Sunday, May 18, 2014

Breggett Rideau - More

Size: 135,9 MB
Time: 58:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Soul, R&B
Art: Front

01. More (4:57)
02. Tell Me All About It (Live) (4:34)
03. Baby I Love You (4:44)
04. Here's To Life (6:33)
05. Time After Time (4:05)
06. Been Here Before (6:48)
07. Always (Live) (4:23)
08. The Very Thought Of You (Live) (4:59)
09. Go Away Lil' Boy (6:44)
10. Guess Who I Saw Today (4:09)
11. You've Got To Hurt Before You Heal (Live) (6:21)

For New Orleans native, Breggett Rideau, her first CD Release “the opportune time…” afforded her the chance to do something she loves to do, which is sing and tell the story of her life through her extraordinary voice to appease the appetite of jazz enthusiasts and lovers of real, live music. This critically acclaimed songstress has defined an amazing legacy and has been a trailblazer throughout the DFW metroplex when it comes to preserving the rich, cultural heritage of traditional jazz music. According to The Dallas Morning News, “Ms. Rideau is one artist who’s worth searching out. With her deep, resonant voice and her total command of jazz and soul, she’s one of the area’s most promising singers.”
With her first CD release, “the opportune time…,” back in 2003, Breggett Rideau has garnered critical acclaim not only from local publications and internet sources, but also from international institutions. By the invitation of Dr. Gene Cho, Ph.D Regents Professor, University of North Texas and Hang Zhou Conservatory, Breggett has performed and lectured at Shanghai Conservatory, Shanghai, China in the spring of 2005. She has made history as the first woman of color/jazz artist from the United States to attend. Breggett is one artist who has accepted her true gift and is committed to releasing the power of music to live audiences all over the world and even back here in the great state of Texas. Her resume has continued to be filled with onstage opportunities coupled with dynamic collaborations from as far off as Paris, France to the forever thriving stage of Dallas, TX.
As a vocalist, her music stints have encompassed sharing the stage with Wynton Marsalis and Marcus Miller; headlining a night of elegance tribute to Gordon Parks at The Dallas Museum of Art; earning her right as a distinguished Grammy voter, an honor that recognizes the ‘best of the best’ in the world of music; and even continuing her legendary circuit right next door at The Ritz Carlton, The Crescent Club, and Sandaga Jazz; Breggett Rideau is primed and poised to take this city by storm by building a following, a self sustaining legacy, of jazz enthusiasts and music phenoms that just can’t get enough of the entertainment value she brings to every stage she takes command of and rightfully owns. Then on July 31, 2008, Breggett Rideau graced the stage and performed live at The House of Blues for the release of the next chapter of her life, the debut of ‘More’. With a standing room only electrifying performance, that left people begging for more, Breggett has set her sight on bringing just that...”MORE”. “More” received a 1st round Grammy Award Nomination of “BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM” and has placed a thankful smile in Breggett’s heart.

More

Joey DeFrancesco - The Best Of Joey DeFrancesco

Size: 126,3+121,0 MB
Time: 54:45+52:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. How Little We Know (3:08)
02. Twisted Blues (3:41)
03. Incognito (6:07)
04. Stop Leading Me On (3:18)
05. Black Nile (6:30)
06. The Street Of Dreams (3:49)
07. Puttin' On The Ritz (6:01)
08. Moanin' (5:41)
09. I Wish You Love (3:57)
10. A Real Goodun' (7:02)
11. What's New (5:26)

CD 2:
01. All Or Nothing At All (6:48)
02. I Concentrate On You (5:46)
03. Just Squeeze Me (6:28)
04. Yes Or No (5:12)
05. Young Love (8:36)
06. On The Street Where You Live (7:54)
07. I'm Confessin' (5:29)
08. Cobalt Blue (6:17)

Joey DeFrancesco comes from a musical family. His grandfather, Joseph DeFrancesco (his name sake), was a reed man who played with the Dorsey Brothers. And of course his father "Papa" John DeFrancesco is a fine jazz organist in his own right. At the age of 4 Joey began taking a strong interest in the organ. By the time he was five, he was playing Jimmy Smith solos verbatim. As the years went on his interest and love for the organ and music grew stronger. During his pre-teen years, his father would bring him to his own gigs and let him sit in. At 10 years of age he began to play in a band in Philadelphia, which featured legendary players Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, and "Philly" Joe Jones on the drums. By the time Joey was16 he signed an exclusive recording contract with Columbia Records, releasing his first record "All Of Me" the following year. This record was single-handedly responsible for the great resurgence of the Hammond sound in popular music. At that time he was called on by Miles Davis to join his band, and toured all over Europe. From his stint with Miles, Joey began touring with his own quartet. By the time Joey was barely into his 20s, John McLaughlin called him along with drummer Dennis Chambers, to form the group the "Free Spirits". This band toured extensively for 4 years.

