Melissa Lesnie & Jean-Baptiste Franc - The Wonderful Things To Come: The Songs of JC Hopkins

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:15
Size: 90,3 MB
Art: Front

(0:51) 1. Rainy Afternoon In The Latin Quarter
(3:53) 2. The Wonderful Things To Come
(3:47) 3. Let's Pick Up Where We Left Off
(2:45) 4. Remember When
(3:33) 5. I Will Always Be There For You
(3:06) 6. Gabrielle
(1:54) 7. It's A Lovely, Lovely Thing
(3:14) 8. A Grand Way To Live
(3:39) 9. Not So All Alone
(2:36) 10. The Leaves Are Turning Brown
(3:25) 11. Do You Want to Go to France?
(2:12) 12. I'm Getting Over You
(2:13) 13. Painter Song

The Wonderful Things To Come - The JC Hopkins Songbook. a new album by Parisian vocalist Melissa Lesnie and pianist Jean-Baptiste Franc of original compositions by JC Hopkins: The album features intimate, exclusive interpretations of Grammy-nominated songwriter's unabashedly romantic jazz tunes, performed by Paris-based duo Melissa Lesnie (voice) and Jean Baptiste-Franc (piano), with jazz quartet (William Brunard, double bass and Jonathan Gomis, drums), and additional string quartet arrangements by Daniel Garlitsky.

Based in Brooklyn, the composer and songwriter JC Hopkins has built a career in the entertainment industry on originality and quality, co-authoring songs for Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux, and other major singers. His ensemble the Biggish Band has performed with Norah Jones, Jazzemia Horn, Jon Hendricks, Andy Bey and Elvis Costello, among others. In February 2022, Hopkins traveled to Paris to produce an album of his own songs in an intimate setting, Studio Libretto.

World champion of stride piano (2018) Jean-Baptiste Franc was entrusted with the task of recording these songs (many for the first time), alongside Australian-born jazz singer Melissa Lesnie, with whom Franc had already released a first album of standards in 2020. Of the ten songs on the album, some were entirely new compositions written in the wake of the pandemic; others among Hopkins's most beloved hits, such as Painter Song, originally recorded by Norah Jones.

The Wonderful Things to Come is a hope-filled journey through memory, romance, cohabitation and second chances. The JC Hopkins Songbook showcases not only the composer's skill as a lyricist and melodist, but also the talent and tenacity of these Parisian musicians at a time when the City of Lights was reawakening following the pandemic, with many lost souls seeking a soundtrack to a better world they are building for themselves and their communities.By Editorial Reviews
https://www.amazon.com/Wonderful-Things-Come-Songs-Hopkins/dp/B0BVBWQM83

The Wonderful Things To Come: The Songs of JC Hopkins

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Teddy Edwards - Steppin' Lightly

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:18
Size: 97,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:23) 1. Steppin' Lightly
(5:16) 2. Lover, Come Back To Me
(4:13) 3. A Little Later
(5:38) 4. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(4:56) 5. Fool Rush In
(4:29) 6. You Don't Know What Love Is
(5:36) 7. The Cellar Dweller
(4:44) 8. Our Last Goodbye

A pioneer hard bopper on the tenor and recognized as one of the masters in the L.A. Central Avenue scene, Edwards leaves a huge legacy of recorded music, stretching from the Forties right through to his death in 2003.

Born in Jackson, Mississippi, on 26th April 1924, Edwards moved to Los Angeles in 1945, first coming to attention the following year when, with trumpeter Howard McGhee's group, he recorded the groundbreaking bebop tune, “Up In Dodo's Room.”

By the end of that decade Edwards was sufficiently well known to front his own bands. In 1949 he was also one of the first members of the Lighthouse All Stars, the group based at the famous Lighthouse Club in Hermosa Beach.

Five years later, in 1954, Edwards was invited to join the Max Roach Quintet, a group that also featured legendary trumpeter Clifford Brown. Edwards' tenor perfectly complemented Brown's eloquent style, a partnership also helped by Teddy's growing talents as a composer. Indeed, the Quintet's recording of Edwards' classic “Sunset Eyes” is a testament to the effectiveness of the relationship.

By the mid-Fifties Edwards was long established as a regular at West Coast festivals and clubs and, over the next few years, he worked with such diverse musicians as Benny Goodman, Les McCann, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Ray Brown, Benny Carter, Hampton Hawes, Earl Hines and Gerald Wilson. He also wrote songs for Nancy Wilson, Jimmy Witherspoon and Ernie Andrews.

In 1978 Edwards came to Europe for the first of what became regular visits. Among the dates were festivals in Norway, Holland and Belgium.

Edwards' talents came to the attention of a wider audience when, in 1982, he teamed up with the singer Tom Waits on his Oscar-nominated soundtrack for Francis Ford Coppola's film, “One From the Heart.” Edwards also joined Waits on a tour of Australia and New Zealand that same year. It was the start of a lifetime friendship, a relationship that also included Waits' appearance on Teddy Edwards' 1991 album, “Mississippi Lad.”

