Babi Mendes - Short Stories

Size: 104,4 MB
Time: 44:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Vocal Jazz, Blues Jazz
Art: Front

01. I Dreamt Of A Song (4:37)
02. O Canto Do Guerreiro - The Warrior's Chant (4:19)
03. Find Your Friends (4:32)
04. These Blues (3:55)
05. The Vase (3:49)
06. Play Me (4:46)
07. The Deepest It Could Be (5:36)
08. Drunk Man (4:03)
09. Grapefruit (3:56)
10. Julia'a Lullaby (5:09)

Babi Mendes is a Brazilian singer-songwriter who performs in a jazz style, taking inspiration from such jazz greats as Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole as well as from the music of her home country.

As the granddaughter of the Brazilian composer Dinah Menezes and the journalist Carlos Menezes, Babi Mendes started studying English at the age of 9 and singing at the age of 14. She studied at local conservatories and since the beginning demonstrated a particular interest in jazz, blues, bossa nova and rythim'n'blues.

American music has always been her greatest influence, but she also admires musicians such as Tom Jobim, Chico Buarque and Milton Nascimento when it comes to Brazilian popular music. Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Betty Carter and Nina Simone are references to Babi's work and well as contemporary singers such as Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Diane Schurr, Jane Monheit and Karrin Allyson.

In her repertoire, since she started her music career in the city of Santos, in her country, Brazil, there are traditional jazz standards from songwriters such as Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Benny Goodman, George and Ira Gershwin, Louis Armstrong and Cole Porter. The singer has performed in jazz duos, quartets and bands.

In 2006, took part in a project called Santos de Casa, at SESC Santos, in which she was the guest singer at Maurício Fernandes Quartet's presentation. Besides contributing with several musicians, Babi Mendes is currently working with the quartet, 'The Old News', and with the guitar player Pedro Ramos on her own songs. She also joined 4act Performing Arts and studied musical theater in São Paulo. Babi wrote the songs from 'Short Stories' between 2003 and 2010. Journalist, Portuguese and English teacher, what she loves writing the most is not news or literature: but songs.

'Short Stories' is her debut album.

Short Stories

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The Greg Tivis Trio - I Got It Bad... (Feat. Kelsey Taylor)

Size: 133,4 MB
Time: 57:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz
Art: Front

01. Almost Like Being In Love (3:09)
02. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me (3:51)
03. I Got It Bad, And That Ain't Good (4:32)
04. Dream A Little Dream Of Me (4:31)
05. Lullaby Of Birdland (4:33)
06. Come Rain Or Come Shine (5:57)
07. Love Me Or Leave Me (4:18)
08. Body And Soul (6:12)
09. Moondance (6:29)
10. Mood Indigo (4:50)
11. Summertime (5:16)
12. Lush Life (3:54)

After working as bassist with Greg Tivis and Kelsey Taylor practically every week for the past few years, it seemed only natural to attempt to capture on CD the magic we had developed playing live. The word “natural” accurately describes the recording process. The confidence and familiarity with each other that grew out of all those live performances is pleasingly demonstrated in the music we played on this project. The tracks just seemed to flow into the recorder.

Kelsey is simply amazing. She doesn’t just sing the words, she sings the song and makes you believe she’s singing to you and you alone.

Nobody likes to swing more than I do, and nobody swings harder than Greg Tivis. Wow. He makes it easy. His playing skills combined with his knowledge and willingness to share said knowledge has caused me to
grow exponentially over these last few years where my playing is
concerned.

In addition to playing bass on this project, this is my second opportunity to produce and record these two fabulous musicians. It is a thrill and an honor. Thank you both. ~Steve Carr

I Got It Bad...

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Oscar Peterson - An Oscar Peterson Christmas

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 52:20
Size: 119.8 MB
Styles: Holiday
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:24] 1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
[4:45] 2. What Child Is This
[3:38] 3. Let It Snow
[3:47] 4. White Christmas
[3:18] 5. Jingle Bells
[2:47] 6. I'll Be Home For Christmas
[3:28] 7. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
[3:15] 8. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
[6:51] 9. Christmas Waltz
[3:55] 10. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
[3:11] 11. Silent Night
[4:06] 12. Winter Wonderland
[3:32] 13. Away In A Manger
[2:16] 14. O Christmas Tree

Oscar Peterson takes it easy during his relaxed set. He had not completely recovered from his stroke but he was still an impressive pianist. Peterson, who is assisted by guitarist Lorne Lofsky, bassist David Young, and drummer Jerry Fuller, is joined by a 20-piece string section arranged and conducted by Rick Wilkins. The 14 holiday tunes (which include "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman," "White Christmas," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas") are given tasteful and lightly swinging treatments and there are guest appearances by vibraphonist Dave Samuels and flugelhornist Jack Schantz. But no real surprises or chancestaking occurs and the music is mostly just pleasant. ~Scott Yanow

