Charles Lloyd - Of Course, Of Course

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:05
Size: 128.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1966/2014
Art: Front

[4:44] 1. Of Course, Of Course
[2:27] 2. The Song My Lady Sings
[5:16] 3. The Best Thing For You
[6:07] 4. The Things We Did Last Summer
[3:57] 5. Apex
[5:06] 6. One For Joan
[3:36] 7. Goin' To Memphis
[6:42] 8. Voice In The Night
[6:15] 9. Third Floor Richard
[4:53] 10. East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)
[3:23] 11. Island Blues
[3:32] 12. Sun Dance

Bass – Ron Carter; Drums – Tony Williams; Guitar – Gabor Szabo; Saxophone [Tenor], Flute – Charles Lloyd.

Charles Lloyd's second album as a leader teams him with guitarist Gabor Szabo (his old friend from the Chico Hamilton group), bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams. Although Lloyd was still a member of Cannonball Adderley's group, his playing on the set shows that he was clearly ready to become a leader. Seven of the nine diverse compositions are his originals; he takes "The Things We Did Last Summer" as a duet with Szabo and rips through "Apex," a trio number without the guitarist, but it is this cut most certainly reflects Ornette Coleman's influence (whereas Lloyd and everyone else who played tenor were being written about in the shadow of Coltrane). Certainly Coltrane's flurry of notes and deconstruction of chords is evident in places, but here, it is Coleman's unshakable sense of melody and rhyme that is most prevalent, and it sports is a brief but wonderfully woody solo by Carter. Other notable selections include "Goin' to Memphis" and Sammy Kahn's "Things We Did Last Summer" (where, according to Stanley Crouch's new liner notes, the saxophonist directly quotes the melody of Coleman's "Free at 3:00 of..."). Other cuts that really stand out here are the title track and the serious blowing session of "One for Joan," where the twinning and counterpoint interplay between Szabo and Lloyd is almost synchronous. Whether on tenor or flute, Lloyd was quickly coming into his own as an original voice, and this underrated set is a minor classic. [In 2007, Mosiac Records in its Singles series, reissued the recording for the first time on CD. In addition to a beautiful remastering job that is warm and clean, there are three bonus tracks also recorded in 1965 but not released until Lloyd's Nirvana album in 1968. Two of these, "Island Blues," and "Sun Dance" feature Albert Stinson on bass and Pete La Roca on drums in place of Carter and Williams. Another oddity is that in addition to Szabo's guitar playing, the Band's Robbie Robertson makes an appearance on the Caribbean-flavored latter tune. The other bonus cut, "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," uses the primary rhythm section, and was recorded for the original session, and left off the final version of the LP.] ~Scott Yanow

Of Course, Of Course

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Thomas Quasthoff - The Jazz Album: Watch What Happens

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:02
Size: 112.3 MB
Styles: Classical crossover
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[2:55] 1. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
[2:58] 2. Watch What Happens
[4:05] 3. Secret Love
[4:50] 4. You And I
[3:50] 5. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
[4:51] 6. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
[2:43] 7. Can't We Be Friends
[4:25] 8. Smile
[2:15] 9. They All Laughed
[5:55] 10. My Funny Valentine
[5:42] 11. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
[4:30] 12. In My Solitude

Thomas Quasthoff's acquaintance with jazz goes back quite a while to when he sang the music in nightclubs as a voice student. This is an experience he shares with other classically trained singers, although not so many German ones. He sings (and speaks) American English essentially without a foreign accent, and he is justified in his claims that when he sings jazz, he sounds like a jazz singer rather than a classical singer singing jazz. Yet if that were all there were to it, his performances would be less compelling than they in fact are. Quasthoff has the great virtue of approaching standards as songs that have new and personal meaning for him. Indeed, the booklet notes that "all the songs included in the present release are closely related to his own experiences and points of view." The listener can speculate on exactly what that means, but what's beyond speculation is that there's a certain wide-eyed quality of discovery in Quasthoff's jazz singing that's immensely appealing. A greater challenge than learning idiomatic American English for a German singer is learning idiomatic jazz vocal devices for a singer trained in the classics. Quasthoff croons, slides, caresses the microphone, whispers, and bends tones with the best of them. His upbeat numbers (try Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive or They All Laughed) have a solid, chunky rhythmic quality, but perhaps most compelling are the chances Quasthoff takes on some of the slower pieces -- specifically Stevie Wonder's "You and I," which is a song heavily influenced by jazz, to be sure, but that also implies soul vocals in some of the explosive expansions of its melodic line. It is here that one realizes most fully that one is hearing a rare vocal virtuoso, and that one enjoys a rare vocal delight to its fullest. ~James Manheim

