Carminho - Alma

Styles: Vocal, Fado
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:36
Size: 154,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:43)  1. Lágrimas Do Céu
(2:03)  2. Malva-Rosa
(3:47)  3. As Pedras Da Minha Rua
(3:40)  4. Bom Dia, Amor (Carta De Maria Jose)
(3:03)  5. Folha
(3:19)  6. Meu Namorado
(2:06)  7. Fado Das Queixas
(3:51)  8. Fado Adeus
(3:22)  9. Cabeca De Vento
(2:34) 10. Impressao Digital
(2:55) 11. Talvez
(2:41) 12. A Beira Do Cais
(3:55) 13. Ruas
(3:37) 14. Saudades Do Brasil Em Portugal
(3:54) 15. Disse-Te Adeus

Carminho has been hailed as arguably the finest fado singer from her generation, a promise she seeks to confirm with her second album, Alma. Once again working with producer Diogo Clemente and the same A-list musicians featured on her acclaimed 2009 debut, Carminho lends her exquisite voice to an immaculate repertoire that includes both fado standards and new compositions, some even penned by the singer herself. Alma is also poised to become a success in the world music circuit, particularly in Spain, where Carminho's popularity grew following her 2011 duet with Spanish romantic pop singer Pablo Alborán, which reached the top of the charts. ~ Mariano Prunes https://www.allmusic.com/album/alma-mw0002336471                

Alma

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Milt Buckner - New World Of Milt Buckner

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:25
Size: 91,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Misty
(4:04)  2. All Blues
(4:10)  3. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
(4:22)  4. Fever
(2:40)  5. Why Don't You Do Right
(4:07)  6. Moon River
(3:57)  7. Fly Me To The Moon
(3:29)  8. Pick Yourself Up
(3:26)  9. Kansas City
(5:17) 10. Take Five

Milt Buckner, the "St. Louis Fireball," is generally credited with having popularized the Hammond organ during the early 1950s. First introduced in 1934, the instrument was immediately seized upon by Thomas "Fats" Waller, whose syncopated pipe organ records of 1926-1929 form the primal bedrock of the jazz organ tradition. Although the Hammond was also used periodically by Waller's friend Count Basie, Buckner rekindled interest in the organ some seven years after Waller's demise as his exuberant, boogie-based approach to the instrument added exciting new textures to the burgeoning R&B scene, inspiring a whole new generation of organists and ultimately endearing him to mainstream jazz audiences everywhere. Buckner, who also played vibraphone and valve trombone, enjoyed unprecedented success during the final phase of his career, which consisted of mostly European adventures that began in 1966 and ended abruptly with his death in 1977 at the age of 62. Milton Brent Buckner was born in St. Louis on July 19, 1915. His little brother Ted, who should not be confused with their distant relative, Texas born trumpeter Teddy Buckner, was destined to become a saxophonist with the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra (where he actually recorded with Teddy in 1939) and an R&B and Motown sessionman. Milt's parents, who encouraged him to learn to play piano, both died when he was nine years old. The two orphans were sent to Detroit where they were adopted by members of the Earl Walton Orchestra; Milt studied piano from age ten to thirteen with his uncle John Tobias (Walton's trombonist), and began writing arrangements for the band at the age of fifteen. While studying at the Detroit Institute of Arts he performed with Mose Burke & the Dixie Whangdoodles and the Harlem Aristocrats. After drummer and bandleader Don Cox hired him in 1932, Buckner began to develop a uniquely percussive technique employing parallel tonal patterns, later referred to as "block chords," a style now associated with Oscar Peterson and George Shearing. During the '30s Buckner also worked in groups led by Jimmy Raschelle, Lanky Bowman, and Howard Bunts. His first big break came in 1941 when he became Lionel Hampton's staff arranger and assistant director. His predilection for rocking rhythms and boogie-woogie fit nicely with Hamp's approach to entertainment. Buckner worked with Hampton during the years 1941-1948 and 1950-1952.

Buckner's earliest recordings survive as a set of piano solos etched into Presto transcription acetates cut on the last day of August 1941. His next appearance in a studio was as a member of a small group led by Lionel Hampton backing young Dinah Washington on her recording debut in December 1943; these feisty, blues based performances were made available to the public on Harry Lim's Keynote label. In 1945 Buckner made records with saxophonist Herbie Fields, Ellington crooner Herb Jeffries and R&B shouter Wynonie Harris, including Harris' smash hit, a cover of Lionel Hampton and Curley Hamner's highly successful "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop." In 1946 he made the first of a series of recordings with a group variously billed as the Beale Street Boys, the Beale Street Gang, and the Hot Shots. Over the next three years Buckner led a series of dates for the Savoy label. In 1949 he made records with a big band for MGM, sat in on an Eddie Condon Floorshow with drummer Buddy Rich and tap-dancer Baby Laurence on NBC TV, and conducted Teddy Stewart's Orchestra behind Dinah Washington on a date for Mercury records. In 1950 Buckner recorded with the Three Flames for MGM, with singer Florence Wright for National, with Wynonie Harris for Vogue records, with Rufus Thomas ("Mr. Swing") for the Bullet label in Memphis, and with vocalist Mabel Scott and saxophonists Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Buddy Tate and Wild Bill Moore for King. It was during the Moore session that Buckner first switched from piano to organ. He trundled it out again in Houston TX during the spring of 1952 while backing vocalist Sonny Parker with Gladys Hampton's Blue Boys for Peacock records. Milt recorded for the Scooter, Regent and Brunswick labels, and jammed with saxophonist Charlie Parker in 1953 at the bandbox in New York City. He sat piano for the Imperials (with Willie Dixon playing bass) on a Great Lakes session that took place in Detroit during the spring of 1954. Buckner also visited Philadelphia over the summer to record a few tunes with guitarist Big Ham Williams and drummer Sam Woodyard which were issued on 20th Century records, a subsidiary of the Gotham label.

