Pippi Ardennia - Black Coffee / Love So Good2

Album: Black Coffee
Size: 101,5 MB
Time: 41:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006
Styles: Jazz/Soul Vocals
Art: Front

01. I've Got A Lotta Livin' To Do (3:01)
02. All The Way (4:23)
03. Black Coffee (3:59)
04. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (4:19)
05. Fire And Rain (5:52)
06. Honeysuckle Rose (3:29)
07. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (3:24)
08. Our Day Will Come (4:35)
09. September In The Rain (3:12)
10. They Call It Stormy Monday (5:02)

The following testimonials are examples that demonstrate how Pippi is more than a singer, song writer & song stylist... “Thank you for the CD! WOW!!! You are an incredibly gifted musician. So, you actually gave me 2 gifts! Ha Ha! I was a little stressed when I started the CD, and by „Black Coffee? I was groovin? as I was cruisin? to get to my lunch date”... Gretchen. Another admirer says, “Her voice has been described as an instrument; another master has emerged, as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and Dinah Washington.” Pippi is a natural entertainer, sultry at times, always powerful and exciting, but what sweeps you away is the electric and sensual emotion that emanates from her to you, telling a story in song like you’ve never heard before; a natural power in nature.

Pippi Ardennia…a Chicago native, singing since she was 13 years old, has performed at many of Chicago's most respected music and jazz clubs from the Burning Spear, High Chaparral, Capitol Theater, Redhead, Green Dolphin, Chicago Symphony Center, the Taste of Chicago, Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, MN and on Chicago’s internationally famous Rush Street. She has appeared at Mr. Kelly’s, The Rosebud, The Backroom, and Chicago’s elite private Tavern Club. She has performed for such notables as President Clinton, Mayor Daley, Tony Bennett, Liza Minnelli and more. She’s been featured in commercials, on TV, and on numerous radio interviews.

Liza Minnelli said, “Pippi, you have a great voice, you?re great.” The great jazz trumpeter, Freddy Hubbard said, “People will know Pippi!” Ramsey Lewis said, “You know what you?re doing.”

“Ms. Ardennia's classy style puts her in the Major League of jazz vocalists. Her easy-going style and varied delivery does stand in comparison to the great jazz divas such as Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne.”--Ian Tiele, President, Brookfield Jazz Society.

Pippi’s ‘Black Coffee CD is a collection of jazz classics from the Great American Songbook which is hard to beat; “A monument to a magical musical era now long gone by.”---Allen Hall. After listening to Black Coffee, jazz lovers recognize the subtle, blended tones of Jazz eras most powerful Mistresses of Song that seem to channel through Pippi Ardennia’s style.

Black Coffee

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Album: Love So Good2
Size: 119,7 MB
Time: 51:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz/Soul Vocals
Art: Front

01. Love So Good (4:00)
02. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head (5:11)
03. Here's To Life (5:16)
04. Prelude To A Kiss (3:30)
05. Midnight At The Oasis (4:05)
06. Something (5:38)
07. My Favorite Things (4:02)
08. Blue Moon (4:12)
09. Tiny Dancer (5:13)
10. Here Comes The Sun (2:55)
11. Modern Day Blues (4:01)
12. Prelude To A Kiss (Fun) (3:08)

From the first track, you start to wonder, Anita Baker? Roberta Flack? Etta James? A shade of Aretha and a little Billie on the side? One look at this set list and you know you are in for a wildly joyous ride: From Burt Bacharach to Billy Strayhorn, from Rodgers & Hart to the Beatles, from Elton John to Rodgers & Hammerstein, from Shirley Horn to Maria Muldaur, the covers are as diverse as Pippi herself. And she also draws on her own creative resources for the sweetly engaging title track (written with Kenny Campbell) and the down and not quite dirty "Modern Day Blues", co-written with her remarkable PipJazz Experience band (Billy and Ricky Peterson, Peter Schimke, Glenn Swanson and more) and business partner Jack Scheetz. It's hard to single out one gemstone from a bagful of diamonds --a "Here's to Life" with the power of Shirley Horn and a touch of sass that is pure Pippi; a samba spin on "Midnight at the Oasis" that underscores Pippi's unerring sense of time; the stunning duet with bassist Billy Peterson that opens "Blue Moon." And then there's her elegant pairing with guest guitarist Paul Bollenback on "Prelude to a Kiss" that she reprises as a swinging "symphony" with just pianist Mary Louise Knutson on the final track. Pick any tune here -- Pippi exudes a commanding musical presence as readily in the studio as on the live stage, with that storyteller's art that can turn the most benign lyric into a Shakespearian masterpiece. Songs so good, performed so well, Pippi and her band "make you want to sang."

Love So Good2

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Avi Rothbard - Twin Song

Size: 112,1 MB

Time: 48:15

File: MP3 @ 320K/s

Released: 2005

Styles: Jazz: Cool Jazz

Art: Front

01. Preach's Inches (4:41)

02. Minor Impact (4:49)

03. Cheerleader (5:37)

04. Twin Song (4:54)

05. Triad (5:11)

06. Five Corners (8:19)

07. One And Nine (4:50)

08. The Password (4:36)

09. Just A Little Sip (5:15)

Twin Song, guitarist Avi Rothbard's second recording, is a funky, atmospheric exploration. Rothbard's group, which includes organist Jared Gold, drummer Joe Strasser and guest tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery (on three tracks), works as a tight unit, inviting the listener in on spirited musical conversations. The opening "Preach's Inches is a soulful, infectious groove that's hard not to dance along to; the subsequent up-tempo "Minor Impact really lets each musician burn. They slow things down with the ballad "Cheerleader. The title track is a swinging 6/8 workout.

