Louise Rogers - Come Ready and See Me

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:49
Size: 107,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:52)  1. Be My Baby
(6:54)  2. Islands
(5:43)  3. Conjunction
(3:11)  4. Come Ready and See Me
(5:13)  5. Shadows of Yesterday
(5:42)  6. The Song Is You
(5:35)  7. Poetic Song
(3:30)  8. Louise
(6:04)  9. Lass from the Low Countree

Louise Rogers proves absolutely infectious with her delightful vocals. Her expressive voice, playful scatting, and crystal-clear intonation strike the listener right off the bat. Her core group includes Rick Strong (her husband) on bass and Mathias Kunzli on drums, with pianist Matthew Fries, guitarist Paul Meyers, and saxophonist Gottfired Stoger added on a few tracks. Rogers and Strong wrote a hip tune to accompany poet Nikki Giovanni's "Be My Baby," with Kunzli's hand percussion initially serving as her sole accompaniment, adding the bass after the first chorus and scatting up a storm with it in octave unison. Jerry Bergonzi's melancholy "Conjunction" benefits from her hopeful lyrics. Rogers wrote both the words and music to the soft bossa nova "Shadows of Yesterday." Stoger's tense "Poetic Song" features demanding unison lines by the singer and saxophonist. Rogers also finds a fresh approach to the standard "The Song Is You" (adding Stoger on soprano sax) and a playful duet with Strong of the forgotten chestnut "Louise." But the biggest surprise is her setting of a traditional Celtic song, "Lass from the Low Countree," a haunting duet with Strong on electric bass. Highly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/come-ready-and-see-me-mw0001169217

Personnel:  Louise Rogers – vocals;  Gottfried Stoger – saxophones;  Paul Meyers – guitar;  Matthew Fries – piano;  Rick Strong – bass;  Mathias Kunzli - percussion, drums

Come Ready and See Me

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Delfeayo Marsalis - Sweet Thunder

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:28
Size: 164,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:07)  1. Such Sweet Thunder
(2:38)  2. Sonnet for Sister Kate
(4:48)  3. Sonnet to Hank Cinq
(9:24)  4. Half the Fun
(3:09)  5. Up & Down, Up & Down
(5:07)  6. Madness in Great Ones
(6:30)  7. Star-Crossed Lovers
(8:11)  8. Sonnet in Search of a Moor
(5:37)  9. The Telecasters
(7:53) 10. Sonnet for Caesar
(3:39) 11. Lady Mac
(8:19) 12. Circle of Fourths

Acclaimed trombonist and member of the first family of jazz, Delfeayo Marsalis launches Sweet Thunder: Duke & Shak, an original theatrical jazz production culled from live performances in thirty-six locations across the country. The play was born from Marsalis' affinity for the music of Duke Ellington and the poetry of Shakespeare: first brought to the musical stage in the 1957 production of Such Sweet Thunder at the Shakespeare Festival I Stratford, Canada. Both Ellington and Billy Strayhorn were invited to compose music in tribute to The Bard, and came up with 15 compositions for that date. Sweet Thunder streamlines Ellington and Strayhorn's original charts into a 12-movement suite, bringing an all-star list of players, including brothers Branford Marsalis and Jason Marsalis. for the recording. Staying true to Ellington's original compositions for an octet, the majority of the pieces employ an eight-man ensemble, featuring a solid horn section including soprano saxophonist Victor Goines (when Branford is not playing), altoist Mark Gross, trumpeter Tiger Okoshi, and baritone saxophonist Jason W. Marshall. When Jason Marsalis is not doing the honors, renowned drummer Winard Harper steps in, while piano great Mulgrew Miller rounds out the rhythm section.

The disc is a departure from the original Such Sweet Thunder in that Marsalis, the arranger, adds his own personal touch to the original music, injecting New Orlean-style melodic alterations along with some elements of blues, and the inclusion of poignant ballads like "Star-Crossed Lovers," "Sonnet for Caesar" and "Lady Mac." The opening title track come across a bit bluesy, with Branford leading the way on a sultry soprano march, as Delfeayo joins in with a little thunder of his own. "Sonnet to Hank Cinq" features swinging solos from each member of the horn section, providing the repertoire's first up-tempo burner. With Jason on percussions and Harper on drums, "Half the Fun" kicks in with percussive flair, as Okoshi and Branford drive music reminiscent of a snake charmer's chant. Sounding more like a traditional big band chart à la Ellington, "Sonnet In Search of A Moor" is perhaps the only classical big band pieces here, with Jason weighing in with a furious performance. A touch of New Orleans can be heard tracks including "The Telecasters" and "Up & Down, Up & Down," while the boppish, straight-ahead closer, "Circle of Fourths," highlights sizzling solos from both the Delfeayo and tenor saxophonist Mark Shim, with pianist Victor "Red" Atkins adding a closing statement to this remarkable session. The music of Sweet Thunder may not conjure up memorable phrases from the body of William Shakespeare's work, but the words "poetry in motion," seems more than adequate in describing the swing and power Delfeayo Marsalis provides, in this interpretation of a historic musical moment. 

