Sunday, April 24, 2022

Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette - Tribute Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Tribute Disc 1
Styles: Piano Jazz, Bop
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:27
Size: 128,4 MB
Art: Front

(13:14) 1. Lover Man
(11:19) 2. I Hear a Rhapsody
( 6:05) 3. Little Girl Blue
( 9:32) 4. Solar
(14:16) 5. Sun Prayer

Album: Tribute Disc 2
Time: 60:38
Size: 144,0 MB

(10:08) 1. Just in Time
( 8:26) 2. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
( 8:08) 3. All of You
( 7:02) 4. Ballad of the Sad Young Men
( 8:57) 5. All the Things You Are
( 7:08) 6. It's Easy to Remember
(10:46) 7. U Dance

Pianist Keith Jarrett has paid all sorts of tributes through his career, nodding to Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, and Bill Evans. But on this two-CD set, Jarrett picks particular versions of tunes to play off. So he pays homage to Lee Konitz on "Lover Man" and Sonny Rollins on "All the Things You Are." His formula for the tributes makes the music surprisingly engaged, dropping lyrical twists in his nod to Anita O'Day and cool loops when tipping Jim Hall. Where some of the so-called Standards Trio recordings veer into impressionism without regard to direction, this collection maintains tempered balance, even finding a classic Jarrett groove on "Sun Prayer," which drummer Jack DeJohnnette drives with a taut rhythmic clip. Alas, the tune fades in the groove's midst. But the package is barely any less strong for the fade and, in fact, stands above most of the other standards recordings.~Andrew Bartlett Opiniones editoriales https://www.amazon.com/Tribute-Keith-Jarrett/dp/B0000031VY

Personnel: Keith Jarrett – piano; Gary Peacock - bass; Jack DeJohnette - drums

Tribute Disc 1,Disc 2

Sinne Eeg - The Beauty Of Sadness

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 49:36
Size: 113.6 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:27] 1. The Beauty Of Sadness
[4:10] 2. So Now You Know
[5:51] 3. Silence
[5:28] 4. Strawberry Fields Forever
[4:15] 5. The Peacocks (A Timeless Place)
[3:14] 6. I Have The Feeling I Have Been Here Before
[5:30] 7. Love Is A Time Of Year
[6:13] 8. Waiting For Dawn
[5:13] 9. The Windmills Of Your Mind
[4:10] 10. With Or Without You

Sinne Eeg’s album ‘The Beauty Of Sadness’ is a natural follow up to the two award-winning albums before it, ‘Don’t Be So Blue’ (2010) and ‘Waiting For Dawn’ (2007). The music on the album encompasses a full dynamic range, from sublimely minimalistic (duo with bass clarinet), to elegantly grandiose through a musical partnership with ‘The Danish National Chamber Orchestra’ which since its foundation in 1939 has aimed to provide audiences with musical entertainment of the highest caliber in every conceivable genre.

Take legendary drummer Peter Erskine (world re-known for his time with bands like Weather Report and Steps Ahead) and add him to Sinne’s working band, plus a handful of top arrangers and sidemen from the international jazz scene. Combine them with ‘The Danish National Chamber Orchestra’ and put Sinne Eeg in front and in charge,both musically and conceptually, and the musical potential is almost unlimited. As Thomas Conrad from ‘All About Jazz’ in NYC describes so accurately; “Sinne Eeg is a singer with the whole package; good taste, looks, height, pipes, range, control and the ability to both scat and tell a story”

The Beauty Of Sadness

Ray Brown Trio - Some Of My Best Friends Are... The Piano Players

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:48
Size: 127.7 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[4:17] 1. Bags' Groove
[4:33] 2. Love Walked In
[7:11] 3. St. Louis Blues
[3:34] 4. Lover
[5:24] 5. Just A Gigolo
[3:46] 6. Ray Of Light
[6:05] 7. Giant Steps
[4:44] 8. My Romance
[4:36] 9. Close Your Eyes
[5:06] 10. St. Tropez
[6:26] 11. How Come You Do Me

Bass – Ray Brown; Drums – Lewis Nash; Piano – Ahmad Jamal (tracks: 4 to 6), Benny Green (tracks: 1 to 3), Dado Moroni (tracks: 7, 8), Geoff Keezer (tracks: 9), Oscar Peterson (tracks: 10, 11). Tracks 1-9 recorded November 21, 1994 at Clinton Recording Studio, Studio A, New York, NY. Tracks 10 & 11 recorded November 18, 1994 at Glenn Gould Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

On his Telarc disc, Ray Brown teams up with five different piano players but, rather than this being a tribute to the veteran bassist (who has solo space on every selection), the CD ends up being a celebration of the great Oscar Peterson because Benny Green, Dado Moroni, and Geoff Keezer have, to various degrees, based their styles on Peterson's, but the indivual standout is actually Ahmad Jamal, who had never previously recorded with Brown. Together with Lewis Nash they perform two blues and "Love Walked In," all renditions that make a liberal use of space and pay close attention to dynamics. Benny Green, who plays his "Ray of Light" along with two standards, had performed regularly with Brown in recent years and his selections offer few surprises. Dodo Moroni is fine on "My Romance" and inserts a bit of Erroll Garner on "Giant Steps," while Geoff Keezer (who had also never played with Brown) swings well on "Close Your Eyes." The CD concludes with a reunion between Oscar Peterson (who had recently recovered from a stroke) and Brown on "St. Tropez" and the upbeat "How Come You Do Me like You Do?" The results overall are pleasing and swinging (serving as a sampler of the pianists' styles), but not all that innovative. ~Scott Yanow

