Mike Lipskin - Spreading Rhythm Around

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:20
Size: 112,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:48)  1. Blues For Dan Quayle
(4:48)  2. Rockin Chair
(3:45)  3. Jeepers Creepers
(4:18)  4. Some Of These Days
(2:47)  5. I Wish I Were Twins
(4:22)  6. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(3:29)  7. African Ripples
(2:57)  8. Sing It Way Down Low
(3:27)  9. Deed I Do
(4:40) 10. How Long Has This Been Going On
(1:42) 11. Goin About
(3:29) 12. Numb Fumblin
(4:44) 13. Spreading Rhythm Around

For more than two decades local jazz fans and those from remote parts of the United States and Europe have come to San Francisco's night spots and concert venues to hear jazz pianist Mike Lipskin perform sparkling musical gems in the Harlem Stride jazz piano style. Only a handful of contemporary jazz pianists can play Harlem Stride, the sound of Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, Duke Ellington, and Art Tatum. Mike has devoted his life to stride, is one of these exceedingly rare pianists and has even created his own stride sound. He also writes new pieces in this vibrant full jazz piano sound some of which can be heard on his recordings for Buskirk Productions and Downtown Records. He’s played Carnegie Hall, Davies Symphony Hall, 92nd Street "Y" and Newport Jazz Festival, and appears in the jazz documentary film, "A Great Day In Harlem," nominated for an academy award. He supplied rare photos for a book on the same subject, edited it and Fats Waller’s biography, written by Waller’s son. Lipskin helped produce and appears in an American Public TV documentary on the legendary stride pianist, Willie The Lion Smith. He was music director for and performed in five "Stride Summit" concerts at San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall, and Masonic Auditorium, the last one occurred November 7, 2004. He performed with Woody Allen and Dick Hyman in New York City and had a 23 concert European tour in conjunction with his first release on the Swiss label, Downtown Records. Lipskin has five recordings to his credit and working on his next project for Buskirk Records.  In the words of the Los Angeles Times jazz critic, Leonard Feather, "Lipskin displays the virtues of technique, soul, freshness, and the spirit of youth in his flawless interpretations of Stride pieces." The late, great Eubie Blake also confirmed that "Mike Lipskin plays Stride bass with perfect accuracy." The legendary record producer, Jerry Wexler, adds: "He's fantastic 'cause first of all, he's got chops, he doesn't fumble, he's got that stride thing." Fats Waller's guitarist, Al Casey, when hearing Lipskin's latest CD exclaimed, "I think I'm with Fats right now."

Born in New York, Mike first fell in love with Waller records from his father's collection when he was 4 years old and was hooked on the style from then on. By the time he was in high school he was traveling to Harlem, learning from the remaining stride masters such as Willie The Lion Smith, Luckey Roberts, Cliff Jackson, and the amazing Donald Lambert. Mike was an artist and repertoire producer at RCA Records, New York. During his 13 years there he produced historical reissues for the Vintage Series including sevaeral Waller sets, developed engineering skills and improved a widely acclaimed analogue technical process for rehabilitation of ancient recordings. He also produced new albums by artists such as Lighthouse, Gil Evans, Blue Mitchell, Cedar Walton, Lonnie Liston Smith, Roger Troy and Ryo Kawasaki edited, mixed, and mastering product by Chet Atkins, Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, Jefferson Airplane, Brian Auger, Duke Ellington, Erroll Garner, Dizzy Gillespie, among others. He practices entertainment and real estate law in San Francisco. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/lipskin

Spreading Rhythm Around

---

Harry James & His Orchestra - The Golden Trumpet of Harry James

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:55
Size: 82,5 MB
Art: Front

(0:37)  1. Ciribiribin
(1:52)  2. You Made Me Love You
(4:05)  3. Two O'Clock Jump
(1:58)  4. I'Ve Heard That Song Before
(4:21)  5. Ultra
(2:53)  6. By the Sleepy Lagoon
(3:09)  7. All or Nothing at All
(1:40)  8. Cherry
(4:42)  9. Take the "A" Train
(1:58) 10. I Heard You Cried Last Night
(2:52) 11. The Mole
(4:05) 12. Satin Doll
(0:35) 13. Ciribiribin

Harry James captured in glittering "Phase 4 Stereo" with a band that he regarded as his best ever, recutting standards of his own such as "You Made Me Love You," "I've Heard That Song Before," "All or Nothing at All," and "Two O'Clock Jump," plus his versions of "Satin Doll" and "Take the 'A' Train," spiced with a James composition, "The Mole." "Ultra," written by James, features some extraordinarily dexterous playing by the man in several places, while Eric Coates' "By the Sleepy Lagoon" provides James with a perfect spot for some gentle lyricism. The sound throughout is extremely bright and crisp, in keeping with the recording's audiophile origins. The overwritten notes by John Tracy have one major flaw, however it would have been nice to have a list of the personnel with James on these recording dates, since they play so well. ~ Bruce Eder  https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-golden-trumpet-of-harry-james-mw0000188226

Personnel:  Trumpet, Leader [Uncredited] – Harry James ; Alto Saxophone [Uncredited], Clarinet [Uncredited] – Everett Levey, Joe Riggs; Baritone Saxophone [Uncredited] – Jack O'Keefe; Bass [Uncredited] – Don Baldwin; Bass Trombone [Uncredited] – Graham Ellis; Drums [Uncredited] – Sonny Payne; Orchestra – Harry James And His Orchestra; Piano [Uncredited] – Jack Perciful; Tenor Saxophone [Uncredited] – Corky Corcoran; Tenor Saxophone [Uncredited], Flute [Uncredited] – Rod Adam; Trombone [Uncredited] – Jimmy Huntzinger, Ray Sims; Trumpet [Uncredited] – Al Yeager, Bill King, Bob Carter, Harry James, Tony Scodwell

