Al Stewart - Modern Times

Styles: Vocal, Guitar
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:48
Size: 90,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Carol
(2:49)  2. Sirens of Titan
(3:33)  3. What's Going On?
(4:34)  4. Not the One
(4:18)  5. Next Time
(5:18)  6. Apple Cider Re-Constitution
(5:01)  7. The Dark and the Rolling Sea
(8:40)  8. Modern Times

Surely the title is a bit of an allusion to the Past, Present and Future of its predecessor, but Modern Times also brought Al Stewart into the present, establishing his classic sound of folky narratives and Lennonesque melodies, all wrapped up in a lush, layered production from Alan Parsons. Hearing this production makes it clear that this is what was missing from Past, since it gives epics like the title track a real sense of grandeur that makes their sentiments resonate strongly. But it's not just the improvement in production that makes Modern Times the beginning of Stewart's classic period his songwriting has leapt up and met his ambitions, as it retains the historical sweep of his earlier material but melds it to a melodic sensibility that's alternately comforting and haunting. This skill is apparent throughout Modern Times, and is married to a sound that is its equivalent, making this an exquisite pop-prog gem. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/modern-times-mw0000084071

Personnel: Al Stewart - vocals, guitar, keyboard; Brian Bennett - background vocals; David Ellis - acoustic guitar; Isaac Guillory - guitar; Simon Nicol - guitar; Tim Renwick - guitar; Andrew Powell - arranger; Tony Carr - percussion; Gerry Conway - drums; Stuart Cowell - dobro, guitar; Barry DeSouza - drums; George Ford - bass; Neil Lancaster - background vocals; Charles Mills - background vocals; Peter Moss - fuzz bass; Graham Smith - harmonica; Pete Wingfield - keyboards; Peter Wood - keyboards, accordion; Alan Parsons - engineer, string arrangements

Modern Times

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Melissa Manchester - When I Look Down That Road

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:30
Size: 114,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:35)  1. I'll Know You By Your Heart
(5:07)  2. Angels Dancing
(4:20)  3. Bend
(5:24) 4. When Paris Was A Woman (according To Alice - 1928)
(3:51)  5. After All This Time
(3:39)  6. Lucky Break
(3:09)  7. When I Look Down That Road
(4:01)  8. Where The Truth Lies
(3:47)  9. Tyfyfim (thank You For Your Faith In Me)
(3:38) 10. Still Myself
(4:02) 11. Crazy Loving You
(3:51) 12. A Mother's Prayer

In the opening line of her album When I Look Down That Road, Melissa Manchester basically sums up the latter half of her career: "I've been walking through the smoke of a thousand burned-out dreams, so hard to shake the ashes of the past from my feet." As she knows all too well, there are sad circumstances in which the business of music envelops an artist so tightly that the creativity and passion are sealed away. In the '70s, Manchester blossomed as an important singer/songwriter responsible for such classics as "Midnight Blue," "Whenever I Call You Friend," and "Don't Cry Out Loud." But as her album sales began to decline, the corporate machinery began to take hold of her career and her original songs were left along the wayside to make way for glossy pop songs and sappy ballads written by "hitmakers." As a songwriter, she had all but disappeared. Leaving the recording studio after 1995's over-produced If My Heart Had Wings, Manchester spent almost a decade regrouping and getting in touch with the artist who had been lost for so many years. Reaching back to a time when the songwriting was just as important as the singer, Manchester reconnected with herself and recorded When I Look Down That Road, her first album of original material since 1978's Don't Cry Out Loud. In a welcome return to form, she has stripped away the many layers of bloated production and overwrought balladry that has dogged her work since the '80s to reveal a set of songs that quietly shine and stand brilliantly alongside her early work. 

In the album's opener, "I'll Know You By Your Heart," Manchester sounds revitalized and passionate against the song's sparse bluesy samba beat. The difference between this one song and her post-'70s output is immediate. Gone, thankfully, are the sweeping synthesizers, belted choruses, and saccharine sentiments, replaced with basic instruments, breezy melodies, and thoughtful lyrics. A mystical character named Pearl is brought to life in the Bonnie Raitt-styled "Angels Dancing," while Gertrude Stein is visited in the Latin-tinged "When Paris Was a Woman." Two beautiful ballads, "Bend" and "When I Look Down That Road," delicately play on the emotions without resorting to plastic sentiment. It has been a long time since she has sounded this vibrant and honest. When I Look Down That Road is a true comeback in every sense of the word and ranks among her best albums. Dormant for too long, Melissa Manchester's singer/songwriter soul has finally returned. ~ Aaron Latham https://www.allmusic.com/album/when-i-look-down-that-road-mw0000326940

