Annie & The Hot Club - Play The Songs Of Tom Sturdevant

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 47:47
Size: 109.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[2:45] 1. Sugar
[3:28] 2. I Love You
[3:26] 3. Mystery Of Love
[4:08] 4. He Loves Me I Can Tell
[4:08] 5. Pussycats And Moonbeams
[3:48] 6. Wish I
[3:15] 7. Chickadee 'n Cockadoodledoo
[4:08] 8. Full Moon Saturday Night
[3:05] 9. Henry McIntyre
[4:23] 10. Lonely
[3:22] 11. What My Eyes Might Say
[3:51] 12. Last Night I Cried My Eyes Out
[3:55] 13. Simply Beautiful

Annie and the Hot Club in homage to the Hot Club genre (Django-Reinhardt gypsy-swing) bring fiery guitar and violin soloing on repertoire from the 1930's and 40's such as Honeysuckle Rose and Sweet Georgia Brown…and to top it off, the perky storyteller and hard-swinging singer, Annie. Nashville native vocalist Annie Sellick was voted Best Jazz Artist by readers of the Nashville Scene five years in a row, and has since toured all over the world and performed and/or recorded with many of her musical heroes including Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing, Tommy Emmanuel and jazz organ royalty Joey DeFrancesco.

The Hot Club of Nashville is lead by Brittian-born Richard Smith who owns a guitar signed "To my hero, Richard", Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins. Rhythm guitarist Pat Bergeson (expect Howard Levy-like harmonica solos too) moved to Nashville at the request of Chet Atkins to record and join his band, where he remained several years. Fiddle player Aaron Till has performed with Jerry Reed, Tanya Tucker, Pam Tillis and Tommy Emmanuel, among other musical royalty. Bassist Charlie Chadwick who created the Chadwick Folding Bass (that's right folks, an acoustic bass that folds un half) joins the group and Josh Hunt on snare drum.

The group has performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival as well as abroad including the Tommy Emmanuel Guitar Festival in Reitberg, Germany and Poland. They are a mainstay at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention as well as The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.

Expect original material as well - songs so reminiscent of an old swing standard that you would think they've been loved for decades, and pop crossovers you might hear on a future album by the likes of Norah Jones or Madeleine Peyroux.

"She hooks up with the Nashville-based Hot Club Band to create a magically fun musical experience. Annie and the Hot Club… is the real deal. It is a fun loving, story telling, toe tapping, tear jerking, sit back and enjoy experience for the listener. A certified "less of the same" endeavor. ~Bruce Pulver

Pat Bergeson (guitar, harmonica); Richard Smith (guitar); Aaron Till (violin); Charlie Chadwick (cello, bass guitar); Tom Giampietro (drums). Personnel: Tom Sturdevant (vocals); Jeff Taylor (accordion).

Play The Songs Of Tom Sturdevant

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Matt Belsante - Blame It On My Youth

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 47:39
Size: 109.1 MB
Styles: Vocal, Easy Listening
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:14] 1. Beyond The Sea
[4:01] 2. Brazil
[4:54] 3. At Last
[4:47] 4. A Whiter Shade Of Pale
[3:26] 5. I Saw Her Standing There
[3:56] 6. Blame It On My Youth
[3:12] 7. Witchcraft
[4:06] 8. I Get Along Without You Very Well
[3:09] 9. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[4:24] 10. Haven't Got Much
[4:03] 11. All In Love Is Fair
[4:23] 12. Never My Love

Every once in awhile there comes along a singer who reminds you of something familiar yet something so new that it leaves you smiling; a young crooner's voice that wraps around you like a warm coat on a cold winters day. Matt Belsante is that rare kind of artist who has something new to offer. The Naperville, Illinois native Matt began playing tenor sax in 6th grade and continued to perform in middle and high school jazz bands. "I used to listen to Sinatra with my grandfather when I was little and my dad always had it in the car as well. At home I listened mostly to instrumental stuff and mostly sax players but big band as well and the major vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald," says Belsante. He started to sing in the jazz choir in high school during his junior year while continuing to play sax in the band. In his senior year he won the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award for both vocal jazz and instrumental jazz (the first student at his school to win both). After high school, Matt attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN to study engineering and economics. He contacted Billy Adair, husband of legendary piano player Beegie Adair, about singing for the Blair Music School Big Band. His mindset was to continue to sing jazz with the big band because he loved it, but never really thought about it as a career. During his four years in college, Matt also sang and arranged music for an acapella group called the Dodecaphonics. In his senior year, Matt got the opportunity to sing the songs of Frank Sinatra with the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, a group of Nashville's top jazz musicians. Billy Adair has always been a great teacher and supporter and helped Matt get the gig in the first place. After graduation, Matt was at a crossroads. Should he focus on a budding music career or find a job in his field? "At this point, I really started to think about the possibility of singing jazz in terms of a career. I am going to continue to work on my craft and listen to artists I neglected to realize before this point (Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughan, Julie London, and current artists, Jamie Cullum, Michael Buble). I really started to believe in my ability and felt like I could make a contribution in this genre if I focused on it and continued to study it." Maturing in a city filled with passion for music, Matt has been able to turn his sensitively realistic thoughts into art.

Recording information: My Space Recording, Nashville, TN.