The Jazz Album: Watch What Happens

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Charlie Parker - The Platinum Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:49
Size: 171.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:16] 1. Lover Man
[3:11] 2. My Old Flame
[3:33] 3. Star Eyes
[2:58] 4. Ornithology
[2:41] 5. Bird's Nest
[3:36] 6. Just Friends
[2:50] 7. Dizzy Atmosphere
[3:22] 8. Embreaceable You
[4:03] 9. Out Of Nowhere
[3:02] 10. Parker's Mood
[3:04] 11. Hot House
[2:46] 12. Don't Blame
[3:01] 13. Moose The Mooche
[2:38] 14. Yardbird Suite
[2:45] 15. Groovin' High
[2:57] 16. Scrapple From The Apple
[3:15] 17. Billie's Bounce
[3:11] 18. A Night In Tunisia
[3:00] 19. Relaxin' At Camarillo
[3:07] 20. Cool Blues
[3:00] 21. Ko-Ko
[2:58] 22. Cheryl
[3:10] 23. Bird Of Paradise
[3:15] 24. Now's The Time

Legendary jazz musician Charlie Parker was born Charles Christopher Parker Jr. on August 29, 1920, in Kansas City, Kansas. His father, Charles Parker, was an African-American stage entertainer, and his mother, Addie Parker, was a maid-charwoman of Native-American heritage. An only child, Charlie moved with his parents to Kansas City, Missouri when he was 7 years old. At the time, the city was a lively center for African-American music, including jazz, blues and gospel.

Charlie discovered his own talent for music through taking lessons at public schools. As a teen, he played the baritone horn in the school band. By the time Charlie was 15, the alto saxophone was his instrument of choice. (Charlie's mother had given him a saxophone a few years prior, to help cheer him up after his father had abandoned the family.) While still in school, Charlie started playing with bands on the local club scene. He was so enamored of playing the sax that, in 1935, he decided to drop out of school in pursuit of a full-time musical career.

The Platinum Collection

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Louis Prima - On Broadway

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:44
Size: 105,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:45)  1. Mame
(2:27)  2. Cabaret
(1:56)  3. Illya Darling
(2:57)  4. I Believe In You
(2:48)  5. Sunrise, Sunset
(3:20)  6. The Impossible Dream
(2:30)  7. Hello Dolly
(2:19)  8. On A Clear Day, You Can See Forever
(2:36)  9. Poor Old Marat
(2:02) 10. My Cup Runneth Over

Louis Prima (December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an Italian-American singer, actor, songwriter, bandleader, and trumpeter. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he formed a seven-piece New Orleans-style jazz band in the late 1920s, fronted a swing combo in the 1930s and a big band group in the 1940s, helped to popularize jump blues in the late 1940s and early to mid 1950s, and performed as a Vegas lounge act in the late 1950s and 1960s. From the 1940s through the 1960s, his music further encompassed early R&B and rock'n'roll, boogie-woogie, and even Italian folk music, such as the tarantella. Prima made prominent use of Italian music and language in his songs, blending elements of his Italian identity with jazz and swing music. At a time when "ethnic" musicians were often discouraged from openly stressing their ethnicity, Prima's conspicuous embrace of his Italian ethnicity opened the doors for other Italian-American and "ethnic" American musicians to display their ethnic roots. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Prima

Thank You Scoredaddy!!
On Broadway

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Eric Kloss - Consciousness!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:41
Size: 98,0 MB
Art: Front

(10:40)  1. Sunshine Superman
(10:10)  2. Kay
( 6:08)  3. Outward Wisdom
( 7:02)  4. Songs To Aging Children
( 8:39)  5. Consciousness

Eric Kloss is a world renowned alto and tenor saxophonist, a multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, composer, clinician, educator, and television personality. Blind from birth music became his vision. A true child prodigy he performed with his mentor Sonny Stitt at age 12. Backed by jazz guitarist Pat Martino, his recording career began at age 16 with the release of “Introducing Eric Kloss”. Blending hard bob, be-bop, pop, rock, funk, free jazz, classical and world music, he went on to release 22 critically acclaimed recordings on the Prestige and Muse labels. A who’s who of jazz masters appeared as sidemen on his albums including Gerald Veasley, Barry Miles, Don Patterson, Jaki Byard, Gil Goldstein, Richard Davis, Alan Dawson, Cedar Walton, Jimmy Owens, Kenny Barron, Booker Ervin, Leroy Vinnegar, Billy Higgins, Kenny Barron, Bob Cranshaw, and Alan Dawson. His most acclaimed album, Eric Kloss and the Rhythm Section, features the Miles Davis rhythm section of Corea, DeJohnette, and Dave Holland. Kloss toured the USA and Europe for 25 years wowing audiences with his technical brilliance and wild improvisations. Eric was a frequent guest on the PBS TV show Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, second only to pianist Johnny Costa for most appearances by any musician. In 1989 he became a spokesman for Yahoo Music promoting and performing with the sax-like MX-11 wind synthesizer. In the 1990s he began teaching at Duquesne University and went on to become head of the jazz department at Carnegie Mellon University. As an educator and clinician he mentored a new generation of jazz performers and instructors. The Fantasy Jazz label has reissued several of his recordings: First Class, About Time, the 2 CD box set Eric Kloss & the Rhythm Section/Love and All That Jazz, and the 2 CD box set Sky Shadows/In the Land of the Giants. Eric withdrew from teaching and performing in 2001 when he became seriously ill. He continues to write and plans to perform and record if his health improves. The unreleased work Cosmic Adventures demonstrates his musical mastery ~  https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/erickloss

