Terence Blanchard - Bounce

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:13
Size: 153.9 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[8:40] 1. On The Verge
[6:29] 2. Passionate Courage
[7:40] 3. Fred Brown
[7:31] 4. Nocturna
[6:00] 5. Azania
[7:28] 6. Footprints
[8:56] 7. Transform
[7:20] 8. Innocence
[7:05] 9. Bounce Let's Go Off

Bass – Brandon Owens; Drums – Eric Harland; Electric Piano – Robert Glasper (tracks: 2 to 6, 8); Guitar – Lionel Loueke (tracks: 1 to 8); Piano – Aaron Parks (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 8); Soprano Saxophone – Brice Winston (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8); Trumpet – Terence Blanchard.

Although he’s spent much of the past 15 years scoring films for Spike Lee and others, trumpeter Terence Blanchard certainly hasn’t forgotten about jazz, as his impressive Blue Note debut makes clear. Bounce finds the former Jazz Messenger having grown well past his early days as part of the “young lions” phenomenon of the ‘80s into a mature, individual artist exploring a wide palette of jazz colors. Like the best jazz artists working today, Blanchard has an awareness of the music’s past and present and openness to influences outside the jazz world (at least, that is, to those who would offer a narrow definition of all that jazz encompasses). Along with a band of talented young stars in the making (Aaron Parks on piano, Brandon Owens on bass, Eric Harland on drums, Lionel Louke on guitar and Brice Winston on saxophone), Blanchard deftly blends neo bebop and Latin grooves, New Orleans funk and African rhythms into a cohesive, expressive, contemporary whole.

Among Blanchard’s impressive original compositions, his “Azania” digs deep into Afro-Caribbean traditions, including a wordless chant from Louke, while the title tune (which is paired with former partner Donald Harrison’s “Let’s Go Off”) is flavored with the down-home gumbo of his (and most of the band’s) Crescent City home. Blanchard even delves into free form funk, with the addition of Robert Glasper on Fender Rhodes, on the fiery original “Fred Brown” and on an edgy reworking of Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints.”

A generous leader and mentor, Blanchard gives plenty of room for band members to express themselves with extended solos, and in the case of Parks, Harland and Owens, with notable originals of their own. While never hogging the spotlight, Blanchard is an adroit soloist himself, always in full command of his instrument whether playing fast and furious runs or moody ballads. With Bounce, Blanchard proves himself a jazz artist very much of the moment and a jazz man for all seasons. ~Joel Roberts

Bounce mc
Bounce zippy

---

Robert Stewart - Judgement

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:56
Size: 105,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. Serene
(4:26)  2. Speak Through Your Horn
(4:59)  3. Revelations
(8:36)  4. Judgement
(6:33)  5. Invitation
(5:59)  6. Familiar Changes
(3:41)  7. Soul Searchin'
(6:15)  8. As Time Goes By

Old Wine, Old Bottles. I was cleaning out my to review list recently and came across a couple of older RED Records releases that I had not previously spun under the laser. Tenor Saxophonist Robert Stewart emerged first and I found this disc to me most enjoyable. Judgement is one of the most thoroughly entertaining jazz offerings that is hiding its light under the proverbial basket. Robert Stewart has made his name being a musical jack-of-all-trades. He has orchestrated and arranged film scores ( Howard’s End and Remains of the Day ), acted as engineer (Dennis Brown’s Live In Montego Bay Sonic Sound 39), produced ( Welcome To the Universe, Twisted 11753) and even performed with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra ( Jazz At The Lincoln Center: They Came To Swing, Sony 66379). He has released two discs on RED Records and Two on Warner Brothers. The All Music Guide cites Judgement as having been released on World Stage Records. It is the same recording as that released on RED, for whom I credit with the first release. Equal Representation. Judgement has a little of everything, ballads, bossa nova, Hard Bop blues, minor blues, and one standard. The blues are the hard hitters with the “Cornbread”-like “Speak Through Your Horn” and the “Watermelon Man”-like “Soul Searchin’”. The ballads, “Serene” and “Revelations” are silky smooth and soft. “As Time Goes By” betrays Stewart’s warm, broad tone as being influenced by Long Tall Dexter, Ben Webster, Hank Mobley, and Sonny Rollins. No Coltrane here, No. Stewart is joined by Eric Reed on piano, Billy Higgins on drums, and Mark Shelby on Bass. The support is solid and crisply recorded. Reed, who most lately has been recording with Wynton Marsalis’ Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and his Septet. Here he plays with a controlled funky abandon that he previously had little opportunity for. Higgins is his propulsive self. And Shelby, a rock bassist by trade, pulls a few jazz tricks out of his sleeves. This sold support along with Stewart’s solid tone make this disc readily accessible to all. A superb jazz recording. ~ C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/judgement-robert-stewart-red-records-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Robert Stewart: Tenor Saxophone; Billy Higgins: Drums; Eric Reed: Piano; Mark Shelby: Bass.

