Saturday, September 27, 2014

Leon Redbone - Champagne Charlie

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 32:02
Size: 73.3 MB
Styles: Ragtime, Dixieland, Texas Blues
Year: 1979/1995
Art: Front

[2:56] 1. Champagne Charlie
[2:52] 2. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
[2:41] 3. Sweet Sue, Just You
[4:32] 4. The One Rose (That's Left In My Heart)
[1:42] 5. Alabama Jubilee
[3:19] 6. Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)
[2:48] 7. Yearning (Just For You)
[3:31] 8. If Someone Would Only Love Me
[3:40] 9. I Hate A Man Like You
[3:55] 10. T.B. Blues

From the opening track, "Champagne Charlie," to the dazzling finale, "T.B. Blues," Leon Redbone presents an introspective collection of blues and big band melodies in timeless fashion, a rare feat because of its release date in 1978. The record was highly acclaimed and regarded as the purest of jazz and classic blues by a remarkable legend and icon in this musical form. Most of the record, like the amiable "Sweet Sue (Just You)" and memorable "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)," is filled with the best that blues and ragtime has to offer. The music itself is quite light and jolly during the more uplifting moments, with others such as "I Hate a Man Like You" very depressing and sorrowful. The band backing up Redbone is delightful, filled with jubilant horns, oboes, and trumpets. "T.B. Blues" closes out this record as a charming look back into the world of blues via pioneer Jimmie Rodgers. Two melodies written and composed by giant Jelly Roll Morton are featured here, with fresh and stunning new arrangements by Leon Redbone and company, "If Someone Would Only Love Me" and "I Hate a Man Like You." The record is somewhat poorly recorded, losing its listening ability though still portraying its exuberant style and antique mysteriousness. A charming and romantic listen and study of this period of ragtime and blues that will surely not disappoint the average listener. ~Shawn M. Haney

Champagne Charlie

Leann Rimes - Lady & Gentlemen

Styles: Country
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:20
Size: 106,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:59)  1. Swingin'
(4:04)  2. Wasted Days And Wasted Nights
(2:36)  3. The Only Mama That’ll Walk The Line
(3:09)  4. I Can't Be Myself
(2:38)  5. 16 Tons
(2:58)  6. Help Me Make It Through The Night
(3:03)  7. Rose Colored Glasses
(3:38)  8. A Good Hearted Woman
(3:37)  9. When I Call Your Name
(3:48) 10. He Stopped Loving Her Today
(2:26) 11. Blue
(3:27) 12. The Bottle Let Me Down
(3:21) 13. Crazy Women
(4:31) 14. Give

As concept albums go, LeAnn Rimes’ 2011 album Lady & Gentlemen is a good one: a collection of masculine country classics reinterpreted by a female singer. Sometimes, this reinterpretation amounts to little more than swapping a gender “The Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line” becomes “The Only Mama That’ll Walk the Line,” Charlotte in John Anderson’s “Swingin'” becomes Charlie and some of these songs are standards that have often been sung by either gender (“Help Me Make It Through the Night”), but there are a few songs that do feel slightly different when sung by Rimes, including “A Good Hearted Woman” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” neither given a gender switch yet changing slightly with the perspective shift.

Generally, though, Lady & Gentlemen isn’t much more than a good straight-ahead covers album, given grit and tradition from co-producers Vince Gill and Darrell Brown, who give John Conlee’s “Rose Colored Glasses” a dusty beer joint kick and Gill’s own “When I Call Your Name” a soulful sway, and transform Merle Haggard’s “Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down” into a slow, spooky crawl, all moves that more than compensate for the too frenetic take on “Swingin'.” Throughout it all, Rimes hits her marks with ease, and the new version of her breakthrough hit “Blue” illustrates just how far she’s come how she’s become a stronger, more nuanced singer over the years. ~ Thomas Erlewine  http://www.allmusic.com/album/lady-gentlemen-mw0002203135

Nancy Kelly - B That Way

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:50
Size: 139,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:04)  1. Come Back to Me
(5:09)  2. Don't Explain
(5:28)  3. Common Touch
(5:06)  4. Billie's Bounce
(5:31)  5. Here's Looking at You
(4:39)  6. The Great City
(5:32)  7. Don't Go to Strangers
(3:57)  8. Day In Day Out
(4:47)  9. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
(4:24) 10. Please Don't Talk About Me Whe
(6:10) 11. The Very Thought of You
(5:59) 12. Good Morning Heartache

The Hammond B-3 organ has been in my life from the very early days of my career. It was there throughout my musical evolution from Rock to R&B and on to jazz. In the early Eighties, I moved to Philly and began singing at the “salt and mostly pepper” jazz club Jewel’s on Broad St., where for 4 years I was the house singer with an organ trio made up of local Philly cats. At the time I didn’t know it, but I was at B-3 jazz ground zero. Jewel’s was host to headliners such as Groove Holmes, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, Shirley Scott, local favorite Trudy Pitts and a very young Joey DeFrancesco. I was in heaven. The organ trio sound had now become a major part of my musical fiber. We had a good long run at Jewel’s. Sadly, years later the club closed and, for various reasons, I moved back to upstate New York.

I spent the next era with piano. One day on a trio gig, Dino Losito used the organ sound on his keyboard and we both knew where we were headed. We loved it and dove into the sound, working solely as an organ trio for the past 6 years, and it led to this recording.  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/nancykelly22

Personnel: Nancy Kelly - Vocals;  Jerry Weldon - Tenor Sax;  Dino Losito - Hammond Organ;  Peter Bernstein – Guitar;  Carmen Intorre Drums

Louis Sclavis Quartet - Silk and Salt Melodies

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:40
Size: 144,1 MB
Art: Front

(9:00)  1. Le parfum de l'éxil
(9:22)  2. L'homme sud
(8:15)  3. L'autre rive
(7:36)  4. Sel et soie
(6:59)  5. Dance for Horses
(5:49)  6. Des feux lointains
(8:40)  7. Cortège
(5:50)  8. Dust and Dogs
(1:05)  9. Prato plage


With its ancient roots and latter-day association with New Orleans, Dixieland and swing, the clarinet isn't often a frontline instrument in modern jazz let alone avant-garde. A handful of players such as Don Byron and Marty Ehrlich have aided in its prominence but not many. In the hands of Louis Sclavis the bass clarinet is not only a deterrent against conformist thinking; it is an instrument with greatly expanded borders and characteristics. Sclavis incorporates European chamber music, Middle-Eastern samazens and free jazz in his ambitious and literate compositions. Silk and Salt Melodies speaks to Sclavis' years of shaping a world view, unique stylization and his belief that improvisation is not a free-for-all but a discipline integral to telling a story. Almost twenty years ago Sclavis with bassist Henri Texier and drummer Aldo Romaro boldly experimented with blending components of European and West African folk tunes and jazz on Carnet de routes (Label Bleu, 1995). Sclavis, working with continually evolving lineups, has never fallen back on a purely mainstream approach.

