Nancy Wilson - Forbidden Lover

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:39
Size: 94,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:17)  1. Forbidden Lover
(3:18)  2. I Was Telling Him About You
(4:24)  3. If You Only Knew
(4:47)  4. Deeper
(3:40)  5. Puttin' My Trust
(4:23)  6. You Know
(4:21)  7. Too Good To Be True
(3:53)  8. I Never Held Your Heart
(3:32)  9. What Will It Take This Time
(4:00) 10. A Song For You

Billed as the 50th album by this 50-year-old singer, Nancy Wilson's Forbidden Lover is an attempt to contemporize her sound, with arrangements that recall Luther Vandross and the Earth, Wind & Fire horn section. The title track, a duet with Carl Anderson, seems intended to heat up the R&B charts and, if it did, there would be other tracks to follow. It's reasonable that Columbia Records, which signed Wilson up after her long tenure at Capitol, should try to get a return on its investment. But Wilson the jazz-R&B song stylist gets lost on most of these recordings. "I Was Telling Him About You" is a ballad that lets her get across her personality, and the string-filled closer, Leon Russell's "A Song About You," really gives her room to shine and probably will turn out to be the only keeper on this collection. Pop music performers almost always want to sound contemporary, but this is one singer who would be better off acting her age. ~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/forbidden-lover-mw0000192687

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Ernie Watts;  Electric Piano [Steinway Piano, Rhodes Piano], Synthesizer [Oberheim OB-8, DX-Z, Mini Moog] – Masahiko Satoh;  Backing Vocals – Desiree McAlpin, Jim Gilstrap, Marlena Jeter, Valeria Mayo;  Bass – Abraham Laboriel, Jimmy Johnson ;  Bass Trombone – Bill Reichenbach;  Cello – Armen Ksajikian, David Shamban, Raymond Kelley;  Concertmaster – Gerald Vinci;  Congas, Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa;  Drums – Ed Greene ;  French Horn – James A. Decker, Richard E. Perissi;  Guitar – Paul Jackson Jr.;  Harp – Ann M. Stockton;  Tenor Saxophone – Gerald Albright , Marc Russo;  Trombone – Bill Reichenbach, Charles Loper, Lew McCreary;  Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Gary Grant, Jerry Hey;  Viola – Harry Shirinian, Myer Bello, Roland Kato;  Violin – Assa Drori, Betty Moor, Robert Sanov, Irma Neumann, Mari Tsumura Botnick, Patricia Ann Johnson, Robert Sushel, Ronald Folsom, Sheldon Sanov

Forbidden Lover

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Lee Konitz & Michel Petrucciani - Toot Sweet

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:19
Size: 111,6 MB
Art: Front

( 4:44)  1. I Hear A Rhapsody
( 5:01)  2. To Erlinda
(15:59)  3. 'Round About Midnight
(15:34)  4. Lover Man
( 4:49)  5. Ode
( 2:11)  6. Lovelee

Judging from their frequent occurrence in his long discography, duet sessions are among Lee Konitz's favorites. These intimate settings have also encouraged some of his best work; for example, his 1967 album The Lee Konitz Duets (Milestone/OJC), on which he performed with several diverse partners in an astonishing range of styles. The mood is more focussed on Sunnyside's reissue of Toot Sweet, a 1982 session with Michel Petrucciani originally released on the now-defunct Owl label. At the time of the recording, the pianist was not yet 20 years old, and the marks of his acknowledged greatest influence, Bill Evans, are readily apparent. In fact, the opening track, a searching "I Hear A Rhapsody" readily brings to mind Evans' own duet version with Jim Hall from the classic Undercurrent (United Artists 1962; reissued on Blue Note). Petrucciani is his own man, however, even at this early stage; his lovely solo piece "To Erlinda" begins in a pensive Evans mode, but soon moves through sweeping runs, thunderous left-hand chords, and bluesy asides in a more original style.

Konitz, as usual, methodically explores every nook and cranny of each tune's melody, particularly on the 15-minute, abstract takes of "Round About Midnight" and "Lover Man" that form the centerpiece of the album. Although Konitz is often referred to as a "cool-toned" altoist, this is somewhat misleading; he sometimes produces a quite astringent sound, particularly in the upper register, with a bit of blues wail to it. This suits perfectly the pathos inherent in "Lover Man," which offers the best playing on the record. On this tune, Konitz continually dances in an angular fashion around the melody, never quite actually playing it through, but revealing its every facet by a kind of musical triangulation. Petrucciani alternately prods and follows his elder partner through the tune, here offerring a propulsive, bluesy foundation, there picking up phrases of Konitz's and dancing them around the rhythm. Throughout the album but especially in this setting, the interaction between the musicians is wonderful, as they play with an attentiveness and empathy that is a joy to hear. This is a great find, and kudos to Sunnyside for resurrecting it. Highly recommended. ~ Joshua Weiner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/toot-sweet-lee-konitz-sunnyside-records-review-by-joshua-weiner.php