Personnel: Eric Kloss (alto sax) (soprano sax); Dave Holland (bass) (bass guitar); Chick Corea (piano) (electric piano); Jack DeJohnette (drums); Pat Martino (guitar).

Consciousness!

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Sylvie Vartan - Gift Wrapped From Paris

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:21
Size: 71,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:22)  1. One More Day
(2:38)  2. I Can't Make Him Look At Me
(2:19)  3. One More Time
(2:13)  4. I Heard Somebody Say
(2:37)  5. I Made A Choice
(2:05)  6. My Boyfriend's Back
(2:11)  7. Gonna Cry
(2:45)  8. Since You Don't Care
(2:34)  9. I Wish You Well
(2:09) 10. Love Has Laid His Hand On Me
(2:06) 11. Alley Oop
(2:16) 12. It's Not A Game

Although actor/pop singer Sylvie Vartan is Bulgarian, she would eventually receive recognition from the French, usually singing entirely in the language of her adopted homeland. Born August 15, 1944, in Iskretz, Bulgaria, Vartan showed great talent for both acting and singing at an early age, resulting in an appearance in the Bulgarian film Under the Yoke in 1950. Two years later (while only ten years old), Vartan and her family relocated to France. 1961 would prove to be an important year for Vartan's career, as she entered a recording studio for the first time, picked up some TV work, and appeared at the famed Olympia Theater. The early '60s saw the release of a steady stream of singles, EPs, and albums (such as 1962's Sylvie), in addition to further appearances in European movies -- including A Moonlight in Maubeuge and Just for Fun. Other impressive accomplishments for Vartan in the early '60s included recording a pair of songs ("If I Sing" and "Most Beautiful to Go to Dance") with famed country artists Chet Atkins and Ray Stevens, and playing on the same bill as the Beatles at the Olympia in January of 1964. During the mid-'60s, Vartan concentrated on making inroads to the American music market, as she appeared on such TV shows as The Ed Sullivan Show, Hullaballooh, and Shindig, while one of her best singles, "2'35 de Bonheur," hit the charts in early 1967. Subsequently, Vartan kept on issuing albums and touring at a steady rate right up to the 21st century, as 2001 saw the release of the 14-track career overview L'Essential. ~ Greg Prato https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/sylvie-vartan/id14974022#fullText

Gift Wrapped From Paris

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Bob Mover Trio - The Night Bathers

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:17
Size: 107,6 MB
Art: Front

( 6:14)  1. The Night Bathers
( 3:31)  2. Berg-Like
( 1:21)  3. Hélène
(10:23)  4. Suite in 4 Parts
( 1:39)  5. We Burn
( 6:33)  6. Beach Music
( 5:02)  7. Randomland
( 2:06)  8. John's 1st Synthony
( 3:09)  9. Fathoms
( 1:51) 10. Sonny Claws
( 3:22) 11. Angelica

When one considers the instrumentation (alto, piano and guitar) and the personnel (Bob Mover, Paul Bley and John Abercrombie), it is not surprising that this date is full of thoughtful, chance-taking and often lyrical improvisations. Most of the selections are either duets or unaccompanied solos, and although there are some melodies, the music was pretty much all improvised on the spot. An intriguing set. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-night-bathers-mw0001016781

Personnel:  Bob Mover - alto and soprano saxophones;  Paul Bley – piano;  John Abercrombie - electric guitar, guitar synth

The Night Bathers

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Jane Bunnett - Spirits Of Havana

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:51
Size: 148.5 MB
Styles: Bop, Cuban jazz
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[3:09] 1. Hymn
[3:01] 2. Ochun
[6:01] 3. Yo Siempre Oddara
[9:12] 4. Song From Argentina
[2:27] 5. Quirino
[9:35] 6. La Luna Arriba
[7:17] 7. G.M.S. (Gandinga, Mondongo, Sandungo)
[6:57] 8. Epistrophy
[5:13] 9. Yemaya
[3:01] 10. Sweet Dreams
[8:53] 11. Spirits Of Havana

