Frank Foster & Frank Wess - Frankly Speaking

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:38
Size: 114,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:32) 1. An' All Such Stuff As'Dat
( 6:47) 2. The Summer Knows
( 7:12) 3. When Did You Leave Heaven?
( 4:44) 4. Up And Coming
( 5:01) 5. One Morning In May
( 3:09) 6. Two Franks
(10:22) 7. This Is All I Ask
( 5:47) 8. Blues Backstage

Using the same personnel as the previous year's Two for the Blues (Frank Foster on tenor and soprano, Frank Wess on tenor and flute, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Rufus Reid, and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith), this set gets the slight edge and is an excellent introduction to the playing of the two Count Basie saxophonists. Foster contributes two originals (including the classic "Blues Backstage"), Wess brings in "Up and Coming," and the quintet also performs five jazz standards including "When Did You Leave Heaven," Hoagy Carmichael's "One Morning in May," and Neal Hefti's "Two Franks." Recommended.~Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/frankly-speaking-mw0000649518

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Frank Foster; Bass – Rufus Reid; Drums – Marvin "Smitty" Smith; Flute, Tenor Saxophone – Frank Wess; Piano – Kenny Barron

Frankly Speaking

---

Jimmy Smith - Got My Mojo Workin'/Hoochie Coochie Man

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 79:08

Size: 181.2 MB

Styles: Soul-jazz

Year: 1997

Art: Front

[5:12] 1. High Heel Sneakers

[4:23] 2. Satisfaction

[4:06] 3. 1-2-3

[5:37] 4. Mustard Greens

[7:59] 5. Got My Mojo Workin'

[3:57] 6. Johnny Come Lately

[3:48] 7. C Jam Blues

[4:28] 8. Hobson's Hop

[5:57] 9. Hoochie Coochie Man

[5:28] 10. One Mint Julep

[5:41] 11. Ain't That Just Like A Woman

[6:13] 12. Boom Boom

[5:25] 13. Blues And The Abstract Truth

[6:08] 14. Tnt

[4:40] 15. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (Alternative Take)

After leading a series of notable jam sessions for Blue Note, organist Jimmy Smith signed a lucrative contract with Verve in 1962. Throughout the remainder of the decade, he recorded songs that ranged from treasures to trash, turning most of the music into bluesy vamps. On this CD, a reissue of the LPs Got My Mojo Workin' and Hoochie Cooche Man, Smith's repertoire ranges from Billy Strayhorn's "Johnny Come Lately" and Oliver Nelson's "Blues and the Abstract Truth" to "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" and "I Can't Get No Satisfaction." In most cases, Smith's versions bear little resemblance to the original recordings. The earlier set has Smith featured with both a quartet and an octet arranged by Oliver Nelson. The remainder of the CD is a big band with Nelson's charts making the orchestra as exuberant as Smith's solos. Overall, the CD is not as essential as Jimmy Smith's better Blue Note dates, but is a worthwhile acquisition for fans of the jazz organ due to his enthusiasm and his ability to uplift the material. ~Scott Yanow

Got My Mojo Workin'/Hoochie Coochieman  

---

Bruce Forman with Joe Henderson - Forman on the Job

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:27
Size: 131,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:51) 1. How Long Has This Been Going On
(5:43) 2. Un Poco Loco
(4:26) 3. Autumn Nocturn
(6:33) 4. Real Life
(4:55) 5. Prisione
(3:32) 6. Last Minute Calypso
(6:12) 7. Lullaby
(5:46) 8. A Night In Tunisia
(5:33) 9. Angels Just Are
(4:29) 10. People Will Say We're In Love
(4:23) 11. I Concentrate On You

Guitarist Bruce Forman's second CD for the small San Francisco-based Kamei label features him with bassist John Clayton, drummer Vince Lateano, and sometimes percussionist John Santos, plus guests. Pianist Mark Levine is on eight of the 11 tracks, tenor great Joe Henderson helps out on four, and steel drummer Andy Narell drops by for two. Although there are three Forman originals and one by Clayton ("Angels Just Are"), the emphasis is on bop-era tunes, including Bud Powell's "Un Poco Loco," "A Night in Tunisia," and a swinging "I Concentrate on You." The beautiful "Autumn Nocturne" is a high point.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/forman-on-the-job-mw0000085142

Personnel: Bruce Forman, guitar; John Clayton, Jr, bass; Vince Lateano, drums; Mark Levine, piano

Forman on the Job

---

Brenda Lee - Sincerely

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:22
Size: 81,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:46) 1. You Always Hurt The One You Love
(2:19) 2. Lazy River
(2:41) 3. You've Got Me Crying Again
(3:19) 4. It's The Talk Of The Town
(2:53) 5. Send Me Some Lovin'
(3:05) 6. How Deep Is The Ocean
(2:32) 7. I'll Always Be In Love With You
(2:53) 8. I Miss You So
(2:38) 9. Fools Rush In
(2:56) 10. Only You (And You Alone)
(2:36) 11. Hold Me
(2:37) 12. I'll Be Seeing You

Brenda Lee had made popular standards a part of her recorded repertoire almost from the time she started making records. But on this 1962 album (known both as Sincerely and Sincerely, Brenda Lee), these did not so much add to her versatility as tilt the LP away from the strengths that had made her so popular in the first place. It wasn't unknown for rock singers to make albums dominated by adult-oriented material in an attempt to broaden their appeal, and Lee could sing this kind of stuff well. The problem was that the record featured almost nothing but these kind of songs, most of them taken at a slow tempo, and none of them rock & rollers (or hit singles, for that matter).

