Marlene VerPlanck - A Warmer Place

Size: 146,0 MB
Time: 62:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1999
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Cabaret
Art: Front

01. In The Still Of The Night (2:13)
02. Then I'd Be Tired Of You (2:53)
03. They Can't Take That Away From Me (2:38)
04. My Heart Stood Still (2:58)
05. Not A Moment Too Soon (2:13)
06. For You, For Me, For Evermore (4:55)
07. You Know What (1:50)
08. When He Makes Magic (4:09)
09. Petite Suite (2:44)
10. Oh, You Crazy Moon (3:00)
11. Medley Day By Day Day By Day (2:28)
12. I Used To Be Color Blind (4:08)
13. Sing (2:49)
14. Old Devil Moon (3:14)
15. Two For The Road (2:56)
16. I've Got You To Lean On (2:41)
17. The Touch Of Your Lips (2:52)
18. Looking For A Boy (3:27)
19. Isn't This A Lovely Day (3:10)
20. I Walk With Music (1:40)
21. South To A Warmer Place (2:57)

Marlene Ver Planck paid tribute to the great American songbook. Ver Planck, who grew up in Newark, NJ, listening to Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald on WNEW radio, collaborated throughout her long career with her husband, arranger, composer, and conductor Billy Ver Planck. Her 2000 CD, My Impetuous Heart (DRG), her 17th album, reunited her with some old friends, including jazz pianist Hank Jones and special guests jazz pianists George Shearing and Marian McPartland and guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. Ver Planck's career was a long string of success stories, which showcased her as a versatile singer with a gorgeous, pliable voice that knew how to tell a story.

She started singing at age 19. Her career stretched back to the '50s when she worked with Tex Beneke and Charlie Spivak. Her first big break came in 1955 when she teamed up with pianist Hank Jones, flutist Herbie Mann, trumpeter Joe Wilder, bassist Wendell Marshall, and drummer Kenny Clarke on I Think of You with Every Breath I Take on Savoy Records. She met her husband while performing with Charlie Spivak's band, then both moved over to the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. Tommy Dorsey died in 1956, so the Ver Plancks decided to stay in New York City to pursue studio work with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Tony Bennett, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Blood Sweat and Tears, and Kiss. Millions of people outside the jazz world first heard Ver Planck's voice, though, doing jingles in the '60s : "Weekends were made for Michelob/Yeah!" and "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should!" and "Mmm good/mm-mm good/that's what Campbell's Soups are/mm mm good." After thousands of commercial jingles and hours and hours of studio session work in New York, the Ver Plancks decided to settle down in their house in Clifton, NJ, and began performing and recording together.

Their first recording together was A Breath of Fresh Air, arranged, produced, and conducted by Billy Ver Planck in 1968. In 1976, Marlene Ver Planck hooked up with North Carolina-based composer/pianist Loonis McGlohon, who hired her to do two installments of a radio show he co-hosted called Alec Wilder's American Popular Song. Afterwards, she recorded Marlene Ver Planck Sings Alec Wilder, and later, after Wilder's death, she appeared on the radio show The American Popular Singers, co-hosted by McGlohon and opera singer Eileen Farrell. Ver Planck performed at Carnegie Hall, Michael's Pub, and the Rainbow Room in New York City. She appeared on Entertainment Tonight, The Today Show, and CBS's Sunday Morning. In The Digital Mood, featuring Ver Planck, Mel Torme, and Julius La Rosa with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, became the first big band CD to go gold in the '90s. Ver Planck planned to record again in late 2001 in tribute to her love for the music of Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, and Cole Porter. ~Biography by Robert Hicks

A Warmer Place

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Greg Abate Quartet - Motif (Feat. John Lockwood, Mark Walker & Tim Ray)

Size: 166,5 MB
Time: 71:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Contemporary Jazz
Art: Front

01. Motif (4:49)
02. Buddy's Rendezvous (8:11)
03. Snowfall (7:10)
04. Mrs. T (7:00)
05. Bittersweet (9:15)
06. Flashback (6:37)
07. Steppin' Out (4:38)
08. Morning Of The Leaves (6:15)
09. Conflict (5:37)
10. Swingin' At The Cookie (6:05)
11. Bop'n Bob Don't Stop (5:52)

Motif might be the title of Greg Abate’s new album, but it could just as easily, and perhaps more appropriately be called Conversations for the way it feels. Each song breezes beautifully by, with Abate’s organic spume of notes, cascading effortlessly the way wind pushes over a field of wheat. Abate is masterful in the way he handles a variety of themes (or topics) and the disc is persistent and interesting, the way an adept communicator can be when making great conversation.

Abate, a master on the alto saxophone, has been doing this a long time, and his experience lifts up the songs on Motif, shines a light on them, and makes the record a joy to listen to. It doesn’t hurt that he’s surrounded himself with an impeccable cadre of musicians: drummer Mark Walker, inimitable bassist John Lockwood, and pianist Tim Ray. Together, they encircle Abate with a cushiony, luxurious musical bumper, keeping Abate on track with his blowing yet also allowing him the space for full expression. Abate certainly takes advantage. Fans of the sax, and alto in particular, will revel in his tone and note choices, as he explores the full range of the instrument.

He plays with immense personality and always has. Going back to his earliest days as a professional—in the Ray Charles Orchestra (where he, if you recall, replaced the one of a kind, David “Fathead” Newman) and the Artie Shaw band, led at the time by clarinetist Dick Johnson. Since then, he has been at it on and off, mostly on, and his dexterity stands out on Motif.

The record opens with the zesty title track, a re-harmonization of the standard “All the Things You Are.” It moves smoothly into the slower, and slightly bluesy “Buddy’s Rendezvous,” an elegy to Abate’s late friend Buddy Hawkins. That, in turn segues into “Snowfall,” a peaceful evocation of the title matter, that is brisk and light, even while Abate’s minor key composition and solid alto paint a beautiful picture of what it might have been like on the inside looking out. “Bittersweet,” the track that follows, is deep and personal, with a bossa nova underpinning and, according to Abate, “several different key centers.”

