George Colligan, Jesper Bodilsen - Twins

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:08
Size: 140,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:04)  1. Twins
(6:52)  2. Nobody else but me
(6:40)  3. Behind the door
(6:32)  4. Wrap your troubles in dreams
(9:18)  5. Consolation
(4:43)  6. Scandinavian rhythm
(6:26)  7. Heavens of a hundred days
(8:13)  8. So tender
(6:16)  9. Arioso

As a composer and pianist of considerable merit, George Colligan has been written about here before, as he has developed quite a catalog of releases for both the Spanish Fresh Sound and Danish SteepleChase labels. Able to remake himself in subsequent works, his efforts for SteepleChase range from savvy trios ( Activism with Dwayne Burno and Ralph Peterson and Stomping Ground with Drew Gress and Billy Hart) to audacious hard bop quintets highlighting the work of peers such as tenor man Mark Turner (i.e. The Newcomer and Constant Source ). Managing to create quite a good deal of excitement in the duo format of just piano and bass, Colligan has hit his stride once again with Twins, featuring Danish bass virtuoso Jesper Bodilsen. Recorded by SteepleChase front man Nils Winther in Denmark during the winter of 2000, this collection of nine pieces clocks in at just a tad over an hour and includes not only two Colligan originals, but also some well-chosen pieces from fellow pianists Keith Jarrett, James Williams, and John Stetch. "Arioso" swings energetically in an advanced style. Even a swing chestnut like "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" takes on an unsullied and contemporary face via Colligan's sophisticated harmonic sense. The remarkable thing is that as technically proficient as he is, Colligan's playing is always presented with grounded passion and logic. In other words, he has really developed his own voice. A real keeper all the way around, Twins is yet another fine collection to add to Colligan's already imposing body of work. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/twins-george-colligan-steeplechase-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: George Colligan (piano) & Jesper Bodilsen (bass)

Twins

---

Paul Bley Trio - Closer

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:04
Size: 65,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:53)  1. Ida Lupino
(2:19)  2. Start
(3:26)  3. Closer
(2:53)  4. Sideways In Mexico
(3:15)  5. Batterie
(2:14)  6. And Now the Queen
(3:21)  7. Figfoot
(2:28)  8. Crossroads
(2:55)  9. Violin
(2:16) 10. Cartoon

Pianist Paul Bley is an innovator whose imagination eclipses the norm. He never wavers from a challenge and there is always an air of expectancy each time Bley sits at the piano. He is comfortable in any setting and his music has been shaped by several peers. Among them were Sonny Rollins, Carla Bley, Jimmy Giuffre, Charles Mingus, Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman. In the final analysis, however, it is his vision that propels the music forward. He fills it with vigor and dynamism, with space and lyricism; nothing is out of focus, every challenge is within his grasp. His eloquence is shaped by his ability to balance silence with sound, as well as his penchant for, and skill with, unusual phrasing. Bley recorded Closer in 1965. He took a different direction from the previous album Barrage (ESP Disk, 1964) which he had recorded with saxophonist Marshall Allen, trumpeter Dewey Johnson, bassist Eddie Gomez and percussionist Milford Graves. 

On Closer, with bassist Steve Swallow and Barry Altschul on percussion, Bley concentrated on compositions by Carla Bley, with a tune each from Ornette Coleman and Annette Peacock, as well as an original. Bley caresses melody. He gives it an organic soul with an illumining beauty as he does on "Violin." He goes off on a slight tangent, adding space, giving Swallow the room to ruminate on the bass with delicate phrases. The mood is reflective and quietly effective. "Sideways in Mexico" is a more collaborative effort. Bley acknowledges the melody and then punctuates chords and phrases with a two-handed attack. There is a change of emphasis and direction as his lines dart and scamper and then open the door for Swallow and Altschul to hold an interweaving rhythm convention. Another song of remarkable beauty and feeling comes in "Ida Lupino." The melody has an immediacy that nestles in the mind and Bley lingers over it, his phrases rippling like a gently flowing brook. He unleashes a couple of thunderous chords that startle—this only adds to his stature as one who stamps his credentials with extraordinary signposts. Bley makes a welcome return with one of his best. ~ Jerry D'Souza https://www.allaboutjazz.com/closer-paul-bley-esp-disk-review-by-jerry-dsouza.php

Personnel: Paul Bley: piano; Steve Swallow: bass; Barry Altschul: drums.

Closer

---

Emanuele Cisi Feat. Roberta Gambarini - No Eyes: Looking at Lester Young

Styles: Vocal And Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:22
Size: 134,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:36)  1. No Eyes (feat. Roberta Gambarini)
(6:52)  2. Lester Left Town (feat. Roberta Gambarini)
(4:13)  3. Jumpin' at the Woodside
(5:58)  4. Presidential Dream (feat. Roberta Gambarini)
(3:42)  5. Tickle Toe
(6:37) 6. Goodbye Porkpie Hat (feat. Roberta Gambarini)
(4:23)  7. Prezeology
(6:29)  8. Easy Living (feat. Roberta Gambarini)
(7:11)  9. These Foolish Things
(4:48) 10. That's All
(1:29) 11. Jumpin' with Symphony Sid/Lester Said

This sought-after tribute by Emanuele Cisi to Lester Young is so rich in historical references and literary references that a review risks neglecting the main and characterizing element: No Eyes is primarily a wonderful musical journey, which fascinates by emotional participation, melodic essentiality and lyricism. The project was able to get in tune with the artistic identity of the great saxophonist, without getting lost in didactic imitations and enhancing the specifics of the leader, singer Roberta Gambarini and the rhythm section formed by Dino Rubino , Rosario Bonaccorso and Gregory Hutchinson. Only a heartfelt participation with the spirit of Lester's music-in the sense of expressive modernity and artistic autonomy rather than stylistic traits-could produce a disc with such an intense feeling. The project, long cherished by Cisi, is inspired by a poem by David Meltzer-precisely "No Eyes" -dedicated to Lester Young. 

