Shane Filan - Love Always

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:38
Size: 104,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:55)  1. This I Promise You
(3:45)  2. Don't Dream It's Over
(3:32)  3. Make You Feel My Love
(3:52)  4. Beautiful in White
(3:55)  5. Need You Now
(4:01)  6. Heaven
(3:36)  7. Completely
(3:49)  8. Unbreakable
(3:40)  9. Eyes Don't Lie
(4:13) 10. I Can't Make You Love Me
(3:11) 11. Crazy Over You
(3:09) 12. Eternal Flame

For 14 years, Shane Filan was a prominent member of the hugely successful boy band Westlife, an act that managed to amass no fewer than 14 U.K. number one hits before they marked their dissolution with a summer 2012 show in Dublin in front of 80,000 fans. Born in Sligo, Ireland during the last summer of the '70s, Filan went on to develop his singing voice as part of various school productions, as well as in performances at the local Hawk's Well Theatre. Before his 20th birthday he had already achieved his first number one single with Westlife, when they issued their Steve Mac -produced debut, "Swear It Again." From 1999's Westlife to 2010's Gravity, all but two of their ten studio albums reached the top of the Irish album chart, and following the October 2012 announcement of the band's plan to part ways, Filan was strongly rumored to be talking to various labels about a solo deal. 

He spent much of 2012 and early 2013 writing new material, and in April 2013, it was revealed that Filan had signed with London Records. His summer 2013 debut solo single, "Everything to Me," nodded to the mainstream folk of the Lumineers and Mumford & Sons, and an album, You & Me, was released that November. ~ James Wilkinson https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/love-always/id1253910517

Love Always

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Bonnie Raitt - Playlist: The Best Of The Warner Bros. Years

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:18
Size: 158.7 MB
Styles: Pop/Rock/Blues
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[2:55] 1. Too Long At The Fair
[3:28] 2. What Is Success
[3:42] 3. You've Been In Love Too Long
[3:54] 4. Angel From Montgomery
[3:34] 5. I Ain't Blue
[4:38] 6. I Feel The Same
[3:46] 7. Love Has No Pride
[3:56] 8. Runaway
[3:23] 9. I'm Blowin' Away
[3:25] 10. Bluebird
[3:26] 11. Home
[3:41] 12. Under The Falling Sky
[3:00] 13. My First Night Alone Without You
[2:46] 14. Thank You
[2:58] 15. Guilty
[3:09] 16. Love Me Like A Man
[3:06] 17. Since I Fell For You
[4:40] 18. That Song About The Midway
[2:57] 19. Good Enough
[2:45] 20. Louise

Raitt was born in Burbank, California. She is the daughter of the Broadway musical star John Raitt and his first wife, the pianist Marjorie Haydock, and was raised in the Quaker tradition. She began playing guitar at Camp Regis-Apple Jack in Paul Smiths, NY, at an early age. Later she gained notice for her bottleneck-style guitar playing. Raitt says she played "a little at school and at [a summer] camp", Camp Regis-Applejack, in New York. Raitt is of Scottish ancestry, with her ancestors being those who constructed Rait Castle near Nairn.

After graduating from Oakwood Friends School in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1967 Raitt entered Radcliffe College, majoring in social relations and African studies. She said her "plan was to travel to Tanzania, where President Julius Nyerere was creating a government based on democracy and socialism". Raitt became friends with blues promoter Dick Waterman. During her second year of college Raitt took a semester off and moved to Philadelphia with Waterman and other local musicians. Raitt says it was an "opportunity that changed everything."

Raitt used alcohol and drugs, but began psychotherapy and joined Alcoholics Anonymous in the late 1980s. She has said "I thought I had to live that partying lifestyle in order to be authentic, but in fact if you keep it up too long, all you're going to be is sloppy or dead". She became clean in 1987. She has credited Stevie Ray Vaughan for breaking her substance abuse, saying that what gave her the courage to admit her alcohol problem and stop drinking was seeing that Stevie Ray Vaughan was an even better musician when sober. She has also said that she stopped because she realized that the "late night life" was not working for her. In 1989 she said "I really feel like some angels have been carrying me around. I just have more focus and more discipline, and consequently more self-respect."

