Ari Ambrose - Whatever Happens

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:37
Size: 164,6 MB
Art: Front

(8:16)  1. No More
(9:41)  2. More Than You Know
(7:59)  3. Whatever Happens
(6:48)  4. I'm Glad There Is You
(6:36)  5. Luna
(6:40)  6. Emily
(7:31)  7. Unknown Side
(8:51)  8. Don't Blame Me
(9:11)  9. Like Someone In Love

The word retro is almost too new-school when dealing with the stylistic expressions of tenor saxophonist Ari Ambrose. His efforts on Whatever Happens reveal a throwback to the sounds of the tenor players of the ’30s and pre-bop era of the ’40s, when Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ben Webster, Chu Berry and Don Byas ruled the roost, mostly in the big bands of the time. Although largely bypassing references to bop, hard-bop, etc., Ambrose, on his eighth leader date for SteepleChase, has found a way to adapt his playing so it fits neatly with the more modern direction of his rhythm section: pianist George Colligan, bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Billy Drummond. Opening with the Lucky Thompson tune “No More,” the tenorist offers a sensitive reading that holds some of the earmarks of the Thompson sound. The rest of the way through older standards, Johnny Mandel’s “Emily” and three Ambrose originals, the leader plays with a quality that will remind listeners of Bean, Ben and Lester. The smooth, relaxed feel of his tenor work, while perhaps old-school, shows plenty of technical skill and creative flair. He spices up his solos with occasional flurries of notes that aren’t exactly within his stylistic zone but somehow seem to fit nicely. Colligan doesn’t play with his usual adventurous edge but keeps everything together within the rhythm team. With so many of the young tenor voices continuing to follow John Coltrane or Sonny Rollins or turning toward free-form abstraction, it’s refreshing to find Ambrose employing the tradition, taking it back and bringing it forward. If nothing else, he, Mark Turner, Ned Goold, Chris Byars and even Scott Hamilton are offering something different in what often seems to be a world of clones. https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/ari-ambrose-whatever-happens/

Personnel:  Ari Ambrose, tenor sax; George Colligan, piano; Ugonna Okegwo, bass; Billy Drummond, drums.

Whatever Happens

---

Sally Oldfield - Natasha

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:14
Size: 100,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:51)  1. Break Through The Rock
(4:50)  2. Natasha
(4:35)  3. Keep The Fire Burning
(2:20)  4. Clear Light
(5:44)  5. My Drumbeat Heart
(4:03)  6. Song Of The Mountain
(5:01)  7. You Break Like A Wave
(4:12)  8. Maya
(4:31)  9. In The Presence Of The Spring
(4:03) 10. Guiding Star

Sally Patricia Oldfield (born 10th March 1947) is a singer-songwriter, sister of composers Mike and Terry Oldfield. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Oldfield was raised in the Roman Catholic faith of her mother, Maureen. Spending her childhood in Reading, Berkshire, Oldfield studied ballet from the age of four and won numerous competitions in all styles of dance, including ballet, tap and modern. At the age of eleven, she won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dancing, then located in Holland Park, London, and two years later was starred to move on to the Royal Ballet School at White Lodge. However, she gave up ballet two years later, and achieved three A-Levels at Grade A. She studied classical piano to Grade 7. All her school years were spent at St Joseph's Convent School, Reading, where she became friends with Marianne Faithfull. Oldfield went on to read English Literature and Philosophy at Bristol University. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Oldfield

Natasha

---

Stephen Riley - Once Upon A Dream

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:57
Size: 158,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:54)  1. Israel
(6:52)  2. I'm an Old Cowhand
(7:45)  3. In My Solitude
(8:13)  4. Swinging Till the Girls Come Home
(5:00)  5. Lover Come Back to Me
(6:07)  6. The Very Thought of You
(8:20)  7. Tea for Two
(6:03)  8. All of You
(7:13)  9. Meditation
(3:56) 10. Once Upon a Dream
(3:31) 11. Tune Up

Stephen Riley's third CD as a leader for Steeplechase, like his earlier sessions for the label, is a pianoless affair, but the tenor saxophonist's sole musical partner is fellow Duke University jazz professor John Brown on bass. Although duos of tenor sax and bass are hardly a novelty, they aren't that common; Riley and Brown make the addition of other musicians unnecessary. The repertoire they chose for the recording included standards and a sprinkling of jazz compositions, almost all of which were written prior to 1960. Johnny Carisi's "Israel" has long been a favorite of jazz musicians and the duo's intricate interpretation proves that the lack of piano is no problem. Like Sonny Rollins, they find possibilities within Johnny Mercer's "I'm an Old Cowhand," though the only percussion is provided by Brown's playful taps on the body of his bass; Riley's humor comes through as he uses the full range of his horn and adds a few flutters without overdoing them. Riley's lush rendition of Duke Ellington's "In My Solitude" has the lyricism of Ben Webster, while Brown's arco bass provides a sublime background. Brown walks up a storm in Oscar Pettiford's "Swinging Till the Girls Come Home." Even old chestnuts like "Tea for Two" keep one's interest, due to the inventive approach of Riley and Brown. "Once Upon a Dream" was adapted from Tchaikovsky's ballet The Sleeping Beauty, and the duo's setting of this charming jazz waltz is full of lyricism. Both Stephen Riley and John Brown merit wider attention in the jazz press with this outstanding CD. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/once-upon-a-dream-mw0000585362

Personnel: Stephen Riley (tenor saxophone).

