Terry Gibbs - S/T

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:28
Size: 106.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Latin jazz, Vibraphone jazz
Year: 1955/2006
Art: Front

[7:18] 1. Seven Come Eleven
[4:01] 2. Lonely Dreams
[7:02] 3. Dickie's Dream
[4:27] 4. Imagination
[4:30] 5. King City Stomp
[4:06] 6. Pretty Face
[5:16] 7. The Continental
[3:52] 8. Bless My Soles
[5:52] 9. Nutty Notes

Terry Gibbs’s career as a vibraphonist and bandleader spans a full 50 years, nearly 50 albums, and hundreds of concert, club, and TV appearances. The Brooklyn-born child prodigy, who went on his first national tour at age 12, became a professional musician in 1946, following a three-year Army stint. He joined Woody Herman’s herd in ’48, and a year or so later formed his own band.

Gibbs was voted the top vibes player by Down Beat and Metronome magazines from 1950 to 1956. He also has the distinction of being the only person nominated in four categories of the Playboy Jazz Poll since its inception: Best Vibraphonist, Best Quartet, Best Big Band, and Best Bandleader.

Bass – Herman Wright; Drums – Nils-Bertil Dahlander; Piano – Terry Pollard; Vibraphone – Terry Gibbs.

Terry Gibbs

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George Wallington Quintet - Jazz For The Carriage Trade

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 35:46
Size: 81.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1991/2012
Art: Front

[5:32] 1. Our Delight
[5:27] 2. Our Love Is Here To Stay
[5:03] 3. Foster Dulles
[6:47] 4. Together We Wail
[7:07] 5. What's New
[5:48] 6. But George

During 1956-57 trumpeter Donald Byrd and altoist Phil Woods (both important up-and-coming players) were regular members of pianist George Wallington's quintet. For this CD reissue, bassist Teddy Kotick and drummer Art Taylor complete the group on a program that includes three standards ("Our Delight," "Our Love Is Here to Stay" and "What's New"), a pair of Woods originals ("Together We Wail" and "But George") and Frank Foster's "Foster Dulles." The music falls between bebop and hard bop with Woods sounding quite strong while Byrd comes across as a promising (but not yet mature) youngster. A fine example of this somewhat forgotten but talented group, easily recommended to bop collectors. ~Scott Yanow

Jazz For The Carriage Trade

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Nora York - What I Want

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:07
Size: 121.6 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[3:25] 1. What I Want
[4:50] 2. Turns On A Dime
[4:36] 3. Artificial Paradise
[4:31] 4. Donna
[3:59] 5. Rock And Hard
[4:49] 6. Stand By Your Man
[4:02] 7. Another Day
[4:20] 8. Heal Me
[4:27] 9. Ruby Tuesday
[4:58] 10. Indigo River
[1:42] 11. Hymn
[3:44] 12. Everytime I Fall In Love
[3:39] 13. Hard Times Come Again No More

Musician, conceptual artist, singer, and educator Nora York makes deeply emotional, intelligent, and socially engaged music. From her earliest genre busting musical adventures to collaborations with contemporary composer Maria Schneider in Alchemy (released on ArtistShare) or past giants such as G.F. Handel in Water Water Everywhere, and Puccini in Jump -- York defines herself outside of musical category. Her work has been commissioned by the Public Theater in NYC and The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, and earned her a two New York State Council for the Arts Composer's awards. She often writes for television and film with her long time collaborator and co-composer (five time Emmy Award winner) Jamie Lawrence.

York has been teaching at New York University Tisch School of the Arts in 1997. Nora York is a singular voice contemporary American music. Listen to her music here, or try to catch one of her live performances that have audiences on their feet!

What I Want

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Joe Venuti & Zoot Sims - Joe & Zoot & More