The Best Of Joey DeFrancesco

Joe Mancuso - Cut To The Chase

Size: 142,6 MB
Time: 61:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Love Is Here To Stay (3:42)
02. All Or Nothing At All (6:14)
03. Cry Me A River (5:13)
04. On Green Dolphin Street (6:01)
05. How Deep Is The Ocean (4:18)
06. Angel Eyes (4:57)
07. Only Trust Your Heart (5:25)
08. I Thought About You (4:26)
09. How Insensitive (5:56)
10. Just In Time (3:41)
11. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (4:22)
12. Autumn Leaves (3:07)
13. You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You (4:05)

"Cut To The Chase" features a collection of 12 tunes that Joe and his group have performed at live performances around St. Louis, but especially at The Chase Park Plaza Hotel inside of Cafe' EAU during the summer of 2013.

Joe Mancuso is a classically trained vocalist turned jazz singer. He studied classical voice, audio production and jazz studies (theory, improvisation, history, ear training, composition, piano, guitar etc.) at Webster University from 1986 through 1989; earning a bachelor's degree in music. He sings with an abundance of passion and intensity; whether singing a ballad, bossa nova, blues or swing tune, Joe takes his audience on a dynamic, emotional ride every time.

Cut To The Chase

Anna Danes - Longing

Size: 102,1 MB
Time: 43:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Pop/Rock
Art: Front

01. Splendor In The Grass (3:51)
02. Meditation (3:22)
03. Something (3:29)
04. Sweet Valentine (4:04)
05. Killing Me Softly (3:54)
06. The Sun Won't Shine Today (3:58)
07. The Very Thought Of You (2:56)
08. La Vie En Rose (3:40)
09. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars Corcovado (3:15)
10. It's All Right With Me (4:07)
11. Dream A Little Dream Of Me (2:43)
12. I Wish You Love (3:56)

Anna Danes has the talent and tenacity to move effortlessly between the jazz and adult contemporary genres. ~Brent Black

Anna's bio reads like the American dream as she escaped Communist Poland and an unhappy marriage only to move forward attending law school and now on the precipice of a promising singing career. I don't consider Anna Danes a jazz singer and I mean that in the best possible way. Danes has such a solid set of technical skills that her vocal ability is incredibly adaptable and with tunes such as "Something" and "Killing Me Softly" there is an undeniable crossover potential that radio programmers should hopefully catch on to.

There are the standards such as "The Very Thought of You" and "Dream a Little Dream" of me that have an intimate connectivity and are presented with the authenticity of an artist. In short, Anna does not just sing the words but she makes the music. While Anna may still be considered a relative new comer, all the skills are there. Longing is a showcase of diversity and lyrical range all delivered with spot on precision. This release should start turning some heads in her direction and very soon! 4 Stars. ~Brent Black

Personnel: Anna Danes: Vocals; Larry B. White: Piano, Background Vocals; Mark Chosak: Guitar; Bob Magnusson: Upright Bass; Rob Thorsen: Upright Bass; Kevin Koch: Drums; Monette Marino: Percussion; John Rekevics: Tenor Saxophone, Flutes, Clarinet; Scott Hecker: Trumpet; Heart String Quartet: Violins, Viola, Cello.

Longing

Teddy Edwards & Houston Person - Horn To Horn

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 56:19
Size: 128.9 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1994/2009
Art: Front

[7:57] 1. Equinox
[6:25] 2. That's All
[5:13] 3. Lester Leaps In
[6:59] 4. The Girl From Ipanema
[7:20] 5. Body And Soul
[7:43] 6. Red Top
[6:58] 7. Talk Of The Town
[7:40] 8. Out Of Nowhere

This is a logical and very successful collaboration featuring the East Coast tenor Houston Person and L.A.'s legendary Teddy Edwards. Although one can generally tell the two veterans apart (Person has a heavier sound than the comparatively light-toned Edwards), the co-leaders are quite complementary and work together well in the tradition of Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons. With fine backup from pianist Richard Wyands, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Kenny Washington, Edwards and Person pay tribute to eight great tenors of the past (John Coltrane, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis) through their renditions of eight standards. Highlights include a romp on "Lester Leaps In," a surprisingly successful version of "The Girl From Ipanema" and a spirited "Red Top." Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow

Recording information: Van Gelder Studios, Englewood, New Jersey (12/27/1994).

Teddy Edwards (tenor saxophone); Houston Person (tenor saxophone); Richard Wyands (piano); Kenny Washington (drums).

Horn To Horn

Bria Skonberg - Into Your Own

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:41
Size: 118.3 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:13] 1. Come Into Your Own
[3:58] 2. Three Little Words/Sir Duke
[3:27] 3. Little Girl
[4:12] 4. Share The Wealth
[6:10] 5. Break My Fall
[5:12] 6. Let's Go All In
[4:47] 7. Julia
[4:37] 8. Six More Weeks
[4:21] 9. Winin' Boy Blues
[4:43] 10. All My Life
[2:38] 11. Why Do You Do
[3:16] 12. Go Tell It

“I love problem solving, getting a bunch of different variables and finding a way to make them fit,” reflects Bria Skonberg. “I want to appeal to people who like to be a bit challenged, but still want to bop around to good music.” The singer, trumpeter, and composer comes up with the perfect solution to this equation and dives headfirst into a very personal, highly catchy set of songs with bravado and confidence on her new CD, Into Your Own.