Some Of My Best Friends Are... The Piano Players

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Abraça Jobim

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:11
Size: 173,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:54) 1. Dreamer (Vivo Sonhando)
(5:16) 2. This Love That I've Found (So Tinha de Ser com Voce)
(3:50) 3. The Girl from Ipanema (Garota de Ipanema)
(3:56) 4. Somewhere in the Hills (Favela)
(3:48) 5. Photograph (Fotografia)
(5:21) 6. Wave
(4:06) 7. Triste
(5:39) 8. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
(2:44) 9. Water to Drink (Agua de Beber)
(2:50) 10. Bonita
(3:42) 11. Off Key (Desafinado)
(5:12) 12. He's a Carioca (Ele e Carioca)
(6:36) 13. Dindi
(2:59) 14. How Insensitive (Insensatez)
(3:52) 15. One Note Samba (Samba de Uma Nota So)
(2:17) 16. A Felicidade
(7:59) 17. Useless Landscape (Inutil Paisagem)

For years, "The Girl fom Ipanema" was a staple in Ella Fitzgerald's songbook, so it's something of a wonder that it was not until 1981 that Ella Abraça Jobim, Fitzgerald's double-album immersion in Antonio Carlos Jobim's back catalog, appeared. Ella's first single-composer release since 1964's tribute to Jerome Kern, Ella Abraça Jobim is, more than anything, final proof of the unassuming Brazilian's place in jazz history alongside the great composers. Sadly Jobim's mellow bossa nova, drenched in the Brazilian concept of saudade, or agreeable melancholy, doesn't necessarily gel with Fitzgerald's swing-based and energetic vocal style.

Fitzgerald and her small group take songs like "Agua de Beber (Water to Drink)" at just slightly too speedy a tempo, rushing a bit where they should be gamboling. Fitzgerald is in very good voice compared to some other recordings from her later years, though, sadly, she's clearly not at her peak. Norman Granz's production is typically excellent, however, and the arrangements are refreshingly free of the typical late-'70s/early-'80s post-fusion clichés. Neither Fitzgerald nor Jobim's finest, then, but not without merit.~ Stewart Masonhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/ella-abra%C3%A7a-jobim-sings-the-antonio-carlos-jobim-songbook-mw0000195476

Personnel: Ella Fitzgerald - Vocals; Clark Terry - Trumpet; Zoot Sims - Tenor Saxophone; Toots Thielemans - Harmonica; Henry Trotter - Keyboards; Mike Lang - Keyboards; Clarence McDonald - Keyboards; Joe Pass - Electric guitar (soloist); Oscar Castro-Neves - Acoustic guitar (soloist); Paul Jackson, Jr. - Rhythm guitar; Mitch Holder - Rhythm guitar; Roland Bautista - Rhythm guitar; Abraham Laboriel - Double Bass; Alex Acuña - Drums; Paulinho da Costa - Percussion

Ella Abraca Jobim

Mandy Barnett - Every Star Above

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:08
Size: 97,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:55) 1. But Beautiful
(4:44) 2. Glad To Be Unhappy
(4:30) 3. For Heaven's Sake
(4:44) 4. I Get Along Without You Very Well
(3:26) 5. It's Easy To Remember
(5:07) 6. The End Of A Love Affair
(3:47) 7. You Don't Know What Love Is
(5:04) 8. I'm a Fool To Want You
(3:54) 9. You've Changed
(2:53) 10. For All We Know

Mandy Barnett, one of Nashville’s enduring musical treasures who has showcased her mesmerizing voice on stages across the globe, started singing at five years-old. She has been singing since. Barnett’s style is rooted in the classic country and pop crooning of iconic singers and timeless sounds. She delves into a song with a keen interpretative sense, getting right down to its emotional core and rendering a powerhouse performance through her “pipes of steel” (Los Angeles Times). As one record executive put it, “Mandy Barnett is a song’s best friend.”

Barnett first gained national prominence as the original star of the musical Always...Patsy Cline at Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium. Barnett, as Cline, performs on the original cast soundtrack album and is the only actress to have played the role on the historic Ryman stage where Cline’s legend began. The Ryman shows sold out nightly and received rave reviews, and Barnett has wowed critics and audiences ever since with her concerts and recordings. Barnett’s critically lauded albums include I’ve Got a Right to Cry, named the “Top Country Album” by Rolling Stone in the year of its release and produced by renowned Nashville Sound pioneer Owen Bradley, who also produced Cline’s most loved chart-toppers (as well as producing Loretta Lynn, Brenda Lee, and k.d. lang). And Rolling Stone continues to honor this landmark album, placing it in 2019 on two of its “best of” lists of seminal classic country works.

With a string of acclaimed country albums, such as her self-titled Warner Bros. debut, her Christmas celebration Winter Wonderland, the Cline-inspired Sweet Dreams, and I Can’t Stop Loving You: The Songs of Don Gibson (a tribute to her friend, the late Country Music Hall of Fame member), there’s no doubt Barnett has mastered that genre and holds it dear to her heart. But Barnett is not one to be musically boxed in. Her 2018 Strange Conversation album, an Americana blend of roots, pop, and R&B tunes, includes a duet with John Hiatt and a soulful rendition of Neil Sedaka’s My World Keeps Slipping Away, which Sedaka himself sent to Barnett to record. AllMusic hails Strange Conversation as the “richest record of her career: surprising, lively, and deeply felt,” and The Philadelphia Inquirer, which listed Strange Conversation among the best country/roots albums of 2018, notes that Barnett “takes a disparate collection of pop, soul, and rock numbers and makes a riveting personal statement.”

