Microscopic Septet - Off Beat Glory

Styles: Progressive Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:09
Size: 97,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:39)  1. Brooklyn In The Fifties
(4:44)  2. Baghdad Blues
(5:16)  3. Crepuscule With Nellie
(7:34)  4. In The Mission
(2:44)  5. March Of The Video Reptiles
(5:13)  6. I Saw You In Utah (Idaho)
(4:01)  7. I Am The Police
(6:54)  8. By You, Do You Mean You Or Me?

The Microscopic Septet's third album may not have differed too much in spirit from their first two and certainly covers no particularly new ground, but there's still a good deal of enjoyment in listening to these strange fellows go about their business. The off-kilter melodies tinged with noir, the tight, richly arranged horn lines, and, above all, the mischievous humor of the compositions are all still intact. Pieces like co-leader Phillip Johnston's "Baghdad Blues" are still apt to turn on a dime from a smoky torch song to a carousing, rhythmic dynamo. There is, perhaps, something of a drop-off in the level of manic enthusiasm that made their first release, Take the Z Train, so surprising and gripping; some of the tunes drag just a bit. On the other hand, this was the first recording to feature tenor saxophonist Paul Shapiro, who brought a wonderful robustness and soul to the band; he's featured on Johnston's delightful (and delightfully titled) "I Saw You in Utah (Idaho)," with its jaunty hoedown echoes. 

When it came to song titles, it was tough to surpass the Micros, and "By You, Do You Mean You or Me?," which closes out the album, is a fine encapsulation of what the band was about: A romantic, winsome opening theme on soprano merging into a raucous rhythm & blues stomper, with baritone player Dave Sewelson on top roaring while the band layers riff after inspired riff behind him and eventually lapses into a gorgeous dirge. Off Beat Glory isn't the best of the four records they released, but it contains more than enough special moments to make it well-worth the purchase. ~ Brian Olewnick https://www.allmusic.com/album/off-beat-glory-mw0000890167

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone – Paul Shapiro; Soprano Saxophone – Phillip Johnston; Alto Saxophone – Don Davis ; Baritone Saxophone – Dave Sewelson ; Bass, Tuba – David Hofstra; Drums – Richard Dworkin; Piano – Joel Forrester

Off Beat Glory

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Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis - Lockjaw's Jazz-A-Samba

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:54
Size: 90,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. Wild Rice
(5:20)  2. Guanco Lament
(5:06)  3. Tin Tin Deo
(4:14)  4. Jazz-A-Samba
(5:21)  5. Alma Alegre
(6:21)  6. Star Eyes
(7:36)  7. Afro-Jaws

Eddie Lockjaw Davis was one musician who provided a link from the big band era through to the soul jazz phenomenon of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Davis developed one of the most unmistakable tenor sax sounds in post war jazz. With a full bodied yet reedy tone that was equally at home in rhythm & blues settings as more modern contexts, his playing always had a direct, singing quality that was a huge influence on the next generation of sax men. Davis began to make his mark on the jazz scene in New York when he worked at Clark Monroe's Uptown House in the late 30s. Despite this establishment's close ties with the emergence of bebop a few years later, Davis' tenor saxophone playing was rooted in swing and the blues, and early in his career he displayed a marked affinity with the tough school of Texas tenors. In the early 40s he worked with a number of big bands, including those of Cootie Williams, Lucky Millinder and Andy Kirk. He also led his own small group for club and record sessions. Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis was a pioneer of the tenor-and-organ combo, between 1955-60, he toured and recorded with a unit featuring Shirley Scott on the Hammond B3. In this long-running group, Davis realized his vision of what an organ/tenor combo could achieve. Miss Scott’s taste and light touch on the organ made it possible for Davis to avoid the battering-ram approach and produce music of restraint and taste without sacrificing drive and excitement. After Scott left the band, Davis never really returned to the organ/tenor sound, despite his success with it. 

In 1952 Davis made the first of several appearances with the Count Basie band, which extended through the 60s and into the 70s. He was a mainstay at Prestige, and released a long list of fine sessions for that label and for their subsidiary Moodsville. It was with Basie that he made his greatest impact, although in between these stints he continued to lead his own small groups, notably Tough Tenors with Johnny Griffin in the early 60s. As the 1960s came into focus, Chicago tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin and his New York counterpart, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, hooked up for a series of tenor battle albums that were easily a cut above most such recordings. For one thing, both saxophonists were rock solid bop players who were at the peak of their powers. For another, the two tenor men were very compatible in their playing styles and had a lot of mutual respect. “Tough Tenors” is a November, 1960, date. This record delivers an unbeatable program of music delivered by two of the greatest jazz tenors in top form. After temporarily withdrawing from active music in 1963 to work as a booking agent, he returned as a soloist and road manager for the Count Basie band in 1964. He played in Europe with Mr. Basie, and participated in European tours as part of the Norman Granz troupe with Ella Fitzgerald. He also joined up with Sweets Edison in the 70’s, with which he did sessions and tours. Davis' playing style showed him to be at ease on both gutsy, hard-driving swingers and slow, tender ballads. The former are most evident in his partnership with Griffin and his showstoppers with Basie, while the softer facet of his musical character came to the fore on a fine album of ballads he made with Paul Gonsalves. Davis always confounded critics. Because he was an acknowledged star to the soul-jazz idiom, they expected him to create in a somewhat formulaic setting, taking few chances. Jaws always took chances, and he always did things his way. Eddie Lockjaw Davis was a hard hitting tenor player from the old school, and his legacy survives in his vast and prestigious recordings and memorable live performances when he would dominate the stage. He passed in Nov. 1986, at age of 65. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/eddielockjawdavis

