Robin Kenyatta - Stompin' At The Savoy

Styles: Flute And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:38
Size: 88,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:28)  1. Stompin' At The Savoy
(3:07)  2. Smooth Sailing
(9:59)  3. The Need To Smile
(2:29)  4. Two Bass Blues
(5:23)  5. Neither One Of Us
(4:32)  6. Mellow In The Park
(3:59)  7. Jessica
(5:37)  8. River Boat

A great blend of older jazz styles and the sweet 70s funk of Robin Kenyatta served up with a hip sort of sparkle overall! There's a few familiar jazz modes in here that definitely live up to the spirit of the title but most of the record is more open, laidback, and somewhat spiritual thanks to help from a hip lineup that includes Billy Harper on tenor sax, Dwight Brewster and Larry Willis on electric piano, Winston Wright on organ, Lew Soloff on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone! Some of the best tracks here are surprisingly open and earthy almost pointing back towards Kenyatta's Until album, but a bit more inside and other cuts have a warmer sort of 70s glow, more in the mode that Robin was hitting on other Atlantic albums of the time. Titles include "The Need To Smile", "Mellow In The Park", "Jessica", "River Boat", "Two Bass Blues", and "Smooth Sailing". © 1996-2017, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/475315

Personnel: Robin Kenyatta (flute, saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Tasha Thomas, Robin Clark, Carl Hall (vocals); David Spinozza (guitar, electric guitar); Hux Brown (guitar); Billy Harper (tenor saxophone); Lew Soloff (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jimmy Knepper (trombone); Gladstone Anderson, Neville Hinds, Sonelius Smith (piano); Dr. John (electric piano, keyboards); Dwight Brewster, Larry Willis (electric piano); Winston Wright (organ); Ron Carter (bass instrument, acoustic bass, upright bass, electric bass); Lewis Worrell, Walter Booker (acoustic bass); Chuck Rainey, Jackie Jackson (electric bass); Alphonse Mouzon, Winston Grennan, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie (drums); Gilmore Digap (congas, tambourine); Guilherme Franco, Ralph MacDonald, Joao Palma (percussion).

Stompin' At The Savoy

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Linda Kosut - Life Is But A Dream

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:12
Size: 103,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:47)  1. I Think It's Going To Rain Today
(4:02)  2. Walking In Memphis
(2:56)  3. Peel Me a Grape
(3:53)  4. Skylark
(3:20)  5. Teach Me Tonight
(4:03)  6. Come To My House
(4:23)  7. My Romance
(2:10)  8. If I Were A Bell
(3:23)  9. What You'd Call A Dream
(3:30) 10. Dat Dere
(4:51) 11. Factory/The Mason - Medley
(4:48) 12. Boats Against The Current

Linda Kosut, a San Francisco-based vocalist, is known for her unique stylings of jazz standards and pop tunes. She is a moving and entertaining performer who brings authentic passion and interpretative skill to lyrics and the "story" song. She has performed in many of San Francisco's nightclubs including the renowned Empire Plush Room, Jazz at Pearl's, Anna's Jazz Island, etc. Her tours have included stops at the Gardenia and Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles, Chicago's Davenport's and New York's Triad, Encore and Reprise Room at Dillon's. Linda is a founder of the San Francisco vocal trio The Kitchenettes and she teaches performance technique. Linda is a 1990 Fellow of the Cabaret Symposium of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and a former student of New York's Actors' Institute. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/kosut

Life Is But A Dream

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David Benoit - Here's To You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years!

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:54
Size: 96,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:06)  1. Linus and Lucy
(4:18)  2. Charlie Brown Theme
(4:38)  3. Pebble Beach
(4:30)  4. Linus Tells Charlie
(4:34)  5. Frieda
(5:17)  6. Christmas Time Is Here
(3:08)  7. Getting Ready
(4:05)  8. Blue Charlie Brown
(4:28)  9. Red Baron
(3:47) 10. Happiness

An album of Peanuts-related music performed by David Benoit is a no-brainer, not only because of the retirement and death of Charles Schultz, who drew the comic strip, but also because Benoit has in recent years taken over writing the music for the ongoing series of shows, which were scored originally by Vince Guaraldi. Benoit emphasizes his predecessor by devoting seven of the album's ten tracks to Guaraldi compositions. Unfortunately, he begins with one of those exercises in necrophilia that is usually the province of the less-talented progeny of great singers, overdubbing a few of his own unnecessary noodlings on the original recording of "Linus and Lucy." Fortunately, things improve after that, as the trio of Benoit, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Peter Erskine is joined by a series of high-profile guest musicians: guitarist Marc Antoine on "Pebble Beach" and "Red Baron"; trumpeter Chris Botti on Benoit's "Linus Tells Charlie"; saxophonist Michael Brecker on "Freda"; and guitarist Russell Malone on "Blue Charlie Brown." Despite the spring release date, the inclusion of the near-standard "Christmas Time Is Here" is inevitable, and here it's sung by Take 6. In an inspired move, the album closes with Al Jarreau's winsome take on "Happiness," a song from the stage musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. All in all, this is a pleasant, if minor, addition to Benoit's catalog. ~ William Ruhlmann http://www.allmusic.com/album/heres-to-you-charlie-brown-50-great-years%21-mw0000061082

