Jimmy Smith - Rockin' The Boat

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:30
Size: 88.1 MB
Styles: Soul-blues-jazz, B3 organ jazz
Year: 1963/2004
Art: Front

[7:29] 1. When My Dreamboat Comes Home
[7:37] 2. Pork Chop
[3:00] 3. Matilda! Matilda!
[5:25] 4. Can Heat
[6:11] 5. Please Send Me Someone To Love
[3:48] 6. Just A Closer Walk With Thee
[4:57] 7. Trust In Me

Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson; Drums – Donald Bailey; Guitar – Quentin Warren; Organ – Jimmy Smith. Recorded on February 7, 1963.

Organist Jimmy Smith's next-to-last LP for Blue Note after a very extensive seven-year period is up to his usual level. With altoist Lou Donaldson joining Smith's regular group (which included guitarist Quentin Warren and drummer Donald Bailey), the quartet swings with soul on such fine numbers as "When My Dream Boat Comes Home," "Can Heat," "Please Send Me Someone to Love" and "Just a Closer Walk with Thee." With the exception of the closing ballad, "Trust in Me," all seven of the selections are closely related to the blues. ~Scott Yanow

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Gregory Porter, Donald Smith, Mansur Scott - Great Voices Of Harlem

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:08
Size: 151.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[6:58] 1. Moanin'
[1:18] 2. Intro Peace
[7:22] 3. Peace
[7:55] 4. Expansions
[3:40] 5. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
[3:42] 6. Doing Hard Time
[7:55] 7. Stella By Starlight
[4:36] 8. Watermelon Man
[7:11] 9. My One And Only Love
[4:11] 10. Days Of Wine And Roses
[5:12] 11. Mona Lisa
[6:03] 12. Song For My Father

Gregory Porter: vocals (1, 3, 5, 11); Mansur Scott: vocals (2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11); Donald Smith: vocals (3, 4, 8, 9), piano, Fender Rhodes; Paul Zauner: trombone; Barney Girlinger: trumpet, flugelhorn; Klaus Dickbauer: alto saxophone, bass clarinet; Klemens Pliem: tenor saxophone, alto flute; Martin Reiter: piano, Fender Rhodes; Wolfram Derschmidt: bass; Howard Curtis: drums.

Great Voices Of Harlem showcases the vocal talents of three most fascinating jazz singers—Gregory Porter, Donald Smith and Mansur Scott. Ably supported by Paul Zauner's Blue Brass, the vocalists put their very individual stamps on some classic songs. The result is a stylish, classy, recording. Scott gets the lion's share of credits, with appearances on seven tracks to Smith and Porter's four apiece (all three share vocals on Horace Silver's "Peace"). Porter, a Grammy-winning international star, is the name likely to attract the most attention for this release. Smith—the brother of Lonnie Liston Smith—and Scott have been around a lot longer but without attracting so much attention.

The album bursts into life with Porter's soulful take on "Moanin.'" The song also gives trombonist Zauner and the rest of his band a chance to shine—it's obvious from the start that the players are not only sympathetic to the needs of the vocalists but also capable of some fine ensemble and solo performances. Martin Reiter's punchy piano solo on this track is just one shining example. "Peace" and "Expansions" share the same lyrical concern. While "Peace" addresses its subject in ballad style with Porter, Smith and Scott each taking the lead, "Expansions" travels the harder, funkier, road. Smith takes the vocal—appropriately, as his brother wrote the song and he sang on the original 1974 recording—and the Zauner band's backing, especially Howard Curtis' drums and Wolfram Derschmidt's bass, captures the '70s vibe.

Porter may be the youngest singer here, but he displays superb judgement, control and vocal finesse every time he appears—"Somewhere Over The Rainbow" is exquisite, possibly one of the finest performances he has yet committed to record. Smith and Scott are characterised by a greater tendency to let things blow—the impact is immediate, the power both men display is intense. Smith's heartfelt screams on "Expansions," Scott's gritty honesty as he sings of his time in prison on "Doing Hard Time," are striking examples of that power. On "Watermelon Man" the pair's joyously raw delivery destroys any pretence that the song is about a fruit seller. Their commitment is impressive, although Smith's rather over-the-top vocal on "My One And Only Love" would have benefitted from a touch of Porter's control.

Great Voices Of Harlem is characterised by the passion which Porter, Smith and Scott bring to their art. There's no "sing by the numbers" falsity going on. This is the real deal. Great voices of Harlem? Porter, Smith and Scott are more than that—great voices, period.

