ThreeStyle Feat. Magdalena Chovancova, Robert Fertl - Perfect Combination

Styles: Smooth Jazz
Size: 111,5 MB
Time: 48:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2021
Art: Front

1. Steppinup (4:06)
2. Keep It Simple (4:23)
3. Giant (4:37)
4. Lovin on Next to Nothin (4:10)
5. Beat (4:17)
6. Prime Time (4:47)
7. No One Else Would Ever Do (3:56)
8. Smoothies (4:23)
9. Come 2 Me (4:36)
10. Perfect Combination (4:29)
11. Vision (4:11)

Munich based formation Threestyle is one of the admirable formations that have improved from one album to the next, ultimately reaching world level. Perfect Combination is the absolutely fitting title for their latest work, which will be released at the end of April 2021.

Saxophonist Magdalena Chovancova, guitarist Robert Fertl and drummer Gabriela Chovancova are Threestyle and invite brilliant singer Damon Dae, the amazing singer Latonya Black, the wonderful vocal trio DW3 and the great singer Tim Owens, who we already had the pleasure to present in connection to many albums of guitarist U-Nam.

The album opens with Steppin' Up with which our protagonists Magdalena and Robert rise to true greatness. A song always lives from the timbre of its performer. On Keep It Simple vocalist Damon Dae showcases his impressive voice in a beautiful setting.

Giant is Threestyle's very own presentation with hipness in a sonic journey. Lovin on Next to Nothin is the product of a fruitful collaboration with singer and composer Latonya Black. Latonya is a power-house vocalist with a musical theatre background and also an author of non-fiction books. The horn-infected Beat offers a Tower-of-Power-infused perfect storm.

With Prime Time Threestyle has built a memorable melody which could nestle in the front of the hit parade. No One Else Would Ever Do features the famous vocal trio DW3. The song sounds so professionally that I assumed it could be the cover of a megahit.

Smoothies is the aptly title of a sweet melody carried by sax and guitar in the sense of a sonic spirit. Come 2 Me is a group effort between Threestyle and Tim Owens, who also perfectly performs the song in a breathtaking way. One cannot find a better amalgamation of sax and vocals.

On the title track the group plays with sounds especially in the style of a scat song. The album concludes with the song Vision. Robert cites with his guitar the styles of George Benson, Carlos Santana and Dire Straits. Simply irresistible.

Threestyle's Perfect Combination has all ingredients to become the pick of the litter of new releases in 2021. What an amazing evolution.
http://www.smooth-jazz.de/firstview/Threestyle/PerfectCombination.htm

Perfect Combination

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Erroll Garner - Concert By The Sea

Styles: Piano Jazz
Size: 60,0 MB
Time: 43:41
File: MP3 @ 192K/s
Released: 1955
Art: Front

1. I'll Remember April (4:18)
2. Teach Me Tonight (3:44)
3. Mambo Carmel (3:48)
4. Autumn Leaves (6:33)
5. It's All Right with Me (3:28)
6. Red Top (3:21)
7. April in Paris (4:56)
8. They Can't Take That Away from Me (4:15)
9. How Could You Do a Thing Like That to Me (4:09)
10. Where or When (3:15)
11. Erroll's Theme (1:47)

Concert by the Sea is certainly one of the biggest albums in jazz history, selling over 225,000 copies in the first year after its 1956 release and turning into such a steady seller over the next few years, it reportedly brought Columbia Records a million dollars by 1958 a nice sum at any time but astronomical in the late '50s. It should've turned Erroll Garner into a full-fledged superstar and, in a way, it did, because it was a reliable catalog item and earned him plenty of fans, including Johnny Carson, who frequently invited the pianist onto The Tonight Show.

Instead, Concert by the Sea turned into a pinnacle, with Garner and manager Martha Glaser sliding into contractual battles with Columbia that hampered his long-term growth. Glaser is the one who had the idea to turn the tapes of Garner's September 19, 1955 concert at the Sunset School in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California into a full-fledged album, taking tapes that may have otherwise wound up as a bootleg and turning them over to Columbia. The label whittled the 19-song concert into an 11-track single LP Columbia/Legacy's 2015 The Complete Concert by the Sea restores the entirety of the concert over the course of two CDs, adding the original LP as a third and, by doing so, they wound up distilling Garner's joyous appeal.

Supported by bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Denzil Best, Garner seems at home skipping and swinging through a collection of bop and big-band standards, tunes that offer showcases for his sly skill of remaining melodic even when departing from the melody. Garner's playing is so robust and easy to enjoy that his flashier flourishes, such as the cloistered chords that call up "Caravan," almost seem camouflaged, but there are also subtler signatures, like how he slyly emphasizes staccato left-hand rhythms as much as the melody on "They Can't Take That Away from Me."

These are distinctions that appear on close listening but the wonderful thing about Concert by the Sea is how it's so infectious and open-hearted, it almost defies inspection: it's the kind of warm, inviting music that seems born from joy and can't help but engender bliss in the listener. [The 2015 expansion offers simply more of a good thing: the rest of the concert is every bit as good as the selections that made the official LP.] By Stephen Thomas Erlewine
https://www.allmusic.com/album/concert-by-the-sea-mw0000188078#review

Personnel: Erroll Garner – piano; Eddie Calhoun – bass; Denzil Best – drums

Concert By The Sea

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Fay Victor & Herbie Nichols Sung Quintet - Life Is Funny That Way

Styles: Vocal
Size: 166,7 MB
Time: 72:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Art: Front

1. Life Is Funny That Way ( 6:32)
2. The Bassist ( 6:48)
3. Bright Butterfly ( 2:49)
4. Sinners, All of Us! ( 5:58)
5. The Culprit Is You (10:00)
6. Shuffle Montgomery ( 5:32)
7. Tonight ( 9:30)
8. Lady Sings The Blues ( 6:15)
9. Twelve Bars ( 2:51)
10. Descent Into Madness ( 9:59)
11. Non-Faternization Clause ( 6:11)

The jazz world overlooked pianist and composer Herbie Nichols in his lifetime, but musicians such as Roswell Rudd, Misha Mengelberg, and Ted Nash have tried to keep his music in circulation over the years in various projects. Vocalist Fay Victor has been entranced by his music for a long time, and in 2013, she put together a group, Herbie Nichols SUNG, to perform his tunes. This is that group's first recording together and it is excellent.

