Akiko Tsuruga - Beyond Nostalgia

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 2024
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:53
Size: 151,5 MB
Art: Front

( 8:47) 1.Tiger
( 6:31) 2.Happy Blues
( 8:35) 3.Middle Somewhere
(10:38) 4.Back Track
( 6:29) 5.I'll Close My Eyes
( 4:54) 6.Beyond Nostalgia
( 6:13) 7.Mack The Knife
( 6:48) 8.Dancing Cats
( 6:54) 9.What A Diff'rence A Day Makes

Another SteepleChase debut album here by Japanese-born B-3 organist Akiko Tsuruga who hails from Osaka, Japan's second largest city brimming with vitality and keen sense of good life. With her working group including husband trumpeter Joe Magnarelli Akiko leaps out with electrifying energy and at the same time displays her knack for elegant phrasing.

"Tsuruga wraps her own personality around our expectations, bringing out signature ideals of her instrument." - Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
https://propermusic.com/products/akikotsuruga-beyondnostalgia

Personnel: Akiko Tsuruga: B3 Hammond organ; Joe Magnarelli: trumpet; Jerry Weldon: tenor saxophone; Byron Landham: drums; Ed Cherry: guitar

Beyond Nostalgia

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Dexter Gordon - Gettin' Around

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:48
Size: 134.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1965/1987
Art: Front

[ 8:25] 1. Manha De Carnaval
[ 5:12] 2. Who Can I Turn To
[ 7:48] 3. Heartaches
[ 6:16] 4. Shiny Stockings
[ 6:43] 5. Everybody's Somebody's Fool
[ 6:58] 6. Le Coiffeur
[ 6:50] 7. Very Saxily Yours
[10:33] 8. Flick Of A Trick

Bass – Bob Cranshaw; Drums – Billy Higgins; Piano – Barry Harris; Tenor Saxophone – Dexter Gordon; Vibraphone [Vibes] – Bobby Hutcherson.

Dexter Gordon's mid-'60s period living in Europe also meant coming back to the U.S. for the occasional recording session. His teaming with Bobby Hutcherson was intriguing in that the vibraphonist was marking his territory as a maverick and challenging improviser. Here the two principals prove compatible in that they have a shared sense of how to create sheer beauty in a post-bop world. Add the brilliant Barry Harris to this mix, and that world is fortunate enough to hear these grand masters at their creative peak, stoked by equally extraordinary sidemen like bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Billy Higgins, all on loan from Lee Morgan's hitmaking combo. The subtle manner in which Gordon plays melodies or caresses the most recognizable standard has always superseded his ability to ramble through rough-and-tumble bebop. It's hard to resist how Gordon massages the light and sweet bossa nova "Manha de Carnaval" hand in hand with Hutcherson, the heartfelt way "Who Can I Turn To?" or "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" is turned into a personalized statement, or how the co-leaders take Frank Foster's Count Basie staple, "Shiny Stockings," beyond a classic and into immortal territory. Where Gordon and Hutcherson's true strength lies is in their ability to listen and balance their sound into a unified whole beyond any other tenor sax-vibraphone combination you might care to name, unless it's Hutch's partnership in the ensuing years with Harold Land. Picking up on a Sonny Rollins idea, "Heartaches" is a loping cowboy-type swinger with some lustrous comping from Hutcherson and Harris, while the light, cat-prancing "Le Coiffeur" is the highlight among highlights, a stealth calypso with Gordon's deftly rendered staccato notation. One has to listen closer to the pianist on this date, as he buoys the others without demanding equal space, but he is just as reverberant. While this is not Gordon's ultimate hard bop date, it is reflective of his cooling out in Europe, adopting a tonal emphasis more under the surface than in your face. It's not essential, but quite enjoyable, and does mark a turning point in his illustrious career. [The CD version contains two bonus tracks, including the Onzy Matthews composition "Very Saxily Yours" with a melody very similar to "Shiny Stockings," Hutcherson alone during a second chorus, and a classy quarter-to-eighth note solo by Gordon. Ben Tucker's "Flick of a Trick" is added on, an 11-minute groove blues that lets Harris cut loose, digging in after-hours style.] ~Michael G. Nastos

Gettin' Around

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Adi Braun - Moderne Frau

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:56
Size: 121,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:18) 1. Moderne Frau
(5:53) 2. Surabaya Johnny
(3:58) 3. Nannas Lied
(2:10) 4. Buddy on the nightshift
(3:33) 5. Josephine
(5:02) 6. Du sollst es leise sagen
(5:07) 7. Speak Low
(3:55) 8. I'm a stranger here myself
(2:07) 9. Mackie Messer/Mack the knife
(3:36) 10. Gestern
(4:39) 11. Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib?
(6:40) 12. It never was you
(3:52) 13. It's all a swindle

Adi Braun has a long list of cabaret, concert and theatre successes to her credit. She has performed in every major jazz and concert venue in Toronto, has toured Canada, the United States, and Europe. In 2023 Adi released her sixth CD recording “Night and Day Adi Braun sings the Cole Porter Songbook” which follows her previously celebrated recordings “Moderne Frau Modern Woman” (2017), a tribute to the music of Weimar Cabaret, “Canadian Scenes I” (2010), Live at the Metropolitan Room (2007), The Rules of the Game (2006), and Delishious (2003).

Born in Toronto, Adi Braun grew up in Europe surrounded by music and musicians. Her parents were opera singers. Her father, Victor Braun, was one of Canada’s leading baritones. Her first instrument was piano, which she began studying at the age of six. With no formal voice lessons, she made her first pop/jazz recording at age 19.

Following family tradition, Adi trained classically at the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music. She began her singing career as a classical recitalist, a soloist with orchestra, and on-stage in operas and operettas alongside her brother, baritone Russell Braun.

Adi started “singing sideways” in the late ‘90's and returned to the music she loved, which she calls “cabarazz”, drawing on aspects from both cabaret and jazz. After winning a local competition in 2001, she was catapulted to centre-stage as one of Canada’s leading jazz vocalists. In 2007, Adi was nominated as “Best Major Jazz Vocalist of the Year” by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC).

Her sophisticated style and subtle delivery evokes such vocal greats as Sarah Vaughan, Lotte Lenya, Judy Garland and Rosemary Clooney. Elizabeth Ahlfors of New York’s Cabaret Scenes describes Adi as "A tad Dinah Washington, a hint of Lena Horne, the enveloping warmth of Doris Day, all gift-wrapped up in a unique sound that is singular Adi Braun!" Adi’s repertoire ranges from the Great American songbook, to European cabaret, to contemporary songs by Canada legend’s Shirley Eikhard and Gordon Lightfoot as well as her own originals. Whether she is singing in English, French, Spanish or German, Adi Braun is “a power-frau who gives jazz standards a unique touch, telling stories that are miniature life moments” (Rheinische Post, Düsseldorf, Germany).

