Cleo Laine - Woman To Woman

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:00
Size: 143,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. Come In From The Rain
(4:17)  2. Inside A Silent Tear
(3:22)  3. My Favorite Year
(4:15)  4. I Love You Truly
(2:29)  5. Since You've Asked
(4:51)  6. I'll Never Smile Again
(3:52)  7. Both Sides Now
(3:40)  8. In The Days Of Our Love
(4:58)  9. Fine And Mellow
(4:42) 10. Willow Weep For Me
(4:59) 11. Close Your Eyes
(3:57) 12. Grand Reunion
(3:21) 13. Secret Feeling
(2:37) 14. Your Eyes Speak To Me
(4:37) 15. It's All In My Hands

Cleo Laine became well-known through her frequent appearances on UK TV during the 1960's, occupying those musical interludes that used to feature in variety shows like Morcambe & Wise, or chatshows like Parkinson. Being married to well-known jazz composer Johnny Dankworth has probably assisted her career no end, for she never seemed to me to be especially notable as a singer  for whilst she is in possession of a good voice, it seems rather undisciplined, as demonstrated on this album. Cleo Laine has a rich voice, and a substantial range, but she deploys it in a rather peculiar way. When singing in the middle of her range, her voice has a husky character more talking than singing  then as she moves off-centre it becomes louder and more tremulous. So at the very top of her range she shrieks, and at the very bottom she booms, and because things in the middle are a bit flat, she tends to leap across the gap from high to low notes, thus making songs sound er, like I say ... peculiar.

This singing 'technique' might well be the source of her appeal I suppose, but every song she sings reflects these characteristics, with the result that her vocals alternate between blending in nicely with her accompaniment, to suddenly lunging out at you, and in the case of this album anyway, it creates the impression that she might be singing along to headphones rather than with a live backing band. The accompaniment on this album is consistently accomplished and well-arranged, but Laine charging in and out of the mix is distracting, it's a pity she can't 'settle'. What's more, she seems to be singing in a different key to the band at times, which sounds most odd, and reinforces the impression that the vocals were recorded independently of the backing. So all in all, one can't help wondering whether such musical outings by Cleo Laine are little indulgences from her famous husband - opportunities for her to lay down recordings of whatever songs take her whim, in this case an arbitrary selection of songs composed by women, from "I Love You Truly" (made famous by Al Bowlly way back in the 1930's), through to more recent offerings like "Grand Reunion" by Melissa Manchester. So from here, Cleo Laine CDs look like vanity projects really - little treats from hubby to his wife. Fair enough ... s'pose. http://www.alltime-records.com/01-albums-0000/0000475.php#bluemoon_rev

Woman To Woman

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Brian Bromberg - You Know That Feeling

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:42
Size: 155,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:00)  1. Hero (For Zachary Breaux)
(5:36)  2. Through The Window
(4:55)  3. My Love
(5:12)  4. By The Fireplace
(5:23)  5. September
(9:23)  6. I Fell Asleep A Child And Woke Up A Man
(5:13)  7. You Know That Feeling
(6:05)  8. A Love Affair
(5:30)  9. Nananananana
(4:37) 10. Human
(5:23) 11. Joe Cool
(4:18) 12. Goodbye (For My Father)

Few are the bass players who the average music fan can name. There are simply not that many who stand out as more than a member of the rhythm section, however tight. Paul McCartney. Sting. Bootsy Collins. Tony Levin. Gene Simmons. These may be the greater part of a list that, for most, is no larger than one hand long. Shorter still is the list of bassists who can take their playing one step further. Brian Bromberg is one such bass player. Having originally begun his musical career on drums, Bromberg soon switched to classical upright bass. Though this switch was more or less his choice, Bromberg's next musical move was more demanded than decided: in order to get a gig with Stan Getz's band, Bromberg dropped the upright, picked up an electric four-string and, leaving home on his 19th birthday, started down his own musical road less taken. Since then, Bromberg has played with a long list of musical giants, from Stan Getz to James Moody, from Diane Schuur to Nancy Wilson. He has also been heard (and seen) in many popular films and programs, from The Fabulous Baker Boys to Melrose Place. As Bromberg has picked up more and more musical partners, he has also picked up more and more playing styles. In the process, however, he has been able to drop a major piece of the modern jazz ensemble as emphatically stated in the liner notes to You Know That Feeling, "THERE IS NO GUITAR ON THIS ALBUM" (sic). Instead, Bromberg uses a variety of bass bodies and tunings to match registers usually reserved for the six-string. As a result, he is able to match the high vocal line on his convincing cover of Earth, Wind & Fire's "September" and also to offer the Jobim-ish pizzicato of "A Love Affair." Though most of the album consists of programmed "smooth jazz" selections that may turn true jazz fans and aficionados off, Bromberg's versatility and talent are strong enough to command the assistance of modern day giants like Dave Grusin, Tom Scott, Ernie Watts, Joe Sample, and Everette Harp. Despite a few sappy synthesized songs, You Know That Feeling is a solid demonstration of a near unique talent. ~ Matthew Robinson https://www.allmusic.com/album/you-know-that-feeling-mw0000033226

Personnel: Brian Bromberg (strings, piccolo, acoustic bass); Lori Perri, Sean Holt (vocals); Gary Meek (soprano saxophone); Everette Harp (tenor saxophone); Rick Braun (trumpet, flugelhorn); Al Forman, Rob Mullins (piano); Gregg Karukas (keyboards, programming, keyboard programming); Jeff Lorber (keyboards, keyboard programming); John "J. R." Robinson , Joel Taylor (drums); Steve Reid (tambourine); Alex Acuña (percussion, sleigh bell)  

You Know That Feeling

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Kenny Werner - New York - Love Songs

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:44
Size: 118,7 MB
Art: Front