Playlist: The Best Of The Warner Bros. Years

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The Art Van Damme Quintet - Blue World

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:32
Size: 81.4 MB
Styles: Accordion jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[2:31] 1. Blue Lou
[3:07] 2. It's A Blue World
[2:26] 3. My Kind Of Love
[3:35] 4. Laura
[2:26] 5. Too Close For Comfort
[3:10] 6. When Your Lover Has Gone
[2:15] 7. The Song Is You
[3:34] 8. The Things We Did Last Summer
[2:39] 9. Cheek To Cheek
[3:39] 10. On The Alamo
[3:08] 11. Jim
[2:57] 12. Diane

The hippest cat ever to swing an accordion, Art Van Damme dared go where no man had gone before: jazz accordion. He started taking accordion lessons at the age of nine, and moved on to classical studies after his family moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1934. After leaving school. he played in a trio in local clubs under big band leader Ben Bernie hired him in 1941. He soon returned to Chicago, though, and continued to work the club circuit there throughout World War Two.

Van Damme was inspired by swing recordings, particularly Benny Goodman's, and in the late 1930s, he began experimenting, adapting Goodman solos to the accordion. Throughout his career, he would often be compared to Goodman, since the two were both classically trained, technical masters of their instruments, and versatile and creative jazz soloists. As time went on, Van Damme moved into more adventurous territory, closer to mainstream jazz. His later Columbia albums feature him at the lead of small, tight combos, and include a mix of standards and Van Damme's own slightly bebop-ish originals.

Although a number of other accordionists ventured into jazz territory after Van Damme broke the trail, he remains the acknowledged master. As one reviewer recently wrote, he dispatches "Right-hand runs with a velocity and lightness of touch that defied the presumed limitations of the instrument," while at the same time, "Consistently emphasizing the lyric contours of a melodic phrase rather than the lightning technical flourishes that led up to it."

He eventually retired to Florida. He announced at his 75th birthday party that he intended to hang up his squeezebox for good, telling one interview that he felt like he'd played enough for one lifetime, but he continued to perform occasionally, appearing at clubs throughout the U.S. until as late as 2008.

Blue World

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Pablo Milanes - Renacimiento

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:40
Size: 81.7 MB
Styles: Latin pop/jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:38] 1. En Paz
[3:20] 2. Apocalipsis
[4:11] 3. Dulces Recuerdos
[2:01] 4. Los Males Del Silencio
[5:30] 5. Cual Si Fuera A Morir Esta Mañana
[3:03] 6. Homenaje Al Changüí
[6:21] 7. Canto A La Habana
[3:56] 8. Amor De Otoño
[2:37] 9. El Otoño Del Amor

Along with Silvio Rodriguez, Pablo Milanés was one of the crucial figures in Cuba's nueva trova popular-song movement of the late '60s; sponsored by Fidel Castro's government, the collective of nueva trova musicians were essentially supposed to reconfigure and update traditional Cuban folk musics for the nation's new, modern, post-revolutionary society. Milanés gained renown for his highly poetic lyrics and smooth yet emotional singing, becoming one of the most popular and respected Cuban musicians and songwriters of the late 20th century, and releasing a hefty number of records. He is a controversial figure to some -- exiles despise his staunch support of Castro, while others criticize his musical forays into sentimental, orchestrated jazz-pop -- but his status as one of the most important links between traditional and contemporary Cuban music has remained virtually unassailable into the new millennium. ~bio by Steve Huey

Renacimiento

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Paula Cole - Ballads

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 75:07

Size: 172.0 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 2017

Art: Front

[5:12] 1. God Bless The Child

[3:38] 2. I Wish (I Knew How It Feels To Be Free)

[3:46] 3. Naima

[4:47] 4. Ode To Billy Joe

[4:43] 5. You've Changed

[2:27] 6. What A Little Moonlight Can Do

[2:47] 7. I'm Old Fashioned

[6:33] 8. The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll

[2:18] 9. Never Will I Marry

[3:36] 10. Skylark

[7:36] 11. The Ballad Of Hollis Brown

[3:41] 12. Body And Soul

[2:19] 13. Nice Work If You Can Get It

[3:06] 14. Farewell, My Friends

[3:51] 15. I Cover The Waterfront

[3:00] 16. Blue Moon

[1:47] 17. You Hit The Spot

[4:11] 18. Willow Weep For Me

[2:14] 19. Autumn Leaves

[3:26] 20. My One And Only Love

“It is truly my time now, at 50.” – Paula Cole.

More beautiful than ever, in a twenty-plus-year-career, Paula Cole releases Ballads, a twenty-song collection of American jazz and folk classics from the 1930’s to the 1960’s. It is dedicated to her father, Jim Cole. Cole started as a jazz singer and now returns, at nearly 50 years of age, to pay homage to her first love of jazz and folk. A self-described “mother and human being first” Cole is a timeless voice not only in song, but for those who have felt pain, and who still stand shining light, against all odds. With a voice that is big, rich and gorgeous, a mind that is intelligent, and a heart that transforms suffering into beauty, Paula Cole sings for our enlightenment, for our souls.

