Roseanna Vitro - Live At The Kennedy Center

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:19
Size: 150,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:46)1. Like Someone in Love
(6:09)2. Like a Lover
(5:40)3. Please Do Something
(0:32)4. Introduction to Commitment
(7:07)5. Commitment
(5:16)6. Worried over You
(6:22)7. I Think It's Going to Rain Today
(4:58)8. Tryin' Times
(5:02)9. Serrado
(0:24)10. Introduction to Twelve Tone Tune
(4:13)11. Twelve Tone Tune
(5:36)12. Epilogue
(9:09)13. Black Coffee

Roseanna Vitro is on tour throughout the U.S. these days, promoting her new CD, Live At The Kennedy Center. She gave two performances in New York recently, the CD's launch at The Blue Note on May 29 and an all-Porter tribute show at The Jolly Madison Hotel's Whaler Bar on the composer's birthday June 9. Porter didn't show, but one wonders what he would make of the metamorphosis in jazz singing that has occurred since his heyday as a jazz composer in the 1930s. It's hard to imagine that Porter would have any complaints: Vitro is the quintessence of modern vocal jazz interpretation. Vitro demonstrates an impressive command of jazz technique and invests each moment of her performance with a visceral understanding of the material.

Vitro admitted that she had to learn several new tunes in a short period of time for the Jolly Madison gig; if she hadn't mentioned it no one would have known, so exceptional is her improv ability. But don't take my word for it. Vitro's audiences are often filled with other singers and musicians.

You know a singer is good when other singers and the musicians come out to hear her.Vitro is careful to select some of the best instrumentalists around for her band. David Budway (piano), Dean Johnson (bass) and Tim Horner (drums) backed her at the Jolly Madison. Budway is a demon player equally at home with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as with the likes of jazz violinist Regina Carter and drummer Jeff 'Tain' Watts. On the CD and at The Blue Note Vitro appeared with her long-standing collaborator Kenny Werner on piano, along with Johnson and Horner, her ever-faithful rhythmic anchors. Besides artful playing, Werner contributed musical direction and arrangements to the Kennedy Center live recording. Werner recently signed with Blue Note Records; his playing and Vitro's vocals give a rare and valuable lesson in abandonment to artistic impulse.

Among the recording's many inspirational moments: "Commitment, a ballad with music by Werner and lyrics by Vitro's husband, saxophonist Paul Wickliffe; and a free improv piece called "Twelve Tone Tune (or "T.T.T. ), with music by Bill Evans and lyrics by Wickliffe. The disc also shows off Vitro's strong ;B chops on the blues tunes "Black Coffee and "Tryin' Times. Vitro represents the U.S. internationally as one of the State Department's Jazz Ambassadors. ~ Suzanne Lorge http://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-the-kennedy-center-roseanna-vitro-challenge-records-review-by-suzanne-lorge.php

Personnel: Roseanna Vitro: vocals; Kenny Werner: piano; Dean Johnson: bass; Tim Horner: drums.

Live At The Kennedy Center

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Roseanna Vitro - Tropical Postcards

Styles: Vocal, Bossa Nova
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:15
Size: 140,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:40)  1. Song Of The Jet
(6:46)  2. Land Of Wonder
(3:50)  3. I'll Be Seeing You
(5:21)  4. Certas Canções
(5:28)  5. Kisses
(5:17)  6. I Just Need Your Kisses
(5:50)  7. Reza
(3:47)  8. I Remember You
(5:27)  9. Wave
(5:49) 10. Cravo E Canela
(7:53) 11. In Search Of My Heart

Tropical Postcards isn't the first time that Roseanna Vitro has embraced Brazilian jazz; over the years, the expressive vocalist has recorded some Brazilian songs here and there. However, Tropical Postcards is the first time that Brazilian jazz has seriously dominated one of her albums, and it is also among her best, most inspired and memorable projects. Vitro doesn't embrace Brazilian jazz exclusively on Tropical Postcards; she gets away from the album's Brazilian theme on McCoy Tyner's "In Search of My Heart" (which favors more of a modal/Indian/Middle Eastern ambience) and Johnny Mercer's "I Remember You." Nonetheless, Brazilian jazz is the album's primary direction, and that theme serves Vitro impressively well whether she is tackling Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave" and two Milton Nascimento songs ("Cravo e Canela" and "Certas Cancoes") or providing a bossa nova interpretation of the standard "I'll Be Seeing You."

Thankfully, Tropical Postcards doesn't have an all-standards-all-the-time policy; Vitro, much to her credit, isn't afraid to offer some surprises when it comes to selecting material. "Wave," "I'll Be Seeing You" and "I Remember You" have been recorded countless times, but Vitro true to form also surprises us with some gems that jazz vocalists haven't paid nearly as much attention to, including Tom Harrell's "Terrestris" and Ivan Lins' "I Just Need Your Kisses." Clearly, Vitro is smart enough to realize that a song doesn't have to be a Tin Pan Alley warhorse to have value, and she knows how important it is for a jazz vocalist to put his/her stamp on some lesser known pearls. Tropical Postcards is an excellent addition to Vitro's catalog. ~ Alex Henderson   http://www.allmusic.com/album/tropical-postcards-mw0000209663

Recording information: Charlestown Road Studios, Hampton, NJ. Photographer: Paul Wickliffe.

Personnel: Roseanna Vitro (vocals); Dean Johnson , Nilson Matta, Robert E. Bowen (bass instrument); Tom Lellis (vocals); Romero Lubambo (guitar, acoustic guitar); Chieli Minucci (guitar, electric guitar); Don Braden, Joe Lovano (saxophone); Kenny Werner (piano); Duduka Da Fonseca, Cecil Brooks III (drums); Mino Cinelu (percussion); Trio da Paz.

