Sharel Cassity - Just for You

Styles: Saxphone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:39
Size: 91,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:29)  1. Phibes' Revenge
(6:01)  2. Just for You
(5:57)  3. Irazu (Wish You Were Here)
(5:03)  4. Lover Man
(4:05)  5. Wow
(7:03)  6. Roditi's Dream
(5:59)  7. Cherokee

Crafting a wide range of bop-infused musical styles and playing odd-metered grooves on familiar standards to original compositions, alto saxophonist Sharel Cassity presents her recording debut as leader with a truly enticing session of jazz that is Just for You. Based in New York and an educator by profession, Cassity academically trained at both the New School and Juilliard, and is a talented woodwind specialist who also performs on all saxophones, flutes and the piccolo. On this album however, she sticks with the alto and demonstrates her searing chops on the instrument throughout. Her previous recording experience includes appearing on trombonist Michael Dease's Clarity (Blues Back Records, 2007). Here she returns the favor, with Dease performing and contributing three compositions, including the title piece. Cassity assembles a power-packed woodwind section that, besides herself and Dease, includes Tom Barber on trumpet and flugelhorn and Pete Reardon-Anderson on tenor sax. Altogether the altoist records with a seven-piece light ensemble that delivers a stellar supporting performance. Cassity kicks off the program in blistering fashion on Dease's rapid-moving opener, "Phibes' Revenge," demonstrating her fiery side. In stark contrast to the hot beginning, the music mellows out on the cushy title tune, which features Dease as well as bassist Paul Beaudry on stylish solos. It is Cassity however, who puts the exclamation point on this one with one of her better performances of the album.  

One piece not to be missed is Cassity's rendition of Roger Ramirez's classic, "Lover Man," where her soft alto tone sets the stage for pianist Adam Birnbaum's beautiful treatment of the song, ending with a high-register alto phrase. Cassity blends in and becomes one of the guys as the entire horn section kicks in with a terrific Tom Barber arrangement of Lennie Tristano's lively "Wow." She again separates herself from the group, leading the music on Dease's following "Roditi's Dream." There have been many versions of Ray Noble's jazz standard, "Cherokee," but Cassity provides a special performance here, blowing one mean sax in wicked frenzied fashion. The tune seems to fly by even though Vincent Ector weighs in with a pounding on the drums, a finale over as quickly as it began. Just for You is a highly enjoyable debuts that begs the question: where has this artist been and why has she not been heard from before? With this very impressive first offering, Sharel Cassity makes beautiful music and does it Just for You. 

~ Edward Blanco https://www.allaboutjazz.com/just-for-you-sharel-cassity-dw-review-by-edward-blanco.php

Personnel: Sharel Cassity: alto saxophone; Michael Dease: trombone; Tom Barber: trumpet, flugelhorn; Pete Reardon-Anderson: tenor saxophone; Adam Birnbaum: piano; Paul Beaudry: bass; Vincent Ector: drums.

Just for You

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Stan Getz - Live in Paris

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:10
Size: 131,7 MB
Art: Front

( 6:04)  1. Un Grand Amor
( 5:02)  2. Blood Count
( 8:23)  3. Airegin
( 7:28)  4. Blue Skies
( 9:46)  5. On The Up And Up
(10:16)  6. I Wanted To Say
(10:07)  7. Tempus Fugit

