Sylvia Vrethammar - Trivialitet

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:47
Size: 73,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:03)  1. Trivialitet
(3:55)  2. Just Because of You
(2:36)  3. Floy Joy
(3:58)  4. Magdalena (Livet före döden)
(3:13)  5. Små lätta moln
(3:16)  6. Du sköna nya värld
(2:53)  7. Oh Boy
(2:38)  8. Kung för en dag
(2:58)  9. Hej Monika
(3:14) 10. Step Up

Sylvia Vrethammar is back in the competition after 11 years. “In 2002, I thought it would never be done again and now it has somehow been put in my lap. A surprise that feels like an adventure ”. Sylvia's career took off in 1970 when she hosted the popular Hyland TV show. In 1971 she participated in the Melodifestivalen for the first time and in 1973 she recorded the song Eviva España which became a thunderous success in both Sweden and the UK. The English version was on the English hit list for a total of 28 weeks and gave Sylvia a place in the Guinness Record Book. Most recently she has been seen in the television program So Much Better. I understand that you have thought of presenting different types of music and broadened the range, broadened ages of artists and it is something that feels very mature in some way and I hope I will not be disappointed, she says. Sylvia describes her song as a Brazilian-inspired tribute to finding value in what is considered obvious. The song is about what we may sometimes forget, in the small there is big in life. To value what is near and small and nice and may not be able to see a final result all the time and go ahead of events. Translate By Google https://www.svt.se/melodifestivalen/sylvia-vrethammar-trivialitet-1/

Trivialitet

---

Ike Quebec - Ballads

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:43
Size: 122,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:24)  1. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)
(4:54)  2. Born To Be Blue
(6:30)  3. The Man I Love - Digitally Remastered
(5:54)  4. Lover Man
(5:21)  5. Willow Weep For Me
(6:04)  6. If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)
(6:39)  7. Everything Happens To Me - Long Version
(5:10)  8. Imagination
(4:43)  9. There Is No Greater Love

Tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec always had a big, warm sound, and he was particularly expert on ballads. This 1997 sampler CD surprisingly does not have any examples of his early work on Blue Note in the mid- to late 1940s, instead concentrating on selections from four of Quebec's seven late-period Blue Note albums, a few songs originally issued as 45s, and "Born to Be Blue," which is taken from an album by guitarist Grant Green. The eight ballads are all standards and put the focus very much on Quebec, making for a fine mood album even if acquiring the full sessions (all but "It Might As Well Be Spring" are currently available on CD) is preferable. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/ballads-mw0000024976

Personnel: Ike Quebec (tenor saxophone); Sonny Clark (piano); Freddie Roach, Sir Charles Thompson, Earl Vandyke (organ); Grant Green, Willie Jones (guitar); Milt Hinton, Sam Jones (bass); Art Blakey, Louis Hayes, Al Harewood, J.C. Heard, Wilbert Hogan (drums).

Ballads

---

Robert Walter - Super Heavy Organ

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:54
Size: 144,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:27)  1. Adelita
(3:14)  2. Kickin' Up Dust
(2:33)  3. Spell
(7:30)  4. El Cuervo
(5:12)  5. Criminals Have A Name For It
(7:15)  6. 34 Small
(3:38)  7. Don't Hate, Congratulate
(2:56)  8. Poor Tom
(6:05)  9. (smells like) Dad's Drunk Again
(4:57) 10. Big Dummy
(5:01) 11. Hardware
(9:02) 12. Cabrillo