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Danny Pucillo's Big Band - A Tribute To Bill Perkins

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:22
Size: 113.0 MB
Styles: Avant garde jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[6:48] 1. Bill Perkins
[6:26] 2. Thelon-Ish
[6:06] 3. Dancing
[6:02] 4. Ruth
[8:43] 5. Three Blind Kats
[3:36] 6. Play Pretty
[5:16] 7. One Suite
[6:22] 8. Third Avenue Bridge

Typical of many West Coast groups, Pucillo's pretty much maintains a cerebral mood, never getting overheated. The name of the game is tightly focused, stay on course, ensemble and solo playing. Pucillo's works come close to being head arrangements saving room for each member of the group to promote his ideas.

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Sara Wasserman - Solid Ground

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:54
Size: 100.5 MB
Styles: Contemporary Pop-rock
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:39] 1. Little Bird
[4:00] 2. I Am A Song
[3:47] 3. Leap Of Faith
[4:15] 4. Fly Away
[3:11] 5. Sara Smile
[3:47] 6. Fresh Out Of Tears
[5:03] 7. Solid Ground
[4:20] 8. Somehow Forever
[3:56] 9. Need To Know
[4:03] 10. Hindsight
[3:48] 11. Little Bird (Reprise)

The average singer, on her debut album, does not get Lou Reed and Vernon Reid to play guitars, Christian McBride to play bass, and Stephen Perkins (of Jane's Addiction) to play drums (not all on the same track), nor does she get to duet with Aaron Neville on a song for which she has set his lyrics. And she doesn't get to collaborate extensively with the noted bassist Rob Wasserman, either. But then, the average singer is not Sara Wasserman, Rob Wasserman's daughter, who has used her family connection to make other connections. This isn't simple nepotism, however. Rob Wasserman himself has made a career out of putting together guest-star-filled albums such as his Duets and Trios collections, so the star power that fuels Solid Ground constitutes a family tradition. And once one actually listens to the resulting music, the names don't make that much difference. McBride's bass playing is noticeable, particularly in "Little Bird (Reprise)" (a song written by Rob Wasserman and Jules Shear), on which he is the sole instrumentalist. Otherwise, however, only Neville, with his unmistakable high tenor, takes the spotlight away from the featured artist. Happily, Sara Wasserman proves worthy of all the attention, writing a series of quality jazz/blues songs and singing them in a slightly throaty contralto that is full of feeling. She is at her best when she is going for a blues feel, as on "Little Bird," or a blue-eyed soul impression, such as on the cover of Hall & Oates' "Sara Smile." Less impressive is a tendency to wander into Christina Aguilera/Beyoncé territory, as on "Somehow Forever." But it must be hard for any singer who grew up in the 1980s and '90s not to have suffered even a little bit from the influence of the inane Whitney Houston sound-effects-for-their-own-sake school of over-singing. Most of the time, however, Wasserman recalls Bonnie Raitt and Raitt's antecedents instead of Houston and her little sisters, making this a debut that easily transcends being just the sum of its guest shots. ~William Ruhlmann

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Grant Green - The Original Jam Master Vol. 2: For The Funk Of It

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:26
Size: 106.3 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[10:02] 1. Upshot
[ 3:25] 2. The Final Comedown
[ 5:31] 3. Cantaloupe Woman
[ 6:04] 4. Dracula
[ 6:20] 5. California Green
[15:00] 6. Flood In Franklin Park

For the Funk of It is the second thematically focused volume in Blue Note's Original Jam Master Series that draws from guitarist Grant Green's late-period recordings for the label, from 1969 to 1972. Some of the players involved in these sessions include drummer Idris Muhammad, saxophonist Claude Bartee, Jr., Cornell Dupree (rhythm guitar), percussionists Hall Bobby Porter and Ray Armando, bassist Chuck Rainey, organist Emanuel Riggins, and many others. The material here is less bombastic than the soul and funk covers on Green's Ain't It Funky Now!, but they are still deep in the jukebox soul-jazz groove that was rapidly disappearing during the era. The set kicks off with a rare Green boogaloo original in "Upshot," from the Carryin' On album, with great solo work from Green, Clarence Palmer on electric piano, and vibist Willie Bivins. Another Green tune, "California Green," with a big band that includes Stix Hooper and Wilton Felder, appears near the end of the set. Of the covers, the read of Ben Dixon's "Cantaloupe Woman" is a stunner, with great interplay between Muhammad and Armando. Not as in-your-face as volume three in the series, but more in-the-pocket and groove-drenched. This is a fine comp for the cash. ~Thom Jurek

