George Cables - Beyond Forever

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 65:24
Size: 106,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:07)  1. Lost Dreams
( 4:13)  2. 'Round Midnight
( 7:04)  3. The Phantom Of The Islands
( 8:36)  4. Beyond Forever
( 7:26)  5. I Fall In Love Too Easily
( 7:03)  6. Thermo
(10:07)  7. Love Song
( 7:58)  8. Evidence
( 5:46)  9. Little B's Poem

Equally skilled as a leader or as a sideman, George Cables helped to define modern mainstream jazz piano of the 1980s and '90s. When he was 18 and at Mannes College, he formed the Jazz Samaritans with Steve Grossman and Billy Cobham. Cables gained recognition during his stints with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Sonny Rollins (both in 1969), Joe Henderson (1969-1971), and Freddie Hubbard (1971-1976). He was with Dexter Gordon (1976-1978) during the tenor's successful return to the United States, and became known as Art Pepper's favorite pianist (1979-1982). In addition to his occasional work with Bebop and Beyond (starting in 1984), Cables appeared in a countless number of situations through the years, and has recorded frequently as a leader, most notably for Contemporary (including the 1979 classic Cables Vision), Concord, and SteepleChase. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/beyond-forever/id160753449

Personnel: George Cables (piano); Joe Locke (vibraphone); Santi Debriano (bass); Victor Lewis (drums).

Beyond Forever

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Courtney Pine - Closer to Home

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:42
Size: 118,8 MB
Art: Front

(0:55)  1. Opus 1 (Intro)
(4:11)  2. Get Busy
(4:03)  3. Blue Tide
(3:28)  4. I Don't Care
(0:24)  5. Dancehall (Interlude)
(3:52)  6. Kingston
(0:32)  7. Marcus (Interlude)
(4:30)  8. Be Mine Tonight
(5:09)  9. I'm Still Waiting
(1:06) 10. Closer (Interlude)
(3:53) 11. Closer to Home
(4:32) 12. Never Be Lonely
(1:10) 13. Garvey (Interlude)
(3:50) 14. In Time (All Will Know)
(0:35) 15. Dancehall 2 (Interlude)
(2:41) 16. Home Song
(0:53) 17. Opus 1 (Outro)
(5:49) 18. Courtney Blows (Live)

A '92 release by British saxophonist Courtney Pine, who with each album moves more toward the musical center. He's working with pop, rock, and reggae compositions and musicians, but at the same time still playing forceful, frequently dynamic tenor and soprano solos. It's not really fusion, nor is it the kind of uncompromising jazz that he once championed. ~ Ron Wynn http://www.allmusic.com/album/closer-to-home-mw0000280135

Personnel: Courtney Pine (saxophone, keyboards, alto flute, bass synthesizer, drums, computer programming); Dean Fraser (baritone saxophone); Delroy Donaldson, Tony Gad (keyboards, bass); Robbie Lynn (keyboards); Pierre (guitar synthesizer); Stanley (guitar); Danny Browne (bass); Cameron Cleavie, Sly Dunbar (drums, percussion); Drummie (percussion);

Closer to Home

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Art Tatum - The Tatum Group Masterpieces, Vol. 8

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:15
Size: 132,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:48)  1. Gone With The Wind
(7:15)  2. All The Things You Are
(4:49)  3. Have You Met Miss Jones?
(6:15)  4. My One And Only Love
(5:31)  5. Night And Day
(7:18)  6. My Ideal
(6:28)  7. Where Or When
(4:53)  8. Gone With The Wind [alternate take 1]
(4:51)  9. Gone With The Wind [alternate take 2]
(5:02) 10. Have You Met Miss Jones? [alternate take]

The final volume in this very worthy series is a comparatively relaxed affair, a quartet set with tenor-saxophonist Ben Webster. Webster lets Tatum fill the background with an infinite number of notes while emphasizing his warm tenor tone in the forefront on a variety of melodic ballads and standards. The combination works very well. 

~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-tatum-group-masterpieces-vol-8-mw0000614266

Personnel: Art Tatum (piano); Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Red Callender (bass); Bill Douglass (drums).

