Kenny Dorham - Jazz Contemporary

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:55
Size: 143,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:34)  1. A Waltz
(8:09)  2. Monk's Mood
(8:01)  3. In Your Own Sweet Way
(8:27)  4. Horn Salute
(2:57)  5. Tonica
(6:49)  6. This Love of Mine
(5:29)  7. Sign Off
(5:36)  8. A Waltz
(2:53)  9. Monk's Mood
(7:55) 10. This Love of Mine

Originally on the Time label, this LP features the excellent (but always underrated) trumpeter Kenny Dorham heading a quintet that also includes baritonist Charles Davis, pianist Steve Kuhn, either Jimmy Garrison or Butch Warren on bass, and drummer Buddy Enlow. The results are not quite essential but everyone plays up to par, performing three of Dorham's originals plus "In Your Own Sweet Way," "Monk's Mood," and "This Love of Mine." It's fine hard bop, the modern mainstream music of the period. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-contemporary-mw0000320205

Personnel:  Trumpet – Kenny Dorham;   Baritone Saxophone – Charles Davis;  Bass – Butch Warren, Jimmy Garrison;  Drums – Buddy Enlow;  Piano – Steve Kuhn

Jazz Contemporary

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Lorraine Klaasen - Nouvelle Journee

Size: 102,7 MB
Time: 40:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Folk, World
Art: Front

01. Nouvelle Journée (3:24)
02. Ke Tshepile Bafatsi (4:02)
03. Home Sweet Home (4:07)
04. Township Memories (3:56)
05. Polokwane (4:21)
06. Izani Nonke (3:50)
07. Make It Right (4:05)
08. Babalazi (3:37)
09. Where To Now (5:15)
10. Thulandivile (4:02)

Long based in Montreal, singer Lorraine Klaasen continues to make music primarily influenced by her native land of South Africa (she was born in Soweto). She won a 2013 Juno Award for World Music album of the Year for her Tribute to Miriam Makeba, a prime influence (as is famed singer Thandie Klaasen, her mother).

Her latest, Nouvelle Journée, is a truly multilingual album, with songs sung in English, French and South African languages Tsonga, Sotho, IsiZulu and Xhosa. It initially sounds a touch odd to hear a South African-flavoured song done in French, as on the title track, and to these ears, it's the more overtly South African tunes that work best.

Klaasen has a fluent and melodic vocal style, and she's aided by an A-list cast of world music players and fine production by guitarist Mongezi Ntaka. There is a real social conscience evident in such material as "Izani Nonke" and the anti-greed ballad "Where To Now," a song Klaasen wrote 30 years ago that sadly remains relevant today. Strong messages are found within this sweetly rhythmic material, confirming the ongoing appeal of music with a townships vibe.

Nouvelle Journee

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Lena Horne - I Sing...!: Musical Moments To Remember (Remastered)

Size: 144,3 MB
Time: 61:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I Concentrate On You (From Broadway Melody Of 1940) (2:41)
02. I Surrender Dear (From Broadway Melody Of 1940) (3:25)
03. I Got Rhythm (From Girl Crazy) (2:49)
04. I Get The Blues When It Rains (From Girl Crazy) (3:38)
05. I've Grown Accustomed To His Face (From My Fair Lady) (3:02)
06. I Found A New Baby (From My Fair Lady) (2:07)
07. I'm Confessin' (From My Fair Lady) (3:26)
08. I Ain't Got Nobody (From My Fair Lady) (2:18)
09. I Understand (From My Fair Lady) (3:43)
10. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart (From My Fair Lady) (2:42)
11. I Only Have Eyes For You (From Dames) (3:18)
12. I Want To Be Happy (From No, No, Nanette) (1:43)
13. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child (From No, No, Nanette) (2:46)
14. Frankie And Johnny (From No, No, Nanette) (5:47)
15. Beale Street Blues (From No, No, Nanette) (3:03)
16. Hesitating Blues (From No, No, Nanette) (3:04)
17. What Is This Thing Called Love (From Wake Up And Dream) (2:38)
18. Stormy Weather (From Wake Up And Dream) (3:19)
19. I'll Wind (From Wake Up And Dream) (2:27)
20. Mad About The Boy (From Words And Music) (2:53)