As further testament to her diversity, Barnett sang on the SpongeBob SquarePants album The Best Day Ever (sharing the spotlight with the likes of Brian Wilson, Tommy Ramone, and Flaco Jimenez) and often incorporates a Great American Songbook standard or two into her live shows. When asked about her favorite composer, Barnett’s as likely to cite Cole Porter or George Gershwin as she is Willie Nelson or Dolly Parton. In fact, along the lines of highlighting Barnett’s range, now out is her A Nashville Songbook, an album of reimagined, multi-generational pop and country gems produced by Fred Mollin (producer of Johnny Mathis, Kris Kristofferson, Jimmy Webb, etc.) and inspired by Barnett’s popular “Nashville Songbook” concert. A frequent guest on the Grand Ole Opry, Barnett is equally as comfortable on stage with symphony orchestras, having recently performed solo concerts with the Nashville Symphony, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast highlighting her “Nashville Songbook” repertoire. Barnett made her New York City cabaret debut at Feinstein’s/54 Below in 2019 with an acoustic version of her “Nashville Songbook.”

Barnett’s music has been featured in many major film and television soundtracks (most recently, in The CW Network’s series “The Flash”), including projects starring Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Martin Sheen, Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick, Sigourney Weaver, Ellen Burstyn, Bill Paxton, and SpongeBob SquarePants. Besides soundtrack work, Barnett often contributes tracks to other types of musical compilations, and she has appeared on “The Tonight Show,” “The Late Show,” “CBS Sunday Morning,” PBS’s “Sessions at West 54th,” PBS’s “Bluegrass Underground,” and numerous other programs. Among the many publications praising Barnett's talents, the Chicago Tribune calls Barnett “a torch singer in the grandest sense of the word.” Time, People, Billboard, Rolling Stone, and other major media have likewise extolled Barnett’s world-class vocals, “natural musicality” (People), “big, silky, expressive voice” (Billboard), and “vocal finesse” (New York Times). USA Today calls Barnett one of Nashville’s “finest classic country and torch singers,” while the Austin Chronicle notes that “when people start talking about Mandy Barnett, eventually the word ‘amazing’ gets used.” https://www.mandybarnett.com/biography

Every Star Above

Bob Wilber - The Music Of King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band As Played By The Bob Wilber Jazz Repertory Ensemble

Size: 103,7 MB
Time: 43:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1986/2015
Styles: Jazz: Big Band
Art: Front

01. Canal Street Blues (2:28)
02. Mabel's Dream (3:00)
03. Alligator Hop (2:21)
04. Krooked Blues (2:54)
05. Chattanooga Stomp (2:59)
06. Camp Meeting Blues (2:53)
07. Dippermouth Blues (2:28)
08. Lincoln Gardens Stomp (2:20)
09. Snake Rag (3:03)
10. Riverside Blues (3:33)
11. Froggie Moore (3:15)
12. Jazzin' Babies Blues (3:09)
13. Buddy's Habit (3:06)
14. Wa-Wa-Wa (2:57)
15. I Ain't Gonna Tell Nobody (3:17)

Throughout his long career, Bob Wilber has done a lot to keep classic jazz alive. A bit misplaced (most jazz players of his generation were much more interested in bop and hard bop), Wilber (along with Kenny Davern, Ralph Sutton, and Dick Wellstood) was one of the few in his age group to stick to pre-bop music. In high school he formed a band that included Wellstood, and as a teenager he sat in at Jimmy Ryan's club in New York. Early on he became Sidney Bechet's protégé and led his own young group, the Wildcats (with whom he made his recording debut). The close association with the dominant Bechet led to a bit of a personality crisis in the 1950s as Wilber sought to find his own voice. He studied with Lennie Tristano and formed the Six, a group that tried to modernize early jazz. When that ended, he played Dixieland with Eddie Condon, and in 1957 joined Bobby Hackett's band for a year. Wilber freelanced throughout the 1960s, in 1968 became a founding member of the World's Greatest Jazz Band, and in 1973 he formed Soprano Summit with Kenny Davern, one of the top swing-oriented groups of the decade. A few years later the band broke up and Wilber teamed up with his wife, singer Pug Horton, in Bechet Legacy (which also featured either Glenn Zottola or Randy Sandke on trumpet). In addition, Bob Wilber has worked with the New York Jazz Repertory Company, released music on his own Bodeswell label, wrote the authentic soundtrack to the movie The Cotton Club (1984), in 1988 led a band at Carnegie Hall to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Benny Goodman's famous concert, and authored his frank memoirs, Music Was Not Enough. Influenced on soprano, clarinet, and alto by respectively Bechet, Goodman, and Johnny Hodges, Wilber has long had his own sound on each of his instruments. He recorded frequently through the years for many labels, including Arbors in the '90s and 2000s. ~ Scott Yanow

The Music Of King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band

Al Grey - The Last Of The Big Plungers

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 67:50
Size: 155.3 MB
Styles: Trombone jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:42] 1. Thing's Ain't What They Used To Be
[4:48] 2. Open Wider, Please
[3:17] 3. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
[3:06] 4. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[2:30] 5. Home Come You Do Me Like You Do
[3:08] 6. Bluish Grey
[5:13] 7. The Elder
[3:35] 8. Bewitched
[6:04] 9. Kenie-Konie
[5:49] 10. Salty Papa
[2:21] 11. Don't Cry Baby
[5:27] 12. Stranded
[2:03] 13. Tenderly
[3:43] 14. Rompin'
[5:37] 15. King Bee
[2:31] 16. When I Fall In Love
[4:49] 17. Al-Lamo

Tracks #1-9 from the album "The Last Of The Big Plungers" (Argo LP 653). Al Grey Octet: Joe Newman (tp), Al Grey, Benny Powell (tb), Billy Mitchell (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bs), Floyd Morris (p), Ed Jones (b) and Sonny Payne (d). Recorded at Ter-Mar Recording Studios, Chicago, September 25 & 28, 1959.

