Blue Harlem - Talk To Me

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 54:44
Size: 125.3 MB
Styles: Swing, Big band
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:15] 1. 5-10-15 Hours
[3:44] 2. Hallelujah! I Love Him So
[5:53] 3. My Daddy Rocks Me
[2:17] 4. He May Be Yours
[2:49] 5. `til My Baby Comes Back To Me
[6:03] 6. Talk To Me Baby; Long Gone Blues
[3:41] 7. Bear Wallow
[3:33] 8. Nobody But Me
[2:59] 9. Now Baby Or Never
[3:49] 10. That's How I Feel About You
[2:03] 11. Ev'ry Time I Hear That Mellow Saxophone
[3:58] 12. I Just Want To Make Love To You
[4:35] 13. Drown In My Own Tears
[2:35] 14. I Cant Stop Now
[3:24] 15. Gone Walkin`

Blue Harlem have been widely regarded as one of the top swing/jump-blues bands on the London scene for over 15 years. They have become regular favourites at venues such as the world famous Ronnie Scott's, The100 Club, The Hippodrome, Hideaway, Jitterbugs and many, many more. They enjoy an international reputation - 2007 found them launching the 4th International Film Festival of Dubai and in 2008, they were personally invited by Baz Luhrmann to perform for the launch of his 1940's blockbuster movie ‘Australia’. They have been invited on three separate occasions to perform at Highgrove House charity balls for the Prince’s Trust. They have an enviable reputation as a party band, having played for society soirees all over the UK - including Buckingham Palace, Annabel’s, The Sands Venue and Burgh Island. They also regularly perform abroad, appearing at jazz festivals in Spain, Norway, Belgium and Germany.

Blue Harlem launched the career of rising star Imelda May, and are now proud to feature as their vocalist the sensational Sophie Shaw. Blue Harlem is led by Al Nicholls on Tenor Sax and features Paul Eldridge on Piano, Sandy Burnett on Double Bass, Sam Brown on Drums, Gethin Liddington on trumpet and Horace Cardew on Baritone Sax.

Talk To Me

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Diego Urcola Quartet - Appreciation

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:59
Size: 123.6 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:29] 1. The Natural (To Freddie Hubbard)
[5:42] 2. El Brujo (To Hermeto Pascoal)
[4:58] 3. Milonga Para Paquito (To Paquito D'rivera)
[4:56] 4. Super Mario Forever (To Mario Rivera)
[7:17] 5. Guachos (To Guillermo Klein & Los Gauchos)
[7:35] 6. Deep (To Astor Piazzolla & Miles Davis)
[4:55] 7. Senhor Wayne (To Wayne Shorter)
[4:31] 8. Woody 'n Diz (To Woody Shaw & Dizzy Gillespie)
[8:32] 9. Camila (To John Coltrane)

Trumpeter Diego Urcola's is a voice that has remained somewhat hidden—certainly tucked away—for two decades in Paquito D'Rivera's quintet. And then there is the subdued role he has played in Guillermo Klein's fabulous larger ensemble, Los Guachos. However, the graceful candor of his voice is irrepressible, and it was only a matter of time before he would be heard for what he really is and plays. Urcola is distinct and a singular artist in the manner of his more famous countryman, Gato Barbieri, playing with sensuous swagger and digging deep into his own soul for even the slightest note. This mortal risk-taking is something for which Barbieri is well-known, and with his own immaculate sense of grace, absolutely bereft of inhibition Urcola begs favorable comparisons with the much older tenor saxophonist.

The trumpet resides in a cluttered world and not even its softer relative, the flugelhorn, can serve to set horn men who favor this burnished brass instrument apart from the pack that always seems to advance like the frontline of an ancient army. Still, someone like Charles Mingus was able to pick Thad Jones, and more significantly, the mysterious, Clarence Shaw from out of the clutter. Jones, he called "Bartok with valves," and Shaw's language and phrasing left him breathless. Then there is Wallace Roney, and Arturo Sandoval. To these, the name of Diego Urcola must be added; to understand why, it pays to peruse Urcola's Appreciation. ~Raul D'Gama Rose

Appreciation

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Gloria Loring - By Request

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:05
Size: 109,5 MB
Art: Front

( 2:43)  1. I Get A Kick Out Of You
( 3:43)  2. Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You
( 2:42)  3. Here, There And Everywhere
( 6:01)  4. It Never Entered My Mind
( 4:43)  5. Cody's Song (I Will Sing For You)
(10:49)  6. It's All In The Game/I Remember You
( 2:48)  7. As Time Goes By
( 5:10)  8. Quiet Please, There's A Lady On Stage
( 4:27)  9. How Do I Live Without You/Con Te Partiro
( 3:55) 10. Wind Beneath My Wings

This latest release is another in a series of excellent vocal albums by Gloria Loring, who has been a mainstay of the popular song scene for more than 20 years. The play bill is made up of tunes identified by fans as favorites in an e-mail poll. As one would expect, the result is a mix of standards, show tunes, and adult pop by the cream of songsmiths, from collaborations by Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart to those of John Lennon/Paul McCartney. Despite the many years in the performing trenches, Loring's voice has lost not one iota of its clear-as-a-bell diction, perfect pitch, and her sensitivity to the lyrics. 

