Mark Morganelli, The Jazz Forum All-Stars - Brasil! Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Brasil! Disc 1

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Big Band

Year: 2019

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 55:44

Size: 130,0 MB

Art: Front

(3:48)  1. Amor en Paz

(4:52)  2. Deixa

(5:57)  3. Desafinado

(5:46)  4. Chovendo Na Roseira

(3:27)  5. Velas Icadas

(2:40)  6. Rua Dona Margarida

(4:06)  7. Inutil Paisagem

(3:00)  8. So Danco Samba

(3:24)  9. Anos Dourados

(3:15) 10. A Ra

(2:22) 11. Estrada do Sol

(3:34) 12. Vivo Sonhando

(5:16) 13. Caminos Cruzados

(4:11) 14. Falsa Baiana

Trumpeter and flugelhornist Mark Morganelli has led his own groups since high school days on Long Island. He has performed at the 1976 Montreux Jazz Festival, the 1992 & 1994 Syracuse Jazz Festivals, the Du Maurier Downtown Toronto Jazz Festival, JVC/NY and Saratoga Jazz Festivals, New Orleans' French Quarter Fest, and several tours of Italy, including in 2018. He's also played many concerts and festivals in Europe, Japan, Brazil and the Caribbean, and hosted nightly jam sessions aboard the QE2 to the Newport Jazz Festival from 1996-99. His first record Live On Broadway was recorded in 1982 at his 2nd Jazz Forum loft in NYC and featured James Spaulding, John Hicks, Billy Hart and others. In 1987, he recorded Five Is Bliss in the studio, featuring six originals and five standards including a couple of Brazilian tunes by Jobim. Morganelli has produced forty CDs for Candid Records, including his own Speak Low at Birdland in 1990 with Kenny Barron, Ron Carter & Jimmy Cobb. 

His fourth recording as a leader, “My Romance" was issued from live summer concert performances and featured Houston Person, Richie Hart, Rick Petrone & Joe Corsello. Morganelli has also recorded with Paquito D'Rivera, James Moody, Clark Terry, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Roland Hanna, Milt Hinton, Bucky Pizzarelli and others. He continues to perform with his Jazz Forum All-Stars and Brazil project around the region and Brasil! is his fifth CD as leader. Morganelli and his wife, Ellen Prior opened their new Jazz Forum club venue in Tarrytown, NY in June, 2017. https://news.allaboutjazz.com/trumpeter-and-flugelhornist-mark-morganelli-and-the-jazz-forum-all-stars-new-2-cd-release-brasil-drops-february-24.php

“Mark, congratulations on a beautiful tribute to your other favorite country- on all counts- repertoire, performances, and art work by your son Jaren." ~ Claudio Roditi

“As a master musician, Mark Morganelli has used his gifts as a soloist, band leader and tour guide to bring you to Brasil and Brasil to you, with this classic new album of musical gems. Each song is a treasure. Listen to it over and over (I have done so five times already) Your kids will love it too!" ~ David Amran

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Album: Brasil! Disc 2

Time: 51:54
Size: 121,1 MB

(4:40)  1. A Felicidade
(2:16)  2. O Morro Nao Tem Vez
(3:21)  3. Este Seu Olhar
(3:33)  4. Outra Vez
(5:08)  5. Corcovado
(3:40)  6. Samba de Verao
(3:37)  7. Fotografia
(2:41)  8. Brigas Nunca Mais
(5:03)  9. Dindi
(1:53) 10. Luiza
(3:30) 11. Mas Que Nada
(7:15) 12. Manha da Carnaval / Samba de Orfeu
(5:12) 13. Aquarela do Brasil

Brasil!

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The Stryker, Slagle Band - The Scene

Styles: Guitar, Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:22
Size: 127,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:38)  1. Skee
(6:18)  2. The Scene
(7:08)  3. Six For Teo
(6:55)  4. Two Sense
(5:25)  5. Kindred Spirits
(5:43)  6. Hopewell's Last
(7:48)  7. Brighter Days
(3:43)  8. Fingers In The Wind
(5:42)  9. Strikology

Consummate professionals, guitarist Dave Stryker and saxophonist Steve Slagle continue to raise the bar of instrumental interplay with The Scene. This pair eschews gimmickry for chops and produces some of the best post-bop anywhere. Joe Lovano, himself one of the busiest and best tenor saxophonists around, joins them again, as he did on their previous release, Latest Outlook (Zoho, 2007).  Along with this powerful frontline, a rhythm section of bassist Jay Anderson and Victor Lewis on drums and the music's compositional strength turns what would otherwise be a good collaboration into a great one. Take, for example, the opening "Skee" dedicated to the late bassist Dennis Irwin on which Lovano and Slagle blend beautifully against a hypnotic rhythm, or Slagle's tribute to his late brother, "Hopewell's Last," a gorgeous soprano (Slagle)/tenor (Lovano) showcase.  The aptly titled "Kindred Spirits" finds Stryker breaking out his acoustic to dovetail with Slagle's alto and Lewis' superb cymbal work, while Roland Kirk's "Fingers In The Wind" pairs an understated acoustic guitar with flute for an arrestingly melodic interlude. "Strikology," with bop chops emerging fore and aft, closes out another strong effort from the Stryker/Slagle Band.~ Elliott Simon https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-scene-stryker-slagle-band-zoho-music-review-by-elliott-simon.php

Personnel: Dave Stryker: guitar; Steve Slagle: alto and soprano sax, flute; Jay Anderson: bass; Victor Lewis: drums; Joe Lovano: tenor sax (1, 3, 6, 7).

