Lee Morgan - Here's Lee Morgan (Disc 1) And (Disc 2)

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:17 (Disc 1)
Size: 86,1 MB (Disc 1)
Time: 65:35 (Disc 2)
Size: 151,4 MB (Disc 2)
Art: Front

Disc 1

(5:17)  1. Terrible ''T''
(7:42)  2. Mogie
(5:36)  3. I'm A Fool To Want You
(6:03)  4. Running Brook
(6:13)  5. Off Spring
(6:23)  6. Bess

This CD reissue has its original six songs expanded to 11 with the inclusion of five alternate takes. The music is good solid hard bop that finds Lee Morgan (already a veteran at age 21) coming out of the Clifford Brown tradition to display his own rapidly developing style. Matched with Clifford Jordan on tenor, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Blakey, Morgan's album could pass for a Jazz Messengers set. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/heres-lee-morgan-mw0000188579

Personnel: Lee Morgan (trumpet, flugelhorn); Clifford Jordan (tenor saxophone); Wynton Kelly (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Art Blakey (drums).

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Disc 2

(5:42)  1. Terrible ''T'' (take 7)
(6:53)  2. Terrible ''T'' (take 6)
(7:25)  3. Mogie (take 2)
(7:31)  4. Mogie (take 1 mono)
(5:54)  5. I'm A Fool To Want You (take 1)
(5:43)  6. I'm A Fool To Want You (take 2)
(6:16)  7. Running Brook (take 9)
(6:50)  8. Running Brook (take 4)
(6:39)  9. Off Spring (take 7)
(6:38) 10. Bess (take 3)

Here's Lee Morgan (Disc 1) (disc 2)

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John Patitucci & Andy James - An Evening with John Patitucci & Andy James

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 82:48
Size: 152,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:23) 1. Autumn In New York
(7:08) 2. Besame Mucho
(3:08) 3. I Love You And Dont You Forget It
(5:07) 4. To Dream As One
(4:41) 5. Moonlight In Vermont
(5:09) 6. Day Dream
(5:46) 7. Blackbird
(3:19) 8. When I'm With You
(6:05) 9. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
(4:12) 10. Unchain My Heart
(6:22) 11. Fire Rain
(4:19) 12. Burn For Love
(5:30) 13. Some Other Time
(4:26) 14. Laura
(4:00) 15. More Than You Know
(5:02) 16. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
(4:03) 17. Angel Eyes

On An Evening with John Patitucci & Andy James, two gifted performers join forces to conjure an intimate evening of captivating music. At a time when jazz aficionados around the world have been starved for musical experiences, the album recreates the sultry atmosphere of a candlelight nightclub as some of the most revered musicians in modern jazz perform classic standards. Due out November 5 via Le Coq Records, An Evening with John Patitucci & Andy James features nearly 90 minutes of scintillating music featuring an incomparable ensemble. In addition to James’ mesmerizing vocals and Patitucci’s bass mastery, the album boasts arrangements by piano great Bill Cunliffe for an ensemble that includes saxophonists Chris Potter and Rick Margitza, trumpeter Terell Stafford, guitarists Chico Pinheiro and Jake Langley, keyboardists John Beasley and Jon Cowherd, percussionist Alex Acuña, drummers Vinnie Colaiuta, Marcus Gilmore and Marvin “Smitty” Smith, along with powerful horn and string sections.

“I wanted people to just sit back and enjoy a listening experience of serene pleasure,” declares James. “John and I tried to create something easy to listen to that would leave people feeling good afterwards. I recorded the album in anticipation that people wouldn’t something too complicated at this time we all find ourselves in.” Jazz singing and Flamenco dance have been parallel passions throughout Andy James’ life. Flamenco took prominence during what she now refers to as “act one” of her artistic life. She became renowned as a world-class Flamenco dancer, enjoying a successful career dancing with husband and partner Piero Pata in Madrid. For “act two,” James relocated to the U.S. and focused on her singing career, renewing collaborations with the great jazz musicians who had crossed her path while they traveled through Europe. She and Pata launched Le Coq Records, releasing a series of albums ranging in style from the elegance of the female jazz swing tradition to vintage R&B to the post-bop urgency of the classic Blue Note era.

An estimable professional family has quickly found a home at the label, with Patitucci, Acuña and Cunliffe playing key roles on a number of releases and several musicians making recurring appearances from one recording to the next. On An Evening With…, Patitucci proves an ideal partner for James, bringing his revered tone and musical vision to the project and convening the ideal musicians for each piece.“When choosing personnel for any project,” Patitucci explains, “I try to find the greatest musicians that I have longstanding relationships with, in order to have the opportunity to get more deeply into the music at hand.” Over the course of a career lasting four decades, Patitucci has forged essential collaborations with some of the most acclaimed artists in jazz and beyond, most notably long-lasting partnerships with iconic saxophonist Wayne Shorter and the late Chick Corea.

Speaking of James, Patitucci says, “Andy is a very generous and flexible collaborator. She has a great love for the Great American Songbook. When she sings, her phrasing is reminiscent of so many of the great singers that I grew up listening to. The style that she sings in provides the opportunity to write arrangements for larger orchestrations.”James returns the compliment. “John is very important to my whole performance. Without John’s playing I would have been restricted in the way I could sing and approach every song in the album. John Patitucci brings a deep sound that allows me the freedom to sing with a lot of mood or feeling in my voice. He gives me a lot of space to create a meaningful performance.”

From the intoxicatingly lush opener “Autumn in New York,” with Patitucci’s robust bass matched by a fervent tenor solo by Potter, to the last-call balladry of “Angel Eyes” that closes the set, An Evening with John Patitucci & Andy James features countless classic songs along with a few surprises, including the smoldering James and Pata-penned love song “Burn for Love.”As she did on her previous release, Tu Amor, James reaches into her Latin influences on “Besame Mucho.” In addition to a number of well-known jazz standards James stretches the American Songbook to encompass great pop and rock classics like The Beatles’ “Blackbird” and James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain.”

The choices certainly inspire passionate playing from James and Patitucci’s guests, with standouts including Rick Margitza’s soaring solo on “Fire and Rain,” Terell Stafford’s heart-wrenching take on “Moonlight in Vermont,” and the soulful playing of Potter and John Beasley on the Gerry Goffin/Carole King favorite “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” “The songs came naturally,” James explains. “I just wanted to sing some beautiful songs. The mood I had in mind when choosing these songs was one of love I just wanted people to find love with each other again after the era of Covid!” https://bassmagazine.com/artists/john-patitucci-announces-new-album-an-evening-with-john-patitucci-andy-james

An Evening with Andy James & John Patitucci

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Francesca Leone - Querida (Francesca Leone Sings Bossa Nova)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:29
Size: 116,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:34) 1. Samba em Paz
(5:17) 2. Olha pro Ceu
(5:33) 3. Favela
(5:27) 4. Desafinado
(4:28) 5. Samba do Aviao
(6:11) 6. Querida For Laura
(4:27) 7. Samba de Mulher
(4:15) 8. Batida Diferente
(5:01) 9. O Pato
(3:33) 10. Samba de Orly
(1:38) 11. Samba Triste

Francesca Leone was born in Rome from a family of artists. After her participation at the group exhibition Arte Contemporanea per i Rifugiati (Musei Capitolini, Rome, 2007), she had her first solo exhibition at Loggiato di San Bartolomeo, Palermo (Riflessi e riflessioni), and Palazzo Venezia, Rome (Primo Piano, then Castel dell’Ovo, Naples, 2009). In 2009 she exhibited at the MMOMA-Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Moscow with the project Beyond their gaze and she was appointed Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Fine Arts. In 2011 she has been invited to exhibit at the LIV International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale within the Italian Pavilion and in 2013 she participated in the LV International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale with the Cuba Pavilion. The exhibition, entitled “La Perversión de lo Clásico: anarquía de los relatos”, is a dialogue between 7 Cuban and 7 international artists.

