Debbie Kirkland - In Session

Size: 113,8 MB
Time: 48:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997/2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Forbidden Fruit (4:01)
02. In The Thick Of It (4:02)
03. Waiting On You (5:34)
04. Who (7:49)
05. Badembe' (5:26)
06. Can We Still Be Friends (6:00)
07. Couldn't You Read My Mind (3:57)
08. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most (6:38)
09. Pain Management (5:29)

Jazz singer Debbie Kirkland began singing as a child and attended the Duke Ellington School of Performing Arts in DC, where one of her classmates was future opera diva Deniece Graves. During her late teens, Kirkland spent a summer performing in a street theater program. While in college, one of Kirkland's favorite nightspots was Charlie's, a Georgetown jazz club whose stage hosted Rosemary Clooney, George Shearing, Mel Tormé and Nancy Wilson. One night at Charlie's, Wilson was introduced to Kirkland by D.C. jazz guitarist Bill Harris. The jazz legend became one of Kirkland's most ardent supporters. Graduating from the University of Maryland with a bachelor's degree (music in vocal performance), Kirkland joined a band and began touring Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. While in Italy, Kirkland was hired by an American composer to sing on the commercial jingles that he produced. One of the projects, a cover of "America the Beautiful," received a Dove/Steller Award nomination.

Her 1997 debut album Debbie Kirkland in Session is a collection of inventively arranged acoustic jazz. The album's first single, the lilting, ethereal "Who," was played on urban adult and contemporary jazz stations around the country. The Washington, D.C., native has shared the stage with George Duke, Lonnie Liston Smith, Jack McDuff, and Sonny Stitt. She's also appeared on Black Entertainment Television's BET on Jazz and performed at the prestigious Capitol Jazz Fest at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbus, MD.

In Session

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Stephen Haynes - Pomegranate

Size: 137,9 MB
Time: 59:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Sillage ( 6:08)
02. Mangui Fii Reek (I Am Still Here) ( 9:37)
03. Pomegranate (10:13)
04. Becoming (17:11)
05. Crepuscular ( 7:13)
06. Odysseus (Lashed To The Mast) ( 9:08)

New Atlantis Records is honored to present Pomegranate, a new offering from cornetist Stephen Haynes. This quintet is an extension of Haynes’ lauded trio, Parrhesia, with guitarist Joe Morris and percussionist Warren Smith augmented by bassist William Parker and tubaist Ben Stapp. Pomegranate was conceived as a posthumous dedication to the monumental spirit and influence of trumpeter Bill Dixon, Haynes’ longtime (40 years) mentor and collaborator. Bill Dixon left specific instructions with regards to tributes... “If you want to pay tribute to me, you should (be) do (ing) your own work. If you have really paid attention to me, then you will understand that.”

From Dixon, Haynes learned much, beginning with how to play the trumpet based upon Dixon’s unique technique; unquestionably a moving target, across the years. Haynes had his last lesson with Dixon in 2010, three weeks before his passing. Dixon was a model organizer in the music, and Haynes has picked up and carried Dixon’s commitment to redefining artists’ working conditions through an emphasis on community and local work.

Pomegranate is fundamentally refreshing listening, deeply imbued with the free-ranging, iconoclastic spirit inherent to Haynes’ work - a sensibility/aesthetic central to Dixon’s oeuvre. The sound of the ensemble is devoid of the typical trappings of style and genre and defies easy categorization. A bracing, percolating rhythmic foundation shifts like tectonic plates, transmuting, in constant motion; gradually, climactically rumbling into periods of wonderfully rollicking intensity. Haynes’ partnership with Joe Morris - musically, and as co-curators of the long-running Improvisations concert series in Hartford, CT where Haynes lives and works - is a steady, grounding singularity throughout the music. The two knit and unfold a rich, endlessly transmuting lexicon, each somehow furthering the expressive orbit of the other in equal measure.

Bill Dixon loved the low end, and he would have dug this instrumentation. It is worth noting that a key part of making the music work – the orchestration, a la Ellington – is in the selection of players. Who is playing the instrument is, perhaps, more important than the instrument itself. This is a stellar ensemble, and the results are alternately propulsive and contemplative, angular and lyrical. The unit finds its footing from the outset, realizing a dynamic, bracing new aesthetic in Free Music.

Pomegranate

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Bill Liggett & Ruddy Nickel - North On 51

Size: 105,5 MB
Time: 45:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Blues/Folk/Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Big Things (4:15)
02. House Of Cards (4:55)
03. Lessons Learned (4:47)
04. North On 51 (4:08)
05. I'll Be Gone (4:52)
06. Living This Dream (4:43)
07. Let Me Down Easy (3:58)
08. Sailed That Sea (5:16)
09. Wedding In June (4:30)
10. One Good Metaphor (3:38)

Jazzed Up Blues with a twinge of Folkyness.

