Alain Pacowski, Alan Chaubert - Double A

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:04
Size: 169.5 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[ 9:09] 1. Children Of The Night
[10:23] 2. Shoshana Et La Valse Des Souvenirs
[ 7:06] 3. Comecar De Novo
[ 9:20] 4. Grande Late
[ 7:09] 5. Strawberry Fields Forever
[10:49] 6. In The Shadow
[11:09] 7. You'll Always Be In My Heart
[ 8:55] 8. Saying Goodbye

Double A Is a jazz quintet co-created by guitarist Alain Pacowski and trumpet player Alan Chaubert both musicians for NYC. Recorded in 2013 with pianist Helio Alves, bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer Mark Ferber, this album contains original compositions as well as covers by Wayne Shorter, Ivan Lins and the Beatles. The music is creative and always stays melodic and lyrical with influences ranging from straight ahead modern jazz to folk and indie rock.

Double A

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Buddy DeFranco - Plays Artie Shaw

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:47
Size: 104.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Clarinet jazz
Year: 1957/2005
Art: Front

[5:08] 1. Frenesi
[3:31] 2. Medley Dancing In The Dark Moonglow Time On My Hands
[2:44] 3. Keepin' Myself For You
[4:44] 4. Stardust
[4:31] 5. Summit Ridge Drive
[4:10] 6. My Heart Stood Still
[5:37] 7. Medley It Could Happen To You I Cover The Waterfront Someone To Watch
[4:47] 8. Cross Your Heart
[3:30] 9. Indian Love Call
[7:01] 10. Concerto For Clarinet

Bass – Joe Mondragon; Clarinet – Buddy DeFranco; Drums – Alvin Stoller, Milt Holland; Guitar – Barney Kessel, Howard Roberts; Piano, Harpsichord – Irving Garner, Jimmy Rowles; Trumpet – Ray Linn.

Buddy DeFranco is one of the great clarinetists of all time and, until the rise of Eddie Daniels, he was indisputably the top clarinetist to emerge since 1940. It was DeFranco's misfortune to be the best on an instrument that after the swing era dropped drastically in popularity and, unlike Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, he has never been a household name for the general public.

When he was 14, DeFranco won an amateur swing contest sponsored by Tommy Dorsey. After working with the big bands of Gene Krupa (1941-1942) and Charlie Barnet (1943-1944), he was with TD on and off during 1944-1948. DeFranco, other than spending part of 1950 with Count Basie's septet, was mostly a bandleader from then on. Among the few clarinetists to transfer the language of Charlie Parker onto his instrument, DeFranco has won a countless number of polls and appeared with the Metronome All-Stars in the late '40s. He recorded frequently in the '50s (among his sidemen were Art Blakey, Kenny Drew, and Sonny Clark) and participated in some of Norman Granz's Verve jam session. During 1960-1963 DeFranco led a quartet that also featured the accordion of Tommy Gumina and he recorded an album with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers on which he played bass clarinet. Work, however, was difficult to find in the '60s, leading DeFranco to accept the assignment of leading the Glenn Miller ghost band (1966-1974). He has found more artistic success co-leading a quintet with Terry Gibbs off and on since the early '80s and has recorded throughout the decades for many labels. ~bio by Scott Yanow

Plays Artie Shaw

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Joel Press - Live at Smalls

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Bop
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:55
Size: 158,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:27)  1. There Will Never Be Another You
(4:46)  2. I Never Knew
(7:41)  3. All of Me
(7:52)  4. I Hear a Rhapsody
(6:32)  5. Lover Man
(7:10)  6. All the Things You Are
(4:10)  7. On a Slow Boat To China
(8:51)  8. That Old Feeling
(7:58)  9. Sunrise
(6:26) 10. It's You or No One At All

Saxophonist Joel Press is a versatile musician who has performed with such diverse players as pianist Jaki Byard, bassist Jimmy Garrison of the John Coltrane Quartet, vocalist Sheila Jordan and Duke Ellington's ubiquitous cornetist/ violinist/ vocalist Ray Nance. A native New Yorker, he pursued classical studies at The Manhattan School of Music, where he earned a Master's degree. Joel Press speaks the language of swing based, post-World War II jazz in as singular a fashion as any living saxophonist. He has been listening to this music all of his life, and playing it for almost a half century. In recognition of the scope of his artistry, Cadence Jazz Records which released his Cd, Mainstream Extensions, included his Music From a Passionate Time in their historical series. The latter is a unique sampling of multi-track recordings of compositions and improvisations written for dance and film in the early 1970s. While reflecting his mainstream roots, this music is of a distinctly avant garde nature, a language which Press continues to explore in his duo and quartet performances with pianist Kyle Aho.

National Public Radio recently described Press as "The legendary Boston jazz musician." (He relocated to Boston in the late 1970s.) Grammy award winner, Bob Blumenthal wrote in his review of The Boston Globe Jazz Festival 's, Tribute to Lady Day and Prez, for which Joel served as music director: "All three tenors played well throughout and got better as the evening wore on. Press, closest to the source, took the coolest approach, but all burned in their own manner". In a subsequent concert review, Arthur Hepner, of The Boston Globe wrote" Solid techniques, rich sounds, imaginative improvisations and well meshed interplay yielded fine embroideries of music by Johnny Green, Cole Porter and others. Press's supple work on Body And Soul constituted the high point.

