Larry Schneider Quartet - Just Cole Porter

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:29
Size: 159.0 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[ 8:00] 1. I Love You
[10:32] 2. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[ 8:03] 3. I've Got You Under My Skin
[ 8:39] 4. Everytime We Say Goodbye
[ 8:42] 5. What Is This Thing Called Love
[10:28] 6. Love For Sale
[ 6:33] 7. In The Still Of The Night
[ 8:28] 8. Just One Of Those Things

Larry Schneider is an American Jazz saxophonist, born on 26 July 1949 in Long Island, New York. Larry has worked with Horace Silver in the '70s, Billy Cobham, Pete Escovedo, Ray Obiedo, the George Grunz International Big Band, the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra and performed as studio-musician for other artists. He made two records with Bill Evans and cites Evans as one of his main influences, together with John Coltrane. More recently, he has been leader or sideman on recordings for SteepleChase, with the likes of pianists Andy LaVerne, Richie Beirach and Jim McNeely, guitarist Dave Stryker, bassists Mike Richmond and Steve La Spina, and drummers Billy Hart, Keith Copeland, Adam Nussbaum and Anton Fig. He has toured for the last ten years in Europe as a guest soloist, and performed at both the Montreux and Antibes jazz festivals.

Just Cole Porter

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Laurie Beechman - Time Between The Time

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:43
Size: 116,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:32)  1. Another Hundred People
(3:22)  2. It Might Be You
(4:01)  3. Look At That Face
(3:18)  4. A Very Precious Love
(3:33)  5. Long Before I Knew You
(4:14)  6. The Look Of Love
(3:50)  7. A House Is Not A Home
(3:08)  8. I'll Never Stop Loving You
(4:21)  9. The Shining Sea/The Shadow Of Your Smile
(4:22) 10. Soon It's Gonna Rain/Rain Sometimes
(3:12) 11. Music That Makes Me Dance
(3:52) 12. Time Between The Time
(3:41) 13. Never Never Land
(3:11) 14. Home

On her 1990 debut album Listen to My Heart, Laurie Beechman, best known for her roles in Broadway shows like Cats and Les Miserables, predictably performed her songs from those shows along with a selection of other show music. Three years later, her second album, Time Between the Time again chose primarily from theater and film songs, but it had more of a personal character and more of a narrative structure. Recently married, the singer examined romantic love in a contemporary setting, beginning with Stephen Sondheim's "Another Hundred People," about how people find each other, moving on to early infatuation in "It Might Be You" from the film Tootsie, and, by the middle of the album, advancing to songs of full-blown devotion. Later, songs like a medley of "Soon It's Gonna Rain" from The Fantasticks and "Rain Sometimes" detailed difficulties in a long-term relationship, and the title song concerned the specific problem of maintaining a relationship in the entertainment business with its itinerant nature, before "Never Never Land" from Peter Pan and "Home" from The Wiz concluded the cycle by touching on the magical nature of love. Beechman inhabited the narrative with an actress' talent, glowing with new love on "Look at That Face," for example, but restraining her well-known ability to belt until some of the later songs. Often, however, she retained a certain distance from the material, and, just turning 30-years-old, still seemed to be trying to perform the material precisely rather than fully experience the emotions expressed in the songs. Her stage roles had required a high degree of technical efficiency, but little emotional involvement; on her solo albums, she was still feeling her way towards expressing her real feelings in song. But Time Between the Time marked a significant advance in that direction. ~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/time-between-the-time-mw0000105854

Personnel: Laurie Beechman (vocals); John Pizzarelli (guitar); Mike Renzi (piano, synthesizer); Jay Leonhart (acoustic & electric basses); Warren Odze, Terry Clarke (drums); Tom Spahn (programming).         

Time Between The Time

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Donald Byrd - Black Byrd

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:20
Size: 108,0 MB
Art: Front

(8:29)  1. Flight Time
(7:24)  2. Black Byrd
(6:02)  3. Love's So Far Away
(5:04)  4. Mr. Thomas
(5:59)  5. Sky High
(5:41)  6. Slop Jar Blues
(4:39)  7. Where Are We Going?