Lena Calhoun Horne was born June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York. In her biography she stated that on the day she was born, her father was in the midst of a card game trying to get money to pay the hospital costs. Her parents divorced while she was still a toddler. Her mother left later in order to find work as an actress and Lena was left in the care of her grandparents. When she was seven her mother returned and the two traveled around the state, which meant that Lena was enrolled in numerous schools (for a time she also attended schools in Florida, Georgia and Ohio). Later she returned to Brooklyn. She quit school when she was 14 and got her first stage job at 16, dancing and later singing at the famed Cotton Club in Harlem (a renowned theater in which black performers played before white audiences. It was immortalized in The Cotton Club (1984)). She was in good hands at the club, especially when people such as Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington took her under their wings and helped her over the rough spots. Before long her talent resulted in her playing before packed houses. If she had never made a movie, her music career would have been enough to have ensured her legendary status in the entertainment industry, but films were icing on the cake. After she made an appearance on Broadway, Hollywood came calling. At 21 years of age Lena made her first film, The Duke Is Tops (1938). It would be four more years before she appeared in another, Panama Hattie (1942), playing a singer in a nightclub. By now Lena had signed with MGM but, unfortunately for her, the pictures were shot so that her scenes could be cut out when they were shown in the South, since most theaters in the South refused to show films that portrayed blacks in anything other than subservient roles to whites, and most movie studios did not want to take a chance on losing that particular source of revenue. Lena did not want to appear in those kinds of stereotyped roles (and who could blame her?). In 1943 MGM loaned her to 20th Century-Fox to play the role of Selina Rogers in the all-black musical Stormy Weather (1943), which did extremely well at the box-office. Her rendition of the title song became a major hit on the musical charts. In 1943 she appeared in Cabin in the Sky (1943), regarded by many as one of the finest performances of her career. She played Georgia Brown opposite Ethel Waters and Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson in the all-black production. Rumors were rampant that she and Waters just did not get along well, although there was never any mention of the source of the alleged friction. That was not the only feud on that picture, however. Other cast members sniped at one another and it was a wonder the film was made at all. Regardless of the hostilities, the movie was released to very good reviews from the ever tough critics. It went a long way in showing the depth of the talent that existed among black performers in Hollywood, especially Lena. Lena's musical career flourished, but her movie career stagnated. Minor roles in films such as Boogie-Woogie Dream (1944), Words and Music (1948) and Mantan Messes Up (1946) did little to advance her film career, due mainly to the ingrained racist attitudes of the time (even at the height of Lena's musical career, she was often denied rooms at the very hotels in which she performed, because they would not let blacks stay there). After Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956), Lena left films to concentrate on music and the stage. She returned in 1969, as Claire Quintana in Death of a Gunfighter (1969). Nine years later she returned to the screen again in the all-black musical The Wiz (1978), where she played Glinda the Good Witch. Although that was her last big-screen appearance, she stayed busy in television, appearing in A Century of Women (1994) and That's Entertainment! III (1994).

Had it not been for the prevailing racial attitudes during the time when Lena was just starting her career, it's fair to say that it would have been much bigger, and come much sooner, than it was. Even taking those factors into account, Lena Horne is still one of the most respected, talented and beautiful performers of all time--and she's still singing! ~by Denny Jackson

I Sing...!

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Bill Mobley - Hittin' Home

Size: 132,0 MB
Time: 56:46
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. The Very Thought Of You (6:57)
02. Walkin' (3:43)
03. Hittin' Home (4:17)
04. My Romance (5:58)
05. Jewel (4:08)
06. Old Milestones (5:17)
07. Lil' Red (6:17)
08. Apex (4:12)
09. Peace (5:37)
10. Scene On Seine (4:43)
11. Waltzin' Westland (5:34)

Personnel:
Bill Mobley: Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Kenny Barron: Piano On 1 & 4
Heather Bennett: Piano On 7
Russell Malone: Guitar On 3, 5 & 9
Phil Palombi: Bass On 6 & 8
Essiet Okon Essiet: Bass On 2,3,5,7,9,10 & 11
Clint Mobley: Percussion On 10
Kevin Norton: Marimba On 8

This album presents Mobley in a variety of formations with such musicians like Kenny Barron, Steve Nelson or Russell Malone. The choice of repertoire is particularly welcome, alternating known melodies like The Very Thought of You, Walkin’, Peace or My Romance with original compositions that do fit nicely in. A mellow sound with a post-bop aesthetic and superb playing, this album could be the vehicle to launch Mobley towards that well-deserved wider recognition.

Hittin' Home

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Virginia Ayers Dawson - Standards Of Love

Size: 99,6 MB
Time: 41:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I Wish You Love (3:20)
02. More L-O-V-E (4:10)
03. Where Or When (3:16)
04. It's Love (2:43)
05. Our Love Is Here To Stay (3:02)
06. If I Were A Bell (3:28)
07. Let The Love Begin (5:58)
08. Let There Be Love (2:41)
09. What A Difference A Day Makes (3:17)
10. Dahil Sa Iyo (3:53)
11. Almost Like Being In Love (5:26)

There’s a heartwarming quality that floats from your speakers when blessed to hear someone singing a great song from the depths of their heart and soul. Beyond any stuffy collegiate qualifier of “standard” as appointed excellence, professional expectation or time-tested bar, it’s the delicious, authentically delivered connection of expression which bedazzles the mind and spirit of those who intently listen.

Virginia Ayers Dawson lights up a song like a white hot Hollywood movie set, avidly animating any lyric she chooses to kiss with her soaring soprano voice. The emphasis is always on the way a word or a phrase should make a listener feel via the way it makes her feel. When Virginia sings, she is completely present within each selection while we are rendered enraptured with surrender in her moment.

After lending her singular brand of musical mystique to an array of artists such as rock and roll moon howler Joe Cocker, movie music masters Lalo Schifrin and Marvin Hamlisch, and funk-jazz fusion drummer extraordinaire Ndugu Chancler’s Chocolate Jam Company (the latter’s presence on this album marking the sweetest of reunions), Dawson debuts as an artist in her own right with this inspired and long-overdue collection. Standards of Love is songs of unimpeachable caliber - caught up in the memory of love and offered up by Ayers in heartbeats syncing ours to hers…with heavenly aplomb. ~A. Scott Galloway

Standards Of Love

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Bobby Darin - Things: The Bobby Darin Singles Collection 1956-1962

