Clifford Brown - Jazz Immortal

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:19
Size: 74.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1954/1990/2011
Art: Front

[4:09] 1. Daahoud
[3:48] 2. Finders Keepers
[3:13] 3. Joy Spring
[3:37] 4. Gone With The Wind
[4:12] 5. Bones For Jones
[3:13] 6. Blueberry Hill
[4:12] 7. Tiny Capers
[2:56] 8. Tiny Capers
[2:55] 9. Gone With The Wind

Baritone Saxophone – Bob Gordon; Bass – Carson Smith (tracks: 4 to 8), Joe Mondragon (tracks: 1 to 3); Drums – Shelly Manne; Piano – Russ Freeman; Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims; Trumpet – Clifford Brown; Valve Trombone – Stu Williamson. Recorded at Capitol Recording Studios, Los Angeles in July (#1-3) and August (#4-8) 1954. #8 does not appear on LP configuration and was originally issued on Pacific Jazz (JWC 500). #1-7 were originally issued on 10" LP - PJ19 and later 12" LP - PJ3.

Clifford Brown recorded this album in 1954 in California with a great band, including Zoot Sims on Tenor Sax and Russ Freeman on Piano. Clifford Brown was a masterful trumpet player at a very young age and soon achieved a high stature in the jazz world in the early 50's. He played with Charlie Parker and Tadd Dameron, as well as leading his own bands. I think this recording is one of his best, with original songs and arrangements done by Jack Montrose. Clifford Brown's alternatively sweet, tough and complex trumpet playing integrates wonderfully with Zoot Sims saxophone. The song 'Tiny Capers' is a brilliant excursion in jazz improvisation and playfulness, while retaining a beautiful melody. ~Jostein Berntsen

Jazz Immortal

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Al Cohn - You Will Know My Name

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:33
Size: 177.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[3:52] 1. A New Moan
[4:16] 2. Just One Of Those Things
[6:10] 3. The Front Line
[3:14] 4. My Blues
[3:25] 5. I Ain't Got Nobody
[9:19] 6. Earthy
[3:22] 7. When Your Lover Has Gone
[3:30] 8. Mediolistic
[6:12] 9. I Wouldn't
[3:18] 10. 'round Midnight
[3:05] 11. More Bread
[6:27] 12. Soft Winds
[2:43] 13. The Song Is Ended
[3:09] 14. Crimea River
[4:09] 15. Plain Bill From Bluesville
[7:07] 16. What's Not
[4:06] 17. Blue Lou

An excellent tenor saxophonist and a superior arranger/composer, Al Cohn was greatly admired by his fellow musicians. Early gigs included associations with Joe Marsala (1943), Georgie Auld, Boyd Raeburn (1946), Alvino Rey, and Buddy Rich (1947). But it was when he replaced Herbie Steward as one of the "Four Brothers" with Woody Herman's Second Herd (1948-1949) that Cohn began to make a strong impression. He was actually overshadowed by Stan Getz and Zoot Sims during this period but, unlike the other two tenors, he also contributed arrangements, including "The Goof and I." He was with Artie Shaw's short-lived bop orchestra (1949), and then spent the 1950s quite busy as a recording artist (making his first dates as a leader in 1950), arranger for both jazz and non-jazz settings, and a performer. Starting in 1956, and continuing on an irregular basis for decades, Cohn co-led a quintet with Zoot Sims. The two tenors were so complementary that it was often difficult to tell them apart. Al Cohn continued in this fashion in the 1960s (although playing less), in the 1970s he recorded many gems for Xanadu, and during his last few years, when his tone became darker and more distinctive, Cohn largely gave up writing to concentrate on playing. He made many excellent bop-based records throughout his career for such labels as Prestige, Victor, Xanadu, and Concord; his son Joe Cohn is a talented cool-toned guitarist. ~ Scott Yanow

You Will Know My Name

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Maria Mendes - Along The Road

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:04
Size: 105.5 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:29] 1. Love Dance
[4:20] 2. Obsession
[4:38] 3. Saia Preta
[4:05] 4. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[6:21] 5. Olha Só No Meu Olhar
[3:25] 6. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
[6:19] 7. So Many Stars
[3:18] 8. Chorinho Pra Ele
[4:04] 9. Verão
[4:00] 10. Começar De Novo

Maria Mendes: vocals; Wim Dijkgraaf: harmonica; Karel Boehlee: piano; Clemens van der Feen: acoustic bass; Jasper van Hulten: drums.

