Eddie Daniels & Roger Kellaway - A Duet Of One

Styles: Clarinet And Piano Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:10
Size: 167,8 MB
Art: Front

( 8:51)  1. I'm getting Sentimental Over You
( 7:39)  2. Slow Dance
( 7:32)  3. Adagio Swing
(11:16)  4. I want to Be Happy
( 7:32)  5. New Orleans
( 6:12)  6. This is the Time
( 6:10)  7. After You've Gone
( 8:11)  8. Blue Waltz
( 4:29)  9. Love of My Life
( 5:16) 10. We'll Always Be Together

In 2005, longtime collaborators Eddie Daniels and Roger Kellaway reunited at Los Angeles' Jazz Bakery to try their skills without the comfort of bass or drums. Luckily, they were up to the challenge more than ever. The result, A Duet of One, presents two musicians who blend melody and spontaneity so well that they could improvise a symphony together. From the first moments of "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You," Daniels and Kellaway establish a foundation that only grows tighter, as the clarinet asks and the piano answers through the head. Both play with a delicate touch. Paquito D'Rivera writes, in his excellent liner notes, that the two had never played the tune before, making the result still more impressive. Piano and clarinet swap unaccompanied solo statements with the ease of dialogue, slowing tempos and changing dynamics, before returning to the classic melody. Kellaway is a real treat to hear, an underrated player with a sound that mixes touches of Art Tatum and Tin Pan Alley with distinctly modern swing. He consistently finds the right spot for every key, up and down the board. Meanwhile, Daniels' flawless technique belies the subtlety of his tone. His sound is always clean, whether at deep lows or glass cracking highs. At any given moment, he can quote delicate classical repertoire, or reach down for some soul, as he does on "Adagio Swing" with bluesy catcalls and fingers flying.

But for all the individual abilities on display, the songs live on the give-and-take between players. An 11-minute "Why Was I Born?" transforms the original tune into lyrical repartee. The conversation is carried by a chromatic triplet motif that passes from clarinet to piano, and vice versa, like a warming bottle. They pull it through the octaves, mix in clever twists, and make redefining a standard seem easy. "New Orleans" finds Daniels' clarinet laying sweet improv with soft dynamics, suggesting a big city mournfulness brought down South. The stalking steps of "This is the Time," repeated in round, leap into a tremendous Kellaway solo, full of subtle, angular choices. Both players swap flourishes and trills before launching into a rollicking "After You've Gone" that features wild clarinet blowing. The sound is decent for a live album. Some of Kellaway's wonderfully subtle touches are nearly lost, particularly on a subpar sound system. Daniels sounds perfect though, down to the whispery clicks of his keys, and the crowd is warm without being overbearing.

The mellow "Blue Waltz" is a masterpiece of breathy intonations and romantic piano flourishes. The set closes with "We'll Always Be Together," an upbeat, Latin-tinged number. Daniels puts on a show of elegant technique as Kellaway eases him along to a rousing end. But before the melody is fully restated, Daniels breaks away to once again recreate the tune, as if a few extra lines need adding before he hops offstage. It's a fitting end to a deeply enjoyable album. ~ Warren Allen  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-duet-of-one-eddie-daniels-ipo-recordings-review-by-warren-allen.php

Personnel: Eddie Daniels: clarinet; Roger Kellaway: piano.

A Duet Of One

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Lori Williams - A New Book

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:38
Size: 124,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:03) 1. A New Book
(4:54) 2. New Day
(5:09) 3. Demais
(5:29) 4. Freely (Test the Waters)
(4:27) 5. I Can't Tell You Why
(5:20) 6. Let's Stay Together
(7:17) 7. Ukuphila (The Healing Song) - Joburg Mix
(4:05) 8. New Day - Radio Edit
(4:03) 9. I Can't Tell You Why - Radio Edit
(4:36) 10. Demais - Radio Edit
(4:09) 11. Freely (Test the Waters) - Radio Edit

Setlist unabashedly plays favorites, and Lori Williams is by any measure near the top of the favorites list. This D.C. vocalist’s instrument contains the kind of nuances that one could get lost in. She has the kind of attenuation and subtlety that we associate with jazz singing instantly a kind of jazz-vocal ‘discipline,’ for lack of a better term. But Williams slips in hints and sometimes dead give aways that she has packed away the kind of soul power that would make her a tremendous R&B or gospel singer. Perhaps it’s a sort of vocalist’s twist on Ernest Hemingway’s “iceberg theory”: What you hear on the surface is only about 10 percent of what’s really there. As it happens, what is there is crystalline clarity, perhaps the most precise articulation of any singer in town, and a range that will, when she runs it, produce shivers. "She's got a soft-edged, creamy voice that's a natural vehicle for introspection, but also one that you could happily curl up and get lost in. It's stunning, supple subtle, sumptuous, soulful music - let's call that the five Ss of Lori Williams, shall we?"~Michael J. West - The Washington City Paper https://www.lorijazz.com/

"A NEW BOOK is a wonderful collection of thoughtfully crafted messages of love and new beginnings. Lori Williams' beautiful voice glides soulfully and effortlessly across a smooth and inviting rhythmic landscape with messages of abundance, joy, and affirmation. This project is food for the soul and a soundtrack for your daily groove!" ~ Dianne Reeves

