Jonathan Butler - Merry Christmas To You

Size: 111,6 MB
Time: 47:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz, Holidays
Art: Front

01. This Christmas (4:13)
02. Sleigh Ride (3:34)
03. Merry Christmas To You (4:33)
04. Happy Holidays (4:38)
05. Little Drummer Boy (4:13)
06. I'll Be Home For Christmas (4:24)
07. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (4:08)
08. Sweet Little Jesus Boy (4:58)
09. The First Noel (5:49)
10. O Holy Night (7:06)

Jonathan Butler is a contemporary icon, a global artist that continues to grow and develop his artistry with each passing year. Merry Christmas To You is a little thank you to friends and fans that is as un-produced and organic in feel as a Christmas release should be. Butler takes what had the makings of a good release and elevates it to a level of greatness few artists can match.

Christmas records have a pretty simply formula. To start the Federal holiday is Christmas so while references to other celebrations are politically correct they tend to water down the original intent of what a Christmas release is all about. Another stumbling block for most artists is the self serving attempt to try and write original music for a Christmas release with most tunes simply crashing and burning faster than a Christmas turkey. Butler contributes two originals, "Merry Christmas To You" and "Happy Holidays." Both tunes are beautifully written and fit nicely with the overall vibe of this traditionally oriented release. The usual suspects including "Sleigh Ride" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" are included and within this acoustic oriented setting take on a harmonic freshness long missing in the over produced commercial arena of "Holiday Music." Jonathan Butler allows the true spirit of the season to shine through with an exemplary performance that all music fans should enjoy.

A fantastic ensemble, tunes you know and love, and the genuine soul of a gifted artist makes Merry Christmas To You the perfect gift for fans across the globe.

Merry Christmas To You

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Clare Teal - Jing, Jing-A-Ling

Size: 101,8 MB
Time: 44:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz, Holidays
Art: Front

01. Warm December (2:32)
02. The Christmas Song (4:17)
03. Jing-A-Ling, Jing-A-Ling (3:41)
04. Winter Wonderland (3:47)
05. A Little Whisky (2:59)
06. December (3:47)
07. That's What I Want For Christmas (3:58)
08. Skating On Thin Ice (3:47)
09. The Feeling's Right (3:13)
10. Mele Kalikimaka (2:34)
11. The Twelve Days Of Christmas (4:39)
12. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve (4:44)

Our very own Queen of Swing and top jazz singer Clare Teal should need little introduction after over a decade frequenting the National and Jazz charts and filling theatres the length and breadth of the country.

In 'The Divas and Me', Clare celebrates the music of her heroines, the leading lights of the jazz and big band world, paying homage to Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Judy Garland, Doris Day and many of their illustrious contemporaries.

Clare demonstrates the influence these characters have had on her own acclaimed catalogue of work. Known for her knowledge and love of the Great American Songbook and more recently The Great British Songbook, with wit and warmth, Clare tells outrageous anecdotes of their extraordinary lives and points to the future of Diva-dom with a few relevant originals and more modern day covers.

Multi award-winning Clare, who hosts two weekly Radio 2 programmes, formed her own label MUD Records in 2009 releasing three critically acclaimed albums Live At Ebenezer Chapel, Hey Ho (a celebration of the Great British Songbook) and And So It Goes and is now poised to release her long awaited first ever Christmas record Jing, Jing-a-Ling.

Jing, Jing-A-Ling

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The Chuck Mangione Quartet - Bellavia

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 38:13
Size: 87.5 MB
Styles: Crossover jazz
Year: 1975/2012
Art: Front

[4:19] 1. Come Take A Ride With Me
[6:57] 2. Listen To The Wind
[7:32] 3. Carousel
[6:28] 4. Bellavia
[4:58] 5. Dance On The Windup Toy
[7:56] 6. Torreano

This quick follow-up to Chase the Clouds Away was designed as sort of a portrait of the bustling Mangione family home (Bellavia being his mother's maiden name). Certainly there is more energy on tracks like "Listen to the Wind," the big band streaks of "Torreano," and the appropriately revolving riffs of "Carousel" than on the previous record, with Joe LaBarbera, Gerry Niewood, and Chip Jackson forming the core of support for Chuck's more vigorous orchestral writing. Chuck appears on the conductor's podium, flugelhorn, Rhodes electric piano and -- on "Dance of the Windup Toy" (otherwise dominated by an unnecessary LaBarbera drum solo) -- celeste, acquitting himself well in all regards. While you don't get the instant buzz of the best Mercury-period music here, this is still one of Mangione's better A&M releases. ~Richard S. Ginnell

Bellavia

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Kendra Shank - Wish

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 70:55
Size: 162.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[7:32] 1. Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair
[5:56] 2. Should've Been
[4:27] 3. You And The Night And The Music
[4:08] 4. A Lover's Lie
[7:56] 5. Moves
[4:00] 6. That Lonesome Road
[5:09] 7. You Say You Care
[6:25] 8. Wish
[6:52] 9. Gone
[4:38] 10. L' Amour Est Bien Fort Que Nous
[6:58] 11. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
[6:50] 12. Angel Face

Kendra Shank, whose initial CD was for Mapleshade, has grown quite a bit since her maiden effort. The singer's Jazz Focus debut Wish starts out with the most adventurous track, a version of "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" that may not be as scary as Patty Waters' classic mid-'60s rendition for ESP, but certainly finds Shank stretching herself with some unusual wordless sounds. Other highlights of her date include Abbey Lincoln's "Should've Been," her own "Wish," a reworking of "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" (complete with verse), and two originals by bassist Jeff Johnson. Johnson is in Shank's backup group, which includes Hans Teuber on reeds, pianist Frank Kimbrough, drummer Victor Lewis, and vibraphonist Joe Locke. This continually surprising set, which displays Shank's interest in both adventurous jazz and folk music, is well worth checking out. ~ Scott Yanow

Recording information: Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY (04/20/1998-04/21/1998).