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John Jenkins - John Jenkins With Kenny Burrell

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:10
Size: 117,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:39)  1. From This Moment On
(6:17)  2. Motif
(6:12)  3. Everything I Have Is Yours
(7:49)  4. Sharon
(5:58)  5. Chalumeau
(4:44)  6. Blues For Two
(6:29)  7. Sharon (stereo tk)
(5:58)  8. Chalumeau (stereo tk)

The second (and best) of John Jenkins' two sessions as a leader features the altoist in a quintet with guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Sonny Clark, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Dannie Richmond. Sounding at times like Charlie Parker (with touches of Phil Woods and Jackie McLean), Jenkins easily keeps up with his better-known sidemen and plays the boppish music with plenty of creativity, emotion, and excitement. After listening to the high-quality set, one wonders why Jenkins did not make it.
~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/john-jenkins-with-kenny-burrell-mw0000263941 

Personnel: John Jenkins (alto saxophone); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Sonny Clark (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Dannie Richmond (drums).

John Jenkins With Kenny Burrell

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Kenny Drew - Afternoon In Europe

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:13
Size: 93,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Golden Striker
(4:52)  2. Midnight Sun
(4:31)  3. Jeg Gek Mig Ud En Sommerday At Hore
(5:48)  4. Tivoli Stroll
(6:34)  5. Ach Varmeland Du Skona
(5:48)  6. Afternoon In Paris
(6:06)  7. The Quiet Cathedral

A talented bop-based pianist (whose son has been one of the brightest pianists of the 1990s), Kenny Drew was somewhat underrated due to his decision to permanently move to Copenhagen in 1964. He made his recording debut in 1949 with Howard McGhee and in the 1950s was featured on sessions with a who's who of jazz, including Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Milt Jackson, Buddy DeFranco's quartet, Dinah Washington, and Buddy Rich (1958). Drew led sessions for Blue Note, Norgran, Pacific Jazz, Riverside, and the obscure Judson label during 1953-1960; most of the sessions are available on CD. He moved to Paris in 1961 and relocated to Copenhagen in 1964 where he was co-owner of the Matrix label. 

He formed a duo with Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson and worked regularly at the Montmartre. Drew recorded many dates for SteepleChase in the 1970s and remained active up until his death. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kenny-drew-mn0000081841/biography                

Personnel:  Kenny Drew piano;  Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen bass;  Ed Thigpen drums

Afternoon In Europe

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Pete Escovedo - Live From Stern Grove Festival

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:45
Size: 122,7 MB
Art: Front

( 7:45)  1. Picadillo Jam
( 5:57)  2. Take Some Time
( 7:24)  3. Brasiliero
( 4:21)  4. Dance
(10:35)  5. True Or False
( 6:56)  6. Solo Tu
( 2:40)  7. Fly Me To The Moon
( 7:04)  8. Suenos De Los Torreros

Though he no longer lives in the San Francisco Bay area, mambo king Pete "Pops" Escovedo's music is deeply entrenched in its heritage. Recorded at the Stern Grove Festival in July of 2012, Escovedo's big band and some special guests pulled out all the stops in a program of Latin jazz classics and standards. Co-produced by Escovedo and his daughter, drummer/percussionist extraordinaire Sheila E., the set cooks from the opening moments of "Picadillo Jam," by Escovedo's hero Tito Puente. Escovedo's sons, Juan and Peter Michael, are in the band on congas and drums respectively. They contribute mightily to these proceedings as does pianist Joe Rotondi and the five-piece horn section. The band's articulation of Escovedo's charts, and their enthusiasm for the material, is evident from the opening moments of "Picadillo Jam" (composed by Escovedo's idol, Tito Puente). The horn arrangement is full of color, rich in dynamics, and accents the deep, earthy grooves put forth by both the percussionists and bassist Marc van Wageningen. There are some special guests appearances on the set. Ray Obiedo appears on guitar on "Brasileiro," one of two of his compositions performed here. Arturo Sandoval joins the horn section as a soloist on "Suenos de los Torreros," while Dave Koz's saxophone graces Obiedo's other tune, "True or False." The lone Escovedo original is a burning, Latin jam called "Dance," that melds mambo and salsa to modern big-band jazz. The reading of fellow Bay Area Latin jazz explorer Wayne Wallace's "Take Some Time" showcases the true richness of Escovedo's charts. The swinging horns offer beautiful individual timbral contrasts even as they play in unison. Michael Angel Alvarado's electric guitar comps and vamps are complemented by contrasting lilting and biting fills inside that swing, and the drummers and bassist pop in from the margins to generate heat. "Solo Tu" is a wonderful showcase for Sheila E.'s considerable conga skills. She takes the cake with her fluid, polyrhythmic grooves that are as elegant as they are meaty. The only rough spot on the set is "Fly Me to the Moon," on which the bandleader takes the lead vocal. Let's just say his pipes have sounded better, but he can still swing and he clearly loves Tony Bennet. But this is a minor complaint on an otherwise excellent set. Live from Stern Grove is modern Latin big-band jazz at its very best.~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-from-stern-grove-festival-mw0002440709

