Carolyn Leonhart & Wayne Escoffery - Tides Of Yesterday

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:14
Size: 156,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:27)  1. Better Next Time
(7:38)  2. The Sweetest Sounds
(5:47)  3. Sometimes I'm Happy
(5:24)  4. Never Never Land
(3:54)  5. You Must Believe In Spring
(6:38)  6. The Harbor
(6:37)  7. Eclipse
(9:18)  8. Big Noise New York
(5:08)  9. Where There Is Love
(5:24) 10. Straight To You
(6:53) 11. Infinity

Vocalist Carolyn Leonhart and saxophonist Wayne Escoffery are a young husband-and-wife team, and Tides of Yesterday is their second recorded partnership. And a partnership it is, because this CD (as the liner notes say) is not about a "vocalist with a band or a band with a guest vocalist." Leonhart's sultry and expressive voice acts, at times, as another instrument, contributing scatting and wordless vocals. Both have worked with the band members Toru Dodo (acoustic and electric piano), Hans Glawischnig (bass), Donald Edwards (drums), Jeff Haynes (percussion) and Adam Rogers (guitar) over the years, so the interplay between all of them is tight and intuitive. The material includes choices from the standard songbook, jazz classics and three originals with lyrics by Leonhart. 

The jazz classic standout is Charles Mingus' "Eclipse" (a piece Escoffery plays regularly with the Mingus Orchestra and Big Band), capturing the eerie, moody feeling of the solar phenomenon with the sensitivity of Leonhart's lyric reading and Rogers' playing. Notable also is a bluesy "Sometimes I'm Happy," where Leonhart and Escoffery feature a call-and-response section and some blistering saxophone work. But perhaps the real highlight is "Big Noise, New York," a good song by Donald Fagen (of Steely Dan fame, Leonhart being part of that band's touring ensemble). The reading grabs the attention from the opening moments to the long fadeout, with Leonhart's richly textured voice and Escoffery's energetic fills. Whether it be for the individual talents of Leonhart, Escoffery and their band mates, their interactions, or the arrangements of the material, more than one listen is needed to appreciate the entire musical tapestry here. ~ Marcia Hillman   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=36476#.U0Ss5VdSvro 

Personnel: Carolyn Leonhart: vocals; Wayne Escoffery: tenor and soprano saxophones; Toru Dodo: piano and Fender Rhodes; Adam Rogers: guitar (2, 7); Hans Glawschnig: bass; Donald Edwards: drums; Jeff Haynes: percussion (2, 6, 7, 10).

Tides Of Yesterday

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Helen Sung - Sungbird

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:38
Size: 98,7 MB
Art: Front

(1:50)  1. Prelude
(2:23)  2. Tango
(1:12)  3. Preamble
(6:29)  4. Shall We Tango
(2:10)  5. Malaguena Miniatura
(3:16)  6. Malaguena
(3:42)  7. Serenata
(6:10)  8. Sungbird
(3:35)  9. Capricho Catalan
(3:28) 10. Capricho American
(5:50) 11. Free Fusion
(2:27) 12. Encore - Zortzico

Pianist/composer Helen Sung could have played it safe. After offering up two fine straight ahead jazz outings  Push (Blue Moon, 2004) and Helenistique, (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2006), the expectation was "more of the same." And that would not have been a disappointment. Though the New York based artist came to jazz late during her college years, after early studies in classical music she came out swinging sweet and lovely on those first two discs. With Sungbird (After Albeniz), the artist takes off on a different tangent, returning, to an extent, to her classical roots. Sung performs Spanish pianist/composer Isaac Albeniz' six piece work for solo piano, Espana, along with her own loose interpretations of the work in six original compositions employing a sax and rhythm section jazz quartet and added percussionist.

Sung describes Espana as: "...beautifully-written pieces that were distinctive, simple yet profound, concise and with room for adaptation." They are all of that; and so are her compositions. Her six pieces tint the jazz sound with a classical hue. The title tune has a light, airy swing Marcus Strickland, on soprano sax, is awesome here, with a sweet, delicate strength to his tone and "Capricho American," following Albeniz' "Capricho Catalan," is arranged with a string quartet steeped-in-the-blues feeling check out Reuben Roger's bass moving back and forth from bowed to plucked, with Strickland's tenor sax floating over the top.

"Shall We Tango" has a gentle momentum, a light bounce in its step, with Sung splashing gorgeously in front of drummer Nasheet Waits' soft, insistent rumble, while "Free Fusion" begins with Sung soloing in an abstract mode before the quartet joins her and finds a groove. The Albeniz/Sung, classical/jazz tunes are interwoven, highlighting the differences and similarities of the sounds. Sung says: "Jazz certainly uses elements of classical music, but it definitely is its own thang," (she's from Houston). And then she goes and marries the two forms into a beautiful union. ~ Dan McClenaghan   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=26737#.U0Xw9ldSvro

Personnel: Helen Sung: piano; Marcus Strickland: tenor and soprano saxophones; Reuben Rogers: bass; Nasheet Waits: drums; Samuel Torres: percussion.

