Mal Waldron - My Dear Family

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:45
Size: 123,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:48)  1. Foot Prints
(8:18)  2. Left Alone
(4:02)  3. Sassy
(9:03)  4. Sakura Sakura
(7:43)  5. Here's That Rainy Day
(6:30)  6. Jeann Pierre
(7:59)  7. Red Shoes
(5:19)  8. My Dear Family

This date is notable for the pairing of pianist Mal Waldron and smooth jazz reedman Grover Washington, Jr.. Washington was always over-qualified to play his particular brand of instrumental pop, and it is a joy to hear him stretch out a bit on this straight-ahead session. His supple tone mixes well with trumpeter Eddie Henderson and both musicians take full harmonic advantage of performing with the moody and expansive Waldron. The only disappointment here is the overall somber quality of the selections. Despite an inspired version of "Footprints" and an unexpected choice in the funky "Jean Pierre" off Miles Davis' 1981 We Want Miles -- the album lags. "Left Alone" features Washington's trademark soprano sax sound and is a pretty ballad, but is followed up with the mid-tempo "Sassy" negating the prior tune's impact. Waldron could have earned more kudos with his inclusion of the Japanese traditional song "Sakura Sakura"  an interesting foray into world jazz -- if he had only bookended it with some bright up-tempo numbers. Still, this is a superbly performed album by stellar, world-class musicans and should please most hardcore jazz fans. ~ Matt Collar http://www.allmusic.com/album/my-dear-family-mw0000186671

Personnel: Mal Waldron (piano); Grover Washington, Jr. (soprano saxophone); Eddie Henderson (trumpet, flugelhorn); Pheeroan akLaff (drums).

My Dear Family

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Barbara Cook - You Make Me Feel So Young: Live At Feinstein's

Styles: Vocal, Cabaret
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:28
Size: 116,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:11)  1. Are You Havin' Any Fun?
(2:56)  2. You Make Me Feel So Young
(3:05)  3. I've Grown Accustomed To His Face
(2:16)  4. Wait 'Til You're Sixty-Five
(3:18)  5. The Frim Fram Sauce
(3:52)  6. When I Look In Your Eyes
(3:25)  7. What Did I Have That I Don't Have
(3:20)  8. Live Alone And Like It
(2:22)  9. This Can't Be Love
(3:32) 10. I've Got You Under My Skin
(1:43) 11. Love Is Good For Anything That Ails You
(5:26) 12. I'm A Fool To Want You
(4:57) 13. Here's To Life
(4:03) 14. I Got Rhythm
(3:55) 15. Imagine

Barbara Cook confesses at the outset of this live recording, made in June 2011 at Feinstein's at the Regency in New York, that she has run out of ideas for themes for her nightclub sets and this time has just picked a batch of good songs she's never sung before. This isn't quite true, but it is understandable that Cook wouldn't want to state the show's theme specifically since, as the title You Make Me Feel So Young suggests, that theme concerns aging, and the perpetually young singer is 83. But why should she acknowledge that if she doesn't feel it or, especially, sound like it? Cook's voice is remarkably intact on these songs, whether she is intoning the long lines of a sad ballad like "I'm a Fool to Want You" or bouncing along to the lively rhythms of the opener, "Are You Havin' Any Fun?" But that song states the evening's throughline when the singer reminds her listeners, "You aren't gonna live forever." Other songs, such as Alan Jay Lerner and Burton Lane's "Wait ‘Til You're Sixty-Five" and "Here's to Life" also explore the matter of seniority, and even when the point is not made in so many words, it often is by implication, as in "What Did I Have That I Don't Have?," another Lerner/Lane composition. Cook makes a point of dedicating Stephen Sondheim's "Live Alone and Like It" to her divorced listeners, including herself in the category. It's true that not every song is about the concerns of getting and being old, but those that aren't tend to be change-of-pace palate clearers like Nat King Cole's "The Frim Fram Sauce," for which Cook breaks out a kazoo and does a solo. Even before then, her backup band has given much of the music a 1920s hot jazz feel, especially in the woodwind work of Steve Kenyon. Musical director Lee Musiker, meanwhile, has his own fast solo in "This Can't Be Love." The entire band gets a workout on a closing version of "I Got Rhythm" that might be called "The ‘I Got Rhythm' Variations." As a coda, Cook reasonably looks to a hopeful future with a songwriter outside her usual realm, turning in a precise and unadorned version of John Lennon's "Imagine" over Musiker's piano. It shows that, at whatever age one may be, idealism is still possible. ~ William Ruhlmann http://www.allmusic.com/album/you-make-me-feel-so-young-mw0002197372

Personnel: Barbara Cook (vocals, kazoo); Steve Kenyon (woodwinds); Lee Musiker (piano); Warren Odze (drums).

