Andrew Hill - Nefertiti

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:32
Size: 98,4 MB
Art: Front

(14:10)  1. Blue Black
( 5:29)  2. Relativity
( 8:08)  3. Nefertiti
( 3:47)  4. Hattie
( 7:33)  5. Mudflower
( 3:23)  6. Unnatural Man

Originally recorded for the Japanese East Wind label and only made available domestically on a 1979 Inner City LP, this trio outing by pianist Andrew Hill also features bassist Richard Davis and drummer Roger Blank. Hill performs six of his unpredictable originals ("Nefertiti" is his tune, not the more famous composition by Wayne Shorter) and, although the music seems slightly more conservative than usual for a Hill set, the music is consistently stimulating; too bad it's so difficult to locate. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/nefertiti-mw0000311943

Personnel:  Andrew Hill, piano;  Richard Davis, bass;  Roger Blank, drums.

Nefertiti

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Rosemary Clooney - The Girl Singer

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:52
Size: 93,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:20)  1. Clap Hands! Here Comes Rosie
(2:59)  2. Without Love
(3:16)  3. How About You ?
(2:55)  4. How Am I To Know ?
(2:06)  5. Corazn De Melon (Watermelon Heart)
(2:27)  6. Angry
(1:47)  7. Buffalo Gals (with Bing Crosby)
(1:54)  8. Sweet Besty From Pike
(2:15)  9. Get Me To The Church On Time
(2:46) 10. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
(2:20) 11. Aren't You Glad You're You ?
(2:23) 12. Shine On Harvest Moon
(2:42) 13. Sway
(2:37) 14. Cabin In The Sky
(2:24) 15. Something's Gotta Give
(3:36) 16. Love Won't Let You Get Away (with Bing Crosby)

The Girl Singer, Rosemary Clooney's volume in the Bluebird's Best series, spotlights her talents as a swinging post-big band vocalist between 1958 and 1961, when she was basically hitless but still recording some great material (including many arrangements by Nelson Riddle and excellent duet albums recorded with Bing Crosby and Pérez Prado). Although 16 tracks for a digital-era compilation is basically short shrift, there are highlights galore  starting with "Clap Hands! Here Comes Rosie," a nice piece of fluff that introduced an album of the same name. Also great is an update (with Crosby) of "How About You?" to include references to Gypsy, Marlon Brando, and the Pittsburgh Pirates (Crosby was a co-owner). The two tracks with Prado find the exuberant Clooney matching the outboard orchestra. The Girl Singer also includes a version of "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" recorded in Nashville with Floyd Cramer and (probably) a Chet Atkins arrangement. (No, Cassandra Wilson wasn't the first to treat it as a vocal standard.) For jazz or vocal fans curious about a great vocalist but with no wish to revisit "Come on-a My House" or "This Ole House," The Girl Singer is a solid collection. 

~ John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-girl-singer-bluebird-mw0000979054

The Girl Singer

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Keith Brown - The Journey

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:02
Size: 156,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:24)  1. 4G
(5:14)  2. Close Your Eyes and Believe
(4:19)  3. Human Nature
(6:13)  4. Capt'n Kirk
(5:48)  5. Prelude for the One
(7:40)  6. The Journey
(4:50)  7. The Narrow Road
(7:33)  8. Ten Years of Turmoil
(6:02)  9. Deception of the Heart
(6:03) 10. F.R.C.
(3:02) 11. The Biscuit Man
(4:48) 12. (I've Got a) Golden Ticket

Son of Donald, one of the countless talents discovered by Art Blakey, and like him pianist, Keith Brown is not a well-known name. He has worked as a session man in various areas of black music, from soul to jazz, and has already recorded a good record in trio a few years ago. With 'The Journey', the young Brown raises the shot and offers us an ambitious job, a real journey through all his experiences as a musician, synthesized in a fresh jazz with a contemporary cut, innervated by soul, neo-soul, funk , hip-hop - colors, melodies, rhythms and arrangements are clear, even if the group is often acoustic. From this point of view, we can think of points of reference such as Lafayette Gilchrist and especially Russell Gunn , two true master predecessors in the synthesis between jazz and the rest of contemporary black music. 'The Journey' is a complex work, but never difficult: on the contrary, the themes are always very catchy, improvisations, certainly imaginative, work within the harmonic outline, unhinging it gradually, almost without attracting attention. Great importance of the prodigious battery of Terreon Gully, which makes an insistent use of rim-shot in short repeated, broken and recombined polyrhythm patterns, reproducing in this way the typical effect of hip-hop rhythms. On the sax we find musicians in the world such as Kenneth Whalum III, Greg Tardy and Jamal Mitchell, while the bass by Clint Mullican and the Mike Seal guitar complete the training by adding jazz-funk pulsations and further colors to the ensemble moments, arranged in a new way. soul. Ah, and Keith Brown? His style, percussive and bluesy, with considerable independence in his hands and a marked taste for melodic ornamentation and chiselling, is the direct son of musicians such as John Hicks and Kenny Kirkland (to whom 'Capt'n Kirk' is dedicated), to the youngest Marc Cary. Almost all the compositions - except for the 'Human Nature', where for the most part the sax repeat the theme while the rhythm section is unleashed, dictating the dynamics and the development of the piece, then releasing the tension at the time of the sax solos, and '(I've Got a) Golden Ticket' (yes, that of the classic 'Willie Wonka And The Chocolate Factory'!), enunciated by the piano that alludes to the stride, slowed in a wrap-around soul jazz by the band and finally closed by a suspended electric piano tail. To have heard it before, 'The Journey' would have finished straight into the top 10 of the past year. Patience. Beautiful album of pure modern jazz at the highest level, excellent also to bring neophytes closer to this music. (Negrodeath) Translate by Google http://freefalljazz.altervista.org/blog/?p=14914
 