In addition to her performing, Adi is the co-host of “Classical Mornings”, a popular daily program on The New Classical FM. She has taught and coached German Diction at the Glenn Gould School - Royal Conservatory of Music, and for the Canadian Opera Company. Adi frequently speaks on topics related to Weimar Cabaret. https://www.adibraun.com/welcome

Moderne Frau

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Sachal Vasandani, Romain Collin - Midnight Shelter

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:24
Size: 97,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:17) 1. Summer No School
(4:41) 2. Before You Go
(3:29) 3. Adore You
(3:31) 4. River Man
(4:07) 5. Great Ocean Road
(4:41) 6. Throw It Away
(3:19) 7. Don't think Twice, It's All Right
(3:08) 8. Love Away
(2:46) 9. Blackbird
(4:55) 10. Dance Cadaverous
(3:25) 11. One Last Try

"I'll leave you to your crowds," Sachal Vasandani murmurs to start off an album that couldn't be less suited to being with a crowd. The touch of irony is apt. The sound of Midnight Shelter is a lonely and thoughtful one (a reflection of the music's origin in a season of isolation), yet as with its title, there's a vital comforting angle too. This duality makes a gorgeous and mostly soothing listen for pandemic times. The players don't shy away from the sadness and uncertainty of their circumstances, which makes the underlying warmth resonate that much more in the end.

Comprising only Vasandani's butterscotch croon and Romain Collin's subtly eloquent piano, the recording is the exact personification of beautiful late-night quiet if anything, midnight almost feels on the early side for this wee-hours mood. The musicians are friends and neighbors who began playing together partly to deal with the Covid-imposed shutdown during the strange summer of 2020, and so the melancholy is always warmed by the fact that it's about connection rather than solitude.

More than anything, the overall effect is therapeutic. Vasandani's baritone hits just the right pitches: slow-flowing for a haunting take on Nick Drake's "River Man," plaintive for soft ballads like "Love Away," humbly understated in the quasi-folky "Adore You" and so on. It's a fascinating left-field decision to pen new words for a Wayne Shorter piece, which he and Collin turn into a wistful meditation without losing the trace of classic bop at the center. Selections from Bob Dylan and the Beatles make the warmest refreshing moments, pitch-perfectly familiar and heartwarming amidst the chilly spots.

The two have a smooth and cozy chemistry that keeps them in step even when playing loose with rubato timing. Selections from all eras feel of a piece in this timelessly simple format, from '60s classics to new originals to 2019's minor indie hit "Before You Go," whose sparse rendition makes it downright sublime. This Shelter is a spare yet reassuring one; Vasandani and Collin prefer to remind us that the loneliest hours of the night still have a little glow somewhere if you know where to look.By Geno Thackara https://www.allaboutjazz.com/midnight-shelter-sachal-vasandani-edition-records

Personnel: Sachal Vasandani: voice / vocals; Romain Collin: piano.

Midnight Shelter

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Ella Fitzgerald - The Complete Decca Singles Vol.2 (1939-1941) Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: The Complete Decca Singles Vol 2 (1939-1941) (Disc 1) Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:10
Size: 173,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:15) 1. Stairway To The Stars
(2:56) 2. Out Of Nowhere
(3:05) 3. I Want The Waiter (With The Water)
(3:09) 4. That's All, Brother
(3:14) 5. My Last Goodbye
(2:51) 6. Heart Of Mine
(2:37) 7. Billy (I Always Dream Of Billy)
(3:16) 8. Please Tell Me The Truth
(3:05) 9. You're Gonna Lose Your Gal
(3:02) 10. My Wubba Dolly
(2:52) 11. After I Say I'm Sorry
(3:03) 12. Baby, What Else Can I Do
(2:51) 13. Betcha Nickel
(2:57) 14. Moon Ray
(2:32) 15. Is There Somebody Else
(3:08) 16. The Starlit Hour
(3:08) 17. I'm Not Complainin'
(2:57) 18. What's The Matter With Me
(2:44) 19. Sugar Blues
(2:55) 20. Imagination
(2:56) 21. If It Weren't For You
(3:00) 22. Sing Song Swing
(2:31) 23. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home
(2:43) 24. Shake Down The Stars
(3:11) 25. I Fell In Love With A Dream

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Album: The Complete Decca Singles Vol 2 (1939-1941) (Disc 2)
Time: 72:49
Size: 170,3 MB

(2:35) 1. Deedle-De-Dum
(2:54) 2. Gulf Coast Blues
(3:07) 3. Five O'clock Whistle
(3:07) 4. So Long
(3:09) 5. Louisville, K-Y
(3:03) 6. Taking A Chance On Love
(2:43) 7. Cabin In The Sky
(2:29) 8. Three Little Words
(3:02) 9. The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else
(2:30) 10. Hello Ma! I Done It Again
(2:59) 11. Wishful Thinking
(2:41) 12. I'm The Lonesomest Girl In Town
(2:23) 13. The Muffin Man
(2:58) 14. Keep Cool, Fool
(3:07) 15. No Nothing
(2:58) 16. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
(2:41) 17. Melinda The Mousie
(3:02) 18. Jim
(2:53) 19. This Love Of Mine
(3:03) 20. I'm Thrilled
(2:45) 21. Make Love To Me
(3:22) 22. You Don't Know What Love is
(3:10) 23. Somebody Nobody Loves
(3:01) 24. My Man
(2:57) 25. Who Are You

Dubbed "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. In her lifetime, she won 13 Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums. Her voice was flexible, wide-ranging, accurate and ageless. She could sing sultry ballads, sweet jazz and imitate every instrument in an orchestra.

She worked with all the jazz greats, from Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Nat King Cole, to Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie and Benny Goodman. (Or rather, some might say all the jazz greats had the pleasure of working with Ella.) She performed at top venues all over the world, and packed them to the hilt. Her audiences were as diverse as her vocal range. They were rich and poor, made up of all races, all religions and all nationalities. In fact, many of them had just one binding factor in common they all loved her.

