Bette Midler - Cool Yule

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 37:00
Size: 84.7 MB
Styles: Holiday
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[3:10] 1. Merry Christmas
[2:26] 2. Cool Yule
[3:54] 3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
[2:44] 4. Winter Wonderland Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
[3:18] 5. I'll Be Home For Christmas
[3:56] 6. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve
[3:22] 7. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
[3:10] 8. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
[2:33] 9. Mele Kalikimaka
[5:08] 10. From A Distance
[3:13] 11. White Christmas (White Christmas)

Forever the entertainer, Bette Midler pulls out all the stops for this swinging Christmas album, which has something old, something new, something revisited and absolutely nothing to be blue about.

Bette treats Christmas favorites with due respect while giving them her special touch, whether she's playfully bantering with Johnny Mathis on "Winter Wonderland/Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!" or going back to her Hawaiian roots with "Mele Kalikimaka". Another highlight of the album is the yuletide remix of her huge hit "From a Distance".

This is a great addition to any Christmas music collection, and a wonderful gift for anyone who enjoys traditional Christmas carols. ~Amanda Richards/Amazon

Cool Yule

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Clifford Jordan Quartet - Repetition

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 41:08
Size: 94.2 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1984/1998
Art: Front

[6:47] 1. Third Avenue
[3:32] 2. Fun
[6:43] 3. Repetition
[4:32] 4. Evidence
[6:28] 5. Nostalgia/Casbah
[5:42] 6. House Call
[7:22] 7. Quittin' Time

Clifford Jordan was in top form for this marathon, noon-to-midnight quartet studio session with Barry Harris, Walter Booker, and Vernel Fournier. The veteran hard bopper brought three potent originals to the date, and the group collaborated on the driving up-tempo "Fun." Neal Hefti's "Repetition" could be subtitled "Relaxation" for its easygoing tempo. The short but effective rendition of Monk's "Evidence" packs plenty of punch, while the medley of Fats Navarro's "Nostalgia" and Tadd Dameron's "Casbah" is also a masterful performance. The only downside to this release is the self-serving liner notes by the enormously egocentric Stanley Crouch. ~Ken Dryden

Repetition

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Anna Gadt - Breathing

Size: 135,9 MB
Time: 58:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Follow Me (5:55)
02. Don't Go (9:35)
03. The Rebirth (7:33)
04. A Warm Coat (2:54)
05. Liryka Spiacego (3:55)
06. The Source (4:35)
07. You (3:14)
08. Soothing Simplicity (6:18)
09. Breathing (5:09)
10. Lullaby For J. (2:19)
11. Just Be (7:23)

Anna is not an easy artist to describe. Her characteristic features may actually seem contradictory: gentleness, restless soul, mystery, sensitivity, as well as a strong personality and a sense of humour. In her music, Slavic origins interlace with European inspirations. Improvised music is what fascitates her most. She seeks forms of expression through the word, the sound and most of all, through the silence.

What she finds particularly interesting is the philosophy of Ayn Rand (individualism of opinion) and the poetry of May Angelou, an American poet who used to work with Martin Luther King. Angelou’s texts turned out to be an excellent subject to write music to. That is how songs “Alone”, “They Went Home” and “Still I Rise” came into being. The last one is also the title song of the album released in 2010. In her music, she oscillates in an intriguing way between singing, whispering and talking. In inprovisation, she’s not afraid to use her voice in an unusual way.

At first, she studied classical music. She would love to spend long hours playing Bach, Chopin or Grieg on the piano. Actually, her inclination for classical music, especially for Jan Sebastian Bach, has remained strong up to now. The direction that she’d chosen when she was only 10 years old changed suddenly when she listened to the solo of Toots Thielemans on a Pat Metheny’s record Secret Story. She was so impressed by his improvisation, that she wished to continue her education in jazz music.

In 2002 she was accepted to the prestigious Jazz Institute of the Academy of Music in Katowice, where she currently works as a teacher.

She was awarded the prize of Jazz Struggle contest and got introduced to the competition’s jury president, Billy Harper. That was the moment in her artistic life which she finds crucial. “This award helped me believe in myself. During that concert I played my own songs, so my musical feeling and aesthetics were appreciated. This award boosted my spirits, especially because Billy Harper, whom I adored and really admired, was the president of the jury”.

Anna has already recorded 2 albums. Her debut record “Na mojej drodze”(On my way), was published in 2008. It contained original songs sung in Polish and it aroused interest among the critics and listeners. The record was nominated to the Fryderyk Music Award, the Jazz Debut Album of the Year – a prestigious award of the Polish music industry. Anna presented her album at numerous concert, among others, at Szczecin Music Fest, where she opened Suzanne Vega’s performance.