The title takes up an expression of the particular vocabulary of the saxophonist (meant "I do not care") and poetry opens the record, incorporated in the performance of "These Foolish Things." The piece begins with the evocative exposition of the theme by the saxophonist who leaves Roberta Gambarini to repropose on that text the famous improvisation by Young in December 1945. The singer from Turin, who has long been at the top of international jazz, gives an exemplary demonstration of eloquence. technique and color variety, expressed with relaxed appeal and rare grace. His presence is fundamental and illuminates other tracks on the record. In particular the masterly version of "Roland Kirk , the bewitching "Easy Living" or the unison in scat with the tenor saxophone of Cisi in "Lester Left Town." The virtuosity and inventiveness of the leader shine in the exciting reinterpretation in duo sax / drums, of "Jumpin 'at the Woodside," where his Coltranian ancestries shine and in other pieces in quartet: some are classics of Lester Young reformulated with respect ("Tickle Toe") or with fanciful grafts of Prez's voice ("Jumpin 'with Symphony Sid"); others are original songs of the leader. It could not miss a classic ballad ("That's All") exposed without unnecessary attempts to echo the historical versions of the saxophonist. ~ Angelo Leonardi https://www.allaboutjazz.com/no-eyes-looking-at-lester-young-emanuele-cisi-warner-jazz-review-by-angelo-leonardi.php

Personnel: Emanuele Cisi: tenor saxophone; Roberta Gambarini: voice; Dino Rubino: piano, flugelhorn (5, 11); Rosario Bonaccorso (bass); Greg Hutchinson: drums.

No Eyes: Looking at Lester Young

---

Midnight Serenaders - Sweet Nothin's

Styles: Retro Swing 
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:23
Size: 138,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:28)  1. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby
(2:39)  2. Swing Brother Swing
(2:29)  3. He's A Curbstone Cutie
(5:27)  4. Pettin' In The Rain
(3:23)  5. I Can't Dance I Got Ants In My Pants
(3:28)  6. Sweet Nothin’s
(4:39)  7. How'd Ya Do
(4:01)  8. Diga Diga Do
(3:32)  9. Daddy Won't You Please Come Home
(3:37) 10. Who Walks In When I Walk Out
(3:29) 11. Some Of These Days
(5:18) 12. Comes Love
(4:51) 13. There'll Be Some Changes Made
(5:27) 14. Down In Shangri-la
(3:29) 15. Baby (Darlin') Baby

The Midnight Serenaders are back with a follow-up to their very popular debut 2007 release "Magnolia" with this new collection of 1920's and 30's influenced jazz and pop songs. This recording features four original songs penned by singer/ukulele player Dee Settlemier. Riding the crest of the neo-traditional jazz craze presently occurring on the West Coast, the MIDNIGHT SERENADERS are a six-piece swing band playing regularly to enthusiastic audiences throughout the Pacific Northwest. Performing vintage pop, Hot Jazz, and Hawaiian instrumentals, as well as an expanding collection of Jazz Age-sounding original songs, these six veteran musicians strive to share their love for the music of the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. With an exciting stage show, tight musical arrangements, and outstanding solo and harmony vocals, MIDNIGHT SERENADERS fans include nostalgists, swing dancers, melody junkies, retro-clothing hounds, and folks who simply appreciate good quality, jubilant music...More.. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/mserenaders2

Sweet Nothin's

---

Abdullah Ibrahim - The Enja Heritage Collection: Banyana

Styles: Piano, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:15
Size: 92,8 MB
Art: Front

( 2:04)  1. Banyana - The Children Of Africa
( 6:17)  2. Ishmael
( 8:17)  3. Asr
( 6:25)  4. The Honey Bird
( 6:45)  5. The Dream
(10:24)  6. Yukio-Khalifa

Abdullah Ibrahim sings and plays soprano on "Ishmael" but otherwise sticks to piano on this trio set with bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Roy Brooks. As usual Ibrahim's folkish melodies (this CD has six of his originals plus a previously alternate take of "Ishmael") pay tribute to his South African heritage and Islam religion without becoming esoteric or inaccessible. Some of the unpredictable music gets a bit intense (Ibrahim is in consistently adventurous form) but his flights always return back to earth and have an air of optimism. An above average effort from a true individualist. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-banyana-children-of-africa-mw0000204709

Personnel: Piano, Soprano Saxophone, Composed By – Abdullah Ibrahim;  Bass – Cecil McBee; Drums – Roy Brooks.