You Make Me Feel So Young: Live At Feinstein's

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Chris Byars Octet - Lucky Strikes Again: Plays The Music Of Lucky Thompson

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 62:41
Size: 117,2 MB
Art: Front

(1:30)  1. Theme
(5:39)  2. Munsoon
(6:46)  3. Old Reliable
(4:59)  4. Passionately You
(4:27)  5. Tiptop
(4:02)  6. Fanfare
(6:09)  7. Minik Koosh
(3:48)  8. Notorious Love
(5:48)  9. Another Whirl
(3:51) 10. Could I Meet You Later
(3:41) 11. Just One More Chance
(4:25) 12. Two Steps Out
(7:30) 13. Down The Stretch

If a theorem states: "three harmonizing saxophones create compelling, rich, sonic textures," then the proof is the Chris Byars Octet's homage to saxophonist Lucky Thompson, Lucky Strikes Again. Lucky Thompson (1924-2005) is primarily remembered as a bebop saxophonist, but he was also a fine and underrated composer, leading small and mid-sized bands. Byars has collected ten of Thompson's compositions using the same small big band instrumental mix: three sax's, two brass, and the rhythm section. The instrumental mix is crucial to the sound of this album, which is defined by the harmonics of that three-sax frontline. The greatest challenge to performing this music was the lack of written scores. To recreate them, Byars resorted to transcribing fifty-year-old NDR radio broadcast tapes. According to Byars' liner notes, "When you transcribe like that it is the most sincere form of listening and learning experience because you are in the chair of the composer and you can see and understand the decisions he made in slow motion."  The transcription effort pays off with a jumping set highlighting powerful, complex harmonies. "Could I Meet You Later" uses the full instrumentation to build the melody, and then applies it as background for the reed solos. The beauty of the horns isn't simply the harmonies, but the way those harmonies are staggered, building into chords in rolling sequences.  There is plenty of room for the individuals to shine here as well. Byars' work on both tenor and soprano saxophone is faultless, and Mark Lopeman's baritone is a double threat a standout soloist, he also anchors the reed section with rock-solid bass weight.  Lucky Strikes Again coaxes a huge sound out of five horns, a credit to the quality of the arrangements. They're musically expansive, getting the most out of the instruments at hand, but are also compact and well-organized, with only one running more than seven minutes. Byars has put together a set of concise, rewarding tracks with a band that turns in a terrific performance of outstanding material. ~ Greg Simmons https://www.allaboutjazz.com/lucky-strikes-again-steeplechase-records-review-by-greg-simmons.php

Personnel: Chris Byars: tenor and soprano saxophone; Scott Wendholt: trumpet; John Mosca: trombone; Zaid Nasser: alto saxophone; Mark Lopeman: baritone saxophone; Sacha Perry: piano; Ari Roland: bass; Stefan Schatz: drums.

Lucky Strikes Again: Plays The Music Of Lucky Thompson

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Bobby Scott - The Compositions Of Bobby Scott

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:21
Size: 105,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:38)  1. Dot
(2:57)  2. Kwan Youen
(3:49)  3. Moon Tan
(4:16)  4. Betty
(4:10)  5. Aunt Sarah
(4:09)  6. Cerebellum
(2:19)  7. Wigwam
(4:03)  8. The Creed
(2:59)  9. Table Cloth Stomp
(2:59) 10. A Parable
(2:35) 11. The Wig
(2:45) 12. Count Bill
(4:36) 13. Makin' Whoopee (bonus track)

29 January 1937, New York City, New York, USA, d. 5 November 1990, New York City, New York, USA. Scott was a pianist, singer, composer, arranger, teacher and record producer. He also played several other instruments such as cello, bass, vibraphone, accordion and clarinet, but was mainly known for his jazz piano work and vocals. He attended Dorothea Anderson Follette’s School of Music, and then in 1949 studied composition with Edward Moritz, a former pupil of Claude Debussy. Despite his early classical training, Scott turned to jazz in his teens, and played with small bands led by the likes of Louis Prima, Tony Scott and Gene Krupa, with whom he cut some sides for Verve Records. From 1954, he recorded under his own name for labels such as Bethlehem, Savoy, Atlantic and ABC, and in 1956 had a US Top 20 hit with ‘Chain Gang’, written by Sol Quasha and Hank Yakus (not the Sam Cooke song). In 1960, Scott wrote the title theme for Shelagh Delaney’s play A Taste Of Honey, which became popular for pianist Martin Denny and, when Ric Marlow added a lyric, for Tony Bennett. It was also included on the Beatles’ first UK album. The song won a Grammy in 1962, and three more when Herb Alpert took it into the US Top 10 in 1965. In the early 60s Scott was the musical director for Dick Haymes for a time, and, as a pianist, arranger and record producer for Mercury Records, also maintained a close working relationship with Quincy Jones. Scott played piano on most of Jones’ Mercury albums, and accompanied Tania Vega and John Lee Hooker on Jones’ soundtrack music for the film The Color Purple (1986). As a producer, Scott supervised sessions for important artists such as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Bobby Darin, Harry Belafonte and Sarah Vaughan. He discovered and recorded guitarist/vocalist Perry Miller, who changed his name to Jesse Colin Young, and he is also credited with taking singer Bobby Hebb back to Mercury, although Scott left the label before Hebb released his biggest hit, ‘Sunny’, in 1966.

Scott’s compositions included ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ (lyrics by Bob Russell), a hit for Neil Diamond (in 1970) and for the Hollies a year earlier and again in 1988, when it featured impressively in a UK television commercial for Miller Lite Lager; ‘Where Are You Going?’ (with Danny Meehan), sung by Joe Butler in the film Joe (1970); and ‘Slaves (Don’t You Know My Name?)’, performed by Dionne Warwick in the movie Slaves (1969). Scott also composed incidental music for the play Dinny And The Witches, and several pieces for harp and string trios, including ‘The Giacometti Variations’, so-called because it was part-used as a radio advertisement for the Giacometti Exhibition held at the New York Museum of Modern Art. His compositions for guitar included ‘Solitude Book’ and ‘The Book Of Hours’, the latter recorded with Brazilian guitarist Carlos Barbosa-Lima. For Sentimental Reasons displayed Scott simply as an accomplished pianist, who also sang. He died of lung cancer in the year of its release. http://www.oldies.com/artist-biography/Bobby-Scott.html

Personnel: Bobby Scott (arranger, piano); Hal McKusick, Charlie Mariano (alto saxophone); Bill Holman (tenor saxophone); Al Epstein, Jimmy Giuffre (baritone saxophone); Ronnie Woellmer, Conte Candoli (trumpet); Eddie Bert, Frank Rosolino (trombone); Milt Hinton, Max Bennett (bass); Osie Johnson, Stan Levey (drums).

