Cris Monen Jazz & Blues Band - You've Got To Pay The Band

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:20
Size: 110.7 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[3:35] 1. Oh Babe
[2:10] 2. Ma, She's Making Eyes A Me
[4:14] 3. Blue Light Boogie
[2:47] 4. Lulu's Back In Town
[3:47] 5. After You've Gone
[3:15] 6. One Note Samba
[3:40] 7. Georgia Mae
[3:55] 8. Hush, Hush
[3:31] 9. Some Of These Days
[2:55] 10. A Good Girl Is Hard To Find
[3:31] 11. I'm Crazy 'bout My Baby
[4:18] 12. She's Funny That Way
[3:25] 13. Saturday Night Fish Fry
[3:09] 14. You've Got To Pay The Band

Bass – Frans Van Geest; Drums – Martijn Vink; Guitar, Vocals – Cris Monen; Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – Sjoerd Dijkhuizen; Trombone, Cornet, Tuba – Jos Machtel. This CD was recorded at The Kwetterhof Studio in Wormerveer, The Netherlands.

You've Got To Pay The Band is the debut album of blues and jazz singer Cris Monen. He tours around the world with his band and sometimes solo. His beautiful voice and perfect guitar playing are very special. The album truly is magnificent and contains 14 superb easy listening jazz and blues songs.

You've Got To Pay The Band

---

Bebel Gilberto - Momento

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:08
Size: 96.5 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[5:11] 1. Momento
[4:25] 2. Bring Back The Love
[3:16] 3. Close To You
[3:36] 4. Os Novos Yorkinos
[3:09] 5. Azul
[4:30] 6. Caçada
[4:51] 7. Night And Day
[4:01] 8. Tranquilo
[3:07] 9. Um Segundo
[3:27] 10. Cadê Você
[2:30] 11. Words

On her self-titled 2004 sophomore album, Bebel Gilberto ditched the loungey grooves she explored on her debut and stuck to mostly acoustic elements -- guitars, percussion, strings -- to complement her voice, but her next release, Momento, finds the singer returning to both electronica and more traditional bossa nova. Gilberto is still, of course, thoroughly modern, with a much more lush, produced sound than her predecessors had (including her father), but it works for her, the overall gentle ambiance she's trying to create, even when she's singing old favorites. In Chico Buarque's lovely "Caçada," she adds more bass to the underbelly of the song and lets the woodwinds play a bigger role, and the cover of Cole Porter's "Night and Day" comes off well, gentle, and with a jazzy tenor sax solo. In fact, it's when Gilberto stays simple, and looks more closely at her roots for inspiration, that she sounds the best. It's her ventures into the Rio lounge world that are less interesting, safe to a fault. Gilberto's unfortunately perfected the Brazilian version of smooth jazz or adult contemporary, shown all too clearly on songs like "Cadê Você" or "Bring Back the Love" (which features all four members from the non-Brazilian Brazilian Girls), with their programmed drums and keyboards layered behind her voice. It's too much, too clean, too pretty, sounding nice but nothing more. To be fair, the singer has never tried nor claimed to be cutting-edge, or to challenge her audience, but tracks like "Close to You" and "Momento" are so inoffensive they're hard to pay much attention to. It's very possible to be both memorable and smooth, remarkable and mild (and this is something Gilberto is capable of, like on the sparse "Um Segundo" or the mellow "Os Novos Yorkinos," for example), but more often than not, Momento ends up a shallow listen. This CD was nominated for a Grammy award in 2007 for Best Contemporary World Music Album. ~Marisa Brown

Momento

---

David Murray, Jamaaladeen Tacuma - Rendezvous Suite

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:13
Size: 96.6 MB
Styles: Free jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:20] 1. Rendezvous The Opening
[8:31] 2. Hotel Le Prince Movement 1
[3:04] 3. Theme On A Dream
[3:36] 4. Bring It On
[4:13] 5. How Sensitive
[3:59] 6. Theme On A Dream: II. 80's Downtown Movement 2
[3:24] 7. Theme On A Dream: III. Who's That Ringing Movement 3 2
[7:09] 8. Hotel Le Prince Movement 2
[2:45] 9. Yes We Can
[2:08] 10. Rendezvous The Ending

Bass Guitar – Jamaaladeen Tacuma; Drums – Ranzell Merrit; Guitar – Mingus Murray; Keyboards [Recomposing] – Paul Urbanek; Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – David Murray. Recorded February 4 / 5, 2009 at Studio Magnetica, Paris. Mixed and mastered at Next Generation Studios, Vienna.

Berlin's Jazzwerkstatt label is similarly celebrating dreams with this partnership between the great American saxophonist and bass clarinetist David Murray, and sometime Ornette Coleman alter ego on bass guitar, Jamaaladeen Tacuma. In this case, the dreams belong to black America, embracing 1963 Martin Luther King, and Barack Obama's campaign mantra, Yes We Can. The latter sentiment reflects this session's early-2009 recording date, just three months after Obama's election, and before the harsh political realities had kicked in. But the music retains its eager, rough-hewn dynamism (Jazzwerkstatt sessions often sound like minimally premeditated works-in-progress) through some very sparky, post-bop themes, passages of Joe Zawinul-influenced synth-driven world-funk, and some awesome sax playing from Murray. Technology is used to mirror fast, improvised lines with the sonorities of other instruments – the way in which keyboard sounds slipstream Murray's tumbling horn flights is particularly absorbing. Brooding, backbeat-powered bass-guitar vamps and ghostly electric-guitar shimmerings trigger boiling tenor-sax eruptions (the saxophonist's son, Mingus Murray, is the impressive guitarist). Elsewhere, coolly-swinging episodes, such as Hotel Le Prince, give way to Weather Reportish passages; free-sax ascents squeal over rock-music bass licks; and the poet Amiri Baraka appears for a brief recital. The improv-echoing effect is overused, but there's more strong melody on this recording than in many avant-funk sessions, and Murray is as formidable as ever. ~John Fordham