In 2014, she had three solo-exhibition: at MAC-Museum of Contemporary Art in Santiago de Chile; at MACBA-Museum of Contemporary Art in Buenos Aires; at Museum of the Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg. In 2015, “Our Trash” a solo exhibition hosted at La Triennale in Milan, followed, in 2017, by “Giardino” at MACRO-Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome. In June 2018 as a project of Palermo Capitale della Cultura 2018 and the collateral events of Manifesta 12, she exhibited in Palermo the installation “Monaci”, curated by Danilo Eccher at the Real Albergo dei Poveri, followed by the solo exhibition “Domus” at the Palacio de Gaviria in Madrid. In 2020, Magazzino Gallery in Rome hosted the artist’s first solo exhibition in a gallery, “Si può illuminare un cielo melmoso e nero?”. In 2021, in Milan, at Sala delle Colonne in Gallerie d’Italia, the solo-exhibition “Ulteriori gradi di libertà, nella città che resiste”, curated by Andrea Viliani. https://www.francescaleone.it/biography/?lang=en

Querida (Francesca Leone Sings Bossa Nova)

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Joe Locke, David Hazeltine Quartet - Mutual Admiration Society 2

Styles: Vibes Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:30
Size: 125,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:42)  1. Pharoah Joy
(8:28)  2. The Peacocks
(5:56)  3. One for Reedy Ree
(8:39)  4. Twelve
(6:02)  5. What's Not To Love?
(6:51)  6. Convocation
(5:35)  7. If It's Magic
(6:14)  8. Blues for Buddy

In the last year of the twentieth century, Sharp Nine Records released Mutual Admiration Society, a quartet date co-led by vibraphonist Joe Locke and pianist David Hazeltine, which also included bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer Billy Drummond. A brainchild of Sharp Nine honcho Marc Edelman, the collaboration between these two longtime friends was based on a desire to explore each other's strengths. Hazeltine was keen on interacting with the blues-oriented, earthy side of Locke's playing, as well as experiencing the vibraphonist's harmonically adventurous compositions. Locke welcomed the opportunity to interpret Hazeltine's arrangements and play off of the pianist's swinging, individualistic style. A few of the record's highlights included a deliberately paced, dreamlike version of the 1960s pop hit, "I Say a Little Prayer," Hazeltine's "Can We Talk?," which moved between funk and straightforward swing, and Locke's intriguing reharmonization of the standard "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year." Locke and Hazeltine played a six night engagement at New York City's Sweet Basil in support of the record and then went their separate ways. Early this year, Edelman brought the quartet back into the studio and once again the co-leaders contribute the bulk of the material. The ringing chords which underlie the melody of Locke's "Pharoah Joy" resemble a revved up version of the foundation of Pharoah Sanders' "The Creator Has A Master Plan." 

Dedicated to the late drummer Tony Reedus, Hazeltine's "One For Reedy Ree" entails a throbbing, repetitive introduction followed by an angular melody with a few twists and turns. Based on Cole Porter's "Everything I Love," Locke's "What's Not To Love?" begins with a haunting figure, voiced at the low end of vibes and piano, that reappears in the midst of this bright, optimistic tune. Employing a Latin rhythm and pockets of straight-ahead swing, Hazeltine's "Blues For Buddy" is an up-tempo romp that breathlessly jams a handful of melodies into twenty-four bars. It's hard to imagine a bassist and drummer better suited to complement Locke and Hazeltine. Essiet and Drummond have so much to contribute, and the bulk of what they play doesn't sound overly assertive or particularly busy. They demonstrate many ways to swing, often subtly tightening or loosening the pressure behind the soloist during the course of a single chorus. Locke and Hazeltine are expansive, stimulating improvisers who stay in touch with everything going on around them. In the final analysis, however, it's the group's sound that makes the record special. Even on up-tempo tracks like "Convocation" and "Blues For Buddy," there's warmth and a centered vibe to the music. It's a pleasure to hear how they support one another (Hazeltine's comping behind Locke, for example, is marvelous), and always find common ground regardless of the feel or tempo of the material. Mutual Admiration Society 2 is a significant contribution to the jazz mainstream. Here's hoping another ten years don't have to go by for the next installment. ~ David A.Orthmann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/mutual-admiration-society-2-joe-locke-sharp-nine-records-review-by-david-a-orthmann.php

Personnel: Joe Locke: vibes; David Hazeltine: piano; Essiet Essiet: bass; Billy Drummond: drums.

Mutual Admiration Society 2

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Brian Lynch - Brian Lynch Meets Bill Charlap

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:28
Size: 143,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:58)  1. On Green Dolphin Street
(7:34)  2. Autumn Nocturne
(6:38)  3. My Heart Stood Still
(5:46)  4. Cheryl
(8:23)  5. Before the First Cup
(6:44)  6. Atras da Porta
(4:54)  7. On the Dot
(6:34)  8. Come Rain or Come Shine
(7:53)  9. Blues for Gilad

While he adroitly blows his way through a couple of medium-to-up tempo tracks with the edgy assurance of a veteran bebopper, the largest part of trumpeter/flugelhornist Brian Lynch’s latest disc on Sharp Nine Records displays a temperate approach to the music. A welcome relief from the clamor that characterizes a lot of today’s jazz, Lynch’s moderation as a player and bandleader is evident in a number of ways. He knows that melodies are to be relished instead of glossed over; tempos other than rapid ones make a positive impression; and music that breathes easily can be as effective as rough-hewn, densely textured sound.Lynch possesses ample technique and a full, warm tone on the horn, but it’s his ability to imbue every note with an emotional weight (minus any mawkishness) that makes this record special. For example, the splendor of his rendition of the ballad “Autumn Nocturne” makes time stand still; and the way he subtly invokes a feeling of yearning during the bossa “Atras da Porta.” Accordingly, Lynch’s solo lines favor measured, linear development over fireworks and showy gestures. Moreover, his bandmates, pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Dwayne Burno, and drummer Joe Farnsworth are all on the same wavelength, ably balancing the roles of support and self-expression, following or inducing subtle shifts in emphasis, and nudging the music forward in ways more fluid than forceful.