Tom Hemby (acoustic guitar); Pat Begeson (electric guitar); Connie Ellisor, Pamela Sixfin, David Davidson (violin); Jim Grosjean (viola); Anthony LaMarchina (cello); Denis Solee (flute, tenor saxophone); Doug Moffet (bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Mark Douthit (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Cole Burgess (alto saxophone); George Tidwell (trumpet, flugelhorn); Mike Haynes , Jeff Bailey , Steve Patrick (trumpet); Beth Beeson, Jennifer Kummer (French horn); Prentiss Hobbs, Chris McDonald, Barry Green (trombone); Pat Coil (piano, organ); Craig Nelson (bass instrument); Scott Williamson, Bob Mater (drums, drum); Eric Darken (percussion); Eliza Quinn, Penelope Vandersnift (background vocals).

Blame It On My Youth

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Billy May - Cha-cha

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 25:39
Size: 58.7 MB
Styles: Latin
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[2:41] 1. In The Mood
[2:23] 2. Twelfth Street-Rag-Cha-Cha
[1:51] 3. The Poor People Of Paris
[2:29] 4. Flyin' Home
[1:55] 5. Bijou-Cha-Cha
[2:20] 6. In A Mellow Tone
[2:40] 7. Tuxedo Junction
[1:56] 8. Leap Frog-Cha-Cha
[2:20] 9. Snowfall Cha Cha
[1:44] 10. Artistry In Rhythm
[1:48] 11. I Remember
[1:27] 12. Goodbye-Cha-Cha

If you are among the millions who have been captivated by that exciting Latin rhythm called the cha-cha-cha, then music-master Billy May has designed this album especially for you. Here, in the tantalizing tempo of this South of the Border dance sensation, is a collection of all-time instrumental favorites, brought up-to-date with delicate cha-cha-rrangements that offer a refreshing contrast to the spectacular big-band orchestrations so often associated with Latin dance music.

Well known swing standards like Flyin’ Home, Tuxedo Junction, and In The Mood are magically transformed into light and nimble cha-chas by "El Gran Maestro," who features here a wondrous assortment of flutes, employing them with great imagination and a good deal of subtle humor to duplicate familiar ensemble and solo passages. The brilliant trumpet and rhythm sections are manned by a fine group of Latin musicians, whose distinctive phrasing and enthusiasm give this album an excitingly genuine Afro-Cuban sound, while the mellow tones of an agile marimba provide additional authentic effects.

Senor May also brings out the cha-cha-characteristics of such unlikely selections as Twelfth Street Rag, Snowfall, The Poor People of Paris, and several other wonderfully outrageous cha-cha-daptations of famous hits in which the flavor of the original arrangements has been retained. Only the beat has been changed to protect the innocent.

Cha-cha

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Janis Siegel - Night Songs - A Late Night Interlude

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label: Palmetto Records
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:26
Size: 145,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:23)  1. Love Saves (Salva Pantallas)
(4:40)  2. Slow
(5:08)  3. Love and Paris Rain
(6:12)  4. If You Never Come to Me (Inutil Paisgem)
(5:30)  5. Marie
(5:39)  6. You're Mine, You
(5:19)  7. Sweet September Rain
(4:21)  8. A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing
(7:32)  9. Midnight Sun
(6:12) 10. Lover
(4:28) 11. Say You'll Go
(0:56) 12. Clair De Lune

The Manhattan Transfer (1972 - Present)
Founding member of the world's pre-eminent vocal group, interpreting American music from Swing to Rock and Pop to vocalese and Rhythm and Blues. Over the years, Janis has sung lead on many of the Manhattan Transfer's biggest hits, including 'Operator,' 'Twilight Zone,' 'The Boy from New York City,' 'Mystery,' 'Spice of Life,' 'Shaker Song,' 'Birdland,' 'Ray's Rockhouse,' and the 5-million selling 'Chanson D'Amour.' Janis co-produced the group's Pastiche album, and has arranged many of the vocals on the Transfer's 18 albums, yielding her aGrammy for Best Vocal Arrangement for 'Birdland.' In 1991, Janis co-wrote and sang lead on the Grammy-winning performance for 'Sassy.'

Solo Work
Janis has mounted regular solo singing projects and tours throughout the years when not recording or touring with The Manhattan Transfer. She has toured all throughout the United States, is eagerly anticipating her first solo European tour in Spring 2005, and has recently performed in Panama. Her first solo album, Experiment in White, was released in 1981. At Home, her second solo effort, garnered Janis a Grammy nomination for Best Female Jazz Vocal. In 1985, Janis joined Jon Hendricks, Bobby McFerrin, Dianne Reeves in a group called 'Sing, Sing, Sing' and performed to raves at The Playboy Jazz Festival and The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Other solo performances include the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Tri-C Jazz Festival, The North Beach Jazz Festival and stints at Birdland in NYC and the Blue Note in NYC and Tokyo. Janis has an ongoing duo collaboration with pianist Fred Hersch. Their first album, Short Stories, earned another Grammy nomination in 1989. The second album with Fred Hersch, Slow Hot Wind, was released in 1995 on Varese/Sarabande Records. Janis and Fred have toured extensively in the U.S. and Japan, and have also done radio concerts, T.V. and private dates. Her fifth solo album entitled The Tender Trap was released by Monarch Records in 1999, was produced and arranged by Fred Hersch, and featured Russell Malone, Matt Wilson, Victor Lewis, Michael Brecker and Hank Crawford. I Wish You Love, released in 2002, marked her first CD for the Telarc label and a return to working with longtime collaborator and friend Joel Dorn. Friday Night Special followed in 2003 featuring soul jazz and bluesy grooves with a first-rate organ/tenor ensemble consisting of Joey DeFrancesco and Houston Person. Her most recent Telarc release, 2004's Sketches of Broadway, was produced and arranged by longtime friend Gil Goldstein. Janis will be touring on Night Songs in 2013.~Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Night-Songs-Janis-Siegel/dp/B00DX88GFC .

