Art Farmer - Art Farmer Quintet At Boomers

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:52
Size: 105,3 MB
Art: Front

(13:05)  1. Barbados
(10:55)  2. I Remember Clifford
(13:24)  3. 'Round About Midnight
( 8:27)  4. Will You Still Be Mine

Although flugelhornist Art Farmer permanently moved to Europe in 1968, he has returned many times to the United States to play. For this live LP (recorded for East Wind and released domestically by the defunct Inner City label), Farmer joins up with tenor-saxophonist Clifford Jordan, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Billy Higgins for lengthy versions of Charlie Parker's blues "Barbados," "I Remember Clifford," "'Round Midnight" and "Will You Still Be Mine." The group had not rehearsed beforehand but rehearsals were not really needed for these hard bop veterans and even an uptempo version of the ballad "Will You Still Be Mine" comes off quite well. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/at-boomers-vol-1-mw0000785165

Personnel: Art Farmer - flugelhorn; Clifford Jordan - tenor saxophone; Cedar Walton - piano; Sam Jones - bass; Billy Higgins - drums

Art Farmer Quintet At Boomers

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Art Farmer Quintet - At Boomers #2

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:02
Size: 112,7 MB
Art: Front

(11:48)  1. Fantasy In ''D''
(12:07)  2. Manha Do Carnival
(13:54)  3. Blues For Amos
(11:12)  4. What's New

This exciting live set by Art Farmer is also culled from the same 1976 performances as the earlier album Live at Boomer's. Although the full quintet had not rehearsed prior to the engagement with Clifford Jordan (the rhythm section, consisting of Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, and Billy Higgins, had been working together with Farmer for over a year), the sparks fly as they stretch out on each of the four tracks present. The tenor saxophonist particularly shines in Walton's up-tempo "Fantasy in D," while the leader's inventive flügelhorn keeps "Manha De Carnaval" from being reduced to a cliché. Sam Jones is showcased on his well-known original blues "One for Amos," and the finale is an energetic take of the often placid ballad ""What's New." This well-recorded album, which was available only briefly during the LP era, was reissued by the Japanese label East Wind in early 2003. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/at-boomers-vol-2-mw0000764273

Personnel: Art Farmer - flugelhorn; Clifford Jordan - tenor saxophone; Cedar Walton - piano; Sam Jones - bass; Billy Higgins - drums

At Boomers #2

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Charlie Byrd - Christmas Carols for Solo Guitar

Styles: Guitar, Christmas
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:57
Size: 62,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:20)  1. O Holy Night
(2:08)  2. The Bells of Bethlehem
(2:51)  3. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
(1:51)  4. Silent Night, Holy Night
(1:34)  5. Do You Hear What I Hear?
(1:43)  6. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
(1:18)  7. Joy to the World
(1:41)  8. What Child Is This (Greensleeves)
(1:39)  9. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
(2:03) 10. Coventry Carol
(1:08) 11. Good King Wenceslas
(2:13) 12. The First Noel
(1:40) 13. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
(1:41) 14. We Three Kings

Christmas Carols for Solo Guitar is a lovely, understated collection that's not only ideal as low-key holiday music, but it's also a good showcase for Byrd's interpretive talents. He doesn't necessarily reinvent these songs, but his tasteful, elegant readings of "O Holy Night," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Joy to the World," "What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)," "The First Noel" and "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" are certainly individual. Holiday music is rarely this graceful; for fans of pretty instrumentals and accomplished guitar playing, this is a perfect Christmas record. ~ Robert Lovering https://www.allmusic.com/album/christmas-carols-for-solo-guitar-mw0000030230

Personnel: Guitar [Solo] – Charlie Byrd

Christmas Carols for Solo Guitar

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Maria Pia De Vito - Core (Coração)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:14
Size: 134,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:49)  1. 'A costruzione
(3:40)  2. Facimmo ampresso
(5:39)  3. 'O piccerillo
(4:28)  4. M'abbasta 'nu juorno
(4:29)  5. Teresella
(3:48)  6. Todo Sentimento
(4:07)  7. Dio ce penzarrà
(5:50)  8. Notturna
(3:12)  9. Je t'amo
(4:44) 10. 'O ritorno d''o Jammone
(4:34) 11. Ll'acqua e 'o vino
(3:28) 12. E dimme - Você você
(3:18) 13. Curre Maria