One of the all-time great tenor saxophonists, Stan Getz was known as "The Sound" because he had one of the most beautiful tones ever heard. Getz, whose main early influence was Lester Young, grew to be a major influence himself, and to his credit he never stopped evolving. Getz had the opportunity to play in a variety of major swing big bands while a teenager due to the World War II draft. He was with Jack Teagarden (1943) when he was just 16, followed by stints with Stan Kenton (1944-1945), Jimmy Dorsey (1945), and Benny Goodman (1945-1946); he soloed on a few records with Goodman. Getz, who had his recording debut as a leader in July 1946 with four titles, became famous during his period with Woody Herman's Second Herd (1947-1949), soloing (along with Zoot Sims, Herbie Steward, and Serge Chaloff) on the original version of "Four Brothers" and having his sound well-featured on the ballad "Early Autumn." After leaving Herman, Getz was (with the exception of some tours with Jazz at the Philharmonic) a leader for the rest of his life. During the early '50s, Getz broke away from the Lester Young style to form his own musical identity, and he was soon among the most popular of all jazzmen. He discovered Horace Silver in 1950 and used him in his quartet for several months. After touring Sweden in 1951, he formed an exciting quintet that co-featured guitarist Jimmy Raney; their interplay on uptempo tunes and tonal blend on ballads were quite memorable. Getz's playing helped Johnny Smith have a hit in "Moonlight in Vermont"; during 1953-1954, Bob Brookmeyer made his group a quintet and, despite some drug problems during the decade, Getz was a constant poll winner. After spending 1958-1960 in Europe, the tenor man returned to the U.S. and recorded his personal favorite album, Focus, with arranger Eddie Sauter's Orchestra. Then, in February 1962, Getz helped usher in the bossa nova era by recording Jazz Samba with Charlie Byrd; their rendition of "Desafinado" was a big hit. During the next year, Getz made bossa nova-flavored albums with Gary McFarland's big band, Luiz Bonfá, and Laurindo Almeida, but it was Getz/Gilberto (a collaboration with Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto) that was his biggest seller, thanks in large part to "The Girl from Ipanema" (featuring the vocals of Astrud and João Gilberto).

Getz could have spent the next decade sticking to bossa nova, but instead he de-emphasized the music and chose to play more challenging jazz. His regular group during this era was a piano-less quartet with vibraphonist Gary Burton, he recorded with Bill Evans (1964), played throughout the 1965 Eddie Sauter soundtrack for Mickey One, and made the classic album Sweet Rain (1967) with Chick Corea. Although not all of Getz's recordings from the 1966-1980 period are essential, he proved that he was not afraid to take chances. Dynasty with organist Eddie Louiss (1971), Captain Marvel with Chick Corea (1972), and The Peacocks with Jimmy Rowles (1975) are high points. After utilizing pianist Joanne Brackeen in his 1977 quartet, Getz explored some aspects of fusion with his next unit, which featured keyboardist Andy Laverne. Getz even used an Echoplex on a couple of songs but, despite some misfires, most of his dates with this unit are worthwhile. However, purists were relieved when he signed with Concord in 1981 and started using a purely acoustic backup trio on most dates. In 1987, Getz had a large tumor removed from behind his heart. Subsequent tests revealed that he had liver cancer and cirrhosis, most likely due to years of substance abuse. Undeterred, Getz embarked on a strict, herbal-based diet hoping to treat the lymphoma. By fall 1988, MRI scans revealed that the tumor had dramatically shrunken in size. Buoyed by the good news, Getz remained active, touring with pianist Kenny Barron and recording the albums Apasionado (1990) with Herb Alpert and You Gotta Pay the Band (1990) with vocalist Abbey Lincoln. Sadly, Getz's cancer never fully abated and he died on June 6, 1991 at age 64. His final recording, 1991's People Time, is (despite some shortness in the saxophonist's breath) a brilliant duet set with Barron. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stan-getz-mn0000742899/biography

Personnel:  Stan Getz - tenor saxophone;  Jim McNeely – piano;  Marc Johnson – bass;  Victor Lewis - drums

Live in Paris

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Kermit Ruffins - The Big Butter & Egg Man

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:23
Size: 91,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:54)  1. I'll Drink Ta Dat
(4:06)  2. The Big Butter And Egg Man
(4:07)  3. Besame Mucho
(4:46)  4. Out Of Left Field
(3:59)  5. The Undertaker Man
(3:08)  6. Leshianne
(4:17)  7. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
(3:10)  8. If You're A Viper
(3:53)  9. Li'l Liza Jan
(3:57) 10. West Indies Jazz Dance

With his outgoing personality, New Orleans-style trumpet playing, and likable singing style, Kermit Ruffins has the potential to develop into a new Louis Prima. This CD from Justice hints at his potential, but it is quite erratic. Some of the songs (particularly those featuring the tenor of Roderick Paulin) are too modern; Ruffins's solos are streaky, and the varied material does not all succeed. Best are such good-time numbers as "I'll Drink Ta Dat," "The Undertaker Man" and "Li'l Liza Jane," although one wishes that this rendition of "Struttin' with Some Barbecue" were a lot stronger. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-big-butter-egg-man-mw0000628068