Sungbird

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Chris Botti - To Love Again

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:44
Size: 136,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:26)  1. Chris Botti - Embraceable You
(5:05)  2. Chris Botti Feat. Sting - What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?
(5:41)  3. Chris Botti Feat. Paula Cole - My One And Only Love
(3:12)  4. Chris Botti Feat. Michael Bublé - Let There Be Love
(3:59)  5. Chris Botti - What's New
(6:13)  6. Chris Botti Feat. Jill Scott - Good Morning Heartache
(4:38)  7. Chris Botti - To Love Again
(4:01)  8. Chris Botti Feat. Paul Buchanan - Are You Lonesome Tonight
(4:50)  9. Chris Botti Feat. Gladys Knight - Lover Man
(4:18) 10. Chris Botti Feat. Billy Childs - I'll Be Seeing You
(3:46) 11. Chris Botti Feat. Renee Olstead - Pennies From Heaven
(5:07) 12. Chris Botti Feat. Rosa Passos - Here's That Rainy Day
(4:22) 13. Chris Botti Feat. Steven Tyler - Smile

Clearly a ballad album, To Love Again combines Chris Botti's warm trumpet tone and immaculate articulation with strings on a program designed to cure what ails ya. Guest vocalists make the session appeal to a broad audience, while the trumpeter's focus on his intimate ensemble interpretations remains its healthiest feature. His trumpet mastery has developed into a cornucopia of rich fascination. With familiar standards such as "I'll Be Seeing You," "What's New?" and "Embraceable You," Botti lets his open horn shower its melody as if from on high. Gracefully moving from phrase to phrase with a seamless fragrance, the trumpeter enjoys a vocal-like presence that speaks everybody's language. Throughout the history of civilization, ballads have defined communication in its purest form. From the earliest sacred works to opera, folk, pop and rock, the ballad has always held its own. Botti communicates in that universal language that we've been talking about for ages. 

His original "To Love Again" purrs quietly with a smooth, muted trumpet texture that glides stealthily in the night. If Romeo were to enlist the support of this quintet, he'd win Juliet's heart during the overture; before the curtain ever rises. Botti's guest vocalists prove convincing. Michael Bublé swings with a Sinatra swagger. Paula Cole adds heartfelt passion, while Sting questions with sincere honesty. Jill Scott turns in a hip interpretation of "Good Morning, Heartache" that recalls Billie Holiday (just a little). Paul Buchanan expresses with breathy over-emotion, while Gladys Knight turns in a beautiful interpretation of "Lover Man." She's matched with Botti's golden open horn in a teary-eyed adventure. Rosa Passos sings quietly with a hushed presence, while Steven Tyler closes the album with an aching "Smile." Young Renee Olstead sings an old song, "Pennies from Heaven," with a hearty big band arrangement backing her. She, Botti, and the band swing with a jovial mood that contrasts with the rest of the program. It's one of the best tracks, too, putting the trumpeter in the role of Harry James. Ballads make the world go 'round. Chris Botti can be welcomed into every living room, every automobile sound system, and every portable set of earphones, because he communicates freely in a language that we can all understand. ~ Jim Santella   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=19527#.U0SaB1dSvro

Personnel: Chris Botti: trumpet; Billy Childs: piano, Fender Rhodes; Anthony Wilson: guitar; Robert Hurst, Arnie Somogyi, Christian McBride: bass; Billy Kilson, Vinnie Colaiuta: drums; Paulinho da Costa: percussion; Heitor Pereira: guitar (2); Dean Parks: guitar (13); Brian Bromberg: bass (14); Richard Cottle: Hammond organ (10); Greg Phillinganes: Fender Rhodes (6); Peter Erskine: drums (10); Paula Cole: vocal (3); Michael Bublé: vocal (4); Sting: vocal (2); Jill Scott: vocal (6); Steven Tyler: vocal (14); Gladys Knight: vocal (10); Renee Olstead: vocal (12); Rosa Passos: vocal (13); Paul Buchanan: vocal (8); London Session Orchestra 2005.

To Love Again

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Dexter Gordon - Silver Blue

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:25
Size: 94,9 MB
Art: Front

( 8:22)  1. On The Trail
(13:33)  2. Allen's Alley  (aka Wee, etc.)
(19:29)  3. Silver Blue

Recorded at the same session as True Blue, this Xanadu LP gets the edge due to a remarkable version of "On the Trail" that is a fascinating unaccompanied duet by tenors Al Cohn and Dexter Gordon. Cohn and Gordon are joined by pianist Barry Harris, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes for a heated and competitive version of "Allen's Alley" and then the group becomes a septet with the addition of trumpeters Blue Mitchell and Sam Noto for a sidelong 19½-minute "Silver Blue," a slow blues. Highly recommended for bop fans. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/silver-blue-mw0000920266

Personnel:  Dexter Gordon (saxophone) & Barry Harris (piano) & Louis Hayes (drums) & Sam Jones (bass) & Blue Mitchell (trumpet) & Sam Noto (trumpet)

Silver Blue

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Keith Ingham - Rockin' In Rhythm

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 64:30
Size: 147.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:00] 1. Days Of Wine And Roses
[4:22] 2. Oh, Lady Be Good
[4:20] 3. Buttercup
[4:23] 4. Just A Mood
[3:14] 5. Delaunay's Dilemma
[5:35] 6. Lonely Town
[5:12] 7. Holy Land
[4:52] 8. I Surrender Dear
[4:50] 9. Devil's Island
[3:36] 10. Try A Little Tenderness
[4:56] 11. Rockin' In Rhythm
[3:41] 12. Little Man, You've Had A Busy Day
[6:07] 13. Canadian Sunset
[5:16] 14. Voce Abusou

The listener is struck by the high quality tunes Keith Ingham has chosen for his Arbors trio session, "Rockin' in Rhythm". From show tunes by the likes of Mercer, Gershwin and Bernstein, to out and out jazz tunes by Walton, Ellington, Shorter, Shearing and Lewis, to the melancholy closing theme by Jobim, Ingham has fashioned a varied and satisfying session.