The Complete Decca Singles Vol 2 (1939-1941)(Disc 1) (Disc 2)

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Candice Ivory, Charlie Hunter - When The Levee Breaks: The Music of Memphis Minnie

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:00
Size: 106,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:32) 1. Me and My Chauffeur
(3:34) 2. When The Levee Breaks
(2:42) 3. You Can't Rule Me
(2:38) 4. When You Love Me
(3:48) 5. Blues Everywhere
(5:10) 6. Crazy Crying Blues
(4:32) 7. World of Trouble
(3:31) 8. Pile Driving Blues
(3:53) 9. Hole In The Wall
(4:56) 10. Hard Down Lie
(3:18) 11. HooDoo Lady
(4:20) 12. New Bumble Bee

Candice Ivory is more than a little ambitious to conceive and execute an album comprised wholly of material by blues icon Memphis Minnie. But to her credit, she has been quite resourceful in enlisting some formidable resources in the effort: guitarist/bassist Charlie Hunter serves as a player and the album producer, the latter role he also filled on the album of the steel guitarist here DaShawn Hickman.
Needless to say, camaraderie abounds throughout the dozen cuts, beginning with a flourish on "Me And My Chauffeur." Percussion from Brevan Hampden and Atiba Rorie digs a groove deepened by Hunter, over which Hickman tosses tantalizing curls of notes. The Minnie tune covered (and duly credited) by Led Zeppelin is wisely the second track and continues in the earthy realm of the opener: the multi-track vocals of Ivory conjure a ghostly atmosphere by contrast with the use of just a single voice on the refrain.

Drummer George Sluppick's presence on the anthemic "You Can't Rule Me" recalls his redoubtable stability for the initial incarnation of the The Chris Robinson Brotherhood. He is straight ahead with his kit on this cut, meshing smoothly with the rest of the band and especially so with his rhythm partners, not the least of whom is Hunter when he injects some of his mobile bass work into the mix. Fully arranged for an ensemble, that number is well-positioned as an extension of the more skeletal opening.

That track also serves as a complement to the acoustic textures of "When You Love Me." Ivory's history in a choir featuring future R&B star D'Angelo stands her in good stead as she really cuts loose with her voice here; nevertheless, she sings with more than a little nuance and thereby clearly communicates the humorous symbolism of "Blues Everywhere."

In performing with such apparent effortlessness, in tandem with her kindred spirit accompanists, Candice Ivory nevertheless posits herself as a figure of staunch independence and forthrightness comparable to the source of her inspiration. The clarity of the Benjy Johnson recordings (subsequently mastered at Lurssen) are a direct reflection of that indomitable stance.

The punchy audio throughout this forty-six minutes might belie the vintage tenor of the songs. Ultimately, however, it's indicative of how timeless is the appeal of the blues, whether in the form of the nonchalant saucy strut of "World of Trouble" or the elastic reggae bounce of "New Bumble Bee."By Doug Collette https://www.allaboutjazz.com/when-the-levee-breaks-the-music-of-memphis-minnie-candice-ivory-the-little-village-foundation

Personnel: Candice Ivory-vocals; Charlie Hunter-guitar; George Sluppick-drums

When The Levee Breaks: The Music of Memphis Minnie

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Roy Eldridge & His Orchestra - After You've Gone

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Swing
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:30
Size: 147,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:48) 1. After You've Gone (Alternate Take)
(2:55) 2. The Gasser
(2:42) 3. Jump Through The Window
(2:43) 4. Minor Jive
(2:28) 5. Stardust
(1:38) 6. Lady Be Good (Incomplete / Alternate Take)
(2:46) 7. I Surrender Dear (Alternate Take)
(3:18) 8. Body And Soul
(3:18) 9. I Can't Get Started
(3:03) 10. After You've Gone
(3:12) 11. Fish Market
(2:53) 12. Twilight Time
(2:23) 13. St. Louis Blues
(3:28) 14. Embraceable You
(2:45) 15. All The Cats Join In
(3:15) 16. Poor John
(2:45) 17. Hi Ho Trailus Boot Whip
(3:05) 18. Yard Dog
(3:09) 19. Lover, Come Back To Me
(2:49) 20. Rockin' Chair
(3:02) 21. It's The Talk Of The Town
(2:54) 22. Christopher Columbus

This excellent CD features the great swing trumpeter Roy Eldridge shortly after the breakup of the Gene Krupa Orchestra. Eldridge is heard leading his own recording groups (mostly big bands) and, although his own orchestra never really caught on, the trumpet solos are always quite exciting.

This CD skips over five of Eldridge's Decca sides (it should have been a "complete" set) but does include three previously unissued performances plus a recently discovered jam on "Christopher Columbus" from 1936
By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/after-youve-gone-mw0000269940

After You've Gone

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Ed Wiley, Jr. - About The Soul

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:24
Size: 152.0 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[8:49] 1. Without A Song
[4:04] 2. Too Close For Comfort
[6:22] 3. Till There Was You
[5:08] 4. Play Ray
[7:49] 5. Giselle
[2:20] 6. I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray
[2:58] 7. Somebody Stole My Gal
[6:30] 8. B Man
[7:08] 9. Bay Area Blues
[5:19] 10. Send Me Someone To Love
[4:53] 11. By Bye Blackbird
[4:58] 12. St. Theresa's Blues

The Houston-raised Ed Wiley Jr. was born into the Texas-tenor style made popular by such fellow Houstonians as Arnett Cobb and Illinois Jacquet. His soulful horn had graced numerous rhythm ’n’ blues bands by 1950 when he had a hit of his own with “Cry, Cry Baby.” Two decades later, Wiley took a long break from music, not returning to performing until the 1990s. Since 1994, he has recorded five albums, About the Soul being the latest. At 76, Wiley displays the confidence and surefootedness of the longtime performer. His technique is still sufficient to execute his earthy ideas, and his tone remains capable of expressing the intense emotion that permeates his music.

Wiley’s colleagues include some of the best in the business — pianists Kenny Barron, John Ozment and the late John Hicks; guitarists Jimmy Ponder and Kevin McNeal; bassists Keter Betts, Mike Boone and Corcoran Holt; and drummers Ben Riley, Mickey Roker and Mark Prince. ~David Franklin

About The Soul

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Ella Fitzgerald - The Complete Decca Singles Vol. 3 of 4 (1942-1949) 3-Disc Set

On June 16, 1939, it was decided that Fitzgerald would front the Chick Webb orchestra even though she had little to do with the repertoire or hiring or firing the musicians. She retained her popularity and when she broke up the band in 1941 and went solo; it was not long before her Decca recordings contained more than their share of hits. She was teamed with the Ink Spots, Louis Jordan, and the Delta Rhythm Boys for some best-sellers, and in 1946 began working regularly for Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic. Granz became her manager although it would be nearly a decade before he could get her on his label. A major change occurred in Fitzgerald's singing around this period. She toured with Dizzy Gillespie's big band, adopted bop as part of her style, and started including exciting scat-filled romps in her set. Her recordings of "Lady Be Good," "How High the Moon," and "Flying Home" during 1945-1947 became popular and her stature as a major jazz singer rose as a result. For a time (December 10, 1947-August 28, 1953) she was married to bassist Ray Brown and used his trio as a backup group. Fitzgerald's series of duets with pianist Ellis Larkins in 1950 (a 1954 encore with Larkins was a successful follow-up) found her interpreting George Gershwin songs, predating her upcoming Songbooks series.