Despite recurring illness, Edwards continued to play and record throughout the Nineties. His schedule included European festivals and UK tours as well as shows throughout the United States. A jazz player of unique talent, Edwards will be remembered as a consistently inventive and dexterous musician.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/teddy-edwards/

Steppin'Lightly

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Smith Dobson, Steve Gadd, Eddie Gomez - Smithzonian

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:47
Size: 99,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:35) 1. Smithzonian
(5:00) 2. Lullaby For V
(4:32) 3. Getting Sentimental Over You
(4:20) 4. Tones For Joan's Bones
(4:00) 5. Warning
(6:49) 6. Where Or When
(3:31) 7. Ottawa On
(4:58) 8. Isotope
(4:58) 9. It's A Quiet Thing

Steve Gadd: is one of the most sought-after studio/live drummers in the world. His feel, technique, and musicality on such tunes as Paul Simon's "Fifty Ways", Steely Dan's "Aja", and Chick Corea's "Nite Sprite" were so awe-inspiring and his concepts so innovative that they instantly assured his special position in the history of the percussive arts. Gadd attended the Manhattan School of Music as well as Eastman School of Music. After the army, he rapidly rose to prominence with a wide variety of artists, including Al DiMeola, Stanley Clarke, Rickie Lee Jones, Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Dr. John, Michel Petrucciani and Stuff. Today, Gadd is as busy as ever, working with James Taylor, Eric Clapton, Blicher Hemmer Gadd, Mika Stoltzman, and his own, Grammy Award Winning Steve Gadd Band!

Eddie Gomez: was born in 1944 in Santurce, Puerto Rico. He moved to New York City with his family when he was a child. He attended the New York City High School of Performing and Art, and later graduated from the Juilliard school in 1963. By age 18 he had also played with such luminaries as Paul Bley, Buck Clayton, and Marian McPartland. Soon after this period, he would begin an 11 year stint with Bill Evans and the Bill Evans Trio. He would tour and record extensively with the group during his time, with 2 albums winning grammy awards. Eddie Gomez left the Bill Evans Trio in 1977, and has since played with Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, McCoy Tyner, Hank Jones, Nancy Wilson, and Chick Corea. Two of the albums that Eddie Recorded with Chick have been awarded Grammys.
Http://www.highresaudio.com/en/artist/view/5c3433e8-5e76-40ad-bbd7-9dfe05884a2d/steve-gadd-eddie-gomez-ronnie-cuber

Smith Dobson: Jazz musician Smith Dobson was a renowned pianist in the South Bay area of California. Dobson initially received his appreciation of music at a young age via his mother, who sang and taught him harmony (his father was also musical, playing piano and accordion). After attending San Francisco State University and the University of the Pacific, Dobson honed his piano skills working the Nevada casino circuit. In 1967, Dobson joined the Airmen of Note (a United States Air Force band) which was the official White House Jazz Band, as he recorded with the likes of Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Joe Pass, Arthur Prysock, Clark Terry, Joe Williams, and Nancy Wilson. Dobson then returned back home, where he either played for or recorded with such artists as Woody Shaw, Bud Shank, Frank Rosolino, Freddie Hubbard, Pharaoh Sanders, Joe Henderson, Art Pepper, Richie Cole, Eddie Jefferson, Mark Murphy, and Bobby Hutcherson. In 1981, Dobson founded what would go on to become San Jose, CA's, most successful and longest-running annual jazz concerts, the Jazz Series at Garden City, during which he shared the stage with Stan Getz, Toots Thielmans, and Herb Ellis, among many others. Dobson also performed on his own, as part of a trio (which appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival from 1984 through 1993), and alongside his wife, jazz vocalist Gail Dobson. In addition to appearing on numerous albums by other artists, Dobson also released his own albums 1986's Smithzonian, 1988's Live at Garden City, and Sasha Bossa and in 1995, he was the featured pianist on arranger Ray Brown's album, Impressions of Point Lobos. Dobson also found time to teach music to others at the University of California (Santa Cruz) and San Jose State University (where he helped form the first San Jose Summer Jazz Camp), and also served on such music boards as the San Jose Jazz Society, the Stanford Jazz Alliance, and the Kuumbwa Jazz Center. On April 20, 2001, Smith Dobson was tragically killed in a car crash while driving home from a performance
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/smith-dobson-mn0000023084/biography

Personnel: Smith Dobson - Piano; Eddie Gomez - Bass; Steve Gadd - Drums

Smithzonian

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Wayne Shorter - The All Seeing Eye

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:33
Size: 102,5 MB
Art: Front

(10:34) 1. The All Seeing Eye
(11:48) 2. Genesis
( 6:57) 3. Chaos
( 5:32) 4. Face Of The Deep
( 9:40) 5. Mephistopheles

With such titles as "The All Seeing Eye," "Genesis," "Chaos," "Face of the Deep," and "Mephistopheles," it is clear from the start that the music on this LP is not basic bop and blues. Wayne Shorter (who composed four of the five originals) picked an all-star cast (trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, altoist James Spaulding, trombonist Grachan Moncur III, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Joe Chambers, along with brother Alan Shorter on flügelhorn for the final song) to perform and interpret the dramatic selections, and their brand of controlled freedom has plenty of subtle surprises. This is stimulating music that still sounds fresh. By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-all-seeing-eye-mw0000097755

Personnel: Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone; Freddie Hubbard – trumpet, flugelhorn; Grachan Moncur III – trombone; James Spaulding – alto saxophone; Herbie Hancock – piano; Ron Carter – bass; Joe Chambers – drums; Alan Shorter – flugelhorn (track 5 only)