( 6:58)  1. First Light/East River
( 3:53)  2. Ground Zero
( 6:31)  3. Song of the Heart (for Lorraine and Katheryn)
( 6:24)  4. Scenes from Grand Central (for Bonnie)
(13:39)  5. Central Park Suite
( 4:17)  6. Hudson Lament
( 5:01)  7. Twilight/Riverside
( 4:58)  8. Back Home Again (for Barbara and Wesley)

Kenny Werner improvised ballads that reflect his impressions of New York City for this 2009 solo piano session. The Brooklyn native's lyrical touch is present throughout this delightful recording, capturing the stillness of early morning in his moving "First Light/East River." Anyone who has visited the World Trade Center and since returned to view the starkly empty spot where it once stood can't help but be moved by Werner's poignant "Ground Zero," a piece conveying anguish at the terrible loss of life. His delicate, touching "Song of the Heart [For Lorraine and Katheryn]" subtly conveys his unconditional love for his family (Katheryn tragically died in a car crash several years earlier at the age of 16). Werner's lush extended work "Central Park Suite" and melancholy "Hudson Lament" are also among the CD's highlights. Kenny Werner has long established himself as a brilliant solo pianist and composer, and this French release is well worth acquiring. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/new-york-love-songs-mw0002056817  

Personnel: Kenny Werner (piano).   

New York - Love Songs

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Krzysztof Urbanski - Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps

Styles: Classical
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:06
Size: 84,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:40)  1. Le Sacre du Printemps: L'Adoration de la terre: Introduction
(3:23)  2. Le Sacre du Printemps: L'Adoration de la terre: Les augures printaniers - Danses des adolescentes
(1:17)  3. Le Sacre du Printemps: L'Adoration de la terre: Jeu du rapt
(3:52)  4. Le Sacre du Printemps: L'Adoration de la terre: Rondes printanieres
(1:43)  5. Le Sacre du Printemps: L'Adoration de la terre: Jeux des cites rivales
(0:40)  6. Le Sacre du Printemps: L'Adoration de la terre: Cortege du Sage
(0:19)  7. Le Sacre du Printemps: L'Adoration de la terre: Le Sage
(1:12)  8. Le Sacre du Printemps: L'Adoration de la terre: Danse de la terre
(4:36)  9. Le Sacre du Printemps: Le Sacrifice: Introduction
(3:46) 10. Le Sacre du Printemps: Le Sacrifice: Cercles mysterieux des adolescentes
(1:32) 11. Le Sacre du Printemps: Le Sacrifice: Glorification de l'elue
(0:43) 12. Le Sacre du Printemps: Le Sacrifice: Evocation des ancetres
(3:58) 13. Le Sacre du Printemps: Le Sacrifice: Action rituelle des ancetres
(5:17) 14. Le Sacre du Printemps: Le Sacrifice: Danse sacrale (L'elue)

The centenary of Igor Stravinsky's Le Sacre du printemps was widely celebrated in 2013, and since then recordings have increased dramatically, suggesting that this groundbreaking ballet has lost none of its power to intrigue and enthrall. Alpha's 2017 recording of a concert by Krzysztof Urbanski and the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester offers a vivid performance that is astonishing for its fine details and wonderful sonorities, which make it a recording that serious Stravinsky fans should experience. In terms of tempos, dynamics, and pacing, Urbanski's interpretation is mainstream and fairly predictable, though his attention to the myriad instrumental combinations, subtle inner parts, and colorful effects makes this performance stand out. Listeners who know Le Sacre du printemps well may anticipate every rhythm and accent, but they will be surprised to hear something new in virtually every measure. Urbanski is alert to the varieties of tones and timbres at his disposal, and the orchestra plays at many levels, at times creating the impression of a tapestry with layers of sound that are almost translucent. This is a performance for connoisseurs of the orchestration who seek a fresh approach, and Urbanski's focused reading of the score makes it extraordinary. Included with the CD is a Blu-ray disc of the performance, filmed at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg on February 17, 2017. Highly recommended.~ Blair Sanderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/stravinsky-le-sacre-du-printemps-mw0003143691

Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps

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Julio Resende - Amalia Por Julio Resende

Size: 130,2 MB
Time: 56:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Fado, World
Art: Front

01. Fado Portugues (4:30)
02. Vou Dar De Beber A Dor - A Casa Da Mariquinhas (4:30)
03. Tudo Isto E Fado (7:45)
04. Foi Deus (4:35)
05. Estranha Forma De Vida (4:51)
06. Uma Casa Portuguesa (3:55)
07. Barco Negro (6:34)
08. Gaivota (4:33)
09. Ai Mouraria (3:27)
10. Amendoa Amarga (7:10)
11. Medo (Dueto (Im)Possivel Com Amalia Rodrigues) (4:23)

There’s only ever been one Amália, now in the National Pantheon with the honour of being Portugal’s biggest voice of the twentieth century. In 2013, 14 years after the passing of this diva of fado, pianist Júlio Resende decided to pay tribute to her in his first solo album. It’s a surprising album, just him and an acoustic piano playing classics of Lisbon song immortalised by Amália. That’s it, until the no less surprising final track, which removes the guitar accompaniment from the original recording of “Medo” (1965) to create a magical meeting of singer and pianist, a meeting which obviously never happened.

Resende went on the road with Amália and his piano, and the fado within him has flourished ever since. So much so that his latest release is Fado & Further, the live recording of his tour, including the performance of Spanish singer Silvia Pérez Cruz, performing a freestyle version of “Cucurrucucú Paloma” on stage with him at Lisbon’s Gulbenkian Auditorium. There’s even a bonus DVD which includes a conversation with author Gonçalo M. Tavares.

