Dick Hyman - Fabulous

Styles:  Piano Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:47
Size: 75,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:29)  1. Washington Square
(2:09)  2. Danke Schoen
(2:44)  3. I'll Be Around
(2:51)  4. Wives & Lovers
(2:39)  5. Sonny Boy
(3:10)  6. What'd I Say
(2:34)  7. S'posin'
(3:06)  8. So Easy
(3:15)  9. The Best Is Yet to Come
(2:37) 10. I'll Remember April
(2:28) 11. Living on Borrowed Time
(2:39) 12. Mr. Lucky

The Command label had a lot of great jazz artists, but they frequently seemed stuck in instantly dated and very corny sounding commercial dates that obviously haven't stood the test of time very well. Dick Hyman is heard exclusively on the Lowery organ (a lightweight distant cousin of the better-known Hammond) and, although his supporting cast includes other jazzmen such as Bob Haggart and Osie Johnson (who, like the leader, were in heavy demand for all kinds of recording sessions), there's very little of interest to their fans on this record. "Danke Schoen" is recast as a slightly out-of-tune carousel calliope setting providing some humor, while it would be hard to believe that composer Alec Wilder wouldn't have stormed out of the studio had he been present for the wretched and bland take of his famous ballad, "I'll Be Around." Hyman is a superb pianist and pipe organ player who sounds overly restricted by the limits of this obsolete keyboard, so it is safe for nearly everyone to bypass this long unavailable record. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/fabulous-mw0000857020

Personnel:  Dick Hyman - Piano;  Tony Mottola – Guitar;  Osie Johnson – Drums;  Bob Haggart – Bass;  Bob Rosengarden – Percussion;  Phil Kraus - Percussion

Fabulous

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Ernestine Anderson - Now and Then

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 54:17
Size: 87,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:37)  1. Jazz Street
(5:20)  2. A Night In Tunisia
(5:48)  3. One Child
(5:09)  4. This Could Be Dangerous
(2:21)  5. This Can't Be Love
(5:12)  6. Wrong Number
(4:28)  7. Ain't No Easy Way
(4:51)  8. My Funny Valentine
(4:59)  9. Monte Carlo Nights
(6:41) 10. When It All Comes Down
(4:45) 11. I'll Be Seeing You

Positioned squarely in the mainstream, at home in the worlds of jazz and pop standards as well as the blues, comfortable with small groups and big bands, Ernestine Anderson regularly received a lot of airplay on traditional jazz radio stations. She fit those demographics well with her tasteful, slightly gritty, moderately swinging contralto; she rarely probed too deeply into emotional quagmires (and thus didn't disturb the dispositions of those who use the radio as background) but always gave listeners an honest musical account. Anderson's career actually got rolling in the embryonic R&B field at first; as a teenager, she sang with Russell Jacquet's band in 1943, and she moved on to the Johnny Otis band from 1947 to 1949, making her first recording with Shifty Henry's orchestra in 1947 for the Black & White label. In the '50s, however, she converted over to the jazz side, working with Lionel Hampton in 1952-1953 and recording with a band featuring Jacquet, Milt Jackson, and Quincy Jones in 1953, and with Gigi Gryce in 1955. Upon hearing the latter record, Rolf Ericson booked Anderson on a three-month Scandinavian tour; while in Sweden, she made a recording called Hot Cargo that, ironically, established her reputation in America. Once back in the U.S., she signed with Mercury and made a number of albums for that label until the early '60s.  She moved to England in 1965 and remained largely invisible on the American radar until 1975, when Ray Brown heard her sing at the Turnwater Festival in Canada. Brown became her manager, and got her to appear at the 1976 Concord Jazz Festival, which led to a Concord contract that immediately bore fruit with the albums Live from Concord to London and Hello Like Before. 

These and other comeback albums made her a top-flight jazz attraction in the U.S. again  this time for the long haul and in the '80s, she was recording with the Hank Jones Trio, George Shearing, Benny Carter, the Capp-Pierce Juggernaut, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and her own quartet. By 1992, she had attracted major-label attention once again, signing with Quincy Jones' Qwest outfit. For Koch, Anderson issued Isn't It Romantic in 1998. The live album I Love Being Here with You appeared in 2002, while 2003’s Love Makes the Changes found her signed to Highnote. The label released her album A Song for You in 2009. Anderson remained with the label for 2011's Nightlife, a live album that featured the singer in a number of small-group settings, with a guest appearance by labelmate Houston Person. Anderson passed away from natural causes on March 10, 2016 at the age of 87. ~ Richard S.Ginell  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ernestine-anderson-mn0000200777/biography

Personnel: Ernestine Anderson (vocals); Arnold McCuller (vocals); Phil Upchurch, Ron Eschete, Paul Viapiano (guitar); Jimmy Z. (harmonica); Ernie Watts (saxophone); Lanny Morgan (alto saxophone); Oscar Brashear (trumpet); Geoff Stradling (keyboards, programming); Joe Sample, Larry Fuller (keyboards); Jim Keltner, Leon "Ndugu" Chancler (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Terry Brooks, Petsye Powell, Petsye Powell-Huyghue, Cile Borman, Willard Pugh, Garrett Morris, Freda Morris, Pattie Brooks, Terry Wood (background vocals).

