Scott Hamilton - Late Night Christmas Eve: Romantic Sax With Strings

Styles: Saxophone, Christmas
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:54
Size: 135,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:44)  1. The Christmas Song (Chestnust Roasting On An Open Fire)
(5:29)  2. I'll Be Home For Christmas
(5:24)  3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
(6:02)  4. Little Drummer Boy
(5:15)  5. Christmas Waltz
(3:34)  6. Winter Wonderland
(4:46)  7. Greensleeves (What Child Is This?)
(4:58)  8. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
(6:29)  9. White Christmas
(4:47) 10. Bell Carol Blues
(6:22) 11. Christmas Love Song

When Scott Hamilton appeared in the mid-'70s fully formed with an appealing swing style on tenor (mixing Zoot Sims and Ben Webster), he caused a minor sensation few other young players during the fusion era were exploring pre-bop jazz at his high level. He began playing when he was 16 and developed quickly, moving to New York in 1976. Hamilton played with Benny Goodman in the late '70s, but he has mostly performed as a leader, sometimes sharing the spotlight with Warren Vaché, Ruby Braff, Rosemary Clooney, the Concord Jazz All-Stars, or George Wein's Newport Jazz Festival All-Stars. Other than a few sessions for Famous Door and Progressive, Hamilton has recorded a prolific string of dates for many labels often more than two a year that are notable for their consistency and solid swing. Highlights of his 21st century dates include 2010's Live at Nefertiti with the Scandinavian Five and 'Round Midnight in duo with pianist Harry Allen in 2012. In 2014, Fremeaux & Associes released Scott Hamilton Plays with the Dany Doriz Caveau de la Huchette Orchestra one of five albums issued under his name that year. Scott Hamilton Plays Jule Styne was issued in 2015, which also netted a handful of dates. La Rosita, with Dena DeRose, Ignasi González, and Jo Krause, marked his debut for Discmedi in 2016 it was the third year in a row in which he issued five albums. 2017 was right on pace, with three albums by mid-year including Things We Did Last Summer w/Champian Fulton, Ballads for Audiophiles, and his second date for Discmedi, Shadow of Your Smile. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/scott-hamilton-mn0000254879/biography

Late Night Christmas Eve: Romantic Sax With Strings

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Musica Nuda - Musica Nuda

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:35
Size: 117,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:32)  1. Eleanor Rigby
(3:18)  2. Roxanne
(4:20)  3. Prendila Così
(3:56)  4. Run With Me
(3:50)  5. I Will Survive
(2:29)  6. Guarda Che Luna
(0:58)  7. Maledetto Sia L'aspetto
(1:56)  8. Blackbird
(3:38)  9. Sacrifice
(2:36) 10. How Intro - How Insensive
(1:50) 11. Voglio Di Vita Uscir
(3:00) 12. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
(1:37) 13. Nessuno
(6:06) 14. Nature Boy
(8:24) 15. Imagine

Comprised of vocalist Petra Magoni and bassist Ferruccio Spinetti, Musica Nuda are an Italian vocal jazz-pop duo whose popularity carried over to neighboring countries, especially France, during the mid-2000s. Born in Pisa, Tuscany, on July 28, 1972, Magoni studied music at the Conservatory of Leghorn and at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Milan. A versatile singer, she performed opera at the Teatro Verdi in Pisa early in her career while at the same time fronting a local rock group, Senza Freni. Petra Magoni (1996) marked her full-length solo album debut and was followed by a second solo album, Mulini a Vento (1997). She subsequently adopted the moniker Sweet Anima and released an eponymous album of English-language songs written by Lucio Battisti in 2000. In addition, she collaborated with Giampaolo Antoni in the electro-pop duo Aromatic, which resulted in the album Still Alive (2004). Most successful among her recording ventures, however, was Musica Nuda, a vocal jazz-pop collaboration with Piccola Orchestra Avion Travel bassist Ferruccio Spinetti that made its critically acclaimed eponymous album debut in 2004. Comprised primarily of well-known standards, many of them in English (e.g., the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby"), the album was later licensed for reissue internationally by the Bonsaï Music label. While the duo's eponymous debut proved successful from a critical standpoint, the follow-up album, Musica Nuda 2 (2006), was internationally successful from a commercial standpoint as well, breaking into the French albums chart for seven weeks. Running two discs and 27 songs in length, Musica Nuda 2 features numerous guests. In the midst of their international breakthrough success, Magoni and Spinetti released a pair of live recordings: a video, Live in Paris (2006); and an album, Live à Fip (2007). A third studio album, 55/21 (2008), followed shortly thereafter. ~ Jason Birchmeier https://www.allmusic.com/artist/musica-nuda-mn0002115936/biography

Musica Nuda

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Tom Grant - You Hardly Know Me

Styles: Piano, Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:35
Size: 110,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:52)  1. The Imposter
(3:52)  2. Heaven Is Waiting - Radio Mix
(3:58)  3. Whatever Feels Right
(3:47)  4. So Free
(3:45)  5. Workers of the World
(4:00)  6. You Hardly Know Me
(4:35)  7. High School Fantasies
(4:26)  8. Big Charlie
(4:27)  9. Brain Damage
(5:08) 10. Heaven Is Waiting - Extended Edit
(5:41) 11. Heaven Is Waiting - 12" Mix