Kendra Shank (vocals); Hans Teuber (flute, saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Joe Locke (vibraphone); Victor Lewis (drums, snare drum); Frank Kimbrough (piano).

Wish

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Joe Lovano - I'm All For You

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 59:25
Size: 137.2 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[7:51] 1. I'm All For You
[7:52] 2. Don't Blame Me
[4:01] 3. Monk's Mood
[5:17] 4. The Summary (A Suite For Pops)
[5:48] 5. Stella By Starlight
[9:29] 6. I Waited For You
[6:51] 7. Like Someone In Love
[7:31] 8. Early Autumn
[4:41] 9. Countdown

Joe Lovano's big-toned tenor saxophone (think John Coltrane in the '50s, or Sonny Rollins, as reference points) has graced many diverse jazz contexts. From soul-jazz (Lonnie Smith) to straight-ahead big band (Woody Herman, Mel Lewis) to freer, edgier situations (Paul Motian), the adaptable Lovano has excelled in all these while remaining true to himself. In his career as a leader, Lovano rarely repeats himself: he's recorded unique tribute albums to inspirations as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Enrico Caruso, and Tadd Dameron. With I'M ALL FOR YOU--which could be subtitled "Lovano Plays For Lovers"--Lovano takes it easy, after a fashion. While the program is all classic ballads ("Like Someone In Love," "Don't Blame Me") taken at languid, late-night tempos, the level of focus and invention are remarkable as ever. Lovano and his crew--including legends Hank Jones (concise and sublime on piano) and drummer Paul Motian (crisp, subtly swinging, impressionistic)--respect these melodies but also strive to re-invent them, and that they do, with a sense of adventure and more than just a touch of class.

Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone); Hank Jones (piano); George Mraz (double bass); Paul Motian (drums, cymbals).

I'm All For You

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Shaynee Rainbolt - At Home

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:57
Size: 121,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:02)  1. I Only Have Eyes For You
(3:43)  2. The Girls of Summer
(4:39)  3. Never Never Land/Pure Imagination
(3:47)  4. Moonglow
(4:41)  5. I Can't Make You Love Me
(3:44)  6. In These Shoes
(4:39)  7. Mink Schmink
(3:44)  8. The Summer Knows
(4:16)  9. Blizzard of Lies
(4:52) 10. Another Hundred People
(5:04) 11. Stuff Like That There
(5:40) 12. Easy To Remember

With a "little big band accompanying her comfortable program of favorite standards from the Great American Songbook, Shaynee Rainbolt reminds us why vocal expression remains so near and dear. With every tale of adventure, she takes her audience on a trip. Rainbolt's convincing interpretations combine a warm and personal approach with immaculate vocal authority. She likes to complement her lyrical stories with wordless vocal lines that interact with her sidemen as an instrumental voice. Hence, vocalist and accompaniment synchronize on all levels.

With guitarist Gene Bertoncini, she offers a convincing interpretation of "Moonglow. Michel Legrand's "The Summer Knows pairs the two artists in a sensitive duet that employs the emotional impact of acoustic classical guitar along with her storytelling charm. Dave Frishberg's "Blizzard of Lies comes complete with all the humor that the composer intended. "Mink Schmink also includes a special brand of humor, sent home by Rainbolt with hugs and kisses. Piano, bass, drums and a stellar trumpet voice give the singer a big assist.

Latin jazz comes to the fore on "In These Shoes, which she sings in both English and Spanish. The band fulfills its promise of adventure with this arrangement, and Rainbolt comes up with a winner. She's At Home with vocal jazz from many different perspectives. Deeply felt blues, comfortable swing, searing ballads, and a fun-loving playfulness give Rainbolt's newest album a fresh outlook that works wonders for the soul. ~ Jim Santella   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=21549#.Un4xseJc_vs

Personnel: Shaynee Rainbolt: vocal; Lee Musiker: piano, keyboard; Tom Hubbard: bass; Ray Marchica: drums; Marshal Rosenberg: percussion; Gene Bertoncini: guitar; Bud Burridge: trumpet; Cliff Lyons: soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone; Dan Willis: flute; Judy Barnett: backup vocals.

At Home

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Tia Fuller - Angelic Warrior

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:46
Size: 148,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:27)  1. Royston Rumble
(6:35)  2. Ralphie's Groove
(5:55)  3. Angelic Warrior
(5:43)  4. Lil Les
(7:00)  5. Body and Soul
(5:01)  6. Descend to Barbados
(1:01)  7. Ode to be (interlude)
(5:48)  8. So in Love w/ All of You
(7:15)  9. Tailor Made
(2:31) 10. Core of Me
(5:59) 11. Simpli-city
(3:47) 12. Cherokee
(1:37) 13. Ode to be (outro)

The title of saxophonist Tia Fuller's third album for the Mack Avenue imprint is a bit of an oxymoron, yet it fits her sound so well. Fuller's saxophone work exhibits a bright tone, but her soloing is often full of dark thoughts and her oft-agreeable and positive musical persona belies the fact that she has razor sharp chops that can dig into the auditory canal in powerful and pleasurable ways. Fuller is constantly at work, but her own music has often been put on the back burner so she can lend her soulful sound to artists like pop star Beyoncé or bassist/vocalist extraordinaire Esperanza Spalding. Thankfully, she took the time to focus on her own music again, fully investing herself in original works on Angelic Warrior. Fuller penned ten of the thirteen tracks for this outing, and each one was built with a solid sense of purpose and passion. The driving "Royston Rumble," which highlights the chemistry between her sister/pianist Shamie Royston and brother-in-law/drummer Rudy Royston starts things off with a bang. Shamie takes a McCoy Tyner-derived, percussive approach to the piano here and Rudy stirs up a storm with his cyclonic drumming. This is the first of five tracks to feature John Patitucci's guitar-like piccolo bass work and his playing is nothing short of remarkable. 