The Compositions Of Bobby Scott

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Jeff Richman & Chatterbox - The Line Up

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:28
Size: 150,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:49)  1. The Line Up
(3:31)  2. Window To He Heart
(4:25)  3. Rule Of Thumb
(5:47)  4. It's All One (Jam #1)
(5:18)  5. That Trick
(5:59)  6. Cross My Heart
(6:16)  7. Once More Twice
(4:25)  8. Square Root (Jam #2)
(5:05)  9. Smoke Ring
(4:49) 10. Point Of You
(5:26) 11. Right Here,Right Now (Jam #3)
(2:32) 12. Window To The Heart (Reprise)

Contemporary jazz guitarist Jeff Richman announces the release date of his upcoming CD, Jeff Richman and Chatterbox: The Line Up for October 18. The Nefer Records release is Richman's 16th solo project and features Mitchel Forman on keyboards, Joel Taylor on drums and Dean Taba on bass guitar. The new CD is distributed by City Hall Records and songs will be available online at iTunes, Amazon and other music websites. The Line Up consists of 12 new tracks exploring and expanding the boundaries of contemporary jazz. Together, the odd metered time signatures, key changes, rhythm variations, polyphony, improvisation and tempos are overcome by the band as they weave in and out of these original compositions by Richman. On three of the tracks Richman, Forman, Taylor and Taba take artistic liberties into their own hands with their shared composition of jam tracks "It's All One", "Square Root" and "Right Here, Right Now". While recording, Richman imposes challenges on himself and the band to grow and capture a bigger audience; to include them in on the musical journey. There is an inherent sense throughout the CD that gives the listener the impression that Richman and the band want the listener to experience the same fun, challenges, joy, conflict and sorrow as they do when performing. It's not forced and it happens organically, as if each song is a conversation. The melody masquerades as the topic, ideas get passed around between the artists and the audience is allowed to eavesdrop; the invisible barrier between talent and audience being removed. Guitarist Jeff Richman has enjoyed success on the jazz scene for nearly 35 years. His guitar playing is cited as tasteful and articulate, with room to breathe. 

He is recognized by and associated with the other luminaries of the fusion and contemporary jazz. His guitar is heard the world over. On this new release, his tone rises above with something unique that can't quite be described. It is the impression of a barebones approach that has simplified his tone but made it gigantic. He uses his go to Fender Strats and Teles, a Jim Hall Sadowsky, a silver faced Marshall Jubilee but this time there is something else in the water. Throughout his career, Richman has recorded and performed with the crème de la crème of talent. He has discovered and forged a solid rapport with each member of the band. Now he successfully brings them together to form one cohesive unit that seems untouchable on this recording. As Richman sums it up, "This is the band. This is what I've wanted to achieve. I know I can go anywhere in the world with these guys and it will be an amazing time for us and the fans. It feels good, it sounds good, and I can't wait to take this show out on the road." http://www.jazzreview.com/new-jazz-releases/the-line-up-by-jeff-richman-and-chatterbox.html

Personnel:  Bass – Dean Taba;  Drums – Joel Taylor;  Guitar – Jeff Richman;  Keyboards – Mitchel Forman

The Line Up

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King Curtis Quintet - The New Scene Of King Curtis / Soul Meeting

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:05
Size: 181.0 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[ 5:08] 1. Da-Duh-Dah
[10:22] 2. Have You Heard
[ 5:23] 3. Willow Weep For Me
[ 8:34] 4. Little Brother Soul
[10:49] 5. In A Funky Groove
[ 7:00] 6. Soul Meeting
[ 7:15] 7. Lazy Soul
[ 5:31] 8. All The Way
[ 6:54] 9. Jeep's Blues
[ 5:40] 10. What Is This Thing Called Love
[ 6:25] 11. Do You Have Soul Now

Twofer: Tracks #1-5, from the New Jazz 12" album The New Scene of King Curtis (NJ8237),Tracks #6-11, from the Prestige 12" album Soul Meeting (ST7222). Bass – Paul Chambers; Cornet – Nat Adderley; Drums – Belton Evans (tracks: 6 to 11), Oliver Jackson (tracks: 1 to 5); Piano – Wynton Kelly; Tenor Saxophone – King Curtis. Recorded At Rudy Van Gelder Studio – 1960.

Tenorman King Curtis (1934-1971) is best known as a rhythm and blues star. But, as he shows here, fronting two coruscating rhythm sections graced by pianist Wynton Kelly, and sharing the front line with the sparkling trumpet and cornet of Nat Adderley, there was much more to him than that.

Confident, fluent and agile, he builds his solos with care and economy, his big, warm, wraparound tone recalling the blues-drenched power and authority of Gene Ammons. He has an ideal partner in the ebulliently inventive Adderley, while Kelly once dubbed the most swinging pianist ever by no less than drummer Jimmy Cobb, who played with him and the bassist here, Paul Chambers, in Miles Daviss rhythm section lifts these sessions as only he could. Ably abetted by Chambers, one of the best on his instrument in jazz, Kelly, impeccable both as soloist and accompanist, is an indispensable element in the success of these sessions.

