Hilde Louise Asbjornsen - 'Round About Christmas

Size: 91,0 MB
Time: 38:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz, Holidays
Art: Front

01. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (3:13)
02. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (3:03)
03. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree (3:16)
04. I'd Like You For Christmas (2:14)
05. Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend (2:43)
06. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? (With Noora Noor) (4:56)
07. Santa Claus Came In The Spring (2:24)
08. December (2:55)
09. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (3:11)
10. 'Zat You, Santa Claus (3:10)
11. Christmas Is A Lullaby (With Ane Brun) (3:12)
12. Glade Jul (4:29)

Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen serves a groovy piece of Christmas jazz molded through the hearts and ears of her exquisit little orchestra. A mixture of american classics and rarities, including a caribbean "Rudolph", "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" in New Orleans wrapping and a bluesy "What Are You Doing New Years Eve?" in duet with Noora Noor. Hilde Louise also offers one original tune performed in a duet with Ane Brun.

Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen is a rare and wonderful combination, equal parts musician, poet and storyteller. This enjoyable Scandinavian lady is hailed by Norwegian press as "three parts Monroe and one part Holiday". Hilde Louise's poetry is hypnotic. Her instrumental arrangements are like dark, expencive chocolate - rich, sweet-tasting, and very satisfying, while leaving you wanting more! Hilde Louise Orchestra, a collection of Norway's best known musicians, is led by keyboardist and musical director Anders Aarum. (quote Skoot Larsson)

'Round About Christmas

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Andy Fite - Everyone Else Had Been Drinking

Size: 81,5 MB
Time: 34:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. You Fooled Me (3:25)
02. Heaven's Real (2:21)
03. She Was So Pretty (2:07)
04. The Only Person I Know (4:01)
05. I Don't Know What You're Trying To Say To Me (1:56)
06. You Know My Name And You Know My Number (2:16)
07. An Ordinary Night (2:25)
08. What I Can't Remember (3:40)
09. A Reason (3:44)
10. A Lousy Day (2:31)
11. A Funny Thing (2:11)
12. Lord, What A Party! (4:05)

It happened early in 2013 that I noticed with some interest that the number of songs I have written (I started keeping track almost from the beginning, and I'm so glad I did-- it would have been chaos otherwise) was drawing tantalizingly near to the 500 mark, and I was duly tantatlized. So I thought, for the second time already, to avail myself of the cycle of 24 keys, and, as before, it worked wonderfully. The songs came quickly and pretty easily. The seed planted, it seems, it was just to water them a little and then dig them out.

The first twelve were written in the spring. From the first conception of the first tune to the release of the music took ten weeks. I felt so inspired!

The songs at hand (starting in E-flat major and winding up in D minor) were written in the summer and early autumn, and recorded in October. The album title, and the closing track, were inspired by the cover photo, taken by me in a parking lot in suburban Stockholm a couple of years ago. Sweet, serious creature!

Completing the suite didn't actually get me to 500. "Lord, What a Party!" is song number 498 in my catalog. I did get two more after that, but in the end they didn't seem to belong with these. I realized too late that getting to 500 did me no good at all: when you send out the promo bits, you can't say "Andy Fite has written 500 songs," it's got to be either Nearly 500, or Over 500. Right now I can't say anything!

I probably ought to go write a song now.

Anyway, I'm glad for the way these came out, and I hope you like them too. It's all me here, on voice(s), guitar(s) and the acoustic bass guitar. Recorded in Stockholm be me myself.

Everyone Else Had Been Drinking

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Bill Heid - Wylie Avenue

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:15
Size: 140.2 MB
Styles: B-3 Organ jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[6:23] 1. At The Hurricane
[8:16] 2. Always Larry
[6:48] 3. The Slinky
[7:35] 4. Waltz Of The Corgies
[5:07] 5. Who Else
[7:34] 6. Grantulant
[7:49] 7. Wylie Avenue
[7:00] 8. Toe Tappin'
[4:39] 9. I Want You