Core [Coração], the new album from Maria Pia De Vito, was recorded between Rome and Paris. It is a record that is very much felt, and it is intensely transcultural; the title clearly indicates a work of the heart, whose candle was lit by Maria Pia's encounter with the Brazilian composer and guitarist Guinda, and the following poetic meeting with Chico Buarque, who is featured on two pieces of the record, "Todo Sentiment" and "O Meu Guri" (the second a duet in Neapolitan). A translation paper, from Portuguese to Neapolitan, was created side-by-side with the authors, in particular with Chico, in order to preserve and keep intact the beauty, poetry, and musicality of the original texts made in the Neapolitan language. In this metamorphic vision, just like a deep dive into the Brazilian songwriting world, Neapolitan dances meet the Brazilian ones, the visionary samba of Tom Zè meets a Tammurriata and together frame the Chico Buarque masterpiece "Construção"; "Agua E Vinho" by Egberto Gismonti blends to "Voce Voce", a wonderful example of the great Neapolitan melodic tradition. Along with Maria Pia, there are great musicians and long-time companions, instrument virtuosos with a deep sense of interplay; bearers of intimacy and feeling which only the common and long-staging of stages allows: Welsh pianist Huw Warren, who has recorded two albums, Dialektos (2008) and 'O Pata Pata (2011), with Maria Pia. The virtuoso clarinetist Gabriele Mirabassi, with his classical and jazz style, has been linked for many years to Brazilian music and culture; The Brazilian guitarist Roberto Taufic, author of many arrangements and a musician of extraordinary sensibility; Roberto Rossi, a peculiarly creative and unconventional percussionist. https://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/de-vito-maria-pia-core-coracao-cd/VVJ.115CD.html

Core (Coração)

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Kit McClure Band - Just The Thing

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:37
Size: 119,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:57)  1. Diggin Dirt
(4:25)  2. One O'clock Jump
(4:28)  3. Just the Thing
(5:01)  4. I Never Get Tired
(3:51)  5. Honeysuckle Rose
(4:10)  6. Vi Vigor
(4:16)  7. Jump Children
(5:03)  8. She's Crazy With the Heat
(4:32)  9. Don't Get It Twisted
(5:34) 10. Slightly Frantic
(5:15) 11. Nyc Rap

Just the Thing is Part Two of the Kit McClure Band's warmhearted salute to the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, a groundbreaking all-woman ensemble that came out of a school for poor black children in Piney Woods, Mississippi, to become one of the most widely successful and admired big bands of the World War II era. Whereas Part One was devoted for the most part to faithful transcriptions of original charts played by the Sweethearts, this second component consists of updated arrangements of those same charts, flavored with hip-hop, funk and salsa, presumably denoting the way the Sweethearts would be playing them today. As the Sweethearts are no longer with us, no one can reasonably argue the point. The first ten selections on Part 2 are the same as on Part 1 (although not in the same order), with Juan Tizol's "Perdido, the last track on the earlier album, replaced on this one by the clunky "NYC Rap, which, as one would expect, suffers by comparison (in other words, they don't write 'em like they used to). McClure had a hand in arranging and reupholstering every number, helped at times by pianist Cathy Harley, bassists Kim Clarke and Nicki Parrott, drummers Barbara Merjan, Bernice Brooks, Lakecia Benjamin and L. Olivia Sci, trombonist Britta Langsjoen and composer/arranger Maurice King who had written five of the tunes for the Sweethearts themselves. It's a sincere and interesting endeavor but as a rule lacks the vitality and enthusiasm of Part 1, which was a tad more straight-ahead and swinging. Several numbers "Vi Vigor, "Just the Thing, Don't Get It Twisted, "She's Crazy with the Heat, Basie's "One O'Clock Jump, a more laid-back version of Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose  are neat and handsome in their new clothing, while others don't fare quite as well. In that respect it's a split decision, one that rests in part on one's penchant for classic swing vs. cool and modern. 