The Scene

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Marquis Hill - Modern Flows, Vol. 2

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:32
Size: 159,9 MB
Art: Front

(1:53)  1. Modern Flows II Intro
(6:00)  2. Twin Flame
(8:13)  3. Ego vs. Spirit
(5:52)  4. The Watcher
(2:16)  5. It Takes a Village
(6:05)  6. Prayer for the People
(6:02)  7. Moments of Flow
(1:55)  8. Smoke Break
(4:51)  9. Kiss and Tell
(3:33) 10. It's All Beautiful
(6:03) 11. As I Am
(2:57) 12. Herstory
(4:38) 13. Stellar
(5:34) 14. Law of Vibrations
(2:32) 15. Legend's Outro III

In the interim between trumpeter/composer Marquis Hill's Modern Flows EP in 2014 and this full-length sequel, he issued The Way We Play for Concord. It offered his genre blurring style in a program of (mostly) jazz standards. A year later he released the killer Meditation Tape, a recording that serves as a proper introduction to the music found here. The trumpeter is sporting an entirely new Blacktet for this date with drummer Jonathan Pinson, vibraphone and marimba ace Joel Ross, bassist Junius Paul, and alto saxophonist Josh Johnson, and guest vocalists. Hill relentlessly pursues the seams between post-bop jazz, fusion, hip hop, and 21st century soul, erasing their lines of demarcation as he pursues a holistic, insightful vision. In "Twin Flame," Hill's labyrinthine compositional style reveals itself with circular vibraphone pulses and snare breaks under a winding head from the frontline players and Paul's Jaco-esque electric bassline. First single "Ego vs. Spirit" commences with a breezy bass vamp and skittering drums amid martial vibes. The unified head is pastoral at least until it directly quotes Ellington's "Caravan" with loping harmonies over a chorus of wordless backing vocals and Ross' vibes, which wed Ruth Underwood's to Bobby Hutcherson's playing styles in provocative rhythmic flourishes before they give way to a fine solo from Johnson. 

Hill's harmonic conceptions are wholly interactive: "The Watcher" and "Moments of Flow" offer examples where knotty solo transitions meet the horns' elegant lyric passages. The interplay of the rhythm section is remarkable in its complexity and rumbling, funky charm. Second single "Kiss and Tell" is a glorious soul tune with vocals by Braxton Cook and Rachel Robinson entwining like Peaches & Herb or Billy Paul and Marilyn McCoo. While "As I Am" is a flat-out bop sprint, "Herstory" (featuring M'Reld Green) is an in-the-pocket, laid-back funk jam courtesy of the rhythm section. "Law of Vibrations" offers a frontline lyric passage worthy of the Jazz Messengers before Paul and Ross take it outside, complemented by frenetic sticks on wood syncopation from Pinson. The horns enter midway, just in time for wonderful (i.e., not overplayed) solos from Ross, Johnson, and Hill. Modern Flows, Vol. II is a much more unified statement than its predecessor. This is the sound of a band intimately communicating, not just fine players articulating someone's tunes. The juxtapositions of genres here create a true fusion sound; Hill doesn’t discriminate: for him these are incarnations of the same music. That said, unlike many of his peers, he has the compositional skill and requisite taste to communicate just exactly how he hears that.~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/modern-flows-vol-ii-mw0003210186

Personnel: Marquis Hill (tr.), Josh Johnson (alto), Joel Ross (vib.), Junius Paul (cb.), Jonathan Pinson (batt.), M’Reld Green, King Legend, Braxton Cook, Rachel Robinson.

Modern Flows, Vol. 2

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Doug Ferony - You Will Be My Music

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:57
Size: 74,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:17)  1. Fly Me to the Moon
(3:17)  2. Do You Wanna Dance
(3:18)  3. I Love You More Today Than Yesterday
(4:38)  4. You Will Be My Music
(2:32)  5. We've Only Just Begun
(2:59)  6. Come Fly With Me
(3:46)  7. How Do You Keep the Music Playing
(3:37)  8. I Can't Stop Loving You
(2:22)  9. Oh Look At Me Now
(3:08) 10. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm

In his career, Doug Ferony has proven to be one of the more enjoyable and musical crooners of the 21st century. As was evident on his first eight CDs, he loves performing high-quality standards, has a warm voice, swings easily and enthusiastically and, while fond of the singing of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and other top-notch vocalists, has a sound of his own. You Will Be My Music showcases Doug’s singing while accompanied by an excellent and supportive big band arranged by Khadafy Khan, Clark Gault and Paul Swain. The repertoire is comprised of vintage songs along with a few more contemporary tunes that fit the singer’s style and musical interests quite comfortably. The opening “Fly Me To The Moon” utilizes a classic arrangement by Quincy Jones and features Doug swinging hard, making each note count. 

The infectious “Do You Wanna Dance” is quite catchy while “I Love You More Today Than Yesterday” is a bit obscure but well worth reviving. “You Will Be My Music” utilizes a string orchestra. Doug’s version is quite dramatic and heartfelt. “We’ve Only Just Begun,” one of the biggest hits for the Carpenters, is taken faster than usual and benefits from this infectious treatment. “Come Fly With Me” features Doug doing his own twist on the Frank Sinatra hit. An emotional “How Do You Keep The Music Playing” precedes Doug’s version of “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” a song identified with both Ray Charles and Count Basie. You Will Be My Music concludes with a pair of swingers. “Oh Look At Me Now,” easily pianist Joe Bushkin’s best known song, was a hit for Tommy Dorsey in the 1940s while Irving Berlin’s “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” was a big seller for Les Brown. Doug Ferony’s versions sound unlike anyone else’s and make the two vintage songs sound fresh and lively. Enjoy swinging crooners who put a lot of heart into their singing? Then You Will Be My Music is for you. Scott Yanow, author of ten books including Swing, Trumpet Kings, Jazz On Film and Jazz On Record 1917-76
~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/You-Will-Be-My-Music/dp/B006IG0C58

You Will Be My Music

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Ben Webster - At The Renaissance

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:51
Size: 156,1 MB
Art: Front

( 9:30)  1. Gone With The Wind
(11:22)  2. Stardust
(10:16)  3. Caravan
( 6:59)  4. Georgia On My Mind
( 7:14)  5. Ole Miss Blues
( 8:24)  6. Mop Mop
( 7:47)  7. What Is This Thing Called Love
( 6:15)  8. Renaissance Blues

This live set features tenor great Ben Webster playing with pianist Jimmy Rowles, guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Red Mitchell, and drummer Frank Butler in a club, and the music is consistently wonderful. Whether showing warmth and sentimentality on "Georgia on My Mind" and "Stardust" or growling and roaring on "Caravan" and "Ole Miss Blues," Webster (who was then somewhat taken for granted) is in superior and creative form. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/at-the-renaissance-mw0000006477

Personnel: Ben Webster - tenor saxophone; Jim Hall - guitar; Jimmy Rowles - piano; Red Mitchell - bass; Frank Butler - drums

At The Renaissance

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Bob Mintzer, Gil Goldstein - Longing

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:10
Size: 129,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:22)  1. Overlap
(5:29)  2. Jaco
(5:42)  3. Angelique & Ellen
(5:49)  4. Comotion
(6:14)  5. Longing
(5:44)  6. Your Story
(4:26)  7. What's The Word
(4:03)  8. Two To Tango
(5:58)  9. Three Little Initials
(7:20) 10. Everything Happens To Me

