Silky Denims

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Caterina Valente - A Briglio Sciolta

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:39
Size: 136,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:08) 1. E la chiamano estate
(3:13) 2. Corcovado
(2:25) 3. Forse
(4:59) 4. Maybe This Summer
(4:47) 5. Sempre, Sempre, Sempre
(6:00) 6. Une guitare au clair de lune
(4:06) 7. Meditacao
(5:43) 8. Amerovole
(2:38) 9. Samba de Uma Nota Só
(6:13) 10. Il Tuo Amore
(3:42) 11. Baciami per domani
(3:21) 12. Melancolia
(4:32) 13. Se Tu Sapessi
(2:44) 14. Arrivederci

Caterina Valente (b. January 14, 1931, Paris, France) was born into an Italian circus family. Her mother was a clown and her father was an accordion player; as a child she worked in the circus as well. She performed in Europe as a singer for several years, but her career as an internationally known vocalist began in 1953 when she joined Kurt Edelhagen's band in Germany. She was soon signed to Polydor and made her recording debut for the label the same year. Her first big hits came soon after that. Two songs written by Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona charted in Europe and eventually England and the U.S. "Malagueña" was her first big hit, followed by "Andalucia," which, when re-released in an English version as "The Breeze and I," became a Top Ten hit in both the U.K. and the U.S. By this time, Valente had become a truly multilingual artist, performing her cabaret act and issuing recordings in six languages: French, German, Italian, English, Spanish, and Swedish. During the '50s and '60s she notched hits in the charts of many countries, including Italy ("Till," "Personalita," "Nessuno al Mondo"), Germany ("Ganza Paris Träumt von der Liebe," "Wo Meine Sonne Scheint," "Steig in das Traumboot der Liebe"), and France ("Bimbombey," "39 Fievere," "Saitôn-Jamais"). Her version of "La Golondrina" appeared on one of the first charity albums, 1963's All Star Festival. The proceeds from that album went to aid refugees. In the mid-'70s, Valente married her musical director, British jazz pianist Roy Budd, although the marriage was short-lived. She continued recording into the mid-'80s, issuing Caterina 86, a recording made with the Count Basie Orchestra. ~ Stacia Proefrock https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/valente-caterina-briglio-sciolta/id392675601

A Briglio Sciolta

Dan Siegel - Indigo

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:31
Size: 109,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:12) 1. To Be Continued
(5:29) 2. By Chance
(4:16) 3. Indigo
(3:51) 4. Beyond
(4:44) 5. Far And Away
(5:00) 6. If Ever
(4:30) 7. Spur Of The Moment
(4:33) 8. First Light
(4:48) 9. Consider This
(5:04) 10. Endless

Pianist and composer Dan Siegel is an adventurer. After his breakout smooth jazz hits in the 1980s he successfully experimented with genres ranging from new age to film and TV scores and back. Indigo, his 20th album and first in half a decade features ten new compositions which have been painstakingly arranged and performed by a crack cast of players that includes bassist and co-producer Brian Bromberg, saxophonist Bob Sheppard, guitarist Allen Hinds (and Mike Miller on two tracks), Yellowjackets' drummer Will Kennedy, vibist Craig Fundyga, and percussionist Lenny Castro on percussion. Two different brass sections alternate on five cuts. Immediately striking is Indigo's sound. Tracked live in Bromberg's home studio, it is warm, immediate, and full. These are some of Siegel's most imaginative tunes to date: contemporary jazz played in straight-ahead fashion. They are boundary-less, ecompassing elements from several popular genres in a jazz context. Opener "To Be Continued" contains elements of contemporary classical crossover, pop, and even Siegel's film music the brass section utilizes euphonium, French horn, and flügelhorns. But there is a palpable, syncopated groove in the pianist's harmonically inventive solo. The title cut begins with resonator and electric guitars in a blues groove, as Siegel's piano evokes a Ray Charles-like R&B, but as it unfolds with bright brass and a country-funk backbeat, the tune moves in several directions simultaneously and could only be encompassed by jazz. The guitar in "Beyond" actually evokes a pedal steel, but the interplay between piano, upright bass, and acoustic guitars is elegant, graceful, and emotionally deep.

"If Ever" contains a lithe Latin tinge and a rich, expansive brass chart; its melody is impeccably crafted and contains excellent solos by Siegel and Sheppard on soprano. The R&B flavor in "Spur of the Moment" is offset by intricate counterpoint and lyric exchanges, the soloists atop the brassy, funky groove. "Consider This" is smoother and sweeter; it's soulful and cosmopolitan with Siegel adding a B-3 in support of his piano; Castro's percussion adds a Caribbean flavor. Closer "Endless" is positively euphoric, it's one of the finest moments here, due in no small part to Bromberg's knockout, fleet-fingered, woody pizzicato solo. Indigo is holistic and seamless in its articulation of contemporary jazz an extension in popular music and jazz's Big Tent tradition. More than this, though, it is a glorious, personal, panoramic statement from an artist who, after 35 years, is at the height of his creative powers. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/indigo-mw0002820191