Milt Buckner was a Capitol recording artist from April 1955 through July 1957, sharing the studio with saxophonists Earle Warren and Sam Taylor, guitarists Everett Barksdale and Skeeter Best, bassist Milt Hinton and drummers Osie Johnson and Shadow Wilson. He taped his first Argo LP in New York in December 1959 with guitarist Kenny Burrell and bassist Joe Benjamin. More Argo sessions came together in Chicago in 1960 and 1961, and he had dealings with the Bethlehem label in Cincinnati in 1962 and 1963. In March 1966 a performance with saxophonist Illinois Jacquet was taped live at Lennie's on the turnpike in West Peabody, MA and subsequently released on the Cadet label. Like many U.S. jazz musicians who struggled at home and did better abroad, Milt Buckner clearly preferred the cultural and vocational climate in Europe. Over the 11 years that remained in his life, he only returned to North America for brief concert and club bookings -- five times to the U.S. and twice to Canada. Beginning in 1966 with his first Parisian session in the company of Illinois Jacquet and trumpeter Roy Eldridge, Buckner's discography indicates a more stable working environment involving skilled musicians and appreciative audiences. Milt Buckner's final decade of professional activity is mostly measured in recordings issued on the Black & Blue label, with the exception of a few Prestige, Jazz Odyssey and Riff releases.

Buckner made music in Paris, Villingen, Boulogne, Cologne, Antwerpen, Lausanne, Biarritz, Barcelona, Toulouse, London, Herouville, Valauris, Besancon, Geneva, Salon, Yverdon, Nice, Scheveningen and Leiden. His session mates included multi-instrumentalist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, trumpeters Buck Clayton, Joe Newman, Johnny Letman and Bill Coleman; trombonist Gene "Mighty Flea" Connors; saxophonists Ben Webster, Candy Johnson, Eddie Chamblee, Hal Singer, Lucky Thompson, Big Nick Nicholas, Marcel Zanini, Guy Lafitte, Arnett Cobb, Buddy Tate, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Illinois Jacquet; pianists André Persiany, Jean-Paul Amouroux and Jay McShann; guitarist Al Casey; bassists Milt Hinton, Major Holley and Roland Lobligeois as well as vocalists Jodie Drake, Little Mary Anglade and Big Joe Turner. Buckner's last studio session took place in Paris on July 4, 1977. Three weeks later, on Wednesday July 27, he collapsed and died after setting up his Hammond organ in preparation for a performance with Illinois Jacquet at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. ~ arwulf arwulf https://www.allmusic.com/artist/milt-buckner-mn0000489843/biography

Personnel:  Gene Redd vibraphone;  Milt Buckner organ;  Bill Willis bass;  Phil Paul drums

New World Of Milt Buckner

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Andy LaVerne - Faith

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:58
Size: 148,6 MB
Art: Front

( 8:06)  1. Touch Sensitive
(10:52)  2. All Things Considered
( 6:21)  3. Avanti
( 9:16)  4. Enigma
( 8:47)  5. Faith
( 5:44)  6. Hidden Agenda
( 6:18)  7. Paramour No More
( 8:31)  8. Double Down

Andy LaVerne continues to explore the path he set out with his previous critically acclaimed release “Genesis” (SCCD 31818), this time with an added voice in trumpet/flugelhorn by Alex Sipiagin as well as Mike Richmond’s overdubbed cello over his bass-line. As in the previous album all titles are new originals by LaVerne, who, to quote Neil Tesser, Grammy Award winning American journalist, is a committed melodist, with truly individualistic tone. “… Intelligent Design lives up to its name as one of LaVerne’s best efforts thus far and one of the finest jazz releases of the year.”

Personnel: Andy Laverne piano; Alex Sipiagin trumpet flugelhorn; Mike Richmond bass cello; Jason Tieman drums

Faith

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George Benson - Guitar Man

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:39
Size: 97.7 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[1:58] 1. Tenderly
[5:08] 2. I Want To Hold Your Hand
[4:06] 3. My Cherie Amour
[3:40] 4. Naima
[4:28] 5. Tequila
[2:43] 6. Don't Know Why
[4:27] 7. The Lady In My Life
[3:22] 8. My One And Only Love
[2:42] 9. Paper Moon
[3:23] 10. Danny Boy
[2:58] 11. Since I Fell For You
[3:39] 12. Fingerlero

2011 release from the Grammy-winning Jazz legend. The album includes a mix of Jazz and Pop standards - some in a combo setting and some solo, but all of them tied together seamlessly by Benson's soulful and exploratory signature sound. Lending a hand on this recording is a solid team made up of veterans and newcomers alike - pianist Joe Sample, keyboardist and musical director David Garfield, bassist Ben Williams and drummer Harvey Mason.

Guitar Man

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Tim Kliphuis Trio - The Grappelli Album

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:35
Size: 131.8 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:59] 1. Honeysuckle Rose
[4:40] 2. I Surrender Dear
[3:32] 3. Valse Du Passe
[4:39] 4. How High The Moon
[5:10] 5. La Chanson De Rue
[3:15] 6. Piccadilly
[3:03] 7. J’attendrai
[3:53] 8. Ou Es-Tu Mon Amour
[4:15] 9. Swing 39
[3:40] 10. Souvenir De Villingen
[4:37] 11. Hesitation
[4:23] 12. Shine
[4:33] 13. The Neamess Of You
[2:50] 14. Stompin’ At Decca

Award-winning violinist Tim Kliphuis (NL) is a legend in the Gypsy Jazz world through his work with The Rosenberg Trio, Fapy Lafertin and Angelo Debarre. He has performed at all the major Django festivals worldwide and is seen by many as the inheritor of Stéphane Grappelli’s crown. Tim and his Trio have toured from Canada to Russia, from Scotland to South Africa and their recent CD “The Grappelli Album” has received rave reviews.

Formed in 2007, the Trio celebrate 10 years on the road! Their electrifying performances and remarkable audience rapport have made Tim Kliphuis, Nigel Clark (guitar) and Roy Percy (double bass) firm favourites on the festival scene. The all-jazz programme “Celebrating Stéphane Grappelli” includes music from the Django Reinhardt days, Grappelli's years as a world-famous jazz star and five of his beautiful compositions, never played before on the international stage!