The record opens with Lynch’s treatment of “On Green Dolphin Street.” He revitalizes this warhorse by recasting it in 7/4 time. The arrangement centers around a nice, easy rolling vamp played by the piano, bass, and drums, and the bridge has a conventional jazz feel. In particular, the contrast between the broad click of Farnsworth’s rim knocks and portions of triplets to the tom-toms gives the music an irresistible, dancing movement. Beginning the round of solos, Charlap initially takes his time playing around Farnsworth’s and Burno’s variations of the vamp and then becomes more expansive over their straight-ahead groove. Utilizing a mute throughout, Lynch’s turn starts by lazily building melodic lines that float over the rhythm section. A shooting double-time phrase toward the end of his first chorus signals change as he digs in and becomes more dynamic, all the while prodded by Farnsworth’s brusque snare drum fills. The drummer’s decidedly non-linear solo is structured but not hemmed in by the vamp. He offers a loose yet calculated configuration of rhythmic fragments, such as a stick to the bell of the cymbal, long, rigid rolls to the snare and toms, and poking, three and four stroke shots to all the drums, some of which are mindful of Burno and Charlap’s persistent accompaniment, and others that chafe against it. Combining a strongly accented ostinato and a pensive melody, Lynch’s waltz “Before the First Cup” may not be a lyric writer’s dream; nonetheless the tune holds up well in comparison to the record’s selections from the American Popular Songbook (including “Autumn Nocturne,” “On Green Dolphin Street,” “My Heart Stood Still,” and “Come Rain or Come Shine”). Farnsworth keeps things from getting too settled by creating a choppy undercurrent with the boot of his bass drum, martial snare drum triplets, and irregularly timed cymbal crashes. Never straying from a romantic vein, the composer’s solo gradually moves from a dreamlike state to something grittier, as he increases the length and velocity of his lines.

The set’s closer “Blues For Gilad” is significant for the ways in which the rhythm section supports the soloists. During Lynch’s first two choruses, Farnsworth’s relaxed rim knock and tom-tom combinations provide an undemanding cushion. Conversely, there’s nothing rote about Charlap’s comping, as he moves from carefully chosen chords that mirror the drummer’s relaxed feel to those that shoot up and abruptly break off all without disturbing the trumpeter’s flow. At the beginning of Lynch’s third chorus, Burno starts walking for the first time and Farnsworth begins to keep straight time on the ride cymbal and the hi-hat. The music immediately begins to jump and the trumpeter swings harder and plays with more raw emotion. Burno and Farnsworth adopt a similar strategy for Charlap’s penetrating turn. Farnsworth serves up a slightly different rhythmic quality toward the end of Burno’s solo when he plays the lightest of shuffle beats, and carries it over into Lynch’s single chorus, right before the band takes the tune out.~David A.Orthmann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/brian-lynch-meets-bill-charlap-by-david-a-orthmann.php

Personnel:  Brian Lynch—trumpet/flugelhorn; Bill Charlap—piano; Dwayne Burno—bass; Joe Farnsworth—drums.

Brian Lynch Meets Bill Charlap

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Samara Joy - Samara Joy

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:01
Size: 97,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:53) 1. Stardust
(3:47) 2. Everything happens to me
(2:33) 3. If you never fall in love with me
(2:46) 4. Let's dream in the moonlight
(4:21) 5. It only happens once
(3:58) 6. Jim
(2:36) 7. The trouble with me is you
(1:57) 8. If you'd stay the way I dream
(3:46) 9. Lover man (oh where can you be)
(3:54) 10. Only a moment ago
(3:23) 11. Moonglow
(5:00) 12. But beautiful

With a voice as smooth as velvet, SAMARA JOY’s star seems to rise with each performance. Following her winning the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, she is currently recording her debut recording, which will feature Samara backed by the Pasquale Grasso Trio. Growing up in New York, music was a pervasive presence, due to the inspiration of her paternal grandparents, Elder Goldwire and Ruth McLendon, who led the well-known Philadelphia-based gospel group, The Savettes. Her father toured with the renowned Gospel artist Andrae Crouch, and her home was filled with the sounds of not only her father’s songs and songwriting process, but the inspiration of many Gospel and R&B artists, including Stevie Wonder, Lalah Hathaway, George Duke, Musiq Soulchild, Kim Burrell, Commissioned, and many others.

“Although I didn’t grow up singing in church,” explains Samara, “I constantly heard my family singing inspirational music together, which instilled in me an appreciation for my musical lineage. Through musicals in middle school, I loved exploring the range of my voice and applying the different colors to fit the characters I played. Finally, during high school, I joined the choir at my church, eventually becoming a worship leader, singing three services a week for nearly two years. That was my training.” Samara’s first exposure to jazz was while attending Fordham High School for the Arts, where she performed regularly with the jazz band, eventually winning Best Vocalist at JALC’s Essentially Ellington competition. However, jazz wasn’t really her focus until the time came to choose a college. Wanting to attend a state school close to home, she picked SUNY Purchase, gaining acceptance into their acclaimed jazz program, with a faculty that includes many jazz masters (including Pasquale Grasso and drummer Kenny Washington, who both appear on her debut recording.)

“My friends were all into jazz and started sharing their favorite recordings with me to check out. The turning point was when I heard both Sarah Vaughan’s version of ‘Lover Man’ and Tadd Dameron’s recordings featuring trumpeter Fats Navarro. I was hooked.” From this point, she began to pursue her jazz studies with an intense passion, eventually being named the Ella Fitzgerald Scholar and entering and winning the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Although having only recently celebrated her 21st birthday, Samara has already performed in many of the great jazz venues in NYC, including Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, The Blue Note, and Mezzrow, in addition to working with jazz greats such as Christian McBride, Pasquale Grasso, Kirk Lightsey Cyrus Chestnut, and NEA Jazz Master Dr. Barry Harris.

Samara's self-titled debut recording is slated for release on July 9 through Whirlwind Recordings. It presents her backed by the trio of guitarist Pasquale Grasso, bassist Ari Roland, and drummer Kenny Washington. Within the album's liner notes, veteran writer Will Friedwald comments that Samara Joy is “a fantastic collection of highly original new arrangements, beautifully sung by a rising talent, and a very impressive first album. People are forever using the word 'timeless' as if it were the greatest praise ever, but in a way, Samara’s voice and her music seem to belong to all time, like she’s connected to the entire history of jazz all at once - as if she were existing in every era simultaneously, she sounds both classic and contemporary.”

Winning the Vaughan award was transformational for Joy. “I was suddenly on the jazz radar. It’s still bizarre to think of how fast things have progressed.” Since then, Joy has dug deep to discover her jazz roots, without losing sight of the innate simplicity that makes her sound shine. Her first album announces the arrival of a young artist destined for greatness. https://samarajoy.com/about

Samara Joy

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Jim Hall - Textures

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:33
Size: 118,3 MB
Art: Front

( 6:58) 1. Fanfare
( 9:46) 2. Ragman
( 6:44) 3. Reflections
( 4:46) 4. Quadrologue
(12:54) 5. Passacaglia
( 5:59) 6. Sazanami
( 4:23) 7. Circus Dance

Now this is really different. Without dropping his electric and acoustic guitars for a minute, Jim Hall reaches back to his early classical studies and joins the Third Stream. The result is an absorbing set of seven Hall compositions that reveal a hitherto unseen, serious, sometimes whimsical side of a musician we all thought we had pegged. A lot of this is rooted in 1950s classical/jazz fusions from Stan Kenton to Gunther Schuller, yet Hall thankfully makes even the most cerebral passages sound attractive, thanks in part to the delicate, still-soft timbres of his electric guitar. Each piece is quite different from that of its neighbor; two ("Fanfare," "Reflections") have surprisingly dense and dissonant writing for a brass septet, another ("Quadrologue") uses pizzicato strings plunking acerbically over a repeated ostinato, still another is an informal "Passacaglia" with isolated interludes for solo classical guitar. The splendidly nostalgic "Sazanami," with steel drum tappings over a Caribbean shaker rhythm, is the closest thing to a strictly jazz-oriented groove on the CD, and a mock "Circus Dance" for oompah-ing brass adds a touch of droll and morose humor at the end of the program.