The Enja Heritage Collection: Banyana

---

Peter Skellern - Cheek To Cheek

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:59
Size: 106,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:36)  1. Cheek To Cheek
(4:32)  2. The Continental (You Kiss While You Dance)
(2:41)  3. Puttin' On The Ritz
(2:24)  4. Top Hat, White Tie And Tails
(3:49)  5. Stormy Weather
(2:30)  6. All Or Nothing At All
(3:07)  7. Busy Line
(3:23)  8. Love Is The Sweetest Thing
(2:35)  9. Two Sleepy People
(3:08) 10. Deep Purple
(3:31) 11. Raining In My Heart
(3:55) 12. Where Do We Go From Here
(2:46) 13. They All Laughed
(3:53) 14. The Way You Look Tonight

A composer, singer, and musician, Peter Skellern played trombone in a school band and served as organist and choirmaster in a local church before attending the Guildhall School of Music, from which he graduated with honors in 1968. Because "I didn’t want to spend the next 50 years playing Chopin," he joined the vocal harmony band March Hare which, after changing their name to Harlan County, recorded a country-pop album before disbanding in 1971. Married with two children, Skellern worked as a hotel porter in Shaftesbury, Dorset, before striking lucky at the end of 1972 with a self-composed U.K. number three hit, "You're a Lady." The album Not Without a Friend consisted entirely of original material (aside from a rendition of Hoagy Carmichael's "Rockin' Chair"), and another U.K. hit single with the title track to 1975's Hold on to Love established Skellern as a purveyor of wittily observed if homely love songs of similar stamp to Gilbert O'Sullivan. He earned the respect of Beatles fans (already manifested following Derek Taylor's production of Not Without a Friend) when George Harrison assisted on Hard Times and the title number was later recorded by Ringo Starr. 

A minor hit in 1978, "Love Is the Sweetest Thing" (featuring Grimethorpe Colliery Band) was part of a tribute to Fred Astaire that won a Music Trades Association Award for Best MOR Album of 1979. Skellern subsequently wrote and performed six autobiographical programs for BBC television, followed by a series of musical plays (Happy Endings), and also hosted the chat show Private Lives in 1983. A year later he formed Oasis with Julian Lloyd Webber, Mary Hopkin, and guitarist Billy Lovelady in an attempt to fuse mutual classical and pop interests, but the band's recordings failed to make a major impact. In 1985, Skellern joined Richard Stilgoe for Stilgoe and Skellern Stompin' at the Savoy, a show in aid of the Lords Taverners charity organization. This led to the two entertainers working together on several successful tours and in their two-man revue, Who Plays Wins, which was presented in London's West End and New York City. After becoming disenchanted with the record business for a time, in 1995 Skellern issued his first album in nearly eight years. Originally conceived as a tribute to the Ink Spots, it eventually consisted of a number of songs associated with that legendary group, and a few Hoagy Carmichael compositions "just to break it up." He later wrote sacred choral music and was ordained as a deacon and priest in the Church of England. After developing an inoperable brain tumor, he died in February 2017 at 69 years of age. 

~ Rovi Staff https://www.allmusic.com/artist/peter-skellern-mn0000687269/biography

Cheek To Cheek

---

Rahsaan Roland Kirk - The Vibration Continues

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 90:19
Size: 210,5 MB
Art: Front

( 4:52)  1. The Inflated Tear
( 6:28)  2. Introduction And Medley (Live At The Village Vanguard, New York, NY May 12, 1970)
( 3:46)  3. Water For Robeson and Williams
( 5:42)  4. Volunteered Slavery
( 2:51)  5. I Love You Yes I Do
( 3:40)  6. Rahsaanic
( 4:39)  7. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
( 2:25)  8. Ain't No Sunshine
(13:05)  9. A Tribute To John Coltrane
( 7:14) 10. Old Rugged Cross
( 6:04) 11. The Black and Crazy Blues
( 6:22) 12. Portrait of Those Beautiful Ladies
( 8:40) 13. If I Loved You (Live At Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA, June 9, 1973)
( 3:49) 14. Creole Love Call
(10:36) 15. Seasons (Live At Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI July 1968)

Arguably the most exciting saxophone soloist in jazz history, Kirk was a post-modernist before that term even existed. Kirk played the continuum of jazz tradition as an instrument unto itself; he felt little compunction about mixing and matching elements from the music's history, and his concoctions usually seemed natural, if not inevitable. When discussing Kirk, a great deal of attention is always paid to his eccentricities playing several horns at once, making his own instruments, clowning on stage. However, Kirk was an immensely creative artist; perhaps no improvising saxophonist has ever possessed a more comprehensive technique one that covered every aspect of jazz, from Dixieland to free and perhaps no other jazz musician has ever been more spontaneously inventive. His skills in constructing a solo are of particular note. Kirk had the ability to pace, shape, and elevate his improvisations to an extraordinary degree. During any given Kirk solo, just at the point in the course of his performance when it appeared he could not raise the intensity level any higher, he always seemed able to turn it up yet another notch.  Kirk was born with sight, but became blind at the age of two. He started playing the bugle and trumpet, then learned the clarinet and C-melody sax. Kirk began playing tenor sax professionally in R&B bands at the age of 15. While a teenager, he discovered the "manzello" and "stritch" the former, a modified version of the saxello, which was itself a slightly curved variant of the B flat soprano sax; the latter, a modified straight E flat alto. To these and other instruments, Kirk began making his own improvements. 