Album: The Complete Decca Singles Vol. 3 (1942-1949) Disc 1

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 72:20

Size: 165.6 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 2017

Art: Front

[2:42] 1. I'm Gettin' Mighty Lonesome For You

[2:52] 2. When I Come Back Crying (Will You Be Laughing At Me)

[2:57] 3. All I Need Is You

[2:44] 4. Mama Come Home

[2:32] 5. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me

[2:45] 6. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man

[3:16] 7. He's My Guy (Nobody Knows Better Than I)

[2:52] 8. (I Put) A Four Leaf Clover In Your Pocket

[3:02] 9. My Heart And I Decided

[3:06] 10. I Must Have That Man

[2:56] 11. Cow Cow Boogie

[2:46] 12. When My Sugar Walks Down The Street

[2:55] 13. Once Too Often

[3:05] 14. Time Alone Will Tell

[3:13] 15. And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine

[3:22] 16. I'm Confessin' That I Love You

[3:05] 17. A Kiss Goodnight

[3:27] 18. Benny's Coming Home On Saturday

[2:53] 19. I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So

[3:16] 20. I Didn't Mean A Word I Said

[2:52] 21. You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart)

[3:11] 22. The Frim Fram Sauce

[3:10] 23. Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall

[3:11] 24. I'm Making Believe

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Album: The Complete Decca Singles Vol. 3 (1942-1949) Disc 2

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 75:07

Size: 172.0 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 2017

Art: Front

[2:42] 1. I'm Beginning To See The Light

[3:15] 2. That's The Way It Is

[2:39] 3. It's Only A Paper Moon

[2:44] 4. Cry You Out Of My Heart

[2:37] 5. Stone Cold Dead In The Market 2

[2:35] 6. Petootie Pie

[3:11] 7. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons

[2:37] 8. It's A Pity To Say Goodnight

[3:10] 9. Guilty

[3:18] 10. Sentimental Journey

[2:59] 11. That's My Desire

[3:12] 12. A Sunday Kind Of Love

[3:13] 13. Oh Lady Be Good

[2:29] 14. Flying Home

[2:25] 15. You're Breakin' In A New Heart

[3:06] 16. Don't You Think I Ought To Know

[2:32] 17. I've Got A Feelin' I'm Fallin'

[2:39] 18. My Baby Likes To Bebop (And I Like To Bebop Too)

[3:13] 19. How High The Moon (1st Take)

[2:55] 20. You Turned The Tables On Me

[3:15] 21. My Happiness

[2:40] 22. Tea Leaves

[2:36] 23. It's Too Soon To Know

[2:48] 24. I Can't Go On (Without You)

[3:05] 25. To Make A Mistake Is Human

[2:59] 26. In My Dreams

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Album: The Complete Decca Singles Vol. 3 (1942-1949) Disc 3

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 70:14

Size: 160.8 MB

Styles:

Year: 2017

Art: Front

[3:00] 1. No Sense

[2:32] 2. Robbin's Nest

[3:15] 3. I Couldn't Stay Away From You

[3:02] 4. Someone Like You

[2:21] 5. I Want To Learn About Love

[2:39] 6. Old Mother Hubbard

[2:25] 7. Happy Talk

[2:52] 8. I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair

[2:39] 9. Baby It's Cold Outside

[2:55] 10. Don't Cry, Cry Baby

[3:03] 11. Black Coffee

[3:07] 12. Lover's Gold

[3:07] 13. Crying

[2:58] 14. A New Shade Of Blues

[2:56] 15. Foolish Tears

[3:10] 16. A Man Wrote A Song

[2:36] 17. In The Evening (When The Sun Goes Down)

[2:52] 18. Talk Fast, My Heart, Talk Fast

[2:50] 19. Fairy Tales

[3:19] 20. I Gotta Have My Baby Back

[3:07] 21. Basin Street Blues

[3:18] 22. I'm Waitin' For The Junkman

[3:00] 23. I Hadn't Anyone Till You

[2:58] 24. Dream A Little Longer

The Complete Decca Singles Vol. 3 (1942-1949) Disc 1, Disc 2, Disc 3

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Linda May Han Oh - The Glass Hours

Styles: Voice
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:10
Size: 159,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:49) 1. Circles
(6:42) 2. Antiquity
(5:33) 3. Chimera
(8:29) 4. Jus Ad Bellum
(6:37) 5. The Glass Hours
(9:15) 6. The Imperative
(7:23) 7. Phosphorus
(3:44) 8. Respite
(9:24) 9. The Other Side
(5:08) 10. Hatchling

Linda May Han Oh, a bassist and composer of enormous talent, approaches bandleading with fresh and distinctive vision. Backed by a new quintet that works really great, Oh delivers a set of pieces informed by abstract themes of the fragility of time and life, paradoxes and choices, and social issues in our world. The Glass Hours has that adventurous quality often found in her discography, creating a compound of collective exploration and deft improvisation.

The sinuous, complex melody of “Circles” is earnestly declared, side by side, by Portuguese singer Sara Serpa, whose technique is impressive, and saxophonist Mark Turner. The sounds spread within the organized structure, and we have pianist Fabian Almazan and Turner taking improvisational turns before a fearless double bass solo unfolds.

Introduced rubato by bass and piano before sliding into a 7/4 meter, “Antiquity” is a piece with lyrics centered on the weight of the past, whereas “Chimera”, taking the form of a sensual dance, mutates along the way. A swift rhythmic figure takes center stage, creating a motivically induced substratum later embellished with tasteful electronics.

Often abstract, these avant-leanings occasionally invite us to new territory, like “Phosphorous”, which is rendered with a relentless prog-rock rhythm bed. Drummer Obed Calvaire, who worked with Oh on her debut album, Entry (CD Baby, 2009), locks in with the bassist for the sake of a funk-inspired accentuation, supporting ethereal wordless vocals and saxophone cross-cuts. There’s also a more rugged than sweet keyboard solo here.

The composer delves deeply into this musical universe of linear and cyclical forms. With warfare as a topic, “Jus ad Bellum” flows rubato, later probing polyrhythmic patterns with ritualistic precision. More celebratory is the title cut, which has challenging metered cycles rising and waning periodically; Serpa is on the leading edge here, and Turner and Almazan take improvisational turns. Thematically contrary, “The Other Side” is a meditation on the afterlife, employing a push-pull strategy with well-placed staccatos that ground us in the present.