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 61:48

Size: 141.5 MB

Styles: Swing, Standards

Year: 1974/2002

Art: Front

[4:15] 1. I Found A New Baby

[3:20] 2. There's A Small Hotel

[4:52] 3. Indiana

[2:28] 4. My One And Only Love

[3:27] 5. The Wild Cat

[3:42] 6. It's The Girl

[4:33] 7. Oh, Lady Be Good

[6:01] 8. Someday Sweetheart

[4:07] 9. C Jam Blues

[3:44] 10. Blue Too

[3:04] 11. Oh, Lady Be Good

[3:07] 12. Dinah

[1:53] 13. Tea For Three

[3:20] 14. Diga Diga Do

[3:38] 15. I'll Never Be The Same

[3:23] 16. String The Blues

[2:46] 17. The Blue Room

At first glance, Philadelphia violinist Joe Venuti and Los Angeles tenor/soprano saxophonist Zoot Sims might seem an unlikely combination. Venuti was known for swing, classic jazz, and Dixieland, whereas Sims (who was young enough to be Venuti's son) was primarily a cool/bop musician along the lines of Stan Getz, Al Cohn, and Paul Quinichette. But when you think about it, the combination makes perfect sense. Before Sims made bop changes his main focus in the mid-'40s, he played in swing bands -- and Sims (like Getz, Cohn, and Quinichette) was heavily influenced by the seminal Lester Young. So all things considered, it makes perfect sense for Venuti and Sims to join forces on Joe and Zoot and More (which was recorded in 1973 and 1974). Stepping outside of cool jazz and bop, Sims enthusiastically joins Venuti in a classic jazz/swing setting. The performances generally recall the early '30s, and Venuti and Sims enjoy an undeniably strong rapport on inspired versions of "I Found a New Baby," "Indiana," and other familiar standards. As gutsy and hard-swinging as the up-tempo performances are, Venuti and Sims are unapologetically sentimental on ballads like "There's a Small Hotel" and "My One and Only Love." Some bop snobs might think the ballads are too sentimental -- in bop, ballad playing has often tended to be less sentimental and more intellectual than the swing and classic jazz ballad playing of the '30s. (Lyrical, romantic, and pretty don't necessarily mean ultra-sentimental.) But truth be told, there is nothing wrong with jazz instrumentalists being sentimental -- it certainly worked well for Bunny Berigan, Chu Berry, Artie Shaw, and countless others who emerged in jazz's pre-bop era. Joe and Zoot and More is an excellent CD that Venuti fans and Sims admirers should both make a point of obtaining. ~Alex Henderson

Joe & Zoot & More

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Django Manouche - Gypsy Swing & Hot House Jazz

Styles: Gypsy Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:08
Size: 97,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:36)  1. Blue Paris Stomp
(1:41)  2. Swing Fiasco
(1:40)  3. Schwingin'
(1:29)  4. Trois Soevrs
(1:52)  5. Lucky In Love
(1:41)  6. Movin' On
(2:50)  7. Alcohol
(1:30)  8. Hot House Blues
(1:55)  9. Hey Minor
(1:50) 10. Mosquito
(1:31) 11. Sweet Swing
(1:30) 12. Le Jazz
(1:40) 13. No One But You
(1:46) 14. A Gypsy Waltz
(2:21) 15. Where Do We Go?
(2:10) 16. Naked As A Jaybird
(1:39) 17. Skipping
(1:35) 18. Make It Snappy
(2:20) 19. Holland
(1:46) 20. Bleu
(1:32) 21. Fishing Hole
(1:55) 22. Fred's Stomp
(2:08) 23. Gypsy Fire

Gypsy jazz (also known as gypsy swing or hot club jazz) is a style of jazz music often said to have been started by guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt in the 1930s. Because it's origins are largely in France it is often called by the French name, "jazz manouche", or alternatively, "manouche jazz", even in English language sources. Some modern dictionaries recommend avoiding using the word "gypsy" because it is felt to have been tainted by its frequent use as a pejorative, however dictionaries do not caution against use of the term "gypsy jazz."Django was foremost among a group of Romani guitarists working in and around Paris in the 1930s through the 1950s, a group which also included the brothers Baro, Sarane, and Matelo Ferret and Reinhardt's brother Joseph "Nin-Nin" Reinhardt.

Many of the musicians in this style worked in Paris in various popular Musette ensembles. The Musette style waltz remains an important component in the Gypsy jazz repertoire. Reinhardt was noted for combining a dark, chromatic Gypsy flavor with the swing articulation of the period. This combination is critical to this style of jazz. In addition to this his approach continues to form the basis for contemporary Gypsy jazz guitar. Reinhardt's most famous group, the Quintette du Hot Club de France, also brought fame to jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli.

Gypsy Swing & Hot House Jazz

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Jennifer Lee - Quiet Joy

Styles: Jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:22
Size: 167,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:01)  1. I Hear Music
(5:43)  2. Quiet Joy
(5:16)  3. Menina Da Lua
(5:18)  4. O Barquinho
(5:01)  5. Music Of Your Soul
(4:01)  6. You Knew
(5:31)  7. O Pato
(4:22)  8. Menininha Do Portao
(6:23)  9. Baby Mine
(5:29) 10. I Don't Want To Fall
(5:51) 11. Amor Certinho / S'wonderful
(6:02) 12. Pennies From Heaven
(8:20) 13. On A Clear Day / Never Never Land

You cannot judge a jazz CD by its cover, particularly in this age of frankly shoddy-looking self-produced sleeves that may well detract attention from good music inside. The cover of Jennifer Lee's Quiet Joy is not amateurish on the contrary, it is very tastefully assembled. Nevertheless, it could be misleading. The cover depicts the San Francisco Bay Area-based singer and instrumentalist seated in a leafy flower garden, the details spelled out in a sunny font. The packaging promises the musical equivalent of the herbal tea Lee appears to be savoring earnestly in the photograph: watery, bland, maybe superfluously seasoned with cinnamon or nutmeg. Probably healthy for you.  Not to worry. The inner armature of Quiet Joy is Brazilian music, including samba and bossa nova, musical forms whose liquid equivalent...well, it wouldn't be herbal tea. Lee and her bandmates play this music quite idiomatically, bearing witness to Lee's years leading the Doce Brasil group. The wordless title track (a Lee composition in a decidedly carioca vein) delights with marvelous accents provided by Raul Ramirez's percussion details. 