The Golden Trumpet of Harry James

---

Zoe Schwarz - Slow Burn

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:49
Size: 145,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:16)  1. The Meaning of the Blues
(4:03)  2. The Blues Are a Brewin'
(4:55)  3. Was It Something You Siad
(2:28)  4. Baby I Don't Cry over You
(5:02)  5. Angel Eyes
(2:57)  6. Bye Bye Baby See You When I Get Home
(5:43)  7. I Cover the Water Front
(4:32)  8. I Can Dream
(4:27)  9. We're Going Wrong
(5:30) 10. Detour Ahead
(3:29) 11. Blues for Mama
(4:32) 12. Stay Away Baby
(5:45) 13. Willow Weep for Me
(4:04) 14. Sinner's Prayer

British singer Zoe Schwarz is a blues singer in the same way that the late Gene Harris was a blues pianist. Harris often referred to himself as a "blues player with jazz chops." Even his jazziest performances are steeped in the vernacular. For an example, see his famous performance from Ray Brown's Bam Bam Bam (Concord, 1988). Schwarz can belt the blues out with the best of them, but she is also a more than competent jazz singer, one who has used the blues to inform her performance and infuse her delivery in the very same way Harris did with his jazz recitals. A considerable amount of Schwarz's oeuvre is down-and-dirty blues. She did release a fine standards recording with guitarist/husband Bob Koral entitled Celebration (33 Records, 2009) that was quite fetching, and to which the present Slow Burn is a logical followup. Schwarz returns to this recital in the close space of a trio, again in the company of Koral and with the addition of tenor saxophonist Ian Ellis Schwarz provides a more homogenous mix of blues and standards (with some originals thrown in) on Slow Burn, mixing things up nicely. 

The addition of Ellis is inspired, his tenor raspy when necessary and sweet-tone when demanded, particularly on the ballads. The spirit of Billie Holiday is in ample evidence, with "The Meaning of the Blues," "I Cover The Water Front" and "Willow Weep for Me" serving as homage to the singer. Schwarz honors Holiday not with a mere imitation, but an honest acknowledgement of Holiday's uniquely odd phrasing and approach around the beat. Also present is Nina Simone, in whose material Schwarz excels with her own approach. "The Blues are A-brewin,'" "Blues for Mama" and "Sinner's Prayer" all seethe with Simone's own slow burn with Schwarz's own fine port tone added. Koral's expert, more-is-less approach carefully paces the pieces, be they the lowdown blues of Jack Bruce's "We're Going Wrong" or the bouncy novelty of the guitarist's original, "Bye Bye Baby See You When I Get Home." Musical Nirvana is reached on "Angel Eyes" and "Detour Ahead." On the former, Koral sets up an uncharacteristic rhythm, establishing a nervous undertow to this classic and dark ballad, allowing Schwarz free rein in singing. On the latter, the trio's efforts are fully realized, with Koral's fractured chords, Ellis' tentative yet confident obbligato and, finally Schwarz, channeling both Holiday and even pianist Bill Evans on an impressionistic performance of this strangely durable and compelling standard. It is in this performance that the trio's efforts and our expectations are fully rewarded. ~ C. Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/slow-burn-zoe-schwarz-33-jazz-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Zoe Schwarz: vocals; Rob Koral: guitar; Ian Ellis: saxophone.

Slow Burn

---

Hank Jones - One More - The Music of Thad Jones

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:22
Size: 159,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:37)  1. Subtle Rebuttal
(4:54)  2. Thad's Pad
(6:40)  3. Kids Are Pretty People
(5:49)  4. One More
(7:05)  5. Mean What You Say
(8:02)  6. A Child Is Born
(5:12)  7. Bossa Nova Ova
(7:02)  8. The Waltz You Swang for Me
(5:37)  9. H & T Blues
(5:23) 10. Consummation
(5:27) 11. The Farewell
(2:31) 12. Monk's Mood

Great jazz things have been happening at IPO Recordings, and they have been for a while. One More: Music of Thad Jones is the sixth CD from Executive Producer Bill Sorin, and it continues the generous spirit of tribute that has informed each of its predecessors. Three of the six recordings so far have been among the final recordings of the late piano maestro, Sir Roland Hanna, with another Hanna album on the way later this year. Listeners familiar with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Band should know that Hanna held the piano chair in the band from its beginning in '66 through '74, and that he often performed Thad's compositions on his own recordings. Hanna is present posthumously on One More, in a recreation of one his classic unaccompanied introductions to "A Child Is Born, arguably Jones' most famous composition. One More indeed pays homage to Jones the composer with stellar performances of 11 of his tunes. The aggregation that performs Michael Patterson's distinctive arrangements is an octet made up of a Who's Who of straight-ahead blowing jazz. James Moody, Benny Golson and Frank Wess appear on tenor and other saxophones, with Wess tripling on flute; Bob Brookmeyer on trombone and Jimmy Owens on trumpet and fluegelhorn comprise the brass section. The superb rhythm section is anchored by Richard Davis on bass and Mickey Roker on drums. One might wonder if Hanna were still alive, he would be on piano. But here we have the redoubtable Hank Jones, Thad's brother, on piano. It is hard to ask for more. Ira Gitler points out in his liner notes, "What Patterson has done is write for this ensemble (and what an ensemble) without losing the spirit of the big band. That's the way Thad wrote, very translatable. With musicians who have no doubt known one another and played together often over many years, there is the feeling here of a reunion, a celebration not only of Thad Jones' talents as a composer but perhaps of the rare chance to play together again. 

