Lannie Garrett - Just For A Thrill

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:04
Size: 110,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. You Belong To Me
(4:51)  2. Chances Are
(5:42)  3. Our Day Will Come
(4:21)  4. True Love Ways
(3:23)  5. Scotch And Soda
(3:30)  6. Who Will The Next Fool Be
(5:08)  7. Just For A Thrill
(4:20)  8. Amor
(5:02)  9. Beyond The Sea (La Mer)
(4:46) 10. Baby, It's Cold Outside
(2:44) 11. Goodnight My Love

"... a display of elegance and talent...a cornicopia of wonderful sounds..." ~ R. Franks, KUVO 89.3FM

"Lannie is an elegant swinging powerhouse who can make old and new songs sound fresh and always exciting. We love this one." ~ L. Rychner, Recording Magazine

"Lush interpretations of classics by a soulful, seductive singer." ~ J. Bradley, The Denver Post    https://www.amazon.com/Just-Thrill-Lannie-Garrett/dp/B000006KWE

Just For A Thrill

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Matt Bianco - HiFi Bossanova

Styles: Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:11
Size: 127,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:22)  1. HiFi Bossanova
(4:42)  2. Lost In You (Revisited)
(4:28)  3. Natural
(4:27)  4. Don't Look Back
(4:31)  5. Always On My Mind
(4:00)  6. The Way I Like It
(4:43)  7. Ba-De-Ah
(3:55)  8. Someone Else's Dream
(4:04)  9. Anna-Marie
(4:13) 10. Angel Divine
(3:51) 11. Matt's Chill
(3:58) 12. Someone Else's Dream (Alternate version)
(3:51) 13. Matt's Chill (Dub version)

Often misconstrued as the stage name of lead singer Mark Reilly, England's Matt Bianco is in fact a jazz-, Latin-, and lounge music-influenced pop outfit. Named to sound like a fictional spy character à la James Bond, Matt Bianco was formed in 1982 by former members of the similarly jazz- and Latin-infused new wave ensemble Blue Rondo a la Turk. Initially, the group featured Reilly, along with Polish vocalist Basia Trzetrzelewska (who would soon find solo fame), keyboardist Danny White, and bassist Kito Poncioni. The band's 1984 debut, Whose Side Are You On?, fared well, landing just shy of the top 30, and featuring several hits including "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed." Following the release of their debut, Matt Bianco added keyboardist Mark Fisher. It was with this expanded lineup that they broke through with their rendition of Georgie Fame's 1965 single "Yeh Yeh." Included on 1986's eponymous Matt Bianco, the song peaked at number 13 on the pop singles charts and stayed there for ten weeks, eventually earning the band a European music award as Best Single. Despite the group's success, Trzetrzelewska and White decided to leave the band to focus on the former's burgeoning solo career. Subsequently, Fisher took over all keyboard duties and longtime backing vocalist Jenni Evans officially jumped on board in place of Trzetrzelewska. 

This version of Matt Bianco made its debut with 1988's Indigo. Produced by Miami Sound Machine's Emilio Estefan, the album peaked at number 23 in the U.K. It also spawned several hits, including "Don't Blame It on That Girl" and "Wam Bam Boogie," which became the number one European club track of 1988. Over the next decade, Matt Bianco found Reilly and Fisher working together primarily as duo with an increasing interest in Latin, electronic, and adult-contemporary sounds. A "best of" compilation appeared in 1990, followed in 1991 by the studio-effort Samba in Your Casa, after which they parted ways with Warner Brothers. In 1994, they returned with their fifth studio-album Another Time, Another Place, followed by 1995's Gran Via, and 1997's World Go Round. Released in 2000, Rico found the band exploring a blend of acid jazz and traditional Cuban rhythms. Partly recorded in Havana at the studio where Ry Cooder recorded with Buena Vista Social Club, the album included "Cha Cha Cuba," which reached the top of the charts in Japan. Echoes followed two years later. In 2004, Reilly reunited with original members Trzetrzelewska and White for Matt's Mood. By 2009's HiFi Bossanova, however, the band had returned to a duo featuring Reilly and Fisher. Hideaway followed three years later. Reilly then re-recorded several Matt Bianco tracks for his 2016 solo EP New Cool Collective. That same year, Fisher died at the age of 57.  In 2017, Reilly returned with the band's 15th studio album, Gravity, featuring contributions from Swedish sax and flute player Magnus Lindgren and members of Jamie Cullum's touring ensemble. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/matt-bianco-mn0000328956/biography

HiFi Bossanova

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Adam Cohen - We Go Home

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:01
Size: 86,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:13)  1. Song Of Me And You
(4:20)  2. Too Real
(3:13)  3. We Go Home
(3:26)  4. Put Your Bags Down
(3:27)  5. So Much To Learn
(2:59)  6. Uniform
(2:38)  7. Love Is
(3:50)  8. What Kind Of Woman
(3:56)  9. Fall Apart
(4:25) 10. Swear I Was There
(1:29) 11. Boats

The road to hell is paved with the records of pop stars’ offspring, from Julian Lennon to I Blame Coco. Adam Cohen has the advantage of at least knowing what he’s doing: his fifth album of unshowy singer-songwriter fare occupies similarly confessional territory to that marked out by his father, Leonard. Indeed, Cohenologists will find much to pore over here, as his lyrics frequently address that relationship, and at times appear to be explicitly encouraging comparisons, not least on Fall Apart (“You’ll be hearing his voice, like you’re hearing it now”). It’s a disarmingly bold move, but while We Go Home is an undeniably fine record, it’s not quite good enough to escape Dad’s long shadow.

… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading the Guardian than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall we want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. The Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our perspective matters because it might well be your perspective, too.  I appreciate there not being a paywall: it is more democratic for the media to be available for all and not a commodity to be purchased by a few. I’m happy to make a contribution so others with less means still have access to information.~ Thomasine F-R. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/14/adam-cohen-we-go-home-review-unshowy-leonard-cohen-son

We Go Home

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Gregory Porter - Nat King Cole & Me

Styles: Vocal

Year: 2017

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 63:00

Size: 148,2 MB

Art: Front

(4:18)  1. Mona Lisa

(4:17)  2. Smile

(3:44)  3. Nature Boy

(2:08)  4. L-O-V-E

(4:29)  5. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas

(4:31)  6. Miss Otis Regrets

(3:11)  7. Pick Yourself Up

(7:45)  8. When Love Was King

(4:33)  9. The Lonely One

(2:49) 10. Ballerina

(3:47) 11. I Wonder Who My Daddy Is

(4:31) 12. But Beautiful

(3:35) 13. Sweet Lorraine

(5:31) 14. For All We Know

(3:44) 15. The Christmas Song

Two-time GRAMMY-winning vocalist Gregory Porter s 3rd Blue Note album, Nat King Cole & Me, is a heartfelt tribute to his idol, the legendary singer, pianist and Capitol recording artist Nat King Cole.

With the help of 6-time GRAMMY-winning arranger Vince Mendoza, the London Studio Orchestra, a core band featuring pianist Christian Sands, bassist Reuben Rogers, and drummer Ulysses Owens, and special guest trumpeter Terence Blanchard on two tracks, Porter revisits some of Cole s most cherished classics such as Mona Lisa, L-O-V-E, Nature Boy & The Christmas Song. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Nat-King-Cole-Gregory-Porter/dp/B0753DBSFH               

Nat King Cole & Me

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Hank Jones - Bluesette

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:33
Size: 136.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1979/1998
Art: Front

[5:47] 1. Bluesette
[3:10] 2. Blue And Sentimental
[5:22] 3. Milt's Mood
[7:52] 4. Blues In My Heart
[5:26] 5. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[7:18] 6. Azure
[5:18] 7. Down
[3:20] 8. Saint-James Infirmary
[5:19] 9. Bluesette (Take 1)
[5:36] 10. Things Ain't What They Used To Be (Take 1)
[5:00] 11. Down (Take 1)

Hank Jones is often taken for granted because of his seemingly effortless ability at the piano, but this 1979 trio session with bassist George Duvivier and drummer Alan Dawson (both of whom are also top-flight players) finds him at the top of his game. The hard-driving opener, Toots Theilemans' "Bluesette," has fine solos by the leader and Duvivier, supported by Dawson's crisp brushwork. Jones shows off his stride piano chops in a jaunty take of "Blue and Sentimental," offers a swaggering take of "Things Ain't What They Used to Be," and a lush treatment of Duke Ellington's "Azure." But the most stunning performance of the session may very well be Jones' moving solo rendition of "St. James Infirmary." Highly recommended. ~Ken Dryden

Bluesette

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Danny Adler - Jazzin' At RVG's

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 73:56

Size: 169.3 MB

Styles: Jazz guitar

Year: 2006

Art: Front

[12:00] 1. Lackawanna

[ 7:39] 2. Sidewalks of New York

[ 4:33] 3. Woody 'N You

[ 7:04] 4. Appleshack

[ 7:23] 5. Tenderly

[ 8:40] 6. Hot House

[ 8:18] 7. Electric Midnight

[ 7:02] 8. Sugar Hill

[11:13] 9. Diatomaceous

At Thanksgiving 1992, Danny was visiting his brother David in Washington DC, when he heard the news that Jazz Great Dizzy Gillespie was seriously ill. Danny immediately acting on impulse made a pilgrimage to the front door of this great architect of Be-Bop in Englewood NJ. Diz had once sat with Danny at a backstage piano patiently explaining the half/whole tone scale in the context of his classic tune, Night In Tunisia. After paying his respects to Diz and family, Danny decided to check out Rudy Van Gelders recording studio where so many great Jazz records were made for Bluenote Prestige and many other record labels.

Thus it transpired that in March of 1993, Danny returned to Rudy Van Gelders to record this LP, featuring Sam Yahel on Hammond B3 organ (the very same organ played by Jimmy Smith, Brother Jack McDuff, Groove Holmes and Larry Young). Also on board were Charles Ruggiero, drums (Chuck Mangione) and last but not least, tenor man Ari Ambrose (Stanley Turrentine, Steely Dan). Ari is the son of former Blues Doctor drummer Adam Ambrose (please see DA Legacy Vol 1).

This wonderful LP was cut absolutely live to digital 2 track on March 2nd and 3rd 1993. It was entirely engineered and mastered by the Late Great Legendary Rudy Van Gelder.

