Harry Allen & Ken Peplowski & Scott Hamilton - Like The Brightest Star

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:47
Size: 165,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:58) 1. You And The Night And The Music
(7:24) 2. Like The Brightest Star
(7:39) 3. Somebody I Just Met
(8:51) 4. Topsy
(3:42) 5. It Was So Beautiful
(5:33) 6. Das Blues
(6:59) 7. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(4:59) 8. That Old Black Magic
(5:32) 9. Old Folks
(9:04) 10. Sleep

The three major masters of Tenor Saxoph, Harry Allen & Ken Peplofski & Scott Hamilton This masterpiece allows you to fully listen to the charm of the Jazz Tenor Sax in an ensemble by Solo. Recorded at The Hideaway Studio in California at February 19 & 20, 2019.
https://www.amazon.com/Like-Brightest-Star-Three-Tenors/dp/B07Y1XMMHJ

Personnel: Harry Allen Harry Allen - tenor sax; Ken Peplowski - tenor sax; Scott Hamilton - tenor sax; Tom Lanier - Tom Ranier - piano; David Stone - bass; Kevin Canner Kevin Kanner - drums

Like The Brightest Star

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Miles Davis Quintet in Concert Live at the Olympia, Paris, November 30 - 1957 (Live)

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2023
Time: 72:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 167,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:24) 1. Solar
(6:27) 2. Four
(3:29) 3. What's New?
(8:08) 4. No Moe
(7:25) 5. Lady Bird
(4:40) 6. Tune Up
(6:24) 7. I'll Remember April
(7:29) 8. Bags' Groove
(5:11) 9. 'Round Midnight
(6:18) 10. Now's the Time
(7:15) 11. Walkin'
(2:20) 12. The Theme

Another live Miles Davis recording. Well, once the studio outtakes have dried up, this is the only seam left to mine. Happily, with advances in sound technology, old radio broadcasts are increasingly being dusted down and treated to a little digital TLC. Since 1983, Fresh Sounds Records has been a leading light in reissues and archival releases (see Fresh Sound Records and the Legacy of Recorded Jazz), in addition to producing many hundreds of contemporary artists. This one from Jordi Pujol's Barcelona label has rarity value, representing the first unabridged release of Davis' concert at the Olympia, Paris, in 1957. At this historic venue, the trumpeter was backed by top French musicians and old sparring partner from Minton's Playhouse days, drummer Kenny Clarke.

The set is a typical one for that time in Davis' trajectory post-bop, swing, blues and ballads. Given that Davis had undergone a throat procedure just two months prior to this late-November date, he is in remarkably good form. Local musicians Rene Urtreger on piano, bassist Pierre Michelot and tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen are well up to the task. Wilen, who despite his youthful twenty years had already recorded an album as leader at the start of the year, had impressed Davis on the American's visit to Paris the year before, and little wonder. Listening to Wilen's solos on "Tune Up" and "I'll Remember April," to pick just two gems, we hear a saxophonist confident enough not to be imitative.

Davis sits out three songs the hard-working Wilen plays overtime on "Now's the Time"but otherwise leads from the front, switching between mute and open bell on one extended solo after another. Fired up on "No Moe" and "Bags' Groove," Davis is hauntingly tender on "Round Midnight" and "What's New?" This latter sounds like a ghostly forerunner of "Blue in Green" from Kind of Blue (Columbia, 1959), a tune generally credited to Bill Evans. Regardless of tempo, the trumpeter's playing is unfailingly emotive.

Michelot and Urtreger enjoy their moments in the spotlight but impress most for locking in rhythmically with the dynamic Clarke. The great drummer, a Paris resident, is in wonderfully feisty mode, his trademark ride cymbal and bass-drum bombs driving the music and injecting an edge into otherwise fairly safe material. Notable too, however, is his subtly persuasive brushwork.

Four days later this same line-up would go into the studio to record the music for Louis Malle's film Ascenseur pour l'eschafaud (Fontana, 1958). Almost entirely improvised, Davis' atmospheric noir soundtrack asks more of the musicians, and is the more remarkable recording for that. Still, the evident passion of this live performance from the Olympia, created in no small part by an engaged Parisian audience, makes In Concert at the Olympia, Paris 1957 a welcome extract from the Davis mine that keeps on giving.By Ian Patterson
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/in-concert-at-the-olympia-paris-1957-miles-davis-quintet-fresh-sound-records

Miles Davis Quintet in Concert Live at the Olympia, Paris, November 30 - 1957 (Live)

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Janet Evra - Meet Me in Paris

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
Time: 37:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 86,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:34) 1. C'est Si Bon
(3:26) 2. Mia Mia
(3:06) 3. Turnaround / Suis-Moi
(2:49) 4. Comment Te Dire Adieu
(4:05) 5. La Vie En Rose
(2:57) 6. C'est Magnifique
(4:38) 7. Paris (Encore)
(3:15) 8. Sympathique
(3:20) 9. Un Homme Et Une Femme
(3:19) 10. Zou Bisou Bisou
(4:00) 11. La Mer / Beyond the Sea

One can, it is said, always find new wine in old bottles, assuming you have a good grapes to harvest and a knowledgeable vintner. Janet Evra, of British birth but now based in St Louis Missouri, is one such maker of good wine. The materials are, for the most part, familiar, but the genre is French as are many of the names associated with the tunes. Meet Me In Paris is indeed a pleasant treat. If your taste runs to Edith Piaf, Charles Trenet or Claude Lelouch films, Evra's most recent recording may indeed be welcome.

While Evra also plays string bass (with a distinctly American four strings), that is not really much in evidence here. The music is about her voice and stylings, a slightly come-hither tone entirely suited to the music at hand. Evra's band supports her very well; the musicians understand their function is to embellish and support the singing, not to overwhelm it. This they do quite capably and set a very relaxed mood.

