Kenny Werner Trio - Animal Crackers

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:09
Size: 124,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:27)  1. Ari
(5:07)  2. The Song Is You
(3:59)  3. Animal Crackers
(6:41)  4. Breathing Torso
(4:04)  5. I Should Care
(5:00)  6. What?
(6:42)  7. If I Should Lose You
(9:58)  8. Lago
(7:08)  9. Mechanical Arm

Four loud snare hits and you're right in the middle of this album! The first song ("Ari") starts programmatically: More modern jazz does not work! Are John Lewis and George Russell resurrected? We know everything! But no, if we listen more closely, we notice immediately: Kenny Werner has a very personal signature. There is no soulless copyist at work here. This music lives.Jazz legend Quincy Jones told the Brooklyn pianist: "100 percent soul and precision in a single person!" The next title sounds like tailor-made. "The song is you" - somewhere between Dave Brubeck and Thelonious Monk - is driven by drums. Flogging blows jostle the pearling repeatedly stumbling piano torrents until the lemming crash into the harmonic orc! Drummer Ari Hoenig convinces with his own signature and stoically precise timing but also angry Rolls and hectic pelvic work. The bassist Johannes Weidenmüller from Cologne, with his accentuated style of playing, adds exactly that little bit of cohesion to the arrangement, making the arrangements look like one piece - in spite of all the freedom that all the musicians of this trio take. Sure, the 66-year-old New York pianist and composer Werner, who completed his first TV appearance at the age of eleven, is washed with all the musical waters. He played with jazz-heroes like Archie Shepp, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Charles Mingus, Elvin Jones, Lee Konitz, Lou Rawls, Mel Lewis, Toots Thielemans, John Scofield and so on ... ..has no proof of his extraordinary abilities in Showbizz omitted.

He even succeeds in futuristic sound paintings like "Breathing Torso". Despite Synthigewaber in the intro a typical Werner play almost filmmusikmäßig and soundtrack suspicious. Hats off: There mixes radio play sounds with Gregorian-sounding choral set pieces and swelling orchestral passages including synthetic violins, but suddenly dissolve into nothingness. A true, yet 100 percent successful, challenge is "What". Choppy accented modern jazz with struggling resolution-seeking chords that suddenly switch to sparkling impersonal e-piano tones, then step into a kind of competition to make a grandfathership with him. An interesting, highly exciting finger exercise almost like the intro of a fifties newscast. Is this a radio play now? No matter, this song is captivating, exciting, somehow avant-garde but also retro yet always up-to-date music. The final piece is also fascinating: "Mechanical Arm" is a stubborn, restrained composition (sometimes exploring the limits of free jazz) but still grounded and extremely (dis-) harmonious. Had also in the disco of spaceship "Orion" can run (I see Dietmar Schönherr and Eva Pflug almost dancing in front of my eyes). A real Burner! Translate by Google ~ Willy Theobald https://www.aboutjazz.de/2017/12/kenny-werner-trio-animal-crackers.html

Personnel: Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Kenny Werner;  Bass – Johannes Weidenmueller;  Drums – Ari Hoenig

Animal Crackers

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Lady Linn and Her Magnificent Seven - No Goodbye at All

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:47
Size: 100,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:21)  1. Cry Baby
(3:42)  2. Anything for You
(3:50)  3. Little Bird
(4:02)  4. Over
(2:24)  5. Good Morning
(4:07)  6. Good Old Sunday Blues
(3:38)  7. Love Song
(2:33)  8. Nina
(4:25)  9. Didn't Know What to Say
(3:36) 10. Always Shine
(4:06) 11. First Snow
(3:58) 12. No Goodbye at All

An English-language jazz-pop group from Ghent, Belgium, Lady Linn and Her Magnificent Seven experienced Top Ten success with their first album of original songs, Here We Go Again (2008), after several years of performing classic jazz covers. Led by Lady Linn (vocals; born Lien de Greef), who also sings in the Belgian groups Bolchi and Skeemz, the group is also comprised of Marc de Maeseneer (baritone sax), Frederick Heirman (trombone), Tom Callens (tenor saxophone), Yves Fernandez (trumpet), Christian Mendoza (piano), Koen Kimpe (double bass), and Matthias Standaert (drums). 

After a couple self-titled underground releases in 2003 and 2005, Lady Linn and Her Magnificent Seven released the Shopping (2006) single on Zephyrus Records, the title track of which was the group's first original song, arranged, composed, and written by Lady Linn herself. The group then proceeded to record an entire album of originals, Here We Go Again (2008), produced by Jeroen de Pessemier, a colleague of Lady Linn's in Bolchi. Released by V2 Records, the album became a Top Ten hit in Belgium. ~ Jason Birchmeier https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/no-goodbye-at-all/507225137

No Goodbye at All

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VA - Oscar, With Love: The Songs Of Oscar Peterson

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 178:47
Size: 412,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:18)  1. The Contessa (Makoto Ozone)
(3:39)  2. Blues For Smedley (Robi Botos)
(5:43)  3. Celine's Waltz (Oliver Jones, Dave Young)
(5:11)  4. Bossa Beguine (Gerald Clayton)
(3:31)  5. Cool Walk (Benny Green)
(8:16)  6. Dream Of Me (Michel Legrand)
(4:34)  7. Sushi (Renee Rosnes, Bill Charlap)
(3:00)  8. If I Love Again (Ramsey Lewis)
(3:49)  9. On Danish Shore (Justin Kauflin)
(8:51) 10. Ballad For Benny Carter (Kenny Barron)
(2:28) 11. A Little Jazz Exercise (Makoto Ozone)
(5:56) 12. Tranquille (Monty Alexander, Dave Young)
(4:58) 13. Take Me Home (Hiromi)
(3:35) 14. Announcement (Bill Charlap)
(5:20) 15. If You Only Knew (Benny Green)
(6:39) 16. Love Ballade (Renee Rosnes)
(5:22) 17. The Gentle Waltz (Monty Alexander, Dave Young)
(6:14) 18. Summertime (Justin Kauflin)
(6:22) 19. Laurentide Waltz (Ramsey Lewis)
(4:58) 20. Morning (Gerald Clayton)
(7:59) 21. Harcourt Nights (Michel Legrand)
(4:19) 22. Wheatland (Robi Botos)
(5:11) 23. Why Think About Tomorrow (Oliver Jones, Dave Young)
(6:28) 24. One For Oscar (Chick Corea)
(5:06) 25. The Smudge (Kenny Barron)
(4:58) 26. Sir Lancewell (Lance Anderson)
(4:13) 27. Dear Oscar (Makoto Ozone)
(6:03) 28. I Remember OP (Oliver Jones, Dave Young)
(4:03) 29. Oscar's New Camera (Hiromi)
(2:38) 30. OP's Boogie (Lance Anderson)
(4:28) 31. Trust (Monty Alexander, Dave Young)
(4:03) 32. Emmanuel (Robi Botos)
(3:13) 33. Look What You’ve Done To Me (Audrey Morris)
(3:16) 34. Goodbye Old Friend (Dave Young)
(5:18) 35. Hymn To Freedom (Gerald Clayton)
(2:29) 36. When Summer Comes (Robi Botos)