Night Songs

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Beegie Adair & Jaimee Paul - After the Ball

Styles: Vocal, Piano Jazz

Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:00
Size: 139,7 MB
Scans: Front

(4:17)  1. Let Me Call You Sweetheart
(4:20)  2. I Love a Piano
(5:50)  3. You Are My Sunshine
(5:51)  4. After the Ball
(4:00)  5. A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody
(5:02)  6. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
(2:48)  7. They Didn't Believe Me
(4:19)  8. I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now?
(3:03)  9. 3 O'Clock in the Morning
(4:37) 10. Poor Butterfly
(3:38) 11. Shine On Harvest Moon
(4:56) 12. You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)
(4:12) 13. Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life
(3:58) 14. Sweet and Low

This unique collection of piano and vocal duets by jazz's reigning queen of the keys, Beegie Adair, and the exciting young chanteuse, Jaimee Paul, highlights songs from the turn of the 20th century. With compositions originating from the 1860s to the 1930s, this sentimental treasure trove includes such favorites as Let Me Call You Sweetheart, Sweet & Low, A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody, Shine On Harvest Moon and many more. Adair's light melodic touch combined with Paul's charming and emotive interpretation of the lyrics of these classic compositions creates a historical, yet endearing piece of musical work from beginning to end. After the Ball album by Beegie Adair / Jamie Paul was released Jun 05, 2012 on the Green Hill Music label.

Personnel: Jaimee Paul (vocals); Beegie Adair (piano)

After the Ball

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Larry Carlton - Take Your Pick

Styles: Jazz
Label: 335 Records
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:08
Size: 141,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:22)  1. Jazzy Bullets
(6:08)  2. Nite Crawler 2010
(4:57)  3. The Way We Were
(4:38)  4. Islands Of Japan
(6:16)  5. Neon Blue
(4:33)  6. Tokyo Night
(4:53)  7. Hotalu
(5:31)  8. East West Stroll
(5:11)  9. Easy Mystery
(4:08) 10. Ao
(4:49) 11. Take Your Pick
(5:36) 12. A Girl From China

It's a shame that artists' careers are reduced to oversimplifications of who they are and what they're capable of. Guitarist Larry Carlton, for example despite releasing kick-ass blues-centric records like Sapphire Blue (Bluebird, 2004) and, more recently, the exciting yet unfailingly tasty Live in Tokyo (335 Records, 2007), not to mention delivering iconic solos on Steely Dan albums like The Royal Scam (MCA, 1976) and Gaucho (MCA, 1980) is, more often than not, associated with the smooth jazz of albums like Alone/But Never Alone (MCA, 1986). Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that, especially when it's real players playing music that's easy on the ears but has its own set of challenges, but it's too easy to forget that Carlton can play through changes with the best of them, as his still-stunning bop-centric solo on "Mulberry Street," from Strikes Twice (MCA, 1981), amply proved nearly thirty years ago. If Carlton can be criticized of anything, it's his emphatic lyricism and unfailing taste, though it seems incredulous that the words "too" and "melodic" could ever be used together in the same sentence. Take Your Pick teams the veteran session man and, yes, smooth jazz hit maker with Japan's Tak Matsumoto guitarist for B'z and, with over 80 million albums sold in his country alone, no less an icon, at least in some parts of the world. Carlton's name may come first, but this is a truly collaborative effort, with the two guitarists splitting the writing and arranging duties right down the middle; Matsumoto even arranges two of his tunes for a Japanese horn section, while Carlton brings in some American ringers to spice up three of his tunes. But regardless of where the music was recorded from Franklin and Nashville to Los Angeles and Tokyo the core rhythm section of drummer Billy Kilson (Dave Holland, Chris Botti), bassist Michael Rhodes ((J.J. Cale, Aaron Neville, and keyboardist Jeff Babko (Sheryl Crowe}}, James Taylor Quartet) keeps things honest on a set that leans towards a lighter complexion, though between Carlton and Matsumoto, there's plenty of grit to give the music some edge and energy. Carlton's sweeter tone, recognizable vibrato and slightly broader language makes him easily distinguishable from the largely fuzzier-toned and rockier Matsumoto, especially on tracks like the Japanese guitarist's opening "JAZZY BULLETS," a finger-snapping tune with some tasty twin-guitar melodies and ass-kicking solos. But Matsumoto proves capable of a cleaner tone and twangier disposition on "Nite Crawler 2010" an update on Carlton's self-titled 1978 MCA debut and the similarly light funk of the Japanese axe-slinger's "THE WAY WE WERE." Surprisingly, the more oriental-sounding references come on Carlton tracks like "Islands of Japan," with its koto samples. The lighter disposition at the start of the disc kicks into higher gear on Carlton's rocking, horn-driven "Easy Mystery," and the greasy funk of Matsumoto's closing "A girl from China." Throughout, Carlton may navigate the changes with a little more finesse, but he's well-matched, in tone and feel, with Matsumoto, making the easygoing but undeniably satisfying Take Your Pick less a matter of "either/or" and more a case of "and." ~John Kelman http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=37409#.UiTRsD-wVw8.

Personnel: Larry Carlton: guitar, arrangements (2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11); Tak Matsumoto: guitar (1, 3, 6, 7, 10, 12); Billy Kilson: drums; Michael Rhodes: bass; Jeff Babko: keyboards; Mark Douthit: saxophone (2, 9, 11); Watanabe Fire: saxophone (1, 12); Kazuhiro Takesa: saxophone (1, 12); Mike Haynes: trumpet (2, 9, 11); Osamu Ueishi: trumpet (1, 12); Barry Green: trombone (2, 9, 11); Azusa Tojo: trombone (1, 12).