Lockjaw's Jazz-A-Samba

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Chris Connor - Lilac Wine

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 100:35
Size: 231,3 MB
Art: Front

( 3:36)  1. These Foolish Things
( 3:16)  2. Bargain Day
( 3:52)  3. The End of a Love Affair
( 3:35)  4. Glad to Be Happy
( 5:09)  5. Ballad of the Sad Café
( 4:26)  6. Good Morning Heartache
(66:43)  7. Something I Dreamed of Last Night
( 4:57)  8. Lilac Wine
( 5:00)  9. One for My Baby

Along with June Christy, Helen O'Connell, and Julie London, Chris Connor epitomized cool jazz singing in the 1950s. Influenced by Anita O'Day, the torchy, smoky singer wasn't one for aggression. Like Chet Baker on the trumpet or Paul Desmond and Lee Konitz on alto sax, she used subtlety and restraint to their maximum advantage. At the University of Missouri, Connor (who had studied clarinet at an early age) sang with a Stan Kentonish big band led by trombonist Bob Brookmeyer before leaving her native Kansas City for New York in 1947. Quite appropriately, she was featured in the lyrical pianist Claude Thornhill's orchestra in the early '50s. After leaving Thornhill, Connor was hired by Kenton at Christy's recommendation, and her ten-month association with him in 1952-1953 resulted in the hit "All About Ronnie." Connor debuted as a solo artist in 1953, recording three albums for Bethlehem before moving to Atlantic in 1955 and recording 12. Connor reached the height of her popularity in the 1950s, when she delivered her celebrated versions of Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" and George Shearing's "Lullaby of Broadway," and recorded such excellent albums as The Rich Sound of Chris Connor and Lullabies of Birdland for Bethlehem and Chris Craft and Ballads of the Sad Cafe for Atlantic. Connor made a poor career move in 1962, the year she left Atlantic and signed with a label her manager was starting, FM Records Connor had recorded only two albums for FM when they folded. Connor's recording career was rejuvenated in the 1970s, and she went on to record for Progressive, Stash, and Contemporary in the '70s and '80s. Connor maintained a devoted following in the 1990s and continued to tour internationally. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/artist/chris-connor-mn0000776337/biography

Lilac Wine

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Ramsey Lewis - Keys To The City

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:00
Size: 97,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:58)  1. Keys To The City
(5:20)  2. You're Falling In Love
(4:15)  3. 7-11
(4:49)  4. Strangers
(6:16)  5. My Love Will Lead You Home
(6:09)  6. Melody Of Life
(4:12)  7. Shamballa
(4:57)  8. Love And Understanding

Keys to the City is a studio album by Ramsey Lewis released in 1987 on Columbia Records. The album peaked at No. 11 on the Cashbox Jazz Albums chart. The track "7-11" reached No. 67 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart. The album was Lewis' penultimate release on Columbia Records. 

He would leave his longtime label the following year after releasing another album. Keys to the City was co-produced by Maurice White and Larry Dunn of Earth, Wind and Fire, their fourth collaboration, and the first since 1977's Tequila Mockingbird. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keys_to_the_City_(Ramsey_Lewis_album)

Personnel:  Ramsey Lewis: DX-7, Piano, Primary Artist; Roland Bautista: Guitar; Tony Brown: Guitar (Bass); Chris Brunt: Composer, Drums, Percussion; Chris Cameron: Synthesizer; Larry Dunn: Bass, Drums, Keyboards, Percussion; Steven Dunn: Drums, Percussion; Byron Gregory: Guitar (Electric); Luisa Justiz: Vocals; Brenda Mitchell-Stewart: Vocals (Background); Don Myrick: Saxophone; Joe Pusteri: Percussion; Bill Ruppert: Guitar (Electric); Robyn Smith: Drum Programming, Percussion, Synthesizer; Morris Stewart: Synthesizer, Vocals (Background); Wayne Stewart: Drums; Maurice White: Percussion

Keys To The City

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Charlie Palmieri - A Giant Step

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1984
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:10
Size: 113,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:12)  1. Fiesta A La King
(5:01)  2. Be Careful, It's My Heart
(7:54)  3. Start The World, I Want To Get On
(5:28)  4. Adios
(5:53)  5. Mis Amigos E.G.C.
(3:53)  6. Bajo Las Sombras De Un Pino
(5:49)  7. Muneca
(8:57)  8. Rhumba Rhapsody

