Curtis Fuller - New Trombone

Styles: Trombone Jazz

Year: 1957

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 44:14

Size: 102,6 MB

Art: Front

(7:44)  1. Vonce #5

(8:21)  2. Transportation Blues

(6:54)  3. Blue Lawson

(9:28)  4. Namely You

(6:33)  5. What Is This Thing Called Love?

(5:12)  6. Alicia

This 1957 date matches Fuller with bluesy, fervent alto sax wailer Sonny Red Kyner. They make both a tight ensemble pair and an excellent contrasting frontline, with Kyner's spewing, flailing delivery featured on such cuts as "Blue Lawson" and "Namely You" operating against Fuller's equally intense, but lighter and smoother trombone lines. With Hank Jones operating as the rhythm section's harmonic link on piano, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Louis Hayes mesh underneath effectively. These undiluted, straight-ahead bop and blues numbers are still par for the course. ~ Ron Wynn http://www.allmusic.com/album/new-trombone-mw0000619915

Personnel: Curtis Fuller (trombone); Sonny Red Kyner (alto saxophone); Hank Jones (piano); Doug Watkins (acoustic bass); Louis Hayes (drums).

New Trombone

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Lou Rawls - Portrait Of The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 50:22

Size: 115.3 MB

Styles: R&B, Jazz-blues vocals

Year: 1993

Art: Front

[3:08] 1. I Just Want To Make Love To You (W. Junior Wells)

[3:04] 2. A Lover's Question (W. Phoebe Snow)

[2:41] 3. Person To Person

[2:42] 4. Since I Met You Baby

[4:29] 5. I'm Still In Love With You

[3:10] 6. Snap Your Fingers

[2:45] 7. Baby What You Want Me To Do

[3:14] 8. Suffering With The Blues

[2:56] 9. Hide Nor Hair

[4:22] 10. Chains Of Love

[3:16] 11. My Babe

[3:22] 12. I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues

[2:34] 13. Save Your Love For Me

[5:01] 14. Saturday Night Fish Fry (W. Joe Williams)

[3:32] 15. Sweet Slumber

Alto Saxophone – Hank Crawford; Drums – Chris Parker; Electric Bass – Tinker Barfield; Electric Piano – Richard Tee; Guitar – Steve Khan; Organ – Richard Tee; Piano – Richard Tee; Trombone – Hank Crawford. This album was recorded analog and mixed to digital. Recorded April - October 1992.

A wholesome blues effort by the native Chicagoan. Though these are bona fide blues numbers, Rawls confronts each song with an elegant touch. His delivery and articulation give the songs an uptown flair. Of the 15 numbers, only four ("Baby What You Want Me to Do," "Hide Nor Hair," "My Babe," and "Saturday Night Fish Fry") have that up-tempo, boogie-woogie fever. The latter, a classic Louis Jordan jump, is the most notable. It features Lionel Hampton on vibes and Rawls shares vocal duties with Joe Williams. The other selections have that cozy café ambience. Rawls also does a duet with Phoebe Snow on the calypso-seasoned "A Lover's Question." This is an all-star cast from the penmanship of greats like Duke Ellington, Ivory Joe Hunter, and others to the creative musicianship of Hank Crawford, Houston Person, Junior Wells, and company. ~Craig Lytle

Portrait Of The Blues               

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Fay Claassen - Red, Hot & Blue: The Music Of Cole Porter

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:03
Size: 148.9 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[7:12] 1. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[5:13] 2. Easy To Love
[6:14] 3. Love For Sale
[5:40] 4. Ridin' High
[6:23] 5. Dreamdancing
[4:44] 6. Anything Goes
[5:41] 7. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[6:34] 8. I Concentrate On You
[6:12] 9. All Through The Night
[3:08] 10. Too Darn Hot
[7:57] 11. So In Love

Fay Claassen: vocals; Ingmar Heller: bass; Olaf Polziehn: piano; Hans Dekker: drums.

With a virtual flood of female jazz vocalists seemingly appearing every year, it is a challenge to separate the wheat from the chaff. But anyway you slice it, Fay Claassen, one of European jazz's top singers, makes the cut. Graduating from the Conservatory of The Hague in 1997, she had a host of great teachers, including renowned jazz vocalist Judy Niemack. The rich-voiced alto learned her lessons well, with clear articulation and terrific tone to complement her urbane, sophisticated approach to singing, with no trace of her native Dutch accent.

Claassen's fifth CD is her first to focus solely on the works of a single composer. The 11 Cole Porter songs that she chooses are among his most popular, so she faces a considerable challenge to find a fresh approach to each of them. Fortunately, with the superb charts by Michael Abene and a potent trio—pianist Olaf Polziehn, bassist Ingmar Heller and drummer Hans Dekker—she is able to make them her own.

