Friday, December 29, 2017

David Kikoski - Inner Trust

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:02
Size: 155.7 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[7:08] 1. Some Other Blues
[7:42] 2. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
[5:36] 3. Mirical
[6:59] 4. Inner Trust
[8:14] 5. You Don't What Love Is
[8:47] 6. Two Lonely People
[3:18] 7. Once Upon A Summertime
[4:16] 8. We See
[8:14] 9. Old Folks
[7:44] 10. Winnie's Garden

David Kikoski (P); Ed Howard (B); Leon Parker (D). Recorded December 19, 1997 in New York City, NY, USA by Max Bolleman.

One of David Kikoski's strongest offerings, Inner Trust is a departure in that it focuses primarily on non-original material. Three of the ten tracks are by the pianist, but the rest are standards and jazz classics. Joined by Leon Parker on drums and fellow Roy Haynes sideman Ed Howard on bass, Kikoski reaches consistently grand heights of harmonic invention on burning numbers like "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" and John Coltrane's "Some Other Blues." "Winnie's Garden," a Kikoski-penned workout over the chord changes to "Sweet Georgia Brown," practically overflows with energy. And Thelonius Monk's "We See" swings with almost comic cleverness. On the softer side are "You Don't Know What Love Is," "Old Folks," and the unaccompanied "Once Upon a Summertime." "Two Lonely People," a little-known song composed by master pianist Bill Evans and once sung by Tony Bennett, is also noteworthy. Of the two remaining originals, "Mirical" is mannered, but the title track is one of Kikoski's finest achievements -- a simple, stately melody that serves as a launching pad for bold and impassioned improvisation. (A version for quintet can be heard on Roy Haynes's Praise.) ~David R. Adler

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Chad & Jeremy - Before And After

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 27:39
Size: 63.3 MB
Styles: AM pop, Sunshine pop
Year: 1965/2016
Art: Front

[2:37] 1. Before And After
[2:42] 2. Why Should I Care
[2:14] 3. For Lovin' Me
[2:34] 4. I'm In Love Again
[2:55] 5. Little Does She Know
[3:20] 6. Tell Me Baby
[2:54] 7. What Do You Want With Me
[1:59] 8. Say It Isn't True
[2:08] 9. Fare Thee Well (I Must Be Gone)
[2:12] 10. Evil-Hearted Me
[1:59] 11. Can't Get Used To Losing You

Chad & Jeremy's first Columbia album was similar to their previous material (recorded for Ember in the U.K. and licensed by World Artists in the U.S.) in its light British Invasion pop/rock style with folky overtones. There wasn't anything here quite on the level of their previous big hits, "Yesterday's Gone" and "A Summer Song," though the orchestrated ballad "Before and After" would be their final Top 20 single. As a whole the album's a bit of a variety show, the pair proving modestly enjoyable to mediocre at a range of approaches on both originals and outside material. There's the nearly straight folk of "Fare Thee Well (I Must Be Gone)" and Gordon Lightfoot's "For Lovin' Me," more orchestrated pop/rock ballads ("I'm in Love Again," "Tell Me Baby," and a slightly inferior remake of "What Do You Want With Me," which they had already done for Ember), bouncy British Invasion pop ("Little Does She Know," "Say It Isn't True"), the Andy Williams hit "Can't Get Used to Losing You," and even a strained attempt at a British Invasion R&B rave-up ("Evil-Hearted You"). "Why Should I Care" is about the best of the original tunes, though at one point it blatantly rips off a riff from the Zombies' "She's Not There." The 2002 CD reissue on Sundazed doubles the length with an assortment of rare singles, outtakes, and alternate versions. None of these are astounding, but some of the more interesting extras include their B-side-only cover of Dino Valenti's "Pennies," which makes its CD debut; the previously unissued version of the obscure Zombies song "Sometimes"; the Italian-sung "Adesso Si" and "Nessuno Piu Di Me," a Europe-only single in 1966; and both sides of the rare 1966 Chad and Jill Stuart single (Jill Stuart was Chad Stuart's wife), which paired covers of Peter, Paul & Mary's "The Cruel War" and Bob Lind's "I Can't Talk to You." ~Richie Unterberger

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Alice Fredenham - Under The Covers

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:29
Size: 79.0 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[3:50] 1. Wishing On A Star
[4:12] 2. Bluebird
[2:49] 3. Coconut Grove
[3:07] 4. Doctor My Eyes
[5:16] 5. Feelin' Alright
[2:30] 6. My Funny Valentine
[3:32] 7. Feel Like Makin' Love
[3:26] 8. Wild Wood
[3:13] 9. Sunshine Of Your Love
[2:29] 10. Hushabye Mountain

Alice Fredenham first hit the public eye in 2013 as a contestant on Britain's Got Talent where she absolutely wowed both the audience and the panel in her first performance singing 'My Funny Valentine'. Simon Cowell's quote was she had a voice like "liquid gold". Although Alice, to most people's surprise, didn't progress beyond the semi-finals, she built up a loyal, avid fanbase with her sultry powerful vocals and cool classic look and to date her BGT initial appearance has had over 40,000,000 hits on YouTube. Alice is a particular favorite with the American market. In 2015 Alice secured funding via Kickstarter, to a significant level, to record an album. Under the Covers was recorded at Real World and is a covers album with Alice's personal take on a mix of classic tracks, both contemporary and standards and recorded with professional musicians. The album features special guest on sax and flute Theo Travis