~ Edward Blanco https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sweet-thunder-delfeayo-marsalis-troubadour-jass-review-by-edward-blanco.php

Personnel: Delfeayo Marsalis: trombone; Branford Marsalis: soprano saxophone; Jason Marsalis: drums (2, 6, 8-10, 12); Winard Harper: drums (1, 3-5, 7, 11); Tiger Okoshi: trumpet (1, 3, 5, 6, 10,11); Mark Gross: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone; Victor Goines: soprano saxophone (2, 5, 6, 8, 11,); Mark Shim: tenor saxophone (3,12); Jason Marshal: baritone saxophone; Mulgrew Miller: piano (1, 7, 9); Victor "Red" Atkins: piano (3-6, 8, 11, 12); Reginal Veal: bass (1); David Pulphus: bass (3, 4, 7, 9, 10); Charnett Moffet: bass (5, 6, 8, 11, 12).

Sweet Thunder

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John Abercrombie & Andy LaVerne - Nosmo King

Styles: Guitar And Piano Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 72:12
Size: 132,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:37)  1. I Hear a Rhapsody
(6:16)  2. Waltz For Debby
(8:59)  3. I Loves You Porgy
(3:42)  4. Blue Cycle
(6:26)  5. Silver's Serenade
(5:37)  6. Jhon's New Waltz
(6:56)  7. Babes w-Babies
(7:56)  8. My Man's Gone Now
(5:49)  9. Nosmo King
(7:47) 10. Never Never Land
(6:02) 11. Softly As In a Morning Sunrise

" Harmony is what makes this duo album work so well. Harmony between the instruments of course, but also a personal harmony between the players…these two so often think like one, it leaves plenty of room for you to sit in and listen… " (Paul B. Matthews, Cadence)

Personnel:  John Abercrombie – guitar;  Andy LaVerne – piano

Nosmo King

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Pat Martino - Live At Yoshi's

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:26
Size: 177,3 MB
Art: Front

( 7:00)  1. Oleo
(12:02)  2. All Blues
(10:02)  3. Mac Tough
(10:30)  4. Welcome To A Prayer
(10:29)  5. El Hombre
( 7:57)  6. Recollection
( 7:18)  7. Blue In Green
(11:05)  8. Catch

Ever since Pat Martino signed with Blue Note, we've been waiting for the release that would break things wide open while harkening back to those ground-breaking Prestige sides that had every young guitarist at the time shaking in his boots. Live at Yoshi's is definitely that record. With no gimmicks, special guests on revolving tracks, or overdubbed extras, Martino is at his expansive best, remarkably supported by Joey DeFrancesco on B-3 organ and Billy Hart on drums. The twosome of DeFrancesco and Hart alone has notched up the frequent gigging miles going back to a 1997 SteepleChase date with Doug Raney. Adding Martino to the mix just makes things all the more electrifying. The trio kicks off "Oleo" and keeps the pots on throughout the last notes of the Martino original "Catch," goaded by a boisterous and supportive crowd. The most explosive moments come during "El Hombre," the title track from Martino's very first record back in the 1960s. The guitarist utilizes an unusual twang device, which then ushers in a heated period of suspension, his repeated off-the-beat- accents working up a froth as Hart crash and bangs in full support. "Mac Tough" comes on as a funky boogaloo, the kind without which this kind of record wouldn't want to be without. On the slower side, Martino is no less engaging, "Welcome to a Prayer" being especially solid. Not much more needs to be said, except that this particular trio needs to hang out like this more often! ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-yoshis-pat-martino-blue-note-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan__20714.php
 

Personnel: Pat Martino (guitar), Joey DeFrancesco (organ), Billy Hart (drums)

Live At Yoshi's

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Herb Ellis, Charlie Byrd - Guitar Guitar

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:24
Size: 78.8 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1964/2009
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. Se Todos Fossem Iquais A Voce
[3:01] 2. Chung King
[3:14] 3. Carolina In The Morning
[2:43] 4. Three Quarter Blues
[3:13] 5. Take Care Of Yourself
[3:06] 6. St. Louis Blues
[2:01] 7. Jazz 'n' Samba
[2:45] 8. Oh, Lady Be Good
[4:39] 9. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[3:34] 10. A Hundred Years From Today
[3:22] 11. Bluesette

Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd -- two peas in a jazz guitarist's pod if there ever was one -- recorded this date in 1963 and proved how compatible their styles were. Though Ellis emphasized the amplified electric model and Byrd stuck to nylon-string acoustic, the balance of their instruments and their occasional role reversals are heard during this program of standards, blues, Brazilian tunes, and a small handful of originals. This is not a duet album, as a rhythm section with bassist Keter Betts and drummer Buddy Deppenschmidt is present, but not accounted for in the credits of the reissued CD version. Stereo separation segregates the two players, and considering the recording technology of the time, it does sound somewhat dated in a quaint, bachelor pad sort of way. None of the selections are long-winded, with Duke Ellington's "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" the most stretched in a beautiful unison swing. The two brilliantly swap overlapping lines on the waltz "Three Quarter Blues," load up on languid chords for the nostalgic ballad "A Hundred Years from Today," and lope along the backwoods trail of "Carolina in the Morning." Blues is a big factor in their playing, most prevalent during the Texas-styled swinger "Take Care of Yourself," the slowed "Lady Be Good," and the toothy "Bluesette," due to their staccato riffs digging into a deft reharmonization. The Brazilian numbers are standard fare, refined in later years by their continued association, but here they take "St. Louis Blues" to Rio in bossa nova trim, while "Jazz 'n' Samba" is fairly straitlaced. The guitarists also do a funky, contemporary number, "Chung King," which is slightly off-color for them considering the primordial soul-jazz time period. This recording is more important for what these two would do as follow-ups rather than the basic music presented here. It's not essential as a standalone CD, but good to hear for what it foreshadowed down the line. ~Michael G. Nastos

Guitar Guitar

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Roy Haynes Quartet - Out Of The Afternoon

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:20
Size: 85.5 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 1962/2016
Art: Front

[6:38] 1. Moon Ray
[6:38] 2. Fly Me To The Moon
[5:58] 3. Raoul
[4:09] 4. Snap Crackle
[5:47] 5. If I Should Lose You
[4:40] 6. Long Wharf
[3:28] 7. Some Other Spring

Out of the Afternoon is a splendid sounding 1962 set from the Roy Haynes Quartet -- which, at the time, consisted of Haynes, Henry Grimes on bass, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Roland Kirk on saxes, manzello, stritch, and flutes. The album is a delightful mix of techniques in arrangement and performance, with all of the musicians delivering terrific work. Haynes' drumming is absolutely wonderful here, lightly dancing around the other instruments; Flanagan's piano playing is equally light and delicate; Grimes' bass work is outstanding (during "Raoul" you have a chance to hear one of the few bowed bass solos on records of that era); and there's no more to be said about Kirk's sax and flute work that hasn't been said a hundred times, apart from the fact that the flute solos on "Snap Crackle" help this cut emerge as particularly outstanding. ~Steven McDonald

Out Of The Afternoon

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Dexter Gordon Quartet - Something Different

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:57
Size: 154,8 MB
Art: Front

(8:33)  1. Freddie Freeloader
(6:09)  2. When Sunny Gets Blue
(9:13)  3. Invitation
(7:48)  4. Freddie Freeloader (Take 3)
(8:03)  5. Yesterday's Mood (Take 4)
(9:55)  6. Winther's Calling
(9:03)  7. Polkadots And Moonbeams
(8:08)  8. Yesterday's Mood

What is different about this set (recorded in a particularly busy year for Dexter Gordon) is that the veteran tenor is joined by a trio (guitarist Philip Catherine, bassist Niels Pedersen and drummer Billy Higgins) that does not include a pianist. Otherwise, the music is at the same high quality level and in the same modern bop genre as one would expect. In addition to one of his originals and Slide Hampton's "Yesterday's Mood," Gordon stretches out on some standards, making a classic statement on the ballad "When Sunny Gets Blue." All of his SteepleChase albums (particularly those from the 1975-76 period) are well worth acquiring. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/something-different-mw0000689990

Personnel:  Dexter Gordon - tenor saxophone;  Philip Catherine – guitar;  Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen – bass;  Billy Higgins - drums

Something Different

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Stacey Kent - The Boy Next Door

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:29
Size: 136,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:28)  1. The Best Is Yet to Come
(3:43)  2. The Boy Next Door
(4:06)  3. The Trolley Song
(4:43)  4. Say It Isn't So
(3:28)  5. Too Darn Hot
(3:11)  6. Makin' Whoopee
(4:12)  7. What The World Needs Now Is Love
(4:21)  8. You've Got a Friend
(4:59)  9. I Got It Bad
(3:07) 10. Ooh-Shoo-Be-Doo-Bee
(3:48) 11. People Will Say We're in Love
(4:32) 12. 'Tis Autumn
(3:28) 13. All I Do Is Dream of You
(3:28) 14. I Get Along Without You Very Well
(2:31) 15. You're the Top
(1:16) 16. Bookends

Wrapping her sweet voice around songs by male singers she admires, Stacey Kent delivers another pleasant and low-key album with The Boy Next Door. Kent's tribute choices range from traditional pop (Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett) to mainstream jazz instrumentalists (Dave Brubeck, Dizzy Gillespie) to the softer side of rock (James Taylor, Simon and unmentioned in the liner notes Garfunkel). With a gentle conviction akin to early Blossom Dearie without the cheeky flair, the album makes for breezy listening. The 16 tracks don't differ enough in tone, making the album a bit too long, but individual moments of warm openhearted excellence make it worthwhile. The sentimentality of "Bookends" or "'Tis Autumn" suit her precious delivery well, while the sly moments of "Makin' Whoopee" feel out of the singer's reach. 

