Stan Getz - Reflections

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:54
Size: 75.3 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1964/2003
Art: Front

[2:23] 1. Moonlight In Vermont
[2:13] 2. If Ever I Would Leave You
[2:40] 3. Love
[2:41] 4. Reflections
[2:42] 5. Sleeping Bee
[2:37] 6. Charade
[4:00] 7. Early Autumn
[3:15] 8. Penthouse Serenade
[3:57] 9. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
[3:51] 10. Nitetime Street
[2:31] 11. Blowin' In The Wind

Though in 1963 some purists considered Reflections to be certain evidence that Stan Getz had sold out and abandoned "real jazz" completely, the album is actually, while perhaps not a masterpiece, an artful and intriguing sidebar to the tenor saxophonist's now celebrated bossa nova period. Getz was always a sublimely smooth and lyrical player who had already recorded in an orchestral setting on the groundbreaking Focus, and had a number one pop hit with Jazz Samba. It was only natural, then, that he would want to combine the two concepts. Although Reflections does at times bear the slight stench of easy listening (sweeping strings, a Lawrence Welk-like vocal chorus), it's definitely not elevator music. Getz is in as fine form as ever, and the restrictive pop-based song structures challenge him to use his creative faculties in interesting ways. It's a true master musician who can make Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" swing without descending into schmaltzy Trini Lopez territory or losing any of the tune's original melancholic urgency. There are a few tracks, of course, where Getz jumps back into a more straight-ahead and cool jazz bag. The Lalo Schifrin tune "Nitetime Street" features an appropriately bluesy and brooding guitar solo from Kenny Burrell, and Getz's take on "Love" is a wild Latin romp that matches the vitality of anything on his Gilberto/Jobim collaborations. A highly underrated and oft-ignored album, Reflections should be re-evaluated and viewed not as an acceptance of crass commercialism, but as a daring and brilliant artist's attempt to find pure music by blurring the boundaries between jazz and pop. ~Pemberton Roach

Reflections

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Susie Arioli Swing Band - It's Wonderful

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:06
Size: 112.4 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[2:25] 1. If Dreams Come True
[3:15] 2. He's Funny That Way
[3:25] 3. What Is This Thing Called Love
[2:49] 4. Lover Come Back To Me
[4:06] 5. It's Wonderful
[5:59] 6. I Cover The Waterfront
[3:48] 7. Reuben's Blues
[2:29] 8. The Big Hurt
[2:33] 9. Trying To Get To You
[3:34] 10. No Smoke Blues
[5:14] 11. I Got It Bad
[2:53] 12. Sailboat In The Moonlight
[3:15] 13. Instrumental #2
[3:14] 14. Blue Prelude

Double Bass [String Bass] – Shane McKenzie, Stephen Barry; Guitar – Jordan Officer, Michael Browne; Trumpet – Aron Doyle; Vocals, Snare – Susie Arioli. Recorded, Mixed & Edited at Le Studio, Morin Heights & Good Noise Studios, Arundel, OC.

Even though this is the first album of her own, Susie Arioli is no newcomer to the vocal game. She has been performing in and around Montreal for several years, and the Susie Arioli Swing Band has also performed at the JVC Jazz Festival in New York. This maiden effort is a happy marriage of classic 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s standards with some non-jazz material. On the standards, Arioli follows firmly in the footsteps of such singers as Billie Holiday, Maxine Sullivan, Peggy Lee, and June Christy. Like them, no matter what she sings, Arioli conveys the lyrics of a song with sensitivity, understanding, and emotion -- just what one might expect to hear from a top-flight vocal artist who knows what she's about.

Arioli's interpretation of "I Cover the Waterfront" is done with a combination of mournful loneliness and hopeful anticipation. In his only appearance, Aaron Doyle plays trumpet figures underneath Arioli to help her set the mood. The album's coda, "Blue Prelude," is reminiscent of Nancy Wilson's 1963 recording. Arioli's version matches Wilson's for the down-in-the-dumps feeling, which comes from the "pain in my soul" caused by terminal heartbreak. Arioli also puts her accomplished snare drum playing on display during the session. On the non-classic standard side, "The Big Hurt" and "It's Wonderful" sound like 1950s pop imports and something that Joni James would be comfortable singing. "Trying to Get to You" by rockabilly star Rose Marie McCoy shows a down-to-earth side of Arioli. Snippets of country swing sneak in on her renditions of "Lover Come Back to Me" and "If Dreams Come True," and it works.

The Susie Arioli Swing Band is augmented by guest guitarist Jordan Officer, who makes immense contributions to the proceedings. He plays an old-style Harmony guitar that gives off a deep, resonant sound, much like a bass pitched slightly higher than usual; the guitar sets off Arioli's voice very nicely. Officer's soloing and Arioli's vocalizing are made more eloquent by the strong presence of Michael Browne's outstanding rhythm guitar. This is a very entertaining CD and hopefully a forerunner of many others to follow. Recommended. ~Dave Nathan

It's Wonderful

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Joe Traina And His Dectet - Ten By Eleven

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:33
Size: 118.0 MB
Styles: Clarinet jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[4:39] 1. Easy To Love
[5:22] 2. Dancing In The Dark
[7:56] 3. King For A Day
[3:21] 4. I've Never Been In Love Before
[4:39] 5. Begin The Beguine
[5:49] 6. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
[5:48] 7. Gone With The Wind
[5:35] 8. Little Butterfly
[4:32] 9. Forever On My Mind
[3:48] 10. Something's Gotta Give

Joe Traina has been leader of the Joe Traina Quartet and Quintet since 1990 performing extensively throughout the New York Tri-State area in such notable establishments as The Rainbow Room, Tavern On The Green, The National Arts Club, Sardi's, Metronome, the Mamaroneck Country Club and The Savoy Grill.