Canadian flutist and soprano saxophonist Jane Bunnett traveled to Cuba and immersed herself in the island's music to make this CD, combining other Canadian musicians with a host of gifted Cubans. Guided by senior percussionist Guillermo Barreto on timbales, the result is a genuine exploration of what is most distinctive and valuable in Cuban music and the special relationship of its African elements to jazz. The traditions come together most fully in Gonzalo Rubalcaba's exploration of Thelonious Monk's "Epistrophy," but there are numerous delights here, from Bunnett's immersion in Cuban rhythms to the enchanting singing of Merceditas Valdes on several traditional songs in Yoruba dialect. ~Stuart Broomer

Spirits Of Havana

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East Coast Jazzband - Our Love Is Here To Stay

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:30
Size: 122.5 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:55] 1. Our Love Is Here To Stay
[4:37] 2. Nature Boy
[3:43] 3. I've Found A New Baby
[5:21] 4. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[5:01] 5. Loverman
[5:14] 6. Route 66
[4:04] 7. De 24 Røvere
[4:24] 8. These Foolish Things
[3:31] 9. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[5:30] 10. Cheek To Cheek
[4:07] 11. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
[3:58] 12. Bye, Bye, Blackbird

Birgitte Laugesen, vocal; Gunnar Lautrup, trumpet and flugelhorn; Niels Barfod, sopran- and altsax; Storm Kleist, trombone; Rasmus Stenholm, piano; Paul Engberg Pedersen, drums; Poul Nyholm, double-bass.

It all started in Paul’s poultry house outside Ormslev. The year was 1991. Here the foundation for East Coast Jazz Band was made. For long time the old fellows from Cotton Club Jazzband Niels Barfoed and Paul Engberg, had infested the music scene of Jutland and now the dream orchestra was to be realized! One thing characterized the band from the beginning: The desire for playing good music and deliver good entertainment more than please narrow style ideas. The inspiration came from Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and all the other old. Added jazz of the 30’s New Orleans and a little of the 40’s and 50’s Chicago Blues. Today the orchestra is still playing a broad range of the best within jazz, swing and blues. Mixed with evergreens in new and beautiful arrangements. Known as persuasive ensemble music spiced up with extraordinary soli. Played with real enthusiasm and a musical desire, which can wake up any audience. The orchestra has played in all of Denmark. At festivals, in jazz clubs, private arrangements. Always good for a swinging evening for people who likes to dance. But never playing and working better than now.

Our Love Is Here To Stay

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Ann Hampton Callaway - Slow

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:45
Size: 136.8 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[5:10] 1. Slow
[4:27] 2. You Belong To Me
[6:51] 3. Will You Love Me Tomorrow
[3:41] 4. Tonight You're All Mine (With Carole King)
[5:50] 5. Someone To Light Up My Life
[5:06] 6. I've Dreamed Of You
[5:13] 7. Lullaby In Blue
[3:59] 8. Moondance (With Liz Callaway)
[4:17] 9. Never Really Mine To Lose
[5:58] 10. Love Dance
[4:28] 11. Never Let Me Go
[4:39] 12. My Answered Prayer

The sultry, sweet-molasses voiced veteran singer/songwriter has an impressive pedigree as an entertainment Renaissance woman, with a Tony nomination for Swing!, the theme song to TV's The Nanny, and some 40 CDs as a soloist and guest artist to her credit. Best of all, she lives up to her promises, most notably, the vibe she hints at in the album title. Her goal was to make a dreamy "make out" album and she succeeds, creating a lush, moody, sparsely arranged atmosphere-rich collection of sweet originals played at very slow tempos. Those arrangements are geared towards allowing her voice to stand out and ultimately caress the listener, but the drawback is that there's not a great deal of variety in rhythm and movement from track to track. Those who love the original version of Carole King's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" may be maddened by its languid pace (despite its shimmering beauty), but King loved it so much that she wrote the following track, the much more engaging, AC radio-accessible "Tonight You're All Mine," with Callaway co-producing and singing backup on the track. Callaway also picks up the pace to joyous effect, singing beautifully with her sister Liz (with whom she performs cabaret shows) on a lightly swinging version of "Moondance." Other familiar tracks include a thoughtful reading of Ivan Lins' "Love Dance," and "I've Dreamed of You" (Callaway's song which Barbra Streisand sang at her wedding to James Brolin and later included on three albums.) ~Jonathan Widran

Slow

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Vic Juris - Night Tripper

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:43
Size: 152.7 MB
Styles: Post bop, Guitar jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[4:51] 1. I Heard You Cried Last Night
[5:44] 2. Dekooning
[8:36] 3. Liebeslied
[5:21] 4. Next Victim
[9:49] 5. Estate
[4:06] 6. Night Tripper
[6:16] 7. Without You
[7:45] 8. Falling In Love With Love
[7:00] 9. For Harry
[7:11] 10. Marigold

Bass – Steve LaSpina; Drums – Jeff Hirshfield; Guitar – Vic Juris; Piano – Phil Markowitz. Recorded April 1994.

