Dick Oatts - All Of Three

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 55:08
Size: 88,6 MB
Art: Front

( 6:10)  1. Barnacle Bill
( 7:17)  2. Gumbo G
( 4:32)  3. Single Line
( 6:59)  4. In love & memory
( 8:14)  5. On dominant
( 4:11)  6. In light of
(11:11)  7. Alone Together
( 6:30)  8. Break take

Born and raised in the state of Iowa, Dick Oatts was brought up in a musical family. He was introduced to the saxophone by his father Jack Oatts, a respected jazz educator and saxophonist. After high school, Dick attended Drake University and in 1972 he began his professional career in Minneapolis/St. Paul.  It was 1977 when Oatts decided to move to New York City. He then became a member if the Thad Jones Mel Lewis Orchestra. Since then he has recorded and toured with small groups such as Red Rodney, Eddie Gomez, Vic Juric, Bob Brookmeyer, Mel Lewis, Dom Salvador, Jerry Bergonzi, Flim & the BB's, Fred Hersch, Dave Berkman, Soren Moller, Terell Stafford, Jon Faddis, Lalo Schiffrin, and Ray Mantilla. His big band and larger group experience include performances with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Mel Lewis, Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Lester Bowie, Joe Lovano, Sam Jones-Tom Harrell, Paquito D'Rivera, Jim McNeely, Tito Puente, Kenny Wheeler, and Gunther Schuller. Oatts has also been featured with the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, Danish Radio Big Band, Norboton Jazz Orchestra, Metropole Orchestra, and the UMO Big Band in Helsinki. He has accompanied such vocalists as Joe Williams, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Neene Freelon, Mel Torme, and Milton Nascimento. He has recorded solos for pop artists Luther Vandross, James Taylor, and Everything But the Girl. Oatts is now a Steeplechase recording artist and has six Cd's released as a leader. (All of Three, Standard Issue, Simone's Dance, Standard Issue vol. 2, South Paw, Gratitude). He also has a CD out on the RED label with bassist Dave Santoro entitled Meru. Dick has 3 CDs as a leader on the DMP label with pianist and a co-leader Garry Dial.  For 30 years, Mr. Oatts has appeared at college jazz festivals as a soloist and clinician throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, South America, and the Middle East. Oatts is a professor of Jazz Studies at the Boyer School of Music at Temple University and has been an artist-in-residence at the Amsterdam Conservatory since 1997. http://www.dickoattsmusic.com/#biography

Personnel: Dick Oatts (alto & tenor saxophones); Dave Santoro (bass); James Oblon (drums).

All Of Three

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Jimmy Giuffre - Western Suite

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:25
Size: 85,8 MB
Art: Front

( 5:52)  1. Western Suite: Pony Express
( 4:17)  2. Western Suite: Apaches
( 3:01)  3. Western Suite: Saturday Night Dance
( 4:28)  4. Western Suite: Big Pow Wow
(11:24)  5. Topsy
( 8:20)  6. Blue Monk

In late 1957, jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and iconoclast Jimmy Giuffre broke up the original Jimmy Giuffre 3 with Ralph Pena and Jim Hall. In early 1958, for a recording session, he formed a new trio without a rhythm section. For the album Trav'lin' Light, his new trio included Hall on guitar and the underrated trombone giant Bob Brookmeyer. For a year, they gigged together up and down the West Coast and played summer festivals, recorded, and even played clubs in New York. They became a trio of adventurous musicians for whom form was not an obstacle to creativity. As the year wound down, Giuffre wanted to document the trio once more, sensing its life was coming to an end. He composed the four-movement "Western Suite" with the trio's strengths in mind, as a way of documenting how they had come together as a band during that year. The piece itself stands as a crowning achievement in a career that included discovering the talents of Steve Swallow and Paul Bley and making the truly revolutionary recording Free Fall for Columbia three years later. The roots of that thinking lie in this set. Jim Hall's playing was dark, funky, ambiguous, sounding like drums and voices all at the same time particularly in the fourth movement. Brookmeyer became the pace setter. 

His lines were played as stage settings for the other two players to dialogue and narrate against. Giuffre, ever the storyteller, advanced the improvisation angle and wrote his score so that each player had to stand on his own as part of the group; there were no comfort zones. Without a rhythm section, notions of interval, extensions, interludes, and so on were out the window. He himself played some of his most retrained yet adventurous solos in the confines of this trio and within the form of this suite. It swung like West Coast jazz, but felt as ambitious as Copland's Billy the Kid. The record is filled out with two other tunes, one of Eddie Durham's, "Topsy," and the final moment of mastery this band ever recorded, the already classic "Blue Monk." The easy stroll of the front line with Brookmeyer's trombone strutting New Orleans' style is in sharp contrast to Giuffre's clarinet playing. Which carries the bluesy melody through three harmonic changes before he solos and then plays three more. Hall keeps it all on track, and somehow the piece sounds very natural this way, though unlike "Monk," there are no edges here everything is rounded off. This is as solid as any of the earlier or later Jimmy Giuffre 3 records, and two notches above Trav'lin' Light in that it reveals a fully developed sense of the responsibilities, possibilities, and freedoms of reinventing jazz for the trio. ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/western-suite-mw0000530642

Personnel:  Jimmy Giuffre - clarinet, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone;  Jim Hall – guitar;  Bob Brookmeyer - piano, valve trombone

Western Suite

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Lindsey Webster - Back To Your Heart

Styles: Vocal 

Year: 2016
File: MP3@192K/s
Time: 60:10
Size: 83,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:06)  1. Back to Your Heart
(5:35)  2. Where Do You Want to Go
(6:32)  3. I Know You Well
(4:51)  4. Those Three Words
(5:11)  5. One at a Time (feat. Kirk Whalum)
(5:14)  6. On Our Way
(5:24)  7. Somehow
(4:21)  8. Living a Lie
(4:39)  9. Aint It Funny
(6:14) 10. Next to Me
(6:58) 11. Fast and Slow

Originally a cellist singer/songwriter Lindsey Webster found her musical way to the vocal interpretation in the Soul, Pop and R&B genre. With her self titled debut album (2013) she won “Best Acoustic Song” in the Independent Music Awards. Her second album You Change (2015) aroused the attention of the listeners and increased the degree of awareness. With the third album Back To Your Heart (2016) she is designated to achieve her international breakthrough as an artist of the contemporary jazz genre.