The All Seeing Eye

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Mike Melito - To Swing is the Thing

Styles: Jazz, Swing
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:01
Size: 146,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:27) 1. You Said It
(4:57) 2. Big Red
(7:10) 3. A Bee Has Two Brains
(6:53) 4. Blue Key
(6:27) 5. Lush Life
(4:55) 6. Make Believe
(6:38) 7. Ruby My Dear
(7:57) 8. Straight Street
(5:52) 9. Three For Carson
(5:40) 10. Locke Bop

Twenty-eight years ago, in March 1994, Mike Melito's fellow Rochesterian, Chuck Mangione, presented a traveling festival in upstate New York. He hired Roy McCurdy to play with Nat Adderley - with whom McCurdy had played on 7 leaders, plus another 19 with Cannonball Adderley, between 1966 and 1979 - in a band that included pianist Don Menza and Rochester guitar stalwart Bob Sneider. He assigned Melito to the other act, James Moody, in a unit including then up-and-coming pianist Danilo Pérez.

Roy and I hit it off right away, Melito says. I'd obviously been checking him out for years. We played the same set of drums, same cymbals and I learned a lot about sound. He didn't talk to me about anything. I watched him, and figured out what he was doing that I wasn't. I believe you're a student forever. I work a lot on my sound, on my hands, on my cymbal beat. My goal has always been to sound as authentic as possible as a player and strive for the same sound as my heroes.

Melito offered this self-assessment after relating an encounter some thirty years ago with iconic drum conceptualist Max Roach, whom he'd studied closely since age 12, when Melito heard the 1947 Charlie Parker-Miles Davis-Roach classic Dewey Square on the first jazz record I ever bought on my own. Another Rochester friend, trumpeter John Sneider, had played Roach some tapes featuring Melito, and the maestro noticed.

I met Max and he gave me one of the greatest compliments I've ever received, Melito recounts. He said, 'You really know how to phrase; the snare drum...' and gave me a big hug. The 56-year-old master offers a highly personalized refraction of Roach's late 1950s investigations of the possibilities of 3/4 waltz time towards the end of his eighth self-released album, To Swing Is The Thing, a title that efficiently encapsulates the imperatives that have driven him through 40 years as a professional drummer.By Editorial Reviewshttps://www.amazon.com/Swing-Thing-Mike-Melito/dp/B0BVSDM92R

Personnel: Mike Melito- drums; Grant Stewart- tenor saxophone; Joe Magnarelli - trumpet and flugelhorn; Jeb Patton- piano; Neal Miner - bass

To Swing is the Thing

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Chris Byars - Look Ahead

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:42
Size: 143,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:56) 1. Times Square Lights
(6:35) 2. Melatonin'
(6:04) 3. Look Ahead
(5:47) 4. Endure And Remain
(5:39) 5. Bophthalmology
(6:36) 6. Little Quito
(5:51) 7. 3D Flat
(5:45) 8. Four For Plov
(4:54) 9. Blessings For Giacomo
(7:29) 10. This Account Is Private

The tenor of Chris Byars is nicely paired with the guitar of Pasquale Grasso here in an album without any piano at all, which allows for even more freeplay between the two instruments! Things still swing nicely thanks to the work of Ari Roland on bass and Keith Balla on drums but Byars also penned some great original material that really fits the open spirit of the record at a level that showcases the strong sense of color that Grasso has on his guitar, and that lean, almost raspy tone that can make Chris a very distinct player on tenor. Titles include "Little Quito", "3D Flat", "Times Square Lights", "Melatonin", "Blessings For Giacomo", and "This Account Is Private".
© 1996-2023, Dusty Groove, Inc.https://www.dustygroove.com/item/141224/Chris-Byars:Look-Ahead

Personnel: Chris Byars - (tenor saxophone); Pasquale Grasso - (guitar); Ari Roland - (bass); Keith Balla - (drums)

Look Ahead

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Tap That Jazz - Respect - Sing That Fight

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:58
Size: 156,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:41) 1. Respect
(4:41) 2. Strange Fruit
(6:24) 3. Caro Nome - Rigoletto
(4:39) 4. Decolonise (Don't Just Recognise)
(7:40) 5. E Strano!/ah, Fors 'É Lui/follie, Follie! - La Traviata
(4:48) 6. Sodade
(4:32) 7. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
(5:43) 8. Arnaq
(4:46) 9. Casta Diva - Norma
(4:34) 10. Les Tringles Des Sistres Tintaient - Carmen
(5:53) 11. Une Sorcière Comme Les Autres
(4:05) 12. Piece Of My Heart
(5:28) 13. Mississippi Goddam

Jazz (formerly known as Les Oignons), features songs performed by the group in a stage show, Sing That Fight, which celebrated in vintage jazz style the lives and songs of an eclectic range of female vocalists, many outside the jazz idiom, whose careers had been affected by sexism and racism. The belittling of female jazz and blues musicians, rife in the past, has been a cause commendably flagged up by Frémeaux on other albums. Names mentioned in this album’s notes range from Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Billie Holiday to Janis Joplin and Maria Callas.