Personnel: Lee Konitz, alto sax; Michel Petrucciani, piano

Toot Sweet

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Marilyn Crispell & Stefano Maltese - Red

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:30
Size: 134,5 MB
Art: Front

( 5:18)  1. Afternoon Whisper
( 5:12)  2. Across The Ocean
( 6:47)  3. Lost Skies
( 4:58)  4. For These Walls
(11:19)  5. A Star Or Two
( 4:38)  6. Towards Twilight
( 6:33)  7. Stellar Waves
( 7:04)  8. Come Slowly, Day
( 6:36)  9. Faces On Fire

Piano genius Marilyn Crispell teams for a set of duets with the relatively unknown though outrageously talented Sicilian saxophonist and clarinetist Stefano Maltese. This is an interesting mirror in and of itself. Way back in 1989, Anthony Braxton, one of Crispell's contemporary mentors, recorded an album of duets with the pianist, who, at that time, was relatively unknown -- though she was the steady rhythmic force propelling the longest last quartet, or any other band, of Braxton's career. This set is approached from the position of opposites attracting. Maltese has been deeply influenced by the phrasing and lyrical construction no matter which horn he plays by Steve Lacy. On the soprano, it is almost impossible to tell them apart, with the exception of Lacy's slightly longer line. Crispell, who plays percussively, was at the disadvantage here, or so it seemed. These duets are such a departure for her, her playing moves into a range of colors and emotions not usually associated with her. Her approach to counterpoint and harmonic invention here are both lyrical, favoring dynamic, to be experienced by persistence and caution rather than by forcing the music to bend to her will. Here, she is clearly its servant, which coaxes Maltese to look toward overtones as a way to engage the improvisation from within. The compositions are divided equally among them. Maltese provides a reasonable foil for Crispell. She, on the other hand, must have viewed him musically in a much different light because this is her most restrained, graceful, elegant improvising on record. There isn't a moment here that is not, while musically very sophisticated, emotionally very moving. Highly recommended. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/red-mw0000419244

Personnel: Marilyn Crispell (piano); Stefano Maltese (bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone).

Red

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Aruan Ortiz, Michael Janisch - Banned In London

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:25
Size: 177.2 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[13:59] 1. Precisely Now
[15:49] 2. Jitterbug Waltz
[17:06] 3. Orbiting
[10:34] 4. Ask Me Now
[19:54] 5. The Maestro

It could turn out that the best live jazz album released in the U.S. this year will be one recorded at a British pizza joint in 2011. That was when pianist Aruán Ortiz and bassist Michael Janisch brought their co-led quintet-an international ensemble featuring established star Greg Osby on alto saxophone, Barcelona’s Raynald Colom on trumpet and versatile veteran Rudy Royston (Bill Frisell, JD Allen, et al.) on drums-to the Pizza Express Jazz Club for the London Jazz Festival. The quintet was wrapping up a two-week European tour, and their extended takes on the five compositions they served up in Soho were tight, fiery and creative.

The Wisconsin-raised, London-based Janisch calls things to order with a soulful two-minute bass intro to his own “Precisely Now,” punctuated by the occasional clinking of diners’ cutlery. Ortiz and Royston briefly set up the unison horn melody, which Colom and Osby follow with blistering solos. Osby, whose live album Banned in New York possibly inspired this one’s title, provides a masterly intro of the same length to Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz,” then returns after Colom’s quick read of the melody with a wide-ranging solo. Janisch’s bass quiets to a steady heartbeat as Ortiz begins his solo soft and slow, the piano then building in abstraction and intensity until Ortiz exits, as had Osby, with a snippet of Waller’s theme.

Ortiz introduces the fourth and most ballad-like song of the set, Thelonious Monk’s “Ask Me Now,” with Osby joining in for some exquisite duo action before the rest of the band steps in. The Cuban expatriate also contributes the set’s other two tunes, “Orbiting” (the title track of his fine 2012 quartet album) and “The Maestro.” Janisch and Royston provide exemplary support throughout. Let’s hope these busy, far-flung musicians have occasion to regroup and do it again soon. ~Bill Beauttler

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Chet Atkins - Teen Scene

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:49
Size: 61.4 MB
Styles: Nashville country guitar
Year: 1963/2015
Art: Front

[2:22] 1. I Got A Woman
[2:03] 2. Rumpus
[2:00] 3. I Love How You Love Me
[2:20] 4. Alley Cat
[2:18] 5. Back Home In Indiana
[2:11] 6. Walk Right In
[2:20] 7. Sweetie Baby
[1:57] 8. Teen Scene
[1:58] 9. A Little Evil
[2:30] 10. I Will
[2:28] 11. Bye Bye Birdie
[2:16] 12. Susie-Q

RCA Victor's gimmicky "Dynagroove" title translates concretely into a recording process that really delivers the goods. Whether mastered by an "electronic brain" or no, there's phenomenal audio range and superior dynamics on their 1963 stereo LP, TEEN SCENE (LSP 2719). Each studio musician has "presence" and his own spot on the imaginary soundstage, with Chet Atkins' guitar naturally front and center.