The Brazilian numbers are exquisitely chosen; on several, Lee accompanies her own vocals on acoustic guitar. These performances compare quite favorably with the celebrated Morelenbaum²/Sakamoto Casa (Sony, 2002), a Jobim tribute. The bossa nova elements share sonic space with straight-ahead jazz, which the Lee group does equally well on a handful of tracks. The medley of Roberto Guimarães's fine "Amor Certinho" paired with Gershwin's "'S Wonderful" is one that embodies the disc's musical philosophy. The best among the jazz tunes is "You Knew," sounding vaguely like a bona fide standard ("I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart" or "Love For Sale"?), but it is in fact another fine Lee original. Lee's piano playing is bright and propulsive, and Bay Area coffee lovers might just swoon when she mentions Peet's Coffee and Tea on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. Better still than the successful marriage of jazz and Brazilian standards is Lee's singing. The number of pitch-perfect vocalists who come down the pike these days is astonishing, but quite rare are those whose voices have genuine personality. Lee is among the latter. In fact, she sings the way critic Robert Christgau once described Dewey Redman's tenor saxophone playing: technically perfect and full of heart. Quiet Joy is bound to disappoint those looking for the aural version of a tepid chamomile tea, but certain to delight the rest of us. ~ Jeff  Dayton-Johnson  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/quiet-joy-tomeka-reid-review-by-jeff-dayton-johnson.php#.U8NpJbFryM0
 

Personnel: Jennifer Lee: vocals, guitar (2-4, 7-11), piano (6, 12, 13); Peter Sprague: guitar (1-6, 10-13); Bob Magnusson: bass (2, 3, 6, 9, 10, 13); Buca Necak: bass (1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12); Raul Ramirez: percussion (2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11); Duncan Moore: drums (1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13); Tripp Sprague: harmonica (4, 9), saxophone (6, 11); Carter Dewberry: cello (3).

Quiet Joy

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The Larry Eanet Quartet - Sunset Stomp

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:43
Size: 155,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:42)  1. Rhythm King
(4:55)  2. Across The Blues
(4:11)  3. Susie
(6:01)  4. Sultry Sunset
(4:45)  5. Rain
(3:54)  6. Sunset Stomp
(4:42)  7. Ten Paciencia
(5:22)  8. Miss Brown To You
(6:54)  9. Lady Of The Lavender Mist
(4:07) 10. Clementine
(5:19) 11. It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream
(3:27) 12. Hi Ya, Sophia
(8:18) 13. Frederic's Tune

This quartet is based in the Washington, D.C. area, where pianist Larry Eanet has been playing swing and traditional jazz for most of his life. He began recording in earnest as a bandleader in 1997, upon retiring from his medical practice. The quartet includes bassist Tommy Cecil, drummer Harold Sumney, Jr., and the very fine clarinet and saxophone player Ron Hockett. On this delightful program there are some unusual song choices-obscure Duke Ellington tunes ("Across the Track Blues," "Lady of the Lavender Mist," "Sultry Sunset"), a seldom-recorded Billy Strayhorn tune ("Clementine") and, most interesting of all, two adaptations of classical material: "Sunset Stomp," which is based on the "Sunset" movement of Groffe's "Grand Canyon Suite," and "Frederic's Tune," which was adapted by Eanet from Chopin's "Etude #6." 

Everything swings joyfully and dreamily; when Hockett is on clarinet, you can hear echoes of Benny Goodman's small-group recordings. Eanet himself is both a strong leader and a creative, quick-witted pianist. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson  http://www.allmusic.com/album/sunset-stomp-mw0000242209

Personnel: Larry Eanet (piano); Ron Hockett (soprano & tenor saxophones, clarinet); Tommy Cecil (bass); Harold Summey Jr. (drums). 

Sunset Stomp

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The Phil Markowitz Trio - Sno' Peas

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:53
Size: 107,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:52)  1. Sno' Peas
(4:31)  2. Sweet Sisters
(6:16)  3. Infant Eyes
(6:42)  4. Yesterdays
(4:55)  5. Circular Motion
(6:17)  6. Tristesse
(6:47)  7. Hope
(4:29)  8. Toko Blues