Personnel:  Keith Brown on piano;  Terreon "Tank" Gully on drums;  Gregory Tardy on saxophones;  Kenneth Whalum III on saxophones;  Jamel Mitchell on saxophones;  Mike Seal on guitar;  Clint Mullican on bass

The Journey

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Chico Freeman - Tangents

Styles: Post-Bop, Progressive Jazz
Year: 1984
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:06
Size: 109,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:52)  1. Tangents
(5:40)  2. Sir Tashi And The Yetti
(3:23)  3. Ballad For Hakima
(5:12)  4. Fifty Tenth Street
(5:42)  5. Computerized Indifference
(4:59)  6. Sangoma And Nelly
(7:22)  7. You Are The One
(6:53)  8. Spook And Fade

An interesting if quite diverse set, this album is best remembered for featuring up-and-coming singer Bobby McFerrin on a few selections. McFerrin has his moments, as does tenor saxophonist Chico Freeman and such notable sidemen as altoist Steve Coleman, John Purcell on reeds, either Kenny Werner or Mark Thompson on piano, Freeman's longtime bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Hart, among others. 

The material (by Freeman, Thompson and Werner) is actually not that significant, and the date on a whole is less memorable than many of Chico Freeman's earlier sets, but it has its enjoyable spots. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/tangents-mw0000800513

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Steve Coleman;  Bass – Cecil McBee, John Koenig;  Drums – Billy Hart, James Bradley, Jr.;  Drums, Percussion – Frederick Waits;  Piano – Mark Thompson ;  Piano, Synthesizer – Kenny Werner;  Vibraphone – Jay Hoggard;  Vocals – Bobby McFerrin;  Woodwind – John Purcell;  Woodwind, Percussion – Chico Freeman

Tangents

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Eli Degibri - Soul Station (A Tribute to Hank Mobley)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 38:25
Size: 70,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:58)  1. Remember
(4:51)  2. This I Dig of You
(4:45)  3. Dig Dis
(8:32)  4. If I Should Lose You
(3:54)  5. Split Feelings
(4:58)  6. Soul Station
(5:23)  7. Dear Hank

You can understand why musicians cover entire albums when the subject is an epic like Kind of Blue or A Love Supreme. It’s a little harder to see what would prompt someone to do a track-by-track remake of saxophonist Hank Mobley’s Soul Station. It may be Mobley’s best record, but it doesn’t crack the 200 recommended recordings in either Ben Ratliff’s book of essential LPs or The Rough Guide to Jazz, and Mobley merits barely a passing mention in Ted Gioia’s landmark book The History of Jazz. Israeli saxophonist Eli Degibri, however, says Soul Station is his touchstone and lifelong inspiration. His challenge in covering the whole thing is to find something new to say through it. Degibri’s timbre is slighter and more pointed than Mobley’s round, warm tone, but his performance is no less expressive. His blowing is often reserved, to the point where one sometimes strains to hear him cut through the rhythm section. He takes several tunes at a slightly faster tempo than Mobley did, though one selection “If I Should Lose You,” the best tune here is slowed to a lush ballad. He switches to soprano sax a couple of times, whereas Mobley stuck to tenor. It would be hard to top Mobley’s rhythm section of pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Blakey, but Mobley’s group steps up. Pianist Tom Oren and bassist Tamir Shmerling both turn in nifty solos on the title tune, and drummer Eviatar Slivnik throws in extra fills on “Remember” rather than trying to imitate the legend who preceded him. Degibri adds an original composition, a nice piece called “Dear Hank” that sounds like it might be derived from “Blues in the Night.” Degibri’s is a good album, but aside from that gorgeously languid cover of “If I Should Lose You,” he hasn’t done enough to make Soul Station his own. 

~ Steve Greenlee https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/eli-degibri-soul-station/

Personnel: Eli Degibri:Tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; Tom Oren: Piano; Tamir Shmerling: Bass; Eviatar Slivnik: Drums

Soul Station (A Tribute to Hank Mobley)

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Bill Hardman - Focus

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:36
Size: 89,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:03)  1. Avila & Tequila
(6:19)  2. Cubicle
(6:07)  3. Too Little, Too Late
(5:39)  4. Focus
(9:14)  5. My One And Only Love
(5:11)  6. Minority

Always a bit underrated and overshadowed, trumpeter Bill Hardman was a solid soloist in the tradition of Clifford Brown. He led three Muse albums during 1978-81, of which this was the second. Matched as usual with his fellow hard bop stylist, tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, along with trombonist Slide Hampton, pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., bassist Leroy Williams and drummer Stafford James, Hardman is heard in top form on such numbers as Hank Mobley's "Avila & Tequila," Tadd Dameron's "Focus" and "Minority." ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/focus-mw0000923787