For a one-time project, the group is surprisingly tight and polished; everyone really seems to have come to play his best, together. Without slighting any of the other masters, one can't miss the contributions of Hank Jones on piano and Jimmy Owens on trumpet, which are consistently brilliant on this album, on virtually every cut. What an honor for jazz lovers to still have Hank in our midst; here and on his new Great Jazz Trio recordings of late he sounds better than ever. Perhaps Owens' highlight is his solo on "Consummation. Poetic justice: Thad Jones wrote the song for a concert performance by Owens in '69. One More concludes on a rather special note. The final track is an unaccompanied solo performance by Hank Jones of "Monk's Mood, the only tune on the album not by Thad. He is playing an arrangement that he learned, note-for-note, directly from the composer himself, Thelonious Monk, in the mid-'40s, which was a favorite of Thad's. IPO seems headed in a good direction. One More: Music of Thad Jones follows With Malice Toward None: The Music of Tom McIntosh, another great composer, which features some of the same musicians. Who knows? Maybe someday we will see a tribute to the compositional talents of Sir Roland Hanna, another match surely to be made in heaven. ~ Wayne Zade https://www.allaboutjazz.com/one-more-music-of-thad-jones-by-wayne-zade.php

Personnel: Benny Golson (tenor saxophone); James Moody (tenor and soprano saxophone); Frank Wess (tenor and alto saxophone, flute); Jimmy Owens (trumpet and fluegelhorn); Bob Brookmeyer (trombone); Hank Jones (piano); Richard Davis (bass); Mickey Roker (drums) 

One More - The Music of Thad Jones

---

Pete Jolly - Too Much, Baby!

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:42
Size: 71,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:48)  1. I'm All Smiles
(3:20)  2. One Morning In May
(3:03)  3. If I Ruled the World
(2:10)  4. Telephone Song
(3:53)  5. Some Time Ago
(2:23)  6. Same Ol' Huckleberry Finn
(2:24)  7. Do I Hear a Waltz?
(3:55)  8. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(3:07)  9. Favela
(3:34) 10. On a Wonderful Day Like Today

The heyday of pianist Pete Jolly's jazz career was during the 1950s and early 1960s, when he made the bulk of his recordings as a leader. He had previously focused mainly on studio work in Hollywood for television and films, although he performed regularly in a jazz setting up until his death in 2004. This circa-1965 studio date, Too Much, Baby, is a trio session with bassist Chuck Berghofer and drummer Nick Martinis, concentrating on then-current pop songs and Broadway fare. Unfortunately, there is little room for the group to stretch out, as the songs all run under four minutes and are, for the most part, promptly faded out not long after Jolly completes his solos. His lively interpretation of "Sometime Ago," which includes a solo feature for Berghofer, is easily the album's highlight, though standards such as "One Morning in May" and his take of "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" are also enjoyable. But even long-since forgotten material like "Same Ol' Huckleberry Finn (Up Cherry Street)," made popular by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (with whom Jolly worked briefly as a sideman) and written by Julius Wechter of the Baja Marimba Band, becomes an unlikely jazz vehicle in Jolly's hands, adding some humorous ragtime into the mix. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/too-much-baby-mw0000904836

Personnel:  Piano – Pete Jolly; Bass – Chuck Berghoffer; Drums – Nicholas Martinis

Too Much, Baby!

---

Victor Gould - Clockwork

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:44
Size: 149,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:37)  1. Clockwork
(7:07)  2. Room
(5:20)  3. Chaancé
(5:18)  4. Blue Dales
(7:53)  5. The Return
(3:09)  6. Apostle John  (Prelude)
(8:58)  7. Apostle John
(0:44)  8. Sir Carter  (Intro)
(4:50)  9. Sir Carter
(5:36) 10. Nefertiti
(8:06) 11. Three Souls

There are lots of moving parts that make clocks tick. Each has its own function, harmoniously aligned with the others, and every single one helps to sustain the very concepts of time and flow. The analogy can clearly be drawn from these mechanisms behind timepieces to jazz in general, but it's rarely as obvious to the ears as it is on this album in particular. Pianist Victor Gould's debut utilizes a variety of large gears, pinions, and regulators to help fashion his own ideas. You just never know who'll be standing in for which of those parts. The high-octane combination of Gould, bassist Ben Williams, and drummer E.J. Strickland is at the center of each scene, but they're joined, at different times, by a variety of other musicians and instruments saxophones, trumpet, flute, strings, and percussion which help to create an intricate sonic mesh and add a variety of tonal colors to the mix. It's heady modernistic jazz language and high art rolled into one. The album opens on the title track, a bubbly Latin cauldron fired and forwarded by the aforementioned trio in cahoots with percussionist Pedrito Martinez. The pieces that follow "Room," a sunny yet contemplative work in three, and "Chaance," a mellow, strings-enhanced feature that puts the spotlight on Jeremy Pelt's flugelhorn and the composer's piano stand apart in mood and musical complexion, marking Gould as a composer of great ambition and skill. 

While shifting focal points, different emotional tides, and the track-to-track addition and subtraction of musicians all allow the listener to indulge in a variety of musical worlds and fantasies, Gould's voice rings true in each and every one . He excels at every turn, regardless of where those turns may lead. He brilliantly works the beautiful-to-brooding range on the prelude to "Apostle John"; he shows patience and restraint over a throbbing base/bass on that tune proper, standing in stark contrast to the raw intensity that comes from his colleagues; and he delivers a scene-stealer statement full of daring and darting maneuvers on "Blue Dales." It's easy to see what his A-list employers trumpeter Wallace Roney, drummer Ralph Peterson, and saxophonist Donald Harrison, among others see in Gould. He's got the musical world on a string, in his mind, and at his fingertips. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/clockwork-victor-gould-fresh-sound-new-talent-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Victor Gould: piano; Jeremy Pelt: trumpet (1-3, 6-8, 11); Godwin Louis: alto saxophone (1-3, 5-8, 11); Myron Walden: tenor saxophone (1-3, 6-8, 11); Anne Drummond: flute (3, 7); Ben Williams: bass (1-5, 7, 9-11); E.J. Strickland: drums (1-5, 7-11); Pedrito Martinez: percussion (1, 4, 7); Yoojin Park: violin (3, 6, 7); Heejin Chang: viola (3, 6, 7); Veronica Parrales: cello (3, 6, 7).