Personnel:  Trumpet, Vocals – Kermit Ruffins;  Drums – Jerry Anderson;  Piano – Dwight Fitch;  Saxophone – Roderick Paulin;  Trombone – Corey Henry;  Tuba – Philip Fraizer

The Big Butter & Egg Man

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Pepper Adams - Critics' Choice

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:47
Size: 105,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:28)  1. Minor Mishap
(4:58)  2. Blackout Blues
(8:44)  3. High Step
(6:35)  4. Zec
(5:51)  5. Alone Together
(8:12)  6. 50-21
(4:56)  7. Four Funky People

Pepper Adams was one of the greatest jazz baritone saxophonists of all time. During a time when Gerry Mulligan's cool-toned baritone was very influential, Adams rose to prominence with a harder and bigger sound, much more hard bop than cool. This relatively obscure release, originally an LP for the World Pacific label, finds the baritonist in Los Angeles matching his hard-driving style with several players identified with West Coast cool jazz. Trumpeter Lee Katzman, who is on every selection but "Blackout Blues" and "Four Funky People," has a tone closer to Chet Baker than to Donald Byrd, but fits in well with Adams. The rhythm section is mostly laid-back and quiet but swinging. A joy of this CD reissue is the repertoire, which contains catchy originals by Adams, Barry Harris (the memorable "High Step"), Tommy Flanagan, and Thad Jones in addition to a lone standard in "Alone Together." Adams was one of the most consistent of all jazzmen; he never seemed to make an unworthy record, so he is in typically fine form throughout this freewheeling hard bop set. "Four Funky People," not originally on the LP but from the same sessions, is included as a bonus cut. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/critics-choice-mw0000261653

Personnel: Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone); Doug Watkins (bass instrument); Lee Katzman (trumpet); Jimmy Rowles (piano); Mel Lewis (drums).

Critics' Choice

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David Murray Black Saint Quartet - Live in Berlin

Styles: Saxophone And Clarinet Jaz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:Size: 163,9 MB
Art: Front

(14:57)  1. Dirty Laundry
( 6:10)  2. Banished
(17:21)  3. Sacred Ground

(15:52)  4. Murray’s Steps

(17:11)  5. Waltz Agai


This new recording features the Black Saint Quartet in Murray's current dream line-up: Murray (born1955), bassist Jaribu Shahid and drummer Hamid Drake (who both belong to his own generation), and pianist Lafayette Gilchrist (13 years younger). Gilchrist replaced Murray's long-time friend John Hicks. When Hicks died in 2006, he left a book with several hundred pages of sheet music that rested on Gilchrist's grand piano during the concert. 'The David Murray Power Quartet Book' is written on the cover in black felt-tip pen. Hicks gave it to Gilchrist as his legacy before he died. The cooperation with Shahid and Drake documented on this CD was a whole new experience for Murray. They all know each other very well and have walked many a mile together in music. However, this is the first time that Murray is the leader of a band where he isn't a junior, let alone the youngest member. David Murray has changed, particularly from his own perspective. He goes into raptures about the chord sequences in Tranish 'Murray Steps' and 'Waltz Again', a composition dedicated to his father. Today, he is able to weave even the most unbending cries of his tenor the Murray moments of yore - smoothly into the frame of his classic quartet sound. ~ Christian Broecking  Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Live-Berlin-David-Murray/dp/B0019LL6HU

David Murray Black Saint Quartet:  David Murray (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet),  Hamid Drake (drums),  Jaribu Shahid (bass),  Lafayette Gilchrist (piano)

Live in B

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Dee Dee Bridgewater - Memphis ...Yes, I'm Ready

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:09
Size: 144,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:57)  1. Yes, I'm Ready
(4:55)  2. Giving Up
(5:16)  3. I Can't Get Next To You
(4:45)  4. Going Down Slow
(4:36)  5. Why (Am I Treated So Bad)
(4:04)  6. B.A.B.Y.
(5:38)  7. The Thrill Is Gone
(6:45)  8. The Sweeter He Is
(3:06)  9. I Can't Stand The Rain
(4:40) 10. Don't Be Cruel
(3:38) 11. Hound Dog
(5:25) 12. Try A Little Tenderness
(4:18) 13. (Take My Hand) Precious Lord