Personnel: Piano, Keyboards, Composed By, Arranged By, Executive Producer – Dan Siegel; Bass – Brian Bromberg; Drums – Will Kennedy; Flugelhorn – Stan Martin; Guitar – Allen Hinds, Mike Miller; Horn – Stephanie O'Keefe; Percussion – Lenny Castro; Saxophone – Bob Sheppard; Tenor Saxophone – Steve Torok ; Trumpet, Valve Trombone – Lee Thornburg; Vibraphone – Craig Fundyga

Indigo

Ben Wendel - Frame

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:21
Size: 141,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:38) 1. Chorale
(7:25) 2. Clayland
(7:06) 3. Con Alma
(5:05) 4. Backbou
(5:56) 5. Jean and Renata
(8:09) 6. Blocks
(8:20) 7. Frame
(8:08) 8. Leaving
(5:29) 9. Julia

There is a beautiful and mysterious quality to multi-instrumentalist Ben Wendel's Frame. It is as if the hot breath from one of his horns has blown some ancient film away to reveal an iridescent object that begins to oscillate and spin, changing colors and hues, mesmerizing as it spins and swings with uncharacteristic swagger. All this seems both real and unreal as Wendel's singular, hypnotic voice unfurls. The saxophonist inhabits a sound as close to singing through the reed as is humanly possible. In so doing, he has perfected vocalizing in the manner of Nat "King" Cole combined with Ben Webster. Such is the velvet and whispering nature of Wendel's tone and texture. Of course, the colors that emerge from the bell of his horn are another matter. These come from a soulful palette that includes such a myriad of hues that they are difficult to count. His musical canvas is so filled with a riot of colors that a musical carnival ensues. Wendel is also a composer of considerable invention and ingenuity. This album is not called Frame for nothing. For here, the idiom of jazz forms the outer perimeter of the music. The material in the frame is an ever changing painting a moveable feast for the ear, heart and soul. Wendel paints with fey colors; his music has the effect of fluttering gently like a diaphanous water color work that is wet and dripping as it morphs from one legato passage to another. Thus the work here appears to form a suite of songs all with beginnings and middles and ends that are tantalizing and drive into the center of the heart. The music of "Chorale," for instance, is like a shimmering dart aimed at that sweet spot in the soul where every ache is unforgettable.

Nothing describes that feeling better than Wendel's extraordinarily touching re-imagining of Dizzy Gillespie's classic missive, "Con Alma." The saxophonist/bassoonist is a fine writer of passionate portraits. Two of his finest are "Jean and Renata" and "Julia." The former paints a playful picture of two characters. Their differences are highlighted by Wendel's inner counterpoint, the two musical lines entwined like a DNA molecule that pirouettes magically to describe the two ladies in question. "Julia" is much more circumspect, as if the composer is portraying someone whom he has a deepening respect for. His melodic line here is more somber and upward-looking. The musicians on Frame have a marvelous sympathy for, and understanding of, the overall concept of the album. Thus, they play well within themselves while supporting the thesis that the music must swirl and swoop within the framework of an idiom that is constantly changing. In so doing, they create music that is as elastic as jazz will ever be. ~ Raul D'Gama Rose https://www.allaboutjazz.com/frame-ben-wendel-sunnyside-records-review-by-raul-dgama-rose.php

Personnel: Ben Wendel: saxophones, bassoon, melodica; Gerald Clayton: piano (1-3); Tigran Hamasyan: piano (4,6,7); Nir Felder: guitar; Adam Benjamin: piano (1,4,6,7), Fender Rhodes (8,9); Ben Street: bass; Nate Wood: drums.

Frame

Wayne Escoffery - Vortex

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:03
Size: 138,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:00) 1. Vortex
(2:06) 2. Judgement
(8:04) 3. Acceptance
(8:29) 4. February
(9:16) 5. The Devil's Den
(8:17) 6. Tears for Carolyn
(7:12) 7. To the Ends of the Earth
(5:53) 8. In His Eyes
(5:44) 9. Baku

On this recording, jazz saxophonist Wayne Escoffery presents this great quartet on a number of original pieces, a standard and an original piece by the ensemble's brilliant drummer, Ralph Peterson, who Escoffery has worked alongside since Escoffery's arrival in New York in 2000. The rest of the band is equally pedigreed. Pianist David Kikoski has been a regular collaborator in the Mingus Big Band and with Eddie Henderson, and bassist Ugonna Okegwo has been driving the rhythm section of Tom Harrell's ensemble for the entirety of Escoffery's tenure. Escoffery's quartet is augmented by the percussion of Jaquelene Acevedo on a number of pieces.

