Joe Venuti, Dutch Swing College Band - The Dutch Swing College Band Meets Joe Venuti

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:01
Size: 82.5 MB
Styles: Swing, Dixieland
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[4:08] 1. Duff Campbell's Revenge
[3:56] 2. Body And Soul
[2:46] 3. Stealin' Apples
[2:47] 4. Wild Dog
[3:31] 5. Black And Blue
[2:30] 6. Ragging The Scale
[4:16] 7. I Remember Johnny
[2:26] 8. Wild Cat
[3:04] 9. Blues In C
[4:29] 10. Royal Garden Blues
[2:02] 11. I Got Rhythm

Banjo, Guitar – Arie Ligthart; Bass – Henk Bosch Van Drakestein; Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Bob Kaper; Cornet – Bert De Kort; Drums – Huub Janssen; Leader, Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Piano – Peter Schilperoort; Trombone – Dick Kaart; Violin – Joe Venuti.

Violinist Joe Venuti is actually only on half of this LP, playing three songs from his earlier days, two standards and a blues with the Dutch septet. The remaining five selections are between Dixieland and swing and feature fine playing by leader Peter Schilperoort and Bob Kaper on reeds, cornetist Bert De Kort and trombonist Dick Kaart. ~Scott Yanow

The Dutch Swing College Band Meets Joe Venuti

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Betty Carter - 'Round Midnight

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:51
Size: 84.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1963/2005
Art: Front

[2:41] 1. Nothing More To Look Forward To
[3:13] 2. Who What Why Where When
[3:22] 3. Heart And Soul
[3:56] 4. Call Me Darling
[2:57] 5. When I Fall In Love
[3:21] 6. 'round Midnight
[2:34] 7. I Wonder
[2:46] 8. Theme From Dr. Kildare (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight)
[2:31] 9. The Good Life
[2:46] 10. Everybody's Somebody's Fool
[2:09] 11. Two Cigarettes In The Dark
[2:10] 12. Shine On Harvest Moon
[2:21] 13. One Note Samba

Betty Carter recorded only two albums during the 1961-1968 period. Her chance-taking style and unusual voice were mostly ignored and it would not be until the late '70s that she was finally "discovered." This Atlantic CD finds Carter backed by orchestras arranged by Claus Ogerman and Oliver Nelson. Her style was a lot freer than it had been in her earlier records but was still more accessible than it would be. Her repertoire, which includes the title cut, "Theme from Dr. Kildare," "Two Cigarettes in the Dark" and her own "Who What Why Where When" was already becoming eclectic. This is an interesting historic release. ~Scott Yanow

'Round Midnight

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John Stein, Ron Gill - Turn Up The Quiet

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:43
Size: 161.9 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:38] 1. A Weaver Of Dreams
[4:00] 2. Be My All
[3:45] 3. Detour Ahead
[5:52] 4. My Flaming Heart
[3:40] 5. Love Dance
[5:00] 6. If It's Magic/Too Shy To Say
[7:56] 7. Something In Your Smile/I'll Be Easy To Find
[8:54] 8. Our Love Will See Us Through
[3:40] 9. So This Is Love
[4:46] 10. In A Sentimental Mood
[4:20] 11. Gentle Rain
[4:50] 12. My Foolish Heart
[6:29] 13. One Minute To Zero/When I Fall In Love
[2:46] 14. Wonder Why

John Stein, guitar and acoustic bass; Ron Gill, vocals; Gilad Barkan, piano.

Ron Gill and John Stein find their love of fine songs turn them to dancing with words, lofting pretty chords, and capturing passionate ideas about togetherness. Collaboration - so often a tricky treat, a windy street - they negotiate openhandedly with wit and diplomacy . . . Stein, a subtle and sensitive guitarist, has many sharp arrows in his quiver, with varied, song-rich albums and an enduring presence in Boston's lively jazz scene. He can make a note sing and a chord ring like Kenny Burrell, and always thinks "melody first" . . . Few singers in my ken capture the innocent simplicity of great songs as well as Ron Gill. His voice is immediately endearing and convincing: his blatant honesty charms the dots off snake-eyes . . . Three's no crowd with their inviting aboard Gilad Barkan's bright voice on piano. Check out his nifty melodizing . . . and his earthy interplay with Stein's bass. ~Fred Bouchard

Turn Up The Quiet

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Charlie Apicella & Iron City - 2 albums: The Business / Sparks

Album: The Business
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:34
Size: 106.6 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues-funk
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:24] 1. The Business
[6:11] 2. 64 Cadillac
[6:04] 3. Donny Brook
[4:43] 4. Ironicity
[4:44] 5. Can't Help Falling In Love
[5:13] 6. Cantaloupe Woman
[4:36] 7. Shaw Shuffle
[9:36] 8. Stanley's Time

Charlie Apicella - guitar; Stephen Riley - tenor saxophone; Dave Mattock - organ; Mayra Casales - congas; Alan Korzin - drums.