Amália by Júlio Resende was his first solo album but it really isn’t the debut of a musician desperate to come of age. “I’m 33, but I don’t really like saying how old I am, much less the label of promising young thing, which has been said of me several times. It happens just because people focus on the age, not the work.” It’s an understandable stance, especially given that this pianist, born in Faro, had already released three jazz albums, fronting trios and quartets (on the prestigious Portuguese Clean Feed label) before the age of 30.

The three discs were rooted in the great classics of jazz, but with unorthodox touches, and quickly got him noticed at home and abroad. In relation to Jazzatustra, the second album released in 2009, the influential All Music Guide said: “This recording is a fine example of how European jazz musicians have taken cues from their American counterparts, and have upped the ante to a point where they are the ones making fresh sounds and unique statements, while many U.S. musicians linger stubbornly on tradition. Make no mistake, Resende and his band have got it goin’ on”. With such praise, it would be easy to foresee a quiet career on the jazz circuits, but Resende wanted to gamble beyond this. “After three albums with groups, I decided I wanted to record solo. That’s when I turned back to fado, because what I really like is to say the things bubbling away within me. Well, I’d already been working with fado for six years or so, I’d already done a few duets with fado singers, and I felt I could achieve this equation of me, piano and fado. I felt it was the most personal disc I could make and along the way even imagined a duet with Amália, from whom I’d learned the fado songs thanks to her television and radio appearances.” It’s worth mentioning the beautiful music video which charts this virtual meeting, produced by Pedro Cláudio (available at youtu.be/En7gHOAjGvI).

Until Resende, fado rarely mixed with jazz. Amália and Don Byas recorded together in 1967, Carlos Paredes and Charlie Haden in 1990 and not much else. That’s why this pianist from the Algarve speaks of the challenge surrounding Amália. “In jazz, there’s a whole history of piano, but in fado there isn’t the same history. I felt very much that I was starting from nothing. Amália dives into fado, but it’s infused with improvisation. I say improvisation and not jazz because jazz has connotations of American-style music.”

Amália is fado mixed with jazz that’s not quite jazz. But what are fado and jazz to Júlio Resende? “I don’t really know how to define fado. I know it’s something very deep, connected to silence, absence, sadness – but also to the happiness of waiting for someone who might still show up. So I built on the idea that fado started during the Portuguese Discoveries, with wives were waiting for their men folk who had left, and men folk waiting to go back to them. All of the lament and all of the hope is what makes fado for me.” And jazz? “One of the nicest jazz mottos is that of freedom. Freedom to ‘not repeat, do it differently.’ I feel like a vacant musician, wanting to construct an identity, as long as the identity isn’t always the same.”

Resende chose Amállia for her voice and charisma, but also for her repertoire – and all that represents in terms of national identity.”It was through her that we learned these songs, the songs we have in our memories. My idea was to take apparently worn-out songs and show that this tiredness is only a matter of how we see them. If you look very carefully at someone you’ve lived with for a long time, you can always (re)discover that special something that she has.”

Even if most Portuguese people grew up singing Amália, the same isn’t true abroad, which is why going international is another challenge. “I wanted to see the reaction of a public that don’t know these songs. From the concerts in Germany, I realised there could be a spontaneous reaction, even when the public don’t know the words, or have never heard them before. What happened was the discs I took with me sold so quickly at the first of the German concerts that I had to keep some back to sell at the second.” Like Amália, Resende believes the best thing in the world is giving and receiving. “I don’t find much fun in travel for travel’s sake – I’d rather discover a place, find inspiration there and then give something back in return. I particularly like travelling to play.”

Amalia Por Julio Resende

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Anna Buturlina - All That Jazz

Size: 135,3 MB
Time: 58:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. From This Moment On (2:28)
02. Evil Blues (5:59)
03. Nothing Like You (2:42)
04. Alfie (5:57)
05. Jersey Bounce (4:57)
06. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big (3:45)
07. The Real Thing (5:09)
08. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover (6:00)
09. Love Came On Stealthy Fingers (4:56)
10. Oh! Look At Me Now (3:38)
11. This Can't Be Love (2:21)
12. But Beautiful (5:23)
13. Unchain My Heart (4:47)

Personnel:
Anna Buturlina - vocals
Alexey Bekker - piano
Makar Novikov - double bass
Serge Korchagin - double bass (6,8,9,10)
Alex Zinger - drums
Roman Sekachev - bariton-sax
Peter Vostokov - trumpet

The brightest star on Russian jazz vocal scene, Anna Buturlina was the first female artist to be featured on the cover of Russia's jazz magazine, Jazz.Ru.
At 19, Anna sang in the famed Anatoly Kroll Big Band, which skyrocketed her career. The singer of choice for Russia's most popular jazzmen: Georgy Garanian, Alexei Kuznetsov, Vladimir Danilin, Igor Butman, Daniil Kramer, Alex Rostotsky, Yakov Okun, Buturlina's discography includes four albums under her name, “Black Coffee”, “My Favorite Songs”, "Be Carefull (Music)" and "Key Of The Kingdom". Besides performing with her own band on major festivals and concert venues in Russia and Europe, Buturlina is the featured vocalist with Sergei Skripka's Russian State Symphony Cinema Orchestra and with the legendary Oleg Lundstem Jazz Orchestra. She also sings in movies, and is Disney's Russian singing voice: it's Anna Buturlina who spoke and sang for Princess Tiana in 'The Princess and the Frog' and Princess Elsa in 'Frozen'.
This is the third album by Anna Buturlina under her name.

