Jane Morgan - In My Style...

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:59
Size: 77.8 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1965/2014
Art: Front

[2:38] 1. Side By Side
[3:43] 2. My Coloring Book
[2:30] 3. I'm Sorry
[2:46] 4. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[2:58] 5. You Belong To Me
[2:38] 6. Till I Waltz Again With You
[2:47] 7. Fascination
[2:54] 8. Downtown
[3:01] 9. People
[2:40] 10. Why Don't You Believe Me
[2:49] 11. We'll Sing In The Sunshine
[2:30] 12. Old Cape Cod

Vocalist Jane Morgan is known best for her lone Top Ten hit, "Fascination," drawn from the 1957 Billy Wilder film Love in the Afternoon. Born in Boston (as Jane Currier) but raised in Florida, Morgan was an early success as a singer in France. She made the transition back to America as a nightclub act, and signed to Kapp in the mid-'50s.

Jane Morgan made her chart debut late in 1956, appearing alongside Roger Williams on "Two Different Worlds." One year later she hit number seven with her theme "Fascination," based on the old French composition "Valse Tzigane." Both "The Day the Rains Came" and "With Open Arms" followed "Fascination" into the Top 40 during the late '50s, but Morgan had disappeared from the charts by the turn of the decade. (Her last hit was also a movie theme, for 1959's Happy Anniversary, directed by David Miller and featuring David Niven.) She continued recording for Kapp until 1962, and resurfaced four years later on Epic for Fresh Flavor, a rock-crossover LP that was only slightly embarrassing (her cover of "Good Lovin'" is a minor moment of kitsch). ~bio by John Bush

In My Style      

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Clare Fischer - The Latin Side

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:49
Size: 150.7 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[6:16] 1. Como Come
[7:24] 2. Malibu Glide
[7:22] 3. C.P
[9:18] 4. Pensativa
[8:52] 5. Dancing Song
[5:50] 6. Memories Of You
[6:52] 7. Morning
[9:24] 8. Blues Bossa
[4:28] 9. Pajaro Loco

Clare Fischer, keyboards, with the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra conducted by Rob Pronk and Vince Mendoza.

Continuing its series of collaborations with well–known American Jazz musicians, the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra travels south of the border, figuratively speaking, for a program of Latin Jazz by one of its leading exponents, composer/pianist Clare Fischer. The eight studio tracks, conducted by longtime music director Rob Pronk, were recorded in 1991; the ninth, “C.P.,” was recorded in concert at The Hague in 1997 and conducted by Vince Mendoza. Fischer arranged every number and composed all but Eubie Blake/Andy Razaf’s ballad, “Memories of You,” which the two–time Grammy Award winner plays unaccompanied. If arranging for the relatively large and string–laden Metropole Orchestra presented a challenge, Fischer shows that he was up to the task, scrupulously dotting every i and crossing every t. The charts, in other words, are first–class. To further assure their success, the former director of the vocal group known as the Hi–Los brought with him one of its alumni, Don Shelton, who doesn’t sing but displays his superior talents on soprano saxophone (“Como Come?”), clarinet (“Pensativa,” a duet with Fischer) and flute (on five selections). Fischer also recruited his son, Brent, to play bass with the orchestra. Fischer plays acoustic piano on three numbers (“C.P.,” “Blues Bossa,” “Memories of You”), “digital piano” (which sometimes sounds like a harpsichord) on the others. It’s an acquired taste, but he’s such an accomplished musician that it charms more often than it annoys. “Pensativa” is perhaps Fischer’s best–known composition, but each of the others deserves comparable recognition. Shelton and Fischer are the principal soloists, with a handful of earnest but uncredited ad libs by members of the orchestra. Unlike some of the Metropole Orchestra’s recordings, this one is generously timed at 66:43, and is easily recommended to those who appreciate Latin Jazz, especially when written by a superlative composer and performed by a world–class orchestra. ~Jack Bowers

The Latin Side

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Carlos Barbosa-Lima - Merengue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:20
Size: 99.2 MB
Styles: Latin rhythms, Guitar jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:03] 1. Prelude No. 2
[5:19] 2. Seis Milonga
[3:00] 3. Danza Del Altiplano
[2:45] 4. Guajira Criolla
[2:23] 5. Cajita De Musica
[2:57] 6. Canhoto
[2:59] 7. Implicante
[2:56] 8. Cancion Carorena
[3:37] 9. Pais De Abanico
[5:34] 10. Nunca Te Olvido
[2:40] 11. Escorregando
[6:00] 12. Fantasy On A Hawaiian Lullaby

On Merengue, his fifth ZOHO CD, guitarist Carlos Barbosa-Lima takes an adventurous musical journey through Ibero-America, including his native Brazil, performing music by renowned composer-guitarists of Latin-America and Hawaii. Carlos invited as special guests Hendrik Meurkens (U.S.) on harmonica, Duduka Da Fonseca (Brazil) on percussion, Gustavo Colina (Venezuela) on cuatro, Marcilio Lopes (Brazil) on mandolin, and George Anderson (U.S.) on bass. “Merengue” also features the debut recording of the “World Guitar Trio”, with Barbosa-Lima joined by guitarist Karin Schaupp (Australia) and Christopher McGuire (Texas).

Barbosa-Lima’s career as concert guitarist has run uninterruptedly for over fifty years. He has recorded over fifty albums, initially for Chanteclair and Concord Records –now regrettably deleted- and since 2000 for ZOHO. Many composers, including Ginastera, Mignone, Santórsola, Cordero, Scott and Yasui, have written pieces for him, thus significantly enlarging the guitar literature. His imaginative concert programs have broken down the worn-out dichotomy between popular and classical music. Tt is therefore only just, in my humble opinion, to define Maestro Carlos Barbosa-Lima as a living legend!

