Valery Ponomarev - Beyond The Obvious

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:21
Size: 150,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:06)  1. You Dig, I Hear You, You Know What I Mean, etc.
( 6:16)  2. Close Your Eyes
( 9:43)  3. Party Time
( 6:53)  4. The Blessing
( 9:09)  5. From Cat To Nat
(15:05)  6. Sale On Love
( 7:11)  7. Chelsea Bridge
( 4:54)  8. Gina's Cooking

Beyond The Obvious is ex-Jazz Messenger Valery Ponomarev's seventh CD as a leader for Reservoir. His Means of Identification, recorded in 1985, was the label's debut release. Beyond The Obvious stands apart from the six prior (all quintet) sessions in terms of its instrumental format. It's out at a time when the Russian-born trumpeter is in the news for a troubling incident. In mid September, Ponomarev reportedly had his arm broken by Charles DeGaulle Airport security after refusing to relinquish his trumpet. He was asked to check his trumpet at the gate, despite the fact that it was already properly tagged as carry-on baggage. Beyond the Obvious features a piano-less quartet, balancing two horns (Ponomarev's trumpet and Don Braden's tenor sax) with the bass and drums of Martin Zenker and Jerome Jennings, respectively. Jennings, who has toured and studied with Ponomarev, is a graduate student at New York's Juilliard School of Music. Suffice to say that he plays with empathy and talent belying his years.  

This is a half-and-half mix of jazz standards and savory originals, one of which ("Love On Sale ) is an extended Ponomarev composition loosely based on Cole Porter's Tin Pan Alley chestnut "Love For Sale. The opening "You Dig, whose odd conversational patter title is actually the melody, was recorded by Ponomarev and the rhythm section while Braden sat in traffic on the way to the studio. It's a clever full-throttle blues.  Even on the standards including "Close Your Eyes and "Chelsea Bridge Ponomarev is the clever rearranger, enabling the quartet to mine interesting new facets, hence the project title. There's an intensity and beauty to their interpretation of Ornette's classic "The Blessing, from the late '50s. "Chelsea Bridge features three primary solo voices trumpet, tenor and bass and is a gem. Check out the subtleties and rhythmic variations that the ensemble adds to Lee Morgan's "Party Time, a classic blues from one of the leader's trumpet heroes. Braden and Ponomarev's horn lines artfully complement each other both in tandem and as foils throughout this session. It's clear that the leader, so thoroughly grounded in bebop, is extending that exciting tradition. ~ Ken Frankling https://www.allaboutjazz.com/beyond-the-obvious-valery-ponomarev-reservoir-music-review-by-ken-franckling.php

Personnel: Valery Ponomarev: trumpet; Don Braden: tenor saxophone; Martin Zenker: bass; Jerome Jennings: drums.

Beyond The Obvious

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Brenna Whitaker - Brenna Whitaker

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:32
Size: 93,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Black And Gold
(3:28)  2. Misty Blue
(2:22)  3. It's A Good Day
(2:54)  4. You Don't Own Me
(3:16)  5. My Heart Cries For You
(3:37)  6. When I'm Gone
(2:36)  7. I Can't Hear A Word You Say
(3:53)  8. It's Not Easy Bein' Green
(3:43)  9. Love Back
(3:08) 10. Anyone Who Had A Heart
(3:27) 11. Sayonara
(3:50) 12. A House Is Not A Home

After landing her first professional theater gig at age 11, moving to New York City on her own to study with Broadway veterans at age 17, and spending her early 20s leading jazz bands back home in Missouri, Whitaker headed to L.A. and started setting up a series of residencies that eventually attracted fans like Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, and Michael Bublé and caught the attention of Verve Records chairman and 16-time Grammy Award-winner David Foster. The first new artist Foster has agreed to develop and produce since discovering Bublé, Whitaker is now set to release a debut album for Verve that finds her reviving a vast American jukebox of classic songs and revealing the full force of her stunning, soulful voice. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Brenna-Whitaker/dp/B014GF44V0