On "I Got a Woman," Charlie McCoy's harmonica backing is at the right. He's joined on "Rumpus" by the honking baritone sax of Boots Randolph, and Floyd Cramer's left channel piano. Bottom bass notes on "I Love How You Love Me" are most impressive; a mixed chorus and vibes replace Charlie and Boots at right channel. Atkins takes the melody, Cramer the bass part on "Walk Right In." Tightly set bongos at the right and chorus in the center for this folk hit cover. Randolph joins in later. A really swingin' "Indiana" has Boots honking away on the right, with McCoy joining him later.

The LP's title piece starts with Floyd on left channel Hammond organ, Randolph at the right, with Chet providing phantom center support. Boots and Cramer play in tandem for the coda. Again, deep bass is what's most prominent on "A Little Evil" and "I Will." Randolph has a cool solo on the latter, with Floyd's tinkling chords most noticeable. Electric organ at left with centered chorus singing a bit of the film title to "Bye Bye Birdie." Boots joins in mid-way through. As with all previous cuts, Chet generously shares the spotlight on a cooly-percussive set-closer, "Suzie-Q." Hammond organ at left, Randolph's reed at right; the deepest bass ever heard backs them all. ~Annie Van Auken

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Bradley Walsh - Chasing Dreams

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:06
Size: 105.5 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[1:41] 1. Almost Like Being In Love
[3:04] 2. That's Life
[2:42] 3. Our Love Is Here To Stay
[3:24] 4. Fly Me To The Moon
[3:20] 5. Mr. Bojangles
[3:31] 6. For Once In My Life
[3:25] 7. Amapola
[3:15] 8. Steppin' Out
[3:59] 9. How Do You Keep The Music Playing
[3:23] 10. What Kind Of Fool
[3:07] 11. Night And Day
[3:23] 12. Smile
[3:28] 13. Chasing Dreams
[4:17] 14. Chasing Dreams (Reprise)

2016 debut album release from Bradley Walsh. Bradley's diverse career has spanned across a wide range of mediums and genres, allowing him to become a well-respected and familiar figure in the entertainment industry. Although best known as a TV personality, Bradley has another string to his bow, as an old-school crooner. Personally picking his favorite swing classics, Bradley wants to pay homage to his musical heroes. Highlighting another of his talents, Bradley also co-wrote the title track, 'Chasing Dreams', a track that nods to the work of the legends of the genre. The album was recorded at Angel Studios in London and produced by Grammy Award winning producer, arranger and composer Steve Sidwell who has worked with everyone from George Michael, Take That, Stevie Wonder and Seal to Michael Buble, Paul McCartney, Amy Winehouse and of course Robbie Williams.

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MP's Jazzy Bunch Marco Postacchini Octet - Do You Agree

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:41
Size: 143.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[6:20] 1. Do You Agree
[6:18] 2. Insonnia
[6:05] 3. Boring Days
[7:53] 4. But Not For You
[7:45] 5. Somewhere In The Sky
[5:21] 6. New Song
[7:59] 7. Lullaby Of Birdland
[7:49] 8. Stand Clear Of The Closing Doors, Please!
[7:06] 9. Next Step

Marco Postacchini's new album, "Do You Agree?", is a collection of his compositions and one arrangement that captivates the listener with its energetic grooves and luscious horn configurations. His original melodies are modern and memorable, orchestrated artfully with the combination of full-horn voicings, counterpoint lines and wonderful interludes, some of which give a little nod to the Brookmeyer sound. "Do You Agree?" is a delightful excursion that the listener will enjoy tremendously. In response, to Marco's album title, yes, I agree. ~ Ayn Inserto

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Kenny Dorham - Afrodisia (2 Parts)

Kenny Dorham had a deeply moving, pure tone on trumpet; his sound was clear, sharp, and piercing, especially during ballads. He could spin out phrases and lines, but when he slowly and sweetly played the melody it was an evocative event. Dorham was a gifted all-round trumpeter, but seldom showcased his complete skills, preferring an understated, subtle approach. Unfortunately, he never received much publicity, and though a highly intelligent, thoughtful individual who wrote insightful commentary on jazz, he's little more than a footnote to many fans.

Dorham studied and played trumpet, tenor sax, and piano. He was a bandmember in high school and college; a college bandmate was Wild Bill Davis. Dorham started during the swing era, but was recruited by Dizzy Gillespie and Billy Eckstine to join their bands in the mid-'40s. He even sang blues with Gillespie's band. He recorded with the Be Bop Boys on Savoy in 1946. After short periods with Lionel Hampton and Mercer Ellington, Dorham joined Charlie Parker's group in 1948, staying there until 1949. He did sessions in New York during the early and mid-'50s, making his recording debut as a leader on Charles Mingus and Max Roach's Debut label in 1953. He then cut Afro-Cuban for Blue Note with Cecil Payne, Hank Mobley, and Horace Silver in 1955. ~Ron Wynn

