Lani Misalucha - Reminisce

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:41
Size: 126,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:09)  1. Here There And Everywhere
(3:54)  2. We Could Have It All
(3:58)  3. Skyline Pigeon
(3:51)  4. Bridges
(3:27)  5. I Loved You All The Way
(3:35)  6. Love Of My Life
(3:40)  7. Dust In The Wind
(3:20)  8. Tin Man
(4:49)  9. Healing
(3:59) 10. Get Here
(3:44) 11. Where Is The Love / Feel Like Making Love Medley
(3:55) 12. Someone That I Used To Love
(3:24) 13. Whispering Waves
(4:50) 14. Lisa Pa Lamang

It didn't take long for Filipino singer Lani Misalucha to shed the title of Multiplex Queen and trade it in for the appellation "Asia's Nightingale". During the early years, the vocalist with the exotic looks put in time doing covers of songs made famous by such divas as Celine Dion, Toni Braxton, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey. By the mid-'90s, critics of popular music in Misalucha's native country were calling her a diva in her own right. She took home an award as Best Singer from the Asia Song Festival in 1998. The following year saw her star shine brighter yet when she took home top honors in the Aliw Awards category of Best Lounge Act. The Awit Awards also took notice. For the single "Can't Stop Loving You," the awards competition gave Misalucha her second consecutive prize for Best Performance by a Female Recording Artist. Also in 1999, she received a Best Stage Actress nomination from the Awit Awards for her starring role as Sita in the theater production Rama and Sita, a three-hour musical. In addition to winning over the critics, Misalucha also won the hearts of a wide and steadily growing fan base, including Manila's President Joseph Estrada, who invited the vocalist to perform during his daughter's wedding and reception.

Music was always a part of Misalucha's life. Mother Esperanza Dimalanta and father Benjamin Bayot sang opera, she as a coloratura soprano and he a tenor. During Misalucha's childhood, her parents emphasized singing practice, as well as an interest in sports. Her sister, May, also grew up to enter the music business. Three more siblings, Karlyn, Novi, and Osi, were also encouraged musically, but none followed in their singing sisters' footsteps. From the age of 15, Misalucha pursued an interest in school drama productions. She triumphed with the top prize from a 1986 singing contest for gospel music, and went on to work in stage productions with the Andres Bonifacio Concert Chorus for the Cultural Center of the Philippines. She continued to win competitions, including one sponsored by the Manila Institute of Religion. Later, at Manila's Philippine Christian University, Misalucha joined the glee club. Holidays, too, gave her the opportunity to pursue her love of singing, such as when she spent Christmas holidays singing at tree-lighting ceremonies held by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as the Mormons. Misalucha still belongs to the church, along with spouse Noli Misalucha and daughters Lian and Louven.

The vocalist's first professional gig came in 1993, when she sang backup in the band Law of Gravity, which was led by Bodjie Dasig. With encouragement from the bandleader and his wife, Odette Quesada, Misalucha started work on her first album, the Alpha Records release More Than I Should. The 1996 debut picked up half a dozen Katha Award nominations and a pair of Awit Award nominations. In 1998, after she performed at the Asian Song Festival, she put out her second CD, which was her first for Viva Records. ~ Linda Seida https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/reminisce/id850038135

Reminisce

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Sachal Vasandani - We Move

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:49
Size: 137,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:08)  1. Escape/There's A Small Hotel
(3:25)  2. No More
(4:54)  3. Don't Worry About Me
(3:39)  4. Every Ocean, Every Star
(4:47)  5. We Move
(3:40)  6. Once In A While/Horizons
(3:28)  7. There Are Such Things
(2:21)  8. By The River St. Marie
(4:20)  9. Ring Road (Back To You)
(4:53) 10. Royal Eyes
(5:33) 11. Monk's Dream
(4:58) 12. I'd Let You Know
(4:40) 13. Heartbeat
(2:57) 14. Travelin' Light

Sachal Vasandani's second CD shows he is maturing as a jazz singer and composer, continuing to refine his approach while landing safely in flat fields of open expanse. His voice rarely wavers or explores upper or lower registers; rather, it stays within a comfort zone that avoids much of a challenge. This consistency serves his songs and his audience well, working within a current trend of singers who stay within specific rhythmic boundaries and don't really push the envelope. Vasandani is helped by pianist Jeb Patton and a backing trio that has been with the vocalist for almost a decade, while co-producers John Clayton and guitarist Doug Wamble give him a bit of a push here and there, mixing up standards with subtle originals. The title track shows the most originality in a steady, repeating, and wistful mode; "Ring Road" (contributed by drummer Quincy Davis) has Vasandani in a playful, ever cool mood; and "Don't Worry About Me" has that contemporary hip-hop rhythm originated by Ahmad Jamal under the singer's slick, level-headed style. The old Joe Williams number "By the River St. Marie" is bopped hard within the controlled dynamics of Vasandani's voice, and he goes for some scat on the intro of the combo tune "Once in a While" and Patton's "Horizons." The group covers the chestnuts "No More" and Thelonious Monk's "Monk's Dream," both with lyrics penned by Jon Hendricks, but the results are not optimal or perfect. Where the singer is most convincing crops up in an elegant, confident manner on "Escape/There's a Small Hotel," but especially during "There Are Such Things," a serene interpretation that comes straight from the heart. The most unusual arrangement is more in a baroque or chamber style on the low-key "Royal Eyes," which merges effectively into a small samba. After two recordings, Sachal Vasandani has found somewhat of a niche, but needs to ramp it up creatively and take more chances in order to stand out from the small group of contemporary male jazz vocalists. ~ Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/we-move-mw0000824179