Of course, not everything here is, in a strict sense, of French vintage. Evra adds a few originals ("Mia Mia," "Paris Encore"), and Cole Porter's "C'est Magnifique," but the rest is hardcore boite de nuit fare. "La Mer/Beyond the Sea" is often associated with Bobby Darin, but Evra puts her own distinctive stamp on it. But if one's taste runs to "La Vie en Rose" or "C'est Si Bon," here they are.

Some of Evra's other recordings suggest desire to broaden her audience, and to perform with topflight jazz players like Randy Brecker and Benny Benack. So much the better because these and other instrumentalists add rhythmic variation and dynamic modulation. They only serve to render her instrument a lovely voice more appealing. Sometimes, the bossa nova artists who Evra also admires were able to accomplish this by only a slight inflection in voice or even a well-placed breath. Who could forget Antonio Carlos Jobim's unforgettable "aaaah" in "Girl from Ipanema" Getz/Gilberto (Verve, 1964)?

Jazz belongs to everyone and to every language. French, Brazilian, British, and, of course American English too.By Richard J Salvucci https://www.allaboutjazz.com/meet-me-in-paris-janet-evra-plum-jazz

Meet Me in Paris

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The Flying Horse Big Band - A Message from the Flying Horse Big Band

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2023
Time: 51:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 118,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:56) 1. Free for All
(5:34) 2. Hipsippy Blues
(6:02) 3. Room 608
(5:42) 4. This Is for Albert
(5:03) 5. Mosaic
(4:38) 6. Peace
(5:50) 7. Gregory Is Here
(5:50) 8. Lester Left Town
(2:38) 9. Whisper Not
(5:01) 10. On the Ginza

The Message on the Florida-based Flying Horse Big Band's sixth album comes straight from the "messengers" themselves drummer Art Blakey's legendary Jazz Messengers, whose music is admirably presented here, and to whom the album is dedicated.

Its ten songs were composed by members of the Jazz Messengers ayne Shorter, Hank Mobley, Horace Silver, Cedar Walton, Benny Golson and two were re-scored for a large ensemble by former Messenger Michael Philip Mossman, with other charts by Mark Taylor (four), Harry Allen (two), Don Sickler and Billy May. As was true of Blakey's ensembles, swinging is always on the front burner and, even though none of the themes was written for a big band, the Flying Horses and their masterful arrangers make them seem as though they have always belonged there.

It is hard to overpraise the section work, as brass, reeds and rhythm are strong and coherent throughout, working overtime to breathe life into these superlative charts. It is almost as if the Messengers had been revitalized, larger and more impressive than ever. And, as for the charts, there is not one that is less than eloquent and charming. Even so, special mention must be given to Taylor's clever arrangement of Shorter's "Lester Left Town," as he translates what is usually a mournful homage to the great Lester Young into a thundering flag- waver worthy of Woody Herman or Buddy Rich at their high-octane best.

The session opens and closes with seductive burners by Shorter "Free for All," arranged by Mossman, and "On the Ginza," arranged by Taylor. The Horses fly high on both, as they do on every number in between, thanks to splendid preparation by director Jeff Rupert, spotless section work and resourceful solos by all hands. "Free for All" seldom pauses for breath, nor does "On the Ginza." The temperature remains high on Mobley's "Hipsippy Blues," Silver's "Room 608," Shorter's "This Is for Albert" and Walton's "Mosaic," the first trimly arranged by Allen, the last by Sickler, and those in between by Taylor.

Even Silver's relatively easy-going "Peace" swings in its own sweet way, thanks to Allen's sparkling arrangement, after which the tempo accelerates on Silver's "Gregory Is Here" (arranged by Mossman) and "Lester Left Town." Golson's lone composition, and May's only chart, "Whisper Not," is yet another highlight, as the Horses gallop in harmony behind earnest solos from tenor saxophonist Edmund "Quint" Johnson and alto saxophonist Micah Silverstein. That leaves the postscript to "On the Ginza" and, again, no one disappoints, as the band plays with its usual gusto while alto saxophonist Paul van Wormer and trumpeter Josh Mercado lend their solo talents.

Although soloists are named, the only omission, improbably enough, is drummer James Fortune who has powerhouse turns on "Free for All" and "Mosaic." Fortune shares timekeeping duties with the equally talented Jamesly Jean-Mary. Mercado takes every trumpet solo, and the same holds true for trombonist Dan Parrish, while van Wormer owns every alto saxophone solo save one, Silverstein's on "Whisper Not." Guitarist Noah Charles shines another bright light on "Room 608," "Gregory Is Here" and "Lester Left Town." Trumpets and trombones face a number of arduous passages, every one of which is navigated with ease and assurance, while the rhythm section not only keeps pace but adds its own vitality to the partnership.

The Flying Horse Big Band is never less than superb, and its dynamic Message comes through loud and clear. Even those whose big-band library is bursting at the seams must find space enough to accommodate this marvelous album. It is a decision that won't cause any regret.By Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-message-from-the-flying-horse-big-band-flying-horse-records

A Message from the Flying Horse Big Band

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Lisa Hilton - My Favorite Things

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:06
Size: 115,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. Let's Go!
(3:16)  2. My Favorite Things
(4:01)  3. Take Five
(4:10)  4. Midnight Sky
(3:59)  5. Alice in Wonderland
(4:45)  6. Desafinado
(3:47)  7. Baja Nights
(3:16)  8. Alfie
(3:27)  9. Clearly
(2:58) 10. Seduction (remix)
(3:28) 11. So This Is Love
(2:45) 12. They Can't Take That Away from Me
(3:12) 13. Thinking of You
(3:34) 14. Changes

Southern California pianist, Lisa Hilton, is justifiably proud of her new CD My Favorite Things: Everyone’s Jazz Favorites. The pianist involved herself in all aspects of its creation. Hilton’s seventh album in nine years is not only self-produced but the pianist composed eight original pieces and penned the arrangements of the remaining jazz standards. Her tasty reading of George and Ira Gershwin’s "They Can’t Take That Away From Me" is reminiscent of jazz pianists of the late 1930s and particularly of Teddy Wilson. Hilton handles the 1937 classic in a solo performance. The award-winning pianist is joined by some fine studio musicians on My Favorite Things. Reedman, Eric Marienthal, handles the flute and saxophone duties sympathetically.

