Monday, July 26, 2021

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Bang Bang Bang

Styles: Vocal, Country, Big Band
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:34
Size: 85,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:56) 1. If This Ain't Love
(3:41) 2. Bang, Bang, Bang
(4:29) 3. Singing To The Scarecrow
(3:03) 4. Forget The Job
(3:58) 5. It's About Time
(2:37) 6. Down The Road
(3:22) 7. Nickel In The Well
(3:30) 8. Rent, Groceries and Gasoline
(2:44) 9. Dry Town
(2:31) 10. The Monkey Song
(3:37) 11. Southbound Train

While it pales in comparison with their classic early '70s releases, Bang Bang Bang is far from being a lesser latter-day effort from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The group are seasoned professionals, capable of making even second-rate material sound fine, which is fortunate since there's a little bit too much filler on the record. Nevertheless, it's a pleasure to hear the group play, and there are moments where they nearly recapture the magic of yesteryear, which may make the album worthwhile for dedicated fans.~Thom Owens https://www.allmusic.com/album/bang-bang-bang-mw0000035101

Bang Bang Bang

Miriam Klein, Kirk Lightsey - Ballads for Loving Kindness

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:31
Size: 132,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:22) 1. There Is Nothing Like the Feeling
(6:43) 2. Detour Ahead
(6:37) 3. A Time for Love
(5:20) 4. Easy Street
(7:07) 5. Deep in my Dreams
(6:20) 6. Love Is the Thing
(5:35) 7. Season
(6:08) 8. Mandy Is Two
(7:16) 9. Gloomy Monday

Miriam Klein (born March 27, 1937 in Basel) is a Swiss jazz singer. Miriam Klein first achieved notoriety when she performed in Paris with Pierre Michelot, Don Byas and Art Simmons in the 1950s. After training at the music school in Vienna, she returned to Switzerland and sang in the formations of her husband Oscar Klein since 1963.

In the 1960s and 1970s she became internationally known as a singer. She recorded an album with Bessie Smith tracks during this period; The international breakthrough came in 1973 with the album " Lady Like ", which was dedicated to Billie Holiday. She was accompanied by musicians such as Roy Eldridge, Dexter Gordon and Slide Hampton. She also recorded a record with Albert Nicholas.

In 1977 Klein worked with the Fritz Pauer Trio, in 1978 with Sir Roland Hanna and George Mraz on their album " By Myself ". At the Frankfurt Jazz Festival 1980 she was accompanied by Hans Kollers International Brass Company . In 1981/82 she went on tour with Kenny Clarke, Hanna and Isla Eckinger. In 2001 she was also involved in the recording of the album My Marilyn by David Klein, her son.

Her role model is Billie Holiday; she wanted to sing like Billie Holiday, but not copy it , said the singer. After making a record with Miriam Klein, Roy Eldridge said: Your voice would have been much more suitable for the film “Lady Sings the Blues” than Diana Ross's. https://peoplepill.com/people/miriam-klein

Personnel: Miriam Klein - Vocal; Kirk Lightsey - Piano.

Miriam: Ballads for Loving Kindness

Sunday, July 25, 2021

Swedish Swing Society - Runnin' Wild in New York (Remastered)

Styles: Jazz, Swing
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:42
Size: 170,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:20) 1. Runnin' Wild
(4:45) 2. It's the Talk of the Town
(5:09) 3. Stompin' At The Savoy
(5:04) 4. Memories of You
(5:14) 5. Three Little Words
(5:20) 6. Night And Day
(5:48) 7. Blue Lou
(3:43) 8. The Man I Love
(6:14) 9. The Sheik Of Araby
(4:52) 10. Sweet Lorraine
(4:41) 11. After You've Gone
(5:24) 12. It Had To Be You
(6:54) 13. Stardust
(5:06) 14. Chinatown My Chinatown

In 1935 Benny Goodman put together the famous trio with Teddy Wilson at the piano and Gene Krupa on the drums. The first recordings resulted in an immense success. The concept of letting the left hand of the pianist work together with the bassdrum, in the absense of a bassplayer, and Goodmans joyful ease created an airy sound that brought fourth the elegant technique of the musicians and an ecceptional swingexperience. In 1936 vibraphonist Lionel Hampton was added to the group. This quartet became the model for the popular Swedish group that Ove Lind and Lars Erstrand put together. Ulf Johansson Werre overtook the pianostool from Bengt Hallberg and later Bjorn Sjodin inherited the drummer position from Ronnie Gardiner.

After the decease of Ove Lind Antti Sarpila joined the group. Now, after the decease of Lars Erstrand the group continues as the original, chambermusical trio with which Goodman set style in 1935. SWEDISH SWING SOCIETY (SSS) cares and develops this inheritance in a way that has given response among audiences and critics over the world. ”World class” is often mentioned when referring to the appearances of the group, for example at Carnegie Hall in New York at a celebration of the National Day of Sweden. ”The interplay between Ulf, Antti and Bjorn is brilliant.It sounds so easy and natural when these musicians make their elegant and swinging versions that it puts You in a great mood.
”Translated By Google http://www.bjorntjanst.com/SwedishSwingSociety.html

Personnel: Antti Sarpila, clarinet; Ulf Johansson Werre, piano; Lars Erstrand, vibraphone; Björn Sjödin, drums