Size: 181,8+188,0 MB
Time: 76:38+79:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: R&B, Pop, Rock, Jazz
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. Rock Island Line (2:52)
02. Timber (2:10)
03. Silly Willy (2:26)
04. Blue-Eyed Mermaid (2:13)
05. Hear Them Bells (2:25)
06. The Greatest Builder (2:44)
07. Dealer In Dreams (2:54)
08. Help Me (2:38)
09. I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In A Five And Ten Cent Store) (2:01)
10. Talk To Me Something (2:16)
11. Don't Call My Name (2:00)
12. Pretty Betty (1:54)
13. Just In Case You Change Your Mind (2:06)
14. So Mean (2:36)
15. Splish Splash (2:11)
16. Judy, Don't Be Moody (2:15)
17. Early In The Morning (2:15)
18. Now We're One (2:12)
19. Queen Of The Hop (2:09)
20. Lost Love (2:22)
21. Mighty, Mighty Man (1:37)
22. You're Mine (2:06)
23. Plain Jane (1:53)
24. While I'm Gone (1:54)
25. Dream Lover (2:30)
26. Bullmoose (2:27)
27. Mack The Knife (3:06)
28. Was There A Call For Me (3:06)
29. La Mer (Beyond The Sea) (2:53)
30. That's The Way Love Is (2:59)
31. Clementine (3:12)
32. Tall Story (2:00)

CD 2:
01. She's Tanfastic! (2:14)
02. Moment Of Love (2:19)
03. Down With Love (2:55)
04. Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home (2:04)
05. I'll Be There (2:07)
06. Beachcomber (2:21)
07. Autumn Blues (2:13)
08. That's How It Went, All Right (3:32)
09. Artificial Flowers (3:23)
10. Somebody To Love (2:15)
11. Christmas Auld Lang Syne (2:42)
12. Child Of God (1:59)
13. Lazy River (2:39)
14. Oo-Ee Train (2:12)
15. Nature Boy (2:32)
16. Look For My True Love (1:56)
17. Come September (2:41)
18. Walk Bach To Me (2:34)
19. You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby (2:13)
20. Sorrow Tomorrow (2:28)
21. Irresistible You (2:39)
22. Multiplication (2:15)
23. What'd I Say, Pt.1 & Pt. 2 (4:04)
24. Ain't That Love (3:02)
25. Things (2:32)
26. Jailer, Bring Me Water (2:28)
27. If A Man Answers (2:20)
28. A True, True, Love (2:25)
29. Baby Face (2:05)
30. You Know How (2:04)
31. I Found A New Baby (2:08)
32. Keep-A-Walking (1:47)

This 2CD set anthologises Bobby Darin's singles releases between 1956-1962, and includes two rare-as-hens-teeth promo's, and a couple of equally rare UK-only B-sides.

Darin was by far the classiest, most versatile singer of his era, and carved out parallel careers as an R&R singer, a teen idol and an interpreter/updater of show tunes, and what is now referred to as The Great American Songbook. 30 of the titles on this 64-track compilation were major US and/or UK chart records.

Includes R&R hits like 'Splish Splash', 'Early In The Morning', 'Queen Of The Hop', 'Mighty, Mighty Man', 'Plain Jane' and 'Dream Lover', alongside finger-snapping hit revivals of 'Mack The Knife', 'La Mer', 'Clementine', 'Bill Bailey', 'Lazy River', 'Nature Boy', 'You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby', and 'Baby Face'.

Plus classy mainstream Pop hits like 'I'll Be There', 'Artificial Flowers', 'Somebody To Love', 'Sorrow Tomorrow', 'Irresistible You', 'Multiplication', 'Things' and 'If A Man Answers', and finally, even R&B, viz his cover of Ray Charles' 'What'd I Say'.

The promo's and many of the rarer B-sides on this collection are exceptionally hard to find elsewhere on CD.

Things CD 1
Things CD 2

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Erik Truffaz & Sly Johnson - Paris

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:13
Size: 85,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:08)  1. Mr Wyatt
(3:00)  2. Come Together
(4:47)  3. Addis Abeba
(3:01)  4. Nature Boy
(3:57)  5. Nina's Dream
(3:17)  6. La Mouche
(2:55)  7. Goodbye Tomorrow
(3:35)  8. Don't Stop
(6:29)  9. The Fly

Erik Truffaz received an early introduction into the world of a professional musician, thanks to his saxophone-playing dad. When he was ten years old, the French trumpeter began performing in his father's dance band. As he grew older, Truffaz performed with other bands in the region until he was 16 and heard Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. The great jazz trumpeter's music inspired him to learn more, and he set off for Switzerland's Geneva Conservatoire, where he became a student. Truffaz's repertoire expanded to works by Mozart and Verdi, and he performed as part of L'Orchestre de Suisse Romande. He also played in cover bands before establishing a group called Orange. The band concentrated on Truffaz's compositions. Among its members was Marc Erbetta, a drummer who continued to play with Truffaz as the trumpeter evolved.