Personnel:  Joel Press - Tenor Saxophone;  Mike Kanan – Piano;  Spike Wilner - Piano (tracks 2, 5 & 7);  Chris Haney – Bass;  Boots Maleson - Bass (tracks 2, 5 & 7);  Fukushi Tainaka – Drums;  Steve Little - Drums (tracks 2, 5 & 7)

Live at Smalls

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Nils Lindberg & Margareta Bengtson - As We Are

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:42
Size: 134,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. Remember
(4:40)  2. B.B. Blues
(5:31)  3. As You Are
(6:00)  4. Springtime
(3:29)  5. I Remember Karelia
(2:45)  6. Santa Barbara
(4:49)  7. Skylark
(4:26)  8. Tingsmarschen
(4:56)  9. Tomorrow
(4:08) 10. Dry Martini
(4:45) 11. Blues For Bill
(4:51) 12. Shall I Compare Thee
(2:52) 13. Epilogue

With climate change and recent weather, the Shakespearean sonnet "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?" would seem to have become a trifle outmoded. Still, where there's a Will there's a way and Nils Lindberg has set the piece to music. Lindberg is a true Renaissance man. From his home in Gagnef, a small village deep in the forests of the Swedish province of Dalecarlia, he emerges every now and again to dazzle us ordinary mortals with his many talents. Best known as a composer and arranger, he refuses to accept categorization and works with choirs, jazz bands, and symphony orchestras at will. Lindberg was the eminence grise behind Duke Ellington's favorite vocalist, Alice Babs. He wrote arrangements for Duke and composed a number of works for the Hanover Symphony Orchestra. He also, without batting an eyelid, collaborated with Josephine Baker, one-time infamous Jazz Age stripper and Judy Garland, who was as American as apple pie. In 1986 Lindberg performed his own works at the funeral service for Olof Palme, Sweden's assassinated prime minister. Three years later he wrote the music for a service given by the Pope in Uppsala Cathedral. He also found time to bring the lilting, melancholic strains of Dalecarlian folk music to the attention of a wider world in a memorable series of concerts and records.

At the age of 75, this remarkable man has once more left Gagnef to record As We Are. It is more jazz than anything else and launches the solo career of Margareta Bengtson (ex-The Real Group), the Swedish soprano most likely to take over the mantle of Alice Babs on the world stage. Out of his (loosely) classical bag, along with his Shakespearean foray, Lindberg has put music to "Remember," a haunting (and still pertinent) piece by 19th century English metaphysical poet Christina Rosetti. It's one of the album's best tracks. Had just a little more attention been paid to the clarity of the words, it might even have achieved greatness. Unfortunately Bengtson "swallows" some of them. Unlike the Muppet cook, Swedes actually do English exceedingly well, but as non-native speakers they're bound to get small things wrong and God is in the detail. Especially when it comes to poetry. No such problems on the jazz front. "B.B. Blues" (BB = Baritone Bass) and its brother "Blues for Bill" provide a chance for Bengtson to shine at wordless scatting. She makes a nice job too of the ballad "As You Are," probably Lindberg's best known composition, with words by American bassist Red Mitchell. The attractive ballad "Tomorrow" is by Jan Ohman, a Dalecarlian neighbor of Lindberg's. "Springtime" and "Dry Martini" are kinda-Dukish, "Santa Barbara" kinda-Bossa Nova.

Folk music is represented by an irreverently jazzy arrangement of the Finnish anthem "I Remember Karelia" with good work by Anders Paulsson on soprano saxophone. On "Tingsmarschen," a Dalecarlian marching tune, Lindberg takes a piano break to remind you that he's also no slouch as an instrumentalist. It's infuriating just how talented this man is! At his age, it can only be hoped that he did not intend the closer, the piano solo "Epilogue," as a reference to his life's work. His music is both experimental and intensely melodic, angularly lyrical if there is such a thing. It refuses politely but very firmly to sit comfortably in the background. In this day and age we need more of that sort of thing. ~ Chris Mosey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/as-we-are-nils-lindberg-prophone-records-review-by-chris-mosey.php

Personnel: Nils Lindberg: piano, arranger, composer, conductor; Margareta Bengtson: vocals; Jan Allan: trumpet; Anders Paulsson: soprano, tenor saxophones; Alberto Pinton: baritone saxophone; Joakim Milder: tenor saxopPhone; Hans Akesson, Hakan Brostrom: alto saxophone; Jan Adefelt: bass; Bengt Stark: drums.

As We Are

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Marion Meadows - Dressed to Chill

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:33
Size: 130,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:01)  1. Dressed to Chill
(4:17)  2. Remember Me
(4:44)  3. Dance with My Daughter
(4:35)  4. Miss Know It All
(4:32)  5. Bounce
(4:36)  6. I Believe I Can Fly
(4:20)  7. Coco Flow
(4:31)  8. Just My Style
(5:21)  9. Scent of a Woman
(4:05) 10. Steppers...Let's Do This
(6:09) 11. 1000 Dreams
(5:17) 12. To Love Her