"Apicella is a no-nonsense player of unquestioned chops and whose soul drips from each note... This is 'organic' music, and Apicella is an exciting young player." ~ John Heidt

The Business

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Album: Sparks
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:51
Size: 105.0 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues-funk
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[6:05] 1. Sookie Sookie
[5:33] 2. Sparks
[6:36] 3. Blues In Maude's Flat
[5:02] 4. Play It Back
[5:12] 5. Caracas
[6:17] 6. A Decade In The Making
[5:51] 7. Billie Jean
[5:11] 8. Sweet And Sounded

Charlie Apicella - guitar; Stephen Riley - tenor saxophone; Dave Mattock - organ; Alan Korzin - drums. with John Blake, Jr. - violin on "Sookie, Sookie".

"Apicella is a lithe, swinging guitarist with an affinity for the contrasting styles of both Grant Green and Wes Montgomery... An all-around impressive debut by a guitarist of substance." ~ Mark Gardner

Sparks

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Duane Eddy - $1,000,000 Worth Of Twang

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:42
Size: 72.6 MB
Styles: Rock N Roll, Instrumental Rock
Year: 1960/2006
Art: Front

[2:19] 1. Rebel Rouser
[1:52] 2. Cannonball
[1:57] 3. The Quiet Three
[2:16] 4. Bonnie Came Back
[1:58] 5. Because They're Young
[2:10] 6. Theme For Moon Children
[2:09] 7. Moovin' 'n' Groovin'
[1:38] 8. The Lonely One
[2:08] 9. Forty Miles Of Bad Road
[1:17] 10. Some Kinda Earthquake
[2:06] 11. First Love, First Tears
[2:49] 12. Kommotion
[2:56] 13. The Secret Seven
[1:58] 14. Lost Island
[2:01] 15. Shazam!

This reissue of Duane Eddy's original greatest hits release from 1960, $1,000,000.00 Worth Of Twang, has received rousing endorsements for its high-quality sound, extra tracks, liner notes on Duane's career and previously unreleased photos. Jamie/Guyden is gaining recognition, finally, as an original label offering high-quality reissues of its original artists, which has stimulated interest in all five Duane Eddy CDs on the label.

$1,000,000 Worth Of Twang

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Various - Mack The Knife

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:49
Size: 120.9 MB
Styles: Assorted Jazz styles
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[8:14] 1. Barney Wilen - Mack The Knife
[6:34] 2. Pharoah Sanders - In A Sentimental Mood
[5:24] 3. Lee Konitz - My Funny Valentine
[6:22] 4. Eddie Harris - Georgia On My Mind
[5:56] 5. Carmen Leggio - Street Of Dreams
[7:03] 6. Archie Shepp - The Thrill Is Gone
[6:44] 7. Phil Woods - Souvenir
[6:28] 8. Barney Wilen - I Cover The Waterfront

About the song 'Mack the Knife": "Mack the Knife" was composed on a whim by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill while they were putting the finishing touches on Die Dreigroschenoper in 1928. As the story goes, the diva-esque tenor who was playing the part of Mackie Messer, aka Macheath or Mack the Knife, suggested that a whole song should be written to introduce his character before he comes on stage. As one columnist recently wrote, "the essence of the song is: Oh, look who's coming onstage, it's Mack the Knife - a thief, murderer, arsonist, and rapist." The song, which became the opening number, was composed in less than 24 hours and added to the show at the final hour. Little did Weill and Brecht know it would be one of their most well-known legacies.

In some ways, The Threepenny Opera, tagged by Brecht and Weill as a show "by and for beggars," revolutionized musical theater. Die Dreigroschenoper was revolutionary because it was a fun musical that doubled as biting satire, throwing stone after stone at the corruption of the German government and its supporters without naming any names. It also integrated contemporary trends like tango and foxtrot. It was also historically fascinating because it was actually a re-write of a musical composed a full two hundred years before, John Gay's Beggar's Opera. In the early 1700s, the Beggar's Opera—which poked light fun at London's bourgeois classes—became wildly popular as the first comic opera. The parody, which featured a Robin Hood-type Macheath who stole from the rich, was later popular in the British colonies in New York and was supposedly enjoyed by George Washington. The Beggar's Opera was translated into German and became a popular play in 1920s Berlin because it spoke to the excesses of post-World War I Germany.

Not surprisingly, Brecht and Weill were pushed out of Germany by the Nazis in 1933, and their works were banned. They both ended up in the U.S. after seeking refuge in several European countries. Given that his life as a writer was devoted to calling out corruption and that he spent about a decade hiding from the Nazis, it is ironic that Brecht, who emigrated to the U.S. in the 1940s, was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947 and fled the U.S. for fear of political persecution.