The Tatum Group Masterpieces Vol. 8

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Malene Mortensen - Date With a Dream

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:20
Size: 113,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:28)  1. I've Got a Date With a Dream
(3:58)  2. All I Want
(5:44)  3. Egyptian Moonlight
(5:31)  4. Blur
(4:11)  5. At Last
(5:26)  6. Take Five
(3:50)  7. Mystery Man
(3:28)  8. Giving You The Best That I've Got
(3:41)  9. Off The Beat
(3:16) 10. Gone Before We Know
(5:45) 11. Crashed

Malene Mortensen emerged on the Danish jazz scene with her 2003 recording debut as a leader for Universal in Europe, following it up with this release for Stunt. With her fresh, engaging vocals and the potential to establish a following in both jazz and pop like Norah Jones, Mortenson isn't really an improviser, but she works with top-notch musicians who create fresh arrangements of standards, while she also proves herself to be a capable composer. Of particular interest are her interpretations of standards, including the sensuous, slowly savored "I've Got a Date with a Dream" (where she's backed by her trio plus strings and a lap steel player) and a heartfelt "At Last" (backed by pianist Kasper Villaume and soprano saxophonist Claus Waidtlow). She soars in Villaume's imaginative post-bop arrangement of "Take Five," displaying her soulful side. Mortenson's originals are more pop-oriented, though still catchy and entertaining, especially her infectious "Off the Beat."~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/date-with-a-dream-mw0000512052

Date With a Dream

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Jazz Crusaders - Happy Again

Styles: Jazz Funk
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:54
Size: 151,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:36)  1. Lock It Down
(5:59)  2. When You're So Far Away
(4:33)  3. Elephant Walk
(6:46)  4. Top Of The World
(3:39)  5. Fools Rush In
(5:37)  6. Are You Part Of Me
(5:44)  7. Slyzappit
(5:19)  8. Rock Slide
(5:55)  9. La luz Del Dia
(3:46) 10. Jamaica
(5:25) 11. Travelin' Inside Your Love
(3:19) 12. Young Tabbits
(5:11) 13. Uh-huh! Oh-yeah!

When trombonist/producer Wayne Henderson, pianist/keyboardist Joe Sample, sax-man Wilton Felder, and drummer Stix Hooper changed their name from the Jazz Crusaders to the Crusaders back in 1971, it signaled a more R&B-minded direction for the group they were always funky, but in the '70s, they became even funkier. And so, the names the Crusaders and the Jazz Crusaders came to stand for two different things if the Jazz Crusaders were synonymous with a funky yet acoustic-oriented approach to hard bop (à la Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers), the Crusaders were about electric-oriented jazz-funk and fusion. In 1995, Henderson (who left the Crusaders in 1975) resurrected the name the Jazz Crusaders and produced Happy Again for the small, Los Angeles-based Sin-drome Records. Sample objected to Henderson's use of the name the Jazz Crusaders, although Sample and Felder were still part of the Crusaders. Confused? Suffice to say that different improvisers used the two names on different projects in the '90s. On Happy Again, Henderson oversees a lineup that includes Felder as well as trumpeter Donald Byrd, guitarist Larry Carlton, keyboardist Bobby Lyle, vibist Roy Ayers, flutist Hubert Laws, and percussionist Poncho Sanchez (among others). With such an impressive cast, Happy Again should have been exceptional; it isn't, although Henderson does give a generally decent album of electric jazz-funk and pop-jazz. Some might argue that if Henderson was going to resurrect the name the Jazz Crusaders, this album should have been more straight-ahead and bop-oriented and that tracks like "When You're So Far Away" and "Elephant Walk" are too pop-influenced to be called Jazz Crusaders recordings. But while Happy Again is hardly the work of a bop purist, it's still a pleasant, if imperfect, outing, and in 1995 it was nice to hear Henderson taking some trombone solos again.~ Alex Henserson http://www.allmusic.com/album/happy-again-mw0000646561

The Jazz Crusaders includes: Bobby Caldwell (vocals); Wayne Henderson, Wilton Felder, Bobby Lyle, N'Dugu Chancler, Larry Kimpel, Craig T.

Happy Again

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Jed Levy - The Italian Suite

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 70:15
Size: 128,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:04)  1. The Road to Rome
(8:30)  2. Ligurian Sea
(6:05)  3. The Models of Milan
(6:57)  4. Dado's Visit
(8:17)  5. Daniela
(7:20)  6. Giuseppe's Borgo
(7:01)  7. Toscana
(4:56)  8. Bari Blues
(8:44)  9. Palermo
(5:17) 10. Dogs of War

On this his seventh SteepleChase release, Jed Levy the composer takes centre stage and presents an album-length suite, with each section relating to Jed's impression of Italy where he has made numerous trips and has given concerts.For the past two decades saxophonist Jed Levy has been a stalwart of the New York jazz scene, leading his own group or performing with such luminaries as Jaki Byard, Junior Mance, Eddie Henderson, Jack Walrath, Kevin Mahogany and Tom Harrell, among others. "Very Impressive and about as inventive a departure from the standard tenor-and-rhythm conventions as one can hope for...a first-class session."