Now and Then

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Larry Schneider - Freedom Jazz Dance

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:13
Size: 156,3 MB
Art: Front

( 5:18)  1. What Is This Thing Called Love
(11:25)  2. Days Of Wine Abd Roses
( 6:16)  3. The Inch Worm
( 7:52)  4. Peggy's Blue Skylight
( 6:09)  5. Freedom Jazz Dance
( 9:54)  6. Angel Eyes
( 5:39)  7. Mercury And Venus
( 3:18)  8. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
( 8:06)  9. You Don't Know What Love Is
( 4:11) 10. All The Things You Are

Larry Schneider’s latest outing for SteepleChase is a pianoless trio format which provides the tenorman with more freedom and space. “ Larry Schneider is one of the select minority who consistently rises to the challenge implicit in this type of trio. He thrives in the looseness of the context and the choices it affords him .” (Mark Gardner)

Personnel: Larry Schneider (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Keith Copeland (drums); Steve LaSpina (bass)

Freedom Jazz Dance

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David Garfield and Friends - Tribute to Jeff

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:34
Size: 157,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:55)  1. E Minor Shuffle
(6:02)  2. Let's Stay Together
(2:34)  3. Twenty-One Drum Salute
(6:27)  4. Lowdown
(7:06)  5. If Six was Nine
(5:37)  6. Bag's Groove
(5:31)  7. My Heart Wants to Know
(6:24)  8. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
(6:26)  9. Babylon Sisters
(1:30) 10. Stuffy
(5:52) 11. Jeff's Strut
(6:57) 12. Big Bone
(2:07) 13. Long Time No Groove

The tragic death of Princess Diana reminded everyone of the impact a single person can have, and in turn, Elton John's moving tribute at her funeral reflected the great role music can play as emotional catharsis. Tribute to Jeff by David Garfield & Friends achieves that for all those who participated, but is in many ways the antithesis of the rewritten "Candle in the Wind," vigorously celebrating the life of multiple Grammy-winning drummer and first-call L.A. session cat Jeff Porcaro rather than choosing to mourn the tragedy of his early death in 1992 at age 38. Though best known for his skinwork in the pop supergroup Toto, Porcaro's influence on the music scene ranged beyond the light pop/rock the band was known for; he grew up on jazz and his diverse timekeeping skills were tapped by everyone from Boz Scaggs, Bruce Springsteen, and Don Henley to Stan Getz and Larry Carlton. He was also the backbone of the longstanding L.A. club-hopping band Los Lobotomys, the fusion-oriented '80s and early-'90s answer to Tom Scott & the L.A. Express featuring pianist Garfield and Toto member Steve Lukather on guitar (Joe Sample would occasionally sit in on second keyboard). In his two decades on the scene, Porcaro made a wealth of friends from all genres, ranging from hard rock to soul, blues, and straight-ahead jazz. Garfield, a veteran of the L.A. scene known for his long-term stint as George Benson's musical director, recalls his late friend as "the ultimate team player, never a forefront kind of guy, with a special camaraderie with musicians." As ringleader, arranger, and producer of the project, as well as lead performer, Garfield succeeds in capturing that sort of ensemble spirit. With 75 musicians participating, the pianist faced a four-month logistical nightmare of studio schedule-crunching in L.A., Nashville, and New York, but, using Porcaro as a muse (by virtue of lighting candles and occasionally playing cassettes of the guest of honor's interviews), Garfield & Friends pull off the ultimate wake, a remarkably all-encompassing, frequently unpredictable overview that, well, Porcaro would have doubtless killed to play on. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/tribute-to-jeff-porcaro-mw0000026486

Personnel: David Garfield (spoken vocals, piano, electric piano, synthesizer, Mini Moog, Moog); Michael Landau (vocals, guitar); Will Lee (vocals, bass); Paulette Brown, Michael McDonald, David Pack, Jason Scheff, Boz Scaggs (vocals); Simon Phillips (spoken vocals, drums); Steve Lukather (acoustic & electric guitars); Paul Jackson Jr., Eddie Van Halen, Denny Dias, Fred Tackett (guitar); Tom Scott (alto, tenor & baritone saxophones); Jerry Hey (trumpet, flugelhorn); David Paich (piano, electric piano, Fender Rhodes); David Benoit (piano); Emil Richards (vibraphone); Mike Porcaro (bass, cymbals); Nathan East (bass); Gregg Bissonette, Steve Gadd (drums); Luis Conte (conga, batas, percussion); Don Henley, Richard Marx (background vocals).

Tribute to Jeff

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Barry Miles - Miles Of Genius

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:03
Size: 82,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:48)  1. Timetable
(6:37)  2. Once There Was A Bird
(3:46)  3. Turchentine
(3:55)  4. Deez Weez
(4:16)  5. May-U
(4:52)  6. Old Jake
(6:47)  7. Terry

Barry Miles was considered a child prodigy: he began playing drums when he was three and piano at five, and joined the Musicians Union when he was nine. Miles played drums professionally from the age of ten, including sitting in with the Woody Herman Orchestra. At age 12, he recorded his first album as a leader on drums, leading a sextet that included pianist Duke Jordan. As a teenager, he studied classical piano and soon switched instruments. Originally a bop-oriented player, Miles leaned toward fusion by the late '60s, often playing electric piano and synthesizer. He led Barry Miles & Silverlight for several years (his sidemen at various times included Woody Shaw, John Abercrombie, and Al di Meola), worked as Roberta Flack's musical director from the early '80s to the mid-'90s, and became a studio musician in New York. Miles has led albums for labels including Charlie Parker (1959-1961), Venture (1966), Poppy (1970), Mainstream (1971-1972), London (1974-1975), Gryphon (1977), and others. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/bs/artist/barry-miles/id20852469#fullText

Personnel:  Barry Miles /drums;  Bob Miller / saxophone;  George Clarke / saxophon;  Al Hall / bass;  Duke Jordan / piano;  John Glasel / trumpet

Miles Of Genius

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Debby Moore - My Kind Of Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:44
Size: 79.5 MB
Styles: Jazz/blues vocals
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:03] 1. Five Months, Two Weeks, Two Days
[2:27] 2. Come On Home To Me
[2:26] 3. See See Rider
[2:41] 4. Nothin' But Trouble On My Mind
[2:10] 5. Sent For You Yesterday
[2:40] 6. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home
[3:01] 7. I'm Travelin' Light
[2:58] 8. (I Know) My Baby Loves Me True
[2:51] 9. Why Don't You Do Right
[2:25] 10. How Come You Do Me Like You Do Do Do
[2:56] 11. Hallelujah, I Love Him So
[2:49] 12. No Love, No Nothin'
[2:12] 13. Get A Feeling

Debby Moore (vocals, whistling), Harry Edison (trumpet), Jimmy Jones (piano), Barry Galbraith (guitar), George Duvivier (bass), Elvin Jones (drums), Don Donaldson (arrangements). Recorded in New York City, December 1959.