Personnel:  Bill Hardman - trumpet;  Junior Cook - tenor saxophone;  Slide Hampton - trombone;  Walter Bishop Jr. - piano;  Stafford James - bass;  Leroy Williams - drums;  Mark Elf - guitar

Focus

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Peggy Lee - The Man I Love / If You Go

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:12
Size: 174,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. The Man I Love
(4:14)  2. Please Be Kind
(4:05)  3. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe
(2:53)  4. Just One Way To Say I Love You
(2:55)  5. That's All
(3:16)  6. Something Wonderful
(4:13)  7. He's My Guy
(2:31)  8. Then I'll Be Tired Of You
(2:47)  9. My Heart Stood Still
(2:24) 10. If I Should Lose You
(3:40) 11. There Is No Greater Love
(3:40) 12. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
(2:52) 13. As Time Goes By
(2:43) 14. If You Go
(2:37) 15. Oh Love Hast Thou Forsaken Me
(2:58) 16. Say It Isn't So
(2:49) 17. I Wish I Didn't Love You So
(2:04) 18. Maybe It's Because (I Love You Too Much)
(2:48) 19. I'm Gonna Laugh You Out Of My Life
(2:49) 20. I Get Along Without You Very Well
(2:30) 21. (I Love Your) Gypsy Heart
(3:16) 22. When I Was A Child
(2:50) 23. Here's That Rainy Day
(2:21) 24. Smile

Digitally remastered edition of 2LP's on a single CD of two truly classic albums from one of the greatest female vocalists of all time. Miss Lee made more than 700 recordings and more than 60 albums. Her own favorite album, 'The Man I Love,' was recorded in 1957 with arrangements by Nelson Riddle and an orchestra conducted by Frank Sinatra . 'If You Go' includes laid back themes with stunnning arrangements from Quincy Jones. 

~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Man-Love-If-You-Go/dp/B000005RRT

The Man I Love / If You Go

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Stéphane Grappelli - Le Toit de Paris

Styles: Swing, Gypsy
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:18
Size: 87,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:40)  1. Rain Check
(3:44)  2. Camélia
(3:11)  3. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
(3:16)  4. Andrée
(3:27)  5. What Am I Here For
(2:39)  6. Tabou
(2:34)  7. Denise
(3:02)  8. Flamingo
(2:25)  9. Time On My Hands
(2:26) 10. Zelda
(2:47) 11. Anna
(2:20) 12. Light
(1:40) 13. So Long

Stephane Grappelli's career was beginning to take off once again around the time of this 1969 session in Paris; the swinging violinist is accompanied by pianist Raymond Fol, guitarist Tony Ovio, bassist Jack Sewing, and drummer Andre Hartmann. While the leader and his pianist play rather well, the rest of the rhythm section is burdened by Ovio's rather hackneyed accompaniment. The best tracks are the standards, including a very brisk "Rain Check" and "What Am I Here For" (the latter of which opens with a bit of pizzicato violin), as well as a breakneck "Tabou" (sometimes spelled "Taboo" or "Tabu" on other records). Less inspired are labored renditions of "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)" and "Time on My Hands." One factor separating this date from the typical Grappelli release is the heavier concentration of original material; Grappelli contributed two fairly nondescript ballads ("Andree" and "Light") and the intense swinger "Denise," while Fol penned the bland ballad "Camelia" and a somewhat corny waltz, "Anna." Fol switches to celeste on a couple of numbers, neither of which are particularly remarkable. An odd note on the back cover apologizes for using the original album cover art with the leader's name misspelled Stephane Grappelly, which was actually the original spelling and the way he still signed autographs 20 years after the recording session! While this album (reissued on CD by RCA France in 1994) is hardly a prime example from Stephane Grappelli's considerable discography, there are enough enjoyable tracks for swing fans to considering purchasing it. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/le-toit-de-paris-mw0000530949

Personnel:  Violin -  Stéphane Grappelli;  Bass – Jack Sewing;  Drums – Andre Hartman;  Guitar – Tony Ovio;  Piano – Raymond Fol

Le Toit de Paris

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Curtis Mayfield - Curtis

Styles: Soul, Funk
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:43
Size: 95,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:52)  1. (Don't Worry) If There's Hell Below We're All Gonna Go
(4:03)  2. The Other Side of Town
(3:44)  3. The Making of You
(6:05)  4. We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue
(8:55)  5. Move on Up
(3:00)  6. Miss Black America
(3:18)  7. Wild and Free
(3:43)  8. Give It Up

The first solo album by the former leader of the Impressions, Curtis represented a musical apotheosis for Curtis Mayfield  indeed, it was practically the "Sgt. Pepper's" album of '70s soul, helping with its content and its success to open the whole genre to much bigger, richer musical canvases than artists had previously worked with. All of Mayfield's years of experience of life, music, and people were pulled together into a rich, powerful, topical musical statement that reflected not only the most up-to-date soul sounds of its period, finely produced by Mayfield himself, and the immediacy of the times and their political and social concerns, but also embraced the most elegant R&B sounds of the past. As a producer, Mayfield embraced the most progressive soul sounds of the era, stretching them out compellingly on numbers like "Move on Up," but he also drew on orchestral sounds (especially harps), to achieve some striking musical timbres (check out "Wild and Free"), and wove all of these influences, plus the topical nature of the songs, into a neat, amazingly lean whole. There was only one hit single off of this record, "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Down Below We're All Going to Go," which made number three, but the album as a whole was a single entity and really had to be heard that way. ~ Bruce Eder https://www.allmusic.com/album/curtis-mw0000112083
 

