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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Cannonball Adderley - Sophisticated Swing

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:01
Size: 84,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:41)  1. Another Kind Of Soul
(6:13)  2. Miss Jackie's Delight
(3:48)  3. Spring Is Here
(3:32)  4. Tribute To Brownie
(3:56)  5. Spectacular
(3:29)  6. Jeanie
(3:17)  7. Stella By Starlight
(5:21)  8. Edie McLin
(2:41)  9. Cobbweb

Sophisticated Swing is the fifth album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, and his fourth released on the EmArcy label, featuring performances with Nat Adderley, Junior Mance, Sam Jones, and Jimmy Cobb. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophisticated_Swing

Personnel:  Cannonball Adderley - alto saxophone;  Nat Adderley – cornet;  Junior Mance - piano;  Sam Jones - bass;  Jimmy Cobb - drums

Sophisticated Swing

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Lady Kim - Everything Must Change

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:17
Size: 115,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:18)  1. Everything Must Change
(3:21)  2. Why Don't You Do Right?
(5:47)  3. I Loves You Porgy
(3:26)  4. How High The Moon
(5:12)  5. Tell Me More And More (And Then Some)
(3:45)  6. Love For Sale
(5:33)  7. The Neamess Of You
(3:23)  8. Girl From Ipanema
(5:50)  9. A Song For You
(3:44) 10. Summertime
(4:54) 11. Looking Back

I started singing in Boston as a young girl, inspired by Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross. My mom introduced me to the music of Billie Holiday, and I was hooked. My plans to become a pediatrician went out the window. Since then I’ve been described as “a musical jewel” with a repertoire that has included jazz standards, jazz-not-so-standards, the blues, funk, and reggae. Throughout my career I’ve been lucky enough to perform in a variety of great places : from The New York Jazz Session in Irkutsk, Siberia to the Blue Note in Fukuoka, Japan; from the Montreal’s International Jazz and Off Jazz Festivals to the Ginza Jazz Festival, Japan. And I have performed with a variety of stellar artists: from jazz bassist William Parker to the undeniable funk of George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic; from Joe Hisaishi’s Japanese New World Philharmonic Orchestra to New Orleans’ Charles Neville. Originally from the States, I work with a fabulous group of Montreal musicians.  My vocal style has been called “warm as hot chocolate”, and the band and i swing with tunes from Thelonius Monk, make you cry with some of the best jazz standards, as well as open your ears with original songs! Montreal’s wonderful jazz critic, Len Dobbins, was also a fan and referred to me as a “great vocalist” he recommends listening to. I hope you enjoy what you hear. Singing is my deepest joy, is the place where I am my most real and best self. http://kimzombik.com/music/bio/

Everything Must Change

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Barry Harris - The Bird of Red and Gold

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:52
Size: 130,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:53)  1. Nascimento
(5:42)  2. Body and Soul
(4:39)  3. Sweet and Lovely
(6:13)  4. Tommy's Ballad
(3:55)  5. Nobody's
(4:37)  6. Cats in My Belfry
(6:00)  7. This is No Laughing Matter
(5:16)  8. Tea for Two
(4:17)  9. My Ideal
(3:07) 10. Just One of Those Things
(6:39) 11. Pannonica
(2:29) 12. The Bird of Red and Gold

Although this LP claims to have the recording date of Sep. 18, 1989 and is listed so in some discographies, the album itself came out in 1982, making one assume that it is really from 1979. Unlike most of his other Xanadu LPs (which were generally dedicated to the work of one composer), this solo recital by pianist Barry Harris is a more diverse set. Harris contributed five originals (including his haunting "Nascimento" and the title cut, which he also sings) and also plays some standards and Thelonious Monk's "Pannonica." Superior bop-based music. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-bird-of-red-and-gold-mw0000172181

Personnel: Barry Harris (vocals, piano).

The Bird of Red and Gold

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Dave Holland - Pass It On

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:21
Size: 170,6 MB
Art: Front

( 8:11)  1. The Sum Of All Parts
( 6:30)  2. Fast Track
(10:07)  3. Lazy Snake
( 8:07)  4. Double Vision
( 9:09)  5. Equality
( 5:58)  6. Modern Times
(13:45)  7. Rivers Run
( 4:33)  8. Processional
( 7:56)  9. Pass It On