Impeccably layered with boundless energy, The Glass Hours is a mature work that positions Oh in the vanguard of progressive musical creativity.https://jazztrail.net/blog/linda-may-han-oh-the-glass-hours-album-review

Personnel: Sara Serpa: voice; Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Fabian Almazan: piano, electronics; Linda May Han Oh: acoustic and electric bass, voice; Obed Calvaire: drums.

The Glass Hours

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Ahmad Jamal - Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1966-1968 Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1966-1968 Disc 1
Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@160K/s
Time: 45:11
Size: 52,0 MB
Art: Front

( 4:49) 1. Gloria
( 7:33) 2. Fantastic Vehicle
(12:36) 3. Misty
(15:08) 4. Mr. Lucky
( 5:03) 5. Autumn Leaves

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Album: Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1966-1968 Disc 2
Time: 48:35
Size: 55,9 MB

(11:01) 1. Corcovado (Quiet Night Of Quiet Stars)
( 8:36) 2. Where Is Love
( 9:30) 3. Dance To The Lady
( 6:58) 4. Naked City Theme
( 2:51) 5. Emily
( 9:36) 6. Alfie

It was a time of warring nations, either within themselves or without. John Coltrane had fallen as Miles Davis was firing up the jazz/funk. It was a time of young men screaming, their bodies on fire. Black and white images of villages savaged and children starving.

Into these unrivaled moments they had just taken down a holy man in Memphis a month before Ahmad Jamal, his uncluttered allegiance to cool, underscored syncopation, and profound ease and understanding of Erroll Garner's orchestral maneuvers, rides high the groove on Emerald City Nights: Live At The Penthouse 1966-1968 and conclusively, both then and now, takes your mind off those, and these, turbulent times.

Volume three could unarguably be the master class of the whole endeavor. Which is no small feat considering the gymnastics of Emerald City Nights: Live At The Penthouse 1963-1964 and Emerald City Nights: Live At The Penthouse 1965, (both from Elemental Music, 2022.) Here, Jamal, bassist Jamil Sulieman Nasser and drummer Frank Gant lock into that Vulcan Mind Meld thing we were hearing so much about back then, making these performances no these passing works of art that burn in the brain until only shadows remain lift the audience into a state of euphoria that is hard to explain but one damn well knows it when it hits.

Take for instance the narrative stretch of "Fantastic Vehicle" and "Misty" from September 29,1966 and "Mr. Lucky," and "Autumn Leaves" from just under a year later. True masterpieces of the form each and every one. Yet this trio plays them in an unprecedented manner and exhilarating form. It is that provocative, harmonic grace only Jamal mastered and with which Davis took great electric liberty.

This is sly, rhythmic derring-do at its best. And it is within these four performances alone that the disc becomes invaluable. "Mr. Lucky" rips with a morse code punctuation and Nasser's fast and furious double timing. Hear him rip full force again on Antonio Carlos Jobim's ageless bossa nova "Corcovado (Quiet Night Of Quite Stars)." "Misty" is just an epic performance, that whole Vulcan Mind Meld thing in full swing. These three are tight but increasingly footloose, (let the two relentless Jamal/Gant fusillades be Exhibits A and B. Let Jamal's effortlessly fascinating runs here and, as on "Autumn Leaves," serve as Exhibits C and D)

Even with the 1967-1968 performances holding to a more classical, yet no more gregarious flaunting, trio approach, Emerald City Nights: Live At The Penthouse 1966-1968 is immensely satisfying and promises to be one of those killer hot Record Store Day Black Friday releases. But that is hardly the point and probably of no consequence at all. For the music on Emerald City Nights: Live At The Penthouse 1966-1968 has a decisively no-holds-barred pulse. It may not be exactly the steady beat of the blood, but it is definitely a pulse that keeps one alive.By Mike Jurkovic
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/emerald-city-nights-live-at-the-penhouse-1966-1968-ahmad-jamal-jazz-detective

Personnel: Ahmad Jamal piano; Jamil Nasser bass; Frank Gant drums

Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1966-1968 Disc 1, Disc 2

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Larry Schneider - Mohawk

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 61:11
Size: 112,4 MB
Art: Front

( 4:43)  1. Mohawk
( 6:05)  2. Moose The Mooche
( 4:48)  3. She Rote
(10:39)  4. Yardbird Suite
( 2:59)  5. Donna Lee
( 7:51)  6. Anthropology
( 9:35)  7. Scrapple From The Apple
( 5:05)  8. Steeplechase
( 9:24)  9. Confirmation

Larry Schneider on this latest recording plays alto sax instead of tenor sax which is his instrument. And when a jazz saxophone player picks up alto, there is one thing in his mind: Charlie Parker. “Larry Schneider Plays Charlie Parker” is what this CD is all about. A formidable task superbly executed.

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Larry Schneider;  Bass – Steve LaSpina;  Drums – Anton Fig;  Piano – Andy LaVerne

Mohawk

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Ed Wiley, Jr. - In Remembrance

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:13
Size: 154,2 MB
Art: Front

( 5:06)  1. Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen
(12:03)  2. There's Blues Everywhere
( 3:02)  3. Shaw Nuff
( 9:04)  4. In Remembrance
( 6:20)  5. Lift Ev'ry Voice
( 5:17)  6. Go Down Moses
( 8:05)  7. Jesus Loves Me
(12:21)  8. Let Us Break Bread Together
( 5:52)  9. Sleepy

On this recording, tenor saxophonist Ed Wiley, Jr. pays tribute to the African-American music continuum, from Negro spirituals to bebop. Included is the classic Go Down Moses, and an emotional solo rendition of Nobody Knows which features Wiley's lush, warm tone. The passionate title track, In Remembrance, written by Wiley, captures the essence of Black struggle. Also includes Charlie Parker's up-tempo bebop tune, Shaw-Nuff. This recording features Ed Wiley, Jr. on tenor and alto sax; Milt Hinton on bass; Shirley Scott on piano; Micky Roker and Bobby Durham on drums; Terell Stafford on trumpet; Wycliffe Gordon, longtime member of the Wynton Marsalis band, on trombone. Arrangements by Ed Wiley, Jr. and Shirley Scott. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/In-Remembrance-Ed-Wiley-Jr/dp/B000EZ91FQ

In Remembrance

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Andrew Rathbun - The Speed of Time

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:56
Size: 135,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:48) 1. The Speed Of Time
(6:21) 2. Could It Be
(6:40) 3. Widen the Doorway
(7:19) 4. Wandering
(8:31) 5. Fast 5th
(7:01) 6. Velocity Unknown
(8:32) 7. Still A Thing
(7:39) 8. Tooth and Nail

Not one to avoid concepts and ambitious outings, Andrew Rathbun's to-date masterpiece, The Atwood Suites (Origin Records, 2018), explored the poetry of his countrywoman, writer Margaret Atwood. In 2023, he tackles time.

