Pee Wee Ellis - What You Like

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:29
Size: 134,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:57)  1. The Prophet
(5:21)  2. Take Me To The River
(4:53)  3. Soul Pride
(2:42)  4. I Will Be There [feat. Van Morrison]
(5:09)  5. I Get Along Without You Very Well
(6:02)  6. 2 Dock C
(5:31)  7. (Your Love Is) So Doggone Good
(6:49)  8. Far From Home
(6:12)  9. Tune With A View [feat. Fred Wesley]
(3:46) 10. Step
(6:02) 11. What You Like

Leading the German NDR Big Band, saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis turns in a competent, occasionally stilted collection of soul-jazz and classic funk. The production and the playing is a bit too mannered for the music to actually catch fire, but there are moments  such as Fred Wesley's cameo on "Tune with a View" or Van Morrison's vocal spotlight on "I Will Be There" that make the disc a worthwhile listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/what-you-like-mw0000693549

Personnel: Pee Wee Ellis (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone);  Jenni Evans, Van Morrison (vocals);  Tony Remy (guitar); Peter Bolte (reeds, alto saxophone);  Lutz Büchner (reeds, tenor saxophone);  Edgar Herzog, Fiete Felsch, Steffen Schorn (reeds); Ingolf Burkhardt, Claus Stötter, Lennart Axelsson, Reiner Winterschladen (trumpet); Lucas Schmid, Fred Wesley, Wolfgang Ahlers, Jon Welch, Egon Christmann, Joe Gallardo (trombone); Detlev Beier (acoustic bass); Mike Mondesir (drums).

What You Like

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Bob Rockwell - Reconstruction

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 67:01
Size: 107,6 MB
Art: Front

( 5:18)  1. Straight On
( 7:35)  2. All Or Nothinbg At All
( 7:26)  3. As Blues
( 7:30)  4. Jo
( 7:43)  5. Deedle Lum
(10:54)  6. How Long Has This Been Going On
( 8:49)  7. Reconstruction
( 4:34)  8. Love Eyes
( 7:09)  9. Serenata

Rockwell was raised in Minneapolis, and in his early career he toured the U.S. in various rock and rhythm and blues bands. He worked in Las Vegas in the late 1960s and early 1970s, then moved to New York City, where he played with Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Tito Puente, Ben Sidran, Freddie Hubbard, Ray Drummond, Billy Hart, Rufus Reid, Victor Lewis, Ron McClure, Tom Harrell, Chuck Israels, John Hicks, Al Foster, Anthony Cox, Bill Dobbins, Keith Copeland, Clint Houston, and Richie Beirach.  After settling in Copenhagen, Rockwell released a large number of albums on jazz label SteepleChase Records. He has also worked in Europe with Ernie Wilkins, Kenny Drew, Alex Riel, Marilyn Mazur, Kenny Wheeler, Jan Kasperson, and Jesper Lungaard.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Rockwell

Personnel: Bob Rockwell (soprano & tenor saxophones); Joe Locke (vibraphone); Rufus Reid (bass); Victor Lewis (drums)

Reconstruction

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Kenny Burrell - The Artist Selects

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:32
Size: 170.6 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:55] 1. This Time The Dream's On Me
[6:01] 2. Delilah
[3:46] 3. But Not For Me
[4:39] 4. Phinupi
[4:43] 5. Love, Your Spell Is Everywhere
[7:56] 6. Scotch Blues
[4:40] 7. Weaver Of Dreams
[9:33] 8. Swingin'
[5:25] 9. Chitlins Con Carne
[2:39] 10. Soul Lament
[3:58] 11. Midnight Blue
[5:26] 12. These Foolish Things
[5:57] 13. Hackensack
[4:48] 14. Freedom

Kenny Burrell's The Artist Selects features tracks the Detroit native culled himself from the best of his '50s and '60s output for Blue Note. This superb collection includes such well-known tracks as "Midnight Blue" and "Chitlins Con Carne" as well as lesser-known cuts like "Phinupi." While there are similar single-disc collections of this material, the personal aspect of the collection makes it a noteworthy addition to Burrell's various compilation albums. ~Matt Collar

The Artist Selects

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Aretha Franklin - Take A Look: The Clyde Otis Sessions

