The Don Menza Sextet - Horn of Plenty

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:49
Size: 184,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:48)  1. Tonawanda Fats
(6:21)  2. In a Sentimental Mood
(7:33)  3. Intrigue
(7:38)  4. As Is
(7:38)  5. Something Old, Something Blue
(6:38)  6. Take the "A" Train
(6:22)  7. Cinderella's Waltz
(6:03)  8. I Should Care
(5:44)  9. Blues for Bird (Burnin')
(8:40) 10. The Very Thought of You
(9:21) 11. Sambandrea Swing

Tenorman Don Menza's regular sextet of the late 1970s (which also includes trumpeter Chuck Findley, trombonist Bill Reichenbach, pianist Frank Strazzeri, bassist Frank De La Rosa and drummer John Dentz) is heard in fine form on two Ellington/Strayhorn standards and originals by Menza, pianist Frank Strazzeri and Marc Levin. Menza's ability to write catchy, fresh-sounding boppish lines and his fiery solos are two strong reasons to search for this little-known but superior LP. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/horn-of-plenty-mw0000199338

"I’ve never figured out why Don Menza is never mentioned in the Top Ten list of tenor sax players. He’s got an incredibly meaty tone, had a few great runs with Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich, Elvin Fones and Louis Bellson, and has had a respectable solo career. It could be the curse of being associated with Los Angeles, but he’s never disappointed in concert. This album from 1979 shows a couple things 1) at one time, LA had a thriving jazz scene, as Menza brings together Chuck Findley/tp, Bill Reichenback/tb, Frank Strazzeri/p, Frank De La Rosa/b and John Dentz for a hard hitting collection of standards, originals and variations on jazz pieces. Menza himself sounds voracious as he roars on “In A Sentimental Mood” and the whole team sizzles on the clever groove changes on “Tonawanda Fats.” Strazzeri shows his writing and composing skills on “As Is” while Findley’s brass glows on the bonus tracks “The Very Thought Of You” and “Sambandrea Swing.”The disc includes 5 bonus tracks that were the casualty of the vinyl age, but fill up the space without missing a beat.  The music is all inspiring, muscular and macho, just what is all missing in most of today’s limp wrist deliveries." ~ George W. Harris (October 3, 2016) https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/don-menza-albums/6466-horn-of-plenty-5-bonus-tracks.html

Personnel: Don Menza (ts), Chuck Findley (tp), Bill Reichenbach (tb), Frank Strazzeri (p, Fender Rhodes), Frank De La Rosa (b), John Dentz (d)

Horn of Plenty

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Ariana Savalas - The Ménage a Tour! Live from Las Vegas

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:45
Size: 91,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:24)  1. Pretty Woman
(2:59)  2. Bubblebath
(6:34)  3. Nutcracker
(3:32)  4. Big Ben
(4:45)  5. Cologne
(4:08)  6. Wife Without Parole
(3:59)  7. Blowzart
(1:17)  8. Pure Imagination
(4:33)  9. Curtain Call
(4:29) 10. Playboy Bunny

The youngest daughter of actor Telly Savalas and his wife Julie, Ariana Savalas is a singer/songwriter, dancer, and actress. Following the death of her father in 1994 when Ariana was seven, she and her family moved to her mother's home state of Minnesota, where Ariana studied at a convent high school to participate in its theater program. Her career as a pop singer got an early start when she recorded a song at a mobile karaoke station while on vacation in Austria in her teens. The song made its way to the label Startrax, for whom she recorded a single and an EP produced by European producer Jack White (not to be confused with the former White Stripes founder). This led to Savalas touring Europe and appearing on Austrian television. Following her tour, she was accepted into London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she studied acting and Shakespeare. Meanwhile, she taught herself piano and began writing songs inspired by Queen, David Bowie, and the Beatles as well as Frank Sinatra and other jazz and vocal pop stars from the '40s and '50s. After moving to Los Angeles, Savalas landed the lead role in the independent film Miriam, about holocaust survivor Miriam Shafer; her other acting credits include the film Akrasia and a role on the CBS drama Criminal Minds. During this time, she also pursued her music, performing as a jazz singer on the cabaret scene and recording her debut album, Kingdom, with producer Mark Portmann. Her debut single, Perfect Man, arrived in January 2012 and featured Grey's Anatomy's Eric Dane in its music video. ~ Heather Phares https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ariana-savalas-mn0002374392/biography

The Ménage a Tour! Live from Las Vegas

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Dick Oatts & Jerry Bergonzi - Saxology

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:51
Size: 137,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:19)  1. Cheepo Steaks
(6:33)  2. Cranial Bypass
(9:19)  3. King Henry
(9:36)  4. L.W.
(9:05)  5. In Passing
(9:02)  6. Mobius
(6:54)  7. Flight Of The Dodo

The meeting of alto saxophonist Dick Oatts and tenor saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi pairs the two veterans in a quartet with bassist Dave Santoro (a frequent collaborator on record dates with Oatts) and drummer Tom Melito. Santoro penned five of the CD's seven tracks, starting with the upbeat, cool "Cheepo Steaks," which has a perky unison line and terrific solos all around. By contrast, the bassist's "Cranial Bypass" is an insistent cooker built upon its opening riff. Santoro's "Flight of the Dodo" sounds like something written by a student of Lennie Tristano, an intricate workout which sounds like it could be an elaborate, well-disguised takeoff on the changes to "All the Things You Are." Oatts' subtle "In Passing" has an infectious quality, with an underlying broody air, while his "King Henry" gradually builds steam, resulting in the most provocative solos of the session. Highly recommended! ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/saxology-mw0001724563

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone – Jerry Bergonzi; Alto Saxophone – Dick Oatts; Bass – Dave Santoro; Drums – Tom Melito