Now reunited with the Atlas Trio partners who created the excellent Sources (ECM, 2012), guitarist Gilles Coronado and pianist Benjamin Moussay are joined by percussionist Keyvan Chemirani on Silk and Salt Melodies. The Iranian native conveys a new aspect not only in his use of some unusual regional instruments but in his distinctive approach to beat cycles and rhythms. Chemirani's presence is a good fit with Sclavis' proclivity for pursuing global inspirations. The leisurely pacing of Sclavis' long expressive lines unfold dramatically on "Le parfum de l'éxil" allowing time for Coronado take a more angular route as together they cautiously accelerate the pace. Aided by Chemirani's intricate pacing and Moussay's late arriving countermelody, the piece adds multiple layers while maintaining a pastoral air. Coronado injects some jagged edges into "L'homme sud" complimented by Sclavis and Moussay almost speaking in one voice until the pianist takes off on a particularly nice solo.

Chemirani and Sclavis turn the piece around with an injection of Middle-Eastern flavor. Moussay's beautiful and extended solo opens "L'autre rive," eventually joined by Sclavis and again upended by Coronado with a turn toward a darker, more mysterious side. A more rough and tumble "Sel et soie" has Sclavis wailing and Coronado assuming the more expressive role ; his lyrical and limpid notes bringing to mind guitarist Bill Frisell. Silk and Salt Melodies is the manifestation of Sclavis' vision of a surreal and exotic journey but on a less analytical level it is an appreciation of musicianship. Sclavis' clarinet can sound as deep and resonant as a double bass. He can uncannily mimic the folky sound of an accordion or play as boisterously as reed player Peter Brötzmann. Putting Silk and Salt Melodies in the context of Sclavis' larger body of work is somewhat irrelevant; he builds, incorporates and moves on. It's a good philosophy for listening as well. ~ Karl Ackermann  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/silk-and-salt-melodies-louis-sclavis-ecm-records-review-by-karl-ackermann.php#.VCXsmRawTP8
 
Personnel: Louis Sclavis: clarinet; Gilles Coronado: guitar; Benjamin Moussay: piano, keyboard; Keyvan Chemirani: percussion.

Bobby Bryant - Swahili Strut

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1971
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:11
Size: 97,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:46)  1. Swahili Strut
(8:20)  2. A Prayer For Peace
(5:49)  3. Peace
(4:57)  4. Kriss Kross
(4:25)  5. We've Only Just Begun
(6:34)  6. The Beauty of Her Soul
(6:18)  7. Nite Crawlers

I’m not sure whether I’m familiar with Bobby Bryant’s work. What I do know is that I found this record after a random listen through some jazz albums. The title song is a nice soulful jazz opener, but the real gem on here is A Prayer For Peace. This searing bit of funk sounds like it walked right off the set of a 70s cop show like Streets Of San Francisco or Hawaii Five-O right onto this slab of vinyl. A fast paced walking bass line, guitar and stabbing and screeching horn lines drive the song. The second side is just as good with songs like Kriss Kross, Nite Crawlers and probably the only version of We’ve Only Just Begun I’ve heard that I actually like.  http://www.soulstrut.com/index.php?/reviews/indepth/Swahili%20Strut/

An excellent bit of funky stuff from LA trumpeter Bobby Bryant. The set was recorded for Cadet in LA, features tight arangements by Bryant, and a lot of nice long cuts that have a bit more of a groove than some of his other recordings (although most of them are pretty great). Tracks include "Swahili Strut", "Prayer For Peace", "Kriss Kross", and "Nite Crawlers". (Blue label pressing. Cover has a split top seam, some wear, and remnants of a sticker.)  http://www.dustygroove.com/item/12331

Personnel: Arranged By, Conductor – Bobby Bryant; Bass – Max Bennett, Willie Allen; Congas – Bob Norris; Drums – Carl Lott; Guitar – Arthur Adams, David T. Walker; Organ – Henry Cain; Tenor Saxophone – Charles Owens, Herman Riley; Trumpet – Bobby Bryant

Friday, September 26, 2014

Lancaster & Flavio Naves - Bluesamba

Size: 128,3 MB
Time: 55:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2005
Styles: Jazz, Blues, Brazilian Rhythms
Art: Front

01. Caruaru (4:14)
02. Ela Gosta De Blues (3:50)
03. Copenhagem Jam (6:21)
04. Itamara (6:09)
05. Pedrinho (3:22)
06. Relaxando Com Lancaster E Flavio (5:22)
07. Bluesamba (5:45)
08. Voando Com Simpatia (5:15)
09. Sufle (5:21)
10. Ser Humano (4:25)
11. Katita (5:01)

In Bluesamba, Lancaster and Flavio Naves recreate the classic sound of guitar and Hammond organ, combining the intensity of the blues with the swing of bossa nova, samba and salsa. "Copenhagen Jam", "Flying with Sympathy" and "Katita "are some highlights among the 11 tracks on the album.

Bluesamba

Leslie Zimei - Black And White

Size: 101,1 MB
Time: 42:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Can I Change My Mind (3:41)
02. Girl Don't Come (3:54)
03. Save The Bones For Henry Jones (3:00)
04. Baby Can I Hold You Tonight (4:09)
05. Same (4:44)
06. Don't Explain (4:14)
07. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (3:54)
08. Comin' Home (4:32)
09. Black And White (3:56)
10. Tell Mama (3:40)
11. Old Folks (2:21)

So, along comes Black and White, a new album by Long Islander, Leslie Zimei, released this summer and dedicated to her mom. Ms. Zimei is no novice to music even though her name may not be immediately recognized. She has sung with the likes of Ben E. King and Bo Diddley. She has opened for artists such as Peggy Lee, Petula Clark and Bonnie Bramlett (Delaney & Bonnie). She was lead vocalist for a local blues-based band, Cadillac Moon, and she currently sings with The Pearl Street Band. And now, after more than 40 years recording and performing, she has finally put out her first “solo” album.