It’s easy to continue in this vein, but we won’t. The songs are easy to hear and artfully executed. Like an exhilarating talk between friends, it is beautifully paced and wonderfully articulated.

On Motif, Greg Abate presents prima facie evidence proving he belongs near the top of the list when the subject is today’s top sax players. Abate reminds us, as the notes tumble generously out of his horn, that he deserves every jazz fan’s unwavering attention.

Motif

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Alonzo Louis Plough - Whisper Not

Size: 105,2 MB
Time: 44:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Lovely Day (5:30)
02. Blue And Green (3:02)
03. Lush Life (5:21)
04. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (2:31)
05. Almost Like Being In Love (2:35)
06. All The Things You Are (4:02)
07. Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp (3:13)
08. Waters Of March (4:24)
09. Edith And The Kingpin (5:03)
10. My One And Only Love (5:07)
11. Whisper Not (3:49)

Alonzo Louis Plough is a vocalist with great style, interpretive insights and nuanced performance. Audiences across the county respond enthusiastically to the artistry and emotional depth of his approach to jazz singing and his ability to convey the musical sentiments of song writers that range from Miles Davis, BIll Withers, Antionio Carlos Jobim and Duke Ellington to Laura Nyro and Joni Mitchell. This is music that is soulful, engaging and sets just the right mood for a relaxing evening at home.

Whisper Not

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Kuh Ledesma - Memories

Size: 121,8 MB
Time: 52:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Pop
Art: Front

01. I Think I'm In Love (3:22)
02. One More Try (3:56)
03. So It's You (3:30)
04. Special Memory (3:15)
05. Huwag Kang Mangako (3:23)
06. How Did You Know (4:18)
07. Hello (4:19)
08. I Think I'm In Love (Instrumental) (3:22)
09. One More Try (Instrumental) (3:57)
10. So It's You (Instrumental) (3:29)
11. Special Memory (Instrumental) (3:18)
12. Huwag Kang Mangako (Instrumental) (3:19)
13. How Did You Know (Instrumental) (4:18)
14. Hello (Instrumental) (4:20)

Like Whitney Houston and Barbra Streisand, Kuh Ledesma started out as a singer and made a successful transition into films. She has been going strong in the Philippines for almost two decades and has a string of hit records to show for it, more than a dozen of which hit platinum and gold status. She also hosted the Akuhstic Café talk show in her homeland and appeared in a number of films, including her mid-'80s role as Tiger Lili in The Year of Living Dangerously with Signourney Weaver and Mel Gibson. The movie helped broaden her fan base and before the decade was over, she sang at London's Royal Albert Hall and also picked up a Salem Music Award. Her debut in the U.S. market, Precious, was released by Gold Koast Records in 1997 and was aimed at lovers of R&B and jazz. The album includes numbers penned by Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald.

Unlike many singers, Ledesma never had youthful dreams of becoming a star vocalist. She set out to become a nurse, but when schoolmates invited her to become a member of their band, her musical abilities began to attract notice. Soon she was singing a number of solos, and before the year was out she joined another group. Half a year later, she established Music & Magic, her own band. It didn't take long for Ledesma and her companions to snag a record deal. Her popularity took off in a big way, and soon the band was being billed as Kuh Ledesma & the Music & Magic Show. During this period, the vocalist also stepped away from the confines of the band to perform separately, often as a guest artist.

When Ledesma finally struck out on her own, a concert dubbed Ako an Pilipino (I am Filipino) struck a real chord with fans. The event marked the first concert that was entirely Filipino and spawned a successful double album of Filipino-penned songs. Ledesma followed up with another concert titled Inspired Madness. She acted as producer for these concept events and those that followed, which were televised in her native land as specials. A deal followed that made her the Lux Soap spokesperson in Thailand, Indonesia, and her homeland. She went on to perform in the U.S. The singer relocated to Los Angeles in 1990. She has recorded and performed with a number of artists, among them Jack Jackson and Noel Pointer. ~Biography by Linda Seida

Memories

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Danielia Cotton - The Real Book

Size: 105,1 MB
Time: 45:06
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Rock, Adult Alternative
Art: Front

01. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) (Feat. Rachael Yamagata) (4:01)
02. Gorilla (4:02)
03. Gimme Shelter (Feat. Amy Helm) (4:07)
04. They Won't Go When I Go (4:35)
05. The Daily Mail (Feat. Tracy Bonham) (3:23)
06. Hope She'll Be Happier (4:33)
07. Respect Yourself (Feat. Tracy Bonham) (3:34)
08. Can't Find My Way Home (3:15)
09. Throw It Away (4:20)
10. Sideways (4:20)
11. Bridge Over Troubled Water (4:50)

Danielia Cotton has not had it easy.

But lucky for us, she channels her pain and suffering into kick-ass musical creations we can all enjoy.

Case in point, her new album, The Real Book, brought to you here exclusively in its entirety.

The album, which features guest appearances by Rachael Yamagata, Amy Helm (daughter of Levon Helm) and the Broadway Inspirational Voices choir, features 12 covers, including material by Citizen Cope, Bruno Mars and the Rolling Stones, that Danielia recorded as a coping mechanism to help her get though a rough patch in life — a diagnosis of thyroid cancer and a difficult divorce.

“My life was in a state of turmoil,” she says, “so I gravitated toward songs I knew would help me cope with the challenges I was experiencing.”

Cotton somehow manages to make each of these diverse songs her own. From the rumbling, rollicking, smokey “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” to the driving, guitar-laden “Gorilla” and the soulful choral rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” she delivers each of these selections with a grit that evinces her emotional involvement in each one.