His dexterous skills on this axe make him a fully capable front line partner for Fuller, and he sounds like a new man as he leaves the bottom end of the sound spectrum behind. Light Latin underpinnings ("Ralphie's Groove"), slamming, contemporary soul jazz fusion ("Tailor Made"), a bout of slightly mournful elegance ("Core Of Me"), and swing ("Simpli-City") all surface at one time or another as Fuller fully embraces the concept of stylistic variety. She can exhibit poetic grace, as demonstrated on the two "Ode To Be" vignettes, but she can also get down and dirty, as shown during a saxophone-drums-bass three way on a Cole Porter mash-up entitled "So In Love With All Of You." While this standard(s) rewrite proves to be one of the strongest performances on the album, the other two classics included on the playlist don't work quite as well. The rumbling undercarriage of "Cherokee" proves to be too distracting and "Body and Soul," which features vocalist Dianne Reeves, is a little out of place. This harmonically tweaked, neo-soul take on this oft-performed number feels a bit stiff and uncomfortable compared to the other material on this date; it might have worked better as a bonus track. On the whole, Fuller finds sure-footing and artistic success as she molds all of the elements in the modern jazz melting pot to her liking. She is fierce, friendly, cutting, kind and calculating all at once; Tia Fuller is the angelic warrior of which she speaks.~ Dan Bilawsky   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=42994#.UWcegjdfaSo

Personnel: Tia Fuller: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute; Shamie Royston: piano, Fender Rhodes; Mimi Jones: acoustic bass; Rudy Royston: drums; Shirazette Tinnin: percussion (2, 6, 9); Terri Lynne Carrington: drums (3, 8, 12); John Patitucci: electric and piccolo bass (1, 2, 4, 6, 9), acoustic bass (8); Dianne Reeves: vocals (5).

Angelic Warrior

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Joanie Pallatto & Bradley Parker - Days With Joanie & Sparrow

Size: 162,9 MB
Time: 69:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz
Art: Front

01. Comunicando ( 7:42)
02. Sangre Dulce (Sweet Blood) ( 7:05)
03. Flashes Of Light ( 5:16)
04. Days ( 4:37)
05. Katerina Tango ( 8:12)
06. Dog-A-Dog ( 3:23)
07. The Beauty Of It All ( 5:44)
08. Something For Nothing ( 5:31)
09. Love Will Be Found ( 6:58)
10. Dreams (11:30)
11. John Lennon ( 3:52)

"Days" with Joanie & Sparrow is a life collaboration of original songs.

featuring:
Joanie Pallatto - voice and Bradley Parker-Sparrow - piano
with:
Luiz Ewerling - drums, Kurt Schweitz - bass, George Freeman - guitar, Steve Gibons - violin, Bobby Lewis - trumpet and flugelhorn, Pat Mallinger - tenor saxophone, John Devlin - guitar and vocals, David Onderdonk - guitar, Alejo Poveda - congas, bongoes and percussion, Eldee Young - bass, and Redd Holt - drums.

Bradley Parker-Sparrow - pianist and composer
"Amazing and exciting" - Studs Terkel, Chicago
A Chicago native, Bradley Parker-Sparrow is a pianist, composer, recording engineer, record producer, writer, photographer and film maker. Composer-In-Residence
for The City of Chicago from 1979-1981, Parker-Sparrow has performed at The Chicago Jazz Festival, The San Francisco Jazz Festival, New York's "The Iridium" and many performances at
Preston Bradley Hall in Chicago. Sparrow has been a leader on numerous recordings, scored feature films, and composed music for Theatre and the Ballet. Founder of Sparrow Sound Design recording studio in 1977, Sparrow is partner with wife and singer Joanie Pallatto at Southport Records. The Southport catalog includes over 140 record projects.

Joanie Pallatto - vocalist and composer
"A stirring and special voice" - Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune
A native of Xenia, Ohio, Joanie Pallatto is a graduate of The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Pallatto toured with The Glenn Miller Orchestra as featured vocalist before moving to Chicago in 1979. Partner with pianist/composer and husband, Bradley Parker-Sparrow at Sparrow Sound Design and Southport Records, Pallatto has expertise in all aspects of musical production. As a solo singer, group singer and voiceover talent, she has recorded on hundreds of radio and television commercials nationally. As a jazz vocalist, Pallatto has released ten CDs, and performs at Chicago jazz clubs, including Katerina's, Andy's and the Green Mill, along with her New York debut at The Iridium. Concert engagements have included the Chicago Jazz Festival, Chicago Cultural Center, The Old Town School of Folk Music, Park West, Stage 773 and Bailiwick Theater; she was featured soloist with Daniel Barenboim in "Ellington Among Friends" at Symphony Center in 1999.

