Michael Blanco - In The Morning

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:36
Size: 120.4 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[5:29] 1. Within Reach
[8:06] 2. In The Morning
[4:41] 3. Point Of View
[3:16] 4. Uptown Meditations
[6:21] 5. Rainy Afternoon
[6:18] 6. Of Those Who Know
[6:06] 7. One More Time
[3:31] 8. Reverie
[5:51] 9. Moodswings
[2:55] 10. A Long Way From Home

Rich Perry (tenor sax); Alan Ferber (trombone); Aaron Goldberg (piano); Michael Blanco (bass); Bill Campbell (drums); Rob Wilkerson (alto sax on #3 & 8). Recorded by Michael Brorby at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY, August 15-16, 2004

Raised in California but living in New York, Bassist/Composer Michael Blanco is a two-time recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award. He was honored with the prestigious award in 2005 and 2006 for compositions that can be heard on In The Morning, his debut album for the Fresh Sound/New Talent record label.

Michael has been involved in a wide variety of musical projects, including the band of Marsalis Music recording artist Doug Wamble, the Bob Reynolds Quartet, the John Chin Trio, Maverick recording artist John Stevens, and the Frank Basile Quintet. Michael is also in high demand outside of the world of jazz, performing in the Broadway orchestras of the musicals Wicked, Avenue Q, The Threepenny Opera, Fiddler On The Roof, Wonderful Town, Dessa Rose, Chita Rivera: A Dancer's Life, and Little Women. He is a frequent accompanist to singers, and has performed in concert with such notable artists as Carole King, Norah Jones, Idina Menzel, Kristen Chenoweth and Maureen McGovern.

In The Morning

---

Ella Fitzgerald - Love Letters From Ella

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:01
Size: 91.6 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[2:25] 1. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
[5:09] 2. Cry Me A River
[3:46] 3. You Turned The Tables On Me
[4:12] 4. I've Got The World On A String
[2:56] 5. Witchcraft
[4:13] 6. My Old Flame
[3:00] 7. The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else)
[5:34] 8. Take Love Easy
[4:56] 9. Our Love Is Here To Stay
[3:45] 10. Some Other Spring

You knew a trend was brewing when Concord Records scored a hit by taking newly unearthed vocal tracks from the 1970s by the late Ray Charles and adding newly recorded accompaniment by the orchestra still bearing the late Count Basie's name. Here Concord repeats the formula, doctoring outtakes by the dearly departed Ella Fitzgerald with new backing by the London Philharmonic and/or a contemporary rhythm section. As with Ray Sings, Basie Swings, Love Letters from Ella has undeniable appeal. Recorded in the 1970s, the great singer is in fine, relaxed, late-season form on a collection of ballads including "My Old Flame" and "Cry Me a River" and medium tempo tunes including "Withcraft" and "Our Love is Here to Stay." (There is also a pair of unaltered, previously unreleased performances by Ella and Basie and band and a 1983 track teaming her with Andre Previn.) The new orchestrations by Jorge Calandrelli are tasteful, and the edits are clean. But if you're going to play these archival games, you owe it to listeners to spell out what was done and why in greater track-by-track detail than is done here. Exactly what old accompaniment did the new accompaniment replace? Did a duet with guitarist Joe Pass really need to be "updated" with a rhythm section? When record companies start thinking these things don't matter, jazz is in even bigger trouble than we thought. --Lloyd Sachs

Love Letters From Ella

---

Michal Urbaniak, Horace Parlan Trio - Take Good Care Of My Heart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:22
Size: 124.5 MB
Styles: Fusion
Year: 1986
Art: Front

[6:02] 1. Sweet Lee
[6:04] 2. Blues For Pinky
[6:21] 3. Power Of Love
[6:12] 4. Take Good Care Of My Heart
[4:21] 5. Mean And Mine
[5:10] 6. The Time Will Reveal
[4:09] 7. Back Where We Belong
[5:56] 8. Romance
[5:15] 9. Spiritual
[4:46] 10. Let's Do It Again

Violinist Michal Urbaniak teams up with pianist Horace Parlan's Trio (which also includes bassist Jesper Lundgaard and drummer Aage Tanggaard) on this mostly straight-ahead outing. Rather than interpret standards this time, Urbaniak and his group perform six of his better originals and three obscurities. The tunes are often tricky, but the results are generally swinging and feature the violinist in prime form. ~Scott Yanow

Take Good Care Of My Heart

---

Bite The Gnatze - Peeling Off Slowly

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:36
Size: 115.8 MB
Styles: Free jazz, Avant Garde
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:00] 1. Boempe Met Pappa Pel
[5:55] 2. Blues Under The Kilt
[6:43] 3. Nothing Between You And The Stars, Lightyears Away
[6:45] 4. Antiblob
[4:37] 5. A Bright Light On An Empty Sofa
[4:18] 6. Soforti
[5:51] 7. Paddy's Rambles Through The Park
[4:16] 8. Pallies Chord
[7:07] 9. Peeling Off Slowly

The band Bite the Gnatze is playing for sixteen years now and working with the same musicians, all rooted in the jazz and improvised music scene of Amsterdam. In the music composed by guitar player Paul Pallesen you can hear echos of Monk and Mingus and modern classical composers as Milhaud and Ives. But with the banjo, lapsteelguitar and the whistle you hear folkmusic subtile slipping into the music. ‘A collective whose comic flair and precise technique confirms the exuberant passion and confidence of Holland’s free music scene’.

