David S. Ware Quartet - Wisdom of Uncertainty

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:36
Size: 144,0 MB
Art: Front

(12:44)  1. Acclimation
( 7:46)  2. Antidromic
(15:33)  3. Utopic
( 7:16)  4. Alignment
( 7:41)  5. Sunbows Rainsets Blue
(11:33)  6. Continuum

The first recorded appearance of drummer Susie Ibarra with the David S. Ware Quartet is an auspicious one to be sure. Her contrasting style with former drummer Whit Dickey is one of both physicality and fluidity. Ibarra is a far more physical drummer than Dickey is, and is given to deep rhythmic grooves that produce dance-like flourishes in her accents and fills. How that affects the band is obvious from the opening bars of "Acclimation," where her snare and cymbal work set the pace for Ware, who enters singing. Shipp carries in a seriously blues-inflected chordal series of minor thirds and sixths, and Parker is happier than a clam, as his full physical manner of playing is given depth and breadth here. The band charges Ware's compositions (yes compositions), cornering the tiger in them, only to let it loose again in order to chase it down. There is a brightness and fullness in Ibarra's approach that offers Ware more room to fluctuate in his legato phrasing, turning it over and moving through a series of obligato and even ostinatos in his melodic workups and in his solos -- check the long breaks in "Utopic" and "Continuum." Likewise, Shipp is free to rumble around in the deep registers of the piano he so enjoys, as he does on the opener and "Antidromic." His blocky style is far more fluid on this recording, as it shifts its right hands maneuvers with Ibarra's angular accents and around the kit flails and rolls check her solo in "Utopic." This is a record that sings; its song is a wild and wooly one to be sure, but it is a giant leap compositionally for Ware, and for the ensemble with its new drummer. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/wisdom-of-uncertainty-mw0000031416

Personnel:  David S. Ware – tenor sax;  Matthew Shipp – piano;  William Parker – bass;  Susie Ibarra – drums

Wisdom of Uncertainty

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Ronnie Laws - Brotherhood

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:29
Size: 125,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. Still In The Band
(6:18)  2. See The Day
(4:02)  3. Handyman
(5:46)  4. Tidal Wave
(4:50)  5. My River
(5:12)  6. I Feel Fine
(6:10)  7. Night Thing
(6:20)  8. Brotherhood
(5:07)  9. Distant Lover
(5:46) 10. When I Fall In Love

Ronnie Laws is an award-winning tenor saxophonist and composer whose career has, since the early 1970s, straddled the worlds of jazz and R&B. Since 1975 he has placed seven albums in the Top 200 including his 1975 Blue Note debut Pressure Sensitive as well as tracks and albums in no less than six other categories. He has worked as an in-demand session man and live musician with a who's-who of jazz and R&B greats including Ramsey Lewis, Gregory Porter, B.B. King, George Duke, Quincy Jones, Stanley Jordan, and dozens more. Laws, the younger brother of flutist Hubert Laws, is the product of a musical family. Two of his sisters, Debra and Eloise, are also professional singers. Born in Houston, Texas, Laws began teaching himself to play the alto saxophone at the age of 11. While his first love was baseball, a serious eye injury ended those dreams early and he focused on music, which he studied in high school, at Stephen F. Austin State, and later at Texas Southern University, where he switched to tenor, earned a degree, and developed a progressive mastery and technique. In 1970 he moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of a musical career. He woodshedded with the Jazz Crusaders (Hubert had played with them in the '50s) and especially Hugh Masakela. His early gigs in the city were with pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., Doug Carn, and on his brother's CTI recordings. In 1972, he joined Earth, Wind & Fire for 18 months and was, in effect, its first saxophonist, playing both tenor and soprano; he played on the album Last Days and Time. In Los Angeles, he made the acquaintance of Donald Byrd. 

The two became friends and Byrd got Laws signed to Blue Note. His 1975 debut, Pressure Sensitive, got serious radio play despite landing at 73, and yielded the enduring jazz-funk classic "Always There." It has been covered and/or sampled by well over 100 artists. Laws was on his way. With his other '70s work 1976's Fever, Friends and Strangers, and Flame which boasted his first cross continental 12" hit "All for You," Laws established himself as a workhorse studio musician, playing on recordings by Ramsey Lewis, his sister Eloise, Arthur Adams, Gene McDaniels, and Wayne Henderson, to name a few. In the '80s, Laws was an international festival and club draw. Three singles from his first three albums all went gold, as did their respective long-players. Despite the fact that he is often characterized strictly as a "smooth jazz" artist, Laws might be the first instrumentalist to score hits in the emerging "quiet storm" subgenre of R&B. In the '80s, Laws started to showcase his voice along with his saxophone playing on tracks like the title cut to Every Generation (1980), "Stay Awake" (from 1981's Solid Ground), and "Mr. Nice Guy" (1982). "Stay Awake" spent 18 weeks on the R&B chart, and reached number 19. He jumped around from United Artists to Capitol to Columbia throughout the decade, issuing memorable albums such as 1983's Mr. Nice Guy and 1987's All Day Rhythm. His records began to chart on radio R&B lists regularly he placed ten tracks on Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs during the ten-year period. The '90s kicked off with Laws returning to his hard jazz-funk roots on True Spirit. The album didn't chart in the U.S., but did well in Europe and guaranteed him slots at major festivals and on Ronnie Scott's stage. In 1994, he issued Natural Laws for the Right Stuff label; it reached 34 on the jazz charts. In 1998, he returned to Blue Note for Portrait of the Isley Brothers: Harvest for the World, which reached 41. Two years later, he released Dream a Little, a vocal R&B album with jazz leanings. His two sisters and Porter appeared on the date. The track "Old Days/Old Ways" hit number 36 at Adult R&B. Signing to Eddie Holland's HDH label in 2004, he cut Everlasting, which hit number 39 on the jazz charts. Though Laws hasn't recorded an album since then, he continues to tour and do session work. In 2017, he dropped the R&B single "Settle Down" on the Bungalo/CIA label. 

