John McLaughlin - Black Light

Styles: Guitar Jazz, Jazz Fusion
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:26
Size: 129,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:27)  1. Here Come the Jiis
(5:58)  2. Clap Your Hand
(5:41)  3. Being You Being Me
(6:14)  4. Pandit Ji
(6:31)  5. 360 Flip
(5:37)  6. El Hombre Que Sabia
(4:15)  7. Gaza City
(5:54)  8. Kiki
(3:44)  9. Nothing to Lose but the Blues

All my recordings are personal and reflect what is happening in my interior world, and I’m happy about the way the diverse cultural influences that have impacted on me for so many years, are showing themselves in this new album. The inclusion of ‘movements’ inside the pieces is a new development for me and I like the way they work within, giving a breath, or pause with a different dynamic. The work here relates to, and is a development of the work I began with the album ‘Industrial Zen’.  In addition there are a number of homages:, namely in ‘Here come the Jiis’ to the memory of the wonderful musician with whom I played for 14 years, Mandolin Shrinivas. The piece ‘Panditji’ is a small thank you to a great human being and musician, Pandit Ravi Shankar, with whom I had the honor of studying under during the middle 1970’s.

‘El Hombre que Sabià’ is for the unforgettable Paco de Lucia, and is one of the pieces we had planned to record together last year. He was particularly fond of this piece, so I changed the title and worked out an arrangement with the great musicians of 4D; I’m really happy how it turned out. ‘Being you being me’comes out of an experience of seeing the One in the many. I am personally convinced that the only real evolution in humanity will be when we all see the divine in each other, and so accord the respect that every individual merits. In the opening and closing of this piece, you’ll hear the synth guitar. ‘360 Flip’ comes from skateboard move my son introduced me to, and reminded me of a 360 Flip that can happen in your mind, when your mind turns 360 degrees and you see everything the same but differently. This can happen while playing music, meditating or even walking in the mountains.’Clap your hand’ is a pun on the Zen koan, ‘What is the sound of one hand clapping?’

’Gaza City’ requires no explanation after the bombardment of that City in the summer of 2014. I played the synth guitar and electric guitar on this piece. And finally ‘Kiki’ who is such a dear friend and wonderful drummer. I hope you find something in the music. ~ John McLaughi  http://www.johnmclaughlin.com/project/black-light/

Personnel: John McLaughlin (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synthesizer); Ranjit Barot (vocals, drums); Gary Husband (piano, synthesizer, drums, percussion); Etienne Mbappé (electric bass).

Black Light

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B.B. King - Reflections

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:09
Size: 105.7 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[3:19] 1. Exactly Like You
[3:20] 2. On My Word Of Honor
[2:47] 3. I Want A Little Girl
[3:29] 4. I'll String Along With You
[3:01] 5. I Need You
[2:56] 6. A Mother's Love
[3:28] 7. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
[4:25] 8. Neighborhood Affair
[3:34] 9. Tomorrow Night
[3:26] 10. There I've Said It Again
[3:54] 11. Always On My Mind
[4:28] 12. Cross My Heart
[3:55] 13. What A Wonderful World

B.B. King was 77 years old when Reflections was released, which perhaps entitled him to reflect back on the song standards the album contained. Despite advancing age, King had already been unusually busy on the recording front for a septuagenarian, turning out the gold-selling duets album Deuces Wild in 1997, Blues on the Bayou in 1998, Let the Good Times Roll: The Music of Louis Jordan in 1999, the double-platinum Riding With the King with Eric Clapton and Makin' Love Is Good for You in 2000, and the seasonal recording A Christmas Celebration of Hope in 2002. For Reflections, he again worked with Simon Climie, who produced Riding With the King, and collaborated with a session band including such notables as Joe Sample, Nathan East, and Doyle Bramhall II. The songs ranged from pop evergreens like "I'll String Along With You" and "For Sentimental Reasons" to blues favorites such as Lonnie Johnson's "Tomorrow Night," with oddities like "Always on My Mind" thrown in and even a couple of remakes of the earlier King songs "Word of Honor" and "Neighborhood Affair." The arrangements, which included horn and string parts, left room for King's distinctive blues guitar work, but really supported his always expressive voice. The result was a confident, easygoing album that stylistically could have been made in 1953 as easily as 2003. Blues purists and aficionados of blues guitar would find it only partially satisfying, but it reflected the breadth of musical taste of an artist who always played the blues but never restricted himself only to blues music or blues fans. ~William Ruhlmann

Reflections

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Marian McPartland - Yesterdays: Marian McPartland The First Lady Of Jazz Piano

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:06
Size: 94.1 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Standards
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[2:44] 1. Strike Up The Band
[3:14] 2. It Might As Well Be Spring
[2:51] 3. Yesterdays
[2:47] 4. Love Is Here To Stay
[2:27] 5. Love For Sale
[2:57] 6. Gypsy In My Soul
[2:41] 7. All The Things You Are
[2:21] 8. Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away)
[3:43] 9. Embraceable You
[3:47] 10. The Lady Is A Tramp
[3:06] 11. A Foggy Day
[4:02] 12. Manhattan
[4:19] 13. I've Got The World On A String