Tropical Postcards

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Alex Clarke Quartet - Only A Year

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2022
Time: 53:26
File: MP3 @ 128K/s
Size: 49,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:34) 1. Brazilian Affair
(5:03) 2. Shake It But Don't Break It
(5:36) 3. Bye Bye Baby
(6:02) 4. Ballad For Very Tired And Very Sad Lotus Eaters
(4:23) 5. Beetroots Burn
(7:17) 6. It’s You Or No One
(7:54) 7. Only A Year
(6:48) 8. Where Or When
(4:44) 9. Who's Smoking?

Since releasing her debut album, Mirage, in 2018 and her performance in the final of the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2020, Alex Clarke has continued to build on her early achievements and in doing so has made remarkable progress.

With this her second album, she has continued to up her game and delivered a fully realised set of standards that is difficult to fault. It certainly doesn’t hurt to recruit a top flight rhythm section of David Newton, Dave Green and Clark Tracey, but you still have to deliver the goods and this the saxophonist does with splendid results.

Playing both alto and tenor saxophones there is little to choose between either horn, and while she is happy to name Phil Woods, Cannonball Adderley and Scott Hamilton among her influences she sounds like none of them, instead bringing her own sound and feel for the material.

After a lovely piano introduction from Newton, Alex romps through ‘Bye Bye Baby’ with a strong and full alto sound, and a solo that is swinging, melodic and refreshingly cliche free.

This is immediately followed by Billy Strayhorn’s lovely ‘Ballad For Very Tired And Sad Lotus Eaters’ on tenor. Played with a big round sound, her tone on the larger horn grabs the attention and leaves the listener captivated by every phrase and nuance as she states the melody. There is a majestic quality to her phrasing on the ballad that is quite arresting, and one that Alex is able to transfer to quicker tempos too, as can be heard with her confident swagger on Erroll Garner’s ‘Shake It But Don’t Break It’.

Her phrasing positively sings on ‘Where Or When’ which also features an ebullient solo from Newton, and Alex pays a fitting acknowledgement to Phil Woods on ‘Brazilian Affair’ with some top draw alto playing.

In a set of predominantly standards, Alex has the confidence to sneak in a couple of her own compositions that don’t sound out of place at all in such esteemed company.

Sitting comfortably in there is a swinging ‘Beetroots Burn’ that have the rhythm section digging right in, and the lovely title track, ‘Only A Year’. A beautiful melody, simply played with a lovely full tone on alto by Alex and a gently swinging and lyrical solo from David Newton. Taking up the baton from the pianist, Alex spins out her own delightful and assured solo on what is rapidly becoming one of my favourite pieces on the album.

All in all, this is superb outing from a young musician who has absorbed enough of the tradition to have paid her dues, and yet feels confident about being able to stand up and bring her own personality to the music.

The rhythm section keeps things tight, yet have enough combined experience to allow the saxophonist plenty of space, and as such the music comes across as being more than simply the sum of its parts.

Special mention should also go to the fifth member, engineer Andrew Cleyndert who does an excellent job of capturing the sound and assisting in making this the quality album it is. By Nick Lea

Personnel: Alex Clarke (alto & tenor saxophone); David Newton (piano); Dave Green (double bass); Clark Tracey (drums)

Only A Year

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Ruby Braff - Ruby Braff Goes “Girl Crazy”

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2009
Time: 39:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 92,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:56) 1. Embraceable You
(4:18) 2. Treat Me Rough
(6:28) 3. But Not For Me
(3:07) 4. Boy! What Love Has Done For Me
(5:39) 5. I Got Rhythm
(5:27) 6. Bidin' My Time
(6:18) 7. Could You Use Me
(3:03) 8. Barbary Coast

The then-32-year-old trumpeter Ruby Braff was fond of show tunes, and took for his concept the songs from the Gershwin brothers' Broadway stage play Girl Crazy for this album, his sixth as a leader. The music played by this band under the moniker of the Shubert Alley Cats is fairly predictable within the swing style, but this recording at times leans more toward bop with the inclusion of pianist Hank Jones, guitarist Jim Hall, and especially Al Cohn, who plays his trusty tenor sax and a lot of clarinet.

The musicianship is solid enough, the songs a bit stretched with solos, and the jazz fairly interesting within the conservative, mainstream, straight-ahead idiom. The hottest tune is the last, "Barbary Coast," as bassists Bob Haggart and George Duvivier go to town while the horns jam, while the slowest "Embraceable You" is the opener, a ballad where Braff plays in a style akin to Louis Armstrong.

In the middle you get a contradictory easy blues in "Treat Me Rough," and the uncharacteristically down-home "I Got Rhythm," accented by Jones and Hall, which merges into swing via Cohn's tenor. Hall's role as a rhythm guitarist seems untoward in what he would be as a leader, but his feature during the old-fashioned "Could You Use Me?" sets up the horns counterpoint, and is particularly pronounced on "But Not for Me."

While Cohn's clarinet might not settle into familiar territory for those who know him as a bop tenor, he's especially sweet with Braff on "Treat Me Rough," and repentant for the poignant, lovely, melancholy, no-frills take of "But Not for Me." There's one more ballad, "Bidin' My Time," which is as basic as it gets, while a more vocal sound from Braff's muted trumpet comes forth on "Boy! What Love Has Done for Me."