To mark the ninetieth anniversary of the legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson's birth (August 15, 2015), Peterson's widow, Kelly Peterson, produced a tribute album for the ages: Oscar, with Love, a marvelous three-disc set comprising ten never-before-recorded Peterson compositions, nineteen of his better-known works and seven compositions written especially for him, performed by sixteen contemporary piano masters on Peterson's personal Boesendorfer Imperial piano at his private studio in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Makoto Ozone has the honor of opening Disc 1 with a warm-hearted reading of Peterson's lovely ballad, "The Contessa." He is followed, in order, by a veritable who's who of noteworthy (no pun intended) keyboard artists: Robi Botos, Oliver Jones, Gerald Clayton, Benny Green, Michel Legrand, Renee Rosnes, Bill Charlap, Ramsey Lewis, Justin Kauflin, Kenny Barron, Monty Alexander, Hiromi, Chick Corea, co-producer Lance Anderson and Peterson's close friend, Chicagoan Audrey Morris. While most tracks showcase the solo piano, Peterson's longtime bassist, Dave Young, accompanies Jones ("Celine's Waltz," "Why Think About Tomorrow," "I Remember OP"), Alexander ("Tranquille," "The Gentle Waltz") and performs alone on "Goodbye Old Friend." Morris plays and sings on "Look What You've Done to Me," while Charlap and Rosnes appear separately on "Announcement" and "Love Ballade," respectively, and together on "Sushi."

The songs written for Peterson include Corea's earnest "One for Oscar" (composed especially for this album), and his bravura performance, which leads off Disc 3, is one of the set's myriad highlights. As for others, any song on which Barron, Jones, Legrand, Lewis, Charlap or Rosnes are in the driver's seat is almost by definition a highlight, and none of them is less than inspired, nor are Ozone, Alexander, Anderson, Botos, Clayton, Green, Hiromi, Kauflin or Morris. Jones, who like Peterson was born in Montreal, is closest to his fellow Canadian in spirit, and even though he was roughly eighty years old when the album was recorded, plays with the agility and vigor of someone many years his junior. Lewis, another newly minted octogenarian, shows no deference to Father Time on his opulent features, "If I Love Again" and "Laurentide Waltz," while the (now) eighty four year old Legrand is sublime on "Dream of Me" and "Harcourt Nights." That's not to demean the (relatively) younger lions Botos, Clayton, Hiromi and Kauflin each of whom makes an auspicious impression. And for brio emblematic of Peterson himself, dig Ozone's busy fingers on "Dear Oscar" and "A Little Jazz Exercise." This is an album on which every participant seems entirely aware that he or she is not merely playing another song but is offering his or her homage to one of the most renowned jazz pianists who ever lived. That fondness and appreciation are palpable from start to finish, which is one (of many) reasons why Oscar, with Love is an album to be applauded and treasured. Others include immaculate sound, splendid packaging, erudite and inclusive liner notes by Basie trumpeter Scotty Barnhart, and warm personal remembrances by Peterson's daughter, Celine. An exemplary tribute worthy of the name and the monarch to whom it is inscribed. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/oscar-with-love-oscar-peterson-two-lions-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Monty Alexander: piano; Lance Anderson: piano; Kenny Barron: piano; Robi Botos: piano; Bill Charlap: piano; Gerald Clayton: piano; Chick Corea: piano; Benny Green: piano; Hiromi: piano; Oliver Jones: piano; Justin Kauflin: piano; Michel Legrand: piano; Ramsey Lewis: piano; Audrey Morris: piano, vocal; Makoto Ozone: piano; Renee Rosnes: piano; Dave Young: bass.

Oscar, With Love: The Songs Of Oscar Peterson

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Sugarpie & The Candymen - Waiting for the One

Styles: Swing
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:18
Size: 120,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:13)  1. Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)
(2:38)  2. Blue 'bout Love
(3:09)  3. Lil
(5:34)  4. Bohemian Rhapsody
(4:00)  5. Toxic
(3:53)  6. Material Girl
(4:11)  7. Madness in the Rain
(4:24)  8. Highway Star
(3:09)  9. Bad
(3:40) 10. Dusty
(2:50) 11. Warchild
(2:43) 12. No Words
(4:04) 13. Good Vibration
(3:43) 14. Vmq

“Waiting For the One” is the third and brand new effort for Sugarpie and the Candymen.Why the title “Waiting for the One“? As the exact meaning goes, “waiting for someone, something that really makes a difference” it can be an event, a moment, a person … not waiting for something to change but more of a hope and a promise.This album, in fact, represents a further evolution in the sound and in the musical direction of the band. The ‘Swing’ trademark it’s always there but the spectrum broadens with new colours,styles and inspirations: the marching bands of New Orleans, Cuban sound, Reggae, Nu Jazz, Rhythm and Blues of early 50’s, all of these Sounds are here, and… why not? Pop as well! The Record is equally made up by originals songs and covers, as we have seen in their previous work “Swing’n’Roll,” but here the tracking list is shuffled differently to show that there are two sides of the same coin.