This recording is one of the best of Marian Mcpartland who is one of the great ones whose style always centers on a strong melody with smooth harmonies that never leave the melody behind. Over the years her radio show has displayed the breadth of her library of the great pieces in the spirit of what is known today as the "Great American Songbook". I never grow tired of her arrangements where I can always find something new even after listening to a piece times after the first play. ~Ernie Dossin

Yesterdays: Marian McPartland The First Lady Of Jazz Piano

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Mel Tormé - Tormé

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:22
Size: 99.3 MB
Styles: Vocal, Standards
Year: 1958/2003
Art: Front

[3:26] 1. That Old Feeling
[5:11] 2. Gloomy Sunday
[3:34] 3. Body And Soul
[1:49] 4. Nobody's Heart
[2:52] 5. I Should Care
[2:49] 6. The House Is Haunted (By The Echo Of Your Last Goodbye)
[8:03] 7. Blues In The Night
[3:03] 8. I Don't Want To Cry Any More
[3:25] 9. Where Can I Go Without You
[3:21] 10. How Did She Look
[3:11] 11. 'round Midnight
[2:32] 12. I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life

Most of Mel Tormé's albums for Verve and Bethlehem during the 1950s concentrated on material either carefree (usually up-tempo) or reflective (mostly down-tempo), but 1958's Tormé blended the two. For every bouncy single like "That Old Feeling" or "I'm Gonna Laugh You Out of My Life," Tormé sinks into the depths with "Gloomy Sunday," "The House Is Haunted (By the Echo of Your Last Goodbye)," or his dramatic eight-minute reading of "Blues in the Night." All this makes for a bit of emotional confusion while listening to Tormé, but the LP pulls together for the most part. ~John Bush

Tormé

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Coleman Hawkins & Pee Wee Russell - Jam Session In Swingville

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:08
Size: 178.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Swing, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1961/1992
Art: Front

[ 9:30] 1. Jammin' In Swingville
[10:40] 2. Cool Sunrise
[ 7:53] 3. Spring's Swing
[ 7:15] 4. Love Me Or Leave Me
[ 2:43] 5. I Want To Be Happy
[ 7:15] 6. Phoenix
[ 5:31] 7. So Glad
[ 6:47] 8. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[ 6:33] 9. I May Be Wrong
[ 3:54] 10. Vic's Spot
[10:00] 11. Years Ago

This single CD has all of the music reissued in the mid-'70s on a two-LP set. Although sometimes issued under the names of Coleman Hawkins and Pee Wee Russell, the two great jazzmen actually do not appear together. The music, which is performed by two all-star groups with arrangements by either Jimmy Hamilton or Al Sears, is generally modern swing. Hawkins' band is comprised of trumpeter Joe Newman, trombonist J.C. Higginbottham, clarinetist Hamilton, altoist Hilton Jefferson and a four-piece rhythm section. Pianist Cliff Jackson plays "I Want to Be Happy," and clarinetist Russell's outfit also features trumpeter Joe Thomas, trombonist Vic Dickenson and both Al Sears and Buddy Tate on tenors. Nothing all that memorable or innovative occurs, but the performances are enjoyable. ~Scott Yanow

Jam Session In Swingville

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Bud Shank featuring Chet Baker - Michelle

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 24:55
Size: 57,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:28)  1. Michelle
(2:42)  2. Petite Fleur
(2:24)  3. Girl
(2:10)  4. As Tears Go By
(2:27)  5. You Didn't Have To Be So Nice
(2:27)  6. Love Theme, Umbrellas Of Cherbourg
(2:36)  7. Sounds of Silence
(2:39)  8. Turn! Turn! Turn!
(2:39)  9. Yesterday
(2:19) 10. Blue on Blue

Bud Shank’s December 1965 recording, Michelle, consisted primarily of recent pop hits by the likes of the The Beatles, The Byrds and The Mamas and The Papas, arranged for the easy listening market by Bob Florence. Drenched in saccharine strings and given a choral backing, it proved to be a surprise hit, reaching #54 on the US album charts. “Chet showed up late, and wanted to borrow twenty dollars,” Shank later recalled. “Past that, everything was all right. He did exactly what he had to do and did it well.” http://www.funnyvalentine.org/funnyvalentine.org/Michelle.html

Personnel: Bud Shank (alto saxophone, flute); Bob Florence (arranger, conductor)

Michelle

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Renée Fleming - Dark Hope

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:26
Size: 111,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:59)  1. Endlessly
(3:41)  2. No One's Gonna Love You
(4:15)  3. Oxygen
(3:22)  4. Today
(4:19)  5. Intervention
(5:33)  6. With Twilight As My Guide
(3:53)  7. Mad World
(5:01)  8. In Your Eyes
(3:26)  9. Stepping Stone
(3:11) 10. Soul Meets Body
(7:39) 11. Hallelujah