Phil Markowitz (born 1952) is a jazz pianist and educator. He graduated from the Eastman School of Music and in 1979 had his "first big break" working with Chet Baker's band. He is most known as a sideman. He made a 1980 recording entitled Sno' Peas with Eddie Gomez and Al Foster. He recorded two live duo albums with Dave Liebman as a member of Liebman's group;  Markowitz calls this work the "biggest break of all" and they have worked together on and off for fifteen years. He has also served as a pianist in Bob Mintzer's Big Band. In 1979, Markowitz started a four-year association with Chet Baker's band that took him around the world, and yielded such recordings as Broken Wing, Live at Nick's Place, Two A Day, Live at Chateauvallon, and Live at The Rising Sun. Markowitz has performed and/or recorded with such notables as Mel Lewis, Marian McPartland, Phil Woods, Lionel Hampton, Nick Brignola, Joe Chambers, Miroslav Vitous and Joe Williams. His recordings as leader include Taxi Ride (which features a reunion with his lifelong friend Toots Thielemans), 

In the Woods, Sno' Peas (1980), Restless Dreams (with vibraphonist Joe Locke) and 7 plus 8, with Italian saxophonist Maurizio Giammarco. Markowitz has recently been heard with the all-star group Saxophone Summit (with Michael Brecker, Joe Lovano and David Liebman), but his credentials span a cornucopia of jazz; from the traditional to the avant-garde. Markowitz's notoriety as a composer came in the late 1970s when he was playing in a New York club with Toots Thielemans. As they were playing Markowitz's composition "Sno' Peas", pianist Bill Evans walked in, loved the song, and asked Thielemans to bring it to their upcoming recording session. Evans' and Thielemans' subsequent recording of "Sno' Peas" on the Grammy-nominated album Affinity put Markowitz on the map as a jazz composer. As well as performing around the globe, Markowitz has served as guest artist and clinician in major conservatories and universities throughout the world. Academically speaking, however, his home base is the Manhattan School of Music, where he is a professor in the graduate and doctoral divisions. Markowitz has received endowments and grants from The Howard Foundation, Chamber Music America, The Doris Duke Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. He is married to singer/actress Davia Sacks.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Markowitz

Sno' Peas

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Kathy Sanborn - Blues For Breakfast

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 38:24
Size: 89.1 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Easy Listening
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:59] 1. Secret Paradise
[3:43] 2. Butterfly
[3:26] 3. Blues For Breakfast
[3:58] 4. Waterfall
[3:33] 5. Waited So Long
[3:30] 6. Blame It On A Kiss
[4:24] 7. Painted Blue
[4:16] 8. Love's Delight
[4:01] 9. Tell Me Goodbye
[3:30] 10. The Ba Ba Song

Satisfy your jazz appetite and feast on some tasty Blues for Breakfast, the latest album from sultry vocalist, pianist, and composer Kathy Sanborn. Your Blues for Breakfast menu features romantic melodies, jazzy grooves, and Sanborn's remarkable vocal versatility. From the first energetic track to the last, Blues for Breakfast will fill you up with delicious love ballads and upbeat, soul-satisfying rhythms, complete with Kathy's expert touch on piano and keyboards. Sanborn's skills as producer, composer, and arranger are evident here, and Blues for Breakfast will be sure to satisfy any listener's hunger for soulful, emotionally expressive music. Blues for Breakfast promises to be a delightful meal the listener will want to savor over and over again.

Recording information: NRS Recording Studio, NY.

Kathy Sanborn (vocals, guitar, piano, electric piano, keyboards); Wayne Ricci (trumpet); Chris Carey (drums, percussion).

Blues For Breakfast

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Budd Johnson Quintet - Let's Swing

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 42:34

Size: 97.5 MB

Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz

Year: 1992/2009

Art: Front

[3:37] 1. Serenade In Blue

[4:26] 2. I Only Have Eyes For You

[7:47] 3. Downtown Manhattan

[4:44] 4. Someone To Watch Over Me

[5:43] 5. Falling In Love With Love

[9:58] 6. Blues By Budd

[6:17] 7. Uptown Manhattan

One of tenor saxophonist Budd Johnson's best showcases, Let's Swing! finds him featured in a quintet with his brother Keg Johnson on trombone, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist George Duvivier, and drummer Charlie Persip. Budd starts off with the ballad feature "Serenade in Blue," then performs three originals, including "Downtown Manhattan" and "Uptown Manhattan," as well as three other veteran standards. Throughout, Johnson sounds both modern, as if he had come of age as one of the "cool school," and timeless, since he was a major player by the mid-'30s. A fine set. ~Scott Yanow

Let's Swing

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Gerry Wiggins - Wig Is Here

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:17
Size: 167.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2001/2008
Art: Front

[3:21] 1. This Can't Be Love
[3:49] 2. Sysmo Blues
[4:21] 3. Watch What Happens
[2:51] 4. The Lady Is A Tramp
[6:47] 5. Stolen Sweets
[4:09] 6. What Is There To Say
[3:52] 7. On A Clear Day
[6:43] 8. A Beautiful Frienship (This Is The End Of)
[6:20] 9. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
[5:28] 10. Edith Is The Sweetest
[6:08] 11. Lover
[8:17] 12. F B O T
[5:17] 13. Oh ! Give Me Something To Remember You By
[5:48] 14. There Is No Greater Love