~ Thom Jurek https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/brotherhood/id819307250
 

Personnel:  Hubert Laws - flute;  Ronnie Laws - saxophone;  Craig T. Cooper - guitar;  Eloise Laws - vocals;  Rob Mullins - piano, keyboards;  Larry Antonio - keyboards, acoustic bass, electric bass, drum programming;  Michael Lent - guitar, drum programming;  William "Bubba" Bryant - drums.

Brotherhood

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Bjarne Nerem - More Than You Know

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:42
Size: 106,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:44)  1. When Your Lower Has Gone
(5:07)  2. Everything I Have Is Yours
(4:57)  3. Easy to Love
(6:23)  4. Autumn Nocturne
(4:03)  5. Miss Mopsy
(5:45)  6. More Than You Know
(5:57)  7. Gone with the Wind
(3:45)  8. Cabin in the Sky
(3:57)  9. Emaline

Bjarne Arnulf Nerem (31 July 1923 in Oslo, Norway – 1 April 1991 in Oslo), was a Norwegian jazz musician (tenor saxophone, alto saxophone and clarinet), known from several recordings, and was among the absolute foremost soloists in Norwegian jazz. He was a very talented musician in the tradition of Lester Young, Stan Getz and jazz in the 1950s. Nerem achieved international recognition for his performances. Nerem started his career playing clarinet during World War II, and participated on an album with «Syv Muntre» (1943) and participated, among others within Rowland Greenberg's ensembles. He eventually went over to the tenor and alto saxophone, and started in 1947 a more than 20 years career in Stockholm, Sweden, where he became one of the first bebop performers and quickly became one of Sweden's most renowned, first in the orchestras of Thore Jederby and Santa Skoog (1947–49).  After three years within Karl Westby's orchestra at Rainbow (Oslo), Nerem went into several Swedish bands including with Simon Brehm (1952 to 1954) and Harry Arnold's radio band (1956). In recent years he has also played within Carl-Henrik Norin's band (1968–71) and on releases by Ove Lind, Siljabloo Nilsson, Lasse Sjösten, Arne Domnérus, Monica Zetterlund, Thore Ehrling and Nils Lindberg. The period culminated with the album How long has this been goin 'on (1971).  Nerem returned to Norway in 1973 and led his own Bjarne Nerem Kvartett releasing the album Everything happens to me (1976), awarded Spellemannprisen 1976. They also released This is always (1984), and contributed in Nerem solo album More than you know (1987). Furthermore, figured Nerem on releases with Karin Krog (1974), «Sandvika Storband» (1980) and Kristian Bergheim (The rainbow sessions, 1990). Internationally, he collaborated with Kenny Davern and Flip Phillips (1987), Al Grey (Al meets Bjarne, 1988). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bjarne_Nerem

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone – Bjarne Nerem;  Bass – Kåre Garnes;  Drums – Spike Wells;  Piano – Lars Sjösten

More Than You Know

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Harry Allen - Henry Mancini Songs With Strings

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:36
Size: 137,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:38)  1. Breakfast At Tiffany's
(5:32)  2. Charade
(5:57)  3. Dear Heart
(4:15)  4. Days Of Wine And Roses
(5:14)  5. Shadow Of Paris
(5:34)  6. Send A Little Love My Way
(6:02)  7. Moon River
(4:34)  8. Too Little Time
(7:12)  9. Whistling Away The Dark
(3:45) 10. Mr. Lucky
(4:32) 11. Dreamsville
(3:13) 12. Two For The Road

A swinging jazz saxophonist, Harry Allen is a highly regarded performer whose musical inspiration and interpretive approach come from the giants and innovators of mainstream saxophone, including Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Stan Getz, Illinois Jacquet, and Lester Young. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Allen has generally eschewed the modern, avant-garde, and impressionist schools of jazz of John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, and Ornette Coleman. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1966, Allen grew up in a musical family as the son of big-band drummer Maurice Allen. He started off with accordion lessons before there was a fortuitous switch to saxophone. Attending Rutgers University, Allen studied with Sahib Shihab, Bob Mintzer, and John Purcell. While there, he got his first gig with the help of master bass player Major Holley, replacing Zoot Sims in a studio recording with John Bunch, George Masso, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Ruby Braff.

