Cy Touff & Sandy Mosse - Tickle Toe

Styles: Trumpet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:49
Size: 158,6 MB
Art:

( 8:03)  1. Tickle Toe
(10:11)  2. Centerpiece
(11:30)  3. The Man I Love
( 6:31)  4. Allen's Alley
(13:03)  5. Alone Together
(10:51)  6. Secret Love
( 7:37)  7. What's New?

The pairing-up of jazz personalities often fails to live up to the hype, falling short of listener expectations. Musical camaraderie is not something that can simply be conjured up by outside sources despite the ongoing efforts of record labels and festival promoters. Successful musical partnerships are more often than not the result of experiential similarities between artists, with regard to a particular era or style. A fine example of this can be heard on Tickle Toe, a long-lost Chicago session from 1981 featuring bass trumpeter Cy Touff and tenor saxophonist Sandy Mosse. With a fiery rhythm section and a set of familiar standards, Touff (1927-2003) and Mosse (1929-1983) gracefully swing along throughout the recording with intuitive ease. Both musicians float effortlessly over the minor-key title track, demonstrating patiently-lyrical, yet buoyant phrasing. Straight-ahead readings of "Alone Together" and "Secret Love" highlight the disc with inspired improvising and good-natured exchanges between the two leaders. The rhythm section, comprised of pianist John Campbell, bassist Kelly Sill and drummer Jerry Coleman, lay down a warm, cushy foundation.

Both Coleman and Sill are given ample solo space, demonstrating well- developed, inventive lines. Coleman's crisp ride cymbal is unfaltering, even during the challenging slow-tempo blues of "Keester Parade." Touff and Mosse built-up impressive resumes by playing with big stars like Woody Herman and Django Reinhardt in the 1950s, but for the most part have become forgotten names in jazz history. Hopefully, with the release of Tickle Toe, some light will be shed on the legacy of these two under-appreciated heavyweights. ~ John Barron https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tickle-toe-cy-touff-delmark-records-review-by-john-barron.php

Personnel: Cy Touff: bass trumpet; Sandy Mosse: tenor sax; John Campbell: piano; Kelly Sill: bass; Jerry Coleman: drums.

Tickle Toe

---

Cleo Laine - Blue And Sentimental

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:58
Size: 117,2 MB
Art:  Front

(4:44)  1. Lies of Handsome Men
(4:57)  2. I've Got a Crush on You
(3:34)  3. Blue and Sentimental
(5:55)  4. Afterglow
(6:24)  5. Not You Again
(3:55)  6. Primrose Colour Blue
(4:31)  7. Love Me
(5:26)  8. Dreamsville
(3:54)  9. A Cryin' Shame
(3:32) 10. Love Comes and Goes
(4:01) 11. Soft Pedal Blues

This album would be worth buying for one track alone, a faultless version of "The Lies Of Handsome Men", Francesca Blumenthal's unsettling little song about self-deception. Not only does Cleo Laine have the musicality and dramatic skill to do justice to a delicate piece like this, she also has the best possible musical director in John Dankworth, who plays some very good alto saxophone here, too. The programme of 13 songs is impeccably chosen, as usual. Few singers, jazz or otherwise, have ever commanded a stylistic range anywhere near Cleo Laine's. For example, after opening with the Blumenthal song she goes on, via Gershwin and Irving Berlin, to Bessie Smith. The most remarkable thing of all about her is that she and Dankworth have been making intelligent, enterprising albums like this for more than 40 years and there is absolutely no sign of wear and tear. Quite the reverse, in fact. The work just goes on getting better. ~ Dave Gelly https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sentimental-Cleo-Laine/dp/B000003FCX

?Personnel: Cleo Laine, Joe Williams (vocals); John Dankworth (conductor, soprano & alto saxophones, clarinet); Ray Loeckle (soprano & tenor saxophones, flute, bass clarinet); Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone); Allen Smith (trumpet); Dean Hubbard (trombone); David Sprung (horn); Jeremy Cohen (violin, Concertmaster); Roxanne Jacobson (viola); Terry Adams (cello); Larry Dunlop (piano, synthesizer); Mark Renzi, George Shearing (piano); Mark Whitfield (guitar); Rich Girard (bass); Jay Leonhart (bass); Jim Zimmerman (drums, percussion); Keith Copeland (drums)

Blue And Sentimental

---

Louis Smith - Just Friends

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1978
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 57:52
Size: 106,1 MB
Art: Front

( 7:02)  1. Blues For Jimmy
( 8:58)  2. Lulu
( 8:11)  3. Vaughn's Bounce
( 9:37)  4. Quiet Nights
( 9:11)  5. I Remember Clifford
( 4:39)  6. Oleo
(10:11)  7. Minor Bit