Tom Grant, who has impressive technique and a likable style, has spent most of his recording career making music that purposely appeals to a wide crossover audience, combining jazz with pop and R&B. His father was a tap dancer who owned a record store and his older brother Mike played piano. When he was four, Grant began playing piano and drums. He graduated from the University of Oregon and then went to New York with Jim Pepper's Pow Wow band. He earned a masters degree in education and was teaching high-school social studies in Portland when Woody Shaw heard him playing at a weekend after-hours gig. Shaw offered Grant a job with his group and the experience soon led to more extensive work with Joe Henderson, Dexter Gordon, Charles Lloyd, and Tony Williams (1979-1981). Grant cut his first solo record in 1976 for Timeless and in 1979 he formed his own band, which was open to the pop music that the keyboardist loved. Starting in 1983 and continuing into the new millennium, Grant has recorded a lengthy series of poppish jazz-influenced dates (for labels including Chase, Verve Forecast, Shanachie, Double Play, and Nu-Wrinkle) that have variously fallen into the categories of new adult contemporary, quiet storm, contemporary jazz, and smooth jazz; all have been best-sellers in the jazz-lite market. In addition, Tom Grant has composed music for TV and radio. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/you-hardly-know-me/306061964

Personnel: Backing Vocals, Piano, Synthesizer, Vibraphone, Percussion – Tom Grant ; Backing Vocals – Bob James ; Bass – Lester McFarland; Drums – Gary Hobbs; Guitar – Tod Carver; Saxophone – Gary Clinton; Trombone – Jeff Uusitalo; Trumpet – Laine Larson, Richard Burdell

You Hardly Know Me

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Dick Hyman - Themes & Variations On A Child Is Born

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@192K/s
Time: 48:01
Size: 66,8 MB
Art: Front

( 1:01)  1. Theme - A Child Is Born
( 1:39)  2. Cecil Taylor
( 3:20)  3. Art Tatum
( 2:54)  4. Bill Evans
(18:17)  5. Dick Hyman
( 2:07)  6. Scott Joplin
( 2:54)  7. Jelly Roll Morton
( 3:06)  8. James P. Johnson
( 2:43)  9. Earl Hines
( 2:13) 10. Fats Waller
( 3:00) 11. Teddy Wilson
( 3:17) 12. Erroll Garner
( 1:23) 13. George Shearing

This is a unique and rather successful project. Pianist Dick Hyman, who has long had the ability to play credibly in any jazz style (although he tends to stick to prebop), performs Thad Jones' classic ballad "A Child Is Born" in the style of a dozen different pianists, including himself. Hyman infuses his interpretations with occasional humorous song quotes and does a superb job of emulating Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson, Earl Hines, Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson, Erroll Garner, George Shearing, Cecil Taylor, Art Tatum and Bill Evans before launching into a 17½ minute version in his own style. The results are utterly fascinating, making one wish that the pianist had also chosen Albert Ammons, Bud Powell and McCoy Tyner. Unfortunately this LP has yet to be reissued but it is certainly a unique gem. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/themes-and-variations-on-a-child-is-born-mw0000897996

Themes & Variations On A Child Is Born

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Burak Bedikyan/Jay Anderson/Adam Nussbaum - New Beginning

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:16
Size: 159,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:53)  1. No Complaints
(9:20)  2. Surya
(1:12)  3. Interlude
(3:50)  4. Epilogue
(8:49)  5. Ayça
(1:35)  6. Prelude
(9:04)  7. Rue Dauphin
(2:50)  8. Leo
(5:05)  9. Blues Me Up
(9:41) 10. Things We Are
(7:56) 11. Stella by Starlight
(5:55) 12. Magic Carpet

A record that bursts with life and energy right from the very first note  thanks to a wealth of original compositions from pianist Burak Bedikyan  an artist who's slowly been building up a great legacy of music on the Steeplechase label over the past few years! Bedikyan works here in a trio with strong Steeplechase rhythm work from Jay Anderson on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums  to very fluid, compatible players who definitely find the right sort of spirit for Burak's music which partly involves dropping back at all the right points  as Bedikyan's always able to explore space very openly on his own. There's a nice sense of freedom in the music, but never in an avant way  as the tunes always glisten with lots of lyrical colors  on titles that include "No Complaints", "Ayca", "Leo", "Rue Dauphin", "Blues Me Up", "Magic Carpet", "Things We Are", and "Epilogue".  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/900097/Burak-Bedikyan:New-Beginning

Personnel:  Burak Bedikyan - piano; Jay Anderson - bass; Adam Nussbaum - drums

New Beginning

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The John Pizzarelli Trio - Let's Share Christmas