The Joe Traina Quintet returned to a triumphant eight-week engagement last September to world-famous Sardi's Restaurant located in the heart of New York's theatre district. The group held forth for over two years in Sardi's Club Room during the 1990s.

Ten By Eleven

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David Linx, The Brussels Jazz Orchestra - Changing Faces

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 80:42
Size: 184.7 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals, Big band
Year: 2007/2013
Art: Front

[6:11] 1. Deep Night
[6:53] 2. Down On Lovers Lane
[8:09] 3. Black Crow
[5:47] 4. Bilhete
[4:12] 5. Then We'll Be Home
[9:46] 6. A Day's Journey
[4:54] 7. Home, In The Spring
[5:33] 8. The Land Of Joy
[2:17] 9. Por Toda Minha Vida
[5:32] 10. Miziane
[5:34] 11. There Is You
[9:33] 12. Sweet Suite
[6:15] 13. For The Time Being

Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute – Dieter Limbourg; Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Art Direction – Frank Vaganée; Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Bo Van Der Werf; Bass Trombone – Laurent Hendrick; Double Bass – Jos Machtel; Drums, Cajón – Martijn Vink; Guitar – Hendrik Braeckman, Manu Codjia; Percussion – Minino Garay; Piano – Nathalie Loriers; Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Bart Defoort; Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute – Kurt van Herck; Trombone – Ben Fleerakkers, Frederik Heirman; Trombone [Lead] – Marc Godfroid; Trumpet [Lead], Flugelhorn – Serge Plume; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Gino Lattuca, Nico Schepers, Pierre Drevet. Recorded at Hogent Studios, Ghent (Belgium).

Never thought I’d be mentioning that pre-Crosby crooner, Rudy Vallee, in this space, but one of the tunes associated with the megaphone meister, “Deep Night,” receives a surprisingly hip, propulsive makeover. It typifies the extremes to be found here. Linx, the Belgian jazz singer, will resort to any idiom, any language, any time signature. Occasionally he seems to dispense with bar lines altogether, or he will go beyond lyrics, as he abandons his own words on “A Day’s Journey,” for some free-wheeling scat. “Home, In the Spring” features Linx and the wordless Natalie Dessay in a wistful duet. While he strains for falsetto, she leaps octaves effortlessly. The most impressive tour de force is “The Land of Joy,” in which Linx resorts to jet-speed unison scat with pianist Nathalie Loriers. Linx wrote some of the tunes, which compete quite well against entries by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joni Mitchell. He can do it all, at the highest level of professionalism, like the superb Brussels Jazz Orchestra, a 17-piece band, used to the coloristic effects that accrue from their apparently endless doublings. ~Harvey Siders

Changing Faces

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Harry James - It's Been A Long, Long Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:52
Size: 160.0 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:04] 1. It's Been A Long, Long Time
[2:46] 2. Jubilee
[2:58] 3. Melancholy Rhapsody
[2:46] 4. Some Of These Days
[3:31] 5. Moanin' Low
[3:04] 6. Life Goes To A Party
[3:16] 7. Music Makers
[3:14] 8. September Song
[2:39] 9. Trumpet Blues
[3:05] 10. Tango Blues
[3:56] 11. Moten Swing
[2:36] 12. Jump Sauce
[2:44] 13. The Mole
[2:54] 14. Strictly Instrumental
[2:14] 15. Oh, Lady Be Good
[3:08] 16. Loveless Love
[2:25] 17. On The Alamo
[2:46] 18. Moonlight Bay
[1:52] 19. Sleepy Time Gal
[3:08] 20. Melancholy Mood
[5:05] 21. James Session
[3:50] 22. St. Louis Blues
[2:45] 23. Tain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)

Harry James was one of the most outstanding instrumentalists of the swing era, employing a bravura playing style that made his trumpet work instantly identifiable. He was also one of the most popular bandleaders of the first half of the 1940s, and he continued to lead his band until just before his death, 40 years later. James was the child of circus performers. His father, Everette Robert James, was the bandleader and trumpet player in the orchestra for the Mighty Haag Circus, and his mother, Maybelle Stewart Clark James, was an aerialist. Growing up in the circus, James became a performer himself as early as the age of four, when he began working as a contortionist. He soon turned to music, however, first playing the snare drum in the band from about the age of six and taking trumpet lessons from his father. At 12, he took over leadership of the second band in the Christy Brothers Circus, for which his family was then working. He attended grade school in Beaumont, Texas, where the circus spent the winter, and when he was 14 he won a state music contest as a trumpeter.