But if there is one quality that sets Loring's voice apart, it is the sincerity she attaches to each song. It simply oozes on such offerings as "It Never Entered My Mind," where she and pianist Larry Steelman turn this favorite standard into a love poem. Even though "Quiet Please, There's a Lady Stage" has been in Loring's play book virtually her entire career, its delivery is anything but routine, as the exquisite poignancy coupled with a "the show must go on" determination is still there. The album's premier track is the medley of tunes that run a gamut of feelings. "It's All in the Game" is filled with chin-up determination, while sweet regret is the theme of "Once Upon a Time," all backed by tasteful instrumentation helping to create the right mood. If this request album is any measure, Loring's fans enjoy songs which move and inspire. There's absolutely no fluff here. The outcome firmly confirms Loring's ability to successfully pull together material from different genres and generations into a thoroughly enjoyable concert of song. Strongly recommended. ~ Dave Nathan     http://www.allmusic.com/album/by-request-mw0000014749         

By Request

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Chanda Rule - Surrender

Styles: Soul
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:18
Size: 104,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. Let Freedom Reign
(4:01)  2. All Life Is One
(4:03)  3. Tomorrow
(3:04)  4. Slow Down
(4:13)  5. Beauty
(4:15)  6. Home
(5:04)  7. Here's to Life
(5:10)  8. Surrender
(4:54)  9. Amazing Grace
(5:35) 10. Outro/I Knew It Was Love

Soul stirring. Powerful. Sacred. Goose-bump inducing! These are just some of the words used to describe vocalist and interfaith minister Chanda Rule. With feet rooted in the gospel traditions of the South, a heart filled with soul, and a voice touched with jazz, Chanda has been weaving stories through song, humming melodies, and bending words since her childhood. Mesmerizing audiences around the world with her “liquid clear” song “bound to fill your spirit to its rim with musical serenity” and her uncanny ability to lead audiences of all backgrounds in harmonious song, Chanda loves to proclaim that music is a healing balm for the human spirit and uses music to honor the downright sacred wholeness of every being. Chanda's songs have been noted for their colorful poetics that embrace personal and spiritual depth and her unforgettably powerful approach. She infuses her melodies with her love of soulful blues, sacred teachings, and jazz blossoming unforgettable performances that touch the hearts of listeners all over the world. 

Chanda began her career in musical theater, appearing in a variety of productions, from Shakespeare in the Park in New Jersey, to Hair, The Musical in Europe. She has since opened for Regina Belle & The Whispers, Angela Bofill, India.Arie, and Amel Larrieux;  performs internationally at festivals and concert halls such as BAMCafé, Brucknerhaus, Tchaikovsky Hall, and Dizzy's Coca Cola; leads congregational music at Saint Peters Church, Unity, and Centers for Spiritual Living across the country; and has written music for and performed in concert to increase social, spiritual, and cultural awareness at The Apollo, Symphony Space, Harlem Stage, Lincoln Center, and The New York Open Center. Her genre-defying voice has graced a variety of musical projects: from her Langston Hughes inspired concert "I Too Speak of a River" and "Feelin' Good: A Tribute to Nina Simone", to performing with jazz trumpeter Franz Hackl's Outreach Orchestra, Denis Matsuev's Crescendo Festival, and New Music concerts with film composer Gene Pritsker. 

After touring Western Europe singing and leading workshops on the African roots of Gospel music with the Golden Gospel Singers and attending One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York, Chanda was inspired to harness her passion for religious harmony into "RiseUpNation" a series of workshops, concerts, singing flash mobs, and pop-up choirs that use congregational music as an agent for interfaith dialogue and unity.  Chanda was recently awarded one of seven Hough Scholarships from Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University to study Interfaith Dialogue through the Arts. Her music has been broadcast throughout the US, Eastern and Western Europe via radio, internet, and television. http://www.chandarule.com/about/

Surrender

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Beth Rowley - Little Dreamer

Styles: Pop/Rock
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:17
Size: 90,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. Nobody's Fault But Mine
(3:28)  2. Sweet Hours
(3:46)  3. So Sublime
(3:47)  4. I Shall Be Released
(3:45)  5. Only One Cloud
(3:16)  6. When the Rains Came
(3:11)  7. Oh My Life
(3:49)  8. Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground
(3:05)  9. Almost Persuaded
(4:14) 10. You Never Called Me Tonight
(3:05) 11. Beautiful Tomorrow

Following up on Beth Rowley's debut EP VIOLETS, her first full-length, LITTLE DREAMER, reveals the British singer-songwriter to be a gifted song stylist. Versed in both jazz and soul, like a midpoint between Amy Winehouse's gutbucket passion and Melody Gardot's refined cool, Rowley is a compelling singer with an excellent eye for material. Along with a batch of strong originals, covers include Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" done in an unexpected reggae take, as well as a more traditionally torchy version of Willie Nelson's "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground." ~ Charity Stafford   http://www.allmusic.com/album/little-dreamer-mw0000797698

Little Dreamer

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Igor Butman - Magic Land

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:49
Size: 169,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:32)  1. Bu-ra-ti-no
(7:08)  2. Amazing Far
(8:29)  3. Friends song
(6:22)  4. Water skis
(6:49)  5. Song of Little lion and Turtle
(7:50)  6. Lullaby of Mommy bear
(7:37)  7. Summer Song
(6:41)  8. Golden Sun Ray
(7:46)  9. Chunga-Changa
(8:30) 10. Lullaby

Russian sax man Igor Butman uses music from Russian cartoons and movies as the inspiration for Magic Land, where he has the support of a Hall of Fame band Randy Brecker (trumpet), Stefon Harris (vibes), Chick Corea (piano), John Patitucci (bass) and drummer Jack DeJohnette, who doubles as producer. "Bu-ra-ti-no embodies the music's spirit. Butman's soprano is joyful and the band takes fine advantage of the song's open spaces. He places the ballad "Amazing Far initially in the capable hands of Brecker, then joins him for a fine tenor/trumpet tandem. "Friends Song has a nicely funky underbelly and Butman shines here, too, taking interesting melodic paths along the way during his solos. The band has fun with the frenetic "Water Skis," especially Corea, DeJohnette and Patitucci, who exploit the tune's inherent mischief splendidly.