Truffaz's jazz fusion artistry led France's Jury du Concours National de la Defense to bestow upon him the 1991 Prix Special, that country's coveted jazz award. Within three years, he became a leader with the release of Nina Valeria. In 1991, he made the first of his three appearances on the stage of the Montreux Jazz Festival. For two years beginning in 1994, he toured Europe, Russia, and Brazil, thanks to funds bestowed by the ProHelvetia Foundation. In 2000, Truffaz signed with Blue Note Records and released The Mask, a straight-ahead jazz session with Miles Davis similarities. By his second Revisité and third Mantis discs, however, Truffaz began to stretch the boundaries of contemporary jazz by incorporating drum'n'bass and hip-hop rhythms, establishing himself as a cutting-edge artist in his own right. In 2003, both Walk of the Giant Turtle and Bending New Corners were issued on Blue Note. Saloua from 2005 expanded his interest in hip-hop by adding some rap. From there he continued to release records that blurred genre lines, regularly collaborating with French hip-hop artist Oxmo Puccino. By the time he began recording 2015's Doni Doni it was time for longtime drummer Marc Erbetta to hand over the drumsticks to Arthur Hnatek, a young yet very talented musician known for his work with the likes of Tigran Hamasyan, John Patitucci, and Shai Maestro. ~ Linda Seida & Al Campbell https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/paris-avec-sly-johnson/id693219783

Personnel:  Trumpet – Erik Truffaz;  Vocals – Sly Johnson

Paris

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Astrid Seriese - The Wheel Of Life

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:32
Size: 134,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:53)  1. There's A Land In Us
(3:39)  2. Melting Pot
(4:00)  3. The Wheel Of Life
(5:06)  4. God Give Me Strength
(4:03)  5. Chocolate Jesus
(3:53)  6. Another Hundred People
(3:41)  7. Ibu Saya
(4:18)  8. Trust In Me
(4:01)  9. Meantime
(2:33) 10. Won't Give Up
(3:40) 11. On Children
(3:36) 12. Creation
(3:19) 13. If I Were A Blackbird
(4:54) 14. Secret O'Life
(3:50) 15. No One Is Alone

Astrid Seriese ( The Hague , February 26 1957 ) is a Dutch jazz singer, actress and singing teacher . Seriese was born as the daughter of an Indian mother and a Dutch father as the youngest in a family of five children. After grammar school she attended initial training at the Conservatory in Amsterdam and the Academy for Cabaret in the same place. After a few years they stopped the conservatory.  In 1985 she sang-with Mathilde Santing and Julya Lo'ko - in the Dutch team at the Knokke Song Contest . She then formed a duo with Nedly Morales . In 1987 followed her acting debut in the Dutch film Blonde Dolly .

The years that she performed in several theater productions and toured Europe. In Britain it was in 1991 on the BBC to see if player / singer in the musical television production "M is for Man, Music, Mozart" with video of Peter Greenaway and music of Louis Andriessen . (In the Netherlands broadcast by the AVRO .)  In 1992, she sings along in Fausto, the opera composer Harry de Wit . In 1993 her debut album came out showing crafted covers to hear. "Eclipse" The album is well received in the Netherlands. After a theater tour appeared in 1994 her second solo album "Secret World". Together with Peter Meuris Seriese composed the music in 1995 at the five-part NCRV series "Condemned". In the years that followed Seriese toured the Netherlands and they brought some albums. In 2000 she quit her own shows, because they could no longer financially for life.  In 2006 she began bassist Wim Processed and visual artist Mieke de Haan with performances under the title Charcoal Songs . Bio ~ Trasnslate by google http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrid_Seriese

The Wheel Of Life

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Joe Henderson - Barcelona

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:10
Size: 87,5 MB
Art: Front

(20:18)  1. Barcelona
( 7:46)  2. Barcelona cont.
( 4:53)  3. Mediterranean Sun
( 5:12)  4. Y Yo La Quiero (And I love her)

Tremendous, frenzied trio date by tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, recently released with bassist Wayne Darling and drummer Ed Soph. After many years of obscurity, Henderson has become famous in the last few years. But the whirling lines, huge tone, and astonishing solos that he routinely offers on this album have been prized by jazz fans since the early '60s. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/barcelona-mw0000097129

Personnel: Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone); Wayne Darling (bass); Ed Soph (drums)

Barcelona

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Kenny Rankin - Because Of You

Styles: Vocal, Piano And Guitar Jazz 
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:27
Size: 107,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:26)  1. Berimbau
(5:39)  2. What Am I Gonna Do With You...Aime?
(3:04)  3. Haven't We Met?
(3:48)  4. 'Round Midnight
(5:20)  5. Someone To Watch Over Me
(6:27)  6. Erienda
(2:44)  7. I Could Write A Book
(2:30)  8. Always
(4:04)  9. This Old Man
(3:40) 10. Doralice
(4:38) 11. Because Of You

Recording his only CD for the audiophile Chesky label, Rankin moved closer to making a full-blown comeback. His reworking of old favorites such as "Berimbau" and "Haven't We Met," alongside such pop evergreens as "Round' Midnight," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "I Could Write a Book," "Always," and "Because of You," brought some of the old Rankin magic back. The pronounced jazz sound made more sense in light of Rankin's direction at the time, but the album failed to break through to any sizable audience. 

It features some of Rankin's best singing in years, as well as superb sound, making it his best release since The Kenny Rankin Album. ~ Stephen J. Matteo https://www.allmusic.com/album/because-of-you-mw0000271916

Personnel: Kenny Rankin (vocals, piano, guitar), George Young (saxophone, flute), Danilo Perez (piano), David Finck (bass), Dave Ratajczak (drums), Steve Kroon (percussion).