The original tracks range from the traditional swing of “Blue About Love” to the french flavors of “Madness in the Rain” from the Beatles pop sound of “Lil” to the battered and Waits (Tom) sounding “Dusty”, from the progressive fairy tale of “QMV” to the country manouche of “Warchild”…While amongst he covers we find a number of hits of the last decade (“Single Ladies” by Beyonce sounds like it’s straight out of a Dr. John Album!, while “Toxic” by Britney Spears winks at Buena Vista Social Club.Catchy Hits of the ’80s like “Bad” has kept the original dance beat with a bit of gypsy flavor, “Material Girl” arrangement is inspired by Louis Jordan and 50’s Jump Blues”, Hard Rock milestones like “Highway Star” by Deep Purple has received the “Count Basie” treatment, but the most remarkable accomplishments of the Album must go to the two Pop Symphonies, the evergreen and worlwide Hits, massively known that go by the names of : “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Good Vibrations”.

In most of the tracks the Band has had the pleasure to have special guests on them: a horn section with Gianni Satta on trumpet, Rudy Migliardi on trombone and tuba and Gregory Agid hailing New Orleans on clarinet and sax.Daniel Richiedei is on violin and Giovanni Colombo on the piano, the accordion played by Fausto Beccalossi  and the percussions by Riccardo Marenghi.The same Candymen themselves, quite often switch instruments quite freely. These to follow were quite in use on this Recording (dobro, banjo, piano, organ, mandolin, glockenspiel, kazoo and various percussions … ). Special attention to production details were given and are clear to be heard on the sounds, the arrangements and the performances are all at the highest level! The recording of the Album took place at ‘Elfostudio’ in Tavernago (Piacenza), and in various other locations (often in their guests’ houses!). http://www.irmagroup.com/sugarpie-candymen-waiting-one/

Waiting for the One

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Ethel Waters, Horace Silver Quintet - Break City

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:58
Size: 164.7 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[7:04] 1. Melancholy Mood
[3:02] 2. True Blue Lou
[2:41] 3. Do What You Did Last Night
[4:49] 4. The Baghdad Blues
[2:43] 5. Get Up Off Your Knees
[4:06] 6. The St. Vitus Dance
[3:00] 7. Travlin' All Alone
[3:23] 8. You Can't Stop Me From Lovin' You
[3:10] 9. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
[3:14] 10. Porgy
[3:24] 11. St. Louis Blues
[5:59] 12. Peace
[6:15] 13. Sister Sadie
[3:17] 14. Love Is The Thing
[3:12] 15. Don't Blame Me
[2:57] 16. Shadows On The Swanee
[4:40] 17. Blowin' The Blues Away
[4:53] 18. Break City

Ethel Waters was a blues and jazz singer and dramatic actress whose singing, based in the blues tradition, featured her full-bodied voice and slow vibrato.

"From the perspective of the 21st century, it is clear that few jazz musicians had a greater impact on the contemporary mainstream than Horace Silver. The hard bop style that Silver pioneered in the '50s is now dominant, played not only by holdovers from an earlier generation, but also by fuzzy-cheeked musicians who had yet to be born when the music fell out of critical favor in the '60s and '70s.

Silver's earliest musical influence was the Cape Verdean folk music he heard from his Portuguese-born father. Later, after he had begun playing piano and saxophone as a high schooler, Silver came under the spell of blues singers and boogie-woogie pianists, as well as boppers like Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell. In 1950, Stan Getz played a concert in Hartford, Connecticut, with a pickup rhythm section that included Silver, drummer Walter Bolden, and bassist Joe Calloway. So impressed was Getz, he hired the whole trio. Silver had been saving his money to move to New York anyway; his hiring by Getz sealed the deal." ~Chris Kelsey

Break City

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Omar Sosa, NDR Big Band - Es:sensual

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:09
Size: 158.3 MB
Styles: Big band, Piano jazz
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[ 6:07] 1. Cha Cha Du Nord
[ 7:04] 2. Reposo
[ 7:47] 3. L3zero
[ 6:05] 4. My Three Notes
[ 9:34] 5. Glu-Glu
[10:32] 6. Iyade
[12:59] 7. Angustiado
[ 8:58] 8. Sad Meeting

This is the second album the Cuban pianist Omar Sosa has made with the Hamburg radio band – its predecessor was called Ceremony and came out in 2010 – and as before the arranger is the Brazilian Jacques Morelenbaum. I haven’t heard Ceremony but if it’s as good as es:sensual, I must seek it out immediately.



The NDR is a dream of a band for, it seems, any soloist or arranger. It not only brings impeccable musicianship to the studio, but also a sensitivity to a wide range of musical styles. Sosa has shown with his own releases a great versatility, incorporating American roots music on Across The Divide, flamenco flavours on Ilé, and a real Afro-Cuban collaboration with Transparent Water, his duo album with kora player Seckou Keita, so the NDR is a likely to have a ball here.



Sosa’s solos are as propulsive and melodic as one would expect, whether at the grand or going electric, but the real icing on the cake is Morelenbaum’s arrangements. The other bonus is that Sosa has brought with him his own drummer. Much as I’m sure the NDR’s kit man could have done a fine job, there’s nothing quite like the real thing, here in the form of fellow Cuban Ernesto Simpson. Add NDR’s Argentine super-percussionist Marcio Doctor and the music’s base becomes a seething sea of the unexpected over a bed of rhthmically rippling sand. ~Peter Bacon

Es:sensual mc
Es:sensual zippy

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Jermaine Landsberger Trio, Bireli Lagrene - Gipsy Feeling

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:53
Size: 114.2 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Gypsy jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[3:47] 1. Cool Blue
[6:39] 2. Flair
[3:35] 3. Nuits De St. Germain
[5:39] 4. Gipsy Feeling
[4:59] 5. Michels Tune
[7:01] 6. Bossalero
[3:26] 7. Valse Manouche
[4:40] 8. Spontaneous Samba
[4:24] 9. Swing For Oskar
[5:37] 10. Good Morning

Jermaine Landsberger-piano; Bireli Lagrene-guitar; Eugen Apostolidis-bass; Matthias Gmelin-drums.

Jermaine Landsberger from Regensburg has been drawing increasing attention in Jazz circles. His performances with the Wedeli Köhler Ensemble, his first CD and above all his collaboration with Bireli Langrene have much advanced the career of the young Sinto. He was born in Lower Bavaria into a musical family. The father, himself a guitarist, established the contacts with musical relatives and friends, like the guitarist Costa Lukasz. Django Reinhardt's swing and Hungarian folklore were Jermaine's first influences. Later, he began listening to American musicians like Oscar Petersen and Bill Evans, and the French Michel Petrucciani. In recent years, Jermaine Landsberger has often been able to expand his piano trio with the guitarist Bireli Langrene. In December 1998 they recorded the CD "Gypsy Feeling".