Brenna Whitaker

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Moacir Santos - Saudade

Styles: Latin Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:36
Size: 84,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:24)  1. Early Morning Love
(6:08)  2. A Saudade Mata a Gente
(3:36)  3. Off and On
(3:37)  4. The City of LA
(4:07)  5. Suk Cha
(3:36)  6. Kathy
(2:58)  7. Haply-Happy
(3:24)  8. Amphibious
(2:32)  9. This Life
(3:08) 10. What's My Name

Saudade is an album by Brazilian composer Moacir Santos recorded in 1974 and released on the Blue Note label. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudade_(Moacir_Santos_album)

Personnel:  Moacir Santos - alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, conductor, arranger;  Steve Huffsteter - trumpet, flugelhorn;  Benny Powell – trombone;  Morris Repass - bass trombone;  Sidney Muldrow - french horn;  Ray Pizzi - bassoon, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute, piccolo;  Jerome Richardson - soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute, alto flute;  Mark Levine - piano, electric piano, arranger;  Lee Ritenour - guitar, electric guitar;  John Heard - bass, electric bass;  Harvey Mason – drums;  Mayuto Correa, Carmelo Garcia - conga, percussion;  Donald Alves, Mike Campbell, Jose Marino, Petsye Powell, Carmen Saveiros, Regina Werneck - backing vocals

Saudade

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Joe Williams - Here's to Life

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1994
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 59:31
Size: 110,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:37)  1. Here's To Life
(4:52)  2. What A Wonderful World
(4:17)  3. When I Fall In Love
(4:14)  4. I Found A Million Dollar Baby
(4:54)  5. If I Had You
(4:07)  6. Maybe September
(4:00)  7. Save That Time
(4:49)  8. Young And Foolish
(5:15)  9. I Didn't Know About You
(4:32) 10. Little Sir Echo
(4:58) 11. Someone You've Loved
(4:06) 12. A Time For Love
(3:44) 13. Here's To Life

Joe Williams loves the string arrangements of Robert Farnon and the sappy ballad "Here's to Life" but in truth the charts border on muzak and the slow tempoes on this Telarc CD have little variety. Reminiscent a bit of Nat King Cole's string sessions of the 1950s with Gordon Jenkins, there is little jazz content to this set. Williams is in particularly strong form, interpreting the ballads in dramatic and sensitive fashion, but, despite his charm, this is one of his lesser recordings. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/heres-to-life-mw0000623648

Personnel: Joe Williams (vocals); Louis Stewart (guitar); Hugh Webb (harp); Liz Edwards, Belinda Bunt, Trevor Williams , Michael Berrow, Madeleine Whitelaw, Rachel Cohen, John Ronayne, Raymond Keenlyside, Diana Cummings, Raymond Cohen, Jonathan Strange, Celia Sheen, Homi Kanga, Gillian Cohen, Roy Wilson, Roger Garland (violin); John Underwood , Kenneth Essex, Michael Ponder (viola); Keith Harvey, Denis Vigay, Anthony Pleeth (cello); Dennis Walton, Peter Hughes , Tommy Whittle, Roy Willox (woodwinds); Paul Pritchard, John Rooke, John Pigneguy (French horn); Bill Geldard, Christopher Dean, Don Lusher (trombone); Laurie Holloway (piano, celesta); George Shearing (piano); Jack Parnell (drums).

Here's to Life

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Najee - Poetry In Motion

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:43
Size: 119,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Stratosphere
(5:31)  2. Is It The Way Back
(4:24)  3. Let's Take It Back
(5:19)  4. Noche Romantica
(6:19)  5. We'll Be Missing You
(4:49)  6. Song For The Ladies
(4:33)  7. Don't Make Me Wait
(6:28)  8. Poetry In Motion
(4:45)  9. Running Away
(3:50) 10. Duolology

One of the best-selling instrumentalists of the late '80s to mid-'90s, Najee has been a consistent favorite in the quiet storm and smooth jazz markets. Often compared to Kenny G, George Howard, and Dave Koz, the New Yorker has been greatly influenced by Grover Washington, Jr.although he hasn't been nearly as adventurous. Heavily produced and quite formulaic, Najee's albums have tended to avoid improvisation and strive for commercial radio airplay above all else. Debuting in 1987 with Najee's Theme, Najee was an immediate hit in the new adult contemporary (NAC) market. Similar pop/urban jazz dates like 1988's Day by Day and 1990's Tokyo Blue did nothing to jeopardize his niche on smooth jazz radio. On-stage, Najee takes some risks and stretches out more.