She savors Abene's bluesy treatment of "Love For Sale," bringing out the sexy nature of its lyrics as she tackles it at an almost crawling tempo. She shows her romantic side in the lighter-hearted rendition of "Dream Dancing," lagging just a bit behind the beat. The quirky staccato introduction to "Anything Goes" is a refreshing modern touch, though it quickly gives way to a swinging post-bop setting. While Claassen is also an accomplished scat singer, she doesn't overdo it, unlike her previous Two Portraits of Chet Baker (Jazz 'N Pulz, 2006). ~Ken Dryden

Red, Hot & Blue: The Music Of Cole Porter

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Paul Tillotson - Tequila Time!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:17
Size: 135.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[0:13] 1. Intro Gene Harris
[2:59] 2. Tequila Time
[6:58] 3. Do Nothing 'til You Hear From Me
[6:21] 4. Morpheus
[4:22] 5. Gena's Song
[6:15] 6. The Beautiful Ones
[4:14] 7. Apple Blossom
[6:12] 8. 4 PM
[4:06] 9. Big Yellow Taxi
[4:55] 10. Dot.Dot.Dot
[7:35] 11. Blackbird
[4:56] 12. The Tickler
[0:04] 13. Whoooeee!

TEQUILA TIME! is the ninth studio recording of pianist Paul Tillotson, and his second with The Love Trio. This collection of jazz originals and covers features the standout track "Blackbird," Tillotson's dynamic yet introspective re-interpretation of the Lennon/McCartney classic.

TEQUILA TIME! is a nod to the late Gene Harris, Tillotson's friend and mentor. Upon Harris' death, in the third year of the Gene Harris Jazz Festival in Boise, Idaho, Tillotson was honored to be chosen to take Harris\' place at the piano. Rounding out the bill on TEQUILA TIME! are jazz veterans, and familiar faces from Late Night with Conan O'Brien, bassist Mike Merritt and drummer James Wormworth.

Tequila Time!

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WDR Big Band - Celebrating Billie Holiday

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:58
Size: 176.2 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:39] 1. Fine and Mellow
[7:07] 2. Detour Ahead
[6:15] 3. Lover Man
[6:11] 4. You've Changed
[5:11] 5. What a Little Moonlight Can Do
[5:16] 6. My Man
[3:36] 7. Left Alone
[6:13] 8. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
[6:32] 9. For All We Know
[5:22] 10. I Cover the Waterfront
[8:13] 11. You Don't Know What Love Is
[5:55] 12. In My Solitude
[6:23] 13. I Cried for You

Billie Holiday was the Lady of Jazz, her singing and her expressive power for all subsequent Jazzvokalisten. The WDR Big Band Cologne and the singer Cécile Verny have recorded an impressive tribute to the icon of jazz with newly conceived arrangements by Michael Abene on this CD. It contains well-known songs from the repertoire Billie Holidays, including the popular title "Lover Man" as well as the song rarity "Left Alone". (Translated from German.)

Celebrating Billie Holiday

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Min Rager - First Steps

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:03
Size: 139.8 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[8:09] 1. Nothing To Gain, Nothing To Lose
[6:59] 2. First Steps
[6:02] 3. Bella
[1:58] 4. Persistence Of Memory
[4:26] 5. Passing
[6:24] 6. Song Of Love
[6:34] 7. Portrait Of Miles
[7:32] 8. Embrace
[5:42] 9. Goodbye, Manhattan
[7:11] 10. Always Near To You

Min Rager: piano; Kevin Dean: trumpet; Donny Kennedy: alto saxophone; Fraser Hollins: bass (2, 5-7); Alec Walkington: bass (1, 8, 9); Andre White: drums; Walt Weiskopf: tenor saxophone (4); Josh Rager (10).

It is not often that a woman is given much elbowroom in contemporary music, no matter how good she may be. However, when she is as good as Min Rager on First Steps, more than elbowroom had better be made for her and her piano. True, Rager has been preceded by a celestial pantheon of female pianists, including towering personalities Mary Lou Williams and Marian McPartland, the elusive Jane Getz and Geri Allen. To stake her claim and strut her stuff in a gallery with vaunted company requires a singular brilliance; Rager has this in abundance.

Min Rager is an unbridled piano virtuoso with a large heart, creative spirit and wonderful, sinewy style. Rager also has a flair for the dramatic and for making the keys tell stories which captivate and bring rapture to the attentive ear. She has a bright, skipping manner and often lets her right hand ascend scales with alacrity, as if she were leaping through a bowling green. Her left hand strikes chords and notes with erudite tone and color. She will sometimes repeat a note twice, extracting a completely different meaning from its abundant timbral overtones. There are no half measures in her playing, and there is great elasticity in her solos; always a solid beginning, a tantalizing stretch down the middle and a resolute end.

Rager's compositions are mature and have a great feeling for the blues. Paying tribute to human triumph in the tradition of an African-American idiom is no easy task. However, the heartfelt inner sensitivity and the depth of soul enables Rager to sing with the sensibility of musician who has paid her dues too, albeit at a young age. Although this should need no explanation, it does bear mention because the blues is the mother of jazz and not every musician today is steeped in it. To Min Rager it appears to be second nature and this not only a rare gift, but also a credential that speaks volumes for her beckoning genius. The stamp of Rager's creativity is all over First Steps.