Peeling Off Slowly

---

Jessica Williams - The Art Of The Piano

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:32
Size: 150.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[ 9:13] 1. Triple Door Blues
[ 6:54] 2. Esperanza
[12:53] 3. Love And Hate
[ 5:13] 4. Elaine
[ 7:37] 5. First Gymnopédie
[ 7:02] 6. Prophets
[ 7:13] 7. Diane
[ 9:24] 8. Lonnie's Lament

Pianist Jessica Williams' third Origin Records CD, The Art of the Piano, brings to mind Brad Mehldau's Art of the Trio series that ran through five discs. In Mehldau's case the recordings were, of course, with his trio, featuring bassist FLY and drummer Jorge Rossy (later, Jeff Ballard). Williams' three sets on Origin are all solo efforts, and they are all marvelous explorations of the pianist's singular artistry.

Williams, who sat in with Philly Joe Jones' group back in the 1970s, is no stranger to playing in the trio format. Always a top tier, if somewhat under appreciated, musician, she seemed to rise to the very highest levels in that arena, really coming into her own with the release of Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 1 (MAXJAZZ, 2004) and Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 2 (MAXJAZZ, 2005), both featuring bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Victor Lewis. Seemed is the key word, because Williams' blossoming can truly be traced to her striking out and setting up her own label, Red and Blue Recordings, back in 1997, on which can be found several stellar trio outings including Some Ballads, Some Blues (2001), Now (2004), and For John Coltrane (2005).

Red and Blue Recordings notwithstanding, John Bishop, of Seattle-based Origin Records, has given Williams another outlet with three extraordinary solo piano discs: Billy's Theme (2006), Songs for a New Century (2008), and now, Art of the Piano, recorded live at the Triple Door in Seattle, Washington. Williams' approach is one of supple, refined elegance that moves easily into percussive muscularity and earthiness, as on the set's opener, "Triple Door Blues." Her fluidity and grace—and the profound beauty of her art—are both on display on "Esperanza," while "Love and Hate" has an exploratory, inward feel and "Elaine" brims with reverence and joy. Six of the eight tunes are Williams originals, but she covers "First Gymnopedie," from the pen of Eric Satie with buoyant momentum and deep introspection. Williams is especially adept at getting inside the musical souls of fellow music-makers, artists as disparate as Art Tatum on Tatum's Ultimatum; Thelonious Monk on Deep Monk and Billy Taylor on Billy's Theme. Here, she treats John Coltrane's "Lonnie's Lament" with respect, imbuing it with a mesmerizing spirituality that does the supremely spiritual 'Trane proud.

Art of the Piano is another stunningly beautiful set by Williams; solo piano gets no better than this. ~Dan McClenaghan

The Art Of The Piano

---

Louis Prima - The Wildest!

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:02
Size: 77,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:49)  1. Medley: Just A Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody
(2:43)  2. (Nothing's Too Good) For My Baby
(2:23)  3. The Lip
(3:29)  4. Body And Soul
(2:35)  5. Oh Marie
(4:19) 6. Medley: Basin Street Blues / When It's Sleepy Time Down South
(3:33)  7. Jump, Jive, An' Wail
(3:04)  8. Buono Sera
(2:52)  9. Night Train
(3:14) 10. I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You

A veritable greatest-hits album, The Wildest! is the gem of Louis Prima's catalogue. None of his other efforts transcend its raunchy mix of demented gibberish, blaring sax, and explosive swing, which rocked as hard as anything released at the time. Almost all of Prima's signature songs are found here: "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody," "Oh Marie," "Jump, Jive, an' Wail," and "Buona Sera," to name a few. A plethora of greatest-hits packages (especially Capitol's Collectors Series) may offer wider song selection and greater value, but the reissue of Prima's masterpiece is a welcome event that's been a long time coming. ~ Jim Smith https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-wildest%21-mw0000065221

Personnel:  Louis Prima - vocals, trumpet;  Keely Smith - vocals;  Jack Marshall - guitar;  Sam Butera - tenor saxophone;  James Blount, Jr. - trombone;  Willie McCumber - piano;  Amato Rodrigues - bass guitar;  Bobby Morris - drums                

The Wildest!

---

Katharine McPhee - Hysteria

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:49
Size: 94,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:23)  1. Hysteria
(2:52)  2. Feather
(4:08)  3. Burn
(3:31)  4. Stranger Than Fiction
(2:34)  5. Lick My Lips
(3:27)  6. Break
(3:11)  7. Appetite
(3:36)  8. Love Strikes
(3:38)  9. Round Your Little Finger
(4:02) 10. Only One
(3:01) 11. Damage Control
(3:18) 12. Don't Need Love

Once Katharine McPhee's AAA makeover of 2010 didn't catch, she turned her attention elsewhere television, to be specific. Of all the American Idol finalists, she was the only one savvy enough to realize much of her appeal rested upon the television aspect of her on-camera charm, so she turned to TV after Unbroken faded, first gaining traction on the gleefully trashy music-melodrama Smash, then establishing her dramatic bona fides in the 2014 thriller Scorpion. These two series were enough to sustain her stardom, perhaps even elevate it, and open the door for a pop comeback in the form of Hysteria, an album delivered half a decade after Unbroken. Much fizzier and fresher than its predecessor, even with the occasional ballads taken into consideration, Hysteria nevertheless never comes close to mirroring the exuberance of its title. Frivolity isn't McPhee's thing. Even when she's having fun, she's composed, which is why she fares better on Hysteria than she does on her post-Idol 2007 debut, a record that wanted to paint her as a carefree diva. Hysteria doesn't make the same mistake. 