The Grappelli Album

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Clifford Brown - The Emarcy Master Takes (4-Disc Boxset)

Clifford Brown, the jazz trumpeter affectionately known as Brownie, partnered with drummer Max Roach in a memorable quintet in the mid-1950s. Over a few short years he quickly rose from astonishing prodigy to pioneering master -- a stunning trajectory cut short when Brownie died tragically at age 25 in 1956. His amazing story and the amazing music the quintet made takes front and center on Clifford Brown: The EmArcy Master Takes, a new limited edition four-CD set.

The EmArcy Master Takes includes the 49 master takes the Brown-Roach Quintet recorded for the EmArcy label, an 18-month collaboration that resulted in some of the most enduring jazz of all time. The tracks, which eventually made up the classic albums Clifford Brown and Max Roach, Clifford Brown With Strings, Brown and Roach Incorporated, Study In Brown, Best Coast Jazz, and At Basin Street, as well as tracks featured on several posthumous releases, from Caravan to More Study In Brown and others, are presented in chronological order of recording. All tracks are newly remastered from original sources, many of them for the first time since their original CD reissue in the late 1980s.

Playing with Brown and Roach are regular members of their quintet -- Harold Land (tenor saxophone), Richie Powell (piano), George Morrow (bass), and Sonny Rollins, who replaced Land -- plus a slew of other star players, as well as a Los Angeles string section beautifully arranged and conducted by Neal Hefti. EmArcy's Bob Shad produced the sessions.

Album: The Emarcy Master Takes (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:15
Size: 179.1 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2009

[8:03] 1. Delilah
[4:01] 2. Darn That Dream
[7:16] 3. Parisian Thoroughfare
[7:42] 4. Jordu
[6:39] 5. Sweet Clifford
[7:18] 6. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
[6:23] 7. Stompin' At The Savoy
[7:36] 8. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[4:09] 9. I'll String Along With You
[6:49] 10. Joy Spring
[4:31] 11. Mildama
[3:39] 12. These Foolish Things
[4:01] 13. Daahoud

The Emarcy Master Takes (Disc 1)

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Album: The Emarcy Master Takes (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:40
Size: 168.6 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2009

[19:43] 1. Coronado
[17:12] 2. You Go To My Head
[15:09] 3. Caravan
[21:34] 4. Autumn In New York

The Emarcy Master Takes (Disc 2)

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Album: The Emarcy Master Takes (Disc 3)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:53
Size: 162.3 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2009

[3:24] 1. Portrait Of Jenny
[3:25] 2. What's New
[2:58] 3. Yesterdays
[3:27] 4. Where Or When
[3:43] 5. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
[3:14] 6. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[3:26] 7. Laura
[3:32] 8. Memories Of You
[3:01] 9. Embraceable You
[3:14] 10. Blue Moon
[3:25] 11. Willow Weep For Me
[3:23] 12. Stardust
[2:54] 13. Gerkin For Perkin
[4:16] 14. Take The A Train
[4:54] 15. Lands End
[2:50] 16. Swingin'
[5:33] 17. George's Dilemma
[3:22] 18. Clifford Brown - If I Love Again
[6:44] 19. The Blues Walk

The Emarcy Master Takes (Disc 3)

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Album: The Emarcy Master Takes (Disc 4)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:25
Size: 152.1 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. What Am I Here For
[5:41] 2. Cherokee
[5:09] 3. Jacqui
[4:53] 4. Sandu
[4:11] 5. Gertrude's Bounce
[3:33] 6. Step Lightly (Junior's Arrival)
[3:28] 7. Powell's Prances
[9:17] 8. I'll Remember April
[5:06] 9. Time
[6:06] 10. The Scene Is Clean
[3:56] 11. Flossie Lou
[7:36] 12. What Is This Thing Called Love
[4:15] 13. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing

The Emarcy Master Takes (Disc 4)

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Jools Holland, Jose Feliciano - As You See Me Now

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:28
Size: 113.3 MB
Styles: Pop/Rock/Jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[3:27] 1. As You See Me Now
[4:36] 2. Treat Myself
[3:08] 3. Just To Be Home With You
[4:52] 4. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:06] 5. One More Drink
[3:15] 6. Midnight Special
[2:59] 7. Hit The Road Jack (Feat. Ruby Turner)
[3:37] 8. In My Life
[3:31] 9. Let's Find Each Other Tonight
[3:27] 10. You're So Cold (Feat. Rita Wilson)
[3:37] 11. Baby Can I Hold You
[3:58] 12. Believe Me When I Tell You
[2:58] 13. Feliz Navidad
[2:51] 14. Happy New Year

At first glance, Jools Holland and José Feliciano don't seem like an ideal match. Jools kept the boogie-woogie torch burning in the U.K., while Feliciano crossed over in the U.S. thanks to his blend of folk, flamenco, and easy listening. Look a little closer, and it's easy to see that the two share common ground in the middle of the road. Feliciano specialized in smooth, vaguely soulful MOR pop, Holland carved out a niche as an amiable TV host, so they both know how to please a crowd, and As You See Me Now is indeed a crowd-pleaser. Containing a bit of soul, a bit of folk, some jump blues and Beatles, plus a new ska version of "Feliz Navidad," As You See Me Now covers a lot of musical territory, but it feels cohesive because both Holland and Feliciano know not to push any particular sound too hard. Consequently, the record feels loose but measured, an album designed to do nothing more than entertain, and it does a good job at that. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

As You See Me Now

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René Marie - Vertigo

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:55
Size: 153.2 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[5:18] 1. Them There Eyes
[6:25] 2. Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[4:54] 3. I'd Rather Talk About You
[5:15] 4. Don't Look At Me Like That
[6:38] 5. I Only Have Eyes For You
[4:01] 6. It's All Right With Me
[7:55] 7. Vertigo
[5:32] 8. Detour Ahead
[7:34] 9. Moonray
[6:22] 10. Blackbird
[6:58] 11. Dixie Strange Fruit

Bass – Robert Hurst (tracks: 1-7, 9-11); Bass Clarinet – Chris Potter (2) (tracks: 6); Drums – Jeff "Tain" Watts (tracks: 1-4, 7, 9-11); Guitar – John Hart (tracks: 4,5); Percussion – Jeffrey Haynes (tracks: 4, 5, 7, 11); Piano – Mulgrew Miller (tracks: 2-14, 7-10); Tenor Saxophone – Chris Potter (2) (tracks: 7, 9); Trumpet – Jeremy Pelt (tracks: 4, 10); Vocals – René Marie. Recorded on February 22 & 23, 2001 at Avatar Studios, New York