Marienthal is fresh from appearances with The Rippingtons and Chick Corea. Drummer, Tal Bergman, worked in all genres including sessions with Billy Idol, Chris Botti and Joe Zawinul. Bassist, Reggie McBride, is probably one of the finest electric players on the scene. Over the years, the Detroit born bassist, provided the heartbeat for many greats including Aretha Franklin, Elton John, James Brown, Al Jarreau, Ry Cooder and Van Morrison. Many will recall his exciting recordings with Rare Earth in the 70s. Lisa Hilton dishes out some classy interpretations of several standards and Paul Desmond’s "Take Five" really stands out. This writer was most impressed with Hilton’s original tunes. "Baja Nights" is an exciting percussive melody with nice passages by the pianist accented by Bergman’s tasteful drumming. Our particular favorites are the bluesy "Seduction" and the closing tune titled "Changes." The latter song is a charmer in every sense of the word. The somewhat simple melody just demands a replay. ~ Richard Bourcier  http://www.jazzreview.com/cd-reviews/smooth-jazz-cd-reviews/my-favorite-things-by-lisa-hilton.html

Personnel: Lisa Hilton (piano); Reggie McBride (bass instrument);  Eric Marienthal (flute, saxophone);  Tal Bergman (drums).

My Favorite Things

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Tal Wilkenfeld - Transformation

Styles: Fusion
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:23
Size: 111,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:20)  1. BC
(6:23)  2. Cosmic Joke
(6:38)  3. Truth Be Told
(5:00)  4. Serendipity
(7:41)  5. The River Of Life
(7:51)  6. Oatmeal Bandage
(8:28)  7. Table For One

Some artists emerge slowly, taking years to find their way to public attention; others leap seemingly instantaneously into the public eye. Australian-born, US-based bassist Tal Wilkenfeld has gone from sitting in with Allman Brothers Band in 2006 to working with pianist Chick Corea and Jeff Beck, heard recently on the guitarist's Performing This Week...Live at Ronnie Scott's (Eagle Records, 2008). What's not apparent on Beck's CD but can be seen on the DVD version of the same release is his almost constant state of disbelief when watching the diminutive, early-twenties Wilkenfeld. There are plenty of bassists with staggering technique and chops, but few can make the instrument truly sing, as Wilkenfeld does on Beck's CD during an all-stops-out solo on Stevie Wonder's "'Cause We've Ended as Lovers."

Wilkenfeld possesses all the requisite chops and uses them to terrific advantage on Transformation, her 2007 debut as a leader, released prior to hitting the road with Beck. As with Beck, she proves herself a potent groove-meister, in this case working hand-in-glove with Keith Carlock, best-known as Steely Dan's recent drummer of choice, both on the road and on its last release, Everything Must Go (Reprise, 2003). The grooves are rich and visceral on this set of Wilkenfeld originals (one, the beautifully balladic "Truth Be Told," co-written with Transformation's keyboardist, the ever-tasteful Geoffrey Keezer), with solo space aplenty and a less restrictive format allowing Carlock greater freedom than in The Dan's more defined context. Possessing a deep lyricism rare enough in electric bassists, but especially in this largely fusion-esque context, Wilkenfeld's a fingers-only player who largely eschews string-popping and slapping techniques, though she heads for that territory briefly on "Serendipity," managing to be be both rhythm anchor and lead voice. Largely, however, she aims for a warm tone and a way of sliding in and around her notes reminiscent of ex-Weather Report bassist Alphonso Johnson and King Crimson/Peter Gabriel alum Tony Levin. 

Wilkenfeld's writing is filled with knotty, often high velocity lines either in counterpoint or concert with guitarist Wayne Krantz, who delivers some of his most focused, funkified and harmonically outré playing in years; a strong foil for Wilkenfeld and a player who's always deserved more cred than he's been afforded. Saxophonist Seamus Blake, normally heard on more modern mainstream settings, combines spare soulfulness with bop-inflected lines on the medium tempo "Table for One," while Keezer delivers one of his best solos of the set on the fierier "Oatmeal Bandage," while also features a rare solo spot for Carlock that suggests he, like Krantz, deserves considerably more attention. But even when the music is filled with complex, intertwining lines that prove the mettle of everyone involved even as they avoid any trappings of excess, it still grooves in a booty-shaking way even when Wilkenfeld challenges with shifting meters. For those who've discovered Wilkenfeld via her work with Jeff Beck, the thoroughly exciting Transformation provides an even broader window into this remarkable bassist with a promising future. ~ John Kelman  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/transformation-tal-wilkenfeld-self-produced-review-by-john-kelman.php#.VEGCWxawTP8
 

Personnel: Tal Wilkenfeld: bass; Wayne Krantz: guitar; Geoffrey Keezer: piano, keyboards; Keith Carlock: drums; Seamus Blake: tenor saxophone.

Transformation

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Marianne Solivan - Mood For Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:28
Size: 113,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:09) 1.Look For Me I’ll Be Around
(5:12) 2.I’m In The Mood For Love - Moody’s Mood For Love
(4:07) 3.Lonely Woman
(4:54) 4.It’s Like Reaching For The Moon
(5:16) 5.Look No Further
(3:07) 6.I’m Gonna Lock My Heart
(5:07) 7.Some Other Time
(3:10) 8.My Gentleman Friend
(5:55) 9.Zingaro
(4:14) 10.On A Clear Day
(3:12) 11.Spark

Quickly becoming one of the most buzzed about jazz singers on the New York scene, Marianne Solivan does not remember an “ah-ha” moment that brought her to the music she has devoted herself to: “I don’t recall having a big moment that made me like jazz. I just dug it.”