As a result, it's one of the more forgettable albums from her prime, of value only to big fans and completists. All that stated, it's not a terrible record, benefiting from Owen Bradley's typically lush-yet-tasteful orchestral production and characteristically committed Lee vocal performances. None of the tracks are outstanding, however, though none are embarrassing and a few are decent, particularly the one up-tempo number, "Fools Rush In." "Hold Me" is also of note, as it's the same song that P.J. Proby would make into a huge British rock hit in 1964, though it's done in a much more conventional slower romantic fashion here.~ Richie Unterberger https://www.allmusic.com/album/sincerely-brenda-lee-mw0000856303

Sincerely

---

Ben L'oncle Soul - Addicted To You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:37
Size: 102,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:11) 1. Two Trees
(3:35) 2. Next To You
(3:35) 3. All My Life
(3:38) 4. Addicted
(4:24) 5. I Love This Game
(3:25) 6. The Best
(5:34) 7. You’re All I Need
(3:37) 8. I Don't Wanna Go
(5:09) 9. Call Me
(3:30) 10. I Just Want You
(3:55) 11. Let It Go

The French Soul-singer, revives the genre to its purest form in recent offering. Flexing his charming vocal timbre through a confluence of black musical influences; to provide a soulful soundscape, that exhibits traces of his Gospel background while exploring hints of traditional R&B and HIp-Hop. Ben formerly known as Ben L’Oncle Soul, the vocally dazzling, hugely entertaining artist from France, first graced stages as a vocalist in the Fitiavana Gospel choir. The ensemble made its album debut in 2009, with ‘I Have A Dream’ comprised of a collection of renditions of English-language soul classics such as ‘Killing Me Softly’, ‘Lean On Me’ and more. Successively, Ben was offered a solo recording deal with the French division of Motown Recordings, resulting in the release of his 2009 EP ‘Soul Wash’. Following shortly after with his full-length debut album ‘Ben L’Oncle Soul’ which hit number five on the French album chart, landing him numerous nominations and awards including; Best Male Singer of the year at The Globes de Cristal and Live Breakthrough at the Victoires de la Musique. Since signing Ben has augmented over 750,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone with an audience predominately across his native land, Amsterdam and Sao Paulo.

Throughout this review, we'll break down the core musical elements of Ben's fourth album: 'Addicted To You'. That he delineates as an offering that sets forth an accumulation of influences of over the past 10 years. When speaking of Soul music, typically we first think of the most unique and personal instrument of them all; the voice it's fair to say that Ben's vocals are extremely potent. To be truthfully honest, your vocabulary could reach a total vanishing point when trying to describe it. However, there is some historicism here, a lot of the depth we hear stems from his years spent in the Fitiavana Gospel Choir, which he joined in 2004. His melismatic approach to projecting his voice, is best shown in tracks like: 'I Love This Game' an offering that compares the course of love to sport. In addition to ‘The Best’ which conveys the significance of confidence in not only yourself but the ones we love; described by Ben as “the basis of all relationships.” both showcase Ben’s vocal prowess.

You can hear subtle alterations in his timber, in response to him adapting to differing atmospheric emotion from scenes of sensuality, sorrow and longing - throughout this album. To achieve this, we hear him bouncing between speech and song, slightly extending the note at the end of a word at times (a method that does a great job in conveying his expression), whilst keeping his vocals controlled and with purpose at others. Evoking slight parts of black southern Gospel tradition (arguably a descendant of Soul) – A tradition that is known for a choir or singer constantly moving between something that also sounds like talking and singing. Often changing the timber of the voice to preach a message to a church. Moving onto the R&B element, that can be heard within the vibe of each track, somewhat reminiscent of prolific R&B legend D'Angelo (who also shares a Gospel background). Although. we won't hear Ben influenced by D'Angelo's famous falsetto, we will hear similarities in the album's rich instrument heavy production. The track 'Addicted' a song coined as “the albums strongest melody” by Ben: is a good example of this, it’s use of sizzling hats and sultry guitar runs creates an interesting foreground for Ben to lay down his sweet harmonies. Along with the last minute of 'I Don't Wanna Go'a track that displays a sense of betrayal and anger - supplying a invigorating electric guitar moment, accompanied by sweet piano riffs. Notwithstanding, the traditional components, Ben explores a synth lead backdrop in 'I Just Want You' a instaltion that acts as sexual decleration, serves a contemporary R&B feel that’s extremely favoured with in the genre today.

To conclude, 'Addicted to You' is a highly emotive body of work - courtesy of Ben's immaculate vocal expression teamed with his crews perfectly executed production along with some diverse collaborations. It journeys through a real-life turbulent portrayal of a love story, with highs and lows stippled throughout. To be pedantic, I would say although I feel the album supplies us with a wholesome experience due to of all the elements aforementioned; However personally, I would have enjoyed it that bit more if lyrically it was slightly more introspective. I also would have loved at least one of the songs to be acoustic, only because I know that it would sound be a great addition to the offering. Nonetheless, this is definitely an album that will go down a treat with Soul or R&B fans, whether digested in full or taken apart to uplift your go to playlist. It seems that his audience are already lapping this up, as streams are hitting some pretty impressive heights, along with some tracks being sprinkled throughout some of Spotify's best Soul playlists, like 'Soul 'n' the City' which has garnered almost 300,000 likes. https://www.newwavemagazine.com/single-post/ben-addicted-to-you-review-the-nostalgia-you-need

Addicted To You

---

Frank Foster & Frank Wess - Two for the blues

Styles: Saxophone, Flute Jazz
Year: 1984
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 45:54
Size: 84,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:41)  1. Two For The Blues
(6:18)  2. Send In The Clowns
(4:12)  3. Your Beauty Is A Song Of Love
(4:18)  4. But For The Likes Of You
(5:44)  5. Heat Of Winter
(4:16)  6. Nancy With The Laughing Face
(5:03)  7. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
(5:32)  8. A Time For Love
(3:46)  9. Traccia 09

This CD reissue of a Pablo date features Frank Foster (on tenor and soprano) and Frank Wess (tenor, flute and alto) at their best. They perform three Wess originals, one by Foster, and a variety of mostly underplayed standards (including Neal Hefti's "Two for the Blues," plus "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most") and a surprisingly uptempo "Send In the Clowns." With pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith offering stimulating support, this is an excellent showcase for the two Franks. A follow-up Concord set (Frankly Speaking) used the same personnel. 