Armed with an enviable voice and a band of musicians so accomplished as to make the music sound, well, easy to create, Ms. Zimei has chosen to record an album of mostly covers from a wide range of rhythm and blues composers and performers from Billie Holiday and Etta James to Tracy Chapman. She moves between deep soul (“Bill Withers’ “Same Love that Made Me Laugh” and Etta James “Tell Mama”) and blues (an original, “Black and White”) with effortless sincerity and compassion, and stops for some fun along the way (“Save the Bones for Henry Jones” (Nat King Cole)). But mostly it’s straight rhythm and blues with style.

You only get one change at a first impression, as the saying goes, and Ms. Zimei has chosen wisely. The disc opens rather strongly with a cover of Tyron Davis’ “Can I Change My Mind?”, and you know instantly that if the album can only live up to the promise of its beginning, you will be in for a treat. And I’m happy to say that it certainly does, and you are. For example, her cover of Cannonball Adderly’s “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” adds a female perspective to the song that oozes with a sexiness that can only come from a woman with a little mileage; and, from this reviewer’s point of view, that is a decisive virtue. This song, above all, begs for the repeat button.

While a large majority of the album is a diverse assortment of impressive covers, the two originals, “Comin’ Home”, a sensitive, hopeful ballad in the soulful style of Dusty Springfield, and the aforementioned, bluesy title track, “Black and White”, both written with her former husband, Michael Mattia, complement their more familiar counterparts in rather impressive fashion, proudly putting Ms. Zimei’s own song-writing talents on display. Perhaps at first glance, seeing the song list of mostly R & B covers, you might be tempted to dismiss this collection as more of the same – you know, another in the seemingly endless line of uninspired, over-interpreted R & B standards. But after a listen or two, you’ll realize, as I did, that Black and White is really something quite special and deserves a place in your rhythm and blues collection. ~Michael J Mand

Black And White

Dutch Swing College Band - Fine And Dandy (Live)

Size: 183,3 MB
Time: 78:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Dixieland
Art: Front

01. Basin Street Blues (3:29)
02. Buddy's Habits (6:34)
03. Creole Love Call (5:47)
04. King Of The Zulus (3:22)
05. Opus 5 (3:11)
06. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone (4:08)
07. The Lonesome Road (4:56)
08. Apex Blues (3:02)
09. The Last Time (4:27)
10. Milenberg Joys (5:39)
11. St. James Infirmary (4:34)
12. Jazz Me Blues (3:43)
13. Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble (3:15)
14. Out Of The Gallion (3:19)
15. Freeze An' Melt (3:04)
16. Mood Indigo (3:15)
17. Ory's Creole Trombone (2:51)
18. Ballin' The Jack (4:34)
19. Carry Me Back To Old Virginny (2:15)
20. South Rampart Street Parade (3:16)

The Dutch Swing College Band has endured numerous personnel changes in its more than fifty-year history as one of the Netherlands' top jazz ensembles. Although no members remain from the original group, the latest lineup continues to honor the tradition-rooted approach of the founders.

Bob Kaper (1939- ) replaced clarinet player Peter Schilperoort during an illness in 1966, and remained with the band; he has led the Dutch Swing College Band since Schilperoort's death in 1990. The fourth leader in the group's history, Kaper succeeds Frans Vink, Jr. (1945-46), Joop Schrier (1955-60), and Schilperoort (1946-55; 1960-1990). Kaper previously led the Beale Street Seven, a group he founded in 1957.

An amateur group from 1945 until turning professional in 1960, the Dutch Swing College Band reached their early peak in the late '40s, when they were tapped to accompany such jazz musicians as Sidney Bechet, Joe Venuti, and Teddy Wilson.

The New Melbourne Jazz Band recorded an album, A Tribute to the Dutch Swing College Band, featuring music associated with the Holland-based group. ~Biography by Craig Harris

Fine And Dandy

Jesse Winchester - A Reasonable Amount Of Trouble

Size: 99,3 MB
Time: 42:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Folk Rock, Blues Folk
Art: Full

01. All That We Have Is Now (2:20)
02. She Makes It Easy Now (2:59)
03. Neither Here Nor There (3:55)
04. Rhythm Of The Rain (2:51)
05. A Little Louisiana (2:55)
06. Ghosts (4:41)
07. Never Forget To Boogie (4:00)
08. Devil Or Angel (3:15)
09. Don't Be Shy (3:47)
10. Every Day I Get The Blues (4:34)
11. Whispering Bells (2:39)
12. Just So Much (4:21)

Jesse Winchester's career was sometimes shadowed by grave themes that didn't often express themselves in his music — most notably, he fled the United States rather than fight in the Vietnam War, and was an exile in Canada when he did most of his best-known work — and it seems curiously fitting that his final album, A Reasonable Amount of Trouble, would arrive five months after Winchester's death in April 2014. But mortality and tragedy don't figure into these songs much at all; they were mostly written and recorded after Winchester survived an earlier bout with cancer of the esophagus in 2011, and this music sounds like the work of a man who is grateful for his new opportunities, without having too many false illusions in his late sixties. There's a pleasing warmth and grace to this music, and while Winchester's medical issues added a rougher texture to his voice, the velvet sounds just right for songs like the rootsy "A Little Louisiana," the contemplative "Just So Much," and the romantic "All That We Have Is Now." Winchester also seemed to be in a nostalgic mood when he was recording these songs; "Ghosts" includes a verse about playing guitar to the radio in 1963, while three of the 12 songs are covers that date back to the '50s and early '60s, and his version of the Del Vikings' "Whispering Bells" is kitted out with doo wop harmonies and period-appropriate honking sax. Not every song on this set is a winner — "Never Forget to Boogie" hardly sounds like the work of a first-class songwriter — but the tone of A Reasonable Amount of Trouble is one of a man enjoying himself as he makes an album he never expected he'd be able to record. It's mindful of the past but stands happily in the present, and this release doesn't mourn the loss of a gifted songwriter and vocalist so much as it celebrates the joy he found in his music, and this album will bring a smile to anyone who loved Jesse Winchester's music.