Ballads is a journey to Billie Holiday and Bob Dylan, to John Coltrane and Nina Simone, to Bobbie Gentry and Nancy Wilson, sung by a stunning Paula Cole we’ve not yet heard. Start pouring the fine wine. Some things get better with age.

Ballads

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Lee Ritenour's 6 String Theory - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:48
Size: 155.2 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:54] 1. Lay It Down (Feat. John Scofield)
[4:08] 2. Am I Wrong (Feat. Keb Mo, Taj Mahal)
[4:51] 3. L.P. (For Les Paul) (Feat. Pat Martino, Joey Defrancesco)
[5:14] 4. Give Me One Reason (Feat Robert Cray, Joe Bonamassa)
[4:58] 5. 68 (Feat. Slash, Neal Schon, Steve Lukather)
[5:56] 6. In Your Dreams (Feat. Neal Schon, Steve Lukather)
[1:45] 7. My One And Only Love (Feat. George Benson)
[4:58] 8. Moon River (Feat. George Benson)
[6:34] 9. Why I Sing The Blues (Feat. BB King, Jonny Lang, Keb Mo, Vince Gill)
[1:54] 10. Daddy Longlicks (Feat. Joe Robinson)
[4:48] 11. Shape Of My Heart (Feat. Andy Mckee, Steve Lukather)
[3:40] 12. Drifting (Feat. Andy Mckee)
[4:56] 13. Freeway Jam (Feat. Mike Stern, Tomoyasu Hotei)
[4:33] 14. Lee Fives (Feat. Guthrie, Govan, Tal Wilkenfield)
[3:31] 15. Caprices, Op. 20, No. 2 And 7 (Feat. Shon Bublil)

On his release 6 String Theory, Ritenour is among twenty legendary world class guitarists who guest on the recording, produced with John Burk of Concord Records. Joining him in this tribute to the guitar, the all-star line-up includes: George Benson, BB King, Slash, Steve Lukather, John Scofield, Robert Cray and Vince Gill among many other superstars. Blending rock, blues, jazz, acoustic, country and classical, they come together for a seamless project that promises to take the listener on a musical journey and exploration of the guitar.

Lee Ritenour's 6 String Theory  

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Ron Carter - Dear Miles,

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:44
Size: 120.7 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:45] 1. Gone
[4:53] 2. Seven Steps To Heaven
[8:03] 3. My Funny Valentine
[3:41] 4. Bags' Groove
[6:44] 5. Someday My Prince Will Come
[4:34] 6. Cut And Paste
[5:01] 7. Stella By Starlight
[4:57] 8. As Time Goes By
[5:26] 9. Bye Bye Blackbird
[4:34] 10. 595

Ron Carter: bass; Stephen Scott: piano; Peyton Crossley: drums; Roger Squitero: percussion.

The fact that the late iconic trumpeter Miles Davis still generates controversy is a real indicator of his earth-shaking impact on the genre. What's your favorite Miles debate: Acoustic Miles, or Electric Miles? Kind of Blue (Legacy, 1959), or Bitches Brew Legacy, 1969)? Bill Evans, or Bill Evans? Tutu: An affront to all that's good and true, or just a really bad career move?

As one-fifth of the "second great Miles Davis Quintet, bassist Ron Carter had a ringside seat for Miles' transition from jazz icon to jazz-fusion hero (or heretic, depending on your world view). Although he's taken part in Four Generations of Miles and VSOP, Carter has kept his own recording efforts away from the burgeoning Miles-tribute-disc market, out of respect for his former leader. Then again, it could be a case of "Take your time, do it right. Carter has definitely done it right on Dear Miles, the bassist's second great release of 2007.

While recent tributes by saxophonist Dave Leibman and trombonist Conrad Herwig operate on a macro scale, Carter goes the other way, using his working quartet to forge an impeccably nuanced set that links several of Miles' early phases with the 1960s unit Carter anchored. When you break it down, Carter's quartet is a four-piece rhythm section, and that makes for a satisfyingly aggressive final product, even in Dear Miles' quietest moments. Dear Miles is a fantastic set of bold interpretations; it is respectful to its subject while never losing its need to be unique. I'd say that sounds like Miles to a T. ~J. Hunter

Dear Miles,

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Artie Shaw - King Of The Clarinet (1938-39 Live Perfomances) Disc 1

Styles: Clarinet Jazz, Swing
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:31
Size: 151,3 MB
Art: Front

