Carmen McRae - The Diva Series

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:25
Size: 119,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:13) 1. Falling In Love With You
(3:49) 2. I Only Have Eyes For You
(3:10) 3. Speak Low
(4:15) 4. Midnight Sun
(2:24) 5. I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket
(2:30) 6. How Little We Know
(3:03) 7. Skylark
(4:16) 8. My Man's Gone Now
(2:46) 9. Comes Love
(2:25) 10. All The Things You Are
(3:19) 11. Ain't Misbehavin'
(2:53) 12. Do You Know Why?
(3:27) 13. Bye Bye Blackbird
(3:09) 14. Any Old Time
(3:45) 15. That Old Devil Moon
(3:53) 16. I'm Glad There Is You

If you are making a shortlist of the best jazz singers, Carmen McRae had better be right at the top. She had a distinctive voice, able to do heartbreaking and lighthearted equally as thrillingly. She had an unerring sense of melody and her phrasing is a thing of beauty. This collection covers her work in the mid-'50s for Decca both with small groups and larger orchestras.

She shines on swinging tracks like "Comes Love," "Falling in Love With Love," and "I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket" and won't leave a dry eye in the house with her deeply emotional ballad singing. "Do You Know Why," "Midnight Sun," and the achingly beautiful "I'm Glad There Is You" are prime examples of McRae's way with a ballad.

Each of the 16 tracks here is like a primer on how to be a vocalist, jazz or otherwise. McRae's entry in Verve's Diva Series is a fine introduction to her 1950s recordings. by Tim Sendra
https://www.allmusic.com/album/diva-mw0000026453

The Diva Series

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Michael Blake & Blake Tartare - More Like Us

Styles: Saxophone, Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:43
Size: 125,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:54) 1. Hush
(6:56) 2. The Meadows
(9:36) 3. Happy Old You
(4:05) 4. To Whom This May Concern
(8:01) 5. Maria
(4:57) 6. Something In The Water
(3:51) 7. Africa Used To Be Home
(2:08) 8. Interlude With Soren
(4:39) 9. Paddy Pie Face
(5:30) 10. Johnny To Bad

Michael Blake has long been on the cusp of being more-well known among jazz fans, but like his former employer John Lurie, often seems to be looking in. Regularly recording on fellow Jazz Composer Collective projects like with Ben Allison, he shines when given the opportunity without fail. Yet, the larger light of the jazz masses has yet to really focus in on him.

Following the release of a stripped down trio affair on Clean Feed Records, Right Before Your Very Ears with Allison and Jeff Ballard where a particular rawness was revealed, he returns under the moniker of Blake Tartare where Blake has forged a working group of musicians that share his conception creating that elusive mix of the unique yet familiar that falls within the domain of modern jazz. And with their second release, More Like Us, they are sounding more and more cohesive in performance even as guest musicians are added into the mix.

The trademark sound of Michael Blake's saxophone work is still the major draw to the group even with the strong contributions from his Danish counterparts including a number of impressive spots by pianist Soren Kjaergaard, and in a somewhat surprising move the saxophonist opens the album with some very nice work on the clarinet.

The soft clarity of the sound he manages with the instrument fits the mood perfectly here, and throughout More Like Us Blake never seems out of place. Penned by the saxophonist, "Hush also features guest vocals by Maria Laurette Friis that at first sounds plain and unaffected, but with repeated listens becomes so ingrained to the music's structure that she becomes another lead voice rather than a singer lending her voice to a song.

"Hush is an interesting opening track for Michael Blake's group and shows another facet of their sound. Along with Friis' vocals which Blake utilizes on three of the ten tracks, he also incorporates other guest spots such as the instantly recognizable, former fellow Lounge Lizard Steven Bernstein on "Happy Old Yoy that was written by John Lurie. Bernstein's echoed delay hanging over the band fits nicely during the nine and a half minute track.

Following the debut record by Blake Tartare, self titled, it was easy to see that Blake had a band here that pushed each other. And although that record comes across a little more brash and unfocused, the same intensity persists where you can tell that each musician isn't playing licks or running safe route. One of the many highlights of the more focused More Like Us though is the ballad "Maria penned by Coleman Hawkins, also featuring more wordless vocals by Friis.

Overall, Michael Blake and Blake Tartare have crafted another fine album here for Stunt Records that ideally would shed more light on the man or the band. For those who do seek it out or come across it, they are in for a unique sound and experience driven by a unique saxophonist. After all, not many would include the reggae classic "Johnny Too Bad by The Slickers as their album closer. By Michael McCaw
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/michael-blakes-blake-tartare-more-like-us-michael-blake-by-michael-mccaw

Personnel: Michael Blake: tenor & soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, ghost flute; Soren Kjaergaard: piano, Wurlitzer, effects; Jonas Westergaard: acoustic bass; Kresten Osgood: drums; Maria Laurette Friis: vocals (1, 4, 6); Steven Bernstein: slide trumpet (3); Jane Scarpantoni: cello (1); Jeppe Kjellberg: guitar (3); Teddy Kumpel: baritone guitar (5), guitar (10).

