Mônica Passos - Lemniscate

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:11
Size: 137.8 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova/Folk/Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:23] 1. Àguas De Março
[6:13] 2. Avec Le Temps
[2:22] 3. Rien De Rien
[5:30] 4. Carmen
[4:29] 5. Colchiques Dans Les Prés
[5:19] 6. La Mémoire Et La Mer
[3:27] 7. Valsa Do Amor Perfeito
[4:35] 8. Les Feuilles Mortes
[2:44] 9. A La Claire Fontaine
[2:27] 10. Riders On The Storm
[4:13] 11. Jalousie
[3:15] 12. La Caravane
[2:18] 13. Tico Tico
[2:34] 14. Odéon
[3:17] 15. Lemniscate
[3:58] 16. J.Y.M

Guitar, Programmed By, Arranged By, Directed By – Jean-Philippe Crespin; Guitar, Voice, Arranged By – Mônica Passos; Harp – Margot Varret; Organ [Special Featuring] – Emmanuel Bex (tracks: 5); Percussion – Jorge Bezerra Junior, Thomas Ostrowiecki; Saxophone [Special Featuring] – Archie Shepp (tracks: 2, 8); Surdo – Edmundo Carneiro; Trombone – Stéphane Beaussier; Trumpet – Emma Ruiz; Viola – Jean-Yves Lenoble; Alto Saxophone – Eric Gallois; Backing Vocals, Guitar – Félix Jacquin; Clarinet, Oboe, Baritone Saxophone – Daniel Beaussier; Flute – Bérénice Riollet; Flute [G] – Bernard Wystraete.

The Brazilian-born French singer and guitarist Mônica Passos mixes bossa nova with folk, jazz, and pop to arrive at a sound all her own. On this 2008 disc, Passos presents her own sensual adaptations of material from Leo Ferré ("Avec le Temps"), Duke Ellington (an exotic "La Caravane"), Antonio Carlos Jobim (a brisk "Àguas de Março"), Georges Bizet ("Habanera" from Carmen), Jean-Baptiste Lully ("A la Clair Fontaine"), and even the Doors (a flamenco-tinged "Riders on the Storm"). On several tracks, Passos and her 13-piece band are also joined by organist Emmanuel Bex and John Coltrane alumnus Archie Shepp on saxophone.

Lemniscate

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Hendrik Meurkens - New York Nights

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:42
Size: 125.2 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz, Harmonica jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[5:49] 1. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
[5:27] 2. It Could Happen To You
[6:06] 3. New York Nights
[2:37] 4. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
[5:45] 5. Slidin'
[6:22] 6. Bittersweet
[6:59] 7. My Foolish Heart
[4:59] 8. The Cottage
[5:45] 9. Second Waltz
[4:49] 10. Scrapple From The Apple

The harmonica is common enough that many can immediately identify with Hendrik Meurkens' unusual agility on the instrument. This straightforward set of ten standards is distinguished for including Eric Alexander on tenor sax on several of the tunes, along with a first rate rhythm section with the venerable Jimmy Cobb on drums. Meurkins mixes the bop-infused selections well, reaching back to Bird's "Scrapple from the Apple," throwing in standards such as "My Foolish Heart" and "You Stepped Out of a Dream," and touching them off with a few very fine originals. Meurkens blows his harmonica as though it were a trumpet or saxophone, and his pure tone and natural swing pleasurably create generally upbeat, often exciting solos. While few surprises are in store, and the harmonica-ist never grandstands, his strong command of the instrument is a thrill to hear, and his modest meat-and-potatoes approach hits the mark. Alexander comes from the same mold as Meurkens, and the saxophonist's finely crafted improvisations add immeasurable to this enjoyable recording. ~Steve Loewy

New York Nights

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Ben Webster - The Warm Moods

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:22
Size: 81.0 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1960/2013
Art: Front

[2:23] 1. The Sweetheart Of Sigma Chi
[2:58] 2. Stella By Starlight
[3:02] 3. With Every Breath I Take
[2:57] 4. Accent On Youth
[2:49] 5. But Beautiful
[3:07] 6. Time After Time
[3:09] 7. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)
[2:43] 8. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[3:21] 9. It Was So Beautiful
[2:23] 10. The Whiffenpoof Song
[3:07] 11. It's Easy To Remember
[3:16] 12. There's No You

The veteran tenor Ben Webster had a very warm tone on ballads that contrasted with the aggressive biting sound he used on faster material. For this 1960 set Webster is joined by a string quartet (arranged by Johnny Richards) and a rhythm section for his melodic interpretations of a dozen standards. Even when simply stating the melody, Webster brings out unexpected beauty in the songs. His tone has never been accurately duplicated and is the main reason to pick up this CD reissue. ~Scott Yanow

The Warm Moods

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Richard Smith - First Kiss

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:21
Size: 99.3 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz, Smooth jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[4:17] 1. First Kiss
[4:40] 2. Rhythm Method
[4:28] 3. Midnight Run
[5:51] 4. A Minor Love Affair
[4:52] 5. Never Too Much
[5:04] 6. Impulsive
[4:19] 7. Mission Of Love
[4:43] 8. Like A Dream
[5:03] 9. Put It Where You Want It

Richard Smith, guitars; Tim Redfield, keyboards & programming, Larry Antonino, bass; Special Guests: Richard Elliot, Peter White, Brandon Fields, Michael Lington, Tony Guererro, Greg Vale.Richard Smith’s debut released in 1997 on Heads Up International is an imaginative full-length music CD and multimedia CD-Rom with a video, artist profile, free internet access for 30 days and much more.