The release of her second album Still I Rise (2010) was followed by many concerts in various places, including Polish Radio Studio – one of the most important concert venue in the country.

Apart from her individual work, she supports her friends’ projects. She is connected with the Voicingers festival and also cooperates with Jazz City Choir, the only jazz vocal formation in Poland.

Breathing

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Duke Seidmann - Subtonic

Size: 131,3 MB
Time: 56:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Swing Jazz, Saxophone Jazz
Art: Front

01. Record Hop (4:15)
02. 633! Knock (4:39)
03. Take 'em Off, Take 'em Off (4:02)
04. Royal Garden Blues (4:56)
05. Daydream By Design (5:00)
06. Twiddly Bits (3:09)
07. The Very Thought Of You (2:22)
08. Sunday (4:08)
09. Searsy (3:16)
10. Kalli The Koolo (3:42)
11. Brotherhood Of Man (4:19)
12. I Can't Get Started (7:14)
13. Willie And The Hand Jive (5:38)

The Swiss saxophonist, singer and co-founder of the Flagships Duke Seidmann is a wanderer between worlds. The longtime former president of the Jazz Circle Zurich is also the owner of a voice response promotion company and writes books on etymology. His great passion is the intersection between jazz, blues and R & B of the forties and early fifties, for which he coined the term "Prerock Music". As inspiration on tenor he calls musicians such as Al Sears, Eddie Chamblee, Ben Webster or Lester Young. ~A Google translation from the German

Subtonic

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Poncho Sanchez & Terence Blanchard - Chano Y Dizzy

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 54:49
Size: 125.5 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Afro-Cuban rhythms
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[6:45] 1. Chano Pozo Medley: Tin Tin Deo Manteca Guachi Guaro
[5:29] 2. Con Alma
[2:56] 3. Wandering Wonder
[4:52] 4. Siboney
[4:06] 5. Dizzy's Dashiki
[5:17] 6. Groovin' High
[6:22] 7. Nocturna
[4:45] 8. Harris' Walk
[5:27] 9. Promenade
[4:03] 10. Jack's Dilemma
[4:43] 11. Arinanara

Latin jazz percussionist Poncho Sanchez teams up with trumpeter Terence Blanchard to pay tribute to the innovative Afro-Cuban jazz recordings of Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo on 2011's Chano y Dizzy! Introduced to each other in 1947, legendary bebop trumpeter Gillespie and equally famous Cuban congo player Pozo created what was to be called Afro-Cuban jazz and helped spur the development of Latin jazz. Consequently, their names are synonymous with such compositions as "Tin Tin Deo," "Con Alma," and "Manteca" -- all of which are covered here. Long an avowed acolyte of Gillespie and Pozo, Sanchez is the perfect musician to delve into this music, as is Blanchard, who clearly has an affinity for Latin-infused jazz. While Sanchez and Blanchard tackle such Afro-Cuban-associated gems as Gillespie's "Groovin' High" and even Pozo's punchy and bright 1930s composition "Ariñañara," they also explore some more contemporary pieces well suited to the vibe. Among these are the steamy Ivan Lins ballad "Nocturna" (which Blanchard also covered on his 2003 release Bounce) as well as Ernesto Lecuona's languid ballroom number "Siboney." In keeping with the Latin bop aesthetic, there are also some fine small big-band originals from Sanchez's band, including trombonist Francisco Torres' driving "Promenade" and trumpeter Ron Blake's funky boogaloo "Harris' Walk." An inspired and heartfelt tribute, Chano y Dizzy! is a must-hear for Latin jazz fans as well as longtime Sanchez and Blanchard listeners. ~ Matt Collar
Recording information: Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA. Photographer: Ashley Stagg.

Poncho Sanchez (vocals, congas, percussion); Terence Blanchard (trumpet); Francisco Torres (vocals, trombone); Tony Banda (vocals); Rob Hardt (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Ron Francis Blake (trumpet); David Torres (piano); Joey De Leon, Jr. (drums, bongos, percussion); George Ortiz (timbales).

Chano Y Dizzy

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Viktoria Tolstoy - White Russian

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:58
Size: 126,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:10)  1. Solitary
(3:39)  2. Venus & Mars
(4:12)  3. My Garden
(3:36)  4. I Do Care
(4:44)  5. Holy Water
(3:44)  6. Wonderful Life
(2:55)  7. Invisible Changes
(4:45)  8. High Heels
(3:47)  9. For Your Love
(5:36) 10. Casablanca
(4:59) 11. Spring
(5:38) 12. My Funny Valentine
(3:06) 13. Solitary