This Black & Blue set (which has been reissued on CD with additional selections) was pianist Gerald Wiggins' first recording session as a leader in 13 years even though he was quite active in the Los Angeles area during that time. Recorded in Paris with bassist Major Holley (who has a few solos on which he sings along with his bass) and drummer Ed Thigpen, Wig performs some standards (including "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," "Lover" and "There Is No Greater Love"), obscurities and a couple of originals. The music always swings and has plenty of subtle surprises; worth searching for. ~Scott Yanow

Wig Is Here

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Andy Fusco - Out Of The Dark

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 65:09

Size: 150.3 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 1999

Art: Front

[6:09] 1. Out Of The Dark

[7:10] 2. Song For Andy

[5:27] 3. It's You Or No One

[8:17] 4. Epithaph For Sal Amico

[6:22] 5. Lament

[6:01] 6. Pritzin'

[8:36] 7. You've Changed

[8:39] 8. 2286 Seventh Avenue

[8:24] 9. You Don't Know What Love Is

This is a fun and often heated blowing date featuring a strong quintet of New York-based musicians. Altoist Andy Fusco and trumpeter Joe Magnarelli make for a mutually inspiring front line, while pianist Joel Weiskopf leads a strong rhythm section. They stretch out on four standards, Walt Weiskopf's "Out of the Dark," and four group originals. The musicians invigorate straight-ahead jazz, playing with spirit and creativity. It may not be overly innovative, but it is also never dull, with Fusco's Jackie McLean-inspired alto really pushing the group to play at its most passionate. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow

Full-bodied alto saxophonist has a piercing cry in his tone, not unlike Jackie McLean - he also has a melodic take on Bird-to-Coltrane harmonic vocabulary, a slippery conception of line that makes you think of Lee Konitz at bullet train velocity.

Recorded in Brooklyn, New York on December 10, 1998.

Andy Fusco (alto saxophone); Joe Magnarell (trumpet); Joel Weiskopf (piano); Peter Washington (bass); Billy Drummond (drums).

Out Of The Dark

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Nicki Allan - You're Gonna Hear From Me

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:45
Size: 139,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:11)  1. Almost Like Being In Love
(5:22)  2. Working It Out
(3:43)  3. You're Gonna Hear From Me
(6:13)  4. Round Midnight
(5:11)  5. Get Out Of Town
(5:40)  6. I'll Be Around
(4:52)  7. Better Days
(4:51)  8. Secret Love
(4:23)  9. You Go To My Head
(7:25) 10. Soon It's Gonna Run
(3:44) 11. Where Do You Start
(4:30) 12. Devil May Care
(1:34) 13. Both Sides Now

Nicki’s ability to interpret Jazz Classics effortlessly and stylishly has made her a well-respected Jazz singer over recent years.  She was awarded Jazz Yorkshire Vocalist of the year 2011 and later Website of the year 2012. She works regularly with her Jazz Sextet, who perform gigs & Festivals throughout the year and currently have 2 Albums available available to buy on iTunes.  She is a regular Big Band Vocalist with The Manhattan Sound Big Band and the Ronnie Bottomley Jazz Orchestra, A solo Piano Vocalist with a weekly residency at the Harrogate Brasserie, a Recording Artist and Session Singer, a Jazz and Pop Singing Tutor and Voice Coach at the Royal Northern College of Music, Choir Director for Seven Jazz and has toured around the world on a Cruise Ship. Please have a look around the website and sign up for the monthly newsletter for up to date gigs in and around the North.  Once in a while along comes the 'complete vocalist, that rare and talented individual who can take any style and turn it effortlessly into their own. 

Nicki Allan is that vocalist - Whether it be Jazz, Soul, Gospel or Blues, Nicki's rich timbre and superb vocal range enable her to move the hearts of the most hardened sceptic and draw in the listener to connect in a way rarely experienced nowadays. Nicki's musical ability was apparent from an early age. Initially learning the piano as a child she then went on to study as a classical pianist at the Leeds College of music gaining a First Class Degree in Jazz and Contemporary Music. It was whilst on the Jazz course that Nicki discovered her vocal talents, an ability that was immediately obvious and was to pave the way for her later success. As a second study Double Bass player, constantly changing roles between the Double bass section in the College Symphony orchestra and an up-right Jazz bass player in an all-girl Dixieland band, the opportunity to sing and play presented itself, introducing Nicki to the world of professional gigs and live audiences.  

After graduating, Nicki went on to combine teaching music with an ever-growing performing schedule, which explored a variety of avenues. From touring with bands in the 90’s, working the Cabaret circuits and touring Germany and Ireland with her then band. Infatuation. Television work, excessively enjoyable large amounts of session work for indie music projects, Sega, Sony, Alton Towers and P & O show backings, song writing, the lovely Celtic song trio, featuring ‘Love’s A Lonely Traveller” and working with many Jazz ensembles and Big Bands Summer Season work, Cruise ships in more recent years, on the M.V Aegean Odyssey as a Jazz Piano vocalist and Cabaret Singer. Combined with her hectic performing schedule, Nicki is a well-known music Educator, teaching Pop and Jazz voice, Ensembles, the LCM Gospel choir for many years at Leeds College of Music and now Principle Study Voice Tutor for BA Pop at The Royal Northern College of Music.