That inspired him to turn professional and begin playing in local bands. James' first job with a national band came in 1935 when he was hired by Ben Pollack. In May 1935, he married singer Louise Tobin, with whom he had two children and from whom he was divorced in June 1943. He made his first recordings as a member of the Pollack band in September 1936. Not long after, he was tapped by Benny Goodman, then leading one of the country's most popular bands, and he began working for Goodman by the end of 1936. He rapidly gained notice in the Goodman band, and by December 1937 he had begun to make recordings under his own name for Brunswick Records (later absorbed by Columbia Records). ~William Ruhlmann

It's Been A Long, Long Time

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Don Friedman Trio - Flashback

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:00
Size: 93.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1963/1997
Art: Front

[4:38] 1. Alone Together
[6:26] 2. Ballade In C-Sharp Minor
[4:18] 3. Wait 'til You See Her
[5:02] 4. News Blues
[5:48] 5. How Deep Is The Ocean
[7:48] 6. Ochre
[6:58] 7. Flashback

Pianist Don Friedman's debt to Bill Evans was obvious in the early '60s, particularly on standards, but he also had his own creative spirit to offer. This 1997 CD reissue brings out Friedman's third of four Riverside dates, teaming him with the obscure bassist Dick Kniss and drummer Dick Berk. The pianist shows that he was developing an original voice and was familiar with the avant-garde of the period on such originals as "Ohcre" and "Flashback." In contrast, he swings conventionally but with subtle creativity on "Alone Together," "News Blues" and "How Deep Is the Ocean." A fine, well-rounded set from the underrated pianist. ~Scott Yanow

Flashback

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David S. Ware Quartet - Go See The World

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:06
Size: 157,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:06)  1. Mikuro's Blues
(10:26)  2. Lexicon
( 9:56)  3. Logistic
(14:37)  4. The Way We Were
( 4:47)  5. Quadrahex
(11:33)  6. Estheticmetric
(10:38)  7. Rapturelodic

“Go See The World” represents tenor saxophonist David S Ware’s initial and much anticipated release for Columbia Records. Branford Marsalis’ recent appointment as creative consultant for the label’s jazz division has paved the way for Ware’s induction to Columbia Records. Historically, tenure at Columbia for non-mainstream jazz musicians of similar backgrounds namely Henry Threadgill and David Murray was for the most part short-lived. If Columbia Records is serious and not overtly concerned with substantial profits and quick return than this may be a good thing. Otherwise, Columbia’s seemingly abundant marketing/publicity budget should serve as a good promotional vehicle for Mr. Ware. Thankfully, David S. Ware made little or no concessions to streamline his musical approach in the wake of Columbia’s endorsement. 

“Go See The World” is a continuation of Ware’s ever-evolving musical journey. Besides, no one can reasonably ascertain that David S. Ware suffers from a lack of energy or motivation. He is a true “force of nature”. Ware’s band mates are: William Parker: bass; Matthew Shipp: piano and New York City downtown drummer, Susie Ibarra who replaces long time associate Whit Dickey. The track titled “Lexicon” features Ware’s forceful and explosive signature style. Ware moans, groans, honks, screeches and injects flurries of melodic statements reminding us that somewhere underneath all the dynamics there is a song. Ware benefits from pianist Matthew Shipp’s swirling, heavy-handed chord phrasings and acute ear. Shipp provides much of the color in this band while Parker and Ibarra suggest odd rhythmic patterns, which skillfully compliment Ware’s stratospheric extrapolations into new frontiers. “Lexicon” also features some interesting arco-bass passages from the incredibly adept William Parker. Compelling dialogue ensues while Ware takes a much-needed breather. Marvin Hamlisch’s ballad “The Way We Were” is given the once over here. Ware expends quite a bit of energy during his rendition of this somewhat grandiose love song. Clocking in at 14 minutes it seems almost comical that Ware would pick such a tune as a foray into avant-garde digressions. Here, Ware seems driven and his personalized approach borders on the spiritual. Shipp performs a lovely piano interlude by toying with and suggesting the melody while eventually leading into a bombastic crescendo of flailing keys. Ware concludes with gut-wrenching conviction. “Quadrahex” is a rhythmically free and improvisational piece, which entails a good dose of dialogue among the band members. “Estheticmetric” is perhaps an ode to Ware’s NYC Loft Days featuring more exchanges of free style dialogue accented by some absorbing bass lines from Parker. Ware darts, jabs and appears comfortable during these musical exchanges, which firmly identifies his intentions.  Hopefully Mr. Ware and Columbia will enjoy a healthy, long-term relationship and open up some ears for curious listeners who yearn for something different. However, at times “Go See The World” suffers from sameness in content and doesn’t adhere to compositional form to any observable degree. Ware does not aim to finesse with subtlety and nuance. His style while expressive and at times free, may tend to overwhelm. Otherwise we can accept Mr. Ware for his positive and keen awareness of jazz vernacular. David S. Ware has honed a unique voice on the tenor saxophone and consistently receives astonishing support from a very accomplished band. We wish him the best of luck with Columbia Records.~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/go-see-the-world-david-s-ware-columbia-records-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: David S. Ware (tenor saxophone); Matthew Shipp (piano); William Parker (bass); Susie Ibarra (drums).

Go See The World

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Reuben Brown - Blue And Brown

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 67:47
Size: 128,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:43)  1. All My Tomorrows
(4:52)  2. I Believe In You
(3:17)  3. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
(3:22)  4. I Cover The Waterfront
(3:54)  5. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
(4:19)  6. Beautiful Love
(4:41)  7. Look Away
(3:25)  8. You Took Advantage Of Me
(4:12)  9. Round About Midnight
(6:52) 10. Take The A Train
(4:37) 11. I Thought About You
(6:47) 12. The End Of A Love Affair
(4:30) 13. Central Park West
(2:57) 14. Don't Blame Me
(5:09) 15. Blue And Brown