A New Book

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Chiara Civello - Canzoni

Styles: Vocal

Year: 2014

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 69:44

Size: 160,2 MB

Art: Front

(3:51)  1. Via con me

(3:34)  2. Io che non vivo senza te

(4:25)  3. Con una rosa

(4:29)  4. Che me importa el mundo

(5:22)  5. Va bene va bene così

(4:26)  6. Io che amo solo te

(4:04)  7. Never Never Never

(4:13)  8. Metti una sera a cena

(3:27)  9. Una sigaretta

(3:52) 10. Fortissimo

(4:17) 11. Incantevole

(4:01) 12. E penso a te

(4:18) 13. Il Mondo

(3:31) 14. Senza fine

(4:28) 15. I mulini dei ricordi

(4:08) 16. Mentre tutto scorre

(3:18) 17. Arrivederci

Originally from Rome but now based in New York City, Italian singer/songwriter Chiara Civello is an eclectic, far-reaching artist who brings a variety of pop, jazz, cabaret and Latin influences to the table. Although Civello has performed straight-ahead jazz in the past, she is not a full-time jazz singer or a bebop purist by any means; stylistically, much of the material she has recorded for Verve is closer to Sade, Basia, Norah Jones, Nellie McKay (minus the eccentricity and sharp-tongued humor) or Rickie Lee Jones than it is to hardcore jazz vocalists like Abbey Lincoln, Sheila Jordan and Kitty Margolis. But the jazz influence is almost always present in Civello's pop recordings and since her arrival in the United States, she has crossed paths with major jazz musicians like alto saxophonist Phil Woods and guitarist Mike Stern. Listing all of Civello's influences could be time-consuming; Civello gives the impression that along the way, she has listened to everyone from Joni Mitchell, Sade and Sting to Ella Fitzgerald, Julie London and Billie Holiday. Brazilian jazz and pop is also a strong influence on Civello, who is obviously well aware of Brazilian greats such as Astrud Gilberto, Gal Costa, Ivan Lins and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Although Civello grew up in a country where Italian is the primary language, much of her writing has been in English. Civello, in fact, has been singing and writing in at least four languages English, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish and when she performs in English, Civello sings with only a slight trace of an Italian accent. Her command of the English language is excellent, and her accent is beneficial in that it gives her performances a great deal of character.

Civello was still living in Italy when, at the age of 17, she was hired to perform as a featured vocalist for the Mario Raja Big Bang (as opposed to Mario Raja Big Band). After that, she was employed by Italian jazz drummer Roberto Gatto, who is well-known in Italy and included her in his group the Noisemakers. In 1993, Civello moved to Boston after being awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music and by the time she graduated from Berklee in 1998, Civello had received a Boston Jazz Society Award as well as a Cleo Laine Award. In 2000, she left Boston for New York City, where she met veteran producer Russ Titelman, who has worked with a long list of major artists that includes, among others, Paul Simon, Rickie Lee Jones, Randy Newman, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor and Brazilian star Milton Nascimento. Titelman went on to produce a demo for Civello and introduced her to Ron Goldstein, president and CEO of the Verve Music Group, and Goldstein ended up offering her a contract. Titelman also introduced Civello to veteran pop composer Burt Bacharach, with whom she co-wrote the song "Trouble." Late Quarter Moon, Civello's first album for Verve, was given a February 2005 release date in the United States. https://itunes.apple.com/br/artist/chiara-civello/id41621668

Canzoni

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Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan Sings The Mancini Songbook

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:38
Size: 77.0 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals, Standards
Year: 1965/1998
Art: Front

[2:41] 1. How Soon
[2:38] 2. Days Of Wine And Roses
[2:53] 3. Dear Heart
[2:50] 4. Charade
[3:47] 5. Too Little Time
[3:49] 6. Dreamsville
[1:51] 7. Bye-Bye Theme From Peter Gunn
[2:50] 8. Moon River
[2:29] 9. (I Love You And) Don't You Forget It
[3:37] 10. Slow Hot Wind
[2:26] 11. Mr. Lucky
[1:44] 12. It Had Better Be Tonight

Sarah Vaughan's contribution to the female jazz vocal genre, during the twentieth century, puts her alongside the likes of Dinah Washington, Billie Holliday and Ella Fitzgerald. As a child Sarah Vaughan sang in church and had extensive piano lessons from 1931-39, which helped her become a capable keyboardist. After she won an amateur contest at the Apollo Theatre, she was hired for the Earl Hines big band as a singer and second vocalist. Unfortunately, the musicians' recording strike kept her off record during this period (1943-44).

When lifelong friend Billy Eckstine broke away to form his own orchestra, Vaughan joined him, making her recording debut. She enjoyed her time with Eckstine's orchestra, where she became influenced by a couple of his sidemen, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, both of whom had also been with Hines during her stint. Vaughan was one of the first singers to fully incorporate bop phrasing in her singing, and to have the vocal chops to pull it off on the level of a Parker and Gillespie. During the 1950's, Sarah recorded middle-of-the-road pop material with orchestras for Mercury, and jazz dates (including a memorable collaboration with Clifford Brown) for the label's subsidiary, EmArcy.

Sarah Vaughan Sings The Mancini Songbook

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Jean Hoffman - Sings and Swings

Styles: Vocal And Piano, Swing
Year: 1958/2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:18
Size: 92,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:34) 1. Dancing on the Ceiling
(3:33) 2. I've Got It Bad and That Ain't Good
(3:45) 3. Makin' Whoopee
(2:22) 4. What Is There to Say?
(3:49) 5. Sometimes I'm Happy
(2:59) 6. The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise
(3:00) 7. Bluebird of Happiness
(3:04) 8. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
(3:16) 9. Time Was
(3:07) 10. Yes Sir, That's My Baby
(3:51) 11. Street of Dreams
(3:54) 12. My Buddy

Jean Hoffman (Portland, 1930) is well-known as an unostentatious, small-voiced singer, and a pleasantly prodding, rhythmic pianist. She made a name for herself in the San Francisco club circuit during the ‘50s, often supported by bass and drums. In 1957, Billboard hailed the release of her first album, Jean Hoffman Sings and Swings, with some words of praise: “An exciting new voice, a rarity indeed in today’s market, has at long last blossomed via chirp Jean Hoffman, who combines the best elements of jazz styling without negating her pop commercial lure. While it’s a little voice, it’s strong, resonant and powerful in expression. Her rendition of Bluebird of Happiness is one of the freshest and most imaginative arrangements of this tune to come along in many a moon, and coupled with the other standards in this package, it makes for palpitating listening. An artistic success, deserving of heavy exposure and air-play.” https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/jean-hoffman-dorothy-carless-albums/53369-sings-and-swings-the-carless-torch-2-lp-on-1-cd.html

Personnel: Jean Hoffman, vocals & piano (electric piano on #1,3,9), accompanied by Jack Weeks (bass), Bill Young (drums). Dean Reilly, replaces Weeks on #1.