Days With Joanie & Sparrow

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Reverend Chris & The High Rollers - Viper Mad

Size: 157,4 MB
Time: 67:06
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: New Orleans Blues/Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Swing
Art: Front

01. Exactly Like You (3:35)
02. Frenchmen Street Stomp (3:08)
03. Laughlin's Laughin' (3:57)
04. Here Comes The Man With The Jive (4:08)
05. Butcher Pete (3:57)
06. Hallelujah I Love Her So (3:19)
07. Swanee River Boogie (3:10)
08. Smokin' (4:12)
09. The Weed Smoker's Dream (3:15)
10. If You're A Viper (4:06)
11. That's My Girl (3:51)
12. Dog Days (4:58)
13. Eggplant (4:14)
14. Look Where We Have Been (3:25)
15. Tequila (4:36)
16. Sweet Marijuana Brown (4:00)
17. I Wanna Be The Big Chief (5:10)

Eclectic swing, originals and covers, from 1920-2013 that range from jazz to blues from boogie-woogie to acoustic funk laced with a heavy dose of New Orleans piano.

Personnel:
Rev. Chris on piano and vocals
Tony Garro on upright bass
Chuck Lindsey on drums
Richard Redding on saxes

Reverend Chris, piano and vocals, relocated to Philadelphia following a decade in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina destroyed his home. He brought that Big Easy style of relaxed fonky jazz piano that has made so many other New Orleans keyboardists extremely popular. He has been a member of Brides of Jesus, Restless Natives, New Orleans Juice, Ellen Rogers, Balding Vincents, Dodge City Junkies, Roger Learnard Band, Alryn Wolters, Naked Nuns of Soul, SubStream Quartet. He has performed with many music greats including Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Irvin Mayfield, George Porter Jr., Mark Van Allen (Blueground Undergrass), Russell Batiste (the funky Meters), Charles Neville, Ian Neville, and “Mean” Willie Green (the Neville Brothers), just to name a few. Past gigs include the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Philadelphia Folk Fest, the Palace Casino in Biloxi, Fairmont Hotel’s Sazarec Lounge House Band, Bourbon Street’s Storyville Jazz Parlour House Band and led a New Orleans Jazz Brunch at Philadelphia’s Le Cochon Noir.

Tony Garro, upright bass and vocals, has performed with the Scott Romig Band for over 20 years. He has gigged at many of Philadelphia’s current and defunct music venues with other bands such as Crazy Bread, Dodge City Junkies, Katie Drake and the Roger Learnard Band. With Reverend Chris he has performed as a duo, trio, quartet and larger ensemble. He appears on Reverend Chris’s 2010 live album: “Fool On the Hill”.

Chuck Lindsey, drums and vocals, has been a Philadelphia staple for over 25 years. Numerous appearances at community concerts, nightclubs, bars and the Philadelphia Folk Festival have led to his being extremely on-demand for his laid-back “southern swing”. You can also find him driving the drum kit for the legendary band Beats Walkin’, the Mighty Rhythm Kings and the Delco Nightingales.

Viper Mad

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Nina Simone - A Single Woman

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 59:18
Size: 135.8 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[3:31] 1. A Single Woman
[3:06] 2. Lonesome Cities
[3:57] 3. If I Should Lose You
[3:37] 4. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
[3:55] 5. Love's Been Good To Me
[4:20] 6. Papa, Can You Hear Me
[6:29] 7. Il N'y A Pas D'amour Heureux
[4:26] 8. Just Say I Love Him
[2:39] 9. The More I See You
[2:43] 10. Marry Me
[3:33] 11. The Long And Winding Road
[2:52] 12. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
[1:00] 13. Baseball Boogie
[3:13] 14. No Woman, No Cry
[3:18] 15. Do I Move You
[0:56] 16. The Times They Are A-Changin'
[5:33] 17. Sign 'o' The Times

For four decades, Nina Simone has bewitched listeners with her uncategorizable blend of music. Unwilling to compromise to popular standards, hers has been a lonely course which led her away from the United States. Nina Simone adds to her recording legacy with this fine 1993 collection of contemplative tracks (which was her first release in more than five years). A SINGLE WOMAN is an appropriately titled, almost autobiographical testament to her life, a meditation on the joys and pains of a woman alone. Her rich, deep voice soars dramatically over lush orchestral arrangements. The album's high point is a superb reprise of her haunting tango arrangement of "Just Say I Love Him" with guitarist Al Shackman (whom she worked with during her early years) making a guest appearance. Also included are three Rod McKuen songs and a moving version of the standard "The Folks Who Live on the Hill" that is dedicated to the late Prime Minister of Barbados.

Recorded at Oceanway Studios, Hollywood, California, and Mad Hatter Studio, Los Angeles, California.

Nina Simone (vocals, piano); Gerald Albright (vocals); John Chiodini, Al Shackman (guitar); Ann Mason Stockton, Carol Robbins (harp); James Ross (violin, viola); Gerald Vinci, Assa Drori, Shari Zippert, Henry Ferger, Mari Tsumura, Irving Geller, Gina Kronstadt, Connie Kupka, Isabelle Daskoff, Jay Rosen, Joel Derouin, Israel Baker, Yvette Devereaux, Kathleen Lenski , Gordon Marron Strings, Mark Cargill (violin); Rollice Dale, Margot MacLaine, Hershel Wise, Marilyn Baker, Evan Wilson (viola); Igor Horoshevsky, David H. Speltz, Melissa "Missy" Hasin, Suzie Katayama, Marie Fera, Frederick Seykora (cello); Frank Marocco (accordion); Jon Kip, Gary Foster, Jack Nimitz, Jeff Clayton , Earl Dumler, Bob Tricarico, Valarie King (woodwinds, brass); Jack Sheldon (trumpet); Marilyn L. Johnson , Jeffrey DeRosa, Richard Todd, Brad Warnaar (French horn); Mike Melvoin (piano); Paul Robinson, Jeff Hamilton , Paul Robinson (drums); Darryl Jackson, Larry Bunker, Bill Summers (percussion).