The pianist himself embraces the world of both swing and bop, but nothing here sounds forced or rushed, or too slow for that matter. Keith Ingham matches his abundant technique with equally abundant taste, and sounds totally in control, expressing his musical thoughts with warmth, personality and swing. Ingham's trio is completed by Frank Tate on bass and Steve Little on drums, and they back up the pianist with finesse and groove at every tempo. For an idea of what this whole CD is like, sample "Days of Wine and Roses", "Delaunay's Dilemma", and "Try a Little Tenderness."

Keith Ingham's "Rockin' in Rhythm" reinforces the musical virtues and the listening pleasures of the piano trio format. Excellent and highly recommended. ~John Tapscott/amazon

Recording information: Nola Studios, NYC (10/08/2010).

Rockin' In Rhythm

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Jodi Stevens - Girl Talk

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 49:59
Size: 114.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[5:12] 1. Girl Talk
[6:26] 2. It Never Entered My Mind
[4:13] 3. Lover Come Back To Me
[4:35] 4. Blue Gardenia
[4:40] 5. Foolin’ Myself
[4:26] 6. Angel Eyes
[3:18] 7. I’m A Woman
[4:48] 8. He Was Too Good To Me
[3:14] 9. Come On-A My House
[4:37] 10. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To
[3:26] 11. More Than You Know
[0:57] 12. Girl Talk

Jodi Stevens has a warm voice, a straightforward delivery, and a swinging style, although she does not improvise that much. For this set she is joined by an excellent jazz quintet that includes pianist Ted Rosenthal, the colorful trumpeter Lew Soloff, and Andy Parsons on tenor. Although the repertoire consists of standards, there are some offbeat choices, including "Blue Gardenia," "I'm a Woman," "He Was Too Good to Me," and the novelty "Come on a My House"; the latter did not really need to be revived! Throughout this well-paced program, Stevens sounds confident and does a fine job with the diverse material. Worth checking out. ~Scott Yanow

Girl Talk

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Chris Montez - The Standards And More

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 49:23
Size: 113.1 MB
Styles: Pop, Easy Listening
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:38] 1. The More I See You
[2:33] 2. Call Me
[2:14] 3. Day By Day
[1:43] 4. Fly Me To The Moon
[2:06] 5. One Note Samba
[2:17] 6. Time After Time
[2:34] 7. Going Out Of My Head
[2:41] 8. Sunny
[2:29] 9. Yesterday
[2:46] 10. Our Day Will Come
[2:16] 11. Foolin Around
[2:23] 12. Because Of You
[2:40] 13. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
[2:59] 14. Once I Loved (O Amor Em Paz)
[2:36] 15. Girl Talk
[2:50] 16. Where Are You Now
[2:06] 17. The Face I Love
[2:38] 18. Nothing To Hide
[2:18] 19. I Will Wait For You
[2:26] 20. Love Is Here To Stay

Chris Montez (born January 17, 1943) is a Mexican-American singer. Initially known as a rock n roll artist, Montez became one of the most important chicano rockers following the tragic passing of Ritchie Valens, his mentor. Montez had a #4 hit in the US with the 1962 single “Let’s Dance”. Later, he was reinvented as a middle of the road easy listening singer, boasting a slew of Hot 100/Adult Contemporary crossover hits, predominantly renditions of jazz standards such as “The More I See You”, “There Will Never Be Another You”, and “Time After Time”.

Born Ezekiel Christopher Montanez in Los Angeles, California, Montez was brought up in Hawthorne, California. His early musical influences included the latino music played and performed by residents of his neighborhood, as well as Ritchie Valens. After the release of the highly successful “Let’s Dance” on Monogram Records, Montez spent several years touring with artists such as Sam Cooke, The Platters, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, as well as The Beatles, then relatively unknown outside of Liverpool.

The Standards And More

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Sue Tucker - May I Come In

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:21
Size: 89,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:58)  1. The Best Thing for You
(4:12)  2. If You Don't See It Too
(5:12)  3. May I Come In
(3:54)  4. It Could Happen to You
(2:32)  5. Like Someone in Love
(2:50)  6. I'm Gonna Laugh You Right out of My Life
(2:39)  7. You Turned the Tables on Me
(2:48)  8. Long Ago (And Far Away)
(2:46)  9. Any 'Ol Thing That You Like
(3:10) 10. I'll Remember April
(4:15) 11. The Gentleman Is A Dope

Good things come in small packages! With May I Come In, Minnesota jazz singer Sue Tucker provides nine standards and two original compositions with a first class group of musicians. She harkens back to an era when girl singers, like Chris Connor or June Christy, just sang without gimmicks or artifice, melisma or multi-tracking. Also, there are no show-stopping vocal techniques or three octave range'and if you're looking for improvisational vocalese or scatting techniques, they're not here. What makes this album work is that Sue Tucker knows how to swing these tunes. Tucker comes from a musical family. Her father, Jack Oatts, was one of Iowa's first jazz educators; her brothers are trumpeter Jim Oatts and the much recorded reedman Dick Oatts. The singer also has woodwind training and experience. 