Viktoria Tolstoy is a highly celebrated and respected international jazz vocalist and her numerous success stories are all a product of this explosive natural supertalent. Viktoria has never taken a single singing class thus she also owns that little perfect difference that delivers her clearly strong and wonderfully untamed, vibrant sound. She'll capture the moment on any given occasion and will outperform herself from one grand evening to the next. Viktoria reaches all the way and her colorful, spontaneous persona will by all means make one forget to breathe for not only a short moment. Viktoria is already on the very top, yet once again aiming up. Viktoria has been saluted by media wherever she has landed since she first grabbed that microphone, and rest assure, this show will go on. We suggest you buckle up. Expect a lot. ~ http://www.viktoriatolstoy.com/biography.php

White Russian

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Eric Alexander - Revival Of The Fittest

Styles: Straight-Ahead Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:45
Size: 128,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:24)  1. Revival
(7:35)  2. My Grown-Up Christmas List
(8:46)  3. The Island
(8:14)  4. Too Late Fall Back Baby
(5:16)  5. Love-Wise
(5:26)  6. Blues For Phineas
(7:01)  7. You Must Believe In Spring
(6:00)  8. Yasashiku

It isn't hard to understand why Eric Alexander has employed acoustic pianist Harold Mabern on more than a few of his albums. The big-toned tenor saxophonist has enjoyed a strong rapport with his former teacher, and that rapport is very much in evidence on Revival of the Fittest. Alexander employs Mabern on almost every song on this 2009 recording; the exception is Alexander's contemplative "Yasashiku (Gently)," which finds Alexander performing a tenor/piano duet with Mike LeDonne. But Alexander features Mabern on every other track, and the two of them form a cohesive acoustic quartet with bassist Nat Reeves and drummer Joe Farnsworth. One has high expectations when Alexander and Mabern get together; they don't let us down on a hard bop/post-bop CD that ranges from inspired performances of George Coleman's "Revival," Ivan Lins' "The Island," and Michel Legrand's "You Must Believe in Spring" to two Mabern pieces that the pianist previously recorded on albums of his own (the driving "Too Late Fall Back Baby" and the Phineas Newborn, Jr.-dedicated "Blues for Phineas"). 

Ballads have long been one of Alexander's strong points, and he reminds us how expressive a ballad player he can be on Marvin Fisher's "Love-Wise" (which Nat King Cole made famous with a Nelson Riddle-arranged recording in 1958). Alexander's performance of "Love-Wise" recalls John Coltrane's hard bop period of the late ‘50s, when he was recording for Prestige; Trane gave us some delightfully lyrical recordings of ballads during his pre-Atlantic period (including "Stardust," "Lush Life," and "Invitation"), and Alexander acknowledges Prestige-era Trane on "Love-Wise" but does so without allowing his own personality to become obscured. Revival of the Fittest is yet another example of how rewarding an Alexander album can be when Mabern is on board. ~ Alex Henderson   http://www.allmusic.com/album/revival-of-the-fittest-mw0000824421

Personnel: Eric Alexander: tenor saxophone; Harold Mabern: piano; Nat Reeves: bass; Joe Farnsworth: drums. 

Revival Of The Fittest

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Ken Peplowski Quartet - Memories Of You

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:44
Size: 157,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:35)  1. Memories Of You
(3:52)  2. I'll Be Seeing You
(5:10)  3. Bright Moments
(6:54)  4. In A Sentimental Mood
(8:23)  5. Dream Dancing
(4:45)  6. Last Night When We Were Young
(7:52)  7. It Might As Well Be Spring
(5:09)  8. Lotus Blossom
(7:35)  9. But Not For Me
(6:30) 10. Poor Butterfly
(6:51) 11. Memories Of You II

Ken Peplowski is among the top clarinetists and tenor saxophonists of his generation. After a long, fruitful period recording as a leader for Concord, Peplowski started getting a number of offers to record for overseas labels. He alternates between the two instruments during these 2006 sessions, well accompanied by pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi (long Marian McPartland's bassist of choice), and drummer Jeff Brillinger, all veterans like the leader. Peplowski's lush tenor in the first interpretation of "Memories of You" recalls Ben Webster with his soft, breathy vibrato and lyrical style. 

He also caresses Roland Kirk's infrequently heard ballad "Bright Moments" and renders an elegant "Dream Dancing" as well. On clarinet, Peplowski's magical treatment of "In a Sentimental Mood" (backed solely by bass at first) suggests a bird's song. The cream of the crop is his warm interpretation of Billy Strayhorn's "Lotus Blossom." This set is perfect for late-night listening. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/memories-of-you-mw0001492873

Memories Of You

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Art Blakey & The J. M. - The Freedom Rider

Styles: Hard Bop
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:03
Size: 125,4 MB
Art: Front + Back

(7:56)  1. Tell It Like It Is
(7:28)  2. The Freedom Rider
(6:23)  3. El Toro
(6:16)  4. Petty Larceny
(6:00)  5. Blue Lace
(6:16)  6. Uptight
(6:57)  7. Pisces
(6:44)  8. Blue Ching

The final recording by this edition of The Jazz Messengers (featuring trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Jymie Merritt and drummer/leader Art Blakey) finds the group consolidating their year-and-a-half of experience into yet another exciting document. 