Personnel: Jed Levy (tenor saxophone), Misha Tsiganov (piano), Thomson Kneeland (bass), Alvester Garnett (drums)

The Italian Suite

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Garrison Fewell - City Of Dreams

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:16
Size: 128,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:23)  1. City Of Dreams
(4:56)  2. Girl With The Groovy Hips
(7:15)  3. Naima
(5:40)  4. Blues For No Reason
(7:05)  5. Afternoon At The Souk
(8:18)  6. Soul Eyes
(7:19)  7. Waltz For The Lonely One
(8:15)  8. Theme For Doris

"Smooth" is not a word most people like to associate with "jazz." Call it a failure of overzealous marketing. (They've changed terms by now anyway, so we're safe to use it as a compliment.) Guitarist Garrison Fewell has the maturity to appreciate the importance of connecting the dots: fitting ideas together and making them work. His smooth, easygoing style on City of Dreams masks a sophisticated understanding of the jazz vocabulary and ensemble sound. While he mostly steers clear of technical demonstrations, it's clear that he has the skills to get around on the guitar. And when he plays a note, even slurred with three others, you have the sense that he chose it carefully. Fewell's quintet, assembled pretty much on-the-spot for this recording, have a remarkably intuitive sense of cohesion. They take these tunes five Fewell originals and three standards and glide effortlessly from heads to solos and back. The moods vary from the tender lyricism of "Soul Eyes," to the off-kilter Eastern sway of "Afternoon at the Souk," to the cocky strut of "Blues for No Reason." In every situation, pianist George Cables works with the guitarist to help define the group's harmony without crowding out the middle ground. Saxophonist Tino Tracanna delivers solos which craftily embody themes within a shifting cascade of sound. Drummer Jeff Williams can lay back and swing, maintain a delicate simmering bossa nova, or leap in and spur the group onward with a few well-placed hits. But this quintet recording is all about the group sound, connecting the dots, and allowing intuition to guide the flow. Smooth indeed. And that's a good thing. ~ AAJ Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/city-of-dreams-garrison-fewell-splasch-records-review-by-aaj-staff.php
 

Personnel: Garrison Fewell: guitar;  Tino Tracanna: soprano and tenor saxophone;  George Cables: piano;  Steve LaSpina: bass;  Jeff Williams: drums.

City Of Dreams

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Rich Perry & Harold Danko - Rhapsody

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:52
Size: 151,2 MB
Art:

(7:13)  1. I Hear a Rhapsody
(6:42)  2. Soul Trane
(9:41)  3. Come Rain or Come Shine
(6:31)  4. Beautiful Love
(5:42)  5. Yesterdays
(7:33)  6. Autumn Leaves
(7:04)  7. Star Eyes
(6:57)  8. Like Somone in Love
(8:26)  9. Central Park West

Tenor saxophonist Rich Perry, who has been active on the jazz scene for several decades in a variety of settings, is the common factor between these two top shelf recordings. The first is a duo date with veteran pianist Harold Danko; the latter features Perry as a member of drummer Christian Finger's international band. Rhapsody is a very appropriate title for the duo meeting of Perry and Danko. The two men, who first played together in the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra and have since worked together on many small group recording sessions - typically quartet or duo dates - have no qualms about working their magic on seven of the most frequently played standards. There is no showboating at all, just imaginative yet restrained improvisations upon these familiar themes that never venture too far from the original melodies, even songs like "Star Eyes that all too often seem to be played on autopilot. No matter who is in the lead, the backing musician provides the perfect accompaniment. 

Perry's mature tone, while it may not be easily recognizable to many listeners in a blindfold test, is not overly influenced by any one tenor saxophone great. Danko has never sounded better as an accompanist, finding just the right chords behind Perry every time. They also add two familiar (if less frequently performed) compositions: a soft, moving take of Tadd Dameron's "Soultrane and a lush, subdued finale of John Coltrane's "Central Park West that suggests a quiet Manhattan evening after everyone has turned in for the night. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allaboutjazz.com/rich-perry-rhapsody-and-merge-into-beauty-by-ken-dryden.php

Personnel: Rich Perry: tenor sax; Harold Danko; piano.

Rhapsody

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Molly Johnson - If You Know Love

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:40
Size: 119,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. If You Know Love
(4:29)  2. Let's Waste Some Time
(3:39)  3. Tristes Souvenirs
(4:44)  4. Let's Do it
(4:20)  5. Sticks and Stones
(4:01)  6. Rain
(3:17)  7. Streets of Philadelphia
(3:48)  8. Sunday
(3:36)  9. Messin' Around
(3:18) 10. Tonight
(3:25) 11. But Not for Me
(4:45) 12. Northern Star
(3:25) 13. Avignon Blues