Sings and Swings

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Fredrika Stahl - Natten

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:13
Size: 88,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:14) 1. Turn of Life
(2:51) 2. Rescue Me
(3:55) 3. Electric
(2:56) 4. Cruel World
(2:52) 5. Rivers
(3:19) 6. Finalement la nuit
(3:38) 7. The Razor’s Edge
(3:03) 8. Get Even
(4:25) 9. The Fall
(3:34) 10. Bed Sheets
(4:22) 11. Static Cellophane

Swedish-born jazz and pop vocalist Fredrika Stahl's career got going when she met producer Geef, which led to a meeting with pianist Tom McClung, who then formed a band around her and helped land her a major-label deal with the French arm of BMG, Vogue Records. Born in Stockholm on October 24, 1984, Stahl spent the majority of her preteen years in France, before returning to Sweden to finish schooling. Upon her graduation, Stahl found her way back to France, and met the people who would help make her a well-known name. Her debut album, A Fraction of You, was unveiled in the summer of 2006, and she followed the release with a number of performances, sharing stages with such artists as Erick Poirier, Ichiro Onoe, and Manuel Marches. Stahl released her second album, Tributaries, in 2008 on the Jive label.~ Chris True https://www.allmusic.com/artist/fredrika-stahl-mn0000623591/biography

Personnel: Vocals – Clément Ducol, Fredrika Stahl; Piano – Clément Ducol; Fredrika Stahl ; Bass Guitar – Laurent Vernerey; Cello – Pierre-François Dufour ; Drum Machine – Pierre-François Dufour; Drums – Pierre-François Dufour; Guitar – Bruce Driscoll; Freddy Koella Sébastien Collinet; Keyboards – Clément Ducol; Fredrika Stahl); Paul-Marie Barbier; Sébastien Collinet; Tony Paeleman; Vocals, Guitar – Dominique A.

Natten

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Jamie Cullum - Taller

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:36
Size: 138,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:35) 1. Taller
(4:49) 2. Life Is Grey
(4:20) 3. Mankind
(3:33) 4. Usher
(5:24) 5. The Age Of Anxiety
(3:25) 6. For The Love
(3:49) 7. Drink
(3:08) 8. You Can't Hide Away From Love
(4:00) 9. Monster
(3:09) 10. Endings Are Beginnings
(3:38) 11. Love Is In The Picture
(3:47) 12. Work Of Art
(3:34) 13. The Man - From "King Of Thieves"
(3:21) 14. Good Luck With Your Demons
(3:25) 15. Marlon Brando
(2:30) 16. Show Me The Magic

Recording for a legendary jazz label may be fraught with expectations, especially for a contemporary artist with unabashedly eclectic tastes. But at this stage in his career, upwards of 10 million album sales along, Jamie Cullum doesn’t appear the least bit concerned with where his music falls on the pop-jazz spectrum. Arriving five years after his last album and marking his eighth studio release, Taller is Cullum’s most self-assured and least calculated offering to date, engaging for its candor, craft, and dynamic breadth.

The British singer/songwriter and keyboardist can win over live audiences on the strength of his showmanship alone. On recordings, though, his boyish croon isn’t appealing enough to compensate for a throwaway lyric or dull arrangement. Fortunately, the long layoff between releases seems to have sharpened Cullum’s pen and wits. After kicking off with the wry, self-referential title track, Taller delivers a series of strong performances, intimate and expansive by turns. The upbeat tracks, more often than not, leave the most lasting impressions, whether it’s the gospel-charged “Mankind” or the Prince-inflected “Usher.” Of course, the album’s commercial prospects will likely benefit from Cullum’s cleverly rebooted brand of pop and funk.~ Mike Joyce https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/jamie-cullum-taller-blue-note/

Taller

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Kathleen Grace, Larry Goldings - Tie Me to You

Styles: Vocal,Guitar And Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:00
Size: 92,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:29) 1. Tie Me to You
(3:10) 2. Where or When
(3:05) 3. Everywhere
(5:17) 4. John the Revelator
(3:52) 5. Berceuse
(3:53) 6. The Thrill Is Gone
(3:46) 7. Embarcadero
(5:06) 8. Love for Sale
(5:28) 9. What'll I Do
(2:49) 10. I'll Follow the Sun

For singer Kathleen Grace, vulnerability is a crucial virtue. Exploring themes of loss, discovery, love’s impermanence, and the need for personal reconstitution, she brings spare elegance to the fore during these highly affecting performances.

Working closely with pianist/organist Larry Goldings, Grace often strips pieces down to their essence. In many cases, all that remains is the naked heart of a woman in a state of becoming and the primary supports required for her journey. During the intimate title track, co-written by Grace and Goldings, those supports basically amount to some harpsichord-esque tack piano and string atmospherics. For the country-folk of the singer’s “Everywhere,” it’s her guitar and Gabe Witcher’s now-prominent violin. And on Darek Oleszkiewicz’s alluring “Embarcadero” (with lyrics from Grace), it’s the composer’s Argentine bass lines, with some light coloring around the edges.

The remaining songs are mostly familiar, but few appear in expected form. Rodgers & Hart’s “Where or When” delivers a vertiginous high, with Goldings creating live, looping backgrounds on his glimmering pocket piano. The traditional boots-on-the-floor blues “John the Revelator” gets an added touch of swagger and sway. Cole Porter’s “Love for Sale,” anchored by bassist David Piltch’s wide beat and recast in three, markets yearning smartly from its new metric perch. And Lennon & McCartney’s “I’ll Follow the Sun” takes on a different light while serving as a sign of redemption at the end of this hard road. With a defining trait spelled out ever so clearly in her surname, Kathleen Grace offers personal truths with sensitivity and integrity. Her openness breeds absolute respect. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/kathleen-grace-with-larry-goldings-tie-me-to-you-monsoon/

Personnel: Kathleen Grace – voice, guitar; Larry Goldings – piano, keyboards, organ, pocket piano, glockenspiel; David Piltch – bass; Gabe Witcher – violin ; Darek Oleszkiewicz – bass

Tie Me to You

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Chiara Civello - Eclipse

Styles: Vocal

Year: 2017

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 46:46

Size: 137,6 MB

Art: Front

(4:11)  1. Come Vanno Le Cose

(3:18)  2. Eclisse Twist

(4:25)  3. Cuore In Tasca

(6:35)  4. Qualcuno Come Te

(3:08)  5. Sambarilove feat.Roubinho Jacobina

(4:01)  6. Parole Parole

(3:07)  7. Amore, Amore, Amore

(4:12)  8. La Giusta Distanza

(3:58)  9. Um Dia

(3:26) 10. New York City Boy

(3:02) 11. To Be Wild

(3:18) 12. Quello Che Conta

Three years after the last album, Songs, Chiara Civello is about to return to the record market with a new album called Eclipse coming out in March, but not just ... as of May The artist will return to tour to present live new songs. The new album will be released with Sony Music Italia release on March 31 and will be presented live with four special appointments in some prestigious Italian locations, which will be added to new appointments in the coming months.  Chiara Civello began her record career in 2005 with the album Last quarter moon , the first album of an Italian artist to be engraved with the prestigious label Verve Records . In 2012 he follows The Place of the World , a record containing the same song with which Chiara Civello participates in the Sanremo Festival . During his career, Civello has composed with Burt Bacharach , collaborating with the star of Brazilian pop Ana Carolina and winning the Multishow Award for Best Song in Brazil  Eclipse is the sixth studio record of the singer. http://www.allmusicitalia.it/news/chiara-civello-eclipse.html  (translate by google)