It is that same simplicity of statement with its intrinsic honesty that characterizes Solivan’s style. The infallible swing of Ella, the daring of Betty Carter, the matter-of factness of Carmen McRae…They can all be found in the voice of Marianne Solivan, whom trumpeter Jeremy Pelt has called “the modern-day paradigm to which all singers should aspire.”

It is no coincidence that the 2009 Jazzmobile Vocal Competition finalist has graced recital halls, jam sessions and club stages with such noted musicians as Roy Hargrove, Steve Lacy, Jeremy Pelt, Ray Gallon (Ron Carter, Art Farmer, Lionel Hampton, T.S. Monk), Ugonna Ukegwo (Tom Harrell, Jacky Terrason) and Jane Monheit’s sidemen Neal Minor and Michael Kanan.

Born in Queens, New York, Solivan’s family lived in Venezuela and New Jersey before settling in Massachusetts, where she attended high school. Already an alto sax student, it was in secondary school that she began singing seriously, studying classical voice and appearing in musical theater productions. Upon graduating, she entered Boston Conservatory on scholarship with a concentration in musical theater. After her first year in college, Solivan took time off from school and drifted away from singing, not returning for three years. The urge to resume singing lessons and go back to school coincided with her discovery of the voice that would become her greatest influence: Ella Fitzgerald.

She recalls, “I purchased the four oddest recordings for a jazz newcomer: one of those Ella Fitzgerald songbook compilations, a Dominique Eade recording, Nina Simone Sings The Blues and At the Village Vanguard: Betty Carter.” Fitzgerald, especially, made a great impression on her: “There’s such tremendous hopefulness in all her music. No matter how sad the ballad, no matter how bad the break-up song, there’s always a silver lining.”

Solivan was singing pop when she entered Berklee College of Music, but quickly decided she wanted to learn this music called jazz. Earning a dual degree in Music Performance and Education, she taught music for a year before entering New England Conservatory and graduating with a Master’s degree in Jazz Studies.

Armed with two prestigious degrees and formidable talent, Solivan moved back to the city of her birth in 2007, placing in the Jazzmobile Vocal Competition, appearing as the only featured vocalist on clarinetist Darryl Harper’s The C3 project recording, Stories in Real Time, and touring France as the lead vocalist in an innovative staging of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

Solivan is as likely to pop up at jazz institution Smalls Jazz Club with a full band as she is an intimate restaurant with only a piano accompanist. Regardless, jazz lovers and musicians alike are captivated by her sound and her style. Not all are able to articulate what attracts them as well as Pelt. Ultimately, they just dig it. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/marianne-solivan/

Mood For Love

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The Jazz Sapiens - Remembrance: 1955 to 1963

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:26
Size: 36,7 MB
Art: Front

(1:15) 1. God's Band
(3:42) 2. Bandung Conference
(4:52) 3. No Justice for Emmett Till (Mourning Song)
(3:32) 4. The State Department
(3:52) 5. Valley of the Kings
(4:29) 6. Trouble in Little Rock
(3:16) 7. A Different Kind of Diplomacy
(4:29) 8. Reflections
(4:45) 9. Will Change Ever Come
(4:09) 10. The Power of Music

The Jazz Sapiens Big Band is an exciting new collective made up of London's finest jazz musicians. Between them they have played with a Who’s Who of leading contemporary music artists including Jamiroquai, Incognito, John McLaughlin, Laura Mvula, Gregory Porter, Steve Winwood, The Brand New Heavies and the James Taylor Quartet.

The music is an eclectic mix of contrasting moods: from reflective to intense, the spontaneity and virtuosity of the band’s live performances will keep you enthralled.

The band came together to record the original score for the Peabody Award-winning documentary, 'The Jazz Ambassadors'. The themes composed by Michael J McEvoy, were inspired by events that took place during the civil rights movement when African American musicians were sent overseas by the US State Department to perform in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

This album is a live studio recording of the main themes composed for the film with extended solos and expanded arrangements by Mike and saxophonist Paul Booth.

Personnel: Mark Mondesir (Drums); Karl Rasheed Abel (Dbl Bass); Mike McEvoy (Piano); Kevin Robinson (Trumpet/Flugelhorn); Freddie Gavita (Trumpet/Flugelhorn); Tom Walsh (Trumpet/Flugelhorn); Paul Booth (Tenor Sax); Graeme Blevins (Alto Sax); Robbie Harvey (Tenor Trombone); Richard Henry (Bass Trombone)

The Jazz Sapiens - Remembrance: 1955 to 1963

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Sant Andreu Jazz Band - Jazzing 13 Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Jazzing 13 Disc 1
Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:14
Size: 107,1 MB
Art: Front

(1:56) 1. Easy To Love
(5:57) 2. Sweet Georgia Brown
(7:25) 3. Midnight Blue
(4:25) 4. In A Mellow Tone
(3:11) 5. Prelude To A Kiss
(5:06) 6. Recordame
(2:57) 7. You Make Me Feel So Young
(5:07) 8. Laverne Walk
(3:46) 9. When Sunny Gets Blue
(2:44) 10. People We Say We're In Love
(3:35) 11. Go To Hell

Album: Jazzing 13 Disc 2
Time: 52:19
Size: 121,1 MB

(3:37) 1. A Tisket A Tasket
(4:20) 2. Blue Moon (2:21) 3. It's A Lovely Day Today
(4:22) 4. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
(4:24) 5. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
(4:25) 6. Sunny
(4:43) 7. Nice Work If You Can Get It
(3:48) 8. The Last Time I Saw Paris
(4:25) 9. I Wish I Knew How It Would To Be Free
(4:57) 10. Just A Closer with Thee
(5:42) 11. Corner Pocket
(5:09) 12. Tain't What You Do

Sant Andreu Jazz Band is a youth jazz band from Barcelona, featuring 7- to 20-year-olds. The bandleader is Joan Chamorro.