Her affability on-stage, coupled with her husky singing voice and furious trumpet chops, have made her a darling of trad-jazz audiences. Her talents have caught the attention of the mainstream jazz press, garnering Bria a “Rising Star” spot in DownBeat Magazine’s 2013 Critics Poll, an “Up and Coming Star” nod from the Jazz Journalists’ Association, and accolades from far and wide. The gigs are steady, with Bria appearing at nearly 100 shows at clubs, festivals, schools and concert halls all over the U.S. last year.

Into Your Own

Ray Charles - Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:41
Size: 106.9 MB
Styles: R&B
Year: 1962/1990
Art: Front

[2:08] 1. Bye Bye Love
[3:12] 2. You Don't Know Me
[3:23] 3. Half As Much
[3:31] 4. I Love You So Much It Hurts
[3:27] 5. Just A Little Lovin'
[3:13] 6. Born To Lose
[2:52] 7. Worried Mind
[3:30] 8. It Makes No Difference Now
[3:27] 9. You Win Again
[3:56] 10. Careless Love
[4:11] 11. I Can't Stop Loving You
[2:10] 12. Hey Good Lookin'
[3:14] 13. Here We Go Again
[4:20] 14. That Lucky Old Sun

Ray broke barriers. In the '50s he invented soul by mixing the sacred and profane of black music: R & B and gospel. In 1962 he went completely crazy, interpreting classic country. It was one of his finest moments. From the start the record is an oddity. A big band pumps, female background singers rip through a chorus of "Bye Bye Love," and Ray brings high energy to the Everly Bros. teeny-bop lyrics. Some songs suffer from syrupy choir and string arrangements, but Ray is always there to set things straight. He gives country some funk, and erases, for a day, all questions of black and white. ~Steve Tignor

Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music

Yana Purim & Heraldo do Monte - Brasilyanas (Vol 1)

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:29
Size: 140.7 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz
Year: 1994/2008
Art: Front

[7:06] 1. Luiza
[5:48] 2. Atraz Da Porta
[3:57] 3. Romance De Amor
[4:30] 4. Isto Aqui O Que É
[4:25] 5. Prá Vocé
[6:35] 6. Eu E A Brisa
[4:02] 7. Canção Do Amanhecer
[4:13] 8. My Foolish Heart
[4:55] 9. O Que Tinha De Sêr
[4:24] 10. Amor, Amigo
[3:59] 11. Samba Da Pergunta
[7:30] 12. Retrado Em Branco E Prêto

Will appreciate any info on the artist/album, in comments.

Brasilyanas

Monica Borrfors & Sweet Jazz Trio - Remembering Billie

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:39
Size: 125,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:57)  1. My Man
(2:12)  2. Them There Eyes
(3:10)  3. It's Easy To Remember
(3:36)  4. I Cover The Waterfront
(3:59)  5. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(4:49)  6. But Beautiful
(5:29)  7. God Bless The Child
(4:55)  8. I Should Care
(4:56)  9. Good Morning Heartache
(3:50) 10. The End Of A Loveaffair
(4:52) 11. You Don't Know What Love Is
(3:32) 12. Lover Come Back To Me
(4:15) 13. You Go To My Head

Monica and the trio continues on the path of success layed down with their first album together "A Certain Sadness". On this second time around they have refined their collaboration and they leave you breathless as they pay tribute to one of the "legends of jazz", Billie Holiday.  http://www.pluggedrecords.com/cd/jazz/monica-borrfors-sweet-jazz-trio-remembering-billie.html

Personnel:  Monica Borrfors vocal. Sweet Jazz Trio - Lasse Törnqvist cornet, Mats Larsson guitar and Hans Backenroth double bass.

Remembering Billie

Kim Nalley - Alta Plaza Live!

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 71:12
Size: 118,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:16)  1. Summertime
(3:53)  2. Love Me Or Leave Me
(2:35)  3. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues
(4:48)  4. I Wanna Be Around
(4:01)  5. When You're Smiling
(4:24)  6. Dentist Song
(5:16)  7. Stormy Weather
(5:34)  8. St. Louis Blues
(4:17)  9. Miz Celie's Blues (Sister)
(3:09) 10. Presentation
(5:03) 11. We'll Be Together Again
(5:43) 12. Over Rainbow
(5:03) 13. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby
(4:47) 14. Route 66
(8:07) 15. That's All
(0:09) 16. Kim Chant Applause

Michael Tilson Thomas produced this rare live recording May 25, 1999, featuring an acoustic band including Kim, singing WITHOUT AMPLIFICATION. This no easy task because Kim routinely ended her show singing on top of the bar. Mark Leno presents an award.  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/KimNalley1

Kim Nalley is an award-winning vocalist, bandleader and producer residing in San Francisco. With a formal background in classical music and theater, Kim Nalley's star ascended upon switching to Jazz. Her resume includes several CDs, numerous rave reviews, yearly concerts at some of the most prestigious jazz festivals and jazz-clubs throughout Europe, Canada, Japan & the USA, performing with everyone from Michael Tilson Thomas & the San Francisco Symphony to David “Fathead” Newman. Her acting credits include leading roles in “Swing!” and Madame Zinzanni in Teatro Zinzanni. She is the producer of several successful musical-historio-graphical shows in various venues including “Ladies Sing the Blues,” “She Put a Spell on Me: Tribute to Nina Simone” and the multimedia presentation of jazz “Black History Month Concert Series.” She also is the resuscitator and owner of the famous jazz club “Jazz at Pearl's.”  http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/kimnalley#.U3ejFii9a5w

Alta Plaza Live!