Take Your Pick

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Gipsy Kings - Roots

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:09
Size: 130.8 MB
Styles: European traditions, Flamenco, Gypsy
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[4:37] 1. Aven, Aven
[4:10] 2. Legende
[1:27] 3. Fandango (Patchai)
[4:34] 4. Bolerias
[4:08] 5. Rhythmic
[3:20] 6. Como Siento Yo
[3:43] 7. Amigo
[2:54] 8. Tarantas
[2:36] 9. Fandango (Nicolas)
[3:20] 10. Boogie
[3:11] 11. Nuages
[3:23] 12. Como Ayer
[5:55] 13. Soledad
[3:05] 14. Tampa
[3:01] 15. Hermanos
[3:35] 16. Petite Noya

On ROOTS, the Gipsy Kings deliver on the promise suggested by the title, completely forgoing the synthesizers, bass guitars, and drum kits that have added a contemporary touch to many of the ensemble's previous releases. Instead, the group has gone back to basics in grand style, not only concentrating on the purity of acoustic instrumentation, but also playing with a fire and passion rarely heard in modern music of any genre.

Though nearly all the 16 songs here are self-penned (the odd man out being a composition by the legendary gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt), they sound utterly timeless, as if the group were channeling the material directly from the vintage black & white photos that grace the album's stunning packaging. The emotionally charged vocals of Nicolas and Canut Reyes are perfectly matched by the fleet-fingered, genre-bending lead guitar of Tonino Baliardo throughout, and the album's sound quality is absolutely pristine. One of several high-water marks in an accomplished career, ROOTS is recommended to anyone desirous of the glorious rapture only afforded by the purest of music.

Nicolás Reyes (vocals, guitar, palmas); Andre Reyes (vocals, guitar, background vocals); Canut Reyes (vocals, guitar); Paco Baliardo, Tonino Baliardo (guitar, palmas); Yacouba Sissoko (kora); Garth Hudson (accordion); Greg Cohen (double bass); Cyro Baptista (washboard, shaker, percussion); Diego Baliardo (palmas).

Recording information: Le Mas De Gourgoubes, St-ANdre-De-Bueges, France (06/09/2003-06/26/2003).

Roots

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Cat Conner - Cat Tales

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:12
Size: 114.9 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:20] 1. Hello Ma Baby
[6:27] 2. I Want To Talk About You
[2:43] 3. Them There Eyes
[6:27] 4. If You Could See Me Now
[7:45] 5. In A Mellow Tone
[7:34] 6. Some Other Time
[3:38] 7. Caravan
[6:29] 8. Embraceable You
[3:44] 9. I Hear A Rhapsody

One of the greatest jazz performance challenges is playing and singing ballads slow...sometimes called "calendar slow." The trick is playing slowly without dragging or stalling. It is simple physics, the difference between velocity and momentum. Simple tempo may be understood in terms of speed (or velocity) but swing, swing has the added element of musical weight about it, ensuring that once motion is started, no matter how slow, it is properly maintained by the spirit of the delivery.

The mistress of the slow ballad was the late Shirley Horn, who trumpeter Miles Davis, after hearing her debut, Embers and Ashes (Stereo-Craft Records, 1960), told Horn he like her music, but ..."she played awfully slow."

This was no dig at Horn as Davis himself, inspired by Ahmad Jamal's "less is more" approach to piano playing, preferred a lot of "space" within which to play. Horn calmly blazed a trail in this most demanding performance form. But, while Horn was a slow ballad beacon, she was far from the last of them. Vocalists Rebecca Parris and Patti Wicks have also mastered this mercurial method and produced many fine recordings of the same.

Add to this school a voice that has been a long time coming. West Coast vocalist Cat Conner has been performing the better part of her adult life as part of her rather impressive collection of creative talents that include body art and performance art. After enduring a considerable amount of encouragement from her friends in the music industry, Conner brings her light from beneath the basket on her long overdue debut, Cat Tails. This recording is a collection of mostly 1930s and '40s standards performed with a minimum of instrumentation and haste.

Cat Tails compares only with Rebecca Parris' phenomenal My Foolish Heart for sheer ballad performance. Conner's well-structured voice and delivery beg the question of what took so long for this talent to be recorded. Thankfully, that question is moot. ~Michael Bailey

Cat Tales

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Stan Kenton - Artistry In Bossa Nova

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 36:22
Size: 83.3 MB
Styles: Big band, Bossa nova
Year: 1963/2013
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. Artistry In Rhythm
[3:06] 2. Opus In Charteuse
[2:23] 3. Interlude
[3:49] 4. Kentonova
[3:29] 5. Eager Beaver
[3:13] 6. Concerto To End All Concertos
[2:18] 7. Brasilia
[3:21] 8. Painted Rhythm
[2:57] 9. Opus In Pastels
[3:25] 10. Jump For Joe
[2:47] 11. Loco-Nova
[2:48] 12. Artistry In Bossa Nova

This LP features the Stan Kenton Orchestra (during the period when it had a mellophonium section) performing some of its familiar standards and a few newer songs with a light Brazilian rhythm provided by percussionists Frank Guerrero and Milt Holland (Larry Bunker fills in for Holland on three songs). Although one might consider this project to be an example of Kenton jumping on the bandwagon (since the bossa nova fad was at its peak at the time), the music is quite enjoyable. Kenton on piano is the main soloist throughout, with Conte Candoli having a couple solos on trumpet and high-note trumpeter Bud Brisbois getting a few spots. Kenton's "Brasilia" is a charming piece deserving to be revived. Otherwise, it is interesting to hear such songs as "Interlude," "Concerto to End All Concertos," "Eager Beaver," and even "Artistry in Rhythm" in this setting. ~ Scott Yanow

Limited Japanese CD pressing of this album from the Jazz great. Recording information: 04/16/1963/04/17/1963.