During some of the selections on his SteepleChase CD, guitarist Vic Juris displays an echoey tone reminiscent of John Scofield while on a few other numbers he has a dryer and subtle acoustic sound. Juris' improvising is on a high level, performing "Estate," "Falling in Love With Love," two obscurities, and six group originals (four of which are his) with creativity. His sidemen (pianist Phil Markowitz, bassist Steve LaSpina, and drummer Jeff Hirshfield) are alert and have quick reactions. Two high points are the eccentric "Dekooning" and a tasteful bossa nova rendition of "Estate," numbers that best show off Juris' impressive flexibility. ~Scott Yanow

Night Tripper

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Adam Makowicz Trio - My Favorite Things - Music of Richard Rodgers

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:01
Size: 147,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:03)  1. Where Or When
(5:26)  2. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(5:19)  3. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
(6:42)  4. My Favorite Things
(6:16)  5. The Lady Is A Tramp
(4:00)  6. This Can't Be Love
(4:29)  7. My Funny Valentine
(6:33)  8. My Romance
(6:30)  9. Lover
(7:36) 10. It Might As Well Be Spring
(5:02) 11. Have You Met Miss Jones

Adam Makowicz made a strong impression when he first came to the U.S. and at the time, he was often compared to Art Tatum. Although his technique is nearly on Tatum's level, Makowicz has long had his own style, mixing together different aspects of jazz, ranging from swing to hard bop. He started playing jazz in the late '50s and with Tomasz Stanko formed one of the first European free jazz groups, the Jazz Darings. He led his own groups in Warsaw from 1965 on and in 1970 played electric piano in Michal Urbaniak's band. Makowicz also worked with Urszula Dudziak and recorded several albums in Poland before coming to the United States in 1977. Although the initial publicity (when he was championed by John Hammond) has long since died down, Makowicz has, if anything, continued to improve as a pianist. He has recorded many records as a leader for such labels as Columbia, Stash, Choice, Sheffield Lab, Novus, and Concord. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/adam-makowicz-mn0000499915/biography

Personnel: Adam Makowicz (piano), George Mraz (bass), Alan Dawson (drums)

My Favorite Things - Music of Richard Rodgers

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Malene Kjaergard - On Cole Porter

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:08
Size: 116,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:57)  1. Let's Do It
(3:58)  2. Night And Day
(4:19)  3. What Is This Thing Called Love
(4:32)  4. Dream Dancing
(6:47)  5. I Get A Kick Out Of You
(4:42)  6. Anything Goes
(3:17)  7. I Concentrate On You
(6:25)  8. Get Out Of Town
(4:00)  9. Just One Of Those Things
(6:07) 10. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

Kjaergaard/Cigna/Dall interpret the great songbook of the American composer Cole Porter. At a concert with the Kjaergaard/Cigna/Dall Trio you will hear interpretations of standards from the great American composer Cole Porter. The trio has worked intensively on giving the songs new life and making new, up-to-date arrangements. You will hear some of Cole Porters most well known songs such as ”I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, ”Let’s Do It” and ”It’s Alright With Me”, but you will also hear some of the less know though very catchy and beautiful such as ” Get Out Of Town”, ”Dream Dancing” and ”From This Moment On”. http://www.artisttrove.com/artist/863376987114100/Kjaergaard-Cigna-Dall+on+Cole+Porter

Personnel:  Malene Kjærgård (Vocal), Francesco Cigna (Guitar), Tobias Dall Mikkelsen (Double Bass)

On Cole Porter

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Nicholas Payton - Payton's Place

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:27
Size: 164,2 MB
Art: Jazz

(5:54)  1. Zigaboogaloo
(5:26)  2. The Three Trumpeteers
(6:29)  3. Back To The Source
(5:13)  4. A Touch Of Silver
(7:09)  5. Concentric Circles
(5:07)  6. Li'l Duke's Strut
(5:39)  7. Time Traveling
(5:38)  8. With A Song In My Heart
(9:40)  9. Paraphernalia
(4:18) 10. Brownie A La Mode
(5:23) 11. People Make The World Go Round
(5:25) 12. The Last Goodbye