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:56
Size: 123.5 MB
Styles: Soul
Year: 1964/2011
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. I'll Keep On Smiling
[3:14] 2. Shangri-La
[2:32] 3. Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart
[4:16] 4. People
[2:32] 5. A Mother's Love
[2:15] 6. Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)
[2:56] 7. But Beautiful
[1:49] 8. That's Entertainment
[2:39] 9. Take A Look
[4:41] 10. (Ah, The Apple Trees) When The World Was Young
[2:27] 11. Jim
[2:57] 12. Sweet Bitter Love
[4:52] 13. Only The Lonely
[4:05] 14. My Coloring Book
[2:53] 15. I Wish I Didn't Love You So
[4:19] 16. People (Mono Mix0
[2:29] 17. A Mother's Love (Mono Mix)

Initial July 1964 sessions with Clyde Otis were productive but Columbia didn’t release the material as an album. Those efforts are represented here by The Clyde Otis Sessions. It’s amazing that so much quality material was left aside, including the song which gives the box set its title. “Take a Look” predates “What’s Going On?” and other socially-conscious songs (“Lord, what’s happening to this human race?/I can’t even see one friendly face…”) that drew headlines in the years to come. In spite of a powerful, pointed statement (“Take a look at your children…”) and ending summation (“Nobody wins when the price is hate”), “Take a Look” perhaps didn’t have a great impact because of its string-drenched arrangement that didn’t speak to the youth culture upon its release by Columbia in 1967 after Franklin’s departure for Atlantic.

Take A Look: The Clyde Otis Sessions

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One For All - Optimism

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:37
Size: 159.4 MB
Styles: Neo-bop, Straight ahead jazz
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[ 8:22] 1. Optimism
[ 6:59] 2. Stranger In Moscow
[ 7:21] 3. Straight Up
[11:12] 4. All For One
[ 6:07] 5. Pearl's
[ 7:15] 6. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
[ 7:55] 7. What Kind Of Fool Am I
[ 8:06] 8. The Prevaricator
[ 6:16] 9. These Foolish Things

This is the second album by One for All, an all-star sextet of young jazz veterans totally steeped in the hard bop tradition and group dynamic of Art Blakey and Horace Silver's classic ensembles. Eric Alexander, the rising tenor sax phenom, trombonist Steve Davis (Jazz Messengers, Jackie McLean, Chick Corea's Origin), and Peter Washington, the talented and ubiquitous bassist, are probably the best known players here. But all the band's members are respected figures on the New York scene with long lists of impressive credits. And these guys really know what they're doing, whether it's reworking standards like "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," "What Kind of Fool Am I?" and "These Foolish Things," or tearing through a number of fine neo-hard-bop originals. ~Joel Roberts

Optimism

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Various - Les Enfants De Django

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:27
Size: 143.0 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:05] 1. Jacques Verieres - Mon Pote Le Gitan
[5:52] 2. Babik Reinhardt - Troublant Boléro
[5:00] 3. Babik Reinhardt - Miroir
[3:56] 4. Marc Fosset - Rêverie
[2:35] 5. Marc Fosset - Liberchies
[2:18] 6. Laurent Bajata - Daphné
[2:21] 7. Laurent Bajata - Nouvelle Adresse
[3:41] 8. Raphaël Faÿs - Improvisation N3
[2:44] 9. Raphaël Faÿs - Berceuse
[2:26] 10. Patrick Saussois - Webster
[3:57] 11. Patrick Saussois - Theo
[2:41] 12. Dorado Schmitt - Blue Drag
[4:26] 13. Dorado Schmitt - Flora
[2:38] 14. Francis-Alfred Moerman - Valse Manouche
[2:11] 15. Francis-Alfred Moerman - La Chafouine
[4:46] 16. Romane - Nuages
[4:11] 17. Romane - Bibiguine
[3:29] 18. Jacques Verieres - Au Temps D'edith Et Django

Gypsy jazz inherited of Django Reinhardt, sometimes called Gypsy swing, is the only non-american form of jazz recognized by the people who created Jazz. A purely French Jazz, that has crossed many borders, a festive and happy music that now belongs to more than a people’s patrimony. Different generations of his most brilliant heirs shares with us their love for this music, their approach, their relationship with Django, and how they think it is evolving.

Les Enfants De Django

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John Hicks, Elise Wood, Walter Booker, Jack Walrath - Single Petal of a Rose

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:28
Size: 150,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:26)  1. Sometime Ago
(8:45)  2. Infant Eyes
(4:16)  3. Yes or No
(3:51)  4. Ballad of Black Man
(4:34)  5. Ghosts of Yesterday
(5:59)  6. Portraits
(5:33)  7. Topaz
(7:06)  8. A Child Is Born
(4:57)  9. Single Petal of a Rose
(9:31) 10. Embraceable You
(5:25) 11. Virgo