Great date for master trumpeter with Memphis friends, including George Coleman on tenor sax. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/just-friends-mw0001881587

Personnel: Trumpet – Louis; Smith Bass – Jamil Nasser;  Drums – Ray Mosca;  Piano – Harold Mabern;  Tenor Saxophone – George Coleman

Just Friends

---

Jeff 'Tain' Watts - Megawatts

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:11
Size: 122,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:45)  1. Black Nile
(6:14)  2. Alycia
(5:42)  3. The Impaler
(5:16)  4. Rainbow
(4:49)  5. Kasploosh
(5:32)  6. You And The Night And The Music
(7:31)  7. Dance Of The Niblets
(6:32)  8. Opal Rose
(3:45)  9. Blooski

Megawatts has had a somewhat chequered past. Originally recorded in 1991, contractual difficulties made it necessary to release the record without Jeff "Tain" Watts’ name on the marquee. Consequently, the album never received the attention it deserved, and this is a shame because aside from being Watts’ first album as a leader, it represents one of only two trio albums that the late pianist Kenny Kirkland recorded. It would be worth the investment for that alone, but the truth is, in the post bop arena, this is as good as it gets. What can one say about Watts? Among his generation he has developed into one of the hardest swinging drummers around. While he asserts his presence throughout the programme he is less direct and more subtle than, for example, Ralph Peterson. But like Peterson he has an innate ability to maintain groove while playing in a more open fashion; one would be hard pressed to find a backbeat, even on bassist Charles Fambrough’s more insistent “Opal Rose.” Watts also distinguishes himself with ears that make him sensitive to the subtlest variations on the part of his band mates; he pushes and pulls behind Kirkland on Keith Jarrett’s “Rainbow,” creating a delicate sense of tension. Like Watts, Fambrough is a hard-swinging player, which is no surprise, given that he spent his formative years playing with the likes of McCoy Tyner and Art Blakey. A remarkable bassist with an oblique solo style, he is also a fine writer, with an angular harmonic sensibility, as evidenced on “Kasploosh.”

Kirkland was one of the most important pianists of his generation before his untimely death at the age of forty-three. His versatility and almost encyclopaedic knowledge of music saw him perform with artists as diverse as Miroslav Vitous, Branford Marsalis and Sting. Regardless of the context he always brought a strong sense of swing to the table. But while reactionaries like Wynton Marsalis, who rigidly asserts 4/4 swing as one of the fundamental definers of jazz, make it a restrictive element, Kirkland used it to liberate whatever he played, and combined it with a lyrical sensibility and virtuoso capability that, nevertheless, always kept the essence of the song in clear view. His performance on Megawatts constitutes some of his most exposed work, also representing some of his best ensemble playing. Megawatts is one of those sessions that could easily have fallen through the cracks, but thankfully Sunnyside Records has seen fit to reissue it and remind us that the essence of true jazz is not just about swing; it is about commitment, interaction and dedication to the tune. Watts, Fambrough and Kirkland approach every piece on the album with reverence, coupled with an exploratory verve that makes this session well worth revisiting. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/megawatts-jeff-tain-watts-sunnyside-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums);  Kenny Kirkland (piano);  Charles Fambrough (bass)

Megawatts

---

Walt Dickerson - To My Son

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:11
Size: 92,1 MB
Art: Front

(11:31)  1. You Can
( 9:17)  2. You Will
( 8:07)  3. It Is Done
(11:14)  4. Thank You Son

Walt Dickerson made an impact when he first emerged in the early '60s he won the Down Beat Critic's Poll as New Star in 1962 but as the years passed he became much less visible. Dickerson graduated from Morgan State College in 1953. After serving in the Army from 1953-1955, he settled in California, where he led a band that included Andrew Cyrille and Andrew Hill. In his early-'60s heyday, Dickerson played the clubs on the New York scene. He worked with Sun Ra, recording Impressions of a Patch of Blue in 1965. Shortly thereafter, Dickerson retired from performing for nearly a decade and returning in 1975. In the years 1977-1978, he made the bulk of his recordings for the Steeplechase label, which included duos with Sun Ra, guitarist Pierre Dørge, and bassist Richard Davis. Also in 1978, Dickerson recorded in a quartet with pianist Albert Dailey. Dickerson was one of the few vibists to exhibit an awareness of free jazz techniques, though he was manifestly conversant in the language of post-bop. Although not heard as a leader on disc after 1982, Dickerson subsequently performed around his native Philadelphia; he died in Willow Grove, PA, of cardiac arrest in May 2008. ~ Chris Kelsey https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/to-my-son/id159333563