This innovative concept advances smooth jazz toward the next millennium with Richard Smith playing nine songs on acoustic and electric guitar. Smith produced a major technical accomplishment and wrote five of the compositions. The CD is a compliment to technology and to his special guests, Richard Elliot, Peter White, Brandon Fields and Tim Redfield. The title track “First Kiss,” reflects his passion and love for his wife as well as his work and provides the listener with an exciting blend of guitar and saxophone melodies. New Media and the Smooth Jazz genre continue to be the perfect coupling of jazz and state-of-the-art-technology on First Kiss. ~Paula Edelstein

First Kiss

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Karen Sharp - So Far So Good

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:08
Size: 145,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:18)  1. Candy
(6:31)  2. I've Never Been In Love Before
(5:41)  3. Doowap
(8:06)  4. Sheltered By the Stars
(4:54)  5. Smile
(6:27)  6. I Want More
(1:57)  7. Mona Lisa
(5:39)  8. So Far So Good
(5:37)  9. Mr Gas Man
(5:26) 10. Small World
(5:39) 11. Flight of the Foo Birds
(1:48) 12. Smile - Reprise

Sharp began only during her composition studies at the Royal Northern College of Music with the saxophone after an intake of Dexter Gordon had heard. They first played in the jazz band of the college and a soul band in Liverpool. In 1999 she moved to London, where she soon with musicians like Scott Hamilton , John Dankworth , Danny Moss , Alan Barnes , Joe Temperley , Mark Nightingale , Annie Whitehead , Ellyn Rucker, Roy Williams , Scott Robinson , Ken Peplowski or Elkie Brooks occurred. In 2004 she took Humphrey Lyttelton in his octet , which she belonged for three years. In the Ginza Festival in Tokyo in 2006, she presented with Tina May and Nikki Iles . Next they played in the bands of Digby Fairweather and Enrico Tomasso . Since 2002 she has released five albums under his own name; also she led a trio, the Barbara Lea and Dick Sudhalter belonged. Between 2002 and 2011 she recorded 16 recordings,  with Humphrey Lyttelton and George Melly. Translate by Google  https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Sharp 

Karen Sharp's So Far so Good features Karen on tenor sax, Dave Priseman on trumpet, Richard Busiakiewicz on piano, John Day on double bass and Matt Fishwick on drums.

So Far So Good

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Gerald Clayton - Bond: The Paris Sessions

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:12
Size: 161,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:44)  1. If I Were a Bell
(3:44)  2. Bond: The Cast
(5:04)  3. Bootleg Bruise
(6:14)  4. Major Hope
(4:00)  5. Bond: Fresh Squeeze
(3:48)  6. Snake Bite
(6:31)  7. Sun Glimpse
(1:15)  8. Which Persons?
(6:42)  9. 3D
(4:35) 10. Nobody Else But Me
(3:39) 11. All the Things You Are
(3:42) 12. Bond: The Release
(3:30) 13. Shout and Cry
(4:50) 14. Round Come Round
(4:48) 15. Hank

Gerald Clayton has been one of the bright lights of his generation, playing with the Clayton Brothers (co-led by his father and uncle) and accompanying instrumentalists (Roy Hargrove, Don Braden, and Ambrose Akinmusire), jazz vocalists (Roberta Gambarini, Diana Krall, and Melissa Morgan), jazz-pop singers (Michael Bublé and Reneé Olstead), in addition to leading his own band and composing. His second release as a leader is a trio session with bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Justin Brown, plus some solo piano tracks. His interpretations of standards are remarkably fresh, considering how often they have been recorded in a jazz setting. He sets up "If I Were a Bell" with a subtle vamp as he slowly works his way into it, delivering a witty performance well supported by his sidemen. 

Clayton, while not totally eschewing the famous introduction to "All the Things You Are" added by Dizzy Gillespie, does rework it into a more subtle harmonic device before delving directly into the song, with a tense, understated approach that simmers but never reaches the boiling point. His solo take of "Nobody Else But Me" is full of intricately interwoven lines while still swinging like mad. Where Clayton really stands apart from young musicians of his generation is as a composer. He shows a surprising maturity for his age, as his pieces display a wealth of stylistic influences yet retain memorable themes that hold one's interest as well. Highlights including his dramatic three-part suite, his Impressionist "Sun Glimpse," and the touching lyrical ballad "Hank." ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/bond-the-paris-sessions-mw0002109351

Personnel: Gerald Clayton (piano); Justin Brown (drums).

Bond:The Paris Sessions

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Marty Elkins - Walkin' By The River

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:08
Size: 140,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:50)  1. If I Could Be With You
(3:23)  2. Runnin' Wild
(5:24)  3. Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby
(3:08)  4. Garbage Can Blues
(3:31)  5. When My Sugar Walks Down the Street
(5:20)  6. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin'
(3:17)  7. There'll Be Some Changes Made
(5:38)  8. Down To Steamboat Tennessee
(5:52)  9. Comes Love
(4:40) 10. Ill Wind
(5:05) 11. I'll Never Be The Same
(4:55) 12. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
(5:58) 13. Walkin' By The River