Time is a funny thing. Its perceived speed is malleable. It tends toward an increasing velocity as one moves into middle age and beyond. It can crawl at a snail's pace (during a root canal treatment, for example) and it can race ahead with wild abandon that raucous party under the stars around the swimming pool when the good cheer is flowing on a tidal bore of beer and wine. The Canadian saxophonist's 2023 release, The Speed of Time, an all-Rathbun batch of originals, uses the standard jazz quartet a saxophone and a rhythm section to examine the slippery concept.

First, familiarity with the backstory and the thoughts that inspired the music are not necessary. This is inspired by modern jazz in a quartet setting by four seasoned journeymen Gary Versace on piano, John Hébert on bass and Tom Rainey in the drummer's chair like Dexter Gordon or Sonny Rollins used to make. Or, to bring things into the now like saxophonists George Garzone or Virginia Mayhew make. Rathbun's tone is burnished, ringing and resonant. His articulation brings up unexpected phrasings. The title tune, that opens the disc, rides in on Hebert's implacable bass lines. Time is moving ahead at a brisk pace that pauses for Versace's sweet and lovely piano declaration, before a shift into a torrid horn/bass/drums segment. Versace sneaks back in with some spare chording. Momentum gathers.

On the other hand, "Could It Be" moves ahead at the pace of the flow of molasses in a Toronto winter. It is dark, the atmosphere foreboding. Rathbun's tenor sax is anguished. "Wandering?" finds Rathbun on his soprano sax, searching, time perhaps suspended, and "Tooth and Nail" sounds like a band of brothers scuffling down the alleyway on Rainy's ramshackle drums, throwing elbows and jockeying for position for what? Who knows. Time bumping and stumbling ahead, Rathbun sounding like the voice of reason in the melee.
An excellent album that can sit nicely on the shelf beside some of the great ones by Rollins and Gordon. By Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-speed-of-time-andrew-rathbun-steeplechase-records

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Andrew Rathbun; Bass – John Hebert; Drums – Tom Rainey; Piano – Gary Versace

The Speed of Time

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T.K. Blue, James Weidman - The Tide Of Love

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:56
Size: 129,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:46) 1. When Sunny Gets Blue
(5:30) 2. The Peacocks
(6:42) 3. The Tide Of Love (Radio version)
(3:26) 4. Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar (guitar)
(5:32) 5. Never Felt This Way
(6:35) 6. Luiza
(5:08) 7. That's All
(5:24) 8. A Prayer For Us (Radio version)
(3:28) 9. A Quiet Place
(4:46) 10. To Mend A Broken Heart
(4:33) 11. So Many Stars (Radio version)

T.K. Blue is an artist who is proficient on both the alto saxophone and flute; he has released a striking album entitled The Tide of Love that offers a diverse and engaging musical journey through various genres of the jazz spectrum. In this session, he is accompanied by several superb musicians, including Grammy-nominated Stefon Harris on vibes, along with pianist James Weidman, bassist Gavin Fallow, drummer Lenny Robinson and guitarist Ron Jackson. The group recorded an album of creativity, originality, and emotional impact in this eleven-track outing.

The opening track is "When Sunny Gets Blue." With a creative mode of expression, Blue offers an interesting take on the number under a cloak of restraint. The following cut is a beautiful Jimmy Rowles original called "The Peacocks." Performed as a duo with Blue and pianist James Weidman, it harkens back to the initial 1975 release of the song on an album by the composer and tenor saxophonist Stan Getz. Blue's tone has a beauty all its own, while Weidman shows a crystalline precision of each note.

The title track, "The Tide of Love," is a Blue original composition, one of several that appear on the release. Taken at a languid tempo, this emotive number has an elliptical sense of phrase with Blue, Harris, Weidman and Jackson playing notes and figures that keep the composition moving forward. Bossa master Antonio Carlos Jobim contributes two pieces to the outing; the first is " Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar," followed by "Luiza." On the former, through overdubbing, Blue is heard on both alto sax and flute to provide an empathetic interplay with Jackson on acoustic guitar. Although subtle, the bossa effect is more pronounced on the latter.

In addition to Blue, both Weidman and Jackson, again on acoustic guitar, are very effective in their solo interventions. The popular standard "That's All" is covered with Blue, concisely stating the melody with a reflective feel. Weidman's support is sensitive to the dynamics of the number and enhances Blue's relaxed inventions. The closing track is "So Many Stars" the well-known bossa nova by Sergio Mendes and Alan & Marilyn Bergman. In this rendition, Blue confirms his ability to navigate and blend this genre to provide an expressive and sentimental side of jazz. The album shows T.K. Blue's skill, passion, and commitment to musical diversity.By Pierre Giroux
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-tide-of-love-tk-blue-arkadia-records

Line-up/Musicians: T.K. Blue: alto sax and alto flute, arranger, leader; Stefon Harris: vibraphone, marimba; James Weidman: piano; Gavin Fallow: bass; Lenny Robinso: drums; Ron Jackson: guitar.

The Tide Of Love

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Ed Wiley, Jr. - Sassy

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:45
Size: 135,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Room 608
(5:28)  2. Stretchin' Out
(4:07)  3. Sassy
(6:41)  4. Little Girl Blue
(4:50)  5. Lazarus
(8:29)  6. No Greater Love
(3:08)  7. Max The Maximum
(4:17)  8. Billy Boy
(5:13)  9. Do You Know A Good Thing When You See One?
(4:51) 10. Blues For Duane
(2:20) 11. Here, There And Everywhere
(4:00) 12. Sassy - (Alternate Take)

One of the tracks on Sassy, the Lennon-McCartney tune “Here, There and Everywhere,” says much about Ed Wiley’s fourth release for Swing Records. The album was compiled from three sessions recorded between 1999 and 2000 in Brooklyn, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and mixed in two Washington, D. C., studios. Not surprisingly the results are uneven. To Wiley’s credit, the one constant is his big, soulful Texas tenor. The other constants, despite an occasional clash of styles, include the adventurous minds of trumpeter Nicolas Payton, pianist Sir Roland Hanna and guitarist Mark Whitfield. Compare styles in the two versions of the title tune-a truly sassy line-that Wiley wrote in honor of Sarah Vaughan. B-3 organist Joey DeFrancesco propels the first version, while the second, lower and slower, relies on Whitfield’s guitar, but that soul-filled, down-home cushion is missing. Elsewhere, “Room 608,” a tricky bop line by Horace Silver, finds alto player Donald Harrison stealing some of the thunder from Wiley. 