Virtuosity needn't be on display at every moment; restraint, in fact, is an important yet often overlooked aspect of true virtuosity. Norma Winstone is a clear example; certainly capable of plenty, more often than not the British singer's performances are defined by nuance, subtlety and a direct line to the heart of the music. Maria Mendes is another, with the spirit of Brazil looming large over this young Portuguese-born/Netherlands-resident singer's impressive debut, Along the Road—a nine-song set of standards, material by well-known South American composers, one original and one very pleasant surprise.

With harmonicist Wim Dijkgraaf sharing the frontline, Mendes is ably supported by a trio of Dutch musicians clearly conversant in both jazz and Brazilian traditions. The set opens on a gently optimistic note with Brazilian songwriter Ivan Lins' enticing 1989 hit, "Love Dance." From the get-go, Mendes finds the essence of these songs and, with a pristine, pure voice and the slightest turns of phrase, makes each one her own. "Love Dance" also features a lovely, lyrical solo from Dijkgraaf; unmistakably influenced, in his formative years, by the great Toots Thielemans, with Dijkgraaf's now-personal confluence of "elegance, sophistication and emotion," as accurately described on his website, the harmonicist may well turn out to be the aging Belgian's torch-carrier.

The session doesn't exactly burn, but it does simmer on Dori Caymmi's "Obsession," a showcase for Mendes' accurate (and impressive) articulation, empathically supported by pianist Karel Boehlee, who—alongside bassist Clemens van der Feen (pianist Harmen Fraanje's trio) and drummer Jasper van Hulten (trumpeter Eric Vloeimans' Gatecrash)—ratchets the energy up, pushing and pulling with Dijkgraaaf during the harmonicist's thematically focused solo. Mendes' wordless improvisation at the song's end epitomizes her effortless control, leading to a final upper register note that she holds, crystal clear and strong, for ten full seconds before fading with a gently introduced vibrato.

Unlike some singers, Mendes' vibrato is simply one more color on her palette rather than a stylistic constant. And if she avoids overt virtuosity at the end of "Obsession," Mendes proves she can scat with the best of them on Hermeto Pascoal's enduring "Chorinho Pra Ele," which also gives bassist van der Feen a rare but fine moment in the spotlight. As for Mendes, her articulation is rapid-fire and absolute accurate, as she proves as capable of navigating Pascoal's changes as her band mates.

But beyond a soft look at "Come Rain or Come Shine" and a metrically playful yet wholly organic look at "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," it's Mendes' "Olha Só No Meu Olhar" that's Along the Road's biggest surprise. On this reverent yet personal adaptation of Pat Metheny's "Always and Forever," from the guitarist's classic Secret Story (Nonesuch, 1992), the singer takes the more expansively orchestral original and, with the addition of her own Portuguese lyrics, makes it even more intimate.

All too often, young jazz singers feel the need to prove something and all the attendant excesses that go along with it; on the elegant, gentle, joyous Along the Road, Mendes makes clear she has absolutely nothing to prove but plenty of promise and much to say. ~John Kelway

Along The Road

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Benny Golson - Just Jazz!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:09
Size: 85.1 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:13] 1. Groovin' High
[4:13] 2. Moten Swing
[4:05] 3. Out Of Nowhere
[4:36] 4. Autumn Leaves
[2:29] 5. Donna Lee
[3:50] 6. Quicksilver
[4:14] 7. Stella By Starlight
[3:41] 8. Ornithology
[2:58] 9. If I Should Lose You
[3:47] 10. Walkin'

Many jazz fans have probably searched for this long out of print (except for a lousy bootleg CD reissued by Fresh Sound) record by Benny Golson because of the promising list of musicians present: Bill Evans, Wayne Shorter, Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, and Curtis Fuller, among others. But the disappointing fact is that these sessions have a rather tortured history. Initially after these small-group sessions were taped (not all of the musicians are on every track), an 11-piece pop orchestra was dubbed over the original recordings, playing the chord changes of the pieces on which each of the jazz compositions was based. This LP, Pop + Jazz = Swing on the Audiofidelity label, was evidently a total flop. Some time following Eric Dolphy's death in 1964, the original masters, minus the overdubbed pop orchestra, were released as Just Jazz! There are still several problems with this later issue. Golson's arrangements are rather conservative and stiff, with the rhythm section proving to be rather stifled; neither are many of the individual solos very risk-taking. Only Dolphy's alto sax solo on "If I Should Lose You" has stood the test of time very well. Another major annoyance is that the horns frequently seem to have too much reverb added, making it sound as if they were recorded out in a hall away from the rhythm section and then mixed in later. The lack of attention to the packaging of the album includes a very boring front cover, misspelled names of musicians, an incorrect or incomplete list of composers, and, finally, "Groovin' High" and "Quicksilver" have their titles swapped. Collectors will, no doubt, still seek out this LP in spite of its flaws, but at least they have been forewarned before paying a premium price for it. ~Ken Dryden

Just Jazz!