More Like Us

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Stacey Kent - Songs From Other Places

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:55
Size: 94,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:28) 1. I Wish I Could Go Travelling Again
(4:12) 2. Bonita
(5:12) 3. Craigie Burn
(3:09) 4. Les Voyages
(4:10) 5. American Tune
(5:13) 6. Tango In Macao
(4:19) 7. Blackbird
(4:09) 8. My Ship
(2:03) 9. Imagina
(3:56) 10. Landslide

Stacey Kent is a jazz singer in the mould of the greats, with a legion of fans worldwide, a host of honours and awards including a Grammy nomination, album sales in excess of 2 Million, Gold, Double-Gold and Platinum-selling albums that have reached a series of No. 1 chart positions during the span of her career. An interpreter of The Great American Song Book and beyond, Kent's music and influences span multiple genres, a testament to her "wandering, restless spirit" as an artist. Her long time songwriting collaborator is Nobel Prize winning author Kazuo Ishiguro.

In the spring of 2020, "I Wish I Could Go Travelling Again" was the song that was most talked about and requested by Stacey Kent's Fans when they reached out on social media. It was clear, even early on during the Covid crisis, that in lockdown, people were relying on music and imagination to transport them and to find a sense of connection with the world beyond their own four walls. Like many of us, Kent spent the last year online, looking for ways not to lose touch with the world outside. In an effort to stay connected she landed on the idea of a collection of songs that gives expression to our collective desire to roam the world once again through the medium of music. Accompanied on piano by Art Hirahara, 'Songs From Other Places' includes interpretations of songs by Stevie Nicks (Landslide), Paul Simon (American Tune), Lennon & McCartney (Blackbird), Gershwin, Weil, Jobim as well as two new songs written with Nobel Prize winning author Kazuo Ishiguro. https://www.propermusic.com/ccd30032-songs-from-other-places.html

Personnel: Art Hirahara - Piano; Stacey Kent - Vocal

Songs From Other Places

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Blossom Dearie - The Diva Series

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:50
Size: 120,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:49) 1. I'm Hip
(3:12) 2. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(4:13) 3. I Walk A Little Faster
(2:58) 4. Dance Only With Me
(2:15) 5. You For Me
(2:13) 6. Rhode Island Is Famous For You
(3:11) 7. Blossom's Blues
(4:19) 8. It Amazes Me
(5:59) 9. Someone To Watch Over Me
(3:45) 10. They Say It's Spring
(2:50) 11. It's Love
(2:51) 12. Always True To You In My Fashion
(2:27) 13. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
(2:45) 14. Once Upon A Summertime
(2:31) 15. Plus Je T'Embrasse
(3:25) 16. When In Rome

Blossom Dearie's time spent with Verve during the late '50s resulted in several albums of great music, and her entry in the label's 2003 The Diva Series is one of the better single-disc wrap-ups of her career. This one is much longer than Verve's previous attempts; it also does a good job of compiling most of her best moments, including "I'm Hip," "Blossom's Blues," and "Always True to You in My Fashion."

It certainly isn't perfect, though; notable exclusions like "'Deed I Do," "I Won't Dance," "It Might as Well Be Spring," and "Give Him the Ooh-La-La" make this a tough one to recommend for beginners. (It may well have been intentional, in order to give more space for a focus on her Verve material that has remained unissued on CD.) By John Bush
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-diva-mw0000595314

The Diva Series

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Mark Colby - Speaking of Stan: A Tribute to Stan Getz

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:32
Size: 152,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:34) 1. When It Matters
(6:24) 2. Only Trust Your Heart
(6:50) 3. How Deep Is the Ocean
(6:30) 4. Sometime Ago
(4:56) 5. What Is a Buddha?
(9:26) 6. Sea Journey
(6:43) 7. Out of Focus
(6:45) 8. Give and Take
(4:44) 9. Blue Getz Blues
(4:39) 10. Goodbye
(2:55) 11. Speaking of Stan

Almost fifteen years after the death of tenor saxophonist Stanley Gayetzky, aka Stan Getz, the sheer breadth of his musical accomplishments still boggles the mind. Thus it was with some skepticism that I began to listen to Speaking of Stan, tenor man Mark Colby's tribute to the man about whom Trane said, "Let's face it. We would all play like him, if we could. Colby, however, succeeds masterfully in capturing a good bit of the essence of Getz, due in no small part to his own superb tone, providing an intimate take on his friend and mentor.

Over twenty other musicians aid Colby in presenting his paean. He has chosen well, and although a sax/guitar pairing akin to Getz' famous collaborations is lacking, much else is here. "Blue Getz Blues is an awesomely cooking big band reprise of a swinger from Getz's early days with Woody Herman (Early Autumn, Capitol, 1949) and the string arrangements of Focus (Verve, 1961) are tenderly reminisced through the newly penned compositions "When It Matters and "Give and Take.