Judgement

---

Renee Geyer - Difficult Woman

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:58
Size: 103,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Close
(3:47)  2. Careless
(4:30)  3. Difficult Woman
(2:05)  4. God only Knows
(3:30)  5. Foggy Highway
(5:34)  6. Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall
(4:56)  7. Just the Thought of You
(4:35)  8. Sweet Guy
(5:21)  9. Real
(3:10) 10. He Was Too Good to Me
(3:11) 11. Trouble

Renée Geyer is Australia's most respected and successful soul singer, with a recording career of nearly 30 years. Her career began around 1971 in Sydney, when a girlfriend took her along to the rehearsal of friends who were forming a band. Geyer was encouraged to get up and have a sing and was instantly invited to join as singer. Although she was so shy in the beginning she couldn't face the audience, musicians noticed her, and Geyer was invited to join one more experienced band after another until 1971, when she became part of an ambitious jazz fusion group called Sun. Geyer was still just 19. After one album (Sun '72), Sun and Geyer parted company; Geyer eventually found herself part of a group called Mother Earth, still with jazz leanings but also incorporating the soul and R&B Geyer loved and excelled at. With Mother Earth, she started touring and was offered a solo recording contract. She insisted that Mother Earth provide the backings on her first album. For her second album, the cream of Melbourne musicians were assembled for the sessions. Geyer formed such a strong bond with these musicians, but by the time the It's a Man's World album was released and her powerfully provocative version of the James Brown title song was a big hit, Geyer was ready to throw her lot in with those musicians rather than be a solo performer.

Her two solo albums so far had been cover versions or sourced songs, apart from the single "Heading in the Right Direction." The Renée Geyer Band wrote the songs for 1975's Ready to Deal album in the studio and toured extensively. A live album, Really.. Really Love You, followed, based on Geyer's building reputation as a powerfully voiced, raunchy performer. That reputation found its way to America and led to an invitation to record an album in Los Angeles with famed Motown producer Frank Wilson. While the Movin' Along album provided another hit at home, in America Stares and Whispers created confusion. R&B stations loved the record, but didn't know what to do when they discovered Geyer was a white Jewish girl from Australia. For the next few years, Geyer bounced between Australia and America, working in Australia and recording two more albums in America. When 1981's So Lucky album presented her with a huge hit with "Say I Love You" both in Australia and New Zealand, it became necessary to put the American dream aside for two years. In 1983, Geyer returned to base herself in America permanently, still keeping in touch with her Australasian fans with tours. While in America, Geyer became part of a group called Easy Pieces with former members of the Average White Band. But the album took so long to record, by the time it was finished, the group had never performed and were going their separate ways. Geyer spent several years in America doing session work for Sting (the fade vocal on "We'll Be Together"), Neil Diamond, Jackson Browne, and others, touring with Joe Cocker and Chaka Khan and others, and writing songs. During one foray back to Australia, Geyer was invited to sing the Paul Kelly song "Foggy Highway" for the soundtrack of a TV series based on the seven deadly sins. Kelly was so impressed by Geyer's version, he offered to produce an album and wrote some of the songs, including the title track, which (alongside "It's a Man's Man's World" has become Geyer's signature song, Difficult Woman). The working relationship with Paul Kelly was such a happy and satisfying one, Geyer decided to base herself back in Australia. With Paul Kelly and Joe Camilleri (Jo Jo Zep, Black Sorrows) producing, she recorded 1999's Sweet Life album.

At the end of 1999, Geyer released her frank life story, Confessions of a Difficult Woman through Harper Collins. ~ Ed Nimmervoll https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ren%C3%A9e-geyer-mn0000884390

Difficult Woman

---

Stefon Harris, David Sanchez, Christian Scott - Ninety Miles

Styles: Vibraphone, Saxophone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:09
Size: 124,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:04)  1. Nengueleru
(4:17)  2. E'cha
(6:47)  3. City Sunrise
(3:53)  4. The Forgotten Ones
(6:21)  5. Black Action Figure
(6:30)  6. Congo
(9:28)  7. And This Too Shall Pass
(5:01)  8. Brown Belle Blues
(5:46)  9. La Fiesta Va