Eclipse

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Norah Jones - ‘Til We Meet Again

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:51
Size: 175,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:24) 1. Cold, Cold Heart - Live
(5:37) 2. It Was You - Live
(4:16) 3. Begin Again - Live
(3:50) 4. Those Sweet Words - Live
(7:33) 5. I've Got To See You Again - Live
(5:33) 6. After The Fall - Live
(4:48) 7. I'll Be Gone - Live
(5:29) 8. Just A Little Bit - Live
(4:35) 9. Falling - Live
(5:04) 10. Tragedy - Live
(4:32) 11. Sunrise - Live
(6:48) 12. Flipside - Live
(5:06) 13. Don't Know Why - Live
(7:11) 14. Black Hole Sun - Live

Norah Jones has released her first-ever full-length live album with ‘Til We Meet Again, a 14-track compilation of performances that took place around the globe between 2017-2019.

The album released via Blue Note Records on Friday (4/16) hears the acclaimed pianist, singer, and songwriter perform a mix of songs spanning her career during world tour stops in the United States, France, Italy, Brazil, and Argentina. The album’s tracklisting includes performances of “Cold Cold Heart”, “Don’t Know Why”, “Those Sweet Words”, “Sunrise”, her Grammy-nominated collaboration with Mavis Staples in “I’ll Be Gone“, new originals from 2020’s Pick Me Up Off The Floor in “Begin Again” and “Just A Little Bit”, and her cover of Soundgarden‘s “Black Hole Sun”.

Hear Jones discuss the new album with Blue Note president and Wolf Bros bassist Don Was on a new episode of the label’s First Look YouTube series below. https://liveforlivemusic.com/news/norah-jones-releases-til-we-meet-again-live-compilation/

‘Til We Meet Again

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Jan Gunnar Hoff - In Town

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:40
Size: 111,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:52) 1. In Town
(6:29) 2. Revamp
(5:57) 3. Promises
(7:24) 4. Your Song
(1:17) 5. Clouds
(5:41) 6. Bits and Pieces
(5:00) 7. Seven Seas
(3:43) 8. The Return
(3:50) 9. Picture I
(3:22) 10. Picture Ii

Jan Gunnar Hoff (born 22 October 1958) is a Norwegian jazz pianist, composer, arranger and professor, living in Bodø, known from cooperations with jazz musicians like Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Lars Danielsson, John Surman, Karin Krog, Maria Joao, Marilyn Mazur, Anders Jormin, Arve Henriksen, Per Jørgensen, Alex Acuña, Mike Stern, Ernst-Wiggo Sandbakk, Per Mathisen, Arild Andersen, Nils Petter Molvær, Ståle Storløkken, Audun Kleive and Mathias Eick.

Hoff was born in Bodø. He is a graduate of the Teachers' College in Bodø and Bergen, and was further educated in the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium under Terje Bjørklund (1986–89), and in composition at Norges Musikkhøgskole (2001). He had his jazz debut with his own trio on Ad Lib Jazzklubb (1976). Hoff´s background includes classical piano, progressive rock, pop and jazz. Hoff has released 20 recordings as soloartist and co-leader and he has composed 250 works for different settings. In 2005 he received the prestigious Edvard-prize (named after Edvard Grieg) for his jazz mass Meditatus and the same year he wrote the commission work for Vossajazz. In 2013 Jan Gunnar Hoff and his “Hoff Ensemble” was nominated for US Grammy Awards with their album Quiet winter night. Hoff´s quartet album Fly North with Marilyn Mazur, Anders Jormin and Arve Henriksen was nominated for the Norwegian Grammy, Spellemannpris 2014. Jan Gunnar Hoff has performed in Los Angeles, New York, London, Zagreb, Milano, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev, Stockholm, Istanbul, Havana, Riga and other major cities.

In January 2014 Hoff received the highest distinction in Norwegian Jazz, the Buddy-award. In May 2014 he was credited internationally as an official Steinway Artist. Hoff´s recent albums include Stories - solo piano 2L 2016, Terra Nova w/mezzo soprano Marianne Beate Kielland, Lawo classics 2017, Polarity with Audun Kleive, Anders Jormin, Morten Lindberg, 2L April 2018, Barxeta II with Per Mathisen and Horacio Hernandez, Losen Records June 2018 and Jan Gunnar Hoff Group feat. Mike Stern on Losen Records November 2018. Hoff is working as a professor at the University of Tromsø and the University of Agder. He co-founded The Groove Valley JazzCamp in Beiarn, and was artistic director for TGV Jazz camp from 2005 to 2009. Hoff also initiated Bodø Jazz Open which was launched in January 2011, where he was artistic leader and festival head until 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Gunnar_Hoff

Personnel: Piano, Keyboards – Jan Gunnar Hoff; Guitar – Børge Petersen-Øverleir(tracks 1,5,6); Trumpet – Mathias Eick(tracks 3,8); Bass – Bjørn Kjellemyr; Drums – Audun Kleive; Saxophone [Saxophones] – Tore Brunborg

In Town

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Ahmed Abdullah - Ahmed Abdullah And The Solomonic Quintet

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:05
Size: 121,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:08) 1. African Songbird
(5:00) 2. Gypsy Lady
(6:52) 3. The Search
(4:57) 4. Canto II
(7:19) 5. Khaluma
(7:30) 6. The Dance We Do
(5:34) 7. Wishbone Suite
(8:42) 8. The Dance We Do (Take 1)

Trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah sprays around dissonant solos and spearheads an often frenzied set that was his second release for Silkheart. The lineup was exceptional, notably the powerful tenor saxophonist David S. Ware, dynamic bassist Fred Hopkins, and underrated drummer Charles Moffett.~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/ahmed-abdullah-and-the-solomonic-quintet-mw0000265789

Personnel: Ahmed Abdullah – trumpet, flugelhorn, voice; David S. Ware – tenor saxophone; Masuhjaa – guitar; Fred Hopkins – bass; Charles Moffett – drums