The New Scene Of King Curtis / Soul Meeting

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Dutch Swing College Band - Dutch Samba

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:00
Size: 77.8 MB
Styles: Dixieland
Year: 1989
Art: Front

[2:40] 1. Corro
[3:24] 2. Corcovado
[2:23] 3. Velas Blancas
[4:10] 4. Poinciana
[2:26] 5. Girl From Ipanema
[2:14] 6. Samba De Quema
[2:27] 7. Samba De Orfeu
[3:16] 8. Eso Es El Amor
[3:09] 9. Menina Flor
[3:41] 10. Meditacao
[2:08] 11. La Adelita
[1:56] 12. Manana

The Dutch Swing College Band has endured numerous personnel changes in its more than fifty-year history as one of the Netherlands' top jazz ensembles. Although no members remain from the original group, the latest lineup continues to honor the tradition-rooted approach of the founders.

Bob Kaper (1939- ) replaced clarinet player Peter Schilperoort during an illness in 1966, and remained with the band; he has led the Dutch Swing College Band since Schilperoort's death in 1990. The fourth leader in the group's history, Kaper succeeds Frans Vink, Jr. (1945-46), Joop Schrier (1955-60), and Schilperoort (1946-55; 1960-1990). Kaper previously led the Beale Street Seven, a group he founded in 1957.

An amateur group from 1945 until turning professional in 1960, the Dutch Swing College Band reached their early peak in the late '40s, when they were tapped to accompany such jazz musicians as Sidney Bechet, Joe Venuti, and Teddy Wilson.

The New Melbourne Jazz Band recorded an album, A Tribute to the Dutch Swing College Band, featuring music associated with the Holland-based group. ~bio by Craig Harris

Dutch Samba

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Jacqui Dankworth, Charlie Wood - Just You, Just Me

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:25
Size: 142.9 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[5:16] 1. Autumn In New York
[3:51] 2. Two To Tango
[7:18] 3. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars
[2:50] 4. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[5:25] 5. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
[5:53] 6. Oh, Lady Be Good
[3:33] 7. Georgia On My Mind
[5:15] 8. Two Can Play
[6:10] 9. When Something Is Wrong With My Baby
[4:35] 10. I Will
[4:22] 11. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
[5:11] 12. You've Got A Friend
[2:39] 13. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)

One of the UK’s outstanding jazz singers Jacqui Dankworth is joined by her husband, acclaimed American pianist and singer-songwriter, Charlie Wood, for an album of duet arrangements celebrating a century of great musical partnerships, such as Ray Charles and Betty Carter, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, James Taylor and Carole King.

Just You, Just Me

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Jim Galloway - Music Is My Life (2-Disc Set)

This a two-CD set of Canadian multi-reed player Jim Galloway's performances at various Toronto jazz venues initially issued on LPs, but no longer available. Jim Galloway teams with two pianists, Dick Wellstood and then Jay McShann, before joining with trumpet and clarinet player Humphrey Lyttelton, England's consummate purveyor of New Orleans traditional music. The session with Wellstood includes tunes usually associated with New Orleans and other traditional jazz, and Galloway and Wellstood perform them admirably. Traditional New Orleans played in a low-key manner is the feature on their get-together. The only problem is that on a couple of cuts, such as "Blues Alley Bump," Pete Magadini sounds as if he's using a club rather than a stick on the drums, making for some unpleasant thumping. The work with McShann shows Galloway's versatility as they move away somewhat from the traditional jazz mode and direct their efforts toward more of the classic standards. Given McShann's musical bent, there is a bluesier feeling to this set than the set with Wellstood. One of the highlights is their poignant, delicate version of "Black Butterfly." Galloway's soprano sax is expressive, capturing Ellington's fluttering, wafting, delicate image in this 1938 composition.

Again showing his dexterity, Galloway fits right into the style of Britain's premiere revivalist of traditional music, Humphrey Lyttelton. All the cuts here are written by the British musician and reflect his perception of what trad jazz really means. It comes with a strong Louis Armstrong flavor. His compositions reveal that, at least on this occasion, the music takes on a more sophisticated mien than one usually hears in the New Orleans style. Listen to "Caribana Queen" where, as the title suggests, there is a Caribbean flavor mixed in with the New Orleans gumbo. It creates the image of a Crescent City band marching down the street with a little more swagger in their hips.

This release restores to jazz fans three albums that have long been unavailable, in an attractive package with more than two hours of music. Music Is My Life shows the many facets of Galloway's talent as he teams nicely and comfortably with jazz artists who are all worthy of these mutual collaborations. Highly recommended. ~David Nathan

Album: Music Is My Life (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:31
Size: 163.7 MB
Styles: Swing, New Orleans jazz
Year: 2001

[3:21] 1. Minor Drag
[4:25] 2. Lulu's Back In Town
[3:25] 3. Broken Windmill
[6:23] 4. Sunday Morning
[4:29] 5. Blues Alley Bump
[5:58] 6. After You've Gone
[4:38] 7. Buddy Bolden's Blues
[3:51] 8. I'd Climb The Highest Mountain
[4:42] 9. Let's Get Away From It All
[5:28] 10. Everything I've Got
[4:27] 11. Thou Swell
[5:05] 12. Someone To Watch Over Me
[5:23] 13. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
[5:19] 14. Black Butterfly
[4:31] 15. Sweet Sue

