Benny Carter - In The Mood For Swing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:43
Size: 150.4 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, East Coast blues
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[6:47] 1. I'm In The Mood For Swing
[6:17] 2. Another Time, Another Place
[4:33] 3. The Courtship
[5:11] 4. Rock Me To Sleep
[5:25] 5. Janel
[5:45] 6. The Romp
[4:55] 7. Summer Serenade
[7:20] 8. Not So Blue
[6:38] 9. You, Only You
[6:06] 10. Blue Moonlight
[6:42] 11. South Side Samba

All 11 of the songs are somewhat obscure and therefore fresh Carter compositions ("Summer Serenade" is perhaps the best-known) and Dizzy Gillespie sits in with the group for three songs. But even with Gillespie, guitarist Howard Alden and pianist Roland Hanna, the solo star throughout is the ageless Benny Carter, who at the age of 80 still seemed to be improving. ~Scott Yanow

In The Mood For Swing

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Tal Farlow - The Complete Verve Sessions (Discs 4 & 5 of 7)

Album: The Complete Verve Sessions (Disc 4)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 61:28

Size: 140.7 MB

Styles: Guitar jazz

Year: 2011

Art: Front

[4:41] 1. Taking A Chance On Love

[5:15] 2. Yardbird Suite

[5:39] 3. You Stepped Out Of A Dream

[5:42] 4. They Can't Take That Away From Me

[6:38] 5. Like Someone In Love

[6:36] 6. Meteor

[5:31] 7. I Love You

[5:19] 8. Gone With The Wind

[4:45] 9. Taking A Chance On Love

[4:48] 10. Yardbird Suite

[5:24] 11. Gone With The Wind

[1:06] 12. Taking A Chance On Love (Breakdown)

The Complete Verve Sessions (Disc 4)

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Album: The Complete Verve Sessions (Disc 5)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 46:35

Size: 106.6 MB

Styles: Guitar jazz

Year: 2011

Art: Front

[10:08] 1. Isn't It Romantic

[ 3:55] 2. There Is No Greater Love

[ 6:00] 3. How About You

[ 5:07] 4. Anything Goes

[ 5:51] 5. Yesterdays

[ 4:19] 6. You Don't Know What Love Is

[ 4:55] 7. Chuckles

[ 6:16] 8. Broadway

The Complete Verve Sessions (Disc 5)

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Lem Winchester - With Feeling... Plus Nocturne And More (2-Disc Set)

Oliver Nelson (as, ts), Lem Winchester (vib), Richard Wyands (p), George Duvivier (b), Roy Haynes (d), Etta Jones (vcl).

Made in October 1960, just a few months before Lem Winchester’s accidental death in early 1961, “With Feeling”, the first of the albums here, was intended to be part of Prestige’s “Moodsville” ballad series. But the results were rather livelier than that suggests, as the vibist, impeccably supported by pianist Richard Wyands, bassist George Duvivier and drummer Roy Haynes, distinguishes himself on an enjoyable date, especially on Why Don’t They Understand, But Beautiful and Skylark.

He joined the same rhythm section that August for “Nocturne”, another Moodsville album, this time led by alto and tenor saxophonist Oliver Nelson, on which all involved contributed warmly evocative music. And in between these albums Winchester was reunited with the same rhythm section in September, along with Oliver Nelson, for another swinging and effective session, this time with Etta Jones. A singer influenced by among others, Billie Holiday, she delivers unforced and persuasively engaging interpretations of a set of superior standards, admirably backed by the quintet.

Album: With Feeling... Plus Nocturne And More (Disc 1)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 58:07

Size: 133.1 MB

Styles: Vibraphone jazz

Year: 2012

[4:32] 1. Why Don't They Understand

[4:33] 2. Butterfly

[4:31] 3. With A Song In My Heart

[4:11] 4. But Beautiful

[6:41] 5. Skylark

[3:50] 6. To Love And Be Loved

[4:00] 7. The Kids

[4:08] 8. My Romance

[3:45] 9. Nocturne

[5:31] 10. Bob's Blues

[6:08] 11. Man With A Horn

[6:12] 12. In A Sentimental Mood

With Feeling... Plus Nocturne And More (Disc 1)

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Album: With Feeling... Plus Nocturne And More (Disc 2)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 53:21

Size: 122.1 MB

Styles: Vibraphone jazz

Year: 2012

Art: Front

[4:49] 1. Early Morning

[5:43] 2. Azur'te

[7:25] 3. Time After Time

[4:12] 4. The More I See You

[3:47] 5. Love Is Here To Stay

[4:55] 6. Easy Living

[2:50] 7. They Can't Take That Away From Me

[2:35] 8. Canadian Sunset

[4:09] 9. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)

[4:00] 10. That's All There Is To That

[3:14] 11. I Only Have Eyes For You

[2:43] 12. Almost Like Being In Love

[2:53] 13. Lady Day

With Feeling... Plus Nocturne And More (Disc 2)