Saxology

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Terell Stafford - New Beginnings

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:32
Size: 134,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:24)  1. Soft Winds
(5:00)  2. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed
(7:05)  3. He Knows How Much You Can Bear
(6:10)  4. Selah (New Beginnings Suite)
(5:01)  5. La Maurier (New Beginnings Suite:)
(6:18)  6. Berda's Bounce (New Beginnings Suite:)
(7:08)  7. Blame It On My Youth
(5:59)  8. The Touch Of Your Lips
(8:22)  9. Kumbaya

Named after a suite composed for the Dayton, OH, arts organization Cityfolk, New Beginnings buckles under the weight of its diverse choice of material, just holding together due to the musicians' expertise. Terell Stafford bounces between trumpet and flügelhorn, the choice of material ranges from standards to funk, and there must have been a rotating door for the four saxophonists. Luckily, our leader is a "musician's musician," so if listeners consider it a chance to sit in on Stafford's class at Temple, they'll be rewarded. Stafford steps up slowly to Fletcher Henderson's "Soft Winds" before having some fun, assuredly stretching notes before handing it over to Jesse Davis and Harry Allen's more relaxed and soulful approaches. It's a great opener, with solos being bounced back and forth to introduce the players quickly. Mulgrew Miller is in fine form throughout the record, placing his solo between the beats on "I Don't Wanna Be Kissed" and providing ample support for the leads elsewhere. Derrick Hodge's acoustic bass is spot-on, but less compelling when he switches to electric for the anemic funk of "Selah," the "New Beginnings Suite" opener. The three-song suite could be taken apart without anyone noticing, but its structure does allow the sideman ample room to explore on an already sideman-friendly record. Stafford slinks across Stephen Scott's wonderful arrangement of "Kumbaya" and Steve Wilson's brilliant soprano pushes the whole band toward a rapturous ending. It's definitely the album's winner, and as a closer it leaves the listener exalted. ~ David Jeffries https://www.allmusic.com/album/new-beginnings-mw0000035813

Personnel: Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Terell Stafford; Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Derrick Hodge; Alto Saxophone – Dick Oatts, Jesse David;  Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Steve Wilson;  Drums – Dana Hall; Piano – Mulgrew Miller; Tenor Saxophone – Harry Allen

New Beginnings

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Fred Hersch - Night & the Music

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:07
Size: 142,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:34)  1. So in Love
(6:16)  2. Rhythm Spirit
(6:20)  3. Heartland
(7:28)  4. Galaxy Fragment/You and the Night and the Music
(4:11)  5. Boo Boo's Birthday
(5:33)  6. Change Partners
(5:54)  7. How Deep Is the Ocean
(5:52)  8. Gravity's Pull
(6:21)  9. Andrew John
(7:35) 10. Misterioso

Pianist Fred Hersch is proving himself to be not only a solid mainstream jazz pianist but also an imaginative and creative musical force. His Leaves of Grass (Palmetto, 2005), with vocalist Kurt Elling broke new ground by setting the poetry of Walt Whitman to written and improvised musical composition incorporating jazz and traditional "heartland American motifs. Fred Hersch Live at the Bimhuis (Palmetto, 2006) offered a panoply of solo piano music at a high level of sophistication and technique. On Night and the Music, Hersch joins forces with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Nasheet Waits, using the richly interactive and expressive piano trio format (as powerfully developed by Bill Evans and taken further by Keith Jarrett) to form a latticework of images and musical ideas that is both highly listenable and relentlessly probing. The tracks include several originals, some American Songbook standards, and two Thelonious Monk compositions. The three musicians function as a tight, integrated unit sustaining stylistic integrity and steadiness of purpose such that the total impression is that of a unified exploration of the possibilities inherent in a series of tri-alogues about a few key ideas initiated by Hersch at the keyboard. The thematics of the album are more implied than stated, encouraging and allowing the listener to bring in his or her own understanding. 

The overriding motif is the dialogue between personal human experience and the cosmos, a dualistic mythos of Enlightenment philosophy that was a recurrent preoccupation of none other than Beethoven. Thus, for example, an original called "Galaxies is combined with the standard "You and the Night and the Music. Monk's "Boo Boo's Birthday is a personal testament, while his "Misterioso haunts us with a reach towards something beyond the human, something cosmic. "Change Partners contrasts with "Gravity's Pull. And so on, in an alternating exploration of possibilities inherent in the "starry nights of both Van Gogh and the astronomers. There are also some echoes of the late Beethoven in the complex counterpoint that emerges among Hersch, Gress, and Waits as they brood together on the vicissitudes of Fate and what it all might mean. This CD is conservative in its layout of what could be a coherent nightclub set rather than a juxtaposition of discordant variation that is characteristic of some of Hersch's other recordings. A comparison with the groundbreaking Bill Evans trio's At the Village Vanguard (Riverside, 1961) is inevitable. Both are non-stop introspective explorations (coincidentally the title of one of Evans' best albums). However, Evans was undeniably a romantic, while Hersch is anything but sentimental. On this CD, the music is presented as a series of puzzles and conundrums examined with Zen-like detachment or perhaps, in another regard, the mathematical precision of J.S. Bach. One is indeed moved, but not so much by the depth of feeling as by the imposing architecture of the musical development itself. ~ Victor L.Schermer https://www.allaboutjazz.com/night-and-the-music-fred-hersch-palmetto-records-review-by-victor-l-schermer.php

Personnel: Fred Hersch: piano; Drew Gress: bass; Nasheet Waits: drums.