Brecht and Weill's interpretation of the John Gay play is more sinister and intense than the amusing Robin Hood themes that showed up in the original. Macheath, the show's anti-hero, goes from being a bit of a crook to being a pretty serious one: he is portrayed as a murderer, rapist, and arsonist who is openly frightening but butters up the people around him, especially women, to keep on their good side. In The Threepenny Opera, he is known as Mackie Messer (Messer is German for knife).

Mack The Knife

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Jimmy McGriff - Let's Stay Together

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:10
Size: 73.7 MB
Styles: Soul/Jazz/Funk
Year: 1972/2004
Art: Front

[2:41] 1. Let's Stay Together
[4:16] 2. Tiki
[3:56] 3. Theme From Shaft
[4:30] 4. What's Going On
[5:03] 5. Old Grand Dad
[6:40] 6. Georgia On My Mind
[5:01] 7. April In Paris

Congas – James Peacock; Drums – Willie Jenkins, St. Jenkins; Guitar – Lawrence Frazier, Thornel Schwartz; Organ – Jimmy McGriff; Saxophone [Tenor] – Harold (Sampson) Bennett;Trombone – L. E. Lofton; Trumpet – William Skinner.

This early-'70s title features a mixed program by the great soul-jazz organist Jimmy McGriff. McGriff not only digs into some Jimmy Smith-style, early '60s-era organ trio numbers like his original "Old Grad Dad" and Hoagy Carmichael's "Georgia on My Mind," but he also includes the kind of contemporary soul fare he had turned to by the late '60s; McGriff spares no expense, going for the heart of soul royalty with Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," Isaac Hayes' "Theme From Shaft," and Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On." Inspired by their attractive melody lines and challenging chord sequences, McGriff and band enliven these already great songs with fine horn arrangements and superb solos (Harold Bennett's passionate and assured flute solo on "What's Going On" especially stands out). McGriff registers some nasty, in-the-pocket solos himself and contributes one of the hottest tracks here, the chicken-shack cooker "Tiki." Let's Stay Together is a great set by one of the masters of the Hammond B-3 organ sound. ~Stephen Cook

Let's Stay Together

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Carol Welsman - The Language Of Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:50
Size: 121.0 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[3:12] 1. Taking A Chance On Love
[3:42] 2. You Take Me Away
[2:39] 3. On A Slow Boat To China
[5:43] 4. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
[3:31] 5. Can't Help Falling In Love
[3:31] 6. Just One Of Those Things
[4:11] 7. Coracao Leviano
[4:38] 8. Every Breath You Take
[4:00] 9. A Fool I Know
[4:47] 10. There's No Such Thing As Love
[4:12] 11. The Man I Love
[4:25] 12. Chanson De Maxence
[4:14] 13. Senza Fine

Acoustic Guitar – Oscar Castro-Neves; Backing Vocals – Kate Markowitz; Bass – Dave Carpenter; Drums, Percussion – Alex Acuña; Electric Guitar – Ramon Stagnaro; Flute – Gary Meek; Percussion – Calos Del Rosario; Violin, Viola – Charlie Bisharat.

Carol Welsman’s love letter sends its message around the world. She sings in English, French, Italian and Portuguese on this album of treasured memories. Traces of tango, samba and bossa nova mingle casually with sensual ballads and traditional fare. Poignant arrangements of “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” and Sting’s “Every Breath You Take” sweep away the clouds and reveal a veteran vocalist with heart.

The Language Of Love is Welsman’s fifth album. Based in Toronto, and the granddaughter of Frank S. Welsman (founder and first conductor of the Toronto Symphony) has eluded the U.S. limelight. Until now. Starting out as a piano performance major at Berklee and a vocal student of Christiane Legrand in Paris, Welsman has become fluent in several languages: French, Italian, and Jazz. Her vocal preferences lie in the mainstream: pure swing with genuine passion and traces of creative invention. Welsman appears as comfortable with wordless scat singing as she does interpreting lyrics. Bongos and conga drums support her as casually as the guitars, bass and drums. Welsman’s piano accompaniment and brief solo sections enhance her vocal delivery, as do the other supporting instrumentalists. The album includes a lovely duet with Arnold McCuller on “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” But it’s the vocal impressions of Carol Welsman that take center stage on her Savoy Jazz debut. Recommended, this album heralds the arrival of an exquisite jazz singer to a wider audience. ~Jim Santella

The Language Of Love

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Marco Confalonieri Trio - An Evening In New York

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:25
Size: 145.2 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[4:14] 1. A Foggy Day (Take Two)
[3:44] 2. All The Things
[4:50] 3. Corcovado
[3:00] 4. Days Of Wine And Roses
[3:44] 5. Green Dolphin Street
[2:58] 6. How High Is The Moon
[4:26] 7. How Insensitive (Violin Version)
[4:22] 8. How Insensitive
[4:53] 9. My Foolish Heart
[4:30] 10. My One And Only Love
[6:01] 11. Over The Rainbow
[3:52] 12. St. Thomas
[3:39] 13. Triste
[4:58] 14. Wave
[4:09] 15. Yesterdays