The presence of such A-List personnel as Dick Oatts, Ted Rosenthal, Joe Magnarelli and John Mosca also enhance the album. The session begins smartly with Irving Berlin's "The Best Thing For You," with a tasty Mosca trombone solo, and continues with Tucker's own ballad "If You Don't See It Too," with Oatts taking a lyrical alto spot. The title tune, a rather obscure Fisher-Segal ballad, is followed by a number of brightly arranged visits with the Great American Songbook. The torch song "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life" is taken at an usually bright tempo but it seems to work. Her two compositions mesh perfectly with the other tunes. An earlier recording, Meant to Be , from 2000, was also self-produced and likely difficut to find. ~ Michael P.Gladstone   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=13830#.U0iSIVdSvro
 

Personnel: Sue Tucker,vocals; Dick Oatts, woodwinds; John Mosca, trombone; Joe Magnarelli, trumpet; Ted Rosenthal, piano; Kent Saunders,bass; Andy Watson, drums; Marc Anderson, percussion.

May I Come In

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Anita Wardell - Straight Ahead

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:41
Size: 120,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:03)  1. It could happen to you
(5:53)  2. Young and Foolish
(4:48)  3. Polkadots and Moonbeams
(4:21)  4. Jackie
(4:18)  5. The thrill is gone
(5:46)  6. Humpty Dumpty Heart
(4:54)  7. I've got just about everythin
(5:12)  8. But not for me
(5:47)  9. We kiss in a shadow
(5:02) 10. Memories of you
(3:34) 11. East of the Sun

Great Britain has long been a fertile ground for singers and an awesome lot they are. Among the better known are Norma Winstone (the grande dame of English jazz singers), Carol Kidd, expatriate American Stacey Kent, Clair Martin and Jan Ponsford. Susannah McCorkle's career also blossomed there. Now we have Australian born Anita Wardell cutting her first album in England for the British record company, 33Jazz. I wish I could report that Ms Wardell belongs in this select group. But based on this recording, she is not quite there yet. The major problem is that she tends to get a bit shrill with the high notes as on "Young and Foolish". But this small problem should not be difficult to correct. Ms Wardell has a great sense of tempo and good diction which she employs with vigor to a play list of mostly standards along with some songs one doesn't hear too often these days. Ergo, we have "Humpty Dumpty Heart" made famous by Ray Eberle and the Glenn Miller Orchestra with their 1941 recording. Then there's the Frank Sinatra/Tommy Dorsey 1940 hit, "Polka Dots and Moonbeams". 

The wonderful Claude Thornhill Orchestra made a fine recording of this Jimmy Van Heusen/Jimmy Burke tune. "Jackie" by Hampton Hawes and to which Annie Ross added lyrics and like Ms Ross, Wardell does it vocalese style and quite well. Wardell also engages in some serious scatting on this tune. The remaining tunes are offered in a variety of styles mostly to a medium to up tempo beat. "The Thrill Is Gone" is the designated "let's do something with a Latin beat" tune. Ms Wardell's somewhat coy little girl voice goes nicely with such tunes as "We Kiss in a Shadow" and "It Could Happen to You". But it's her interpretation of "But Not for Me" where Ms Wardell's potential as a top flight vocalist becomes apparent. Kicking off with an interplay between Wardell, bass and drums with the piano coming in after the first chorus along with the introduction of some intelligent, well-placed scatting, this tune is the highlight of the album. While Ms Wardell possesses all the tools to become a good singer, she is still a work in progress. She's getting there, but has not reached the point where her performances are consistently at a high level. ~ Dave Nathan   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=6048#.U0dBoFdSvro

Personnel: Anita Wardell - Vocal; Jason Rebello - Piano; Arnie Somogyi - Bass; Marc Meader-Drums

Straight Ahead

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Carlene Carter - Carter Girl

Styles: Country
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:14
Size: 106,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:49)  1. Little Black Train
(3:28)  2. Give Me The Roses
(4:31)  3. Me And The Wildwood Rose
(4:23)  4. Blackie’s Gunman
(4:47)  5. I’ll Be All Smiles Tonight
(2:41)  6. Poor Old Heartsick Me
(5:18)  7. Troublesome Waters
(5:28)  8. Lonesome Valley 2003
(3:55)  9. Tall Lover Man
(3:17) 10. Gold Watch And Chain
(2:49) 11. Black Jack David
(2:44) 12. I Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow

A great legacy can be a blessing and a curse, and when your mother is June Carter and your stepdad is Johnny Cash, you're going to have a lot to live up to in the minds of most folks. Carlene Carter has built a pretty remarkable career for herself as a vocalist, and after a dark period she made an impressive comeback with 2008's Stronger. But it's rare when a critic or biographer doesn't mention Carter's place in one of country music's founding families, and on 2014's Carter Girl, she embraces their vital role in country music's history while also putting her own stamp on their body of work. Ten of the 12 songs on Carter Girl were written by members of the Carter Family, the trio that wrote and recorded some of country's defining music in the '20s and '30s, while one of the remaining selections, touching on the death of Johnny and June, was adapted by Carlene Carter and Al Anderson from an old Carter Family classic ("Lonesome Valley"), and the other is a poignant tale of her grandparents' scuffling days before they rose to stardom ("Me and the Wildwood Rose"). When Carlene Carter sings about her family, one can hear the love and respect in her voice, as she seems to be in awe of them as much as any of us, and the two originals are deeply moving, but her interpretations of the Carter Family's songbook are also heartfelt and impressive. 