Personnel:  Walt Dickerson – vibraphone;  Andy McKee – bass;  Jimmi Johnsun – drums

To My Son

---

Spike Robinson - Reminiscin'

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:19
Size: 128.9 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, Mainstream jazz
Year: 1992/2010
Art: Front

[7:02] 1. Dancing In The Dark
[6:07] 2. Without You
[6:22] 3. Dream Dancing
[6:12] 4. Yours Is My Heart Alone
[8:05] 5. Where Or When
[7:48] 6. My Silent Love
[7:29] 7. The Girl Next Door
[7:11] 8. Blues For Sooz

Tenor saxophonist Spike Robinson sounds quite comfortable performing his "Blues for Sooz" and seven standards with a pianoless rhythm section. Guitarist Mundell Lowe, bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Jake Hanna were all veterans who, like Spike, knew how to swing hard even at a quiet volume and a relaxed tempo. Robinson's warm tone sounds quite appealing on such numbers as "Dancing in the Dark," "Yours Is My Heart Alone" and "My Silent Love." Recommended. ~Scott Yanow

Reminiscin'

---

Joan Osborne - Songs Of Bob Dylan

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:17
Size: 119.7 MB
Styles: Rock-Pop
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[5:40] 1. Tangled Up In Blue
[4:05] 2. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
[3:52] 3. Buckets Of Rain
[4:17] 4. Highway 61 Revisited
[4:17] 5. Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)
[4:24] 6. Tryin' To Get To Heaven
[2:54] 7. Spanish Harlem Incident
[3:59] 8. Dark Eyes
[3:50] 9. High Water (For Charley Patton)
[4:09] 10. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
[4:20] 11. Masters Of War
[3:11] 12. You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
[3:13] 13. Ring Them Bells

On Songs of Bob Dylan, Joan Osborne unleashes her sizable gifts as a vocalist and interpreter upon The Bard's celebrated canon. With performances honed by the time Osborne spent polishing them during 'Joan Osborne Sings The Songs Of Bob Dylan' two critically acclaimed two-week residencies she performed at New York City's Café Carlyle in March 2016 and 2017, the seven-time Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum-selling singer and songwriter, whom The New York Times has called 'a fiercely intelligent, no-nonsense singer,' winds her supple, soulful voice around Dylan's poetic, evocative lyrics, etching gleaming new facets in them along the way.

Songs Of Bob Dylan

---

The Bobby Shew Quintet - Playing With Fire

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:57
Size: 98.3 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 1997/2012
Art: Front

[ 5:48] 1. Prelude And Blues
[ 6:58] 2. Cloud Dance
[ 6:48] 3. Spiral Dreams
[10:57] 4. Playing With Fire
[ 6:50] 5. April Mist
[ 5:34] 6. Broadway Manor Mayhem

Master trumpeter Bobby Shew has turned out yet another remarkable album in a string of critically-acclaimed releases. In Playing With Fire, Shew pairs up with the legendary trumpeter Tom Harrell for a burning, high-adrenaline session. The twosome is bolstered by the crack rhythm section of bassist John Patitucci, keyboardist Kei Akagi and drummer Roy McCurdy.

Playing With Fire

---

Franco Ambrosetti - Cheers

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 66:46

Size: 152.8 MB

Styles: Contemporary jazz, Trumpet jazz

Year: 2015

Art: Front

[8:05] 1. Autumn Leaves

[5:42] 2. No Silia, No Party

[8:23] 3. I'm Glad There Is You

[8:52] 4. Bye Bye Blackbird

[7:50] 5. Drums Corrida

[7:11] 6. Someday My Prince Will Come

[8:28] 7. The Smart Went Crazy

[6:48] 8. Midnight Voyage

[5:23] 9. Body And Soul

Franco Ambrosetti - flugelhorn; Kenny Barron - piano; Buster Williams - bass; Jack DeJohnette - drums; John Scofield - guitar; Randy Brecker - trumpet; Greg Osby - alto saxophone; Gianluca Ambrosetti - soprano saxophone; Antonio Faraò - piano; Uri Caine - piano; Dado Moroni - piano;Terry Lyne Carrington - drums.

Franco Ambrosetti is a Swiss jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and composer born in Lugano, Switzerland, perhaps most noteworthy for his many albums released on the jazz recording label Enja Records. Ambrosetti's father, Flavio, was a saxophonist who once played sax opposite Charlie Parker. Franco worked professionally with his father frequently in a group which also included George Gruntz, among others. Franco has classical piano training and is also a self-taught trumpeter. Ambrosetti has worked with several American and European musicians in recordings and at jazz festivals and concerts, including Kenny Clarke, Dexter Gordon, Phil Woods, Cannonball Adderley, Joe Henderson, Michael Brecker, Mike Stern, Hal Galper and Romano Mussolini. Ambrosetti also holds a Masters Degree in economics from the University of Basel.