Heavily influenced by Billie Holiday, If You Know Love is the French edition of bohemian retro-jazz vocalist Molly Johnson's third studio album, Messin' Around. The 2007 release includes 11 of the twelve original tracks (her cover of Prince's "Tangerine" is omitted), while two previously unreleased songs, a cover of Cole Porter's "Let's Do It" and "Avignon Blues" appear in its place. The Toronto singer's follow-up to Another Day also features a reworking of Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia" alongside several original compositions co-written with Steven MacKinnon, including the lead single, "Rain."~ Jon O’Brien http://www.allmusic.com/album/if-you-know-love-mw0001539401

If You Know Love

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Jed Levy - Rain

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:36
Size: 162,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:07)  1. Stomp In F Sharp Minor
(7:15)  2. Step Waltz
(5:47)  3. Make Someone Happy
(9:34)  4. Rain
(6:47)  5. Cry Me A River
(6:29)  6. The Producer
(8:13)  7. Reflections
(6:02)  8. The Q
(9:18)  9. Fran Dance
(5:58) 10. P.T. Blues

Saxophonist Jed Levy has been a mainstay on the New York jazz scene for over 20 years. In addition to performing and recording as a leader, he has had long standing working relationships with such jazz luminaries as Jaki Byard (a musical mentor, 3 recordings and countless performances), Don Patterson, Jack McDuff (valuable road experience), Ron McClure (2 CDs and ongoing performances), and Headhunters drummer Mike Clark (2 CD's and new projects in the works.)  He has also been fortunate to have worked with, Junior Mance, Eddie Henderson, Jack Walrath,The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Shirley Scott, Kevin Mahogany, Gene Bertoncini,Don Friedman,Cedar Walton, Curtis Fuller, Chico O'Farrill, Attilla Zollar, Groove Holmes, Tom Harrell, and many others. Levy has toured Japan as a leader and appeared at several international jazz festivals as well as leading bands at such New York venues as Sweet Basil, Blue Note, Birdland, Visiones and Zinno. Diversity has been the key to Levy's success on the New York scene. A recent week found him moving from a concert with the Cab Calloway Orchestra to a night with Mike Clark and Charley Hunter at the Knitting Factory, to the Apollo Theater with the Temptations and the Four Tops, to Birdland with Chico O'Farill's Afro Cuban Orchestra. In his presentations as a leader, as well as in his compositions, Levy tries to incorporate these varied musical experiences. His compositions have been recorded by such artists as the Headhunters, Don Friedman, Eddie Henderson, and Mike Clark. His CD's "Mood Ellington", "Gateway" and "Evans Explorations " on Steeplechase are receiving critical acclaim. http://www.jedlevy.com/

What critics say of Jed Levy
-from the All About Jazz review of "Evans Explorations"Jed Levy has set for himself in his explorations of a piece of the Evans digest using his tenor trio is a daunting one. Levy succeeds remarkably well through his own impressionistic gentle touch, Francois Moutin's up-in-the-mix yet perceptively sensitive bass and the drumming of Evans grad Eliot Zigmund.

-from the All About Jazz review of "Gateway" Jed Levy, as demonstrated on the most attractive Gateway, lives in the mainstream world, but one that is filled with unexpected twists and turns while bringing together musicians who had never played together as a quartet.

-from the Jazz Times.com review of "Mood Ellington":  Tenorist/flutist Jed Levy's Mood Ellington can be both admired and enjoyed for its imaginative reworkings of some lesser-known Duke Ellington compositions, all performed with skill and affection by a stellar quintet.

-from the Montreal Mirror Review of "Mood Ellington" 10/10:  Tenorman Levy comes up with one of the greatest Ellington CDs in recent memory, including compositions like "Neo Hip Hot Cool Kiddies Community" from Duke's suite "The River?" and "Circle of Fourths," inspired by the Bard. It's also a great introduction to pianist Bill Mays.

-from Penguin Guide to Jazz, a review of "Round and Round":  "Jed's playing, though, is again tremendous.  He powers through themes and solos in a way which ought to seem bland, in terms of the steely confidence of the execution, yet its nothing but full-throated enjoyment.  The sort of record which empowers the jazz-repertory tradition without troubling to make any statements at all. 
  
- from Jazz Review  review of "Round and Round": "The first thing to notice about this fine album is what a lot of sax playing you get for your money.  Jed Levy's tenor is unstoppable: the music flow out the horn in torrents."  

-from the Penguin Guide to Jazz's review of "Sleight of Hand": "Very impressive and about as inventive a departure from the standard tenor-and-rhythm conventions as one can hope for.  Levy's broad-shouldered tone and confident delivery give him the kind of full-on swing one associates with an earlier generation, but he's soaked in bebop and hard-bop practice."   

Personnel:   Jed Levy (ts);  George Colligan (p);  Ron McClure (b); Adam Nusbaum(ds).