Former Getz pianist Jim McNeely appears on four cuts, soulfully dueting with Colby on a stunningly sincere rendering of a tender "Goodbye, coolly swinging on "How Deep is the Ocean and "Sometime Ago and, yes, adding to the bop festivities of Colby's own "What is a Buddha? . Vibraphonist Dick Sisto assists in bringing bossa/samba to the fore with a breezy interpretation of Benny Carter's "Only Trust Your Heart and a hot construction of Chick Corea's "Sea Journey by way of Eric Hochberg's bass and Bob Rummage's drums, while Gary Burton's "Out of Focus injects a more modern edge into the proceedings. Colby's spoken outro adds a finishing touch to this highly personal portrait. By Elliott Simon
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/speaking-of-stan-mark-colby-hallway-records-review-by-elliott-simon

Personnel: Mark Colby: tenor saxophone; Tracks 1,8: Jim Trompeter: piano; Eric Hochberg: bass; Bob Rummage: drums; Peter LaBella, Kevin Case, Teresa Fream, Mike Shelton: violin; Terri Van Valkinburgh: viola; Pete Szczepanek: cello; Tracks 2,6,7: Dick Sisto: vibraphone; Eric Hochberg: bass; Bob Rummage: drums; Tracks 3-5: Jim McNeely: piano; Kelly Sill: bass; Joel Spencer: drums; Track 9: Rob Parton, Scott Wagstaff, Kirk Garrison, Mike McGrath: trumpet; Bob Frankich, Bob Rzeszutko, Brian Budzik, Ted Hogarth: reeds; Tom Garling, Brian Jacobi, Andy Baker: trombone; Tom Matta: bass trombone; Don Stille: piano; Tim Fox: bass; Bob Rummage: drums; Track 10: Jim McNeely: piano.

Speaking of Stan: A Tribute to Stan Getz

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Kurt Rosenwinkel Standards Trio - Reflections

Styles:  Straight-ahead/Mainstream, Guitar Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:22
Size: 115,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:08)  1. Reflections
(3:33)  2. You Go To My Head
(4:00)  3. Fall
(9:49)  4. East Coast Love Affair
(5:20)  5. Ask Me Now
(6:23)  6. Ana Maria
(8:55)  7. More Than You Know
(3:11)  8. You've Changed

Like an Ian McEwan short story, guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel can say more in a few lines than most guitarists manage over the course of an entire recording. On Standard Trio: Reflections he inscribes his signature sound on a set of ballads all classic tunes except for one original. His trio of bassist Eric Revis and drummer Eric Harland are perfect companions on a collection where less is truly more; they eschew the pyrotechnics for a steady accompanying swing. Harland a member of the SFJAZZ Collective who has also played with Charles Lloyd has worked with Rosenwinkel before, accompanying the guitarist on his last disc, The Remedy (Artist Share, 2007), a burning display of technique and soloing from an engagement at the Village Vanguard with saxophonist Mark Turner and pianist Aaron Goldberg. Gone is the exhilaration of that live set, replaced here with the robustness of a confident player settling down to tell a more intimate story. 

Rosenwinkel's listeners are his confidants as he negotiates two tracks by Thelonious Monkand two by Wayne Shorter. He soars over the bossa nova laid down behind Shorter's "Ana Maria" and nudges against the bright urban beat of "Fall." Rosenwinkel slyly reworks both Monk tunes. As Harland skips and Revis bounces the beat on "Ask Me Now," Rosenwinkel cradles the melody, rocking back-and-forth. Likewise, he forces the title track, Monk's "Reflections," to be reconsidered not with nostalgia for the past, but a blues-inspired hopefulness for the future. Elsewhere, the classic tracks "More Than You'll Know," "You Go To My Head," and "You've Changed" exude a luxuriousness, not of affluence but delight. Rosenwinkel, Harland, and Revis bypass the circuitous here for a direct and transparent take on some beautiful music. By Mark Corroto http://www.allaboutjazz.com/reflections-kurt-rosenwinkel-wommusic-review-by-mark-corroto.php

Personnel: Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar; Eric Revis: bass; Eric Harland: drums.

Dutch Swing College Band - At The North Sea Jazz Festival

Styles: Swing
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:33
Size: 148,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:56) 1. Coal black shine
(2:46) 2. Heebie jeebies
(4:41) 3. Back home again in indiana
(4:50) 4. Canal street blues
(8:45) 5. Moten swing
(7:53) 6. Basin street blues
(5:58) 7. Stealing apples
(4:44) 8. Just sqeeze me
(5:25) 9. Someday you'll be sorry
(9:25) 10. Mood indigo
(6:06) 11. Swing that music

The Dutch Swing College Band "DSCB" is a traditional dixieland band founded on 5 May 1945 by bandleader and clarinettist/saxophonist Peter Schilperoort.

Highly successful in their native home of The Netherlands, the band quickly found an international following. It has featured such musicians as Huub Janssen (drums), Henk Bosch van Drakestein (double bass), Kees van Dorser (trumpet), Dim Kesber (saxes), Jan Morks (clarinet), Wout Steenhuis (guitar), Arie Ligthart (banjo/guitar), Jaap van Kempen (banjo/guitar), Oscar Klein (trumpet), Dick Kaart (trombone), Ray Kaart (trumpet), Bert de Kort (cornet), Bert Boeren (trombone), Rod Mason, Rob Agerbeek (piano) among many others.

The band provided the interval act for the Eurovision Song Contest 1976 presented live from Den Haag.