Rager's music is anchored in inventive bebop sensibility. "Nothing to Gain, Nothing to Lose" burns rapidly, as the rumor of a raid. "First Steps" is a refreshingly clever nod toward modal music and John Coltrane "Giant Steps." "Bella," "Persistence of Memory," "Song of Love" and "Portrait of Miles" are gorgeous ballads in the grand, Billy Strayhorn manner. Bassist, Fraser Hollins plays an unforgettably lush melodic solo on "Song of Love" and trumpeter Kevin Dean displays fine chops on "Song of Love" and "Miles." "Embrace" could have been entitled "Abraço," in that warm Brazilian embrace of the tradition of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao Gilberto. "Always Near to You," a duet shared with husband/pianist, Josh Rager, is completely captivating in the grand manner of Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. On the evidence of this record, Min Rager has not simply arrived; it is already time to pay her homage. ~Raul D'Gama Rose

First Steps

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Various - Atlantic Jazz: Best Of The '50s

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:19
Size: 156.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Soul-jazz, R&B, Vocal jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[ 4:36] 1. The Modern Jazz Quartet - Django
[ 2:48] 2. Chris Connor - All About Ronnie
[ 7:56] 3. Shorty Rogers - Martians Go Home
[ 6:45] 4. Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Evidence
[ 4:41] 5. Lavern Baker - Back Water Blues
[ 5:46] 6. John Coltrane - Cousin Mary
[ 3:32] 7. Jimmy Giuffre - The Train And The River
[ 7:16] 8. Big Joe Turner - Wee Baby Blues
[10:33] 9. Charles Mingus - Pithecanthropus Erectus
[ 5:21] 10. David Newman - Fathead
[ 5:21] 11. Lennie Tristano - You Go To My Head
[ 3:39] 12. Ray Charles - Come Rain Or Come Shine

Although there were plenty of early-'50s examples of Atlantic's commitment to jazz, the Ertegun brothers allegedly didn't get serious about establishing a full jazz line until 1955 when the twelve-inch LP was starting to take hold. Hence the half-decade span of this Rhino sampler that helped launch its repackaging of the Atlantic jazz caatalogue in 1993. In the space of one disc, Rhino touches upon most of the leading Atlantic jazz folk of the time, beginning with Shorty Rogers' inimitable "Martians Go Home" and running through to Chris Connor's live "All About Ronnie." Along the way, we hear samples of the MJQ (though there is no solo Milt Jackson), Art Blakey, LaVern Baker, John Coltrane ("Cousin Mary"), Jimmy Giuffre, Joe Turner, Charles Mingus, David "Fathead" Newman, Lennie Tristano, and some string-laden Ray Charles ("Come Rain Or Come Shine"). If quibble we must, there is nothing of the Dixieland resurgence that Atlantic was cultivating then, and most glaring of all, there is no Ornette Coleman, whose first two groundbreaking Atlantic albums were made in 1959. Otherwise casual jazz shoppers will find much to stimulate their appetites in this collection, better described as "best of the late-'50s." ~Richard S. Ginnell

Atlantic Jazz: Best Of The '50s

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Andy LaVerne & John Abercrombie - Live From New York

Styles: Piano And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 66:20
Size: 123,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:56)  1. How Deep Is The Ocean
(6:33)  2. Impromptwo
(5:37)  3. Al The Cat
(6:05)  4. Portrait In Jazz
(6:22)  5. Bw
(6:57)  6. Something You Said
(6:05)  7. Short Stuff
(6:18)  8. Undercurrent
(8:14)  9. Witchcraft
(8:09) 10. I Hear A Rhapsody

Andy LaVerne and John Abercrombie have worked together a number of times over two-plus decades when they're not leading their own respective bands. They have recorded together both as a duo and in a quartet and developed a musical ESP, as this concert recorded at Baruch College in the spring of 2010 demonstrates. A prolific composer, LaVerne contributed several originals, highlighted by the intricate "Impromptwo," the magical ballad "Portrait in Jazz," and the phenomenal "Undercurrent" (the latter two quickly revealing Bill Evans' influence, while the song titles just happen to be two of Evans' early landmark albums). It is easy to imagine Bill Evans and Jim Hall together when hearing Abercrombie and LaVerne playing the guitarist's lively jazz waltz "BW" and his equally enjoyable "Short Stuff." Toss in a trio of familiar standards and it is clear that Andy LaVerne and John Abercrombie can hold their own when compared to any jazz piano/guitar duo. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-from-new-york-mw0002079691

Personnel: John Abercrombie (guitar); Andy LaVerne (piano).