While the music is sophisticated, the heat of this music barely sparks any real flames, excepting the fine drumming of Buzzy Drootin and the always exceptional Jones when he chooses to turn it up a notch. It would have been nice to hear a follow-up recording from this clearly talented ensemble, for this instance captured in the early years of their lengthy and successful careers.By Michael G.Nastos
https://www.allmusic.com/album/ruby-braff-goes-girl-crazy-mw0000819868

Personnel: Trumpet – Ruby Braff; Tenor Saxophone – Al Cohn; Piano – Hank Jones; Guitar – Jim Hall; Drums – Buzzy Drootin; Bass – Bob Haggart, George Duvivier

Ruby Braff Goes “Girl Crazy”

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Joyce Breach - Confessions

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:54
Size: 140,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:17)  1. Blackberry Winter
(2:48)  2. Song of the Jet
(5:37)  3. It Never Entered My Mind
(4:18)  4. Ev'ry Time
(4:30)  5. Where Do You Start?
(3:55)  6. I Wish I Were in Love Again
(3:54)  7. The Wine of May
(3:58)  8. Boy! What Love Has Done to Me!
(3:45)  9. Bored
(2:46) 10. A Room with a View
(4:21) 11. You Can Always Count on Me
(2:30) 12. Be Careful, It's My Heart
(3:00) 13. Confession
(2:38) 14. You're the Top
(4:12) 15. South - To a Warmer Place
(3:19) 16. The Lies of Handsome Men

This is Joyce Breach's first Audiophile recording; Songbird was her first album, but it came out when she was residing in Pittsburgh (cassette only) on a local label and was later reissued by Audiophile -- hence the confusion in her discography. Accompanied by the Loonis McGlohan Quartet, the cabaret singer's sound is spick and span clean on an array of pop standards done with reverence. Breach's love for this style shows in her phrasing and understated enthusiasm. A few solids include getting her swing on with "I Wish I Was in Love Again"; "Bored," a lively track that defies its title; and "A Room With a View," which revisits what smooth jazz was before its redefinition in the '70s. Like all her CDs, Confessions' arrest-appeal increases with each track. Or is it that her angelic voice subtly hypnotizes you into the belief that this seemingly released from a time capsule singer is something special? ~ Andrew Hamilton http://www.allmusic.com/album/confessions-mw0000611379

Personnel: Joyce Breach (vocals); Joe Negri (guitar); Loonis McGlohon (piano).

Confessions

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Southside Aces - A Big Fine Thing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:49
Size: 146.1 MB
Styles: New Orleans jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:52] 1. Perdido Street Blues
[3:17] 2. Tootie Ma Is A Big Fine Thing
[3:18] 3. Back Room Romp
[6:36] 4. His Eye Is On The Sparrow
[4:35] 5. Back To Black
[3:42] 6. Burgundy Street Blues
[3:23] 7. My Blue Heaven
[2:20] 8. Diga Diga Doo
[4:32] 9. Blues In The Air
[2:39] 10. Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes
[2:50] 11. I'm Still In Love With You
[2:48] 12. Mushmouth Shuffle
[5:39] 13. Smoke Rings
[3:07] 14. Nomad Shuffle
[4:47] 15. Comes Love
[2:12] 16. Dinah
[4:04] 17. Goodnight

Tony Balluff - Clarinet, Vocal on track 17; Erik Jacobson - Brass Bass; Andy Hakala - Trumpet, Vocal on track 10; Robert Bell - Guitar & Banjo, Vocal on track 15; Steve Sandberg - Trombone, Vocal on track 7; Dave Michael - Drums; Rick Rexroth - Vocal on track 4.

Southside Aces perform jazz and popular tunes spanning over 100 years. They are a band knon to serve up Lady Gaga or Amy Winehouse in a New Orleans style, and then turn around and hand you a helping of straight-on Jelly Roll Morton or Duke Ellington. Members of the Southside Aces have had the privilege of being mentored by musical greats who navigated the traditional jazz waters before them, including Charlie DeVore and Bill Evans of The Hall Brothers Jazz Band Uncle Lionel, Butch Thompson, Doc Severinsen, Henry Blackburn, Bob French and Benny Jones. There is no better education than playing jazz alongside such stellar talent. The Southside Aces have performed in clubs all over the Twin Cities and the Midwest. They've been the house band five years running for The Best of Midwest Burlesk and have been featured at over a dozen national Lindy Hop and Balboa competitions in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Colorado. The Aces have been heard on MPR, KFAI, KBEM and The Current.

A Big Fine Thing

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Harry Allen Quartet - London Date

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:07
Size: 142,6 MB
Art: Front

( 7:56) 1. This is My Lucky Day
( 9:47) 2. a)A Time For Love...Mandel/Webster b)You Are There
(11:03) 3. June Song
( 9:35) 4. Where No Man Has Gone Before (Theme From Star Trek)
( 6:40) 5. Here's That Rainy Day
(10:02) 6. (Back Home Again in) Indiana
( 7:02) 7. Our Love is Here to Stay

'London Date' is a live recording of a quartet featuring the incredible US jazz saxophonist Harry Allen recorded at the Watermill Jazz Club with Italian pianist Andrea Pozza, gifted bassist Simon Woolf and ever popular drummer Steve Brown. Fans of the long lineage of the saxophone greats will not be disappointed. Harry Allen can be instantly lined up as a disciple of the late Stan Getz, but he has absorbed far more of the jazz saxophone tradition with elements of Hawkins, Webster, Zoot and Al, and elements from one of his teachers Scott Hamilton. However, Harry Allen's voice is very much his own and as fresh as any on the contemporary scene. With a formidable technique and searing sound Harry Allen continues the tradition of the great saxophonists before him. The material on the CD is a straight blowing set of jazz standards, a couple of great originals penned by Harry Allen and Judy Carmichael and the theme to Star Trek based on the standard "Out of Nowhere". https://www.amazon.co.uk/London-Date-Harry-Allen-Quartet/dp/B01BL3214W