Sometimes it's necessary to shake up even a good thing. Dave Holland's decade-old Quintet with vibraphonist Steve Nelson, trombonist Robin Eubanks and saxophonist Chris Potter has garnered multiple awards and significant attention. But while the group has evolved as a standalone unit on albums including Critical Mass (Dare2, 2006), and as the core of Holland's Big Band on Overtime (Dare2, 2005), the overall sonority has become, perhaps, a little too familiar. The debut of Holland's sextet on Pass It On may include members from his Quintet and Big Band saxophonist Antonio Hart, trombonist Robin Eubanks and trumpeter Alex Sipiagin but pianist Mulgrew Miller and drummer Eric Harland make this group unlike any Holland's had before. Still, despite a new complexion and fresh blood, it possesses the various threads that have defined Holland since he began leading groups in the mid-'80s. Pass It On largely revisits material from earlier Holland albums: the evocative ballad "Equality" and dark groove of "Lazy Snake" from Dream of the Elders (ECM, 1996); the rubato freedom that turns into a visceral modal groove in "Rivers Run" from Triplicate (ECM, 1988); the 5/4 ballad "Processional" from Extensions (ECM, 1990); and fiercely swinging "Double Vision" from Seeds of Time (ECM, 1985). There's also a Latin-esque reading of "Modern Times" from Homecoming (ECM, 1995), by Holland's collaborative Gateway trio with guitarist John Abercrombie and drummer Jack DeJohnette.

Most tunes will be familiar to Holland fans and even the sax/trumpet/trombone frontline won't be new to followers of his mid'-80s quintet with Eubanks, altoist Steve Coleman and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler. But this is the first time the bassist has used piano in a group a perhaps more conventional complexion that he's intentionally avoided in the past by using vibraphone or guitar as chordal instruments. But with the vibrant Miller, it fits in comfortably with Holland's evolving concept; the sextet clearly dovetails with his other work of the past 25 years.There's a different kind of energy here, with Holland combining the more liberated approach of "Rivers Run," which harkens back to his '80s quintet, with Eubanks' polyrhythmic "The Sum of All Parts." The latter opens the disc with the musicians entering one at a time, ultimately coalescing into the kind of visceral, irregular-metered groove that's been so definitive of Holland's Quintet and Big Band. Everyone's a star here, but Harland and Miller push the group in new and different ways; Miller's distinctive out-of-Tyner harmonic approach and Harland's empathic, elastic playing open the group up to greater freedom and interpretation. Dipping into his past repertoire is a device Holland also used for his Big Band's debut, What Goes Around (ECM, 2002); however, this smaller and more intimate ensemble with a big sound revisits his material with greater flexibility and power. Pass It On is the welcome and long overdue debut from a sextet that's been performing for a couple of years, and possesses the same deep chemistry that has made Holland's other groups and releases such winners. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/pass-it-on-dave-holland-dare2-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Dave Holland: bass; Eric Harland: drums; Antonio Hart: alto saxophone; Robin Eubanks: trombone; Mulgrew Miler: piano; Alex Sipiagin: trumpet.

Pass It On

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Russell Gunn - Mood Swings

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:52
Size: 116,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. The Injuns
(6:30)  2. Park Avenue Petite
(7:36)  3. African Queen
(3:41)  4. S. Crib
(6:32)  5. Night And Day
(6:47)  6. Mood Swings
(6:57)  7. I'll Close My Eyes
(4:47)  8. Blues To Lee
(4:08)  9. Twice Around

At first, it might seem like a calculated stylistic detour hot young hip-hop-influenced trumpeter teams up with a Hammond organ player (Radam Schwartz) who's equally fresh but strictly from the old school. But 2003's Mood Swings is not Wynton Marsalis-style dilettante posing of the "I remember Jimmy Smith" variety; there is nothing retro or nostalgic about this album, although it's firmly rooted in '60s-style organ combo jazz and mostly draws from the hard bop songbook. The opening track, a frenetic 20-notes-a-second take on Donald Byrd's "The Injuns," is as forward-looking as anything Gunn has done. Although ballads like Benny Golson's weightless, lovely "Park Avenue Petite" allow Gunn to explore Miles Davis' gentle tonal palette, it's more aggressive performances like "S. Crib" and the downright funky "Twice Around" that really show off Gunn's abilities. ~ Stewart Mason https://www.allmusic.com/album/mood-swings-mw0000318983

Personnel: Russell Gunn (trumpet); Radam Schwartz (Hammond B-3 organ); Eric Johnson (guitar); Cecil Brooks III (drums)

Mood Swings

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Laura Ellis - Femme Fatale

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:19
Size: 58,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:03)  1. I've Been Kissed Before
(2:42)  2. Somewhere In The Night
(2:34)  3. Again
(1:11)  4. I Want To Be Talked About
(3:10)  5. Laura
(4:05)  6. Blue Gardenia
(2:44)  7. Put The Blame On Mame
(2:33)  8. This Bitter Earth
(3:13)  9. Trinidad Lady