The pairing of Bob Mintzer and Gil Goldstein as a duo is an inspired affair. With Mintzer playing tenor sax and Goldstein on piano, they each contributed a number of strong originals to the date. Mintzer's moody ballad "Longing" and intricate bop vehicle "Where's the Word" are among his finest compositions on CD. Goldstein's "Three Little Initials" is a subtle variation of the well known "Body and Soul." Mintzer switches to bass clarinet for Goldstein's lush ballad "Angelique & Ellen" (written for the film Radio Inside), a haunting treatment of the late Bill Evans' "Your Story," along with a fascinating rendition of the standard "Everything Happens to Me" that begins with an unaccompanied Eric Dolphy-inspired solo by the reed player. Goldstein's "Two to Tango" is a delightful upbeat duet for bass clarinet and accordion. Highly recommended!

 ~ https://www.allmusic.com/album/longing-mw0000480211

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Bob Mintzer; Piano, Piano Accordion, Producer – Gil Goldstein  

Longing

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Steve Slagle Quartet - Our Sound

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:24
Size: 144,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:42)  1. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(6:15)  2. Eve
(6:20)  3. Little Rootie Tootie
(6:01)  4. Theme For Ernie
(8:13)  5. Crazy She Calls Me
(6:55)  6. Haitian Fight Song
(4:45)  7. Lush Life
(8:45)  8. All Or Nothing At All
(8:24)  9. Beautiful Friendship

Steve Slagle is an American jazz saxophonist, flautist, and composer. Slagle was born in Los Angeles and grew up in suburban Philadelphia. He received a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music and received a master's degree in Music From Manhattan School of Music.. He came to New York in 1976, first working with Machito and his Afro-Cuban orchestra, and then toured and recorded with Ray Barretto, Steve Kuhn, Lionel Hampton, Brother Jack McDuff, and Carla Bley. He also performed and traveled with Woody Herman and Cab Calloway. In the mid-1980s, he began leading his own combos, first with Mike Stern and then with Dave Stryker; the combo is currently the main focus of Slagle's music. He has also played frequently with Joe Lovano and has featured on several of Lovano's albums, including the Grammy-winning 52nd Street Themes.

In the mid-1980s, global and especially Latin influences began to inflect Slagle's work, and he appeared on albums by Milton Nascimento and recorded Rio Highlife in Brazil. He toured frequently worldwide during the 1990s and 2000s, especially in Western Europe, Japan, South America and, latterly, Russia and Bulgaria. During the 1990s, he was a leading figure in the Charles Mingus Big Band. Ever since the late 1990s, Slagle has co-led a band with guitarist Dave Stryker. New New York, his 2000 release, has been seen as an evocation of the city's mood on the verge of 9/11 and an expression of Slagle's love for the city he has made his home. He has played with such diverse artists as Milton Nascimento, St. Vincent, Elvis Costello, the Beastie Boys, and Mac Rebennack (aka Dr. John). Slagle has taught at the Manhattan School of Music, Rutgers, The New School, NYU, and clinics through the Thelonious Monk Institute as well as the Mingus Jazz Workshop and master classes and clinics worldwide.

In 2015, his duo recording with pianist Bill O'Connell, a tribute album to Kenny Drew Jr. was released as The Power of Two. In February 2016, Routes (by the Stryker/Slagle Band-Expanded) was released. It was produced by Rick Simpson, with 4-horn arrangements by Steve Slagle. With much critical acclaim, Routes reached #2 on the national radio charts. Slagle plays and endorses Yanagisawa saxophones  the WO-10 alto saxophone and S9930 soprano saxophone. Steve has also been a long time player of Haynes flutes. On tenor sax, Steve plays a mid-60's Selmer Mark VI, and on baritone sax, a 1947 Silver Conn. In 2011, Slagle published a composition and improvisation workbook for the creative musician, and stories about his life in "Scenes, Songs and Solos" (Schaffner Press). His many original compositions are published with Slagle Music, BMI. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Slagle

Our Sound

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Scott Hamilton & Bucky Pizzarelli - The Red Door...Remember Zoot Sims

Styles: Saxophone And Guitar Jazz 
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:21
Size: 132,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:38)  1. It Had To Be You
(5:55)  2. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
(4:59)  3. Red Door
(5:25)  4. Dream Of You
(5:46)  5. The Jitterbug Waltz
(5:23)  6. Two Funky People
(5:05)  7. Just You, Just Me
(5:30)  8. In The Middle Of A Kiss
(4:19)  9. Morning Fun
(7:19) 10. It's Alright With Me

As of 1998, when this CD was released, Scott Hamilton had recorded over 30 albums as a leader for Concord. Although all are quite worthwhile, the swing tenor's consistency and unchanged style since the 1970s have resulted in a certain sameness and predictability to his recordings. This release, however, definitely stands apart from the crowd, for it is a set of tenor/guitar duets that Hamilton performs with Bucky Pizzarelli. A tribute to Zoot Sims (one of Hamilton's early influences), this is a very successful outing. Pizzarelli's mastery of the seven-string guitar allows him to play basslines behind solos, so one never misses the other instruments. Although the duo performs a variety of standards, there are also some lesser-known pieces among the highlights including the title cut, Al Cohn's "Two Funky People," the Sims/Cohn collaboration "Morning Fun," and the obscure "In the Middle of a Kiss." 