(0:33)  1. Nightmare (Opening Theme)
(2:43)  2. Rose Room
(2:54)  3. Comes Love (with Helen Forrest)
(4:00)  4. Carioca
(2:55)  5. You're Mine You
(2:30)  6. Go Fly A Kite (with Tony Pastor)
(3:14)  7. Yesterdays
(2:41)  8. Don't Worry 'Bout Me (with Helen Forrest)
(2:30)  9. My Heart Stood Still
(2:26) 10. Traffic Jam
(3:25) 11. Melancholy Lullaby (with Helen Forrest)
(5:07) 12. In The Mood
(2:41) 13. Sweet Adeline (with Tony Pastor)
(3:24) 14. Lover Come Back To Me
(3:13) 15. Two Sleepy People (with Helen Forrest)
(2:27) 16. I'm Coming Virginia
(3:36) 17. One Foot In The Groove
(3:51) 18. Just A Kid Named Joe (with Tony Pastor)
(3:43) 19. Blue Interlude
(3:34) 20. Day In, Day Out (with Helen Forrest)
(2:53) 21. Leapin' At The Lincoln

One of jazz's finest clarinetists, Artie Shaw never seemed fully satisfied with his musical life, constantly breaking up successful bands and running away from success. While Count Basie and Duke Ellington were satisfied to lead just one orchestra during the swing era, and Benny Goodman (due to illness) had two, Shaw led five, all of them distinctive and memorable. After growing up in New Haven, CT, and playing clarinet and alto locally, Shaw spent part of 1925 with Johnny Cavallaro's dance band and then played off and on with Austin Wylie's band in Cleveland from 1927-1929 before joining Irving Aaronson's Commanders. After moving to New York, Shaw became a close associate of Willie "The Lion" Smith at jam sessions, and by 1931 was a busy studio musician. He retired from music for the first time in 1934 in hopes of writing a book, but when his money started running out, Shaw returned to New York. A major turning point occurred when he performed at an all-star big band concert at the Imperial Theatre in May 1936, surprising the audience by performing with a string quartet and a rhythm section. He used a similar concept in putting together his first orchestra, adding a Dixieland-type front line and a vocalist while retaining the strings. Despite some fine recordings, that particular band disbanded in early 1937 and then Shaw put together a more conventional big band.

The surprise success of his 1938 recording of "Begin the Beguine" made the clarinetist into a superstar and his orchestra (who featured the tenor of Georgie Auld, vocals by Helen Forrest and Tony Pastor, and, by 1939, Buddy Rich's drumming) into one of the most popular in the world. Billie Holiday was with the band for a few months, although only one recording ("Any Old Time") resulted. Shaw found the pressure of the band business difficult to deal with and in November 1939 suddenly left the bandstand and moved to Mexico for two months. When Shaw returned, his first session, utilizing a large string section, resulted in another major hit, "Frenesi"; it seemed that he could not escape success. Shaw's third regular orchestra, who had a string section and such star soloists as trumpeter Billy Butterfield and pianist Johnny Guarnieri, was one of his finest, waxing perhaps the greatest version of "Stardust" along with the memorable "Concerto for Clarinet." The Gramercy Five, a small group formed out of the band (using Guarnieri on harpsichord), also scored with the million-selling "Summit Ridge Drive." Despite all this, Shaw broke up the orchestra in 1941, only to re-form an even larger one later in the year. The latter group featured Hot Lips Page along with Auld and Guarnieri. After Pearl Harbor, Shaw enlisted and led a Navy band (unfortunately unrecorded) before getting a medical discharge in February 1944. Later in the year, his new orchestra featured Roy Eldridge, Dodo Marmarosa, and Barney Kessel, and found Shaw's own style becoming quite modern, almost boppish. But, with the end of the swing era, Shaw again broke up his band in early 1946 and was semi-retired for several years, playing classical music as much as jazz.