Personnel: Wayne Escoffery - tenor saxophone; David Kikoski - piano; Ugonna Okegwo - bass; Ralph Peterson, Jr. - drums; Jeremy Pelt - trumpet; Kush Abadey - drums; Jacquelene Acevedo - percussion

Vortex

Monday, January 29, 2018

Duke Jordan - As Time Goes By

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:34
Size: 134.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1989/1994
Art: Front

[6:47] 1. In A Mellotone
[3:07] 2. Lady Dingbat
[6:34] 3. A Foggy Day In London Town
[3:35] 4. Answer Me
[4:41] 5. Layout Blues
[3:37] 6. Glad I Met Pat
[2:58] 7. W'utless
[5:06] 8. As Time Goes By
[2:41] 9. Jordanish
[6:47] 10. Drawers
[5:32] 11. Lush Life Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[3:56] 12. When You're Smiling
[3:07] 13. Mellow Mood

Bass – Jesper Lundgaard; Drums – Billy Hart; Piano – Duke Jordan. Recorded July 29, 1985.

A most agreeable set that is both eminently listenable and very enterprising. …Jordan was always a fleetly swinging but subtle pianist whose all-round musicianship has never got the recognition it merits. This fine trio deserves to sell well and spared his name further afield . ~Richard Palmer

As Time Goes By mc
As Time Goes By zippy

Ottmar Liebert + Luna Negra - The Hours Between Night + Day

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:52
Size: 164.5 MB
Styles: New Age, Flamenco
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[4:15] 1. Bombay (Night Of Dreams)
[3:51] 2. Snakecharmer
[4:07] 3. Ten Piedad De Mi Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
[4:10] 4. Havana Club
[4:18] 5. Morning Arrival In Goa (Lighthouse Flash Over The Sea)
[5:16] 6. Lone Rider (4 Slick)
[3:08] 7. Buddha's Flower (4 My Sister)
[0:30] 8. Blink Slipping (Intro)
[5:20] 9. Summantra
[4:07] 10. Danza De Los Sentidos
[4:06] 11. Neon Ghost Sensei (Overflowing)
[3:04] 12. Like Fire To Straw
[2:46] 13. Lush Sea Of Sound (Intro)
[3:39] 14. Albatross
[3:02] 15. Sleepless (Distortion System Crash)
[3:39] 16. Adrift In Tangier
[4:29] 17. Fullmoonbeachwalk (4 Jon)
[3:19] 18. Temple Dawn Ultravivid Clouds (Intro)
[4:36] 19. Dream I Just Want 2 Drown In U

Bass, Keyboards, Arranged By [Strings], Mixed By – Jon Gagan; Grand Piano, Keyboards, Arranged By [Horns], Co-producer, Engineer, Mixed By – Domenico Camardella; Guitar – Calvin "El Guerro" Hazen; Guitar, Lute, Producer, Mixed By, Written-By – Ottmar Liebert; Handclaps [Palmas] – David Bryant; Keyboards, Percussion, Arranged By [Horns], Mixed By – Stefan Liebert; Koto – Osamu Kitajima; Percussion – Mark Clark; Vocals – Jose "Grillo" Blanco. Recorded at Sound Design in Santa Barbara.

Breaking new stylistic ground, the 1993 CD The Hours Between Night & Day finds nouveau flamenco guitarist Ottmar Liebert combining the intimacy of the nylon-string acoustic guitar with electric musicianship. Spanish flamenco, the signature sound so strongly associated with Liebert and Luna Negra, is still featured prominantly on The Hours Between Night & Day, perhaps best illuminated on the Spanish language Marvin Gaye rework "Ten Piedad De Mi". This fine CD also includes two bonus tracks and a cover of the Peter Green classic "Albatross". Nominated for a 1993 Grammy.

The Hours Between Night + Day mc
The Hours Between Night + Day zippy

Joanna MacGregor, Andy Sheppard - Deep River

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:56
Size: 116.6 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2006/2015
Art: Front

[7:38] 1. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
[4:40] 2. Everybody Help The Boys Come Home
[4:51] 3. Spiritual
[5:54] 4. Georgia Lee
[2:10] 5. Everybody Help The Boys Come Home (Remix)
[3:24] 6. Up Above My Head
[7:05] 7. Deep River
[2:33] 8. Up Above My Head (Remix)
[3:36] 9. Ring Them Bells
[5:25] 10. The Mercy Seat
[3:37] 11. Picture In A Frame

Joanna MacGregor, the pianist who injects free-jazz into Bach, applies the same intensity to Django Bates as Pierre Boulez, and has almost made John Cage's nuts and bolts standard piano currency, has gone back to her childhood for her latest venture, with jazz saxist Andy Sheppard. MacGregor was an evangelical church pianist before she emerged in the 1980s as one of the world's foremost modern-music recitalists, and for the project Deep River she has returned to the gospel songs and blues she first learned on the piano, more or less.

Goldfrapp's Will Gregory and the avant-jazz drummer Seb Rochford contribute to the Deep River CD this gig launched, but they only appeared in the background sounds in this single-set dialogue for MacGregor and Sheppard as a duo. Sheppard didn't know the songs before MacGregor initiated the project, and over the years the pianist has added a wealth of technical and expressive resources to the fundamentals she needed to play them as a child. So neither musician was disposed to play them as covers or museum pieces. That was evident from the opener, the classic Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child.

