Joey DeFrancesco - Live At The 5 Spot

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 74:50
Size: 171.3 MB
Styles: Organ jazz, Soul jazz
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[ 8:01] 1. The Eternal One
[ 9:10] 2. Embraceable You
[ 8:48] 3. I'll Remember April
[ 9:33] 4. Work Song
[ 9:42] 5. Moonlight In Vermont
[10:29] 6. Impression
[ 8:53] 7. All Of Me
[10:10] 8. Spectator

Organist Joey DeFrancesco clearly had a good time during this jam session. His fine quintet (which has strong soloists in altoist Robert Landham, trumpeter Jim Henry, and especially guitarist Paul Bollenback) starts things off with a run-through of "rhythm changes" during "The Eternal One" and the hornless trio cuts loose on a swinging "I'll Remember April," but otherwise all of the other selections feature guests. Tenors Illinois Jacquet, Grover Washington, Jr., Houston Person, and Kirk Whalum all fare well on separate numbers (Jacquet steals the show on "All of Me"), and on the closing blues DeFrancesco interacts with fellow organist Captain Jack McDuff. Few surprises occur overall (the tenors should have all played together), but the music is quite pleasing and easily recommended to DeFrancesco's fans. ~Scott Yanow

Live At The 5 Spot

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Barney Kessel - Blue Guitar

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 63:33
Size: 147.7 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. Willow Weep For Me
[4:50] 2. On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)
[5:14] 3. How High The Moon
[5:09] 4. Aquarius
[4:18] 5. More Than You Know
[4:12] 6. The Look Of Love
[6:18] 7. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:49] 8. Et Maintenant
[4:36] 9. Little Star
[3:55] 10. Out Of Nowhere
[5:53] 11. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got The Swing)
[5:13] 12. Tea For Two
[3:32] 13. Limehouse Blues
[3:38] 14. Blue Moon

Barney Kessel was one of the great jazz guitarists of his generation. Few realize that he was also an important voice on the pop-music scene in the 1950s and '60s. Indeed, his recordings with Ricky Nelson, the Righteous Brothers, and others show the great diversity of this guitarist. On BLUE GUITAR, listeners are treated to 14 renditions of jazz standards such as "Willow Weep for Me," "How High the Moon," "Honeysuckle Rose" and the always-infectious "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got The Swing)." The Burt Bacharach pop tune "The Look of Love" is also performed here as a delicate bossa nova. Kessel's style is silky and understated throughout. His quintet is made up of bass, drums, rhythm guitar, and violin, but unfortunately, no personnel is listed. One doesn't need liner notes, though, to realize that the mystery violinist is likely the great Stephane Grappelli. Overall, BLUE GUITAR is sophisticated, romantic music.

Barney Kessel (guitar); Stephane Grappelli (violin).

Blue Guitar

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Nancy Bierma - I Love Being Here With You

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 67:45
Size: 155.1 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[3:21] 1. For Mom
[6:44] 2. My Romance
[4:07] 3. Aisha Joy
[3:33] 4. I Love Being Here With You
[6:51] 5. My Song
[3:22] 6. Cheek To Cheek
[5:19] 7. Mikala
[3:23] 8. Lucky Southern
[4:35] 9. I'm All Smiles
[3:30] 10. Samba With Me
[4:58] 11. The Very Thought Of You
[4:39] 12. Margaret's Blue Garden
[4:29] 13. Memories Of Tomorrow
[3:16] 14. Isn't It Romantic
[3:58] 15. El Gaucho
[1:34] 16. Ode To Joy

Nancy Anderson-Bierma is a jazz pianist in Minneapolis. She has been playing piano since age 4 and has a degree in music from Drake University. Since 1980 she has played professionally with her own jazz groups, as a soloist, and with jazz fusion, R&B, and pop bands. She performed extensively in the Midwest and made her mark as a jazz pianist. Living in Des Moines, Iowa for many years Nancy was a well known jazz musician and organizer of jazz events. Nancy is married to bassist Jim Bierma and they have two daughters Aisha and Mikala. In 1994 they moved to Minneapolis and continued their music careers. They perform in concerts and at local venues with some of the twin cities top musicians and vocalists. Nancy is also an acupuncturist/ herbalist and works as a healer and teacher. Aisha and Mikala are the inspiration for two of the songs on this CD. Many of the originals were created for family or special events in the spirit of love, joy and passion for life. Nancy is influenced by Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans. She plays from the heart and her intention is to uplift the listener.

Jim Bierma, bassist, is from Des Moines, Iowa. He has played professionally since age 15. In 1977 he joined the jazz group of the legendary Irene Myles and worked with her for 17 years. Since moving to the Twin Cities Jim is a fixture at all of the local jazz clubs and plays with a wide variety of talented musicians. A rock solid bass player, he is a pianist and drummer’s dream. Jim swings hard and has been compared to Ray Brown in revues written about him. Sensitivity abounds when he takes a solo on a ballad. Jim loves Charlie Haden and Charles Mingus. He is a school counselor and works with at risk kids.

Nathan Norman, drummer, is originally from Washington D.C. He is one of the Twin Cities busiest drummers. He received a degree from Eastman School of Music in 1984. One of his strengths is accompanying jazz singers and soloists. He adds a rich texture to the music and has a great feel. His biggest influences are Art Blakely, Philly Joe Jones and Brian Blade.

