Lee Wiley - Sings The Songs Of George & Ira Gershwin And Cole Porter

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 51:48

Size: 118.6 MB

Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz

Year: 1989

Art: Front

[3:27] 1. How Long Has This Been Going On

[3:27] 2. My One And Only (What Am I Gonna Do )

[2:53] 3. Sweet And Low Down

[3:17] 4. 's Wonderful

[3:20] 5. I've Got A Crush On You

[3:01] 6. Someone To Watch Over Me

[3:29] 7. Sam And Delilah

[3:12] 8. But Not For Me

[3:25] 9. Looking At You

[3:04] 10. Let's Fly Away

[3:11] 11. Why Shouldn't I

[2:52] 12. Hot-House Rose

[3:05] 13. You Do Something To Me

[3:25] 14. Find Me A Primitive Man

[3:12] 15. Easy To Love

[3:20] 16. Let's Do It

Lee Wiley was the first jazz singer to record a full album (eight songs in the '78' days) dedicated to the music of one composer; her "songbooks" preceded Ella Fitzgerald's by more than 15 years. The greatest recordings of her career were these four projects, the first two of which are on this Audiophile reissue. Wiley, who had an introverted and quietly straightforward yet sensuous (and somewhat smoldering) style, is heard singing eight songs apiece by the Gershwins and Cole Porter. Her accompaniment includes all-star groups headed by pianist Joe Bushkin and trumpeter Max Kaminsky (which include tenor-saxophonist Bud Freeman, clarinetist Pee Wee Russell and on four songs Fats Waller), a quartet with Bushkin and trumpeter Bunny Berigan, and Paul Weston's Orchestra. Wiley's renditions of such songs as "How Long Has This Been Going On," "I've Got A Crush On You," "Someone To Watch Over Me," "Let's Do It" and "Easy To Love" are both memorable and haunting. This reissue is a gem as is the followup Audiophile release of Rodgers & Hart and Harold Arlen songs. ~Scott Yanow

Sings The Songs Of George & Ira Gershwin And Cole Porter

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Neil Diamond - The Movie Album (2-Disc Set)

On this lazy, nearly shameless album (two CDs that don't even make it to 70 minutes combined), Neil Diamond visits movie songs past ("As Time Goes By") and present ("My Heart Will Go On") with stops along the way for takes on almost anything you would anticipate an album and artist like this would cover ("Unchained Melody"? There. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"? Ditto. "Moon River"? Yep, it's there.) Assisted by conductor Elmer Bernstein and an 80-piece orchestra, Diamond takes a 20-song stroll down film memory lane on The Movie Album: As Time Goes By with a bombast that often borders on parody. Oversinging like he's never oversung before, Diamond makes even the most inspired tunes of the bunch ("And I Love Her," "Can't Help Falling in Love") into Branson-worthy set pieces that are all melodramatic glitz and no style. A black stain on both Diamond and movies. ~Michael Gallucci

Album: The Movie Album (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:16
Size: 76.2 MB
Styles: Adult Contemporary
Year: 1998

[2:53] 1. As Time Goes By
[3:38] 2. Secret Love
[3:49] 3. Unchained Melody
[4:06] 4. Can You Feel The Love Tonight
[2:37] 5. The Way You Look Tonight
[3:27] 6. Love With The Proper Stranger
[2:56] 7. Puttin' On The Ritz
[2:45] 8. When You Wish Upon A Star
[4:21] 9. The Windmills Of Your Mind
[2:38] 10. Ebb Tide

The Movie Album (Disc 1)

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Album: The Movie Album (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:21
Size: 76.4 MB
Styles: Adult Contemporary
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[3:09] 1. True Love
[4:13] 2. My Heart Will Go On
[3:58] 3. The Look Of Love
[4:37] 4. In The Still Of The Night
[3:30] 5. Moon River
[3:14] 6. Ruby
[4:21] 7. Suite Sinatra I've Got You Under My Skin One For My Baby
[2:23] 8. And I Love Her
[3:07] 9. Can't Help Falling In Love
[0:45] 10. As Time Goes By (Reprise)

The Movie Album (Disc 2)

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Lambert, Hendricks & Ross - The Swingers

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:50
Size: 96,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:32)  1. Airegin
(3:16)  2. Babe's Blues
(3:32)  3. Dark Cloud
(2:04)  4. Jackie
(5:07)  5. Swingin' 'Til the Girls Come Home
(4:13)  6. Four
(3:30)  7. Little Niles
(2:57)  8. Where
(2:58)  9. Now's the Time
(3:46) 10. Love Makes the World Go Around
(6:49) 11. Clap Hands! Here Somes Charley

One of the lesser-known sets by the classic jazz vocal group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, this LP holds its own with their more famous recordings. Assisted by tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, pianist Russ Freeman, and guitarist Jim Hall, among others, Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, and Annie Ross sound at their best on such numbers as "Airegin," "Jackie" (a feature for Ross), "Swingin' 'Til the Girls Come Home," "Four," and "Now's the Time." 