Debby Moore, who once sang with Earl Hines, was a Fifties pop singer whose light, warmly caressing voice and ability to read a lyric and phrase well showed a frank jazz awareness. It’s no surprise, then, that she was able to get a quintet of this quality for this mix of blues and standards. Although group is cast in a mainly accompanying role, it could call on Sweets Edison’s swinging solos and delightful backing for the singer who also contributes the novelty of whistling on a couple of tracks in a style not unlike the trumpeters as well Jimmy Jones’s elegant soloing and Barry Galbraiths funky guitar. The result was a consistently interesting debut session, with the singer generating her lithe, detached swing and getting her own groove going.

My Kind Of Blues

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Donald Byrd - Early Byrd: The Best Of The Jazz Soul Years

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:54
Size: 169.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Soul-jazz
Year: 1994/2015
Art: Front

[ 9:43] 1. Slow Drag
[ 5:19] 2. West Of The Pecos
[ 6:50] 3. Book's Bossa
[ 5:17] 4. Jelly Roll
[ 8:25] 5. Mustang
[ 6:15] 6. Blackjack
[ 8:57] 7. The Weasil
[ 7:48] 8. The Dude
[15:18] 9. The Emperor

Early Byrd: The Best of the Jazz Soul Years contains a selection of nine tracks from Donald Byrd's mid-'60s recordings, bypassing his funkier fusions of the late '60s and early '70s. These songs -- including such numbers as "Slow Drag," "Jellyroll," "Mustang," "Blackjack" and "The Dude" -- feature the trumpeter at his grittiest and funkiest. Fans of his early hard bop years will still find enough improvisation here to make it interesting, while latter-day fans will find enough grooves. It's a solid introduction to one of Byrd's most prolific periods.

Early Byrd: The Best Of The Jazz Soul Years

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Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs & Englishmen (Deluxe Edition) 2-Disc Set

Listening to this CD brings back a lot of memories. Mad Dogs & Englishmen was just about the most elaborate album that A&M Records had ever released, back in 1971, a double LP in a three-panel, fold-out, gatefold sleeve, with almost 80 minutes of music inside and a ton of photos, graphics, and annotation wrapping around it. A live recording done in tandem with a killer documentary film of the same U.S. tour, it was recorded at the Fillmore East, where the movie was a cross-country affair, and the two were, thus, completely separate entities -- also, as people couldn't "buy" the film in those days, the double LP has lingered longer in the memory, by virtue of its being on shelves, and also being taken off those shelves to be played. Unlike a lot of other "coffee table"-type rock releases of the era, such as Woodstock and The Concert for Bangladesh, people actually listened to Mad Dogs & Englishmen -- most of its content was exciting, and its sound, a veritable definition of big-band rock with three dozen players working behind the singer, was unique. The CD offers a seriously good sound, whether it's just Joe Cocker and a pianist and organist in the opening of "Bird on a Wire," or the entire band going full-tilt on "Cry Me a River"; the remastering was set at a high volume level and there was a decent amount of care taken to get the detail right, so you can appreciate the presence of the multiple drummers, and the legion of guitarists and singers, plus the multiple keyboard players. The lead guitar and solo piano on "Feelin' Alright," for example, come through, but so do the 34 other players and singers behind the lead. This record was also just as much a showcase for Leon Russell as it was for Joe Cocker, which A&M probably didn't mind a bit, as Russell was selling millions of records at the time. As is now known, and it's recounted in the new notes, the tour from which this album was drawn all but wiped out Joe Cocker -- on a psychic level -- because the music was presented on such a vast scale (and there is a moment in the movie where he mentions breaking up his former backing group, the Grease Band, with a hint of regret in his voice) and his own contribution was so muted by Russell's work as arranger and bandleader. He may well have been the "victim" of a "hijacking" of sorts, but the musical results, apart from the dubious "Give Peace a Chance," are difficult to argue about upon hearing this record anew, decades after the fact -- it's almost all bracing and beautiful. [In 2005 Mad Dogs & Englishmen was reissued in a two-CD deluxe edition with eight previously unreleased live performances inserted throughout the discs and four rare studio recordings tacked onto the end. The new live performances are longer and looser and Russell plays an even bigger role. They're excellent, as are the stereo studio mixes of "The Letter" and "Space Captain," available for the first time here.] ~Bruce Eder

Album: Mad Dogs & Englishmen (Deluxe Edition) Disc 1
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:25
Size: 131.5 MB
Styles: Rock
Year: 1970/2005
Art: Front

[4:56] 1. Honky Tonk Women
[3:18] 2. She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
[5:57] 3. The Weight
[2:46] 4. Sticks And Stones
[6:31] 5. Bird On A Wire
[4:05] 6. Cry Me A River
[4:59] 7. Superstar
[5:48] 8. Feelin' Alright
[5:33] 9. Something
[5:47] 10. Darling Be Home Soon
[3:40] 11. Let It Be
[4:00] 12. Further On Up The Road

Mad Dogs & Englishmen (Deluxe Edition) Disc 1

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Album: Mad Dogs & Englishmen (Deluxe Edition) Disc 2
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:22
Size: 181.7 MB
Styles: Rock
Year: 1970/2005
Art: Front