An Oscar Peterson Christmas

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Warren Vache & Bill Charlap - 2gether

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:59
Size: 119.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Cornet jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[4:50] 1. If I Should Lose You
[3:47] 2. You And The Night And The Music
[5:46] 3. Darn That Dream
[3:31] 4. What'll I Do
[4:11] 5. Easy Living
[4:49] 6. Nip-Hoc Waltz (Homage To Chopin)
[3:12] 7. Etude #2
[4:27] 8. Soon
[4:49] 9. Dancing On The Ceiling
[7:44] 10. Prelude To A Kiss
[4:48] 11. St. Louis Blues

This studio session featuring the duo of cornetist/fluegelhornist Warren Vache and pianist Bill Charlap deserves to rank alongside nearly any similar date recorded during the last two decades of the 20th century. Vache has been overlooked by far too many critics (which even Wynton Marsalis acknowledged in print); while Charlap has had a little easier time with the exposure he has received as a member of the Phil Woods Quintet and recording as a leader for Blue Note. Vache's lyricism come through, whether utilizing a mute, as on the foot patting "If I Should Lose You" or a swinging "You and the Night and the Music," or with the open horn, especially in the warm rendition of "Easy Living." Charlap not only proves himself an incredible accompanist, but that he has a sense of humor, too, especially with his lush introduction to Duke Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss," which briefly detours into Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight." Although the emphasis is primarily on standards, "Nip-Hoc Waltz" (an homage to Chopin) and "Etude" (which features Vache unaccompanied) are two fine examples of Charlap's considerable abilities as a composer. Sadly, the liner notes stick to separate biographies of each musician and don't explain what prompted them to work together. This very entertaining date will stand up very well to repeated listening. ~Ken Dryden

                        
2gether                

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Daryl Sherman - A Hundred Million Miracles

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 61:26

Size: 140.7 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 2006

Art: Front

[3:49] 1. Getting To Know You

[3:01] 2. How Was I To Know

[4:55] 3. You're Nearer

[2:56] 4. Ten Minutes Ago

[4:18] 5. Ev'rything I've Got

[5:50] 6. You Are Too Beautiful

[3:48] 7. A Hundred Million Miracles

[3:16] 8. Do I Hear A Waltz

[6:56] 9. Little Girl Blue

[5:09] 10. Sixteen Going On Seventeen

[7:34] 11. Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered

[2:40] 12. Do It The Hard Way

[3:53] 13. What's The Use Of Wond'rin'

[3:16] 14. This Can't Be Love

Listening to and enjoying the vocals of Daryl Sherman seems almost natural. She's talented, for sure, but it's the joy and sensitivity she instills in each song that impresses one. It doesn't hurt that Sherman has chosen to interpret the songs of Richard Rodgers on A Hundred Million Miracles, nor that she's enlisted the help of guitarists James Chirillo and Joe Cohn and bassist Boots Maleson. Her piano work and a number of guest appearances fill out the arrangements on an hour's worth of music from the classic American songbook. Sherman's rendition of "You Are Too Beautiful" is wonderfully underlined by Ruby Braff's cornet work, while her upbeat version of "Do I Hear a Waltz?" is accented by Chirillo's bouncy lead. She's joined on vocals by Bob Dorough for fun versions of "Everything I've Got Belongs to You" and "Sixteen Going on Seventeen." Even with high-profile support, though, Sherman's vocals remain the centerpiece of A Hundred Million Miracles. There's a lovely, seven-minute-plus "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered," and the album closes with a cheerful "This Can't Be Love." As one might note from these two songs, even though the lyrics of Rodgers form the connecting thread, his writing partners -- like Lorenz Hart -- also deserve mention. A Hundred Million Miracles is beautifully realized and Sherman's singing is an absolute joy. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Live Recording Recorded at Nola Studios, New York, New York on October 4-8, 2002.

Daryl Sherman (vocals, piano); Bob Dorough (vocals, piano); James Chirillo, Joe Cohn, Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Houston Person (tenor saxophone); Ruby Braff (cornet); Jim Gwin (drums).

A Hundred Million Miracles      

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Lee Russo - Trading Off

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 48:25
Size: 110.8 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:16] 1. Blues For Judith
[2:45] 2. Diatonic
[5:54] 3. Goldfinch
[5:46] 4. Kin
[8:05] 5. O's Waltz
[5:33] 6. Nat And Em
[4:57] 7. Ivory Romance
[5:32] 8. You're It
[4:32] 9. Trading Off

No keyboards. No guitars. No other horns except for a guest artist in the middle of the disc. In short, no other “lead” instruments to fall back on. For most players, this would be like juggling torches while walking the high wire. Lee Russo wanted it this way for Trading Off, his first CD. Maybe he's an insane risk-taker. Or maybe he's got the goods.