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Connie Francis - Millennium Collection: The Best Of Connie Francis

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:26
Size: 72.0 MB
Styles: AM pop
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[2:22] 1. Vacation
[3:02] 2. Don't Break The Heart That Loves You
[2:36] 3. Breaking In A Brand New Broken Heart
[2:36] 4. Where The Boys Are
[2:30] 5. My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own
[2:36] 6. Everybody's Somebody's Fool
[3:54] 7. Mama
[2:30] 8. Among My Souvenirs
[2:18] 9. Lipstick On Your Collar
[2:27] 10. My Happiness
[2:13] 11. Stupid Cupid
[2:15] 12. Who's Sorry Now

MCA's 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection is a good, basic collection of Connie Francis' biggest hits -- including "Who's Sorry Now," "Stupid Cupid," "Lipstick on Your Collar," "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own," "Where the Boys Are," and "Vacation" -- available at a budget price. Although there are a couple of hits and good songs missing, this has enough of the best-known tunes to make it worthwhile for casual listeners on a budget. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Millennium Collection: The Best Of Connie Francis

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Vaughn Wiester's Famous Jazz Orchestra - Playin' The Book!

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop, Big Band
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:55
Size: 147,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:42)  1. It Could Happen To You
(4:08)  2. Quick Step
(4:15)  3. Too Close For Comfort
(3:53)  4. Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year
(5:36)  5. Opus In Chartreuse
(3:06)  6. The Party's Over
(6:04)  7. The Meaning Of The Blues
(3:43)  8. Bijou
(2:57)  9. Spring Is Here
(4:26) 10. Jessica's Day
(4:23) 11. Little Girl Blue
(4:27) 12. Jersey Bounce
(3:15) 13. People
(3:08) 14. Walkin' Shoes
(4:08) 15. A Swinging Serenade
(3:35) 16. Summertime

You have to admire Vaughn Wiester’s sense of humor. Nowadays, labeling one’s band the “Famous Jazz Orchestra” is about as amusing a turn of phrase as can be envisioned. You have to admire Wiester’s sidemen too a group of gentlemen (and four ladies) who keep on Playin’ the Book for love, certainly not for money, at their friendly oasis, the Columbus (OH) Music Hall. Last, and perhaps most important, you have to admire how they play that book, with more proficiency and passion than one should reasonably expect from musicians who often find it hard simply to get together and rehearse (hence the title of the band’s earlier album, Sight Readin’, Baby! ). Speaking of “sight readin’,” we should point out that there are only four holdovers from that album on Playin‘ the Book  trumpeter Erik Gimbel and trombonists Matt Ellis, Bill England and Kie Watkins.

Wiester explains the band’s philosophy this way: The book the FJO plays is weighted toward the Stan Kenton, Count Basie and Woody Herman libraries of the fifties and early sixties. The big bands of [that] period had a wider dynamic and expressive range than [that] of the Swing Era bands... The sweetness and many other stylistic trappings of the earlier music were discarded and the resulting sound was more streamlined and [showed] increased variety, contrast and orchestral potential... It all adds up to a classic style that wears well to this day, some fifty years on.

Indeed it does. The music presented here was written during the period from 1935-64, with “Little Girl Blue” and “Summertime” the earliest works, “People” (from the musical Funny Girl ) the most recent.

In keeping with the album’s theme, Wiester lists next to each song its number in the book, opening smartly with #214, “It Could Happen to You,” one of three selections on which Wiester solos (the others are Ralph Burns’ classic opus for trombonist Bill Harris, “Bijou,” and Rodgers and Hart’s “Spring Is Here”). The rest of the program consists of four standards strewn among superb compositions by Bill Holman (“Quick Step”), Gene Roland (“Opus in Chartreuse”), Bobby Troup (“The Meaning of the Blues”), Quincy Jones (“Jessica’s Day”), Tiny Bradshaw / Bobby Plater (“Jersey Bounce”), Gerry Mulligan (“Walkin’ Shoes”) and Ernie Wilkins (“A Swinging Serenade”). The captain gives almost everyone on the team at least one chance to score, and no one lets him down. There are a number of engaging solos, especially by tenor saxophonist Bryan Olsheski and trumpeters Jim Powell and Ed Morrison.