All That Jazz

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Lena Horne & The Nat Brandwynne Orchestra - Lena Live In New York

Size: 99,6 MB
Time: 40:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Today I Love Everybody (2:52)
02. Let Me Love You (3:10)
03. Come Runnin' (2:49)
04. Cole Porter Medley ( How's Your Romance - After You - Love Of My Life - It's Alright With Me ) (7:53)
05. Mood Indigo (2:16)
06. I'm Beginning To See The Light (2:07)
07. How You Say It (3:32)
08. Honeysuckle Rose (3:08)
09. Day In,day Out (2:33)
10. That Old Feeling (2:40)
11. I Love To Love (4:35)
12. From This Moment On (2:27)

More than anything else, Lena Horne was a nightclub entertainer, and having completed her film commitments to MGM in 1956, she was free to turn her attention to performing full-time. Starting on New Year's Eve, she spent eight weeks at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, and at the end of the run RCA Victor Records brought in recording equipment. The result is an excellent representation of Horne in her natural environment. Backed by Nat Brandwynne's Orchestra as conducted by her husband, Lennie Hayton, Horne essays a series of vintage standards that go back to 1929's "Honeysuckle Rose," which she sang in the 1943 film Thousands Cheer. There is a Cole Porter medley ("the always-surprising Cole Porter tunes," she calls them) that includes a triumphant "It's All Right With Me," and the set concludes with "From This Moment On," showing Horne to be the perfect interpreter of Porter's sophisticated songs. And there is a shorter Duke Ellington medley consisting of "Mood Indigo" and "I'm Beginning to See the Light" that is equally impressive. Among the more contemporary tracks, Horne borrows "Let Me Love You" from Mabel Mercer, who introduced it; "Today I Love Everybody" from Betty Grable, who sang it in the 1953 film The Farmer Takes a Wife; and "A New Fangled Tango" from Ethel Merman, who performed it in the 1956 musical Happy Hunting. These are good choices given sympathetic arrangements, and Horne performs them with just the right tone of romance and sly humor. Lena Horne may have left Hollywood behind her by early 1957, but this live album, which charted in the Top Ten, demonstrated that in doing so she had only returned to her greatest strength as a performer. ~by William Ruhlmann

Lena Live In New York

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Andrea Bucko - Escape

Size: 109,5 MB
Time: 46:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Juliet (4:23)
02. 1000 Years (3:03)
03. Butterfly (3:41)
04. It Follows Me (3:12)
05. When Our Voices Match (Touch Me) (3:35)
06. Jaskyna (4:48)
07. Jesen (3:05)
08. Don't Belong To (4:12)
09. La Tzigane (2:54)
10. Paradis (2:53)
11. Escape (5:04)
12. Escape (Epilogue) (3:37)
13. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free (2:28)

Andrea Bucko studied Theater Directing at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava but at the moment she devotes most of her time composing her own songs and playing
the piano as well as singing. She has already released two original CDs (“In The Middle Of…” (2012) and “Polarity” in 2015) in cooperation with celebrated slovak harpist Mária Kmetková, produced by Maroš Hecko and Adam Kurutz. Both her albums have been critically acclaimed in Slovakia and France. Andrea already represented her work all over Europe and, of course, especially in her native Slovakia. She played several festivals in Slovakia (Jazz Days Bratislava and Znojmo, Kitzee Tanz Festival, Pohoda Festival, Radiohead Awards festival, TEDx Bratislava, …), Fête de la musique in Paris, Royal parc festival Brussels, MEa, Jazz festival in Mealhada and many more.

She also created music for various theatre productions and directed and worked on several theatre plays in Bratislava, Martin and Paris. Andrea mixes jazz, alternative pop, soul and world music. Her lyrics (in english, french and slovak) reflect the sensitivity and temperament of her original compositions.

Her new album “Escape ” is based on her experiences while living in Paris in a multicultural surroundment of an artistic residency Cité Internationale des Arts. Last year she also worked as an Art Director and performer for the exhibition of iraquian refugee artist Mahmood Hachim „Mudi“ opened in French Institut in Bratislava.

Andrea Bucko 2017„Escape“ is named after a poem by Emily Dickinson that also inspired Andrea for the songs of her new album. During the time she spent in Paris, she felt that almost everyone she met was trying to escape from something, mostly from war – be it the ghostly war in their own hearts or the very real war in the Middle East. Andrea cooperated with several refugees from the countries of Middle East in her work, “All of us there in Paris were refugees, but everybody was trying to escape from something different. The people who really lived through the war taught me lot about life and gave me a totally new orientation in life. Their strength, their will, all the stories of loss and unfulfilled dreams, of searching love and peace inside them, of avoiding predjudices and encountering hate are strongly present in my work“.

“Escape” is a very intimate confession of a young woman touched deeply with the parisian spirit of romantic melancholy under the stark light of living with refugees – mixed with the slovak temperament and compassion she was born with. The album was recorded using mainly accoustic instruments such as harp, violloncello, accordion or double bass. Often the songs were composed on the spot during those sessions in a very sincere, spontaneous way with an underlying impressionistic intent.

And also thanks to the residency at Cité Internationale des Arts Andrea cooperated with brasilian artist Helio Flanders (of the very popular brasilian band Vanguart). They toured together and recorded a duet in the process, “When Our Voices Match (Touch Me)”. Andrea comments on the tender lovesong: “It´s one of the more romantic and lights songs on the album which connects people from the two edges of the world. Many of my songs mention distances between two people – always in a different meaning… predjudices, different cultures, different emotions or just a real geographical distance that divides people who feel they don´t want to be distant to each other. The longing to connect is reflected in this song.”