Personnel: Harry Allen (tenor saxophone), Andrea Pozza (piano), Simon Woolf (double bass), Steve Brown (drums)

London Date

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Lee Wiley - As Time Goes By

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1991
Time: 64:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 147,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:55) 1. This Is New
(2:52) 2. You're a Sweetheart
(3:22) 3. My Ideal
(2:58) 4. You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby
(3:50) 5. Who Can I Turn to Now?
(3:12) 6. Can't Get Out of This Mood
(3:32) 7. East of the Sun
(3:01) 8. Limehouse Blues
(3:11) 9. As Time Goes By
(2:46) 10. Keepin' Out of Mischief Now
(4:06) 11. Stars Fell on Alabama
(3:10) 12. My Melancholy Baby
(2:59) 13. The Ace in the Hole
(4:05) 14. Someday You'll Be Sorry
(3:06) 15. A Hundred Years from Today
(2:57) 16. Blues in My Heart
(3:13) 17. Maybe You'll Be There
(2:57) 18. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
(2:42) 19. I Don't Want to Walk Without You, Baby
(3:14) 20. Make Believe

Shortly before she slipped completely into obscurity, singer Lee Wiley recorded two albums for Victor. This Bluebird CD has ten of the 12 songs from West of the Moon, nine of the 12 originally on A Touch of the Blues, and a rendition of "Stars Fell on Alabama" taken from a sampler album. Wiley, only 41 at the time of these last recordings, was essentially through with her career despite still being in prime form.

Other than "Stars," Wiley is backed by big bands led by either arranger Ralph Burns or trumpeter Billy Butterfield and mostly performs swing standards, including "You're a Sweetheart," "Can't Get out of This Mood," "Ace in the Hole," "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," and her signature song, "A Hundred Years From Today." An excellent introduction to the work of this unusual and greatly underrated singer.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/as-time-goes-by-mw0000270890#review

As Time Goes By

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Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra - Drop Me Off In Harlem

Styles: Swing, Big Band
Year: 1992
Time: 59:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 135,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:09) 1.Smiles
(2:57) 2.Shady Lady
(3:21) 3.That Old Black Magic
(3:10) 4.Oh, Miss Jaxson
(2:42) 5.Things Ain't What They Used to Be
(2:45) 6.The Moose
(2:47) 7.Pow W@ow
(3:10) 8.The Great Lie
(2:22) 9.Drop Me Off in Harlem
(3:16) 10.Gulf Coast Blues
(3:05) 11.Skyliner
(2:31) 12.Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall
(2:35) 13.You Always Hurt the One You Love
(2:48) 14.West End Blues
(3:09) 15.Desert Sands
(2:31) 16.E-Bob-O-Lee-Bob
(3:17) 17.Andy's Boogie
(3:06) 18.Dark Bayou
(2:52) 19.Zanesville Zohio ZZZ
(3:29) 20. Lonesome as the Night Is Long

Among big band leaders of the 1930s and 1940s, saxophonist Charlie Barnet stood out for his unswerving devotion to his values, both social and musical. In 1934 his band was the first white group to play at Harlem's Apollo Theatre, and he was devoted to jazz with few concessions to popular taste, making his ensemble an instrument of his arrangers' creativity.

This compilation spans 1942-46, an important period when the band achieved its distinctive variation of the rich Ellington style (apparent in three Ellington tunes heard here) and then went on to become the first big band of modern jazz. "The Moose," written by Ralph Burns and a feature for the young pianist Dodo Marmorosa, is a brilliantly shifting harbinger of bebop, while Dennis Sandole's elusive "Dark Bayou" still sounds harmonically fresh.

There's much to enjoy here, from the jive and bop vocals by "Peanuts" Holland to the soaring lead trumpet of Al Killian and Barnet's own solo contributions.By Stuart Broomer
By Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Drop-Off-Harlem-Charlie-Barnet/dp/B000003N3H

Drop Me Off In Harlem

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Fredrik Kronkvist Feat. Kathrine Windfeld - Open Gates

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Bop
Year: 2024
Time: 48:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 112,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:05) 1.Devotion
(1:12) 2.Blackbird Mornings Intro
(4:20) 3.Blackbird Mornings
(5:20) 4.Mandala
(5:50) 5.Healer
(7:03) 6.Trane’s Temple
(1:11) 7.Golden Fields Intro
(4:55) 8.Golden Fields
(4:48) 9.Stealth Mode
(5:30) 10.River Indigo
(4:24) 11.Volcano

The powerful and soulful altoman Fredrik Kronkvist is considered one of Europe’s finest alto saxophonists and takes charge whenever he is in the spotlight.
Fredrik is an award-winning saxophonist and he has several albums out as a leader.
Both his writing and improvisational skills are on display when he gives the audience his experience in drawing the heat from a tune with his big sound.

He is leading his own band where he presents a quartet, consisting of musicians from the vanguard of today´s jazzscene. His strong, creative spirit combined with a profound knowledge of the instrument and jazz has made him into one of Sweden’s international jazz stars.
More...https://fredrikkronkvist.wordpress.com/bio/

Open Gates

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Carl Winther & Jerry Bergonzi - Tetragonz

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
Time: 54:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 126,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:10) 1. Tetragonz
(4:34) 2. Somewhere
(6:35) 3. Dawn
(6:12) 4. Spectre
(4:32) 5. Neverland
(9:08) 6. Like Judas
(7:13) 7. Gabriella
(6:04) 8. Triotone
(5:22) 9. Domolian Mode

Carl Winther is a well-known Danish pianist. He is the son of Jens Winther who was a world-famous composer and trumpet player. He began touring as a child. He has performed with many famous musicians, including Bill Evans, Jerry Bergonzi and Bill Evans, as well as Bill Evans, Bill Evans, Daniel Humiar and Till Broenner.