Cheers

---

The RJ Spangler Trio - This Is What We Do

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:11
Size: 78.3 MB
Styles: B3 Organ jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[6:17] 1. Don't Blame Me
[4:35] 2. Girl Talk
[4:44] 3. Cease The Bombing
[7:13] 4. Idle Moments
[5:12] 5. All Or Nothing At All
[6:07] 6. Funky Mama

Duncan McMillan: organ; Ralph Tope: guitar; R. J. Spangler: drums; Akunda Hollis; congas.

Detroit has always been a home for a multitude of jazz traditions. From big band to swing, from hard bop to the avant-garde, any jazz style can be heard in a given week. The city has especially embraced the organ trio, that staple of neighborhood joints found throughout the urban landscape. Veteran drummer and bandleader RJ Spangler has made that ubiquitous instrument his bread and butter for quite a while. Spangler (who, incidentally, is the nephew of the legendary San Francisco DJ Bud Spangler) has been a fixture on the Detroit music scene for over 30 years, and has been affiliated with some notable Detroit acts. Spangler co-founded the legendary R&B/jazz ensemble the Sun Messengers and has toured and recorded with blues greats Johnnie Bassett, Joe Weaver and Alberta Adams. He even hired a very young James Carter for some of the saxophonist's first gigs. Spangler's most interesting Endeavor, however may be his Planet D Nonet, which may be the only Sun Ra tribute band in the country.

Spangler's bread and butter is his organ trio, which is featured on the superb EP, This Is What We Do. What gives this hit some attraction is its getting some solid radio airplay throughout the Midwest and the prior buzz is well-deserved. Spangler's been with his cats for many years, making this a very tight set. The date is all standards except for one each by the Neil Creque and Big John Patton. Stylistically, Spangler' s crew prefers the breezy melodicism of guitarist Grant Greens Blue Note sessions over Jimmy Smith's gutbucket funk.

The trio starts off with a casual rendition of "Don't Blame Me," featuring some great interplay between organist Duncan Mcmillan and guitarist Ralph Tope. A relaxed "Girl Talk" is followed by some fired-up play on Creque's "Cease The Bombing," highlighting that the late keyboardist's work is really overlooked. After a languid "Idle Moments," the group shifts into high gear on "All Or Nothing At All," and blasts to the finish line with a John Patton burner "Funky Mama." McMillan and Tope really tear up on this piece, showing their Motown funk credentials prodigiously. There is not a lot of flash, but it is solid blue-collar funk. Spangler and company show that the Motor City can hang with Philly when it comes to the B-3 genre. ~Steve Bryant

This Is What We Do

---

Cy Touff - Touff Assignment

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:27
Size: 65,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:11)  1. Soulsville
(3:07)  2. Cyril's Dream
(3:33)  3. How Long Has This Been Going On
(3:04)  4. Kissin Cousins
(3:48)  5. Keeping Out Of Mischief Now
(3:35)  6. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(2:38)  7. Lamp Is Low
(5:27)  8. Tough Touff

Cy Touff played the bass trumpet as a lead instrument in several small jazz ensembles, though this LP, made for Argo in 1958, seems to be his final recording as a leader. His instrument sounds much like Sandy Mosse's trombone, so it is somewhat easy to confuse their respective solos, unless one is paying close attention. The strong rhythm section includes pianist Eddie Higgins, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Marty Clausen. The music is a mix of cool originals by Al Cohn ("Soulsville") and Ernie Wilkins ("Tough Touff"), along with classic jazz compositions ("Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" and "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart") plus swinging takes of standards such as "How Long Has This Been Going On" and "The Lamp Is Low." Touff continued to record on occasion as a sideman following this date. The only disappointing part of this release is the abbreviated total time of less than 28 minutes. Long out of print, this album was briefly available in the early 1990s as a Fresh Sound LP, but the original issue will likely only be found in auction lists. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/touff-assignment-mw0000917739

Personnel:  [Bass Trumpet] – Cy Touff;  Bass – Bob Cranshaw;  Drums – Marty Clausen;  Piano – Ed Higgins;  Saxophone – Sandy Mosse

Touff Assignment

---

Nicky Holland - Sense And Sensuality

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:09
Size: 113,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:29)  1. Paperchase
(4:30)  2. Nobody's Girl
(5:27)  3. Dear Ingrid
(4:21)  4. In A Broken Dream
(4:17)  5. Nothing
(4:53)  6. Falling Water
(4:15)  7. New York Inside My Head
(3:56)  8. Cry To Me
(4:50)  9. Hat Full Of Stars
(3:26) 10. Lay Down
(4:40) 11. John's First Wedding