The fly in the ointment, as with so many in-concert recordings, is the overall sound, which lacks balance, clarity and separation, is far more harsh and heavy than harmonious, and lends drummer Steve Schaar more prominence than is warranted. But such are the perils of live recording dates, particularly when currency is at a premium (even though, for reasons unknown, the sound on Sight Readin‘ is noticeably better). But no matter the shortcomings, we listeners should be thankful that orchestras such as Wiester’s, famous or unknown, keep on skirmishing in the trenches and lend them our unqualified support, as the alternative is too gruesome to contemplate. ~ Jack Bowers http://www.allaboutjazz.com/playin-the-book-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel:  Saxes: John Vermeulen, Tom Ryan, altos; Bryan Olsheski, Kevin O’Neill, tenors; Bob LeBeau; Trumpets: Erik Gimbel, Ed Morrison, Ansyn Banks, Jim Powell, Phil Winnard;  Trombones: Linda Landis, Matt Ellis, Ryan Hamilton, Bill England (bass trombone);  Tuba: Kie Watkins;  French horns: Natalie Adams, Heidi Wick;  Guitar: Colin Lazarski;  Bass: Tisha Simeral;  Piano: Jim Luellen;  Drums: Steve Schaar;  Guest conductor: Herb Harrison

Playin' The Book!

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The Satchmo Legacy Band - Salute To Pops Vol 2

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:21
Size: 104,4 MB
Art: Front

( 4:59)  1. Muskrat Ramble
( 4:59)  2. Blueberry Hill
( 6:32)  3. 12th Street Rag
( 6:19)  4. West End Blues
(11:49)  5. Blues For Duane
( 6:50)  6. That Old Devil Called Love
( 3:51)  7. Potato Head Blues

Louis Armstrong is definitely in fashion. Not only has Wynton Marsalis shifted his affection Satchmo's way. Take a look at who's in the "Satchmo Legacy Band"-Kirk Lightsey, Freddie Hubbard and Curtis Fuller (those last two were part of one of Art Blakey's hardest bopping bands, for heaven's sake). The work of this group is not as interesting as Marsalis', because it has no pretensions to be. 

It is simply a group of mostly modern jazz men doing their impressions of what a great, late predecessor did. ~Jack Fuller http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-02-28/entertainment/9303185772_1_freddie-hubbard-curtis-fuller-art-blakey

Personnel:  Al Casey ( Vocal );  Alan Dawson ( Vocal );  Curtis Fuller ( Trombone );  Freddie Hubbard ( Flugelhorn );  Red Callender ( Vocal );  Satchmo Legacy Band ( Band );  Kirk Lightsey ( Piano ); Alvin Batiste ( Clarinet )

Salute To Pops Vol 2

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Victor Goines - Pastels Of Ballads & Blues

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:32
Size: 139,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:11)  1. Midnight
(3:11)  2. The Mystique of Romance
(6:47)  3. Waltz Beneath the Weeping Willow
(7:48)  4. Journey Across the Atlantic
(6:28)  5. A Stroll Through Paradise
(6:26)  6. To Those We Love So Dearly
(4:44)  7. Forever Lost
(7:31)  8. Morning
(8:26)  9. Ballad for Beanie
(1:55) 10. Merci Beaucoup, Mes Amis

This is a compilation of pieces from Victor Goines' earlier releases on Rosemary Joseph Records. It showcases him with an extraordinary collection of sidemen including Eric Reed, Herlin Riley, Wycliffe Gordon and Peter Martin to name a few. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/victorgoines13

Personnel:  Victor Goines: clarinet;   Nicholas Payton: Trumpet;  Wycliffe Gordon: Trombone;  Eric Reed: Piano;  Peter Martin: Piano;  Rodney Whitaker: BassRoland Guerin: Bass;  Reginald Veal: Bass;  Leon Anderson, Jr.: Drums;  Herlin Riley, Jr.: Drums

Pastels Of Ballads & Blues

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Lorna Luft - Songs My Mother Taught Me

Size: 131,5 MB
Time: 56:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Broadway/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Lorna Minstrel Girl ( 2:52)
02. I Feel A Song Comin' On ( 5:05)
03. Rock-A-Bye Your Baby (With A Dixie Melody) ( 2:41)
04. Mother Daughter Medley/You're Nearer/I Can't Give You Anything But Love/Through The Years ( 7:13)
05. Chicago ( 2:43)
06. The Man That Got Away ( 4:41)
07. Come Rain Or Come Shine ( 3:29)
08. Born In A Trunk/26-Song Medley (19:19)
09. Shining Star/(Somewhere) Over The Rainbow/The Man That Got Away ( 4:57)
10. Hello Bluebird (Bonus Track) ( 3:33)

Lorna Luft, daughter of Judy Garland, appeared in her first Broadway musical, Promises, Promises, in 1971. She made several guest appearances on such shows as Love American Style and The Love Boat and made her film debut with Grease 2 (1982). Luft had success on Broadway before and after a stint in drug and alcohol rehab.

Deciding to share her experiences as the daughter of a musical legend, Luft wrote her autobiography, Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir, which was published in 1998. The book led to a falling out between Lorna and her father Sid Luft. And the father-daughter conflict only heightened in 2001 when the miniseries Me and My Shadows: My Life with Judy Garland aired. Lorna was very pleased by the adaptation of her book and by Judy Davis’s portrayal of her mother, but her father was incensed, claiming that the miniseries was filled with lies.