His performances are breathtaking and impressive. He can improvise fluently. He is a Jazz and Classic musician with a deep love for Latin and African rhythms. All of these influences have influenced his compositions, which also include the funky sounds of Herbie Hancock’s 70s music as well as avangardistic ideas. Winther was awarded for his elaborate and precise compositions as well as his incredible performance skills. from www.oneworldsmusic.com https://jazzinfo.org/artist/carl-winther

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Jerry Bergonzi, Piano – Carl Winther, Bass – Johnny Åman; Drums – Anders Mogensen

Tetragonz

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Ted Nash, Steve Cardenas, Ben Allison - Somewhere Else: West Side Story Songs

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
Time: 49:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 115,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:36) 1. Jet Song
(4:47) 2. A Boy Like That
(4:04) 3. Maria
(4:00) 4. One Hand, One Heart
(4:00) 5. Tonight
(5:18) 6. America
(3:19) 7. I Have a Love
(6:09) 8. Something's Coming
(4:16) 9. Cool
(5:21) 10. Somewhere
(2:55) 11. Somewhere (Reprise)

When NEA Jazz Master Ron Carter was asked why he so often plays standards when so many musicians insist on writing their own tunes, he was typically succinct. “Artists are not necessarily the best writers, and the proof of that is that the only people who play their material is them. When the new guys write better tunes, then maybe I’ll play them.”

Multireedist Ted Nash, it should be noted emphatically, is a highly accomplished composer and arranger for ensembles both large (the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra; his own big band) and small (his quintet and trio). His gorgeous 2016 Presidential Suite deservedly won him two Grammy Awards.

With no pressure to prove himself as a composer, Nash now takes on the daunting challenge of interpreting one of the 20th century’s greatest musical treasures, West Side Story. The songs that Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim wrote for it, steeped in the sounds of New York jazz and Latin music, have been played in jazz interpretations before, but the creativity that Nash and his trio-mates guitarist Steve Cardenas and bassist Ben Allison bring to the task are exceptional. They transform this passionate material into both a tribute to and a meditation on the songs’ surpassing beauty and power.

With just guitar, bass, and Nash alternating between tenor saxophone and clarinet, the trio deftly captures the expressive power of the Bernstein orchestrations with a few bold strokes, then riffs organically off them in constantly surprising ways. Whether it’s the relative complexity of the improvised, three-voice counterpoint with which they open “Tonight,” or the simplicity of Cardenas wrapping gorgeous improvised lines around Nash’s pure statement of the melody on “One Hand, One Heart,” the album is a revelation; three superlative musicians reveling in the Bernstein score’s most emotional moments with tenderness and candor. One has to believe the maestro, who loved the kind of jazz energy and imagination on display here, would have approved.
By Allen Morrison https://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/somewhere-else-west-side-story-songs

Personnel: Ted Nash: saxophone; Steve Cardenas: guitar; Ben Allison: bass.

Somewhere Else: West Side Story Songs

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Ian Roller - Rollercoaster

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 43:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 100,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:15) 1. Get It
(4:14) 2. Rise
(3:38) 3. Reflect
(3:01) 4. Kick It
(4:57) 5. Yuki and the Ox
(6:30) 6. Textures
(3:16) 7. Something New
(3:03) 8. Perspective
(1:52) 9. I Hate Technology
(3:33) 10. Weight of the World
(2:33) 11. What About
(1:05) 12. Please Hold (Interlude)
(3:05) 13. Dancing in the Sunshine

"Rollercoaster" is not about Ian Roller. At least, not entirely. With 50 collaborators and 10 featured vocalists, it is a thoughtful collection of perspectives on the human experience, which merge to form a cohesive story that we can all relate to/empathize with. Music can give us insightful talking points, and it can also itself be the conversation. Each vocalist and instrumentalist adds deeper perspective, taking the good with the bad, venting frustrations, offering encouragement, making us question the status quo, making us laugh a little, and reminding us of the things in life that inspire peace, joy, and unity.

Ian Roller is a Los Angeles native multi-instrumentalist, writer and producer. Classically trained since he was 8 years old, his artistic curiosity led him into all kinds of situations from Punk shows to Jazz clubs, electronic concerts, comedy clubs and more at an early age, later to focus his studies in Jazz, Funk and Hip Hop music. After graduating from college, he was introduced to a whole other world of creativity in exploring LA's R&B/Soul scene.

Now, approaching 35 years of age, Ian has reached a point of reflection, and of determination to culminate his experiences and influences. To connect the dots, and bring like-minded people a little bit closer together. For Ian, "Rollercoaster" is that culmination, and the marking of a new chapter of service to music...
https://www.diggersfactory.com/vinyl/314284/ian-roller-rollercoaster

Rollercoaster

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Daryl Sherman, Johnny Mercer: A Centennial Tribute

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:57
Size: 146,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:42)  1. I'm Shadowing You
(5:21)  2. Little Ingenue
(5:11)  3. Midnight Sun
(3:20)  4. Jeepers Creepers
(4:38)  5. Come Rain Or Shine
(4:24)  6. The Bathtub Ran Over Again
(6:25)  7. Lazy Bones
(3:00)  8. Peter Piper
(5:38)  9. I Thought About You
(3:21) 10. At The Jazz Band Ball
(4:56) 11. Charade
(4:27) 12. Dream
(4:44) 13. Twilight World
(3:43) 14. Here Come The British