The older brother of Eddie Palmieri, Charlie Palmieri was every bit as gifted a pianist as his sibling, very percussive and responsive to rhythm while also flashing florid passages that were clearly the product of a classical education. His piano studies began at seven and he attended the Juilliard School of Music, turning pro at 16. He started the group El Conjunto Pin Pin in 1948, and then played in a series of ensembles including those of Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez, and Pupi Campo before forming his own Charanga Duboney group in 1958. As music director of the Alegre All Stars while recording for the Alegre label in the 1960s, Palmieri stimulated competition among Latin labels like Tico and Fania, which formed their own all-star bands in response. Like many Latin jazz artists of the time, Palmieri flirted with the popular Latin boogaloo style in the 1960s and made some records for major labels like RCA Victor and Atlantic. He endured a near mental breakdown in 1969, but rebounded to work again for Puente on his El Mambo de Tito Puente television program, and he also found a second career as a historian and teacher of Latin music and history at various New York colleges in the 1970s. Palmieri moved briefly to Puerto Rico from 1980 to 1983, and after suffering a severe heart attack and stroke upon his return to New York, he recovered to lead various Latin combos, including Combo Gigante. One of his last recordings was a galvanizing cameo appearance on Mongo Santamaria's "Mayeya" in 1987 (now on Mongo's Afro Blue: The Picante Collection for Concord Picante), and he appeared in England for the first time in 1988 shortly before his death. Almost all of Palmieri's work is hard to find through domestic channels, but Messidor's A Giant Step is available on CD. ~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/charlie-palmieri-mn0000212129/biography

Personnel:  Piano [Uncredited] – Charlie Palmieri ; Bass – Bobby Rodriguez; Bongos – Johnny "Dandy" Rodriguez; Congas – Frank Malabe; Timbales – Mike Collazo

A Giant Step

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George Russell - Stratusphunk

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:24
Size: 99,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:08)  1. Stratusphunk
(8:25)  2. New Donna
(6:16)  3. Bent Eagle
(8:25)  4. Kentucky Oysters
(7:13)  5. Lambskins
(6:55)  6. Things New

Stratusphunk is an album by George Russell originally released on Riverside in 1960. The album contains performances by Russell with Al Kiger, David Baker, Dave Young, Chuck Israels and Joe Hunt. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratusphunk

Personnel:  George Russell: piano, arranger, conductor; Al Kiger: trumpet; David Baker: trombone; Dave Young: tenor saxophone; Chuck Israels: bass; Joe Hunt: drums

Stratusphunk

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Miss Sophie Lee - Miss Sophie Lee & New Orleans Jazz Vipers

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:40
Size: 83,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:37)  1. Stairway To The Stars
(3:50)  2. Am I Blue
(2:42)  3. I Want To Be Happy
(3:37)  4. Blue Skies
(3:01)  5. Me Mysel, And I
(3:58)  6. Bread And Gravy
(3:14)  7. Sugar Pie
(4:43)  8. I Must Have That Man
(4:54)  9. Goodnight My Love

Miss Sophie Lee met members of the New Orleans Jazz Vipers in 2002 and began performing with them in 2004. As a guest vocalist, Miss Sophie Lee has performed with the Vipers at the 2005 and 2006 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival; the 2005 Monterey Jazz Festival and 2006 Lincoln Centers' A Midsummer Nights Swing. Miss Sophie Lee is a featured vocalist on the Vipers latest release, "Hope You're Coming Back" released in 2007. Bart Ramsey is a founding member of the gypsy jazz combo VaVaVoom who are a regular fixture on the Frenchmen Street scene and the surrounding New Orleans area. This is the first collaboration of these artists featuring Miss Sophie Lee exclusively on vocals. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/misssophielee

Miss Sophie Lee & New Orleans Jazz Vipers

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David Giardina - David Giardina - Alive in Tin Pan Alley

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:11
Size: 74,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:31)  1. The Very Thought of You
(2:29)  2. Chitarra Romana
(2:32)  3. The Continental
(2:49)  4. In Old New York
(2:58)  5. Manhattan Moon
(2:28)  6. All the Things You Are
(2:13)  7. Would You
(2:43)  8. its a sin to tell a lie
(2:27)  9. let me love you tonight
(2:24) 10. Martha
(3:11) 11. My Melancholy Baby
(3:19) 12. When Your Lover Has Gone

David Giardina croons the classic tunes of Tin Pan Alley home to the Great American Songbook. Mining the incredible wealth of 1920's -30's s, Giardina serves up and array of haunting ballads, swingy upbeat numbers and fun novelty tunes. He features such notable composers as Gershwin, Berlin, Porter as well as lesser known but luminous hit makers. Tin Pan Alley may be long gone - but as the songwriter wrote: "The Melody lingers on".. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/davidgiardina1

David Giardina - Alive in Tin Pan Alley

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Eric Le Lann, Paul Lay - Thanks a Million

Styles: Trumpet And Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:03
Size: 97,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Dinah
(3:23)  2. Mack the Knife
(2:50)  3. Jubilee
(5:16)  4. Tight Like This
(4:19)  5. Thanks a Million
(4:52)  6. Azalea
(3:15)  7. Louison
(3:49)  8. Saint James Infirmary
(5:18)  9. I Surrender, Dear
(4:26) 10. Farewell to Louis