Rene Marie's second CD for MaxJazz is, for the most part, a very enjoyable CD. This extremely gifted singer has a very appealing voice and is a talented arranger as well. Her playful arrangement of "Them There Eyes," with bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, is very refreshing, with some fine scat singing, too. Her unusually deliberate and rather sexy take of "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" adds pianist Mulgrew Miller and also has some fine scat singing, too. Her Latin chart for "I Only Have Eyes for You" proves catchy, with some tasty guitar playing from John Hart. "It's All Right With Me" is slowed to a snail's pace with Chris Potter's noodling bass clarinet and Hurst's brooding bass backing her powerful vocal. "Vertigo," another Marie original, is easily the most exciting piece on the session. The only occasion when she follows anything resembling an expected path is her lush treatment of the ballad "Detour Ahead" in a memorable duet with Miller. There are some weak spots. The original "Don't Look at Me Like That" is monotonous filler; while the Beatles' "Blackbird" is drastically rewritten with a tedious vamp that gives the song a somewhat ominous sound, but it grows tiresome quickly. The medley of "Dixie" (a song reviled by most African-Americans) and "Strange Fruit" (with its dramatic description of lynching) invites controversy. She sings "Dixie" a cappella with a possible touch of sarcasm, then the band is added for the shift into the piece that was first put on the map by Billie Holiday, introduced with almost a funeral march-like cadence. Somehow Rene Marie's lovely voice seems inappropriate for this song, as she doesn't reflect the anguish of its lyrics very consistently. Even with these reservations, this is a highly recommended CD. ~Ken Dryden

Vertigo

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Xavier Davis Trio - Innocence Of Youth

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:45
Size: 146.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[2:11] 1. The Message (Intro)
[3:39] 2. The Message
[6:48] 3. Milk With A Koolaid Chaser
[8:43] 4. Bell
[7:28] 5. Untamed Land
[6:58] 6. Tall Struttin'
[5:52] 7. Milestones
[9:19] 8. Amy's Presence
[6:56] 9. The Day Will Come
[5:49] 10. Innocence Of Youth

Xavier Davis (p), Brandon Owens (b), E.J. Strickland (d).

"Innocence of Youth" is a deeply personal statement. The album, a dynamic, engaging trio recording that teams him with bassist Brandon Owens and drummer E.J. Strickland, fully demonstrates his remarkable artistry. Comprising seven originals along with a tune each by Harrell, Miles Davis and Xavier's younger brother, drummer-composer Quincy Davis, this album spans the range of modern jazz from post-bop to open playing and reveals how much Davis has developed since his last studio recording.

Innocence Of Youth

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Donald Byrd - A New Perspective

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:59
Size: 94,0 MB
Art: Front

( 9:22)  1. Elijah
(10:08)  2. Beast of Burden
( 5:43)  3. Cristo Redentor
( 8:14)  4. The Black Disciple
( 7:30)  5. Chant

With his flair for innovation, Donald Byrd, in late 1963, put together a septet that was recorded with the Coleridge Perkinson Choir providing a capella Gospel support. Duke Pearson provided arrangements which carefully weave eight wordless voices in and out of the septet's blues-derived compositions. Byrd's father was a Methodist minister, so the trumpeter worked with Pearson at, as Byrd states in the liner notes, "approaching this tradition with respect and great pleasure." The recording, which was reissued on CD in 1988, is one of the first to be acknowledged in this manner. Besides Byrd and a 23-year-old Herbie Hancock, this session includes saxophonist Hank Mobley, vibraphonist Donald Best, guitarist Kenny Burrell, bassist Butch Warren and drummer Lex Humphries. Frequently making use of a trumpet, tenor sax and vibes unison doubling, "Elijah" is an up-tempo number that features, among other things, some interesting and exciting piano work from Hancock. The slow, bluesy "Beast Of Burden" uses an interesting piano fill for the deliberate and soulful wordless vocals; alternately, the voices and vibes fill behind Byrd's trumpet solo in like manner. "The Black Disciple" features both Burrell and Hancock stretching out with stellar performances, and Mobley's tenor solo offers a fine example of his full tone and fluid technique. Pearson's compositions "Chant" and "Cristo Redentor" are perhaps the best remembered of the session, featuring Byrd's bold, clear, and deliberate trumpet melodies with the voices and piano adding a touch that showed the jazz world one more possibility among the many in improvised music. ~ Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-new-perspective-donald-byrd-blue-note-records-review-by-jim-santella.php?width=1920

Personnel:  Donald Byrd – trumpet;  Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone;  Herbie Hancock – piano;  Kenny Burrell – guitar;  Donald Best – vibraphone, vocals;  Butch Warren – bass;  Lex Humphries – drums;  Duke Pearson – arranger

A New Perspective

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Katie Melua - In Winter

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:27
Size: 82,3 MB
Art: Front

(1:46)  1. The Little Swallow
(3:25)  2. River
(4:24)  3. Perfect World
(1:43)  4. Cradle Song
(3:31)  5. A Time To Buy
(4:07)  6. Plane Song
(3:43)  7. If You Are So Beautiful
(4:05)  8. Dreams On Fire
(4:15)  9. All-Night Vigil - Nunc Dimittis
(4:23) 10. O Holy Night