Morning Tenderness was released in 1998, followed by Love Songs (2000), Embrace (2003), My Point of View (2005), True Spirit (with John Grant, Victor Williams, and Dennis Chambers in 2006), Rising Sun (2007), and Mind Over Matter (2009). In 2012, Najee released his 14th studio album, The Smooth Side of Soul, featuring the track "First Kiss," a collaboration with R&B vocalist Phil Perry. Najee returned in 2013 with The Morning After: A Musical Love Journey, which included the song "Shinjuku," a tribute to the late jazz keyboard legend George Duke. Two years later, he delivered his 16th studio effort, You, Me and Forever, which reached the Top Ten on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. In 2017, he returned with Poetry in Motion. ~ Alex Henderson https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/poetry-in-motion/id1266264056

This release includes guests:  Will Downing, Maysa, Incognito, Eric Roberson and Phil Perry, among others

Poetry In Motion

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Jimmy Witherspoon - Witherspoon Mulligan Webster At The Renaissance

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:54
Size: 95.9 MB
Styles: Jazz/Blues
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:34] 1. Introduction
[3:25] 2. Time's Gettin' Tougher Than Tough
[3:22] 3. How Long Blues
[4:41] 4. Corrine, Corrina
[4:24] 5. C.C. Rider
[2:42] 6. Roll 'em Pete
[3:10] 7. Every Day I Have The Blues
[3:46] 8. Kansas City
[3:25] 9. I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town
[5:32] 10. St. Louis Blues
[3:49] 11. Trouble In Mind

Bass – Leroy Vinnegar; Drums – Mel Lewis; Piano – Jimmy Rowles; Saxophone – Ben Webster, Gerry Mulligan; Vocals – Jimmy Witherspoon. Recorded live at the Rennaissance Club, L.A., California, Dec. 2 & 9 1959.

In what sounds like a late-'50s session at the Renaissance Club in Los Angeles, blues belter Jimmy Witherspoon is backed by an all-star quintet featuring soloists Ben Webster and Gerry Mulligan, with pianist Jimmy Rowles and his trio. There are ten classic selections: first-rate familiar tunes to all fans of the blues, and not a speck of cereal filler. 'Spoon and his band sound on the money, but the only problem lies in the production values, where the musicians -- and especially the vocalist -- are distant, and recorded a bit thinly. Regardless, this is a collection most fans of the legendary Witherspoon should want and search for. ~Michael G. Nastos

Witherspoon Mulligan Webster At The Renaissance

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Alice Babs - Swingtime Again

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:52
Size: 118.7 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[2:35] 1. Me And You
[4:25] 2. It's Wonderful
[4:15] 3. Sugar
[2:45] 4. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
[4:42] 5. Our Love Is Here To Stay
[5:03] 6. A Sailboat In The Moonlight
[1:50] 7. Swing It Magistern
[4:31] 8. I Don't Mind
[1:51] 9. Who's Got The Other Half Of Heaven (Tralla På Svenska)
[3:45] 10. Regntunga Skyar
[4:16] 11. I'm Checkin' Out Go'om Bye
[3:20] 12. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[4:08] 13. Drop Me Off In Harlem
[4:17] 14. Bluer Than Blue

An amazing lady with an amazing voice who has been delighting people for over 50 yrs including Duke Ellington who picked her out to sing in his second sacred concert and commented that if he did not have Babs to sing for him he would have to hire three other singers to cover for her. She is also on other Ellington recordings including "Sernade to Sweden" where the liner notes have this quote from the Duke, "This voice embodies all the warmth, joy of life, rhythm and tragedy that, for me, is the innermost secret of jazz". As always DE says it like it is. ~Brian Beale