Blakey's unaccompanied drum feature on "The Freedom Rider" is full of drama while the rest of the program (two compositions apiece by Morgan and Shorter) makes this last chapter for this particular band quite memorable. ~ Scott Yanow  

http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-freedom-rider-mw0000597050

The Freedom Rider

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Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 42:10

Size: 96.6 MB

Styles: Holiday

Year: 2009

Art: Front

[0:15] 1. Nat's Christmas Wishes

[3:10] 2. The Christmas Song

[1:07] 3. Deck The Halls

[2:17] 4. O Come All Ye Faithful

[1:25] 5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

[3:00] 6. O Tannenbaum

[2:18] 7. O Little Town Of Bethlehem

[1:26] 8. I Saw Three Ships

[2:57] 9. O Holy Night

[1:49] 10. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

[3:26] 11. A Cradle In Bethlehem

[1:58] 12. Away In A Manger

[1:23] 13. Joy To The World

[1:56] 14. The First Noel

[2:01] 15. Caroling, Caroling

[2:07] 16. Silent Night

[1:33] 17. Buon Natale

[2:30] 18. All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)

[1:42] 19. The Happiest Christmas Tree

[3:41] 20. The Christmas Song (With Natalie Cole)

First issued in the early 1960s, this collection of musical Christmas cheer is packed full of the smoothly sung, sentimental favorites associated as much with Nat "King" Cole himself as with the season. The singer's performance of "The Christmas Song" is an unforgettable classic reprised here twice, once in an updated version that includes a contemporary vocal from his daughter, Natalie, and also in Cole's original 1946 recording. Other traditional religious favorites like "I Saw Three Ships" and "Away in a Manger" are also featured, in a setting that, with its well-arranged orchestral accompaniment, manages to sound both sophisticated and folksy.

Digitally remastered by Bob Norberg (Capitol Mastering). Additional Tracks Reissue producer: Brad Benedict. Personnel includes: Nat "King" Cole (vocals, piano); Natalie Cole (vocals); Ralph Carmichael (conductor).

The Christmas Song

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Julie Lyon Quintet - Julie

Size: 120,8 MB
Time: 51:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz
Art: Front

01. Love For Sale (5:24)
02. Bye Bye Blackbird (4:06)
03. Dindi (4:15)
04. Comes Love (5:21)
05. Every Time We Say Goodbye (4:35)
06. Too Damn Hot (4:44)
07. All Or Nothing At All (6:53)
08. Born To Be Blue (8:19)
09. Strollin' (4:09)
10. Temptation (3:36)

Julie Lyon is an extraordinary singer. “Julie” is a wonderful album. Initially fronting the premier jazz quartet in Orlando, Florida, Ms. Lyon and her drummer/husband/partner Tom Cabrera pulled up stakes, settled in the New York metropolitan area and assembled a quintet of remarkable musicians for their Unseen Rain Records release.

And Julie is an extraordinary jazz singer. Classically trained and reared on pop, rock and blues, the draw of the vocal jazz greats, Sarah Vaughan, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and others, opened the door to a world in which Ms. Lyon is now at the top of her game. On “Julie”, whether it’s the robust swing of Dr. Lonnie Smith’s “Too Damn Hot” (lyrics by Julie Lyon), the deeply felt “Every Time We Say Goodbye” or the Parisian cafe as speakeasy atmosphere of Tom Wait’s “Temptation”, Julie’s voice is glorious and the band is in full flight.

Tom Cabrera’s Unseen Rain recordings include the trios Lion Hearted and Sumari and his duo with the quintet’s guitarist Jack DeSalvo have released several albums, among them are Tales of Coming Home and Libra Moon. In addition to being an incomparable jazz drummer, Cabrera is an adept world percussionist, often adding to the proceedings instruments from all over the planet, particularly the middle-east.

About Jack DeSalvo, Cadence Magazine says, “Using both acoustic and electric instruments, DeSalvo demonstrates technique, intelligence and imagination with a broad streak of lyricism and passion in what amounts to one of the better guitar voices to be heard in improvised music these days.” He also plays mandola on “Temptation”, a stringed instrument like the mandolin, though pitched a bit lower.

The inimitable multi-instrumentalist Matt Lavelle plays both trumpet and alto clarinet on “Julie” with a bluesy, lyrical bent that echoes the jazz trumpeters of decades past while retaining his very modern edge. Allaboutjazz.com say this about Matt, “...Lavelle travels the line between life and death. His playing is absolutely fearless, and his ability to express himself unparalleled..."