When I Look Down That Road

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Hubert Laws - My Time Will Come

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:01
Size: 126,7 MB
Art: Front

(10:11)  1. Malaguena
( 5:16)  2. My Time Will Come
( 5:03)  3. It's So Crazy
( 6:54)  4. Shades of Light
(10:57)  5. Valse
( 8:45)  6. Make It Last
( 7:52)  7. Moonlight Sonata

This is a streaky affair, Hubert Laws's first recording as a leader in quite a few years. The great flutist has a reunion with Don Sebesky on a version of "Malaguena" that becomes an imitation of Chick Corea's "Spain," a few of the selections are forgettable funk and "Moonlight Sonata" is ruined by an unbearable rhythm. However there are some fine performances that feature excellent soloing by Laws and pianist John Beasley. Still, only Hubert Laws's most loyal fans will want this release. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/my-time-will-come-mw0000095582

Personnel:  Piccolo Flute – Hubert Laws; Bass – Gary Willis, John Patitucci , Mike Richmond; Congas – Terry Santiel; Drums – Clayton Cameron, Dan Gotlieb, Leon "Ndugu" Chancelor, Ralph Penland; Flute – Hubert Laws ; Keyboards – George Duke, Joe Sample, John Beasley; Percussion – Sue Evans, Terry Santiel; Piano – Mark Gray;  Soprano Saxophone – Ronnie Laws;  Vocals – Joan LaBarbara

My Time Will Come

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Plas Johnson - This Must Be The Plas!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:13
Size: 85,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:00)  1. Too Close For Comfort
(3:32)  2. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
(2:38)  3. Heart And Soul
(3:36)  4. Poor Butterfly
(3:13)  5. Memories Of You
(2:15)  6. Just One Of Those Things
(2:57)  7. There Is No Greater Love
(3:11)  8. If I Had You
(3:09)  9. My Silent Love
(3:18) 10. Day In - Day Out
(2:53) 11. My Old Flame
(3:26) 12. S'il Vous Plait

This Must Be the Plas is a 1959 album by saxophonist Plas Johnson. The initial Billboard magazine review from November 30, 1959 chose the album as one of its "Special Merit Spotlights" and commented that "Eye-catching photo of curvaceous red-head gives package solid display value. Johnson's tasteful, warm sax solo work is heard to advantage on a group of oldies...Spinnable wax for jazz jocks and hip pop deejays". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Must_Be_the_Plas

Personnel: Plas Johnson - tenor saxophone; Larry Bunker - vibraphone; Victor Feldman - vibraphone; Gene Estes - vibraphone; Paul Smith - piano; Ernie Freeman - Hammond organ; Howard Roberts - guitar;  Bill Pitman - guitar;  Red Callender - bass;  Earl Palmer - drums

This Must Be The Plas!

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Fredrik Kronkvist - Altitude

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:23
Size: 141,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:38)  1. Zenith
(4:38)  2. Litet Grann Från Ovan
(6:16)  3. Desert Night
(4:54)  4. Yemaya
(6:02)  5. Leo
(5:54)  6. Family Business
(6:00)  7. Instinct
(6:36)  8. Isis (Egyptian Goddess)
(5:41)  9. Kronk's Monk
(5:04) 10. Theme for Ernie
(4:36) 11. Close Race

There's a thriving jazz community in Sweden, some of whose roots are planted firmly in the bop idiom, and young alto saxophonist Fredrik Kronkvist's quartet, which follows that path, is about as accomplished as any you're likely to hear in this country. Kronkvist himself comes from a line that began with Bird, continued through the Sonnys Criss and Stitt, Jackie McLean, Phil Woods, Lou Donaldson, Cannonball Adderley, Charles McPherson, Herb Geller and Frank Morgan to such younger contemporaries as Gary Bartz, Bobby Watson, Kenny Garrett, Vincent Herring, Jesse Davis and others. He produces a handsome sound, closest perhaps to Criss, Morgan or Garrett, and has a formidable technique to match. The other principal soloist, pianist Daniel Tilling, also has great chops and, like Kronkvist, a flowing stream of impressive ideas that may not be innovative but seldom fail to please. The program consists of eight original compositions by Kronkvist and one each by Fred Lacey (the entrancing ballad "Theme for Ernie") and Lasse Dahlqvist ("Litet Grann Från Ovan," which must translate in English as "Three O'Clock in the Morning," as its melody is precisely the same as that old American standard). Kronkvist's tunes sound much like those one would have encountered on any number of Blue Note recordings from the '50s or '60s in sessions led by McLean, Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, Horace Silver, Wayne Shorter, Hank Mobley, Donald Byrd, Benny Golson, Gigi Gryce, Red Garland, Freddie Hubbard, Blue Mitchell, Bobby Timmons . . . the list goes on.  Kronkvist, Tilling and their colleagues, bassist Martin Sjöstedt and drummer Daniel Fredriksson, work quite well as a unit, blending the proper amounts of energy and finesse to construct an album that stands up well when exposed to the strong winds of analysis. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/altitude-fredrik-kronkvist-sittel-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Fredrik Kronkvist, alto saxophone; Daniel Tilling, piano; Martin Sjöstedt, bass; Daniel Fredriksson, drums.