Both Hamilton and Pizzarelli sound inspired in this format, stretching themselves while always swinging. Pizz had recorded a duo album with Sims back in 1973, and Zoot also cut a full set with guitarist Joe Pass a couple years later. This excellent, slightly offbeat outing is on the same level as those two and is highly recommended to fans of swinging mainstream jazz. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/red-door-remember-zoot-sims-mw0000042967

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Scott Hamilton; Guitar – Bucky Pizzarelli

The Red Door - Scott Hamilton & Bucky Pizzarelli Remember Zoot Sims

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Duke Ellington - At Fargo 1940 Special 60th Anniversary Edition Disc1, Disc2

Album: At Fargo 1940 Special 60th Anniversary Edition Disc 1

Styles: Big Band

Year: 2000

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 77:31

Size: 179,3 MB

Art: Front

(0:47)  1. It's Glory

(5:24)  2. The Mooche

(2:55)  3. The Sheik Of Araby

(1:15)  4. Sepia Panorama

(2:22)  5. Ko Ko

(3:09)  6. There Shall Be No Night

(4:34)  7. Pussy Willow

(3:22)  8. Chatterbox

(4:15)  9. Mood Indigo

(3:43) 10. Harlem Airshaft

(1:33) 11. Ferryboat Serenade

(3:36) 12. Warm Valley

(2:42) 13. Stompy Jones

(4:03) 14. Chloe

(4:02) 15. Bojangles

(5:08) 16. On The Air

(2:36) 17. Rumpus In Richmond

(0:15) 18. Chaser

(5:07) 19. The Sidewalks Of New York

(4:59) 20. The Flaming Sword

(4:21) 21. Never No Lament

(3:44) 22. Caravan

(3:28) 23. Clarinet Lament

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Album: At Fargo 1940 Special 60th Anniversary Edition Disc 2

Time: 76:54

Size: 177,8 MB

(3:24)  1. Slap Happy

(5:11)  2. Sepia Panorama

(5:36)  3. Boy Meets Horn

(1:27)  4. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans

(2:17)  5. Oh Babe, Maybe Someday

(2:00)  6. Five O'Clock Whistle

(0:32)  7. Fanfare

(1:33)  8. Call Of The Canyon

(4:54)  9. Rockin' In Rhythm

(5:11) 10. Sophisticated Lady

(3:06) 11. Cotton Tail

(2:30) 12. Whispering Grass

(4:07) 13. Conga Brava

(5:29) 14. I Never Felt This Way Before

(6:44) 15. Across The Track Blue

(5:08) 16. Honeysuckle Rose

(2:49) 17. Wham

(4:15) 18. Star Dust

(3:33) 19. Rose Of The Rio Grande

(5:39) 20. St. Louis Blues

(0:50) 21. Warm Valley

(0:28) 22. God Bless America

This two-disc set is a true historical treasure. An amateur recording of a Duke Ellington dance engagement at the Crystal Ballroom in Fargo, North Dakota made by two dedicated fans, one a high-school senior at the time, and the other a college student, coupled with a remote radio broadcast complete with a KVOX announcer, it makes a fascinating document of an era long gone. Ellington's famed orchestra at the time consisted of Rex Stewart, Wallace Jones, Ray Nance, Sam Nanton, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown, Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Ben Webster, Harry Carney, Fred Guy, Jimmy Blanton, Sonny Greer, and vocalists Ivie Anderson and Herb Jeffries, and having played the night before in Winnipeg, Canada and traveling by train, they still delivered a fine set. This is not a professional recording, however, with occasional missed openings and several ongoing microphone adjustments throughout, but that adds to the immediacy and intimacy of it all, really, and as an archival document of one of jazz's greatest bands in full dress at a typical gig, this set is simply a blessing to have and to hear. ~ Steve Leggett https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-duke-at-fargo-1940-special-60th-anniversary-edition-mw0000678707

Personnel: piano and conducting: Duke Ellington.; trumpet : Wallace Jones, Ray Nance; cornet : Rex Stewart; trombone : Tricky Sam Nanton , Lawrence Brown; valve trombone : Juan Tizol; clarinet : Barney Bigard; alto saxophone : Johnny Hodges; tenor saxophone : Ben Webster , Otto Hardwick; baritone saxophone : Harry Carney; guitar : Fred Guy; double bass : Jimmy Blanton; percussion instruments : Sonny Greer; singing : Ivie Anderson, Herb Jeffries

At Fargo 1940 Special 60th Anniversary Edition

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Tierney Sutton - Desire

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:35
Size: 132,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:15)  1. It's Only A Paper Moon
(4:52)  2. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
(5:45)  3. Long Daddy Green
(4:58)  4. Fever
(4:37)  5. It's All Right With Me
(4:23)  6. Then I'll Be Tired Of You
(5:22)  7. Cry Me A River
(4:54)  8. Love Me Or Leave Me
(3:54)  9. Heart's Desire
(5:38) 10. Whatever Lola Wants
(5:50) 11. Slylark

Dark chocolate is a beautifully nefarious romantic ideal. Rather than possessing the youthful sweetness of milk chocolate, it instead offers a libertine bitterness, a taste that must be acquired to appreciate but once acquired, no other taste can sate. Having to learn to like something so that knowledge will bring added pleasure is an adult concept, perhaps a hedonistic one, that Paul obviously meant to express when he divinely penned to those salacious Corinthians, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." Dark chocolate has the added decadence of danger. That thing denied that is so coveted because it is denied. It is this dark romance that Tierney Sutton began investigating on her previous effort, On The Other Side (Telarc, 2007), and has continued to cultivate on Desire. 

Where On The Other Side rubbed together the innocent lyrics of "Get Happy" and "You Are My Sunshine" with sensual too-close-for-comfort support, Desire further strips down this tact to the bare essentials. Drummer Ray Brinker and bassists Trey Henry and Kevin Axt provide Sutton tactile terrain over which the vocalist redevelops these standards anew. "It's Only a Paper Moon" has Brinker quietly brushing double time, just a low hum of anxiety beneath Sutton and pianist Christian Jacob, who rendezvous darkly. Against Kevin Axt's complex bass line and Jacob's piano seasoning, Sutton stretches like Eliot's cat on "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." . Sutton gives a superbly sardonic kiss-off on "Cry Me a River" and "Love Me or Leave Me." Her unique ability to sing words while conveying their exact opposite is the key to what has made these last two albums so artistically successful. Again, it is Henry's bass figure, ascending and descending, that provides the jagged terrain Sutton must travel to thumb her nose at an ex-lover. "Whatever Lola Wants" is delivered with a languid and spoiled attitude. Jacob's solo shards are delivered over a brilliantly off time left hand figure, so menacing that this ballad may best be reserved for Halloween (in the best possible way). The closing "Skylark" is as spooky as they come. With Desire, Sutton tempers her signature sound: edgy, intelligent, and beautiful. ~C. Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/desire-tierney-sutton-telarc-records-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Tierney Sutton: vocals; Christian Jacob: piano; Trey Henry and Kevin Axt: bass: Ray Brinker: drums.