In most cases here, Victor has written her own lyrics for Nichols' tunes and given them new titles. Some of the arrangements come off loosely swinging with the musicians jangling over the bumpy surfaces of Nichols' melodies in a way that reflects the influence of dance in his music. An adventurous dance company could work out some pretty energetic routines for these treatments. The band, Michael Attias on saxophone, Anthony Coleman on piano, Ratzo Harris on bass and Tom Rainey on drums, moves in quirky ways that complement the broad, elastic sound of Victor's voice as she goes from loud, broad moans to high-pitched jabbering and back, sounding like a cross between Betty Carter and Ellen Christi.

When the music hits a groove, it really comes alive. The leader's full voice rides the twisting rhythm of "Life Is Funny That Way" into the stratosphere as she scats over Coleman's brittle Thelonious Monk-like chords and Attias' squawking alto sax. Alto and voice have a furious race on "The Bassist" after an extended Tom Rainey solo and "Tonight" is a swaggering dance shuffle with Attias jubilantly serenading on baritone sax. "Shuffle Montgomery" is a clanking soft-shoe feature for voice and baritone with Anthony Coleman playing the kind of eccentric piano groove associated with Nichols fan Misha Mengelberg. The wildest track is "Non-Fraternization Clause" where the entire band jumps, sparks, and swoops before Victor leans into her vocal, going up and down with Attias' alto in dizzying fashion, and Coleman lightly creeps through some angular blues moves.

Some of the pieces here have much darker tones. On "Sinners! All of Us!" Victor's stream-of-consciousness blues scat pulls the band along to a slow march cadence while "The Culprit Is You" is a dramatic, minor key piano-voice duet after the fashion of Jeanne Lee and Ran Blake. "Descent Into Madness" is a sinister weave of piano, voice, and alto that conjures up visions of despair and eerieness. The one tune Victor did not write lyrics for is "Lady Sings The Blues." That is performed with the original lyrics written by the woman who first sang the song, Billie Holiday. The track is treated as an art song with Coleman's piano carefully brooding as Victor's voice opens into a powerful siren wail over bowed bass and tense percussion.

There are several fine Herbie Nichols tributes around, but this one has a unique soul and earthiness created by Fay Victor's otherworldly singing and the adventurous spirit of her band. This is a superb album, one of the most delightful releases of the year so far.By Jerome Wilson
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/life-is-funny-that-way-fay-victor-herbie-nichols-sung-tao-forms

Personnel: Fay Victor - (voice, lyrics, arrangements, bandleader); Michae¨l Attias - (alto & baritone saxophones); Anthony Coleman - (piano); Ratzo Harris - (bass); Tom Rainey - (drums)

Life Is Funny That Way

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Chris Flory - City Life

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Size: 134,5 MB
Time: 58:46
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1993
Art: Front

1. Alexandra (4:26)
2. Besame Mucho (4:05)
3. S'posin' (5:26)
4. Tin Tin Por Tin Tin (4:09)
5. Good Morning Heartache (5:35)
6. J.A. Blues (4:49)
7. My Shining Hour (3:56)
8. So Danco Samba (4:01)
9. Drafting (3:43)
10. Come Back To Me (4:25)
11. New York (3:59)
12. Penthouse Serenade (5:09)
13. Caf Solo (4:57)

Chris Flory, a talented swing-based guitarist, tackles standards, Latin tunes, and a few hot jam-session numbers on his second Concord CD with a solid quartet that also features pianist John Bunch, bassist John Webber, and drummer Chuck Riggs. Highlights include an enjoyable "So Danco Samba," the up-tempo blues "Drafting," "Besame Mucho," "S'Posin'," and a spirited rendition of "My Shining Hour." This swinging session is consistent with the high-quality music to be found throughout Concord's impressive catalog.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/city-life-mw0000110045#review

Personnel: Guitar – Chris Flory; Bass – John Webber; Drums – Chuck Riggs; Piano – John Bunch

City Life

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Erroll Garner - Nightconcert

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:47
Size: 183,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:18)  1. Where or When
(4:21)  2. Easy to Love
(4:47)  3. On Green Dolphin Street
(5:37)  4. Theme from "A New Kind of Love" (All Yours)
(4:52)  5. Night and Day
(5:29)  6. Cheek to Cheek
(8:20)  7. My Funny Valentine
(5:23)  8. Gypsy in My Soul
(6:07)  9. That Amsterdam Swing
(5:00) 10. Over the Rainbow
(4:46) 11. What Is This Thing Called Love
(5:21) 12. Laura
(4:37) 13. When Your Lover Has Gone
(5:33) 14. No More Shadows
(4:16) 15. 'S Wonderful
(0:53) 16. Thanks for the Memory

It's the jazz equivalent of finding a Van Gogh or a Ming vase in the attic: the discovery of a complete 1964 perfectly recorded concert by one of the music's greatest virtuoso solo pianists. In the beginning was Art Tatum. Then came Oscar Peterson. Finally and in many ways the most interesting of the holy trinity was Erroll Garner.  Garner was flashy, famed for his long, rambling introductions. In a section of the liner notes jazz historian Professor Robin D. G. Kelley writes: "His signature introductions left audiences not to mention his own sidemen in great anticipation of what was to come. He was prone to meandering, rubato introductions that initially bear little resemblance to the song or the key, before suddenly leaping into the melody." They have to be heard to be believed and to be honest can become irritating. Many a modern listener may find himself longing for the "less is more" approach to jazz piano taken by the likes of Ahmad Jamal. But Garner was at his peak for this midnight concert before an audience of 2,000 in the Royal Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, on November 7, 1964. Before it got underway, drummer Kelly Martin nervously asked bassist Eddie Calhoun about the set list for the night. 

"Man, I can't tell you nothing," said Calhoun. "We just get up there and play. I don't know what this cat is going to do."  In the event, as Professor Kelly gleefully puts it, the trio "rocked the 76-year-old concert hall like there was no tomorrow." Writing in the New Yorker, critic Whitney Balliett said "Garner's appeal stems from his style which is rococo and eccentric, and from the easily accessible flash, geniality, and warmth that continually propel it."  His words conjure up a magical age when jazz was still unfolding, rock was yet to be born and Garner's Concert By The Sea was the cornerstone to any self-respecting jazz fan's record collection. That classic album now has a worthy companion, blessed with all the aids of modern technology. A collector would have difficulty choosing between them. The program is pretty typical, overwhelmingly standards, kicking off with "Where Or When" and continuing with Cole Porter's "Easy To Love." "On Green Dolphin Street" is from 1947, composed for a film everyone's forgotten but which Miles Davis converted to a jazz classic. 