Wholley also led Allen to Oliver Jackson, whom Allen subsequently accompanied on several tours to Europe. A 1986 session with Kenny Barron was Allen's first recording date. After that, Allen made his debut as a leader on 1988's How Long Has This Been Going On?  From there, he delivered a steady stream of recordings under his name for such labels as Progressive, Audiophile, and Nagel-Heyer. Later, his recordings were with major-label RCA-Victor, including 1999's Harry Allen Meets the John Pizzarelli Trio and 2000's Plays Ellington Songs. Three of his albums were awarded a Gold Disc by Swing Journal magazine, and his CD Tenors Anyone won both the Gold Disc and New Star awards. He has also recorded as a sideman with Bucky Pizzarelli (with whom he performs quite frequently), Warren Vache, and Jeff Hamilton.  Allen continues to record extensively and makes frequent appearances at jazz festivals and concerts. Highly prolific, he delivered a slew of well-regarded albums for BMG in the 2000s before moving back to boutique labels like Arbors, Sackville Records, and Challenge for albums like 2007's Cocktails for Two with Joe Temperley, 2009's New York State of Mind, and 2010's When Larry Met Harry with pianist Larry Goldings. He then paired with longtime associate Scott Hamilton for 2012's 'Round Midnight, and explored bossa nova rhythms on 2015's Something About Jobim. The following year he delivered The Candy Men: Harry Allen's All-Star New York Saxophone Band, featuring fellow saxophonists Grant Stewart, Eric Alexander, and Gary Smulyan. ~ Dave Nathan https://www.allmusic.com/artist/harry-allen-mn0000668457/biography

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone – Harry Allen;  Bass – Johannes Weidenmueller;  Cello – Dorothy Lawson, Leo Grinhauz;  Composed By – Henry Mancini;  Drums – Tim Horner;  Harp – Park Stickney;  Percussion – Gilad;  Piano, Synth, Arranged By, Conductor – Kenny Werner;  Vibraphone [Vibes] – Laura Friedman;  Viola – Kenji Bunch, Ralph Farris;  Violin – Conway Kuo, Heidi Stubner, Joyce Hammann, Laura Seaton, Todd Reynolds

Henry Mancini Songs With Strings

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Rodney Kendrick - The Colors Of Rhythm

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:25
Size: 94,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:11)  1. Music DNA
(4:24)  2. Honeysuckle Rose
(5:48)  3. Remembering
(7:05)  4. Round Midnight
(3:44)  5. Cindy
(5:54)  6. Body And Soul
(3:31)  7. Caravan
(4:44)  8. Aminata

For many years, Rodney Kendrick was the musical director and pianist for Abbey Lincoln. The 54 year old pianist and keyboarder wanted to express, as he states in the liner notes of his new trio album “The Colors Of Rhythm” (Impulse), “the sweet and the sour, the dark and the light, the bad and the good, as well as the brilliant overlooked beauty that is intrinsically woven throughout this music.” Over the years, Kendrick, who was born in Philadelphia and raised in Miami, has learned from and played with the greatest. Barry Harris taught him the literacy of the music and once he arrived in New York, soon after he was part of the Art Blakey Breakfast Jam, a session that started early in the mornings and went on for hours with a lot of peers attending. One of the artists from those days is Cindy Blackman Santana who Kendrick is using as his drummer for the new album. He even named a song after her (“Cindy”) which is a rather short, but effective showcase for the vibrant musician. Kendrick has released some fantastic, but somehow overlooked albums in the past. There’s the world music style, exotic “Last Chance For Common Sense” from 1996, or the Hip Hop, Rap and Funk infused “No Dress Code” from 2000. But he always went back to the good old trio format in between. His old pal Curtis Lundy rounds out his band on bass and of the eight tracks in total, half of them are his interpretations of classics like “Body And Soul” or “Round Midnight”, all played with a heavy Gospel and Blues background. More convincing are his own compositions and he ends his new album with a nod to his former boss, Abbey Lincoln, who was also known as Aminata Moseka, who was his musical mother. The track sums up the essence of what Abbey Lincoln’s music was about: beauty and the pursuit of something bigger and better.

Personnel:  Piano – Rodney Kendrick;  Double Bass – Curtis Lundy;  Drums – Cindy Blackman Santana.

The Colors Of Rhythm

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Philip Catherine - I Remember You

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:06
Size: 138,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:16)  1. Nardis
(11:05)  2. Twice A Week
( 6:01)  3. I Remember You
( 7:35)  4. Soul Role
( 5:49)  5. From This Time, From That Time
( 3:56)  6. Songflower
( 7:57)  7. Funk In Deepfreeze
( 6:09)  8. My Funny Valentine
( 5:14)  9. Blues For G.T.

A wonderfully sparse and subtle offering from guitarist Philip Catherine, featuring Tom Harrell on flügelhorn and Hein Van de Geyn on bass. This drumless trio pays memorial tribute to Chet Baker with a tranquil, melancholy set of standards and originals, beginning with Miles Davis' "Nardis" and continuing with an extended Catherine original titled "Twice a Week." The set also includes a swinging "I Remember You," a mid-tempo "My Funny Valentine," and a nod to hard bop with Hank Mobley's "Funk in Deepfreeze." Harrell contributes two originals, "From This Time, From That Time" and "Songflower," while Van de Geyn weighs in with a dark waltz, "Soul Role." 