Purists howled with indignation when Donald Byrd released Black Byrd, a full-fledged foray into R&B that erupted into a popular phenomenon. Byrd was branded a sellout and a traitor to his hard bop credentials, especially after Black Byrd became the biggest-selling album in Blue Note history. What the elitists missed, though, was that Black Byrd was the moment when Byrd's brand of fusion finally stepped out from under the shadow of his chief influence, Miles Davis, and found a distinctive voice of its own. Never before had a jazz musician embraced the celebratory sound and style of contemporary funk as fully as Byrd did here not even Davis, whose dark, chaotic jungle-funk stood in sharp contrast to the bright, breezy, danceable music on Black Byrd. Byrd gives free rein to producer/arranger/composer Larry Mizell, who crafts a series of tightly focused, melodic pieces often indebted to the lengthier orchestrations of Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield. 

They're built on the most straightforward funk rhythms Byrd had yet tackled, and if the structures aren't as loose or complex as his earlier fusion material, they make up for it with a funky sense of groove that's damn near irresistible. Byrd's solos are mostly melodic and in-the-pocket, but that allows the funk to take center stage. Sure, maybe the electric piano, sound effects, and Roger Glenn's ubiquitous flute date the music somewhat, but that's really part of its charm. Black Byrd was state-of-the-art for its time, and it set a new standard for all future jazz/R&B/funk fusions of which there were many. Byrd would continue to refine this sound on equally essential albums like Street Lady and the fantastic Places and Spaces, but Black Byrd stands as his groundbreaking signature statement. ~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/album/black-byrd-mw0000082900

Personnel: Donald Byrd (vocals, trumpet, electric trumpet, flugelhorn); Fonce Mizell (vocals, trumpet); Freddie Perren (vocals, electric piano, synthesizer); Larry Mizell (vocals); David T. Walker, Dean Parks, Barney Perry (guitar); Allan Curtis Barnes (flute, oboe, saxophone); Roger Glenn (flute, saxophone); Joe Sample (piano, electric piano); Kevin Toney (piano); Chuck Rainey, Wilton Felder (electric bass); Harvey Mason, Sr. , Keith Killgo (drums); Perk Jacobs, Stephanie Spruill, Bobbye Hall, Bobbye Porter (percussion).               

Black Byrd

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Mario Pavone Dialect Trio - Chrome

Styles: Contemporary Jazz 
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:32
Size: 118,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. Cobalt
(5:01)  2. Glass 10
(3:10)  3. Ellipse
(8:12)  4. Ancestors
(6:56)  5. Beige
(6:38)  6. The Lizards
(5:06)  7. Conic
(2:55)  8. Bley
(4:28)  9. Chrome
(4:02) 10. Continuing

Piano trios seeking a level of parity of instrumental input are common. Those who achieve a high level of piano/bass/drums democracy develop a group sound born of a melding of musical personalities. With strong personalities all around as on the Mario Pavone Dialect Trio a beautiful tumult is born. Chrome is bassist Pavone's second Dialect Trio release, following 2015's Blue Dialect (Playscape Recordings). A big part of the allure of Chrome is the head-bumping and elbow throwing between the three free-spirited cohorts Pavone, pianist Matt Mitchell and drummer Tyshawn Sorey. All leaders in their own rights with Pavone sitting in the veteran's chair the voices clash and clamber and somehow keep things coherent and approachable, from the bump and bounce of "Glass 10" to the sneaking-through-the-back-streets vibe of "Ancestors," and on into "The Lizards (for Jim Jarmusch)," with it thorny, rolling-through-a-thunderstorm groove. Mitchell and Sorey aren't exactly rising stars anymore; they've been around and now can be counted as relative newcomers to the top tier of jazz artists a level they've reached via, in Tyshawn Sorey's case, four sometimes challenging but always compelling releases on Pi Recordings, including 2017's marvelous Verisimilitude, the drummer's own brooding, individualistic take on the piano trio; and Matt Mitchell with his work on Tim Berne's high-and-outside Snake Oil recordings on ECM Records, and his put-it-in-the bank Best Release of 2017 spot for Forage (Pi Recordings, 2017), a vibrant, sometimes combustable solo piano  exploration of the tunes of Tim Berne. A look at three three names on the CD's cover, pre-listening, said "dream team." That turned out to be true with Chrome. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/chrome-mario-pavone-playscape-recordings-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php
 

Personnel: Mario Pavone: bass; Matt Mitchel: piano; Tyshawn Sorey: drums.