The tender ballad "Lullaby of Mommy Bear shows that Butman can sing a song, not just play it. The infectious "Summer Song shifts effectively between bebop and bossa nova, with Butman going back to soprano. "Golden Sun Ray sounds like a Coltrane foray at the outset, but morphs into a laid-back hybrid of funk and bop with Butman's tenor and outstanding work by the rhythm section. Butman plays with dexterity and fire on the Latin-flavored "Chunga-Changa," where Patitucci takes an exciting pizzicato turn.

Butman showcased a few of these tunes during a gig at New York's Dizzy's Club in late November, 2007. The rhythm section of bassist George Mraz, drummer Lewis Nash and pianist Cyrus Chestnut would have been worth the cover charge alone. As on the CD, Butman's tone was strong, compelling and bluesy and he played passionately without over-emoting. Their version of "Summer Song was reminiscent of Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas." "Water Skis sounded more like a Raymond Scott Warner Brothers classic; the band ran with it, especially Chestnut, who quoted The Flintstones theme while soloing. In the right hands, even cartoon music can be technically challenging and fun. ~  Terrell Kent Holmes http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=27933#.Urw_k7TJI0g

Personnel: Igor Butman: tenor and soprano saxophones; Randy Brecker: trumpet; Stefon Harris: vibes; Chick Corea: piano; John Patitucci: bass; Jack DeJohnette: drums.

Magic Land

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New Orleans Jazz Vipers - Hope You're Comin' Back

Styles: Swing/Big Band
Label: Independent
Released: 2006
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 142,3 MB
Time: 62:04
Art: front

1. I Hope You're Comin' Back to New Orleans - 4:13
2. Zonky - 5:06
3. Gettin' Some Fun out of Life - 5:30
4. What Is This Thing Called Love - 4:34
5. Love Is Just Around the Corner - 4:15
6. Indian Summer - 4:37
7. How Deep Is the Ocean - 5:28
8. Night and Day - 6:51
9. Bread and Gravy - 6:01
10. I Would Do Anything for You - 5:30
11. I Want You Tonight - 5:50
12. Get Rhythm in Your Feet - 4:04

Notes: The sound of the band is retro, full of energy, and unpretentious, with both up-tempo dance numbers and well-chosen ballads; it has been aptly described as neo-trad-jazz.
The New Orleans Jazz Vipers are a seven-piece swing band playing regularly to enthusiastic audiences both in their hometown of New Orleans and at festivals, Performing Arts Centers and clubs all over the world. The band's repertoire includes well-known favorites and obscure treasures from the songbooks of Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Dicky Wells, Benny Carter, and Count Basie, to name just a few.
The Vipers were the winners of the 2005 Big Easy Award for Best Traditional Jazz Band as well as Offbeat Magazine’s 2004 "Best of the Beat" award for Best Traditional Jazz Album (for the album "Live on Frenchmen Street"). In 2001 and 2003 they won the "Best of the Beat" Award for Best Emerging Traditional Jazz Band. The band was voted one of the top three jazz bands in the 2004 Reader’s Poll in Where Y’at Magazine. CBS Evening News Story, May 7, 2006.
Read more

Hope You're Comin' Back

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Susan Getz - Jazz Boxx

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:54
Size: 116.5 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[4:32] 1. Honeymoon
[4:02] 2. The Long And Winding Road
[3:02] 3. Say Goodbye To Love
[7:09] 4. That's All
[3:59] 5. Come Together
[4:54] 6. I Need Your Love So Bad
[4:08] 7. Peace Dream
[7:48] 8. Cry Me A River
[2:38] 9. My Buddy
[3:49] 10. I Fall In Love Too Easily
[3:33] 11. The Birthday Song For Caroline
[1:13] 12. Song For My Lover

With her first CD, 2005’s Jazz Boxx, Susan Getz announced her herself on the scene as a singer with a graceful, assured voice, denoting a quiet yet powerful inner strength and a refreshingly unique style. With the recent release of her newest effort, The Green Eyed Girl, Getz takes another step forward, establishing herself as a songwriter with a subtly distinctive approach and the confidence to highlight a calm warmth over dazzle and flash.

Getz shows, as well, her delightful flair for skillfully blending musical genres. As she puts it, “This album is not straight jazz or pop or blues or rock but a kaleidoscope of hues and simple intimate songs. And yet the songs and arrangements are firmly based in jazz harmonies and chord colors.”

Jazz Boxx

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Ken Schaphorst Big Band - Making Lunch

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 45:10

Size: 103.4 MB

Styles: Big band

Year: 1994

Art: Front

[2:59] 1. Making Lunch

[5:04] 2. Promise

[5:25] 3. Intimation

[9:50] 4. Stolen Moments

[4:12] 5. Gospel Garden

[8:17] 6. Chant

[4:58] 7. The Lashing Of Tongues

[4:21] 8. Prayer

The 18-piece Ken Schaphorst Big Band, created in 1988, has been hailed by the Boston Phoenix as "the most interesting and contemporary large ensemble to come out of Boston in recent years." W. Royal Stokes writes in Jazz Times that band's 1989 debut recording, Ken Schaphorst Big Band: Making Lunch, "combines the sophisticated and eclectic writing of the leader and the wonderfully loose playing of, for these ears, 18 of Boston's finest improvisers." About the Ken Schaphorst Big Band's follow-up recording, Ken Schaphorst Big Band: After Blue, released on the Accurate Recordings label in 1991, Gene Santoro writes in Pulse! that Schaphorst "cannily exploits the colors of his 18-piece group with a ferocious energy and an offbeat ear that will turn you on yours-just as Mingus meant to do." When the Moon Jumps, featuring the 10-piece Ken Schaphorst Ensemble, was released on ccurate Records in 1994. The recording that Jazz Times calls "one of the most excitingly provocative large ensemble ventures in years" received four stars from Down Beat magazine and features the three-movement Concerto for John Medeski, commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1991.