More interesting are Garner's versions of "Cheek To Cheek" and "My Funny Valentine," in which he doffs his cap to what was then the avant-garde. He arrives back on terra firma with the swinger "Gipsy In My Soul," which he made his very own.  In Garner's version of "Laura," Christian Sands, another contributor to the copious liner notes, hears echoes of believe it or not Cecil Taylor. More plausibly, he highlights Garner's examination of his stride roots in "When Your Lover Has Gone." In each number the maestro gives you something different to get your teeth into. It's what his particular genius was all about and it is truly marvellous to be reminded of it again. ~ Chris Mosey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/night-concert-erroll-garner-mack-avenue-records-review-by-chris-mosey.php?width=1920

Personnel:  Erroll Garner: piano;  Eddie Calhoun: bass;  Kelly Martin: drums.

Nightconcert

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Wild Bill Moore - 90 Wild Bill's Beat & Bottom Groove

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:44
Size: 176,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:46)  1. Heavy Soul
(5:57)  2. A Good 'un
(5:28)  3. Tearin' Out
(6:51)  4. Wild Bill's Beat
(5:11)  5. Things Are Getting Better
(5:18)  6. Bubbles
(5:15)  7. Just You, Just Me
(6:20)  8. Sister Caroline
(5:38)  9. Bottom Groove
(5:35) 10. My Little Girl
(5:36) 11. Down With It
(7:12) 12. Sea Breezes
(5:30) 13. Caravan

Many of the tenor saxophonists who came out of the honker school of the '40s and early '50s had no problem being relevant to the soul-jazz scene of the '60s. That's because '60s soul-jazz was very much an extension of classic honker music; the recordings that big-toned tenor titans like Willis "Gator" Jackson and Arnett Cobb provided in the '60s were not a radical departure from their early sessions. Influenced by Illinois Jacquet and Chu Berry, Wild Bill Moore was the essence of an extroverted, big-toned, hard-blowing honker he epitomized what critic Scott Yanow calls "rhythm & jazz" (that is, jazz with strong R&B leanings). This 76-minute CD, which Fantasy assembled in 2002, reissues two Orrin Keepnews-produced albums that Moore recorded for Jazzland in 1961: Bottom Groove and Wild Bill's Beat. Both albums employ Joe Benjamin on upright bass, Ben Riley on drums, and Ray Barretto on congas, but while Wild Bill's Beat features pianist Junior Mance, Bottom Groove is an organ date with Johnny "Hammond" Smith (one of the countless Jimmy Smith-minded organists who was active in the '60s). Despite the fact that one album has a pianist and the other has an organist, they are quite similar. Both are state-of-the-art soul-jazz, and both are highly accessible; people who, in the '60s, felt that a lot of post-swing jazz was too cerebral and abstract for its own good had no problem getting into straightforward players like Moore. Soulful accessibility is the rule whether Moore is playing original material or turning his attention to Nat Adderley's "Sister Caroline" and Duke Ellington's "Caravan." Naturally, there are plenty of 12-bar jazz-blues grooves, and Moore shows listeners how appealing a ballad player he could be on the dreamy "Sea Breezes." This CD is well worth acquiring if you have a taste for '60s soul-jazz. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/bottom-groove-mw0000659120

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Wild Bill Moore;  Bass – Joe Benjamin; Congas – Ray Barretto; Drums – Ben Riley; Organ – Johnny "Hammond" Smith (tracks: 8 to 13); Piano – Junior Mance (tracks: 1 to 7)

90 Wild Bill's Beat & Bottom Groove

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Christine Jensen - Harbour

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Size: 155,4 MB
Time: 67:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Art: Front

1. Passing Lion's Gate (12:48)
2. Swirlaround ( 9:32)
3. Wink (10:29)
4. Surge ( 8:18)
5. Harbour (11:32)
6. Cascadian Fragments ( 9:35)
7. Fantasy On Blue ( 5:24)

Canadian Saxophonist and composer Christine Jensen has led a distinct voice to the creative jazz scene for the last twenty-five years with her large and small ensembles. She is set to release her third jazz orchestra album Harbour (2024) which follows previous releases Habitat (2013) and Treelines (2010). It features her Montreal-based orchestra, along with guest soloists NY-based Ingrid Jensen on trumpet and electronics, Gary Versace on piano, Chet Doxas on tenor saxophone, Jon Wikan on drums and Montreal-based Steve Raegele on guitar. This album captures over a decade of her compositions and commissions, with her sister’s improvisations infused throughout.

“I think of this collection of songs as my commissioning series, with each piece marking time since the beginnings of life for my daughter. I chose the title Harbour because I think its place of shelter on the water, a respite before the new migrations that await on land. This ensemble of family and friends represents that feeling to me, as we all came out of so much turbulence to land together in a room, where my music could take flight. The musicians that I had the privilege to perform and record with took all this to another level and brought their own characters in through their masterful sounds and improvisations. This time around, I can’t be more thrilled with the magic that has surfaced, from the sculpting of forms to the performances that are so lovingly interpreted.”
https://www.jazziz.com/new-releases/harbour/

Personnel: It features her Montreal-based orchestra, along with guest soloists NY-based Ingrid Jensen on trumpet and electronics, Gary Versace on piano, Chet Doxas on tenor saxophone, Jon Wikan on drums and Montreal-based Steve Raegele on guitar. This album captures over a decade of her compositions and commissions, with her sister’s improvisations infused throughout.

Harbour

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Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers - A Night in Tunisia

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:48
Size: 172,8 MB
Art: Front

(12:55)  1. A Night in Tunisia
( 7:16)  2. Off the Wall
( 9:46)  3. Theory of Art
( 8:12)  4. Couldn't It Be You?
( 6:30)  5. Evans
(12:30)  6. A Night in Tunisia [alt. take]
( 7:21)  7. Off the Wall [alt. take]
(10:14)  8. Theory of Art [alt. take]

All tracks have been digitally remastered. First Editions Series Recorded at RCA Studio 3, New York, New York on April 8, 1957. Originally released on Vik (1115). Includes liner notes by Nat Hentoff and Mark Gardner. Reissue producer: Ben Young. http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=2887752&style=music&fulldesc=T

Recording information: RCA Studios, New York, NY (04/08/1957).