Jazzin' At RVG's   

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Nicky Holland - Nobody's Girl

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:13
Size: 119.6 MB
Styles: Art pop
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[4:48] 1. This Town
[4:19] 2. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
[1:49] 3. Prelude
[4:20] 4. Ladykiller
[4:50] 5. Hat Full Of Stars
[3:29] 6. Paperchase
[4:01] 7. Independence Days
[3:58] 8. Nobody's Girl
[3:34] 9. Face Of The Moon
[5:27] 10. Dear Ingrid
[4:13] 11. Tongue-Tied And Twisted
[3:04] 12. On The Stairs
[4:15] 13. New York Inside My Head

With 2016 having marked the 25th anniversary of Nicky Holland (her solo debut, released June 1991) and 2017 occasioning the 20th anniversary of Sense and Sensuality (released June 1997), singer/songwriter/pianist/composer/arranger Nicky Holland (whose resume includes Tears For Fears, Fun Boy Three and creating scores for John Hughes films) sensed that now was “an appropriate time to re-evaluate” those albums and assemble Nobody’s Girl, the definitive retrospective of her solo work as a recording artist for Epic Records.

Lovingly curated and newly remixed by the artist, Nobody’s Girl brings together 13 essential studio performances–seven from Nicky Holland (produced by Derek Nakamoto and Nicky Holland), five from Sense and Sensuality (produced by Michael Beinhorn) and her unforgettable version of the Burt Bacharach-Hal David classic “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself” (produced by Jimmy Bralower and Jeff Bova). Originally recorded for the multi-million selling “My Best Friend’s Wedding” soundtrack album (also released in June 1997), the track “was actually the last thing I did as a singer,” Nicky remembers. A big fan of Dusty Springfield’s iconic recording of the song, Nicky “was thrilled when Sony asked me to sing it for the soundtrack record.”

Working again with producer Derek Nakamoto, who’d helmed her debut in 1991, Nicky “remixed quite a lot of the first album” for inclusion on Nobody’s Girl. “I’m an arranger and I love texture and density and listening back to it now, I just thought about how to give this a new spin, take it out of the ethereal world and back into the living room. I wanted the songs on this album to sound like they were when I originally wrote them.” Nicky took the original 2-inch tapes and painstakingly transferred them to digital. “On a couple of songs, I added a few bits and pieces,” Nicky says. “Basically, it’s what was there…just in a new perspective. I’m making the storyteller, myself, and the story more present.”

One of the highlights of Nobody’s Girl is “New York Inside My Head,” a song originally appearing on Sense and Sensuality for which Nicky has recently completed a breathtaking new video lensed by Karsten Staiger. Revisiting the music she’d made 20-25 years ago proved an intensely emotional experience for Nicky. “It was like no time had passed,” she says. “We were back there.”

Nobody's Girl

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Iiro Rantala - My Working Class Hero

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:54
Size: 139.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[5:12] 1. Norwegian Wood
[4:42] 2. Working Class Hero
[5:56] 3. Just Like Starting Over
[4:36] 4. Because
[7:00] 5. Woman
[4:37] 6. Imagine
[4:38] 7. Help
[5:27] 8. Watching The Wheels
[3:34] 9. Oh My Love
[4:35] 10. In My Life
[5:53] 11. Happy Xmas, War Is Over
[4:38] 12. All You Need Is Love

John Lennon would have been seventy-five on October 9th 2015. On “My Working Class Hero,” the Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala pays tribute to this master of modern song. Rantala has demonstrated a particular gift for making this kind of homage once before. His 2011 album “Lost Heroes” recaptured the spirit of a different musical idol in each of its ten songs, and received the annual prize of the Deutsche Schallplattenkritik and an ECHO jazz award, whilst Germany's foremost broadsheet newspaper the FAZ proclaimed it as having “intelligence, humour, loads of feeling, unpredictable ideas and especially finely crafted piano playing.”

In this John Lennon tribute, Rantala turns to the musician who is perhaps greatest of all of his ‘lost heroes’. “I heard John Lennon before I knew anything about jazz” says Rantala, “’Happy Xmas, War Is Over’ was my first encounter with his music when I sang it in the school choir at a Christmas concert. Even then, it took my breath away. How is it, I wondered, that this guy can write something quite so simple and yet so powerful?” That same combination of simplicity and strength is perhaps also the greatest attribute of Rantala himself. The introduction to “Norwegian Wood” is remarkable for the way in which Rantala builds a chordal pulse which is precise, featherlight, and masterful. He subtly alters the colour and the dynamic with each separate attack of the keys. Even before the theme, with its 4/4 feel, has been fully and truly stated, a waltz has also magically stumbled into being.