~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/two-for-the-blues-mw0000267573

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Frank Foster;  Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute – Frank Wess; Bass – Rufus Reid; Drums – Marvin Smith;   Piano – Kenny Barron 

Two for the blues

---

The Dime Notes - The Dime Notes

Styles: New Orleans jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:31
Size: 115,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:56) 1. Original Jelly Roll Blues
(4:04) 2. Alabamy Bound
(4:36) 3. Aunt Hagar's Children's Blues
(3:05) 4. Black Stick Blues
(5:19) 5. The Pearls
(3:34) 6. 'Tain't Clean
(4:17) 7. Otis Stomp
(6:16) 8. Si Tu Vois Ma Mere
(2:58) 9. The Camel Walk
(4:59) 10. The Crave
(3:39) 11. I Believe In Miracles
(3:16) 12. Ole Miss
(2:52) 13. Turtle Twist
(2:50) 14. What A Dream

The Dime Notes have unearthed a repertoire of stomps, blueses, and forgotten gems of the era from musicians such as Johnny Dodds, Jelly Roll Morton and Red Nichols. Fronted by Chris Barber’s long-time clarinetist David Horniblow, an established figure on the London jazz scene and American pianist Andrew Oliver, a recent arrival to the UK, the band is anchored by the unstoppable pulse of London’s finest rhythm guitarist Dave Kelbie.

The bass chair is occupied by London bassist Louis Thomas, in demand across many genre boundaries with his huge sound and stylistic versatility. The Dime Notes present a fresh take on a timeless style, emphasizing the propulsive grooves and sultry melodies which made early jazz revolutionary, controversial, and wildly popular. https://lejazzetal.com/the-dime-notes/

Personnel: David Horniblow – Clarinet; Andrew Oliver - Piano; Dave Kelbie - Guitar; Louis Thomas - Double Bass

The Dime Notes>

---

Maxine Sullivan - Moments Like This

Styles: Vocal, Swing
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:57
Size: 165,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:57) 1. Loch Lomond
(2:26) 2. I'm Coming Virginia
(2:42) 3. Annie Laurie
(3:04) 4. Blue Skies
(3:03) 5. Easy To Love
(3:02) 6. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
(2:56) 7. It's Wonderful
(3:05) 8. Moments Like This
(3:15) 9. Please Be Kind
(3:22) 10. Night And Day
(3:03) 11. Say It With A Kiss
(2:39) 12. I'm Happy About The Whole Thing
(2:44) 13. When Your Lover Has Gone
(2:22) 14. My Ideal
(3:06) 15. Everytime We Say Goodbye
(3:07) 16. This Heart Of Mine
(2:49) 17. I'm The Caring Kind
(2:57) 18. Mad About The Boy
(2:51) 19. I Can't Get Started
(2:44) 20. Skylark
(2:51) 21. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(2:07) 22. Taking My Time
(3:00) 23. Summertime
(2:54) 24. Legalize My Name
(2:38) 25. Miss Otis Regrets

Maxine Sullivan had very little formal music training. She was discovered while singing at the Benjamin Harrison Literary Club in Pittsburg by Gladys Mosier. Mosier was, in the mid 1930's, working in Ina Rae Hutton’s big band and an acquaitance of fellow pianist Claude Thornhill. She soon introduced her new find to Thornhill and as his protege', Maxine Sullivan made her first records in June of 1937, accompanied by the pianist's all-star band.

The critics at Metronome magazine received Maxine's first records warmly, giving the discs good ratings and reviews. Around the same time Maxine became the vocalist at The Onyx Club in New York. It was here that she formed both a music and personal partnership with bass-man John Kirby who she soon married. Kirby had worked with Fletcher Henderson in the early 1930’s as well as Henry Red Allen. A busy man in 1937, the stellar bassist recorded with Teddy Wilson, Willie The Lion Smith, Frankie Newton, Midge Williams, Charlie Barnet, and Lionel Hampton all prior to the first records he made with Maxine on August 6th, 1937 which also saw accompaniment from Thornhill on piano. Sullivan and Kirby remained married until 1941.

It was this first session with Kirby that proved to be both a blessing and a curse for Maxine Sullivan. It produced a hit record, a swing version of a Scottish folk song called Loch Lomond. Unfortunately it "typed" her and she depended on similar folk style performances for many subsequent records, despite her ability to adapt to other forms of Pop and jazz songs equally well. Her cool, soft, tone and subtle and intimate style was equally swinging on records like Nice Work If You Can Get It, Blue Skies, St Louis Blues, and Stop Your Breaking My Heart. Unfortunately there were a bevy of records like Darling Nellie Gray, Annie Laurie, Molly Malone and others that began to sound all very similar.

In 1940 Sullivan and Kirby were featured on the radio program Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm. They were the first black jazz stars to have their own weekly radio series. Sullivan and Kirby’s last shows together were in the fall of 1941 and were recorded by two different transcription companies, World and Associated. In the mid 1940s she was recorded with the bands of Teddy Wilson, Benny Carter, and Jimmie Lunceford and can be heard singing mainly ballads with all three groups.