There's no question that Dee Dee Bridgewater is one of America's great jazz vocalists, but that's hardly the only thing she can do. Bridgewater was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and while her family pulled up stakes for Flint, Michigan when she was only three, she still feels a spiritual connection with the city and its music, and on 2017's Memphis...Yes, I'm Ready, she puts her love of vintage soul and blues front and center. Bridgewater recorded Memphis...Yes, I'm Ready at Royal Recorders, the Bluff City studio where producer Willie Mitchell cut a string of hits with Al Green in the '70s, and Willie's son Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell co-produced the sessions along with Dee Dee and her daughter Tulani Bridgewater. Mitchell pulled together a splendid studio band for this album, including a few members of the old Hi Rhythm Section, and they deliver a superb set of soulful grooves, at once swampy and emphatic, with John Stoddart's electric piano, Jackie Clark's bass, and James "Bishop" Sexton's drums generating just the right amount of funk. With a top-shelf soul band cooking behind her, Dee Dee Bridgewater steps up as a top-shelf soul singer, smooth when she should be, good and gritty when she wants to be, and sounding tough, passionate, and firmly in command at all times. That Bridgewater delivers on soul classics such as "Yes, I'm Ready," "Try a Little Tenderness," and "B.A.B.Y." is not a great surprise, but her transformation of B.B. King's blues perennial "The Thrill Is Gone" into a smoky late-night groove is both unexpected and welcome, and she works an impressive transformation on two numbers associated with Elvis Presley, "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog," finding a tough R&B center inside them. "The Sweeter He Is" gives Dee Dee a chance to open up her soul and tell us some home truths about cheating men, and the closing performance of the gospel standard "(Take My Hand) Precious Lord" is glorious. Dee Dee Bridgewater strips off some of the polish from her style on Memphis...Yes, I'm Ready without betraying her talent or best musical instincts, and this detour into Soul City is a treat that should please her fans, as well as anyone who digs Southern soul. ~ Mark Deming https://www.allmusic.com/album/memphisyes-im-ready-mw0003087574

Personnel: Dee Dee Bridgewater (vocals); Garry Goin (guitar); Kirk Whalum (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Lannie McMillan, Kirk Smothers (tenor saxophone); Marc Franklin (trumpet); Kameron Whalum (trombone); John Stoddart (keyboards); James Sexton (drums); Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell (cymbals, tambourine); Sharisse Norman, Kevin Whalum, Stax Music Academy, Candise Rayborn-Marshall (background vocals).

Memphis ...Yes, I'm Ready

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Ernie Henry - Last Chorus

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:20
Size: 104,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:15)  1. Autumn Leaves
(6:28)  2. Beauty And The Blues
(7:49)  3. All The Things You Are
(2:41)  4. Melba's Tune
(4:54)  5. S'Posin'
(6:58)  6. Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are
(4:40)  7. Like Someone In Love
(8:31)  8. Cleo's Chant

Ernie Henry was a promising alto saxophonist who passed away prematurely on December 29, 1957, when he was only 31. He had recorded his album Seven Standards and a Blues on September 30, and four songs for an uncompleted octet date on September 23. This CD reissue has the latter tunes (which feature trumpeter Lee Morgan; trombonist Melba Liston, who contributed "Melba's Tune"; tenor saxophonist Benny Golson; and pianist Wynton Kelly), an alternate take from the Seven Standards set ("Like Someone in Love"), a leftover track from the preceding year ("Cleo's Chant"), the solos of Thelonious Monk and Henry (from the lengthy "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are"), and an alternate version of "S'posin'" taken from the altoist's final recording (a quartet outing with trumpeter Kenny Dorham). Overall, the music is fine and, surprisingly, does not have an unfinished air about it. It does make one wish that Ernie Henry had taken better care of his health, as he was just beginning to develop a sound of his own. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/last-chorus-mw0000036951

Personnel:  Ernie Henry - alto saxophone;  Kenny Dorham,  Lee Morgan – trumpet;  Melba Liston – trombone;  Benny Golson, Sonny Rollins - tenor saxophone;  Cecil Payne - baritone saxophone;  Kenny Drew, Wynton Kelly, Thelonious Monk – piano;  Paul Chambers, Eddie Mathias, Oscar Pettiford, Wilbur Ware – bass;  G. T. Hogan, Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach , Art Taylor - drums