Once Upon A Dream

---

Andrei Kondakov & Paul Bollenback - Alone and Together

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:43
Size: 128,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:00)  1. Song for Michel (Kondakov)
(3:57)  2. Together (Bollenback)
(7:02)  3. And I Love Her (Lennon - McCartney)
(4:55)  4. Alone Together (Dietz - Schwartz)
(5:16)  5. Skylark (Carmichael - Mercer)
(6:08)  6. If I Should Lose You
(8:17)  7. Cat's Eye (Bollenback)
(4:33)  8. Alone (Kondakov)
(8:30)  9. I Thought About You (Mercer - Van Hensen)

Award-winning jazz guitarist Paul Bollenback developed a taste for the exotic over the course of a three-year period when his family lived in India. He was 11 years old when the family traveled to New Delhi, and years later the sounds and experiences of that early journey found their way into his first album from Challenge Records, Original Visions. His next release, Double Gemini, continued to stir up a buzz among critics, and it drew honors as CD of the Month from both WBGO, a Newark jazz station, and 20th Century Jazz Magazine. Bollenback remained with Challenge for his next project, Soul Grooves.The guitarist first got his hands on an instrument with nylon strings when he was seven years old. The guitar was a gift from his dad, who adored music as much as the younger Bollenback and also played the trumpet. At the age of 14, the budding guitarist headed home to the states with his family, where he discovered the delights of rock & roll. Around this time he started to play the electric guitar, another gift from his dad. When he discovered Miles Davis, it was a major turning point in his musical development.

Bollenback's education includes music studies at the University of Miami. He continued his studies with eight more years of private instruction under the tutelage of Asher Zlotnik in Baltimore. In 1993, the year that he embarked on a European tour, he received a National Endowment for the Arts grant, in conjunction with the Virginia Commission on the Arts, for "New Music for Three Jazz Guitars." The Washington Area Music Awards dubbed him Musician of the Year in 1997, the same year that he joined the music faculty at American University. SESAC honored two of his original pieces, "Romancin' the Moon" and "Wookies' Revenge," both of which were included on the album Reboppin' by Joey DeFrancesco, who returned the favor by appearing on Bollenback's Soul Grooves. he Litchfield Jazz Festival Summer Music School installed Bollenback as artist-in-residence. He also is a featured artist on the bill of the Summer Guitar & Bass Workshop offered by Duquesne University. The guitarist has performed on numerous television programs, among them Entertainment Tonight, The Tonight Show, The Today Show, Joan Rivers, and Good Morning America. He has shared the stage with a long list of musical artists, including Charlie Byrd, Arturo Sandoval, Herb Ellis, Stanley Turrentine, Spyro Gyra's Scott Ambush, and Della Reese. ~ Linda Seida https://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-bollenback-mn0000746344/biography  

Alone and Together

---

Thomas Quasthoff - A Portrait

Styles: Vocal

Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:20
Size: 192,2 MB
Art: Front

( 4:04)  1. Erlkönig (Schubert)
( 4:47)  2. Der Zwerg, op. 22,1 (Schubert)
( 5:33)  3. Prometheus (Schubert)
( 5:03)  4. Der Lindenbaum (Schubert)
( 3:40)  5. Mondnacht (Schumann)
( 1:25)  6. Im wunderschönen Monat Mai (Schumann)
( 4:05)  7. Belsazar, op. 57 (Schumann)
( 4:30)  8. Eilt, ihr angefochtnen Seelen (J. S. Bach)
( 4:10)  9. Mein teurer Heiland, laß dich fragen (J. S. Bach)
( 5:11) 10. Hai gia vinta la causa - Vedro mentre io sospiro (Mozart)
( 5:46) 11. Madamina, il catalogo e questo (Mozart)
( 2:00) 12. Deh! vieni alla finestra, o mio tesoro (Mozart)
( 2:52) 13. Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja (Mozart)
( 4:13) 14. Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen (Mozart)
( 2:42) 15. pa-pa-pa-pa (Mozart)
( 4:41) 16. In diesen heil'gen Hallen (Mozart)
(12:31) 17. Des besten Königs Wink und Wille (Beethoven)