Her relationship with her half-sister Liza has been volatile as well. They were close for many years, even singing together at the 1993 Tony Awards in New York. But Luft told People magazine in 1998 that the two have become estranged over Minnelli’s “self-destructive behavior.”

In 2004, Luft premiered her one-woman show, Songs My Mother Taught Me, in London. She has since toured several times with the production, which is meant to be a celebration of her mother’s most famous songs. Luft puts her own spin on such Garland standards as “The Man That Got Away” and “Chicago.” An album of the music from the show, Songs My Mother Taught Me, was released in 2007.

Songs My Mother Taught Me

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Shirley Scott - Jazz For A Lazy Day

Size: 182,0 MB
Time: 77:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Bridge Blue (5:33)
02. Sposin' (4:20)
03. The Scott (3:10)
04. Miles' Theme (3:30)
05. Bye Bye Blackbird (6:37)
06. Goodbye (4:59)
07. Slaughter On 10th Avenue (3:38)
08. It Could Happen To You (4:33)
09. All Of You (3:22)
10. Autumn Leaves (5:49)
11. Brazil (2:26)
12. Baby Won't You Please Come Home (4:01)
13. Four (3:52)
14. I Can't See For Lookin' (4:10)
15. Cherokee (5:20)
16. There Will Never Be Another You (3:21)
17. Summertime (3:57)
18. Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You (4:40)

An admirer of the seminal Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott has been one of the organ's most appealing representatives since the late '50s. Scott, a very melodic and accessible player, started out on piano and played trumpet in high school before taking up the Hammond B-3 and enjoying national recognition in the late '50s with her superb Prestige dates with tenor sax great Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Especially popular was their 1958 hit "In the Kitchen." Her reputation was cemented during the '60s on several superb, soulful organ/soul-jazz dates where she demonstrated an aggressive, highly rhythmic attack blending intricate bebop harmonies with bluesy melodies and a gospel influence, punctuating everything with great use of the bass pedals. Scott married soul-jazz tenor man Stanley Turrentine, with whom she often recorded in the '60s. The Scott/Turrentine union lasted until the early '70s, and their musical collaborations in the '60s were among the finest in the field. Scott wasn't as visible the following decade, when the popularity of organ combos decreased and labels were more interested in fusion and pop-jazz (though she did record some albums for Chess/Cadet and Strata East). But organists regained their popularity in the late '80s, which found her recording for Muse. Though known primarily for her organ playing, Scott is also a superb pianist -- in the 1990s, she played piano exclusively on some trio recordings for Candid, and embraced the instrument consistently in Philly jazz venues in the early part of the decade. At the end of the '90s, Scott's heart was damaged by the diet drug combination, fen-phen, leading to her declining health. In 2000 she was awarded $8 million in a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the drug. On March 10, 2002 she died of heart failure at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia. ~ Alex Henderson and Ron Wynn

Jazz For A Lazy Day

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Kim Nalley - Blues People

Size: 163,7 MB

Time: 70:46

File: MP3 @ 320K/s

Released: 2015

Styles: Blues/Jazz/Soul Vocals

Art: Front

01. Summertime (5:55)

02. Big Hooded Black Man (2:19)

03. Trouble Of The World (Acoustic Version) (3:55)

04. Listen Here!/Cold Duck/Compared To What (6:23)

05. Movin' On Up (6:59)

06. Never Make Your Move Too Soon (4:46)

07. Sugar In My Bowl (4:12)

08. Trombone Song (Big Long Sliding Thing) (5:55)

09. Ferguson Blues (4:46)

10. Trouble Of The World (Organ Version) (4:05)

11. The Chair Song (If I Can't Sell It) (9:06)

12. Sunday Kind Of Love (3:29)

13. Amazing Grace (4:04)

14. I Shall Be Released (4:46)

In looks, Kim Nalley exudes the aura of Billie Holiday. Vocally, she has pipes to burn, packing a 3 1/2 octave range that can go from operatic to gritty blues on a dime, projection that can whisper a ballad yet is capable of filling a room with no microphone, and the ability to scat blistering solos without ever losing the crowd's interest or the intense swing. Her song selection at times harkens back to Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith, but it is delivered with the brass sauciness and R&B sensibilites of Ruth Brown. Kim Nalley's orginal songs are gutsy, bold and political with the earthiness of Mavis Staples. A consummate stage woman with a penchant for story-telling ala BB King, Nalley's concerts are always an interactive experience between the band and audience.