Rain

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The Claus Ogerman Orchestra - Gate of Dreams

Styles: Big Band, Jazz-Funk 
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:07
Size: 85,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:10)  1. Time Passed Autumn (Part I)
(2:48)  2. Time Passed Autumn (Interlude and Part II)
(4:52)  3. Time Passed Autumn (Part III)
(4:48)  4. Caprice
(2:58)  5. Air Antique
(8:14)  6. Night Will Fall
(2:32)  7. Night Will Fall (Interlude and Conclusion)
(6:42)  8. A Sketch of Eden

Pictured on the back of the album dragging on what looks like a small cigar deep in thought, the moment captured above, that’s where the listener is too, the shimmering strings of ‘Time Passed Autumn’ still and contemplative at the beginning: in a Gil Evans-like domain, the modal progressions moving along quite deliciously but gently until a kind of a light funky jazz rock guitar solo jolts you out of your reverie. Gate of Dreams can and does overegg the pudding in terms of what might almost be jazz-rock symphonic flourishes or what now seems generic movie score touches, but it’s hard not to get sucked in to mondo Ogerman the composer an expert at narrative development via his captivating arranging style. The orchestra also includes some extraordinary players, Michael Brecker and John Guerin among them, heard in a different context to the jazz-rock and funk of the day. It’s interesting that this year has seen the reissue of Keith Jarrett’s Arbour Zena recorded in 1975. Listen to ‘Runes’ and then the beginning of ‘Time Passed Autumn Part 1’ and there’s a striking continuum in the strings at least although Arbour Zena eventually develops along more experimental chamber jazz lines and Gate of Dreams is a warmer sound certainly tonally. On balance the ‘Time Passed’ sequence is where the best moments are to be found; the later ‘Night Will Fall’ sections are maybe just that bit too corny for complete enjoyment. SG  http://www.marlbank.net/reviews/1670-the-claus-ogerman-orchestra-gate-of-dreams-warner-bros.html

Gate of Dreams

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Count Basie, Zoot Sims - Basie & Zoot

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:17
Size: 108.2 MB
Styles: Piano blues/jazz
Year: 1976/2008
Art: Front

[4:40] 1. I Never Knew
[5:37] 2. It's Only A Paper Moon
[6:34] 3. Blues For Nat Cole
[6:37] 4. Captain Bligh
[6:25] 5. Honeysuckle Rose
[4:42] 6. Hardav
[6:33] 7. Mean To Me
[6:06] 8. I Surrender, Dear

This is a classic encounter in the Original Jazz Classics series. Pianist Count Basie (in his best-small group outing of the 1970s) and tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims were mutually inspired by each other's presence and, with the tasteful assistance of bassist John Heard and drummer Louie Bellson, they can be heard playing at the peak of their creative powers. Every listener interested in swinging jazz should pick up this disc, if only to hear these hard-charging versions of "I Never Knew," "It's Only a Paper Moon," and "Honeysuckle Rose." A gem, and essential music. ~Scott Yanow

Basie & Zoot

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Jane Bunnett, Don Pullen - New York Duets

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:52
Size: 139.4 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 1989
Art: Front

[ 5:47] 1. Bye-Ya
[ 5:37] 2. Ginastera
[11:12] 3. Double Arc Jake
[ 4:01] 4. For Merceditas
[ 8:03] 5. Main Street
[ 4:40] 6. Make Someone Happy
[ 4:53] 7. Nice Work
[ 5:00] 8. The Wanderer
[ 6:10] 9. Gratitude
[ 5:25] 10. Little Rootie Tootie

This strong outing matches together Jane Bunnett on soprano and flute and the great pianist Don Pullen. The adventurous music holds on to the tradition of chordal improvisation yet is also quite free in spots. Pullen's rhythmic playing makes his solos seem more accessible and traditional than they really were and it is to Bunnett's great credit that she keeps up with him. In addition to six of their originals, the duo performs a pair of complex Thelonious Monk songs ("Bye-Ya" and "Little Rootie Tootie") and a Cuban theme "For Merceditas." Thought-provoking and unpredictable music. ~Scott Yanow

New York Duets

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Kenny Ball - Now

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:17
Size: 117.4 MB
Styles: Dixieland
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[3:48] 1. At The Jazz Band Ball
[2:40] 2. Them There Eyes
[4:38] 3. Chimes Blues
[2:32] 4. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
[4:10] 5. Ode To Ed
[3:52] 6. Basin Street Blues
[4:47] 7. Mjuskrat Ramble
[3:23] 8. Ory's Creole Trombone
[3:26] 9. Pennies From Heaven
[3:37] 10. Teddy Bear's Picnic
[3:06] 11. Your Feet's Too Big
[5:18] 12. The Preacher
[2:13] 13. I Shall Not Be Moved
[3:38] 14. Stevedore Stomp