Everybody involved in its production Isabella Summers, a key collaborator for Florence + the Machine, and Smith Carlson are the executive producers, collaborating with McPhee and finding space for Ryan Tedder and Drew Pearson, among others is aware Kat's powerhouse vocals aren't necessarily malleable, so her singing is channeled into tracks that either resemble a Florence without art, an Adele without soul, or a Leona Lewis with grit. This formula usually works best when tempos are sprightly the Luther Vandross-sampling "Lick My Lips" is a neo-disco delight, "Only One" also conjures a bit of yacht-soul flair, while melodramas like "Love Strikes" drag but even when Hysteria flirts with the middlebrow, there's a sense that McPhee and her team understand the middle of the road is where she belongs. She's not a trendsetter, she's not an innovator, she surfs the waves of the mainstream and on Hysteria, she does so with grace. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/hysteria-mw0002851634

Hysteria

---

Vincent Herring - Evidence

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:51
Size: 130,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. Mr. Wizard
(8:14)  2. I Sing A Song
(6:23)  3. Stars Fell On Alabama
(5:58)  4. Voyage
(7:39)  5. Hindsight
(6:36)  6. Never Forget
(7:49)  7. Evidence
(8:45)  8. Soul-Leo

The underrated but talented hard bop altoist Vincent Herring is in excellent form on the quintet date Evidence. While Herring's tone is as usual a bit reminiscent of Cannonball Adderley, he comes up with many fresh ideas and swinging phrases on the eight songs, which include two of his originals and one song from pianist Mulgrew Miller. Miller and trumpeter Wallace Roney also take consistently rewarding solos, with bassist Ira Coleman and drummer Carl Allen offering stimulating support. Highlights include Herring's warmth on "Stars Fell on Alabama" and the driving versions of "Voyage" and Cedar Walton's "Hindsight." Easily recommended to fans of Herring's straight-ahead playing. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/evidence-mw0000690802?

Personnel: Vincent Herring: Alto Saxophone; Wallace Roney: Trumpet; Mulgrew Miller: Piano; Ira Coleman: Bass; Carl Allen: Drums.

Evidence

---

Joachim Kühn - Piano

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:43
Size: 93,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:18)  1. Mixing One
(4:47)  2. Dandy Ponty
(5:14)  3. She's A Beauty
(1:40)  4. Part
(2:19)  5. Fast
(7:12)  6. Paris '71
(1:49)  7. Wiegenlied
(2:56)  8. Special
(3:45)  9. Chords
(4:39) 10. Mixing Two

Although not a free jazz musician, per se, Kuhn has been an avant-gardist; he began attempting a fusion of contemporary classical elements with jazz very early in his career. Kuhn's intense virtuosity is a reflection of his training. He studied classical composition and piano for 12 years, beginning when he was a small child. He performed as a classical pianist up until 1961, at which point he began playing in a Prague-based jazz quintet. He led a trio from 1962-1966, and in 1964 began playing with his much-older brother Rolf Kuhn, an accomplished clarinetist. In the '70s, Joachim Kuhn led his own groups, and played with the violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. Kuhn had a measure of commercial success in the '70s. His star faded a bit in the '80s, but Kuhn kept active, playing challenging forms of jazz and recording occasionally. A 1997 release, Colors: Live From Leipzig, a duo with Ornette Coleman, helped fuel new interest in Kuhn; both men were in top form and the album received excellent reviews. ~ Chris Kelsey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joachim-k%C3%BChn-mn0000783907/biography          

Piano

---

Ira Sullivan - Horizons

Styles: Saxophone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:14
Size: 94,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:58)  1. E Flat Tuba G
(5:05)  2. Norwegian Wood
(5:45)  3. Everything Happens To Me
(4:57)  4. Adah
(8:23)  5. Horizons
(3:15)  6. Oh Gee!
(8:48)  7. Nineveh

One of the hippest albums ever from Chicago reedman/trumpeter Ira Sullivan a set that takes on a really different feel than his previous bop-styled records and which shows a whole new side of the musician! Ira's clearly inspired here by the changes in jazz in the 60s particularly the work of John Coltrane and he reaches forward in a wonderfully expressive way that's filled with joy, life, and a spiritual sensibility we never heard this strongly again in Sullivan's music. There's a definite modal jazz vibe to most of the record played beautifully by an obscure rhythm section that features Dolphe Castellano on piano and electric harpsichord, William Fry on bass, and Jose Cigno on drums players with a wonderfully refreshing conception that really makes the album sparkle. Yet Sullivan's the clear star of the show, too really shining on a range of horns that includes trumpet, tenor, and soprano sax sometimes played together on the same tune. Lon Norman plays a bit of trombone on the record and the set's got some great eastern numbers like "Ninevah", "Horizons", and "Adah" – plus the tracks "Oh G", "Norwegian Wood", and "E Flat Tuba G". (Red & purple label pressing. Cover has a small cutout hole.)  © 1996-2017, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/8172/Ira-Sullivan:Horizons

Personnel: Ira Sullivan (soprano & tenor saxophones, trumpet, flugelhorn); Lon Norman (trombone); Dolphe Castellano (piano, electric harpsichord); William Fry (bass); Jose Cigno (drums).