Cotton shares, “I have wanted to do a covers album for quite a while. The producer, Kevin Salem, and I handpicked each and every song. I truly hope people will embrace our versions of some great classics.”

Cotton prowess as a well-rounded musician is clear here. As is her taste in excellent music; she has the potential to breathe some classics new life for a next-generation listener. And while she’s a respectable guitarist, it’s her flexibility as a vocalist that shines here. Smokey, ballsy, sultry ... she can deliver it all.

Overall, Cotton’s The Real Book is just a great listen for that chilly day with a whiskey-tinged cup of strong coffee. She’ll warm you right up.

Produced by Kevin Salem (Mercury Rev, Bad Brains, Lenka, Lisa Loeb), the album also features drummer John Clancy, keyboardist Rob Clores, bassist Winston Roye and guitarists Jack Petruzelli and Matt Beck. ~by Laura B. Whitmore

The Real Book

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Duke Ellington - Jazz Caravan

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 65:22
Size: 149.7 MB
Styles: Big band, Swing
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[4:36] 1. Take The A Train
[3:12] 2. Creole Love Call
[3:32] 3. The Mooche
[2:54] 4. Shout 'em Aunt Tillie
[4:01] 5. Creole Rhapsody, Part 1
[4:23] 6. Creole Rhapsody, Part 2 Take 3
[3:10] 7. Rude Interlude (Take 1)
[2:47] 8. Rumpus In Richmond
[3:19] 9. Concerto For Cootie
[3:19] 10. Dusk (Take 1)
[2:52] 11. Me And You
[2:59] 12. Transblucency
[2:46] 13. Tonk
[4:13] 14. Caravan
[2:37] 15. Depk
[7:04] 16. The Majesty Of God
[7:31] 17. East Saint Louis Toodle-O Lot O' Fingers Black And Tan Fantasy

Part of the extensive BLUEBIRD'S BEST series of samplers of the work of jazz masters, JAZZ CARAVAN is an entry-level best-of that culls pieces from several periods of Duke Ellington's long career. As well as his signature "Take the 'A' Train," there are early works like "Creole Love Call" and "The Mooche," and "Tonk," a rarely heard duet with his longtime collaborator, Billy Strayhorn. The set also includes "Depk," from Ellington's FAR EAST SUITE, "The Majesty of God," from his THIRD SACRED CONCERT, and the beautiful, crepuscular "Transblucency," featuring Adelaide Hall's ethereal, wordless vocals.

Duke Ellington (piano); Ivie Anderson, Louis Bacon, Adelaide Hall, Kay Davis, Alice Babs (vocals); Ray Nance (violin); Jimmy Hamilton, Rudy Jackson, Barney Bigard (clarinet); Harry Carney (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Cootie Williams, Arthur Whetsol, Bubber Miley (trumpet); Rex Stewart (cornet); Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown (trombone); Billy Strayhorn (piano). Recording information: Camden, NJ (10/26/1927-10/24/1973); Chicago, IL (10/26/1927-10/24/1973); Hollywood, CA (10/26/1927-10/24/1973); London, England (10/26/1927-10/24/1973); New York, NY (10/26/1927-10/24/1973); Seattle, WA (10/26/1927-10/24/1973). All tracks have been digitally remastered.

Jazz Caravan

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Katrine Madsen - Close To You

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:17
Size: 140.3 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz vocals
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:41] 1. The Look Of Love
[6:50] 2. Just Close Your Eyes
[4:58] 3. And I Love Her
[6:09] 4. Close To You
[5:38] 5. Save You Love For Me
[4:06] 6. In A Sentimental Mood
[5:12] 7. Angel Eyes
[5:28] 8. The Very Thought Of You
[8:21] 9. Be Still My Heart
[5:12] 10. Once Upon A Summertime
[4:37] 11. Go Now

Just reading the track list will likely make the more cynical jazz fan cringe and moan inwardly. Aside from a trio of originals, the set list of Close to You consists of overly familiar ballad standards ranging from Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood" to the Beatles' "And I Love Her" and Burt Bacharach's legendarily sappy title track. Never fear, however: this is not an album of boring supper-club faux jazz. Fond though Katrine Madsen is of sentimental ballads like "The Very Thought of You," she's fearless about messing with the familiar and well-loved melodies: her rhythmically varied take on "The Look of Love" won't lead anyone to compare her to Patty Waters, but she'd likely get heckled by some drunk in the audience at the Cocoanut Grove, probably with that old standby "Hey, if you get near a tune, sing it!" Madsen's backing, a simple piano trio, stays unobtrusively in the background throughout, providing elegant but somewhat anonymous backing while leaving the focus entirely on her rich and appealing voice. ~Stewart Mason

Close To You

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Sonny Clark - Blue Minor

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 68:19
Size: 156.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Hard bop
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[ 6:33] 1. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
[10:19] 2. Blue Minor
[ 6:02] 3. Tadd's Delight
[ 9:24] 4. Cool Struttin'
[ 9:32] 5. Deep Night
[ 3:19] 6. Black Velvet
[ 9:54] 7. Bebop
[ 4:52] 8. I'll Remember April
[ 8:19] 9. Sippin' At Bells