Altitude

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Don Lanphere - Where Do You Start?

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:11
Size: 127,9 MB
Art: Front

( 5:25)  1. Ragazza De La Mer
( 5:53)  2. All Across The City
( 7:10)  3. Blues Away
( 5:56)  4. Ming's Dream
( 3:01)  5. Methuselah's Big Duck
( 5:40)  6. Wilke's Grin
( 6:12)  7. Where Do You Start?
(10:13)  8. The Scene Is Clean
( 5:38)  9. Cottage For Sale

Few veterans of the classic bebop era were still active in 2002, and even fewer were still in their musical prime. Don Lanphere is a major exception. Rather than just recreating the past (which in his case includes leading a date that featured Fats Navarro), Lanphere always looks ahead. A distinctive tenor-saxophonist, Lanphere also doubles effective on soprano and leads a top-notch sextet in the Pacific Northwest. Where Do You Start has a high-quality repertoire performed by Lanphere, cornetist Jonathan Pugh, trombonist Jeff Hay, pianist Marc Seales, bassist Doug Miller and drummer John Bishop. The five originals by group members include "Blues Away" (which is in the Art Blakey hard bop tradition), a feature for Lanphere's soprano on the moody ballad "Ming's Dream" and the novel "Methuselah's Big Duck," which has the cornet and trombone imitating quacking sounds. Of the four other tunes, Jim Hall's "All Across The City" and "Where Do You Start" (which is very rarely ever done interpreted as an instrumental but works quite well) are joined by Tadd Dameron's "The Scene Is Clean" and a wistful version of "A Cottage For Sale." Just one in a string of excellent Don Lanphere recordings after 1980, Where Do You Start has been put out by Origin, a valuable label that documents the jazz scene in Washington State. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/where-do-you-start-mw0000020354

Personnel:  Saxophone – Don Lanphere; Bass – Doug Miller; Cornet – Jonathan Pugh; Drums – John Bishop; Piano – Marc Seales; Trombone – Jeff Hay

Where Do You Start?

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Carla Helmbrecht - Be Cool Be Kind

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:00
Size: 133,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:46)  1. Be Cool Be Kind
(4:14)  2. Later For Love
(4:56)  3. Easy Love
(4:55)  4. So Many Stars
(2:51)  5. Down With Love
(5:32)  6. Even Still
(5:01)  7. A Miracle
(5:20)  8. Windmills Of Your Mind
(4:50)  9. The Touch Of Your Lips
(5:07) 10. How I Remember You
(4:51) 11. (Song For) A Rainy Afternoon
(5:30) 12. The Party's Over

Once again San Francisco is home for a fine singer. Carla Helmbrecht is a summa cum laude graduate from that school of singers who believe that in order to deliver her special message, there is no need to indulge in vocal tricks, become over emotional or even overdo dynamics by major shifts between singing loud and louder. Rather, her approach is cool, languid, laid back (as distinguished from laid out) and gently fervent. On her second release for Heart Music with a play list that shows an ambivalent attitude, Helmbrecht stays away from up tempo rhythms, living comfortably with the slow and medium pace. The most excitable she gets is on "Easy Love" which she wrote with Peter Horvath. This track also reveals that she has a cute side about her. Helmbrecht's style results in pleasant off the beaten track Interpretations. Her "The Party's Over" which one normally hears with extensive emoting comes off matter of fact, "it's over and done with so get used to it", in Helmbrecht's vocal hands. Contrast this with the version to say Anita O'Day's. Jazz vocalizing allows plenty of room for both treatments. Helmbrecht has managed to convince outstanding jazz musicians to join her for this session.