The basic quintet’s instrumentation, with banjo, sousaphone and washboard as rhythm, suggests archaic New Orleans style, but the group’s musical aims are more ambitious and far reaching. Carefully planned arrangements tackle, with varying degrees of success, repertoire from operatic arias, soul, pop ballads, Latin and blues. Billie’s Strange Fruit is the only familiar jazz classic.
https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2022/05/17/tap-that-jazz-respect/

Personnel: June MILO (chant vocals); Cajoune GIRARD (Washboard | choeurs backing vocals); Julien VARDON (claquettes tap dance); Julien SILVAND (Trompette trumpet | choeurs backing vocals | direction | composition & paroles lyrics (4) | arrangement); Dominique MANDIN (Sax ténor tenor sax | choeurs backing vocals); Rémi OSWALD (Banjo | choeurs backing vocals); Raphaël MARTIN (Soubassophone sousaphone)

Respect - Sing That Fight

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Swing Shift Big Band - Full House

Styles: Swing, Big Band
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:09
Size: 108,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:47) 1. Speak No Evil
(4:15) 2. Triste
(3:32) 3. Singin' In The Rain
(3:45) 4. Afternoon
(4:20) 5. Walk On By
(4:06) 6. From Now On
(5:11) 7. Sweet Chaos
(3:21) 8. Mary Ann
(4:16) 9. The Look Of Love
(5:18) 10. Dream Of The Return
(3:11) 11. The Magic Of Christmas (Bonus Track)

This is the home of Canada’s Premier Big Band - Jim John's Swing Shift Big Band. From the band’s beginning in 1996 it quickly became apparent that this was a band intent on preserving the sounds and quality of the big band era a band that has since been recognized as one of the top big bands in the country.

With 17 talented musicians, male and female vocalists and optional dancers and female vocal trio, this band can entertain audiences of all ages. From dances, corporate galas, and jazz festivals to weddings, theatre shows and everything in-between, Swing Shift has the variety to suit any occasion. We can also provide smaller groups, ranging from solo piano, trio, quartet and right up to our very popular 11 piece group a versatile band that specializes in music for all ages. Leader Jim John has twenty years of leadership experience he knows how to make your event a big success.
https://swingshiftbigband.com/s3/

Full House

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Richie Beirach - Leaving

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:53
Size: 177,2 MB
Art: Front

( 7:51) 1. Nardis
(14:17) 2. What Is This Thing Called Love / Alone Together / Blue In Green
( 5:04) 3. Round Midnight
( 4:53) 4. On Green Dolphin Street
( 7:35) 5. Some Other Time
( 6:10) 6. Solar
(13:49) 7. Spring Is Here / Maiden Voyage / Monk´S Drem / You Don´T Know What Love Is
( 3:42) 8. Footprints
(13:29) 9. Leaving / Sunday Song

On Leaving, recorded in France in 2022, Richie Beirach revisits thirteen evergreen standards, seven of them grouped together in two medleys, and two of his own compositions ("Leaving," "Sunday Song") written in the 1970s. The album is Beirach's first live solo recording since 1981.

All of the material is more than familiar to Beirach and will be equally well known to seasoned jazz fans. In his liner note, Beirach says that this was intentional. He wanted to roam freely over material that he knew as well as the backs of his hands, taking whatever twists and turns flashed into his mind on the hoof, and he wanted the audience, too, to be so at home with the tunes that they would have a frame of reference for every diversion, digression and discursion that he embarked on. Composers include Miles Davis, Cole Porter, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Leonard Bernstein, Richard Rodgers, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. Full track listing below.

Beirach also says that he did not approach the performance with a setlist. Instead he made a long list of many tunes he considered playing that evening and at the top of the list wrote: "Choose from." At this point in his life as a pianist, he says, he has put aside intellectual considerations such as consciously thinking about the music at hand or preparing a programme in advance. He is instead wholly concerned with expressionism and being in the moment. (He expounds further on this in the YouTube clip below).

What results are not definitive, or even necessarily substantial, reimaginings of the thirteen warhorses, but rather the spontaneous musical equivalent of a word association game.

The more familiar the listener is with the source material, the more compelling they are likely to find Beirach's expositions. Non-sequiturs abound, as do rococo embellishments and, frankly, melodramatic flourishes. The prevailing mood is rhythmically intense and the only sustained moments of reflection come with the closing "Leaving" and "Sunday Song." But the overall effect is as Beirach intended, and seventy-five unpredictable minutes fly. By Chris May
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/leaving-richie-beirach-jazzline-records

Personnel: Richie Beirach: piano.

Leaving

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Jan Savitt And His Top Hatters Orchestra - 1938 & 1939 Broadcasts (Live)

Styles: Big Band, Swing
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:26
Size: 140,4 MB
Art: Front

(1:58) 1. Opening Theme
(2:32) 2. I Married An Angel
(3:16) 3. Heart & Soul
(2:51) 4. Could You Pass In Love ?
(3:44) 5. Mood Indigo
(2:15) 6. A - Tisket A - Tasket
(2:51) 7. No Wonder
(3:05) 8. Love Of My Life
(3:06) 9. What Are You Doing Tonight ?
(3:08) 10. The Yam
(1:41) 11. Closing Theme
(0:56) 12. Opening Theme
(2:34) 13. Back To Back
(3:42) 14. I Poured My Heart Into A Song
(2:46) 15. Cinderella
(3:56) 16. Day In, Day Out
(3:02) 17. 720 In The Books
(2:49) 18. To You
(2:53) 19. Ring Dem Bells
(2:57) 20. A Man And His Dream
(4:15) 21. It's A Wonderful World & Closing Theme

The birth date of violinist, vocalist, arranger, and bandleader Jan Savitt is in dispute; although his birthday is officially listed as September 4, 1913, Savitt could have been born as early as 1908. Savitt's father played in Tsar Nicholas II's Imperial Regiment Band, and his family came to America in 1914. Savitt played violin as a child, and was invited to join the Philadelphia Orchestra at 15.