Personnel: Pete Escovedo (vocals, timbales); Peter Michael Escovedo (vocals, drums); Juan Escovedo (vocals, congas, percussion); Miguel Angel Alvarado (guitar); Melecio Magdaluyo (flute, saxophone); Mario Gonzales, Louis Fasman (trumpet); Kerry Loeschen, Joel Behrman (trombone); Joe Rotondi, Jr Live from Stern Grove Festival songs. (piano).

Live From Stern Grove

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Philip Catherine - Stream

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:59
Size: 95,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:02)  1. Memphis Talk
(2:29)  2. November
(1:58)  3. Un ecossais dans une chambre noire
(2:21)  4. C. et D.
(2:26)  5. Bass Line
(2:46)  6. Jeux interdits
(2:05)  7. Cloitre des Celestins
(2:56)  8. Stream
(3:08)  9. Foire
(1:45) 10. Face
(3:37) 11. Give It Up or Turn It Aloose
(3:41) 12. Let's Put It Like This
(2:31) 13. Next Time (Unreleased)
(2:03) 14. Enfin bref (Unreleased)
(3:05) 15. Bass Line (Extended)

One of the coolest records ever from guitarist Philip Catherine, and one of the funkiest too thanks to a really sharp edge that you won't find on some of his other albums, and lots of Fender Rhodes from the legendary Marc Moulin too! Some of Catherine's other records of the 70s were a bit laidback or noodly  but this set's got a strong, soulful drive all the way through a nice focus that may well come from the production of Sacha Distel, himself a onetime guitarist! But the group's just got things right on the money, right from the start with some very strong funky drums from Freddy Rotheir, plus trombone from Jiggs Wigham and both bass and flute from Freddy Deronde. Titles include "Bassline", "Let's Put It Like This", "Stream", "Foire", "Face", "Jeux Interdits", and "Memphis Talk".  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/849272/Philip-Catherine-with-Marc-Moulin:Stream

Personnel: Guitar – Philip Catherine;  Bass – Freddy Deronde;  Drums – Freddy Rothier;  Electric Piano – Marc Moulin;  Trombone – Giggs Whigham           

Stream

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Dexter Goldberg Trio - Tell Me Something New

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:36
Size: 113.5 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[6:09] 1. Tell Me Something New
[5:29] 2. A Chord Into Me
[4:15] 3. Rer B
[7:13] 4. Rainbow
[6:16] 5. Osmose
[2:31] 6. Nostalgia
[5:48] 7. Smart Tone
[5:58] 8. Wave Of Sand
[5:53] 9. I'll Be Ok

Dexter Goldberg (piano); Bertrand Beruard (contrebasse); Kevin Lucchetti (batterie).

With such a name, could this brilliant pianist escape a jazzman's destiny? Phrasé alert, joyous virtuosity and relaxed gesture, Dexter Goldberg has jazz under the fingers. From rhythmic appointments to spunky sequences, from catchy grooves to sudden changes, his first album "Tell Me Something New" sounds like the playful manifesto of a trio who manages to expand a formula established by the grace of his writing and pleasure. constantly renewed the game. A jazzman is born: his name is Dexter Goldberg.

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Joe Williams - Songs About That Kind Of Woman

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:34
Size: 79.1 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1960/2012
Art: Front

[2:44] 1. That Kind Of Woman
[2:40] 2. Candy
[3:38] 3. You Think Of Everything
[3:21] 4. Stella By Starlight
[2:16] 5. Louise
[2:59] 6. It's Easy To Remember
[2:56] 7. I Only Want To Love You
[3:17] 8. Cherry
[3:06] 9. Why Can't You Behave
[2:59] 10. Here's To My Lady
[2:30] 11. When A Woman Loves A Man
[2:02] 12. Have You Met Miss Jones

This release presents the great Joe Williams’ complete original LP "That Kind of Woman" (Roulette SR52039), which appears here on CD for the first time ever. On this album, which showcases the singer on a variety of standards related to romantic love, Williams is backed by a big band conducted by pianist Jimmy Jones.