Personnel: David Benoit (piano); Al Jarreau, Take 6 (vocals); Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Chris Botti (trumpet); Vince Guaraldi (piano); Marc Antoine, Russell Malone (guitar); Christian McBride (bass); Peter Erskine (drums).

Here's To You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years!

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Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels On A Gravel Road

Styles: Country
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:49
Size: 120,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:36)  1. Right In Time
(4:44)  2. Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
(4:42)  3. 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
(3:20)  4. Drunken Angel
(3:08)  5. Concrete And Barbed Wire
(5:28)  6. Lake Charles
(3:28)  7. Can't Let Go
(3:31)  8. I Lost It
(3:30)  9. Metal Firecracker
(3:23) 10. Greenville
(4:09) 11. Still I Long For Your Kiss
(4:01) 12. Joy
(3:42) 13. Jackson

It isn't surprising that Lucinda Williams' level of craft takes time to assemble, but the six-year wait between Sweet Old World and its 1998 follow-up, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, still raised eyebrows. The delay stemmed both from label difficulties and Williams' meticulous perfectionism, the latter reportedly over a too-produced sound and her own vocals. Listening to the record, one can understand why both might have concerned Williams. Car Wheels is far and away her most produced album to date, which is something of a mixed blessing. Its surfaces are clean and contemporary, with something in the timbres of the instruments (especially the drums) sounding extremely typical of a late-'90s major-label roots-rock album. While that might subtly alter the timeless qualities of Williams' writing, there's also no denying that her sound is punchier and livelier. The production also throws Williams' idiosyncratic voice into sharp relief, to the point where it's noticeably separate from the band. As a result, every inflection and slight tonal alteration is captured, and it would hardly be surprising if Williams did obsess over those small details. But whether or not you miss the earthiness of Car Wheels' predecessors, it's ultimately the material that matters, and Williams' songwriting is as captivating as ever. Intentionally or not, the album's common thread seems to be its strongly grounded sense of place specifically, the Deep South, conveyed through images and numerous references to specific towns. Many songs are set, in some way, in the middle or aftermath of not-quite-resolved love affairs, as Williams meditates on the complexities of human passion. Even her simplest songs have more going on under the surface than their poetic structures might indicate. In the end, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road is Williams' third straight winner; although she might not be the most prolific songwriter of the '90s, she's certainly one of the most brilliant. ~ Steve Huey http://www.allmusic.com/album/car-wheels-on-a-gravel-road-mw0000028744

Personnel: Lucinda Williams (vocals, acoustic guitar, dobro); Buddy Miller (acoustic & electric guitars, mando guitar, background vocals); Steve Earle (acoustic & resonator guitars, harmonica, background vocals); Gurf Morlix (6 & 12 string electric guitars, electric & acoustic slide guitars, background vocals); Charlie Sexton (electric & slide guitars, dobro); Johnny Lee Schell (electric & slide guitars, dobro); Bo Ramsey (electric & slide guitars); Ray Kennedy, Greg Leisz (12 string electric guitar, mandolin); Richard "Hombre" Price (dobro); Roy Bittan (accordion, Hammond B-3 organ, organ); Michael Smotherman (Hammond B-3 organ); John Ciambotti (acoustic & electric basses); Donald Lindley (drums, percussion); Jim Lauderdale, Emmylou Harris (background vocals).

Car Wheels On A Gravel Road

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Russell Malone - Time For The Dancers

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:14
Size: 114,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:16)  1. Time For The Dancers
(6:09)  2. Leave It To Lonnie
(6:29)  3. The Ballad Of Hank Crawford
(5:07)  4. There'll Be Another Spring
(5:53)  5. Pocket Watch
(4:55)  6. Theme From Chico And The Man
(4:20)  7. And So It Goes
(6:15)  8. Little B's Poem
(3:47)  9. Flowers For Emmett Till