The flute has always seemed an odd instrument for jazz. There is something so subtle and predictable about its tone that I never feel the player has enough room to really improvise. On this recording the fine pianist John Hicks teams up with flutist Elise Wood for a variety of ballads that provide a mellow and romantic, candle-lit dinner kind of sound. The title track, composed by Duke Ellington, is played with simplicity and elegance by the duo. Bassist Walter Booker helps out on a number of tracks and provides a steady foundation for the two to encircle. On the tender David Murray composition, "Ballad of a Black Man," trumpeter Jack Walrath joins Hicks-Woods and the three improvise together as coequal voices. Walrath also joins in with a muted trumpet on the final track "Virgo." Hicks is at his best on Gershwin’s "Embraceable You" and I kept wanting to hear more of him alone throughout the CD.~ Mark Craemer http://www.jellyroll.com/05/johnhicks.html

Personnel: John Hicks (piano); Elise Wood (flute); Jack Walrath (trumpet); Walter Booker (bass).

Single Petal of a Rose

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Pamela Rose - Every Time I'm With You

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:33
Size: 95,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:11)  1. Every Time I'm With You
(4:51)  2. On the Sunny Side of the Street
(3:21)  3. Whether to Stay or Go
(3:34)  4. Consider Me
(5:09)  5. Bye Bye Blackbird
(5:04)  6. Love For Sale
(2:51)  7. It's Only a Paper Moon
(5:21)  8. Never Known a Morning
(4:08)  9. You Came a Long Way From St. Louis
(2:59) 10. I'm Just a Lucky So and So

For her second CD, San Franciscan Pamela Rose has shifted the emphasis away from original material and blues to more familiar standard staples. While there are still a few originals, it's tunes by such major contributors to the Great American Songbook as Duke Ellington and Jimmy McHugh who get the singer's attention. And she does very well with them. "Bye Bye Blackbird," with Rob Sudduth's tenor laying down a soulful backdrop, is done at a much slower tempo than usual. Its arrangement and tempo are much like Mel Tormé's rendition, with Phil Woods' alto doing the sax honors. A jauntily arranged "Consider Me" is the best of the very good Rose/Nate Ginsberg originals with its catchy, swinging rhythms. Close behind is a graceful ballad, "Never Known a Morning." This time it's Jeff Ervin providing the necessary tenor sax backdrop over Ginsberg's piano. Another difference from Rose's first is that her voice has lost some of its nasal quality, becoming richer and fuller. This may well be due to the different kind of songs on this play list when compared to the previous CD. She is much more a torch singer with such songs as "On the Sunny Side of the Street," with an arrangement that transforms this old warhorse into a highly charged, emotional vehicle for Rose. But she still brings to the up-tempo material the same exuberance and sass that pour from the speakers in joyful vocal celebration. In addition to the tenor help, Ginsberg's trio, sometimes sounding like the old Art Van Damme Trio, does the bulk of the support work. This CD is another solid vocal outing for the very talented Pamela Rose and is recommended. ~ Dave Nathan http://www.allmusic.com/album/every-time-im-with-you-mw0000648604

Every Time I'm With You

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Chris Byars - Jasmine Flower

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2013
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 64:24
Size: 103,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:56)  1. Shhh... It's A Library
(5:16)  2. Say you'll stay
(7:00)  3. Mustang
(6:36)  4. I Know It's You
(6:16)  5. Jasmine Flower (MO Li Hua)
(7:29)  6. Lucky Swing
(6:39)  7. The Wind On The Bridge
(7:21)  8. Rose Water
(4:35)  9. Bye, Sandy
(6:12) 10. Song From Morocco

Chris Byars is an award-winning saxophonist, composer, bandleader, conductor and educator based in New York City. He divides his artistic focus between development of original material and studying the vast repertoire of jazz composers of the 20th century. Chris plays alto, tenor and soprano saxophones, flute and clarinet. He performs with his band, which ranges from trio to octet, and as a sideman. Chris is also available to lead big bands and conduct full orchestras. For over two decades, he has been a staple of the New York City jazz scene, performing at the city's finest venues, including the Village Vanguard, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Birdland, Smalls, Mezzrow, The Jazz Gallery and Iridium. Chris is an innovative and prolific composer. He has written for ensembles of all sizes, from trio to full orchestra. His twelfth commercially-released CD as a leader, The Music of Frank Strozier, is slated for release in January 2017. Chris is also an original and elegant arranger. He has been commissioned by the WDR Big Band to arrange a centennial celebration concert of Thelonious Monk’s compositions, to be performed in March 2017. As a Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. State Department, Chris has traveled to over 50 countries to perform concerts and present educational workshops. Chris is an enthusiastic jazz educator. He teaches in affiliation with The New School and also privately, through his own studio or via Skype. He conducts jazz clinics at colleges throughout the U.S., such as The School for International Teaching in Brattleboro, VT. http://www.chrisbyars.net/bio/

