Lena Bloch & Feathery - Rose of Lifta

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:59
Size: 142,4 MB
Art: Front

(10:20) 1. Promise of Return
( 8:09) 2. Mad Mirror
( 6:50) 3. New Home
(10:00) 4. Climbing Rose of Lifta
(10:19) 5. Old Home
( 9:24) 6. Mahmoud Darwish
( 6:55) 7. Wintry Mix

Saxophonist Lena Bloch knows something about the pain of separation from one's homeland. Born in Russia, she emigrated to Israel in 1990, then to Europe and, finally, in 2008, to the United States, setting up shop in New York City's fertile jazz ground. In 2014, Feathery, (Thirteen Note Records), the album and her quartet of that name, came into being. The group's second album, Heart Knows (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2007), cemented her distinctive horn-and-rhythm-section approach, with bassist Cameron Brown, pianist Russ Lossing and drummer Billy Mintz, a group that crafts a spacious, wide open sound full of spontaneous beauty and unpredictability four feathers dropped in a gentle breeze to sway and drift in intersecting paths of circuitous gravitation goals. Rose Of Lifta moves that sound further along.

Superior ensembles develop deep levels of telepathy, a singularity of purpose. That is evident here. It has become a cliche to say someone usually a rhythm section player, a drummer, bassist or pianist elevates the music. With Lena Bloch's Feathery, everyone participates in the four-way elevation in a series of seven compositions four by Bloch, three from pianist Lossing which makes the set sound like an interwoven suite. The influence of pianist Lennie Tristano is here, as are Middle-Eastern motifs; and, while soloing doesn't generally get a front seat, Losing and Bloch lay down some understated beauties.

Appealing and approachably complex sounds evolved in part from the influence of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, a writer from a country of multitudes of dispossessed and displaced souls. Bloch herself is no stranger to this problem, having left her own homeland for Israel, then Europe, to finally settle in the United States only to slip into a precarious status in her chosen homeland due to a fight with the buracracy of obtaining legal residency. A yearning for home (the old one and a new one) gives her music a soulfulness and honesty, pointing perhaps to a universal human need for roots, new or old, that informs Rose Of Lifta. The music has a delicacy of four-way articulation underlain by an on-the-sleeve emotional, longing-for-home honesty in creation of a distinctive quartet sound for which comparisons cannot be found. Fresh and beautiful stuff.~Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/rose-of-lifta-lena-bloch-and-feathery-fresh-sound-records

Personnel: Lena Bloch: saxophone; Russ Lossing: piano; Cameron Brown: bass; Billy Mintz: drums.

Rose of Lifta

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Luciana Souza - The Book of Longing

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:44
Size: 94,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. These Things
(3:27)  2. Daybreak
(4:34)  3. Alms
(4:57)  4. Night Song
(3:12)  5. Paris
(4:00)  6. The Book
(4:47)  7. Tonight
(4:19)  8. We Grow Accustomed to the Dark
(3:14)  9. A Life
(2:56) 10. Remember

Since releasing her Sunnyside debut, The Poems of Elizabeth Bishop and Other Songs in 2000, Brazilian vocalist and composer Luciana Souza has woven poetry into the fabric of her work. Subsequent recordings such as Neruda, Tide, and Speaking in Tongues have all employed this approach as the prime vehicle of creative expression for her as a singer and composer, and she shapes the poems as complementary means in generating human connection and meaning. The Book of Longing is titled after Leonard Cohen's collection of poems, lyrics, and drawings of the same name. Here she strips down her charts to offer a new direction in ten relatively brief songs. Souza chose guitarist Chico Pinheiro and bassist Scott Colley as her accompanists (she provides organic percussion selectively), as well as her husband and longtime producer Larry Klein to helm these sessions. The program includes four works by Cohen, and one each by Edna St. Vincent Millay, Christina Rossetti, and Emily Dickinson, alongside a trio of her own songs. Her own "These Things" offers gently syncopated rhythms and minimal textures provided by strings and whispering percussion, Souza's vocals inhabit words and the spaces between them with disciplined phrasing and concision as her musicians provide a color palette that adds depth and dimension. One cannot help but hear the trace influence of Joni Mitchell on this tune. "Daybreak" hearkens back musically to her Brazilian influences, such as Tom Jobim and Dory Caymmi, as slippery bossa is kissed by chamber jazz. Cohen's "The Book" is a vehicle for Souza's canny ability to find the stillpoint inside a lyric. As Colley's bass highlights the changes, Pinheiro's chord voicings and single-string fills add an airy backdrop to her vocal, enveloping it effortlessly. Souza travels through each syllable in the tune's lyric, imparting tenderness and tolerance amid the melancholy weight of meaning it contains. On "Night Song" (also by Cohen), her wordless vocalese introduction engages in taut yet breezy interplay with her sidemen. Their intuitive soloing is fleet and creates a net for Souza, who bridges the feelings of separation and loneliness in the lyric to the unconditional love it celebrates. Dickinson's "We Grow Accustomed to the Dark" is introduced by a rugged bassline. Along with Pinheiro's guitar, they deliver riffs suggestive of blues and rock. But when Souza begins to sing, she wraps both instrumentation and words in a jazz embrace to quietly dynamic effect. Rossetti's "Remember" is a languid elegy, and Souza allows the words to penetrate her to the marrow. Her painfully intimate delivery equates the oncoming pain of death's impossible-to-bear separation with a present in which two souls are joined in the union of heartbreak and longing. Her desire and acceptance drip like honey from her lips, arresting the moment in time. On Book of Longing, Souza displays yet again, her stark and remarkable originality in works of deceptive simplicity and elegance. The empathy and equanimity she displays with her sidemen is actually the sound of musical and emotional generosity. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-book-of-longing-mw0003184454

Personnel:  Luciana Souza - voice & percussion;  Chico Pinheiro - guitar;  Scott Colley - bass

The Book of Longing

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Dick Sisto, Fred Hersch - Duo Live