Congratulations, Carlos, on this CD full of musical surprises, innovative arrangements and brilliant guitar playing - it is one of your best! Definitively, Carlos resembles great wine which also matures and gets better with the passage of time. ~Ernesto Cordero

Merengue

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Les McCann & The Jazz Crusaders - Jazz Waltz

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 33:19

Size: 76.3 MB

Styles: Hard bop, Soul-jazz

Year: 1963/2012

Art: Front

[2:35] 1. Spanish Castle

[3:12] 2. Blues For Yna Yna

[4:13] 3. Damascus

[3:28] 4. 3 4 For God & Co

[2:57] 5. Bluesette

[2:58] 6. Big City

[3:05] 7. This Here

[3:46] 8. Jitterbug Waltz

[4:22] 9. All Blues

[2:37] 10. Jazz Waltz

Bass – Robert Haynes; Drums – "Stix" Hooper; Piano, Electric Piano, Organ – Les McCann; Piano, Organ – Joe Sample; Saxophone – Wilton Felder; Trombone – Wayne Henderson.

This short CD features both Les McCann and The Jazz Crusaders. While the song Damascus was previously issued on Les McCann's Relationships compilation, the rest of the record was never before released on CD until now. Every track is soul-jazz gold. I'm glad they finally reissued it. ~DW

Jazz Waltz

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Karen Souza - Hotel Souza

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:57
Size: 86.9 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:45] 1. Paris
[2:34] 2. Night Demon
[3:57] 3. My Foolish Heart
[3:23] 4. Delectable You
[2:43] 5. Break My Heart
[3:44] 6. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
[3:55] 7. Wake Up
[4:14] 8. I've Got It Bad
[2:33] 9. Full Moon
[3:59] 10. Dindi
[3:08] 11. Lie To Me

Karen Souza: vocals; Alan Pasqua, Tom Ranier: piano; Trey Henry: bass; Larry Koonse, John Goux: guitar; Jaime Branly, Ralph Humphrey: drums; Steve Kujala, Brian Scanlon, Dan Higgins: woodwinds; Rick Baptist, Wayne Bergeron: trumpets; alan Kaplan: trombone; Brian Kilgore: percussion; Roger Wilke: Concertmaster; Track 6: "I Heard It through the Grapevine": Dany Thomas: acoustic piano, Hammond V3, keyboards;Andre De Santana: arranger, electric and upright bass; James Gadson: drums; Edgar Sandoval Violin; Horns: Miguel Gandelman: sax; Ray Monteiro: trumpet; Garrett Smith: trombone.

There is a 19th Century short story by author Frank Stockton entitled, The Lady, or the Tiger? The hook of that work is the teaser leave-you-hanging ending: is there a Lady or the man-eating Tiger behind the door that is selected and "opened." With Hotel Souza, her second CD, Buenos Aires-based vocalist Karen Souza leaves little to the imagination. This hotel has musical rooms of exquisite talent, beauty, elegance and intimacy.

Displaying sensuality without a cloying phoniness, Souza delivers eleven beautifully-performed and impeccably-arranged songs, backed here by some of L.A.'s "usual suspects." The result is a marvelously entertaining tour d' hote. Souza's voice is one of elegant restraint and sensuousness. Hers is not an overpowering vocal presence, but rather, a very inviting one. She seduces deliciously with gentleness and whisper-to-the mic sultriness. That feeling is pervasive across an interesting selection of ballads, bossas (Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Dindi"), softer swing ("Delectable You," "Full Moon") and soft-rock grooves ("Night Demon"). She hits a soulful home run with a dark blue rendition of Marvin Gaye's classic, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," recorded here with members of Gaye's original band. The Joel McNeely arrangements are slick and frame Souza well without over-dominating her. That savvy set-up allows Souza's lyric and tonal skills to dominate. Her diction, phrasing, dynamic nuance and intonation are exceptional.

In addition to her song-styling chops, the compositions Souza co-authored here—eight of them, demonstrate that she has a flair for the melodic and poetic. The ensemble and brief solo outings across the board are First Class and without studio sterility. The famous Michelin Travel Guide may rate the world's hotels and attractions and not musical fare. Perhaps if they did, Hotel Souza would score extremely well. Select any musical door here and a Lady of exuberant talent and taste awaits. ~Nicholas F. Mondello

Hotel Souza

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Jack Jezzro - Candlelight Guitar

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:19
Size: 80.9 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[3:25] 1. Watch What Happens
[3:42] 2. Autumn Leaves
[4:09] 3. I Can't Get Started
[3:11] 4. Sunny
[3:34] 5. Satin Doll
[3:44] 6. There Will Never Be Another You
[3:07] 7. I Could Write A Book
[3:19] 8. Darn That Dream
[3:12] 9. Dancing On The Ceiling
[3:52] 10. Night And Day

A wonderful solo guitar recording of standards featuring Grammy nominated guitarist Jack Jezzro.