Marty Elkins was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.  As a child she listened mostly to the soul stations in New York, and the late night R&B shows like Jocko’s Rocket Ship.  She left there for college in Boston, and while in college was given a copy of Ella Fitzgerald and Ellis Larkins.  She was also exposed to Charlie Parker, Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, and Louis Jordan, but the life changing day was when she found a copy of Billie Holiday’s “Lady in Satin” in a local Woolworth bin in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Literally holing up in her room with this recording, and a Bessie Smith record she acquired, she became devoted to jazz and began listening to it exclusively.  She had the good fortune to meet musicians in that area who played jazz such as Herb Pomeroy, Ray Santisi, Jimmy Mosher, and Dave McKenna among others. Dave McKenna had a steady gig at the Copley Plaza, and he encouraged her to sing with him there.  She landed a gig singing with a vocal trio in Bo Winiker’s band, floating around the Boston harbor singing Andrew Sisters songs. http://www.martyelkins.com/bio/

Walkin' By The River

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Gordon Lee - One Two Three

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:37
Size: 141,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:11)  1. Afternoon Shadows
(5:38)  2. Moon Shower
(5:07)  3. Strawberry Fields Forever
(6:11)  4. Too Much News
(5:36)  5. Shame, Shame
(6:27)  6. Melancholy May
(5:11)  7. Autumn Leaves
(4:52)  8. Spring In The Park
(5:54)  9. In A Sentimental Mood
(5:20) 10. Keep A Low Profile
(5:06) 11. Pepper Song

Like many jazz musicians, pianist Gordon Lee has made a living playing all sorts of musical styles as an accompanist, while occasionally getting to record a jazz date of his own. One of the first Portland-based artists to record for the fledgling label Diatic, Lee's engaging originals are the primary focus, mostly trio settings with bassist Andre St. James and bassist Carlton Jackson, highlighted by his haunting "Afternoon Shadows" and the ominous "Melancholy May." His two solo features include a dramatic original ("Shame, Shame" and a dreamy interpretation of Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood" that takes on a pastoral air. Tenor saxophonist Renato Caranto (who has also recorded as a leader for Diatic) is added on three duo selections, though the standard "Autumn Leaves" and Lee's gospel-flavored "Pepper Song" prove far more compelling than the Beatles' tired "Strawberry Fields Forever," which doesn't translate so easily into jazz. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/one-two-three-mw0001523897

One Two Three

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Arnett Cobb - Deep Purple: The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions, Toulouse, France 1973

Size: 117,3 MB
Time: 50:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2002
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Deep Purple (8:12)
02. Claude Of Mine (6:34)
03. Cobb's Blues (9:09)
04. Swannee River (7:42)
05. Cobb's Boogie (5:57)
06. Willow Weep For Me (8:12)
07. Light Like That (4:45)

Featuring Milt Buckner, Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown and Michael Silva.

Cobb was born Arnette Cleophus Cobbs in Houston, Texas. His musical career began with the local bands of Chester Boone, from 1934 to 1936, and Milt Larkin, from 1936 to 1942 (which included a period on the West Coast with Floyd Ray). He replaced Illinois Jacquet in Lionel Hampton’s band in 1942, staying with Hampton until 1947.

Cobb then started his own seven-piece band, but suffered a serious illness in 1950, which necessitated spinal surgery. Although he re-formed the band on his recovery, in 1956 its success was again interrupted, this time by a car crash. This had long term effects on his health, involving periods in hospital, and making him permanently reliant on crutches; nevertheless, Cobb worked as a soloist through the 1970s and 1980s in the U.S. and Europe.

Deep Purple

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Alexis Cole & Bucky Pizzarelli - A Beautiful Friendship

Size: 127,6 MB
Time: 54:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. A Beautiful Friendship (4:15)
02. East Of The Sun (4:07)
03. Honeysuckle Rorse (3:24)
04. I Thought About You (5:16)
05. If I Were A Bell (3:28)
06. Just Friends (3:36)
07. Mood Indigo (3:50)
08. Blue Moon - Moonglow (3:40)
09. On The Street Where You Live (5:37)
10. Stardust (2:57)
11. Stompin' At The Savoy (3:46)
12. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (3:15)
13. These Foolish Things (3:01)
14. Watch What Happens (4:07)

On this release, vocalist Alexis Cole joins forces with guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. Joining them are are Nicki Parrott on bass and vocals, Frank Vignola on guitar, Anat Cohen on clarinet, and Warren Vache on trumpet.

Called "one of the great voices of today," by Jonathan Schwartz, Alexis Cole has been compared to classic jazz singers such as Sarah Vaughan and Anita O'Day. She's performed with the Boston Pops and New York Philharmonic on stage at venues from Avery Fisher Hall to the Kennedy Center.Her nine recordings, which feature musical luminaries such as Fred Hersch, Eric Alexander, Matt Wilson, Harry Pickens, Don Braden and Pat LaBarbara, have received high praise in the jazz press and are spun on radio world-wide.

In addition to her many performances on great stages, Alexis can be seen at top jazz venues like Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, The Jazz Standard, Blues Alley, and Billboard Live, Tokyo. Cole is the recipient of a Swing Journal Gold Disk award, and was a winner of the NY Jazzmobile and Montreux Jazz Festival vocal competitions, and a finalist of the Sarah Vaughan Competition.

Bucky Pizzarelli is an American jazz guitarist and banjoist, and the father of jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and upright bassist Martin Pizzarelli. The list of musicians Pizzarelli has collaborated with over his career includes Les Paul, Stephane Grappelli, and Benny Goodman. Pizzarelli acknowledges Django Reinhardt, Freddie Green, and George Van Eps for their influences on his style and mode of play.