Artistry In Bossa Nova

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Sofia Laiti - The Midnight Sun Will Never Set

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label:  Midnight Sun Music
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:32
Size: 111,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:15)  1. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
(4:57)  2. The Say It's Wonderful
(3:39)  3. I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues
(4:45)  4. The Midnight Sun Will Never Set
(4:21)  5. Fever
(3:46)  6. For Heaven's Sake
(4:38)  7. New York State of Mind
(4:20)  8. I'll Close My Eyes
(3:02)  9. When Your Lover Has Gone
(4:11) 10. But Beautiful
(3:30) 11. A Place In The Sun
(5:02) 12. Everytime We Say Goodbye

Houston Person is a superb musician a soulful tenor saxophonist with a big, attractive tone that isn't hard to recognize. Person has a track record, so when he produces an album, one wants to check it out. It was Person who, in 1995, produced Sofia Laiti's third album, The Midnight Sun Will Never Set, which the Finnish singer released on her own Midnight Sun label the following year. Person's presence is definitely a plus; in addition to providing his share of warm, soulful tenor solos, he helps guide a group of New York-based jazzmen that includes pianist James Weidman, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Mark Johnson. But the main attraction is Laiti, who is undeniably expressive on standards that range from "For Heaven's Sake" to "But Beautiful" and "I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me." Laiti  who handles ballads and up-tempo material equally well  is also appealing on Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" (a gem that many other jazz singers wouldn't think to record), the title track (a Quincy Jones song), and the Peggy Lee hit "Fever." Like Lee's original '50s recording, Laiti's version of "Fever" is downright sexy. However, Laiti brings a charisma of her own to the song. Although Laiti sings with a Scandinavian accent, she is understandable and her accent proves to be a plus because it gives these performances a lot of character. All of the pieces fall into place nicely on The Midnight Sun Will Never Set, which is well worth searching for.~Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-midnight-sun-will-never-set-mw0000244088.

The Midnight Sun Will Never Set

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Bennie Wallace - Someone to Watch over Me

Styles: Jazz
Label: Enja
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:48
Size: 125,4 MB
Art: Front

( 5:13)  1. Nice Work If You Can Get It
( 5:46)  2. The Man I Love
( 6:53)  3. Who Cares
( 5:11)  4. Someone To Watch Over Me
( 7:21)  5. I Was Doing All Right
( 5:20)  6. How Long Has This Been Going On
(12:18)  7. It Ain't Necessarily So
( 6:42)  8. I Loves You Porgy

There will be those fans of Tennessee tenor saxophonist Wallace who may hear this as an anomalous aside in his career of playing mostly progressive modern jazz. Others may view it a logical step, a concept album dedicated to the music of George Gershwin. What this reviewer finds fascinating about it is that Wallace plays so flexibly within the melodic intent of these well-worn lines, yet always finds a way to make them all his own. There's a certain restraint, and the simple approach is more refined due to the centered focus provided by the always brilliant pianist Mulgrew Miller, rock-solid bassist Peter Washington, and witty drummer Yoron Israel.

Miller's attention-grabbling persona is most clearly present on his arpeggiated intros of the warm waltz take on "Who Cares?" and the mad love-tinged ballad "I Loves You Porgy." Songs such as the ballad version of "How Long Has This Been Going On?" and the easy swing of "The Man I Love" seem like sleepwalking, when in fact these expert musicians can easily play them with effortless elegance. Wallace evokes sonic images of the masters with similar aplomb; he uses wonderful Coleman Hawkins-like embellishments during the title track played with Miller sans rhythm section, and goes into deep blue Ben Webster territory during the lightly swung "I Was Doing Alright." Wallace cannot be completely tamed, though; the 12-minute-plus piece, churning Afro-Cuban switching to steady, driving swing in the bridge, has Wallace in fever pitch with stretched, angular, rambling melodicism, and Miller similarly all over the place as well. Wallace practices typical octave leaping on his solo of the fairly straight-laced melody line of "Nice Work If You Can Get It," proving he can embrace both cool and animated aspects of improvisation.

There's little chaos or bombast, which might disappoint longtime listeners, but instead a nice balance that Wallace attains while retaining the unique flourishes that have made him one of the more recognizable players in jazz.~Michael G. Nastos  http://www.allmusic.com/album/someone-to-watch-over-me-mw0000246401 .

Personnel: Bennie Wallace (tenor saxophone); Mulgrew Miller (piano); Peter Washington (bass); Yoron Israel (drums).

Someone to Watch over Me

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Denzal Sinclaire - Denzal Sinclaire

Styles: Vocal
Label: Universal/Verve
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:16
Size: 126,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:23)  1. Day in day out
(3:00)  2. Exactly like you
(2:28)  3. Tofu & greens
(4:01)  4. Where or when
(4:27)  5. You and the night and the Music

(2:46)  6. You treat me so good
(3:53)  7. The art of living
(0:37)  8. I got rhythm (verse)
(3:39)  9. I got rhythm (refrain)
(4:31) 10. Never let me go
(2:48) 11. This is my lucky day
(3:34) 12. (You don't know) how glad I am
(3:31) 13. If I should lose you
(3:11) 14. Be my love
(3:46) 15. Having found you
(4:21) 16. A peaceful soul
(1:14) 17. Still got it