If 2016's All About Melody showcased Russell Malone's love of a good melodic song, then 2017's Time for the Dancers finds him building upon that sentiment and celebrating his affinity for sweet, rhythmic grooves. The guitarist's third album for High Note, Time for the Dancers is a fluid, engaging production that finds Malone straddling the line between urbane, acoustic jazz standards, earthy funk, and virtuosic balladry. Helping him achieve this superlative balance are longtime bandmates pianist Rick Germanson, bassist Luke Sellick, and drummer Willie Jones III. Together, they play with the kind of nuanced interplay and sensitivity that come with years of live performance which they have. With his acoustic, hollow-body guitar and warm, un-effected sound, Malone comes off as a grounded, no-nonsense musician; a swing-friendly progenitor of straight-ahead jazz and standards. All of which is true and evident here. That said, he's also an incredibly soulful improvisationalist with a wide-ranging ear for all kinds of music. What's so invigorating about his approach is just how seamlessly he is able to incorporate all that he hears into one gorgeously realized style. In that sense, he brings to mind a balance of such elder luminaries as Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, and yes, George Benson. From the buoyant and dreamy, '60s-influenced title track to the bluesy twang of "The Ballad of Hank Crawford," Malone grounds the proceedings with his steady, rhythmic swing and perfectly timed attack. It's a skill most evident on his funk-infused homage to his longtime friend, bassist Lonnie Plaxico, on "Leave It to Lonnie." Centered on a tasty bass riff, the song finds Malone slowly building his groove-based solo, weaving in bits of crunchy atonalism and deliciously bluesy asides. Elsewhere, he applies an equally compelling energy to Jose Feliciano's breezy "Theme from 'Chico and the Man'," and a poetic, gorgeously rendered, classically influenced solo take on Billy Joel's ballad "And So It Goes."~ Matt Collar http://www.allmusic.com/album/time-for-the-dancers-mw0003062170

Personnel: Russell Malone (guitar); Rick Germanson (piano); Willie Jones III (drums).

Time For The Dancers

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Chuck Loeb - Mediterranean

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:24
Size: 149,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:46)  1. Mediterranean
(4:52)  2. Mr. Z
(4:56)  3. Heart
(6:12)  4. Discipline
(6:12)  5. Twelve
(4:42)  6. Let It Be
(4:51)  7. In the Paint
(5:31)  8. FYI
(6:28)  9. Far Star
(4:45) 10. Memory Lane
(5:15) 11. Carbo Fuel
(4:49) 12. Autumn

Guitarist Chuck Loeb ends up with an enjoyable yet very typical collection on this outing. Typical, meaning easy to swallow and occasionally remarkable but for the most part the kind of music radio eats up and listeners have been saturated with. We've heard this kind of thing before. Loeb's tender and breezy acoustic work dominates, but the electric fire he sets on go for broke zoomers like "Mr. Z" and "Carbo Fuel" are far more distinctive and better worth the price of admission. As a composer, Loeb is more than able, but his blistering contributions to Nelson Rangell's projects far surpass the mellow fare he presents here. Rangell, fellow saxman Bill Evans and keyboardist Mitch Forman add lots of spark and improvisational energy to a disc that simply needs a little less cool breeze and more electric gale. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/mediterranean-mw0000098754

Personnel: Chuck Loeb (guitar, keyboards); Elizabeth Loeb, Christina Loeb, Carmen Cuesta (vocals); Paul Peabody (violin); Nelson Rangell (flute, piccolo, alto saxophone); Bill Evans (tenor saxophone); Mitchel Forman (piano, keyboards); Clint DeGanon, Zach Danziger (drums); David Charles (percussion).

R.I.P.
Born - December 7, 1955
Died - July 31, 2017

Mediterranean

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Eddie Calvert - It's Impossible And Other Great Hits

Styles: Trumpet Instrumental
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:02
Size: 82,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:20)  1. I Just Can't Help Believing
(3:18)  2. It's Impossible
(2:22)  3. Don't Let It Die
(3:15)  4. Love Story
(3:07)  5. We've Only Just Begun
(2:10)  6. Till
(3:07)  7. Another Time,Another Place
(3:23)  8. Man Without Love
(2:34)  9. Dream Baby
(3:03) 10. Home Lovin' Man
(2:22) 11. It's Only Makebelieve
(2:56) 12. My World Is Yours

Eddie Calvert, known as the man with the golden trumpet, was born in Preston, Lancashire on the 15th March 1922 as Albert Edward Calvert. As a child he was exposed to his family's love of brass band music and he learned to play many brass instruments but concentrated on the trumpet. He joined the Preston Town Silver Band at the age of 11 but the war interrupted his musical career and by the late 1940s he returned to play in various amateur brass bands, eventually moving to the professional circuit with the dance bands Geraldo and Billy Ternet. Going solo, he appeared on TV with the Stanley Black Orchestra. He signed to the Columbia label, part of the EMI group and released an instrumental trumpet version of the German song Oh Mein Papa which had most famously been covered in English as Oh My Papa by Eddie Fisher. Calvert's instrumental easily won the chart battle in the UK and it remained at no.1 for nine weeks at the beginning of 1954. Over a year later he was involved in another chart battle for supremacy with the song Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White and this time it was much closer with both his and a very similar trumpet version by Perez Prado reaching no.1 in the Spring of 1955. Several other hits followed including a version of Stranger In Paradise, John And Julie and Mandy, while Little Serenade was his final hit in June 1958. When the 1960s provided no change of fortune, Calvert moved away to settle in South Africa where he lived out the remainder of his life, dying on the 7th of August 1978. ~ Sharon Mawer  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/eddie-calvert-mn0000793645