A Single Woman

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Herb Ellis Trio - Burnin' (With Hendrik Meurkens)

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 52:45
Size: 120.8 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[8:23] 1. Oh, Lady Be Good
[6:14] 2. Limehouse Blues
[8:00] 3. A Foggy Day
[5:03] 4. Bye Bye Bay
[7:24] 5. I Can't Get Started
[5:23] 6. What Is This Thing Called Love
[7:57] 7. Wave
[4:16] 8. The Flintstones

Herb Ellis is heard in performance in two separate German nightclubs during a 1998 tour of Europe, accompanied by harmonica player Hendrik Meurkens, young bassist Chris Berger, and drummer Chuck Redd. The seasoned guitarist is in top form, with Meurkens proving to be a good foil for him, though the latter man also proves himself to be a virtuoso on his instrument (comparable to Toots Thielemans). The selections primarily stick to standards, include a smoking interpretation of "Oh, Lady Be Good" and a fluid take of "Limehouse Blues," along with a funky, strutting rendition of "What Is This Thing Called Love?" Meurkens switches to vibes for the one bossa nova track ("Wave"). They have plenty of fun dashing through "The Flintstones," though they eschew the almost mandatory chant of "Yabba Dabba Doo!," possibly to avoid sounding a bit too corny. Recommended. ~ Ken Dryden

Recorded live at Birdland, Hamburg & Kleinkunstkeller, Bietigheim Germany in January 6, 1998.

Herb Ellis (guitar); Hendrik Meurkens (harmonica, vibraphone); Chris Berger (bass); Chuck Redd (drums).

Burnin' (With Hendrik Meurkens)

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Bobby Darin - Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 35:57
Size: 82.3 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1962/2004
Art: Front

[4:05] 1. What'd I Say
[6:31] 2. I Got A Woman
[1:51] 3. Tell All The World About You
[2:47] 4. Tell Me How Do You Feel
[2:34] 5. My Bonnie
[3:25] 6. The Right Time
[2:49] 7. Hallelujah I Lover Her So
[3:13] 8. Leave My Woman Alone
[2:55] 9. Ain't That Love
[3:20] 10. Drown In My Own Tears
[2:23] 11. That's Enough

`I'm proud to say that I was on the Ray Charles bandwagon when it was just a baby-carriage; even before the first album came out I was listening to his single releases. ~B. Darin

Released in March of 1962, Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles was his second-to-last for Atco. The tribute to one of the musicians who had most influenced him included 11 solid covers. The album peaked at number 96 and stayed on Billboard's charts for 11 weeks. The opening song, "What'd I Say," earned Darin a Grammy nomination for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording. In addition to the rocking "What'd I Say," standouts include the swinging testament to love, "I Got a Woman," "Ain't That Love," and "Hallelujah I Love Her So." The original liner note to Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles declares that "from the first plangent phrases by Darin, you realize that this will be no Broadway blues pastiche, no Waldorf-Astoria silk blouse folk-music." This album highlights both the depths of Darin's talents and the depth of his love for rhythm and blues. In fact, Darin once said, "I'm proud to say that I was on the Ray Charles bandwagon when it was jut a baby carriage. In fact, two singers -- Fats Domino and Ray Charles -- opened up my ears to a whole new world, different from anything I'd heard until then. They both became major influences when I realized these are the roots." A listener can debate if these covers are as good as the originals (could they be?) but not the authenticity that jumps off the turntable. All of the small details are here: the simple beauty of Jimmy Haskell's arrangements, the sax solos by Plas Johnson and Nnino Tempo, and even the backup vocals of the Blossoms, who were the mid-1950s version of the Raylettes. Eight of the 11 songs are Charles originals, and all are from his early career, before he evolved from the blues to the Tin Pan Alley sounds. Darin, reflecting on Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles, said "Making this album was one of the biggest kicks of my life." With one listen to this you will feel the same. ~JT Griffith

Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles

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Madeleine Peyroux - Careless Love

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:55
Size: 98,3 MB
Art: Front + Back

(3:57)  1. Dance Me To The End Of Love
(3:11)  2. Don't Wait Too Long
(3:18)  3. Don't Cry Baby
(3:27)  4. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
(3:45)  5. Between The Bars
(3:33)  6. No More
(3:11)  7. Lonesome Road
(2:56)  8. J'ai Deux Amours
(3:40)  9. Weary Blues
(4:48) 10. I'll Look Around
(3:51) 11. Careless Love
(3:11) 12. This Is Heaven To Me

Why it took vocalist Madeleine Peyroux eight years to follow up her acclaimed Dreamland album is anybody's guess. The explanation from her website bio claims, "I could have kept running with it, but I took a breather." Really it hardly matters, since there have been plenty of capable singers to fill that void. Produced by Larry Klein, Careless Love is essentially Dreamland part deux. She lost Yves Beauvais and Atlantic Records, as well as a stellar cast of edgy jazz and rock session players, but she did gain Larry Klein. There are some fine players on this album, including Larry Goldings, Scott Amendola, David Piltch, and Dean Parks, and it's a much more focused set than Dreamland. That she's on Rounder is just an "oh well." Since Klein is not reined in by having to be a "jazz" producer, his sense of restrained and subtle adventure is a perfect foil for Peyroux's voice and phrasing, which is still too close to the Billie Holiday model for comfort. The material is a curious collection of modern pop songs, country tunes, and old nuggets. There's an original as well in "Don't Wait Too Long," co-written with Jesse Harris and Klein. Peyroux's reading of Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love" that opens the disc is radical, sung like a German cabaret song, and lacks the drama of the original, which is on purpose but it's questionable as to whether it works.