JACK JEZZRO has been one of Nashville’s most versatile musicians and record producers for over 30 years. He has appeared on many Grammy winning recordings and has numerous albums as an artist to his credit. His vast guitar discography as a recording artist includes the critically acclaimed Jazz Elegance and Brazilian Nights recordings, along with the Grammy nominated A Days Journey album. As a bassist, he was a member of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra from 1981-1991. He continues to be a member of the Nashville String Machine, playing on countless hit songs including those by Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Bruce Springsteen, Carrie Underwood, Amy Grant, George Strait, Jennifer Lopez, Matchbox 20, Vince Gill, Wynonna, Olivia-Newton John, Rascal Flatts, Neil Diamond, Dolly Parton, and The Beach Boys. His productions, which number over 300 albums, include legendary jazz pianist Beegie Adair, acclaimed Dove award winning vocalist Kathy Troccoli, Grammy winning producer/composer/pianist Michael Omartian, jazz vocal great Jaimee Paul, tenor sax ace Denis Solee, bassist/vocalist Jim Ferguson featuring jazz great Chris Potter, renowned violinist David Davidson, composer/arranger/pianist Jeff Steinberg, multi-instrumentalist and Fiddler's Hall of Fame member Craig Duncan, virtuoso accordionist/pianist Jeff Taylor, singer/songwriter Christina Lake, pianist Christopher Phillips, trumpeter Leif Shires, jazz violinist Antoine Silverman featuring pianist Stefan Karlsson, and saxophonist Sam Levine. His music and productions could also be heard in several motion pictures, including the recent Woody Allen movie, "To Rome With Love."

Candlelight Guitar

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Various Artists - Disney Jazz: Everybody Wants To Be A Cat, Vol. 1

Styles: Straight-Ahead Jazz,Jazz-Pop 
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:18
Size: 155,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. Roy Hargrove - Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat
(3:51)  2. Esperanza Spalding - Chim Chim Cher-ee
(4:02)  3. Dave Brubeck - Some Day My Prince Will Come
(5:16)  4. Regina Carter - Find Yourself
(3:56)  5. Joshua Redman - You've Got A Friend In Me
(4:52)  6. Dianne Reeves - He's A Tramp
(5:39)  7. Kurt Rosenwinkel - Feed The Birds (Tuppence A Bag)
(4:28)  8. The Bad Plus - Gaston
(5:59)  9. Roberta Gambarini - Alice In Wonderland (With The Dave Brubeck Trio)
(7:13) 10. Alfredo Rodriguez - The Bare Necessities
(3:12) 11. Nikki Yanofsky - It's A Small World
(6:24) 12. Gilad Hekselman - Belle
(5:18) 13. Mark Rapp - Circle Of Life

What a discovery; what a great idea. Producer Jason Olaine has taken songs from a number of Disney movies some rarely recorded by jazz musicians and made fresh new versions, utilizing some of today's most well-known jazz artists. The performers range from 90 year-old piano legend Dave Brubeck to 17 year-old Canadian vocalist Nikki Yanofsky; established horn players such as trumpeter Roy Hargrove and saxophonist Joshua Redman; and international performers including Israeli-born/US-based guitarist Gilad Hekselman and avant-garde Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodriguez. Olaine has given these diverse artists full control, and they have mined 13 gems from the Disney catalog.  Hargrove delivers a sprightly, hard bop rendition of the sparkling "Everybody Wants to Be A Cat," from 1970's The AristoCats, while accordionist Gil Goldstein provides the haunting opening to Esperanza Spalding's creative arrangement of "Chim Chim Cher-ee," from Mary Poppins (1964), the bassist later vocalizing along with her bowed lines to underscore the song's evocative mood Brubeck gets two selections: first, a swinging version of "Someday My Prince Will Come," from 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, where the pianist breezes through the lilting melody, before coming on strong with his trademark chordal fury; later, he gives fine accompaniment to singer Roberta Gambarini on the theme song to Alice in Wonderland (1951).

Regina Carter's exotic violin merges with accordionist Gary Versace and kora master Yacouba Sissoko in the captivating and ear-opening "Find Yourself," from Cars (2006), while Redman adds depth to the innocuous "You've Got A Friend in Me, " from Toy Story (1995), the tenor saxophonist's creative energy unleashed in a trio with bassist Matt Penman and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. The irrepressible The Bad Plus is mind-blowing on a rousing version of "Gaston," from Beauty and the Beast (1991), taking this French-flavored tune through creative hijinks to a stirring climax, delivered with the brio of an Edith Piaf ballad. On the many strengths of Olaine's Everybody Wants To Be A Cat: Disney Jazz Volume 1, hopefully Volume 2 won't be far behind. ~ Larry Taylor  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/everybody-wants-to-be-a-cat-disney-jazz-volume-1-various-artists-disney-records-review-by-larry-taylor.php
 

Personnel: Roy Hargrove: trumpet (1); Justin Robinson: alto saxophone (1); Ameen Saleem: bass (1); Thaddeus Dixon: drums (1) Esperanza Spalding: bass, vocal (2); Gil Goldstein: piano, accordion (2); Dave Brubeck: piano (3, 9); Michael Moore: bass (3, 9); Randy Jones: drums (3, 9); Regina Carter: violin (4); Gary Versace: accordion (4); Yacoba Sissoko: kora (4); Chris Lightcap: bass(4); Alvester Garnett: drums, percussion (4); Joshua Redman: tenor saxophone (5); Matt Penman: bass (5); Gregory Hutchinson: drums (5); Dianne Reeves: vocal (6); Peter Martin: piano (6); James Genus: bass (6); Alvester Garnett: drums (6); Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar and piano (7); Joshua Thurston-Milgrom: bass (7); Tobias Backhaus: drums (7); Ethan Iverson: piano (8); Reid Anderson: bass (8); Dave King: drums (8); Roberta Gambarini: vocal (9); Alfredo Rodriguez: piano and percussion (10); Nikki Yanofsky: vocal (11); Paul Shrofel: piano (11); Rob Fahle: bass (11); Geoffrey Lang: drums (11); Rod DiLauro: trumpet (11); Pat Vetter: alto saxophone (11); Christopher Smith: trombone (11); Jean Frechette: baritone saxophone (11); Gilad Hekselman: guitar (12); Joe Martin: bass (12); Obed Calvaire: drums, percussion (12); Mark Rapp: trumpet (13); Jamie Reynolds: piano, keyboards (13); Rene Hart: bass (13); Greg Gonzales: drums (13).