Charmin Michelle, Thomas Bruce, and Aaron Keith Stewart are three of the finest vocalists in the Minneapolis area. They captivate audiences and each have their own unique vocal style. These singers will be sure to delight you with

I Love Being Here With You

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Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums (Featuring Miss Carmen Getit) - Some Like It Hot

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:45
Size: 116.2 MB
Styles: Blues-jazz, R&B, Jump blues
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:14] 1. Adam's Rib
[3:04] 2. Some Like It Hot
[4:19] 3. How'm I Doin
[3:02] 4. How Come
[3:14] 5. Real Gone Girl
[4:11] 6. Maybe Later
[3:40] 7. The Grapevine
[3:16] 8. Beat Girl
[3:30] 9. Let Me In
[4:05] 10. The Hollywood Jump
[3:06] 11. Haul Off And Love Me
[3:35] 12. Don't You Want To Get Lucky
[3:39] 13. The Rhumbabum Hum
[4:43] 14. That Mellow Saxophone

Called "Instant Crowd Favorites" by the San Francisco Blues Festival and "Consummate musicians and entertainers" by New York City's Lincoln Center, Lucky and Getit really shine before a live audience, bringing an intense energy and sheer personal magnetism to the stage, exercising wit in a continuous battle of the sexes. They've earned a reputation as captivating entertainers with "superior musicianship" (Downbeat), engaging audiences at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the Half Note Jazz Club in Athens, Greece, the San Francisco Blues Festival, as the house band at the Derby in Hollywood, and hundreds of nightclubs, festivals, and performing arts centers around the world.

Born in Seattle and raised near Detroit, Steve Lucky started playing piano at age eight and was playing and singing professionally by the time he was thirteen. He founded and led the six-piece Blue Front Persuaders through the ‘80s, playing swing, jump-blues, and ‘40s and ‘50s R & B, while living in Ann Arbor and attending the University of Michigan. Their novel sound and wild show was a big draw on the Midwest college circuit, earning them a spot on Star Search and a notable review for one of Lucky's original songs in Billboard magazine.

In 1987 Lucky moved to New York City to play keyboards for Grammy award-winning guitarist and vocalist Johnny Clyde Copeland. During the next five years he was active in the Greenwich Village music scene, was hired to score performance art and theater, and performed with a diverse group of musicians including Joan Osborne, Blues Traveler, and the Spin Doctors. Sticking to his musical roots, Lucky formed his own band in New York City working the nightclubs and touring throughout Europe. In 1993 he moved to San Francisco and started the Rhumba Bums as a quintet, but admits the band really took shape in ‘94 with the addition of Miss Carmen Getit on vocals and guitar.

In Carmen's powerful vocals, one can hear echoes of her idols Ruth Brown, Etta James, and Dinah Washington. Miss Getit is a dynamic performer and versatile vocalist, interpreting "slick jazz a la Dinah Washington" or shouting down-and-out blues according to the Ann Arbor Observer. Miss Getit got her musical start plucking out melodies on the piano before she learned to read. Piano lessons soon followed, and at age ten Carmen began singing and playing acoustic guitar with a group of girl guitarists at her local church. Over fifteen years later Steve Lucky bought her an electric guitar and turned her on to early blues and jazz. In 1998 she recorded a critically acclaimed release with the Rhumba Bums, "Come Out Swingin'!", earning four stars in both Downbeat and Blues Access Magazines and accolades from the press. Getit is recognized for her more swinging styles in Guitar Player Magazine as "smooth and steady", and her grittier blues playing in Experience Hendrix Magazine, where Frank-John Hadley calls Getit "one of the most striking young blues guitarists in the country".

Some Like It Hot

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Bill Charlap & Renne Rosnes - Double Portrait

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:02
Size: 116,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. Chorinho
(5:04)  2. Double Rainbow (Chovendo Na Roseira)
(8:55)  3. Ana Maria
(4:27)  4. The Saros Cycle
(8:35)  5. My Man's Gone Now
(5:05)  6. Dancing In The Dark
(5:15)  7. Inner Urge
(4:15)  8. Little Glory
(4:26)  9. Never Will I Marry

Many people believe that married couples have a telepathic connection. This recording puts that theory to the test, with two of the most important pianists in jazz today who also happen to be husband and wife sitting down for a duo piano recital.  Charlap's own work with drummer Kenny Washington Vocals and bassist Peter Washington has positioned him as one of the key voices in the piano trio format. His selection of standards and exquisite, classy recording projects have given him status as an arbiter of taste within the jazz world. While these aspects of his playing are Charlap's calling card, Rosnes is often lauded for two very different sides of her personality. Many in the jazz community have appreciated her ability to uphold the traditions of jazz, backing legends like J.J. Johnson, James Moody and Bobby Hutcherson since arriving Stateside in the mid-'80s, while another segment of the jazz listening public revels in her more adventurous exploits on her own recordings and with the SFJAZZ Collective.  Neither pianist compromises their artistic inclinations on Double Portrait, instead merging effortlessly to create a tapestry of refined and tasteful statements. Both players balance a sensitive touch with deeply probing and responsive ideas.