It’s fitting that Renée Fleming, “the people’s diva,” would make an album of pop songs that feels more like a labor of love than a crossover attempt. Dark Hope is filled with songs and arrangements that wouldn’t appear on a typical attempt to bring a classical vocalist into the mainstream witness her dark, intricate take on the Mars Volta’s “With Twilight as My Guide.” It should almost go without saying that Fleming's voice is just as remarkable here as it is in her usual milieu, but the album proves time and again that she is game for just about anything. Fleming learned how to sing in the more intimate, confessional style that Dark Hope's singer/songwriter and alternative rock fare requires just for this project; combined with her interpretive gifts, she does a masterful job of remaining true to the spirit of the original songs while offering her own twists on them. Her voice dances over the wordy, syllable-heavy lyrics of Willy Mason's “Oxygen,” brings a mature moodiness to “Stepping Stone” that was lacking in Duffy's spitfire version, and remains connected to the intimacy in the Arcade Fire’s “Intervention” even as the song swells around her. Indeed, Dark Hope's swelling arrangements are as much a weakness as they are a strength: at times, it feels like the album’s producers didn’t trust that her gorgeous voice singing these songs would be enough of a draw. Quite a few tracks have busy instrumentation that detracts from Fleming's singing; others have arrangements that try too hard to be tastefully contemporary, and dilute the songs’ impact. 

Fleming is divinely torchy on Muse's “Endlessly,” but her trip-hop-tinged surroundings are no match for her rich vocals. Her interpretation of Band of Horses' “No One’s Gonna Love You” is let down by an arrangement that sounds like generic alt-pop though, on the other hand, it’s a relief that it doesn’t sound like A String Tribute to Band of Horses. Despite these problems, both of these songs are among Dark Hope's standout tracks, along with the subtly sultry electro-folk turn on Jefferson Airplane’s “Today” and the urgent yet airy reading of Death Cab for Cutie's “Soul Meets Body.” It’s just frustrating that even songs as revered as Leonard Cohen's “Hallelujah”which is virtually a standard at this point are burdened with anything that takes away from a voice as remarkable as Fleming's singing a melody that powerful. She deserves credit for undertaking such a bold enterprise, but unfortunately Dark Hope's execution lets down the concept. 

~ Heather Phares  http://www.allmusic.com/album/dark-hope-mw0001989615

Dark Hope

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One For All - No Problem

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:23
Size: 145,5 MB
Art: Front

(8:18)  1. Our Father Who Art Blaky
(8:23)  2. No Problem
(8:31)  3. Moanin'
(7:53)  4. Whisper Not
(6:15)  5. Ugetsu
(7:43)  6. Time Off
(7:51)  7. Prelude To A Kiss
(8:28)  8. One For All

This starlit group hits the ground running with drummer Joe Farnsworth's driving tribute to Art Blakey: it's an introduction that says, "we have arrived, folks, just buckle up and ride." Not a hard thing to do and great fun to boot. Recorded at New York's historic Avatar Studios in April of 2003, the sextet's combined mastery and energy are impressive to say the least. "One for All" includes some of the brightest lights in jazz today, who apply themselves to a spirited program of classics and two band originals the aforementioned blistering "Our Father..." and trombonist Steve Davis's infectious closer, "One for All."

Fans of Eric Alexander's masterful tenor work will be especially delighted by his solo on "No Problem." So will David Hazeltine fans, and Jim Rotondi fans, and....in fact, the consistently strong solos are some of the many pleasures of this disk, along with the band's ability to play together as a driving force. The fact that the arrangements of classics like "Moanin'" and "Whisper Not" are pretty standard detracts nothing from the pleasure of their rendering by a group of this caliber. 

On "Time Off," where trombonist Steve Davis first displays the group's communal intention to take no prisoners, I was reminded of the old Maxell ad where the music blows the listener's hair straight back. The guys finally take a breath on "Prelude," in an interesting arrangement where Alexander evokes the ghost of Coltrane's ballad playing and Drummond steps up to the melody. Recorded so frontally that it sounds live, "One for All" is a powerful supergroup recording that cures the winter blues. ~ Dr. Judith Schlesinger  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/no-problem-one-for-all-venus-records-review-by-dr-judith-schlesinger.php

Personnel: Joe Farnsworth (drums), David Hazeltine (piano), Eric Alexander (tenor sax), Jim Rotondi (trumpet), Steve Davis (trombone), Ray Drummond (bass)

No Problem

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Mark Murphy & Metropole Orchestra - The Dream

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2000
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 64:28
Size: 103,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:25)  1. The Dream
(5:20)  2. Since I Fell For You
(4:27)  3. So Many Stars
(3:39)  4. Laura
(4:19)  5. This Is New
(4:54)  6. Sometimes When You're Lonely
(5:58)  7. Gone (Dedicated to Sarah Vaughan)
(3:57)  8. Estate
(5:41)  9. Down Here On The Ground
(1:22) 10. Hopeless (A Blue Girl In a Red Sunrise)
(4:01) 11. Stairway To Paradise
(4:29) 12. I See Your Face Before Me
(3:16) 13. All In Love Is Fair
(3:52) 14. We Can Try Love Again
(4:41) 15. When The World Was Young