In addition to the basic trio headed by Horvath's piano, invited guests make important contributions. On "Even Still", Ernie Watts sax offers dramatic counterpoint to Helmbrecht's plaintive rendering. Larry Koonse's guitar and Clay Jenkins' muted and open trumpet are delectably conspicuous on the "The Party's Over". Horvath's piano introduction sets the scene for a lovely "The Touch of Your Lips" as Joe LaBarbera's seductive brushes provide a soft angel hair like rhythmic underpinning.

This is an outstanding track. The lyrics are printed in the liner notes. But the producer let the graphic and design people run wild with the color combinations. Some of the words are red on a gray background which make them virtually impossible to read. Oh well, albums are bought for the quality of performances not the quality of the color layouts. And this album should be added to one's collection. ~ Dave Nathan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/be-cool-be-kind-carla-helmbrecht-heart-music-review-by-dave-nathan.php?width=1920

Be Cool Be Kind

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Emanuele Cisi - Urban adventures

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:57
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:37)  1. Back to the city
(8:26)  2. Lazy rainy sunday
(8:21)  3. Cieloceleste
(6:16)  4. Primulanita
(9:15)  5. Weather of dreams
(8:23)  6. No way
(6:26)  7. La notte delle lucciole
(6:06)  8. Quasimodo
(2:03)  9. Children heart

Emanuele Cisi is considered to be one of the most interesting musicians of the new European jazz scene. He has a very personal approach of Jazz music, with both one foot in the present and the other in the future. In 1995, he was elected 'best new talent' by the Italian critic. He has already recorded 7 albums under his own name as well as given his contribution on many other recordings as co-leader or side man on renowned record labels such as Blue Note and Universal. He has also collaborated with prestigious musicians such as Billy Cobham, Nat Adderley or Aldo Romano among many others. Elabeth. 2006. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Urban-adventures-Emanuele-Cisi/dp/B00150CQ3S

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Emanuele Cisi; Trumpet – François Chassagnite; Double Bass – Jean-Marc Jafet, Simone Monnanni; Drums – Yoann Serra; Piano – Paolo Birro.

Urban adventures

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Dick Katz - Piano & Pen

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:06
Size: 88,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. Timonium
(4:30)  2. Aurora
(4:34)  3. Duologue No. 1
(4:46)  4. Glad To Be Unhappy
(3:22)  5. Round Trip
(6:56)  6. Afternoon In Paris
(4:07)  7. Ain't Misbehavin'
(4:34)  8. Scrapple From The Apple

A versatile pianist and arranger, Dick Katz was responsible for many stimulating and memorable recordings through the years, often as an important sideman and/or producer. He studied at the Peabody Institute, the Manhattan School of Music, and Juilliard, in addition to taking piano lessons from Teddy Wilson. In the 1950s, he picked up important experience as a member of the house rhythm section of the Café Bohemia, with the groups of Ben Webster and Kenny Dorham, the Oscar Pettiford big band, and later with Carmen McRae. Katz was part of the popular J.J. Johnson/Kai Winding Quintet (1954-1955) and Orchestra USA, and participated on Benny Carter's classic Further Definitions album. He freelanced throughout much of his career and was a guiding force behind some of Helen Merrill's finest recordings. Katz, who played with Roy Eldridge and Lee Konitz starting in the late '60s, co-founded Milestone Records in 1966 with Orrin Keepnews. In the 1990s, Dick Katz worked both as a pianist and an arranger with the American Jazz Orchestra and Loren Schoenberg's big band. Unfortunately, he did not recorded all that frequently as a leader, cutting fairly obscure dates for Atlantic (1957 and 1959), Bee Hive (1984), and Reservoir (1992), but the jazz world was well aware of his talents. Dick Katz died in Manhattan in November 2009 at the age of 85. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dick-katz-mn0000821321/biography

Personnel:  Piano – Dick Katz; Bass – Joe Benjamin; Drums – Connie Kay; Guitar – Chuck Wayne, Jimmy Raney

Piano & Pen

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Herb Ellis - Herb Ellis Meets Jimmy Giuffre

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:53
Size: 92,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:05)  1. Goose Grease
(5:57)  2. When Your Lover Has Gone
(7:43)  3. Remember
(4:06)  4. Patricia
(5:06)  5. A Country Boy
(4:32)  6. You Know
(3:32)  7. My Old Flame
(4:49)  8. People Will Say We're In Love

"Herb Ellis Meets Jimmy Giuffre presents an unusual team. It is an album with involved arrangements, as opposed to a jam session format, and the only solo voice heard here is Ellis guitar with the exception of the tune "Remember", on which some short solos by the horns are heard. Not even Giuffre solos, as he contented himself with writing all of the arrangements and playing on the elaborate ensemble passages." https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/herb-ellis-albums/5238-herb-ellis-meets-stan-getz-roy-eldridge-art-pepper-jimmy-giuffre-2-lp-on-1-cd.html