The bandmembers stay out of the way for the most part, waiting for their solos rather than interacting much with Kent. Drummer Matt Home's light but lively style is especially accommodating and guitarist Colin Oxley's percussive take on "Too Darn Hot" ends up being the album's greatest moment. ~ Jeff Jeffries http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-boy-next-door-mw0000314615

Personnel:  Stacey Kent – vocals;  Jim Tomlinson – saxophones, backing vocals;  Curtis Schwartz - backing vocals;  Colin Oxley – guitar;  David Newton – piano, keyboards, backing vocals;  Dave Chamberlain – double bass;  Matt Home - drums

The Boy Next Door

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Peter Brendler - Outside The Line

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:53
Size: 151,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:52)  1. Freeway
(4:12)  2. Blackout Reunion
(3:16)  3. Pharmacology
(5:51)  4. Lawn Darts
(4:40)  5. Walk On The Wild Side
(5:15)  6. Blanket Statement
(7:09)  7. Una Muy Bonita
(3:36)  8. Openhanded
(8:53)  9. Drop The Mittens
(6:17) 10. Indelible Mark
(6:51) 11. The Darkness
(5:55) 12. The Golden Ring

Thirteen years after graduating from Berklee and over a decade into his career as a professional bassist, Peter Brendler has taken the plunge and released his first album as leader, Outside The Line. Look before you leap, as they say. Wise advice, if the quality of this debut is anything to go by. Brendler has already shown himself to be a bassist with a wide stylistic and dynamic range powerful and hard-driving on Jon Irabagon's wild and wacky Foxy (Hot Cup Records, 2010), in company with veteran drummer Barry Altschul; gentle and mellow alongside guitarist John Abercrombie on The Angle Below (Steeplechase Records, 2013). His playing on Outside The Line provides further evidence for his adaptability. His sound is characteristically bouncy and fat, but capable of subtle changes, twists and turns drummer Vinnie Sperrazza's lighter touch contrasts well with Brendler's tone. Three disparate cover versions adorn Outside The Line. The band kicks things off with a punchy take on Chet Baker's "Freeway," Peter Evans' muted trumpet flying over Brendler and Sperrazza's driving rhythm. Ornette Coleman's "Una Muy Bonita" is altogether gentler than the composer's version from Change Of The Century (Atlantic, 1959) thanks especially to Rich Perry's tenor sax. Perry starts out by sharing bass duties with Brendler on Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side," helping out with Herbie Flowers' iconic lines while Evans takes on the melody, then takes off with a solo of his own. Sperrazza shares credit with Brendler for building the song's laid-back groove.

Brendler's own compositions cover stylistic ground from bebop to free jazz to pre-bop romance. "The Golden Ring" shares something of the rhythmic slinkiness of "Walk On The Wild Side"; "Blanket Statement" mixes Coleman-ish sections with hints of Latin grooves; "Openhanded" moves more completely into free territory. "Drop The Mittens" mixes things up a rock-solid rhythm underpins Evans and Perry's extended solos, Brendler's own fluid solo stands alone. "The Darkness" could have come straight from a '40s crime caper soundtrack bass, drums, tenor and trumpet all hinting at the heist or the hit to come. "Blackout Reunion" also harks back to the '40s, a soundtrack to a film noir affair but before things get too down, "Pharmacology" kicks in and feet are a-tappin.' Exactly what line Brendler and his chums are outside isn't totally clear. A quote from legendary American Football coach Bill Parcells adorns the album sleeve about men with odd-shaped balls and may suggest a sporting metaphor, who knows. What's clear is that Outside The Line confirms Brendler's reputation as a commanding bassist. It also establishes his credentials as a band leader hopefully this is a quartet with staying power and as a composer with a sense of stylistic adventure and an ear for a decent tune. The world really can't get enough of those. ~ Bruce Lindsay https://www.allaboutjazz.com/outside-the-line-peter-brendler-posi-tone-records-review-by-bruce-lindsay.php
 

Personnel: Peter Brendler: double bass; Peter Evans: trumpet, piccolo trumpet; Rich Perry: tenor saxophone; Vinnie Sperrazza: drums.

