Emily Remler - Retrospective Volume One: "Standards"

Styles: Bop, Cool Jazz
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:33
Size: 141,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:20) 1. Daahoud
(8:33) 2. How Insensitive
(5:33) 3. Strollin'
(5:45) 4. Hot House
(4:56) 5. In Your Own Sweet Way
(5:50) 6. Joy Spring
(8:24) 7. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
(2:28) 8. Afro Blue
(6:50) 9. Del Sasser
(7:49) 10. In A Sentimental Mood

This is the first of two CDs issued by Concord Jazz compiling some of the best tracks from Emily Remler's sessions for that label. Cut short at a far too early age by a heart condition while touring in Australia, Remler had all the talent necessary to carve herself a niche in the jazz world as a premier jazz guitar interpreter and performer. Retrospective, Vol. 1 is probably the superior of the two volumes, as it includes, among other gems, an enticing unaccompanied rendition of "Afro Blue." Remler had the ability to be expressively warm with a romantic ballad, as on "In a Sentimental Mood," but she excelled on tunes that allowed her to bring out her hard bop credentials, especially in the company of similarly tough-minded rhythm sections.

She displays those credentials on several tracks, such as "Hot House" and "Daahoud," where she is joined by the inestimable Hank Jones on piano and Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums. "Del Sasser" is the sole representative from that intriguing album she made with trumpet player John D'earth. On this cut, D'earth plays muted trumpet under a clean, straight-lined Remler guitar with a rather unusual scrimpy, but pleasing, sound as the result. Indeed an appropriate testimonial to a fine guitarist, this album is recommended for those who want an overview of the work by Remler without having to buy all the albums from whence the selections came.~Dave Nathan https://www.allmusic.com/album/retrospective-vol-1-standards-mw0000262616

Retrospective Volume One "Standards"

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Shakatak - Live in Lockdown

Styles: Smooth Jazz, Jazz Funk
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:54
Size: 184,1 MB
Art: Front

( 5:15) 1. Dark Is the Night
( 3:27) 2. To Be Loved
( 4:29) 3. Streetwalkin'
( 3:58) 4. All Around the World Tonight
( 3:46) 5. Chi Chi Castenengo
( 5:03) 6. A Million Voices
( 5:24) 7. Day by Day
( 4:33) 8. Takin' off
(10:35) 9. Night Birds
( 4:34) 10. Down on the Street
( 3:43) 11. Beautiful Day
( 3:08) 12. Bitch to the Boys
( 3:46) 13. City Rhythm
( 3:38) 14. Down on the Street
( 3:27) 15. Light on My Life
( 3:44) 16. Lonely Afternoon
( 3:16) 17. On Nights Like Tonight
( 4:00) 18. Steveland

British crossover jazz, funk, and pop outfit Shakatak are a sophisticated ensemble who have enjoyed a long career. With a sound steeped in contemporary jazz and R&B, they found success with both instrumental albums and pop vocal productions. Formed in London in 1980, Shakatak originally featured keyboardists Bill Sharpe and Nigel Wright, guitarist Keith Winter, bassist Steve Underwood, and drummer Roger Odell. The group quickly scored an underground hit with its debut single "Steppin'." The following year, they cracked the British Top 50 with the singles "Livin' in the UK" and "Brazilian Dawn," both of which were included on their debut album, Drivin' Hard. With their 1982 follow-up Nightbirds, Shakatak (which replaced Underwood with bassist George Anderson) scored their first Top 20 hit with "Easier Said Than Done"; the disc's title track rocketed into the Top Ten. The album also introduced singer Jill Saward, who quickly emerged as the group's lead vocalist, showcased on 1984's Down on the Street and its accompanying hit single "Watching You." After a 1985 live album, the band returned to studio work on Day by Day: City Rhythm, which included the title track single featuring Al Jarreau.

A series of largely instrumental albums including Into the Blue, Golden Wings, Da Makani, and Niteflite were then issued exclusively in Japan, where Shakatak enjoyed immense popularity. In the meanwhile, 1988's Manic and Cool was released internationally, highlighted by the singles "Mr. Manic and Sister Cool" and "Something Special." After 1992's Open Your Eyes topped Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart, the band supported 1993's Street Level with a tour of South Africa, while the following year's Full Circle expanded into hip-hop beats. In 1997, Shakatak by then consisting of Sharpe, Odell, Saward, and Anderson resurfaced with Let the Piano Play, followed by View from the City in 1999. Along with a busy live concert schedule, Shakatak stayed busy over the next decade, delivering a handful of well-received albums including 2002's Under Your Spell, 2003's Blue Savannah, and 2009's Afterglow. In 2010, they celebrated their 30th anniversary and marked the occasion a year later with the release of Across the World. On the Corner appeared in 2014, followed by Times and Places in 2016.~Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/shakatak-mn0000791326/biography

Live in Lockdown

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John Di Martino Romantic Jazz Trio - Lisztomania: Liszt Jazz

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:09
Size: 145,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:11) 1. The Nobleman's Journey (Hungarian Rhapsody No.1)
(4:40) 2. Lost Love (Hungarian Rhapsody No.5)
(3:59) 3. Gypsy Fire Song (Hungarian Rhapsody No.13)
(4:27) 4. Dawn of a New Day (Funeral {Intro Theme})
(5:43) 5. Sugar Baby (Dreams of Love)
(5:15) 6. Forest Spirits (Forest Murmur)
(4:16) 7. Farewell Minuet (Funeral {Main Theme})
(3:47) 8. Goulash Blues (Hungarian Rhapsody No.3)
(4:39) 9. Soft Kisses at Midnight (Hungarian Rhapsody No.9)
(4:08) 10. Sea Goddess (La Campanella)
(5:04) 11. Once Before Goodbye (Consolation No.3)
(6:00) 12. Don't Ask Twice! (Hungarian Rhapsody No.4)
(5:05) 13. An Afternoon in Budapest (Hungarian Rhapsody No.2)
(1:48) 14. Carnival of Flowers (Hungarian Rhapsody No.9, 2nd Theme)

John di Martino is a composer, arranger, jazz pianist, producer and educator, based in New York City. He is described as a “shape-shifter”, for his creativity across musical genres. John composed the music for the documentary series: “A Glimpse Of Paradise” ( Prospera Medienproduktion ) aired on Europe’s Arte Channel, and music for the video games: ”Batman: The Telltale Series” Mr. Di Martino latest CD’s are: “Passion Flower” ( the music of Billy Strayhorn ), Featuring Raul Midon, Eric Alexander, Boris Kozlov,and Lewis Nash, and: “Mazel” ( Yiddish Songs, re-imagined ), with Janis Siegel and Cantor Daniel Krammer. https://mazelthealbum.com/