Andre Previn, Mundell Lowe, Ray Brown - Old Friends

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:52
Size: 153,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:06)  1. But Not For Me
(5:31)  2. Stars Fell on Alabama
(6:18)  3. Stompin' at the Savoy
(8:55)  4. Medley  Darn That Dream   Here's That Rainy Day   Polka Dots and Moonbeams
(6:05)  5. One O'Clock Jump
(4:48)  6. Topsy
(5:26)  7. Medley  The Bad and the Beautiful   Laura
(8:24)  8. Moonsweeper Blues
(5:01)  9. Over The Rainbow
(6:08) 10. Satin Doll
(4:06) 11. Sweet Georgia Brown

Andre Previn's "jazz comeback" has been a welcome event even though he clearly regards his jazz playing as an occasional affair. It is to Previn's great credit that when he plays improvised music he sounds like a fulltime jazz pianist. This trio outing with guitarist Mundell Lowe and bassist Ray Brown was his third jazz date of the period and features the veteran players swinging standards lightly but with passion. A medley has unaccompanied solos by each of the musicians; other highlights include cooking versions of "Stompin' at the Savoy," "One O'Clock Jump," "Topsy" and "Sweet Georgia Brown" in addition to some heartfelt ballad renditions. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/old-friends-mw0000278460

Personnel: André Previn (piano); Mundell Lowe (guitar); Ray Brown (Bass).

Benny Goodman - The Very Best of Benny Goodman

Styles: Big Band, Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:58
Size: 155,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. Bugle Call Rag
(3:23)  2. St. Louis Blues [Take 1]
(3:12)  3. Swingtime in the Rockies
(3:15)  4. One O'Clock Jump
(3:19)  5. Exactly Like You
(3:07)  6. Sweet Gerogia Brown
(2:06)  7. I Know That You Know
(3:14)  8. And the Angels Sing
(3:17)  9. Stompin' at the Savoy
(2:48) 10. After You've Gone [Take 2]
(2:47) 11. Avalon [Take 2]
(3:41) 12. In a Sentimental Mood
(2:40) 13. The Glory of Love
(2:31) 14. Goody Goody
(3:26) 15. Bei Mir Bist du Schön, Pt. 1 [Take 1]
(3:26) 16. Bei Mir Bist du Schön, Pt. 2 [Take 2]
(3:23) 17. I Cried for You [Take 2]
(3:25) 18. Moonglow [Take 1]
(3:11) 19. King Porter Stomp
(8:38) 20. Sing, Sing, Sing, Pt. 1 & 2

The Benny Goodman library hasn't been well treated by RCA-BMG, especially in the area of mid-priced compilations there were too many reissues done in the late '80s and early '90s, before the advent of 20-bit and 24-bit mastering and other high-resolution digital formats, that really make a difference on those old analog masters. The result is a lot of Goodman out there on CD (from Sony Music as well as BMG, the former label hardly being guiltless in this matter, either) that sounds tinny and thin. That is most decidedly not a problem with this 20-song CD, which offers the kind of sound that CDs originally promised (but generally didn't deliver) on music of this vintage, all dating between 1935 and 1938 Goodman's solo on "St. Louis Blues" does, indeed, sound as though the clarinetist is suddenly in the room with you, and the entire rhythm section right down to the guitar comes through just as clearly as the featured soloists. What's more, you even get the experience of room ambience on these nearly 70-year-old masters. 

It's worth buying just to hear the studio rendition of "One O'Clock Jump," a piece better known from its concert incarnation at the legendary Carnegie Hall performance most of what's here is instrumental, though the producers have included the Martha Tilton-sung "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" (in two-parts), "And the Angels Sing," "Goodie Goodie" with Helen Ward's vocals, and, most important, "Exactly Like You," featuring the Goodman Quartet with Lionel Hampton singing Hampton's vibraphone is so much in the fore that it sounds as fresh as if it had been recorded yesterday, on "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Moonglow." Loren Schoenberg's annotation is as good as the remastering, and the disc is a bargain by any measure, as well as a pleasure. ~ Bruce Eder   http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-very-best-of-benny-goodman-mw0000620788

Personnel: Benny Goodman (clarinet); Lionel Hampton (vocals, vibraphone); Helen Ward, Martha Tilton (vocals); Toots Mondello, Hymie Schertzer, Bill DePew, Noni Bernardi, George Koenig (alto saxophone); Arthur Rollini, Dick Clark, Vido Musso, Jerry Jerome, Babe Russin (tenor saxophone); Harry James, Ziggy Ellman, Nate Kazebier, Bunny Berigan, Pee Wee Erwin, Sterling Bose, Harry Geller, Murray McEachern, Ralph Muzillo (trumpet); Red Ballard, Jack Lacey, Joe Harris, Vernon Brown (trombone); Frank Froeba, Teddy Wilson, Jess Stacy (piano); Allan Reuss, George Van Eps, Ben Heller (guitar); Harry Goodman, John Kirby (bass); Gene Krupa, Dave Tough, Buddy Schutz (drums).

