Keith Jarrett - The Mourning of a Star

Styles: Piano, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1971
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:52
Size: 102,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:12)  1. Follow the Crooked Path (Though It Be Longer)
(1:17)  2. Interlude No. 3
(3:20)  3. Standing Outside
(2:13)  4. Everything That Lives Laments
(1:37)  5. Interlude No. 1
(6:56)  6. Trust
(2:18)  7. All I Want
(5:06)  8. Traces of You
(9:21)  9. The Mourning of a Star
(0:52) 10. Interlude No. 2
(4:35) 11. Sympathy

This album gives one an interesting look at the early Keith Jarrett, who was already performing on an album of the Charles Lloyd Quartet and Miles Davis' early fusion band. He had not yet fully developed his style, but he was clearly on his way. These trio performances (with bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Paul Motian) are impressive for the period, but the best was yet to come. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-mourning-of-a-star-mw0000111796

Personnel: Piano, Recorder [Tenor], Soprano Saxophone, Drums [Steel] – Keith Jarrett;  Bass, Drums [Steel] – Charlie Haden; Drums, Drums [Steel] – Paul Motian

The Mourning of a Star

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Rick Braun - Body And Soul

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:15
Size: 111,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:35)  1. Notorius
(4:16)  2. Missing In Venice
(4:23)  3. Slick
(3:46)  4. Chelsea
(4:40)  5. Long Tall Judy
(4:32)  6. Dark Eyes
(4:31)  7. Body And Soul
(4:13)  8. Angel
(4:15)  9. Love Will Find A Way
(4:53) 10. Coolsville
(4:06) 11. Hymn For Her

Body & Soul, explores an introspective, thoughtful side of Rick Braun's artistry. Funk grooves and irresistible pop melodies still prevail in subtler shades, but Braun reflects maturely on the changes of his life with a collection that pays homage to his ongoing love for more traditional jazz. The result is his most thought-provoking, eclectic and artistically satisfying album to date. While he plays all the keyboard, trumpet and flugelhorn parts on Body and Soul, he's joined by some of the genre's best musicians, who got together at various times in the comfort of Braun's sunny home to record tracks reflective of friends gathering for a smooth sailing jam session. On hand for various tracks are sax star Boney James, guitarists Chris Standring and Jeff Golub, bassist Cliff Hugo, and drummers Dave Palmer and Dave Karasony. Body & Soul kicks off with the album's first single, the dreamy, cool, and seductive "Notorious," which features interplay between Braun and Boney James's horns and was co-produced by Paul Brown (who's produced hits for James as well as Peter White and Sam Riney). Braun gently fuses jazz sensibilities with streetwise seduction on the gently hypnotic "Missing In Venice" before exploring the pulsating edges of night on the spirited retro-soul vibe of "Slick." "Chelsea" is an easily shuffling romantic ode to the section of Manhattan where Jeff Golub lives, while "Long Tall Judy" finds musical soul mates Braun and Golub invoking the ghosts of Lee Morgan and Wes Montgomery in a sparsely arranged, slow burning jazz/blues jam. ~ Jonathan Widran https://www.allmusic.com/album/body-and-soul-mw0000080564

Body And Soul

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Judith Owen - Here

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:29
Size: 93,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. Here
(3:58)  2. You And The Moon
(3:08)  3. Best Friend
(5:03)  4. Worship
(5:07)  5. Climbing Shoes
(4:10)  6. I Go To Sleep
(5:04)  7. Hand Across The Water
(3:25)  8. Eye Of The Tiger
(4:09)  9. The Room
(2:58) 10. I'll Watch You (While You're Sleeping)

British singer/songwriter Judith Owen, for whom Here is her fifth self-released album, is the ideal performer for music fans who wish Joni Mitchell had gone on making records like Blue and For the Roses back in the first half of the '70s. Owen sounds like she has a complete collection of Mitchell's albums, at least up as far as The Hissing of Summer Lawns, that is, and also a general familiarity with the works of Carole King, Kate Bush, and Tori Amos. She writes and sings quiet, melodic songs dominated by her slow, careful piano playing and richly considered voice. Especially because of her accent, she often sounds exactly like Bush and Amos (who often sound exactly like each other, of course), at least when those singers are not wafting into their soprano ranges. But her lyrics are never as obscure, instead aiming for emotional clarity. That brings back the Mitchell comparison, and the difference there is that Owen sounds like a woman who is happily married with a child rather than suffering romantic turmoil, at least in the present moment. Although the first two songs, "Here" and "You and the Moon" seem to be about a lost and fondly remembered love and a love suffering from separation, respectively, the key songs are the third and fourth ones. "Best Friend" is full of advice to a loved one, while "Worship" is a recollection of a bad, but compelling love affair by someone who is now in a good one. 