The band continues to tour extensively, mainly in Europe and Scandinavia, and record directed by Bob Kaper, himself a member since 1967, following the former leader, Peter Schilperoort's death on 17 November 1990. Schilperoort had led the band for more than 45 years, albeit with a five-year sabbatical from 13 September 1955, when he left to pursue an engineering career before returning to lead the band again officially on 1 January 1960. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Swing_College_Band

At The North Sea Jazz Festival

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Billie Holiday - The Diva Series

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:12
Size: 135,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:50) 1. Them There Eyes
(2:45) 2. Gimme A Pigfoot And A Bottle Of Bear
(3:12) 3. Easy Living
(3:24) 4. Don't Explain
(3:09) 5. Billie's Blues
(2:36) 6. Love Me Or Leave Me
(5:32) 7. Just One Of Those Things
(3:30) 8. Good Morning Heartache
(4:27) 9. Speak Low
(5:41) 10. All Or Nothing At All
(3:13) 11. Strange Fruit
(4:00) 12. God Bless The Child
(3:27) 13. I Wished On The Moon
(3:13) 14. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
(3:19) 15. Fine And Mellow
(3:46) 16. Lady Sings The Blues

Part of Verve's Diva Series of compilations, this Billie Holiday collection is by no means the definitive account of her career Columbia's Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday takes that honor. That said, it is still a great introduction to the vocalist's singular and influential style. There is a timely flow to the track listing on most of the Diva Series albums, and this collection is no exception.

Included are such landmark recordings as "Don't Explain," "God Bless the Child," and Holiday's haunting signature tune, "Strange Fruit." Longtime Holiday fanatics will most likely already have these recordings, but for newly interested listeners, at over 14 tracks, this competes well with other similar single-disc collections. by Matt Collar
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-diva-mw0000026452

The Diva Series

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Sant Andreu Jazz Band - Jazzing 10 Vol.3

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:31
Size: 149,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:19) 1. Gracy Waltz
(3:25) 2. De Conversa Em Conversa
(4:07) 3. Walkin' Shoes
(2:38) 4. Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me
(5:05) 5. Joao e Maria
(4:20) 6. Day Dream
(4:29) 7. Catalonian Nights
(4:27) 8. Aguas de Marco
(3:21) 9. Sophisticated Lady
(3:29) 10. Happy Talk
(5:11) 11. Sonho Meu
(5:41) 12. Star Eyes
(5:14) 13. Uma Estrela
(2:45) 14. Prom to Prom
(4:53) 15. Foolin' Myself

I don't know to what extent the number 10 is significant, but it is a round number and reaching this number of Jazzings (CDs of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band) for me is, at least, a great joy.

Jazzing 10, but 18 CDs, actually, since several of them are double or triple, as is the case of this last one, which consists of three volumes.

The first of them (VOL. 1), dedicated to the music of Clifford Brown, with special arrangements for the occasion, of songs that were either originals by Clifford himself or songs that he used to perform.

The other two volumes (VOL. 2 and 3) are also a sample of the different recordings we have made during this 2019, both with the entire Sant Andreu Jazz Band, or in smaller formats, and in two different spaces such as the JAZZ HOUSE (home of the young orchestra) and the JAMBOREE, a regular venue during all these years, where we have also played and recorded on many occasions.
https://santandreujazzband.bandcamp.com/album/jazzing-10-vol-3

Jazzing 10 Vol.3

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Thana Alexa, Nicole Zuraitis, Julia Adamy - Sonica

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:23
Size: 72,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:37) 1. Doyenne
(3:18) 2. Where Ya Gonna Go
(5:14) 3. Michicant
(4:22) 4. Come A Long Way
(4:51) 5. Love's In Need Of Love
(4:51) 6. Change It
(4:08) 7. Danny Boy

Powered by engrossing female harmonies and the dynamism of the female spirit, Sonica creates anthems for peace, love, and change. Largely an extension of vocalist, producer, and composer Thana Alexa’s ONA project, Sonica combines Alexa’s skills and vision with those of charismatic vocalist Nicole Zuraitis and bassist Julia Adamy.

Over the album’s brief 30 minutes, the trio combines jazz eclecticism with elements of pop, folk, and soul music, creating a kind of 21st-century hybrid Staple Singers built on intricate harmonies, hopeful messages, and mind-blowing drumming courtesy of Antonio Sánchez, Dan Pugach, and Ross Pederson.

Recorded and produced at Alexa’s home studio in New York, Sonica commences with “Doyenne,” which includes a spoken-word excerpt from women’s-rights activist and abolitionist Sojourner Truth’s 1851 speech “Ain’t I a Woman,” bookended with snippets of Gloria Steinem and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai.

Consciously fashionable, the trio follows contemporary production throughout, as on a cover of Bon Iver’s “Michicant,” Zuraitis’ plaintive arrangement and performance a melancholic muse. A Zuraitis original, “Come a Long Way,” continues the somber tone, but with a wonderful sense of ebb and flow pushing and prodding the song’s central theme of mental-health advocacy.

A thoughtful, harmony-infused reading of Stevie Wonder’s “Love’s in Need of Love Today” precedes the album’s centerpiece, “Change It,” which crushes climate-change deniers with such pointed lyrics as “Watch the seas rise because we won’t compromise” and “Science isn’t a game/we must listen and admit we are to blame” over a heaving, body-jolting arrangement.

The album closes with a sentimental Irish favorite, “Danny Boy.” Notwithstanding that odd misstep in an album of bold activism, Sonica makes protest music hipsters, millennials, and even cave dwellers can embrace. By Ken Micallef
https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/sonica-sonica-outside-in/

Sonica

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Conte Candoli - Powerhouse Trumpet

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:07
Size: 79,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:26)  1. Toots Sweet
(4:12)  2. Jazz City Blues
(5:43)  3. My Old Flame
(6:25)  4. Full Count
(3:09)  5. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(3:58)  6. Four
(5:11)  7. Groovin' Higher

Powerhouse Trumpet, which was also previously issued under the title Groovin' Higher, is an immaculately performed set of straight-ahead bop finding trumpeter Conte Candoli in fine form. 