Night & the Music

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Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - This Is All I Ask

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - This Is All I Ask

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:37
Size: 123,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. O, Tysta Ensamhet
(5:25)  2. I Skovens Dybe Stille Ro
(4:44)  3. Traces Of The Past
(4:00)  4. Just In Time
(4:39)  5. Summer Song
(5:01)  6. The Song Is You
(9:12)  7. This Is All I Ask
(6:38)  8. As Is
(5:54)  9. Taking The Chance On Love
(4:04) 10. Fantasy In D Minor

It is surprising that first-call bassist Niels Pedersen has recorded relatively few dates as a leader during his decades-long career; This Is All I Ask proves to be one of his most eclectic and rewarding CDs, as he's accompanied by guitarist Ulf Wakenius and drummer Jonas Johansen, and several special guests. His singing, lyrical tone on his instrument comes across right away, especially on the two traditional melodies "Quiet Solitude" and "Tranquility in the Woods," the latter featuring pianist Oscar Peterson in a relatively rare appearance as a sideman during his later years. The European pop singer Monique is someone Pedersen discovered when he heard her on his daughter's radio; he showcases her on a funky original called "Summer Song" (not to be confused with Dave Brubeck's well-known piece of the same name). 

The Swedish singer Monica Zetterlund, who occasionally worked with pianist Bill Evans when he toured Europe, is joined by alto sax great Phil Woods and Pedersen's trio for a heartfelt, swinging take of "Taking a Chance on Love," while Woods is the sole guest heard on the slow, very emotional rendition of "This Is All I Ask." Pedersen's trio tracks are all first-rate as well. His virtuoso side comes across in another original work, "Traces of the Past," while his playful post-bop reading of the old show tune "Just in Time" is the cooker of the entire set. Not widely distributed outside of Europe, this is easily one of Niels Pedersen's finest recordings. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/this-is-all-i-ask-mw0000040329

Personnel: Bass – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen; Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Ulf Wakenius; Alto Saxophone – Phil Woods; Drums – Jonas Johansen; Piano – Oscar Peterson; Vocals – Monica Zetterlund 

This Is All I Ask

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Charlie Hunter, Lucy Woodward - Music! Music! Music!

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:35
Size: 123,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:49)  1. Soul of a Man
(4:44)  2. Can't Let Go
(6:47)  3. Plain Gold Ring
(3:57)  4. Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
(5:54)  5. The One I Love is Gone
(4:56)  6. Wishing Well
(4:13)  7. Be My Husband
(5:10)  8. I Don't Know
(4:52)  9. Angel Eyes
(3:45) 10. You've Been a Good Ole Wagon
(4:24) 11. Music! Music! Music! (Put Another Nickel in)

Music! Music! Music! will cement the revelatory impression guitarist Charlie Hunter and vocalist Lucy Woodward leave upon attendees of their concerts. Having repaired to the studio in November 2018, the duo maximized the spontaneity of those proceedings through the enlistment of drummer Derrek Phillips. adding a spark that further ignited the keen chemistry the pair had honed on stage. In recent years, Charlie Hunter has revealed a predilection for the blues that may very well have led to this fruitful partnership. It certainly stands him in good stead on the vintage R&B of Ruth Brown's "I Don't Know" and even more so during the antique likes of Blind Willie Johnson's "Soul of a Man." On a particularly saucy take of Bessie Smith's "You've Been a Good Ole Wagon," he simultaneously digs a groove Phillips deepens with his kit, then elaborates on the melody lines with as much relish as Woodward. As on the sultry title track, the latter embraces the role of earthy chanteuse, extracting and articulating the emotions at the core of the material without any discernible affectation. The breakdown late in "Soul of a Man" is just the first instance of how the singer's voice functions as a musical instrument in and of itself. On "Can't Let Go," the vocalist not only elucidates the words, but stretches notes, injects fills and mirrors Hunter's fast fretting on his 'Big 6' guitar. In marked contrast to her staccato approach there, fully in keeping with the beat of "Plain Gold Ring," Lucy Woodward floats above the guitar and percussion, the soft timbres of her voice rising and falling as she anticipates the chord progression and its accompanying accents, the end effect of which is wholly hypnotic. The unity of the Hunter/Woodward/Phillips trio couldn't be more apparent than on "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." Bonded as the individuals are, each nevertheless emphasizes a separate component of the tune, always in proportion to what the others are doing. So, the emotion carried in the lyrics unfolds through the woman's rapturous delivery, punctuated with syncopated guitaring and assertive drum work. The action is even more kinetic on Terence Trent D'Arby's "Wishing Well" which effectively serves as a gateway to the album's homestretch, a passage that accelerates through "Be My Husband," Hunter, Woodward and Phillips enacting an audio dance here that could hardly sound more delightful or compelling. The range of this album's eleven tracks, each of which clocks in at roughly four to seven minutes, belies the sparse accompaniment of unadorned vocals. Spacious sound quality emanates from Dave McNair's mastering of the recordings overseen by Stephen Lee Price in High Point, North Carolina: these two technical experts capture what is a surprisingly visceral impact given the spare arrangements. "Angel Eyes," for instance, might prompt a thumbnail description of Music! Music! Music! as a collection of torch songs with a kick, but such a glib summary hardly does justice to the combustion of talent quietly ablaze on this record. ~ Doug Collette https://www.allaboutjazz.com/music-music-music-charlie-hunter-self-produced-review-by-doug-collette.php

Personnel: Charlie Hunter: guitar; Lucy Woodward: vocals; Derrek C. Phillips: drums.

Music!Music!Music!