Album: Afrodisia (Part 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 93:21
Size: 213.7 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[ 5:01] 1. Afrodisia
[ 4:58] 2. Basheer's Dream
[ 8:02] 3. Blue Bossa
[11:00] 4. Mamacita
[ 4:38] 5. Autumn In New York (Live-Set #1)
[ 5:42] 6. Night Watch
[ 7:35] 7. Buffalo
[ 4:28] 8. Minors Holiday
[ 4:14] 9. Lotus Flower
[ 7:45] 10. 'round Midnight (Live-Set #3)
[ 5:34] 11. Philly Twist
[ 6:46] 12. Doodlin'
[ 5:24] 13. La Villa
[ 6:38] 14. Monaco (Live-Set #3)
[ 5:28] 15. K.D.'s Motion

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Album: Afrodisia (Part 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 105:05
Size: 240.5 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[6:22] 1. Who Cares (As Long As You Care For Me) (Live-Set #3)
[5:05] 2. If Ever I Would Leave You
[5:40] 3. N.Y. Theme (Live-Set #1)
[6:33] 4. Mexico City (Alternate Take) (Live-Set #4)
[6:07] 5. K.D.'s Cab Ride
[7:48] 6. My Heart Stood Still (Live-Set #3)
[7:16] 7. Sao Paulo
[8:55] 8. Straight Ahead
[8:39] 9. Royal Roost (Live-Set #2)
[1:07] 10. Dorham's Epitaph
[8:16] 11. Hill's Edge (Live-Set #2)
[6:18] 12. The Prophet (Live-Set #4)
[7:51] 13. Riffin' (Live-Set #4)
[9:30] 14. K.D's Blues (Live-Set #2)
[9:31] 15. A Night In Tunisia (Live-Set #2)

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Hot Club Of Cowtown - Midnight On The Trail

Styles: Retro Swing 
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:30
Size: 81,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:02)  1. Take Me Back To Tulsa
(3:10)  2. Call Of The Canyon
(2:52)  3. I've Got The Wonder Where She's Gone And When She's Comin' Back Again Blues
(2:54)  4. Next To The Soil
(2:40)  5. I'm An Old Cowhand (From The Rio Grande)
(3:12)  6. Cotton Eyed Joe
(3:36)  7. Oh, Mona
(2:40)  8. An Old Watermill By A Waterfall
(3:14)  9. Right Or Wrong
(2:37) 10. There's An Empty Cot In The Bunkhouse Tonight
(2:27) 11. Blue Bonnet Lane
(3:00) 12. Silver On The Sage

Western swing revivalists Hot Club of Cowtown formed in San Diego, CA in 1996; originally a duo pairing singer/violinist Elana Fremerman and singer/guitarist Whit Smith, a subsequent move to Austin, TX made room for the addition of bassist Billy Horton. Signing to Hightone, the trio issued its debut album, Swingin' Stampede!, in the fall of 1998; the follow-up, Tall Tales, appeared a year later. New bassist Matt Weiner joined Smith and Fremerman for 2000's Dev'lish Mary. Ghost Train came two years later in 2002, and it showed the group focusing more on original material and cutting back on the amount of covers. Continental Stomp followed in 2003, with Wishful Thinking arriving in 2009, and in 2011, the Hot Club finally surrendered to the obvious and released a tribute to Bob Wills, What Makes Bob Holler (the album was actually released in November of 2010 in the U.K.). ~ Jason Ankeny & Steve Leggett, Rovi https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/midnight-on-the-trail/1082467847

Midnight On The Trail

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Annie Sellick - Stardust On My Sleeve

Styles: Vocal Jazz 
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:08
Size: 119,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:28)  1. Give Me the Simple Life
(5:49)  2. Lullaby of the Leaves
(3:10)  3. Gravy Waltz
(5:55)  4. Everything Happens To Me
(4:44)  5. My Heart Belongs to Daddy
(4:08)  6. How Insensitive
(4:29)  7. Midnight Sun
(3:56)  8. Just Your Smile
(1:59)  9. Twisted
(6:37) 10. You Go To My Head
(5:03) 11. Comes Loves
(2:46) 12. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

Annie Sellick may be compared to the greats - “Ella’s playfulness, Carmen’s attitude, Betty’s instincts and Anita’s flair…” (Greg Lee, WMOT jazz radio). But, she is unequivocally and undeniably an original.Don’t let her southern drawl, as sweet as biscuits n’ honey, cause you to make assumptions, because there is nothing shy or demure about Ms. Sellick’s control - of the stage, the music, her sound, and her audience. It’s quite obvious she is totally at home as a live performer, immediately engaging her audiences with an innate ability to make everyone in the room feel like she is performing just for them. But these special gifts aside, it’s Annie’s pure talent as a musician that is earning her rave reviews and a growing fan base around the world. Annie lives in Nashville, Tennessee; however, she is quick to tell you “growing up in ‘Music City’ I hated country music.”But Nashville is home base for some of the finest musicians in the world playing every genre of music."I have had the opportunity to play with a very talented pool of Nashville-based jazz players, and it has been a great place to cut my teeth and learn.  These days I am learning from Nashville musicians of all styles.There is such a high level of musicianship here, and the support of the community is unparalleled.”