Ahmed Abdullah And The Solomonic Quintet

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Eli Degibri - Emotionally Available

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:33
Size: 125,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:02) 1. Song For a Sad Movie
(6:25) 2. Big Fish
(7:46) 3. Like Someone In Love
(5:41) 4. Mika
(7:18) 5. Pum-Pum
(4:05) 6. Giant Steps
(5:36) 7. Wild Wide East
(6:10) 8. Mmmaya
(5:24) 9. Emotionally Available

Saxophonist Eli Degibri attended the Berklee College of Music and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at New England Conservatory, from which he graduated with honors. For three years, he toured worldwide with the Grammy-award winning Herbie Hancock and his Sextet. Degibri currently performs and tours with the legendary drummer Al Foster, the Charles Mingus Big Band, as well as the Eli Degibri Quintet. His acclaimed debut CD, In the Beginning, was released in 2004. Emotionally Available is his second release for Fresh Sound Records. https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/eli-degibri-albums/4471-emotionally-available.html

Personnel: Eli Degibri - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; Aaron Goldberg - piano, fender rhodes; Ben Street - bass; Jeff Ballard - drums; Ze Mauricio - pandeiro

Emotionally Available

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Veronica Swift - This Bitter Earth

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:14
Size: 141,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:27) 1. This Bitter Earth
(4:11) 2. How Lovely to Be a Woman
(5:16) 3. You've Got to Be Carefully Taught
(6:19) 4. Getting to Know You
(4:50) 5. The Man I Love
(4:25) 6. You're the Dangerous Type
(5:20) 7. Trust in Me
(2:11) 8. He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)
(4:56) 9. As Long as He Needs Me
(2:54) 10. Everybody Has the Right to Be Wrong
(4:16) 11. Prisoner of Love
(6:21) 12. The Sports Page
(5:44) 13. Sing

With This Bitter Earth, 26-year-old Veronica Swift casts aside her designated trajectory as the next great up-and-coming pure-jazz singer to embrace something grander, more pop-oriented and profound. The daughter of late pianist Hod O’Brien, Swift belted her first album out of the club as a precocious nine-year-old. Four albums later, Confessions cemented her rep as a jazz lioness with a pure tone, large lungs, a knowing sense of repertoire, and sure swing style. JazzTimes readers rewarded her with 2019 Best New Artist and Best Vocal Release poll wins.

Perhaps more naturally than everyone’s current favorite, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Swift occupies classic standards like a young Anita O’Day. But This Bitter Earth finds her pushing beyond cloistered jazz boundaries, recalling the sunny, big-throated readings of Eydie Gormé allied to the sincerity and tone of Broadway vocalist Jessie Mueller. She still thrills with Songbook nuggets (“As Long as He Needs Me,” “The Man I Love”), but restless as any 20-something vocalist aware of Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish, Swift shows her further ambitions in non-ironic takes of Goffin and King’s “He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)” and the Ann-Margret vehicle “How Lovely to Be a Woman.” She boldly addresses the songs as they were intended—which is arguably a gutsier stance on pre-feminist material than that of Salvant, who revels in overturning a song’s intended meaning.

Elsewhere, “Everybody Has the Right to Be Wrong” rescues the cha-cha from semi-obscurity, while “Prisoner of Love” is languorous and rich, Swift wrapping herself around the melody like a Broadway diva. The gently unfurling “Sing” closes the record and returns Swift to what she does best, enchanting the listener with whispered caresses and elastic phrases that are as powerful as they are enticing.~ By Ken Micallef https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/veronica-swift-this-bitter-earth-mack-avenue/

This Bitter Earth

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Gary Bartz - Monsoon

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:04
Size: 140,8 MB
Art: Front

( 7:29) 1. Samuel
( 7:52) 2. Never Never Land
(12:47) 3. Run Before the Sun
( 7:15) 4. Strode Rode
( 9:22) 5. Monsoon
( 7:57) 6. Soul Eyes
( 8:17) 7. Uncle Bubba

Gary Bartz has been known to many as a trail blazer in the music business from the moment he started playing with Art Blakey at his father’s jazz club in his hometown of Baltimore, MD to his own music throughout the 57 years as a professional musician. As if his Grammy Award© with McCoy Tyner in 2005 (‘Illuminations’) wasn’t enough to carve out a place for Bartz in the jazz genre, he has broken the mold with more than 40 solo albums and over 200 as a guest artist.Gary Bartz first came to New York In 1958 to attend the Julliard Conservatory of Music. Just 17 years old, Gary couldn't wait to come to the city to play and learn. “It was a very good time for the music in New York, at the end of what had been the be-bop era,” says Bartz. “Charlie Parker had passed away three years previously but Miles' group was in its heyday, Monk was down at the Five Spot, and Ornette Coleman was just coming to town. Things were fresh.” Back then, Gary could regularly be found drinking Cokes in the all ages “peanut gallery” of Birdland, enjoying a marathon bill of performers. “If I didn't have money to get in. I'd help somebody carry a drum and sneak in,” laughs Bartz. “I learned that early on."

Circa mid-'60s, the alto saxophonist - still in his early 20s - began performing throughout the city with the Max Roach/Abbey Lincoln Group and quickly established himself as the most promising alto voice since Cannonball Adderley. “In those days, we used to go by people's lofts and stay for weeks, just working on music,” says Gary. “Folks would all chip in and buy food, and one of us would cook. But there was always music, because people were dropping by at all hours. We didn't even think about it; that's just what we did. We were very unselfish about what we were writing because, after all, music doesn't belong to any one person. It belongs to the people, to everybody.”

With the splash of his New York debut solidly behind him, Bartz soon joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. According to the story, Gary's parents owned a club in Baltimore, the North End Lounge. When his father hired Blakey for a gig, Gary grabbed the opportunity to fill a sax player vacancy in the band. After his performance that night, the young Bartz was officially hired to join the Jazz Messengers; in 1965, he would make his recording debut on Blakey's ‘Soulfinger’ album. From 1962-64, Gary joined Charles Mingus' Workshop and began practicing regularly with fellow members of the horn section, including Eric Dolphy. In 1968, Bartz began an association with McCoy Tyner, which included participating in Tyner's classic ‘Expansions and Extentions’ albums. Work with McCoy proved especially significant for Bartz because of the bandleader's strong connection to John Coltrane who Gary succinctly cites as a profound influence. During his first two years with Tyner, Gary was also touring with Max Roach and taking some time out to record on Max's Atlantic Records release, ‘Mermbers Don’t Get Weary’. “With Max, there was that bond with Charlie Parker,” declares Bartz. “Charlie Parker is why I play the alto saxophone.”