Recording information: Chicago, IL.Hampton, Lionel; Hollywood, CA; New York, NY.

The Very Best of Benny Goodman

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Mary Jenson - Beyond

Size: 128,6 MB
Time: 55:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Temptation (4:09)
02. Say My Name (4:36)
03. Come Together (4:50)
04. Beyond (5:39)
05. Flying, Falling… (6:17)
06. Too High (Feat. Darian Gray) (5:24)
07. Moon At The Window (4:19)
08. Anouman (6:13)
09. The Lamp Is Low (5:35)
10. Orange Blossoms In Summertime (4:32)
11. Things My Mother Said (3:30)

Vocalist Mary Jenson follows her well-received 2009 recording Close Your Eyes (Self Produced) with an homage to the dream state with Beyond. Coming from a large military family that never stayed put for long, Jenson developed a gypsy's soul and a musical taste for the world rhythmic and cosmopolitan. Her song selection is novel, including compositions by The Beatles ("Come Together"), Stevie Wonder ("Too High") and Joni Mitchell ("Moon at the Window").

But it is the opener, Tom Waits' "Temptation," that really captures Jenson's world music-jazz view. Pianist Frank Martin sets up swirling smoke over the poly-rhythms of drummer Will Kennedy and uber-percussionist Alex Acuna. The arrangement is light, with moments of inventive melodic grounding firmly in in the warm climes of the Caribbean rim. Jenson's pliable voice shares these characteristics of the arrangement. She transforms this Waits ballad (sung to great humid effect by Cote de Pablo in the opening episode of NCIS, Season 6). Jenson takes away some of the humidity and adds complex undulations, giving the piece a more urgent and visceral punch. ~C. Michael Bailey

Personnel: Mary Jenson: vocals; Frank Martin: keyboards; Mads Tolling: violin; Jose Neto: guitar; Ralphe Armstrong: bass; Will Kennedy: drums; Alex Acuna: percussion.

Beyond

Mort Weiss - I'll Be Seeing You / A Giant Step Out And Back

Album: I'll Be Seeing You
Size: 158,7 MB
Time: 68:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jazz: Straight-Ahead/Mainstream
Art: Front

01. Alone Together (4:10)
02. I'll Be Seeing You (6:08)
03. Our Delight (3:52)
04. Spring Is Here/A Time For Love (4:28)
05. When Your Lover's Gone (5:14)
06. Blues For Alice (4:10)
07. You Do Something To Me (6:59)
08. Gots The Horn In My Mouth Blues (5:00)
09. The Touch Of Your Lips (6:06)
10. Confirmation (2:14)
11. Here's That Rainy Day/My Funny Valentine (7:09)
12. Bernies Tune (3:20)
13. Azule Serape (5:11)
14. Pennies From Heaven (4:01)

Clarinetist Mort Weiss is a character. That much is readily evident by reading his All About Jazz column, The Mort Report. He is opinionated and passionate, both driving forces that easily season his playing in such a way that when Weiss plays, he's readily recognizable. Since returning to recording in 2001 after nearly 30 years away, Weiss has recorded a number of well-received CDs bringing him to what he considers his most fully realized release, I'll Be Seeing You.

Stylistically, Weiss is somewhat of a missing link within the post-swing jazz clarinetists. He lies somewhere between notable saxophonists who doubled on clarinet, like Lester Young and Art Pepper, and progressive (for the era) clarinetists like Buddy DeFranco and Tony Scott. Weiss' playing betrays his admiration for DeFranco in his fluid bop delivery and a certain risk-taking that made up Scott's oeuvre. Weiss is this side of Eddie Daniels and that side of John LaPorta. His previous recording, the solo clarinet outing Raising The Bar (SMS Jazz, 2010), demonstrated Weiss' continued growth, through his legendary practice and listening, into a brilliant second act to a first-rate life.

Weiss begins with a spare and laconic "Alone Together," dramatically displaying the clarinetist's intentions for the remainder of the disc. Weiss' approach on I'll Be Seeing You is the musical equivalent to what Salvadore Dali did with the visual arts. Weiss likes playing behind the beat and stretching his passages as far as the next measure. The elasticity Weiss uses in his phrasing adds just enough tension that, once resolved, creates a satisfaction akin to tasting an exceptional red wine...a real spark to the head. And sometimes that resolution is not what is expected, making the experience all the sweeter.

Weiss also allows this elasticity into his soloing, taking it to a slippery extreme. I'll Be Seeing You was transferred as first takes with no overdubs, giving the recording a bit of a high-wire feel. On Tadd Dameron's "Our Delight," Weiss expels flourishes throughout his solos that could go in any direction, but Weiss manages to remain close to the song's perimeter. On a hyper-fast "Confirmation," Weiss smooths out Anton Schwartz complexities before adding his own with his pliant, light-speed phrasing.