Mark Murphy is one of the world's greatest and hippest jazz vocalists performing today. On this album you will find very special and rare recordings, made in Holland with the METROPOL ORCHESTRA in several sessions from the late 60s till early 90s. GREAT arrangements and a great selection of songs! His coterie of fans includes tap dancer Gregory Hines, who spontaneously jumped up on stage at Mark's Las Vegas engagement in 1995 to join him for an impromptu duet. Legendary composer Alec Wilder said of Mark, 'I was quite literally amazed. Mark's musicianship, range, intonation, diction, inventiveness and incredible rhythmic sense are all of a piece and all marvelous.' Vocal greats Betty Carter, Peggy Lee, Cleo Laine and Shirley Horn all sing Murphy's praises as one of the best in he business and the legendary Ella Fitzgerald declared 'he is my equal.' A six-time Grammy nominee, Mark Murphy has enjoyed a prolific 40-year recording career, with over 40 releases to date. His original lyrics to 'Stolen Moments,' 'Red Clay' and more are known the world over. His innovative projects range from the work of Nat 'King' Cole to Jack Kerouac to Ivan Lins to Eddie Jefferson. Stereo Review dubs Mark 'one of the major artists of our age.' Mark Murphy is a jazz singer. 'For decades the question 'What exactly is a jazz singer' 'has had two easy answers, Betty Carter. And Mark Murphy.' writes the New York Post. 'He is arguably the best male jazz singer in the business,' declares Rex Reed. 'Mark Murphy is to jazz singing what Bobby Fisher is to chess.' Jazz journalist Dan Morgenstern writes, 'I can't help relishing his sure and swinging time, his musical and ever-inventive phrasing and that certain quality of sound and feeling combined with time and taste that to me spells jazz.'

Murphy is 'a hipster's hipster,' writes the New York Post. Jazziz magazine concurs, 'he is one of the true remaining jazz hipsters of our time.' 'Mark has devoted a long career to singing the hippest music with the best musicians,' states Leonard Feather. 'Consider the company he has kept on records. In the '60s, Clark Terry, Dick Hyman, Roger Kellaway. In the '70s, David Sanborn and the Brecker Brothers. In the '80s, Frank Morgan, Richie Cole and the Azymuth Trio. Consider the jazzmen to whose instrumental works he has composed and sung lyrics: Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Pat Metheny, Charlie Parker, McCoy Tyner, Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter.' It was Sammy Davis, Jr. who first discovered the young Mark Murphy in 1953 at a jam session in Murphy's hometown of Syracuse, New York. Impressed with Murphy's talent, Davis invited him to his show that night, where he asked Mark to join him on stage. Davis -- to whom Murphy devoted his Muse release, 'What a Way to Go' -- was supportive of Mark throughout the years and was responsible for getting Murphy on the 'Tonight Show' with Steve Allen. It was Allen's composition, 'This Could Be the Start of Something Big,' that Mark recorded a hit rendition of in 1959. More...http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/markmurphy

The Dream

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Shirley Horn - Embers And Ashes: Songs Of Lost Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:08
Size: 167.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[2:32] 1. Like Someone In Love
[3:21] 2. He Never Mentioned Love
[3:22] 3. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
[3:03] 4. I Thought About You
[2:19] 5. Mountain Greenery
[3:40] 6. God Bless The Child
[3:34] 7. Blue City
[2:35] 8. Day By Day
[3:22] 9. If I Should Lose You
[3:45] 10. Wild Is The Wind
[2:54] 11. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[2:09] 12. Just In Time
[4:27] 13. Where Are You Going
[2:14] 14. Bag Of Money
[2:34] 15. Come On Home
[7:08] 16. Do It Again
[3:24] 17. The Eagle And Me
[5:44] 18. Taste Of Honey
[4:49] 19. L.A. Breakdown
[6:04] 20. Consequences Of A Drug Addict Role

Shirley Horn (vcl & p), Al Gafa (g), Joe Benjamin, Lewis Packer, Marshall T. Harris (b), Herb Lovelle, Harry Saunders, Bernard Sweetney (d).

Twofer: Tracks #1-12 from the 12" LP "Embers and Ashes" (Stere-O-Craft #16), Recorded in New York City, 1960. Tracks #13-20 from the 12" LP "Where Are You Going" (Perception Records Stereo PLP 31), Recorded in New York City, 1972.

Shirley Horn was an accomplished pianist who happened to sing extremely well – infinitely superior to almost all of the many so-called jazz singers who were much better known than she was. Shirley Horn sang like Shirley Horn and no one else. There are no mannerisms borrowed from other singers, no phony funk or resorting to cliché. Her control of vibrato was enough to make her exceptional, but her approach to a pretty song was a mature one. As one of the most pleasing and most musical singers in the business: she embraced the melody, without strain or fuss and her singing was unpretentious and full of grace.