The disc should look Old School, because Russo's got an Old School tone, both in his playing and writing styles. In the liner notes, Lee says his influences are too numerous to mention. The opening track, “Blues For Judith”, reveals two influences right off, as Russo hits you with a West Coast mood and a mellow tenor sax that took me back to the first time I heard Paul Desmond. I will love Dave Brubeck until I die, but it was Desmond's singular sax work - mellow like Getz, but with an underlying edge as sharp as a knife - that elevated the Brubeck Quartet above everything else on the scene. Russo's playing has Desmond's edge while his writing has West Coast's sense of subtlety.

Don't worry about your cholesterol, because Russo's not re-frying anything. He's learned his lessons well, but all these pictures come straight from Lee's easel. “Diatonic” is a frantic abstract painted one slash and splash at a time, while “You're It” is a happy, playful travelogue that lets Russo take off on soprano sax. It was a good choice for Russo to do a couple of numbers on soprano; given the small size of his group, some kind of tonal variation was needed to break up the overall attack. Trading Off wouldn't be boring if Lee only played tenor, but why take the chance?

Trading Off

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Klára Hajdu Quartet - Come With Me

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:04
Size: 147,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:25)  1. Overjoyed
(8:42)  2. Come With Me (Sicily)
(6:57)  3. Smoky Lights
(8:02)  4. Volt Nékem Szeretom
(7:11)  5. Jonathan Livingston
(5:09)  6. The Good Life
(7:35)  7. In Vain
(4:34)  8. Open Your Eyes
(6:25)  9. Lullaby

Klara was born on 3rd of June, 1982. She started her musical studies in a music preschool, after that came a music primary school and a music school. She sang in a choir and she learned to play the piano. Her parents, being fond of music, made her meet jazz music at a very young age. When she was 15 years old, she started to study jazz singing in Szeged at the HAMMIDO music school. Her teacher was Adrienn Szabó. At this time she started to sing on stage. After High-School in 2001 she won the first prize in the solo voice category of the SONY MUSIC & BRAVO Talent Competition.

Until 2005 she studied at the jazz department of the Dr. Lauschmann Gyula Collage of Jazz Music in Székesfehérvár. Her teachers were Kriszta Pocsai, Barnabás Pély and Noémi Kiss. Then she sang with many great musicians and bands. In 2003 she was among the best 16 singers of the Hungarian TV2 Megasztár 1. competition, the Hungarian version of Pop Idol.  Since 2004 she has been the singer of the famous Hungarian jazz band, Elemer Balazs Group. She sings with the great jazz singer, Gabor Winand. They have given many successfull concerts at numerous festivals in Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Serbia, Transylvania, Italy, Norway, Scotland and England. Their first collective album, titled Refracting Sounds won the Fonogram Award and thus became the “Hungarian Jazz Album Of The Year” in 2005. 

In 2007 they released their album, entitled “Early Music”, in which baroque music is mixed with jazz. In the winter of 2009 they released their latest album, entitled “Memories”, wich was nominee the Fonogram Award “Hungarian Jazz Album Of The Year” in 2010. Klara contributed with background vocals to many singers’ albums and concerts (Tisza Bea, Mujahid Zoltán, Rácz Gergo, Dobrády Ákos, Zentai Márk, Iván, Völgyi Zsuzsi, Bon-Bon…). Klara contributed with background vocals to many singers’ albums.  Her own quartet was founded with pianist József Balázs, bassist Márton Soós and drummer Balázs Cseh in the spring of 2008. She graduated from the vocal jazz faculty of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music Budapest in June 2009. Her teachers were Tamás Berki, Ágnes Lakatos and Irma Holczer. ~Bio  http://www.hajduklara.hu/bioen

Come With Me

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Christine Tobin - House of Women

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:38
Size: 129,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:59)  1. House of Women
(4:34)  2. Story of Isaac
(7:14)  3. The Invisible Thread
(4:56)  4. Acts of Obscenity
(7:12)  5. Echoes
(4:46)  6. Seneca
(4:12)  7. Lovin' Kind
(3:27)  8. Love-Lies-Bleeding
(3:38)  9. Ooh! Salamander
(7:06) 10. Morro Velho
(4:32) 11. Hey Joe

Born Dublin, Eire. After singing in Dublin, Tobin went to London where she studied at the Guildhall School of Music, taking the jazz course. Tobin is now a regular on the UK jazz scene, working with musicians such as Jean Toussaint, Billy Childs, Kenny Wheeler, and Django Bates, and has established regular slots at Ronnie Scott’s and the South Bank’s Purcell Room. She also tours Europe regularly, appearing at festivals in Austria, Germany, Bulgaria, Spain and Hungary. Her repertoire is wide-ranging, rooted in jazz but drawing on Irish folk, world, and Latin influences. Tobin’s recorded output for the Babel label has focused on her own melodically-complex compositions, although the highlight remains her languorous and husky vocals. Deep Song concentrated on interpretations of jazz standards such as ‘Little Girl Blue’, ‘I Can’t Get Started’, and ‘How Deep Is The Ocean’. 