Personnel:  Guitar – Herb Ellis, Jim Hall;  Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Arranged By – Jimmy Giuffre;   Alto Saxophone – Art Pepper, Bud Shank; Bass – Joe Mondragon; Drums – Stan Levey; Piano – Lou Levy; Tenor Saxophone – Richie Kamuca

Herb Ellis Meets Jimmy Giuffre

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Dizzy Reece - Comin' On

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:53
Size: 153,8 MB
Art: Front

( 6:42)  1. Ye Olde Blues
( 5:44)  2. The Case Of The Frightened Lover
( 9:05)  3. Tenderly
( 8:30)  4. Achmet
(10:11)  5. The Story Of Love
( 6:42)  6. Sands
( 6:47)  7. Comin' On
( 6:50)  8. Goose Dance
( 6:17)  9. The Things We Did Last Summer

For a short time in the late '50s trumpeter Dizzy Reece was an up-and-coming jazz artist. However, success eluded him and he quietly faded into obscurity, only occasionally releasing material after the early '60s. As a matter of fact, the sessions that became Comin' On! languished in the Blue Note vaults for almost four decades. Rediscovered in 1999, these dates feature six well-rounded hard bop compositions by Reece along with three standards. The tracks from April 3, 1960, not only document the Blue Note debut of tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine but also employ the talents of the Jazz Messengers' rhythm section of the time, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Jymie Merritt, and drummer Art Blakey. By July 17, 1960, the only musician remaining from the previous date was Turrentine, sharing tenor duties with Musa Kaleem, who is also heard on flute. (The later session's rhythm section had changed to pianist Duke Jordan, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Al Harewood.) Neglected, although spirited, sessions from an underrated trumpeter and composer. ~ Al Campbell https://www.allmusic.com/album/comin-on%21-mw0000257295

Personnel:  Dizzy Reece - trumpet, conga;  Stanley Turrentine - tenor saxophone; Musa Kaleem - tenor saxophone, flute;  Bobby Timmons, Duke Jordan - piano; Jymie Merritt, Sam Jones - bass;  Art Blakey, Al Harewood - drums.

Comin' On

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Andrea Wright - Riverside

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 19:32
Size: 45,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:14)  1. Sea of Dreams
(2:58)  2. Games
(3:38)  3. Case of Cassettes
(3:27)  4. Light of Day
(3:30)  5. Speak Your Love
(2:43)  6. Motel

A native of East Lansing, Michigan, Andrea Wright grew up listening her parents’ extensive LP collection including Detroit’s greatest jazz, blues and soul artists. Andrea migrated to New York City to pursue a performance career and her artistry flourished when she met jazz / bebop vocalist Marion Cowings. Mentoring her in his New York Smalls Jazz Vocal Workshop, she found her own identity through improvisation and now has a considerable jazz standard repertoire. Since 2011 Andrea has been recording her own music as a singer/songwriter. She can be heard regularly performing her own compositions at Rockwood Music Hall in downtown Manhattan. https://noisetrade.com/andreawright/riverside/?tip=1

Riversi

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Andre Previn's Trio Jazz - King Size!

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:57
Size: 105,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:24)  1. I'll Remember April
(9:30)  2. Much Too Late
(7:04)  3. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To
(5:56)  4. It Could Happen to You
(8:59)  5. Low and Inside
(8:01)  6. I'm Beginning to See the Light

The multi-talented Andre Previn is heard on this recording as the leader of a trio with bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Frankie Capp. Previn always had his own swing/bop piano style, and he is in top form on two of his originals (including the bluish "Much Too Late") and four superior standards. This fine release gives one an excellent example of Previn's skills as a jazz pianist. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/king-size%21-mw0000276385

Personnel: Piano – André Previn;  Bass – Red Mitchell; Drums – Frankie Capp

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

Born: April 6, 1929, Berlin, Germany

King Size!