Tracks #10-17 from the album "The Thinking Man's Trombone" (Argo LP 677). Al Grey Nonet: Joe Newman (tp), Al Grey, Benny Powell (tb); Billy Mitchell (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bs); Freddie Green (g), Billy Higgins (p), Ed Jones (b) and Sonny Payne (d). Recorded at Ter-Mar Recording Studios, Chicago, August 23,24 & 25, 1960.

These two albums, under the leadership of trombonist Al Grey, were recorded while he was a member of Count Basie’s band. With the exception of the pianists, the men assembled to play in these sessions were all well known Basie-ites. All the charts share a spare, functional approach ideal for the three brass-two saxes instrumentation. The arrangements delve cleanly and right to the heart of swinging. Grey, famed for his plunger mute work, plays vigorously and inventively.

Both groups—an octet and a nonet—display that warm, moving blues feeling that characterized the Basie band, with all the soloists blowing with sure-footed intensity alongside the tastefully swinging leader.

The Last Of The Big Plungers

Saturday, April 23, 2022

George Evans - I'm All Smiles

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:52
Size: 128,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:55) 1. I Believe In You
(3:39) 2. You're Mine, You
(4:00) 3. When In Rome
(5:06) 4. May I Come In?
(2:58) 5. One Morning In May
(3:33) 6. I'm All Smiles
(4:51) 7. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
(5:12) 8. One At A Time
(3:21) 9. Almost In Your Arms
(3:27) 10. My Heart Tells Me
(3:55) 11. How Am I To Know?
(5:17) 12. Two For The Road
(3:31) 13. Sweet And Lovely
(3:00) 14. On The Other Side Of The Tracks

George Louis Henry Evans (born January 23, 1963) is a Canadian jazz singer. Born in Bloomington, Indiana and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Evans is the child of Robert Evans (an American) and Lucile Villeneuve Evans (a French-Canadian), both longtime faculty of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), Indiana University School of Music (opera department), and McGill University in Montreal. This early exposure to music inspired him to have a career in music, while his sister, Julie Evans, became an architect in Chicago and New York City.

Evans attended the School for Creative and Performing Arts in the Cincinnati Public Schools, where he majored in musical theater and instrumental music (trombone), and went on to study Musical Theater at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He moved to New York City and in the 1980s worked toward a career in theater while appearing as a vocalist. He chose a career as a vocalist, broadcaster, producer and archivist.

Performing as a soloist in the late 1980s in cabarets in New York City at venues such as Eighty-Eight's and Danny's Skylight Room, Evans went on to study and perform in the Montreal. He was heard on Montreal radio on CKUT and K103, and for the better part of a decade appeared in clubs and festivals before moving to Toronto in 1999.

Working as a musicologist, Evans has been hired to select and sequence projects for Verve Records in the US, including much of "The Diva Series", focusing on Verve's best-selling female singers. In 2004 he created Here Come The Boys: a Canadian Crooner Collection for Maximum Jazz and Universal Music Canada. His discography includes the album Bewitched, his first recording with strings, and Live at the Cellar, recorded in the Vancouver night club.

Evans was nominated the Canadian National Jazz Awards Vocalist of the Year (2003) and Male Vocalist of the Year (2007, 2008, 2009). He has performed across Canada in festivals including the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Montreal International Jazz Festival and Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival. He has performed at Top o' the Senator and the Montreal Bistro in Toronto, The Cellar in Vancouver, and Upstairs in Montreal. He has performed in clubs and cabarets New York City such as The Metropolitan Room and the Laurie Beechman Theater. In 2008 Evans was nominated with vocalist Mary Foster Conklin for a MAC Award in the category of best jazz duo or group. Evans's column "Vocalizing In Jazz" was a regular feature of Planet Jazz magazine. In 2009 he produced a series entitled "The Jazz Standard" for Jazz.fm in Toronto. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Evans_(singer)

I'm All Smiles

Paolo Fresu, Richard Galliano, Jan Lundgren - Mare Nostrum II

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:21
Size: 127,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:03) 1. Apnea
(5:09) 2. Blue Silence
(3:57) 3. Aurore
(3:51) 4. Kristallen den fina
(5:08) 5. Gisele
(4:30) 6. E varie notti tre vie notai - per Etule, l'amico più fragile
(4:47) 7. Farväl
(4:47) 8. Gnossienne No. 1
(3:42) 9. Lili
(4:02) 10. Leklåt
(4:11) 11. Le livre d'un père sarde
(6:10) 12. Si dolce è il tormento

Trumpeter Paolo Fresu is Sardinian, accordionist Richard Galliano is French, and Jan Lundgren, the pianist, is Swedish: three virtuosi who create entirely European music using jazz techniques. One comes up with an idea and all three contribute to the final result. These 12 pieces, with their hints of French chanson, Scandinavian folk dance, Italian love song and universal, dreamy ballads, belong to no particular category. Two of them are adapted from classical originals, one by Monteverdi and the other by Erik Satie, poles apart in time and sensibility, but here they sit happily side by side. With each piece lasting about four minutes, and the mood changing subtly from one to another, it’s a deeply enjoyable listen.

… as you’re joining us today from Canada, we have a small favour to ask. Tens of millions have placed their trust in the Guardian’s fearless journalism since we started publishing 200 years ago, turning to us in moments of crisis, uncertainty, solidarity and hope. More than 1.5 million supporters, from 180 countries, now power us financially keeping us open to all, and fiercely independent. Unlike many others, the Guardian has no shareholders and no billionaire owner. Just the determination and passion to deliver high-impact global reporting, always free from commercial or political influence. Reporting like this is vital for democracy, for fairness and to demand better from the powerful. And we provide all this for free, for everyone to read.