This album is recommended to fans of this unique and influential vocal trio. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-swingers!-mw0000194210

Personnel:  Vocals – Annie Ross, Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks;  Bass – Ed Jones;  Drums – Sonny Payne;  Guitar – Freddie Green;  Piano – Russ Freeman;  Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims

The Swingers

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Shirley Horn - I Love You, Paris

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:28
Size: 170,9 MB
Art: Front

( 6:23)  1. Wouldn't It Be Lovely?
( 3:12)  2. Just In Time
( 4:50)  3. He Was Too Good To Me
( 8:16)  4. Do It Again
( 5:36)  5. Old Country
( 6:38)  6. It's Easy To Remember
( 2:31)  7. All Through The Night
( 6:47)  8. L.A. Break Down
( 9:44)  9. I Loves You Porgy/Here Comes De Honey Man
(12:53) 10. A Song For You/Goodbye
( 7:33) 11. That Old Devil Called Love

The highlights of a 2½-hour concert recorded in Paris, this CD has even more ballads than a typical Shirley Horn set because, due to the monitor malfunctioning during the second half of the performance, Horn chose to stick exclusively to ballads during that portion of the show. Accompanied by bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams, Horn is in peak form throughout this program, often sounding exquisite and using silence and pauses quite expertly. 

Among the highlights are "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "Do It Again," a medley of "I Loves You Porgy" and "Here Comes De Honey Man," and a lengthy version of "A Song for You" that eventually becomes "Goodbye." Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-love-you-paris-mw0000119061

Personnel: Shirley Horn (vocals, piano); Charles Ables (electric bass); Steve Williams (drums).

I Love You, Paris

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Miles Davis - On the Corner

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:44
Size: 125,8 MB
Art: Front

(19:56)  1. On the Corner/New York Girl/Thinking of One Thing and Doing Another
( 5:16)  2. Black Satin
( 6:08)  3. One and One
(23:22)  4. Helen Butte/Mr. Freedom X

Could there be any more confrontational sound in Miles Davis' vast catalog than the distorted guitars and tinny double-timing drums reacting to a two-note bass riff funking it up on the first track from On the Corner? Before the trumpet even enters the story has been broken off in the middle deep street music melding with a secret language exchanged by the band and those who can actually hear it as music. Here are killer groove riffs that barely hold on as bleating trumpet and soprano sax lines (courtesy of Dave Liebman on track one) interact with John McLaughlin's distortion-box frenzy. Michael Henderson's bass keeps the basic so basic it hypnotizes; keyboards slowly enter the picture, a pair of them handled by Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, as well as Ivory Williams' synthesizer. Finally, Colin Walcott jumps in with an electric sitar and there are no less than five drummers  three kits (Al Foster, Billy Hart, and Jack DeJohnette), a tabla player, and Mtume. It's a four-tune suite, On the Corner is, but the separations hardly matter, just the shifts in groove that alter the time/space continuum. After 20 minutes, the set feels over and a form of Miles' strange lyricism returns in "Black Satin." Though a tabla kicks the tune off, there's a recognizable eight-note melody that runs throughout. Carlos Garnett and Bennie Maupin replace Liebman, Dave Creamer replaces McLaughlin, and the groove rides a bit easier except for those hand bells shimmering in the background off the beat just enough to make the squares crazy. 

The respite is short-lived, however. Davis and band move the music way over to the funk side of the street  though the street funkers thought these cats were too weird with their stranded time signatures and modal fugues that begin and end nowhere and live for the way the riff breaks down into emptiness. "One and One" begins the new tale, so jazz breaks down and gets polished off and resurrected as a far blacker, deeper-than-blue character in the form of "Helen Butte/Mr. Freedom X," where guitars and horns careen off Henderson's cracking bass and Foster's skittering hi-hats. It may sound weird even today, but On the Corner is the most street record ever recorded by a jazz musician. And it still kicks. ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/on-the-corner-mw0000197892

Personnel:  Miles Davis – electric trumpet;  Dave Liebman – soprano saxophone;  Carlos Garnett – soprano and tenor saxophone;  Herbie Hancock – electric piano, synthesizer;  Chick Corea – electric piano;   Harold I. Williams – organ, synthesizer; David Creamer, John McLaughlin – electric guitar;  Michael Henderson – electric bass;  Collin Walcott, Khalil Balakrishna - electric sitar;  Bennie Maupin – bass clarinet (B1);  Badal Roy – tabla;  Jack DeJohnette– drums;  Jabali Billy Hart – drums, bongos;  James "Mtume" Foreman, Don Alias – percussion;  Paul Buckmaster – cello, arrangements

On the Corner

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Andrew Rathbun - Affairs of State

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:49
Size: 148,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:10)  1. Fragmented
(8:16)  2. We Have Nothing But Tears
(7:14)  3. Around the Same Circles, Again and Again
(6:04)  4. Break the Chains
(6:38)  5. 5th Anniversary
(6:34)  6. Fiasco
(8:30)  7. Ongoing
(6:21)  8. Folly (Of the Future Fallen)
(8:58)  9. Paint Peelings