MacGregor ushered it in with caressing piano chords, and Sheppard began with a high, fluting sound on the tenor sax, descending into dark whispers and noteless puffs of air. Then the pianist began rippling fast treble lines and a steadily boogieing left hand, so eventually the piece turned into a looping, Steve Reichian trance. A delicate soprano-sax line then unfurled over a banging bass-note, and a spinechilling multiphonic tenor wail erupted against a stomping gospel piano-walk on Josh Haden's haunting Spiritual, a song recorded by Johnny Cash. The two then explored a favourite MacGregor piece of Japanese minimalism and an ecstatic, fraught-with-danger Astor Piazzolla tango.

Tom Waits's Georgia Lee was a highlight, a tender soprano saxophone reverie over soft chords that relieved the repeating ostinato-hook feel that slightly overpowered the gig and occasionally cornered Sheppard. The saxophonist's bugged soprano, issuing a Joe Zawinul-like keyboard sound, was also a triumph, and Nick Cave's Mercy Seat (reflections on the electric chair) a terrifying free-blast. This freewheeling partnership, now over a decade old, shows no signs of repeating itself.

Deep River mc
Deep River zippy

Brazilian Tropical Orchestra - The Beatles In Bossa Nova

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:29
Size: 131.6 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz
Year: 1990/1999
Art: Front

[2:48] 1. Something
[2:38] 2. Here, There And Everywhere
[2:38] 3. Yesterday
[3:26] 4. The Fool On The Hill
[1:50] 5. For No One
[2:40] 6. I Should Have Known Better
[3:23] 7. Till There Was You
[2:51] 8. Eleanor Rigby
[2:27] 9. Help!
[3:52] 10. Don´t Let Me Down
[2:19] 11. And I Love Her
[2:07] 12. With A Little Help From My Friends
[3:39] 13. Hey Jude
[3:44] 14. Long And Winding Road
[2:52] 15. She´s Leaving Home
[3:16] 16. A Day In The Life
[2:44] 17. Ticket To Ride
[2:40] 18. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
[2:21] 19. Let It Be
[3:04] 20. Here Comes The Sun

This cd is really interesting. The bossa nova tones give to the beatles songs a unique elegancy and pleasant softness. Some outstanding tracks are "The fool on the Hill", "And I love her", and "The long and winding road". Buy this cd, it is really a must for everyone who likes listening beatles songs from a different perspective. ~Mauro Zanuz

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The Beatles In Bossa Nova zippy

James Porter - The James Porter Songbook

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:13
Size: 80.7 MB
Styles: Smooth jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:18] 1. Cold
[3:48] 2. No Body
[3:32] 3. Avant-Après
[2:55] 4. À Montréal
[3:53] 5. Lucy Ditty
[2:38] 6. Don't Look Away
[3:34] 7. Grace
[3:28] 8. Grooveland
[4:13] 9. Until
[2:51] 10. Mr B-One

James Porter writes songs for song lovers to love and jazz improvisers to get a kick out of. The result is jazz neophytes finding themselves taken in by the CD as well as the shows when they had no idea they could ever find an interest in jazz.

The CD was recorded and released in Montreal at the end of a six-year episode of Porter’s life there. Now back in his home country, he is performing again regularly with a new “All Stars” band of brilliant local jazz musicians, songs from the CD as well as dozens of new tunes, in French as well as in English.

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The James Porter Songbook zippy

Andy LaVerne Trio - Intelligent Design

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:07
Size: 138,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:06) 1. Short Story
(6:59) 2. Ultra Sound
(6:05) 3. Note Worthy
(6:21) 4. Upside
(7:57) 5. Remembrance
(6:52) 6. Ambrosia
(6:20) 7. Tsunami
(6:25) 8. Can You Glue Do This
(5:58) 9. Intelligent Design

Certainly not your household name by any stretch of the imagination, pianist Andy LaVerne is nonetheless a particularly adept pianist who has worked with many jazz legends over the years including Stan Getz, Frank Sinatra, Michael Brecker and Lionel Hampton. He's also a respected educator and has been largely documented on almost forty dates as a leader for the Danish SteepleChase imprint, including Intelligent Design. It is an out-of-the-ordinary ensemble that LaVerne assembles for the date at hand, although this particular trio has one previous album under its belt, recorded for another label. In hindsight, it's surprising that the piano and organ format has been so rarely utilized in jazz because it makes so much sense. The B3 is able to provide a bass line and a unique textural counterpoint that can complement as well as step forward. Seeing that Gary Versace is an accomplished pianist as well as a B3 practitioner, he makes the perfect foil for LaVerne because he knows how not to get in the way when Andy's up front and his own improvisations are highly musical statements that transcend the instrument itself. A unique group make-up or concept itself does not alone make for a great album and, had LaVerne decided to go for standards or a "grits and gravy approach, it might have actually been the downfall for this set. Instead, it's Andy's superb originals that supply the fodder for this most rewarding collection. The lively bop of "Note Worthy possesses a melody that vaguely sounds familiar, but speaks in its own distinct manner. By contrast, a piece like "Tsunami has more of a through-composed flavor to it, floating and brooding with a darker sense of drama. Somewhere in between is the chipper "Upside, a good primer on how important drummer Danny Gottlieb's musical contributions are to the overall success of this venture. Really one of the most welcomed surprises of the season, 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. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/intelligent-design-andy-laverne-steeplechase-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Andy LaVerne: piano; Gary Versace: B3 organ; Danny Gottlieb: drums.