He studied both in Europe and at the Curtis Institute, and in the '30s formed a string quartet that had a nationally broadcast show. He formed his Top Hatters band in 1937 and began touring in 1938. A child prodigy and accomplished player, his real fame came as a bandleader. His groups were thoroughly practiced and disciplined, with an ensemble sound considered among the finest of the era. Their signature song was "Quaker City Jazz," and they had a big hit with "720 in the Books."

Savitt's band included vocalist George Tunnell, who used the name Bon Bon and was one of the first Black singers or instrumentalists to work with a white band. The group had a number of his in the '40s, then made some low-budget films in 1946 and 1947. Savitt died suddenly while on a tour in 1948. By Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jan-savitt-mn0000214192/biography

1938 & 1939 Broadcasts (Live)

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Dionne Warwick - Playlist: The Best Of Dionne Warwick

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:10
Size: 137.8 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, AM pop
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[2:53] 1. Walk On By
[2:55] 2. Do You Know The Way To San Jose
[2:44] 3. People Get Ready
[2:43] 4. Trains And Boats And Planes
[3:01] 5. Anyone Who Had A Heart
[2:50] 6. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
[2:44] 7. Don't Make Me Over
[2:45] 8. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
[3:03] 9. I Say A Little Prayer
[3:06] 10. Peace Of Mind
[3:06] 11. Message To Michael
[2:55] 12. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
[3:34] 13. (Theme From) Valley Of The Dolls
[2:24] 14. Another Night
[4:19] 15. This Girl's In Love With You
[3:06] 16. We've Only Just Begun
[2:21] 17. Don't Go Breaking My Heart
[2:45] 18. Alfie
[2:49] 19. (They Long To Be) Close To You
[3:57] 20. Then Came You

In 1962, Warwick released her first single, "Don't Make Me Over." It became a hit the following year. A typo on the record led to an accidental name. Instead of "Dionne Warrick," the label read "Dionne Warwick." She decided to keep the new moniker and went on to greater chart success. In 1964, Warwick had two Top 10 singles with "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "Walk On By"—both penned by Bacharach and David. "Walk On By" was also her first No. 1 R&B hit.

More hits, including many written by Bacharach and David, followed as the 1960s progressed. "Message to Michael" made the Top 10 in 1966, and her version of "I Say A Little Prayer" climbed as high as the No. 4 spot the following year. Warwick also found great success with her contributions to movie soundtracks. The theme song for the 1967 film Alfie, starring Michael Caine, was a solid success for her, as was "Valley of the Dolls," from the 1968 movie of the same name.

In 1968, Warwick had other hits, including her trademark tune "Do You Know the Way to San Jose," which earned Warwick her first Grammy Award. That same year, Warwick made history as the first African-American woman to perform for Queen Elizabeth II in England.

Playlist: The Best Of Dionne Warwick

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Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts, Bruce Barth, Tim Warfield - Fly with the Wind

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:47
Size: 84,7 MB
Art: Front

( 6:57) 1. All Members
(13:24) 2. Fly with the Wind
( 8:58) 3. Naima
( 7:26) 4. Yes I Can, No You Can't

Terell Stafford, Tim Warfield, Dick Oatts, Bruce Barth, Mike Boone and Justin Faulkner pay tribute to Philadelphia’s iconic jazz composers on Fly With the Wind. The second outing by the all-star Temple Jazz Sextet features inspired arrangements of compositions by John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Heath and Lee Morgan.
https://www.jazziz.com/10-albums-you-need-to-know-april-2023/

Personnel: Terell Stafford, trumpet; Dick Oatts, alto saxophone; Bruce Barth, piano; Tim Warfield, tenor saxophone; Mike Boone, bass; Justin Faulkner, drums

Fly with the Wind

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Tianna Esperanza - Terror

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:08
Size: 76,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:01) 1. Terror
(1:49) 2. Princess Slit And The Raincoat Prince
(3:57) 3. Lewis
(2:40) 4. Tempered Heart
(4:24) 5. Granada
(2:17) 6. Buy You A New Attitude
(4:10) 7. Three Straight Bitches From Hell
(4:18) 8. Hunger (Feat. Mick Flannery)
(3:33) 9. Pick A Stone (Feat. Rachael Yamagata)
(1:54) 10. Lone Child (Feat. Valerie June)

We might only be two months into the new year but regardless Tianna Esperanza has released undoubtedly one of the top albums of 2023 with the release of their debut Terror. After teasing its release via a string of superb singles that revealed the resolute and stunning depths of her music, the full collection is now available to stream.