Two selections "Jump Children and "I Never Get Tired were enhanced on the earlier session by one of the original Sweethearts, guitarist/vocalist Carline Ray, who's absent this time. Part Two's most explicit advantage lies in the playing time, 51:36 as opposed to the first album's meager 34:27. That gives the soloists more room to stretch, and McClure, Harley and the others make the most of it. Trumpeter Tanya Darby contributes a number of animated solos, as do drummer Benjamin (especially on "Vi Vigor ) and saxophonists Tia Fuller and Erica Von Kliest. While I'd give a narrow edge to Part One of The Sweethearts Project for overall charm and pleasure, Part Two has much to offer in its own right and is easily recommended. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/just-the-thing-kit-mcclure-band-redhot-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Kit McClure: alto, tenor sax, leader; Liesl Whitaker, Barbara Laronga, Laurie Frink, Tanya Darby: trumpet; Lakecia Benjamin, Lisa Parrott, Tia Fuller, Erica Von Kliest: alto sax; Kristy Norter: tenor sax; Claire Daly: baritone sax; Britta Langsjoen, Jennifer Krupa: trombone; Cathy Harley, Jill McCarron: piano; Nicki Parrott, Kim Clarke: bass; Barbara Merjan, L. Olivia Sci, Bernice Brooks: drums; Sue Hadjopoulos, Karen Jones: percussion.

Just The Thing

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Burak Bedikyan - Awakening

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:24
Size: 159,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:09)  1. Idée Fixe
(8:56)  2. Mother Earth
(7:50)  3. All Alone
(6:09)  4. Unfair Blues
(8:33)  5. Awakening
(8:47)  6. Memory of a Fading Dream
(5:50)  7. Ad Infinitum
(9:56)  8. Do Not Fear
(6:11)  9. The All Seeing Eye

On his third release as a leader, Istanbul based pianist, Burak Bedikyan seamlessly blends his dual education in western classical and jazz and his national/ethnic heritage into an intriguing and cohesive album. Awakening comprises of nine Bedikyan originals that are elegantly crafted balancing intricate harmonies with deceptively effortless fluidity. The gently rolling refrains on the lilting ballad "Mother Earth," for instance, have a warm, Near Eastern lyricism. Saxophonist Loren Stillman embellishes the melancholic theme with yearning spontaneous phrases filled with passion. Bedikyan fashions his expressive solo with series of resonant notes that ring with wistful poetry. Stillman and Bedikyan trade contemplative and dynamic lines on the dramatic "Do Not Fear." Over Bedikyan's shimmering keys, Bassist Ugonna Okegwo plays a lithe and darkly hued soliloquy with a mystical edge. Stillman's exquisitely tender and emotive improvisation ushers in the piece's conclusion. At times the disc also crackles with visceral energy and breathtaking instrumental acrobatics. On the hard bop-ish "Idée Fixe," Bedikyan lets loose a cascade of dense chords with delightful agility. His arpeggio filled performance ebbs and flows with crystalline lucidity and a vibrant, organic sound. Stillman's vibrato filled muscular alto meanders with nimble dexterity around the band's percolating vamps. Drummer Donald Edwards's thunderous beats and exuberant polyrhythms bring the music back to the gripping head. Stillman opens the expansive "Unfair Blues" with fiery lines and a soulful swagger. Bedikyan weaves an eloquent and earthy melody together with Edwards' thumping kit and Okegwo's reverberating strings. The four men exhibit captivating camaraderie in a stimulating conversation that is one of the tune's highlights.  With Awakening Bedikyan, as a composer and a musician, has achieved his personal best to date. The motifs he utilized in previous recordings, his intelligent inventiveness and charming virtuosity have all coalesced into a superb and mature work. If he stays the course Bedikyan is certainly assured a bright future and a promising career. ~ HRAYR ATTARIAN https://www.allaboutjazz.com/awakening-burak-bedikyan-steeplechase-lookout-review-by-hrayr-attarian.php

Personnel: Burak Bedikyan: piano; Donald Edwards: drums; Loren Stillman; alto and soprano saxophones; Ugonna Okegwo: bass.