Live From New York

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Ahmad Jamal Trio - Count 'Em 88

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:07
Size: 80,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:54)  1. Volga Boatman
(3:21)  2. Green Dolphin Street
(5:30)  3. How About You
(2:05)  4. I Just Can't See for Lookin'
(2:38)  5. Spring Will Be a Little Late T
(5:28)  6. Beat Out One
(3:40)  7. Maryam
(5:41)  8. Easy to Remember
(2:49)  9. Jim Love Sue

This LP (not yet reissued on CD) was pianist Ahmad Jamal's first with his new group, a trio also including bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Walter Perkins. Although he was reasonably popular around the Chicago area at the time, Jamal's major breakthrough would be the following album, But Not for Me, recorded more than a year later. 

The "Jamal sound," with its expert use of dynamics, close interplay, space and subtle surprises was very much in place, and this out-of-print set is on the same level as his better-known hits to come. Highlights include "Green Dolphin Street," "How About You" and "Easy To Remember." Well worth searching for. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/count-em-88-mw0000929365

Personnel:  Ahmad Jamal – piano;  Israel Crosby – bass;  Walter Perkins – drums

Count 'Em 88

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Joe Henderson - Black Narcissus

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:12
Size: 92,3 MB
Art: Front

( 5:09)  1. Black Narcissus
( 2:41)  2. Hindsight And Forethought
(12:25)  3. Power To The People
( 5:39)  4. Amoeba
( 6:57)  5. Good Morning Heartache
( 7:18)  6. Other Side Of Right

A later album from Joe Henderson's ultra-hip 70s period for Milestone a sweetly electric session with the mighty Patrick Gleeson on keyboards! Gleeson is as strong of a force here as he is on other essential albums from the time  including some of Herbie Hancock's work and the keyboardist handles E Mu Polyphonic synth, which really fits the flowing style of the music! Henderson's great, as always, on tenor blowing the instrument with a searching quality that's a fair bit different than some of his contemporaries, a unique space that further pushed the instrument in the years after the passing of John Coltrane. The rhythm section holds its end up nicely too bringing in some key modal moments with players who include Joachim Kuhn on piano, JF Jenny-Clark on bass, and Bill Summers on drums. Tracks are a bit more open than some of Joe's early 70s work but still done with a hip Bay Area groove and titles include "Black Narcissus", "Hindsight & Forethought", "Amoeba", and a studio version of "Power to the People", which Henderson had done earlier on a live set. (Cover has a cut corner & light wear.)  © 1996-2017, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/25548

Personnel: Joe Henderson - tenor sax; Joachim Kühn - piano (1-3, 5-6); Patrick Gleeson - synthesizer (1-3, 5); David Friesen (5), Jean-François Jenny-Clark (1-3, 6) – bass; Daniel Humair (1-3, 6), Jack DeJohnette (4-5) – drums; Bill Summers - congas, percussion

Black Narcissus

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Grant Green - Solid

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:20
Size: 108.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Guitar jazz
Year: 1995/2009
Art: Front

[ 7:03] 1. Minor League
[10:38] 2. Ezz-Thetic
[ 6:58] 3. Grant's Tune
[ 7:20] 4. Solid
[ 6:19] 5. The Kicker
[ 8:59] 6. Wives And Lovers

Alto Saxophone – James Spaulding; Bass – Bob Cranshaw; Drums – Elvin Jones; Guitar – Grant Green; Piano – McCoy Tyner; Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson. Recorded at Van Gelder Studios, New Jersey, on June 12, 1964.

Solid is a companion piece to the Grant Green classic Matador, recorded about a month later with the same rhythm section, and also not issued until 1979. Green is once again accompanied by the Coltrane supporting team of pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones, plus bassist Bob Cranshaw; this time, however, Green is also joined on the front line by James Spaulding on alto sax and Joe Henderson on tenor. Both saxophonists really seem to light a fire under the proceedings, for in comparison with the relatively subdued Matador, Solid is a bright, hard-charging affair. There's a little modal jazz, but Solid's repertoire is chiefly complex hard bop, full of challenging twists and turns that the players burn through with enthusiasm. Green didn't tackle this kind of material -- or play with this kind of group -- very often, and it's a treat to hear him do so on both counts. The compositions -- highlighted by Duke Pearson's "Minor League," Henderson's "The Kicker," and a storming, ten-minute exploration of George Russell's "Ezz-Thetic" -- provoke some intricate improvisations from Green, and his perfectly controlled soloing is an interesting contrast with the passionate Spaulding and Henderson. Tyner and Jones are once again telepathic in their support, elevating the whole package to one of Green's strongest jazz outings and a unique standout in his catalog. [Oddity: the CD bonus track "Wives and Lovers" seems to be the same one included on Matador, where it was a better fit.] ~Steve Huey

Solid

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Alison Krauss - Windy City (Deluxe)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 47:41