Gipsy Feeling mc
Gipsy Feeling zippy

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Otros Aires - Perfect Tango

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:33
Size: 74.5 MB
Styles: Pop, Tango
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:00] 1. Amor O Nada
[3:05] 2. Like A Tango
[3:10] 3. Bailando Sin Paraiso
[3:09] 4. Solo Esta Noche (Feat. Meghan Kabir)
[3:14] 5. The Perfect Tango
[3:34] 6. Todo Baila
[3:20] 7. Perro Viejo
[3:04] 8. Digital Ego
[3:47] 9. Un Matecito Y Un Beso
[3:07] 10. I´ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango)

The new album by the Argentinian band Otros Aires is called “Perfect Tango“. Reading the title one might think, that they state to have found a way to write a perfect tango. But actually it is meant as a self-ironic and funny statement. The album can be characterized as the Otros Aires album with the strongest Pop influence, that the band has ever written. The idea and work on the album started when the band leader Miguel Di Genova was invited by the legendary producer Miles Copeland, who has produced stars such as The Police and Sting. It is due to Miguel Di Genova's openness, that “Perfect Tango“ incorporates very different musical styles to form excellent Electro Tango Pop music. The album stands out with catchy pop structures and singableness. It impresses with the creative combination of modern genre sounds, such as Hip Hop Leads or Electro samples with more traditional genres such as Blues or Tango. “Perfect Tango” is a sensational fresh and catchy Tango album, that invites you to flip, to put your hands up or simply to dance Tango!

Perfect Tango mc
Perfect Tango zippy

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Johannes Wallman - Love Wins

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:15
Size: 135.6 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[5:26] 1. Equality!
[3:02] 2. Preamble
[7:46] 3. Love Wins
[6:30] 4. We (Reach For) Love
[8:52] 5. The Seventh Circuit
[7:07] 6. Can I Know (More Love)
[5:48] 7. Stonewall Was A Riot
[6:26] 8. Go On
[5:50] 9. We (Will) Love
[2:24] 10. Coda

Baritone Saxophone – Dayna Stephens; Bass – John Christensen (7); Drums – Devin Drobka; Guitar – Kenny Reichert; Piano – Johannes Wallmann; Tenor Saxophone – Dennis Mitcheltree; Trumpet – Russ Johnson; Voice – Rob DZ. Recorded at Audio for the Arts Madison, WI, August 18,19 & 20, 2015.

Born 1974 in Germany, Johannes Wallmann was raised on Canada's Vancouver Island. He studied jazz piano and composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston (B.Mus., 1995) and at New York University (M.A., 1997; Ph.D., 2010), while winning numerous national music competitions and scholarships, as well as two Canada Council artist grants. After moving to New York City in 1995, he quickly established himself as a versatile and in-demand sideman in a wide-range of musical styles.

Among the most experienced jazz educators of his generation, Wallmann taught at New York University (1996-2007) and the New School (2003-2007) before relocating to Oakland to lead the jazz studies program at California State University East Bay. In 2012, he moved to the University of Wisconsin to become Director of Jazz Studies and the inaugural holder of the John and Carolyn Peterson Chair in Jazz Studies at UW’s acclaimed Mead Witter School of Music.

Wallmann has recorded six critically acclaimed CDs as a leader: The Johannes Wallmann Quartet (1997), Alphabeticity (2003), Minor Prophets (2007), The Coasts (2010) and Always Something (2015). His 2015 quintet album, The Town Musicians (Fresh Sound New Talent FSNT-469), was named an Editors’ Pick by DownBeat Magazine, which called it a “stunning collage of jazz styles and genres” and “a harmonious album from a lifetime of diverse sounds and experiences.” Midwest Record called The Town Musicians “a sizzling session of sitting down jazz” and “music that meets on the corner of complex and accessible,” and the UK’s Jazz Journal wrote, “If I were responsible for an album as good as this, I’d be shouting about it.”

Love Wins mc
Love Wins zippy

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Hank Jones - Urbanity

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:44
Size: 118.5 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1956/1997
Art: Front

[2:56] 1. Thad's Pad
[3:38] 2. Things Are So Pretty In The Spring
[2:45] 3. Little Girl Blue
[3:30] 4. Odd Number
[2:40] 5. Blues For Lady Day
[3:21] 6. The Night We Called It A Day
[3:04] 7. Yesterdays
[3:06] 8. You're Blase
[2:59] 9. Tea For Two
[2:43] 10. The Blue Room
[3:00] 11. Thad's Pad (Alternate Take No. 1)
[0:23] 12. Thad's Pad (Incomplete Take)
[2:58] 13. Thad's Pad (Alternate Take No. 2)
[3:58] 14. Things Are So Pretty In The Spring
[3:22] 15. Things Are So Pretty In The Spring (Breakdown)
[3:37] 16. Things Are So Pretty In The Spring (Alternative Take No.1)
[3:38] 17. Things Are So Pretty In The Spring (Alternative Take No.2)

Pianist Hank Jones' first LP consists of six piano solos from 1947 and four trio numbers (with guitarist Johnny Smith and bassist Ray Brown) from 1953. Particularly on the unaccompanied solos, Jones shows off the influence of Art Tatum, while the trio cuts are more boppish and sometimes recall the King Cole Trio. Excellent music. ~Scott Yanow

Urbanity mc
Urbanity zippy

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Dusko Goykovich - Good Old Days

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:34
Size: 150,1 MB
Art: Front

(8:41)  1. Good Old Days
(6:00)  2. Little Teo
(4:43)  3. In The Sign of Libra
(6:40)  4. Someday My Prince Will Come
(6:48)  5. How Insensitive
(5:42)  6. No Love Without Tears
(7:11)  7. Tokyo Shuffle Blues
(8:00)  8. Ballad for Belgrade
(6:45)  9. Old Fisherman's Daughter

During his career Dusko Gojkovic built his own style recognizable for the preciseness, brilliance of his technique and warm sound in playing as well as melodic tunes in composing. His colourful life is like a mirror of a half a century of jazz history. He caused stylistic developments. Gojkovic set technical standards, played with all the greats of the genre and finally became one of them. Since 1955 he has been a formative influence not only on the German jazz scene, performing and recording with such as Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, Lee Konitz, Chet Baker, Woody Herman, Johnny Griffin, Mal Waldron, Phil Woods, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Clarke or Kenny Barron and many more and is highly admired in the USA and Japan. He is best known for his unmistakably melodic phrasing and his high-class ballad renditions on the trumpet, muted trumpet, and flugelhorn.