Her cover of Bob Dylan's "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" works much better. It keeps the breeziness of the original but focuses on the object of the song still being very present to the protagonist delighting in the presence of the Beloved. Parks' guitars play sparely and pronouncedly in the mix, as Amendola's brushwork complements the spare cymbal and tom-tom work of Jay Bellerose as well as Goldings' in-the-groove organ and piano. The hinge track on this record is the empathic and moving version of Elliott Smith's "Between the Bars." With tense sound effects whispering in the backdrop and Goldings' celeste setting the atmosphere, once again Amendola's brushes whisper and shimmer, giving the singer an anchor in the depth of the song's melancholy. It's simply awesome. The sparse haunted treatment of Hank Williams' "Weary Blues" is devoid of its country trappings and rooted firmly in the uptown blues tradition of Holiday's 1940s. Likewise, the title track, a classic standard by W.C. Handy, is turned inside out and made a gospel-flavored R&B tune, driven by Goldings on the organ and a Rhodes piano an instrument that makes a frequent appearance here. Parks' subtle yet dirty guitar gives the singer a platform and she swims inside the lyric, letting it fall from her mouth. The tune's swing quotient is formidable. In all, this is a stronger record than Dreamland, in part because Klein is obviously sympathetic to singers and because Peyroux is a more confident and commanding singer. It's a welcome addition to the shelf, but if she waits another eight years, that space reserved for her may disappear. 

~ Thom Jurek  http://www.allmusic.com/album/careless-love-mw0000686575 

Careless Love            

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Sutton Foster - An Evening With Sutton Foster - Live At The Café Carlyle

Styles: Stage & Screen
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:23
Size: 147,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:10)  1. I'm Beginning To See The Light
(0:32)  2. Dialog #1 - Introductions
(3:25)  3. Not For The Life Of Me/NYC/Astonishing
(1:10)  4. Dialog #2 - Up On The Roof Intro
(2:39)  5. Up On The Roof
(2:13)  6. Air Conditioner
(3:30)  7. Warm All Over
(1:59)  8. Dialog #3 - Angel Cards
(3:26)  9. Show Off
(3:58) 10. More To The Story
(4:28) 11. My Heart Was Set On You
(2:20) 12. Down With Love
(2:56) 13. I Like The Sunrise
(2:37) 14. Dialog #4 - Ho Cup Surprise
(3:52) 15. Defying Gravity
(2:16) 16. Late Late Show
(0:39) 17. Dialog #5 - Jeopardy
(4:00) 18. Sunshine On My Shoulders
(4:05) 19. Anyone Can Whistle/Being Alive
(1:31) 20. Dialog #6 - Thank Yous
(3:22) 21. Come The Wild Wild Weather
(2:11) 22. Here, There, Everywhere
(0:53) 23. Dialog #7 - Encore
(3:58) 24. And I Am Telling You

If Broadway had a reigning diva as of 2010, it was probably Sutton Foster, who had worked more or less without letup in starring roles in musicals starting with Thoroughly Modern Millie and continuing with Little Women, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Shrek. After Shrek's closing, however, she was available for two weeks to try cabaret at New York's prestigious Café Carlyle in connection with her debut solo album, Wish, and this recording was made on the last night of her run. The café is not only tony, it's tiny, so that on live albums made there, it sometimes seems possible to identify every set of clapping hands. In this performance, Foster wisely plays to the little crowd, using the same comic charm she has brought to her stage roles. Naturally, she includes some of the songs associated with her musicals, notably "Show Off," her stand-out number from The Drowsy Chaperone, a humorous number in which the singer protests, "I don't want to show off" while doing exactly that. You can't help thinking a video would have done better justice to it than this mere audio experience, but it's still very funny. For Shrek, Foster includes the cut song "More to the Story," which is good enough to make it regrettable that she couldn't have sung it on Broadway. Elsewhere, the set is an expected combination of other show tunes and some mostly good pop songs (John Denver's "Sunshine on My Shoulders" just doesn't measure up to the attention Foster gives it). At one point, she introduces a piece of audience participation by putting the names of five Broadway showstoppers in a cup and having someone pick the next song. It turns out to be "Defying Gravity" from Wicked, which Foster then renders as if channeling Idina Menzel. Their voices are similar, but when, at the end, she encores with another song from the cup, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls, she again impersonates the woman who sang it originally, Jennifer Holliday, this time to audience laughter. Foster certainly has the pipes for such songs, but maybe she should find her own interpretations of them if she's going to sing them; here, they sound, inappropriately, like parodies. ~ William Ruhlmann   http://www.allmusic.com/album/an-evening-with-sutton-foster-live-at-the-caf%C3%A9-carlyle-mw0002110155

An Evening With Sutton Foster - Live At The Café Carlyle

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Danny Moss - Keeper Of The Flame

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:25
Size: 172,7 MB
Art: Front + Back

(5:18)  1. Three Little Words
(5:55)  2. When Your Lover Has Gone
(4:25)  3. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)
(6:54)  4. Speak Low
(4:55)  5. Where Or When
(6:09)  6. Moten Swing
(4:53)  7. Cry Me A River
(5:46)  8. It Only Happens When I Dance With You
(7:39)  9. Taking A Chance Of Love
(4:47) 10. I Should Care
(6:21) 11. Perdido
(6:58) 12. I Thought About You
(5:20) 13. Small Fry

British tenor saxophonist Danny Moss is the real deal, an up-from-the-heels wailer whose swinging declamations remind me of such consummate titans as Sonny Rollins and Zoot Sims. From the opening "Three Little Words," a rollicking romp a la Rollins, to the curtain-closing "Small Fry," it's a magic carpet ride through a dozen-plus standards guaranteed to leave one smiling and happy to be taking nutrition.