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Kenny Drew Jr. - Portraits of Charles Mingus & Thelonious Monk

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:43
Size: 139,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:17)  1. Work
(6:41)  2. Ruby My Dear
(9:05)  3. Peggy's Blue Skylight
(3:50)  4. Light Blue
(5:36)  5. Trinkle-Tinkle
(4:19)  6. Nobody Knows (The Bradley I Know)
(7:41)  7. Farewell Farwell
(7:29)  8. Eclipse
(7:04)  9. Weird Nightmare
(3:36) 10. Skippy

This is one of Kenny Drew, Jr.'s finest recordings. Teamed in a trio with bassist Lynn Seaton (whose bowed solos are a constant highlight) and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Drew performs five Thelonious Monk songs and five from Charles Mingus. Other than "Ruby, My Dear," none of the tunes are played all that often, so it is a particular pleasure hearing Drew dig into such songs as "Work," "Trinkle-Tinkle," "Skippy," "Nobody Knows," and "Farewell Farwell." The Mingus tunes, in particular, sound fresh, new, and transformed in the piano trio setting. Drew Jr. displays both the technique and the imagination to make this often-difficult music sound effortless and logical. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/portraits-of-mingus-monk-mw0000173799

Personnel:  Piano – Kenny Drew Jr.; Double Bass – Lynn Seaton; Drums – Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Portraits of Charles Mingus & Thelonious Monk

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Katie Thiroux - Off Beat

Styles: Vocal, Post Bop
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:36
Size: 114,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:15)  1. Off Beat
(5:23)  2. When Lights Are Low
(5:08)  3. Why Did I Choose You?
(5:59)  4. Slow Dance with Me
(5:40)  5. Brotherhood of Man
(3:59)  6. Ray's Idea
(5:54)  7. Some Cats Know
(4:53)  8. When the Wind Was Green
(4:57)  9. Happy Reunion
(4:24) 10. Willow Weep for Me

Katie Thiroux has studied with jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton and bassist John Clayton, and the bassist/vocalist was awarded a scholarship to the Berklee, later teaching at the esteemed College of Music. Her resume is as impressive as it gets, but this is not a woman who rests on her laurels. Her instruments are her calling cards. Off Beat is her sophomore album and is quite impressive. The core lineup of pianist Justin Kauflin and drummer Matt Witek is augmented by the brilliant clarinetist/tenor saxophonist Ken Peplowski, as well as saxophonist Roger Neumann. The ten-song program is filled with familiar and not-so-familiar songs, and mixes vocal tunes with instrumentals. The results are glorious. The title cut opens the program and sets the stage; the old June Christy tune is given a finger-snapping reading that sees Peplowski, Kauflin and Witek backing Thiroux as she sings, "just 'cause I'm different doesn't mean I'm wrong." On Benny Carter's "When Lights Are Low," Thiroux owns the song. Her phrasing has just the right amount of simultaneous tenderness and swing, while Kauflin's solo is a perfect foil. "Why Did I Choose You?," from the 1946 film The Yearling, is a tender ballad. The Thiroux-penned "Slow Dance With Me" is a medium-tempo instrumental, with the band invited to stretch out; everyone shines. An instrumental take on Frank Loesser's "Brotherhood Of Man" is followed by Thiroux scatting on "Ray's Idea," also featuring a delicious clarinet solo. On Leiber and Stoller's "Some Cats Know," Peplowski blows a smoky tenor behind Thiroux's snazzy, lazy vocal ("some cats know how to make the honey flow but if a cat don't know a cat don't know"). "When the Wind Was Green," a Frank Sinatra vehicle with the lyrics "When the wind was red like a summer wine, when the wind was red like your lips on mine, it caressed my face and it tossed my hair, you were there," is given a hip reading that does the original proud. Again, Peplowski's clarinet is prominent. Roger Neumann trades tenor lines with Peplowski on Duke Ellington's classic and classy "Happy Reunion," under which Thiroux and Witek are joined by Kauflin's perfect accompaniment. Closing with "Willow Weep For Me," Thiroux plays bass and sings, unaccompanied. Her bass work, in particular, is impressive. A highly recommended disc by a rising star in the jazz firmament. ~ Mark E.Gallo https://www.allaboutjazz.com/off-beat-katie-thiroux-capri-records-review-by-mark-e-gallo.php

Personnel: Katie Thiroux: bass, voice; Ken Peplowski: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Roger Neumann: tenor and soprano saxophones; Justin Kauflin; piano; Matt Witek: drums.

Off Beat

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George Wallington - Variations

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1954/2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:08
Size: 108,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:28)  1. Before Dawn
(2:50)  2. If I Love Again
(3:04)  3. Your Laughter
(3:20)  4. Morning Dew
(2:37)  5. Busman's Holiday
(4:36)  6. My Funny Valentine
(4:20)  7. Ever Loving Blues
(5:23)  8. Variations
(3:45)  9. Autumn In New York
(4:25) 10. Marcel The Furrier
(3:19) 11. Invitation
(3:24) 12. Moonlight In Vermont
(2:31) 13. Alone Together

George Wallington was one of the first and best bop pianists, ranking up there with Al Haig, just below Bud Powell. He was also the composer of two bop standards that caught on for a time: "Lemon Drop" and "Godchild." Born in Sicily, Wallington and his family moved to the U.S. in 1925. He arrived in New York in the early '40s and was a member of the first bop group to play on 52nd Street, Dizzy Gillespie's combo of 1943-1944. After spending a year with Joe Marsala's band, Wallington played with the who's who of bop during 1946-1952, including Charlie Parker, Serge Chaloff, Allan Eager, Kai Winding, Terry Gibbs, Brew Moore, Al Cohn, Gerry Mulligan, Zoot Sims, and Red Rodney. He toured Europe with Lionel Hampton's ill-fated big band of 1953, and during 1954-1960 he led groups in New York that included among its up-and-coming sidemen Donald Byrd and Jackie McLean (the latter succeeded by Phil Woods). Then, in 1960, Wallington gave up on the music business altogether and retired to work in his family's air-conditioning company. 24 years later he re-emerged, recording three albums of original material before time ran out. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/george-wallington-mn0000645514/biography