They're all relative youngsters in a jazz world that still finds nonagenarians like Dave Brubeck hitting the summer festival circuit. Tenor saxophonist David Sanchez may be the elder statesman on the marquis of Ninety Miles, with vibraphonist Stefon Harris in the middle position at 38 and trumpeter Christian Scott still on the shy side of 30, but each of them has already made his mark, making this an all-star in-the-making American/Cuban collaboration on an upward trajectory. Scott's visibility has been soaring, with an album almost every year since Rewind That (Concord, 2006), and delivering incendiary live performances like his 2010 Ottawa Jazz Festival appearance. Harris' career has unfolded a little more slowly since bursting out with Cloud of Red Dust (Blue Note, 1998), but an impressive 2006 Montreal Jazz Festival appearance and sophomore set with his electrified Blackout on Urbanus (Concord, 2009) proves his mesh of cerebral sophistication and get-down grooves remains intact. Sánchez is even more patient, with albums coming every three or four years, but in the time between Cultural Survival (Concord, 2008) and now, he's kept busy with Kenny Werner, heard in a 2009 Montreal performance and on the pianist's Balloons (HalfNote, 2011). For non-Americans, the significance of Ninety Miles the distance between coastal United States and Cuba might be lost; small, perhaps, but with the troubled past between the two nations, it's always held greater significance. Over a year of red tape was required to bring Harris, Sánchez and Scott together with two outstanding Cuban piano quartets one led by Rember Duharte, the other by Harold López-Nussa, who wowed audiences at Germany's 2010 Enjoy Jazz Festival but it was clearly worth the effort. Ninety Miles combines originals from the two Cuban pianists with two tunes by Sánchez and three from Harris, including a new look at the title track to the vibraphonist's Black Action Hero (Blue Note, 1999) that's faithful, but achieves far greater liftoff, thanks to López-Nussa's drummer, brother Ruy A Lopez Nussa and percussionist Edgar Martinez Ochoa. It's a song that defines the entire set, filled with irresistible rhythms, memorable melodies and some of the most flat-out exhilarating playing heard from everyone involved. A marriage (well, two, really) made in heaven, then, but one that doesn't neglect the need to balance the more energetic material with some much-needed respite. Despite being propelled lightly by Ochoa's bata, Sánchez "The Forgotten Ones" is an atmospheric breather, a four-minute duet for the saxophonist and the shimmering, ethereal Harris. And while the three stars are working with two similarly configured Cuban groups, Osmar Salazar's electric bass on tracks like the effervescent "Congo" pushes the bottom end differently than acoustic bassist Yandy Martinez González's Latin swing on Harris' "And This Too Shall Pass."  Without compositional representation, Scott has to rely on his inestimable chops and taste to make his presence felt, but with brash solos like his searing, stratospheric work on "Congo," there's little fear of being ignored. Together with Harris, Sánchez and their Cuban friends, Ninety Miles is music that could bridge the gap if it was ninety light years. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/ninety-miles-stefon-harris-concord-picante-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Stefon Harris: vibraphone; David Sanchez: tenor saxophone; Christian Scott: trumpet (1-3, 5-8); Rember Duharte: piano (1, 6 8), voice (6); Osmar Salazar: electric bass (1, 6, 8); Eduardo Barroetabena: drums (1, 6, 8); Jean Roberto San Miguel: batá, congas, percussion (1, 6, 8); Harold López-Nussa: piano (2-3, 5, 7, 9); Yandy Martinez Gonzalez: bass (2-3, 5, 7, 9); Ruy Adrian López-Nussa: drums (2-3, 5, 7, 9); Edgar Martinez Ochoa: congas, djembe, percussion (2-3, 5, 7, 9), batá (4).

Ninety Miles

---

Vladimir Shafranov Trio - Kids Are Pretty People

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:30
Size: 185,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. O Que Tinha De Ser
(5:07)  2. With Malice Toward None
(6:12)  3. Avila And Tequila
(6:52)  4. I Wish I Knew
(3:44)  5. Cinema Paradiso 'Love Theme'
(5:54)  6. Glad To Be Unhappy
(5:16)  7. Firm Roots
(6:08)  8. Brigas Nunca Mals 'No More Fighting'
(4:15)  9. Easy Walker
(3:26) 10. Cup Bearers
(6:50) 11. Kids Are Pretty People
(4:36) 12. Prelude No.20
(3:02) 13. It Never Entered My Mind

Vladimir Shafranov , Russian jazz pianist , born December 31, 1946, residing in Jomala.Vladimir started playing piano and violin at four years of age. At the beginning of 1973, he moved from his hometown St. Petersburg to Israel . A few years later, he moved to Finland and since 1980 he is a Finnish citizen. During his time in Finland he played with the best Finnish jazz musicians. 1983 moved to New York where Vladimir played with musicians like Art Farmer , Stan Getz , Chet Baker , George Coleman , Ron Carter , Dizzy Gillespie and Al Foster . Nowadays Vladimir lives in Jomala with his wife Lena. They have three children, Alexandra (f 92), Rebecca (f 97) and David (f 99). He composes and releases regular discs. Famous producers include Kompass Records, Atelier Sawano and Venus Records. https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=sv&u=https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Shafranov&prev=search

Personnel:  Vladimir Shafranov - piano; Pekka Sarmanto - bass;  Jukkis Uotila - drums.

Kids Are Pretty People

---

Clifford Brown, Max Roach - Study In Brown

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:41
Size: 90.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1955/2017
Art: Front

[5:40] 1. Cherokee
[5:07] 2. Jacqui
[2:53] 3. Swingin'
[4:57] 4. Lands End
[5:36] 5. George's Dilemma
[4:52] 6. Sandu
[2:53] 7. Gerkin For Perkin
[3:24] 8. If I Love Again
[4:15] 9. Take The A Train

Bass – George Morrow; Drums – Max Roach; Piano – Richie Powell; Tenor Saxophone – Harold Land; Trumpet – Clifford Brown. Recorded between February 23 & 25, 1955.

Study in Brown features the 1955 version of the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet, a group also including tenor saxophonist Harold Land, pianist Richie Powell, and bassist George Morrow. One of the premiere early hard bop units, this band had unlimited potential. Highlights of this set are "Cherokee" (during which trumpeter Brown is brilliant), "Swingin'," and "Sandu." All of this group's recordings are well worth acquiring. ~Scott Yanow

Study In Brown mc
Study In Brown zippy

---

Dayramir Gonzalez - The Grand Concourse

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:12
Size: 165.3 MB
Styles: Afro-Cuban jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[1:51] 1. Smiling
[7:27] 2. Moving Forward
[6:07] 3. Sencillez
[8:15] 4. Iyesa Con Miel
[5:43] 5. Blood Brothers
[4:47] 6. Camello Tropical
[8:19] 7. Lovely Time With My Dear
[6:30] 8. Linear Patterns In Havana
[5:45] 9. Two Makes The Difference
[5:40] 10. West Coast Exchange
[2:37] 11. Hand In Hand, You And I
[9:06] 12. Situaciones En 12 8