Nato a Milano il 24/06/1983. Intraprende gli studi classici di pianoforte dall’età di 7 anni, presso la scuola civica di musica di Cinisello Balsamo. Dal 2006, presso la medesima scuola, studia pianoforte jazz con Marco Detto. Nel Febbraio 2012 consegue il Diploma Accademico di I livello in Jazz presso il Conservatorio Verdi di Milano. Dal 2009 insegna pianoforte, teoria e musica d’insieme presso la “Ricordi Music School” di Milano e l'Accademia Musicale di Monza. Suona regolarmente in formazioni jazzistiche e soul/blues nel milanese, partecipando a festival quali “Ah Hum”, “Novara Jazz”, “Taste in Jazz” (Bergamo), “Bià-Jazz”. Ha partecipato come pianista all'incisione del disco “Porpora”, di Antonello Monni (con la partecipazione di Tony Arco, Roberto Cipelli, Giampiero Spina, Daniele Petrosillo).

An Evening In New York

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Art Farmer, Jim Hall - Big Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:40
Size: 79.4 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 1979/2013
Art: Front


[ 8:45] 1. Whisper Not
[ 7:40] 2. A Child Is Born
[ 7:24] 3. Big Blues
[10:50] 4. Pavane For A Dead Princess

Bass – Mike Moore; Drums – Steve Gadd; Flugelhorn – Art Farmer; Guitar – Jim Hall; Vibraphone – Mike Mainieri. Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, February 1978.

Flügelhornist Art Farmer and guitarist Jim Hall had a regular group for a time in the mid-'60s but (with one exception) didn't play together again until this 1978 LP. It's an unusual effort for CTI in that it is a quintet set without added horns, strings, or keyboards. Farmer and Hall are joined by vibraphonist Mike Mainieri, bassist Michael Moore, and drummer Steve Gadd for two standards, the title cut, and a jazz adaptation of a piece by Ravel. Since Farmer and Hall have long had very complementary styles (both being lyrical, harmonically advanced, and thoughtful in their improvisations), it is little surprise that this set is a complete success. ~Scott Yanow

Big Blues

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João Gilberto - Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:38
Size: 136.5 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:12] 1. Desafinado
[2:09] 2. Bim Bom
[4:33] 3. Corcovado
[5:04] 4. Para Machuchar Meu Coração (To Hurt My Heart)
[3:36] 5. So Danço Samba
[2:51] 6. Um Abraço No Bonfá
[2:43] 7. Doralice
[5:49] 8. Only Trust Your Heart
[4:03] 9. Meditation (Meditação)
[2:16] 10. O Pato (The Duck)
[5:37] 11. Ligia
[6:01] 12. Pra Que Discutir Com Madam
[3:08] 13. Samba De Monha Terra
[2:52] 14. Vivo Sonhando (Dreamer)
[4:37] 15. Wave

Bossa nova, that most personal and international of Brazilian musical forms, has been blessed with numerous gifted composers. By far the greatest was Antonio Carlos (Tom) Jobim. Alone or in partnership with poet Vinicius de Moraes, fellow composer Newton Mendonça, and other illustrious collaborators, Jobim created some of the most famous and enduring bossa nova standards, such as “Garota de Ipanema,” “Desafinado,” and “Corcovado.”

Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, the seminal bossa nova songwriting team, met in 1956, but the songs they turned out at the time were not particularly innovative. For two years, Jobim/de Moraes tunes sounded like traditional samba-canção (samba-song, a slower and more lyrical version of samba). Nobody got particularly excited over them. Then a certain young singer and guitarist came out of nowhere to give these songs a new vocal interpretation and a new beat. The year was 1958, and the new beat was soon known throughout the world as bossa nova. That singer and guitarist was João Gilberto. His seductive vocals caressed the ear as well as the soul, while his guitar set an insouciant swinging rhythm going. The voice pulled in one direction, the beat in another. The combination was mesmerizing and highly addictive, refreshing and modern. It opened a new page in the history of popular music. Yet it all began at the most traditional roots.

Collection

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Bobby Hutcherson - Skyline

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:52
Size: 132.5 MB
Styles: Bop, Vibraphone jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[7:29] 1. Who's Got You
[6:45] 2. I Only Have Eyes For You
[6:28] 3. Delilah
[5:21] 4. Chan's Song
[7:22] 5. Pomponio
[6:14] 6. Can You Read My Mind
[6:09] 7. Tres Palabras
[6:39] 8. The Coaster
[5:19] 9. Candle

Alto Saxophone – Kenny Garrett; Bass – Christian McBride; Drums – Al Foster; Marimba – Bobby Hutcherson; Piano – Geri Allen. Recorded August 3-5, 1998 at Avatar Studios, New York City.