John has recorded numerous CDs on the High Note and Venus Records (Japan) labels as a leader, and with Freddy Cole, Gloria Lynn, Houston Person, and Nicki Parrott. John’s discography includes Grammy-nominated CD’S: ”Love” ( Issac Delgado ), ”Freddy Cole Sings Mr. B” and ”Live And In Clave” ( Bobby Sanabria ). John di Martino was a long time member of Ray Barretto's “New World Spirit”, He is a featured arranger and pianist on many of Ray Barretto's recordings including the grammy-nominated, CD: ”Contact” and ”Portraits In Jazz And Clave ” ( featuring James Moody, Kenny Burrell, Joe Lovano, Steve Turre, and Eddie Gomez ). Born in Philadelphia, Pa in 1959, John studied with Jimmy Amadie, Lennie Tristano, and Don Sebesky. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/john-di-martino

Personnel: Piano – John Di Martino; Acoustic Bass – Ed Haward; Drums – Alvin Atkinson

Lisztomania: Liszt Jazz

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Rhoda Scott Lady Quartet - We Free Queens

Size: 102,5 MB
Time: 42:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz, Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. We Free Queens (Feat. Geraldine Laurent & Anne Paceo) (5:45)
02. I Wanna Move (Feat. Geraldine Laurent & Anne Paceo) (4:20)
03. Que Reste-t-il De Nos Amours (5:01)
04. One By One (Feat. Julien Alour) (5:06)
05. Rhoda's Delight (Feat. Geraldine Laurent) (4:25)
06. Valse A Charlotte (5:43)
07. Joke (Feat. Anne Paceo) (7:31)
08. What I'd Say (Feat. Geraldine Laurent & Julien Alour) (4:54)

Rhoda Scott (b. July 3, 1938, Dorothy, New Jersey) is an African-American hard bop and soul jazz organist.

The daughter of an AME minister, Scott spent much of her childhood in New Jersey, where she learned to play organ in the churches where her father served. Soon she herself was serving frequently as organist for youth and gospel choirs at her father's and other churches. Scott later studied classical piano, but she concentrated on the organ, eventually earning a Masters' degree in music theory from the Manhattan School of Music.

By this time she had been asked by a choir member to fill in with a small band as a jazz pianist. Enjoying the music, she agreed to stay on with the band on condition that she be allowed to play organ instead of piano. Choosing as her instrument the Hammond organ, she soon became a preeminent jazz musician and is considered by many to be the top female jazz organist.

Scott was first attracted to the organ in her father’s church at age seven. "It's really the most beautiful instrument in the world," she stated in a recent interview. "The first thing I did was take my shoes off and work the pedals." From then on she always played her church organ in her bare feet, and to this date she has continued the practice, earning her nicknames such as "The Barefoot Lady" and "The Barefoot Contessa".

In 1967 Scott moved to France, where she has since spent most of her career and earned recognition far greater than that accorded to her in the United States, though she often performs in the latter country as well.

She has many famous standards in her repertoire, like In the Mood, Theme from New York, New York, Summertime, Mack the Knife, Take Five, Hit the Road Jack, Greensleeves, Tico-Tico no Fubá, Let it Snow, and Delilah. In May 2011 in a context of Versailles Jazz Festival she gave a significant performance together with a classical organist Francis Vidil, combining sonic palettes of classical organs with jazz and Hammond organs.

We Free Queens

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Sarah Vaughan - In The City Of Lights (Disc 1), (Disc 2)

Album: In The City Of Lights (Disc 1)
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:42
Size: 126,0 MB
Art: Front

(8:23) 1. Hi-Fly
(2:36) 2. Summetime
(2:31) 3. Just Friends
(8:22) 4. Wave
(1:58) 5. On A Clear Day
(6:22) 6. If You Could See Me Now
(3:30) 7. I've Got The World On A String
(3:35) 8. Fascinatin' Rhythm
(9:40) 9. But Not For Me/Our Love Is Here To Stay/Embraceable You/Someon
(1:32) 10. There Will Never Be Another You
(6:08) 11. Misty

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Album: In The City Of Lights (Disc 2)
Time: 36:39
Size: 84,4 MB

(8:31) 1. My Funny Valentine
(3:33) 2. From This Moment On
(6:13) 3. Send In The Clowns
(4:15) 4. Sassy's Blues
(3:49) 5. Tenderly
(6:06) 6. Scat Chase (Sassy's Blues)
(4:09) 7. Once In A While

Probably more than any of her contemporaries with whom she is most often compared, Sarah Vaughan's voice not only survived the vicissitudes of years of performing, but matured remarkably well. Her performance at this concert assured all that she could still go from bluesy growls through crystal clarity to sounding cute at the higher range. The Paris concert turned out to be a love fest between Vaughan and her audience. Starting off with a lengthy warmup by the trio, featuring Frank Collett's piano on "Hi-Fly," Vaughan makes a dramatic entrance singing "Summertime" a capella, establishing the vocal framework for the remainder of the concert. Vaughan is fully aware that her voice and persona are special. She is not all reluctant to use them to milk that last droplet of applause from the audience.

All of the songs on the playbill are from Vaughan's standard repertoire. There's nothing here she hasn't done before and they are as comfortable as a favorite pair of slippers. Her poignant renditions of "Send in the Clowns" and an upbeat "Just Friends," continue to be gems in the hands of Ms Vaughan. One of the highlights of the concert is a medley of favorite Gershwin tunes, "But Not for Me," "Our Love Is Here to Stay," "Embraceable You" and "Someone to Watch Over Me." The 2,500 plus people who attended the Chetelet concert that evening would not let Vaughan leave the stage. There was encore after encore, all of which are included on this 2-CD album, released by Justin-Time Records who are due significant kudos for releasing this previously unavailable Sarah Vaughan concert.~Dave Nathan https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-the-city-of-lights-mw0000605424

Personnel: Sarah Vaughan - vocals; Frank Collett - piano; Bob Maize - double bass; Harold Jones - drums

In The City Of Lights (Disc 1),(Disc 2)

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Jacqui Naylor - Lucky Girl

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 52:55
Size: 121.2 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[2:45] 1. Lucky Girl
[4:48] 2. Nothing Could Be Better Than You
[3:42] 3. Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[3:10] 4. Since I Love You
[2:45] 5. It Was Supposed To Work Out
[3:43] 6. Only Love Can Break Your Heart
[3:00] 7. Dreamin' Prayin' Wishin'
[3:23] 8. Moon River
[4:25] 9. Sunshine And Rain
[2:51] 10. I Promise
[3:29] 11. Angel Eyes
[3:54] 12. Close The Door
[2:50] 13. You're My Favorite Person
[4:10] 14. I Can't Make You Love Me
[3:53] 15. Beautiful

Jacqui Naylor has never been afraid to keep listeners guessing. She performs straight-ahead vocal jazz so convincingly that some admirers think that she is really a jazz singer at heart; she performs folk-rock and adult alternative so convincingly that other admirers believe that she is really a singer/songwriter at heart. And Naylor doesn't become any easier to categorize on Lucky Girl, which not only contains vocal jazz and folk-rock/adult alternative performances, but also moves into soul territory at times. This 2011 release finds Naylor putting her spin on a variety of familiar songs, which range from Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff's "Close the Door" (a major solo hit for the late Teddy Pendergrass in 1978, which was two years after he left Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes) to Henry Mancini's "Moon River" to Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart." And Naylor still has fun with "acoustic smashing," which is her term for combining songs in unorthodox ways. For example, her interpretation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" borrows the melody of George Benson's "Breezin'"; it's not what one expects from that Tin Pan Alley standard, but Naylor makes the two songs sound like a perfectly natural combination. And she even manages to surprise us on the Matt Dennis warhorse "Angel Eyes," which is one of those great but overdone standards that has been absolutely beaten to death over the years. Naylor's unlikely version is surprisingly funky; rarely does one hear "Angel Eyes" performed with such an overt R&B influence.