A native of Washington D.C., pianist Reuben Brown seems to have made a few records back in the early ‘90s and then disappeared, taken off the scene by some illness alluded to in the liners to this set. In addition to those sides cut in 1994 that appeared on his debut trio date for SteepleChase, Ice Scape, come the fifteen solo tracks included here. Recorded with exceptional clarity, all of the subtle nuances that make up Brown’s mercurial technique come shining through. Be it a ballad, where his sincere interpretations are affecting, or faster paced material, Brown convincingly tells his story in a fashion that is never showy but which communicates directly with the listener. He evidently likes the piano’s lower register, as his tasty rumblings on “Beautiful Love” make clear. His bebop chops are also in top shape, as he turns “I Believe In You” into the silk purse that one might never think possible. All but two performances push the four-minute mark and maybe that’s why this set, along with the previously mentioned attributes, makes such a strong initial impression. None of the meanderings that often accompany solo discs are to be found here and if Brown makes his way back soon, one can only wonder what future treasures may be in the works. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blue-and-brown-reuben-brown-steeplechase-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Reuben Brown- solo piano

Blue And Brown

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Hanna Paulsberg Concept - Waltz for Lili

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:26
Size: 92,7 MB
Art: Front

(8:02)  1. Waltz for Lili
(6:27)  2. Potters Lullaby
(6:21)  3. Sang til Pastor Wang
(6:31)  4. Noah's Tune
(7:21)  5. A Trip to the Brown Castle
(5:42)  6. Mufasa

Norway's place on the international jazz map has been assured for decades: first with saxophonist Jan Garbarek, guitarist Terje Rypdal and bassist Arild Andersen; then, a second wave including trumpeters Arve Henriksen and Nils Petter Molvaer, and pianists Bugge Wesseltoft and Christian Wallumrod; and, more recently, in another wave featuring In The Country and Splashgirl. Still, its scene has often seemed distanced from the American tradition that nevertheless resides at the core of many of these players. Enter saxophonist Hanna Paulsberg and Waltz for Lilli, which suggests that it's possible to revere that tradition and, at the same time, forge your own culture-rich identity. The twenty-something Paulsberg is already an alum of the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, most recently in collaboration with keyboardist Ståle Storløkken and psychedelic space-rock outfit Motorpsycho at the 2010 Molde Jazz Festival and the resulting The Death Defying Unicorn (Rune Grammofon, 2012). Despite Paulsen finding herself in a multiplicity of contexts, her allegiance to the jazz tradition is abundantly clear with Hanna Paulsberg Concept (HPC), also featuring three other recognition-worthy young Scandinavians. Waltz for Lilli is many things, but one of them is that it swings and when it swings, it swings hard. Over the course of six Paulsberg originals, HPC also demonstrates a strong allegiance to melody. The opening modal title track burns with feverish energy, thanks to the firm but open-ended anchor provided by bassist Trygve Waldemar Fiske and freewheeling drummer Hans Hulbækmo, but when it comes to soloing, Paulsberg favors careful choices over unfettered virtuosity. Combined with pianist Oscar Grönberg who blends McCoy Tyner-informed, block-chord accompaniment with sparer Nordic lyricism it suggests how John Coltrane might have sounded, had he opted for space and decay rather than sheets of sound. Paulsberg's attention to tone was inspired, no doubt, from antecedents like Garbarek and Tore Brunborg without sounding like either and gives her a unique ability to sear without speed.

Paulsberg's writing is deceptive; enticing, often with seemingly simple concepts, its layers unfold across repeated listens. "Potters Lullaby" starts with a simple percussion motif that becomes more complex when first Grönberg and then Fiske join in for a rhythmically contrary unison line; when Paulsberg enters, it's yet another simple idea that, interlocking with the rest of her band mates, turns into something far deeper. "Sang til Pastor Wang" begins as a spare piano/sax duet, a rubato tone poem setting the stage for the first of two bass solos that assert Fiske as far more than mere rhythm section partner, playing off Grönberg with the kind of profound empathy that normally comes from far more experience and longevity. It's no wonder HPC won the Young Nordic Jazz Competition at the 2011 Trondheim Jazz Festival. The other track to feature Fiske is the closing "Mufasa," an even darker tune that, in its choice to end in a whisper Paulsberg's tenor becoming increasingly breathy until that's all that's left closes what would have easily been included as a Best of 2012 "New Discovery." It may only be January, but Hanna Paulsberg Concept's auspicious debut already looks like a shoe-in for 2013's year-end list. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/waltz-for-lilli-hanna-paulsberg-ora-fonogram-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Hanna Paulsberg: saxophone; Trygve Waldemar Fiske: acoustic bass; Oscar Grönberg: piano; Hans Hulbækmo: drums.

Waltz for Lili

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Sunna Gunnlaugs - Cielito Lindo

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:04
Size: 147,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Cielito Lindo
(5:05)  2. Compassion
(0:50)  3. Spin 8
(5:32)  4. Dry Cycle
(7:04)  5. Endastopp
(4:16)  6. Summertime
(1:43)  7. Spin 9
(5:01)  8. Workaround
(4:52)  9. Vetrarstef
(7:08) 10. Icelandic Blues
(3:24) 11. Tiltekt
(1:51) 12. Spin 11
(7:06) 13. All Agaze
(4:25) 14. Johnsburg, Illinois

This is the third consecutive album in the space of five years from Icelandic pianist Sunna Gunnlaugs featuring her trio with bassist Þorgrímur Jónsson and drummer Scott McLemore. It inhabits a similar aesthetic as their previous albums, which embraces the open of the Icelandic horizon but doesn’t ignore the blues. She continues her improvised “spins”; the interludes that have been woven through her albums since her last quartet release “The Dream” featuring Loren Stillman and Eivind Opsvik. All three members of contribute compositions and there are even pieces by Tom Waits and George Gershwin. https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sunnagunnlaugs3