Escape

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Garland Jeffreys - Escape Artist

Size: 137,1 MB
Time: 58:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1981/2000
Styles: Rock
Art: Full

01. Modern Lovers (4:00)
02. Christine (3:29)
03. Ghost Of A Chance (2:49)
04. 96 Tears (3:07)
05. Innocent (2:20)
06. True Confessions (4:34)
07. R.O.C.K. (3:50)
08. Graveyard Rock (4:36)
09. Mystery Kids (7:05)
10. Jump Jump (4:28)
11. Lover's Walk (4:36)
12. Christine (Live Version) (4:27)
13. Miami Beach (4:54)
14. We The People (4:24)

Garland Jeffreys had been a favorite with critics since he released the brilliant "Wild in the Streets" as a single in 1973, but his albums had failed to reach a large audience, largely due to production and arrangements that often fell short of bringing out the tunefulness of his songs. But with 1981's Escape Artist, Jeffreys and producer Bob Clearmountain finally hit on the right combination; a set of tough, witty songs that dealt with the personal and the political, backed by an exceptional studio band that included members of Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band and Graham Parker's Rumour. With Jeffreys' rock and reggae songs given a slight new wave sheen and a pulse that was strong but danceable, Escape Artist had a sound that was polished but full of life, and the many moods of the songs -- the edgy stutter of "True Confessions," the upbeat reggae of "Christine," the fist-pumping, anthemic "R.O.C.K.," and the wiry and streetwise "Mystery Kids" -- reflected the energy of Jeffreys' home town of New York, where a neighborhood could change completely when you turned a corner. Jeffreys also came up with one of his strongest sets of songs to date, melodically forceful while telling stories that were both passionate and mature, and his vocals were muscular and full of soul (Lou Reed and David Johansen guested on the sessions, but Jeffreys showed he could sing rings around them). The guitar-fueled cover of "96 Tears" pushed Escape Artist into the charts and made it Jeffreys' first real hit in the United States, but there isn't a single tune on this album that doesn't sound great and have something to say; with the possible exception of Ghost Writer, this is Garland Jeffreys' finest hour. [Most releases include the EP Escapades, which includes a reworked ballad version of "Christine" and two powerful reggae tracks recorded in London with producer Dennis Bovell, "Miami Beach" and "We the People."] ~by Mark Deming

Escape Artist

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Jay McShann - The Last Of The Blue Devils

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:36
Size: 106.7 MB
Styles: Piano & vocal blues-jazz
Year: 1978/2005
Art: Front

[4:42] 1. Confessin' The Blues
[6:59] 2. 'tain't Nobody's Biz'ness If I Do
[4:29] 3. Hootie Blues
[3:25] 4. Blue Devil Jump
[4:15] 5. My Chile
[4:36] 6. Jumpin' At The Woodside
[5:39] 7. Just For You
[3:26] 8. Hot Biscuits
[4:08] 9. 'fore Day Rider
[4:52] 10. Kansas City

Bass – Milt Hinton; Drums – Jackie Williams; Electric Guitar – John Scofield; Electric Piano – Jay McShann; Piano, Vocals – Jay McShann; Tenor Saxophone – Buddy Tate, Paul Quinichette; Trumpet – Joe Newman. Recorded on June 29th, 30th and July 1st, 1977.

When Charlie Parker first came to New York in 1942, he was a sideman in Jay McShann's big band. Every jazz fan knows what happened after that -- Parker changed the world and McShann became a footnote in Parker's biography. That's too bad, and not just for him; if the 1978 session remastered and reissued on this disc is anything to go by, McShann had much more to offer the world than his role as caregiver to the inventor of bebop. Leading an all-star cast that includes saxophonist Paul Quinichette, the ubiquitous Milt Hinton on bass, and a young, up-and-coming guitarist named John Scofield, McShann teaches an entire course on the history of blues-based jazz, going from his own "Confessin' the Blues" through "Hootie Blues" (which he co-wrote with Parker and Walter Brown) and an intensely swinging version of Count Basie's "Jumpin' at the Woodside." He goes off on a welcome tangent with Pete Johnson's sweet stride ballad "Just for You" and comes on home with the boogie-woogie composition "'Fore Day Rider" and Leiber and Stoller's "Kansas City." Highly recommended. ~Rick Anderson

The Last Of The Blue Devils mc
The Last Of The Blue Devils zippy

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Ella Fitzgerald - Lullabies Of Birdland

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:21
Size: 78.6 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1956/2007
Art: Front

[2:48] 1. Lullaby Of Birdland
[3:11] 2. Rough Ridin'
[2:51] 3. Angel Eyes
[3:02] 4. Smooth Sailing
[3:04] 5. Oh Lady Be Good
[2:29] 6. Later
[5:10] 7. Ella Hums The Blues
[3:12] 8. How High The Moon (1st Take)
[3:04] 9. Basin Street Blues
[2:59] 10. Air Mail Special
[2:25] 11. Flying Home

This is the scattin', singin' force of nature that was Ella on Decca from 1947-55. This vintage collection of bepop and bluesy gems includes Lullaby of Birdland; Angel Eyes; Smooth Sailing; Oh, Lady Be Good!; Later; Ella Hums the Blues; How High the Moon; Flying Home, and more!

Lullabies Of Birdland mc
Lullabies Of Birdland zippy

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Bob Holz - Visions: Coast To Coast Connection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:07
Size: 135.3 MB
Styles: Fusion
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[4:24] 1. Split Decision
[4:59] 2. Espresso Addiction
[5:59] 3. Next In Line
[5:04] 4. Jammin Man
[5:40] 5. Richie's Trip
[7:15] 6. Pink Fur
[5:48] 7. West Coast Blues
[6:23] 8. Light & Dark
[4:32] 9. Spanish Plains
[8:58] 10. Flat Out

Bob Holz: drums; Stanley Clarke: bass (3, 4); Ralphe Armstrong: bass (3, 4, 6, 7, 10); Randy Brecker: trumpet (3, 4); Billy Steinway: keyboards; Alex Machacek: guitar (1, 8); Chet Catallo: guitar (10); Frank Stepanek: guitar, bass, keyboards; Dave Porter: vocals (2); Andrew Ford: bass (1, 2, 5, 7); Ada Rovatti: reeds (1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10); David Goldberg: reeds (1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10); Andrew Lippman: trombone: (1, 5, 6, 7); Louis Ludovic: trumpet (1, 5, 6, 7); Jeff Jarvis: trumpet (7, 10).