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Jimmy Rowles, Stacy Rowles - Looking Back

Styles: Saxophone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:54
Size: 149,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:00)  1. Good Bait
(5:26)  2. You Don't Know What Love Is
(6:23)  3. Dirty Butt Blues
(5:29)  4. Lady in the Corner
(6:02)  5. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(6:34)  6. East of the Sun (West of the Moon)
(6:06)  7. Lullaby of the Leaves
(8:23)  8. Emily
(8:13)  9. Take the A Train
(5:15) 10. Looking Back

This CD is filled with the type of music one would expect from pianist Jimmy Rowles and his daughter Stacy Rowles: tasteful and melodic renditions of standards. Stacy, who gives "Looking Back" an effective vocal, is a warm-toned and lyrical flugelhornist and is featured in a quartet with her father, bassist Eric Von Essen and drummer Donald Bailey. However the music is too safe and predictable, making one wish that a fire had been lit under the soloists. Jimmy Rowles' reworking of "Take The 'A' Train" is the closest that this uneventful session comes to the sound of surprise. Otherwise, little memorable or special occurs. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/looking-back-mw0000201867

Personnel: Piano – Jimmy Rowles; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Stacy Rowles; Vocals (Track 10) – Stacy Rowles; Bass – Eric von Essen; Drums,Percussion – Donald Bailey

Looking Back

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David Benoit - Fuzzy Logic

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:51
Size: 101,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:27)  1. Snap!
(5:09)  2. Fuzzy Logic
(4:55)  3. Someday Soon
(3:35)  4. Then The Morning Comes
(4:04)  5. Reflections
(4:56)  6. Coming Up For Air
(4:51)  7. You Read My Mind
(4:43)  8. War of the S.U.V.'s
(4:14)  9. Tango in Barbados
(2:52) 10. One Dream at a Time (June's Song)

Pianist David Benoit once again delivers a consummate jazz-pop release produced by trumpeter Rick Braun. Braun, who played on Benoit's 1999 Professional Dreamer, does a nice job of updating the piano man's trademark keyboard sound by addressing hip-hop and Latin rhythms. Despite the requisite candlelight noodlings and semi-funk party tracks that Benoit has admittedly popularized, there is much to appreciate here. With its ersatz harpsichord intro, the original "You Read My Mind" is reminiscent of early Bob James, and is a welcome breather from the usual bland jams. Similarly, an irony-free cover of Smashmouth's "Then the Morning Comes" brilliantly recalls the best of Burt Bacharach's '60s output. Fuzzy Math is perfect music for a romantic dinner or shopping a bridal registry at the mall. Either way, Benoit fans will no doubt be pleased. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/fuzzy-logic-mw0000217769

Personnel:   David Benoit - piano, Hammond B-3; Rick Braun - trumpet; Ross Bolton - guitar; Nick Lane - trombone; Andy Suzuki - saxophone; Abraham Laboriel - bass; Steve Ferrone - drums; Paul Jackson, Jr. - guitar; Roberto Vally - bass; Brad Dutz - percussion; Pat Kelly - guitar; Dean Taba - bass;  Jeff Olson - drums; Neil Angilley - keyboards; Ian Crabtree - guitar; Phil Mulford - bass; Stan Sargeant - bass; Scott Breadman - percussion

Fuzzy Logic

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Sonny Clark Trio - Blues In The Night

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:00
Size: 80,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:20)  1. Can`t We Be Friends
(4:41)  2. I Cover The Waterfront
(4:18)  3. Somebody Love Me
(3:32)  4. Dancing In The Dark
(7:15)  5. Blues In The Night (alt)
(5:59)  6. Blues In The Night
(3:54)  7. All Of You

The piano trio material included in this Japanese reissue, along with another session from late 1958 (see The Art of the Trio, aka "The 45 Sessions"), constitutes a body of work which was never released in LP format during Sonny Clark's tragically short life. Clark was an underrated master of the hard bop genre who had a very subtle, artful touch. On this date, he exhibits the influence of Ahmad Jamal and Red Garland (a lighter sound) and less of the Bud Powell-inspired, hard-driving bebop lines. This material was intended for jukebox release in 45 format. The arrangements are simple and concise; the tunes are all well-known standards. Sonny's conception is quite accessible relaxed tempos and blues-inflected improvisations. His chord voicings and harmonies are exquisite on "I Cover the Waterfront," "Somebody Loves Me," "Dancing in the Dark," and Cole Porter's "All of You." The recording in many ways presages the Three Sounds' approach to a tightly organized, commercially affable piano trio concept. This material is also included in Blue Note's 1998 domestic Sonny Clark release entitled Standards. 