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Dick Hyman & Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen - Elegies, Mostly

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:36
Size: 146,0 MB
Art: Front

(8:54)  1. Cover The Waterfront
(6:18)  2. You Must Believe In Spring
(6:22)  3. Waltz In C# Minor
(7:02)  4. Summertime
(4:26)  5. Take, O Take Those Lips Away
(8:53)  6. Love Me Or Leave Me
(5:51)  7. Some Other Time
(5:24)  8. This is All I Ask Of You
(5:38)  9. My Man's Gone Now
(3:43) 10. We're In The Money

With the phenomenal technique of both Dick Hyman and Niels Pedersen, it's surprising to hear them together in such a low key setting; that doesn't mean that this CD is dull! Hyman was clearly in a reflective mood following his appearance at the Oslo Jazz Festival, though he shows a touch of playfulness during his arrangement of Chopin's "Waltz in C# Minor" and romping take of "Summertime." Pedersen, a veteran who's accompanied many jazz greats (especially Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans), fits Hyman like a glove with his equally impeccable playing. Because it's an import, it takes a little more effort to acquire, but it's worth it. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/elegies-mostly-with-niels-pedersen-mw0000423662

Personnel:  Dick Hyman (Piano);  Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (Double-Bass)

Elegies, Mostly

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Carol Sloane - Heart's Desire

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:16
Size: 122,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:17)  1. Secret Love
(3:56)  2. Memories Of You
(4:39)  3. Heart's Desire
(5:08)  4. September In The Rain
(3:46)  5. Devil May Care
(5:20)  6. You Must Believe In Spring
(3:19)  7. Them There Eyes
(4:43)  8. Never Never Land / My Ship
(3:10)  9. He Loves And She Loves
(4:26) 10. Fairy Tales
(4:00) 11. Robbins Nest
(5:54) 12. You'll See
(1:33) 13. For Susannah Kyle

Singer Carol Sloane's debut for Concord features her swinging and putting the proper amount of emotion into lyrics of both familiar and obscure songs. Accompanied by pianist Stefan Scaggiari, bassist John Lockwood and drummer Colin Bailey, Sloane is heard in fine form on a program ranging from "Secret Love" and "Them There Eyes" to Dave Frishberg's "Heart's Desire" and a pair of songs co-written by Chan Parker. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/hearts-desire-mw0000076093

Personnel: Carol Sloane (vocals); Stefan Scaggiari (piano); John Lockwood (bass instrument); Colin Bailey (drums).

Heart's Desire

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Doc Severinsen - Unforgettably Doc

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:56
Size: 153,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:16)  1. Unforgettable
(5:29)  2. Georgia on My Mind
(5:13)  3. Love
(6:49)  4. Lush Life
(4:49)  5. Misty
(5:14)  6. What Is This Thing Called Love?
(4:44)  7. Someone to Watch over Me
(5:22)  8. Music of the Night (from 'Phantom of the Opera')
(5:15)  9. The Bad and the Beautiful
(4:31) 10. Stardust
(4:43) 11. Speak Low
(4:59) 12. Wind Beneath My Wings
(5:26) 13. Memory (from 'Cats')

Heeeeere’s Johnny!” That lead-in, followed by a big band trumpet blast, was the landmark of late night television for three decades. The ‘Johnny’ was Johnny Carson, the announcer was Ed McMahon and the bandleader was Doc Severinsen. Beginning in October 1962, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson ruled the night air for thirty years. On May 22, 1992, it came to an end…Within a week of the final telecast, Doc Severinsen and His Big Band were on the road, and to this day, audiences across America love and respect Doc and his big band, not just because he shared their living room with them for so many years, but because of Doc’s love of the Big Band repertoire.  His musicianship keeps this iconic American music fresh to this day. Their repertoire includes Ellington and Basie standards, pop, jazz, ballads, big band classics and, of course, The Tonight Show theme.  Severinsen can still blow hard with his horn, and hit the high notes, a result of his continued commitment to the practice studio and the refinement of his craft. But as a band leader, Doc continues to surround himself with the best in the business, and he’s only too happy to give them a turn in the spotlight. A Grammy award winner, Doc has made more than 30 albums–from big band to jazz-fusion to classical. Two critically acclaimed Telarc CDs with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra showcase his multifaceted talents from Bach to ballads.  The Very Best of Doc Severinsen reprises fifteen of Doc’s signature pieces. His other recordings include Unforgettably Doc with the Cincinnati Pops on Telarc, and the Grammy nominated Once More With Feeling on Amherst. He received a Grammy Award for “Best Jazz instrumental Performance – Big Band” for his recording of Doc Severinsen and The Tonight Show Band-Volume I.