Personnel: Art Blakey (drums); Jackie McLean (alto saxophone, percussion); Johnny Griffin (tenor saxophone, percussion); Bill Hardman (trumpet, percussion); Sam Dockery (piano); Spanky De Brest (bass).

A Night in Tunisia

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Steve Grossman - Do It

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 58:44
Size: 94,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:59)  1. Cherokee
(6:53)  2. Let's Call This
(7:13)  3. I'll Keep Loving You
(6:14)  4. Let's Monk
(9:16)  5. The More I See You
(7:00)  6. Oblivion
(4:38)  7. Dance Of The Infidels
(7:35)  8. Soultrane
(3:54)  9. Chi Chi

Saxophonist Steve Grossman hasn't been a regular on the New York scene for many years but a crash  course sampling of the many sessions he has recorded with the likes of Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Barry Harris and Michel Petrucciani for starters as well as under his name as a soloist and with his own groups shows how much excellent playing he has under his belt. And soon there will be those sets this Brooklyn born, Long Island bred musician will be doing with the Al Foster Quartet at The Kitano performances that will offer a chance to hear how he sounds live these days. So where's he been all this time? South America (where he picked up his penchant for Latin-influenced music, check out 1977's Brazil with trumpeter Marcio Montarroyos and Stone Alliance, featuring Grossman with bassist Gene Perla and percussionist Don Alias), Europe, Japan, you name it. He has also lived in a lot of places outside the United States, especially in Italy: "I started in Amsterdam and basically kept moving south."

"But what you really want to know is what was it like to be handpicked by Miles? Scary. I was very young, I started recording with him when I was 18. It was pretty scary to play with Miles Davis, and I'm just getting out of high school really. "Some people obviously told him about me and he started showing up at gigs I was doing. Then I got the call and I started making all these things. That was right after Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1969). One day it would be me... One day it would be Wayne Shorter... And then he asked me to go with him. I think it was 1969 or 1970."

Grossman remembers Miles was colorful and not just onstage. "I was playing one Sunday in this club, I don't remember [which] and that's when he came down and he showed me these four bullet holes in his Ferrari when they took his instruments in Bedford-Stuyvesant, because he didn't want Kenny Dorham to open for him... Me and Dave Liebman had a double quartet kind of thing, two tenors, one pianist, two basses and two drummers. Miles asked me to come out and see the Ferrari; he'd had this problem in Brooklyn at some club, they kept all his instruments; it was some kind of Mafia thing. They put four bullet holes in his red Ferrari." "I think there was another time at the Village Gate. It was Miles opposite Monk. There were a lot of people backstage like Woody Shaw, Lee Morgan." Heady times, but this is now. "You have to go forward," says Grossman, adding "I never thought I'd make it to this age. When I was 25 I looked older than I do now."

Born in 1951, he's 57. As this interview was conducted by telephone he lives in Bologna, Italy there are no visual clues. So it's impossible to know if that perception is correct. Have to take his word for it. Over the phone, though, his voice is particularly distinct. It sounds gravelly, much lived-in, like that of a person who is waking up. How his other "voice" that famous tenor expresses itself will have to wait for that gig with Miles alumni Al Foster. But a hint of what's to come perhaps can be gleaned from those many fine recordings (check out Do It (Dreyfus, 1993), with Barry Harris, Reggie Johnson and Art Taylor which Grossman says he especially likes, the Stone Alliance recordings or his 1991 Steve Grossman, In New York album (Dreyfus, 1991) with McCoy Tyner, Avery Sharpe and Art Taylor) and that past of his much storied youth to which it seems natural to seesaw back to from time to time.

"I was trying to see what Coltrane was doing in the '60s. I still am. To me, he covered it. He was a very big influence on me. You know, since I was 15, 16. Even earlier, when I was 10, 11. I started with Charlie Parker when I was about eight. I started to play alto saxophone then. I had an older brother [now deceased] and we started listening at about the same time. I guess it was through him and an uncle I had who got me my first records. I became a Bird freak." So the trajectory of his musical life was set early. He played a little baseball with kids he grew up with, but music took over. "I used to play with guys much older than me. And now, I'm the oldest." He laughs. Things "turn around."

Speaking of younger musicians, one thing he'll do while here in New York is hear some of the local talent; perhaps he'll find people he'll want to play with down the road. A priority is visiting family, his 86 year old father, his younger brother and his niece. He's been back and forth for recordings but the last time he did a live gig in New York was "probably in the early or mid '90s." So catch him now. ~ Laurel Gross  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/steve-grossman-steve-grossman-by-laurel-gross.php

Do It

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Arnett Cobb - Jumpin' At The Woodside

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 68:08
Size: 156.0 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1974/2002
Art: Front

[5:43] 1. Jumpin' At The Woodside
[6:46] 2. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance
[7:05] 3. Blues For The Hot Club De France
[6:54] 4. I Want A Little Girl
[7:10] 5. Jumpin' In France
[6:11] 6. Salty Mama Blues
[9:01] 7. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[7:25] 8. Take The A Train
[6:49] 9. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance 2
[4:12] 10. Swingin Mama
[0:48] 11. Drum Solo

A stomping Texas tenor player in the tradition of Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb's accessible playing was between swing and early rhythm & blues. After playing in Texas with Chester Boone (1934-1936) and Milt Larkin (1936-1942), Cobb emerged in the big leagues by succeeding Illinois Jacquet with Lionel Hampton's Orchestra (1942-1947). His version of "Flying Home No. 2" became a hit, and he was a very popular soloist with Hampton. After leaving the band, Cobb formed his own group, but his initial success was interrupted in 1948, when he had to undergo an operation on his spine. After recovering, he resumed touring. But a major car accident in 1956 crushed Cobb's legs and he was reduced to using crutches for the rest of his life. However, by 1959, he returned to active playing and recording. Cobb spent most of the 1960s leading bands back in Texas, but starting in 1973, he toured and recorded more extensively, including a tenor summit with Jimmy Heath and Joe Henderson in Europe as late as 1988. Arnett Cobb made many fine records through the years for such labels as Apollo, Columbia/Okeh, Prestige (many of the latter are available on the OJC series), Black & Blue, Progressive, Muse, and Bee Hive. ~ Scott Yanow

As the sixties drew to a close, Jean-Marie Monestier and Jean-Pierre Tahmazian discovered the whereabouts of the last living classical jazz musicians. They decided to bring them to France, out of the anonymity into which forgetfulness had plunged them. With the applause of the concert audience still ringing in their ears, these musicians then recorded some of their most beautiful music for Black & Blue. Jean-Michel Proust and Jean-Marc Fritz who were aware of their historical value, listened to these treasures. The result was “The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions”.