Swingtime Again

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Various - Anything Goes (1956 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:29
Size: 124.7 MB
Styles: Soundtrack
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[3:15] 1. Donald O'Connor - Ya Gotta Give The People Hoke, Song
[3:46] 2. Mitzi Gaynor - Anything Goes
[4:02] 3. Jeanmaire - I Get A Kick Out Of You
[2:29] 4. Mitzi Gaynor - You're The Top
[7:40] 5. Joseph Lilley - Dream Ballet
[5:48] 6. Donald O'Connor - It's De-Lovely
[2:57] 7. Bing Crosby - All Through The Night
[6:09] 8. Donald O'Connor - A Second Hand Turban And A Crystal Ball, Song
[4:07] 9. Donald O'Connor - You Can Bounce Right Back, Song
[4:48] 10. Donald O'Connor - Blow Gabriel Blow
[2:52] 11. Bing Crosby - Sailor Beware
[3:21] 12. Bing Crosby - My Heart And I
[3:08] 13. George Stoll's Trio - Moonburn

This is the second film titled Anything Goes to star Bing Crosby (the first was a 1936 film). Both films change a lot of the original Cole Porter stage musical, but at least the later version keeps a few more Porter songs. Still, there is something odd about a Cole Porter film filled with "additional songs" by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen (perhaps Porter's work was not warm and cuddly enough for 1956 America, although it seemed to work well at MGM with High Society, released the same year). Crosby plays a Broadway star teamed up with young TV hotshot Donald O'Connor. Vacationing separately in Europe and needing a leading lady for their upcoming show, each signs a prospect--Crosby snaps up Mitzi Gaynor (at her perkiest) and O'Connor finds Jeanmaire, a French dancer. The show can only have one female star, so when the quartet crosses paths on the ocean liner back to the U.S., sparks will fly. Or not--this Paramount musical lacks any definable zip, from the sleepy dialogue to the listless camera. The capable Nick Castle staged the musical sequences, although Jeanmaire's numbers were choreographed by Roland Petit (also her husband). The Porter songs are half-heartedly rendered, although O'Connor and Gaynor get some oomph into "It's De-Lovely." Der Bingle was born to burble "Blow, Gabriel, Blow," but it's too little, too late. --Robert Horton

Anything Goes (1956 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Remastered)

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David Linx & The Brussels Jazz Orchestra - Changing Faces

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 80:42
Size: 184.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[6:11] 1. Deep Night
[6:53] 2. Down On Lovers Lane
[8:09] 3. Black Crow
[5:47] 4. Bilhete
[4:12] 5. Then We'll Be Home
[9:46] 6. A Day's Journey
[4:54] 7. Home, In The Spring
[5:33] 8. The Land Of Joy
[2:17] 9. Por Toda Minha Vida
[5:32] 10. Miziane
[5:34] 11. There Is You
[9:33] 12. Sweet Suite
[6:15] 13. For The Time Being

Never thought I’d be mentioning that pre-Crosby crooner, Rudy Vallee, in this space, but one of the tunes associated with the megaphone meister, “Deep Night,” receives a surprisingly hip, propulsive makeover. It typifies the extremes to be found here. Linx, the Belgian jazz singer, will resort to any idiom, any language, any time signature. Occasionally he seems to dispense with bar lines altogether, or he will go beyond lyrics, as he abandons his own words on “A Day’s Journey,” for some free-wheeling scat. “Home, In the Spring” features Linx and the wordless Natalie Dessay in a wistful duet. While he strains for falsetto, she leaps octaves effortlessly. The most impressive tour de force is “The Land of Joy,” in which Linx resorts to jet-speed unison scat with pianist Nathalie Loriers. Linx wrote some of the tunes, which compete quite well against entries by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joni Mitchell. He can do it all, at the highest level of professionalism, like the superb Brussels Jazz Orchestra, a 17-piece band, used to the coloristic effects that accrue from their apparently endless doublings. ~Harvey Siders

Changing Faces

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Johnny Griffin - Chicago, New York, Paris

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:48
Size: 143.8 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[7:50] 1. The Jamfs Are Coming
[5:46] 2. Do It
[4:37] 3. To Love
[7:27] 4. Hush A Bye
[6:58] 5. You Must Believe In Spring
[8:19] 6. Without A Song
[5:57] 7. Leave Me Alone
[8:39] 8. My Romance
[7:11] 9. Not Yet

Acoustic Bass – Christian McBride; Drums – Greg Hutchinson; Piano – Kenny Barron; Saxophone – Johnny Griffin; Trumpet – Roy Hargrove.