Music Is My Life (Disc 1)

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Album: Music Is My Life (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:18
Size: 160.9 MB
Styles: Swing, New Orleans jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[8:19] 1. I've Got The World On A String
[4:13] 2. Just A Gigolo
[5:16] 3. Humoresque
[8:37] 4. I Only Have Eyes For You
[5:02] 5. It's A Thing
[7:50] 6. Sprauncy
[4:50] 7. Squiggles
[5:06] 8. Looking For Turner
[4:24] 9. Rain
[5:13] 10. Lady Jekyll And Mistress Hyde
[6:50] 11. Leisure Palace
[4:32] 12. Caribana Queen

Music Is My Life (Disc 2)

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Bobby Scott - Great Scott

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 20:20
Size: 48,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:20)  1. Pee Wee
(2:45)  2. Phil's Mood
(2:04)  3. Moonbeaux
(2:48)  4. Tenderly
(2:39)  5. Ode To Monk
(2:54)  6. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
(2:15)  7. Gone With The Wind
(2:33)  8. Lullaby Of Birdland

Though he left performing for composing at the end of the '50s and stayed away many years before returning, Bobby Scott made some entertaining, delightful music. He was a good pianist, effective vocalist, and above average vibist. Scott also played accordion, bass, cello, and clarinet. He studied at the La Follette School of Music in New York City in 1945 with Edvard Moritz, a former Debussy pupil as a child, and was a professional at 11. He was playing with Louis Prima and traveling with veteran musicians at 15. Scott worked with Gene Krupa and Tony Scott (unrelated) in the mid-'50s, and had a pop hit with his version of "Chain Gang." Scott worked at the Cafe Bohemia, and appeared at the Great South Bay Jazz Festival in 1958 and the New Haven Festival of Arts in 1959. He then became a teacher of theory and harmony and resumed his studies with Moritz. But Scott gradually returned to performing and recording. His final album, the Nat King Cole tribute For Sentimental Reasons, was recorded in 1989 and released in 1990, the same year that Scott died of lung cancer at the age of 53. Scott recorded as a leader for Verve, ABC-Paramount, Bethlehem, and Musicmasters. His recordings have been made available during the digital era on such releases as the 2000 Collectables two-fer A Taste of Honey/The Compleat Musician and the 2007 Fresh Sound compilation The Compositions of Bobby Scott. ~ Ron Wynn https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/bobby-scott/id922300#fullText

Personnel:  Bobby Scott – piano;  Whitey Mitchell – bass;  Bill Bradley, Jr. – drums.

Great Scott

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Laila Biali - From Sea to Sky

Styles: Vocal  And Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:22
Size: 145,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:46)  1. Ice Cream
(4:49)  2. Secret Heart
(6:45)  3. Tears of Hercules
(5:48)  4. Radiance
(5:54)  5. Calling All Angels
(5:23)  6. Woodstock
(5:48)  7. I'll Never Smile Again
(5:10)  8. Stolen Land
(4:56)  9. Mushaboom
(6:01) 10. Autumn Leaves
(6:56) 11. Anthem

"When an extraordinary talent delivers an exceptional recording, it is time for celebration and recognition. Such is the case with multi-talented Laila Biali - singer, pianist and arranger of a CD that is full of heart and joy." 5 out of 5 stars.~  Montreal Gazette

"This one's a surefire winner from pianist and now pianist-vocalist Biali, one of the very best of Canada's new crop of jazz artists." 4 out of 4 stars. ~ Toronto Star

"Featuring all-Canadian songs, this screams 'Juno.' It even whispers 'Grammy.' Superb." Rating: A ~ Vancouver Province

Personnel:  Laila Biali (vocals, piano, arrangements), George Koller (bass), Larnell Lewis (drums), Rob Piltch (guitar), Don Thompson (vibes, piano on "I'll Never Smile Again"), Guido Basso (flugelhorn, trumpet), Phil Dwyer (saxophones)

From Sea to Sky

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Claus Ogerman & His Orchestra - Watusi Trumpets

Styles: Big Band, Jazz-Funk  
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:07
Size: 66,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:19)  1. It's Not Unusual
(2:35)  2. Stingray
(2:19)  3. Watusi Trumpets
(2:28)  4. El Watusi
(2:20)  5. Downtown
(2:25)  6. Right Now
(2:32)  7. Harlem Watusi
(2:05)  8. One Step Above
(1:56)  9. The Joker
(2:34) 10. Poinciana
(2:21) 11. La Bamba
(2:05) 12. Land of 1000 Dances

Now that we’re in the full swing of the summer season, it seemed logical to go for an album this month with a sunny disposition. So let me make the disclaimer that the music on this LP will not change your life and I make no claims for innovation or anything earth shattering. But with your hi-fi setup close to the pool or deck, a libation of your choice in hand, and possibly a dance partner, you might find Watusi Trumpets to be a sunny finger popping disc. While many are most likely aware of arranger Claus Ogerman through his work on such sublime classics as Antonio Carlos Jobim’s Wave , Bill Evans With Symphony Orchestra , and possibly his own late ‘70s/early ‘80s albums Gate of Dreams and Cityscape , fewer still have probably seen or heard Watusi Trumpets. Cut in 1965 for RCA Victor, Ogerman is heard just a few years shy of hooking up with producer Creed Taylor who would keep him busy over the next decade arranging a variety of projects for Verve and CTI Records.