Recorded May 21, 1974 in Paris, France. Digitally Remastered.

Arnett Cobb (ts), Lloyd Glenn (p), Tiny Grimes (g, vcl), Roland Lobligeois (b), Panama Francis (d).

Jumpin' At The Woodside

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Various Artists - The Bossa Nova Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms Vol.1, Vol.2, Vol.3, Vol.4, Vol.5, Vol.6

Album: The Bossa Nova Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms-Vol.1

Styles: Bossa
Size: 147,2 MB
Time: 64:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001
Art: Front

1. Roberto Menescal - Inflüencia Do Jazz (2:28)
2. Odell Brown & The Organizers - Mas Que Nada (7:12)
3. Os Cincos-Pados - Berimbau (2:52)
4. Jongo Trio - Águas De Março (Waters of March) (4:07)
5. Quarteto Em Cy Com Tamba Trio - Água De Beber (Water to Drink) (2:40)
6. Pedrinho Mattar Trio - Samba Pro Pedrinho (2:40)
7. Charlie Byrd & Woody Herman - Bamba Samba (Bossa Nova) (3:07)
8. Breno Sauer Quinteto - A Felicidade (2:14)
9. Nelson Riddle & Orchestra - Lamento (3:03)
10. Zimbo Trio - To Live Happily (Pra Viver Feliz) (2:39)
11. Os Catedraticos - Os Grilos (Crickets Sing for Anamaria) (2:21)
12. Lalo Schifrin & Orchestra - Samba De Uma Nota Só (3:45)
13. Geraldo Trio - Chora Tua Tristeza (2:58)
14. Bossa Jazz Trio - Canto De Ossanha (2:36)
15. Os Cobras - Cheiro De Saudade (2:52)
16. The Continentals - String of Pearls (2:21)
17. João Meirelles & His Bossa Kings - Batucada (2:27)
18. Chris Montez - The Face I Love (2:02)
19. Martin Denny - Exotique Bossa Nova (4:16)
20. Quartette Tres Bien - Boss Tres Bien (5:30)

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Album: The Bossa Nova Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms, Volume 2

Styles: Bossa Nova
Size: 133,5 MB
Time: 57:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2000
Art: Front

1. Tamba Trio - Mas que nada (Better Than Nothing) (2:33)
2. Edu Lobo - Upa, neguinho (Up, Little Black Child) (2:19)
3. Pery Ribeiro feat. Walter Wanderley & Seu Conjunto - O barquinho (Little Boat) (2:54)
4. Coral De Ouro Preto - Samba de uma nota só (2:06)
5. Bobby Mackay - Bossa Nova (I Say) (1:52)
6. Jorge Ben Jor - Tim Dom Dom (2:20)
7. Toots Thielemans & Elis Regina - Wave (3:08)
8. Elis Regina - O meninho das laranjas (The Orange Selling Boy) (2:16)
9. Ella Fitzgerald - So danço samba (5:49)
10. Sarah Vaughan - The Boy From Ipanema (2:28)
11. João Gilberto feat. Antonio Carlos Jobim & Orchestra - Desafinado (Off Key / Slightly Out of Tune) (1:57)
12. Os Farroupilhas - Samba International (1:56)
13. Marcos Valle - Os grilos (Crickets Sing for Anamaria) (2:06)
14. Walter Wanderley - Telefone (2:15)
15. Ed Lincoln - The Blues Walk (3:59)
16. Pedrinho Mattar Trio - Opato (1:52)
17. Joao Roberto Kelly & Luiz Reis - Leilao / Brotinho Bossa Nova (2:31)
18. Sambalanço Trio - Samblues (2:16)
19. Edison Machado - Menino travesso (2:45)
20. Paul Winter feat. Luiz Bonfá, Roberto Menescal & Luiz Eça - Reza (3:19)
21. Antonio Carlos Jobim & Eumir Deodato - Corteguay (2:24)
22. Sérgio Mendes - Oba - La - La (2:27)

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Album: The Bossa Nova Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms Vol.3

Styles: Bossa Nova
Size: 138,6 MB
Time: 60:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2000
Art: Front

1. Sergio Mendes & Wanda De Sah feat. Bud Shank - Samba De Verao (So Nice) (2:11)
2. Edu Lobo feat. Tamba Trio - Boranda (2:30)
3. Elza Soares - Mas Que Nada (Better Than Nothing) (2:24)
4. Wilson Simonal - Mestico (1:57)
5. Quarteto 004 & A. C. Jobim - Vou Te Contar (2:44)
6. Silvio Cezar & Meirelles - Samba Do Carioca (1:56)
7. Astrud Gilberto - Take Me To Rwanda (2:27)
8. Wanda De Sah - So Danco Samba (Jazz 'N' Samba) (2:11)
9. Lennie Dale & O Sambalanco Trio - O Pato (1:54)
10. Baden Powell - Blues A Volonte (8:52)
11. Caterina Valente feat.Edmundo Ros & His Orchestra - Canto De Ossanha (2:54)
12. Jon Hendricks - Jive Samba (2:19)
13. Quarteto Em Cy & Frejat (Live) - Chega De Saudade (4:00)
14. Lalo Schifrin - The Man From T. H. R. U. S. H. (2:54)
15. Bill Perkins - Baia (3:33)
16. Os Cobras - E Bom Assim (2:46)
17. Jack Wilson feat. Roy Ayers - Days Of Wine And Roses (3:32)
18. Som Tres - Amazonas (2:25)
19. Zimbo Trio (Live) - Nana (6:52)

Janey Clewer - Fallen for Brazil

Styles: Vocal
Size: 138,1 MB
Time: 59:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Art: Front

1. Samba Sky (5:05)
2. Paparazzi (5:04)
3. One At Heart (3:46)
4. Ooh, Ooh (5:03)
5. I Should Let Go (4:18)
6. The Summer Wind (feat. Michael Sembello) (3:40)
7. Too Good to Be Real (4:35)
8. Picture This (5:05)
9. This Masquerade (4:33)
10. Make Her Mine (feat. Marc Jordan) (4:40)
11. Shangri-La (4:40)
12. Fallen for Brazil (4:57)
13. Coup De Grace (3:46)

'She sings with a Brazilian heart.' Daniel Jobim (grandson of Antonio Carlos Jobim) 'Her voice floats effortlessly over silky melodies and smoky chordal harmonies. She has it all. It's ice cream and coffee, wine and whiskey. It's rare, it's real talent... Janey is the blueprint for the new generation of real singers, just as Ella Fitzgerald was for her generation... Janey goes deep. You don't need any hype. When you start calling a person by their first or last name like: Bird, Coltrane, Ella, you know they are something special. That's Janey' - Michael Sembello 'Your CD is beautiful. The whole thing. Totally suits you to a tee. Your voice sounds amazing....'I Should Let Go' had me wanting a cigarette afterwards....' Richard Marx Fallen For Brazil is one of the most romantic, sensual CDs you will ever own. The songs are sophisticated gems framed in the influences of Brazilian music and culture.