My Working Class Hero

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Angela Bofill - The Essential Angela Bofill (2-Disc Set)

Bronx native Angela Bofill sang with Ricardo Morrero & the Group and the Dance Theater of Harlem chorus before her 1978 debut. With her strong, distinctive alto, she has carved a niche as an outstanding interpreter of soul ballads. Between 1978 and 1984, Bofill had consistent success on the R&B charts, with six albums making the Top 40 (five of which made the Top 100 on the pop charts as well), including two, Angel of the Night (1979) and Too Tough (1983), that made the Top Ten. During this period, she also placed seven singles in the R&B Top 40, with "Too Tough" making the Top Ten. ~Bil Carpenter

Album: The Essential Angela Bofill (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:14
Size: 181.4 MB
Styles: Soul/R&B/Pop
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:41] 1. Under The Moon And Over The Sky
[5:01] 2. Angel Of The Night
[3:27] 3. Tonight I Give In
[5:49] 4. Children Of The World United
[4:37] 5. Rough Times
[4:24] 6. The Only Thing I Could Wish For
[5:08] 7. The Feelin's Love
[3:43] 8. Rainbow Child (Little Pas)
[4:31] 9. People Make The World Go 'round
[4:29] 10. Stop Look Listen
[3:05] 11. Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing
[5:04] 12. I'm On Your Side
[4:18] 13. This Time I'll Be Sweeter
[4:11] 14. Baby, I Need Your Love
[4:37] 15. Tell Me Tomorrow
[3:22] 16. Let Me Be The One
[4:11] 17. You're A Special Part Of Me
[3:28] 18. What I Wouldn't Do (For The Love Of You)

The Essential Angela Bofill (Disc 1)

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Album: The Essential Angela Bofill (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:17
Size: 174.6 MB
Styles: Soul/R&B/Pop
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:59] 1. Can't Slow Down
[5:36] 2. Too Tough
[3:17] 3. Crazy For Him
[5:15] 4. Gotta Make It Up To You
[3:21] 5. Holdin' Out For Love
[4:31] 6. I Do Love You
[4:25] 7. Only Love
[3:28] 8. You Should Know By Now
[4:02] 9. Something About You
[5:20] 10. You're Always There
[5:36] 11. I Try
[3:36] 12. Rainbow Inside My Heart
[3:27] 13. I Can See It In Your Eyes
[3:37] 14. Song For A Rainy Day
[5:10] 15. Is This A Dream
[5:19] 16. Time To Say Goodbye
[5:10] 17. Amor Celestial (Heavenly Love, Spanish Version)

The Essential Angela Bofill (Disc 2)

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Buddy Rich - This One's For Basie

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:55
Size: 93.7 MB
Styles: Swing
Year: 1957/1990
Art: Front

[4:46] 1. Blue And Sentimental
[4:05] 2. Down For Double
[5:41] 3. Jump For Me
[7:16] 4. Blues For Basie
[6:22] 5. Jumpin' At The Woodside
[2:57] 6. Ain't It The Truth
[5:11] 7. Shorty George
[4:33] 8. 9:20 Special

Drummer Buddy Rich put together an interesting 11-piece group for this tribute to Count Basie. The only Basie alumnus present is trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison but the other soloists (trombonist Frank Rosolino and Bob Enevoldsen, Bob Cooper on tenor and pianist Jimmy Rowles) easily fit into the setting. Marty Paich contributed the arrangements, there are plenty of drum solos and the music, if not all that memorable, can easily be enjoyed by straightahead jazz fans. ~Scott Yanow

This One's For Basie

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Steve Kuhn - Promises Kept

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:25
Size: 134,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:45)  1. Lullaby
(5:03)  2. Life's Backward Glance
(8:12)  3. Trance
(5:34)  4. Morning Dew
(5:19)  5. Promises Kept
(7:31)  6. Adagio
(5:10)  7. Celtic Princess
(5:27)  8. Nostalgia
(5:40)  9. Oceans In The Sky
(5:40) 10. Pastorale

Combining jazz composition with orchestration is always a risky proposition; the outcome can often be bombastic, syrupy or melodramatic. But in the proper hands the combination can yield a result that is truly beautiful, allowing for a dramatic enhancement of the writing that, while allowing for some improvisational context, truly brings out its essence. "A life's dream," according to pianist Steve Kuhn, Promises Kept takes a life's work of material and, in the sensitive hands of conductor/orchestrator Carlos Franzetti, treats it with reverence and respect, heightening the emotional content without ever becoming grandiloquent or over-dramatized. Utilizing a string ensemble that is strong on violins, Franzetti's collaborative arrangements with Kuhn emphasize the light ; the orchestrations never become overbearing or weighty. From the opening notes of "Lullaby," it is clear that the they are meant as subtle refinements; while they do, on occasion, dominate, they never overwhelm. Kuhn is a lyrical and often romantic writer who manages to avoid the obvious trappings and create pieces that go to unexpected places; unpredictable though they may be, his melodies are so richly hued as to feel oddly familiar. And by revisiting older pieces including "Trance," "Oceans in the Sky," and the often-reconsidered "Life's Backward Glance," Kuhn creates a sense of history for those familiar with his work. Franzetti, in fact, was approached because he was so intimately familiar with Kuhn's work as to be able to sing lyrics to thirty-year old Kuhn pieces from memory. The result is a recording where strings, piano and long-time Kuhn collaborator David Finck's double-bass blend smoothly into a coherent whole.