Outside The Line

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Steve Nelson Quartet - New Beginnings

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 64:18
Size: 103,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:08)  1. New Beginnings
(6:42)  2. Danielle's Waltz
(4:58)  3. Shape Shifting
(7:53)  4. Someone To Light Up My Life
(8:00)  5. The Song Is Ended
(8:42)  6. Down Fuzz
(9:36)  7. It's Talk Of The Town
(7:44)  8. How Little We Know
(4:31)  9. Wild Is The Wind

From the ebullient first track, a Nelson original, this release is consistently elegant and swinging. Nelson can cook like Milt Jackson and harmonize like Bobby Hutcherson, but imitates neither. His composing and performing talent both sparkle in this setting, where he's joined by three other top players, each of whom gets to shine in all the seamless, generous handing-offs. Highlights include Nelson's churning "Shape Shifting," with its whiff of mystery; the funky, bluesy "Down Fuzz"; and a languid, tropical reading of "Someone to Light Up My Life," where Nelson pedals his tone like a watercolorist, and each player's solo emerges as another lovely shade. It's a fine foursome: Miller's solos are thoughtful and impeccable, his comping melodic; his unaccompanied opener and solos on the dreamy "It's the Talk of the Town" are additional high points. Unrelated by blood, the Washingtons share a talent for subtle, yet essential contributions, and Kenny really kicks on this one. The closer is an unusual up-tempo version of the haunting "Wild As the Wind," capping a set of warm, relaxed, inviting jazz. ~ Judith Schlesinger http://www.allmusic.com/album/new-beginnings-mw0000254680

Personnel:  Steve Nelson (vibraphone); Mulgrew Miller (piano); Peter Washington (bass); Kenny Washington (drums).

New Beginnings

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Norman Brown - Let It Go

Styles: Guitar Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:32
Size: 128,0 MB
Art: Front

(0:41)  1. Lessons of the Spirit
(4:09)  2. It Keeps Coming Back
(6:18)  3. Let It Go
(5:16)  4. Ooh Child (feat. TrayCar)
(5:51) 5. Conversations (feat. Sisters of Unbreakable love S.O.U.L)
(4:36)  6. Living Out Your Destiny (feat. Sisters of Unbreakable love S.O.U.L)
(4:00)  7. Holding You (feat. Chanté Moore)
(4:52)  8. The North Star (feat. Marion Meadows)
(4:42)  9. Very Woman
(4:39) 10. Liberated (feat. BWB)
(5:13) 11. Remember Who You Are (feat. Kirk Whalum)
(5:10) 12. Man In the Mirror (feat. Sounds of Blackness)

Let It Go, Norman Brown's inspired 2017 debut album for Shanachie Records, has something for everyone, whether an R&B fan or a jazz aficionado. From "Holding You," his sensuous collaboration with R&B great Chanté Moore and Norman's re-imagining of the Five Stairsteps classic "Ooh Child" to the smoothly grooving "Remember Who You Are" and the serenely inspired "Let It Go," Let It Go is Norman Brown at his best. https://www.amazon.com/Let-Go-NORMAN-BROWN/dp/B01LZS6RWZ

Let It Go

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Dizzy Gillespie - All The Things You Are

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:29
Size: 85.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1994/2010
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. All The Things You Are
[3:00] 2. Dizzy Atmosphere
[3:11] 3. Shaw' Nuff
[3:08] 4. Melancholy Baby
[3:05] 5. On The Alamo
[3:21] 6. Emanon
[3:03] 7. Cherokee
[3:11] 8. Blue 'n Boogie
[3:07] 9. One Bass Hit 1
[3:15] 10. A Handfulla Gimme
[2:51] 11. That's Earl Brother
[3:13] 12. I Waited For You

Dizzy Gillespie's contributions to jazz were huge. One of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time (some would say the best), Gillespie was such a complex player that his contemporaries ended up copying Miles Davis and Fats Navarro instead, and it was not until Jon Faddis' emergence in the 1970s that Dizzy's style was successfully recreated. Somehow, Gillespie could make any "wrong" note fit, and harmonically he was ahead of everyone in the 1940s, including Charlie Parker. Unlike Bird, Dizzy was an enthusiastic teacher who wrote down his musical innovations and was eager to explain them to the next generation, thereby insuring that bebop would eventually become the foundation of jazz. ~Scott Yanow

All The Things You Are

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Helen Merrill - Merrill At Midnight

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 34:25

Size: 78.8 MB

Styles: Vocal jazz, Easy Listening

Year: 1957/2006

Art: Front

[3:13] 1. Soft As Spring

[2:51] 2. Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair (Feat. Hal Mooney And His Orchestra)

[3:07] 3. It's A Lazy Afternoon

[3:05] 4. The Things We Did Last Summer

[3:03] 5. After You

[3:12] 6. If You Go

[3:20] 7. If I Forget You (Feat. Hal Mooney And His Orchestra)