In 2006, Doc moved to San Miguel de Allende, in Mexico, ostensibly to retire from performance. Within weeks, he was jamming with the magnificent guitarist Gil Gutierrez.  He now tours regularly with Gil in a quintet called The San Miguel Five, performing a mix of Latin and Gypsy jazz and standards, to exceptional acclaim. They just released their most current CD, Oblivion, in January 2014. Severinsen’s accomplishments began in his hometown of Arlington, Oregon, population: 600. Carl H Severinsen was born on July 7th, 1927, and was nicknamed “Little Doc” after his father, Dr. Carl Severinsen a dentist. Little Doc had originally wanted to play the trombone. But Doc Sr., a gifted amateur violinist, urged him to follow in his father’s footsteps. The Doc Jr. insisted on the trombone, which turned out to be unavailable in tiny Arlington’s music store.  And so, a trumpet it would be. A week later, with the help of his father and a manual of instructions, the seven-year-old was so good that he was invited to join the high school band. At the age of twelve, Little Doc won the Music Educator’s National Contest and, while still in high school, was hired to go on the road with the famous Ted Fio Rito Orchestra.  However, his stay with the group was cut short by the draft. He served in the Army during World War II and following his discharge, landed a spot with the Charlie Barnett Band. When this band broke up, Severinsen toured with the Tommy Dorsey, then, the Benny Goodman bands in the late 40's.

After his days with Barnett and Dorsey, Doc arrived in New York City in 1949 to become a staff musician for NBC. After years of playing with NBC’s many studio bands, Doc was invited to play a gig in the highly respected Tonight Show Band.  The band leader at the time, Skitch Henderson, asked him to join that band in 1962 in the first trumpet chair. Five years later, Doc became the Music Director for The Tonight Show and the rest is history.  His loyalty to Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon never faltered, and the warm camaraderie between the three was an enormous part of the show’s success.  When Johnny decided to retire from The Tonight Show, Doc and Ed said their goodbyes as well.  Of course, free from the nightly grind of the TV studio, Doc Severinsen had far more time to expand his musical horizons and continues to keep an extensive touring schedule. In addition to his San Miguel 5 appearances, Doc tours regularly with his own Big Band and continues to perform with symphony orchestras all over the country.  Over the years has been Principal Pops Conductor with the Phoenix Symphony, the Milwaukee Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony, the Pacific Symphony and the Buffalo Philharmonic.

Doc performs on a S.E. Shires Severinsen Destino III, a trumpet he developed with Steve Shires and the S.E. Shires Company in Massachusetts.  The factory has 25 craftsmen who are professional, working brass players and totally understand what is involved in making great brass instruments.  The S.E. Shires Company features a line of trumpets that includes the S.E. Shires Severinsen Destino III which was developed through Doc’s supervision until his exacting standards of quality and sound were achieved.  Doc continues to make regular visits to the factory. Today, Doc has not lost his flair for the outrageous fashion statement or his trademark wit. But his gregarious nature has never interfered with the fact that he has been one of the greatest trumpeters and musicians of the last 60 years, respected in the worlds of classical music, jazz, big band, and now even world music.  In the end, Doc Severinsen has transcended his celebrity, and rejoiced in his remarkable ability to simply play his trumpet as well as he can.  Which has proven to be good enough for the millions of people who count themselves his fans. http://www.docseverinsen.com/about/

Personnel: Doc Severinsen (trumpet); Erich Kunzel (conductor); Steven Schmidt (piano); Frank Proto (bass); Roland Wilcox (drums); Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

Unforgettably Doc

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The World's Greatest Jazzband Of Yank Lawson & Bob Haggart - Hark The Herald Angels Swing

Styles: Holiday, Christmas
Year: 1972
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 32:46
Size: 56,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:36)  1. Hark, The Herald Angels Swing!
(2:53)  2. Little Drummer Boy
(2:50)  3. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
(3:52)  4. Silent Night
(2:45)  5. Joy To The World
(3:11)  6. Jingle Bells
(3:24)  7. White Christmas
(1:49)  8. I'll Be Home For Christmas
(3:17)  9. The Christmas Song
(3:10) 10. Winter Wonderland
(2:53) 11. Deck The Halls