Hard bop vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, 58, came to the jazz world during one of its most fertile eras: in the late fifties and early sixties. His early experience in the clubs and coffeehouses of Pasadena (California) prepared Hutcherson for New York City's fast pace and innovative ways. His recording contract with Blue Note placed the vibraphonist squarely in the middle of jazz's mainstream of the 1960s, and today his current Verve release holds the same connotation. It's an eclectic session of up-tempo jaunts, lush ballads, Latin syncopation, and other small ensemble workouts. Kenny Garrett participates on half the session with a heady, mostly lower register saxophone tone and an improviser's attitude much like that of the leader's. For an in-depth look at what motivates Bobby Hutcherson and how others have influenced his performance, see Fred Jung's recent interview with the vibraphonist.

Kenny Garrett and Bobby Hutcherson make a fine pair of conversationalists. Their imaginations run wild and there's a little fire in everything they accomplish; yet both are lyrical and offer seamless phrases. Their alternating improvised solo work on "I Only Have Eyes for You" is quite similar in approach. Both leave a little space here and there, leaving traces of the familiar melody for the listener to recognize, while moving freely around the chords. Hutcherson's "Pomponio," a Latin jazz dazzler, lets marimba and alto sax stretch out over the rhythm section's powerful son montuno. Geri Allen tosses out fluid phrases that ripple over the percussive keyboard; her interludes, particularly on "Delilah," "Candle," and "Chan's Song," make a welcome addition. John Towner Williams' "Love Theme from Superman" is included to emphasize lush lullaby harmonies from both pianist and vibraphonist. Christian McBride drives the unit with an overt pulse that is particularly effective through his rhythmic Latin solo on "Tres Palabras." Al Foster's consistent performance is highlighted on "Pomponio," as he drops bombs and flirts with the various metallic textures of his drum set. Hutcherson has the track record to back up this stellar performance, so another great session comes as no surprise. Recommended. ~Jim Santella

Skyline 

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Warren Vaché, Allan Vaché - Mrs. Vaché's Boys

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:49
Size: 175.9 MB
Styles: Swing
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[5:21] 1. Just Friends
[7:40] 2. Tangerine
[5:44] 3. London By Night
[7:18] 4. I'll Remember April
[6:57] 5. All Blues
[8:02] 6. Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)
[5:11] 7. The Eel's Nephew
[6:07] 8. Falando De Orlando
[7:56] 9. Cotton Tail
[3:38] 10. Danny Boy
[5:53] 11. If Dreams Come True
[6:56] 12. What Am I Here For

Bass – Phil Flanigan; Clarinet – Allan Vaché; Cornet, Flugelhorn – Warren Vaché; Drums – Ed Metz Jr.; Guitar – Howard Alden; Piano – Eddie Higgins. Recorded 19-20 Feb, 1998 in Orlando, FL.

Profuse thanks are given to mom Madeline, who worked at Decca Records when she met Warren Sr., then insisted her boys practice daily. The result is this recording, played by two of the best baby boomers in the swing jazz business. Warren Jr.'s cornet musings have never been livelier or more clearly executed, while Allan Vaché, truly an underrated clarinetist, shines with the best of the current crop. Guitarist Howard Alden, the great pianist Eddie Higgins, bassist Phil Flanigan, and drummer Ed Metz, Jr. round out the excellent backup band. Some of the 12 tunes have the full sextet. Warren plays flügelhorn with Higgins only for the pristine "London by Night," and it's just Higgins, Flanigan, and Metz for the Benny Goodman evergreen "If Dreams Come True," Higgins quoting "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me." Dig Warren, Alden, and Flanigan, and Alden especially plucky solo during Bud Freeman's "The Eel's Nephew," while Allan and Alden go it by themselves on the serene "Londonderry Air" aka "Danny Boy." There are three Duke Ellington tunes; "Just Squeeze Me" with Warren's fresh-squeezed wah-wah cornet, Higgins quoting "Music, Music, Music," a bass guitar workout introducing the well-swung "Cottontail," Higgins quoting "We're in the Money," and the joyful guitar-clarinet-cornet unison melody of "What Am I Here For?" There's a fresh take on Miles Davis' "All Blues," changing up the harmonics of the waltz, Higgins shimmering piano, and Warren's muted, Miles-evoked sound accenting. A bossa version of "Tangerine" is quite different, Alden's fat chords and cat-quick lines form the centerpiece. For evidence of Allan's clarinet mastery check out his upbeat take on "I'll Remember April," Higgins quoting "Jeannine," while the out-and-out swinger "Just Friends" is staggering in its counterpointed trading of lines between brothers, quite deserving of a huge wow! It's unlikely you'll hear a hotter band than this one for this type of authentic, traditional jazz. Never stuffy, always on top of every fresh bar, with no looking back to past glories despite the older repertoire, the Vache brothers conjure something extra special within their musical partnership. Highly recommended. ~Michael G. Nastos

Mrs. Vaché's Boys

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Barbara Cook - Sings From The Heart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:40
Size: 93.1 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1959/2004
Art: Front