Because Of You

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Will Downing - Soul Survivor

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:52
Size: 100,9 MB
Art: Front

(1:31)  1. Soul Survivior Theme
(5:02)  2. I Just Want to Say Thank You
(4:46)  3. I'm Feeling the Love (feat. Avery*Sunshine)
(4:44)  4. Since You Been Gone
(3:41)  5. Stop To Start (feat. Phil Perry)
(4:50)  6. Everything I Want in My Lady (feat. Maysa)
(4:36)  7. Our Time
(5:54)  8. Hurry Up This Way Again (feat. Najee)
(4:47)  9. When We Make Love
(3:57) 10. Tell Me About It

Will Downing, widely known as The Prince Of Sophisticated Soul, is an icon in both the R&B and jazz worlds. Having sold more than four million albums in his brilliant career, Will continues to tour nonstop to the delight of his devoted fans! Soul Survivor features special guests Avery Sunshine, Najee, Phil Perry, Maysa and others. Highlights include Will's inspired interpretations of such classics as Blue Magic's "Stop To Start," The Stylistics' "Hurry Up This Way Again," "Tell Me All About It," a hit for both Michael Franks and Natalie Cole, plus a host of great Will Downing originals. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Survivor-WILL-DOWNING/dp/B074D1PZCT

Soul Survivor

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Lisa Loeb - No Fairy Tale

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:31
Size: 104,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:42)  1. No Fairy Tale
(2:58)  2. The '90s
(3:26)  3. Weak Day
(3:26)  4. Walls
(2:44)  5. A Hot Minute
(3:30)  6. Sick, Sick, Sick
(3:39)  7. Matches
(3:06)  8. Married
(2:52)  9. Swept Away
(4:34) 10. He Loved You So Much
(3:08) 11. Ami, I'm Sorry
(2:12) 12. The Worst
(3:31) 13. A Holiday Song
(3:37) 14. Fall Back Guy

Lisa Loeb's recording career has frequently found her caught in a tug of war between the quiet, introspective side of her musical personality, typified by her first and biggest hit, "Stay (I Missed You)," and her fondness for writing big, bright pop hooks ("I Do" from Firecracker was such a seemingly perfect single it made most of the album that followed sound dreary). Eighteen years after "Stay," No Fairy Tale finds Loeb throwing caution to the wind and letting her pop instincts hold sway for almost an entire album; Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory co-produced the sessions with Loeb and plays lead guitar on most tracks, and if his standard-issue SoCal electric guitar crunch doesn't sound all that special within the context of his own band, here it gives Loeb's melodies a sharp kick in the butt, and Loeb seems to be having a grand time throwing her music into third gear. Loeb's lyrics on No Fairy Tale are informed by the ennui and relationship troubles that have long dominated her songwriting, but the tone overall is sharper and more playful, and "Married," "Matches," and the title tune find her giving her themes just a bit of a twist, much like her music, and she sounds fully engaged with the material, letting the melodies and her voice roll out with the chug of the guitars. Loeb even has a bit of fun with her own reputation on "The '90s" (though she was a different type of MTV babe than the character in the song), and her collaborations with a handful of outside writers (including Maia Sharp, Morgan Taylor, Marvin Etzioni, and producer Gilbert) similarly seem to push her out of her usual comfort zone, with impressive result. (Loeb also covers two numbers by Tegan and Sara, which fit the set nicely.) And if you miss the old Lisa, the pensive "Ami, I'm Sorry" confirms she hasn't gone away. No Fairy Tale may not be the best or most personal album of Lisa Loeb's career, but it's hands down the most fun, and it's hard to imagine even the most subdued of her fans begrudging her for enjoying herself as much as she does on these 12 songs. ~ Mark Deming https://www.allmusic.com/album/no-fairy-tale-mw0002448165

Personnel:  Vocals – Lisa Loeb;  Guitar – Chad Gilbert

No Fairy Tale

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Lee Morgan - The Procrastinator

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:29
Size: 93,5 MB
Art: Front

(8:06)  1. The Procrastinator
(6:02)  2. Party Time
(6:55)  3. Dear Sir
(6:12)  4. Stopstart
(6:11)  5. Rio
(7:02)  6. Soft Touch

It is surprising that Lee Morgan's The Procrastinator was not released when it was recorded in 1967 for the sextet (which includes Wayne Shorter, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Billy Higgins) lives up to their potential on a well-rounded set of originals by Morgan and Shorter. The music ranges from the funky "Party Time" (which sounds like it could have been written by Horace Silver) to more explorative pieces. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-procrastinator-mw0000177020

Personnel: Lee Morgan (trumpet); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Ron Carter (bass); Billy Higgins (drums).

The Procrastinator

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Ray Gelato - Hey There

Styles: Vocal, Swing
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:09
Size: 117,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:34)  1. That's Amore
(3:14)  2. You're Nobady Till Somebody Loves You
(3:19)  3. When You're Smiling
(2:32)  4. Hey There
(3:14)  5. Mambo Italiano
(2:58)  6. Just One Of Those Things
(3:04)  7. My Last Meatball
(5:37)  8. Angel Eyes
(2:45)  9. Birth Of The Blues
(4:38) 10. Topsy
(3:44) 11. Three Handed Woman
(5:18) 12. Them There Eyes , I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me
(2:05) 13. Ban It Stop It
(3:47) 14. Mutton Leg
(2:13) 15. New York New York

Ray Gelato is credited for helping kick off the Swing revival in the early '80s. This interest in vintage Swing/Jazz and R&B went massive in the '90s, spreading all over the US, and spawning bands like The Brian Setzer Big Band and The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies to name but a few. Ray started playing the tenor sax in 1979 and learned initially by playing along to his Dad’s old Rock'n'Roll records. He diligently learned the solos of such greats as Bill Haley’s sax player Rudy Pompilli, and Little Richard's sax man Lee Allen and was gigging within six months of owning a tenor sax! Playing the Rock'n'Roll and Blues circuits, he credits this training ground for him developing a huge sound on the tenor and realizing that your tone is your trademark. During this time, Ray also started studying music formally at the City Lit College in London and took private lessons from UK sax great, the late Pat Crumly. His interest in music soon developed beyond R&B and Rock'n'Roll into really studying the jazz greats such as Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young and many more. He numbers amongst his strongest influences, Illinois Jacquet, Gene Ammons and Coleman Hawkins. However, Ray still recognizes the importance of those early Rock'n'Roll / R&B sax greats, and always keeps a part of them in his playing, up to this day.