Toronto-born vocalist/pianist/composer, Denzal Sinclaire has earned his reputation as Canada’s most popular male jazz vocalist. Sinclaire is a graduate of Montreal’s McGill University where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance. Denzal’s vocal timbre is similar to some of the great singers. Nat King Cole, Johnny Hartman and there are even glimpses of Johnny Mathis’ jazz days. However, Denzal does have what every artist strives for. After singing just a few notes you know it is him. His trademark is the joyfulness in his voice and a special approach to phrasing a lyric or pushing or laying back on a beat. He is blessed with exquisite delivery, sensitivity to melody and a lyrical imagination. For Denzal,singing is as natural as breathing. A multiple Juno Award nominee, and recipient of the 2004 National Jazz Award for “Best Album”, he has graced the stages of numerous high-profile jazz festivals , performed with symphony orchestras, and starred in his own one hour television special for BRAVO! In 2005, Denzal was inducted into the British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame. Among Denzal’s admirers are Diana Krall, who was introduced to Denzal at the 1995 Jazz Winnipeg Festival and Diane Reeves, who became a fan after Denzal opened for her at the 2002 Vancouver International Jazz Festival. He has recorded three albums for Universal Music, I Found Love(EmArcy); the self-titled, Denzal Sinclaire (Verve); and his highly anticipated new release, My One and Only Love (Verve).

~ http://www.theagencygroup.com/artist/denzal-sinclaire/

Denzal Sinclaire

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Richie Havens - Richard P. Havens, 1983

Styles: Pop/Rock
Label:  Raven
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:48
Size: 164,4 MB
Art: Front

(1:51)  1. Stop Pulling and Pushing Me
(7:05)  2. For Heaven's Sake
(3:39)  3. Strawberry Fields Forever
(4:39)  4. What More Can I Say, John?
(3:10)  5. I Pity the Poor Immigrant
(1:59)  6. Lady Madonna
(5:16)  7. Priests
(3:04)  8. Indian Rope Man
(4:02)  9. Cautiously
(3:00) 10. Just above my Hobby Horse's Head
(4:06) 11. She's Leaving Home
(2:53) 12. Putting Out the Vibration, and Hoping It Comes Home
(7:48) 13. The Parable of Ramon
(5:19) 14. With a Little Help from My Friends
(4:55) 15. Wear Your Love Like Heaven
(2:11) 16. Run Shaker Life
(6:41) 17. Do You Feel Good?

Havens' third Verve album was an ambitious double LP, using about a couple dozen backing musicians in various combinations on instruments ranging from conga and sitar to steel guitar and organ. Though recorded for the most part in the studio, it also included several live recordings from a July 1968 concert. As with many double albums, it perhaps could have used some pruning, although in general it was a worthy expansion of his sound as captured on record. Divided almost equally between originals and covers, the music has the moving and melancholy vibe, yet also somewhat rambling feel, typical of Havens' prime. Certainly his "What More Can I Say John?" is a subtle and admirable anti-Vietnam war song, while his interpretations of Leonard Cohen's "Priests" and Maurey Hayden's (aka Lotus Weinstock's) "Cautiously" are unusual cover choices that are imaginatively done. An Indian influence makes itself heard occasionally, as on "Just Above My Hobby Horse's Head" and "Putting Out the Vibration, and Hoping It Comes Home"; "Indian Rope Man," with Jeremy Steig on flute, is one of his better compositions. However, there's an over reliance on Beatles covers (there are four here). And the live stuff on side four, with its cutesy five-minute version of "With a Little Help From My Friends" (in which Havens wordlessly scats the lyrics), seems like an afterthought to push the set to double-LP length. ~Richie Unterberger  http://www.allmusic.com/album/richard-p-havens-1983-mw0000195918 .

Richard P. Havens, 1983

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Nina Bradlin - Right Where You Are

Size: 107,0 MB
Time: 46:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz, Folk, Blues, Others
Label: Nina Bradlin
Art: Front

01. Martha (4:04)
02. She's The One (3:56)
03. Right Where You Are (3:33)
04. La Premiere Nuit (3:21)
05. Daydreaming (3:59)
06. Rejected Secrets (4:26)
07. Dreams Grow On Solid Ground (3:42)
08. Beauty Queen (3:00)
09. Movie Scene (4:12)
10. Nameless (2:33)
11. The Only Heart I Ever Had (3:14)
12. Death Is Worth Waiting For (2:45)
13. Le Pelerinage (3:36)

The new album "Right Where You Are", written in entirety by Nina Bradlin (with Kieran Kennedy and Michael Turtle), surpasses boundaries of genre to create a dynamic mix of styles which reflect the artist's diverse music passions and influences. A fusion of jazz, folk, pop, chanson, torch song, blues and more, the connecting element is Nina's desire to communicate each song as a unique piece and to create a work that surprises the listener.

The album was recorded in Schull, West Cork and Dublin in sessions with the Irish guitarist, singer and composer Kieran Kennedy (Hot House Flowers, Maria Doyle Kennedy), near Basel, Switzerland with percussionist, composer and Nina's main music partner, Englishman Michael Turtle (wearedust) and the intercontinental blues track "Dreams Grow on Solid Ground" was recorded in Basel and near Detroit at Alliance Recording with Al Hurschman (Bob Seger, Grand Funk Railroad).

Right Where You Are

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Larry Carlton & Robben Ford - Unplugged

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:46
Size: 132.3 MB
Styles: Blues/jazz guitar
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[7:33] 1. Nm Blues 08
[8:55] 2. Thet Road
[7:10] 3. Monty
[7:05] 4. Cold Gold
[4:58] 5. Hand In Hand With The Blues
[6:33] 6. Amen Ac
[6:24] 7. I Put A Spell On You
[9:05] 8. Rio Samba

Larry Carlton and special guest Robben Ford sharing the same stage, unplugged. This DVD is a guitar lovers dream. This unique pairing of great guitar legends delivers and unforgettable evening of dueling guitar solos and an uncompromising evening of The Blues the way it was meant to be.