 Song choices here make sly, joking reference to their personal connection ("Never Will I Marry"), nod toward former Rosnes employers Joe Henderson ("Inner Urge") and Wayne Shorter ("Ana Maria"), and touch on standards ("Dancing In The Dark" and "My Man's Gone Now").  While every track is first-rate, the second half of the program posses greater heat and energy. The album opens with two Latin leaning compositions Lyle Mays' "Chorinho" and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Double Rainbow" and both pianists lock in well together, but don't seem to be completely engaged with the material. This all changes when the pair arrives at "Ana Maria," a nine-minute performance that's almost too short, with both players digging deeper, and exploring the open expanse of Shorter's composition. The duo arrives at a loose and appropriately dark place for "My Man's Gone Now," and they swing as well or better than any sans-rhythm section pair on "Dancing In The Dark." Pent-up intensity is present on their first rate take of "Inner Urge," while Gerry Mulligan's under-performed "Little Glory" is all class. Charlap and Rosnes deserve all the happiness in the world for finding each other personally and artistically and the jazz community gets a little glimpse of this match made in heaven on Double Portrait. ~ Dan Bilawsky http://www.allaboutjazz.com/double-portrait-bill-charlap-blue-note-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php#.U7X9grF8eM0

Personnel: Bill Charlap: piano; Renee Rosnes: piano.

Double Portrait             

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Abbey Lincoln - Abbey Sings Billie [Disc 1] And [Disc 2]

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:06 [Disc 1]
Size: 131,2 MB [Disc 1]
Time: 40:12 [Disc 2]
Size: 92,3 MB [Disc 2]
Art: Front

[Disc 1]

( 3:18)  1. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
( 2:51)  2. I Only Have Eyes For You
( 5:09)  3. Gloomy Sunday
( 4:27)  4. Crazy He Calls Me
( 6:16)  5. Strange Fruit
( 5:42)  6. Lover Man
( 4:41)  7. These Foolish Things
( 5:20)  8. I'll Be Seeing You
(10:18)  9. Soul Eyes
( 9:01) 10. I'll Wind

Abbey Lincoln's idol has always been Billie Holiday. Although she has never really copied Lady Day and she has long had her own style and sound, the feeling and intensity that Lincoln gives the lyrics she interprets is reminiscent of late-period Holiday. A perfect person to pay tribute to Billie Holiday, Lincoln (on the first of two Enja CDs) is joined by the underrated tenor Harold Vick (who would pass away unexpectedly within a short time after this recording), pianist James Weidman, bassist Tarik Shaha and drummer Mark Johnson for fresh renditions of standards. Mal Waldron's "Soul Eyes" is taken as an instrumental feature for Vick and other highlights include "What a Little Moonlight Can Do," "Strange Fruit," an emotional "I'll Be Seeing You" and a song perfectly suited for Abbey Lincoln's voice: "Crazy He Calls Me." One of the singer's best recordings of the 1980s and a fine complement to the equally rewarding Vol. 2. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/abbey-sings-billie-vol-1-mw0000315240

Personnel: Abbey Lincoln (vocals); Harold Vick (tenor saxophone); James Weidman (piano); Tarik Shah (bass); Mark Johnson (drums).

Abbey Sings Billie [Disc 1]

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[Disc 2]

(7:02)  1. Gimme A Pigfoot
(6:58)  2. No More
(5:22)  3. God Bless The Child
(6:22)  4. Don't Explain
(5:28)  5. For Heaven's Sake
(3:20)  6. Please Don't Talk About Me (When I'm Gone)
(5:36)  7. For All We Know

Abbey Lincoln is the perfect person to pay tribute to Billie Holiday. She knew Lady Day during her last years and, like Holiday, Lincoln has always lived the words she sings and chosen to only intepret lyrics that have great meaning to her. Her expressive powers have been quite strong throughout her career and there are plenty of dramatic moments on this disc along with its first volume. Tenor-saxophonist Harold Vick, who would die suddenly within days of these sessions, is quite effective as is the supportive rhythm section. Abbey Lincoln shows off her versatility on such diverse numbers as "Gimme a Pigfoot," "Don't Explain" and "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone." ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/abbey-sings-billie-vol-2-mw0000091041

Personnel: Abbey Lincoln (vocals); Harold Vick (tenor saxophone); James Weidman (piano); Tarik Shah (bass); Mark Johnson (drums).

Abbey Sings Billie [Disc 2]

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Bucky Pizzarelli & Frank Vignola - Moonglow

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:01
Size: 108,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:03)  1. Whispering
(2:33)  2. I Can Dream, Can't I
(2:07)  3. Temptation
(2:09)  4. Moonlight Serenade
(1:48)  5. My Ideal
(3:59)  6. Moonglow
(3:21)  7. In The Blue Of Evening
(2:22)  8. Sleepy Time Down South
(4:44)  9. If I Had You
(3:36) 10. Golden Earrings
(2:55) 11. Dream A Little Dream Of Me
(3:28) 12. P.S. I Love You
(3:27) 13. Serenade In Blue
(3:16) 14. I'm Confessin'
(2:14) 15. Deep Purple
(1:51) 16. You'll Never Know

At least as evidenced by this collection of guitar duets, nothing but a mere few decades would seem to separate Bucky Pizzarelli (b. 1925) and Frank Vignola (b. 1965). Pizzarelli's lengthy resume includes years as a studio musician beginning in the '50s, touring with Benny Goodman, a celebrated guitar partnership with George Barnes, and popular stops along the way with Bobby Hackett and Bob Wilber, among others. Vignola, playing a six-string archtop guitar (and sometimes banjo), has always been a strong melody man on recordings which have ranged from "Stars Fell on Alabama to Horace Silver's "Cookin' at the Continental to tunes by Sting, Cream, and Bob Marley, in company with Ken Peplowski, Randy Sandke, and Roland Hanna, among others. 