The band was founded in 2006 at Escola Municipal de Música de Sant Andreu. The band has performed at numerous concerts and festivals in Catalonia, and other regions of Spain as well as in neighbouring countries (for example France, Switzerland, Denmark).. They released their first live CD/DVD Jazzing: Live at Casa Fuster in 2009, featuring alongside established jazz musicians, the precocious 14-year-old, Andrea Motis among other young talents.

2010 was a breakthrough year for the band, with appearances at more than 20 festivals including Valls, Terrassa, Girona, Barcelona, Platja d'Aro, and venues like el Jamboree, Palau de la Música Catalana, JazzSi, Hotel Casa Fuster, featuring international performers like Dick Oatts, Ken Peplowski, Bobby Gordon, Perico Sambeat, Ignasi Terraza, Matthew Simon, and Esteve Pi. The band also released their second recording Jazzing vol.2.

In 2012 the film director Ramón Tort made the documentary A film about kids and music based on the band's work and efforts. The film was awarded best feature film at the Lights. Camera. Help. festival in Austin, Texas, US in 2013.

In 2021, Sant Andreu Jazz Band celebrated their 15-year-anniversary with concerts during the Barcelona jazz festivals. They received the 2021 Alícia prize "for the Educational Project", awarded by the Acadèmia Catalana de la Música.

Small combos of older members perform worldwide, for example with WDR Big Band in Cologne and in Bengaluru (India) Several band members have contended in international jazz after their time in the band, particularly Motis and Rita Payés.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sant_Andreu_Jazz_Band

Jazzing 13

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Sal Salvadore - Tribute To Gerry Mulligan

Styles: Guitar Jazz, Cool Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:32
Size: 86,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:52) 1. Bernie's Tune
(4:12) 2. Five Brothers
(3:58) 3. Song For Stray Horn
(4:14) 4. Elevation
(5:06) 5. Walkin' Shoes
(3:16) 6. Lime Light
(3:50) 7. Walk On The Water
(6:00) 8. Line For Lyons

Gerry Mulligan, in addition to being one of the top jazz baritonists ever, was a major if underrated composer. On this set, guitarist Sal Salvador, in groups ranging from a sextet to a quartet, interprets eight of Mulligan's better songs, including "Bernie's Tune," "Song for Strayhorn," "Walkin' Shoes," and "Line for Lyons."

With fine playing from the supporting cast (trumpeter Randy Brecker, baritonist Nick Brignola, vibraphonist Paul Johnson, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Butch Miles), Salvador is heard in top form throughout the consistently inspired and swinging effort. Highly recommended.By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/plays-gerry-mulligan-mw0000897373#

Tribute To Gerry Mulligan

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Lisa Hilton - Twilight & Blues

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:33
Size: 115,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. Pandemonium
(6:31)  2. Woodstock
(4:44)  3. What's Going On (Extended Take)
(6:11)  4. City Streets
(3:03)  5. Turbulent Blue
(5:20)  6. Twilight
(5:31)  7. Kozmic Blues
(4:58)  8. Blue for You
(6:36)  9. Moon River
(3:38) 10. What's Going On

Acclaimed Jazz pianist/composer Lisa Hilton's 11th release features in her band top jazz musicians, all current DownBeat Magazine Critic's Choice winners: Lewis Nash (drums), Larry Grenadier (bass), Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), and J.D. Allen (tenor sax). Recorded at the famed Avatar Studio in NYC by 18-time Grammy Award-winning engineer/ producer, Al Schmitt. Hilton's own piano shimmers throughout on five originals and five iconic covers by artists such as Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, Marvin Gaye and Henry Mancini. Hilton continues to receive outstanding reviews, strong radio play, and has developed a broad fan base for her melodic instrumental Jazz approach.

"The whole disc has an ambience that draws you in while swinging with emotion. Thoughtful and well crafted from start to finish, this is a must have for jazz fans." ~ George Harris, All About Jazz

"Hilton uses blue notes to create an intimate world of beauty that is true to the artist she is. Hilton's originality of vision is her strength, and her light touch is a lovely as she is and as addictive as the waves breaking near her Malibu home." ~ Brad Walseth, JazzChicago.net

"Exciting for the listener...hot stuff." ~ Chris Spector, Midwest Record  

http://www.amazon.com/twilight-blues-Lisa-Hilton/dp/B002AR24AA

Twilight Blues

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Gemma Sherry - Songs I Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:48
Size: 131,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:51) 1. Some Other Time
(4:20) 2. You Don't Know What Love Is
(3:10) 3. I Fall in Love Too Easily
(3:37) 4. Satin Doll
(3:11) 5. Here's That Rainy Day
(5:39) 6. Lush Life
(6:08) 7. Spring Can Really Hang You up the Most
(5:11) 8. When Sunny Gets Blue
(3:56) 9. Blame It on My Youth
(3:23) 10. Peace
(3:39) 11. You Go to My Head
(5:19) 12. Round Midnight
(4:18) 13. Save Your Love for Me

Is it remotely possible that we need yet one more collection of standards from the Great American Songbook? Are computer servers not clotted to the point of infarction with the detritus of recordings by everyone who thinks he or she is a jazz singer? But here is a recording that reminds us why a collection of old songs, performed true to the melody, is so important to American music and her sacred Songbook. Gemma Sherry's Songs I Love is such a recording. With a bell-like coquettish, yet wholesomely scrubbed clarity, Sherry polishes the best that Tin Pan Alley has to offer, returning it as an integrated collection and informative whole. For this recording, Sherry is backed by the rhythm section of pianist Billy Woodman and bassist Mike Waite, the two sharing a solid musical empathy. They are in the mix, neck-and-neck, just behind Sherry. It is a warm and comfortable setup.