Other highlights on the recording include "Five Corners, a moody 5/4 tune, and "The Password, a beautifully executed solo guitar piece. Rothbard's compositions are fully realized and clever, still retaining their emotional center. Strasser and Gold, who make a great rhythm section, are skilled in the art of listening. It is a joy to hear the interplay among the musicians. Overall, Twin Song is an excellent recording. ~by Karen Hogg

Personnel: Avi Rothbard: guitar: Jared Gold: bass; Joe Strasser: drums; Wayne Escoffery: saxophone.

Twin Song  

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Glenn Zottola - Clifford Brown Remembered

Size: 106,6 MB
Time: 45:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Trumpet Jazz
Art: Front

01. Yesterdays (3:02)
02. Laura (3:32)
03. What's New? (3:25)
04. Blue Moon (3:16)
05. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man of Mine (3:46)
06. Embraceable You (3:05)
07. Willow Weep For Me (3:28)
08. Memories of You (3:35)
09. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (3:15)
10. Portrait of Jenny (3:27)
11. Where or When (3:26)
12. Stardust (3:28)
13. I Remember Clifford (4:36)

The trumpet is a cruel—yet loving—mistress. It can announce the slightest executional blemish, instantly betraying its player's most sincere efforts, while also allowing its lover to express every possible nuance and emotion. The greatest Masters of the instrument in jazz—Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Chet Baker and others—all could brilliantly deliver expressive emotion. Of those in the trumpet's pantheon, Clifford Brown, by virtue of his genius and enhanced by his mythology, stands out. Any attempt by a trumpeter to emulate Clifford would have all the risk of a tightrope walk across Niagara Falls.

With Clifford Brown Remembered, trumpeter Glenn Zottola takes up the Herculean task of playing tribute to Brownie in the most extraordinary manner. He's taken the classic Clifford Brown with Strings recording (EmArcy, 1955) and, deploying his own formidable talents, recreated the recording in a musical salute. And, he's done it marvelously.

The dozen selections (with an added cover of Dinah Washington's recording of Benny Golson's, threnody, "I Remember Clifford")—were originally drawn primarily from the GAS ("Yesterdays," "Embraceable You,""Stardust") and are performed here in the same sequence as the 1955 recording. Zottola, well-respected as a mainstream and swing performer, interprets the Brown ballad performances with reverence and interpretive artistry. His lush sound is warm and inviting, and nearly as resonant as his idol's. He possesses a fine vocalist's sense of phrasing and lyric savvy. While there may be understandable comparisons to the original, Zottola's ease of playing, technical and articulation skills, and superlative dynamic control make this recording shine.

Incredibly, in this recording, Zottola re-creates the legendary session performing it completely from memory, interpreting Clifford's playing by ear. The original string charts (by Neal Hefti) were transcribed by Mark Stallings and are superbly performed. Given that the original recording was done in 1955, the music's beauty withstands time's test and glows yet again.

Rarely does a performer rise to a level of excellence as that of the artist that he or she salutes. Zottola certainly comes close. Be that so, while Clifford Brown remains to this day, nearly 60 years after his tragic death, an influential voice in jazz trumpet, the adulation that is performed here is indeed apropos. Glenn Zottola portrays himself not only an adoring acolyte, but a superlative and sensitive trumpet artist in his own right. And, just as Brownie did, Zottola certainly speaks. ~by Nicholas F. Mondello

Clifford Brown Remembered

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Sans Elle - Beyond

Size: 100,0 MB
Time: 42:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz//Soul/Blues/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Nothing Is Eternal (4:03)
02. If You Were Mine (Latin Version) - Latin Version (3:33)
03. Our Children's Skins (3:57)
04. Giving Love (2:49)
05. Naturally (3:29)
06. Better Life (5:03)
07. In Between (5:10)
08. Chercheurs D'or (4:32)
09. Tout Et Son Contraire (2:51)
10. Are You Just A Dream (3:53)
11. If You Were Mine (R'nbombay Mix) (3:23)

'A voice that reminds the warm shades & subtle sparkles of magnificent fabrics'
Félix Marciano (Jazz Mag, Jazzman)

For Sans Elle – litterally ‘Without Her’ - music is like a good book: pages follow one another but are not alike. Exposed early to Debussy & Gershwin just as much as Sting, James Taylor, Pat Metheny, Georges Benson, Stevie Wonder or Barbra Streisand, Sans Elle grew as a multidisciplinary artist (singing, piano, composition, arrangements), interfering with pop, electro-acoustic, soul or jazz music throughout the years. Her personal style has kept re-inventing itself since then & materializes today with Beyond: her debut album, entirely made of originals, produced & supported by her own label SAY YAY!

Sans Elle started studying classical music theory & classical piano at 5 for several years. Aged 12, she started singing as a self-trainer and composing nearly simultanesouly. At 17, she launches with her first band in Festival d'Angers. But her business studies in Lille take her away from her music for a while. Neverthless, she continued music investing herself into various local projects, notably being the lead voice of the very Motown Maddoc' band. This was the opportunity to give a series of shows in the region and at the prestigious Théâtre Sébastopol in Lille, to explore soul, rhythm 'n' blues and the repertoire of her beloved Stevie Wonder & Aretha Franklin.

Along her educational & professional experiences & trips, she met, formed relationships with & has been influenced by people from across the World. From then on this intercultural dimension has never stopped shaping her life & approach to music.