~ Bio  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/christine-tobin-mn0000905178

House of Women

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John Hicks, Cecil McBee, Elvin Jones - Power Trio

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:24
Size: 112,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:36)  1. Cousin Mary
(8:09)  2. After the Rain
(6:49)  3. D Bass-IC Blues
(9:39)  4. Duke's Place
(8:38)  5. Chelsea Bridge
(7:29)  6. After the Morning

This summit recording by pianist John Hicks, drummer Elvin Jones, and bassist Cecil McBee might not always hit the heights, but it still impresses with a fine repertoire and quality playing. John Coltrane's "Cousin Mary" kicks things off with Hicks and Jones matching the vigorous interplay the drummer and pianist McCoy Tyner plied so well in Coltrane's classic quartet, while a faithful reading of the tenor giant's airy ballad "After the Rain" is also included. Unlike these impressive covers, the two Duke Ellington numbers in the set bring mixed results:

While "Duke's Place" (aka "C-Jam Blues") is given a spry and inspired reading, spotlighting Hicks' amazing Tyner and Art Tatum-inspired chops, "Chelsea Bridge" becomes a missed opportunity thanks to the group's listless interpretation. Hicks' lovely, easy-swinging "After the Morning" redresses the balance, closing the set with fine contributions from all three players. In spite of a few musical missteps and the somewhat tinny sound of Hicks' piano, this fine trio recording still comes highly recommended.
~ Stephen Cook   http://www.allmusic.com/album/power-trio-mw0000674404

Power Trio

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Von Freeman - The Great Divide

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 2003

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 51:24

Size: 118,2 MB

Art: Front

(0:12)  1. Von: You Ready?

(8:23)  2. Be My Love

(3:25)  3. Never Fear Jazz Is Hear

(9:26)  4. This Is Always

(6:29)  5. Chant Time (Featuring Jelly Roll)

(0:15)  6. Von: "Everybody Mellow?"

(7:45)  7. Blue Pres

(4:04)  8. Disorder At The Border

(3:52)  9. Hard Hittin'

(7:27) 10. Violets For Your Furs

It is a little bit crazy to consider octogenarian tenor saxophonist Von Freeman paying tribute to anyone considering that he has outlived the vast majority of his peers. Still, Mr. Freeman chooses to step out and tip his hat to three horns that changed everything  Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and Charlie Parker. Freeman reasons that this present disc is entitled The Great Divide to illustrate the disparate aspects of these three men joined together by jazz. Coleman Hawkins was all about muscular eloquence, virile, masculine expression. Lester Young was the equivalent of an operatic lyric tenor, who very easily could be called the godfather (if not the father) of "Cool" Jazz. Charlie Parker? Well, after Charlie Parker, nothing was ever the same. 

The disc begins with a bit of banter before Freeman, in his irreplaceable style, spins out eight minutes of the infrequently covered "Be My Love." Here, Freeman displays what makes his sound unique among the "giants" he proposes to honor. His tenor sound is deep, reedy and full of breath with a barely detectable vibrato. This tosses the saxophonist smack dab in the middle between Bean and Lady Day's President. It is here and on the solo saxophone closer, "Violets for Your Furs," that Von Freeman shows who he is a tenor saxophonist of Beethovenian proportions, having seen all and played all, from Frankie Trumbauer and Greg Osby. The centers of the recording are the blues pieces "Blue Pres" and "Disorder at the Border." Mr. Freeman takes on the ghosts of Pres and Bean directly, without ever losing himself in either artist's style. "Blue Pres" sounds like the best after hours blues anyone could hope for and has probably been in Freeman's book from the beginning.

Freeman's own "Never Fear, Jazz is Here" and "This is Always" look forward and backward from Charlie Parker. The one ghost that is not mentioned is that of John Coltrane, who emanates from Freeman's sax bell on "Chant Time" like " pious incense from a censer old." This recording is all that any mainstream jazz fan could hope for. Von Freeman is that quiet elder statesman whose fame fortunately manifest while it is not too late for the great saxophonist to enjoy it. A disc for the year-end list, for sure. ~ C.Michael Bailey  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=13975#.UqSiHOJc_vs

Personnel: Von Freeman: Tenor Saxophone; Jimmy Cobb: Drums; Richard Wyands: Piano; John Webber: Bass.