A gorgeously rendered holiday-themed effort, In Winter finds singer/songwriter Katie Melua backed by the 25-member Gori Women's Choir. The album is Melua's seventh studio production and first since parting ways with longtime collaborator Mike Batt. Recorded in her native country of Georgia (Melua left with her parents at age nine), In Winter is a lushly produced, thoughtfully conceived album featuring arrangements by esteemed choral composer Bob Chilcott. An acclaimed institution, the Gori Women's Choir are famous for their haunting classical harmonies. They prove a superb match for Melua, who both sings along with the choir and frames herself against its angelic, delicately layered harmonies. Although the album is technically a holiday-themed work, it's not a cheery collection of yuletide favorites. Instead, Melua delivers a handful of ruminative and lyrical originals, many inspired by her memories of growing up in what was then the Soviet Union, as well as the complex and often heartbreaking history of Georgia's civil war. She also weaves in several well-curated covers, including poignant renditions of Joni Mitchell's "River," Sergey Rachmaninov's "All-Night Vigil-Nunc Dimittis," and the hymn "O Holy Night." Melua even finds room to sing in Ukrainian, opening the album with a magical rendition of the traditional song "The Little Swallow," whose melody is better recognized to Western audiences as "The Carol of the Bells." These are warmly arranged, beautifully executed recordings that capture the stark, introspective beauty of a rural Eastern Europe in winter. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-winter-mw0002979418               

In Winter

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Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra - The Offense of the Drum

Styles: Latin Jazz, Big Band, Afro-Cuban Jazz 
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:23
Size: 168,5 MB
Art: Front

( 9:13)  1. Cuarto de Colores
( 7:27)  2. They Came
( 9:46)  3. On the Corner of Malecon and B
( 6:56)  4. Mercado en Domingo
( 6:28)  5. Gnossienne 3 (Tientos)
( 8:26)  6. The Mad Hatter
(11:40)  7. The Offense of the Drum
( 6:22)  8. Alma Vacia
( 7:02)  9. Iko Iko

The Offense Of The Drum may be the least cohesive record in Arturo O'Farrill's discography, but that's largely by design. Here, O'Farrill firmly adheres to his stated "artistic vision" "to bend what the world knows as Afro Latin jazz over the acoustic horizon" better than anywhere else in his discography. Guests galore and a belief in Afro Latin camaraderie help him realize that goal, resulting in the most intriguing and expansive offering that he's ever released. In some ways this album is simply a documentation of O'Farrill's work at New York's Symphony Space. It was there that he broke new ground with pianist Vijay Iyer, DJ Logic, Colombian harpist Edmar Castaneda, spoken word artist Christopher "Chilo" Cajigas, saxophonist Donald Harrison, and percussionist Samuel Torres. The relationship between each of those artists and O'Farrill's Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra is spotlighted on this album. "Cuarto De Colores" the title track of Castaneda's debut album is fleshed out to good effect, thanks in large part to the pen of Torres; DJ Logic and the band lay the groundwork for Cajigas' Puerto Rican pride preaching on "They Came"; Iyer simultaneously toys with the concepts of stasis and development on his ode to O'Farrill "The Mad Hatter"; and a straight line is drawn from NOLA to Cuba when Harrison shows up for "Iko Iko." Each of those pieces stand apart from the others in many respects, yet they stand in solidarity as firm examples of the evolving definition of Afro Latin jazz.

Some of the other numbers walk a relatively straight path from start to finish; "Alma Vacia," a sizzling salsa number from Miguel Blanco, and "Mercado En Domingo," a modern twist on Colombian porro music, both fall into this category. The most eye-opening works, however, are more collage-like in nature. "On The Corner Of Malecon And Bourbon," with its start-and-stop look at soloists and follow-the-lines-of-history stylistic transformation(s), and the title track, with a mushrooming fugue-ish introduction, shifting tides and percussion breaks, prove to be the most ambitious offerings. O'Farrill has never been content to simply accept any stylistic definition in a neat little box. He understands that history and imagination, working hand in hand, can have a limitless partnership. This album goes a long way in proving that point. It's a work of visionary brilliance.~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-offense-of-the-drum-arturo-ofarrill-and-the-afro-latin-jazz-orchestra-motema-music-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Arturo O'Farrill: piano; Ivan Renta: tenor saxophone; Peter Brainin: tenor saxophone; Bobby Porcelli: alto saxophone; David DeJesus:alto saxophone; Jason Marshall: baritone saxophone; Seneca Black: trumpet; Jim Seeley: trumpet; John Bailey: trumpet; Jonathan Powell: trumpet; Tokunori Kajiwara: trombone; Rafi Malkiel: trombone, euphonium; Frank Cohen: trombone; Earl McIntyre: bass trombone, tuba; Gregg August: bass; Vince Cherico: drums; Roland Guerrero: congas; Joe Gonzalez: bongos, bell; Pablo O Bilbraut: percussion (8); Miguel Blanco: conductor (5, 8); Christopher "Chilo" Cajigas: spoken word (2); Edmar Castaneda: harp (1); Ayanda Clarke: djembe (7); DJ Logic: turntables (2); Jonathan Gomez: percussion (4); Nestor Gomez: percussion (4); Donald Harrison: vocals (9), alto saxophone (9); Vijay Iyer: piano (6); Hiro Kurashima: taiko drum (7); Chad Lefkowitz-Brown: tenor saxophone (7); Jason Lindner: conductor (2); Antonio Lizana: vocals (5), alto saxophone (5); Pablo Mayor: conductor (4), maracas: (4); Uri Sharlin: accordion (5); Samuel Torres: conductor (1), cajon (1).

The Offense of the Drum

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Randy Porter (feat. Nancy King) - Porter Plays Porter

Styles: Vocal Jazz, Piano
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:01
Size: 96,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:22)  1. I Concentrate On You
(3:55)  2. I Love You
(4:48)  3. Just One of Those Things
(4:30)  4. Inside Your Mind
(4:43)  5. All Of You
(5:04)  6. Why Can't You Behave
(3:52)  7. Night and Day
(4:07)  8. Get Out of Town
(5:36)  9. Every Time We Say Goodbye

Randy Porter's “Porter Plays Porter” wasn't merely a title of convenience. The quality of Cole Porter's wit, harmony, and mix of dark and light has been part of Randy Porter's vernacular since his early musically formative years when at age 20, Randy was the pianist and musical director of “Cole!” The music, its beauty, irony, intelligence and poignancy has remained with him ever since. There is a resemblance of musical features that puts Randy and Cole on the same page, taking the same major to minor, pain and beauty that gives these musicians more than just a vehicle for improvisation. It's their muse and inspiration. Nancy King has been long considered the top of the elite jazz singers on the planet by followers and lovers of the vocal jazz tradition. Her immense innate musical abilities including phrasing, musical awareness, flexibility and depth of experience through the music of Cole Porter, in the company of Randy Porter, John Wiitala and Todd Strait on a cold Portland day came together in a surreptitious way that just one of those things meant to happen can. - Steve Christofferson https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/randyporter22