This is one of the happier Christmas jazz LPs ever released. Filled with delightful performances of Yuletide favorites including "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Joy to the World," "Jingle Bells," and "Winter Wonderland," showing that many Christmas songs lend themselves well to Dixieland. The hot music is performed by trumpeters Yank Lawson and Billy Butterfield, trombonists Vic Dickenson and Eddie Hubble, Bob Wilber on clarinet and soprano, tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman, pianist Ralph Sutton, bassist Bob Haggart, and drummer Gus Johnson. Recommended. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Hark-Herald-Angels-Swing-Christmas/dp/B002SFGESM

Personnel:  Bass – Bob Haggart;  Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Bob Wilber;  Drums – Gus Johnson;  Piano – Ralph Sutton;  Tenor Saxophone – Bud Freeman;  Trombone – Eddie Hubble, Vic Dickenson
Trumpet – Billy Butterfield, Yank Lawson

Hark The Herald Angels Swing

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The New York Allstars - Hey Ba-Ba-Re-Bop!!: The New York Allstars Play Lionel Hampton

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:28
Size: 145.3 MB
Styles: Swing, Vibraphone jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[ 9:27] 1. Air Mail Special
[ 6:47] 2. Moonglow
[ 6:01] 3. Ring Dem Bells
[ 3:49] 4. Indian Summer
[ 5:23] 5. Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop
[ 3:15] 6. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
[ 7:07] 7. Avalon
[ 7:35] 8. Rose Room
[ 3:59] 9. Body And Soul
[10:01] 10. Flying Home

Bass – Dave Green; Clarinet – Antti Sarpila; Drums – Ed Metz Jr.; Leader – Randy Sandke; Piano – Thilo Wagner; Rhythm Guitar – James Chirillo; Tenor Saxophone – Antti Sarpila; Trombone – Roy Williams; Trumpet – Randy Sandke; Vibraphone – Lars Erstrand.

Trumpeter Randy Sandke heads a strong group of American and European swing/mainstream players on a set of ten songs associated with vibraphonist/bandleader Lionel Hampton. Sandke, trombonist Roy Williams, and Antti Sarpila (on clarinet and saxophones) make for a solid front line, while vibraphonist Lars Erstrand sometimes comes close to duplicating the sound of Hampton. The octet romps through such songs as "Air Mail Special," "Hey Ba-Ba-Re-Bop," "Avalon," and of course an extended "Flying Home," along with some other swing standards and ballads. The music is as fun and infectious as one would expect, with Sandke in particular in fine form. ~Scott Yanow

Hey Ba-Ba-Re-Bop: The New York Allstars Play Lionel Hampton

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Peggy Lee - The Lost 40s & 50s Capitol Masters (2-Disc Set)

In mining the cavernous Capitol Records vaults for very rare and in some cases previously unheard  Peggy Lee recordings, The Lost '40s and '50s Capitol Masters picks up where other praiseworthy CD anthologies left off.

Over the past ten years, Peggy collectors have enjoyed such multi-CD collections as Miss Peggy Lee (1998), The Complete Peggy Lee and June Christy Capitol Transcription Sessions (1998), and The Singles Collection (2002). Through these extensive projects and some valuable single-disc compilations -- most notably Capitol Collectors' Series (1990) and Rare Gems and Hidden Treasures (2000) -- collectors have savored hundreds of recordings from the fertile first portion of Lee's solo recording career (1944-1952), many of them never reissued during the long-playing album era and others entirely unreleased. Following in that tradition, Collectors' Choice Music, in association with EMI Music Special Markets, releases The Lost '40s and '50s Capitol Masters, featuring 39 tracks not found on any of the above releases -- nor on any other solo Peggy release from Capitol/EMI.

Of particular interest to collectors are the twelve previously unreleased tracks, including the enduring standards A Cottage for Sale and Something to Remember You By, along with some slightly less familiar titles that nonetheless have been recorded by many other singers through the decades: I've Had My Moments; Trouble Is a Man; A Hundred Years from Today; and Music, Maestro, Please. Other previously unreleased tracks are true obscurities: I Don't Know What to Do Without You, Baby (co-written by Peggy's Lady and the Tramp songwriting partner, Sonny Burke); Don't Give Me a Ring on the Telephone (a Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke song parody); and Pick Up Your Marbles and Go Home (co-written by Steve Nelson of Frosty the Snowman fame).