As usual, Owen demonstrates a surprising taste in covers, giving a jazzy reading to the old Survivor hit "Eye of the Tiger," which is a funny idea, but also taking on the Kinks' "I Go to Sleep," a less appealing choice since another influence, Chrissie Hynde, got there first with the Pretenders. Here is an unfailingly tasteful and listenable collection, but it's the work of a confessional singer/songwriter who doesn't have all that much to confess. ~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/here-mw0000779521

Here

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Jamie Saft Quartet - Blue Dream

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:19
Size: 128,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:38)  1. Vessels
(6:00)  2. Equanimity
(3:50)  3. Sword's Water
(5:56)  4. Violets for Your Furs
(3:37)  5. Blue Dream
(4:31)  6. Infinite Compassion
(2:50)  7. Sweet Lorraine
(3:54)  8. Walls
(3:07)  9. Decamping
(4:41) 10. Words and Deeds
(4:24) 11. Mysterious Arrangements
(6:47) 12. There's a Lull in My Life

If RareNoise Records has a characteristic sound as ECM Records has a characteristic sound, that sound is defined Jamie Saft. Whether it is the unholy ministry of Slobber Pup or the plaintive solo piano of his recent Solo A Genova (RareNoise, 2018), multi-instrumentalist Saft has brought Giacomo Bruzzo's and Eraldo Bernocchi's eclectic-electric British label front and center of not just the jazz world, but the music world.  Saft has recorded widely, most notably with John Zorn, Wadada Leo Smith, Roswell Rudd, Iggy Pop, Marc Ribot, Bill Laswell, Cyro Baptista, and Dave Douglas. He is responsible for producing the most magnificent noise as evidenced on recordings like, Berserk!'s Berserk! (RareNoise Records, 2013) and Slobber Pup's Black Aces (RareNoise Records, 2013) and Pole Axe (RareNoise Records, 2015), along with his collaboration with guitarist Joe Morris on Plymouth (Rare Noise, 2014). Overlapping with his noisemaking is Saft's redefinition of acoustic jazz over the past five years as heard on: The New Standard (RareNoise, 2014); Ticonderoga (Clean Feed, 2015); Strength & Power (RareNoise, 2016); Loneliness Road (RareNoise, 2017); and Solo A Genova (RareNoise, 2018).  

Jamie Saft's penetration of acoustic jazz continues with his present quartet recording Blue Dreams. Immediately, I thought of John Coltrane's great 1960's quartet, circa A Love Supreme. "Vessels" opens with sustained bass notes in a simple harmonic figure by Saft, very much in keeping the McCoy Tyner style of the time. Tenor saxophonist Bill McHenry plays Coltrane's part, without the screeching and loss of mind. Like an early '60s Coltrane solo, the ensemble begins simply before setting out to make a sonic statement, both musically and dramatically. "Equanimity" is introduced by drummer Nasheet Waits, when, at the 1:36 mark the rest of the band enters, anxious and excited. Bassist Bradley Jones carefully chooses his figures and times in such a way to propel the music in a swinging and unpredictable manner.  The first of three standard's, "Violets for Your Furs," reels the band back into mainstream mode, capturing the sound of 1950s Miles Davis. 

It is a beautiful revelation. "Sweet Lorraine" is taken at a loping pace, Saft playing between the lines with Jones' ever near-the-beat pulse avoiding temp tachycardia. McHenry plays as straight as Saft, quaint and beautifully. "Walls" offers an expansive answer to "Lorraine" with Jones providing a continuo arco. McHenry barley rattles the reeds, a sound like stretching parchment, while Saft favors his beloved low notes with sustain. Like a Coltrane performance, the piece is all introduction. It is worthwhile to consider that there is no resolution in music like this, only an extended consideration. "Words and Deeds" follows the same formula of the opening "Vessels," brooding and impressionistic. The final standard "There's a Lull in My Life" completes the recording beautifully and appropriately. McHenry first duets with Jones, Waits brushing in the background. By the time Saft gets there, things are well underway, introspectively. Within this musical microcosm, Saft and company blow the dust off of and update a storied method of performance. ~ C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blue-dream-jamie-saft-rarenoiserecords-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Jamie Saft Piano; Bill McHenry: tenor saxophone; Bradley Christopher Jones: acoustic bass; Nasheet Waits: drums.

Blue Dream

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Emanuele Cisi - Where or When

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:08
Size: 120,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:30)  1. But Not for Me
(6:44)  2. Chelsea Bridge
(3:09)  3. Inverso Calypso
(4:45)  4. Sphere's
(4:54)  5. Time Was
(6:37)  6. Mama Anita
(5:30)  7. Warnin' Up
(4:53)  8. Where or When
(4:10)  9. Where or When (Alternate Take)
(4:52) 10. Wild Boar's Dance

Italian born saxist Emanuele Cisi drinks from the Coltrane fountain on this collection of originals and standards in a trio format with Joseph LePore/b and Luca Santaniello/dr. On soprano, he goes laconic and agonizing on “Chelsea Bridge” bluesy on “Spheres” and frisky, funky and fun on “Mama Anita.” A reading of “Inverso Calypso” has him on an autumnal tenor and reaching into his inner Rollins, and goes modal on “Wild Boar’s Dance”. Without a pianist, he walks a tightrope with his teammates, with LePore getting some space on  “Where Or When” and Santaniello’s brushes and sticks working wonders on the boppish “Time Was” and driving “Warnin’ Up.” Impulse! fans will have a field day with this one. https://www.jazzweekly.com/2014/03/emanuele-cisi-where-or-when/

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Emanuele Cisi; Arranged By [All Arrangements By] – Emanuele Cisi; Bass – Joseph Lepore; Drums – Luca Santaniello 