The Great Divine

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Gale & Rodrigues Group - Live At The Rex

Size: 109,6 MB
Time: 67:43
File: MP3 @ VBR ~226K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Full House (10:09)
02. Statement (11:54)
03. One-Eyed Monster ( 8:55)
04. I-90 ( 8:09)
05. You Don't Know What Love Is (11:46)
06. Laurier Luxury Walk ( 7:38)
07. Bye Bye Blackbird (In 7 For Chris Driscoll) ( 9:09)

Chris and Vanessa met at a very intense jazz workshop in the Canadian Rockies, where they decided after hiking to the summit of Sulpher Mountain that they were a musical match made in heaven. (well, more like after their set in the dark cabaret in the bowels of the Theater Complex, but a mountaintop does seem more majestic and mighty, doesn't it?).

Fast forward a few months to the Rex in Toronto, where Chris invited his good friend and marvelous drummer Davide DiRenzo to join them for a trio gig. They FREAKED out ... they couldn't believe the chemistry, the magic! It was like that love-at-first-sight feeling when your stomach flies up into your throat! They thought "We've gotta get this band recorded NOW! Yesterday is too late already!"

All they needed now was a guitar, and they'd be cruisin' down the road to 1960's-style organ jazz uphoria! Vanessa brought Mike Rud into the mix ... he's one of Canada's best-kept secrets, and he's BURNING!

So, on March 15 & 16, 2006, they returned to the Rex to put on a show, and they captured it on record for your listening and grooving pleasure!

Enjoy! They sure did!!!

Chris Gale - saxophone
Vanessa Rodrigues - Hammond organ
Mike Rud - guitar
Davide DiRenzo - drums

Live At The Rex

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Melinda DeRocker - I'll Be Seeing You

Size: 98,3 MB
Time: 41:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. That Old Feeling (2:37)
02. I've Got A Crush On You (3:11)
03. It Had To Be You (2:14)
04. Embraceable You (3:12)
05. I've Got You Under My Skin (3:00)
06. The Nearness Of You (5:02)
07. 'S Wonderful (2:38)
08. You're The Cream In My Coffee (2:43)
09. The Way You Look Tonight (2:29)
10. Love Is Here To Stay (2:32)
11. I'll Be Seeing You (4:23)
12. Day By Day (3:48)
13. Time After Time (3:45)

With the debut of her first album, "I'll Be Seeing You," Melinda DeRocker brings fresh and beautiful arrangements of timeless standards, with a roster of New York-based jazz musicians supporting her superb vocals. Melinda is a trained singer, with a classical and musical theatre background who has moved seamlessly and gracefully into the standards genre as if she'd been singing these tunes for years.

Ms. DeRocker sings with warm, clear tones, that draw the listener in. With perfect articulation and pitch, rich and smooth phrasing, she even adds a hint of her Southern heritage at times. Singing in her mezzo range, she surprises by moving into an occasional high note with beauty and ease.

With just enough bite on "I've Got You Under My Skin," to humor and sass in "It Had To Be You," to desire and longing defining "Embraceable You," to pure joy in "Time After Time," Melinda DeRocker and her musical team have thoughtfully and skillfully created 13 "jewels" to present out into the music world.

I'll Be Seeing You

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Mary J. Blige - A Mary Christmas

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 45:54
Size: 105.1 MB
Styles: Holiday
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:08] 1. Little Drummer Boy
[4:37] 2. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
[3:50] 3. My Favorite Things
[3:18] 4. This Christmas
[3:53] 5. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
[2:27] 6. Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer
[3:42] 7. When You Wish Upon A Star
[3:48] 8. Mary, Did You Know
[4:19] 9. Do You Hear What I Hear
[3:57] 10. Petit Papa Noël
[4:24] 11. The First Noel
[3:26] 12. Noche De Paz (Silent Night)

A truly Mary Christmas would match the distraught look on the cover. Blige's first Christmas album, guided by David Foster and Jochem van der Saag, doesn't feature sad or embittered chestnuts like "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" or "Fairytale of New York" (was Method Man busy?). Instead, it contains a mix of standard holiday songs -- a couple playful, many solemn, all dramatic. It's a big production; an orchestra backs Blige on most of the songs. She pours herself into all of the material, even when she's joined by Jessie J (of all people) for a version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" that is overcooked. It could use a couple more joyous songs in the vein of Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas," which is a delight despite so many versions since the original 1970 version. A Mary Christmas won't likely reach the high status of, say, Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas, but it's a full-effort holiday release that many of her fans should be able to enjoy for several years. ~ Andy Kellman

Recording information: Air Studios, London, UK; Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; Chartmaker Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Platinum Sound Recording Studios, New York, NY; Verve Studios, Santa Monica, CA.