Musicians on this album are beside vocalist Lindsey Webster on selected tracks Keith Slattery (keyboards), Mike DeMicco and Tony DePaolo (guitar), Fred Doumbe (bass), Dan Hickey (drums), Foluso Mimy (percussion), Ken Gioffre and Kirk Whalum (sax) and the additional horn section on Ain’t It Funny with Jay Collins (baritone sax & horn arrangements), Ken Gioffre (tenor sax), Joe Fiedler (trombone) and Chris Pasin (trumpet).

Back To Your Heart is scheduled for release November 4, 2016 on Shanachie Entertainment. All songs are written by Lindsey Webster & Keith Slattery. Lindsey comments euphorically:  “Here it is our third album! I am excited to say that this is by far our best work. In terms of the songwriting, the production, and the overall sound, we are thrilled to deliver this labor of love to you. Special care was taken on each song to make it the best it could possibly be, and I think that my evolution as an artist, a songwriter, and a producer are reflected on this album?Already on her previous albums Lindsey flirted with timbre and style of the most famous singer Sade. On the lead single Back to Your Heart she has perfected this skill to breathtaking similarity. Nevertheless she doesn't bend her own personality, which flashes superbly in many passages. Her strength of expression gives Where Do You Want to Go a delicate decor of vividness and individuality. I Know You Well is less an intimate description of a relationship, as a platform of manifest vocal artistry. Those Three Words chooses the reciprocal approach. Lindsey's voice becomes a gentle breeze of affection with a touch of romance. One At A Time follows this stylistic line with Kirk Whalum on sax in duo partnership. The song was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and is Lindsey's answer and practical implementation.

On Our Way has the dynamic and tension curve of Grover Washington's Just The Two Of Us. Holding the tone in such a flamboyant way will initiate applause on every live event. With her resonant voice Lindsey leads Somehow to ups and downs in a positive sense. On Living a Lie she showcases passion, audacity and expressiveness pulling all stops of her full-bodied vocal gift. Tremolo, falsetto, smoothness and strength, the full range of a high professional interpret. Ain't It Funny delivers an utterly explosive vocal firework with virtuoso performance of all horns. The style on Next to Me is easily identifiable. Influenced by Sade Lindsey transforms her voice to new qualitative highs. Keith Slattery's instrumental harmony of keyboards and Rhodes piano adds a fine acoustic stimulation. Final delight for ear and soul is Fast and Slow.  Lindsey challenges herself and masters these tasks marvelously. Lindsey Webster combines on her new album Back To Your Heart empathy and sensibility with attentive mastery and a prodigious musical talent. Her already achieved level of artistry goes far beyond her notoriety. It's up to the audience to provide a welcome balance. http://www.smooth-jazz.de/firstview/Webster/BackToYourHeart.htm

Back To Your Heart

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Jesper Thilo - Plays Basie And Ellington

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 134:58
Size: 309.0 MB
Styles: Big Band, Mainstream jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:46] 1. Duke's Place
[6:31] 2. Sophisticated Lady
[6:07] 3. Perdido
[4:45] 4. Blue Light
[6:02] 5. What Am I Here For
[4:52] 6. Prelude To A Kiss
[4:54] 7. Caravan
[6:32] 8. I Got It Bad
[7:11] 9. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[4:53] 10. The Starcrossed Lovers
[4:09] 11. Cotton Tail
[5:55] 12. Mood Indigo
[4:04] 13. One O'clock Jump
[6:38] 14. Lil' Darlin'
[4:03] 15. Tickle Toe
[4:34] 16. Ghost Of A Chance
[4:37] 17. Shorty George
[6:36] 18. Blue And Sentimental
[4:04] 19. Cute
[5:26] 20. Crazy Moten
[7:00] 21. For Lena And Lennie
[4:01] 22. Lester Leaps In
[6:09] 23. I Want A Little Girl
[5:44] 24. Lady Be Good
[5:12] 25. Splanky

Jesper Thilo med Søren Kristiansen, Hugo Rasmussen, Svend-Erik Nørregaard ... et al. ; Jesper Thilo (tenorsax/clarinet) ; Søren Kristiansen (piano) ; Hugo Rasmussen (bass) ; Svend-Erik Nørregaard (drums) ; engineers: Michael "Miller" Olsen, Bjarne Hansen ; produced by Jesper Thilo.

This is a 2-CD set combined here for a one-step acquisition.

Plays Basie And Ellington

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Peggy Lee - All Aglow Again!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:10
Size: 71.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1960/2011
Art: Front

[3:19] 1. Fever
[2:19] 2. Where Do I Go From Here
[2:25] 3. Whee Baby
[2:11] 4. My Man
[2:24] 5. You Deserve
[2:55] 6. Mañana (Is Soon Enough For Me)
[2:27] 7. Hallelujah, I Love Him So
[2:27] 8. You Don't Know
[2:23] 9. Louisville Lou
[2:50] 10. I'm Lookin' Out The Window
[2:29] 11. It Keeps You Young
[2:56] 12. Let's Call It A Day