Hailing from Down Under and presently calling Philadelphia, PA home, Sherry approaches her performance with a refined understatement that translates into a true affinity for melody and the composers' intentions. Her recital of this baker's dozen standards is similarly fashioned. What is not here? Gratefully, "My Funny Valentine," "Feelings" and "The Man I Love." What is here orbits "love" in all of its grandeur, excitement, misery and longing. The enduring loss of "Some Other Time" with the optimism of "Satin Doll," the bookend double-barrel schizophrenia of "You Don't Know What Love Is" with "I Fall in Love Too Easily," and the perfectly in tune triptych of "Here's That Rainy Day," "Lush Life" and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" all act as miniature suites highlighting the challenge and triumph of love. But Sherry does not stop there. She is in cahoots with Woodman, who has arranged all of the material simply and with grace. These are head arrangements that feature the familiar introduction-vocals-piano solo-vocals-coda format. All effort is saved to the melodies as conceived by their composers and words, their lyricists. It is bliss. The disc ends with another triptych made up of "You Go to My Head," "'Round Midnight" and "Save Your Love for Me." It is the lifespan of love: heady excitement, heartbreak and memory, prayer for reconciliation.~C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/songs-i-love-gemma-sherry-tunley-records

Personnel: Gemma Sherry: voice / vocals; Billy Woodman: piano; Mike Waite: bass; Patsy Gamble: saxophone.

Songs I Love

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Keyon Harrold - The Mugician

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:40
Size: 115,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:41)  1. Voicemail
(6:12)  2. The Mugician
(5:04)  3. MB Lament
(1:38)  4. When Will It Stop?
(6:14)  5. Wayfaring Traveler
(5:15)  6. Stay This Way
(0:28)  7. Lullaby
(4:34)  8. Her Beauty Through My Eyes
(4:27)  9. Ethereal Souls
(0:53) 10. Broken News
(4:21) 11. Circus Show
(5:48) 12. Bubba Rides Again

The sophomore album from Keyon Harrold, 2017's ambitious, socially conscious The Mugician, finds the New York-based, Ferguson, Missouri-raised jazz trumpeter laying out an intensely felt, genre-bending vision of jazz in the 21st century. As the title somewhat cheekily implies, Harrold is not simply a musician, but also a magician, or "mugician"; a notion evoked by director Don Cheadle when trying to describe the trumpeter's spellbinding work on the 2016 Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead. Just as Davis broke down musical boundaries throughout his career, Harrold works to bridge genre gaps here, crafting expansive, often cinematic soundscapes that are equal parts improvisational jazz, psychedelic hip-hop, ruminative R&B balladry, and pointed social critique.

It's an approach one might expect from a musician who counts both post-bop trumpeter Charles Tolliver and rapper Common as major influences. Joining Harrold on The Mugician are several longtime associates like guitarist Nir Felder, saxophonist Marcus Strickland, bassist Burniss Travis, drummer Mark Colenburg, and others. There are also a handful of special guests, including acclaimed pianist Robert Glasper and vocalists Jermaine Holmes and Georgia Anne Muldrow, all of whom commune on the atmospheric, '70s soul-infused "Wayfaring Traveler." Similarly, idiosyncratic R&B singer Bilal helps the trumpeter evoke the woozy '90s trip-hop of Massive Attack on "Stay This Way," and rapper Pharoahe Monch applies his acute wordplay to the sultry, minor-key grooves of "Her Beauty Through My Eyes." Also making notable contributions are singers Gary Clark, Jr., actor/comedian Guy Torry, reggae vocalist Josh David Barrett, and more.

Harrold even makes room for a heartfelt, motivational voicemail from his mom that he frames with Darin Atwater's wide-screen orchestration. Along the way, he touches upon a bevy of timely, thoughtfully rendered topics from racism and bigotry to romantic fidelity and the environment. Throughout all of The Mugician, Harrold lives up to the album's title, conjuring rounded, clarion trumpet lines, spinning off his collaborators one second, and commanding the spotlight the next with an alchemical swagger. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-mugician-mw0003099629

The Mugician

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas, let your heart be light.

May this Christmas season bring you closer to all those that you treasure in your heart.

Wishing you and your family health, happiness, peace and prosperity this Christmas and in the coming

New Year. 

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!

Giullia

Donald Byrd - Stepping Into Tomorrow

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:36
Size: 91,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:13) 1. Stepping Into Tomorrow
(4:20) 2. Design a Nation
(4:25) 3. We're Together
(6:12) 4. Think Twice
(3:49) 5. Makin' It
(6:09) 6. Rock and Roll Again
(4:31) 7. You Are the World
(3:54) 8. I Love the Girl

Beginning with a crack of thunder, like it was made to trail Gary Bartz's "Mother Nature" (actually recorded at a slightly later date), Stepping into Tomorrow contains almost all of the Mizell trademarks within its title track's first 30 seconds: a soft and easy (yet still funky) electric-bass-and-drums foundation, silken rhythm guitar, organ and piano gently bouncing off one another, light synthesizer shading, and coed group vocals to ensure true liftoff. It's only one in a line of many magnetic '70s sessions led by Fonce and Larry Mizell, and it differs from their two previous Donald Byrd dates the polarizing and groundbreaking Black Byrd and the deceptively excellent Street Lady by not featuring any of Roger Glenn's flute, and by focusing on heavily melodic and laid-back arrangements.