This CD set presents her first album, Embers and Ashes, a gem that, considering her eminent reputation and a host of admirers including Miles Davis, remained incomprehensibly forgotten after its release in 1960, and another outstanding album she recorded years later under the title Where Are You Going. Both deserve to be reissued for the benefit of all her fans.

Embers And Ashes: Songs Of Lost Love

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Luiz Bonfá - Solo In Rio 1959

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:47
Size: 150.6 MB
Styles: Samba, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[1:36] 1. Pernambugo
[2:06] 2. Night And Day
[1:23] 3. Shearing
[2:49] 4. Sambolero
[1:43] 5. Calypso Minor
[2:31] 6. Uma Prece
[2:06] 7. Bonfabuloso
[2:34] 8. Luzes Do Rio
[2:29] 9. Bonfa's Song
[3:21] 10. Peridido De Amor
[2:23] 11. Cancao Do Orpheo
[1:59] 12. Amor Sem Adeus
[1:23] 13. Variacoes Em Violao
[2:49] 14. Seringueiro
[1:44] 15. Chopin
[2:46] 16. Bahia
[2:25] 17. Murder
[5:01] 18. A Brazilian In New York
[1:55] 19. Prelude To Adventure In Space
[1:39] 20. Tenderly
[2:14] 21. Blue Madrid
[1:07] 22. Marcha Escocesa
[0:52] 23. Fanfarra (Fanfare)
[1:10] 24. Samba De Orfeu
[1:20] 25. Manhã De Carnaval 2
[1:51] 26. Perdido De Amor 2
[3:06] 27. Sambolero 2
[2:08] 28. Quebra Mar 2
[0:29] 29. Seringueiro Excerpt
[1:59] 30. Seringueiro 2
[2:35] 31. Luzes Do Rio 2

Solo in Rio 1959 stands as a classic in the massive Luiz Bonfa catalog. Originally issued on the Cook label -- named for its owner, famed audio engineer Emory Cook -- it remained a favorite of the guitarist's throughout his lifetime. The Emory Cook Collection is housed and managed by the Smithsonian and as such, Folkways is able to re-release this masterpiece on CD with many added treasures -- there is an additional half-hour of music on the CD. The original featured 17 cuts. The new version contains 32, including an early version of "Samba de Orfeu." While it is true that it is the guitarist and composer's most famous composition and he recorded it many times, this is the only one on solo guitar. This is the first time it appears anywhere. Also included are two versions of the celebrated "Manhã de Carnaval." The second read is a more up-tempo and shorter version that is breathless in its beauty. Other well-known Bonfa compositions that have alternates here are "Perdido de Amor," "Sambolero," "Quebra Maer," and "Luzes do Rio." Another gem is the startling "Prelude to an Adventure in Space," with its hard swinging samba that transmutes into a dirge-like bolero on a dime. Solo in Rio 1959 offers an early hearing of Bonfa as fully developed, in possession of a stunning range of styles and techniques, all of them employable in the service of the song. The deep lyricism and harmonic richness of Bonfa's playing is unlike anything else before or since. Solo in Rio 1959 is a historic release, and one that will hopefully alert an entirely new generation to the work of this master of the guitar. In addition to the beautifully remastered music in this package, there is a fine biographical and musicological essay by Anthony Weller. ~Thom Jurek

Solo In Rio 1959

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Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Like Someone In Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:39
Size: 106.8 MB
Styles: Hard bop
Year: 1960/1997
Art: Front

[8:00] 1. Like Someone In Love
[9:08] 2. Johnny's Blues
[7:51] 3. Noise In The Attic
[8:03] 4. Sleeping Dancer Sleep On
[5:31] 5. Giantis
[8:03] 6. Sleeping Dancer Sleep On (Alt)

Taken from the same sessions that resulted in A Night in Tunisia, this fine CD features the 1960 version of The Jazz Messengers starring trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter and pianist Bobby Timmons. The title cut is the most impressive performance, but this excellent program of high-quality hard bop also allows listeners to hear three obscure Wayne Shorter compositions and Lee Morgan's forgotten "Johnny's Blue." ~Scott Yanow

Like Someone In Love

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Toni Solà & Ignasi Terraza Trio - Night Sounds

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:32
Size: 125,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:37)  1. End Of A Love Affair (Redding)
(5:19)  2. You've Changed
(4:30)  3. Just In Time
(5:38)  4. Quintessence
(4:57)  5. Beautiful Love
(4:57)  6. My Romance
(4:32)  7. Afternoon In Paris (Lewis)
(5:24)  8. Ciao, Ciao (Turrentine)
(3:48)  9. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
(4:40) 10. When Sunny Gets Blue
(6:06) 11. Night Sounds Blues