The point of this patchy compilation, released on Capitol Records' discount-priced Starline series in 1960, seems to be to put Peggy Lee's 1958 Top Ten single "Fever" on an LP for the first time. The single's B-side, "You Don't Know," also appears, along with five tracks from singles Lee released in 1959: the old Fanny Brice signature song "My Man," which reached the singles chart as the B-side of "Alright, OK, You Win"; the charting cover of Ray Charles' "Hallelujah, I Love Him So" and its B-side, "I'm Lookin' Out the Window," and the non-charting single "You Deserve" with its B-side "Where Do I Go from Here." Lee's biggest hit, "Manana (Is Soon Enough for Me)," from back in 1948, is thrown in for good measure, and the collection is padded out to 12 tracks by digging four previously unreleased songs from the vaults: "Whee Baby," "Louisville Lou (That Vampin' Lady)," "It Keeps You Young," and "Let's Call It a Day." Despite this grab-bag of sources, there are some excellent, if stylistically disparate, performances, starting with the brilliantly smoldering "Fever." "You Don't Know" is even bluesier and an excellent companion piece. The faux-Latin "Manana (Is Good Enough for Me)" is always welcome, and Lee's effervescent reading provides a light contrast to Charles' on "Hallelujah, I Love Him So." Among the better known material, only "My Man" is a failure, because it doesn't suit the singer, whose cool persona is at odds with its hot, emotional fervor. Lee has fun with the lesser known songs, but it's easy to see why they are lesser known. ~William Ruhlmann

All Aglow Again!

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Royal Crown Revue - The Contender

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:21
Size: 99.3 MB
Styles: Neo swing
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[3:24] 1. The Contender
[3:55] 2. Walkin' Like Brando
[3:13] 3. Zip Gun Bop
[2:50] 4. Big Boss Lee
[4:19] 5. Friday The 13th
[3:39] 6. Stormy Weather
[2:56] 7. Morning Light
[2:47] 8. Salt Peanuts
[3:14] 9. Work Baby Work
[4:13] 10. Everyone Knows You're Crazy
[5:11] 11. Port-Au-Prince (Travels With Betty Page)
[3:34] 12. Deadly Nightcall

The least smarmy of the bevy of neo-swing albums that were released during the same period (including admirable-selling sets by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and the Cherry Poppin' Daddies), Royal Crown Revue's fourth album is also their most traditional offering in the genre. And because they are somewhat veterans of the scene (they formed in 1989, at least a good five years before neo-swing bands began replacing ska groups as Southern California's latest musical offering to fad-seeking kids), Royal Crown Revue play it a bit more straight and with more dash than most of their neo-swing contemporaries. Still, there's a slight hipper-than-thou vibe splattered throughout The Contender, one that still self-importantly winks at its audience as it heavy-handedly plows through music 50-years-old. Choice cuts: "Walkin' Like Brando," "Zip Gun Bop (Reloaded)" and the zesty title track. ~Michael Gallucci

The Contender

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Harry Nilsson - All Time Greatest Hits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:27
Size: 129.3 MB
Styles: Rock, AM Pop
Year: 1989
Art: Front

[2:43] 1. Everybody's Talkin'
[2:41] 2. Sleep Late, My Lady Friend
[2:42] 3. Good Old Desk
[2:22] 4. Don't Leave Me
[2:38] 5. 1941
[2:47] 6. Cowboy
[2:55] 7. One
[3:53] 8. Coconut
[2:42] 9. Daybreak
[3:21] 10. Without You
[2:43] 11. I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City
[2:06] 12. Caroline
[2:08] 13. Daddy's Song
[2:54] 14. Jump Into The Fire
[2:19] 15. Without Her
[2:10] 16. Me And My Arrow
[2:44] 17. Nobody Cares About The Railroad Anymore
[3:30] 18. Spaceman
[2:53] 19. As Time Goes By
[4:06] 20. Remember

HARRY NILSSON wasn't your ordinary "pop star"...possessing a droll wit, a quirky vocabulary of diverse styles, and a multi octave vocal range, few radio listeners tied Top 40 fare such as the funky island jam COCONUT, the childlike ME & MY ARROW and the hard charging JUMP INTO THE FIRE together under the same name. An eclectic tunesmith who provided ONE for THREE DOG NIGHT, CUDDLY TOY for THE MONKEES, and the winsome theme from TV's THE COURTSHIP OF EDDIE'S FATHER, he also scored with sweetly tasteful, laid back covers of FRED NEIL's MIDNIGHT COWBOY classic EVERYBODY'S TALKIN and the lush, starkly beautiful BADFINGER track WITHOUT YOU. ALL TIME GREATEST HITS gathers up the important radio singles from SPACEMAN and DAYBREAK to I GUESS THE LORD MUST BE IN NEW YORK CITY, tossing in a pair of RANDY NEWMAN covers and an after hours rendition of the BOGIE-associated AS TIME GOES BY for extra atmosphere. NILSSON was always a musical enigma whose fans (at least those who knew his name, not merely his hits) found a rewarding challenge to unravel. ~Dave Chavers

All Time Greatest Hits

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Various - Capitol Records From The Vaults: The Birth Of A Label

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:04
Size: 171.9 MB
Styles: Assorted
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:11] 1. Freddie Slack And His Orchestra - Cow Cow Boogie
[2:56] 2. Johnny Mercer - Strip Polka
[2:59] 3. Martha Tilton - I'll Remember April
[2:45] 4. Bobby Sherwood And His Orchestra - I Don't Know Why
[3:19] 5. Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra - Serenade In Blue
[2:47] 6. Tex Ritter - Jingle Jangle Jingle
[2:41] 7. Connie Haines - At Last
[3:00] 8. Ella Mae Morse - Mr. Five By Five
[3:15] 9. Billie Holiday - Trav'lin' Light
[3:00] 10. Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra - There Will Never Be Another You
[3:07] 11. Johnny Mercer - I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City
[2:54] 12. Bobby Sherwood And His Orchestra - Moonlight Becomes You
[3:00] 13. Gordon Jenkins - White Christmas
[2:38] 14. Margaret Whiting - That Old Black Magic
[2:45] 15. Six Hits And A Miss - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[2:59] 16. Freddie Slack - Riffette
[3:09] 17. Ray Mckinley - Big Boy
[3:15] 18. Ray Mckinley - Hard Hearted Hannah
[3:03] 19. Ella Mae Morse - Get On Board, Little Chillun
[2:49] 20. Billy Butterfield - My Ideal
[3:09] 21. Ceelle Burke & His Orchestra - From Twilight 'til Dawn
[2:53] 22. Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra - The Old Music Master
[3:21] 23. Nat King Cole Trio - All For You
[2:38] 24. The Pied Pipers - Pistol Packin' Mama
[3:19] 25. Johnny Mercer - G.I. Jive