Personnel:  Chris Byars, alto sax;  Stefano Doglioni, bass clarinet;  Johm Mosca, trombone;  Ari Roland, bass;  Phil Stewart, drums;  James Byars, english horn (1,2,3,6,9);  Mine Sadrazam, piano (5)

Jasmine Flower

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Vincent Gardner - The Good Book Chapter Two: The Book Of Now

Styles: Trombone Jazz

Year: 2011

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 63:06

Size: 147,1 MB

Art: Front

(10:04)  1. A Servant Of The People

( 7:49)  2. Calypso

(10:02)  3. 466-64 (Freedom Fighters)

( 9:57)  4. Speak Low

( 8:39)  5. Like A Son

( 7:25)  6. Love Letters

( 9:08)  7. The Paper Chase

Vincent Gardner's The Good Book series is a refreshing change from many jazz CDs by up-and-coming artists, in that he is not only exploring standards and familiar jazz works, but also overlooked gems by musicians currently on the scene. The trombonist assembled a top-shelf quintet consisting of saxophonist Walter Blanding, pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Neil Caine, and drummer Ulysses Owens. It's not every day that someone records one of pianist Marcus Roberts' pieces, but his "A Servant of the People" is a perfect vehicle for Gardner's expressive chops. Fans of Kenny Barron will be very familiar with his "Calypso," a lighthearted, infectious work that showcases Goldberg, Blanding (on soprano), and the leader. Jimmy Heath's compositions have long been favorites of jazz musicians, so the breezy "Like a Son" is another uncovered treasure as well, a hip bop tune with a few twists. Kurt Weill's "Speak Low" has been a standard for decades and Gardner's spacious playing in this easygoing treatment is complemented by Blanding's rich soprano sax. Victor Young's "Love Letters" isn't as well known, though Goldberg's lush backing to Gardner's melancholy horn conveys its message without lyrics in the introduction, though a quick tempo change turns it into an upbeat cooker. It is clear that Vincent Gardner is destined to be one of the greats of his generation on trombone. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-good-book-chapter-two-the-book-of-now-mw0002195036

Personnel: Vincent Gardner (trombone); Walter Blanding (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Aaron Goldberg (piano); Ulysses Owens (drums).

The Good Book Chapter Two: The Book Of Now

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Donald Edwards - Evolution Of An Influenced Mind

Styles: Post Bop, Contemporary Jazz 
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:56
Size: 147,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:08)  1. American Drum Call To Mama
(7:19)  2. History Of The Future
(4:56)  3. Niecee
(6:55)  4. The Dream
(6:53)  5. The Essential Passion
(5:18)  6. Dock's House
(5:30)  7. Nichtmare Of Fun
(6:52)  8. When
(6:58)  9. Culmination For Now
(5:24) 10. Not Really Gumbo
(5:37) 11. Truth Of Consequence

Donald Edwards is one of those drummers that seem to be taken for granted. He's constantly being called upon to support others, shaping moods and grooves on record for everybody from saxophonist Dayna Stephens to trombonist Conrad Herwig to vocalist Carolyn Leonhart, but he's largely avoided being in the spotlight. He's only released two other leader dates in his two-plus decades as a professional drummer, and both records went largely unnoticed. Now, after serving as a sideman on a half dozen Criss Cross sessions, Edwards is stepping out with his own date for the venerable Dutch label.  Evolution Of An Influenced Mind finds Edwards fronting and backing a fiery quintet of like-minded musicians on a program of original music; ten of the eleven pieces on the album are credited to the drummer, and "When" comes from the pen of the pianist on the date the incomparable Orrin Evans. 

After hearing this material, it's hard to understand why Edwards hasn't occupied the driver's seat more often. Edwards, Evans, and the rest of the cast guitarist David Gilmore, tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III, and bassist Eric Revis aren't known for pussyfooting around, and this music reflects each man's assuredness and strength(s). These qualities can be manifested in edgy post-modern scenarios ("History Of The Future"), frantic burners ("The Essental Passion"), measured swing, and mutable constructs. Tempos aren't always of the metronome busting variety, yet things rarely feel relaxed here; Gilmore's tonal tweaks, Smith's sense of unpredictability, and the fantastic flights undertaken by each of these men see to that. Strict time is occasionally dispensed with, as when Edwards marries his drums to chants ("American Drum Call To Mama"), or when the band visits spiritually-charged material that reaches for a higher plane ("When"), but rhythm remains Edwards' business. Mid-tempo swing fits him like a glove, laid-back funk futurism sounds just fine when he plays it ("Culmination For Now"), and aggressive environments suit him. Edwards may be selfless when he works for others, but this man has a strong sense of self that shines through on Evolution Of An Influenced Mind. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/evolution-of-an-influenced-mind-donald-edwards-criss-cross-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Donald Edwards: drums; Walter Smith III: tenor saxophone; David Gilmore: guitar; Orrin Evans: piano; Eric Revis: bass. 