Styles: Vibraphone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:31
Size: 130,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:51)  1. Theme for Ernie
(6:18)  2. Francisca
(7:38)  3. I Think of You
(3:18)  4. The Chase
(5:09)  5. Maurice
(7:18)  6. Only Trust Your Heart
(6:56)  7. Infant Eyes
(6:47)  8. Evidence
(6:13)  9. Blue Monk

While vibist Dick Sisto has been compared to both Gary Burton and Milt Jackson, his own lyrical style manages to synthesize both without ever succumbing to imitation. Sisto began playing vibes in grade school and continued studying through college, eventually playing in groups that included future luminaries Maurice White and David Sanborn. After relocating to California in the early '70s, Sisto became involved in a number of projects, both within and outside of traditional jazz contexts, from backing Swami Kriyananda and poet Gary Snyder to participating in Thomas Buckner's Ghost Opera Company. Eventually establishing a base in the Midwest, Sisto added teaching to his resumé with a three-year stint at the Univeristy of Kentuky, followed by numerous clinics and educational concerts. All of this has coincided with international touring and recordings with, among others, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, and Barry Ries. ~ Wade Kergan https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dick-sisto-mn0000215042

Personnel:  Dick Sisto - vibraphone;  Fred Hersch - piano

Duo Live

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Steve Slagle - High Standards

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:36
Size: 104,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:50)  1. Grand St. Blues
( 8:19)  2. Peace
( 4:46)  3. Moments Notice
(10:40)  4. I Hear A Rhapsody
( 6:25)  5. I Thought About You
( 8:33)  6. Speak Low

Born 18 September 1951, Los Angeles, California, USA. Starting out playing saxophones while still very young, Slagle moved to the opposite side of the country where he studied at the Berklee College Of Music. Subsequently, and through the 70s, he worked with artists as diverse as Stevie Wonder, John Scofield and Machito. In the early years of the next decade he was with Woody Herman’s band, playing tenor saxophone, and also worked with Lionel Hampton, playing alto, and Charlie Haden, Carla Bley, Steve Kuhn, and Mingus Dynasty. At the end of the 80s he was musical director for the Ray Barretto Band. His first album as a leader was released in 1983, and during the 80s he often worked with a quartet featuring Jaco Pastorius (bass), Mike Stern (guitar) and Adam Nussbaum (drums). In the following decade Slagle recorded several sessions for SteepleChase Records, with musicians including Tim Hagans and Ryan Kisor (trumpets), Kenny Drew Jnr. (piano), Cameron Brown (bass), and Gene Jackson (drums). Slagle also co-leads a group with Dave Stryker (guitar), and works as lead altoist and chief arranger with the Mingus Big Band. A brilliant stylist, who also plays soprano saxophone and clarinet, Slagle’s work indicates his abiding interest on the transitional music that followed hard bop into free jazz, although he is at his considerable best when he underpins these latter-day forms with the essence of the blues. His striking technical mastery of his instruments is always evident but it is never used for its own sake. Although adept on all the instruments in his arsenal, Slagle is perhaps must interesting on alto, where his sinuous solo lines create a musical atmosphere that is both demanding and compelling in its intensity. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/steve-slagle-mn0000033922/biography                 

Personel:  Alto Saxophone – Steve Slagle;  Bass – Harvie Swartz;  Drums – Victor Lewis;  Guitar – Mike Stern;  Piano – Teddy Saunders

High Standards

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Seamus Blake - Solid!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:44
Size: 144,2 MB
Art: Front

(10:07) 1. Insert Witty Title
( 5:16) 2. Moving One
( 8:10) 3. Weeks On Ed
( 6:48) 4. Writer's Block
( 8:42) 5. Rules Of Etiquette
( 6:36) 6. Chasing Fanshawe
( 8:57) 7. Fresh Fruit
( 8:04) 8. Here We Go

New York based saxophonist/composer SEAMUS BLAKE is recognized as one of the finest exponents of contemporary jazz. His music is known for its sophistication, bold improvisations and “sheer swagger". John Scofield, who hired Seamus for his “Quiet Band,” called him “extraordinary, a total saxophonist.” Throughout his 24 year career, Seamus has garnered critical praise for his masterful playing, his fine compositional skills and for his facility as a leader.

Since moving to Paris in February 2018 Seamus has been invited to perform the music of his recent CD, "Superconductor" with a number of European Jazz Bands. Beginning with the Latvian Radio Jazz Band early in 2018, Seamus has performed with the Trondheim Big Band and The Sibis Alumni Big Band (Sibelius Institute , Helsinki),in September. He is scheduled to perform his music with The Tuesday Big Band (Amsterdam) on November 6/7, and The Subway Jazz Orchestra on November 14.

In 2017 Seamus assembled a new quartet, The French Connection. The band ( Seamus, Tony Tixier piano, Florent Nisse, bass, and Gautier Garrigue, drums) recorded their first CD in Paris in November, 2017 and have toured in France and Spain. The CD will be released on the Whirlwind label. Three promo videos will be available on Youtube in January. Seamus has a busy schedule in Europe in 2018. Check the Performance page for details. Superconductor is Seamus’ most ambitious project to date and was released in December 2015. The talent includes Nate Smith, Matt Garrison, Scott Kinsey, a 7 piece orchestral ensemble as well as special guest appearances by John Scofield and Gonzalo Rubalcaba. The album marks the debut of Seamus on EWI (electronic wind instrument). Seamus plays on the 2015 Grammy nominated Camino by pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba.

Seamus Blake was born December 1970 in England and raised in Vancouver, Canada. At age 21, while still a student at Boston's prestigious Berklee College, he was asked to record with legendary drummer Victor Lewis. After graduation, he moved to New York, where he rapidly established himself on the New York jazz scene. In February 2002, Seamus took first place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in Washington D. C. As the winner, he performed with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. As a leader/co-leader , Seamus has released 16 albums. He is featured as a sideman on over 70 CDs.