Choosing "I'm Shadowing You" as the opener on Daryl Sherman's fine Centennial Tribute to composer and lyricist Johnny Mercer inevitably recalls Blossom Dearie. Heretofore that tune has pretty much been the exclusive property of the late vocalist. There are also other, more than passing, resemblances between the two singers, both first-class self-accompanists on piano possessing underage sounding voices used effectively to slyly charming ends. With a legacy of 1,500 heartfelt and humorous songs, Mercer's is a rich one from which to choose. Sherman's selections are a welcome mix of classics such as "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "Midnight Sun" with more than a few choice rarities like "The Bathtub Ran Over Again." On the latter Wycliffe Gordon joins Sherman for a delightfully foxy vocal duet. His gravelly sound contrasts perfectly with Sherman's petite smoothness. "Little Ingenue" (co-written with Jimmy Rowles) is another gem. 

Here Sherman's silken glissando, backed by Jerry Dodgion's alto sax, is especially effective in capturing hope in the face of glamour that's a tad shopworn. On "Dream," one of the few songs for which Mercer wrote both music and lyrics, Gordon's trombone provides the most sensitive of accompaniment. As Sherman conjures "smoke rings rising in the air," he is playing heavenly notes behind her. It is a great, great song performed to perfection. The artistry and empathy between Sherman and her fellow musicians makes for a set that is a glowing tribute to one of the great masters of the jazz idiom and the American Songbook. ~ Andrew Velez  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/johnny-mercer-a-centennial-tribute-daryl-sherman-arbors-records-review-by-andrew-velez.php#.VFkx_8mHmtg

Personnel: Daryl Sherman: piano, vocals; Jerry Dodgion: alto sax; Wycliffe Gordon: Trombone, vocals; Howard Alden: guitar, banjo; Jay Leonhart: bass, vocals; Chuck Redd: drums, vibraphone; Marian McPartland: piano, Barbara Carroll: piano.

Daryl Sherman Johnny Mercer: A Centennial Tribute

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Jack McDuff - Hallelujah Time!

Styles: Soul Jazz
Year: 1967
Time: 30:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 61,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:44) 1. Almost Like Being In Love
(5:14) 2. East of the Sun
(3:18) 3. Au Privave
(8:03) 4. Undecided
(3:49) 5. Hallelujah Time
(4:14) 6. The Live People

A killer 60s album from Brother Jack McDuff cut at a time when he was one of the most hard-hitting players on the Hammond! The set has a great lineup Red Holloway plays tenor on all cuts, except for "The Live People", which features him and Harold Ousley playing back to back and Joe Dukes is on drums throughout, and the guitar parts are handled by Pat Martino and George Benson all players who really take off under the leadership of McDuff! Cuts include "Au Private", "East of the Sun", "The Live People", and "Hallelujah Time"
© 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.https://www.dustygroove.com/item/7978/Jack-McDuff:Hallelujah-Time

Personnel: Jack McDuff - organ; Red Holloway (tracks 1-5), Harold Ousley (track 6) - tenor saxophone; George Benson (tracks 2-5), Pat Martino (tracks 1 & 6) - guitar; Joe Dukes - drums

Hallelujah Time!

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Blossom Dearie - Blossom Time at Ronnie Scott's

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1966
Time: 41:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 94,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:55) 1. On Broadway
(4:20) 2. When the World Was Young
(4:45) 3. When in Rome
(4:13) 4. The Shadow of Your Smile
(4:28) 5. Everything I've Got Belongs to You
(3:51) 6. Once Upon a Summertime
(2:48) 7. I'm Hip
(5:05) 8. Mad About the Boy
(2:42) 9. The Shape of Things
(5:13) 10. Satin Doll

Several years ago Blossom Dearie said that of all her recordings, this on-location session from 1966 was her personal favorite. Although artists are notoriously unreliable critics of their own work, it's hard to quarrel with the singer/pianist's preference given the evidence on this reissue. Anyone who has yet to discover the inimitable, Lolita-like voice of this worldly-wise, genuinely hip, surprisingly versatile performer can be assured of making her acquaintance under optimal musical circumstances.

Even devoted fans seem unaware of the girlish-sounding singer's past travels. After performing with Woody Herman as a member of a vocal group, the Blue Flames, she appeared on King Pleasure's quasi-classic recording of "Moody's Mood for Love," made an album limited to piano solos, went to Paris to form a new vocal group, the Blue Stars, and produced a hit recording (in French) of "Lullaby of Birdland." Next, Norman Granz contracted her for Verve records, and she married the highly-regarded Belgian tenor saxophonist/flutist Bobby Jaspar. But her run at Ronnie Scott's in London in 1966 was what cemented her place as a premier cabaret-supper club attraction.

The set gets underway with a rhythmically complex yet feathery-light, smooth-as-glass treatment of "On Broadway," where Dearie and bassist Jeff Clyne half-time the challenging vocal line before catching up with drummer Johnny Butts' crisp brush work on the instrumental chorus. An exquisite ballad, "When the World Was Young," follows immediately half elegiac recitative and half warm, nostalgic reverie with an interpretation by the vocalist that's a trifle sadder but no less wiser than Peggy Lee's memorable version on Black Coffee (Decca, 1953).