We do this because we believe in information equality. Greater numbers of people can keep track of the global events shaping our world, understand their impact on people and communities, and become inspired to take meaningful action. Millions can benefit from open access to quality, truthful news, regardless of their ability to pay for it. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/28/mare-nostrum-2-fresu-galliano-lundgren-review-european-jazz

Personnel: Paolo Fresu / trumpet & fluegelhorn; Richard Galliano / accordion, bandoneon & accordina; Jan Lundgren / piano

Mare Nostrum II

Frank Foster - The Frank Foster Non Electric Company

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:14
Size: 147,5 MB
Art: Front

(12:34) 1. Chiquito Loco
(10:04) 2. Theme for Ernie
( 8:17) 3. Joy Spring
(10:40) 4. Shiny Stockings
(12:43) 5. A Blues Ain't Nothing But a Trip
( 9:54) 6. Simone

Frank Foster, a saxophonist and composer/arranger best known for his longtime association with the Count Basie Orchestra, has died. He passed away in his sleep early Tuesday morning at his home in Chesapeake, Va., according to his widow and manager, Cecilia Foster. He was 82. Foster was a key member of the "New Testament" Basie band the large ensemble Basie led in the 1950s and beyond. In addition to his playing on tenor saxophone and other woodwinds, he contributed many melodies and arrangements. At least one of those tunes, "Shiny Stockings," became a jazz standard. "One of the core things about that band was that wonderful reed section, the saxophone section," says Dan Morgenstern, director of the Institute of Jazz Studies. "That was such a wonderful sound that that section had, and Frank was so much a part of that."

Foster was born Sept. 23, 1928, and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. After playing in local dance bands as a teenager, he spent some years at Wilberforce University and moved to Detroit, where many future jazz stars were evolving concurrently with a new musical language called bebop. Foster was later conscripted into the Korean War. Not long after returning to Detroit, Foster was conscripted by an employer he much preferred: William "Count" Basie. He spent 11 years with the Basie band the first go-round; he later led the Count Basie Orchestra after Basie's death for nine years, winning two Grammy awards in the process. In between, he found work as a freelance saxophonist, composer/arranger and music educator.

Foster also convened his own ensembles, including a big band, which sometimes used the name Loud Minority. He said he was especially proud of his work writing for large ensembles. "I want to make the biggest statement with the biggest group, the big band, because that's just something that's in my blood from the time I was coming up," Foster said in an interview for the Smithsonian's Jazz Oral History Program. "It has never left. I don't care what the economic conditions of the nation or the world become, or how they affect how we live and work and whatever. I have to make a statement with a big band, or there ain't going to be no statement."

In 2002, Foster was named an NEA Jazz Master. In recent years, after he again left the Basie band, NPR has followed Foster's career. After a 2001 stroke left him unable to perform, he was left with minimal pension and Social Security benefits, the result of many years of being paid in cash for his services. Additionally, Foster had given away many of his publishing rights in youthful ignorance, which deprived him of substantial royalty payments over the years. Last year, a team from Rutgers School of Law helped him win back his rights to collect royalties for his compositions, including "Shiny Stockings." Now, the family Frank Foster worried about for so many years will finally be able to collect on the fruits of his legacy. https://www.npr.org/sections/ablogsupreme/2011/07/27/138722196/frank-foster-jazz-saxophonist-and-arranger-has-died

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster; Bass – Earl May; Drums – Billy Hart; Guitar – Ted Dumbar ; Piano – Mickey Tucker

The Frank Foster Non Electric Company

Scott Wendholdt - Jam Session Vol.5

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:30
Size: 157,0 MB
Art: Front

( 6:27)  1. Dig
( 8:22)  2. Up jumped spring
( 5:51)  3. Body and Soul
( 8:02)  4. Strikezone
( 4:47)  5. If you could see me now
( 5:57)  6. After Thought
( 4:31)  7. The Duke Ellington Sound Of Love
(10:01)  8. World Wide Web
( 8:27)  9. Onion Straw

The Danish Steeplechase imprint has long recognized the fertile dynamics of jam sessions, fronting the resources for many in its roster of players to convene in just such supportive surroundings. Volumes 5 and 6 in the continuing series offer up vernal combinations and surprises while upholding producer Nils Winther’s credo of “positively no rehearsal.” Volume 5 follows the template of past entries, at least in theory, focusing on a single frontline instrument, in this particular case the trumpet. Earlier volumes, incidentally, have focused on saxophone and guitar. Fortunately Wendholt, Gisbert and Ballou are markedly different stylists on their respective brass and the resulting diversity dispels any sense of homogeneity from the bandstand. The first two players have close ties to the mainstream tributaries of bop and hard bop, while Ballou straddles these strains and also shows a strong affinity for freer forms of improvisation. Laverne heads up the rhythm section with sensitivity and poise, while Anderson and Drummond fulfill their support roles in equally amicable fashion. 

Miles Davis’ “Dig” delivers perfect fodder for the three front men to flex their embouchres and each solos brightly in loose succession. Gisbert’s tart tone contrasts with Ballou’s more rounded note runs, but it’s Wendholt who proves the smoothest of the three, peeling off buttery streams that dance and cavort against the bustling rhythm before a string of expressive exchanges takes the tune out. Freddie Hubbard’s statuesque standard “Up Jumped Spring” serves as well-chosen follow-up, as Ballou and Wendholdt don their mellow ballad hats and blow soothingly through the tune’s demulcent changes. Laverne’s elegant but understated comping acts as accommodating foil. All three also enjoy a tune apiece, individually. Wendholt steps up first, trying his hand at a romance-laden rundown of “Body and Soul,” and the rhythm section shines right alongside him, fitting his solo improvisations like hand in glove. For Gisbert it’s a lovely reading of the Tad Dameron chestnut “If You Could See Me Now.” Reclining on the plush changes, the trumpeter eases back into a solo of measured restraint and makes full use of his instrument’s satin tone. Ballou proves the most adventurous of the three, tackling Mingus’ “The Duke Ellington Sound of Love” and capturing the spirit of both departed composers in the gilded bell of his horn. A pair of Laverne-penned originals provides clever interludes while still fitting seamlessly into the overall programmatic scheme. On “Afterthought” Ballou’s pitch-perfect appraisal of the theme paves a path for the composer’s own brief but beguiling variation and a stately unison close. The somewhat regrettably titled “World Wide Web” belies the triviality of its name through another circle of outstanding brass statements and even a rare solo turn from Anderson. Everything comes together on the closer, Ballou’s “Onion Straw,” a modal tune built on dark structures reminiscent of Andrew Hill’s Sixties work for Blue Note, opening plenty of space for blowing. Trumpet fans take note: this disc is chock full of the sort of spot on playing that the instrument was designed and built for. ~ Derek Taylor https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jam-session-volume-5-various-steeplechase-records-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Personnel: Scott Wendholt- trumpet; Dave Ballou- trumpet; Greg Gisbert- trumpet; Andy Laverne- piano; Jay Anderson- bass; Billy Drummond- drums.