Desire

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Jan Lundgren, Peter Asplund Quartet - California Connection

Styles: Piano And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:35
Size: 147,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:24)  1. Au Privave - Studio
(4:28)  2. Att Angöra En Brygga
(5:48)  3. Swedish Pastry
(6:51)  4. What is This Thing Called Love
(5:08)  5. Södermalm
(3:22)  6. I Hear a Rhapsody
(5:08)  7. How Deep is the Ocean
(6:44)  8. Stockholm Sweetnin'
(6:34)  9. Indian Summer
(6:13) 10. There Will Never Be Another You
(4:33) 11. When It's Sleepy Time Down Sout
(4:20) 12. Cottontail

The “California connection” on this colorful studio date, recorded in January ’96, is scrupulously forged between two marvelous young Swedish musicians, Asplund and Lundgren, and a duo of long–time West Coast stalwarts, Carpenter and Kreibich. Although Asplund was only 27 at the time and Lundgren 29, they play with an awareness and maturity far beyond their years, while Carpenter (37) and Kreibich (40) balance the scales with the bright eyed energy and enthusiasm of callow apprentices. Asplund and Lundgren met and became friends in ’93 when Jan received Sweden’s prestigious Thore Swanerud Award for young swing/bop musicians (Asplund had earned the award in 1990). After Lundgren was named Sweden’s Jazz Musician of the Year in ’94, he and Asplund decided to record an album of standards. 

The result is California Connection, whose cast was assembled on behalf of Four Leaf Clover by veteran Los Angeles producer Dick Bank. The quartet connects at every conceivable level on eight of the twelve selections, and for variety Lundgren and Asplund play without the rhythm section on Swanerud’s best known composition, “Södermalm,” Lundgren and Carpenter alone interpret Irving Berlin’s “How Deep Is the Ocean,” Lundgren plays with Carpenter/Kreibich on the late Stan Hasselgaard’s “Swedish Pastry,” and Asplund does likewise on “I Hear a Rhapsody.” Asplund’s horn is muted on “Rhapsody,” “Cottontail” and “Stockholm Sweetnin’,” open the rest of the way (and sounds at times like a flugelhorn, even though there’s no mention of that in the notes). In any case, he displays uncommon resourcefulness and superior chops, as does Lundgren, who is beyond any doubt one of the most accomplished young post–bop pianists not only in Sweden, but anywhere in the world. Good as Asplund and Lundgren are, Carpenter and Kreibich have no trouble keeping pace with them, and this is about as commendable a session of modern mainstream Jazz as any quartet is likely to fashion.~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/california-connection-jan-lundgren-four-leaf-clover-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Peter Asplund, trumpet; Jan Lundgren, piano; Dave Carpenter, bass; Paul Kreibich, drums.

California Connection

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David Hobson - Endless Days

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:30
Size: 105,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:38)  1. Ae Fond Kiss
(2:53)  2. The Mountains Of Mourne
(4:46)  3. Carrickfergus
(3:05)  4. Wild Mountain Thyme
(2:45)  5. Spanish Lady
(3:45)  6. My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose
(2:58)  7. The Maid Of Culmore
(3:44)  8. Shenandoah
(2:23)  9. Suo Gân (Lullaby)
(5:30) 10. Blood Of Eden
(3:04) 11. The Dark Island
(2:35) 12. Show Me The Place
(3:18) 13. 500 Miles

Renowned Australian composer and opera singer David Hobson had his sights set on a career as an economist or lawyer, but the Ballarat native's plans were thwarted by the intervention of the Victoria State Opera. Hobson made his operatic debut as Rodolfo in La Bohéme in 1987, became a company member of the Australian Opera, and was awarded the Dame Joan Sutherland Scholarship the following year. He has since starred in numerous productions; composed for television, film, and theater; and received a myriad of awards.~ James Christopher Monger https://www.allmusic.com/artist/david-hobson-mn0002223090/biography

Endless Days

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Bob Wilber And The Tuxedo Big Band Of Toulouse France - More Unrecorded Arrangements

Styles: Clarinet Jazz, Big Band   
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:54
Size: 137,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. Tuxedo Stomp
(4:16)  2. Blue Interlude
(3:15)  3. I'm Coming Virginia
(2:09)  4. All The Things You Are
(3:02)  5. I Want To Be Happy
(3:23)  6. Guess I'll Go Back Home This Summer
(2:58)  7. Some Of These Days
(3:19)  8. Ballad For Benny
(3:56)  9. Royal Garden Blues
(3:15) 10. Song Of The Plow
(3:54) 11. I Know That You Know
(2:23) 12. Mendelssohn Mowed Down
(2:47) 13. Limehouse Blues
(2:48) 14. The Thrill Is Gone
(3:03) 15. Conversation
(6:04) 16. Clarinetta
(3:59) 17. Benny's Bugle

This marvelous new recording by clarinetist Bob Wilber and the Tuxedo Big Band from Toulouse, France, is akin to finding buried treasure and it’s no wonder, as these sparkling arrangements by Fletcher Henderson were “buried” for many years in collections donated by Benny Goodman to the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts and the Yale University Music Library. Wilber was given access to them in 1984 as he planned a 75th birthday tribute to the King of Swing at Waterloo Village in New Jersey, and spent more than a decade after Goodman’s death in 1986 planning an album to showcase Henderson’s unrecorded gems as he searched for a big band capable of expressing their notable spirit and charm. Wilber found his band in Toulouse, France. Tuxedo, formed in 1990 by clarinetist Paul Chéron and named in honor of the Tuxedo Club in turn of the century Manhattan, is devoted to music of the Swing Era. 

The band has recorded two CDs of material by Jimmie Lunceford, Rhythm Is Our Business and Siesta at the Fiesta, on its own TBB label, and recently released a third album, To Ella and Chick, dedicated to Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb. Even more important, Wilber and Chéron have become friends and Wilber has performed with the band on a number of occasions. 

The surprisingly accomplished TBB is present on all save one selection, Jerome Kern / Dorothy Fields’ “Bojangles of Harlem,” played by Wilber and the rhythm section. With the exceptions of “Bojangles,” Neil Moret’s “Song of the Wanderer,” Antonin Dvorak’s “Humoresque” and the Dixieland staple “Milenburg Joys,” the songs were adapted by Henderson from the Great American Songbook, the sturdy bedrock on which every Swing Era band rested. Make no mistake, these charts are by no means “modern”; they are typical of the period in which they were written, the mid ’30s to late ’40s when Goodman’s orchestra was at the height of its popularity. 