Bill Heid is unquestionably one of the most impressive Hammond B-3 organists in modern jazz, and one night of listening to him live in performance solidifies this assertion. He's no less impressive in the studio, but the more visceral energy he brings to the stage can still be enjoyed on his studio releases. Wylie Avenue is a tribute to his native Pittsburgh, PA, where on Wylie near Center Avenue, the legendary Hill District was the location of the chitlin circuit jazz and blues clubs that launched the careers of Don Patterson, Big John Patton, Larry Young, Jimmy Smith, Gene Ludwig, and so many other fellow organists. Heid doles out more of his original music on this disc that combines soul-jazz with mainstream and progressive sounds, all blended together in a physical and virtuoso-driven nutty professor swing and bluesy funk. Of the many Pittsburgh icons Heid pays tribute to, "At the Hurricane" (for the legendary Hurricane Bar) is an easy blues, a bit off-kilter, goofy, and always on the move. The light calypso "Always Larry" (for Larry Young) probes into a sidereal deep-blue mood, while the title track is an up-and-down bopper -- mostly up -- with a fierce drum solo by longtime favored Heid sideman Mike Petrosino. "Toe Tappin'" is atypical for Heid, with its loping pace and spare, patient melody. New York guitarist Peter Bernstein is the special guest on this set, well versed and experienced in this type of music. His adaptability shows during the dirty ankle-biting funk of "Grantulant" (dedicated to Grant Green), or in tandem with Heid's organ for the boogaloo-type solid-sending soul song "The Slinky." A personalized groove, "Waltz of the Corgies" is dedicated to Heid's longtime pooch who passed away, and reflects a missing-in-action status. There's no stopping Heid when he gets cranked up, as on the bouncy swinger "Who Else?," where his nutty, spiky accents and flying fingers should convince anyone as to his enormous talent. As Heid's catalog grows and his music grows on you, you have to come to the conclusion that he's one of those rare talents who doesn't come along too often in life. Wylie Avenue is another high point in the brilliant career of perhaps the most underappreciated musician of modern times. ~ Michael G. Nastos

Following the success of Asian Persuasion, released in 2008, Wylie Avenue reunites Bill with Peter Bernstein, Michael Petrosino and George Jones for another highly memorable outing. Each of the cuts here are inspired by the great organists I've heard over the years; Jimmy Smith, Don Patterson, Larry Young, John Patton, and so many more and I was fortunate to get a hard swinging group behind me. Drummer Mike Petrosino loves to play it all - hard be-bop, blues shuffles, hip-hop and neo-soul grooves. As for Peter Bernstein, the perfect guitarist for an organ date - great solos, perfect comping, with percussionist George Jones. Bill Heid reminds us once again that he's one of the most advanced, articulate and exciting Hammond organ practitioners anywhere today. Wylie Avenue brings him home and pays worthy tribute to the Hill District's jazz legacy.

Recording information: Heid Pro Audio, Pittsburgh, PA (2008).

Bill Heid (vocals, organ); Peter Bernstein (guitar); George Jones (congas).

Wylie Avenue

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Ella Fitzgerald & Nelson Riddle - The Complete Sessions

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 59:09
Size: 135.4 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Vocal jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[2:35] 1. Somebody Loves Me
[2:05] 2. Cheerful Little Earful
[2:18] 3. I Hear Music
[3:29] 4. Georgia On My Mind
[3:32] 5. Call Me Darling
[2:49] 6. Love Me Or Leave Me
[3:59] 7. The Gentleman Is A Dope
[2:54] 8. Mean To Me
[2:42] 9. What Am I Here For
[3:32] 10. I Can't Get Started
[2:44] 11. Alone Together
[2:06] 12. Pick Yourself Up
[3:46] 13. Don't Be That Way
[3:21] 14. All Of Me
[2:36] 15. I Only Have Eyes For You
[2:58] 16. I'm Gonna Go Fishin'
[2:31] 17. Darn That Dream
[3:31] 18. I Won't Dance
[2:58] 19. When Your Lover Has Gone
[2:34] 20. It's A Pity To Say Goodnight

Born June 1, 1921 in Oradell, NJ, Nelson Smock Riddle studied piano as a child, later switching to trombone at the age of 14. After getting out of the service, he spent 1944-1945 as a trombonist with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, also writing a couple of arrangements (“Laura”, “I Should Care”). By the end of 1946, with the help of good friend, Bob Bain, he secured a job arranging for Bob Crosby in Los Angeles. He then became a staff arranger at NBC Radio in 1947, and continued to study arranging and conducting with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Victor Young.

Soon he was occasionally writing for Nat King Cole, initially as a ghost-arranger. However, the successes of his arrangements for “Mona Lisa” (1950) and “Too Young” (1951) set him on his way to doing most of Nat’s music at Capitol Records. By this time, Nelson Riddle had become conductor of the orchestra and had his name printed on the record label. He was no longer an anonymous arranger.