Bartz received a call from Miles Davis in 1970; work with the legendary horn player marked Gary's first experience playing electric music. It also reaffirmed his yen for an even stronger connection to Coltrane. In addition to working with Miles in the early '70s - including playing the historic Isle of Wight Festival in August, 1970 - Bartz was busy fronting his own NTU Troop ensemble. The group got its name from the Bantu language: NTU means unity in all things, time and space, living and dead, seen and unseen.Outside the Troop, Bartz had been recording as a group leader since 1968, and continued to do so throughout the '70s, during which time he released such acclaimed albums as, ‘Another Earth’, ‘Home’, ‘Music Is My Sanctuary’ and ‘Love Affair’, by the late '70s, he was doing studio work in Los Angeles with Norman Connors and Phyllis Hyman. In 1988, after a nine-year break between solo releases, Bartz began recording what music columnist Gene Kalbacher described as “Vital ear-opening sides,” on such albums as ‘Monsoon’, ‘West 42nd Street’, ‘There Goes The Neighborhood’, and ‘Shadows’.

Bartz followed those impressive works in 1995 with the release of his debut Atlantic album ‘The Red and Orange Poems’ a self-described musical mystery novel and just one of Gary's brilliantly conceived concept albums. Back when Bartz masterminded the much-touted ‘I’ve Known Rivers’ album, based on the poetry of Langston Hughes, his concepts would be twenty years ahead of those held by some of today's jazz/hip hop and acid jazz combos. So it continues with ‘The Blues Chronicles: Tales of Life’ A testimonial to a steadfast belief in the power of music to soothe, challenge, spark a crowd to full freak, or move one person to think. It adds up to a shoe box full of musical snapshots from a life lived and played with passion and stirred - with both joy and sadness - by the blues. Gary's release ‘Live at the Jazz Standard Volume 1 – Soulstice’ is the first of a series of recordings documenting his legendary, non-stop style, live performances. This initial release on his own OYO label bares testimony to Gary's continuing growth as a composer, group leader, and master of both the alto and soprano saxophones. A quartet session recorded in 1998, was followed by ‘Live at the Jazz Standard, Volume 2’ released in 2000, which features Gary's exciting Sextet. His follow up release ‘Soprano Stories’ Gary exclusively performed on the soprano saxophone in a studio quartet setting.br

His follow up album to the highly acclaimed Volume I of the Coltrane Files, Toa Of A Music Warrior, will be released in early 2015 along with his album honoring Woody Shaw entitled ‘Two MF’s’. Gary Bartz continues taken his rightful place in the pantheon of jazz greats and has his sight is set on releasing more music on his label OYO Records. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/garybartz

Personnel: Gary Bartz - alto saxophone, composer; Butch Lacy - piano; Clint Houston - bass; Billy Hart - drums.

Monsoon

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Ahmed Abdullah's Diaspora - Dedication

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:24
Size: 164,1 MB
Art: Front

(14:43) 1. Amanpondo
( 7:52) 2. Brazil One
( 5:15) 3. Song of the Force (take 4)
(10:35) 4. Deja's View
(11:21) 5. Song of the Holy Warrior
( 3:37) 6. La Vie en Rose
( 6:16) 7. Song of Love
( 4:24) 8. I'll be Seeing You
( 7:19) 9. Song of the Force (take 2)

In the annals of free jazz drumming names like Sunny Murray, Andrew Cyrille and Milford Graves often percolate to the top of the lists as the progenitors of the tradition. Equally important, if sometimes overshadowed is Charles Moffett, who as a member of Ornette Coleman’s trio with David Izenzon completed one of the most inspiring improvising collectives of the 60s. His achievements were by no means limited to this seminal group and his career stretched well into the decade of the 90s before his untimely passing. What does this capsule reflection on Moffett have to do with the disc at hand by Abdullah’s Diaspora? Actually a great deal. This is not your typical Spirit Room session (if there even is such a thing), in fact this isn’t your routine ‘free jazz’ date either. At its fundamental root this is the product of five men whose lives have been shaped and sustained by the legacy of a sixth- the indomitable Charles Moffett.

Paying praise on this disc is an incredible group comprised of some of the most vibrant voices in creative improvised music. Abdullah convened them not only to pay homage, but also to pour their individual interests into the pool and come up with a fresh nectar of sustaining musical expression. In this respect he largely succeeds building a variegated musical melange that bespeaks the group’s chosen name. The opening “Amanpondo” is built on a slippery calypso beat and segues through a succession of stellar solo statements by each of the players. Cody Moffett, Charles son, holds court on his father’s metal drum kit and builds a stentorian rhythmic presence that fit’s the piece’s ‘island flavor’ perfectly. “Brazil One” shifts the focus to another set of tropical sounds with a beautifully lyric prelude. The piece proper propelled again by Cody’s sensitive drumming drifts along with Abdullah’s robust vocal chant floating on top. Ward eventually moves to the front for a blissful melodic improvisation.

With “Deja’s View” the group takes a totally unexpected turn into hot buttered soul. The gently syncopated beat, mellifluous flute, muted brass and bulbous electric bass that round out the piece would not be out of place on Issac Hayes’ Shaft soundtrack. “Song of the Holy Warrior” builds up momentum rapidly from a rhythmic vamp based in Moffett’s brisk prefatory solo, before Abdullah, Ward and Masujaa spar in a spiraling landslide of cyclonic phrasings. Abdullah takes a well-meaning, but somewhat raspy singing turn on the reading of “La Vie En Rose,” a tune powered largely by Masujaa’s iridescent chording. On “Song of Love” Ward’s shares the spotlight with Abdullah weaving a beautiful spell on dulcet alto that bookends his partner’s sweetly muted brass. Blake gets his chance too, on “I’ll Be Seeing You” his muscular strums and plucks take center stage. Tributes, particularly musical ones, can be a tricky enterprise and reconciling a reverence for the dedicatee with one’s own creative vision is often a delicate balance. Abdullah and his bandmates attain such a harmony on this disc juggling their love for Moffett with their own restlessly creative energies to produce a testament of moving depth and passion.

Personnel: Ahmed Abdullah- trumpet, flugelhorn, voice; Carlos Ward- flute, alto saxophone; Masujaa- guitar; Alex Blake- bass, electric bass; Cody Moffett- drums.