Aside from sessions with Ellis Larkins and Bob Haggart, her recorded output was little until 1955 and 1956. Finally recorded singing better material in the company of musicians like Dick Hyman, and old cohorts Buster Bailey, Charlie Shavers, and Russell Procope; Sullivan produced a series of sides that were her most exciting since her 1937 sessions. In the late 50’s she branched out to new areas of study, in nursing and playing valve trombone, which she played at numerous concerts and festivals in 1958. From 1958 to 1966 nursing took up her career. In ’66 she reemerged playing several festivals with her new husband pianist Cliff Jackson. From then until 1986 she continued to appear at festivals and can be heard with musicians from Doc Cheatham to Scott Hamilton. Her last recorded concert was at The Fujitsu-Concord Jazz festival held in Tokyo in September of 1986.

Maxine Sullivan appeared in the movies St. Louis Blues and Going Places, the latter opposite of Louis Armstrong. On stage, she was seen in Swingin’ The Dream in 1939, and Take A Giant Step in 1953. She toured Great Britain in 1948 and again in 1954. In her later concert appearances she traveled to France for several performances in 1984 and to Sweden many times beginning in 1975 and ending in 1984. Maxine Sullivan died in April of 1987, little more than one month short of her 76th birthday and just 8 months after her last recorded concert appearance. The last song she performed at the Fujitsu – Concord Jazz Festival and her last performance on record…was Loch Lomond. http://www.swingmusic.net/Sullivan_Maxine.html

Moments Like This

---

The Randy Johnston Trio - Riding the Curve

Styles: Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:09
Size: 133,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:20)  1. The Song Is Ended
( 8:26)  2. All Through the Night
( 6:12)  3. I Get Along Without You Very Well
( 8:25)  4. High-Heel Sneakers
(10:04)  5. You've Never Been There!
( 5:13)  6. The Park
( 8:08)  7. Wives and Lovers
( 5:18)  8. For Thomas

Recorded on April 30, 1998. Includes liner notes by Bob Blumenthal. Further asserting himself as a premier jazz guitarist, Johnston presents his fifth recording as leader, the second with organist Joey DeFrancesco (the first was In-A-Chord). Idris Muhammad plays the drums with usual aplomb, and tenor saxophone legend Johnny Griffin shows up on two cuts. Johnston does a little bit of everything on this one. There's the midtempo swing of "The Song Is Ended," the funky R&B of "High-Heel Sneakers" (which recalls Jimmy Smith), and the waltzing "Wives and Lovers." On a dangerously slow version of "I Get Along Without You Very Well," Johnston adds some quicker lines. "All Through the Night," featuring Griffin on tenor, is smooth and swift. There are two Johnston originals "The Park" is an easy, no-frills bossa, while "For Thomas" (dedicated to Johnston's old college roommate, the late Thomas Chapin) is a swinging remembrance of more innocent days. 

The longest cut is another piece reminiscent of Jimmy Smith, Griffin's ten-minute-plus "You've Never Been There!" It features a blues groove with tenor sax/guitar unison, an element that Johnston is well-known for. Johnston is an accessible musician whose lyricism is ever-present but rarely flashy. Following in the tradition of legends like Grant Green, Wes Montgomery, and Pat Martino, he proves himself immensely capable on this fine CD, as he continues to grow and mature into one of the best in the business. ~ Michael G. Nastos this trio was formed during a tour of Spain in 1997 - guitarist Johnston, Hammond B-3 player Joey DeFrancesco, drummer Idris Muhammad, as well as special guest saxophonist Johnny Griffin, swing from start to finish Randy Johnston Trio: Randy Johnston (guitar); Joey DeFrancesco (organ); Idris Muhammad (drums). http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1184800&style=music&fulldesc=T

Recording information: Nola Recording Studio (04/30/1998).  Additional personnel: Johnny Griffin (saxophone). 

Riding the Curve

---

Jennifer Wrobleski - Jennifer Wrobleski Sings for Harold

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:24
Size: 81,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:31) 1. Love You Madly (feat. Harold Mabern, Joe Farnsworth & Alex Claffy)
(4:04) 2. Heres That Rainy Day
(3:31) 3. Central Park West
(3:28) 4. Red Top (feat. Harold Mabern, Joe Farnsworth & Alex Claffy)
(3:08) 5. Pick Yourself Up (feat. Harold Mabern, Joe Farnsworth & Alex Claffy)
(5:31) 6. The Folks Who Live on a Hill (feat. Harold Mabern, Joe Farnsworth & Alex Claffy)
(4:25) 7. But When the Music Stops (You Always Come Back to Me)
(3:31) 8. Cheek to Cheek
(5:11) 9. Over the Rainbow (feat. Harold Mabern)

Vocalist and painter, Jennifer Wrobleski (formerly Farnsworth) has recently moved to Alpharetta. Born in Pittsburgh, PA, Ms. Wrobleski has lived up and down the east coast. She studied opera at the New England Conservatory of Music and musical theatre at the Boston Conservatory of Music. After school, she began her singing career with The Walt Disney Company in Orlando, FL. As the character, Cinderella, she sang and danced in the Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Surprise Celebration show. She also played the role of Belle in MGM’s Beauty & The Beast show.