Andrew Rathbun is a Canadian-born tenor saxophonist resident in New York, a Brooklyn regular who has garnered support from fellow tenorists Joe Lovano and Dave Liebman as well as trumpeter Kenny Wheeler. That should give some sense of Rathbun's lineage. He's a thoughtful player and true to the influence of Wheeler (and Booker Little) and the mid-'60s Miles Davis quintet a skillful composer, honing a refined lyricism that explores challenging harmonic patterns. He’s also interested in consistent partnerships. The quintet heard here includes two musicians, trumpeter Taylor Haskins and bassist John Hebert, who played on Rathbun's first quintet session, Scatter Some Stones (Challenge, 1998). Returning the favor, Rathbun has also appeared on Haskins' two Fresh Sound CDs. As one might expect, there's a close-knit feeling that extends from hand-in-glove ensemble playing to some understated contrapuntal improvising.  

Rathbun likes extra-musical themes (two of his previous CDs have been poetry settings), and the pieces here reference the decline of America in the Bush years, from the Iraq war to collapsing infrastructure and luxury condos; however, the album's dominant moods are melancholy and resilience rather than rage, an introspective lyricism that wouldn't otherwise suggest the political theme. Rathbun's compositions use contrasting elements to create tension and develop texture, as in the antiphonal voicings of "Fragmented," the dissonant elegy of "We Have Nothing But Tears" and the effective use of sparkling electric piano on "Folly." His tenor sound possesses significant flexibility, from warm calm to gritty resistance; it's a fine match with Haskins, whose pitch inflections can add a sudden illumination. The rhythm section Herbert joined by pianist Gary Versace and drummer Mike Sarin is a model of support, a loose and engaged presence balancing empathy and aggression with an almost orchestral breadth. The result is consistently thoughtful, well-crafted music in a mature idiom. ~ Stuart Broomer https://www.allaboutjazz.com/affairs-of-state-andrew-rathbun-steeplechase-records-review-by-stuart-broomer.php
 

Personnel: Andrew Rathbun: tenor saxophone; Taylor Haskins: trumpet; Gary Versace: piano; John Hebert: bass; Mike Sarin: drums.

Affairs of State

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Ari Ambrose - Jazmin

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:00
Size: 145,5 MB
Art: Front

( 8:41)  1. Jazmin
( 7:10)  2. When Your Lover Has Gone
(10:27)  3. Ila
(12:06)  4. Along Came Betty
( 4:25)  5. Dollar Shot
( 9:19)  6. Bubbles, Bangles and Beads
( 8:49)  7. Who Know

So-called Young Lions seem pretty toothless these days. Wynton’s playing sideman gigs at the Village Vanguard, a venue he once lorded over (see the exemplary box set on Columbia), and cats like Nicholas Payton and Joshua Redman have largely fallen off the radar of public consciousness. The Zeitgeist seems ripe for new contenders and tenor player Ari Ambrose just might lead the pack. Rather than traffic in hard bop retreads, the saxophonist sets his sights higher. A reverence for the glories of the past tempers an insightful ear cocked toward future challenges to conquer. One element essential to this sort of strategy is a like-minded band. Ambrose has his bets covered in this regard with Michael Leonhart, Joe Martin and Rick Montalbano. Even with several records under their collective belt this is still a relatively young ensemble, and that freshness feeds directly into the music. Vestiges of Byas and Webster crop up in his tone and phrasing, but there’s also an edge of unpredictability to his sound. Sliding into near micro tonality on the velvet ballad changes of “When Your Lover Has Gone” Ambrose’s tenor adopts a ghostly translucent cast. Leonhart’s lovingly muted brass smears out a gentle counterpoint and Martin’s ensuing bass solo builds at a beautifully sculpted pace. Everything about the track registers as a model of grace and measured poise.


“Ila” radiates avant-garde overtones while still adhering to a solid structural base. Martin’s dour bass bowing weaves with Montalbano’s atmospheric cymbals and malleted toms, prefacing Ambrose’s own somber entrance. The tenor’s solo loses steam after a strong opening section, segueing into a spate of pitch-pointed cries and flutters. But succor comes in the form of Martin’s busy fingers, which pluck out a vacillating harmonic backdrop alongside Montalbano’s traps and Ambrose regains focus through the coalescing momentum. Rollinsesque ingenuity saturates the playing of both horns, with each man reeling off his share of melodic quotes and Leonhart also trading in legato trills. Benny Golson’s “Along Came Betty,” rendered at a languorous tempo and elongated duration, allows the band even more room for spacious interplay. Ambrose steps forward first, flanked by Leonhart’s lubricious counterpoint and the roles smoothly transpose during the trumpeter’s own solo. Further interjections from the horns punctuate pauses in Martin’s solo, but his fingers plough right on through with an ergonomically sound excursion across his strings. Montalbano gets room to move through a series of highly attentive drum breaks. Leonhart’s “Dollar Shot” bounces along on an infectious highlife-flavored groove, while the venerable standard “Baubles, Bangles and Beads” furthers the mood of accessible exploratory élan. A rousing reading of Monk’s questionary “Who Knows” closes things out and the quartet demonstrates a convincing affinity for the composer’s angular harmonic antics. Ambrose and his colleagues probably won’t register in the minds of many jazz listeners, but engaging discs like this one suggest that their relative anonymity is almost certainly a temporary ailment.~ Derek Taylor https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jazmin-ari-ambrose-steeplechase-records-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Personnel:  Ari Ambrose- tenor saxophone;  Michael Leonhart- trumpet;  Joe Martin- bass;  Rick Montalbano- drums.