The original songs (Naylor co-wrote nine of the CD's eleven tracks with pianist and longtime collaborator Art Khu) aren't any less surprising; one never knows if a Naylor/Khu original will favor straight-ahead jazz or folk-rock/adult alternative. Naylor's sense of adventure is alive and well on Lucky Girl, which is yet another creative triumph for the hard-to-categorize vocalist. ~ Alex Henderson

Recording information: San Pablo Recorders, Berkeley, CA.

Jacqui Naylor (vocals); Art Khu (guitars, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, organ); Jon Evans (lap steel guitar, percussion); Chloe Scott (flute); Josh Jones (drums, percussion).

Lucky Girl

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The Filthy Six - More Filth

Styles: Acid Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:17
Size: 138,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:53) 1. Blind Man Boogaloo
(5:13) 2. Mr Morris
(3:38) 3. Watch What You're Doin' To Me
(7:23) 4. Supernova
(4:44) 5. Polaroid
(6:25) 6. Yes, Oui, Si
(4:38) 7. The Scamp
(3:35) 8. Watch What You're Doin' To Me (ft Brendan Reilly)
(6:26) 9. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (ft Brendan Reilly)
(5:03) 10. Iguana Strut
(8:15) 11. Dear John

The Filthy Six are one of the most exciting, authentic Soul Jazz outfits in the UK today and have established themselves as one of the most electric live acts on the scene. Their soaring horns, blistering guitar and gut-wrenching Hammond are fuelled by one of the hardest grooving rhythm sections around, producing a hip-shakingly powerful mixture of jazz, funk and boogaloo totally in keeping with the finest traditions of the Blue Note sound. Led by trumpeter Nick Etwell (Tom Jones, Mavis Staples, Foo Fighters) this crack unit of erudite musical gunslingers have worked with some of the biggest names in music including Amy Winehouse, Beck, David Axelrod, Mark Ronson, Jill Scott, Jack White, Dionne Warwick, Mumford & Sons, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Ronnie Spector, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Antibalas, Spiritualized and the Atomic Bomb Band to name but a few.

These instrumental groove merchants fuse boundless energy and incredible musicianship to create tight, funky music that moves the mind, body and soul whilst simultaneously tearing the roof off every venue they play. March 2016 saw the release of their third studio album More Filth on the legendary Acid Jazz label, with the band taking the album out on the road for short tours in the UK and the US. Receiving airplay on BBC 6Music (Huey Morgan, Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show), BBC Radio London and Jazz FM, the album is undoubtedly their filthiest yet, jam packed full of Soul Jazz workouts and heavy funk grooves scientifically engineered to have you moving and grooving so hard you’ll burn holes in not 1 but 2 pairs of boots and a large chunk of that dance floor too. Bad. Ass. https://bandonthewall.org/artist/the-filthy-six/

More Filth

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Monty Alexander - Never Let Me Go: Chesky's Best of Monty Alexander

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:37
Size: 155,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:40) 1. The Way You Look Tonight
(4:45) 2. Three Little Birds
(4:56) 3. Ramblin' Rose
(6:04) 4. Put On a Happy Face
(7:32) 5. When The Saints Go Marching In
(4:56) 6. Again
(5:06) 7. The Good Life
(7:45) 8. Never Let Me Go
(7:09) 9. Smile
(4:38) 10. Mango Walk
(5:25) 11. Almost Like Being In Love
(2:38) 12. Sweet Georgia Brown

Monty Alexander's virtuosity was apparent from an early age, learning to play by ear at 4. 70 years on, Alexander's talents have continued to grow and evolve, resulting in three of the most inspiring recordings in the Chesky catalog - The Good Life: The Music of Tony Bennett, Calypso Blues: The Music of Nat King Cole, and Caribbean Circle. Never Let Me Go: Chesky's Best of Monty Alexander serves as an auditory tour of some of Monty's finest moments on Chesky Records. If you're new to Monty's material, prepare for excellence in its purest form.

"It has been a pleasure to have worked with one of the greatest Jazz musicians of all time Mr. Monty Alexander. He redefines the art of swing with his joyous touch. We have picked out some of our favorites tracks from the albums we did with him. "~David & Norman Cheskyhttps://montya.bandcamp.com/album/never-let-me-go-cheskys-best-of-monty-alexander

Never Let Me Go: Chesky's Best of Monty Alexander

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Miles Davis - Merci Miles! (Live At Vienne)

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 80:15
Size: 184,5 MB
Art: Front

(15:58) 1. Hannibal
(18:10) 2. Human Nature
(10:16) 3. Time After Time
( 9:01) 4. Penetration
( 8:35) 5. Wrinkle
( 6:08) 6. Amandla
( 5:55) 7. Jailbait
( 6:08) 8. Finale (Band Only)

So great was Miles Davis' legend, so magnetic his aura, that the crowds and the adulation only increased towards the end of his lifea period when he was playing arguably the least progressive music of his career. This double-CD recording of a concert at the Jazz à Vienne Festival from 1991 is a case in point. Ten thousand people packed into the Roman amphitheatre that July evening, while another two-and-a-half thousand who had turned up without tickets were shepherded onto the terrace above the amphitheatre. The multitude shows tremendous warmth and appreciation towards Davis and his band throughout a performance which only occasionally scales the heights.

This audio is taken from concert footage shot by independent production company, Zycopolis Productions, a film which has never been released in its entirety. Nor is it clear if this CD recording represents the full concert, with Scritti Politti's "Perfect Way," and the extended blues title track from Davis' underrated Star People (Columbia, 1983) that began every other Davis concert that summer, not included in this set. Watch this space for the not improbable Merci Encore Miles! The Complete Live at Vienne CD/DVD box set, at some future date.