Evolution Of An Influenced Mind

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Sam 'The Man' Taylor - Jazz For Commuters / Salute To The Saxes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:49
Size: 153.0 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:03] 1. Bucks County Bounce
[8:29] 2. Long Island Railroad Blues
[3:03] 3. Westchester Waltz
[3:40] 4. Rockland County Round Trip
[3:11] 5. Westport Wail
[4:10] 6. Lester Leaps In
[3:51] 7. Body And Soul
[6:30] 8. Air Mail Special
[4:19] 9. All Too Soon
[3:31] 10. Flyin' Home
[2:32] 11. Taylor Made
[2:29] 12. Sam's Blues
[2:34] 13. Ride, Sammy, Ride
[2:51] 14. Do-A-Lu
[2:27] 15. Road Runner
[2:38] 16. Lock Out
[2:46] 17. The Big Beat
[2:32] 18. Cloudburst

Charlie Shavers, Thad Jones (tp), Frank Rehak, Jimmy Cleveland (tb), Sam Taylor, Georgie Auld (ts), Budd Johnson (ts, bs), Haywood Henry (bs), Hank Jones (p), Barry Galbraith, Billy Bauer (g), Milt Hinton (b), Panama Francis (d). All sessions recorded in New York. Album tracks were recorded on October 15 & 22, 1958. The Bonus tracks (11-17) came from different sessions cut between March, 1955 and June, 1956

Sam The Man Taylor is a saxophonist as adept at swinging jazz as he is at the blues and R&B for which he is most famous. With his unending drive and energy, he stood out in the bands he was in, including those of Cootie Williams, Cab Calloway and others. During the 50s he spent much of his time playing R&B sessions, but he also performed and recorded often with his own combo and, ten years later, he achieved wide recognition in Japan thanks to his ballads.

This CD, however, presents an exultant Taylor, deeply rooted in the most genuine jazz, during a swinging 1958 session with great jazzmen like Charlie Shavers, Georgie Auld, Budd Johnson and Hank Jones. As a bonus, there is an example of his more rocking side, fronting a group that exudes Taylors typically soulful essence.

Jazz For Commuters/Salute To The Saxes

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Frances Faye - Relaxin' With Frances Faye

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:07
Size: 69.0 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1957/2014
Art: Front

[2:21] 1. Love Is Just Around The Corner
[2:12] 2. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
[2:36] 3. Don't Blame Me
[3:07] 4. Ain't Misbehavin'
[2:17] 5. All The Things You Are
[2:30] 6. Darktown Strutters' Ball
[2:23] 7. Just You, Just Me
[2:02] 8. You're My Thrill
[2:32] 9. My Baby Just Cares For Me
[3:18] 10. Well All Right
[2:10] 11. The Thrill Is Gone
[2:35] 12. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans

Frances's recording career took off when Phil Kahl, founder of Roulette Records, brought her to Capitol in 1952. She released several singles starting with "Night and Day": "This is the first time I've come out sounding like myself on a record. The other times they would hear me in a club, but when they would ask me to record they would make me close the piano, ask me to sing softly, tell me not to bang, and they didn't let me keep my shoes on. The Capitol date was different."

In 1953, the album No Reservations was compiled from her singles and new material, including two Faye compositions, and Dave Cavanaugh's arrangements showcased Faye's musicianship perfectly. However, Capitol also insisted Faye record novelty tunes of their choosing, such as "Tweet Tweet Tweetheart." These musical impositions are one of the reasons Frances left the label. Approached by Red Clyde, Frances moved to Bethlehem Records, a major jazz label founded by Gus Wildi, where her recording work blossomed. Her first Bethlehem LPs, I'm Wild Again and Relaxin' with Frances Faye, as well as her entire Capitol outpout, were included in the 2006 Jasmine release. She worked with terrific musicians (some working without credit due to contractual problems) such as Maynard Ferguson, Herbie Mann and conductor/arranger Russ Garcia.