At home in a variety of genres, the rich tone of Bobby Brennan’s double-bass anchors the quintet with solid swing and joie de vivre. Bobby is in demand from sea to shining sea, particularly NYC, Long Island, NY, Nashville, TN and Orlando, FL.

Julie

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Juliana Aquino - 2xBossa

Size: 109,7 MB
Time: 46:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Bossa Nova
Art: Front

01. Todas As Manhas (E Se Domani) (4:02)
02. 'Till There Was You (3:33)
03. Beyond The Sea (La Mer) (4:23)
04. Nao Tem Jeito (4:57)
05. Star (Estrela) (4:09)
06. Bem Que Se Quis (E Po Che Fa) (5:27)
07. Lately (4:12)
08. Aqueles Olhos Verdes (4:29)
09. Every Time We Say Goodbye (4:07)
10. E Se Domani (Bonus) (4:01)
11. Quando Te Vi ('Till There Was You) (Bonus) (3:33)

The singer Juliana Aquino released the brazilian version of her second album, entitled 2xBossa. 2xBossa will firmly establish Juliana as one of Brazil’s Bossa Nova’s divas. The sophisticated sound and production, signed by Tuta Aquino, is all acoustic and has a stellar list of musicians.

2xBossa

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Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom - Greaze Is What's Good

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 63:29
Size: 145.3 MB
Styles: Organ blues-jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:01] 1. Can I Change My Mind
[6:19] 2. Greaze Is What's Good
[5:13] 3. One People
[5:29] 4. Mr. Mr. Blasta From The Past'da
[5:23] 5. What D'freak
[6:21] 6. Big Fine Lil' Lass
[5:21] 7. What's Going On
[6:41] 8. Long Time Ago
[6:06] 9. In Between / The King
[6:49] 10. J-J-Jazz It Up
[4:39] 11. Gangsta's To Blame

On Greaze Is What's Good, Ron Levy is joined by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, guitarists Melvin Sparks and David T. Walker, drummer Idris Muhammad, and trombonist Steve Turre, plus Memphis blues guitarist Preston Shannon, for a solid set of grooving, bluesy soul-jazz. ~ Steve Huey

Ron Levy (Fender Rhodes piano); Michelle Wilson, Ray Greene (vocals); Darby Hicks, Jr. (guitar, Fender Rhodes piano); David T. Walker, Melvin Sparks, Preston Shannon (guitar); Steve Turre (conch shell, trombone); Crispin Cioe (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Jim Spake (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Gordon "Sax" Beadle (tenor saxophone); Freddie Hubbard, Scott Thompson (trumpet); William F. Zimmerman (piano); Greg Morrow (drums, percussion); Idris Muhammad, James Gadson (drums); Ralph Dorsey (congas); Carol Steele (percussion).

Recording information: Crosstown Recorders, Memphis, TN; Sunnyside Studio, South Central Los Angeles; The Magic Shop, New York, NY; Van Gelder Studio, Englewood, NJ.

Greaze Is What's Good

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Juliet Kelly - Delicious Chemistry

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:03
Size: 114.6 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:00] 1. Secret
[5:51] 2. Delicious Chemistry
[2:39] 3. I Wish You Love
[3:29] 4. Unicorn Dream
[4:55] 5. Alone Again
[5:00] 6. Behind Her Smile
[4:35] 7. Parallel Universe
[4:41] 8. Searching For Clues
[4:26] 9. Letting You Go
[4:56] 10. Guardian Angel
[5:26] 11. Black Rose

After the very well received release of her first album, APHRODITE'S CHILD, in 2003 Juliet Kelly now embarks on a new project; DELICIOUS CHEMISTRY, a charming album of original songs: DELICIOUS CHEMISTRY (Chantiko) is a collection of original songs that further showcase Juliet's talent for writing laid-back, accessible jazz. As well as featuring her regular band of Carl Orr, Tom Barlow and Mercury Award nominee Seb Rochford; DELICIOUS CHEMISTRY involves some of the many great names Juliet has worked with recently, including BBC Jazz Award winner trumpeter Byron Wallen, Cuban violinist Omar Puente (Kirsty McColl), pianist Kate Williams and one of the early acid jazz pioneers Roger Beaujolais on vibes.