[ 8:05] 1. Let's Go Get Stoned
[ 5:20] 2. Space Captain
[ 4:09] 3. Hummingbird
[ 2:59] 4. Dixie Lullaby
[ 4:33] 5. The Letter
[ 7:03] 6. Delta Lady
[ 4:46] 7. Please Give Peace A Chance
[12:37] 8. Blue Medley
[ 8:40] 9. With A Little Help From My Friends
[ 2:40] 10. Girl From The North Country
[ 5:45] 11. Warm-Up Jam Under My Thumb
[ 4:10] 12. The Letter
[ 4:20] 13. Space Captain
[ 4:09] 14. The Ballad Of Mad Dogs And Englishmen

Mad Dogs & Englishmen (Deluxe Edition) Disc 2

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June Christy - June's Got Rhythm

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:06
Size: 98.7 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1958/2006
Art: Front

[2:23] 1. Rock Me To Sleep
[3:16] 2. The Gypsy In My Soul
[2:41] 3. I'm Glad There Is You
[2:43] 4. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[1:55] 5. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
[2:46] 6. My One And Only Love
[2:56] 7. When Lights Are Low
[3:34] 8. I Can Make You Love Me (If You Let Me)
[4:17] 9. Easy Living
[3:15] 10. Blue Moon
[2:16] 11. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm
[2:30] 12. Baubles, Bangles And Beads
[2:22] 13. Aren't You Glad You're You
[2:39] 14. Looking For A Boy
[3:26] 15. Small Fry

Bass – Monty Budwig; Drums – Mel Lewis, Shelly Manne; Flute – George Spelvin; Guitar – Laurindo Almeida; Oboe – Bob Cooper; Piano – Russ Freeman; Trombone – Frank Rosolino; Trumpet – Ed Leddy; Tuba – Red Callender. Recorded in Hollywood, June, 1958.

Many of singer June Christy's popular Capitol albums feature her cool-toned vocals backed by an orchestra. This recording is an exception. Christy excels on a jazz-oriented set with a nonet that includes trumpeter Ed Leddy, trombonist Frank Rosolino and her husband Bob Cooper (who arranged the set) on tenor and oboe. Christy accurately called this music "intimate swing." Her versions of such songs as "I'm Glad There Is You," "My One and Only Love," "When Lights Are Low" and "Blue Moon" are tasteful, sincere and often quite memorable. ~Scott Yanow

June's Got Rhythm

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Bill Heller - Find The Way

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:08
Size: 130.8 MB
Styles: Smooth jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:17] 1. Guaraldi (Feat. Jeff Kashiwa)
[5:30] 2. Down & Loaded (Feat. Jeff Kashiwa)
[4:33] 3. Bill's Bop (Feat. Eric Marienthal)
[4:20] 4. Blackbird On A Fence (Feat. Jeff Kashiwa)
[5:06] 5. Find The Way (Feat. Jeff Kashiwa)
[4:49] 6. Hanna (Feat. Eric Marienthal)
[5:27] 7. Alone
[5:51] 8. Latinesque (Feat. Carl Fischer & Luis Bonilla)
[5:33] 9. 5 For 1 (Feat. Eric Marienthal)
[4:39] 10. Afrikaan
[4:53] 11. My Thing
[1:05] 12. Trottoir Du Musette

Perhaps best known as keyboard player with smooth jazz super-group (the) Rippingtons, Bill Heller has released his own solo collection, the excellent ‘Find The Way’. It fuses together jazz of varying complexions through the combined talents of guest performers (and Rippingtons band-mates) Jeff Kashiwa, Rico Belled and Dave Karasony plus fine work from Eric Marienthal Ronnie Gutierrez, Joel Rosenblatt and Dave Anderson. However, that said, this is very much Heller’s album. He writes all twelve tracks, produces throughout and, with his mastery on keys, leaves listeners wondering why it has taken him so long to move center stage.

Indeed it was back in 1998 that Heller made his first Rippingtons appearance. That was for the ‘Topaz’ CD and he has been performing live with the band since March of 2001. By that time Jeff Kashiwa was already a regular member of the line-up and with ‘Find The Way’ it is Kashiwa who helps get the show on the road with tremendous sax and flute for the opening ‘Guaraldi’. This mellifluous song has an aura of the Rippingtons about it and much the same can be said of the fabulous ‘Afrikaan’ that is right up there with the best that ‘Find The Way’ has to offer.

Find The Way

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Gerry Mulligan Quartet - Gerry Mulligan Quartet Featuring Chet Baker

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:15
Size: 112.8 MB
Styles: West Coast jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[2:26] 1. Carioca
[2:31] 2. Line For Lyons
[4:05] 3. Moonlight In Vermont
[3:12] 4. Bark For Barksdale
[2:55] 5. Turnstile
[3:11] 6. The Lady Is A Tramp
[2:54] 7. My Funny Valentine
[2:46] 8. Limelight
[0:20] 9. Gerry Mulligan Signing Off
[3:02] 10. Flying The Coop
[3:23] 11. Why Not
[2:44] 12. So What
[3:27] 13. I May Be Wrong But I Think You're Wonderful
[3:27] 14. New York
[2:28] 15. Leavin' Town
[3:23] 16. Hot Dog
[2:52] 17. Sax Appeal

This CD is a compilation of two separate recording sessions, one led by Gerry Mulligan with Chet Baker on trumpet, the other by the Chubby Jackson Big Band. Half the Mulligan-Baker quartet material was recorded at the Black Hawk in San Francisco in September 1952, the other half four months later in LA. The personnel remains the same for both. The two horn men, along with Carson Smith (b) and Chico Hamilton (d) were laying down the foundation of what soon would be referred to as West Coast or Cool jazz, a sound just as swinging as its East coast rival, but tempered somewhat by a more introspective rhythm approach (the use of brushes over sticks by the drummer, for example) and in the case of this group, no piano. Many who disparage West Coast jazz make the claim that it was cold, pensive, and unswinging, which makes one wonder if such people ever really listened to the music. Such tunes as BARK FOR BARKSDALE, TURNSTILE, and LIMELIGHT are modern dynamos, far from retiring wallflowers. Baker, who supposedly couldn't read music, is truly inspired on these early sides.