She also runs the Seven Jazz Voices Choir in Chapel Allerton who also regularly makes special guest appearances performing throughout the year. Nicki has always been an ambassador for young talent and encourages others to believe in themselves in the pursuit of their own personal musical journey. If you would like to join the choir then please send an email via the contact page or come along to one of our rehearsals at Inkwell. ~ Bio  http://www.nickiallan.com/index.php/about-nicki
 

The sextet are: Nicki Allan – Vocals; Joel Purnell – Tenor Sax; Mark Chandler – Trumpet; Graham Hearn – Piano and arranger; Adrian Knowles – Bass; Ronnie Bottomley – Drums and arranger

You're Gonna Hear From Me

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Rob Parton Big Band - We'll Be Together Again

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:03
Size: 147,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:52)  1. Serenade To A Bus Seat
(6:04)  2. Tetragon
(4:58)  3. Ugly Beauty
(7:00)  4. I Love You
(4:30)  5. Movt I. Gold: Fantasy For Trumpet And Jazz Orchestra
(3:51)  6. Movt II. Cooper: Fantasy For Trumpet And Jazz Orchestra
(6:22)  7. Movt III.  Silver: Fantasy For Trumpet And Jazz Orchestra
(8:37)  8. Coda
(7:46)  9. We'll Be Together Again
(6:55) 10. Blue In Green
(4:02) 11. I Remember You

I am very proud that each and every one of these fantastic musicians are on this CD. I wish I had more space to acknowledge and thank them but that would give them more ammunition to harass me! They are my Chicago family and some of the very best musicians anywhere. Thank you for being a part of this recording. A very special thanks to my family Kristy, Mitchell, Louis, and Sarah. Their support has been the strength and inspiration of my musical life and career. Thank you Andy Baker and Ken Partyka for your proofreading abilities. Kristy’s devotion to the band has been wonderful over the years. You will see a long overdue solo CD featuring the talents of Kristy Parton very soon!  Thank you to Dave Schumacher for being a regular in the band for two years. I’m really sorry you weren’t in town to do these recordings. Thanks to Marques Carroll, BJ Levy, Chuck Parrish, Scott Burns, Bob Lark, Luke Malewicz, Bryant Scott, Jeremy Kahn, Peter Saxe, and Paul Martin, for subbing on the band numerous times over the past two years and beyond. 

Thanks to the fantastic musicians in Chicago, too many to mention here, who helped out in rehearsals at the start of this band. Another special thanks to the Arito family for always giving me an awesome place to crash when in Chicago! After disbanding the JAZZTECH Big Band for a couple of months, I quickly realized that I could not be the creative musician/leader I am, without running a professional jazz orchestra. Initially I thought, If I were to create another band, I would want to perform music that was more cutting edge and original. This music would need to offer the musicians a musical challenge like no other band in Chicago. At first we were playing the music of Chuck Owens, Maria Schneider, and Bob Mintzer. Once the band got rolling, music started coming in from Kendall Moore, Chris Madsen, Eric Richards and others. I think we have settled somewhere in the middle from where we started the new RPBB in 2009 and the swing of the JAZZTECH Big Band of the 90’s. 

This recording project was completed in two recording sessions which featured all live solos with the exception of my solos on Fantasy for Trumpet. It simply was too much to conduct and play at the same time! The musicians did a great job in spite of these six-hour recording sessions. Thanks again guys! I truly hope you enjoy this collection of music as it represents a new beginning for me and the Rob Parton Big Band in Chicago and someday possibly in Columbus Ohio. Thank you to all of the very special people who support my band. You know who you are!  Peace and Love, Rob Parton  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/robpartonbigband

We'll Be Together Again

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Dave Brubeck Quartet - Jazz At The College Of The Pacific Vol 1

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:06
Size: 92,0 MB
Art: Front

(9:12)  1. All the Things You Are
(3:12)  2. Laura
(7:25)  3. Lullaby in Rhythm
(5:11)  4. I'll Never Smile Again
(9:12)  5. I Remember You
(5:52)  6. For All We Know

This set is a near-classic, one of many from this period, by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Drummer Joe Dodge had just joined the group, and he works with bassist Ron Crotty in laying down a solid and subtle foundation. The real action, however, takes place up front with pianist Dave Brubeck and altoist Paul Desmond. Their individual solos are full of creative ideas on six standards most memorable are "All the Things You Are," "Laura," and "I'll Never Smile Again" and their interaction and tradeoffs are timeless. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-at-the-college-of-the-pacific-mw0000187776.