The sixteen great pop standards on which they collaborate here turn into a celebration of the joys of simplicity. These are two virtuosos, masters with neither a need to outdo each other nor to hide behind flashy pyrotechnics. Vignola's clarity dominates on the melodies while Pizzarelli, on a seven-string electric, provides the most faithful partnering. The closeness of their chemistry is immediately evident on the opening tune, "Whispering. Vignola plucks a few notes while Pizzarelli, all subtle mellow warmth, joins in almost imperceptibly. They next glide into "I Can Dream, Can't I? , capturing a yearning which if anything is more than matched later by the incredible tenderness they express on "P.S. I Love You. Mood and tempo are shifted effortlessly for the sensual bolero beats of "Temptation, as throbbing colors from Vignola ride on an undulating wave of current from Pizzarelli.

On the great Glenn Miller hit "Moonlight Serenade, Pizzarelli's mellow chords with Vignola's lyrical eloquence perfectly capture the dreamy romanticism of the Swing Era classic. Recollections of moments as sublime as Sinatra's "In the Wee Small Hours and Ella's "Like Someone In Love come to mind. As with those masterpieces, each tune seems woven into a seamless, totally satisfying whole. Moonglow is melodious bliss. ~ Andrew Velez   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/moonglow-bucky-pizzarelli-hyena-records-review-by-andrew-velez.php#.U7Eqm7F8eM0
 

Personnel: Bucky Pizzarelli: guitar; Frank Vignola: guitar.

Moonglow

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Primo Kim - To Be Near

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:55
Size: 103,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:44)  1. Why You
(3:40)  2. To Be Near
(2:34)  3. How Can I Be Sure
(2:59)  4. Is That Why
(4:37)  5. Right Turn
(3:51)  6. Gentle Rain
(2:41)  7. You've Got A Lotta Love to Give
(3:55)  8. More Than You Know
(2:58)  9. How Can This Love Affair Be Though
(3:58) 10. Don't Be Afraid, It's Time To Move On
(3:28) 11. Joy
(3:32) 12. Seabird
(3:52) 13. Come To Me

A totally amazing vocal jazz album from the early 70s  an obscure private pressing album from Primo Kim, an obscure singer  but a great one too! Primo's got a very hip approach to his work  a sound that's somewhere in the territory of Mark Murphy or Bobby Cole light years from mainstream male vocals, and often served up with some very jazzy grooves in the background! Many tracks here are originals by Primo, and a few others are well-chosen covers too  and in a way, the feel is quite like some of Mark Murphy's best overseas work of the 60s, or Bobby Cole's landmark album from the early 60s a set without compare, and with a freshness that's just getting appreciated all these many years later. https://soundcloud.com/primo_jp/sets/primo-kim-to-be-near-reissue

To Be Near

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Julia Rich - Witch Hazel

Size: 126,0 MB
Time: 53:46
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Dreaming Dreams And Such (2:08)
02. All My Loving (3:31)
03. They Can't Drive You Crazy If You Don't Get In The Car (3:57)
04. Something Stupid (Feat. Nick Hilscher) (3:14)
05. Tete-A-Tete (2:29)
06. Witch Hazel (2:01)
07. A Little Thing Called Gin (3:41)
08. Hearts (Feat. Benita Hill) (4:29)
09. Off Key (Desafinado) (4:54)
10. Where Are You (4:21)
11. Beyond The Sea (Feat. Nick Hilscher) (5:19)
12. Cookie Woman Blues (2:37)
13. Both Sides Now (4:05)
14. Jumpin' Back (3:43)
15. The Pirate (3:11)

Dr. Paul Tanner--trombonist with the original Glenn Miller Orchestra, theremin player on Good Vibrations, professor of jazz studies at UCLA--describes WITCH HAZEL as individual and charming and loaded with happy surprises.

“I became an immediate fan of Julia Rich after seeing her perform with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.. She has an elegant, unaffected style that I find very appealing.After listening to ‘Witch Hazel,’ I learned that Ms. Rich’s skills as a singer are matched by her skills as a songwriter. Some of her material, such as ‘Dreaming Dreams and Such’ and ‘A Little Thing Called Gin,’ are so intensely personal that it is difficult to imagine anyone other than her singing them.

Around half of the songs on this CD are originals; and, though Ms. Rich’s performance of standards is uniformly excellent (‘Desafinado’ is especially outstanding), those originals alone make this a great buy. They make it clear that Julia Rich is not only a singer and songwriter with considerable talent but is also a highly intelligent woman with a great deal of insight.

The other musicians on this CD are also excellent.

Readers of this review should know that I typically prefer instrumentals over vocals, especially in the genre of jazz. But I have listened to ‘Witch Hazel’ many times, and I seem to enjoy it more each time.” ~George H. Smith

Witch Hazel

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Aces Of Syncopation - In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree

Size: 166,2 MB
Time: 70:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz, Ragtime
Art: Front

01. Good Old New York (4:36)
02. In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree (5:09)
03. Ole Miss (3:30)
04. If You Knew How I Love You (3:19)
05. Shreveport Stomp (2:59)
06. Out Of The Gallion (5:48)
07. Down By The Old Millstream (4:01)
08. Old Fashioned Love (4:06)
09. Pleasure Mad (3:10)
10. Am I Blue? (4:14)
11. Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble (3:54)
12. Let Me Call You Sweetheart (5:30)
13. Kobe (2:36)
14. The Chant (3:43)
15. Why? (3:59)
16. When You Wore A Tulip And I Wore A Big Red Rose (3:46)
17. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (2:58)
18. Prince Of Wails (2:56)

ACES OF SYNCOPATION are a traditional Jazz Trio with:
Robert Veen - on soprano saxophone, clarinet
Tom Stuip - on banjo and guitar
Paul Habraken - on sousaphone

Formed in 1993, their style of playing can best be described as " HOT CLASSIC JAZZ "

The Aces can be seen and heard in jazz festivals, jazzclubs, theaters, at parties, and even funerals. In addition to compositions by early jazz giants such as Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington and Benny Carter, the Aces also play many original compositions.