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Amanda Brecker - Blossom

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:28
Size: 92.7 MB
Styles: Jazz-pop vocals
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[2:25] 1. Blossom
[4:27] 2. So Far Away
[2:33] 3. You Can Close Your Eyes
[2:58] 4. Will You Love Me Tomorrow
[3:09] 5. Sweet Baby James
[3:56] 6. It's Too Late
[2:56] 7. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
[3:08] 8. Long Ago And Far Away
[3:45] 9. Something In The Way He Moves
[3:20] 10. (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman
[4:51] 11. You've Got A Friend
[2:54] 12. You Were Mine

Over a decade ago, Brit boy wonder Jamie Cullum chose to call his breakthrough album Pointless Nostalgic, a title that would be ideal for this sincere but rather senseless exercise in backward glancing from Amanda Brecker. A 27-year-old vocalist of impressive jazz lineage-she is the daughter of Randy Brecker and Eliane Elias-her intent, at least in part, was to mark the 40th anniversary of Carole King’s landmark Tapestry. Eagle-eyed King fans might note a mathematical discrepancy-Tapestry was released in 1971-but Brecker’s album actually debuted two years ago in Japan, where she has a sizeable following, and is only now surfacing Stateside.

Actually, just five of Blossom‘s dozen tracks are culled from Tapestry. Others, including the title tune, derive from various James Taylor albums of roughly the same vintage. Backing Brecker are drummer Russ Kunkel, from the original King sessions; bassist Lee Sklar, who accompanied King and Taylor on their Troubadour Reunion Tour; and keyboardist Larry Goldings, whose rich history includes work alongside Taylor. Their support is understatedly lovely.

Though the slight-voiced Brecker, whose leanings are decidedly more pop than jazz, does echo Taylor’s fragility and hints at King’s earthiness, she lacks the emotional depth of either. Producer Jesse Harris, who steered Norah Jones to platinum success, fails to generate the same frisson here. Apart from Taylor’s “Long Ago and Far Away,” which perfectly suits Brecker’s gossamer style, these remain pale replicas-tepid reminiscences of an era that predates her birth by some two decades. This is her parents’ nostalgia, not hers, and its second-hand nature shows too clearly. ~Christopher Loudon

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Brian Bromberg - It's About Time: The Acoustic Project

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:48
Size: 132.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Fusion
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[4:58] 1. Dear John
[6:09] 2. Echoes
[4:58] 3. One For The Woofer
[5:50] 4. Waltz For Daphne
[7:12] 5. Yes Or No
[5:55] 6. If I Should Lose You
[7:47] 7. From Dust To Dessert
[5:40] 8. The Gnocchi
[9:15] 9. Buddha Belly

Drums – David Bromberg (2) (tracks: 1 to 7, 9); Piano – Mike Garson (tracks: 1 to 3, 6, 7, 9); Producer, Bass – Brian Bromberg; Saxophone – Ernie Watts (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 8, 9). Recorded live on May 21-22 1991 and mixed at: Garden Rake Studios Sherman Oaks CA.

After a few electric projects, bassist Brian Bromberg decided to record a purely acoustic project. With such sidemen as pianists Mike Garson and Mitch Forman, brother Dave Bromberg on drums, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (on three songs), and tenors Ernie Watts (on five) and Doug Webb (on two), Bromberg holds his own with the fast company. Some of the selections on this CD are quite memorable, particularly Hubbard's "Dear John," Watts' interpretation of Wayne Shorter's "Yes or No," and the trumpeter's feature on "If I Should Lose You." Although the Nova label has since gone belly-up, this excellent CD might still be found and is certainly worth a search. ~Scott Yanow

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King Curtis - Night Train

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:54
Size: 147,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:45)  1. Fever
(4:53)  2. Honky Tonk
(2:36)  3. So Rare
(2:33)  4. Tippin' In
(2:23)  5. You Came a Long Way from St. Louis
(3:00)  6. Tuxedo Junction
(2:48)  7. The Hucklebuck
(3:00)  8. Lean Baby
(3:57)  9. Harlem Nocturne
(3:00) 10. Night Train
(2:54) 11. Soft
(4:11) 12. Free for All
(3:53) 13. Easy Like
(2:17) 14. Hot Saxes
(2:18) 15. I'll Wait for You
(2:22) 16. The Party Time Twist
(2:36) 17. Low Down
(2:09) 18. Keep Movin'
(2:13) 19. (Let's Do) The Hully Gully Twist
(2:59) 20. Slow Motion
(2:31) 21. Firefly
(2:25) 22. Something Frantic