Differentiating form from extemporization is difficult and, ultimately, pointless; what is the point is how the result manages to combine structure with a sense of surprise. "Life's Backward Glance" begins with deep cellos evoking a haunting theme that is gradually joined by the higher strings, moving from disquieting to beautiful; Kuhn's rubato theme brings a sense of romance as he shades the piece with subtle improvisations. The whole album is characterized by a multiplicity of layers that yield new experiences, new nuances, with every listen. While the album traverses a breadth of emotion, there is nothing jagged or confrontational. But what makes Promises Kept unique is its ability to wash over the senses without becoming merely beautiful background music. As smooth and sensuous as it is, it demands attention. From Kuhn's unpredictable writing and playing to the emotive yet subtle orchestration, Promises Kept succeeds where so many other albums fail, creating a sense of deep beauty that never accedes to excess. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/promises-kept-steve-kuhn-ecm-records-review-by-john-kelman.php?width=1920

Personnel: Steve Kuhn (piano), Carlos Franzetti (conductor), David Finck (double-bass)with: Violins: Christa Feeney, Liz Lim-Dutton, Richard Sortomme, Karl Kawahara, Barry Finclair, Helen Kim, Robert Shaw, Carol Pool, Anca Nicolan; Violas: Sue Pray, Karen Ritscher, Vince Lionti; Cellos: Stephanie Cummins, Richard Locker, Joshua Gordon

Promises Kept

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Ian Shaw - A Ghost In Every Bar

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:17
Size: 118,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:29)  1. Feet Do Your Stuff
(3:46)  2. Only Why No More
(3:46)  3. Small Day Tomorrow
(6:32)  4. Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most
(2:48)  5. In a New York Minute
(3:00)  6. Love Go Round
(2:52)  7. In a Matter of Moments
(3:49)  8. Down
(2:48)  9. Nothing Is Mine Now
(1:54) 10. Scars
(3:45) 11. Stranger
(3:11) 12. Killing Time
(2:47) 13. Noir
(2:13) 14. Nothing Lasts Forever
(5:29) 15. Ballad of the Sad Young Men

Ian Shaw's warm and evocative voice, Fran Landesman's superb lyrics and music from some of her best collaborators: A Ghost In Every Bar has them all. Put it another way: on A Ghost In Every Bar one of the finest singers in contemporary music interprets some of the greatest songs of the last 50 years. If either or both of those descriptions sound like hype, that's OK; sometimes the hype hits the nail on the head. Landesman was born in New York in 1927, moved with her family to London in 1964 and died there on July 23, 2011. Around the mid-'80s a young Shaw was in a band called This Bed with Landesman's son. Miles. Shaw and Landesman met and became friends, while Shaw went on to develop his solo career and to record and perform many of Landesman's songs. While artists including Ella Fitzgerald and Barbra Streisand have recorded their own versions, Shaw's direct, emotionally honest, and very personal interpretations are the benchmark. On A Ghost In Every Bar Shaw performs songs which Landesman wrote with three of her many collaborators: Tommy Wolf, her first writing partner, who she met in '50s St Louis; singer and writer Bob Dorough; and British composer/pianist Simon Wallace, who accompanies Shaw on most of this album's songs. The singer has recorded some of these songs before most notably "Scars," on Somewhere Towards Love (Splash Point Records, 2009), and the title track of In A New York Minute (Milestone, 1999) (with Cedar Walton) but this album features new versions recorded in April, 2012.

Dorough co-wrote "Small Day Tomorrow," a joyous anticipation of the night before a day with nothing to do. Shaw sings his bluesy take on the song with obvious relish. Wallace was one of Landesman's final co-writers, collaborating between 1994 and 2011 on around 400 compositions. Twelve of his collaborations are on this album, including four ("Stranger," "Killing Time," "Nothing Lasts Forever" and "Noir") that have not previously been recorded. Shaw's performances of "Only Why No More" and "Scars" are heart-rending, while "Feet Do Your Stuff" and "Down" manage to be both cynical and funny at the same time. Wolf wrote the music for what are probably Landesman's two best known songs: "Ballad of the Sad Young Men" and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" (apparently a jazz response to T. S. Elliot's assertion that "April is the cruelest month"). Shaw captures the sadness of both lyrics, heightening the emotion through a dignified approach which never asks for pity. The melancholy of "Ballad of the Sad Young Men" is emphasized by Sue Richardson's flugelhorn, which echoes Shaw's vocal. Landesman's stories have a universal emotional resonance. All human life is here, presented by a masterly vocalist with an empathic understanding of the lyrics. It's not always easy to listen to a Landesman song, but it's always worthwhile. Shaw ensures that the experience is a life-affirming one.
 

Personnel: Ian Shaw: vocals, piano (6, 7, 12); Simon Wallace: piano; Sue Richardson: flugelhorn (15).