Where or When

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Quadro Nuevo - Grand Voyage

Styles: Latin Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:26
Size: 175,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:57)  1. Die Reise nach Batumi
(2:30)  2. Cançao Do Mar.mp3
(3:16)  3. Cien Años
(5:35)  4. Krim
(5:14)  5. Samba para parapente
(4:56)  6. Aus der Stille der Nacht
(5:06)  7. Nature Boy
(4:12)  8. Die Abenteurer
(6:34)  9. Lethe
(6:36) 10. Antakya - Concert Version
(4:33) 11. Meteora
(2:26) 12. Secret Garden
(2:31) 13. Mosaique Tunisienne (Morning)
(2:23) 14. Mosaique Tunisienne (Afternoon)
(3:30) 15. Mosaique Tunisienne (Night)
(3:53) 16. Goaz boq Muzik
(4:01) 17. Dopo Lo Spettacolo
(5:33) 18. Die Reise nach Batumi - Orchestral Version

Songs of a Grand Voyage. The baggage filled with melodies that were collected along the way. Every tone tells you a story about a new encounter and takes the listener on an epic adventure. Every song was recorded on a different place on this earth and represents the unique vibrations of those special locations. https://www.glm.de/en/product/quadro-nuevo-grand-voyage/

Personnel: Mulo Francel saxophones, clarinets, mandoline, glockenspiel, monochord, guitar on 6, bouzouki on 11; Robert Wolf guitar, bouzouki, piano on 17, steel drum; D.D. Lowka  acoustic bass, percussion, xylophone, cymbalom; Andreas Hinterseher  accordion, vibrandoneon, bandoneon, piano on 4; Evelyn Huber concert grand harp, single pedal harp, salterio

Grand Voyage

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Sylvia Vrethammar - Sommar! Samba! Sylvia!

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:53
Size: 149,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:44)  1. Sylvias samba
(3:02)  2. Que Bonito È
(2:48)  3. Magdalena
(3:14)  4. I skymningen
(3:22)  5. Lambada
(3:21)  6. Närhet
(3:11)  7. Vår lust var starkare än vi
(2:37)  8. Dansa samba med mej
(3:53)  9. O chêro Da Carolina
(2:17) 10. America do sul
(3:14) 11. Vo bate pa tu
(3:42) 12. Amanda
(3:46) 13. Allting förändras utom våren
(4:00) 14. Las alas del corazon
(3:00) 15. Livets fest
(3:34) 16. Copacabana
(3:53) 17. Bossa Nova
(3:40) 18. Samba Brasil
(3:26) 19. Y viva Espana

Sylvia Vrethammar an international acclaimed artist, whose repertoire ranges from swinging Jazz over South American rhythms all the way to the modern pop song. She was born in Uddevalla on the Swedish west coast as daughter to Harald and Britta Vrethammar and later moved with her family to the country's capital Stockholm. At the age of 16 she began her musical career with several prizes at amateur music-festivals. Nevertheless Sylvia decided to finish school first and to study which resulted in her graduation as a child psychologist.

In the year 1969 Sylvia's career in the music business started for real. Her first album TYCKER OM DEJ gets released and during a perfomance at the Stockholm club Gyllene Cirkeln she is noticed by a TV producer and immediately gets her first own personality show on Swedish TV. TV entertainer Lennart Hyland is watching the broadcast of this show and on the spot decides to engage Sylvia as a co-host for his enormously popular TV-show Hylands Hörna. Now the engagements start streaming in and Sylvia is been sent to the International Song-Festival in Rio de Janeiro as the representative of Sweden. In Brazil she develops her great love for Samba music and therefore puts together a tour with Brazilian Samba-group Trio Pandeiros De Ouro through the whole of Scandinavia under the leadership from Sylvia´s husband and producer at this time, Rune Öfwerman. This tour becomes such a sensational success, that Sylvia gets from now on described as the “Samba Queen” whenever there is an article about her. One of her numerous tours around the globe leads Sylvia through the former Soviet Union and even here the people cue up in masses to get to see Sylvia's stage-show. In 1974 her English original-version of the mega-hit Y VIVA ESPAÑA reaches the tops of the English charts, sells over 1 Million copies and stays for 39 consecutive weeks on the charts, leading to an entry into the Guinness Book of Records. 

In Concert is the name of Sylvia's first personality-show on German television. This next stage of her career begins with numerous appearances on German stage and television. She becomes so popular that the legendary band leader and composer Bert Kaempfert (Strangers in the Night) invites her to be the guest-star on his TV show. After the show he tours with Sylvia and his orchestra for several weeks through Germany, Switzerland and most of all England, terminating the tour at the famous Royal Albert Hall in London. It was the same venue in which opera-diva Kristina Nilsson had her last public appearance in 1897 … and by the way Kristina was Sylvias grand-grand aunt. Returning to Rio Sylvia starts working on her album RIO DE JANEIRO BLUE as well as on the adjoining TV-movie RENDEZVOUS IN RIO, where she is accompanied by such top-class musicians as harmonica wizard Toots Thielemans and Brazilian accordion magician Sivuca. Soon after that follow more concerts in neighbouring countries such as Argentina and Colombia and later that year her career hits another high: She is invited to perform in China and to inaugurate Sweden's first hotel in Xian. In the year of 1983 during the production of a TV-concert at the legendary Berns in Stockholm Sylvia works for the first time with Georgie Fame (Bonnie & Clyde) and during the summer of this year also records the album IN GOODMANSLAND together with him. In the meantime here later-to-become-evergreen RICARDO gets its first release in Germany...More http://sylvia-vrethammar.com/biography/

Sommar! Samba! Sylvia!