~ Lee Bloom https://www.allmusic.com/album/blues-in-the-night-mw0000536692

Personnel: Sonny Clark - piano; Paul Chambers - bass; Wes Landers - drums

Blues In The Night

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Mary Ann Hurst - Chinese Folksongs In A Jazz Mode

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:38
Size: 131,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:22)  1. North Wind Blows
(5:28)  2. Nanniwan
(4:56)  3. Crescent Moon Rising
(4:58)  4. Swallow
(4:56)  5. Yi Meng Mountain
(4:38)  6. Sanshilipu Village
(7:03)  7. Embroidered Pouch
(7:31)  8. Kangding Village Lovesong
(7:44)  9. Little Cabbage
(3:58) 10. Herdsman Song

This is a great easy-listening CD - the vocals are done in soft-spoken Mandarin and English - and the backing Jazz Band (Small World & Friends) is as classy as they come. A Great Listen for World Music lovers! Realizing a 15-year dream, vocalist Mary Ann Hurst translated traditional Chinese folksongs into English and performs them in the jazz idiom, singing in both Mandarin and English. Liner notes and lyrics are in English, to include lyrics in Chinese characters and the romanization system, Pinyin. Ten traditional Chinese melodies were chosen for their intrinsically lovely melody lines. Instrumental back-up is by top jazz musicians who perfectly interpret the spirit of the project.  https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/mah
Reviews:
“A delight to the ears, thanks to incomparable jazz vocalist Mary Ann Hurst and an exclusive ensemble of Texas-based musicians. Hurst beautifully interprets thematic folks songs through the universal language of melodious instrumentation, chiming in with her flawless Mandarin…a very unique and unorthodox amalgamation of genres. ~ San Antonio Current

"Hurst's voice glides from English to Chinese with a buttery smoothness...belies her years of commitment to both the jazz idiom and the Mandarin tongue" ~ A.P. writer Alexa Olesen

“Highly recommended as a musical experience, and a good way to expand your knowledge of Mandarin Chinese!” ~ Amazon.com

“Your surprising yet fantastic CD [is] indeed a jewel. There are strong elements of light jazz and also poetic reminiscence of Chinese mentality. Anyone with some jazz background will appreciate this album effortlessly. The whole project conveys an artful rendition of your unique understanding of jazz a well as Chinese folk music…a well-blended version of our modern longing to reach out to our roots and to express simple beauty in our common humanity. The jazz motif is a wonderful format for your love of Chinese culture.” ~ C.C. Wang, Metropolitan Museum of Art collector and artist

“A one-of-a-kind record. Mary Ann Hurst lived in China long enough to know deeply the language and the music… a very musical voice, the feeling she gives to these songs is unique…[this is] truly world music.” ~ Francesco Martinelli, Pisa, Italy

Chinese Folksongs In A Jazz Mode

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Walter Wanderley - When It Was Done

Styles: Latin Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:46
Size: 70,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:39)  1. Open Your Arms (Let Me Walk Right In)
(2:35)  2. Surfboard
(3:35)  3. Baiao da Garoa
(2:37)  4. Reach Out for Me
(2:28)  5. Ole, Ole, Ola
(2:25)  6. Ponteio
(2:24)  7. When It Was Done
(2:46)  8. On My Mind
(2:20)  9. Just My Love and I
(4:20) 10. Capoeira
(2:34) 11. Truth in Peace (Verdade em Paz)

Walter Wanderley moved over to A&M from Verve with producer Creed Taylor, whose influence dominates this heavily produced yet attractive album of mostly Brazilian material. The Wanderley sound is more carefully terraced than ever on this strikingly packaged album, edited and faded for easy airplay. Especially nice is Jobim's "Surfboard," a sleek miniature tone poem. Besides his usual subdued organ work, Wanderley spends almost as much time on the electric harpsichord, upon which he uses a more legato attack than on the organ, a curious reversal of each instrument's properties. He is not helped by the cottonball-textured vocals from a superfluous female trio, who figure most prominently on the two American tunes, Burt Bacharach's "Reach Out For Me" and Jimmy Webb's title track. A few of the usual CTI suspects turn up Hubert Laws on flute, Marvin Stamm on flugelhorn; Don Sebesky provides the overlush string backdrops, with other points in the arrangements entrusted to Eumir Deodato. A young Milton Nascimento makes a cameo appearance on "Open Your Arms," scatting a countermelody that he invented on the spot after awakening from a nap (no, it was jet lag, not a commentary on the session!). ~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/album/when-it-was-done-mw0001041579

Personnel:  Walter Wanderley - organ, electronic harpsichord; Marvin Stamm, John Glasel - flugelhorn; George Marge, Stan Webb - flute, piccolo; Donald Ashworth, Hubert Laws - flute, piccolo, oboe, English horn; José Marino - bass; João Palma - drums; Lu Lu Ferreira - percussion; Lewis Eley, Harry Glickman, Gene Orloff, Raoul Poliakin, Max Pollikoff, Matthew Raimondi, Tosha Samaroff, Sylvan Shulman, Avram Weiss - violin; Harold Coletta, Harold Furmansky - viola; Charles McCracken, George Ricci - cello; Gloria Agostini - harp; Anamaria Valle, Marilyn Jackson, Linda November, Milton Nascimento - vocals; Eumir Deodato - rhythm arrangements; Don Sebesky - string arrangements