He reshaped all three of his saxes so that they could be played simultaneously; he'd play tenor with his left hand, finger the manzello with his right, and sound a drone on the stritch, for instance. Kirk's self-invented technique was in evidence from his first recording, a 1956 R&B record called Triple Threat. By 1960 he had begun to incorporate a siren whistle into his solos, and by '63 he had mastered circular breathing, a technique that enabled him to play without pause for breath. In his early 20s, Kirk worked in Louisville before moving to Chicago in 1960. That year he made his second album, Introducing Roland Kirk, which featured saxophonist/trumpeter Ira Sullivan. In 1961, Kirk toured Germany and spent three months with Charles Mingus. From that point onward, Kirk mostly led his own group, the Vibration Society, recording prolifically with a range of sidemen. In the early '70s, Kirk became something of an activist; he led the "Jazz and People's Movement," a group devoted to opening up new opportunities for jazz musicians. The group adopted the tactic of interrupting tapings and broadcasts of television and radio programs in protest of the small number of African-American musicians employed by the networks and recording studios. In the course of his career, Kirk brought many hitherto unused instruments to jazz. In addition to the saxes, Kirk played the nose whistle, the piccolo, and the harmonica; instruments of his own design included the "trumpophone" (a trumpet with a soprano sax mouthpiece), and the "slidesophone" (a small trombone or slide trumpet, also with a sax mouthpiece). Kirk suffered a paralyzing stroke in 1975, losing movement on one side of his body, but his homemade saxophone technique allowed him to continue to play; beginning in 1976 and lasting until his death a year later, Kirk played one-handed. ~Chris Kelsey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rahsaan-roland-kirk-mn0000864257/biography

The Vibration Continues

---

Michael Cochrane - Footprints

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:53
Size: 165,4 MB
Art: Front

( 5:31)  1. Black Nile
( 5:27)  2. One by One
( 5:44)  3. Fee-Fi-fo-Fum
( 5:48)  4. Virgo
( 6:01)  5. Esp
( 6:52)  6. Footprints
( 5:49)  7. Ana Maria
( 5:49)  8. Pinocchio
( 6:09)  9. Fall
( 8:35) 10. Infant Eyes
(10:04) 11. Speak No Evil

Pianist Michael Cochrane displays here his deep appreciation and understanding of saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter’s music of the 60s. The 72 minutes of Shorter melodies are performed with great sensitivity, imaginations and dexterity by one of the best jazz piano trios today. “Cochrane is a mature and imaginative pianist with a delicate touch and deep harmonic resources…” (Dave Gelly, Gramophone Jazz Good CD Guide)

Personnel:  Michael Cochrane - piano; Ron McClure - bass; Yoron Israel - drums

Footprints

---

Merl Saunders, Melvin Seals - Live on Tour Disc 1 And Disc 2

Album: Live on Tour Disc 1

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:55 + 57:12
Size: 170,1 + 131,6 MB
Art: Front

(11:05)  1. Strugglin' Man
(10:16)  2. It's In The Air
(11:29)  3. Dark Star
( 8:43)  4. Whiter Shade Of Pale
( 8:54)  5. That's What Love
(13:51)  6. Finders Keepers
( 9:34)  7. Lay Back Baby

Album: Live on Tour Disc 2

( 8:40)  1. Summer Jam
( 6:24)  2. Built For Comfort
(14:24)  3. Fire On The Mountain
( 8:21)  4. Travellin' Man
(19:21)  5. Merl's Tune

Hammond B3 player Merl Saunders has recorded with numerous renowned artists since the early '70s and has led many of his own dates in a variety of genres from jazz to blues to new age to rock. Born on Valentine's Day, 1934 in San Mateo, CA, Saunders began learning to play the piano at the age of 10. Saunders decided on music as a profession after seeing how much fun was had by audience and performers alike at concerts by such musicians as Cab Calloway. He apprenticed early on with Jimmy Smith for a time, and attended various music schools. Starting in the 1960s, Saunders collaborated on and off with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. He also began working as a jazz keyboardist in the early '70s, and since has performed and recorded with Harry Belafonte, Frank Sinatra, Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt and Paul Butterfield. One of his several albums with Jerry Garcia, Blues From the Rainforest, hit the Top 5 of the U.S. Billboard New Age charts in the early '90s. This album is a keyboard extravaganza, as two of the instruments premier players join together for these live recordings. With Melvin Seals on organ and Fender Rhodes and Saunders on piano and synthesizer, you can bet this 2-CD set is packed to the gills with stunning performances. From legendary covers like "Whiter Shade Of Pale" and "Fire On The Mountain" to their own soulful tunes and beyond, Saunders and Seals display mastery of form and freedom for the duration of this release. Anchored by a tight rhythm section and colored by nimble guitar work, these two giants of the music world are allowed to shine equally and intensely. https://homegrownmusic.net/store/cd/merl-saunders-melvin-seals-live-on-tour-2-cd

Live on Tour

---

Esbjörn Svensson Trio - Plays Monk

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:47
Size: 147,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:47)  1. I Mean You
(5:48)  2. Criss Cross
(6:13)  3. Round Midnight
(7:22)  4. Bemsha Swing
(4:03)  5. Rhythm-A-Ning
(6:40)  6. In Walked Bud
(4:05)  7. Little Rootie Tootie
(4:59)  8. Eronel
(5:05)  9. Evidence
(6:41) 10. Crepuscule With Nellie

Esbjörn Svensson Trio Plays Monk from 1996 is a music album by Esbjörn Svensson Trio . The album is a tribute to the jazz pianist Thelonious Monk . https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esbjörn_Svensson_Trio_Plays_Monk

Personnel:   Esbjörn Svensson - piano , percussion , string arrangement; Dan Berglund - double bass , string arrangement; Magnus Öström - drums

Plays Monk

---

Nancy Harrow - Lost Lady

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:26
Size: 112,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:30)  1. House On The Low Round Hill
(3:33)  2. Railroad Man
(4:45)  3. If I Want To
(5:46)  4. Lost Lady
(3:38)  5. Happy Days/lost Lady
(3:04)  6. Self-esteem
(2:20)  7. Putting On Airs
(3:54)  8. Angry Blues
(5:44)  9. He's Gone
(3:37) 10. For The Last Time
(2:57) 11. Starting Over
(2:50) 12. This Life Is Mine
(2:44) 13. Happy Days

Singer Nancy Harrow certainly put a lot of work into this project, writing both words and music for all 13 originals. The recording is inspired by Willa Cather's brief novel Lost Lady, although the plot is given a more modern twist. 