Moss, in the manner of swing-bop masters like Dexter Gordon, paints with a bold brush. On the loping "When Your Lover Has Gone," while inside the groove, he's also an astute observer of his ongoing work able to comment on proceedings with wry asides and pungent quotes from the canon of bop. As a balladeer, his earthy sound and palpitating vibrato inform his commentaries with a wisdom at once worldly and yet also appreciative of the miraculousness of the moment. For samples, check the burnished vibrancy of his limnings of "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)" and the smoldering "Where Or When" or "Cry Me a River."

Throughout, the amiable tenorist receives hand-in-glove support from the trio of pianist John Pearce, bassist Len Skeat and drummer Charly Antolini, whose in-the-pocket backings simmer and steam. As the music casts its spell, it soon becomes clear why Moss was a favorite of stalwarts Maynard Ferguson, Tony Bennett, Buddy Rich and Louis Armstrong. Now, in this heartfelt date, the spotlight shines on the venerable Moss who connects with both body and soul. ~ Chuck Berg   http://jazztimes.com/articles/12102-keeper-of-the-flame-danny-moss-quartet

Keeper Of The Flame

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Maud Hixson - Don't Let A Good Thing Get Away

Size: 112,0 MB
Time: 48:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz, Pop Jazz
Art: Front

01. Don't Let A Good Thing Get Away (3:29)
02. I'm All Smiles (3:23)
03. Growing Up Is Learning To Say Goodbye (3:15)
04. Old World Charm (4:14)
05. The Time Has Come (3:54)
06. The Kind Of Man A Woman Needs (6:00)
07. Just A Little Love Song (2:27)
08. The Spider And The Fly (4:05)
09. Where Do The Lonely Go? (4:01)
10. Not Exactly Paris (4:18)
11. Why Did I Choose You? (6:07)
12. Childhood's End (3:21)

Twelve tracks, featuring the standards "I'm All Smiles" and "Why DId I Choose You?", originally written for the 1965 Broadway musical version of The Yearling, plus a handful of unpublished material that has never been recorded before, along with lesser-known gems from this gifted composer's song catalog. Pianist Tex Arnold has written new arrangements and is joined by vocalist Maud Hixson, cornetist Warren Vaché, bassist Steve LaSpina, and guitarist Gene Bertoncini. Recorded, mixed and mastered at Nola Recording Studios in New York City, February 4-8, 2013.

Don't Let A Good Thing Get Away

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Stef Scaggiari - Our Little Place

Size: 108,9 MB
Time: 46:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz
Art: Front

01. Here And After (5:07)
02. I Wish (3:41)
03. You Write Your Song (6:17)
04. It Ain't Necessarily So (5:29)
05. Why'd You Run From Me (4:17)
06. Our Little Place (5:31)
07. Let's Face The Music And Dance (5:26)
08. But Not For Me (3:27)
09. You Don't Know Me (3:44)
10. Hard Times (3:50)

"Our Little Place" is the latest in a series of strong releases by the talented singer/pianist Stef Scaggiari (pronounced ska-JAR-ee--think Italian). Stef presents four originals along with six beautifully arranged classic songs. The production is top notch-- a great sounding vocal album. If you like the work of Dianna Krall, Al Jarreau, and Keith Jarrett, you're gonna love this collection. Stef's music is heard every week on Week-end Edition Sunday on National Public Radio. His discography includes nine recordings on the Concord label, plus more recent Stefco Music releases including "Sing Your Song" and "Cross-over". "Our Little Place" showcases Stef's many talents as singer, musician, composer and producer.

Our Little Place

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Kenny Davis - S/T

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:15
Size: 131.1 MB
Styles: Mainstream jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[1:19] 1. 1st Arrival
[5:27] 2. Fearless
[5:48] 3. Deliverance
[3:59] 4. Too High
[0:29] 5. Journey (Interlude 1)
[6:28] 6. Elviry
[6:11] 7. Tenderly
[6:10] 8. Wrapped In Love
[0:46] 9. Journey (Interlude 2)
[4:51] 10. Attitude
[3:08] 11. Before Sunrise
[7:19] 12. What Lies Beyond
[1:26] 13. Journey (Interlude 3)
[3:47] 14. Gone Too Soon

Master jazz bassist Ron Carter who did the liner notes for the CD stated: "To all listeners of wonderful music, don't pass this CD by!!!

He's had an illustrious career since moving to New York in the mid-1980s and hitching a gig with drummer Ralph Peterson Jr. and contemporary mainstreamers Out of the Blue (OTB), but he's waited until now to release an album under his own name. An impressive résumé includes work with M-Base collective saxophonist Steve Coleman's Five Elements; performing—and, on one song, arranging—credits on singer Cassandra Wilson's Grammy Award-winning Blue Light 'Til Dawn (Blue Note, 1993); and subsequent work with artists ranging from Art Farmer and Robin Eubanks to Don Byron and Onaje Allan Gumbs. All this and more contributes to the unerring success of Kenny Davis.