The trumpet player and the pianist played together on the album Life On Mars by Le Lann and then met on a cruise celebrating the arrival of the first jazz band in France in 1917. The idea of celebrating the DNA of the swing duo then appeared as a challenge as unexpected as obvious. Long before embarking on the bop, to pay homage to Chet Baker or David Boxie, Eric Le Lann , exceptional jazz storyteller began with the New Orleans, inspired by the 78t of the first grand master of the genre discovered in the record collection. his father. Pianist and outstanding composer of the new generation of French jazz, Paul Lay and his encyclopedic taste for the history of jazz piano, led him to study the art of Jelly Roll Morton and Earl Hines leading him straight to Louis Armstrong. The duo met to celebrate with rare elegance the Satchmo repertoire on the album Thanks a Million. In addition to two original titles, the choice of titles has landed on particularly outstanding pieces of Armstrong, not as a composer, which he was to a lesser degree but as an interpreter who would propel these songs in the galaxy of the tubes: What a Wonderful World, Dinah, Mack the Knife, St. James infirmary ... The duo lives, sings, swings, whispers, surprises and proclaims their attachment to Armstrong's precursor universe with sincerity and poetry. The melodic purity of the lines, the rhythmic accuracy of the accents, the harmonic intuition, the sense of listening and complementarity, the duo excels in this exercise yet perilous tribute to Armstrong. Translate by Google https://www.fip.fr/decouvrir/album-jazz/thanks-million-34248

Personnel:  Trumpet – Eric Le Lann;  Piano – Paul Lay

Thanks a Million

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Jean DuShon - Make Way For Jean Dushon

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:20
Size: 83,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. I'm Thru With Love
(2:59)  2. The Best Is Yet To Come
(4:59)  3. Don't Explain
(2:41)  4. Hitch Hike
(2:53)  5. Night Song
(2:56)  6. More
(2:53)  7. Evenin'
(2:36)  8. Early One Morning
(3:47)  9. Lorna's Here
(3:06) 10. Baia
(2:46) 11. If Ever I Should Leave You

Jean Du Shon revisits her jazz roots on her Chess/Argo debut. Previous labels ABC Paramount, Okeh, and Atlantic recorded Du Shon as an R&B/soul artist.

Three-fifths of the Lou Donaldson Quintet also signed to Argo Herman Foster (piano), Earl May (bass), and Bruno Carr (drums) accompanies the lovely songbird on 11 well-arranged tracks. The tasty morsels include Lee Adams and Charles Strouse's "Lorna's Here" from Golden Boy; Alan Lerner and Frederick Loewe's "If Ever I Should Leave You"; and Arthur Herzog and Billie Holiday's "Don't Explain," "The Best Is Yet to Come," and "Night Song." ~ Andrew Hamilton https://www.allmusic.com/album/make-way-for-jean-du-shon-mw0000855121

Personnel: Vocals – Jean DuShon; Bass – Earl May; Drums – Bruno Carr; Piano – Herman Foster

Thank You Flyingfinger! 

Make Way For Jean Dushon

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Mike Longo - Talk With The Spirits

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 1976

Time: 43:59

Size: 100,9 MB

Art: Front

( 7:50)  1. Wyyowa

( 6:25)  2. Roma

( 7:08)  3. The Proclamation

( 9:14)  4. Angel Of Love

(13:19)  5. Talk With The Spirits

Pianist Mike Longo, still best known for his longtime membership in Dizzy Gillespie's group (1966-73), had his recorded debut as a leader on this Pablo LP (not yet reissued on CD). Longo gathered together an impressive sextet also including trumpeter Virgil Jones, tenor saxophonist Harold Vick, guitarist George Davis, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Mickey Roker, and also welcomed Dizzy himself, who made cameo appearances on conga and a vocal, but not on trumpet. The music, five of Longo's originals, is less memorable than the solos, but this remains a fine effort that ranges from lightly funky to straight-ahead. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/talk-with-the-spirits-mw0000878801

Personnel:  Piano, Written-By – Mike Longo; Bass – Bob Cranshaw; Congas, Vocals, Producer – Dizzy Gillespie; Drums – Mickey Roker; Guitar – George Davis;  Saxophone [Tenor] – Harold Vick; Trumpet – Virgil Jones

Talk With The Spirits

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The Nashville All-Stars - Playing the Hits of Garth Brooks, Vol. 1

Styles:  Big Band
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:36
Size: 133,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:37)  1. Callin' Baton Rouge
(4:21)  2. Friends in Low Places
(3:43)  3. The Dance
(3:59)  4. Mom
(3:25)  5. Unanswered Prayers
(3:39)  6. If Tomorrow Never Comes
(2:30)  7. Two of a Kind (Workin' on a Full House)
(3:40)  8. The Thunder Rolls
(3:08)  9. People Loving People
(3:52) 10. Rodeo
(4:25) 11. The River
(3:33) 12. Two Pina Coladas
(4:46) 13. That Summer
(3:02) 14. Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)
(3:25) 15. Good Ride Cowboy
(3:24) 16. What She's Doing Now