When It Was Done

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Joey DeFrancesco - Goodfellas

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:45
Size: 126,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:29)  1. Speak Softly Love
(4:14)  2. Volare
(5:13)  3. Fly Me To The Moon
(5:10)  4. All The Way
(4:13)  5. Whack 'Em
(4:04)  6. Malafemmena
(3:49)  7. Young At Heart
(5:12)  8. O Solo Mio
(4:32)  9. Evidence
(6:09) 10. Goodfellas
(4:44) 11. Ya See What I'm Sayin'?
(1:51) 12. Whack 'Em (Reprise) / Tarentella

When you spend your youth growing up in South Philadelphia, the music of Frank Sinatra and the earlier music that influenced him has to have a major lasting impact on you. The timeless nature of standards such as "Young At Heart," "Fly Me to the Moon" and "All The Way" cannot be ignored. Other significant crooners such as Perry Como, Dean Martin, and Tony Bennett have extended the feelings we harbor that these songs will live forever. For his latest album, 28-year-old organist Joey DeFrancesco adds in a little ethnic Italian folk scenery and some Godfather movie theme spice to these standards. The result is an enjoyable trio session that pays its respects to the tradition while folding in a mainstream jazz background. The trio’s best example of mixing the cauldron thoroughly is "O Solo Mio" with its ride cymbal and walking bass. Guitar and organ sound off effectively; the arrangement even includes a Basie ending. DeFrancesco’s Hammond B-3 is particularly hot on "Fly Me to the Moon," as the unit improvises on a familiar theme. Similarly, Frank Vignola swings heartily on most tracks; he’s particularly effective on the blues-based "Whack ‘em." Joe Ascione takes his share of fours and extended solos; the drummer’s steady driving force is particularly notable on "Malafemmena" with its hefty modified New Orleans shuffle beat. 

The title track is a tribute to another Philadelphia "godfather" organist Jimmy Smith. One of DeFrancesco’s mentors and a favorite driving force all over the world, Smith has a way with the blues that won’t quit. The trio captures this mood quite well, swings with passion throughout the session, and does a bang-up job of bringin’ home the good-natured fun. ~ Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/goodfellas-joey-defrancesco-concord-music-group-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Joey DeFrancesco- Hammond B-3 organ; Frank Vignola- guitar; Joe Ascione- drums.

Goodfellas

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Darrell Grant - The Territory

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:34
Size: 140,2 MB
Art: Front

( 1:13)  1. Introduction
( 5:56)  2. Mvt. 1 Hymn to the Four Winds
( 6:04)  3. Mvt. 2 Daybreak At Fort Rock
( 3:10)  4. Mvt. 3 Missoula Floods
( 4:03)  5. Missoula Floods, Pt. 2
( 5:58)  6. Mvt. 4 Rivers
(10:13)  7. Mvt. 5 Chief Joseph's Lament
( 5:48)  8. Mvt. 6 Stones Into Blossoms
( 7:12)  9. Mvt. 7 Sundays At the Golden West
( 2:37) 10. Mvt. 8 Aftermath (Interlude)
( 8:14) 11. Mvt. 9 New Land

The Territory marks Grant's seventh CD as a leader and his first since 2007's critically acclaimed "Truth and Reconciliation," which was selected one of the top 10 CDs' of the year by The Village Voice jazz critics poll. The nine-member ensemble includes Grant's long-time collaborators Grammy award-winning drummer Brian Blade, Grammy award-winning saxophonist Steve Wilson and celebrated vibraphonist Joe Locke, as well as renowned cellist Hamilton Cheifetz, Chicago bassist Clark Sommers, Portland vocalist Marilyn Keller, trumpeter Thomas Barber, and bass clarinetist Kirt Peterson. The Territory captures Grant in an exciting 2013 world premiere performance presented by Chamber Music Northwest in front a sold-out audience at Portland's Kaul Auditorium. https://www.darrellgrant.com/the-territory-album

Personnel: Darrell Grant, piano; Joe Locke, vibraphone & marimba; Steve Wilson, flute, alto flute, soprano & alto saxophone; Brian Blade, drums; Clark Sommers, bass; Marilyn Keller, vocals; Hamilton Cheifetz, cello; Thomas Barber, trumpet; Kirt Peterson, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone

The Territory

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