Jay Bradford (alto sax); John Carlson (trumpet, flugelhorn); John Dirac (guitar); Dave Finucane (tenor sax); Andy Gravish (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jim Harp (drums); Curtis Hasselbring (trombone); Hiro Honshuku (flute); Jerry Leake (percussion); Dmitri Matheny (trumpet, flugelhorn); Donny McCaslin (tenor sax); John Medeski (piano); Jim O'Dell (tuba); Mark Ortwein (baritone sax, bassoon); Josh Roseman (trombone); Mark Taylor (French horn); Dave Valdez (alto sax); Wesley Wirth (bass)

Making Lunch

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Sammy Davis, Jr. - All Star Spectacular

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 35:08

Size: 80.4 MB

Styles: Show tunes, Vocal pop

Year: 1962/2012

Art: Front

[3:56] 1. That Lucky Old Sun

[3:24] 2. Be My Love

[2:54] 3. Lulu's Back In Town

[2:36] 4. Stranger In Paradise

[2:18] 5. Ballerina

[3:30] 6. Sonny Boy

[1:56] 7. I Married An Angel

[3:24] 8. Falling In Love Again

[3:06] 9. You Can't Love' Em All

[2:31] 10. If You Are But A Dream

[2:09] 11. 'deed I Do

[3:18] 12. Without A Song

In 1960 Sammy Davis, Jr. signed on to Frank Sinatra's Reprise label at the zenith of his success and association with Ol' Blue Eyes and Dean Martin as a member of the one and only Rat Pack. All-Star Spectacular (1962) presents Davis like never before, both as a dynamic vocalist and as an actor of equally impressive proficiency. As Davis explains during the brief spoken introduction, the idea behind this title is to capture some of the good-natured frivolity of his one-man show onto the grooves of a studio LP. Backed by conductor and arranger Morton Stevens, Davis demonstrates his uncanny abilities on the first half of the affair as an impressionist, singing pop standards under the guise of a wide spectrum of well-known personalities. Among the highlights are his send-up of Raymond Chandler and Frankie Laine on the opener, "That Lucky Old Sun." He moves swiftly between the unlikely pairing of Mel Tormé and comedic genius Jerry Lewis during a rousing rendition of "Lulu's Back in Town." The cheerful mid-tempo Bob Russell ballad "Ballerina" is given a playful workout as Huckleberry Hound, Kingfish from Amos 'n' Andy, and even Nat King Cole -- the voice who made the tune famous to begin with -- all "drop by" to put their proverbial two cents in. Undeniably, the best of them all is Davis' parody of Mario Lanza and Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong on the Sammy Kahn classic "Be My Love." The second half of All-Star Spectacular consists of straightforward interpretations of a half-dozen swinging sides, representing the best of what the artist has to offer as a vibrant singer and consummate performer. The heartfelt "If You Are but a Dream" is given an upbeat delivery set against a scintillating mambo backdrop. Rodgers and Hart's "I Married an Angel" bursts with the brassy verbosity that became Davis' calling card, while "You Can't Love 'Em All" is nothing short of the definitive swingin' space-age-bachelor-pad anthem, not to mention the second of two Sammy Kahn lyrical contributions. Although there are many facets to Sammy Davis, Jr.'s immeasurable talents, All-Star Spectacular is a unique album, cashing in on his sizable talents as a seminal master of melody and allowing for a peek into his infectious sense of humor. ~Lindsay Planer

All Star Spectacular

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Sam Miltich & Dave Karr - Darn That Dream

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 52:06
Size: 119.3 MB
Styles: Bebop, Guitar jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[4:17] 1. Sweet Lorraine
[3:46] 2. Serenade In Blue
[5:44] 3. Poor Butterfly
[6:39] 4. Pennies From Heaven
[3:53] 5. My Foolish Heart
[4:36] 6. Gone With The Wind
[2:53] 7. Autumn In New York
[4:30] 8. Darn That Dream
[4:13] 9. I Surrender Dear
[3:35] 10. I Should Care
[3:33] 11. Don't Blame Me
[4:21] 12. Everything Happens To Me

"Darn That Dream" is a duet album featuring 24 year-old gypsy jazz star Sam Miltich on guitar and 78 year-old jazz veteran Dave Karr on saxophone.

On this album, Sam's love of both the Kansas City style of jazz playing and be-bop style pioneered by Charlie Parker is represented. Sam's one-man rhythm section is a perfect foil to Dave's tenor playing. The sparse, intimate atmosphere of the duets emphasizes the collaboration at work in this musical relationship –- and it’s a tasty sound, too!

Sam Miltich grew up in the woods of northern Minnesota, and at an early age he dedicated himself to the study of gypsy jazz, quickly becoming a master of the technique. With a love of all things jazz, he plays with his band The Clearwater Hot Club through the Upper Midwest and around the world.