The sound quality, it has to be said, is a little patchy. Keyboardist Deron Johnson is often extremely faint, except when soloing, which he does with some panache. Then there is Foley a fixture of Davis' live bands between '87 and '91 whose "piccolo" bass, tuned an octave higher, is practically inaudible throughout. By contrast, electric bassist Richard Patterson's churning funk lines are a little too heavy in the mix at times. This sonic imbalance is particularly notable on the dynamic, fifteen-minute opener "Hannibal," which sparks into life when alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett unleashes a searing solo. Johnson picks up the reins in a measured, bluesy response, with Davis' sculpted phrasing supplying contrast of a more minimalist nature. Davis, who plays muted trumpet for most of the concert, is a largely peripheral presence, content to listen as he always did intently and to direct the band.

Davis sounds the key motifs and riffs back and forth with Garrett and the ghostly sounding Foley, but he leaves the heavy lifting to his band. His only extended solo of note, on "Human Nature," however, is a fine one, imbued as it is with a spare yet haunting lyricism that would not have seemed out of place on In A Silent Way (Columbia, 1969). In the CD-booklet essay Ashley Kahn observes that you could take a Davis solo from '49 or '91 and "it's the same material, the same feeling, the same Miles" and he has a point. Davis may have lacked puff in the twilight of his career trumpeter Wallace Roney carried the load on Davis' famous revisiting of his orchestral music from the Gil Evans years at the Montreux Jazz Festival, just a week after this Vienne concert but his signature sound during this eighty-minute recording remains intact, albeit a little thinner.. On Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" Davis' playing is relaxed, his delivery tender, though when he removes the mute his tone is warmer and more assured. Prince's "Penetration" is a funk-fuelled vehicle for Johnson and Garrett, with Patterson and drummer Ricky Wellman maintaining an unwavering groove.

The second disc which weighs in at just twenty-five minutes duration kicks off with "Wrinkle," with Davis, sans mute, at his most animated. What begins as a fairly generic funk exercise suddenly shifts up a gear into double-time terrain, with Davis and Garrett locked in bebop unison to the delight of the crowd. "Amandla" flits between mid- tempo funk with a striking solo from Johnson and bluesy balladry, with Davis reunited with his mute. The trumpeter's phrasing brooding, melancholy and quite gorgeous evokes the atmosphere of Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (Fontana, 1958), the soundtrack Davis composed for French director Louis Malle's acclaimed film noir. Another Prince-penned tune, the blues-funk "Jailbait" is little more than a slow groove over which Johnson on Hammond-esque organ and Garrett take turns to stretch out. "Finale" concludes the set with a six-minute drum feature for the hard-working Wellman. On one level it is something of an anti-climax and seems like an odd way to sign off, but then Davis always loved his drummers.

There is plenty of energy coming from both the stage and the audience in what was clearly a significant occasion for those in attendance. Beautifully packaged, this triple gatefold is handsomely adorned on the interior with the colors of the French tricolour -an acknowledgement of Davis' enduring fondness for France. Whilst perhaps not essential listening, Merci Miles!: Live at Vienne certainly has its moments. And it is an important historical document, marking as it does the most complete recording from Davis' final tour, at time of writing.

Personnel: Miles Davis: trumpet; Kenny Garrett: saxophone, alto; Deron Johnson: keyboards; Foley: guitar; Richard Patterson: bass, electric; Ricky Wellman: drums.

Merci Miles! (Live At Vienne)

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Sarah Vaughan - Live In Tokyo Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Live In Tokyo, Japan Disc 1
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:39
Size: 132,3 MB
Art: Front

(1:50) 1. A Foggy Day
(5:26) 2. Poor Butterfly
(1:46) 3. The Lamp Is Low
(5:40) 4. 'Round Midnight
(4:35) 5. Willow Weep For Me
(1:37) 6. There Will Never Be Another You
(3:23) 7. Misty
(7:20) 8. Wave
(2:38) 9. Like Someone In Love
(5:56) 10. My Funny Valentine
(2:21) 11. All Of Me
(5:12) 12. Love Story
(7:23) 13. Over The Rainbow
(2:26) 14. I Could Write A Book

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Album: Live In Tokyo, Japan Disc 2
Time: 56:22
Size: 129,3 MB

(6:59) 1. The Nearness Of You
(3:32) 2. I'll Remember April
(3:04) 3. Watch What Happens
(1:33) 4. I Cried For You
(4:01) 5. Summertime
(7:31) 6. The Blues
(5:09) 7. I Remember You
(4:03) 8. There Is No Greater Love
(6:10) 9. Rainy Days And Mondays
(3:08) 10. On A Clear Day
(6:34) 11. Bye Bye Blackbird
(1:05) 12. Tonight
(3:28) 13. Tenderly

Sarah Vaughan ( vocals ) Carl Schroeder ( pno ) John Gianelli ( bass ) Jimmy Cobb ( drs )

Unlike many singers Sarah Vaughan’s voice did not deteriorate with age but became more burnished and she never lost her vocal range. Throughout her career she worked and recorded with all types of ensembles from trios through medium sized bands to large orchestras with and without strings. Some of her best work was with piano trios where she had more flexibility to improvise but she appeared to be relaxed with any size of group. Some of the material she was given to record was not of the highest quality but she rose above the dross “and her skill and vocal abilities made the most of it. These two CDs contain a complete concert recorded whilst she was on tour in Japan during 1973. Like many singers she had a more or less set programme for her live performances which usually contained many of her popular recordings.

As this was Sarah’s regular backing trio at the time she sounds very much at ease which contributes to a stellar performance which is obviously adds to the delight of the Japanese audience. The album opens with a fast paced “A Foggy Day” which sets the pace for a programme of Sarah Vaughan most popular repertoire, the programme fluctuates between up tempo numbers and Sarah‘s caressing of ballads. After a longish introduction to “Willow Weep For Me” for not having sung it for some time she proceeds to scat and talk her way through the song adding her own alternative lyrics which is great fun. Jobim’s “Wave” is given a classic performance with Sarah wringing out the full emotion in the lyrics and given sympathetic backing by the trio.