Her brand new CD, "Blues People," captures an extraordinary singer at the height of her amazing vocal and artistic powers. The mood and substance throughout — indeed the album in its entirety — reveal a singer who can not only sing awesomely, but also, a singer who can “really sang,” as those in the know like to say For Nalley, like Amiri Baraka, the blues range across the full continuum of human experience: sacred and secular; love and hate; joy and sadness; success and failure; highs and lows, and, the infinite crossings and mixes of these human fundamentals. Equally important, the blues are about struggle, endurance, survival, all too often “making a way where there is no way,” and transcendence. The sighs, shouts, moans, groans, and shrieks as well as the exciting call-and-response with her outstanding band not only give the album a gritty, downhome feel, these elements also reveal a searching exploration of both the distinctive and universal qualities of the worlds of Blues People.

Awarded "Most Influential African American in the Bay Area" in 2005 and "Best Jazz Group" in 2013, vocalist Kim Nalley is already being called "legendary" and "San Francisco institution." No trip to San Francisco is complete without seeing Kim Nalley perform. With an international reputation as one of world's best jazz & blues vocalists, she has graced concert halls from Moscow to Lincoln Center. A true Renaissance woman, Kim Nalley has also been a featured writer for JazzWest and SF Chronicle's City Brights, shortlisted for a Grammy nomination, a produced playwright, a former jazz club owner, an accomplished stage actress, a Ph.D. candidate in history at UC Berkeley, and an avid lindy hop & blues dancer. Her many philanthropic endeavors include founding the Kim Nalley Black Youth Jazz Scholarship.

"GOD, CAN THIS WOMAN SING! It's as if a vocalist from the great post-war blues and jazz combos had been transported to the end of the century." Blues Access Magazine

"Kim Nalley has pipes to burn and works the stage like she means it." San Francisco Chronicle

"Sultry voiced Kim Nalley brings an irresistibly sexy sense of swing, rhythmic dexterity and beautiful sound to the classic, with her crisp diction and playful delivery of earthy lines." Down Beat

Blues People

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John Pizzarelli - Midnight McCartney

Size: 114,6 MB
Time: 48:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Pop, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Silly Love Songs (3:47)
02. My Love (4:21)
03. Heart Of The Country (3:08)
04. Coming Up (3:52)
05. No More Lonely Nights (5:03)
06. Warm And Beautiful (3:29)
07. Hi, Hi, Hi (3:47)
08. Junk (3:38)
09. My Valentine (3:35)
10. Let ‘em In (2:47)
11. Some People Never Know (3:19)
12. Maybe I’m Amazed (3:55)
13. Wonderful Christmastime (4:11)

Paul McCartney had a great idea for an album. He just needed John Pizzarelli to make it. On September 11th, Concord Records will release Midnight McCartney. I got an idea in my head, McCartney wrote to Pizzarelli in late May 2014. "It might be interesting for you and Bucky to do a few of my songs that are lesser known than some of the others. I realize this may be a little immodest, if not pushy. I imagine the songs would include post-Beatles melodies of mine like 'Love in the Open Air' (from the soundtrack to 1967 film The Family Way), 'Junk,' 'Warm and Beautiful' and, possibly, 'My Valentine.'"

"My Valentine" was the one McCartney composition on his album of songs from the '30s and '40s, Kisses on the Bottom (MPL/Hear Music/Concord). Pizzarelli played guitar on the album and backed Sir Paul on a handful of prestigious live performances, including the GRAMMY Awards, MusiCares Person of the Year gala and the initial iTunes/Apple TV live broadcast. McCartney concluded in his letter, "The attraction for me is lesser-known tunes done in a mellow jazz style and, if it gets some traction, maybe the album could be titled Midnight McCartney. As I said, this may tickle your fancy or you may decide these are the ramblings of a deranged composer with too much time on his hands."

To say John Pizzarelli was tickled is putting it mildly. Pizzarelli, his wife Jessica Molaskey co-producer of Midnight McCartney - and pianist Larry Goldings immediately went into research mode, digging through McCartney's albums of the last 45-plus years to find songs that could be re-harmonized and adapted for Pizzarelli's trademark style. The beauty of the project was having a lot of time to sit and listen to these things and make sure it was right, Pizzarelli says. "There were a lot of things we had never done before a lot of background vocals, additional horns and handclaps. That really made it into something."

And like most Pizzarelli records, it's a family affair: wife Jessica Molaskey co-produced the album and provides background vocals; John's father Bucky adds rhythm guitar on several tracks and a stunning solo on "Junk"; brother Martin is on bass throughout; and teenage daughter Madeline got into the act, transcribing "Warm and Beautiful" for her father to sing in a different key. "We're McCartney fans and this is our way of letting people know these are good songs", he says. "It's a take on the songs within a style we're comfortable with. If one became a hit, we'd be fine with playing it for the next 20 years."