Listeners who think they know Cy Coleman's "When in Rome" because of the first Tony Bennett/Bill Evans meeting will discover there are many sides to the Eternal City which, as Dearie's reading of the song suggests, is equal parts humor, sadness and undeniable drama. The range of emotions in the pianist's understated singing stems from two primary sources: first, scaled-down textures that permit the tiniest sliver of light to illuminate an entire scene; and second, the ironies set in play by a guileless, innocent little voice that can afford to ignore adult inhibitions and conventions. There's rarely a hint of torchiness, sultriness or even seductiveness here: she's all candor and refreshing clarity, leaving it to the listener to supply any ironical subtexts.

The singer can take on "I'm Hip," a Frishberg/Dorough parody of countercultural self-congratulation, without regendering lines like "I even read Playboy magazine," "I even call my girlfriend 'Man'" and "I don't wear a beard." Whatever you choose to call it hipness, honesty, objectivity that's Blossom Dearie, too faithful to her material to be an "act, too detached from its emotions to be merely sincere, too unselfconscious, really, to be one of the cultural elite's pop "sophisticates.

Among musicians it's become debatable over the years whether Ellington/Strayhorn's "Satin Doll" is a song or a cliché. When Blossom Dearie closes the set with this tune, it's a composition reborn, but played and sung with such disarming innocence and unflinching directness that even the most jaded listener couldn't be blamed for pronouncing it the best new song of the present millennium.By Samuel Chell
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blossom-time-at-ronnie-scotts-blossom-dearie-verve-music-group-review-by-samuel-chell

Blossom Time at Ronnie Scott's

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Joe La Barbera - World Travelers

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 2024
Time: 74:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 170,8 MB
Art: Front

( 9:50) 1. Blue Notes
( 5:24) 2. Landmarks Along The Way
(10:09) 3. Lake Erie
( 7:24) 4. Barcelona
( 6:43) 5. You Know I Care
( 5:15) 6. It's a Big Wide Wonderful Word
(10:43) 7. Simone
( 9:12) 8. Soultrane
( 9:35) 9. Grand Central

Drummer Joe La Barbera has an extensive and impressive resume. At the age of 20, he played in the second drum chair for the Buddy Rich Big Band before driving the 1972 stellar lineup of Woody Herman's Thundering Herd. In 1978, he was offered the prestigious opportunity to be part of the acclaimed (and what turned out to be the final) line-up of the Bill Evans Trio, where he stayed until the pianist's tragic death in 1980. Later, gigs with Chuck Mangione, Tony Bennett, Art Pepper and Art Farmer, to name but a few, showcased La Barbera's versatility and ability to play in any style, and to steer and complement whatever the leader's vision called for.

Afterwards he settled in Los Angeles and became an in-demand freelancer. In the '90s he formed his own quintet with local friends, trumpeter Clay Jenkins, saxophonist Bob Sheppard and pianist Bill Cunliffe, all of whom have extensive and impressive resumes as well.. Each had stints in big band settings, offering a great understanding of the subtle importance of a song's arrangement. Bassist Jonathan Richards (who replaced founding member Tom Warrington), by far the youngster in the band, is a great find and fits perfectly. This tight-knit group has been (in between occasional side gigs) mainly active ever since. Their debut release was The Joe La Barbera Quintet Live (Jazz Compass, 1999). World Travelers is the group's fifth release.and their first since Silver Streams (Jazz Compass, 2012).

This live record is the perfect vehicle to showcase the band's abilities, strengths and empathy with each other. Four newer originals open the record. Cunliffe's "Blue Notes" sets the table with the bass and drums setting a groove one can drive a truck (and sometimes a high performance sports car) through. It is a sultry bop piece which has twists and turns leading to some captivating duo leads and solos by the horns. The Joe Lovano-penned barn-burner "Landmarks Along the Way" also has an unconventional form, hinting at John Coltrane's "Giant Steps." The crowd's response at the song's end says it all.

La Barbera's original "Lake Erie" begins appropriately with a drum solo. Here, he shows in less than two minutes his prodigious ability and impeccable taste. The song then segues into an old-school Blue Note, Art Blakey-type performance. Pianist Alan Pasqua's composition "Barcelona" is a lovely bossa nova. The interplay and harmonies between Sheppard and Jenkins are simpatico. Sheppard shines on a lilting soprano saxophone (he plays tenor saxophone on all other tracks), while Jenkins' solo is beautifully thought out. It is simple, eloquent and lyrical. Richards shows he belongs with these masters during his break. Here and throughout the record, Cunliffe is the glue that holds everything together, while also showing off his impressive soloing skills.

The remaining cuts are five carefully selected songs which are familiar, but not quite standards. Pianist Duke Pearson's lovely ballad, "You Know I Care" features a sensitive Sheppard, while the other ballad, Tadd Dameron's "Soultrane," showcases Jenkins' expressive vocabulary. "Simone" by Frank Foster is perhaps the album's best-known piece. It is a minor-key blues waltz which includes a lovely bowed bass solo by Richards and a wonderful solo by Cunliffe reminiscent of McCoy Tyner.

The remaining two tracks are up-tempo jam fests. "It's a Big, Wide, Wonderful World" was written for a 1940 Broadway musical, while the classic John Coltrane tune, "Grand Central" is the set's closer. The former has a Latin-tinged intro before the familiar melody appears, while the latter stays true to the original. Both tracks allow all the players a chance to blow. Once again, the groove created by La Barbera and Richards is deep and foundational, allowing plenty of room for everyone to explore the compositions, utilizing their unique sensibilities.

The album was recorded live at the Los Angeles club, Sam First. Recently, the owners decided to start their own label and release albums recorded at their venue. Initially, all releases are digital only, followed later by a very Limited Edition (only 200) vinyl option. For example, the digital files for this album were released in February 2023, but the vinyl LP was released in August.