His last attempt at a big band was a short-lived one, a boppish unit who lasted for a few months in 1949 and included Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, and Don Fagerquist; their modern music was a commercial flop. After a few years of limited musical activity, Shaw returned one last time, recording extensively with a version of the Gramercy Five that featured Tal Farlow or Joe Puma on guitar along with Hank Jones. Then, in 1955, Artie Shaw permanently gave up the clarinet to pursue his dreams of being a writer. Although he served as the frontman (with Dick Johnson playing the clarinet solos) for a reorganized Artie Shaw Orchestra in 1983, Shaw never played again. He received plenty of publicity for his eight marriages (including to actresses Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, and Evelyn Keyes) and for his odd autobiography, The Trouble With Cinderella (which barely touches on the music business or his wives), but the outspoken Artie Shaw deserves to be best remembered as one of the truly great clarinetists. His RCA recordings, which were reissued in complete fashion in a perfectly done Bluebird LP series, have only been made available in piecemeal fashion on CD. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/artie-shaw-mn0000511029/biography

King Of The Clarinet (1938-39 Live Perfomances) Disc 1

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Suzy Bogguss - Swing

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:07
Size: 86,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:32)  1. Straighten Up and Fly Right
(3:09)  2. My Dream is You
(4:07)  3. Comes Love
(2:40)  4. Sweetheart (Waitress in a Donut Shop)
(1:57)  5. Jumping Into Spring
(4:48)  6. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
(2:51)  7. Burning the Toast
(3:32)  8. It's Always New to Me
(2:32)  9. Cupid Shot Us Both With One Arrow (With Ray Benson)
(3:33) 10. Picadilly Circus
(2:17) 11. It's All About You
(3:04) 12. Stay Out of My Dreams

Suzy Bogguss has had a very successful career in the contemporary country arena in the 1980s and ‘90s. Her debut recording for Liberty Records, Somewhere In Between, was critically well received and contains songs by Nashville and Austin royalty Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, and Merle Haggard. Ms. Bogguss today finds herself with a new label and a bit of a new direction. This is not strictly a jazz record to be sure, and Suzy Bogguss is not the first artist to attempt to crossover into a jazz/swing genre. Where Ms. Bogguss chimes in with novelty is her foray into western swing. Joining Bogguss is Asleep At The Wheel’s Ray Benson, who exerts a great deal of creative control over the recording, casting the songs in a more commercially appealing light than a hard western swing one. The absence of the pedal steel guitar, long a western swing staple, is to be owed for this softer brand of this genre. Ms. Bogguss has a perfect voice for this material, and I would hazard to say a better voice than many of the recent vocal jazz recordings crossing my desk. She brings a complete package to the table. Ms. Bogguss includes both standards and original compositions on the recording, all offered in a light swing style. Of the standards, Nat King Cole’s "Straighten Up and Fly Right," Ellington’s "Do Nothing ‘Til You Hear from Me," and Billie Holiday’s "Comes Love" are the most effective. But added to this palette are the more contemporary songs of April Barrows, including the very innovative and clever "Burning the Toast" and "Cupid Shots Us Both With One Arrow." Benson’s trademark guitar is present throughout and Jason Robert’s fiddle provides just enough of the swing in this western swing recording. ~ C. Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/swing-suzy-bogguss-compadre-records-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Suzy Bogguss (vocals); Jason Roberts (guitar, fiddle); Dave Biller, Ray Benson (guitar); John Mills (clarinet, saxophone); Floyd Domino (piano); Spencer Starnes (bass); David Sanger (drums).

Swing

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Stanley Turrentine - Look Out!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:06
Size: 128,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:12)  1. Look Out!
(4:58)  2. Journey Into Melody
(4:50)  3. Return Engagement
(7:51)  4. Little Sheri
(5:02)  5. Tiny Capers
(6:13)  6. Minor Chant
(6:18)  7. Tin Tin Deo
(6:58)  8. Yesterdays
(5:41)  9. Little Sheri [45rpm-single take]

This 1960 set is from a period which many consider to have been Stanley Turrentine's most creative. The saxophonist, who would have been 75 this month (March), was just coming out of an extended run with Max Roach's notably up-tempo orchestra. Backed here by a then-emerging powerhouse of sidemen, the set kicks off with the title track, a tersely phrased Turrentine blues composition. The straightforward rhythm section bassist George Tucker and drummer Al Harewood makes a perfect berth for some wide open and bouncing solos from pianist Horace Parlan and the composer's tenor sax.  It's followed by an unexpected treat. "Journey Into Melody" is a luxuriant piece by British conductor Robert Farnon. Well-known for his lush orchestrations, his music would hardly be expected to turn up on a Turrentine session, he who only a few years earlier had taken Coltrane's seat in Earl Bostic's band. But it all works easily between these two romanticists. The great Ben Webster was a major influence on Turrentine, and a tender sound very akin to Webster's is evident on this leisurely, warmly played melody. Another Turrentine tune, "Little Sheri," is dedicated to his then-young daughter, and grew to become a signature tune for the saxophonist. Here, after a warm, low-key intro by Turrentine accentuated by Harewood's brushes, Parlan swings in with some easy, gentle chords. Throughout the set, Turrentine and especially Parlan give out with a grabbing, bluesy soul quality. Back in the early '50,s Turrentine had recorded with Ray Charles and echoes of that special soul sound appear here. Turrentine's partnering with Parlan here is especially notable, presaging other memorable recordings of theirs for this same label. But it was here that they really began to cook and the heat is palpable. ~ Andrew Velez https://www.allaboutjazz.com/look-out-stanley-turrentine-blue-note-records-review-by-andrew-velez.php
 

Personnel: Stanley Turrentine: tenor saxophone; Horace Parlan: piano; George Tucker: bass; Al harewood: drums.