The Tuxedo band stays in character throughout, sounding for all the world like a pre–World War II era ensemble; even the solos are swing-derived carbons. Wilber, who says Goodman was his "first inspiration to play clarinet," is a masterful replacement for the King, flexing his impressive chops on most numbers and building to a toe-tapping finish on "Bojangles" (which also features inspired drumming by Jean-Luc Guiraud). Those who remember and / or appreciate America's golden age of big-band music will find a lavish storehouse of riches in these previously unheard arrangements.~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/fletcher-hendersons-unrecorded-arrangements-for-benny-goodman-bob-wilber-arbors-records-review-by-jack

Personnel: Clarinet – Bob Wilber;  Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – Stéphane Lourties; Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Bass Clarinet – Guy Robert (2); Bass – Pierre-Luc Puig; ; Drums – Jean-Luc Guiraud; Guitar – Henri Chéron ; Music Director, Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet – Paul Chéron; Piano – Thierry Ollé; Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Gérard Batbie, Jean-François Bonnel; Trombone – Didier Pascal, Laurent Hotta, Michel Chalot; Trumpet – Eric Robert (2), Jacques Sallent, Jean Imbert, Philippe Laudet

More Unrecorded Arrangements

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Willie Nelson - First Rose of Spring

Styles: Vocal, Country
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:26
Size: 97,7 MB
Art: 

(3:41)  1. First Rose of Spring
(4:35)  2. Blue Star
(2:49)  3. I'll Break Out Again Tonight
(3:07)  4. Don't Let the Old Man In
(3:15)  5. Just Bummin' Around
(3:51)  6. Our Song
(4:03)  7. We Are the Cowboys
(3:41)  8. Stealing Home
(4:11)  9. I'm the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised
(4:34) 10. Love Just Laughed
(3:33) 11. Yesterday When I Was Young (Hier Encore)

Willie Nelson’s 70th solo studio album, released in his 88th year, is a reflection on life experience, love and mortality. If that sounds morbid, it’s not: there’s catharsis in the country legend’s beguiling delivery. The slow-paced title-track opener sets the tone with plaintive harmonica, pedal-steel guitar and tender, but weary, vocals. It’s followed by Nelson and his long-term friend and producer Buddy Cannon’s atmospheric “Blue Star”, which reassures a younger lover that they will meet once again beyond the pearly gates (“And when we reach the heaven’s bright/ I’ll be the blue star on your right”). Subtle harmonising backing vocals, sliding guitar and organ combine beautifully.

Though Nelson laments failed relationships in “Love Just Laughed” (“We can look back and smile and say/ Whatever happened brought us down to today”), it’s not all downbeat. Listen to his cover of the hammond-driven “Just Bummin’ Around” (by Pete Graves) and you’ll feel a surge of jauntiness. Nelson’s first release since winning a 2020 Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance with last year’s “Ride Me Back Home” features just two new songs “Blue Star” and “Love Just Laughed”. On First Rose of Spring, Nelson is more interested in paying tribute to the artists he admires, imbuing their songs with his gravelly emotion. “In this time that I’ve been given/ To fill my life with livin’/ I hope I’ve done the best that I can do”, he sings on “Our Song”. That this is a cover of Chris Stapleton who has hailed Nelson “one of my biggest influences” acknowledges his mutual respect for the younger star and suggests he could be ready to hand over the mantle to his successor. But First Rose of Spring is the work of an artist wwho will never grow old. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/willie-nelson-review-first-rose-of-spring-denai-moore-modern-dread-stream-a9596686.html

First Rose of Spring

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Peter Asplund Quartet - Melos

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:33
Size: 141,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:14)  1. Immel Touch
( 6:31)  2. W.S. and P. T.
( 9:54)  3. Alone Again
( 9:18)  4. Baldinavian Love Song
(11:00)  5. Leaving
( 9:15)  6. Take Care
( 8:17)  7. Hunter

Peter Asplund is one of Sweden's foremost trumpeters. Or why not say as it is? He is one of Europe's or even one of the world's foremost trumpeters! Why draw a line when you don't need to? Jazz is not felt at any national borders! "A fantastic musician who always plays straight from the heart" has someone written somewhere. And that's just to agree. Over the years, he has developed his dynamic and energy-laden, slightly melancholy and melodic trumpet games until he can say what he wants, whenever he wants. That's when he plays a standard song by George Gerschwin, Cole Porter or Duke Ellington. And that is when he plays any of his own slightly tense songs, songs where the melodic vein is strong, "my own standards" as he calls them.He has made eight CDs in his own name, nominated for Grammis and received Jazz Sweden's foremost award, Gyllene Skivan for both "Lochiel´s warning" and "Asplund meets Bernstein". Not for nothing is he one of the most sought after musicians in Sweden. He appeared on stage during the early 1990s. At the same time, soul music received a great revival and pop music began to be "jazzed up". Peter Asplund, "the lone trumpeter on the top of the alpine", became an invited soloist at just that spice on more than 200 plates.

This is completely in line with Peter Asplund's idea that you develop when you work and work hard. To be an artist you also have to be a craftsman. One feeds the other and somewhere along the way you find your personal voice and expression. Peter Asplund did so early. He was a wonderful child who quickly went from clarity to clarity. Since then he has only developed and refined what has always been there. It sounds easy and may have been. But it would not have happened without all the work. Constantly in demand by everything and everyone but first and foremost Peter Asplund is a jazz artist. He has been at the front of a number of his own groups. Perhaps he is best known for his successful years with his quartet with pianist Jacob Karlzon, bassist Hans Andersson and drummer Johan Löfcrantz Ramsay. With it and other groups he has toured in Sweden and abroad, he has played at small clubs, concert halls and festivals, traveled around the USA, Canada, England, Germany, Australia, Poland, Switzerland, former Yugoslavia, Romania, Ireland, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa, Japan and of course the other Scandinavian countries. But Peter Asplund has not only been at the forefront of his own groups and projects, he has also been a central member of Sweden's foremost big band for a long number of years, the Tolvan Big Band and the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra. And together with saxophonist Magnus Lindgren, he also leads the Blue House Jazz Orchestra, Stockholm's own big band. Today, jazz artist Peter Asplund is mainly a soloist with trios, big bands, orchestras, wind orchestras and choirs.