Dave Karr is a legend in the Twin Cities jazz scene. An accomplished musician and composer, Dave grew up in New York City listening to Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He moved to the Twin Cities in his twenties and has been contributing to the Minnesota musical community for over fifty years.

Sam and Dave's relationship started after Sam heard Dave perform and knew immediately that they had shared musical influences in the great tenor players as Lester Young, Zoot Sims and Stan Getz. The two hit it off musically, and in 2008 Sam Miltich and the Clearwater Hot Club released an album featuring Dave Karr -- "Just You, Just Me."

Darn That Dream

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Ute Lemper - Paris Days, Berlin Nights

Styles: Vocal, Cabaret
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:15
Size: 167,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:59)  1. Elle Frequentait la Rue Pigall
(6:11)  2. L'Accordeoniste
(9:54)  3. Surabaya Johnny & Die Moritat
(5:03)  4. Der Graben
(3:02)  5. Uber Den Selbstmord
(4:30)  6. Ballade Vom Wasserad
(7:12)  7. La Ultima Grela
(4:41)  8. Oblivion
(3:23)  9. Yo Soy Maria
(5:59) 10. Temnaya Noch
(6:40) 11. Ikh Shtey Unter a Bokersboym
(6:05) 12. Stiller Abend
(5:29) 13. Ne Me Quitte Pas

The title Paris Days, Berlin Nights is a little misleading. One might expect French songs about morning-after regrets and German ones about living cynically hedonistically, but this collection goes way beyond that. It includes songs about war, abandonment, the indifference of time to human suffering, and gritty street life, with music by Piazzolla and Polish-Jewish composer Chava Alberstein in addition to the expected Kurt Weill, Hanns Eisler, and Jacques Brel. Uniting them all is Lemper's incredible voice and sense of drama, no matter what language. 

The energy she puts into songs such as Der Graben or Ballade vom Wasserrad is so great, it's hard to believe that no physical harm is done, but she comes right back every time, putting just as much into the next one. She is well supported by the Vogler Quartet and accordionist/clarinetist/pianist Stefan Malzew, all of whom come close to matching Lemper's intensity when needed. Malzew made all the arrangements, and they are very well done. 

They not only provide interesting, textural accompaniment to the voice, the gestures also support the character and theme of the texts. Malzew even sneaks in little details, such as quoting La Marseillaise in L'Accordéoniste or a sustained, high-pitched note (like what is heard when a grenade falls) in Der Graben. Although the album's title might not fit the contents, Lemper and colleagues do make these culturally diverse songs go together. The concentration of their passion keeps the set as a whole from becoming desperately bleak and gives the music a fascinating presence. ~ Patsy Morita     http://www.allmusic.com/album/paris-days-berlin-nights-mw0002325073  

Paris Days, Berlin Nights

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Gail Jhonson - Pearls

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:47
Size: 107,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:44)  1. Pacific Breeze
(4:21)  2. My Soldier
(4:09)  3. Silky Slide
(3:18)  4. Moments Of Love
(4:33)  5. Runnin' Around
(3:50)  6. Feel Good Groove
(4:06)  7. Miles Away
(3:48)  8. Whisper Yours
(3:44)  9. Let's Do This
(4:12) 10. Sisters
(3:13) 11. Pearls
(3:43) 12. Soleh

There is both good news and bad news where Gail Jhonson's Pearls is concerned. The good news: Jhonson is a talented pianist, keyboardist and composer who gets a lot of direct or indirect inspiration from artists like Joe Sample, George Duke, Lonnie Liston Smith, Herbie Hancock and Rodney Franklin -- 1970s pianists/keyboardists who had serious jazz chops but also liked to get funky. The bad news: Pearls, like a lot of smooth jazz releases, is usually too produced for its own good. Going for a lot of production is fine if your focus is electronica, hip-hop or dance music, but Jhonson's focus is a mixture of jazz, R&B and pop. 

While Pearls isn't meant to be straight-ahead hard bop by any means, jazz is still an important part of the picture and if you are trying to bring together jazz, R&B and pop the way that, say, Sample did on Carmel, the soloist shouldn't be smothered by the production. The soloist should have some breathing room, which is something that Jhonson doesn't have nearly enough of on Pearls. That said, there are some attractive grooves on this 46-minute CD  and when Jhonson has enough room to stretch out and improvise, one catches some glimpses of what she is capable of as a soloist. Take "Whisper Yours" and "Let's Do This," for example. On those tracks, Jhonson is not suffocated by an excess of production and programming; as a result, she achieves a healthy balance of melodic accessibility and jazz spontaneity. Unfortunately, too many of the other selections downplay her skills as a soloist. Pearls has its moments, but Jhonson is capable of a lot more.  ~ Alex Henderson  http://www.allmusic.com/album/pearls-mw0000784297             

Pearls

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Pasadena Roof Orchestra - Ladies and Gentlemen

Styles: Big Band
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:01
Size: 216,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:28)  1. She's a Latin from Manhattan
(3:06)  2. Cherokee (feat. Les Brünettes)
(3:12)  3. I'm All in for you
(3:28)  4. When You've got a little Springtime in your Heart
(3:11)  5. White Jazz
(3:25)  6. I won't Dance (feat. Laura Fygi)
(3:47)  7. The Lullaby of Broadway
(3:28)  8. Undecided (feat. Les Brünettes)
(2:36)  9. How'm I doing
(3:32) 10. Puttin on the Ritz
(3:39) 11. King Porter Stomp
(3:59) 12. Let's Do it (feat. Laura Rygi)
(2:47) 13. Side by Side
(3:18) 14. Goodnight Sweetheart

The velvet-throated master crooner Duncan Galloway and the Pasadena Roof Orchestra perform a set of classic tunes from the 1920s and 30s with guest vocalists Les Brunettes and Laura Fygi.  With its authentic 1920s and 30s music, the Pasadena Roof Orchestra has been selling-out concerts and playing at society dances for more than forty years. Using the original arrangements the eleven-piece band has earned itself a reputation for transporting the music forward into present times in a fashion both fascinating and true to the original spirit.