Size: 109.2 MB

Styles: Country, Folk, Pop

Year: 2017

Art: Front

[2:51] 1. Losing You

[3:10] 2. It’s Goodbye And So Long To You

[3:16] 3. Windy City

[2:45] 4. I Never Cared For You

[3:52] 5. River In The Rain

[4:03] 6. Dream Of Me

[3:33] 7. Gentle On My Mind

[3:25] 8. All Alone Am I

[2:54] 9. Poison Love

[4:18] 10. You Don’t Know Me

[3:18] 11. Windy City

[4:20] 12. River In The Rain

[2:55] 13. Losing You

[2:53] 14. I Never Cared For You

Alison Krauss' voice can seem like an entity unto itself: a holy spirit wafting through the pop world, melting away musical categories. Of course, that's not what it is at all. It is the instrument of an astute musician who began pursuing her craft in bluegrass as a child and who's logged in hours of work learning that genre as well as country, folk and pop. Krauss is not some kind of angel – she's a real woman, a master of in-studio collaboration, and one of the finest players, on fiddle, in her field. Windy City (out Feb. 17), Krauss's first solo album since 1999's adult-contemporary oriented Forget About It, shows off her intelligence and good humor in versions of classic songs that are delightfully down to earth.

The vehicle is country music – not the misty mountain folk sound she invented in the early 2000s with the help of producer T-Bone Burnett and vocal co-conspirator Robert Plant, and not the refined bluegrass experimentalism she perfected with her longtime band, Union Station. Instead, Krauss turned to stalwart Nashville producer Buddy Cannon, who's been working similar miracles with Willie Nelson on that legend's past several albums. Cannon helped Krauss choose songs representing country's practical eclecticism: "All Alone Am I," the highly emotional "rockaballad" Brenda Lee made famous in 1963; John Hartford's "Gentle On My Mind," made famous in 1968 by Glen Campbell in a performance that presaged the rise of soft rock; "Poison Love," the sturdy Elmer Laird singalong that's served bluegrass, rockabilly, classic country and new revivalist interpreters alike. Krauss honors her bluegrass origins with several songs associated with the genre's beloved risk takers the Osborne Brothers, including the poignant title track. She also gives a subtle reading to Willie Nelson's lovely and sometimes overlooked meditation on loss, "I Never Cared for You."

Cannon and Krauss create a sonic atmosphere in which these songs can breathe and feel fleshy. Members of Union Station, including banjo player Ron Block and bassist Barry Bales, play alongside Nashville country-rock legends like guitarist Richard Bennett and drummer Chad Cromwell. Krauss, who finds her peace in the perfect vocal blend, invited an all-star cast to harmonize with her on these tracks: honky-tonk heroes Hank Williams, Jr., and Jamey Johnson, bluegrass standard-bearers Sidney and Suzanne Cox, her longtime collaborator Dan Tyminski, Cannon's daughter Melonie. The feel of these tracks is highly professional but loose: pros romping through their repertoire, with Krauss making each song charmingly personal.

The highlight of the set may change for listeners depending on mood: quiet or rowdy. One standout, however, is also among the album's most unexpected inclusions. "River in the Rain" was written by the great raconteur Roger Miller for a mid-'80s Broadway musical based on Huck Finn's adventures called Big River. Krauss transforms this duet between Huck and his enslaved companion, Jim, into a hymn that somehow both contains and expands beyond its historical context: in her hands, it's a love song, a hymn, a submersion in the essence of longing. "River in the Rain" epitomizes what has made Alison Krauss such a beloved figure across musical genres: hers is that spirit that settles into your heart and becomes a boon companion to all the sadness and hope that's in there. ~Ann Powers

Windy City

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Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra - Live In Swing City: Swingin' With Duke

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:26
Size: 113.2 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[6:56] 1. Happy Go Lucky Local
[3:56] 2. Main Stem
[3:34] 3. C Jam Blues
[6:12] 4. Multi Colored Blue
[5:05] 5. Chinoiserie
[4:36] 6. Black And Tan Fantasy
[5:42] 7. Cottontail
[3:28] 8. Mood Indigo
[3:17] 9. Bli Blip
[3:06] 10. Harlem Air Shaft
[3:30] 11. Portrait Of Louis Armstrong

Wynton Marsalis: Trumpet and Director; Wessell Anderson, Ted Nash: Alto Saxophone; Walter Blanding: Tenor Saxophone; Victor Goines: Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone; Wycliffe Gordon, Wayne Goodman, Ronald Westray: Trombones; Joe Temperley: Baritone Saxophone; Seneca Black, Ryan Kisor, Marcus Printup: Trumpets; Cyrus Chestnut: Piano; Rodney Whitaker: Bass; Herlin Riley: Drums.

The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra is the latest group to capitalize on the trend of bands recording a special for the small screen and then releasing a soundtrack. This accounts for my only quibble: that is there is so little of this music. Say what one may about Wynton Marsalis, he has an unmatched understanding and respect for Edward Kennedy Ellington and this disc is Marsalis’ open letter to the Duke.