[2:46] 1. You Have Cast Your Shadow On The Sea
[2:52] 2. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
[4:02] 3. My Funny Valentine
[1:39] 4. Nobody's Heart Belongs To Me
[4:38] 5. Ship Without A Sail
[3:58] 6. Dancing On The Ceiling
[3:17] 7. Little Girl Blue
[2:48] 8. It Never Entered My Mind
[2:55] 9. There's A Small Hotel
[3:29] 10. Glad To Be Unhappy
[4:02] 11. He Was Too Good To Me
[4:10] 12. Where Or When

After years of favorable notices in Broadway musicals that flopped -- Flahooley (1951), Plain and Fancy (1955), Candide (1956) -- sweet-voiced soprano Barbara Cook finally got lucky with 1957's smash hit from The Music Man. The resulting notoriety brought her the opportunity to sign with tiny Urania Records, which released her debut album, Songs of Perfect Propriety, and this follow-up. Sings From the Heart contained a pun in its title, since Cook was singing the lyrics of Lorenz Hart, set to the melodies of Richard Rodgers, songs taken from the team's shows of the 1920s, '30s, and '40s. The singer made excellent choices, including standards like "My Funny Valentine" and "Glad to Be Unhappy," along with lesser-known selections such as "You Have Cast Your Shadow on the Sea" and "Ship Without a Sail." Her warm, delicate voice was well-suited to these romantic ballads, though she did not yet sing with the degree of feeling she would possess in later years. (The great exception was "He Was Too Good to Me," sung with all the plaintive emotion the lyric demanded). Orchestrator/conductor Arthur Harris gave her supportive, unobtrusive musical settings that kept the spotlight on that wonderful voice. Cook made a point of singing the introductory verses to the songs (usually dropped by pop singers), which lent them greater context and meaning. The album gave fans previously forced to listen to isolated examples of Cook's talent on cast albums the opportunity to have a full collection of her work, and it demonstrated that her belated stage success was well deserved. ~William Ruhlmann

Sings From The Heart

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Ryan Whitehead - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:30
Size: 72.1 MB
Styles: Smooth jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:55] 1. On The Clock
[6:01] 2. Ba-Dee-Dum
[1:55] 3. Incandescent
[5:06] 4. Dreamin' (Feat. Joe Gransden)
[4:26] 5. Sam's Jig (Feat. David Ellington)
[4:39] 6. Transmigration
[4:25] 7. On The Clock (Alt. Take)

The CD, self-titled, "Ryan Whitehead", is New Jazz. Among the players are some of Atlanta's finest including David Ellington, Marlon Patton and Mark Strowbridge. The first track sums up what Ryan has been doing with his life since his departure from school. "I didn't choose the music as much as it chose me. Atlanta is a groove-oriented town with a steep history in R&B and soul. My passion for jazz and fusion mixes with this like a smooth cocktail."

Ryan Whitehead

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Jerry Jeff Walker - Jerry Jeff Jazz

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:41
Size: 97.7 MB
Styles: Country jazz vocals
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[2:47] 1. How Long Has This Been Going On
[2:35] 2. It's Always You
[2:26] 3. That Old Feeling
[2:25] 4. I Fall In Love Too Easily
[3:55] 5. My Funny Valentine
[1:47] 6. Takin' A Chance On Love
[4:14] 7. Everything Happens To Me
[2:56] 8. In The Wee Small Hours
[3:50] 9. Cottage For Sale
[2:54] 10. But Not For Me
[2:43] 11. There Will Never Be Another You
[3:39] 12. Time After Time
[3:45] 13. I Get Along Without You Very Well
[2:40] 14. Look For The Silver Lining

As wild as his career has been, at this stage -- after almost a decade of playing it so safe that his music has sounded like an empty golf course -- Jerry Jeff Walker has guts. No, that's not a cheap shot. Willie and Waylon may have gotten most of the credit, but Walker was the man who really brought country music, particularly Texas country music, to the rock generation. His 1970s records were nothing less than revelatory and had the ability to bring a lot of disparate people together. In the 1980s, he lost his way and made a caricature of himself; in the 1990s, at least in the early to middle part, he put out a series of records that showed the old magic in places. Here, Walker does the unthinkable, the most radical thing he's ever done, and comes up with an album that sounds more like a Jerry Jeff album than anything since 1980. For Jerry Jeff Jazz, the man and his small band -- Mitch Watkins and Tommy Nash on guitars, Steve Meador on drums, bassist Spencer Starnes, and Walker on vocals only -- took two days to record 14 classic American jazz standards and pop songs. How classic? Gershwin's "How Long Has This Been Going On?" and "But Not for Me," Sammy Cahn's "I Fall in Love Too Easily" and "Time After Time," Rodgers & Hart's "My Funny Valentine," the Adair/Dennis gem "Everything Happens to Me," and Hilliard/Mann's "In the Wee Small Hours," among others. Chet Baker, Sinatra, Tony Bennett, even Dino Martin are heavy influences here. Vocally, Walker doesn't measure up, but as a stylist he's singular. In other words, like all of the aforementioned singers, Walker makes these songs his own, even when he's flat occasionally and his voice quavers in the upper registers -- because Walker's now almost a bass rather than baritone vocalist after a lifetime in honky tonks -- or he rolls through the phrasing. Walker manages to imbue these fine tunes with a sense of romance, good-time sensibility, and only a modicum of sentiment. He sings them naturally and simply has a fine time, which makes the entire album an absolute pleasure to listen to. The band swings, floats, and punches through the mix wherever necessary and helps him out when the vocal is particularly tough. While purists will no doubt savage such a labor of love and delight, everybody else -- those who've loved Walker's work off and on over the decades and those who love to hear a unique stylist sing a good song -- will find Jerry Jeff Jazz to be its own swing of delight. ~Thom Jurek