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Midnight Serenaders - Hot Lovin'

Styles: Retro Swing

Year: 2011

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 63:02

Size: 173,9 MB

Art: Front

(3:57)  1. My Honey's Lovin' Arms
(4:19)  2. I've Got A Hankerin' (For Some Love)
(4:43)  3. Victim of Love
(4:14)  4. I'm Playing In Your Parlour Game
(4:02)  5. Hot Lovin'
(3:28)  6. Man-o-phile
(2:49)  7. You're Barking Up the Right Tree
(3:59)  8. You Don't Understand
(3:52)  9. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(3:50) 10. Swingin' On Nothin'
(3:11) 11. Hawaiian War Chant
(3:56) 12. That Ain't Right
(3:23) 13. What A Pretty Miss
(4:39) 14. Junk Man
(4:58) 15. Mademoiselle
(3:33) 16. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

The Serenaders have released their third album, “Hot Lovin,” after their first two albums “Magnolia” (2007) and “Sweet Nothin’s” (2009) were release to critical acclaim. The Portland Tribune declared that their first album “revived lost classics from the vintage jazz era while keeping the inherent giddiness of that time perfectly intact,” and Portland Monthly says of their second album: “Plenty of bands attempt to recapture the jive sounds of the Roaring Twenties, but most of them just sound, well, jive. Midnight Serenaders...sashay from torch song to hot jazz with panache and a genuine respect for yesterday s hit parade.” Their new album features some new originals by Settlemier and ups the ante with the presence of several special guests with notable Portland jazz pianist/composer Andrew Oliver on piano and on accordion Eric Stern, leader of the popular Eastern European cabaret act Vagabond Opera.

The Midnight Serenaders continue to swing along in the modern age, helping to ensure that the joyous swing of one of America’s most original art forms will never be forgotten. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/midnightserenader

Hot Lovin'

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André Previn - Previn At Sunset

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:43
Size: 120,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
(4:42)  2. Body And Soul
(3:51)  3. Sunset In Blue
(3:05)  4. All The Things You Are
(3:27)  5. Something To Live For
(2:34)  6. Good Enough To Keep
(2:56)  7. California Clipper
(4:10)  8. How High The Moon
(3:07)  9. Take The A Train
(3:23) 10. Subtle Slough
(4:09) 11. That Old Blue Magic
(3:02) 12. Blue Skies
(2:43) 13. I Found A New Baby
(4:25) 14. Variations On A Theme
(2:39) 15. Mulholland Drive

André Previn was just 16 years old when he recorded the earliest numbers on Previn at Sunset, but he was already a brilliant pianist and a busy arranger at the MGM studios. Most (but not quite all) of the recordings that he made for the Sunset and Monarch labels, among the earliest in his career, are here. A major swing stylist who had not yet been affected by bop, Previn is heard on some unaccompanied solos; in three different trios with such sidemen as guitarists Dave Barbour or Irving Ashby, bassists John Simmons, Eddie Safranski, or Red Callender, and drummer Lee Young; and a couple of jam tunes ("All the Things You Are" and "I Found a New Baby") with a sextet also either Buddy Childers or Howard McGhee on trumpet, altoist Willie Smith, and Vido Musso on tenor. The small group swing performances are quite enjoyable, and the teenage pianist easily keeps up with the other, more famous players. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/previn-at-sunset-mw0000121441

Personnel: Piano – André Previn;  Alto Saxophone – Willie Smith; Bass – Eddie Safranski , John Simmons, Red Callender; Drums – Lee Young; Guitar – Dave Barbour, Irving Ashby; Tenor Saxophone – Vido Musso; Trumpet – Buddy Childers, Howard McGhee

R.I.P.
Died: February 28, 2019, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States 

Born: April 6, 1929, Berlin, Germany

Previn At Sunset

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Jimmy Smith - Angel Eyes: Ballads & Slow Jams

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:08
Size: 129,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:02)  1. Stolen Moments
(5:31)  2. You Better Go Now
(8:13)  3. Angel Eyes
(4:17)  4. Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
(5:54)  5. Slow Freight
(6:39)  6. Tenderly
(6:53)  7. Days Of Wine And Roses
(6:17)  8. L'il Darlin'
(4:18)  9. What A Wonderful World

A follow-up to the mostly heated performances of Damn!, this CD features organist Jimmy Smith sticking to ballads and slower material. There is a sextet rendition of "Stolen Moments" (with both Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton on trumpets); duets with both trumpeters, bassist Christian McBride, and guitarist Mark Whitfield; a trio; a quartet; and solo organ renditions of "Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" and "What a Wonderful World." Despite the constant changing of instrumentation, the results (although pleasant) are uneventful and somewhat predictable. Good for late-night background music rather than for close listening. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/angel-eyes-mw0000613422