At first, Annie had no intention of pursuing a career as a performer.  Then one evening in a “dive bar” near the college she attended in Middle Tennessee, Annie sat in with guitarist Roland Gresham. “The only standards I knew were ‘Fever’ and ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” she remembers, laughing.“I sang ‘Fever’ and everybody went berserk.”The band hired her then and there. She recalls getting the names of jazz singers from a friend, tracking down their albums, learning the tunes a few at a time and then returning to the club to sing them.

Her sense of timing and interpretation of lyrics, her feel for the music these elements all came together during this time.While performing gigs at night, she studied her craft at the Nashville Jazz Workshop and was offered their first work/study opportunity.The Nashville jazz community and its fans spread the word about this young pixie-faced singer with the long dreads whose voice denied both her youth and looks - adding to her charm and appeal.

Today, Annie is a mainstay at the major jazz venues in Nashville, where she has performed with all of Music City’s jazz artists, including Beegie Adair, Jeff Coffin, Rod McGaha and Bela Fleck.She is the resident vocalist with the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, with whom she has recorded, and she gave a celebrated sold-out performance with the Nashville Symphony Pops Orchestra, “An Evening of Jazz.”She has won a large, devoted following in her home town that has garnered five consecutive “Best Jazz Artist” awards from the Nashville media and the #1 best selling local artist for two years at Tower Records Nashville. http://www.anniesellick.com/about/

Stardust On My Sleeve

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David Sanborn - Taking Off

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:00
Size: 85,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:05)  1. Butterfat
(4:29)  2. 'Way 'Cross Georgia
(3:22)  3. Duck Ankles
(3:20)  4. Funky Banana
(4:53)  5. The Whisperer
(3:33)  6. It Took A Long Time
(6:25)  7. Black Light
(3:46)  8. Blue Night
(4:03)  9. Flight

Altoist David Sanborn has long been one of the leaders of what could be called rhythm & jazz (R&B-oriented jazz). His debut for Warner Brothers was a major commercial success and helped make him into a major name. The music is fairly commercial but certainly danceable and melodic. 

Even at that point in time, Sanborn's alto cries were immediately recognizable; the Brecker Brothers, guitarist Steve Khan and Howard Johnson on baritone and tuba are prominent in support. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/taking-off-mw0000194893

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – David Sanborn;  Baritone Saxophone, Tuba – Howard Johnson;  Bass – Will Lee;  Cello – Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Lucien Schmit;  Congas, Bongos, Percussion – Ralph MacDonald;  Double Bass – Bob Daugherty, John Beal;  Drums – Chris Parker, Rick Marotta, Steve Gadd;  Electric Guitar – Buzzy Feiten, Joe Beck;  Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Steve Khan;  French Horn – John Clark , Peter Gordon;  Keyboards [Fender Rhodes], Piano [Acoustic], Organ, Clavinet – Don Grolnick;  Percussion – José Madera, Warren Smith;  Tenor Saxophone – Mike Brecker;  Trombone – Tom Malone;  Trumpet – Randy Brecker;  Violin – Alfred Brown, Charles Libove, Emanuel Vardi, Gene Orloff, Guy Lumia, Harold Coletta, Harold Kohon, Harry Glickman, Leo Kahn, Lewis Eley, Matthew Raimondi, Max Pollikoff, Paul Gershman

Taking Off

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John Patitucci - Now

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:23
Size: 161,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:10)  1. Now
(8:55)  2. Grace
(6:16)  3. Out Of The Mouths Of Babes
(6:03)  4. Hope
(9:29)  5. Labor Day
(8:59)  6. Espresso
(7:39)  7. Forgotten But Not Gone
(5:26)  8. Search For Peace
(4:30)  9. Giant Steps
(3:51) 10. Miya

Bassist Patitucci's third release for Concord Jazz is essentially a quartet date with tenors Chris Potter (five tracks) and Michael Brecker (two) augmenting the rhythm section. The horns take a break on the last three tracks, McCoy Tyner's "Search for Peace" (a trio), Trane's "Giant Steps" (Patitucci, Stewart) and Patitucci alone on his own composition, "Miya." Patitucci, a proud parent, dedicated the album to his then two-month-old daughter, Sachi Grace, as several of the titles would indicate "Grace," "Out of the Mouths of Babes," "Labor Day," for example. Patitucci is a fine player; I wish his talents as a composer were more congenial. Of the tunes on Now, all but "Peace" and "Giant Steps" are his, and none leaves much of an impression. And so it is up to the improvisers, chiefly Potter, Brecker and Scofield, to carry the day (with Patitucci contributing the occasional chorus as well, especially on the last three selections). Brecker meanders through the slow-paced "Hope" without much purpose, and fares only marginally better on the opaque "Labor Day." Potter also appears to be going through the motions; we've heard him play with far more passion and resolve on other occasions - although the music isn't exactly fashioned to let him roam free. Scofield is a taste we've yet to acquire, and sharp as Patitucci is, a bass solo is still a bass solo. The quartet tracks sound excessively busy, and it's actually a relief when Patitucci pares things down for the last three numbers, on which he plays a Yamaha 6-string electric bass, which doesn't sound too far removed from the guitar. That's a good thing, as Patitucci must delineate the melody on "Giant Steps" (a tune that fairly begs for a horn) and the classical-sounding "Miya" (where overdubbing turns him into a duo). Some may find this largely subdued and elliptical session a pure delight; others (such as we) shall place it gently on a shelf and leave it there. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/now-john-patitucci-concord-music-group-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: John Patitucci, bass; Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, tenor saxophones; John Scofield, guitar; Bill Stewart, drums.