Runnin' Wild in New York

Georges Brassens - Brassens Et Le Jazz Disc 1,Disc 2

Album: Brassens Et Le Jazz Disc 1
Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:08
Size: 164,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:55) 1. Elégie à un rat de cave
(3:38) 2. Au Bois De Mon Coeur
(2:49) 3. P De Toi
(2:30) 4. La Femme D' Hector
(2:34) 5. La Marche Nuptiale - Mono
(4:05) 6. Le Temps Ne Fait Rien A L' Affaire
(3:04) 7. Le Temps Passé
(3:09) 8. Chanson Pour L'Auvergnat
(2:53) 9. La Chasse Aux Papillons
(3:41) 10. Le Pornographe
(2:57) 11. La Prière
(2:15) 12. Les Copains D'Abord
(3:12) 13. Histoire De Faussaire
(2:48) 14. Embrasse-Les Tous
(4:20) 15. Maman Papa
(2:56) 16. La Non-Demande En Mariage
(2:51) 17. Je Me Suis Fait Tout Petit
(2:52) 18. J' Ai Rendez-Vous Avec Vous
(3:45) 19. Bonhomme
(2:21) 20. Le Vent
(2:39) 21. La Ballade Des Cimetières
(3:16) 22. La Ronde Des Jurons
(2:24) 23. Cupidon S'En Fout


Album: Brassens Et Le Jazz Disc 2
Time: 45:06
Size: 104,0 MB

(3:35) 1. La Première Fille
(3:54) 2. Dans L'Eau De La Claire Fontaine
(4:29) 3. Le Vieux Léon
(4:13) 4. Pénélope
(3:24) 5. A L'Ombre Du Coeur De Ma Mie
(3:32) 6. Oncle Archibald
(5:06) 7. La Route Aux Quatre Chansons
(3:06) 8. Les Amoureux Des Bancs Publics
(4:57) 9. L'Orage
(4:54) 10. Le 22 Septembre
(3:51) 11. Les Passantes

One of French pop's most poetic songwriters, Georges Brassens was also a highly acclaimed and much-beloved performer in his own right. Not only a brilliant manipulator of language and a feted poet in his own right, Brassens was also renowned for his subversive streak, satirizing religion, class, social conformity, and moral hypocrisy with a wicked glee. Yet beneath that surface was a compassionate concern for his fellow man, particularly the disadvantaged and desperate. His personal politics were forged during the Nazi occupation, and while his views on freedom bordered on anarchism, his songs expressed those convictions more subtly than those of his contemporary, Léo Ferré. Though he was a skilled songwriter, Brassens had little formal musical training, and he generally kept things uncomplicated simple melodies and spare accompaniment from a bass and second guitar. Along with Jacques Brel, he became one of the most unique voices on the French cabaret circuit, and exerted a tremendous influence on many other singers and songwriters of the postwar era. His poetry and lyrics are still studied as part of France's standard educational curriculum.

Georges Brassens was born in the small Mediterranean town of Sète, France, on October 22, 1921. His deeply religious mother encouraged him to play the mandolin, and taught him some of the Italian folk songs she'd grown up with; intellectually, however, Brassens wound up taking after his staunchly anti-religion father. Around age 15, Brassens met Alphonse Bonnafé, the literature teacher who first introduced him to poetry (and would later write the first Brassens biography in 1963). Brassens soon spent his free time writing poetry and song lyrics, the latter of which he typically set to popular melodies of the time. He also formed a small musical group called Jazz, which played local functions with Brassens as the drummer. Unfortunately, Brassens was expelled from school in 1939 after inadvertently getting mixed up in a jewel theft on campus. He first went to work for his father's masonry business, then went to Paris in 1940 to live with his aunt and work at the Renault car factory. In the meantime, he learned piano and wrote some of his first original compositions.

When Nazi troops arrived in Paris that summer, Brassens returned to Sète for a few months, but found it difficult to remain there. He was back in Paris by year's end, and despite the Nazi occupation, he managed to publish two short poetry collections in 1942. In 1943, Brassens was conscripted into the S.T.O., a mandatory work service program that forced him to go to Germany; there he met Pierre Onténiente, a fellow Frenchman who would become his lifelong friend and (in his successful years) private secretary. After a year in the S.T.O., Brassens returned to Paris on a two-week leave; rather than go back to Germany, he went into hiding at the home of a couple, Jeanne and Marcel Planche, whom he would later immortalize in song. Without much else to occupy him, Brassens spent his days composing songs and writing music, eventually teaching himself the guitar based on his prior experience with the mandolin.

In 1946, after the war had ended, Brassens published the first of a series of articles in the anarchist journal Le Libertaire. The following year, he also published his first novel, La Lune Écoute Aux Portes, and met Joha Heiman, the woman he would love and write about for the remainder of his life (oddly, they never married or even cohabited, as Brassens continued to live with the Planches until 1966). Brassens wrote much of his finest early work during the next few years, but found it difficult to place his material with anyone on the Parisian cabaret circuit. His luck started to change in 1951 when he met singer Jacques Grello, who helped him find performers for his songs; however, none proved especially popular with audiences at first.

In early 1952, Brassens auditioned a selection of his material for female cabaret star Patachou, giving a late-night performance that dazzled the small audience present. Though Brassens had never considered himself a singer, Patachou convinced him to try his hand at performing himself. A bass player present at the audition, Pierre Nicolas, quickly joined Brassens in support, and would serve in that capacity for the remainder of the singer's career. Brassens was an immediate hit on the cabaret circuit with both audiences and critics, and with Patachou's help, he met Polydor exec Jacques Canetti, and landed a record deal. His first single, "Le Gorille," was released later in 1952, and stirred up controversy with its strong anti-death penalty stance; in fact, it was banned from French radio until 1955. In 1953, Brassens released his first LP, La Mauvaise Réputation, and played his first major concert at the Bobino Theatre, to which he would return often in the years to come; he also published a second novel, La Tour des Miracles. He won the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque de l'Academie Charles Cros in 1954 for his EP Le Parapluie, and spent much of the year touring Europe and northern Africa. He released several more LPs over the remainder of the '50s, during which time chronic kidney ailments began to affect his health, resulting in periodic hospitalizations. Nonetheless, he continued to tour regularly, and made his film debut in 1956's Portes des Lilas; he also set some of his friend Paul Fort's poetry to music.

