Tina May, Nikki Iles, Tony Coe - More Than You Know

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 55:37
Size: 127.3 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:53] 1. The Touch Of Your Lips
[5:32] 2. Very Early
[6:47] 3. More Than You Know
[5:18] 4. Ocean
[5:37] 5. Sometime Ago
[4:30] 6. Cruel September
[5:20] 7. November Girl
[4:50] 8. What Kind Of Fool Am I
[5:59] 9. My Man's Gone Now
[5:47] 10. So Long Big Time

Voice, piano and tenor saxophone or clarinet; with an odd setup like that, you just don't know what to expect. In the case of these three, however, the chances are that it will turn out to be an interesting, quirky and, above all, enjoyable hour's music. And it is. In the first place, they have performed together so much that they must enjoy each other's company. That enjoyment includes a shared sense of what is possible with this tiny format and complete trust in one another's musical instincts. Tina May has a fine, expressive voice, with immaculate pitch, clear diction and no annoying mannerisms. Nikki Iles plays the piano with a crystalline touch and a technique that enables her to cover for the missing double bass when necessary. Coe is one of today's best clarinettists, in any idiom, with an inquisitive, slightly irascible saxophone style that is quite inimitable. The result is like overhearing an intelligent, often witty three-way conversation. ~Dave Gelly

More Than You Know

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Eddie Palmieri - S/T

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 36:35
Size: 83.8 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[ 7:13] 1. El Dia Que Me Quieras
[10:31] 2. Ritmo Alegre
[ 6:51] 3. Páginas de Mujer
[ 6:05] 4. No Me Hagas Sufrir
[ 5:53] 5. Ven Ven

Eddie Palmieri, known for his charismatic power and bold pioneering drive, has a musical career that spans over 50 years as a bandleader of both Salsa and Latin Jazz orchestras. Born in Spanish Harlem in 1936, Eddie began piano studies at an early age, as did his celebrated older brother, the late Salsa legend and pianist, Charlie Palmieri. For Latin New Yorkers of Eddie’s generation, music was a vehicle out of El Barrio. At age 11, he auditioned at Weil Recital Hall, next door to Carnegie Hall, a venue as far from the Bronx as he could imagine. Possessed by a desire to play the drums, Palmieri joined his Uncle’s orchestra at age 13, where he played timbales. Says Palmieri, “By 15, it was good-bye timbales and back to the piano until this day. I’m a frustrated percussionist, so I take it out on the piano.”

Eddie Palmieri’s musical style is paradoxical in nature: married to preserving the core fundamentals of latin orchestral tradition, he is possessed by a bold innovative drive and seeks all opportunities to challenge these very traditions. Eddie’s unique vision and distinctive arrangements have paved the way for ground-breaking compositions, ensuring a unique musical legacy. Eddie has one of the most actively touring Salsa and Latin Jazz orchestras to date, tours of which have taken him to Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia, North Africa and throughout the Caribbean. A true powerhouse of brilliance, he has shown that time is infinite with respect to his repertoire, as he continues to captivate live audiences throughout the world.

Eddie Palmieri

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Tchavolo Schmitt - Miri Familia

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:59
Size: 116.7 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:06] 1. Rêves D'automne
[4:27] 2. The Sheik Of Araby
[4:26] 3. Oh, Lady Be Good
[5:26] 4. Sonny Boy
[3:35] 5. Jean-Paul Blues
[2:26] 6. Valse Pour Nous
[4:02] 7. After You've Gone
[5:54] 8. Miri Familia
[4:04] 9. Jersey Bounce
[4:47] 10. Djieské
[4:33] 11. Seul Ce Soir
[4:09] 12. Just One Of Those Things

Ever since the early years of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France and its leader, the trailblazing Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, Gypsy (or manouche) jazz combos have been characterized by a number of idiosyncratic factors: no drums, multiple guitars (all acoustic), and arrangements that combine a powerfully swinging rhythm with the dark modalities of traditional Gypsy melodies along with jazz standards. The Alsatian guitarist Tchavolo Schmitt takes some of those characteristics to something of an extreme on this album, which features a sextet comprised of five guitars and a bass. Since the other guitarists all play rhythm, this leads to a curiously flat musical texture and a rather one-dimensional sound (the slightly ramshackle production quality doesn't help much in that regard). But it also means that Schmitt has an absolutely rock-solid rhythmic foundation with which to work, and it serves him very well on material like the original blues composition "Jean-Paul Blues" and a particularly energetic and tuneful rendition of "After You've Gone." "Jersey Bounce" starts off with a promisingly jaunty strut, but bogs down a bit toward the end. The title track is a lovely ballad, also composed by Schmitt, and it is perhaps the finest demonstration of his musical maturity, a quality that permits him to take as much pleasure in long, nicely shaped melodic lines as in the virtuosic stunt-guitar pyrotechnics for which the genre is best known. Fans of Gypsy jazz will love this album, but newcomers may want to start with something a bit more varied in texture. ~ Rick Anderson

Tchavolo Schmitt (guitar); Gogo Berbedes, Mandino Reinhardt, Sony Reinhardt, Hono Winterstein (guitar); Gautier Laurent (bass instrument).