Like Fats Navarro and Charlie Parker before him, Sonny Clark's life was short but it burned with musical intensity. Influenced deeply by Bud Powell, Clark nonetheless developed an intricate and hard-swinging harmonic sensibility that was full of nuance and detail. Regarded as the quintessential hard bop pianist, Clark never got his due before he passed away in 1963 at the age of 31, despite the fact that it can be argued that he never played a bad recording date either as a sideman or as a leader. Known mainly for seven records on the Blue Note label with a host of players including such luminaries as John Coltrane, Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Art Taylor, Paul Chambers, Wilbur Ware, Philly Joe Jones, and others, Clark actually made his recording debut with Teddy Charles and Wardell Gray, but left soon after to join Buddy DeFranco. His work with the great clarinetist has been documented in full in a Mosaic set that is now sadly out of print. Clark also backed Dinah Washington, Serge Chaloff, and Sonny Criss before assuming his role as a leader in 1957. Clark's classic is regarded as Cool Struttin' but each date he led on Blue Note qualifies as a classic, including his final date, Sonny's Crib with John Coltrane. And though commercial success always eluded him, he was in demand as a sideman and played dozens of Alfred Lion-produced dates, including Tina Brooks' Minor Move. Luckily, Clark's contribution is well documented by Alfred Lion; he has achieved far more critical, musical, and popular acclaim than he ever did in life. ~bio by Thom Jurek

Blue Minor

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Stephen Bishop - Romance In Rio

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:14
Size: 105.9 MB
Styles: Adult Contemporary, Soft rock
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:39] 1. Under The Jamaica Moon
[3:36] 2. On And On
[2:40] 3. Hello
[4:44] 4. Un Baile Del Corazon
[4:23] 5. Save It For a Rainy Day
[3:03] 6. Never Letting Go
[3:56] 7. Bish's Hideaway
[5:05] 8. Annalia
[3:39] 9. Take This Empty Heart
[3:32] 10. One More Night
[3:59] 11. Separate Lives
[3:53] 12. New York in the Fifties

Grammy award-nominated singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop joins legendary Brazilian guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves to conjure a sensual, tropical atmosphere — the sound of pure romance. Travel to the far shores of the heart's yearning with Romance in Rio.

"I've been a fan of Brazilian music for years," says Stephen Bishop. His exquisite songs have often evoked a tropical mood. But with "Romance in Rio," this Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter takes listeners to a private resort of the soul - shimmering with sensual, entrancing melodies and swaying rhythms. Romance in Rio means to have an earnest, heartfelt longing, especially for something or someone beyond reach," he explains of the album's title. It's a longing; it's much more than nostalgia."

With legendary Brazilian guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves (A.C. Jobim, Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder) and longtime Bishop collaborator Peter Bunetta sharing production duties, Bishop set out to evoke this feeling, selecting six classics from his catalog and six new songs for "Romance in Rio." In addition to such favorites as "On and On, " "Bish's Hidewaway," "Separate Lives (previously an Oscar-nominated #1 duet for Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin) and "Save It For A Rainy Day," Bishop delivers several lovely new compositions. With "Romance in Rio," Bishop's fans can enjoy what is perhaps his most intimate offering yet, an enticing soundtrack to the eternal dance of the heart.

Oscar Castro-Neves (guitar, keyboards, sampler); Gary Meek (woodwinds, saxophone); Don Grusin (piano, keyboards); Kevin Ricard (percussion).

Romance In Rio

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Sandy Gardner - Everything I Love

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:27
Size: 111,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:33)  1. Walkin' After Midnight
(2:36)  2. I Like You, You're Nice
(3:14)  3. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
(4:19)  4. If You Could See Me Now
(2:19)  5. Tangerine
(3:11)  6. East of the Sun and West of the Moon
(4:03)  7. My Ship
(4:07)  8. Triste
(4:13)  9. Polkadots and Moonbeams
(2:47) 10. Love Is Here To Stay
(2:02) 11. Everything Happens To Me
(2:24) 12. Honeysuckle Rose
(3:10) 13. Don't Give Up On Me
(2:58) 14. I Thought About You
(3:25) 15. Everything I Love

A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Sandy Gardner began her musical career in church and school choirs. She played the part of Lisel in a Tulsa Little Theater production of The Sound Of Music. While at Oklahoma State University, Sandy performed with the Student Entertainers and was one of seven students selected to tour with the U.S.O. Her vocal talents were displayed as a finalist in both the Tulsa and Grand Lake preliminary pageants for The Miss America Scholarship Pageant. Sandy performed with several big bands while living in Colorado Springs.

When she married her favorite pianist, Chuck Gardner, she decided to broaden her musical career by studying the bass guitar. Now as an accomplished bassist, Sandy has worked as a vocalist and bassist with the Larry Herman Orchestra, Ed Geimer Orchestra, and the Nobuko Jazz Trio in San Antonio, Texas. While living in Cincinnati, Ohio, she performed as bassist with the Shirley Jester Trio, the late jazz guitarist, Cal Collins, and with the Herb Kirschner Trio. She was featured on Cincinnati Public Television in a tribute to Shirley Jester. She has been a featured vocalist in Tulsa at Mayfest , the Greenwood Jazz Festival, and the Tulsa Jazz Society's "Women in Jazz" Concerts. She performs as vocalist and bassist with "SCORE", a trio featured locally and provides back up for vocalist Chuck Cissel, CEO of the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. As a writer member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Sandy has earned the respect of her fellow musicians as both a fine vocalist and bassist. She and Chuck have performed together in Colorado Springs, San Antonio, Las Vegas, Tulsa, and Cincinnati. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sgardner

Everything I Love

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Joe Pass - But Beautiful

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:28
Size: 173,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:58)  1. Autumn Leaves (feat. Bud Shank, Clare Fischer)
(4:00)  2. Ontem a Noite (feat. Bud Shank, Clare Fischer)
(3:36)  3. Sambinha (feat. Bud Shank, Clare Fischer)
(3:20)  4. Barquinho (feat. Bud Shank, Clare Fischer)
(2:39)  5. But Beautiful
(4:11)  6. Elizete (feat. Bud Shank, Clare Fischer)
(3:38)  7. Just Friends
(2:17)  8. Serenidade (feat. Bud Shank, Clare Fischer)
(3:55)  9. Gostoso (feat. Bud Shank, Clare Fischer)
(5:50) 10. Falling in Love with Love
(2:39) 11. Nancy Joe (feat. Gerald Wilson)
(5:10) 12. Projections
(4:23) 13. Moment of Truth (feat. Gerald Wilson)
(3:14) 14. Me & Groove (feat. Richard Groove Holmes, Les McCann Quartet)
(5:02) 15. It Could Happen to You (feat. Les McCann)
(5:48) 16. Black Groove (feat. Richard Groove Holmes, Les McCann Quartet)
(4:23) 17. Stay Loose
(6:16) 18. Offering Time (feat. Paul Bryant, Johnny Griffin)