Rendezvous Suite

---

Rusty Draper - Georgia

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:57
Size: 66.3 MB
Styles: Country
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[2:32] 1. Georgia On My Mind
[2:25] 2. Lazy Bones
[2:09] 3. Ole Buttermilk Sky
[2:09] 4. Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief
[2:41] 5. Moon Country
[2:33] 6. Judy
[2:03] 7. In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening
[2:34] 8. Ole Rockin' Chair
[2:15] 9. Hong Kong Blues
[2:41] 10. Lazy River
[2:21] 11. My Resistance Is Low
[2:28] 12. Small Fry

Singer Rusty Draper was one of the biggest crossover stars of the early '50s, selling over a million records to pop and country audiences before the rise of rock & roll derailed his career. Born Farrell Draper in Kirksville, MO, on January 25, 1920, he received his first guitar at age ten, and within two years made his radio debut on Tulsa station WTUL's Cy Perkins Show. From there, Draper hosted his own show on Des Moines outlet WWHO, occasionally substituting for sports announcer Ronald "Dutch" Reagan. He also cut a demo for RCA Bluebird, but the label declined to offer a contract. In 1938 the Drapers relocated to San Bernardino, CA. When he proved unable to resume his fledgling music career, Rusty worked as a Western Union messenger boy before pawning his guitar to fund a trip to San Francisco in search of a performing gig. He finally landed a residency at the Bay Area nightclub the Barn, after a year accepting a proposed two-week stay at the nearby Rumpus Room; two weeks ultimately turned into eight years, and during his tenure at the Rumpus Room, Draper met his wife Macia Willsey, who soon took over management of his career. Willsey landed him appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts as well as his own local San Francisco television showcase, and in mid-1952 the singer signed to Mercury and issued his debut single, "How Could You (Blue Eyes)." Draper's early Mercury efforts, including "Devil of a Woman" and "Sing Baby Sing," generated little interest at radio, and even "Release Me," a 1952 duet with Patti Page, failed to jump-start his career. In early 1953 he nevertheless mounted a national club tour, and the publicity gave a much-needed push to his sixth Mercury release, a cover of the Carlisles' country hit "No Help Wanted." In June, Draper released "Gambler's Guitar," and everything clicked -- the record sold over a million copies and not only reached the country Top Ten, but also cracked the pop charts. The follow-up, "Bummin' Around," failed to match its predecessor's success, however, but Draper quickly rebounded with "Lighthouse" and "Native Dancer," both of which reached the number 23 slot. He struggled in 1954 with a series of little-noticed releases including "I Love to Jump," "The Workshop of the Lord," and "Shame on You," but hit paydirt again in 1955 with the Top 20 pop hit "Seventeen," peaking at number three with the follow-up, "The Shifting, Whispering Sands," and closing out the year with "Are You Satisfied?," which flirted with the Top Ten. During 1956, Draper remained a radio fixture with "Held for Questioning" and "House of Cards," and returned to the Top 20 with "In the Middle of the House." (Vaughn Monroe's competing version hit number 11.) Draper entered 1957 weakly, scoring only minor chart success with "Let's Go Calypso" and "Tiger Lily," but a cover of Chas McDevitt's U.K. skiffle smash "Freight Train" returned him to the Top Ten by year's end. From there Draper's brand of middle-of-the-road country-pop again fell out of favor, and singles like "June, July and August," "With This Ring," and "Can You Depend on Me?" sold poorly. His 1960 reading of "Muleskinner Blues" proved a surprise British Top 40 hit, while its flip side, a cover of Hank Locklin's classic "Please Help Me, I'm Falling," reached the number 54 spot on the U.S. pop charts. With 1961's rendition of Cowboy Copas' "Signed, Sealed and Delivered," Draper scored his final hit for Mercury, and after issuing "Beggar to a King" the following summer, he left the label to sign with Monument, reaching number 57 on the pop charts in the fall of 1953 with Willie Nelson's "Night Life." A comeback was not in the cards, however, and subsequent Monument efforts "It Should Be Easier" and "I'm Worried About Me" went nowhere. The label terminated his contract following 1966's "Mystery Train," although he hung around the lower rungs of the country charts for the remainder of the decade via minor hits like "My Elusive Dreams," "California Sunshine," and "Buffalo Nickel." Draper remained a steady concert draw in years to follow, and also appeared in stage musicals and on television; in 1980, he squeaked into the country charts one final time with "Harbor Lights." Draper died of pneumonia in Bellevue, WA, on March 29, 2003. ~ bio by Jason Ankeny

Georgia

---

Tina Brooks - The Waiting Game

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:33
Size: 90.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[7:38] 1. Talkin' About
[4:41] 2. One For Myrtle
[6:52] 3. Dhyana
[6:39] 4. David The King
[7:29] 5. Stranger In Paradise
[6:11] 6. The Waiting Game

Bass – Wilbur Ware; Drums – Philly Joe Jones; Piano – Kenny Drew; Tenor Saxophone – Tina Brooks; Trumpet – Johnny Coles. Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on March 2, 1961.