Brassens' early-'60s LPs included strong works like Le Pornographe, Le Mécréant, and Les Trompettes de la Renommée. In 1964, he wrote the hit theme "Les Copains d'Abord" for the film Les Copains, and issued an album of the same name. His prolific writing pace of the '50s slowed considerably afterward, due in part to health problems and personal tragedies (both his parents and the Planches had passed away by the end of the decade). These experiences informed his increasingly morbid lyrical outlook, typified by his 1966 LP Supplique pour Être Enterré à la Plage. However, the remainder of the '60s was not all unkind to Brassens; he was awarded the Grand Prix de Poésie de l'Academie Française (the highest national poetry award) in 1967, and took part in a celebrated three-way radio interview with Jacques Brel and Léo Ferré in 1969. Also in 1969, he returned with the new album La Religieuse, which featured his new second guitarist, Joel Favreau, the third musician to hold that chair (the first two were Victor Apicella and Barthelemy Rosso).

Brassens spent the early '70s working on several film soundtracks, and performing several well-received concert series at the Bobino Theatre; he also issued a new album, Fernande, in 1972. Weakened by his kidney problems, he embarked on his final tour in 1973. He issued one further LP, Don Juan, in 1976, and gave a series of farewell concerts in early 1977 at the Bobino. Brassens would return to the studio on several other occasions as a star guest for others' recording sessions, but by 1980, his kidney problems had worsened into cancer. He passed away on October 29, 1981, in the village of Saint-Gely-du-Fesc, at his doctor's home, and was buried nearby in his hometown of Sète.~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/georges-brassens-mn0000541940/biography

Brassens Et Le Jazz

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Frank Kimbrough & Joe Locke - Saturn's Child

Styles: Piano And Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:06
Size: 145,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:04) 1. 727
(7:49) 2. Saturn's Child
(8:27) 3. Trouble Is a Gorgeous Dancer
(4:55) 4. Silence
(4:09) 5. Waltz for Lee
(8:03) 6. Empty Chalice
(8:24) 7. Sanibel Island
(9:35) 8. I Still Believe (In Love)
(4:36) 9. Midnight

Saturn's Child is one of several new releases brought to you by the brand new modern jazz-based "Omni Tone" label. Smart packaging, insightful liners and premium sound quality come to the forefront along with two splendid new releases by members of the "red-hot"New York Jazz Composers Collective. Along with trumpeter Ron Horton's Genius Envy (see Nov '99 AAJ review) we are enamored with the absolutely stunning duet performances by much in demand vibraphonist Joe Locke and a man who seemingly possesses the skilled hands of a surgeon behind the keys, pianist Frank Kimbrough.

Saturn's Child is a striking foray into supremely intuitive interplay and lush melodicism via charming and bittersweet phraseology coupled with the duo's sensitivity, compassion and mutual "musical" respect for one another which is evident from the opening moments of Frank Kimbrough's composition, "727". Light, airy thematic statements by Locke who is rapidly becoming one of the top session musicians in jazz besides a successful solo career rides the crest of the wave atop Kimbrough's rhythmically inclined left-hand chord voicings. Here and throughout, Kimbrough and Locke engage their thoughts and demonstrate uncanny synergy as they delicately articulate sleek, smooth passages which are at times, somber, pensive and in many instances, spiritually uplifting. Joe Locke's "Saturn's Child" features a poignant yet zestful theme through clear well stated unison lines as if the song was truly intended to be a bedtime lullaby.

Locke's serene "Trouble Is A Gorgeous Dancer" features a catchy melody all with a touch of class and finesse as the gentlemen alternate solo chores while ultimately converging to restate the endearing and quite memorable theme. Here, the recurring motif serves as a bridge for Kimbrough's inspiring and somewhat ethereal ruminations, displaying artful use of harmonics, tremolo and conveying somewhat of a majestic presence. These men perform as though they were seeking that ever elusive - "pot of gold", mainly from a musical and/or artistic standpoint. Perfection seems attainable on Saturn's Child as the story evolves on Kimbrough's "Waltz For Lee" while the duo create an affable, positive groove over a simple waltz motif. Lush romanticism on "Empty Chalice" and - ever so soft - poetry in motion on the light-as-a feather ballad "I Still Believe (In Love)" are magnetically appealing and further indicate the duo's powerful compositional skills. Accolades aside, Saturn's Child may be the logical heir to Chick Corea and Gary Burton's momentous and critically acclaimed "Crystal Silence" outing on the ECM label. Kimbrough and Locke have created a sparkling gem here... Saturn's Child is music of a higher order, a colossal effort!! Highly Recommended...~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/saturns-child-joe-locke-omnitone-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: Frank Kimbrough: piano; Joe Locke: vibraphone.

Saturn's Child

Papik, Sarah Jane Morris - Let The Music Play

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:28
Size: 103,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:03) 1. Let The Music Play
(4:17) 2. You Are The Best Thing
(4:51) 3. Jericho
(3:49) 4. Hold On To Love
(3:39) 5. Hello It's Me
(3:49) 6. I Really Feel You So (featuring Sarah Jane Morris)
(3:52) 7. Appetite
(4:17) 8. Missing
(3:36) 9. Sweet Love
(4:02) 10. Looking For A Rainbow
(4:09) 11. Lovely Day

Papik is a musical project born from an idea of the Roman arranger and composer Nerio Poggi, a successful author and producer ranging from pop , jazz, from Bossa nova to Soul and who has collaborated, among others, with Mario Biondi. The collaboration between Sarah and Papik begins on the song "I really feel you so" , an unreleased song, while later they work on the cover of Barry White that gives the title to the project and to the album released for Irma Records "Let the music play!".