The Jackson sides were recorded at one session for Prestige in 1950 in New York and feature an all-star modern big band, including Mulligan (bar sax) Howard McGhee (tp) Zoot Sims (ts) JJ Johnson (tb) and Jackson (b) among many other top players. Best might be the up-tempo rouser FLYING THE COOP, written by Tiny Kahn, a performance that sets the band off well, especially Sims and Johnson. I MAY BE WRONG is also a great tune done to perfection here, thanks to Mulligan's playing and arranging.

The music on this CD is fresh and exciting. The playing is top-notch. This is a must-have CD for anyone interested in modern jazz, especially during its earlier years. ~Bomojazz

Gerry Mulligan Quartet Featuring Chet Baker

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Erroll Garner Trio - Humoresque

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:11
Size: 166,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:11)  1. Humoresque
(5:28)  2. Moonglow
(4:19)  3. In A Mellow Tone
(5:03)  4. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
(3:12)  5. Exactly Like You
(4:42)  6. Creme De Menthe (Dreamy)
(2:35)  7. Oh, Lady Be Good
(4:00)  8. I've Got The World On A String
(2:37)  9. Rosalie
(3:10) 10. There's A Small Hotel
(3:14) 11. Mean To Me
(2:53) 12. Easy To Love
(3:20) 13. All Of A Sudden
(3:27) 14. You Are My Sunshine
(4:33) 15. Part Time Blues
(2:21) 16. I Wanna Be A Rug Cutter
(7:18) 17. 7-11 Jump
(3:39) 18. Alexander's Ragtime Band

One of the most distinctive of all pianists, Erroll Garner proved that it was possible to be a sophisticated player without knowing how to read music, that a creative jazz musician can be very popular without watering down his music, and that it is possible to remain an enthusiastic player without changing one's style once it is formed. A brilliant virtuoso who sounded unlike anyone else, on medium tempo pieces, Erroll Garner often stated the beat with his left hand like a rhythm guitar while his right played chords slightly behind the beat, creating a memorable effect. His playful free-form introductions (which forced his sidemen to really listen), his ability to play stunning runs without once glancing at the keyboard, his grunting, and the pure joy that he displayed while performing were also part of the Erroll Garner magic.

Garner, whose older brother Linton was also a fine pianist, appeared on the radio with the Kan-D-Kids at the age of ten. After working locally in Pittsburgh, he moved to New York in 1944 and worked with Slam Stewart's trio during 1944-1945 before going out on his own. By 1946, Garner had his sound together, and when he backed Charlie Parker on his famous Cool Blues session of 1947, the pianist was already an obvious giant. His unclassifiable style had an orchestral approach straight from the swing era but was open to the innovations of bop. From the early '50s on, Garner's accessible style became very popular and he never seemed to have an off day up until his forced retirement (due to illness) in early 1975. His composition "Misty" became a standard. Garner, who had the ability to sit at the piano without prior planning and record three albums in one day (all colorful first takes), made many records throughout his career for such companies as Savoy, Mercury, RCA, Dial, Columbia, EmArcy, ABC-Paramount, MGM, Reprise, and his own Octave label. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/erroll-garner-mn0000206967/biography

Humoresque

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Michael Cochrane - Minor Matrix

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:17
Size: 145,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:08)  1. I'll Keep Loving You
(5:16)  2. One Finger Snap
(6:05)  3. Waltz
(6:43)  4. On The Sunny Side of The Street
(4:57)  5. Mamacita
(5:57)  6. This Is New
(8:40)  7. Summer Night
(6:55)  8. Minor Matrix
(5:03)  9. Ask Me Now
(6:30) 10. So Sorry Please

Michael Cochrane starts his new CD with Bud Powell’s classic “I’ll Keep Loving you” manifesting again his musical roots and influences. As John Murph of JazzTimes once wrote about Cochrane’s SteepleChase debut album Cutting Edge, this album also “ sings unapologetically that bebop indeed still lives. ”

Personnel: Michael Cochrane (piano); Alan Nelson (drums); Calvin Hill (bass)

Minor Matrix

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David Garfield - Seasons Of Change

Styles: keyboards, Piano Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:51
Size: 141,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:23)  1. El Judio Magnifico
(4:22)  2. Aquas De Marcos (Waters Of March)
(5:01)  3. Too Shy To Say
(5:35)  4. Summertime
(8:32)  5. Prophecy
(2:05)  6. Chino MacDonald
(6:46)  7. Harvest Time
(7:25)  8. Manha De Carnival (A Day In The Life Of A Fool)
(5:30)  9. One Finger Snap
(9:07) 10. Gracias (Thank You)

The Los Angeles based keyboard player David Garfield has a long career as a musical director, arranger, composer and producer behind him, and he is still one of the 'Cats' that you always see playing local clubs such as The Baked Potato, Cafe Cordiale, La Ve Lee. You'll also find him on world tours with big acts with likes of George Benson.  Over the span of his career, he's scored and recorded for films ('Annie' and 'Always' with J.D. Souther), Television ('Fame' and its five accompanying 'Kids from Fame' recordings), and commercials (Coca Cola, McDonald's, Seven Up). He has produced many albums and appeared on several as a keyboard player, arranger and composer. Along with his active recording career he toured with Earl Klugh, Michael McDonald, Nancy Wilson, Oleta Adams/Luther Vandross, Brenda Russell and many local L.A. acts and has been the musical director for George Benson and Dianne Reeves. He also appeared on The Tonight Show, Arsenio Hall and Solid Gold, and has composed and recorded more than 200 original compositions.  As if that array of challenges weren't enough to satisfy his creative urges, Garfield has led several popular bands rock/jazz/funk/world beat fusion bands in Los Angeles since his arrival in the mid-70s. The first of these was Karizma, which he formed with top session players Carlos Vega, Lenny Castro, Mike Landau and Jimmy Johnson. Karizma played sold out club dates in L.A. for years and released four albums ('Dream Come True', 'Cuba,' 'All The Way Live,' and 'Arms of Love') to great success in Japan, Australia and throughout Europe. At one point, Karizma, which still regroups every so often, also toured extensively, including dates with Sadao Watanabe, Jeff Lorber and the Yellowjackets.