Femme Fatale is the soundtrack recording for the stage show starring Laura Ellis. Miss Ellis, walks off the screen and onto the musical stage as the irresistible Femme Fatale. Accompanied by her nimble jazz band, with song and Film Noir movie clips, Laura weaves a story of a female con artist, her hapless fall guy and the music of the 1940s and 50s. Femme fatale is blend of cinematic wizardry and live stage show. Using green screen technology and public domain film noir clips, the character of the Femme Fatale is inserted into a new but classic noir story. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/lauraellis2 

Femme Fatale

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Quincy Jones - Sounds & Stuff Like That

Styles: Swing, Big Band
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:45
Size: 82,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:16)  1. Stuff Like That
(3:31)  2. I'm Gonna Miss You In The Morning
(5:13)  3. Love, I Never Had It So Good
(6:45)  4. Tell Me A Bedtime Story
(4:08)  5. Love Me By Name
(5:25)  6. Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)
(4:24)  7. Takin' It To The Streets

With ears dead set on the trends of the moment but still drawing now and then on his jazz past, Quincy Jones came up with another classy-sounding pop album loaded with his ever-growing circle of musician friends. Disco was king in 1978 and Jones bows low with the ebullient dance hit "Stuff Like That" which is several cuts above the norm for that genre  along with a healthy quota of elegantly produced soul ballads. Yet amidst the pop stuff, Jones still manages to do something fresh and memorable within the jazz sphere with a gorgeous chart of Herbie Hancock's "Tell Me a Bedtime Story." Hancock himself sits in impeccably on electric piano, and violinist Harry Lookofsky painstakingly overdubs one of Hancock's transcribed solos on 15 violins. Despite the cast of hundreds that is now de rigueur for Quincy Jones, the record does not sound over-produced due to the silken engineering and careful deployment of forces. ~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/album/soundsand-stuff-like-that%21%21-mw0000649592

Personnel: Nickolas Ashford (vocals, percussion); Yolanda McCullough (vocals, background vocals); Gwen Guthrie, Luther Vandross, Patti Austin, Tom Bahler, Valerie Simpson, Vivian Cherry, Chaka Khan, Charles May (vocals); David T Sounds; Walker, Eric Gale , Melvin Watson, Wah-Wah Watson (guitar); Gayle Levant (harp); Tom Scott (lyre, flute, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, lyricon); Jerome Reisler, John Wittenberg, Wilbert Nuttycombe, Carl LaMagna, Marvin Limonick, Betty LaMagna, Connie Kupka, Israel Baker, Arnold Belnick, Nathan Ross, Sheldon Sanov, Harry Bluestone, Harry Lookofsky (violin); Meyer Bello, David Schwartz , Leonard Selic, Samuel Boghossian (viola); Gloria Strassner, Dennis Karmazyn (cello); George Young (flute, saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Hubert Laws, Jerome Richardson, Bill Perkins, Bud Shank, Buddy Collette (flute, saxophone, tenor saxophone); Harold Vick (saxophone, trumpet, flugelhorn); Howard Johnson (saxophone, tuba); David Tofani, Harold Fick (saxophone); Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Jon Faddis, Virgil Jones (trumpet, flugelhorn); Chuck Findley, Bill Lamb, Oscar Brashear, Snooky Young (trumpet); Arthur Maebe, David Duke , Sidney Muldrow, Aubrey Bouck, Henry Sigismonti (French horn); Donald Waldrop, Jimmy Cleveland, Robert Payne, Bill Watrous, Charles Loper, Chauncey Welsch (trombone); Alan Raph (bass trombone); Roger Bobo, Tommy Johnson (tuba); Herbie Hancock (piano, electric piano, keyboards); Richard Tee (piano, organ, keyboards); Clark Spangler (synthesizer, programming); Michael Boddicker (synthesizer); Anthony Jackson (bass guitar); Steve Gadd (drums); Ralph MacDonald (percussion); Zachary Sanders, Bill Eaton, Frank Floyd (background vocals)

Sounds & Stuff Like That

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Hal Galper Quartet - Cubist

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:08
Size: 158,6 MB
Art: Front

( 5:51)  1. Solar
( 9:09)  2. Israel
( 5:24)  3. Artists
(11:21)  4. Kiwi
( 8:10)  5. Cubist
(13:00)  6. Scene West
( 7:29)  7. In a Sentimental Mood
( 8:41)  8. Scufflin'