A Mary Christmas

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Conrad Herwig & Brian Lynch - Que Viva Coltrane

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 62:17
Size: 142.6 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[ 7:35] 1. Lonnie's Lament
[ 9:50] 2. Miles Mode
[ 7:57] 3. Wise One
[ 8:08] 4. Countdown
[ 5:03] 5. Central Park West
[ 7:49] 6. Grand Central
[ 5:47] 7. Straight Street
[10:05] 8. Locomotion

What more could Latin jazz fans ask for, seriously?. Not only are all the players just this side of top guns, they have been playing together in the same group for just shy of ten years. An all-star lineup and the genuine synergy that comes with regular collaboration do not happen often. When they do, well, it's clave magic. Pianist Edsel Gomez's playing is sly and intuitive. Bassist John Benítez, whose Descarga in New York could be one of the decade's most defining Latin jazz records, is strong and confident. Richie Flores is the genre's most underappreciated conguero, and his playing is typically incendiary. Robby Ameen is, of course, among the most in-demand drummers on the scene, and his playing is dazzling as always. Brian Lynch has a voice all his own, and of course Conrad Herwig is one of modern jazz's most influential trombonists. This being Herwig's second go at the Coltrane songbook, the obvious choices are done with, leaving him some gems that were hidden slightly below the surface of public interest. "Lonnie's Lament" is masterfully arranged and funky enough to make your hair stand on end. "Countdown" is at times both graceful and storming. Que Viva Coltrane is a fantastic addition to Herwig's Latin body of work. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez

Recording information: Systems Two Recordsing Studios, Brooklyn, NY (12/15/2003).

Conrad Herwig (trombone); Conrad Herwig; John Benítez (double bass); Mario Rivera (flute, tenor saxophone); Brian Lynch (trumpet, flugelhorn); Edsel Gomez (piano); Robby Ameen (drums); Richie Flores (congas).

Que Viva Coltrane

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Erin Dickins - Java Jive

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:52
Size: 102.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:03] 1. I Just Found Out About Love
[3:21] 2. Je Cherche Un Homme
[2:55] 3. Java Jive
[4:50] 4. Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast
[2:57] 5. Tain't What You Do
[3:32] 6. Walkin' With Your Barefeet On
[4:07] 7. Long Ago And Far Away
[3:27] 8. Stayin' Is The Only Way To Go
[3:35] 9. Can't We Be Friends
[3:27] 10. Loads Of Love
[5:21] 11. I Must Have That Man
[4:12] 12. Sometimes I'm Happy

As an award winning jazz vocalist and founding member of The Manhattan Transfer, Erin Dickins has enjoyed a remarkable career on stage and in the recording studio. After five years singing ensemble music with The Manhattan Transfer, she expanded her musical horizons, emerging as one of the top studio singers in New York. Dickins performed, toured and recorded with many notable artists including Leonard Cohen, Bette Midler, James Taylor, The Talking Heads, James Brown, Barry Manilow, Jaco Pastorius and Ashford & Simpson, to name but a few. Dickins continues to perform and record, enchanting audiences throughout the world.

Dickins returns to her roots with a remake of the original Ink Spots’ hit, which she first recorded on the Manhattan Transfer album Jukin’. As title track, Java Jive will anchor the new release and will feature backing vocals by longtime friends Tim Hauser, Marty Nelson and Gene Pistill, the three male vocalists from the original Manhattan Transfer.

Dickins’ album was carefully crafted over a two-year period by a group of renowned musicians. Java Jive is produced by Jesse Frederick, and features pianist/arranger Rob Mounsey, trumpeter Barry Danielian and bassist David Finck. Dickins was awarded the prestigious Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award in 2012.

Java Jive

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Christy Baron - I Thought About You

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:17
Size: 126,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:15)  1. Got to Get you into my life
(5:05)  2. Round Midnight
(4:24)  3. Knocks Me Off My Feet
(2:23)  4. Ain't No Sunshine
(3:50)  5. Night And Day
(4:51)  6. Misty
(5:41)  7. Columbus
(5:45)  8. Body And Soul
(5:09)  9. Summer Soft
(6:58) 10. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
(3:43) 11. I Thought About You
(4:08) 12. If It's Magic

I Thought About You, Christy Baron's first album, demonstrated that a singer doesn't need the massive chops of Dianne Reeves or Dee Dee Bridgewater in order to deliver a convincing jazz vocal date. Instead of going for hard bop or providing a lot of complex, horn-like scatting and vocalese, the Pittsburgh native favors a light and melodic approach that is best described as "acoustic jazz with R&B and pop elements." One of the things that makes the CD successful is the fact that Baron doesn't bite off more than she can chew  though soulful and capable of depth, someone with as sweet and youthful a voice as Baron probably wouldn't have been very convincing on Billy Strayhorn's world-weary "Lush Life." 