In late 2007, she self-produced 4 original tracks, of which 'Invisible' which she published on the internet. Her mesmerising voice & sense of melody soon attracted the attention of Havas & the French national railway company (SNCF), who decided a few months later to publish the track on the compilation Le Son du Transilien - 101,500 copies - & sponsor a series of gigs. Besides, she decided to go back to music full time performing on stage & studying jazz at IMEP, where she met many incredible musicians, some of whom right away came aboard her 2 projects: Sans Elle Pop Project & Sans Elle Jazz 'N Soul.

After 50 shows in France and abroad (Festival des Nuits acoustiques de Reims with Virgin Radio, Festival de St Germain en Laye, Casino Mondorf, Le Biplan, Le Pavillon Baltard, L’Entrepôt…), she took a break from live music with a promise made to herself: to come back only producing a jazz, soul & world album & setting up her own label.

That's now done with BEYOND, a debut album born by a brilliant voice & transcontinental grooves where jazz is infused with soul & blues also flirts with pop & classical sounds...

Beyond

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Mari Wilson - Emotional Glamour

Size: 89,4 MB
Time: 38:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Pop
Art: Front

01. Have You Got What It Takes (3:42)
02. The It Girl (3:05)
03. The Loneliest Road (4:09)
04. Killing Time (4:03)
05. Hits And Misses (3:18)
06. Only Human (3:36)
07. Movin' In (3:31)
08. Me And My Baby (3:46)
09. Right For You (3:13)
10. Forever Young (3:13)
11. Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps (2:32)

The huge “Just What I’ve always wanted” and “Cry me a river” launched Mari into the limelight and years of touring. As well as pop Mari has performed on stage in many musicals, including the role of Dusty Springfield. She has also played with Stand Getz, BB King and Ray Charles, and has now become very well known on the jazz/cabaret circuit. The Neasden Queen of Soul, Miss Beehive, 80's Icon, Mari Wilson is still wowing audiences across the UK. She has released three critically acclaimed albums since 2006:- Dolled Up, The Platinum Collection (Mari’s Best Of) and her latest, Emotional Glamour, promoting all three with major UK tours with her band. "An enjoyable evening complete with the right amounts of irony, kitsch, coolness and witty repartee sprinkled over a killer songbook." Craig Astley, rememberthe80's.com "The evening encompassed a varied selection of songs from the albums Dolled Up, The Platinum Collection and her stunning new album, Emotional Glamour, all of which were beautifully arranged and magnificently delivered." Steve Burbidge uktheatre.net The huge “Just What I’ve always wanted” and “Cry me a river” launched Mari into the limelight and years of touring. As well as pop Mari has performed on stage in many musicals, including the role of Dusty Springfield. She has also played with Stand Getz, BB King and Ray Charles, and has now become very well known on the jazz/cabaret circuit.

Emotional Glamour

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Lou Donaldson - Gravy Train

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 54:37
Size: 125.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1961/2007
Art: Front

[8:15] 1. Gravy Train
[5:33] 2. South Of The Border
[4:59] 3. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
[4:15] 4. Avalon
[9:18] 5. Candy
[6:48] 6. Twist Time
[4:04] 7. Glory Of Love
[7:31] 8. Gravy Train (Alternate Take)
[3:49] 9. Glory Of Love (Alternate Take)

Alongside the forward thinking post bop released on Blue Note in the early 1960s was a strain of funkier, simpler, and more blues-based jazz exemplified by the likes of organist Jimmy Smith and saxophonist Lou Donaldson. Donaldson's 1961 effort, GRAVY TRAIN, re-released in 2007 complete with Rudy Van Gelder remastering, is a strong example of the style. Donaldson takes on standards ("Polka Dots and Moonbeams") as well as originals, but infuses everything with a deep, bluesy flavor. The conga-driven groove of the title cut, and the Latin-tinged "South of the Border" are standouts.

Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on April 27, 1961.

Lou Donaldson (alto saxophone); Lou Donaldson; Ben Tucker (bass guitar); Herman Foster (piano); Dave Bailey (drums); Alec Dorsey (congas). Audio Remasterer: Rudy Van Gelder. Liner Note Author: Bob Blumenthal. Recording information: The Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (04/27/1961). Personnel: Lou Donaldson (alto saxophone); Herman Foster (piano); Ben Tucker (bass); Dave Bailey (drums); Alec Dorsey (congas).

Gravy Train

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Chihiro Yamanaka - Reminiscence

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 56:55
Size: 130.3 MB
Styles: Post bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:46] 1. Rain, Rain And Rain
[4:23] 2. Soul Searchin
[5:19] 3. (They Long To Be) Close To You
[3:46] 4. Dead Meat
[4:59] 5. Ele E Ela
[8:01] 6. This Masquerade
[2:43] 7. She Did It Again
[4:09] 8. Medley: You've Got A Friend/Central Park West
[3:43] 9. La Samba Des Prophetes
[5:09] 10. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You
[4:21] 11. Friday Night At The Cadillac Club
[5:31] 12. Sunny