The 1999 Rhino reissue has been digitally remastered from the original tapes.~ Steve Suey https://www.allmusic.com/album/powerhouse-trumpet-mw0000255948

Personnel:  Conte Candoli - trumpet;  Lou Levy - piano;  Bill Holman - tenor saxophone;  Leroy Vinnegar - bass;  Lawrence Marable - drums

Powerhouse Trumpet

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Astrud Gilberto - The Diva Series

Styles: Vocal, Bossa Nova
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:39
Size: 139,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:19) 1. Agua de Beber
(1:51) 2. Bim Bom
(3:39) 3. Tu Mi Delirio
(5:24) 4. The Girl From Ipanema
(2:42) 5. On My Mind
(2:38) 6. Misty Roses
(1:56) 7. Manha de Carnival
(2:25) 8. Non-Stop To Brazil
(2:55) 9. I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do
(4:14) 10. Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars)
(2:26) 11. Eu e Voce (Me And You)
(2:24) 12. The Gentle Rain
(2:39) 13. So Nice (Summer Samba)
(2:24) 14. Berimbau
(3:05) 15. Once Upon A Summertime
(3:12) 16. All That's Left Is To Say Goodbye
(2:42) 17. Dindi
(2:41) 18. Stay
(1:34) 19. Canoeiro
(3:09) 20. A Certain Sadness
(3:06) 21. Canto de Ossanha (Let Go)

Astrud Gilberto, the Brazilian canary with the voice like honey and diction that defied belief, has been compiled many times on Verve, but rarely as well as on her entry in 2003's The Diva Series.

A 21-track of her prime decade, the '60s, this one includes all of the classics associated with her: "The Girl From Ipanema," "Agua de Beber," "Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)," "So Nice (Summer Samba)," and "Dindi." Not all of her LPs have been reissued on CD (in the States), so the compilers also added tracks that may surprise a few Gilberto fans, like "Eu e Voce" and "Canto de Ossanha (Let Go)." By John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-diva-mw0000595313

The Diva Series

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Sant Andreu Jazz Band - Jazzing 9 Vol.3

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:42
Size: 166,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:12) 1. Nobody Else But Me
(5:01) 2. Portrait of Jenny
(4:25) 3. Louisiana Fayry Tale
(3:35) 4. Dizzy Atmosphere
(6:39) 5. Insensatez
(5:45) 6. Peggy's Blue Skylight
(4:14) 7. Crescendo Date
(3:05) 8. The Preacher
(5:39) 9. Billie’s Bounce
(5:14) 10. Round About Midnight
(2:59) 11. Cute
(3:07) 12. Deeper
(3:59) 13. What's New
(5:38) 14. I Could Write a Book
(7:03) 15. Rejoice

We are celebrating the 13th anniversary of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, through which around 60 musicians (currently 24) have passed, with this new jazzing, the ninth, in three volumes. Jazzing 9 (vol.3) (Temps Record, 2020).

At the same time we continue with the Joan Chamorro presents series, of which we have just published the 11th by Alba Armengou and the 12th by Carla Motis, and of which we are currently recording for the following ones, by Jan Domenech and Joana Casanova, and we already have others in mind.

I never imagined that we would be here, but here we are, with more enthusiasm than ever, with more happiness than ever, seeing how our way of working, our methodology and our philosophy is admired and required from all parts of the world.

Something as simple as falling in love with music through listening to it, feeling like musicians from the first moment, giving us the opportunity to enjoy from the first day, singing melodies that are inside us and incorporating new ones based on listening to the greats like Johnny Hodges, Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Ben Webster, Charlie Parker, and a long etcetera.

Jazz is universal and has no frontiers, no ages, nor is it one for a few. Jazz belongs to everyone, it's popular, and if young people are given the opportunity to get to know it and are told "You can also play and enjoy", the rest will come. To improvise is to create, it is to feel that you can develop your own voice, and nowadays that has an incalculable value, in a society that tends to the unification of ideas and thoughts.

The members of the SAJB are unique individuals, as we all are, and that is important when facing education.Thank you, Nicolás, once again, for teaching me so much in such a short time.
https://discmedi.com/en/disco_new/10733/sant-andreu-jazz-band/jazzing-9---vol.-3

Jazzing 9 Vol.3

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String Of Pearls - Gems

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:13
Size: 117.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals, Vocalese
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:44] 1. It's Sand, Man
[3:12] 2. Forty Second Street
[2:40] 3. Girl Talk
[2:36] 4. Professor Bop
[3:25] 5. It Don't Mean A Thing
[3:25] 6. One Note Samba
[2:46] 7. Nice Work If You Can Get It
[2:48] 8. Straighten Up And Fly Right
[4:39] 9. I Hear Music
[2:41] 10. A String Of Pearls
[2:41] 11. Crazy People
[2:59] 12. Smack Dab In The Middle
[3:44] 13. Teach Me Tonight
[2:33] 14. South American Way
[2:50] 15. Sermonette
[2:38] 16. Glow Worm
[2:44] 17. Sentimental Gentleman From Georgia

STRING OF PEARLS is a female jazz vocal trio that performs vintage "girl group" music and modern vocal jazz with style, sass, and superb musicality. The group’s repertoire ranges from the 1930s sounds of the Boswell Sisters and Andrews Sisters to Brazilian, bebop, and pop music. String of Pearls has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Avery Fisher Hall, Town Hall, the JVC Jazz Festival, the Cape Cod Jazz Festival, the Provincetown Jazz Festival, and in clubs and concert halls in France, Germany, and Japan. In the New York area, the “Pearls” have recently been on the bill at The Metropolitan Room, Sweet Rhythm, The Blue Note, and many other clubs and festivals.