Gojkovic was born in Jajce, former Yugoslavia, now Bosnia and Herzegovina. He studied at the  Belgrade Music Academy from 1948 to 1953. He played trumpet in a number of jazz Dixieland bands and, though only 18 years of age, joined Big Band of Radio Belgrade. After five years spent there he grew into a seasoned musician and decided to continue his career in West Germany. In 1956 he recorded his first LP as a member of Frankfurt All Stars band. Next four years he spent as a member of Kurt Edelhagen’s orchestra as a first trumpet. In these years he played with notable jazzmen such as Chet Baker, Stan Getz and Oscar Pettiford. In 1958 he performed at Newport Jazz Festival and drew much attention on both sides of the Ocean. In 1961 he was offered a scholarship for the studies of composing and arranging in Berklee. He took the offer and finished the studies.After the studies he was invited by Canadian band leader Maynard Ferguson to join his band. 

Gojkovic performed as a second trumpet until the break of the band in 1964. His work with Ferguson boosted his reputation as an excellent big band musician and an outstanding soloist. Next he returned to Europe, formed his sextet and in 1966 recorded his first album Swinging Macedonia, produced by Eckart Rahn, with music he originally composed inspired by the music of Balkans. The album is generally considered to be the cornerstone of Balkan Jazz. In the years to follow he played with Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Pettiford, Gerry Mulligan, Sonny Rollins, Duke Jordan, Slide Hampton etc. In 1966 he continued his career in The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band. In 1968 he settled in Munich and formed his own big band with artists such as Rolf Ericsson that lasted until 1976.

In 1986 he managed to form another orchestra with which he performs to this day. His much awaited comeback came with the 1994 Soul Connection album that won him a broad acclaim. This was followed with album Bebop City. In 1996 he recorded the Soul Collection album again but this time with his own big band. Another great album came in 1997 Balkan Blue, a double CD: first one a quintet with Italian sax player Gianni Basso while the second one features orchestra of the North German Radio (NDR) accompanied by the jazz rhythm section and Gojkovic as a soloist. His next album was In My Dreams (2001) recorded with his quartet.

In 2003 Gojkovic opened a new chapter in his career with his album Samba do Mar, in which he composes for the first time inspired by Brazilian music. In 2004 he performed on the 200th anniversary of modern Serbian statehood, the opportunity he used to gather in Belgrade international All Star Big Bend with whom he recorded A Handful of Soul CD. His last album Samba Tzigane came out in 2006. Gojkovic celebrated his 75th birthday with a grand concert in Belgrade. http://www.duskogojkovic.com/biography/

Personnel:  Dusko Goykovich (Trumpet, Flugelhorn);  Yutaka Shiina (Piano);  Shin Kamimura (Bass);  Masahiko Osaka (Drums).

Good Old Days

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Melody Gardot - Worrisome Heart

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:12
Size: 77,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:22)  1. Worrisome Heart
(2:37)  2. All That I Need Is Love
(2:52)  3. Gone
(3:22)  4. Sweet Memory
(5:24)  5. Some Lessons
(4:14)  6. Quiet Fire
(2:03)  7. One Day
(4:06)  8. Love Me Like a River Does
(3:05)  9. Goodnite
(1:01) 10. Twilight

Melody Gardot's debut recording, released in 2006, came two years after she suffered a near fatal automobile accident, the differently able Gardot triumphing in accomplishing what many others, including her, could only dream of. This project has her singing and playing guitar and a little piano, but more so presenting this project of all original material. Gardot has an interesting personal story, but even more intriguing music that straddles the line between lounge jazz, folk, and cowgirl songs. She's part sophisticated chanteuse, college sophomore, and down-home girl next door. Her innocence, sweetness, and light are very alluring, much like the persona of tragic songbirds Eva Cassidy and Nancy LaMott. Feel empathy for Gardot, but don't patronize her she's the real deal much more that many of her over-hyped peers. "Quiet Fire" is definitely her signature tune, as it speaks volumes of where her soul is at, in a jazz/blues mode, yearning for true love. The title track follows a similar tack, a slow, sweet, sentimental slinky blues that will melt your heart. A finger-snapping "Goodnite" leaves you wanting that night to continue, but also exudes a hope that permeates the entire recording. She might be a bit down on men during the nonplussed "All That I Need Is Love," but her subdued optimism glows cool. "Sweet Memory" might possibly parallel Feist or perhaps KT Tunstall in a rural country mode, while "Gone" is clearly folkish, and the slow "Some Lessons" expresses a contemporary Nashville precept. The laid-back music behind Gardot is basically acoustic, incorporating hip jazz instrumentation, especially the trumpet of Patrick Hughes and occasional organ, Wurlitzer, or Fender Rhodes from Joel Bryant, but with twists including violin, lap steel, and Dobro. The concise nature of this recording and these tunes perfectly reflects the realization that life is precious, every moment counts, and satisfaction is fleeting. Likely to be placed in the Norah Jones/Nellie McKay/Madeleine Peyroux pseudo jazz/pop sweepstakes, Gardot offers something decidedly more authentic and genuine. She's one-upped them all out of the gate. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/worrisome-heart-mw0000580130

Personnel: Melody Gardot (vocals, guitar); Jef Lee Johnson (guitar); Mike Brenner (lap steel guitar); David Mowry, Kurt Johnston (dobro); Diane Monroe (violin); Krista Nielsen (cello); Ron Kerber (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Stan Slotter, Patrick Hughes , Matt Cappy (trumpet); Dave Posmontier (piano); Joel Bryant (Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond b-3 organ, Wurlitzer organ); Ken Pendergast, Paul Klinefelter (bass guitar); Charlie Patierno (drums).