Relaxin' With Frances Faye

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Ted Howe - Love Song

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:52
Size: 141.6 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Vocals
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[5:07] 1. Let's Do It
[4:42] 2. True Love
[6:09] 3. I'll Remember Your Smile
[7:09] 4. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[4:38] 5. If I Had Known
[7:34] 6. Let's Fall In Love
[6:23] 7. Moonlight Becomes You
[5:58] 8. Midnight On The Beach
[9:10] 9. All The Way
[4:58] 10. Love Song

In this third release for Summit, TED HOWE invites the listener into a jazz time capsule of love songs, showcasing his eclectic arrangements in the sassy, sophisticated style for which he is noted. HOWE pays tribute to three of our most beloved composers: HAROLD ARLEN, COLE PORTER and JAMES VAN HEUSEN. In addition, HOWE premieres four of his own compositions with lyrics by REBEKAH MILLER. The featured vocalists on HOWE’S tunes are star of stage, screen and television, LAINIE KAZAN, along with the great, popular jazz baritone, GIACOMO GATES–thus creating a continuum of love songs from then and now. So, buckle your seat belts for a high flight over memory lane and back again–where the golden age of standards is respectfully reinvented as HOWE zooms and caresses the eighty-eights and makes everything old new again. Whether it’s an old song or a new song, this Love Song’s for you. Because as always, the heart of a simple love song still beats strong.

Love Song

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Various - Capitol Records From The Vaults: Vine Street Divas

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:06
Size: 172.0 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[2:53] 1. Jo Stafford - Long Ago (And Far Away)
[3:15] 2. Ella Mae Morse - Shoo-Shoo Baby
[2:49] 3. Benny Carter - Hurry, Hurry
[3:09] 4. Betty Hutton - It Had To Be You
[3:15] 5. Martha Tilton - I'll Walk Alone
[3:06] 6. Stan Kenton - And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine
[3:10] 7. Margaret Whiting - Moonlight In Vermont
[2:57] 8. Martha Tilton - I Should Care
[3:10] 9. Paul Weston And His Orchestra - It Might As Well Be Spring
[3:07] 10. Martha Tilton - A Stranger In Town
[2:42] 11. June Christy - It's Been A Long, Long Time
[3:02] 12. Betty Hutton - Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief
[3:19] 13. Peggy Lee - I Don't Know Enough About You
[2:57] 14. Jo Stafford - Day By Day
[2:50] 15. Peggy Lee - It's A Good Day
[2:24] 16. Nellie Lutcher - Hurry On Down
[3:11] 17. Benny Goodman - I Want To Be Loved (But Only By You)
[2:58] 18. Peggy Lee - Golden Earrings
[2:54] 19. Jo Stafford - Serenade Of The Bells
[3:04] 20. Margaret Whiting - But Beautiful
[3:12] 21. Peggy Lee - Everybody Loves Somebody
[3:05] 22. Kay Starr - You Were Only Fooling (While I Was Falling In Love)
[2:12] 23. Blue Lu Barker - A Little Bird Told Me
[3:05] 24. Helen O'Connell - Teardrops From My Eyes
[3:11] 25. Jo Stafford - Some Enchanted Evening

This volume of From the Vault highlights early Capitol Records hits by the ladies of the tower, so to speak. Individual talents such as Jo Stafford, Anita O'Day, and Peggy Lee began to emerge from many top orchestras and soon became Vine Street divas in their own right. The timing for this incipient wave of girl power couldn't have been better -- since WW II was preoccupying many of the country's top male vocalists. The extensive selection of musical genres on the label didn't hurt either. Among the most popular of these were show tunes. Jo Stafford led her fellow female artists scoring Top Ten hits with songs from both stage and screen. Vine Street Divas includes two Stafford classics -- "Long Ago (And Far Away)" from the film Cover Girl, as well as "Some Enchanted Evening" from the stage adaptation of South Pacific. Among the other soundtrack or cast recordings featured on this compilation are Ella Mae Morse's "Shoo-Shoo Baby" from the motion picture Three Cheers for the Boys," and Betty Hutton's classic "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" as featured in The Stork Club. This volume has cleverly gathered rare and hard to find early recordings by ladies who quickly gained international acclaim -- such as Anita O'Day ("And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine,") June Christy ("It's Been a Long, Long Time"), and Margaret Whiting -- who is featured with no less than three different orchestras on this collection. Vine Street Divas is accompanied by a ten-page liner notes booklet containing vintage memorabilia, photos, and other previously unpublished eye candy. Plus, to fill in the details is an essay by musician and music historian, Billy Vera. Initial pressings -- limited to 10,000 -- are cleverly packaged in a digipack designed to replicate the 78 rpm records and sleeves of the era. ~LindsayPlaner

Capitol Records From The Vaults: Vine Street Divas

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Horace Parlan - Relaxin' With Horace

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:42
Size: 155.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[6:56] 1. Like Someone In Love
[6:20] 2. Don't Take Your Love From Me
[6:02] 3. Thinking Of You
[7:09] 4. Theme For Ernie
[6:47] 5. For Heaven's Sake
[8:12] 6. Everything Happens To Me
[7:09] 7. Love And Peace
[7:59] 8. Everytime We Say Goodbye
[4:42] 9. Blues For Hp
[6:21] 10. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out

Double Bass – Jesper Lundgaard; Drums – Ed Thigpen; Piano – Horace Parlan.