It's Impossible And Other Great Hits

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Herb Alpert - Herb Alpert & Colors

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:29
Size: 106,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. Libertango
(6:33)  2. The Look of Love
(5:32)  3. Colors
(3:34)  4. i Want You
(4:16)  5. Think About it
(5:04)  6. Dorita
(3:38)  7. Lady in My Life
(3:22)  8. Love at First Glance
(5:56)  9. Magic Man
(4:32) 10. Slow Train

It would be easy for the former Tijuana Brassman and founder of A&M to just rest on his career achievements or just make music to pass the time, but instead, the 60-something trumpeter rings in with one of the year's most remarkable jams. Alpert's recent output has ranged from the heart of smooth jazz (Second Wind, produced by Jeff Lorber) to fiery Latin (Passion Dance), but here the muse takes him to the mystical world of studio-bred trip-hop. Working with multi-instrumentalists and producers Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbush, Alpert surrounds his muted trumpet with hypnotic vibes and ambiences some of which seem to drift into the sonic atmospheres, others bred from thick machine generated exotic percussion textures percolating over throbbing urban bass grooves. While ethereal experimentation with tons of cool studio equipment and sonic possibilities seems to be the general philosophy, he hasn't forgotten his Latin roots. The opening track, "Libertango," features a lighthearted horn melody drifting over a throbbing urban bass groove, percussion clicks, and the galloping flamenco flavors of Wimbish's acoustic guitar, all wrapped up in a dramatic synth orchestral sweep. "Dorita" centers Bernard Fowler's Spanish vocals amidst a wacky swirl of pitter patter and marching percussion, spacey sound effects, exotic soundscaping, moody retro keyboards, and Alpert's catchy, laid-back melody. Bridging past and present, Alpert approaches Burt Bachrach's "The Look of Love" as if it were a Miles Davis/Brian Eno collaboration, his smoky horn enhanced by his wife Lani Hall's breathy vocals. He also covers himself with a new hip-hop shuffle arrangement of his popular early-'80s gem, "Magic Man." Older and wiser than either Rick Braun or Chris Botti, Alpert gives the genre's two top horn guns a powerful run for their smooth jazz money. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/colors-mw0000667240

Personnel: Herb Alpert (vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn); Will Calhoun (vocals, snare drum, percussion); Lani Hall (vocals, sampler); Bernard Fowler (vocals); Heitor Pereira (guitar); Doug Wimbish (acoustic guitar, trumpet); Jorge "Coco" Trivisonno (bandoneon); Bernie Worrell (organ, keyboards); Gregory Smith (keyboards, programming); Eduardo del Barrio (string synthesizer, sampler); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Danny Saber (programming).

Herb Alpert & Colors

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Ahmad Jamal - The Essence, Part 1

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:22
Size: 127,4 MB
Art: Front

( 6:33)  1. Flight
( 6:56)  2. Toulouse
(10:14)  3. The Essence
( 5:49)  4. Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)
( 6:44)  5. Catalina
( 6:58)  6. Autumn Leaves
( 5:33)  7. Street Of Dreams
( 6:34)  8. Bahia

Mostly recorded in Paris, with two additional tracks from New York, this absorbing collection is a testament to the continuing ability of Ahmad Jamal to startle and engage jazz listeners who are tired of Tyner/Evans clones and want to hear something different. An equal mixture of standards and Jamal compositions, some of which move through several contrasting sections, this CD reaches its peaks when Jamal and company dive in and work around a single bass ostinato and a propulsive rhythm groove. Bassists James Cammack (Paris) and Jamil Nasser (New York) provide the former, drummer Idris Muhammad and percussionist Manolo Badrena are in charge of the latter, and a tough-sounding George Coleman turns up on tenor on the New York tracks. One fascinating quirk  Jamal seemed fixated upon Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments" at these sessions, for he quotes the tune several times on the album. These sessions were so fruitful that Verve was able to serve up a tasty second helping a year later. ~ Richard S.Ginell http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-essence-pt-1-mw0000732792

Personnel: Ahmad Jamal (piano); George Coleman (tenor saxophone); Jamil Nasser, James Cammack (bass); Idris Muhammad (drums); Manolo Badrena (percussion).