A highlight for Juliet in 2005 was performing with award winning saxophonist and BBC radio presenter Courtney Pine at the Barbican for the BBC's Jazz Britannia season. They connected through their work and as a result Courtney features on the album in BLACK ROSE and Juliet appears on vocals on Courtney's acclaimed new album "Resistance" released in late 2005.It was this wonderful and varied mix of musicians that led to Juliet naming the album: "I chose the title Delicious Chemistry because the musicians - although all from jazz - come from a real mix of styles" DELICIOUS CHEMISTRY saw Juliet write an entire album of original songs because as much as she loves the classic standards she wants to share her own fresh perspective on the beauty, freedom and expression of jazz-influenced music - music that can appeal to a younger audience as well as to more mainstream jazz fans. Tracks like UNICORN DREAM and BEHIND HER SMILE demonstrate perfectly how Juliet really lives up to her aim of making an album of very accessible original songs. As with all the tracks they have a really fresh, clean, new sound, but are still unmistakably written and performed in the tradition of jazz. It is an album that can't help but make the listener feel relaxed and content with the world, while the beautifully rich, velvety vocals of Juliet similarly can't help but inspire and uplift the audience.

Juliet, sometimes described as a cross between Sade, Norah Jones and Cassandra Wilson, has in this sassy album developed a distinct style that needs no classification and will soon see her name spoken in its own right along side the great jazz divas.

"I've been extremely fortunate to work with such exceptionally talented musicians. We really enjoyed playing the songs and recording the album - I hope you enjoy the results!"

Delicious Chemistry

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Kai Brant Feat. Martin Motnik - The Way You Look Tonight

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:55
Size: 82,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:34)  1. Whatever Lola Wants
(2:40)  2. Summertime
(4:36)  3. The Way You Look Tonight
(3:21)  4. Manhã De Carnaval
(3:48)  5. Why Don't You Do Right
(2:35)  6. My Funny Valentine
(3:51)  7. Feeling Good
(3:35)  8. Besamé Mucho
(4:39)  9. Autumn Leaves
(4:10) 10. 'S Wonderful

In this new compilation of standards from stage and screen, Kai Brant tackles some of the biggest, most classic songs ever written. If you recognise the line-up, you might find yourself feeling a bit old, but Brant's voice and stylings make you feel young again - like it's the first time you're hearing these saucy old-time ditties. Brand new, all over again! Add to it the brassy tones of Martin Motnik's fretless bass, and you have a collection of tunes well worth an all-night listen. And maybe into the next day, too.

Brant sings the standards true; the melodies are as they should be. That soothes me with a real sense of comfort. When I hear a classic being sung anew, I want to be able to sing along with familiar confidence. Brant delivers all the necessary attitude and experience, and I go right back to the olden days, smiling that the lady has done right by these timeless tunes. Yet, there are those moments when she strays just enough from the path to add some real kink to the story-telling. When she throws in a change, and I continue to sing the original melody, she and I come together in vocal harmony, and it draws me even further into the experience. I become part of her performance. It's as if she chooses new and different tones for the sole purpose of inviting me in.

You and me, Kai Brant. You and me. Let's shake it out a bit with "The Way You Look Tonight." Attitude rubs off, don't you know?

Featured bassist, Martin Motnik's choice of a fretless electric instead of a stand-up brings an entirely new feel to the music. He's got his mwah on big time, but since Motnik plays the stand-up as well, the mwah is guided by the hip-swaying authenticity of the big bass, and it works. Oh yeah, it works. Such a noticeable presence to complement Brant's voice. I swear to you all, on the last track, George Gershwin's 's Wonderful, Motnik's bass actually seems to pronounce the lyrics during his solo in the middle. The fretless just sings sweetly to us. Listen to it and tell me you can't hear it singing 's Wonderful.

Add to the atmosphere some fine, delicate piano and jazzy snare brushes, and you have a special evening before the fire, slow dancing with the one you love. Close your eyes and you're there!  http://www.thunderrow.com/content.php?1504-An-Evening-With-Kai-Brant

The Way You Look Tonight

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Sarah Gillespie - Glory Days

Styles: Folk
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:44
Size: 93,3 MB
Art: Front + Back

(4:50)  1. Postcards To Outer Space
(5:14)  2. Glory Days
(3:37)  3. Sugar Sugar
(4:51)  4. Oh Mary
(3:51)  5. Signal Failure
(5:10)  6. The Bees And The Seas
(4:53)  7. The Soldier Song
(3:27)  8. Babies And All That Shit
(4:46)  9. St. James Infirmary

British singer-songwriter Sarah Gillespie s first two albums won her critical acclaim for mixing folk, blues and jazz with vivid lyrical imagery. Her latest album Glory Days cements her reputation, not only as a starkly original songwriter, but also as a formidable musician. Featuring eight original songs and one cover, the solo guitar tracks (Postcards to Outer Space, Oh Mary) mark her as a fiercely good guitarist and a Joni Mitchell for the new age. There is a sharp intelligence and wit at play, as she bestows her musical heritage (she is half American) of Delta blues, Cole Porter-esque wordplay and folk narrative onto visions of the modern world where church bells can be downloaded, wars watched on 24-hour news cycles and where relationships rely on the receptiveness of smart phones (Signal Failure). ...equally assured writing about the personal or the political. The Times Despite her trademark smattering of socio-politics Glory Days is Gillespie s most personal album to date. Songs alluding to grief reveal songwriter intent on transforming the pain of loss into a triumphant celebration of life. Similarly, the love songs on the album evolve from heartache my, my, your love was like/digesting dynamite to the witty quips of comical pastiche Babies and All That Shit you want some hooker in the back ground and I don t mean John Lee.