On the disc the trusted collaborator Tony Remy plays the guitar, all the other musicians are of the Papik project precisely because the disc has a precise sound world that distinguishes the producer. It is a tribute to the '80s, the period from which Sarah's success with “Don't leave this way” comes with the Communards. Sarah has chosen songs by artists she is particularly attached to such as Bill Withers ( "Lovely Day" ), Everything but the girl ( "Missing" ), Simply Red ( "Jericho" ), Tod Rundgren ( "Hello It's me" ) to name some. Sarah's charisma and voice and Papik's sound world give a new light to these songs, create a sunny, cheerful but refined atmosphere, a live that brings back to that magic and lightness we so much need these days.Translate By Google https://casadeljazz.com/evento/sarah-jane-morris-let-the-music-play/

Personnel: Sarah Jane Morris - vocals; Tony Remy - guitar ; Papik

Let The Music Play

Friday, July 23, 2021

Olaf Polziehn - Gentle Touch

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:46
Size: 130,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:47) 1. Jazz Folk
(6:14) 2. Detour Ahead
(5:06) 3. Dedication
(4:55) 4. The Candy Man
(4:32) 5. Remembering
(5:33) 6. Pensativa
(6:24) 7. They Say It's Spring
(6:42) 8. Rachid
(6:20) 9. The Hands Of Time
(3:32) 10. Never Let Me Go
(2:38) 11. Silence

In recent years, Olaf Polziehn, who was born 1970 in Ludwigsburg, has earned a reputation as one of Europe’s most sought-after jazz pianists. Evidence of this includes his concerts and CDs with such musicians as Randy Brecker, Quincy Jones, Patti Austin, Al Jarreau, Take 6, Al Foster, Bobby Durham, Benny Golson, Scott Hamilton, Horacio “El Negro” Hernández, and many others. The pianist Monty Alexander has written of him: “Olaf is in possession of outstanding piano technique and a wondrous touch.” And Bob Mintzer remarked: “Olaf Polziehn is a terrific pianist! He draws upon the tradition and then takes the music to interesting new places, always with a keen sense of taste and style. He makes everyone in the band sound good and is a great conversationalist. All the ingredients for a great piano player!” Olaf Polziehn has been a professor at the Graz University of Art since October 2008. https://www.lucernefestival.ch/en/program/directory-of-artists/olaf_polziehn/2700

Gentle Touch

Groove Collective - Dance Of The Drunken Master

Styles: Acid Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:00
Size: 164,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:49) 1. Out The Door
(3:42) 2. Deal With It
(4:48) 3. Floating
(4:42) 4. Bionic
(5:39) 5. St. Gallen
(6:28) 6. Peep Show
(3:39) 7. Que Te Pasa 'Ti
(6:20) 8. Anna Christina
(4:20) 9. Drunken Master
(4:42) 10. Tangenziale
(5:00) 11. Runaway Child
(5:07) 12. Sending
(5:20) 13. World Bank
(4:18) 14. Hey

With their brand of acid jazz, the Groove Collective mix the spirit of horn bands like Earth, Wind & Fire with the snap of hip-hop and the edge of hard bop on Dance of the Drunken Master. While jazz purists might wince at the gurgling rhythms, most will find it hard to keep still with the thick funk on these tracks. This is music with a sense of fun. ~ Tim Sheridan https://www.allmusic.com/album/dance-of-the-drunken-master-mw0000040922

Personnel: Baritone Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Vocals, Tenor Saxophone – Jay Rodriguez; Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Synthesizer [Additional] – Jonathan Maron; Congas, Percussion, Vocals – Chris Theberge; Drums, Vocals, Drums [Electronic Drums] – Genji Siraisi; Electric Piano [Rhodes], Organ [B-3], Clavinet, Synthesizer [Minimoog, Arp String Ensemble], Vocals – Jonathan Crayford; Flute, Piccolo Flute, Kalimba, Vocals, Music Director – Richard Worth; Guest, Electric Piano [Rhodes], Synthesizer [Minimoog], Clavinet – A.T.N. Stadwijk (tracks: 3, 6, 9); Guest, Trombone – Josh Roseman (tracks: 3, 6, 9, 13); Tenor Saxophone, Vocals – David Jensen; Timbales, Bongos, Percussion, Vocals, Rap [Rhymes] – Gordon "Nappy G" Clay; Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Vocals – Fabio Morgera; Vibraphone, Vocals – Bill Ware III

Dance Of The Drunken Master

Corey Wilkes - Cries From Tha Ghetto

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:21
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

( 9:05) 1. First Mind
( 0:44) 2. Abstrakt #1
( 6:30) 3. SICK JJ
( 7:23) 4. Levitation
( 4:49) 5. Rain
(10:53) 6. Cries from Tha Ghetto
( 1:12) 7. Abstrakt #2
( 7:44) 8. Visionary of an Abstrakt
( 1:01) 9. Abstrakt #3
( 5:12) 10. Villa Tiamo
( 0:25) 11. Abstrakt #4
( 4:18) 12. Chasin' LeRoy

Trumpet player Corey Wilkes was just 24 when saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell recruited him to join the Art Ensemble Of Chicago in 2003, four years after Lester Bowie's passing. Since then he has demonstrated remarkable technical and creative ability, serving as a sideman in James Carter's Quintet, Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra and Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble. He also leads his own straight-ahead Quintet, the neo-soul outfit Black Slang and the forward thinking sextet Abstrakt Pulse, featured on Cries From Tha Ghetto, Wilkes' sophomore effort a far more adventurous affair than his funky debut, Drop It (Delmark, 2008).