Jazmin

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Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan - Count Basie & Sarah Vaughan

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:06
Size: 105.5 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1962/1995
Art: Front

[2:10] 1. Perdido
[3:56] 2. Lover Man
[2:53] 3. I Cried For You
[3:53] 4. Alone
[3:09] 5. There Are Such Things
[2:48] 6. Mean To Me
[2:43] 7. The Gentleman Is A Dope
[4:50] 8. You Go To My Head
[3:07] 9. Until I Met You
[3:21] 10. You Turned The Tables On Me
[4:50] 11. Little Man (You've Had A Busy Day)
[2:50] 12. Teach Me Tonight
[2:42] 13. If I Were A Bell
[2:48] 14. Until I Met You

Although Count Basie gets top billing, he actually doesn't even appear on this set. Basie's Orchestra and pianist Kirk Stuart are purely in a supporting role behind the magnificent voice of Sarah Vaughan, other than a couple of short spots for trumpeter Joe Newman and Frank Foster's tenor. Sometimes Vaughan sounds overly mannered and seems to give little weight to the words she is singing, but her wide range and impeccable musicianship carry the day. Highlights include "Perdido," "Mean to Me," and "You Go to My Head," and the set is understandably recommended more for Sarah Vaughan fans than Count Basie collectors. [Some reissues add a pair of charming Vaughan duets with Joe Williams, "Teach Me Tonight" and "If I Were a Bell," that were originally released as a single, plus an alternate take of "Until I Met You."] ~Scott Yanow

Count Basie & Sarah Vaughan

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Ben Sidran - On The Cool Side

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:21
Size: 110.7 MB
Styles: Cool jazz
Year: 1985/1999
Art: Front

[5:15] 1. Mitsubishi Boy
[3:03] 2. Lover Man, Pt. 1
[4:54] 3. Lover Man, Pt. 2
[3:52] 4. Brown Eyes
[5:50] 5. On The Cool Side
[3:34] 6. Old Hoagy
[3:56] 7. Heat Wave
[4:16] 8. Take It Easy Greasy
[3:33] 9. Lazy River
[4:25] 10. That's What The Note Said
[5:37] 11. Lost In The Stars

Ben Sidran - Piano, Vocals; Billy Peterson - Bass; Ricky Peterson - Synthesizer; Steve Miller - Guitar, Vocals; Paul Peterson - Synthesizer; Howard Arthur - Guitar; Dr. John - Vocals.

My first step into the world of digital instruments, I used the latest gear at the time (Lynn drum machine, Yamaha DX7, etc.) to capture the spirit of the times, and it did: the sound of this recording is forever locked in the 1980s. Some of the songs, on the other hand, like "Mitsubishi Boy", have had many reincarnations. ~Ben

Ben Sidran's musical persona has always been one of cool-cat hipster, talk-singing his songs in a style reminiscent of his mentor, Mose Allison. On the Cool Side was one of his more commercially viable solo releases, finding an audience in the small coterie of contemporary jazz stations in the mid-'80s. The title track is a classic of the genre, an upbeat, joyous affirmation of life, featuring a backing vocal from old pal Steve Miller. Sidran's take on "Lover Man" adds a whole new funky dimension to that oft-recorded warhorse, as do his versions of "Heat Wave" and "Up a Lazy River," the latter featuring Dr. John on second vocal. The music on this recording is heavily electronicized, with programmed drums, synthesized riffs, and Fender Rhodes piano, but it sure sounds like a lot of fun. And, you'll find yourself walking down the street singing "keep on searching, keep it on the cool side" with a big smile on your face. ~Jim Newsom

On The Cool Side

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The World's Greatest Jazz Band - At Manchester's Free Trade Hall, England 1971 (2-Disc Set)

Bob Wilber (clarinet, soprano saxophone); Bud Freeman (tenor saxophone); Billy Butterfield (trumpet, flugelhorn); Yank Lawson (trumpet); Vic Dickenson, Eddie Hubble (trombone); Ralph Sutton (piano); Bob Haggart (electric bass); Gus Johnson (drums).