In early 2005, she formed a jazz quartet and performed throughout Florida and Georgia, including Downtown Disney’s Pleasure Island Jazz Company, the House of Blues Orlando, Nikki Beach Miami, Churchill Grounds Atlanta and Sambuca in Buckhead. Later, having moved to NYC, Ms. Farnsworth performed regularly with Harold Mabern Jr, Joseph Farnsworth, Eric Alexander, John Webber, Sharp Radway and Anthony Wonsey. Oftentimes, she was a featured vocalist with the Harold Mabern Jr Trio at the Village Vanguard, Dizzy’s Coca-Cola Club and clubs around the world including Greece,Vienna,Russia and Italy. In addition to the music, Ms. Wrobleski is an avid painter. Her portrait of jazz legend, Harold Mabern Jr is on display at Smalls Jazz Club NYC, a portrait of Teddy Wilson is hanging on the walls at Mezzrow Jazz Club in NYC, as well as a mural at the famed Harlem restaurant, Charlie’s Bar & Kitchen. https://www.jenniferfarnsworthpaintings.com/about

Jennifer Wrobleski Sings for Harold

---

Django Reinhardt - Compact Jazz: Django Reinhardt In Brussels

Styles: Gypsy Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:02
Size: 112,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:53) 1. Place De Brouckere
(2:53) 2. Seul Ce Soir
(2:37) 3. Mixture
(3:06) 4. Bei Dir War Es Immer So Schon
(3:14) 5. Vous Et Moi
(3:01) 6. Distraction
(2:53) 7. Blues En Mineur
(3:04) 8. Studio 24
(2:56) 9. Divine Beguine
(4:10) 10. Nuages
(3:06) 11. Djangology
(3:04) 12. Eclats De Cuivres
(2:36) 13. Django Rag
(2:46) 14. Dynamisme
(2:54) 15. Tons D'Ebene
(2:43) 16. Chez Moi A Six Heures

Django Reinhardt was the first hugely influential jazz figure to emerge from Europe and he remains the most influential European to this day, with possible competition from Joe Zawinul, George Shearing, John McLaughlin, his old cohort Stephane Grappelli and a bare handful of others. A free-spirited gypsy, Reinhardt wasn't the most reliable person in the world, frequently wandering off into the countryside on a whim. Yet Reinhardt came up with a unique way of propelling the humble acoustic guitar into the front line of a jazz combo in the days before amplification became widespread. He would spin joyous, arcing, marvelously inflected solos above the thrumming base of two rhythm guitars and a bass, with Grappelli's elegantly gliding violin serving as the perfect foil. His harmonic concepts were startling for their time making a direct impression upon Charlie Christian and Les Paul, among others and he was an energizing rhythm guitarist behind Grappelli, pushing their groups into a higher gear. Not only did Reinhardt put his stamp upon jazz, his string band music also had an impact upon the parallel development of Western swing, which eventually fed into the wellspring of what is now called country music. Although he could not read music, with Grappelli and on his own, Reinhardt composed several winsome, highly original tunes like "Daphne," "Nuages" and "Manoir de Mes Reves," as well as mad swingers like "Minor Swing" and the ode to his record label of the '30s, "Stomping at Decca." As the late Ralph Gleason said about Django's recordings, "They were European and they were French and they were still jazz."

A violinist first and a guitarist later, Jean Baptiste "Django" Reinhardt grew up in a gypsy camp near Paris where he absorbed the gypsy strain into his music. A disastrous caravan fire in 1928 badly burned his left hand, depriving him of the use of the fourth and fifth fingers, but the resourceful Reinhardt figured out a novel fingering system to get around the problem that probably accounts for some of the originality of his style. According to one story, during his recovery period, Reinhardt was introduced to American jazz when he found a 78 RPM disc of Louis Armstrong's "Dallas Blues" at an Orleans flea market. He then resumed his career playing in Parisian cafes until one day in 1934 when Hot Club chief Pierre Nourry proposed the idea of an all-string band to Reinhardt and Grappelli. Thus was born the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, which quickly became an international draw thanks to a long, splendid series of Ultraphone, Decca and HMV recordings.

The outbreak of war in 1939 broke up the Quintette, with Grappelli remaining in London where the group was playing and Reinhardt returning to France. During the war years, he led a big band, another quintet with clarinetist Hubert Rostaing in place of Grappelli, and after the liberation of Paris, recorded with such visiting American jazzmen as Mel Powell, Peanuts Hucko and Ray McKinley. In 1946, Reinhardt took up the electric guitar and toured America as a soloist with the Duke Ellington band but his appearances were poorly received. Some of his recordings on electric guitar late in his life are bop escapades where his playing sounds frantic and jagged, a world apart from the jubilant swing of old. However, starting in Jan. 1946, Reinhardt and Grappelli held several sporadic reunions where the bop influences are more subtly integrated into the old, still-fizzing swing format. In the 1950s, Reinhardt became more reclusive, remaining in Europe, playing and recording now and then until his death from a stroke in 1953. His Hot Club recordings from the `30s are his most irresistible legacy; their spirit and sound can be felt in current groups like Holland's Rosenberg Trio.~Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/django-reinhardt-mn0000136220/biography

Compact Jazz: Django Reinhardt In Brussels

---

Charles Kynard - Legends Of Acid Jazz

Styles: Soul Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 76:46
Size: 123,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:57) 1. Afro-Disiac
(5:07) 2. Bella Donna
(9:07) 3. Trippin'
(7:14) 4. Odds On
(7:56) 5. Sweetheart
(5:05) 6. Chanson Du Nuit
(7:55) 7. Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui (Beautiful People)
(4:38) 8. Winter's Child
(6:11) 9. Zebra Walk
(9:30) 10. Something
(9:03) 11. Change Up

Charles Kynard (1933-79) had a brief, rather low-key career as an organist. By day, he maintained a full-time career working with kids with special needs and taught piano between gigs and his job. He only recorded infrequently, doing sessions and two albums under his own name for Pacific Jazz in the early 1960s and several sessions and three records under his own name for Mainstream Records during 1971-74. But it is, perhaps, the four records he did for Prestige between 1968 and 1970 that the organist is best known for. Legends of Acid Jazz combines the last two of these, Afro-Disiac and Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui. On both, Kynard showcases his remarkable ability to exploit the heck out of an interesting groove. The best of his originals usually sticks to variations of the blues or out-and-out boogaloos. But it's the machine-gun attack of his left hand and the churning grind he maintains with his feet - despite the ever-presence of a bassist - that separates Kynard's playing from the crowd.The counterpoint he offers with his right hand is what usually puts the fun in his funk.