Backed by a formidable band including 2010 Mercury Prize nominee Kit Downes on piano, Sarah Gillespie s Glory Days was produced by Gilad Atzmon. His production beautifully augments the backdrop of Gillespie s melodies with dreamlike Wurlitzer piano, subtle clarinets and moody accordions. All this provides Gillespie with the space to weave her poetic tales, which she delivers with an edgy tour de force that marks her out as an exceptional performer. Despite the smattering of socio politics, Glory Days is Gillespie s most personal album to date. Songs alluding to grief (Postcards to Outer Space) the night devours us and the wind sings its oblivious blues and the beatific title track that journeys through biopic snap shot images of reminisced moments, reveal a songwriter transforming the pain of loss into a triumphant celebration of life. Similarly the love songs swing from heart ache my, my your love was like digesting dynamite to the witty quips of Babies And All That Shit you want some hooker in the back ground and I don t mean John Lee. With a voice described as powerful, seductive & vulnerable, Gillespie delivers her stories with a tour de force worthy of any theatrical stage. 

A more raw and acoustic album that its predecessors, Atzmon s innovative production places Gillespie s deft finger picking guitar at the forefront of a formidable trio featuring Mucury nominated Kit Downes on piano, Enzo Zirilli on drums and Ben Bastin on double bass.  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Glory-Days-Sarah-Gillespie/dp/B00C9CILMQ

Glory Days

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Eric Alexander - It's All In The Game

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:33
Size: 122,9 MB
Art: Front + Back

(7:05)  1. Where Or When
(6:52)  2. Typhoon 11
(6:30)  3. Where is the Love
(5:52)  4. It's All in the Game
(8:27)  5. Open and Shut
(7:54)  6. Ruby My Dear
(5:20)  7. Little Lucas
(5:30)  8. Bye Bye Baby

"I'm trying to have the whole horn sing clearly and relatively evenly," Eric Alexander says in a quote in the booklet notes which accompany It's All In The Game. There's ample evidence here of how successful he's been with that aim, but he neglects to mention that allying it with an exceptional level of invention within the idiom of the post bop mainstream makes for the kind of listening that is as much as anything else whatever jazz means in these fraught early years of the 21st Century.  A veteran at 37, Alexander is at the stage in his musical journey where he has become something more than the sum total of his influences. 

Manifested in his sound are the very qualities referred to above, and in Harold Mabern he has arguably the perfect pianistic foil; the fact that Mabern is almost double Alexander's age is perhaps the strongest evidence there could be for the lasting appeal of this particular jazz idiom. Alexander is also becoming something of a composer to watch. His "Take 11" finds him putting over a solo that evokes the spirit of Wayne Shorter at the same time as it retains his own burgeoning musical personality. It's relatively easy to pull off this trick when the material is as rarely heard as effective jazz as Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack's "Where Is The Love?", which the quartet treats with worthy reverence at the same time it stays some distance on the right side of sumptuous. What it all comes down to is the fact that there should be a place in any open-minded listener's experience for music of this calibre. This reviewer will find a place on the shelves that's no great alphabetical distance from Fred Anderson, or Derek Bailey either, for that matter. ~ Nic Jones  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=21448#.Up50_-Jc_vs

Personnel: Eric Alexander: tenor saxophone; Harold Mabern: piano; Nat Reeves: bass; Joe Farnsworth: drums.

It's All In The Game

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Lynne Arriale Trio - The Eyes Have It

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:39
Size: 136,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:01)  1. My Funny Valentine
(6:22)  2. Witchcraft
(5:56)  3. My Man's Gone Now
(4:43)  4. Heartsong
(1:32)  5. Yesterdays
(7:32)  6. Elegy
(5:26)  7. Alone Together
(5:04)  8. The Eyes Have It
(9:27)  9. Blues For T.J.
(7:33) 10. My One And Only Love

As a composer and interpreter of modern jazz, pianist Arriale is blossoming more and more with every passing day. She's open to stretching melodies, interacting with her very talented trio, and tackling new challenges. For this, her fifth CD, all trio sides, she, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Steve Davis present three Irish influenced Arriale originals, ballads, and standards that further explore the hushed tones, airy refrains, and delicately constructed music that is her hallmark. On the romantic side, Arriale melts walls and hearts with her after-midnight takes on "But Beautiful" and "Touch Her Sweet Lips And Part." When she's in this molasses-slow mode, her playing is distinctly like no other. Patient as a lonely, wanting lover for "The Forgotten Ones," Davis wields mallets on drums, as though walking through a rain forest, while Arriale fastidiously searches for clues to the scavenger hunt. 