Seamus has played on six of of the Grammy nominated Mingus bands’ albums He continues to play and record with Bill Stewart, Kevin Hays, David Kikoski and Alex Sipiagin. Seamus is frequently featured as a guest artist. In 2010 he was guest of honor at the International Saxophone Symposium in Washington hosted by the US Navy Band. Seamus was a member of John Scofield’s Quiet Band and toured and recorded with Dave Douglas. Some of the many other artists he has worked with include Eric Reed, Ethan Iverson, Chris Cheek, and Matt Penman. https://seamusblake.com/biography

Solid!

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Myron Walden - Momentum

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:58
Size: 125,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:32) 1. Of Three Worlds
(5:05) 2. The Road Ahead
(8:12) 3. Pulse
(3:52) 4. Vision Of A Visionary
(4:08) 5. Miles
(1:39) 6. When Time Stood Still
(5:25) 7. What Goes Up Must Come Down
(6:22) 8. Longing
(1:32) 9. Like A Flower Seeking The Sun
(5:42) 10. Memories
(6:05) 11. Carnage
(1:19) 12. When Time Stood Still

Sometimes a break can be the best thing a musician can take. Not getting tired by any means, if a four-year sabbatical from recording as a leader results in as strong a comeback as reedman Myron Walden's, perhaps artists should take breaks more often. A charter member of drummer Brian Blade's Fellowship Band, Walden is back with not one, but three CDs over the next couple months. The first, Momentum, is a potent modern mainstream set that takes trumpet icon Miles Davis' legendary 1960s quintet as a touchstone, but achieves reverence without sacrificing its own voice.

Walden's writing has always demonstrated a distinctive blending of front line horns that almost sounds like a single voice, but especially in the context of the Fellowship where it's a confluence of reeds. Still, even when writing for saxophone and trumpet, as Walden does here, there remains a skillful commingling, with the horns often orbiting around each other harmonically before coming together in strong unison. The relaxed yet simmering feel of "Pulse" a waltz-time ballad driven by flexible drummer Kendrick Scott's visceral, in-the-pocket groove with bassist Yasushi Nakamura provides a modal context for solos building with inevitable intensity by Walden and trumpeter Darren Barrett, while David Bryant's atmospheric electric piano pushes the band into territory somewhere between Miles' Filles de Kilimanjaro and Miles in the Sky, both from Columbia in 1968.

Walden deserts his usual axe in favor of tenor saxophone, proving himself as thoughtful yet fiery a player on the bigger horn as he is on alto, and using the instrument's lower register to accomplish many of the ideas he'd normally play on bass clarinet (also left in its case). Miles may be the touchstone, but Walden's charts are far more challenging to navigate—especially "Carnage," an up-tempo burner featuring Scott's marvel of in-the-moment, polyrhythmic invention.

With plenty of solo space for everyone, Walden also contributes three largely through-composed miniatures, serving as rallying points throughout Momentum's 55-minute set. "Like a Flower Seeking the Sun," with Nakamura's evocative, chordal intro, is redolent of Shorter's enduring title track to Davis' Nefertiti (Columbia/Legacy, 1967), with its repeated front line motif a foundation for Scott's imaginative, polyrhythmic invention. Two versions of "When Time Stood Still" bookend five tunes, ranging from the indigo-tinged "Longing" to the barnstorming "Carnage"—managing, both in less than 100 seconds, to provide brief yet definitive solos spots: the first, some empathic in-tandem free play from Walden and Barrett; the second, a closing statement supporting Scott's ongoing emergence as an increasingly ubiquitous post-bop powerhouse of choice.

On its own, Momentum would be enough to say that Walden is back, and with a vengeance. As part of a triptych that will ultimately conclude with the reflective In This World and funk-driven Countrified (both due out on Walden's Demi Sound Records in January, 2010), it's but one of three that will paint the broadest picture of Walden's expansive interests yet; a document of one of the modern mainstream's most provocative saxophonists, composers, and bandleader.~John Kelmanhttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/momentum-myron-walden-demi-sound-records-review-by-john-kelman

Personnel: Myron Walden: tenor saxophone; Darren Barrett: trumpet; David Bryant: electric piano; Yasushi Nakamura: bass; Kendrick Scott: drums.

Momentum

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Kazumasa Akiyama - Dig My Style

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:48
Size: 99,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:50) 1. I Believe in You
(4:48) 2. Summer Dreamer
(3:46) 3. Got That Feeling
(4:34) 4. Keep on Loving
(6:10) 5. Dig My Style
(5:14) 6. Gettin' on
(4:05) 7. Shining Guitar
(4:16) 8. Mother Eyes - Estate

Kazumasa Akiyama Tokyo, 1955 is a Japanese fusion and jazz guitarist. Kazumasa Akiyama played in the Tokyo jazz scene from the 1970s, including with Isao Suzuki's sextet, with whom he also made his first recordings. He also collaborated on recordings by Mikio Masuda, Noriko Miyamoto and Yasuaki Shimizu. In 1978 he made his debut album Dig My Style (Flying Dog) with Yasuaki Shimizu, Mikio Masuda, Masanori Sasaji, Kazuya Sugimoto, Hideo Yamaki and Tatsuji Yokoyama. In 1979 the fusion record Beyond the Door followed, in which Masanori Sasaji, Motohiko Hamase, Akira Doi, Noriko Miyamoto and singer Jimmy Satoshi Murakawa participated. In the 1980s and 1990s, Akiyama worked with Yasuko Agawa, Tatsuya Nakamura, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Chin Suzuki, Mari Nakamoto, Chie Ayado and the Kosuke Mine quintet, among others.