Afro-Disiac pits the organist in a quintet with tenor staple Houston Person and elevated by the presence of guitarist Grant Green. This was a reunion of sorts for Kynard and Green, the two having appeared together on 1968's The Soul Brotherhood. The originals, mostly by Kynard's school chum Richard Fritz, and Kynard's eloquent cushioning offer an ideal environment for the guitarist - much more favorable than Green's own recordings from the period. Kynard is more of a featured presence on the Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui, adding his electric piano stylings to "Winter's Child" and the dance floor classic, "Zebra Walk." Here, Kynard revels in a sextet that features the much-lamented honker Rusty Bryant, trumpeter Virgil Jones and guitarist Melvin Sparks. The tunes aren't as memorable as the first session and the playing doesn't have the edge or energy that Kynard could generate elsewhere (for evidence, check out the monster Reelin' with the Feelin', which is paired with Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui on the British BGP CD). But this "legend of acid jazz" is worth hearing and exploring and for fans of guitarist Grant Green, the first six songs are required listening. ~Douglas Payne https://www.allaboutjazz.com/legends-of-acid-jazz-charles-kynard-prestige-records-review-by-douglas-payne

Players: Charles Kynard: organ, electric piano; Houston Person, Rusty Bryant: tenor sax; Virgil Jones: trumpet; Grant Green, Melvin Sparks: guitar; Jimmy Lewis: Fender bass; Idris Muhammad, Bernard Purdie: drums.

Legends Of Acid Jazz

---

Georgia Mancio & Alan Broadbent - Quiet Is The Star

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:14
Size: 95,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:34) 1. I Can See You Passing By
(5:11) 2. When You're Gone From Me
(4:44) 3. Let Me Whisper To Your Heart
(5:19) 4. Tell The River
(2:46) 5. All My Life
(4:45) 6. If I Think Of You
(4:50) 7. Night After Night
(4:50) 8. If My Heart Should Love Again
(3:11) 9. Quiet Is The Star

Quiet Is The Star is the new album by vocalist/lyricist Georgia Mancio and Grammy-winning pianist/composer Alan Broadbent and the much anticipated companion to their 2017 Songbook. The album spotlights the purity and parity of the duo setting in 9 co-written songs exploring the ties we weave in life: sisterly, maternal, romantic, universal. One voice, one piano, one dialogue. Georgia’s deeply nuanced singing (“sublime, clarity and poise personified, intimate yet dynamic”, Jazzwise) is embraced by Alan’s rhapsodic solo piano, indicating the breadth of his musicianship, from accompanist to Big Band/orchestral leader. Recorded in late 2019, it re-unites with Songbook producer Andrew Cleyndert and artist Simon Manfield, whose bespoke watercolours perfectly accompany the subtle variations of mood. The album will be released 27 March 2021, alongside The Songs Of Alan Broadbent & Georgia Mancio a book of 33 co-written works from both albums (Songbook and Quiet Is The Star) and many more besides. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/album/quiet-is-the-star-georgia-mancio

Personnel: Georgia Mancio (voice & lyrics); Alan Broadbent (piano & music)

Quiet Is The Star

---

Jennifer Wrobleski - Jennifer Wrobleski

Styles: Vocal Jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:17
Size: 72,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:11)  1. So Nice
(2:46)  2. Daddy
(3:27)  3. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(2:17)  4. One Note Samba
(2:51)  5. I Don't Know Enough About You
(3:03)  6. Chega De Saudade
(3:01)  7. Triste
(5:49)  8. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
(5:48)  9. Giant Steps

Jazz Vocalist Extraordinaire, Jennifer Wrobleski is a sought-after recording artist on New York’s Jazz scene and abroad.  She is from Pittsburgh and currently resides in Bronx, New York. 

She began her studies in classical music at Boston’s New England Conservatory.  Thereafter, she moved south to perform in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom CastleShow as Cinderella.  Spending four years in Orlando, Jennifer stayed busy with voiceover work and performed in other Disney shows.  She performed as Belle in MGM’s Beauty and the Beast and Flora in the world’s longest running dinner theatre show:  The Hoop Dee Doo ~ Review at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.

At the same time, Ms. Wrobleski lead her own Jazz quartet, playing local clubs such as Disney’s Pleasure Island Jazz Company, House of Blues Orlando, The Starlight Lounge, Nikki Beach Miami.  In addition to performing,  she was also the creator and host of the Jazz radio show “Interview with the Artists” on WLOQ-FM, Orlando, Florida.  The  program rapidly grew in popularity with interviews of Ramsey Lewis, Michael Buble and other notables in the Jazz world.  The segment became so popular that it ultimately evolved into a summertime concert series.   In addition to leading her own group, Ms. Wrobleski has also worked with Jazz icon and master Harold Mabern, Jeremy Pelt, Dwayne Burno, Joe Farnsworth, Curits Lundy and others.  She has also made guest appearances with the Joe Gransden Big Band and the Michael Andrew Big Band.  She has performed at major Jazz clubs in New York such as Dizzy’s Coca-Cola Club, Smoke Jazz & Supper Club, and others.  She can be seen regularly at The Refinery, Club Macanudo, Cafe du Soleil, Chez Lucienne.  Her self-titled debut recording was released in 2010. ~ Bio  http://jenniferwrobleski.com/biography.html

Jennifer Wrobleski

---

Dave Young, Phil Dwyer Quartet - Fables And Dreams

Styles: Bop, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:04
Size: 132,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:58)  1. Darn
(7:34)  2. NPS
(6:16)  3. All Of Me
(9:47)  4. Fables Of Faubus
(6:21)  5. Himh
(6:59)  6. Shifting Emphasis
(6:41)  7. Winter Song
(5:57)  8. Dobro
(3:29)  9. Whims Of Chambers