Harrow utilizes a second singer (Vernel Bagneris, who serves as the narrator and male counterpoint), a top-notch rhythm section (pianist Dick Katz, bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Ben Riley) and occasionally Phil Woods on alto and clarinet. While this is an interesting recording and everyone plays and sings well, none of the music is really all that memorable, and the songs do not stand alone if heard apart from the story. So it is a mixed success; well-conceived, ambitious and intriguing, if not essential. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/lost-lady-mw0000626767

Personnel:  Nancy Harrow ( Vocal ); Ben Riley ( Drums); Dick Katz ( Piano ); Phil Woods 

( Sax Alto) ); Vernel Bagneris ( Vocal ); Ray Drummond ( Bass )

Lost Lady

---

Chico Hamilton Quintet - Plays South Pacific In Hi-Fi

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:57
Size: 85,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:18)  1. A Wonderful Guy
(3:56)  2. This Nearly Was Mine
(3:03)  3. Dites Moi
(3:19)  4. Some Enchanted Evening
(4:43)  5. Bali Ha'i
(3:03)  6. There Is Nothing Like A Dame
(3:34)  7. Younger Than Springtime
(3:00)  8. Happy Talk
(1:55)  9. A Cockeyed Optimist
(4:23) 10. Honey Bun
(2:41) 11. I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair

South Pacific in Hi-Fi is an album by drummer and bandleader Chico Hamilton featuring jazz interpreations of themes from the Broadway musical South Pacific which was released on the Pacific Jazz label. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Pacific_in_Hi-Fi

Personnel:  Chico Hamilton - drums; Paul Horn - alto saxophone, flute, arranger; Fred Katz - cello, arranger; John Pisano - guitar, arranger; Hal Gaylor - bass; Calvin Jackson, Carson Smith - arranger

Plays South Pacific In Hi-Fi

---

Jackie Gleason - Lover's Rhapsody

Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 1953
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 24:57
Size: 57,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:20)  1. Desire
(3:22)  2. Flirtation
(3:16)  3. Temptation
(3:13)  4. Enchantment
(2:54)  5. When Your Lover Has Gone
(2:36)  6. Tenderly
(3:06)  7. I'm Thru With Love
(3:07)  8. Dark Is The Night (C'est Fini)

Not only was he one of the finest comedians America has ever produced, Jackie Gleason applied his prodigious talents to music as well. With a strong jazz roots background (leaning to mesmerized idolatry when dealing with good trumpet players), Gleason developed a chart-topping series of mood music albums in the '50s, citing his reason for their existence: "Every time I ever watched Clark Gable do a love scene in the movies, I'd hear this really pretty music, real romantic, come up behind him and help set the mood. So I'm figuring that if Clark Gable needs that kinda help, then a guy in Canarsie has gotta be dyin' for somethin' like this!" Gleason began making films in the '40s, but he rose to stardom in the early '50s, thanks to the late '40s/early '50s television series The Life of Riley and Cavalcade of Stars. His television stardom led to a contract with Capitol Records, who released his first album, Music for Lovers Only, in 1953. As a musician, Gleason favored lush, dramatically orchestrated instrumentals, patterned after the mood music of Paul Weston. Gleason wasn't a trained musician, but he was responsible for the musical direction of his records; when he did write a piece, he would dictate to someone who could read and write music.  Music for Lovers Only was a surprise hit, selling over 500,000 copies. Every subsequent Gleason album was a major hit, reaching the Top Ten and selling a large number of copies. Gleason continued to release albums into the '60s, but his popularity dipped dramatically after 1957. After that year, he no longer was able to make it into the Top 15, even though his records continued to appear in the lower regions of the charts. Gleason's records have continued to be popular cult items and they have come to be regarded as definitive mood music albums. ~ Cub Koda https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jackie-gleason-mn0000781399/biography

Lover's Rhapsody

---

James Moody - Hey! It's James Moody + Flute N The Blues + 3 Bonus Tracks

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:40
Size: 183,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:08)  1. Stella By Starlight
(2:38)  2. Indian Summer
(4:31)  3. Don't Blame Me
(2:38)  4. Last Train From Overbrook (Vocal Version)
(4:00)  5. Please Say Yes
(6:19)  6. Blue Jubilee
(3:14)  7. Woody'N You
(2:29)  8. Trouble In De Lowlands
(2:35)  9. Summertime
(2:55) 10. Tali
(4:07) 11. Flute 'n The Blues
(2:32) 12. Birdland Story
(2:42) 13. It Could Happen To You
(2:42) 14. I Cover The Waterfront
(4:23) 15. Body And Soul
(3:20) 16. Breaking The Blues
(3:21) 17. Parker's Mood
(3:51) 18. Easy Living
(3:43) 19. Boo's Tune
(4:41) 20. Richard's Blues
(3:07) 21. Last Train From Overbrook (instrumental)
(3:13) 22. Workshop
(3:18) 23. I'm In The Mood for Love