Dayramir González: Steinway Grand Piano, Fender Rhodes and synthesizers (2, 8, 9) and coro (2, 3, 10, 12); Antoine Katz: electric bass (1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12); Alberto Miranda: electric bass (2); Carlos Mena: contrabass (3); Zwelakhe Duma-Bell Le Pere: contrabass (5, 7, 9); Zack Mullings: drums (1, 4, 6, 10); Keisel Jimenez Leyva: drums (2); Jay Sawyer: drums (5); Willy Rodriguez: drums (5); Raul Pineda: drums (8); David Rivera: drums (12); Paulo Stagnaro: congas (1,, 3, 6, 10), batá drums: (6), surdo, cajón, güiro, pandeiro and miscellaneous percussion (1, 5, 7, 8, 9) ; Marcos Lopez: congas (2); Mauricio Herrera: congas (12), batá drums (2); Pedrito Martinez: batá drums (4) and lead vocals (4); Gregorio Vento: miscellaneous percussion and lead vocals (12); Yosvany Terry: alto saxophone (1, 4, 8, 10), shekere (10); Marcos Lopez: timbal (10); Harvis Cuni: trumpet (1); Oriente Lopez: flute (1, 3, 4, 8, 10); Kalani Trinidad: flute (12); Rio Konishi: alto saxophone (12); Dean Tsur: alto saxophone (7), tenor saxophone (1, 4, 8, 10); Edmar Colon: tenor saxophone (12); Ameya Kalamdani: electric and acoustic guitars (1, 6); Tatiana Ferrer: coro (2, 3, 10, 12) and viola (1, 3, 5, 7); Jaclyn Sanchez: coro (2, 3, 10); Nadia Washington: lead vocals (6) and coro (3, 10); Ilmar Lopez Gavilan: violin (1, 3, 5, 7); Audrey Defreytas Hayes: violin (1, 3, 5, 7); Jennifer Vincent: violoncello (1, 3, 5, 7); Caris Visentin Liebman: oboe (5); Amparo Edo Biol: French horn (5).

Remarkably this is only the second album by Mr. González. His first album, Habana enTRANCe (Cinquillo, 2007) certainly announced the arrival of another master musician from the fertile musical topography of Cuba, which continues to suggest that it has an almost magical and mystical formula for creating pianists. Although he needed no introduction from older masters such as Chucho Valdés, he got one anyway. However with the explosive start to the album from “Gozando” and the nine other pieces that followed, Mr. González’s music spoke for itself and it seemed that not since Gonzalo Rubalcaba had Cuba produced an artist with such impressive credentials. The Grand Concourse is an enormous development.

From the very (title) The Grand Concourse, an artistic and spiritual portal of sorts, Mr. González beckons us into the deeply spiritual world of Santeria. But the welcome here is unique and it isn’t until “Iyesa Con Miel” with the elemental Lucumi chant by Pedrito Martinez, that one is greeted with something familiar in the way of the Afro-Cuban sprit world. But it is always there, right from the first bars of “Smiling”. It is just that Mr. González has found a new idiom to express what is traditional to him rhythmically. And this is what makes this music so wonderfully unique. This is unlike almost every recent album of Afro-Cuban music, even music by Cuban musicians who visit the same musical ground over and over again, making the evocation of the Lucumi idiom seem laboured.

The Grand Concourse mc
The Grand Concourse zippy

---

Soesja Citroen - Here & Now

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:28
Size: 140.7 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:21] 1. As Long As I Live
[4:23] 2. Some Other Spring
[6:41] 3. Peel Me A Grape
[5:23] 4. Born To Be Blue
[5:13] 5. Old Devil Moon
[4:51] 6. I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So
[5:13] 7. In Twilight (Crepescule With Nellie)
[3:56] 8. Never Make Your Move Too Soon
[8:04] 9. But Beautiful
[4:50] 10. No One Around
[4:49] 11. The Lonely Ones
[3:39] 12. My Shining Hour

Soesja Citroen joined the Challenge roster with Here and Now, which was produced by the Dutch label's in-house producer, Chris Ellis. A veteran jazz producer, Ellis was known for having great instincts when it came to singers, and he does well by Citroen on this album. Joined by pianist Cees Slinger, bassist Jan Voogd, and drummer Arnoud Gerritse, the singer is in good-to-excellent form on selections that range from Dave Frishberg's sexy "Peel Me a Grape" and Stix Hooper's bluesy "Never Make Your Move Too Soon" to well-known standards like "But Beautiful" and "My Shining Hour." Jarmo Hoogendijk, a talented Dutch trumpeter, joins Citroen on four of the CD's 12 songs, including "Peel Me a Grape," "Old Devil Moon," and Duke Ellington's "The Lonely Ones." Thankfully, Here and Now would not be the last time Citroen and Ellis would work together. ~Alex Henderson

Here & Now mc
Here & Now zippy

---

The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra - In Europe (2-Disc Set)

Alto Saxophone – Dick Oatts, Steve Coleman; Baritone Saxophone – Charles Davis; Bass – Jasper Lundgaard; Drums – Mel Lewis; Flugelhorn – Thad Jones; Piano – Jim McNeely; Tenor Saxophone – Robert Rockwell, Rick Perry; Trombone – Doug Purviance, John Mosca, Lolly Bienenfeld, Lu Robertson; Trumpet – Irvin Stokes, Larry Moss, Ron Tooley, Simo Salminin. This is a compilation of live recordings previously released on three West Wind releases, A Touch Of Class, The Orchestra and Body And Soul.