Personnel:Jimmy Smith – organ, arranger; Roy Hargrove – flugelhorn, trumpet; Nicholas Payton – trumpet; Mark Whitfield – guitar; Christian McBride – double bass; Damon Krukowski – drums, percussion; Gregory Hutchinson – drums

Angel Eyes: Ballads & Slow Jams

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Darrell Grant - Twilight Stories

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:13
Size: 138,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:48)  1. Afrique-Ville
(6:02)  2. Yvette
(6:39)  3. When You Dance That Way
(6:29)  4. Twilight
(6:14)  5. My Old Flame
(5:22)  6. I Thought About You
(5:51)  7. The Resumption
(6:30)  8. Wake Up Call
(7:03)  9. Arise
(5:11) 10. Please Send Me Someone To Love

This session remained unissued in the archives of Muse until it was acquired by Joel Dorn when he purchased the label. Most of Grant's earlier releases were done for European labels, so this CD is a great opportunity to get to know a talented pianist. His originals "Afrique-ville" and "Twilight" showcase his talents as a composer as well as at the keyboard. Also recommended are his mellow take of "My Old Flame" and a snappy, stutter-stepped run through "I Thought About You." Tenor saxophonist Don Braden, bassist Joris Teepe and drummer Cecil Brooks III complement Grant's playing, and each contributed a valuable original to the session. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/twilight-stories-mw0000041334

Personnel:  Darrell Grant, piano; Don Braden, tenor saxophone; Joris Teepe, bass; Cecil Brooks III, drums

Twilight Stories

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Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Sergio Mendes: The Swinger from Rio

Styles: Brazilian Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:30
Size: 167,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:17)  1. Chove Chuva
(2:40)  2. Mais Que Nada
(2:43)  3. Pais Tropical
(2:16)  4. Wave
(1:47)  5. One Note Samba / Spanish Flea
(3:05)  6. Night And Day
(3:11)  7. The Fool On The Hill
(2:43)  8. Look Of Love
(2:22)  9. Ela É Carioca
(3:17) 10. Desafinado
(3:16) 11. Pretty World
(2:46) 12. Watch What Happens
(3:00) 13. Look Around
(3:51) 14. Like A Lover
(3:09) 15. So Tinha De Ser Com Voce
(5:22) 16. Puzzle of Hearts
(4:14) 17. Never Gonna Let You Go
(2:23) 18. Outra Vez
(3:44) 19. Trilhos urbanos
(3:29) 20. Promise Of A Fisherman
(2:42) 21. The Frog
(2:11) 22. Tristeza De Nos Dois
(1:53) 23. Bim-Bom
(2:00) 24. So Danço Samba

Compilation from one of the most popular Brazilian artists in the world. Sergio's chart domination began in the mid-'60s and by the end of that decade, he had brought the enchanting sounds of Brazilian music to millions of homes around the world. His style may have mixed the true sounds of his home country with Easy Listening and light Jazz but he was able to open the doors of acceptance for the Brazilian artists that followed in his footsteps. 24 tracks including 'Mas Que Nada', 'Chove Chuva', 'The Fool on the Hill' and many more. Universal. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sergio-Mendes-Swinger-Rio/dp/B00064X8O0

Sergio Mendes: The Swinger from Rio

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Doris Day, André Previn - Duet

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:45
Size: 94,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:08)  1. Close Your Eyes (with The André Previn Trio)
(3:53)  2. Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread) (with The André Previn Trio)
(3:26)  3. Yes (with The André Previn Trio)
(3:55)  4. Nobody's Heart (with The André Previn Trio)
(4:01)  5. Remind Me (with The André Previn Trio)
(3:02)  6. Who Are We to Say (Obey Your Heart) (with The André Previn Trio)
(3:08)  7. Daydreaming (with The André Previn Trio)
(3:29)  8. Give Me Time (with The André Previn Trio)
(2:57)  9. Control Yourself (with The André Previn Trio)
(3:05) 10. Wait Till You See Him (with The André Previn Trio)
(3:40) 11. My One and Only Love (with The André Previn Trio)
(2:55) 12. Falling In Love Again (with The André Previn Trio)

Recorded late in 1961, this album is a milestone in Doris Day's career despite having generated no hits as her best long-player, and her purest jazz solo album. Cut as a duet with André Previn (with Previn Trio bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Frank Capp providing occasional support), the album presents Day in the most intimate musical setting of her career. Her trademark style of singing works twice as well here as it did on her swing-era and early solo recordings. The repertory includes "Fools Rush In," and Alec Wilder's "Give Me Time," "Falling in Love Again," and a few Previn-authored pieces that hold up magnificently in this company. ~ Bruce Eder https://www.allmusic.com/album/duet-mw0000091880

Personnel:  Doris Day - vocals; André Previn - piano; Red Mitchell - double bass; Frank Capp -drums

Duet

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Carl Allen & Manhattan Projects - The Dark Side Of Dewey

Styles: Post Bop, Straight-Ahead Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:51
Size: 119,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. Opening Statement
(7:02)  2. All Blues
(7:02)  3. My Funny Valentine
(7:03)  4. Three For Rhonda
(5:23)  5. Mr. Wizard
(6:33)  6. Dear Old Stockholm
(6:31)  7. Just Squeeze Me
(7:33)  8. The Dark Side Of Dewey

