Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Jay-Tee - Don't Jay Walk

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:33
Size: 142,6 MB
Art: Front

( 7:11)  1. Gravity Hill Bounce
( 5:11)  2. Bottom Road
( 4:02)  3. Sticktown
( 4:10)  4. Wolf's Woods
( 2:41)  5. Silence. Piano & Bass
( 7:01)  6. Train Of Thought
( 6:38)  7. Morning Traffic
( 5:14)  8. Magnolia's Vineyard
( 2:24)  9. Black Ships At Sea
( 6:38) 10. Mountgerald Summit
(10:16) 11. Camp Adderstone

Dutch Composer and bassist Jay-Tee Teterissa draws from the jazz fusion tradition, while at the same time being fully aware of the current state of affairs in this music. His list of musical collaborators includes Mike Stern, Danny Gottlieb, David Garibaldi, Tony Royster Jr, Alain Caron, Jan Akkerman and Candy Dulfer. He brings his band Jazzm to create this, his second solo album. I love the energy on ‘Gravity Hill Bounce’. It’s an instrumental which almost immediately goes into a thumbed (not slapped) bass solo. The fretless sound and doubled alto sax line will please Yellowjackets fans and the funky off-the-beat playing will delight fans of Joe Hubbard/Hubbard’s Cubbard. It’s a very high-tech yet soulful sound. It’s the essence of funky fusion very Herbie Hancock! Nice what a great start! ‘Bottom Road’ has an altogether less sunny vibe with waves of dark synthesizer, but it roars off led by Mike Stern’s guitar solo and I’m reminded of the Headhunters old ‘Descending Azzizziuh’. This is nuts! More please! Mike Stern features on the equally dramatic ‘Sticktown’. Again, I’m not about to pigeonhole this track because it opens out into a lovely synthesizer solo, underpinned by some deft snarework. Stern’s own solo is underpinned in its turn by some gorgeous barely-contained funk on the bass. What a sound Jay-Tee gets. There’s some very lyrical bass playing on ‘Wolf’s Woods’ with the guitar sounding much like Casiopea’s Issei Noro (so, good) and a lovely beaten-up Rhodes sound playing the changes. This is a song I know I’ll enjoy more the more I listen.

‘Silence, Piano and Bass’ lets you breathe because it is as simple a performance as it promises to be. Its beauty is that it’s not jazz, classical or progressive rock though it’s a little of all those things. Timeless. I love music with a cinematic feel and ‘Train of Thought’ has that. The production is incredible, with a barely-plucked bass, bass trombone, gentle semi acoustic guitar and whispers of percussion seeming to float in space (that’s apparent using headphones, at least). It’s relaxing but breathtaking all at once. Here’s my summary: it’s the sound of James Bond falling asleep. Percussion opens ‘Morning Traffic’ and as the intensity builds, the soprano sax states the theme clearly. Yellowjackets fans jump on board. Lovers of harmonics on bass, prepare yourselves. As with the previous song, I’m more drawn into a soundscape than into any specific melodic or rhythmic strand. This is hypnotic stuff but, like the rush hour, it slows to a halt and you can heave a sigh. ‘Magnolia’s Vineyard’ is a lovely cinematic piece where the bass takes the melody, which the soprano sax picks up. All the while, almost mystical percussion keeps time. Dreamy doesn’t mean dull certainly it doesn’t here.