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Derek Nash - Joyriding

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:54
Size: 155.4 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[7:39] 1. Joyriding
[5:41] 2. Waltz For My Father
[5:23] 3. All The Things You Are
[6:28] 4. Cinema Paradiso (Love Theme)
[4:32] 5. The Time Of Your Life
[5:05] 6. Be My Valentine
[5:16] 7. Majolica
[8:06] 8. Love At First Sound
[7:10] 9. Voodoo Rex
[8:43] 10. Haunting Me
[3:47] 11. Be My Valentine (Vocal Version)

Derek Nash: saxophones, percussion; Dave Newton: piano; Geoff Gascoyne: bass; Sebastiaan de Krom: drums; Martin Shaw: trumpet; Winston Rollins: trombone (9); Beverley Vaughan: vocals, percussion (11).

One of the strengths of the current British jazz scene comes from its core of mainstream, straight-ahead musicians, who focus their creative abilities on drawing fresh nuances from established musical styles; saxophonist Derek Nash is one of them. Joyriding features what he refers to as his "regular quartet," although that phrase does scant justice to the quality of the musicianship. Nash is a member of Jools Holland's Rhythm And Blues Orchestra, a regular presence on BBC TV where Holland has his own music show, Later. Pianist Dave Newton is a winner of nine British Jazz Awards, while bassist Geoff Gascoyne and drummer Sebastiaan de Krom are long-term members of Jamie Cullum's band.

Nash displays engagingly eclectic taste. He co-wrote three tunes with his father, Pat, a respected arranger. "Waltz For My Father" is a particular standout, for its lilting, optimistic melody and for Nash's lyrical playing. The other compositions encompass the hard-bop-meets-blues of "Joyriding"—a tune that conjures images of groovy '60s TV shows like Rowan And Martin's Laugh-In—and the cool swing of Phil Phillips' "Be My Valentine," later reprised in a vocal version featuring singer Beverly Vaughan. "Love At First Sound" is a gentle, slightly melancholy, ballad, with Nash's rich, warm, saxophone lent understated support by Newton, Gascoyne and de Krom. "Voodoo Rex," which Nash dedicates to his alto saxophone, is a terrific ensemble number. The core quartet is joined by Winston Rollins' funky trombone, creating a really full-blooded sound. Nash's take on songbook standards is similarly fresh. Jerome Kern's "All The Things You Are" has the feel of a Dave Brubeck arrangement, Nash taking the lead as the rhythm section drives him on, before Newton and Gascoyne deliver strong, emphatic solos of their own. Ennio Morricone's "Cinema Paradiso (Love Theme)," with its slinky Latin sensuality, is gorgeously romantic; bass and drums are, once again, central to the creation its mood, and there's some lovely interplay between Nash and Newton.

Joyriding is an album full of good vibes and upbeat grooves, tempered by the occasional reflective and romantic interlude. The playing is superb, the sound quality is exceptional (thanks to Nash's production at Clowns Pocket Studio) and the tunes are very definitely a joy. ~Bruce Lindsay

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Steve Kuhn Trio - Plays Standards

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:01
Size: 162.6 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[7:16] 1. Alone Together
[5:31] 2. Golden Earrings
[5:59] 3. I Wish I Knew
[4:07] 4. Left Alone
[6:25] 5. Blue Bossa
[6:34] 6. Nature Boy
[6:32] 7. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
[5:20] 8. You Leave Me Breathless
[6:23] 9. Oceans In The Sky
[5:28] 10. I See Your Face Before Me
[6:50] 11. Love Letters
[4:35] 12. Beautiful Love

Bass – Buster Williams; Drums – Al Foster; Piano – Steve Kuhn. Recorded at The Studio in New York on August 30/31, 2006.

Veteran jazz pianist Steve Kuhn has proved to be a popular artist in Japan, recording a series of CDs for the Japanese label Venus. On these 2006 sessions, Kuhn is joined by bassist Buster Williams and drummer Al Foster, two artists who also have extensive résumés. While the CD is titled Plays Standards, Kuhn doesn't stick exclusively to well-known works. In addition to Victor Young's widely recognized "Beautiful Love" (a favorite of pianist Bill Evans), the pianist offers a seductive take of the composer's "Golden Earrings" and a lighthearted, breezy setting of "Love Letters" as well. Kuhn's intense workout of "Alone Together" includes an amusing detour into Thelonious Monk's "Locomotive," while his revamping of "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" disguises the tune rather well. Kuhn also revisits his original "Oceans in the Sky," a brilliant piece evocative of a coming storm. Highly recommended. ~Ken Dryden

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Buddy Tate - Swinging Like Tate

Styles: Saxophone And Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:48
Size: 94,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:03)  1. Bottle
(8:36)  2. Walk That Walk
(5:59)  3. Miss Sadie Brown
(7:40)  4. Moon Eyes
(7:02)  5. Rockin' Steve
(5:25)  6. Rompin' With Buck