Despite the inclusion of Carl Allen's moody title cut, this tribute to Miles Davis is mostly pretty happy, with four selections taken from Davis' repertoire of the 1950s and early '60s ("All Blues," "My Funny Valentine," "Dear Old Stockholm," and "Just Squeeze Me") plus a few complementary originals by bandmembers. Trumpeter Nicholas Payton (even if he does not sound like Davis) and altoist Vincent Herring make for a potent team, while pianist Mulgrew Miller and bassist Dwayne Burno join Allen in keeping the music moving. No surprises occur, but there are plenty of fine solos throughout this modern mainstream set. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-dark-side-of-dewey-mw0000181090

Personnel:  Drums – Carl Allen; Alto Saxophone – Vincent Herring; Bass – Dwayne Burno; Piano – Mulgrew Miller; Trumpet – Nicholas Payton

The Dark Side Of Dewey

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Nancy Wilson & The Three Sounds - Sittin' In At Jorgie's Jazz Club

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1961
Time: 19:56 + 25:14
Size: 46,8 MB + 58,6 MB
Art: Front

Album: The Nancy Wilson Side

(1:41)  1. Intro
(7:11)  2. Since I Fell For You
(0:48)  3. Intro
(4:56)  4. Time After Time
(5:19)  5. The Theme

Album: The Three Sounds Side

(9:03)  1. On Green Dolphin Street
(9:44)  2. The Spirit Is Here
(3:53)  3. Time After Time
(2:32)  4. Salt Peanuts

Diva Nancy Wilson was among contemporary music's most stylish and sultry vocalists; while often crossing over into the pop and R&B markets and even hosting her own television variety program she remained best known as a jazz performer, renowned for her work alongside figures including Cannonball Adderley and George Shearing. Born February 20, 1937, in Chillicothe, Ohio, Wilson first attracted notice performing the club circuit in nearby Columbus; she quickly earned a growing reputation among jazz players and fans, and she was recording regularly by the late '50s, eventually signing to Capitol and issuing LPs including 1959's Like in Love and Nancy Wilson with Billy May's Orchestra. Her dates with Shearing, including 1960's The Swingin's Mutual, solidified her standing as a talent on the rise, and her subsequent work with Adderley arguably her finest recordings further cemented her growing fame and reputation. In the years to follow, however, Wilson often moved away from jazz, much to the chagrin of purists; she made numerous albums, many of them properly categorized as pop and R&B outings, and toured extensively, appearing with everyone from Nat King Cole and Sarah Vaughan to Ruth Brown and LaVern Baker. She even hosted her own Emmy-winning variety series for NBC, The Nancy Wilson Show, and was a frequent guest performer on other programs; hits of the period included "Tell Me the Truth," "How Glad I Am," "Peace of Mind," and "Now, I'm a Woman." Regardless of how far afield she traveled, Wilson always maintained her connections to the jazz world, and in the '80s, she returned to the music with a vengeance, working closely with performers including Hank Jones, Art Farmer, Ramsey Lewis, and Benny Golson. By the 1990s, she was a favorite among the "new adult contemporary" market, her style ideally suited to the format's penchant for lush, romantic ballads; she also hosted the Jazz Profiles series on National Public Radio. In the early 2000s, Wilson recorded two albums with Ramsey Lewis for Narada (2002's Meant to Be and 2003's Simple Pleasures). Her 2004 album R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal) was a blend of straight-ahead jazz and ballads, similar to her next record, 2006's Turned to Blue, which, like R.S.V.P., used a different instrumentalist for each track. In 2005, Capitol released a three-part series to pay tribute to Wilson's contributions to music in the '50s and '60s: Guess Who I Saw Today: Nancy Wilson Sings Songs of Lost Love, Save Your Love for Me: Nancy Wilson Sings the Great Blues Ballads, and The Great American Songbook. Nancy Wilson died at her home on December 13, 2018 after a long illness. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nancy-wilson-mn0000368367/biography

Personnel: Nancy Wilson, vocals ; The Three Sounds (Gene Harris, piano ; Andrew Simpkins, bass ; Bill Dowdy, drums).

Sittin'In At Jorgie's Jazz Club

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Amina Figarova - Sketches

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:20
Size: 181,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:53)  1. Four Steps to...
(3:09)  2. Unacceptable
(4:43)  3. Sketches
(6:07)  4. Caribou Crossing
(8:53)  5. Breakfast for the Elephant
(5:06)  6. Whotsot
(7:18)  7. Back in New Orleans
(5:56)  8. On the Road
(6:28)  9. Flight N°
(5:38) 10. Look At That
(5:26) 11. Train to Rotterdam
(5:30) 12. Happy Hour
(6:06) 13. Your Room