Soprano saxist Marion Meadows has been a crown prince in the smooth jazz court for so long, it's easy to wonder if he remembers his days woodshedding with Joe Henderson and Norman Connors' Starship Orchestra. He's been wildly successful, and his time with the Heads Up label has hardly been wasted; his rep is deep and wide, and his records move. Unlike a better selling counterpart on the same instrument, Meadows has a keen sense of rhythm and pitch, and his tonal control is top-notch. Given the tunes here, interchangeable deep relaxing grooves that borrow on everything from trip-hop to jazz, and house to Wes Montgomery's early experiments check "Remember Me," for evidence of the latter it's easy to forget the individuality Meadows possesses not only on soprano, but also on tenor and flute (he employs all three on "Coco Flow,") as well as alto on the opening title track. He duets with himself on soprano and tenor on "Bounce" and "Remember Me." Meadows' key collaborator here is composer, programmer, and keyboard whiz Mike Broening. He's the guy who comes up with the skeletal, wispy rhythm loops leaving the need for a drummer non-existent. There are three tracks with vocals here, "Miss Know It All," an urban soul ballad with Will Brock doing his best Terence Trent D'Arby, and "1000 Dreams" with Caji Da Bahia, an overblown sunstorm of loaded overdubbing. The cover of R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" is an understated ballad with some beautiful phrasing by Meadows, even when the all too familiar chorus kicks in. When the backing vocalists Vanessa and Lori Williams and Raymond Reeder enter, they are so utterly masked by production technique, it's hard to tell they are real singers. But it works, especially in the bridge when Meadows actually plays some blues lines. Meadows is a seriously gifted if unchallenged musician. He could use a new writing partner, but that doesn't mean that Dressed to Chill won't satisfy fans; it most certainly will. ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/dressed-to-chill-mw0000534068

Personnel: Marion Meadows (flute, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Will Brock (vocals); Freddie Fox (guitar, electric guitar, flugelhorn); Chuck Loeb, Randy Bowland (guitar); Thano Sahnas (acoustic guitar); Mike Broening (piano, keyboards, programming); Lori Williams, Raymond Reeder (background vocals).

Dressed to Chill

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Greg Manning - Sugar & Spice

Styles: Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:52
Size: 98,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:11)  1. Sugar & Spice (feat. Donald Hayes)
(4:36)  2. Round 'N'Round (feat. J. Reid)
(4:46)  3. I Need to Know (feat. Adam Hawley)
(4:57)  4. When You Love Someone (feat. Gabriel Hasselbach)
(3:42)  5. Caribbean Breeze
(4:44)  6. Les Étoiles de Paris (feat. Patrick Bettison)
(4:12)  7. Esperanza
(2:30)  8. The Beauty Within
(5:04)  9. Happy (feat. Donald Hayes)
(4:05) 10. Before the Dawn

Born in Nigeria and brought up in Switzerland, composer producer and keyboard player Greg Manning moved to Los Angeles in the nineties. Since then he has been building a niche position within the annals of contemporary jazz not only through his collaborations with Mindi Abair and Jonathan Butler but also with his own ever-expanding discography. His 2010 project, ‘The Calling’, quickly got the ball rolling and he followed up four years later with the excellent ‘Dance With You’.  Now, with a release date of July 22, comes ‘Sugar & Spice’ from which the title cut is already blazing a trail to radio. http://smoothjazztherapy.typepad.com/my_weblog/2016/06/greg-manning-sugar-spice.html

Sugar & Spice

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Jay McShann & His Orchestra - Hootie's KC Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:38
Size: 106.8 MB
Styles: Big band, Jump blues
Year: 1983/2010
Art: Front

[2:59] 1. Hootie Blues
[2:55] 2. Red River Blues
[2:56] 3. Confessin' The Blues
[2:36] 4. Vine Street Boogie
[2:53] 5. 'fore Day Rider
[3:13] 6. Sepian Bounce
[2:39] 7. Hold 'em Hootie
[2:42] 8. Swingmatism
[3:05] 9. Broken Heart Blues
[3:04] 10. One Woman's Man
[3:07] 11. Get Me On Your Mind
[2:59] 12. Dexter Blues
[2:43] 13. Hootie's Ignorant Oil
[3:06] 14. New Confessin' The Blues
[3:00] 15. Lonely Boy Blues
[2:36] 16. So You Won't Jump

Bluesman Jay McShann--"Hootie" to his friends-- has been a living legacy of Kansas City jazz for over 60 years. As pianist, bandleader, singer, and composer McShann has been an unsung but important figure in jazz history. McShann's big band of the 1930s and '40s delivered the hard swinging music of Kansas City imbued with foot pattin' rhythms, boogie woogie beats, and the cryin' and shoutin' blues. It was a launching pad for many talented soloists including a young Charlie Parker, whom the band introduced to the world via early radio broadcasts, recordings, and national concert appearances. A wide-eyed McShann first rolled into a very different Kansas City in the late 1930s, during the era of "Mob Boss" Tom Pendergast. He then met pianist Pete Johnson and singer Joe Turner, who would have a profound effect on his career. McShann later started his own group that in just a few years grew into a full fledged big band. In 1941, with Walter Brown on vocals, the Jay McShann Orchestra recorded its biggest selling hits, including "Confessin' the Blues," "Hootie Blues," and "Vine Street Boogie," for Decca Records.