Janey has composed 12 neo-Brazilian styled songs that will thrill your senses and stir your soul. Additionally, there is a cover of This Masquerade an all-time personal favorite of Janey's. She caresses each song with effortless, seductive vocals that exude an intimacy that is undeniably Janey. Every track is drenched with timeless string arrangements and the incomparable John Patitucci on bass. Also featured is the vocal magic of Marc Jordan on the duet Make Her Mine and Michael Sembello sings haunting Portuguese background vocals on The Summer Wind. The CD also features the awesome acoustic guitar work of her husband, Bruce Gaitsch, flutes by Dave Boruff, vibes by Alex Poston and trumpet by Nick Newman.

The timeless string arrangements of Boh Cooper and Janey brush each song with beautiful strokes of color. The string players are Nashville's finest led by David Davidson. Josh Abbey, producer and engineer for Russell Watson, mixed Janey's CD in NYC, NY. Open your finest Malbec, sit back and let your ears take you on a passionate musical journey to Brazil and beyond. https://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_Janey-Clewer-Janey_000000000060994/item_Fallen-For-Brazil_4935679

Fallen for Brazil

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Didier Lockwood - Out Of The Blue

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:54
Size: 87,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Legs
(6:23)  2. Cello Britten
(2:57)  3. Martinique
(3:12)  4. I Can't Tell You To Begin
(4:20)  5. November Song
(3:55)  6. Out Of The Blue
(6:49)  7. Round About Midnight
(5:43)  8. B. Train Blues

Violinist Didier Lockwood showed great potential when he first arrived on the scene, but despite some good sessions, he has not yet become the pacesetter one originally expected. 

This is one of his better recordings, a quartet outing with pianist Gordon Beck, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Hart. Other than "'Round Midnight" and an obscurity, all of the music is by either Lockwood or Beck, although much of it is fairly straight-ahead (as opposed to Lockwood's earlier fusion-oriented dates) Worth searching for. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/out-of-the-blue-mw0000188326

Personnel: Didier Lockwood - violin; Gordon Beck - guitar; Cecil McBee - bass; Billy Hart - drums

Out Of The Blue

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Arnett Cobb - Funky Butt

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:44
Size: 136.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1980/2014
Art: Front

[4:30] 1. Jumpin' At The Woodside
[5:53] 2. Satin Doll
[4:06] 3. Georgia On My Mind
[5:46] 4. Funky Butt
[6:22] 5. I Got Rhythm
[5:50] 6. September In The Rain
[6:07] 7. Isfahan
[4:43] 8. Radium Springs Swings
[4:25] 9. Jumpin' At The Woodside [take 1]
[7:23] 10. Funky Butt Blues [take 1]
[4:33] 11. I Got Rhythm [take 2]

Arnett Cobb, a tenor from the 1940s who (like Illinois Jacquet) fused together some of the most exciting aspects of swing and early R&B, is in typically exuberant form on this quartet set with pianist Derek Smith, bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Ronnie Bedford. Cobb is warm on the ballads but the stomps (particularly "Jumpin' at the Woodside" and "I Got Rhythm") are what make this record most memorable. ~Scott Yanow

Funky Butt

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Tubby Hayes - No Blues – The Complete Hopbine ‘65

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 95:41
Size: 219,5 MB
Art: Front

(17:42) 1. Night And Day
( 9:22) 2. It Never Entered My Mind
( 9:19) 3. I Remember You
(15:15) 4. On Green Dolphin Street
(19:39) 5. No Blues
( 5:15) 6. What's New?
(19:08) 7. Have You Met Miss Jones?

"Who the fuck are you?" said Tubby Hayes, encountering Ron Mathewson on the bandstand of London's Hopbine club an hour or so before the start of the gig which this album chronicles. "I'm the bassist," said just turned twenty-one year old Mathewson, who had been booked to deputise for the Hopbine's regular bassist that night.

"Well, we'll see about that, won't we?" said Hayes.

So began a relationship in which Mathewson later became a permament member of Hayes' quartet and the bassist in all of his bands, large and small, up until Hayes passed in 1973.

The full story is told in an interview Mathewson gave, not long before he passed in 2020, to Hayes historian Simon Spillett, the author of the 24-page liner booklet accompanying the 2-CD live album No Blues: The Complete Hopbine '65. It is Mathewson's tape archive which we have to thank for this, the first complete recording of the gig, which has previously been released in bits and always with poor audio. Not only is the Jazz In Britain release the first complete recording, it is the only one on which sound restoration has raised the audio to a quality befitting the music.

And the music is superb. Many people consider Hayes to have been at his peak circa 1965, when, as Spillett observes, one hears the inspiration of Hayes' hero John Coltrane mixed in with Hayes' gift for Stan Getz-like balladry. In 1965, too, Hayes was still in good physical shape, before the effects of longterm heroin use kicked in. When he concludes his 44-chorus solo on Miles Davis' "No Blues" there is every suggestion that he could have maintained the energy level for another 44 choruses. There are similarly ecstatic performances of Cole Porter's "Night And Day" and Bronislaw Kaper's "On Green Dolphin Street," on which Hayes' is joined by fellow tenor saxophonist Tommy Whittle, organiser of the one-night-a-week jazz club in the back room of the Hopbine pub. There is balladry as well, with a gutsy exploration of Richard Rodgers' "It Never Entered My Mind."

Once again, John Thurlow and his dedicated team at not-for-profit Jazz In Britain are to be thanked for bringing a chunk of immortal magic back into the public domain.
By Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/no-blues-the-complete-hopbine-65-tubby-hayes-jazz-in-britain

Personnel: Tubby Hayes: saxophone, tenor; Kenny Powell: piano; Ron Mathewson: bass, acoustic; Dick Brennan: drums.