Dave Brubeck Quartet: Dave Brubeck (piano); Paul Desmond (alto saxophone); Ron Crotty (bass); Joe Dodge (drums).

Jazz At The College Of The Pacific Vol 1, Vol 2

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Terence Blanchard - Magnetic

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:03
Size: 158,1 MB
Art: Front

( 7:02)  1. Magnetic
( 7:59)  2. Jacob's Ladder
( 7:30)  3. Don't Run
(10:31)  4. Pet Step Sitter's Theme Song
( 8:42)  5. Hallucinations
( 7:21)  6. No Borders Just Horizons
( 4:53)  7. Comet
( 4:31)  8. Central Focus
( 2:34)  9. Another Step
( 6:56) 10. Time To Spare

One of today's foremost jazz musicians and composers Terence Blanchard's achievements have soared since his formative days in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers to a trajectory of successful bands, recordings and award winning film scores such as 2007's A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina) (Blue Note). He's still pursuing new challenges with the upcoming June 2013 premiere of his first opera entitled Champion, "An Opera In Jazz" based on the life of world champion boxer Emile Alphonse Griffith. Blanchard's ideas are still thriving in his twentieth release and return to Blue Note with Magnetica vibrant recording colored with the usual consummate performances, and a modernist bent that's replete with compelling themes. The ten compositions are written by various band members consisting of drummer Kendrick Scott, pianist Fabian Almazan, the unfaltering tenor saxophonist Brice Winston and the addition of 21-year-old bass prodigy Joshua Crumbly.  

This indicates another clue to Blanchard's vibrancy: his unselfishness mentoring and willingness to learn from younger musicians one time acolytes and now leaders like drummer Eric Harland, pianist Edward Simon, and West African guitarist Lionel Loueke who guests here on two tracks and also performed on Blanchard's previous Blue Note dates: Bounce (2003) and Flow (2007). Blanchard gives his band members plenty of opportunities to shine. Almazan's "Pet Step Sitter's Theme Song" features a larger-than-life theme with Blanchard's electronically processed trumpet, virtuosic piano work, and Loueke's usual finesse touches on guitar and vocalizations. Crumbly's elegant and stirring ballad "Jacob's Ladder" and Winston's tightly wound swinger "Time To Spare" are memorable and revealing of the artist's multiple talents.  Magnetic's theme rolls out like some galactic metropolis vast, complex and colored with futuristic techno embellishments. 

Yet the music is always filled with Blanchard's elongated lines and emotional urgency as found in the opening title track and the moody dreamscape in "Hallucinations." Swing is also a constant element, proven in "Don't Run" as Ravi Coltrane's soprano burns and Ron Carter's muscular bass walks true with bopping precision. Other vivid moments are found in Scott's brilliant "No Borders Just Horizons" where the music moves with feverish intensity and Almazan's superb acoustic/electronic-enhanced solo track "Comet."  These individual threads are intricately woven together by Blanchard's masterful leadership, musicianship, and openness. It's a fine return to Blue Note and another exceptional release in Blanchard's extensive and continuing discography. ~ Mark F.Turner  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/magnetic-terence-blanchard-blue-note-records-review-by-mark-f-turner.php#.U8NiMbFryM0

Personnel: Terence Blanchard: trumpet; Fabian Almazan: piano; Kendrick Scott: drums; Brice Winston: tenor saxophone (1, 2, 5, 6, 10); Joshua Crumbly: bass (2, 4-6, 8-10) Ron Carter: bass (1, 3); Ravi Coltrane: soprano saxophone (3), tenor saxophone (4); Lionel Loueke: guitar (4, 5, 9).

Magnetic

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Lise Vachon - Vocalise

Size: 111,3 MB
Time: 48:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006
Styles: Jazz, World Fusion
Art: Front

01. Yama Nekh ( 4:12)
02. Deep Felt Song (10:15)
03. No Fits Please ( 5:45)
04. Table In The Corner ( 7:57)
05. Moi ( 4:52)
06. Octobre ( 6:09)
07. Vocalise ( 7:20)
08. Marie-Madeleine ( 1:29)

Born in Montreal, grew up singing with her family. After music school, Lise undertakes a career as a singer/songwriter focusing on the voice as an instrument. Very early she signs with Capitol and Polygram and records as a duet: Luc and Lise Cousineau "Les Alexandrins". She has a radio show, is seen regularly on television, appears in such shows as Le Sel de la Semaine with the writer Jack Kerouac, a little before his death.

She tours in Canada, in France, Belgium, French Switzerland and sings at the Rio de Janeiro Festival da Cançao Popular. She joins eighteen musicians to form the Ville Emard Blues Band. In that same period, she forms a smaller band with fellow percussionist Michel Seguin: Toubabou. She travels and studies the music of West Africa, the Caribbean Islands and the South of United States. She continues recording original music and writes more and more lyrics and music. As she spends several years in New Orleans, she researches, studies music therapy, collaborates with new music composers, teaches at Loyola University as well as in private. In New York since 1990 where she teaches music, Lise walks the line between electronic, traditional, new music and jazz.