[2:57] 8. If Love Were All

[3:42] 9. Easy Come, Easy Go

[2:44] 10. I'll Be Around

[3:05] 11. If Love Were All

Helen Merrill recorded this lushly orchestrated album in conjunction with arranger/conductor Hal Mooney, with whom she'd previously cut a single, in early 1957. Opening with the moody and gorgeous "I'll Be Around," she moves into almost an art-song mode on "Soft as Spring," and her sound on "If I Forget You" veers perilously close to pop, complete with rippling harp arpeggios, as does "It's a Lazy Afternoon." But Merrill is so beguilingly subtle and hauntingly beautiful in her intonation, and maintains just enough of a blues base to her delivery here, that these songs remain consistent with the rest of the material and with her other output of the era. Actually, the whole album works by straddling all of this territory -- it's simply Helen Merrill and Hal Mooney bending a few genres in a more sophisticated musical setting than usual on her records. All of these elements get pulled together, and wound as tight and powerfully as possible, on the final track, "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" -- that had to be the finish, because nothing else here could top it for sheer, understated power and impact. Merrill at Midnight was also stunningly recorded, an attribute that one hopes will not be lost when and if the album ever gets reissued on CD. (As it is, the only way to get this album on CD, as of 2006, is as part of the four-CD The Complete Helen Merrill on Mercury which, itself, is out-of-print). For anyone who has it, or the old LP, this one's a keeper and in a class by itself, with lots and lots of class. ~Bruce Eder

Merrill At Midnight

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Paul Bley, Sonny Greenwich - Outside In

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:09
Size: 160.6 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Avant garde jazz
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[1:40] 1. Sonics Ii
[4:34] 2. Horizons
[7:07] 3. Arrival
[7:31] 4. Now
[6:12] 5. Meandering
[7:00] 6. Willow
[6:45] 7. I Remember Harlem
[4:25] 8. Peel Street Blues
[7:47] 9. Steeplechase
[6:14] 10. You Are
[4:45] 11. These Foolish Things
[6:04] 12. Pent Up House

This duet set by pianist Paul Bley and guitarist Sonny Greenwich, after two melodic solos by Greenwich and Bley's feature on "Arrival," becomes a loose bop session. "Meandering" is a blues and, in the tradition of Lennie Tristano, the origins of the originals "Willow" and "You Are" are not too difficult to figure out. The music does meander a bit but mostly swings in a floating way. Although there are some freer moments, this is as straight as Paul Bley has played on records in years and Sonny Greenwich also sounds fairly conservative, at least if one does not listen too closely. It's a relaxed and very interesting set. ~Scott Yanow

Outside In

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Stevie Wonder - Music Of My Mind

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:57
Size: 109.8 MB
Styles: R&B
Year: 1972/2012
Art: Front

[7:23] 1. Love Having You Around
[8:08] 2. Superwoman
[3:55] 3. I Love Every Little Thing About You
[4:59] 4. Sweet Little Girl
[5:17] 5. Happier Than The Morning Sun
[3:36] 6. Girl Blue
[4:21] 7. Seems So Long
[6:40] 8. Keep On Running
[3:33] 9. Evil

With a new contract from Motown in his hand, Stevie Wonder released Music of My Mind, his first truly unified record and, with the exception of a single part on two songs, the work of a one-man-band. Everything he had learned about musicianship, engineering, and production during his long apprenticeship in the Snakepit at Motown Studios came together here (from the liner notes: "The sounds themselves come from inside his mind. The man is his own instrument. The instrument is an orchestra.") Music of My Mind was also the first to bear the fruits of his increased focus on Moog and Arp synthesizers, though the songs never sound synthetic, due in great part to Stevie's reliance on a parade of real instruments -- organic drumwork, harmonica, organs and pianos -- as well as his mastery of traditional song structure and his immense musical personality. The intro of the vibrant, tender "I Love Every Little Thing About You" is a perfect example, humanized with a series of lightly breathed syllables for background rhythm. And when the synthesizers do appear, it's always in the perfect context: the standout "Superwoman" really benefits from its high-frequency harmonics, and "Seems So Long" wouldn't sound quite as affectionate without the warm electronics gurgling in the background. This still wasn't a perfect record, though; "Sweet Little Girl" was an awkward song, with Stevie assuming another of his embarrassing musical personalities to fawn over a girl. ~John Bush

Music Of My Mind

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Pee Wee Russell & Henry 'Red' Allen - The College Concert

Styles: Clarinet And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:15
Size: 75,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:04)  1. Blue Monk
(6:12)  2. I Want A Little Girl
(4:26)  3. Body And Soul
(4:28)  4. Pee Wee's Blues
(4:17)  5. 2° East, 3° West
(6:46)  6. Graduation Blues

Although trumpeter Red Allen (heard in his final recording) and Russell had recorded back in 1932, their paths only crossed on an infrequent basis through the years. For this LP, the two veteran modernists (who spent much of their careers in Dixieland settings) are joined by a young rhythm-section pianist Steve Kuhn, bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Marty Morell). The music is generally relaxed with an emphasis on blues and a fine feature for Allen on "Body and Soul." ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/college-concert-of-pee-wee-russell-and-henry-red-mw0000892162

Personnel:  Pee Wee Russell – clarinet;  Red Allen - trumpet, vocals;  Steve Kuhn – piano;  Charlie Haden – bass;  Marty Morell - drums

The College Concert

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Oleta Adams - Evolution

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:14
Size: 131,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. My Heart Won't Lie
(5:11)  2. Hold Me for a While
(4:45)  3. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
(5:16)  4. When Love Comes to the Rescue
(3:38)  5. I Just Had to Hear Your Voice
(4:14)  6. Come When You Call
(6:33)  7. Easier to Say (Goodbye)
(4:10)  8. Lover's Holiday
(5:04)  9. The Day I Stop Loving You
(5:33) 10. New York State of Mind
(3:42) 11. Evolution
(4:23) 12. Window of Hope

After the success of her debut, Adams doesn't change the formula for her second album. Which isn't a bad thing the stylish love ballads she sings are some of the best adult contemporary pop of the early '90s. 