In 2007, Peter Asplund surprised the jazz world. He made his debut as a jazz singer and quickly sailed as one of Sweden's foremost jazz singers in Frank Sinatra's and Mel Tormé's swing-saturated footsteps. After a hot scat duet with singer Deborah Brown, she briefly stated that he should make a record - to show how male jazz singing really should sound. As if all this was not enough, Peter Asplund is also a sought-after and often hired educator with a unique ability to share his ever-growing knowledge. For several years he was a trumpet teacher at Kungl. Stockholm University College of Music and he regularly provides clinics throughout Sweden. Peter Asplund is also a responsive producer who is increasingly engaged in jazz recordings. Over the years, Peter Asplund has managed to play with most major Swedish musical names and an impressive crowd in the international elite: Patti Austin, Louie Bellson, Jerry Bergonzi, Randy Brecker, Bob Brookmeyer, Deborah Brown, Randy Crawford, Eddie Daniels, Sinne Eeg , Georgie Fame, Mike Gibbs, Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, Mel Lewis, Dave Liebman, Ivan Linz, Joe Lovano, Jim McNeely, Vince Mendoza, Bob Mintzer, Veronica Mortensen, Silje Nergaard, Ceacilie Norby, Adam Nussbaum, Dick Oatts, Maria Schneider, Gary Smulian, Martial Solal, Clark Terry, Toots Thielemans, Stan Tracey, McCoy Tyner, Jukkis Uotila, The Vanguard Orchestra, Kenny Werner, Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone, Niels Henning Ørstedt Pedersen, Jan Allan, Alice Babs, Claes Crona, Lars Danielsson, Arne Domnérus, Rigmor Gustavsson, Lars Jansson, Nils Landgren, Magnus Lindgren,The Real Group, Esbjörn Svensson Trio (est), Bobo Stensson, Svante Thuresson, Victoria Tolstoy, Bengt-Arne Wallin, Putte Wickman, Monica Zetterlund, Lennart Åberg ... https://peterasplund.com/index.php?sida=bio&lang=s

Melos

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Louis Prima, Keely Smith - Hey Boy! Hey Girl!

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:31
Size: 80,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:52)  1. Hey, Boy! Hey, Girl!
(2:32)  2. Banana Split For My Baby
(2:21)  3. You Are My Love
(3:06)  4. Fever
(2:27)  5. Oh, Marie
(3:29)  6. Lazy River
(2:49)  7. Nitey-Nite
(2:41)  8. When The Saints Go Marching In
(2:52)  9. Autumn Leaves
(1:28) 10. Hey, Boy! Hey, Girl! - Reprise
(3:09) 11. Don't Take Your Love From Me
(2:16) 12. (Nothing's Too Good) For My Baby
(2:23) 13. Oh, Marie - Alternate stereo version

Louis Prima and Keely Smith were at the height of their fame when they starred in the Hollywood film Hey Boy! Hey Girl! This soundtrack album has ten numbers from the film including spots for Prima's trumpet on "Oh Marie" and "When the Saints Go Marching In," two numbers for Smith in which she is backed by the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, a feature for Sam Butera on "Fever" and several notable vocal duets by the stars (including "Lazy River" and two versions of the title cut). 

The music never quite cuts loose but does include some exciting moments. Louis Prima fans will want to search for this collector's item. https://www.allmusic.com/album/hey-boy%21-hey-girl%21-mw0000873667

Hey Boy! Hey Girl!

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Rachael Beck - This Girl

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:27
Size: 95,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:24)  1. Send In The Clowns
(4:11)  2. Only Girl (In The World)
(4:23)  3. State Of The Heart
(5:13)  4. Running Up That Hill
(3:21)  5. Sun & Moon
(5:47)  6. Love Is Everything
(3:26)  7. Bluebird
(3:22)  8. One Hand One Heart
(3:37)  9. Make You Feel My Love
(3:38) 10. Perfect Day

The success or failure of an autobiographical cabaret show is not dependent on the person’s achievements, scandals or even their prominence. Of course, scandals sell tabloids, but honesty and humility are the key ingredients in this delicate cabaret form. Rachael Beck, one of the darlings of Australian musical theatre, always performs with honesty and humility, and the result is a truly engaging account of the various roles, and life roles, of an amazing woman. Rachael Beck’s This Girl,a cabaret show sharing the name of her recently released debut solo album, is an enchanting insight into the life of a lady who has been in the limelight since the tender age of 13. We travel with Beck through her formative years, where she was seemingly unbeatable at the local eisteddfods with her Sesame Street inspired routine, through her child prodigy years in CATS, onto her ‘girl-next-door’ phase in Hey Dad! and beyond.

With all of this experience behind her, it is clear that Rachael Beck belongs on the stage. The ease of her dialogue delivery, which links her various life events with the musical score, is artful. There are times however, when the dialogue and the music are curiously incongruent, giving the impression of two competing shows running in parallel: ‘This is the story of my life’ and ‘This is an album I’ve just released’. But in all honesty, who cares? Rachael Beck’s voice is the star of the show. Her rendition of Send in the Clowns was stirring, her I Dreamed a Dream was haunting and her One Hand One Heart was pure and simple. The duets with Michael Cormick were both charming (Sun and Moon and State of the Heart) and provided an excellent device to corroborate Beck’s history through a reliable third party. This Girl also provided the opportunity for Beck to delve outside the world of musical theatre, and perform numbers like Rhianna’s Only Girl (In the World).ll technical aspects of the production were cohesive and the band (which occasionally employed tracks to beef out the sound of a 4 piece) was exceptional. Rachael Beck proves that there is much, much more to this Australian musical theatre icon than meets the eye. It takes hard work, head aches and heart aches to play a Disney princess  and even then, you don’t always live happily every after. This Girl is forever changing. https://aussietheatre.com.au/reviews/rachael-beck-girl

This Girl

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Lonnie Plaxico - West Side Stories

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:27
Size: 151,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:41)  1. West Side Stories
( 7:22)  2. Climb Every Mountian
( 3:30)  3. I Want It To Be
( 6:27)  4. Robin's Dance
( 3:45)  5. One Less Bell To Answer
(10:06)  6. Funkadelic
( 6:03)  7. I Want To Know What Love Is
( 3:50)  8. Longer
( 7:15)  9. Duke It Out
( 6:56) 10. Speaking In Tongues
( 3:27) 11. Your Love Speaks To Me

West Side Stories, Lonnie Plaxico's eleventh recording as a leader, draws from memories of growing up in Chicago and listening to a variety of sounds from the '70s R&B, popular music and smooth jazz as well as his collaboration in the development of advanced M-Base musical concepts in the '80s. To coin a phrase from none other than the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, Plaxico might just be one the hardest working bassists in the business. He is a player with clear abilities, intensity and keen ideas who has contributed to many recordings, including releases by Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Greg Osby and Cassandra Wilson.