Although it's slightly uneven, Sense and Sensuality is a rather enchanting collection of sweeping, orchestral pop. Strings and keyboards are inerlaced throughout the record, providing the perfect instrumental bed for Nicky Holland's wispy voice. Considering that she has written hits for a variety of artists, including Celine Dion, Tears for Fears and Cyndi Lauper, it isn't surprising that the songs on Sense and Sensuality are sturdy and well-constructed. What is surprising is that the songs don't sound manufactured, but intimate and personal, and that's what gives the album its edge. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/sense-and-sensuality-mw0000594447

?Personnel: Nicky Holland (vocals, keyboards); Melanie Feld (oboe); Elliot Scheiner (piano); Larry Alexander (keyboards, bass guitar); Graham Maby (bass guitar); Jeff Bova, Michael Beinhorn (keyboard programming); Jimmy Bralower (drum programming); John Peterson (sampler).

Sense And Sensuality

---

Azar Lawrence - Prayer for My Ancestors

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:53
Size: 121,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:06)  1. Open Sesame
(7:38)  2. Under Tanzanian Skies
(5:27)  3. Thokole
(5:08)  4. Prayer for My Ancestors
(8:01)  5. The Baker's Daughter
(5:41)  6. Swinging in Exile
(6:14)  7. Ode to Pharoah
(5:36)  8. Linda G.

Azar Lawrence is a man on a mission. His task: to express beautiful, healing music. At a young age, Lawrence was already touring and recording with jazz legends like Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner and Miles Davis. Then, after recording several successful albums, including Bridge into a New Age (Prestige 1974) and Summer Solstice (Prestige 1975), decades inexplicably passed before he would lead another studio session. Lawrence still played and recorded with a wide array of great artists like Stanley Turrentine, Woody Shaw, Earth, Wind and Fire, and Marvin Gaye. However, he didn't take his own bands into the recording studio. Thankfully, Azar Lawrence is back and blowing his tenor and soprano saxophones. Prayer for My Ancestors, on the relatively new Furthermore Recordings label, is a collaborative labor of love made with the help of many friends, both old and new. The quartet consists of Los Angeles piano great, Nate Morgan, Henry "the Skipper" Franklin on bass, an old friend from their years in Horace Tapscott's Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, and former colleague in McCoy Tyner's band of the mid-70s, and Alphonse Mouzon on drums. Lawrence's opener, "Open Sesame," begins with his tenor sax blowing a solemn incantation, as if summoning the eternal spirits to join him in joyous musical celebration. Then, Mouzon's shimmering cymbals and crashing drums and Morgan's palpitating piano enter the ceremony. Suddenly, the band takes off on an up-tempo journey to a magical place. On another original, "Thokole," native Senegalese musicians Ibrahim Ba (vocals, guitar), kora (21-string lute) master Amadu Fall and the band create a gentle groove that conjures visions of majestic ibex and impala roaming the savannah. Enter Lawrence, who then breathes mystical magic from his soprano sax on this serene journey to the Motherland. On the title tune, the rhythm section builds slowly rising waves of aural beauty, particularly Franklin's bowed bass, that washes over like the mighty falls of Victoria. Lawrence, on tenor, then pours forth a profoundly soulful expression of gratitude to the land and the people of Mother Africa. Morgan's "Swinging in Exile" is a powerful, rhythmic, hard-bop tune that burns hot as North Africa's sirocco winds. Guest Roy McCurdy's relentless drums and Morgan's roiling piano runs propel the band to a frenzy. Meanwhile, Lawrence blows with an urgency and insistence that commands attention to his swinging message.The always eloquent and insightful reed master John Stoddart was once quoted as saying, with great enthusiasm, that saxophonist Bill Evans (saxophone) was "playin' a lot of shit." Well, it's clear from one listen to this CD that Azar Lawrence is also "blowin' a lot of shit." Whether playing a languid ballad or a hard boppin' blues, Lawrence pours every ounce of his body and soul into the music. With all the sadness and loss the jazz community experiences, it is a medicinal injection of peace and joy to hear Azar Lawrence burning it up again. ~ Chuck Kotom https://www.allaboutjazz.com/prayer-for-my-ancestors-azar-lawrence-furthermore-recordings-review-by-chuck-koton.php

Personnel: Azar Lawrence: tenor and soprano saxophones; Nate Morgan: piano; Henry "the Skipper" Franklin: bass; Alphonse Mouzon: drums; Ibrahim Ba: vocals,guitar; Amadu Fall: Kora; Nolan Shaheed: trumpet; Tony Dumas: bass; Roy McCurdy: drums.