The Essence, Part 1

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Al Hirt - Latin In The Horn

Styles: Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:21
Size: 73,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:37)  1. Baia
(2:50)  2. Frenesi
(2:27)  3. Taboo
(2:38)  4. Angelitos Negros
(2:57)  5. Meditation (Meditaçao)
(2:35)  6. A Sky Without Stars (Un Cielo Sin Estrellas)
(2:18)  7. Gringo A-Go-Go
(3:11)  8. Manhã De Carnaval
(2:56)  9. Margarita
(2:03) 10. What A Diff'rence A Day Made
(1:59) 11. Be True To Me (Sabor A Mi)
(2:45) 12. Desafinado

A lush, easy-going Brazilian outing, Latin in the Horn is aided substantially by the sophistication Lalo Schifrin brings to Hirt's cotton candy. Schifrin's orchestra waxes elegantly while Hirt's restraint is a pleasant surprise. Even though this outing post-dates the "Bossa Nova" fad by a few years, Schifrin was always masterful in this style. Listeners will certainly want to hear the magic Schifrin weaves on beauties like "Taboo," "Angelitos Negros," "Margarita," "Be True To Me" and the two Schifrin originals ("A Sky Without Stars" and "Gringo A Go Go"). http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/al-hirt-albums/2161-latin-in-the-horn.html

Personnel:  Al Hirt (tp), Lalo Schifrin (arr, dir)

Latin In The Horn

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Karin Krog & John Surman - Bluesand

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:03
Size: 126,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:44)  1. The Nightingale
(3:19)  2. Ribbon Of Sand
(4:50)  3. Sombre Woods
(4:33)  4. Voice Shadow
(4:26)  5. It Could Be Hip
(7:03)  6. Don't Just Sing
(2:50)  7. SAS Blues
(2:41)  8. So Blue
(6:31)  9. Bluesand
(1:52) 10. Hiden Dreams
(5:31) 11. Secret Games
(6:38) 12. Fly Away

An adventurous singer who is quite versatile, Karin Krog is able to sing anything from standards to fairly free improvisations. She made her recording debut in 1964, appeared at many jazz festivals in Europe in the mid-'60s, and in 1967, came to the U.S., performing and recording with the Don Ellis Orchestra and Clare Fischer's trio. A world traveler based in Europe, Krog has recorded fairly steadily through the years, using such sidemen as Kenny Drew, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, Jan Garbarek, Ted Curson, Dexter Gordon, Palle Mikkelborg, Steve Kuhn, Steve Swallow, Archie Shepp, Bengt Hallberg, and John Surman; she has made records for Philips, Sonet, Polydor, and other European labels. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/mt/album/bluesand/id296953304

Bluesand

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Kenny Drew - Swingin' Love

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:23
Size: 120,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:48)  1. But Not For Me
(6:16)  2. My Romance
(7:29)  3. Stella By Starlight
(5:31)  4. Autumn Leaves
(5:24)  5. Nature Boy
(4:01)  6. Like Someone In Love
(5:06)  7. You Don't Know What Love Is
(5:15)  8. Begin The Beguine
(4:29)  9. Here's That Rainy Day

A talented bop-based pianist (whose son has been one of the brightest pianists of the 1990s), Kenny Drew was somewhat underrated due to his decision to permanently move to Copenhagen in 1964. He made his recording debut in 1949 with Howard McGhee and in the 1950s was featured on sessions with a who's who of jazz, including Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Milt Jackson, Buddy DeFranco's quartet, Dinah Washington, and Buddy Rich (1958). Drew led sessions for Blue Note, Norgran, Pacific Jazz, Riverside, and the obscure Judson label during 1953-1960; most of the sessions are available on CD. He moved to Paris in 1961 and relocated to Copenhagen in 1964 where he was co-owner of the Matrix label. He formed a duo with Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson and worked regularly at the Montmartre. Drew recorded many dates for SteepleChase in the 1970s and remained active up until his death. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/kenny-drew-mn0000081841/biography

Personnel:  Kenny Drew (piano); Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (bass);  Ed Pedersen (drums)

Swingin' Love

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Thelonious Monk - Something in Blue

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1971
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:39
Size: 91,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:27)  1. Blue Sphere
(7:55)  2. Hackensack
(5:14)  3. Nice Work If You Can Get It
(3:43)  4. Criss Cross
(6:40)  5. Something in Blue
(5:25)  6. Evidence
(3:30)  7. Jackie-Ing
(4:42)  8. Nutty

Alan Bates took Thelonious Monk into the studio for his first trio recording in fifteen years with his old sidekick Art Blakey. It has been said often enough that Blakey is the ideal drummer for Monk, and one has only to hear them together again after all this time to realize the truth of the statement. If Blakey at times seems to push the pianist almost too hard, that is in fact the nature of their musical relationship. And, throughout the session, Blakey appeared to be vying with the producer in alternately cajoling and coercing Monk into fulfilling various requests from the small invited audience. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Something-Blue-THELONIOUS-MONK/dp/B003BI9UUY