Last Chorus

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France D'Amour - Animal

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:14
Size: 99,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:11)  1. Toi
(3:54)  2. Coup Au Coeur
(4:30)  3. Laisse-Moi La Chance
(4:39)  4. Ailleurs
(4:31)  5. Animal
(4:10)  6. Ca Va Brasser
(4:42)  7. Revolver
(4:07)  8. Solitaire
(3:58)  9. L'Appat Des Mots
(4:28) 10. Quand Je Sors La Nuit

In the municipality of Mont-Rolland, north of Montreal, France D'Amour grew up surrounded by her adoptive parents, her sister and her two brothers. Artist in soul and only artist in the family, she is only 13 years old and already she seeks a meaning to life. Attracted by the guitar from an early age, she is 14 years old the day when her father finally presents her first string instrument. Led by the sound of the guitars of Ricky Lee Jones and Joni Mitchell (musicians she admires), France D'Amour makes the bet that a day will come when she too will play, write and sing her own songs. The study of the guitar and piano (his second instrument) guides his first steps as a musician. At the college level, then a bit rebellious, France D'Amour knocked down doors by becoming the first girl to enroll in the specialization "guitar jazz" department of music. She then travels through the mazes of musical exploration. Pregnant in her early twenties, she must adjust the scenario of her road movie and shake her tour schedule. No rest, no respite for France the passionate, who clings to the scene until her seventh month of pregnancy! Just two months after the arrival of her son, she returned, seeing the night, convinced that the roles of mother and nomadic artist were both tailor-made. Time would prove him right. The time of the tour of the clubs continues for five years, during which France D'Amour evolves in different formations composed of the same musicians. More often than not, only the official name of the band is changed. For a few months, the band also performed under the name "France". Perhaps his talent would have followed this path for a long time ... Only then, confident, his guitarist sends some of the compositions of the training to a radio station that launches a contest. The recording aroused the interest and curiosity of producer Nick Carbone. Febrile and enthusiastic, the group sets him rendezvous in a bar in Granby where he has to deliver a performance. In spite of an audience of ... three people, France D'Amour and his musicians manage to draw their game, sufficiently at least, to confirm to the pioneer that his flair does not deceive him. As a result, events are rushing. For the last 20 years, she has recorded 10 albums: Animal (1992), Déchaînée (1994), Le Silence des roses (1998)

ANIMAL 1992:  Immediately tamed by the Quebec public as soon as the album Animal released, France D'Amour lives serenely its new success, although it has never figured on the calendar of its ambitions. In his eyes, his greatest achievement is calculated in this immeasurable pleasure, which invades him at the mere idea of ??being able to communicate his passion to an ever wider audience. The songs The Bait of Words, You, Leave Me Luck, Elsewhere, Animal and Solitaire have a radio success more than survivable. The album did not take long to be certified golden record. It is not long before it is joined to a reputation as a beast of stage and for good reason, on the stage, the energy devouring France D'Amour feeds each viewer. Translate by Google https://francedamour.ca/biographie/

Animal

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Marty Paich - Jazz For Relaxation

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 22:55
Size: 64,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:40)  1. Dool's Blues
(3:01)  2. Jump for Me
(3:00)  3. There'll Never be Another You
(2:50)  4. The Lamp is Low
(2:14)  5. What's New
(1:04)  6. Theme from Lighthouse
(3:15)  7. Lullaby of the Leaves
(3:47)  8. I'll Remember April

This V.S.O.P CD, a straight reissue of a Marty Paich date for Tampa, repeats the packaging faults of the original LP. Although it is a quintet date, the only personnel listed are the pianist/leader, bassist Joe Mondragon, and vibraphonist Larry Bunker; guitarist Howard Roberts and drummer Frank Capp go unacknowledged, but certainly not unheard. The scanty liner notes claim that this is music to relax by, and that all of the tunes are up-tempo; actually the first tune, "Dool's Blues" is quite slow! But overlooking those discrepancies, the unfortunately brief program is actually quite enjoyable, showcasing Paich the pianist (rather than the arranger) in prime form. Roberts and Bunker also have plenty of solos, and the boppish repertoire (five standards, two originals, and Count Basie's obscure "Jump for Me") continually holds one's interest. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-for-relaxation-mw0000646135

Personnel: Marty Paich (piano); Joe Mondragon (Bass); Larry Bunker (Drums).

Jazz For Relaxation

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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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