Horizons

---

Benny Carter - Further Definitions

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:32
Size: 161.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, Mainstream jazz
Year: 1966/1997
Art: Front

[3:50] 1. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:57] 2. That Midnight Sun Will Never Set
[3:23] 3. Crazy Rhythm
[5:19] 4. Blue Star
[4:28] 5. Cotton Tail
[4:14] 6. Body And Soul
[4:57] 7. Cherry
[3:32] 8. Doozy
[6:11] 9. Fantastic, That's You
[4:13] 10. Come On Back
[4:27] 11. We Were In Love
[5:48] 12. If Dreams Come True
[3:20] 13. Prohibido
[5:32] 14. Doozy
[4:14] 15. Rock Bottom
[3:01] 16. Titmouse

Altoist/arranger Benny Carter's classic Further Definitions is a revisiting, instrumentation-wise, to the famous 1937 session that Carter and tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins made in France with two top European saxophonists (Andre Ekyan and Alix Combelle) and guitarist Django Reinhardt. The all-star group (which also includes Hawkins, altoist Phil Woods, Charlie Rouse on second tenor, pianist Dick Katz, guitarist John Collins, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Jo Jones) performs a particularly inspired repertoire. Carter's charts, which allow Hawkins to stretch out on "Body and Soul," give everyone a chance to shine. "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Crazy Rhythm" hold their own with the 1937 versions, and "Blue Star" and "Doozy" prove to be two of Carter's finest originals. Although Benny Carter was not actively playing much at the time (this was his only small-group recording during 1963-1975), he is heard in typically prime form. Very highly recommended. ~Scott Yanow

Further Definitions

---

Cyrille Aimee, Diego Figueiredo - Smile

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:53
Size: 95.9 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:24] 1. We'll Be Together Again
[3:09] 2. Chega De Saudade
[4:58] 3. Que Reste-T'il
[2:39] 4. Good Morning Cowboy
[4:30] 5. A Felicidade
[3:32] 6. A Night In Tunisia
[3:41] 7. La Vie En Rose
[2:41] 8. Journey Of Life
[5:01] 9. Dindi
[1:58] 10. Yardbird Suite
[3:18] 11. Smile
[2:57] 12. Old Devil Moon

Cyrille Aimée: vocals; Diego Figueiredo: acoustic guitar. Recorded in Brazil on September 2009.

Improvisation is not just a technique for Cyrille Aimée, it’s a way of life. The acclaimed vocalist ventured from singing on street corners in Europe to dazzling audiences at the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals; from sneaking out to sing in gypsy encampments in her native France to acting on Broadway; from braving the notoriously tough audiences at New York’s Apollo Theatre to being called a “rising star in the galaxy of jazz singers” by the New York Times. Among countless accolades, Aimée won the Montreux Jazz Festival Vocal Competition and the Sarah Vaughn International Jazz Vocal Competition. Her most recent album, Let’s Get Lost, is her second with her innovative two-guitar line-up. As an actress, Aimée co-starred with Bernadette Peters in a Stephen Sondheim tribute at New York’s City Center. She’s shared her story via master classes, a TEDx talk, and an address at the Conference on World Affairs.

By opening herself to the whim of the moment, Aimée has ventured from singing on street corners in Europe to dazzling audiences at some of the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals; from sneaking out to sing in gypsy encampments in her native France to acting on Broadway; from braving the notoriously tough audiences at New York’s Apollo Theatre to being hailed by The Wall Street Journal as "one of the most promising jazz singers of her generation" and called a “rising star in the galaxy of jazz singers” by the New York Times.

“In my case,” Aimée told a rapt audience at her 2015 TEDx Talk, “it’s more of a human adventure than a musical vocation that made me want to devote my life to this practice.” That adventure began in the small town of Samois-sur-Seine in France, where the young Cyrille Aimée (Sur-real M-A) was introduced to a wealth of diverse music by her French father and Dominican mother: everything from Michael Jackson to French chanson, Flamenco to country-western. She and her sister would dance around the living room, instilling a gleeful abandon and warm groove that still shine through her music to this day.

Aimée’s passion for music and inherent curiosity led her to a discovery that would change her life. As the site of the annual Django Reinhardt Festival, Samois played host to an annual gathering of gypsies, and their fireside sing-alongs would lure the precocious Cyrille out of her bedroom window after her parents had gone to sleep. Those experiences exposed Aimée not just to the joys of gypsy jazz, which would go on to be an important color in her rich palette of influences, but more importantly to the gypsies’ spontaneous, nomadic and music-filled way of life.

Smile

---

Alyn Ainsworth & His Orchestra - Swing Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:47
Size: 146.0 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. If I Had You
[2:23] 2. Something To Remember You By
[2:56] 3. Cherokee
[2:19] 4. That Old Feeling
[2:50] 5. In A Little Spanish Town
[2:22] 6. Moonlight Becomes You
[2:39] 7. Isle Of Capri
[2:35] 8. By The Fireside
[3:01] 9. Valencia
[2:57] 10. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
[2:19] 11. On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at
[3:15] 12. Small Fry
[2:38] 13. Come Back To Sorrento
[2:15] 14. Little White Lies
[2:14] 15. Santa Lucia
[2:13] 16. Thanks For The Memory ('big Broadcast Of 1938')
[2:06] 17. The Cobblers Song
[2:48] 18. East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)
[2:38] 19. When The Guards Are On Parade
[2:10] 20. You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby
[2:13] 21. The Flagwavers
[2:29] 22. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
[2:37] 23. Bedtime For Drums
[2:46] 24. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
[2:12] 25. Transatlantic Lullaby

b. 24 August 1924, Bolton, Lancashire, England, d. 4 October 1990, London, England. A highly respected musical director and arranger for records, television and the West End stage, Ainsworth studied guitar from the age of seven, left school at 14 to join Herman Darewski’s Orchestra as a boy soprano, and sang at the London Palladium. When his voice broke, he returned to Bolton and became an assistant golf professional, playing guitar in his own band, the Falcons, while also studying musical arranging. In the late 40s he worked as a staff arranger for Oscar Rabin, and then Geraldo, one of the top UK dance bands.