There's as much rock and blues as country in her takes on "Little Black Train," "Blackie's Gunman," and "Blackjack David," but Carter approaches these songs as something fresh and vital, and she fills them with her own fearless spirit, and when she takes a more traditional route on "Give Me the Roses" and "I'll Be All Smiles Tonight," she sounds strong yet compassionate, melding her strength with the sorrowful tone of the lyrics. And producer Don Was has brought out the best in Carter, matching her up with a top-notch band (including Greg Leisz on steel and electric guitar and Jim Keltner on drums) and bringing in Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, and Kris Kristofferson for memorable vocal cameos. On Carter Girl, Carlene Carter has confronted the mighty legacy of the Carter Family's songbook and allowed it to strengthen her music rather than buckling under its weight, and this ranks with her finest recorded work to date. ~ Mark Deming   

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=9135439&style=music&fulldesc=T

Carter Girl

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Joscho Stephan - Swing News

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 52:12
Size: 122.3 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[3:25] 1. Swing News
[3:03] 2. I'll See You In My Dreams
[2:18] 3. I've Had My Moments
[4:20] 4. Caravan
[2:16] 5. Les Yeux Noirs
[2:25] 6. Crazy Valse
[2:38] 7. All Of Me
[4:25] 8. Sweet Georgia Brown
[2:45] 9. China Boy
[3:42] 10. Body And Soul
[4:04] 11. Mocca
[2:13] 12. Stompin' At Decca
[2:55] 13. Sweet Sue
[3:52] 14. November Night
[3:00] 15. Dinah
[4:43] 16. Black Orpheus

German Gypsy prodigy Joscho Stephan set the Gypsy jazz world alight with his debut album, 1999’s Swinging Strings. The CD was dazzling in its fresh playing, handful of original compositions, and the fact that the whole album was a collection of first takes. Stephan’s second CD was eagerly awaited. This new disc has its highlights as well as its letdowns. After proving that he can play guitar on his first album, Stephan now appears to want to see how fast he can play it. Some of the songs here are machine-gun melodies that lose any sense of musicality, like the breakneck version of Les Yeux Noirs that is largely a medley of every other Gypsy Jazz guitarist’s best solos and clichéd licks. Other cuts are downright bizarre in their choice of stylings. The version of Sweet Georgia Brown features a slapped electric bass solo that would be more at home on a George Clinton Funkadelic album. It’s downright strange. And then there is Stephan’s version of Caravan that is ethereal in its beauty—and worth the cost of the CD alone. Stephan can obviously play guitar with the best of them. He also has an original style when he works at being himself and not aping Django Reinhardt or the other masters. And ultimately the highlights here outshine the oddities. It will be interesting to see what Stephan chooses to do on his next album. —Michael Dregni

Swing News

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Shirley Horn - I Remember Miles

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:05
Size: 121.5 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[ 5:34] 1. My Funny Valentine
[ 5:40] 2. I Fall In Love Too Easily
[ 4:59] 3. Summertime
[ 7:23] 4. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home
[ 3:39] 5. This Hotel
[ 3:39] 6. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
[ 5:30] 7. Basin St. Blues
[10:39] 8. My Man's Gone Now
[ 5:59] 9. Blue In Green

No thanks to the paucity of musical genius in the latter half of the 1990s, tribute albums to the departed just kept pouring forth, although in Shirley Horn's case, she was repaying an old personal debt to her subject. After all, it was Miles Davis who originally got Horn out of D.C. in 1960 as his opening act at the Village Vanguard and contributed his trumpet to one of her comeback albums (1990's You Won't Forget Me). Not only that, Horn's understated, laconic, deceptively casual ballad manner is a natural fit for the brooding Miles persona, and she doesn't have to change a thing in this relaxed, wistfully sung, solidly played collection. She doesn't actually perform any Davis compositions; everything here consists of standards that Miles covered or transformed in the 1950s, including three numbers from Porgy and Bess. Roy Hargrove adds his effective muted Miles imitations on "I Fall In Love Too Fast" and open flurries on "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'"; and Toots Thielemans makes like a long, lonesome train whistle on "Summertime." Former Davis cohorts Ron Carter and Al Foster join the rhythm section in a remarkably searching, extended "My Man's Gone Now," the only track which takes note of the electric music that consumed so much of Miles' output (in this case, inspired by the We Want Miles version, not the more familiar Gil Evans interpretation). In a sad way, the very idea of a Miles tribute is an oxymoronic denial of the ever-restless spirit of this genius who didn't believe in looking backwards. But Shirley Horn certainly serves the man's sensitive side well. ~Richard S. Ginnell

I Remember Miles

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Jimmy Raney - In Three Attitudes

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:14
Size: 167.6 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:35] 1. So In Love
[4:27] 2. Indian Summer
[3:59] 3. Fanfare
[5:17] 4. Last Night When We Were Young
[4:58] 5. On The Rocks
[4:12] 6. Passport To Pimlico
[4:51] 7. Strike Up The Band
[5:17] 8. Up In Quincy's Room
[4:05] 9. Isn't It Romantic
[4:30] 10. How Long Has This Been Going On
[4:19] 11. No Male For Me
[4:10] 12. The Flag Is Up
[4:10] 13. Get Off That Roof
[4:02] 14. Jim's Tune
[4:57] 15. No One But Me
[4:16] 16. Too Late Now

Two of Jimmy Raney's most remarkable albums make up this set. The performances on the first feature Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, and Red Mitchell, all felicitous choices, since, in addition to being compatible and inventive soloists, their presence adds to the tonal palette and avoids the similarity in tonal color of most guitar records. But Raney also shows that his superiority in the quick, alert swinging of the up tempo tunes is balanced by his lyric work on the ballads. For the second album he teamed up once again with Brookmeyer, adding Osie Johnson, Teddy Kotick, adding pianists Dick Katz and Hank Jones, who combine taste and imagination with swinging time, on four tunes each. Among the several virtues of this quality example of the art of improvisation on relatively challenging thematic-and-chordal structures is the lucidity and logic with which all here approach, develop, and round off their solos. And, as with all of Raney's work, the music is polished, coherent and formidably well conceived and performed.