Jam Session  Vol.5

Friday, April 22, 2022

Manhattan Trinity - Misty

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:15
Size: 120,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:59) 1. All of Me
(5:04) 2. Misty
(5:53) 3. Li'l Darlin'
(4:04) 4. You Are My Sunshine
(6:38) 5. The Happy Saint
(7:29) 6. Shiny Stockings
(6:42) 7. Tenderly
(4:44) 8. Through the Fire
(6:44) 9. The Very Thought of You
(5:39) 10. Take the a Train

This all-star ensemble featuring Cyrus Chestnut, Lewis Nash, and George Mraz has been performing and recording off and on since the mid-90s. The musical inspiration for the band is "The Great Trio" from the 70s featuring Hank Jones, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams. This ensemble has such a tight connection, that the performances can only be described as sublime.https://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/artist/manhattan-trinity

Personnel: Cyrus Chestnut (piano); George Mraz (bass); Lewis Nash (drums)

Misty

Sam & Dave - The Best Of Sam & Dave

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:54
Size: 125.7 MB
Styles: Soul
Year: 1969/1990
Art: Front

[2:53] 1. A Place Nobody Can Find
[2:44] 2. Goodnight Baby
[2:30] 3. I Take What I Want
[2:34] 4. Sweet Home
[2:37] 5. You Don't Know Like I Know
[2:32] 6. Hold On! I'm Comin'
[2:34] 7. Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody
[2:47] 8. You Got Me Hummin'
[3:15] 9. When Something Is Wrong With My Baby
[2:36] 10. Small Portion Of Your Love
[2:29] 11. Soothe Me
[2:36] 12. Soul Man
[2:37] 13. May I Baby
[2:43] 14. I Thank You
[2:29] 15. Wrap It Up
[2:39] 16. Still Is The Night
[2:07] 17. You Don't Know What You Mean To Me
[2:22] 18. This Is Your World
[2:23] 19. Can't You Find Another Way (Of Doing It)
[2:27] 20. Soul Sister, Brown Sugar
[2:52] 21. Come On In

This music is so fiery that merely listening to will bring sweat to your brow. But the creators of such classics as "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Coming" won't stand just for listening. The energy between Sam and Dave is infectious enough to propel you to your feet. Their harmonies are tight, echoed by thrilling horn riffs, bursts of guitar solos, and when it's all about to explode, they settle back with a ballad like "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" that's every bit as moving as their uptempo tracks. This is what happens when church music goes clubbing. ~Robert Gordon

The Best Of Sam & Dave

Dan Levinson & His Swing Wing - At The Codfish Ball

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:46
Size: 173.5 MB
Styles: Traditional jazz combo, Swing
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:27] 1. At The Codfish Ball
[4:49] 2. A Garden In The Rain
[4:02] 3. Old Man Moon
[3:51] 4. Hot Club Stomp
[3:27] 5. The Wraggle Taggle Gypsies, O!
[5:09] 6. Promenade Aux Champs-Elysees
[2:20] 7. Last Night
[4:18] 8. Arabian Rhapsody
[5:24] 9. I Didn't Know About You
[4:34] 10. Keep Smiling At Trouble (Trouble's A Bubble)
[4:35] 11. The Milkman's Matinee
[2:53] 12. Oh Peter (You're So Nice)
[4:47] 13. Mis'ry And The Blues
[5:34] 14. Dr. Heckle And Mr. Jibe
[4:03] 15. Ten Cents A Dance
[4:33] 16. Copenhagen
[4:45] 17. A Brown Bird Singing
[3:06] 18. The Lorelei

"At the Codfish Ball" is the culmination of many years of preparation, during which time producer/arranger/musician Dan Levinson collected material and wrote arrangements. He has brought together an all-star lineup of talent to produce a tour de force that combines driving rhythm, lush harmony, and timeless melodies. Although most of Dan's previous CDs have focused on ragtime and early jazz, "At the Codfish Ball" is decidedly SWING, a prominent aspect of his musical persona virtually unexplored in his own recordings.

PERFORMERS: Dan Levinson, Randy Reinhart, Jim Fryer, Mark Shane, Matt Munisteri, Mike Weatherly, Kevin Dorn, Molly Ryan.

At The Codfish Ball

Kellye Gray - Purple Gray

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:06
Size: 97,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:58) 1. All the Critics Love U in New York
(4:16) 2. I Would Die 4 U
(5:16) 3. Kiss
(5:38) 4. Gotta Broken Heart Again
(4:53) 5. How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore
(5:39) 6. Anotherloverholenyohead
(5:03) 7. Nothing Compares 2 U
(5:20) 8. The Beautiful Ones

With her stunning musicality and warm, enveloping voice, Texas native Kellye Gray is one of the most accomplished jazz vocalists on the national scene. Gray’s profile continues to grow by leaps and bounds, recording over half-dozen albums as a leader and logging performances nationally and internationally at world-class venues and festivals including Lincoln Center, the Spoleto Festival, Yoshi's, SFJAZZ. Kellye has been honored to share the stage with legends Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Etta James, to name a few.