Personnel:  Musicians - Leonard Druss, John Howell, Harold Lepp, Loren Binford, Clifford Davis, Patrick Ferreri, Richard Single, Rudolph Stauber, Donald Simmons, Robert Lewis, Harold Dessent, Ronald Kolber, Harold Klatz, John Ross, Sol Bobrob, Sam Heiman, Elliot Golub, Henry Gibson, Robert Sims, Gary Slabo, Philip Upchurch

Curtis

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Roy Brooks - Beat

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:13
Size: 71,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:16)  1. Homestretch
(4:48)  2. If You Could See Me Now
(4:36)  3. Passin' The Buck
(4:31)  4. Soulin'
(5:07)  5. Soulsphere
(6:54)  6. My Secret Passion

Recorded for Berry Gordy's short-lived Workshop Jazz imprint, Roy Brooks' simply but authoritatively titled Beat fuses the intellectual rigors of the modern idiom with the physical prowess of soul-jazz to create a record of uncommon scope and reach. Working with Horace Silver Quintet colleagues Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook, and Gene Taylor alongside Detroit contemporaries George Bohannon and Hugh Lawson, Brooks channels influences spanning the breadth of the Motor City scene, resulting in a clutch of challenging but engaging performances with the unmistakable patina of the embryonic Motown sound. While their technical proficiency is stunning, Brooks' rhythms never lose sight of the almighty groove, and for its hard bop stridency, the record has the proverbial good beat and you can dance to it. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/album/beat-mw0000383433

Personnel: Drums – Roy Brooks;  Bass – Eugene Taylor;  Piano – Hugh Lawson;  Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax] – Junior Cook;  Trombone – George Bohanon;  Trumpet – Blue Mitchell

Beat

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Alex Sipiagin - Destinations Unknown

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:46
Size: 171,5 MB
Art: Front

( 8:35)  1. Next Stop - Tsukiji
(11:42)  2. Videlles
(11:52)  3. Tempest in A Tea Cup
(11:14)  4. Fermata Scandola
(11:30)  5. Calming
(12:50)  6. Fast Forward
( 7:00)  7. Meu Canario Vizinho Azul

Life on the road can often wear musicians down, but it can also inspire them to great heights. Trumpeter Alex Sipiagin's travels took him to Taiwan, Spain, Italy, France, Japan and Holland in the months preceding the recording session for this album in January, 2011 and each one of those locales helped to stir his creative impulses. This gripping session of heart-pounding jazz, which possesses the edge and attitude delivered by New York modernists, is the end result of a compositional process that began in each one of those distant places, and Sipiagin's sojourns in foreign lands helped to produce what may very well be his most bracing music yet. The three-horn frontline from the trumpeters' Equilibrium (Criss Cross, 2009), featuring alto saxophonist David Binney and tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, is reunited here, and sparks fly frequently. When all three men collide, they craft snaking lines that weave and bob in vibrant fashion ("Videlles"), but it only takes two to tango, as demonstrated by Potter and Binney on Sipiagin's "Fast Forward." Both saxophonists take pleasure in giving one another a near-simultaneous tongue-lashing as their flights of fancy reach fever pitch. 

While Sipiagin's shared history with both saxophonists certainly contributes to the frenetic-but-focused sound of the frontline, it's his relationship with the rhythm section that helps to shape the music from the ground up. Bassist Boris Kozlov and Sipiagin have shared more than record dates, with both men having attended the Gnessin Conservatory in Moscow together and rooming together after they came to the United States in the '90s, and Kozlov is completely locked into his longtime friend's musical mindset. His bass riffs help to establish direction in odd-metered surroundings ("Videlles" and "Fermata Scandola") and his hook-up with drummer Eric Harland is palpable. Harland who has worked with Sipiagin in bassist Dave Holland's sextet continues to be the sorcerer of kaleidoscopic groove-tweaking, as he constantly toys with the beat using expansive rhythmic ideals and his stellar technique to serve each song. Craig Taborn's Fender Rhodes often shimmers in a relaxed fashion, in deference to the more heated statements from the horn players, but he cooks albeit with a slightly lower flame when it counts ("Fermata Scandola"). When he switches to piano, as on the mystical and propulsive "Fast Forward," his playing takes on a paranoid intensity that fires up the rest of the band. While the lengthy works on this album prove to be complex labyrinths of time, space and sound, they never lose direction. Sipiagin's trumpet serves as the compass that always points in the right direction, as his band travels to Destinations Unknown. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/destinations-unknown-alex-sipiagin-criss-cross-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Alex Sipiagin: trumpet; Chris Potter: tenor saxophone; David Binney: alto saxophone; Craig Taborn: piano, fender rhodes; Boris Kozlov: bass; Eric Harland: drums.