Look Out!

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Vusi Mahlasela - The Voice

Styles: Vocal, Guitar, Latin World
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:56
Size: 136,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:47)  1. Melodi Ya Mamelodi
(5:38)  2. Silang Mabele
(4:10)  3. When You Come Back
(5:39)  4. Weeping
(4:09)  5. Sleep Tight Margaret
(4:27)  6. Red Song
(4:32)  7. Troubadour
(4:36)  8. Emtini Wababe
(3:24)  9. Fountain
(4:04) 10. [Untitled 10]
(4:53) 11. Mma Modiane
(4:29) 12. Loneliness
(3:27) 13. Ntate Mahlasela
(2:37) 14. A Prayer for Our Time

In his home country of South Africa, singer/songwriter Vusi Mahlasela is fondly known as "The Voice." His fellow countrywoman, the writer Nadine Gordimer, once said about him: "Vusi Mahlasela sings as a bird does: in total response to being alive." Apart from his remarkable songwriting talent, Mahlasela is in fact blessed with one of the most remarkable voices in contemporary popular music. Vusi Mahlasela grew up listening to people singing in his grandmother's shebeen (an informal pub in South African townships) and taught himself while playing the guitar. As a teenager, he started writing his own songs with lyrics of social significance. In 1981, he joined the poetry group Ancestors of Africa, who were on the watch list of the Apartheid regime. His joining of the Congress of South African Writers in 1988 marks a new quality in his artistical maturing process. Besides starting a collaboration with South African dub poet Lesego Rampolokeng, he explored South African jazz and traditional music as well as the work of Chilean songwriter Victor Jara, who in his own opinion was his strongest influence. His first international performance in London (1990) made him more popular overseas than back home. Consequently, his debut album, When You Come Back (1992), a tribute to the political exiles of South Africa, catapulted him to instant fame in Europe and North America. Nowadays, it is considered a South African classic. Wisdom of Forgiveness, the 1994 successor, was an equally strong effort. The album title nicely summarized the political approach taken by the new democratic South African government: not revenge, but forgiveness was the strategy of the new era. Extensive touring was the reason that Mahlasela's next album, Silang Mabele, was only released at the end of 1997. The message of this album was clear: the time of singing praise songs is over, now let's make this new country work. The live set, Vusi Mahlasela & Louis Mhlanga Live at the Bassline (1999) captured a sizzling performance with one of his longterm collaborators and friends, guitarist Louis Mhlanga, stripped down to two guitars. In 2002, Vusi Mahlasela also appeared in Lee Hirsch's acclaimed documentary Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony which examined the role of music in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. The compilation The Voice (2003) which Mahlasela himself handpicked for listeners in North America, marked his official record debut in the U.S.. To celebrate the twenty year anniversary of When You Come Back, the album that brought him onto a world stage in 1992, Vusi assembled his band and threw a concert at the Lyric Theatre in Johannesburg in 2012, performing several of his signature songs in front of an enthusiastic and very involved audience, and the whole affair was recorded and released as a live set, Sing to the People, early in 2013. ~ Frank Eisenhuth  https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-voice/id252021518

Personnel: Vusi Mahlasela (vocals, acoustic guitar); Lloyd Ross (guitar, mandolin); Mauritz Lotz (guitar); Louis Mhlanga (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Moses Mafiri (acoustic guitar); Paul Majoro (electric guitar); Noise Khanyile (violin); Kelly Petlane (flute); Phil Holder (saxophone); Bra Ntemi Piliso, Barry Snyman (alto saxophone); Marcus Wyatt, Bruce Cassidy (trumpet); Jannie VanTonder (trombone); Johan Laas (keyboards, programming); Christopher Letcher, Tani Mello (keyboards); Herbie Tsoaeli (upright bass); Ian Herman (drums, percussion); Johnny Motuba, Kevin Gibson (drums); Jahn Beukes (bendir); Basie Mahlasela (percussion); Rick Mitchell (programming); Queen Ranyama, Sipho Mbhele, Margaret Motsage, Wings Segale, Faith Kekana, Stella Khumalo, Sipho Mxumalo, Vicky Vilakazi, Thandi Masemola, Caroline Masemola, Constance Mahlo, James Stewart (background vocals)