During the second half of the 1960s and throughout the 1970s, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra was the world's most successful band when it comes to creatively developing swinging big band jazz. This musically outstanding and extremely inventive outfit set the tone for everybody else in the genre. The band played their first public gig at the Village Vanguard in New York City on Monday, February 7, 1966 and staged their very last concert in late October 1978 in Berlin. This CD is a veritable rarity in memoriam, as it contains the very last live recordings of the now legendary Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra.

Album: In Europe (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:32
Size: 159.2 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[13:05] 1. Samba Con Get Chu
[ 7:36] 2. Quietude
[ 6:28] 3. Cecilia Is Love
[ 5:55] 4. Mexican Hayride I Love You
[ 7:31] 5. And I Love You So
[ 9:04] 6. That's Freedom
[10:31] 7. The Second Race
[ 9:19] 8. Willow Weep For Me

In Europe (Disc 1) mc
In Europe (Disc 1) zippy

---

Album: In Europe (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:06
Size: 171.9 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[12:00] 1. Sixty First And Richard
[ 7:32] 2. Body And Soul
[11:07] 3. Don't Get Sassy
[10:17] 4. A Child Is Born
[15:38] 5. Fingers
[18:31] 6. The Intimacy Of The Blues

In Europe (Disc 2) mc
In Europe (Disc 2) zippy

---

Rein De Graaff - Confirmation

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:29
Size: 165.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[16:09] 1. All The Things You Are
[11:49] 2. Easy Living
[10:31] 3. Out Of Nowhere
[ 6:04] 4. Confirmation
[ 9:54] 5. There's No Greater Love
[ 6:14] 6. Ghost Of A Chance
[11:45] 7. Music Inn Blues

Pianist. Dutch self-taught pianist who's made himself one of Europe's best session players. De Graaff led a trio from 1959 to 1962, then joined The Jazzopters for a year. He then headed his own quartet until 1964, at the same time playing with Erwin Some and Gijs Hendriks. De Graaff formed a new group in 1964 that stayed together until the '80s. He also played with a number of visiting American musicians, among them Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Johnny Griffin, Art Taylor, Clifford Jordan, Cecil Payne, Dexter Gordon, Clark Terry, Sonny Stitt, Philly Joe Jones and Arnett Cobb. He made several appearances in New York, and was awarded the Dutch National Jazz Prize in 1980. ~ Ron Wynn

Confirmation

---

Nellie McKay - Home Sweet Mobile Home

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:25
Size: 121,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Bruise On The Sky
(2:13)  2. Adios
(4:18)  3. Caribbean Time
(3:10)  4. Please
(4:59)  5. Beneath The Underdog
(3:53)  6. Dispossessed
(3:53)  7. The Portal
(3:39)  8. Bodega!
(4:32)  9. Coosada Blues
(4:38) 10. No Equality
(3:50) 11. Absolute Elsewhere
(4:32) 12. Unknown Reggae
(3:10) 13. Bluebird

Nellie McKay's first album of new material in three years returns her to the stylistically scattershot, lyrically ingenious nature of Obligatory Villagers. As she admits herself ("I have no idea how this album happened"), McKay is working on instinct, which helps preserve not only her many idiosyncrasies but also the charming and witty nature of her songwriting. She did gain guidance from two elder sources, one being her mother Robin Pappas (a co-producer) and the other David Byrne, who recruited McKay to appear on his Imelda Marcos concept album Here Lies Love and then returned the favor by making compilations and recommending people for Home Sweet Mobile Home. Byrne's help is intriguing, since the album has all the sounds of the post-millennial global village: reggae rhythms and vocal inflections for several tracks (including "Caribbean Time"), a New Yorker's version of Latin-ized tradition for "¡Bodega!," and, as before, plenty of the good-time, slightly New Orleans-influenced jazz she's floated in the past. The album also has slightly more guitar than any since her debut. Guitars were expected on her first record, since it was produced by Geoff Emerick, but here McKay and her group appear to be attempting an adult-alternative pop crossover of some type. Lyrically, she continues the incisive satire and parody heard on her earlier material. (The first line on Obligatory Villagers was "Feminists don't have a sense of humor," while Home Sweet Mobile Home begins with "The New York Times invents the news.") While her mood inevitably varies from track to track, McKay, more often than before, sounds as though circa-2000s malaise has infected her songwriting; the opener, "Bruise on the Sky," is especially dark (its chorus ends "What I hoped would be my rainbow, was just a bruise on the sky"). "Beneath the Underdog" and "No Equality" are equally dispirited, nearly fatalistic, despite the latter's airing as an organ-led soul jam. ~ John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/album/home-sweet-mobile-home-mw0002024100

Personnel: Nellie McKay: vocals, piano, organ, marimba, ukulele, saxophone, clarinet, cello, percussion, synthesizer; Ben Bynum: drums; Danny Cahn: trumpet; Tim Carbone: violin; Lucien Ceran: saxophone; Rick Chamberlain: trombone; Jim Daniels: tuba; Glenn Drewes: trumpet; Bob Glaub: bass; Paul Hoderbaum: saxophone; Brian Jobson: bass; Wayne Jobson: guitar; Reggie McBride: bass; Joslyn "Speckles" McKenzie: drums; Willie Murillo: trumpet, backup vocals; Barry O'Hare: keyboard; Cary Park: guitar; Lance Rauh: saxophone; David Raven: drums; Spencer Reed: guitar; Paul Rostock: bass; Mark Visher: saxophones, clarinet, backup vocals; Paul Wells: drums.