King Curtis, R&B's great tenor sax player, rides grooves like a cowboy does unruly steeds. Curtis blows ferociously but is always in control, unlike Junior Walker, whose sax seems to be cussing you out at times (which is Walker's charm). Accompanied by several noted jazz artists Jack McDuff (organ), Eric Gale (guitar), Willie Rodriguez (bongos, conga), and Ray Lucas (drums) Curtis serenades and balms on "Harlem Nocturne," bops-u-silly on "Honky Tonk," and boogies on "The Hucklebuck" and "(Let's Do) The Hully Gully Twist." But those are only a small part of the 22 tracks, all of which emphasize Curtis' patented groove and powerful exhortations. 

Engineer Rudy Van Gelder keeps the sound squeaky clean and the levels balanced. Excellent party or card game music. ~ Andrew Hamilton https://www.allmusic.com/album/night-train-mw0000644718  

Personnel: King Curtis (alto & tenor saxophones); Billy Butler, Eric Gale (guitar); Jack McDuff (organ); Bob Bushnell (bass); Ray Lucas (drums); Willie Rodriguez (bongoes, congas).

Night Train

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Deborah Cox - Ultimate

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:55
Size: 170,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:26)  1. Sentimental
(4:21)  2. Who Do U Love
(4:15)  3. It Could've Been You (Mass Ave Hip Hop Remix)
(4:16)  4. Where Do We Go From Here
(5:47)  5. Just Be Good To Me
(4:11)  6. Things Just Ain't The Same (Dance Mix)
(4:08)  7. September (Radio Edit)
(4:41)  8. We Can't Be Friends (Duet With R.L.)
(3:42)  9. Nobody's Supposed To Be Here (Special Slow-To-Fast Version)
(4:04) 10. I Never Knew (Hani Remix)
(3:34) 11. Absolutely Not
(4:49) 12. Up & Down (In & Out) (Godson Mix)
(4:25) 13. The Morning After
(4:00) 14. Play Your Part (Leading Role Radio Mix)
(4:04) 15. Mr. Lonely (Hex/Mac Mix)
(4:10) 16. Something Happened On The Way To Heaven (Valentin Mix Radio Edit)
(4:55) 17. Same Script, Different Cast (Duet Whitney Houston)

Released in 2003, Remixed was already a greatest-hits collection of sorts for Deborah Cox, even if it was more of a gift for fans of her dance diva persona. This makes the rapid 2004 appearance of Ultimate Deborah Cox a little weird. Still, the latter is a bit richer retrospectively, touching on all the facets of the Canadian vocalist, from her initial success in the contemporary R&B genre through the pop crossovers and her emergence as a dancefloor icon. It's remastered for sonic continuity, and is arranged more or less chronologically. The liners also provide extensive production and chart information. As it sticks almost exclusively to singles the ones helmed by powerhouse producers like Dallas Austin, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and Hex Hector Ultimate Deborah Cox is a strong set. This makes it a good pickup for the casual radio listener, who might be more interested in Cox's vocals than the club beats of Remixed. However, there's still the attempt to flash Ultimate up with remixes of its own, making it awkward and only half-rewarding. The same modern stylization of soul that permeated the Maxwell classic Urban Hang Suite guides "Sentimental" here, and "Who Do U Love" still holds up, even if its grooves have dulled a bit in the warm glow of lite FM. "It Could've Been You"'s spare hip-hop mix, too, is enjoyable, but the "Hani Remix" of "I Never Knew" is pretty darn close to the version on Remixed, and Morning After's "Play Your Part" needlessly becomes twittering club/dance generica. Likewise, "Things Just Ain't the Same" and Cox's club version of Phil Collins' "Something Happened On the Way to Heaven" seem to have been lifted whole from Remixed. Despite these missteps, the underrated title track from 2002's Morning After is left in duskily untouched, and Ultimate's "Up & Down (In & Out)" jettisons the Jadakiss contributions of After's original in favor of a breathy, more sharply cutting mix. The rub here is that Ultimate Deborah Cox tries to please everyone, as its name would suggest, and gets spread too thin in the process. It might content all the camps of Cox's audience for a little while, but it's problematic the morning after.~ Johnny Loftus https://www.allmusic.com/album/ultimate-deborah-cox-mw0000331242