For this CD reissue, which brings back material originally recorded by Stanley Dance for the Felsted label, veteran swing tenor Buddy Tate is heard at the head of two different groups for three obscure songs apiece. The first half has Tate leading his Celebrity Club Orchestra, a four-horn octet that lacked any big names but worked regularly throughout the era. For the second half, Tate is teamed with some of the Count Basie alumni including trumpeter Buck Clayton, trombonist Dicky Wells, altoist Earle Warren and drummer Jo Jones. The music overall is fine mainstream jazz of the 1950's that is easily recommended to straightahead jazz fans although little unexpected or all that memorable occurs. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/swinging-like-tate-mw0000200603 

Personnel: Buddy Tate (tenor sax, clarinet); Pat Jenkins (trumpet); Eli Robinson (trombone); Ben Richardson (alto sax, clarinet); Skip Hall (piano); Everett Barksdale (guitar); Joe Benjamin (bass); Herbie Lovelle (drums); Buck Clayton (trumpet); Dicky Wells (trombone); Earle Warren (alto sax, baritone sax); Lord Westbrook (guitar); Aaron Bell (bass); Jo Jones (drums).

Swinging Like Tate

Ruby Braff - Our Love Is Here To Stay

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:52
Size: 151,2 MB
Art: Front

(8:03)  1. Linger Awhile
(6:00)  2. All My Life
(3:54)  3. Day In Day Out
(7:21)  4. I'm Coming Virginia
(8:42)  5. I Know That You Know
(8:25)  6. Deed I Do
(6:15)  7. Clear Water
(9:36)  8. Medley: What Is There To Say? /  Our Love Is Here To Stay
(6:33)  9. The Darktown Strutter's Ball

Ruby Braff's career spanned from the 1940s until months before his death in early 2003. This 2011 release comes from two previously unissued sessions in the spring of 1998, not that they were substandard in any way, but just set aside as other projects were completed. The veteran cornetist was a master of subtlety and a consistently inspired improviser, while he sought to surround himself with a similar caliber of players. Guitarist Howard Alden (a frequent collaborator), alto saxophonist Chuck Wilson, rhythm guitarist Jon Wheatley, bassist Marshall Wood, and drummer Jim Gwin make up the main group. The performances feel like they came together with little more than a brief discussion, though there were some on-the-spot charts created by Braff with Alden's help. The delightful interplay is a constant factor throughout the sessions. The satisfying "Linger Awhile" showcases Braff's rich cornet, yet there is plenty of space to feature Wilson and Alden as well. "I'm Comin' Virginia" fell out of fashion by the time bop started dominating jazz, though in Braff's mind, good melodies never grew stale, as he proves in this loping, lyrical performance. "I Know That You Know" swings like mad with the addition of Scott Robinson on tenor sax (he joins Wilson in playing harmony to accompany Braff's opening solo), while Robinson's warm solo combines the influences of all of the great swing tenor saxophonists. The last four tracks add Robinson and trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso (another gifted player somewhat in Braff's mold), providing a perfect foil for the leader in a snappy take of "'Deed I Do" and Braff's melancholy blues "Clear Water" (based on the changes to "Love Me or Love Me"). Wilson switches to clarinet for the deliberate, foot-tapping exploration of the old chestnut "The Darktown Strutters' Ball," in which the group avoids stating the melody outright and works its way around its chord progression in a superb Dixieland setting. Fans of Ruby Braff can only hope that more unissued treasures by the late great cornetist are revealed on future Arbors CDs to follow this top-drawer collection. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/our-love-is-here-to-stay-mw0002099731

Personnel: Ruby Braff (cornet); Howard Alden, Jon Wheatley (guitar); Chuck Wilson (alto saxophone); Jim Gwin (drums).

Our Love Is Here To Stay

Dave Valentin - Jungle Garden

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:56
Size: 98,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:05)  1. Awakening
(6:21)  2. Oasis
(4:57)  3. Bones (A Lion Who Lived and Died in the Kalahari)
(5:00)  4. Love Light in Flight
(4:41)  5. Jungle Garden
(3:51)  6. Very Nice Indeed
(5:42)  7. I Loves You Porgy
(4:55)  8. Eighty-One
(5:19)  9. Tabasco

?Dave Valentin, who recorded over 15 albums for GRP, combined together the influence of pop, R&B, and Brazilian music with Latin jazz to create a slick and accessible form of crossover jazz. At age nine, Valentin enjoyed playing bongos and congas. He gigged at Latin clubs in New York from age 12 and it was not until he was 18 that he seriously started studying flute. Valentin's teacher, Hubert Laws, suggested that he not double on saxophone because of his attractive sound on the flute. In 1977, he made his recording debut with Ricardo Marrero's group, and he was also on a Noel Pointer album. Discovered by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen, Valentin was the first artist signed to GRP and he was a popular attraction for years to follow. After the mid-2000s, Valentin was signed to Highnote Records, releasing World on a String in 2005, Come Fly with Me in 2006, and Pure Imagination in 2011. Valentin suffered a debilitating stroke in 2012 and a second stroke three years later; he died in 2017 at the age of 64. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dave-valentin-mn0000625994/biography