A Beautiful Friendship 

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Fernando Rusconi Hammond Organ Trio - Oscuridad

Size: 136,7 MB
Time: 59:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Jazz Funk, Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. La Era De Los Modernos Pt. 2 (4:40)
02. Free And Elastic (8:53)
03. The Winner (5:20)
04. Estuvo Aqui (7:23)
05. Buga Buga Boogaloo (5:44)
06. Funny Blues (5:14)
07. Oscuridad (6:38)
08. New Directions (7:12)
09. La Era De Los Modernos Pt. 1 (3:38)
10. Amazing Grace (4:31)

The trio began operating in early 2000 and so far has recorded 5 albums, "Conclusiones" (2002), "Equilibrio" (2005), "Nada mas que decir" (2008), "Lost In Time" (2010). "No moon, no sun, no age" (2012)
From his early training with Pablo Vernieri and Marcelo Von Schultz, different musicians have joined at each stage; Pablo Fiorentini, James Suggs, Santiago Castelani, Miguel Tallarita, Ezequiel Piazza, Luis De la Torre and David Cantoni, among others.
By late 2008, the group consolidated with the addition of Ryan Anderson on guitar and Timoty Cid on drums, giving a dramatic change and affirming their musical direction which developed from his second album "Equilibrio" to a side with more funk and power, with many echoes of the 60s and 70s without losing the essence of jazz, with a sound more raw, rough, almost rock, stripped of everything digital and focused in its entirety to an aesthetic marked by good vintage and similar instruments.

He has made presentations across the country and abroad, such as the Jazz Festival of Buenos Aires, Cycle Jazzología in the San Martín Theatre, Hall A, B and Muiño of the San Martín Theatre, Jazz Festival of Moron, Hall Leopoldo Marechall of the Victoria Auditorium of San Juan, ND Ateneo, Niceto, Thelonius Club, Notorious, Jamsessions (Program channel 7), the blades of Villa Gessell, Auditorium Theatre in Mar del Plata, Neuquen, Uruguay, Corrientes, Comodoro Rivadavia, Chaco, Catamarca, Bariloche, Córdoba, Río Cuarto, Rafaela, Sunchales, Rosario, San Rafael, San Juan, Mendoza, Atlantic Coast, Chascomús, Zárate, Campana, Jazz Festival of La Plata, sample music from La Plata, among others.

In 2010, as part of the presentation of his new album "Lost In Time", the group made a tour through Argentina and Uruguay with Medeski, Martin and Wood, a renowned American trio, who in the 90's revolutionized jazz with an exquisite fusion of funk, soul, rock and groove. The group also performed at The Coliseum Bs.As, Libertador Theatre of Cordoba, La Trastienda in Montevideo Uruguay, and the Theatre Español in Neuquen.

Fernando Rusconi, Hammond B3 Organ Hohner Clavinet D6 and Pablo Vernieri, electric guitar with Marcelo Von schultz on Battery.

Fernando Rusconi:
He graduated from the Conservatory of Music “Alberto Ginastera” in Moron. He studied Instrumentation,Orchestration and Composition later on in Modern Harmony, Counterpoint, . Simultaneously, he studied Jazz improvisation and Development Sound-System Analog and Digital.

In the nineties, with the acquisition and restoration of his first Hammond B3 Organ, he ventured into the specific technique of this instrument in jazz and into the organ functioning style of renowned organists from the sixties.

Beginning in 2000 to this date, he serves as a Professor of "Harmonic Piano" after winning first place in difficult contests coveringthat subject taking place at the "Conservatorio de música Juan José Castro", Martinez (contests 2002/03 /04); “Conservatorio de musica Alberto Ginastera" Moron (contests 2001/02/03/04) ”Escuela superior de Arte de Campana” (contests 2000/01/02), "Conservatorio de música”, Chivilcoy (contests 2002/03) "Escuela Popular de Música" Lujan (competition 2007).

Oscuridad

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Charl Du Plessis Trio - Gershwin Songbook

Size: 133,1 MB
Time: 57:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz, Vocals
Art: Front

01. I Got Rhythm (3:09)
02. Someone To Watch Over Me (4:43)
03. Fascinating Rhythm (3:30)
04. Lets Call The Whole Thing Off (2:00)
05. I Loves You Porgy (5:33)
06. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' (3:00)
07. Our Love Is Here To Stay (3:58)
08. The Man I Love (3:26)
09. S' Wonderful (3:43)
10. Embraceable You (4:00)
11. Rhapsody In Blue Pt. 1 (9:29)
12. Rhapsody In Blue Pt. 2 (2:53)
13. Rhapsody In Blue Pt. 3 (2:58)
14. Summertime (5:02)

The Charl du Plessis Trio is one of the most versatile and respected crossover ensembles in South Africa. The diverse style of music this trio performs ranges from Baroque, Latin, Swing, Classical to Funk and sets them apart from other instrumental groups. The trio consists of Steinway Artist Charl du Plessis (piano), Werner Spies (bass) and Hugo Radyn (drums).

The Charl du Plessis Trio was founded in 2006 to further the enjoyment of jazz music and prove that classic music lovers can enjoy jazz too. This unit recorded their first album TRIO in 2007 with jazz standards and compositions by Du Plessis. Since their first national tours this trio has become South Africa’s most wanted cross-over performers on radio, television and stage with country-wide tours each season. In 2009 the first international tour followed with sold-out performances in China, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Since 2009 the trio has returned to China and Switzerland annually and is active as performers, teachers and clinicians in master classes and workshops.