Bill Liggett and Ruddy Nickel is the result of a live studio recording session at "Chris Sipos Music Studio" in the Chicago area, consisting of Bill Liggett ( guitar and vocals ) Rick Ledgerwood ( Bass ) and Larry Sell ( Harmonica ) This recording was made in Sept of 2014 while the band Ruddy Nickel was still with their drummer Kevin Lingin, but does not include Kevin on the recording. At the time they were in rehersal for many months and gigging sporadically. Life pressures saw the group slowly drift apart and currently Bill and Larry mostly play shows as a duo.

The songs are all Bill Liggett originals with significant artistic input from the band members. This particular session started as " Lets get the show on the road and record our demo so we can start knocking on doors and booking some gigs ". Then it became " well , lets just all mic up and see if we cant pull off some decent live takes and save ourselves some time and money ". We figured that it would be fine because what we really wanted was an accurate representation of our live sound, sort of , what you hear is what you get.... you like , you buy.

Many other tracks were recorded that day... some tracks were covers and others were originals with takes we didnt feel made the grade.

The title " North on 51 " came about when Larry asked his daughter Deanna if she would please do the art for the eventual CD cover. OR... she might have just came out and offered to do it on her own.. I'll have to ask Larry.. anyhow ,SHE picked the title track AND theme. The song is about " Going up north and fishin and stuff ". Hence the rare and beautiful fish.

This is the first official release of Bills original songs. Being quite prolific , Bill has a huge catalog of songs yet to be recorded . Plenty more songs in this genre ( which is pretty hard to pinpoint ) which he calls the " Make em drink " genre, songs written specifically for a certian kind of targeted venue. Mostly drinkin and eatin establishments. Many more in different genres such as Quasi classical instrumentals , Americana , Folk songs and " Other ".

Bill and Larry have plans to do another CD of " Real Mellow " stuff... so , the faster this one sells , the sooner they can finance it. ( Wink )

Oh, yeah , the band name , " Ruddy Nickel " is a reference from one of Bills songs entitled " Endless Hourderves " ( Spelling... sue me ) which is not on this CD. It goes something like this ,." Down to my last Ruddy Nickel, Glad I dont smoke cigarettes...." so on and so forth " Endless Hourderves and drinks to calm your nerves , sunday morning cocktails on the beach "..

You Know the rest....

North On 51

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Mezcolanza - Headbanger

Size: 124,6 MB
Time: 53:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Afro Cuban Jazz, Latin Jazz
Art: Front

01. Headbanger (5:04)
02. Wise Guy (5:32)
03. Brute (4:49)
04. The Road We Walk Again (6:56)
05. One Note Boogaloo (4:31)
06. Pal Monte (6:31)
07. Bra-Dap (4:51)
08. Circuit (4:44)
09. Why You (4:44)
10. The Chili Peppers (5:46)

Mezcolanza is here to stay! On their debut album called ‘Headbanger’, the band takes the listener into a deep-rooted musical tradition of catchy jazz-melodies and afro cuban rhythms. The craftsmanship and musical ingenuity of keyboardist Peter Wenk (and associates) gives this record memorable melodies, depth and a danceable feel. Since its birth, the band has experienced a growing maturity and their group dynamics have become noticeably strong. This all comes together in the recordings sessions that Mescolanza did in November 2014 for O.A.P. Records. Interesting detail: percussionist Gerardo Rosales recently received a Grammy for his percussion work for various studio sessions in the USA. His contribution to 'Headbanger' is therefore a sign that Mezcolanza is an act to reckon with!

Line-up:
Peter Wenk - Piano/Keyboard
Christof May - Sax/Clarinet/Sound effects
Gerardo Rosales - Congas/Percussion
Mick Paauwe - Bass
David Barker - Drums

Headbanger

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Budd Johnson - Mr. Bechet

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:49
Size: 100.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:30] 1. Mr. Bechet
[4:54] 2. Am I Waisting My Time
[9:02] 3. The Dirty Old Man
[5:56] 4. Linger Awhile
[9:49] 5. Blues For Sale
[4:54] 6. Gone With The Wind
[4:41] 7. If You Were Mine

Budd Johnson didn't do much recording as a leader, so this French studio date is particularly valuable. He's reunited with Earl Hines, with whom he played during three stints between 1932-1942; they're joined by drummer Panama Francis and bassist Jimmy Leary. The title track is an original tribute to the king of soprano saxophonists, though it was his second instrument, Johnson delivers a powerful solo with his own unique tone. He's back to tenor sax for the bluesy "Am I Wasting My Time?" and clearly enjoys himself on Hines' romping "Linger Awhile." Like all of Budd Johnson's releases, this CD is strongly recommended. ~Ken Dryden

Mr. Bechet

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Josephine Biundo - Let There Be Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:30
Size: 106.5 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:12] 1. Meglio Stasera (It Had Better Be Tonight)
[3:22] 2. My Darling Daughter
[3:53] 3. Let There Be Love
[4:08] 4. To Love Somebody (Cosi Ti Amo)
[4:01] 5. Adesso Mi Trovo
[3:12] 6. Lover Come Back
[4:28] 7. Bei Mir Bist Du Schon
[3:59] 8. Io Non Ti Penso Piu
[4:16] 9. Teach Me Tonight
[3:34] 10. Who Will I Love Today
[3:54] 11. Time To Say Goodbye
[3:26] 12. Evil Gal Blues

In case her effervescent personality doesn’t make it perfectly obvious, singer Josephine Biundo wants to assure you that that she’s a born entertainer. “I’m naturally very much a people person,” she says divulging a trait that has stood out like an exclamation point since childhood. “I’d always sing and dance at family gatherings at a very young age.” (And like any up-and-coming young musician, she admits debt to her supportive family, who never complain about the noise.) Biundo has since emerged as a passionate singer and heartfelt singer/songwriter who’s as serious about her craft as she is about the joy of singing.