Ten songs of lush poetics made all the more compelling by Esperanza’s eviscerating vulnerability and rallying spirit. Taking cues from the likes of Nina Simone and Public Enemy, the music that pools within Terror is as much about confronting the blemishes left by life’s darkest moments as it is about emerging from them definitively.
https://www.grimygoods.com/2023/02/28/tianna-esperanza-debut-album-terror/

Terror

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Antonio Zambrini & Rita Marcotulli - La Conversazione

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:17
Size: 98,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:40) 1. Beatriz
(3:15) 2. Natale a Riminni
(2:26) 3. Garrincha
(5:49) 4. Small Ballad
(6:11) 5. La Strada
(5:39) 6. Melamp
(2:25) 7. Passato di Vedura
(3:35) 8. Giant Steps
(3:18) 9. Antonia
(2:35) 10. Canto Triste
(3:19) 11. Here's That Rainy Day

Born 1959, Rome, Italy. Playing piano from early childhood, Marcotulli studied classical music at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory before being drawn to Brazilian music. She also began moving onto the fringes of jazz and established a local reputation at first, before becoming well known among contemporary jazz audiences both at home and abroad. This was largely due to playing with musicians such as Chet Baker, Richard Galliano, Jon Christensen, Palle Danielsson, Peter Erskine, Steve Grossman, Joe Henderson, Hélène La Barrière, Joe Lovano, Tony Oxley, Michel Portal, Enrico Rava, Michel Bénita, Aldo Romano and Kenny Wheeler. In 1987 she was nominated for the Best Young Talent award in the Music Jazz Poll and the following year she was a member of Billy Cobham’s band, touring Europe and the USA and appearing on 1989’s Incoming. She spent some time in Sweden, before returning to Italy in the early 90s. In the late 90s, she played the San Remo festival in duo with Pat Metheny and also appeared as a member of a piano trio, with Paul Bley and John Taylor, at the Olympic Theatre of Vicenza.

Among other musicians with whom Marcotulli has worked and sometimes recorded are Sal Nistico, Pino Daniele, Andy Sheppard, Charlie Mariano, Marilyn Mazur, Roberto Gatto, Bob Moses, and she has had a long-term musical relationship with Dewey Redman. Marcotulli has claimed the influence of musicians such as Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans and John Coltrane. A highly skilled performer, she chooses to play in a style that derives as much from pop and folk as jazz. In addition to playing in jazz circles, Marcotulli has also composed music for the dance theatre and for films. By AllMusic
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rita-marcotulli-mn0000808191/biography

La Conversazione

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Coleman Hawkins & Henry "Red" Allen - Reunion In Hi-Fi. The Complete Classic Sessions

Reunion In Hi-Fi. The Complete Classic Sessions CD 1
Styles: Saxophone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2009
Time: 61:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 142,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:52) 1. Love Is Just Around The Corner
(5:32) 2. Let Me Miss You, Baby
(4:42) 3. Ride, Red, Ride
(8:27) 4. I Cover The Waterfront
(5:30) 5. 'S Wonderful
(3:45) 6. St. James Infirmary
(6:52) 7. Algiers Bounce
(5:14) 8. Love Me Or Leave Me
(5:38) 9. I've Got The World On A String
(4:10) 10. Ain't She Sweet
(5:35) 11. Sweet Lorraine

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Reunion In Hi-Fi. The Complete Classic Sessions CD 2
Time: 68:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 159,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:00) 1. Battle Hymn Of The Republic
(4:22) 2. Frankie And Johnny
(2:58) 3. When The Saints Go Marchin' In
(6:23) 4. South
(4:28) 5. Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey?
(5:02) 6. The Blues
(3:55) 7. Maryland, My Maryland
(3:32) 8. Stormy Weather
(3:45) 9. Mean To Me
(5:57) 10. The Lonesome Road
(4:34) 11. Sleepy Time Gal
(5:00) 12. Summertime
(3:16) 13. All Of Me
(2:36) 14. Tea For Two
(4:49) 15. Wild Man Blues
(4:57) 16. Rosetta

Five blowing sessions from 1957 and 1958 find singing trumpeter Henry "Red" Allen and tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins jamming with some of New York's best mainstream traditional jazz musicians. The seed bed, as it were, for these studio recording dates was the Metropole, a big smoky nightclub up on Seventh Avenue, not far from Times Square. Hawkins, a seasoned veteran of the music, often comes across as gruff and blustery in this company, exactly as he did when they gigged together at the Metropole, where rowdy, beer-swilling audiences loudly demanded material that was more old-fashioned than what Hawkins preferred to play at that point in his life. Hawkins and Allen hadn't recorded together since 1933.

Their initial contact had been as members of Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra, and the presence of ex-Henderson bandsmen in trombonist J.C. Higginbotham and clarinetist Buster Bailey makes the first 11 tracks (most of which was initially released as Ride, Red, Ride in Hi Fi and reissued by RCA Bluebird in 1990 as World on a String) feel like a true reunion. Presented as Henry "Red" Allen's All-Stars, the group was supported by a rhythm section led by pianist Marty Napoleon. Allen himself played and sang some of the best jazz of his life on this album.