Vocalise

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Oh-Ja - Oh-Ja

Size: 103,6 MB
Time: 44:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Above The Cloud (6:19)
02. Seven Steps To Heaven (5:33)
03. Bossa Lucca (5:38)
04. Will You Still Be Mine (5:42)
05. Peace In Pieces (5:18)
06. Con Alma (5:12)
07. For The Rest Of Us (6:05)
08. Moose (4:52)

Personnel:
Alex Smith - Hammond B3 Organ
Steve Kortyka - Tenor Sax
Paul Francis - Drums
Daisuke Abe - Guitar

This jazz organ group, based in New York City, is a collection of like-minded musicians focused on exploring original compositions and arrangements of standards, played with heart and dedicated to the groove.

Oh-Ja

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Philipp Weiss & Walter Lang - PWL

Size: 124,6 MB
Time: 53:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Waltz For Debby (3:25)
02. Close Enough For Love (3:24)
03. Young And Foolish (5:14)
04. Through The Ages (4:26)
05. Someone To Watch Over (6:21)
06. Smile (2:39)
07. Blame It On My Youth (5:20)
08. The Days Of Wine And Roses (3:04)
09. A Child Is Born (4:54)
10. The Way You Look Tonight (4:32)
11. Some Other Time (3:42)
12. Because Of You (3:24)
13. Stargate (3:15)

Personnel:
Philipp Weiss - Vocals
Walter Lang - Piano

Deeply rooted into jazz and matured over the years Philipp Weiss and Walter Lang present renditions of selected jazz standards in such a vibrant and passionate manner that will take us to a place of beauty and poetry. Their intimate interaction is both lustrous and easy as well as powerful and orchestral. The audience will experience an evening of chamber music as if Schubert stripped his 'Winterreise' of its classical appearance and made it into a jazz extravaganza.

Philipp Weiss:
Philipp Weiss is the first internationally acclaimed ‘German crooner’.He won the special award of the ‘Deutsche Verband der Konzertdirektionen’ (German Association f Concert Management) in 2005 followed by the “Bayerischer Kunstförderpreis” (Bavarian Award for Outstanding Performance in the Arts) in 2008.
His debut album titled 'You Must Believe In Spring' was released for Universal Music. He recorded it with the Steve Kuhn Trio in New York in 2004. His work got high praise from the critics.He collaborated with stars such as Didier Lockwood, Till Brönner, Kim Sanders, Nicola Conte, Fabrizio Bosso, Lew Soloff, Billy Drummond and Konstantin Wecker.

Walter Lang:
Walter Lang is a mainstay of the European Jazz scene and a celebrated star in Japan. Countless concerts with his own groups or in collaboration with artists such as Lee Konitz, James Moody, Chico Freeman or Dusko Goykovich bear witness to his immense versatility and creative force.
His reputation as composer and arranger is outstanding. The renowned Fono Forum writes: “Lang’s appealing compositions have that distinct quality inherent in most truly great music: Entertaining from the first second, they reveal a deeper sense with every listen.”
“Jazz at its best! A sound that burns itself into your memory.“

PWL

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Depart - Refire

Size: 126,9 MB
Time: 54:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Instrument
Art: Front

01. Talking 58 (4:08)
02. Chambers' Room (4:22)
03. Choral (4:52)
04. Barrock (5:33)
05. Funky Straight (4:31)
06. Bass Folk Song (2:31)
07. Erzherzog-Johann-Jodler (6:11)
08. Happy Happy (4:42)
09. Peace On My Mind (3:24)
10. Juggle In (2:29)
11. Guggisberglied (4:47)
12. Seven In Heaven (4:58)
13. Alpine Mood (2:17)

Personnel:
Harry Sokal - Tenor & Soprano Sax, Effects
Heiri Kanzig - Bass
Martin Valihora - Drums

The new album by the trio DEPART contains highly explosive, groove based music. Three very talented musicians form the new line-up: saxophonist Harry Sokal from Vienna, bass player Heiri Känzig from Zurich and the young drummer Martin Valihora from Slovakia who commutes between Bratislava and New York. Together they break new ground. This is DEPART's step into a new era.

DEPART is a crucial part of the European innovation in jazz. After 30 years of existence the band now releases their album REFIRE on Intakt Records. Sokal says: "But above all our music has become unpredictable and surprising again. Within a precisely delineated framework we have all three become more capricious; that ensures the tension and spontaneity which keeps our music alive."

Recorded in the 'Hard Studios' in the city of Winterthur, Switzerland the album contains 13 pieces most of them composed by Heiri Känzig. The music boils, pulsates and grooves in rousing perfection. "Their way of providing entertainment involves musical sophistication, intelligence and craft, along with good taste, witty playing and inventiveness," writes jazz critic Christian Rentsch in the liner notes.

Refire

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