In 1951 Ainsworth began to arrange for the newly formed BBC Northern Variety Orchestra, and, when its conductor, Vilem Tausky, moved to the Northern Symphony Orchestra, Ainsworth was offered the job of resident conductor with the NVO. In December 1952, BBC Television launched The Good Old Days from the City Variety Theatre in Leeds - this music-hall show ran for over 30 years - and Ainsworth and the Northern Variety Orchestra provided the appropriate musical setting. Economics, it is said, obliged the BBC to prune the orchestra, removing all the members of the string section, bar one, and renaming it the Northern Dance Orchestra. With the help of musicians such as trumpeter Syd Lawrence, Ainsworth welded the NDO into one of the finest units of its kind in the world. Based in Manchester for a decade, Ainsworth and the NDO appeared on numerous radio and television programmes, accompanying singers such as Frankie Vaughan, Ronnie Hilton and David Whitfield. Together with singer Sheila Buxton and laid-back announcer Roger Moffat, they had their own highly acclaimed late-night UK television show, Make Way For Music.

In 1961 Ainsworth moved from Manchester to London to serve as musical director for the imported American musical Bye Bye Birdie, which starred Chita Rivera and UK rock ‘n’ roller Marty Wilde. Between 1958 and 1965, the Alyn Ainsworth Orchestra also recorded a number of orchestral pieces for George Martin. During the 60s Ainsworth became a leading conductor and arranger for West End shows such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Hello, Dolly!, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, She Loves Me and Sweet Charity. He also orchestrated Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley’s The Roar Of The Greasepaint - The Smell Of The Crowd. The 60s also saw the start of his long and successful collaboration with singer Shirley Bassey, during which time he acted as her musical director for many cabaret seasons in the UK and abroad. Back home in Britain, Ainsworth’s television credits included Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium, International Cabaret From The Talk Of The Town, The David Nixon Show, Dee Time, The Cannon And Ball Show, Search For A Star, Night Of Hundred Stars, The BAFTA Awards, Live From Her Majesty’s, Bruce’s Big Night Out, more than 10 Royal Command Performances, and many ‘specials’ featuring artists such as Cilla Black, Russ Abbott, Stanley Baxter, Vera Lynn and Lulu. He also composed the theme music for several of the shows. His other compositions included ‘Bedtime For Drums’, ‘Italian Sunset’, ‘Mi Amor’, ‘Pete’s Party’ and ‘If I Were A Buddy Rich Man’. Ainsworth was also associated with the Brotherhood Of Man, and conducted for them at the Eurovision Song Contest, which they won in 1976 with ‘Save Your Kisses For Me’. He also worked with many visiting Americans, including Johnny Mathis, Neil Sedaka, and Barry Manilow. Ainsworth also collaborated with the Beverley Sisters on their recording of ‘Triplets’, among others, and was engaged for a time to one of the twins, Teddie. His own records included a rare excursion into rock ‘n’ roll with ‘18th Century Rock’, credited to ‘Alyn Ainsworth with The Rock-A-Fellas’, and the more typically smooth Themes And Dreams and True Love.

The ultimate professional, Ainsworth would often conduct the first house of one West End show, and the second house of another, after rehearsing for television during the day. He was capable of producing his best work under extreme pressure, while also motivating others, and was the man on whom producers could rely for the big occasion. ~Bio from AllMusic.

Swing Time 

---

Eric Gale - Negril

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:52
Size: 86.7 MB
Styles: Funk/Soul/Jazz/Reggae
Year: 1992/2017
Art: Front

[3:47] 1. East Side West Side
[3:43] 2. Honey Coral Rock
[3:45] 3. I Shot The Sheriff
[6:03] 4. Lighthouse
[5:28] 5. Negril Sea Sunset
[4:56] 6. Negril
[4:59] 7. Rasta
[5:08] 8. Red Ground Funk

Bass Guitar – "Family Man" Barrett, Val Douglas; Drums – Paul Douglas, Sparrow Martin; Guitar – Peter Tosh; Percussion – Joe Higgs, Isiah "Sticky" Thompson; Piano – Keith Sterling, Richard Tee; Producer, Guitar – Eric Gale; Saxophone, Percussion – Cedric Brooks; Synthesizer, Organ – Leslie Butler.