Organist Robert Walter is best known as a founding member of the dance jazz funksters known as Greyboy Allstars. But since the mid-1990s he's also been involved in other projects, like the George Clinton tribute band The Clinton Administration featuring instrumental workups of classic Parliament and Funkadelic tunes and Robert Walter's 20th Congress, an update on 1970s jazz/funk. Super Heavy Organ is the first disc he's made since relocating to New Orleans, and by recruiting a group of notable Crescent City musicians he's created an album that not only fits comfortably in the jamband jazz/funk space he's made home all along, but also introduces some new elements as well. With bassist James Singleton and drummer Johnny Vidacovich the rhythm section for New Orleans supergroup Astral Project on seven of Walter's twelve original tunes, this "live in the studio session has a built-in chemistry. Stanton Moore previously intersecting with Walter in both The Clinton Administration and 20th Congress keeps the telepathy equally alive on the five tracks where he replaces Vidacovich. Saxophonist Tim Green may be better known in rock circles, having played with the Neville Brothers, Indigo Girls, and Peter Gabriel, but he's got some serious jazz chops. There's an immediacy about the whole record, right from the first notes of the greasy funk workout "Adelita. Walter's songs could be played by rhythm sections from anywhere and sound good, but there's a slap-happy looseness about the New Orleans approach that makes them sound great. It's less about virtuosity although there's no lack of that and more about a collective vibe.

Even singer Anthony Farrell, who appears on three tracks, isn't any kind of "lead singer. Instead, he contributes howls and moans to "Spell and some spoken word to "Don't Hate, Congratulate that are down in the mix, constituting integral parts rather than standing out. Walter's material may be groove-centric, but the group's energy and open ears keep things from becoming predictable. "El Cuerve may revolve around a two-chord vamp in 7/4, but Vidacovich and Singleton keep things fluid underneath powerful solos from both Green and Walter. "Cabrillo, the album closer and, at nine minutes, the longest piece, swings in 5/4 and evidences Walter's concerns beyond funk and soul, with a Latin vibe that's grist for one of his most purely adventurous solos on the record. Still, Walter can't forget his funk. "Hardware is down-and-dirty, with Vidacovich laying down a lazy behind-the-beat backbeat peppered by the occasional military roll, while Moore creates a huge sound behind Walter's combo of organ and clavinet on the up-tempo "Poor Tom. Walter differentiates himself from other contemporary Hammond players like Gary Versace and Larry Goldings with a purview that extends well beyond the jazz tradition. And while he shares some ties to the jamband aesthetic of MMW, Walters remains more direct. Still, with its combination of unassailable grooves filtered through a New Orleans sensibility and open-ended spontaneity, Super Heavy Organ is sure to find fans from a variety of stylistic vantages. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/super-heavy-organ-robert-walter-magnatude-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Robert Walter: Hammond organ, clavinet, piano, melodica, percussion; Stanton Moore: drums; Johnny Vidacovich: drums; Tim Green: tenor saxophone; James Singleton: bass. Special guest Anthony Farrell: vocals.

Super Heavy Organ

---

Harold Land - Just Imagine

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 81:38
Size: 189,1 MB
Art: Front

( 4:18)  1. Take the "A" Train
( 5:40)  2. Beautiful Love
( 6:59)  3. Tom Dooley
( 5:16)  4. Hava Nagila
( 5:36)  5. George's Dilemma
( 3:00)  6. On Top of Old Smokey
( 4:22)  7. Foggy, Foggy Dew
( 4:56)  8. Sandu
(11:15)  9. I'm Gonna Go Fishin'
( 2:53) 10. Swingin'
( 4:09) 11. Scarlet Ribbons
( 5:10) 12. Jacqui
( 4:57) 13. Land's End
( 6:40) 14. Full Moon and Empty Arms
( 3:24) 15. If I Love Again
( 2:56) 16. Gerkin for Perkin