A Reasonable Amount Of Trouble

Size: 103,1 MB
Time: 41:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Tomorrow Person (5:23)
02. Get Off The Ghost Train (3:19)
03. In The Gloaming (5:02)
04. Upstream (3:24)
05. Rocker's Lament (6:26)
06. The Bells Of St Clements (6:02)
07. Dancing For Tips (3:56)
08. No Room For The Dreamers (4:24)
09. Indiscreet (3:49)

Julie McKee is a London-based singer-songwriter-pianist. If you like early Goldfrapp or a dash of Tori Amos melodrama, or if the wit and pathos of Randy Newman is your thing then Julie will be right up your street. Her latest album, 2014's Light on the Ledge, features a cast of lost souls, many of whom are depicted on the specially commissioned artwork for the sleeve: beer-swilling MCs, journalists, politicians, wanderers, prohibited wartime encounters and misguided protégés are all depicted in the songs.

A classically trained pianist who studied voice and jazz at London's prestigious Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Julie interpreted other peoples' songs before turning her hand to composing. She hasn't looked back: "I like my songs to tell stories and to avoid the cliches of angst-ridden love."

Her music has taken her to a number of prestigious venues, including London's National Theatre, LSO St Luke's, 606 Club, The Vortex, National Portrait Gallery, the Troubadour, Darbucka, the Drill Hall and the Bedford. Stateside, she has performed at New York's The Cutting Room, Chicago's Davenport's and Hot House. Across the UK, Julie has also played shows in the Edinburgh Festival (one with renowned solo bassist Steve Lawson), Greenbelt Festival, Brighton Festival, City of London Festival, Milton Keynes Stables and Birmingham's Kitchen Garden Cafe, to name but a few.

Light On The Ledge

Ricardo Silveira - Storyteller

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:29
Size: 106.4 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:29] 1. Francesa
[0:28] 2. Upon A Time (Interlude)
[5:00] 3. Storyteller
[4:10] 4. Island Magic
[5:51] 5. Still Think Of You
[5:26] 6. The Puzzle
[4:51] 7. Fountains
[4:14] 8. After The Rain
[5:03] 9. Always There
[5:23] 10. That Day In Tahiti
[0:29] 11. Upon A Time (Reprise)

Ricardo Silveira moved from Verve/Forecast to Herbie Mann's Kokopelli label with Storyteller, an NAC/pop-jazz effort that isn't great but has its moments. This CD isn't the gem that Silveira, a gifted guitarist with a healthy appreciation of Pat Metheny, is quite capable of delivering. But despite its shortcomings, Storyteller is an improvement over 1992's Small World, his last project before leaving Verve/Forecast, and offers some noteworthy writing and playing. The album could have used less production, and the use of drum machines on some tunes doesn't do Silveira any good. But the Brazilian guitarist has some noteworthy moments on the melancholy "Still Think of You," the intriguing "The Puzzle," the Caribbean-flavored "Island Magic," and the lively title song. Silveira is capable of a lot more, but again, this album does have its moments. ~Alex Henderson

Storyteller

Curtis Fuller's Quintet - Blues-Ette

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 47:24
Size: 108.5 MB
Styles: Trombone jazz
Year: 1959/2003
Art: Front

[5:18] 1. Five Spot After Dark
[7:07] 2. Undecided
[5:33] 3. Blues-Ette
[5:08] 4. Minor Vamp
[7:04] 5. Love Your Spell Is Everywhere
[6:25] 6. Twelve-Inch
[5:30] 7. Blues-Ette (Alt Take 3)
[5:16] 8. Five Spot After Dark (Alt Take 2)

Recorded on May 21, 1959. Originally released on Stereophonic (13006). By its very nature, the slide trombone is difficult instrument to play, and it takes great technical facility to master this horn. Curtis Fuller, one of the few great jazz trombonists, earned his reputation by being able to belt out fast bebop lines almost as readily as a saxophonist, in a clean, expressive tone. Conversely, Fuller can play in a melodic and understated way too, making him a well-rounded soloist. A testament to these skills, Fuller's 1959 release BLUES-ETTE is light on its feet. In fact, each exciting-yet-delicate song serves as a wonderful springboard for lively solos by Fuller, tenor saxophonist Benny Golson, and pianist Tommy Flanagan. The jaunty "Five Spot After Dark" and the gently swinging "Love Your Spell Is Everywhere" are the highlights. In addition to offering up nimble horn and piano solos, the record is enhanced by the buoyant drumming of Al Harewood and the subtle work of bassist Jimmy Garrison. Indeed, BLUES-ETTE is fluid and graceful throughout. The 2003 edition of BLUES-ETTE includes 2 bonus tracks.

Curtis Fuller (trombone); Benny Golson (tenor saxophone); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Jimmy Garrison (bass); Al Harewood (drums).

Blues-Ette

Ned Kantar Quartet - So Nice To Come Home To

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 47:43
Size: 109.2 MB
Styles: Traditional jazz combo
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[2:46] 1. You'd Be So Nice To Come To
[4:30] 2. I Could Write A Book
[2:52] 3. Tenderly
[2:50] 4. Time After Time
[4:17] 5. Besame Mucho
[3:16] 6. Cheek To Cheek
[2:34] 7. The Lady Is A Tramp
[4:22] 8. Song For My Father
[3:17] 9. On A Slow Boat To China
[3:53] 10. On The Street Where You Live
[4:43] 11. I'll Close My Eyes
[3:35] 12. Teach Me Tonight
[4:43] 13. For All We Know

For over 30 years and 5,000 engagements, we've been performing great American standards--and for years people have asked us for recordings of our music. With this project, my idea was to create an album that portrayed some of our favorites, both vocal and instrumental, just as we would perform them live. The instrumentals feature John Kantar's sparkling trumpet work, alongside his introspective interpretations on flumpet. Jim Mitchell's superb vocals are featured on seven songs; his style is unsurpassed. Bob Stacke, my friend and colleague for 45 years, plays drums and congas on the instrumental selections, and Phil Kjos backs Jim Mitchell on drums as he has for 25 years. Dick Studer plays bass throughout, and I am at the piano on each song. It's our hope that you enjoy this album as much as we've enjoyed performing some of the world's greatest music. ~ Ned Kantar