Disney Jazz: Everybody Wants To Be A Cat, Vol. 1

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Jeremy Davenport - Jeremy Davenport

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:47
Size: 128,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:13)  1. Was It Something I Did
(3:08)  2. The Night We Met in Paris
(5:24)  3. They Can't Take That Away from Me
(3:10)  4. I See Your Face Before Me
(4:38)  5. Why Oh Why
(5:38)  6. Joy Jones in the Temple of Doom
(3:01)  7. I'm Old Fashioned
(5:07)  8. Watch Out
(4:24)  9. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
(4:13) 10. Lora With an O
(5:06) 11. Just in Case
(6:38) 12. I'm In The Mood For Love

It is easy to have low expectations for this CD because Jeremy Davenport was clearly being positioned to be "the next Chet Baker," though he did not succeed. The seven cover boy photos make it a little difficult to take him seriously and the originals that he contributed to the set (particularly "Was It Something I Did?," which has abysmal words) are not too memorable. 

But, on the other hand, he plays trumpet well, his vocals, which sound much closer to Harry Connick, Jr. than to Baker, have their charm, and Davenport is fairly rewarding on the standards (such as "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "I'm Old Fashioned," and "I'm in the Mood for Love"). This CD is more successful than expected. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/jeremy-davenport-mw0000186863

Personnel: Jeremy Davenport (vocals, trumpet); Peter Martin, Glenn Patscha (piano); Christopher Thomas, Neal Caine (bass); Shannon Powell, Martin Butler (drums).

Jeremy Davenport

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Nat Adderley - The Scavenger

Styles: Cornet And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:36
Size: 89,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. Sweet Emma
(5:27)  2. Rise Sally, Rise
(6:08)  3. Unilateral
(3:05)  4. Melnat
(8:15)  5. The Scavenger
(4:47)  6. Bittersweet
(5:58)  7. But Not For Me

Nat Adderley may have spent a significant part of his career in the shadow of his better known older brother, the alto saxophonist Julian 'Cannonball' Adderley, but he was always a major contributor to their shared projects, and achieved a great deal in his own right after his brother's death in 1975. He was born Nathaniel Adderley, and took up trumpet as a teenager in 1946. He began playing in local bands in Florida, and made what became a career long switch to the smaller cornet in 1950. He did so against the prevailing tide. Cornet had been the horn of choice for New Orleans trumpet players in the early days of jazz, but had fallen out of fashion in favour of trumpet by the bop era.

Adderley evolved a distinctive signature on the instrument, blending a rich tone and earthy warmth with the horn's inherent touch of astringency to great effect. He played in an army band for a time during his military service from 1951-3, then joined the band led by vibraphonist Lionel Hampton in 1954, his first association with an established jazz figure. He remained with Hampton until 1955, and cut his earliest recordings for the Savoy and EmArcy labels that same year. Cannonball Adderley had made an early mark in New York when he sat in with bassist Oscar Pettiford at the Cafe Bohemia in Greenwich Village in 1955, but that did not translate into immediate success when the brothers joined forces in Cannonball's Quintet the following year. He broke up the group in 1957, and Nat worked with trombonist J. J. Johnson and bandleader Woody Herman before reuniting with his brother in 1959.

The earlier lack of success quickly evaporated. The band's funky, gospel-tinged jazz became one of the most successful sounds on the hard bop and soul jazz circuit, and they even scored an unexpected chart hit with 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy' in 1966. Cannonball had featured alongside John Coltrane in Miles Davis's classic Sextet which made the legendary Kind of Blue album in 1959, and that association provided the boost he needed to take off as a star in his own right, with the cornetist very much his right hand man. Nat had continued to record under his own leadership, and made his most famous record for the Riverside label in January, 1960, with a band which featured guitarist Wes Montgomery. The resulting album, Work Song , included the tune which remains his best known composition, 'The Work Song'. Its bluesy call-and-response chorus was an emblematic example of the hard bop style of the period, and is still widely played. More... http://www.jazztrumpetsolos.com/Nat_Adderley_Biography.asp

Personnel:  Bass – Victor Gaskin; Cornet – Mel Lastie, Nat Adderley; Drums – Roy McCurdy; Electric Piano – Joe Zawinul; Flute – Jeremy Steig; Piano – Joe Zawinul; Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson; Trumpet [Electric] – Nat Adderley

The Scavenger

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Kitty Margolis - ...Live At The Jazz Workshop In San Francisco

Size: 100,8 MB
Time: 43:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1989
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. I Concentrate On You (7:29)
02. Sophisticated Lady (5:00)
03. All Blues (6:35)
04. With A Song In My Heart (5:35)
05. Nice Work If You Can Get It (3:52)
06. Every Time We Say Goodbye (4:46)
07. All The Things You Are (5:03)
08. Too Marvelous For Words (4:57)

Jazziz Magazine:
"Finally, I must say something about Kitty Margolis, the Bay Area singer who has just debuted on the obscure Mad-Kat Records. Live at the Jazz Workshop is a marvelous, ear opening live recording that introduces not just a fine young vocalist but an important new jazz voice. These eight standards let Margolis bare her imposing arsenal of musical weapons: steely attack, fiery warmth, exuberant pace, legato transitions, razor-sharp pitch, timbral variety, high-voltage scat, and, best of all, the ability o sing a through line, not just fancy riffs. Sheila Jordan summed up her response this way: "After hearing Kitty's wonderful work, I'm sure that the future of jazz singing Is safe and sound!"