Like two of his other three albums, Tina Brooks' final session as a leader (in March 1961) was sequenced and prepared for release, but remained on the shelves until well after the tenor's tragically early death. That's why the title of The Waiting Game is not only apt, but sadly poignant. Despite Blue Note's reservations at the time, Brooks' output for the label was uniformly strong, demonstrating his skills as a smooth, graceful soloist and a composer of considerable dexterity within the hard bop idiom. Swinging and bluesy, yet sophisticated and refined, The Waiting Game upholds the high standard Brooks set with his previous sessions. Brooks is especially fine on his minor-key compositions, such as "Talkin' About" and "Dhyana," which allow his streak of melancholy romanticism to emerge (as does the lone cover here, the Tony Bennett hit "Stranger in Paradise"). With its hints of Eastern modalities, "David the King" is perhaps the most challenging piece here; in fact, it had been attempted without success at the Back to the Tracks sessions. Brooks sounds especially searching on the album-closing title cut, and pianist Kenny Drew and trumpeter Johnny Coles contribute some long, fluid lines of their own. Hard bop fans will find The Waiting Game just as necessary as Brooks' other albums. Not counting the out-of-print Mosaic box, The Waiting Game was first issued as its own entity in 1999 in Japan, and was finally released in the U.S. in October 2002. ~Steve Huey

The Waiting Game

---

The Jazz Crusaders - Lighthouse '68

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:43
Size: 169,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:55)  1. Oogo-Boo-Ga-Loo
(7:43)  2. Eleanor Rigby
(8:57)  3. Native Dancer
(7:26)  4. Never Had It So Good
(9:02)  5. The Emperor
(6:25)  6. Impressions
(6:22)  7. Cathy The Cooker
(4:03)  8. Shadows
(8:01)  9. Tough Talk
(8:45) 10. Third Principle

Lighthouse '68 is the third date the Jazz Crusaders cut at the popular California venue. Previous outings recorded here, though very fine, carried the sonic weight of a band very aware of their audience and that they were making live records. Here, they get it completely right. Feel is what dictates the material and its execution on this set, without unnecessary attention paid to crowd or recording apparatus. This is one the most intimate jazz shows captured on tape during the 1960s. It gives record buyers the sound of a band in full possession of their considerable capabilities, celebrating them in a relaxed environment, playing their own brand of grooved-out '60s jazz. What is most apparent is how seamlessly the Jazz Crusaders Wilton Felder, Stix Hooper, Joe Sample, Buster Williams, and Wayne Henderson  wove together hard bopping blues, soul-jazz, Horace Silver's funky rhythmic ideas, and gospel. One listen to the set's opener, "Oogo-Boo-Ga-Loo," with its funky strut and call-and-response chorus, brings the Sunday morning church music to the Saturday discotheque for a workout. As it cascades into "Eleanor Rigby," Sample's solo goes deeply into the blues for his inspiration and comes out with a funky panoply of cadences that are double timed and stretched out into a loping soul groove by the rhythm section before the horns bring the melody back with finger-popping assent. Sample's street-smart "Never Had It So Good" offers an elongated front line with a summer stroll through a Latin theme before erupting into deep soul. But the kicker is in Buster Williams' compositions. 

As a jazz composer, Williams was closely aligned with hard bop as it evolved. His expansive rhythms, smooth melodic lines, and tight harmonic palette offered soloists a chance to stretch his grooves further, bringing modality as first articulated by Miles Davis' mid-'60s quintet and a warm yet expressed sophistication to his tunes (check "Native Dancer" with its Latin tinge and the shimmering melodic pulse of "The Emperor," which gives way to the set's closer, a graceful, profoundly subtle, and gorgeous reading of John Coltrane's "Impressions"). In sum, this record delivers what most records only promise: it literally sings with great musicianship displayed with verve and acumen, along with a warm human feeling that amounts to joy. ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/lighthouse-68-mw0000697614

The Jazz Crusaders: Wilton Felder (tenor saxophone); Wayne Henderson (trombone); Joe Sample (piano); Buster Williams (bass); Stix Hooper (drums).

Lighthouse '68

---

Marian Montgomery - Swings For Winners and Losers

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:56
Size: 72,4 MB
Art: Front

(1:50)  1. Breezin Along With The Bree
(2:35)  2. Confessin The BLues
(3:06)  3. When Sunny Gets Blue
(2:53)  4. Can't Help It
(2:34)  5. Wee Baby Blues
(2:17)  6. My Buddy
(1:48)  7. Roll Em Pete
(2:34)  8. The Exciting Mister Finch
(2:39)  9. Deed I Do
(3:10) 10. Good Morning Heartache
(2:11) 11. All By Myself
(2:14) 12. When Your Lover Has Gone

Born  Maude Runnels, 17 November 1934, Natchez, Mississippi, USA, d. 22 July 2002, Bray, Berkshire, England. Montgomery quit school to sing on television in Atlanta, Georgia. After working in advertising and publishing, performing in plays and singing in strip joints and jazz clubs, she became an established cabaret performer. Montgomery was signed to Capitol Records after Peggy Lee heard her demo tape, and she recorded three albums for the label. She moved to the UK in 1965 to sing at a new London club, the Cool Elephant, with John Dankworth’s band. That same year she married composer and musical director Laurie Holloway and began to establish herself on the London club scene, equally at home at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club as she was on the less demanding cabaret circuit.