Personnel: Sachal Vasandani (vocals); Doug Wamble (guitar, keyboards, programming); Dayna Stephens (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Vincent Gardner (trombone); Jeb Patton (piano, organ, Wurlitzer organ); David Wong (acoustic bass); Justin Brown , Quincy Davis (drums).

We Move

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Dave Holland Quartet - Conference Of The Birds

Styles: Avant-Garde Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:42
Size: 91,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:41)  1. Four Winds
(8:38)  2. Q & A
(4:39)  3. Conference Of The Birds
(8:23)  4. Interception
(4:37)  5. Now Here (Nowhere)
(6:42)  6. See-Saw

Dave Holland's debut as a leader, Conference of the Birds, doesn't seem to get its proper due outside of avant-garde circles; perhaps, when discussing the greats, Holland's name simply doesn't spring to mind as immediately. Whatever the case, Conference of the Birds is one of the all-time avant-garde jazz classics, incorporating a wide spectrum of '60s innovations. Part of the reason it works so well is the one-time-only team-up of two avant-garde legends: the fiery, passionate Sam Rivers and the cerebral Anthony Braxton; they complement and contrast one another in energizing fashion throughout. But much credit is due to Holland; make no mistake, even though he throws the spotlight to Rivers and Braxton, this is his date. The repertoire consists entirely of Holland originals, and his work here established him as easily the most advanced bassist/composer since Charles Mingus. His compositions show an impressive range: twisting, unpredictable themes accompanied by storming solos (the classic "Four Winds," "Interception"); free improvisation in group-dialogue form ("Q&A"); inside/outside avant-bop ("See Saw"); and surprisingly lovely, meditative flute showcases (the classic title track, "Now Here (Nowhere)"). No matter how free things get, Holland's pieces always set up logical frameworks with a clear-minded focus, which makes it easier to get a handle on the advanced musicianship of Holland's quartet (which also includes drummer Barry Altschul, who played in Chick Corea's Circle with Braxton and Holland). The absence of a piano frees up Rivers and Braxton to play off of one another, but the task of driving the ensemble then falls to Holland, and his prominent, muscular lines manage to really push his front line all by themselves. This album is a basic requirement for any avant-garde jazz collection, and it's also one of the most varied and accessible introductions to the style one could hope for. ~ Steve Huey http://www.allmusic.com/album/conference-of-the-birds-mw0000196973

Personnel:  Dave Holland – bass;  Sam Rivers – reeds, flute;  Anthony Braxton – reeds, flute;  Barry Altschul – percussion, marimba

Conference Of The Birds

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John Abercrombie Quartet - 39 Steps

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:41
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:21)  1. Vertigo
(6:51)  2. LST
(7:21)  3. Bacharach
(6:15)  4. Greenstreet
(4:08)  5. As It Stands
(6:53)  6. Spellbound
(5:22)  7. Another Ralph’s
(3:12)  8. Shadow Of A Doubt
(8:36)  9. 39 Steps
(4:37) 10. Melancholy Baby

John Abercrombie has rarely played with pianists, at least in his own groups and throughout his extensive discography as a leader for ECM Records that began with the immediate classic, 1975's Timeless. Other than a brief reunion with that record's group for 1984's Night, the veteran guitarist has, in fact, only recorded with one other piano-based group, the quartet responsible for Arcade (1979), Abercrombie Quartet (1980) and M (1981) all featuring another intrepid improviser, Richie Beirach, and slated for released in 2014 as an Old & New Masters Edition box that will finally see all three in print on CD (two for the first time). Meanwhile, 39 Steps is, then, Abercrombie's first recording as a leader with a pianist since Night, though it's far from a first encounter. 39 Steps may be pianist Marc Copland's long overdue ECM debut a post-Bill Evans pianist whose attention to touch and space have long made him a worthy candidate for the label's pristine sonic approach but this group, with the exception of drummer Joey Baron, who replaces original drummer Billy Hart, has been working together, on occasion, since Second Look (Savoy Jazz, 1996), reuniting in 2007 for Another Place (Pirouet, 2008). But if both dates featured Copland as ostensible leader, they were all rather egalitarian when it came to compositional contributions, split fairly evenly between the pianist and Abercrombie.