But the singer shows how tasteful an interpreter of lyrics she can be on selections ranging from the standards "Night and Day" and "Body and Soul," to no less than three Stevie Wonder pearls: "Summer Soft," "Knocks Me off My Feet," and "If It's Magic." And her performance of Noel Brasil's "Columbus" is simply gorgeous. Thankfully, Baron realizes that great popular music didn't die with Cole Porter, and her ability to find the jazz potential in songs by the Beatles ("Got to Get You into My Life"), Bill Withers ("Ain't No Sunshine") and Wonder is a major asset. Though not well-known, I Thought About You indicated that Baron was someone to keep an eye on. ~ Alex Henderson   

http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-thought-about-you-mw0000232745

I Thought About You

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Christine Tobin - Secret Life of a Girl

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:58
Size: 113,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. Bye Bye
(4:34)  2. Camille
(7:20)  3. Corner of an Eye
(3:58)  4. Dreamland
(5:29)  5. No Love No Thrill
(7:13)  6. Everybody Knows
(6:11)  7. Minx
(3:43)  8. Secret Life of a Girl
(6:14)  9. Poses

Three years and a lifetime in gestation, Secret Life of a Girl is an album London-based singer/songwriter Christine Tobin spoke about when she gave an interview to AAJ in autumn 2005. At the time, Tobin was touring in support of Romance and Revolution (Babel, 2004), the sixth own-name disc she'd recorded since 1995 and, like its predecessors, a soulful and intelligently programmed mixture of originals and covers.  Secret Life of a Girl continues that tradition. There are just two covers this time, Leonard Cohen's world weary "Everybody Knows" and Rufus Wainwright's playful "Poses." The other seven tracks are Tobin originals, one with lyrics by the poet Eva Salzman, whose writing Tobin also featured on Romance and Revolution's "Muse of Blues."  Just as Tobin described it in her interview, Secret Life of a Girl is a collection of songs featuring female characters, some younger, some older. "Camille" gets inside the head of a 10 year old girl and her imagined secret world. 

"No Love No Thrill" describes the feelings of a grown woman who has unhappily concluded a relationship with an older man. In "Minx" a woman reveals the carapaces and emotional disguises she employs to get by. "Secret Life of a Girl" deals in more metaphorical language with these and other ideas. The other tunes are not so gender specific, but dealing as they do with issues and situations which effect the lives of women as much as they do men each sits well within the general concept. "Corner of an Eye" is a brilliantly woven collection of epigrams telling of life's struggles. "Dreamland" is a meditation on secret memories. Tobin's lyrics, a mixture of metaphor and real life experience, are genuinely poetic and give her songwriting a depth and richness which repeated listening enhances rather than diminishes. Tobin is well served, as before, by a superb band of seasoned regular accompanists, including guitarist Phil Robson, pianist Liam Noble, bassist Dave Whitford and percussionist Thebe Lipere. Cellist Kate Shortt and drummer Simon Lea are the newest recruits, with whom Tobin started working live in 2005. Robson's lyrical electric guitar, an attractive blend of jazz and rock influences, is a feature of several tracks. 

Noble's percussive prepared piano on "Bye Bye" and solo on "Minx" are compelling contributions from a fast emerging keyboard master. This is another rewarding collection of deep-song from a singer/songwriter who combines literate compositions with a tangible sense of the jazz life, with all its attendant passions, joys and tribulations. Chris May   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=29443#.UqJnuOJc_vt

Personnel: Christine Tobin: voice; Phil Robson: guitars; Liam Noble: piano and prepared piano; Kate Shortt: cello; Dave Whitford: double bass; Thebe Lipere: percussion; Simon Lea: drums; Alex Bonney: programming (8).

Secret Life of a Girl

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Houston Person - Soft Lights

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:08
Size: 149,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:07)  1. Here's That Rainy Day
(4:37)  2. I Only Have Eyes For You
(6:08)  3. It Might As Well Be Spring
(5:51)  4. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
(7:01)  5. At Last
(7:56)  6. The Night We Called It A Day
(8:47)  7. It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream
(5:59)  8. I'll Be Around
(6:16)  9. Hey There!
(5:21) 10. If