Jerry Jeff Jazz

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Barney Kessel - Live At The Jazz Mill 1954

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:03
Size: 100.8 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[5:34] 1. Strike Up The Band
[6:40] 2. How About You
[4:44] 3. Get Happy
[3:51] 4. Stardust
[5:36] 5. Seven Come Eleven
[7:44] 6. Rose Room
[3:50] 7. Somebody Loves Me
[6:00] 8. Embraceable You

Bass – Gene Stoffell; Drums – Art Kile; Guitar – Barney Kessel; Piano – Pete Jolly.

Unearthed tape from a jazz icon. Thanks to a 21-year-old with a tape machine, we can all experience the majesty of guitar legend Barney Kessel at his 1954 best! Even if you don't know Barney Kessel, you know Barney Kessel -- as a first-string member of the group of LA session musicians nicknamed "The Wrecking Crew," Kessel's guitar is heard on just about every LA-based hit you'd care to name from the 60s, including songs by the Monkees and The Beach Boys' legendary Smile LP. And that's Kessel's playing on the famous "fight music" from the Star Trek TV series. He was regarded as the very best of the session guitarists by just about everyone around, and guitarists everywhere site him as an influence.

But before he played rock and roll, Kessel was a jazz pioneer -- as one of the leading lights of the hard-bop movement, his jazz guitar was legendary, and he was ranked the No. 1 guitarist in Down Beat and Playboy for numerous years. He played with Sonny Rollins and Oscar Peterson (and Chico Marx -- yes, that Chico Marx!) as well as leading his own super-tight group. On albums such as The Poll Winners, Kessel defined the bop style with a jazz "power trio," creating a body of work that made him a legend.

Live At The Jazz Mill is a unique artifact -- recorded on a tape recorder by young jazz fan Jack Miller, this live recording catches Barney Kessel in the middle of his run at the Jazz Mill with a great four-piece band. The collection, gleaned from a couple of nights' best recordings, features Kessel's spirited take on such Songbook classics as "Get Happy" and "Stardust," not to mention the Gershwin great "Embraceable You." It’s pressed on red vinyl, and on compact disc and wrapped in a sleeve which captures the unique vibe of jazz graphics of the 1950s. Get with Barney Kessel, and get with a true pioneer of the jazz form!

Live At The Jazz Mill 1954

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The Temptations - Playlist + Plus (3-Disc Set)

A decent collection for the casual fan that wants the hits covering all of the Temptations' stellar career, with just enough depth to make it more worthwhile than the typical Temptations collection.

A few tracks are conspicuous by their absence however, such as "You've Got To Earn It", "Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go?)", "Happy People", "Glasshouse" & several others. The worst offense is the inclusion of the single version of "Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)", which removes over a minute of the song as released on the album, including the gorgeous sax work that glides all through the song & gives it much of it's appeal. "Emperors Of Soul" is still the best anthology of the Temptations that exists, but if you don't want to or can't spend the money for it, this will suffice in a pinch. ~Mark Moore

Album: Playlist + Plus (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:59
Size: 87.0 MB
Styles: Motown Soul, AM Pop
Year: 2008

[2:39] 1. The Way You Do The Things You Do
[2:54] 2. I'll Be In Trouble
[2:49] 3. The Girl's Alright With Me
[2:17] 4. Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)
[2:42] 5. My Girl
[2:55] 6. It's Growing
[2:50] 7. Since I Lost My Baby
[3:00] 8. My Baby
[2:48] 9. Don't Look Back
[2:37] 10. Get Ready
[2:30] 11. Ain't Too Proud To Beg
[2:21] 12. Beauty Is Only Skin Deep
[2:26] 13. (I Know) I'm Losing You
[3:05] 14. All I Need

Playlist + Plus (Disc 1)

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Album: Playlist + Plus (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:29
Size: 111.0 MB
Styles: Motown Soul, AM Pop
Year: 2008