Reminiscence is pianist Chihiro Yamanaka's second major-label U.S. release, following 2011's acclaimed Forever Begins. Yamanaka plays with two different trios on this date; one features her performing unit of bassist Yoshi Waki and drummer John Davis, while the other includes bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie. Yamanaka plays acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, and organ in an ambitious program that highlights jazz, pop, Latin, and Brazilian covers, and includes a lone original, the opener "Rain, Rain and Rain." Reminiscence stands in sharp contrast to Forever Begins, which was heavy on fiery bop and post-bop. By comparing their respective track lists, one might be tempted to think that this set is laid-back by comparison. In this case, appearances are deceiving. Check her reading of the Burt Bacharach nugget "(They Long to Be) Close to You," where she not only deconstructs the harmony but rebuilds it with an expansive new architecture and a syncopated Latin rhythmic pulse. While her reading of Horace Silver's funky Latin groover "Soul Searchin'" is relatively straight-ahead, her reliance on minor modes and a further nod to Bacharach in her chord fills extrapolate its essence while keeping the funky blues feel intact. Her version of Leon Russell's "This Masquerade" is not only elegant but wonderfully eloquent, with subtle chord voicings and shimmering shapes. Her solo turns the tune inside out without giving up its graceful, sensual center. Another surprise here is her nearly straight read of Marcos Valle's "Ele e Ela," full of nearly voice-like phrasing and a beautiful breezy spaciousness. Her organ on Bob Berg's "Friday Night at the Cadillac Club" reveals the composer's debt to Silver, and her organ playing is more John Patton than Jack McDuff, but still swings like mad. "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" alternates between nearly classical counterpoint and pointillism and funky Rhodes work, and near its end gets into some mind-bending production tricks. Ultimately, Reminiscence proves to American audiences (outside of New York, where she has been based for some time) what Japanese audiences have known for a long time: that Yamanaka is a fierce talent with robust chops, plenty of soul, and a seemingly endless imagination for the musical possibilities of the piano trio. ~Thom Jurek

Reminiscence

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Freddy Staff-Tony Osborne Jazz Band - Good Old Time Jazz

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:43
Size: 102.4 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:54] 1. Aveleda
[2:14] 2. Campari
[2:40] 3. Clear One
[3:14] 4. Fammi Un Favore
[3:47] 5. Glow Worm
[2:21] 6. Knock Three Times
[2:42] 7. Montparnasse
[2:13] 8. Thoroughly Modern Millie
[2:41] 9. Apple-Jack
[2:03] 10. Big Daddy
[2:08] 11. Caroline
[2:57] 12. Good Old Dixie
[2:44] 13. Sporting Life
[2:25] 14. Sussex Gardens
[3:36] 15. When Will The World Begin
[2:56] 16. When You Smile

Tracks 1-8 Freddy Staff; Tracks 9-16 Tony Osborne Jazz Band.

UK-born Osborne was nominal leader of a traditional jazz outfit whose ‘Saturday Jump’ was the opening and closing theme to the highly influential BBC Light Programme’s Saturday Club pop series on which they appeared regularly in the late 50s. By 1960, Osborne had enlisted additional musicians of such exacting calibre that the Tony Osborne Sound was hired frequently as all-purpose accompanists to visiting Americans such as Connie Francis, whose million-selling ‘Mama’ was recorded in Britain with them. Signed to HMV, the orchestra spent a week in the Top 50 in February 1961 under their own name with the film tune, ‘Man From Madrid’. Twelve years later, they notched up a fractionally less minor UK hit - on the Philips label - with ‘The Shepherd’s Song’, featuring vocalist Joanne Brown. Osborne’s son Gary has composed numerous songs, most notably with Elton John. ~bio from AMG

The Manhattan Swing Band is a tribute to the swing era. Freddy Staff's 55 years experience in the profession has made him a recognised name with fans and musicians alike. He is a leading authority on the interpretation of big band music.

Good Old Time Jazz

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Scott Hamilton - Meets Jesper Thilo

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:16
Size: 131,2 MB
Art: Front

( 6:07)  1. Blue Lou
(10:01)  2. Good Bait
( 8:21)  3. Just Friends
( 9:18)  4. Blue Monk
( 4:40)  5. Bernie's Tune
( 9:57)  6. Body And Soul
( 8:49)  7. Blues Up And Down

The pairing of Scott Hamilton with veteran Danish tenor saxophonist, Jesper Thilo in Stunt Records newest release of the CD “Scott Hamilton meets Jesper Thilo” is as it says in the liner notes “not a tenor battle”. It goes beyond the concept of battle.  It’s a meeting of two friends who happen to be two of the finest tenor saxophonists on the scene backed by a great rhythm section. This CD brings freshness to a familiar medium that we have all come to love. This is a nice follow up to the CD Scott Hamilton Scandinavian Five Live at Nefertiti. Don’t hesitate to pick this one up while it’s still hot off the press!  http://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/8915/scott-hamilton/scott-hamilton-meets-jesper-thilo

Personnel: Jesper Thilo (tenor saxophone); Scott Hamilton (tenor saxophone); Soren Kristiansen (piano); Kristian Leth (drums).

Meets Jesper Thilo

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Dr. John - Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch

Styles: New Orleans Blues-Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:31
Size: 134,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:10)  1. What A Wonderful World
(6:13)  2. Mack The Knife
(4:51)  3. Tight Like This
(4:04)  4. I've Got The World On A String
(2:47)  5. Gut Bucket Blues
(4:45)  6. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
(3:55)  7. That's My Home
(4:36)  8. Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen
(6:36)  9. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
(4:27) 10. Dippermouth Blues
(4:18) 11. Sweet Hunk O'Trash
(5:02) 12. Memories Of You
(2:41) 13. When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)

New Orleans piano man Dr. John needs little introduction his work as a groundbreaking genre-bending musician crosses multiple musical borders. Multiple collaborations with various artists throughout a long career have given him a well-deserved reputation that earned him a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame even though he is a New Orleans boogie man at heart. His amazing tribute to the music of fellow Louisiana son Louis Armstrong features musicians from various backgrounds. The disc begins with a zydeco take on the classic "What a Wonderful World," presented miles away from Satchmo's classic ballad. 