Harold Land was a member of the Max Roach-Clifford Brown quintet in the '50s, and co-led another quintet with Bobby Hutcherson in the late '60s and early '70s. Early in his career, he was noted for a dry tone and rather individualistic approach. During the '60s, Land's tone became harder and his phrasing and style more intense as he incorporated elements of John Coltrane's approach into his style. But Land was first and foremost a hard bop stylist. Land began playing sax at 16, after his interest in music increased during high school. He initially played in San Diego bands, then moved to Los Angeles. Land's earliest recording experience was for Savoy in 1949, when he cut four tracks with Leon Petties, Froebel Brigham, and others leading the Harold Land All Stars. He joined the Max Roach-Clifford Brown quintet in the early '50s, replacing Teddy Edwards. Land stayed in the group about 18 months, recording with them for EmArcy, then left to play with Curtis Counce. He played with Counce from 1956 to 1958, appearing on Counce dates for Contemporary and Dooto. (He also recorded with Frank Rosolino on a Specialty date that didn't surface until the late '80s, though it was originally done in 1959.) Land recorded as a leader on Contemporary in the late '50s, making one of his finest albums, The Fox, with Elmo Hope. He worked often with Gerald Wilson in both the '50s and '60s. Land also divided his time during these decades between heading groups and playing with Red Mitchell. He and Mitchell recorded an album for Atlantic in 1961. There were also dates with Wes Montgomery and Kenny Dorham for Jazzland, and sessions for Imperial and Pacific Jazz. Land played with Carmell Jones, Bud Shank, Leroy Vinnegar, Gary Peacock, Thelonius Monk, and Wilson, among others. He and Hutcherson co-formed a quintet in 1967, and continued until 1971. They recorded for Cadet, Mainstream and Blue Note. Land and Blue Mitchell co-led a quintet from 1975 to 1978, recording for Concord, Impulse and RCA. Land worked with his son Harold Land, Jr. in Wilson's orchestra, and reunited with Hutcherson for a Muse session in the '80s. He continued working and performing into the '90s. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/artist/harold-land-mn0000665944/biography

Just Imagine

---

Don Byron - Do The Boomerang: The Music Of Junior Walker

Styles: Clarinet Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:24
Size: 118,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:08)  1. Cleo's Mood
(4:39)  2. Ain't That The Truth
(3:09)  3. Do The Boomerang
(3:20)  4. Mark Anthony Speaks
(4:53)  5. Shotgun
(7:21)  6. There It Is
(5:21)  7. Satan's Blues
(2:48)  8. Hewbie Steps Out
(3:55)  9. Pucker Up, Buttercup
(3:59) 10. Tally-Ho
(3:51) 11. What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)
(2:55) 12. (I'm A) Roadrunner

Anybody interested in Don Byron gets his range, and his willingness to try almost anything that tickles his fancy, whether it be klezmer, swing, funk, out jazz, blues or funky soul. He explores and leaves his mark on something and moves on. From Music for Six Musicians and Tuskegee Experiments to Nu Blaxploitation and Bug Music, from Fine Line: Arias and Lieder and Plays the Music of Mickey Katz to Ivey-Divey, Byron has explored not usually reverently -- his inspirations and curiosities with mixed results, but it's the investigation that counts for him in the first place. Do the Boomerang: The Music of Junior Walker is a curious outing in that Walker didn't always write his own material, but he wrote enough of it (five cuts on this set) and, like Byron, put an indelible stamp on anything he took on, from singing to blowing the saxophone. Byron assembled a dream band for this offering that includes guitarist David Gilmore, B-3 organist George Colligan, drummer Rodney Jones and bassist Brad Jones as the core group. The guests who augment the proceedings are Curtis Fowlkes, Chris Thomas King and Dean Bowman. Is the music reverent? Nope; but it's totally recognizable as Walker's. Byron doesn't set out to re-create anything exactly. His concern is for that thing he can't put his finger on, and discovering the place where the magic happens. But this is no academic set of Walker tunes, it's funky, it swings, and the grooves are deep and wide. Walker was a killer vocalist and Byron enlisted bluesman King on four cuts (he plays guitar on a pair as well) and Bowman. 