Intelligent Design

Malene Mortensen - Desperado

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:50
Size: 125,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:11) 1. Another Day
(4:16) 2. Desperado
(3:24) 3. Laughin' At Life
(3:45) 4. Morning Sun & Velvet Moon
(3:55) 5. If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody
(4:57) 6. Sea Of Lies
(4:11) 7. City Love
(3:51) 8. Temptation
(3:46) 9. November Came
(4:01) 10. Empty Sky
(3:36) 11. Where Would I Be Without You
(2:33) 12. Aarestrup I Marts
(4:27) 13. I've Got A Date With A Dream
(3:57) 14. All I Want

Malene Winter Mortensen (born May 23, 1982) is a Danish singer. She entered the Danish music scene in 2001, during the first season of Stjerne for en aften, the Danish edition of Star for a Night. She made it to the finals, with her rendition of Moloko's "Sing It Back". The following year, she entered the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, the Danish national pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2003 she released her debut album called Paradise. This album, revolving around modern jazz, was supported by three of Denmark's best known jazz musicians: Niels Lan Doky (piano), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (double bass) and Alex Riel (drums). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malene_Mortensen

Desperado

Walt Weiskopf - Mindwalking

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:36
Size: 125,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:13) 1. Is That All There Is
(3:44) 2. Antidote
(4:51) 3. Mystery Guest
(5:11) 4. Non-Fiction
(4:29) 5. Mindwalking
(2:45) 6. Blackberry Winter
(4:49) 7. Cousin Of Mine
(3:55) 8. Ghostwriting
(6:23) 9. Salvador
(7:09) 10. Above And Beyond
(5:03) 11. Fundamentally

A potent tenor saxophonist and composer firmly in the tradition of John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, Walt Weiskopf was born in Augusta, GA, and grew up in Syracuse, NY. Upon moving to New York City, he joined the Buddy Rich Big Band in 1981 at the age of 21; two years later, Weiskopf signed on with the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, concurrently forming his own quartet with brother Joel on trumpet, Jay Anderson on bass, and Jeff Hirshfeld on drums. His debut, Exact Science, appeared in 1989, followed a year later by Mindwalking; Simplicity, released in 1992, topped the European jazz charts for four weeks. After 1993's A World Away, Weiskopf for the first time departed from original compositions to record 1995's Night Lights, a collection of standards; 1997's Song for My Mother, however, returned his own material to the forefront. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, Weiskopf and fellow Eastman alum Ramon Ricker teamed in 1990 to write the books Coltrane: A Player's Guide to His Harmony and The Augmented Scale in Jazz; in 1994, Weiskopf also published Intervalic Improvisation, a player's guide for broadening the scope of modern jazz improvisation. In 1996, he joined drummer Rick Hollander's quartet, and as a headliner returned in 1999 with Anytown. Siren was issued a year later. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/walt-weiskopf-mn0000237531/biography

Mindwalking

Michael Dease - Reaching Out

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:56
Size: 126,2 MB
Art:

(5:03) 1. Something In Common
(3:55) 2. Live And Let Die
(5:56) 3. Morning Shade
(4:57) 4. Tipping Point
(4:17) 5. More Than Words
(4:18) 6. Double Luminosity
(4:43) 7. The Takeover
(5:48) 8. Ballad
(6:11) 9. The Chameleon Eye
(4:15) 10. Blackfoot
(5:28) 11. Water Runs Dry

Somebody has to be the keeper of the flame, right? In jazz, an art form that has only recently passed the century mark, that responsibility has seemed to diminish in importance. It's not that music schools aren't churning out graduates versed in the traditional repertory, and post-modern players aren't constantly pushing the envelope of possibilities. It's just that we need more musicians like Michael Dease who, to quote Art Blakey, play jazz that "washes away the dust of everyday life." With Reaching Out, his fifth for Posi-Tone Records (a label whose mission is to throw accelerant on that flame) he doubles down on the joy of music making. He seems to always find kindred souls who share in his vision, as shown in previous recordings with the veterans Renee Rosnes, Lewis Nash, Steve Wilson, Christian McBride, and Rodney Whitaker. Here, he recruits two giants of the saxophone Ralph Bowen and Walt Weiskopf to interact with some younger talent players that have the makings of true believers.