Hootie's KC Blues

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Melora Hardin - Purr

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:18
Size: 103.7 MB
Styles: Adult contemporary
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[4:02] 1. Heaven And Earth
[3:18] 2. Dance
[3:31] 3. Cloud 9
[4:19] 4. All Messed Up
[3:21] 5. I've Got My Eye On You
[3:03] 6. Sight To Be Seen
[3:16] 7. Zoom Zoom
[3:13] 8. Dope Me Up
[3:02] 9. Naive
[4:31] 10. Teenager
[5:02] 11. Dial O (On The Little Pink Telephone)
[4:12] 12. A Boy And His Cat
[0:21] 13. Sandcastle By The Sea

MELORA has been singing and writing songs all her life. Music flows through her and she loves to write, record and perform. Her mother says she wrote her first song when she was two years old, and sang it over and over and over again. Melora says she is still on her musical journey, and is always finding ways to get closer to who she is musically. You can follow her recording career thus far with her three cds, "The Meloradrama", "PURR" and "All The Way To Mars". Or you can catch Melora singing live around the country with her act, as well as local gigs in Los Angeles. Melora has been lucky enough to be able to express herself musically in many other venues too. She had the time of her life performing live on Broadway as 'Roxie Hart' in Chicago, and as 'Fantine' in Les Miserables at the Hollywood Bowl with Lea Michelle. In movies like Disney's "The Rocketeer" singing "Begin the Beguine" and "When Your Lover Has Gone" (both songs are on the original motion picture soundtrack) and made for TV movie "Tower Of Terror". On television singing The National Anthem for NASCAR, The Ducks, The Dodgers and numerous others, as well as TV shows like the "The Office" ("Babyshower" episode) and in her new TBS series "Wedding Band" she can be seen singing one of her original songs "As Boy and His Cat" as well as many other songs as 'Roxy Rutherford'.

Purr

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Various - Mambo De Cuba

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 83:21
Size: 190.8 MB
Styles: Afro-Cuban jazz, Latin rhythms
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[6:46] 1. Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers - El Niño Mambo
[4:57] 2. Snowboy - Mambo For Max
[4:19] 3. Johnny Blas - Oaklands Mambo
[3:51] 4. John Santos - Mambo Moña Mix X
[6:13] 5. Snowboy - El Campeon Del Mambo
[5:31] 6. Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers - Happy Feet Mambo
[6:35] 7. Johnny Blas - Mambo 2000
[4:00] 8. Snowboy - Mambo Rage
[7:48] 9. Robert Incelli - Mambo Niles
[5:23] 10. Blues Mambe For 'trane And Sphere
[4:38] 11. Johnny Blas - Mambone
[4:57] 12. Francisco Aguabella - Mambo For Puente
[4:24] 13. Johnny Blas - Mambo To The Max
[5:49] 14. Johnny Blas - M.J.'s Mambo
[8:04] 15. Johnny Blas - Debbie's Mambo

Mambo is a musical form and dance style that developed originally in Cuba, with further significant developments by Cuban and Puerto Rican musicians in Mexico and the USA. The word "mambo" means "conversation with the gods" in Kikongo, the language spoken by Central African slaves taken to Cuba.

Modern mambo began with a song called "Mambo" written in 1938 by brothers Orestes and Cachao López. The song was a danzón, a dance form descended from European social dances like the English country dance, French contredanse, and Spanish contradanza. It was backed by rhythms derived from African folk music.

Mambo De Cuba

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Eddie Chamblee - Chamblee Special

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 66:42

Size: 152.7 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 2011

Art: Front

[3:09] 1. Chamblee Special

[4:26] 2. Without A Song

[2:39] 3. At Your Beck And Call

[3:57] 4. And The Angels Sing

[4:38] 5. Whisper Not

[3:13] 6. Flat Beer

[4:10] 7. Sometimes I'm Happy

[3:57] 8. Stella By Starlight

[4:34] 9. Tea For Two

[2:22] 10. Strollin' Sax

[4:34] 11. Stardust

[2:37] 12. Swing A Little Taste

[4:00] 13. Robbin's Nest

[4:22] 14. Doodlin'

[4:16] 15. Village Square

[2:14] 16. Long Gone

[3:23] 17. Lester Leaps Again

[2:11] 18. Solitude

[1:52] 19. Back Street

Tracks #1-5: Johnny Coles (tp), Julian Priester (tb), Eddie Chamblee (ts), Charlie Davis (bs), Jack Wilson (p), Richard Evans (b), Charlie Persip (d). #6-9: Joe Newman (tp) and Osie Johnson (d) replaxe Coles and Persip. #10-19: Flip Ricard (tp), Julian Priester (tb), Eddie Chamblee (ts, vcl #11), Charlie Davis (bs), Jack Wilson (p), Robert Wilson (b), Charlie james Slaughter (d). Recorded in Chicago, 1957 (1-9) and 1958 (10-19).

This CD brings together two excellent sessions that Chamblee made in Chicago in 1957 and 1958, fronting a septet of outstanding category that had previously served as a very efficient backing group on some of the recordings made by his wife Dinah Washington. They were most certainly not just mere blowing sessions in the studio but effective and exciting arrangements executed with enormous precision and swing. Throughout these sessions we can hear Chamble in his triple facet of impressive honker, excellent composer and quality arranger. Apart from the splendid labours of the leader, on many of the themes that appear on this CD we can hear other experienced jazzmen such as Joe Newman, Johnny Coles, Charlie Davis or Jack Wilson. A very suitable example of the extraordinary quality of a musician who made some of his best performances fronting small combos, the type of formation that allowed him to demonstrate his great musical qualities and his enormous capacity for swinging.