Now

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Jimmy McGriff - Main Squeeze

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:56
Size: 89.1 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz
Year: 1974/2005
Art: Front

[4:21] 1. The Worm Turns
[3:09] 2. The Sermon
[5:06] 3. The Blues Train To Georgia
[7:39] 4. Misty
[3:47] 5. The Main Squeeze
[4:52] 6. GMI
[5:30] 7. These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You
[4:29] 8. Stella By Starlight

Drums – Eddie Gladden; Guitar – Jimmy Ponder; Organ, Keyboards – Jimmy McGriff; Saxophone [Alto] – Connie Lester.

Like so many Jimmy McGriff albums, Main Squeeze percolates but never quite boils over. It's a collection of short, sharp and oh-so-sincere funk workouts performed with both style and skill, the album simply plays its cards too close to the vest, controlling the groove but never giving in to it. Paired with guitarist Jimmy Ponder and altoist Connie Lester, McGriff moves effortlessly from originals ("The Worm Turns") to standards ("Stella by Starlight") to soul-jazz signifiers (Jimmy Smith's "The Sermon"), vamping and wailing but never letting go -- the tracks are more short stories than epic poems, tightly controlled and frustratingly limited in both style and scope. ~Jason Ankeny

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Dinah Washington - Dinah Washington's Finest Hour

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:12
Size: 147.0 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[ 2:51] 1. Evil Gal Blues
[ 3:22] 2. Blow Top Blues
[ 2:55] 3. West Side Baby
[ 3:10] 4. Long John Blues
[ 2:55] 5. Baby Get Lost
[ 2:51] 6. Trouble In Mind
[ 3:18] 7. Cold Cold Heart
[ 2:23] 8. T.V. Is The Thing This Year
[11:52] 9. I'll Remember April
[ 2:48] 10. Teach Me Tonight
[ 2:58] 11. I Just Couldn't Stand It No More
[ 4:24] 12. I Could Write A Book
[ 5:16] 13. Blue Gardenia
[ 2:26] 14. What A Diff'rence A Day Made
[ 2:41] 15. Unforgettable
[ 2:42] 16. Baby (You've Got What It Takes)
[ 2:25] 17. This Bitter Earth
[ 2:46] 18. Mad About The Boy

From the late 1940s until her death in 1963, Dinah Washington was a dominant presence among the women who sang R&B, with an unequalled emotional power and a voice that mingled highs and lows, rough and smooth, like raw silk. While she often sang R&B, though, her mastery of the idiom drew on her ability to sing all its constituent parts and musical relations--blues, jazz, and pop. This hourlong survey of her Mercury recordings covers all the bases that she touched in her career. Beginning with a 1947 session with backing from Lionel Hampton, Washington's Finest Hour extends to the pop sessions that brought her greater successes more than a decade later, both alone and with fellow singer Brook Benton. Washington the blues singer is equally effective on the bawdy "Long John Blues" and the traditional lament "Trouble in Mind," while her jazz-rooted mastery of standards is apparent on such songs as "I'll Remember April" and the profound "Blue Gardenia." She could even cover a country song like Hank Williams's "Cold, Cold Heart" or the light pop of "Teach Me Tonight" and make it convincingly her own, while her version of "Unforgettable" can stand comparison with Nat "King" Cole's. This is a terrific introduction to one of the essential singers, whatever genre claims her. ~Stuart Broomer

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Ira B. Liss Big Band Jazz Machine - Tasty Tunes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:14
Size: 151.6 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[6:06] 1. You Don't Know What Love Is
[5:39] 2. Early Autumn
[3:28] 3. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
[8:19] 4. When The Lady Dances
[4:53] 5. Oleo
[6:31] 6. Nature Boy
[9:15] 7. Manhattan Burn
[2:57] 8. Over The Rainbow
[5:52] 9. Mountain Dance
[4:30] 10. Ya Turn Me On Baby
[8:41] 11. Recon