Garfield and longtime friend/collaborator, guitarist Steve Lukather from Toto, formed Los Lobotomys in 1985, and this band has also met with great success in L.A. and abroad. In 1994, Garfield and Lukather produced the guitarist's second solo album 'The Candyman' on Sony International. The project featured Fee Waybill from the Tubes and Simon Phillips, drummer for Toto, and the band embarked on a sell out tour of Europe and Japan, sharing stages with Peter Gabriel, Aerosmith and others. As is typical of his musical resume, Garfield has worked on a number of unique projects over the past few years, both at home, in Europe and Japan. The Los Lobotomys tour led to a long-term scoring assignment on a German TV show, and he has produced various Japanese artists in addition to working with top Italian singing star Eros Ramazzotti. Garfield has also performed at Keyboard Magazine's 20th Anniversary Concert at the NAMM show alongside Bruce Hornsby and Joe Zawinul; played at the Modern Drummer magazine's anniversary concert with Steve Ferrone; scored the syndicated TV show 'Sentinel'; sat in with Isaac Hayes and The Blues Brothers at a House of Blues benefit concert; released two DCI instructional videos on how to play rock and roll keyboards; written music for the trailer for the Billy Crystal-Robin Williams comedy 'Father's Day' with James Newton-Howard, and background cues for Good Day L.A. In between these gigs, he was pouring over the logistics and finally the recording sessions for the Tribute to Jeff release. Garfield also formed a production company, Creatchy Productions. With access to the top studio musicians and state of the art technology, they have offered modern production values to both commercial and experimental projects. Creatchy Productions has released many projects by various artists, and has accessed the Japanese and European market. By continuing to craft world music with Contemporary Jazz and to delve into new international technologies, David Garfield has secured his niche as a visionary in contemporary music.

At first glance, all of these diverse projects may seem to have little in common with his earliest gigs touring and recording with Willie Bobo, Freddie Hubbard and Tom Scott. The Chicago born, New York and St. Louis bred Garfield can summarize his entire, admittedly all encompassing career in three simple words: 'I make music. That's my mission statement. Things developed slowly over time, till I was playing every different kind of music in unique situations. Always going against the grain, doing music that may not have been the 'in' thing at the time but hanging around until it became popular.'It all goes back to when I was seven years old, first learning the piano,' he adds. 'There seemed like a great spiritual connection there, and I felt compelled to keep playing. I started my life playing rock, Led Zeppelin, Grand Funk and started meeting more and more jazz musicians in St. Louis which made jazz a logical second love for me. It's been an incredible education.' David Garfield has led many musical projects and one of the cornerstones in his career is the 'Tribute To Jeff' project released in 1997. On May 8th 1992, music lost one of the greatest drummers ever, Jeff Porcaro. He was a big part of the west coast music and L.A. scene through the 70s and 80s. Jeff Porcaro was like a magnet, attracting attention from musicians and fans, and today he still is 'King Of The Groove' because of his very tight drum playing. Making 'Tribute To Jeff' album required a lot of hard work and for David Garfield it took 5 years to finally put the record together and release it. There are many well-known musicians on this album and most of them have played with Jeff Porcaro on albums, tours and gigs. David Garfield has always been very close to the Porcaro family, so he was the right person to make this great album. David also hosts the yearly Carlos Vega Memorial Birthday, a tribute to his friend Carlos Vega, who introduced him to the Los Angeles music business. Carlos Vega passed away in 1997 and David Garfield keeps the spirit alive with the annual concert every year in December at a local club in Los Angeles. In 2005, David Garfield and his production company Creatchy Records released the albums 'Tribute To Jeff Revisited' and 'Seasons Of Change', and later that year he went to Europe with Los Lobotomys for a week of gigs and clinics in Denmark. David is currently working on new releases from both Karizma and Los Lobotomys and will be going to Europe to perform with Russ Miller, Eric Marienthal and John Peña in the spring of 2007. https://www.last.fm/music/David+Garfield/+wiki

Personnel: David Garfield (piano, keyboards); Luis Conte (percussion).

Seasons Of Change

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Ernestine Anderson - When The Sun Goes Down

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:41
Size: 97.7 MB
Styles: Jazz/Blues vocals
Year: 1985/1992
Art: Front

[4:49] 1. Goin' To Chicago Blues
[4:45] 2. Someone Else Is Steppin' In
[7:21] 3. In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down
[4:59] 4. I Love Being Here With You
[6:04] 5. Down Home Blues
[6:21] 6. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
[3:18] 7. Alone On My Own
[5:00] 8. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

On one of her best Concord recordings, Ernestine Anderson (who is joined by tenor man Red Holloway, pianist Gene Harris, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Gerryck King) is quite soulful and bluesy throughout this strong program. She makes such tunes as "Someone Else Is Steppin' In," "In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down)," and "I Love Being Here with You" sound as if they were written for her, while "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" is heard in a very rare vocal version. Actually, all eight songs (which also include "Goin' to Chicago Blues" and "Down Home Blues") are well worth hearing. Recommended. ~Scott Yanow

When The Sun Goes Down

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Various - Capitol Sings Duke Ellington