So Nice To Come Home To

Alex Pangman - 33

Styles: Vocal, Swing
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:38
Size: 81,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:23)  1. I Found A New Baby
(3:20)  2. Ain't Cha' Glad?
(3:24)  3. A Hundred Years From Today
(3:22)  4. Thanks
(3:04)  5. Honeysuckle Rose
(2:21)  6. Happy As The Day Is Long
(3:14)  7. Shine
(4:09)  8. I Surrender Dear
(3:26)  9. As Lovely Lovers Do
(3:26) 10. Hummin' To Myself
(3:26) 11. You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me

Although Alex Pangman grew up a couple of generations late to have sung with Teddy Wilson, the vibrant young vocalist is proud to be known as Canada's Sweetheart of Swing. With pipes aplenty, Pangman possesses the requisite taste, talent and the historical knowledge of an avid record collector to breathe new life into the sturdy standards of the classic jazz era. A superb song stylist with growing compositional chops, the gifted Toronto scenemaker has built a loyal fanbase amongst jazz listeners and dancers alike through her critically acclaimed work with her stacked Alley Cats in the studio, nightclubs and concert halls across Canada including three stellar showcases at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. 

Alex's dedication to her music goes far beyond was might be called a passionate obsession which began in her teens upon first discovering Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden along with amazing singers like Mildred Bailey, Julia Lee and Maxine Sullivan. "An exciting new world with this immense songbook opened up to me." Alex quickly began delving deeper into the sophisticated shellac of the 20s and 30s which eventually led to a fortuitous connection with guitar great Jeff Healey who knew a rare talent when he heard it. In very short order, Healey produced her impressive 1999 debut They Say (Sensation Records) as well as the 2001 follow-up, You Can't Stop Me From Dreaming. While facets of Ella Fitzgerald, Connie Boswell and Ruth Etting could be discerned in Alex's zesty delivery, that crisp clear voice was unequivocally her own. After getting a Songwriter of the Year nomination from the National Jazz Awards for her tune Melancholy Lullaby for the 2001 film Torso: The Evelyn Dick Story, Alex received two more nominations in the Vocalist Of The Year category and then a Ken Whiteley number she sang over the opening scene of the 2003 feature film Falling Angels won a Genie for Best Original Song.

While the gorgeously filmed videos for the aforementioned Melancholy Lullaby and One Night In Monte Carlo shot to the top of the Bravo! Countdown, Alex was busily scheduling collaborations with everyone from Grammy-nominated trumpeter Kevin Clark and the dashing Denzal Sinclaire to pianist Tyler Yarema and even Jim Galloway's All-Stars. But Alex was never keen on being anyone's "chick singer" and to underscore that point, she selected the repertoire, assembled her band and co-produced 2005's Live In Montreal (Real Gone Gal) album which stands among her finest recorded performances. he blessing of more frequent bookings would also prove to be a curse. Smoke-filled venues were definitely not the place for someone battling lung disease and Alex reluctantly slowed down to recoup. All the while, her interest in singing and playing music never waned. In fact, it was during her self-imposed exile that she stumbled onto the city's bluegrass and string-band underground. Alex fit right in with the scrappy Cameron House crowd who shared her excitement for the enriching sound of a bygone era when the lines between jazz, blues and country were still blurry enough to ignore. A Hook-up with the Backstabbers' frontman Colonel Tom Parker gave rise to the rollicking roots country combo Lickin’ Good Fried. 

But just as the tape was about to roll on their debut album session, Alex's physical condition worsened to the point where a double lung transplant was deemed essential. Determined to finish voicing her parts, vertical or horizontal, Alex's sweetly soulful crooning throughout the group's self-released Say Uncle! disc is testament to her unflinching dedication. The good news is that a donor was found in time and the surgery was a complete success. Alex has roared back to full strength in a remarkably quick recovery that's borderline miraculous. A happy ending? More like a thrilling new beginning.More recently a union with prestigious Montreal jazz label Justin Time further continues Alex’s return to form, with a disc released in April 2011. This disc, “33”, refers at once to Pangman’s age as well as to the fact that the bulk of the material (save for one self-penned number) was a popular song in the year 1933. This recording was promoted and toured across Canada in summer of 2011 with support from the Canada Council for the Arts. Also in the works is a project with renowned American guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, and, of course, an increasing number of club and concert gigs for which Alex is so well known an appreciated. She is also a busy advocate for organ and tissue donation. Bio ~ http://www.alexpangman.com/bio_1.html

Personnel: Alex Pangman (vocals); Ron Sexsmith , Denzal Sinclaire (vocals); Jesse Barksdale (guitar); Drew Jurecka (violin, strings, alto saxophone); Jack Dreweur, Duke Crewjar (strings); Ross Wooldridge (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Kevin Clark (trumpet); Peter Hill , Peter Hill (piano); Chris Lamont (drums).

33

Joe Wilder - Such A Beautiful Sound

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:24
Size: 171,0 MB
Art: Front

( 6:05)  1. How High the Moon
( 6:25)  2. I Think of You with Every Breath I Take
(10:42)  3. Cherokee
( 5:04)  4. Prelude To A Kiss
( 4:31)  5. My Heart Stood Still
( 8:26)  6. Six Bit Blues
( 4:31)  7. Mad About The Boy
( 5:02)  8. Darn That Dream
( 2:51)  9. The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise
( 2:41) 10. There Will Never Be Another You
( 2:47) 11. Moonlight in Vermont
( 3:16) 12. I Can't Believe That You're in Love
( 4:01) 13. Used Blues
( 3:01) 14. Tea For Two
( 4:54) 15. Delta Blues

In 1953, Joe Wilder (Colwyn, Pennsylvania 1922), an ex-Basieite trumpeter with extensive big band experience, settled in New York to play for pit bands, TV, and to do studio recording work. Wilder s reputation as a valuable sideman became increasingly impressive, more so with each new appearance on record, and for good reason. On the opening session of this set recorded in November 1955 Wilder is guested on two standards with the superb trio of Hank Jones, Wendell Marshall and Kenny Clarke, the Savoy label s house rhythm section. They proved an ideal support for Wilder s delightfully musical sensibility, something triumphantly confirmed a few weeks later when they backed Wilder on his own solo debut album, N Wilder... a wonderfully individual session on which he displays the rare combination of flowing, singing lines and drive, strength and swing. Mature and impressive at any tempo, Wilder s beautiful, big-toned sound, and fresh, creative conception shines especially on ballads. 