~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/evolution-mw0000101891

Personnel: Oleta Adams (vocals, piano, electric piano, synthesizer, background vocals); Valerie Pinkston-Mayo, Fred White , Rick Nelson, Paulette Brown (vocals, background vocals); Arnold McCuller, Bunny Hull (vocals); Michael Landau, Ray Fuller (guitar, piano, synthesizer); Aaron Zigman (strings, keyboards, synthesizer, programming); David Sanborn (alto saxophone); Tom Scott (tenor saxophone); Chuck Findley (trumpet, flugelhorn); Fred Washington (fretless bass); Gota Yashiki, Richard Stevens (drums, programming); Richie Steves (drums); Lenny Castro (percussion); Carolyn Perry, Bunny Hill, Arnold McCutler, Jerry Knight, Lori Perry, Darlene Perry, Sharon Perry (background vocals).

Evolution

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Peter Brendler & John Abercrombie - The Angle Below

Styles: Guitar Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:28
Size: 138,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:31)  1. Downhill Runner
(6:28)  2. Half Dozen of the Other
(6:36)  3. Nick of Time
(8:07)  4. Valdoviño
(7:04)  5. Jazz Folk
(7:45)  6. Misdirection
(2:20)  7. Rockaway
(5:17)  8. Six of One
(4:40)  9. Sweet 16
(6:35) 10. Goodbye

Peter Brendler and guitarist John Abercrombie have developed their playing partnership over a number of years, but The Angle Below is their first duo recording. Brendler "the guy on the bass" as he's described in Neil Tesser's sleeve notes is the nominal leader but he refers to the album as a collaboration. He's not wrong. He may be the driving force behind the project, the man who sorted out the studio, booked the dates, contacted the press and made the coffees, but as soon as the bass and guitar open "Downhill Runner" it's clear that this is a joint venture a very successful joint venture. Abercrombie has a long and distinguished discography, with over 50 albums as leader. Brendler, the younger man by about four decades, doesn't quite match that number, but his reputation is building. Brendler takes the lion's share of composer credits six, to Abercrombie's three, plus a cover of Gordon Jenkins' "Goodbye." There's a gentle, almost genteel, quality to the tunes with Brendler's earthy, full, bass tone contrasting well with Abercrombie's bright, metallic electric guitar. In 2010 Brendler joined drummer Barry Altschul on Jon Irabagon's Foxy (Hot Cup Records), a full-on, fiery, high-energy slab of jazz that took few, if any, prisoners. It also demonstrated Brendler's power and strength as a player. The Angle Below requires a different set of skills from the bassist a subtler, more nuanced approach to the instrument. He shows himself to be eminently accomplished at this his composition for solo bass, "Rockaway," is calm and meditative. 

One of the most impressive features of The Angle Below is the way in which the interplay between Brendler and Abercrombie develops within each tune. There are unison passages but for the most part the two musicians work as a lead and rhythm duo. While that might suggest a traditional partnership with the guitar taking on the melody and the bass establishing a rhythmic foundation this collaboration finds both men moving between the two. Abercrombie's "Jazz Folk" is an especially fine example of this interplay, but it's a common motif across the album. The switches between roles are achieved so smoothly that it takes a few seconds to realize that they've happened, a testament to the relationship that the players have on this beautifully-recorded and rewarding album. ~ Bruce Lindsay https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-angle-below-peter-brendler-steeplechase-records-review-by-bruce-lindsay.php

Personnel: Peter Brendler: bass; John Abercrombie: guitar.

The Angle Below

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Delfeayo Marsalis - Minions Dominion

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:10
Size: 145,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:33)  1. Brer Rabbit
(11:15)  2. Lone Warrior
( 9:11)  3. If You Only Knew
( 8:49)  4. Minions Dominion
( 9:27)  5. Just Squeeze Me
( 6:46)  6. Weaver Of Dreams
(10:05)  7. Lost In The Crescent

What does the term "mainstream" mean to you? In jazz, the label is applied to music which has time-tested, codified rhythm and structure. After that, it can get more mainstream if the melody and harmony are easily understood. This is not a value judgment about good or bad music, but rather a way of placing the music within a framework of expectation. However, that expectation can be quite different depending on one's individual experience and personality. Some listeners enjoy having such expectations fulfilled, while others revel in being set up and fooled. Many people with wide listening habits are on the lookout for music that manages to hold together without doing the expected, and actually relish feeling the musical ground constantly shifting under their feet.  Trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis' Minions Dominion is absolute dead-center mainstream music for people who like well-played jazz that is just thorny enough to elicit a smile (or grimace, as the case may be). However, this music will not have that "sound of surprise" enjoyed by more adventurous listeners, which draws them to jazz in the first place. They will be able to pull out Blue Note reissues that have almost the same feel. Moreover, mainstream does not have to mean music which sounds old. Two recent, and quite different, albums, David Braid's Zhen and Andrew Rathbun's Shadow Forms, both sit in the mainstream camp, but they also bend the rules and thwart expectations enough to be quite surprising and memorable.