Styles: Christmas, Vocal Jazz, Swing, Big Band 
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:36
Size: 101,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:25)  1. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
(3:55)  2. Let's Share Christmas
(3:23)  3. White Christmas
(5:03)  4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
(4:19)  5. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
(2:50)  6. Sleigh Ride
(3:46)  7. Christmas Time Is Here
(3:44)  8. I'll Be Home for Christmas
(3:10)  9. Santa Claus Is Near
(3:48) 10. The Christmas Song
(3:12) 11. Snowfall
(3:54) 12. Silent Night

Let's Share Christmas is an engaging holiday record from John Pizzarelli. Featuring several songs arranged and conducted by Johnny Mandel, Michel Legrand and Claire Fischer, the album isn't just Pizzarelli and his trio  instead, his small combo combines with a series of 40-piece orchestras that give the music a grand, elegant sweep that combines the best of big-band pop and hip, swinging jazz. ~ Thom Owens https://www.allmusic.com/album/lets-share-christmas-mw0000080446

Personnel:  John Pizzarelli – guitar; Martin Pizzarelli – double-bass; Ray Kennedy – piano; Harry Allen – saxophone; Jay Berliner – guitar; Jeff Clayton – saxophone; Andy Fusco – saxophone; Bill Watrous – trombone; Michel Legrand – conductor; The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra; Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra

Let's Share Christmas

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Ronnell Bright - Bright's Spot

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:05
Size: 71,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:02)  1. Pennies From Heaven
(3:54)  2. Gone With The Wind
(3:54)  3. If I'm Lucky
(4:14)  4. Blue Zepher
(3:52)  5. Struttin' In
(3:49)  6. I See Your Face Before Me
(3:14)  7. Bright's Spot
(4:04)  8. Little Girl Blue

This drummerless piano trio dates from 1956 and is a gently swinging mix of bop and mainstream styles from talented pianist and composer Ronnell Bright. Not a household name, but Bright has worked with Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, and other illuminaries. His compositions have been performed by an equally stellar collection of players. This collaboration with guitarist Kenny Burrell and bassist Leonard Gaskin is a slightly updated variation of the drummer-less Nat Cole and Ahmad Jamal trios, groups that also featured superb guitarists (Oscar Moore and Ray Crawford, respectively). Burrell's presence on this mix of standards and Bright originals is key. 

He is the engine that swings the set, making the date a memorable one with his exquisite ballad work, hot bebop lines, choicely voiced comping on the slower tunes, and driving chord flurries on the up-tempo numbers. Gaskin takes a background role, leaving Bright and Burrell room to maneuver. While this is a fine session from their leader, fans of the guitarist will especially want to seek it out. As with many of his appearances on Savoy dates, Burrell has a way of becoming the focal point. In this case, he does so with playing that stands among his finest recorded performances. ~ Jim Todd https://www.allmusic.com/album/brights-spot-mw0000107877

Personnel: Ronnell Bright - piano;  Kenny Burrell - guitar; Leonard Gaskin - bass

Bright's Spot

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Tim Tamashiro - Drinky

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:21
Size: 86,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:21)  1. I Won't Dance
(3:45)  2. Sunday In New York
(4:00)  3. You've Made Me So Very Happy
(2:23)  4. Have You Met Miss Jones'
(3:46)  5. Dream Weaver
(2:53)  6. I Get a Kick Out Of You
(2:51)  7. Accentchuate The Positive
(2:37)  8. How Do You Like Your Eggs In The Morning'
(3:11)  9. For Once In My Life
(3:25) 10. I'll Never Leave You
(5:04) 11. What A Wonderful World

Drinky is a new philosophy for you to relish jazz. I coined the phrase drinky jazz for a special reason. I've always yearned for people to see that jazz is fun music. But often just the mention of jazz freaks people out. When jazz is brought up in conversation many people react by tensing up. Then they almost always they say, I don't like jazz. When I mention the idea of drinky jazz to people they almost magically open up to jazz. Drinky jazz lets you drop the notion that all jazz is weird or thinky. Drinky jazz is fun because it's designed to be pleasing and interactive. You can bring your funnest friends along to eat, drink and laugh. Talk if you want to. If I'm doing my job singing drinky jazz I will EARN your ears. This drinky jazz philosophy promises you three things: great songs, cold drinks and bad jokes. I hope Drinky is the mark of a new jazz movement where you can discover the joy of jazz. It's incredible music with the most talented musicians anywhere. Let's go on this journey together and most of all let's have fun with a bit of swinging music! ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Drinky-Tim-Tamashiro/dp/B0189FT5SU

Personnel:  Tim Tamashiro - Vocal; Tilden Webb -  Piano; Jodi Proznick - Bass; Jesse Cahill - Drums; Cory Weeds - Saxophone; Vince Mai - Trumpet; Rod Murray - Trombone

Drinky

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Johnny Hartman - Today + I've Been There