Awakening

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Eugenia Choe - Verdant Dream

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:13
Size: 129,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:34)  1. Verdant Dream
(5:52)  2. Sunday Fatigue
(6:01)  3. Odd Birds
(6:51)  4. Ever Green
(5:32)  5. Midnight Mingle
(4:50)  6. Blue in Green
(4:28)  7. What
(4:32)  8. Milomonalo
(6:31)  9. Knock Knock
(4:58) 10. Wind Catcher

Korean-born New York-based pianist/composer Eugenia Choe received superlative reviews for her 2016 debut album 'Magic Light' (SCCD 33127) from the international press. Eugenia's second album is an impressive display of her original and intriguing compositions presented superbly by her working trio. https://www.propermusic.com/product-details/Eugenia-Choe-Verdant-Dream-261512
 

"Eugenia Choe rode her personally distinctive currents into this amalgamated music and made a magnificent record." ~ James Nadal, All About Jazz
 

"Everything's here: the pianist's exquisite touch, her compositional acumen infused with an alluring and idiosyncratic intelligence, her soul, sympatico trio mates, adept sequencing, and a cool cover photo and design. This could be the debut of the year." ~ Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz

Personnel: Eugenia Choe (piano), Danny Weller (bass), Alex Wyatt (drums)

Verdant Dream

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Dana Robbins - 11

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:08
Size: 90,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:19)  1. Let's Find Out
(3:44)  2. It's So Fine Knowing You
(5:06)  3. Dreamland
(3:18)  4. Soul Serenade
(3:51)  5. Life Is Better With You
(3:11)  6. I'm Yours, You're Mine
(4:45)  7. We're Gonna Work It Out
(4:05)  8. Stomp
(3:59)  9. Emergency Whiskey
(3:47) 10. Hinkin' About Angels

“Dana Robbins is Music City's saxophone MVP,with a fluent, commanding and original approachto R&B, soul, rock, jazz, funk and off-the-cuff improvisation. And through it all her bold, warm tone is ever ready to shift from slow burn to utter conflagrance  whatever it takes to get to a song's emotional core."~ Ted Drozdowski, Nashville Scene https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/danarobbins3

11

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Marlene VerPlanck - A Quiet Storm

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:23
Size: 119,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:07)  1. I Wished on the Moon
(3:15)  2. Things Are Looking Up
(5:33)  3. Medley: Soft Lights and Sweet Music/When Lights Are Low
(3:35)  4. The Lies of Handsome Men
(3:54)  5. Sister Moon
(3:37)  6. A Quiet Storm
(2:42)  7. Lovers in New York
(2:01)  8. Cinnamon and Clove
(3:25)  9. Taking a Chance on Love
(2:28) 10. Dream Dancing
(2:57) 11. Who Can I Turn To?
(2:39) 12. I've Got Just About Everything
(3:14) 13. To Late Now
(4:42) 14. Medley: I Love to Dance/The Last Dance
(4:07) 15. So Long Sadness

Marlene VerPlanck paid tribute to the Great American Songbook. VerPlanck, who grew up in Newark, New Jersey listening to Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald on WNEW radio, collaborated throughout her long career with her husband, arranger, composer, and conductor Billy VerPlanck. Her 17th album, 2000's My Impetuous Heart, reunited her with some old friends, including jazz pianist Hank Jones and special guests jazz pianists George Shearing and Marian McPartland and guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. VerPlanck's career was a long string of success stories, which showcased her as a versatile singer with a gorgeous, pliable voice that knew how to tell a story. She started singing at age 19. Her career stretched back to the '50s when she worked with Tex Beneke and Charlie Spivak. Her first big break came in 1955 when she teamed up with pianist Hank Jones, flutist Herbie Mann, trumpeter Joe Wilder, bassist Wendell Marshall, and drummer Kenny Clarke on I Think of You with Every Breath I Take on Savoy Records. She met her husband while performing with Charlie Spivak's band, then both moved over to the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. Tommy Dorsey died in 1956, so the VerPlancks decided to stay in New York City to pursue studio work with the likes of Sinatra, Perry Como, Tony Bennett, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and even Kiss. Millions of people outside the jazz world first heard VerPlanck's voice, though, doing jingles in the '60s: "Weekends were made for Michelob/Yeah!" and "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should!" and "Mmm good/Mm-mm good/That's what Campbell's Soups are/Mm-mm good." After thousands of commercial jingles and hours and hours of studio session work in New York, the VerPlancks decided to settle down in their house in Clifton, New Jersey, and began performing and recording together. Their first recording together was A Breath of Fresh Air, arranged, produced, and conducted by Billy VerPlanck in 1968. 