Prayer for My Ancestors

---

Joe Bushkin - In Concert: Town Hall

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:16
Size: 90,2 MB
Art: Front

( 4:29)  1. Medley: The Man That Got Away/Hallelujah
(10:03)  2. The 'Porgy and Bess' Medley
( 4:32)  3. I Can't Get Started
( 3:00)  4. They Can't Take That Away from Me
( 2:53)  5. The Song Is Ended
( 5:11)  6. The Cole Porter Medley
( 3:04)  7. One for My Baby
( 3:06)  8. I've Got a Crush on You
( 2:54)  9. Just One of Those Things

Piano jazz is a lot like pizza; even when it's terrible, it's still fairly good. Case in point is Joe Bushkin, a fine pianist for Eddie Condon who later watered down his style to appeal to a mass audience in concerts such as this 1963 performance. One can almost hear more passionate pianists shaking their fist at Bushkin because they are far more deserving of the recognition. To be fair, Bushkin is still a terrific pianist who can play as fast and as accurately as anyone out there, but one gets the sense that he is content to please an audience with technical wizardry and never seems to be working all that hard to be inventive. Guitarist Chuck Wayne seems to be the real treat, but is rendered inaudible most of the time except for a few brief solos (he seems to have difficulty finding a role in the context). The program is standard fare for cocktail lounges and cabarets Gershwin, Berlin, Porter all delivered with a sense of importance and sweeping drama. None of this is all that bad, but can you really purchase this album when there's so much other stuff out there that's more accomplished and nuanced? Pick up a Bill Evans record instead. ~ David Rickert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/in-concert-town-hall-joe-bushkin-collectables-review-by-david-rickert.php

Personnel: Joe Bushkin-piano; Chuck Wayne-guitar; Ed Shaughnessy-percussion; Milt Hinton-bass.

In Concert: Town Hall

---

Capital Jazz Band - Add A Beat!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:40
Size: 122.9 MB
Styles: Traditional jazz combo
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[ 5:23] 1. Everyone Gets To Feelin' Blue
[ 3:07] 2. Now Is The Time
[ 7:25] 3. Reflections On Astrud And Stan
[ 3:28] 4. Moonlight And You
[ 3:10] 5. Calypso Town
[ 4:26] 6. Skater's Ballet
[ 5:03] 7. Add A Beat, Outta Beat Waltz
[ 5:04] 8. Where We Are
[ 6:12] 9. My One And Only Love
[10:16] 10. Stella By Starlight

Capital Jazz Band is a collaborative of DC’s finest jazz musicians both young and old. The DC Music Entertainment & Grabielismo Productions signature band is DC’s most versatile jazz band specializing in jazz from dixieland to swing/bigband, straight ahead to latin and traditional to modern. Rotating members of the band include senior jazz professionals in the area to the youngest and freshest musicians found in the clubs on U Street and DC’s hottest jazz spots. The end result, a band of deep sizzling talent that delivers music ranging from traditional sounds to the most cutting edge.

The Capital Jazz Band is proud to release it’s first CD entitled “Add A Beat!”. True to it’s vision of blending the seasoned with the modern-day, Capital Jazz Band’s CD “Add A Beat!” brings together the original music of DC native Sam Glenn with the hottest young talent that DC has to offer. The album features eight original tracks written by Sam & Kathy Glenn and arranged by Sam and Pablo Grabiel as well as two standards, My One and Only Love and Stella By Starlight. In their debut album the Capital Jazz Band features the talent of Sam Glenn, Pablo Grabiel, Eric Wheeler, Nathan Jolley, Noble Jolley, Josh Carr, Justin Parrot & Lena Seikaly.

Add A Beat!

---

John Williams - Jazz Guitar

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:01
Size: 100.8 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[4:41] 1. Fall Highway
[3:31] 2. Santa Monica
[2:39] 3. Lost You
[3:26] 4. Kitchen Pass
[3:47] 5. Late Night
[3:37] 6. Blue Medium
[3:18] 7. Beautiful
[5:08] 8. Blues Old
[3:01] 9. Slinky
[3:41] 10. Friday Blues
[3:34] 11. Influence
[3:32] 12. What

I'm a guitar player, mostly electric, steel string acoustic too. I do session work, songwriting, and production projects. I have a well-outfitted home studio for songwriting and some production, and I also work with a nationally acclaimed pro studio here in Seattle. I cover country, country/rock, blues and jazz, both acoustic and electric, solo guitar and full-band arrangements. I like working with songwriters and can take almost any songwriter's demo (even face-to-face), turn it into a full-blown arrangement suitable for any studio in Nashville, select and hire appropriate instrumentation, produce the project, assist with artwork and duplication, and assist with marketing.