Even the speedy "You Are the World," by some distance the most energetic song, seems more suited for relaxing in a hammock than shooting down a freeway. Many of the musicians present on the previous Byrd-Mizell meetings are here, including drummer Harvey Mason, bassist Chuck Rainey, keyboardist Jerry Peters, and guitarist David T. Walker. As ever, those who pined for the approach of Byrd's '60s dates would tune out a sublime set of material, but maybe some of those who sniffed at the straightforward nature of some of the rhythms and riffing were won over by the supreme layering of the many components (the way in which "Think Twice" lurches forward, peels back, and gathers steam is nothing short of heavenly), not to mention some deeply evocative playing from Byrd himself.~Andy Kellman https://www.allmusic.com/album/stepping-into-tomorrow-mw0000057832

Personnel: Trumpet [Solo Trumpet], Soloist [Solo Trumpet], Flugelhorn, Vocals [Solo Vocals], Soloist [Solo Vocals] – Donald Byrd; Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – Gary Bartz; Backing Vocals – Fonce Mizell, Fred Perrin, Kay Haith, Larry Mizell, Lorraine Kennar, Margie Evans, Stephanie Spruill; Clavinet, Trumpet – Fonce Mizell; Congas – Mayuto Correa; Drum [Batah Drum], Jew's Harp [Mouth Harp] – Harvey Mason; Drums – Harvey Mason; Electric Bass [Fender Bass] – Chuck Rainey; Guitar – David T. Walker, John Rowin, Rhonghea Southern; Piano [Acoustic Piano], Organ – Jerry Peters; Synthesizer [Arp Synthesizers], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Larry Mizell

Stepping Into Tomorrow

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Marjorie Barnes - Both Sides Now

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:13
Size: 118,1 MB
Art: Front
v
(2:40) 1. Soon
(5:37) 2. I Haven't Got Anything Better
(3:41) 3. Moon River
(4:24) 4. Something To Live For
(5:22) 5. Detour Ahead
(2:46) 6. Never Will I Marry
(5:02) 7. A Sleepin' Bee
(4:11) 8. Smile
(3:44) 9. That's All
(5:37) 10. Both Sides Now
(3:40) 11. I Will Wait For You
(4:23) 12. How Do You Keep The Music Playing?

Marjorie Barnes native New Yorker who has been living in Europe for almost fifty years including several decades in the Netherlands, summons her many years of experience to brighten and embroider Both Sides Now, her impressive debut recording with the world-class Millennium Jazz Orchestra (MJO). Barnes sang in the mid-1970s with the multiple Grammy Award-winning ensemble, The Fifth Dimension, and has worked with such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstine and many others. She is relaxed and comfortable in a big-band setting, astutely enriching the splendid arrangements by MJO director Joan Reinders.

The program that Barnes and Reinders have chosen is an attractive blend of standards and one original, closing with a trio of classics, Joni Mitchell's spellbinding "Both Sides Now" and Michel Legrand's "I Will Wait for You" and "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" Barnes is a throwback to an era in which singers let a song tell its story, eschewing any flamboyance or pretension that would subvert the composer's purpose. She simply sings each song the way it was meant to be sung.

Reinders, meanwhile, lends ample support by deftly arranging every number and choosing a single soloist to complement Barnes on most of them. Tenor saxophonist Joao Driessen escorts her on the Gershwin brothers' "Soon," which opens the session, and Henry Mancini's "Moon River," alto saxophonist Gerlo Hesselink on "Never Will I Marry" and the lone original composition, "I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do." Pianist Dirk Balthaus is front and center on "Detour Ahead," flautist Rob Sijben on "A Sleepin' Bee," baritone saxophonist Job Helmers on "That's All," trumpeter Suzan Veneman on "Both Sides Now" and "I Will Wait for You." Needless to say, every solo is exemplary.

That is a word which suits Barnes too, as she skates easily through every number with nary a false note or misstep. Listening to Both Sides Now, it is easy to see how Barnes could have replaced the peerless Marilyn McCoo, as she did for two years in The Fifth Dimension. Even now, nearly half a century onward, Barnes seems to have lost none of the elegance and charm she brought to that gig. She and the MJO make a lovely coup https://www.allaboutjazz.com/both-sides-now-marjorie-barnes-millennium-jazz-orchestra-zennez-records

Both Sides Now

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Jeff Bradshaw - Jeff Bradshaw 20

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:09
Size: 109,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:56) 1. Dubai Voices
(4:29) 2. How You Gonna Act Like That (Feat. Mike Burton)
(3:49) 3. Ridin Dirty
(4:02) 4. Make Some Time (Feat. Eric Roberson)
(4:13) 5. Time (Feat. Keith Phelps)
(4:19) 6. Carrie's Bread Puddin'
(3:11) 7. Destiny (Feat. Rebecca Jade)
(3:45) 8. Ay Ay Ay (Feat. Raheem Devaughn & Chill Moody)
(2:47) 9. Young, Broke, & Brave (Feat. Saint Ezekiel)
(1:44) 10. A Lil Love (Interlude)
(3:15) 11. Don't Wanna Wait (Feat. Liz Vaughn)
(4:39) 12. God Says (Feat. Jamie Knight)
(3:57) 13. The Maintenance Man (Feat. B.slade)

Accomplished trombonist Jeff Bradshaw has been making music professionally for almost 30 years. Over that time, he has collaborated with a who's who of jazz and R&B artists including Jill Scott, the Roots, Erykah Badu, Kirk Franklin and many others. Jeff Bradshaw 20 is a celebration of his career with all-new recordings and collaborations with Eric Roberson, Raheem DeVaighn and more.By Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Bradshaw-20/dp/B0C3RJWR1T

Jeff Bradshaw 20

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Wes Montgomery & The Wynton Kelly Trio - The Unissued 1965 Half Note Broadcasts

Styles: Guitar And Piano Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:25
Size: 145,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:11) 1. Impressions
(3:34) 2. Mi Cosa [unaccompanied guitar]
(5:45) 3. Blues #1
(5:41) 4. Birks' Works
(6:46) 5. Laura
(8:42) 6. Cariba
(3:04) 7. Blues #2
(8:07) 8. Four On Six
(1:26) 9. Blues #3 / Closing Announcements
(6:43) 10. All The Things You Are
(7:21) 11. I Remember You

It never ceases to amaze what previously unheard recordings suddenly pop up. Take this pair of Station WABC Portraits In Jazz broadcasts which predate this lineup's must-have Smokin' At The Half Note taped by the same personnel (except for Carter and Ridley subbing for Paul Chambers). These half-hour broadcasts are presented replete with announcements thereby giving the proceedings a sense of immediacy.