It’s not meant to be a cutting session; Wiley is consistently generous with stretch-out room for his sidemen. “Lazarus” is interesting in that it begins with solos and ends with the written head for the ensemble. Included in four front lines is trombonist Al Grey, but he solos only on “No Greater Love.” Good to hear his Vic Dickenson inspired humor, but also bittersweet: he died before the CD was released. Overall, Wiley can be proud of this release, but he shouldn’t stray too far from his roots. ~ Harvey Siders https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/ed-wiley-jr-sassy/

Personnel: Ed Wiley Jr. - tenor saxophone; Roland Hanna - piano; Paul Bollenback - guitar; Al Grey - trombone; Nicholas Payton - trumpet; Donald Harrison - alto saxophone; Carl Allen - drums; Davey Yarborough - tenor saxophone.

Sassy

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Greg Foat & Art Themen - Off-Piste

Styles: Soul Jazz, Jazz Fusion
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:08
Size: 99,1 MB
Art: Front

(10:39) 1. Fresh Snow
( 3:54) 2. La Partida
( 7:44) 3. Off Piste
( 4:48) 4. Yrsno
( 8:15) 5. Sis No Hyp
( 7:46) 6. Apres Ski

Pianist Greg Foat, who has been who has been at the forefront of the UK jazz scene for the past decade, has teamed up with 83 year-old London saxophone great Art Themen on a superb new album for the Athens Of The North label, titled Off-Piste.

Admirers of each other’s work, the two were interested in recording an album together for a number of years, however the pandemic put a delay on the session for a while. Once things opened up again, they headed to highly acclaimed Edinburgh-based Chamber Studio with an exciting group of UK musicians that included guitarist Gavin Sutherland, harpist Amanda Whitingm electric bassist Philip Achille, and drummer/percussionist Nadav Schneerson.

This remarkable 6-track recording features a solid dose of breezy instrumental cosmic jazz featuring warm analog tones, meditative grooves, hypnotic effects, atmospheric textures and cinematic soundscapes. The session truly sounds like the album’s peaceful cover photo. https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/96650/greg-foat/off-piste-s-art-themen-limited-edition

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Art Themen; Bass – Philip Achille; Drums, Percussion – Nadav Schneerson; Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer [Prophet 10, Roland SH-101,MK-80,Sequential OB-6] – Greg Foat; Guitar – Gavin Sutherland; Harp – Amanda Whiting

Off-Piste

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Béla Fleck/Zakir Hussain/Edgar Meyer/Rakesh Chaurasia - As We Speak

Styles: Worldwide
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:18
Size: 173,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:56) 1. Motion
(9:16) 2. The B Tune
(5:30) 3. Tradewinds Bengali
(6:11) 4. J Bhai
(4:47) 5. Rickety Karma
(6:17) 6. 1980
(4:33) 7. Owl’s Misfortune
(8:24) 8. Pashto
(4:53) 9. Hidden Lake
(7:00) 10. Beast In The Garden
(8:22) 11. Conundrum
(5:04) 12. As We Speak

As We Speak is an emphatic continuation of banjoist Bela Fleck's eclectic adventures dating back to his high school days. It is thus only fitting that this LP's title alludes to the ongoing artistic process wherein creativity can ensue, virtually non-stop, no matter what other dialogue(s) might be going on at the time.

In fact, the trio of Fleck, tabla master Zakir Hussain and bassist Edgar Meyer have collaborated in the past see The Melody of Rhythm (Koch, 2009). But whereas that project involved The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, this title incorporates bansurist Rakesh Chaurasia, whose instrument lends an alternately ghostly and fanciful air to the proceedings via "Motion" and "The B Tune," among others

Mirroring the mesh of blurred images on the album cover, this quartet's fusion of Indian and Western classical musics, bluegrass and jazz brings to mind the late keyboardist/composer Joe Zawinul's comment about Weather Report, the ensemble he led with saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter; to paraphrase, Fleck, Hussain, Meyer and Chaurasia sound like they're always soloing, but never soloing.

During the fleet and graceful interactions that comprise "J Bhai," for instance, economy and self-discipline coexist with utter abandon in such a way as to ignite not only the musicians' collective and individual imaginations, but mostly likely those of listeners as well. And while "Tradewinds Bengali" conjures exotic realms, the undercurrent of gaiety within "Rickety Karma" also injects a measure of levity into the proceedings that precludes anything overly serious from radiating out of this or the total dozen tracks.

Produced by Fleck (who also co-engineered with his long-time sonic guru Richard Battaglia), various compositional combinations of the three principals supply the source material of a sumptuous seventy-five minute program worth savoring repeatedly in its entirety. It is a credit to these artists that, even when the interplay becomes frenetic, as on "Pashto," they never succumb to the temptation to outplay each other.

Likewise, in the comparatively restful form of "1989," this is music that lives and breathes as a direct expression of each musician's working experience and, to only a slightly lesser extent, the shared history of Fleck, Meyer and Hussain. And while there is a dignified formality to some intervals like that aforementioned track, a decided whimsy flows as well, again thanks in large measure to the airy textures Chausari unfurls with his flute.

In the end, the four-way generation of these colorful sounds on As We Speak is at once insinuating and transportive. These are four musicians who, above all else, simply love to play, perhaps never more than when they do here with such intuitive fluidity. By Doug Collette
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/as-we-speak-bela-fleck-thirty-tigers

Personnel: Banjo – Béla Fleck; Bansuri – Rakesh Chaurasia; Double Bass – Edgar Meyer; Tabla – Zakir Hussain

As We Speak

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Ruby Braff and The Flying Pizzarellis - C'est Magnifique!

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:23
Size: 171,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:49) 1. Lulu's Back in Town
(4:55) 2. Was I to Blame for Falling in Love with You?
(9:47) 3. You're a Lucky Guy
(6:03) 4. When a Woman Loves a Man
(7:03) 5. C'est Magnifique
(9:52) 6. My Honey's Lovin' Arms
(4:38) 7. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(5:59) 8. They Can't Take That Away from Me
(4:28) 9. As Time Goes By
(8:37) 10. Sometimes I'm Happy
(5:06) 11. Dancing on the Ceiling

Ruby Braff's final studio recording sessions took place with musicians who played with the fire and inspiration required by the demanding cornetist, including familiar faces like guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and drummer Jim Gwinn, though guitarist John Pizzarelli, bassist Martin Pizzarelli, and pianist Ray Kennedy had never before worked with him. Braff's battle with emphysema during the last few years of his life required him to use a wheelchair to get around airports to save his breath for performing, but he is still a powerful presence on this session, around two months before his illness progressed to the point that he could no longer perform.

Like any Braff-led recording, these dates include a selection of tried and true standards that he had played many times throughout his career, all played in swinging fashion and a timeless manner. The opener, "Lulu's Back in Town," is notable as he plays in short bursts, keeping the solos moving through the group to keep all the musicians on their toes, a pattern that follows in most of the selections.