Home Sweet Mobile Home

---

Dave Valentin - Primitive Passions

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:46
Size: 125,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:22)  1. San Juan
(4:37)  2. Sanba For Denise
(5:33)  3. Morning Light
(7:10)  4. Primitive Passions
(7:01)  5. Someone To Watch Over Me
(4:36)  6. The Old Man (El Viejo)
(3:49)  7. Enchantment
(6:44)  8. Equinox
(3:59)  9. Wasabi
(4:50) 10. Keep On And On

?Dave Valentin, who recorded over 15 albums for GRP, combined together the influence of pop, R&B, and Brazilian music with Latin jazz to create a slick and accessible form of crossover jazz. At age nine, Valentin enjoyed playing bongos and congas. He gigged at Latin clubs in New York from age 12 and it was not until he was 18 that he seriously started studying flute. Valentin's teacher, Hubert Laws, suggested that he not double on saxophone because of his attractive sound on the flute. In 1977, he made his recording debut with Ricardo Marrero's group, and he was also on a Noel Pointer album. Discovered by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen, Valentin was the first artist signed to GRP and he was a popular attraction for years to follow. After the mid-2000s, Valentin was signed to Highnote Records, releasing World on a String in 2005, Come Fly with Me in 2006, and Pure Imagination in 2011. Valentin suffered a debilitating stroke in 2012 and a second stroke three years later; he died in 2017 at the age of 64. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dave-valentin-mn0000625994/biography  

Personnel: Dave Valentin - flute;  Milton Cardona - trumpet, percussion;  Robby Ameen - drums, percussion;  Lincoln Goines - electric & acoustic basses;  Robbie Ameen - drums, percussion

Primitive Passions

---

Michal Urbaniak - Serenade For The City

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:54
Size: 87,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:17)  1. Circular Road
(4:41)  2. Nanava
(5:02)  3. Sometimes
(4:49)  4. Serenade For The City
(4:28)  5. Samba Miko
(4:43)  6. Fall
(4:54)  7. Joy
(4:58)  8. Vanessa

Once Poland's most promising import in the jazz-rock 1970s, Michal Urbaniak's chief value in retrospect was as a fellow traveler of Jean-Luc Ponty, a fluid advocate of the electric violin, the lower-pitched Violectra, and the Lyricon (the first popular, if now largely under-utilized wind synthesizer). Like many Eastern European jazzmen, he would incorporate elements of Polish folk music into his jazz pursuits, and his other heroes range from the inevitable Miles Davis to Polish classicist Witold Lutoslawski. His electric violin was often filtered with a gauze of electronic modifying devices, and on occasion, he could come up with an attractively memorable composition like "Satin Lady." Urbaniak began playing the violin at age six, followed by studies on the soprano and then tenor saxophones. His interests in jazz developed chronologically from Dixieland to swing to bop as he grew up, and he studied at the Academy of Music in Warsaw while working in various Polish jazz bands and playing classical violin. In 1965, he formed his own band in Scandinavia with singer Urszula Dudziak (later his wife), returning to Poland in 1969 to found Constellation, which included pianist Adam Makowicz. Having won a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music upon being voted Best Soloist at the 1971 Montreux Jazz Festival, Urbaniak made the U.S. his home in 1973. He soon formed a popular jazz-rock group called Fusion, recording for Columbia and Arista in a Mahavishnu Orchestra/Ponty fashion, with Dudziak adding darting, slippery scat vocals. This group lasted until 1977, and Urbaniak's profile would never be as high again, although he performed with Larry Coryell in 1982-1983, led the new electric group Urbanator in the 1990s, and has performed and recorded in other styles ranging from bop to free jazz into the 21st century. ~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/michal-urbaniak-mn0000889276/biography               

Personnel:  Michal Urbaniak : electric violin, lyricon;  Urszula Dudziak : vocals;  Kenny Kirkland : keyboards;  Barry Eastwood : keyboards;  Doc Powell : guitar;  Marcus Miller : bass guitar;  Yogi Horton : drums;  Rick Galloway : percussion

Serenade For The City

---

The Deardor, Peterson Group - Portal

Styles: Guitar Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:31
Size: 153,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:46)  1. Portal
( 6:25)  2. Rhythm Tune
( 5:26)  3. Crazy Heart
( 1:46)  4. Mr Schmeil
( 8:12)  5. That's the Deal
( 6:58)  6. Blues for Dave
(11:10)  7. Invitation
( 6:01)  8. Song for Lee
( 5:59)  9. The Last Minute
( 7:45) 10. Ana Maria