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 71:57

Size: 164.7 MB

Styles: Easy Listening

Year: 1994

Art: Front

[ 5:04] 1. Duke Ellington - Duke's Place

[ 2:20] 2. Nancy Wilson - Satin Doll

[ 3:49] 3. Sarah Vaughan - Solitude

[ 3:20] 4. Nat King Cole - Mood Indigo

[ 2:53] 5. June Christy - Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'

[ 4:46] 6. Annie Ross - I'm Just A Lucky So And So

[ 2:44] 7. Lou Rawls - Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)

[ 3:06] 8. Dinah Washington - I Didn't Know About You

[ 3:49] 9. Dinah Shore - I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues

[ 3:08] 10. Nat King Cole - Don't Get Around Much Anymore

[ 2:54] 11. Hank Jones - In A Sentimental Mood

[ 3:04] 12. Harry James & His Orchestra - I'm Beginning To See The Light

[ 5:31] 13. Duke Ellington - I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)

[ 2:10] 14. Peggy Lee - Jump For Joy

[ 2:15] 15. Dinah Washington - Do Nothing 'til You Hear From Me

[ 2:43] 16. June Christy - I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

[ 2:42] 17. Nat King Cole - Caravan

[ 2:29] 18. Nancy Wilson - Sophisticated Lady

[ 2:42] 19. The King Sisters - Take The A Train

[10:17] 20. Duke Ellington - It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

If you like Duke Ellington's music, you will love this collection. The disc includes some very well known versions of Ellington's big hits. As expected from the title, all the versions are from the Capitol Records' vault. I miss Ella Fitzgerald. A few cuts from her would have made this album perfect. But that's a minor point as the overall collection of artists represented here is outstanding. The artists range from Duke's own orchestra to Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee, Lou Rawls and the King Sisters. The title track, "Mood Indigo" is performed by Nat King Cole - simply the best.

The songs have been digitally remastered and the sound is as close to perfect as modern technology can make it. The music is as clean and bright on this album as it was when it was originally recorded. Great songs; great artists; excellent sound -- so, turn up the volume and swing the house! Highly recommended! ~Penumbra

Capitol Sings Duke Ellington

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Sammy Nestico - A Portrait Of Sammy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:15
Size: 140.2 MB
Styles: Swing
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[4:51] 1. Dark Orchid
[6:17] 2. Freckle Face
[4:29] 3. Veronique
[5:05] 4. Swingin' On The Orient Express
[4:11] 5. Lisette
[3:57] 6. Time Stream
[3:18] 7. Katy
[5:31] 8. A Cool Breeze
[7:12] 9. A Warm Breeze
[5:49] 10. Out Of The Night (Dark Orchid)
[4:36] 11. Satin 'n Glass
[5:53] 12. 88 Basie Street

The Portrait of Sammy shown on the cover of renowned composer/arranger Sammy Nestico's newest album shows a man grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying what he does and relishing the fruits of his enduring success. And why not? Sammy has been at the top of his game for nearly half a century, and he shows no signs of slowing down at age 81. Ten of the fifteen selections on Portrait were recorded last year with an orchestra comprised of world-class jazz musicians from southern California bolstered by a 26-piece string section, creating an ambiance reminiscent of the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra.

Even with strings attached, Nestico seldom forgets to swing, nor did he do so in winning four Grammy Awards for the incomparable Count Basie Orchestra while serving as the Count's chief arranger some three decades ago. On the other hand, the strings do little to enhance the environment, and (my opinion, judge for yourself) Sammy's purpose would have been better served without them (and with a tad less reverb as well). For proof, listen to "Freckle Face, "Time Stream, or "Kiji Takes a Ride! (no strings), "A Warm Breeze (recorded in '04 with Germany's superb SWR Big Band), "Satin 'n' Glass (transcribed in 1985 with Rob McConnell's Boss Brass minus Rob), or the album's "bonus track, the groovy "88 Basie Street, gleaned from the '78 album Dark Orchid to showcase the late Pete Jolly on piano. The personnel on that track, by the way, is mind-blowing—Warren Luening, Conte Candoli, and Snooky Young in the trumpet section; Bob Cooper, Bud Shank, and Jack Nimitz among the reeds; Bill Watrous on trombone; and Jolly, Chuck Berghofer and Louie Bellson in the rhythm section.

There's a second version of "Dark Orchid (which opens the album), this one recorded in 2000 under its alternate name, "Out of the Night, and featuring solos by flutist Hubert Laws, guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and pianist Randy Kerber. There are no strings (or vocalists), and I found this earlier version the more agreeable because of it. That session also produced the lovely "Lisette, on which soprano Dan Higgins glistens. "Freckle Face, which spotlights trumpeter Luening, is from the Basie book, as are "Warm Breeze, "Time Stream, "Satin 'n' Glass and "Basie Street. Dick Nash's elegant trombone is front and center on the tender "Katy, written for Basie's wife, who had recently passed away. Guido Basso's warm flugelhorn garnishes "Satin 'n' Glass while Tom Scott is showcased on EWI on "Dark Orchid and "Orient Express, tenor sax (with guitarist Dean Parks) on "A Cool Breeze. Tenor Pete Christlieb complements Luening on "Tangerine, pianist Tom Ranier on "Veronique, Luening and bassist Trey Henry on the bustling "Time Stream.