Ray is proud to have been a part of the vibrant London club scene of the early to mid 1980's. Fronting the highly successful band The Chevalier Brothers gained him great experience working before an audience.  At their peak, The Chevalier Brothers were playing around 200 shows a year ! It was in this band that Ray developed his distinctive, Louis Prima  influenced vocal style that people still love to this day. Respected Jazz critics such as Jack Massarik (Eve Standard), Clive Davis (The Times) and Martin Chilton (Daily Telegraph) have given Ray very high accolades about his ‘Swing based' saxophone playing, giving special note to his sound and phrasing and also to his original, swinging vocal style.  Ray has had a fruitful career and has been fortunate to have worked with many greats in this business including, Sam Butera, Scott Hamilton, Al Grey ( Count Basie), Buddy Tate, Van Morrison, Al Casey (Fats Waller). He has also performed with Pete Long’s Echoes of Ellington Orchestra, The Barcelona Big Blues Band, and Philadelphia’s City Rhythm Orchestra. Ray and his acclaimed band The Giants have been a favourite at the world-famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, holding down a 14 year residency over the Christmas period. Personal highlights of his career include playing Umbria Jazz in Italy 8 times! The Montreal Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note NY, The Lincoln Center NY and Sir Paul McCartney’s wedding. He has also opened for Robbie Williams at The Royal Albert Hall and performed on two occasions for HM The Queen. Mr. Gelato continues to lead his long running band The Giants and is also touring with the great Claire Martin O.B.E  in a show entitled A Swingin’ Affair. https://www.raygelato.com/home

Hey There

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Sherrie Maricle & Diva - I Believe In You

Styles: Big Band
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:43
Size: 130,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:39)  1. I Feel Pretty
(3:46)  2. Limehouse Blues
(4:10)  3. Happy Days Are Here Again
(6:38)  4. I Believe In You
(9:36)  5. A Tribute To Ella Fitzgerald
(6:09)  6. In A Sentimental Mood
(5:28)  7. The Claw
(6:22)  8. 'Tis Autumn
(7:51)  9. You And The Night And The Music

Diva, according to Webster, is the female derivation of the Latin word divus in English, “divine” which is as accurate a term as any to use when describing drummer Sherrie Maricle’s high powered New York based big band whose third recording, I Believe in You, crackles with the sort of energy and passion inspired by Maricle’s peerless role model, the late Buddy Rich. When I first heard DIVA a number of years ago the band was quite good; today, in spite of the unavoidable changes in personnel, it is even better. Staying together and rehearsing regularly enriches any band, and for that we must thank Maricle, Stanley Kay, Mike Abene, Tommy Newsom and the many others who support DIVA and help keep it going. On the evidence here, there’s not much these women can’t do, and do as well as anyone. Section work is as tight as Camryn Mannheim’s corset, and the band swings without pause at any tempo. As with any topnotch ensemble, everything starts with the lead trumpet, and DIVA has one of the best in Liesl Whitaker (for confirmation, listen to her impressive sky notes on the ballad “In a Sentimental Mood” and her bold command throughout). 

As we mentioned, there are several newcomers on the date, and Maricle puts them right to work. Claire Daly’s successor, baritone saxophonist Lisa Parrott, solos on the breezy opener, “I Feel Pretty,” and is featured on Ellington’s “Sentimental Mood.” Alto saxophonist Karoline Strassmeyer, Laura Dreyer’s talented legatee, is showcased on Scott Whitfield’s volcanic arrangement of “Limehouse Blues” and solos as well on “I Believe in You,” “The Claw” and “You and the Night and the Music” (the last a framework for Maricle’s dazzling drum–kit artistry). Barbara Laronga is featured on Abene’s sultry Streisand like arrangement of “Happy Days Are Here Again” (flugel) and solos on “I Believe in You” (trumpet). DIVA often performs in concert its tribute to Ella Fitzgerald (arranged by Newsom), and here alto Kristy Norter has her turn on “Stompin’ at the Savoy” while pianist Lorraine Desmarais and bassist Debbie Kennedy are heard on “Lady Be Good.” Laronga, Jami Dauber and Lolly Bienenfeld comprise a delightful Andrews sisters–style vocal group on “A Tisket, a Tasket.” Among the holdovers, trombonist Deborah Weisz shines on “’Tis Autumn,” Dauber on “I Feel Pretty” (opening with a quote from “Killer Joe”) and tenor Cynthia Mullis on “The Claw” and “You and the Night and the Music.” The charts, by Newsom, Whitfield, Abene, Ellen Rowe and John McNeil, give the ensemble plenty of nourishing meat to chew on, and they devour each one with unbridled enthusiasm. This is one of the country’s foremost working bands, period. The more you listen, the more you hear. For a truly memorable experience, catch DIVA in person; if you can’t do that, here’s the best alternative. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/i-believe-in-you-sherrie-maricle-diva-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php 

Personnel:  Sherrie Maricle, leader, drums; Karoline Strassmayer, alto sax, flute; Kristy Norter, alto, soprano sax, clarinet, flute; Cynthia Mullis, Grazia DiGiorgio, tenor sax, clarinet, flute; Lisa Parrott, baritone sax, bass clarinet; Liesl Whitaker, Barbara Laronga, Tanya Darby, Jami Dauber, trumpet, flugelhorn, shaker; Lolly Bienenfeld, Deborah Weisz, trombone; Leslie Havens, bass trombone; Lorraine Desmarais, piano; Debbie Kennedy, bass.