On the last date, we find the trumpeter back in the fall of 1954, when he played as a sideman of a sextet headed by Pete Brown, an unjustly neglected, tastefully jumping alto saxophonist, who made his leader debut on record for Bethlehem with the 10 album Peter the Great. On a well-chosen programme of standards and blues, both hornmen display a skilled range of ability at an easy, conversational level, well supported by a good rhythm section featuring brief but excellent contributions by guitarist Wally Richardson, and Wade Legge, Dizzy Gillespie s pianist. At a time when many styles were blurring into each other, Wilder was maturely his own man, with such a beautiful sound. Still active in 2013 he is a true living legend of the trumpet. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Sound-Wilder-Brown-Sextet/dp/B00HT4M21K

Featuring: Joe Wilder (tp), Pete Brown (as), Hank Jones, Wade Legge (p), Wally Richardson (g), Wendell Marshall, Gene Ramey (b), Kenny Clarke, Rudy Collins (d)

Harry James - Flying Home With Harry James

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:09
Size: 113,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:06)  1. Music Makers
(4:06)  2. Bangtail
(2:56)  3. Cherry
(2:19)  4. Trumpet Blues
(3:40)  5. Ultra
(3:04)  6. You Made Me Love You
(2:50)  7. Ciribiribin
(2:42)  8. Palladium Party
(1:52)  9. Sleepy Time Gal
(2:55) 10. Two O' Clock Jump
(3:02) 11. Flying Home
(1:54) 12. Sharp As A Tack
(3:20) 13. Laura
(2:00) 14. Six Jerks In A Jeep
(3:08) 15. Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree
(3:10) 16. Carnival
(2:58) 17. Here's One

Harry James was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader in a traveling circus, the Haag Circus. His mother was an acrobat and horseback rider. According to the Bill Sterns Sports Newsreel broadcast on 9/12/1942, on which James appeared, he was saved from being trampled, at the age of 6, by his mother's horse after performing with the horse. By the age of 10 he was taking trumpet lessons from his father, who placed him on a strict daily practice schedule. Each day, James was given one page to learn from the Arban's book and was not allowed to pursue any other pastime until he had learned that particular page.In 1931 his family settled in Beaumont, Texas. It was here, at 15 years of age, that James began playing in local dance bands. 

James played regularly with Herman Waldman's band, and at one performance was noticed by nationally popular Ben Pollack. In 1935 he joined Pollack's band, but at the start of 1937 left to join Benny Goodman's orchestra, where he stayed through 1938. He was nicknamed "The Hawk" early in his career for his ability to sight-read. A common joke was that if a fly landed on his written music, Harry James would play it. His low range had a warmth associated with the cornet and even the flugelhorn, but this sound was underrecorded in favor of James' brilliant high register.In January 1939 James debuted his own big band in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but it didn't click until 1941 when he added a string section. This big band became known as Harry James and His Music Makers. His hit "You Made Me Love You" was in the Top 10 during the week of December 7, 1941. He was in two featured roles in two films, Private Buckaroo and Springtime in the Rockies. He toured with the band into the 1980s. He started recording with the minor label Varsity in 1940. 

To this day, the Harry James Orchestra still exists with Fred Radke as their lead. His was the first "name band" to employ vocalist Frank Sinatra, in 1939. James signed Sinatra to a one year contract, of which Sinatra worked seven months before going to sing for Tommy Dorsey He wanted to change Sinatra's name to 'Frankie Satin' but Sinatra refused. His later band included drummer Buddy Rich. His featured vocalist was Helen Forrest. Johnny MacAfee was featured on the sax and vocals and Corky Corcoran was a youthful sax prodigy. His orchestra succeeded Glenn Miller's on a program sponsored by Chesterfield Cigarettes in 1942, when Miller disbanded his orchestra to enter the Army. A major reason James disbanded his big band group in 1946 was lack of income, so James decided to call it quits. After disbanding his band, he continued his career in a smaller jazz group, Harry James and His Music Makers. He played trumpet in the 1950 film Young Man with a Horn, dubbing Kirk Douglas. In the album from that movie, he backed Doris Day and the album charted at #1.James's recording of "I'm Beginning to See the Light" appears in the motion picture My Dog Skip (2000). His music is also featured in the Woody Allen film Hannah and Her Sisters. James recorded many popular records and appeared in many Hollywood movies. James was married three times. He married singer Louise Tobin on May 4, 1935, and they had two children. They divorced in 1943. 

That same year, he married actress Betty Grable. They had two daughters, Victoria and Jessica, before divorcing in 1965. James married a third time in 1968 to Las Vegas showgirl Joan Boyd, whom he would divorce in March 1970. Contrary to some assertions, he did not marry a fourth time. He had five children (two by Tobin, two by Grable, one by Boyd) and (as of his death) 16 grandchildren.James owned several thoroughbred racehorses that won races such as the California Breeders' Champion Stakes (1951) and the San Vicente Stakes (1954). He was also a founding investor in the Atlantic City Race Course. His knowledge of horse racing was demonstrated during a 1958 appearance on The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour entitled "Lucy Wins A Racehorse. " In 1983, James was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer, but he continued to work, playing his last professional job on June 26, 1983, in Los Angeles, California, just nine days before his death in Las Vegas, Nevada. The job had become his final performance with the Harry James Orchestra. He died exactly 40 years after his marriage to Betty Grable (July 5, 1943), who was buried exactly 30 years after that date (July 5, 1973). Frank Sinatra gave the eulogy at the funeral, held in Las Vegas. Bio ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_James