Joe Pass did the near-impossible. He was able to play up-tempo versions of bop tunes such as "Cherokee" and "How High the Moon" unaccompanied on the guitar. Unlike Stanley Jordan, Pass used conventional (but superb) technique, and his Virtuoso series on Pablo still sounds remarkable decades later. Joe Pass had a false start in his career. He played in a few swing bands (including Tony Pastor's) before graduating from high school, and was with Charlie Barnet for a time in 1947. But after serving in the military, Pass became a drug addict, serving time in prison and essentially wasting a decade. He emerged in 1962 with a record cut at Synanon, made a bit of a stir with his For Django set, recorded several other albums for Pacific Jazz and World Pacific, and performed with Gerald Wilson, Les McCann, George Shearing, and Benny Goodman (1973). However, in general Pass maintained a low profile in Los Angeles until he was signed by Norman Granz to his Pablo label. 1973's Virtuoso made him a star and he recorded very prolifically for Pablo, unaccompanied, with small groups, on duo albums with Ella Fitzgerald, and with such masters as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Milt Jackson, and Dizzy Gillespie. Pass remained very active up until his death from cancer. Bio ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-pass-mn0000209773/biography

But Beautiful

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Rigmor Gustafsson - When You Make Me Smile

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:57
Size: 110,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:31)  1. Call Me Lonely
(3:02)  2. Forget About the Moonlight
(2:55)  3. A Different Kind
(3:36)  4. If Dreams Are Made of Sand
(5:03)  5. When You Make Me Smile
(3:46)  6. I Get Along
(3:44)  7. Nobody Does It Better
(4:11)  8. Stay, Stay, Valentines Day
(4:03)  9. Finally Falling in Love
(4:22) 10. Blind as a Bat
(3:10) 11. Woke Up On Sunday (In Saturday's Shoes)
(4:13) 12. Let It Go
(2:15) 13. Hymn

Rigmor Gustaffson's extensive discography, stretching back to 1997, has seen the Swedish vocalist working with major jazz musicians such as Jacky Terrasson and Eric Harland. When You Make Me Smile is her sixth album all of which have included "You" in the title. Gustafsson is a subtle vocalist no over-the-top melodrama or blues hollerin' here and this is a polished collection of songs. The album title and its cover photo of a smiling Gustafsson hint strongly at an upbeat, if sentimental, collection of pop-jazz songs. There's certainly plenty of examples "A Different Kind," "Blind As A Bat" and "Forget About The Moonlight" to name just three but Gustafsson also adds a couple of bluesy numbers and one or two slow, sad, songs. It all adds up to a collection with a wider stylistic and emotional range than the title and photo suggest. 

With the exception of Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager's "Nobody Does It Better" this is a set of original songs. Gustafsson provides the music to most of them, with lyrics by Tomas Bäcklund and Ollie Olson. Gustafsson's regular working trio Jonas Ostholm on piano, Martin Höper on bass and Jonas Holgersson on drums form a sympathetic musical center for these songs, aided and abetted by a strong set of guest players. Sweden's Dalasinfoniettan features on some of the songs, its appearances giving a lush romanticism to "Forget About The Moonlight" and "If Dreams Are Made Of Sand." Sweeping strings also suit the sadness of "Let It Go," a duet with Eagle-Eye Cherry (son of Don Cherry) and of "Hymn." The Dalasinfoniettan's contribution to "Nobody Does It Better," by contrast, is a little too lush Östholm, Höper and Holgersson all make considered and sympathetic contributions that get rather overwhelmed by the orchestra. 

The lovely waltz-time ballad "Call Me Lonely" and the slinky bossa nova of "When You Make Me Smile" (which features Magnus Lindgren's flute solo) have an immediate and lasting impact. So, too, do two songs with a small band accompaniment. "I Get Along" is a soulful blues enlivened by Jesper Nordenström's atmospheric organ playing. "Woke Up On Sunday [In Saturday's Shoes]" is another blues, but this time there's a bit more of an edge, lyrically and musically. Bäcklund's lyrics tell the tale of a lost weekend, the protagonist "still wearing Friday night's clothes." Holgersson and Höper keep things funky, as does guitarist Max Schultz, and Lindgren makes another welcome appearance, this time on clarinet. ~  Bruce Lindsay  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/when-you-make-me-smile-rigmor-gustafsson-act-music-review-by-bruce-lindsay.php#.VEaAgslNeKU
 

Personnel: Rigmor Gustafsson: vocals; Jonas Östholm: piano; Max Schultz: guitar; Jesper Nordenström: organ; Martin Höper: bass; Jonas Holgersson: drums; Calle Rasmusson: percussion; Eagle-Eye Cherry: vocals (12); Magnus Lindgren: tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute (3, 5, 11); Patrik Skogh: trumpet, flugelhorn: 3, 5, 9, 10); Karin Hammar: trombone (3, 5, 9, 10); Anders Wiborg: bass trombone (5, 9, 10); Jonas Nydesjö: conductor; Dalasinfoniettan.