39 Steps represents a couple of significant differences, beyond Baron's recruitment. First, the lion's share of the compositions belong to Abercrombie, who rightfully assumes leader credit here, with Copland contributing only two of the set's ten pieces, along with one group-credited free improv and an indirect closing nod to tradition with a reading of "Melancholy Baby" that still fits within the quartet's overall sphere of approach; freely interpreted, in this case with no time and no discernible changes, its melody remains recognizable amidst the freewheeling yet carefully controlled freedom and interaction within which this group operates. The other important change is, for the first time, having an external producer in this case, ECM label head Manfred Eicher. As good as Copland's two previous recordings sound, there's a notable and tremendous difference in how this date sounds: more delicate, more rarefied, with every note discernible right down to its final decay and even the most delicate touch of a cymbal occupying its rightful place in the overall soundscape. From the first notes of Abercrombie's opening "Vertigo," with Copland's repeated single-note motif supported by both his left hand and Abercrombie's careful voicing one of the guitarist's strengths always being his intrinsic ability to work with other chordal instruments without either ever getting in the way of them it's clear just how transparent everything is, allowing the music to breathe in ways that previous collaborations with Abercrombie, Copland and Gress have not.

Copland's delicate touch at times, seeming to barely brush the keys, as on Abercrombie's balladic "As It Stands" is definitive, as is the relentlessly reliable support coming from Gress and Baron, whether swinging elegantly on the pianist's brighter, appealingly lyrical "LST" or the guitarist's slower-tempo'd "Bacharach," the pair shifting feels so seamlessly as to be almost unnoticeable ... almost. The interaction, in particular between Abercrombie and Copland, is as deep as decades playing together would suggest, and if this program of largely new composition feels both fresh and familiar to fans of both players, there's one tune that is particularly so: "Another Ralph's," an update or, perhaps, sequel to Abercrombie's "Ralph's Piano Waltz," originally written for guitarist/pianist and duo mate Ralph Towner, first heard on Timeless but which has become, along with that album's title tracks, one of Abercrombie's most often-played tunes, having been recorded by everyone from Towner himself on Solo Concert (ECM, 1980) to Abercrombie, who revisited the tune on Current Events (1986), with his then-trio of Marc Johnson and Peter Erskine. Eicher often encourages artists to engage in free improvisation at his sessions, and while neither Abercrombie nor Copland are strangers to such unfettered contexts, "Shadow of a Doubt" is the first recorded instance of the two engaging in such completely unplanned spontaneity. Between Gress' soft arco, Copland's harp-like, sustain pedal-driven sweeps and Baron's textural cymbal work, it slowly coalesces into form as Abercrombie joins in with volume pedal-swelled lines, angular in nature but somehow soft and rounded in timbre, even as the quartet gradually turns to more oblique territory as the three-minute improvisation nears its end. As good as their previous recordings together have been, 39 Steps represents a major leap forward for Abercrombie and Copland's relationship, even as the guitarist returns to the piano-based configuration that was his first touring context, back in the late '70s. With Copland a welcome addition to the ECM roster and Eicher paying so much attention to music coming out of the New York City area these last couple of years notable (and diverse) examples being Tim Berne's Shadow Man, Craig Taborn's Chants and Chris Potter's The Sirens, all 2013 releases here's hoping that this quartet will continue, and that Copland will ultimately be afforded the opportunity to record more for the label...perhaps, even, a solo piano session, whose potential would be most intriguing with Eicher in the producer's chair, and with the lucent sonics of the label that Abercrombie has called home for nearly forty years. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/john-abercrombie-quartet-39-steps-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: John Abercrombie (guitar); Marc Copland (piano); Drew Gress (double bass); Joey Baron (drums).

R.I.P.

39 Steps

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Lara & Reyes - Riverwalk

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:46
Size: 114.0 MB
Styles: New Age, Folk
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[5:09] 1. Noches De San Miguel
[5:16] 2. Black Mamba
[4:26] 3. Solamente Una Vez Amor
[4:36] 4. El Castillo
[4:07] 5. River Road
[4:07] 6. Milenio
[3:42] 7. Satellite Island
[4:14] 8. Romantique
[4:42] 9. El Turco
[5:53] 10. Pueblo Magico
[3:29] 11. Olmos Park

The presence of keyboardists Mark Rubenstein and Ron Morales spurs Sergio Lara and Joe Reyes to be more adventurous on Riverwalk, their fourth album together. While the album certainly features a number of long, gorgeous interludes that showcase the duo's impeccable guitar playing, there are also times for each musician to stretch out and illustrate he can play other instruments, whether it's Lara on the ukulele or Reyes on the oud. These add unexpected, exotic flourishes to an album that was already charmingly enchanting. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Riverwalk

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Stuffy Shmitt - Other People's Stuff

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:45
Size: 104.8 MB
Styles: Pop/Jazz/Blues
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[2:54] 1. Sh-Boom
[2:47] 2. Lovesick Blues
[3:10] 3. Rollin'
[3:26] 4. My Babe
[2:35] 5. Wooly Bully
[4:41] 6. Don't Think Twice It's All Right
[2:46] 7. I Get Ideas
[2:21] 8. So Soon In The Mornin'
[3:59] 9. Can't Find My Way Home
[3:26] 10. Crazy Mama
[2:32] 11. Scotch And Soda
[3:20] 12. Cow Cow Boogie
[4:05] 13. Across The Universe
[3:36] 14. Goodnight, Irene

This release by New York based singer/songwriter Stuffy Shmitt, is a must have for any real music fan. With help from such diverse talents as Levon Helm (The Band), Willy DeVille (Mink Deville), David Johansen (The New York Dolls/Buster Poindexter) Jayotis Washington (The Persuasions), Gordon Gano (The Violent Femmes) Stockard Channing (Grease/The West Wing) this album of classic songs, containing everything from doo-wop to swing to blues to country to rock, is absolutely brilliant!