The Nashville All-Stars is an exclusive instrumental performance group selected from the best of Nashville’s world-class studio and touring musicians. Curated by Grammy Award-winning Nashville producer Charlie Peacock, The Nashville All-Stars are bringing the musical history, virtuosity and songs of Music City to concert fans around the globe. The “It City” now has its own “It Band.” Comprised of Grammy Award-winners in multiple categories, the All-Stars are associated with many of Nashville’s brightest stars including Jack White, Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Amy Grant, Faith Hill & Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, TobyMac and The Civil Wars. These instrumentalists have played on thousands of Nashville-centric recordings, selling millions and earning multiple Gold & Platinum status. Beyond Nashville, their credits include a diversity of artists such as Eric Clapton, Chris Cornell, Peter Frampton, Donna Summer, Kirk Whalum, Snarky Puppy, Dave Matthews Band and Don Henley. Joining the All-Stars are a selection of Nashville’s premiere vocalists, though none more stunning and celebrated than the remarkable RUBY AMANFU (uh-mon-foo). Ruby first came to national attention as a bright star on NBC’s The Sing-Off, it was her iconic and riveting duet performance of “Love Interruption” with Jack White on the 2013 Grammy Telecast that gave her international attention. A guest slot on Beyonce’s 2016 “Lemonade” cemented Ruby’s reputation as Nashville’s newest vocal ambassador. NPR pop critic Ann Powers has written that she’s “all about the chills when Ruby Amanfu sings” and no description could be more spot-on. The Nashville All-Stars repertoire includes songs made famous by Bill Monroe, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, Chet Atkins, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, Boots Randolph, Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, Joe Tex, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Sonny James, Tammy Wynette, Mark O’Connor, Bela ´ Fleck, Eric Clapton, Amy Grant, The Civil Wars, Kings of Leon, Jack White, Paramore, Sixpence None the Richer, Chris Stapleton, Alison Krauss and Taylor Swift. https://www.charliepeacock.com/nashville-all-stars

The Nashville All-Stars are: Jerry Mcpherson – guitar (2016 ACM Guitarist of the Year Nominee, over 900 recording credits); Gordon Kennedy – guitar & vocals (1997 Grammy Song of the Year “Change the World”); Jeff Coffin – saxophone (3X Grammy Award-winner, Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, DMB member); Andy leftwich – fiddle & mandolin (4X Grammy Award-winner, 17 year member of Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder); Matt Menefee – banjo & mandolin (Big & Rich, Warren Haynes, Chessboxer); Scott Mulvahill – bass & vocals (Nashville rising star, member of Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder); Marcus finnie – drums (Keb’ Mo’, Kirk Whalum, Donna Summer); Charlie peacock – keyboards & vocals (4X Grammy Award-winner)

Playing the Hits of Garth Brooks, Vol. 1

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Erin Boheme - What Love Is

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:36
Size: 117,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:05)  1. Someone To Love
(4:14)  2. One Night With Frank
(4:39)  3. Let's Make The Most Of A Beautiful Thing
(5:00)  4. What Love Is
(4:39)  5. Teach Me Tonight
(4:26)  6. Make You Happy
(4:35)  7. Give Me One Reason
(6:07)  8. Anything
(5:08)  9. Let's Do It
(3:28) 10. I Love Being Here With You
(4:10) 11. Don't Be Something You Ain't

Wisconsin native Erin Boheme was only 18 when she found herself recording for the house that Carl Jefferson built: Concord Jazz. Some people who heard What Love Is, Boheme's debut album, questioned whether or not it belonged on a jazz-oriented label; truth be told, this 2006 release has as much to do with jazzy pop as it does with jazz. But even though Boheme is by no means a jazz purist, she is clearly jazz-influenced and besides, the late Rosemary Clooney was a fixture at Concord throughout the '80s and '90s despite the fact that her specialty was jazz-influenced traditional pop rather than hardcore vocal jazz. So stylistically, this crossover effort (which is best described as traditional pop meets vocal jazz meets adult contemporary) isn't inappropriate for Concord. If Boheme is a crossover artist at heart, that's fine as long as she strives for quality and this is a pleasant, if undeveloped and mildly inconsistent, debut from the Midwestern singer. Concord was obviously hoping to reach the Norah Jones crowd with What Love Is, which makes sense because Boheme's vocals hint at Jones in addition to hinting at Billie Holiday. Boheme favors a sweetly girlish approach, although she seems to be aiming for some of Julie London and Peggy Lee's sultriness as well. And even though her performances aren't breathtaking, Boheme shows herself to be a likable singer on a CD that ranges from a few Tin Pan Alley warhorses (including Sammy Cahn's "Teach Me Tonight" and Cole Porter's "Let's Do It") to Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason" to several tunes that Boheme co-wrote. This is by no means a bad album, although it is the work of an artist who still has some growing and developing to do. All things considered, Boheme is worth keeping an eye on. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/what-love-is-mw0000355204

What Love Is

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Dan Barrett - Jubilesta!