Personnel:  Flute, Percussion, Synthesizer, Producer – Dave Valentin;  Bass – Lincoln Goines;  Congas, Percussion – Frank Malabé;  Drums – Robert Ameen;  Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Bill O'Connell

Jungle Garden

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Bruce Barth - East & West

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:46
Size: 134.5 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[6:19] 1. At The Ranch
[5:42] 2. I'm Old Fashioned
[5:17] 3. Riding Off..
[6:37] 4. Sundown Time
[7:04] 5. The Lexter
[3:51] 6. Ask Me Now
[5:30] 7. The Dude
[7:48] 8. A Joyful Noise (For Jw)
[4:00] 9. My Shining Hour
[6:33] 10. Let's Call This

Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet – Steve Wilson; Bass – Ugonna Okegwo; Drums – Al Foster; Piano, Producer – Bruce Barth; Soprano Saxophone – Sam Newsome; Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Adam Kolker; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Terell Stafford. Recorded December 3-4, 2000.

Pianist Bruce Barth is a producer for MAXJAZZ. He has been instrumental in producing the highly successful Vocal Series for the label. He now steps halfway out of the sound booth and gets behind his piano to produce, with the help of an all-star cast, jazz of great complexity, thoughtfulness and sensitivity. I don't know if Mr. Barth is doing anything different, but the refinement in this music seems to elevate it to a level somewhere well-beyond what usually crosses my desk. That is saying a lot because I have listened to precious little bad music.

Barth's compositions have an old time feel while remaining strictly contemporary. "At The Ranch" evokes a "Hot Fives and Sevens" temperament in the head and middle Miles feel in the solos. This duplex philosophy is further explored in the standards "I'm Old Fashioned" and "My Shining Hour". The disc is saxophone heavy, with all but the baritone represented. Adam Kolker, who spends most of his time in the tenor chair, pulls out the bass clarinet to provide a Harry Carney/Eric Dolphy ambience. Likewise soprano saxophonist Sam Newsome adds a Coltrane flair to the whole affair. Newcomer Terell Stafford, hot off his recent Nagel Heyer release Fields of Gold proves why he is the new next-best-thing-to-sliced-bread. ~C. Michael Bailey

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Nikoletta Szöke - Moonglow

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:15
Size: 126.5 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[3:40] 1. I Wish You Love
[3:24] 2. My Baby Just Cares For Me
[3:40] 3. Moon Glow
[4:56] 4. Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar
[5:16] 5. So Many Stars
[6:52] 6. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
[5:20] 7. Smile
[4:35] 8. Someone To Watch Over Me
[5:36] 9. All The Good Life
[4:20] 10. Day In Day Out
[4:06] 11. Teach Me Tonight
[3:25] 12. Let There Be Love

I was born in the city of Zalaegerszeg, on 8 May, 1983. I was only four years old when we moved to Budapest and I started my studies there. From my musician family, to my cimbalom player father since my birth I was surrounded with music and my talent showed in a very early age,however my life went to a different direction. Yet in Zalaegerszeg, I begun to go to kindergarten music but because of moving I had considerably long break, fourteen years. Thereafter at age eighteen after my high-school graduation exam it defined in me that I would like to learn to sing. At my first significant performance I met my future husband bassist József Barcza Horváth and thankfully through him I found the genre of music were I can express most of all my self: that is Jazz. He was the person who introduced me to my later singing teacher,the known and acclaimed Gábor Winand. Finishing Economy Technical College and External Trade Administration Department Qualification achievement I wanted entirely devote my self to singing. In this there was interference, I was studying at the Study of Music Art School and also at the same time at Loránd Eötvös University of Science Liberal Arts English and Russian department, nevertheless when I had to choose the decision was obvious. From thereon nothing could hampered that I want to spend my day to days with singing jazz and in big part because when I was learning singing I begun to perform as well. At first with Robert Szakcsi Lakatos trio and after with more and more combos. After three and a half years of study and continuous performances I applied to the Famous Monteux Jazz festival were they held the third voice competition in 2005 called Shure Montreux Jazz voice Competition were from all around the world under 30 years of age singers could apply. To my big joy I was invited to the only 8 semifinalist, where I came out as the first prize winner and also as the winner of the audience award. For me this achievement is not only important because it comes with prestige but because such artists (Barbara Hendricks, Randy Crawford among others) were judging me that I look up professionally with out any condition. In January 2006 I took part on Conference of International Associaton for Jazz Education (IAJE Conference) in New York, and I performed in Hilton New York Hotel and in the club of Lincoln Center, Dizzy's Club. My partners were: Gilad Hekselman, Israel (2005 Montreux Guitar Competition Winner), Harold Lopez Nussa-Torres, Cuba (2005 Montreux Piano Competition Winner) and Geoff Newman and Anthony Pinciotti from USA. In 2006 I won a scholarship, which can be given to three young Hungarian musicians every year. I am very proud of this scholarship, because the jury consisted of very recognized Hungarian musicians, Béla Sa-chi and Kalman Olah amongst others. I returned to Montreux as a performer with my beloved band - Róbert, József and András - and we made a concert on 30 June 2006 before Paolo Conte.