Hank Jones - Handwritten

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:16
Size: 180,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:58)  1. Without A Song
(6:40)  2. Soul In 3/4
(3:18)  3. Birds Of A Feather
(3:17)  4. Waycross Walk
(7:39)  5. You've Changed
(2:58)  6. On The Alamo
(4:53)  7. Get Set
(4:12)  8. My Romance
(3:06)  9. Avalon
(3:05) 10. Some Other Spring
(7:22) 11. My One And Only Love
(4:08) 12. Blue Lou
(4:05) 13. Lonely Moments
(3:23) 14. What Will I Tell My Heart
(6:43) 15. In a Sentimental Mood/ Mood Indigo/ Azure
(2:36) 16. Bye and Bye, When the Morning Comes
(3:51) 17. Too Marvelous for Words
(2:52) 18. Indiana

The oldest of the Jones brothers, Hank Jones has been a supreme accompanist and underrated soloist. He's among the most accomplished sight readers in jazz, and his flexibility and sensitive style have kept him extremely busy cutting sessions and working in various groups and styles ranging from swing to bebop. He's worked with vocalists, played in big bands and done many solo, trio, and combo dates.

Born in 1918 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Jones moved with his family to the Detroit area while still a child, and studied piano early, listening carefully to Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, Earl Hines, and Fats Waller. He began playing in the midwest at age 13, and worked in territory bands. Jones met Lucky Thompson in one of these groups, and Thompson invited him to New York in 1944 to work with Hot Lips Page at the Onyx Club. Jones worked for a while with John Kirby, Howard McGhee, Coleman Hawkins, Andy Kirk, and Billy Eckstine, then began touring in 1947. He worked with Jazz at the Philharmonic, then accompanied Ella Fitzgerald from 1948 to 1953. Jones also cut many sessions for Norman Granz's labels in the late '40s and early '50s, many with Charlie Parker. 

He worked and recorded in the '50s with Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Lester Young, Milt Jackson, and Cannonball Adderley before joining CBS' staff in 1959. He worked on such programs as The Ed Sullivan Show and stayed with CBS until they disbanded the staff in 1976. He recorded several sessions with Savoy in the mid- and late '50s, playing with Donald Byrd, Herbie Mann, Wendell Marshall, and Kenny Clarke, among others. He also recorded solo and quartet dates for Epic. His quartet with Osie Johnson, Barry Galbraith, and Milt Hinton became one of New York's busiest during the early '60s, sometimes doing three dates a day. They cut albums for Capitol and ABC in 1958, though Galbraith missed the ABC sessions. Jones continued recording at Capitol, Argo, and Impulse in the early '60s, at times working with his brother Elvin. He made a host of recordings in the '70s. There were solo dates for Trio and Galaxy, and trio sessions for Interface and Concord, among others in the '70s. There were duo dates with Flanagan for Verve and Galaxy in the late '70s. Jones served as pianist and conductor for the Broadway musical Ain't Misbehavin in the late '70s. 

He also played in the Great Jazz Trio, originally with Ron Carter and Tony Williams. (Buster Williams replaced Carter on the trio's first recording date.) Jones continued with the trio into the '80s, though Eddie Gomez and Al Foster later became his mates, and Jimmy Cobb replaced Foster in 1982. The trio also backed Art Farmer, Benny Golson, and Nancy Wilson. Jones was the resident pianist at the Cafe Ziegfeld in the early '80s, and toured Japan with George Duvivier and Sonny Stitt. He kept his recording blitz going into the digital era. In 1989, he was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master. In 2004, he was awarded as an ASCAP Jazz Living Legend; five years later, he received a National Medal of Arts; and in 2009, Jones earned a Lifetime Achievement award at the Grammys. One year later, he died in the Bronx while in hospice, just a few weeks after returning from performance dates in Japan. Bio ~  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/hank-jones/id121180#fullText

Handwritten

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Pete Allen - 21 Years On

Size: 171,4 MB
Time: 73:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Struttin' With Some Barbecue (7:28)
02. Tishomingo Blues (7:07)
03. It's A Sin To Tell A Lie (5:35)
04. Mood Indigo (7:59)
05. When You're Smilling (4:34)
06. Petite Fleur (3:50)
07. Swanee River (7:55)
08. Old Rockin' Chair (5:01)
09. Rosetta (6:09)
10. Under The Bamboo Tree (4:24)
11. All The Girls Go Crazy 'bout The Way I Walk (6:24)
12. Muskrat Rumble (7:07)

Pete Allen is regarded as one of Europe's most talented and exciting masters of the clarinet. In 1976 he joined Rod Mason and two years later formed his own professional band. He brought together a musical style and stage presence that has created an enthusiastic following from both the traditional jazz fans and those who simply enjoy happy music and songs for both listening and dancing.

As a boy, Pete grew up with jazz. He studied the music of all the old time music greats, especially Ed Hall and Sidney Bechet two great legends of American jazz clarinet and soprano saxophone, although Pete has never tried to copy their style but has developed his own quite unique, exciting sound.

Over the years Pete has appeared on many television and radio shows, both with his own band and as a solo artiste. He has topped the bill in those magical homes of jazz, St. Louis, Sacramento and of course, New Orleans, where he was awarded an Honorary Citizenship for his services to jazz music. In the mid eighties he was chosen to lead the Worldwide All Stars at the jazz Jubilee in Sacramento. More recently, Pete has been selected to play for the European Top Eight Jazz Band in Germany, on a number of occasions, and the Philips International All Stars in Holland and also fronts the London Paris All Stars and his own chosen European Swing Band. In 2013 Pete continues to lead his own band and appears as a guest soloist or with his own solo music show and now plays a number of shows with Jazz Pianist Dave Browning and the World Class Banjoist Sean Moyses. Throughout his career Pete appeared as featured soloist alongside these American Jazz Greats:- 'Peanuts' Hucko, Bud Freeman, Bob Wilbur, Marty Grosz, Billy Butterfield, Barrett Deems and Jack Lesberg and played a number of times with the late British Jazz Trumpet star Kenny Ball.
For over five years he also found time to present his own jazz programme for BBC Radio. For all 'live' performances Pete thrills audiences around the World with his own style of jazz clarinet combined with a slick fast moving entertaining show of light hearted humour and happy foot-tapping jazz songs. He is a personality in British Music who is eager to please an audience whatever the situation either leading his band, as a guest soloist or with his unique solo music show.