The Voice

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Harold Mabern - To Love And Be Loved

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:44
Size: 148,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:37)  1. To Love and Be Loved
(5:23)  2. If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You
(6:10)  3. The Gigolo
(5:30)  4. Inner Glimpse
(6:45)  5. My Funny Valentine
(9:12)  6. The Iron Man
(7:15)  7. So What
(6:57)  8. I Get a Kick out of You
(5:29)  9. Dat Dere
(6:22) 10. Hittin' the Jug

Mabern reunites with the legendary drummer Jimmy, two world-renowned former students Eric Alexander and Freddie Hendrix, swinging bassist Nat Reeves, and the incredible percussionist and master colorist Cyro Baptista. On his latest album, "To Love and Be Loved", Harold Mabern is joined by a multigenerational band that brings together one of his legendary peers with some of his most acclaimed former students all of whom play with the same love and respect that Mabern has shared with them over the years. http://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/74334/harold-mabern/to-love-and-be-loved

Personnel:  Eric Alexander , tenor sax;  Harold Mabern, piano;  Nat Reees, bass;  Jimmy Cobb, drums;  Freddie Hendrix, trumpet on tracks 3, 4 & 7;  Cyro Baptista, percussion on track 1.

To Love And Be Loved

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Frank Sinatra - Sinatra And Swingin' Brass

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:05
Size: 68.9 MB
Styles: Swing, Jazz vocals
Year: 1962/2014
Art: Front

[1:47] 1. Goody, Goody
[2:40] 2. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[2:12] 3. At Long Last Love
[2:34] 4. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[3:10] 5. Don'cha Go 'way Mad
[3:13] 6. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[2:02] 7. Tangerine
[2:26] 8. Love Is Just Around The Corner
[2:07] 9. Ain't She Sweet
[2:59] 10. Serenade In Blue
[2:17] 11. I Love You
[2:33] 12. Pick Yourself Up

Sinatra and Swingin' Brass, a collection of brash, bold up-tempo numbers, followed the all-ballads effort Sinatra and Strings. Working with Neal Hefti, Sinatra turned in a robust, energetic performance, which was infectious even when his voice was showing signs of wear -- he was suffering from a cold during the sessions. The record captures the spirit of the Rat Pack era nearly as well as Ring-a-Ding Ding!. [This album was later released with three bonus tracks]. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Sinatra And Swingin' Brass

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Clark Terry - The Happy Horns Of Clark Terry

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:11
Size: 78.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1964/1994
Art: Front

[4:39] 1. Rockin' In Rhythm
[4:08] 2. In A Mist
[3:04] 3. Return To Swahili
[2:56] 4. Ellington Rides Again (Medley)
[4:39] 5. Impulsive
[3:35] 6. Do Nothing 'til You Hear From Me
[4:30] 7. Jazz Conversations
[3:47] 8. High Towers
[2:48] 9. Hammer Head Waltz

Double Bass – Milt Hinton; Drums – Walter Perkins; Piano – Roger Kellaway; Saxophone [Alto], Clarinet – Phil Woods; Saxophone [Tenor] – Ben Webster; Trumpet – Clark Terry. Recorded: March 13, 1964.

This all-star LP has plenty of memorable moments. Flugelhornist Clark Terry teams up with altoist Phil Woods (who doubles on clarinet), tenor great Ben Webster, pianist Roger Kellaway, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Walter Perkins for a varied program that includes a rollicking version of "Rockin' in Rhythm," Bix Beiderbecke's "In a Mist," a Duke Ellington medley, and "Return to Swahili," which is mostly a flügelhorn-drums duet. The lively music is quite enjoyable. ~Scott Yanow

The Happy Horns Of Clark Terry

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LeAnn Rimes - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:25
Size: 88.0 MB
Styles: Country vocals
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[2:52] 1. Crazy
[3:29] 2. Don't Worry
[2:29] 3. Leavin' On Your Mind
[3:52] 4. Faded Love
[3:18] 5. Born To Lose
[3:08] 6. Cryin' Time
[3:14] 7. She's Got You
[2:53] 8. I Fall To Pieces
[2:39] 9. Your Cheatin' Heart
[2:45] 10. Lovesick Blues
[4:33] 11. Me And Bobby McGee
[3:09] 12. Big Deal