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Chet Baker - Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen To You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:51
Size: 116.4 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz, Vocal jazz
Year: 1958/2010
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. Do It The Hard Way
[5:02] 2. I’m Old Fashioned
[2:52] 3. You’re Driving Me Crazy
[2:49] 4. It Could Happen To You
[3:24] 5. My Heart Stood Still
[3:02] 6. The More I See You
[5:01] 7. Everything Happens To Me
[3:05] 8. Dancing On The Ceiling
[4:06] 9. How Long Has This Been Going On
[2:55] 10. Old Devil Moon
[4:18] 11. While My Lady Sleeps (Take 10)
[3:37] 12. You Make Me Feel So Young (Take 5)
[2:46] 13. The More I See You (Take 8)
[4:51] 14. Everything Happens To Me (Alternate)

The ultra-hip and sophisticated "cool jazz" that Chet Baker (trumpet/vocals) helped define in the early '50s matured rapidly under the tutelage of producer Dick Bock. This can be traced to Baker's earliest sides on Bock's L.A.-based Pacific Jazz label. This album is the result of Baker's first sessions for the independent Riverside label. The Chet Baker Quartet featured on Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen to You includes Kenny Drew (piano), Sam Jones (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums). (Performances by bassist George Morrow and drummer Dannie Richmond are featured on a few cuts.) This results in the successful combination of Baker's fluid and nonchalant West Coast delivery with the tight swinging accuracy of drummer Jones and pianist Drew. Nowhere is this balance better displayed than the opening and closing sides on the original album, "Do It the Hard Way" and "Old Devil Moon," respectively. One immediate distinction between these vocal sides and those recorded earlier in the decade for Pacific Jazz is the lissome quality of Baker's playing and, most notably, his increased capacity as a vocalist. The brilliant song selection certainly doesn't hurt either. This is an essential title in Chet Baker's 30-plus year canon. [Some reissues contain two bonus tracks, "I'm Old Fashioned" and "While My Lady Sleeps"]. ~Lindsay Planer

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Eartha Kitt - That Bad Eartha

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:08
Size: 85.0 MB
Styles: Jazz-pop vocals
Year: 1956/2007
Art: Front

[3:30] 1. I Want To Be Evil
[2:59] 2. C'est Si Bon
[3:26] 3. Angelitos Negros
[2:53] 4. Avril Au Portugal
[3:04] 5. Let's Do It
[3:02] 6. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[3:09] 7. Uska Dara-A Turkish Tale
[2:51] 8. African Lullaby
[2:36] 9. Mountain High, Valley Low
[3:46] 10. Lilac Wine
[2:41] 11. Under The Bridges Of Paris
[3:04] 12. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Like its predecessor, RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt, Eartha Kitt's second album, That Bad Eartha, also released in 1953, became a Top Five hit in a year when the curiosity about this exotic creature seemed to be limitless. Although she was actually from South Carolina by way of Harlem, Kitt came across as an international chanteuse, which spending a few years in Paris, among other places, will do for you. Her recording of "C'est Si Bon (It's So Good)," included here, had reached the Top Ten in August, preceded by a minor chart entry in "Uska Dara -- A Turkish Tale" and followed by another, "I Want to Be Evil." Both were also included. In addition to French and Turkish, Kitt sang in Spanish and Swahili, which was more than enough to justify her image as a classy import. Another part of that image was her somewhat predatory sex appeal, which was explored fully in "I Want to Be Evil" and two Cole Porter favorites, "Let's Do It" and "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." Of course, there was sleight-of-hand going on there, too, but Kitt didn't suffer from having a wholly contrived persona, because she let her listeners in on the joke. It wasn't accidental that the title of the album had quotes around it. And in the same way, her relatively limited vocal range didn't matter because she acted her way through her performances as if they were short plays. The only problem, in fact, was that Kitt defined herself so well she was ultimately one-dimensional. It was not surprising when the hits dried up within a year, since she came across on records as a novelty act; but she had developed an act she could keep playing for the rest of her life. And that's exactly what she did. ~William Ruhlmann

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Bill Doggett - Am I Blue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:49
Size: 155.3 MB
Styles: Piano blues/jazz
Year: 1978/2008
Art: Front

[6:02] 1. Guess Who
[4:47] 2. Anahuac Breakdown
[6:00] 3. Time On My Hands
[5:53] 4. Am I Blue
[7:30] 5. Please Send Me Someone To Love
[5:01] 6. Grease Bowl
[5:39] 7. When Your Lover Has Gone
[5:31] 8. This Bitter Earth
[7:13] 9. Night Train
[7:32] 10. Where Are You
[6:36] 11. It Could Happen To You

Bill Doggett, an R&B man famous for the hit "Honky Tonk", is heard here playing the blues, but a warm, jazz-based blues, accompanied by the beautiful sax of Bubba Brooks, Pete Mayes on guitar and vocalist Toni Williams sounding a lot like Ella with her beautiful voice on the title track. This is a real gem of a recording. ~Little Joey

This record is an opportunity to hear not only Bill Doggett on the organ and piano, but also the excellent Bubba Brooks on tenor sax, the guitarist Pete Mayes and the rarely Heard singer Toni Williams.