Sounding like a lost part of the Apocalypse Now soundtrack, the grand intro to ‘Black Ships at Sea’ keeps us guessing with sounds of Australia, sounds of China, sounds of Hollywood. The central bass figure could almost be from a Celtic folk song. You might think I’m crazy I probably am nuts to try describing music as imaginative as this. ‘Mount Gerald Summit’ starts of in a similarly eerie vein until the bass announces its presence and bounces from slap riff to solo and back effortlessly. There’s a tense fretless bass solo to hammer home the point (if you had forgotten) that in the right hands, the electric bass really can say anything. A warm alto sax picks up the few things that the bass leaves unsaid. The closer ‘Camp Adderstone’ opens with the kind of funk bass I could and sometimes try to – listen to all day. Sax takes the melody and leads the changes too. It’s (dare I say it) the most conventionally funky jazz tune on the album. That is until two minutes in, when it gets funky in a Herbie Hancock way great keys, drums that fly along and pace that will leave you breathless. Five minutes in and you’re in deep chillout mode and loving that too! That lovely electric piano remains centre stage but the mood has completely changed. Weird, listen to this on headphones and the cymbals sound like they’re behind you. Some of these songs have an almost 3D sound. Ahh, I know I’ve mentioned other artists during this review. The music is so creative that I’d find it hard to tell you about it if I had no reference points. The simple fact is that writing this has pushed my own ability to appreciate and to express that appreciation. I’ve enjoyed the challenge - this is a masterwork by a composer/player/producer with a vision. Thank God that in these cautious times such daring music is still being created. http://www.smooth-jazz.de/Chris/Jay-Tee/DontJayWalk.htm

Personnel:  Jay-Tee Teterissa - bass, percussion;  Marcel Latupeirissa - drums;  Mike Stern - guitar;  Martijn van Iterson - guitar;  Alain Caron - freetless bass;  Jeroen van Iterson - keyboards, orchestral arrangements;  Tom Beek - tenor & soprano saxes

Don't Jay Walk

Monday, October 30, 2017

Bud Freeman, Keith Ingham Trio - Superbud

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:40
Size: 136.6 MB
Styles: Saxp[hone jazz
Year: 1994/1999
Art: Front

[4:04] 1. Superbud
[5:05] 2. Please
[2:28] 3. Easy To Get
[3:58] 4. Doug's Delight
[3:59] 5. Keeping Myself For You
[4:09] 6. Katie's Blues
[3:44] 7. After Awhile
[2:44] 8. S'wonderful
[4:25] 9. Don't Blame Me
[2:38] 10. Ginger Brown
[3:05] 11. The Way Of The Tenor
[3:38] 12. You Took Advantage Of Me
[2:51] 13. Craz-E-Ology
[3:23] 14. Tea For Two
[3:57] 15. Tillie's Downtown Now
[2:52] 16. Eel Street Blues
[2:32] 17. It Must Be True

The bulk of this CD is a reissue of a 1974 LP put out by the British "77" label featuring tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman (in consistently exuberant form) with pianist Keith Ingham, bassist Pete Chapman and drummer Johnny Armitage; among the highlights are "Please," "'S Wonderful," "You Took Advantage of Me" and "Tea For Two." Although a piano solo by Ingham has been left off, he recorded six additional solos in 1992 of rarely performed Freeman compositions (including "After Awhile," "Craz-e-ology" and "Tillie's Downtown Now") to add to this set. High-quality mainstream jazz that should please pre-bop collectors. ~Scott Yanow

Superbud

Biréli Lagrène - Standards

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:52
Size: 157.7 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[6:40] 1. C'est Si Bon
[5:38] 2. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
[5:21] 3. Days Of Wine And Roses
[5:58] 4. Stella By Starlight
[5:54] 5. Smile
[4:54] 6. Autumn Leaves
[5:59] 7. Teach Me Tonight
[5:04] 8. Donna Lee
[7:16] 9. Body And Soul
[4:22] 10. Ornithology
[7:12] 11. How Insensitive Insensatez
[4:28] 12. Nuages

This is one of guitarist Bireli Lagrene's better jazz albums of the 1990s. By this time he had pretty much discarded his original Django Reinhardt influence (even on "Nuages" he sounds nothing like Reinhardt) and he took time off from playing rock to perform a dozen familiar standards with bassist Niels Pedersen and drummer Andre Ceccarelli. Lagrene's technique had been admirable from the start and on this studio session his own musical personality was allowed to come to the surface. Highlights include "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise," "Autumn Leaves," "Donna Lee" and "Ornithology." ~Scott Yanow

Standards

Peggy Lee - The Best Of Peggy Lee

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:13
Size: 82.9 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[3:19] 1. Lover
[3:15] 2. Be Anything (But Be Mine)
[2:57] 3. Just One Of Those Things
[3:19] 4. Sans Souci
[3:06] 5. Black Coffee
[3:27] 6. Somebody Loves Me
[2:36] 7. Let Me Go, Lover!
[2:24] 8. The Siamese Cat Song
[2:57] 9. Johnny Guitar
[3:18] 10. Mr. Wonderful
[2:34] 11. He Needs Me
[2:56] 12. I Don't Know Enough About You