Personnel:  Piano – Thelonious Monk;  Bass – Al McKibbon;  Drums – Art Blakey 

Something in Blue

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Karel Boehlee Trio - Luiza

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:25
Size: 136,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:06)  1. Atrás Da Porta
(4:45)  2. Bouquet
(5:14)  3. Madalena
(5:37)  4. Besame Mucho
(6:27)  5. Luiza
(6:16)  6. Por Toda Minha Vida
(5:03)  7. Favela
(5:07)  8. Coração Vagabundo
(6:40)  9. Bilhete
(6:37) 10. Corcovado
(3:28) 11. Brazilian Sugar

The Karel Boehlee trio was founded in 2003, with band members Hein Van de Geijn, and Hans van Oosterhout. In the meantime they made 7 cd's for M&I records. (nowadays it is a part of Pony Canyon). The music is a mixture of jazz-, classical- and popmusic, and therefore it is not a traditional jazztrio. It sounds very delicate and detailed, and yet the music is not complicated. The Karel Boehlee Trio plays jazzstandards, but also the standards from artists like Stevie Wonder and Donald Fagen. They are very popular in asia, especially in Japan and Korea. https://www.last.fm/music/Karel+Boehlee+Trio/+wiki

Luiza

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Ann Savoy & Her Sleepless Knights - Black Coffee

Size: 102,6 MB
Time: 43:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Jazz, Vocals
Art: Front

01. I Cried For You (3:34)
02. Whoa, Tilly, Take Your Time (3:01)
03. Nuages (2:54)
04. Black Coffee (3:55)
05. If It Ain't Love (3:28)
06. You've Been A Good Ole Wagon (2:45)
07. My Funny Valentine (4:20)
08. Cette Chanson Est Pour Vous (4:03)
09. If You Were Mine (3:47)
10. New Orleans Blues (3:18)
11. Embraceable You (Feat. Tom Mitchell) (4:17)
12. J'attendrai (4:11)

Cajun singer Ann Savoy & Her Sleepless Knights turn in another re-creation of French-style acoustic jazz of the mid-20th century on their second album, Black Coffee. The model, of course, is the Hot Club of France, with lead guitarist Tom Mitchell making like Django Reinhardt and fiddler Kevin Wimmer like Stéphane Grappelli. That group didn't have a vocalist, of course, but here Savoy takes vocal choruses in between the jazz solos with the exuberance and phrasing of Maria Muldaur, though she is more of a straight contralto, lacking Muldaur's high notes. To add to the effect, she sometimes sings in French, with an accent often more suggestive of Baton Rouge than Paris. It's all quite pleasant, if in a distinctly retro manner. ~by William Ruhlmann

Black Coffee 

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Kenny Dorham - Quiet Kenny

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:08
Size: 99,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:38)  1. Lotus Blossom
(5:05)  2. My Ideal
(8:44)  3. Blue Friday
(3:11)  4. Alone Together
(7:36)  5. Blue Spring Shuffle
(4:38)  6. I Had the Craziest Dream
(5:12)  7. Old Folks
(3:01)  8. Mack the Knife

In the liner notes of Quiet Kenny, former Downbeat magazine publisher Jack Maher states that trumpeter Kenny Dorham's music is not necessarily the demure, balladic, rapturous jazz one might associate as romantic or tranquil. Cool and understated might be better watchwords for what the ultra-melodic Dorham achieves on this undeniably well crafted set of standards and originals that is close to containing his best work overall during a far too brief career. Surrounded by an excellent rhythm team of the equally sensitive pianist Tommy Flanagan, emerging bassist Paul Chambers, and the always-beneficial drummer Art Taylor, Dorham and his mates are not prone to missteps or overt exaggerations. One of Dorham's all-time best tunes "Lotus Blossom" kicks off the set with its bop to Latin hummable melody, fluid dynamics, and Dorham's immaculate, unpretentious tone. "Old Folks," a classic ballad, is done mid-tempo, while the true "quiet" factor comes into play on interesting version of "My Ideal" where Dorham gingerly squeezes out the slippery wet notes, and on the sad ballad "Alone Together." The rest of the material is done in easygoing, unforced fashion, especially the originals "Blue Friday" and the simple swinger "Blue Spring Shuffle" which is not really a shuffle. Never known as a boisterous or brash player, but also not a troubadour of romanticism until he started singing Dorham's music is also far from complacent, and this recording established him as a Top Five performer in jazz on his instrument. It comes recommended to all. ~ Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/quiet-kenny-mw0000649483

Personnel: Kenny Dorham (trumpet); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Art Taylor (drums).