On "Other People's Stuff", the third release from Stuffy Shmitt, he pays tribute to songwriter greats, with inspired performances by many other incredible musicians. His interpretation of these famous tunes is unique and powerful. This CD is a blast!

Other People's Stuff

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Barbara Levy Daniels - Come Dance With Me

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:53
Size: 107.3 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[4:04] 1. The Second Time Around
[2:40] 2. I Thought About You
[3:18] 3. Come Dance With Me
[3:15] 4. Like Someone In Love
[3:10] 5. The Tender Trap
[4:55] 6. All The Way
[5:03] 7. But Beautiful
[3:21] 8. Here's That Rainy Day
[5:11] 9. All My Tomorrows
[5:39] 10. Imagination
[3:24] 11. Oh You Crazy Moon
[2:47] 12. Darn That Dream

…I can’t help but love this album’s centerpiece, “Come Dance With Me.” It’s a sweet song, excellent piano from John di Martino that carries on right into the next song “Like Someone In Love.” I love hearing Barbara switch her tone to suit the songs as she performs and sings them; she has the right instincts to communicate the feelings of a song through her inflections. She does a fantastic job of bringing you in and letting you experience the world through her eyes by bringing insightful emotions into her music that you can feel inside and relate to…"

"…If anything at all…there are moments as the album plays, perhaps around “Imagination” towards the end, where some of these sounds tend to blend together. It might take you a few times through before you absolutely separate one track from the other. It’s often hazy, dream-like music that sometimes moves five tracks onward before you realize you’ve drifted off somewhere beautiful in your mind just listening to the music and Barbara’s tender voice. One the other hand there’s no one else out there that I know of that sounds like Barbara does right now; I’m positive I could pick her out of any musical line-up from her signature sound & gracious style.” ~Jeremy Gladstone

Come Dance With Me

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Paul Gonsalves - Ellingtonia Moods And Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:51
Size: 82.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1990
Art: Front

[4:13] 1. It's Something That You Ought To Know
[7:21] 2. Chocataw
[5:24] 3. The Lineup
[5:04] 4. Way, Way Back
[3:23] 5. Daydreams
[4:00] 6. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[6:23] 7. D.A. Blues

Paul Gonsalves was considered some kind of new genius of the tenor saxophone after he blew an astounding 27 choruses with Duke Ellington's Orchestra on the Duke's "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival. As part of RCA's reissue series to celebrate Ellington's 100th birthday, Ellingtonia Moods & Blues brings back a 1960 date featuring Gonsalves and other Ellington soloists. Although nominally credited to Gonsalves, this, in fact, is a co-chaired date with Johnny Hodges. Hodges shares the composing, arranging and -- as always -- swinging soloing. Add the fine trumpet work of Ray Nance and the swinging trombone work of Booty Wood -- both contributing just the right blend to offset the two saxophonists -- and this makes for one potent date. The rhythm section is solid and supportive, with great playing from Jimmy Jones on piano, Al Hall on bass, and Oliver Jackson on drums. Gonsalves plays his usual breathy tenor, full of warmth and depth, caressing his notes in much the same time-honored manner as Hodges, making their solos on the Duke's "Daydream" a study in both similarities and contrasts. The set also features three seldom-heard Gonsalves tunes ("Chocataw" and "The Line-Up") and a Hodges tune ("D.A. Blues"), along with songs that Hodges co-wrote for the Ellington band, like "I'm Beginning to See the Light." This is jazz from the days when albums were recorded in one day, and that was a good thing. ~Cub Koda

Ellingtonia Moods And Blues

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Stanley Turrentine - Ballads

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 1993

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 64:12

Size: 147,6 MB

Art: Front

(9:58)  1. Willow Weep For Me

(8:48)  2. Since I Fell For You

(6:10)  3. Then I'll Be Tired Of You

(7:44)  4. Someone To Watch Over Me

(7:44)  5. They All Say I'm The Biggest Fool

(6:07)  6. More Than You Know

(3:59)  7. God Bless The Child

(5:31)  8. Watch What Happens

(8:06)  9. A Child Is Born

Although he's a monster tenor soloist on funky, exuberant, bluesy soul-jazz, Stanley Turrentine is even more awesome on ballads. His rich, steamy sound, full tone, and ability to pace and develop moods is ideal for show tunes and sentimental love songs. This nine-track set begins with Turrentine nicely caressing the melody and turning in a standout treatment on "Willow Weep For Me," continuing through tearjerkers ("Since I Fell For You") and blues anthems ("God Bless The Child"), and closing with Thad Jones' beautiful "A Child Is Born." Turrentine is matched with numerous premier players, and pianist McCoy Tyner, guitarist Jimmy Smith, and even Turrentine's brother Tommy (trumpet) gently support and complement the main soloist. One of the best Blue Note special discs, featuring moving, frequently hypnotic playing from a true tenor great. ~ Ron Wynn http://www.allmusic.com/album/ballads-mw0000107424

Personnel: Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone); Tommy Turrentine (trumpet); Gene Harris, Horace Parlan, McCoy Tyner, Tommy Flanagan (piano); Shirley Scott, Jimmy Smith (organ); Grant Green, George Benson (guitar); Andrew Simpkins, George Tucker, Bob Cranshaw, Paul Chambers, Major Holley, Gene Taylor, Ron Carter (bass); Bill Dowdy, Al Harewood, Mickey Roker, Art Taylor, Clarence Johnston, Billy Cobham, Jimmy Madison (drums).