Thirteen bran the originals composed by Amina Figarova form Sketches, the new album of the pianist of Azerbaijan and resident in Holland. A repertoire born through the travels made with his "musical family," that is the sextet with which he then entered a studio in Amsterdam to record this work composed of songs that bring in a good stylistic variety and a cantabile that it makes the 80 minutes of the CD lasting flowing.The Figarova classical setting and exquisite touch creates figures of shining melodic fluidity ("Four Steps to ...," "Caribou Crossing") and stands out for the simplicity with which it gives character to its solo moments. It is up to the tenorist Marc Mommaas and the trumpeter Ernie Hammes to direct the music to the territories next to the bop, in a band supported by a punctual and solid rhythm section, which however does not have much influence on the final result. While it is determined, with regard to the nostalgic and sentimental element of the whole affair, the contribution of the flautist Bart Platteau, Amina's companion also in life. Sketches turns out to be a job capable of keeping the listener in good company looking for relaxing moments, even if on the whole some more acceleration would not have failed.~ AAJ Staff Italy https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sketches-amina-figarova-munich-records-review-by-aaji-staff.php

Personnel: Amina Figarova: piano; Ernie Hammes: flugelhorn, trumpet; Marc Mommaas: tenor saxophone; Bart Platteau: flute; Jeroen Vierdag: double bass; Chris "Buckshot" Strik: drums.

Sketches

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Sean Jones - Kaleidoscope

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:31
Size: 171,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:48)  1. Allison
(5:19)  2. Journey
(4:48)  3. Never Let Me Go
(6:28)  4. I Come To Thee
(5:54)  5. So Wonderful
(6:13)  6. Esperanto
(0:50)  7. It's Just A Matter Of Time (intro)
(6:18)  8. It's Just A Matter Of Time
(5:56)  9. Say Brah
(6:33) 10. Blak Music
(5:03) 11. Kaleidoscope
(6:40) 12. The Sluice
(6:34) 13. You're The Reason

Trumpeter Sean Jones emphasizes various vocalist friends for his fourth recording as a leader. His previous CDs have leaned toward a more produced pop-oriented approach within a definite modern jazz framework, and this effort leans toward a balance of combining those elements without being overtly commercialized. The first eight cuts all feature the singers, the most effective being rising star Gretchen Parlato. Her beautiful voice levitates Kendrick Scott's ballad composition "Journey," done on his debut CD, receiving a different, less expansive treatment, while the sunny swing waltz "It's Just a Matter of Time" has Parlato and Sachal Vasandani swapping opposing transposed crowded vocal lines. Parlato is special; please pay attention to her in the future. Even more impressive are two spiritualistic pieces, reminiscent of the recent work by pianist Robert Glasper. The opener, "Allison," drips with emotion, informed by the lovely piano playing of Orrin Evans, slight Latin spice, and the wordless vocals of J.D. Walter, while "Esperanto" (not sung in Esperanto) has Carolyn Perteete's siren-song singing, pristine as morning dew. 

At this point one barely notices the trumpet player, until you hear four consecutive instrumentals. "Say Brah" is a cooking typical neo-bopper, "Blak Music" a less clichéd hard bopper, the title track a more modern near-fusion Fender Rhodes-infused piece, and "The Sluice" revealing Jones as a singsongy Lee Morgan/Freddie Hubbard-influenced Young Lion. The pacing and programming of this recording could have been more effectively revisited; it feels like block formatting. It is another fine, not yet definitive musical effort from Jones, easily a Top Ten rising star of contemporary jazz trumpet. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/kaleidoscope-mw0000577971

Kaleidoscope

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Karin Krog, Bengt Hallberg - Two of a Kind

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:33
Size: 111,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:33)  1. My Man
(2:36)  2. Jeepers Creepers
(3:57)  3. You Must Believe in Spring
(2:16)  4. The Touch of Your Lips
(2:29)  5. The End of the Day Song
(4:12)  6. I Ain't Here
(3:40)  7. Like That
(2:39)  8. Halleluja I Love Him So
(3:47)  9. Spring in Manhattan
(2:01) 10. Love Valk In
(2:40) 11. Dear Bix
(2:01) 12. I'm Coming Virginia
(3:43) 13. Ain't Nobody's Business
(4:03) 14. Cabin in the Sky
(2:48) 15. A Child Is Born

An adventurous singer who is quite versatile, Karin Krog is able to sing anything from standards to fairly free improvisations. She made her recording debut in 1964, appeared at many jazz festivals in Europe in the mid-’60s, and in 1967, came to the U.S., performing and recording with the Don Ellis Orchestra and Clare Fischer’s trio. A world traveler based in Europe, Krog has recorded fairly steadily through the years, using such sidemen as Kenny Drew, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, Jan Garbarek, Ted Curson, Dexter Gordon, Palle Mikkelborg, Steve Kuhn, Steve Swallow, Archie Shepp, Bengt Hallberg, and John Surman; she has made records for Philips, Sonet, Polydor, and other European labels.