Quasthoff’s reputation has increased with each new disc‚ so it is a good idea of RCA’s to issue this composite picture of his achievements to date. We are here reminded that the eminent bass­baritone has just about every virtue called for in practically all the repertory included here. His voice is faultless in tonal production and technical assurance: he always sings with thought for the text; word and note become as one. These assets are controlled by a sharp‚ intelligent mind and an emotional impulse that makes every reading a sustenance for ear and mind. The Schubert group four dramatic songs‚ one reflective are delivered with a marked emphasis on firm tone‚ a refined legato and acute use of text. His Schumann is hardly less successful The two airs from Bach’s St John Passion have the breadth of line and sonorous voice that make them near­ideal. In Mozart‚ his imposing account of Count Almaviva’s outburst contrasts nicely with his suave Giovanni‚ but his Leporello is rather too well­behaved. The traversal of Sarastro’s second aria is the very epitome of wise authority and most beautiful to hear. He plays Papageno pretty straight‚ and then in the only new item here he’s joined by Caballé‚ of all singers‚ for the duet with Papagena‚ a real collector’s piece‚ the then 65­year­old diva just about keeping up with her partner. Finally comes the closing scene of Fidelio with Quasthoff‚ as I wrote when the set came out‚ as noble and warm a Don Fernando as one could wish. Sir Colin Davis is at his best in this extract from what overall is an uneven set. Elsewhere in the present compilation the piano playing and conducting are all worthy of this artist’s profoundly satisfying work.

A Portrait

---

The Modern Jazz Quartet - Topsy: This One's For Basie

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:59
Size: 121.3 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 1985/2002
Art: Front

[4:09] 1. Reunion Blues
[5:03] 2. Nature Boy
[4:40] 3. Topsy Ii
[8:27] 4. D And E (Retake 1, Master)
[6:46] 5. Valeria
[5:51] 6. Milano
[8:16] 7. Le Cannet
[9:44] 8. D And E (Alternate Take)

Bass – Percy Heath; Drums – Connie Kay;Piano – John Lewis; Vibraphone – Milt Jackson. Recorded at RCA Recording Studios, New York City, June 3rd & 4th 1985.

Despite the title of this CD, the music on this 1985 studio set from The Modern Jazz Quartet is not a program of Count Basie tunes (with the exception of "Topsy") although Basie apparently liked the John Lewis composition "D and E." The other unrelated music is highlighted by an unaccompanied feature for vibraphonist Milt Jackson ("Nature Boy"), "Reunion Blues" and three more complex pieces from pianist John Lewis. Overall this CD gives listeners a fine example of the music of The MJQ during the 1980s. ~Scott Yanow

Topsy: This One's For Basie mc
Topsy: This One's For Basie zippy

---

Femi Kuti - One People One World

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:23
Size: 115.3 MB
Styles: Afro beat
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[4:44] 1. Africa Will Be Great Again
[5:13] 2. Best To Live On The Good Side
[3:33] 3. One People One World
[3:38] 4. Na Their Way Be That
[2:28] 5. How Many
[3:19] 6. Evil People
[4:48] 7. Equal Opportunity
[3:50] 8. E Get As E Be
[6:25] 9. Corruption Na Stealing
[4:10] 10. Dem Don Come Again
[4:31] 11. Dem Militarize Democracy
[3:40] 12. The Way Our Lives Go

In the five years between Femi Kuti's Grammy-nominated No Place for My Dream and One People One World, he's been a busy man. He regularly performs at The Shrine, the performance space he built as a memorial to his late father Fela Kuti, he's a touring musician, and he also serves as a traveling ambassador for Amnesty International. (He also found time in 2017 to break the Guinness world record for the longest-held single note on a saxophone -- 51 minutes and 35 seconds.)