Clockwork

---

Walter Wanderley - Batucada

Styles: Latin Jazz
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:28
Size: 85,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:39)  1. On The South Side Of Chicago
(3:01)  2. O Barquinho
(2:09)  3. Batucada
(2:09)  4. It Hurts To Say Goodbye
(4:24)  5. Os Grilos
(2:44)  6. Minha Saudade
(3:31)  7. E Preciso Cantar
(3:08)  8. So What's New
(3:14)  9. Wave
(3:17) 10. Ainda Mais Lindo
(3:27) 11. Ela é Carioca
(2:40) 12. Jequibau

Fortunately, Walter Wanderley sticks mostly to Brazilian standards on Batucada, and though his lounge-organ sound occasionally veers close to the edge where cool jazz becomes easy listening, the album is well-recorded. His organ is occasionally more reminiscent of a hockey rink accompanist than a jazz improviser, but he slips and slides around on the keys and employs an endearing and quintessentially Brazilian less-is-more approach. 

Brazilian mastermind Marcos Valle guests on guitar, and percussion is well-handled by Paulinho, Dom Um Romao, and Lu Lu Ferreira. Talya Ferro's vocals on "Wave" are solidly in a jazz vein, though rather transparently postured to captivate an American crossover audience. Obviously, an album like Batucada isn't a prime example of Brazilian pop, but fans of Wanderley's work on Astrud Gilberto's A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness will enjoy this as background music. ~ John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/album/batucada-mw0000360989

Personnel: Organ [Electric], Piano – Walter Wanderley; Bass – Jose Marina, Sebastian Netto; Drums – Dom Um Romao, Paulinho; Guitar – Marcos Valle; Mixed By, Arranged By – Marcos Valle, Walter Wanderley; Vocals – Claudio Miranda, Talya Ferro 

Batucada

---

Venissa Santi - Bienvenida

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:34
Size: 122,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:55)  1. Tender Shepard & Little Girl Blue
(5:07)  2. Convergencia
(3:56)  3. Lucerito de mi Amor
(5:50)  4. Talkin' To You
(5:50)  5. Embraceable You
(9:39)  6. Columbia pa' Miguel Angel
(4:51)  7. Como Fue
(5:26)  8. Tu Mi Delirio
(4:04)  9. Wish You Well
(4:53) 10. Cumpling Cumpling

The high art of Bienvenida is no accident. This is because its principal performer is the miracle behind it all. Venissa Santi is one of those supremely talented new vocalists who blazes comet-like, across the musical horizon but once in a lifetime. She joins the likes of Billie Holiday, Abbey Lincoln, Sheila Jordan, Elis, Rosa, Celia and Flora Purim as the highest practitioners of the art of vocal music.  Santi is a sublime artist whose voice floats on the lyrical music that it inhabits. She can flutter like a bird, often appearing to glide on the song like as if she were on the wings of the songs thermal it's burning, beating heart. She often performs unbelievable vocal gymnastics shooting, in a rush of apparently hot breath, ever so high, soaring momentarily before diving on the slide of a sudden glissando to hover and ululate in a throaty gush of scatted babble. But all this is performed with so much apparent mathematical precision so as to appear to conjure the ancient wellspring of pitch and tonal color. And speaking of pitch, Santi appears to pay little heed to convention. She does not need to; she can break fresh ground in chromatic harmony, as she is capable of singing myriad quarter notes, diving into the very heart of each note's tone, hitting them with the precision of a sorceress. On the face of it Santi is a Latin artist who reaches across diverse universes to pluck idioms from Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean music, swishing them across and melding them with blues and jazz. 

She is playful with classical musical forms just as likely to slide through a bolero on "Convergencias," as she is to deconstruct it on "Como Fue," which she turns into a devastatingly beautiful blues (incidentally with breathtaking, gurgling guitar work from Jef Lee Johnson). Then she turns to son, breaking down into danzon in a gorgeous rendition of "Lucerito Di Mi Amor," (a "Love Star,") written by her grandfather, celebrated Cuban musician, Jacobo Ros Capablanca. And then, on "Cumpling Cumpling," a rumba that brings a rush of blood to the head as she imitates the sound of a bell pealing "pling...plang, cling," clanging her way wordlessly surely to the unbridled delight of church steeples somewhere. 

Her mastery of vocalese is quite unmatched. She might even take on the great Jon Hendricks. "Embraceable You" is a quite memorable example where Santi double-times the music in the second chorus, bending and twisting notes like a vocal alchemist. And then there is the standout track of the record, "Columbia pa Miguel Angel," sung in 6/8 time. It's a tribute to the music of the Matanzas and is a rumba and Afro-Caribbean Columbia of breathtaking beauty. This beguiling track celebrates the griot tradition, delves into the spiritual realm of Ogun and flirts also with a kind of Afro-blues. The musicians rise above themselves for this session. A debut record? How about a musical miracle? ~ Raul D' Gama Rose https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bienvenida-venissa-santi-sunnyside-records-review-by-raul-dgama-rose.php

Personnel: Venissa Santi: vocals; Michael Rodriguez: trumpet; Robert Rodriguez: piano; Yunior Terry: bass; Francois Zayas: drums and percussion; Cuco Castellanos: congas; Jef Lee Johnson: guitar and bass; Barry Sames: Hammond Organ; Daoud Shaw: drums; Chris Dockins: background vocals.