Today the music is as popular as it has ever been. Big stars such as Robbie Williams and Bryan Ferry have been delving back into classic jazz and the Great American Songbook and they, of course, have employed members of the band on their recordings and on tour in order to create that authentic sound. ~ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ladies-Gentlemen-Pasadena-Roof-Orchestra/dp/B00F3MM710

Personnel: Duncan Galloway (vocals, bandleader), David Fort, Malcolm Baxter (trumpets), Adrian Fry (trombone), Sam Bullard (baritone and alto saxophone, clarinet), Oliver Wilby (tenor saxophone, clarinet), David Pritchard (alto saxophone, clarinet), John Sutton (drums), Graham Roberts (guitar, banjo), Simon Townley (piano), David Berry (double bass, sousaphone), Vocals: Laura Fygi (6, 12), Les Brünettes (2, 8)

Ladies and Gentlemen

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Phil Woods - Voyage

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:10
Size: 124,0 MB
Art: Front

(8:37)  1. A Beautiful Friendship
(7:13)  2. Philly Twist
(7:28)  3. These Foolish Things
(6:09)  4. A Smitty Ditty
(7:57)  5. Trouble Is A Man
(6:46)  6. I'll Be Around
(5:48)  7. Voyage
(4:09)  8. I'll See You Again

Phil Woods needs little introduction, but here is one anyway. A true purveyor of the Be Bop vocabulary, Woods might be considered the Johannes Brahms to Charlie Parker's Beethoven, serving as the stalwart keeper of the flame. One cannot accuse Phil Woods of copying Bird. There are many, many other lesser talents that did that. No, Phil Woods carved out his place and continued to preach the same finely crafted gospel for the past 50 years.

Voyage, recorded with the Bill Charlap Trio with Roy Hargrove aboard the Queen Elizabeth II finds the seventy-plus year old Woods in top form. Woods' tone is rich, full, and fluid, without any trace of effort. He breathes Be Bop from his horn. Whether a slow ballad or up-tempo vamp, Phil Woods displays a diamond hard expertise beyond reproach. This is a well-conceived disc of standards that are so expertly performed that the listener might expect an empathy form a lifetime of playing with the same personnel. This in spite of the fact that Woods and Charlap did not begin their professional association until 1995, when Woods recruited Charlap for his quintet. An upbeat "A Beautiful Friendship" and sumptuous title cut surf over a bright assembly of material. The quartet becomes a quintet when Roy Hargrove joins them on flugelhorn for Kenny Dorham's "Philly Twist" and "These Foolish Things."

This disc would serve well anyone who has only read about Phil Woods but never investigated him. It is live and immediate and readily accessible. Coupled with the intimate Contrasts, this pair of disc would make any jazz enthusiast smile. ~ C.Michael Bailey   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=9286#.UrivW7TJI0g

Personnel:  Phil Woods: Alto Saxophone; Roy Hargrove: Flugelhorn; Bill Charlap: Piano; Peter Washington: Bass; Willie Jones III: Drums

Voyage

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Ida Landsberg - Cherry Tree Lane

Size: 88,8 MB
Time: 37:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Bossa Nova, Vocal Pop/Jazz
Label: Irma Records
Art: Front

01. Lagoon (3:31)
02. Afternoon Delight (2:47)
03. Fireflies (3:15)
04. Yesterday Dreams (4:42)
05. This Is What I Feel For You (3:45)
06. Playin' (3:52)
07. The House On The Land In The City (3:49)
08. A Little Yellow Boat (4:39)
09. You're So Beautiful (3:24)
10. Hey Love (4:09)

I am a Berlin jazz singer, piano player and songwriter living in Italy. Music is present in my life since I can think.

Whether it was singing on my grandmother’s balcony in the early childhood, my musical activities with piano and voice at school or in the parish or later on, while studying music with Renate Dasch or at the Berlin University of Arts (UdK Berlin) (with Jutta Schlegel, Jolyon Brettingham-Smith, Harald Schwarz, Marek Bobéth, Martin Ripper) and the Siena Jazz School (with Roberto Nanetti and Mariano di Nunzio), attending different master classes (Cheryl Porter, Marco Tamburini, Carl Verheyen, Greg Koch…) or taking vocal lessons (jazz improvisation with Susanna Stivali from Saint Louis College of Music or belcanto with Anastasia Tomaszewska from Istituto Rinaldo Franci) , I always felt that music was something really essential to me.

In Berlin I played gigs with Katie Mullins and Haruko Ota in a trio “a cappella” presenting jazz, barbershop, gospel and 20th centry classical music to our audience. I was a member of different choirs who also used to sing in the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, the “Neuköllner Oper” or the theatre of Baden Baden.

After I moved to Italy in 2000 my musical activity became very rich and I made a lot of gigs in clubs, theatres, at festivals, music shows and in the radio.

Just to name some of them, I played at “Villa Celimontana Festival” (Rome), “Cantiere Musica” (Anguillara), “Note di Montecucco” (Campagnatico), “Festival del Giornalismo” (Orbetello), Teatro Eliseo and Teatro Anfitrione (Rome), Disma Music Show (Rimini), “Capalbio Libri” with Tony Renis, at Massimo Nunzi‘s radio programme “Jazz a Nota Libera” together with Lino Patruno and many others.