Peggy Lee was Born Norma Dolores Egstrom in Jamestown, North Dakota, on May 26, 1920. At age four her mother died. Peggy's father, a railroad station agent, remarried but later left home, leaving Peggy's care entrusted to a stepmother who physically abused her. Peggy later memorialized this in the calypso number "One Beating a Day", one of 22 songs she co-wrote for the autobiographical musical "Peg", in which she made her Broadway debut in 1983 at the age of 62. As a youngster Peggy worked as a milkmaid, later turning to singing for money in her teens. While singing on a local radio station in Fargo, the program director there suggested she change her name to Peggy Lee. Peggy's big break came when Benny Goodman hired her to sing with his band after hearing her perform. Peggy shot to stardom when she and Goodman cut the hit record "Why Don't You Do Right?" and went out on her own to record such classics as "Fever", "Lover", "Golden Earrings", "Big Spender" and "Is That All There Is?" - the latter winning her a Grammy Award in 1969. Peggy's vocal style provided a distinctive imprint to countless swing tunes, ballads and big band numbers. She was considered the type of performer equally capable of interpreting a song as uniquely as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Bessie Smith.

The Best Of Peggy Lee

Slyde Hyde, Pete Christlieb - Late Night Jazz

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:36
Size: 152.5 MB
Styles: Trombone jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[6:08] 1. It Might As Well Be Spring
[6:10] 2. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
[5:06] 3. Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered
[7:04] 4. But Beautiful
[7:41] 5. When I Fall In Love
[6:51] 6. The Very Thought Of You
[6:39] 7. Angel Eyes
[4:22] 8. Lush Life
[6:45] 9. Someone To Watch Over Me
[9:44] 10. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good

As the album title indicates, this collection of jazz standards, recorded in May 2000, is aimed solely at setting a romantic mood. It does this very well, with 10 tracks lasting about an hour that will provide a great backdrop for an evening of either relaxing or seduction, as you prefer.

Christlieb is only on seven of the tracks, with "Someone to Watch Over Me" being his big feature number. The album really revolves around seasoned studio player Slyde Hyde on trombone and euphonium. Hyde restricts himself to slightly embellished melodies, which set the mood nicely but contrast sharply with the uninhibited improvisations of Christlieb and pianist Tom Ranier. Christlieb fans will enjoy his playing, as always. Many listeners may find Hyde's interpretations too restrained. But if your goal is simply to find jazz music for a romantic evening, this is an excellent choice. ~James A. Vedda

Late Night Jazz

Ron Carter, Richard Galliano - An Evening With Ron Carter & Richard Galliano

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:53
Size: 134.8 MB
Styles: Accordion jazz, Post bop
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[5:55] 1. Einbahnstrasse
[6:17] 2. Tea For Toots
[5:51] 3. Billie
[5:12] 4. Waltz For Nicky
[5:39] 5. You Are My Sunshine
[4:24] 6. Tango Pour Claude
[4:46] 7. Blues For D.P
[5:38] 8. Aria Libertango
[5:12] 9. Ah, Rio
[5:12] 10. First Trip
[4:43] 11. Bonustrack: It's About Time

A series of duets with Ron Carter and French accordionist Richard Galliano. Not a common jazz instrument, the free-reed sound of the accordion on this recording is both subtle and lovely. Tempos range from ballads to medium, but tend to be on the slow side. Not breakthrough jazz, these duets (recorded live) are refreshing and what all good music should be, just good listening.

Accordion and Bandoneon Virtuoso, Composer. Richard Galliano expresses himself in all musical fields, from classical to jazz. He is nowadays the only accordion player to record for the prestigious classical music label “Deutsche Grammophon”. Richard Galliano has recorded more than 50 albums under his own name and collaborated with an impressive number of artists.

An Evening With Ron Carter & Richard Galliano

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

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

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

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

Sunday, October 29, 2017

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

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   

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

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

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)

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)

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

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

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

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

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