Jazz fusion drummer Bob Holz and longtime friend, bassist extraordinaire Stanley Clarke (Return to Forever) record together for the first time, namely on two tracks, also featuring bassist Ralphe Armstrong (Mahavishnu Orchestra) and a stellar cast of East and West Coast musicians. Nonetheless, Holz doesn't reinvent the wheel here, but conveys a cheerful vibe via his solid compositions and buoyant arrangements that equate to a contemporary slant on jazz fusion. With that notion in mind, Holz and associates have not relegated their craft to easy listening smooth jazz. Essentially, the artists' muscular and spiraling solo spots backed by the leader's in-the-pocket grooves help elevate matters into gutsy and brash musical statements, periodically streamlined by memorable hooks and alternating currents.

The opening track "Split Decision," tenders a congenial theme with tasteful melodic passages offset by blaring horns and Billy Steinway's sweeping Hammond B-3 organ clusters. However, Clarke and Armstrong muster a dual bass attack on "Next in Line" and "Jammin Man," where the former's signature style comes to the forefront as he executes flickering notes across his fretboard along with fluid chord progressions and soulful single note runs. Moreover, Armstrong appears on most of these works and lays down a pliant undercurrent throughout. At times the ensemble enlivens a 1970s fusion vista with sonorous horn arrangements, snappy pulses and forceful soloing by trumpet great Randy Brecker (tracks 3 & 4) and other passages where the frontline trades fours, often leading to climactic opuses.

Holz and Armstrong provide strong foundations for the soloists with punchy cadences along with guitar heroics by Austrian guitar whiz Alex Machacek on "Light and Dark." But "Espresso Addiction," surfaces as a soulful, yet nondescript and perhaps obligatory vocal track sung by Dave Porter that lacks a significant primary theme. Otherwise, Frank Stepanek's Spanish acoustic guitar work on the aptly titled "Spanish Plains," rides above a medium- tempo rhythmic pattern and features his fancy fretwork along with some Wes Montgomery style jazz phrasings. Therefore, Holz's third album as a leader transfers his personal vision into a broadly entertaining sojourn, underscored with congenial qualities and a distinct game-plan. ~Glenn Astarita

Visions: Coast To Coast Connection mc
Visions: Coast To Coast Connection zippy

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Sonny Red - Breezing/A Story Tale/The Mode/Images (2-Disc Set)

Sonny Red (as), Blue Mitchell (tp), Yusef Lateef, Clifford Jordan (ts), Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Ronnie Matthews, Cedar Walton (p), Grant Green (g), Bob Cranshaw, Art Davis, George Tucker (b), Albert 'Tootie' Heath, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Cobb (d).

Inspired by Charlie Parker and then Jackie McLean, the widely experienced, Detroit-born altoist Sonny Red, nee Sylvester Kyner (1932-1980) was an archetypal Motor City bopper, who, like many of his confreres there, also absorbed the blues-drenched lines of pianist Bud Powell. Forthright, direct, unpretentious, a skilled soloist with a strong feeling for the blues, he played and recorded with some of the finest jazzmen around.

The presence here of such luminous talents as, most notably, pianist Barry Harris, along with fellow pianist Tommy Flanagan, trumpeter Blue Mitchell, saxophonists Clifford Jordan and Yusef Lateef, and guitarist Grant Green left no doubt about his stature among them. Despite this and the fact that he also worked with such marquee names as Art Blakey, Kenny Dorham, Donald Byrd, Curtis Fuller and Paul Quinichette, he never quite made the breakthrough his skills suggested he would and his recordings have been difficult to find.This collection of quartet, quintet and sextet settings brings together four albums he made for the Jazzland label during one of the most productive spells of his career and shows why he was held in such esteem by his contemporaries.

Album: Breezing/A Story Tale/The Mode/Images (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:53
Size: 180.6 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2012

[5:02] 1. Brother B
[4:03] 2. All I Do Is Dream Of You
[5:33] 3. The New Blues
[4:36] 4. Ditty
[6:27] 5. 'teef
[6:06] 6. Breezin'
[4:43] 7. A Handful Of Stars
[2:52] 8. If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You
[3:52] 9. Cumberland Court
[4:50] 10. A Story Tale
[5:39] 11. You're Driving Me Crazy
[3:27] 12. Defiance
[6:02] 13. Prints
[5:02] 14. Hip Pockets
[5:16] 15. They Say It's Wonderful
[5:16] 16. If I Didn't Care

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Album: Breezing/A Story Tale/The Mode/Images (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:05
Size: 176.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:21] 1. I Like The Likes Of You
[4:36] 2. Bye, Bye Blues
[6:34] 3. Never, Never Land
[4:19] 4. Ko-Kee
[6:34] 5. Images
[4:51] 6. Blues For Donna
[5:22] 7. Dodge City
[6:16] 8. Moon River
[5:38] 9. Super-20
[8:53] 10. The Mode
[8:33] 11. Blue Sonny
[5:15] 12. The Rythm Thing
[5:46] 13. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered


Breezing-A Story TaleThe ModeImages(Disc 1)(Disc 2)

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Brian Auger, Julie Tippetts - Encore

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:35
Size: 83.8 MB
Styles: Art-rock, Jazz-rock
Year: 1978/2007
Art: Front

[4:06] 1. Spirit
[3:32] 2. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
[3:45] 3. Git Up
[2:48] 4. Freedom Highway
[4:20] 5. Future Pilot
[3:01] 6. Rope Ladder To The Moon
[6:14] 7. No Time To Live
[3:43] 8. Nothing Will Be As It Was (Nada Sera Como Antes)
[5:02] 9. Lock All The Gates