Sarah’s interpretation of “Over The Rainbow” is a lesson for any budding singer of how to approach a song which has had so much exposure and give it new life, simply breath taking. For the opening track on CD Two Sarah takes over the piano chair to accompany herself on “The Nearness Of You” and shows she has lost none of skills at the instrument. “Watch What Happens” fits Sarah like a glove and sounds like it was written sceptically for her and it’s one of the finest tracks on the album. Sarah tries her hand at a more contemporary song with Paul Williams’ “Rainy Days and Mondays” which works a treat and does not feel like she is uncomfortable with the material. She chooses just the right approach to “Tenderly” by not giving it an over emotional treatment like many singers often do. The album closes on just the right note with Michel Legrand’s “The Summer Knows” with a heart felt rendition. Next to attending a live concert by Sarah this is the next best thing and is highly recommended.~Roy Booth https://www.jazzviews.net/sarah-vaughan---live-in-tokyo.html

Live In Tokyo,Japan Disc 1, Disc 2

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The George Masso Sextet - A Swinging Case Of Masso-Ism

Styles: Trombone Jazz, Swing
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:38
Size: 142,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:21) 1. So Danco Samba
(6:00) 2. I'm Glad There Is You
(6:41) 3. A Fine Romance
(6:03) 4. For You, For Me Forevermore
(5:45) 5. It All Depends On You
(4:29) 6. I See Your Face Before Me
(6:16) 7. A Swinging Case Of Masso-Ism
(5:19) 8. Them There Eyes
(4:15) 9. I've Gotta Be On My Way
(3:59) 10. Just Friends
(5:26) 11. Love Is Just Around The Corner

Trombonist George Masso's third recording as a leader and second for the now-defunct Famous Door label (none of the recordings have yet been reissued on CD) has him playing six swinging standards and his own title cut with what could have been called the Famous Door All-Stars: Glenn Zottola (who alternates between trumpet and alto), veteran tenor Al Klink, pianist John Bunch, bassist Linc Milliman, and drummer Butch Miles. Masso's warm sound is well featured on such numbers as "So Danco Samba," "For You, For Me, Forevermore" and "It All Depends On You."~Scott Yano https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-swinging-case-of-masso-ism-mw0000911126

Personnel: Trombone – George Masso; Bass – Linc Milliman; Drums – Butch Miles; Piano – John Bunch; Tenor Saxophone – Al Klink; Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Alto Saxophone – Glenn Zottola

A Swinging Case Of Masso-Ism

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Cyril Stapleton And His Orchestra - Shall We Dance

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:23
Size: 69,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:00) 1. Shall We Dance
(2:59) 2. Bewitched
(2:52) 3. They Say It's Wonderful
(2:38) 4. Hey There
(2:47) 5. Stranger In Paradise
(2:07) 6. You're Just In Love
(2:14) 7. C'est Magnifique
(2:33) 8. June Is Bustin' Out All Over
(2:34) 9. I Talk To The Trees
(2:41) 10. This Nearly Was Mine
(2:50) 11. Almost Like Being In Love
(2:02) 12. People Will Say We're In Love

Cyril Stapleton was a ubiquitous figure in English pop music across three decades, initially by way of the BBC and later as an independent bandleader. Born on the last day of the year 1914 in Mapperley, Nottingham, he took to music easily and early in life, taking up the violin at age seven, and he made his first local radio appearance at age 12. He made regular appearances on the BBC as a boy, from their Birmingham studios. In his early teens which coincided with the tail-end of the silent movie era he frequently played in movie theater orchestras, playing accompaniment to silent films. He later attended Trinity College of Music in London on a scholarship, and during this time he auditioned for and won a spot in a new dance band being formed by leader Henry Hall under the auspices of the BBC. In addition to broadcasts, Stapleton played on several of Hall's recordings for EMI's Columbia label. Stapleton eventually lost the spot, however, owing to his youth, and returned to Nottingham. He then had ambitions as a bandleader himself, however, and formed his own group, which got work locally in theaters.

He subsequently toured South Africa with Jack Payne's orchestra, and played on records by Payne's group. In the second half of the '30s, Stapleton's band moved to London, and by March of 1939 they'd made their BBC debut. He still occasionally worked in other bands, including the Jack Hylton Orchestra, however, and the outbreak of the Second World War late in 1939 forced Stapleton to abandon his career he served in the Royal Air Force for the duration. Although he was initially an air gunner, he was eventually able to put his musical abilities to work organizing entertainment, and by the end of the war he'd become a member of the RAF Symphony Orchestra. Stapleton continued working in his field after leaving the RAF, and in the period immediately after the war he played with the London Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the newly founded Philharmonia Orchestra. He soon wearied of the limited repertory in the classical field, and re-formed his own band in 1947. In short order he was also back on the BBC, and one of the singers he featured in those broadcasts was Dick James, the future music publisher, immortalized by his signing of members of the Beatles as songwriters in 1962.

In 1952, Stapleton was appointed leader the BBC Show Band, the radio service's most prestigious performing unit for popular music, with its biggest audience in addition to featuring top homegrown talent, only the biggest visiting American singers including Frank Sinatra appeared with this orchestra. Stapleton became a ubiquitous presence in English entertainment and popular culture across the mid-'50s his mere selection of a song could make or break it, and like Sinatra (and, later, Elvis Presley) among singers in America, Stapleton as a bandleader was given first refusal on new tunes by profit-minded publishers. He was also able to make the leap to the big-screen by way of the widescreen feature Just for You (1955). By that time, the orchestra had become so successful that several members, including Bill McGuffie and Tommy Whittle, had started their own separate careers as bandleaders in their own right, and the band had introduced one huge star, Matt Monro, to his first national exposure.~Bruce Ederhttps://www.allmusic.com/artist/cyril-stapleton-mn0000148919/biography

Shall We Dance

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Pat Martino - Nexus (Recorded Live at Tin Angel, Philadelphia, PA)

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:15
Size: 127,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:36)  1. Recollection
(4:39)  2. Tenetree
(7:10)  3. Sun on My Hands
(7:55)  4. The Phineas Trane
(5:03)  5. Country Road
(8:27)  6. Interchange
(9:27)  7. Oleo
(4:54)  8. Naima

This CD is not only a fine addition to the Pat Martino catalogue, it is also of historical importance with respect to his personal and musical development. Recorded at the well-known eclectic nightclub the Tin Angel in Philadelphia in the mid-nineties (the exact date is not given and probably unknown), it is a duet set (or selections from multiple sets) featuring Martino with pianist Jim Ridl, a giant creative force in his own right, who for about ten years worked with Martino as a duet and in the latter's groups. Following drastic surgery for a brain aneurysm in 1980, Martino lost much of his memory, and after a long period of recovery, began performing again in the late eighties. Still struggling to regain his prior form, he heard Ridl at a local club, which re-kindled his enthusiasm and discipline. He brought Ridl into his inner circle of musicians, greatly facilitating his remarkable comeback. Thus, Ridl was more than a sideman for Martino. He was a soul mate and inspiration for restoring the guitarist's confidence and career. This recording documents their profound musical connection and shows two musicians in close interaction whose playing is constantly fueled by the similarities and differences between them. The album features compositions by Martino and Ridl, one by pianist Harold Mabern, who worked with and influenced Martino, and one by Sonny Rollins. In these tracks, we find Martino more relaxed than in other settings, and therefore we can strongly sense the introspective qualities he acquired from Les Paul and Wes Montgomery. At the same time, his driving force powers the music and is pushed up a notch by Ridl's relentless on-the-beat chord clusters, a country music inflection that is unusual for a Martino cohort yet works superbly for him. The heartfelt empathic exchanges between the two can be heard throughout, giving the album a special emotional effect. This is one of those unique recordings that is stamped with time, place, and situation. 