Bienvenida

---

Jackie Cain & Roy Kral - Lovesick

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz 
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:05
Size: 94,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:24)  1. Lovesick
(2:22)  2. Samba Triste
(3:22)  3. Mimosa and Me
(3:44)  4. Quiet Nights (Corcovado)
(3:42)  5. Such a Lonely Girl Am I
(2:12)  6. A Big Beautiful Ball
(3:13)  7. Let's Begin
(2:16)  8. I Wonder What's the Matter with Me
(3:11)  9. If You Could See Me Now
(2:22) 10. Mountain Greenery
(3:34) 11. You Really Started Something
(2:36) 12. The World Is Your Balloon

Jackie and Roy was an American jazz vocal team consisting of husband and wife singer Jackie Cain and singer / pianist Roy Kral. They sang together for 56 years and made almost 40 albums. Kral's obituary in The New York Times said: "Their voices had similar ranges but were an octave apart, creating unusual harmonies." They first joined forces in 1946, and in 1996 they celebrated their 50th anniversary as a vocal duo. Jackie and Roy's stint with Charlie Ventura's band in 1948 and 1949 brought them recognition; Lou Stein's "East of Suez" was an unusual feature for their voices. Shortly after leaving Ventura in June 1949, they were married and worked together on a regular basis thereafter. Jackie and Roy had their own television show in Chicago in the early 1950s, worked in Las Vegas from 1957 to 1960, settled in New York in 1963, and appeared on some television commercials. They recorded many performances for a variety of record labels through the decades, and performed until Roy Kral died in August 2002. Fairly early in their career, Jackie and Roy were befriended by composer Alec Wilder, who wrote the liner notes for one of their earliest albums, Jackie Cain and Roy Kral (1955). They had always favored Wilder's songs and, ten years after his death, paid tribute by recording an entire album of them, An Alec Wilder Collection. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_and_Roy

Personnel: Vocals – Jackie Cain; Piano, Vocals – Roy Kral; Bass – Don Payne; Drums – Don McDonald

Lovesick

---

Hampton Hawes - I'm All Smiles

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:01
Size: 89,4 MB
Art: Front

( 7:38)  1. I'm All Smiles
( 5:35)  2. Manhã de Carnaval
( 5:11)  3. Spring Is Here
(10:04)  4. The Shadow of Your Smile
(10:31)  5. Searchin'

Pianist Hampton Hawes led a trio during the 1960s and '70s that remained popular without compromising its sound or musical integrity. His phrasing and voicings could entice or amaze, and he displays great range, rhythmic vitality, and harmonic excellence during the five selections featured on this 1966 live date now reissued on CD. Hawes moves from the Afro-Latin feel of "Manha de Carnaval" to the brilliant chordal exposition on "Spring Is Here" and "The Shadow of Your Smile," before concluding with a flourish on "Searchin." Hawes is backed by wonderful bassist Red Mitchell and steady drummer Donald Bailey, who had both been with him for over a decade. They are not just a cohesive unit, but an intuitive team, maintaining a communication with him that is amazing even within a genre that demands it. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/im-all-smiles-mw0000623559

Personnel: Hampton Hawes - piano; Red Mitchell - bass; Donald Bailey - drums

I'm All Smiles

---

Passport - Iguaçu

Styles: Jazz Funk, Fusion
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:08
Size: 95,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:50)  1. Bahia do sol
(4:09)  2. Aguamarinha
(5:38)  3. Bird of Paradise
(4:32)  4. Sambukada
(8:48)  5. Iguaçu
(3:01)  6. Praia leme
(4:33)  7. Heavy Weight
(4:34)  8. Guna Guna

Something strange happened when Passport went to Rio de Janeiro to cut the Iguacu album they seemed to forget the entire basis for their previous success. The trademark Klaus Doldinger sax sound is muted and diluted by the attempt to fit the band into a Brazilian jazz mold, and the result sounds eerily like a pretty good lounge jazz band trying to sound like Passport. The long, liquid melody lines are gone, replaced by up-tempo but unmemorable frameworks for full-band jams. Guitarist Roy Louis plays an unusually large part, Doldinger an unusually small one, and the tracks with the local Brazilian musicians are energetic but unfocused. This is one of the least compelling Passport albums, one without a single tune that stays in your head long after you hear it. ~ Richard Foss https://www.allmusic.com/album/iguacu-mw0000116765

Oersonnel: Klaus Doldinger - soprano & tenor saxes, RMI organ, Moog synthesizer (07), flute (04), producer; Curt Cress - drums, berimbau; Elmer Louis - percussion; Roy Louis - guitar; Kristian Schultze - Fender piano, acoustic piano, Yamaha organ; Wolfgang Schmid - bass; Mats Björklund - guitar (08); Wilson Das Neves - atapaques (congas), pandeiro (04); Roberto Bastos Pinheiro - surdo (04); Noel Manuel Pinto - cuica (08); Clélio Ribeiro - berimbau (04); Marcello Salazar - percussion (04); Pedro "Sorongo" Santos - percussion, whistles (08)

Iguaçu

---

Louis Hayes - Light and Lively

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:49
Size: 151,3 MB
Art: Front

(12:29)  1. Light and Lively
( 8:26)  2. If You Could See Me Now
( 6:15)  3. Enchantment
(11:59)  4. The 10th Dimention
( 6:23)  5. For the Love of What
( 9:50)  6. Darian
(10:25)  7. Blues for Macao

Not too light but plenty lively as Louis Hayes cooks things up with a great group that includes Bobby Watson on alto, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Kenny Barron on piano, and Clint Houston on bass! The core trio of Hayes, Barron, and Houston is a great one skipping along with a fluid ease, and always hitting the in-the-pocket sort of rhythms that would be needed to make a session like this come off right and the horns of Watson and Tolliver in the frontline merge and separate with a lyrical soulfulness that takes us back to the best years of the Horace Silver group, especially when Hayes was a part of that ensemble. 

Titles include "For The Love Of What", "Darian", "Enchantment", "Blues For Macao", and "Light & Lively".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/806505

Personnel:  Drums – Louis Hayes;  Alto Saxophone – Bobby Watson;   Bass – Clint Houston;  Piano – Kenny Barron;  Trumpet – Charles Tolliver

Light and Lively

---

JaLaLa - That Old Mercer Magic!