From the Vaults is a multi-disc series commemorating the 60th anniversary of Capitol Records. Volume one, Birth of a Label, compiles 25 of the earliest sides issued by the label's collective brain trust: songwriters Buddy DeSylva, Johnny Mercer, and record shop proprietor Glenn Wallichs. Although many of these tunes quickly became pop standards, several have never been issued on CD before -- and of those that have previously entered the digital domain, most were transferred from sonically challenged vinyl. Tremendous care has been taken on the From the Vaults series to track down the best possible source materials. The extra effort pays off immeasurably. Capitol's incipient recordings were, as one might imagine, an ideal vehicle for Mercer's dynamic compositions. "Strip Polka," "Trav'lin' Light," and "G.I. Jive" are among his earliest pieces for the label and are included on this volume. However, the label quickly became recognized for the variety of sounds released under their moniker. Some of Capitol's earliest hits were taken from motion picture soundtracks. "My Ideal," "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," "Moonlight Becomes You," and the seasonal favorite "White Christmas" are among the baker's dozen of movie songs featured on this release. Other genres to be represented by Capitol ranged from jazz ("Trav'lin' Light") to boogie-woogie ("Cow Cow Boogie"), and even early R&B ("Riffette"). A 10-page liner notes booklet contains memorabilia, vintage photos, and other previously unpublished eye candy, as well as an essay by musician and music historian Billy Vera. Initial pressings -- limited to 10,000 -- are cleverly packaged in a digi-pack designed to replicate the 78 rpm records and sleeves of the era. With such attention to sonic as well as visual detail, Vol. One: Birth of a Label is a promising start to the series. ~Lindsay Planer

Capitol Records From The Vaults: The Birth Of A Label

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Tim Warfield - A Sentimental Journey

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:51
Size: 156,2 MB
Art: Front

( 9:26)  1. Sentimental Journey
( 5:25)  2. I'll Be Seeing You
( 4:47)  3. My Man
( 5:06)  4. Crazy Rhythm
( 8:55)  5. Speak Low
( 8:00)  6. In a Sentimental Mood
( 7:56)  7. Golden Earrings
(10:12)  8. Here's That Rainy Day

Saxophonist Tim Warfield has been associated with the Wynton Marsalis/Lincoln Center post-Young Lions of mainstream jazz for quite some time. With A Sentimental Journey, he might be making inroads to breaking that mold with a collection of standards fortified by the B-3 organ of Pat Bianchi and given different shadings or flavors. With trumpeter Terrell Stafford as second-in-command, Warfield takes the effortless lead on most of these chestnuts, with primarily his tenor sax and a little soprano. There are three short but sweet songs, including a quaint tango/march version of "My Man" with Warfield playing a Sidney Bechet-toned soprano. The rest are long and involved jam-type workouts as Warfield's tenor is assertive and up-front. A slow, slinky, lugubrious take on "Sentimental Journey" and similarly steamy approach to the Brazilian-tinged "Speak Low" emphasize what is mostly a program of easy swing, ballads, blues, and bossas, with "Crazy Rhythm" the energetic exception. Drummer Byron "Wookie" Landham is the lone rhythmic instrument, and unlike his groove-oriented work with Joey DeFrancesco, he tones down the proceedings with taste and grace. Warfield is not so much distinctive as tasteful, not shattering barriers but playing enjoyable, straight-laced music. ~ Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-sentimental-journey-mw0001987889

Personnel: Tim Warfield (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Terell Stafford (trumpet, flugelhorn); Pat Bianchi (Hammond b-3 organ); Byron Landham (drums).

A Sentimental Journey

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Teri Thornton - Devil May Care

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:16
Size: 85,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:48)  1. Lullaby of the Leaves
(2:47)  2. Devil May Care
(3:10)  3. Detour Ahead
(2:33)  4. The Song Is You
(3:29)  5. My Old Flame
(3:48)  6. What's Your Story, Morning Glory
(2:31)  7. Dancing in the Dark
(3:27)  8. Left Alone
(3:11)  9. Blue Champagne
(2:42) 10. I Feel a Song Comin' On
(4:11) 11. What's New?
(2:33) 12. Blue Skies

This is the first (of three) long out of print recordings by Teri Thornton, finally available to the general public. It would not be a stretch to say she is perhaps the most talented, distinctive, clean, out-of-sight singer listeners have never heard....until now. Thornton's powerful, almost chilling voice compares favorably to the pristine tones and vibrato of Sarah Vaughan, the blues sassiness of Dinah Washington, and some of the more soulful refrains of Abbey Lincoln. Simply put, you have to hear her once to believe her. Whether on doleful ballads or raucous swingers, Thornton is totally confident and in control  of her emotions and yours. From the best version of the Bob Dorough-written title track you are likely to hear, to the regretful ballad "My Old Flame" or the ultimate heart-melter "Left Alone," to an interesting arrangement on a pleading "What's Your Story, Morning Glory?," Thornton charges through the bar lines. Check her forcefulness on "Dancing in the Dark" and "I Feel a Song Coming On." Sometimes she purposefully staggers behind measures to grand effect. Every track is a showstopper, thanks to her uniquely soulful, drama-laden approach. 