A Ghost In Every Bar

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Jutta Hipp Quintet - Cool Dogs & Two Oranges

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:57
Size: 92,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:58)  1. Yogi
(3:54)  2. Cool Dogs
(3:00)  3. Frankfurt Bridges
(3:48)  4. Two Oranges
(3:37)  5. Mon Petit
(2:53)  6. Anything Goes
(2:28)  7. Simone
(3:44)  8. Ghost Of A Chance
(3:19)  9. Don´t Worry About Me
(3:18) 10. Laura
(3:33) 11. Chloe-Patra
(3:19) 12. Variations

Jutta Hipp had a strangely brief career, dropping out of music altogether shortly after emigrating to the United States. She studied painting in Germany and played jazz during World War II. When the Soviets took over East Germany, she moved with her family to Munich. Hipp played locally and in 1952, recorded with Hans Koller. She led her own quintet in Frankfurt in 1953-1955 and recorded for several labels, including a session that was later released by Blue Note. Moving to New York in November 1955, Hipp played at the Hickory House for much of the first half of 1956, recording two trio albums for Blue Note. Although originally inspired by Lennie Tristano, she was criticized at the time for being too influenced by Horace Silver; however, a studio album from July 1956 with Zoot Sims finds her showing a fairly original style. Unfortunately, that was her final recording, for Jutta Hipp soon dropped out of music, returned to painting, then worked as a seamstress. She lost contact with the music world to the extent that Blue Note didn't know where her royalties should be sent until 2000. Three years later, at the age of 78, Jutta Hipp passed away in the Queens apartment where she lived alone. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jutta-hipp-mn0000258387/biography               

Personnel:  Piano – Jutta Hipp;  Alto Saxophone – Emil Mangelsdorff;  Bass – Hans Kresse;  Drums – Karl Sanner;  Tenor Saxophone – Joki Freund

Cool Dogs & Two Oranges

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Vincent Herring - Hard Times

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:40
Size: 163,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:43)  1. Hard Work
(5:47)  2. Use Me
(4:36)  3. Summertime
(5:07)  4. Hard Times
(5:26)  5. Embraceable You
(7:54)  6. Eastern Joy Dance
(6:49)  7. The Sun Will Rise Again
(4:59)  8. Piccadilly Square
(7:27)  9. Good Morning HEartache
(7:32) 10. Amsterdam After Dark
(9:15) 11. Phineas

Vincent Herring doesn’t have the answers to those issues any more than the rest of us. What he can offer is a tonic to help calm the turbulence of modern life, at least for an hour. With Hard Times, the master saxophonist supplies the perfect musical response to our troubled existence – part escape, part defiance; part lament, part laughter. Over the course of these 11 songs, Herring and his stellar band both sing the blues and shake them off in ways both healing and infectious. http://www.jazzmessengers.com/fr/74564/vincent-herring/hard-times?

Personnel:  Vincent Herring, alto & soprano saxophones;  Cyrus Chestnut,  piano & Fender Rhodes;  Yasushi Nakamura, bass;  Carl Allen, drums.  With Special Guests: Nicolas Bearde, vocals;  Russell Malone, guitar;  Steve Turre, trombone;  Brad Mason, trumpet;  Sam Dillon, tenor saxophone

Hard Times

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Sonny Stitt, Zoot Sims - Inter-Action

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:09
Size: 80.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1965/2006
Art: Front

[8:00] 1. My Blue Heaven
[3:03] 2. The Saber
[6:51] 3. Katea
[5:29] 4. Fools Rush In
[7:17] 5. Look Down That Lonesome Road
[4:26] 6. I Want To Go Home

Finding this album serendipitously was a little like my going to Chicago's Plugged Nickel one Sunday in the '70s to hear Sonny Stitt and finding Sonny had managed to include on the date--contrary to my wildest expectations--Zoot Sims! In college I had soon been made aware of the West Coast vs. East Coast, cool bop vs. hard bop, Pacific Jazz vs. Blue Note, white vs. black cultural wars. Among saxophonists, Zoot Sims along with Getz, Cohn, Desmond, Konitz, etc. were roundly dismissed and out of favor whereas Trane, Rollins, Dexter, Ammons and Stitt were, according to the influential jazz "authorities" (who were from Chicago rather than a place like my esoteric N. Wisconsin village), the only guys worth listening to. Had they any idea that Stitt had recorded not only with Zoot but with, horrors! Jimmy Giuffre, I have little doubt their closed little worlds could not have withstood the shock.

Granted, Sonny is a more competitive player than Zoot, never meeting a conclave of tenor (or alto) players he wasn't eager to do battle with. At the Plugged Nickel, I recall that he remained standing on the stage while Zoot was content (or required) to stand on the floor, somewhat beneath Sonny on his left side. Moreover, Sonny was still using his Varitone device, which not only doubled his tones but amplified them, giving him a considerable advantage over the unmiked Zoot. But after the first set it became easy to ignore these disparities in favor of the swinging and inventive lines that Zoot was playing during each of his turns. Unlike Sonny (along with numerous other beboppers who, admittedly, often played for the "sport" of it), Zoot seemed to zone in exclusively on the tunes, the rhythm section, the opportunities to contribute to a whole and satisfying result.

Much the same can be heard on this recording. In fact, Zoot's approach seems to affect Sonny's playing for the better, making him less of a competitor than a "team player." Whoever came up with the title for this encounter must have listened carefully to the master tapes first. ~Samuel C.