Chamblee Special

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Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra Feat. Sylvia Bennett - Sentimental Journey

Styles: Vocal And Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:09
Size: 86,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:31)  1. Sentimental Journey
(3:12)  2. Don't Get Around Much Any More
(2:32)  3. The Lady Is A Tramp
(3:34)  4. Undecided
(6:12)  5. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(6:53)  6. It's All Right With Me
(4:28)  7. Lullabye of Birdland
(3:03)  8. Almost Like Being In Love
(3:40)  9. Avalon (Instrumental)

A rather forgettable album, this set mostly features the okay vocals of Sylvia Bennett on a variety of overplayed swing standards. Lionel Hampton's big band is mostly restricted to background work with occasional short individual spots while Hampton himself is the only soloist on five of the nine selections, including the lone instrumental, "Avalon." The lack of liner notes on the Atlantic LP is surprising since its purpose seemed to be to introduce a new singer. This set can be safely passed by. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/sentimental-journey-mw0000193276

Personnel:  Bass – Pat O'Leary; Drums – Rick Visone;  Piano – Alan Simon (2) ;  Saxophone – Adam Brenner, Dave Schumacher, Doug Miller, Jerry Weldon, Tom Chapin;  Synthesizer [Yamaha Dx-7], Vibraphone – Lionel Hampton;  Trombone – Charles Stephens, Chris Gulhaugen, John Gordon, Robert Trowers;  Trumpet – Al Bryant, John Pendenza, Lee Romano, Vince Cutro;  Vocals [Featuring] – Sylvia Bennett

Sentimental Journey

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Jackie Ryan - Best of Love songs

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:55
Size: 155,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:41)  1. When I grow too old
(4:53)  2. You'd be so nice to come home to
(3:56)  3. While we're young
(5:47)  4. Make it last
(4:36)  5. Let there be love
(2:50)  6. Luiza
(3:54)  7. This heart of mine
(3:11)  8. Once in everyone's life
(5:35)  9. Besame mucho
(4:36) 10. Seasons of the heart
(5:28) 11. Serenade in blue
(4:15) 12. Now or never
(4:34) 13. Historia de un amor
(5:17) 14. The very thought of you
(5:15) 15. You are there

An effective best-of CD isn't necessarily going to be the last word on an artist's contributions, but it should at least offer an appealing synopsis that makes one want to dig deeper. Best of Love Songs, which is Jackie Ryan's first best-of collection, accomplishes that; when this 67-minute CD is finished playing, the listener definitely wants to hear more from her. Best of Love Songs' greatest flaw is its lack of liner notes. Although Ryan has a lot going for her, she isn't a major name in the jazz world (at least as of early 2010), and that is precisely why a Ryan best-of should have had comprehensive, informative liner notes. Sometimes, the jazz releases that lack liner notes are the ones that need them the most. But the absence of liner notes doesn't make these previously released recordings any less enjoyable. Listening to "Serenade in Blue" from Passion Flower, "Make It Last" from This Heart of Mine, or "The Very Thought of You" from You and the Night and the Music, it is obvious that Ryan is a skillful, expressive torch singer who has learned a lot from influences like Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Billie Holiday, and Betty Carter (although Ryan isn't nearly as abstract as Carter). One of Ryan's major assets is her ability to express herself in languages other than English; Best of Love Songs underscores that point by giving listeners a chance to hear her performing in Spanish on Consuelo Velazquez's "Bésame Mucho" and Carlos Almaran's "Historia de un Amor," and in Portuguese on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Luiza." Best of Love Songs paints an attractive picture of Ryan, and it can be a pleasing, if imperfect, place to start exploring her work. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/best-of-love-songs-mw0001961317

Personnel:  Vocals: Jackie Ryan;  Sax: Ernie Watts, Red Holloway, Noel Jewkes;  Piano: Jon Mayer, Tamir Hendelman, Larry Vuckovich, Leonard Thompson;  Drums: Jeff Hamilton, Roy McCurdy, Omar Clay, Eddie Marshall;  Percussion: Luis Romero;  Trumpet: Allen Smith ;  Bass: Christoph Luty, Jeff Chambers, Darek Oles, John Wiitala;  Guitar: Barry Zweig, Larry Koonse;  Harp: Carol Robbins

Best of love songs

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Oli Silk - Where I Left Off

Styles: Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:08
Size: 131,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:36)  1. Ooh Baby!
(4:05)  2. Where I Left Off
(5:00)  3. Take Me Away
(4:09)  4. Burning up the Carnival
(4:01)  5. Seasons Change
(5:51)  6. Su Casa, Mi Casa
(4:03)  7. Catch My Breath
(5:24)  8. Cluster Funk
(5:07)  9. Rest Assured
(6:07) 10. Music Without Sound
(3:54) 11. Take Some Time Out
(4:47) 12. Suits You, Sir!

You can always count on one of our groovemasters from across the big pond to deliver the musical goods when the time is right  and the time is always right. This time, British keyboardist/composer/producer Oli Silk is the deliverer of some fine grooves as he releases Where I Left Off  which is so apropos since he does pick up the party where he left off with the tight Razor Sharp Brit album back in 2013.Silk brings in a lot of familiar mega-talent on this one, including fellow Englishman and smooth jazz guitar icon Peter White, the always dapper and super-cool guitarist Nick Colionne, songstress Katie Leone, trumpet giant Rick Braun, the lovely flutist Althea Rene, and sax virtuosos Steve Cole and Phil Denny. Here with an array of moods and feels, Silk offers the hot, funky lead track “Ohh Baby” then settles back on the tempo a tad as he delivers the mid-tempo title track before ushering in White on the hook-rich, clean, and bouncy “Take Me Away.” He then allows Katie Leone to take us to where they’re “Burning Up the Carnival.” Pick your scenario on this one: Rio, Mardi Gras, on one of our coastal beaches, or in your own backyard party with other beloved revelers. It’s all happening on this spirited charmer.