Potent, unobtrusive horn charts feature legends like trumpeter Clark Terry, trombonist Britt Woodman, and saxophonists Earle Warren and Seldon Powell. The rhythm section of guitarist Freddie Green (half the tracks, Sam Herman on the others), pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Jimmy Cobb can do no wrong. Arranger par excellence Norman Simmons provided the perfect charts. This is an important document of a truly great jazz singer, and is essential in the collection of every serious aficionado. The only one regret is that it can't be given several handfuls of *****. ~ Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/devil-may-care-mw0000237135

Personnel: Teri Thornton (vocals); Freddie Green, Sam Herman (guitar); Seldon Powell (saxophone); Earle Warren (alto saxophone); Clark Terry (trumpet, flugelhorn); Britt Woodman (trombone); Wynton Kelly (piano); Jimmy Cobb (drums).

Devil May Care

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Tony Williams - The Joy Of Flying

Styles: Jazz Fusion
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:56
Size: 115,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:16)  1. Going Far
(8:07)  2. Hip Skip
(6:20)  3. Hittin' On 6
(6:19)  4. Open Fire
(6:52)  5. Tony
(3:31)  6. Eris
(6:08)  7. Coming Back Home
(8:19)  8. Morgan's Motion

It would be an understatement to say that there was a fair amount of variety on this set. Drummer Tony Williams is heard in two duets with keyboardist Jan Hammer, with a quartet also including keyboardist Herbie Hancock, Tom Scott (who unfortunately sticks to lyricon) and bassist Stanley Clarke, and he welcomes rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose, keyboardist Brian Auger, guitarist George Benson, Hammer and tenorman Michael Brecker on other tracks. Much of this music is closer to R&B than to jazz, although there are many strong moments. But the most interesting selection is certainly "Morgan's Motion" which matches Williams with pianist Cecil Taylor in a powerful (and completely atonal) collaboration. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-joy-of-flying-mw0000030914

Personnel:  Tony Williams: drums;  George Benson: guitar;  Ronnie Montrose: guitar;  Cecil Taylor: piano;  Jan Hammer: synthesizer, keyboards;  Herbie Hancock: synthesizer, keyboards;  Brian Auger: synthesizer, keyboards;  Michael Brecker: tenor saxophone;  Mario Cipolina: bass;  Stanley Clarke: bass;  Paul Jackson: bass

The Joy Of Flying

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Mark Wingfield - Proof of Light

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:15
Size: 122,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:10)  1. Mars Saffron
(4:14)  2. Restless Mountains
(7:55)  3. The Way to Etretat
(4:50)  4. A Conversation We Had
(3:22)  5. A Thousand Faces
(8:37)  6. Voltaic
(5:40)  7. Summer Night's Story
(5:16)  8. Koromo's Tale
(7:05)  9. Proof of Light

My initial exposure to UK-based guitarist, educator Mark Wingfield occurred via a recommendation to check out Three Windows (Dark Horse Records, 2008), which is an album that demonstrates his astounding virtuosity and unique voice, spanning jazz, fusion and a host of melodious ambient treatments. Many artists and technicians within the perceivable inner circle recognize Wingfield as a force to be reckoned with. Yet with Proof of Light produced by progressive New York City-based Moonjune Records, he should reap the benefits of additional and warranted exposure. Supported by prestigious musicians, drummer Asaf Sirkis (John Abercrombie, Jeff Berlin) and bassist Yaron Stavi (David Gilmour, Robert Wyatt), the leader often constructs flourishing and power-packed thematic overtures, as they seamlessly fuse agility and power into the grand schema.  Akin to guitar heroes, Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix, Wingfield makes his guitar howl, sing, and cry for mercy amid flickering single note runs, tinted with a dash of reverb that adds depth to these works. Sans a horde of up-tempo supersonic burnouts, Wingfield takes his time in the thematic development department. However, on "Voltaic" the rhythm section's thrusting pulse sets the paradigm for the guitarist's rather ominous delivery, intermingled with ethereal tonal splashes and wailing licks. Here, the trio ups the ante so to speak, as they execute thoroughly complex, brisk and snappy unison lines with effortless ease.  Sirkis and Stavi stretch out during various bridge sections, complementing a host of swaggering grooves, reverse engineering processes, and turbulent breakouts where the leader busts everything wide open. But "Koromo's Tale," opens with Stavi's nimble lines, dappled with background effects and the drummer's textural cymbals patterns for a piece that is quietly soaring by design, casting an ECM Records-type aesthetic partly due to the leader's tone-twisting notes. Hence, from a holistic perspective, Wingfield possesses the goods to be a world-beater. He's an idiosyncratic stylist who infuses wistful delights into his mode of attack, while sparking vivid notions that the guitar is an extension of his soul. ~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/proof-of-light-mark-wingfield-moonjune-records-review-by-glenn-astarita.php
 

Personnel: Mark Wingfield: guitar; Yaron Stavi: upright bass; Asaf Sirkis: drums.

Proof of Light

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The Jimmy Giuffre 3 - Trav'lin' Light

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:32
Size: 85,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:26)  1. Trav'lin' Light
(5:36)  2. The Swamp People
(3:07)  3. The Green Country (New England Mood)
(6:17)  4. Forty-Second Street
(5:44)  5. Pickin' 'Em Up And Layin' 'Em Down
(3:56)  6. The Lonely Time
(4:41)  7. Show Me The Way To Go Home
(2:41)  8. California Here I Come

In 1958, Jimmy Giuffre led one of the most unusual groups ever, a trio comprised of his reeds (clarinet, tenor and baritone), valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer and guitarist Jim Hall. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/travlin-light-mw0001881103

Personnel:  Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Giuffre;  Guitar – Jim Hall;  Trombone – Bob Brookmeyer