Destinations Unknown

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Bernadette Seacrest and Her Yes Men - No More Music By The Suckers

Styles: Vocal, Cabaret
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:43
Size: 91,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:50)  1. My Man
(3:38)  2. Tango New
(4:33)  3. Cold Bed
(1:50)  4. Lullaby Low Bass
(2:07)  5. Dream A Little Dream
(4:06)  6. Her Tears Break My Heart
(4:18)  7. So Cruel
(3:25)  8. Aint Misbehavin
(5:51)  9. Body And Soul
(4:05) 10. Salvation
(2:54) 11. Strange Fruit

"At first one might think the greatest benefit of the lounge-y torch song revival is the idea of a smoky-voiced chanteuse sporting tattoos  mmm...classic beauty+punk sensibility=yummy. But Albuquerque's Bernadette Seacrest could be dressed in business casual for all we care. After all, she posses one of those rare voices that summons up romantic demons, lost loves and well-made cocktails. Her new CD, "No More Music By the Suckers", is a tapestry of slick noir ballads and sweet melodies. And you know what? Maybe the tatts are pretty cool too." ~ The Santa Fe Reporter

"Seacrest, whose last gig was with the Albuquerque rockabilly outfit The Long Goners, has evolved into a tattooed chanteuse specializing in jazzy, torchy and extremely tunes with a band featuring a double bass, sax and trombone. While Seacrest's voice is the main draw here, don't forget The Yes Men, who create the dangerous atmosphere. Grimes' bass is a major component on most cuts. And sometimes the horn section sounds like they're engaging in a gang rumble." ~The Santa Fe New Mexican

"Her sultry, silky voice spreads across the room like a lush, warm blanket of velvet and ably pays homage to the composers and performers who made those songs so unforgettable in the first place." ~Albuquerque Journal

"You can practically smell the cigarrette smoke and taste the bootleg booze of a speakeasy club when you listen to the music of this retro swinging group. Lead singer Bernadette Seacrest has a sultry voice perfectly backed by a group of able jazz musicians." ~ music.download.com https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/bsahym

Personnel:  Bernadette Seacrest - Vocals;  Michael Grimes - Double Bass, Guitar, Organ, Melodica;  Aaron Cummings - Saxophones, Clarinet;Noah Thomas – Trumpet;  Jason Aspeslet - Drums, Percussion

No More Music By The Suckers

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Adrian Raso - C´est La Vie

Styles: Guitar Jazz, Gypsy Swing
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:38
Size: 104,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:40)  1. Hot Club Swing
(2:36)  2. Biltmore Blues
(2:52)  3. Tango De La Noche
(2:51)  4. Antonio's Strut
(6:58)  5. Swing Sagarese
(2:34)  6. Until Tomorrow
(3:39)  7. Bireli's Waltz
(3:10)  8. My Darling
(2:34)  9. C'est La Vie
(2:26) 10. Limehouse Blues
(2:29) 11. C'est La Vie (Drum Mix)
(2:39) 12. Biltmore Blues (Drum Mix)
(2:31) 13. Swing Sagarese (Drum Mix)
(2:51) 14. Antonio's Strut (Drum Mix)
(2:42) 15. Hot Club Swing (Drum Mix)

Adrian Raso is a respected guitarist/composer from Guelph, Ontario, Canada.  Adrian has recorded 2 instrumental EPs, Supersonic Music Man (1999) and the self-titled Adrian Raso (2001) and in 2004, he recorded his first full-length electric album, Electric Medusa.  In 2005, Adrian released an all-acoustic album, Black Mamba, which was recorded, mixed, and mastered at Metalworks Studios in Toronto, Ontario.  This CD featured Adrian’s stunning versatility and musicianship over a variety of styles, ranging from Gypsy to Latin flavours. This album is a fine example of the balance between commercially accepted music that is also readily embraced by the technically-minded musician. In 2006, Adrian released his second full-length all-acoustic album called Tales of a Travelling Bohemian.  This fiery, passionate guitar-driven CD accentuates his ease of moving from Middle-Eastern to Mediterranean to Gypsy styles of music.  The 14 tracks on this disc will no doubt take you to far and distant lands. Reviews regarding Adrian’s body of work consider him a guitar virtuoso, an exceptional songwriter, and his jaw-dropping live shows never fail to impress.  Favourable reviews and critical acclaim has led to Adrian being commissioned to write original music for independent film and theatre productions, and artist endorsements from the Godin Guitars Company, Gitane Guitars, and Biltmore Hats.  Adrian has also been featured in many magazines, on CBC, and most recently composed a song for the latest Canadian YMCA campaign. Adrian and his band are currently on a 200-date tour, booked solidly into 2007, playing at various Indigo-Chapters Bookstores all across Ontario, as well as festivals and private corporate functions. Proceeds from Adrian’s discs go to the London Children’s Hospital, in memory of his daughter, Ava Amelie. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/adrianraso4

C´est La Vie

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Brandon Willis - First Time

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:14
Size: 90,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:56)  1. Cruisin'
(4:40)  2. As Long As It Takes
(3:03)  3. Missin' You
(6:19)  4. All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)
(4:40)  5. Stay With Me
(4:00)  6. Tenderly
(4:34)  7. First Time
(3:40)  8. Always On My Mind
(4:17)  9. Duplicity