I actually just learned this album today. It certainly wasn't one of the most commonly known albums in Eric Gale's catalog. But it was a significant one. This was, especially at this early juncture one of the first jazz-reggae collaborations of this area. Although I should note it was actually an old historical standard coming around full circle. Even before jazz got it's name people from different races would gather in New Orleans in a place called congo square. Many of them were West Indians, likely a lot of Jamaicans as well. Over the years these influences remained very consistant in jazz on an often sudtle level. But here the age old concept all came back here as the fairly new genre of reggae and Eric Gales' bluesy jazz-funk guitar stylings came together just as it had first met in jazz's beginnings in congo square. The interesting part of this album, featuring a slew of Jamaican and American musicians most notably in Peter Tosh on guitar and Richard Tee on keys is that it's divided up into two different styles. The first four songs on the album "East Side","Negril Sea Sunset", a cover of "I Shot The Sheriff" and "Rasta" are all very much attuned to the more urban reggae flavor of the time-the more "commercial" variety of it as it were. For a lot of people at that time it was probably unfamiliar, especially to jazz listeners to hear such direct styles of reggae but even still Eric's guitar style shines through very very well on these songs. The last series of songs including the title song, "Lighthouse" and "Honey Coral Rock" all showcase a more elaborate mixture of reggae with funk/jazz and other Caribbean styles such as Calypso and feature a lot of rainsticks and other percussive instruments. One exception is "Red Ground Funk" which is the most pop oriented funk groove on the album. It actually has something of a blacksploitation flavor to it with a cinamatic style in the melody. The songs provide a very potent brew to the point that you almost wonder if he was saving these more musically ambitious tunes on purpose for later in the album and putting the more sussinct ones earlier in the set. Either way it's an excellent instrumental jazz-reggae album that was both backward and forward thinking all at the same time. Solid proof that when it comes to African American music, especially when it comes to hip-hop and the funk era from which this came is most successful when crossing the bridges between it's past, present and future. ~Andre S. Grindle

Negril

---

Patti Page - In The Land Of Hi-Fi

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 27:47
Size: 63.6 MB
Styles: Jazz/Pop
Year: 1956/1999
Art: Front

[1:43] 1. Nevertheless
[2:20] 2. Out Of Nowhere
[2:45] 3. The Lady Is A Tramp
[2:55] 4. The Thrill Is Gone
[2:43] 5. A Foggy Day
[2:23] 6. Mountain Greenery
[1:35] 7. I've Got My Eyes On You
[1:35] 8. My Kind Of Love
[2:39] 9. I Didn't Know About You
[1:39] 10. My Sin
[1:23] 11. Taking A Chance On Love
[2:28] 12. Love For Sale
[1:34] 13. I've Got My Eyes On You (Alternative Take)

High Fidelity Magazine once ran a piece on why Patti Page would never be considered a great American popular singer. But "In The Land of Hi-Fi" and her other two jazz albums demonstrate she was, indeed, much more than a lady who could turn out hit records as fast as you could turn out pancakes. With June Christy's arranger, Pete Rugolo, overseeing the orchestrations, Patti Page turns out to be a nimble, persuasive, inventive and witty artist who can navigate the most tricky musical map. This album is warm, entertaining, surprising and short (barely a half hour) and certainly has stood the test of time. If you'd never heard "Doggie In The Window" you'd think this is one of the great jazz singers. By the way, the musicians who worked on these dates were surprised to find Patti Page a very hip lady, extremely pleasant to work with and very up on what she needed to do here--plus she wore eyeglasses and smoked! ~Jim Andrews

In The Land Of Hi-Fi

---

Roberto Bossard-The Trio - Monday Nights

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:11
Size: 121.7 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[5:42] 1. Mixes Message
[5:50] 2. 9th Avenue
[2:36] 3. Tribute
[5:17] 4. Golden Earrings
[4:29] 5. Stablemates
[4:29] 6. Sud Ouest Jump
[3:26] 7. Hope
[3:33] 8. Crosscourt
[5:37] 9. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
[4:42] 10. Pensative
[4:13] 11. Backup
[3:12] 12. Mirrorland

Bossard, who comes from a musical family, first learned classical violin, before he played guitar as a self-taught. A television concert by Joe Pass brought him to modern jazz; He took private lessons with Christy Doran. Between 1977 and 1981, he studied at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern, then from 1982 at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles with Pass and Joe Dorio. Back in Switzerland, he worked from 1983 as a teacher at a youth music school. He also played in the Guitarsummit by Pierre Cavalli (1983-84), which also included Thomas Moeckel and Markus Plattner. He also formed the "Boss Art Band", u. a. with Andy Scherrer, then with Martien Oster. In 1988 he played in the quartet with Sal Nistico. Then he founded his own hardbop quintet, which included next to his brother, the trumpeter Corrado Bossard, Daniel Schnyder (later Domenic Landolf), Erich Peter and Alberto Canonico. He also appeared frequently with Vince Benedetti, Makaya Ntshoko, Sandy Patton, Matthieu Michel and James Zollar. In 1999 he founded his organ trio "Organ-X" with Chris Wiesendanger and Elmar Frey, which was occasionally expanded by the saxophonist Roland von Flüe. Since 2002, he has continued to play regularly with Hämi Hämmerli and Frey in "The Trio". He also played in the swing band Buddha's Gamblers and can be heard on albums by Peggy Chew, Gabriela Krapf, vocal contact, voicetet and the Mellow Brass.

Bossard played at relevant Swiss jazz festivals (inter alia, television record of the Jazz Festival Montreux 1987), but also on such in the Netherlands and France. He also toured Germany, Austria, Italy and Brazil. In 1999 he won the readers poll of the jazz magazine Jazz & Cultur as "best swiss jazz guitarist 1998". (Translated from German.)