Miri Familia

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Victoria Rummler - Am I Am

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:13
Size: 87,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:16)  1. Guys With Ties
(3:48)  2. Home Is Inside
(3:22)  3. Teach Me Tonight
(3:28)  4. Friends Old And New
(2:48)  5. Frere Jacques
(4:18)  6. Am I Am
(3:19)  7. Island Of Nowhere
(1:47)  8. Blue Boots
(3:57)  9. Italy Blues
(4:10) 10. Over The Rainbow
(3:55) 11. Love Day

A clear, sensual voice that runs the gamut of notes and emotions. Steeped in nuance and free of technical limitations, Victoria Rummler's music is refreshingly fun and joyous. Born near Detroit, USA, Vicki has been a Euro-convert for almost twenty years. Her musical experience began with a fascination for the piano at age six which led to many years of lessons, competitions, accompaniment and a profound appreciation that is still very much alive today. She began singing in children’s groups and a church choir that toured Mexico and Central America. Studying clarinet, dance, and theater in the USA, she took off for Germany after completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in music at Williams College in 1988. 

She worked with a performance art group in Munich and went on to Paris in 1993, where she discovered her passion for vocal jazz, honing her craft with Michele Hendricks, Laurence Saltiel and Roger Letson. In 2004, she was invited to record with cutting-edge electro a cappella group “Les Grandes Gueules” on their second album for SONY-BMG, “Vocal Extreme.” Since deciding to concentrate on her solo career, Vicki’s musical personality has evolved by leaps and bounds. Her first solo album, "Twinkle," was released in 2004 to rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. Her sophomore album, currently in preparation, takes her music one step further, with more personal lyrics and arrangements that reflect all her musical influences throughout the years, from blues to African and bossa nova. Vicki's live performances are ebullient and virtuosic, and her rapport with the audience is playful yet genuine. 

Perhaps as a result of this strong connection with her listeners, Victoria Rummler's master classes and "creative singing" workshops are also highly in demand.  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/victoriarummler1

Am I Am

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Diane Hubka - West Coast Strings

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:30
Size: 130,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:10)  1. West Coast Blues (feat. Anthony Wilson & Bobby Pierce)
(4:54)  2. Moondance (feat. Mimi Fox)
(3:18)  3. Brigas Nunca Mais (feat. Peter Sprague)
(4:53)  4. Peace (feat. Larry Koonse)
(3:48)  5. Warming to Spring (feat. David Eastlee & Barry Zweig)
(4:08)  6. It Ain't Necessarily So (feat. Anthony Wilson & Bobby Pierce)
(5:35)  7. Amanacer (feat. John Pisano & Peter Sprague)
(4:04)  8. Never Let Me Go (feat. Larry Koonse)
(4:27)  9. Moon Ray (feat. David Eastlee & Barry Zweig)
(4:22) 10. They Say It's Spring (feat. Ron Eschete & John Pisano)
(3:24) 11. Slow Hot Wind (feat. Ron Eschete)
(5:36) 12. A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing (feat. Mimi Fox)
(4:45) 13. Someone Else Is Steppin' In (feat. Anthony Wilson & Bobby Pierce)

This Blue Ridge Mountain-bred artist grew up in Western Maryland in a musical family and learned violin, trombone and guitar from an early age. After college Diane Hubka moved to Washington, DC where she frequented local jazz clubs Blues Alley, One Step Down and Mr. Y's Soul Kitchen, absorbing the sounds of local legends Charlie Byrd and Shirley Horn, hearing national acts, as well as honing her own skills in those rooms. In 1986 she moved to New York City and was awarded a one-year jazz fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts for private study with vocalist Anne Marie Moss. She also studied piano, voice and guitar privately with premier NY jazz artists Barry Harris, Harold Danko, Connie Crothers, Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, Howard Alden and John Hart. A dynamic member of New York City's jazz scene for two decades, the award-winning vocalist relocated to Los Angeles in 2004. Diane's newest CD, West Coast Strings (SSJ Records) features the singer with a far ranging program of music with eight West Coast master guitarists, plus soul-jazz veteran, Bobby Pierce guesting on Hammond B-3. 