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Bucky Pizzarelli - Challis In Wonderland

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:38
Size: 148.0 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:59] 1. Sunday
[4:05] 2. Sugar
[4:01] 3. Challis In Wonderland
[7:09] 4. Davenport Blues
[3:00] 5. In The Dark
[1:29] 6. Romanza
[5:38] 7. Singing The Blues
[4:52] 8. In A Mist
[3:41] 9. Oh Baby
[5:55] 10. Sugar
[5:11] 11. Candlelight
[6:38] 12. What's New
[4:55] 13. I'm Coming Virginia
[2:58] 14. Flashes

Bucky Pizzarelli salutes arranger Bill Challis, who was responsible for many of the most important charts played by the Jean Goldkette Orchestra and Paul Whiteman's Orchestra, along with helping transcribe the handful of compositions by legendary cornetist Bix Beiderbecke. In his eighties at the time of these sessions, the seven-string guitarist shows no signs of slowing down, joined by bassist Jerry Bruno and on a few tracks adding his son John on guitar or a swinging string quartet led by the talented young violinist Aaron Weinstein with string arrangements by Dick Lieb. Most of the repertoire includes music of the '20s and '30s, with two exceptions. Pizzarelli's original "Challis in Wonderland" is a lush, laid-back ballad saluting the arranger performed as a guitar duet, while Bob Haggart's timeless ballad "What's New" has long been a part of the leader's repertoire. Zez Confrey (the novelty pianist and composer of "Kitten on the Keys") penned the obscure "Romanza," played as an intimate father/son duet. The trio's intricate reading of Beiderbecke's "In the Dark" is a lyrical masterpiece. Pizzarelli is buoyed by the strings in his breezy, toe-tapping rendition of Beiderbecke's "Davenport Blues," while the cornetist's "In a Mist" has long been a brilliant, expected solo feature for the guitarist at jazz parties. Weinstein switches to mandolin for a swinging setting of "Oh Baby" with the leader and Bruno. These rewarding sessions by Bucky Pizzarelli provide ample proof that the master guitarist keeps the spirits of Bix Beiderbecke and Bill Challis very much alive. ~Ken Dryden

Challis In Wonderland mc
Challis In Wonderland zippy

Freddie Hubbard - Hub-Tones

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:42
Size: 138.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1962/1999/2014
Art: Front

[6:32] 1. You're My Everything
[5:27] 2. Prophet Jennings
[8:19] 3. Hub-Tones
[9:36] 4. Lament For Booker
[8:33] 5. For Spee's Sake
[6:25] 6. You're My Everything (Alternate Take)
[7:55] 7. Hub-Tones (Alternate Take)
[7:51] 8. For Spee's Sake (Alternate Take)

Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard teams up on record with James Spaulding (who doubles on alto and flute) for the first time on this excellent set, with the assistance of pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Clifford Jarvis. The quintet performs four of the trumpeter's originals (including "Lament for Booker" and the title cut) plus an advanced version of the standard "You're My Everything." John Coltrane's modal music was starting to influence Hubbard's conception and his own playing was pushing the modern mainstream ahead without really entering the avant-garde.

Hub-Tones mc
Hub-Tones zippy

Sam Most - Sam Most Plays Bird, Bud, Monk & Miles

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:16
Size: 92,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:26)  1. Strictly Confidential
(3:42)  2. Half Nelson
(5:31)  3. 'Round Midnight
(3:56)  4. In Walked Bud
(6:04)  5. Serpent's Tooth
(3:45)  6. Celia
(4:12)  7. Confirmation
(7:36)  8. Bluebird

One of the first great jazz flutists, a cool-toned tenor, and a fine (if infrequent) clarinetist, Sam Most was the younger brother of clarinetist Abe Most. He picked up early experience playing with the orchestras of Tommy Dorsey (1948), Boyd Raeburn, and Don Redman. By the time he led his first session (1953), Most was a brilliant flutist (among the first to sing through his flute) and he briefly had the jazz field to himself. 

Most recorded fine sessions for Prestige, Debut (reissued on Xanadu), Vanguard, and Bethlehem during 1953-1958, doubling on clarinet. He also worked in different settings with Chris Connor, Paul Quinichette, and Teddy Wilson. After playing with Buddy Rich's Orchestra (1959-1961), he moved to Los Angeles and became a studio musician. Sam Most worked with Red Norvo and Louie Bellson, gained some new prominence with his Xanadu recordings of 1976-1979, and became a local fixture in Los Angeles, sometimes playing in clubs with his brother. Most died of cancer in June 2013; he was 82 years old. ~ Scott Yanow  https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sam-most-plays-bird-bud-monk-miles-remastered-2013/689372772

Personnel:  Sam Most - Clarinet;  David Schildkraut - Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone;  Oscar Pettiford - Bass;  Tommy Potter - Bass;  Paul Motian - Drums;  Bob Dorough - Piano;  Dick Meldonian, Eddie Wasserman, Marty Flax - Tenor Saxophone, Bill Elton, Frank Rehak, Jim Dahl - Trombone;   Al Stewart, Charles Harmon, Don Stratton, Doug Mettome, Ed Reider, III - Trumpet