With an over-the-top (and perhaps tongue in cheek) name like the World's Greatest Jazz Band, all modesty has been happily tossed out the window. Whether any band can actually live up to such a title is questionable, but At Manchester's Free Trade Hall, England 1971 does qualify as a fine recording of a vivacious live show. This rather large band (nine players), including trumpeters Yank Lawson and Billy Butterfield, and pianist Ralph Sutton, turns back the clock to a jazz form -- Dixieland -- that hadn't been "in" since the 1910s. The set list, "Ain't Misbehavin'," "Carolina in the Morning," and "Bourbon Street Parade," reflects this backward glance. The odd thing about this date for anyone immersed in contemporary jazz (anything from Coltrane on) is how melodic and fun jazz was before it became sophisticated. Sutton and clarinetist Bob Wilbur's freewheeling solos on "Ain't Misbehavin'" concoct an intoxicating mood, while the instrumental interchanges and intertwinings by the band throw the proceedings into high gear. The band offers quite a few variations on the Dixieland style, varying the arrangements and featuring different players on different cuts. This, plus the fact that most of the tracks hover around three- to five minutes, means that these two discs keep the listener tuned in. The only factor that seems a bit old-fashioned here are the song introductions, though they do provide a space to identify the featured musician(s) on each cut. At Manchester's Free Trade Hall, England 1971 delivers over an hour-and-a-half of spontaneous, effervescent jazz, and stands as a worthy testament to the World's Greatest Jazz Band. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Album: At Manchester's Free Trade Hall, England 1971 (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:27
Size: 108.7 MB
Styles: Dixieland
Year: 2006

[1:34] 1. Yank Introduces The WGB
[5:42] 2. Panama
[4:56] 3. Dogtown Blues
[5:50] 4. Ain't Misbehavin'
[4:19] 5. Black And Blue
[4:02] 6. Alligator Crawl
[4:42] 7. I Got Rhythm
[5:05] 8. Limehouse Blues
[3:46] 9. Big Noise From Winnetka
[4:02] 10. What's New
[3:25] 11. South Rampart Street Parade

At Manchester's Free Trade Hall, England 1971 (Disc 1)

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Album: At Manchester's Free Trade Hall, England 1971 (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:54
Size: 125.7 MB
Styles: Dixieland
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:57] 1. Bourbon Street Parade
[4:02] 2. The Girl On The Beach
[4:38] 3. Just One Of Those Things
[5:27] 4. Summertime
[5:31] 5. Viper's Drag
[5:34] 6. At Sundown
[3:44] 7. Carolina In The Morning
[5:22] 8. In A Sentimental Mood
[6:24] 9. Wolverine Blues
[5:35] 10. Muskrat Ramble
[3:35] 11. Up-Up And Away My Inspiration

At Manchester's Free Trade Hall, England 1971 (Disc 2)

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Kelley Suttenfield, Nick Romano - Among The Stars

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:01
Size: 89.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:15] 1. Fly Me To The Moon
[4:40] 2. Harvest Moon
[2:49] 3. Beautiful Love
[4:41] 4. Wash Me Clean
[3:31] 5. Just Say I Love Him
[3:50] 6. One Fine Day
[4:34] 7. Try Your Wings
[4:11] 8. People Will Say We're In Love
[3:55] 9. Until It's Time For You To Go
[2:30] 10. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

Voice and nylon-string guitar. That's it. Nothing else to hear on this one, but nothing else is really needed. Vocalist Kelley Suttenfield's first album—Where Is Love (Rhombus Records, 2009)—was a well-crafted, full band affair that reimagined the works of everybody from Wes Montgomery ("West Coast Blues") to Caetano Veloso ("Coraçao Vagabundo") to The Platters ("Twilight Time"). On her sophomore date, she strips away the band, leaving only guitarist Tony Romano in the picture to help her explore music of the night and songs of love.

Among The Stars offers quiet and absorbing takes on jazz standards along with classics from singer-songwriters like Neil Young and Bob Dylan. In theory, pieces like "Fly Me To The Moon" and "Harvest Moon" may not seem like they belong back-to-back on the same program, but Suttenfield and Romano shape each and every number to fit their aesthetic. "Fly Me To The Moon," for example, has no Sinatra-esque swinging swagger to it, moving instead atop moody lines, and there's no steady strum to calmly propel "Harvest Moon." Actually, there's rarely any steady strum to speak of. Romano isn't a four-chords-to-a-bar accompanist. He's far more interactive with song and singer, dropping his own bass notes into place, connecting the harmonic dots with single note lines, and giving the occasional chordal punctuation or aside. When Romano does wear the rhythm guitarist hat, as on parts of the striking "Just Say I Love Him," he remains understated in his approach.

Suttenfield's voice has been rightly compared to that of Susannah McCorkle in the past, but that connection is really just a surface similarity. McCorkle had great highs and lows in her delivery; Suttenfield works in narrower confines, but she knows her working space extremely well. She doesn't usually look upward toward the heavens or explore the depths, preferring instead to get the most out of the middle ground. These ten numbers come and go in less than forty minutes, but that's more than enough time for Suttenfield and Romano to make a lovely statement. Among The Stars is a real low-key charmer. ~Dan Bilawsky

Among The Stars

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Archie Shepp Quartet - Blue Ballads

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:23
Size: 119.9 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1996/2007
Art: Front

[ 5:54] 1. Little Girl Blue
[ 7:15] 2. More Than You Know
[ 7:53] 3. Blue In Green
[ 5:09] 4. Blue And Sentimental
[ 7:50] 5. Cry Me A River
[ 7:29] 6. If I Should Lose You
[10:51] 7. Alone Together

Bass – George Mraz; Drums – Idris Muhammad; Piano – John Hicks; Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Vocals – Archie Shepp. Recorded at Clinton Studio "A" on November 24 & 25, 1995 in N.Y.