Hubka also plays guitar on three tracks. "Brigas Nunca Mais" finds Hubka singing this Jobim song in its native language with clear diction and a soft tone that allow the intricate guitar work of Peter Sprague to shine, while Hubka keeps the rhythm guitar work flowing underneath. Hubka's bass lines and chords are clear and flowing under Sprague's active solo; this particular song has no bassist, so the subltiles of Hubka and Sprague are in full view. Sprague's nylon-strung guitar lines are energetic and pushing the beat, but never rushing. He builds each line and develops clear motifs and allows the phrases to breath as he climbs the neck to a logical climax. Hubka's gentle swaying phrasing of the final statement of the melody is very much in tune with the heritage of this Jobim selection. "Amanhacer" is penned by guitarist John Pisano and his wife Jeanne, his 'Guitar Night,' at various California venues has been going on for sixteen years now and features a different, outstanding guitarist each week with John's trio. Pisano's inclusion and contribution to West Coast Strings is fitting and in line with the overall energy and comrodiray of the entire project. The melody and lyrics are very enjoyable and fits right in with the surrounding standards. Hubka conveys the emotion behind the heartwarming lyrics and ensemble provides an easy bossa feel for her to sing on. Peter Sprague and John Pisano's guitar work are both featured in this selection. Sprague takes the first chorus with his usual confidence of developing a line, both in shape and time. Pisano's soft steel stings follows with a relaxed development of ideas, combined with his soft singing of each well placed note. Hubka takes the melody out leaving the listener feeling joyous and positive. 

"It Ain't Necessarily So" is the serious toe tapper of the set with the thumpin' organ feel from Bobby Pierce and fine guitar work from Anthony Wilson. Everyone on this tune is pulling the blues out of this Gershwin classic and it is Hubka's vocal control and delivery on this selection, which is the highlight of the set. Wilson's warm guitar tone and control is strong and propels the selection with bop ornamented blues licks and bends. Pierce keeps his solo brief, but concise and swingin,' Kendall Kay's drums and Pierce's quarter note feel is in the pocket and makes good use of that triplet feel! ~ Geannine Reid   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=46262#.UtLIMbRc_vs

Personnel: Diane Hubka: vocals, guitar (3, 8, 11); Anthony Wilson: guitar (1, 6, 13); Mimi Fox: guitar (2, 12); Peter Sprague: guitar (3, 7); Larry Koonse: guitar ( 4, 8); Barry Zweig guitar (5, 9); David Eastlee: guitar ( 5, 9); John Pisano: guitar ( 7, 10); Ron Eschete: guitar (10, 11) Bobby Pierce: Hammond B-3 (1, 6, 13); Jeff D’Angelo: bass ( 4, 5, 9, 13); John Leftwich: bass (7); Kendall Kay: drums (1,4, 5, 6, 9, 13); Enzo Tedesco: drums ( 3, 7).

West Coast Strings

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Paul Moran - Smokin B3

Styles: Hammond Organ
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:36
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:44)  1. Got To Get You In My Life
(6:01)  2. Mission Impossible
(4:51)  3. History
(6:45)  4. A Night In Tunesia
(5:44)  5. Hamond Strut
(5:06)  6. Rock Steady
(5:21)  7. It Was Only Yesterday
(5:21)  8. I Shot The Sheriff
(5:03)  9. Grind It
(3:30) 10. The Cat
(6:06) 11. For Funk's Sake

"This is a good player on a good organ reflecting a 'feel happy' sound. In this age of over amplified everything it's great to find the real deal! It's enjoyment all the way." ~ Jimmy McGriff
Paul Moran is currently Musical Director for Van Morrison, playing Hammond B3 organ, Acoustic Grand Piano, Keyboards, Trumpet and Flugel Horn.  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/paulmoran

Smokin B3

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Joe Cohn - Two Funky People

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:02
Size: 135,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:51)  1. Solar
(7:12)  2. But Not for Me
(4:24)  3. Quite Sip
(4:23)  4. Two Funky People
(5:19)  5. Mr. George
(4:51)  6. Serenata
(6:55)  7. Ask Me Now
(4:52)  8. High on You
(6:09)  9. Days of Wine and Roses
(4:18) 10. Motion
(5:43) 11. You and Me

Guitarist Joe Cohn is the prodigiously talented son of famed tenor saxophonist Al Cohn. Some may find it odd that on his debut recording fellow guitarist Doug Raney appears alongside him on many of the tracks. The two-guitar format is somewhat reminiscent of Joe Pass's recordings with rhythm guitarist John Pisano, although here Raney is quite prominent throughout as a solo voice. Telling the two guitarists apart will in fact require a good deal of concentration on the part of most listeners. In general, Cohn is the faster and more rhythmically adventurous of the two; his tone is brighter and more dry than Raney's. One would have hoped for more of a Joe Cohn showcase rather than a date on which another guitarist, a second "funky person," practically shares top billing. That said, both Cohn and Raney are fantastic straight-ahead players and they make beautiful music together, aided by Dennis Irwin on bass and Barry Ries on drums. 