Ballads

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Carmen McRae - Carmen McRae

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:18
Size: 85,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:26)  1. You'd Be So Easy To Love
(3:17)  2. If I'm Lucky
(2:40)  3. Old Devil Moon
(2:40)  4. Tip Toe Gently
(2:09)  5. You Made Me Care
(3:05)  6. Last Time For Love
(3:53)  7. Misery
(2:33)  8. Too Much In Love To Care
(3:19)  9. Too Much In Love To Care (alt. take)
(2:37) 10. Old Devil Moon (alt. stereo)
(2:09) 11. You Made Me Care (alt. stereo)
(2:20) 12. Too Much In Love To Care (alt. stereo)
(3:03) 13. Last Time For Love (alt. stereo)

This is Carmen McRae's first recording as a leader. She's heard on four songs apiece with the Mat Mathews Quintet (a group including Herbie Mann on flute and tenor, and guitarist Mundell Lowe) and clarinetist Tony Scott's Quartet. On the emotional "Misery," Scott switches to piano and is the only accompanist to the singer. 

Five alternate takes augment this set, which emphasizes ballads. Overall the music is pleasing but not too memorable and one wishes there were more variety. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/carmen-mcrae-bethlehem-mw0000178616

Personnel:  Carmen McRae - vocals
Tracks 1-4:  Herbie Mann - flute, tenor saxophone;  Mat Mathews – accordion;  Mundell Lowe – guitar;  Wendell Marshall - double bass;  Kenny Clarke - drums
Tracks 5-8:  Tony Scott - clarinet, piano (on "Misery");  Dick Katz – piano;  Skip Fawcett - double bass;  Osie Johnson - drums

Carmen McRae

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Kurt Elling - Nightmoves

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:02
Size: 145,2 MB
Art: Front

( 4:23)  1. Nightmoves
( 2:55)  2. Tight
( 7:38)  3. Change Partners / If You Never Come To Me
( 5:10)  4. Undun
( 5:27)  5. Where Are You, My Love?
( 4:23)  6. And We Will Fly
( 4:13)  7. The Waking
( 5:31)  8. The Sleepers
( 5:04)  9. Leaving Again / In The Wee Small Hours
(10:20) 10. A New Body And Soul
( 6:53) 11. I Like The Sunrise

Kurt Elling has mellowed some. Quite the original voice in jazz for more than a decade, he's introduced us to adventure and thrills. He's helped to maintain the spirit of straight-ahead jazz with a superb pianist by his side while moving enchantingly in and out of the mainstream. Elling's soothing baritone voice lends itself to both the romantic ballad and to the thrills of more adventurous music. Lately, however, he's concentrated more on the romantic ballad and has put less effort into challenging material. It works, of course, but some of the spontaneity has disappeared. Through one romantic moment after another, Elling rewards us with lyric beauty while following the normal path for lovers. Pop music popularity combines with mellow overtures for a program that everyone can feel deeply. Nightmoves rolls comfortably with a program of poignant ballads. Even "A New Body and Soul, the old chestnut of a jazz standard interpreted in his unique, personal manner, remains true to its original form. Vocalese makes up a part what the singer does with this familiar tune, and he does create a masterpiece worthy of award-winning accolades. Pianist Laurence Hobgood, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Willie Jones III breathe life into the piece in support. Together, they represent jazz's mainstream with genuine authority. Most of the program remains tied to passionate ballads. Elling fills these selections with emotion worthy of goose bumps and back-of-the-neck tingling. Bob Mintzer lends an ethereal tenor saxophone quality to two selections, while the Escher String Quartet joins Elling's quartet for his heartfelt reading of "Where Are You, My Love? and "The Sleepers. Guitarist Guilherme Monteiro lends a bossa nova presence to several selections along with sultry harmonica refrains from guests Howard Levy and Gregoire Maret that captivate. Bassist Rob Amster joins Elling on "The Waking for a lovely duet ballad performance that simmers gently. When the singer turns to his pianist for "In the Wee Small Hours, he summarizes his latest album accurately through an emotional reading that adorns his shirtsleeve with hearts that glow noticeably. ~ Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/nightmoves-kurt-elling-concord-music-group-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Kurt Elling: vocals; Laurence Hobgood: piano; Willie Jones, III: drums; Christian McBride: bass (1-4,6,10); Rob Amster: bass (5,7,8,11); Rob Mounsey: electric piano, keyboards (1, 4, 6); Guilherme Monteiro: guitar (3,6); Bob Mintzer: tenor sax (1); Howard Levy: harmonica (3); Gregoire Maret: harmonica (6); The Escher String Quartet (5,8).