Dedication

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Amanda Tosoff - Earth Voices

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:50
Size: 105,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:04) 1. A Dream Within a Dream
(5:25) 2. Sonnet 49
(5:20) 3. Here and Heaven
(5:27) 4. Birdwings
(6:14) 5. Oh, Life
(6:26) 6. The Fiddle and the Drum
(5:59) 7. To a Stranger
(5:51) 8. Finis

Building off the lure of language planted in Amanda Tosoff's Juno-nominated Words (Empress Music Group, 2016), this sixth album from the Toronto-based composer and pianist waves poetic in wondrous fashion. Pairing different guest vocalists and collections of musicians with personalized takes on Parnassian beauty of varied sorts, Tosoff cements the bonds between earthly voices and heavenly sounds with a questioning spirit.

The list of subjects and styles, both in words and music, varies widely on this playlist. But this is no slapdash selection thrown together at will. Reason provides a place of purpose for everything in the mix. "A Dream Within a Dream," featuring vocalist Emilie-Claire Barlow and marrying Tosoff's music with Edgar Allan Poe's work, deals in doubt and uncertainty with both bright-eyed, upbeat accents and open engagement. "Sonnet 49," showcasing Robin Dann's voice, serves as an expansion on Luciana Souza's exploration of Pablo Neruda's emotional arc(s) with gliding grace and chamber-esque adorments. "Here and Heaven," adding weight and personality with strings, grooving like a pendulum swings, and featuring some ear-catching harmonizing from singers Michelle Willis and Alex Samaras , calls to mind the under-appreciated original part of a decade-old collaboration between Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Aoife O'Donovan and Chris Thile. And Tosoff's musical investigation of Rumi's "Birdwings," with Samaras' absorbing Kurt Elling-meets Theo Bleckmann interpretation, tackles topics tied clearly to today loss, moving forward, finding solid footing with both sensitivity and strength.

While each of the aforementioned pieces arrives from different angles, their themes almost seem to be working in sympathy, building toward "Oh, Life." Vocalist Laila Biali, offering aching beauty with some help from Samaras, takes on the work of Mike Ross (of Soul Pepper Theatre) and, with Tosoff's sensitive structural refinements surrounding her, creates a meditation on existence and departure. Lydia Persaud's spellbinding delivery of Joni Mitchell's constantly relevant "The Fiddle and the Drum" follows, playing to its own clear truths, and Felicity WIlliams' strings-supported look at Walt Whitman's "To a Stranger" and Barlow's mighty and melodious handling of Marjorie Pickthall's poetry prove wholly complementary to the cross-threaded notions that Tosoff adopts.Despite the dizzying array of influences that inform Earth Voices, there's remarkable consistency and clarity across this program. Tosoff never seems far from home, regardless of reach, and her vision for how to shape these poems and pieces (through her writing and playing), what each represents, and who to tap to bring each one to life, proves profound. Whether taken as a broad glance at authentic existence, a clear address on a compatibility of art forms or a survey of some of Canada's most notable vocal and instrumental talent(s), Earth Voices earns high marks.~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/earth-voices-amanda-tosoff-empress-music-group

Personnel: Amanda Tosoff: piano; Kelly Jefferson: saxophone, tenor; Allison Au: saxophone, alto; Aline Homzy: violin; Beth Silver: cello; Jeremy Potts: violin; Laurence Schaufele: viola; Alex Goodman: guitar; Jon Maharaj: bass; Morgan Childs: drums; Emilie-Claire Barlow: voice / vocals; Robin Dann: voice / vocals; Michelle Willis: voice / vocals; Laila Biali: voice / vocals; Lydia Persaud: voice / vocals; Felicity WIlliams: voice / vocals; Alex Samaras : voice / vocals.

Earth Voices

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Ruby Braff & Ellis Larkins - The Complete Duets

Styles: Cornet, Trumpet And Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 160:05
Size: 370,9 MB
Scans: Front & Back

(5:39) 1. Love For Sale
(3:46) 2. I've Got A Pocketful Of Dreams
(4:36) 3. Blues For Ruby
(3:47) 4. I've Got The World On A String
(5:37) 5. Please
(5:31) 6. Old Folks
(3:28) 7. Blues For Ellis
(4:32) 8. What Is There To Say
(5:07) 9. When A Woman Loves A Man
(5:39) 10. You Are Too Beautiful
(5:16) 11. Skylark
(4:47) 12. Sailboat In The Moonlight
(2:54) 13. A City Called Heaven
(5:38) 14. My Funny Valentine
(4:59) 15. Where Or When
(3:30) 16. I Could Write A Book
(4:59) 17. Little Girl Blue
(3:56) 18. Thou Swell
(3:29) 19. My Romance
(4:50) 20. The Girl Friend
(3:18) 21. Mountain Greenery
(4:16) 22. Blue Moon
(3:34) 23. You Took Advantage Of Me
(4:04) 24. I Married An Angel
(4:19) 25. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(6:55) 26. Romance in the Dark
(5:58) 27. When You Wish Upon a Star
(7:24) 28. (I Don't Stand A) Ghost of a Chance
(4:44) 29. Where's Freddie
(3:16) 30. Wishing (Will Make It So)
(5:49) 31. I'm in the Market for You
(9:17) 32. Sweet Sue, Just You
(5:00) 33. Linger Awhile

A unique collection of laidback jazz recordings recorded in a very spare setting that has trumpeter Ruby Braff playing with pianist Ellis Larkins, and no other accompaniment! The setting's quite unusual for the time, and it makes for a relaxed intimate meeting between two strong talents that really differs from the work that either of them were recording elsewhere. But even more incredible is the way that the two players come together without additional support working beautifully in a format that would have others faltering always swinging the tunes despite the lack of bass or drums, and clearly very at home here with the extra space that lets both of them open up creatively!

2-CD set features 25 titles that are exclusively Larkins/Braff duets recorded for Vanguard in 1955, plus an additional 8 numbers from a sextet session that features Braff with Vick Dickenson, Sam Margolis, and Nat Pierce. Titles include "Love For Sale", "Skylark", "Blue Moon", "Blues For Ellis", "Please", "Sailboat In The Moonlight", "Linger Awhile", "I'm In The Market For You", "Where Or When", "I Could Write A Book", "The Girl Friend", "Little Girl Blue", and "Thou Swell".https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/ruby-braff-ellis-larkins-albums/4309-the-complete-duets-2-cd-set.html
".
Personnel: Cornet, Trumpet – Ruby Braff; Piano – Ellis LarkinsDrums – Jo Jones, Nat Pierce Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet –Trombone – Vic Dickenson; : Bass – Walter Page".