Four of the tracks are seldom-played gems by Al Cohn, including the title track. Another, "Motion," is by Doug Raney's famous father, Jimmy Raney. (Perhaps it is the famous dads connection that brought these two together.) Other tracks include the classics "But Not for Me," "Solar," "Days of Wine and Roses," "Ask Me Now," and "Serenata." Thad Jones's mid-tempo burner "Quite Sip" is Cohn's one trio feature, and a great one. ~ David R.Adler   

http://www.allmusic.com/album/two-funky-people-mw0000252103

Two Funky People

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Hilde Louise Asbjornsen - Manesjuk

Size: 90,5 MB
Time: 38:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Jazz Pop
Art: Front

01. Frampeik (3:01)
02. Vanilje (3:59)
03. Manesjuk (3:34)
04. No E Det Goymt (3:08)
05. Du Held I Meg (4:32)
06. Gjer Det Igjen (4:02)
07. Min Mann (2:53)
08. Alt For Fort (4:12)
09. Alaska (3:39)
10. La Det Bli Natt (5:25)

Jazz and cabaret singer Hilde Louise Asbjornsen was born in Sykkylven, Norway, in 1976. Bringing to mind such cool vocal jazz artists as Billie Holiday and June Christy, she released her debut album, Eleven Nights and Two Early Mornings, in 2004. Birdie Blues followed in 2005. In 2006, Asbjornsen released No Vil Eg Vake Med Deg, a tribute to iconic Swedish vocalist Monica Zetterlund. ~Biography by Matt Collar

Manesjuk

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Hot Club Of Los Angeles - Django's Tiger

Size: 111,5 MB
Time: 47:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Gipsy Jazz
Art: Front

01. Django's Tiger (3:41)
02. Montagne St Genevieve (3:43)
03. Blues In Minor (3:59)
04. Manoir De Mes Reves (6:15)
05. Minor Swing (3:04)
06. Menilmontant (4:15)
07. Bossa Dorado (4:19)
08. Artillerie Lourde (4:21)
09. Tchavalo Swing (4:35)
10. Stomping At Decca (2:57)
11. Troublant Bolero (6:10)

The Hot Club of Los Angeles plays gypsy jazz, the style of music pioneered by the Belgian guitar virtuoso and composer Django Reinhardt (1910-1953.) The group's seven members (Carl Byron, piano/accordion/vocals; Jim Doyle, drums; Frank San Filippo, upright bass; Peter Kavanaugh, guitar; Bob Ricketts, guitar; Jeff Ross, guitar; Cliff Wagner, violin) are all acclaimed southern California-based musicians with backgrounds in jazz, blues, country, rockabilly, pop, rock, folk and world music.
Recording and performing as the Hot Club of Los Angeles, these multi-faceted players draw inspiration from Django's group, the Quintette du Hot Club de France and the array of other great gypsy jazz musicians who laid the groundwork for this infectious musical genre. Spanning the spectrum of gypsy jazz styles, Django's Tiger include several of Reinhardt's own pioneering compositions--including the classic "Minor Swing"--along with newer classics by contemporary gypsy jazz masters such as "Tchavolo Swing."

Django's Tiger

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Stanley Turrentine - Dearly Beloved

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:21
Size: 101.5 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1962/2008
Art: Front

[5:28] 1. Baia
[4:39] 2. Wee Hour Theme
[6:48] 3. My Shining Hour
[5:11] 4. Troubles Of The World
[8:47] 5. Yesterdays
[7:10] 6. Dearly Beloved
[6:15] 7. Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You

Stanley Turrentine was fresh from his brilliant playing on Hammond B-3 maestro Jimmy Smith's Midnight Special and Back at the Chicken Shack sessions when he officially signed with Blue Note Records in 1960, but although the hard bop sax/organ template (which later came to be called soul-jazz) seemed to fit Turrentine like a glove, his first sessions for the label found him working with a more standard jazz format highlighted by a piano-led rhythm section. On Dearly Beloved, though, paired with his eventual wife, Shirley Scott, on the B-3 and the alert and sensitive drumming of Roy Brooks, Turrentine found the perfect pocket for his big, soulful, and slightly raw and bluesy sax tone, and for those only familiar with his later pop crossover recordings with CTI Records, it's a pretty revelatory set. Tracked at a June 8, 1961 session (and released on LP a year later in 1962), Dearly Beloved features a lightly funky and midtempo take on Ary Barroso's "Baia" and a gorgeous and moving version of Turrentine's own ballad composition, "Wee Hour Theme," the perfect example of how jazz is never more than a thought away from being the blues. Scott and Turrentine ended up working together on some 15 albums for the Blue Note, Atlantic, Prestige, and Impulse labels before the decade ended, but this one, for all practical purposes, got the ball rolling on their creative collaborations, and it remains one of Turrentine's finest Blue Note outings. ~Steve Leggett