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:32
Size: 146,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:21)  1. I Love You
(5:07)  2. Why Can't You Behave?
(3:19)  3. Jubilesta
(3:26)  4. Then I'll Be Happy
(4:11)  5. Sweet Substitute
(4:59)  6. Blue Chu
(4:37)  7. Alabamy Bound
(3:18)  8. Mood Indigo
(4:45)  9. I Surrender Dear
(4:06) 10. Wait 'Til You See 'Ma Cherie'
(4:29) 11. Wherever There's Love (There's You and I)
(4:29) 12. I'll Always Be in Love with You
(4:06) 13. When the Sun Sets Down South
(6:14) 14. Little Jazz

Dan Barrett, probably the top young trombonist currently playing classic jazz, is very well featured on this quartet set with pianist Ray Sherman (himself in superior form), bassist David Stone and drummer Jake Hanna. Barrett revives such songs as "Why Can't You Behave?," "Then I'll Be Happy," "Wherever There's Love," "Wait 'Til You See 'Ma Cherie'," and "Little Jazz," making one wonder why such attractive pieces are not performed more often. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/jubilesta-mw0000026397

Musicians: Dan Barrett: Trombone; Ray Sherman: Piano; David Stone: Bass; Jake Hanna: Drums

Jubilesta!

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Humphrey Lyttelton - Georgia Man

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:43
Size: 96,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:50)  1. In Swinger
(4:37)  2. Toot'n in Kamen
(7:03)  3. Talk of the Town
(2:39)  4. One for Buck
(4:37)  5. Harry Looyah
(6:02)  6. St.Louis Blues
(6:22)  7. The New Bad Penny Blues
(2:29)  8. Georgia Man

The grand old man of British jazz, trumpeter and bandleader Humphrey Lyttelton spearheaded the postwar trad jazz revival before renouncing the movement in favor of more contemporary and restless creative vision. A larger-than-life figure, he also excelled as a writer and cartoonist, and for decades was a fixture of radio, serving as the hilariously deadpan host of the long-running I'm Sorry, I Haven't a Clue. Born in Eton on May 23, 1921, Lyttelton was the product of a distinguished and wealthy family a lifelong jazz enthusiast, he received his first trumpet at age 15 and formed a band with some Eton College classmates. He also studied military drumming under a former Coldstream Guards drum major and joined the school band as a percussionist. Lyttelton enlisted in the British Army on D-Day and saw combat in Italy on leave in London he sat in with local jazz bands, and upon returning to civilian life in 1945 he enrolled at the Camberwell School of Art. In March 1947, he signed on with semi-professional trad jazz combo George Webb's Dixielanders; when Dixielanders clarinetist and professional cartoonist Wally Fawkes was promoted to write and illustrate a full-fledged daily strip for The Daily Mail, Lyttelton was tapped to fill Fawkes' previous position sketching "column-breakers"  i.e., humorous or decorative drawings inserted into the text. He also reviewed jazz and classical recordings for the newspaper, and later scripted the Fawkes-drawn strip Flook as well.

In early 1948 Lyttelton resigned from the Dixielanders to found his own group, bringing Fawkes and later pianist Webb with him with the subsequent additions of Blackpool-born brothers Keith (trombone) and Ian Christie (clarinet), the group emerged at the forefront of the trad jazz renaissance. With Lyttelton's declamatory trumpet out front, the group's reverential, New Orleans-inspired sound proved a commercial juggernaut in late 1949, they signed to Parlophone, and their 78-rpm efforts sold so consistently that the label issued a new release each month until introducing the LP format several years later. However, Lyttelton quickly felt smothered within the narrow creative confines of the trad jazz sound and began embracing Latin and African rhythms as early as 1951 he also exploited new technologies, employing multi-track recording techniques to play trumpet, clarinet, piano, and washboard on "One Man Went to Blow." Most notably and to the endless chagrin of purists Lyttelton soon abandoned the accepted trumpet-clarinet-trombone format to introduce saxophones into the equation, and as his musical aspirations evolved, so did the lineup of his support staff: the Lyttelton band was the launching pad for a multitude of fledgling jazz greats, among them saxophonists Tony Coe, Danny Moss, Alan Barnes, Joe Temperley, John Barnes, and Karen Sharp as well as trombonists Roy Williams, Pete Strange, and John Picard. The group also backed visiting American giants like Sidney Bechet, Jimmy Rushing, and Buck Clayton. With 1956's self-penned "Bad Penny Blues," Lyttelton scored British jazz's first-ever Top 20 U.K. pop hit the group went on to tour Europe and the Middle East, and in 1959 joined Thelonious Monk and Anita O'Day on a trek across the U.S. As the trad jazz vogue gave way to rock & roll, Lyttelton continued performing, but he also launched a secondary career as a broadcaster his witty and informal presence made him a natural for radio, and in 1966 he was awarded his own BBC series, The Best of Jazz, which he helmed for over four decades. Six years later, he was also appointed host of the spoof panel game I'm Sorry, I Haven't a Clue, a program notorious for its abundance of double entendres. He also continued his writing, over the course of his lifetime publishing a series of books including I Play as I Please, Second Course, Take It from the Top, Why No Beethoven, and It Just Occurred to Me..., and for a time he even served as a restaurant critic. Another hobby was calligraphy: Lyttelton received a set of calligraphic pens upon his father's death, and proved so adept that he was elected president of the Society for Italic Handwriting. The craft even lent its name to his own label, Calligraph Records, which served to re-release his classic recordings on CD. A new generation of listeners was exposed to Lyttelton's work in 2001 when he guested on the Radiohead album Amnesiac. On March 11, 2008, he announced his retirement from The Best of Jazz. Weeks later, he died following heart surgery on April 25. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/humphrey-lyttelton-mn0000638075/biography