Quiet Kenny

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LaVerne Butler - No Looking Back

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:34
Size: 112,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:35)  1. The Song Is You
(6:13)  2. I Cover the Waterfront
(4:10)  3. Sunday in New York
(5:29)  4. Speak Low
(2:50)  5. It's Alright with Me
(6:10)  6. Easy to Love
(4:18)  7. Isn't It a Pity?
(4:20)  8. Make Me Rainbows
(6:28)  9. Ballad Medley
(3:57) 10. Come Fly with Me

If justice had prevailed, No Looking Back would have made LaVerne Butler well known in jazz circles, but this fine debut was more of an artistic success than a commercial one. In contrast to the laidback, relaxed mood and pop influences that defined the singer's sophomore effort, Day Dreamin', No Looking Back is very much a hardcore bop effort. Butler's impressive phrasing sounds like a combination of Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, but when she passionately tears into hard-swinging, high-energy interpretations of "It's Alright With Me," "Sunday In New York" and "The Song Is You," it's clear that Butler is very much her own person. Equally captivating are a sensuous bossa nova take on "Speak Low" and an unexpected version of "Come Fly With Me," which was defined by Frank Sinatra but also fares quite well in Butler's capable hands. Guest Joe Henderson (tenor sax) is in excellent form on "I Cover the Waterfront," "Easy to Love" and "The Song Is You," all of which prove that the ton of favorable publicity he was receiving in the early to mid-1990s was well deserved. This is a CD that fans of straight-ahead jazz singing should make a point of searching for. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/no-looking-back-mw0000121830

Personnel:  Vocal - Laverne Butler; Acoustic Guitar – Romero Lubambo;  Bass – Chip Jackson;  Drums – Klaus Sounsaari;  Piano, Arranged By – Mike Renzi;  Tenor Saxophone – Chris Potter (2), Joe Henderson;  Trumpet – Joe Magnarelli, Jon Faddis

No Looking Back

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George Shearing - The Many Facets Of George Shearing

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:11
Size: 118,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:56)  1. Here, There And Everywhere
(3:27)  2. Moonlight In Vermont
(3:09)  3. Yours Is My Heart Alone
(4:18)  4. It Never Entered My Mind
(5:14)  5. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
(3:40)  6. Mack The Knife
(3:15)  7. While We're Young
(6:40)  8. Pensativa
(4:05)  9. Falling In Love With You Again
(6:36) 10. Put Your Little Foot Right Out
(4:45) 11. Misty

For a long stretch of time in the 1950s and early '60s, George Shearing had one of the most popular jazz combos on the planet so much so that, in the usual jazz tradition of distrusting popular success, he tended to be underappreciated. Shearing's main claim to fame was the invention of a unique quintet sound, derived from a combination of piano, vibraphone, electric guitar, bass, and drums. Within this context, Shearing would play in a style he called "locked hands," which he picked up and refined from Milt Buckner's early-'40s work with the Lionel Hampton band, as well as Glenn Miller's sax section and the King Cole Trio. Stating the melody on the piano with closely knit, harmonized block chords, with the vibes and guitar tripling the melody in unison, Shearing sold tons of records for MGM and Capitol in his heyday. The wild success of this urbane sound obscures Shearing's other great contribution during this time, for he was also a pioneer of exciting, small-combo Afro-Cuban jazz in the '50s. Indeed, Cal Tjader first caught the Latin jazz bug while playing with Shearing, and the English bandleader also employed such esteemed congueros as Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, and Armando Peraza. As a composer, Shearing was best known for the imperishable, uniquely constructed bop standard "Lullaby of Birdland," as well as "Conception" and "Consternation." His solo style, though all his own, reflected the influences of the great boogie-woogie pianists and classical players, as well as those of Fats Waller, Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, and Bud Powell and fellow pianists long admired his light, refined touch. He was also known to play accordion and sing in a modest voice on occasion.

Shearing, who was born blind, began playing the piano at the age of three, receiving some music training at the Linden Lodge School for the Blind in London as a teenager but picking up the jazz influence from Teddy Wilson and Fats Waller 78s. In the late '30s, he started playing professionally with the Ambrose dance band and made his first recordings in 1937 under the aegis of fellow Brit Leonard Feather. He became a star in Britain, performing for the BBC, playing a key role in the self-exiled Stéphane Grappelli's London-based groups of the early '40s, and winning seven consecutive Melody Maker polls before emigrating in New York City in 1947 at the prompting of Feather. Once there, Shearing quickly absorbed bebop into his bloodstream, replacing Garner in the Oscar Pettiford Trio and leading a quartet in tandem with Buddy DeFranco. In 1949, he formed the first and most famous of his quintets, which included Marjorie Hyams on vibes (thus striking an important blow for emerging female jazz instrumentalists), Chuck Wayne on guitar, John Levy on bass, and Denzil Best on drums. Recording briefly first for Discovery, then Savoy, Shearing settled into lucrative associations with MGM (1950-1955) and Capitol (1955-1969), the latter for which he made albums with Nancy Wilson, Peggy Lee, and Nat King Cole. He also made a lone album for Jazzland with the Montgomery Brothers (including Wes Montgomery) in 1961, and began playing concert dates with symphony orchestras.