Jack Fuller, The Chicago Tribune:
"Unless you have happened to come across her in San Francisco, chances are you have not heard of jazz- singer Kitty Margolis. Do yourself a favor. Take the time and trouble to order this album and discover a hot, energetic new voice. She is the real thing in jazz: stylish, swinging, in love with the risk of improvisation. You can hear a lot of influences in her work from Sarah Vaughan to Al Jarreau. But the-result is so genuinely individual that once you hear it you know you will recognize it if you are lucky enough to hear it again. At the moment about the only way to do that is to write Mad Kat-Records at Box 330425, San Francisco, Cal. 94133. But if any of the major record companies have sense, they will sign her up immediately and make the next album a smash in all the stores."

Bart Grooms, Option Magazine:
"On her debut album, Bay Area native Margolis proves that she is an accomplished, full-blown jazz singer. Not only does she have a strong sense of swing and phrasing, but she attacks the material with an improvisatory gusto. She can also scat up a storm, as befits someone who was the only singer in saxophonist Hal Stein's improv class at S.F. State. Few singers can make this approach work; Betty Carter has probably taken it further than anyone, and Margolis sounds as though she's digested the idiosyncratic Carter (and Sarah Vaughn- as well). Backed by a fine rhythm section . Margolis soars through standards like "I Concentrate On You," Miles Davis' "AII Blues," and "All The Things You Are" (with the Dizzy Gillespie intro). Fine stuff by a lady who's more than ready to strut hers."

Live At The Jazz Workshop In San Francisco

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Ross Hammond & Grant Calvin Weston - Blues And Daily News

Size: 78,9 MB
Time: 33:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Jazz Rock
Art: Front

01. Huff, Puff And Blow It Down (4:40)
02. This Is What Happens When You Reheat My Coffee (3:14)
03. Blues And Daily News (3:19)
04. The Big Dipper (4:10)
05. Blue Teeth (3:45)
06. Squack! (1:31)
07. Wing Ting (4:15)
08. Little Melon Head (4:45)
09. Aquarium Salt (3:58)
10. Get Ready To Meet God (0:15)

Every time Sacramento guitarist Ross Hammond makes a new record, there’s a whole new concept involved. Blues and Daily News (due October 28, 2014 from Prescott Recordings), co-led by the only other performer on the record, drummer Grant Calvin Weston, isn’t all his concept, it’s Weston’s too. And the most remarkable thing isn’t even the kind of music played, but how it all came together.

Weston hails from the other side of the country, in Philadelphia. He’s play with some pretty forward-thinking musicians like Ornette Coleman, John Lurie and James Blood Ulmer, and Weston himself is always thinking out of the box, too. That way of thinking inspired him to make what he calls “Dining Room Session” recordings, whereby he improvises drumbeats and send these drum tracks out to other artists for them to flesh out with music.

One of those artists he sent a track to was Ross Hammond, with whom Grant Calvin Weston has played when the guitarist tours the East coast. Weston sent more tracks to Hammond, until an entire album was made this way. Blues and Daily News is the result.

They were never in the same room — much less the same state — in the making of this album, and things like bass lines, a trumpet, Youtube samples, and an iPad figured into the making of this record. The thing is, Blues never sounds manufactured, and in a sense, it isn’t: both Hammond and Weston are constantly improvising. The illusion is that they appear to be improvising together, when in reality, it’s Hammond improvising on guitar to Weston’s prerecorded improvisations on drums.

Perhaps as a result of starting with beats as a starting point, Hammond was able to steer the music into any stylistic direction that occurred to him at the time. The “blues” part crops up here and there when he plays slide (“Huff, Puff and Blow It Down”, “Blue Teeth,” “Get Ready to Meet God”), but he doesn’t usually play blues progressions. Funk, rock and free form jazz figure heavily into this music, often blended together and conforming to Weston’s muscular backbeats.

Hammond’s playing is raw, matching the rawness of Weston, but remains free from prosaic phrasing even as he’s flat out jamming; “Wing Ting” is one of several instances where that occurs. But he uses some offbeat tactics for some of the other tracks. For instance, he devises a melody for “Squack!” that’s at odds with the bass line Weston supplied, and then abstracts away from the melody itself. For “Aquarium Salt,” he keeps Weston’s drum soloing up front while he create textures in the background with long held notes off in the distance.

“Get Ready to Meet God” is another example of a Ross Hammond jam over one of Grant Calvin Weston’s funky, staggered beats but set to a speech by Muhammad Ali.

Blues and Daily News is built on the idea of making unpredictable music by creating situations that make unpredictable music not only more likely, but inevitable. Technology can enhance that process instead of inhibiting it, as long as creativity is involved. ~by S. Victor Aaron

Blues And Daily News

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Shirley Horn - At The Gaslight Square/Loads Of Love (Bonus Track Version)

Size: 183,7 MB
Time: 78:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Sometimes I'm Happy (2:20)
02. If I Should Lose You (6:34)
03. Summertime (2:01)
04. Good For Nothin' Joe (8:09)
05. Day In, Day Out (3:45)
06. 'Round Midnight (Instrumental) (3:30)
07. He Needs Me (5:20)
08. Makin' Whoopee (2:47)
09. Wild Is Love Love (1:29)
10. Loads Of Love (2:23)
11. My Future Just Passed (2:40)
12. There's A Boat That's Leaving Soon For New York (2:41)
13. Ten Cents A Dance (3:49)
14. Only The Lonely (3:05)
15. The Second Time Around (3:12)
16. Do It Again (2:56)
17. It's Love (2:00)
18. That's No Joke (2:41)
19. Love For Sale (3:49)
20. Who Am I (2:49)
21. A Foggy Day (Bonus Track) (3:15)
22. I Loves You Porgy (Bonus Track) (3:17)
23. Love Is Here To Stay (Bonus Track) (3:44)