A 20-year-old former honours student at Mohawk College’s jazz music program, she has won numerous songwriting competitions over the past several years. Her proudest is an International win, first runner up in an original song competition at the International Festival of Napoli.

Studying under some of the top vocal coaches in Canada has given her a range and versatility that has served her well. Playing in diverse settings has also strengthened her chops. In April, she took part in the Hamilton All Star Jazz Band’s recreation of Duke Ellington’s 1954 Hamilton Forum Concert. But you might just as easily catch her in a classical setting, singing standards at a wedding, fronting a rock/R&B five piece band Stella or playing an intimate acoustic gig. Discipline, she says, is everything. “It’ like training to run a marathon,” she explains, nothing that her work as a vocal instructor at the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts and Binbrook’s Broadway Bound Studio helps keep her voice in shape.

Let There Be Love

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Booker Little - Bee Tee's Minor Plea

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:57
Size: 80,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:38)  1. Opening Statement
(5:36)  2. Minor Sweet
(5:36)  3. Bee Tee's Minor Plea
(6:48)  4. Life's A Little Blue
(4:53)  5. Grand Valse
(5:23)  6. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)

Trumpeter Booker Little's second session as a leader (there would only be four) is a quartet outing (with Wynton Kelly on piano, bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Roy Haynes) that puts the emphasis on relaxed tempoes. Little's immediately recognizable melancholy sound and lyrical style are heard in top form on "Who Can I Turn To" and five of his originals, some of which deserve to be revived. His jazz waltz "The Grand Valse" (inspired by Sonny Rollins' "Valse Hot") is a highpoint of this set which has been reissued by Bainbridge/Time on CD. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/booker-little-mw0000313900

Personnel: Booker Little (trumpet), Wynton Kelly (piano), Scott LaFaro (bass), Roy Haynes (drums)

Bee Tee's Minor Plea

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Abbie Gardner - Hope

Styles: Vocal, Folk
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:17
Size: 83,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:09)  1. Break it Slow
(3:27)  2. Liar
(3:06)  3. Comes Love
(3:22)  4. I Can't Be Good for You
(4:38)  5. Hope
(3:11)  6. It's You
(2:32)  7. Bang Bang
(1:58)  8. Do It (feat. Craig Akin)
(2:59)  9. Nellie
(3:31) 10. Walkin' Cane
(3:19) 11. Too Soon

Coming five years and three Red Molly albums after her last solo CD, Hope is Abbie Gardner's latest solo recording- set to be released on April 1, 2011. The CD features her versatile voice backed by 3 types of slide guitar (dobro, lap steel, and National bottleneck) and a band comprised of not only her father, Herb Gardner (piano), but also her sister, Sarah Gardner, on organ. Ben Wittman (the drummer on Red Molly's James) locks in with upright bassist Craig Akin, who is featured on the first instrumental Abbie has ever recorded (a bass and dobro duet). The songs range from heartache to hope, from gritty lap steel to singing cellos, courtesy of Emily Hope Price. Folk sweetheart Robby Hecht lends his voice to three tracks and fellow member of Red Molly, Laurie MacAllister, is heard throughout. Longtime friends and collaborators Fred Gillen, Jr. and Beaucoup Blue also lend their voices.

"I feel like the songs revolve around Hope, both the song and the idea. Rather than having all hopeful songs, this CD reflects the glimmer of hope we all look for when in the midst of darkness."~ Abbie Gardner, talking about her new solo CD Hope.

"Abbie Gardner shows her prodigious writing chops in her new album, Hope. Tales of love and loss, both gritty and sweet, ride the back of her by-now familiar, formidable slide guitar licks. She channels Lucinda and Bonnie, but remains pure Abbie." ~  Richard Cuccaro, Publisher, Acoustic Live

"Abbie Gardner gives the grit to Red Molly with her Dobro playing. On her new solo CD we get to hear not only her instrumental and songwriting prowess, but her marvelously versatile voice, which can convey pain or playfulness or pure bad girl blues power."~ John Platt, WFUV   http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/abbiegardner7

Hope

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Benny Green - Source

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:30
Size: 122,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:08)  1. Blue Minor
(4:07)  2. Way 'Cross Town
(6:49)  3. I Waited For You
(4:47)  4. Little T
(6:05)  5. Cool Green
(3:32)  6. Tempus Fugit
(6:30)  7. Park Avenue Petite
(5:30)  8. Chant
(6:32)  9. Born To Be Blue
(4:26) 10. Opus De Funk