When You Make Me Smile

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Steve Lacy - Indian Blanket

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:45
Size: 109,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:48)  1. Johnny Came Lately
(3:12)  2. It Could Happen To You
(3:02)  3. Why Don't You Take Up the Piccolo?
(3:29)  4. Gee Baby
(2:38)  5. Out of Nowhere
(3:18)  6. Fidgety Feet
(3:05)  7. My Heart Is a Hobo
(3:51)  8. Indian Blanket
(3:10)  9. Potatoes
(3:00) 10. Some of These Days
(3:10) 11. You Stepped Out of a Dream
(3:18) 12. Rosetta
(2:04) 13. Let's Get Lost
(3:34) 14. Give Me the Simple Life

One of the great soprano saxophonists of all time (ranking up there with Sidney Bechet and John Coltrane), Steve Lacy's career was fascinating to watch develop. He originally doubled on clarinet and soprano (dropping the former by the mid-'50s), inspired by Bechet, and played Dixieland in New York with Rex Stewart, Cecil Scott, Red Allen, and other older musicians during 1952-1955. He debuted on record in a modernized Dixieland format with Dick Sutton in 1954. However, Lacy soon jumped over several styles to play free jazz with Cecil Taylor during 1955-1957. They recorded together and performed at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival. Lacy recorded with Gil Evans in 1957 (they would work together on an irregular basis into the 1980s), was with Thelonious Monk's quintet in 1960 for four months, and then formed a quartet with Roswell Rudd (1961-1964) that exclusively played Monk's music; only one live set (for Emanen in 1963) resulted from that very interesting group.

Lacy, who is considered the first "modern" musician to specialize on soprano (an instrument that was completely neglected during the bop era), began to turn toward avant-garde jazz in 1965. He had a quartet with Enrico Rava that spent eight months in South America. After a year back in New York, he permanently moved to Europe in 1967 with three years in Italy preceding a move to Paris. Lacy's music evolved from free form to improvising off of his scalar originals. By 1977 he had a regular group with whom he continued to perform throughout his career, featuring Steve Potts on alto and soprano, Lacy's wife, violinist/singer Irene Aebi, bassist Kent Carter (later succeeded by Jean-Jacques Avenel), and drummer Oliver Johnson; pianist Bobby Few joined the group in the 1980s. Lacy, who also worked on special projects with Gil Evans, Mal Waldron, and Misha Mengelberg, among others, and in situations ranging from solo soprano concerts, many Monk tributes, big bands, and setting poetry to music, recorded a countless number of sessions for almost as many labels, with Sands appearing on Tzakik in 1998 and Cry on SoulNote in 1999. His early dates (1957-1961) were for Prestige, New Jazz, and Candid and later on he appeared most notably on sessions for Hat Art, Black Saint/Soul Note, and Novus. Lacy, who had been suffering with cancer for several years, passed away in June of 2004. His legacy continues to grow, however, as various live shows from throughout his career are issued. Bio ~ https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/steve-lacy/id53698#fullText

Indian Blanket

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Betty Johnson - Family Affair

Size: 105,7 MB
Time: 44:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1995
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Baubles, Bangles And Beads (2:24)
02. Let Me Love You (2:34)
03. How Deep Is The Ocean (2:56)
04. I'm Confessin' (2:32)
05. Speak Low (3:03)
06. The Very Thought Of You (Lydia Gray) (2:12)
07. Tea For Two (Elizabeth Gray) (2:48)
08. First Warm Day/My Love Is A Wanderer (2:55)
09. Mean To Me (Lydia Gray) (2:32)
10. So In Love (2:57)
11. S'wonderful/Time After Time (4:18)
12. Besame Mucho (3:24)
13. Autumn Leaves (3:03)
14. Spring Is Here (Lydia Gray) (3:01)
15. Today I Love Everybody (2:00)
16. In The Garden (2:02)

When Betty Johnson returned to the limelight in 1993 after a thirty-year pause, she reminded America that she had come from a singing-family tradition. A Family Affair, the first release of new Betty Johnson material after her comeback, featured prominently her daughters Lydia and Elisabeth. Professional singers in their own right, their lovely and sophisticated voices left no doubt that they dwelt vibrantly in the Johnson Family realm.

It was natural that Betty Johnson featured her daughters on the album as Betty herself had sung in a family fold as a child. Betty first touched audiences in the late 1930s and 1940s as a member of the popular Johnson Family Singers. Throughout the South and beyond, the Family sang sacred music with unchained enthusiasm, becoming one of the most popular family acts of the era.

In A Family Affair, Betty has carried on the tradition, bringing the Johnson Family sound into its seventh decade. Highlights from this collection include “The Very Thought of You,” “Today I Love Everybody,” and “How Deep is the Ocean” (which Betty sang on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts in the early 1950s).

Family Affair

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Berdon Kirksaether & The Twang Bar Kings - Latenighters Under A Full Moon

Size: 88,8 MB
Time: 37:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Blues Jazz
Art: Front

01. Go Cat Go (4:29)
02. Cool Cats On The Move (2:53)
03. Conrad's Bar Bounty (3:18)
04. Rendezvous (3:28)
05. Jumping The Night Away (2:54)
06. Midnight Haze (3:22)
07. Another One Going Down (4:15)
08. Take It Away - Takeaway (3:39)
09. Pitstop By The River (3:10)
10. Walk And Your Feet Will Follow (3:33)
11. Latenighters Under A Full Moon (2:50)

It is really no longer appropriate to call American Music American. It is Global music and that is all it can be. Gone are those days when shellac and vinyl discs had to be exported. Music from anywhere on earth is as close as one's computer.

Norwegian blues? Why not? Guitarist and composer Berdon Kirksaether has made a cottage industry of it at home, first as part of the locally renowned CIA and now as leader of the trio, the Twang Bar Kings. The elaborately titled Latenighters Under a Full Moon turns out to be quite apropos in its conception.