In Three Attitudes

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Holly Shelton - Errand Girl for Rhythm

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:33
Size: 87,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:32)  1. I'm an Errand Girl for Rhythm
(5:18)  2. When October Goes
(3:09)  3. Why Don't You Do Right?
(4:48)  4. Sophisticated Lady
(3:46)  5. The Frim Fram Sauce
(3:06)  6. Beale Street Blues
(3:22)  7. Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
(3:49)  8. Guess Who I Saw Today
(3:33)  9. The Rose Of Washington Square
(3:04) 10. Some Other Time

Rave reviews and repeat engagements are the norm for this six-foot tall beauty. Holly studied piano, guitar, violin, and ballet, earned a BFA in Theatre Performance, practices Pilates, and has totally mastered the art of Singer/Entertainer. She can turn on her southern charm, the ditsy humor displayed in “Jeopardy” TV commercials, the tasty touch of a Heinz Ketchup spot, the great body displayed in Clint Eastwood’s “Heartbreak Ridge”, the mellifluous voice on a nostalgic Bob Hope show, and the spell binding virtuosity that captivates everyone within earshot  all the while moving like satin from table to table, turning heads, and winning hearts. Based for several years at the 4-Diamond Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama, she is in demand at jazz festivals, cabaret venues, organizational gatherings, et al. Stunning shows and costume accessories pizzazz the act and punctuate her versatility. From Memphis to Morocco to the Mediterranean, whether accompanied by piano alone, or with her eclectic group of exciting musicians, every event becomes special indeed. Audiences tap their toes and enthusiastically clap their toes for Holly. ~ Bio  http://www.last.fm/music/Holly+Shelton/+wiki

Personnel: Holly Shelton (vocals); Tim Jackson (flugelhorn, trombone, tuba); John Wynn (drums).

Errand Girl for Rhythm

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Al Cohn - Play It Now

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 39:47

Size: 92,5 MB

Art: Front

(6:08)  1. You're My Everything

(9:47)  2. Lover

(5:00)  3. Play It Now

(6:56)  4. Irresistable You

(6:16)  5. Georgia on My Mind

(5:39)  6. It's Sand, Man

Tenor saxophonist Al Cohn did some of his finest playing during his period (1975-80) with Xanadu. For this quartet set, Cohn is ably backed by the great bop pianist Barry Harris, bassist Larry Ridley and drummer Alan Dawson. Cohn, who had spent much of his career as a successful arranger/composer, contributed only one of the six numbers ("Play It Now") on the album and was content to jam spiritedly on such tunes as "Lover," "Irresistible You" and "It's Sand, Man." ~ Scott Yanow   

http://www.allmusic.com/album/play-it-now-mw0000897852.

Personnel:  Al Cohn tenor sax, Barry Harris piano, Larry Ridley bass, Alan Dawson drums

Play It Now

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Martina McBride - Everlasting

Styles: Country
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:25
Size: 112,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:33)  1. Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
(3:51)  2. Suspicious Minds
(3:32)  3. If You Don't Know Me By Now
(2:20)  4. Little Bit of Rain
(3:34)  5. Bring It on Home to Me (feat. Gavin DeGraw)
(2:58)  6. Come See About Me
(3:51)  7. What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
(3:48)  8. I've Been Loving You Too Long
(3:06)  9. Wild Night
(2:39) 10. In the Basement (feat. Kelly Clarkson)
(3:09) 11. My Babe
(2:42) 12. To Know Him Is to Love Him
(4:48) 13. By Your Side (Bonus Track)
(4:28) 14. Perfect (Bonus Track)

Contemporary country singer Martina McBride rose to stardom in the late '90s, starting out with a more traditionalist approach and later moving into more pop-friendly territory. She was born Martina Mariea Schiff in 1966 in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, and discovered country music through her father, who led a local band called the Schifters. By her teen years, she was singing and playing keyboards with the Schifters, and after high school she gigged around Kansas with several different bands. She married soundman John McBride, and in 1990 the couple moved to Nashville, where John worked for artists like Charlie Daniels and Ricky Van Shelton. Martina, meanwhile, worked as a demo singer and enlisted her husband to produce her demo tape, which got her signed to RCA in 1991. Around the same time, John was hired as Garth Brooks' production manager, which helped land Martina an opening slot on tour with Brooks.  Her debut album, The Time Has Come, was released in 1992, offering a set of songs indebted to traditional honky tonk and progressive-minded country-folk. The pop-inflected 1993 follow-up, The Way That I Am, was her commercial breakthrough, with the lead single "My Baby Loves Me" zooming up the country charts to the number two position. The affecting story-song "Independence Day" became something of a signature number, and another single, "Life #9," also reached the Top Ten. 