The Trend in many discs addressing Ellington’s music is not to concentrate on the standard fare. All on this disc that could be considered such are “Cottontail”, “C Jam Blues”, “Black and Tan Fantasy”, and “Mood Indigo”. The liner notes are very good in providing the listening the solo order ( for those who did not drink up the PBS Special Swingin’ with Duke ). The surprises are “Happy Go Lucky Local”, “Multi Colored Blue”, and “Bli Blip” the latter two sung by Milt Grayson and Dianne Reeves respectively. This disc is what you would expect: a seminar in Duke Ellington’s music with Maestro Marsalis manning the helm. The performance is crisp yet loose. Marsalis allows all soloists much room and they take advantage of it. If there is one complaint it is the overuse of the plunger mute on both trombones and trumpets. A little more judicious use of this technique (though the practitioners here are masters) would have made this very good recording excellent. ~C. Michael Bailey

Live In Swing City: Swingin' With Duke

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Michael Franks - A Backward Glance: The Best Of Michael Franks

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:12
Size: 158.4 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Smooth jazz
Year: 1998/2008
Art: Front

[4:35] 1. Popsicle Toes
[3:37] 2. Eggplant
[4:44] 3. The Lady Wants To Know
[5:03] 4. Antonio's Song (The Rainbow)
[5:10] 5. When The Cookie Jar Is Empty
[4:21] 6. Tiger In The Rain
[3:49] 7. Baseball
[4:59] 8. Love Duet
[5:53] 9. When Sly Calls [don't Touch That Phone]
[4:40] 10. Your Secret's Safe With Me
[4:26] 11. When I Give My Love To You (With Brenda Russell)
[4:22] 12. Island Life
[4:12] 13. The Art Of Love
[4:28] 14. Soul Mate
[4:45] 15. Hourglass

The Best of Michael Franks: A Backward Glance is a good 15-track collection that is equally divided between soft rock like "Popsicle Toes" and smooth jazz. Any curious listener looking for a one-stop introduction to Franks would be well served with this collection. Among the highlights are "The Lady Wants to Know," "Antonio's Song," "When the Cookie Jar Is Empty," "Tiger in the Rain," "Baseball," "Your Secret's Safe with Me," "When I Give My Love to You," "The Art of Love," "Soul Mate," and "Hourglass." ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

A Backward Glance: The Best Of Michael Franks

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CreoleJoe Band - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:10
Size: 110.3 MB
Styles: Creole, Cajun rhythms
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:29] 1. Down in New Orleans
[4:20] 2. Louisiana Woman-Texas Man
[3:59] 3. Louisiana Lovin'
[4:25] 4. Zydeco Train
[4:13] 5. Jambalaya Jumble
[4:41] 6. Boomti, Boomti, Boom Boom
[4:47] 7. You Look Better Goin' Than Comin'
[3:45] 8. Creolejoe
[4:15] 9. Zydeco Zoo
[4:56] 10. Down Home, Lown Down Zydeco Blues
[4:17] 11. If Anybody Ask You

Joe Sample - Accordion; Ray Parker Jr. - Guitar & Vocals; C.J. Chenier - Vocals; Nicklas Sample - Bass & Vocals; Erica Falls - Vocals; June Yamaguchi - Guitar; Skip Nallia - Keyboards; Raymond Weber - Drums; Alex McDonald - Scrub-board & Vocals.

In 1999 Joe Sample moved back to his hometown of Houston, Texas and rediscovered the “la la music” that was so much a part of his youth. Cajun accordion, Mississippi and Texas Delta Blues, and some good old Texas two step, all conspiring to create what Joe refers to as, Creole Folk Music.

CreoleJoe Band

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Connie Francis - Sings Italian Favorites

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:54
Size: 95.9 MB
Styles: Vocal/Easy Listening
Year: 1959
Art: Front

[1:52] 1. Comm'e Bella A Stagione
[3:02] 2. Anema E Core
[2:55] 3. Arrivederci Roma
[2:55] 4. You Alone
[3:12] 5. Volare
[3:19] 6. Non Dimenticar
[2:37] 7. Toward The End Of The Day
[2:50] 8. Ciao Ciao Bambino
[3:54] 9. Mama
[2:37] 10. Do You Love Me Like You Kiss Me
[3:31] 11. I Have But One Heart
[2:54] 12. There's No Tomorrow
[3:09] 13. Santa Lucia
[2:58] 14. Come Back To Sorrento

This was Connie's initial Italian album, recorded in 1959 in England. It is one of her most famous albums and it gleaned the million seller Mama and transferred her into a superstar, opening up new avenues of success. As Connie matured and performed live more frequently, her vocals became stronger and more vibrant, as evidenced on the albums MORE ITALIAN FAVORITES, MALA FEMMENA, MODERN ITALIAN HITS, and the superb LOVE ITALIAN STYLE. If you like the ITALIAN FAVORITES CD, you will love those later CDs, some of which are now available on CD. ~Amazon

Sings Italian Favorites

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Ornette Coleman - Complete Live At The Hillcrest Club

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:23
Size: 152,2 MB
Art: Front