Combining the progressive hard bop of 1960s Blue Note sessions with the exploratory advancements of the AACM, Wilkes' Abstract Pulse features the estimable talents of relative newcomers Kevin Nabors (tenor saxophone), Scott Hesse (guitar), Junius Paul (bass), Isaiah Spencer (drums) and tap dancer Jumaane Taylor. Nabors brawny cadences and Hesse's fleet-fingered fretwork provide Wilkes with a vivacious front line. Paul and Spencer are a resourceful rhythm section, occasionally accompanied by Taylor's quicksilver hoofing. A generous leader, Wilkes provides liberal solo space for his sidemen as well as sharing writing duties. Other than an ethereal cover of Lester Bowie's "Villa Tiamo," all the tunes are originals, most co-written by the band.

Chameleonic in his versatility, it's easy to see why Mitchell picked Wilkes to fill Bowie's spot. On the Jazz Messengers-inspired swing of "First Mind" and "Levitation" he recalls the soulfulness of Lee Morgan, the dexterity of Freddie Hubbard and the harmonic sophistication of Woody Shaw, without resorting to imitation. "Villa Tiamo," reveals his debt to Bowie with expansive pitch bends and half-valve tonal smears, an ability showcased to even greater effect on the haunting dissonances of "SICK JJ" and the labyrinthine "Visionary of an Abstrakt." Conversely, his tender muted refrains on the lush Milesean ballad "Rain" show great restraint.

A diverse session, "First Mind" and Levitation" offer a modernistic spin on classic hard bop conventions, while numbered "Abstrakt" interludes spotlight each member of the group in vociferous freeplay. "SICK JJ" travels further out a menacing fever dream awash with coruscating electric guitar feedback, rumbling electric bass tones and a thicket of caterwauling horns. "Visionary of an Abstrakt" augments spry free bop with a string of searching solos including episodes of unearthly kaleidoscopic bass harmonics and spectral bell-tones. Straddling the line between tradition and the avant-garde, "Chasin' LeRoy" and the lyrical title track encompass the best of both worlds. Expanding beyond the stylistic limitations of his debut album, Cries From Tha Ghetto presents a richer side of Wilkes' artistry, one that lives up to his potential.

Personnel: Corey Wilkes: trumpet and flugelhorn; Kevin Nabors: tenor saxophone; Scott Hesse: guitar; Junius Paul: bass; Isaiah Spencer: drums; Jumaane Taylor: tap dance.

Cries From Tha Ghetto

Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt - Left Bank Encores

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:11
Size: 168,2 MB
Art: Front

( 9:06) 1. Just In Time
(11:31) 2. They Can't Take That Away From Me
( 9:37) 3. Theme From "Love Story"
( 6:56) 4. Exactly Like You
( 6:02) 5. Don't Go To Strangers
(15:51) 6. Autumn Leaves
(14:05) 7. Blues Up And Down

The antithesis of studio-bred perfection, Left Bank Encores is another interesting artifact of Ammons and Stitt’s long-term partnership. The presence of a large, vocal crowd at the Famous Ballroom doesn’t spur the expected tenor battle; rather, something looser and less dramatic occurs.

During a brisk rendition of “Just In Time,” the set’s opener, Ammons states the melody then delivers a solo full of short, abrupt phrases with a burly, elephantine tone. The rhythm section, comprised of pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Billy Higgins, manages to swing efficiently and stay out of Ammons’ way. Brief and to the point, the tenor saxophonist’s soul-stirring accompaniment is a perfect match for Etta Jones’ vocals during a raucous take of “Exactly Like You.”

In contrast to Ammons’ large, lumbering presence, Stitt’s brief turn on the same track is a brilliant patchwork that brings together portions of the tune’s melody, blues locutions, and bebop flights into a coherent statement. “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” is noteworthy for the inspired give and take between Stitt and Walton on the saxophonist’s extended alto solo.~ David A. Orthmann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/left-bank-encores-gene-ammons-prestige-records-review-by-david-a-orthmann.php

Personnel: Gene Ammons - tenor saxophone; Sonny Stitt - tenor and alto saxophone; Cedar Walton - piano; Sam Jones - bass; Billy Higgins - drums; Etta Jones - vocals (4 and 5).

Left Bank Encores

Thursday, July 22, 2021

Count Basie - Count Basie Live - 1938 At The Famous Door, NYC

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:47
Size: 175,8 MB
Art: Front

(1:58) 1. Intro - Time Out
(1:41) 2. One Hour
(6:59) 3. Jumpin' At The Woodside
(3:13) 4. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
(4:00) 5. King Porter Stomp
(3:04) 6. OH! Lady Be Good
(1:00) 7. Everybody Loves My Baby
(4:07) 8. Intro - King Porter Stomp
(4:45) 9. John's Idea
(3:56) 10. Nagasaki
(3:08) 11. Doggin' Around
(4:25) 12. Wo-Ta-Ta
(3:03) 13. Yeah Man
(2:26) 14. Out The Window
(5:12) 15. Introduction - Every Tub
(2:25) 16. Song Of The Wanderer
(4:34) 17. Flat Foot Floogie
(3:37) 18. OH! Lady Be Good
(3:08) 19. Boogie Woogie Blues
(5:56) 20. One O'Clock Jump

The Basie band, with Harry James as the guest soloist and new arrival Harry Edison in the lineup, rocked New York's 52nd Street. The band is captured here in six late-night CBS broadcasts in the midst of its first big year of success, in an engagement that was supposed to last six weeks and ended up running four months, before an audience so taken with the group's sound that they willingly moved out onto the sidewalk while the group opened up to full volume for these broadcasts. There's hardly a note out of place, and the band shows its stuff behind renditions of "Jumping at the Woodside," "King Porter Stomp," and "One O'Clock Jump" (a killer finale) clocking in at between five and seven minutes with extended solos, double the length of their records of this era. Basie's piano gets some of the spotlight in a bracing version of "Lady Be Good." The fidelity is good to very good, and only "Everybody Loves My Baby" (a great number) is, alas, incomplete, a result of a transcription disc that was never found. That flaw aside, it is a release like this that transcends any of the criticism of the digital medium put simply, it's only the existence of digital audio and digital editing that permitted an engineer to remove more than 200 scratches per second from the original transcription discs that this CD came from.~ Bruce Eder https://www.allmusic.com/album/count-basie-live%21-1938-at-the-famous-door-nyc-mw0000982377