This set is obviously in line with similar concept albums of the time that lent jazz sensibilities to popular dance moves such as the twist. Pop hits abound here including “Downtown,” “It’s Not Unusual,” “The Joker,” “La Bamba,” and “Land of 1000 Dances.” Ogerman approaches the material with taste even if the actual harmonic and melodic content of some of the tunes is limited. “La Bamba” actually seems far removed from its more popular incarnation, with bright flute work and harmonious trombones carrying the lead. A bit more of a Tin Pan Alley chestnut, “Poinciana” is almost unrecognizable until B3 organ steps in with the familiar melody, complimented by a dazzling trumpet fanfare on the bridge. Aside from the pop ditties, Ogerman pens a few of his own originals, along with Herbie Mann’s “Right Now,” Ray Barretto’s “El Watusi,” and Joe Zawinul’s “One Step Above.” The last of these sets the routine for most of the tracks, with B3 organ taking the lead and contrasting bursts from the trumpet and trombone sections. Aside from a flute solo here or there the emphasis is mostly on “the groove” for these tracks that rarely exceed two and a half minutes in length. Standing apart from even his other commercially-oriented RCA sets, Ogerman’s Watusi Trumpets is certainly an oddity and a one-off affair that offers little in the way of jazz improvisation but much in the way of ‘60s high fidelity, not to mention its appeal to those who dig “Space Age Pop” or “Bachelor Pad” music.~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/claus-ogerman-orchestra-watusi-trumpets-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Watusi Trumpets

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Bob Greene, Bobby Gordon & Howard Alden - All I Ask Is Love

Size: 166,2 MB
Time: 70:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. All That I Ask Is Love #2 (1:58)
02. (I'm) Confessin' (3:20)
03. After You've Gone #1 (4:18)
04. Someday Sweetheart (3:04)
05. Stardust #1 (6:48)
06. I Ain't Got Nobody (5:00)
07. You Tell Me Your Dreams (3:46)
08. Singin' The Blues (3:35)
09. Diane (1:49)
10. In My Solitude (3:30)
11. Just A Closer Walk With Thee (4:10)
12. Buddy Bolden's Blues (2:33)
13. Mamie's Blues (1:57)
14. After You've Gone #3 (4:06)
15. I'm Confessin' Trio (4:31)
16. Tiger Rag (4:02)
17. Stardust #5 (3:07)
18. Christy Blues (3:18)
19. Why (3:16)
20. All That I Ask Is Love #1 (1:58)

Pianist Bob Greene, clarinetist Bobby Gordon and guitarist Howard Alden recorded this trio date in Febuary, 2010 in California.

All I Ask Is Love

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Heather Bambrick - You'll Never Know

Size: 157,7 MB
Time: 68:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I Only Have Eyes For You (4:27)
02. Lovers In A Dangerous Time (5:50)
03. I Can't See For Lookin' (4:38)
04. Never Never Land (4:54)
05. How Does It Feel (5:09)
06. Get Happy (4:35)
07. Far From The Home I Love (6:02)
08. Dedicated To You (5:37)
09. I Don't Mind A Bit (2:52)
10. You'll Never Know (4:47)
11. Surrey With The Fringe On Top (4:15)
12. A Time For Love (5:45)
13. My Ship (3:34)
14. Petty Harbour Bait Skiff (5:33)

It’s been 10 years since she’s released her last solo recording, and now award-winning vocalist Heather Bambrick is back with an all-new collection of songs that reflect her development as an artist and musician … featuring a stellar band, including Mark Kieswetter (piano), Ross MacIntyre (bass), Davide DiRenzo (drums, percussion), Rob Piltch (guitar), Chase Sanborn (trumpet, flugelhorn), John Johnson (saxophones), and special guest Guido Basso (flugelhorn).

Heather Bambrick has been wearing many hats for many years – and all of them fit her well! She’s an award-winning vocalist, voice actor, broadcaster, and educator, working with some of the best in the business.

Heather has performed internationally collaborating with artists such as Phil Nimmons, Fred Hirsch, Gene DiNovi, Guido Basso, Lea Delaria, Anne Hampton Callaway, Carol Welsman, Jackie Richardson, Ian Shaw, as well as the late Rob McConnell and Peter Appleyard. She is a founding member of the Beehive Singers (1994 – 2001) and Broadsway, a Jazz / Cabaret ensemble with whom she is currently actively recording and touring. Heather has been a guest performer with various Jazz ensembles, as well as with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, the Cathedral Bluffs Orchestra, and the Windsor Symphony Orchestra. She will make her debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 2017.

You'll Never Know

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Bett Butler - Winter Lullaby: Songs For The Christmas Child

Size: 127,0 MB
Time: 53:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Xmas
Art: Front

01. Angels We Have Heard On High (5:22)
02. Are You Alone For Christmas Day (3:56)
03. No Place Like Home For Christmas (4:49)
04. Pat-A-Pan (4:37)
05. Gesu Bambino (6:13)
06. Cantique De Noel (O Holy Night) (4:44)
07. Someone’s Child (2:53)
08. La Virgen Fue Lavandera (4:51)
09. Un Flambeau (Bring A Torch), Jeanette Isabella (4:22)
10. El Noi De La Mare (4:31)
11. Shine (3:37)
12. Winter Lullaby (3:57)

In her eclectic fourth album, Bett Butler mixes originals with beloved holiday standards in multiple languages, many with her own English translations. Her bouncy bossa nova “Are You Alone for Christmas Day” recalls Astrid Gilberto and Stan Getz, with an elegant sax solo by Rene Saenz; and in “No Place Like Home for Christmas,” also featuring Saenz, Coltrane meets Clooney (Rosemary, not George). “Pat-a-Pan” veers firmly into Klezmer territory, and Butler’s four-octave range becomes a boys’ choir on “Gesu Bambino.” “O Holy Night” and “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella” blend classical and jazz in intimate, lively chamber ensembles. Producer/arranger Joël Dilley sets the album’s title song “Winter Lullaby” in the kind of rhythmic and ethereal landscape familiar to fans of his Mandala Meditation Series, lushly underpinning the chorus: “Even angels have to sleep sometime, but they’re never far away.”