Pianist Horace Parlan has long dealt with the damage done to his right hand, which came from a childhood bout with polio, by developing a potent left hand. As a result, Parlan has never had the opportunity to play completely to the potential he would have had if spared his serious illness, though his recordings have been consistently rewarding. He was 73 years old at the time of this 2004 studio session, which features old friends Jesper Lundgaard on bass and drummer (and fellow expatriate) Ed Thigpen, yet one doesn't sense that age is cramping his style in the least. The focus is primarily on standards that aren't played much in the 21st century, generally low-key ballads, with Lundgaard's strong bassline and Thigpen's crisp brushwork in support of the leader. It is refreshing to hear a relaxed, choppy interpretation of a ballad such as "Like Someone in Love," which many artists have the tendency to rush through and destroy the melody. Parlan slows "Don't Take Your Love from Me" to a crawl in order to pack an emotional punch, without having a vocalist sing its maudlin lyrics. The pianist's "Love and Peace" has a bit of a wistful air, while Thigpen's "Blues for HP" is a good bit more intense than the remainder of the session, with the drummer returning to sticks and Parlan sounding a bit more playful. All in all, this is a remarkable effort by the trio. ~Ken Dryden

Relaxin' With Horace

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Cecil Payne - Patterns of Jazz

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:04
Size: 101,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. This Time the Dreams on Me
(7:52)  2. How Deep Is the Ocean
(5:31)  3. Chessman's Delight
(3:41)  4. Arnetta
(6:43)  5. Saucer Eyes
(5:37)  6. Man of Moods
(6:23)  7. Bringing Up Father
(4:23)  8. Groovin' High

This 1956 set partners baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne with the superb rhythm section of pianist Duke Jordan, drummer Art Taylor, and bassist Tommy Potter. Their performances of originals, standards, and a pair of Randy Weston compositions are unpretentious bop artistry of a high caliber. Jordan and Potter played together in Charlie Parker's quintet of the late '40s and are well-equipped to meet the demands of bebop. The pianist's economical, swinging style falls somewhere between Count Basie's and Thelonious Monk's. Like them, Jordan is supremely skilled at saying a lot with a little. His open approach leaves plenty of space for the unassuming virtuosity of Potter and Taylor. Potter, in particular, merits close attention. He is a master of the walking bass, spilling out a relentless four to the bar with the precision of a Swiss timepiece and the obsession of one whose calling is, above all, to swing and to swing righteously. Payne's conception is the opposite of the big-throated, baritone sax roar of his Savoy labelmate Pepper Adams. Rather, his light tone calls to mind Lester Young's tenor sax, a parallel that is most apparent on Payne's extended solo on his ballad treatment of "How Deep Is the Ocean." On four of the eight tracks on this 1991 CD reissue the quartet is joined by trumpeter Kenny Dorham, who is in excellent form, adding a high-energy second voice to the frontline and a fearless chorus on the quintet's version of Dizzy Gillespie's "Groovin' High." For listeners who have yet to become acquainted with Cecil Payne, this classic mid-'50s Savoy recording would make a good introduction.~ Jim Todd http://www.allmusic.com/album/patterns-of-jazz-mw0000098304

Personnel: Cecil Payne (baritone saxophone), Kenny Dorham (trumpet), Duke Jordan (piano), Tommy Potter (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

Patterns of Jazz

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Susan Wong - Just A Little Bossa Nova

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:05
Size: 117,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:19)  1. The Look Of Love
(3:54)  2. Girl From Ipanema
(4:25)  3. Emotion
(2:50)  4. And I Love Her
(3:37)  5. Somewhere Beyond The Sea
(3:30)  6. All The Way
(3:41)  7. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(5:15)  8. Just The Way You Are
(3:27)  9. Imagine
(4:23) 10. Desafinado
(4:12) 11. Get Here
(3:07) 12. If
(4:22) 13. Kissing Of Fool