The set begins on a late-night smoky groove with "Cleo's Mood," the B-3 carries it in with Gilmore's guitar playing in the gaps before the tune's melody slithers to the fore with Byron and Bowman, and from here it's the blues as read through post-bop, soul-jazz, and the ghost of Leon Thomas through Bowman's vocal solo that sounds right at home here. Byron is in the pocket with this band. They aren't reaching for margins, but exploring how much was in Walker's music to begin with, there are traces of many things in the tune, and Byron finds them all. Digging into the classic "Shotgun," King's vocal delivery on the title track struts and steps to Byron's clarinet floating in the boundaries as Colligan's B-3 and Gilmore's meaty guitar heighten the groove to the breaking point. On "Shotgun," Byron plays it close to home and King's vocal is brilliant. This, like the title cut, is a dance tune on par with James Brown's; the lyrics are particularly compelling for the times we live in. Walker acknowledged the influence James Brown had on him readily and on "There It Is," both Bowman and King pump themselves to front this band that is so greasy and nasty one would never know that this is Byron's group. This joint burns the house down, baby! While there isn't a dud in the set, other big standouts include "Satan's Blues," "Pucker Up, Buttercup," and the ballad "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love.)" 

Here the bass clarinet is distracting for a moment, but transposing the opening saxophone part and letting King and Gilmore play sweet and slow lays a fine ground for both the hypnotic B-3 chart and King's lonesome vocal. Byron uses clipped, right phrasing with the airiness of his horn, solos around the fringes of the tune, and brings it back inside and underscores the fact that this is a soul tune. King's vocal could have been a bit tougher and leaner, but that's a really small complaint. Ending the set on Holland-Dozier-Holland's "Roadrunner" takes it out on a honking high point. Byron's done justice not only to Walker here, but to his Muse and to the grand tradition of funky jazz records on Blue Note hopefully they'll get it in the A&R department and bring the groove back wholesale. This baby is a smoking slab of greasy soul with a jazzman's sense of adventure. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/do-the-boomerang-the-music-of-junior-walker-mw0000729295

Personnel: Bass Clarinet – Don Byron; Clarinet – Don Byron;  Bass – Brad Jones; Drums, Tambourine – Rodney Holmes; Guitar – Chris Thomas King, David Gilmore; Organ [Hammond B-3] – George Colligan; Saxophone [Tenor] – Don Byron;  Trombone – Curtis Fowlkes; Vocals – Chris Thomas King , Dean Bowman

Do The Boomerang: The Music Of Junior Walker

---

Rebecca DuMaine, The Dave Miller Trio - Happy Madness

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:57
Size: 118,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:06)  1. Nobody Else but Me
(4:04)  2. Samba Saravah
(4:37)  3. Like Someone in Love
(3:45)  4. Take a Chance
(4:36)  5. So Nice
(4:22)  6. It's Alright with Me
(2:50)  7. I'm Old Fashioned
(6:07)  8. This Happy Madness
(2:40)  9. Here, There and Everywhere
(3:44) 10. The More I See You
(4:12) 11. Destination Moon
(3:06) 12. Haven't We Met
(3:44) 13. Spider Man

There's a natural appeal in Rebecca DuMaine's vocal work. Perhaps it's due to her straightforward approach, reflective of a theater background yet undeniably tethered to pure jazz. She puts a song across with a smile, capitalizing on her innate ebullience, and she gives the impression that she knows of what she sings. On this, DuMaine's fourth album on the Summit imprint, she continues her work with the Dave Miller Trio. She has a longstanding connection to this group the leader-pianist is her father, and the trio has accompanied her on all of her previous releases and that makes for a hand-in-glove fit. 