This release contains, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ON CD, Shirley Horn's ultra rare 1961 live performance at the Gaslight Square, in Saint Louis (wrongly presented on a long out of print LP as having been taped at the Village Vanguard). In addition to her vocals, she is also featured here on piano backed only by bass and drums. As a bonus, Horn's complete 1962 album Loads of Love (Mercury SR-60761), boasting such stars as Gerry Mulligan, Al Cohn, Hank Jones and Kenny Burrell, plus three tunes featuring Shirley on vocals from a long session she made with violinist Stuff Smith in 1959.

PERSONNEL:
SHIRLEY HORN, vocals, piano
JOHN MIXON, bass
GENE GAMMAGE, drums
Live at the Gaslight Square, St. Louis, August, 1961.

[9-20] Bonus Album: Loads of Love
Shirley Horn with the Jimmy Jones Orchestra.
New York, September 13 & 15, 1962

[21-23] Bonus Tracks:
Shirley Horn (vocals & piano), Stuff Smith (violin),
Lewis Packer (b), Harry Saunders (d).
Washington, D.C., August 7, 1959.
Original session produced by Norman Granz.

At The Gaslight Square

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Michael Le Van Trio - A Different Shade Of Blue

Size: 145,2 MB
Time: 62:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Piano
Art: Front

01. Do You Know What I Mean (6:08)
02. A Different Shade Of Blue (4:19)
03. In Our Home (7:09)
04. Fantasia In G Minor (6:15)
05. A Time To Remember (6:31)
06. Remember That (6:16)
07. Tuesday Night With Shirley (5:12)
08. Blue Nocturne (8:13)
09. Waltz For Kevin (6:35)
10. A Beautiful Moment (5:41)

Michael Le Van's Biography:
Michael Le Van began his lifetime pursuit of music at nine years old. Classically trained, he graduated from California State University, Fullerton, California with a Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance, as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Composition. There he studied with master teacher Earl Voorhies, himself a pupil of Alexander Siloti, one of Liszt's favorite students.

As a jazz pianist, he studied for some time with Buddy Motsinger. Largely self taught, he learned much through numerous collaborations and by listening intently to the masters. His most notable influences include Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Sonny Clark, McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock.

He has performed extensively in both classical and jazz venues and with musicians such as Barbara Morrison, David Enos, John Ferraro, Putter Smith, Kevin Tullius, Ramon Banda, Tim Pleasant, Jeff Littleton, Peter Buck, Chuck Manning, Bruce Lett, Luther Hughes, Kendall Kaye, Dustin Haner, Jotty Johnson, and Isla Eckinjer.

His trio has played to the acclaim of music critics and record reviewers, who have written widely about Michael's uniquely lyrical and harmonically subtle style.

David Enos' Biography:
David Enos has established himself as one of today's premiere bassists. Raised in the San Francisco bay area, he began playing bass at fifteen. His credits are extensive. Equally accomplished on both acoustic and electric basses, David is not only in demand as a live performer, but also as a session player. He toured with Arturo Sandoval for seven years and has also played with Stan Getz, David Benoit and Sergio Mendez, to name but a few.

John Ferraro's Biography:
John Ferraro was born in Waterbury, Connecticut to musical parents and has been playing drums since he was five. He has worked with Larry Carlton, Stan Getz, George Benson, Linda Ronstadt, Burt Bacharach, David Benoit, Steve Morse, Vikki Carr, Randi Crawford, Robben Ford, Keiko & Kazu Matsui, Barry Manilow, and Eddie Van Halen, among many others. John is a much sought after recording musician. His credits include Rod Stewart’s "Standards" album and David Benoit's "Jump Start", to name only a few.

A Different Shade Of Blue

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Friend 'N Fellow - About April

Size: 100,0 MB
Time: 39:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Pop/Rock/Jazz Fusion
Art: Front

01. Turn The Light On (2:56)
02. Lemon Yellow Sun (3:28)
03. I Am (3:03)
04. April (3:19)
05. Train Of Tears (4:05)
06. A Dog (3:14)
07. Face In The Book (2:39)
08. Guardian Angel's Tree (3:12)
09. Hope (3:06)
10. Signpost (2:53)
11. Cry And Laugh (3:40)
12. Fourteen (3:19)

April — the month that doesn’t promise anything but instead challenges our patience or causes us to smile, that can surprise us over and over again and make us happy — that is the starting point for FRIEND ‘N FELLOW’s 10th album with 12 new songs. Music that is enchanting, inviting and moving... Stories about a jumping dog, the lemon yellow sun, the signpost, the guardian angel’s tree and of course about April...

The Friend voice and the Fellow sound — recognizable, unmistakable, just incredible!

FRIEND ‘N FELLOW’s trademark has been to concentrate on the quintessence for far more than 1,000 concerts, 9 albums and 100,000 records sold. The duo celebrates its intense musical dialogue with the low voice that deeply touches us and the guitar sound that takes us far away.

Constanze FRIEND and Thomas FELLOW have long since discovered their own unique language that surprises and thrills the audience, focusing on the core of the songs, the essence of the music. That is why the uncountable forms and colors of April are just the right theme for their new album.