Catherine closes the album with his own angular, altered "Blues for G.T." Catherine's bright, twangy sound and tasteful use of vibrato, harmonics, octave leaps, and volume and chorus effects distinguish him from many other straight-ahead jazz guitarists. Van de Geyn proves himself to be not only an excellent timekeeper, but also a conversational ensemble player. And this stripped-down setting especially flatters the velvety, lyrical brilliance of Tom Harrell. ~ David R.Adler https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-remember-you-mw0000278490

Personnel:  Guitar – Philip Catherine;   Flugelhorn – Tom Harrell;   Bass – Hein Van de Geyn

I Remember You

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Woong San - I'm Alright

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:23
Size: 122,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:56)  1. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
(3:28)  2. Heartless
(4:29)  3. Bear Walk
(4:38)  4. Too Far
(5:06)  5. Love Is A Losing Game
(4:22)  6. I’m Alright
(3:41)  7. You And The Night And The Music
(5:27)  8. Forget Regret
(6:41)  9. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
(5:37) 10. I Can’t Stand The Rain
(3:53) 11. Tell Me Why

WoongSan (born Kim Eun Young) is an award-winning South Korean musician, actress and TV show host. She has been a leading figure in the jazz music scene in Korea and Japan for over a decade, having performed live over 500 times since her 1998 Japanese debut. She is the first Korean-born musician to perform at New York City's historic Blue Note Jazz Club and has collaborated with many other well-known jazz musicians including Benny Green, Lonnie Plaxico, Rodney Green, Conrad Herwig and Suzuki Hisatsugu. She is also well known for training Ali (South Korean singer), a popular K-pop singer. When she was 18, WoongSan spent a year and a half at a Buddhist temple in the Korean countryside. During her training she had a powerful realization: her calling in life was music.  Initially she played in a college rock band, but after a friend played her a Billie Holiday record, she began to dedicate herself to jazz. She spent several years performing as a solo artist then released her first album accompanied by a jazz ensemble in 1996. By the end of 1998 she was a recognizable figure in both Korea and Japan, and since then, she has released six albums, garnered numerous awards and critical acclaim, and continues to tour prolifically. She has also written many songs for films. Last year, she proved her career was an ongoing path as a music performer on the stage collaborated with Lee Ritenour.

WoongSan's style is a distinctive blend of jazz, blues, Latin and funk style. Her mid-low voice does not span as much tonal ground as other famous singers, but what she lacks in range she more than makes up for in creativity and malleability. As an independent lyricist, Woong San has penned powerful ballads, cozy love numbers and everything in between. Buddhism has played a prominent role in her life, and it shines through in her songwriting: she often explores the themes of freedom, mindfulness and the beauty of change in her songs. Her work has been described as "soulful, fearless, sultry." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WoongSan

I'm Alright

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Bill Evans Trio - Portrait In Jazz

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:22
Size: 99,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:23)  1. Come Rain Or Shine
(6:01)  2. Autumn Leaves
(4:35)  3. Witchcraft
(5:00)  4. When I Fall In Love
(3:16)  5. Peri's Scope
(4:36)  6. What Is This Thing Called Love?
(5:07)  7. Spring Is Here
(4:56)  8. Some Day My Prince Will Come
(5:23)  9. Blue In Green

The first of two studio albums by the Bill Evans-Scott LaFaro-Paul Motian trio (both of which preceded their famous engagement at the Village Vanguard), this Portrait in Jazz reissue contains some wondrous interplay, particularly between pianist Evans and bassist LaFaro, on the two versions of "Autumn Leaves." Other than introducing Evans' "Peri's Scope," the music is comprised of standards, but the influential interpretations were far from routine or predictable at the time. LaFaro and Motian were nearly equal partners with the pianist in the ensembles and their versions of such tunes as "Come Rain or Come Shine," "When I Fall in Love," and "Someday My Prince Will Come" (which preceded Miles Davis' famous recording by a couple years) are full of subtle and surprising creativity. A gem. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/portrait-in-jazz-mw0000187984

Personnel:  Bill Evans – piano;  Scott LaFaro – bass;  Paul Motian – drums

Portrait In Jazz

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Malia - Yellow Daffodils

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:39
Size: 109,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:44)  1. Yellow Daffodils
(4:20)  2. My Purple Shoes
(3:29)  3. I Believed In Roses
(3:10)  4. I'm Not Jealous
(2:51)  5. India Song
(4:06)  6. Twinckling little star
(4:29)  7. Lifting You High
(3:47)  8. Angel Kiss
(3:37)  9. Solitude
(3:26) 10. Big Brown Eyes
(4:06) 11. Let It Happen
(3:09) 12. Moon Glows
(3:19) 13. My Purple Shoes [Remix]

A gifted vocalist whose instrument is both strong and sensual, British jazz singer Malia was born into a family of mixed African and English heritage in the small East African country of Malawi, which borders Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. Malia had limited exposure to music growing up -- her neighborhood could only pull in two radio stations (one in the native language of Chewa, the other in English), and her father's record collection was dominated by the Beatles. That changed when political unrest forced her family to flee Malawi and relocate to London when Malia was 14 years old. Malia took great interest in the rich musical landscape that surrounded her, immersing herself in the dance-oriented new wave sounds dominating the English music scene. The music of Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday soon came into her life and transformed her worldview, as she was introduced to influential black artists for the first time. Malia soon set her sights on a career in music. After finishing school, Malia took work as a waitress while she organized a band to accompany her, singing ballads and jazz standards in bars and clubs around London. She experienced a breakthrough during a visit to New York City; at a New York café she heard a pop-jazz track sung in French by vocalist Liane Foly that had been produced by Berklee School of Music graduate Andre Manoukian. Malia was entranced by the enticing mix of pop and jazz sensibilities, and she contacted Manoukian to solicit his help. The pair admired each other's musical ideas and potential, and they set to work on Malia's debut album, Yellow Daffodils, released in 2002. Though the release featured English lyrics, Malia gained enormous recognition in France and Germany. Her subsequent releases, Echoes of Dreams (2004) and Young Bones (2007), found favor among jazz fans across Europe thanks to Malia's unique smoky vocal timbre and sensitive interpretations. In 2012, Malia released Black Orchid, in which she interpreted 13 songs associated with the great jazz musician and activist Nina Simone. Malia took a creative detour with her 2014 album, Convergence, a collaboration with Boris Blank from the long-running electronic pop group Yello. For 2017's Malawi Blues/Njira, Malia composed most of the songs in tandem with keyboardist Alex Wilson. Malia has become an international star, often appearing on the soul and jazz charts in Europe and the U.K., as she maintains a busy touring schedule, appearing on some of the Continent's most important stages. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/yellow-daffodils/259985658