Worrisome Heart

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Bobby Previte - Rhapsody

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:18
Size: 148,0 MB
Art: Front

( 6:59)  1. Casting Off
(10:58)  2. All The World
( 9:15)  3. The Lost
( 3:29)  4. When I Land
( 5:28)  5. The Timekeeper
( 1:43)  6. Coming About
( 9:22)  7. All Hands
( 8:39)  8. Last Stand / Final Approach
( 8:21)  9. I Arrive

Bobby Previte writes, conducts and arranges all of the music on this album, along with playing drums, percussion, guitar, harmonica and auto harp with an intuitive team of John Medeski/p, Zeena Parkns/harp, Fabian Rucker/as, Jen Shyu/voc-erhu-p and Nels Cline. The music is the second part of a Terminals Trilogy, which is an acoustic song cycle with the topic being transit and migration. There are few hints on this album of the subject matter, as Shyu’s voice is not used often, and is usually wordless. Having said that, her vocals are dark and agonizing with harp on “Casting Off” and is tranquil on “When I Land” before the piece leads to a dramatic conclusion. Rucker’s alto sax gets plenty of solo space on the fierce and angry “All the World” also careening on “Last Stand/Final Approach.” The music catches breath with prancing piano and harp on “Coming About” and Nels Cline’s folksy ruminations on “All Hands.” The mix of swirling strings and volcanic rhythms make for a white knuckler of a ride. http://www.jazzweekly.com/2018/04/bobby-previte-rhapsody/

Personnel:  Bobby Previte: batería, percusión, autoarpa, guitarra, armónica;  Nels Cline: guitarra acústica, slide guitar, guitarra de doce cuerdas;  John Medeski: piano;  Zeena Parkins: arpa;  Jen Shyu: voz, er’hu, piano;  Fabian Rucker: saxo alto

Rhapsody

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Lester Young - Collates No. 2

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 23:42
Size: 54.3 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1951/2005
Art: Front

[2:49] 1. A Foggy Day
[2:53] 2. Down 'n' Adam
[3:11] 3. In A Little Spanish Town
[3:14] 4. 'deed I Do
[2:54] 5. Let's Fall In Love
[2:38] 6. Little Pee Blues
[2:55] 7. Thou Swell
[3:04] 8. Jeepers, Creepers

Bass – Gene Ramey, Ray Brown; Drums – Buddy Rich, Jo Jones; Tenor Saxophone – Lester Young.

Lester Young was one of the true jazz giants, a tenor saxophonist who came up with a completely different conception in which to play his horn, floating over bar lines with a light tone rather than adopting Coleman Hawkins' then-dominant forceful approach. A non-conformist, Young (nicknamed "Pres" by Billie Holiday) had the ironic experience in the 1950s of hearing many young tenors try to sound exactly like him.

Although he spent his earliest days near New Orleans, Lester Young lived in Minneapolis by 1920, playing in a legendary family band. He studied violin, trumpet, and drums, starting on alto at age 13. Because he refused to tour in the South, Young left home in 1927 and instead toured with Art Bronson's Bostonians, switching to tenor. He was back with the family band in 1929 and then freelanced for a few years, playing with Walter Page's Blue Devils (1930), Eddie Barefield in 1931, back with the Blue Devils during 1932-1933, and Bennie Moten and King Oliver (both 1933). He was with Count Basie for the first time in 1934 but left to replace Coleman Hawkins with Fletcher Henderson. Unfortunately, it was expected that Young would try to emulate Hawk, and his laid-back sound angered Henderson's sidemen, resulting in Pres not lasting long. After a tour with Andy Kirk and a few brief jobs, Lester Young was back with Basie in 1936, just in time to star with the band as they headed East. Young made history during his years with Basie, not only participating on Count's record dates but starring with Billie Holiday and Teddy Wilson on a series of classic small-group sessions. In addition, on his rare recordings on clarinet with Basie and the Kansas City Six, Young displayed a very original cool sound that almost sounded like altoist Paul Desmond in the 1950s. After leaving Count in 1940, Young's career became a bit aimless, not capitalizing on his fame in the jazz world. He co-led a low-profile band with his brother, drummer Lee Young, in Los Angeles until re-joining Basie in December 1943. Young had a happy nine months back with the band, recorded a memorable quartet session with bassist Slam Stewart, and starred in the short film Jammin' the Blues before he was drafted. His experiences dealing with racism in the military were horrifying, affecting his mental state of mind for the remainder of his life.

Although many critics have written that Lester Young never sounded as good after getting out of the military, despite erratic health he actually was at his prime in the mid- to late-'40s. He toured (and was well paid by Norman Granz) with Jazz at the Philharmonic on and off through the '40s and '50s, made a wonderful series of recordings for Aladdin, and worked steadily as a single. Young also adopted his style well to bebop (which he had helped pave the way for in the 1930s). But mentally he was suffering, building a wall between himself and the outside world, and inventing his own colorful vocabulary. Although many of his recordings in the 1950s were excellent (showing a greater emotional depth than in his earlier days), Young was bothered by the fact that some of his white imitators were making much more money than he was. He drank huge amounts of liquor and nearly stopped eating, with predictable results. 1956's Jazz Giants album found him in peak form as did a well documented engagement in Washington, D.C., with a quartet and a last reunion with Count Basie at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival. But, for the 1957 telecast The Sound of Jazz, Young mostly played sitting down (although he stole the show with an emotional one-chorus blues solo played to Billie Holiday). After becoming ill in Paris in early 1959, Lester Young came home and essentially drank himself to death. Many decades after his death, Pres is still considered (along with Coleman Hawkins and John Coltrane) one of the three most important tenor saxophonists of all time. ~ bio by Scott Yanow

Collates No. 2                

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Jorg Fleer - Paint Your Brain

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:58
Size: 146.5 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:35] 1. Paint Your Brain
[4:39] 2. Dark June
[1:10] 3. Voice From Jupiter
[4:45] 4. Here Is All The Love I Have
[2:28] 5. Look Behind The Moon
[5:17] 6. Song For The Sun
[5:53] 7. Yesterday, Tomorrow
[4:18] 8. Blood And Milk
[1:06] 9. No Words
[4:18] 10. The White Heart
[4:30] 11. Secret For You
[4:43] 12. Where Is The Hope
[4:40] 13. The Reason Why I Am Here
[2:52] 14. Light Of Unknown
[5:35] 15. Lay Your Hands On Me
[2:02] 16. Late Tears

Peter O´Mara, Guitar; Qusai Zureikat, Vocals; Florian Poser, Vibraphone; Daniel Le-Van-Vo, Bass; Nicole Badila, Bass; Torsten Krill, Drums; Jörg Fleer, Guitars/Bass/Loops/Guitar-Synthesizer/Voice.