Her debut release, Standards In Gray (Justice Records) broke her onto mainstream radio in 1990 landing the fledgling, indie release into the top twenty. Her sound, crafted over years of live performance, comes from her belief that the voice is an instrument. "The real deal", says KCSM's Alisa Clancy. Gray began songwriting by 17. Self-taught on guitar she produced one-woman shows in art galleries to present her original compositions. By 19 years old she was working as a professional improvisational comic actor. Her skills landed her in the prized Stage Manager position where she learned the art of foley sound. She was using the voice in ways other than singing doing sound effects.

By 12 her parents were dragging her to blues bars and strip clubs in Dallas' Deep Ellum district or to Gulf Coast roadhouses where they would dance to unknown acts like Clifton Chenier and B.B. King. You hear the blues and rhythm at the core of every note Gray sings. It would be her dad's record collection that 'accidentally' taught her about jazz. She hung upstairs in her room with Zepplin and the Doors, Aretha and James Brown while her parents hung downstairs with Monk, Sarah and MJQ. It would be her sleepless nights that had her downstairs digging through the stacks in the living room, looking for something to help her sleep. It wouldn't be until she was 27 years old that those nights of sub-conscious jazz chords would be revealed onstage in her primal journey through her first scat solo.

Being a child of the 60's, television and radio were her gods. Television exposed her to the vaudevillian performers, comics, singers, musicians, dancers and entertainers becoming mentors and guides. She is a natural born entertainer. Rendering (Grr8 Records) the latest release is a double-disc CD package celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Gray's career alongside her new ownership rights to her debut recording, Standards in Gray (Grr8 Records). She includes a newly remastered Standards inside the Rendering package to illustrate her journey along the career highway. Rendering was recorded live inside a recording booth in front of an audience of 30. One long concert. No rehearsals. No retakes. Open mics. No headphones. A challenge for any singer, but Gray raises the bar walking the edge of improvisation in total.

All About Jazz gushes, “On Standards in Gray she emerges fully formed and precocious, with the most accomplished chops, vocal, vocalese, and scat. She is the complete package, from beginning to end. What emerges on Rendering is the only thing that can maturity, poise, and accomplishment. It is nothing short of a divine revelation to listen to the former after the latter.” http://kellyegray.com/bio

"Simply the most exciting singer to debut" says USA Today

"This is a jazz singer of rare air.” says the International Music Review.

Purple Gray

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Katrine Madsen, Jan Lundgren - My Secret

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:47
Size: 135,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:06) 1. Let's Make Music
(6:03) 2. Life
(5:29) 3. Once There Was You
(7:49) 4. My Secret
(5:04) 5. Take the Air That I Breathe
(6:01) 6. Pearls and White Ponies
(6:48) 7. Waltz for Thor
(5:29) 8. I Hear a Rhapsody
(4:49) 9. Eagle Flight
(5:02) 10. Today and Tomorrow

"Katrine Madsen is a true Danish Queen of Jazz. The nearest we get to a Shirley Horn in this part of the world...she reaches new heights with her dark toned, sensual and wide ranged alto voice. She has an expressive depth in her voice which is an inborn communicative gift seldom to be heard." JazzSpecial (Danish Jazz Magazine)

"The simpler, the better. Jazz does not have to be long, complicated solos. When jazz is at its best it presents itself as a brilliant banality. Naked music with a soul. Katrine Madsen knows the art of turning jazz into something which everyone can relate to. No academic prerequisites are needed. Everything seems straight forward and so easy. When Katrine Madsen sings we do not ask for anything else. Everything is said and every word is heard. When she sings we listen with our breath drawn in order not to disturb." BT (Danish National newspaper)

"Katrine Madsen sings with a down played and at the same time glowing expression and she writes songs which effortlessly mingle with well recognized works." Berlingske Tidende (Danish National Newpaper)

"She is exciting not only as a singer, but also as a composer and she demonstrates both talents brilliantly. Here her bluish voice vibrates with an anxious sweetness and an exhausted melancholy. Both deeply felt and teasing, with an eye for choosing the direction which others wouldn’t – and that is meant as a big compliment. There’s an unexpected maturity in her voice, daring phrasing and an almost understated reserve of energy." EKSTRA BLADET: (Danish national newspaper) https://www.highresaudio.com/en/artist/view/df41751f-8011-463f-b124-d5b017e46549/katrine-madsen

My Secret

George Evans - Movie Songs

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 55:26
Size: 126.9 MB
Styles: Vocal, Jazz vocals
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[3:46] 1. The Way You Look Tonight
[3:17] 2. Beginner's Luck
[4:17] 3. Change Partners
[5:48] 4. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
[3:21] 5. A Lot Of Livin' To Do
[3:54] 6. Dearly Beloved
[4:59] 7. It Was Written In The Stars
[7:42] 8. You Won't Forget Me
[5:06] 9. I Will Wait For You
[3:42] 10. I Dream Too Much
[5:32] 11. The Shadow Of Your Smile
[3:55] 12. Lover

George Evans is a well-known Canadian jazz vocalist and entertainer. A dual citizen of the US and Canada, he appears with regularity on both sides of the border. George has released 8 projects under his own name, and all but one on his own M-Swing Music label. Since 1997 he has enjoyed the support of the CBC and other national outlets, performing both live in concert and in studio, both on radio and televisionA background in music, theatre, broadcasting and journalism makes George a multi-disciplinary artist. His passion for vocal music has driven him to become a recognized archivist, with major label credits in A&R.