Here at long last it is compiled into the same package with similar recordings from 1957-1958 which have been released under numerous headings, most appropriately on the Jass label as High Standards and Warhorses. This wonderful compilation is rounded off with two excerpts from the CBS television special The Sound of Jazz, taped on December 5, 1957 with Allen leading an even tougher group combining full-strength Hawkins with the individualism of clarinetist Pee Wee Russell, trombonist Vic Dickenson, and cornetist Rex Stewart.By arwulf arwulf
https://www.allmusic.com/album/reunion-in-hi-fi-the-complete-classic-sessions-mw0001304883

Credits: Arranged By – Dewey Bregman (tracks: 2-1 to 2-7), Larry Clinton (tracks: 2-8 to 2-14); Bass – Chubby Jackson (tracks: 2-8 to 2-14), Lloyd Trotman (2) (tracks: 1-1 to 1-11), Milt Hinton (tracks: 2-1 to 2-7, 2-15, 2-16); Clarinet – Buster Bailey (tracks: 1-1 to 1-11), Pee Wee Russell (tracks: 2-15, 2-16), Sol Yaged (tracks: 2-1 to 2-7); Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Earl Warren (tracks: 2-8 to 2-14); Cornet – Rex Stewart (tracks: 2-15, 2-16); Drums – Cozy Cole (tracks: 1-1 to 2-7), George Wettling (tracks: 2-8 to 2-14), Jo Jones (tracks: 2-15, 2-16); Guitar – Danny Barker (tracks: 2-15, 2-16), Everett Barksdale (tracks: 1-1 to 1-11); Piano – Lou Stein (tracks: 2-1 to 2-7), Marty Napoleon (tracks: 1-1 to 1-11, 2-8 to 2-14), Nat Pierce (tracks: 2-15, 2-16); Tenor Saxophone – Coleman Hawkins; Trombone – J.C. Higginbotham (tracks: 1-1 to 2-7), Vic Dickenson (tracks: 2-15, 2-16); Trumpet – Henry "Red" Allen

Reunion In Hi-Fi. The Complete Classic Sessions CD 1, CD 2

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Eric Alexander - A New Beginning - Alto Saxophone with Strings

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:28
Size: 121,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:41) 1. Blues for Diane
(5:40) 2. Embraceable You
(4:53) 3. All My Tomorrows
(7:21) 4. Maybe September
(4:53) 5. To Love and Be Loved
(3:44) 6. Anita
(4:43) 7. She Was Too Good to Me
(5:40) 8. Too Late Now
(6:48) 9. Blues for Diane (Alternate Take)

As difficult times often beget new beginnings, the COVID-19 quagmire gave birth to alto saxophonist Eric Alexander. To some, a tenor-to-alto switch may not seem to be a newsworthy matter, but for the initiated it's the stuff of headlines. An inveterate tenor at the apex of the scene for more than three decades, Eric put the alto away in his teen years and never looked back.

"But with the dearth of opportunities to play during the pandemic, I started to work on it," he confesses. After successfully pitching the idea of using his second saxophone-with-strings project as a debut on alto, the present recording is quite simply astounding. Working with his regular rhythm section and adding ace string arrangements, this altoist delivers one revelatory performance after another.By Editorial Reviews
https://www.amazon.com/New-Beginning-Alto-Saxophone-Strings/dp/B0BX4LVZ1V?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

A New Beginning - Alto Saxophone with Strings

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Sonja Indin - And Then She Wrote - Poetry Goes Jazz

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:35
Size: 137,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:03) 1. This Poem
(3:33) 2. Expecting You – Accepting You
(4:21) 3. Mom's Care (Mom's Song)
(4:45) 4. It All Seems Like Nothing At All
(5:17) 5. Rainbow
(4:19) 6. Femme Phénoménale
(3:56) 7. Inventory
(3:41) 8. And Then I Wrote
(4:28) 9. Freedom (Welcome)
(3:46) 10. Sometimes It's Hard Being A Mom
(3:31) 11. Friendship
(4:16) 12. Renewal
(4:18) 13. Vers La Fin De L'hiver (A Day In Paris)
(4:13) 14. Take Good Care – Heb Dier Sorg

There's the title cut: or rather, the George Shearing instrumental to which Indin has set her own lyrics, and whose title "And then I wrote" she (re)makes her own, in tribute to the female poets she has mobilised for her project.

Indin's feisty words against Shearing's cool vibe create a productive tension, as the female practitioner of a male dominated craft takes over the "master's tools", not so much to dismantle his house as to rebuild it, driven both by her need for liberation "Speak your mind, pronounce it" and by her desire for a revivification of a revered tradition "I first heard this song / I had to hum along, / N' then I wrote these lines / Substantial words that rhyme." Rather than being cowed by her great predecessors, or crushed by the continuing injustices of her age ("Bewildered as I am / In these modern times"), Indin resolves to make her mark, on the musical world and in her life as a woman and mother.