This is a collection of LeAnn Rimes's favorite country standards, plus one newly written hit, "Big Deal." Say what you will about this woman-child--yes, she really needs direction (the 11 remakes couldn't be more obvious choices) and a producer besides her dad. But she's slowly growing into her own style, which here falls somewhere between Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee, and Tammy Wynette. Especially Patsy. Her timing on "Crazy" is quirky enough to offset the ham-fisted arrangement, and she's not bad on "I Fall to Pieces," either; her efforts on "She's Got You," "Leavin' on Your Mind," and "Faded Love" (a Bob Wills song Cline cut) fall short. She also chooses "Your Cheatin' Heart" and "Lovesick Blues," two songs identified with Hank Williams that Cline recorded, and sings the latter like she knows what it means. The wanna-rock "Me and Bobby McGee" is a travesty, but at least she gets to act her age, sort of, on "Big Deal." ~John Morthland

LeAnn Rimes

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Si Cranstoun - Smokehouse Sessions

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:55
Size: 61.6 MB
Styles: R&B, Swing
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:13] 1. Mary Lou
[2:30] 2. True Lovers
[2:38] 3. Rosie Lees
[3:29] 4. Around Midnight
[2:55] 5. Ruby Baby
[3:47] 6. The Throwback
[1:49] 7. Them There Eyes
[2:05] 8. Sea Cruise
[2:38] 9. Little By Little
[2:47] 10. 50's Pin Up

A fantastic dancable Rhythm & Blues album by Si Cranstoun, one of the most requested pf today's artists for Rock & Roll festivals! The Smokehouse Sessions was recorded at the famous Smokehouse Studios

in London and features Si Cranstoun and his eight piece band playing old and new vintage dance floor favourites.
It includes new covers of songs by Frankie Ford, Varetta Dillard, The Drifters, Nappy Brown and Sam Cooke along with some upfront vibey new renditions from Si's ever growing songwriting catalogue.
One to listen out for is the newly written track True Lovers - it's killer vintage style R&B.

Smokehouse Sessions

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Lionel Hampton - Ring Dem Vibes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:11
Size: 98.9 MB
Styles: Vibraphone jazz
Year: 2001/2007
Art: Front

[ 7:44] 1. Ring Dem Bells
[ 2:13] 2. Seven Come Eleven
[ 4:28] 3. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[ 7:06] 4. Blue Lou
[10:30] 5. Psychedelic Sally
[ 4:41] 6. Vibraphone Blues
[ 6:26] 7. Hamp's Thing

Alto Saxophone – Michel Attenoux; Double Bass – Michel Gaudry; Drums – Sam Woodyard; Guitar – William Mackel; Organ – Reynold Mullins (tracks: 6); Piano – Raymond Fol, Reynold Mullins (tracks: 3, 4); Tenor Saxophone – Gérard Badini (tracks: 1, 5, 7); Trombone – Claude Gousset (tracks: 1, 5, 7); Vibraphone – Dany Doriz (tracks: 2); Vibraphone, Vocals – Lionel Hampton. Recorded on May 25 (1, 2, 5, 7) and 26 (3, 4, 6) 1976, at the Hoche studio, Paris.

Lionel Hampton's two-day session for Blue Star in 1976 was a very productive date; he only brought along two regulars, guitarist Billy Mackel and pianist/organist Reynold Mullins, but was joined by an assortment of outstanding European players, including pianist Raymond Fol, alto saxophonist Michel Attenoux (who had worked with Hampton before), trombonist Claude Gousset, tenor saxophonist Gerard Badini, bassist Michel Gaudry, and former Ellington drummer Sam Woodyard, who was living and working in Paris. Hampton was only 68 years old at the time of the recording and still had the reputation for wearing out men a third of his age on the bandstand; his enthusiasm is infectious from the opening number, "Ring Dem Bells," as he introduces each soloist in turn in a lively jam. Dany Doriz, the man who had instigated this session, joins Hampton on vibes for a spirited if brief run through "Seven Come Eleven." The leader also revisits old favorites such as his "Vibraphone Blues" (which includes some humorous commentary in addition to his vocal) and standards like "Blue Lou" and "On the Sunny Side of the Street" with the same vigor as when he first recorded them decades earlier. One surprise inclusion is Horace Silver's "Psychedelic Sally," which turns into an extended workout with one hot chorus inspiring yet another. The players mesh very well and each of the soloists is in top form when called upon. Although Lionel Hampton recorded frequently in the second half of the 1970s, this pickup session is among the best of the two dozen or so releases made during this period of his career. ~Ken Dryden

Ring Dem Vibes

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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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