The folk melody/children's song "Hush-A-Bye" has the pianist paraphrasing perhaps the simplest melody written with aplomb and stoic grace. The Celtic-influenced songs contrast beautifully; "Turning" a 3/4 to 4/4 jig-to-bop exchange, "Dance" is just that, with Davis doing the steps with his chattering sticks, and the showstopper "The Highlands" is a popping, extroverted, sensational number that shows Arriale does have a more hectic side. "It Ain't Necessarily So" might be a bit of an anomaly to the rest of the selections, a swinging, light groove version replete with dynamic accents and variations that make the old tried-and-true Gershwin melody sing and cry out. The other well-known composition, "Beautiful Love," has a free intro which merges into a midtempo head, the pianist and drummer trading eights effortlessly in the middle. Arriale is a most gifted pianist, probably the closest thing we have in the '90s to Bill Evans in terms of subtlety and depth. Hard to judge this against her other trio CDs, they're all very good, and any will be a welcome addition to your collection. ~Michael G.Nastos  

http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-eyes-have-it-mw0000118266

The Eyes Have It

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Neil Diamond - The Classic Christmas Album

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 42:09

Size: 96.5 MB

Styles: Holiday

Year: 2013

Art: Front

[3:55] 1. White Christmas

[2:37] 2. Joy To The World

[4:14] 3. O Come All Ye Faithful

[3:34] 4. The First Noel

[2:42] 5. Winter Wonderland

[3:38] 6. You Make It Feel Like Christmas

[3:30] 7. The Christmas Song

[3:27] 8. O Holy Night

[3:04] 9. Silver Bells

[2:40] 10. Sleigh Ride

[4:43] 11. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

[4:01] 12. Silent Night

Part of Legacy's budget-priced Classic Christmas series, the Neil Diamond installment offers up 12 previously issued holiday hits, including yuletide classics like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "The first Noel," "Winter Wonderland," "O Come All Ye Faithful," and "Silent Night." ~ James Christopher Monger

Recording information: Abbey Road Studios, London; Angel Recording Studios Ltd., London, England; ArchAngel Recording, Los Angeles, CA; Conway Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Ocean Way Recording, Los Angeles, CA; Studio 55, Los Angeles, CA; The Complex, Los Angeles, CA; The Hit Factory, New York.

The Classic Christmas Album 

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Willis Jackson with Pat Martino - S/T

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:21
Size: 115.3 MB
Styles: Cool jazz, Saxophone jazz, Guitar jazz
Year: 1998/2009
Art: Front

[8:10] 1. Bolita
[6:16] 2. Single Action
[8:07] 3. Blue Velvet
[6:18] 4. Miss Ann
[5:58] 5. Gator Whale
[5:35] 6. My One And Only Love
[4:52] 7. The Breeze And I
[5:01] 8. The Goose Is Loose

When Willis Jackson and Pat Martino got together in the 1960s and the 1970s, the improvisers usually had a very strong rapport. Released in 1998, this collection gathers some of their work for Muse in the 1970s and draws on three albums: Headed and Gutted (1974), Bar Wars (1977), and Single Action (1978). Painting a well-rounded picture of Jackson's work with Martino, With Pat Martino ranges from exhilarating, high-speed bop burners like "The Goose Is Loose" and "Single Action" to the slow blues of "Bolita" and "Miss Ann," to soulful ballad statements such as "My One and Only Love" and Bobby Vinton's "Blue Velvet" (which hasn't received a lot of attention from the jazz world but works impressively well as a jazz ballad). Jackson had calmed down since his honker sessions of the late 1940s and early '50s, but he still had a very big, fat tone and a lot of energy -- no one's going to mistake With Pat Martino for cool jazz. The material on this CD isn't very ambitious, but it's certainly heartfelt and rewarding. ~ Alex Henderson

Recorded between May 16, 1974 and April 26, 1978. Includes liner notes by Joel Dorn. Recorded in March 1964.

Willis Jackson (tenor saxophone); Pat Martino (guitar); Mickey Tucker (acoustic & electric piano, organ); Charlie Earland, Carl Wilson (organ); Bob Cranshaw, Jimmy Lewis (bass); Freddie Waits, Idris Muhammad, Yusef Ali (drums); Ralph Dorsey, Sonny Morgan (percussion); Richard Landrum, Buddy Caldwell (congas).

Willis Jackson With Pat Martino

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