One People One World is Kuti's tenth album with his longstanding band Positive Force and its musical director and guitarist Opeyemi Awomolo. Unlike the righteous anger that inspired almost all of his previous recordings, One People One World is by contrast more affirmative; it's celebratory without sacrificing its activism. While Afrobeat is at the core of these 12 songs, Kuti picks up on the mosaic he began weaving on No Place for My Dream by incorporating the harmonies and rhythms of reggae, highlife, soul, R&B, hip-hop, and other global sounds into its mix, adding depth and complexity without sacrificing immediacy and accessibility. The title-track single commences with driving Afrobeat horns, but the rest of the band erupts into calypso and highlife celebration as Kuti and his backing singers deny racism, greed, and hatred the power to conquer the earth. With an infectious, swinging organ, "Africa Will Be Great Again" is a protest jam that details the corruption and greed that hold her back as a continent, but its pulsing wave of salsa, soca, and highlife makes it an irresistible anthem as Kuti posits the reclamation of the continent as the cradle of civilization and the heartbeat of the world. The D'Angelo-esque soul in "It's Best to Live on the Good Side" is carried by slinky, bubbling basslines, vamping R&B guitars, and a swirling organ. When the horns enter, thunder cracks as circular drumming and percussion thread in Afro-Cuban (Yoruban) rhythms. Second single "Na Their Way Be That" opens with cooking reggae before Femi's soulful saxophone solo and an Afrobeat chant cut in from the margin. "Evil People" is stomping, funky R&B, fueled by J.B.'s-style horns, layers of breakbeat drums, chunky wah-wah guitar, and congas. Immediately following is "Equal Opportunity," where Kuti and his backing chorus evoke the celebratory vibe of Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up," and add jazzy Rhodes piano and Afrobeat horns and rhythms. Even straight-up Afro-funk jams like "Dem Militarize Democracy" open to embrace driving son rhythms, popping R&B basslines, and souled-out vocal and guitar choruses. The dubwise soul of closer "The Way Our Lives Go" is the set's most poetic and inspiring track. Kuti and Positive Force don't let up at all during One People One World. Impeccably sequenced, it runs from strength to strength, dazzling with expansive sonic textures, killer arrangements, and a musical genre palette that exists seemingly without boundaries. As a recording artist, Kuti has been reliably consistent, but this date is his masterpiece. ~Thom Jurek

One People One World mc
One People One World zippy

---

Maxine Sullivan - We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:04
Size: 169.6 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Standards
Year: 1995/2015
Art: Front

[2:44] 1. We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye
[2:24] 2. Someday Sweetheart
[2:50] 3. Exactly Like You
[2:49] 4. That Old Feeling
[2:34] 5. Miss Otis Regrets
[2:44] 6. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
[3:58] 7. It's The Talk Of The Town
[2:44] 8. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
[2:48] 9. She's Funny That Way
[2:33] 10. St. Louis Blues
[2:53] 11. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
[2:09] 12. Legalize My Name
[2:22] 13. You Were Meant For Me
[3:29] 14. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[4:04] 15. I Thought About You
[2:36] 16. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea #2
[4:11] 17. I Got It Bad, And That Ain't Good
[3:55] 18. Brother, Can You Spare A Dime
[4:14] 19. Georgia On My Mind
[3:22] 20. Don't Get Around Much Any More
[2:19] 21. Skylark
[2:57] 22. What Is There To Say
[3:33] 23. I Didn't Know About You
[3:42] 24. Just One Of Those Things

Two former LPs are combined on this single CD. The subtle but always swinging singer Maxine Sullivan is heard on a very pleasing 1983 session in which she is joined by trumpeter Doc Cheatham (who sounds quite lyrical), the underrated clarinetist Herb Hall, pianist Red Richards, bassist Ike Isaacs and drummer Tom Martin. But good as that date is, it is the first half of this CD that is most memorable. Sullivan sounds exuberant while being inspired by the great cornetist Ernie Carson, Spencer Clark on baritone, pianist Art Hodes, bassist Johnny Haynes and drummer Martin. Carson takes many heated solos; Hodes is often rollicking, and Sullivan's voice is heard throughout in prime form -- she even takes a valve trombone solo on one song. Highlights include definitive versions of "We Just Couldn't say Goodbye," "Someday Sweetheart," "That Old Feeling" and "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea." In addition, there is a previously unreleased version of "It's the Talk of the Town" from Feb. 8, 1978, a very spontaneous performance with Hodes' band during an otherwise instrumental session. Highly recommended. ~Scott Yanow

We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye   

---

Angelita Li - Caminhos Cruzados

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:56
Size: 132.6 MB
Styles: Jazz-Pop vocals
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[5:22] 1. Close To You
[5:49] 2. Caminhos Cruzados
[5:42] 3. Good Morning Heartache
[4:11] 4. Uma Noite
[5:05] 5. He Loves You
[4:11] 6. Inutil Paizagem
[5:59] 7. Más Allá
[8:15] 8. 500 Miles High
[4:30] 9. So Far Away
[8:48] 10. Wishing On A Star

Bass – Anders Christensen; Drums – Mikkel Hess; Guitar [Guitars] – Eugene Pao; Keyboards – Nikolaj Torp; Percussion – Tira Skambye Madsen; Saxophone [Saxophones], Clarinet – Hans Ulrik; Vocals – Angelita Li. Recorded at Granny Studios, Copenhagen, June 28 - 30 2001.

In June 2001 Angelita Li went to Copenhagen to record a cd with Hans Ulrik and his closely-knit band. The result is delightful. Charming and highly sensual music, inter alia coloured by warm Brazilian rhythms, and interpreted by the enticing Chinese singer Angelita Li, who sings just as charmingly in English as she does in Portuguese. The music is sparkling, straightforward and perfect for any occasion. No new ground is broken, but there are plenty of contributions from highly professional musicians with their heart in the right place. We have invented a new genre - jazz-light. A cd for any occasion; catching, pleasant and sensual. Delicious jazz pop, here and in Hong Kong - and in the rest of the world!