The most original piece is probably "Ragman," with its contemporary string writing, Middle Eastern flavor, and Joe Lovano rattling around the percussive rhythms on soprano sax. Signing with Telarc allegedly a safe refuge for aging jazz stars seems to have brought out the daring explorer in Hall in this and his previous release, Dialogues. More power to him.~ Richard S. Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/album/textures-mw0000023650

Personnel: Guitar, Composed By, Arranged By – Jim Hall; Bass – Scott Colley; Drums – Terry Clarke; Flugelhorn – Claudio Roditi; Soprano Saxophone – Joe Lovano; Steel Drums – Derek DiCenzo; Trombone – Jim Pugh; Trumpet – Ryan Kisor

Textures

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Cecil L. Recchia - Songs of the Tree (A Tribute to Ahmad Jamal)

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:11
Size: 94,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. Volga Boatmen
(5:08)  2. Naked City
(3:42)  3. Minor Moods
(2:50)  4. You're Blase
(2:43)  5. The Breeze and I
(3:53)  6. Time on My Hands
(4:27)  7. Autumn Leaves
(4:32)  8. Ahmad's Blues
(4:58)  9. The Party's Over
(5:32) 10. Poinciana

Following years of classical piano training and American literature studies at the Sorbonne, Cecil L. Recchia entered the world of jazz at the Paris CIM, institute for contemporary music and jazz. She then continued to develop her jazz acumen in master classes conducted by such jazz legends as Michelle Hendricks, Bob Stoloff, Barry Harris and Norma Winstone. Cecil created the Cid Azilis Project in 2007, a quartet in which she interprets an original repertory of personal compositions along with English and American poems by Shakespeare, Poe and Dickinson set to her own music. After making a splash with her quartet at the 2008 Sunset/Sunside Awards, Cecil L. Recchia has since become a regular on the Paris jazz scene. That same year, she performed live in “Jazz à la Récré” (EMI) for the release of the eponymous record also featuring Didier Lockwood and Hal Singer. 

This project was warmly received, particularly at the first edition of “Jazz for Kids” at the 2009 Villette Jazz Festival. It was followed by a second opus, “Noël en Jazz” in which Cecil is both lead vocalist and arranger. With « Songs of the Tree : a tribute to Ahmad Jamal » recorded with Vincent Bourgeyx, Manuel Marches and David Grebil, it offers a first successful opus, which quickly received a warm welcome from the public. Cecil continues to pursue a singing career in a variety of jazz and Brazilian music ensembles, alongside her ongoing activities as a vocal jazz coach. https://cecilrecchia.com/en/bio/

Songs of the Tree (A Tribute to Ahmad Jamal)

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Lovisa Lindkvist - Candy Bossa

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:30
Size: 129,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:41) 1. Desafinado
(3:59) 2. So Many Stars
(3:23) 3. Triste
(5:46) 4. Someone To Watch Over Me
(4:39) 5. Two Kites
(3:06) 6. Blue In Green
(3:07) 7. Dreamer
(3:01) 8. The Girl From Ipanema
(3:42) 9. Estate
(3:52) 10. Call Me
(3:10) 11. Meditation
(3:36) 12. Waters Of March
(2:57) 13. How Intensive
(3:53) 14. Once I Loved
(3:31) 15. Like A Lover

Lovisa Lindkvist. There is no doubt that music has always played a vital role in Lovisa's life, already from early years. Even as a little baby, Lovisa mimicked her mother as she practiced her singing. And so, it became natural from early on to express herself through her voice. With a voice far more mature than her 27 years of age, she belongs to the group of Swedish jazz vocalists that bridge the gap of the famous Swedish singer, Monica Zetterlund. At 10 years of age, she was accepted at the music education of Adolf Fredrik Elementary School, where choir singing is mostly taught. However, she soon realized that she wanted to pursue a career as a solo singer. In 2006, she released her debut album, "That Girl", which was mainly recorded live with only first-take recordings.

It contains famous songs from "The American Songbook", but also some originals, and was highly praised by critics all over Sweden, described as a "fantastic debut", and Lovisa was named as Sweden's next great jazz vocalist. At the same time, the album was released in Japan, and in the same year, she became the first-time receiver of the Monica Zetterlund scholarship. In 2007, she contributed with two songs on an album with the best ballads of Bo Nilsson, which also featured songs by Tommy Korberg, Monica Zetterlund, and Sylvia Wrethammar. Lovisa has performed at TV 4 Nyhetsmorgon, at various jazz clubs all over Sweden, as well as on national radio. She has been the opening act for Dionne Warwick, and performed at the Eliasson Award Dinner in Los Angeles. http://www.mymusicbase.ru/PPB/ppb33/Bio_3388.htm

Candy Bossa

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Cecil L. Recchia - The Gumbo

Size: 89,4 MB
Time: 37:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: New Orleans Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. Jungle Blues (3:18)
02. Second Line (3:56)
03. Limehouse Blues (2:35)
04. Jambalaya (On The Bayou) (3:59)
05. Big Butter And Egg Man (3:33)
06. Go To Mardi Gras (0:24)
07. Egyptian Fantasy (3:40)
08. New Orleans Blues (3:00)
09. Young New Orleans Blues (1:19)
10. Saint James Infirmary (2:52)
11. Lil' Liza Jane (0:34)
12. Sleepy Time Down South (2:46)
13. Bourbon Street Parade (When It's) (3:16)
14. Tootie Ma Is A Big Fine Thing (2:37)

Following years of classical piano training and American literature studies at the Sorbonne, Cecil L. Recchia entered the world of jazz at the Paris CIM, institute for contemporary music and jazz.

She then continued to develop her jazz acumen in master classes conducted by such jazz legends as Michelle Hendricks, Bob Stoloff, Barry Harris and Norma Winstone. Cecil created the Cid Azilis Project in 2007, a quartet in which she interprets an original repertory of personal compositions along with English and American poems by Shakespeare, Poe and Dickinson set to her own music.

After making a splash with her quartet at the 2008 Sunset/Sunside Awards, Cecil L. Recchia has since become a regular on the Paris jazz scene.

That same year, she performed live in “Jazz à la Récré” (EMI) for the release of the eponymous record also featuring Didier Lockwood and Hal Singer.

This project was warmly received, particularly at the first edition of “Jazz for Kids” at the 2009 Villette Jazz Festival. It was followed by a second opus, “Noël en Jazz” in which Cecil is both lead vocalist and arranger.