Possessing a voice that was once likened to ‘having a long, cool glass of mint julep on a Savannah balcony’, she expanded her career with a starring role in the 1969 West End revival of Anything Goes, and frequent appearances on radio and television, as well as concerts and cabaret in the UK and abroad. Her one-woman show was televised by the BBC in 1975. Besides her musical association with Holloway, she successfully collaborated with classical composer/pianist Richard Rodney Bennett on several projects, including Puttin’ On The Ritz, Surprise Surprise andTown And Country. With an instantly recognizable, relaxed and intimate style, Montgomery became one of a handful of American artists to take up permanent residence in the UK. She lost her long battle against cancer contracted from passive smoking in July 2002. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/marian-montgomery-mn0000233883/biography

Swings For Winners and Losers

---

Terence Blanchard & Donald Harrison - Discernment

Styles: Trumpet And Saxophone Jazz

Year: 1986

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 45:41

Size: 104,8 MB

Art: Front

(6:45)  1. Worth the Pain

(4:01)  2. When the Saints Go Marching In

(5:38)  3. When I Fall in Love

(6:03)  4. Directions

(1:39)  5. Discernment

(6:10)  6. Are You Sleeping?

(6:01)  7. Akira

(9:19)  8. Dorchester House

The second recording co-led by trumpeter Terence Blanchard and altoist Donald Harrison (both of whom had become stars with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers) mixes together the influences of New Orleans (they even perform a somber version of "When The Saints Go Marching In"), hard bop and the avant-garde. With pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Phil Bowler and the colorful drummer Ralph Peterson, Jr. making strong contributions, the quintet performs spirited renditions of four Blanchard originals, two Harrison songs, "The Saints" and the ballad "When I Fall In Love."~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/discernment-mw0000191552http://www.allmusic.com/album/discernment-mw0000191552

Personnel:  Donald Harrison (saxophone), Terence Blanchard (trumpet), Mulgrew Miller (piano), Phil Bowler (bass), Ralph Peterson (drums)

Discernment

---

Vincent Gardner - Vin-Slidin'

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:40
Size: 151,2 MB
Art: Front

( 8:11)  1. Teaneck
(11:46)  2. Pensativa
( 8:48)  3. For Heaven's Sake
( 6:38)  4. Koko
(12:27)  5. Rocks In My Bed
(10:49)  6. Wildflower
( 6:58)  7. Just One Of Those Things

For his third date for Steeplechase, trombonist Vincent Gardner not only omits a second horn, but also utilizes guitarist Tom Guarna in place of a pianist, with bassist Greg Williams and drummer Quincy Davis rounding out the band. The result is solid effort that swings like mad. Gardner, who has recorded with Marcus Roberts, Wynton Marsalis, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, opens with a fluid arrangement of Nat Adderley's "Teaneck," while also mastering Charlie Parker's intricate, rapid-fire bop vehicle "Koko." His laid-back treatment of Duke Ellington's infrequently performed blues "Rocks in My Bed" is complemented by Williams' walking bass and Guarna's spacious accompaniment in an extended workout. Gardner adds a mute for the intimate setting of Wayne Shorter's "Wildflower," a beautiful, subdued performance. The standards include a lush, romantic setting of "For Heaven's Sake" and breezy interpretation of the always popular "Just One of Those Things," helping to nicely round out this recommended session. 

~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/vin-slidin-mw0000793981

Personnel:  Tom Guarna (guitar); Vincent Gardner (trombone); Greg Williams (upright bass); Quincy Davis (drums).

Vin-Slidin'

---

Wycliffe Gordon & Eric Reed - We

Styles: Trombone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:14
Size: 126,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:52)  1. The Lord's Prayer
(8:40)  2. Paris Blues
(4:07)  3. This Rhythm on My Mind
(5:50)  4. Embraceable You
(4:29)  5. Cherokee
(6:03)  6. Precious Lord Take My Hand
(8:56)  7. Lament
(4:49)  8. Toast My Bread
(5:20)  9. He Looked Beyond My Fault (Dan
(3:03) 10. He Cares

We is a profound and intimate set of duets featuring trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and pianist Eric Reed. With a relaxed yet passionate air, the two express their mutual love and respect with a far-ranging program that covers Ellington, Gershwin, spirituals, folk songs, and jazz staples like "Cherokee" and "Lament." Gordon's plunger work is unparalleled in its sophistication, as he reveals on "Embraceable You" and "Precious Lord, Take My Hand." And he can sing, too -- check out the antics on his two originals, "This Rhythm on My Mind" and "Toast My Bread." Reed's stately, gospel-tinged touch and bop command anchor the session; his beautiful ballad "He Cares" closes the session. ~ David R.Adler http://www.allmusic.com/album/we-mw0000218389

Personnel: Wycliffe Gordon: trombone; Eric Reed: piano.

We

---

Elmo Hope Trio - Elmo Plays His Own Compositions

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:37
Size: 122.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1961/2011
Art: Front

[3:32] 1. Hot Sauce
[4:58] 2. When The Groove Is Low
[4:25] 3. De Dah
[3:44] 4. Abdullah
[3:36] 5. Freffie
[6:42] 6. Stars Over Marakesh
[4:55] 7. Chips
[4:03] 8. Happy Hour
[4:19] 9. Moe's Bluff
[4:27] 10. Mo Is On
[4:36] 11. Maybe So
[4:14] 12. Crazy

Elmo Hope (p), Paul Chambers, Edward Warren (b), Philly Joe Jones, Granville Hogan (d). Recorded in New York City, 1961.