Styles: Vocal Jazz 
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:16
Size: 120,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:00)  1. Spring, Spring, Spring
(5:30)  2. You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby
(3:35)  3. Jeepers Creepers
(4:22)  4. My Shining Hour
(4:24)  5. Accentuate The Positive
(3:34)  6. Dream
(3:29)  7. I'm Old Fashioned
(3:56)  8. Riding On The Moon
(7:29)  9. Moon River / Moon Country
(4:34) 10. Have You Got Any Castles Baby?
(2:18) 11. Too Marvelous For Words
(5:58) 12. The Dance Of Life

Janis Siegel has done a fair amount of recording away from the Manhattan Transfer during her decades-long tenure with the vocal group, but this a rare opportunity to hear her with other vocalists outside of it. JaLaLa, featured on four selections, includes Laurel Massé and Lauren Kinhan on vocals, with each singer leading individual selections.; the core group of musicians includes pianist Yaron Gershovsky, bassist David Finck, guitarist Frank Vignola, and drummer Matt Wilson, with guests added or substituted on some pieces. The songs selected from Johnny Mercer's vast output include both still-popular standards and obscurities, with the supporting cast varying from one track to the next. All three vocalists join forces for a fun-filled romp through "Ac-Cent-U-Ate the Positive" and the neglected "Spring Spring Spring," both of which add pedal steel guitarist Cindy Cashdollar. Siegel handles both "Jeepers Creepers" and "Too Marvelous for Words" effortlessly. Kinhan shines in the breezy bossa nova setting of "My Shining Hour," while Massé delivers a warm "Moon River" which is joined in a medley with the less familiar "Moon Country," a sauntering chart that features JaLaLa. Only the lame setting of "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," saddled with the inane antics of DJ Sugarkone and a bland groove, proves disappointing. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-old-mercer-magic%21-mw0000820178

Personnel: Janis Siegel, Laurel Massé (vocals); David Finck (guitar, acoustic bass); Frank Vignola (guitar); Aaron Weinstein (mandolin, violin); Sara Caswell (violin); Margot Leverett (clarinet); Lew Soloff (trumpet); Yaron Gershovsky (piano); Matt Wilson (drums); Rich "Dusty Chopmeat" Zukor (djembe); Eric Elterman (hand claps).

That Old Mercer Magic!

---

Earl Klugh - Midnight In San Juan

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:31
Size: 95,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:52)  1. Midnight in San Juan
(4:00)  2. Every Moment with You
(6:06)  3. Kissin' on the Beach
(4:33)  4. She Never Said Why
(4:41)  5. Mobimientos Del Alma (Rhythms of the Soul)
(3:44)  6. Jamaican Winds
(5:27)  7. Theme for a Rainy Day
(7:06)  8. Take You There

The majority of Earl Klugh's albums have been throwaways not because he's choosing pop-flavored jazz and jazzy instrumental pop over straight-ahead jazz, but because of their total lack of substance and musical integrity. One of his more listenable commercial efforts, Midnight in San Juan finds the guitarist placing an unusually heavy emphasis on Latin and Caribbean elements. The CD is decent more often than not, and listeners are reminded of the fact that commercial pop-jazz can be tasteful or not so tasteful. 

Some of the more worthwhile tunes include the Brazilian-flavored "Kissin' on the Beach," and the salsa-influenced "Mobimientos del Alma," the haunting "She Never Said Why" and the Joe Sample-ish title tune. Harmonica player Toots Thielemans has a melodic cameo on the pensive "Theme for a Rainy Day," and pianist Eliane Elias is in good form on the vibrant "Take You There." Meanwhile, Klugh tosses good taste to the wind on "Every Moment with You," a glaring example of the type of insipid, toothless schlock he so often stoops to playing. This is far from an essential purchase, but overall, it was certainly superior to most of his other commercial albums. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/midnight-in-san-juan-mw0000674962

Personnel: Earl Klugh – guitar, keyboards; Toots Thielemans – harmonica; Ron Carter – bass; Chuck Loeb – guitar; Paul McGill – guitar; Jose Oribe – guitar; Oscar Hernández – bass; Lucio Hopper – bass; Abraham Laboriel, Sr. – bass; Eliane Elias – piano; Ruben Rodriquez – piano; Sammy Figueroa – percussion; Paulinho Da Costa – percussion; Ralph Irizarry – percussion; Barnaby Finch – keyboards; Ronnie Foster – keyboards; Mark Nilan – keyboards; Richard Tee – electric piano; Robby Ameen – drums; Harvey Mason Sr. – drums; Buddy Williams – drums

Midnight In San Juan

---

Pete Zimmer Quintet - Burnin' Live at the Jazz Standard

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:58
Size: 142,7 MB
Art: Front

(13:23)  1. Woodside Blues
(11:13)  2. Getting Dizzy
(10:31)  3. Doin' Somethin'
( 9:42)  4. Brush Pitch
( 7:15)  5. Waltz for Opp
( 9:52)  6. A Whole New You