McBride's 1995 follow-up, Wild Angels, gave her a second Top Five hit in "Safe in the Arms of Love," and its title track became her first-ever number one single. Released in 1997, Evolution became her first Top Ten country album, and the Jim Brickman duet "Valentine" not only went Top Ten, but crossed over to become her first big hit on the adult contemporary charts. Evolution went on to spawn two number two hits ("Happy Girl" and "Whatever You Say") and two number one hits ("A Broken Wing" and "Wrong Again"), and sold over two million copies, launching McBride into the top rank of country stardom. She issued a Christmas album in late 1998 and returned with a proper follow-up, Emotion, in 1999. Its lead single, "I Love You," hit number one on the country charts and also crossed over to adult contemporary radio, and the follow-ups "Love's the Only House," "There You Are," and "It's My Time" were all successful as well (the first two also reached the Top Ten).  The Greatest Hits compilation released in 2001 was the first McBride album to top the country charts, and sold well enough to make the pop Top Five as well. It contained four new tracks, all of which were eventually released as singles; "Blessed" hit number one, and "When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues" and "Where Would You Be" both reached the Top Ten. The self-titled Martina from 2003 celebrated womanhood, while 2005's Timeless was a collection of country classics; both became Top Ten album hits, the latter reaching number three. Waking Up Laughing appeared in 2007 from RCA Records. The CD/DVD set Live in Concert was issued in 2008, followed by Shine in 2009 from RCA. McBride next moved to the Republic Nashville label, which released her 11th studio album, the aptly named Eleven, in 2011. Returning to the studio at the end of 2013, McBride started recording her 12th album, 2014's Everlasting. Produced by Don Was, Everlasting was a departure that found McBride singing mainly soul and R&B covers, including Aretha Franklin's "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" and the Supremes' "Come See About Me," and featured a duet with Kelly Clarkson on Etta James' "In the Basement."~Bio https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/martina-mcbride/id215278#fullText

Everlasting

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Marty Grosz & Orphan Newsboys - Rhythm For Sale

Styles: New Orleans Jazz Revival
Year: 1996
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 67:35
Size: 109,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:07)  1. Rhythm For Sale
(4:17)  2. Satan Takes A Holiday
(3:20)  3. Miss Annabelle Lee
(5:39)  4. Del Mar Drag
(4:05)  5. In A Little Spanish Town
(4:35)  6. Up Jumped You With Love
(4:33)  7. Rose Fo The Rio Grande
(4:35)  8. Ready For The River
(4:14)  9. Twenty-Four Hours A Day
(3:42) 10. Happy Feet
(5:04) 11. I Found A Million-Dollar Baby
(4:10) 12. I Love You
(3:21) 13. Let Yourself Go
(4:30) 14. Popinjay
(3:18) 15. One, Two, Button Your Shoe
(3:59) 16. Make Believe

Guitarist/vocalist Marty Grosz made a long string of rewarding and very enjoyable recordings for Jazzology throughout the 1990s. This particular CD features him in six settings from three different occasions, playing in settings ranging from a quartet to an octet. Ranging from classic jazz to small-group swing, the music features such notable players as cornetist Peter Ecklund, Dan Block (on alto and clarinet), clarinetist Bobby Gordon, Scott Robinson on reeds and pianist Keith Ingham among others. Grosz, who takes vocals on five of the 16 numbers, sounds typically joyful as he leads the troops through such numbers as "Satan Takes a Holiday," "Miss Annabelle Lee," "Happy Feet," "Let Yourself Go" and "Make Believe." Easily recommended to pre-bop jazz collectors. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-rhythm-for-sale-mw0000727953.

Personnel: Marty Grosz (vocals, guitar); Peter Ecklund (whistling, cornet); Jack Stuckey (clarinet, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Daniel Block (clarinet, alto saxophone); Bobby Gordon (clarinet); Scott Robinson (alto clarinet, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Vince Giordano (bass saxophone); Pierre Calligaris (piano); Keith Ingham (celesta); Hal Smith , Arnie Kinsella (drums).

Rhythm For Sale

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Annette Neuffer Quintet - Easy To Love

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 60:13
Size: 137.9 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[6:34] 1. Only Have Eyes For You
[4:28] 2. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
[4:58] 3. Baby, Baby, All The Time
[5:43] 4. Someone To Watch Over Me
[4:37] 5. There Will Never Be Another You
[5:00] 6. Summer Samba
[5:23] 7. Now Or Never
[7:16] 8. Easy To Love
[6:18] 9. Shiny Stockings
[4:41] 10. This Is Always
[5:11] 11. On A Misty Night

Whether you're hearing double-talent Annette Neuffer for the first time, or following her musical progress for some 10 years as l have, you're in for a special treat with her latest release. She swings effortlessly with her lovely sonorous alto voice, never getting shrill or over-selling a good tune. This is real Jazz singing. Along with the wisely selected rhythm section of Bernhard Pichl, Rudi Engel and Jens Düppe, Ms. Neuffer creates just the right mood on selections as diverse as the bossa-nova "So Nice", and the deep bluesy "Baby All The Time". Check out her savvy handling of the seldom-heard verse to "Someone To Watch Over Me". And let's not forget her really fine trumpet alongside top tenorist Claus Koch, certainly one of the most swinging inventive saxmen out there today. Who could ask for anything more? Keep up the great work, Annette! ~AI Porcino

Annette Neuffer vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn; Claus Koch tenor sax; Bernhard Pichl piano; Rudi Engel bass; Jens Düppe drums.