Yellow Daffodils

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Doug Raney & Thorgeir Stubo - Everything We Love

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:16
Size: 94,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Just Friends
(7:27)  2. We'll Be Together Again
(6:22)  3. Half Nelson
(5:56)  4. So Do It!
(6:34)  5. Love Letters
(5:07)  6. Get Out of Town
(5:35)  7. Everything I Love

Everything We Love is a live album (LP) by Norwegian guitarist Thorgeir Stubø and American guitarist Doug Raney released 1984 in Oslo, Norway by Hot Club Records – HCR 19). This is the third album by Thorgeir Stubø released in 1984, and presents an interaction with the famous American guitarist Doug Raney, son of the legendary pioneer bopgitar, Jimmy Raney. Raney was at this time living in Denmark, and on this album Stubø made Doug Raney bring along the Danish top bassist Jesper Lungaard and drummer Ole Jacob Hansen. It was an elegant and perhaps more easily swinging quartet than the previous quintet from Jazz Alive. This time the repertoire also was a bit more conservative with the older standard songs and bop tunes like "Everything I Love" (Porter), "Half Nelson" (Miles Davis), "Love Letters" (Young), "Get out of town" (Porter) Just Friends (Klenner/Lewis), "We'll be together again" (Fisher/Lane) and "So do it" (Montgomery). The two guitarists clearly shows that they have some of the same influences, and they are relatively similar in style. Anyway, it's inequities and Stubø is rougher and a bit more angular in the performance than Raney's slightly smoother style. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything_We_Love

Personnel:    Doug Raney – guitar;  Thorgeir Stubø – guitar;  Jesper Lundgaard – double bass;  Ole Jacob Hansen – drums

Everything We Love

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Bobby Previte - Plutino

Styles: Vocal, Post Bop
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:39
Size: 98,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:33)  1. Austerity
(3:35)  2. Downgrading
(4:50)  3. Rollover
(4:02)  4. Default
(4:51)  5. Volatility
(4:27)  6. Tranche
(6:54)  7. Contango
(8:24)  8. Bailout

The cover with the image of three aliens / musicians who cast their stern and stunned eyes on the things of our world is a good way to listen to the CD that you find in your hands. The three visitors from the space respond to the name of Bobby Previte, in the role of great master of ceremonies and chief delegation, of Beppe Scardino and Francesco Diodati, in that of selected emissaries.

Paying attention to their requests, trusting their good intentions is the pass for a trip across overwhelming and breathtaking soundtracks. Music that comes from space, decipherable with earthly codes, implacable rhythmic scans, tangles of crazy sound waves, magnetic storms that disorient the listener and drag him into whirling black holes. But also an oasis of tranquility, moments of wonder in front of the beauty that still exists in our world, where the baritone sax of Scardino invents a cosmic lullaby with a poignant beauty like "Contango". Or when Diodati's guitar spreads sore electric vibrations on the martial rhythm of Previte in "Bailout," before opening up to delicate acoustic arpeggios that launch Scardino's bass clarinet in a solo of visionary intensity. 

~ AAJ Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/plutino-bobby-previte-cafe-royale-review-by-aaji-staff.php

Personnel: Bobby Previte (drums, vocals); Beppe Scardino (woodwinds, voice); Francesco Diodati (guitars, vocals).

Plutino

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Lionel Loueke - The Journey

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:53
Size: 121,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:13)  1. Bouriyan
(3:54)  2. Molika
(3:57)  3. Bawo
(5:37)  4. Vi Gnin
(4:24)  5. Mande
(4:36)  6. Kaba
(2:18)  7. Dark Lightning
(3:18)  8. Vivi
(5:47)  9. Hope
(3:48) 10. Gbe
(4:05) 11. Gbedetemin
(0:29) 12. Guira
(2:33) 13. Okagbe
(2:26) 14. Reflections On Vi Gnin
(2:21) 15. The Healing