According to discographer Tom Lord,the jazz and fusion guitarist participated in 21 recording sessions between 1976 and 1998. He also worked as a studio musician on recordings by, for example, Noriko Miyamoto and Lisa Ono. More recently, he played in a quartet with Hikari Ichihara, Koichi Inoue and Nori Shiota, as well as in a sextet by Hironori Suzuki (with Shota Watanabe, among others). He also recorded Quiet Storm (2005) and Dr. Rain (2008).Translate By Google https://www.wikipe.wiki/wiki/nl/Kazumasa_Akiyama

Dig My Style

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Dick Sisto, Fred Hersch - American Love Song

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:21
Size: 153,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:04)  1. Falling in Love with Love
(5:13)  2. Everytime We Say Goodbye
(7:53)  3. My One and Only Love
(5:34)  4. Doxy
(5:30)  5. Little Dancer
(4:35)  6. Moments Notice
(6:11)  7. Beautiful Love
(8:00)  8. Monks Dream
(4:54)  9. Summer's Gone
(6:17) 10. If I Should Lose You
(7:05) 11. Some Other Time

Vibraphonist Dick Sisto has spent much of his adult life away from the recognized jazz centers, but his swinging approach with the Fred Hersch Trio belies this fact. This private issue covers great standards by classic songwriters, including "Falling In Love With Love" and "Beautiful Love." Sisto also successfully explores jazz compositions by John Coltrane ("Moment's Notice"), Tom Harrell ("Little Dancer"), and Sonny Rollins ("Doxy"). His soft ballad "Summer's Gone" fits right in with this enjoyable outting. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/american-love-song-mw0000925464

Personnel: Vibraphone – Dick Sisto; Bass – Drew Gress; Drums – Tom Rainey; Piano – Fred Hersch

American Love Song

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Matt Dusk - Good News

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:06
Size: 105,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:18) 1. Good News
(3:37) 2. I Wouldn't Change A Thing
(3:54) 3. On Vacation
(3:14) 4. Feels Good
(3:09) 5. It's Not That Easy
(2:55) 6. Never Gonna Fool Me
(3:14) 7. Operator Please
(2:58) 8. Love Attack
(3:14) 9. Don't Hate On Me
(3:55) 10. It Can Only Get Better
(3:32) 11. Do You Love Me
(2:45) 12. Love Don't Let Me Go
(5:13) 13. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)

Good News is the fifth studio album by Canadian jazz singer Matt Dusk. It was released by on October 27, 2009. The album is a departure from previous Matt Dusk standard, having influences of Palm Beach Pop and crooner standards of the 1950s in a modern feel. The albums is filled with original tracks, plus a bonus classic available in Canada and on iTunes in the standard and deluxe edition. https://dbpedia.org/page/Good_News_(Matt_Dusk_album)

Personnel: Matt Dusk – vocals, backing vocals, keyboard, producer; Ron Lopata – bass guitar, keyboard, producer; Jukka Immonen – keyboard, co-producer; Terry Sawchuk – mixing engineer; Richard Dodd – mastering engineer; Joel Parisien – backing vocals; Quisha Wint – backing vocals; Justin Abedin – guitar; Davide Direnzo – drums, percussion; Ross Macintyre – bass guitar; Alex Kundakcioglu – trumpet; Rob Somerville – trombone; Chris Gale – alto sax, bari sax, horn arrangements; Steve Macdonald – tenor sax, horn arrangements

Good News

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Andrej Hermlin & His Swing Dance Orchestra - Life Goes To A Party

Styles: Swing, Big Band
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:47
Size: 153,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:21) 1. Life Goes To A Party
(2:43) 2. Jump, Jump's Here
(3:40) 3. Blue Moon
(3:09) 4. The Dipsy Doodle
(2:28) 5. Nonstop Flight
(3:30) 6. Over The Rainbow
(2:57) 7. Wll All Right
(3:47) 8. Pickin' The Cabbage
(3:02) 9. Jeepers Creepers
(2:44) 10. Dinah
(2:59) 11. Sweet Sue, Just You
(5:49) 12. You Go To My Head
(2:15) 13. I'll See You In My Dreams
(3:59) 14. Chattanooga Choo Choo
(2:26) 15. God Save The Swingking
(2:39) 16. The Glory Of Love
(3:22) 17. Tropical Nights
(2:28) 18. A Tisket, A Tasket
(4:29) 19. Yes Indeed
(4:52) 20. Sing, Sing, Sing

Hermlin was born the son of the writer Stephan Hermlin . Hermlin grew up bilingually through his mother Irina Belokoneva-Hermlin, who was from Russia . Hermlin received his first piano lessons at the age of seven. After graduating from the Carl von Ossietzky High School in Berlin-Pankow, he studied piano from 1986 to 1990 at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin . He learned the swing style he played by himself . In 1986 he founded the Swing Dance Band , which became the Swing Dance Orchestra in 1995 , of which he has been the band leader ever since. So far (as of 2014) Hermlin has released more than ten CDs with this formation and has performed with it regularly, both nationally and internationally. The Swing Dance Orchestraplays swing in the style of the 1930s, partly with original equipment, such as consoles from that time, and mostly unamplified only the singing is amplified and recorded with microphones with a historical look (but modern inner workings). Andrej Hermlin became known beyond his music when he was arrested after the 2008 presidential election in Kenya on suspicion of terrorism. Hermlin had previously supported the democracy movement and candidate Raila Odinga , with whom he is friends. In the village of Thumaita, 130 kilometers from Nairobi , he and his wife Joyce built an art deco style house.