Caminhos Cruzados

---

Tommy Flanagan, Tommy Cecil, Billy Hart, Paul Bollenback, Gary Bartz, Cyro Baptista - Samba For Felix

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:47
Size: 139.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[8:25] 1. Samba For Felix
[5:52] 2. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[6:03] 3. You're So Retro
[9:01] 4. Ce
[7:27] 5. Cavalier
[8:17] 6. The Heather On The Hill
[6:56] 7. Perspective Changes
[8:43] 8. Pastorale

Though headlined by Tommy Flanagan, Samba for Felix is truly Tommy Cecil's recording session. Cecil serves as the bandleader, principle songwriter (writing five of the album's eight tracks), and outstanding bassist on this valuable set. For his part, Flanagan is masterful on piano and is expertly joined by Billy Hart (drums), Gary Bartz (alto sax), Paul Bollenback (guitar), and Cyro Baptista (percussion). This all-star cast would be expected to put forth a great effort and they do not disappoint. The title track is a wailing samba, highlighted by Bollenback's intense guitar attack. "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" stays true to Ellington's simple and evocative melody. "Ce" takes on a distinctive Latin flavor and is notable for Baptista's sensitive accompaniment. "The Heather on the Hill" is a lovely ballad on which Bartz makes the alto sing. "Pastorale," a Cecil original, closes the set with understated brilliance. Throughout Samba for Felix, Billy Hart and Cecil lay down a deep, pronounced groove and Flanagan displays the confidence of a genuine master with nothing more to prove. This album is highly recommended. ~Brian Bartolini

Samba For Felix mc
Samba For Felix zippy

---

Kenny Kirkland - Kenny Kirkland

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:37
Size: 143,6 MB
Art: Front

(8:07)  1. Mr. J.C.
(3:32)  2. Midnight Silence
(1:35)  3. El Rey
(6:02)  4. Steepian Faith
(6:49)  5. Celia
(6:01)  6. Chance
(5:39)  7. When Will the Blues Leave
(8:36)  8. Ana Maria
(7:48)  9. Revelations
(5:19) 10. Criss Cross
(3:04) 11. Blasphemy

Keyboardist Kenny Kirkland's long-overdue debut as a leader really stretches his talents and is occasionally unpredictable. Virtually each of the performances has its own personality and the personnel and instrumentation differ throughout the release. Among the highlights is "Mr. J.C." (which features some stormy Branford Marsalis tenor), an electric Latin but still boppish update of Bud Powell's "Celia" (taken as a duet with percussionist Don Alias), the struttin' "Steepian Faith," a driving rendition of Ornette Coleman's "When Will the Blues Leave" that has some free bop alto from Roderick Ward, and Latin versions (with percussionist Jerry Gonzalez) of two standards not normally thought of as belonging to that idiom: Wayne Shorter's "Ana Maria" and Thelonious Monk's "Criss Cross." This highly recommended CD has more than its share of brilliant moments. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/kenny-kirkland-mw0000676542

Personnel: Kenny Kirkland (piano, keyboards); Branford Marsalis (soprano & tenor saxophones); Charnett Moffet, Robert Hurst, Christian McBride (bass); Steve Berrios (drums, percussion); Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums); Don Alias (bongos, percussion); Jerry Gonzalez (congas, percussion).

Kenny Kirkland

---

Aga Zaryan - Remembering Nina & Abbey

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:45
Size: 141,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
(4:25)  2. Wild Is The Wind
(4:40)  3. My Baby Just Cares For
(4:23)  4. When Love Was You And Me
(4:31)  5. Long As You're Living
(3:40)  6. I Want A Little Sugar In My Bo
(5:20)  7. Lilac Wine
(5:05)  8. I Got Thunder (And It Rings)
(3:17)  9. Bird Alone
(4:43) 10. Avec Les Temps
(8:25) 11. Strange Fruit
(5:34) 12. Who Knows Where The Time Goes
(1:52) 13. Beautiful Land

The latest album by Agnieszka Czulak (known as Aga Zaryan ) entitled Remembering Nina & Abbey is a direct reference to the work of Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln , black female singers who have been distinguished in history as women struggling to abolish racial discrimination. Until now, Zaryan only performed single songs from the repertoire of these personalities (eg Suzanne Niny Simone or Throw it Away Abbey Lincoln). This time, however, the album is completely covered by the covers of the two mentioned jazz music.  http://allaboutmusic.pl/aga-zaryan-remembering-nina-abbey-2013-recenzja-szymona-jaremy/

Remembering Nina & Abbey

---

Dave Stryker - Big Room

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:10
Size: 128,7 MB
Art: Front