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:00
Size: 179,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:59)  1. By The Time I Get To Phoenix
(4:27)  2. Didn't We
(4:27)  3. Games People Play
(4:12)  4. Betcha By Golly Wow
(3:21)  5. Summer Wind
(4:04)  6. Help Me Make It Through The Night
(5:44)  7. Folks Who Live On The Hill
(5:07)  8. We've Only Just Begun
(4:43)  9. I've Got To Be Me
(2:08) 10. 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
(4:49) 11. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
(3:34) 12. If
(3:56) 13. Rainy Days And Mondays
(3:38) 14. You Go To My Head
(4:16) 15. Meditation
(3:56) 16. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
(3:51) 17. Sunday Sun
(4:07) 18. For The Good Times
(2:32) 19. Easy Come, Easy Go

Today and I've Been There were both ill-advised attempts at bringing Johnny Hartman into the pop mainstream in the early '70s. Previously, Hartman's rich voice sounded as if was capable of anything, but these records prove that wasn't the case. Recorded for the Perception label, these two albums find Hartman running through such '70s pop and soul standards as "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Games People Play," "Betcha By Golly Wow," "Help Me Make It Through the Night," "We've Only Just Begun," "59th Street Bridge Song," "If," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "For the Good Times." Although he sounds fine, he doesn't sound comfortable and the slick musical backdrops aren't well-suited for the hushed intimacy of his voice. Occasionaly, as on the lush treatment of "Summer Wind," everything falls together and the music achieves the high standards of Hartman, but for the most part this single-disc pairing of Today and I've Been There is certainly sub-par. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/today-ive-been-there-mw0000031664

Personnel: Vocal - Johnny Hartman; Arranged By – Tony Monte (2);  Bass – Earl May (tracks: 10-19); Drums – Don Reid (tracks: 10-19); Flute – Jimmy Heath (tracks: 10-19); Guitar – Al Gaffa (tracks: 10-19), Bob Rose (tracks: 10-19);  Keyboards – Ken Ascher (tracks: 10-19);  Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Heath (tracks: 10-19)

I've Been There

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Simone Kopmajer - Daydreaming

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:23
Size: 58,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:30)  1. If We Never Met Again
(4:04)  2. Crazy Moon
(3:35)  3. Day Dreaming
(4:04)  4. Cat Song
(3:56)  5. Time And Time Again
(2:40)  6. Travelling To You
(3:30)  7. You Can Kiss Me

With all audiophile music lovers in mind, Simone Kopmajer presents Daydreaming. It includes brand-new original material in a smooth and relaxing jazzy mood as well as cover songs like Aretha Franklin’s “Day Dreaming”, Merle Haggard’s “Crazy Moon” and Pat Metheny’s masterpiece “Travels” in the vocal version “Travelling to You”. 

The original songs on Daydreaming are the result of Simone’s long-time and fruitful song writing collaboration with lyricist Karolin Tuerk. As a premiere, however, S.K. has brought out the pianist in herself and played all piano parts on this recording. http://www.simonekopmajer.com/news/2017/12/11/6u46n2uv8h7azmxupfn3a9nhj67lqc

Daydreaming

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Five Play - On The Brink

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:47
Size: 152,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:29)  1. I'll Get By
(6:07)  2. I've Got The World On A String
(5:24)  3. How Insensitive
(5:03)  4. On The Brink
(7:22)  5. Medley: I'm A Fool To Want You/ In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning/This Love
(4:30)  6. Scatterbrain
(4:24)  7. Shifting Down
(5:04)  8. Like Someone In Love
(2:50)  9. Some Nerve
(5:37) 10. Someone Nice Like You
(4:24) 11. Momma Flossie
(6:16) 12. How Deep Is The Ocean
(5:11) 13. I Believe In You

Drummer Sherrie Maricle from the Diva Big Band takes four of her bandmates to form this all female quintet of mainstream jazz players. Karolina Strassmayer and Laura Dreyer both play alto sax and flute, Canadian pianist Lorraine Desmarais and Australian acoustic bassist Nicki Parrott help Maricle in the rhythm section. Though the woodwind players are quite lyrical, playing in unison most of the time, it's the sparkling bottom end tones and witty asides of Parrott and the exquisite pianistics of Desmarias that keep the music flowing. The bandmembers wrote none of the 13 selections, but there are homages to the Al Cohn-Zoot Sims tenor tandem, Frank Sinatra, many American popular songwriters, and contemporary jazzmen Jerry Bergonzi and John Scofield, with arrangements by John McNeil. At their best in uptempo hard swinging modes, Strassmayer and Dreyer frequently sound like twin Phil Woods bop towers, for instance the furious "I'll Get By," the outstanding Bergonzi written-up-and-gone title track, the Latin-ish "Scatterbrain," a luscious take on Kenny Dorham's easy swinging "Shifting Down," and the waltzy 6/8 version of the standard "Like Someone in Love." Two flutes appear on the sleepwalk slow "Someone Nice Like You." Alto and flute contrast on the bossa "How Insensitive" and a Sinatra medley of "I'm a Fool to Want You/Wee Small Hours/This Love of Mine." Desmarais' glistening light shines on her delicate features for a bluesy "I've Got the World on a String," where Parrott tears up a solo and states the melody line with the others laying out. The pianist is also particularly strong at improvising on the changes of "On the Brink," her solo is positively captivating, setting up Maricle's drum breaks quite well. Though a steady timekeeper, the drummer does get to punch in with traded fours, solo bars and phrases, but gives the spotlight to her bandmates for the majority of this recording. On Scofield's "Some Nerve" given a too brief 2:28, Maricle plays the N.O. shuffle cum calypso rhythm to perfection and delight. "Momma Flossie" is the Cohn-Sims flagwaver, and a perfect example of what happens throughout, that Strassmayer and Dreyer are reluctant to step on each other's toes and really wail. It's also unfortunate that the producers have not seen fit to identify which solos are Strassmayer's or Dreyer's. This lack of variation and sameness in that regard renders their playing relatively uninteresting; they're very fine musicians, but not distinct. Hopefully they'll get another shot to mix it up a bit. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/on-the-brink-mw0000671740