Honestly, it's tempting to imagine (shades of the urban legend about German avant-garde freaks Amon Düül) that when Houston Person signed to High Note Records in the mid-'90s, he recorded one marathon session and all of his albums since then have simply been culled from those master tapes. Certainly they've had the same sound, along with most of the same personnel. Practically the only way to tell the difference between the albums is by the song selection choices. This one splits the difference between jazz standards and pop hits, with Duke Ellington's immortal "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me" (given a wonderful, sprightly reading that owes a subtle debt to Rahsaan Roland Kirk's sublime take on the underrated A Meeting of the Times) leading one pack and Bread's treacly "If" (surprisingly good, with some lovely, restrained guitar work by Russell Malone the only backing for Person's meditative solo) the other. As always with Person, the standards win. This isn't a bad place to start for those wondering which album from this era to get. ~ Stewart Mason   http://www.allmusic.com/album/soft-lights-mw0000247259

Soft Lights

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Tsuyoshi Yamamoto - Speak Low

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:26
Size: 159,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:30)  1. Cool Struttin
(6:20)  2. Black Is the Color
(8:23)  3. Speak Low
(7:33)  4. Misty
(2:50)  5. Doxy
(4:14)  6. Jealous Guy
(7:07)  7. Yesterdays
(6:20)  8. I've Never Been in Love Before
(6:32)  9. Come in from the Rain
(7:29) 10. Girl Blues
(7:07) 11. Close to You

Tsuyoshi Yamamoto was born on 23rd March 1946. He started to play the piano when he was in primary school. In junior high school, he played the trumpet. His interest in jazz began when he first heard Art Blakey’s tunes in the French movie, “Les Liaisons Dangereuses”. It inspired him to return to the piano, to perfect his technique. During his university years, he played for Mickey Curtis and the Samurais and began his professional career, including tours with the group in Europe. 

Following this, he joined other bands and played in clubs. In l973, he formed his own band. As he polished his piano skills, he came to idolize pianists such as Bobby Timmons, Wynton Kelly and Red Garland. Yamamoto’s melodic technique and phrasing reflect Kelly’s influence. His use of block chords in ballads is similar to Garland’s. He had also heard Monk’s solo. When this record was made, his chief interest was pianists such as Randy Weston. Isoo Fukui was born on 10 April 1947 and came to Tokyo in 1968. He has played in a number of groups and in 1972 joined the MASARU IMADA TRIO. Tetsujiro Obara was born on 23 March 1941. At the university he played in the brass band. In l965,he became a professional. He has played in a number of bands, in many clubs and formed his own band. His favourite drummer is Elvin Jones. ~ Bio http://www.last.fm/music/Tsuyoshi+Yamamoto+Trio/+wiki

Speak Low

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Hilde Louise Asbjornsen - Sound Your Horn / Never Ever Going Back

Album: Sound Your Horn
Size: 96,4 MB
Time: 41:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Jazz Pop
Label: Sweet Morning Records
Art: Front

01. Let's Stay In (3:21)
02. It Ain't Friday (3:11)
03. Sweet Morning (3:39)
04. All You Are To Me (3:16)
05. Prelude To The Stars (0:40)
06. The Room (4:13)
07. This Winter (3:56)
08. Look To The Stars (4:01)
09. Desert Song (4:00)
10. The Darkest Hour (4:33)
11. This Love (3:16)
12. Sound Your Horn (3:06)

Produced by Anders Aarum, this album is a poetic cocktail of jazz, cabaret and pop-music. Featuring some of the hottest horns in Norway!

It presents a darker, more characteristic side of Hilde Louise. Recorded on tape in a boathouse on the west coast of Norway, featuring an energetic Hilde Louise Orchestra, from the top of the Norwegian jazz league.

Sound Your Horn

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Album: Never Ever Going Back
Size: 109,5 MB
Time: 47:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Jazz Pop
Art: Front

01. Trans Siberia (4:17)
02. Dragon Fly (3:56)
03. Till I Die (4:20)
04. Come Summer (4:07)
05. When You Are Gone (3:41)
06. Wartime (5:16)
07. Big And Black (5:14)
08. Echo (3:42)
09. Yellow Days (3:32)
10. Undeceivable (4:36)
11. Never Ever Going Back (4:15)

Norwegian singer, songwriter and actress Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen released her fifth album ‘Never Ever Going Back’ on her own label Sweet Morning Records in Norway to solid critical acclaim. Admittedly I don’t know Asbjørnsen’s earlier releases, from what I’ve read all jazz, so I can’t say if this is a step upwards or the opposite. What I can say is that I’m digging what I hear.

Jazz is still very much part of her music, not least in her expressive vocal delivery, but adding blues, pop and rock elements she creates an enticing combo with a 1920s cabaret feel in the spirit of Tom Waits (only prettier in every sense) and sharing the playfulness of her Finnish sister in arms Astrid Swan (album opener ‘Trans Siberia’ could’ve been a Swan track).

As said I don’t know her previous albums, but by the looks of it ‘Never Ever Going Back’ is a step in a new direction for Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen. And by the sound of it she doesn’t have to go back… ~Peter Krogholm

Never Ever Going Back

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