Nightmoves

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Moacir Santos - Coisas

Styles: Latin Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:06
Size: 74,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:03)  1. Coisa nº 4
(3:08)  2. Coisa nº 10
(2:47)  3. Coisa nº 5
(3:02)  4. Coisa nº 3
(4:57)  5. Coisa nº 2
(3:10)  6. Coisa nº 9
(3:24)  7. Coisa nº 6
(2:27)  8. Coisa nº 7 (Quem é que Não Chora)
(2:43)  9. Coisa nº 1
(2:20) 10. Coisa nº 8 (Navegação)

Though Brazilian composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist Moacir Santos was born in 1926, he didn't release Coisas, his debut album, until 1965 for Universal Music in his home country. (He is best known  if at all to Americans and Europeans for his three Blue Note recordings from the 1970s.) He led a colorful and at the beginning at least tragic life. Born in abject poverty and abandoned as a child, his mother died and his father abandoned him. As an orphan he was raised in an atmosphere of physical and psychological abuse. He began to learn music by tapping the various rhythms he heard around him with bare feet in the dirt, and later, as a runaway, from the sounds of ocean tides. The story would make a hell of a film: from learning with his first teacher, Paixão, to this record, all that experience and more is in these grooves, including his long-held fear of playing any instrument in front of others because he was ashamed he didn't play "right." But there is nothing raw or tragic about Coisas. It melds the various tonalities and flavors of creative jazz to the heart of Brazil's folkloric and emergent musical traditions. Colors, textures, spaces, and luxuriant rhythms and melodies all come to bear gently, strikingly, and subtly on these ten pieces. This was issued on the other side of the bossa nova revolution, when it had already been absorbed by the world. Santos took it a step further, melding it seamlessly into a lush harmonic system. 

Producer Roberto Quartin was essential to the task, hiring a slew of killer younger and veteran players including Baden Powell, Airto Moreira, Dori Caymmi, João Donato, Carlos Lyra, Roberto Menescal, Wilson DasNeves, Gabriel Bezerra, Geraldo Medeiros, and more, as strings, winds, and other horns are all wound around gorgeous melodies. Nothing is overblown. For Santos, bossa nova and samba had become folk music because of their popularity, expressions of previous history that needed to be transferred outward. But to do this so elegantly on a first recording is not only remarkable, it is profound. Go no further than the first track, "Coisa No. 4," followed by the brilliant and lyrical bossa in "Coisa No. 10." The blues feeling in "Coisa No. 2" is dressed with an Ellingtonian sense of harmony. "Coisa No. 6," with its samba rhythms meeting post-bop jazz, is gorgeous. The choro drama drawn out by the presence of cellos and rounded brass is simply exquisite. Hardcore aficionados of Brazilian music and fans of its lighter side (so prominent in the mid-'60s) as well as fans of sophisticated jazz will all find this gem overlooked by most outside of its native country, where it is hailed (rightly) as Santos' masterpiece to be completely irresistible. ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/coisas-mw0000470898

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Dulcilando Pereira (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9), Jorge Ferreira Da Silva (tracks: 2, 6, 8, 10);  Baritone Saxophone – Geraldo Medeiros (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9), Moacir Santos (tracks: 2, 6, 8, 10);  Bass – Gabriel Bezerra;  Bass Trombone – Armando Pallas (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9) Cello – Giorgio Bariola (tracks: 2, 6, 8, 10), Peter Dautsberg (tracks: 2, 6, 8, 10), Watson Clis (tracks: 2, 6, 8, 10);  Drums – Wilson das Neves;  Flute – Nicolino Cópia (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9);  Guitar – Geraldo Vespar;  Piano, Organ – Chaim Lewak (tracks: 2, 6, 8, 10);  Tenor Saxophone – Luiz Bezerra (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9);  Trombone – Edmundo Maciel (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9);  Trumpet – João Gerônimo Menezes (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9), Júlio Barbosa;  Vibraphone – Claudio Das Neves (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9)

Coisas

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Lillie Huddleston - How Long Has This Been Going On

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:14
Size: 105.9 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[2:45] 1. One Note Samba
[8:01] 2. How Insensitive
[5:08] 3. Embraceable You
[3:06] 4. Anything Goes
[6:00] 5. Nature Boy
[2:30] 6. Summertime
[5:22] 7. You Don't Know What Love Is
[5:25] 8. Song For My Father
[5:52] 9. How Long Has This Been Going On
[2:01] 10. Let's Face The Music And Dance

Lillie was born into a musical family in Greenville, Mississippi. The daughter of a high school band director and jazz bandleader, her first musical experiences included jazz and classical music as well as sacred choral literature. Lillie has been a professional performer for over 15 years, discovering the jazz genre as a vocalist as an undergraduate music education major at Mississippi University for Women. Lillie continued her musical studies at Georgia State University earning a Master of Music degree with a concentration in music education.