Dearly Beloved

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Sarah Partridge - You Are There: Songs For My Father

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 54:50

Size: 125.5 MB

Styles: Vocal jazz

Year: 2006

Art: Front

[4:14] 1. You And I

[4:57] 2. My Buddy

[2:42] 3. Wouldn't It Be Loverly

[4:12] 4. Stormy Monday Blues

[4:01] 5. Lullaby Of Birdland

[4:18] 6. Dancing In My Mind

[3:31] 7. Roll 'em Pete

[3:29] 8. You Are There

[3:41] 9. The Folks Who Live On The Hill

[4:18] 10. Where Or When

[5:52] 11. Out Of This World

[4:19] 12. Why Did I Choose You

[2:32] 13. Stars Fell On Alabama

[2:37] 14. We'll Be Together Again

Sarah Partridge dedicated her You Are There CD to her late father. She performs songs that he loved, tunes he might have loved, and numbers that she wished she could have sung for him. Some of the performances are quite touching, most noticeably "My Buddy" and "We'll Be Together Again," but this is more a celebration of his life and of Partridge's jazz abilities than a downbeat affair. While a few of the songs seem unnecessary, most noticeably an odd boogaloo version of "Stormy Monday Blues" and a re-creation of Joe Williams' blues phrases on "Roll 'Em Pete," highlights include a rhythmically tricky rendition of "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "Lullaby of Birdland," Dave Frishberg's haunting "You Are There" and "Stars Fell on Alabama." Daniel May leads a fine rhythm section (with Tony De Paolis and Jeff Grubbs alternating on bass) and trumpeter Sean Jones has three welcome guest appearances. A nice CD overall by a subtle and skilled jazz singer. ~Scott Yanow

You Are There - Songs For My Father

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Midnight Serenaders - A Little Keyhole Business

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 62:39

Size: 143.4 MB

Styles: Swing

Year: 2013

Art: Front

[4:13] 1. Ain't She Sweet

[4:27] 2. St. Louis Blues

[3:49] 3. When I Drink Your Wine

[3:16] 4. My Honolulu Girl

[4:29] 5. Your Mama Loves Plinkin'

[3:22] 6. I Heard

[4:23] 7. Old Man Mose

[5:05] 8. Tinkerin' Tom

[3:13] 9. Fascinating Rhythm

[3:13] 10. The Way You Woo Me

[3:36] 11. In The Jailhouse Now #2

[4:13] 12. My Heart Belongs To Daddy

[4:34] 13. Tutti Frutti

[3:14] 14. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

[4:30] 15. There Ain't No Sweet Man Worth The Sale Of My Tears

[2:54] 16. Making Wiki Waki Down In Waikiki

Proving that hot jazz and vintage pop of the 1920's and 30's is as relevant as ever in the present day, the Midnight Serenaders provide an infectious and irreverent take on the raucous and carefree music of "The Jazz Age." The band formed in 2005, putting together a sound reminiscent of the small swing combos popular during the 20's and 30's, adding a Hawaiian flavor with the inclusion of ukulele and Hawaiian Steel guitar, with lots of clarinet and muted trumpet. Led by the charming frontline of crooner/rhythm guitarist Doug Sammons and ukelele-strumming chanteuse Dee Settlemier, the Serenaders' repertoire consists of specially chosen gems from the past, as well as vintage sounding original songs. The Midnight Serenaders are based in Portland, Oregon and perform at clubs and events throughout the Pacific Northwest, continuing to delight audiences with their brand of hot retro swing. This latest recording captures the band in their prime with new Hawaiian Steel guitarist Doc Stein, along with special guests Andrew Oliver on piano and drums, Aquiles Montas on guiro, and the vocal trio Libertine Belles on vocals.

A Little Keyhole Business    

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Cris Delanno & Alex Moreira - Nosso Quintal

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 33:07
Size: 75.8 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:09] 1. Nosso Quintal
[3:10] 2. Deja Vu
[3:38] 3. Ate Sonhar
[3:53] 4. Na Flor Da Idade
[3:33] 5. Tanta Agua
[3:34] 6. Joga A Toalha
[2:09] 7. Confusao
[3:11] 8. Saudade
[3:33] 9. Ja
[3:12] 10. Valsa Com O Poeta

Delanno voice is petit and inviting, lulling listeners in different directions: Brazil’s musical past and future. When fronting the four-piece band (comprised of Alex Moreira – guitar and producer of Power Samba Jazz), Adriano Souza (piano), Guto Wirtti (acoustic bass), and Ronaldo Silva (drums) – Delanno has the presence reminiscent of female jazz vocalist from another era, but with pink hair.