Chrome

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Kahil El'Zabar - Love Outside of Dreams

Styles: Jazz, Avant-Garde Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:33
Size: 141,5 MB
Art: Front

(10:15)  1. Love Outside of Dreams
( 9:38)  2. Song For A New South Africa
( 7:00)  3. Song of Myself
( 7:51)  4. Nia
( 8:30)  5. Meditation For the Celestial W
( 9:35)  6. The Ebullient Duke
( 0:21)  7. Fred
( 8:20)  8. One World Family

African-American music (and African music for that matter) has always been about groove, movement, and that internal mechanism in your chest (perhaps your heart) that undulates and sways to the beat. In jazz, the rhythm catches you. If you explore further, melody and improvisation demands your surrender to this religion. For more than 25 years, percussionist Kahil El’Zabar has worked at the crossroads of jazz and African music providing the groove for AACM creations and his own Ritual and Ethnic Heritage Ensemble bands. This session brings together El’Zabar and fellow AACM bassist Fred Hopkins along with saxophonist David Murray. Hopkins, who passed away in January of 1999, was a frequent collaborator of Henry Threadgill, Hamiet Bluiett, and David Murray. Murray and El’Zabar’s collaborations have been many, from outstanding duos, One World Family (CIMP 2000) and Golden Sea (Sound Aspects 1989) to Murray’s larger ensemble creations The Tip and Jug-A-Lug (DIW 1994). Their musical kinship is amixture of Coltrane, Ayler, and Ellington. This recording date, the final session for Fred Hopkins, is an infectious pulse-fest throughout. El’Zabar’s playing has a way of absorbing the listener into his human touch, be it with hand drumming, thumb piano, or his snare. The band opens with the straightforward bop-ish title track, then progresses to the appealing hand drumming and sung “Song For A New South Africa,” perhaps a follow up to Noah Howard’s “Song For A South Africa.” El’Zabar’s knack for maximizing the minimal is his success. Playing the traditional drum set behind Murray’s bass clarinet with Hopkins pulsing energy can make for exciting music. Whether Murray conjures Eric Dolphy from his bass clarinet or Coltrane on the duo “Meditation For The Celestial Warriors,” his playing finds a kindred spirit in El’Zabar, and one (like Rashied Ali to Coltrane) that directs and influences each other’s music. El’Zabar’s meditation via the African thumb piano centers Murray’s outward designs and frames his harmonic expansions. The band closes with the millennial anthem “One World Family,” a contagious composition that, if this were another time, would be a fantastic follow up to Pharoah Sanders’ “The Creator Has A Master Plan.” If we jazz lovers cannot actually have pop hits, we can create our own personal theme songs. This is a four-star recording. ~ Mark Corroto https://www.allaboutjazz.com/love-outside-of-dreams-kahil-elzabar-delmark-records-review-by-mark-corroto.php
 

Personnel: Kahil El'Zabar – drums, African drums, African thumb piano;  David Murray – tenor sax, bass clarinet;  Fred Hopkins – bass

Love Outside of Dreams

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Art Pepper - Art Pepper Presents "West Coast Sessions!" Vols 5 & 6

Album: Art Pepper Presents "West Coast Sessions!" Volume 5: Jack Sheldon
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:25
Size: 147.5 MB
Styles: Bop, West Coast jazz
Year: 1981/2017
Art: Front

[5:11] 1. Angel Wings
[5:11] 2. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
[6:41] 3. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[5:03] 4. Jack's Blues
[6:07] 5. Broadway
[7:40] 6. Historia De Un Amor
[6:11] 7. Minority
[5:39] 8. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To(Alt. Take)
[4:18] 9. Broadway (Alternate Take)
[5:47] 10. Minority (Alternate Take)
[6:32] 11. Historia De Un Amor (Jack Sheldon Vocal)

Another great band with Pepper, recorded in 1980, as part of a six volume individual album set released originally in Japan. It features Pepper-alto sax, Jack Sheldon-trumpet, The fine and deserving of more recognition Milcho Leviev-piano, Tony Dumas-bass, and Carl Burnett-drums. Straight off--to my ears--what a band. Sheldon has always been a favorite trumpet player of mine, and here he gets a chance to show just how good a player he is--lyrical and swinging or subtly beautiful on ballads. This set (for me) is actually somewhere between four and five "stars".