The first track, "Recollection," is a Martino classic imbued with soul and drive. Martino takes the lead but gives Ridl openings to infuse his own vocabulary, but Ridl's main intent is to give Martino a steady backdrop to weave around. Then, "Tenetree" is a Ridl song with a country lilt, and Martino adapts well to the genre. Like "Tenetree," "Sun on My Hands" would later appear on Ridl's CD Door in a Field (Dreambox Media, 2003), an autobiographical album in which Ridl developed musical themes from his family life growing up in North Dakota. The track is like a "door in a field" of musical expression and rapport. Ridl and Martino engage in a heartfelt musical conversation, with Martino relaxed and expressive, showing the Les Paul influence. Martino would later include the song in an entirely different arrangement and context, his groundbreaking CD, Think Tank (Blue Note, 2003). Mabern's tune, "The Phineas Trane" is a driving, pulsating Trane ride with staccato comping by Ridl that provides an unrelenting pulse. Mabern dedicated the tune to his piano hero, Phineas Newborn, Jr. and of course to John Coltrane. Again, it reappeared on the Think Tank recording. "Country Road" is a rarely heard Martino original ballad that evokes an afternoon stroll in the countryside. Martino's slurring technique is almost zither-like at times, perhaps a nod to Ridl's country and western influence. "Interchange" is a Martino tune that again shows the Montgomery influence. It was the title tune of a CD, Interchange (Muse, 1994) released around the same time as the performances at the Tin Angel, but with Marc Johnson on bass and Sherman Ferguson on drums. Martino is one of the best interpreters of Sonny Rollins, whose music played a central role in his initiation into bebop and hard bop. In "Oleo," the duo engages in numerous variations that sustain the buttery rhythm and off-center bebop accents. It's fast food fun. The album concludes with Coltrane's song for his first wife, "Naima," done as it should be, instrospectively, with linear passages by Martino and Ridl's use of modernist chord changes that nuance the emotions of the piece. In sum, Nexus is a "collectors item" album recorded in an intimate setting where you can really hear the personalities of two musicians with unique styles in interaction. It pulls your heartstrings in ways that you feel with your best friends. In this day and age when so much around us is "marketable," shiny, and surface-y, it's a welcome gift. ~ Victor L. Schermer https://www.allaboutjazz.com/nexus-pat-martino-highnote-records-review-by-victor-l-schermer.php

Personnel: Pat Martino: guitar; Jim Ridl: keyboard.

Nexus (Recorded Live at Tin Angel, Philadelphia, PA)

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Quincy Jones - Back On The Block

Styles: R&B, Crossover Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:55
Size: 134,8 MB
Art: Front

(1:04) 1. Prologue (Q's Rap)
(6:34) 2. Back On The Block
(5:11) 3. I Don't Go For That
(4:54) 4. I'll Be Good To You
(0:31) 5. The Verb To Be
(3:31) 6. Wee B. Dooinit
(6:28) 7. The Places You Find Love
(2:53) 8. Jazz Corner Of The World
(5:34) 9. Birdland
(5:04) 10. Setembro (Brazilian Wedding Song)
(3:44) 11. One Man Woman
(4:46) 12. Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)
(0:54) 13. Prelude To The Garden
(6:40) 14. The Secret Garden

Back on the Block is a 1989 studio album produced by Quincy Jones. The album features legendary musicians and singers from across three generations, including Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Dionne Warwick, Barry White, Chaka Khan, Take 6, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, Al B. Sure!, James Ingram, El DeBarge, Ray Charles and a 12-year-old Tevin Campbell.

Multiple singles were lifted from the album and found success on Pop and R&B radio, including "I'll Be Good to You", "I Don't Go for That", "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)", and "Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)" which was originally an instrumental track on the Brothers Johnson's Look Out for #1 set. "Tomorrow" is also noteworthy for introducing a young Tevin Campbell to the music scene. Back on the Block won the 1991 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Jones' track, "Setembro (of brazilian composers Gilson Peranzzetta and Ivan Lins)" was featured on the soundtrack of the 1991 film, Boyz n the Hood. Back on the Block topped the R&B Albums chart at number-one for twelve weeks, and topped the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart as well.

Back on the Block featured the last studio recordings of jazz singers Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. Fitzgerald and Jones had previously worked together on her 1963 album with Count Basie, Ella and Basie!. Jones had produced three albums with Sarah Vaughan when they both worked for Mercury Records. At the 33rd Grammy Awards, Back on the Block won seven Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

In arranging, Jerry Hey, Quincy Jones, Ian Prince and Rod Temperton won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for "Birdland", and Glen Ballard, Hey, Jones and Clif Magness won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) for "The Places You Find Love". Jones also won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance for "Birdland", and the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. Bruce Swedien won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for his work on the album. Ray Charles and Chaka Khan won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "I'll Be Good To You". The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group went to Big Daddy Kane, Ice-T, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel, Quincy Jones III and Jones for "Back on the Block".https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_on_the_Block

Personnel includes: Quincy Jones (vocals, keyboards, programming); Bobby McFerrin (vocals, bass, percussion); Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Chaka Khan, Dionne Warrick, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Barry White, Take 6, Tevin Campell, James Ingram, El DeBarge, Al B. Sure! (vocals); Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel (rap vocals); James Moody, Gerald Albright (alto saxophone); Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis (trumpet); Herbie Hancock, George Duke (keyboards); George Benson, Steve Lukather, Paul Jackson, Jr., (guitar); Nathan East (bass); Harvey Mason (drums); Steve Porcaro, Josef Zawinul, Rod Temperton (programming); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion).

Back On The Block

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Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - The Big Beat

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:13
Size: 115,2 MB
Art: Front

(9:39) 1. The Chess Players
(6:09) 2. Sakeena's Vision
(6:07) 3. Politely
(8:50) 4. Dat Dere
(6:29) 5. Lester Left Town
(6:41) 6. It's Only A Paper Moon
(6:15) 7. It's Only A Paper Moon (Alternate Take)

Perhaps the best known and most loved of Art Blakey's works, The Big Beat is a testament to the creative progress of one of the best jazz drummers of all time. Now over 40 years old, The Big Beat is as thunderous as ever. Here, Blakey combines his rhythm with tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter's brilliant composing to make what could only be termed a "structurally raw" album. Each track rips through bebop as quickly as Blakey ripped through drum heads. "Dat Dere" and "Lester Left Town" stand out as part of the true canons for hot jazz. Two alternate versions of "It's Only a Paper Moon" round out the album, both brimming with the fluid integrity of the song and the drive only Blakey could provide. As one of the few drummers to step out and lead, not just play backup, Blakey created a true jazz treasure in The Big Beat.~ Christopher Fielderhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/the-big-beat-mw0000191549

Personnel: Art Blakey — drums; Lee Morgan — trumpet, flugelhorn; Wayne Shorter — tenor saxophone; Bobby Timmons — piano; Jymie Merritt — bass