There is nothing earth-shattering on this collection, which was originally issued as two LPs: Flute'n The Blues (1956) and Hey! It's James Moody (1959). What remains remarkable, though, is how fresh James Moody sounds, even when some of the arrangements show their age and some of the ensemble passages lack precise intonation. Indeed, some of these tracks have passed into jazz lore, including "Last Train from Overbrook (the salute to Moody's return to the scene) with Eddie Jefferson's ebullient vocal, as well as an instrumental take and the classic Moody-Jefferson piece "I'm in the Mood For Love, performed since as "Moody's Mood For Love. The leader excels on alto and tenor, but his full-bodied, soulful and technically sure flute playing deserves special mention. He shines on a languid "Indian Summer that is far too short, and "Trouble In De Lowlands finds him appropriately mournful. "Tali is a bit too precious, but Moody almost salvages it with a far-too-short swinging segment. Likewise, the out-of-tune opening ensemble threatens to sabotage the leader's offering, as well as that of underrated trumpeter Johnny Coles, on "Flute'n The Blues. The closing, riff-based ensemble, however, is tighter. On tenor, Moody soulfully explores "Don't Blame Me, taking his time to build a compelling solo. On "Woody'N You (aka "Algo Bueno ), Dizzy Gillespie's tribute to Woody Herman, he soars again on tenor, using fragments of the melody to launch segments of blowing choruses. His tenor playing, individualized with gruff, acidic traces, is always compelling. Jefferson is featured extensively on pieces including "Birdland Story, "I Cover the Waterfront, the majestically paced "Workshop and the classics "Parker's Mood and "I'm in the Mood for Love (complete with that wild falsetto spot). The latter two are arguably the singer's most moving works on record. This release is a portrait of James Moody's output from the late '50s. Here and there it can sound a bit dated, mainly because the ensembles and tempi are too often too much the same, number after number. Moody's warm, passionate, focused voice, however, stands out. Whether in the studio or in the band box, he was then and remains now exciting, soulful and expressive. ~ Andrew Rowan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/hey-its-james-moody-james-moody-lone-hill-jazz-review-by-andrew-rowan.php

Personnel: James Moody: alto and tenor saxophone, flute. Tracks 1-10: John Gray: guitar; Eldee Young: bass; Clarence Johnston: drums; Eddie Jefferson: vocals (4,9); Tom McIntosh: arranger, conductor. Tracks 11-20: Johnny Coles: trumpet; William Shepherd: trombone; Pee Wee Moore: baritone saxophone; Jimmy Boyd: piano, arranger; John Latham: bass; Clarence Johnston: drums; Eddie Jefferson: vocals (12,14,17); Flip Richard, Earl Turner, Sonny Cohn: trumpet; John Avant: trombone; Bill Atkins, Lenny Druss: alto saxophone; Vito Price, Sandy Mosse, Eddie Johnson: tenor saxophone; Pat Patrick: baritone saxophone; Junior Mance: piano; John Gray: bass; Johnny Pate: bass, arranger, director; Red Holt: drums. Track 22: Johnny Coles, Howard McGhee: trumpet; Musa Kaleem: baritone saxophone; Gene Kee: piano; John Latham: bass; Clarence Johnston: drums; Johnny Coles: trumpet; Donald Cole: trombone; Tate Houston: baritone saxophone: Jimmy Boyd: piano; John Latham: bass; Clarence Johnston: drums; Eddie Jefferson: vocals.

Hey! It's James Moody

---

Harold Danko - Triple Play

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:08
Size: 147,8 MB
Art: Front

( 9:06)  1. Total Obsesson
( 6:47)  2. Sky Blues
( 6:15)  3. Mademoisselle Dreamy
( 5:16)  4. A Quiet Dawn
(10:48)  5. Triple Play
( 7:47)  6. Shallow Waters
( 4:12)  7. Classified Attachment
( 7:13)  8. Ancient and Distant
( 6:40)  9. Stream of Tears

Harold Danko sounds wonderful here with his long-established trio a group so well-matched, most of the songs on this set arose from collective improvisations during the recording sessions! Yet these aren't outside, avant tunes in which all players roam freely in space and instead, they're melodic, rhythmic, very tuneful extrapolations that are often based on older standards but which are so transformed, you can't really hear any roots of the originals as the players take flight in that magical collaborative creation that marks jazz at its best! Danko plays piano, Jay Anderson is on bass, and Jeff Hirshfield is on drums  and titles include "Sky Blues", "Stream Of Tears", "Shallow Waters", "Mademoiselle Dreamy", "Total Obsession", and "Ancient & Distant".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/865149/Harold-Danko:Triple-Play

Personnel:  Harold Danko - piano; Jay Anderson - bass; Jeff Hirshfield - drums

Triple Play

---

Mulgrew Miller - The Countdown

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:25
Size: 115,8 MB
Art: Front

(8:18)  1. The Countdown
(5:23)  2. Exact Change
(7:32)  3. What the World Needs Now Is Love
(5:55)  4. '1684'
(6:44)  5. Tetragon
(5:41)  6. Crystal Palace
(4:45)  7. Ambrosia
(6:02)  8. August Afternoon