No Blues – The Complete Hopbine‘65

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Jo Harrop - The Path Of A Tear

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Size: 115,8 MB
Time: 49:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Art: Front

1. Beautiful fools (4:25)
2. Whiskey or the truth (5:42)
3. A love like this (5:41)
4. Traveling light (4:38)
5. The path of a tear (le chemin d'une larme) (3:10)
6. You'll never be lonely in Soho (4:53)
7. If it wasn't for bad (3:29)
8. Too close to the sun (4:16)
9. Hurt (3:44)
10. Goodbye (5:46)
11. Stay here tonight (3:36)

The Path of a Tear is Durham-born singer and songwriter Jo Harrop's fifth album release on the Lateralize label, which was established in 2018. Harrop's first album was Songs For The Late Hours (Lateralize, 2019), a download-only release on which she and her guitar, piano and bass trio arranged and played a selection of Tin Pan Alley songs, including the Gershwins' "How Long Has This Been Going On," which showcased Harrop's voice well.

Her second album, the first on CD, was Weathering the Storm (Lateralize, 2020) which was jointly credited to Harrop and Jamie McCredie who accompanied her on guitar, giving the music a sound which blurred the boundary between folk and jazz. Again, there were no songs by Harrop or McCredie but the ones they played were rather more modern than those on the previous album, including "Take It With Me" by Tom Waits, "Guilty" by Randy Newman and "If" by David Gates.

Harrop's third album, The Heart Wants (Lateralize, 2021) was a pivot point of her career, as she is credited as a composer of eight of its thirteen tracks, having used the opportunity presented by Covid to work on the album which she had longed to make for years. In addition, a plethora of musicians and singers made the music on the album far richer than on any previous Harrop album. Her fourth album, When Winter Turns To Spring (Lateralize, 2022) was jointly credited to Harrop and pianist and arranger Paul Edis who penned and/or arranged this musical journey through a year's weather.

In several ways, The Path of a Tear differs from Harrop's previous albums. Firstly, the album was recorded at The Village Studios Studio D, Los Angeles, in September 2023, making it the first Harrop album to be recorded outside of the UK. Secondly, it was produced by Larry Klein, who plays bass and has previously produced albums by Joni Mitchell, Madeleine Peyroux and Herbie Hancock among others. He was married to Mitchell for a period in the '80s and '90s. He is also a four-time Grammy winner. Thirdly, no musician from any previous Harrop album plays on the album. All of the musicians here have impressive track records as jazz players.

Of the album's eleven tracks, eight were co-composed by Harrop. The other three are "Travelling Light" by Leonard Cohen, "If It Wasn't For Bad" by Leon Russell, and "Goodbye" by Steve Earle. As is fitting, Harrop's voice dominates the album, rather than the musicians who accompany her. She has the uncommon knack of sounding as if she has experienced every emotion that she sings about. Where The Heart Wants was an album about love and life, as its song titles suggest, The Path of a Tear focuses more on the pain of love; it is a measure of her talent that Harrop conveys the ups and downs of love with equal credibility. Even when she is singing about being hurt, her voice makes beautiful listening. Sure to be one of the year's best.By John Eyles
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-path-of-a-tear-jo-harrop-lateralized

The Path Of A Tear

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Love Suggestions - Piano Night

Styles: Smooth Jazz
Size: 119,5 MB
Time: 52:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Art: Front

1. Hey Girl (5:11)
2. Treasure (4:18)
3. Come & Get It (5:26)
4. What Makes You Beautiful (4:37)
5. Feel This Moment (4:24)
6. It Goes Like This (5:02)
7. Turn The Night Up (5:27)
8. Clarity (4:34)
9. See You Again (4:37)
10. Mirrors (4:28)
11. My Kind Of Night (4:07)

Konstantin Klashtorni created this series for lovers to spend nice evenings together. Sax Night is the next to come out, probably this year. This collection is more R&B orientated. The first album of this series Piano Night was released in 2013.

Konstantin comments꞉ “I had in mind just a simple instrumental R&B style with nice melodies on it instead of repetitive, closer to rap melodies, R&B artists use to lay down. Smooth Jazz by itself is an instrumental R&B, but with much more elements of Funk, unlike straight SJ. I eliminate that "Funk" element, and instead I incorporate a nice romantic, melodious approach.″

Keeping that in mind the introducing Hey Girl enjoys with a mellifluous and fluid sound pitching the rhythm through a suburban undertone. Treasure comes with a whirring hum preparing the magic of the song marching to your ears.

Come & Get It shares the title with famous songs. This interpretation of the talking phrase remains unobtrusive supple. What Makes You Beautiful shines with a harmonious flute choir and smooth piano play embedded in silky strings. The ideal love present.

Konstantin has a keen sense for melodies flattering your ears like Feel This Moment. Consistent with the principles of harmony the song achieves its impression. It Goes Like This struts anew Konstantin's prowess featuring an array of great sonic synth sounds. Turn The Night Up is the melody for the moment, when you lead your partner down the path to happiness.

The addictive Clarity wallows gleefully in the synth sounds of the 80's. See You Again has the melodious approach of a soulful love ballad. Sometimes I miss this human component even with such a nice horn arrangement. Ancient cultures describe Mirrors as reflection of the shadow soul. Konstantin brings this darkness to the surface. My Kind Of Night struts along on a sax and synth infused vibe.

Piano Night Love Suggestions is a delightful alternative to Konstantin Klashtorni's own series. This album is created with the loving couple in mind.
http://www.smooth-jazz.de/flashback/LoveSuggestions/PianoNight.htm

Piano Night

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Didier Lockwood - Best of Les Années JMS

Styles: Violin
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:12
Size: 171,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:45)  1. Juggling in Central Park
(5:29)  2. Polish
(5:07)  3. Tip Tap
(5:25)  4. Cousin William
(2:57)  5. Martinique
(6:49)  6. Round About Midnight
(5:02)  7. Cote Jardin
(5:43)  8. Le Solo
(5:46)  9. Nuages
(3:59) 10. La Ballade Irlandaise
(4:21) 11. Angelito
(2:32) 12. Lune Froide
(6:11) 13. The Kid
(8:28) 14. Pork Chops - Live
(1:32) 15. Zebulon Dance

Didier Lockwood (born February 11, 1956) is a French jazz violinist. He was born in Calais and studied classical violin and composition at the Calais Conservatory. However, his brother Francis made him receptive to forms of music other than the classical and he quit his studies in 1972. Didier was entranced by the improvisation of Jean-Luc Ponty on Frank Zappa's King Kong album and took up the amplified violin. He joined the progressive rock group Magma, touring and notable featured on their 1975 Live/Hhaï album. Lockwood was also influenced by Polish violinist Zbigniew Seifert and Stéphane Grappelli, whom he joined on tour. 