As usual, Silk dazzles with his trademark fluid style of blowing up either piano or keys. His love of this music simply dances from his fingertips and into one’s heart, which is why he remains so well regarded among jazzers. If you know Silk’s music, you know that you have much from which to choose as a favorite. Mine just happen, in addition to the lead track and “Burning Up the Carnival,” “Cluster Funk” (which, naturally, is rife with phat funk), the tender and soulful “Rest Assured” featuring the caressing flute of Althea Rene about midway through. Such a nice touch to a softly swaying tune. Then, there’s the dance-friendly funkster “Music Without the Sound” again featuring the Leone vocals. You’ll notice that, often, the album is cleverly arranged to alternately switch you from an upbeat and lively place to a sweet and reflective one. Well-produced, arranged, and performed. Signature Silk. In fact, I’d say to the keyboardist: As your finale states: “Suits You, Sir!” ~ Ronald Jackson  http://www.thesmoothjazzride.com/oli-silk-where-i-left-off/

Where I Left Off

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Bennie Moten - 1929-1932: Band Box Shuffle (2-Disc Set)

While most of Bennie Moten's music has been released, a single and complete volume of his important Victor recordings is still missing. Now there's Hep's Band Box Shuffle, which takes in Moten's prime 1929-1932 stretch for the company via 47 superbly remastered tracks. And mirroring the sterling transfers engineer John R.T. Davies has supplied, the liner notes, written by jazz photographer and historian Frank Driggs, provide a hugely readable and exhaustive account of the group's history. Of course, that history recounts the Moten band's position as one of the best of the many territory bands to emerge in the Southwest during the '20s, which was due in no small part to the presence of Count Basie and many of the other stars who would help him form his own big band in the '30s. Basie's future jump fleetness is especially evident on the ten classic 1932 sides that close this set, notably complex barnstormers like "Toby," "Lafayette," and "Moten Swing." The likes of Ben Webster, Hot Lips Page, and Walter Page all contribute to the fine swing. A good share of the remaining tracks, while often maligned in relation to these later cuts, have worn well, too -- clunky tuba, accordion, and all. ~Stephen Cook

Album: 1929-1932: Band Box Shuffle (Disc 1)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 73:36

Size: 168.5 MB

Styles: Big band

Year: 2005

[2:51] 1. Rumba Negro (Spanish Stomp)

[3:07] 2. The Jones Law Blues

[3:15] 3. Jones Law Blues

[2:34] 4. Band Box Shuffle

[3:10] 5. Small Black

[3:21] 6. Small Black

[3:08] 7. Everyday Blues (Yo Yo Blues)

[3:13] 8. Boot It

[3:14] 9. Mary Lee

[2:46] 10. Rit-Dit-Ray 2

[2:46] 11. Rit-Dit-Ray

[2:58] 12. New Vine Street Blues

[2:36] 13. Sweetheart Of Yesterday

[3:31] 14. Won't You Be My Baby

[3:14] 15. Won't You Be My Baby

[3:07] 16. I Wish I Could Be Blue

[3:08] 17. I Wish I Could Be Blue

[2:53] 18. Oh! Eddie

[2:54] 19. Oh! Eddie

[3:12] 20. That Too, Do

[3:20] 21. That Too, Do

[2:58] 22. Mack's Rhythm

[3:15] 23. You Made Me Happy

[2:54] 24. Here Comes Marjorie

1929-1932: Band Box Shuffle (Disc 1)

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Album: 1929-1932: Band Box Shuffle (Disc 2)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 71:25

Size: 163.5 MB

Styles: Big band

Year: 2005

Art: Front

[3:10] 1. The Count

[3:02] 2. Liza Lee

[3:05] 3. Liza Lee

[2:56] 4. Get Goin' (Get Ready To Love)

[3:22] 5. Professor Hot Stuff

[3:12] 6. When I'm Alone

[2:51] 7. New Moten Stomp

[3:07] 8. As Long As I Love You

[3:04] 9. Somebody Stole My Gal

[3:02] 10. Now That I Need You

[3:10] 11. Bouncin' Round

[3:14] 12. Ya Got Love

[2:55] 13. I Wanna Be Around My Baby All The Time

[3:24] 14. Toby

[3:20] 15. Moten Swing

[3:22] 16. The Blue Room

[3:23] 17. Imagination

[2:59] 18. New Orleans

[3:12] 19. The Only Girl I Ever Loved

[2:46] 20. Milenberg Joys

[2:46] 21. Lafayette

[2:50] 22. Prince Of Wails

[3:03] 23. Two Times

1929-1932: Band Box Shuffle (Disc 2)

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Linda Ronstadt - Frenesi

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 43:01

Size: 98.5 MB

Styles: Latin folk

Year: 1992

Art: Front

[3:33] 1. Frenesi

[2:54] 2. Mentira Salome

[3:15] 3. Alma Adentro

[3:24] 4. Entre Abismos

[3:07] 5. Cuando Me Querias Tu

[3:06] 6. Piel Canela

[3:27] 7. Verdad Amarga

[3:06] 8. Despojos

[2:53] 9. En Mi Soledad

[2:57] 10. Piensa En Mi

[3:27] 11. Quiereme Mucho

[3:47] 12. Perfidia

[4:01] 13. Te Quiero Dijiste

Frenesi is Linda Ronstadt's third in a series of Spanish-language releases. This one -- inspired by her work on the soundtrack to the film Mambo Kings -- tackles Afro-Cuban pop and jazz. While some tracks, especially "Entre Abismos," swing mightily, there's little that sounds street level or rootsy about these sessions. I can't help picturing a wind-up lounge band holding court at some tourist-trap Holiday Inn in Acapulco. ~Roch Parisien