The highly original works of composer/pianist Elmo Hope included in this collection are certainly a landmark in his career and a source of unalloyed joy to his many admirers. Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, two of the most exciting jazz musicians, are the remaining two-thirds of this extraordinary trio. Within the dazzling framework of Hopes vivid compositions, they form an aggregation with a strikingly individual style.

Elmo Plays His Own Compositions

---

Anita O'Day - There's Only One

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:22
Size: 81.0 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1978/2007
Art: Front

[3:21] 1. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Thing)
[5:10] 2. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
[2:58] 3. Old Folks
[5:40] 4. What Is This Thing Called Love
[4:16] 5. Ace In The Hole
[5:33] 6. I Cover The Waterfront
[2:29] 7. Chicago
[5:52] 8. I Cried For You

Acoustic Guitar, Guitar – Al Bruno, Billy Webb; Bass – Eddie Jo Downs; Drums – Johnny Greer; Piano – Ed Holtz; Steel Guitar – Silvio Tucciarone; Vocals – Anita O'Day. Recorded at Gold Star Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA.

Quicksilver Records dug out a true treasure when it reissued Anita O’Day’s Christmas of 1977 recordings session. While this recording came at the end of her accomplished career, it windows the singer and her individual and styled approach to song.

Anita O’Day was raised in the music hotbed of Chicago, Illinois during a time when Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa were frequent performers. O’Day worked her way up to landing a gig with the Krupa outfit which featured Roy Eldridge. She soon headed east where her voice was recorded masterfully by Norman Granz’s Verve label. O’Day’s approach to singing while not unique, was not an imitation of anyone. Like Billie Holiday, she moved her words in and out of the rhythm with ease and silky smooth transitions and possessed the scatting skills of artists like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. It is this style that she continued to develop and perfect up to and including this recording.

On "There’s Only One," O’Day displays her virtuostic phrasing and silky smooth vocals on such standards as ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” “I Cried For You,” and “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You." What an album of songs that have been recorded many times before does for an artist like O’Day is allow her to display her unique voice and vision with a repertoire that is familiar to most listeners. While many artists strike out with these efforts and release nothing but rehashed arrangements, O’Day succeeds by presenting what stands out as an original voice and top-of-the-line presentation. To prove that point the listener need to listen no further than to O’Day’s crooning and rhythmic toying on the album's opening recording of Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean A Thing.” The recording sounds fresh, original and at the same time maintains much of the original form.

In this age of cramming as much music as possible onto a compact disc, Quicksilver stays true to the original master and lets it speak for itself without the requisite substandard outtakes, live material, and alternative recordings. This approach makes the listening a pleasure from track one through eight and makes the listener leaving with a smile on their face with a desire to hear more – the mark of a great recording and artist! ~Charlie B. Dahan

There's Only One

---

Various - The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (3-Disc Set)

This is not and cannot be the Complete Cole Porter Songbooks, but it's a marvelous collection of 48 timeless jazz interpretations drawn from the Verve catalog. Recorded between 1951 and 1988, these standards, ballads and show tunes are rendered by some 15 vocalists, many of whom appear twice, and about 13 instrumental groups. In addition to the usual suspects (Ella, Louis, Sarah, Dinah, and Lady Day) there are fine performances by Abbey Lincoln, Anita O'Day, Billy Eckstine, Mel Tormé, Blossom Dearie, Shirley Horn, Betty Carter, Helen Merrill, Morgana King and Fred Astaire. The instrumentalists -- and this is most fulfilling because Cole Porter's music is an essential strand in the DNA of swing, bop, and mainstream jazz -- include Ben Webster, Sonny Stitt, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Clifford Brown, Stan Getz, Al Cohn, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Bud Powell, Bill Evans, Tal Farlow, and Jim Hall. That makes this a portable jazz library of considerable potency, pungency and depth. Also quite valuable as a tool for learning and appreciating some of Porter's very best songs. First prize for both artistic magnitude and friendly intimacy goes to Louis Armstrong and Oscar Peterson for their fabulously relaxed, nearly nine-minute rendition of "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love." ~arwulf arwulf

Album: The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:04
Size: 153.6 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Jazz
Year: 1990

[5:26] 1. Dinah Washington - I've Got You Under My Skin
[3:50] 2. Shirley Horn - Love For Sale
[8:41] 3. Louis Armstrong - Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)
[3:20] 4. Ella Fitzgerald - Anything Goes
[2:54] 5. Mel Tormé - What Is This Thing Called Love
[4:17] 6. Helen Merrill - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[2:27] 7. Oscar Peterson Trio - At Long Last Love
[1:57] 8. Anita O'day - I Love You
[4:01] 9. Louis Armstrong - Just One Of Those Things
[2:42] 10. Sarah Vaughan - It's De-Lovely
[2:48] 11. The Russell Garcia Orchestra - Always True To You In My Fashion
[2:42] 12. Fred Astaire - I Concentrate On You
[6:17] 13. Dinah Washington - I Get A Kick Out Of You
[3:47] 14. Billy Eckstine - In The Still Of The Night
[2:59] 15. Billie Holiday - Easy To Love
[3:03] 16. Ella Fitzgerald - Night And Day
[5:47] 17. Betty Carter - Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 1)

---

Album: The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:41
Size: 127.5 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Jazz
Year: 1990