What we mean by that is Dease prioritizes the happiness in his jazz. Take the opener, Cedar Walton's "Something In Common," or Steve Turre's "Blackfoot." Both are pieces that are overflowing with a joyful swing. The latter composition, modeled after "Cherokee," is delivered at an auctioneer's hyperspeed with Bowen and Dease chasing drummer Zach Adleman's turbocharged tempo. There is a return to the hipness factor in this music. Dease's original, "The Chameleon Eye," grabs memories of Lee Morgan's funkiness and injects some Herbie Hancock-like rhythm-intensive lines. The composition features the young and talented vibraphonist Behn Gillece (check out his Walk Of Fire (2017)). What makes Dease stand out is his love of melody and ability to craft arrangements to accentuate such. Perfect examples are the three cover tunes, Babyface's "Water Runs Dry," Paul and Linda McCartney's "Live And Let Die," and the 1990s hair metal band Extreme's "More Than Words." McCartney's title track to the James Bond movie of the same name is given all of the dramatic effect of the original, from it's most gentle beginnings to the soulful dramatics and swinging interludes. All of the covers here could, with lesser arrangements, become schmaltzy or sentimental. But like the masters, Coltrane's take on "My Favorite Things" or Miles' "Surrey With the Fringe On Top," Dease champions familiar music and makes it new again. ~ Mark Corroto https://www.allaboutjazz.com/reaching-out-michael-dease-posi-tone-records-review-by-mark-corroto.php

Personnel: Michael Dease: trombone; Ralph Bowen: tenor saxophone; Walt Weiskopf; tenor saxophone, alto saxophone; Behn Gillece: vibraphone; Luther Allison: piano; Peter Brendler: bass; Zach Adleman: drums.

Reaching Out

Ray Parker Jr. - The Heritage Collection

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:20
Size: 94,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:38) 1. Jack And Jill
(3:24) 2. You Can't Change That
(4:07) 3. A Woman Needs Love
(4:00) 4. Ghostbusters
(4:06) 5. I Still Can't Get Over Loving
(4:17) 6. Jamie
(4:31) 7. For Those Who Like To Groove
(4:05) 8. The Other Woman
(3:55) 9. Two Places At The Same Time
(4:13) 10. Bad Boy

A brief collection of Ray Parker's bubblegum soul hits including the "Ghostbusters" monster from the movie of the same name. Every selection sounds as if it was tailored for 12- year-olds. His only attempts at being hard "Jamie," "For Those Who Like to Groove," and "Bad Boy"never quite get there. Still, the charm in lightweights like "You Can't Change That," "Jack and Jill," and "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)" is contagious. Someone should compile a CD of Ray's pre-Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio recordings; he expressed himself more soulfully as a teenager fronting local Detroit groups like the Vows who waxed "When a Boy Loves a Girl."~ Andrew Hamilton https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-heritage-collection-mw0000052908

The Heritage Collection

Sunday, January 28, 2018

The New Wolverine Jazz Orchestra - Roll On Mississippi, Roll On

Size: 150,1 MB
Time: 64:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998
Styles: Jazz, Swing, Ragtime
Art: Front

01. Jazz Battle (2:35)
02. Keepin' Myself For You (3:25)
03. Roll On, Mississippi, Roll On (3:28)
04. Waste No Tears (2:19)
05. The Chant (2:06)
06. Blue River (4:06)
07. I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now (2:51)
08. The Mooche (4:05)
09. There Ain't No Sweet Man Worth The Salt Of My Tears (3:37)
10. Sensation (2:22)
11. Japanese Sandman (3:11)
12. In A Mist (3:52)
13. Ol' Man River (3:08)
14. Candlelights (4:48)
15. Bessie Couldn't Help It (4:01)
16. Deep Harlem (3:27)
17. Susie (Of The Islands) (2:22)
18. Sweet Patootie (4:27)
19. Miss Annabelle Lee (3:42)

Inspired and influenced by jazz legend Bix Beiderbecke, this Sydney, Australia-based group has built a loyal U.S. following in recent years with well-received appearances at the Davenport, Iowa (birthplace of Bix) festival and other Midwestern gatherings. They tackle a number of songs associated with Bix, either because he recorded them or because he certainly would have played them given his extensive dance band career in the 1920s.

Roll On Mississippi, Roll On

Peggy Lee - World Broadcast Recordings 1955

Size: 131,6+138,1 MB
Time: 55:31+58:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. That Old Black Magic (2:08)
02. My Romance (2:25)
03. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (2:13)
04. Love Me Or Leave Me (2:06)
05. 'deed I Do (2:03)
06. Autumn In New York (2:26)
07. Just One Of Those Things (2:14)
08. Let's Call It A Day (2:32)
09. Let There Be Love (2:06)
10. Come Rain Or Come Shine (2:25)
11. I May Be Wrong But I Think You're Wonderful (1:48)
12. I Feel A Song Comin' On (1:31)
13. You're Mine, You (2:30)
14. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues (2:14)
15. Try A Little Tenderness (2:23)
16. Too Marvelous For Words (1:28)
17. I Get A Kick Out Of You (2:25)
18. What Is This Thing Called Love (2:16)
19. It's A Good Day (2:09)
20. I've Got It Bad And That Ain't Good (2:53)
21. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive (2:15)
22. Sans Souci (2:44)
23. Them There Eyes (1:46)
24. From This Moment On (2:14)
25. You (2:06)