The Joe La Barbera Quintet comprises extraordinary players, but more than that, they are an experienced, well-oiled group where the whole is even greater than the sum of its talented parts. Put them in a live, intimate setting, with a wonderful mix of great originals and covers and the result is the front-runner for live jazz album of the year.By Dave Linn https://www.allaboutjazz.com/world-travelers-joe-la-barbera-sam-first-records

Line-up/Musicians: Joe La Barbera: drums; Bob Sheppard: saxophone, tenor; Clay Jenkins: trumpet; Bill Cunliffe: piano; Jonathan Richards: bass

World Travelers

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Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - The Best Of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong On Verve

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1997
Time: 68:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 155,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:14) 1.Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
(4:00) 2.Love Is Here To Stay
(5:42) 3.The Nearness Of You
(3:35) 4.Stars Fell On Alabama
(4:13) 5.Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You
(4:40) 6.They Can't Take That Away From Me
(5:59) 7.Autumn In New York
(5:01) 8.Summertime
(5:09) 9.Tenderly
(5:14) 10.Stompin' At The Savoy
(4:18) 11.Under A Blanket Of Blue
(4:38) 12 I Wants To Stay Here
(3:11) 13.I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
(4:54) 14.There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
(3:09) 15.You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart)

The Best of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong from Verve contains a selection of 15 duets the two jazz legends recorded for the label over the years.

Clearly, this set isn't of particular interest to hardcore collectors, since they'll already own much of the material, but as a sampler targeted at casual fans, this is quite nice indeed, since it contains such timeless classics as "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," "Stars Fell on Alabama, " "Autumn in New York, " "Summertime," and "They Can't Take That Away from Me." By Stephen Thomas Erlewine
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-ella-fitzgerald-and-louis-armstrong-on-verve-mw0000025726#review

Personnel: Bass – Dale Jones, Ray Brown; Clarinet – Edmond Hall; Drums – Barrett Deems, Buddy Rich, Louis Bellson; Guitar – Herb Ellis ; Piano – Billy Kyle, Oscar Peterson; Trombone – Trummy Young; Trumpet – Louis Armstrong; Vocals – Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong

The Best Of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong On Verve

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Lee Wiley - The Dawn of Jazz - the Early Years of Lee Wiley (Remastered)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
Time: 37:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 87,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:05) 1. A Hundred Years From Today
(2:05) 2. A Tree Was A Tree
(2:56) 3. You're An Old Smoothie
(2:50) 4. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues
(2:58) 5. Hands Across The Table
(3:16) 6. Time On My Hands
(3:12) 7. Got The South In My Soul
(3:06) 8. Let's Call It A Day
(3:11) 9. Careless Love
(3:06) 10. Easy Come, Easy Go
(3:46) 11. Take It From Me
(4:14) 12. I've Got You Under My Skin

The Dawn of Jazz - the Early Years of Lee Wiley

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Randy Brecker - Live in Amazonas

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
Time: 38:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 88,0 MB
Art: Front

( 5:35) 1. Some Skunk Funk (Live)
( 5:32) 2. Shanghigh (Live)
(10:21) 3. First Tune Of The Set (Live)
( 6:55) 4. Tijuca (Live)
( 9:53) 5. Straphangin’ (Live)

The American trumpeter has been nominated 12 times for a Grammy and won 10 times. He will perform on the last day of the event, on Sunday (30).

The Amazonas Green Jazz Festival 2023 holds its last two nights of shows this weekend, on the stage of Teatro Amazonas. On Saturday (29), the stars will be pianists Amilton Godoy and Eliane Elias, followed by the North American female collective Momentum Octet. On Sunday (30), the CD “Randy Brecker Live in Amazonas” will be released and a solo performance by Eliane Elias will take place, which together mark the end of the Festival.

This Saturday, at 8pm, Brazilian pianists Amilton Godoy and Eliane Elias start the night. Former leader of the legendary Zimbo Trio, Amilton has been active on the artistic circuit since the 60s and has gained international respect throughout his decades-long career. In 2023, he continues to reinvent himself and promises unforgettable moments for the public.

By his side will be one of his most notable pupils. Passionate about music since she was seven years old, Eliane plays bossa nova with her incomparable vocal timbre, gaining respect around the world. Currently, she has 28 albums, more than 2 million records sold and two Grammys under her belt.

At 9:30 pm, the night continues with the North American female group Momentum Octet. Led by pianist, composer and University of Michigan professor Ellen Rowe, the group was born from the work “Portraits of Women in Motion”. Recognized as an inspiration for new generations of artists, Ellen promises a sensational show.

On Sunday, the last night of the festival begins at 7pm, with the launch of the CD “Randy Brecker Live in Amazonas”, which marks the end of the 2023 edition of the Festival.

With more than 50 years of career at the top of jazz culture, the American trumpeter has been nominated 12 times for a Grammy and won 10 times. The show will also have the Amazonas Jazz Band on stage and the special participation of Brazilian saxophonists Felipe Salles and Rodrigo Ursaia.
Soon after, at 8:30 pm, there will be a show with Eliane Elias and her quartet., at Amazonas Jazz Band, played with Randy Brecker in the last edition, in 2022.

Initially, we didn't think about turning those moments into an album, but Brecker saw a very great quality. We are very honored by the honor”, highlights Rui Carvalho, conductor of the Amazonas Jazz Band and artistic director of the Festival.
https://g1.globo.com/am/amazonas/noticia/2023/07/29/lancamento-do-cd-randy-brecker-live-in-amazonas-marca-encerramento-do-amazonas-green-jazz-festival.ghtml

Live in Amazonas

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