Midnight McCartney

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Horace Silver - Jazz... Has... A Sense Of Humor

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:24
Size: 108.5 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[5:47] 1. Satisfaction Guaranteed
[5:35] 2. The Mama Suite, Pt. 1 Not Enough Mama
[4:51] 3. The Mama Suite, Pt. 2 Too Much Mama
[4:07] 4. The Mama Suite, Pt. 3 Just Right Mama
[4:43] 5. Philley Millie
[5:58] 6. Ah-Ma-Tell
[4:47] 7. I Love Annie's Fanny
[7:34] 8. Gloria
[3:59] 9. Where Do I Go From Here

In this set of nine originals, the Horace Silver touch is clearly evident: happy, strong melodies; groovin' beats; Silver's deft, deliberate, bluesy piano comping and boppin' leads; and the joyful playing of saxophonist Jimmy Greene and trumpeter Ryan Kisor, which seems to be more intense in the context of Silver's unmistakable compositions. The CD's title is in reference to the album's content (and that the listener has to go along with Silver's adoration in a nonsexist way toward women). Some might be offended by the title "I Love Annie's Fanny," but it's just the name of a bouncy, mainstream jazz ditty that Silver is so well known for writing. There are some clichés that pop up in old Silver numbers that he seems to have rewritten. Phrases of "Cape Verdean Blues" creep into the urgent first movement of "The Mama Suite," and his typical groove waltz is extant in the opener "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and the closer "Where Do I Go From Here?" But his tunefully familiar, head-noddin' original funk is a vital as ever, and sounds pretty fresh compared to some of the trite neo-bop being reprocessed this past decade. Silver's light, spare, soulful style -- particularly when he uses his left hand in tandem with John Webber's bass -- is a sound for sore ears, one that has a universal, timeless appeal, crossing generational and commercial barriers. This is well-played music, a specialty Silver has envisioned and realized through the bulk of his career. Highly recommended. ~Michael G. Nastos

Jazz... Has... A Sense Of Humor

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Libby York - Sunday In New York

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:38
Size: 109.1 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2003/2012
Art: Front

[8:07] 1. Midnight Sun
[2:53] 2. Sunday In New York
[4:35] 3. Waltz For Debby
[5:14] 4. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
[4:33] 5. Down In Brazil
[3:47] 6. I Go For That
[5:16] 7. All My Tomorrows
[4:33] 8. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
[5:12] 9. Like Someone In Love
[3:23] 10. That's All

With "Sunday in New York," York provides evidence that she is ready to be considered among the foremost jazz singers on the scene today. She is obviously very much at home with a wide range of material, including two often overlooked songs out of the Sinatra canon - "All My Tomorrow's" and "In the Wee Small Hours."

Sunday In New York

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Buddy Cole - Have Organ Will Swing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:27
Size: 81.2 MB
Styles: Organ jazz, Swing
Year: 1961/2011
Art: Front

[3:12] 1. That Old Black Magic
[3:19] 2. Memories Of You
[2:31] 3. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
[4:31] 4. Early Autumn
[2:11] 5. I Hear Music
[2:39] 6. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[4:16] 7. I Cover The Waterfront
[2:58] 8. Two Little Girls
[2:53] 9. Let's Fall In Love
[2:05] 10. Blue Lou
[3:06] 11. It All Depends On You
[1:41] 12. Lullaby Of Broadway

Buddy Cole is hard to explain... He wasn't your typical white roller skater/easy listening organist... nor was he exactly a groovy soul Jazz player... (as per Jack McDuff, Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff.) He was one monster of a SWINGER (in the retro/hip/ultra lounge) sense of the word... If any stylistic comparisons can be made, you might point in the direction of Wild Bill Davis perhaps... in fact, in many ways, the album is simply a master session player emulating the king of Organ Swing in a popularly fathomable style... (There's also a bit of Jackie Davis going on !) and at the time he played with the top Hollywood stars of the era (Peggy Lee, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby) as a quintessential session man. Think Dick Hyman for example... not 100% original, but capable of playing convincing renditions of tunes in a wide variety of authentic sounding styles.. ~Eddie Landsberg

Have Organ Will Swing

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Marcos Valle - Samba '68

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:50
Size: 61.4 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Bossa Nova, Samba
Year: 1968/1999/2014
Art: Front

[2:41] 1. The Answer
[2:07] 2. Crickets Sing For Anamaria
[2:26] 3. So Nice (Summer Samba)
[2:14] 4. Chup, Chup, I Got Away
[2:51] 5. If You Went Away
[1:50] 6. Pepino Beach
[2:41] 7. She Told Me, She Told Me
[2:49] 8. It's Time To Sing
[2:00] 9. Batucada
[1:55] 10. The Face I Love
[3:09] 11. Safely In Your Arms

Samba '68 is a vibrant set of Brazilian pop, indebted to bossa nova and samba but undeniably Americanized for a domestic audience. The result is a joyous album throughout that wears its dated sound quite well. Marcos Valle interprets eleven of his own songs, including Brazilian standards like "Chup Chup, I Got Away," "Batucada," and "So Nice (Summer Samba)," as well as new tracks like "Crickets Sing for Anamaria" and "The Answer." The vocal harmonies of his wife (the Anamaria of the song title) provide a beautiful counterpoint to Valle's voice on several tracks, making Samba '68 one of the best Brazilian crossovers of the 1960s. ~John Bush