I Believe In You

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Scott Whitfield - New Jazz Standards (Volume 2)

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:15
Size: 173,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:07)  1. Prudence
(6:30)  2. More Wine
(5:46)  3. Big Darlin
(6:14)  4. Melodocity
(6:24)  5. I Remember Thad
(5:49)  6. B Squad Blues
(6:13)  7. Gamma Count
(6:21)  8. Lolly's Folly
(6:50)  9. Juarez
(6:07) 10. Another Tune for Bernie
(5:53) 11. Last Night's Samba
(6:54) 12. Symphonky Blues

On New Jazz Standards, Volume 2 (yes, the title may seem a tad optimistic at first glance; more about that later), trombonist Scott Whitfield leads a well-honed quartet playing the music of Carl Saunders. If the name Carl Saunders is new to you, he is quite simply one of the finest jazz trumpeters you've never heard and he may well be one of the best composers too. As for Whitfield, Saunders' personal choice to preside over this album, he is one of the Los Angeles area's foremost jazz trombonists, one who has led big bands on both coasts, played with a number of others, recorded ten albums as a leader and more than fifty as a sideman while "doubling" as a vocalist with wife Ginger Berglund and teaching at San Jose State University. If that sounds like a heavy schedule, it is and as you will hear, for good reason. When Saunders isn't playing trumpet in some group or other which, it must be said, isn't often and when he has free time during gigs, he writes. And writes prolifically. In fact, Saunders recently assembled more than three hundred of his compositions in book form and published it as New Jazz Standards, hence the name of this album, Volume 1 of which featured the late flutist Sam Most (Summit Records 630). 

Most was a master craftsman, as is Whitfield. Few contemporary trombonists can match Whitfield's clarity of tone or technical dexterity, traits that bring to mind such past masters as Carl Fontana, Urbie Green, Bill Harris and Jimmy Cleveland. And as for improvisation and flat-out swinging, he sets the bar high there as well. Saunders not only chose his helmsman well, he gave him a backup crew that is second to none, anchored by timekeeper par excellence Peter Erskine and featuring the always-resourceful pianist Christian Jacob and metronomic bassist Kevin Axt.  As to Saunders' themes, they are consistently bright and charming. While the presence of any new jazz standards is for listeners to determine, there's no doubt that Saunders has a keen ear for captivating melodies and the ability to arrange them in a tasteful and harmonious musical context. Most of them aren't based on popular standards, a staple of many jazz composers, but created out of whole cloth using only Saunders' fertile imagination as groundwork. The results are never less than admirable and often brilliant, ranging from ballads to blues, Latin to funk and straight-ahead swing. To add variety, Whitfield is overdubbed on four tracks to form a trombone choir. He and the quartet are superb, as are Saunders' prospective New Jazz Standards, which await only the auspicious verdict of an impartial jury. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/new-jazz-standards-volume-2-scott-whitfield-summit-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Scott Whitfield: trombone;  Christian Jacob: piano;  Kevin Axt: bass;  Peter Erskine: drums;  Carl Saunders: composer, arranger.

New Jazz Standards (Volume 2)

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Vonda Shepard - Heart and Soul

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:36
Size: 114,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:10)  1. Read Your Mind
(4:07)  2. 100 Tears Away
(3:28)  3. Someday We'll Be Together
(4:42)  4. To Sir, With Love (Duet with Al Green)
(3:13)  5. Sweet Inspiration
(3:31)  6. Crying
(2:36)  7. Vincent (Starry Starry Night)
(3:02)  8. What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted
(2:55)  9. World Without Love
(3:25) 10. Confetti
(4:41) 11. Baby, Don't You Break My Heart Slow (Duet with Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls)
(3:35) 12. This Is Crazy Now
(2:46) 13. This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You)
(3:18) 14. I Know Him By Heart