Pianist Benny Green has not been in the studio leading a recording date since his collaboration with Russell Malone, Bluebird (Telarc, 2004). Far from stagnating, Green has most recently been found providing support on recordings like Hilary Kole's You Are There (Justin Time, 2010), Kenny Burrell's Be Yourself (HighNote , 2010) and Anat Cohen's Clarinetworks: Live at the Village Vanguard. All this adds up to his attractiveness to Jazz Legacy Productions, a label that specializes in recording those artists without contract, or who are under-recorded. For this date, Green is joined by bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington - Vocals. Both Washingtons had previously recorded with Green, but not together. Recently, the trio performed together in Japan, Kenny Washington convincing Green to pursue the working chemistry of the trio. Source is the result of that working chemistry. Green decided on a play list that included compositions from many of the finest bebop and hard bop pianists, among them Bud Powell ("Tempus Fugit"), Sonny Clark ("Blue Minor"), Horace Silver ("Opus de Funk") and Kenny Drew ("Cool Green"). Green also pays and plays homage to trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie ("I Waited for You") and Donald Byrd ("Little T"). 

Conspicuously absent from Green influences is former employer Ray Brown, with whom Green recorded in the middle-to-late 1990s. Brown's "Dejection Blues" would have gone far for Green. Green's playing is exact and exemplary. He plays and solos precisely, as do the Washingtons, when called upon. This disc displays the art of the piano trio as it lies somewhere between the bandstand and the stage. It is not played so reverently to be consigned to a museum gathering dust but is played reverently enough to pay proper homage to those composers it represents. ~ C.Michael Bailey http://www.allaboutjazz.com/source-benny-green-jazz-legacy-productions-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php
 

Personnel: Benny Green: piano; Peter Washington: bass; Kenny Washington: drums.

Source

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Roz Corral - Telling Tales

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:49
Size: 125.5 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:17] 1. Too Close For Comfort
[5:04] 2. Wheelers And Dealers
[4:35] 3. Little Girl Blue
[4:38] 4. I'll Never Be The Same
[5:10] 5. Anyone Can Whistle
[5:13] 6. Let's Face The Music And Dance
[3:20] 7. I've Got No Strings
[6:11] 8. Change Partners
[5:58] 9. Out Of This World
[5:33] 10. Say It Ain't So
[3:46] 11. Something's Gotta Give

Roz Corral, vocals; Bruce Barth, piano; Larry Grenadier, bass; Jeff Ballard, drums; John Hart, guitar; Steve Wilson, alto saxophone and clarinet; Steve Davis, trombone.

Post-bop and vocal fans both have a reason to check out Roz Corral's debut album, Telling Tales, an impeccable presentation of a seasoned, confident voice singing well-written, enjoyable tunes with a swingin', modernist combo.

Arranger, singer, and musicians alike rarely give such attention to lyrics. This is the beauty of Telling Tales. The album tells a sort of musical story that is richly illustrated and comes full-circle emotionally—up, down, around, and finishing upbeat again. The icing on the cake is Roz Corral's voice; with distinctive timbre that isn't too much, and a delivery that's right-on with each and every note. ~Paul Lewis

Telling Tales

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Joey DeFrancesco - All Or Nothing At All

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:33
Size: 120.3 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Soul jazz
Year: 1998/2006
Art: Front

[6:48] 1. All Or Nothing At All
[5:46] 2. I Concentrate On You
[6:28] 3. Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)
[5:12] 4. Yes Or No
[8:36] 5. Young Love
[7:54] 6. On The Street Where You Live
[5:29] 7. I'm Confessin'
[6:17] 8. Cobalt Blue

Recorded Jan. 7th 1996 at Big Mo Recording Studios, Kensington MD Personnel: Producers: Ed Eastridge/ Joey DeFrancesco Joey DeFrancesco Hammond B-3, Wurlitzer Electric Piano Paul Bollenback Guitar Byron Landham Drums Engineers: Ed Eastridge/ Kevin Wait Mastered by Bill Wolf at Wolf Productions.

Joey DeFrancesco’s emergence in the 1980s marked the onset of a musical renaissance. Organ jazz had been a form of music that literally went into hibernation from the mid-seventies to the mid-eighties largely because of the introduction of high-tech, light-weight keyboards. It was Joey, however, that ignited the flame once again with the sound of his vintage Hammond organ and Leslie tone cabinet. He not only illuminated this once dormant music form but brought back the many proponents of jazz organ who had been shuffled by record producers and club owners to lesser roles within the music industry. Befriending and supporting those who preceded him, Joey became the new-age proponent of an instrument that had been pushed aside in favor of the growing technology.

Considered a child prodigy, Joey remembers as far back as age four, playing jazz tunes modeled by his father, Papa John DeFrancesco and memorizing music from the many jazz albums in their home. Papa John, a jazz organist himself, took young Joey under his wing and nurtured his rapidly developing skills, bringing Joey along with him to gigs, Joey would sit-in with as many seasoned Philadelphia musicians who were around. Legendary players like tenor saxophonist, Hank Mobley, or drummer, Philly Joe Jones, would soon become aware of young Joey DeFrancesco and acknowledge his enthusiasm. Joey’s grandfather and namesake, Joseph DeFrancesco, was the patriarch and, himself, a musician’s musician; able to pick up a new instrument and teach himself to play. This gift was passed down to young Joey and now manifests itself in Joey’s extraordinary keyboard skills; piano playing; and organ wizardry.