String of Pearls is comprised of singers Susan Halloran, Jeanne O’Connor, and Holli Ross. Sue, Jeanne, and Holli were all working as professional solo singers in New York when they were brought together to perform a 20-minute set at a nostalgia-oriented concert. The singers immediately loved their special “blend” and began to expand their repertoire. They created authentic transcriptions of tunes by the likes of the Boswell and Andrews Sisters, and began to commission and create original arrangements. And, Jeanne and Holli both began to contribute lyrics to songs by contemporary jazz composers for the groups to sing, plus new lyrics to older standards like “Girl Talk” and Glen Miller’s “String of Pearls.”

The “Pearls" have delighted audiences and critics with their superb musicality, sophisticated arrangements, swing, and charming stage show. Says legendary jazz singer Jon Hendricks, “I am often asked what the future of vocalese will be. Right now, it is resting comfortably in the hands of three lovely girls – String of Pearls. String of Pearls has produced a version of vocalese that is, to me, breathtaking in its beauty, startling in its simplicity and overpowering in its swing, without which, as friend Edward Ellington so aptly says, ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing.’" And Michael Bourne, jazz DJ and host of the popular “Singers Unlimited” at WBGO-FM in Newark, says, "String of Pearls shows an authentic and affectionate spirit with an extraordinary kaleidoscope of group singing styles, from the Boswells to the bossas. They sound good. They look good. Pearls of great price indeed."

Gems

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The Brothers Candoli Sextet - 2 For The Money

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:23
Size: 80,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:41) 1. Splanky
(2:59) 2. Soak Yo' Sally
(3:43) 3. Ah-Lue-Cha
(2:37) 4. Riffs For Rosie
(4:42) 5. Caravan
(2:34) 6. Take The ''A'' Train
(3:18) 7. Doodlin'
(4:32) 8. Willow Weep For Me
(3:09) 9. Blueing Boogie
(3:04) 10. Richard Diamond's Blues

One of the harder to find 50s sessions from LA jazz brothers Pete & Conte Candoli a twin-trumpet album with rhythm from Jimmy Rowles on piano, Howard Roberts on guitar, Max Bennett on bass, and Frank Capp on drums! The tracks are a clean extension of mid 50s LA cool jazz blown with a bit more edge, and perhaps a looser feel than some of the brothers' earlier work and nicely swinging overall.

Titles include "Splanky", "Riffs For Rosie", "Doodlin", "Blueing Boogie", and "Richard Diamond's Blues". © 1996-2023, Dusty Groove, Inc.
https://www.dustygroove.com/item/365385/Brothers-Candoli-Pete-Conte-Candoli-:2-For-The-Money?filterfield=veryrecent&sort_order=date_added

Personnel: Trumpet – Conte Candoli, Pete Candoli; Bass – Max Bennett; Drums – Frank Capp; Guitar – Howard Roberts; Piano – Jimmy Rowles

2 For The Money

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Anita O'Day - The Diva Series

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:33
Size: 131,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:32) 1. What Is This Thing Called Love?
(2:16) 2. Ten Cents A Dance
(3:21) 3. Waiter, Make Mine Blues
(4:19) 4. Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered
(3:49) 5. Tea For Two
(3:14) 6. Honeysuckle Rose
(2:34) 7. Love Me Or Leave Me
(3:01) 8. It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream
(4:02) 9. Miss Brown To You
(2:23) 10. I Get I Kick Out Of You
(3:15) 11. Let's Face The Music And Dance
(3:05) 12. Peel Me A Grape
(3:39) 13. Angel Eyes
(3:26) 14. Crazy He Calls Me
(2:56) 15. Whisper Not
(2:46) 16. Senor Blues
(3:32) 17. Sing, Sing, Sing
(2:14) 18. Avalon

One of the best pairings of an artist with a label since Frank Sinatra swung into the Capitol offices, Anita O'Day's time under the Verve umbrella (also including Clef and Norgran) resulted in some of the best pop music of her era.

O'Day's entry in 2003's The Diva Series is one of the better single-disc wrap-ups of her time on Verve, though the scarcity of hits while she was there and the near-uniform excellence of her '50s LPs still preclude anyone from recommending a compilation to any but newcomers.

Still, this one is much longer than Verve's previous attempts; it also balances songs from her rarer early-'60s dates with her '50s prime, and ably compiles some of her best-known material ("What Is This Thing Called Love," "Honeysuckle Rose," "Tea for Two") as well as a few of her hardest-swingers ("Love Me or Leave Me," "I Get a Kick out of You," "Let's Face the Music and Dance").