Inter-Action

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Jesse Cook - The Rumba Foundation

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:10
Size: 98.8 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz, Flamenco
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:06] 1. Bogota By Bus
[3:49] 2. Santa Marta
[4:00] 3. Tuesday's Child
[3:31] 4. Manolo
[0:27] 5. Improv # 1
[3:37] 6. La Rumba D'el Jefe
[0:16] 7. Improv # 2
[4:45] 8. Gaita
[3:28] 9. Rain Day
[4:19] 10. Bombay Diner
[3:17] 11. Afternoon At Satie's
[3:46] 12. Cecilia
[4:43] 13. Homebound

The Rumba Foundation is Jesse Cook's eighth studio album in 14 years, a feat for any artist. With this album the Toronto-based Nuevo Flamenco guitarist found Canadian radio success, thanks to a collaboration with Canadian singer/songwriter Jeremy Fisher entitled "Cecilia," a collaboration that brought Cook's smooth skills to the masses in a way never before imagined. ~Matthew Chisling

The Rumba Foundation

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The Andrew Scott Quintet - Blue Mercer

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:14
Size: 140.2 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[6:31] 1. Too Marvellous For Words
[5:19] 2. My Shining Hour
[4:49] 3. Tangerine
[6:27] 4. Lullaby For Mason
[4:49] 5. Day In, Day Out
[4:53] 6. Blue Mercer
[8:13] 7. Have A Heart
[7:27] 8. The Days Of Wine And Roses
[5:35] 9. Dream
[7:06] 10. This Time The Dream's On Me

Blue Mercer is Andrew Scott's tribute to Johnny Mercer, the legendary lyric writer who's feeling for jazz is evident in all of his collaborations with such gifted composers as Harold Arlen, Rube Bloom, Henry Mancini, and Richard Whiting. Pianist Gene DiNovi, in his perceptive observations of this music, states that "from the first note the music sounds and feels good while being interesting, intelligent and technically fine. I think Andrew sensed that J.M. was not only the most musical of lyricists, but he was also a good singer. This somehow comes through in all the melodies that wed his words. J.M.'s songs all possess a memorable title. They all tell a story. And they all swing."

Blue Mercer

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Johnnie Ray - 16 Most Requested Songs

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:59
Size: 96.1 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[3:01] 1. Cry
[2:20] 2. Walkin' My Baby Back Home
[2:07] 3. All Of Me
[2:42] 4. Whiskey And Gin
[2:36] 5. Let's Walk That-A-Way
[2:22] 6. Don't Blame Me
[2:14] 7. The Little White Cloud That Cried
[2:37] 8. Just Walkin' In The Rain
[2:47] 9. (Here Am I) Broken Hearted
[2:38] 10. Tell The Lady I Said Goodbye
[2:58] 11. Why Should I Be Sorry
[2:15] 12. Glad Rag Doll
[2:52] 13. Hey There
[2:57] 14. Please, Mr. Sun
[2:13] 15. Such A Night
[3:12] 16. As Time Goes By (From Casablanca )

Johnny Ray's cultural significance -- which was only slightly less substantial than that of Elvis Presley -- can be summed up with this 45-minute compilation of his hits from 1951 through 1956. The singles are an amazing array of jazz and blues-inflected performances by a white singer, not unheard of at the time, but seldom spoken of as a desirable trait in the pop field in those days. Among those tracks, "All of Me," "Whiskey and Gin," "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," "Don't Blame Me," and "As Time Go By" are worth the price of the CD. There's also a good deal of pop music here, including the duet "Let's Walk That-A-Way" with Doris Day, which, unfortunately, fits easily into her '50s pop music output, and the pop choruses backing him on "Just Walkin' in the Rain" break the spell created by his most interesting vocal performances, but this CD is still a vivid portrait of a singer who broke lots of barriers -- and annoyed a lot of critics while doing it -- while Elvis Presley was still in high school. The sound is excellent, incidentally, and the notes by Will Friedwald are thorough, though one wishes there were recording and release dates attached to each song. ~Bruce Eder

16 Most Requested Songs

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Hubert Laws - Land of Passion

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:55
Size: 93,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:22)  1. Music Forever
(5:56)  2. Land of Passion
(7:16)  3. We're in Ecstasy
(6:47)  4. Heartbeats
(7:09)  5. The Key
(4:56)  6. We Will Be
(3:25)  7. Land of Passion (Single Edit)

When Columbia released Land of Passion in 1979, the album received scathing reviews from jazz critics. They knew Hubert Laws for his work as a jazz instrumentalist, and for the most part, Land of Passion isn't instrumental jazz  it isn't hard bop, post-bop, or even fusion. The main focus of this LP is mellow, mildly jazzy R&B/pop (with the occasional instrumental). So serious jazz standards shouldn't be applied. Unfortunately, the critics who trashed Land of Passion did apply serious jazz standards, which is sort of like a food critic lambasting an Italian restaurant because it doesn't provide Vietnamese or Cambodian cuisine. Land of Passion needs to be judged by R&B/pop and quiet storm standards, and when those standards are applied, one has to say that this record is likable but not mind-blowing. Laws was obviously going after the quiet storm crowd when he recorded gentle tunes like "Music Forever" and "We're in Ecstasy." Arguably, quiet storm music falls into two main categories: R&B/pop vocals (Luther Vandross, Phyllis Hyman, Anita Baker) and R&B-minded crossover jazz (Grover Washington, Jr., David Sanborn, Lonnie Liston Smith). For the most part, this LP (which had yet to be reissued on CD when the 21st century arrived) falls into the former category, although it does contain two gently funky instrumentals: "We Will Be" and "Heartbeats." Neither are masterpieces, but they have a lot more substance and integrity than the sort of elevator Muzak that Kenny G and Richard Elliot were known for in the 1980s and 1990s. Not one of Laws' essential releases, Land of Passion must be taken for what it is: a pleasant but unremarkable collection of mood music. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/land-of-passion-mw0000875877