Given his many successes over so many years, Sammy Nestico has every reason to smile. And if his colorful Portrait isn't entirely blemish-free, he need make no apology. He has earned the right to paint it his way. Much of what is presented here is splendid. My aversion to strings, which Sammy evidently deems necessary, may not be shared by other listeners—and as they are conspicuous on only five tracks, that's hardly enough to dampen one's pleasure. In sum, a handsome Portrait that any jazz lover should be pleased to hang in his or her music library. ~Jack Bowers

A Portrait Of Sammy

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Joe Traina - Tea For Two

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:16
Size: 112.8 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[2:43] 1. Blue Skies
[4:54] 2. Imagination
[2:14] 3. Tea For Two
[3:30] 4. Besame Mucho
[6:18] 5. Stardust
[3:53] 6. It's Alright With Me
[4:30] 7. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[4:27] 8. Cry Me A River
[3:45] 9. Too Marvelous For Words
[4:48] 10. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big
[4:42] 11. These Foolish Things
[3:28] 12. Jumpin' With Symphony Sid

For his third CD, Traina uses his quintet to great effect and Grammy-Award nominated arranger Pete McGuinness gives it its swingin' drive. The title track, "Blue Skies", "Too Marvelous For Words" and "These Foolish Things" are all classics and represent the best of small group jazz. ~Hepcat 5

Tea For Two

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Holly Cole - Romantically Helpless

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:41
Size: 97.7 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[4:40] 1. One Trick Pony
[3:29] 2. Romantically Helpless
[4:33] 3. I'll Be Here
[2:09] 4. Ghosts
[3:52] 5. Come Fly With Me
[2:51] 6. Dedicated To The One I Love
[3:25] 7. That Old Black Magic
[4:02] 8. If I Start To Cry
[2:58] 9. Loving You
[3:54] 10. Make It Go Away
[3:13] 11. Don't Fence Me In
[3:29] 12. Same Girl

Holly Cole: vocals; Aaron Davis: piano, organ, Fender Rhodes, synthesizer; David Piltch: acoustic bass; Mark Ferguson: piano, trombone; Mark Kelso: drums, 2nd line groover, background vocals; Luc Boivin: percussion, 2nd line groover; Steve Ferrera: 2nd line groover; George Koller: acoustic bass, electric bass; David Gray: acoustic and electric guitars; Kevin Breit: acoustic and electric guitars, dobro; Gerry Leonard: electric guitar; Kim Ratcliffe: guitars; Tory Cassis: background vocals.

The irony of this CD title is hard to miss. Holly Cole’s confident, smoky alto might convey dark humor or cautious optimism, painful regret or self-aware neurosis, but definitely not helplessness. Ms. Cole combines the modern, post-feminist attitude of the Lilith Fair crowd with the sophistication of a pre-rock interpretative singer. Holly Cole has always been difficult to categorize. Jazz purists have never been taken with Ms. Cole’s eagerness to embrace contemporary music forms or her tendency to subvert material from the standard repertoire. Unlike Cassandra Wilson, who transposes rock and pop material into her own unique form of acoustic jazz, Ms. Cole frequently crosses the line that separates jazz and pop. In that respect, Ms. Cole’s artistic sensibility is surprisingly close to that of Peggy Lee’s. Although their styles and voices are very different, Ms. Cole shares Ms. Lee’s affinity for creating deeply personal interpretations out of a wide range of pop material. And like Ms. Lee, Ms. Cole uses jazz as simply one of many interpretive devices rather than as the raison d’ệtre for every performance.

Romantically Helpless, the Canadian singer’s sixth full-length studio album, brings together the different facets of Ms. Cole’s music. Two thirds of the recording mark a return to her early, more jazz-oriented roots. Ms. Cole’s highly idiosyncratic interpretations, often set to a stark, minimalist accompaniment, tend to bring out the dark undercurrents of a lyric. She gives envy an edge in a slinky version of Paul Simon’s “One Trick Pony” and transforms “Dedicated to the One I Love” into a stalker’s love song. Ms. Cole extracts bitterness and hurt from Randy Newman’s “Ghosts” and “The Same Girl” rather than the detached sarcasm usually associated with that composer’s songs. In contrast, her respectful, straightforward reading of Stephen Sondheim’s “Loving You” seems oddly stilted and unexpressive. The three decidedly more upbeat standards offer a welcome respite from the album’s melancholy tone. The brassy swing arrangement of “That Old Black Magic” does not suit Ms. Cole. She is simply not that kind of jazz singer. She is far more appealing on “Come Fly With Me” where she relaxes the tempo giving this usually hard driving song a feeling of affectionate romanticism. Ms. Cole also has a grand time on a version of “Don’t Fence Me In” that isn’t really any more tongue-in-cheek than Bing Crosby’s original recording of the song. The remainder of the album features radio-friendly pop arrangements of songs by both of Ms. Cole’s long time collaborators, Aaron Davis and David Piltch. As far as pop music goes, most of these tracks are fine with “Make It Go Away” the standout. ~Mathew Bahl

Romantically Helpless

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The Ruby Braff Trio - Bravura Eloquence

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:39
Size: 137,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:30)  1. Ol' Man River
(3:07)  2. Smile / Who'll Buy My Violets
(3:22)  3. Lonely Moments
(3:41)  4. Here's Carl
(3:50)  5. God Bless The Child
(3:44)  6. It's Bad For Me
(4:51)  7. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
(3:07)  8. Make Sense
(3:22)  9. I'm Shooting High
(4:37) 10. Orange
(3:08) 11. Persian Rug
(3:58) 12. Trav'lin' Light
(4:10) 13. Royal Garden Blues
(9:07) 14. Judy  Medley: San Francisco / Over The Rainbow / If I Only Had A Brain

From the same sessions that resulted in Me, Myself and I, the great cornetist Ruby Braff, who has always had a distinctive sound of his own, once again teams up with guitarist Howard Alden and bassist Jack Lesberg in a trio. Alden's versatility serves him well on a program that includes "Ol' Man River," and medleys of tunes associated with Charlie Chaplin and Judy Garland, "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," and "Royal Garden Blues." Braff is heard at the top of his game throughout this enjoyable outing. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/bravura-eloquence-mw0000308503

Personnel:  Ruby Braff – cornet;  Howard Alden – guitar;  Jack Lesberg – bass

Bravura Eloquence

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