Lillie is no stranger to the stage having numerous dramatic and musical theatre credits including a film cameo in Sweet Home Alabama. (See the DVD alternate ending) Her musical theatre experience segued into a love of the Great American Songbook. She has developed a powerful personal style strongly influenced by Nancy Wilson, Carmen McCrae, Shirley Horne and many others. Her delicate treatment of ballads is evident in "You Don't Know What Love Is" from her debut recording release, How Long Has This Been Going On.

Ms. Huddleston has been a featured vocalist at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, the Stone Mountain Jazz Jamboree, Callenwolde Jazz on the Lawn, and the Jocada Museum of Jazz History.

How Long Has This Been Going On

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The Pete Jolly Trio - Timeless

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 62:58

Size: 144.2 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 2000

Art: Front

[11:52] 1. Milestones

[ 4:40] 2. Tea For Two

[12:35] 3. That Old Devil Moon

[10:11] 4. Don't Worry About Me

[ 7:25] 5. Stars And Stripes Forever

[ 7:02] 6. I Should Care

[ 9:11] 7. Hey Jude

Pete Jolly has been one of the most active & talented pianists working in the Los Angeles area for the past 40 years. This version of his trio is a little different than his regular trio, as it features Nick Ceroli on drums. Recorded at Donte's by George Jerman in July of 1969, this fine program is another of the great live sets captured by George during the mid to late 1960s. Jolly's playing is energetic & inventive; the trio is well-rehearsed & tight.

Timeless 2000

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Leon Spencer - Where I'm Coming From

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:16
Size: 76.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Soul-jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:32] 1. Where I'm Coming From
[6:43] 2. Superstition
[5:11] 3. Give Me Your Love
[6:16] 4. Trouble Man
[5:18] 5. Keeper Of The Castle
[4:13] 6. The Price A Po' Man's Got To Pay

Leon Spencer's final recording is an understated but very groovy document that features keyboard solos with a restrained horn section and funky rhythm guitar providing tight and tasty support. Covers of contemporary tunes by Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Steve Wonder and The Four Tops simmer without ever coming to the boil, but it is the Spencer originals that come alive, particularly the title track that closes the album (recorded during sessions for his previous LP "Bad Woman Walking") which is the highlight. Strangely for a Rudy Van Gelder engineered recording the overall sound is a little flat with very little bottom end which actually gives it a refreshingly under-produced feel. This is a near peak for rare-groove releases and is certainly worth checking out. ~Adam Maiorano

Where I'm Coming From

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Montenia - Each And Every Day

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:00
Size: 146.5 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[6:32] 1. Throw It Away
[3:34] 2. I Thought About You
[2:44] 3. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[4:30] 4. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[3:18] 5. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[4:42] 6. I've Got You Under My Skin
[6:31] 7. I Wish You Love
[5:11] 8. Corcovado
[4:35] 9. Misty
[5:01] 10. A Foggy Day
[3:54] 11. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:33] 12. Somebody Loves Me
[9:48] 13. Everything Must Change

Montenia - Each And Every Day with the Wade Mikkola Trio Plus One. Direct from Finland. First time available in North America and many other locations worldwide!!

Montenia has appeared many times in Scandinavia, but most often in Helsinki, Finland with the Wade Mikkola Trio Plus One (Lasse Hirvi, piano; Wade Mikkola, bass; Tomi Parkkonen, drums; and Joonatan Rautio, tenor saxophone). "Each And Every Day" was recorded on December 12, 1999 at the Happy Jazz Club Storyville on a night with Montenia and her backing musicians in splendid form. Familiar standards and other musical gems are on hand, all performed to summon up a variety of emotions the very same ones we all face and experience "Each And Every Day."

Hard to categorize but easy to snap your fingers to, or just relax to and lyrically savor like a musical sauna, Montenia frequently reminds listeners of many famous singers, but she actually has always been completely and uniquely herself, creating grooves, conveying moods, and thrilling listeners.

Each And Every Day

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John Abercrombie & Dave Holland & Jack DeJohnette - Gateway

Styles: Guitar Jazz

Year: 1975

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 41:35

Size: 95,9 MB

Art: Front

( 7:51)  1. Back-Woods Song

( 2:11)  2. Waiting

(10:59)  3. May Dance

( 4:50)  4. Unshielded Desire

( 4:46)  5. Jamala

(10:55)  6. Sorcery 1

Guitarist John Abercrombie was one of the stars of ECM in its early days. His playing on this trio set with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette is really beyond any simple categorization. Abercrombie's improvisations are sophisticated yet, because his sound is rockish and sometimes quite intense (particularly on the nearly 11-minute "Sorcery 1"), there is really no stylistic name for the music. Holland contributed four of the six originals while DeJohnette brought in the other two (one of which was co-written with Abercrombie). The interplay between the three musicians is quite impressive although listeners might find some of the music to be quite unsettling. It takes several listens for one to digest all that is going on, but it is worth the struggle. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/gateway-mw0000197160

Personnel:  John Abercrombie: guitar;  Dave Holland: bass;  Jack DeJohnette: drums

R.I.P.