The Journey finds Benin's guitar prodigy Lionel Loueke in a stripped-back setting, often painting gentle sound-sketches using only his voice and a guitar. In place of his long-standing trio, comprised of drummer Ferenc Nemeth and double bassist Massimo Biolcati, Loueke has assembled a divers array of guest musicians for subtle accompaniment when needed. The fifteen songs compiled on this album exhibit some of the most versatile music the guitarist has created to date, and represent a sort of summary of his career- spanning works. The creator himself states "This album is a very personal project—it is the clearest reflection of the melodies and musical atmosphere that I carry within me every day." Besides the jumpy funk-infused opener "Bouriyan" and jam tracks like "Bawo," folkier elements are especially prominent. "Molika" or "Vi Gnin" display the extent to which Loueke has developed as a vocalist, and carry most fragile melodies into the open. While most compositions rely on various acoustic guitars, some of his signature electric guitar playing makes it on to the record as well, the loop-based "Dark Lightning" being a prime example. He also draws from his past catalogue and presents reinterpretations of "Okagbé" and "Gbede Temin," now written together "Gbêdetemin." Both songs were featured on the trio-recording Gilfema (ObliqSound, 2005) and have been stripped down to their very core elements, now presented at a much slower pace in a much more atmospheric fashion. The booklet translates what Loueke sings in the Benin native Fon and reveals lyrics that contemplate war, and question the world we live in. While dancing rhythms and celebratory chants, typical for Lionel Loueke, do find their way into this record, the more reflective side of things prevails and makes this endeavor one of a very profound and touching amplitude. The minimalist instrumental approach only adds to this intimate feeling and places the listener right by the source. If not in person, then this is probably the closest one might ever get to meeting Lionel Loueke. ~ Friedrich Kunzmann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-journey-lionel-loueke-aparte-review-by-friedrich-kunzmann.php

Personnel: Lionel Loueke: guitars, vocals, percussion; Pino Palladino: bass; Coro Baptista: percussion; John Ellis: soprano saxophone; Christi Joza Orisha: percussion; Robert Sadin: keyboards; Dramane Dembélé: peul flute; Mark Feldman: violin; Patrick Messina: clarinet; Vincent Ségal: cello; Étienne Charles: trumpet; Massimo Biolcati: bass; Ferenc Nemeth: percussion;

The Journey

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Ronnie Laws - Fever

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz 
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:22
Size: 105,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Let´s Keep It Together
(3:29)  2. Fever
(4:04)  3. All The Time
(7:24)  4. Stay Still (And Let Me Love You)
(4:07)  5. Strugglin´
(2:59)  6. Captain Midnite
(3:44)  7. Karmen
(6:30)  8. Night Breeze
(5:30)  9. From Ronnie With Love

When Ronnie Laws first started recording as a leader in 1975, one of the saxman's strongest allies was Wayne Henderson. That trombonist and founding member of the Crusaders (originally the Jazz Crusaders) was an expert when it came to combining the accessibility of soul and funk with the freedom of jazz, and his guidance proved to be a definite asset when he produced early Laws albums like Pressure Sensitive (1975) and Fever (1976). The popular Grover Washington, Jr. was a strong influence on Laws, whose appreciation of Mr. Magic asserts itself on everything from the funky "Let's Keep It Together" and the gritty "Captain Midnite" to Bobby Lyle's alluring "Night Breeze." 

This isn't to say that Laws was a Washington clone, or that he unaware of other soul-jazz saxmen like Eddie Harris and David "Fathead" Newman. Laws, in fact, was quite recognizable himself on both tenor and soprano. One tune that definitely isn't in the soul-jazz vein is "From Ronnie with Love," an angular, cerebral post-bop offering that isn't unlike something Jackie McLean would do. 

Because Laws has recorded so many throwaways, one has to approach his catalog with caution; but rest assured that Fever puts his talent to work instead of wasting it. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/fever-mw0000099049

Personnel:  Ronnie Laws - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute;  Donald Hepburn, Michael Hepburn, Bobby Lyle - electric piano, clavinet, synthesizer;  Marlin the Magician - guitar;  Wilton Felder, Nathaniel Phillips - electric bass;  Bruce Carter, Steve Guttierez - drums;  Bruce Smith - percussion;  Tony Ben - conga;  Murray Adler, Bonnie Douglas, Henry Ferber, Elliott Fisher, Ronald Folsom, James Getzoff, William Kurash, Joy Lyle, Gordon Marron, Paul C. Shure, Felix Sitjar, Carroll Stephens - violin;  Jesse Ehrlich, Nathan Gershman, Raymond J. Kelley, Victor Sazer - vocals;  Ronald Coleman, Augie Johnson, Esau Joyner, Michael Miller, Deborah Shotlow, Douglas Thomas - backing vocals

Fever

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Lisa Hilton - Cocktails at Eight

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:33
Size: 88,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:31)  1. Love Will
(3:10)  2. Take Five
(2:11)  3. Shooting Star
(3:25)  4. Seduction
(2:36)  5. I'll Always Be Your Friend
(2:27)  6. Echoes of Harlem
(3:12)  7. Can You See?
(2:24)  8. Kilimanjaro
(2:23)  9. August 1999
(2:44) 10. Candlelight
(1:54) 11. Moon River
(1:15) 12. No Guarantees
(2:57) 13. Waterfall
(1:58) 14. Butterflies
(3:20) 15. I'm on My Own (Remix)

The music on Cocktails at Eight, mostly piano solos by Lisa Hilton although there are also three trio numbers and one with strings and woodwinds, is meant to be relaxing and soothing background music. Hilton has fine musicianship, but she generally sticks to laid-back tempos, unadventurous improvisations, and so-so melodies. Some of the performances border on new age, and the jazz soloing sticks fairly close to the themes. Perhaps one should not look for something in this album that is not here, and just accept it on its own terms, as background for romantic evenings. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/cocktails-at-eight-mw0000600259

Cocktails at Eight

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Cedar Walton - Blues for Myself