The Aces have performed with many guest musicians, all in the forefront of contemporary classic jazz, such as: Mike Goetz (Switzerland), Bob Barnard and the late Tom Baker(†) (Australia), Dan Barret and Brooks Tegler (USA), Sean Moyses (Great Britain), Patrick Artero, Olivier Franc, Jean Baptiste Franc and Daniel Bechet (France), Eiji Hanaoka, Tatsuji Deguchi, Ken Aoki (Japan), Arend Huisman, Dick Sleeman(†), Louis Debij, Menno Daams, Bert Boeren, Wouter Nouwens, Harry Kanters and Joep Peeters (Holland).
The Aces of syncopation have recorded four CD's. Mike Goetz, Arend Huisman and Dick Sleeman are guest solists on two of them.
The Aces are often on the road and have performed at international venues in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy. Since 1999 they have played many times at the annual Kobe Jazz Street festival in Japan. The music of this fascinating band has a unique drive and emotion, making their concerts an unforgettable experience.

In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree

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Sharon Raquel - Infinite

Size: 122,3 MB
Time: 52:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Infinite (5:36)
02. Come Back To Me (3:24)
03. Besame Mucho (3:59)
04. Be Here (4:38)
05. Till' There Was You (3:59)
06. The Ghosts Of Yesterday (3:49)
07. Begin The Beguine (3:56)
08. Single Song (2:25)
09. Perfect Time (4:39)
10. East Of The Sun (3:12)
11. Where Or When (4:25)
12. My Foolish Heart (4:44)
13. Night And Day (3:33)

Sharon Raquel, a life-long music lover, has been singing Jazz, R&B, and Blues in the Washington, DC area for the past 5 years. She is relatively new on the scene. Her debut CD, produced by David B. Cole of Main Street Records, is a selection of Jazz standards she has loved, and uplifting originals. Sharon is especially excited about the release of three songs on the CD that she wrote with David Cole.

"I have always loved lyrics," she says. "I am one of those people who don't just listen to the beat or swing of songs, I'm listening to what's being said. The songs I wrote are for people who pay attention to the lyrics. I want you to 'feel better' after listening."

The Infinite CD features an amazing assortment of top-notch musicians in the DC area (In order of appearance on CD): David Cole, John Osmet, Wes Biles, Francis Thompson, Greg Holloway, The Kash Wright Trio (Prakash Wright, Mike Montgomery, Bobby Beall), William Knowles, Michael Thomas, Vincent Smith, and Emory Diggs.

Sharon is happy to share songs written by local musician/songwriters Prakash Wright and Peter Reppert.

Infinite

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Fred Thelonious Baker - Life Suite

Size: 110,6 MB
Time: 47:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Guitar Jazz
Art: Front

01. Elliot's Joy (3:27)
02. Jigged Out (4:45)
03. The Cadenza (End Of The Line) (5:46)
04. Prelude To Life (2:26)
05. Hymn Of Hope (4:44)
06. Life Samba (5:33)
07. Recession Blues (5:50)
08. Spinal Trap (4:45)
09. Longing For Autumn (6:36)
10. Cherokee (3:48)

Fred Thelonious Baker is a Jazz guitarist and bassist from the English village of Tibshelf, Derbyshire. Born in 1960, Fred was given a ukulele when he was four by his father. Indeed, Fred’s parents were a major influence in the beginning of his musical journey. A year later, he was given his first guitar and went on to learn the Classical guitar. During his mid-teens, Fred also began an interest in the bass guitar, an instrument with which he has since become synonymous.

After studying at Chesterfield College, Fred went on to study at Birmingham School of Music (now Conservatoire) where he gained a GBSM and ABSM in teaching and performance. Around this time, at the invitation of Sir John Dankworth and Cleo Laine, Fred began teaching at Wavendon All Music Summer School. Since then, Fred has taught and given masterclasses at many universities, music colleges and music Summer schools including Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Berkeley College of Music, USA, St Petersburg Conservatory, Russia, London Brunel, Huddersfield, Sheffield, and Derby Universities. Since 1989, he has been a permanent teacher/lecturer in acoustic and bass guitar at Birmingham Conservatoire.

Fred has performed all over the world as a session musician and soloist with a variety of musicians and ensembles including Courtney Pine, Nigel Kennedy, Billy Cobham, the CBSO, Fairport Convention, Robert Wyatt, Harry Beckett, Horace Parlan, Soft Machine, John Etheridge, Pip Pyle, Ric Sanders, Karen Street, Joe Sachse, Tony Levin, Phil Bates, Clive Bunker, Elton Dean, Simon Dinnigan, Geoff Eales, Liam Genocky and Phil Miller.

As both a jazz guitarist and bassist, Fred has appeared extensively on many recordings. Life Suite (FHR32) is his latest and long awaited debut album for solo guitar.