Personnel:  Sherrie Maricle: Leader, Drums;  Karoline Strassmayer: Alto Saxophone, Flute;  Laura Dreyer: Alto Saxophone, Flute;  Lorraine Desmarais: Piano;  Nicki Parrott: Bass

On The Brink

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Dick Hyman - Mirrors - Piano & Organ Jazz

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:39
Size: 90,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:24)  1. House of Mirrors
(3:21)  2. In the Heat of the Night
(4:11)  3. Groovin'
(2:36)  4. In the Wee Small Hours
(3:03)  5. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
(2:44)  6. The Flower Road
(3:36)  7. Ode to Billy Joe
(2:29)  8. Up, Up and Away
(3:27)  9. Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me
(3:06) 10. Hit the Road, Jack
(3:28) 11. Weekend Blues
(3:09) 12. Respect

A very versatile virtuoso, Dick Hyman once recorded an album on which he played "A Child Is Born" in the styles of 11 different pianists, from Scott Joplin to Cecil Taylor. Hyman can clearly play anything he wants to, and since the '70s, he has mostly concentrated on pre-bop swing and stride styles. Hyman worked with Red Norvo (1949-1950) and Benny Goodman (1950), and then spent much of the 1950s and '60s as a studio musician. He appears on the one known sound film of Charlie Parker (Hot House from 1952); recorded honky tonk under pseudonyms; played organ and early synthesizers in addition to piano; was Arthur Godfrey's music director (1959-1962); collaborated with Leonard Feather on some History of Jazz concerts (doubling on clarinet), and even performed rock and free jazz; but all of this was a prelude to his later work. In the 1970s, Hyman played with the New York Jazz Repertory Company, formed the Perfect Jazz Repertory Quintet (1976), and started writing soundtracks for Woody Allen films. He has recorded frequently during the past several decades (sometimes in duets with Ruby Braff) for Concord, Music Masters, and Reference, among other labels, and ranks at the top of the classic jazz field. In 2013, Hyman teamed up with vocalist Heather Masse for a set of standards on the Red House label called Lock My Heart. ~ Scott Yanow & Al Campbell https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/mirrors-piano-organ-jazz/581315632

Mirrors - Piano & Organ Jazz

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Don Shirley Duo - Improvisations

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:19
Size: 102,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:36)  1. Sometimes I'm Happy
(3:44)  2. But Not For Me
(2:59)  3. Tenderly
(4:06)  4. What Is There To Say
(3:18)  5. Autumn Leaves
(4:44)  6. Atonal Ostinato Blues In B Flat
(3:20)  7. When I Fall In Love
(5:30)  8. Over The Rainbow
(4:03)  9. Let's Fall In Love
(4:57) 10. Walkin' By The River

Pianist, composer, and arranger Don Shirley was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on January 29, 1927. He began playing piano at age two and seven years later had developed his skills so rapidly, he was studying theory at the prestigious Leningrad Conservatory of Music. Shirley made his concert debut with the Boston Pops in 1945, while the following year the London Philharmonic Orchestra performed one of his first major compositions. In the ensuing years between 1954 and 1968, Shirley performed as a soloist and as a member of several symphonies, including the Boston Pops, Detroit Symphony, Chicago Symphony, and the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington. Shirley also composed several organ symphonies, a piano concerto, two string quartets, and numerous pieces for piano. His musical language also encompassed tastefully mastered combinations of standards, show tunes, ballads, spirituals, and jazz performed with his own trio. Incredibly, Shirley also found time between performing and recording to obtain a doctorate of Music, Psychology, and Liturgical Arts. Throughout the '50s and '60s, Shirley released numerous albums on the Cadence label. In 1999, Collectables began reissuing several of those albums as two-for-one sets. ~ Al Campbell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/don-shirley-mn0000160561/biography

Improvisations

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Roy Brooks & The Improvisational Sphere - Live at Lelli's

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:38
Size: 102,2 MB
Art: Front

(11:48)  1. Ha-Ya !
(13:06)  2. Samba Del Sol
(13:44)  3. Basketball
( 5:58)  4. Her Blues Is Mine Ra