Much better than Compact Jazz, but nowhere near as revelatory as her late-'50s classics Anita Sings the Most or Anita O'Day Swings Cole Porter With Billy May. By John Bush
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-diva-mw0000595312

The Diva Series

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Michael Blake - The World Awakes: A Tribute To Lucky Thompson

Styles: Saxophone, Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:21
Size: 133,7MB
Art: Front

(8:39) 1. Lucky Charm
(8:40) 2. Reminiscent
(9:13) 3. The World Awakes
(5:00) 4. Little Tenderfoot
(8:21) 5. Scratch
(7:15) 6. Mumba Neua
(5:08) 7. To You Dear One
(2:26) 8. Little Tenderfoot (Reprise)
(3:35) 9. Single Petal of a Rose

Paying affectionate homage to bygone greats is a tricky business, especially when it comes to an artist in the line of jazz duty who rolled with stylistic changes and abided by the dictum that jazz is inherently a progressive music, but with firm traditional roots. Michael Blake’s nod to saxophonist-deserving-wider-recognition “Lucky” Thompson, with a bold and sensitive group of Danish players, is a fine role model of how to do the right thing. Thompson (1924-2005) spanned the eras of swing, bebop and beyond, was self-exiled from what he found a racist music business for years, and generally is an artist waiting for history to catch up to him.

For his tribute record, Blake plays tenor, clarinet and also soprano sax, the tool which Thompson mastered, inspiring Coltrane to pick up the instrument. Blake wrote the vintage-waxing opening tune, “Lucky Charms” (“charms” as both verb and noun) and also the funk-lined but intuitively smart “Scratch,” including a smattering of Thompson’s own words re: the sorry fate of the artist.

Thompson’s own tunes, making up the bulk of the set here, are deceptively clean and simple. On this selected sampling, the Thompson touch ranges from the friendly swinging sashay of “Reminiscent” to the querulous title track (here warmed over by a small string ensemble and a slow-meets-fast, suite-like arrangement), to the lush ballad “To You Dear One.” Thompson’s sinuous boppish tune “Little Tenderfoot” is heard in two versions: in the first, Blake’s tenor works out over bass, before the added horns thicken the harmonic plot; in the second, Thompson’s transcribed solo makes a once-removed reincarnation through Blake’s horn. Duke Ellington’s “Single Petal of a Rose,” with strings and an attitude of elegance, closes the set on an urbanely graceful note. Overall, Blake does right here by a musical hero, one whom jazz history needs to readdress. By Josef Woodard
https://jazztimes.com/archives/michael-blake-the-world-awakes-a-tribute-to-eli-lucky-thompson/

Personnel: Michael Blake (tenor sax, soprano sax, clarinet); Soren Kjaergaard (keys); Jonas Westergaard (bass); Kresten Osgood (drums); Peter Fuglsang (bass clarinet, clarinet); Kasper Tranberg (trumpet); Lars Bjornkjaer (violin); Henrik Dam Thomsen (cello); Teddy Kumpel (guitar); ob Jost (flugelhorn)

The World Awakes: A Tribute To Lucky Thompson

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Donny McCaslin - I Want More

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:01
Size: 100,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:37) 1. Stria
(4:23) 2. Fly My Space Ship
(4:31) 3. Hold Me Tight
(5:48) 4. Body Blow
(4:11) 5. Big Screen
(5:55) 6. Turbo
(5:10) 7. Landsdown
(7:22) 8. I Want More

Saxophonist, composer and bandleader Donny McCaslin has taken modernist directions in music that allowed him to carve out a niche of faithful devotees. His new album, I Want More, is an eclectic blowout, all tracked to blazing saxophone solos, oozy synth layers, and trance-like, sometimes even hard-hitting beats and rhythms. McCaslin’s extraordinary ensemble features keyboardist Jason Lindner, bassist Tim Lefebvre and drummer Mark Guiliana. All four had an important role in the outcome of David Bowie’s last album, Blackstar(ISO Records,2016).

“Stria” exposes an immediate catchy sound, with delayed saxophone riffs over a weave of synth lines that, together with bass and drums, build dynamic texture. Over time, it falls into a dance-pop/rock line that sustains an outgoing saxophone solo. It all sparks epic emotions. Like the aforementioned opener, “Fly My Spaceship” has Lindner’s hand in the electronic production. This particular piece blends the diverting glitch-hop vibe of Flying Lotus and the dub incursions of Jah Wobble and The Orb.

The energetic “Turbo” and the rousing “Landsdown” are rhythmic machines; the former is redolent of Nine Inch Nails’s industrial precision; while the latter, written by McCaslin and Lefebvre, alternates krautrock-infused electronic music with gentler string passages. Strings also appear on “Big Screen”, which is propelled by this big round backbeat outlined by Guiliana.

McCaslin ranges all the way through a concoction of genres. The pop/rock accessibility of “Hold Me Tight” provides strong bass lines that guide us through the harmony, and a breathtaking tenor statement with all that jazz. Co-penned by McCaslin and Lindner, “Body Blow” is a rich stew of progressive jungle-leaning EDM, funky breaks, and anthemic punk-rock. The riffery is powerful, the pulse gains trippy effects, the sound is dark and robust, and there’s an electronica-laden section that is both playful and explosive.

Wildly original, with a defiant and confident attitude, I Want More closes with the title track a spectacular funkified exercise with a soulful melody à-la Kamasi Washington that pushes genre boundaries as it maintains an abrasive dance mode alive but with cool tones.