The Big Beat

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Roger Kellaway - Live at the Jazz Standard Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Live at the Jazz Standard Disc 1
Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:57
Size: 142,0 MB
Art: Front

( 6:44) 1. Cottontail
(10:16) 2. C jam blues
( 8:40) 3. Someday my prince will come
( 6:04) 4. All my life
( 8:36) 5. Im beginning to see the light
( 8:31) 6. Take5
( 6:34) 7. The nearness of you
( 6:32) 8. Doxy

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Album: Live at the Jazz Standard Disc 2
Time: 55:18
Size: 126,7 MB

(10:01) 1. Tumblin tumbleweeds
(14:54) 2. Cherry
( 8:51) 3. You dont know what love is
(15:12) 4. Freddie freeloader
( 6:20) 5. 52Nd street theme

Pianist and composer Roger Kellaway exists in that critical interface between little-known but respected session musician and known but unjustly little-recognized master. His recent recordings for IPO Heroes (2007) and I Was There: Roger Kellaway Plays from the Bobby Darin Songbook (2005) were very well received and revealed a professional, journeyman persistence. Kellaway is a national treasure who is omniscient in the field of jazz. Though not one to perform in public, Kellaway did play several nights at New York City's Jazz Standard which resulted in Roger Kellaway Live at the Jazz Standard.

Kellaway came to this recording with an agenda: the formation of a drummer-less band approximating Nat King Cole's piano, bass, guitar trios of the 1960s. Kellaway accomplishes this with guitarist Russell Malone and bassist Jay Leonhart, both veterans of the New York City jazz scene. Add vibraphonist Stefon Harris to the mix and the core trio becomes a facile swinging quartet. Cellist Borislav Strulev also shows up with a spotlight on the sole Kellaway composition of the set, the elegiac "All My Life." The overall sound is a sepia-toned 1950s and '60s period piece, right down to almost humid analogue sonics. Kellaway's repertoire reflects his aspirations for his band: heavy on Ellington and small combo bop.

The opening disc clocks no less than three Ellington compositions; sprite takes on "Cottontail" and "C Jam Blues," and a churchy "I'm Beginning to See The Light." Kellaway and Harris weave their respective melodies around one another, one starting a phrase with the other finishing. This is most provocative when applied to the song heads, particularly on Paul Desmond's "Take Five." With this jazz standard, there are certain expectations before hearing the arranged spin Kellaway has in store for it. Kellaway and Harris trade sections of the famous opening, leaving the piece slightly off-kilter, but in a pleasant, inventive way.

Kellaway retires his ballad jones with "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "The Nearness of You." Of bebop note is the searing "Doxy" that closes the first disc. The second disc opens with sheer genius. Kellaway arranges the 1930s Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers' "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." All of the band members have a healthy workout on this piece, Kellaway steering through country and western, roadhouse, and parlor music territories as Malone is particularly effective in his solo and accompanying guitar. The disc highlight is a lengthy treatment of Miles Davis' "Freddie Freeloader." Kellaway effectively draws a century of jazz piano through the modal prism of this abstract blues piece, offering the most compelling interpretation in recent memory. Much of the same can be said for the craggy Monk standard, "52nd Street Theme," which is presented in all of its bop glory. Any Roger Kellaway release deserves a certain respect, but Roger Kellaway Live at the Jazz Standard is a cut above his best. It has a vintage sound with vintage music.~C.Michael Baileyhttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-the-jazz-standard-roger-kellaway-ipo-recordings-review-by-c-michael-bailey

Personnel: Roger Kellaway: piano; Russell Malone: guitar; Stefon Harris: vibes; Jay Leonhart: bass; Borislav Strulev: cello.

Live at the Jazz Standard Disc 1, Disc 2

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Ella Fitzgerald - Live At The Concertgebouw 1961

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:38
Size: 132,6 MB
Art: Front

(1:14) 1. Introduction by Norman Granz
(9:06) 2. Won't You Please Let Me In
(2:45) 3. Too Close For Comfort
(2:21) 4. On A Slow Boat To China
(2:49) 5. How Long Has This Been Going On
(4:05) 6. Heart And Soul
(4:05) 7. You're Driving Me Crazy
(3:40) 8. That Old Black Magic
(2:07) 9. Lover Come Back To Me
(3:36) 10. My Funny Valentine
(2:37) 11. I've Got A Crush On You
(3:18) 12. Lorelei
(4:45) 13. Mr Paganini
(4:04) 14. Mack The Knife
(7:00) 15. Saint Louis Blues

The year was 1961, the venue the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. After a memorable performance in Berlin a year earlier, Fitzgerald was once again singing to a packed concert hall. Norman Granz, serious and to the point, introduced the musicians. Lou Levy had long been accompanying Ella. The quartet took the stage with the singer herself. In her fresh, almost girlish voice and that hint of characteristic impertinence, she launched into “Too Close For Comfort”, followed by “On A Slow Boat To China”. By now the singer had the audience firmly in the palm of her hand.

The performance was quite the opposite of what took place in a recording studio. Fitzgerald settled in as if she were in her living room, welcoming each spectator like a privileged guest and each song she sang, a gracefully proffered glass of champagne. The pieces had to be kept short because she had to see that all the members of the public were served. This release has captured that performance, and has been remastered for crystal-clear sound quality. It’s the closest thing to being right there in the audience those five decades ago.~ Product descriptionhttps://www.amazon.ca/Ella-Fitzgerald-LIVE-CONCERTGEBOUW-1961/dp/B074WVCNMZ

Live At The Concertgebouw 1961

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Frank Foster - No Count

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:39
Size: 89,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:04)  1. Stop Gap
(5:14)  2. Excursion
(6:33)  3. Casa Del Marcel
(3:55)  4. Apron Strings
(8:58)  5. Alternative
(4:52)  6. Serenata

No Freddie Green either, but that's okay; the four horns carved out from the Count Basie band for this Frank Foster-led date get along just fine with drummer Kenny Clarke, bassist Eddie Jones, and guitarist Kenny Burrell. The set is a companion to Frank Wess' North, South, East...Wess, recorded by the same players at the same sessions. No Count, however, stays closer to Kansas City swing than the Wess release, which attempted, not altogether successfully, to update the sound with some nods to hard bop. Foster's charts provide for lots of interplay and counterpoint between the two trombones and two tenors. This gets around the potential for the similar ranges of the horns to bog down in tonal homogeneity. The natural, yet sophisticated, blues-based swing players spin out long, masterful lines. Trombonists Henry Coker and Bennie Powell are most effective in supporting roles. The rhythm section is what makes this date, though. The poised Clarke balances the blues feeling of the arrangements with a cool bopping, cymbal-driven pulse. Jones, too, is effective, even if he is a bit far down in the mix. Then there's Burrell, who pretty much steals the show, covering for the absent Count and Basie guitarist Freddie Green with some of the finest rhythm work to be heard anywhere. À la the Count, he also takes the occasional brief but impressive solo. ~ Jim Todd http://www.allmusic.com/album/no-count-mw0000100132

Personnel: Frank Foster (tenor saxophone); Frank Wess (tenor saxophone, flute); Bennie Powell, Henry Coker (trombone); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Eddie Jones (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).