The CD opens with Coltrane's ‘Impressions’ during which Wes runs through his entire bag of tricks with the kind of ease that one has come to expect. An unaccompanied ‘Mi Cosa’ follows before a further nine selections that take in three variations of the blues, a couple more originals (‘Cariba’ and ‘Four On Six’) a look at Dizzy's ‘Birk's Works’ and a trio of standards of which ‘Laura’ is the highlight, are done and dusted.

While Wes is in command of a truly remarkable technique he never grandstands or allows things to get out of control, even when during ‘Four On Six’ he offers up complex runs that other guitarists can only aspire to but seldom manage to replicate. The only drawback is that on some performances Wynton Kelly's is under-recorded, apart from that it's Wes close to his best.
https://www.jazzwise.com/review/wes-montgomery-and-the-wynton-kelly-trio-the-unissued-1965-half-note-broadcasts

The Unissued Half Note Broadcasts

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Melody Gardot Feat. Philippe Powell - Entre Eux Deux (The Paris Sessions)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 20:47
Size: 47,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:52) 1. This Foolish Heart Could Love You
(4:57) 2. Perhaps You'll Wonder Why
(7:13) 3. Samba Em Prelúdio (Un Jour Sans Toi)
(4:43) 4. Darling Fare Thee Well

Melody Gardot And Philippe Powell Add Strings For ‘Entre Eux Deux’ EP. It features hand-picked selections from their successful 2022 collaboration, in new versions with string arrangements.

Vocal jazz stylist Melody Gardot reunites with French composer and pianist Philippe Powell for the EP Entre eux deux: The Paris Sessions, out now via Decca Records. It features hand-picked selections from their successful 2022 collaboration Entre eux deux, in new versions with string arrangements.

The songs on the new EP chosen by Gardot and Powell are “This Foolish Heart Could Love You,” which Jazzwise hailed as a “standard-in-the-making”; “Perhaps You’ll Wonder Why”; “Darling Fare Thee Well”; and “Samba Em Prelúdio.” which pays tribute to, and revisits the legacy of, Powell’s father, the Brazilian composer, and guitarist Baden Powell.

The arrangements have been overseen by the celebrated pianist, composer, and arranger Alan Broadbent, whose credits include such major figures in jazz as Charlie Haden, Diana Krall, and Natalie Cole. The songs also feature the violinists Astghik Vardanyan and Gohar Papoyan and violist Astghik Gazhoyan, all members of the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, and Armenian-born musician-producer Artyom Manukyan on cello. This distinguished ensemble also went on the road with Gardot for the 2022 tour that was named after the album.

“We’re thrilled to be working with such an incredible team of musicians and collaborators,” says Gardot. “We wanted to create something special for our fans to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Entre eux deux, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. Press releases are boring. Just listen to it…”

Adds Powell: “In Paris, during the rehearsals, the stunning musical encounter with these four incredible artists took place. They came from Yerevan, during a time when the Armenians were suffering the effects of a war that continues to this day. Yet, from the first notes played together, the songs we had written were suddenly reinvented with their hope, love, and strength. At each concert, this expression became deeper, and the music was renewed. Through this recording, we had the chance to capture this musical communion. We hope it will touch your hearts.”

In a banner year that saw the release of Entre eux deux as her sixth studio album and first duo collaboration, 2022 also saw Gardot receive the prestigious Chevalier in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, the highest cultural accolade in France. Her extensive tour included five sellout shows in Paris, and she is now preparing for a new global tour to run from June into early 2024, with multiple runs in North America and Europe. Full tour dates and ticket information are at her website. (Published on June 11, 2023 By Paul Sexton)

https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/melody-gardot-philippe-powell-entre-eux-deux-ep/

Entre eux deux (The Paris Sessions)

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Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox - The Fourth Tuning

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:42
Size: 149,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:21) 1. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)
(4:41) 2. Man! I Feel Like A Woman!
(4:14) 3. The Power Of Love
(4:24) 4. I Was Made For Lovin' You
(3:10) 5. Basket Case
(5:17) 6. Nothing Else Matters
(3:55) 7. Flowers
(3:45) 8. Late Night Talking
(3:50) 9. American Boy
(4:01) 10. Lucky
(4:10) 11. Bad Habits
(3:51) 12. Love Story
(3:17) 13. Stayin’ Alive
(4:16) 14. Angel
(3:47) 15. A World Without Love
(3:34) 16. Ddu-du Ddu-du

Ever since I was in middle school, I knew I was something of an old soul. While my friends listened to ’90s pop hits, I listened to old jazz and Motown records and spent hours upon hours attempting to figure out their inner workings on the piano. Listening to these records truly transported me I appreciated the creativity, skill, and above all natural talent that went into their creation. Years later, as a musician living in New York City, I formed Postmodern Jukebox as way to bring the classic sounds I loved back into the mainstream, and to build a platform to celebrate real, unadulterated, deserving talent.

Today, it’s been five years since Postmodern Jukebox performed its first show, and our family has grown to include nearly fifty singers and another fifty instrumentalists, all of whom now have the opportunity to perform the classic genres they love for the audiences who appreciate them. The vocalists sing every note live, without any tuning help. The musicians make every sound you hear on stage and in my living room with the instruments you see them playing. That doesn’t matter to everyone, but it matters to us and I believe it matters to our fans. We do it the old fashioned way and we love every second of it.

Thanks to our millions of fans around the world, Postmodern Jukebox has become the rotating collective of musical outcasts that have somehow found a home and there are still many incredible, undiscovered talents out there that I really am excited to share with you. And its my promise to continue to share with you, the best natural performers from around the world, and give them a platform they deserve in this wonderful, musical universe we call Postmodern Jukebox.https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/scott-bradlees-postmodern-jukebox

The Fourth Tuning

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