Born: December 16, 1944

Died: August 22, 2017

 

Gateway

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Pamela Rose - Morpheus

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:30
Size: 139,2 MB
Art: Front

(1:30)  1. Into The Dream
(4:38)  2. My Beloved
(3:45)  3. Walls
(4:01)  4. I Knew You When
(0:43)  5. Into The World
(3:46)  6. Guns of Love
(4:57)  7. Please Don't Make Me Say Goodnight
(4:32)  8. Into The Glade/I'll Get Over You
(5:31)  9. Old Ones
(5:21) 10. Louise, Louise
(5:00) 11. Into The Heart/That Ain't No Way To Treat A Lover
(4:34) 12. You Have No Idea
(0:39) 13. Into The Wood
(3:19) 14. Always
(1:14) 15. Into The Moon
(6:54) 16. Bring Down The Moon

An acoustic masterpiece, a journey through time, joined together with rich hypnotic segues, strong songs (featuring co-writers Mary Ann Kennedy, Pat Bunch, Randy Sharp, Terry Burns and others), and powerful production...a classic work by a classic artist. Pam is a Two Time Grammy Nominee, whose songwriting and performing come full circle in this classic debut solo record. After two CD with Mary Ann Kennedy as duo Kennedy Rose (signed to Sting's private label Pangaea Records), Rose releases "Morpheus", which combines the powerful Kennedy Rose influence with shades of Eva Cassidy to Samuel Barber. Woven together with rich orchestral sequence segues "Morpheus", is captivating, from beginning to end....a "must have" for anyone who likes the individual strong song, or the uniquely produced body of work...a musical journey of the heart. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/pamrose2

Morpheus

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Bobby Timmons - Easy Does It

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:57
Size: 91,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. Easy Does It
(4:38)  2. Old Devil Moon
(5:52)  3. A Little Busy
(4:54)  4. (I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of A Chance
(3:32)  5. Pretty Memory
(6:31)  6. If You Could See Me Know
(5:01)  7. I Thought About You
(3:33)  8. Groovin' High

Pianist Bobby Timmons, who became famous for his funky originals and soulful playing, mostly sticks to more bop-oriented jazz on this trio set with bassist Sam Jones and drummer Jimmy Cobb. He provides three originals (none of which really caught on) and is in excellent form on five standards, with highlights including "Old Devil Moon," "I Thought About You," and "Groovin' High." The Riverside CD reissue shows that Timmons was a bit more versatile than his stereotype; in any case, the music is excellent. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/easy-does-it-mw0000615260

Personnel:  Bobby Timmons – piano;  Sam Jones – bass;  Jimmy Cobb - drums

Easy Does It

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Marc Copland - Better By Far

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:33
Size: 143,7 MB
Art: Front

(8:55)  1. Day and Night
(6:25)  2. Better by Far
(4:33)  3. Mr DJ
(9:40)  4. Gone Now
(5:20)  5. Twister
(8:29)  6. Room Enough for Stars
(5:16)  7. Evidence
(8:08)  8. Dark Passage
(5:43)  9. Who Said Swing

Marc Copland got his start in jazz in New York City as a sometimes plugged-in alto saxophonist, working with drummer Chico Hamilton's Quartet, and releasing an overlooked album, Friends (Oblivion Records, 1973) featuring his own quartet. Then he went away, and came back as a pianist, and has since shaped himself into one of finest jazz piano guys around, an artist with a supple touch, a feel for intricately gorgeous melodies and a deep immersion into complex harmonies. In 2015, after a fruitful career that shifted from one record label to another, Copland started his own Inner Voice Records, and offered up the maiden release, Zenith (2015), a quartet affair with Ralph Alessi on trumpet, with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Joey Baron rounding out the rhythm section. The year 2017 finds Copland offering up his second release on the label, Better By Far, a reconvening the Zenith quartet. The music consists of three group improvisations, five Copland compositions, and a Thelonious Monk tune, "Evidence." Two of Copland's most significant teamings over the years have been with guitarist John Abercrombie, and now with trumpeter Alessi. Where Copland's brush paints sound with a developed delicacy of touch, shimmering chords, and gorgeous, amorphous shapings, Alessi uses brighter colors and sharper edges. Especially edgy are the group improvisations, like "Mr. DJ," that opens with Baron's soft drum whispers, joined by Alessi's stabs of metallic notes, Copland's percussive ruminations. "Twister" is a more fluid, more introspective, darker-toned piece that builds momentum along the way. Speaking of dark tones, the Copland-penned "Gone Now," has a pensive, melancholy mood similar to that of Gershwin's "Gone, Gone, Gone," from the masterpiece, Porgy And Bess (1938). "Room Enough For Stars" floats. It's a beautiful ballad like only Copland can write, featuring Alessi in a patient laying down of the melody, and a piquant bass turn by Gress; while Thelonious Monk's "Evidence" finds the group in a more playful mood an energetic romp that stretches the Monkian angularity with an appealing malleability. With Better By Far Marc Copland and Company continue to create the highest level of jazz. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/better-by-far-marc-copland-innervoice-jazz-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel:  Marc Copland: piano;  Ralph Alessi: trumpet;  Drew Gress: bass; Joey Barron: drums.

Better By Far

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