Personnel: Hubert Laws (alto, flute); Debra Laws, Eloise Laws, Blanch Laws, Johnny Laws (vocals); Roland Bautista (guitar); Dorothy Wade, Marcia Van Dyke, Janice Dower, Robert Sushel, Sandy Seymour, Arnold Belnick, Bonnie Douglas, Paul Shure, Endre Granat (violin, strings); Ron Cooper, Raymond Kelly, Nils Oliver (cello); Ronnie Laws (saxophone); Garnett Brown, Benny Powell, Maurice Spears (trombone); Raymond Brown, Oscar Brashear, Snooky Young, Bobby Bryant (brass); Patrice Rushen (piano); Larry Dunn (synthesizer); Leon "Ndugu" Chancler (drums); Victor Feldman (percussion).

Land of Passion

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Liane Carroll - Up and Down

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:51
Size: 128,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:02)  1. Buy and Sell
(3:01)  2. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life
(4:29)  3. Moanin'
(3:29)  4. Take Me Home
(6:11)  5. What Now My Love
(6:46)  6. Turn Out the Stars
(3:58)  7. Some Children See Him
(2:45)  8. Witchcraft
(5:33)  9. My Funny Valentine
(4:54) 10. Old Devil Moon / Killer Joe
(7:56) 11. Make Someone Happy
(2:41) 12. I Can Let Go Now

Liane Carroll is a much-admired British singer and pianist, winner of accolades including Musician Of The Year at the 2008 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. She has worked with musicians as varied as Sir Paul McCartney and Charlie Haden, while on this album her invited guests include tenor saxophonists Kirk Whalum and Julian Siegel, and Kenny Wheeler on flugelhorn. She already has a strong body of work to her name, but Up And Down might just be her finest album to date. Carroll's voice is superb bluesy, smooth, ballsy, cheeky, romantic, heartbreaking, and never less than honest. This combination makes Carroll eminently capable of performances of tremendous emotional intensity when the songs are upbeat and positive this results in moments of intense joy, when the songs are sad this intensity can be hard to bear. Aided by producer and horn player James McMillan and a roll-call of top British jazz musicians, Carroll draws out the full impact of these songs in some unexpected ways. The most surprising is her approach to "What Now My Love?" The opening Carroll singing over Mark Edwards' gospel-style organ with Whalum adding brief tenor phrases is in keeping with the song's usual sentiment, but everything moves up a few notches with the entry of Mark Hodgson's rock solid bass beat. As Whalum and Edwards add some funky and fiery riffs it's no longer a torch song, a cry of pain from a spurned lover. Now it seems from Carroll's bluesy but almost triumphant tone that she's engineered her lover's departure all along. "What now my love? A nice gin and tonic and a sit down I think. And good riddance."

"Buy and Sell" opens with the sounds of children at play, features electric guitar with an Ernie Isley vibe courtesy of Mark Jaimes and an electric piano solo from Edwards, and adds a vocal chorus courtesy of Carroll's multi-tracked voice. The result gives a fittingly late-60s feel to this beautiful Laura Nyro song. Wheeler guests on Bill Evans' "Turn Out The Stars," adding a starkly emotive solo to Carroll's poignant vocal. Carroll's singing on Tom Waits' "Take Me Home" and Rodgers and Hart's "My Funny Valentine" are two of her finest vocals. The emotional engagement of both performances is staggering. On Waits' ballad Carroll, playing some delicate and graceful piano phrases, makes a heartfelt plea to her lover that would melt all but the hardest of hearts. On "My Funny Valentine," Carroll, Edwards on piano and McMillan on flugelhorn give one of the album's most powerful performances: superbly stark and raw, it reaches into the song's heart to draw out the full poignancy of the words. Up And Down is beautiful. The song choices and arrangements are inspired, and the musicians are uniformly superb. Carroll is a singer of superb style, capable of projecting every nuance and subtlety of a lyric. What more is there to say? This is one of the finest vocal jazz albums to appear for many a moon. ~ Bruce Lindsay https://www.allaboutjazz.com/up-and-down-liane-carroll-quietmoney-recordings-review-by-bruce-lindsay.php

Personnel: Liane Carroll: vocals, piano (1, 2, 4, 8, 12); James McMillan: trumpet (1), flugelhorn (1, 2, 7, 9), celesta (2); Mark Bassey: trombone (2, 4, 7); Rob Leake: flute (2); Mark Edwards: piano (3, 6, 9, 10), Hammond organ (3, 5), electric piano (1); Simon Purcell: piano (11); Mark Jaimes: guitar (1, 12); Roger Carey: bass (4, 6, 8, 10); Mark Hodgson: bass (2, 3, 5); Steve Pearce: bass (1); Mark Fletcher: drums; Julian Siegel; tenor saxophone (11); Kirk Whalum: tenor saxophone (3, 5); Kenny Wheeler: flugelhorn (6).

Up and Down

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