Hard to find Toni Solà recording debut as leader, finally available. Really a collector's item and a must have for Modern Mainstream fans. A job emerged from the collaboration of saxophonist Toni Solà with the trio of Ignasi Terraza. There, Toni’s saxophone, with a warm and sensual sound, will gradually seducing us with his serenity and lyricism.  Accompanied by a magnificent Ignasi Terraza trio who shows, with elegance and authority, a wide range of stylistic resources. We can advise in this record this group’s sweet moment, emphasized by the maturity and training reached after three months of playing the show “Jazz a les fosques” on a daily basis, just before this recording. The repertoire, consisting of little known standards, surprise us nailing the proposal. Night falls, the silence is imposed, the time has come to hear the “night sounds.” http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/night_sounds-cd-5548.html

Featuring: Toni Solà (ts & ss), Ignasi Terraza (p), Manuel Alvarez (b), Oriol Bordas (d)

Night Sounds

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Anthony Brown - Far East Suite

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:23
Size: 143,3 MB
Art: Front

( 6:43)  1. Tourist Point of View
( 3:06)  2. Bluebird of Delhi (Mynah)
( 7:02)  3. Isfahan
( 2:47)  4. Depk
( 1:29)  5. Mount Harissa (Prelude)
( 8:24)  6. Mount Harissa
( 5:51)  7. Blue Pepper (Far East of the Blues)
( 3:43)  8. Agra
( 8:02)  9. Amad
(15:12) 10. Ad Lib on Nippon

Of all the compositions Duke Ellington rolled out during his 1960s tenure on the U.S. State Department international touring circuit, Far East Suite was clearly the jewel in 1966 and has remained so since. The Ellington orchestra's famed recording of the work is cited as the best of his '60s material. And perhaps he could have imagined the suite as it appears in the thriving context of percussionist Anthony Brown's Asian American Orchestra. Brown spirits the work away, keeping central parts extra-Ellingtonian, with flourishes from different band sections running headlong across each other, especially on "Ad Lib on Nippon." Brown's band is incredibly resourceful, making a dozen players frequently sound like a much fuller orchestra. Jon Jang plays a double-take-worthy rendition of the original's piano parts, sprucing them with big keyboard blasts here and there but otherwise remaining largely faithful to the score. The horn soloists step out from the tight arrangements in stunning fashion, especially Hafez Modirzadeh's tenor solo on "Mount Harissa" and Melecio Magdaluyo's growling baritone on "Agra." The band interpolates several traditional Asian melodic additions into the Ellingtonian foundation, adding Chinese wind instruments beautifully to "Blue Pepper" and enlivening the overall piece with elements that make it in many ways even more compelling than the original. Brown has been nominated for a 1999 Grammy Award for this work, recognition of a flawless nod to and updating of an Ellington classic. It's one of the most thoughtful and creative tributes to the Duke on record. ~ Andrew Bartlett – Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Far-East-Suite-Duke-Ellington/dp/B00004DTMB

Asian American Jazz Orchestra: Anthony Brown (leader, drums, gong); Hafez Modirzadeh (alto & tenor saxophones, Persian flute, alto clarinet, double-reed instruments, frame drum); Jim Norton (alto & baritone saxophones, piccolo, clarinet, bassoon); Francis Wong (tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet); Melecio Magdaluyo (alto & baritone saxophones); Louis Fasman, John Worley (trumpet, flugelhorn); Qi Chao Liu (reed trumpet, bamboo flute, Chinese mouth organ); Wayne Wallace, Dave Martell (trombone); Mark Izu (Chinese mouth organ, bass); Jon Jang (piano).

Far East Suite

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Wayne Escoffery - Live at Smalls

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:29
Size: 138,7 MB
Art: Front

(13:36)  1. Concentric Drift
(14:26)  2. So Tender
(11:13)  3. A Cottage For Sale
(13:04)  4. Sweet And Lovely
( 8:08)  5. Snibor

"Young Lions" is a term that jazz journalists have been using to describe the long list of straight-ahead, acoustic-oriented jazz improvisers who were born in the '60s, '70s, and '80s, and London native Wayne Escoffery is among the many Young Lions who started building his catalog in the early 2000s. Escoffery, who plays post-bop and hard bop, is a tenor saxophonist with a big, full tone; his influences on the tenor have included, among others, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, and Sonny Rollins. Escoffery plays the soprano sax as a second instrument, and his most obvious inspirations on the soprano include Coltrane and Shorter. But whether he is on the tenor or the soprano, Escoffery has maintained a decidedly straight-ahead perspective that is quite faithful to the spirit of the Young Lion movement. Although he is originally from Great Britain, he has spent most of his life in the northeastern part of the United States. Born in London on February 23, 1975, Escoffery was only 11 when he left the U.K. with his mother and moved to New Haven, CT in 1986. 