Recorded in November 1995, saxophonist Archie Shepp's Blue Ballads is a counterpart to True Ballads and Something to Live For, which date from the same period. All three albums feature pianist John Hicks, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Idris Muhammad. These intimate studies in shared introspection, along with Black Ballads and True Blue, document Shepp's astute exploration of the ballad form during the 1990s. On Blue Ballads Shepp mingled time-honored standards such as Rodgers & Hart's "Little Girl Blue," Arthur Schwartz's "Alone Together," and Vincent Youmans' "More Than You Know" with the Miles Davis-Bill Evans masterpiece "Blue in Green" and "Blue and Sentimental," which had served as the feature number for Count Basie's star tenor saxophonist Herschel Evans some 60 years earlier. Once again and in all the best ways, Shepp shines in parallel with his contemporary Pharoah Sanders. Both are skilled balladeers as well as free spirits who simply cannot be bottled or pigeonholed. ~arwulf arwulf

Blue Ballads

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Buck Clayton - Tenderly

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Swing
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:09
Size: 86,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:25)  1. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
(2:48)  2. Rosetta
(3:09)  3. Lonesome
(3:23)  4. Tenderly
(2:57)  5. Sugar Blues
(2:45)  6. Black And Blue
(2:31)  7. Premier Bal
(2:56)  8. These Foolish Things
(3:07)  9. Louise
(2:45) 10. Pennies From Heaven
(3:24) 11. Stompin' At The Savoy
(2:52) 12. I'm In The Mood For Love

This out-of-print Inner City LP has tasteful playing by Buck Clayton with a French quintet comprised of Jean-Claude Pelletier on piano and organ, guitarist Jean Bonal, bassist Roland Lobligeois and expatraite drummer Kansas Fields. 

The emphasis is on ballads and standards (although there are a pair of obscure Sidney Bechet tunes) but Clayton's appealing sound, naturally melodic style and swinging solos make all of the concise performances of interest to mainstream jazz fans.~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/tenderly-mw0000911536

Personnel:  Buck Clayton – trumpet;  Jean-Claude Pelletier - piano, organ;  Jean Bonal – guitar;  Roland Lobligeois – bass;  Kansas Fields - drums

Tenderly

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Greta Matassa - Favorites From A Long Walk

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:22
Size: 143,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. Double Rainbow
(4:46)  2. Inside A Silent Tear
(3:04)  3. Sweet And Lovely
(4:08)  4. He's Gone Again
(3:27)  5. If I Love Again
(6:23)  6. Listen Little Girl
(5:55)  7. I Will Wait For You
(4:55)  8. Look At That Face
(3:55)  9. Late, Late Show
(6:31) 10. Speak Low
(6:20) 11. Never Never Land
(4:44) 12. The Man With A Horn
(3:25) 13. There'll Be Another Spring

A nice album of relatively unknown songs originally done by the great female vocalists of yesteryear. Greta Matassa has a nice way with the music, alternately whispering softly and belting out cadences as the compositions require. Matassa doesn't quite mimic the classic singers, but she does have hints of their styles slyly embedded in her delivery. Ella comes out just a bit when she starts to scat. Carmen McRae comes through a bit on a Jobim number. Sarah Vaughan comes out when she needs to purr a little. Ultimately, there isn't much new to be found here, if one has already heard Matassa's formidable prowess. However, it's a nice round of songs whether it's new or not. Perfect for a slow weekend afternoon. ~ Adam Greenberg  http://www.allmusic.com/album/favorites-from-a-long-walk-mw0000263030

Personnel: Greta Matassa (vocals); Darin Clendenin & Friends, Darin Clendenin (piano); Clipper Anderson (electric bass); Richard Cole (saxophone); Thomas Marriott (trumpet); Mark Ivester (drums).

Favorites From A Long Walk

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Sadao Watanabe - Fly me to the Moon

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:44
Size: 81,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:35)  1. The Girl from Ipanema
(2:45)  2. Meditation
(3:20)  3. Black Orpheus
(2:54)  4. O Grande Amor
(2:10)  5. Bonita
(4:02)  6. Dindi
(2:20)  7. Mas que Nada
(3:05)  8. The Shadow of Your Smile
(2:16)  9. Fly me to the Moon
(2:41) 10. A Man and a Woman
(3:33) 11. So Danco Samba
(2:56) 12. She is Carioca

Sadao Watanabe has long had a split musical personality. He alternates excellent bebop dates with pop albums. Watanabe learned clarinet and alto in high school, and in the 1950s he moved to Tokyo, joining Toshiko Akiyoshi's bop-oriented group in 1953. When the pianist moved to the U.S. in 1956, Watanabe took over the band. He attended Berklee during 1962-1965 and had the opportunity to work with Gary McFarland, Chico Hamilton, and Gabor Szabo. However, throughout his career Watanabe has remained mostly based in Japan, where he is a major influence on younger players. He has recorded steadily through the years, most notably with Chick Corea in New York (1970) and with the Galaxy All-Stars (1978). Watanabe's bop records are inspired by Charlie Parker, and his pop dates by Brazilian-flavored music. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sadao-watanabe-mn0000282544/biography

Personnel:  Sadao Watanabe (Sax, flute); Sadanori Nakamure (Guitar); Masabumi Kikuchi (Piano); Isao Suzuki (Bass); Msahiko Togashi (Drums); Hideo Miyata (Cavasa).