With an urbane, beautifully harmonic, clean-edged sound, Portal seems an updated brand of West Coast cool, by way of the Northwest (Seattle) this time around, like a mix of Chico Hamilton's chamber bands, the fluid guitar work of Wes Montgomery, and that dry, cool approach of Paul Desmond's sax work stirred up in one groove-oriented band. Dave Peterson's guitar combined with George Cables' piano kick the harmonic mix up a notch or three on a set that depends more on the group sound than it does out-in-front soloing. "Rhythm Tune" showcases drummer John Bishop's complex and engaging percussion work; and I must admit it took a couple of spins of the disc to appreciate his stuff. He rides with the flow and doesn't call attention to himself, with a busy style that weaves all manner of textures behind the soundscape. The more I listen to other Origin discs on which he plays ( Brent Jensen/Rob Walker Quintet with New Stories ), the more apparent the importance his contribution to the group sound becomes. With the exception of "Mr. Schmeil," a two minute bass solo by Deardorf, and the closer, Wayne Shorter's "Ana Maria," the tunes are all Dave Peterson originals, full of sharp gleaming edges and shining facets and neat grooves, catchy, stick-in-the-head melodies, and a very accessible sound that reveals deeper complexities on multiple listens. It's a great group sound that rewards separate spins just to listen to each member's individual contribution. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/portal-chuck-deardorf-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Dave Peterson--guitar; Chuck Deardorf--bass; Hans Teuber--saxophones; George Cables--piano and electric piano; John bishop--drums; Michael Spiro--percussion

Portal

---

Chick Corea - The Trio Live From The Country Club

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:45
Size: 146.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1996/2016
Art: Front

[ 6:28] 1. The Loop
[ 6:58] 2. Hackensack
[13:04] 3. So In Love
[ 9:45] 4. Piano Solo
[ 5:26] 5. Piano & Bass Duet
[ 5:07] 6. Dammit
[ 3:32] 7. Slippery When Wet
[ 7:17] 8. Waltse
[ 6:04] 9. On Green Dolphin Street

Bass – Miroslav Vitous; Drums – Roy Haynes; Piano – Chick Corea. Recorded live at the Country Club, Reseda, CA, 1982.

Chick Corea has been one of the most significant jazzmen since the '60s. Not content at any time to rest on his laurels, he has been involved in quite a few important musical projects, and his musical curiosity has never dimmed. A masterful pianist who, along with Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett, was one of the top stylists to emerge after Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner, Corea is also one of the few electric keyboardists to be quite individual and recognizable on synthesizers. In addition, he has composed several jazz standards, including "Spain," "La Fiesta," and "Windows."

The Trio Live From The Country Club mc
The Trio Live From The Country Club zippy

---

Andrew Beals - Gravy Train

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:49
Size: 146.1 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[8:23] 1. Tippin' Point
[6:00] 2. Allegra
[6:18] 3. Yamazaki
[6:47] 4. Velvet Figurine
[6:37] 5. The Night We Called It A Day
[6:26] 6. Encantada
[6:39] 7. The Gravy Train
[4:03] 8. Countdown
[6:07] 9. Ann's Lament
[6:23] 10. Nature Boy

Andrew Beals: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, flute; Mike McGuirk: bass; Keith Saunders: piano; Neal Smith: drums.

Playing a set of tunes composed primarily of originals, Beals has chosen to break out of the B3-based mold, and along with producer and drummer Neal Smith, to construct a band that showcases his spirit. Here, Beals' saxophone is in the context of a killer quartet that provides a forum for him to stretch out and revel in new found freedom. Pianist Keith Saunders and bassist Mike McGuirk round out this fine foursome. A New York City staple for the last 20-plus years, and a leader in his own right of the intensely swinging NY HardBop Quintet, Saunders is Beals' soul mate on this journey. With creds including study with Horace Silver, Saunders is most capable of adding short shots of deliciously funky juice or joining Beals for hard bopping flights of fancy. Their communion is one of many factors that sets The Gravy Train apart from the scores of releases that are bleak exhibitions of hollow technique.

While Beals and Saunders combine to form this music's soul and psyche, its heart lies in the rhythm section. Smith is well known for his new brand of textural modern swing as well as a production style that allows for a broad open sound. He joins with McGuirk, a great young musician from the world renowned North Texas State jazz program. A winner of the prestigious International Society of Bassists jazz competition, McGuirk is a much in demand NYC bassist who straddles jazz genres. He has performed and recorded with musicians as varied as saxophonist David Liebman and guitarist John Abercrombie.

Gravy Train mc
Gravy Train zippy

---

Abdiel Flores - El Cuida De Mi

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:09
Size: 110.2 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[8:28] 1. A Solas Al Huerto
[6:07] 2. El Cuidara De Mi
[5:11] 3. Yo Me Rindo A El
[4:11] 4. Cara A Cara
[6:04] 5. Grande Es Tu Fidelidad
[7:31] 6. Damos Honor A Ti
[6:02] 7. Vision Pastoral
[4:31] 8. Somewhere, Over The Rainbow

Puerto Rican saxophonist Abdiel Flores is premiering his first soloist production titled “El cuida de mí”. The album is a compilation of traditional hymns with musical arrangements based on jazz rhythms and harmonies with Latin influences. This new release involves the collaboration of a select group of local and international veteran jazz players. Among them, the bassist Ramón Vázquez, pianist Yan Carlos Artime, guitarist Isaac Lausell, bassist Elías Santos, and drummer Leobadis González.