He is involved in the community, wired the village , had street lamps installed and organized the garbage collection . Due to the reforms in the party and as a supporter of Gorbachev , Hermlin joined the PDS in February 1990 "when everyone else had left". For a time he was a member of the Berlin State Executive of the PDS and a candidate for the House of Representatives . He has been a member of the Left Party since it was formed and regularly appears at their events. Due to his interest in historical aviation , Hermlin supported a referendum by the Berlin CDU in 2007 to keep Tempelhof Airport open . With me you are beautifulHermlin specially designed a program of swing pieces by Jewish musicians to protest anti-Semitism. Hermlin and his wife Joyce have two children. His son David Hermlin and daughter Rachel Hermlin perform as singers and dancers with their father's orchestra. Andrej Hermlin lives in Berlin-Niederschönhausen in the house where his father lived and where he grew up. The equipment of the house is at the level of 1927, but modernized. The furniture dates from the period 1930-1960. The Biermann affair had begun in the living room of the house. Hermlin's father Stephan had written a petition against the expatriation, which had been signed by twelve people in the living room.https://de-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Andrej_Hermlin

The Swing Dance Orchestra is a multinational orchestra in big band format from Berlin , which mainly plays swing in the style of the 1930s; its predecessor was founded as a quintet in 1986 by Andrej Hermlin (band leader) with four other musicians. The first rehearsals of the quintet, which was still called the Swing Dance Band at the time, took place in a father's garage. The first appearance took place in the spring of 1987 in what was then the construction workers' youth club with a repertoire of 15 titles. In 1995 today's formation was created. https://second.wiki/wiki/swing_dance_orchestra

Life Goes To A Party

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Al Grey - Ya Dig ?

Styles: Trombone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:05
Size: 177,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:00) 1. Something's Got a Hold on Me
(5:23) 2. Stardust
(2:58) 3. I Don't Want to Cry
(5:40) 4. King Bee
(4:14) 5. Through for the Night
(4:52) 6. Al-Amo
(3:32) 7. Stand by Me
(6:09) 8. Stella by Starlight
(4:48) 9. Boss Tina
(4:29) 10. Night and Day
(5:11) 11. Stone Crazy
(4:23) 12. African Lady
(4:54) 13. The Way You Look Tonight
(2:56) 14. Laughing Tonight
(3:49) 15. Deep Fried
(3:20) 16. Nothing but the Truth
(5:19) 17. Blues in the Night

Al Grey's trademark phrases and often humorous use of the plunger mute long made him quite distinctive. After getting out of the service, he was with the orchestras of Benny Carter (1945-1946), Jimmie Lunceford (1946-1947), Lucky Millinder, and Lionel Hampton (off and on during 1948-1953). Grey was a well-featured soloist with the classic Dizzy Gillespie globetrotting orchestra during 1956-1957 (taking an exciting solo at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival on a blazing version of "Cool Breeze"). He was with Count Basie's orchestra on three separate occasions (1957-1961, 1964-1966, and 1971-1977), led a band with Billy Mitchell in the early '60s, and had a group with Jimmy Forrest after leaving Basie in 1977. In later years, Grey performed and recorded often with Clark Terry, made a CD with the Statesmen of Jazz, and for a time led a quintet that featured his son Mike Grey on second trombone. Al Grey recorded as a leader for Argo (1959-1964), Tangerine, Black & Blue, Stash, Chiaroscuro, and Capri, and co-led an excellent Pablo date in 1983 with J.J. Johnson. He died of complications from diabetes on March 24, 2000.~Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/al-grey-mn0000931891/biography

Personnel: Al Grey - trombone; David Burns - trumpet; Bobby Hutcherson - vibraphone; Hugh Lawson - piano; Calvin Newborne - guitar; Herman Wright - bass; Otis Finch - drums

Ya Dig ?

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Kurt Rosenwinkel - Kurt Rosenwinkel Plays Piano

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:26
Size: 111,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:44) 1. Love Signs
(4:45) 2. Music
(4:37) 3. Lost Song
(5:09) 4. Whispers of Love
(4:13) 5. The Cross
(4:32) 6. For Dad
(4:34) 7. Cycle Five
(5:00) 8. Hommage à Mitch
(4:48) 9. Reassurement
(6:00) 10. Heavenly Bodies

Composer, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, and Heartcore Records founder Kurt Rosenwinkel is acclaimed as one of the finest jazz guitarists of his generation, but many might not know that he is also an accomplished pianist. Heartcore Records is proud to present Kurt Rosenwinkel Plays Piano, an album of original compositions written and performed by Kurt Rosenwinkel. Some songs have been recorded and performed before, and will be familiar to fans of Kurt’s music. They are presented here as solo piano pieces, with the melodies, chord voicings, and rhythmic structures of these pieces intact and unadorned by the interpretation of bandmates. Listeners are afforded a glimpse into Kurt Rosenwinkel’s long relationship with the piano, as well as rare insight into his probing compositional mind. https://shop.heartcore-records.com/product/kurt-rosenwinkel-piano

Kurt Rosenwinkel Plays Piano

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Ray Gelato & Kai Hoffman - Hey Boy! Hey Girl!

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:15
Size: 127,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:25)  1. Hey Boy! Hey Girl!
(2:37)  2. I've Got You Under My Skin
(3:25)  3. You're Just in Love
(4:17)  4. Cold Cold Heart
(4:14)  5. Under a Blanket of Blue
(3:17)  6. They All Laughed
(1:59)  7. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
(2:45)  8. Nothin's Too Good for My Baby
(3:21)  9. The Lady Is a Tramp
(3:24) 10. Don't Worry 'Bout Me/I'm in the Mood for Love
(3:01) 11. Undecided
(3:24) 12. Frim Fram Sauce
(3:54) 13. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
(4:03) 14. I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire
(3:46) 15. If I Didn't Care
(2:36) 16. That Old Black Magic
(1:37) 17. Hey Boy! Hey Girl! (Reprise)

Hey Boy! Hey Girl! is a fabulous show celebrating the magic of the boy/girl duets. Great artists such as Louis Prima and Keely Smith, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong helped to bring this concept great popularity. Ray Gelato, (winner Ronnie Scotts best band, Radio 2 best jazz vocalist nominee), and Kai Hoffman (smoky-voiced award-winning US Diva and Ronnie Scott’s regular) have developed a wonderful, fun show, taking tunes from the great American songbook! You will hear such classics as ‘That Old Black Magic’, ‘I’m in the Mood for Love’, ‘Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off’, and many, many more wonderful tunes. All performed with fun, romance and swing! Hey Boy!, Hey Girl! is sure to rock you out of your seats with Ray and Kai’s fun and jumpin’ renditions of some of your favorite classic songs. The golden age of the vocal duet is back!  http://www.kaihoffman.co.uk/index.php/line-ups/hey-boy-hey-girl/

Hey Boy! Hey Girl!