There may be slight changes in personnel from past albums a different bassist, the addition of one new guest (and the return of one familiar one) but it's basically business as usual for this crew. DuMaine's sunny side is tapped to the fullest extent over the course of these thirteen tracks. Everything is emotionally upbeat, regardless of tempo or style, and there's a glimmer in every musical action. Some numbers launch with swinging verve ("Nobody Else But Me") and others enter with lights-are-low intimacy before settling in ("Like Someone In Love"). DuMaine finds comfort in myriad settings along the way, gaily waltzing along ("Haven't We Met"), exploring a classic from The Beatles with only her father at her side ("Here, There And Everywhere"), delivering a "Sing, Sing, Sing"-esque spin on a famous thematic ode to the world's favorite web-slinger ("Spider Man"), and mining Brazilian music and rhythms to good effect on a number of occasions. Through it all, DuMaine is ably assisted by Miller, bassist Perry Thoorsell, drummer Bill Belasco, and, on occasion, guitarist Brad Buethe and saxophonist Pete Cornell. Everybody on that list helps to accentuate the mood(s) at hand by playing to the songs and adding concise solo statements at one time or another. If there's one potential drawback here, it's that things may be a bit too orderly and proper. This isn't risk-taking music. But should you really consider refinement and clarity of expression a flaw? Probably not. DuMaine, Miller, and the rest of the crew are a polished bunch, and these songs show it. 

If you're looking for a ray-of-sunshine statement capable of blocking out the negative energy in the world, this is it. ~ Dan Bilaswsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/happy-madness-rebecca-dumaine-summit-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Rebecca DuMaine: vocals; Dave Miller: piano; Perry Thoorsell: bass; Bill Belasco: drums; Brad Buethe: guitar; Pete Cornell: saxophone.

Happy Madness

---

Avery Sharpe Trio - Autumn Moonlight

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:09
Size: 136,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:25)  1. Boston Baked Blues
(7:26)  2. Fire and Rain
(4:37)  3. Autumn Moonlight
(4:16)  4. Take Your Time, But Hurry Up!
(8:55)  5. Palace of the Seven Jewels
(6:20)  6. Organ Grinder
(7:23)  7. Intrepid Warrior
(4:21)  8. Lost in a Dream
(5:23)  9. Visible Man
(4:57) 10. First Time We Met

Highly regarded bassist Avery Sharpe has been a first-call session musician due to his long affiliation with pianist McCoy Tyner and others of note. Moreover, he's a viable solo artist, evidenced here on this multicolored 2009 piano trio venture. Sharpe is the traffic director here, though it's a democratic engagement, comprised of covers and original compositions, all enamored by a lithe framework consisting of jazz-induced soul, funk, swing and other genre-fusing stylizations. The trio often projects a flotation-like soundscape. On "Autumn Moonlight" Sharpe's wordless vocals serve as an additional instrument in harmony with pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs' melodic inventions, all shaded with a Brazilian hue. Even when the band swings hard and navigates through complex unison phrasings, it makes it all sound effortless. Yet it can also lower the temperature, as on the quaint ballad, "Palace Of The Seven Jewels." Sharpe's rendition of trumpet great Woody Shaw's "Organ Grinder" is a strong vehicle for Gumbs, who re-engineers the primary theme via his fluent improvisational excursions. However, the bassist takes center stage on numerous pieces via his booming, earthen-toned lines, and lyrically charged solo spots. Gumbs' lower register block chords offer a fertile underpinning for drummer Winard Harper's explosive solo on "Intrepid Warrior," where the band generates high-heat and pulls out the proverbial stops. It's a congenial studio date, as Sharpe pitches an upbeat vibe that casts a divergent outlook without any hint of pretension. Expertly performed, the musicians also transmit a synergistic group-centric aura. It's easy to discern that a good time was had by all during the session and that notion alone conveys one of the many redeeming traits of this indubitably engaging album. ~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/autumn-moonlight-avery-sharpe-jknm-records-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: Avery Sharpe: Acoustic Bass; Onaje Allen Gumbs: piano; Winard Harper: drums.