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:47
Size: 95,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:54)  1. Blues for Myself
(4:00)  2. Without a Song
(3:51)  3. Sixth Avenue
(3:30)  4. Sophisticated Lady
(3:53)  5. Wonder Why
(5:25)  6. Little Darlin'
(3:10)  7. Let's Call This
(5:11)  8. Just in Time
(5:21)  9. Booker's Bossa
(3:28) 10. Bridge Work

Cedar Walton's second set of unaccompanied solos (following his little-known Clean Cuts release Piano Solos by five years) features the talented veteran pianist exploring six standards (including "Without a Song" and "Just in Time") plus four of his originals. Although always a hard bop stylist, Walton was never just a one-handed pianist and this superior release does not find him or listeners missing a bassist or drummer. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/blues-for-myself-mw0000181388

Personnel:  Cedar Walton – piano

Blues for Myself

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Esther Kaiser - Songs Of Courage

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:18
Size: 142,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:09)  1. Masters of War
(5:36)  2. Earth Song
(6:24)  3. Open your eyes you can fly
(4:25)  4. Where have all the flowers gone
(5:06)  5. This is not America
(1:38)  6. Yamo (Syrian Theme)
(4:38)  7. Luka
(5:28)  8. Revolution
(1:39)  9. An den kleinen Radioapparat
(6:49) 10. Wanderer between the worlds
(5:35) 11. We shall overcome
(5:48) 12. You´re the voice
(0:55) 13. Yamo (Intro)

"These are rough times when jazz musicians feel they need to position themselves politically. The Berlin singer Esther Kaiser has just released an entire album with "Songs of Courage" (GLM / Soulfood). Flawless and excitingly new-sounding interpretations of Brecht's ("The Little Wireless") to John Farnham's ("You're the voice", not only the jazz community might be dumbfounded as a political song) have taken them from classics like "Where have all the flowers gone "to modern alienation songs like" This is not America "by David Bowie and Pat Metheny is all there, even a" Song of Resignation "- the more defiant" revolution "of the Beatles, which later angered John Lennon against his original meaning interpreted - luckily it made it to the record. Not only is Kaiser a singer who can give any song an individual touch thanks to her calm, but spectacularly shimmering voice, she also has a song-loving band at her side, from which one should at least mention the outstanding bassist Marc Muellbauer. He always keeps the fragile and transparent music of the sextet's extended sextet, which fled to Germany, to the ground. "(Red) Translate by Google https://translate.google.com.br/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.estherkaiser.de/&prev=search

Songs Of Courage

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Laura Silverstein - Happiness Is A Warm Guitar

Size: 104,0 MB
Time: 44:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Instrumental, Easy Listening
Art: Front

01. Maui Sunrise (2:35)
02. Autumn Leaves (3:55)
03. Tennessee Waltz (4:07)
04. The Water Is Wide (3:26)
05. Bereft (3:54)
06. Gymnopedie #1 (2:55)
07. What A Wonderful World (2:13)
08. Grandfather's Clock (2:03)
09. Freight Train (1:28)
10. Windy And Warm (2:47)
11. Yesterday (2:29)
12. One Note Samba (2:53)
13. Brokeback Mountain (3:59)
14. Over The Rainbow (3:09)
15. Daybreak (2:50)

"Happiness is a Warm Guitar" is a mellow instrumental journey featuring fingerstyle guitar, with accompaniments of tasty players Michael Connolly on violin, mandolin, and bass and Orville Johnson on dobro.

"When I listen to Laura, I hear the love she feels for the guitar and the music. She is grounded in the fingerstyle tradition but always adds a touch of her own to her arrangements. I am especially delighted by her original tunes." John Knowles

Happiness Is A Warm Guitar

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Cornelia Luna - Starting Here, Starting Now

Size: 91,0 MB
Time: 39:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. When The Sun Comes Out (Feat. William Sperandei & The Bill King Trio) (4:37)
02. Loving You (Feat. Bill King) (3:05)
03. Starting Here, Starting Now (Feat. Mike Murley & The Bill King Trio) (4:04)
04. Gotta Move (Feat. Mike Murley, William Sperandei & The Bill King Trio) (3:36)
05. Any Moment Now (Feat. Gavin Hope & The Bill King Trio) (3:02)
06. Soon It's Gonna Rain (Feat. The Bill King Trio) (4:46)
07. I Don't Care Much (Feat. David Young & The Bill King Trio) (4:10)
08. I Had Myself A True Love (Feat. The Bill King Trio) (4:33)
09. Absent Minded Me (Feat. Bill King) (2:43)
10. Will Someone Ever Look At Me That Way (Feat. The Bill King Trio) (4:51)

It was the summer of 1976 when I found myself working under the baton of conductor/arranger, Peter Matz -- Emmy, Grammy award-winning Hollywood icon -- as part of The Carol Burnett Show in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. As music director for the Pointer Sisters, the four women had a twenty-minute feature half-way through Burnett and company's live show. Matz contributed a medley of Ellington tunes strung together with marvelous harmonic transitions and slight time changes for sisters.

Afternoons, Matz and I would congregate around the outdoor swimming pool of the MGM Grand and talk music. It was then I realized this was the same Peter Matz I'd spent hours absorbing his arrangements for Barbra Streisand's Third Album. I could hear the string section on "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered -- It Had To Be You" and "I had Myself A True Love," as if the great outdoors was an amphitheatre for the mind.