The Ira B. Liss Big Band Jazz Machine is a 39 year fixture in the Southern California jazz scene. Based in San Diego, the 18 piece big band, focuses on a creative repertoire of eclectic compositions by Bob Mintzer, Dean Brown, Mike Crotty, Tom Kubis, Daniel Freiberg, Carl Murr, Drew Zaremba, Alan Baylock and Mike Abene. The album features guest solo appearances by Yellowjackets Grammy winning saxophonist and composer Bob Mintzer on his previously unrecorded big band composition "When The Lady Dances"; Alto saxophonist, Eric Marienthal on a great arrangement by Tom Kubis of "Early Autumn"; The beautiful Alto flute of Holly Hofmann on a stirring ECM style rendition of "Nature Boy" and Dean Brown, former Brecker Brothers guitarist on his original composition entitled "Recon". The stratospheric Alan Baylock rendition of "Over The Rainbow" featuring Randy Aviles and Peter Green is most definitely worth a listen as well...Mountain Dance, the Dave Grusin hit of the 1990's arranged by the late Peter Herbolzheimer is the premier recording of it in the US. Tasty Tunes, which is the 5th release by the BBJM and certainly not the last....is indeed a musical treat!!

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Les Paul, Mary Ford - Bye Bye Blues!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:39
Size: 67.9 MB
Styles: Traditional pop, Jazz guitar
Year: 1952/1982
Art: Front

[3:05] 1. Wabash Blues
[2:03] 2. Bye Bye Blues
[2:14] 3. Blues Stay Away From Me
[2:31] 4. Deep In The Blues
[3:06] 5. It's A Lonesome Old Town
[2:43] 6. Walkin' And Whistlin' Blues
[2:36] 7. St. Louis Blues
[1:44] 8. Mammy's Boogie
[2:34] 9. Frankie And Johnny
[2:26] 10. Don't Cry Baby
[1:35] 11. Jazz Me Blues
[2:56] 12. Smoke Rings

By 1952, Les Paul was already thinking in terms of album concepts; hence this often-soulful collection of genuine blues, or songs with blues in their titles. As a result, the tempos are mostly relaxed, with Paul giving himself ample opportunity to bend notes to his heart's content and exercise his jazz instincts more than he usually does on his Capitol records. The exceptions to the down-and-out feeling are, ironically, the upbeat hit title track, which professes to blow the blues away, and the spectacular "Mammy's Boogie," a single-line boogie blues transformed by echo into an electronic shooting gallery. The 12-inch version added older tracks like "Jazz Me Blues" and "Walkin' and Whistlin' Blues," which fit the concept, and "It's a Lonesome Old Town" and "Smoke Rings," which are a stretch. ~Richard S. Ginnell

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Luigi Trussardi - Introspection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:21
Size: 99.2 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[4:15] 1. Introspection
[3:49] 2. Hallucinations
[5:38] 3. Opus The Funk
[2:32] 4. Crepuscule With Nelly
[3:25] 5. Wee See
[3:46] 6. Oblivion
[5:03] 7. Salute To The Band Box
[3:55] 8. So Sorry Please
[2:37] 9. Ruby My Dear
[5:06] 10. Shaw'nuff
[3:09] 11. My Ship

David Sauzay (ts), Gaël Horellou (as), Laurent Courthaliac (p), Luigi Trussardi (b, piccolo bass), François Ricard (d).

Bassist Luigi Trussardi is one of these bassists. Europeans who have accompanied a whole world, including the biggest, American or European, in the world of clubs, standards and swing that remains at the heart of jazz practice. It is this experience, covering a few decades, that he brings to this new CD, dedicated to the compositions of Monk, Bud Powell and other boppers. This is how it helps to convey the great tradition of bebop to its young partners and the public.

To the remark of François Lacharme in the booklet - "While everything, in music, seems today to take the place of event, it is necessary to venture the path of the bebop "- one could answer that it is nevertheless a way that many borrow, even nowadays. But precisely, it is not necessarily the audacity we seek - here we admire the authenticity of this bebop, starting with the repertoire, of irreproachable taste, and continuing with the sound of the rhythm section, very "vintage." A repertoire music, but that did not take a wrinkle.

The instrumentation varies throughout the CD. Tenor David Sauzay is honored on four compositions, joined by the hot Gaël Horellou alto sax for two tracks, including a furious "Shawnuff". The trio Courthaliac / Trussardi / Ricard stands out on "Wee See" by Monk, "Hallucinations" by Bud Powell (who will be recognized as the "Budo" of the famous "Birth of the Cool" sessions by Miles Davis), and " Salute to the Band Box "by Gigi Gryce. Finally Trussardi, following the example of Ron Carter, plays the bow a bass piccolo, somewhere between the cello and the bass, on "Crepuscule With Nellie" and the superb "My Ship" by Kurt Weill, that we do not hear often enough Despite the solid work of the group on the other pieces, it's these two, where the themes are played simply, without solo, that I prefer. (Translated from French.)