Autumn Moonlight

---

Vassar Clements - Dead Grass

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:01
Size: 109,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:17)  1. Brown-eyed Women
(3:49)  2. Casey Jones
(4:22)  3. Attics Of My Life
(4:01)  4. Broke-down Palace
(3:40)  5. Alabama Getaway
(4:19)  6. Ripple
(4:38)  7. U.s. Blues
(2:53)  8. Dire Wolf
(5:07)  9. Friend Of The Devil
(4:50) 10. It Must Have Been The Roses
(5:00) 11. Mexicali Blues

Combining jazz with country, Vassar Clements became one of the most distinctive, inventive, and popular fiddlers in bluegrass music. Clements first came to prominence as a member of Bill Monroe's band in the early '50s, but he never limited himself to traditional bluegrass. Over the next four decades, he distinguished himself by incorporating a number of different genres into his style. In the process, he became not only one of the most respected fiddlers in bluegrass, he also became a sought-after session musician, playing with artists as diverse as the Monkees, Hank Williams, Paul McCartney, Michelle Shocked, Vince Gill, and Bonnie Raitt. Clements taught himself to play fiddle at the age of seven. Soon afterward, he formed a band with two of his cousins. By the time he was 21, Clements' skills were impressive enough to attract the attention of Bill Monroe. Monroe hired the young fiddler and Clements appeared on the Grand Ole Opry with the mandolinist in 1949. The following year, the fiddler recorded his first session with Monroe. For the next six years, Clements stayed with Monroe's band, occasionally leaving for brief periods of time. In 1957 he joined Jim & Jesse's Virginia Boys, and stayed with the band for the next four years. In the early '60s Clements was sidelined for a while as he suffered from alcoholism. By the end of the '60s he had rehabilitated, and he returned to playing in 1967. That year he moved to Nashville and began playing the tenor banjo at a residency at the Dixieland Landing Club. In 1969 he toured with Faron Young and joined John Hartford's Dobrolic Plectorial Society. The band only lasted ten months, and after its breakup Clements joined the Earl Scruggs Revue; he stayed with that band for a year. Clements began playing sessions in 1971, appearing on albums by Steve Goodman, Gordon Lightfoot, David Bromberg, J.J. Cale, and Mike Audridge over the next two years. In 1972 he was featured on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's hit album Will the Circle Be Unbroken, which helped establish him as a country and bluegrass star. Clements capitalized on the record's popularity in 1973, when he released his first solo album, Crossing the Catskills, on Rounder Records and began touring the festival and college circuits. That same year, he appeared on a number of albums, including the Grateful Dead's Wake of the Flood, Jimmy Buffett's A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean, and Mickey Newbury's Heaven Help the Child. 

In 1974, Clements signed a record contract with Mercury Records, releasing two albums for the label Vassar Clements and Superbow the following year. That same year, he appeared in the bluegrass supergroup Old & in the Way, which also featured Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, Peter Rowan, and John Kahn. He also had a cameo role in Robert Altman's film Nashville in 1975. In 1977, Clements released two albums for two different labels The Vassar Clements Band on MCA Records and The Bluegrass Session on Flying Fish. It would be four years before he released another solo album. During that time, he toured constantly and appeared on numerous albums. Clements reappeared in 1981 with Hillbilly Rides Again and Vassar, which were both released on Flying Fish. During the '80s and '90s, Clements continued to record sporadically, but he cut numerous sessions for other artists and played numerous concerts every year. In 1995, Clements reunited with Old & in the Way, which released That High Lonesome Sound in 1996. The solo Back Porch Swing followed three years later; Full Circle appeared in spring 2001. In 2004 he released Livin' With the Blues, his first blues-based album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine  https://www.allmusic.com/artist/vassar-clements-mn0000245039/biography

Personnel: Fiddle – Vassar Clements; Backing Vocals – Jeff White;  Bass, Vocals – Ryan Harris ; Guitar, Banjo – Reggie Harris; Mandolin – Butch Baldassari; Pedal Steel Guitar – Doug Jernigan; Vocals – Gwen Vaughn

Dead Grass

---

Harry 'Sweets' Edison - Gee, Baby Ain't I Good to You

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:26
Size: 100,0 MB
Scans: Front