The tune features the Blind Boys of Alabama and writer and trumpeter Nicholas Payton, who adds a funky solo the proceedings. Though most of the songs keep things close to the bandleader's hometown of New Orleans, some of them do go to a different direction. Take for example "Motherless Child," which features a neo-soul arrangement with vocals by Anthony Hamilton. The subtle arrangement is the perfect environment for Dr. John's piano improvisations. "Nobody Knows The Troubles I've Seen" is given a Gospel treatment with a complete choir led by the voice of Ledisi, while "Sweet Hunk O' Trash" is played as a lovely reggae-meets blues arrangement. ~ Ernest Barteldes  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/ske-dat-de-dat-the-spirit-of-satch-dr-john-concord-music-group-review-by-ernest-barteldes.php#.VB2bPhawTP8

Personnel: Dr. Johm: piano and vocals; Bonnie Raitt: vocals; Anthony Hamilton: vocals; Ledisi: vocals, Arturo Sandoval: trumpet; Nicholas Payton: trumpet; Dirty Dozen Brass Band: various brass; Terence Blanchard: trumpet; Blind Boys Of Alabama: various instruments; McCrary Sisters: vocals; Shemekia Copeland: vocals; Wendell Brunious: trumpet;James "12" Andrews: trumpet; Mike Ladd: raps; Telmary: raps

Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch

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Don Redman & His Orchestra - All The Swing Cats Ball

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:37
Size: 180,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:11)  1. Park Avenue Patter
(2:33)  2. Seedless Grapefruit
(2:39)  3. Last Night In Town
(2:18)  4. To The River
(2:31)  5. Ballad 'N Bounce
(2:26)  6. Dreamy Melody
(2:39)  7. Desert Dance
(2:37)  8. Chevy's Chase
(2:04)  9. Christmas In The Valley
(2:52) 10. Donnybrook
(3:51) 11. Ain't Gonna Get Fooled Again
(2:10) 12. Good Boog Di Goodie
(1:18) 13. Voodoo
(2:50) 14. At The Swing Cats Ball
(2:34) 15. My Dream Of Yesterday
(2:18) 16. Fall Leaves
(2:37) 17. Waiting On The Corner
(2:34) 18. Peetni Petite
(2:21) 19. Free And Easy
(2:55) 20. Coffee Light
(3:06) 21. The Black Cat
(2:24) 22. Echoing
(3:13) 23. Black Velvet
(1:49) 24. I Dream Of Summer
(2:37) 25. Ballade De Ballet
(2:24) 26. My Confectionary Baby
(2:53) 27. My Girl Friday
(2:24) 28. Looney
(2:51) 29. The Blame's On You
(2:25) 30. Penthouse Alley

Don Redman has been one of the most influential people in the development of swing and the proliferation of big band jazz during the 20's and 30's. He actually was the first musician in jazz's history to write complex arrangements for big orchestras. The music in this CD is a compilation of two sessions recorded in New York in 1957. The first one has many songs composed by Don Redman. The formation playing is variable but well balanced and includes great musicians as Joe Wilder, Seldon Powell and Coleman Hawkins who leaves his unique style. For the next session, Redman gathered a true big band. This time he had the collaboration of a few composers, most of them little known, taking care himself of all arrangements and also participating as a musician. We can hear again Coleman Hawkins, Joe Wilder and Seldon Powell joined by Charlie Shavers and Al Cohn. 30 tracks. Fresh Sounds. 2005. ~ Editorial Reviews  

http://www.amazon.com/Swing-Redman-Orchestra-Coleman-Hawkins/dp/B000B7M8UW

All The Swing Cats Ball

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Lou Bennett - Blue Lou's Blues

Size: 101,0 MB
Time: 39:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Blues/Soul Jazz
Art: Front

01. Blues Goes South (3:39)
02. Toi Mon Soleil (4:54)
03. Meridien Rendez Vous (4:38)
04. Blue Lou's Blues (4:20)
05. Goodbye Paris (4:28)
06. Bossalou (3:41)
07. L'Amour Est Une Drole De Chose (4:37)
08. The Pitch Tree Thing (6:05)
09. Just A Little Bop (3:26)

Lou Bennett (b. May 18, 1926, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - d. February 10, 1997, Paris, France) was an American jazz organist. Bennett first played bebop on piano, but started playing organ in 1956 after hearing Jimmy Smith. Bennett toured the U.S. with an organ trio between 1957 and 1959, and then moved to Paris in 1960. There he recorded and performed at the Blue Note with Jimmy Gourley and Kenny Clarke (as well as Rene Thomas); he returned to America only once, for the 1964 Newport Jazz Festival. He also recorded in the 1960s with Philip Catherine and Franco Manzecchi. In the 1980s he played in his own quintet with Gerard Badini, among others.

Blue Lou's Blues

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Milla - Prelude

Size: 132,1 MB
Time: 57:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Love For Sale ( 7:17)
02. No Moon At All ( 4:10)
03. Sophisticated Lady ( 5:09)
04. Blue Prelude ( 4:36)
05. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered (10:14)
06. Love Me Or Leave Me ( 4:01)
07. Corcovado (Quiet Nights And Quiet Stars) ( 4:21)
08. I Didn't Know What Time It Was ( 3:39)
09. You Don't Know What Love Is ( 5:28)
10. Everything I've Got ( 3:05)
11. Embraceable You ( 4:56)

Milla is a San Francisco-based singer that possesses the unique ability to deliver shy and gutsy in the same breath, using her empathic abilities to affect her audience to its core.

In Prelude, Milla maximizes the talent of her recording band, led by pianist Adam Shulman. Dayna Stephens’ dreamy sax solos wail over the burnin’ rhythm section (John Wiitala on bass and Tim Bulkley on drums) revealing new ideas in an old setting. Guitarist Bob Brumbeloe joins the group for a couple tunes, upping the cool factor considerably with his groovy sound.