Hal Galper has been in the jazz limelight now for over a half century, establishing his trademark sound in more traditional settings with alto saxophone luminaries Cannonball Adderly, and Phil Woods, and trumpet legend Chet Baker. Yet in the new century, Galper has turned the piano trio concept on its collective ear, something that hadn't taken place in the jazz universe since Bill Evans entered the fray with his conversational approach to the trio with Scott LaFaro, and Paul Motian. Galper has pushed the boundaries of the music in his distinct rubato style, an open and interpretive concept of time where the musical continuum achieves a high degree of elasticity. Galper has found the perfect partners in this reshaping of the art form in trailblazing bassist Jeff Johnson and sophisticated intuitive drummer John Bishop. The trio has found a home at Origin records, now a legacy of six albums beginning with the 2007 release Furious Rubato (Origin, 2007). 

On his new release on Origin, Cubist, Galper expands his vision to the quartet, bringing in long time colleague and friend, tenor saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi. Bergonzi adds yet another dimension to the rubato equation, adding avenues of collective insight that fits in seamlessly with this trio that has achieved such a rare subconscious understanding of each other. Recorded in an open session format before a small audience, the music has an overwhelming emotional honesty, and visionary artistry. The quartet seems to match musical character and personality perfectly between the four participants.

Bassist Jeff Johnson, long one of the most musical of jazz bassists, contributes four compositions that define his unique approach to writing. His conception of time and space is uniquely compatible to Galper's vision of the same. Johnson has played in Galper's trio since the early 90's, and has submitted a number of tunes to him in the process, most of which going unrecorded. For this session, some of them 'clicked,' including the aptly titled "Cubist." States Galper, "It struck me how apt the title was, how our Rubato Style is similar to Cubist painting." Indeed, the metaphor is striking, the visual concept of all the elements being there, yet with many of them out of place, and emphasized in different variables. "Scene West" conjures audible snapshots of Johnson's solo recordings, in particular the eclectic The Art of Falling (Origin, 2001). Johnson leads his partners into the fray with a dark, rhythmic undercurrent that results in a free, tumbling whirlwind of a solo from Galper. Bergonzi adds a restrained subtlety to the conversation that builds into an urgent frenzy, in the end dropping off into Johnson's deeply colored melodicism.

There is a certain radiant tonality to the playing of drummer John Bishop. Indeed, as in many ways that one might describe these same tonal qualities in a horn player, Bishop has his own distinctive sound, one that a listener can identify on any recording. His intuitive sensitivity, chant-like use of cymbals, and masterful brush work serve as a spatial touchstone throughout Cubist. His long term artistic relationship with Johnson predates his association with Galper, and those qualities that can only be chanced upon over time shine brightly when merged with Bergonzi's full bodied dynamic articulation, and Galper's visionary freewheeling conception of time. Galper's original, "Scufflin" highlights his innovative processes as a pianist. His lightning quick fluidity, melodic phrasing, and ability to move the music, and reactions of his bandmates in variable directions at will, are astoundingly unique to his gigantic talents. Throughout the linear historic timeline of great jazz pianists, Galper undoubtedly falls along the lines of Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, and Ahmad Jamal in terms of their approach to intimate trio playing. After six albums together on Origin, Galper could have very well chosen to sustain the momentum with his mates Johnson and Bishop, continuing to record and tour as a trio. The addition of Bergonzi turns out to be another stroke of collective genius for Galper, and his forward moving approach to modern jazz music. His playing from start to finish on this record is truly transformative. It states clearly his ability as a leader to value the whole greater than the collective parts. The result is a compelling rubato experience for the listener.

Much is mentioned here, and in every subsequent review of his recordings over the past decade, of the advanced conception of time utilized by Galper. It must be stated that while the music may often travel in uncharted territory, it nonetheless travels in the same universe where the jazz tradition resides, where an elastic sense of freedom can ground itself in swing, and the finer qualities of post bop free thinking. Galper has found the perfect four personalities to travel through this musical labyrinth with. All four have emerged from past histories with jazz legends to bushwack a trail through the never ending expedition into musical exploration and discovery. On Cubist, they have revealed a work of true artistic mastery, and generational significance. In many ways, it personifies the direction of jazz music into the 21st century, a mantle to be grasped and moved forward by generation next. ~ Paul Rauch https://www.allaboutjazz.com/cubist-hal-galper-origin-records-review-by-paul-rauch.php

Personnel: Hal Galper: piano; Jerry Bergonzi: tenor sax; Jeff Johnson: bass; John Bishop: drums

Cubist

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