In these past years I had the opportunity to collaborate with many talents of the national and international jazz and independent scene such as Frank Gambale, Ferruccio Spinetti, Emilio Soano, Mirco Mariottini, Lino Patruno, Francesco Poeti, Andy Gravish, Roberto Schiano, Lello Pareti, Piero Borri, Marco Caudai, Marco Guidolotti, Angelo Ferrua, Giampiero Grani, Katie Mullins, Stefano Bagnoli, Olivier Renne, Romano Pratesi, Nico Pistolesi, Angelo Olivieri, Giovanni Bataloni and many more.

In 2010 I signed with the German music company Salto Recordings and am now under contract with the Singapore record label EQ Music, partner of the jazz label Hitman Jazz from Bangkok and the Italian music label Irma Records. Since then I started to release different solo albums, soundtracks for iPhone games from Agharta Studio, compilations, club music tracks and had guest appearences in independent musical projects.

My repertoire includes jazz standards, bossa nova songs, international pop, musical and gospel classics as well as some Italian and Napolitan songs.

But in all these years I never stopped writing my own songs so that after a long period passed in the recording studio I just released my first album with original songs “Cherry Tree Lane” with Irma Records, available on all the main digital music stores (iTunes, Amazon, Beatport etc.).

I found out that creating, in life, is one of the most gratifying things and I really feel blessed when I have the opportunity to share my work with other people.

Cherry Tree Lane

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Dian S. Meechai - Stormy Weather

Size: 118,0 MB
Time: 51:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz, Holidays, Classical
Art: Front

01. Cheek To Cheek (3:44)
02. Christmas Time Is Here (3:05)
03. Stormy Weather (3:34)
04. The Way You Look Tonight (3:37)
05. Over The Rainbow (3:56)
06. They Can’t Take That Away From Me (3:40)
07. Santa Baby (3:30)
08. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (4:23)
09. Silent Night (3:32)
10. Ave Maria (4:23)
11. Rusalka, Act I, Mesicku Na Nebi Hlubokem (5:46)
12. Le Nozze Di Figaro, Act IV, Deh Vieni Non Tardar (3:20)
13. O Holy Night (4:26)

Dian Meechai's debut album Stormy Weather is a celebratory blend of Christmas music, jazz standards and classical arias. The album is divided into two sections, Christmas Cocktails and Sunday Service. Each section reflects the various spirits of the holiday season. Â Christmas Cocktails begins the festivities with familiar jazz songs such as "The Way You Look Tonight" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me." Listeners are invited to dance "Cheek to Cheek" with a loved one, cozy up to the sentimental sounds of "Christmas Time is Here" and "Over the Rainbow," or take a spirited turn to the groovy "Santa Baby." For Sunday Service, the mood becomes more intimate as the drummer and bassist step away. Dian transports the listener to their own personal recital with holiday classics such as "Silent Night" and "O Holy Night." By including sweet arias such as "Mesicku na nebi hlubokem," she creates a scene reminiscent to those found in the novels of Jane Austen. "The holiday season is my favorite time of year," Dian says. "I hope to bring some of my mushy spirit into your home." Dian is accompanied on Stormy Weather by renowned jazz pianist Dan Zemelman, drummer Greg Wyser-Pratte, and bassist Mike Bordelon.

Stormy Weather

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Sammy Benskin - These Foolish Songs

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 60:07
Size: 137.6 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[2:52] 1. I Only Have Eyes For You
[4:24] 2. I Remember You
[4:15] 3. Lullaby Of The Leaves
[3:31] 4. Lush Life
[2:38] 5. Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now
[4:03] 6. Easy Living
[3:04] 7. Ain't Misbehavin'
[4:21] 8. Durango
[3:45] 9. Blue Moon
[3:09] 10. I'm Going To Seat Down
[4:22] 11. Pennies From Heaven
[3:21] 12. Stompin' At The Savoy
[4:09] 13. My Ship
[3:54] 14. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
[3:59] 15. Alice's Blues
[4:12] 16. Have You Met Miss Jones

Pianist Sammy Benskin was considered one of the finest of accompanists for vocalists, to the point where he spent parts of his career simply coaching them rather than following them on-stage. By the time Benskin was done with his students, which included singers of the caliber of Diahann Carroll, none could possibly be the subject of a joke such as "How do you know when a singer is at the door?" (Answer: They don't know how to come in.) Benskin made his professional debut at the age of 18, backing up Bardu Ali, a performer whose name sounds something like the title of an Egyptian novel. Through the '40s, the pianist was associated a strong lineup of jazzmen including Bobby Burnet, Stuff Smith, Gene Sedric, Benny Morton, and Don Redman. By the end of the decade and into the early '50s, he began leading his own piano trio as well as appearing as a soloist. Roy Hamilton and Titus Turner became the first of many singers he would accompany during this period, and Benskin also joined a group named the Three Flames in the summer of 1954. The following year he began a stint as part of the "Time of Your Life revue" at City Center in New York, a gig he would bounce in and out of while training with singers as diverse as Carroll and the magnificent Al Hibbler. He followed "Time of Your Life" overseas for performances at the Brussels World Fair and for a brief spell began touring with Dinah Washington as her accompanist. From the '60s onward, he stayed fairly busy as a vocal coach, arranger, and producer. A disc's worth of his solo performances entitled These Foolish Songs was reissued a decade after his death. ~Eugene Chadbourne