Braff had a knack for reviving forgotten chestnuts like "My Honey's Loving Arms" and "You're a Lucky Guy." "C'est Magnifique" is not one of Cole Porter's best-known works, but Braff's sassy cornet and the campy vocal chorus (which includes a mix of recording session attendees, vocalist/pianist Daryl Sherman, jazz critic Dan Morgenstern, jazz author Ross Firestone, and producer Rachel Domber among them the last three likely making their recording debuts!) add to its appeal. John Pizzarelli's warm, friendly vocals are featured in both "They Can't Take That Away from Me" and "As Time Goes By," which brings up another Braff mandate: when the composer wrote an opening verse to set up a song, it shouldn't be omitted.

This rewarding session closes the career of a marvelous cornetist who kept high standards throughout his career rather than bowing to the demands of record labels, casual jazz fans, or promoters; he is missed but will not be forgotten.By Ken Dryden
https://www.allmusic.com/album/cest-magnifique%21-mw0000581925#review

Personnel: Ruby Braff - cornet; Bucky Pizzarelli - guitar; John Pizzarelli - guitar, vocal (tracks 8 and 9); Ray Kennedy - piano; Martin Pizzarelli - bass; Jim Gwinn - drums
The Oo-La-La Singers (track 5): Rachel Domber, Daryl Sherman, Adam and Dan Morgenstern, Al Lipsky, Gail and Ross Firestone

C'est Magnifique!

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Ella Fitzgerald - The Complete Decca Singles Vol. 1 (1935-1939) 4-Disc Set

"The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald was arguably the finest female jazz singer of all time (although some may vote for Sarah Vaughan or Billie Holiday). Blessed with a beautiful voice and a wide range, Fitzgerald could outswing anyone, was a brilliant scat singer, and had near-perfect elocution; one could always understand the words she sang. The one fault was that, since she always sounded so happy to be singing, Fitzgerald did not always dig below the surface of the lyrics she interpreted and she even made a downbeat song such as "Love for Sale" sound joyous. However, when one evaluates her career on a whole, there is simply no one else in her class.

Album: The Complete Decca Singles Vol. 1 1935-1939 (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:18
Size: 128.9 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2017

[3:14] 1. Love And Kisses
[3:01] 2. Rhythm And Romance
[2:30] 3. I'll Chase The Blues Away
[3:02] 4. Crying My Heart Out For You
[2:33] 5. Sing Me A Swing Song (And Let Me Dance)
[2:56] 6. Under The Spell Of The Blues
[3:00] 7. A Little Bit Later On
[2:22] 8. Devoting My Time To You
[2:54] 9. If You Can't Sing It You'll Have To Swing It
[2:24] 10. Vote For Mister Rhythm
[2:41] 11. My Last Affair
[3:00] 12. Darktown Strutters Ball
[2:47] 13. Shine
[2:47] 14. Organ Grinder's Swing
[3:02] 15. The Reservation
[2:55] 16. I Got The Spring Fever Blues
[3:06] 17. Love, You're Just A Laugh
[2:50] 18. There's Frost On The Moon
[2:23] 19. When I Get Low I Get High
[2:40] 20. Oh, Yes, Take Another Guess

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Album: The Complete Decca Singles Vol. 1 1935-1939 (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:45
Size: 155.1 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2017

[3:12] 1. Dedicated To You
[2:50] 2. Big Boy Blue
[2:38] 3. Wake Up And Live
[3:16] 4. You Showed Me The Way
[2:35] 5. Cryin' Mood
[3:02] 6. If You Ever Should Leave
[3:01] 7. Everyone's Wrong But Me
[2:38] 8. All Over Nothing At All
[3:15] 9. Deep In The Heart Of The South
[2:49] 10. Love Is The Thing So They Say
[2:58] 11. Just A Simple Melody
[3:09] 12. Holiday In Harlem
[3:06] 13. Rock It For Me
[3:07] 14. The Dipsy Doodle
[3:00] 15. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen
[2:53] 16. It's My Turn Now
[2:56] 17. It's Wonderful
[2:51] 18. I Was Doing All Right
[3:18] 19. I Got A Guy
[4:28] 20. I Want To Be Happy
[4:02] 21. Hallelujah!
[2:32] 22. If Dreams Come True

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Album: The Complete Decca Singles Vol. 1 1935-1939 (Disc 3)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 57:57

Size: 132.7 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 2017

[3:07] 1. This Time It's Real

[2:59] 2. You Can't Be Mine (And Someone Else's, Too)

[2:49] 3. (I’ve Been) Saving Myself For You

[3:00] 4. We Can't Go On This Way

[2:52] 5. Pack Up Your Sins And Go To The Devil

[2:44] 6. Everybody Step

[2:36] 7. A-Tisket, A-Tasket

[3:13] 8. I'm Just A Jitterbug

[2:58] 9. (Oh! Oh!) What Do You Know About Love

[2:43] 10. If You Only Knew

[2:59] 11. I Let A Tear Fall In The River

[3:04] 12. Mcpherson Is Rehearsin' (To Swing)

[2:34] 13. I Found My Yellow Basket

[2:49] 14. Ella

[3:00] 15. Wacky Dust

[2:44] 16. Strictly From Dixie

[2:51] 17. Woe Is Me

[2:53] 18. Gotta Pebble In My Shoe

[2:53] 19. F.D.R. Jones

[3:01] 20. I Love Every Move You Make

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Album: The Complete Decca Singles Vol. 1 1935-1939 (Disc 4)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 61:15

Size: 140.2 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 2017

Art: Front

[2:56] 1. It's Foxy

[2:59] 2. My Heart Belongs To Daddy

[3:05] 3. I Can't Stop Loving You

[2:59] 4. 'tain't What You Do (It's The Way That Cha Do It)

[3:17] 5. Undecided

[2:58] 6. Chew Chew Chew (Your Bubble Gum)

[2:46] 7. It's Slumbertime Along The Swanee

[3:05] 8. Don't Worry 'bout Me

[3:01] 9. Once Is Enough For Me

[3:06] 10. I'm Up A Tree

[3:07] 11. Have Mercy

[3:05] 12. If You Ever Change Your Mind

[3:06] 13. If Anything Happened To You

[3:16] 14. One Side Of Me

[2:53] 15. Little White Lies

[3:06] 16. If That's What You're Thinking, You're Wrong

[3:11] 17. I Had To Live And Learn

[3:00] 18. That Was My Heart

[3:11] 19. Sugar Pie

[2:59] 20. Coochi-Coochi-Coo

The Complete Decca Singles Vol. 1 1935-1939 (Disc 1) (Disc 2)

The Complete Decca Singles Vol. 1 1935-1939 (Disc 3) (Disc 4)                              

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