Fly me to the Moon

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Rich Perry - Hearsay

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:49
Size: 184,5 MB
Art: Front

( 9:03)  1. King Baby
( 8:56)  2. Hearsay
(10:14)  3. Sam
( 6:30)  4. Penance
( 8:26)  5. Bigos
( 7:54)  6. Gymel
( 7:39)  7. Then From Now
( 5:03)  8. On Clouds Danced

Rich Perry's eighth Steeplechase disc makes a point of featuring the little-known trumpeter/composer Steve Lampert, who penned all but two of the tunes for the session. Bassist Dennis Irwin and drummer Jeff Hirshfield complete the lineup. The absence of a chordal instrument makes for a lot of harmonic openness, and that serves these sparse, freebop-oriented tunes just fine. Lampert, playing muted all the way through, proves to be a fluid and compelling soloist. As a composer, he gravitates toward unusual rhythmic feels, the best examples being the modified 12-bar blues "Gymel" and the agitated double-time "Penance." Perry seems to thrive on these relatively abstract themes; his interaction with the rhythm section is typically laid-back and imaginative.

Personnel: Rich Perry (tenor saxophone); Steve Lampert (trumpet); Dennis Irwin (bass); Jeff Hirshfield (drums).

Hearsay

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Thomas Marriott - Constraints & Liberations

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:12
Size: 124,4 MB
Art: Front

( 4:14)  1. Diagram
(10:46)  2. Up From Under
( 7:33)  3. Constraints and Liberations
( 6:56)  4. Waking Dream
( 9:35)  5. Early Riser
(10:43)  6. Clues
( 4:22)  7. Treadstone

Trumpeter Thomas Marriott keeps growing as an artist. He has released CDs at a healthy pace since 2005: an introduction for many perhaps unwary jazz fans to some warped country western flavor on Crazy: The Music of Willie Nelson (Origin Records, 2008); cranking an all-star quintet up in a modern mainstream mode on Flexicon (Origin Records, 2009); and letting it rip on a two-trumpet blow fest with fellow brass man Ray Vega on East-West Trumpet Summit (Origin Records, 2010). Constraints and Liberations ups his output to two releases in 2010. Spontaneity has always been a big part of Marriott's jazz game, but with Constraints and Liberations, it seems he has gone deeper into that mode. The set opens with his original "Diagram." A bright splendor of two-horn harmony introduces the tune with a teaming of the leader's open horn and Hans Teuber's haunting tenor saxophone, leading to a shift into brass/reed conversation, with Teuber telepathically finishing Marriott's opening statement. Here, and throughout the set, the rhythm team pianist Gary Versace; bassist Jeff Johnson, and drummer John Bishop maintains a low key tumult that keeps things on edge.

The sound of Constraints and Liberations is often moody and atmospheric, giving the impression of a soundtrack from a movie dealing with impending danger. Marriott is in excellent form, his tone by turns bright or dark, clean or murky, and sometimes anguished, always telling an eloquent story. Teuber's tenor has a distinctive sound, cool and hollow, and somehow diaphanous, like a saxophone played by a disconcerted ghost, while the versatile Versace who has contributed brilliantly to Maria Schneider's orchestra on accordion, and on organ, piano and accordion on numerous sideman dates including drummers John Hollenbeck and Matt Wilson, well as his own discs as leader slips into any accompanist/soloist task at hand, with a fluid sparkle on the title tune, or a quirky solo aside on "Diagram." "Waking Dream" opens with piano teardrops accompanied by a gorgeously introspective muted trumpet. Johnson's bass looms in and lies low, adding, with Bishop's whispering drums, a foundation to the abstraction. "Clues" introduces, in its inception, a late night, foreboding dark alley feeling, bass and drums lurking in the shadows, Marriott and Versace trying to shine a light. Thomas Marriott keeps moving the art forward. Constraints and Liberations may be his best so far. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/constraints-and-liberations-thomas-marriott-origin-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Thomas Marriott: trumpet;  Hans Teuber: tenor saxophone;  Gary Versace: piano;  Jeff Johnson: bass;  John Bishop: drums.