The beauty of music is that when a subgenre emerges, it can evolve, even as the overall genre evolves. This is evident with hard bop and Burnin' Live. To be sure, this is hard bop. It is patently East Coast. The combo format is a trumpet/tenor quintet. The music is bebop, as passed through the prism of the funky church, with complex heads and melodies. But this is 21st Century hard bop. Drummer Pete Zimmer assembles a band of New York City regulars who play with the grace of Miles Davis' early first great quintet and the fire of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He does this with a lively collection of original music that transcends the '50s and '60s, while remaining true to the spirit of the period. The show opens with "Woodside Blues. Following a complex head, pianist Toru Dodo plays his best Maurice Ravel interpretation in an extended, impressionistic solo that sounds at once oddly out-of-place and perfectly appropriate to its environs. Joel Frahm follows with a conditioned tenor solo that is a solution of Wayne Shorter and Gene Ammons. Bassist David Wong and Drummer Zimmer provide the momentum. Zimmer's ride cymbal is a marvel as it guides the band. Trumpeter Michael Rodriguez plays with a mellow, tart and taut Lester Young-ish tone in mid-register. And so the remainder of the disc goes. There is hard bop here for all. "Getting Dizzy, a minor blues waltz, is like a collision between McCoy Tyner and Bill Evans, with the horns playing counter to one another... think Rodgers and Hammerstein meets Lee Morgan. Doin' Somthin' is like Hank Mobley in a time machine caught in a traffic jam. The staccato head provides the necessary funk to be elaborated on in the solo sections. Rodriguez heats up his horn, driving past Miles Davis into Kenny Dorham territory. Frahm opens his tenor tone wide and attacks the funk head on. Dodo again confounds with his perfectly erudite piano, which seamlessly barrels through European sensibility and rhythm and blues alike. "Waltz for Opp is the sole ballad in the set, pitting Frahm's introspective playing against Rodriguez's flugelhorn, which emits the sweetness of a near-ripe strawberry. "A Whole New You is the most beboppish of the bunch and acts as a little big band vehicle for the hottest playing on the record. When most listeners think of jazz, they typically think of hard bop. This is as fine a recording as could be hoped for, and it will be on my end-of-the-year list. ~ C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/burnin-live-at-the-jazz-standard-pete-zimmer-tippin-records-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Pete Zimmer drums; Michael Rodriguez: trumpet, flugelhorn; Joel Frahm: tenor saxophone; Toru Dodo: piano; David Wong: bass.

Burnin' Live at the Jazz Standard

---

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass - Lost Treasures

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Easy Listening 
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:10
Size: 140,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:36)  1. Up Cherry Street
(2:56)  2. Lazy Day
(2:52)  3. Wailing Of The Willow
(2:44)  4. Fire And Rain
(2:47)  5. And I Love Her
(2:38)  6. I Can't Go On Living Without You Baby
(2:22)  7. (They Long To Be) Close To You
(2:34)  8. Promises, Promises
(1:52)  9. Happy Hour
(1:33) 10. Julius And Me
(4:14) 11. I Might Frighten Her Away
(2:14) 12. Alone Again (Naturally)
(2:33) 13. Tennessee Waltz
(3:03) 14. Tradewinds
(2:02) 15. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
(2:06) 16. Flowers On The Wall
(3:45) 17. Popcorn
(2:33) 18. Chris
(3:59) 19. Killing Me Softly
(3:18) 20. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
(1:51) 21. Speakeasy
(3:26) 22. Whistlestar

Early in 2005, Shout! Factory launched an extensive reissue campaign of Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass' '60s catalog. In the first wave of reissues, Alpert's classic 1962 debut, The Lonely Bull, and his third album, 1964's South of the Border, were given upgrades and they were joined by a new compilation of rarities called Lost Treasures. Compiled in large part by Alpert himself, Lost Treasures features a generous selection of 22 tracks, recorded somewhere between 1962 and 1972. It's difficult to discern the exact dates since the otherwise excellent liner notes by Josh Kun (with an introduction by Alpert) do not mention when any of the individual songs were recorded or if they've appeared on other albums (Alpert alludes to the fact that some of the cuts here were album tracks on otherwise "unsuccessful" LPs from the early '70s), nor do they mention recording personnel. This is a bit infuriating for any fan or collector who wants to place the cuts in historical context, but as a listening experience, Lost Treasures is as pleasurable as any of the best Tijuana Brass albums. 

Part of this is that Alpert has cherry-picked the best of the leftover sessions and he admits that he did re-record some trumpet parts in order to complete the tracks, but these overdubs are not really noticeable and he's carefully selected and sequenced these tunes so they flow like a real album. But the main reason that Lost Treasures is so enjoyable is that the songs are strong and the performances are nicely laid-back and breezy. Apart from a limber, rather funky reading of James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" and a silky take on the electro-novelty "Popcorn," this is pretty much the signature Tijuana Brass sound served straight up with no frills but a lot of breezy good vibes. But this is a time when no surprises is actually a good thing, since the compilation delivers what Alpert fans want most of all more high-quality tunes from his commercial and creative peak. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/lost-treasures-mw0000140435

Lost Treasures

---

Hank Mobley Quartet - Hank Mobley Quartet

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:13
Size: 58,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Hank's Prank
(3:47)  2. My Sin
(4:31)  3. Avila And Tequila
(3:40)  4. Walkin' The Fence
(4:32)  5. Love For Sale
(4:11)  6. Just Coolin'

Hank Mobley Quartet is the debut album by jazz saxophonist Hank Mobley released on the Blue Note label in 1955 as BLP 5066, a 10" LP. It was recorded on March 27, 1955, and features Mobley, Horace Silver, Doug Watkins and Art Blakey. The album was released on CD only in Japan, as a limited edition. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Mobley_Quartet

Personnel:  Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone; Horace Silver - piano; Doug Watkins - bass; Art Blakey - drums

Hank Mobley Quartet

---

Cecil Brooks III - Double Exposure

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:48
Size: 108,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. On the Trail
(6:10)  2. Serenade in Blue
(7:34)  3. Tea for Two
(6:32)  4. Bird of Beauty
(6:35)  5. Double Exposure
(5:07)  6. I Can't Give You Anything but Love
(6:09)  7. You've Changed
(2:51)  8. Cute