(7:38)  1. Blues For Piney Brown
(4:50)  2. Blues For The Blues
(9:31)  3. Blues For Bill Basie
(3:32)  4. Gee, Baby Ain't I Good To You
(6:52)  5. You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
(7:03)  6. Taste On The Place
(3:57)  7. Moonlight In Vermont

Harry "Sweets" Edison got the most mileage out of a single note, like his former boss Count Basie. Edison, immediately recognizable within a note or two, long used repetition and simplicity to his advantage while always swinging. He played in local bands in Columbus and then in 1933 joined the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra. After a couple years in St. Louis, Edison moved to New York where he joined Lucky Millinder and then in June 1938, Count Basie, remaining with that classic orchestra until it broke up in 1950. During that period, he was featured on many records, appeared in the 1944 short Jammin' the Blues and gained his nickname "Sweets" (due to his tone) from Lester Young. In the 1950s, Edison toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic, settled in Los Angeles, and was well-featured both as a studio musician (most noticeably on Frank Sinatra records) and on jazz dates. He had several reunions with Count Basie in the 1960s and by the '70s was often teamed with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis; Edison also recorded an excellent duet album for Pablo with Oscar Peterson. One of the few swing trumpeters to be influenced by Dizzy Gillespie, Sweets led sessions through the years for Pacific Jazz, Verve, Roulette, Riverside, Vee-Jay, Liberty, Sue, Black & Blue, Pablo, Storyville, and Candid among others. Although his playing faded during the 1980s and '90s, Edison could still say more with one note than nearly anyone; he died July 27, 1999, at age 83. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/harry-sweets-edison-mn0000670641/biography

Personnel: Trumpet – Harry'Sweets'Edison; Bass – Ray Brown; Drums – Alvin Stoller; Guitar – Barney Kessel; Piano – Oscar Peterson; Tenor Saxophone – Ben Webster

Gee, Baby Ain't I Good to You

---

Ike Quebec - Blue Harlem

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:35
Size: 181,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:40)  1. Tiny's Exercise
(4:28)  2. She's Funny That Way
(4:00)  3. Indiana
(4:37)  4. Blue Harlem
(3:05)  5. Hard Tack
(3:25)  6. If I Had You
(4:15)  7. Mad About You
(4:11)  8. Facin' The Face
(4:00)  9. Blue Turning Grey Over You
(3:17) 10. Dolores
(4:04) 11. The Day You Came Along
(2:56) 12. Sweethearts On Parade
(3:53) 13. I Found A New Baby
(4:30) 14. I Surrender Dear
(3:10) 15. Topsy
(2:55) 16. Cup-Mute Clayton
(3:16) 17. Girl Of My Dreams
(2:49) 18. Jim Dawgs
(2:53) 19. Scufflin'
(2:58) 20. I.Q. Blues
(2:58) 21. The Masquerade Is Over
(3:04) 22. Basically Blue

Influenced by Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster but definitely his own person, Ike Quebec was one of the finest swing-oriented tenor saxman of the 1940s and '50s. Though he was never an innovator, Quebec had a big, breathy sound that was distinctive and easily recognizable, and he was quite consistent when it came to came to down-home blues, sexy ballads, and up-tempo aggression. Originally a pianist, Quebec switched to tenor in the early '40s and showed that he had made the right decision on excellent 78s for Blue Note and Savoy (including his hit "Blue Harlem"). As a sideman, he worked with Benny Carter, Kenny Clarke, Roy Eldridge, and Cab Calloway. In the late '40s, the saxman did a bit of freelancing behind the scenes as a Blue Note A&R man and brought Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell to the label. Drug problems kept Quebec from recording for most of the 1950s, but he made a triumphant comeback in the early '60s and was once again recording for Blue Note and doing freelance A&R for the company. Quebec was playing as authoritatively as ever well into 1962, giving no indication that he was suffering from lung cancer, which claimed his life at the age of 44 in 1963. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ike-quebec-mn0000082037/biography

Blue Harlem

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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!

---

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

---

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

---

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

---