[4:16] 1. Louis Armstrong - I Get A Kick Out Of You
[2:52] 2. Anita O'day - My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[3:10] 3. Ella Fitzgerald - I've Got You Under My Skin
[3:02] 4. Helen Merrill - How's The World Treating You
[4:23] 5. Dinah Washington - So In Love
[2:44] 6. Mel Tormé - Too Darn Hot
[2:29] 7. Sarah Vaughan - Just One Of Those Things
[2:49] 8. Shirley Horn - Get Out Of Town
[2:55] 9. Billie Holiday - Love For Sale
[3:09] 10. Anita O'day - From This Moment On
[4:56] 11. Fred Astaire - Night And Day
[2:37] 12. Blossom Dearie - Give Him The Ooh-La-La
[3:14] 13. Morgana King - Ev'rything I Love
[3:53] 14. Ella Fitzgerald - Miss Otis Regrets
[3:29] 15. Helen Merrill - All Of You
[2:29] 16. Louis Armstrong - You're The Top
[3:04] 17. Betty Carter - Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love

The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 2)

---

Album: The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 3)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:08
Size: 146.8 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Jazz
Year: 1990
Art: Front

[2:35] 1. Charlie Parker - What Is This Thing Called Love
[4:57] 2. Al Cohn - Love For Sale
[2:53] 3. Art Tatum - Begin The Beguine
[5:58] 4. Dizzy Gillespie - My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[4:49] 5. Max Roach Sextet - Get Out Of Town
[4:43] 6. Sonny Stitt - Easy To Love
[7:36] 7. Max Roach Quintet - I Get A Kick Out Of You
[6:44] 8. Stan Getz - Night And Day
[3:48] 9. Bud Powell - Just One Of Those Things
[4:15] 10. Coleman Hawkins - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[5:08] 11. Tal Farlow Trio - Anything Goes
[2:35] 12. All Star Big Band - I Love You
[3:21] 13. Jim Hall - I've Got You Under My Skin
[4:41] 14. Max Roach Sextet - I Concentrate On You

The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 3)

---

Ricky Nelson - Ricky/Ricky Nelson

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:20
Size: 154.2 MB
Styles: Rock N Roll, Teen Pop
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[2:52] 1. Honeycomb
[1:54] 2. Boppin' The Blues
[1:59] 3. Be-Bop Baby
[1:55] 4. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
[1:38] 5. Teenage Doll
[1:54] 6. If You Can't Rock Me
[2:09] 7. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
[2:19] 8. Baby I'm Sorry
[1:37] 9. Am I Blue
[2:17] 10. I'm Confessin'
[1:59] 11. Your True Love
[2:12] 12. True Love
[2:01] 13. Be-Bop Baby
[1:59] 14. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
[1:56] 15. If You Can't Rock Me
[1:57] 16. Shirley Lee
[2:52] 17. Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)
[1:47] 18. There's Good Rockin' Tonight
[2:16] 19. I'm Feelin' Sorry
[2:30] 20. Down The Line
[2:21] 21. Unchained Melody
[2:17] 22. I'm In Love Again
[2:29] 23. Don't Leave Me This Way
[2:31] 24. My Babe
[2:39] 25. I'll Walk Alone
[2:15] 26. There Goes My Baby
[2:34] 27. Poor Little Fool
[1:53] 28. Stood Up
[2:00] 29. Waitin' In School
[2:02] 30. Believe What You Say
[2:01] 31. My Bucket's Got A Hole In It

Rock & roll was still a novelty and singles ruled the record market when 17-year-old Ricky Nelson released his debut album in 1957; it immediately jumped to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. That's why Capitol fleshes out some of its twofer releases of Nelson's Imperial albums with non-album hit singles. It's stunning to hear how well Nelson's debut and sophomore LPs hold up long after their original appearances. Aside from "Be Bop Baby" (and its "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" B-side), most of the cuts on Ricky are covers, including a wonderfully sedate take on Jimmie Rodgers's "Honeycomb," proving Nelson was indeed the Perry Como of early rockers. It also includes two Carl Perkins covers, including the definitive "Your True Love." The second LP displays growth and rocks harder. ~Bill Holdship

Ricky/Ricky Nelson

---

Johnny Hodges - Everybody Knows Johnny Hodges

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:59
Size: 155.6 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1965/1992
Art: Front

[7:24] 1. Everybody Knows
[3:04] 2. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
[6:51] 3. Papa Knows
[4:33] 4. 310 Blues
[2:43] 5. The Jeep Is Jumpin'
[3:26] 6. Main Stem
[4:44] 7. Medley I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[3:09] 8. Open Mike
[3:59] 9. Stompy Jones
[4:24] 10. Mood Indigo
[3:07] 11. Good Queen Bess
[5:09] 12. Little Brother
[5:43] 13. Jeep's Blues
[2:34] 14. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
[3:20] 15. Ruint
[3:40] 16. Sassy Cue