Trumpeter Kenny Ball was at the height of his popularity in the early 1960s, when he had a big hit in "Midnight in Moscow" and was an active participant in England's trad boom. He has managed to continue working since then, despite the change in musical trends, and this 1990 recording (reissued on a 1998 Jazzology CD) finds Ball playing Dixieland in prime form. Heading a fine septet which also includes trombonist John Bennett, clarinetist Andy Cooper, John Fenner on banjo, and guitar, pianist Hugh Ledigo, bassist John Benson, and drummer Ron Bowden, Ball takes many fine solos and shares occasional vocals with Cooper and Benson. Highlights of the superior set include "At the Jazz Band Ball," "Muskrat Ramble," "Ory's Creole Trombone," and "I Shall Not Be Moved." ~Scott Yanow

Now

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Bobby Lyle - Joyful

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:18
Size: 138.0 MB
Styles: Smooth jazz
Year: 2002/2007
Art: Front

[4:52] 1. You And I
[4:27] 2. Give Me Your Heart
[4:56] 3. Sweetest Taboo
[5:15] 4. Rain Walkin
[4:50] 5. Don't Make Me Wait
[5:21] 6. Genie In A Bottle
[4:27] 7. Spankin
[5:10] 8. Caught Up
[3:54] 9. I Love Your Smile
[4:51] 10. Millennium Dance
[4:30] 11. T.S.F
[4:17] 12. Midnight
[3:21] 13. How Do You Keep The Music Playing

This master of the elegant funk tune launched a promising solo career in the late '70s, long before the term "smooth jazz" was coined, then hit again in the late '80s and early '90s with a series of hits on Atlantic. Bobby Lyle has been out of the loop in that radio format for a few years, but pianist/Three Keys Music founder Marcus Johnson -- a big fan from childhood -- had the insight to sign the versatile Lyle on to help launch his new label of music best described as "metropolitan smooth." No doubt Lyle's old fan base would have come out of the woodwork to support a recording with 13 fresh tracks that range from radio friendly to wild, jamming, and improvisational, but a little big-name support couldn't hurt. Fortunately, Lyle doesn't let his popular cohorts overshadow the melodic foundations of his keyboards and acoustic piano. He enjoys doubling with Norman Brown's crisp guitar licks on the easy funk of "Give Me Your Heart," then going to the high register for a few extra notes. The song plays like a laid-back conversation between old pals. "Rain Walkin" is a bright and bouncy retro-soul piece that also plays like happy chatter between Lyle's catchy melody and Peter White's responsive acoustic guitar harmony. Lyle jumps squarely into the new millennium groovewise on the chunky "Spankin," whose melody harks back to his early days via Fender Rhodes. He plays all the verses, then joins with Rick Braun's trumpet and Gerald Albright's sax for a jamming, percussive chorus. The same trio effect works well on the more lighthearted acoustic piano jaunt "Millennium Dance," which features a unique call and response by Lyle's own high- and low-register lines. Not that he needs cover tunes, but his take on Sade's "Sweetest Taboo" is fairly sensual, though less thoughtful than "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" Bridging today's pop scene with his own history (his 1977 debut was called The Genie), he can't resist a feisty, blues-drenched romp through Christina Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle," featuring a few bars of Middle Eastern exotica and Everette Harp on sax and EWI. ~Jonathan Widran

Joyful

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Nicholas Payton & Sonic Trance - Live In New York 1.24.04

Styles: Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:40
Size: 135,5 MB
Art: Front

( 0:22)  1. Intro
( 2:27)  2. Seance
( 6:12)  3. Fela
( 4:44)  4. Cannabis Leaf Rag
(10:01)  5. Concentric Circles
( 3:05)  6. Go Round
( 5:55)  7. Blu Hays
( 7:35)  8. Two Mexicans On The Wall
( 4:15)  9. I'm Trying To Swing As Little As Possible
( 6:12) 10. Stardust
( 6:47) 11. Silence