Frenesi

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Joe Mancuso, Dave Black - Just The Two Of Us

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:02
Size: 128.3 MB
Styles: R&B/Blues/Jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[5:17] 1. Summertime
[5:22] 2. Route 66
[7:52] 3. All Or Nothing At All
[4:50] 4. Unchain My Heart
[4:58] 5. I Can See Clearly Now
[4:32] 6. Just The Two Of Us
[6:23] 7. Moondance
[4:12] 8. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
[4:01] 9. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
[4:55] 10. Witchcraft
[3:36] 11. Sweet Home Chicago

Vocalist, Joe Mancuso & Guitarist, Dave Black have been performing all over St. Louis for the last couple of years as an Acoustic Jazz Duo. They perform a very unique blend of Jazz Standards, Rock, Pop, Blues & R&B classics re-harmonized and re-imagined in the Jazz idiom. This award winning Duo is very excited about releasing their first record.

Mancuso, who grew up on The Hill, is an in-demand jazz singer. He describes his sound as different from traditional jazz because of his rock 'n' roll roots. His 2014 debut album, Cut to the Chase, features 13 classic jazz standards—all brought alive by his trademark electric energy. Although he studied music at Webster University, he says he's only been on the music scene for about four years. But he's been able to accomplish so much (including a handful of top music awards from the Riverfront Times) because of hard work and a true passion for music.

Just The Two Of Us

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Paul Simon - Graceland (25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:24
Size: 154.3 MB
Styles: Adult Contemporary, African Traditions, Soft Rock
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:58] 1. The Boy In The Bubble
[4:48] 2. Graceland
[3:11] 3. I Know What I Know
[2:42] 4. Gumboots
[5:48] 5. Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes
[4:39] 6. You Can Call Me Al
[9:37] 7. The Story Of Graceland
[3:34] 8. Under African Skies
[3:47] 9. Homeless ( Ladysmith Black Mambazo)
[4:16] 10. Crazy Love, Vol. Ii
[2:52] 11. That Was Your Mother (Good Rockin' Doopsie, The Twisters)
[3:13] 12. All Around The World Or The Myth Of Fingerprints (Los Lobos)
[2:26] 13. Homeless (Demo)
[4:39] 14. Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes
[3:14] 15. All Around The World Or The Myth Of Fingerprints
[2:02] 16. You Can Call Me Al [demo]
[2:28] 17. Crazy Love [demo]

The simple answer to the question, "What made Graceland the most successful album of Paul Simon's solo career and one of the best albums of the 1980s?" is that Simon hit on the idea of combining his always perceptive songwriting with the little-heard mbaqanga music of South Africa, creating a fascinating hybrid that re-enchanted his old audience and earned him a new one. It is true that the South African angle (including its controversial aspect during the apartheid days) was a powerful marketing tool and that the catchy music succeeded in presenting listeners with that magical combination: something they'd never heard before that nevertheless sounded familiar. But there was more to it than that. For one thing, the album, as eclectic as any Simon had made, also delved into zydeco on "That Was Your Mother" (on which Simon was accompanied by Good Rockin' Dopsie & the Twisters) and into conjunto-flavored rock & roll on "All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints" (on which he was accompanied by Los Lobos). For another, beyond its aural delights, Graceland marked a surprising new lyrical approach (though it was presaged by some songs on Hearts and Bones, if anyone was listening). For the most part, Simon abandoned a linear, narrative approach to his words, instead drawing highly poetic ("Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"), abstract ("The Boy in the Bubble"), and satiric ("I Know What I Know") portraits of modern life, often charged by striking images and turns of phrase torn from the headlines or overheard in contemporary speech. When combined, the unusual musical contexts and surprising lyrics (along with Simon's own ease and confidence as a singer) made for a creative rebirth for an artist already known for a string of artistic accomplishments. As a result, Graceland went multi-platinum, won Grammys for Album of the Year and Record of the Year (for the title song), and became the standard against which subsequent musical experiments by major artists were measured. (Besides, it has a good beat and you can dance to it.)

[The 25th Anniversary edition of Graceland arrives in several different formats: a single-disc expanded by four cuts -- a demo of “Homeless,” an alternate version of “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes,” an early version of “All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints,” and “The Story of ‘Graceland’ as Told by Paul Simon”; a double-disc that contains all those four tracks and adds demos of “You Can Call Me Al” and “Crazy Love” to the CD, then devotes a DVD to the acclaimed new feature-length documentary Under African Skies; and a deluxe box, exclusively sold at Amazon, that separates the bonus tracks onto a second CD, adds a third CD of five live tracks recorded on a 1989 tour of Spain, then has the DVD of the documentary, in addition to various tchotchkes, books, and replicas. Among all these musical extras lie only two new archival cuts: the spare demos of “You Can Call Me Al” and “Crazy Love,” items that are surely worth the time of the devoted, but what makes this worthwhile for those who have purchased either of the previous reissues of Graceland -- the latest arriving in 2011, just months before the release of this deluxe set -- is the presence of Under African Skies, the feature directed by Joe Berlinger (who helmed the Metallica doc Some Kind of Monster) who doesn’t shy away from some of the uncomfortable questions surrounding the creation of Graceland.] ~William Ruhlmann

Graceland (25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

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Donald Harrison Jr. - Kind Of New