The solo projects of Johnny Hodges were not so much individualistic divergences away from his duties with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, but served more as extensions of the vintage, classic style of jazz tailored to his personalized sound away from what he had to compete with sitting next to the raft of talent in Duke's big band. Working here in the mid-'60s with groups ranging from an octet to a 12-member (featuring nine extra tracks not included on the original 33 1/3 LP) or 15-piece group, Hodges showcases many of his original compositions. He primarily employs Ellington personnel, with the exception being the quite able Jimmy Jones at the piano on the majority of these selections. His son Johnny Hodges, Jr. plays drums on two tracks when Grady Tate or Gus Johnson sits out, while bass players chosen by the legendary alto saxophonist include the formidable Ernie Shepard and a young Richard Davis. These quite famous numbers are loaded with pungent solos by cream of the crop jazzmen such as trumpeter Cat Anderson, woodwind specialists Russell Procope and Jimmy Hamilton, the deeply soulful tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves, and nimble trombonist Lawrence Brown. If you are a devout fan, you'll easily recognize favorites like the harmony-strewn evergreen "Main Stem" with fluttering clarinet and a patented Anderson solo, the Billy Strayhorn ballad "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing" where Hodges is fully featured, "Mood Indigo" where the group is stripped down to four horns in guarded repast, and the very slow "Jeep's Blue" as the piano of Jones takes center stage. Brown's introduction and theme for "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" sweetly showcases the underappreciated trombonist. Hodges wrote or co-wrote several of these tracks, including the lesser-known spiky-accented and vibrato-laden "Papa Knows" as offshoots of its precedent, "Mama Knows," and the two-note bass-heavy title track, delivered quicker than the established 4/4 rhythm. "Good Queen Bess" is a basic Count Basie-type bluesy theme, and there's the distinctly Ellingtonian blues "Little Brother" and the always rousing "Stompy Jones," where Procope and the gang trade lines profusely. It would be difficult to pick a favorite or a clunker, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anything more inspired or another project loaded with this much talent. Everybody knows Johnny Hodges and this stellar collection of all-stars, because they are absolutely the best at what they do. ~Michael G. Nastos

Everybody Knows Johnny Hodges

---

Seamus Blake, Marc Miralta Trio - Sun Sol

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:00
Size: 123,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:02)  1. Go
(7:29)  2. Cirkle K
(7:50)  3. Boston in 3/4
(8:04)  4. Now and Here
(5:18)  5. Pure Imagination
(7:31)  6. Mr Omaha
(7:41)  7. 70's Child
(5:02)  8. Sunsol

For the first time on record, tenorist Seamus Blake teams up with his old Berklee schoolmate, drummer Marc Miralta. They each contribute three tunes, while the session's bassist, Avishai Cohen, offers the opening minor blues "Go." The one non-original is "Pure Imagination," the Anthony Newley ballad used in the film Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Cohen co-arranged this tune very differently for Claudia Acuña's debut disc Wind from the South. 

The tracks "Circle K," "Now and Here," and "Mr. Omaha" build upon loosely flowing grooves and open-ended blowing, while "Boston in 3/4" and "70's Child" center around more lyrical melodies and structures. The title track, a quasi-African vamp, has more of an experimental flavor than the other tracks. Cohen is never one to restrict himself to basic timekeeping; his playing here is characteristically aggressive and percussive. Blake and Miralta are both masters of their respective instruments, but it is their fine-tuned and highly musical interplay the result of years of collaboration that recommends this album. ~ David R. Adler http://www.allmusic.com/album/sunsol-mw0000728404

Personnel: Double Bass – Avishai Cohen; Drums – Marc Miralta; Tenor Saxophone – Seamus Blake

Sun Sol

---

Maysa - Blue Velvet Soul

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:59
Size: 139,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:39)  1. Beautiful Dreamer
(3:40)  2. Sophisticated Lover
(3:33)  3. Be There
(4:23)  4. Good Morning Sunrise
(4:18)  5. What Can I Do
(4:28)  6. Pouring Rain
(4:09)  7. When Your Soul Answers
(4:18)  8. Put It On Me
(4:18)  9. Inside My Dream
(4:12) 10. When You Touch Me
(4:43) 11. Quiet Fire
(3:10) 12. I Care
(3:43) 13. This Much
(4:52) 14. Nothing But You
(3:27) 15. Love Me Good

Released less than two years after Motions of Love, Blue Velvet Soul also follows the passing of Maysa's mother and the extended bout of writer's block that ensued. Going by the varied strengths of Blue Velvet Soul, one wouldn't know that the singer pulled herself out of a creative rut. Maysa gets some help from familiar and new songwriting and production collaborators, including Incognito's Bluey, Chris "Big Dog" Davis, and Lorenzo Johnson. One of three Bluey collaborations, "Good Morning Sunrise," is a gorgeous and plush midtempo duet, among a handful of highlights from the album's mostly relaxed front half. More notable standouts are saved for the album's back half, which continually shifts gears in pleasing ways. "Quiet Fire," written by Johnny "Hammond" Smith and Cheryl Friberg for Nancy Wilson's 1988 album Nancy Now!, is a surprising and inspired choice and should be a deathless staple of any contemporary quiet storm program. "This Much," produced my Mike City, recalls early-'90s house with its piano-led groove and uplifting spirit. Another Bluey tune, "Nothing But You," begins like an homage to disco-funk band GQ prior to unspooling into airy but confident pure disco. The album is laced with lyrical phrases that are likely to ping a soul fanatic's radar "hangin' on a string," "young hearts run free," "here, my dear," "let a woman be a woman, and a man be a man," and so forth but they all float by inconspicuously, like it's all happenstance, just part of another enjoyable and all-purpose Maysa album. ~ Andy Kellman http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-velvet-soul-mw0002538252

Blue Velvet Soul

---

Irvin Mayfield Sextet - Live At The Blue Note

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:16
Size: 164,3 MB
Art: Front

(12:43)  1. Moanin'
( 9:40)  2. Cherokee
( 6:37)  3. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(11:32)  4. West End Blues
(14:46)  5. Did You Call Her Today?
( 7:34)  6. You Don't Know What Love Is
( 8:22)  7. Be Bop