Roy Brooks ! what can i say about one of the greatest jazz drummers ?! a man who paid his dues, who lived an hard life...who's Detroit Jazz ! started to play in the 50's with Yusef Lateef, spent 5 years with Horace Silver doing the hard and the bop, then with Dexter Gordon, Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, two years with Mingus, played with Max Roach M'Boom... plus many others... in the 80's he formed The Artistic Truth & The Aboriginal Percussion Choir... the rec. on this album is even more precious since this is the sole available rec. of this innovative group who had been assembled by Roy for this occasion only ! surely a unique sphere with very eclectic instrumentations and varied exotic flavors coming from Africa, the Caribbean/Cuba, Brazil, not to mention the blues from the deep South... Mr. Brooks latest proper release came out in 1983, so nearly 30 years ago ?! higher forces were in motion to make this happens... " ep https://www.soundohm.com/product/live-at-lelli-s/pid/16781/
 

Personnel:  Drums, Marimba, Steel Drums – Roy Brooks;  Congas, Bells, Percussion – Ray Mantilla;  Guitar – Rodney Rich; Organ [Hammond B-3 Organ] – Claudine Myers; Shaker, Cuica, Percussion, Tabla – Jerry LeDuf

Live at Lelli's

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Karin Plato - This Could Be the One

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:21
Size: 129,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:45)  1. This Could Be the One
(6:01)  2. I've Just Seen a Face
(5:33)  3. Sweet Summer
(8:47)  4. July
(4:16)  5. Take Time
(4:49)  6. I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry
(3:56)  7. What Came Before
(3:47)  8. Life Is a Beautiful Game
(6:16)  9. Insomnia
(4:27) 10. Heart and Soul
(4:40) 11. Sorrow

Born 31 March 1960, Alsask, Saskatchewan, Canada. As a small child, Plato studied piano, later attending the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, where she received a Bachelor Of Music Degree in Piano and Voice. In 1985, she moved to Vancouver to study vocal jazz and arranging at Capilano College, and has made the city her base ever since. In the late 90s, she also studied with Sheila Jordan and Jay Clayton at the Banff Centre For The Arts. In 2000, There’s Beauty In The Rain was nominated for a Juno Award. Appearing in concert throughout Canada, Plato has also appeared at many jazz festivals. Her appearance at Sasktel Jazz Festival in 2000, at which she opened for Brad Mehldau, was recorded for CBC’s Jazzbeat. The April Arrangement is a concert performance in which she presents some of her original compositions and arrangements of standards for a septet, which she has performed at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre and Festive Jazz (2000), her arrangements of traditional Christmas carols and original songs presented at the Capilano College Theatre for the Performing Arts. In 2000, she became a member of DIVAS For Life, which came about when the Vancouver-based magazine, Lifestyles, profiled six female vocalists: Plato, Laura Crema, Dee Daniels, Kate Hammett-Vaughan, Stevie Vallance and Tammy Weis. Established to help raise money for people living with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, their debut concert was a huge success and the singers appeared collectively and individually at a series of SOR engagements, including the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. With some personnel changes, DIVAS have continued to perform to rave reviews and to raise money for their espoused cause, making records and broadcasting on CBC. Plato uses her very pleasing contralto to deliver elegant performances of standards and original material with flair and sophistication, singing in an unadorned and intimate style. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/this-could-be-the-one/1439082010

This Could Be the One

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Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band - The Phat Pack

Styles: Big Band
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:12
Size: 173,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:07)  1. Cut n’ Run
(3:39)  2. Too Close For Comfort
(6:36)  3. Count Bubba’s Revenge
(6:13)  4. Play That Funky Music
(6:39)  5. The Phat Pack
(4:47)  6. Hunting Wabbits 2 (A Bad Hare Day)
(7:36)  7. La Almeja Pequena (The Little Clam)
(6:53)  8. Get in Line
(5:09)  9. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
(5:30) 10. Under the Wire
(6:28) 11. Whodunnit?
(5:20) 12. It Was a Very Good Year
(4:08) 13. Ever Braver, Ever Stronger (An American Elegy)

The suave and irrepressible Rat Pack, whose urbane image was shrewdly nurtured for so many years by Ol' Blue Eyes, meistersinger Frank Sinatra himself, is no longer with us. Luckily, we have as partial solace The Phat Pack, the convivial third recording by jack-of-all-trades Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. Goodwin bows respectfully to his illustrious predecessors by reprising two songs closely associated with members of the Rodent Gang, Sinatra's "It Was a Very Good Year" and Sammy Davis Jr.'s "Too Close for Comfort," also appending an evocative title song that could have served as the Pack's overture in a cabaret or concert hall. One of the more engaging aspects of any album by Goodwin's exemplary ensemble is that one never knows quite what to expect from moment to moment as the music veers in a heartbeat from straight-ahead swing to funk, Latin, neo-hip shuffle and back again not to mention such wild anomalies as "Hunting Wabbits 2," Goodwin's quirky salute to Elmer Fudd and those incomparable Warner Bros. cartoons from the '40s and '50s (for "Hunting Wabbits 1," see the BPB's previous album, XXL). Needless to say, the all-star band is razor-keen throughout, lending power and charisma to Goodwin's personable compositions and charts. 