Didier Lockwood in concert (1992)He has also played with Quebecois fusion group Uzeb on their Absolutely Live album. He is famous for exploring new musical environments and for performing various sound imitations on his amplified violin, such as seagulls or trains. On July 23, 1982, in Montreux, Switzerland, he performed in concert with guitarist Allan Holdsworth, drummer Billy Cobham, bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, and keyboardist David Sancious. Didier Lockwood created a string instruments improvisation school, CMDL (Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood), in 2001. He is married to singer Caroline Casadesus Throughout 2006 Didier has been touring with Martin Taylor the Jazz guitarist. In these performances it is noticeable to see that he is very involved in improvisation. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/didierlockwood

Best of Les Années JMS

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Pentatonix - Pentatonix (Deluxe Version)

Styles: A cappella,Pop, R&B
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:06
Size: 125,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:35) 1. Na Na Na
(2:53) 2. Can't Sleep Love
(2:57) 3. Sing
(3:42) 4. Misbehavin'
(3:14) 5. Ref
(2:41) 6. First Things First
(3:43) 7. Rose Gold
(3:14) 8. If I Ever Fall In Love
(2:54) 9. Cracked
(3:11) 10. Water
(2:56) 11. Take Me Home
(3:37) 12. New Year's Day
(4:14) 13. Light In The Hallway
(2:51) 14. Where Are Ü Now
(3:03) 15. Cheerleader
(2:40) 16. Lean On
(3:33) 17. Can't Sleep Love (feat. Tink)

Their sharpness and soul made PTX one of the most popular and well-known a cappella groups outside of The Barden Bellas. The vocal quintet takes a creative leap forward here crafting originals with the same energy, detail, and richness that made their cover songs so beloved. “Sing” and “Na Na Na” show that PTX are pop maestros, creating magic with just voice, handclaps, and beatbox. They float effortlessly between styles “Misbehavin’” takes its cues from doo-wop, “Ref” can fit in with any EDM set, and “First Things First” feels like a lost Timbaland track. To close the album, PTX include their takes on pop hits “Where Are Ü Now,” “Cheerleader,” and “Lean On.”~Editors' Note https://music.apple.com/us/album/pentatonix-deluxe-version/1035387084

Pentatonix (Deluxe Version)

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Bria Skonberg - What It Means

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Size: 127,7 MB
Time: 55:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Art: Front

1. Comes Love (4:30)
2. Sweet Pea (3:40)
3. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans (4:13)
4. The Beat Goes On (6:51)
5. In The House (6:23)
6. Cornet Chop Suey (4:44)
7. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) (5:27)
8. Days Like This (3:23)
9. Petit Fleur (4:35)
10. Elbow Bump (7:05)
11. Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel) / A Child is Born (4:29)

Trumpeter and vocalist Bria Skonberg says the great joy of music has always been in sharing it. “I love to perform. I love to prepare songs in ways that surprise and delight listeners.” WHAT IT MEANS is Skonberg’s heartfelt homage to the music and traditions of New Orleans. Most of the musicians on the album are from New Orleans; Ben Jaffe on sousaphone, singer Gabrielle Cavassa, trombonist Ethan Santos, Guitarist Don Vappie, drummer Herlin Riley, bassist Grayson Brockamp, and saxophonist Rex Gregory.

One of the most famous songs about the Crescent City is, ‘Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans.’ By shortening the title to WHAT IT MEANS Skonberg transforms it into a broader statement, encouraging her audience to consider what truly matters to them personally.

Not everything on WHAT IT MEANS is from the world of jazz. John Lennon’s ‘Beautiful Boy’ took on new meaning when Skonberg had her first child. There are tunes by Billy Joel, Sonny Bono, and Van Morrison.

Skonberg’s wah wah mute is used to great effect on the 1939 jazz standard ‘Comes Love.’ Aurora Nealand’s soprano saxophone echoes Sidney Bechet, but it’s smoother, without Bechet’s gritty vibrato. Ben Jaffe’s sousaphone evokes New Orleans parade music. The mood shifts with Chris Pattishall’s piano solo, transporting the music to Cuba. Skonberg is mute-less and playing beautiful unison lines with the band, and engaging in an animated call and response with drummer Herlin Riley.

Skonberg’s playing is marked by crisp articulation and a powerful attack, perfectly capturing the spirit of Louis Armstrong’s 1926 recording ‘Cornet Chop Suey.’ Don Vappie’s banjo helps preserve the authentic feel of Armstrong’s Hot Five.

‘In the House’ was one of the original compositions Skonberg wrote for the album, and it’s a beaut. It sounds more hard bop than traditional New Orleans jazz, but It really shows off her trumpet chops. I like the way she switches from playing with a mute, and then not. Pattishall’s melodic piano and the bass work from Grayson Brockamp make this one of the album’s highlights.
I have never liked Sonny Bono’s ‘The Beat Goes On.’ Skonberg is a much better singer, but I thought this is a song that should be left to the ashes of history until I heard her band resurrect this sixties turkey and give it life. Rex Gregory’s tenor saxophone has a lot of fun with the melody. Skonberg’s trumpet playing is a delight. It’s obvious she’s having fun on this album. Ethan Santos’s trombone playing adds a lot to this tune.

Skonberg wanted to record some pop songs from her past that she loved, and I respect that. I don’t have as warm a spot in my heart for some of those pop hits from the past. There is a lot to enjoy on Bria Skonberg’s WHAT IT MEANS. It is a wonderful tribute to the music and the history of New Orleans.By Tim Larsen https://jazzviews.net/bria-skonberg-what-it-means/

Personnel: Bria Skonberg – Trumpet & Vocal; Don Vappie – Guitar, Banjo (track 6); Chris Pattishall – Piano; Grayson Brockamp – Acoustic Bass; Herlin Riley – Drums, Percussion; Aurora Nealand – Soprano Saxophone (track 1); Rex Gregory – Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet (tracks 4,8-10); Ethan Santos – Trombone (tracks 4, 8-10); Ben Jaffe – Sousaphone (tracks 1, 10); Gabrielle Cavassa – Vocal (track 8)

What It Means

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