At the heart of it all is the voice of Milla. She delivers with sex appeal, sorrow, sass, and intensity. Her sound is educated and inspired.

Milla’s warm, sultry tone translates effortlessly between genres, also exemplified in Prelude. From smoky bossas to fearless blues, her style is distinct and her interpretations soulful. The CD features imaginative arrangements of well-represented classics, in addition to the lesser-known gems she digs up and just has to share.

Of her new CD Prelude, Milla comments, “If I had to picture someone listening to this CD, I would hope they’d be near a lover and a fireplace.”

"[Milla] sings with admirably good taste, keen sense of time and implacable intonation . . . . Her emotional colors warm and animate her soulful interpretations” —Dr. Herb Wong, famed jazz journalist/producer

“Milla stands out with a beautiful vocal sound....This woman has real feeling in her singing.” —Larry Vuckovich, jazz pianist

"Milla is an emissary from another era -- her music, her lingo, her style. She evokes experiences certainly beyond her years. Must be that Balkan soul." —Bruce Bellingham, SF Examiner

Prelude

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Lisa Simone - All Is Well

Size: 113,9 MB
Time: 49:03
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Soul/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Interlude (0:37)
02. Finally Free (4:18)
03. All Is Well (5:00)
04. Child In Me (4:48)
05. Revolution (4:16)
06. Suzanne (5:06)
07. The Hardest Part (4:27)
08. Ain't Got No I Got Life (5:03)
09. Take Itto The Father (4:21)
10. Lullabye (5:47)
11. Autumn Leaves (5:15)

SIMONE is her own woman: a singer, songwriter & performer whose ability to transcend genres echoes the tradition of her mother, musical icon Nina Simone.

A highly-praised live performer whose impressive resume includes starring roles on Broadway in such acclaimed musicals as Rent and Aida, Simone has developed an exciting and diverse repertoire of pop, soul, jazz, rock and funk, expressed in shows she’s done throughout the world. “Touring with Simone on Simone has been a dream come true as I’ve traveled around the world and graced stages that are legends unto themselves. Among my favorites have been the Sydney Opera House, the Montreaux Jazz Festival, New York’s Lincoln Center, Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl, and the North Sea Jazz Festival.”

With the success of her 2008 release, Simone On Simone (a big band tribute to her mother produced by famed jazz musician and arranger Bob Belden), music lovers worldwide have discovered the vocal dynamism that live audiences have witnessed for over a decade. “This is my tribute to my mother, a chance for me to do the songs I love the most the way I hear them. It’s a glimpse of my life over four decades…” Fortunate to have been gifted over fifty of her mother’s original arrangements, Simone began working with producer Bob Belden (whose credits include work with Herbie Hancock, Cassandra Wilson, Sting and Chick Corea) on the recording project, culling eleven songs from Nina Simone’s repertoire, including one live performance on which her mother accompanied her and featuring one poignant and highly personal song, “Child In Me” which Simone fondly refers to as “my love song to my mother.”

She succeeds admirably turning in tour-de-force performances on little-known gems from her mother’s recorded repertoire such as “Keeper Of The Flame,” “I Hold No Grudge” and “Don’t You Pay Them No Mind” (all from Nina Simone’s 1966 LP High Priestess Of Soul) as well as rewordings of such classics as “Feeling Good,” “Black Is The Color Of My True Love’s Hair” (given a completely new and original twist), “Work Song,” the spirited “(You’ll) Go To Hell” and swinging versions of “Love Me Or Leave Me” and Duke Ellington’s “Gal From Joe’s.” Rounding out her first of many future albums: “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” (the Billy Taylor tune closely identified with her mother as one of the potent message songs which were so much a part of Nina Simone’s catalog of music with themes of freedom, self-empowerment and justice for all) and “How Long Must I Wander,” a plaintive song that speaks to Simone’s own formative years traveling across the globe with her mother. The album went on to be come #14 on the Billboard Jazz charts and was Top 5 at iTunes on their Jazz Vocalist chart.

Simone recently recorded a new version of her mother Nina’s original classic “Four Women” for Tyler Perry’s film, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf. In keeping with the organic integrity of the original recording with a slightly younger rendition, “Four Women” produced by Warryn Campbell, will be available and heard on the commercially released movie soundtrack (Atlantic Records), closing credits and the movie trailer.

Since her mother’s passing in 2003, Simone has taken on many projects which include managing her mothers’ extensive estate. Simone is also an avid supporter for Breast Cancer Awareness (the disease which claimed her mother’s life in 2003) and actively involved in other philanthropic causes such as Nina’s Kids, a Miami, FL based non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, nurture and motivate musically talented children to achieve the highest level of music artistry. All music in the program will be influenced by the work of Nina Simone, whose life and passion for music is the inspiration for Nina’ Kids.

Encouraged by the constant support of God, family, friends and fans, Simone says her commitment is to “keep singing, keep writing, keep performing, spreading the word, spreading the healing, spreading the message and spreading the love!” With a rich heritage to draw from, a wealth of accomplishments and accolades as a Broadway star and live performer and a finely-developed sense of her own unique artistry, Simone is ready to establish herself as a successful recording artist of the first order. She has had a wonderful run with Simone On Simone, an album that honors her mother’s musical contribution while beginning a new chapter in her own musical journey. Look for the new album to be released in 2011.