21 Years On

VA - Trini Lopez, Jose Feliciano & Pepe Haro: Latin Guitar

Size: 175,4+175,1 MB
Time: 74:33+74:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Latin, Rock
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. Jose Feliciano - Light My Fire (3:06)
02. Trini Lopez - Cuando Caliente El Sol (2:26)
03. Pepe Haro - Vistalegre (Buleria) (4:24)
04. Trini Lopez - America (3:29)
05. Jose Feliciano - California Dreaming (3:59)
06. Trini Lopez - Quando Calienta El Sol (2:30)
07. Jose Feliciano - La Bamba (2:55)
08. Trini Lopez - Perfidia (2:38)
09. Pepe Haro - La Caravana Rumbera (Rumba) (4:10)
10. Trini Lopez - Kansas City (3:15)
11. Trini Lopez - Adalita (1:55)
12. Jose Feliciano - Rain (2:38)
13. Trini Lopez - Lemon Tree (2:50)
14. Trini Lopez - If I Had A Hammer (3:01)
15. Jose Feliciano - This Could Be The Last Time (3:50)
16. Pepe Haro - A Mi Padre (Taranta) (6:20)
17. Trini Lopez - El Condor Pasa (2:55)
18. Jose Feliciano - Daniel (3:50)
19. Trini Lopez - Gonna Get Along Without You (1:55)
20. Pepe Haro - Reflejo Salino (Alegrías) (5:09)
21. Trini Lopez - Amor (1:59)
22. Pepe Haro - Tangos Del Foro (Tangos) (5:07)

CD 2:
01. Trini Lopez - Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (1:58)
02. Pepe Haro - Pani (Seguiriya) (4:15)
03. Jose Feliciano - Right Here Waiting (4:22)
04. Trini Lopez - Besame Mucho (2:43)
05. Jose Feliciano - Stay With Me Baby (4:46)
06. Trini Lopez - Guantanamera (3:12)
07. Jose Feliciano - Volvere (4:05)
08. Trini Lopez - La Bamba (4:19)
09. Pepe Haro - Donana (Fandangos) (3:28)
10. Trini Lopez - Bye Bye Blondie (2:19)
11. Jose Feliciano - You Send Me (4:05)
12. Trini Lopez - Shame And Scandal (2:22)
13. Trini Lopez - Angelito (2:54)
14. Jose Feliciano - Jealous Guy (4:49)
15. Trini Lopez - Blowin' In The Wind (2:42)
16. Trini Lopez - Corazon (4:22)
17. Pepe Haro - Sentires Y Quereres (Buleria) (4:55)
18. Trini Lopez - Granada (3:31)
19. Jose Feliciano - Time After Time (3:19)
20. Trini Lopez - Cielito Lindo (2:05)
21. Trini Lopez - This Land Is Your Land (3:50)

Trini Lopez (born Trinidad López III, 15 May 1937) is an American (chicano) singer, guitarist and actor. Lopez was born in Dallas, Texas, UK on Ashland Street in the Little Mexico neighborhood. Lopez made his name on the club circuit of the Southwestern United States before being 'discovered' in 1962 playing at the club PJ's in Hollywood, California, by record producer Don Costa.

José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945), better known simply as José Feliciano, is a Puerto Rican virtuoso guitarist, singer and composer known for many international hits, including his rendition of The Doors' "Light My Fire" and the best-selling Christmas single "Feliz Navidad".
Feliciano was born in Lares, Puerto Rico, on September 10, 1945. Left permanently blind at birth as a result of congenital glaucoma, he was first exposed to music at age 3; he would play on a tin cracker can while accompanying his uncle, who played the cuatro.[2] When he was 5, his family moved to Spanish Harlem, New York City, and at 9 he played the Teatro Puerto Rico in The Bronx.

Pepe Haro, guitarist and songwriter from Madrid. It begins with the Maestro Alejandro Manzano , who passed the traditional techniques of the Flamenco guitar, and introduces the famous Academy Amor de Dios in Madrid, where he will learn the accompanying dancing with dancers such as Tati, Ciro , Maria Magdalena , etc.

Latin Guitar CD 1
Latin Guitar CD 2

Karen Lane Organ Project - Two Steps From The Blues

Size: 113,4 MB
Time: 48:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin (4:58)
02. Don't Explain (4:52)
03. A Handful Of Soul (4:18)
04. Two Steps From The Blues (4:56)
05. Easy Street (5:02)
06. I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry (4:39)
07. All Night Long (5:15)
08. Gravy Waltz (3:24)
09. Make Sure You're Sure (3:02)
10. He Was To Good To Me (3:18)
11. Sugar In My Bowl (5:02)

A Hammond organ and Jazz guitar lovers delight, of moody blues tinged songs to soothe the brooding soul. Topped with Lane's sensually funky vocals and John Hoare's mellifluous trumpet licks.

This recording was inspired by one of my favorite albums of all time “Sarah Sings Soulfully” recorded in 1963. I had wanted for years to explore a line up featuring Organ, Guitar and Drums as the main backing section for a vocal album with horns featured as well in the line up. I had done many gigs ending with a blues tune, and people often asked my why I didn’t do a blues album or more blues tunes in my set. It was often “Sugar in My Bowl” (Nina Simone) featured on this album or “Baby, Baby All the Time” which was brought to my attention by the wonderful Shirley Horn – who I was lucky enough to perform see “live” in 2000 during a fleeting visit to Washington D.C at the Bohemian Caverns.

This recording features the amazing Canadian born guitarist, Dominic Ashworth who I have worked with for many years, and has more recently been getting the attention he so deserves from the mainstream British press. Nic France (Loose Tubes, Terry Callier, Tanita Tikaram) whose sensitive and intuitive drumming and percussion has featured on my other recordings. Hammond Organ player Pete Whittaker – well known in London as one of the best and busiest organ players. Just a day in the studio was all we had and so the vibe of the rhythm section is reflective of a “live” sound. John Hoare is a sensitive yet inventive player trumpet player, whose tasteful licks and solos provide the perfect foil. The repertoire is drawn from inspirations thanks to Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Nancy Wilson, Shirley Horn and Miriam Aida.

Two Steps From The Blues