Brandon Willis is a 25 year old saxophonist from Newcastle, Washington that brings a soulful sound and charismatic persona to the northwest jazz scene. Under the tutelage of nationally acclaimed saxophonist Darren Motamedy, Brandon has played for years in the Seattle area. Six months before he was born, his parents attended a jazz concert by local smooth jazz artist Darren Motamedy. Sixteen years later in 2008, Brandon was performing alongside Motamedy at local jazz clubs as he pursues a career in music.A recent graduate of the University of Washington with a B.A. in Political Science, his eagerly anticipated debut album titled “First Time” is now available. Developed with the likes of pianist/arranger Eugene Bien, Kenny G’s touring guitarist John Raymond, and keyboardist Donyea Goodman, Brandon aims to re-vitalize contemporary jazz with his abundant instrumental talent. In November of 2012, Brandon was presented with the opportunity to open for Grammy nominated saxophonist Gerald Albright & Grammy winning guitarist Norman Brown at Seattle University; a performance that he calls one of his most inspired to date. Click on the Video tab to watch an excerpt from the concert. Following the successful debut of Brandon Willis’s album “First Time”, he spent the next few years playing shows around the U.S preparing for his second album. In a genre saturated with sax players Brandon took the next step by finding a producer | songwriter capable of making him stand out from the crowd. He found GRAMMY® nominee, producer and label owner Nate Harasim. They quickly began working on the “Brandon Willis | Harasim” sound, prevalent on the new single “IMPACT” and make an “IMPACT” it does. With Harasim’s production and Willis’s sax playing, a #1 hit isn't far off. Brandon signed with M1 Records in late 2016 after showing President Nate Harasim and Vice President Sandy McGraw a promising outlook on the “New” contemporary jazz sound.They are currently preparing for Brandon’s March 2017 album release with live performances being booked , and a national radio tour being scheduled. An old school boots on the ground approach to the music, performance and artistry is set to make a big “IMPACT” in a genre that needs fresh, energetic, young talent. Brandon frequently performs at venues in the Seattle area, and also performs at private events. To inquire about booking Brandon for your event, please contact him via the "Contact" tab. http://www.brandonwillismusic.com/

First Time

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Danny Gatton's Redneck Jazz Explosion - Recorded Live December 31, 1978

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:18
Size: 131,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:30)  1. Opus De Funk
(9:23)  2. Song of India
(2:22)  3. Raisin' The Dickens
(9:49)  4. Killer Joe
(5:57)  5. Rock Candy
(6:14)  6. Land Of Make Believe - Tequila
(7:31)  7. Little Darlin'
(4:18)  8. Comin' Home, Baby
(2:10)  9. Famous Blue Raincoat - Nutcracker (sound check)

Few recordings can match the immediacy, the exhilaration, and the untamed virtuosity heard on this disc. Danny Gatton was a relatively unknown guitar master comfortable with myriad styles when he first hooked up with steel guitar force Buddy Emmons in 1977. Emmons, like Gatton a musical omnivore, had for two decades been one of Nashville's premier musicians, and when the two joined forces for the first time, the synergy was amazing and the compatibility was magical. After a few occasional gigs throughout 1978, the pair finally toured as the Redneck Jazz Explosion, a group that melded the jazz sensibility with country, blues, bluegrass, rock, and more, thereby moving beyond any simple categorization. 

This remarkable set comes from a New Year's Eve 1978 show in Gatton's native D.C., and it finds two incredibly talented men playing in an uninhibited but focused fashion. In terms of sheer technical prowess, Gatton and Emmons had few peers on their respective instruments, but what sets this collaboration apart is how speed and agility balances so nicely with feeling and creativity. The short-lived Explosion stands as one of the great instrumental ensembles, a lightning-in-a-bottle partnership that thankfully is documented on this essential recording. ~ Marc Greilsamer https://www.amazon.com/Redneck-Jazz-Explosion-Recorded-December/dp/B000001XR0

Personnel:  Guitar – Danny Gatton;  Bass – Steve Wolf;  Drums – Scott Taylor;  Pedal Steel Guitar – Buddy Emmons

Recorded Live December 31, 1978

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Eric Wyatt - Borough of Kings

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:32
Size: 130,2 MB
Art: Front

( 5:58)  1. The Peoples Champ
( 7:12)  2. One for Hakim
( 7:25)  3. Borough of Kings
( 4:15)  4. Can He Come Out
( 8:10)  5. Ancient Chinese Secrets
(10:19)  6. Quest
( 6:35)  7. Countdown
( 6:35)  8. What Would I Do Without You