Personnel: George Wallington (piano); Curly Russell (bass); Art Taylor (drums); Joseph Livoisi (violin);  David Uchitel (viola);  William Eder (cello);  Clyde Lombardi (bass)

Variations

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Thomas Hutchings, Camden Hughes - Introspective

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:26
Size: 130,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:50)  1. Blackbird
(6:52)  2. Groove City
(5:47)  3. Going Home
(5:22)  4. Make You Feel My Love
(7:16)  5. Wimpzilla 2015
(7:00)  6. Cat Time Blues
(5:50)  7. #49 with Black Beans
(5:57)  8. Broomsticks
(6:28)  9. Introspective

Some really beautiful & fun music to listen to influenced by Gene Harris & Grover Washington, Jr.with very high level of production quality. It’s a very raw, rich, full sounding jazzy & funky album. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/thomashutchingscamdenhug

Personnel: Camden Hughes-Piano, Wurlitzer, Rhodes; Thomas Hutchings-Tenor & Soprano saxophone; Dylan Sundstrom-Upright & Electric Bass; David Gluck-Drums; Micah Stevens-Guitar; Emily Braden Vocals on Cat Time Blues

Introspective

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Avery Sharpe - 400: an African American Musical Portrait

Styles: Vocal, Hard Bop
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:35
Size: 133,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:03)  1. Arrival
(4:51)  2. Is There A Way Home
(5:36)  3. Colonial Life
(3:02)  4. Fiddler
(5:14)  5. Antebellum
(7:15)  6. A New Music
(5:35)  7. Harlem And The War To End All Wars
(6:54)  8. Blues and World War II
(6:34)  9. Aint Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around
(6:25) 10. 500

In 1619 the White Lion, a British privateer which had just successfully raided a Spanish slave ship, arrived in the Jamestown colony with its contraband cargo of twenty-some African slaves. Thus began the tumultuous legacy of the African American experience in North America a four-hundred-year saga that bassist Avery Sharpe traces skilfully and poignantly on 400: An African American Musical Portrait. Sharpe has never been reluctant to acknowledge the forces that have shaped him musically and culturally. His Legends and Mentors (JKNM Records, 2008) paid tribute to three of his longtime musical colleagues and teachers, McCoy Tyner, Archie Shepp and Yusef Lateef. But consider also his multiple efforts to draw deeply from the well of the black experience in America; projects like Extended Family II: Thoughts of My Ancestors (JKNM Records, 1995) and Epic Ebony Journey (JKNM Records, 2001) sought out the enduring traits of African Americans' resilience and fortitude, locating them within the profound resources of African culture and seeing their evolution through black Americans' various struggles and triumphs. However, those earlier albums seem a mere prelude to 400. This is truly Sharpe's statement record, with a sweeping historical vision conveyed through a well-defined series of ten musical vignettes that encompass four centuries of African American life. It is an ambitious undertaking, to be sure. 

The album has a "family" feel, not only due to the presence of veteran associates like saxophonist Don Braden, drummer Ronnie Burrage, and pianist Zaccai Curtis, all of whom have collaborated previously with Sharpe. Just as important is the "Extended Family Choir," consisting largely of Sharpe's family members, who offer valuable emotional strength and musical heft on four of the cuts. His brother, Kevin Sharpe, directs the ensemble, while his niece, Sofia Rivera, has a particularly stirring turn on an emphatic spoken-word part on "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around," Sharpe's take on the traditional civil rights anthem, which invokes the substantial history of African American protest from the Jim Crow period to Black Lives Matter. The choir's presence on the first two tracks, "Arrival" and "Is There a Way Home," is just as effective, offering a visceral articulation of the fear and foreboding that accompanied slaves' early lives in the colonies along with the burgeoning sustenance for resistance they began to find by looking homeward to the African continent. Sharpe's songwriting strategies are smart ones, utilizing a wide stylistic range to embrace as much of the African American musical tradition as possible. African rhythms and instrumentation (notably, Tendai Muparutsa on the djembe) enliven "Arrival" and "Is There a Way Home," while later historical moments see other idioms emerge. "Fiddler" has both classical and folkish elements, as violinists Kevin Zhou and Sophia Jeongyoon Han give a glimpse of slaves' nascent musical expressions, whereas "A New Music" signals the presence of early jazz through a stately rag from Curtis that segues into jaunty New Orleans swing. Through it all, a spirit of strength and endurance is undeniable, with moments of brightness which continually lighten the music. Guitarist Kevin Eubanks is an essential presence in this regard; even on "Arrival," a track that could easily succumb to despair, Eubanks' nimble acoustic flourishes suggest the possibilities of hope and potential, as they do on several of the cuts. Braden, too, has some energizing moments, soloing fervently on "Arrival" and undertaking a bop-based strut on "Blues and World War II." Fittingly, the album's last track, "500," features strong modern jazz fueled by a post-bop sensibility. It points beyond the album's historical trajectory, both musically and politically, and makes clear that the African American story, like that of jazz itself, is a narrative that is very much still unfolding. ~ Troy Dostert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/400-an-african-american-musical-portrait-avery-sharpe-jknm-records-review-by-troy-dostert.php

Personnel: Avery Sharpe: double bass, vocals; Kevin Eubanks: acoustic and electric guitar; Don Braden: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute; Ronnie Burrage: drums and percussion; Tendai Muparutsa: djembe; Duane Eubanks: trumpet, flugelhorn; Zaccai Curtis: piano; Davis Whitfield: piano (8); Kevin Zhou: violin; Sophia Jeongyoon Han: violin; Kevin Sharpe, Shaina Paris, Sofia Rivera, Wanda Rivera, Heshima Moja, Robert Rivera: vocals (1, 2, 5, 9).