This CD features a quiet quartet that is often filled with inner tension and low-volumed heat. Bassist Dave Young engages in close interplay with guitarist Rob Piltch (whose tone is sometimes reminiscent of the late Jimmy Raney's), Phil Dwyer contributes lyrical tenor solos and some moody piano (sometimes sounding a bit like McCoy Tyner on the latter instrument) while drummer Michel Lambert is fine in support. Five of the nine songs are originals by bandmembers while the other pieces (including an abstract "All of Me" and a rather passionless version of Charles Mingus's "Fables of Faubus") almost sound like new compositions; the closing tenor-bowed bass duet on "Whims of Chambers" is most memorable. If the overall results on this session are are not all that unique, the well-played set does serve as a a good example of today's modern mainstream acoustic jazz and should satisfy most listeners. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/fables-and-dreams-mw0000963650   

Personnel:  Phil Dwyer - tenor saxophone, piano, composer;  Michel Lambert - drums, composer;  Rob Piltch - guitar;  Dave Young - acoustic bass.

Fables And Dreams

---

Kamasi Washington - Heaven And Earth (2-Disc Set)

Washington recorded Heaven and Earth with his band, the Next Step, as well as members of the Los Angeles collective known as the West Coast Get Down. The project’s contributors include Thundercat, Terrace Martin, Ronald Bruner, Jr., Cameron Graves, Brandon Coleman, Miles Mosley, Patrice Quinn and Tony Austin. Along with Washington’s take on the Fists of Fury theme, Heaven and Earth also features his new arrangement of Freddie Hubbard’s “Hubtones” and a new song by bandmate Ryan Porter. Heaven on Earth follows Washington’s acclaimed 2015 album, The Epic, as well as his 2017 EP, Harmony of Difference. The latter originally premiered as a multimedia piece at the 2017 Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.

Album: Heaven And Earth (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:01
Size: 162.6 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2018

[9:42] 1. Fists Of Fury
[8:53] 2. Can You Hear Him
[9:09] 3. Hub-Tones
[8:22] 4. Connections
[9:24] 5. Tiffakonkae
[9:52] 6. The Invincible Youth
[5:44] 7. Testify
[9:51] 8. One Of One

---

Album: Heaven And Earth (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:22
Size: 167.9 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[10:30] 1. The Space Travelers Lullaby
[11:06] 2. Vi Lua Vi Sol
[ 5:57] 3. Street Fighter Mas
[12:40] 4. Song For The Fallen
[ 8:51] 5. Journey
[ 7:17] 6. The Psalmnist
[ 6:50] 7. Show Us The Way
[10:07] 8. Will You Sing

Heaven And Earth (Disc 1) (Disc 2)

---

Budd Johnson - French Cookin'

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:09
Size: 81,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:03) 1. La Petite Valse
(5:41) 2. Le Grisbi
(4:30) 3. I Can Live With The Blues
(4:33) 4. Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup
(4:21) 5. Under Paris Skies
(3:47) 6. Hugues' Blues
(4:53) 7. Je Vous Aime
(4:19) 8. Je T'Aime

One of the earliest Texas tenors, arranging boss of the Earl Hines Grand Terrace Orchestra, and pivotal swing-to-bop figure, Budd Johnson distributed his gifts through several eras of jazz. He was a major composer and arranger and a saxophonist whose style fit as comfortably into bebop as it did into swing. Albert J. (Budd) Johnson was born in Dallas on December 14, 1910. His father was a choir director and cornetist who taught him piano at a young age. By Johnson's teenage years he had switched to drums and was playing with his brother, Keg Johnson, in bands around town. Eventually the two started their own group, the Moonlight Melody Six. They later joined Gene Coy's Amarillo-based band, the Happy Black Aces. Switching instruments again, this time to the saxophone, Johnson headed to Kansas City and then to Chicago, where he met and joined Louis Armstrong in 1933. During his stint in the Windy City he also met Earl Hines; their musical relationship lasted nine years. It was during his tenure with Hines that he came into his own as an arranger on top of being a solid member of the reed section.

By 1944 Johnson had moved to New York City, where he became involved in organizing and playing in smaller jazz combos, joining up with Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, and Billy Eckstine, in whose band he replaced Dexter Gordon. Johnson became a pioneer of the emerging bop jazz style, and he is credited with organizing the first bop recording session. He remained an integral part of American jazz throughout the 1950s. In 1956-57 he played with Benny Goodman, with whom he toured Asia, and in 1958 he formed his own septet and recorded the album “Blues a la Mode.” In 1960 he did a stellar session “Budd Johnson and the Four Brass Giants,” for Riverside. Johnson, who takes tenor solos throughout the date and also contributes a bit of clarinet in addition to providing the arrangements, is matched with four distinctive and very different trumpeters: Clark Terry, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Nat Adderley and Ray Nance.

He seemed in top form that year (’60) for he also did “Let’s Swing,” which is regarded as one of his best efforts. He would go on to be involved in countless of sessions and too many recording to mention. During the 1960s Johnson played with Count Basie and Quincy Jones and rejoined Earl Hines in ’64. He formed the JPJ Quartet, which worked on an occasional basis, during the 1969-‘75 periods. He also served as music director for Atlantic Records and started his own publishing company. In the 1970s and 1980s he taught music at Queens College and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Budd Johnson died in New York City on October 20, 1984. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/budd-johnson

Personnel: Budd Johnson – tenor saxophone; Hank Jones – piano; Kenny Burrell, Everett Barksdale – guitar; Milt Hinton – bass; Willie Rodriguez – latin percussion; Osie Johnson – drums; Joseph Venuto – marimba, vibraphone

French Cookin'

---

Rose Betty Klub - Bleu

Size: 139,2 MB
Time: 59:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. Babe, Deep In My Heart (2:20)
02. I Hate You (4:43)
03. Hawaii Dream (2:55)
04. Back To My Sunnyboy (5:39)
05. Minnie Minnie (4:24)
06. Bridget (4:52)
07. Gloria (4:59)
08. Right N' Wrong (3:17)
09. Thelma (5:28)
10. Bleu (3:42)
11. The Wild (6:20)
12. Belly Dance (3:55)
13. Cocodildudi (2:52)
14. Happy Feet (3:47)

C'est avec fraîcheur que le Rose Betty Klub, ce quintet insolite de jeunes montpellierains, débarque sur la scène jazz. Avec son dernier album BLEU, de compositions originales, le Rose Betty Klub affirme son style : du jazz tombé dans un juke box ! Un jazz teinté de rhythm n' blues, de soul, de boogie woogie, de rockabilly et de blues.