Georgia Man

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Buddy Tate, Claude Hopkins - Buddy & Claude

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:29
Size: 171,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:22)  1. Is It So
(7:01)  2. Yes, Indeed
(3:26)  3. What's Your Story Morning Glory
(7:21)  4. Willow Weep For Me
(6:27)  5. Empty Bed Blues
(5:35)  6. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(4:27)  7. What Is This Thing Called Love
(4:11)  8. Buddy's Tate-A-Tate
(8:14)  9. Groun' Hog
(4:14) 10. All Too Soon
(5:39) 11. Snatchin' It Back
(6:22) 12. #20 Ladbroke Square
(7:04) 13. Take The ''A'' Train

Combining two rare Swingville sessions from the 60’ this disc is an excellent primer for those unfamiliar with the singular sounds of Buddy Tate. Tate served a lengthy tenure in Basie’s band and many other Kansas City collectives before branching out on his own and these sessions visit him in his later years still laying down a voluptuous and sultry swing. His tone on tenor has elements of many of his peers, most noticeably Coleman Hawkins without the bite, but still retains a lilting originality. Hopkins hails from D.C. and his roots in the swing lineage run equally deep. The two men converge on the first session in the company of four other players and work over a highly inviting collection of standards. The emphasis is on maintaining a temperate mood and empathic rapport and the absence of individual bravado is refreshing. It’s also a joy to hear these veterans in their element, doing what they do best under the auspices of modern recording technology. As an added benefit, the technology also allows the players to stretch out past the time limits afforded the recordings of their earlier years. The majority of tunes are taken at a soothing speed and work well off the light interplay between rhythm section and the pairing of Tate and Berry. Berry mainly sticks to muted work on his brass, contributing gently smeared slurs to the ensemble sound on a regular basis. His protracted, but carefully conceived solo on “Empty Bed Blues” is infused with a tasteful discipline that is representative of the entire quintet. 

Over the course of most of the numbers Tate’s solos are usually short and sweet suggesting an admirable economy that many modern players would be advised to take lesson from. Hopkins works magic of the changes of each tune, particularly the bluesy reading of Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing.” The second date presented here features a completely different group and lacks the effervescent presence of Hopkins. Fortunately his talents are traded in for the equally formidable Flanagan who in concert with Gales and Taylor gives the second half of this disc a decidedly bop-flavored bent. Tate acquaints himself well with the slightly different surroundings and digs into a program comprised of both standards and three pieces derived from Terry’s pen. The tongue-in-cheek piece titled “Buddy’s Tate-A-Tate” wastes no time in giving the saxophonist the chance to test his technique on brisker fare. Terry keeps pace alongside Tate and blows some velvety lines across Taylor’s rollicking drum breaks. On the slower tempo “Groun’ Hog” Terry turns to flugelhorn and the round sound of his larger brass works as an ideal foil for Flanagan’s polished ivories. A lengthy opening bass vamp by Gales sets the mood on “#20 Ladbroke Square” and deposits the players in another easy groove which they explore with the same enthusiastic verve as on the earlier numbers. A faithful run-down of Strayhorn’s “Take the ‘A’ Train” acts as an epilogue for a session imbued with no shortage of swinging grace. Tate and Hopkins are jazz originals and disc’s such as this work as windows into a time when they and their peers were at the top of their art, if not the charts. ~ Derek Taylor https://www.allaboutjazz.com/buddy-and-claude-buddy-tate-prestige-records-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Personnel: Buddy Tate- tenor saxophone; Claude Hopkins- piano; Emmett Barry-trumpet; Wendell Marshall- bass; Osie Johnson- drums. Clark Terry- trumpet, flugelhorn; Tommy Flanagan- piano; Larry Gales- bass; Art Taylor- drums.