All Or Nothing At All

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Alex Sipiagin - Generations: Dedicated To Woody Shaw

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:14
Size: 154,3 MB
Art: Front

(8:41)  1. Greenwood I
(5:48)  2. Obsequious
(5:49)  3. Cassandranite
(7:33)  4. Beyond All Limits
(8:35)  5. Windy Bahn
(7:11)  6. Katrina Ballerina
(7:12)  7. Chance
(8:13)  8. Blues For Wood
(8:07)  9. Greenwood II

Alex Sipiagin pays it forward with his eighth Criss Cross release, Generations, dedicated to the late Woody Shaw, a lesser celebrated but brilliant trumpeter who performed with artists including Anthony Braxton, Chick Corea, Eric Dolphy, Andrew Hill. A fiery stylist with perfect pitch and lyricism, Shaw was admired by peers and emulated by up-and-comers as Sipiagin confirms, "Even now, many years later, every time I listen to Woody, I always find something new and inspiring." Sipiagin is also a stylist himself; an exceptional player and leader whose clarion horn has been called upon by bassist Dave Holland and saxophonist Michael Brecker. The trumpeter's band members are also leaders who have appeared on many of his releases, and were all members of various Brecker groups over the years, including the rhythmic underpinning of bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Antonio Sanchez. 

Adam Rogers, another leader in his own right, is the perfect complement to Sipiagin's warm tonality; a guitarist who continues to unveil his superlative skills on the similarly themed Due Reverence (Posi-Tone, 2010), saxophonist Ralph Bowen's tribute to other lesser-known but influential musicians. The trumpeter's group is convincing, with a persuasive mix of fresh Sipiagin originals and Shaw reworks that are pristine reflections and contrasts of both musicians. Rogers cooks up a funky riff throughout Sipiagin's "Greenwood I" and "Greenwood II" (an alternate take and a nod to older recordings), as the trumpeter throws down melodic notes with cool precision, shifting between multiple changes of swing. "Windy Bahn" is another original, initially sketched on the trumpeter's computer, a composition that features jagged tempo changes. The spirit of the great B3 organist Larry Young, with whom Shaw frequently performed, looms on three tracks Young's "Obsequious," as well as Shaw's "Cassandranite" and "Beyond All Limits." 

They're perfect examples of the elders' progressive ideas in structure and harmony, along with the keen arrangements with which Sipiagin highlights each musician the trumpeter's lucidity, Sanchez's detailed traps, Kozlov's meaty yet lithesome fingerings, and Rogers' liquid maneuvers. Referencing Shaw's biography and Sipiagin's liner notes, some historical points concerning these jazz musicians is noteworthy: First, Shaw felt an immediate connection to another forerunner, trumpeter Clifford Brown, who died in June 1956, the same month and year he started playing. Second, the first time Sipiagin heard Shaw was around 1985, while studying in Russia; four years before Shaw's untimely passing in 1989. From one impactful connection to the next; the music continues its vitality. ~ Mark F.Turner  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/generations-alex-sipiagin-criss-cross-review-by-mark-f-turner.php
 

Personnel: Alex Sipiagin: trumpet, flugelhorn; Adam Rogers: guitar; Boris Kozlov: bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums.

Generations: Dedicated To Woody Shaw

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Art Farmer - Silk Road

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:19
Size: 126,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:36)  1. Tonk
(8:22)  2. Ancient Evening
(5:34)  3. Stardust
(7:30)  4. Dance Of The One
(5:48)  5. Silk Road (Dedicated to D. Brown)
(6:57)  6. Flashback
(7:48)  7. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(6:41)  8. Coming Home

Art Farmer has long been one of the most consistent of all brassmen. Playing the flumpet (which is a cross between a trumpet and a flugelhorn), Farmer is heard throughout this 1996 set in top form. He utilizes two complementary young tenor saxophonists (Ron Blake and Don Braden), a skilled pianist-arranger (Geoff Keezer), bassist Kenny Davis, and drummer Carl Allen. The repertoire consists of an original apiece by Farmer, Braden, and Davis, two by Keezer, Ray Bryant's memorable "Tonk," Duke Ellington's "I Let a Song Go out of My Heart," and a slightly altered rendition of "Stardust." 