Think of all the great jazz quintets over the years that have used trumpet, tenor saxophone, piano, bass, and drums. They're at the core of the answer to the "What is Jazz?" question, and Nicholas Payton's fourth release as leader honors that tradition. Along with tenor saxophonist Tim Warfield, pianist Anthony Wonsey, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Adonis Rose, the young trumpeter weaves his modern mainstream compositions around echoes of jazz legends; nine of these twelve pieces are Payton's originals. The trumpeter's father, New Orleans bassist Walter Payton, saw to it that his son was exposed to good music from his earliest years. Receiving his first trumpet at age four, sitting in on his father's rehearsals at the house, and performing with his father's jazz ensemble while still in grammar school, Payton had encouragement to suit his talent. Payton attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and the University of New Orleans, but it's the encouragement from family and friends such as Clark Terry, Ellis and Wynton Marsalis, and Doc Cheatham, that seems to have made its mark on the talented youngster; Payton turns 25 this year. Guest Joshua Redman replaces Warfield on "A Touch of Silver" alongside the walking bass, swinging drummer and loping piano accompaniment. He and Payton work well together as a team. The effect is smooth and relaxed, yet they offer the listener just enough spice to keep it interesting. Wynton Marsalis assumes Warfield's chair on "Brownie a la Mode" as the two trumpeters engage in a good-natured cutting contest. "With a Song in my Heart" is performed up-tempo with guest Roy Hargrove sharing the spotlight. "The Three Trumpeters" brings the three together in an easy-going exchange. 

While Marsalis and Payton have distinctively brassy tones, Hargrove's contrasts and serves to round off the edges. Each trumpeter uses a gentle vibrato; they approach accented figures differently, and Marsalis supplies a few 1/2-valve phrases. Payton is in good "trumpet-tooting" company, good mainstream quintet company, and has already made quite a mark on the jazz world. Highly recommended. ~ Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/paytons-place-nicholas-payton-verve-music-group-review-by-jim-santella.php?width=1920

Personnel: Nicholas Payton (trumpet); Joshua Redman, Tim Warfield (tenor saxophone); Roy Hargrove, Wynton Marsalis (trumpet); Anthony Wonsey (piano); Adonis Rose (drums).

Payton's Place

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Clifford Jordan Quartet - Spellbound

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 40:10

Size: 92.0 MB

Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz

Year: 1960/1992

Art: Front

[4:24] 1. Toy

[5:12] 2. Lush Life

[4:39] 3. Moon-A-Tic

[5:50] 4. Spellbound

[5:04] 5. Hot Water

[6:28] 6. Last Night When We Were Young

[8:31] 7. Au Privave

Bass – Spanky DeBrest; Drums – Albert "Tootie" Heath; Piano – Cedar Walton; Producer – Cannonball Adderley; Tenor Saxophone – Clifford Jordan. Recorded: New York City, August 10, 1960.

Tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan was sponsored by Cannonball Adderley on this set for Riverside, reissued on CD under the OJC imprint. At this point, Jordan did not quite have the distinctive sound that he would develop in his period with Charles Mingus, but he was already a strong hard bop stylist. Assisted by pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Spanky DeBrest, and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath, Jordan performs four originals ("Toy" is best known), an unusual waltz version of "Lush Life," the ballad "Last Night When We Were Young," and the romping Charlie Parker blues "Au Privave." It's an excellent straight-ahead outing. ~Scott Yanow

Spellbound

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The New Gary Burton Quartet - Guided Tour

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:31
Size: 147.7 MB
Styles: Vibraphone jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[7:18] 1. Caminos
[5:51] 2. The Lookout
[6:22] 3. Jane Fonda Called Again
[6:31] 4. Jackalope
[6:43] 5. Once Upon A Summertime
[6:03] 6. Sunday's Uncle
[6:54] 7. Remembering Tano
[7:17] 8. Helena
[6:40] 9. Legacy
[4:47] 10. Monk Fish

Gary Burton: vibraphone; Julian Lage: guitar; Scott Colley: bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums.

For some, retirement means winding down and enjoying what life has to offer, after a lifetime spent with the daily grind of making a living. With most musicians, however, while making a living has been a not insignificant challenge, making music can hardly be called a daily grind; it's work, to be sure, but it's also play. Still, for those who have— either by choice, necessity or both—engaged in a career that's a mix of education, recording and gigging, retirement can mean clearing the plate of at least one of those responsibilities.