I am a tone fanatic. I love Teles and Strats - have several. My main guitar is a late-model Telecaster that has been modified with a humbucker in the neck, a Duncan Nashville Strat pickup in the middle, and a Joe Barden Tele pickup in the bridge. I'm also using a late-model Dobro (for slide and fretted), a Larrivee C-19, a Martin OM28V, a Music Man 6 string bass, an early '60s ES-175, a Music Man ASAT, a Deering 6 string banjo, a Ramirez classical, and a Tacoma Papoose. I have several other guitars but these are the ones that get used the most.

Jazz Guitar

---

Elliott Chavers - Elliott Chavers Performs The Music Of Louis Jordan

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:31
Size: 104.2 MB
Styles: Jazz-Blues
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:15] 1. Blue Lights Boogie
[3:13] 2. Early In The Morning
[3:35] 3. Let The Good Times Roll
[4:17] 4. Every Goodbye Ain't Gone
[4:00] 5. Buzz Me Blues
[3:38] 6. Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens
[4:21] 7. Run Joe
[4:31] 8. Rock This Mother
[3:41] 9. Betty Jo
[5:44] 10. Let's Do It
[4:11] 11. Bad Mudda Strutta

The legendary artist elliott chavers is no stranger to the music world. He has recorded over 300 songs, mainly jump blues, ballards, rhythm & blues. He has also performed with rockabilly groups. to name legendary artists that he has performed with it ranges from Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Clyde McPhatter, Jimmy Reed, and the list goes on. He has toured the european market more than once. he brings to you texas california style, straight ahead blues. He was a mainstay at the 5/4 ballroom, which he lead the house band backing too many artists to try to name.

Elliott Chavers Performs The Music Of Louis Jordan

---

Jeff 'Tain' Watts - Bar Talk

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:28
Size: 161,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:20)  1. JC Is The Man (Part 1)
(8:37)  2. Vodville
(5:49)  3. Stevie In Rio
(9:52)  4. Mr. JJ
(6:06)  5. Side B
(8:16)  6. Kiss
(5:07)  7. JC Is The Man (Part 2 )
(5:31)  8. Laughin' & Talkin' (with Higg)
(8:05)  9. Tonality Of Atonement
(8:42) 10. ...Like The Rose

Now here’s a guy (and a group) that can play: Jeff “Tain” Watts, who is quite simply one hell of a drummer, is an artist growing in popularity but building impressive skill and power after having served as a supporting player for the likes of such prominent jazz masters as pianist McCoy Tyner and guitarist George Benson. In the terrific Bar Talk , working with Ravi Coltrane (tenor), David Budway (piano), James Genus (bass), Paul Bollenback (guitar) and Gregoire Maret (harmonica), Watts creates music that forgets to play it safe and the listeners are the beneficiaries. Adding to this pedigree are awesomely performing guest stars: Branford Marsalis, Micahel Brecker, Hiram Bullock, Robert Thomas, Jr., and Joey Calderazzo. Wow.

Watts and his group play not simply with vibrancy, but employ a virtuoso command of music that allows them to try new things, and do so with coherency and sheer command. In the constant varying of tempo changes and improvisational bravado alone, they deliver on the broken promises of their contemporaries in sustaining their invention all throughout rather than sparringly. There’s the kind of marvelously sloppy, anything-goes dexterity akin to Wayne Shorter in opening number “JC is The Man” (which JC Coltrane or the man upstairs are they referring to, one wonders), which is smoothly contrasted as soon as the third cut, “Stevie In Rio” (a Stevie Wonder tribute), which pays particular attention to Maret’s terrific use of harmonica and the quietly yet wonderfully lush guitar backbone provided by Bollenback. Budway’s very assured piano playing provides winning touches, and all throughout, Watts’ drumming unquestionably is the guiding force. That’s just one track, but you’ll find such attention to detail, clarity and invention in anything these boys play. 

Together as a team or separate as soloists, this crew is as about as promising and passionate as they come nowadays. Several tracks refreshingly break the five-minute mark (hey, regular pop rock rarely breaks the three minute barrier), and each cut manages to dip into some kind of jazz flavor, from the bluesy aura of “Side B,” to the genuine virtuosity of “Mr. JJ,” in which Ravi Coltrane’s saxophone is the highlight, conjuring up a passion and proficiency eerily similar to his father, all-time-great John Coltrane. Higher praise is not necessary. Helpful readers have informed the critic that "JC" refers to James Carter.  ~ Paul West https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bar-talk-jeff-tain-watts-columbia-records-review-by-paul-west.php

Personnel: Jeff "Tain" Watts (guitar) Ravi Coltrane (tenor) David Budway (piano) James Genus (bass) Paul Bollenback (guitar) Gregoire Maret (harmonica)