While his sidemen play quite well, the warm-toned and swinging Farmer is consistently the main star, and at age 68 he proves to still be in his prime. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/silk-road-mw0000058233

Personnel:  Art Farmer – trumpet/flugelhorn;  Ron Blake – soprano tenor saxes;  Don Braden – soprano tenor saxes;  Geoff Keezer – piano;  Kenny Davis – bass;  Carl Allen - drums

Silk Road

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Auction Project - Slink

Styles: Mainstream Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:40
Size: 166,6 MB
Art: Front

(8:28)  1. Bear Island Reel
(8:28)  2. Cleveland
(8:35)  3. Slink
(8:43)  4. Richie Dwyer's Reel
(8:20)  5. The Wind That Shakes The Barley
(8:37)  6. Heron's Egg
(7:00)  7. Marquis Of Huntley
(9:01)  8. Angry White Man
(5:23)  9. Workmanship (Air)

It’s jazz, but then it’s something else. Slink (David Bixler, 2014) is a collection of nine songs, many with Irish or Celtic roots. The group is headed by David Bixler, alto saxophone; and Heather Martin Bixler, violin. The rest of the band are Arturo O’Farrill, piano; Carlo De Rosa, acoustic and electric bass; and Vince Cherico, drums and cymbals. “Bear Island Reel” opens the set. It’s a moderate groove with the sax and violin stating overlapping phrases during the melody. In the notes, the song is described as an early Irish version of the Funky Chicken. Bear Island is a location off the south of Ireland, where composer Finbar Dwyer grew up. A reel, explained in the text, is a folk dance. The Bixlers carry the lead during the main theme, making use of overlapping phrases. The violin is out front for a good bit of the first third of the song, before stepping aside for sax and piano solos. When the song reverts to the main theme, sax has the melody all by itself, with the violin ad-libbing and the piano putting in extra emphasis here and there.

Guitarist Mike Stern sits in on the title track. His unique style is evident from the first note. The title is named for one of the Bixler children, Seth, who is known to slink about and add stress to his parents’ lives. The music reflects that concept well as it changes moods and intensity. One can easily imagine this being the soundtrack to a motion picture sequence wherein some small person gets into things that fall just short of disaster. Cleaning bills will increase, if not medical expenses. Three of the nine songs on Slink were composed by David Bixler. Heather Martin Bixler wrote the closer, “Workmanship.” The other songs were arranged by David. The music is part tribute to Irish and Scottish heritage, and part reflection of the lives of the Bixlers and their children. http://www.smooth-jazz.de/Woodrow/Auction/Slink.htm

Personnel: David Bixler (alto saxophone); Heather Martin Bixler (violin); Arturo O'Farrill (piano); Carlo DeRosa (acoustic bass, electric bass); Vince Cherico (drums, cymbals).

Slink

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The Ruby Braff Quartet - Watch What Happens...

Size: 149,0 MB
Time: 64:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Handful Of Keys (4:08)
02. Slumming On Park Avenue (7:08)
03. It's All Right With Me (4:35)
04. Watch What Happens (6:41)
05. Shadowland (4:06)
06. Here's Carl (6:24)
07. We'll Be Together Again (5:45)
08. The Blue Room (7:33)
09. Frankly (3:59)
10. Over The Rainbow (7:29)
11. What A Little Moonlight Will Do (6:09)

Ruby Braff was 75 years old and terrorists had just destroyed the World Trade Center when this session was recorded in New York on September 12, 2001. Those two facts could reasonably have been expected to put the kibosh on the recording project -- but for one thing, age seems to have no effect on Braff, and for another, he and drummer Jake Hanna weren't going to be able to go anywhere anyway. Pianist Dick Hyman was there already and they were able to get guitarist Howard Alden into Manhattan from his apartment in Hoboken to substitute for Bucky Pizzarelli, so they went ahead with what was initially a somber (and bass-less) session. Amazingly, there is nothing heavy or dark about the music recorded here, though it is intense. Braff plays, it almost seems, as if reviewing his life: The New Orleans-y smears and the sly Charlie Parker quotes are reflective if not nostalgic, though there is a distinct lack of sentimentality in the way he gently forces the swing on "Over the Rainbow." Hyman, Alden, and Hanna push him along but keep out of his way, and the result is a brilliant set that showcases one of the living treasures of jazz playing at the peak of his powers in an emotionally complex and logistically challenging moment. Very strongly recommended to all lovers of traditional jazz. ~by Rick Anderson

Watch What Happens...

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Johnny Varro Swing 7 - Ring Dem Bells

Size: 169,6 MB
Time: 72:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Corner Pocket (5:51)
02. Stompy Jones (6:57)
03. Yours Is My Heart Alone (3:37)
04. Sweet Substitute (4:11)
05. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (5:36)
06. Ring Dem Bells (4:16)
07. Only A Rose (4:01)
08. Come Sunday (4:06)
09. Suddenly It's Spring (3:41)
10. Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble (5:47)
11. You Stepped Out Of A Dream (5:25)
12. Minute Waltz (3:52)
13. One, Two Button Your Shoe (4:16)
14. Buddy Bolden's Blues (5:45)
15. Sonny Speaks (4:57)

In the ecclesiastics of swing, the Johnny Varro Swing 7 would be in the liberal camp. Pianist Varro, irrespective of his associations with neo-traditionalists, is no atavist trying to recreate the swing of yesteryear via musical Xeroxing; he’s more interested in invoking its spirit. So his charts here, while relying on tried-and-true strategies from the swing era—riffs, breaks, shout choruses, kickers—don’t hue close to earlier sources, even when he explicitly references earlier models. The charts and tempos are indubitably his own, with ballads often revved up and swingers like “Corner Pocket” pushed up a notch.