And with some good tunes like "Angel Wings", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Jack's Blues", "Minority", plus alternate takes of "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Broadway", and "Minority", and a Sheldon vocal version of "Historia De Un Amor" (which is also on the original album as a beautiful, sensitively played instrumental), this album is one of the best in the series. I would think this volume would be a welcome addition to any Pepper/Sheldon/West Coast jazz fan's music shelf. The music swings on the up tempo pieces and the ballads are simply well played and beautiful. Both Pepper and Sheldon step out front all over this set for some fine solos, and with Leviev and a fine rhythm section, this is hard to beat for some West Coast jazz.

The sound is very good-clear, clean, and open, with a nice "alive" feeling coming through the speakers. The vocal track by Sheldon is from a surviving cassette tape and the sound is of lesser quality, with some distortion apparent. ~Stuart Jefferson

Art Pepper Presents West Coast Sessions! Vol.5 Jack Sheldon                

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Album: Art Pepper Presents "West Coast Sessions!" Volume 6: Shelly Manne
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:15
Size: 119.6 MB
Styles: Bop, West Coast jazz
Year: 1981/2017
Art: Front

[ 7:08] 1. Just Friends
[ 5:57] 2. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)
[ 7:20] 3. Hollywood Jam Blues
[ 6:13] 4. Lover Come Back To Me
[ 8:33] 5. Limehouse Blues
[ 6:40] 6. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
[10:22] 7. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You (Alt Take)

In 1979, Japanese label Atlas struck a deal with cool jazz icon Art Pepper to record a series of dates showcasing some of his fellow West Coast acolytes. Due in part to an existing contract with another label, the saxophonist opted to skirt legal troubles and record the sessions under the auspices that he was a featured guest, rather than the album headliner. Originally released in 1981 as Hollywood All-Star Sessions: Shelly Manne & His West Coast Friends, the 2017 Atlas reissue Art Pepper Presents West Coast Sessions, Vol. 6: Shelly Manne features Pepper alongside drummer Shelly Manne, trombonist Bill Watrous, tenor saxophonist Bob Cooper, pianist Pete Jolly, and bassist Monty Budwig. As with the other Atlas reissues, here we get period photos and new liner notes via the series producer, Pepper's then-wife and manager Laurie Pepper. Although known for his association with the cool jazz sound of '50s West Coast jazz, Pepper (who infamously spent time in prison throughout much of the '60s on drug charges) had matured into an aggressive, adventurous performer by the time these Atlas recordings were made. Thankfully, this dichotomy is part of what makes the Atlas dates so appealing. Essentially a loose blowing session, here we get the saxophonist digging into a batch of well-worn standards from a breezy, and (thanks to Watrous) counterpoint-heavy take on "Just Friends" to the swaggeringly earthy slow blues of "Hollywood Jam Blues" and an uncharacteristically fleet-footed reading of "Lover Come Back to Me." Also particularly engaging is the group's languid, half-lidded take on the ballad "These Foolish Things," which aches with a yearning, noir-ish romanticism. Drummer Manne ably grounds the session with his adept percussion accents and impeccable swing feel. It's also fascinating to listen to the contrast between Cooper's warmly burnished melodicism and Pepper's increasingly kinetic, yet still lyrical flow. Sadly, Pepper died several months after these sessions, making his prodigal return to his West Coast roots that much more poignant. ~Matt Collar

Art Pepper Presents West Coast Sessions! Vol. 6 Shelly Manne                

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Niels Lan Doky Trio Montmartre - The Look Of Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:59
Size: 141.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:32] 1. The Look Of Love
[5:06] 2. The Days Of Wine And Roses
[3:38] 3. Don't Know Why
[5:11] 4. Blues For Kenny
[6:09] 5. I Loves You, Porgy
[4:50] 6. Tender Lies
[3:52] 7. Clash By Night
[4:06] 8. Someday My Prince Will Come
[7:22] 9. The Shadow Of Your Smile
[5:20] 10. Come Summer
[5:06] 11. Rhythm Steps
[5:42] 12. Over The Rainbow