Count Basie Live -1938 At The Famous Door, NYC

The Bill Evans Guitar Project - Echoes of Bill

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:10
Size: 58,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:11) 1. Bill's Hit Tune
(4:57) 2. Children's Play Song
(3:48) 3. Twelve Tone Tune
(6:06) 4. Re: Person I Knew
(5:07) 5. Show Type Tune

On July 2, 2000 John Hebert, Bruce Hall, Rez Abbasi and I got together to play some Bill Evans tunes in Bruce Hall's Brooklyn home studio. Bruce was recording into a now-obsolete digital recording platform (mini disc) at the time, there was a lot of mic bleed, small room, mini-disc....it wasn't Avatar. Despite this the end product sounds remarkably good. Bruce did some beautiful playing and some beautiful engineering here. As far as any of us can remember we just got together to record in this two guitar configuration that one time although we had all played together on many different gigs and recording projects...in a lot of ways New York was and is a small town. We were pretty much reading through some Evans tunes, coming up with quick arrangements, recording and moving on to the next tune. It's got a really nice vibe and for all you guitar players, Rez is absolutely burning.

We met at Bruce's house, read through some tunes, hung out afterward, did a lot of bullshitting and for the next 20 years didn't give the recording much thought, if any. Then...about a year ago Bruce remixed the tunes we recorded and sent us all a copy. It was an emotional experience for me to hear this so many years later and I think for the others as well. All the great memories I have of playing with these stellar musicians, all the miles between then and now, the gratitude that I felt and still feel to these musicians that I admire and respect for including me and for the commitment, heart, soul and talent they put into any and all music that they make.I think you can hear all that in this recording. We got it mastered through Gene Paul at GandJ Audio Gene and Joel Kerr did a freaking great job on that.Huge thanks to Bruce Hall for his hosting, playing and engineering.https://thebillevansguitarproject.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-of-bill

Personnel: Rez Abbasi - Guitar ; Bruce Hall - Drums; John Hébert - Bass; Bruce Saunders - Guitar

Echoes of Bill

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt - God Bless Jug And Sonny

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:01
Size: 156,6 MB
Art: Front

(16:32) 1. Blue 'N' Boogie
(14:58) 2. Stringin' The Jug
( 5:48) 3. God Bless The Child
( 5:05) 4. Autumn In New York
( 7:44) 5. Ugetsu
(17:51) 6. Bye Bye Blackbird

Jug and Sonny share a place near the top in the pantheon of tandem tenor teams. Their spirited, hard-charging contests, which always seem to end in amicable draws are the stuff of canonical jazz legend so the news of an previously unreleased recording of the pair is undoubtedly enough to set the countenances of their loyal fans to suffusing with expectant grins. Taped live at the Left Bank Jazz Society during Ammons’ twilight time (he would die a little over a year later) the date makes good on its promise. Three tracks clocking in at over fourteen minutes, one apiece as solo features for the individual tenors and a final track showcasing the rhythm section alone- its easy to see that this is a program custom-built to satisfy even the most demanding bop maven.

Ammon’s robust and throaty horn initiates the Gillespie classic “Blue ‘n’ Boogie” digging in deep around the theme and sounding off with sassy abandon through a ruddy stream of elongated notes. Stitt chimes in on the heels of his confrere’s solo with a lighter, less pugilistic tone, taking his time in cavorting with the rhythm section’s supportive swing. Engaging in a chain of overlapping exchanges the pair trade phrases before a final joint summation takes the tune out. “Stringin’ the Jug” affords Ammons inaugural honors a second time and the heavyweight tenor comes out swinging again. Jabbing and feinting through his series of choruses he again shows himself less light on his feet than Stitt and resorts on occasion to repetitive stock phrases. An uncharacteristic coarseness also invades his tone and its not always clear whether the change is a product of the recording fidelity or his own fading prowess. Stitt again sounds completely in control from the onset of his own protracted declaration, the speed of his unfurling lines matched by Higgins’ scampering drums.

The next two tracks provide opportunities to hear the individual horns in isolation with the rhythm section and the differences between Stitt and Ammons in these undiluted settings are particularly enlightening. Ammons’ gilded exploration of the Billie Holiday staple “God Bless the Child” balances just the right of measure of tenderness with muscular grit. Stitt hoists his alto for “Autumn in New York” working similar magic of the standard’s balladic changes. Walton’s “Ugetsu,” which first gained notoriety as an entry in the Jazz Messengers songbook gives the saxophonist’s a rest and the resulting trio shines on its own terms. Rounding out with a final burner in the form of a seventeen-minute “Bye Bye Blackbird” the tenor warhorses take one final gallop through the trenches.

As two-tenor conclaves go this one earns high marks. All the more so because unlike earlier recorded meetings between Jug and Sonny, track lengths allow for the duo to truly put each other through the paces. Listeners with a keen ear for the work of either man will find their expectations met many times over.~ Derek Taylor https://www.allaboutjazz.com/god-bless-jug-and-sonny-fantasy-jazz-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Personnel: Gene Ammons- tenor saxophone; Sonny Stitt- tenor & alto saxophones; Cedar Walton- piano; Sam Jones- bass; Billy Higgins-drums. Recorded: June 24, 1973, Baltimore, MD.