Monday Nights

---

Bennie Wallace - Disorder At The Border: The Music Of Coleman Hawkins

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:22
Size: 150,4 MB
Art: Front

(11:36)  1. Disorder At The Border
( 8:55)  2. La Rosita
( 9:42)  3. Bean And The Boys
(10:01)  4. Honeysuckle Rose
( 8:25)  5. Body And Soul
(16:40)  6. Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho

This is a stomping band, as Coleman Hawkins said of the Fletcher Henderson orchestra he and the hitherto mostly awkward tenor saxophone grew up together with. Louis Armstrong and his hero the great cellist Pablo Casals inspired Hawkins' phrasing and timing, Art Tatum and J.S. Bach his harmonic command. His nickname "Bean" referred to high intelligence, he was an instrumental virtuoso with immense stamina and invention qua improviser, a passionate complex man never to be underrated.  The extraordinary "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" which concludes this 2004 Hawkins centenary concert from Berlin is very appropriate. Swinging fiercely with mostly just Alvin Queen's magnificent drumming, Bennie Wallace exhibits his own stamina in impassioned tenor saxophone emulation of a Bach solo invention; and that's only the climax, after a startling arrangement and succession of stirring solos: an ideal centenary celebration. Wallace comes out of the Hawkins school: no imitator, where he sounds very like Hawkins that's a natural aspect of his own way, and what he's playing. On "Body and Soul" he's entirely individual, and has maybe never played more beautifully.  In this stomping band Stafford and Anderson can each sound like two men in ensemble, Anthony Wilson's bop-slanted arrangements are subtle or driving as appropriate, and Donald Vega's atmospheric, often extended piano introductions risk overshadowing his solo work elsewhere. Hawkins wasn't Henderson's only major soloist: I hadn't previously heard young Leali, Schroeder, Vega and Boller and want to hear more. Jesse Davis I know. Where he and Leali solo in succession then trade passages theye are plainly individual stylists.

That's on "Honeysuckle Rose," the one non-Wilson chart. Wallace organised it with reminiscences of Benny Carter's great arrangements and brilliant transcription of a passage James P. Johnson delivered in his piano solo recording of the number. Subtlety's one thing, but there's also none of that carefulness which can afflict deliveries of arrangements of music with a vintage. This is musical performance, and no pastiche. Listen to the bluesiness and slow stride of Vega's intrHenderson's recorded performances were restricted by technology: time limits. They couldn't unfold with the freedom, relaxation and fire Hawkins remembered. This is of course a live performance, nobody worried about finishing within any time limit, and the only "Disorder" was a word in the opening stomper's title. Stafford's immense tone powers in ensemble, and blazes in solo. The master colourist trombonist Anderson is involved in the one brief wobble, his sound and Wallace's don't blend in their brief ensemble unison on "La Rosita," whoops! But Anderson's solo immediately thereafter has an amazing transition from harshness to luminous transparency. He delivers a differently magnificent eruption on "Honeysuckle Rose," and preaches on "Joshua..." Wallace's tenor is properly to the fore throughout, with here an altoist, there Schroeder's baritone, performing a substantial solo as the middle section of an extended development Wallace himself has begun; and subsequently proceeds to bring to extended climax. He's a giant tenorist. This is a great and not merely stomping band. ~RoberR.Calder https://www.allaboutjazz.com/disorder-at-the-border-the-music-of-coleman-hawkins-bennie-wallace-enja-justin-time-review-by-robert-r-calder.php

Personnel: Bennie Wallace: tenor saxophone, leader; Brad Leali: alto saxophone; Jesse Davis: alto saxophones Adam Schroeder: baritone saxophone; Ray Anderson: trombone; Terell Stafford; trumpet; Donald Vega: piano; Danton Boller: bass; Alvin Queen: drums; Anthony Wilson: arranger.

Disorder At The Border: The Music Of Coleman Hawkins

---

Kathy Sanborn - Six Degrees of Cool

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:14
Size: 90,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:59)  1. Long Live Jazz
(4:22)  2. What a Man
(3:54)  3. Bitter Winter
(4:29)  4. Six Degrees of Cool
(2:53)  5. No More Same Old Same
(4:32)  6. Shanty Man
(3:11)  7. Where Are the Stars
(3:57)  8. Ba Doo Bay
(4:16)  9. Can I
(3:36) 10. Long Live Jazz (Live Version)

Jazz singer, pianist, and composer showcases her cool jazz vocal style with Six Degrees of Cool. Drawing from renowned influences such as Cool Jazz giants Miles Davis, Chet Baker, and Anita O’Day, Six Degrees of Cool brings Cool Jazz into today’s contemporary music scene. Sanborn says her latest release, Six Degrees of Cool, may remind you of the “West Coast Jazz” phenomenon of the 50s and 60s, complete with smooth, clear vocals and cool trumpet provided by Wayne Ricci. But Sanborn’s new album is not your mother’s jazz music; Sanborn composes jazz for today’s listener, with fresh lyrics and melodies for the modern era. Six Degrees of Cool has something for every jazz lover, even social commentary. Packing a punch on the nature of economic hard times are Bitter Winter and Shanty Man, the last a song describing the effects on a family in the great Depression of the 1930s. The title track, Six Degrees of Cool, is the one instrumental on the album, and features trumpeter Wayne Ricci. Six Degrees of Cool is the follow-up album release to Sanborn’s critically acclaimed album, Blues for Breakfast. Released in 2011, Blues for Breakfast reached #4 on Amazon’s MP3 Vocal Jazz charts. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/kathysanborn2