These Foolish Songs

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Marcus Belgrave - You Don't Know Me

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 48:18

Size: 110.6 MB

Styles: New Orleans jazz, Trumpet jazz, Vocal jazz

Year: 2007

Art: Front

[0:59] 1. Tailgate Ramble (Overture)

[2:17] 2. Let The Good Times Roll

[3:09] 3. Life Is So Peculiar

[3:19] 4. You Can't Lose A Broken Heart

[3:46] 5. My Sweet Hunk O Trash

[3:38] 6. Sweet Substitute

[4:43] 7. The Mooche

[7:34] 8. You Don't Know Me

[2:59] 9. Unchain My Heart

[7:01] 10. Drown In My Own Tears

[4:43] 11. Cheek To Cheek

[4:04] 12. Tailgate Ramble

Marcus Belgrave presents a tribute to his mentor, Ray Charles, to New Orleans and the Great Ladies of Song featuring Joan Bow and Charlie Gabriel.

Coming into prominence as a teenaged sensation in the Ray Charles Orchestra, Marcus Belgrave has become an internationally recognized jazz trumpet virtuoso. Born in Chester, PA, Marcus has lived in Detroit most of his life. Appointed the "Jazz Master Laureate" for the City of Detroit in 2008. At the request of Wynton Marsalis, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, he represented Detroit as part of the Lincoln Center Motor City Jazz Masters tribute. A tribute which also Included jazz legends Yusef Lateef, Curtis Fuller, Charles McPherson, and Ron Carter.

A true Renaissance man, there isn’t much this musical legend has not done. He is a trumpeter, composer, arranger, educator, recording artist and producer. He is a professor of music at Oberlin University, in Oberlin Ohio, is the co-founder of the Jazz Studies Program at the Detroit Metro Arts Complex and the Jazz Development Workshop in Detroit. His career as a player has intersected with an unparalleled variety of musicians across musical generations including Ray Charles (with whom he collaborated extensively) Ella Fitzgerald, Charles Mingus, McCoy Tyner, Dizzy Gillespie, Eric Dolphy, Aretha Franklin, Wynton Marsalis and Joe Henderson. He has mentored and Recorded with pianist Geri Allen, bassist Bob Hurst alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, and percussionist/composer Lawrence Williams. This only scratches the surface of his musical collaborations.

His community involvement is exemplary. He considers it his personal responsibility to groom and enlighten the next generation of musicians. He happily takes the time to provide joy and music to countless community retirement centers all over the metro Detroit area. His giving ways have endeared him to countless, both young and old.

The collective impact of Belgrave’s mind, music and vision is felt across the spectrum of identities for which he has become rightfully recognized both within and outside of the jazz community. His tribute to Louis Armstrong is unparalleled and is enthusiastically received by audiences all over the globe. . As a singer, Marcus is blessed with a natural low and gravelly voice… so his “Satchmo-like” vocalizing comes off evoking the Armstrong sound, spirit and warmth with uncanny ease. His CD “Tribute to Louis Armstrong” was accepted for inclusion as part of the official Louis Armstrong House and Archives at Queens College, flushing, New York. His CD Tribute to New Orleans, Ray Charles & The Great Ladies of Song, highlight his collaborative side as he has fun with the music in duets and shows the audience a bit of the New Orleans spirit which produced such great music.. He currently also tours (as a special guest) with the Historic New Orleans Preservation Hall Band.

You Don't Know Me

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George Kahn - Jazz Deluxe

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:40
Size: 141.2 MB
Styles: West Coast jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[5:41] 1. Bourbon Street Strut
[4:56] 2. Smooth Jazz Seven
[5:01] 3. Silver Blues
[6:42] 4. Miles Journey
[5:32] 5. Ritmo Jazz
[4:10] 6. Your Life
[5:29] 7. Summer Carnival
[4:45] 8. Dream Lover
[3:35] 9. El Rico Montuno
[6:18] 10. Riding On Air
[4:05] 11. Time Flyer
[5:19] 12. Havana Nights

George Kahn, who performs frequently in the Los Angeles area, including an annual Jazz For The Homeless fundraiser for the charity PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) and benefits for public school music programs, looks forward to touring again in the near future. “My main goal is to share my music with as many people as possible. I believe that there is a great deal of life in West Coast Jazz. It is not only viable but has the opportunity and ability to broaden its base. I purposely pick out songs that might get a John Mayer fan who has never heard a jazz album, to possibly explore this CD because they know some of the songs.”

There is a fair amount of confusion about the term "West Coast Jazz". Some people would argue that West Coast Jazz is jazz recorded on the West Coast of California, from Los Angeles up to the San Francisco area. After all, some of Charlie Parker's most important recordings for Dial Records were made in LA, before and after he spent time "Relaxing at Camarillo". Wardell Grey, Teddy Edwards and Dexter Gordon all burned up the Central Avenue scene, playing bebop as bad as anyone on 52nd Street.

West Coast Jazz 2 Some would say the West Coast Jazz is not based on location, but more a certain sound. Many people go so far to call it a creation of the West Coast record companies in an attempt to "brand" and cash in on a style that, for a moment, caught the ear of the nation via Dave Brubeck's quartet with Paul Desmond, and the creative "little big band" sound of Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars.

I would posit that "West Coast Jazz" was (and is) really an attitude, a feeling, a "vibe" that could only originate in a place filed with palm trees, big, open horizons, ocean breezes and urbanity. It was an answer to the left turn that took place when the Big Bands died out and jazz starting chasing the Bird down the bebop trail. And it took the mix of the City and the Wild West to make it come together.

Jazz Deluxe

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