Ultimate

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Esbjörn Svensson Trio - e.s.t. live in london

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 2018

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 105:55

Size: 244,8 MB

Art: Front

( 9:50)  1. Tide of Trepidation

(10:17)  2. Eighty-Eight Days in My Veins

( 6:55)  3. Viaticum

(14:22)  4. Mingle in the Mincing-Machine

( 7:13)  5. In the Tail of Her Eye

(12:55)  6. The Unstable Table & the Infamous Fable

( 8:53)  7. When God Created the Coffeebreak

(17:32)  8. Behind the Yashmak

( 7:24)  9. Believe, Beleft, Below

(10:30) 10. Spunky Sprawl

In the ten years since the Esbjörn Svensson Trio came to a tragic end, a handful of piano trios have shown a trace of promise in becoming successors to the eclectic pianist's group. Capturing the raw energy that coalesced jazz, classical, rock, and technique in their unique way has been elusive. Since Svensson's accidental death in 2008 ACT Music has released Leucocyte (2008) and 301 (2012). The latter of the two consists of tracks that were recorded during the Leucocyte sessions but did not make the final cut. They were hardly throwaways however, as both recordings indicated that e.s.t.'s improvisational revolution was still a work in progress. Both of those albums represented the most powerful and open music they had recorded to that point. ACT also released E.S.T. Symphony (2017), a fine tribute-recording with Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and various artists including e.s.t. bassist Dan Berglund and drummer Magnus Ostrom. Now the label has issued e.s.t. live in london. e.s.t. live in london was recorded at the Barbican Centre in 2005.

The double CD set also available as a two-LP vinyl release updates pieces from Strange Place for Snow (2002), Seven Days of Falling (2003) and Viaticum (2005). From the latter of those three albums, Disc 1 seamlessly segues across "Tide of Trepidation," "Eighty-Eight Days in My Veins" and the title track, all patiently building in tension. Svensson's crystalline piano moves in and out of focus and then with the help of Berglund's arco and plucked bass brings this particular portion of the program to a beautifully-rendered conclusion. The live versions of "Mingle in the Mincing-Machine" from Strange Place for Snow and "The Unstable Table & the Infamous Fable" ( Viaticum ) are indicators of where the group would end up musically. With a rock-sensibility woven around Berglund's classic bass line, Svensson's tight choreography and Öström's highly analytical improvisations, these pieces would be at home on Leucocyte. If there is a "classic" e.s.t. track, it is "Behind The Yashmak" and here, at nearly half the length of the second disc, it is a true masterpiece of modern jazz. e.s.t. live in london asks that we once again consider the magnitude of this trio. Their body of work has helped to broaden the definition of jazz, as it has not been redefined again in the passing ten years. As a composer and improviser, Svensson ranks among the finest of a generation; Öström employs hard-hitting undulation and intriguing embellishments as he intertwines the rumble of progressive rock with the spray of nuanced inflections; Berglund's bottomless, woody tone and brilliant bowed bass-work both drive and color the music. It is a trio that, a decade on, seems to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. e.s.t. live in london is highly recommended and an essential for collectors who believe that jazz is meant to be a fluid, shifting genre.~ Karl Ackermann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/est-live-in-london-esbjorn-svensson-act-music-review-by-karl-ackermann.php

Personnel: Esbjörn Svensson: piano; Dan Berglund: bass; Magnus Öström: drums.

e.s.t. live in london

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Larry Coryell - The Restful Mind

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:26
Size: 83,7 MB
Art: Front

(8:14)  1. Improvisation On Robert De Visee's Menuet II
(5:01)  2. Ann Arbor
(5:39)  3. Pavane For A Dead Princess
(5:20)  4. Improvisation On Robert De Visee's Sarabande
(3:15)  5. Song For Jim Webb
(5:46)  6. Julie La Belle
(3:09)  7. The Restful Mind

Guitarist Larry Coryell recorded several sessions for the Vanguard label during the '70s with varying results. He did manage two classics, Spaces, and this one, The Restful Mind. It is no small coincidence that the better the personnel he surrounded himself with, the better he played. On Spaces, the presence of John McLaughlin and Chick Corea raised his playing to another level. Here, with the backing of the group Oregon (with the exception of Paul McCandless), who were also signed to Vanguard at this time), bring out a more reflective and relaxed Coryell. His tendency to fall back on his chops was always a weak spot in his playing, but it is thankfully absent here. Both of the "Improvisation" pieces are highlights in Coryell's career, which along with the other beaufitul selections, make this one of his best, and certainly most overlooked, recordings.~ Robert Taylor https://www.allmusic.com/album/restful-mind-mw0000215215 

Personnel: Larry Coryell (acoustic & electric guitars); Ralph Towner (guitar); Glen Moore (acoustic bass); Colin Walcott (congas, tabla).