Vonda Shepard's curious ascension into pop prominence on the heels of the Ally McBeal television series offers evidence that, if you just hang around Los Angeles long enough, you may finally get recognized. After years of laboring as a lower echelon L.A. rock singer/songwriter and backup singer (a second-rate Bonnie Raitt, one might say), Shepard hit paydirt of a sort playing a club singer on TV, and the quasi-soundtrack album Songs from Ally McBeal, which includes oldies covers from the '60s and '70s, was a million-selling Top Ten hit in 1998. The inevitable follow-up is more of the same, though this time around Shepard gets to pen five of the 14 tracks. Like its predecessor, however, Heart and Soul: New Songs from Ally McBeal shows that what may work on TV (or in the movies or on-stage, for that matter) a singer-actress-whatever covering old, familiar songs within the context of a plot, doesn't necessarily translate to a recording that, by its nature, has to compete with the original recordings whose emotional resonance lent the show its gravity to begin with. Put simply, who needs to hear Vonda Shepard singing "Crying" when we still have Roy Orbison's version? Even more egregious, at the behest of the TV producer, lyrics to some songs have been changed or deleted now it's "To You, with Love" rather than "To Sir, with Love"! You can understand the songwriters and music publishers acquiescing to this (a payday is a payday), but it's even more reason to disdain these threadbare covers. The irony is that, on her own, Shepard is not untalented: "Read Your Mind," the lead-off track, is a tentative acceptance of love that might as easily be directed to Shepard's unexpected (and no doubt temporary) new audience as to a new boyfriend; "Confetti" is a '60s-style rocker that seems to be attacking the kind of kids who look to Ally McBeal for fashion and dating tips; and "Baby, Don't You Break My Heart Slow" is a good romantic ballad in the currently popular Diane Warren/adult contemporary style. Such material demonstrates that Shepard is worthy of a major-label release of her own songs, and it can only be hoped that she gets one, given that the disappointing early response to this collection suggests that the Ally McBeal connection has probably run its course. ~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/heart-and-soul-new-songs-from-ally-mcbeal-featuring-vonda-shepard-mw0000254099

Personnel: Vonda Shepard (vocals, guitar, piano); Al Green, Emily Saliers (vocals); Val McCallum (acoustic & electric guitars, background vocals); Bruce Watson, Michael Landau (guitar); Greg Leisz (pedal steel guitar); Charles Bisharat (violin); Matthew Funes (viola); Suzie Katayama, Martin Tillman (cello); Mitchell Froom (accordion, piano, Wurlitzer piano, Hammond B-3 organ, harmonium, Chamberlain, Claviola, celeste, electric harpsichord, bells); Jeff Young (piano, Wurlitzer piano, Hammond B-3 organ, background vocals); Davey Faragher, Jimmy Haslip, Jim Hanson, Leland Sklar (bass); Pete Thomas, Andy Kamman (drums, percussion); Lynn Davis (background vocals).

Heart and Soul

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Mongo Santamaria - Hey! Let's Party

Styles: Latin Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:11
Size: 75,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. Walk On By
(2:52)  2. I Got You (I Feel Good)
(3:27)  3. In the Mood
(4:02)  4. Baila Dance
(2:19)  5. Louie, Louie
(3:47)  6. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
(2:53)  7. Hey!
(2:48)  8. Call Me
(2:32)  9. El Bikini
(3:26) 10. Shotgun

Hey! Let's Party represents one of percussionist Mongo Santamaria's first and most engaging plunges into the world of contemporary pop, galvanizing well-known chart smashes with the energy and abandon of Latin soul. It's a simple formula that proved remarkably successful and flexible across a series of likeminded LPs Santamaria approaches texts like "Walk on By" and "I Got You (I Feel Good)" with deep respect and understanding, creating soulful, righteous rhythms that snake in and out of the original melodies with brilliant precision. Even battered warhorses like Glenn Miller's "In the Mood" breathe new life, proving Santamaria's uncanny capacity for making the familiar funky. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/album/hey!-lets-party-mw0000866762

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Flute – Bobby Capers;  Bass – Victor Venegas;  Drums – Mongo Santamaria;  Piano – Rodger Grant;  Saxophone – Hubert Laws;  Timbales, Drums – Carmello Garcia;  Trumpet – Marty Sheller

Hey! Let's Party

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Monty Alexander - Jamboree Ivory & Steel

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:09
Size: 118,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. Sly Mongoose
(6:35)  2. Think Twice
(3:56)  3. No Woman No Cry
(5:07)  4. Look Up
(5:00)  5. Accompong
(5:21)  6. You Can See
(4:24)  7. Big Yellow Taxi
(4:07)  8. Reggae-Later
(6:15)  9. Criying
(4:23) 10. Linstead Market

Pianist Monty Alexander's "Ivory And Steel" group combines together bop-based jazz with Jamaican calypsoes and West Indian rhythms. On this quite enjoyable set, Alexander utilizes both Othello and Len "Boogsie" Sharpe on steel drums, either Marshall Wood or Bernard Montgomery on bass, drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith and the hand drums of Robert Thomas Jr. Alexander contributed four of the rhythmic originals which are joined by some Jamaican folk songs (including "Sly Mangoose"), Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" and a couple of obscurities. The accessible results are often memorable. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/jamboree-monty-alexanders-ivory-and-steel-mw0000197745

Personnel:  Monty Alexander (piano); Bernard Montgomery (electric bass); Marshall Wood (bass); Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums); Othello Molineaux, Len "Boogsie" Sharpe (steel drums).

Jamboree Ivory & Steel

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Joe Henderson - An Evening with Joe Henderson

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 1987

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 47:18

Size: 108,9 MB

Art: Front

(14:25)  1. Ask Me Now

( 8:47)  2. Serenity

(10:46)  3. Beatrice

(13:20)  4. Invitation

Although Joe Henderson's pianoless trio recordings for Blue Note in 1985 received a fair amount of publicity, this similar date for the Italian Red label has been almost completely overlooked. Joined by bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Al Foster, Henderson is in excellent form, giving "Beatrice," "Invitation," Thelonious Monk's "Ask Me Now" and his own "Serenity" lengthy and rewarding explorations. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/evening-with-joe-henderson-mw0000195895

Personnel:  Joe Henderson – tenor saxophone;  Charlie Haden – bass;  Al Foster – drums

An Evening with Joe Henderson

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