When Frank Sinatra signed with Capitol Records in 1953, the label encouraged him to work with the up-and-coming Riddle, who was now Capitol’s in-house arranger. Though he had helped Nat achieve his biggest hit, “Mona Lisa”, Sinatra was still reluctant. He soon recognized the freshness of Dad’s approach, however, and eventually came to regard him as his most sympathetic collaborator. The first song they cut together was “I’ve Got the World on a String.” When Sinatra and Dad began to record conceptually unified albums that created consistent moods, the results were some of the finest and most celebrated albums in the history of popular music. There was a great mutual respect between them. As Dad comments in his 1985 KCRW interview, “He opened some doors which without his intervention would have remained closed to me.”

Dad’s work with Ella Fitzgerald on the Gershwin Songbook in 1959 was considered one of the most elegant and unique interpretations of a most amazing body of work. ~Rosemary Riddle

The Complete Sessions

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Dan Fogelberg - The Very Best Of Dan Fogelberg

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:45
Size: 168.9 MB
Styles: Soft rock
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[5:33] 1. Nether Lands
[3:17] 2. Part Of The Plan
[4:10] 3. Heart Hotels
[3:14] 4. Longer
[3:57] 5. Hard To Say
[4:18] 6. Leader Of The Band
[5:19] 7. Same Old Lang Syne
[4:16] 8. Run For The Roses
[4:31] 9. Make Love Stay
[4:04] 10. Missing You
[3:41] 11. The Language Of Love
[4:34] 12. Believe In Me
[5:26] 13. Lonely In Love
[4:43] 14. She Don't Look Back
[4:21] 15. Rhythm Of The Rain
[4:19] 16. Magic Every Moment
[3:55] 17. A Love Like This

Although nine of the ten songs on Dan Fogelberg's 1982 release Greatest Hits also show up here, this is a definite improvement on that prior disc. It has more songs (17), and extends its chronological reach all the way up to 1993. A few post-1982 chart singles are on here that weren't on Greatest Hits, though only one of them, "The Language of Love," was a big hit, and it could be argued that Fogelberg's most popular and familiar material is adequately summarized by Greatest Hits anyway. ~ Richie Unterberger All tracks have been digitally remastered.

Dan Fogelberg, Graham Nash, Tom Scott, Mike Porcaro, Jerry Hey, Jimmy Fadden, Michael Brecker, Joe Walsh, Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmit.

The Very Best Of Dan Fogelberg

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Jeanie Lambe And The Danny Moss Quartet - Blue Noise Session

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:54
Size: 160,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:02)  1. Long Ago And Far Away
(3:40)  2. Just Squeeze Me
(4:55)  3. Black Coffee
(2:32)  4. Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night In The Week
(5:31)  5. I Get Along Without You
(2:41)  6. Don't Go Away Mad
(4:26)  7. Just One Of Those Things
(4:25)  8. Mad About The Boy
(4:08)  9. Love For Sale
(3:41) 10. Honeysuckle Rose
(4:31) 11. The Thrill Is Gone
(3:29) 12. Day In, Day Out
(3:27) 13. Here's That Rainy Day
(3:15) 14. A Foggy Day In London Town
(4:54) 15. It Never Entered My Mind
(3:13) 16. Come Rain Or Shine
(4:02) 17. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
(2:53) 18. Do I Love You

Born 23 December 1940, Scotland. Lambe sang at the age of 17 with the Clyde Valley Stompers and then for many years she worked in the London area with a variety of bands including Kenny Ball, Chris Barber, Acker Bilk and Alex Welsh. Gradually, her fame spread, partly owing to appearances at many international jazz festivals where she often sang with small groups led by her husband Danny Moss. With him, she spent time in Australia, residing there at the start of the 90s but continuing to tour annually either in America or Europe. During her career Lambe has sung with modern and mainstream jazz musicians including Monty Alexander, Ben Webster, Budd Johnson, Oscar Peterson, Wild Bill Davison, Kenny Davern, Joe Pass and Buddy Tate. Over the years, Lambe’s voice has subtly darkened, adding greater texture to an already fluid musical instrument. ~ Bio  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jeanie-lambe-mn0000232729.

Personnel: Jeanie Lambe, Danny Moss, John Pearce, Len Skeat, Phil Flanigan, Ed Metz, Jr., Charly Antolini.