Julie Driscoll left Trinity, the band she fronted and directed with Brit soul-jazz icon Brian Auger, in 1969. She recorded a pair of solo albums, married Keith Tippett, a brilliant jazz improviser and bandleader, and recorded with Ovary Lodge, a free-form vocal ensemble, in 1977. In 1978 she and Auger reunited for Encore, a one-off studio offering that revealed the hole she'd left in the progressive pop scene of the late '60s. Her voice was in even better shape nearly a decade later: fuller, stronger, more throaty, without giving up a bit of her range. Auger, meanwhile, had remained very active with his groundbreaking soul-jazz-funk ensemble the Oblivion Express. While some complain that these sides don't have the Swinging London imprint on them, that would be because they stayed back there in the musty, dusty pop history bin. Listening to Encore in the 21st century is nearly a revelation. Auger, for his part as the band's musical director on his trademark B-3, acoustic piano, and a slew of electronic keyboards, is a strictly no-BS performer. He's as straight-ahead as they get, and Julie Tippetts understands that the root of the song is in its intention. Together, they make a nearly flawless pair on these nine cuts. Nowhere is this clearer than on the two tracks previously defined by other vocalists. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," while oft-covered, had never come close to Eric Burdon & the Animals' version. Tippetts, however, plasters the song with bluesy feeling and a smoldering, nearly angry plea. Then there's Jack Bruce's "Rope Ladder to the Moon." Tippetts implicitly understands the jazz feel of the tune as Bruce wrote it. The funky backdrop bassline by David McDaniels doesn't even muddy it up. Auger's Rhodes piano and B-3 and George Doering's gorgeous acoustic guitar playing are certainly the pegs the tune turns on, but it's Tippetts who delivers the authority and dark secret in this song about love's cruelty.

And, of course, there's Pops Staples' "Freedom Highway," in which the vocalist here gives Mavis Staples a run for her money in offering the sense of determination and joy in the gospel and blues shout she got to use so rarely in her solo career. But there's more than this, too: Tippetts and Auger deliver the album's two bookends written by Al Jarreau, "Spirit" and "Lock All the Gates," as harder, funkier jazz numbers while never losing the airiness at their core. On the former, Tippetts is prodded and edged to the ledge by Auger and McDaniels, and the tune nearly lifts off. The only weak spot on this whole set is the Auger vocal on Milton Nascimento's "Nothing Will Be as It Was." It's not that the tune wouldn't have been a standout on an Oblivion Express record, but on this one it's pale in comparison to the solid groove consciousness and expression in Tippetts' Earth angel voice. Auger wrote a couple of winners here as well in both "Git Up" and "Freedom Pilot," and they stand up with the canonical tracks just fine. The former is as jazzy funk tune with some knotty twists and turns that Tippetts pulls off without a seam, and the latter is a soul groover. Finally, it should be mentioned that "No Time to Live," the Steve Winwood-Jim Capaldi tune, is given all the elegance of the original, but Tippetts adds her own sense of smoke and fire to its lyric, turning it inside out as a soul tune. The lead work of Doering as it punches through Auger's fat acoustic piano makes this little ballad soar. Ultimately, this is as necessary as any of the previous Auger/Driscoll (nee Tippetts) collaborations, and aurally reveals that for the two of them, time may move on, but their collaborative spirit is nearly effortless in its balance, dignity, feeling, and poise. ~Thom Jurek

Encore mc
Encore zippy

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Steve Kuhn - Dedication

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:35
Size: 134.1 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[6:13] 1. Dedication
[5:50] 2. The Zoo
[5:51] 3. I Waited For You
[5:41] 4. Eiderdown
[7:28] 5. Please Let Go
[8:02] 6. It's You Or No One
[6:14] 7. For Heaven's Sake
[7:18] 8. Like Someone In Love
[5:55] 9. Blue Bossa

The first of Steve Kuhn's several CDs for Reservoir is a multifaceted trio session with bassist David Finck and drummer Billy Drummond. Kuhn opens with a pair of enjoyable originals, the gliding post-bop "Dedication" and "The Zoo," cast as a melancholy bossa nova. He does justice to two compositions by bassist Steve Swallow, the well-known "Eiderdown" and the more obscure "Please Let Me Go," both of which prominently feature Finck's superb playing. His fresh, somewhat darker approach to Kenny Dorham's catchy "Blue Bossa" starts subtly but grows in intensity. Nor does the leader ignore standards. His bright, swinging take of "It's You or No One," the lush setting of "For Heaven's Sake," and a loping waltz treatment of "Like Someone in Love " all merit high praise. ~Ken dryden

Dedication mc
Dedication zippy

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Dexter Gordon - Dexter Rides Again

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1947
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:59
Size: 85,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:46)  1. Dexter's Riff
(5:55)  2. Settin' the Pace - Part 1 & 2
(3:43)  3. So Easy
(3:05)  4. Long Tall Dexter
(3:18)  5. Dexter Rides Again
(3:17)  6. I Can't Escape from You
(3:00)  7. Dexter Digs In
(2:45)  8. Dexter's Minor Mad
(3:00)  9. Blow Mr. Dexter
(2:58) 10. Dexter's Deck
(3:08) 11. Dexter's Cuttin' Out

Taken from three separate sessions from 1945-'47, Dexter Rides Again showcases prime bebop sides Gordon cut for Savoy. His unique adaptation of Charlie Parker's alto conception to the tenor saxophone is displayed throughout, revealing a mix of fluid, hard-toned lines and a vibrato-heavy and vaporous ballad sound. And while Gordon's ballad mastery would come to the fore on his come-back albums for Blue Note in the '60s, the tenor saxophonist primarily sticks to up-tempo material here, a standard for most bebop sets. Abetted by a collective cast including the fine, yet rarely heard trumpeter Leonard Hawkins, baritone saxophonist Leo Parker, pianists Tadd Dameron and Bud Powell, and drummers Max Roach and Art Blakey, Gordon is in top form on a typical collection of self-penned, utility tunes, dispensing of involved head statements in favor of solo space. Standouts include "Dexter's Deck," the lone ballad "I Can't Escape From You," and the jam session number "Settin' The Pace" (Gordon recorded many extended cuts like this with fellow bebop tenor star Wardell Gray, and here teams up with Leo Parker for something like a baritone and tenor cutting contest). For those interested in where elements of both Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane's distinct style came from, check out these fine Gordon sides; besides the history lesson on wax, there's a consistent run of top-notch bebop sides to enjoy. For completists, these tracks, plus alternate takes and an excellent session featuring Fats Navarro, are included on Denon's Savoy reissue package, Settin' the Pace.~ Stephen Cook https://www.allmusic.com/album/dexter-rides-again-mw0000077810