(12:07)  1. Klact-Oveeseds-Tene
( 3:52)  2. I Remember Harlem
( 9:38)  3. The Blessing
( 5:39)  4. Free
(14:29)  5. When Will The Blues Leave?
( 4:35)  6. How Deep Is The Ocean?
(14:06)  7. Ramblin'
( 1:55)  8. Crossroads

Ornette Coleman's epic 1959 LPs The Shape of Jazz to Come and Change of the Century were pivot points in modern post-bop jazz and early creative music. This recording is a prelude to those epics, a live two-night engagement in October of 1958 at the Hillcrest Club in Los Angeles. The Coleman quintet, with trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Billy Higgins, plus a then-young pianist Paul Bley, sets up that new shape of jazz. This eight-selection set features three of Coleman's signature originals, two standards, and three lesser-known, fairly rare pieces that Coleman did at the time. The program kicks off with Charlie Parker's "Klactoveedsedstene," an on-fire free bopper where Coleman's alto sax in tandem with Cherry reflects a quest for cleanliness and innocent, alive freshness, well transferred, balanced, and reproduced digitally. Whoever tagged this music unlistenable needs to revisit the symbiosis of the front-line horns present. Three of Coleman's all-time immortal compositions on call are the relaxed and easily swung harmolodic dream "The Blessing" accented by Ornette's piquant alto, the call-and-response-laden "When Will the Blues Leave?," and the post-bop evergreen "Ramblin'." The stairstep ascending and descending melody for "Free" also remains arresting, taking no prisoners. It's interesting how alleged rebel Coleman pays reverence to two ballad standards, Roy Eldridge's pensive "I Remember Harlem" and Cherry's trumpet-led "How Deep Is the Ocean?" Closing is the frantic, scattershot two-minute improvisation "Crossroads." A major fault of this recording is Bley's piano, which is unfortunately so far down in the mix that it is virtually inaudible. One really has to strain, even with headphones, to hear the true depth of Bley's clearly brilliant, probing, but muffled and muted playing. There's no doubt as to the historical and musical significance of this date, and it belongs in the collection of any follower of Coleman, despite the one production flaw. ~ Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/complete-live-at-the-hillcrest-club-mw0000584535

Personnel:  Ornette Coleman (as), Don Cherry (tp), Paul Bley (p), Charlie Haden (b) & Billy Higgins (d).

Complete Live At The Hillcrest Club

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Lauren Hooker - Right Where I Belong

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:42
Size: 139,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:45)  1. Right Where I Belong
(3:39)  2. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(6:21)  3. Goodbye To Pork Pie (Goodbye Porkpie Hat)
(5:15)  4. The Eyes Of Chaz
(5:27)  5. The Other Side Of The Sun
(5:00)  6. You Needn't Call Me (Well You Needn't)
(4:54)  7. Time And Space
(3:12)  8. Seagulls (Seagulls Of Kristiansund)
(3:46)  9. Lovebug Jitters (Jitterbug Waltz)
(4:46) 10. No Goodbyes
(5:56) 11. Footprints On My Soul (Footprints)
(3:53) 12. Ill Wind (You're Blowing Me No Good)
(3:41) 13. Creole Love Call

It turns out that not only does jazz singer Lauren Hooker have some impressive credentials, her debut album is also filled with surprises. Born into a musical family, (her father recorded with Bill Evans during their college days in New Jersey), Hooker assumed a career as an entertainer during the early 1980s as well as being a musical educator at The Bank Street School for Children in Manhattan. Her first big break came in 1989, when she recorded with legendary pianist Mal Waldron and wrote original lyrics to his composition, "The Seagulls of Kristiansund." This singular moment has been cited as a raison d'etre for Hooker's writing skills and the ability to tell stories per her lyrics. The makeup of these eleven tracks consists of seven songs where she has written original lyrics to jazz standards, two originals and two from the Great American Songbook. The title tune is really the traditional melody, "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child" with her own adaptation changing the title to "Right Where I Belong." On the Duke Ellington classic, "Creole Love Call," Hooker uses her three octave range in vocalese fashion to further enhance the timeless melody.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the album is Lauren Hooker's writing for some of the more modern bebop era compositions with completely different lyrics than originally submitted by the original songwriters. On Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" (here called "Footprints on My Soul"), the lyrics are quite different than those previously recorded, including the Grammy-nominated album by Karrin Allison. Charles Mingus' "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" offers none of the meaningful Lester Young tribute lyrics that made the Mingus tune so appropriate. I'm not so sure that I prefer this one over the original. Thelonious Monk's "Well You Needn't" is given a new dressing via Hooker's title, "You Needn't Call Me," despite previously submitted lyrics (and title changes) from Jon Hendricks and Carmen McRae. "Lovebug Jitters" offers her own take on the classic Fats Waller standard "Jitterbug Waltz."  What matters most with regard to these original rewrites is not whether or not they are better than the words that we may be more interested in hearing, but that Lauren Hooker has the ability and drive to submit these lyrics and deliver them in a swinging sense that befits the works of Shorter, Waller, Monk, Waldron and Mingus. Lauren Hooker's musical companions are an excellent group consisting of über-piano accompanist Allen Farnham, bassist Rufus Reid and much in-demand drummer Tim Horner. ~ Michael P.Gladstone https://www.allaboutjazz.com/right-where-i-belong-lauren-hooker-self-produced-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php

Personnel: Lauren Hooker: vocals; Allen Farnham: piano; Rufus Reid: bass; Tim Horner: drums.