CD 2:
01. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top (2:12)
02. My Ideal (2:20)
03. Oh What A Beautiful Morning (2:52)
04. You Do Something To Me (1:36)
05. I Never Knew (3:01)
06. What Can I Say After I Say Im Sorry (2:00)
07. What's New (2:07)
08. Almost Like Being In Love (1:55)
09. Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread) (2:19)
10. Mean To Me (3:13)
11. My Future Just Passed (3:28)
12. People Will Say We're In Love (1:30)
13. It Ain't Necessarily So (3:19)
14. We Kiss In A Shadow (2:57)
15. Me (2:04)
16. Don't Worry 'bout Me (2:14)
17. Button Up Your Overcoat (1:58)
18. Somebody Loves Me (3:15)
19. Mountain Greenery (1:59)
20. Speak Low (3:23)
21. The Best Things In Life Are Free (1:37)
22. Hard Hearted Hannah (1:49)
23. Bye Bye Blackbird (3:01)
24. Taking A Chance On Love (2:03)

This 2-CD set is the first complete set of Peggy Lee's World transcription recordings. Peggy Lee's alluring tone, distinctive delivery, breadth of material, and ability to write many of her own songs made her one of the most captivating artists of the vocal era on this opportinity with Pete Candoli on the trumpet, Stella Castellucci with harp, Gene DiNovi on piano, Bill Pitman with his guitar, Jack Costanzo on the bongos, Bob Whitlock with his bass, Larry Bunker on drums.

World Broadcast Recordings 1955 CD 1
World Broadcast Recordings 1955 CD 2

Lilly - Tenderly (Feat. Gilad Hekselman)

Size: 99,7 MB
Time: 38:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Tenderly (4:15)
02. You Go To My Head (5:45)
03. Skylark (5:28)
04. First Song (3:43)
05. Voice From The Mountain (3:48)
06. Hvem Kan Sejle - Whistling Away The Dark (6:09)
07. You’re Everything (4:09)
08. Day Dream (4:48)

It all starts with a song. Two people and song. Gilad and Lilly. Guitarist and singer. One visiting Denmark as an artist in residence and the other living there. One among the foremost exponents of modern jazz guitar and the other an acclaimed vocalist and singer/songwriter, but still a secret outside her country.

Here they are on the album Tenderly. The result of a day's work in the studio with songs that are the work of a lifetime. Timeless songs. Duke Ellington's "Day Dream" and standards like "You Go to My Head" and "Skylark," but also more recent classics like the folk-icon Nick Drake's poetic "Voice from the Mountain."

Lilly, whose full name is Lilly-Ann Hertzman, and Gilad Hekselman sing these songs tenderly. Hekselman creates a lush tapestry of tones, a gentle architecture that supports the songs without holding them down to the ground. Along with Lilly, they fly into the sky and sunset. Tender songs. Songs of loving and living. A setup so simple and yet so complex. Phrasings filled with an understanding of space and pause. Guitar lines and vocal chords. Guitar chords and vocal lines. A symbiosis, a deep conversation, not chitter-chatter. Poetry sung tenderly. ~by Jakob Baekgaard

Personnel: Lilly: vocal; Gilad Hekselman: guitar.

Tenderly

Hank Jones, Shelly Manne & Mads Vinding - In Copenhagen: Live At Jazzhus Slukefter 1983

Size: 142,1 MB
Time: 61:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Just Friends (6:58)
02. Au Privave (7:40)
03. Alone Together (9:47)
04. Stablemates (4:43)
05. It Could Happen To You (5:34)
06. Scrapple From The Apple (4:56)
07. Budo (7:01)
08. Tangerine (6:08)
09. What's New (8:24)

Born in 1918 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Jones moved with his family to the Detroit area while still a child, and studied piano early, listening carefully to Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, Earl Hines, and Fats Waller. He began playing in the midwest at age 13, and worked in territory bands. Jones met Lucky Thompson in one of these groups, and Thompson invited him to New York in 1944 to work with Hot Lips Page at the Onyx Club. Jones worked for a while with John Kirby, Howard McGhee, Coleman Hawkins, Andy Kirk, and Billy Eckstine, then began touring in 1947. He worked with Jazz at the Philharmonic, then accompanied Ella Fitzgerald from 1948 to 1953. Jones also cut many sessions for Norman Granz's labels in the late '40s and early '50s, many with Charlie Parker. He worked and recorded in the '50s with Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Lester Young, Milt Jackson, and Cannonball Adderley before joining CBS' staff in 1959. He worked on such programs as The Ed Sullivan Show and stayed with CBS until they disbanded the staff in 1976. He recorded several sessions with Savoy in the mid- and late '50s, playing with Donald Byrd, Herbie Mann, Wendell Marshall, and Kenny Clarke, among others. He also recorded solo and quartet dates for Epic. His quartet with Osie Johnson, Barry Galbraith, and Milt Hinton became one of New York's busiest during the early '60s, sometimes doing three dates a day. They cut albums for Capitol and ABC in 1958, though Galbraith missed the ABC sessions. Jones continued recording at Capitol, Argo, and Impulse in the early '60s, at times working with his brother Elvin. He made a host of recordings in the '70s. There were solo dates for Trio and Galaxy, and trio sessions for Interface and Concord, among others in the '70s. There were duo dates with Flanagan for Verve and Galaxy in the late '70s. Jones served as pianist and conductor for the Broadway musical Ain't Misbehavin in the late '70s. He also played in the Great Jazz Trio, originally with Ron Carter and Tony Williams. (Buster Williams replaced Carter on the trio's first recording date.) Jones continued with the trio into the '80s, though Eddie Gomez and Al Foster later became his mates, and Jimmy Cobb replaced Foster in 1982. The trio also backed Art Farmer, Benny Golson, and Nancy Wilson. Jones was the resident pianist at the Cafe Ziegfeld in the early '80s, and toured Japan with George Duvivier and Sonny Stitt. He kept his recording blitz going into the digital era. In 1989, he was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master. In 2004, he was awarded as an ASCAP Jazz Living Legend; five years later, he received a National Medal of Arts; and in 2009, Jones earned a Lifetime Achievement award at the Grammys. One year later, he died in the Bronx while in hospice, just a few weeks after returning from performance dates in Japan. ~ Ron Wynn