Personnel: Dexter Gordon (tenor saxophone); Leo Parker (baritone saxophone); Leonard Hawkins (trumpet); Bud Powell, Tadd Dameron, Sadik Hakim (piano); Gene Ramey, Curly Russell (bass); Art Blakey, Max Roach, Ed Nicholson (drums).

Dexter Rides Again

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Molly Johnson - Messin' Around

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:54
Size: 103,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:37)  1. Messin' Around
(3:47)  2. If You Know Love
(4:30)  3. Let's Wate Some Time
(4:01)  4. Rain
(3:48)  5. Sunday
(4:46)  6. Northern Star
(3:17)  7. Streets Of Philadelphia
(3:26)  8. But Not For Me
(4:22)  9. Sticks And Stones
(3:39) 10. Tristes Souvenirs
(3:19) 11. Tonight
(2:16) 12. Tangerine

Jazz singer Molly Johnson has done time in both pop and art rock bands and has served as an opening act for such blues and R&B superstars as Ray Charles and B.B. King, so the stylistic range in evidence on her first album for Narada Jazz doesn't come as much of a surprise. She jumps from bracing and jazz-inflected pop/rock (the radio remix of "Another Day") to a piano-based reggae/R&B hybrid ("Ooh Child/Redemption Song") without missing a beat, and slinks her way through torchy blues numbers with equal facility. 

On the downside, "Celie's Blues" sounds just as anachronistic and politically forced in this version as it did popping up out of nowhere in the middle of The Color Purple, and the fact that Johnson's delivery comes across as little more than a Billie Holiday impression just makes things worse. On the other hand, her version of "Summertime," which was an inevitable song choice given her vocal style, is given new life by the minimalist arrangement of voice, bass, and percussion, and "Red Cardinal" has a fun, jumpy Tin Pan Alley feel. Overall, this album can be confidently recommended to adventurous lovers of vocal jazz. ~ Rick Anderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/messin-around-mr0001204899

Messin' Around

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Erroll Garner - Serenade To Laura

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:15
Size: 100,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:44)  1. Laura
(2:59)  2. Love Walked In
(2:20)  3. This Can't Be Love
(2:39)  4. The Man I Love
(2:37)  5. Moonglow
(2:48)  6. I Want A Little Girl
(2:44)  7. It's Easy To Remember
(2:57)  8. Goodbye
(2:31)  9. She's Funny That Way
(2:52) 10. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
(3:01) 11. I'm Confessin' That I Love You
(3:09) 12. Stormy Weather
(3:03) 13. I Surrender Dear
(2:56) 14. I'm In The Mood For Love
(2:48) 15. All Of Me

In 1993, the original source recordings for this classic album, Erroll Garner's Serenade to Laura, were remastered in 24-bit digital audio, with quietly spectacular results  you can now hear every nuance of every key stroke, and also the action of the piano on some numbers, such as "Goodbye." 

This reissue also contains a previously unissued recording of "Love Walked In" that makes a perfect pairing with "Laura." ~ Bruce Eder https://www.allmusic.com/album/serenade-to-laura-mw0000111819   

Personnel: Erroll Garner (piano); John Levy, John Simons (bass); George De Hart, Alvin Stohler (drums).

Serenade To Laura

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Tete Montoliu, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - Face To Face

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:31
Size: 93,1 MB
Art: Front

(10:34)  1. There'll Never Be Another You
( 9:20)  2. I Love You
(11:02)  3. I Fall In Love Too Easily
( 9:34)  4. Lover Man / Salt Peanuts

A legendary meeting of two of the greatest European jazz talents. Though they have been playing together since the early 60s, this is their first and (so far) only duo recording.

Personnel:  Tete Montoliu – piano;  Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen – bass

Face To Face

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Steve Gadd Band - Steve Gadd Band

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:59
Size: 132,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:51)  1. I Know, But Tell Me Again
(5:20)  2. Auckland by Numbers
(4:14)  3. Where's Earth
(6:36)  4. Foameopathy
(4:49)  5. Skulk
(5:08)  6. Norma's Girl
(6:35)  7. Rat Race
(4:12)  8. One Point Five
(3:41)  9. Temporary Fault
(4:53) 10. Spring Song
(5:35) 11. Timpanogos

This tasty set is the fourth from the airtight Steve Gadd Band. Atop Gadd’s distinctly supple sense of groove, we hear master pianist Kevin Hays (in for Larry Goldings) playing lots of earthy Rhodes with just the right touch and singing on “Spring Song.” Michael Landau provides rhythmic snap and bluesy bite on guitar. Trumpeter Walt Fowler brings melodic focus with an unhurried, crystalline tone. Longtime Allan Holdsworth bassist Jimmy Johnson stays straightforward and in the pocket while hugging every compositional curve, not least on Holdsworth’s composition “Temporary Fault.” ~ Editor's Notes https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/steve-gadd-band-feat-walt-fowler-kevin-hays-jimmy-johnson/1343432193

Personnel:  Steve Gadd Band (drums), Kevin Hays (keyboards, vocals), Walt Fowler (trumpet/flugelhorn), Jimmy Johnson (bass), Michael Landau (guitars)

Steve Gadd Band

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