Writes Austin music critic Michael Corcoran: “A true artist....Her forte is creating rich story songs…we have to call jazz because the right word hasn’t been invented.” In historic and culturally rich San Antonio, Texas, she co-owns Mandala Music Production with bassist/composer/ producer Joël Dilley, where they play fetch with their boxer Mingus and create music licensed for use on HBO, Discovery Channel, Cooking, Travel, and Playboy Channels, and more.

Winter Lullaby

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Christian Rover Group - Live In Concert (Feat. Rhoda Scott)

Size: 159,1 MB
Time: 68:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Easter Blue (10:15)
02. We'll Be Together Again (10:53)
03. In A Mellow Tone (11:25)
04. Mack The Knife ( 6:35)
05. Stay With Me Lord ( 7:21)
06. Toccate - Impressions (13:26)
07. Splanky ( 8:54)

After a long stint in the USA, Christian Rover is making a name for himself on the international music scene. A summa cum laude graduate of Berklee College Of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, Rover captured first prize at DOWNBEAT'S "Music Fest USA" and was awarded the Joe Zawinul Award for outstanding achievements in music synthesis. His own CDs and numerous other recordings demonstrate his unique musical talent, both as a solo artist and a sideman. Rover has toured and given concerts in the USA, Israel, China, Japan and throughout Europe.

Rover has performed and recorded with such jazz greats as Rhoda Scott, Pee Wee Ellis, Houston Person, George Garzone, John Zorn, Matt Garrisson, Jim Black, Dan Rieser, John Stowell, Skuli Sverrisson, Cesar Olguin, Enzo Zirilli, Alberto Marsico, Raetus Flisch, Piotr Barron, Jaromir Honzak, Gildas and Jean-Batiste Boclé, Emil Mangelsdorf, Wolfgang Engstfeld and Peter Weiss among many others. He enjoys being active in many styles of music from contemporary to popular, ethnic to all shades of jazz. The settings that he has worked in range from solo performances to unique band projects to leading a Japanese/East German Big Band ("Far East Far Out Orchestra”). A skilled composer Rover likes the challenge of writing in contemporary as well as classical context such as arranging and performing the Goldberg Variations on three electric guitars for the International Bachfestival.

Christian Rover is also in great demand as a teacher. He has worked as a professor at the University of Graz (Austria), the Conservatory of Music in Weimar and Leipzig (Germany) and has taught at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachuessetts (USA). He has given countless lectures at conservatories such as the Sibelius Academy (Finland), in Zurich and Basel (Switzerland) as well as workshops in Gdansk (Poland), Prague (Czech Republic) and many other institutions around the globe. For many years he has been a contributing writer to major publications such as Gitarre & Bass, Musiker and Fachblatt.

Live In Concert

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Carminho - Carminho Canta Tom Jobim

Size: 106,1 MB
Time: 45:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Bossa Nova, Samba, Fado
Art: Front

01. A Felicidade (3:53)
02. O Que Tinha De Ser (2:59)
03. Estrada Do Sol (Feat. Marisa Monte) (4:03)
04. Meditaçao (3:10)
05. Luiza (2:34)
06. Falando De Amor (Feat. Chico Buarque) (3:32)
07. Wave (3:10)
08. Sabia (3:36)
09. O Grande Amor (3:22)
10. Retrato Em Branco E Preto (2:46)
11. Inutil Paisagem (3:24)
12. Triste (2:57)
13. Modinha (Feat.Maria Bethania) (3:18)
14. Don't Ever Go Away (2:31)

"I might not know who you are, but I know who I am.”

And things could be no different, when someone who sings these words is someone who has always perceived Fado to be her destiny, but who was only able to openly admit it after she truly understood who she was.
In 2009, Carminho sang "Fado". This was her fado, the one she owned since an early age, when she listened to her parents’ records, when she witnessed the gathering of fado singers in her own house and when, still a teenager, she began to sing in the Taverna do Embuçado. This "Fado" was the title of her first album, which was one of the most awaited albums in the new generation of fado singers: for those who had already heard Carminho, her talent was obvious, but they had to wait – until she finished her graduation, until she travelled the world, until she knew who she really was.

And her "Fado" became one of the most acclaimed albums in 2009. It went Platinum – an enviable outcome for a debut album. With "Fado", Portugal surrendered to Carminho’s voice and the doors of the world opened to her talent. It was considered best album 2011 by Songlines magazine, she had shows in European capital cities, in Womex 2011 (Copenhagen) and in the UNESCO headquarters, in Paris, within the scope of Fado as World Heritage candidate. Then came the invitation to participate in Pablo Alborán’s album, which became a phenomenon of popularity in both Portugal and Spain.
It was about time that “Fado” had a worthy successor. And it's just around the corner. On 5th March, Carminho reveals her "Alma" (Portuguese word for soul) with 15 new songs, an album again produced and directed by Diogo Clemente, again wisely combining cover versions and originals (in the special edition, the album has 17 songs and a DVD with Carminho live in concertin May 2011 at Lux Frágil, Lisbon.