The SHANGHAI BRUNCH album was released in 2011 and won Best Instrumental Album prize at the KykNet Ghoema awards and was nominated for a SAMA award. This disc featuring cross-over arrangements of classical music in a jazz style received rave reviews and has become one of the trio’s best-selling recordings. The trio was awarded the trophee for Best New Production at the Vryfees National Arts Festival in 2010 and 2013. They regularly perform with South African singer/entertainer Nataniël and has recorded two albums and two live DVD with this iconic artist.

In 2013 the Charl du Plessis trio was invited to perform at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg alongside some of the biggest names in international jazz: Ahmad Jamal, Abdullah Ibrahim, Terence Blanchard and Tia Fuller.

Charl du Plessis has just released his first LIVE CD and DVD box set PIMP MY PIANO in 2013 featuring live recordings made in the Sand du Plessis Opera House in Bloemfontein, South Africa. This recording features three guest artists; Juan Oosthuizen (guitar), Lizelle le Roux (violin) and Jeanne-Louise Moolman (viola) performing music ranging from Mozart to Lady Gaga. This production won a SAMA Award for Best Engineer: Peter Auret.

Charl du Plessis is a Steinway Artist and one of the most respected pianists in South Africa performing across various styles and diciplines and as soloist with some of the country’s leading syphony orchestras. Werner Spies is a multi-talented bass player and teacher. Hugo Radyn is a free-lance jazz drummer and teacher high in demand for his specialised musicianship and quality of playing.

In July 2013 the Charl du Plessis trio recorded their fourth album LIVE IN SWITZERLAND in Ernen, Switzerland. The Trio just released their fourth disc featuring the vocal talents of Musanete entitled Gershwin Songbook.

Gershwin Songbook

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Gail & The Guys - Gail & The Guys Celebrate The Ladies And Remember Bernie

Size: 99,3 MB
Time: 38:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Sunday Kind Of Love (3:33)
02. At Last (4:05)
03. Hey There (3:39)
04. Turn Around (2:38)
05. How Long Has This Been Going On (3:06)
06. Cry Me A River (4:15)
07. Just One Of Those Things (2:40)
08. The Man I Love (3:56)
09. The Boy Next Door (3:00)
10. Over The Rainbow (3:05)
11. Stormy Weather (2:42)
12. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye (2:11)

I promise you will understand every word of these timeless standards. And I hope you will smile as I do when you hear the expressive play on piano, trumpet, double bass, and percussion by "The Guys."
"Have bar stool, can sing!" has been my message to small combos in Florida and Maine and their welcoming audiences. How fulfilling it has been to call out, " Over The Rainbow in E flat ! " and take off for everyone's enjoyment.
Searching questions led to the choices and sequence for this album: Who are my favorite past women vocalists? What pairs of their best-loved songs can I sing meaningfully?
Finally, an unexpected family event changed our lives and became part of the music content and art design. My only son, Chicago's beloved musical theatre performer Bernie Yvon, left us suddenly in a vehicle accident on September 6, 2014. Now everyone will remember Bernie in bright colors and hear my spoken dedication recorded ironically months before our loss....."For my number one son of all time...." as well as the fitting last song, Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye."
I believe Bernie is pleased with our result and hope you will be also.

Gail & The Guys Celebrate The Ladies And Remember Bernie

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Novecento - All The Best

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:38
Size: 182.3 MB
Styles: Pop-jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[4:25] 1. Anytime
[3:29] 2. Surround Me
[4:39] 3. A New Day
[5:51] 4. Artic
[3:17] 5. For A Moment
[4:08] 6. Endless Night
[5:18] 7. It's Time To Go
[4:29] 8. The Night-(2014 Version)
[4:31] 9. Cry
[4:25] 10. Anytime (Instrumental Version)
[4:01] 11. Broadway
[4:33] 12. Vision
[4:27] 13. Tell Me Something
[4:21] 14. Let Me Breathe
[5:04] 15. Now That You've Gone
[4:05] 16. I Want You More
[4:19] 17. Movin' On
[4:06] 18. Excessive Love

Lino Nicolosi guitar; Rossana Nicolosi Bass; Pino Nicolosi keyboards; Dora Nicolosi Voice.

The band Novecento was formed in 1984 and released the track "Movin' on" which became number one in Italy. In the same year the group won the “revelation of the year” award.

Over the years the band has produced and worked with many international stars such as Sting, Billy Preston, Randy Crawford, Dominic Miller and Billy Cobham to name just a few. They signed with ZTT (Trevor Horn’s label) for the European market and are distributed in America under the Atlantic label. In 2001 they wrote and produced the album by Billy Cobham (celebrated drummer and icon of the seventies) published by 24 Sony affiliates throughout the world.

All The Best

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Caroline Dahl - Night House

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:07
Size: 135.3 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Boogie woogie
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[3:49] 1. Junebug Boogie
[4:45] 2. Highballing The Overnighter
[5:41] 3. Payday Boogie
[5:53] 4. Mexicali Rose Medley
[3:27] 5. Jackson Ramble
[5:41] 6. Night House
[3:27] 7. River City
[4:11] 8. Rumbah Numbah
[3:13] 9. Waltz For Jake
[4:08] 10. Swanee River Boogie
[3:24] 11. Nerve Knot
[4:15] 12. Devil Digit
[3:36] 13. Mary Lou's Blues
[3:31] 14. Tearing Up Heaven

"Night House" is Caroline's second CD and it has 14 instrumental songs featuring her extraordinary piano playing. Twelve of the songs are her original compositions and all are in the American roots styles of boogie-woogie, blues, jazz and country swing. One reviewer has said about "Night House" -- "Caroline's impulsive beats and relentless rhythms drive her sound into near-frenzy. Totally original, but far from being over-stated, she pumps out the songs in a way that would make Jerry Lee Lewis beg for mercy."