Although still not that well-known in the United States, Niels Lan Doky is an impressive pianist who has recorded pretty extensively, with 14 albums as a leader by 1996. Born to a Danish mother who sang and had hit records and a Vietnamese father who was both a doctor and a classical guitarist, Niels first played guitar when he was seven, switching to piano when he was 12. Three years later, he played with Thad Jones, who wrote a letter recommending him to the Berklee School of Music. Doky lived in Boston while attending Berklee from 1981-1984, spent a long period in New York, and eventually settled in Paris. He has worked with Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, Jack DeJohnette, Bob Berg, Clark Terry, Tom Harrell, and many others, and had such players as Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, Bob Berg, Terri Lyne Carrington, and John Scofield as side players on his records. Niels Lan Doky has recorded as a leader for Storyville, Milestone, and Soul Note, and occasionally co-leads the Doky Brothers with his younger sibling Chris, who plays bass; they have recorded a set for Blue Note. ~bio by Scott Yanow

The Look Of Love

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Hot Club De Norvege - Stardust

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:18
Size: 110.6 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[4:48] 1. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[4:17] 2. Kvalsundet
[4:27] 3. Ved Rondane
[4:36] 4. Blessed Relief
[3:37] 5. Webster
[4:23] 6. The Bear And The Strawberry Tree
[3:04] 7. Jersey Bounce
[5:03] 8. Stardust
[2:49] 9. It Had To Be You
[3:39] 10. Meanwhile, Down On Earth
[3:15] 11. That's Why They Call Me Shine
[4:16] 12. Dream Of You

HOT CLUB DE NORVEGE - the original pioneers from the renaissance of the Django Reinhardt music in the 70-ies. Their starting point was the music of Django and the Quintette du Hot Club de France, mixed with gypsy folklore, waltzes and mainstram jazz, but also alternatives, like Frank Zappa, and Salvador Dalí (guitar player Larsen started as a painter). Today they have developed their own sound, and has become icons in the contemporary gypsy jazz. STARDUST (2017) is their new album With gypsy jazz from Grieg to Zappa. The title (and the front cover) is a hint to guitar player Jon Larsen's amazing discovery: there is STARDUST (small mineral particles from Space) everywhere! HOT CLUB DE NORVEGE are famous to a large audience for their rare blend of virtuoso music and surrealistic humour, and they are touring world wide. They have performed and recorded with all the stars of the gypsy swing, from Stéphane Grappelli and Stochelo Rosenberg, to Jimmy Rosenberg, Angelo Debarre and Bireli Lagrene. They have also played with several classical ensembles and orchestras, from the Vertavo Quartet and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, to classical stars like Nigel Kennedy. Hot Club de Norvège have released more than 30 CDs, and DVDs. The magical gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt is sweeping across the world, and Hot Club de Norvège is one of the truly original groups in the genre. Their traditional string jazz quartet has a mature sound like no other, and is often extended when violinist Finn Hauge swich to his chromatic harmonica, in the style of Toots Thielemans. Guitar player Jon Larsen is one of the top jazz guitar players in the Django style today. He is also a composer, and has received several awards.

HOT CLUB DE NORVEGE is: Jon Larsen (guitar), Finn Hauge (violin and harmonica), Stian Vågen Nilsen (guitar) and Svein Aarbostad (bass).

Stardust

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Paul VornHagen - Trust Your Heart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:03
Size: 100.9 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz & vocals
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[4:41] 1. I'm Old Fashioned
[3:47] 2. All Or Nothing At All
[6:16] 3. Moonlight In Vermont
[4:38] 4. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
[5:41] 5. Only Trust Your Heart
[4:45] 6. Whisper Not
[4:30] 7. The Party's Over
[4:01] 8. Lullaby Of Birdland
[5:39] 9. Nature Boy

6-time Detroit Music Award winning Paul Vornhagen's newest album, Trust Your Heart, featuring standards such as "Lullaby of Birdland" and "I'm Old Fashioned". Paul is featured on vocals, flute, saxophones and percussion -- and is joined by Detroit jazz greats Gary Schunk on piano and Kurt Krahnke on acoustic bass.