After leaving Capitol, Shearing began to phase out his by-then-predictable quintet, finally breaking it up in 1978. He started his own label, Sheba, which lasted for a few years into the early '70s and made some trio recordings for MPS later in the decade. In the '70s, his profile had been lowered considerably, but upon signing with Concord in 1979, Shearing found himself enjoying a renaissance in all kinds of situations. He made a number of acclaimed albums with Mel Tormé, raising the singer's profile in the process, and recorded with the likes of Ernestine Anderson, Jim Hall, Marian McPartland, Hank Jones, and classical French horn player Barry Tuckwell. He also recorded a number of solo piano albums where his full palette of influences came into play. He signed with Telarc in 1992 and from that point through the early 2000s continued to perform and record, most often appearing in a duo or trio setting. Shearing, who had remained largely inactive since 2004 after a fall in his New York City apartment, died of congestive heart failure at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital on February 14, 2011. He was 91. 

~ Richard S.Ginell http://www.allmusic.com/artist/george-shearing-mn0000642664/biography

Personnel: Piano – George Shearing;  Bass – Andrew Simpkins

The Many Facets Of George Shearing

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Earl Hines - Earl Hines Plays Cole Porter

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1953
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:45
Size: 108,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:39)  1. You Do Something to Me
(9:50)  2. Night and Day
(4:08)  3. Rosalie
(8:13)  4. I've Got You Under My Skin
(4:12)  5. I Get A Kick Out Of You
(5:01)  6. What Is This Thing Called Love
(7:39)  7. Easy To Love

This CD reissue of an Earl Hines solo piano session originally made for the Australian Swaggie label is a bit unusual. Hines had apparently not played any of the seven songs (which include such standards as "Night And Day," "What Is This Thing Called Love" and "I Get A Kick Out Of You") previously, nor would they enter his repertoire after the session. No matter, Hines interprets the compositions as if he had been familiar with them for decades. His chancetaking improvisations have their hair raising moments (particularly when he suspends time) and are quite exciting. A superb effort by the immortal pianist who at 71 still seemed to be improving. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/earl-hines-plays-cole-porter-mw0000648319

Personnel: Earl Hines (piano).

Earl Hines Plays Cole Porter

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Cyrus Chestnut - There's A Sweet, Sweet Spirit

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:59
Size: 139,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:20)  1. The Littlest One Of All
(6:53)  2. Chopin Prelude
(7:33)  3. Nardis
(4:50)  4. Little B's Poem
(4:51)  5. Christina
(6:23)  6. CDC
(6:07)  7. You Make Me Feel Brand New
(8:32)  8. Easy Living
(4:51)  9. Rhythm-A-Ning
(5:36) 10. There's A Sweet, Sweet Spirit

Cyrus Chestnut's 2016 effort, the superb Natural Essence, benefitted greatly from his pairing with the duo of bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White. Thankfully, the pianist has followed up with another engaging set featuring the same veteran luminaries. An adept virtuoso talent, Chestnut soars alongside Williams and White on 2017's There's a Sweet Sweet Spirit. Elder jazz statesmen, Williams and White have decades of experience under their hats with credits for such legends as Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey, Woody Shaw, and many others. Similarly, Chestnut has worked with such luminaries as Terence Blanchard, Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, and more. While all of his albums are worth checking out, there is something inspired and kinetic about his playing with Williams and White, as if they are all three pushing each other to discover new avenues of expression. Joining them this time on several tracks is yet another volcanic talent in vibraphonist Steve Nelson. Though he only appears on three cuts, his warm harmonic resonance contrasts beautifully with Chestnut's as they dig into an expansive late-'60s jazz sound on two of vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson's best-known compositions, "Little B's Poem" and "The Littlest One of All." Away from Nelson, Chestnut displays his genre-bending skills on "Chopin Prelude," transfiguring the classical piece first with a cubist Thelonious Monk-style intro and later with a swinging Ellingtonian mid-section. Similarly compelling are the group's muscular and exotic take on Miles Davis' "Nardis" and a spritely reading of Williams' "Christina." Elsewhere, they deliver a languid and romantic take on the Stylistics' 1973 classic "You Make Me Feel Brand New," and dive headlong into the pianist's own Latin-infused "CDC." Ultimately, if there's one overriding sentiment that drives all of There's a Sweet Sweet Spirit, it's Chestnut and his band's spirit of soulful camaraderie. ~ Matt Collar http://www.allmusic.com/album/theres-a-sweet-sweet-spirit-mw0003062378

Personnel: Cyrus Chestnut (piano); Lenny White (drums).

There's A Sweet, Sweet Spirit

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