With « Songs of the Tree : a tribute to Ahmad Jamal » recorded with Vincent Bourgeyx, Manuel Marches and David Grebil, it offers a first successful opus, which quickly received a warm welcome from the public.

Cecil continues to pursue a singing career in a variety of jazz and Brazilian music ensembles, alongside her ongoing activities as a vocal jazz coach.

The Gumbo

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René Marie - Voice Of My Beautiful Country

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:26
Size: 173,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:06)  1. Strange Meadowlark
(9:06)  2. O Shenandoah
(3:33)  3. Imagination
(7:18)  4. Just My Imagination
(7:51)  5. White Rabbit
(7:16)  6. Drift Away
(6:36)  7. John Henry
(7:10)  8. Angelitos Negros
(4:41)  9. America The Beautiful
(3:11) 10. Drum Battle
(1:20) 11. Piano Blues
(6:24) 12. My Country 'Tis Of Thee
(2:38) 13. Lift Ev'ry Voice and SingStar-Spangled Banner
(2:13) 14. America The Beautiful-Reprise

The track list on René Marie's latest release reads like an iPod in random shuffle mode gone haywire: a Temptations classic is followed by a Jefferson Airplane classic, which is followed by Dobie Gray's hit "Drift Away." There's Dave Brubeck's "Strange Meadow Lark" and the American folk standards "John Henry" and "O Shenandoah," and a sensuous Latin ballad, "Angelitos Negros." The rest of the program makes for no less incongruous a list, but René Marie's gift is that she wraps each song around her dynamic, smoky, malleable, experienced voice until it feels as if she's written it. (Her next album will consist solely of her own compositions.) Marie is a latecomer to performing; now in her fifties, she's only been recording for about 15 years. Perhaps because she took so long to get started, she's had time to develop a personalized style without falling prey to outside influences. Fronting a tight, supple jazz combo, Marie is down to earth, full of surprises, and clever in her approach to a song. The Airplane's "White Rabbit" is rendered in a simultaneously dreamy and intense fashion: Marie, after building up to her first crescendo, lays back, turns things over to the pianist, waits it out till it's become frenzied, and only then returns to drive it home. A medley of Jimmy Van Heusen's "Imagination" and the Temps' "Just My Imagination" makes more sense in Marie's hands than on paper: the first is a whispery, breathy voice and sullen piano; a seamless segue and then the second song, which is soulful, free, tough, and fun. The eclecticism isn't for its own sake, though, Marie gives no impression that she's jumping all over the place to be hip. So when she closes it out with what she dubs "Voice of My Beautiful Country Suite," a six-part medley that runs the gamut from "America the Beautiful" and "My Country 'Tis of Thee" to "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" and the "Star Spangled Banner"  with drum and bluesy piano solos tossed in it all still makes perfect sense. ~ Jeff Tamarkin https://www.allmusic.com/album/voice-of-my-beautiful-country-mw0002099459

Personnel: René Marie (vocals); Kevin Bales (piano); Quentin Baxter (drums).

Voice Of My Beautiful Country

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Clifford Scott, Les Mccann & Joe Pass - Out Front

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:33
Size: 89,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:55) 1. Samba de Bamba
(7:12) 2. Over And Over
(5:39) 3. As Rosie And Ellen Dance
(2:07) 4. Cross Talk
(5:03) 5. Why Don't You Do Right
(7:51) 6. Just Tomorrow
(5:43) 7. Out Front

As rhythm and blues developed into the most popular black music in the late forties and early fifties, a lot of jazz-oriented musicians jumped the bandwagon in order to make a decent living. Perhaps decent isn’t the appropriate term. Regularly, players switched from swing bands to r&b outfits, which usually meant a change from one grueling touring schedule to another. One bows in awe to them in hindsight, the way guys like Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Red Holloway, Don Wilkerson or Sam “The Man” Taylor, survived. Tenor saxophonist Clifford Scott, born in San Antonio, Texas in 1928, deceased in 1993, traveled a similar route.

Scott worked with Amos Milburn, Jay McShann, Lionel Hampton, Roy Brown and Roy Milton in the early fifties. Scott provided the groundbreaking honking tenor solo on organist Bill Doggett’s jukebox hit in 1955, Honky Tonk. He stayed with Doggett for a number of years. Subsequently, Scott acted as a leader, trying to capitalize on the honking hype with singles bearing gimmicky titles like Bushy Tail and The Kangaroo, and recorded as a prominent session musician in the r&b and pop field. His last big stint, before settling down as a local hero in San Antonio, was with the Ray Charles band, intermittently, from 1966 to 1970.

Based on the West Coast in the sixties, Scott was featured on a number of Pacific Jazz albums by the organ combo Billy Larkin & The Delegates. Scott recorded Plays The Big Ones on Pacific Jazz in 1963, a gritty soul jazz date featuring Hammond organ. It’s a nice enough date but incomparable with Scott’s subsequent album, Out Front!. During that session, Scott expanded his scope, holding on to the fried-bacon notes and the occasional crowd-pleasing climaxes, while displaying distinct suppleness and double-time fluency. Coming with the slightest vibrato, Scott’s style is sensual as hell, and hot as hell as well.

Sensual also applies to the Les McCann Trio, which consists of McCann, bassist Herbie Lewis, drummer Paul Humphrey, plus Joe Pass, as in: attractive, uplifting, rousing. McCann had cooperated with Joe Pass on Richard “Groove” Holmes’ Something Special, Les McCann’s Featuring Joe Pass, On Time and Soul Hits. The gospel-drenched vigor and probing accompaniment of McCann, the group’s abundant swing and the subtle and peppery phrases of Pass provide a stimulating canvas for the lurid, lean strokes of Scott, whom one imagines must’ve been elated with the possibility of working with such an immaculate quartet.

And as is usual with the presence of McCann on a recording date, the pianist contributes a couple of catchy tunes, like the driving Out Front and the crisp stop-time cooker Over And Over, which is marked by the typical McCann device of a shift in key. McCann also wrote Crosstalk, killer greasy tune that is pure Bo Diddley’s Not Fade Away, thriving on the rousing beat and statements of McCann and Pass and the rubato wail of Scott that takes one by surprise like a tornado in New Mexico: a soul jazz gem stopping at a mere 2.45 minutes.