Years later, I would interview Matz and wife Marilyn Lovell Matz in Toronto. Both had become activists in the fight against AIDS. People, certain occasions, and chance encounters endure a lifetime . . . I met Cornelia Luna when she was 21 and worked with her on her one-woman show which sold-out 1,200 seats at the Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto. From the downbeat, I knew there was something special about her composure and self-assuredness on stage. Then came the voice; pure and clear tones, soaring notes, and excellent vocal control. I thought, what if we could work together beyond one brilliant evening. That didn't happen because the world and fate had other plans for her. Off Cornelia goes to Broadway and a twenty-year career performing in top venues and shows befitting this exquisite artist.

Cornelia and I reconnected, and began thinking of working together; a project we could collaborate on and the first to come to mind was the early music of Barbra Streisand. The music that captured our attention and spectacular vocalizing of Ms. Streisand. Cornelia and I began researching the early years -- the first recording, the specials -- "My Name Is Barbra," "Funny Lady," even the "Third Album" . . . songs that have gone unanswered through the years beyond Streisand's initial encounters. We then composed a list of songs, not a tribute album, to create a fresh take on the songs that have such great emotional range, lyrics with a story, melodies that surge and harmonies that are flexible for a piano-based jazz trio -- piano, bass, and drums -- songs that we could bring to life again.

Cornelia Luna and trio played the Jazz Bistro in Toronto and explored twenty selections from Streisand's catalog and the music began to take shape. The past was now the present. With Order Of Canada recipient, bassist Dave Young, the brilliant musicianship of drummer Mark Kelso, and me on piano, the trio instantly orchestrated as the songs underwent improvisational shifts and blending of rhythms and colors in support of vocalist, Luna.

The transformation was swift and re-birth inevitable. It was at that moment Cornelia Luna and I decided the right players were in place and the music would get a true makeover worthy of the recording studio.

Starting Here, Starting Now

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Dred Perky Scott & The Steve Rudolph Trio - Songs Of Christmas

Size: 130,8 MB
Time: 56:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Xmas
Art: Front

01. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (6:40)
02. The Christmas Song (6:45)
03. We Three Kings (8:11)
04. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (4:38)
05. What Child Is This (8:13)
06. O Little Town Of Bethlehem (5:49)
07. My Favorite Things (8:32)
08. Waltz For Debby (8:01)

"Songs of Christmas" by Dred "Perky" Scott & the Steve Rudolph Trio is a pretty awesome Jazz Christmas album.

Dred "Perky" Scott has been performing, off and on, since he was 11 (when he was known as "Little Perky Wonder"). He's traveled the world, working with all the great Jazz artists, but he always returns home to Central Pennsylvania. Scott , these days, is a pastor at the United Methodist Church in Baltimore. Additionally, the Rev. performs at churches throughout the region as part of his "Jazz in the Sanctuary" series.

Steve Rudolph is not just the pianist, but a long time composer, arranger, producer, and educator. He, too, has toured the globe and worked with the greats and near greats (even has the Mills Brothers on his resume). Steve had a Christmas album sans vocalist, "Christmas With The Steve Rudolph Trio", in 1999. Matt Wilson was his drummer for that one. Rudolph is also from Central PA and, though they are always doing their own thing, he and Scott have performed together regularly for 40+ years. They are brothers in Jazz, brothers from different mothers. They don't often record together, though, their best known collaboration being the album "Nine" from 2007.

Songs Of Christmas

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Marianne Trudel & Karen Young - Portraits: Songs Of Joni Mitchell

Size: 124,4 MB
Time: 53:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Man From Mars (5:27)
02. Cactus Tree (5:18)
03. The Dry Cleaner From The Moines (3:15)
04. Both Sides Now (6:31)
05. Cherokee Louise (5:25)
06. Shine (5:42)
07. Sunny Sunday (2:56)
08. Tin Angel (5:15)
09. California (4:02)
10. Last Chance Lost (4:13)
11. Borderline (5:44)

Marianne Trudel: Marianne Trudel is a multi-talented pianist, composer, improvisor, and arranger. A generous and engaging artist, a veritable powerhouse in Quebec and Canada's instrumental music scene, Marianne Trudel has presented multiple artistic projects that not only bring her considerable skills to the fore but also her keen sense of creativity. At once energetic and passionate, her music cross-cuts a wide swath of musical interests. Her moving, spellbinding music is not easily labelled, one of its many strengths.She has presented her music in various countries: Canada, United States, Mexico, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Italy, Hungary, Lituania, and China. She has published 6 recordings as a leader, all having garnered rave reviews (JUNO awards nominee, ADISQ and Prix Opus award).

Karen Young: Singer-composer and arranger Karen Young started her professional career with a single, folk song Garden of URSH, in 1971. In the mid 70's she discovered the Bebop vocals of the group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, which determined her never-ending passion for jazz. She received the Oscar Peterson prize of FIJM in 2016 and a career grant from CALQ (Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec) in 2008. She received two Felix awards; Best jazz album in 1988 for Contredanse with Michel Donato and Best vocal Classical album in 2008 for her album Âme, corps et désir (music of the 14th century). Karen Young has never refused a musical challenge, having sung in more than twenty languages. Going from the impossible charts of SMCQ to children's songs you can hear her voice on more than 40 albums.

Portraits

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