Her appearance is a reflection of her music, always mixing sounds, genres, and ideas. She says; “Joyce Moreno, Leny Andrade are two of my favorite Brazilian singers, but I’m always listening to new sounds, and we always like to work with different flavors.”

“We play old school Bossa Nova, like you might hear at ‘Beco das Garrafas,’ a place that many Brazilian jazz trios used to play. Is a different type of bossa nova. More up beat.”

Nosso Quintal

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Bonnie J. Jensen - Shimmer

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:27
Size: 130,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:33)  1. Spend a Little Time with Me
(4:14)  2. Here Comes the Rain Again
(4:44)  3. Bluesette
(5:24)  4. Without a Word
(4:36)  5. Sweetest Somebody I Know
(6:00)  6. Higher Ground
(4:26)  7. Everybody's Cryin' Mercy
(5:03)  8. If You Love Somebody
(3:10)  9. Come Take my Hand
(5:11) 10. My Romance
(4:23) 11. Stolen Moments
(4:38) 12. First Love's Call

Born in New Zealand but based in Sydney, Australia for over 20 years, Bonnie has played a variety of international stages, fulfilling engagements at Stockholm’s legendary jazz club Stampen, Singapore’s Southbridge jazz club, Kuala Lumpur’s Alexis Club and Barcelona’s Bel Luna jazz club. Locally, she has performed at The Basement, at numerous interstate corporate and bespoke events as well as major Jazz Festivals, most recently the 2012 Thredbo Jazz Festival and the 2011 Manly Jazz Festival, where she appeared with her all-star Quintet line-up.

Late 2009, she teamed up with exceptional talents Graham Jesse, Matt McMahon, Phil Stack, James Muller, Nicolas McBride and recorded her 4th album S H I M M E R. The result of this collaboration is a colourful palette of sounds, featuring 3 new diverse original compositions.

Bonnie adds, “I was very inspired while writing and working on these songs, knowing that Graham, Matt, James and the other exceptional players would be adding their midas touch. Graham co-arranged most of the tracks with me and also wrote beautiful string arrangements for 2 of them. Plus, the legendary James Morrison graced us with a guest appearance on one track”.

“SHIMMER” is the most personal and intimate of Bonnie's 4 releases to date. Her trademarks are all there, the smoky timbre of her voice, the pitch perfect accuracy, the lovely way she controls her lower register. And as with her other albums, her songs are blessed with superb backups… it has the contemporary feel that was just hinted at in her excellent earlier CDs. This is a logical next step for an artist who clearly has a vision for her craft and knows where she is going.” ~ Steve Robertson, On Air, PBS FM 2010   http://www.bonniejjensen.com/biography.php

Shimmer

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Bob Wilber - Nostalgia

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:58
Size: 151,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. Echoes of Spring
(4:13)  2. Mexicali Rose
(3:40)  3. Nostalgia
(3:16)  4. Lambeth Walk
(3:35)  5. Liebeslied
(4:17)  6. Among My Souvenirs
(3:07)  7. Floatin' Down to Cotton Town
(3:20)  8. Charmaine
(3:28)  9. Tango in D Major
(4:05) 10. Dardanella
(3:43) 11. O' for the Wings of a Dove
(4:42) 12. Roses of Picardy
(4:45) 13. That's My Home
(2:56) 14. Sonny Boy
(4:02) 15. Guess I'll Go Back Home (This Summer)
(4:11) 16. Some Day
(4:16) 17. Echoes of Spring

With a few exceptions, the emphasis is on slower tempos on this generally wistful and lyrical set. Bob Wilber (sticking to soprano) is assisted by the great stride pianist Ralph Sutton, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, bassist Bob Haggart and drummer Butch Miles for a variety of songs that he enjoys. Included are three classical themes, a few ancient standards (such as two versions of Willie "The Lion" Smith's "Echo of Spring," "Floatin' Down to Cotton Town" and "Roses of Picardy"), and some off-the-wall choices (including "Mexicali Rose" and "Sonny Boy"). A melodic, pleasant and usually lightly swinging program. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/nostalgia-mw0000026869

Nostalgia

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Jeff Barone - Crazy Talk

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:12
Size: 113,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Resa's Blues
(4:01)  2. In a Sentimental Mood
(4:25)  3. To Care For
(4:32)  4. Don't Worry 'Bout a Thing
(5:02)  5. You Must Believe in Spring
(4:13)  6. Crazy Talk
(6:12)  7. She's the One
(4:09)  8. Close Your Eyes
(5:53)  9. Renewal
(6:28) 10. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)