The borough of Kings (County) a.k.a. Brooklyn, NY has been saxophonist Eric Wyatt's home base from birth. It was there that he was exposed to jazz, met some of the legends of the music, and began to forge his own voice on saxophone. Here, on his fifth album to date, he delivers an intense brew that speaks volumes about what he's learned during his time in Brooklyn. Wyatt is a no holds barred player with an edge to his work. Thankfully, he found some simpatico quartet mates that are willing and able to match his energy level on this outing. Pianist Benito Gonzalez delivers strong-hammered support, intriguing right hand lines tempered by a firm left hand, and spiky suggestions, playing the post-modern McCoy Tyner role to Wyatt's John Coltrane. Drummer Shinnosuke Takahashi pummels his drums and pushes the band on most occasions, but he's able to adjust to climates that call for a little more restraint without much of a problem. Bassist Ameen Saleem, the final piece of the puzzle, serves as the connective tissue of the band. He bounds along beneath it all, playing around and playing off of Gonzalez and Takahashi. There are a few places where he almost gets muscled out of the aural picture by his heavy-hitting band mates, but it's usually not an issue. Six of the eight tracks on Borough Of Kings are Wyatt originals, with Gonzalez's "Quest" and a slamming-turned-settled take on Coltrane's "Countdown" filling out the program. Wyatt's writing, no surprise, can occasionally fall into the "Coltrane-ish" category note the dark-lined, bluesy "One For Hakim" and the spiritual introduction to the up-tempo title track but he has other tricks up his sleeve. "The Peoples Champ" is a focused and fiery number that balances darkness and light; "Can He Come Out," which features trumpeter Duane Eubanks and has Kyle Poole taking over the drum chair, is pure funky fun; and everybody has a ball on the straightforward-and-swinging "What Would I Do Without You," which brings trombonist Clifton Anderson into the picture. The aforementioned guests help to add another dimension to the music, but this remains Wyatt's show. His stentorian saxophone navigates the ship through some exciting twists and turns, making Borough Of Kings a high-energy thrill ride from start to finish. 

~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/borough-of-kings-eric-wyatt-posi-tone-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Eric Wyatt: saxophones, flute; Benito Gonzalez: piano; Ameen Saleem: bass; Shinnosuke Takahashi: drums; Duane Eubanks: trumpet (4); Kyle Poole: drums (4); Duane Eubanks: trumpet (4); Clifton Anderson: trombone (8).

Borough of Kings

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Rebecca Hardiman - My Father's Business

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:10
Size: 93,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:45)  1. Oh Boy, What Joy
(3:54)  2. Lack, You Have to Get Back
(5:18)  3. With the Words of My Mouth
(4:09)  4. What a Great Salvation
(4:10)  5. My Father's Business
(3:49)  6. Your Yoke Is Easy
(6:57)  7. It's In Him / Psalm 116
(3:41)  8. The Joy and the Strength of the Lord
(4:23)  9. I'll Only Believe

Rebecca started her professional career with the Boston based vocal jazz group The Ritz, performing at the 1987 Montreal Jazz Festival as well as jazz clubs throughout the country.  While with The Ritz, she recorded a CD entitled The Ritz for Denon Columbia Records. Rebecca moved to Portland Oregon in 1990 and started the vocal jazz group Euphoria, performing throughout the Northwest for over a decade, most notably opening for Mel Torme’ in 1993 at the Hult Center in Eugene Oregon.  In 2013 she embarked on a solo career and quickly became a favorite vocalist with jazz musicians. 

Rebecca’s style is often compared to Ella Fitzgerald, June Christy, and Doris Day.  Rebecca is also a co-founder of the annual Aurora Colony Vineyards Jazz Festival, and has helped develop several jazz venues in the Willamette Valley area in her home state of Oregon.  She performs throughout the Northwest, as well as jazz clubs and various venues in New England, Hawaii, and California. 

Her CD’s include: The Ritz (1987), My Father’s Business (2009) I’ll Remember April (2013), Easy Living (2015), The Merriest (2016), Honoring Ella:A 100th Birthday Tribute (2017). http://www.rebeccahardiman.com/bio/

My Father's Business

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Horacio Fumero & Albert Bover - Caminhos Cruzados

Styles: Post Bop, Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:28
Size: 129,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:40)  1. Chimango
(4:43)  2. Fall
(5:09)  3. Monk's dream
(8:10)  4. El corazón al sur
(5:43)  5. Raynald's doubt
(8:19)  6. Virgo
(6:49)  7. The meaning of the blues
(6:43)  8. Caminhos cruzados
(7:08)  9. Carancho

Born in Cañada Rosquín, province of Santa Fe, Argentina, in 1949, he studied at the Manuel De Falla Conservatory in Buenos Aires and at the Conservatoire Superieur de Musique in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1973 he traveled to Europe with Gato Barbieri to participate in the Montreux Jazz Festival and make several tours of the main European Jazz Festivals (Warsaw, Rome, Paris, Stockholm, Madrid, Zagreb, Copenhagen). Residing in Geneva, he continued his studies and collaborated with La Orquestre a 'Cordes de Lausanne and with various jazz groups in Switzerland. In 1980 he settled in Barcelona. Since 1981 he was part of the stable trio of Tete Montoliu with whom he worked continuously until his death in 1997. With the trio, or as a freelance also, he worked with, among others, Freddie Hubbard, Johnny Griffin, Horace Parlan, Danilo Perez, Joe Newman, Harry "sweets" Edison, Philip Catherine, Geoge Cables, Idris Muhammad, Bobby Hutcherson, Cedar Walton, Sal Nistico, Jerome Richardson, Oliver Jones, Woody Shaw, Benny Golson, James Moody, etc. He has performed as a soloist with the Orquestra de Cambra of the Teatre Lliure of Barcelona, the Symphony Orchestra of Granada, the ONE (National Orchestra of Spain), the Chamber Orchestra "Andrés Segovia" of Madrid; also with Lalo Schiffrin and the OCB (Barcelona Symphony Orchestra). In the field of Flamenco he has worked with artists such as Chano Dominguez, Martirio, Chicuelo, Mayte Martin, Ginesa Ortega, with Miguel Poveda he recorded the CD "Coplas del querer", awarded as Best Spanish Song Album at the Music Awards 2010 and with the newly released DÚO with Pedro Javier González (guitar). He works regularly with the majority of soloists living in our country: Lluis Vidal, Albert Bover, David Xirgu, Gorka Benitez, Jorge Pardo, Jose Reinoso, Antonio Serrano, Manel Camp, Jordi Bonell, Raynald Colom, etc.  While with musicians from Argentina he usually collaborates with Rodolfo Mederos, Pablo Mainetti, Adrián Iaies, Susana Rinaldi, Horacio Ferrer, Luis Salinas, Liliana Herrero, etc. Since 1999 he has been called by the SGAE to act in the editions of the Concierto Homage to Tete Montoliu. He has received different recognitions such as the prizes for his professional career in the newspaper El Mundo (Madrid), La Bilbaína, Rojales (Murcia) and MiraJazz (Miranda de Ebro); Jazz between friends (TVE) 1989; Enderroc Magazine (Barcelona) Best Jazz Artist 2006; Grammy nomination with Adrián Iaies, Association of Jazz Music of Catalonia and the JazzTerrasMan 2013 of Terrassa. Horacio Fumero lives in Barcelona, is a professor at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC) and the Superior Conservatory of the Liceu de BCN. http://horaciofumero.com/web/?page_id=8