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Don Scaletta - All In Good Time !

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:58
Size: 94,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. Exodus
(5:36)  2. You're My Girl
(4:06)  3. Walk With Buddha
(1:55)  4. They Can't Make Her Cry
(6:18)  5. Secret Love
(8:52)  6. We Kiss In A Shadow
(2:39)  7. Chim Chim Cher-Ee
(4:09)  8. Here's That Rainy Day
(3:22)  9. Bitter Wine

If anyone has any information on this album are welcome!

Personnel: Don Scaletta(p), Ted Blondell(b), Nikki Lamkin(dr)

All In Good Time !

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Andrej Hermlin & His Swing Dance Orchestra - Happy Birthday Mr. Swing!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:21
Size: 99.2 MB
Styles: Swing, Big band
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[2:50] 1. Bugle Call Rag
[2:28] 2. Careless
[2:29] 3. Lonesome Road
[3:17] 4. Embraceable You
[2:50] 5. I Come From A Musical Family
[3:08] 6. Five O'clock Whistle
[2:36] 7. Happy Birthday Mr. Swing
[3:42] 8. Only You
[3:31] 9. One O'clock Jump
[4:38] 10. Blues In The Night
[3:02] 11. King Porter Stomp
[3:26] 12. Minnie The Moocher
[5:19] 13. Drummin' Man

Initially, the first jam sessions were conducted in Andrej’s parents’ garage. Back then the four young musicians playing with Andrej Hermlin could not imagine what would result from their experimental music-making. But one thing they knew for certain: they wanted to play swing, and they wanted it to sound authentic. In their first gig in the spring of 1987 in an establishment then called the “Club of Young Construction Workers”, the group played their entire repertoire – barely more than 15 titles. Several years later the SWING DANCE BAND – with new outfits, and now including a guitarist and female vocal soloist – could be heard playing at larger ball events. Bettina Labeau, at that time married to the bandleader, is still today the vocal soloist of the orchestra. At the end of 1995 the band renamed itself the SWING DANCE ORCHESTRA, now there was a small wind section and arrangements were added to attempt to emulate the sound of the American big bands. On a rather coincidental trip to New York, Andrej Hermlin was rather surprised to experience the new craze for swing in the U.S. In view of the thousands of young swing dancers at “Midsummer Night Swing“ on Lincoln Plaza the Berlin bandleader vowed: “I’ll bring my orchestra to New York no matter what the cost.”

In the summer of 1999 – after months of difficult preparations, everything was finally ready: the band traveled to America. The first gig of the SWING DANCE ORCHESTRA in America took place high above the roofs of Manhattan – in the restaurant of the World Trade Center “Windows of the World“ – a place that no longer exists. Many remarkable things have happened since then: David Rose was signed on as second vocal soloist, the band appeared more often on television, released more albums, was involved in film productions and gave guest performances in Hong Kong, Brussels, Zurich and London. But during all these years, Andrej Hermlin’s foremost goal was to found his own big band. He waited a long time to do it, but since the beginning of 2001 he has been the bandleader of an orchestra with 16 musicians. In the following summer he fulfilled a dream: he returned with his band to the “Big Apple“, played in the “Rainbow Room“, at the legendary “Hotel Pennsylvania“ – and at the “Midsummer Night Swing“ at Lincoln Plaza…

In 2004 the orchestra traveled to the Glenn Miller Festival in Clarinda, Iowa, Glenn Miller’s native city. The SWING DANCE ORCHESTRA has played gigs in the most prestigious concert halls in Germany and elsewhere. Under the Sony/BMG label the orchestra has released the albums : “Live in New York“ and “Benny Goodman´s Carnegie Hall Concert 1938“ – evidence of an amazing development which began so modestly many years ago. All of the old pals who played back then in the garage are still playing together today as musicians in the SWING DANCE ORCHESTRA. The story of this extraordinary band has not yet come to an end, so keep posted to find out what will happen next.

Happy Birthday Mr. Swing!

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Dan Nimmer - Kelly Blue: Tribute To Wynton Kelly

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:39
Size: 132,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:29)  1. No Blues
(5:43)  2. Brimsha Man
(3:57)  3. On A Clear Day
(2:46)  4. Quick Jump
(5:09)  5. Close Your Eyes
(5:16)  6. Eleanor
(5:09)  7. Kelly Blue
(5:56)  8. On The Trail
(6:04)  9. If You Could See Me Now
(5:21) 10. Autumn Leaves
(6:49) 11. Temperance

In 2004, Wynton Marsalis hired 21-year-old Dan Nim-mer for his quartet and for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. It is easy to hear what Marsalis likes about Nimmer. He has lights-out chops and is a deeply traditional player. Nimmer’s second recording as a leader, Kelly Blue, is a curious project. It is described as a Wynton Kelly tribute, but it is more like a channeling. Nimmer does a Wynton Kelly so exact it is spooky. He not only gets the elastic snap of Kelly’s swing, his harmonic ingenuity and his scurrying phrasing, he gets Kelly’s single most inimitable characteristic: his touch. Like Kelly, Nimmer can make every note pop like a champagne bubble.