On the surface, Nicholas Payton's Sonic Trance is a fusion band. The leader occasionally tricks out his horn with effects, pianist Scott Kinsey moves over to electric keyboard from time to time, and percussionist Daniel Sadownick does his best to establish an Agharta vibe on congas. But there is no electric guitar in Sonic Trance, and Vicente Archer lays down the groove over the course of this hour-long concert solely on acoustic bass. Every trumpet player is forced at one time or another to confront Miles' legacy, and the better the trumpeter, the closer he can get to meeting it. Nicholas Payton succeeds with originality, clarity and a fresh eclecticism. Miles is quoted briefly by saxophonist Tim Warfield on "Blu Hays," but the influences range much farther. Hugh Masekela and Fela Kuti on a track named for the Afrobeat legend, Scott Joplin and "Fascinatin' Rhythm" on "Cannabis Leaf Rag," and Monk on "I'm Trying to Swing as Little as Possible," which if judged relative to its title, fails utterly; Warfield can't help himself. "Two Mexicans on the Wall" begins by quoting "99 Bottles of Beer" mariachi-style and Payton turns in a guileless performance of "Stardust" before the tune is given over to Archer's funky wormy bass line. Warfield, featured chiefly on soprano for the first part of the disc, lets go on tenor for "Silence" before Kinsey takes over with wah-wah trombone and trumpet-splat keyboard effects. "Silence" doesn't last long enough. Recorded live at the 2004 International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) conference, Payton's music is so organically conceived and so correct in its variety and logical choices that the whole hour passes much too quickly. This is a good thing, of course. When too many recordings fail to hold up beyond two or three listens, Sonic Trance sends you back to push play again and again. ~  Jeff Stockton https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-in-new-york-12404-nicholas-payton-kufala-recordings-review-by-jeff-stockton.php
 

Personnel: Nicholas Payton, trumpet; Tim Warfield, saxophones; Adonis Rose, drums; Vicente Archer, bass; Scott Kinsey, keyboards; Daniel Sadownick, percussion

Live In New York 1.24.04

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Barbara Cook - Loverman

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:15
Size: 113,2 MB
Art: Front

(1:35)  1. Let’s Fall in Love
(2:31)  2. What A Wonderful World
(4:31)  3. Loverman
(4:34)  4. When Sunny Get’s Blue
(3:28)  5. More Than You Know
(3:41)  6. House of the Rising Sun/Bye By
(2:29)  7. The Nearness of You
(2:25)  8. I Can’t Give You Anything But Love
(3:06)  9. I Don’t Want Love
(3:07) 10. I Hadn’t Anyone But You/It Had
(3:03) 11. If I Love Again
(2:27) 12. Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall In Love)
(4:28) 13. New York State of Mind
(3:39) 14. Georgia On My Mind
(4:03) 15. Makin’ Whoopee

Aged to perfection such is Barbara Cook. The doyenne of New York cabaret has, at 83, never sounded more appealing than she does across this 15-track set almost entirely arranged and orchestrated by Ted Rosenthal. The lyric soprano that propelled Cook to major Broadway stardom decades ago has lost its crystalline purity and, in the process, become far more interesting, intimate and inviting. Though Cook often performs with larger ensembles, here she wisely opts for small-group coziness: just Rosenthal at the piano and Jay Leonhart on bass, plus percussionist Warren Odze and woodwinds player Lawrence Feldman. It goes without saying that the theatrically trained Cook is an outstanding storyteller, among the few who can be considered the equal of Mabel Mercer. It’s a skill that serves her well when interpreting timeworn standards, effortlessly hitting the emotional bull’s-eye of “More Than You Know,” “When Sunny Gets Blue,” the too-rarely recorded “If I Love Again” and the title track. Her narrative gift proves just as affecting across such jauntier numbers as “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” and “Makin’ Whoopee.”  Nor does Cook allow herself to be limited by Broadway and Tin Pan Alley. Her reading of Dan Hicks’ “I Don’t Want Love,” a breezy list song worthy of Bobby Troup, is a playful delight, and her stark reading of “The House of the Rising Sun,” sung a cappella until Rosenthal tiptoes in with “Bye Bye Blackbird,” is a masterpiece of bruised deliberation. ~ Christopher Loudonhttp://jazztimes.com/articles/66410-loverman-barbara-cook

Loverman

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Jed Levy - One Night At The Kitano

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 71:14
Size: 133,2 MB
Art: Front

( 8:55)  1. A Great Week
(14:00)  2. Fallen Eagle
( 9:57)  3. Reversible You
(10:07)  4. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
(13:16)  5. Limited Means
( 8:32)  6. Match Point
( 6:25)  7. Blues Excerpt