Trav'lin' Light

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Denny Earnest - Jazz My Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:41
Size: 134.3 MB
Styles: Cool jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:28] 1. Jazz My Blues (Feat. Mike Gillan & Alan Faugue)
[3:38] 2. Zenato (Feat. Alan Faugue, Mike Gillan, Pat Felitti & Bill Watson)
[3:51] 3. Put It There (Feat. Mike Gillan, Bill Watson & Alan Faugue)
[5:01] 4. A Loving You (Feat. Alan Faugue, Pat Felitti, Bill Watson & Mike Gillan)
[2:37] 5. Polytone Blues (Feat. Alan Faugue, Bill Watson & Mike Gillan)
[4:13] 6. Copping A Blue Feel (Feat. Alan Faugue, Mike Gillan, Bill Watson & Pat Felitti)
[4:10] 7. When The Sun Comes Up On You (Feat. Bill Watson, Mike Gillan & Alan Faugue)
[3:44] 8. The Way You Move (Feat. Bill Watson, Pat Felitti & Mike Gillan)
[4:50] 9. Only As Strong (Feat. Mike Gillan, Alan Faugue, Bill Watson & Pat Felitti)
[3:59] 10. Piazza Deleon (Feat. Mike Gillan, Alan Faugue, Pat Felitti & Bill Watson)
[4:20] 11. Cool Latin Jazz (Feat. Mike Gillan, Pat Felitti, Alan Faugue & Bill Watson)
[3:19] 12. Single Malt Blues (Feat. Bill Watson, Alan Faugue & Mike Gillan)
[3:54] 13. Carmine Lips & Rouge (Feat. Bill Watson, Mike Gillan & Alan Faugue)
[3:00] 14. Pink Flamingo (Feat. Bill Watson, Mike Gillan & Alan Faugue)
[4:29] 15. Half Tone Blues (Feat. Mike Gillan, Pat Felitti, Bill Watson & Alan Faugue)

New release from composer, guitarist, and vocalist Denny Earnest, treading new territory with "Jazz My Blues" with a free wheeling quartet of veteran Jazz players. From the opening salvo title track, he's trading vocal licks with alto sax player Alan Fauque, "Need some Coltrane with my coffee, if I'm to make it til noon". Through it all, the records satisfying, staying true to the roots of Jazz and Blues, anchored on the bottom end with Mike Gillan's percussive talents, glued together by upright bassist Bill Watson, and weaving through all the traffic like a New York cabbie Pat Felitti on piano. No gimmicks or wasted notes here. 15 new tunes written by Denny in the finest traditions of Jazz improv, Slick Jazz, hot, cool, or whatever your infusion.

Jazz My Blues

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Tina Brooks - Minor Move

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:21
Size: 108.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1958/2000
Art: Front

[ 8:49] 1. Nutville
[10:38] 2. The Way You Look Tonight
[ 8:12] 3. Star Eyes
[ 6:37] 4. Minor Move
[ 6:10] 5. Everything Happens To Me
[ 6:52] 6. Minor Move

Tina Brooks' first session for Blue Note was recorded in March of 1958, a month after he appeared on Jimmy Smith's sessions for The Sermon and House Party, but the music wasn't released at the time. The sessions remained unreleased for years, eventually appearing as Minor Move in Japan during the '80s. Listening to Minor Move, it's hard to see why the record was shelved. Not only does it feature Brooks in robust form, but he's supported by pianist Sonny Clark, trumpeter Lee Morgan, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Blakey -- a first-rate lineup if there ever was one. Stylistically, the music here is no great surprise -- it's straight-ahead, driving hard bop -- but the performances are exceptional. Brooks has no problem keeping up with Morgan and Clark, who both have more than their fair share of fine moments here. He has a rich, full-bodied tone and clever phrasing, keeping the music fresh on standards like "The Way You Look Tonight" and "Everything Happens to Me." His original compositions "Nutville" and "Minor Move" are equally impressive, offering the entire band opportunities to stretch out and improvise vigorously. It is true that Minor Move is right within the hard bop tradition, but fans of that style will find much to treasure here. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Minor Move

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Kelley Hurt - Raindance

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:14
Size: 119.6 MB
Styles: R&B, Jazz vocals
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[3:52] 1. Raindance
[2:55] 2. I Can't Help It (If I Wanted To)
[2:46] 3. Do Ya Think I'm Sexy
[4:19] 4. I Can Come To You
[3:27] 5. Let's Get Lost
[3:00] 6. Sweet Dreams Of You
[4:11] 7. Out Of This World
[4:02] 8. The Art Of Love And War
[3:56] 9. How Can I Let You Go
[2:56] 10. You Belong To Me
[4:22] 11. Black Widow
[3:02] 12. Showers Of Blessings
[4:25] 13. Our Day Will Come
[4:55] 14. To Make My Day

Music is a family affair for jazz singer Kelley Hurt. Her heritage takes her back—way back—to songs of the past and sitting around the house singing with her family. “Nothing could compare to hearing all of my relatives raising a hymn together,” she says. “It was about the feeling you got from being together.”

Raindance was produced by Ross Rice and was released October 2003 on Archer Records. Recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Raindance is a fresh mix of Memphis style jazz and R&B. It features Chris Parker on piano, Jonathon Wires on bass, Renardo Ward on drums and Doug Garrison (Iguanas) on percussion.

Her musical accomplishments include winning the Phillips Award for Best New Artist from the Memphis chapter of the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. She was a lead vocalist for the band DDT a jazz fusion and funk band featuring Luther and Cody Dickinson, Paul Taylor, Jim Spake and Chris Parker. Kelley has also worked with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, recording the song “Could Woulda Shoulda” which was produced by Jim Dickinson at Phillips Recording Service. She has toured Italy with the Memphis Blues Revue and has also performed internationally with Bruce Willis and the Accelerators.

The rich musical legacy of Memphis has had a big influence on Kelley but she also listened to such national performers as Shirley Horne, Diane Reeves and Cassandra Wilson. Kelley writes her own lyrics, sings the melody and then adds the chords. OnRaindance she wrote “The Art of Love and War”, “I Can Come To You”, “Black Widow”, and “How Can I Let You Go”.