The cover versions are less evident. Some not so well known songs by Amália ("Cabeça de Vento"), Dina do Carmo ("À Beira do Cais") or Fernanda Maria ("As Pedras da Minha Rua"), but also from Chico Buarque ("Meu Namorado", de "O Grande Circo Místico") or Vinicius de Moraes ("Saudades do Brasil em Portugal"). The original songs are by Diogo Clemente ("Bom Dia, Amor", about poet Fernando Pessoa), Mário Pacheco ("Talvez", lyrics by Vasco Graça Moura), and Vitorino ("Fado Adeus"). And there are also some new lyrics for traditional fado tunes – one of them, "Folha", written by Carminho herself, and another one, "Impressão Digital", a poem by António Gedeão.

And it is this mixture of past and present that allows us to unveil the future of Fado, in the unrivalled voice of Carminho. A voice which, in her second album, sustains all that Carminho sings in "Talvez": "I might not know who you are, but I know who I am”.

Carminho Canta Tom Jobim

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Mal Waldron - Left Alone

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:30
Size: 88,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:06)  1. Left Alone
(6:56)  2. Cat Walk
(5:52)  3. You Don't Know What Love Is
(8:14)  4. Minor Pulsation
(7:11)  5. Airegin
(4:09)  6. Mal Waldron: The Way He Remembers Billie Holiday

This obscure CD reissue has the wrong date listed (it is from February 24, 1959, not November 1957) and fails to mention that altoist Jackie McLean sits in with pianist Mal Waldron's trio (which includes bassist Julian Euell and drummer Al Dreares) on the title cut, a number co-written by Waldron and Billie Holiday. Although Waldron dedicated the album to Lady Day and talks about her a bit on the last track in a short interview with vibraphonist Teddy Charles (which was recorded a bit later), he actually only performs one song from her repertoire: "You Don't Know What Love Is." Otherwise this rather brief CD has the title cut, two other typically brooding Waldron originals plus Sonny Rollins' "Airegin." McLean's emotional alto is such a strong asset on the title cut that one wishes he were on the rest of this worthwhile set. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/left-alone-mw0000651178

Personnel: Mal Waldron (piano); Jackie McLean (alto saxophone); Julian Euell (bass); Al Dreares (drums).

Left Alone

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Marilyn Scott - Avenues of Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:34
Size: 124,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:47)  1. Starting to Fall
(5:02)  2. I Like to Dance
(4:27)  3. Avenida Del Sol
(5:38)  4. The Look of Love
(5:54)  5. Heaven's Design
(4:30)  6. Love is  a Powerful Thing
(5:34)  7. Hold You Up
(6:16)  8. Hey Love
(5:45)  9. Get Home
(3:37) 10. The Last Day

A top-notch adult contemporary vocalist still awaiting a well-deserved crossover commercial breakthrough, Marilyn Scott adds powerful fuel to her cause on Avenues of Love by helping herself with a well-balanced array of production and songwriting talent. George Duke surrounds her with party voices and a kneejerking Latin groove on a playful list of dance steps on "I Like to Dance," then surrounds her clear, sensuous voice with airy, billowing synth cushioning on the Bacharach-David classic "The Look of Love." Scott and bassist Jimmy Haslip reroute to Memphis on Michael Ruff's Wilson Pickett-like pick me up, "Love Is a Powerful Thing," engaging a two-piece horn section that sounds even larger. The Yellowjacket touch is in full effect on the picturesque "Avenida del Sol," which approximates an update of the gentle Astrud Gilberto sound; the tune was written by Scott and Bob Mintzer, and produced by Scott, Haslip, and Russell Ferrante. Scott's greatest gift here is her sense of modulation; she belts like crazy on the funk pieces, but recognizes the emotional power of restraint on the ballads. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/avenues-of-love-mw0000034777

Personnel : Marilyn Scott (vocals); Ray Fuller, Michael Landau, Paul Jackson, Jr., Mike Miller (guitar); Steve Allen, Brandon Fields (saxophone); Ralph Rickert (trumpet); Bob Mintzer, Walt Fowler (horns); George Duke (piano, synthesizer, keyboards, bass); Michael Ruff (keyboards, background vocals); Russell Ferrante (keyboards); Jimmy Haslip, Fred D. Washington (bass); Joseph Heredia, Will Kennedy (drums); Rafael Padilla, Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Take 6, Lori Perry, Sharon Perry, Carolyn Perry, Darlene Perry, Jim Gilstrap, Lynn Davis, Alvin Chea, David Thomas, Maxayne Lewis (background vocals).

Avenues of Love

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Jed Levy - Good people

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:10
Size: 122,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:08)  1. Just In Time
( 8:19)  2. Good People
( 6:58)  3. Red Lipstick
( 4:01)  4. Second Avenue Blues
(11:27)  5. Jenkuja
( 5:38)  6. Windows On The World
( 6:00)  7. Daydream
( 4:35)  8. The Zealots

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.http://www.jedlevy.com/
              
Personnel:  Jed Levy (tenor saxophone);  Peter Leitch (guitar); Peter Madsen (piano); Rufus Reid (bass); Billy Hart (drums).

Good people

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