Susan Wong maintains a low-profile in her home town of Hong Kong yet is one of the best selling Hong Kong artists throughout South East Asia, and has a global following with releases in Japan, Germany, USA and Korea and a strong following in Brazil, Mexico and Spain. If you talk to many serious music fans in South East Asia they’ll give rave recommendations of Susan, who has been labeled as the ‘Queen of audiophile’, for her soft and sultry vocal style and laid-back music that has won the hearts of her wide and diverse legion of loyal fans. From those audiophile enthusiasts who enjoy listening to fine recordings to young listeners who adore the heart touching love songs the one thing that unites all her fans is their knowledge that they’ve discovered Asia’s best kept secret. Susan Wong was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to Sydney, Australia with her family at the age of seven. Musically inclined from a young age, she learned to play the piano at age five and later she also learned the violin. Her first break in the music world was at the age of sixteen when her parents entered her for a singing contest in Sydney organized by the TVB. Susan won the competition and was offered a contract with music label. After much deliberation she decided that the time wasn’t right and instead returned to Australia to study at University. She pretty much just settled back into life at University and put aside any dreams of a music career. http://susanwong.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=28

Just A Little Bossa Nova

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Chris Byars Octet - Music Forever

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:37
Size: 125,3 MB
Art: Front

(8:25)  1. Somewhere/Music Forever
(7:59)  2. Minor Interlude
(8:04)  3. Time to Smile
(4:45)  4. Just A Ballad For My Baby
(8:11)  5. Emily Reno
(9:01)  6. Old Spice
(8:09)  7. The Thespian

Chris Byars has enjoyed exploring great jazz compositions that have been overlooked by other bandleaders. He found a mother lode by undertaking a CD of material by pianist Freddie Redd, who had a flurry of activity as a recording artist from the mid-'50s to the mid-'60s, before leaving for Europe and only sporadically recording since then. The tenor saxophonist arranged eight of Redd's compositions for his octet, a strong group including trumpeter Scott Wendholt, trombonist John Mosca, alto saxophonist Zaid Nasser and baritone saxophonist Mark Lopeman, with pianist Sacha Perry, bassist Ari Roland, and drummer Stefan Schatz making up the rhythm section. Byars fleshes out Redd's music with thoughtful, lively arrangements, while the solos are short and passed quickly from one player to the next and the ensembles are tight. The snappy "Minor Interlude" moves at a brisk clip, with potent solos by the brass and reed players, along with Ari Roland's Paul Chambers-like arco bass. The jaunty "Time to Smile" deserved to become a hard bop staple, and Byars' harmonically rich arrangement adds to its luster. "Emily Reno" is a lesser-known Redd piece from the 1970s, showcasing Perry's potent bop chops and Mosca's robust trombone. With so many players striving to make a splash with CDs full of originals, it is refreshing to see musicians like Chris Byars who enjoy delving for buried treasures from throughout the history of jazz. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/music-forever-mw0002399341

Personnel: Zaid Nasser (alto saxophone); Chris Byars (tenor saxophone); Mark Lopeman (baritone saxophone); Scott Wendholt (trumpet); John Mosca (trombone); Sacha Perry (piano); Stefan Schatz (drums).

Music Forever

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Marion Brown - Vista

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:23
Size: 95,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:33)  1. Maimoun
(5:40)  2. Visions
(7:44)  3. Vista
(4:37)  4. Moment Of Truth
(6:02)  5. Bismillahi 'Rrahmani' Rrahim
(9:45)  6. Djinji

Altoist Marion Brown, one of the potentially great high-energy saxophonists to emerge in the mid-'60s (he was on John Coltrane's famous Ascension record), has had somewhat of a directionless career. This disc certainly boasts an impressive backup crew (including both Anthony Davis and Stanley Cowell on keyboards along with bassist Reggie Workman and some appearances by drummer Ed Blackwell) but does not seem to know what it wants to be. The solos are relatively short, there is a poppish vocal by Allen Murphy on a Stevie Wonder tune and little that is all that memorable actually occurs. Better to acquire Marion Brown's earlier recordings. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/vista-mw0000452724

Personnel:  Marion Brown — alto saxophone, wind chimes;  Stanley Cowell (tracks 1-4), Anthony Davis — piano, electric piano;  Bill Braynon — celeste, electric piano (tracks 1-4);  Reggie Workman — bass (tracks 1 & 3-6);  Jimmy Hopps — drums (tracks 1 & 3-5);  Ed Blackwell — drums, slit drums, (tracks 3 & 6);  Jose Goico — congas, tambourine (tracks 1 & 3-6);  Allen Murphy — vocals (track 2), bells (track 5);  Harold Budd - celeste, gong (track 5)

Vista

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