Varro’s liberality shows in his adventurous repertoire selections as well as his inventive charts. Franz Lehar’s “Yours Is My Heart Alone,” Rudolph Friml’s “Only a Rose” and even Jimmy Van Heusen’s “Suddenly It’s Spring,” are unusual jazz fodder, all turned into crisp, swinging vehicles. “You Stepped Out of a Dream” dares to dream a new, contrafact melody redolent of ’50s cool, while “Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble” is a grand tour of jazz from the two-beat ’20s to the suave ’40s.

Solos rarely exceed a chorus or two, and Varro has the increasingly rare talent of being able to tell a story in a compact space. A prime example: “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise,” bookended by Ken Peplowski’s dancing clarinet, highlighted by Dan Barrett’s double-barreled (mute, plunger) trombone solo, Randy Sandke’s swing-to-bop trumpet and Scott Robinson’s Pres-idential tenor sax. And for delightful exuberance, hear how Varro, bassist Frank Tate and drummer Joe Ascione drive the incrementally building swing and solos of the title track.

Ring Dem Bells

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Sara Mitra - Losing You

Size: 100,0 MB
Time: 40:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Folk/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. Losing You (2:41)
02. Baltimore Oriole (4:00)
03. In The Pines (3:15)
04. Sixteen Miles (3:16)
05. Help Me Make It Through The Night (2:13)
06. Love Affair (3:57)
07. Bang Bang (2:40)
08. The Secret Sorrow Of A Travelling Man (2:27)
09. Here Lies My Love (2:52)
10. Going Home Alone (4:13)
11. Nothing And No One (3:04)
12. She Moved Through The Fair (5:50)

Sara Mitra is a singer, songwriter and bandleader. Her new music forges an original, alternative sound at the junction of folk, jazz and psychedelic blues. A Time Out ‘Critics Choice’ live act, Mitra’s second album ‘Losing You’ (produced by Ben ‘Nostalgia 77’ Lamdin) will be launched at The Vortex Jazz Club, Dalston on Sunday May 10th 2015. Recorded using vintage analogue tape technology, ‘Losing You’ will be released Monday 11th May 2015 as a limited edition vinyl LP, with digital downloads of the album also available.

First recorded during her second pregnancy, and completed whilst caring for her new baby, Mitra has created a collection of songs steeped in the realities of 21st century working-womanhood. Of Indian and Irish descent, Essex-born now London-based with her husband (jazz drummer Tim Giles), Mitra’s original lyrics are stark yet tender: often exploring subjects considered ‘taboo’ in secular Western society. From the possibility of life-after-death to the navigation of happy-ever-after, these songs of loss versus ‘letting go’ were recorded across a number of dates, fitting around the needs of Mitra’s growing young family. With Ben Lamdin’s (Jamie Cullum, Gregory Porter, Laura Mvula) unique production skills in manipulating vintage analogue equipment, the music was primarily recorded live onto tape, shunning the pervasive ‘auto-tuned’ sound of many contemporary vocal releases.

‘Losing You’ had the exclusive debut of its title track on BBC Radio 2 during a special interview feature with Jamie Cullum. The album’s first single ‘Baltimore Oriole’ received airplay across BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6Music (on Gilles Peterson’s show) and multiple independent radio stations including WahWah45 Records own Wah Wah Radio, who named ‘Baltimore Oriole’ ‘Download of the Month’.

Losing You

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Joe Kaplowitz Trio - Letzeve: A Tasteful Of Jazz

Size: 110,5 MB
Time: 46:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Sulla Scogliera (4:06)
02. Seduta (4:33)
03. Una Nuvola E (4:25)
04. Rosetta's Stride (4:10)
05. Che Accerezza (5:27)
06. Il Prato (5:41)
07. Untouchable Flower Of My Desires (4:04)
08. Un’erica Rosa (5:29)
09. Ha Come (2:55)
10. Amica (6:00)

Joe Kaplowitz is a versatile jazz pianist, jazz organist and composer who spent most of his youth growing up in the Washington DC area. He began playing the piano at age 7 and was playing piano and tuba professionally by 15. In his youth Joe was a devoted student of his parent’s record collection and was inspired by the music of Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Charles Mingus and many other great Jazz musicians.

In 1995 he completed his degree in music from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. Joe remained in the northeastern Ohio region for several years and performed regularly with his own trio and was a first call pianist in the area. In 1996 Joe began to play the Hammond B3 organ and has been working to find new sounds and to use the instrument in new musical settings. One such setting is a duo with New York percussionist Phil Kester in which musical ideas from around the planet are being infused with improvisation. Joe has returned to live in the Washington DC area and has one piano trio recording, ‘Trio Construction’

Letzeve

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Lawrence Cotton - Hoping You'll Happen This Way…

Size: 99,8 MB
Time: 38:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Lady In The Dark My Ship (4:02)
02. Meet Me Where They Play The Blues (3:42)
03. Stardust (4:54)
04. Deed I Do (3:13)
05. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning (4:37)
06. Moonlight Serenade (4:10)
07. Lean Baby (2:47)
08. You Go To My Head (6:02)
09. God Bless The Child (5:13)

“A vocalist of exceptionable range and colour, an astonishingly varied musical background, this is a much anticipated first recording.’