Some live jazz albums transport the listener. If you shut your eyes, you can picture the dim lights of the candles on the tables, the clinking sound of ice cubes falling into glass tumblers... you might even find yourself looking around for someone to take your drink order. One Night at The Kitano makes you feel like you are out at the midtown jazz spot.  Joined by Bill Mays on piano, Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Billy Drummond on drums, saxophonist Jed Levy delivers one of the most enjoyable albums of the year. It's also accessible, straight-ahead music that everyone can enjoy. Novice listeners will say "now, that's jazz I'd pay to see live." That's not to say that it won't appeal to seasoned jazz veterans. Musical complexity and inventiveness abound, especially on the Levy original "Reversible You," which (as the title suggests) applies some structural adjustments to a familiar standard to superb effect. The set consists of six Levy compositions, as well as one standard: a ten-minute rendition of Billy Strayhorn's "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing," with the leader and Mays at their most inspired. The disc's opening number, "A Great Week," pays tribute to an engagement Levy once played with the late John Hicks. The loving homage offers a lively, up-tempo celebration of the pianist's legacy, with excellent support from Mays. The rest of the program features a number of mid-tempo swingers that afford plenty of solo time for the featured players. Levy's tenor doesn't recall the gruff aggressiveness of a Dexter Gordon or a Ben Webster, being more akin to that of Stan Getz. He's able to navigate the high register and achieve a mellow, romantic tone that, at times, makes you think he's switched over to alto.~ George Kanzler https://www.allaboutjazz.com/one-night-at-the-kitano-jed-levy-steeplechase-records-review-by-george-kanzler.php?width=1600
 

Personnel:  Billy Drummond: drums; Jed Levy: tenor sax;  Bill Mays: piano; Ugonna Okegwo: bass.

One Night At The Kitano

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Grant Green - Alive

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:57
Size: 87,9 MB
Art: Front

( 8:42)  1. Let The Music Take Your Mind
(11:19)  2. Time To Remember
(11:10)  3. Sookie, Sookie
( 6:45)  4. Down Here On The Ground

Alive! is the hardest funk LP Grant Green recorded during the later phase of his career, capturing a storming gig at Newark's Cliché Lounge. The sweaty club atmosphere adds something to the music that's difficult to pin down, yet unmistakably present a certain organic quality that isn't as noticeable on Green's studio albums of the time. Moreover, Green sounds more like the captain of his ship, with greater assurance in his musical direction and more strut on the R&B material. Drummer Idris Muhammad is a monster in this live setting, and he helps push Green (plus the rest of the band, which includes organist Ronnie Foster) even farther with his kinetic, continually evolving funk rhythms. That's especially true on the swaggering Kool & the Gang cover "Let the Music Take Your Mind," but Don Covay's "Sookie, Sookie" grooves almost as powerfully. What's most surprising about the set, though, is that Green finds ways to work in bits of the modal style he had been pursuing in the mid-'60s on slower pieces like the Earl Neal Creque ballad "Time to Remember" and "Down Here on the Ground," which was later sampled by jazz-rap pioneers A Tribe Called Quest. Green's continued interest in modal jazz is reinforced on the CD reissue, which contains a spacy, grooving cover of Herbie Hancock's classic "Maiden Voyage" as a bonus track (the other two are contemporary R&B covers "Hey, Western Union Man" and "It's Your Thing"). Still, this is the most convincing and consistent Green had been as a funkster and, while nearly all of his albums from the early '70s feature at least some worthwhile material for acid jazz and beat-sampling junkies, Alive! is probably the best place to start. ~ Steve Huey http://www.allmusic.com/album/alive!-mw0000101535

Personnel: Grant Green (guitar); Claude Bartee, Jr., Claude Barlee (tenor saxophone); Neal Creque, Ronnie Foster (organ); Billy Bivens, William Bivens (vibraphone); Idris Muhammad (drums); Joseph Armstrong (congas).

Alive

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Eric Dolphy - Music Matador

Styles: Flute And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:11
Size: 111,0 MB
Art: Front

( 7:13)  1. Jitterbug Waltz
( 9:28)  2. Music Matador
(13:29)  3. Alone Together
( 6:29)  4. Come Sunday
( 8:13)  5. Ode To C.P.
( 3:17)  6. Love Me

Amazing work from Eric Dolphy a record that's come out on a number of different labels, under a number of different names but which is one of his most perfectly-realized sessions of the 60s, and one of his most spiritual albums ever! The record features a shifting lineup of players almost presaging the ensemble modes that would rise more strongly in the post-Coltrane years and Dolphy's chosen a strong group of associates, including Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Woody Shaw on trumpet, Clifford Jordan on soprano sax, Prince Lasha on flute, and Sonny Simmons on alto and bass clarinet. Dolphy plays flute, alto, and bass clarinet and titles include "Love Me", a solo alto tune by Dolphy; "Alone Together", a duet with Davis' bass; a seminal take on "Jitterbug Waltz", completely reinventing the tune for new generations; and the massive "Music Matador". © 1996-2016, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/812508?incl_oos=1&incl_cs=1&kwfilter=Bobby+Hutcherson

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Sonny Simmons;  Bass – Eddie Kahn, Richard Davis (2);  Drums – Charles Moffet, J.C. Moses;  Flute – Prince Lasha;  Flute, Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Eric Dolphy;  Soprano Saxophone – Clifford Jordan;  Trumpet – Woody Shaw;  Vibraphone [Vibes] – Bobby Hutcherson

Music Matador

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