At a time when many artists are distancing themselves from the American tradition, Kenny Davis remains reverential yet unmistakably modern. Davis—focusing on double-bass with a robust tone and deep, flexible sense of time rooted in bass icons like Paul Chambers and Ron Carter—contributes all but two of the album's 14 tracks, but his approach to the cover material is equally personal. Stevie Wonder's "Too High" opens with a thematically virtuosic yet effervescently swinging bass solo that, bolstered by drummer Billy Kilson's ever-empathic interaction, pushes the bar even higher than that set by the duo's fiery opening salvo, "1st Arrival." But Davis goes even further here, with an arrangement that manages to turn Wonder's already knotty tune into even greater intricacy, all the while swinging at a fast clip that challenges pianist Geri Allen and saxophonist Javon Jackson to keep up...which, of course, they do. Walter Gross' enduring "Tenderly" is taken at a more relaxed pace, but grooves no less viscerally, with a particularly potent solo from Davis' ex-OTB band mate, saxophonist Ralph Bowen.

Davis' own writing is equally compelling, and demonstrates a broad scope. "Fearless" begins with an 11/8 vamp and serpentine head yet, with Allen playing counterpoint to Bowen and guitarist David Gilmore
's winding theme, it's another cooker when it gets to the solos, with the saxophonist and guitarist finding their way through Davis' sophisticated changes, anchored by the muscular rhythm team of Davis and drummer Ralph Peterson.

It's hard to call Kenny Davis a debut when the bassist has appeared on so many significant recordings. Still, focusing as it does on his inimitable excellence as a performer and equally compelling compositional skills, Kenny Davis is the first release to make so crystal clear how this established but, in some ways, still emerging, deserves to be watched. ~John Kelman

Kenny Davis

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Ben Sidran - I Lead A Life

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 43:36

Size: 99.8 MB

Styles: Soul-jazz

Year: 1972/2006

Art: Front

[3:20] 1. Chances Are

[3:40] 2. Lust

[3:28] 3. It Don't Pay To Worry Like That

[3:03] 4. Eliyahu

[8:04] 5. When A Woman Say She Ready

[2:37] 6. I Lead A Life

[5:41] 7. Devil Comes To Las Vegas

[3:33] 8. Talking About Money

[3:42] 9. Slippery Hip

[6:23] 10. Back Down On State Street

This was a handcrafted project -- the rehearsals were done in my living room, the recording was done around the corner, and the songs (like "Chances Are" and "Back Down on State Street") were written for friends of mine. ~Ben

Ben Sidran - Piano, Vocals; James "Curley" Cooke - Guitar; Clyde Stubblefield - Drums; Gavin Christopher - Vocals; John Almond - Flute; Cheeba Switzer - Vocals; Blue Mitchell - Trumpet; Dennis Oliver - Bass; George Brown - Drums; Tim Davis - Percussion; Charles Davis - Saxophone; Jim Gordon - Saxophone.

I Lead A Life

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The Harry Allen-Joe Cohn Quartet - Plays Music From South Pacific

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 63:03
Size: 144.3 MB
Styles: Showtunes, Jazz vocals
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:52] 1. A Cock-Eyed Optimist
[3:02] 2. Younger Than Springtime
[4:26] 3. Bloody Mary
[4:18] 4. Twin Solilioquies
[5:42] 5. I'm Gonna Wash That Man Outa My Hair
[3:33] 6. There Is Nothin' Like A Dame
[2:37] 7. Dities Moi
[5:27] 8. A Wonderful Guy
[1:46] 9. Happy Talk
[1:40] 10. Honeybun
[6:22] 11. Some Enchanted Evening
[5:44] 12. You've Got To Be Carefully Taught
[3:42] 13. My Girl Back Home
[5:24] 14. This Nearly Was Mine
[5:22] 15. Bali Ha'i

The multi-award-winning Rodgers & Hammerstein musical South Pacific had been languishing in obscurity until its Lincoln Center revival in 2009. Harry Allen and Joe Cohn decided to give these tunes their own jazz take, something that had been done before, but not to this extent of swinging and bopping them. With vocalists Rebecca Kilgore and Eddie Erickson, this island setting of a postcard love affair gone wrong via bigotry is rendered in heartfelt tones by the singers, and jammed on by the instrumentalists in a carefree manner that easily reflects the idea of a getaway-from-reality holiday. Though not done with Latin trim, the story lines expressed by Kilgore and Erickson do take the tropical setting into account, contrasting the ins and outs of love versus lust far from home. Kilgore is particularly miffed at her man during the more commercially known "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," but easily turns around with cute praise for "A Wonderful Guy." Erickson is much more under a swoon on several tracks like the corny, fluffy "Honeybun," sounding very much like

Jack Sheldon, but has to concede he has everything but the girl for "There Is Nothin' Like a Dame" and readily admits to cheating on "My Girl Back Home." Most of the songs are in easy swing mode, but "Twin Soliloquies" is a Brazilian lover's paradise song, "Some Enchanted Evening" is an eight-plus-minute discourse on the blues as they question the pairing, and "You've Got to Be Taught" represents a preachy cautionary tale on hormonal overflow. There are three strictly instrumental numbers: the good bopper for Allen "Bloody Mary," the ballad for the cool tenor man "Dite-Moi," and the exceptional feature for Cohn "Happy Talk" (where his co-leader follows along). John McDonough includes some detailed liner notes about the three-pronged history of South Pacific, including the Broadway stage show in the late '20s to early '30s, the film version in 1958, and current activities in reviving it. A credible effort by these reliable musicians gives the tunes further cachet, not updated by any means but given new life and accented with a skeptical, doubtful, and timeless warning about life and instant love affairs. ~Michael G. Nastos

Harry Allen - Sax (Tenor); Joe Cohn - Guitar; Eddie Erickson - Vocals; Joel Forbes - Bass, Bass Instrument; Rebecca Kilgore - Vocals; Chuck Riggs - Drums.

Plays Music From South Pacific

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