Personnel:  Sunna Gunnlaugs – piano;  Þorgrímur Jónsson – bass;  Scott McLemore - drums

Cielito Lindo

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Robyn Spangler - On A Liquid Afternoon

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:11
Size: 94.3 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:15] 1. Everything
[4:23] 2. Come To Your Senses
[3:24] 3. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
[3:43] 4. Hit Me With A Hot Note
[2:56] 5. In A Restaurant By The Sea
[3:30] 6. Willin
[4:15] 7. You're Everything
[3:27] 8. Faithless Love
[3:01] 9. The Way You Do The Things You Do
[2:59] 10. Every Time I Look At You I Fall In Love Again
[2:46] 11. You're Free, I'm Gone
[3:28] 12. Live

This is a wonderful CD , showcasing the marvelous voice of Robyn Spangler. Great listening for the daily commute, very highly recommended. ~J.W. Spencer

Robyn got her first acting part at the age of six. Not yet able to read a script her mother repeated the lines and the lines were memorized by rote. She started singing and performing professionally at 17. (She would have started sooner but her parents forbid it and an underage singer would have been kicked out of most of the clubs and bars anyway.) Needless to say, Robyn has had an interesting and varied career working both in front of audiences and behind the scenes with a who's who in both the theater and film industries.

On A Liquid Afternoon

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Paul Tillotson - Funky Good Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:00
Size: 105.3 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[7:54] 1. Loungin' @ The Evelyn
[6:09] 2. Seltzer (The Snow Song)
[4:51] 3. Dear Old Dad
[7:27] 4. Chartreuse
[4:04] 5. Funky Good Time
[4:22] 6. Where's Eric
[5:16] 7. Morphine
[5:53] 8. Dizzy

Paul Tillotson, piano; Mike Merritt, bass; and James Wormworth, drums. Based in New York City, where they make regular live appearances, the trio fills audiences with undeniable love.

Mike Merritt, son of the legendary jazz Bassist Jymie Merritt, currently appears nightly on the NBC hit TV show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien. James Wormworth, son of the great jazz drummer Jimmy Wormworth, is a successful freelance drummer appearing on numerous CD's, TV and live with leaders such as Johnnie Johnson and Donald Fagen. Paul Tillotson, composer, arranger, leader and spontaneous pianist is originally from Boise, Idaho. He has spent most of his life seeking and playing with the greatest musicians New York City and the world has to offer. The music on Funky Good Time offers a glimpse into the heart and soul of his journey.

Funky Good Time is their first recording together! Released in 2002, this CD features eight original Tillotson songs. Beginning with the funky rocking Loungin' @ the Evelyn and Funky Good Time to the Latin favors of Seltzer, Where's Eric? and Dizzy, to the sultry ballads Chartreuse and Morphine and all the way to the swinging Dear Old Dad, there is something for everyone here!

Funky Good Time

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Scan-Am Quartet - Atlantic Bridges

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:53
Size: 164.6 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[9:58] 1. Calixto´s Way
[5:54] 2. 18th Letter Of Silence
[9:58] 3. San Fran Blues
[7:04] 4. Organic Fusion
[6:28] 5. Melancholia
[5:57] 6. The Man With Two Left Feet (He Ain´t Going Nowhere)
[8:32] 7. Purple And Orange
[5:34] 8. Nights In Brooklyn
[8:32] 9. Mean Gene
[3:52] 10. In Our Lifetime (Nov. 4. 2008. 10 Pm Cst)

The Scan-Am Quartet features top musicians from Denmark, Sweden and the USA: Swedish stellar alto man Fredrik Kronkvist, Danish New York-resident, pianist Søren Møller and Danish bassist Morten Ramsbøl (these three had previously collaborated on a project with the world-famous drummer Antonio Sanchez - ”A Tribute to Trane” released in 2007). To this trio they added another top-notch drummer : Jason Marsalis - youngest brother to Wynton and Branford - who has been re-defining the vocabulary of jazz drumming since the early 90´s and is known for his exciting rhythmic drive. These four musicians speak the same universal language of improvised music - and on this album take the listener on a musical journey that includes spiritual Coltrane-inspired Afro grooves, New Orleans swing with a modern twist, lyrical Scandinavian ballads, Latin jazz rhythms, American fusion and much more - with compositions by all members of the band.

Atlantic Bridges

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Cory Weeds Quintet - Everything's Coming Up Weeds

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:04
Size: 120,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:33)  1. B.B.'s Blue Blues
(7:19)  2. Biru Kirusai
(5:42)  3. Ella's Walk
(5:22)  4. Little Unknown One
(5:59)  5. I've Never Been in Love Before
(5:48)  6. Bailin' on Lou
(4:44)  7. 323 Shuter
(5:14)  8. Cyclaman
(5:20)  9. The Pour

Everything's Coming Up Weeds, the 50th release from the Cellar Live stable, is a stellar recording featuring an extraordinary quintet. At first blush, it recalls the energy and fervor of wonderful Benny Golson bands and, if the memory can be stretched a wee bit further, also some memorable sessions of Jazztet or even a Jazz Messengers middle passage. The date is led by the big tenor sound of Cory Weeds saxophonist, broadcaster, jazz impresario extraordinaire and owner of Canada's leading West Coast nightspot, The Cellar Restaurant and Jazz Club. There is also excellent work from pianist Ross Taggart, trumpeter Jim Rotundi, bassist John Webber and drummer Willie Jones III.  There are several remarkable aspects to this record. First, the writing of the originals is of the very highest order. The music is wonderfully crafted with an extraordinary ear for tonal colors and rhythmic textures, whether it is a blues such as Taggart's "BB's Blue Blues," which appears to be an oblique tribute to Thelonious Monk, or an exotic narrative from Rotundi, "Biru Kirusai," which is almost a title in Bunga Emas (the language of Malaysia) and conjures up images of the sights and smells of exquisite Southeast Asia. The highlight, of course, is Weed's writing, which is mature and exquisitely crafted, with a fine sense of the sonority and sliding elegance of the tenor saxophone. On his "Little Known One," Weeds paints sonic images of Dexter Gordon. And like Gordon, Weeds is able to bend his fat sound to practically cry at the most tender moments of the song.