A New Orleans shuffle and plenty of traditional swing bring Jeff Barone’s debut CD into focus as a jazz guitar celebration. Echoes of Wes Montgomery and Grant Green reverberate in quartet format, as Barone works with piano, bass and drums to interpret classic tunes and several original compositions.  The session starts off with a blues. Solos around the room and fours with the drummer set the pace for mainstream action. Barone’s light attack and clear articulation usher in a pleasant scenario. Listen in at jazz-network.com and feel the swinging mood that prevails. Barone proves hypnotic in his interpretations with this cohesive group. ”Crazy Talk” it is, in the manner of hot jazz that swings with the kind of freedom not found in most other forms of music. Barone improvises with spirit. He makes himself comfortable both with hot jazz and with mellower airs. An older Latin backdrop gives the session as much excitement as do contemporary songs. This is one to be savored again and again. ~ Jim Santella  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=13480#.Usnm0LRc_vs

Personnel:  Jeff Barone- electric guitar, acoustic guitar; Ron Oswanski- piano; Chris Berger- bass; Joe Strasser- drums; Mike Clark- drums on

Crazy Talk

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Johanna Grussner - Come Rain Or Come Shine

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 40:38
Size: 93.0 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:55] 1. Caravan
[3:10] 2. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[4:50] 3. Save Your Love For Me
[4:31] 4. A Felicidade
[4:09] 5. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:21] 6. Moon And Sand
[4:11] 7. How Long Has This Been Going On
[2:56] 8. Norwegian Wood
[3:02] 9. Samba De Um Nota So
[6:28] 10. Little Guy At Bachin's

Her clear-as-a-bell vocals, assured phrasing and near perfect grasp of English put Johanna Grüssner right at the top of the current crop of Scandinavian female jazz singers. Come Rain Or Come Shine is her third solo album and best yet: a gently swinging, highly enjoyable mix of straight jazz and Brazilian samba, performed with supreme professionalism.

Grüssner, from the Finnish Åland islands, makes use of a broad musical palette. On previous albums she has sung both Swedish and Finnish traditional songs, interpreted songs featured in Finnish author Tove Jansson's Moomintroll children's stories and, with her two sisters Ella and Isabella, been a lynch pin of the folk group Daughters Of The Wolf.

Jazz, however, remains her principal bag. She's paid her dues with studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and Manhattan School of Music, and with sporadic gigging in New York City. On this release, she's accompanied by some of the most talented musicians in Stockholm, where she now lives. They include Ulf Karlsson, who helped her produce and whose work on both six and twelve-string guitars is impeccable. ~Chris Mosey

Come Rain Or Come Shine

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Dave McKenna Quartet - Dave McKenna Quartet Featuring Zoot Sims

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 62:55

Size: 144.0 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 1974/1994

Art: Front

[5:59] 1. Limehouse Blues

[6:00] 2. I Cover The Waterfront

[3:11] 3. 'deed I Do

[5:14] 4. Grooveyard

[3:30] 5. One Good Turn

[2:49] 6. Dave's Tune

[4:21] 7. Linger A While

[5:20] 8. There's Gonna Be Some Changes Made

[4:38] 9. Wherever There's Love

[7:08] 10. I Cover The Waterfront

[4:53] 11. Grooveyard

[5:06] 12. One Good Turn

[4:42] 13. Wherever There's Love

Prior to his longtime association with the Concord label, pianist Dave McKenna's four Chiaroscuro albums (of which this CD brings back the second) did a great deal to make the veteran mainstream pianist known to the general jazz public. This set features McKenna, bassist Major Holley and drummer Ray Mosca joined by the great swing tenor Zoot Sims, who doubles on soprano. The original nine-song program is augmented by four previously unreleased numbers. Highlights of the fine straight-ahead date include "Limehouse Blues," "Deed I Do," "Linger Awhile" and two versions of "I Cover the Waterfront." ~Scott Yanow

Dave McKenna Quartet Featuring Zoot Sims

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Rob Keiter - The Glory Of Love

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:04
Size: 130.7 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Jazz vocals
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:18] 1. This Nearly Was Mine
[5:23] 2. Looking For Another Pure Love
[4:50] 3. Laughter In The Rain
[3:32] 4. The Glory Of Love
[3:08] 5. Alfie
[4:16] 6. For No One
[6:24] 7. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
[3:47] 8. Get Happy
[6:13] 9. Our Loving Eyes
[4:22] 10. Grateful For A Pleasant Trip
[5:11] 11. What The World Needs Now
[4:35] 12. You Are My Heaven

As Rob Keiter stood at the microphone in the vocal booth recording his vocals for "This Nearly Was Mine," the opening track of his The Glory of Love album, a torrential flood of tears burst forth unexpectedly. Although he could not contain his raw emotions while singing the heartfelt words about love lost, he sang anyway. What was captured on the recording was something special and it established the tone for the entire collection of classic love songs in jazz settings.