Samba De Bamba is a different ball game, an equally swinging, Latin hard bop tune. Developing his story from sophisticated, fluent phrasing to the kind of terse blowing of Ben Webster, Scott reveals himself as a singular stylist. This, perhaps, comes as no surprise considering his past in the swing era. It is surprising, though, that the saxophonist wasn’t granted the opportunity to record more extensively throughout his career, except for a couple of albums in the early 90’s. More than that, it is a shame. http://flophousemagazine.com/2020/08/31/clifford-scott-out-front-pacific-jazz-1963/

Personnel: Clifford Scott (tenor and alto saxophone), Joe Pass (guitar), Les McCann (piano), Herbie Lewis (bass), Paul Humphrey (drums)

Out Front

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Corinne Bailey Rae - Live In New York (Ao Vivo)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:44
Size: 138,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. Call Me When You Get This
(3:37)  2. Trouble Sleeping
(5:32)  3. Breathless
(4:05)  4. Enchantment
(5:17)  5. Till It Happens To You
(5:47)  6. Since I've Been Loving You
(5:26)  7. Like A Star
(3:53)  8. Put Your Records On
(4:02)  9. Butterfly
(4:55) 10. I'd Like To
(4:47) 11. Choux Pastry Heart
(6:31) 12. Seasons Change

Corinne Bailey Rae is a soul-rooted contemporary R&B singer and songwriter with multiple Top Ten U.K. and U.S. albums. Displaying an interest in music from an early age, Bailey Rae studied classical violin until she acquired an electric guitar in her early teens. Inspired by such '90s alt-rock icons as L7, Veruca Salt, and Belly, Bailey Rae formed her first band, Helen. Despite developing a strong local following, the band ultimately folded and she enrolled at Leeds University to study English literature. While at school, a job at a jazz club inspired her more soul-oriented leanings and she began writing songs. Eventually, she scored a record deal with EMI and released her self-titled debut solo album in February 2006. It topped the U.K. album chart, pushed by the number two single "Put Your Records On," and reached number four on the U.S. Billboard 200. Bailey Rae earned three Grammy nominations and was nominated for as many MOBOs, two of which Best U.K. Female, Best U.K. Newcomer she won. A year later, both an expanded edition of the album and the CD/DVD set Live in London & NY appeared, and she was featured on Herbie Hancock's Grammy-winning River: The Joni Letters. Corinne Bailey Rae's second proper album, The Sea, was heavily affected by the death of her husband, saxophonist Jason Rae.

Despite the traumatic events surrounding its recording, it translated into commercial success as another instant Top Ten hit in the U.K. and U.S. after its January 2010 release. She followed the Mercury Prize-nominated album early the next year with the considerably lighter The Love EP, a five-song set containing covers of songs originally recorded by the likes of Prince, Bob Marley, and Paul McCartney & Wings. Her version of Marley's "Is This Love" won a Grammy in the category of Best R&B Performance. As she worked on her third proper album, she temporarily retreated from the spotlight and remarried in 2013. In February 2016, "Been to the Moon," a collaboration with King's Paris and Amber Strother, heralded The Heart Speaks in Whispers, which arrived three months later. The album peaked at number two on the R&B charts. One year later, Bailey Rae recorded a cover of Coldplay's "The Scientist" for the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/corinne-bailey-rae-mn0000733717/biography

Live In New York

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Francesca Leone & Guido Di Leone - Tudo Em Bossa Nova

Styles: Vocal And Guitar
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:39
Size: 183,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:22) 1. Samba e Amor
(3:10) 2. Io so che ti amerò
(1:46) 3. Sambou Sambou
(3:19) 4. Kisses Through the Fingers
(1:57) 5. Só Tinha de Ser Com Você
(3:37) 6. Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?
(2:46) 7. Falsa Baiana
(3:28) 8. 'na voce 'na chitarra (e 'o poco 'e luna)
(3:35) 9. Just in Time
(1:39) 10. Deixa
(2:59) 11. Time After Time
(4:23) 12. Sem Você
(2:21) 13. Watch What Happens
(2:19) 14. Malaga
(2:24) 15. Só Danço Samba
(2:37) 16. Samba em Prelúdio
(2:22) 17. Ho-Ba-La-La
(3:52) 18. Tristeza / Samba de Duas Notas
(4:30) 19. You're My Everything
(3:05) 20. Quizás, Quizás, Quizás
(2:27) 21. Doralice
(3:02) 22. Anema e core
(3:40) 23. Triste
(3:00) 24. Bolsa Nova
(4:07) 25. But Not For Me
(3:39) 26. Fotografia

Two of the greatest national performers of the bossanova genre. A duet fruit of years of collaborations, concerts and festivals held around the world. A repertoire, the Brazilian one, chosen from pieces that in some cases carry excellent signatures such as those of Tom Jobim, Joao Gilberto, Vinicius de Moraes, Baden Powell. The "Brazilian saudade" soon became part of the musical culture of the whole world, giving a new life to its melodies. Guido Di Leone, one of the most famous Italian guitarists and Francesca Di Leone, a persuasive voice and very fine performer, give us a record of high artistic profile and at the same time of great pleasure, elegance and simplicity of listening. http://www.jazzandmore.it/product_info.php?products_id=753&language=en

Personnel: Di Leone Guido - classic guitar; Leone Francesca - voices

Tudo Em Bossa Nova

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René Marie - Black Lace Freudian Slip

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:07
Size: 159,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:32)  1. Black Lace Freudian Slip
(6:29)  2. This For Joe
(5:53)  3. Wishes
(7:28)  4. Thanks, But I Don't Dance
(4:52)  5. Free For A Day
(6:24)  6. Ahn's Dream
(4:18)  7. Gosh, Look At The Time
(5:39)  8. Rim Shot
(6:04)  9. Fallin' Off A Log
(5:23) 10. Deep In The Mountains
(2:56) 11. Serenity Prayer
(4:06) 12. Rufast Daliarg
(4:56) 13. Tired

Budding jazz instrumentalists are often told that they need to find their own voice but, ironically, those who use their actual voices are often expected to adhere to the sonic standards of those who came before. Fans and press who value originality in jazz instrumentalists wring their hands in frustration when more John Coltrane clones come into the picture but, on the other side of the coin, the masses applaud and herald singers with voices crafted in the images of jazz icons (e.g. Madeleine Peyroux's Billie Holiday-like voice), creating a double standard that does a disservice to those singers who don't fall in line.

While the ability to interpret songs from The Great American Songbook, and understand and borrow musical mannerisms from notable artists, has undeniable merit, vocalists like the one and only Rene Marie deserve to be measured for their originality in voice, spirit and song. Marie's steadfast commitment to her own vision of music has won her wide acclaim for a string of fine recordings, and placed her in controversial situations, as with her "Lift Every Voice" rewrite of "The Star Spangled Banner," but she always remains confident in her artistic decisions, never letting populist ideals or the changing winds of the music industry sway her from her chosen path.  Black Lace Freudian Slip comes closely on the heels of Marie's personally patriotic Voice Of My Beautiful Country (Motéma, 2011), but the focus is now on Marie-as-composer. Ten of the thirteen tracks on this album are Marie originals and, while her honesty and spirit shine through in each and every performance, she touches on various themes and styles throughout.  

"Black Lace Freudian Slip" is a study in contrasts, as Marie uses a sensuous delivery that shows off her feminine wiles, while also infusing her vocals with the type of boastful braggadocio usually reserved for male rappers, but that's only one side of this complex individual. Elsewhere, she touches on a folk-country hybrid that leans toward the sound of Ray LaMontagne ("Wishes"), boisterous pseudo-samba ("Rufast Daliarg"), stunning, soulful displays of vocal intensity ("Deep In The Mountains"), and music with earthy bass and tom grooves that wear textural designs often found in the work of Cassandra Wilson ("Ahn's Dream"). While Marie rails against the notion of people comparing her to other famous voices like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan during her aural response to a club owner who told her that jazz singers should interpret rather than write ("This For Joe"), it's hard not to notice a Nancy Wilson-like zeal in her voice on the waltzing "Free For A Day." Here, and on her ode to a drummer's accent ("Rim Shot"), Marie is at her most lighthearted. With so many different styles and sounds coming in and out of the mix, Black Lace Freudian Slip doesn't really come off as a statement from a jazz singer. Instead, it arrives as a musical gift from one of the most arresting and complex vocal personalities performing today.~ Dan Bilawsky   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=40710#.UwKeRYVQE9c
 

Personnel: Rene Marie: vocals; Kevin Bales: piano; Rodney Jordan: bass; Quentin Baxter: drums; Bill Kepper: acoustic guitar (3); Lionel Young: electric guitar, fiddle (10); Dexter Payne: harmonica (3); Michael A. Croan: vocals (10).