[2:56] 1. You're My Everything
[2:36] 2. (Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need
[2:46] 3. I Wish It Would Rain
[3:31] 4. I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)
[3:28] 5. Cloud Nine
[3:06] 6. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
[4:45] 7. Runaway Child, Running Wild
[4:44] 8. Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down
[2:51] 9. I Can't Get Next To You
[3:51] 10. Psychedelic Shack
[4:02] 11. Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today)
[3:45] 12. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
[2:51] 13. Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)
[3:09] 14. Take A Look Around

Playlist + Plus (Disc 2)

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Album: Playlist + Plus (Disc 3)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:36
Size: 125.0 MB
Styles: Motown Soul, AM Pop
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[6:56] 1. Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
[4:20] 2. Masterpiece
[3:27] 3. Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)
[2:37] 4. Let Your Hair Down
[3:52] 5. Heavenly
[4:01] 6. Shakey Ground
[4:07] 7. Power
[4:21] 8. Standing On The Top
[4:14] 9. Treat Her Like A Lady
[4:33] 10. Lady Soul
[4:45] 11. Stay
[7:19] 12. This Is My Promise

Playlist + Plus (Disc 3)

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Dick Cary & His Tuesday Night Friends - Playing Dick Cary Originals

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:40
Size: 141.2 MB
Styles: Swing, Dixieland
Year: 1996/2006
Art: Front

[3:51] 1. Ding
[2:22] 2. Henry
[3:27] 3. Kreik
[5:39] 4. Bud
[4:00] 5. Fugue
[4:11] 6. Black Shadow
[3:19] 7. Fritz
[3:37] 8. Another January
[6:25] 9. Vallen's Waltz
[5:06] 10. 8th Avenue Rag
[6:20] 11. Thursday Blues
[6:25] 12. Pong
[3:38] 13. Tuxford
[3:13] 14. M And M

Given multi-instrumentalist and composer/arranger Dick Cary's long career as a sideman with Louis Armstrong, Bobby Hackett, Bud Freeman, and Eddie Condon, it is interesting to learn of his more recent activities as a rehearsal band leader. Beginning in the mid-1970s and continuing through 1994, the year of his death, Cary wrote some 1500 original compositions and arranged them specifically for a select group of Los Angeles' busiest jazz studio musicians, who would in turn gather at his home every Tuesday to run through the latest scores. Each one a new reading and blowing experience, the arrangements would be checked for accuracy of notation, rehearsed to a state of perfection, and then put aside to make room for the next batch. There was seemingly no limit to Cary's productivity.

In addition to writing all of the 14 swinging originals for the several 1993 recording dates that comprise this release, Cary also plays electric piano and section trumpet, leaving the solo spots to trumpeters Betty O'Hara, Bob Summers, and Dick Forrest, trombonist Dick Hamilton, clarinetist Abe Most, and saxmen Fred Cooper, Tommy Newsom, and Terry Harrington. Besides Cary, the always kicking rhythm section includes guitarist Dave Koonse, bassist Herb Mickman, and drummers Jerry McKenzie and the late Gene Estes. For the most part, Cary's charts leave generous space for improvisation, while the through-composed sections sometimes recall the harmonic and rhythmic signatures of Beiderbecke, Ellington, and Basie. Although not an experimentalist in terms of structure, meter, or harmony, Cary did have an excellent ear for voicing and a flawless grasp of swinging time notation. ~Jack Sohmer

Playing Dick Cary Originals

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Shirley Horn - Wild Is The Wind

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:42
Size: 84.0 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1960/2016
Art: Front

[2:09] 1. Just In Time
[2:55] 2. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[3:23] 3. If I Should Lose You
[3:44] 4. Wild Is The Wind
[2:34] 5. Day By Day
[3:34] 6. Blue City
[3:40] 7. God Bless The Child
[2:19] 8. Mountain Greenery
[3:03] 9. I Thought About You
[3:22] 10. Softly As In A Morning Sunshine
[3:21] 11. He Never Mentioned Love
[2:32] 12. Like Someone In Love

Shirley Horn (p, v), Joe Benjamin, Lewis Packer (b), Herbie Lovelle, Harry T. 'Stump' Saunders (d).

About the song: Wild Is The Wind was the title song from the 1957 film of the same name starring Anthony Quinn, Anna Magnini and Anthony Franciosa. It was written by composer Dimitri Tomkin and lyricist Ned Washington. Washington wrote the words for Jazz Vocal classics such as Stella By Starlight, I’m Getting Sentimental Over You, The Nearness Of You and On Green Dolphin Street. All of these were recorded by Ella Fitzgerald (amongst others) the latter with Louis Armstrong. Washington also wrote the words for Gene Pitney’s hit, Town Without Pity from the film of the same name. He was nominated more than ten times for an Academy Award, he won twice, once for the classic When You Wish Upon A Star from Pinocchio and the other for High Noon’s Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darlin’ – lyrics you know but didn’t know were his.

The song was originally sung by Johnny Mathis for the film but it has been recorded many times. Nina Simone recorded it in 1959 on Live At Town Hall, Shirley Horn recorded a Julie London like version in 1960. ~Marty Willson-Piper

Wild Is The Wind

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