On Frank Loesser's "I've Never Been in Love Before," Cory Weeds establishes his mastery over the ballad, digging deep into his horn an extracting a genuine, glowing warmth that few tenor saxophonists today have been able to summon, even in balladry. Weeds also exhibits remarkable command of the bebop rhythm with his "Bailin' On You" and "323 Shuter." His chart, "The Pour," sounds like a classic tune from a Jazz Messengers songbook. But make no mistake, this is all Cory Weeds. This is, in fact, the second remarkable aspect of this record. It is bursting with ideas and superb expression. Few small ensembles playing today complement each other with sensitivity to each other's sound. It is like an Duke Ellington band, where each of the players, like alchemists, forge tones that meld into one another. The interplay is almost seamless, with Taggart's "Cyclaman" and Weeds' "The Pour" bringing that molten sound of the quintet to sublime fruition. This is also a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek title: Everything's Coming Up Weeds. If anything, there is jazz in full bloom here, end-to-end. ~ Raul D’Gama Rose https://www.allaboutjazz.com/everythings-coming-up-weeds-cory-weeds-cellar-live-review-by-raul-dgama-rose.php

Personnel: Cory Weeds: tenor saxophone; Jim Rotundi: trumpet; Ross Taggart: piano; John Webber: acoustic bass; Willie Jones III: drums.

Everything's Coming Up Weeds

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Reuben Brown Trio - Ice Scape

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:07
Size: 144,9 MB
Art: Front

( 4:17)  1. Billy
(10:18)  2. Mack The Knife
( 5:17)  3. Night In Tunisia
( 6:44)  4. Ice Scapes
( 5:39)  5. Joe
( 6:45)  6. It's The Night I Like
( 3:57)  7. Lonely Afternoon
( 9:00)  8. Twilight At Duke's Place
( 6:27)  9. Lush Life
( 4:40) 10. Catania

Nearly every urban community is blessed with one or more jazz treasures who chose to stay at home. Piano-wise, in D.C. one of those has long been pianist Reuben Brown, whose roll has been slowed by illness in recent years. At places like One Step Down, Brown has eased the fears of many a traveling soloist dealt the often iffy “local rhythm section” card. Thankfully in 1994 Nils Winther of SteepleChase took some time to chronicle Brown’s marvelous, swinging and soulful touch at the piano. Assisted by masters Rufus Reid on bass and homeboy Billy Hart on drums, Brown brings his classic touch to the world. Among the highlights of this date are his unusual, hushed treatment of “Mack The Knife,” given new life courtesy of Reuben’s arrangement. Other standards include “A Night In Tunisia” and a gorgeous solo “Lush Life.” Otherwise Brown displays his keen compositional skills on the remaining seven tracks. ~ Willard Jenkins https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/reuben-brown-trio-ice-scape/

Personnel: Reuben Brown (piano);  Billy Hart (drums);  Rufus Reid (bass)

Ice Scape

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Etienne Charles - Creole Soul

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:24
Size: 132,7 MB
Art: Front

(0:19)  1. Creole (Intro)
(6:25)  2. Creole
(5:20)  3. The Folks
(5:55)  4. You Don't Love Me
(6:30)  5. Roots
(6:03)  6. Memories
(5:42)  7. Green Chimneys
(4:54)  8. Turn Your Lights Down Low
(6:52)  9. Midnight
(4:52) 10. Close Your Eyes
(3:26) 11. Doin' The Thing

With his simple declaration, "sound is my art...I just try to create," Trinidadian jazz trumpeter Etienne Charles puts into context his role of creator and producer in relation to his latest recording. This new album, previewed earlier this year in Tobago at Jazz on the Beach at Mt Irvine, reveals an evolution of his art that parallels the jazz idiom's most eclectic trumpeter and influence. The fourth studio album from this US-based musician and teacher bristles with a kind of energy that comes from the realization that one has gone beyond; beyond the usual expectations of a Caribbean existence, beyond the boundary of the usual sonic influences that have paved the way for this jazz lion. The familiar tropes of calypso rhythm inflected jazz that have been a hallmark of our jazz here for decades from Duke Ellington's A Drum is a Woman (1956) to Rupert Clemendore's Le Jazz Trinidad (1961) and Dizzy Gillespie's Jambo Caribe (1964)are abandoned for a modern post-bop and jazz fusion take on the material and all its thematic and stylistic influences in the New World. Thematically, this should come as no surprise. Charles has posited that the vision of this album is the showcasing of the influences of all this music in the African diaspora, a melting pot of sounds that shape and determine who he is as a musician and who we are as a people. Etienne Charles tells New York-based jazz writer Eric Sandler: "Creole to me means a world within a world...I'm Trinidadian, but being Trinidadian means that I have many different cultural influences as well as many different influences based on my bloodline." This statement echoes a famous stanza of Nobel Prize winning St Lucian poet Derek Walcott's: "I have Dutch, nigger, and English in me/and either I'm nobody, or I'm a nation." We are all creole.