Black Lace Freudian Slip

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Louis Armstrong - Oldies Mix: Satchmo

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 93:04
Size: 218,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:01) 1. C'est Si Bon
(3:07) 2. Georgia on My Mind
(3:25) 3. La Vie En Rose
(5:13) 4. Sweet Lorraine
(2:46) 5. When the Sants Go Marchin'in
(3:20) 6. Blueberry Hill
(3:12) 7. Down by the Rivers Side
(4:18) 8. I Get a Kick out of You
(3:21) 9. Jeannine
(3:20) 10. If
(3:58) 11. Makin' Whoopee
(2:59) 12. Linger in Your Arms a Little Longer
(2:59) 13. Sittin' in the Sun
(2:56) 14. That's What the Man Said
(6:26) 15. You Go to My Head
(3:51) 16. A Fine Romance
(5:53) 17. Cheek to Cheek
(3:52) 18. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
(3:46) 19. Can't We Be Friends
(3:42) 20. Cottontail
(5:03) 21. Duke's Place
(4:00) 22. Black and Tan Fantasy
(2:21) 23. Little Ol' Tune
(3:44) 24. Rocky Mountain Moon
(2:21) 25. Bye Bye Blues

Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901. He was raised by his mother Mayann in a neighborhood so dangerous it was called “The Battlefield.” He only had a fifth-grade education, dropping out of school early to go to work. An early job working for the Jewish Karnofsky family allowed Armstrong to make enough money to purchase his first cornet.

On New Year’s Eve 1912, he was arrested and sent to the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys. There, under the tutelage of Peter Davis, he learned how to properly play the cornet, eventually becoming the leader of the Waif’s Home Brass Band. Released from the Waif’s Home in 1914, Armstrong set his sights on becoming a professional musician. Mentored by the city’s top cornetist, Joe “King” Oliver, Armstrong soon became one of the most in-demand cornetists in town, eventually working steadily on Mississippi riverboats.

In 1922, King Oliver sent for Armstrong to join his band in Chicago. Armstrong and Oliver became the talk of the town with their intricate two-cornet breaks and started making records together in 1923. By that point, Armstrong began dating the pianist in the band, Lillian Hardin. In 1924, Armstrong married Hardin, who urged Armstrong to leave Oliver and try to make it on his own.

A year in New York with Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra proved unsatisfying so Armstrong returned to Chicago in 1925 and began making records under his own name for the first time.More.... https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/biography/

Oldies Mix: Satchmo

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Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - Miss Smith To You!

Styles: Vocal, Swing, Big Band  
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:48
Size: 128,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:58)  1. Miss Brown To You
(3:38)  2. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(4:39)  3. Daddy
(6:37)  4. With My Man
(3:23)  5. I'm Not Evil
(2:54)  6. 'Deed I Do
(5:52)  7. I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues
(5:06)  8. Boogie Woogie (I May Be Wrong)
(4:21)  9. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(6:17) 10. Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl
(4:13) 11. Jumpin' In The Morning
(5:45) 12. When The Saints Go Marching In

The third CD from the swingin' jazz vocalist Lavay Smith. Her last album received a prestigious 4 & 1/2 star review in Downbeat magazine and reached the top 10 on the national Billboard Jazz charts. https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lavaysmithhrhsl

“Lavay is wonderful! She and her band are a breath of fresh air. It is so unlikely and so exciting that a band would appear on the scene today that plays classic jazz and blues so well and so convincingly.”~ Johnny Otis

“The San Francisco-based Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers are a notable exception to the retro-swing norm. The saucy vocalist and her eight-piece crew actually know the difference between jump music and bland R&B in corny suits. They have been a working unit since 1989 and sound as tight as the legendary musicians they choose to emulate.”~ Bob Blumenthal, Boston Globe

“A lush vocal style recalling both Bessie Smith and Dinah Washington.”~ Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times

“Splendid vocals and exemplary material.”~ Frank-John Hadley, Downbeat

“Hands-down the best thing to come out of the jump/swing revival...the gal can sing her tail off.”~ Paul de Barros, Seattle Times

“First-rate vocals...magnificent arrangements...the best combo in town.” ~ Phil Elwood, San Francisco Examiner

“A living testament to the jump-blues era, Lavay is an impassioned singer.”~ William Stephenson, Jazziz

“As close to the real deal as you can get.”~ Adam Mazmanian, The New York Press

“Pure class and a sense of humor...a time machine in vintage threads.”~ Tom Hyslop, Blues Revue

“As a singer, Smith is both ravishing and compelling, and her band, led by pianist Chris Siebert, is world-class.”~ Marian Wallace, Alternative Press Magazine

“Outstanding...the real deal. Unlike some retro-swing outfits that put posturing above musicianship, Smith and her red-hot musicians are schooled in the nuances of blues, swing, and bop.”~ Lee Hildebrand, East Bay Express

“The Skillet Lickers are bona fide jazz players, proffering chops and Basie-esque arrangements to shame all other modern groups of their ilk. Then there's Smith, whose sultry vocals readily betray the influence of Billie Holiday, Little Esther and Dinah Washington while sounding slavish to none.”~ Buddy Siegal, Orange County Weekly

“Folks, no matter how bad your day has been, this CD is guaranteed to make you feel better.”~ Dan Akroyd (a.k.a. Elwood Blues), House of Blues Radio Hour

“I love this band-they’re great!”~ President Bill Clinton

Miss Smith To You!

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Dave Schildkraut - Last Date

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:53
Size: 139,7 MB
Art: Front

(9:23) 1. All The Things You Are
(6:14) 2. Cherokee
(7:41) 3. Now's The Time
(6:18) 4. Lover Man
(6:16) 5. Thou Swell
(5:31) 6. It Might As Well Be Spring
(7:24) 7. Confirmation
(3:12) 8. 52nd Street Theme
(5:32) 9. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
(3:19) 10. Stars And Stripes Forever

The fact that the name Dave Schildkraut doesn't always ring bells among the jazz cognoscenti constitutes one of the sad realities of jazz history. He appeared with a flourish on a Miles Davis Prestige session, Solar (on alto), in 1954. He played with some notables before and after that, and appeared as sideman on a few other records, but mostly was lost in a haze of obscurity. To me he epitomizes the "falling off the face of the earth" syndrome. What happened? There are reasons. He apparently turned down some key opportunities, to record for Norman Granz, etc. Why that was I do not know. I only know that on the basis of the Miles session I knew from the first hearing that this was a very promising, even important saxophonist. Over the years I was only able to track down one old LP, a private recording where he was playing in a pickup group for one of the sides. It was a poor recording and didn't do justice to Dave's playing.