The music of FNF effortlessly unifies what seems to be opposites. Blues? Jazz? Soul? Music that is often pegged to be separate ends up together with FNF. They play with the timbres of soul, the intensity of blues and the freedom of jazz. And there is always ample room for listening.

A voice — unmistakeable and low. A complete band consisting of two hands and just one instrument. And a dozen vivid songs about April.

That is all you need.

About April

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Kanji Ohta - This Is No Laughing Matter

Size: 108,3 MB
Time: 46:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Mainstream Jazz, Bebop
Art: Front

01. Confirmation (4:40)
02. Holy Land (4:45)
03. That Old Black Magic (6:41)
04. This Is No Laughing Matter (8:02)
05. In Walked Bud (4:22)
06. Wee (3:52)
07. Dance Of The Infidels (4:54)
08. Spring Is Here (5:25)
09. Jump City (4:03)

Each of the tracks featured on this CD has a particular relevance to me and with that in mind, I’d like to share with you some of my reasons behind choosing them. ‘Confirmation’ is one of the most famous songs by Charlie Parker and yet I’d never recorded it until now. I’m so pleased to have put that right. ‘Holy Land’ is dedicated to Cedar Walton who, sadly, passed away in 2013. I met him in Tokyo, 30 years ago, and he sent me his original sheet music of ‘Holy Land’ which reminds me of him; a beautiful memory. ‘That Old Black Magic’ was simply one of the songs that Bud Powell loved and loved to play. ‘This Is No Laughing Matter’ was also another favorite of Buds. He recorded it live in Europe and loved to sing it himself. Leroy Williams, our prestigious drummer, had asked that we record the music of Thelonious Monk so ‘In Walked Bud’ seemed to be a perfect choice. ‘Wee’ has the up-tempo rhythm changes that I thought made it a classic Bop tune. ‘Dance of the Infidels’ is another great Bud Powell track that I’ve always wanted to record. ‘Spring Is Here was recorded’ by Bud, but I love the Erroll Garner version even more so when I play it I think of him. ‘Jump City’ is a "right in the pocket" song that leaves one with a happy feeling. I love its simple composition which is what I think also appealed to Bud. Thank you for listening to this album. Kanji Ohta

This Is No Laughing Matter

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Clifford Jordan - These Are My Roots: Clifford Jordan Plays Leadbelly

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:08
Size: 87.3 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1965/1999/2013
Art: Front

[4:50] 1. Dick's Holler
[2:39] 2. Silver City Bound
[4:16] 3. Take This Hammer
[2:56] 4. Black Betty
[4:14] 5. The Highest Mountain
[4:26] 6. Goodnight Irene
[3:36] 7. De Gray Goose
[4:20] 8. Black Girl
[2:19] 9. Jolly O The Ransom
[4:27] 10. Yellow Gal

Recording Date: February 1 - 17, 1965.

At first glance, this appears to be a very illogical album. Back in 1965, tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan recorded a tribute to the late folksinger Leadbelly. The date, originally cut for Atlantic and reissued by Koch in 1999, is actually more successful than one might expect. Jordan performs nine of Leadbelly's originals (including the hit "Goodnight Irene"), turning the music into jazz without lessening the impact of the melodies or their folk roots. Trumpeter Roy Burrowes, trombonist Julian Priester, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath are on most of the selections along with Jordan, while Chuck Wayne (on guitar and banjo) helps out on four tunes, and pianist Cedar Walton is on three. The fine young singer Sandra Douglass is excellent on "Take This Hammer" and "Black Girl." Overall, this project is an unexpected success -- one would not have thought that Clifford Jordan and Leadbelly had that much in common! ~Scott Yanow

These Are My Roots: Clifford Jordan Plays Leadbelly

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Cecil Taylor Quartet - Jazz Advance

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:04
Size: 121.5 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Avant-garde
Year: 1956/1991
Art: Front

[ 7:23] 1. Bemsha Swing
[11:03] 2. Charge 'em Blues
[ 7:27] 3. Azure
[ 5:16] 4. Song
[ 9:14] 5. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[ 6:03] 6. Rick Kick Shaw
[ 6:35] 7. Sweet And Lovely

The Transition label and the then new music of Cecil Taylor were perfectly matched, the rebellion in modern jazz was on in 1956, and the pianist was at the forefront. Though many did not understand his approach at the time, the passing years temper scathing criticism, and you can easily appreciate what he is accomplishing. For the reissue Jazz Advance, you hear studio sessions in Boston circa 1956, and the legendary, ear-turning set of 1957 at the Newport Jazz Festival. A young Steve Lacy is included on several tracks, and while revealing Taylor's roughly hewn façade, the few pieces as a soloist and with his trio of bassist Buell Neidlinger and drummer Dennis Charles are even more telling. At his most astonishing, Taylor slightly teases, barely referring to the melody of "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," wrapping his playful, wild fingers and chordal head around a completely reworked, fractured, and indistinguishable yet introspective version of this well-worn song form. Taylor is also able to circle the wagons, jabbing and dotting certain vital notes on the melody of "Sweet & Lovely." When inclined to turn off putting dissonant chords into playful melody changes, he does so, turning around Thelonious Monk's "Bemsha Swing" delightfully, and then scattering notes everywhere in his solo. Lacy's soprano sax is more than up to the task in interpreting Taylor's personal "Charge 'Em Blues" or laying out the straight-ahead mood on "Song." Neidlinger is the hardest swinging bassist on the planet during "Rick Kick Shaw," boosted by the Asian flavored piano of Taylor and especially the soaring punt-like drumming of Charles. The Newport sessions allegedly sent the crowd reeling with stunned surprise, as the quartet takes Billy Strayhorn's "Johnny Come Lately" starkly further than Monk might have, while Taylor's original "Nona's Blues" sports a jagged edge in what he called a "traditional, shorter form" as they were "at a jazz festival," and his original "Tune 2" is a ten-and-a-half minute languid strut, most Monk like, and a departure from any norm previously established. With Jazz Advance, the revolution commenced, Taylor was setting the pace, and the improvised music world has never been the same. For challenged listeners, this CD has to be high on your must have list. ~Michael G. Nastos