God Bless Jug And Sonny

Lou Tavano - Meets Alexey Asantcheeff

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:53
Size: 100,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:04)  1. Fascinating Rhythm
(6:50)  2. Little Niles
(5:41)  3. Resolution
(8:29)  4. My Funny Valentine
(4:27)  5. Monk's Dream
(5:36)  6. Afro Blue
(6:43)  7. I Loves You Porgy (Live)

A voice you never heard before, a whisper as well as a burning wind. Priestess of the Sound, she would be, according to the rumors, haunting the outskirts of Paris... Lou Tavano's first album as a leader was recorded November 2011, and arranged by Alexey Asantcheeff. Released October 2012, self-produced, and entitled "Meets Alexey Asantcheeff", it is the result of their collaboration, their story since the day they met. "This record is an invitation to enter Lou's imaginarium. The audacious and modern arrangements bring the classic interpretation of jazz standards to a whole new level. There you are in a surprising strange universe, rarely wandered around by jazz singers... The will to tell the story behind the words is obvious here. Lou leaves us bewitched, bothered and bewildered." https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/loutavano

Personnel:  Lou Tavano - vocal; Alexey Asantcheeff - piano & arrangements; Damien Varaillon - double bass; Tiss Rodriguez - drums

Meets Alexey Asantcheeff

Eric Le Lann & Jean Marie Ecay - Eric Le Lann & Jean Marie Ecay Play Jobim

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:58
Size: 99,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:45)  1. Olha Maria
(4:49)  2. Inútil Paisagem (If You Never Come To Me)
(2:44)  3. Desafinado
(2:35)  4. Luiza
(2:54)  5. Lígia
(3:12)  6. Águas de Março
(3:47)  7. Retrato Em Branco E Preto (Portrait In Black And White)
(3:37)  8. O Amor Em Paz (Once I Loved)
(2:55)  9. Bras Dessus
(3:24) 10. Arabie
(2:43) 11. Meditação (Meditation)
(3:29) 12. Corcovado
(2:57) 13. Ana Luiza

Eric Le Lann had the idea of an album tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim following his participation in 2002 in the albumWinter Garden Henri Salvador very influenced by bossa nova. How to play the 2005 Jobim without falling into cliché, déjà vu? How to renew the genre after jazz giants like Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie  Byrd? Simply playing purer, simpler in. Le Lann has put a damper on his trumpet, Ecay took his acoustic guitar. They agreed to play songs little known, in the most pure way as direct as possible. Likewise, the sound is crisp, direct. As the attacker to the point, they go to the heart.

Ipanema girl is not the appointment. You will recognize from the standard "Corcovado", "Desafinado". The version of "Aguas do Março" now mell into my head to the original and to the French version of Georges Moustaki "Waters of March". Are also included a version of "Portrait in Black and  White" Eric Le Lann played in duo with Martial Solal in 1999. Vannes Jazz Festival Every musician is entitled to his composition. "Arm" to Ecay, "Arabia" for Le Lann, compositions that fit perfectly among the songs of Jobim. The dry sound of the trumpet of Le Lann mingles wet sound of the guitar of Ecay. An acoustic fusion. A music taste drip, note by note, in the early hours of the day and night. We were expecting this album forward. To listen every morning to make sure the day will be sunny. ~ Translate by google  http://www.citizenjazz.com/Eric-Le-Lann-Jean-Marie-Ecay.html

Eric Le Lann & Jean Marie Ecay Play Jobim

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Circlin' Back: Celebrating 50 Years

Styles: Vocal, Country, Big Band
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:27
Size: 181,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:29)  1. You Ain't Going Nowhere
(3:54)  2. Grandpa Was a Carpenter
(3:58)  3. Paradise
(3:35)  4. My Walkin' Shoes
(4:54)  5. Tennessee Stud
(4:03)  6. Nine Pound Hammer
(3:49)  7. Buy for Me the Rain
(6:08)  8. These Days
(3:51)  9. Truthful Parson Brown
(4:17) 10. Keep on the Sunny Side
(4:25) 11. Catfish John
(4:41) 12. An American Dream
(4:36) 13. Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper's Dream)
(4:43) 14. Mr. Bojangles
(3:53) 15. Fishin' in the Dark
(3:48) 16. Bayou Jubilee/Sally Was a Goodun
(3:58) 17. Jambalaya
(5:18) 18. Will the Circle Be Unbroken

Friends always meant something special to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band  their 1972 breakthrough, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, was filled with them so it only makes sense that the group rounded up a bunch of pals for a 50th anniversary concert held at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium on September 14, 2015. Released a year later, Circlin' Back: Celebrating 50 Years does indeed play like a celebration. Revisiting an equal portion of hits and traditional tunes, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band sound as deep and wise as the Nashville veterans did when they guested on Will the Circle Be Unbroken, but the nice thing about the Circlin' Back concert is that it takes into account the smoother hits the band had in the '80s: Rodney Crowell and Alison Krauss sit in on "An American Dream" and Jimmy Ibbotson plays on "Fishin' in the Dark." Here, they're presented in stripped-down arrangements that nevertheless echo the soft rock gloss of the hit singles, and when combined with rollicking bluegrass, rustic folk, and straight-ahead country, it results in a full portrait of what the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is all about. Better still, Circlin' Back is just a good time: as John Prine, Vince Gill, Sam Bush, Jackson Browne, and Jerry Jeff Walker take the stage, the entire thing feels like a party which, of course, is what it was. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/circlin-back-celebrating-50-years-mw0002973136

Circlin' Back: Celebrating 50 Years

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Laura Benanti - Songs from My Fair Lady

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 12:54
Size: 30,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:50) 1. Wouldn't It Be Loverly?
(3:00) 2. Just You Wait
(3:48) 3. I Could Have Danced All Night
(2:15) 4. Show Me