Such is the case with vibraphonist Gary Burton who, after retiring as Executive Vice President of Boston's Berklee College of Music, has done something he's not done for over three decades: put together a group that's released two consecutive recordings without a change in personnel. The last time he did that, with 1980's Easy as Pie and 1982's Picture This—two ECM recordings that remain on the list of recordings from the German label still awaiting release on CD—he had a sax-led quartet that, in addition to longtime musical partner Steve Swallow, included two young players he'd met through his association with Berklee.

Based on the captivating, bursting-out-of-the-speakers Guided Tour, which follows 2011's similarly impressive Common Ground—Burton's Mack Avenue debut and first recording with the New Gary Burton Quartet—the vibraphonist has brought these three musicians back because, as terrific an opportunity as it undoubtedly is for all of them to work with one of the living legends of the instrument, it's equally clear that they're giving something back, lighting a serious fire underneath Burton that he's not had in a steady band for a long, long time. ~John Kelman

Guided Tour

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Louie Shelton - Jazz Cafe

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:36
Size: 113.5 MB
Styles: Cool jazz, Guitar jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[4:08] 1. Mandalay Sunset
[4:27] 2. Urban Culture
[4:56] 3. New Life
[5:00] 4. Reflections
[5:04] 5. Better Days (Feat. Lua Crofts)
[4:20] 6. Redlight
[4:34] 7. Uptown
[3:59] 8. Shirade
[4:03] 9. Street Walkin'
[5:10] 10. Inner City Blues
[3:49] 11. Pot Luck

Louie Shelton has been delighting the ears of devout music fans for over a half a century. From The Monkeys to John Lennon to Stevie Wonder-Louie Shelton's signature sound has added its own magic to endless records all over the world!

While successfully working within all facets of the music industry in Los Angeles for many years, which includes session guitarist, recording artist, record production, and composing and playing on countless movie scores and television shows, Louie had the opportunity of working closely with the great composers Henry Mancini, Dave Grusin, Quincy Jones and Lalo Schifron. Some of his film/T.V. credits include J.W. Coope, The World Around Us, The Changing World, Crocodile Man, Traveling South, Outlaw Josey Wales with Clint Eastwood, Klute with Jane Fonda & Donald Sutherland, Bloody Mama with Robert De Niro & Shelley Winters.

Jazz Cafe

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Alexis Cole - Ain't We Got Fun

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:45
Size: 102.5 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:57] 1. Ain't We Got Fun
[3:45] 2. Do You Ever Think Of Me
[3:44] 3. Limehouse Blues
[3:14] 4. Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)
[4:59] 5. Bimini Bay
[2:46] 6. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
[4:30] 7. There's A Broken Heart For Every Light On Broadway
[4:07] 8. Indian Summer
[2:33] 9. A Kiss In The Dark
[3:35] 10. Turn Back The Universe And Give Me Yesterday
[3:38] 11. Let The Rest Of The World Go By
[3:49] 12. Till We Meet Again

Vocalist Alexis Cole is an accomplished jazz performer with a sophisticated, urbane style and warm, resonant voice, well suited to traditional standards and swing. Cole has performed with the likes of Rufus Reid, Slide Hampton, Ron Affif, John Hébert, and Norma Winstone. Although based in N.Y.C., she has played and taught in locales worldwide, and holds the position of head of the jazz voice program at SUNY Purchase Born in Queens, New York, on January 28, 1976, Cole grew up in a family with a long history of musical endeavors. Her grandmother on her mother's side, who was a pianist and singer of jazz standards, initially taught Alexis "Pennies from Heaven" and other American popular songs. Her father, also a pianist, singer, and composer, gave her initial piano lessons, albeit briefly. Moving with the family to Florida, Cole was a member of the all-county, all-state, and high-school choirs, and attended the New World School of the Arts on a Young Arts Scholarship, graduating in 1994. In addition, she took private voice lessons, theater training, psychology, philosophy, writing, and history classes, all of which formed a basis for her world-view. She did her first professional engagements as a teenager at a hotel in South Beach. Initially enrolling at the University of Miami in their jazz studies program, Cole returned to the New York area, attaining her B.A. in music in 1996 at William Patterson University in New Jersey, tutored by Nancy Marano and Todd Coolman, and studied classical voice with Nan Guptil-Crain, who was also a big spiritual influence. In 1999, Cole released her independent debut album, Very Early, featuring accompaniment from pianist Harry Pickens. In 2005, Cole returned with her sophomore solo album, Nearer the Sun, with pianist Ben Stivers. The following year, she earned her M.A. from Queens College, and then taught privately at the 92nd Street YMCA in N.Y.C. before becoming a resident instructor at the University of San Francisco, the University of North Carolina, back at Queens College, and eventually at the Berklee School of Music satellite program in Quito, Ecuador. Also around this time, Cole attended the Jazz India Vocal Institute in Mumbai (where she trained in Indian classical singing). She also participated in the Art of Jazz in Toronto, and was the music director of the Jan Hus Presbyterian Church in N.Y.C. from 2004-2006. In 2007, she delivered her third full-length album, Zingaro, which found her shifting from piano accompaniment and working with bassist Jeff Eckels and guitarist Ron Affif. Two years later, she released her first holiday-themed album, The Greatest Gift. Since the late 2000s, Cole has continued to find intriguing ways to reinvestigate American popular standards, focusing on the theme of the innocence and beauty of youth for 2010's Someday My Prince Will Come, paying tribute to the late jazz baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams on 2012's I Carry Your Heart, and going for utter sultry romanticism with 2013's Close Your Eyes. In 2014, Cole released the quartet album of standards, A Kiss in the Dark, featuring guitarist Saul Rubin, saxophonist/clarinetist Dan Block, bassist Pat O'Leary, and drummer Phil Stewart. Beautiful Friendship arrived in 2015. ~ Michael G. Nastos