The liner notes for Double Exposure recount that the disc was recorded in a few spare hours that drummer Cecil Brooks III and organist Gene Ludwig found themselves with while they were recording another album. That feeling of spontaneity and casual inspiration is very present on this rare organ and drum duo effort. Ludwig is a veteran who has been performing since the early '60s. His style is very much in the same vein as the other more well-known soul-jazz players of the era. He achieves a rich, stately and swinging feel, all at the same time. His work at the end of "Serenade in Blue reveals the majesty of Hammond B-3 in full flight with a long, sustained burst of sound. Elsewhere, on Stevie Wonder's "Black Beauty, Ludwig takes an opposite route, showing off some fast finger work. Brooks' playing throughout is steady and unobtrusive. He seems to sense that the best path to take when backing up an organ player is to keep things simple and make sure the proceedings don't get too abstract or loose. On his own composition, "Double Exposure, Brooks opens with some tensely rhythmic pounding that morphs into a slinking groove. He also gets to strut his stuff with some skittering breaks on Neal Hefti's "Cute.  Double Exposure is a fine, relaxed effort showcasing two musicians who play together with a great deal of comfort and conversational grace. The recording session was definitely a few hours of time well spent. ~ Stephen Latessa https://www.allaboutjazz.com/double-exposure-cecil-brooks-iii-savant-records-review-by-stephen-latessa.php

Personnel: Cecil Brooks III: drums; Gene Ludwig: organ.

Double Exposure

---

Pete Zimmer - Chillin' Live @ Jazz Factory

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:45
Size: 142,0 MB
Art: Front

( 8:10)  1. Search
( 9:21)  2. Summer Somber
(13:06)  3. Doxy
( 7:16)  4. Una Mas
(12:05)  5. Common Man
(11:46)  6. From This Moment On

In an era when serving a lengthy apprenticeship in a working band is no longer an option, young players who shun fashionable pop-influenced sounds in favor of traditional jazz styles must be very resourceful. Thirty-year-old drummer/composer/bandleader Pete Zimmer balances a desire to extend the modern straight-ahead mainstream into the twenty-first century and the ability to support his ambitions by taking care of the business that surrounds the music. Shortly after arriving in New York City in 2001, Zimmer put together a band of like-minded peers, found a substantial amount of work, and began releasing records on his Tippin' Records imprint. There's no shortage of people carrying the torch for the range of hard bop styles that originated in the 50s and 60s; Zimmer and company are better at it than most. A stable core of personnel includes significant young voices such as trumpeter Michael Rodriguez, pianist Toro Dodo, and bassist David Wong, as well as veteran tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm. Zimmer's first three releases, Common Man, Burnin' Live at the Jazz Standard, and Judgment are largely comprised of original compositions by the leader and his sidemen. 

"Getting Dizzy," "Common Man," and "Road Taken" are good examples of Zimmer's ability to write memorable melodies and evoke a variety of moods. Whether it's Latin, boogaloo, or straight-ahead swing, a decisive, well-defined groove is the defining characteristic of Chillin' Live @ Jazz Factory, Zimmer's latest release. Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and guitarist Avi Rothbard join Zimmer and Wong in producing a record that's somewhat more relaxed and spare then the Quintet sides. Pelt and Rothbard are fine soloists who have something interesting to say on every track. However, it's the hookup between Zimmer and Wong that makes Chillin' something special. Zimmer's composition "Summer Somber" is a waltz taken at a slow-to-medium tempo. The bassist and drummer create a pulse that's forthright, unpretentious, and contains just the right amount of grit. The music swings persistently yet gives the impression of open space. On a middling tempo rendition of Sonny Rollins's "Doxy," it's easy to lose yourself in the steady push of Wong's walking line and Zimmer's ride cymbal. The bassist and drummer tighten the groove ever so slightly in the middle of Pelt's solo, and Zimmer doesn't feel the need to jump in and react to a long, repetitive sequence by the trumpeter. The drummer goes full tilt at the onset of "Search." His lively Latin rhythms include moments of silence and they set the tone for the rest of the track. Zimmer's boogaloo treatment of Kenny Dorham's classic line "Una Mas" entails precise straight eighth note patterns on his "wet" and "dry" sounding ride cymbals. While staying in the pocket he executes neat snare and tom-tom combinations behind Rothbard's soulful, effusive melodies. The drummer's snare accents subtly propel the head of an update of "Common Man." Amidst Rothbard's chords and single note lines, Zimmer tucks accents under the dry ping of the ride and shoehorns in some multiple stroke fills. He plays straight, unobtrusive time during Wong's solo on an up-tempo rendition of Cole Porter's "From This Moment On." When the bassist resumes walking in the final sixteen bars, you catch an unvarnished view of their extraordinary rapport. ~ David A.Orthmann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/pete-zimmer-chillin-live-at-jazz-factory-pete-zimmer-by-david-a-orthmann.php
 

Personnel:  Drums – Pete Zimmer; Bass – David Wong; Guitar – Avi Rothbard; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Jeremy Pelt

Chillin' Live @ Jazz Factory

---

Laurie Antonioli - The Constant Passage of Time

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:06
Size: 99,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:35)  1. Longing for You
(4:33)  2. Riverwide
(3:56)  3. Layla
(5:30)  4. Moonbirds
(6:32)  5. Harry's House/The Arrangement
(3:55)  6. Love
(4:21)  7. Highway
(3:15)  8. And so It Is
(5:25)  9. Don't Let It Bring You Down

Laurie Antonioli is one of the era's definitive jazz vocalists, but she's got a little rock 'n' roll in her soul too. Her new album expands her creative purview with an emotionally trenchant program focusing on her collaborations with state-of-the-art jazz composers  including Russell Ferrante and Nguyn L and new arrangements of songs by iconic singer/songwriters Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Sheryl Crow. 'The Constant Passage of Time' is her 7th album overall and 3rd created with her American Dreams band, a superlative quintet featuring saxophonist Sheldon Brown, guitarist Dave MacNab, pianist Matt Clark, drummer Jason Lewis, and bassist/recording engineer Dan Feiszli. The arrangements cover a lot of gripping musical ground, making particularly brilliant use of Brown's bass clarinet and the stinging fretwork of MacNab. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Constant-Passage-Time-Laurie-Antonioli/dp/B07NHQHWWN

The Constant Passage of Time

---