( 9:00)  1. Big Room
( 7:41)  2. Nascimento
( 8:15)  3. Hymn
( 8:35)  4. Jabali
(10:30)  5. Mood
( 9:15)  6. Arrival
( 2:51)  7. Hymn(Reprise)

On his latest album Dave Stryker put together a superlative group featuring the New York scene’s most original tenor saxophonist Rick Perry. With his “ enormous technique, rock-hard swing, and a penchant for finely-sculpted solos ” (Chicago Weekly) and “ with a soulful, Grant Green tone and one of the most natural sense of melodic invention …”(The Seattle Times) Dave Stryker welcomes you to the Big Room

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone – Rich Perry;  Bass – Ed Howard;  Drums – Billy Hart;  Guitar, Composed By – Dave Stryke

Big Room

---

Cecil Brooks III - For Those Who Love to Groove

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:10
Size: 154,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:06)  1. Get Lonely
(5:43)  2. Mother And Child
(4:53)  3. Stay One Step Ahead
(4:03)  4. Browne James
(3:31)  5. Sweet Summer Breeze
(5:06)  6. Can We Talk
(7:11)  7. Lakumbe's Theme
(6:06)  8. Adreena
(4:32)  9. Swamp Run
(4:19) 10. Yvette
(6:35) 11. Hill District
(2:32) 12. Body And Soul
(2:20) 13. I Gan't Get Started
(2:53) 14. Tenderly
(3:14) 15. Sanj's Smoke Shop

On drummer Cecil Brooks III's Savant debut he is joined by tenor saxophonist Don Braden, alto saxophonist Bruce Williams, trumpeter Riley Mullins, and organist Radam Schwartz to perform ten originals by the group members, two pop songs, and a ballad medley. While Brooks is a modern hard bop drummmer in the tradition of Art Blakey, he chooses to stay in the background for most of this recording, while Schwartz plays strong basslines that are essential to creating the groove that is this recording's focus. Favorites include the soulful finger poppin' grooves of "I Get Lonely," a pop hit for Janet Jackson; "Can We Talk," a pop hit for Tevin Campbell; the exotic grooves of "Browne James" and "Lakumbe's Theme"; and the up-tempo burning grooves of "Swamp Run" and "Hill District." This is different from the bop, blues, and ballads that most organ-based groups play, which makes it an enjoyable listening experience. ~ Greg Turner https://www.allmusic.com/album/for-those-who-love-to-groove-mw0000251490

Personnel: Cecil Brooks III (drums); Bruce Williams (alto saxophone); Don Braden (tenor saxophone); Riley Mullins (trumpet); Radam Schwartz (organ)

For Those Who Love to Groove

---

Billy Hart - Oshumare

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:59
Size: 125,9 MB
Art: Front

( 6:17)  1. Duchess
( 7:44)  2. Waiting Inside
( 5:56)  3. Chance
( 7:27)  4. Lorca
( 4:45)  5. Cosmosis
(10:20)  6. Idgaf Suite
( 6:09)  7. May Dance
( 6:17)  8. Mad Monkey

Billy Hart is a perfect example of a drummer who has an impressively long list of sideman credits but has only recorded sporadically as a leader. One of the few sessions that he led in the 1980s was 1985's Oshumare, a Gramavision date that has one foot in fusion and the other in straight-ahead post-bop. Hart oversees an interesting blend of acoustic and electric instruments; Dave Holland is on upright bass, while the electric contributions come from Kenny Kirkland or Mark Gray on keyboards and Bill Frisell or Kevin Eubanks on electric guitar. Rounding out the cast which could almost be described an all-star cast are Branford Marsalis on tenor sax, Steve Coleman on alto sax, Didier Lockwood on violin, and Manolo Badrena on percussion. However, the use of the term all-star would be a slight exaggeration because not all of the musicians became major names in jazz although most of them did. But it is no exaggeration to say that Hart leads an impressive cast of players on this CD or that the material is generally solid; that is true of Hart's Latin-flavored "Lorca" as well as Frisell's mysterious "Waiting Outside" and Eubank's abstract "IDGAF Suite." Parts of Oshumare are essentially straight-ahead, especially Holland's fast-paced "Cosmosis." But this album cannot honestly be described as the work of a jazz purist. One minute Hart is straight-ahead, and the next he encourages Eubanks or Kirkland to take things in more of a fusion direction. And that speaks well of the drummer (who was 44 or 45 when this album was recorded), because it demonstrates that he is willing to listen to what younger musicians have to say. Oshumare makes listeners wish that Hart had recorded more albums as a leader in the 1980s. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/oshumare-mw0000188147

Personnel includes: Billy Hart (drums); Branford Marsalis, Steve Coleman (saxophone); Didier Lockwood (violin); Bill Frisell (guitar); Dave Holland (bass); Kevin Eubanks, Kenny Kirkland (piano).