Recording information: New Morning Jazz Club, Paris, France.

Larry Carlton (guitar); Robben Ford (vocals, guitar); Claude Salmieri (drums).

Unplugged

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Sathima Bea Benjamin - A Morning In Paris

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 42:21
Size: 97.0 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1963/2008
Art: Front

[3:46] 1. Darn That Dream
[4:32] 2. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
[3:19] 3. I Could Write A Book
[3:11] 4. I Should Care
[2:00] 5. Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year
[3:29] 6. Solitude
[4:15] 7. The Man I Love
[2:37] 8. Your Love Has Faded
[3:17] 9. I'm Glad There Is You
[3:08] 10. Soon
[3:29] 11. Lover Man
[5:13] 12. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square

In 1963, singer Sathima Bea Benjamin persuaded Duke Ellington to see her future husband, Abdullah Ibrahim (then known as Dollar Brand), play in a club in Europe. Ellington was impressed by both of the recent South African émigrés and arranged with Reprise to record them. While Brand's record came out within a year, Benjamin's debut was lost and not heard for decades, even by the singer. As it turned out, engineer Gerhard Lehner had made a second copy and kept it for all of these years, so the initial 1997 release of this important session was possible. Backed by pianist Ibrahim, bassist Johnny Gertze, drummer Makaya Ntshoko, and (on two songs apiece) Duke Ellington or Billy Strayhorn, and occasionally joined by violinist Svend Asmussen (who here plays exclusively pizzicato, as if he were using a high-pitched guitar), Benjamin's voice sounds quite beautiful. She performs two Ellington tunes, Strayhorn's "Your Love Has Faded," and nine standards, with the emphasis on slow ballads. The moody music is often haunting and quite memorable. ~ Scott Yanow

Recorded at Barclay Studios, Paris, France on February 23, 1963.

Sathima Bea Benjamin (vocals); Svend Asmussen (violin); Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Abdullah Ibrahim (piano); Johnny Gertze (bass); Makaya Ntshoko (drums).

A Morning In Paris

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Bill Carrothers - Home Row

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:48
Size: 142.2 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[ 5:56] 1. When Will The Blues Leave
[12:23] 2. Jesus' Last Ballad
[ 6:20] 3. A Squirrel's Tale
[ 5:45] 4. Hope Song
[ 8:23] 5. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[ 6:16] 6. Off Minor
[ 5:13] 7. Lost In The Stars
[ 7:08] 8. Home Row
[ 4:20] 9. Ballad Of Billy Milwaukee

Pianist Bill Carrothers is joined by bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Bill Stewart for this stunning trio session, a compelling mix of originals, standards, and arrangements of jazz compositions by others. Ornette Coleman's quirky blues "When Will the Blues Leave?" and Thelonious Monk's "Off Minor" are full of humor. The dark, haunting "Jesus' Last Ballad," which was a prominent selection on the collaboration between the late pianist Bill Evans and harmonica virtuoso Toots Thielemans (though Thielemans is incorrectly credited as composer instead of Gianni Bedorri), unwinds slowly in a rhapsodic treatment, with Peacock's understated bass and Stewart's minimal brushwork complementing the leader. Carrothers' brisk, angular setting of Cole Porter's "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" is a delightful romp, while his spacious arrangement of "Lost in the Stars" emphasizes its lyricism. The pianist's originals are equally strong. The rambunctious "A Squirrel's Tale," with its sudden changes in direction, is full of whimsy, while "Home Row" is a spirited, unconventional blues. Highly recommended! ~ Ken Dryden
Recording information: The Studio, New York, NY (01/18/1992/01/19/1992).

Bill Carrothers (piano); Gary Peacock (bass instrument); Bill Stewart (drums).

Home Row

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Kris Adams - This Thing Called Love

Styles: Vocal
Label:  Jazzbird
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:26
Size: 117,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Honeysuckle Rose
(6:07)  2. In Your Own Sweet Way
(5:50)  3. Her Last Years
(3:47)  4. What Is This Thing Called Love?
(3:26)  5. Secret Love
(5:25)  6. Retrato Em Branco E Preto
(5:38)  7. Waltz For Debby
(4:07)  8. Indian Summer/when The World Was Young
(4:19)  9. Lover
(4:11) 10. Double Rainbow
(3:16) 11. I Didn't Know What Time It Was

If risk-taking is a crucial element in jazz singing, then Boston-based Kris Adams takes the ultimate plunge on her maiden album, This Thing Called Love. Working from a playlist composed of standards, a couple of Antonio Carlos Jobim masterpieces, and an original, Adams presents the material in a meter not usually associated with this style of music, attacking the songs in a decidedly offbeat manner. The digression from the melody varies from tune to tune. Adams' rendition of "Honeysuckle Rose" features a melody line and meter totally unlike those used in Nat King Cole's, or even Thelonious Monk's, version. At first, Adams' singing seems out of tune (it isn't), but after a few listens, her vocalizing begins to take on a pleasing shape and form. Bill Evan's "Waltz for Debby" is stimulating, as is Jobim's "Double Rainbow." Those who are willing to open their ears, or those who cozy to creative jazz and adventurous vocalists like Norma Winstone and Ursula Dudziak, will enjoy this album. Traditionalists, though, are likely to be turned off by Adams' unusual treatment of the music.~Dave Nathan http://www.allmusic.com/album/this-thing-called-love-mw0000233630// .