This eleven-selection disc plays like a noir suite made up of moody and tense mini-suites. Kirksaether can seamlessly adopt any guitar personae or combinations thereof he wishes. "Conrad's Bar Bounty" could have been conceived and executed during a jam session between Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Kenny Burrell. "Rendezvous" could easily be Jim Hall covering a Jimmy Buffett song while "Midnight Haze" would have been welcome on any Santana recording.

A blues musician? Certainly, but that is not all of the tricks in Kirksaether's talent bag. On Latenighters, he achieves the near impossible by achieving so many disparate moods in seemingly seamless songs bound by little more than a harmonic spider web. Each piece flows gently into the next making the whole of this recording greater than the simple sum of its parts. ~C. Michael Bailey

Latenighters Under A Full Moon

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Sara Renner - Shine The Light

Size: 83,8 MB
Time: 35:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals, Holiday
Art: Front

01. Joy To The World (4:05)
02. Angels From The Realms Of Glory (4:00)
03. Give Love (4:22)
04. This Christmas (3:37)
05. The Little Drummer Boy (3:56)
06. What A Blessed Child (4:10)
07. Come And Worship (Christ The Lord) (2:19)
08. Go Tell It On The Mountain (4:43)
09. The Christmas Song (4:15)

Sara Renner has shared her unique blend of Pop, Gospel & Jazz music in over 1000 churches, festivals and event centers in 30+ states and 10 countries. Based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota this award-winning songwriter and vocalist has produced four CDs and one live-concert DVD.

This CD went straight to the top of my Christmas music rotation. Having a substantial and varied selection, I don't always get through all of them and this one has already been played numerous times. The arrangements are fresh but not so radically different as to be almost unrecognizable as some artists tend to do. The heart of Christmas permeates the selections like the spices in mulled wine, which, by the way, is a great pairing with this CD! Well produced and arranged. A real treat to slow down with during the bustle of the season. All are worth a listen, but my favorites are "Joy to the World" and "What a Blessed Child." Two frozen thumbs up! ~Bruce T.

Shine The Light

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Jack Van Poll - Just Friends (Live At The Crypt)

Size: 128,8 MB
Time: 55:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. Just Friends (4:57)
02. Emily (5:40)
03. Have You Met Miss Jones (6:17)
04. In A Sentimental Mood (5:18)
05. Down Yonder (6:06)
06. Tulpen Uit Amsterdam (2:04)
07. I Cant Get Started (4:49)
08. You Are My Sunshine (7:18)
09. The Day You Left (4:01)
10. Blue Bossa (3:08)
11. Georgia On My Mind (5:37)

Jack van Poll was born in 1934 in Roosendaal, Holland. He started playing piano at the age of four.
After the liberation of the Second World War in 1945, he discovered the first Bebop tunes on V-discs and on the American Forces Network Channel. With his teen age trio "The Rose Valley's", he took part in the Dutch Jazz Competition in Amsterdam in 1946. From the early Fifties on, he backed up single artists from the U.S.A., who performed in Holland and Belgium, like Don Byas, Ben Webster, Johnny Griffin, Clark Terry, Tony Scott, Ted Curson, Buddy DeFranco and many others. In the late seventies he opened the "September Jazz Club" in Antwerp, Belgium. In 1984 he founded the "September Jazz Records" label. He joined the Lionel Hampton band on their East Coast Summer tour in 1985 and made his debut in Manhattan with Dee Dee Bridgewater that same year. He performed at many International Jazz Festivals; Antibes, Pori, Prague, JVC Jazz Festival NYC, Cork, San Sebastian, Grahamstown, NSJF The Hague, Vienna, Comblain La Tour, Cracow, Berlin, Milano and Zurich. Apart from playing piano and tenor sax, he composes, writes lyrics, presents his weekly radio program, teaches music, and is Editor for The Belgian Magazine "Jazz Mozaiek", writes Film Music and supports young musical talents.

Just Friends

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Marc Pompe - Monk's Dream

Size: 100,6 MB
Time: 42:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. The Music Goes Round And Round (3:29)
02. Stranger In Paradise (3:20)
03. In The Still Of The Night (4:35)
04. Ask Me Now (5:49)
05. Estate (4:36)
06. My Chicago (3:35)
07. I've Got Your Number (3:36)
08. In A Sentimental Mood (5:49)
09. The Song Is You (3:08)
10. In The Wee Small Hours (4:38)

Personnel:
Marc Pompe– Vocals
Bob Ojeda – Arranger, conductor
Dennis Luxion– Piano
Nick Schneider – Bass
Bob Rummage – Drums
Eric Schneider – Alto saxophone
Greg Fishman – Tenor saxophone
Bill Overton – Alto/baritone saxophone
Jerry DiMuzio - Baritone saxophone
Bill Porter – Trombone
Mark Olen – Trumpet
Doug Scharf– Trumpet
Bob Ojeda – Trumpet

“He dreamed it was music he had to play.... he dreamed when he played, he would play his way,” sings Marc Pompe on the title cut of Monk’s Dream. And he means it. It’s been almost 50 years since he and best friend/mentor, legendary saxophonist Bob Centano dreamed about doing a big band recording together back in days of the “Taylor Street Little Italy” neighborhood of Chicago. Joining them was arranger/writer/trumpet player (and future Basie Band member), Bobby Ojeda. Over the years, the project remained a work in progress. But after the recent passing of Bob Centano, Pompe and Ojeda knew it was time to fulfill the dream in his honor. Monk’s Dream is an exquisite dream that has finally come true.