400: an African American Musical Portrait

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Charlie Shavers - The Most Intimate

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:13
Size: 77,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:53)  1. Stella By Starlight
(2:54)  2. Ill Wind
(3:42)  3. Stormy Weather
(3:49)  4. Out Of Nowhere
(2:51)  5. Easy To Remember
(3:28)  6. Stardust
(3:13)  7. I Cover The Waterfront
(3:22)  8. Memories Of You
(3:15)  9. You're Mine You
(3:43) 10. Let's Fall In Love

Considering his stature, it is surprising that the exciting trumpeter Charlie Shavers did not lead more sessions throughout his career. This set, only his second LP as a leader, is purely mood music with concise and very melodic versions of ten familiar ballads. Shavers, who is backed by a large string orchestra, shows off the prettier side of his tone, but nothing all that stirring occurs. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-most-intimate-charlie-shavers-mw0000872848

Personnel: Trumpet – Charlie Shavers

The Most Intimate

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Johanne Blouin - Lui

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:24
Size: 100,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:52)  1. Lui
(3:23)  2. J'ai besoin d'air
(2:14)  3. D'ailleurs et d'ici
(4:49)  4. Mon ange
(2:50)  5. Il était une fois des gens heureux
(4:42)  6. Les marins
(3:35)  7. Une autre fois
(2:42)  8. Notre sentier
(2:02)  9. Les enfants qui pleurent
(4:00) 10. Elle
(4:29) 11. Dors,Caroline
(4:41) 12. Pour un ami condamné

Canadian vocalist Johanne Blouin is a gifted and multi-dimensional performer who has found herself moving back and forth from jazz and pop to musical theater. Born to musician parents in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, in 1955, Blouin was interested in performing from a young age. Subsequently, she studied dance at the Royal Academy of Dance in Montreal, earned a B.A. in music from the Université de Montréal, and studied musical theater at the Banff School of Fine Arts. She first gained performance experience in the '70s singing cabaret in various clubs around Quebec as well as with the fusion ensemble Tasman. Later she joined the cast of the musical Starmania, which led to solo and commercial session work for television. In 1988, she released her debut album, Merci Félix, a tribute to French-Canadian folksinger and political activist Félix Leclerc, and a year later she released her sophomore self-titled album. Both albums garnered various ADISQ awards essentially Quebec's Grammy Awards and helped further her public persona. Since that time Blouin has released numerous recordings, including Everything Must Change in 2000 and Elle le Dira in 2007. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/johanne-blouin-mn0000213249/biography

Lui

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Bob James Trio - Espresso

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:39
Size: 135,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:04)  1. Bulgogi
(7:04)  2. Shadow Dance
(5:31)  3. Ain't Misbehavin'
(3:31)  4. One Afternoon
(6:17)  5. Mister Magic
(5:07)  6. Topside
(4:00)  7. II Boccalone
(7:38)  8. Mojito Ride
(4:14)  9. Promenade
(4:43) 10. Boss Lady
(4:26) 11. Submarine

Bob James wrote "Angela," the theme song to the popular late-1970s/early 1980s television show, Taxi, a feather in the cap that introduced his sound to millions of listeners who might not ever slip a jazz CD into the stereo. For those with an ear and a love of jazz, he is probably most familiar for his work with the group Fourplay and saxophonist David Sanborn, along with a three record, mid-1970s stint with Creed Taylor's CTI Recordings, and three Grammy Awards. And throw in an innovative and overlooked jewel of an album, Grand Piano Canyon (Warner Brothers, 1990), into the resume. The pianist/composer/arranger lays claim to ongoing relevance with Expresso, his first studio recording as a leader since 2006's Urban Flamingo (Koch Records). And it's a piano trio affair, perhaps the purest and most challenging of instrumental formats, into which he adds his characteristically James-esque spicings. As always, James' sound displays a refinement, a polished sophistication and crisp production values. He embellishes, beautifully, the "trio sound" at times with sweet, keyboard orchestrated, post-recording backdrops, much in the mode of the 1970s CTI recording style. And like all of James' offerings, the sonic concept maintains a first-to-last-cut cohesion. The disc opens with the James original, "Bulgogi," a straight ahead piano trio offering with a catchy, fast-stepping groove, light-hearted and lovely, leading into the dark-hued "Shadow Dance," a beautiful, inward-looking tune enhanced by subtle and deftly applied orchestration. "Fats Wallers' "Ain't Misbehavin,'" one of two covers on an otherwise all Bob James set of originals, gets a surprisingly modern-esque reshaping; and "One Afternoon" brings a solemn, pastoral mood to the set, and features the diaphanous gorgeousness of a whispering keyboard string section seeping into the trio sound. James closes the show with "Submarine," a close younger sibling to his 1974 composition "Nautilus," a tune that has sampled its way into the hip-hop world on recordings by Jay Z, Tupac, and Wu Tang Clan and more. "Submarine" finds James sampling himself and recording over his rhythms and unrelenting grooves, staying, in his seventh decade as a professional musician, as relevant as ever. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/expresso-bob-james-evosound-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Bob James: piano; piano, rhodes; synths; Billy Kilson: drums; Michael Palazollo: acoustic bass; Luisito Quintero: percussion overdubs; Angela Seates: featured oboe soloist; Hugh Char: additional; drum programming; Dave Stewart: additional keyboards; Mark Falchook: additional keyboards

Espresso

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Bill Frisell - Good Dog, Happy Man

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:21
Size: 143,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:45)  1. Rain, Rain
(3:44)  2. Roscoe
(3:50)  3. Big Shoe
(8:52)  4. My Buffalo Girl
(6:10)  5. Shenandoah
(6:26)  6. Cadillac 1959
(5:17)  7. The Pioneers
(9:04)  8. Cold, Cold Ground
(5:31)  9. That Was Then
(4:21) 10. Monroe
(2:34) 11. Good Dog, Happy Man
(3:42) 12. Poem for Eva