Oshumare

---

Ahmad Jamal - Happy Moods

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:51
Size: 84.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1960/2008
Art: Front

[5:13] 1. Little Old Lady
[2:45] 2. For All We Know
[5:45] 3. Pavanne
[3:01] 4. Excerpts From The Blues
[3:18] 5. Easy To Love
[1:34] 6. Time On My Hands
[4:41] 7. Raincheck
[3:00] 8. I'll Never Stop Loving You
[4:53] 9. Speak Low
[2:37] 10. Rhumba No. 2

The immortal 1958 Pershing and Spotlite performances marked the turning point in Ahmad Jamal's career. By 1960, when Happy Moods was recorded, the trio of Jamal (born Fritz Russell Jones on July 2, 1930 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he is 83 at this writing), Israel Crosby and Vernel Fournier (July 30, 1928-November 4, 2000) was a true sensation and had taped various successful albums. Recorded almost two years after his most popular trio album, At the Pershing, Happy Moods is a program of mostly standards, a flirtation with a classical piano piece and two Jamal originals. According to All Music Guide critic Dave Nathan, ''Playing with his patented sneaky left-hand voicings and his jingling right hand, interspersed with block chords all within a lean framework, the performances offered by this album are representative of Jamal's work of the period. He takes a piece of fluff like Little Old Lady and transforms it into a fugue replete with the counterpoint that personifies this classical form. An up-tempo 'Easy to Love', highlighting Fournier's brushes, is tastefully garnished with runs and chords borrowed from fellow Pittsburgher Erroll Garner. Billy Strayhorn's 'Raincheck' features heady arpeggios as well as quotes from 'I'm Beginning to See the Light'.'' The formation would see a change after making live recordings at the Alhambra club in mid-June 1961, for Israel Crosby left the trio to join the George Shearing quartet. A posterior reunion of the classic trio would be tragically impeded by Crosby's untimely death of a heart attack at the age of 43 on August 11, 1962 (he was born in Chicago on January 19, 1919). The new trio, formed in 1963, would include Jamil Nasser on bass and Chuck Lampkin on drums.

Happy Moods mc
Happy Moods zippy

---

Nancy Wright - Moanin'

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:26
Size: 138.4 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[6:19] 1. Jo-Jo
[5:11] 2. Rutabagas
[5:28] 3. Moanin'
[7:13] 4. Lady L
[5:51] 5. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[5:16] 6. Happy Sergio
[7:56] 7. When Sunny Gets Blue
[3:01] 8. Minority
[8:15] 9. Bugalu
[5:53] 10. Bernie's Blues

Nancy Wright is an Ohio-bred, San Francisco-based musician whose hearty tenor saxophone has graced many discs of Bay Area artists. She has also performed and recorded with blues giants Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, and Albert Collins. For her debut disc, MOANIN,’ Ms. Wright tips her hat to the blues- and R&B-charged jazz organ combo sound, backed by guitar, organ (Tony Monaco), and drums. She naturally accents the blues side of her musical personality and adds spice to the mix with some nifty New Orleans overtones. ~Mark Keresman

Moanin' mc
Moanin' zippy

---

Sam Cooke - Mr. Soul

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:51
Size: 82.1 MB
Styles: Soul, Jazz
Year: 1963/2012
Art: Front

[2:24] 1. I Wish You Love
[2:26] 2. Willow Weep For Me
[2:51] 3. Chains Of Love
[3:25] 4. Smoke Rings
[3:29] 5. All The Way
[2:38] 6. Send Me Some Lovin'
[2:47] 7. Cry Me A River
[3:17] 8. Driftin' Blues
[3:15] 9. For Sentimental Reasons
[2:37] 10. Nothing Can Change This Love
[2:35] 11. Little Girl
[4:02] 12. These Foolish Things