Easy To Love

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Muggsy Spanier - The Only One

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 76:46
Size: 175.8 MB
Styles: Cornet jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[2:43] 1. Someday, Sweetheart
[2:49] 2. At The Jazz Band Ball
[2:51] 3. I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate
[2:58] 4. Lonesome Road
[2:36] 5. Bluin' The Blues
[2:32] 6. Chicago
[3:01] 7. Big Butter And Egg Man
[3:12] 8. Relaxin' At The Touro
[2:36] 9. Eccentric
[3:06] 10. Can't We Be Friends
[2:27] 11. That Da Da Strain
[2:25] 12. Dippermouth Blues
[2:40] 13. Dinah
[2:58] 14. Livery Stable Blues
[2:58] 15. More Than You Know
[2:41] 16. Riverboat Shuffle
[4:35] 17. Sugar
[3:18] 18. Rosetta
[2:31] 19. At Sundown
[2:53] 20. Wreck Of The Old '97
[2:36] 21. Black And Blue
[3:02] 22. Hesitating Blues
[2:51] 23. Two O'clock Jump
[2:35] 24. Mandy Make Your Mind Up
[4:29] 25. Down To Steamboat Tennessee
[3:11] 26. Little David Play On Your Harp

Muggsy Spanier was a predictable but forceful cornetist who rarely strayed far from the melody. Perfectly at home in Dixieland ensembles, Spanier was also an emotional soloist (equally influenced by King Oliver and Louis Armstrong) who was an expert at using the plunger mute. He started on cornet when he was 13, played with Elmer Schoebel's band in 1921, and first recorded in 1924. Spanier was a fixture in Chicago throughout the decade (appearing on several important early records) before joining Ted Lewis in 1929. Although Lewis was essentially a corny showman, Spanier's solos gave his band some validity during the next seven years. After a stint with Ben Pollack's orchestra (1936-1938), Spanier became seriously ill and was hospitalized for three months. After he recovered, the cornetist formed his famous eight-piece "Ragtime Band" and recorded 16 Dixieland performances for Bluebird (later dubbed The Great Sixteen) that virtually defined the music of the Dixieland revival movement. But because his group actually preceded the revival by a couple years, it soon had to break up due to lack of work. Muggsy joined Bob Crosby for a time, had his own short-lived big band, freelanced with Dixieland bands in New York, and starting in 1950 he gradually relocated to the West Coast. During 1957-1959 Spanier worked with Earl Hines' band and he continued playing up until his retirement in 1964, touring Europe in 1960 and always retaining his popularity in the Dixieland world. ~Bio by Scott Yanow

The Only One

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Patricia Kaas - Kaas Chante Piaf

Styles: Chanson
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:53
Size: 142,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. Mon Dieu
(4:38)  2. Padam Padam
(2:44)  3. Avec Ce Soleil
(5:07)  4. Milord
(2:31)  5. The 9th Hour
(4:13)  6. La Belle Histoire D'Amour
(2:37)  7. Les Amants Merveilleux
(4:06)  8. T'Es Beau Tu Sais
(4:20)  9. Hymne A L'Amour
(3:08) 10. C'Est Un Gars
(3:24) 11. Song For The Little Sparrow
(3:56) 12. La Foule
(3:01) 13. Mon Manege A Moi
(5:18) 14. La Vie En Rose
(4:58) 15. Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
(3:01) 16. Je T'Ai Dans La Peau

This is the recording studio version of the concert Patricia Kaas gave at Carnegie Hall in tribute to the 50th anniversary of Edith Piaf's passing. She is backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a small studio band accordion, bass, guitar, Theremin, keyboards and even a chorus under the direction of Abel Korzeniowski, who also arranged the material and produced the album. The live performance, while a commercial success, had its share of critics, including Piaf purists, who were quick to note that Kaas doesn't possess the vocal range of her subject. Kaas fans found the size and power of the orchestra too daunting for her to overcome. Both of these arguments are likely to follow this studio production, but ultimately, both are in error. The cinematic quality provided by the orchestra and her band adds a haunting drama to these proceedings that points toward Kaas' smoky, sometimes even raspy, lower register. She doesn't attempt to imitate Piaf, but to pay homage to her enduring legacy and celebrate her influence. Kaas never betrays herself as a modern vocalist in the process. Instead, by interpreting these songs in her own way, she makes plain that Piaf's music is not only a root source of inspiration, but a breathing, evolving, entity that defies the limits of time and offers instruction for French chanson as it continues to evolve. 

Check the shifting moods and textures in "Mon Manege a Moi," the slow, smoldering sensuality and tragedy at the heart of her reading of "Mon Dieu," and the raw need expressed in "La Belle Histoire D'Amour," introduced and punctuated heavy brass, and alternately colored by a slow, strolling electric bass, piano, bells, and even a bass drum. The nod to Astor Piazzolla's nuevo tango in the accordion's introduction to "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" is a nice touch (Piaf loved tango, as does Kaas) is offset by pastoral strings in the backdrop, vamping on a series of three chords before the singer enters with the orchestra. The song unfolds as a reverie before becoming an anthemic celebration of life and love no matter its ultimate cost. It's unlikely that Kaas Chante Piaf will please "pure" fans of either woman; but then, it's not supposed to. In offering such a unique, sensitive, perhaps even iconoclastic interpretation of Piaf, Kaas underscores her own reputation as one of the great musical artists of our era. ~ Thom Jurek   

http://www.allmusic.com/album/kaas-chante-piaf-mw0002434718

Personnel: Colin Green, Adam Goldsmith (guitar); Liz Varlow (viola); Chantal Webster (cello); Julian Jackson (harmonica); Eddie Hession (accordion); Cameron Todd (trumpet); Andrew Vinter, John Constable (keyboards); Anthony Alcock (double bass); Andrew Pask (bass guitar); Harold Fisher (drums); Christian Mason (Theremin).

Kaas Chante Piaf

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