The Restful Mind

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Clare Teal - Paradisi Carousel

Size: 98,4 MB
Time: 42:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Baby, I'm Coming Home (3:52)
02. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying (3:14)
03. Paradisi Carousel (3:31)
04. Missing You (3:45)
05. Reach Out (I'll Be There) (3:48)
06. Light Flight (4:12)
07. Breakout (3:23)
08. Stay With Me (4:20)
09. What Love Knows (4:36)
10. Magic Day (3:29)
11. Alone With You (3:58)

With a clutch of 'best vocalist' awards to her name plus plaudits aplenty, Clare Teal is surely now established. Paradisi Carousel is her seventh album, the second since her Sony contract garnered publicity as the most lucrative ever for a British jazz singer. In light of that, it may be no surprise that the music here is as much pop as it is jazz; indeed, Teal herself cites Burt Bacharach, Dusty Springfield and The Carpenters as points of comparison. And rightly so; on the opener, “Baby, I’m Coming Home”, Teal’s phrasing and intonations sound uncannily like Karen Carpenter.

On this evidence, Teal’s voice is heard to best effect on ballads and songs laden with emotion, being perfect to express a sense of loss and yearning as on “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying”. While she easily handles a more bombastic brass-driven arrangement like “Breakout” – which doubtless goes down a storm in concert - its relative lack of emotion does not play to her strengths. The four Teal originals included here demonstrate her growing prowess as a songwriter, and suggest that she writes material ideally suited to those strengths, with the title track and “Stay With Me” being particularly strong.

Teal is renowned for cover versions that reinvent the original – witness her earlier radical rethinking of The Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreaming”. Here, she does something similar with The Four Tops classic “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)”, slowing it down dramatically and changing the mood from one of joyous celebration to hopeful longing. By comparison, her version of Pentangle’s “Light Flight” stays very close to the original; with its complex rhythms, it allows Teal to demonstrate her vocal technique, but this version doesn’t establish its own identity.

Existing fans of Teal are likely to be more than satisfied with this album. It may also appeal to the burgeoning audience for pop-jazz singers such as Norah Jones and Corinne Bailey Rae. ~John Eyles

Paradisi Carousel

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Paul Bley Trio - Paul Plays Carla

Size: 154,4 MB
Time: 66:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1992
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Front & Back

01. Vashkar (6:04)
02. Floater (4:42)
03. Seven (6:46)
04. Around Again (7:02)
05. Ida Lupino (7:27)
06. Turns (4:52)
07. And Now The Queen (6:24)
08. Ictus (7:26)
09. Olhos De Gato (7:42)
10. Donkey (8:06)

Most of Carla Bley's earliest compositions were first recorded by her then-husband, pianist Paul Bley, during the first half of the 1960s. For this 1991 trio date with bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Jeff Williams, Bley revisits ten of his former wife's songs, most of which date from the early era. While "Ida Lupino" has been explored in more definitive fashion by Bley elsewhere, his versions of such songs as "Vashkar," "Seven," "Turns" and "Ictus" work quite well. The music falls somewhere between advanced bop and the avant-garde, often swinging but with surprising turns and twists and often-unusual chord sequences. An intriguing set. ~by Scott Yanow

Paul Plays Carla

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Giulia Galliani MAG Collective - Song For Joni

Size: 135,1 MB
Time: 58:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Blue (3:17)
02. Woodstock (5:33)
03. The Jungle Line (5:55)
04. Song To A Seagull (6:48)
05. A Case Of You (7:35)
06. Black Crow (7:12)
07. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (6:46)
08. Shadows And Light (6:10)
09. My Old Man (3:45)
10. All I Want (4:57)

Personnel:
Giulia Galliani (Voce)
Giovanni Benvenuti (Sax tenore)
Matteo Addabbo (Organo Hammond)
Marco Benedetti (Contrabbasso)
Andrea Beninati (Batteria, Violoncello)

Born from an idea of Giulia Galliani, singer and songwriter, whose purpose is to retrace and develop the proximity of Joni Mitchell to Jazz through a rereading that emphasizes the intrinsic meaning of the texts, through the freedom of jazz language.

Song For Joni

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