Samba '68

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Tal Farlow - The Complete Verve Sessions (Discs 2 & 3 of 7)

Album: The Complete Verve Sessions (Disc 2)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 66:18

Size: 151.8 MB

Styles: Guitar jazz

Year: 2011

Art: Front

[2:50] 1. These Foolish Things

[4:12] 2. I Remember You

[3:58] 3. How Deep Is The Ocean

[3:48] 4. Fascinating Rhythm

[3:15] 5. Manhattan

[1:40] 6. Autumn Leaves

[3:25] 7. It's You Or No One

[4:34] 8. Tenderly

[3:45] 9. There Will Never Be Another You

[3:01] 10. Just One Of Those Things

[5:26] 11. Out Of Nowhere

[5:26] 12. Walkin'

[4:23] 13. Moonlight Becomes You

[4:07] 14. On The Alamo

[4:00] 15. Will You Still Be Mine

[4:14] 16. Lorinesque

[4:07] 17. Bye Bye Baby

The Complete Verve Sessions (Disc 2)

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Album: The Complete Verve Sessions (Disc 3)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 61:22

Size: 140.5 MB

Styles: Guitar jazz

Year: 2011

Art: Front

[3:44] 1. Lullaby Of The Leaves

[3:15] 2. Stompin' At The Savoy

[3:04] 3. This Is Always

[2:54] 4. Tea For Two

[7:06] 5. I Wished On The Moon

[6:45] 6. Swinging Till The Girls Come Home

[5:35] 7. Jordu

[4:40] 8. The Way You Look Tonight

[8:33] 9. Bernie's Tune

[7:05] 10. I Wished On The Moon

[8:37] 11. Bernie's Tune (Take 3)

The Complete Verve Sessions (Disc 3)

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Percy Heath - A Love Song

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:45
Size: 93,5 MB
Art: Front

( 3:15)  1. A Love Song
( 3:23)  2. Watergate Blues
( 6:25)  3. Django
( 5:19)  4. Century Rag
( 3:36)  5. No More Weary Blues
(13:24)  6. Suite for Pop...
( 5:20)  7. Hanna's Mood

It’s an encouraging sign for all octogenarians when one of their own, a man who has a musical career that spans more than six decades, finally releases an album under his own name at the age of eighty. That man is Percy Heath, and with A Love Song he finally gets to play things exactly as he hears them, which is with a quartet alongside another bassist, allowing Heath plenty of room to solo, on both bass and cello. A Love Song is an engaging album that also gives Heath the opportunity to concentrate on his own originals;  four of the seven tracks are penned by Heath, another written by pianist Jeb Patton, with John Lewis’s “Django” and Sir Roland Hanna’s “Century Rag” thrown in for good measure. 

Brother Tootie Heath (drums) and Peter Washington (bass) provide a warm background on this collection of mainstream tunes. But the two stars of the show are Patton, a young pianist with a penchant for the romantic as demonstrated on his own “Hanna’s Mood," and, of course, Percy Heath, whose bass playing completely defines the session. Opening with the solo title track, Heath immediately demonstrates the warm tone, lyrical sense and impeccable intonation that has made him such an in-demand artist on over three hundred recordings, including seminal works with Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and, of course, his group of over forty years, the Modern Jazz Quartet. And, while he has spent most of his time in the mainstream, it is interesting to note that he has always been prepared to stretch his boundaries, playing on more outside recordings including John Coltrane’s Avant Garde. But it is in the mainstream where he has made his name, and that is where he concentrates his effort on A Love Song.

While Heath’s “Watergate Blues” has been recorded several times before, this is the first time that it has been played with the bass stating the melody. In fact, Heath’s bass is the predominant voice on the whole recording; while Patton gets a few choice solos, it is Heath’s voice that is the essence; his reading of “Django” is tender; his playing on “No More Weary Blues” vibrant, buoyant. The centrepiece of the recording is “Suite For Pop,” a four-movement suite dedicated to Heath’s father. From the more dark and brooding “Prelude” and “Lament,” which reflect Heath’s sadness at his father’s passing, emerge “Rejoice” and “Celebration,” which do just that; Heath is a master at conveying emotions in his writing and playing. 