Sam Most Plays Bird, Bud, Monk & Miles

Holly Near - Show Up

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:26
Size: 113,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:08)  1. Family Band
(5:01)  2. Somebody's Jail
(3:50)  3. Gandhi/Buddha
(4:00)  4. I Am Willing
(4:15)  5. I Want You Gone Too
(4:52)  6. Lives in the Balance
(3:58)  7. Bound by the Beauty
(4:22)  8. Hattie and Mattie
(2:28)  9. Show Up
(4:17) 10. It's About Time
(3:12) 11. Drunken Sailor
(3:34) 12. This is Peace
(2:22) 13. Oh River

The song, Where Have All the Flowers Gone, flourished on the airwaves during the height of the Vietnam War. It’s hard to forget Pete Seeger’s haunting refrain When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn? These words demonstrate the power that an artist and a song can wield to help end a war. But can today’s popular music bring about a similar cultural and political change one that will help end the war in Iraq? If so, what are the songs and who will sing them?  Holly Near an outspoken activist, singer, teacher, and recording artist has spent the past 35 years working for progressive political and social change. Over the years, Holly’s powerful anthems have captured the mood of many movements and now her voice and messages are no less urgent than those of 35 years ago. As one Holly Near fan put it, “She is a delightful combination of Pete Seeger and Judy Garland!”  Her latest recording, Show Up, is a pointed and provocative look at where society sits today in a new millennium and going into the fourth year of a U.S. led foreign war. From her poignant treatment of Jackson Browne’s scathing indictment of the big business war machine in Lives in the Balance to an ironic rewrite of Laura Love’s I Want You Gone, no topic is sacred to Holly Near. War, peace, love, family, corporation, government, addiction they all come under her scrutiny on Show Up. But Holly is not merely an observer. She invites audiences to take a stand to take the higher road of vision, peace, perspective, and leadership and to Show Up.  A superb mix of original songs and covers, Show Up showcases Holly’s extraordinary talent. Her songs Family Band and Somebody's Jail have the multi-layered poetry that do for a song what a high-powered lens does for a camera. I Am Willing is a healing balm in this time of great discouragement and despair; and she celebrates the environment in Jane Siberry’s Bound by the Beauty. Addiction gets a long hard look in Holly’s reworking of the old sea shanty Drunken Sailor, accompanied solely by Jackeline Rago’s driving percussive rhythms. This new recording is a launch pad for a tour by this powerful singer and delightful storyteller. Holly brings history alive as she relates her 35 years of work as a singer/songwriter and social change activist. And history meets the present as she takes on the opportunities and challenges facing the peace and justice movements of today. Whether out on her own or uniting with other contemporary activists, such as Gloria Steinem, Cindy Sheehan, and Medea Benjamin, Holly Near is keeping the political song tradition alive. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/hollynear7

Show Up

Herbie Mann - Do the Bossa Nova with Herbie Mann

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:13
Size: 76,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:21)  1. Deve ser amor (It Must Be Love)
(5:31)  2. Menina feia (Ugly Girl)
(2:38)  3. Amor em paz (Love in Peace)
(4:23)  4. Voce e eu (You and I)
(3:22)  5. One Note Samba (Samba de uma nota so)
(4:08)  6. Blues Walk
(4:26)  7. Consolacao (Consolation)
(4:21)  8. Bossa velha (Old Bossa)

Recorded in Rio w/ Baden Powell, Dom Um Romao, Durval Ferreira, Paulo Moura, Sergio Mendes, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luis Carlos Vinhas and even a 17=piece Escola de Samba! Very much ahead of the curve, Mann headed out to Brazil to record this stunning Brazil meets Jazz collaborations - in our humble opinion one of the toughest and most successfull of all Bossa meets Jazz records. https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/sjr/product/herbie-mann-do-the-bossa-nova-1962

Personnel:  Flute, Alto Flute – Herbie Mann;  Alto Saxophone – Paulo Moura;  Bass – Gabriel, Octavio Bailly Jr; ;  Drums – Dom Um, Juquinha, Papao;  Guitar – Baden Powell , Durval Ferreira;  Piano – Luiz Carlos Vinhas, Sergio Mendes; Piano, Arranged By, Conductor – Antonio Carlos Jobim;  Trumpet – Pedro Paulo;  Vocals – Antonio Carlos Jobim

Do the Bossa Nova with Herbie Mann

Oliver Nelson - Screamin' The Blues

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:54
Size: 91,4 MB
Art: Front

(10:59)  1. Screamin' The Blues
( 4:59)  2. March On, March On
( 5:49)  3. The Drive
( 6:43)  4. The Meetin'
( 6:25)  5. Three Seconds
( 4:58)  6. Alto-itis