"That's how Paint Your Brain starts with a typical fusion piece and I can say it has an international format. Fleer controls a little bit in the direction of Alan Holdsworth ... The lyrical and dreamy elements can be enchanting, like for example very well presented with Here Is All The Love I Have. With regard to the use of different guitars, there are also good, atmospherically different orientations. So with the shorter look Behind The Moon - unaccompanied and hardly amplified, as if the artist sketchy thoughts through the guitar want to express. In between, there are always special features, such as when vibraphonist Florian Poser introduces additional aspects to the music at Yesterday, Tomorrow. It's a little reminiscent of the band Steps Ahead ... Secret For You has once again a dialogue supported by gentle percussion with the very fluently played bass. The piece leaves room for pleasant dreaming, until then Where Is The Hope? reminiscent of Pat Metheny's music, radiating with a very beautiful melody and a lot of harmony. The final accents are the last two tracks that I like very much: Lay Your Hands On Me and Late Tears, which has a pleasantly romantic touch, reminiscent of one of my favorite guitarists, Terje Rypdal. Since he is relatively alone with his art in the far field, it would be good for Fleer to do it here in this special way." ~Wolfgang Giese (Translated from German.)

Paint Your Brain mc
Paint Your Brain zippy

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The Brubeck Brothers Quartet - Second Nature

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:56
Size: 146.3 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[ 9:44] 1. Bossa Nova U.S.A
[ 9:04] 2. In Your Own Sweet Way
[ 4:51] 3. We're Still In Love After All These Years
[ 5:13] 4. Cassandra
[ 7:04] 5. When I Was Young
[ 5:52] 6. Take Five
[ 6:53] 7. Lydian Grin
[15:12] 8. Old World, New World

Chris and Dan Brubeck have made a number of recordings together (most of them when they both were part of the rhythm section of their famous father's quartet), and each of them is an outstanding musician in his own right. Joined by two more superb players, guitarist Mike DeMicco and keyboardist Pete Levin, they achieve a very distinct sound of their own, too, even though half of the tracks come from the repertoire of the elder Brubeck's quartet. "Bossa Nova U.S.A." becomes even more lyrical in their hands, with Dan's sensitive drumming backing the mellow solos by the remainder of the quartet; the stunning opening piano solo by Levin disguises the introduction to the jazz standard "In Your Own Sweet Way," setting the table for a delicious bass trombone solo by Chris. Levin switches to organ for an energetic run through the infrequently heard "Cassandra"; but the pièce de résistance among the older, more familiar songs is the slow, very funky take of "Take Five." Chris Brubeck has developed into a formidable composer in his own right and his "We're Still in Love After All These Years" provides a showcase for DeMicco's delicious guitar. DeMicco penned the bittersweet "Lydian Grin," while Levin's hard grooving "When I Was Young" is a strut with an interesting unison blend of DeMicco's guitar and Chris' bass trombone. But the show stopper is easily the final track, "Old World, New World," which dates back to when DeMicco and Dan were members of the Dolphins. It's not just the incredible polyrhythms heard during the drummer's solo but his sudden switch to what literally are heavy duty maracas in place of drumsticks which add to an already stunning performance, without resorting to overdubs. ~Ken Dryden

Second Nature mc
Second Nature zippy

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Monika Herzig - Sheroes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:04
Size: 132.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[5:18] 1. Time Again, D.B
[7:54] 2. Bubbles
[4:38] 3. Ain't No Mountain High Enough
[6:29] 4. Nancy Wilson Portrait
[6:19] 5. Song For C.C
[5:03] 6. Just Another Day At The Office
[5:34] 7. The House Of The Rising Sun
[6:33] 8. Wayning
[4:47] 9. Cantos
[5:23] 10. I Am A Superstar

We just lost one of the guiding lights in the jazz world – pianist/ composer/ educator Geri Allen. Just two weeks after her 60th birthday the announcement of her cancer-related passing sent shock waves throughout the jazz world and beyond. Even though her cancer was diagnosed a good year ago, she kept the illness completely private and continued touring and teaching all over the world. Appearances at major festivals including the North Sea Jazz Festival were announced throughout August and not even her record label was aware of her health battle. What kept her going to the last minute? The love for the music and the need to provide for her three children – a mother’s duty. Some of the obituaries called her a female Herbie Hancock. She was our SHero in so many regards – an outstanding musician, a historian, a nurturer, rather than a female version of someone else – here is her tune Nurturer. She was also my birth date sister, born on June 12 – in so many regards an inspiration for me beyond the musical genius of Herbie Hancock. I got to chat with her several times – always soft-spoken and friendly and humble and encouraging. My sense is that beyond the jazz lovers, her name was not as well-known as it deserves, certainly not as well as Herbie Hancock’s name. Here she talks about her career just a year ago. That was not due to musical abilities – being humble, nurturing, eclectic in interests and activities, female, and taking care of three children are not traits that get rewarded with popularity but make the deepest impact on all of us. Thank you for being a role model to many of us, we will honor your memory!

Sheroes mc
Sheroes zippy

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Clifford Brown - Brownie Speaks: The Complete Blue Note Recordings (3-Disc Boxset)

The 2014 Clifford Brown anthology Brownie Speaks: The Complete Blue Note Recordings compiles all of the recordings the influential jazz trumpeter made for the storied jazz label during the '50s. These are albums he recorded after his initial Powell sessions and before his Mercury dates. Included here are 1953's Jay Jay Johnson with Clifford Brown, 1953's New Star on the Horizon, 1956's New Faces New Sounds with Lou Donaldson, and the fiery 1954 live album A Night at Birdland with the Art Blakey Quintet. Also included throughout are the various bonus tracks attached to each session.