Personnel:  Albert Bover (piano), Horacio Fumero (bass)

Caminhos cruzados

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Roy Brooks & the Artistic Truth - Black Survival

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:13
Size: 67,1 MB
Art: Front

( 5:04)  1. Black Survival
( 4:09)  2. Black Survival - Here and Now
( 7:30)  3. Sahel
(10:15)  4. Relief
( 2:15)  5. Black Survival - Prologue

"Roy Brooks and the Artistic Truth's Black Survival album is a true holy-grail for deep and spritual jazz collectors around the world. Black Survival is reissued here, digitally remastered and cased in bespoke original artwork exact reproduction on hardboard Japanese-style box case CD. This album was originally independently released to raise funds to combat the ongoing drought in the Sahel region of Africa (an area covering parts of Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Chad, Darfur, Sudan and Ethiopia). In his long and distinguished career, the legendary Detroit-born drummer Brooks played with everyone from Yusef Lateef, Pharoah Sanders, Max Roach, Charles Mingus. From 1959-64 he was in the Horace Silver Quintet performing on classic Blue Note albums such as Song For My Father. During his lifetime Brooks released precious few solo albums. His debut, Beat, was released in 1963 on Motown's then new off-shoot jazz label Jazz Workshop. His connection with his hometown label dated back to his time working with The Four Tops. In 1972, Brooks formed the Artistic Truth. Black Survival, the Sahel Concert at the Town Hall was originally released on the small independent Im-Hotep Records in Harlem in 1974 (which also released Brook's earlier Ethnic Expressions). After many years on the New York jazz scene, Brooks returned to Detroit in 1975, where he continued to perform with the Artistic Truth as well as forming the collective Musicians United to Save Indigenous Culture (MUSIC) along with Strata founder Kenny Cox and members of the Tribe collective, Wendell Harrison and Harold McKinney."

Personnel:  Bass – Reggie Workman;  Congas – Lawrence Williams;  Drums – Roy Brooks;  Oboe – John Stubberfield;  Piano – Joe Bonner;  Saxophone – Sonny Fortune;  Trumpet – Cecil Bridgewater;  Vocals – Dee Dee Bridgewater, JorDora Marshall

Black Survival

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William Ash - Moonlight And Stars

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:33
Size: 163,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:07)  1. Willie's Tempo
(6:45)  2. Moonlight And Stars
(6:43)  3. Soon
(5:14)  4. Caravan
(6:24)  5. Never Let Me Go
(6:09)  6. Joanne
(8:36)  7. Blues For Paul
(4:34)  8. Small Crawl
(6:45)  9. Jump Start
(4:23) 10. Parker's Waltz
(5:22) 11. Song For Mitch
(4:27) 12. Ella

William Ash has been playing guitar most of his young life. He began learning the instrument at the age of nine, and by the time he was twelve he was working hard at mastering Wes Montgomery's style. During his high school years William studied with Barry Harris and Rodney Jones, and won the Young Talent Search of the National Association of Jazz Educators (NAJE), as well as the McDonald's Combo Contest. This led to him performing as a soloist with a big band at the Oakland Jazz Festival at the request of Buddy Montgomery, brother of the late Wes. William has continued to work as a sideman with a host of jazz legends, including Jack McDuff, Cecil Payne, Roy Hargrove, and Larry Goldings. On his own instrument, William acknowledges Wes Montgomery as a major influence, and William has been selected several times to appear in tributes to Montgomery. William's style emerges from his experiences playing with the great bop masters, as well as from playing in hard-driving organ combos with the likes of John Patton and Bobby Forrester, and you can clearly hear how he combines twisting bop melodies with deep groove. William Ash astounds on guitar, performing in a hard-swinging trio setting. William deploys his craft sincerely, and without guile, always drawing on his deep jazz roots. "a soulfully mellow sound with a driving dynamic approach" ~ All About Jazz

Personnel: Acoustic Bass – Paul Gil; Acoustic Guitar – William Ash; Drums – Jimmy Madison , Mark Taylor

Moonlight And Stars

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