Because, as she writes, "Who gives in speechless? / Careless? Wordless?" Well, not Sonja Indin, that's for sure.https://propermusic.com/products/sonjaindin-andthenshewrotepoetrygoesjazz

And Then She Wrote - Poetry Goes Jazz

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Die Drei Damen With Lisa Wahlandt, Andrea Hermenau & Christiane Ottl - Venus in The Backyard

Styles: Vocal, Post Bop
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:16
Size: 111,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:08) 1. Count on me
(3:01) 2. Wanderer
(4:02) 3. Love yourself
(3:45) 4. Time after time
(3:59) 5. Venus in the backyard
(2:38) 6. Old country
(4:13) 7. Dat dere
(4:02) 8. Embrace
(2:57) 9. Price tag
(2:55) 10. For the longest time
(3:36) 11. One for my baby
(3:18) 12. Here comes the sun
(4:36) 13. Calling you

The three ladies are charming again! They sing about Venus in the backyard, who wears a sparkling smile on her lips, about the warming embrace that makes the world a magical place, or about the wanderer whom she would love to accompany as she walks through the beauties of this earth. The three ladies playfully mix jazz with pop music in a playful, playful way. "Venus in the Backyard", the third CD of the Drei Damen sounds airy, like a breeze, but also earthy-grooving and winking-swinging, and in the slim cast with three voices, piano and bass. Since 2013, singer Lisa Wahlandt, pianist Andrea Hermenau and bassist Christiane Öttl have thrilled their audience with jazzy songs.

After the debut album 2014 and the excursions to Bavarian and German on "Dream Farther" in 2016, the master musicians have now focused on English-language hits and each of them has contributed to "Venus in the Backyard" an own composition. From the classic "One for my Baby" from the 40s to George Harrison's "Here comes the sun" to Cindy Lauper's 80s hit "Time after Time" to Bruno Mars' "Count on me" from 2010.

Their interpretations of familiar songs are like fresh air treatments for these hits. Brilliantly transparent is the band sound, clear and pure, the voices merge, with precisely articulated text. Wahlandt, Hermenau and Öttl prove a fine hand in their song selection. Songs that have a story and tell. Current pop songs are freed from the excessive production ballast and come as weightless chansons therefore, Jesse J's "Price Tag" about. Ed Sheeran's "Love Yourself", on the other hand, gets really groove-tailwind through casual Fender Rhodes sounds and the body percussion of guest musician and drummer Gabriel Hahn.

Back to the Jazzwurzeln the three ladies is in Bobby Timmons "Dat Dere". Here, saxophonist Mulo Francel from Quadro Nuevo as a guest may unpack his wonderfully creaky tenor saxophone sound. Playfulness, the highest musicality and an intimate band feeling are the secrets of the Three Ladies.By Editorial Reviews
https://www.amazon.com/Backyard-WAHLANDT-ANDREA-HERMENAU-CHRISTIANE/dp/B07GW2R798

Venus in The Backyard

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Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience - Made For Her

Styles: Vocal, Big Band
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:20
Size: 60,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:22) 1. Sing Me Anything
(3:04) 2. Multiplied By Two
(3:06) 3. All Because Of You
(3:11) 4. This Old Man
(3:21) 5. Losing You
(3:19) 6. Say Goodnight
(3:07) 7. Multiplied By Two (Remix)
(2:47) 8. Love Me Tender (Live)

I'm surrounded by influential women in my life. My mom had four sisters - I have two - and growing up I enjoyed three great aunts who were like grandparents to me. Too, I started the Big Band Experience with an incomparable ally, Michelle, who has worked tirelessly by my side (Okay, actually I am usually running to catch up with her).

And now, I am lucky to be surrounded by three daughters and a beautiful partner in my wife, Mary, who not only supports me at hundreds of shows (with three girls in tow and a career of her own), but who also creates videos and brainstorms the next great ideas with me. Each track on this album was made as an homage to those around me. And the thread that clearly connects each song is HER.
https://musicconnection.us/UPC/760137565116

Shaun Johnson & The Big Band Experience are: Shaun Johnson - Lead Vocals (Saint John’s University); Aaron Moe – Alto Saxophone (Chair of the Music Department, Normandale Community College); Jeff Carver – Trumpet (Buena Vista University); David Stamps – Trombone (Assistant Professor of Jazz/Composition, Gustavus Adolphus College); Ronny Loew – Tenor Saxophone (Berklee College of Music); David Stanoch – Percussion (Percussion Faculty, McNally Smith College of Music); Theodore Brown – Piano (Music Education/Opera, Xavier University); Jim Bierma – Bass (Professor, University of Minnesota)

Made For Her

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Mark Soskin - Empathy

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:36
Size: 156,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:27) 1. Saints And Sinners
(4:32) 2. Three Flowers
(5:00) 3. Waltz For Zoe
(5:30) 4. In a Silent Way
(6:04) 5. Shadow Dancing
(5:09) 6. Small Victories
(5:56) 7. Little Fingers
(5:33) 8. Breathless
(6:55) 9. Wanderlust
(5:25) 10. Better Time
(6:36) 11. Fuchsia
(5:23) 12. Empathy

Empathy is the perfect title for this intimate session from pianist Mark Soskin and bassist Jay Anderson a set that's spare, but never sleepy or too relaxed as the players really understand each other well enough to swing at most moments, even when gentle as they make their way through a batch of material that was mostly penned for the record by Soskin. His tunes include "Fuchsia", "Better Times", "Little Fingers", "Small Victories", "Shadow Dancing", and "Waltz For Zoe"all beautiful numbers with a vibe that's as poetic as their titles balanced by nice takes on "Three Flowers" and "In A Silent Way". © 1996-2023, Dusty Groove, Inc.

Empathy

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