That year, he joined the New Haven Trinity Boys Choir, and it was also in 1986 that he began studying the tenor sax with saxophonist/clarinetist Malcolm Dickinson. Escoffery left the New Haven Trinity Boys Choir when he was 16, and playing jazz saxophone not singing became his primary focus. Escoffery was still in his teens when he met the famous alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, who Escoffery has described as a mentor and a major inspiration in his life; Escoffery studied with McLean (who died in 2006) extensively at the Hartt School, a performing arts school in West Hartford. After that, he attended the New England Conservatory in Boston and graduated from that institution with a Masters in 1999 before moving to New York City the following year at the age of 25. Escoffery's visibility in the jazz world continued to increase; in the 2000s, his long list of activities ranged from being a member of trumpeter Tom Harrell's quintet to playing with the Charles Mingus ghost band to touring with veteran drummer Ben Riley's Monk Legacy Septet (a Thelonious Monk tribute band). Escoffery also backed his share of jazz vocalists in the 2000s, including Laverne Butler, Mary Stallings, Carolyn Leonhart, Cynthia Scott and Nancie Banks. Escoffery's first album as a leader, Times Change, was recorded for the German Nagel-Hayer label in early 2001; a second Nagel-Heyer studio date, Intuition, was recorded in 2003. Escoffery's first live album, Veneration, was recorded in 2006 for the Savant label and was followed by a studio session for Savant, Hopes and Dreams, in 2007. ~ Alex Henderson  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/wayne-escoffery/id44804239#fullText

Personnel: Wayne Escoffery (tenor saxophone); Dave Kikoski (piano); Ralph Peterson (drums).

Live at Smalls

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Duke Robillard - After Hours Swing Session

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:24
Size: 92.5 MB
Styles: Jazz/Blues
Year: 1992/2011
Art: Front

[2:31] 1. The Trouble With Me Is You
[4:07] 2. Shivers
[4:30] 3. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
[5:41] 4. Sweet Georgia Brown
[4:26] 5. Twist Top
[4:50] 6. I'll Never Be The Same
[7:03] 7. Tiny's Tempo
[7:12] 8. Albi Ain't Here

While guitarist Duke Robillard has won widespread popularity for his facility with rocking blues and barrelhouse numbers, he also loves understated, quietly swinging jazz fare. He got a chance to demonstrate his proficiency in this style on this intimate combo session. The eight songs featured on the CD include brisk workouts as well as light-hearted numbers that showcase Robillard's decent, if not great, voice, along with his fluid, tasty fills and crisp, clean acoustic and electric guitar solos. Here's another side of Duke Robillard, one that deserves equal billing with the flashy, burning one. ~Ron Wynn

After Hours Swing Session

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Blossom Dearie - Ain't There Something That Money Can't Buy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:26
Size: 179.6 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Jazz vocals
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:53] 1. Some Other Time
[3:59] 2. Lucky To Be Me
[4:14] 3. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[4:15] 4. It Amazes Me
[3:04] 5. If I Were A Bell
[3:19] 6. Tea For Two
[4:27] 7. Like Someone In Love
[3:30] 8. Just In Time
[2:37] 9. Teach Me Tonight
[3:41] 10. They Say It's Spring
[2:42] 11. Once Upon A Summertime
[3:21] 12. To Keep My Love Alive
[1:37] 13. Down With Love
[5:57] 14. Someone To Watch Over Me
[3:39] 15. Little Jazz Bird
[1:58] 16. Just One Of Those Things
[3:29] 17. You Fascinate Me So
[2:07] 18. Boum
[4:14] 19. Manhattan
[3:08] 20. Love Is Here To Stay
[3:20] 21. Try Your Wings
[2:24] 22. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
[3:19] 23. Now At Last

Actually born with the name Blossom Dearie in the New York Catskills, she began playing piano at an early age and studied classical music before making the switch to jazz while in high school. After graduation, she moved to New York and began appearing with vocal groups like the Blue Flames (attached to Woody Herman) and the Blue Reys (with Alvino Rey). She also played cocktail piano around the city, and moved to Paris in 1952 to form her own group, the Blue Stars of France. Dearie also appeared in a nightclub act with Annie Ross, and made a short, uncredited appearance on King Pleasure's vocalese classic, "Moody's Mood for Love." She recorded an obscure album of piano solos, and in 1954, the Blue Stars hit the national charts with a French version of "Lullaby of Birdland."

After hearing Dearie perform in Paris in 1956, Norman Granz signed her to Verve and she returned to America by the end of the year. Her eponymous debut for Verve featured a set of standards that slanted traditional pop back to its roots in Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and cabaret. Her focus on intimate readings of standards ("Deed I Do," "Thou Swell") and the relaxed trio setting (bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jo Jones, plus Dearie on piano) drew nods to her cabaret background.