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:45
Size: 109.3 MB
Styles: Post bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[7:12] 1. Kind Of New
[5:16] 2. Blue Is Green
[8:35] 3. So What
[3:30] 4. All Blues
[5:54] 5. Freddie Freeloader
[5:22] 6. It Is
[5:19] 7. Flamenco Sketches
[6:32] 8. What Next

If a recent flurry of promotion by the British Candid label helps win the 42-year-old New Orleans musician Donald Harrison a wider reputation (one more in tune with the soulfulness and streaming fluency of his alto-sax playing), it wouldn't be before time. Kind of New is the tribute to Miles Davis that Harrison vivaciously played live in London last November, and the earlier Real Life Stories features six originals plus three classics: Sonny Rollins's Oleo, Dizzy Gillespie's A Night in Tunisia and Paul Desmond's Take Five. The former disc might appeal more for the iconic familiarity of its repertoire (Miles Davis's 1960 Kind of Blue is the best-selling jazz album ever), but both discs hum with life.

Harrison always stood out for his combination of Charlie Parker-like attack, southern soul and bold, Coltrane-era angle on harmony. Real Life Stories emphasises what he calls "nouveau swing": a mixture of bop time, funk, Latin and reggae, with jazz always uppermost. A fine band, including a superb Eric Reed on piano, saves the disc from sounding like another stuttering, jump-cut, idiomatically indecisive post-bop formality. Harrison's Keep the Faith is a jubilant, jazz-gospel sermon, and of the standards, A Night in Tunisia is gentler and more whimsical than usual. Oleo features a scything alto solo bordering on free jazz, and Take Five is more sinewy than the Desmond/Brubeck hit version.

Kind of New is much straighter and very respectful. The title track cleverly blends the famous Milestones vamp with other celebrated Davis echoes from the period, and on the ballads teenage trumpeter Christian Scott mixes uptempo bravura with a muted-Miles type of impassioned murmur. Harrison's energy, agility and formidable clarity of purpose put his signature all over a furious alto solo on Freddie Freeloader. But this is a tribute disc for which the title is misleading, and Real Life Stories better balances Harrison's resourcefulness with some unexpected turns to the story. ~John Fordham

Kind Of New

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The Deanna Jones Orchestra - Very First Dance

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:46
Size: 104.8 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[2:43] 1. Red Carpet (Black Tie)
[2:48] 2. Very First Dance
[2:44] 3. Lil Ole Me
[4:37] 4. Ocean Eyes
[4:17] 5. Funny Because
[3:59] 6. Gravy
[3:30] 7. To Have And To Hold
[2:07] 8. What If
[3:57] 9. Food For My Soul (Cold)
[2:46] 10. I'm Satisfied
[4:36] 11. Astounded
[2:55] 12. Picture Me
[4:42] 13. Food For My Soul (Hot)

As one of New York's premier bands, The Deanna Jones Orchestra has performed at thousands of special events and celebrity functions. With fans ranging from Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones to Jimmy Buffett and Geraldo Rivera, you know that they must be something special to appeal to the sophisticated listener. It's not difficult to understand their success; collectively, the credits of individual band members reads like a veritable "who's-who" of the music industry.

"Very First Dance" features new, all-original music in a wide variety of jazz styles. Written by vocalist/bandleader Deanna Jones and producer/keyboardist Mark Falchook, this CD evokes of all the sensations and nuances of a new romance. The lyrics range from the touching and poignant "Astounded" and "Ocean Eyes", to the funny and playful "What If" and "I'm Satisfied", (which they actually performed at Douglas' and Zeta-Jones' wedding). "Food For My Soul" gets two different treatments on this CD. Deanna explains, "Originally it was written as a sultry latin ballad, reminiscent of the early stages of a romance, when you're discovering each other for the first time. But then Mark suggested that we try it with more energy and fire (complete with burning sax solo), and it turned out to be equally compelling. Rather than having to choose between the two, we decided to include both." Also of special mention is "Gravy", which brings to mind the arrangements of Steely Dan. "Musically, that was my homage to Donald Fagen, whose songwriting has always been an inspiration", adds Mark. Deanna's insightful lyric reminds us to appreciate those things that are truly important in life, and that everything else is just "Gravy".

Deanna's vocals are lush and seemingly effortless, with a warm intimate quality as smooth as a fine wine. Falchook's arrangements are a perfect match; supportive and elegant without overpowering, casting Deanna's vocals in the perfect light. Whether your taste is for traditional swing or smooth jazz, funky or romantic, latin or big band; The Deanna Jones Orchestra's "Very First Dance" is an endlessly creative adventure that deserves a home in your collection.

Very First Dance

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Earl Hines, Jaki Byard - Duet!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 38:37

Size: 88.4 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 1975/2015

Art: Front

[5:51] 1. A-Toodle-Do, Toddle-Do

[3:26] 2. This Is Always

[4:49] 3. Rosetta

[5:15] 4. I Can't Trust Myself Alone

[2:53] 5. Sweet Georgia Brown

[5:48] 6. As Long As Ilive

[6:15] 7. Genoa To Pescara

[4:17] 8. La Rosita

Jaki Byard recorded several duo piano dates (one with Tommy Flanagan made for Prestige is unreleased and possibly lost). His meeting with Earl Hines, however, is the most successful one because of the common ground they shared. Byard's lively boogie-woogie "A-ToodleOo, Toodle-Oo" is a captivating opener, while Hines' "Rosetta" is quite unusual as the two pianists take their time gradually working their way into this classic piece. The album highlight is "Sweet Georgia Brown," a true masterpiece of improvisation on a familiar standard by both men. ~Ken Dryden

Duet

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