All compositions written by Fred Thelonious Baker, except from track 10, written by Ray Noble (arr. Fred Thelonious Baker)

Life Suite

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Carsie Blanton - Not Old, Not New

Size: 82,5 MB
Time: 35:03
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals, Retro Jazz
Art: Front

01. Azalea (3:45)
02. Laziest Gal In Town (3:33)
03. Heavenly Thing (2:08)
04. Two Sleepy People (2:54)
05. You Don't Know What Love Is (4:40)
06. What Is This Thing Called Love (1:57)
07. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (4:24)
08. Sweet Lorraine (3:47)
09. Don't Come Too Soon (3:24)
10. I'll Be Seeing You (3:40)
11. Not Old, Not New (0:45)

A collection of pre-bop Jazz standards that were mainstream way-back-when the Singer/Songwriter Carsie Blanton decided now was the right time to record these tracks by some of America's greatest songsters and do it down in her adopted New Orleans for Not Old, Not New.

Standard but fresh in this digital age Blanton puts a smile and soft voice on songs from the likes of Duke Ellington ("Azalea") and Irving Kahal/Sammy Fain ("I'll Be Seeing You"). Production is tight and brisk as all the instruments take a back seat to Blanton's singing. Her style stays away from the throaty desperation and instead stays sweet, which can both enhance or fall a bit short on the tracks here.

Her baby-girl tone on "Two Sleepy People" makes the Hoagy Carmichael/Joe Young number seem more delicate and innocent then it has appeared before while things aren't as depressing because of her sound as they should be on "You Don't Know What Love Is" from Gene de Paul/Don Raye. While I am sure she's had them the dirty blues seem to be kept at a distant with her sparrow styled vocals making Julia Lee's saucy "Don't Come Too Soon" a stretch.

Better fits are the double dip from Cole Porter "Laziest Girl In Town" and "What Is This Thing Called Love", especially neat is the vibraphone run on the latter. A heart felt ode to her town on the classic piano based "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans" and the innocent "Sweet Lorraine" are also well matched and expertly done. An easy going retro sounding disk of a different era that proves great songs have no expiration date.

Not Old, Not New

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Julia Lee - The Very Best Of

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 90:06
Size: 206.3 MB
Styles: Jump blues, Swing
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[2:50] 1. Ugly Papa
[2:53] 2. Pagan Love Song
[3:00] 3. My Sin
[2:48] 4. Gotta Gimme What'cha Got
[2:58] 5. When You're Smiling
[2:48] 6. Tell Me Daddy
[2:51] 7. If It's Good
[2:11] 8. My Man Stands Out
[2:49] 9. Back Street
[2:49] 10. Come On Over To My House
[2:46] 11. I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
[2:38] 12. If You Hadn't Gone Away
[2:39] 13. King Size Papa
[3:00] 14. I Was Wrong
[2:33] 15. Julia's Blues
[2:59] 16. Tonight's The Night
[2:37] 17. Decent Woman Blues
[3:16] 18. Lotus Blossom
[2:53] 19. Snatch And Grab It
[2:58] 20. I Didn't Like It The First Time
[2:46] 21. That's What I Like
[2:23] 22. Don't Save It Too Long
[2:51] 23. Trouble In Mind
[3:01] 24. Dream Lucky Blues
[2:29] 25. Take It Or Leave It
[2:30] 26. Do You Want It
[2:57] 27. Show Me Missouri Blues
[2:56] 28. Don't Come Too Soon
[3:16] 29. Cold Hearted-Daddy
[2:44] 30. Young Girl's Blues
[3:02] 31. The Cure Of An Aching Heart
[2:40] 32. There Goes My Heart

Julia Lee was born in October of 1902 in Boonville, Missouri. She grew up in the Kansas City area and was versed in music early on in her life beginning with a vocal role with a string trio led by her father. Her piano playing was also a plus, and one of her first professional jobs was as an intermission player at a local movie theater. After gaining a bit of notoriety singing at neighborhood gatherings and parties , she became a vocalist with another family member, her brother George. Originally George also led a trio but in the early twenties expanded the group into a full orchestra. George E. Lee and his Singing Novelty Orchestra was a territory band in and around the Kansas City area in the nineteen twenties and thirties. In 1923 the band recorded for the Okeh label but their efforts were never released. Four years later they recorded for the area label called Meritt Records with the songs "Meritt Stomp" and "Down Home Syncopated Blues". Both George and Julia shared the vocal chores with the band.

By the late nineteen twenties Lee had expanded the band to thirteen members. In 1929 and 1930 the band recorded for Brunswick Records. In 1934 Lee merged his band with another top Kansas City band, that of Benny Moten. By 1935 the Moten band had backed out of the association and they were taken over by pianist Count Basie. That year Julia Lee left the band after fifteen years and went out to try and succeed as a solo performer. George E. Lee soon retired from the music business as Julia began to find an audience in the Kansas City area. Through the late thirties and into the war years Julia Lee was a fixture on the K.C. music scene.

For the rest of the mid fifties Julia Lee performed at many clubs in the Kansas City area, often at the Cuban Room. In 1958 she went out to the West Coast again, and in December of that year she passed away in San Diego at the age of fifty eight. She was an early star of the R & B years during the late forties and an engaging pianist and vocalist. Following in her path were Hadda Brooks, Camille Howard, Nellie Lutcher, and so many others. Her music is available on cd recordings that keep alive the energetic and bouncy music of this remarkable performer. ~JCMarion

The Very Best Of

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Vero Pérez & Jorge Villanueva - Saudade

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 62:26
Size: 143.0 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[6:46] 1. Garota De Ipanema
[4:12] 2. Carinhoso
[4:11] 3. Samurai
[4:13] 4. Chega De Saudade
[5:30] 5. Consolacao
[3:51] 6. Morena Tropicana
[4:15] 7. Frenesí
[3:25] 8. Merceditas
[3:41] 9. Niña Camba
[4:53] 10. Perfidia
[5:04] 11. La Llorona
[4:18] 12. Qué Será De Ti
[4:04] 13. El Talismán
[3:58] 14. You Already Know

Saudade is an album that explores the soul of brazilian music. Classics from BOSSANOVA like "Girl from Ipanema" and also some BOLEROS such as "Perfidia" are included in "Saudade" with beautiful arrangements played as a voice and guitar duet. A beautiful fusion of Latin-American rhythms.