The Complete Duets

Eubie Blake - Eighty Six Years Of Eubie Blake

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:33
Size: 161,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:44) 1. Dream Rag
(3:36) 2. Charleston Rag
(1:39) 3. Maple Leaf Rag
(2:36) 4. Semper Fidelis
(2:34) 5. Eubie's Boogie
(2:17) 6. Poor Jimmy Green
(2:40) 7. Tricky Fingers
(2:23) 8. Stars and Stripes Forever
(2:39) 9. Baltimore Todolo
(1:16) 10. Poor Katie Red
(2:41) 11. Kitchen Tom
(2:02) 12. Troublesome Ivories
(2:09) 13. Chevy Chase
(3:16) 14. Brittwood Rag
(2:10) 15. Medley: Bleeding Moon / Under the Bamboo Tree
(1:18) 16. It's All Your Fault
(6:41) 17. "Shuffle Along" Medley
(0:50) 18. I'm Just Wild About Harry
(2:13) 19. Spanish Venus
(3:23) 20. As Long As You Live
(4:05) 21. Medley: Charleston / Old Fashioned Love / If I Could Be with You
(1:19) 22. You Were Meant for Me
(2:33) 23. Dixie Moon
(3:31) 24. Blues, Why Don't You Let Me Alone
(2:23) 25. Blue Rag In 12 Keys
(4:22) 26. Memories of You

Eubie Blake had such a unique career that he fits into his own musical category. A near-contemporary of Scott Joplin, Blake was a ragtime composer as early as 1899 when he wrote “Charleston Rag.” A stage performer, he not only teamed up with singer Noble Sissle as the Dixie Duo in black vaudeville but collaborated with Sissle in writing musicals including the pioneering hit Shuffle Along in 1921 which included his “I’m Just Wild About Harry.”

Blake began recording as early as 1917 and with Sissle made a few pioneering sound films in 1923. He had success writing “Memories Of You” and recorded with his swing band in 1931 but mostly maintained a low profile for decades. However during 1968-69, with the release of the double-LP The Eighty-Six Years Of Eubie Blake, he launched a comeback that resulted in his last 14 years being among the busiest of his life. The last living ragtime composer, Blake became a national celebrity who was universally beloved.

The Eighty-Six Years Of Eubie Blake, which amazingly enough has still not been reissued on CD, does a superb job of summing up Blake’s life up to that point. He performs a variety of his originals (including “Charleston Rag,” “Eubie’s Boogie,” “Tricky Fingers,” “Troublesome Ivories,” “Shuffle Along Medley” with Noble Sissle, “I’m Just Wild About Harry,” and “Memories Of You”) plus a James P. Johnson medley, “Maple Leaf Rag” and a delightful version of “The Stars And Stripes Forever.”

Other than Sissle’s three appearances, Eubie Blake is heard throughout as a solo pianist, clearly having a great time being back in the spotlight again. This is his definitive album and it is well worth a search on Amazon to acquire. (It can be found on some streaming services or for sale as MP3s.) ~ Scott Yanow https://syncopatedtimes.com/the-eight-six-years-of-eubie-blake

Personnel: Eubie Blake - piano, songwriter; Noble Sissle - vocals, cover art, songwriter

Eighty Six Years Of Eubie Blake

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John Pizzarelli - Better Days Ahead (Solo Guitar Takes on Pat Metheny)

Styles: Guitar Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:51
Size: 134,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:44) 1. Better Days Ahead
(4:39) 2. Spring Ain't Here
(8:17) 3. April Wind/Phase Dance
(5:18) 4. September Fifteenth
(4:19) 5. James
(5:52) 6. Antonia
(4:50) 7. (It's Just) Talk
(2:26) 8. Letter From Home
(5:58) 9. If I Could
(4:09) 10. Last Train Home
(2:49) 11. From This Place
(3:09) 12. The Bat
(2:15) 13. Farmer's Trust

Better Days Ahead features both signature songs and deep cuts from Metheny’s prolific career, including material dating back from The Pat Metheny Group’s influential eponymous album from 1978, through the title track of 2020’s Grammy-nominated From This Place. Though it contains some gloriously meditative music, the album was created in a perfect storm. “Two weeks after canceling all my live performances on April 1, 2020” remembers John, “my father, Bucky passed away from the Coronavirus. Five days after that I turned sixty, and two days later my mother Ruth was taken by the same virus. After sixty years of marriage, and within one week of each other, both my parents were gone.”

As a way to deal with the pain, Pizzarelli developed these musical interpretations in early-morning sessions, alone with his guitar. “I had watched my father do this my whole life,” he remembers. “Before we ventured out to a day filled with recording sessions, ‘The Tonight Show,’ or late-night jazz gigs, he would practice classical pieces. So that’s what I felt compelled to do during this rough period. I started out playing standards, but then felt drawn to the idea of deconstructing Pat Metheny’s group arrangements from my seven-string guitar. I had loved the recordings of the Pat Metheny Group since I was a teenager, and I welcomed the challenge of diving deep into his canon of remarkably dense and moving material. Every day, it was a miraculous diversion from my own personal grief and the tragedy of the pandemic I saw unfolding on the nightly news.”

Coincidentally, Metheny reached out to Pizzarelli to send condolences on his recent loss. “When I told him I had been working on his songs, Pat graciously sent me a treasure trove of his lead sheets. Now, I could hold this music in my hands and dive into every note. It’s like the holy grail to get that from a composer!”

Metheny himself offered kind words of encouragement: “I have admired John for years as a fantastic musician with an amazing ability to communicate. His love and understanding of classic song forms runs deep, almost as a birthright, thanks to having grown up on the knee of one of the greatest guitarists ever, his dad Bucky. His vast reserve of knowledge into the nuts and bolts of why those Great American Songbook tunes have the musical impact they do continually give his performances an insightful edge that connects him with a deep tradition. His life in music brings authority and insight that is increasingly rare as time moves on. To say it was flattering to have John address these tunes, knowing all the great music he has been around his whole life, is an understatement. It is an incredible honor for me.”(To be continued) https://www.thekurlandagency.com/2021/04/14/new-album-john-pizzarellis-better-days-ahead-a-solo-guitar-celebration-of-pat-metheny/

Better Days Ahead (Solo Guitar Takes on Pat Metheny)

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