The great Joe Henderson joins pianist Mulgrew Miller for this wonderful album lending his sharp-edged tenor tone to really make the session stand out from Miller's more common trio dates! Henderson and Miller both have a great ear for the darker side of the spectrum hitting notes that are never too far out, nor too modern but which have a rich sense of color that's really wonderful a bottom-searching sort of feel that gives the album a hell of a lot of feeling! The rest of the quartet features Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums beautiful partners who are matched with years of experience, which they're only happy to bring to the date. Henderson sits out two numbers "Ambrosia" and "Exact Change" but sparkles strongly on the tracks "The Countdown", "Tetragon", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "Crystal Palace", and "August Afternoon".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/476435/Mulgrew-Miller:Countdown

Personnel:  Mulgrew Miller – piano; Joe Henderson – tenor sax; Ron Carter – bass; Tony Williams – drums

The Countdown

---

Kristin Asbjørnsen - The Night Shines Like The Day

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:14
Size: 92,8 MB
Art: Front

(1:02)  1. Green is everywhere
(3:51)  2. If this is the ending
(3:42)  3. Snowflake
(3:49)  4. Don't hide your face from me
(4:17)  5. Afloat
(3:06)  6. And I long to see you again
(1:28)  7. I'm too heavy now
(2:36)  8. Walk around me
(4:16)  9. Moment
(4:25) 10. Rain, oh Lord
(2:08) 11. One day my heart will break
(2:55) 12. Someday I'll carry you home
(2:32) 13. Lose

2009/2010 saw the release of Kristin’s new enchanting solo album: “The night shines like the day”. This is the first album totally based on Kristin’s own lyrics and music. The music is a powerful, mesmerizing beautiful exploration; quiet and intense, with an incredibly strong awareness in the way Kristin is approaching the songs. It’s soulful music that flows, touchingly grounded in Kristin’s unique voice. Kristin wrote the songs at the piano; but along the way the music developed within a haunting and distinctive ensemble sound, where West-African guitars blend creatively with the cello and piano. The arrangements are coloured by Kristin’s interpretations of African American spirituals on the critically acclaimed album ‘Wayfaring Stranger’, as well as her long term duo work with Tord Gustavsen. And they show traces of old gospel hymns and the West African danceable approach. http://kristinasbjornsen.com/album/the-night-shines-like-the-day/
Kristin says:

“I invited some of the musicians that have been very important to me during the past years. I feel humble and I am touched by the way they have approached my songs, with such powerful musical performances and with so much beauty.”
These arrangements are so finely tuned and rich in texture, with an exceptional playful interaction between the musicians. Still the music tender and somber expressions maintains the simplicity and the warm intimacy from where the songs were born.

“The night shines like the day” carries strong imprints of love.
The longing to embrace and being embraced.

“It has been a long journey since these songs started to grow in me. Working with the music has been both comforting and challenging. When everything falls apart and there seems to be no way out, we sometimes experience a glimpse of hope entering the darkness, that creates contours of a new view and new directions expressed in the title of the album: “The night shines like the day”. Creating these songs has been a process gradually grounded in a strong hope and belief that something broken can be turned into beauty.”

Personnel:  Kristin Asbjørnsen – vocals; Tord Gustavsen – piano and fender rhodes; Olav Torget – konting and guitars; Svante Henryson – cello and electric bass; Knut Aalefjær – percussion; Jostein Ansnes – vocals, lap steel and additional guitars; Sizwe Magwaza – vocals; Nils Petter Molvaer – Trumpet on “Moment”

The Night Shines Like The Day

---

Duke Pearson - I Don't Care Who Knows It

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:00
Size: 138,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:11)  1. I Don't Care Who Knows It
(7:40)  2. Bloos
(6:38)  3. A Beautiful Friendship
(5:53)  4. Horn In
(6:38)  5. Canto Ossanha
(6:33)  6. Xibaba - Remastered
(6:58)  7. I Don't Know
(5:22)  8. O Amor En Paz (Once I Loved)
(1:59)  9. Upa Neguinho
(5:47) 10. Captain Bicardi
(3:17) 11. Theme From Rosemary's Baby

The sessions that comprise I Don't Care Who Knows It date from 1969 and 1970 (with one stray track from a 1968 session with Bobby Hutcherson), when Duke Pearson was experimenting with Latin jazz, soul-jazz, and funk; they are also the second-to-last dates the pianist ever recorded for Blue Note. Working with a fairly large group that included bassist Ron Carter, drummer Mickey Roker, saxophonists Jerry Dodgion, Frank Foster, Lew Tabackin, trumpeter Burt Collins, trombonist Kenny Rupp, and occasionally vocalist Andy Bey, Pearson plays the electric piano throughout the majority of the album. As expected, the music swings with an understated funk, with the band alternating between standard hard-bop and mellow, soulful grooves. On the whole, I Don't Care Who Knows It is fairly uneven the sessions don't set well together, but work well as individual sets. Nevertheless, there is enough good material here to make it worthwhile for soul-jazz, Latin-jazz and, especially, Pearson aficionados. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-dont-care-who-knows-it-mw0000181100