Songs from My Fair Lady, an EP of four new tracks from Lincoln Center Theater’s award-winning production, featuring its current star Laura Benanti. The recording captures the Tony Award-winner’s critically acclaimed performances of four of Eliza Doolittle’s signature songs from the legendary score. The special CD and digital album will feature Laura Benanti singing Lerner & Loewe’s iconic “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly,” “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Just You Wait,” and “Show Me.” This recording, as well as the production’s 2018 original cast recording, was produced by David Lai and Ted Sperling. https://www.broadwayrecords.com/broadway/laura-benanti-songs-from-my-fair-lady

Songs from My Fair Lady

Marvin 'Hannibal' Peterson, George Adams - The Angels of Atlanta

Styles: Trumpet And Saxophone
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:36
Size: 100,4 MB
Art: Front

(12:46) 1. The Angels of Atlanta
( 8:29) 2. The Story Teller
( 6:43) 3. The Inner Voice
( 5:13) 4. Mother's Land
(10:23) 5. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child

Although the Harlem Boys Choir is occasionally utilized, and Pat Peterson takes a soulful vocal on "The Inner Voice," this CD is very much trumpeter Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson's date. The explorative trumpeter is heard at his absolute peak, taking lengthy and fiery improvisations that show off not only his virtuosity but his emotional range. The superlative band (tenor saxophonist George Adams, pianist Kenny Barron, cellist Diedre Murray, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Dannie Richmond) really inspires Peterson, who stretches the boundaries of his music toward gospel and soul without watering down the jazz content. This well-balanced set is one of Hannibal's finest recordings.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-angels-of-atlanta-mw0000358685

Personnel: Trumpet – Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson; Bass – Cecil McBee; Cello – Diedre Murray; Choir – The Harlem Boys Choir; Drums – Dannie Richmond; Piano – Kenny Barron; Tenor Saxophone – George Adams; Vocals – Pat Peterson

The Angels of Atlanta

Monday, July 19, 2021

Gerry Mulligan - California Concerts - Volume 1, Volume 2

Album: California Concerts - Volume 1

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:28
Size: 117,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:59) 1. Blues Going Up
(5:06) 2. Little Girl Blue
(5:34) 3. Piano Blues
(5:32) 4. Yardbird Suite
(3:54) 5. Blues For Tiny
(3:48) 6. Soft Shoe
(3:24) 7. Making Whoopee
(5:33) 8. Darn That Dream
(4:09) 9. Ontet
(8:24) 10. A Bark For Barksdale

This CD documents a concert by Gerry Mulligan's Quartet when the baritonist's group featured trumpeter Jon Eardley, bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Chico Hamilton. Half of these ten selections were either previously unissued or only available as part of obscure samplers. The music, comprised of standards, some blues and a few Mulligan originals, is quite enjoyable, swinging lightly and with plenty of interplay between the horns.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/california-concerts-vol-1-mw0000194211

Personnel: Baritone Saxophone, Piano – Gerry Mulligan; Bass – Red Mitchell; Drums – Chico Hamilton; Trumpet – Jon Eardley

Album: California Concerts - Volume 2
Time: 69:24
Size: 161,3 MB

(3:14) 1. Makin' Whoopee
(3:06) 2. Nights At The Turntable
(5:20) 3. Blues For Tiny
(3:16) 4. Frenesi
(3:44) 5. Limelite
(4:04) 6. People Will Say We're In Love
(7:16) 7. Western Union
(5:28) 8. I Know, Don't Know Why
(7:14) 9. The Red Door
(6:59) 10. Polka Dots And Moon Beams
(4:20) 11. I'll Remember April
(5:37) 12. There Will Never Be Another You
(3:51) 13. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(5:50) 14. In A Sentimental Mood/Flamingo/Moon Mist

The second of two CDs in this series mostly consists of previously unissued material taken from a high school concert featuring the Gerry Mulligan Quartet (which at the time featured trumpeter Jon Eardley) plus two guests (valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer and tenor-saxophonist Zoot Sims). This swinging and often-witty cool bop music is quite enjoyable and highly recommended.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/california-concerts-vol-2-mw0000651638

Personnel: Baritone Saxophone, Piano – Gerry Mulligan; Bass – Red Mitchell; Drums – Chico Hamilton (tracks: 1 to 5), Larry Bunker (tracks: 6 to 14); Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims (tracks: 6 to 14); Trumpet – Jon Eardley; Valve Trombone, Piano – Bobby Brookmeyer (tracks: 6 to 14)

California Concerts -Volume 1, Volume 2

Naomi & The Handsome Devils - The Devil's Music

Styles: Vocal, Swing
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:03
Size: 124,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:44) 1. Little Girl Blues
(3:14) 2. Dream Of You
(4:07) 3. Perdido
(3:01) 4. A Good Man Is Hard To Find
(2:33) 5. Blues With A Beat
(3:51) 6. Sugar
(3:38) 7. Isn't It Romantic
(2:54) 8. Delta Bound
(3:30) 9. I'm Livin' In A Great Big Way
(2:57) 10. If We Never Meet Again
(3:35) 11. Shoo Shoo Baby
(4:21) 12. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(3:48) 13. Pennies From Heaven
(2:32) 14. Rose Of The Rio Grande
(5:12) 15. These Foolish Things

Naomi & Her Handsome Devils is a 7 piece classic jazz band playing music that swings. The band members were hand picked from the top talent in the traditional jazz scenes of New York and Chicago, with vocalist and bandleader Naomi residing in Minneapolis. Their popularity on the global swing dance scene comes from their focus on swing-era fare from the 1920's through the 1940's and their bandleader Naomi Uyama's experience as an international lindy hop champion.

In the summer of 2014 they recorded and released their self-titled debut album "Naomi & Her Handsome Devils". They continue to play and tour, developing their sound and drawing on both rare tunes and timeless classics. https://www.last.fm/music/Naomi+&+Her+Handsome+Devils/+wiki

The Devil's Music