"When I finished singing, I went into the control room to try to explain what happened. Everyone was silent. They felt it. The song ("This Nearly Was Mine") was recorded in one take. We agreed not to record it again, that what we got was genuine and could not be duplicated," revealed Keiter.

When Keiter began the recording sessions with producers Amber and Rob Whitlock for The Glory of Love, he was in the midst of a dark period following the breakup of a twenty-three year marriage. Singing the songs that comprise the collection enabled him to grieve as well as to find new hope. "Even though I had lost love, I wanted to sing love songs because I still believe in love. Having sung my entire life, I would say that I truly found my voice as a result of that experience (in the studio)," he explained.

Keiter's voice is suave, sophisticated, and silky smooth yet rich with feeling and warmth. Although The Glory of Love is distinctly jazz - contemporary, swing and straight-ahead - Keiter and The Whitlock's culled material with jazz, pop, R&B and even theatrical roots. He recorded jazzy versions of eleven songs written by the likes of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Neil Sedaka, John Lennon & Paul McCartney, and a pair of songs each by Hal David & Burt Bacharach and Stevie Wonder. The Whitlock's penned an original song, "Grateful For A Pleasant Trip," specifically for Keiter. Backing the crooner in the studio was a fine cast of musicians including Grammy winner Randy Brecker (trumpet), Rob Whitlock (piano), Pat Kelley (guitar), Trey Henry (bass), Cliff Almond (drums), Amber Whitlock (vocals) and a horn section consisting of Wayne Bergeron (trumpet and flugelhorn), Andy Martin (trombone) and John Rekevics (saxes and flutes). Radio stations will have a difficult time choosing between a handful of emphasis tracks such as "Laughter in the Rain," "What The World Needs Now," "Looking For Another Pure Love," "For No One" and "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life."

The Glory Of Love

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Claire Martin - Secret Love

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:29
Size: 120,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:31)  1. Secret Love
(5:56)  2. But Beautiful
(4:10)  3. The Meaning of the Blues
(3:08)  4. Jive
(2:54)  5. Love Is a Bore
(4:17)  6. Where Do You Start
(6:18)  7. God Give Me Strength
(3:29)  8. Get Happy
(4:49)  9. My Buddy
(3:48) 10. Cheek to Cheek
(5:44) 11. Don't Misunderstand
(4:21) 12. Something Cool

Secret Love is the 10th album for Linn records from the first lady of British jazz and (as ever) she brings great musicians and formidable but not over-sung material together to craft something that will last a lifetime. Claire Martin always performs with personality, attitude and an attention to sonic detail, and it's testament to her great technique and vocal power that she's as astonishingly good live as she sounds on this album. Johnny Mandel's "Where Do You Start?" is a heart-rending, intimate portrayal of a disintegrating relationship, sung in a duo with long-standing collaborator, guitarist Jim Mullen. Claire's great control of rhythm and pace means that she can make much out of little instrumentation. Jim's liquid guitar phrases support Claire's golden-syrupvocal perfectly and give her the space to bend and shape the rhythm to the emotional ups and downs of the song. In Bacharach and Costello's "God Give Me Strength", Claire calls on her significant vocal range, and moves from breathy whispers to lungfulls of power in just a few bars. She holds her own easily against the three percussionists giving it their all, and wringspassion from every belted-out note. It's not just in the slower, more passionate numbers that Claire excels, though. Gareth Williams, one of Claire's favoured pianists, has created a dizzyingly fast arrangement of "Cheek to Cheek", in which Claire paces herself on the intro, before dense piano-work from Gareth gives the song liftoff. Laurence Cottle  the jazz musician's bass guitarist  unveils a lyrical, vocalised solo at breakneck speed here, and there's plenty of space for the trio to swing. 

Again, in the percussion-centric "Get Happy", the musicians are given free rein to solo, led by Nigel Hitchcock's boppish sax, once Claire and Clark Tracey have shared the intro together on voice and drums. Two more of Claire's buddies - Sir Richard Rodney Bennett and saxophonist Bobby Wellins - come together with her to celebrate the life of recently departed writer, broadcaster and mutual friend Joel Siegel with the song "My Buddy". A wistful and breathy solo from Bobby, velvet vocals from Claire, and Sir Richard's understated piano create a poignant and delicate tribute. Claire's diction and delivery arean extension of her speaking voice and attitude (of which she has plenty!) There's never a sense that she's over-acting or over-emphasising - which marks her as a natural. So, hold on. Why hasn't Claire got Grammies and platinum discs coming out of her ears? Why is she such an unsung singer? At least this conspiracy means that we haven't lost her to the impersonal gigs that megastardom brings...yet. ~ Kathryn Shackleton   http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/grdp

Secret Love

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