Trust Your Heart

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Gabrielle Stravelli - Dream Ago

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:16
Size: 119.7 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[3:50] 1. Dream Dancing
[3:32] 2. Cake Of My Childhood
[3:56] 3. Little Zochee
[5:55] 4. Where Is The Song
[4:33] 5. If Only Love Was Blind
[3:04] 6. Didn't You Tell Me
[2:51] 7. Bicycle Blues
[4:18] 8. It Might As Well Be Spring
[5:45] 9. Dream Ago
[5:15] 10. Prism
[3:27] 11. More
[5:44] 12. Now I Know

“Listening to the jazz singer Gabrielle Stravelli is like imbibing a potent cocktail whose flavor changes as you drain the glass. In the first couple of sips, the predominant taste is the sparkling wine that has drifted to the top, for Ms. Stravelli’s bright, rippling voice exudes a natural effervescence. Before long, it darkens, and the heady liquor underneath kicks in...As she dipped and swooped, twirling notes and phrases with a confidence and playfulness that recalled Ella Fitzgerald in her prime, Ms. Stravelli began interpreting lyrics with a ferocity that her vocal pyrotechnics accentuated...” ~Stephen Holden, the New York Times

Award-winning vocalist Gabrielle Stravelli has garnered critical acclaim and a loyal following through her original songs and her unique take on material from the New American songbook as well as classic standards by artists as varied as Pink Floyd and Duke Ellington, Dolly Parton and Johnny Mercer. A trained actor, Gabrielle has a soulful sensitivity for the story in the lyric and was called “a powerhouse of individual expression” by David Finkle of The Village Voice.

In January 2017, Gabrielle released her third album, "Dream Ago" comprised primarily of original material co-written with bassist Pat O'Leary. The album received a five-star review from DownBeat Magazine and garnered raves from the Huffington Post, Scott Yanow of LA Jazz Scene and Tony Frankel of LA's Stage and Cinema among others. In March Gabrielle and her trio toured the album for ten days traveling from Philadelphia across the Midwest.

Dream Ago

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Jerry Byrd - Potpourri

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:45
Size: 65.8 MB
Styles: Steel guitar jazz
Year: 1966
Art: Front

[1:49] 1. Ridin' High
[2:24] 2. Invitation (To Love)
[2:16] 3. Sleepless Nights
[2:14] 4. Indian Love Call
[2:47] 5. Dancing Under The Stars
[2:24] 6. Chile Nights
[2:19] 7. Coconut Grove
[2:26] 8. Goodbye Kiss
[2:47] 9. Harbor Lights
[2:42] 10. Day Dream
[2:11] 11. Torn Sarong
[2:21] 12. Valley Of The Roses

Famed guitarist Jerry Byrd was born on March 9, 1920 in Lima, OH. As a child, he developed a passion for Hawaiian music, although he made his first inroads into performing by playing country on an area radio station between 1935 and 1937. After a stint on Cincinnati's WLW, he joined the Renfro Valley Barn Dance in 1941; a year later, he jumped to WJR in Detroit, and remained there until he signed on with Ernie Lee's Pleasant Valley Boys in 1944.

Byrd remained with Lee until 1946, when he formed his own group, the Jay-Bird Trio. Two years later, he joined Red Foley's band and became a session staple at King Records. Also in 1948, Byrd cut his first singles, "Mountain Mambo" and, under the name Jerry Robin, "Sun Shadows." Later in the year, he issued his first 78, "Steelin' the Blues." While at King, Byrd also recorded a handful of Hawaiian songs, and as the years wore on, the music became his primary focus.

Still, Byrd remained an active figure on the country landscape; in 1950 he became a regular on Foley's NBC television program, and from 1954 to 1956 he was featured on the Nashville-based series Home Folks. An eight-year stint on the program Country Junction followed, and in 1964 he became a member of Bobby Lord's TV band. In 1968, Byrd left country for good, moving to Hawaii to focus exclusively on the state's native music. ~ Jason Ankeny

Potpourri

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Michel Bisceglia - Inner You

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:37
Size: 128,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:20)  1. Sandino
(5:23)  2. Out to Sea
(4:21)  3. Lorenz Àactor
(4:19)  4. Softly As In The Morning Sunrise
(6:52)  5. Simone
(5:34)  6. Paisellu Miu
(4:42)  7. With Purpose
(5:09)  8. Blues For Alice
(8:09)  9. Side Square
(5:44) 10. The Traveller

Inner You is a jazzalbum by pianist Michel Bisceglia, with his renowned European jazztrio, recorded in 2007. It contains a combination of self-composed music and covers of musicians such as Charlie Haden, Charlie Parker and Rocco Granata. 

The album title refers to the adult inner game between the virtuosity and the musical roots of Michel Bisceglia, which highly characterizes his music. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Inner-You-Michel-Bisceglia/dp/B000NJMKYM

Personnel: Michel Bisceglia (piano); Marc Léhan (drums).

Inner You

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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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