On her next few records, Dearie stuck to her focus on standards and small groups, though her gift for songwriting emerged as well with songs like "Blossom's Blues." She performed in solo settings at supper clubs all over New York, and appeared on the more cultured of the late-'50s New York talk shows. Her husband, flutist Bobby Jaspar, made several appearances on her records, notably 1959's My Gentleman Friend. After a recording break in the early '60s, Blossom Dearie signed to Capitol for one album (1964's May I Come In?), but then recorded sparingly during the rest of the decade. ~partial bio by John Bush

Ain't There Something Money Can't Buy

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Rodney Booth Jazz Quartet - Look Over There

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:41
Size: 125.2 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[6:28] 1. When Lights Are Low
[4:42] 2. Like Someone In Love
[5:32] 3. Look Over There
[4:52] 4. I've Got It Bad
[5:30] 5. My Buddy
[3:14] 6. It Could Happen To You
[6:15] 7. So Many Stars
[4:00] 8. Miss Michal, Madie And Me
[4:42] 9. Look For The Silver Lining
[5:04] 10. And Miles To Go
[4:16] 11. Snooky-Looky

Rodney Booth has been an active professional musician for over 29 years. A native of El Paso, Texas, he began his professional career at age sixteen as a trumpet player in his father's bands. He received his degree in Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas and was a student of Don "Jake" Jacoby. Rodney was a member of the renowned North Texas State 1 o'clock Lab Band.

He traveled across North and South America and Europe with Woody Herman's Thundering Herd Big Band. He has performed with many major recording artists such as Lou Rawls, Nancy Wilson, Wayne Newton, Michael Feinstein, Dionne Warwick, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Hamlisch, Ray Charles,Mel Torme at Carnigie hall, and Natalie Cole to name a few. He has recorded professionally with the popular artist Al Green and country star Janie Fricke.

Rodney's CD, "Look Over There" which features his own jazz quartet received a very favorable review by music critic Thor Christensen in the Dallas Morning News.

Look Over There

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Johnny Hodges - Jazz Masters 35

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 77:16

Size: 176.9 MB

Styles: Swing, Saxophone jazz

Year: 1994

Art: Front

[ 2:55] 1. Jeep's Blues

[ 2:50] 2. Castle Rock

[ 3:19] 3. Passion Flower

[ 2:52] 4. Duke's In Bed

[ 9:21] 5. Little Rabbit Blues

[ 3:35] 6. Early Morning Rock

[ 4:03] 7. Honey Hill

[ 2:52] 8. The Last Time I Saw Paris

[ 7:50] 9. Not So Dukish

[ 7:26] 10. Black Beat

[ 2:26] 11. The Gal From Joe's

[ 3:34] 12. Rosetta

[ 3:14] 13. Don't Sleep In The Subway

[13:26] 14. Funky Blues

[ 7:26] 15. Squatty Roo

Though this CD of course is limited to material owned by Verve, it nonetheless offers a sometimes surprising overview of Johnny Hodges in the latter half of his career. We get a great variety of ensemble shapes, some loosely tethered to Duke by the presence of Strayhorn, some not. The CD climaxes with an extraordinary performance of the Blanton era vintage "Squaty Roo", performed by the Jeep with Dizzy Gillespie in 1959 or so, featuring Les Spann, among others. Hodges was the embodiment of Swing, and simultaneously a blues player unexcelled. Here, he stays totally abreast of Dizzy, the most agile and postclassical of all jazz musicians, but with a hint of bemusement, reminiscent of the distance he ostentated in the presence of Duke Ellington. What a mystery of a musician, at once skeptical and emotive, with the power of a natural force! ~Liner notes by David Hajdu

Jazz Masters 35

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Sir Roland Hanna Trio - Milano, Paris, New York: Finding John Lewis

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:38
Size: 132,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:15)  1. Django
(5:37)  2. Skating In Central Park
(7:03)  3. Afternoon In Paris
(5:59)  4. Milano
(6:16)  5. Bag's Groove
(7:21)  6. New York 19
(8:02)  7. Portrait Of John Lewis
(5:12)  8. The Clarion Bells Of Zurich
(5:49)  9. Perugia

This CD represents one venerable pianist paying tribute to another: Sir Roland Hanna and his fine trio playing compositions by, associated with, or written for John Lewis, the musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet for all of its life. Lewis was admired for his distinctive bop playing and his creative involvement with one of the greatest groups in jazz history, but only one of his originals has become a standard: the immortal "Django," rendered here in an elegant arrangement that alternates between somber and swinging. "Waltz in Central Park" is charming, with some nice filigree from drummer Lewis Nash; the other Lewis compositions are urbane and pleasant, if not instantly memorable. These top-drawer players do swinging justice to Milt Jackson's "Bag's Groove," probably the most famous and recorded tune to come out of the MJQ, giving it a light, fresh treatment that spotlights Hanna's sophistication. In fact, the standouts on this CD are actually Hanna's pieces: the intriguing "Perugia," with its moody, shifting colors, and "The Clarion Bells of Zurich," a grand combination of pianistic "bells" and blues that acknowledges Lewis' explorations in the third stream movement. Overall, a genteel and refined session. ~ Judith Schlesinger  http://www.allmusic.com/album/milano-paris-new-york-finding-john-lewis-mw0000320391

Personnel: Roland Hanna (piano); Geor Mraz (bass); Lewis Nash (drums).

Milano, Paris, New York: Finding John Lewis

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