Personnel: Karin Krog - vocals, producer; Bengt Hallberg - piano

Two of a Kind

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Lalo Schifrin - There's A Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin' On

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:50
Size: 68,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:27)  1. Secret Code
(2:29)  2. Dissolving
(2:41)  3. Machinations
(2:35)  4. Bride of the Wind
(2:07)  5. Life Insurance
(2:59)  6. How to Open at Will
(2:12)  7. Vaccinated Mushrooms
(2:41)  8. Two Petals a Flower and a Young Girl
(2:42)  9. Wheat Germ Landscapes
(3:29) 10. Gentle Earthquake
(2:25) 11. Hawks vs. Doves

Though it may seem unlikely that Frank Zappa had much of an influence on the work of Lalo Schifrin, one can detect some cultural crossover on There's a Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin' On. Schifrin was as much a jazz-pop genius as ever, but on this album rock rhythms, musical satire, sound effects, and exotica are all used as camp in a way that is eerily reminiscent of Zappa's more thoughtful efforts. Schifrin being Schifrin, every cut has a distinct and catchy melody, but there are whimsical and satirical themes embedded in the music. Nowhere is this more obvious than in "Hawks Vs. Doves," in which a cheery carnival-like theme is played in counterpoint to a martial air, each interfering with the other. Elsewhere, Schifrin uses unusual percussion, dissonance, and tense, sonically fragmented piano to create soundscapes that are unlike most of the rest of his work. "Secret Code" integrates tabla drums, not a common instrument in American jazz of the time, with a cold, flute-like synthesizer  probably the first time those two instruments were used together. 

This album was ahead of its time in terms of instrumentation, but was a product of its time in that established ways of doing things were being challenged. Fans of Lalo Schifrin's work will find this to rank with his best, and those not familiar with anything but the Mission Impossible theme will be drawn in further by the eccentric genius displayed here. Note: Like many of Schifrin's albums of the period, there is no listing of musicians on the album cover, so it is difficult to know who is responsible for the marvelous performances here, except for Schifrin's own contributions. ~ Richard Foss https://www.allmusic.com/album/theres-a-whole-lalo-schifrin-goin-on-mw0000771728

Personnel:  Lalo Schifrin - piano, synthesizer, arranger, conductor; Tony Terran, John Audino - trumpet; Lloyd Ulyate, Barrett O'Hara - trombone; John Johnson - tuba; Vincent DeRosa - horn; Bud Shank, Ronnie Lang, Sam Most - reeds; Arnold Kobentz - oboe, English horn; Ralph Grierson, Artie Kane, Roger Kellaway, Mike Lang - keyboards; Paul Beaver - keyboards, synthesizer, stereo harp; Carl Fortina - accordion; Howard Roberts, Dennis Budimer, Bill Pitman, Louis Morell - guitar; James Bond, Ray Brown - bass; Carol Kaye, Max Bennett - electric bass; Shelly Manne - drums, percussion; Earl Palmer, Ken Watson, Joe Porcaro, Emil Richards - percussion; Milt Holland - tabla; Bonnie Douglas, Sam Freed, Anatol Kaminsky, Nathan Kaproff, George Kast, Marvin Limonick, Erno Neufeld, Paul Shure - violin; Myra Kestenbaum, Allan Harshman, Robert Ostrowsky, Virginia Majewski - viola; Raphael Kramer, Edgar Lustgarten, Eleanor Slatkin - cello; Catherine Gotthoffer - harp; Robert Helfer - orchestra manager

There's A Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin' On

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Jamie Saft - Solo a Genova

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:58
Size: 148,7 MB
Art: Front

( 3:36)  1. The Makings of You
( 4:41)  2. Human / Gates
( 5:42)  3. Naima
( 7:10)  4. Sharp Dressed Man
( 4:35)  5. Overjoyed
( 4:05)  6. Po'Boy
(12:43)  7. The New Standard / Pinkus
( 6:10)  8. Blue Motel Room
( 4:09)  9. The Housatonic at Stockbridge
( 3:33) 10. Blue in Green
( 7:30) 11. Restless Farewell

Pianist Jamie Saft's Solo A Genova is a revelation. It is, in an extensive discography, his only alone-in-the-piano-chair outing. Saft has made a wide-ranging mark in collaborations with Slobber Pup, Metallic Taste of Blood, The Spanish Donkey and Berserk! These group names don't say it all, but do probably say something (Brash? Unconventional? Loud?) about the sounds they make. But for the jazz fan of the more purist persuasion, his piano trio discs are probably the ones that find their way to the stereos: Asorath: Book of Angels, Vol 1 (Tzadik, 2005), The New Standard (Rare Noise, 2014), and the terrific Loneliness Road (Rare Noise, 2017). These trio sets feature commanding instrumentalists in the bass and drum chairs, making for a satisfyingly egalitarian approach to the craft. Jamie Saft solo is different. Absent the driving rhythms of the trio sets, he proves himself strikingly virtuosic, lushly harmonic, and beautifully fluid. Solo A Genova, as the title suggests, was recorded live in Genova, Italy, but it seems a celebration of America. The pianist covers tunes by quintessentially American artists (with a Canadian, Joni Mitchell slipped in), and he doesn't limit himself to Jazz Standards. 

Compositions by Curtis Mayfield, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis/Bill Evans, Stevie Wonder and Charles Ives are played out with playfulness (Dylan's "Po' Boy), doom (ZZ Top's Sharp Dressed Man); life affirmation (Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed") and solemn majesty (Ives' "Housatonic At Stockbridge). While Saft's previously mentioned trio discs are uniformly excellent, playing the show alone seems to have freed his artistry. Solo A Genova showcases his uplifting, steeped-in-the-American-sound soul, closing with a gorgeous, got-religion take on Dylan's "Restless Farewell."  As a whole, the reverent nod to America serves as a balm for pains that come from our country's troubled times. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/solo-a-genoa-jamie-saft-rarenoiserecords-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Jamie Saft: piano.

Solo a genova

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