Verónica, or Vero, Pérez is the singer of the electric- jazz group Efecto Mandarina (which also features Bladimir Morales on bass, Diego Ballón on piano and Eddy Chuquimia on drums). At 24 years old, she’s known for her engaging and charismatic performances, captivating audiences with her deep, emotionally laden voice.

Saudade

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Jerry Adler - I Got A Right To Sing The Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 31:41
Size: 72.6 MB
Styles: Harmonica jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:16] 1. Blue Pacific Blues
[3:11] 2. Boy Meets Horn
[3:14] 3. My Funny Valentine
[2:27] 4. One For My Baby
[2:14] 5. Sophisticated Lady
[1:48] 6. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
[2:37] 7. Perfidia
[3:06] 8. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues
[1:46] 9. Fascinatin' Rhythm
[4:02] 10. Our Love Is Here To Stay
[1:51] 11. Liza
[3:03] 12. Mood Indigo

Hilliard Gerald ("Jerry") Adler (October 30, 1918 – March 13, 2010) was a harmonica player whose performances have been used in numerous film soundtracks.

Adler was born in Baltimore, and early in his childhood mastered the harmonica, winning a local talent contest sponsored by the Baltimore Evening Sun at age 13. His older brother Larry Adler, four years his senior, had won the same contest five years earlier, performing the same piece, Beethoven's Minuet in G. Later, Adler found work with Paul Whiteman and performed regularly with his orchestra. After starting his solo career, he joined the Army Air Corps, where he did theater and film work in the entertainment division. Adler focused on popular music as his career developed, and he soloed in numerous film soundtracks from the 1940s to the 1960s, including Shane, High Noon, Mary Poppins, and My Fair Lady. He also taught actors how to pretend to play the instrument convincingly where their on-screen performances required.

He published an autobiography, Living from Hand to Mouth, in 2005. Jerry Adler died of prostate cancer in 2010, aged 91.

I Got A Right To Sing The Blues

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Opus 5 - Introducing Opus 5

Styles: Trumpet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:36
Size: 143,7 MB
Art: Front

(11:07)  1. Think Of Me
( 5:04)  2. Tallysman
(10:18)  3. Baker's Dozen
( 8:17)  4. Ton To Tom
( 8:20)  5. Nostalgia In Time
( 8:31)  6. Asami's Playland
(10:56)  7. Sokol

Collectively delivered jazz albums almost always fall into one of three categories: some are outings from neophytes looking to pool their resources, while trying to build a fan base from the ground floor up; others marry the musical skills of seasoned musicians who've crossed paths in various situations and/or share a commonality in approach; and the most commercially successful, yet artistically regretfully, are usually hastily conceived or rendered performances that simply attach several big names to a project in order to cash in and make a quick buck. Introducing Opus 5, with a to-die-for grouping of modern heavyweights who speak the same language, falls into the second category. Every member of this multicultural quintet was baptized-by-fire in the world of Charles Mingus having worked at various times in different incarnations of the Sue Mingus-driven groups that honor her husband's music and memory but the material on this seven-song outing usually bears little resemblance to the bassist's compositions. 

Easy going fare to ease the ears into the album (pianist George Cables' "Think Of Me"), bristling material with some fiery trumpet work from Alex Sipiagin ("Talltsman"), an odd-metered gem that showcases pianist/composer David Kikoski's uplifting solo work and puts Boris Kozlov's pliant bass on display ("Baker's Dozen"), and light, elegant bossa nova strains (Toninho Horta's "Ton To Tom") come first in the running order, but they don't come to define this band. The final trio of selections, which include an electrified, muscular hard bop update which nods to Mingus in title and spirit more than sound ("Nostalgia In Time"), a soothing entry that puts saxophonist Seamus Blake's warm, yet lustrous, tenor on display, while also showcasing Sipiagin's softer side (Donald Edwards' "Asami's Playground"), and a Russian folk song arranged to highlight an inside-outside duality in this ensemble ("Sokol"), marks Opus 5 as an omnivorous entity that takes all music in and then spits it back out, refracted through its own multidimensional lens of musical perception. 

While time will tell if this is a one-off outing or the start of a fruitful partnership, in the meantime, Introducing Opus 5 tells the story of five highly skilled musicians carrying out a shared artistic mission, and it proves to be a real musical page-turner. ~ Dan Bilawsky  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/introducing-opus-5-seamus-blake-criss-cross-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php#.U7VtybF8eM1
 

Personnel: Seamus Blake: tenor saxophone; Alex Sipiagin: trumpet, flugelhorn; David Kikoski: piano, Fender Rhodes;,: bass; Donald Edwards: drums.