A Love Song finally places Heath, a performer who has literally influenced generations of bassists, front-and-centre. With a mainstream program that is as revealing as it is fun, as passionate as it is intelligent, Heath proves why he has, in the course of over sixty years, remained in such high demand. He combines musical integrity with a purely playful nature that makes him a joy to hear. And at eighty years old and still going strong, we can only hope that he’ll have more opportunities to correct the wrong of a lifetime and record more as a leader.~ John Kelman http://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-love-song-percy-heath-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Percy Heath (bass, cello), Jeb Patton (piano), Peter Washington (bass)

A Love Song

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Stephanie Lottermoser - Good Soul

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:36
Size: 121,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:30)  1. Step Ahead
(5:36)  2. Overjoyed
(5:36)  3. Prince Of Scotland
(7:16)  4. Chet
(6:21)  5. Between Three And Five
(7:22)  6. Good Soul
(5:03)  7. (You make me feel like a) A Natural Woman
(4:36)  8. Here!
(6:12)  9. If You Go Away

Stephanie Lottermoser started taking classical piano lessons and vocal training at the age of 7, with 14 she started to play saxophone and took lessons with Karsten Gorzel, Johannes Enders, Don Menza and Axel Kühn. She studied jazz saxophone with Leszek Zadlo at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich. From 2000 - 2008 she was a member of the State Youth Jazz Orchestra Bavaria, also multiple winner in the competition "Jugend Jazzt" in the solo and ensemble classification. Since 2009 she is a teacher for saxophone and Combo in the workshop "Jazz Juniors" of the Bavarian State Youth Jazz Orchestra www.ljjb.de. So far she released three albums for which she composed and arranged all the music: 2009 "Second Glance", 2013 "Good Soul" with special guest Joo Kraus and 2015 "Paris Songbook" with Special Guest Torsten Goods. 

In 2013 she received a six month scholarship oft he bavarian gouvernment for a stay at the "Cité Internationale des Arts" in Paris. Since then various new projects and collaborations were built that will continue, especially her work with french pianist François Faure who also plays on her current album. Since 2014 she´s a Yamaha Artist and plays a silver Yamaha 82Z tenor saxophone. In autumn 2014 she was invited as a "featured artist" to play on the Smooth Jazz Europe Festival with the US-piano and keyboard player Bob Baldwin. http://www.stephanielottermoser.com/en/bio/

Good Soul

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Kim Massie With The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Soul Serenade

Styles: R&B, Soul

Year: 2010

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 69:03

Size: 158,8 MB

Art: Front

(3:14)  1. Evil Gal Blues

(4:13)  2. Feeling Good

(3:54)  3. Someone Else is Steppin' In

(3:51)  4. Soul Serenade

(4:33)  5. Hard Times (no one knows better than I)

(4:14)  6. Hip Hug-her

(6:25)  7. I'm a Woman

(6:12)  8. If I Can't Sell It (I'll keep sittin' on it)

(3:12)  9. Respect

(5:08) 10. Back at the Chicken Shack

(3:50) 11. (you make me feel like) A Natural Woman

(5:59) 12. At Last

(5:29) 13. Tell Me Something Good

(8:42) 14. Dr. Feelgood (love is a serious business)

The fourth CD by the ten-piece Solomon Douglas Swingtet features the St. Louis blues and soul diva Kim Massie, performing favorite songs by Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Etta James, Nina Simone, and Chaka Khan. It was recorded live in concert in Seattle. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sdswingtet4

Soul Serenade

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The Satchmo Legacy Band - Salute To Pops Vol 1

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:29
Size: 116,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:51)  1. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
(6:42) 2. Ellingtonia Interlude: In a Sentimental Mood/Sophisticated Lady
(6:29)  3. Gut Bucket Blues
(8:13)  4. Blues for Pops
(3:01)  5. Ory's Creole Trombone
(6:30)  6. Stardust
(6:43)  7. Wild Man Blues
(7:55)  8. When the Saints Go Marching In

This is a hilariously rotten record. Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, trombonist Curtis Fuller, clarinetist Alvin Batiste, guitarist Al Casey, pianist Kirk Lightsey, bassist Red Callender and drummer Alan Dawson attempt to pay tribute to Louis Armstrong but the results are quite embarrassing. It is true that Batiste is from New Orleans but that hardly makes him a Dixieland clarinetist, few trombonists sound less like a New Orleans player than Fuller, and to have Hubbard cast as Satch is bad casting to say the least. 

The programming of the music is illogical, particularly having the themeless "Gut Bucket Blues" followed by the pointless "Blues For Pops." The odd part is that the closer these modern players come to imitating the Louis Armstrong All-Stars, the sillier they sound. "Ory's Creole Trombone" is remarkably bad with Fuller making Kid Ory seem like a virtuoso and Hubbard fumbling all over the place; couldn't they have attempted it again? "Wild Man Blues" is such a fiasco (didn't any of these musicians care enough to learn the songs?) that this CD should only be purchased to amuse one's knowledgable friends. 

~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/salute-to-pops-vol-1-mw0000276138

Personnel: Al Casey (vocals, guitar); Alvin Batiste (vocals, clarinet); Freddie Hubbard (vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn); Curtis Fuller (vocals, trombone); Red Callender (vocals, tuba); Kirk Lightsey (vocals, piano); Alan Dawson (vocals, drums).

Salute To Pops  Vol 1

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