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Herb Geller - Herb Geller Plays

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:45
Size: 102.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1955/1997
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. Love Is Like A Turtle
[5:47] 2. Sweet Vinegar
[2:55] 3. Sleigh Ride
[2:52] 4. Silver Rain
[6:51] 5. Alone Together
[2:53] 6. Happy Go Lucky
[3:22] 7. Days I Never Knew
[3:29] 8. Domestic Harmony
[3:22] 9. Breaking Through The Sound Barrier
[2:44] 10. Kahagon
[3:21] 11. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
[4:05] 12. A Room With A View

Other than four titles from a year before, this LP contains altoist Herb Geller's first recordings as a leader. Cut during a period when Herb was based in Los Angeles and regularly working with his wife, the talented but short-lived pianist Lorraine Geller, the music also has either Curtis Counce or Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Lawrence Marable or Eldridge Freeman on drums. Herb Geller was already in his early prime and contributed six originals. The band also performs one of Lorraine's tunes, plus five standards, all in swinging and boppish style. This LP (which has not been reissued lately) is well worth searching for. ~Scott Yanow

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Gary Peacock Trio - Now This

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:54
Size: 133,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:41)  1. Gaia
(5:02)  2. Shadows
(5:44)  3. This
(4:34)  4. And Now
(6:16)  5. Esprit de Muse
(5:17)  6. Moor
(5:48)  7. Noh Blues
(4:44)  8. Christa
(4:56)  9. Vignette
(3:59) 10. Gloria's Step
(4:47) 11. Requiem

Some of bassist Gary Peacock's earliest musical associations speak to a career that has been nurtured by unusually well-rounded experiences. Subbing for Ron Carter in gigs with Miles Davis, playing with the Bill Evans Trio and pianist Paul Bley and a stay with saxophonist Albert Ayler provided Peacock with foundations that ran the gamut from main-stream balladry, to conceptually modern jazz to the most unrestricted free jazz. All of which led up to the three-decades long relationship with Keith Jarrett and drummer Jack DeJohnette for which he is best known and where his finely developed skills lend themselves to that highly innovative group. With a very different trio, Now This is often darkly lyrical with a quiet dignity. Drummer Joey Baron who often draws comparisons to Paul Motian has never sounded more like the late drummer with a masterfully subtle touch. Pianist Marc Copland has worked with Peacock in various settings for three decades and is a master of harmonics. His work with guitarist John Abercrombie, saxophonist Greg Osby and bassist Drew Gress have earned high praise while Copland has remained puzzlingly under-recognized as one of the finest pianists and composers on the scene.

"Gaia" and "Shadows" the first to pieces on Now This are brooding and unhurried but are followed by "This" where a bit more dissonance is propelled by Baron's refined but forceful playing. Copland pushes that avant-garde essence as he guides the trio through "And Now," "Esprit de muse" and "Moor" the latter two being faster-paced and more complex numbers. Copland's fascinating composition, "Noh Blues," only hints at blues while providing a perfect backdrop for solos and interesting group interchanges. Throughout the pieces Peacock explores the full range of the bass pushing and pulling the music with him through unexpected turns. There is not a wasted note to be found on Now This where the compositions some re-worked, others, new strongly suggest a portentous air. Peacock, Copland and Baron expertly develop the pieces in that light so that, despite the overriding thoughtfulness, it is never certain in which direction the journey is moving. Now This is an thought-provoking collection rendered by brilliant performers.

Personnel: Marc Copland: piano; Gary Peacock: double bass; Joey Baron: drums.

Now This

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Nina Hagen - Like An Angel

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:14
Size: 179,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:37)  1. Die Rattenkonigin
(4:32)  2. Love Will Survive (Die Liebe Siegt Immer)
(3:18)  3. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room

(2:32)  4. Love Is All
(3:15)  5. Romeo & Juliaaah
(4:45)  6. Immer Lauter
(3:49)  7. Gimmi Your Love
(5:21)  8. Der Traum Ist Aus
(4:46)  9. Manner
(4:05) 10. You Get What You Deserve
(1:48) 11. Sally's Lied
(2:42) 12. Die Ballade Von Der Sexuellen Horigkeit
(3:35) 13. Alabama Song
(3:33) 14. Ich Hasse Santa Claus
(4:23) 15. La Veuve Moir
(3:33) 16. Schon Ist Die Welt
(3:50) 17. Kriminaltango
(3:57) 18. Kinky Melody
(4:42) 19. Seemann
(5:02) 20. The Aria

Born in East Germany, Nina Hagen had already gained a reputation as a flamboyant rock singer by the time she emigrated to the West in 1976, where she formed a band, signed to CBS Germany, and released the debut album Nina Hagen Band in 1978. It was followed in 1980 by Unbehagen. Hagen's first U.S. release, Nina Hagen Band EP (1980), was a four-song EP consisting of songs drawn from her two German releases. She moved to New York and made her first English-language LP, Nunsexmonkrock, in 1982. That and its follow-up, the Giorgio Moroder-produced Fearless (1983), charted briefly, and "New York New York" was a Top Ten dance club hit. But Hagen left CBS after Nina Hagen in Ekstacy (1985). In 1988, she celebrated her marriage with the EP Punk Wedding, released in Canada, and in 1989 she returned to the German market with Nina Hagen. In 2010, Hagen released Personal Jesus, which featured 13 faith-based tracks that dutifully blend rock, blues, soul, and gospel into a sound that’s distinctly hers. ~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nina-hagen-mn0000414016/biography

Like An Angel

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