Six Degrees of Cool

---

Jerry Bergonzi - Tenorist

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:23
Size: 132,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:08)  1. Gecko Plex
(6:52)  2. Pannonica
(6:55)  3. Simultaneous Looks
(7:59)  4. Table Steaks
(6:19)  5. La Mesha
(3:50)  6. Czarology
(7:41)  7. With Reference
(7:07)  8. Creature Feature
(4:29)  9. On Again Off Again

We all make our choices in life, and perhaps saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi's desire to teach which has resulted in a position at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston as well as several acclaimed books on improvisation explains why he does not have the name recognition (and big major label contract) of some other tenors. Judging from this Savant release, Tenorist, it sure ain't the music. This disc is full of strong tunes and exciting playing, but alas and alack for the marketing wings of said major labels no "startling use of electronics, no Radiohead covers, and no edgy political statements. Just modern jazz of a high order, which, if there is any justice in the world, will be enough to gain the listeners Bergonzi deserves. Tenorist is boosted from "good to "great by the presence of the always-interesting guitar of John Abercrombie, who alternately supports and spars with the leader on seven Bergonzi originals, Thelonious Monk's "Pannonica, and Kenny Dorham's "La Mesha. Things get off to a good start with the loping "Gecko Plex, which sounds something like a classic bop theme played at the 16 rpm setting on some old turntable, which gives it a film "noir gumshoe flair. Bergonzi can work into the nooks and crannies of a melody like Sonny Rollins, a gift that is most clear on the abovementioned Monk tune, which also features a nice solo by bassist Dave Santoro. The shuffling "Table Steaks and the off-kilter Latinized twitch of "Czarology swing hard, the latter featuring some gasp-inspiring simultaneous guitar-and-sax soloing over excellent playing by longtime Bergonzi drummer Adam Nussbaum. The overdubbed harmony sax theme of "With Reference recalls Warne Marsh and Lee Konitz more than anything, but the tune quickly enters the modern world with long and exhilarating solos by Abercrombie and Bergonzi. Fans of the guitarist can do no better than his work on "Creature Feature, which goes out against some tight and tense grooving by Nussbaum and Santoro. Great stuff, one and all. For the many who know of Jerry Bergonzi only vaguely, Tenorist will be a revelation. It serves as a potent reminder that this tenor man belongs in the top rank, and that straight-ahead jazz, minus the gimmicks, has still got it. ~ Joshua Weiner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tenorist-jerry-bergonzi-savant-records-review-by-joshua-weiner.php

Personnel: Jerry Bergonzi: tenor sax; John Abercrombie: guitar; Dave Santoro: bass; Adam Nussbaum: drums.

Tenorist

---

Sarah Manning - Harmonious Creature

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:50
Size: 135,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:55)  1. Copland on Cornelia Street
(4:52)  2. Tune of Cats
(3:10)  3. Floating Bridge
(4:44)  4. I Dream a Highway
(5:55)  5. Grey Dawn, Red Fox
(6:44)  6. Radish Spirit
(8:27)  7. Three Chords for Jessica
(5:52)  8. Don't Answer to the Question
(7:23)  9. On the Beach
(5:45) 10. What the Blues Left Behind

In order to create the music for Harmonious Creatures, saxophonist Sarah Manning had to put the hustle and bustle behind her. She picked herself up and took to the woods, composing and communing with nature at the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire where she was living out her time as a MacDowell fellow in October of 2012. The time she spent at that artist's refuge gave her a chance to reflect, bridge worlds, and blur lines in her compositions. The serenity of the woods and the constant motion of modern day life now come together as one in her work. Harmonious Creatures presents a more emotionally balanced voice than the one heard on the critically acclaimed Dandelion Clock (Posi-Tone, 2010), but the already-established tart-toned and acerbic nature of Manning's horn still shines through here; it's just seen in a different light now. On Dandelion Clock her horn stood out in sharp relief against the piano trio that worked with her, but here her horn is fully integrated with the other aural elements at play. Violist Eyvind Kang, perhaps best known for his work with guitarist Bill Frisell, joins Manning in the front line and operates in a similar sonic space; never have a viola and alto saxophone sounded so in tune with one another. The other X factor here is guitarist Jonathan Goldberger. His hallucinatory twangs and strums add volumes to the musical atmosphere; when all three parties converge, collide or cross paths, the resultant music is heady and spellbinding. Manning's work can be alluring, focused, and free spirited all at once ("Three Chords For Jessica"). Her never-derivative saxophone blowing can be barbed ("Floating Bridge") or beautifully direct ("I Dream A Highway"), and her boundless creativity often surfaces in the most surprising of places (Neil Young's "On The Beach"). Her simpatico band mates mirror her mood swings and follow her through the highs and lows here. Sonic thickets abound, but so do clearings in the pasture. Sarah Manning proves to be a harmonious creature herself, capable of balancing order and chaos, shadows and light, and the simple and complex without issue. In an age when many a critic has bemoaned the homogenization of saxophonists on the scene, Sarah Manning is proof that personality can still triumph over standardization; Manning stands apart from the sea of sound-alikes. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/harmonious-creatures-sarah-manning-posi-tone-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Sarah Manning: alto saxophone; Eyvind Kang: viola; Jonathan Goldberger: guitar; Rene Hart: bass; Jerome Jennings: drums.

Harmonious Creature

---