Jazz Advance

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Neil Diamond - Up On The Roof: Songs From The Brill Building

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 55:31

Size: 127.1 MB

Styles: Adult Contemporary

Year: 1993

Art: Front

[4:29] 1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'

[3:28] 2. Up On The Roof

[3:03] 3. Love Potion Number Nine

[3:28] 4. Will You Love Me Tomorrow

[3:44] 5. Don't Be Cruel

[2:53] 6. Do Wah Diddy Diddy

[4:03] 7. I (Who Have Nothing)

[3:02] 8. Do You Know The Way To San Jose

[3:36] 9. Don't Make Me Over

[3:55] 10. Mountain High

[2:51] 11. A Groovy Kind Of Love

[3:41] 12. Spanish Harlem

[2:52] 13. Sweets For My Sweet

[3:39] 14. Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen

[4:15] 15. Ten Lonely Guys

[2:26] 16. Save The Last Dance For Me

Up on the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building is Neil Diamond's equivalent of, say, one of Barbra Streisand's Broadway albums. It's Broadway that Diamond is returning to as well; specifically, the corner of 49th Street, where he and many others turned out songs for music publishers. Some of these songs were written there; most were only in the spirit of that modern Tin Pan Alley. Handling the work of his then-rivals, such as "Spanish Harlem," "A Groovy Kind of Love," and "River Deep, Mountain High," Diamond adopts his usual hammy style. Peter Asher patented a neo-'60s production style in crafting oldies for Linda Ronstadt in the '70s, and he does the same thing here. Actually, this record sounds exactly like you would expect: just call to mind a familiar song like "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and imagine what it would sound like if Neil Diamond sang it. Fans can decide for themselves whether it's valid and, perhaps more problematic, necessary. ~William Ruhlmann

Up On The Roof: Songs From The Brill Building

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Carol Welsman - Swing Ladies, Swing! A Tribute To The Singers Of The Swing Era

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 52:21

Size: 119.8 MB

Styles: Swing, Jazz vocals

Year: 1999

Art: Front

[3:33] 1. Honeysuckle Rose

[4:46] 2. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life

[3:25] 3. Fever

[5:53] 4. Never Let Me Go

[4:08] 5. More Than You Know

[4:08] 6. Cheek To Cheek

[5:06] 7. Black Coffee

[3:50] 8. Taking A Chance On Love

[4:59] 9. Over The Rainbow

[3:27] 10. If I Were A Bell

[5:16] 11. God Bless The Child

[3:43] 12. Do It Again

This is a beautiful timeless mix of American Song Book Classics with Symphony Orchestra. It is very rich musically.

My lifelong dream was to sing with a symphony orchestra. I am lucky that my grandfather, Frank Welsman, is the founder and first conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. I thought it would be wonderful to dedicate this album to him and also pay tribute to the sinegr who influenced me to sing jazz. They are showcased on this CD. Enjoy! ~Carol Welsman

Swing Ladies, Swing!

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Joe Williams & George Shearing - The Heart And Soul Of Joe Williams & George Shearing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:35
Size: 70.0 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 1971/2001/2011
Art: Front

[3:06] 1. Heart And Soul
[2:20] 2. Nobody's Heart
[2:18] 3. Body And Soul
[2:29] 4. Humpty Dumpty Heart
[2:06] 5. My Heart Stood Still
[2:49] 6. My Heart And I
[3:16] 7. Blues In My Heart
[2:15] 8. Sleep My Heart
[2:45] 9. My Foolish Heart
[1:59] 10. My Heart Tells Me
[2:00] 11. Young At Heart
[3:07] 12. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

By the time this record first appeared in 1971 on George Shearing's short-lived Sheba label, jazz was in the doldrums due to the preponderance of rock on radio and in record stores. Shearing formed his own label in an attempt to control his own destiny, and singer Joe Williams was one of the first people he asked to appear on with him. The two veterans are joined by bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Stix Hooper for a collection of ballads (both familiar and obscure) that feature either "heart" and/or "soul" in their titles. They work very well together due to their love of great melodies and their ability to build upon them. The surprise opener is "Heart and Soul," a fairly simple Hoagy Carmichael-Frank Loesser ditty that is often the first piece would-be pianists learn on their own; Shearing's easygoing yet swinging arrangement removes its typically monotonous character. Even though Rodgers & Hart's lovely "My Heart Stood Still" is barely over two minutes, the enchanting duo rendition by Williams and Shearing not only restores the often omitted verse but proves that less can be more. The out of tempo interpretation of "Young at Heart" and rather playful take of "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart" are very refreshing. The lesser-known tunes are hardly lesser quality. Jimmy van Heusen and Johnny Burke penned the gorgeous yet unjustly forgotten "Humpty Dumpty Heart," while Alec Wilder's "Sleep My Heart" is another long lost treasure. Out of print since the label's demise in 1973, this 2001 reissue will be readily welcomed by fans of Joe Williams and George Shearing. ~Ken Dryden

The Heart And Soul Of Joe Williams & George Shearing

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