On the slower-tempo side of things, Weiss' pacing is measured and sure. "Spring is Here" and "My Funny Valentine" are taken largo, but never lose their pulse. This is hard to do in a trio setting sans a harmony continuo, but Weiss never bogs down or loses his place. He weaves his ideas together seamlessly and logically, always swinging; whether it is "Bernie's Tune" or "Pennies from Heaven," Weiss treats his subject with respect, but also a familiarity that allows him to take his chances—and, more often than not, improve the music. ~C. Michael Bailey

Personnel: Mort Weiss: clarinet; Roy McCurdy: drums; Chris Conner: bass; Ramon Banda; conga.

I'll Be Seeing You

Album: A Giant Step Out And Back
Size: 103,9 MB
Time: 43:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Free Jazz
Art: Front

01. Trane Of Thought (2:37)
02. All The Thing You Are (1:51)
03. Allegory (3:26)
04. Dark Eyes (2:15)
05. Fair Weather (1:52)
06. Goodbye (2:37)
07. Invitation (2:55)
08. Jivin (2:00)
09. Soliloquy (3:20)
10. Straight No Chaser (1:15)
11. Summertime (4:53)
12. Talkin'about It (2:14)
13. Transfiguration (6:08)
14. Waltz For Deddie (2:02)
15. Warm Up (4:21)

The statement on the front CD cover announces what this music is about: “A Free Jazz Recording By The Undisputed Master Of The Jazz Clarinet.” Brash, yes, but as I’m reminded, it ain’t braggin’ if it’s true.

Mort Weiss, that undisputed clarinet master, is one of jazz’s remarkable stories of making up for lost time: zero albums under his name in the first sixty-six years of his life and now, eleven over the last twelve. Each with a different configuration, presenting his amazing facility on the blackwood in a different way. For the second time, Weiss is going it alone, with no one else accompanying him, and seeing how well that turned out the first time, there could be not harm in undertaking another solo clarinet album.

But there are some unique twists to A Giant Step Out And Back — as they are with every Weiss album — and to borrow from the title of that prior record, Weiss raises the bar once again. As you may have guessed already, this faithful adherent to the bop tradition is stretching out, and he walks the tight rope with no net: all first takes, no edits, no rehearsals, no even listening to music for six months prior to this five hour recording session; he walked in and cut these tracks cold, then flew back home.

For some of the tracks, like the first one “Trane Of Thought” (YouTube above), the song didn’t even exist until the tape rolled. At first blush, “Trane” appears to be a departure into whack jazz wilderness, but Weiss never compromised his basic principles. Listen close enough to it, and you’ll find the flow, the rhythm, and a harmonic shape. It’s the essence of Mort Weiss that always bleeds through, even when he’s stepping outside. The closing number “Warm Up” is similarly a series of somersaults that result in Weiss landing squarely on his feet each time.

For the sturdy standard “All The Things You Are,” Weiss introduces yet another new tact, dubbing over himself. Within a magical two minutes, Weiss is fluttering up and down scales hitting all the critical notes of the melody along the way so you can’t miss it, and then he does it again, as if a second take was playing alongside the first. Except, that both of these “takes” are in perfect congruence with each other.

“Allegory,” “Jivin’!” and “Soliloquy” are sort of combinations in approach of those first two songs: made up on the spot, but later dubbed over. For these cuts, Weiss was required to rely on his ear this time instead of memory to make the overdubs work on these pure improvisations.

Other standards such as “Fair Weather,” “Dark Eyes,” “Straight No Chaser” and “Summertime” are performed without the overdubs, but are played a little quicker and with a little more abstractness than the way he tackled the standards on Raising The Bar. Bill Evans’ gorgeous “Waltz For Debbie” is hastened and somewhat reharmonized, in what must be the most radical remake of that song, ever. However, Weiss never, ever loses sight of the underlying harmony.

Weiss’ most way out song of this collection ironically doesn’t even involve a clarinet: “Talkin’ About it” is vocal scat made up on the spot lacking a melody but still possesses rhythm and progression. One might call it a human beat box with swing.

As a whole, A Giant Step Out And Back can confidently be named Weiss’ most daring work. At a time in his life where his peers are slowing down, playing it safe and retreading the same ground, he’s still looking for ways to extend his art to the outer limits. Adventurous jazz isn’t necessarily a young man’s game, but it does belong to those young at heart. And that kid Mort Weiss made a record not for the faint of heart, but in many ways it’s very rewarding for those who are as open minded as he is. ~Review by S. Victor Aaron

A Giant Step Out And Back

Marianne Matheny-Katz - Somewhere In Paradise

Size: 108,9 MB
Time: 46:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Our Love Is Here To Stay (5:06)
02. Whisper Not (3:35)
03. All Blues (5:22)
04. Fair Weather (4:57)
05. Comes Love (4:45)
06. The Way You Look Tonight (3:24)
07. Still We Dream (Ugly Beauty) (3:24)
08. You Must Believe In Spring (6:28)
09. You Taught My Heart To Sing (5:49)
10. Look For The Silver Lining (3:57)

Somewhere in Paradise features engaging jazz standards with surprising new arrangements. In the liner notes, jazz critic John Murph calls Matheny-Katz “a captivating singer [who] possesses a quintessential jazz voice, which she enlivens with lissome, conversational phrasing.”