"Night House" has a couple of songs showcasing Caroline's solo piano, while the duets, trios and quartets feature the outstanding San Francisco Bay-area musicians Bowen Brown and Kent Bryson on drums, Tim Wagar on bass, Tom Rigney on violin, and Rob Sudduth on tenor sax. This self-taught master pianist of American indigenous piano styles is originally from Louisville, Kentucky, where she played with the Metropolitan Blues All Stars (June Appal Records, Taxim Records). San Francisco has been her home for over 30 years, where she currently performs solo around the Bay area and with Tom Rigney & Flambeau.

Night House

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Johnny Rivers - Greatest Hits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:45
Size: 68.1 MB
Styles: AM pop
Year: 1990
Art: Front

[2:33] 1. Memphis
[2:15] 2. Maybellene
[2:29] 3. Midnight Special
[2:46] 4. The Seventh Son
[3:43] 5. Where Have All The Flowers Gone
[3:03] 6. Secret Agent Man
[3:33] 7. Poor Side Of Town
[3:05] 8. Baby I Need Your Lovin'
[2:52] 9. The Tracks Of My Tears
[3:22] 10. Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu

Johnny Rivers is a unique figure in the history of rock music. On the most obvious level, he was a rock star of the 1960s and a true rarity as a white American singer/guitarist who made a name for himself as a straight-ahead rock & roller during the middle of that decade. Just as important behind the scenes, his recordings and their success led to the launching, directly and indirectly, of at least three record labels and a dozen other careers whose influence extended into the 1970s, 1980s, and beyond.

Rivers was very much a kindred spirit to figures like Buddy Holly and Ronnie Hawkins, with all of the verve and spirit of members of that first wave of rock & rollers. He had the misfortune of having been born a little too late to catch that wave, however, and took until the middle of the next decade to find his audience. Born John Henry Ramistella on November 7, 1942, in New York, his family moved to Baton Rouge, LA, in 1948, and it was there that his musical sensibilities were shaped. His father, who played the mandolin and guitar, introduced him to the guitar at an early age, and he proved a natural on the instrument.

Meanwhile, Ramistella also began absorbing the R&B sounds that were starting to turn up on the airwaves at the dawn of the 1950s. Additionally, he got to see performers like Fats Domino and Jimmy Reed in person, and by the time he entered his teens, he was immersed in rhythm & blues. ~Bruce Eder

Greatest Hits

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Denny Zeitlin - Slickrock

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:49
Size: 155,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:36)  1. You And The Night And The Music
(9:42)  2. Wishing on the Moon
(6:55)  3. Every Which Way
(3:41)  4. Put Your Little Foot Right Out
(5:54)  5. It Could Happen To You
(8:01)  6. Body And Soul
(4:38)  7. Sweet Georgia Brown
(4:55)  8. E.S.P.
(3:37)  9. Just Passing By
(2:35) 10. Dawn, Gathering
(5:09) 11. On the Trail
(5:17) 12. Recovery
(2:43) 13. On the Trail Again

With his straight-ahead acoustic piano trio, Denny Zeitlin improvises over familiar standards and fresh originals. As a practicing psychiatrist in the San Francisco Bay Area, he also teaches at the University of California and lectures on the psychology of improvising. A good teacher should always demonstrate when necessary, and who better for the task than one who’s devoted a lifetime to jazz performance? Zeitlin has juggled two careers to fulfillment, and he continues to demonstrate his capacity to lovers of the tried-and-true formula.

The four-part suite that closes the album introduces yet another facet of the pianist’s many interests. Zeitlin has written this suite as a token of his love for mountain biking. His dramatic piece depicts the adventure that weekend cyclists absorb while traveling over slickrock in various parts of the world. Momentum carries the suite through its phases; one must always stop to rest and enjoy the view from time to time. Piano, bass and drums thunder out recollections of the way such a scenic outing can capture your heart. Physical exertion and occasional rest areas make for a full weekend and a healthy lifestyle. Zeitlin has translated these ideas into a mesmerizing musical form. 

Standards such as “Body and Soul” ring familiar, offering proof that no two improvised performances are ever the same. As the trio slow dances comfortably through this chestnut, their spontaneous inventions flow naturally. A bass solo and a cloudy sky of wire brush swirls give the pianist the kind of support desired. Wayne Shorter’s “E.S.P.” proves more drama, with its up-tempo walk and arpeggio-laden romps. Zeitlin’s lesson in improvisation is just what the doctor ordered. ~ Jim Santella  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/slickrock-denny-zeitlin-maxjazz-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Denny Zeitlin: piano; Buster Williams: bass; Matt Wilson: drums.