Introducing Opus 5

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Nina Simone - Nina Simone At Town Hall

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:26
Size: 97,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:33)  1. Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair
(3:16)  2. Exactly Like You
(2:59)  3. The Other Woman
(5:26)  4. Under The Lowest
(6:01)  5. You Can Have Him
(2:54)  6. Summertime (Instrumental)
(2:47)  7. Summertime (Vocal)
(2:56)  8. Cotton-Eyed Joe
(5:27)  9. Return Home
(3:37) 10. Wild Is The Wind
(3:25) 11. Fine And Mellow

One of Nina Simone's finest recordings, this Colpix LP features the unique singer/pianist performing classic versions of "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair," "The Other Woman," and "Wild Is the Wind." With supportive work from bassist Jimmy Bond and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath, she also sounds fine on a few instrumentals. "Summertime" is performed twice, once as a vocal. From the start of her career, Nina Simone carved out her own unique niche, meshing together her classical piano technique with folk singing, civil rights protest lyrics and jazz. All of those elements are in evidence on this highly recommended set. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/nina-simone-at-town-hall-mw0000474226

Nina Simone At Town Hall

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Liz Vice - Theres A Light

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:51
Size: 90,0 MB
Scans:

(3:28)  1. Abide
(4:33)  2. Empty Me Out
(5:00)  3. Entrance
(3:54)  4. The Source
(4:13)  5. Truly Today
(1:54)  6. Pure Religion
(3:37)  7. Everything Is Yours
(3:54)  8. All Must Be Well
(4:12)  9. Enclosed By You
(2:01) 10. There's A Light

"There's A Light" is Liz Vice's debut album, and we here at Deeper Well could not be more excited about it if we tried (trust us, we tried, couldn't get more excited)! Recorded almost entirely live to analog tape over the spring & summer of 2013 in Portland, OR, this album is a gospel-fueled nod to the R&B / soul records of the 60's and 70's - modern enough not to be "throw back", classically influenced enough to feel timeless.

When I was a kid I would go into the basement and play the “Lion King” soundtrack over and over while I performed a dance alone for hours. Being the middle child of five children in a single parent home allows for one to vanish without anyone noticing. I wanted to perform. I wanted to be an actress. Growing up poor, being brown little brown girl, didn't lend itself to a lot of opportunities to pursue the dream of acting. I can remember at a very early age waking up to the sound of mother singing “Rise and Shine and give God the glory” when she wanted us up for school - to this day that song kind of drives me crazy, but this early memory just reminds me that I have always been around music. My absent father is a very talented award winning musician, with his PhD in music, and he is still involved in the music business to this day. Although he has never been a presence in my life, I can’t deny that the musical gene has passed on to me. Music was all around me, but never something I prayed that God would open doors for me. 

I was always afraid to sing on stage, and to this day my throat feels as though it’s caving in until I pray the simple prayer: “LORD, sing over me and I will sing over the people.” One evening I was watching a man perform a cabaret of his favorite Broadway show tunes. As I sat and watched this man perform, I was hit with an image of me sitting in a classroom. The classroom was filled with students and God was standing at the front. He asked, “Who is up for the challenge?” All of the students raised their hands. I kept my hand down, and my head bowed. I didn't want Him to notice that I had decided that whatever He was asking wasn't my calling. The LORD slowly began to walk towards me and tapped on my desk. I look up and He asked again, “Are you up for the challenge?” I sat there and then I nodded yes. Who is going to tell God ‘NO’!? So here I am, singing. Singing in church, singing with well-known local artists, and even though I can’t claim that the opportunities in music are because of what I've done, I will declare that saying “YES” to God's calling will open your eyes to reasons for why you shouldn't put yourself in a box.  http://noisetrade.com/lizvice/theres-a-light

Theres A Light

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Walt Weiskopf - Simplicity

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:15
Size: 136,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:43)  1. Churchbells Of A Home Away From Home
(8:06)  2. Lazy Afternoon
(6:21)  3. Misbegotten
(5:31)  4. The Sounds Around The House
(6:12)  5. Simplicity
(7:24)  6. Insubordination
(6:44)  7. Gone Tomorrow
(5:35)  8. Brazillia
(6:35)  9. Wonderful Nightmare

A potent tenor saxophonist and composer firmly in the tradition of John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, Walt Weiskopf was born in Augusta, GA, and grew up in Syracuse, NY. Upon moving to New York City, he joined the Buddy Rich Big Band in 1981 at the age of 21; two years later, Weiskopf signed on with the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, concurrently forming his own quartet with brother Joel on trumpet, Jay Anderson on bass, and Jeff Hirshfeld on drums. His debut, Exact Science, appeared in 1989, followed a year later by Mindwalking; Simplicity, released in 1992, topped the European jazz charts for four weeks. After 1993's A World Away, Weiskopf for the first time departed from original compositions to record 1995's Night Lights, a collection of standards; 1997's Song for My Mother, however, returned his own material to the forefront. 

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, Weiskopf and fellow Eastman alum Ramon Ricker teamed in 1990 to write the books Coltrane: A Player's Guide to His Harmony and The Augmented Scale in Jazz; in 1994, Weiskopf also published Intervalic Improvisation, a player's guide for broadening the scope of modern jazz improvisation. In 1996, he joined drummer Rick Hollander's quartet, and as a headliner returned in 1999 with Anytown. Siren was issued a year later.  Bio ~ https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/walt-weiskopf/id31297805.

Personnel: Walt Weiskopf (tenor saxophone); Andy Fusco (alto saxophone); Conrad Herwig (trombone); Joel Weiskopf (piano); Peter Washington (bass); Billy Drummond (drums).

Simplicity

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