Soloists aren't named, but that has to be Eric Marienthal's nimble soprano on "Wabbits," his aggressive alto on "Get in Line" and "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes," Andy Martin's supple trombone on "Tomatoes," Wayne Bergeron's screaming trumpet on "La Alma Pequena (The Little Clam)." That's ironic, as clams are almost never a part of Bergeron's musical diet. As usual, Goodwin has invited several well-known guest artists to sit in, and all of them are superb. Vocalist Dianne Reeves positively nails "Too Close for Comfort," alto David Sanborn is suitably raunchy on "Play That Funky Music," ace clarinetist Eddie Daniels burns rubber on the grueling "Under the Wire," and the vocal group Take 6 takes charge on "It Was a Very Good Year." Another Goodwin staple is the patriotic finale, in this case the poignant "Ever Braver, Ever Stronger (An American Elegy)." So much to say, so little space remaining. Highlights (besides those already mentioned) include "Cut 'n Run," "Count Bubba's Revenge," "Whodunnit?" Well, let's be honest. Everything else. And it should be noted that the disc is accompanied by a DVD with soundtrack, photos, lyrics and other extras. Alas, I was unable to play my copy, as it requires a compatible Direct Show DVD player, which I don't have. As Sinatra would have intoned, "That's Life." Goodwin's debut album, Swingin' for the Fences, was Grammy-nominated, XXL earned one (in a minor category), and if this isn't a leading contender for the top big band prize, I'll eat broccoli (yuck!) with my supper (please don't tell my wife I said that). ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-phat-pack-gordon-goodwin-immergent-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Gordon Goodwin: leader, composer, arranger, piano, tenor saxophone; Wayne Bergeron, Dan Fornero, Bob Summers, Dan Savant, Pete DeSiena (4,6,12): trumpet; Eric Marienthal: alto, soprano saxophone, flute; Sal Lozano: alto saxophone, flute, piccolo; Brian Scanlon, Jeff Driskill: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Jay Mason: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet; Andy Martin, Alex Iles, Charlie Morillas, Craig Ware, Craig Gosnell (2): trombone; Grant Geissman, Carl Verheyen (4): guitar; Rick Shaw: acoustic, electric bass; Bernie Dresel, Ray Brinker (10,11,13): drums; Luis Conte, Brad Dutz (4,6,12): percussion. Special guests: Dianne Reeves (2): vocal; David Sanborn (4): alto saxophone; Eddie Daniels (10): clarinet; Take 6 (12): vocal.

The Phat Pack

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Hollyridge Strings - Christmas Favorites

Styles: Christmas
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:10
Size: 65,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:40)  1. Winter Wonderland
(2:50)  2. Jingle Bells
(2:50)  3. The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
(2:17)  4. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
(2:20)  5. Santa's Got A Brand New Bag
(2:34)  6. Jingle Bell Rock
(2:58)  7. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
(2:34)  8. White Christmas
(2:35)  9. I'll Be Home For Christmas
(2:14) 10. Little Saint Nick
(2:13) 11. Do You Hear What I Hear?

The Hollyridge Strings was a catchall name for the group of largely interchangeable studio musicians who recorded a series of easy listening instrumental albums for Capitol Records at the peak of the British Invasion era. The project was masterminded by music industry veteran Stu Phillips, a composer and producer who previously headlined his own series of Capitol easy listening records including Organ and Strings in Stereo before leaving the label in 1960 to become head of A&R for Colpix Records, where he produced a series of pop smashes including the Marcels' "Blue Moon," Shelley Fabares' "Johnny Angel," Paul Petersen's "My Dad," and James Darren's "Goodbye, Cruel World." In 1964 he returned to Capitol, where his familiarity and dexterity with the rock idiom made him the logical choice to cash in on Beatlemania with a record targeted at a more mature audience; the first Hollyridge Strings record, The Beatles Song Book, was a Top Ten hit, and resulted in similarly syrupy collections of hits by Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, the Four Seasons, and Simon & Garfunkel. At one point in time, no fewer than three different Hollyridge Strings LPs hovered in the Billboard Top 20, and their success spurred copycat projects from labels including Vee-Jay (the Castaway Strings), Liberty (the Sunset Strings), and MGM (the Fantabulous Strings). During his Capitol stint Phillips also headlined his own Feels Like Lovin', a minor classic of '60s soft pop that added vocals to the signature Hollyridge Strings sound. ~ Jason Ankeny https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/christmas-favorites/715549502

Christmas Favorites

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John Wright - Makin' Out

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:57
Size: 87,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. Makin' Out
(4:31)  2. Like Someone In Love
(4:13)  3. Back In Jersey
(4:36)  4. Sparkie
(4:33)  5. Soul Search
(4:18)  6. It Could Happen To You
(3:14)  7. Street
(7:36)  8. Kitty