Right Where I Belong

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John Abercrombie & Andy LaVerne - Timeline

Styles: Guitar And Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 67:07
Size: 109,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:03)  1. My Funny Valentine
(8:47)  2. Darn That Dream
(6:08)  3. You Go To My Head
(5:51)  4. Skating In Central Park
(4:32)  5. Inner Voice
(5:53)  6. Stairway To The Stars
(5:32)  7. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(4:08)  8. All Across The City
(4:15)  9. Chance Meeting
(8:58) 10. Turn Out The Stars
(6:54) 11. Adagio

Although John Abercrombie has done his fair share of experimentation over the years, at the heart of his work is a musicality-as evident throughout Timeline and Animations-that has led him to work with many of the finest musicians in contemporary jazz, including Michael Brecker, Jack DeJohnette and the late Michel Petrucciani. On Timeline, pianist Andy LaVerne joins Abercrombie for a musical celebration of the influential, historic collaborations between Jim Hall and Bill Evans, who laid to rest notions that the harmonic properties of the guitar and piano were incompatible. Many of the tunes may be the same as those played by Hall and Evans; however, don’t get the idea that this is somehow a re-creation; Abercrombie and LaVerne bring their own values and sensibilities to bear throughout the set. One element that Abercrombie and LaVerne share with Hall and Evans, however, is their conversational rapport, something that is particularly evident on tunes like “My Funny Valentine” (check out how Abercrombie updates Hall’s role by playing walking bass lines behind LaVerne at one point) and the beautiful reading of “Darn That Dream,” where guitar and piano seamlessly meld voices. Departing a bit from the Hall/Evans theme, LaVerne brings three original compositions to the table, including the lightly swinging “Inner Voice” and “Adagio,” which closes the program on a lyrical note.

Over the years, Abercrombie has worked with a number of guitarists, including John Scofield and Ralph Towner. On Animations he teams with guitarist John Basile for a series of duets that, unlike Timeline, at points venture beyond the tonal into an area often described as “new music.” Abercrombie’s affinity for tradition is evident during the fresh-sounding reading of “Sweet and Lovely” and a grooving “Nobody Else but Me,” both with fine solos and moments of inspired counterpoint. Thrown into the mix, however, are more experimental performances like “Paws,” a brief foray into the realm of dissonance, texture and extended techniques, and “Desert Storm,” a moody, atmospheric piece for which Basile fires up his guitar synth. The disc’s more experimental pieces succeed individually, but when mixed in with the more traditional material it adds up to a stylistic disconnect that will have some listeners scratching their heads. Aside from playing solo, duo performance is arguably the most difficult to pull off. With these two discs, Abercrombie demonstrates his uncommon ability to artfully function within the context of a wide variety of material and situations. ~ Jim Ferguson https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/john-abercrombieandy-laverne-timeline/

Personnel:  Guitar – John Abercrombie;  Piano – Andy LaVerne.

Timeline

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Ahmad Jamal - At The Pershing / But Not For Me

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:39
Size: 74,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:31)  1. But Not For Me
(2:35)  2. Surrey With The Fringe On Top
(3:09)  3. Moonlight In Vermont
(2:56)  4. (Put Another Nickel In) Music, Music, Music
(3:26)  5. No Greater Love
(8:07)  6. Poinciana
(3:40)  7. Woody 'N You
(4:11)  8. What's New

Recorded at the Pershing Club in Chicago, IL, Jamal's third album (including the hit "Poinciana") was the turning point in his career. His liberal use of silence influenced many jazz musicians, including Miles Davis. ~ Michael Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/at-the-pershing-but-not-for-me-mw0000196077

Digitally remastered edition. At the Pershing: But Not for Me album for sale Having worked extensively in a piano, guitar and bass trio, pianist Ahmad Jamal changed the group's dynamics in 1957 by switching the guitar to drums, linking with Israel Crosby (bass) and Vernel Fournier (drums). At the Pershing: But Not for Me CD music The house group for the Pershing Hotel in Chicago, the trio recorded this live album (also known as But Not For Me) in 1957 and following its release in January 1958 it would spend more than two years on the chart. The financial success of the album enabled Ahmad to buy and open his own restaurant and club in Chicago, whilst the critical success established Ahmad's reputation for the following four decades. At the Pershing: But Not for Me CD music contains a single disc with 8 songs.

Personnel:  Ahmad Jamal (Piano);  Israel Crosby (bass);  Vernel Fournier (drums).

At The Pershing / But Not For Me

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