric bass); Dann Huff, Reb Beach (guitar); Bob Gay, Robert Gay (alto saxophone); Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone, trumpet); Sam Rivers, Scott Gilman (tenor saxophone); Randy Brecker (trumpet, horns); Tom "Bones" Malone (trombone); Jon Faddis, Marvin Stamm, Michael Mossman (horns); Beau Hill (keyboards, synthesizer, bass synthesizer); Joe Mardin (keyboards, synthesizer, percussion); Dave Lebolt, Philippe Saisse (keyboards, synthesizer, programming); Anthony Patler (keyboards, bass synthesizer); Michael Colina, Cengiz Yaltkaya (keyboards); John Mahoney (synthesizer, Synclavier); David Gamson (synthesizer, programming); Jason Miles , Robbie Buchanan (synthesizer); Anthony Jackson (electric bass); Phil Collins (drums, background vocals); Fred Maher, David Rosenberg, Steve Ferrone (drums); Tom Oldakowski, Jimmy Bralower, Bob Riley (drum machine, drum programming); Cindy Mizelle, Mark Cass Stevens, Mark Stevens, Green Gartside, Sandra St. Victor (background vocals).

Destiny

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Chu Berry and his Stompy Stevedores - Chu

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:19
Size: 139,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:00)  1. Now You're Taling My Language
(2:52)  2. Indiana (Back Home Again In Indiana)
(3:00)  3. Too Marvelous For Words
(2:57)  4. Limehouse Blues
(2:23)  5. Chuberry Jam
(2:53)  6. Maelstrom
(2:56)  7. My Secret Love Affair
(2:49)  8. Ebb Tide
(3:22)  9. Warmin Up
(2:33) 10. At The Clambake Carnival
(3:02) 11. Jive (Page 1 Of The Hepster's Dictionary)
(3:20) 12. Topsy Turvey (Hard Times)
(3:00) 13. Come On With The "Come On"
(3:00) 14. (I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of A Chance (With You)
(3:04) 15. Lonesome Nights
(3:04) 16. Take The "A" Train

30s tenor sides from Chu Berry packaged here in a nice LP that mostly features work done with the Stompy Stevedores combo, but also includes sessions Chu cut with the bands of Cab Calloway and Teddy Wilson! The Berry style at this point is warm, but soulful – arcing out with some of the touches that would show up more strongly in tenorists of the 40s, but still also falling into more traditional modes at times. Titles include "Now You're Talking My Language", "At The Clambake Carnival", "Warming Up", "Maelstrom", "Chuberry Jam", "Come On With The Come On", and "Indiana". (Columbia Special Products pressing.) © 1996-2016, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/657683/Chu-Berry:Chu-Chu-Berry-His-Stompy-Stevedores

Chu

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Charlie Hunter - Everybody Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:21
Size: 120,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. Everybody Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth
(7:32)  2. (Looks Like) Somebody Got Ahead of Schedule On Their Medication
(4:02)  3. Leave Him Lay
(5:31)  4. We Don't Want Nobody Nobody Sent
(3:43)  5. Big Bill's Blues
(4:46)  6. Latin for Travelers
(3:52)  7. No Money, No Honey
(6:49)  8. Who Put You Behind the Wheel?
(6:00)  9. (Wish I Was) Already Paid and On My Way Home
(4:59) 10. The Guys. Get. Shirts

Charlie Hunter's Everybody Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth is not only his first recording for a major label in nine years, but his first with a larger-than-trio-sized band since 2003. His personnel include drummer Bobby Previte, trombonist Curtis Fowlkes (who both played on 2015's Let the Bells Ring On and 2003's Right Now Move), and cornetist Kirk Knuffke. The album's title paraphrases a quote by former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson. It's a metaphorical reference to the contrast between an envisioned plan for living and the reality that transpires later.

Hunter saturates his approach in blues and vintage R&B here. To get the vibe right, the band recorded live in a Hudson, New York studio; there are no overdubs everybody walked the tightrope. First single "No Money, No Honey" opens with a guitar hammer on, but the band quickly establishes a funky Meters-esque vamp that gets inverted by knotty jazz syncopation. They all flow back to the groove with Previte holding the center. Hunter's solo signals a call-and-response with the brass, who play in Stax-like tandem and add individual fills in the turnarounds. The title track commences as a slow, steamy jazz-blues with gorgeous melodic flourishes, a fine solo from Fowlkes, and a front line that references Bobby Blue Bland, Quincy Jones, and Oliver Nelson. The slow stroll on Bill Broonzy's "Big Bill's Blues" contains a gorgeous early New Orleans jazz feel in the contrasting harmonic dialogue between Fowlkes and Knuffke (though they play the tags in unison), while Hunter's playing is pure mid-'50s Chicago. "Leave Him Lay" is a choogling 12-bar swagger with Hunter's fills stinging through the horn player's vamps. Previte signals various cadence and time shifts as Knuffke takes a languid solo that provides a nostalgic look at early jazz sans artifice. Second single "Latin for Travelers" (titled after Previte's band of the same name) is a sultry, jazzy blues based on a rhumba. There are subtle colors through the horns' harmonies that evoke brass inventions from Willie Colon, Eddie Palmieri, and Wardell Quezergue. Hunter's own break is sharp, in the pocket, and full of soul. The funky NOLA side returns during the intro to closer "The Guys Get Shirts," but doesn't stay there. Previte guides the group through Chicago blues, '20s jazz, and '50s and '60s R&B. The arrangements lock in, offering many twists and turns, but never leave the groove behind. This album is an excellent return to the majors for Hunter. All killer, no filler. ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/everybody-has-a-plan-until-they-get-punched-in-the-mouth-mw0002951658

Personnel: Charlie Hunter (8-string guitar); Kirk Knuffke (cornet); Curtis Fowlkes (trombone); Bobby Previte (drums).

Everybody Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth

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