Every note Bill Frisell plays or suggests offers an impressionistic soundtrack of the American vernacular. It is jazz only in the way improvisation is a reflection of sensibilities. But Frisell's music is really not just jazz. It swings over a wide swath of American musical forms: jazz, rock, grunge, blues, country, folk, bluegrass, even commercial orchestration. Call it a sort of 'sound Americana': peculiar, individual and unusually compelling. Good Dog Happy Man ideally documents another set of Frisell's colorful, commanding tone poems. It's something of a story in progress, one that took root in 1994's This Land and became clearer on 1997's Nashville and 1998's exquisite Gone, Just Like A Train (bassist Marc Johnson's outstanding Sounds of Summer Running probably counts too). Frisell, early in his two-decades career, offered a wholly individual sound, buffering a certain dissonance with a poetic melodicism. But, here he shows how he's evolved into one of the most melodic and memorable of stylists etching out something that is often pastoral, elegiac and, at times, oddly patriotic. These are the moods filmmakers co-opt for onscreen archetypes reaching pivotal moments and branded in all those TV ads for investment firms and prescription medicines. But Frisell keeps it honest. He sets the mood and offers the soundtrack. The listener is free to conceive his or her own impressions. 

Here, bassist Viktor Kruass (Allison's brother) and drummer/studio legend Jim Keltner return from last year's Gone trio aided by studio guitarist Greg Leisz on pedal steel, Dobro, steel guitar and mandolin and, in a welcome return, fellow Seattle resident Wayne Horvitz on organ. Frisell sticks mostly to electric or acoustic guitar and his 'meditations' are often buoyed by intriguing counterpoint: Horvitz's spikey organ comments on "My Buffalo Girl" and "Cadillac 1959," the brief primal utterances of "Roscoe" and the dream-team coupling with Ry Cooder on the lovely "Shenandoah." Frisell's melodies are quite often little more than sustained riffs, at once simple and perfectly structured and at other times, remotely familiar (for example, the Pretenders's "Back on the Chain Gang" is vaguely at the heart of "That Was Then"). Frisell is the only real notable soloist. As if in a Steve Reich construction, Frisell rarely strays far from the melody, or outside of the prevailing mood the unit conspires to create together. The point is the story reflections on feelings and meditations on moods. Darkness and light. A sense of honor with a sense of humor. It's hardly America as sketched by Louis L'Amour, Jim Thompson or a score of other American writers. Frisell isn't coming out of irony, bleakness, sarcasm or slight. Good Dog, Happy Man comes out of Frisell's evident love for things American and an encyclopedic grasp on expressing the ways Americans sense things. A triumph indeed. ~ Douglas Payne https://www.allaboutjazz.com/good-dog-happy-man-bill-frisell-nonesuch-records-review-by-douglas-payne.php?width=1920

Players: Bill Frisell: electric and acoustic guitars, loops and music boxes; Greg Leisz: pedal steel, Dobro, lap steel, Weissenborn, National steel guitar and mandolin; Wayne Horvitz: organ, piano, samples; Viktor Krauss: bass; Jim Keltner: drums and percussion; Ry Cooder: electric guitar, Ripley guitar on "Senandoah".

Good Dog, Happy Man

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Charlie Apicella & Iron City - Groove Machine

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:13
Size: 107,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:28)  1. Three Sided
(6:36)  2. Space Madness
(6:26)  3. Hot Dog
(6:05)  4. Lemon Rind
(6:44)  5. Along the Southern Coast
(4:49)  6. Claypso Blue
(4:58)  7. Ironicity
(4:02)  8. Brother Elijah

On Groove Machine, Charlie Apicalla & Iron City serves up a gumbo of styles that run from New Orleans blues and Chicago funk to Motown and New York bop. The combination makes for a "groovy" listening experience road music that will keep the head nodding and the mind trucking. Apicella penned five of the eight numbers on the album. The other three writing credits go to Lou Donaldson, organist Radam Schwartz, and Willis "Gator" Jackson.

Apicella's standout guitar work glides through the various pieces with a joyful and easy twang. But the spotlight on this album shines on Schwartz's deft organ work. He too glides, both in his solos and in his accompaniment. But there's energy in his playing, subtle and laid back as it may be, and it gives each piece a special boost. Beyond the hands, Schwartz also gives the organ pedals a workout, walking the bass lines as easily as he creates the chordal background to many of his band mate's solos. The other members of Iron City add their own rollicking efforts as well, but never in a slap-happy manner. Instead, the playing on Groove Machine is crisp and dynamic, and although relaxed, there's a professional tightness to the playing that serves to enhance the various moods created. Take the cool rendering of "Three Sided," the boppish "Space Madness" (which ends with a scorching solo by Freddie Hendrix), or the rolling Donaldson song "Hot Dog," where Hendrix again blows hot followed by Schwartz's slide and glide solo. Each of these pieces demonstrate the ensemble's comfort with a mix of styles. The mix continues with the sexy and sensual "Lemon Rind," pushed along by the fluid work of saxophonist Gene Ghee and Hendrix, and funked up by Mayra Casales conga work, and it is followed by the peaceful "Along the Southern Coast," where violinist Amy Bateman joins Apicella in a warm duet before she gets her chance to solo. The number echos the beauty of most coastlines, with their rolling dunes, gentle breezes, and that special saltwater fragrance. 