The early 20-something trumpeter Mayfield has his sextet solidly planted in the post-to-hard-bop jazz of the late '50s. Trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis and alto saxophonist Wessell Anderson form an impressive young frontline with Mayfield, bassist Carlos Enriquez, and drummer Jaz Sawyer, who get to their business in fine style. It is pianist Eric Reed, however, whose star shines brightly on this blowing club date. Mayfield and Anderson stretch the parameters of their horns prior to Reed cutting loose on the one tune you'd expect this Jazz Messengers-ish type band to blast off on, "Moanin'." Another good old, blowing tune "Cherokee" is done to death, Reed trading fours with Sawyer. The lone duet piece "On the Sunny Side of the Street" has Mayfield and Reed skipping though the classic melody, the pianist in stride mode and also animated as if mocking a player piano's stiffness. The next two pieces are the most stretched-out: "West End Blues," at over 11 and a half minutes, is languid and slow; the 15-minute "Did You Call Her Today?" is an easy, patient, classic JATP-type jam. Mayfield and Marsalis introduce "You Don't Know What Love Is" while the rest join mid-chorus on this pristine ballad. The rip-roaring finale "Be-Bop" does have some fluffed melody notes, but these are hardly noticeable. It's a furious number with Anderson most animated, and Mayfield's tone typifying Dizzy Gillespie's persona during his solo, replete with bleats and high-end charges. Mayfield's future in the pantheon of young trumpeters as Nicholas Payton and Darren Barrett is further secured with the release of this CD. ~ Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-blue-note-mw0000572074

Irvin Mayfield Sextet:  Irvin Mayfield (trumpet); Wessell Anderson (saxophone); Delfeayo Marsalis (trombone); Eric Reed (piano); Carlos Enriquez (bass); Jaz Sawyer (drums).

Live At The Blue Note

---

John McNeil - Clean Sweep

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:48
Size: 134,9 MB
Art: Front

( 7:02)  1. Early Flight
( 8:49)  2. Zephyr
( 7:54)  3. Tiffany
( 9:46)  4. Just Around the Corner
( 4:35)  5. Clean Sweep
( 9:38)  6. Where's Rialto?
(11:01)  7. Zephyr

John McNeil grew up in Yreka, CA. The little town off of I-5 wasn't exactly brimming with musical knowledge, but the tenacious McNeil still taught himself trumpet and learned to read music on his own. By his late teens the young trumpeter was playing in combos throughout Northern California; by the mid-'70s he was freelancing in New York City and gaining a reputation as an innovative, lyrical player. He performed with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra at the Village Vanguard, and led his own groups at various area clubs. By the latter part of the decade, McNeil had joined the Horace Silver Quartet and secured a solo contract with SteepleChase. The label issued a flurry of McNeil releases, including 1978's Embarkation and The Glass Room, Faun, and (with Tom Harrell) Look to the Sky in 1979. In the 1980s, the trumpeter continued to work as both a sideman and leader. He appeared as a soloist with Gerry Mulligan's band, and formed the John McNeil Trio/Quartet for 1983's I've Got the World on a String. He toured internationally, and was recognized by the contemporary jazz community as a go-to writer, arranger, and producer. McNeil went on to issue a series of critically acclaimed albums, including the Kenny Burger collaborations Hip Deep (1996, Brownstone) and Brooklyn Ritual (1998, Synergy). Released in 2001, Fortuity featured a few pop-inspired numbers, like a Latin-flavored interpretation of the Beatles' "I Will." The Latin influence continued with 2003's This Way Out (Omnitone), which McNeil recorded in Barcelona with tenor saxophonist Gorka Benitez and bassist Giulia Valle. The record was breezy, bold, and curious, and proved that McNeil's hunger for music hadn't diminished an iota from those days learning trumpet in the fields of Yreka. Since then, McNeil has kept busy releasing Sleep Won't Come in 2004, East Coast Cool in 2006, and Rediscovery in 2008. ~ Johnny Loftus https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/john-mcneil/id23880907#fullText

Personnel:  John McNeil (trumpet);  Billy Hart (drums);  Dave Liebman (tenor sax, soprano sax);  Rufus Reid (bass);  Joanne Brackeen (piano)

Clean Sweep

---

Duke Jordan - Beauty Of Scandinavia

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:41
Size: 127.5 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2004/2011
Art: Front

[6:30] 1. Dear Old Stockholm
[6:50] 2. Midnight Sun
[6:40] 3. Night Train From Snekkersten
[4:23] 4. Chateau Ed Suede
[5:02] 5. The Midnight Sun Will Never Set
[3:43] 6. When You Wish Upon A Star
[2:33] 7. Gule Blomster (Yellow Flower)
[4:17] 8. Misty Thursday
[5:59] 9. What Is Wrong
[5:30] 10. Sweet Meat
[4:08] 11. Sultry Eve

Duke Jordan (piano); Jesper Lundgaard (bass,electric bass); Ed Thigpen (drums). Recorded at Eazy Sound Recording, Copenhagen, Denmark, on August 25 & 26, 1995.

Beauty of Scandinavia is Duke Jordan's musical love letter to the region he called home for the latter part of his life. A long-time resident of Copenhagen, Denmark, he recorded many beatutiful albums for European and Japanese labels such as SteepleChase, Marshmallow and Videoarts.

The program consists of famous Scandinavian traditionals ("Dear Old Stockholm"), songs inspired by the region ("Midnight Sun," "Midnight Sun Will Never Set") and Jordan's attractive originals. His fellow American expat living in Denmark, the great drummer Ed Thigpen contributed one original ("Yellow Flower") as well. With the strong support from Thigpen and the great bassist Jesper Lundgaard, this album became an instant classic. Recommended!

Beauty Of Scandinavia  

---