A mere 22 years old when he embarked on this short four-year stint with Blue Note, Brown was already a jazz titan. Technically dazzling on the trumpet and blessed with a wealth of improvisational creativity steeped in the traditions of his forebears (namely Fats Navarro and Dizzy Gillespie), Brown was a man unparalleled on the jazz scene in the 1950s. Whether playing at burning speeds, as he does on "Cherokee," or digging deep into a slow ballad like "Easy Living" (both off New Star on the Horizon), Brown could articulate his ideas with devastating clarity. While all of the albums featured here are superb, must-hear examples of Brown's work, it is his live Birdland date as a member of drummer Art Blakey's group that reveals the most of what would become his legacy. The first incarnation of what would soon be known as Blakey's Jazz Messengers, the group included such influential players as the bluesy saxophonist Donaldson and the gospel-tinged pianist Horace Silver. From the pyrotechnic bop opener "Wee Dot" through Brown's gorgeous rendition of "Once in a While" and the rollicking Silver original "Quicksilver," the album is a masterful display of untethered artistry, bristling with a primordial energy that heralded the birth of the hard bop era. Unfathomably, only two weeks later, the group would disband for lack of bookings. Brown would, of course, go on to join drummer Max Roach in their legendary quintet, only to die in a car crash in 1956 at the age of 25. Ultimately, though there is implicit tragedy in his death at such a young age, with endless creative possibilities ahead of him, Brown had long found his voice, as evidenced by the work collected on Brownie Speaks. ~Matt Collar

Album: Brownie Speaks: The Complete Blue Note Recordings (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:10
Size: 169.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 2014

[4:53] 1. Get Happy
[3:56] 2. Lover Man
[3:42] 3. Capri
[4:28] 4. Sketch 1
[4:21] 5. Turnpike
[4:47] 6. It Could Happen To You
[3:50] 7. Capri (Alternate Take)
[4:13] 8. Turnpike (Alternate Take)
[4:13] 9. Get Happy (Alternate Take)
[4:22] 10. You Go To My Head
[3:49] 11. Brownie Speaks
[4:15] 12. Bellarosa
[3:16] 13. Cookin'
[3:58] 14. Carvin' The Rock
[4:52] 15. De-Dah
[3:53] 16. Carvin' The Rock (Alternate Take)
[4:06] 17. Carvin' The Rock (Alternate Take #2)
[3:08] 18. Cookin' (Alternate Take)

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Album: Brownie Speaks: The Complete Blue Note Recordings (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:01
Size: 167.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 2014

[3:27] 1. Cherokee
[3:43] 2. Easy Living
[4:02] 3. Wail Bait
[4:34] 4. Minor Mood
[4:07] 5. Hymn Of The Orient
[3:56] 6. Brownie Eyes
[4:06] 7. Wail Bait
[3:43] 8. Cherokee
[4:05] 9. Hymn Of The Orient
[0:57] 10. Announcement By Pee Wee Marquette
[6:54] 11. Wee-Dot
[8:19] 12. Now's The Time
[9:26] 13. Confirmation
[5:18] 14. Once In A While
[6:17] 15. Mayreh

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Album: Brownie Speaks: The Complete Blue Note Recordings (Disc 3)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:05
Size: 153.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:41] 1. If I Had You
[8:33] 2. Split Kick
[3:57] 3. Lou's Blues
[9:45] 4. A Night In Tunisia
[6:44] 5. Quicksilver
[8:37] 6. Blues
[6:54] 7. Wee-Dot (Alternate Take)
[9:58] 8. The Way You Look Tonight
[8:52] 9. Quicksilver


Brownie Speaks:The Complete Blue Note Recordings(Disc1),(Disc2),Disc 3)

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Fred Hersch Trio - Heartsongs

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:33
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:33)  1. The Man I Love
(3:33)  2. Fall
(6:16)  3. Lullabye
(3:13)  4. Free For Three
(5:07)  5. Heartsong
(7:36)  6. Infant Eyes
(4:26)  7. Beam Me Up
(4:31)  8. I Mean You
(5:34)  9. Evanessence
(7:00) 10. Rain Waltz
(3:39) 11. The Sphinx

Before Fred Hersch's star rose during the 1990s, resulting in several Grammy nominations, he was quietly establishing himself as one of the most lyrical up-and-coming pianists, as he demonstrates on these 1989 studio sessions. Accompanied by bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Jeff Hirschfield, he surprises the listener right away with a fresh approach to the oft-heard standard "The Man I Love," gliding over Hirschfield's adept brushwork and Formanek's soft, spacious bassline. Wayne Shorter's "Infant Eyes" also benefits from Hersch's minimalist approach, shimmering in an arrangement in which the leader and the bassist alternate solos. But Hersch best demonstrates his considerable gifts as a composer. "Heartsong" is a captivating work that he has sometimes played in a solo setting, though this trio version proves to be explosive. "Evanessence" is a gorgeous tribute to the late Bill Evans, with a superb solo by Formanek reminiscent of Scott LaFaro's fleet performances with Evans. Although Fred Hersch has made released many memorable CDs since this Sunnyside release, this fine effort is also well worth investigating. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/heartsongs-mw0000690846

Personnel: Fred Hersch (piano); Mike Formanek (bass); Jeff Hirshfield (drums)

Heartsongs

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Lady Linn And Her Magnificent Seven - Here We Go Again

Styles: Vocal, Soul, Swing
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:32
Size: 97,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:48)  1. That's Alright
(3:40)  2. A Love Affair
(4:42)  3. Cool Down
(2:58)  4. I Feel Something
(4:04)  5. I Am Aware (feat. Bert Ostyn)
(4:04)  6. I Don't Wanna Dance
(2:46)  7. Shopping
(3:50)  8. Only A Glance
(4:07)  9. Waiting
(5:30) 10. Here We Go Again

After the massive success of Amy Winehouse, similar acts seem to be working with the regularity of the clock. Lady Linn And Her Magnificent Seven, the first Belgian contribution in the field of jazzy pop and soul swing, was formed around singer Lien De Greef who previously lent her voice to various bands and house productions (for example from Detroit-house producer Alton Miller). Her true love , however, lies with old swing. The members of her band Magnificent Seven met during their studies at the Conservatory of Ghent. Here We Go Again starts from the sixties soul tradition to go back further in time and finally end in the jazz of the thirties with airy songs, supported by a full horn section. She transforms Eddy Grants hit I Do not Want Dance into the sound of the Andrew Sisters from around the Second World War. Here We Go Again offers enough surprises and variety to last a long time. (AD) Translate by Google https://www.muziekweb.nl/Link/JK149240/Here-we-go-again

Here We Go Again

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