Constraints & Liberations

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René Thomas, Jimmy Raney - 2 Guitars In Paris

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:49
Size: 173.6 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:15] 1. Pennies From Heaven
[2:59] 2. Yesterdays
[3:35] 3. Body And Soul
[3:36] 4. All The Things You Are
[2:49] 5. The Continental
[2:22] 6. There Will Never Be Another You
[4:26] 7. There Will Never Be Another You
[4:29] 8. Stella By Starlight
[4:30] 9. Once In A While
[2:38] 10. Easy To Love
[4:15] 11. The Real Cat
[2:32] 12. How About You
[6:53] 13. You Go To My Head
[4:28] 14. Tres Chouette
[4:03] 15. Someone To Watch Over Me
[3:17] 16. Someone To Watch Over Me
[3:34] 17. Lover Man
[3:13] 18. Get Happy
[4:45] 19. Too Marvelous For Words
[4:00] 20. Goodnight, Wherever You Are

One of the finest European jazz guitarists to emerge during the 1950s, René Thomas appeared on many sessions with Americans during the next few decades. Influenced as one might expect by Django Reinhardt, Thomas was mostly self-taught and by the 1950s he was a greatly in-demand cool-toned guitarist, playing in a style similar to Jimmy Raney's. In addition to performing with the top European jazz musicians, Thomas worked with Chet Baker (1955), lived in Montreal during 1958-1963, played with Toshiko Akiyoshi and Sonny Rollins, was back in Europe by 1963, and during the next few years worked with Kenny Clarke, Lou Bennett, and Han Bennink among many others. During the 1969-1972 period, Thomas was a member of Stan Getz's European Band (with whom he recorded Dynasty). He died of a sudden heart attack in Spain when he was 47. As a leader, Thomas recorded for Vogue (1954), Barclay, Polydor, Jazzland (1960), RCA, Royal Jazz, and the Italian Vogel label (1974).

Jimmy Raney was different from the other jazz guitarists who came up during the bebop revolution in New York in the 1940s and ’50s. He was a complete composer as well as a talented player, and he was a quiet man looking to play an explosive style of music. Raney kept his amp turned down and found his own way of playing jazz. Jim Hall described Raney’s playing as a cross between Charlie Parker and Béla Bartók. Raney didn’t play the staccato riffs and lightning-fast bursts of notes that many bop players favored. Raney played long, legato melodic lines that seemed to ignore measures, took surprising twists and turns and often resolved in unexpected places.

Raney was born in Louisville, Ky. His father was a journalist and his mother played a little guitar and she showed young Jimmy a few chords. He later took classical lessons, and Raney landed his first professional job when he was 13. Raney managed to work quite a bit in Louisville during WWII because the draft took most of the older players, but he was playing mostly hillbilly and pop tunes. Then a teacher introduced Raney to Charlie Christian; Raney said he almost fainted. That same teacher recommended Raney to bandleader Jerry Wald and the young guitarist was off to New York. Wald’s pianist, Al Haig, took Raney to Harlem and introduced him to Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Tatum. After returning to Louisville for a bit, Raney eventually landed in Woody Herman’s Second Herd. He left within a year because he hated the relentless touring schedule and he didn’t get much of a chance to solo. But he did meet saxophonist Stan Getz in the band and that relationship would put Raney in the spotlight.

2 Guitars In Paris

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Steve Nelson - Communications

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 68:24

Size: 156.6 MB

Styles: Bop, Vibraphone jazz

Year: 1990

Art: Front

[ 7:21] 1. Blues All The Time

[ 7:33] 2. I Didn't Know What Time It Was

[ 4:06] 3. The Song Is You

[ 6:38] 4. Aten Hymn

[10:17] 5. What's New

[ 7:23] 6. Blues For Bob

[ 6:23] 7. Festival

[10:01] 8. Dignity

[ 8:39] 9. I Hear A Rhapsody

Steve Nelson (Vib); Mulgrew Miller (P); Ray Drummond (B); Tony Reedus (D). Recorded December 30, 1987 & October 11, 1989 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA by Rudy Van Gelder

This outstanding vibraphonist and composer was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Rutgers University with both Masters and Bachelors degrees in music and his teaching activities have included a position at Princeton University. As a resident of the New York area he has performed and recorded with many great musicians including Kenny Barron, Bobby Watson, Mulgrew Miller, David Fathead Newman, Johnny Griffin and Jackie McLean.

He has appeared at concerts and festivals worldwide and has made three recordings as the leader of his own group. His recordings as a leader include Live At Acireale (Red Records), Full Nelson (Sunnyside) and Communications (Criss Cross). Recordings with others include Mulgrew Miller, David “Fathead” Newman, Kenny Barron, Jackie McLean and Johnny Griffin.

Communications

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Phil Woods, Pepper Adams - Together For The First Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:42
Size: 116.1 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[ 7:04] 1. Pent Up House
[11:04] 2. Prelude To A Kiss
[ 7:18] 3. Three Little Words
[ 9:08] 4. Webb City
[ 6:55] 5. Time On My Hands
[ 9:09] 6. Long Ago And Far Away

This album brings together two of the finest musicians that have stepped onto a band stand. In their time, each has traveled the world, worked with the best sidemen and been awarded top honors by their peers. The Phil Woods tracks are from the last session done with his renowned0 quartet. The Pepper Adams tracks are said to be the very best that he had ever recorded.

Together For The First Time 

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