Ain't We Got Fun

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Al Grey, Isauro Hernández, Wallace Davenport - Jam Session Goes Latin

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:23
Size: 74.2 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[6:38] 1. Manteca
[4:55] 2. The Girl From Ipanema
[4:34] 3. Makin' Whoopee
[3:31] 4. What A Difference A Day Makes
[3:05] 5. What Kind Of Fool Am I
[6:27] 6. Lover Man
[3:10] 7. Miami Latin Beat

Bass: Wyatt Ruther; Conga Drums: Isauro Hernández; Drums : Rufus Jones; Piano: Noahwell Cruz; Sax & Flute: Bobby Platter; Singer: Ricardo Reyes; Trombone: Al Grey; Trumpet: Wallace Davenport.

Al Gray served in some of the most renowned jazz formations of the 40s and 50s, from Bennie Carter, Jimmie Lunceford, and Lionel Hampton to the energetic orchestras of Dizzy Gillespie or Count Basie. Al Gray also led some adventures, along with saxophonists Bruce Mitchell and Jimmy Forrest, and in recent years appeared alongside venerable musicians such as Buddy Tate or endorsing his son Mike, trombonist like him.

The laughing Al Gray was fundamental to the gestation of the bebop in the 40, endowing the rigid trombone with the energy and vividness that had imposed Charlie Parker with his style. Al Gray is undoubtedly one of the best trombonists of the "middle ages" of jazz, both because of the strong vibrations that bring his instrument, and because of the wealth of musical ideas, always very concentrated in the essential, exempt phrasing Of rhetoric. In fact, Al Gray made his debut with the Benny Carter Orchestra in 1945, and this circumstance allowed him to demonstrate from the beginning his qualities as a soloist, thanks to Carter who granted much space to the musicians of his band. This made certain natural qualities in Gray were refined, which together with his strong attack and an innate rhythmic sensitivity in the field of "swing" made him a very interesting musician. With Carter he used the excellent arrangements of this one. (Translated from Spanish.)

Jam Session Goes Latin

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Lucky Thompson - Tricotism

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:00
Size: 151,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. Bo-Bi My Boy
(3:51)  2. OP Meets LT
(4:34)  3. Tricotism
(4:31)  4. Deep Passion
(4:03)  5. Old Reliable
(4:02)  6. Translation
(5:01)  7. Tom-Kattin'
(5:11)  8. A Lady's Vanity
(3:09)  9. Dancing Sunbeam
(3:32) 10. Mister Man
(4:45) 11. The Plain But the Simple Truth
(2:49) 12. Little Tenderfoot
(4:03) 13. Once There Was
(4:38) 14. N R #1
(3:11) 15. N R #2
(4:33) 16. Good Luck

Lucky Thompson creates a host of spectacular improvisations on the 16 songs on this wonderful CD reissue. It is comprised of two 1956 sessions; one features Thompson heading a trio backed by bassist Oscar Pettiford and guitarist Skeeter Best, and the other has him heading either a quartet or quintet including the great trombonist Jimmy Cleveland. Cleveland's smooth, superbly articulated phrases and statements rank alongside Thompson's gliding lines in their brilliance, and pianist Hank Jones (on three cuts) also sparkles with some marvelous solos. 

But Thompson is the star on this date, his elegant yet robust and exuberant playing demonstrating again what a loss his voluntary departure from the scene has constituted. ~ Ron Wynn http://www.allmusic.com/album/tricotism-mw0000105728

Personnel:  Lucky Thompson - tenor sax;  Jimmy Cleveland – trombone;  Hank Jones, Don Abney – piano;  Skeeter Best – guitar;  Oscar Pettiford – bass;  Osie Johnson - drums

Tricotism

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