Slickrock

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George Michael - Songs From The Last Century

Styles: Vocal, R&B
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:02
Size: 96,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:19)  1. Brother Can You Spare a Dime?
(4:08)  2. Roxanne
(4:22)  3. You've Changed
(1:41)  4. My Baby Just Cares for Me
(5:19)  5. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
(5:10)  6. Miss Sarajevo
(4:09)  7. I Remember You
(2:37)  8. Secret Love
(4:02)  9. Wild Is the Wind
(6:09) 10. Where or When/It's Alright with Me

Unlike many covers albums, Songs From the Last Century is a cohesive, enjoyable diversion. With the help of co-producer Phil Ramone, George Michael has crafted a warm, intimate album built around a small combo of piano, guitar, bass, and drums. Orchestras, big bands, harps, and on one occasion, a rock band augment the basic combo, yet the flourishes never change the essential, close-knit nature of the group. For the first time ever, Michael sounds relaxed. He's lying back, singing songs he loves, not worrying about chart success, and the end result is quite fetching, even if it isn't perfect. The main flaw with Songs From the Last Century is that it's so smooth, it's occasionally a little sleepy, a trait that's emphasized by Michael's fairly predictable taste in covers "Brother Can You Spare a Dime," "My Baby Just Cares for Me," and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," among others. Nevertheless, he does bring style and sophistication to these standards, even such often-covered yet still difficult tunes as "Wild as the Wind." When his selections are idiosyncratic whether it's a jazzy reading of "Roxanne," the brassy "Secret Love," the little-remembered "I Remember You," or a revelatory reading of "Miss Sarajevo," a song commonly dismissed as a U2 side project the album is delightful. Certainly, Songs From the Last Century isn't a major work; it's a way for Michael to decompress and have some fun, and the diehards who stuck with him through the turbulent '90s are likely to be charmed. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine  http://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-from-the-last-century-mw0000672369

“Songs From The Last Century was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.”

Personnel includes: George Michael (vocals); Rob Mathes, Torrie Zito, Rob Mounsey (arranger, conductor); Jeff Mironov, Hugh Burns, Phil Palmer, Howie Gondewe (guitar); Elena Barere, Laura Hamilton (violin); Sue Pray, Maryhelen Brennard (viola); Richard Locker, Diane Barere (cello); Corky Hale, Stacey Shames (harp); Pamela Sklar, Katherine Fink (flute); Virgil Blackwell (clarinet, bass clarinet); Diane Lesser (oboe); Kim Laskowski (basoon); Rich Dallesio (English horn); Jim Hynes, Tony Kadleck (trumpet); Charlie Pillow, Andy Snitzer, Ken Hitchcock (woodwinds); Rob Mathes, Rob Mounsey (piano); Chris Cameron, Peter Gordeno (keyboards); David Finck (acoustic bass); Steve Walters (bass); Lewis Nash, Shawn Pelton, Frank Tontoh (drums); Danny Cummings (percussion).

Songs From The Last Century

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Johanna Schneider Quartet - Pridetime

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:14
Size: 164,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:23)  1. Moondance
(6:07)  2. Lonely Dancer In The Rain
(5:19)  3. Circus Infinitus
(4:37)  4. Throw It Away
(6:35)  5. Since I Fell For You
(6:18)  6. Melody Of Great K.J.
(4:42)  7. Waters Of March
(7:28)  8. Mondgesang
(6:12)  9. Ethiopian Moon
(6:19) 10. Turn Out The Stars
(2:57) 11. My Song
(8:13) 12. Pridetime

The survival reflex. A bit of swing. . . Oh well, let's just call it groove, catchy, iPod compatible harmonies, with which you can hum along, clever, comprehensible texts, a veteran band and listening hurdles that are not too high. After all, the CD is supposed to sell well and not scare off people even partially interested with the plague and cholera branding "jazz". This path of least resistance provides at least a little bit of attention for every woman with a reasonably pleasant voice who is blessed with good looks. Many talented vocalists, who once began training as jazz singers with big ambitions, are now anchored in the safe harbor of the spirit of the times.

But there are exceptions thankfully! Johanna is one such exception, who thumbs her nose at the trend to randomness and anonymity in the German vocal jazz scene with courage, perseverance, improvisation pleasure and a refreshing tendency towards perfectionism. When did you last hear a singer scat so wildly in these times of pop-jazz elves, with a distinctive expression almost approaching its own language of art at times. When was there a vocal album recently by a young person, who has dedicated herself completely to jazz and takes every freedom of phrasing, whether in the interpretation of standards or her very personal own songs? "Oliver Hochkeppel asks in the liner notes to Johanna Schneider's debut album" Pridetime," which adds a new, very bright shimmering gem to the successful Jazz thing Next Generation series.

It's a question of her own credibility for the 28-year-old singer who grew up in Bamberg: Do not give way, even if reason offers a different solution, but instead trust your instincts. That's why she left Munich after passing her university preliminary examination in 2009, despite important personal and professional ties. The power woman from the Franconian part of Bavaria met Romy Camerun at a workshop, who teaches the Essen Folkwang University of the Arts. "I knew immediately that I had to study under her," Johanna Schneider recalled. Just a gut feeling. She works regularly as a duo with the pianist from Essen Marc Brenken, was awarded the WDR Jazz Award with the NRW Youth Jazz Orchestra in 2013 and helped to establish the a-cappella female quintet "Cayenne". However, her old Munich quartet still remains her top priority. With pianist Titian Jost, one of her former teachers, bassist Andy Kurz and drummer Bastian Jütte, she has three of the best representatives of swinging jazz in Germany on her side. The fact that the seasoned crew contributes essentially to the unmistakable sound of "Pridetime" goes almost without saying. In addition, Ack van Rooyen and Tony Lakatos enriched two tracks with their thrilling flugelhorn and tenor saxophone solos.