Raindance

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Ben Sidran - Don't Let Go

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 37:09

Size: 85.1 MB

Styles: Soul-Jazz-Funk

Year: 1974

Art: Front

[3:25] 1. Fat Jam

[3:11] 2. The House Of Blue Lights

[2:40] 3. Ben Sidran's Midnight Tango

[3:43] 4. The Chicken Glide

[3:35] 5. She's Funny That Way (I Got A Woman, Crazy)

[1:28] 6. Monopoly

[3:18] 7. Don't Let Go

[3:28] 8. Hey Hey Baby

[3:44] 9. The Foolkiller

[3:29] 10. The Funky Elephant

[3:47] 11. Snatch

[1:16] 12. Down To The Bone

Alto Saxophone – Bunky Green; Bass – Kip Merklein, Phil Upchurch, Randy Fullerton; Drums – Tom Piazza; Drums, Percussion – Clyde Stubblefield, George Brown, Phil Upchurch; Guitar – James P. Cooke, Phil Upchurch; Harmonica – Jerry Alexander; Organ – Jim Peterman; Piano, Vocals – Ben Sidran; Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Seals.

Issued by Blue Thumb in 1974, Don't Let Go was Ben Sidran's third for the label, and his fourth overall. After his 1971 debut on Capitol, Feel Your Groove -- a rootsy, bluesy, and jazzy rock record, populated by everyone from Peter Frampton to Jesse Ed Davis -- Sidran began to indulge his jazz muse, and by 1974 the transformation was complete; he fit right in with Blue Thumb's funky, wide-reaching jazz, funk, fusion, and whatever-else-comes-down-the-pipe-that's-interesting philosophy. After all, this was the label that had issued recordings by Phil Upchurch, Luis Gasca, Mark-Almond, Ike & Tina Turner, the Crusaders, Sun Ra, Dan Hicks, the Last Poets, the Pointer Sisters, Paul Humphrey, Captain Beefheart, and Robbie Basho, among others. The players surrounding Sidran on this session are stellar; some of them had been recording with him since his second album, I Lead a Life. The players here include Upchurch, Clyde Stubblefield, Bunky Green, Sonny Seals (the saxophonist), Tom Piazza, James Curly Cooke, and Randy Fullerton. Musically, the material walks a thin line between funky and straighter jazz and pop with an equal division between vocal and instrumental numbers over its 12 tracks. Sidran was establishing himself as a serious pianist and intricate composer, and as a songwriter with Mose Allison's sophisticated sense of irony. The set opens with the killer, funked up instrumental "Fat Jam" composed by Cooke. One can hear traces of the Bill Cosby television show in Cooke's lyric line, but with its killer shimmering cymbal work, breaks, and the low-slung yet taut bassline, it's something else, too. When Sidran's Rhodes piano kicks into high gear with the Sonny Burke-arranged horns it becomes a smoking intro to a record that, in spite of its wide-ranging ambition, succeeds on virtually every level. Being pushed to this sense of hot groove, Sidran changes up on his cover of the roadhouse standard "House of Blue Lights." It starts with a spoken word hipster rant that abruptly shifts into a fine nearly spoken read of the boogie-woogie crazy original. Sidran's pianism is red hot and rooted in the Albert Ammons stride, and the rhythm section lights it up when he goes into a solo that moves right into bebop. Given how dizzy the proceeding is, this is only the beginning; as it turns out, Don't Let Go contains some of Sidran's most memorable songs, including the darkly cool "Ben Sidran's Midnite Tango," with a fine string arrangement that outdoes Michael Franks at his own game. There is also the slow strutting jazz shuffle "She's Funny That Way" and the proto-uptown soul stepper "Hey Hey Baby." Of the instrumentals, the low-key funky jazz of "The Chicken Glide," and the now infamous "Snatch" are the highlights, but these are all terrific. Don't Let Go only made it onto CD in Japan, but that shouldn't stop you from scoring a legal download digitally or from Verve's out-of-print online store. This is a killer, adventurous record from a magical time that doesn't sound a bit dated in the 21st century. ~Thom Jurek

Don't Let Go

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Joe Venuti, Tony Romano - Never Before... Never Again

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:58
Size: 61.7 MB
Styles: New Orleans jazz, Swing
Year: 1954/2012
Art: Front

[3:23] 1. You Know You Know You Belong To Somebody Else
[3:50] 2. Feeling Free And Easy
[2:55] 3. Almost Like Being In Love
[3:42] 4. Autumn Leaves
[3:48] 5. I Want To Be Happy
[2:54] 6. Summertime
[2:27] 7. I Remember Joe
[3:57] 8. Angelina

In today’s world, getting this many Italian-Americans together in one place probably violates some racketeering laws. But back in the early 1950s, come to think of it, was probably a crime too! Violinist Joe Venuti (1903-1978) achieved lasting jazz fame for his duets with guitarist Eddie Lang in the 1920s and 1930s. He worked with Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Hoagy Carmichael, Bing Crosby, Paul Whiteman, and Zoot Sims. In 1937 he met guitarist Tony Romano. Romano built a career as a guitarist/composer/arranger/singer/actor, touring with Bob Hope’s USO shows from World War II through Vietnam.

This recording is actually two dates. The first eight tracks come from a duo organized by Johnny Mercer in 1954. Venuti and Romano seem to read each other’s thoughts easily sliding into these standards and original tunes. In today’s hip multi-ethnic culture we would marvel at the diversity of Romano’s Italian arrangement of the traditional “Angelina.” Back then, the two friends merely played the familiar. Venuti’s violin playing weaves the European with swing fiddle. No guitar face here, it’s all love.