Porter Plays Porter

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Billy Stritch - Jazz Live

Size: 159,4 MB
Time: 68:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003/2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front & Back

01. The Best Is Yet To Come (Live) (2:38)
02. Red Sails In The Sunset - Sails (Velas) (Live) (7:47)
03. Born To Be Blue (Live) (4:21)
04. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me (Live) (5:35)
05. But Not For Me (Live) (4:05)
06. Mountain Greenery (Live) (3:02)
07. On Green Dolphin Street (Live) (7:55)
08. I Have The Feeling I've Been Here Before (Live) (5:57)
09. Upside Down (Fleur De Lis) (Live) (4:06)
10. Crazy She Calls Me (Live) (5:53)
11. For You, For Me, Forevermore - Who Cares (Live) (3:50)
12. How Can I Lose You (Live) (4:15)
13. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York (Live) (3:54)
14. I've Got The World On A String - I Got Rhythm (Live) (4:49)

Being a “left coaster,” I was not familiar with the name of Billy Stritch, so this has been a most felicitous introduction. As musical supervisor, pianist and arranger for Liza Minnelli, Stritch is probably better known on the cabaret circuit. But, as attested to by being named “Best Jazz Instrumentalist” by the Manhattan Association of Clubs and by this live outing, recorded at Jazz Standard in New York City, there’s nothing wrong with Stritch’s jazz chops, either as pianist or vocalist. His playing is swinging and lyrical, if occasionally a tad florid, while his voice is mellow and supple with clear articulation, spot-on intonation and smooth, effortless phrasing. In addition, he is very capably backed by two consummate professionals; listen, for example, to the expressive solos on “I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love With Me,” “Green Dolphin Street,” and “Crazy She Calls Me.”

The opener is taken at a brisk clip, faster than usual but cleanly. “Red Sails” is an instrumental, melding smoothly into the beautiful, under-recognized Ivan Lins composition “Sails,” with English lyrics by Gene Lees. Mel Tormé has had an obvious influence on Stritch, and with the former’s “Born to Be Blue,” Stritch pays respectful homage. The Gershwins’ “But Not for Me” is another lush instrumental; the chorus of “Mountain Greenery” is brightly up-tempo, with some scatting and re- harmonizing.

Kaper’s trusty standard “Green Dolphin Street” swings hard while resting Stritch’s pipes. Three tunes in the set bear Carmen McRae’s stamp: “I Can’t Believe...,” “Kellaway and Bergmans’ “I Have the Feeling...,” and the Brasilian “Upside Down” (Djavan’s “Flor de Lis”), with English lyrics by Regina Neves, the emotional high point of the album.

The tempo cools back down with “Crazy She Calls Me,” a lovely, fresh ballad that is sensitively done. With the exception of a new jazz waltz entitled “How Can I Lose You?”* and Arlen and Koehler’s “I’ve Got the World...,” it’s an all-Gershwin finale, coming down the home stritch, er, stretch. When it comes to tuneful, jazzable melodies, how much better can one do than that?

So, if a night out at a club for vocal jazz is your cup of tea, here’s your instant “pekoe in a jewel case.” Just add your favorite liquid refreshment, your favorite honey, sit back, and enjoy! ~J. Robert Bragonier

Jazz Live

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The Euge Organ Trio - ...Rides Again!

Size: 135,7 MB
Time: 58:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz: Soul Jazz, Funky Jazz
Art: Front

01. Done It (5:51)
02. Wood Machine (4:55)
03. Funk It (4:33)
04. Soul Pistol (5:04)
05. Good God (You're More Than Enough) (5:02)
06. The Butcher (6:28)
07. Planet Rock (4:06)
08. Flash Flood (4:33)
09. High Enough (For You) (8:00)
10. Corbett Avenue (5:09)
11. Nunu Shufshuf (4:38)

The Euge Organ Trio is a groove oriented, soul-jazz group hailing out of Portland, Oregon. Consisting of organist Dave Fleschner (Curtis Salgado / The Blues Cabaret), drummer Tom “Euge” Goicoechea (Professor Gall / The Quadraphones) and guitarist Teddy Presberg (pigWar / DoveDriver), the three are sure to keep audiences both moving to the groove and eagerly anticipating whatever might come next out of their free-spirited improvisational approach.

Rooted in thetradition of classic organ trios such as Jimmy Smith and JackMcDuff, the group is also influenced by contemporary groupslike Medeski, Martin and Wood, The City Champs, and Soulive. One can also hear the hip-hop influences of J-Dilla and genre pushing stylings of Robert Glasper in their compositions as well. Playing mostly original music, and influenced by soul-jazz both classic and new, The Euge Organ trio will keep you positively on the edge of your seat in excitement while paradoxically dancing to their immersive sound!

On “...Rides Again!,” their debut album, the three combined each of their own individual song writing talents to form a cohesive and unique style of original compositions. Featuring nearly equal contributions from the members, the songs give a nod to their influences while simultaneously forging a new sonic footprint in the organ trio realm. Give The Euge Organ Trio and “...Rides Again” a listen and you won’t be disappointed!

Rides Again!

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Akiko - Rockin' Jivin' Swingin'

Size: 102,7 MB
Time: 38:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. Come On-A My House (1:57)
02. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter (2:26)
03. Relax Max (2:42)
04. What A Little Moonlight Can Do (3:11)
05. Fools Fall In Love (2:46)
06. Rum And Coca Cola (3:09)
07. I'm Walkin' (2:35)
08. Exactly Like You (2:30)
09. Blues No.8 (4:04)
10. Sh-Boom (2:27)
11. Mr. Sandman (2:30)
12. I've Got You Under My Skin (3:50)
13. Goody Goody (4:16)

Jazz singer Akiko has a brand new album out now, of rockin', jivin' and swingin' songs (as the title says!) from the 40's and 50's. Featured musicians include Gentle Forest Jazz Band, Blue Moon Quartet, Fats & Fats, and also female chorus groups Chai-Chii Sisters and Gentle Forest Sisters.