Movie Songs

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Christian McBride - The Q Sessions

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:03
Size: 71,9 MB
Art: Front

(11:18) 1. Blues Connotation
(14:47) 2. On Green Dolphin Street
( 4:56) 3. Brouhaha

Seven-time Grammy® Award-winning jazz artist Christian McBride partnered with Qobuz, the Hi-Res streaming and download service, last year to produce The Q Sessions EP. Released exclusively through their streaming platform last year, the project is now available across all platforms.

The release comes on the heels of Christian McBride & Inside Straight's Live at the Village Vanguard album, as well as the GRAMMY® Award nomination for his 2020 Christian McBride Big Band release, For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver. Additionally, McBride is touring internationally through March and will return to the US with performances through the end of June. You can see a complete schedule here.

More Information on The Q Sessions: McBride visited NYC’s Power Station last year to record three start-to-finish Hi-Res songs commissioned by Qobuz. The project was created with top-notch equipment at 24-bit/192kHz quality, and the final product streams and downloads with the exact same sound, tones and touches in which it was first recorded.

The EP features three McBride performances, played in a quartet with saxophonist Marcus Strickland, drummer Eric Harland, and guitarist Mike Stern. Comprised of one blues improv, one standard and one new original commissioned by Qobuz ("Brouhaha," a song inspired by the then-recent passing of Chick Corea), The Q Sessions was custom-designed for the jazz fans who turn to Qobuz for the best quality sound. This EP joins Qobuz’s already established catalog of exclusive content expert penned “panorama” interactive essays, artist-created playlists, liner notes and lyric booklets to add to the platform’s reputation for the best listening experience in the field.

“What a pleasure it was to put together a special group featuring one of my favorite guitarists of all time, Mike Stern. It was a great day in the studio with Mike, Marcus and Eric not only jamming a couple of tunes, but to also record a new original of mine, 'Brouhaha,'" said McBride. https://bassmagazine.com/artists/christian-mcbride-releases-the-q-sessions

Personnel: Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Christian McBride; Drums – Eric Harland; Guitar – Mike Stern; Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Marcus Strickland

The Q Sessions

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

George Evans - Bewitched

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2006
Time: 59:13
File: MP3 @320
Size: 136,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:18) 1. You're Gonna Hear From Me
(4:59) 2. Don't Be That Way
(5:35) 3. Bewitched
(4:05) 4. To The Ends Of The Earth
(2:38) 5. Believe It, Beloved
(4:52) 6. Watch What Happens
(5:23) 7. Lazy Afternoon
(3:44) 8. You Leave Me Breathless
(4:09) 9. I'm Old Fashioned
(4:19) 10. La Belle Vie - The Good Life
(5:03) 11. In Love In Vain
(5:54) 12. All Too Soon
(5:08) 13. Tonight May Have To Last Me All My Life

Singer George Evans has made a strong impression first in Canada and then in the US through his CDs and his live performances. Evans, who was born in the US, relocated to Montreal from New York in 1991. The pasture was greener in Canada and Evans made a mark in radio before he hit the live circuit. His growing reputation as a fine interpreter of songs was cemented with the release of his first album, Moodswing (M-Swing, 1997).Evans sits in a comfortable niche between jazz and cabaret. His vocal technique is carved to bring out the best of both, and he makes sure his CDs have a generous helping of the styles. Bewitched is no exception.The CD grew from three sessions. The main, comprising six of the tracks, was commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) for their radio program Jazz Beat, in 2004. Two of the songs come from 2002. They were to appear on a CD which was aborted following the death of drummer Jerry Fuller. The remaining tunes were recorded while touring Canada. Evans opens appropriately with "You're Gonna hear From Me", swinging in briskly. His inflections and the way he shapes the words weave a spell that is extended by the band, particularly Michael Stuart. He brings an undeniable character to his playing, flowing freely as he does here, or hewing close to Evans as he scats on "Don't Be That Way.Another bright spark is lit on the lilting "You Leave Me Breathless". Evans dips into the marrow of the lyrics, swinging deliciously while Reg Schwager adds the depth. He is a loquacious guitarist who constantly weaves fascinating tapestries, on this track as on many others. Evans closes with a warm ballad, "Tonight May Have to Last me All My Life". He is at the top of his calling, his singing deeply impassioned, his voice wistful and awash with hurt.Evans and his outstanding band work in close harmony to bring songs from that Great American Songbook to life. And to leave the listener bewitched.

Personnel: George Evans: vocals; Nancy Walker: piano; Mark Eisenman: piano; Steve Wallace: bass; Neil Swainson: bass; Archie Alleyne: drums; Jerry Fuller: drums; Reg Schwager: guitar; Michael Stuart: tenor sax.

Bewitched

George Evans - Live At The Cellar Vol. 1

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2008
Time: 53:05
File: MP3 @320K
Size: 121,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:04) 1. This Can't Be Love
(6:35) 2. Baubles, Bangles And Beads
(5:40) 3. Secret Love
(5:16) 4. On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
(4:08) 5. The Best Thing For You
(4:54) 6. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling
(5:58) 7. Autumn Serenade
(6:14) 8. Que Feras-Tu De Ta Vie?
(4:55) 9. Seems Like Old Times
(5:17) 10. I'll Close My Eyes

The popular Toronto vocalist performs a set of jazz favorites before a live Vancouver nightclub audience. Though a raucous and highly swinging program overall, the ballads in the set surprise with their intimacy. 

Personnel: George Evans (vocals); Cory Weeds (alto saxophone); Tilden Webb (piano); Jesse Cahill (drums). 

Recording information: The Cellar, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (05/13/2006).

Live At The Cellar  Vol. 1