The artistic parallel does not stop there. Deciphering an arc in the themes of the four albums by Charles to date, one sees in Culture Shock (2006), the name says it all, a musical diary of the newly minted artist in his New World of America. Folklore (2009), the suite based on local legends and Kaiso (2011) are his "Trinidad" albums; going back to the source of inspiration. Now, with Creole Soul, he takes flight. A parallel to VS Naipaul: after his first four books set in Trinidad, he began to travel ..."my writing ambition grew. But when it was over I felt I had done all that I could do with my island material. No matter how much I meditated on it, no further fiction would come..." ultimately to a Nobel prize. Where Charles will go from here is the surprise that jazz holds in store for listeners.  On this recording, there are two distinctive threads, the original compositions and the covers. On the original compositions, we can hear the rhythmic melange that defines a creole soul. Haitian mascaron dance groove meets bomba rhythms and jazz syncopation on "Midnight" (an ode to the end of day), "The Folks" (a dedication to his parents) incorporating calypso's syncopated bass with rhythm & blues, and "Doin' The Thing" featuring jump blues and calypso, all majestically anchored by Grammy award-winning bassist Ben Williams and drummer Obed Calvaire.  Charles strategically makes use of the covers: Bob Marley's "Turn the Lights Down Low" and the Dawn Penn popularized "You Don't Love Me (No No No)" (the latter serendipitously being performed for millions on the BET Awards 2013 in June), position this CD to be heard in the right places by the right ears. Reggae/dancehall music is embedded into mainstream consciousness to a greater extent than calypso. The reverential cover of Winsford 'Joker' Devine's "Memories" and the bouncy cover of Thelonious Monk's "Green Chimneys" (with the "distinctive calypso lope to the beat" that relocates Monk in the old San Juan Hill district of Caribbean New York) completes this West Indian quartet of memorable melodies and artistic legacies that are easily saleable.

Creole Soul may also be considered as Charles' electric album. Landmark distinctions in popular music have been made by pioneers. Bob Dylan going electric in 1965 with Bringing It All Back Home, and Miles Davis' In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew in 1969/70 transformed their respective genres by utilising electric instruments. Charles, on this CD, introduces listeners to the sounds of the electric guitar marking a shift in the sound, previously all acoustic. The album opener, "Creole" (a reflection on his first Haitian sojourn in 2012), featuring the Haitian singer and Houngan Erol Josué combines the kongo drum rhythm of northern Haiti with the urgent funky electric guitar of Alex Wintz that forces one to get up and dance. This is spirit moving feet. This is jazz in the Caribbean. This is improvised joy. Kris Bowers' meandering Fender Rhodes on "The Folks" signals that the intention is to keep the arrangements and sound modern. 

The electric guitar and piano is again repeated on "Roots" (an ode to his family roots) featuring the Martiniquan belair rhythm; the French Caribbean rhythms seem to lend a place for the electric ascendance of Charles. An artist/producer subliminally makes commercial decisions that affect aesthetic outcomes. Charles disagrees, however: "I didn't really think about business when I was writing the music or choosing the tunes. Business happens after the music is made. Business folks will decide based on what they hear if it's worth selling. If we're not happy with what we record, we won't sell it." The sum of these songs says otherwise. That said, this CD can have an impact on the consideration of music from these islands. Like Geoffrey Holder a generation before who had a significant impact on Trinidad music via "House of Flowers," before Harry Belafonte's Calypso, Creole Soul is in that mould of trend setter. Ideas of jazz globalization, Caribbean trans-nation, and diaspora, which Etienne suggests is the arithmetic of creolization, as formulae to contextualise this recording clouds the simple fact that this is a exceptional record by an artist who has grown technically in both his playing and improvisation. We all are creole! ~ Nigel Campbell https://www.allaboutjazz.com/etienne-charles-creole-soul-by-nigel-campbell.php
 

Personnel: Etienne Charles: trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion; Brian Hogans: alto sax; Obed Calvaire: drums; Jacques Schwarz-Bart: tenor sax; Kris Bowers: piano & Fender Rhodes; Ben Williams: bass; Erol Josué: vocals (1, 2); Daniel Sadownick: percussion &vocals (5); D'Achee: percussion (2, 3, 7, 11), vocals(5); Alex Wintz: guitar (2, 5, 6).

Creole Soul

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Lee Konitz - Rhapsody II

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:52
Size: 163,1 MB
Art: Front

(8:09)  1. Body And Soul
(1:12)  2. Short Cut #1
(4:38)  3. Another View
(4:10)  4. Lover Man
(1:02)  5. Short Cut #2
(5:48)  6. Kary's Trance
(3:40)  7. Trio #2
(0:59)  8. Indiana Jones #1
(6:49)  9. You Don't Know What Love Is
(2:09) 10. Variation #1
(5:48) 11. Variation #2
(7:53) 12. Some Blues
(1:17) 13. Short Cut #3
(1:31) 14. Indiana Jones #2
(3:33) 15. Round And Round And Round
(4:31) 16. Sittin' In
(1:33) 17. Indiana Jones #3
(6:02) 18. Body and Soul, Finale

This follow-up to Rhapsody is another eclectic mix, with 19 tracks featuring the veteran alto saxophonist in various small group settings. Baritone sax great Gerry Mulligan and the leader flesh out an inspired duet of "Lover Man" and pianist Peggy Stern joins them for the spacy, extemporaneous "Trio #2." The brilliant flugelhornist Clark Terry is only featured on three very brief improvisations based on "Indiana," which is wasting a great talent. Konitz switches to soprano sax for a moody version of "You Don't Know What Love Is" with vocalist Sheila Jordan and bassist Harvie Swartz. This is an interesting but not essential CD that falls short of its namesake predecessor and The Lee Konitz Duets (Original Jazz Classics). ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/rhapsody-vol-2-mw0000081654

Personnel: Lee Konitz (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Judy Niemack, Sheila Jordan (vocals); Jeanfrançois Prins, John Scofield (guitar); Mark Feldman (violin); Toots Thielemans (harmonica); Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone); Clark Terry (flugelhorn); Kenny Werner (piano, synthesizer); Frank Wunsch, Peggy Stern, Yuko Fujiyama (piano); Jeff Williams (drums).