The credits for the recording suggest an M-base class reunion. Prominent stars like vocalist Cassandra Wilson and saxophonists Gary Thomas and Steve Coleman bring their progressive skills to the project. Starting with the title track, "West Side Stories, you get a hint of Plaxico's flair for music off the beaten path, complete with turbulent ostinato patterns and killer horn arrangements. Even though the bass is somewhat lost the in mix, the band handles the complex arrangement precisely, thanks to tight writing and performance. Bringing back the memories of yesteryear, covers include Burt Bacharach's "One Less Bell to Answer (featuring Steve Coleman's alto sax and Cassandra Wilson's smoky vocals) and a jazz radio-friendly version of the '70s rock group Foreigner's hit "I Want To Know What Love Is (featuring Carla Cook on vocals). Though Plaxico brings the funk on a number of tunes impressively via some serious thumb-slapping on his electric axe, upbeat joints like "Speaking in Tongues Out become exhausting and repetitious. Yet the slower tunes, "I Want It to Be and the smooth "Your Love Speaks to Me, both sung by Wilson, linger all the more in this somewhat mixed bag of new and old grooves by a clearly talented bassist.~ Mark F.Turner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/west-side-stories-lonnie-plaxico-plaxmusic-review-by-mark-f-turner.php

Personnel: Lonnie Plaxico: all basses, keyboard (3); Cassandra Wilson:vocals (3,5,8,11); Carla Cook: vocals (7); Gary Thomas: tenor sax (1,2,4,6,7,9,10); Ravi Coltrane: alto sax (6); Steve Coleman: alto sax (5,8); Gary Pikard: tenor sax (8); David Lee Jones: alto sax (11); Alex Norris: trumpet (1,2,4,6,7,9,10); Jeff Hermason: trumpet (8); Kenny Growhowski: drums; Jeff Haynes:percussion (3,8,11); Khalil Kwame Bell:percussion (6,7,11); George Colligan:B3 organ, piano, Fender Rhodes.

West Side Stories

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Ralph Moore - Furthermore

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:04
Size: 113,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:59)  1. Hopscotch
(8:00)  2. Monk's Dream
(8:08)  3. 310 Blues
(5:56)  4. Phoebe's Samba
(6:57)  5. Girl Talk
(7:44)  6. Into Dawn
(4:17)  7. Line D

Tenor saxophonist Ralph Moore offers up a satisfying array of neo hard bop numbers on Furthermore which features some of the up and coming stars of the Wynton Marsalis retro trad jazz school, including trumpeter Roy Hargrove, pianist Benny Green, and bassist Peter Washington, as well as veteran drummers Kenny Washington (Peter's brother) and Victor Lewis. The CD opens with the thematically rich Moore original "Hopscotch" (reminiscent of Coltrane's "Moment's Notice") and works its way through Green's driving "Phoebe's Samba" and Hargrove's Wayne Shorter inspired mood piece "Into Dawn," with all three tunes providing prime vehicles for the innovative yet restrained soloing of these young players. Abetted by streamlined sound production, the urbane and cool mood of this recording crystallizes in Moore's sinuous tenor lines and mellifluous tone heard to great effect on his readings of Neal Hefti's pop gem "Girl's Talk" and his own "310 Blues." 

Moore and company leave the full-blown delivery of Ben Webster and Coltrane behind in favor of economical performances, and as was the case with many of the original hard bop albums, it takes its cues from Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus and Lee Morgan's Sidewinder. Furthermore does not break the mold so much as provide a pleasurable listening experience of the highest order. A potential dinner party classic; subtle enough not to disturb the guests, but provocative enough to elicit comments.~ Stephen Cook https://www.allmusic.com/album/furthermore-mw0000309674

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Ralph Moore;  Trumpet – Roy Hargrove (tracks: 1,3,4,6);  Bass – Peter Washington;  Drums – Kenny Washington (tracks: 1,3,5), Victor Lewis (tracks: 2, 4, 6,7);  Piano – Benny Green

Furthermore

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Norah Jones - Pick Me Up Off The Floor

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:30
Size: 105,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. How I Weep
(3:21)  2. Flame Twin
(3:26)  3. Hurts To Be Alone
(4:12)  4. Heartbroken, Day After
(4:58)  5. Say No More
(2:38)  6. This Life
(4:28)  7. To Live
(4:16)  8. I'm Alive
(5:16)  9. Were You Watching?
(3:53) 10. Stumble On My Way
(4:16) 11. Heaven Above

Once she came to the end of the promotional cycle for 2016's Day Breaks, Norah Jones decided to challenge herself by recording a series of swift sessions with a rotating cast of collaborators. The intention was to release the results quickly, issuing them as a digital single at a time, and Jones followed through on this plan, releasing a new song every few months throughout 2018. These tunes were rounded up on 2019's Begin Again, but that wasn't the end of the project. Jones cut a number of songs during these sessions that were unreleased but not forgotten by the singer/songwriter. She kept listening to the rough mixes, eventually coming to the conclusion that these tracks would make a strong album of their own accord. Pick Me Up Off the Floor proves her instincts were correct. Lacking the purposeful digressions of Begin Again an album where the digressions were the entire point Pick Me Up Off the Floor is a tighter affair than its companion record, firmly rooted in the after-hours jazz-folk-pop hybrid that's Jones' calling card. Some of the cohesion may be due to how a good chunk of the album is anchored by her standby drummer Brian Blade, but it's also true that this record's collaboration with Jeff Tweedy is the amiably rambling "I'm Alive," a number that is firmly stationed within Jones' wheelhouse. The same could be said about Pick Me Up Off the Floor in general. There are accents and flourishes that distinguish the tunes "Flame Twin" is charged by curlicues of guitars and smears of organ, "To Live" is graced by muted horns straight out of the Big Easy but as a collection of songs, Pick Me Up Off the Floor winds up emphasizing how Jones slyly and elegantly synthesizes a pop sensibility with a jazz execution, a fusion that is comforting yet relies on her idiosyncratic twists. This blend of warmth and invention is what's so appealing about Pick Me Up Off the Floor: the shape may seem familiar, but the construction of the songs and the inventiveness of the performance keeps it fresh and surprising even after the first listen.~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/pick-me-up-off-the-floor-mw0003360325

Pick Me Up Off The Floor

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