All Is Well

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Sani Gamedze - Colourmeover

Size: 135,3 MB
Time: 57:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Purple Rain (3:44)
02. Mood Indigo (2:59)
03. Business Goes On As Usual (4:28)
04. Fire And Rain (6:15)
05. The Day It Rained (4:48)
06. Girl Blue (4:55)
07. Being Green (4:51)
08. Easy Like Sunday Morning (4:18)
09. Reverend Lee (5:17)
10. On A Clear Day (3:19)
11. Look To The Rainbow (5:52)
12. Medley: Music Is A Rainbow/There's Music In The Air (7:00)

Remarkable South African vocalist Sani Gamedze tells us a very personal story about her life in South Africa and Sweden by way of songs strongly connected to her past, using the colours of the rainbow as a spiritual and musical guidance. 'Colourmeover' presents her most personal approach to these songs - carefully selected gems of jazz, soul and pop - coupled with her sparkling vocals and poetic narration - brings rare depth to the listener's musical journey. Colourfully arranged by Daniel Lantz and others, plus a guest performance by legendary jazzfunk pianist and arranger Bob James, this album is based on her 'Colourmeover' stage performance where all the colours, music and lyrics come into play.

Personnel:
Sani Gamedze, vocals
Bobbo Andersson, guitar
Daniel Lantz, wurlitzer and piano
Per V Johansson, electric and double bass
Karl Jansson, drums

Special guest: Bob James, electric piano

Colourmeover

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Chris Walden Big Band - Full-On!

Size: 125,8 MB
Time: 54:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Big Band
Art: Front

01. Bailout (6:14)
02. I Can Cook Too (5:06)
03. Lost In The Memory (3:27)
04. Gatsby (5:32)
05. Sir Duke (3:45)
06. Bada Bamba (5:40)
07. If I Only Knew (3:48)
08. Only The Lonely (3:15)
09. Arturo (5:56)
10. Hey Good Looking (3:02)
11. Out Of Town (4:39)
12. Ride Like The Wind (3:58)

It's been a while since the jazz world has seen a release from this group. The first three albums credited to the Chris Walden Big Band—the Grammy-nominated Home Of My Heart (Origin Records, 2005), No Bounds (Origin Records, 2006), and Kurt Marti Suite (Origin Records, 2007)—came in quick succession. And then there was silence from Walden. Well, that's not exactly true. Walden's actually been quite busy in the interim, even if his work didn't center on his own big band. He's been cranking out orchestrations and arrangements for mega-stars like Rod Stewart, Michael Bolton, Michael Buble, and numerous others, so given that information, it's perfectly understandable that it took him seven years to deliver another album from this group. It was well worth the wait.

Full-On! is a tight and crisp set of big band music with solid and swinging lines, strong solos, and superb singing. Everybody brings their A game here, expertly nailing all the kicks and hits in Walden's impeccably crafted arrangements. Everything is in its right place, but the music still retains that indefinable spark that's often absent from sessions that are as orderly as this.

The program contains a handful of Walden originals along with natty rewrites and expansions on the music of Christopher Cross, Hank Williams, Leonard Bernstein, Stevie Wonder, The Yellowjackets, and others. Half of the material focuses on the band itself while the other six songs serve as showcases for vocalists. Melanie Taylor brings high-energy to her two features ("I Can Cook Too" and "Sir Duke"), Dorian Holley adds a dose of soul—and a dash of rap—to the proceedings ("If I Only Knew,") and Tierney Sutton is ever-captivating, working in a highly controlled and nuanced environment ("Only The Lonely"). Then there's Carol Welsman, riding high through Williams' territory ("Hey Good Looking"), Siedah Garrett , passionately pushing her way through a Christopher Cross classic ("Ride Like The Wind"), and Courtney Fortune, slyly sashaying over the lone original with vocals ("Lost In The Memory").

While the band sounds great on the vocal features, it's the instrumental numbers that really give pause to admire Walden's writing and the musicians that bring it to life. "Bailout" takes off with slinky saxophones, muted trumpet punches, and low end asides, but it turns into a real swinger when the solos start; "Gatsby" is a more mellow and measured statement from the band; the cheery, Brazilian-tinged "Bada Bamba" shines a spotlight on the marriage of Bill Reichenbach's bass trombone and Jeff Driskill's flute; and "Arturo" brings the warm flugelhorn sound of special guest Arturo Sandoval into the picture.

There are no weak spots on this one and no throw-away tracks to be heard. The Chris Walden Big Band gives its all throughout Full-On! ~Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Jeff Driskill: saxophone; Bob Sheppard: saxophone; Rob LockhartL: saxophone; Brandon Fields: saxophone; Tom Peterson: saxophone; Kim Richmond: saxophone (7, 10); Wayne Bergeron: trumpet; Kye Palmer: trumpet; Rom King: trumpet; Kevin Richardson: trumpet; Bob McChesney: trombone; Alex Iles: trombone; Paul Young: trombone; Rich Bullock: trombone; Andy Martin: trombone (7, 10); Mitch Holder: guitar; Andrew Synowiec: guitar (5); Alan Steinberger: piano, keyboards; Kenny Wild: bass; Ray Brinker: drums; M.B. Gordy: percussion.

Full-On!

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Manuel Valera & New Cuban Express - In Motion

Size: 145,5 MB
Time: 62:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Afro-Cuban Jazz
Art: Front

01. Descargando (6:19)
02. Preamble (8:50)
03. Bantu (6:43)
04. No Puedo Ser Feliz (5:37)
05. Storyteller (8:40)
06. Mirrors (7:15)
07. Para Emiliano (6:17)
08. NYC (6:33)
09. Factors (6:19)

2013 Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Manuel Valera is a 34-year-old powerhouse who has taken New York by storm since relocating there from his native Cuba in 2000. Having worked with many of today's finest artists in the genre of Afro Cuban jazz, Valera made his Criss Cross debut on Brian Lynch's Conclave Vol. 2.