Personnel:  Duke Pearson - piano, electric piano, arranger; Burt Collins - trumpet (tracks 1-6 & 8); Kenny Rupp - trombone (tracks 1-5); Jerry Dodgion - flute, alto flute, alto saxophone (tracks 1-8, 10 & 11); Al Gibbons - flute (tracks 6 & 8); Lew Tabackin - tenor saxophone, flute (tracks 1-5, 7 & 10); Frank Foster - tenor saxophone, alto clarinet (tracks 1-5); Bobby Hutcherson - vibes (tracks 6-8, 10 & 11); Sam Brown (track 11), Ralph Towner (tracks 7 & 10) - acoustic guitar; Dorio Ferreira - guitar, percussion (track 9); Al Gafa (tracks 6-8 & 10), Wally Richardson (tracks 7 & 10) - guitar; Bob Cranshaw - bass (tracks 6-8, 10 & 11); Ron Carter - bass (tracks 1-5); Bebeto Jose Souza - bass (track 9); Mickey Roker - drums (tracks 1-8, 10 & 11), percussion (track 9); Airto Moreira - percussion, vocals (track 5-8, & 10), drums (track 9); Stella Mars - vocals (track 8); Andy Bey - vocals (track 1); Flora Purim - vocals (track 9)

I Don't Care Who Knows It

---

Adrian Cunningham - Professor Cunningham and His Old School: Swing It out!

Styles: Vocal, Clarinet, Flute and Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:24
Size: 134,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:49)  1. All Of Me
(3:39)  2. A Pretty Girl, A Cadillac, and Some Money
(3:16)  3. That Da Da Strain
(3:22)  4. Mclancholy Serenade
(3:22)  5. Stompy Jones
(3:09)  6. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
(3:43)  7. Oh Me Oh My
(4:14)  8. Bechet's Fantasy
(2:56)  9. Caldonia
(3:32) 10. Cheeky Monkey
(3:14) 11. Caravan
(3:42) 12. Be My Life's Companion
(3:33) 13. Chocko Mo Feendo Hey
(4:38) 14. Sleepwalker's Serenade
(3:11) 15. Dinah
(3:56) 16. Waltzing Matilda

This album is a fabulous example of highly dance-able and strikingly beautiful swing Jazz. Adrian ''Professor'' Cunningham on clarinet, tenor sax, flute, & vocals; Jon Challoner on trumpet; Dani Alonso on trombone; John Merrill on guitar; Alberto Pibiri on piano; Jim Robertson on bass; Paul Wells on drums. Adrian Cunningham is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and world traveller. Originally from Sydney Australia and now based in New York, he is proving to be one of his country's top exports. With fluent command of the saxophones, clarinet, and flute, he is one of the finest multi-instrumentalists in Jazz. When he is not busy performing in NYC with some of its finest players, he is touring the world playing jazz festivals and swing events. In 2013 Cunningham formed a tradtional/New Orleans style outfit called Professor Cunningham and His Old School, deeply rooted in the Jazz tradition and has fast become one of the top bands in the international Swing scene, having performed at Snowball (Stockholm), SLOX (California), BABBLE (NYC), CPH:LX (Copenhagen) and Melbourne International Jazz Festival.

Musicians: Adrian Cunningham on clarinet, tenor sax, flute and vocals; Jon Challoner on trumpet; Dani Alonso on trombone; Alberto Pibiri on piano; John Merrill on guitar; Jim Robertson on bass; Paul Wells on drums

Professor Cunningham and His Old School: Swing It out!

---

Chris Byars - The Music of Frank Strozier

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:53
Size: 160,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:33)  1. Extension 27
(7:07)  2. Neicy
(6:43)  3. Remember Me
(4:39)  4. Idle One
(7:25)  5. For Chris
(9:52)  6. Long Night
(6:53)  7. Just Think It Over
(6:48)  8. Some Other Time
(4:01)  9. Ollie
(7:48) 10. Will I Forget

Alto saxophonist Frank Strozier’s music is dyed-in-the-wool hard bop how could late-’50s jazz from blues-and-gospel Memphis be anything else? As such, it’s a bit jarring to hear his compositions juxtaposed with Chris Byars’ classically informed arrangements. Trombone, bass clarinet, oboe and guitar assail the material on The Music of Frank Strozier, along with Byars’ alto and flute. But the hybrid works. Byars simultaneously softens the edges of Strozier’s tunes, then sharpens them again. On the opening “Extension 27,” Pasquale Grasso’s guitar acts as a sedative, the charming bed of chords sounding much like a soft-touch piano against Stefan Schatz’s brushwork and in Grasso’s delicately constructed solo. But on top, Byars, with a salt-and-vinegar sound in his alto, and trombonist John Mosca attack with adrenaline, and Stefano Doglioni applies a coarse edge with his bass clarinet. James Byars’ oboe leavens “Remember Me” simply by virtue of being an oboe but then Doglioni and Mosca pull the tune into swing so determined it approaches grimness. By the time of “Long Night” and “Ollie,” these orchestral textures sound like they were made to play the blues. “Ollie,” a ballad, is really Byars’ alto feature, and he hits it hard. Still, Grasso’s accompaniment reeks of bent notes and bluesy substitutions, and the horns squeeze together in soulful pathos, Mosca especially shining. As might be expected, the mellower qualities do hold sway when Byars picks up the flute. Yet he has a light prance of an approach to the instrument, so that even as he gives a softer side to “Neicy” or the rhumba “For Chris,” Byars kicks up the tune’s rhythmic side as well. That’s an impressive balance, and a masterful one. ~ Michael J. West https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/chris-byars-music-frank-strozier-steeplechase/

Personnel:  CHRIS BYARS alto saxophone, flute; JOHN MOSCA trombone; STEFANO DOGLIONI bass clarinet; JAMES BYARS oboe; PASQUALE GRASSO guitar; ARI ROLAND bass; STEFAN SCHATZ drums

The Music of Frank Strozier

---