This Thing Called Love

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Walter Ostanek - Non-Stop Dancing

Styles: Easy Listening
Label:  Unidisc
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:36
Size: 78,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:15)  1. Rolling Rock Polka
(2:37)  2. Somewhere My Love (Lara's Theme)
(2:38)  3. There's A New Moon Over My Shoulder
(2:36)  4. Tiny Bubbles
(2:42)  5. Friendship Polka
(2:30)  6. Spanish Nights and You
(2:13)  7. Euclid Vet's Polka
(2:14)  8. Isle Of Capri
(4:21)  9. Medley
(2:24) 10. Walk Through This World With Me
(2:14) 11. Mama Inez
(1:46) 12. EE-I-EE-Oh Polka

Walter Ostanek is a living legend in the world of polka music. He is known to many as Canada's Polka King  a title he has well-earned. During more than four long decades as a professional performer, he has made somewhere over 50 recordings, and earned a number of Grammy Awards and nominations. He has also been inducted into the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and the International Polka Hall of Fame, both as a Lifetime Achievement Honoree. Ostanek was born in Duperquet, Quebec, in the spring of 1935 as Ladislav John Ostanek. His parents, both from Yugoslavia, moved the small family to St. Catharines, Ontario, about the same time young Ostanek started school. With a natural love for music, he began playing the button diatonic accordion when he was only nine. Before he reached his teens, he moved on to a piano accordion. He excelled with the instrument. When Ostanek was 16 he put together his first band. The group landed small gigs, playing a mixture of country & western polkas. After polishing his skills for a couple more years, he moved on to a radio show called "Abbie Andrews & his Canadian Ranch Boys." He performed with the act a number of times a week until about 1956 when he left to form the Walter Ostanek Band. In 1963, Ostanek completed his debut album, Gay Continental Dance Party. If anyone thought the young accordion player was going to be no more than a short-lived flash of fame, they were very wrong. Ostanek went on to have his own long-running radio program, as well as his own television series like It's Polka Time and Polka Party. In the '70s and '80s, between working on a string of recordings, Ostanek toured through many countries including Austria and Italy. He still found time to perform on numerous popular television shows like the Phil Donohue Show, Lawrence Welk, and the Johnny Carson Show. During this time he earned several awards and gold records.  In the '90s, albums still appeared from the musician. A few of the many full-length recordings Ostanek has released over the years are Yearning for Polkas and Waltzes, Accordionally Yours, Instrumental Button Box Classics with Canada's Polka King, On Our Way for More Non-Stop Dancing, Music and Friends, Continental Dance Party With Walter Ostanek & Band, Memories Polkas and Waltzes, Just for You, and As Time Goes By. ~Bio  https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/walter-ostanek/id289238235#fullText.

Non-Stop Dancing

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Bob James - The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (2-disc set)

Issued by the U.K. -based Metro Doubles label in 2002, Essential Collection: 24 Smooth Jazz Classics only overlaps 2001's Restoration anthology with eight of the same tracks, and concentrates on material originally released from 1974 to 1984 (apart from 1995's "Ensenada Madness," everything fits into that time frame). A fine chronological overview of James' most productive period, this is a very attractive package that includes informative and insightful liner notes. "Nautilus," "Westchester Lady," "Take Me to the Mardi Gras," "Angela (Theme From Taxi)," "Touchdown," and "Sign of the Times" are among the inclusions. Naturally, this double-disc set can serve any number of purposes: as pleasant, occasionally funky background music, as proof of your extensive knowledge of hip-hop samples, or as cruel torture for your jazz purist peers. ~ Andy Kellman

Bob James (keyboards); Richie Resnicoff (guitar); Harold Kohon, Charles Libove, David Nadien, Gene Orloff, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin (violin); Seymour Barab, Jesse Levy, Charles McCracken , Alan Shulman, George Ricci, Anthony Sophos (cello); George Marge, Romeo Penque (alto flute, recorder); Jon Faddis, Alan Rubin, Lew Soloff, Marvin Stamm, Victor Paz, Thad Jones (trumpet); Wayne Andre (trombone); Jack Gale, Alan Raph, Paul Faulise (bass trombone); Gary King (bass instrument); Steve Gadd (drums); Ralph MacDonald (percussion); Dave Friedman.

Album: The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (Disc 1)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:03
Size: 167.3 MB
Label: Koch
Styles: Piano jazz, Crossover jazz
Year: 2013

[5:49] 1. Night On Bald Mountain
[6:35] 2. Feel Like Making Love
[5:03] 3. Nautilus
[8:22] 4. Farandole (L'arlesienne Suite No. 2)
[5:47] 5. Take Me To The Mardi Gras
[8:00] 6. Women Of Ireland
[7:23] 7. Westchester Lady
[6:40] 8. Where The Wind Blows Free
[6:37] 9. Heads
[6:16] 10. Night Crawler
[6:25] 11. Kari

The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (Disc 1)

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Album: The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (Disc 2)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:16
Size: 167.7 MB
Label: Koch
Styles: Piano jazz, Crossover jazz
Year: 2013

[5:40] 1. Angela
[5:36] 2. Touchdown
[5:31] 3. Blue Lick
[6:39] 4. Shepherd's Song
[7:19] 5. Thoroughbred
[5:40] 6. Reunited
[5:34] 7. Sign Of The Times
[6:57] 8. Spunky
[4:53] 9. Miranda
[5:20] 10. Marco Polo
[4:47] 11. Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
[5:28] 12. Ensenada Madness
[3:46] 13. Brooklyn Heights Boogie

The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (Disc 2)

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