Abdiel Flores was part of the first generation of students of Jazz and Afro-Caribbean Music Program of the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music. At that time, he had the opportunity of studying and playing with great teachers like Eddie Gómez, David Sánchez, Marco Pignataro, Luis “Perico” Ortiz, Ricardo Pons, and Luis Marín, among others. In the meantime, the young artist was part of the Berklee workshops in Puerto Rico, where he received the Outstanding Musician Award for some of his interpretations, and a grant to study in the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.

El Cuida De Mi mc
El Cuida De Mi zippy

---

Lars Erstrand Quartet With Friends - Beautiful Friendship: The Second Set

Size: 160,2 MB
Time: 69:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1992
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Lady, Be Good! Oh, Lady, Be Good! (Feat. Ken Peplowski) ( 8:02)
02. Oh, Kay! Someone To Watch Over Me (Feat. Frank Vignola) ( 5:02)
03. Funny Face - 'S Wonderful! ( 3:43)
04. The Goldwyn Follies Love Is Here To Stay (Feat. Frank Vignola) ( 5:14)
05. Lady, Be Good! The Man I Love (Feat. Ken Peplowski) (10:02)
06. Tiger Rag (Feat. Ken Peplowski) ( 8:15)
07. You'll Never Get Rich Dream Dancing ( 6:49)
08. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (12:35)
09. Things Ain't What They Used To Be ( 9:21)

Friends:
Ken Peplowski: clarinet/tenor saxophone
Frank Vignola: guitar

Recorded and directly mixed live at the restaurant "Leif at the Corner" in Uppsala, Sweden. 1992.

Lars Erstrand (27 September 1936 – 11 March 2009) was a Swedish vibraphonist. Being rooted in the golden Swing era, Erstrand's playing is much influenced by the style of Lionel Hampton. During the 1960s Erstrand met clarinetist Ove Lind, with whom he enjoyed a forty-year collaboration.

Erstrand played with Benny Goodman in Paris 1972, who also joined Erstrand when playing at Michael's Pub in New York on several occasions. He was one of the musicians responsible for Jazz at the Pawnshop in 1977. In 1991 the Swedish vibraphonist recorded an album Two Generations together with Lionel Hampton.

Other musicians Erstrand has played with include Alice Babs, Svend Asmussen, Arne Domnérus, Bob Wilber, Scott Hamilton, the Swedish Swing Society and Antti Sarpila. Many contemporary musicians have worked with Erstrand when visiting Sweden, such as clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Ken Peplowski and guitarist Frank Vignola.

Beautiful Friendship: The Second Set

---

Amy Cervini - No One Ever Tells You

Size: 114,9 MB
Time: 49:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front & Back

01. I Don't Know (5:07)
02. God Will (3:21)
03. No One Ever Tells You (6:37)
04. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top (6:44)
05. Please Be Kind (3:48)
06. A Good Man Is Hard To Find (5:15)
07. You Know Who! (5:23)
08. Bye-Bye Country Boy (5:35)
09. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) (4:00)
10. Hit The Road Jack (3:46)

Personnel:
Amy Cervini – Vocals
Jesse Lewis – Guitar
Michael Cabe – Piano
Jared Schonig – Drums
Gary Versace – Hammond B3 Organ

Hailed by Time Out New York for “tearing down boundaries between old and new jazz styles, rock, pop, country and more,” Toronto-born, New York-based vocalist Amy Cervini follows up her 2014 Anzic release Jazz Country with the gritty, blues-oriented No One Ever Tells You.

Joined by her brilliant longtime cohorts Jesse Lewis (guitar), Michael Cabe (piano), Matt Aronoff(bass), Jared Schonig (drums) and special guest organist Gary Versace (on four cuts), Cervini puts her stamp on songs “that have resonated with me as a mother, as a partner, and as a woman,” she writes in her album notes. “They are songs about love, struggle, and empowerment.”

There’s a decisively biting, almost rock-inflected sensibility coursing through No One Ever Tells You. Cervini projects a fine, assertive voice, limber and free in her phrasing, ranging widely in her sources: the group interprets songs by everyone from Lyle Lovett to Rodgers & Hammerstein, playfully yet with a serious expressive intent.

No One Ever Tells You

---

Curtis Haywood - Summer Breeze

Size: 91,2 MB
Time: 38:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

01. Summer Breeze (4:07)
02. Promise Me (4:13)
03. You Are Everything (4:56)
04. Touch Me (4:13)
05. Midnight Hour (4:01)
06. Let It Go (3:38)
07. Lullaby (3:30)
08. Long Goodbye (3:47)
09. Wherever The Chips Fall (3:24)
10. Flyy In The Skyy (2:59)

Just in time, Curtis Haywood brings you a smooth rendition of Summer Breeze and a new collection of studio recordings. Outside the studio, Curtis continues to build a career of International jazz festivals, sharing the stage with such artists as Pieces of a Dream and Smooth jazz Pioneer Chieli Minucci of Special-FX. A child prodigy, Curtis Haywood moved from trumpet to saxophone at an early age. He studied at New York's High School for the Performing Arts and Boston's Berklee College. He went on to perform with New York jazz fusion group Joshua for several years before completing his self-titled debut in 2007, which went on to receive critical acclaim and steady airplay.

Summer Breeze

---