Tokyo born Akiko started playing piano at age of 4. She started to listen to rock / punk music, when she was a junior high school student, & then began to take her interest in various kinds of music, including 70s disco music, 60s oldies, 50s rock + country and western. Above all those music, she was especially inspired by old black music like jive, jump blues & doo wop. At age of 18, she happened to listen to Sarah Vaughan & Ella Fitzgerald thus, discovering jazz. Afterward, she started to sing as a professional at Jazz Club in Tokyo, when she was a university student.

Rockin' Jivin' Swingin'

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Olinka Mitroshina & Georges Guy - Gershwin's Blues

Size: 141,0 MB
Time: 60:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. Backwater Blues (5:18)
02. Fascination Rhythm (6:06)
03. Goodmorning Blues (3:21)
04. My Man's Gone Now (6:19)
05. Blues Stay Away From Me (2:55)
06. Bessie's Mood (3:16)
07. I Got Rhythm (5:27)
08. Somebody Loves Me (2:59)
09. Green River Song (3:48)
10. I Got Rhythm (Version 2) (5:00)
11. But Not For Me (2:30)
12. Nice Work If You Can Get It (2:51)
13. It Ain't Necessarily So (4:00)
14. Bess, You Is My Woman Now (2:55)
15. Hear Me Talkin' To Ya (3:19)

Une chanteuse et pianiste russe, associée à un guitariste français, réinventent la musique de Gershwin à travers une lecture dépouillée, sans rythmique, avec beaucoup d’émotion, de charme, et de sensibilité.

Une voix singulière avec un grain blues qui sait scatter avec bonheur et utiliser avec élégance des effets de vibrato saisissant qui nous touche droit au cœur. Un jeu de piano sobre et efficace, qui privilégie l’accompagnement de la voix et un guitariste inventif et fin, qui mixe avec beaucoup de tact plusieurs sonorités de guitares afin d’apporter une dimension orchestrale raffinée, idéale pour ce projet. Telle est la formule de ce duo attachant et sensible, qui outre Gershwin, revisite aussi avec bonheur Bessie Smith, Leadbelly, Louis Armstrong, ou les Delmore Brothers. Un cocktail de blues, de jazz, de swing, et d’émotion, porté par le talent de deux interprètes hors-norme.

Gershwin's Blues

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Stefano Travaglini - Ellipse

Size: 138,5 MB
Time: 60:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Full

01. The Importance Of Fishing ( 6:37)
02. Life ( 5:19)
03. The Flowering Season ( 5:10)
04. Persistence ( 6:31)
05. Monk's Mood Persistence (12:16)
06. Looking Back ( 8:01)
07. Intermezzo ( 4:37)
08. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise ( 3:52)
09. Goodbye, For Now (Meditation) ( 7:50)

Italy's Stefano Travaglini—primarily a composer and pianist—is wildly diverse as an instrumentalist and composer. He has performed on oboe and bass guitar, studied with Estonian composer Arvo Part and American jazz and classical composer Vince Mendoza. Touring throughout four continents, Travaglini has demonstrated impressive proficiency in both jazz and classical genres though he is equally at home where categorizations aren't easily applied. A case in point is his debut album The Hungarian Songbook (Terre Sommerse, 2013); a collection of Eastern European and Gipsy folksongs arranged for voice and improvised piano.

Ellipse is a solo piano collection, recorded spontaneously, without edits or modifications. It can be classified as free improvisation but—as on the opening "The Importance of Fishing"—abstraction and lyricism coexist nicely. The 1928 song "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II was originally composed as a dance piece, but in most of its many jazz forms, has been greatly modified. Travaglini's interpretation is unique in its mix of staccato notes and nonlinear improvisation. "Monk's Mood" is also covered as the first part of a medley with Travaglini's own "Presences." The pianist treats Thelonius Monk with due respect even while occasionally infusing the ballad rendition with a more aggressive attitude. "Looking Back" and the closing piece, "Good Bye, for Now" are beautifully expressive and more structured.

Travaglini improvises as if having previously immersed his mind in a written version of the same piece. On Ellipse, the spontaneous creations, the melodies and passages, all hang together as if part of a well-planned narrative. Since he quotes the zen-like philosophy of Lee Konitz with "That's my way of preparation—to not be prepared" we can assume that the structures we hear are being developed in real time. Ellipse is a terrific solo piano recording; adventurous, but never over the top, and often quite beautiful. ~Karl Ackermann

Ellipse

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Libbie Jo Snyder - The Flute & Voice Of Libbie Jo: Wall Of Enchanted Words

Size: 102,4 MB
Time: 43:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Do Wrong Shoes (3:03)
02. Norwegian Wood (1:22)
03. Wall Of Enchanted Words (4:42)
04. Inside A Silent Tear (3:50)
05. Fool On The Hill (3:58)
06. Blackbird (2:09)
07. Water (7:13)
08. Survival Of The Hippest (3:25)
09. Henry & Me (3:34)
10. Latin Dancer (5:54)
11. Tomorrow Never Knows (2:42)
12. Everything Easily Now And Always (1:38)

Libbie Jo Snyder is a Jazz Flutist and Vocalist based out of Los Angeles, CA.

Rarely is a performer able to charm audiences of all ages with an elaborate and varied repertoire, and yet exude an ease and poise as if there were nothing to it. Libbie Jo Snyder is a perpetual "breath of fresh air" when she glides on stage with her flute, leaving one feeling both relaxed and exhilarated by her intimate, yet breezy, musical style.

Called a "jazzy twist of class" by writer Bruce Fessier of the Palm Springs Desert Sun, Libbie is a musical master of everything from baroque to blues, which she both sings and plays on flute. Her performances – a combination of jazz, blues, classical and pop – are often joyful, sometimes moody, but always eloquently and generously delivered.

As a musician, songwriter and singer, Libbie has performed with many different noted artists and groups including Paul Horn, Jane Getz, Sean Phillips, Buddy Collette, the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, the Roger Wagner Chorale, the Baroque Jazz Ensemble and the Greg Smith singers. As a dancer and actress, she has performed in several films and over 22 musicals, having worked with such noted directors as Paul Mazursky, Elia Kazan, and Uta Hagen. And she composed the incidental music for the documentary film, "Concert in the Grand Canyon," and for "The Reluctant Muse."