Nimmer provides lush, complete, immaculate trio versions of songs Kelly usually recorded with horns (“Autumn Leaves,” “No Blues,” “On the Trail”). His portamento portrayal of “If You Could See Me Now” is even more luminous than Kelly’s and is the highlight of the album. The songs that Kelly never knew (like the ultra-funky Nimmer original “Brimsha Man”) sound like Kelly has come back to earth to play them. It’s all great fun, but the question (as it so often seems to be for musicians associated with Wynton Marsalis) is whether Nimmer’s technique and intimacy with history will eventually lead to the development of a distinctive personal voice. ~ Thomas Conrad http://jazztimes.com/articles/18897-kelly-blue-dan-nimmer-trio

Kelly Blue - Tribute To Wynton Kelly

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Bennie Green Quintet - Glidin' Along

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:52
Size: 91,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:47)  1. African Dream
(8:04)  2. Sweet Sucker
(5:11)  3. Glidin' Along
(8:29)  4. Green's Scene
(4:03)  5. Milkshake
(4:16)  6. Stardust
(4:00)  7. Expubidence

Bennie Green was one of the few trombonists of the 1950s who played in a style not influenced by J.J. Johnson (Bill Harris was another). His witty sound and full tone looked backwards to the swing era yet was open to the influence of R&B. After playing locally in Chicago, he was with the Earl Hines Orchestra during 1942-1948 (except for two years in the military). Green gained some fame for his work with Charlie Ventura (1948-1950) before joining Earl Hines' small group (1951-1953). He then led his own group throughout the 1950s and '60s, using such sidemen as Cliff Smalls, Charlie Rouse, Eric Dixon, Paul Chambers, Louis Hayes, Sonny Clark, Gildo Mahones, and Jimmy Forrest. 

Green recorded regularly as a leader for Prestige, Decca, Blue Note, Vee-Jay, Time, Bethlehem, and Jazzland during 1951-1961, although only one further session (a matchup with Sonny Stitt on Cadet in 1964) took place. Bennie Green was with Duke Ellington for a few months in 1968-1969 and then moved to Las Vegas, where he spent his last years working in hotel bands, although he did emerge to play quite well at the 1972 Newport Jazz Festival and in New York jam sessions.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bennie-green-mn0000160618/biography

Personnel: Bennie Green (trombone); Johnny Griffin (saxophone, tenor saxophone); Junior Mance (piano); Ben Riley (drums)

Glidin' Along

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Antonio Carlos Jobim - Verve Jazz Masters 13

Styles: Vocal, Bossa Nova
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:34
Size: 131,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:17) 1. Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars)
(2:39) 2. Vivo Sonhando (Dreamer)
(3:40) 3. So Danco Samba
(2:47) 4. Desafinado (Off Key)
(3:35) 5. Aguas De Marco (Waters Of March)
(5:29) 6. O Grande Amor
(2:53) 7. Agua De Beber
(3:15) 8. Chovendo Na Roseiro (Double Rainbow)
(6:55) 9. O Morro Nao Tem Vez
(2:12) 10. Fascinating Rhythm
(2:57) 11. Insensatez (How Insensitive)
(3:11) 12. Inutil Paisagem (Useless Landscape)
(3:25) 13. O Morro não tem Vez
(2:06) 14. Por Toda Minha Vida
(2:43) 15. Triste
(4:23) 16. Borzeguim

Antonio Carlos Jobim's entry in the exhaustive VERVE JAZZ MASTERS set of historical reissues is one of the best single-disc Jobim anthologies available. It's not got much in the way of historical range, since it stops in the mid-'60s, just before Jobim left Verve for Reprise and then A&M. However, since Jobim's Verve years were, in the minds of many, his career highpoint, VERVE JAZZ MASTERS 13 distills the best of his most artistically and commercially successful period. Nearly all of Jobim's greatest songs are here in their definitive versions, and the whole is sequenced thoughtfully, so that the disc has a logical and delightful flow. This is magnificent stuff, as well as being the birth of bossa nova. https://www.allmusic.com/album/verve-jazz-masters-13-mw0000112351

Personnel: Antonio Carlos Jobim - Vocal, Guitar, Piano; Stan Getz - Tenor Saxophone; Joao Gilberto - Guitar, Vocal; Tommy Williams - Bass; Luiz Bonfa Bass; George Duvivier Bass; Paulo Ferreira Drums; Paulo Braga Drums; Paulo Jobim Guitar, Vocal, Producer

Verve Jazz Masters 13

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Sammy Davis Jr., Carmen Mcrae - Porgy And Bess

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:02
Size: 86,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:57) 1. Summertime
(3:39) 2. A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
(4:15) 3. My Man's Gone Now
(3:27) 4. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
(4:50) 5. Bess, You Is My Woman
(3:54) 6. It Ain't Necessarily So
(3:47) 7. I Loves You Porgy
(3:58) 8. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
(3:26) 9. Oh Bess, Where's My Bess
(2:44) 10. Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way

The 1959 film Porgy and Bess was supposed to be the crowning achievement of the legendarily tyrannical producer Samuel Goldwyn’s career; he had wanted to film the Gershwin brothers’ ‘American folk opera’ since seeing it on stage in 1935. Instead, it was a disaster: the director was fired and replaced, the sets burned down just before filming started, the actors were suspicious of potentially insulting stereotypes, the critics didn’t like it, and the Gershwins hated it. About the only thing to recommend it was Sammy Davis, Jr.’s turn as the serpent-tongued Sportin’ Life. Nonetheless, the widespread anticipation for the movie, coupled with the manifest genius of the opera’s score led to the Porgy-and-Bess-ification of music in jazz circles in 1959. No fewer than ten jazz albums of Porgy and Bess’ score were released in 1959: Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Ralph Burns, Mundell Lowe, Hank Jones, Bill Potts, Buddy Collette, Rex Stewart and Cootie Williams, Diahann Carroll with the André Previn Trio, and a duet album featuring Harry Belafonte and Lena Horne.