Johanna Schneider already developed the aspiration necessary for such ambitious projects in childhood. Thanks to her single mother, she enjoyed a solid musical education, learned violin and piano as well as ballet dancing. The theater, musicals and training as a speaker followed. Johanna has sung ever since she can remember. She performed with her own band on stage when she was 14 composed her own songs at 16. The very first, i.e., "My Song", now shows up among the twelve songs of "Pridetime", which Johanna either all composed herself or for which created completely new arrangements in the case of her favorite songs "Moon Dance" by Van Morrison, "Throw It Away" by Abbey Lincoln, " Since I Fell For You "by Buddy Johnson," Ater Of March "by Antonio Carlos Jobim and " Turn Out The Stars "by Bill Evans.

As a result, "Pridetime" becomes a journey through a very personal musical experience with unexpected discoveries and very different influences. Melancholic ballads, sizzling swing and African rhythms merge to become a coherent musical language. Johanna is not afraid to cross the Rubicon to the German language either, for example, in "Circus Infinitus" and "Mondgesang". This is because her lyrics are as different as their overall presentation and her CD. Oliver Hochkeppel calls the extraordinary debut CD of the young singer "A story of self-assertion and the pride to be her own pilot again after many tears." Johanna Schneider can be rightly proud of it. And people can consider themselves fortunate that someone finally remembers the actual goal of the vocal jazz: namely, to enchant. http://www.doublemoon.de/en/cddetails/dmchr71156.shtml

Musicians: Johanna Schneider voc;  Tizian Jost p, rhodes, vibraphone;  Andreas Kurz b;  Bastian Jütte dr;  Special Guests: Ack van Rooyen flh (track 2 & 9);  Tony Lakatos ts (tracks 5 & 6); Rakel Salazar voice (track 6 & 8).

Pridetime

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Lili Anel - I Can See Bliss From Here

Size: 112,1 MB
Time: 48:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Something To Do (4:10)
02. Blindsided (5:31)
03. Living For Today (3:08)
04. The Best Part Of Me (Song For Joey) (4:05)
05. Go Home (3:53)
06. Losing My Faith (3:17)
07. Got Me Thinking (5:58)
08. Out Of Control (4:19)
09. This Love Is Over (4:34)
10. Blindsided #2 (5:41)
11. Today (3:57)

With I Can See Bliss From Here, singer-songwriter Lili Anel presents a set of personal songs that deeply touch the listener's ear, mind and soul, and bring to mind the confessional yet universal genius of such songwriters as Tracy Chapman, Phoebe Snow and Roberta Flack—they really are that well-written. "These are the songs I want to put out to the world at this time," she says simply. "It's what I wrote. They reflect where I am right now."

I Can See Bliss From Here reflects all the hustle and bustle of Añel's own life: As her bio explains, she's "a New York-born Cuban-African American" who has lived the past decade in Philadelphia, where she befriended pianist Dale Melton, who co-produced Bliss, her sixth release. "We have much in common," Añel explains. "A love of the music by The Band, among others, and a shared ideology of community in music." (Lili and Dale are both identical twins, too.)

"Something to Do" tells the story of how she grew up in Harlem ("I was born and raised in the barrio on 110th Street," she begins) atop a chugging Latin rhythm spiced with horns. Añel then recalls her mother, who worked to support her family six days out of seven and died in her early 50s, and shares a wonderfully self-effacing (not self-pitying) verse about her shaved head and the autoimmune disease Alopecia Areata, which causes hair loss): "I shaved my head bald today. You see, most of my hair had fallen out anyway. And when people laugh at me, I just smile because I believe they're just scared it could be them instead of me."

A song to her son, "The Best Part of Me (Song for Joey)" swims in deceptively deep, shifting musical and emotional currents ("On the day that you were born, my heart melted")—a beautiful idea, beautifully played and sung.

But Bliss also lifts Añel's vision to more broad horizons. Her moaning vocal and Tom Hampton's groaning guitar scrape out the raw and ragged, tough as nails "Go Home," a contemporary blues that begins with the story of how she was "written up at work" because she "laughed too loud" but ends with her calling on the heavens to take her home for good. Liner notes by New York Music Hall of Fame Director Robbie Woliver call this "the album's biggest revelation, (is) an infectious field-holler-styled blues lament that takes modern-day work drudgery to another level."

Because this entire set is about carrying on in the face of circumstances that suggest you'd be better off packing it in, "Losing My Faith" might have been this set's title track. Its chorus is this set's most beautiful melody, and frees Añel's voice to float and soar like a songbird. It's a tribute to her creativity and spirit that Lili Añel Can See Bliss From Here. ~by Chris M. Slawecki

Personnel: Lili Añel: vocals, acoustic guitar, Gretsch electric guitar; Dale Melton: grand piano, Hammond organ, Wulitzer electric piano, Telecaster guitar; Kevin Hanson: lead nylon string guitar; Tom Hampton: Resonator, Fender Jaguar Baritone Custom guitar; Charlie Alletto: guitar; Patrick Hughes: trumpet; David Fishkin: alto saxophone; Steven Gokh: tenor saxophone; Larry Toft: trombone; Bill Zinno: upright bass; Mike Kurman: electric bass; Chico Huff: electric bass; Charlie Patierno: drums; Fred Berman: drums; Ben Wittman: percussion, drums; Yasuyo Kimura: congas, bongos, guiro; Victor Rendon: timbales.

I Can See Bliss From Here

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