The disc features some of Baltimore’s best musicians, including reed players Todd Marcus, Tim Green, Craig Alston; bassist Eric Wheeler; pianist Vince Evans; drummer Eric Kennedy; and superstar Warren Wolf on vibraphone, piano and drums. Also featured is Philadelphia trumpeter Terell Stafford.

Born in Staten Island, Matheny-Katz spent her teens singing folk music in coffeehouses. She left the stage for a decade to raise a family, but after moving to the Mid-Atlantic region, returned as a blues singer. For 11 years, she performed and recorded with Maryland based group Park House Jam.

Her move into jazz was dramatic. She entered Baltimore’s annual Billie Holiday competition in 2000. She took second place in the prestigious competition that year and again in 2002, and was subsequently invited to perform in a Billie Holiday tribute concert at Artscape 2010 at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

Matheny-Katz studied jazz vocals with Vince Evans, JD Walter and mentor Jay Clayton. She formed the M2K Jazz Ensemble in 2003. She has performed in the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, New Jersey Jazz Festival, Patterson Park Concert series, the Eubie Blake Center, Germano’s, The Carlyle Club, Acton Jazz Café (near Boston), and often at the Tremont, Radisson and Colonnade Hotels in Baltimore.

In 2007 she and her husband Howard Katz opened Jazzway 6004, presenting top-notch local and touring talent. (Downbeat Magazine named it one of the nation’s top three house concert venues.) The two are also producing a documentary film on Baltimore jazz, directed by Jonathan Bevers. “Tell Me More—and Then Some” is due out in 2015. Meanwhile the savvy singer maintains a busy performance schedule.

Somewhere In Paradise

Various - Saturday Afternoon Jazz

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 62:13
Size: 142.4 MB
Styles: Smooth jazz, Mainstream jazz, Standards
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[4:48] 1. Mary Stallings - Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[5:53] 2. Tal Farlow - Nuages
[5:45] 3. Ken Peplowski - The Best Things In Life Are Free
[7:53] 4. Gene Harris, Jack McDuff - Soft Winds
[4:26] 5. Karrin Allyson - O Barquinho
[4:55] 6. The Monty Alexander Trio - The Summer Wind
[3:47] 7. Scott Hamilton, Howard Alden - Chelsea Bridge
[5:47] 8. Toots Thielemans - Hello Young Lovers
[5:25] 9. Howard Roberts - Dolphin Dance
[3:09] 10. George Shearing - On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[6:32] 11. Bill Mays - I'm Just A Lucky So And So
[3:48] 12. Joey DeFrancesco - Young At Heart

Another volume of classic jazz from the popular Concord series, Saturday Afternoon Jazz presents a collection of smooth yet vibrant music including songs from Django Reinhardt, Billy Strayhorn, Herbie Hancock, and Fletch Henderson. ~Stacia Proefrock

Saturday Afternoon Jazz

Don Grolnick - Hearts And Numbers

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 38:28
Size: 88.1 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1985/2010
Art: Front

[6:12] 1. Pointing At The Moon
[3:04] 2. More Pointing
[5:14] 3. Pools
[5:10] 4. Regrets
[5:23] 5. The Four Sleepers
[5:20] 6. Human Bites
[4:58] 7. Act Natural
[3:04] 8. Hearts And Numbers

Don Grolnick was a subtle and rather underrated pianist throughout his career, but his flexibility and talents were well known to his fellow musicians. Grolnick played in rock bands while a teenager but was always interested in jazz. He worked in the early fusion group Dreams (1969-1971), the Brecker Brothers (starting in 1975), and in the early '80s with Steps Ahead. He has long been a busy session musician often utilized by pop singers. In the 1980s, Grolnick appeared in many settings including with Joe Farrell, George Benson, Peter Erskine, David Sanborn, John Scofield, Mike Stern, and the Bob Mintzer big band.

Don Grolnick is heard at his best on his Hip Pocket debut Hearts and Numbers (1986), and on his two Blue Note albums, which have been reissued as a double-CD. ~bio by Scott Yanow

Hearts And Numbers

Judy Collins - Hard Time For Lovers

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 37:18
Size: 85.4 MB
Styles: Folk, Easy Listening
Year: 1979/2013
Art: Front

[3:52] 1. Hard Times For Lovers
[3:10] 2. Marie
[3:08] 3. Happy End
[3:29] 4. Desperado
[3:56] 5. I Remember Sky
[4:26] 6. Starmaker
[4:33] 7. Dorothy
[3:37] 8. Theme From The Universal Picture The Promise (I'll Never Say Goodbye )
[3:25] 9. Theme From Ice Castles (Through The Eyes Of Love) - From The Columbia Motion Picture
[3:38] 10. Where Or When