Buddy & Claude

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Doris Day - The Love Album

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:25
Size: 101,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:35)  1. For All We Know
(3:26)  2. Snuggled On Your Shoulder
(2:05)  3. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
(2:39)  4. Street Of Dreams
(2:57)  5. Oh, How I Miss You Tonight
(2:56)  6. Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries
(2:57)  7. All Alone
(3:42)  8. A Faded Simmer Love
(3:33)  9. Sleepy Lagoon
(3:24) 10. Wonderful One
(4:00) 11. If I Had My Life to Live Over / Let Me Call You Sweetheart
(3:00) 12. Both Sides Now
(2:35) 13. It's Magic
(2:31) 14. Sentimental Journey

In 1967, Grammy Hall of Fame singer-actress DORIS DAY selected her favorite romantic standards and enlisted renowned arranger Sid Feller (Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Peggy Lee, Mel Tormé, Nancy Wilson) to create THE LOVE ALBUM, representing the most sensual, intimate vocals of Day's legendary career. This special reissue features new artwork and 3 bonus tracks. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Love-Album-Doris-Day/dp/B01C8QCYUC

The Love Album

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Cecil Payne - Zodiac

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:51
Size: 96,1 MB
Art: Front

( 7:00)  1. Martin Luther King, Jr. / I Know Lowe
(10:53)  2. Girl, You Got a Home
( 4:25)  3. Slide Hampton
( 7:07)  4. Follow Me
(12:23)  5. Flying Fish

It’s impossible to talk about this album without acknowledging the spectre of death that hangs over it not only is it the third entry in Strata-East Records’ Dolphy Series, a collection of archival recordings from some of the label’s close associates honoring the recently deceased multi-instrumentalist, but it is actually dedicated to two members of the band, Wynton Kelly and Kenny Dorham, who died in between the recording sessions and its release. The point is driven home even further by the fact that the album begins with a tribute from Payne to the fallen Martin Luther King, Jr., a piece that acts as a de facto solo for Dorham his playing all rosy elegance and regal warmth before shifting into the lighter (though equally coolly-paced) “I Know Love,” a showcase for Payne’s sax. While not the most somber jazz track ever recorded, this opening suite is a low-key and mournful way to open the affair, but thankfully the album really picks off and shows these musicians more in their element the rest of the way. “Girl, You Got a Home” is a funky piece, beginning very soulfully with some tight interplay among the rhythm section of Kelly, bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Albert Heath. 

Ware is in especially fine form on this track, tying together the disparate passages of the piece by grounding the more ponderous moments in a deep funk, while Kelly’s playing is especially ear catching in the way he stabs at his piano like it’s an organ. After the first two tracks take up nearly twenty minutes, the four-minute “Slide Hampton” feels almost impossibly brief, a feeling that’s enhanced by its quick, jittery, and infectious rhythm, driven by some really dexterous work from Kelly. The final track, “Flying Fish,” may be the album’s highlight, a Caribbean-inspired composition that casts the rhythm section as flighty ground for both Payne and Dorham to vamp on. The track is oddly danceable for something released on Strata-East, maybe the most fun moment ever for the label, and relentlessly uptempo. Though this release may be in part defined by the deaths that preceded it, it’s clear that the recording process was actually a lot of fun for everybody, as their enthusiasm and energy jumps right out of the speakers. This is one of the first Strata East records I really got into and is still one of my favorites, a must-hear for any fans of the flightier moments of Dorham or Kelly’s career, and a fitting tribute for both master musicians. https://lightintheattic.net/releases/3745-zodiac

Personnel:  Cecil Payne, baritone, alto saxophone; Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Wynton Kelly, piano, organ; Wilbur Ware, bass; Albert Heath, drums.

Zodiac

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Arthur Blythe - In the Tradition

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:38
Size: 75,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Jitterbug Waltz
(7:51)  2. In a Sentimental Mood
(3:07)  3. Break Tune
(5:30)  4. Caravan
(4:39)  5. Hip Dripper
(6:47)  6. Naima

Sometimes the easiest way to get "in" to someone's music is to see how they handle standards. Altoist Arthur Blythe, who although he has been associated somewhat with the avant-garde does not fit easily into any category, is heard on this 1978 studio session exploring four veteran songs plus two of his originals. 

The instrumentation of his quartet is conventional but the musicianship is exceptionally high (pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Fred Hopkins, and drummer Steve McCall), and it is quite interesting to hear how they stretch such songs as "In a Sentimental Mood," "Jitterbug Waltz," and "Caravan," making them sound fresh and original. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-the-tradition-mw0000891072

Personnel: Alto Saxophone – Arthur Blythe; Bass – Fred Hopkins;  Drums – Steve McCall; Piano – Stanley Cowell

In the Tradition

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John Abercrombie - Timeless

Styles: Guitar Jazz 
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:39
Size: 100,8 MB
Art: Front

(12:11)  1. Lungs
( 4:36)  2. Love Song
( 4:56)  3. Ralph's Piano Waltz
( 5:24)  4. Red And Orange
( 4:33)  5. Remembering
(11:58)  6. Timeless

Guitarist John Abercrombie's first in a long line of recordings for ECM was also his debut as a leader. Teamed up with Jan Hammer (who here plays organ, synthesizer, and piano) and drummer Jack DeJohnette, Abercrombie plays four of his originals, plus two by Hammer. These performances differ from many of the guitarist's later ECM dates in that Hammer injects a strong dose of fusion into the music, and there is plenty of spirited interplay between those two with fine support by DeJohnette. Thought-provoking and occasionally exciting music that generally defies categorization. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/timeless-mw0000187635

Personnel:  John Abercrombie – guitar; Jan Hammer – organ, piano, synthesizer; Jack DeJohnette – drums

Timeless

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