Schwartz contributes the lively dance composition "Calypso Blue," which features a raucous duet between Casales and drummer Alan Korzin. Apicella's cool "Ironcity" pushes along like a speedy nighttime freeway drive and features Korzin on several breakaway solos. The album closes with Willis Jackson's "Brother Elijah," an up-tempo gospel number that bounces along like a beach ball in the stands at a baseball game. The music on Groove Machine will certainly brighten the day, and it goes well whether cruising down the highway or strolling down a sidewalk sipping on that special cup of joe. It's bright and sunny disposition is guaranteed to remind one that there is indeed a groovy somewhere over the rainbow. ~ Don Phipps https://www.allaboutjazz.com/groove-machine-charlie-apicella-oa2-records-review-by-don-phipps.php?width=1920

Personnel: Charlie Apicella: Guitar; Gene Ghee: Tenor Sax; Freddie Hendrix; Trumpet; Amy Bateman: violin; Radam Schwartz: Hammond Organ; Alan Korzin: Drums; Mayra Casales: Congas.

Groove Machine

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Kim Fairchild - Natural

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:06
Size: 70,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:00)  1. Confession Stripped
(2:44)  2. Hound Dog
(3:54)  3. The Other Woman
(5:27)  4. Somebody New
(4:04)  5. Crossroad
(3:02)  6. Naturally
(3:11)  7. Just Go
(4:41)  8. Confession

Kim Fairchild (born November 26, 1966 in New York ), is a Norwegian singer , actor and entertainer. The family moved to Bergen in 1968. Fairchild has participated in a number of Norwegian TV productions, such as Lollipop , Beat for beat , Good Morning, Norway! and TV2's Anniversary Show, as well as finishing second in the 1993 Melody Grand Prix with the song "Besides the Wind" with Stein Hauge . Together with her band "Kim Fairchild Band", now "Ruffmix", she has toured all over Norway and with her rough soul / jazz / rock has been compared to Aretha Franklinand Tina Turner. Translate by Google https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Fairchild

Natural

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Gary Smulyan Quartet - Royalty at Le Duc

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 87:45
Size: 201,1 MB
Art: Front

(12:50)  1. Thedia
( 8:45)  2. The Star-Crossed Lovers
(11:58)  3. Cindy's Tune
(11:16)  4. Serenity
(13:14)  5. Elusive
( 7:14)  6. Laura
(12:12)  7. Body and Soul
(10:12)  8. Verdandi

Royalty at Le Duc, the 12th album led by Gary Smulyan, captures the baritone saxophonist’s gift for herculean lines at savage tempos as well as his startling ability to make the rough and rugged horn sound downright tender. The album was recorded in November 2015 at the renowned Paris club LeDuc des Lombards, where Smulyan appeared with an international rhythm section that he assembled specifically for a European tour French pianist Olivier Hutman, Italian bassist Michel Rosciglione and Austrian drummer Bernd Reiter all of whom receive plenty of well-deserved solo space. The quartet opens with a blistering rendition of “Thedia” (one of two Thad Jones compositions covered here), with the group’s leader hurling himself into several choruses, announcing his authority with delightful verve. Then the tempo drops way back for the first of the album’s two ballads, “The Star-crossed Lovers.” (The other luxuriously slow tune is “Laura,” composed by David Raksin for the 1944 film of the same name, which Smulyan previously covered on his 1978 recording debut with Woody Herman.) 

The ballads are particularly noteworthy since Smulyan may be best-known for his quicksilver phrasing and dexterity, but here he offers genuinely romantic music without sounding saccharine. In addition, the quartet covers a song by Smulyan’s hero, Pepper Adams (“Cindy’s Tune,” which sports a quirky bebop head based on the changes of “Honeysuckle Rose”) and one by Joe Henderson (“Serenity,” taken at a nice stroll and highlighted by Reiter’s elegant brushwork). 

The album closes with a reading of “Body and Soul,” which the band takes at a cool groove a la Coltrane in 1960. (A lick in Smulyan’s solo also gives a slick little nod to Trane’s “Countdown.”) It’s all too easy to imagine the Parisian audience standing during that final applause. https://www.jazziz.com/gary-smulyan-quartet/

Personnel: Baritone Saxophone – Gary Smulyan; Bass – Michel Rosciglione; Drums – Bernd Reiter; Piano – Olivier Hutman

Royalty at Le Duc

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Slide Hampton - Drum Suite

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:36
Size: 143,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:21)  1. Fump
(5:09)  2. Lover
(8:26)  3. Like Someone In Love
(4:28)  4. Gallery Groove
(5:23)  5. Our Waltz
(3:35)  6. It's All Right With Me
(3:14)  7. Stella By Starlight
(6:55)  8. Drum Suite (Parts I-V)
(5:46)  9. Well You Needn't
(3:14) 10. Sleigh Ride

This album, originally released by Epic, features trombonist-arranger Slide Hampton's augmented octet but it was overlooked when it was released in 1962 despite the all-star personnel. Hampton's arrangements are forward-looking hard bop and among the key soloists are tenor saxophonist Yusef Lateef (who is heard throughout in top form), drummer Max Roach and Hampton himself. The five-part "Drum Suite" is the most ambitious work but all of the arrangements have their unexpected moments, and Hampton's playing on an up-tempo "It's All Right with Me" is outstanding. This limited-edition Mosaic release, just a single CD, augments the original set with a version of "Well You Needn't" that was only out previously on an obscure sampler, plus a previously unreleased "Sleigh Ride" from the same dates. Overall the music is rewarding and if not quite essential, there are enough exciting moments (whether from the ensembles or the main soloists) to make this a recommended acquisition. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/drum-suite-mw0000495824

Personnel: Slide Hampton - trombone, arranger; John Bello, Hobart Dotson, Freddie Hubbard, Willie Thomas, Richard Williams - trumpet; Benny Jacobs-El - trombone; George Coleman - tenor saxophone; Yusef Lateef - flute, tenor saxophone; Jay Cameron - baritone saxophone; Tommy Flanagan - piano; Eddie Khan - bass; Vinnie Ruggiero, Max Roach - drums

Drum Suite Zippy

Drum Suite MC

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