The remainder of the disc was from a 1953 session sans Venuti plus a lengthy interview with Tony Romano. Romano displays a deft talent at song, sounding like a Sinatra crooner with a Dean Martin delivery. Back when jazz and popular (pop?) music went hand-in-hand, a good melody or sweet delivery made careers. Guys like Venuti and Romano probably won’t be mentioned in Ken Burns’ PBS jazz spectacle, but they were important pieces in our American story of jazz music. ~Mark Corroto

Never Before... Never Again

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Leonard Cohen - Songs From The Road

Styles: Vocal, Folk
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:17
Size: 154,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:43)  1. Lover, Lover, Lover
(6:09)  2. Bird on the Wire
(3:31)  3. Chelsea Hotel
(5:06)  4. Heart With No Companion
(4:22)  5. That Don't Make it Junk
(8:01)  6. Waiting for the Miracle
(4:17)  7. Avalanche
(3:41)  8. Suzanne
(5:18)  9. The Partisan
(5:23) 10. Famous Blue Raincoat
(7:32) 11. Hallelujah
(6:07) 12. Closing Time

One of the most fascinating and enigmatic  if not the most successful singer/songwriters of the late '60s, Leonard Cohen has retained an audience across six decades of music-making, interrupted by various digressions into personal and creative exploration, all of which have only added to the mystique surrounding him. Second only to Bob Dylan (and perhaps Paul Simon), he commands the attention of critics and younger musicians more firmly than any other musical figure from the '60s who is still working in the 21st century, which is all the more remarkable an achievement for someone who didn't even aspire to a musical career until he was in his thirties. Cohen was born in 1934, a year before Elvis Presley, and his background personal, social, and intellectual couldn't have been more different from those of the rock or folk stars of any generation. Though he knew some country music and played it a bit as a boy, he didn't start performing on even a semi-regular basis, much less recording, until after he had already written several books and as an established novelist and poet, his literary accomplishments far exceed those of Bob Dylan or most anyone else who one cares to mention in music. He was born Leonard Norman Cohen into a middle-class Jewish family in the Montreal suburb of Westmount. His father, a clothing merchant (who also held a degree in engineering), died in 1943, when Cohen was nine years old. It was his mother who encouraged Cohen as a writer, especially of poetry, during his childhood. This fit in with the progressive intellectual environment in which he was raised, which allowed him free inquiry into a vast range of pursuits. His relationship to music was more tentative. He took up the guitar at age 13, initially as a way to impress a girl, but was good enough to play country & western songs at local cafes, and he subsequently formed a group called the Buckskin Boys. At 17, he enrolled in McGill University as an English major. 

By this time, he was writing poetry in earnest and became part of the university's tiny underground "bohemian" community. Cohen only earned average grades, but was good enough as a writer to earn the McNaughton Prize in creative writing by the time he graduated in 1955. A year later, the ink barely dry on his degree, he published his first book of poetry, Let Us Compare Mythologies (1956), which got great reviews but didn't sell especially well. He was already beyond the age that rock & roll was aimed at. Bob Dylan, by contrast, was still Robert Zimmerman, still in his teens, and young enough to become a devotee of Buddy Holly when the latter emerged. In 1961, Cohen published his second book of poetry, The Spice Box of Earth, which became an international success critically and commercially, and established Cohen as a major new literary figure. Meanwhile, he tried to join the family business and spent some time at Columbia University in New York, writing all the time. Between the modest royalties from sales of his second book, literary grants from the Canadian government, and a family legacy, he was able to live comfortably and travel around the world, partaking of much of what it had to offer including some use of LSD when it was still legal  and ultimately settling for an extended period in Greece, on the isle of Hydra in the Aegean Sea. 

He continued to publish, issuing a pair of novels, The Favorite Game (1963) and Beautiful Losers (1966), with a pair of poetry collections, Flowers for Hitler (1964) and Parasites of Heaven (1966). The Favorite Game was a very personal work about his early life in Montreal, but it was Beautiful Losers that proved another breakthrough, earning the kind of reviews that authors dare not even hope for. (Cohen found himself compared to James Joyce in the pages of The Boston Globe, and across the years, the book has enjoyed sales totaling well into six figures.) ...More ~ Bruce Eder http://www.allmusic.com/artist/leonard-cohen-mn0000071209/biography

Personnel: Leonard Cohen (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Bob Metzger (guitar, pedal steel guitar, background vocals); Charley Webb (guitar, background vocals); Javier Mas (12-string guitar, bandurria); Hattie Webb (harp, background vocals); Dino Soldo (harmonica, keyboards, background vocals); Niel Larsen (keyboards); Roscoe Beck (electric bass, background vocals); Rafael Bernardo Gayol (drums, percussion); Sharon Robinson (background vocals).

R.I.P.
Born: September 21, 1934, Westmount, Canada
Died: November 10, 2016, Los Angeles, California, United States

Songs From The Road

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Claudia Thompson - Goodbye To Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:16
Size: 88,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:04)  1. Some Of These Days
(2:49)  2. Body And Soul
(3:29)  3. If I Should Lose You
(3:34)  4. Stormy Weather
(2:41)  5. I'm Through With Love
(2:42)  6. The Morning After
(2:44)  7. Goodbye
(2:56)  8. Blue Prelude
(3:10)  9. You Call It Madness
(3:26) 10. Fan Me
(2:50) 11. I Was Yours
(3:46) 12. Gloomy Sunday

Claudia Thompson's 1959 Edsel release Goodbye to Love features playing by Barney Kessel and a collection of smooth standards, including "Stormy Weather," "Body and Soul," "If I Should Lose You," and "The Morning After." An appealingly polished selection of jazzy pop songs. ~ Heather Phares http://www.allmusic.com/album/goodbye-to-love-mw0000083269

Personnel:  Claudia Thompson (vcl), Barney Kessel (g), Benny Carter (as), Joe Howard, Harry Betts, Ed Kusby, George Roberts (tr), Paul Smith (p), Joe Mondragon (b), Alvin Stoller (d), Ted Nash (fl,as), Mike Rubin (b), Nino Rossi (ello), Dick Shanahan (d)

Thank You my Friend!

Goodbye To Love

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