After scoring an unexpected chart hit with her rendition of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns" and the accompanying Judith album in 1975, Judy Collins seemed to lose career and musical momentum on her follow-up, Bread and Roses. Hard Times for Lovers was an attempt to recapture the momentum of the Judith album and also to update her image. The latter mostly took the form of a striking front-and-back nude photo of Collins (discreetly cropped and framed) on the album's cover; the design boosted her already high stock among adherents of the woman's movement, but engendered some controversy in more politically conservative circles. The musical content, however, was about half of what it should have been -- the title track (authored by Hugh Prestwood) was moderately catchy and memorable, and Collins also covered material by Randy Newman, Carole Bayer Sager, the Eagles, and Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, but there was little excitement or tension to any of the material here, and her voice sounded thin and strained at times. The track that should have elicited the greatest interest, Stephen Sondheim's "I Remember Sky" -- from a lost ABC television-spawned musical called Evening Primrose -- was strangely under-recorded which, coupled with a lack of richness in Collins' singing, left it intrinsically haunting (a fundamental attribute of the composition itself) but pale and inaccessible. "Starmaker" was another good tune that Collins simply failed to carry all the way in the manner that she had with "Send in the Clowns." "Dorothy," by Hugh Prestwood, is a beautiful and fascinating piece of Oz-ephemera inspired by L. Frank Baum's books and the MGM movie, with a gorgeous chorus, and is arguably -- along with the title cut -- the most successful song on the album. Perhaps the strangest part of the album was its second side, which offered a pair of film-related songs associated with a pair of affliction-based romances, Gilbert Cates' disastrous The Promise and Donald Wrye's more successful Ice Castles. Unfortunately, neither was a terribly inspiring recording. Only on the final track, Collins' rendition of Rodgers & Hart's "Where or When," does she really hint at what could have been for this album, her singing and the arrangement evoking depth, power, and beauty somewhat reminiscent but still short of the Judith LP. [Note: This was the only original '70s-era Collins album that wasn't remastered by WEA during the mid-'90s.] ~Bruce Eder

Hard Time For Lovers

Delicatessen - My Baby Just Cares For Me

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 43:24
Size: 99.4 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:40] 1. Don't Be That Way/Águas De Março
[3:45] 2. Mickey
[2:54] 3. He's Funny That Way
[4:01] 4. My Melancholy Baby
[3:05] 5. Be Careful, It's My Heart
[3:11] 6. My Baby Just Cares For Me
[4:52] 7. You've Chanched
[2:28] 8. Why Don't You Do Right
[4:18] 9. How Long Has This Been Going On
[4:59] 10. My Foolish Heart
[3:26] 11. Delicatessen
[2:39] 12. Amores Musicais/Fotografia

The Brazilian Group of jazz and Bossa Nova Delicatessen was conceived in late 2006. With Ana Kruger (Vocals), Carlos Badia (Guitar), Nico Bueno (Bass), Mario Gomes (Drums) and produced by Beto Callage and Carlos Badia, Delicatessen has been recreating standards of jazz with the delicacy and simplicity of Bossa Nova.


My Baby Just Cares For Me

Janis Mann & Kenny Werner - Celestial Anomaly

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:51
Size: 130,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Still We Dream
(6:15)  2. Come Down in Time
(4:30)  3. Wild Is the Wind
(6:54)  4. Throw It Away
(2:44)  5. You Must Believe in Spring
(3:36)  6. Early Autumn
(5:00)  7. With a Song in My Heart
(5:01)  8. Fragile
(5:13)  9. So in Love
(5:18) 10. Once I Loved
(4:35) 11. If I Loved You
(3:23) 12. I'll Be Seeing You

Five years ago, L.A.-based vocalist Janis Mann paid exquisite tribute to timekeepers, alternating among a quartet of preeminent drummers on A Perfect Time. Now, two albums later, two of the four Roy McCurdy and Joe LaBarbera return for the equally sublime Celestial Anomaly. This time, though, co-billing is ascribed to pianist Kenny Werner. Bassist Hamilton Price, as impressive as his better-known bandmates, completes the rhythm section. Astronomically speaking, the title refers to an apsis, the farthest point between two bodies in elliptical orbit, which seems an odd insinuation. If the two bodies are Mann and Werner, then their union couldn’t be closer a masterful fusion of musical minds. And though Werner’s playing is expectedly brilliant, the entire ensemble, whether anchored by McCurdy or LaBarbera, is tight and interdependent. Mann is often likened to Sarah Vaughan, and certainly shares Sassy’s dark, rich texture and her versatility. But Mann adds an enticing air of mystery, a dusky hint of veiled possibilities. She is not only one of the most skilled vocalists around, but one of the most alluring as well. Her excellent taste in standards here extends from a smoky “So in Love” and an intriguingly propulsive “Early Autumn” to an entrancing “Wild Is the Wind” and spellbinding “Throw It Away.” More contemporary material is as shrewdly interpreted, including gorgeous readings of Elton John’s “Come Down in Time” and Sting’s “Fragile.” ~ Christopher Loudon   http://jazztimes.com/articles/123113-celestial-anomaly-janis-mann-kenny-werner