Bar Talk

---

Budd Johnson - Budd Johnson And The Four Brass Giants

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:16
Size: 103,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:05)  1. All My Love
(5:11)  2. Blue Lou
(8:08)  3. Trinity River Bottom
(4:22)  4. Driftwood
(6:56)  5. Blues For Lester (Memories Of Lester Young, Part 1)
(6:41)  6. The Message (Memories Of Lester Young, Part 2)
(4:16)  7. Dont't Blame Me
(4:33)  8. I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You)

Put simply and succinctly this is a brass lover’s dream! The fact that you get the hard swinging and under-recognized Budd Johnson as part of the package makes it damn near essential. Originally the brainchild of Nat Adderly’s brother (“Cannonball” anyone?), Johnson took the arranger’s helm at an early stage of the project and devised a program of tunes with the preeminent four-pronged phalanx of soloists squarely in mind. He succeeds superlatively with an exciting blend of standards and originals for the quartet of brassmen to blow over. Nance and Edison, veterans of the and Basie Orchestras respectively start the engines at full throttle on a blistering reading of “All of My Love.” Terry and Adderly soon follow and Johnson weaves tensile lines between all four. What’s even better is that none of the players are shy about hoisting their mutes, hats and plungers and each man continually creates all manner of slurs, stops and smears across the majority of tunes. Combined with the inviting medley of brass instruments favored by the four, from the tart prickle of trumpet to the rounded caress of flugelhorn, the possible sonic variations are many.  Considering the width of the horn section the rhythm section necessarily takes on a secondary role, but with Flanagan and Jones alternating on piano and the solidly supportive rhythmic accompaniment of Benjamin and Lovelle the brass heavy group is in good hands. Flanagan takes the first two and final two tracks and Jones handles piano chores on the middle four which are all Johnson originals. “Trinity River Bottom” evokes the fertile bluesy soil of a Texas tributary through a turbid turn by Terry with a plunger and Adderly playing a piercing cornet. Nance switches to violin on “Driftwood” for a solo that is both bucolic and lyrical in conception with gentle counterpoint from the remaining brass and Benjamin’s ruddy bowed bass. The two-part “Memories of Lester Young” is largely a feature for Johnson who offers his mentor a fittingly swinging memoir by playing off the best aspects of Young’s style while still remaining true to his own sound. The brass players all blow open horns and follow largely the same solo order on both parts without once lapsing into monotony. After a boisterous beginning the band settles into a leisurely swing on “Don’t Blame Me” and Nance’s stirring violin solo generates one of the most moving moments of the entire disc. A vivacious version of “I’ll Get By” takes things out in suitably up-beat mood and features cogent closing statements from both Adderly and Edison. Anyone with an affinity for the pleasures of jazz brass should cease reading this review, dish out the cash and procure a copy of this all-star summit conference as quickly as finances permit. ~ Derek Taylor https://www.allaboutjazz.com/and-the-four-brass-giants-budd-johnson-fantasy-jazz-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Personnel: Budd Johnson- tenor saxophone; Nat Adderly- cornet; Harry Edison-trumpet; Ray Nance- trumpet, violin; Clark Terry- trumpet, flugelhorn; Jimmy Jones- piano; Tommy Flanagan- piano; Joe Benjamin- double bass; Herb Lovelle- drums.

Budd Johnson And The Four Brass Giants

---

Walt Dickerson - Vibes In Motion

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:16
Size: 147,2 MB
Art: Front

(16:26)  1. Unity
(17:23)  2. High Moon
( 2:47)  3. Theme From Lawrence Of Arabia
( 5:09)  4. That Is The Desert
( 3:55)  5. Motif From Overture Part I
( 3:47)  6. Motif From Overture Part II
( 2:21)  7. Arrival At Auda's Camp
( 4:36)  8. Nefud Mirage Part I
( 4:20)  9. Nefud Mirage Part II
( 3:27) 10. The Voice Of The Guns

In the early 1960s, when Dickerson first emerged on the scene, a number of musicians had already arrived at the conclusion that bebop, which had dominated jazz for two decades, was an increasingly inadequate system out of which to make a music that could embody the tensions, dangers, revelations and liberated energies of the times. His music, while not nearly as radical in its departures and explorations as, say, the music of Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman, certainly places him among the significant contributors to the jazz revolution of his era. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Vibes-Motion-Walt-Dickerson/dp/B000ENWIBM

?Personnel:  Walt Dickerson (vib), Walter Davis Jr., Austin Crowe (p), George Tucker, Henry Grimes (b), Edgar Bateman, Andrew Cyrille (d).               

Vibes In Motion

---