Screamin' the Blues is an apt description of the soloists' approach on this 1960 session, here reissued as an RVG remaster, the first of three matching leader Oliver Nelson with avant-gardist Eric Dolphy. Although not as well-known as Nelson's masterpiece, Blues and the Abstract Truth (1961), the date is characterized, above all, by "generosity" on the part of all three principals, including the underrated trumpeter Richard Williams. Nelson's tenor solo on the title tune is the equivalent of an operatic tenor aria full-throated, dramatic, played to the back row. It alone is testimony to the remarkable player he was before putting the horn aside and arranging for everyone from Ringo Starr to Thelonious Monk to opera diva Rise Stevens. Add to these activities his film scores for Last Tango in Paris, Lady Sings the Blues, and Alfie, with a sound-track featuring Sonny Rollins, and you begin to wonder less at why he died so young than how he accomplished so much in his forty-three years. On both tenor and alto Nelson favored a pure but powerful sound. His vibrato spins tightly and he's forward on the beat, but otherwise the decisiveness and absolute assurance with which he "sticks" every note is prime-time Dexter Gordon. Moreover, he thinks like a composer constructing solos with a beginning, middle, and end, each musical narrative culminating in a majestic but hard-earned climax. As harmonically grounded as he is, no player is more averse to "running the changes"; in fact, Nelson incorporates the principle of tension and release practically to the extreme. He will repeat an identical phrase derived from a chord's "extension notes" to the point of discomfort before relinquishing it to the harmonic mainstream. Especially striking examples are his solos on "Perdido (Soul Battle, 1960) and "Mainstem (Mainstem, 1961). Following the stentorian statements of Nelson's tenor and Williams' trumpet on the title tune, Dolphy's squawking bass clarinet sounds like an odd duck. But once moving to alto for "March On, March On" he reveals the aggressive technique and bold harmonies that caused Nelson, a harmonic experimenter and virtuoso player in his own right, to see in Dolphy an adventurous musical soul and kindred spirit, someone capable of pushing the leader to greater risks and potentially greater rewards. Dolphy remains on alto for the next five tunes, frequently raising the bar for Nelson, whose musical-emotional rhetoric, fueled by Dolphy's range-busting top tones and volcanic technique, is not about to give an inch. 

After a particularly blistering solo by the guest alto player on the leader's "Alto-itis," Nelson starts his solo tenuously, as though planning his attack carefully before executing with breathtaking surgical precision, leaving the "screamin'" to the entire ensemble on the out chorus. Sounding no less eruptive than the Count Basie band from the Wyands-Duvivier-Haynes power plant to the three explosive horns each impersonating an entire section it's a fitting finale by musicians for whom feeling blue is an occasion for celebrating. ~ Samuel Chell https://www.allaboutjazz.com/screamin-the-blues-oliver-nelson-prestige-records-review-by-samuel-chell.php

Personnel: Oiver Nelson: tenor and alto saxophones; Eric Dolphy: alto saxophone and bass clarinet; Richard Williams: trumpet; Richard Wyands: piano; George Duvivier: bass; Roy Haynes: drums.

Screamin' The Blues

Simon Spillett - Introducing... Simon Spillett

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:05
Size: 147,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:28)  1. Make Someone Happy
(10:24)  2. Off The Wagon
( 8:21)  3. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
( 4:18)  4. Gee Cross
( 3:58)  5. Another Setting
( 7:17)  6. Nobody Else But Me
( 6:46)  7. But Beautiful
( 5:18)  8. New Beginning
( 6:23)  9. Howdy Doody
( 4:48) 10. Cherokee

Simon Spillett's debut album clearly marks his preferred territory. Taking his cue from the late Tubby Hayes, he delivers the ten tracks as bold statements of intent and not merely space fillers. Spillett knows his music and has made an intelligent choice balancing barnstormers like the opener "Make Someone Happy with exquisitely sublime ballads "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most and "But Beautiful. Although a long-standing disciple of Hayes, Spillett is no copyist. He's too self-aware to slide down the slope of soundalikes. Realising that no one can ever sound like his idol, what Spillett does do is to carefully reincarnate some of the elements that made Tubby Hayes a true jazz legend. Interestingly, this is one of the few occasions when the debut album from a young jazz musician is so overtly influenced by a British jazz star, as opposed to the customary American models. Tubby Hayes had covered all the standards on the album and wrote "Off The Wagon, from Mexican Green (Fontana, 1968), which is given a robust ten-minute workout here.

Spillett clearly demonstrates a subtle yet real love of Tubby Hayes with the self-penned "Another Setting, in which the ultimate chord of the theme borrows from the ultimate chord in the bridge of Tubby Hayes' "Dear Johnny B, from Mexican Green. This subtle chordal quoting device is also used to good effect in Spillett's "New Beginning, which is surely also a nod in the direction of British alto saxophonist supremo Peter King (an erstwhile colleague of Hayes), who cut an album for Spotlite of the same name. In truth there isn't a bad track on Introducing Simon Spillett, and all are memorable. Due to the fiery way in which they are tackled, the more well-known tunes such as "Nobody Else But Me and "Cherokee work surprisingly well and sound fresh. As for the four original tracks by Spillett (the two others being "Gee Cross and "Howdy Doody ), they are of sufficiently high quality as to auger well for his future career. So if this album introduces Simon Spillett, then his followup recording will be certainly unmissable. ~ Roger Farbey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/introducing-simon-spillett-simon-spillett-woodville-records-review-by-roger-farbey.php

Personnel: Simon Spillett: tenor saxophone; Martin Drew: drums; John Critchinson: piano; Andrew Cleyndert: acoustic bass.

Introducing... Simon Spillett