Valera's maiden voyage for Criss Cross features his band, New Cuban Express, on a selection of originals that cover a good deal of ground, touching on both Latin and swing sensibilities.

Yosvany Terry on alto sax, Tom Guarna on guitar and Alex Sipiagin on trumpet make strong statements, while Valera tastefully uses the Fender Rhodes to add new colors to the ensemble mix. Bassist is Hans Glawischnig, on drums Ludwig Afonso, and Mauricio Herrera on percussion.

His strongest set as leader, Valera's In Motion marks the pianist and composer as a major talent on the rise.

In Motion

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Jo Jones & His Orchestra - Vamp Til Ready (Digitally remastered)

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 36:06
Size: 82.6 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 1960/2009
Art: Front

[3:13] 1. Vamp 'til Ready
[2:26] 2. You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
[2:43] 3. Should I
[2:51] 4. Thou Swell
[3:32] 5. Show Time
[3:28] 6. Sandy's Body
[2:37] 7. Liza
[3:02] 8. But Not For Me
[3:12] 9. Royal Garden Blues
[2:58] 10. Mozelle's Alley
[3:23] 11. Sox Trot
[2:36] 12. In The Forrest

Personnel are identified in the Amazon listing for the vinyl version, and they're the upside. Jo Jones, best known for his work with the Old Testament (1930s-40s) Basie orchestra and one of the great figures in the history of jazz drumming, generally runs the rhythm, emerging on "Mozelle's Alley," "Royal Garden Blues," and "In the Forrest" to demonstrate his unsurpassed (and Basie-like) ability to create maximal drive with minimal fuss. Jones was vastly admired by musicians in this swing-mainstream idiom and beyond, and could pick his associates. Bennie Green (trombone) was a younger Basieite, also featured on Jones' celebrated and somewhat similar Vanguard date. Harry "Sweets" Edison was a teammate from the old Basie band, a master sometimes downgraded because of his tendency to anthologize his favorite licks, he's at his best here, open-horn and muted, and not into recycling. Jimmy Forrest (tenor sax), Basie veteran and popularizer of "Night Train," is powerful. The pianist, Tommy Flanagan, was younger and associated with more newer styles, but fit in brilliantly with his elders (as on the great Prestige date with Pee Wee Russell and Buck Clayton). The uncredited bassist is Tommy Potter, well recorded and agile.

This is great stuff by great, wonderfully compatible musicians, making it all sound easy. For these guys, it was. ~Martin Berger/amazon

Vamp Til Ready

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Kermit Ruffins - Swing This!

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:41
Size: 122.9 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz, New Orleans jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[4:28] 1. Bogalusa Strut
[5:35] 2. Things Are Getting Better
[2:05] 3. He's Making Eyes At Me Ma
[4:34] 4. Ain't Misbehavin'
[5:23] 5. But Not For Me
[2:19] 6. This Little Light
[5:47] 7. Treme Second Line-Blow Da Whistle
[3:50] 8. Can't Take My Baby Nowhere
[3:23] 9. Hide The Reefer
[4:45] 10. Fruit Punch
[4:38] 11. Swing This!
[6:47] 12. Bucket's Got A Hole In It

New Orleans trumpeter/vocalist Ruffins concentrates on good time jive and swing, with a big band taste and second-line influence on this CD with his group, the Barbeque Kings. His bright trumpet sound and slightly Louis Armstrong-inflected vocal style is complemented by his band of fellow young jazzmen, the most distinctive being trombonist Corey Henry. Ruffins wrote four of the 12 selections: "Treme Second Line" (Blow Da Whistle)," "Can't Take My Baby Nowhere," and "Hide the Reefer" are silly goof numbers, the latter with a Gene Krupa rhythm. The title track is a bopping instrumental where Ruffins, Henry, and tenor saxophonist Roderick Paulin get to blow a little. Ed Frank's "Fruit Punch" is also a swinging instrumental with promising solos. Ruffins cops Eddie Jefferson's lyric on "Things Are Getting Better," adding a peanut vendor line. He sings "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Bucket's Got a Hole in It" with that self-effaced Satchmo charm. Additional horns turn the ensemble into a big band sound for "Ma, He's Makin' Eyes at Me" and "But Not for Me." Six-year-old Neshia Ruffins and seven-year-old Christina Ruffins join four-year-old Milan Arriola on a truly kiddish "This Little Light of Mine," and the CD kicks with a true New Orleans trad classic, "Bogalusa Strut." As he matures, Ruffins should grow out of camp into pure musical value. This is a quite an entertaining recording. ~Michael G. Nastos

Swing This!

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Tony Airoldi - South Austin Gypsy Jazz

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 49:35
Size: 115.2 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[5:16] 1. Adios Muchachos
[2:06] 2. Minor Swing
[4:34] 3. La Yunta
[6:22] 4. Tarantas
[3:24] 5. J'attendrai
[4:22] 6. For Sephora
[3:10] 7. Moreno Waltz
[2:52] 8. Django's Moustache
[5:30] 9. Latcho Drom
[3:27] 10. Nuages
[4:07] 11. Bossa Dorado
[4:19] 12. Mediterranean Blues

Tony Airoldi's South Austin Gypsy Jazz is inspired by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli's "Swing Manouche". His musical Style is a unique blend of authentic gypsy jazz with modern, contemporary Latin influence. Tony Airoldi's South Austin Gypsy Jazz can transport you to the heart of Paris and the Mediterranian shores of Barcelona with its passionate, ambient rhythms; providing an energetic and engaging entertainment experience to remember.

South Austin Gypsy Jazz

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