Blue Noise Session

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Lesley Wolman - Jewish Women In Song... A Celebration

Styles: Cabaret
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:22
Size: 158,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:00)  1. Shalom
(4:17)  2. If He Walked Into My Life
(3:46)  3. Miriam's Song
(4:15)  4. The Rose
(6:59)  5. Dorothy Fields Medley
(4:38)  6. My Yiddishe Momme
(3:49)  7. Miflas Hamatzav Ruach
(4:50)  8. At Seventeen
(5:21)  9. Jocheved
(3:06) 10. Sadie Salome
(5:17) 11. Yerushalayim Shel Zahav
(3:02) 12. Eishes Chayil
(5:03) 13. Where Is It Written?
(7:03) 14. Carole King Medley
(3:50) 15. Yale's Song

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada, Lesley began her professional career as a child, performing in local theater and television. As a teen, she performed with the Jewish song and dance troupe “Chai” which took her to prestigious stages throughout Canada and the U.S. After studying voice, theater, and dance in Boston, she honed her vocal skills by performing with her band at local jazz spots in the Boston area.

After re-locating to Toronto, Lesley completed her Nursing Degree at the University of Toronto. While in school, she was able to work as a soloist with the Tom DeMoraes Big Band, as well as performing jingles and radio voiceovers.Her big break came when she was cast in a Toronto production of “Shenandoah” with Hal Linden. That production moved to Broadway, and the revival starred John Cullum.

While living in New York, Lesley was featured on the soaps “All My Children”, and “One Life To Live.” She also starred in Off Broadway productions of “The Golden Land” and “Chutzpah A Go Go.” When Lesley was 8 months pregnant with her first child, she wrote and performed her own cabaret show,” A Pregnant Revue” which was performed to sold out crowds at Don’t Tell Mama, in New York.. The New York Cabaret scene seemed the perfect fit for this new mom, and Lesley joined forces with jazz pianist Michael Soloway , and performed 2 other cabaret shows at Judy’s and Danny’s as well as being featured at the Cabaret Symposium at Town Hall. In 1996, she and her husband, business manager, Jeff Wolman, relocated to Los Angeles, where they currently reside. After teaming up with her current musical director and collaborator, Michael Asher, Lesley has recorded 2 albums. Lesley invited writer/director, Rick Lieberman to join her team as writer and director of her shows, which have been performed att The Gardenia Supper Club,and The Jazz Bakery. Lesley is proudest of her latest act, “Jewish Women In Song,” in which she pays tribute to 14 Jewish women who have influenced and inspired her with their compositions and performances. 

The album, which will be released in September, 2008, also features Lesley’s own composition, “Yale’s Song”, a song that she wrote for her son at the time of his Bar Mitzvah; the album features her son, Yale, on guitar, and her daughter, Serena , on background vocals. The show, “Jewish Women In Song”, which is attached to the album, will be performed first in Los Angeles, and then in various venues throughout the U.S. and Canada.  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lesleywolman2

Jewish Women In Song... A Celebration

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Idris Muhammad - Black Rhythm Revolution/Peace & Rhythm

Styles: Pop/Rock
Year: 1971
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:47
Size: 160,3 MB
Art: Front

( 5:28)  1. Express Yourself
( 4:42)  2. Soulful Drums
( 5:31)  3. Super Bad
(11:11)  4. Wander
( 8:56)  5. By The Red Sea
(11:57)  6. Peace
( 6:00)  7. Rhythm
( 5:42)  8. Brother You Don't Know You're Doing Wrong
( 4:55)  9. Don't Knock My Love - Part 1
( 5:19) 10. I'm A Believer

The album's title has more to do with the politics of its day (1972) than with the music; there's not much that's revolutionary going on here. In fact, the first track, the nine-minute "By the Red Sea," is a downright placid piece of soul samba, and the follow-up, a cover of James Brown's "Super Bad," reduces the original's intensity into a coolly percolating groove. And frankly, for a session led by the drummer, this is not a particularly rhythm-heavy set. Even the cover of Jack McDuff's "Soulful Drums" is curiously restrained, with some odd arrhythmic playing by Muhammad in counterpoint with Virgil Jones' trumpet and Clarence Thomas' soprano sax. Black Rhythm Revolution is not a bad album at all; in fact, most of the tracks are good to great, with the lengthy bookends "By the Red Sea" and "Wander" both featuring memorable grooves and tight, compact solos. It's just considerably less intense than the title might lead one to believe. ~ Stewart Mason  http://www.allmusic.com/album/black-rhythm-revolution-peace-rhythm-mw0000777502.

Black Rhythm Revolution/Peace & Rhythm

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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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