The liner notes for Minions Dominion actually anticipate this whole issue. The 2002 session is special in that it was the great Elvin Jones' last studio session. Marsalis had an ongoing apprenticeship with the drummer, and at one point asked him whether his playing would benefit from "less tradition and more avant-garde?" Some might think that asking such a question might indicate that Marsalis was missing the point. You cannot just decide to "play avant-garde." A real avant-garde player feels that style as deeply within himself as does the traditional player his own. Jones, perhaps sensing this whole conundrum, and being a trailblazer himself, answered perfectly, saying that if Marsalis continued studying and playing, in a few years he should "understand the tradition well enough that you can take it into whatever direction you'd like." Given all of this philosophy, the record does swing like hell in the expected way for sure, but it is nonetheless very deep and irresistible. The bass players, Robert Hurst III and Edwin Livingston, along with Jones (of course) should get much of the credit for this. Also, pianist Mulgrew Miller, as a member of the rhythm section, plays in a very wide and deep pocket; there is no question of his feel for this style. He also plays outstanding accompaniment: one can hear him listening to and echoing the soloists, providing just the right touch whenever he plays.

Jones himself is in fine form and in general pushes the proceedings, adding intensity to the session, including the famous polyrhythms of his John Coltrane years' lore, as in the evocative "Lone Warrior." He can also just flat out swing as in "Brer Rabbit," which is a good track to show why this record falls flat. The bass starts the tune with a walking line that sounds at first like an ear-catching mistake but is not, but then the piano has trouble synching up with him, as do the drums with the other two. Eventually, they all get hooked up and build a head of steam, but this beginning screams "studio recording," with the musicians interacting through headphones and not by really being there. Saxophonists Branford Marsalis and Donald Harrison provide most of the fireworks, which to these ears sound forced within the context of the rest of the playing and could almost be the expected "avant-ness."  The leader's trombone tone is quite clean, warm and inviting. He certainly likes to throw a quote in during his soloing, but it is not subtle at all. The high point of the record for me is his sumptuous playing on the ballad "If You Only Knew."  All in all, the music sounds trapped in the past, especially "Lost In The Crescent," which just reeks of the Marsalis jazz-through-slavery prism refracted through Coltrane. ~ Budd Kopman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/delfeayo-marsalis-minions-dominion-by-budd-kopman.php

Personnel: Delfeayo Marsalis: trombone; Donald Harrison: alto saxophone; Branford Marsalis: tenor and soprano saxophones; Mulgrew Miller: piano; Sergio Salvatore: piano; Robert Hurst III: bass; Edwin Livingston: bass; Eric Revis: bass; Elvin Jones: drums.

Minions Dominion

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Steve Nelson - Brothers Under the Sun

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:02
Size: 138,0 MB
Art: Front

(9:07)  1. The More I See You
(4:41)  2. Eastern Joy Dance
(6:23)  3. Grew's Tune
(8:38)  4. Soul Leo
(5:13)  5. It Never Entered My Mind
(5:16)  6. Samba d'Blue
(4:52)  7. Brothers Under the Sun
(5:28)  8. For Those Who Do
(4:46)  9. New Wheels
(5:33) 10. Melody for Mulgrew

Vibist Steve Nelson made a big splash as a newcomer in the jazz polls at the end of the '80s just as the vibraphone began to re-emerge as one of jazz's favorite instruments. The cool, drifty, slightly detached sound of the vibraphone will forever be associated with great jazz players like Lionel Hampton, Gary Burton and others, but Nelson has firmly established himself as a leader of top-notch small ensembles that showcase his own personal voice on the instrument. Leading a blue-chip quartet composed of pianist Danny Grissett, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Lewis Nash, Nelson has put together an imaginative setlist that serves as a tribute to the late pianist Mulgrew Miller, with whom Nelson enjoyed a long and fruitful musical collaboration and friendship. Throughout the date the interplay of the quartet is engaging, the creativity unflagging and the joy in the music making is always apparent. Brothers Under the Sun is a substantial addition to Steve Nelson's far-too-small discography as a leader. https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Under-Sun-Steve-Nelson/dp/B01MTBDPQW

Personnel: Steve Nelson (vibraphone), Danny Grissett (piano), Peter Washington (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)

Brothers Under the Sun

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