In this stunning recording, Marc Pompe blazes a trail through romance, adventure, lost and found love, passion and hope––and does it all with unbridled joy. Among the wittiest and most versatile performers in today’s world of jazz, the seasoned singer/pianist/lyricist/composer and all-around cool guy, showcases his amazing tapestry of vocal virtuosity in front of an 11-piece band of Chicago jazz all-stars. With wonderful and appealing arrangements by Bobby Ojeda, we are treated to an eclectic and colorful selection of bebop, ballads, bossanovas and burning swing. Driven by a great rhythm section, and powered by the ensemble work and inspired solos of an elite eight-man horn section, Ojeda has created the perfect platform for Pompe’s innovative and highly stylized vocals. Ranging from quirky, high energy phrasing to lush, heart-melting tenderness, Pompe makes every song his own.

Among the standouts on the album are “Estaté,” a sultry bossa nova which Pompe sings in Italian; “My Chicago,” by the late Joe Vessia, with newly updated and highly entertaining lyrics by Pompe; “The Music Goes Round and Round,” a 1930s hit given an adventurous new life by Ojeda’s high-energy arrangement and Pompe’s intense and humorous vocal. The songs that have an especially profound and emotional impact are the two Monk cuts. “Ask Me Now” is a showcase for Pompe’s ability to deliver a reflective lyric over an incredibly dense harmonic landscape. “Monk’s Dream” features Pompe’s punchy-yet-soulful phrasing, along with his super-articulated reading of the lyrics. The song has a rhythmic drive and melodic angularity that tells a mini biography of Monk’s life and approach to music, one that very much mirrors Pompe’s own.

This album is an instant Chicago classic. Everyone shines. Bobby Ojeda’s great arrangements, the top-notch band, and the sonic talents of engineer Steve Yates have all combined to deliver Marc Pompe’s long-time dream of a Taylor Street reunion. Monk’s Dream is indeed a dream come true. ~Reviewed by Judy Roberts

Monk's Dream

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Anna Maria Sturm Quintett - Tales Of Woe

Size: 83,7 MB
Time: 35:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Standards
Art: Front

01. Ich Weib Nicht, Zu Wem Ich Gehore (2:35)
02. Help Me (4:56)
03. Indifferente (2:57)
04. Nature Boy (6:34)
05. I Fall In Love Too Easily (5:00)
06. Ces Petits Riens (3:51)
07. You Go To My Head (3:10)
08. Couleur Cafe (2:39)
09. You've Changed (4:14)

I have loved singing and making music ever since I can remember. Thanks to people like the following, I have now recorded some of my favorite jazz standards, Serge Gainsbourg chansons and German songs:
Louis Armstrong. I've discovered “What a Wonderful World” on a cassette when I was approximately 10 years old. I used to rewind it time after time.
Billie Holiday, whose voice I've heard when I was 16 years old and who has enchanted me.
Stan Getz and João Gilberto. I’ve listened to their album “Getz / Gilberto” with pianist Antônio Carlos Jobim and singer Astrud Gilberto when I was 17 years old. Since then, I've known for sure I want to sing.
Wanja Slavin, a saxophone player whom I've met by chance in a music shop in 2006. He has gotten me in contact with the musicians of this quintet and with music as such.
And my grandmother, who could play the piano wonderfully. When I was little, she used to say to me: “It makes me very sad, that none of my grandchildren sings!”

Tales Of Woe

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Claudia Acuna - En Este Momento

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 47:46
Size: 109.3 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz vocals, Latin jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:19] 1. El Cigarrito
[5:05] 2. Te Recuerdo Amanda
[4:11] 3. Tulum
[5:44] 4. That's What They Say
[4:15] 5. El Derecho De Vivir En Paz
[7:36] 6. Contigo En La Distancia
[3:59] 7. Cuando Vuelva A Tu Lado
[3:27] 8. Vuelvo Al Sur
[2:51] 9. Sueño Contigo
[7:14] 10. La Mentira (Se Te Olvida)

Claudia Acuña's first effort for Marsalis Music and fourth CD overall -- the previous on Max Jazz and two for the Verve label -- is a subdued recording, much more introspective and thoughtful. Due to the presence of acoustic guitarist Juancho Herrera, the mood is more serene and wistful, with words sung in Spanish save a single track done in English. Electric and acoustic pianist Jason Lindner is also much more reserved, in the backdrop and less forceful than he usually is, but no less distinctive. Where bassist Omer Avital and drummer Clarence Penn have worked with Acuña and Lindner for several years, it is very clear from the outset they all know exactly what to do in their subliminal roles. It seems these sensitive and reflective songs have been on Acuña's mind for some time. The Chilean born vocalist taps classic sources and material she knew during childhood, including music from Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, and Cuba. More specifically, there are lyrics from her fellow Chilean, the freedom fighter and poet Victor Jara, and tunes of her own. Classic works by Jara, "El Cigarrito" and "Te Recuerdo Amanda," kick off the set, the former with clockwork rhythms via Penn swinging and swaying about before an atypical steely electric guitar solo from Herrera, the latter a yearning modal song in 5/4 time. Slow and somber respectively, "That's What They Say" -- sung in English -- is a tune of confusion and not belonging, while Jara's "El Derecho de Vivir en Paz" has Acuña and Herrera conferring in a retreat of reorganization, while the drifting "Contigo en la Distancia" retrospectively observes life from faraway locales. Branford Marsalis joins the group, playing soprano sax on his sole cameo, "Cuando Vuelvo a Tu Lado," while the ensemble goes deep into the dark blue spectrum for Astor Piazzolla's sad tango "Vuelvo a Sur." It takes the band nine tracks to step up their energy as on the bouncy, much more spirited "Sueño Contigo." Lindner is always more than able to play individualistically, no matter the tempo, mood, or underpinning required, and should be listened to with rapt attention. Because of the personal nature of this music, Acuña herself is not as pronounced or bold as on previous dates, but delivers the goods in a deliberate yet subtle manner. This is mood and moody music, suited to be played under cover of darkness, not romantic, not sanguine, definitely heartfelt, and rewarding in many ways that are far less obvious on the surface. ~Michael G. Nastos

En Este Momento

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