While shooting Porgy and Bess in Hollywood in the second half of 1958, Sammy Davis, Jr. also laid down tracks for his own Porgy and Bess album, with which to capitalise on his star billing in the film. Joining him would be his Decca stablemate Carmen McRae, with whom he had already recorded a duet album, Boy Meets Girl. Carmen provided two cuts (“Summertime” and “My Man’s Gone Now”, both recorded in New York), and joined Sammy in Los Angeles for one duet (“I Loves You Porgy”). Sammy recorded the remaining songs solo. Sporting notable cover art by pop artist James Meese, Decca’s Porgy and Bess was released in March 1959, exactly three months before the film’s premiere at the end of June. Columbia also released an official Porgy and Bess soundtrack album in June, but contractually Sammy could not appear in it. Cab Calloway subbed in for Sportin’ Life’s two songs from the film, “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and “There’s a Boat Dat’s Leaving Soon For New York”. Despite this, the name Sammy Davis, Jr. is emblazoned across the reverse of the LP sleeve, and so for many years many people have assumed it is Sammy when it is not.

Decca’s Porgy and Bess marked Sammy’s first collaboration on record with arranger Buddy Bregman, well known at the time for his work with Ella Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby. Bregman and Sammy had been friends for years, and while Bregman was working on the charts for Porgy and Bess, the two were actually rehearsing together for a stage play production of The Desperate Hours at the Hollywood Centre Theatre. A full string orchestra and The Bill Thompson Singers were brought in to back Sammy and, believe it or not, the arrangements manage to overcome even Sammy’s powerful voice, at times swallowing him with brass or suffocating him with strings (perhaps an audio mixing issue). Despite this, you can tell that Sammy isn’t holding anything back Porgy and Bess was a labour of love for him, especially given how hard he lobbied Goldwyn for his role in the film in the first place. http://sammydavisjr.info/music/releases/original-albums/porgy-and-bess/

Personnel: Sammy Davis, Jr. - vocals (on all tracks but 1 and 3)Carmen McRae - vocals (1, 3, 7)

Porgy And Bess

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Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra - Two Seconds To Midnight

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:52
Size: 158,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:38) 1. Song For Bilbao
(6:08) 2. Night And Day
(5:26) 3. Skylark
(6:26) 4. Two Seconds To Midnight
(8:31) 5. Sea Changes
(7:48) 6. Out House
(6:08) 7. One Mint Julep
(7:57) 8. Dee Minor
(9:02) 9. Cottontail
(4:45) 10. When I Fall In Love

When it comes to putting together a big band, Alan Baylock has an enormous advantage. As chief arranger for the U.S. Air Force’s renowned jazz ensemble, the Airmen of Note, he’s on a first-name basis with some of the most accomplished big band musicians in the country, if not the world. Nearly a dozen of the sidemen on Two Seconds to Midnight, Baylock’s splendid debut recording as leader of the band, were enlisted from the ranks of the AON with four others from the Army Blues and one from the Navy Commodores. As a bonus, there are guest appearances by the celebrated pianist Kenny Werner on Baylock’s “Sea Changes” and Ellington’s “Cottontail.”

Of course, assembling these pros in a studio is one thing; handing them charts that are rewarding to play is quite another. The good news for musicians and listeners alike is that Baylock excels in that sphere as well. One doesn’t replace a legendary arranger such as Mike Crotty without having uncommon resourcefulness and talent. Baylock knows what it takes to make a big band fresh and exciting, and writes accordingly. As he explains it: “I consciously try to forget old habits to discover newer ways of doing things. Whether it’s mixing and matching instrument[al] colors to achieve subtly different sounds, adding a few extra notes into a voicing for more ‘crunch,’ putting in an unexpected rhythm... or completely reworking the harmonic and formal structure of a tune, it’s the process of experimentation that makes creating music so exciting...”

The excitement is evident throughout, from Pat Metheny’s dancing “Song for Bilbao” to the Victor Young/Ned Heyman’s ballad “When I Fall in Love.” The album’s other two standards are as different as, well, “Night and Day,” with tenors Tyler Kuebler and Jeff Antoniuk dueling on a scorching arrangement of the Cole Porter confession, and trumpeter Tim Leahey and trombonist Joe Jackson taking wing on Hoagy Carmichael’s achingly lovely “Skylark.” Ensemble and soloists are equally impressive on Jerry Bergonzi’s busy “Out House,” Mike Mainieri’s strapping “Dee Minor,” Rudolph Toombs’ funky R&B classic, “One Mint Julep,” and Baylock’s on-the-edge title selection.

There is one departure from the big band format, with Werner, bassist Paul Henry and drummer Steve Fidyk showcased on the billowing “Sea Changes.” Fidyk, bassists Henry or John Pineda, guitarist Shawn Purcell and pianist Bob Larson, it must be noted, comprise as capable a rhythm section as one could desire. And with trumpet and trombone sections made up almost entirely of Airmen, there’s no letdown there either.

“Cottontail,” with ripping solos by Werner, Fidyk, alto Andy Axelrad, Antoniuk (soprano), baritone Doug Morgan and tenor Luis Hernandez, is a gem, but so is almost everything else, with “Out House” (solos by Kuebler, Purcell and Fidyk) and “Dee Minor” (Larson, trombonist Ben Patterson, baritone Chad Makela) sure to give almost every attentive listener goosebumps. Not bad for a first try, Alan. We hope to hear from you again, not only as principal arranger for the Airmen but with your “own” band as well.~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/two-seconds-to-midnight-alan-baylock-sea-breeze-jazz-review-by-jack-bowers

Personnel: Alan Baylock, leader, arranger; Andy Axelrad, Antonio Orta, alto sax, flute; Joseph Henson, alto sax; Tyler Kuebler, tenor sax, clarinet; Luis Hernandez, tenor sax; Jeff Antoniuk, tenor, soprano sax, clarinet; Chad Makela, baritone sax, bass clarinet; Doug Morgan, baritone sax; Brian MacDonald, Mike Davis, Mike Kamuf, Rich Sigler, Tim Leahey, trumpet, flugelhorn; Ben Patterson, Jeff Martin, Joe Jackson, trombone; Jeff Cortazzo, bass trombone; Shawn Purcell, guitar; Bob Larson, piano; John Pineda, Paul Henry, bass; Steve Fidyk, drums.

Two Seconds To Midnight

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