Une énergie scénique généreuse, juste ce qu'il faut de gouaille, un style pulpeux et distingué qui en jette, Rose Betty a de l'aplomb et une voix qui en impose.

Fascinée depuis sa plus tendre enfance par les comédies musicales américaines, Marie Nosmas - alias Rose Betty - plonge avec bonheur dans le jazz et crée il y 5 ans le Rose Betty Klub.

La brune Rose Betty a cette présence évidente et vivante que l'on doit aux années théâtre qui ont précédé son arrivée sur la scène musicale. Avec son look de pin up et son allant charismatique, Rose Betty ne peut s'empêcher de parler, d'inventer, de danser, de bondir, de rire, entraînant le Klub dans cette douce folie ! Le Klub, autant de filles que de garçons, pulse comme un big band et se réinvente à chaque morceau. On y découvre Jon Da Costa Ferreira - alias Johnny Mustang - passionné de blues et de rock n'roll, avec sa belle guitare Gretch, à l'origine des compositions, la douce Naïma Girou - alias Brigitte Parker - assurant une solide rythmique à la contrebasse, Karl Moussavou - alias Kenny Wild - fougueux derrière sa batterie, et la toute dernière arrivée, c'est Ana Baldeck - alias Thelma Brooks - aux solos créatifs, envoûtée par son piano.

Drôles, énergiques, et faussement nostalgiques, les concerts du Rose Betty Klub sont une assurance contre la morosité.

On martèle du pied, on balance la tête, on se déhanche, l'idée est là : donner le swing, être rock n'roll, comme Cab Calloway ou Chuck Berry savaient si bien le faire.

Des petits clubs de jazz aux grandes scènes, comme en première partie de Ben l'Oncle Soul, Cyrille Aimée ou Raphaël Lemonnier, le RBK cultive inlassablement un univers joyeux et vivifiant, et c'est bien en live que cela prend tout son sens!

Bleu

---

The Roger Kellaway Trio - Heroes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:46
Size: 146.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[6:23] 1. Killer Joe
[8:33] 2. Cotton Tail
[5:48] 3. I Was Doing All Right
[5:02] 4. Nuages
[8:40] 5. Night Train
[3:38] 6. I'm Smiling Again
[6:11] 7. Midnight Sun
[5:42] 8. Moten Swing
[5:19] 9. 52nd Street Theme
[8:25] 10. Hymn To Freedom

Roger Kellaway: piano; Bruce Forman: guitar; Dan Lutz: bass.

The last we heard from pianist/composer Roger Kellaway was last year, when he dazzled the world with his remembrances as Bobby Darin's musical director (undoubtedly timed to coincide with the release of the Darin biopic Beyond The Sea. Now, we have a dramatic and long-needed tribute to the "drum-less" piano trio (guitar/bass/piano) that dates back to sessions from Art Tatum, Django Reinhardt, the King Cole Trio, and most especially the Oscar Peterson Trio, pre-Ed Thigpen when first Barney Kessel and then Herb Ellis occupied the guitar chair alongside bassist Ray Brown.

Kellaway explains the importance of the "drum-less" trio by noting that "...the difference between a trio with guitar and one with drums is immeasurable. With drums, the pianist is responsible (with the bassist, of course) for the harmony, but guitar is a chorded instrument, and harmonic clashes have to be avoided. The piano-guitar-bass trio is like a chamber-music group. There's more intimacy in the interaction...."

It seems pretty obvious that, although Roger Kellaway has cited several jazz musicians as models, his primary influence was the Oscar Peterson trio, although the are specific references to the King Cole trio ("I Was Doing All Right") and Django Reinhardt ("Nuages"). Save for a Kellaway original, "I'm Smiling Again," the other tunes were recorded by the Peterson group. Kellaway is utilizing the same trio that he worked with on the Bobby Darin project (bassist Dan Lutz and guitarist Bruce Forman). Forman remains one of my favorite underappreciated plectrists, having recorded most of his dozen albums in the 1980s. Kellaway further notes that this is a working trio, and thus he is out spreading the word of the "drum-less" trio as we speak. ~Michael P. Gladstone

Heroes

---

Bruce Forman - In Transit

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1982
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 41:12
Size: 76,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:55)  1. In Transit
(7:53)  2. Down The Line
(5:02)  3. Presione
(3:03)  4. Waltzing Matilida
(6:16)  5. Mood Indigo
(4:20)  6. Peace
(4:24)  7. Hold The Bones
(2:16)  8. The Trench

Bruce Forman, who has long been based in Northern California, teams up with organist Ed Kelly and drummer Eddie Marshall (both from San Francisco) on this fine trio set. On "Mood Indigo," Horace Silver's "Peace," "Waltzing Matilda" (which feels a bit like John Coltrane's version of "My Favorite Things"), and five mostly swinging Forman originals, the group sounds both exploratory and tied to the tradition. Although this album is not as memorable as his best dates, every Bruce Forman recording is well worth checking out for fans of the bop guitar.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-transit-mw0000898888

In Transit

---