I recently found out through the kindness of saxophonist/author Allen Lowe that there was something else. Dave recorded in a New Haven club in 1979, right before he retired. In fact Allen was the man who ran a tape recorder to capture the gig. And the CD has apparantly been out since 2000. Last Date (Endgame 005) ironically, is also the only (real) date of Schildkraut as a leader. With the proviso that "last" is not least, I was very happy when Allen was kind enough to send me a copy. And listening to it for a number of times now, I am not disappointed in what is on there. It's a home tape recorder that captures the extended set and the balance is not entirely perfect. But Dave comes through loud and clear, on tenor and alto, sounding a bit more evolved than what he did in 1954, occasionally faltering a little in his phrasing, but also unleashing torrents of bop/post-bop phrasing that show a sound his own and a sense of timing and line weaving that fully justifies the legend that he is in some circles. It's not a perfect recording; he is not perfect on that last date; the band is OK but doesn't stand out, though pianist Bill Triglia gets some decent solo time.

It is Dave playing bop standards and songbook standards in ways that suggest he of course had internalized Bird, and had some relation in his playing to early Trane and the Tristano saxophonists (Konitz, Marsh). But really he falls from the sax tree to a place of his own. Since we don't have a lot of documentation of his playing this CD becomes an indispensible record for all who would seek to dig him. He was good. VERY good. Original? Sounds that way to me. Listen!~ GREGO EDWARDS https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/dave-schildkraut-last-date-august-12-1979/

Personnel: Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Dave Schildkraut; Bass – Jeff Fuller; Drums – Frank Bennett; Piano – Bill Triglia

Last Date

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Lisa Ekdahl - Grand Songs

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:15
Size: 87,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:08) 1. Wish You Were Gay
(4:20) 2. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
(3:34) 3. If I Were a Boy
(3:49) 4. Stop! In the Name of Love
(3:50) 5. Most of the Time
(3:26) 6. I Should Have Known Better
(4:07) 7. Till the Rivers All Run Dry
(3:06) 8. Dream a Little Dream of Me
(3:48) 9. Take a Giant Step
(4:03) 10. You Can Close Your Eyes

After more than 20 years of career, 2 million albums sold and 200 million streams on platforms, the Swedish singer with the unique vocal signature releases an album with English covers of great songs pop of yesterday and today: Grand Songs. The choice of songs is a message in itself. It's a time machine, reflecting the dizzying abundance of the digital age. A secret advantage of covers is also to modestly send very personal messages, through the words of another. "This is true for me as it is for any listener. If a song touches you deeply, it's often because it offers expression to intimate feelings", Lisa explains.

Upon arrival, "Grand Songs" is a very interesting step in Lisa's musical journey. Charming, tender, surprising. Her versions of Billie Eilish or Beyoncé show that she can connect with the most contemporary pop, while remaining faithful to her style. Grand Songs turns out to be dreamlike, poetic and timeless, Jazzy with a pinch of Soul and Folk. The quintessential 'Feel Good' album! https://www.bengans.se/sv/artiklar/ekdahl-lisa-grand-songs.html

Grand Songs

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Pasadena Roof Orchestra - The Very Best Of Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Disc 1

Styles: Big Band, Swing, Vocals
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:38
Size: 171,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:04) 1. Home In Pasadena
(4:12) 2. Singing In The Rain
(3:26) 3. The Lullaby Of Broadway
(2:55) 4. Charleston
(3:37) 5. Creole Love Call
(2:58) 6. It Don't Mean A Thing
(3:22) 7. As Time Goes By
(2:29) 8. Eccentric
(4:53) 9. Georgia On My Mind
(3:27) 10. Dream A Little Dream Of Me
(3:00) 11. Good News
(2:41) 12. Sugarfoot Stomp
(4:42) 13. The Mooche
(3:26) 14. What Is This Thing Called Love
(2:53) 15. Soft Shoe Shuffle Blues
(3:00) 16. Three Little Words
(2:48) 17. Cheek To Cheek
(3:34) 18. I Won't Dance
(4:05) 19. You've Got Me Crying Again
(3:11) 20. I Told Every Little Star
(3:33) 21. Honey Pie
(3:14) 22. I'll See You Again

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Album: Disc 2

Time: 74:42
Size: 179,0 MB

(2:18) 1. The Teddy Bears' Picnic
(2:40) 2. Sunday
(4:01) 3. Isn't It Romantic
(5:23) 4. Stormy Weather
(2:16) 5. Everything Stops For Tea
(2:55) 6. Choo Choo
(3:03) 7. My Canary Has Circles Under His Eyes
(3:12) 8. Nagasaki
(3:12) 9. That's My Weakness Now
(2:57) 10. Sing, Sing, Sing
(3:57) 11. Whispering
(4:04) 12. Skokiaan
(2:47) 13. Vo Do Do De O Blues
(4:00) 14. The Show Must Go On
(3:05) 15. The Varsity Drag
(3:28) 16. The Duke Steps Out
(3:13) 17. She's A Latin From Manhattan
(3:03) 18. Hey Miss Moonlight
(3:56) 19. Love In Bloom
(3:09) 20. Me And Jane In A Plane
(2:17) 21. Paddlin' Madelin' Home
(3:07) 22. Holding Hands
(2:27) 23. Here's To The Next Time

The British Jazz Age revivalists of the Pasadena Roof Orchestra present the range of their talent on this 45-track, two-CD compilation. Nominally, the PRO is a re-creation of a 1920s society dance band in the manner of those of popular bandleaders of the time such as Paul Whiteman and Ben Selvin. But over the course of many records, the group has expanded its perspective somewhat, to take in other music of the ‘20s and early ‘30s, including hotter jazz groups like Duke Ellington's Jungle Band as well as Broadway show tunes and movie songs. Still, they tend to play them at what, in the '20s, was known as foxtrot tempo, so that, for instance, "Singing in the Rain" bounces along quickly, as it did when it was first performed, not when Gene Kelly danced to it in the movie of the same name in the ‘50s.

Among these selections, the PRO occasionally crosses the time and style barrier of the Swing Era that began in the mid-‘30s, even to the point of performing the Benny Goodman barnburner "Sing Sing Sing" and presenting "As Time Goes By" in an arrangement reminiscent of the way it sounds in the ‘40s film Casablanca. In fact, the group time travels farther forward, incorporating the Beatles' "Honey Pie," which is at least a ‘20s pastiche number even if it has a 1968 copyright, and Queen's "The Show Must Go On." The orchestra plays the material straight, if with a distinctly British feel, particularly in the vocals, despite much of the music having an American origin. This makes for occasional oddities, none odder than the singer on the novelty "Paddlin' Madelin' Home," who not only cannot bring himself to drop that "g" in "paddlin'," but then adds another to preserve the rhyme, actually singing, "paddling Mad'ling home"! But that may only show that the PRO does have a sense of humor about its music after all.~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/home-in-pasadena-very-best-of-the-pasadena-roof-orchestra-mw0000742346

The Very Best Of Disc 1, Disc 2

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