Rhapsody II

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J.J. Johnson - The Trombone Master

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:19
Size: 106.0 MB
Styles: Trombone jazz
Year: 1989
Art: Front

[6:34] 1. Misterioso
[3:51] 2. Laura
[5:56] 3. What Is This Thing Called Love
[4:38] 4. My Old Flame
[9:08] 5. Blue Trombone
[4:46] 6. What's New
[4:27] 7. Satin Doll
[4:46] 8. Cry Me A River
[2:08] 9. Goodbye

Bass – Paul Chambers, Sam Jones); Cornet – Nat Adderley; Drums – Albert Heath, Lou Hayes, Max Roach; Piano – Tommy Flanagan, Victor Feldman; Trombone – J.J. Johnson; Vibraphone – Victor Feldman.

This selection of Columbia recordings is from 1958-1960. Mr Johnson was THE trombonist of the time and plays to such a consistently high standard that it would be impossible to pick out highlights in his playing. The first four tracks are from the album `J.J. In Person' and they benefit from the presence of Nat Adderley (cornet) whose exciting solo on the opening number always turns heads. Next two selections are from `Blue Trombone' and the track bearing that name is a 9-minute classic with terrific support from Tommy Flanagan (piano), Paul Chambers (double bass) and Max Roach (drums). The remaining tracks seem less remarkable but still worthwhile. Young listeners who are not familiar with J.J. would find this CD a good introduction. ~Colin Jones

The Trombone Master

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Arturo Sandoval, WDR Big Band - Mambo Nights

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:55
Size: 155.5 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[7:46] 1. Sofrito
[5:34] 2. Come Candela
[6:00] 3. Asi Asi
[6:43] 4. Manteca
[5:17] 5. A Mayra
[4:54] 6. Autumn Leaves
[6:19] 7. Mambo 934
[5:17] 8. Oye Como Va
[6:38] 9. Mambo Sandoval
[4:41] 10. Quiero Ir Contigo
[8:41] 11. Mambo Inn

Paul Shigihara (guitar); Heiner Wiberny, Karolina Strassmayer (alto saxophone); Paul Heller, Olivier Peters (tenor saxophone); Jens Neufang (baritone saxophone); Rob Bruynen, John Marshall , Klaus Osterloh, Andy Haderer, Wim Both (trumpet); Bernt Laukamp, Ludwig Nuss, Tim Coffman (trombone); Mattis Cederberg (bass trombone); Frank Chastenier (piano); Mark Walker (drums); Pernell Saturnino (percussion).

Arturo Sandoval & WDR Big Band “Mambo Nights” In the course of a career that goes back about forty years, Arturo Sandoval has worked on innumerable album productions both as soloist and as side man. With “Mambo Nights” Señor Sandoval has delivered an eloquent example of his qualities as a performer. In the opening piece, “Sofrito” by Mongo Santamaria, Sandoval and the WDR Big Band, in cheerful mood, set the scene of their plan to revive the great era of Afro-Cuban jazz on this album. In this timeless classic, Sandoval at first keeps a low profile, almost as if he were just warming up; then the following track, “Come Candela”, also written by Mongo Santamaria, sets off a magnificent firework display of spectacular trumpet sounds. In particular his high-register solo notes leave the listener gasping and gaping in amazement. As a reporter from the Washington Star once wrote after a concert: “Sandoval reaches notes most trumpeters barely even know.”

Mambo Nights

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Patti Austin - The Ultimate Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:55
Size: 121.1 MB
Styles: R&B, Jazz vocals
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[4:15] 1. Hold Me
[4:47] 2. Ability To Swing
[4:56] 3. Givin' In To Love
[3:27] 4. We Fell In Love Anyway
[5:11] 5. The Heat Of Heat
[5:05] 6. Through The Test Of Time
[4:05] 7. You Brought Me Love
[4:31] 8. The Girl Who Used To Be Me
[5:01] 9. Love Is Gonna Getcha
[3:32] 10. Soldier Boy
[4:07] 11. I'll Keep Your Dreams Alive
[3:52] 12. Reach

Patti Austin's honed vocal instrument (she's been singing since she was five) has nailed its share of hits, but not nearly enough for one of urban/soul/pop's better divas. Her clear, compelling soprano never gets tiring, even though she always keeps it in check. You don't get vocal aerobics from Austin á la Chaka Khan or Whitney Houston; you get a smoldering fire that's in a class of its own. Duets with Johnny Mathis, George Benson, and Cleve Francis (the rare African-American country singer) spice this concise 12-song best-of, which is orchestrated by a who who's list of producers, includingThom Bell and Rod Temperton. Revered among the urban jazz set, Patti Austin deserves a bigger piece of the pop pie as well. ~Andrew Hamilton

The Ultimate Collection

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