Like Joe Henderson who released one beautiful CD after another in the past 10 years or so, Griffin plays here with gorgeous tone and overflowing musicality only getting better with age. I love the newer sax lions like James Carter, Joshua Redman, and Joe Lovano but Griffin, again like Joe Henderson, seems to be bringing out the qualities only possessed by those who came from 50s.
To me, this album is up there with the very best works by Dexter Gordon and Hank Mobley. If you think that's a stretch, just listen to My Romance, one of the most poignant ballad renditions I've ever heard on saxophone. Add Roy Hargrove (trumpet) and Kenny Baron (piano) to that and you have a formula for utmost beauty. ~Jonson Lee

Chicago,New York,Paris   

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David Binney - Barefooted Town

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:28
Size: 127,6 MB
Art: Front

( 9:42)  1. Dignity
( 7:25)  2. Seven Sixty
(10:51)  3. The Edge of Seasons
( 7:42)  4. Barefooted Town
( 7:35)  5. Secret Miracle
( 5:22)  6. A Night Every Day
( 6:48)  7. Once, when she was here

Politics isn't the only thing that increasingly demands clear vision and steadfast commitment (even if it isn't getting it). In the jazz world where the changing landscape makes getting heard one challenge, acceptance by a broader culture that views "jazz" as a dirty word another it takes artists with unshakable resolve to stay the course. David Binney has not only honed an instantly recognizable compositional language without the trappings of predictability, he's become a mentor for younger artists, mixing and matching from a gradually increasing cadre of players. Binney continues alternating between releases on his own Mythology label where the saxophonist has the luxury of time to fashion ambitious work like Graylen Epicenter (2011) and more reductionist sets for The Netherlands' Criss Cross label, where just one day to record means the altoist has to make, if not concessions, then certainly compromises. On the basis of Barefooted Town, however, whatever Binney sacrifices to get everything done in eight hours in no way dilutes the strength of his message. It's no lighter on the compositional front than the broader palette of his Mythology recordings are in retaining the kind of open space necessary to maximize the people with whom Binney regularly collaborates.

Binney brings back a number of players with whom he's worked increasingly in recent years, in particular Dan Weiss, who's been on all of Binney's Criss records since 2005's Bastion of Sanity, and for good reason: there seems little this drummer can't do, effortlessly combining cymbal-driven delicacy with more powerful twists and turns on the episodic "The Edge of Seasons." Initially waxing lyric, the 11-minute piece shifts, just as quickly, to an almost funky thematic section of layered meters before opening up to an extended solo from Binney newcomer David Virelles, suggesting that this pianist largely associated with Cuban music, but clearly possessing a much broader reach combines lithe linear dexterity with choppy chords informed by his roots, but taken much farther than past collaborators ever made possible. The three-horn frontline combines, on the inevitably building title track, long-toned melodic baton-passing with unison and occasionally expanding harmony as a foundation for Weiss' equally patient marvel of a constructed solo, with Mark Turner's subsequent spot making this tenor saxophonist's relatively below-the-radar position all the more curious. More than just a distinctive writer, Binney proves similar virtuosic mettle on "Secret Miracle," sharing the solo space with trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire on another piece that, despite its mathematical idiosyncrasies, flows naturally; its melody so singable that Binney adds his voice to the mix, as he does at the end of the title track. The horns rarely stray from playing unison doing otherwise might dilute the intrinsic strength of Binney's constructed themes with the exception of "A Night Every Day," where overlapping lines create shifting harmonies, and the intertwining duality of the powerful opener, "Dignity." Binney may create music of no small compositional complexity, but at its core is a lyricism so strong that, amidst impossible to ignore ensemble and solo performances, Barefooted Town's greatest strength may well be in its unforgettable melodies, which remain unforgettable, long after it's over. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/barefooted-town-david-binney-criss-cross-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: David Binney: alto saxophone, voice; Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; David Virelles; piano; Eivind Opsvik: bass; Dan Weiss: drums.

Barefooted Town

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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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