Sam Cooke released two albums in 1963, and the second, Night Beat, is often cited as the best of all his long-players. But the first, Mr. Soul, shouldn't be ignored, despite some flaws in its conception and execution. At the time, the powers-that-were at RCA Victor didn't know which audience to aim for with Cooke's albums. LPs were seldom huge sellers among teenage listeners, so the notion of trying to connect to an adult audience -- à la Nat King Cole -- probably seemed logical, and Mr. Soul suffered somewhat from this uncertainty of purpose and audience; it is a soul album, to be sure, but by the standards of the time a somewhat tentative one in many spots. Unlike Night Beat, which was an exercise in production restraint, Mr. Soul is over-produced and relies too much on strings where they aren't needed and choruses that are overdone, even when they work. But Cooke rises above all of it, and turns even some of the more questionably arranged songs, such as "Send Me Some Lovin'," into mini-masterpieces. A couple of tracks off of this album, "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" and "Nothing Can Change This Love," were part of Cooke's live repertoire at the time and have, indeed, found a separate life on various compilations, but the rest was unavailable for over 45 years, until Sony/BMG re-released most of Cooke's RCA library. The best of that rest -- which is most of it -- shows him still rising to the peak of his powers, his voice wrapping itself around lyrics and melodies that might seem too familiar ("Cry Me a River," etc.) and bland, and making them much more significant and powerful than they seemingly have a right to be. The strings are overworked at times, but where they are held back, as on "Little Girl," their presence only adds to the impact of the track -- and elsewhere, Cooke quietly overpowers them. Modern listeners should bear in mind that, as a soul album, this is a fairly laid-back record -- those expecting anything like the exuberance of Otis Redding, or Clyde McPhatter or Ben E. King, may be disappointed at first; Cooke does work up a sweat on various parts and phrases, but a lot of what is here, by virtue of the label's wishes for a crossover record, is what might be terms "cool" soul -- smooth and sometimes bluesy, in a low-key way, quietly emotive on numbers such as "These Foolish Things," with the hot moments in special abundance on numbers like "Chains of Love" and "Send Me Some Lovin'." But even in these cool, restrained settings, Cooke's was still one of the finest voices of his century, and worth taking in for every breath and nuance. ~Bruce Eder

Mr. Soul mc
Mr. Soul zippy

---

Thomas Quasthoff - Tell It Like It Is

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:44
Size: 129.9 MB
Styles: Soul-Jazz vocals
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[4:38] 1. I Can't Stand The Rain
[4:16] 2. Lost Mind
[4:25] 3. Have A Little Faith In Me
[3:13] 4. Have A Talk With God
[3:01] 5. The Seventh Son
[3:49] 6. Short People
[4:15] 7. Please Send Me Someone To Love
[4:46] 8. Kissing My Love
[4:43] 9. Ain't No Sunshine
[3:55] 10. Rainy Night In Georgia
[3:25] 11. The Whistleman
[4:16] 12. Rider In The Rain
[3:34] 13. Tell It Like It Is
[4:23] 14. Georgia On My Mind

Deutsche Grammophon's best-selling release of bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff's 'The Voice' astonished music lovers with tuneful proof of Quasthoff's ability to sing jazz as superbly as they knew him to sing classical music. With Tell It Like It Is, Thomas Quasthoff floors the music world again with this recording of American Soul with a jazz feeling. This world-class interpreter of Lieder brings the words to life with an immediacy that connects to the listener. Thomas Quasthoff digs into his music with a super quartet: Frank Chastenier, keyboards, Wolfgang Haffner, drums, Dieter Ilg, bass, and Bruno M ller, guitar. Tracks on this album, produced by the legendary Jay Newland, range from Bill Withers's 'Kissing My Love' to ballads such as 'Please Send Me Someone to Love' and 'Tell It Like It Is'.

Tell It Like It Is mc
Tell It Like It Is zippy

---

Warne Marsh - Back Home

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:23
Size: 149.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1986/2000
Art: Front

[5:11] 1. Leave Me
[5:37] 2. See Me Now, If You Could
[5:04] 3. Two Not One
[4:53] 4. Big Leaps For Lester
[7:59] 5. Back Home
[5:27] 6. Heads Up
[8:07] 7. Good Bait
[4:27] 8. Rhythmically Speaking
[7:22] 9. Joy Spring
[4:42] 10. Big Leaps For Lester (Alt. Take)
[6:30] 11. Good Bait (Alt. Take)

Warne Marsh, Jimmy Halperin – tenor saxophone; Barry Harris – piano; David Williams – bass; Albert Heath – drums.

Recorded and originally released on vinyl in 1986 (a year and a half prior to Marsh's death), Back Home was reissued on CD by Criss Cross in 2001, with three alternate takes and a previously unheard version of Clifford Brown's "Joy Spring." Together with pianist Barry Harris, bassist David Williams, and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath, the tenor master and Tristano disciple works through a set of tunes that, in true Tristano fashion, are built entirely upon the harmonic foundations of popular standards. The sole exceptions are "Joy Spring" and Tadd Dameron's "Good Bait." Mark Gardner's liner notes wrongly identify "I Got Rhythm" as the source for "Rhythmically Speaking"; the latter is actually derived, oddly enough, from "Little Willie Leaps." On four tracks Marsh is joined by fellow tenorist and Tristano student Jimmy Halperin, age 27 at the time of the recording -- over 30 years Marsh's junior. The two-tenor pairing recalls Marsh's '50s collaborations with Ted Brown. Marsh's peculiar linear logic and behind-the-beat phrasing are the aural equivalent of well-aged scotch, and his rapport with Barry Harris represents a felicitous union of straight bebop and one of its most enigmatic tributaries, the Tristano school. ~David R. Adler

Back Home mc
Back Home zippy

---