No Count

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Sarah Vaughan - Live At The Berlin Philharmonie 1969 (Remastered)

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@128K/s
Time: 83:46
Size: 77,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:48) 1. A Lot of Livin' to Do
(3:43) 2. And I Love Him
(5:38) 3. Alfie
(2:28) 4. On a Clear Day
(5:00) 5. Passing Strangers
(6:07) 6. Misty
(2:05) 7. I Cried For You
(6:00) 8. My Funny Valentine
(2:47) 9. All Of Me
(4:49) 10. Tenderly
(5:06) 11. Fly Me To The Moon
(4:08) 12. Time After Time
(2:33) 13. The Trolley Song
(5:10) 14. By the Time I Get to Phoenix
(3:51) 15. The Sweetest Sounds
(5:01) 16. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
(2:37) 17. Day In, Day Out
(5:32) 18. What Now, My Love
(1:48) 19. I Had a Ball
(6:25) 20. Didn't We

This double disc release of Sarah Vaughan at the 1969 Berliner Jazztage combines two concerts from that day one previously televised and released on CD with another set of never before heard content on disc 2. At the end of the 1960s, Vaughan was without a record label, and while some say this is due to her falling out of favour as her voice darkened with age, others argue that it was the first time she was allowed to sing and do what she wanted. Vaughan toured a lot in these few years and played with her trio a setting which she much preferred to the big band pop stylings that were being pushed on her to record for Mercury and Roulette.

The thing about Sarah is that she not only had the musical knowledge and the harmonic understanding, but she also had the vocal technique to make her voice do pretty much anything she could imagine up in her creative mind. The more confident she became as an artist, the more we got to see this side of her. This concert at the Berlin Philharmonie is essentially the pinnacle of these elements coming together. She throws in crowd pleasing numbers like All of Me and Fly Me to the Moon, satisfies an audience request with My Funny Valentine and never forgets to include Tenderly. She’s never done it the same way twice and this is no exception.

On the Bacharach classic, Alfie, Vaughan dives into the deepest part of her range, filling every semibreve with her rich vibrato, creating phrases with so much emotional pull; from heartbreak to the warmest hug. The Sweetest Sounds has some funky hits and Vaughan’s sassy side comes to the forefront through the lyrics. Time After Time, usually done as a medium swing, is slowed right down and used as Vaughan’s playground of vocal delights, only accompanied by pianist Johnny Veith, and is met with whoops and hollers from the audience.

The trio, Veith on piano, Gus Mancuso on double bass and Eddy Pucci on drums are mostly just along for the ride on this day. They do a great job providing a blank canvas for Vaughan to paint her masterpieces. Veith’s stride-like stylings on ballads like Misty and Polkadots and Moonbeams fill the spaces and accompany her voice beautifully, and Mancuso and Pucci strap in for the up tempo numbers like I Cried for You, The Trolley Song and I Had a Ball that probably knocked even their socks off. Solos are not on the menu here but it’s not even noticeable; Vaughan’s artistry is more than enough. This album is a real treat, up there with Live at the Tivoli and Mr Kelly’s, and totally worth adding to the shelf. https://londonjazznews.com/2021/05/17/sarah-vaughan-live-at-the-berlin-philharmonie-1969/

Musicians: Sarah Vaughan, vocals; Johnny Veith, piano; Gus Mancuso, bass; Eddy Pucci, drums

Live At The Berlin Philharmonie 1969

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Terence Blanchard - Absence

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:57
Size: 155,7 MB
Art: Front

( 6:54) 1. Absence
( 6:03) 2. The Elders
( 5:37) 3. Fall
( 1:36) 4. I Dare You (Intro)
( 7:46) 5. I Dare You
( 1:32) 6. Envisioned Reflections (Intro)
( 2:35) 7. Envisioned Reflections
(10:43) 8. The Second Wave
( 5:22) 9. When It Was Now
( 7:17) 10. Dark Horse
( 7:06) 11. Diana
( 2:20) 12. More Elders

Trumpeter Terence Blanchard and the E-Collective's Absence is dedicated to saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter, who for health reasons has been obliged to retire from performing, at least temporarily. Some people celebrating their 88th birthday, as Shorter did on August 25 2021, might not welcome being the dedicatee of an album with such a title. They might consider a more appropriate choice of words to be Presence or even I'm Feeling Fine Thanks For Asking. But you never know with Shorter who is, in many respects, in a category of his own and who, one hopes, had Absence run past him in advance by his label mate. Perhaps we should be thankful Blanchard's album is not titled Mr Gone, after Shorter's high school nickname. Anyway, there it is. Absence is dedicated to Shorter for "being brilliant" and one cannot argue with that. Shorter has been shining a light as a soloist and as a composer and arranger since the late 1950s under his own name and as a featured sideperson; Art Blakey's The Jazz Messengers (1959/1964), Miles Davis' second great quintet (1965/1968) and Weather Report (1971/1985) are among the latter highlights.

Blanchard has long had a penchant for string ensembles and the plugged-in E-Collective is augmented on all but one of these twelve tracks by the Turtle Island Quartet. The addition of a neo-classical string quartet to Blanchard's digital-age quintet three of whom, including Blanchard, double on synths works well. That said, the least effective track is the strings-only "The Second Wave," a busy but inconsequential piece written and arranged by violinist David Balakrishman, which runs just shy of eleven minutes; too long, particularly so on a forty-six minute album. On the upside, Blanchard's electro-acoustic arrangement of Shorter's "Fall," first heard on Miles Davis' Nefertiti (Columbia, 1968), is so striking that one cannot help wishing Absence was mostly, if not entirely, composed of Shorter pieces (more than half the tracks here were written by Blanchard and his colleagues, and are too often borderline overblown). For among modern reimaginings of Shorter's early work, this "Fall" is up there with the Robert Glasper-led Blue Note All-Stars' treatment of "Masqualero," first heard on Davis' Sorcerer (Columbia, 1967), on the All Stars' album Our Point Of View (Blue Note, 2017), which also benefited from the presence of original cast members Herbie Hancock on keys and Shorter himself on soprano saxophone.~Chris Mayhttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/absence-terence-blanchard-featuring-the-e-collective-blue-note-records

Personnel: Terence Blanchard: trumpet; Charles Altura: guitar; Fabian Almazan: piano; David Ginyard: bass; Oscar Seaton: drums; David Balakirshnan: violin; Benjamin von Gutzeit: viola; Gabe Terraciano: violin; Malcolm Parson: cello.

Absence

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