In Copenhagen

Debbie Cunningham - A Million Kisses

Size: 100,0 MB
Time: 36:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. A Million Kisses (4:45)
02. Next Thing You Know (3:30)
03. Do You Love Me (3:16)
04. Will You Dance (2:32)
05. Kiss And Make Up (2:50)
06. Day Like This (2:32)
07. Do What Lovers Do (2:48)
08. Anniversary Song (3:31)
09. Here We Are (2:25)
10. Stay In Love (3:23)
11. A Million Kisses (Acoustic) (4:31)

This album is a collection of songs I wrote over the time of 5 years. A time when I saw many of my friends struggling in their marriages mid-life & getting divorced which made me incredibly sad. As a child of divorce, I have always been passionate about making love last in my marriage and investing in our relationship. But I totally get the struggle. Relationships are challenging but so worth the investment of time and commitment! I penned these songs to encourage couples in their journey of staying in love. I think marriage is so much like dancing…by the time you learn the steps, the music changes and there is another dance to learn, all while trying not to step on your partner’s toes.
It is fun but it does require practice to get better! However, when you finally get to the point where the 2 of you are gliding across the floor and moving at the right pace and in the same direction, it can be the most exhilarating experience you have ever known. This is the kind of love that is filled with a Million Kisses over a lifetime. That is exactly what I wish for you…... ~Debbie Cunningham

Personnel:
Lead Vocals & BGVs - Debbie Cunningham,
Keyboards- Barry Sames (tracks 3,4,5,6,7,8) & Jim Michie (tracks 1,2,10)
Bass: Upright & Electric- Matt McKenzie (tracks 1,2,6,7,8,10),
Upright - Todd Parks (tracks 3,4,5,9)
Drums: Dave Dunseath (tracks 1,2,10) & Josh Hunt (Tracks 3,4,5,6,7,8,9)
Auxiliary Percussion & Conga: Dave Dunseath (tracks 4, 10)
Guitar: Acoustic/Classical/Electric - Rex Schnelle (Tracks 1,2,4,10,11)
Midi Strings : Derek Cunningham (tracks 3,8,10)
Cello: Paul Nelson (track 8)

A Million Kisses

Mike Harvey's Hot Club - Mike Harvey's Hot Club

Size: 116,0 MB
Time: 49:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz: Gipsy Jazz
Art: Front

01. Giorgio By Moroder (5:01)
02. Djaphunkta (3:50)
03. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover (3:23)
04. Black And Tan Fantasy (4:09)
05. I Like To Ride My Bike (4:17)
06. Birdland (7:20)
07. Si Tu Vois Ma Mère (3:53)
08. Nuages (4:15)
09. Tico-Tico No Fuba (3:25)
10. October (2:01)
11. Blue Skies (3:59)
12. Life On Mars (3:40)

Personnel:
Mike Harvey: Violin
Mark Weliky: Guitar
Nathan Lambertson: Bass

Mike Harvey’s Hot Club employs the acoustic string instrumentation inspired by the legendary Quintette de Hot Club du France of the 1930s, and moves it into today’s context, drawing repertoire and a playing style not only from the classic gypsy jazz sound, but from many places, both past and present. While a show strictly depicting only the Django Reinhardt/ Stephane Grappelli hot swing repertoire is something very much in this group’s bag, they choose to push it forward with original compositions and arrangements of more modern tunes, while sprinkling the classic repertoire into their set, to pay homage, stay grounded, and keep happy those patrons who came out to see a Django band!

Mike Harvey’s Hot Club performs all of this with the virtuosity and expressiveness of seasoned jazz musicians who work full-time on the New Orleans scene. From wine bars to society functions to concert halls, their sound is always right at home.

Mike Harvey’s Hot Club is the progressive evolution of the sound Mike, Mark and Nathan developed previously with The Courtyard Kings, the now retired band that Mike led from 2005-2017. The Courtyard Kings released two albums, performed at the 2012 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and did over 200 gigs per year at their peak. They held down Thursday nights at Bacchanal Wine from 2009-2017 until Mike decided to move forward under a new name, with changes in musical direction. Mike Harvey’s Hot Club currently occupies Thursday nights at Bacchanal Wine, along with other performances in New Orleans and beyond.

Mike Harvey's Hot Club