In 1976, Marlene VerPlanck hooked up with North Carolina-based composer/pianist Loonis McGlohon, who hired her to do two installments of a radio show he co-hosted called Alec Wilder's American Popular Song. Afterwards, she recorded Marlene VerPlanck Sings Alec Wilder, and later, after Wilder's death, she appeared on the radio show The American Popular Singers, co-hosted by McGlohon and opera singer Eileen Farrell. Ver Planck performed at Carnegie Hall, Michael's Pub, and the Rainbow Room in New York City. She appeared on Entertainment Tonight, The Today Show, and CBS Sunday Morning. In the Digital Mood, featuring VerPlanck, Mel Tormé, and Julius La Rosa with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, became the first big-band CD to go gold in the '90s. VerPlanck remained active as a live performer and recording artist in the 2000s and 2010s, following up the aforementioned My Impetuous Heart with such albums as Once There Was a Moon (2008), One Dream at a Time (2010), Ballads... Mostly (2013), and The Mood I'm In (2016), all released by the Audiophile Records label. Marlene VerPlanck died in January 2018 in Manhattan at the age of 84. ~ Robert Hicks https://itunes.apple.com/lk/album/a-quiet-storm/826266784

A Quiet Storm

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Joe Diorio, Steve Bagby - Straight Ahead to the Light

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:41
Size: 81,9 MB
Art: Front

(10:27)  1. Straight Ahead to the Light
( 8:05)  2. Gong
(10:13)  3. India
( 6:55)  4. Bagbito

This is the third in a series of five CD reissues from guitar legend Joe Diorio's classic Spitball Records recordings from the mid-70s. Originally released in 1976 on Spitball Records, Straight Ahead to the Light was recorded on May 23, 1976 at The First Unitarian Church in Miami, Florida and features Joe Diorio on guitar and Steve Bagby on percussion. Now available for the first time on CD including the original album cover artwork from the LP release. The album contains four original compositions by Joe Diorio and Steve Bagby which include “Straight Ahead to the Light", clocking in at over ten minutes long, “Gong", “India", another extended song that lasts for over ten minutes and “Bagbito" which features an extended percussion/drum solo by Steve Bagby. 24-bit digital remastering by Paul G. Kohler at Art of Life Studios in Charleston, South Carolina in March 2018. Art of Life Records is pleased to make this long out-of-print recording available to the world once again. Stay tuned for more Joe Diorio CD reissues from Art of Life Records. https://news.allaboutjazz.com/joe-diorio-and-steve-bagbys-straight-ahead-to-the-light-reissued-on-cd-wav-flac-and-mp3-from-art-of-life-records.ph

Personnel:  Joe Diorio - guitar; Steve Bagby - percussion

Straight Ahead to the Light

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Andrew Rathbun - Character Study

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:20
Size: 141,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:08)  1. The Golden Fool
(6:49)  2. Team of Rivals
(8:49)  3. Alphabet Deaf and Forever Blind
(7:09)  4. His Quiet Determination
(7:09)  5. Etcetera
(9:28)  6. The Long Awakening
(6:40)  7. Character Study
(9:05)  8. Turmoil

Jazz saxophonist Andrew Rathbun was born and raised in Toronto, in 1991 earning a Canada Council for the Arts grant to study in Boston, where he attended the New England Conservatory under the tutelege of Jimmy Guiffre and George Russell. Playing and recording with artists including Jeff Hirshfield, Kenny Wheeler, John Abercrombie and Ingrid Jensen, from 1994 to 1997 Rathbun also taught at the University of Maine before moving on to the Amadeus Conservatory in Westchester, NY; his solo debut Scatter Some Stones followed in 1999. The experimental True Stories came out the next year, offering two Margaret Atwood poems set to music. The heady and complex Sculptures was released two years later.~ Jason Ankeny https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/character-study/1444115015

Personnel:  Andrew Rathbun -  tenor saxophone; Tim Hagans -  trumpet; Gary Versace -  piano; Jay Anderson - bass; Bill Stewart - drums

Character Study

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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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