McCaslin’s compact work worths its weight in artistry as well as in sound. The future of jazz? A valid current for sure, one that hits the spot thanks to its aural kaleidoscopic phenomena.
https://jazztrail.net/blog/donny-mccaslin-i-want-more-album-review

Personnel: Donny McCaslin: tenor saxophone; Jason Lindner: synths, wurlitzer; Tim Lefebvre: electric bass; Mark Guiliana: drums

I Want More

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Mark Colby - Reflections

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:33
Size: 130,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:59) 1. Close Enough For Love
(4:22) 2. Myth Mary's Blues
(6:13) 3. Reflections
(5:40) 4. Desafinado
(5:22) 5. Like Someone in Love
(6:11) 6. Blues Connotation
(6:26) 7. So in Love
(4:24) 8. Caroline's Romp
(5:45) 9. Somewhere Over the Rainbow
(5:08) 10. Squires Parlor

Reflections, the eighth CD as leader or co-leader by one of the Chicago area's most undervalued treasures, tenor saxophonist Mark Colby, is a tribute, he writes, to "the things that shaped and moved me when I was just a kid," as well as to friends, family and artists who nourished his growth and served as a catalyst for his becoming a musician. The studio date is dedicated to Colby's father, "who started me on my journey at age eight," and to one of Colby's earliest role models, tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin, who died on July 25, 2008.

"Desafinado" is addressed to another of Colby's original mentors, Stan Getz, who befriended a teenage Colby and helped shape his young friend's approach to the tenor while introducing him to Brazilian music. To this day, Colby's abstractions display an unmistakable Getzian character even though the sound is pure Colby. Besides Colby, the first-rank quartet on "Desafinado" consists of guitarist Mike Pinto, bassist Eric Hochberg and drummer Bob Rummage.

Elsewhere, Colby uses pianist Jeremy Kahn to round out the group, is accompanied only by Hochberg and Rummage on "Myth Mary's Blues," Johnny Burke/Jimmy van Heusen's "Like Someone in Love" and Harold Arlen/E.Y Harburg's "Over the Rainbow." Three special guests alto saxophonist Phil Woods, trumpeter Bob Lark and pianist Ron Perillo help brighten the easygoing finale, Woods's "Squires Parlor."

Besides "Myth Mary," written for his wife, Colby composed "Reflections" and "Caroline's Romp," the last presumably for a daughter (or granddaughter). Completing the program are Johnny Mandel's "Close Enough for Love," Ornette Coleman's capricious "Blues Connotation" and Cole Porter's enchanting ballad from the Broadway musical Kiss Me, Kate, "So in Love" (a second dedication to Colby's wife).

Kahn solos earnestly on "Reflections," "So in Love" and "Caroline's Romp," Pinto on "Desafinado" and "Blues Connotation" but none more so than Colby, who makes every note and phrase shimmer like sunlight on water. While he remains more or less unknown beyond his Chicago base, sooner or later the word on Colby is bound to spread, and that word is brilliant. By Jack Bowers
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/reflections-mark-colby-origin-records-review-by-jack-bowers

Personnel: Mark Colby: tenor sax; Jeremy Kahn: piano (1, 3, 7, 8); Ron Perillo: piano (10); Mike Pinto: guitar: (4, 6); Eric Hochberg: bass; Bob Rummage: drums; Bob Lark: flugelhorn (10); Phil Woods: alto sax (10).

Reflections

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Terri Lyne Carrington - New Standards Vol. 1

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:37
Size: 139,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:27) 1. Wind Flower
(6:01) 2. Circling
(6:46) 3. Uplifted Heart
(4:40) 4. Moments
(4:48) 5. Continental Cliff
(5:50) 6. Throw It Away
(5:28) 7. Respected Destroyer
(4:41) 8. Two Hearts (Lawns)
(4:19) 9. Unchanged
(5:29) 10. Ima
(8:02) 11. Rounds (Live)

Inter-disciplinary artist, activist and educator Terri Lyne Carrington has worked tirelessly over the last decade to advocate for inclusivity and raise the voice of women, trans and non-binary people in jazz.

New Standards, her ambitious new endeavour, was created to shine a light on women composers in historic new ways. New Standards will arrive this fall in the form of a groundbreaking lead sheet book of jazz compositions dedicated entirely to women composers, a newly recorded album of 11 selections from the songbook featuring an all-star band and superb line-up of special guests, and a dynamic multi-media exhibition at Detroit’s Carr Center.

On September 16th Carrington will release "new STANDARDS vol. 1" on the relaunched Candid Records label, featuring recordings of 11 selections from the New Standards lead sheets book (see below for more info).

Carrington on drums is joined by a core band of Kris Davis (piano), Linda May Han Oh (bass), Nicholas Payton (trumpet), and Matthew Stevens (guitar and co-producer) and welcomes special guests Ambrose Akinmusire, Melanie Charles, Ravi Coltrane, Val Jeanty, Samara Joy, Julian Lage, Michael Mayo, Elena Pinderhughes, Dianne Reeves, Negah Santos and Somi. The selections include harpist Brandee Younger’s 'Respected Destroyer,' clarinetist Anat Cohen’s 'Ima,' vocalist Abbey Lincoln’s 'Throw It Away'as well as pieces by Gretchen Parlato, Carla Bley and more. The recordings - which range from vocal ballads to contemporary creative music are inspired and adventurous and explore the limitless universe of jazz.https://www.frontview-magazine.be/en/news/terri-lyne-carrington-to-release-album-new-standards-vol-1-shining-bright-light-on-women

New Standards Vol. 1

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