Libbie co-produced with keyboardist Jane Getz a recording, titled "The Flute & Voice of Libbie," featuring diverse songs that make a curiously soothing, yet exciting, blend. Fans have the double pleasure of hearing Libbie both sing and play flute, and three of the compositions are her own. Songs on the track range from the lively and whimsical title song, to the mellow, Latin-flavored, "Only a Dream," to the haunting "Treasure Island," to the dreamy and romantic "You’re My Everything," and Libbie added her own special twist on the standard "Whistle a Happy Tune." It was a finalist in an international jazz competition sponsored by Sony in 2004 and in 2006 she appeared at the "Mt. Beauty Music Festival" in Australia.

Wall Of Enchanted Words

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Grover Washington, Jr. - Inner City Blues

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:19
Size: 82,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:12)  1. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
(4:40)  2. Georgia On My Mind
(5:09)  3. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
(8:34)  4. Ain't No Sunshine-Better Days (Theme From Man And Boy)
(4:36)  5. Until It's Time Fot You To Go
(5:05)  6. I Loves You Porgy

The story behind Grover Washington, Jr.'s first session date as a leader revolves around a sheer coincidence of being in the right place at the right time. The truth is, the date for Creed Taylor's Kudu imprint was supposed to feature Hank Crawford in the soloist's chair. Crawford couldn't make the date and longtime sideman Washington got the nod. His being closely affiliated with organists Charles Earland and Johnny Hammond didn't hurt, and his alto and tenor saxophones' tone was instantly noticeable for both its song-like quality and Washington's unique ability to dig deep into R&B territory for his expression of feeling. Released in 1971, produced by Taylor, and arranged and orchestrated by Bob James, the list of players in this band is equally impressive: James played Fender Rhodes, there's Richard Tee on organ, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Idris Muhammad, then-new guitarist Eric Gale, percussionist Airto Moreira, Thad Jones and Eugene Young on trumpets, trombonist Wayne Andre, and baritone saxophonist Don Ashworth. James also added a violin section and a small vocal chorus on certain tracks.

Inner City Blues kicks off with its title track, a burning version of the Marvin Gaye tune with Washington lending a heft and depth to it that reveals the sophistication of Gaye's original. From Airto's hand drums and Muhammad's hi-hat whispers to the chunky wah-wah guitar vamp and a funky bassline by Carter, it becomes clear that Washington's methods of deep soul articulation on his horn extend into the heart of this mix. James decorated his charts with subtle organ flourishes and his piano, but this is early jazz-funk at best. While Miles Davis was abstracting jazz on the margins, Washington and his cohorts were keeping the music in the street, in the barroom, on the radio, and in the nightclubs and bowling alleys.

The tune was a hit at a time when fusion was becoming widespread; free jazz from both sides of the Atlantic was considering itself the new standard bearer for the music, and the many legends of the '60s Blue Note and Prestige eras were beginning to feel the music get away from them. With this entry, Washington's screaming, edgy solo stayed in the killer grooves with breaks laid down by Muhammad and Moreira, Gale and Carter. Washington was just getting started and it was evident here that this cat was deep. He walked the standards side of the fence on this date as well, bringing them into the jazz-funk era: his readings of "Georgia on My Mind" and "I Loves You Porgy" are sensitive, deeply lyrical, and sophisticated, but come from the soul side of the fence. Carter's warm, bubbly bassline and the brief guitar break introduce the strings in the former tune while at the same time Washington plays the melody on his alto. Muhammad lays down some beautiful and pronounced rhythmic statements without getting in the way, and before long the groove develops, taking the tune right into the club with Gale's solo and some hot comping by James that fades as the strings and Grover return deeper in the cut to take it out. The other cuts are modern standards and pop songs creatively voiced by this soloist and band. They include a stellar, lightly funky version of Gaye's "Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)," and a knock-out take on Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine," rivaled only by the original and Rahsaan Roland Kirk's flute version on Blacknuss. 

On the former tune, it's the popping rhythm groove dressed in some smoking hand percussion and fat chunky Rhodes chords that set up Washington's solo, which just burns and wails with all the pleading and pain in Gaye's voice. The latter cut begins subtly, nocturnally in the blues, with Gale, James, Carter, and Muhammad. Washington enters playing the melody on the alto, and the strings sound draped around him just as the horn section comes in to play counterpoint a beat behind. This is some deep soul. A vocal chorus begins almost subliminally with the "I know, I know, I know, I know" intonation and introduces the popping solos by Gale with the rhythm section in the bridge underscored by the horns. The strings well up with all the drama and emotion emanating from Withers' words, and then just drop behind to allow the saxophonist back in to work it all out with some very sophisticated grooves. The other "modern" standard here is also one that's endured after all these years, the sensitive reading Washington and company put in on Buffy Sainte-Marie's beautiful "Until It's Time for You to Go." Its melancholy sweetness after the eight-and-a-half-minute Withers' jam is breathy, clear, and quiet; James and Washington set it in a light bossa groove. Its shimmering strings and the saxophonists' restraint on the tenor is so elegant and graceful that the tune carries emotion, gentleness, and the bittersweet commitment of its lyric all the way through to its end. This is an amazing debut in so many ways, and it was followed by a run of albums for the label through the end of the '70s when Washington left for Elektra. Inner City Blues remains standing today as a landmark and a turning point in jazz. ..More.. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/inner-city-blues-mw0000192866

Personnel:  Grover Washington Jr. – tenor saxophone, alto saxophone;  Eugene Young, Thad Jones – trumpet, flugelhorn;  Wayne Andre – trombone;  Don Ashworth – bass;  Bob James – electric piano, arranger, conductor;  Richard Tee – organ;  Eric Gale – guitar;  Ron Carter – bass, electric bass;  Idris Muhammad – drums;  Airto Moreira – percussion;  Hilda Harris, Marilyn Jackson, Maretha Stewart, Tasha Thomas – vocals

Inner City Blues

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