John Wright was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1934 and moved to Chicago with his family two years later. As a child, he was immersed in the gospel music of his mother’s church; he learned jazz piano while stationed in Germany in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, where he also met Dizzy Gillespie and Dexter Gordon. His first recording in 1960, with the John Wright Trio, was entitled South Side Soul, a phrase that became his nickname. Over a lengthy musical career, and work as a librarian in the Cook County Department of Corrections, he has also had many political involvements. In 2008, he was inducted into the Wendell Phillips High School Hall of Fame, and in 2009 he was awarded the Walter Dyett Lifetime Achievement Award by the Jazz Institute of Chicago. ...Read More.. https://never-the-same.org/interviews/john-wright/

Personnel:  Piano –John Wright;  Bass – Wendell Marshall;  Drums – Roy Brooks;  Tenor Saxophone – Eddy "Cat-Eye" Williams

Makin' Out

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James Moody - Heritage Hum

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1971
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:40
Size: 112,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:03)  1. Heritage Hum
(5:55)  2. Sound For Sore Ears
(4:32)  3. Road Runner
(5:21)  4. Can't Fool Around With Love
(6:09)  5. Rainy Days
(7:32)  6. Travel On
(7:27)  7. Soul Searching
(4:10)  8. Parker's Mood
(2:27)  9. Pennies From Heaven

While not as all-out funky as some of the other Perception jazz LPs from the time (including Moody's own The Teachers), this one's got a great slinking groove to it, and features nice playing by Michael Longo, who was also in Dizzy's funky 70s group at the time. Eddie Jefferson sings vocals on a hilarious version of "Pennies From Heaven", and other titles include "Heritage Hum", "Road Runner", "Soul Searching", and "Travel On".  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/22942/James-Moody:Heritage-Hum

Personnel:   Saxophone, Flute – James Moody;  Acoustic Bass – Samuel Jones;  Drums – Frederick Waits;  Piano – Michael Longo;  Vocals – Eddie Jefferson

Heritage Hum

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Marianne Faithfull - Negative Capability

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:32
Size: 123,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:04)  1. Misunderstanding
(3:40)  2. The Gypsy Faerie Queen
(3:52)  3. As Tears Go By
(4:21)  4. In My Own Particular Way
(3:39)  5. Born to Live
(4:57)  6. Witches Song
(5:01)  7. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Re-Recorded)
(3:40)  8. They Come at Night
(4:20)  9. Don't Go
(4:56) 10. No Moon in Paris
(2:52) 11. Loneliest Person
(3:26) 12. No Moon in Paris (Radio Edit)
(3:36) 13. They Come at Night (Alt. Version)

Recorded in Paris with Bad Seed Warren Ellis and PJ Harvey collaborator Rob Ellis, who back her with unshowy, sympathetic orchestration, Marianne Faithfull’s 21st album is a masterly meditation on ageing and death. Coming in the wake of health problems, struggles with loneliness and the loss of some of her closest friends, her lyrics are characteristially unflinching, from In My Own Particular Way’s admission that “I know I’m not young and I’m damaged/ But I’m still pretty kind of funny” to Born to Live’s tribute to Anita Pallenberg and the unbearably raw Don’t Go, about the death from cancer of her former guitarist Martin Stone. There’s a foray into wider global events too: They Come at Night, a Mark Lanegan co-write, is a furious reaction to the Bataclan terror attack of 2015. Faithfull’s reprise of As Tears Go By, 54 years after her version of the Jagger/Richards/Oldham song launched her career, has a real poignancy, the line “It is the evening of the day” in particular carrying a new-found emotional heft. Comparisons with such late-career highlights as Johnny Cash’s American Recordings albums and Leonard Cohen’s You Want It Darker are inevitable, but Negative Capability really does belong in such exalted company. … we have a small favour to ask. Three years ago we set out to make The Guardian sustainable by deepening our relationship with our readers. The same technologies that connected us with a global audience had also shifted advertising revenues away from news publishers. We decided to seek an approach that would allow us to keep our journalism open and accessible to everyone, regardless of where they live or what they can afford. More than one million readers have now supported our independent, investigative journalism through contributions, membership or subscriptions, which has played such an important part in helping The Guardian overcome a perilous financial situation globally. We want to thank you for all of your support. But we have to maintain and build on that support for every year to come. Sustained support from our readers enables us to continue pursuing difficult stories in challenging times of political upheaval, when factual reporting has never been more critical. The Guardian is editorially independent – our journalism is free from commercial bias and not influenced by billionaire owners, politicians or shareholders. No one edits our editor. No one steers our opinion. This is important because it enables us to give a voice to those less heard, challenge the powerful and hold them to account. Readers’ support means we can continue bringing The Guardian’s independent journalism to the world. If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps to support it, our future would be much more secure. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/nov/04/marianne-faithfull-negative-capability-review-five-stars

Personnel:  Marianne Faithfull – vocals; Nick Cave – backing & additional vocals, piano; Rob McVey - guitar, piano, synthesiser, backing vocals; Ed Harcourt - piano, bass guitar, baritone guitar, keyboards, wurlitzer, rhodes, organ, harmonium, backing vocals; Warren Ellis - viola, synthesiser, violin, keyboards, piano, alto flute, backing vocals, producer

Negative Capability

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