Toronto-based LAWRENCE COTTON is a classically trained singer and actor who received his performer’s union cards at a young age. Growing up in a family of musicians and music educators, he first heard jazz resounding from the big hi-fi in the family living room: his father’s extensive collection of jazz LPs was on constant rotation. The music of Glenn Miller, Jack Teagarden and many others made a deep and lasting impression, and Lawrence has now turned his attention to jazz standards to share his love of them with the world. Sounding more like the jazz crooners of a bygone age he combines his warm, vintage tone with the storytelling abilities of the award-winning actor and director that he is. This CD features a broad range of tunes in new and inventive arrangements

Hoping You'll Happen This Way…

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Kenny Burrell - I Found My Love Outside

Size: 297,4 MB
Time: 128:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Rhythmorama ( 6:23)
02. 36-23-36 (Live) ( 3:45)
03. Delilah ( 6:00)
04. Blues For Skeeter ( 8:02)
05. Takeela ( 4:18)
06. Fugue 'n' Blues ( 6:44)
07. Get Happy ( 3:57)
08. Lady Be Good (Live) ( 9:59)
09. Hallelujah (Live) (11:38)
10. Don't Cry Baby ( 8:15)
11. Birk's Works - Live ( 9:44)
12. Lover Man ( 8:19)
13. All Of You ( 6:16)
14. Perception ( 6:05)
15. But Not For Me ( 3:44)
16. Drum Boogie ( 9:13)
17. This Time The Dream's On Me ( 4:55)
18. Strictly Confidential ( 6:25)
19. Weaver Of Dreams ( 4:39)

One of the leading exponents of straight-ahead jazz guitar, Kenny Burrell is a highly influential artist whose understated and melodic style, grounded in bebop and blues, made him in an in-demand sideman from the mid-'50s onward and a standard by which many jazz guitarists gauge themselves to this day. Born in Detroit in 1931, Burrell grew up in a musical family in which his mother played piano and sang in the Second Baptist Church choir and his father favored the banjo and ukulele. Burrell began playing guitar at age 12 and quickly fell under the influence of such artists as Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, Oscar Moore, T-Bone Walker, and Muddy Waters. Surrounded by the vibrant jazz and blues scene of Detroit, Burrell began to play gigs around town and counted among his friends and bandmates pianist Tommy Flanagan, saxophonists Pepper Adams and Yusef Lateef, drummer Elvin Jones, and others.

In 1951, Burrell made his recording debut on a combo session that featured trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie as well as saxophonist John Coltrane, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, and bassist Percy Heath. Although his talent ranked among the best of the professional jazz players at the time, Burrell continued to study privately with renowned classical guitarist Joe Fava and enrolled in the music program at Wayne State University. Upon graduating in 1955 with a B.A. in music composition and theory, Burrell was hired for a six-month stint touring with pianist Oscar Peterson's trio. Then, in 1956, Burrell and Flanagan moved to New York City and immediately became two of the most sought-after sidemen in town, performing on gigs with such luminaries as singers Tony Bennett and Lena Horne, playing in Broadway pit orchestras, as well as recording with an array of legendary musicians including Coltrane, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, organist Jimmy Smith, vocalist Billie Holiday, and many others. Burrell made his recorded debut as a leader on the 1956 Blue Note session Introducing Kenny Burrell -- technically his second session for the label, but the first to see release. From the late '50s onward, Burrell continued to record by himself and with others, and has appeared on countless albums over the years including such notable albums as 1957's The Cats featuring Coltrane, 1963's Midnight Blue featuring saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, 1965's Guitar Forms with arrangements by Gil Evans, and 1968's Blues -- The Common Ground.

Beginning in 1971, Burrell started leading various college seminars including the first regular course to be held in the United States on the music of composer, pianist, and bandleader Duke Ellington. He continued performing, recording, and teaching throughout the '80s and '90s, releasing several albums including 1989's Guiding Spirit, 1991's Sunup to Sundown, 1994's Collaboration with pianist LaMont Johnson, 1995's Primal Blue, and 1998's church music-inspired Love Is the Answer. In 2001, Burrell released the relaxed quartet date A Lucky So and So on Concord and followed it up in 2003 with Blue Muse. He celebrated turning 75 years old in 2006 by recording a live date, released a year later as 75th Birthday Bash Live! In 2010, Burrell released the live album, Be Yourself: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, recorded at Lincoln Center's smaller club-like venue, followed two years later by Special Requests (And Other Favorites): Live at Catalina's. Besides continuing to perform, Burrell is the founder and director of the Jazz Studies Program at UCLA as well as President Emeritus of the Jazz Heritage Foundation. ~by Matt Collar

I Found My Love Outside

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