In addition to the twelve previously unreleased tracks, two songs are heard in previously unreleased alternate versions: Don't Be So Mean to Baby and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. Both alternates were recorded three months before the versions that Capitol issued.

Album: The Lost 40s & 50s Capitol Masters (Disc 1)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 58:51

Size: 134.7 MB

Styles: Vocal

Year: 2008

[3:02] 1. Ain't Goin' No Place

[2:52] 2. A Cottage For Sale

[2:49] 3. Don't Be So Mean To Baby

[2:57] 4. Aren't You Kind Of Glad We Did

[3:12] 5. I've Had My Moments

[2:57] 6. Swing Low Sweet Chariot

[3:09] 7. Trouble Is A Man

[3:01] 8. Music, Maestro, Please

[2:45] 9. It's Lovin' Time

[2:41] 10. Ain'tcha Ever Comin' Back

[3:04] 11. It Takes A Long, Long Train With A Red Caboose (To Carry My Blues Away)

[3:10] 12. The Freedom Train

[3:16] 13. A Hundred Years From Today

[2:54] 14. Keep Me In Mind

[3:09] 15. Love, Your Magic Spell Is Everywhere

[2:56] 16. Love Ye

[2:56] 17. What'll It Getcha

[2:40] 18. I Wanna Go Where You Go, Then I'll Be Happy

[2:41] 19. I Don't Know What To Do Without You Baby

[2:29] 20. Neon Signs (I'm Gonna Shine Like Neon Too)

The Lost 40s & 50s Capitol Masters (Disc 1) 

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Album: The Lost 40s & 50s Capitol Masters (Disc 2)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 48:40

Size: 111.4 MB

Styles: Vocal

Year: 2008

Art: Front

[3:16] 1. A Man Wrote A Song

[2:25] 2. Sunshine Cake

[3:13] 3. Run For The Round House Nellie

[2:19] 4. Cannonball Express

[1:33] 5. Don't Give Me A Ring On The Telephone (Until You Give Me A Ring On My H

[1:54] 6. If I Could Steal You From Somebody Else

[3:12] 7. Ay Ay Chug Chug

[2:48] 8. Something To Remember You By

[2:41] 9. Climb Up The Mountain

[2:33] 10. Pick Up Your Marbles (And Go Home)

[2:30] 11. That Ol' Devil (Won't Get Me)

[2:23] 12. If You Turn Me Down

[2:41] 13. Boulevard Café

[2:26] 14. It Never Happen' To Me

[2:58] 15. So Far, So Good

[2:06] 16. My Magic Heart

[3:00] 17. Telling Me Yes, Telling Me No

[2:32] 18. Shame On You

[2:01] 19. Goin' On A Hayride

The Lost 40s & 50s Capitol Masters (Disc 2)  

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Milt Jackson - At The Kosei Nenkin

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:51
Size: 169.1 MB
Styles: Vibraphone jazz
Year: 1977/1998
Art: Front

[ 8:46] 1. Killer Joe
[ 4:04] 2. Get Happy
[10:22] 3. All Blues
[ 8:15] 4. St. Thomas
[10:05] 5. The Prophet Speaks
[ 7:18] 6. Bolivia
[ 7:19] 7. Birk's Works
[ 6:49] 8. Stolen Moments
[10:50] 9. Bye Bye Blackbird

Bass – Ray Brown; Drums – Billy Higgins; Piano – Cedar Walton; Tenor Saxophone – Teddy Edwards; Vibraphone – Milt Jackson.

This double album features vibraphonist Milt Jackson with some of his best musical friends (tenor-saxophonist Teddy Edwards, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Billy Higgins) for a typically swinging set of standards. It is particularly welcome to hear the underrated Edwards in this setting and all of the musicians are in top form on such superior songs as "Killer Joe," "St. Thomas," "Bolivia" and "Bye Bye Blackbird."

At The Kosei Nenkin

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Don Lanphere, Jon Pugh - Don Still Loves Midge

Styles: Saxophone And Cornet Jazz

Year: 1997

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 73:26

Size: 169,7 MB

Art: Front

(5:38)  1. London By Night

(5:08)  2. Deep In A Dream

(5:31)  3. A Blues For Midge

(4:48)  4. The Right To Love

(5:34)  5. Just The Way You Are

(4:23)  6. Purple Shades

(5:31)  7. That Old Feeling

(4:50)  8. Prelude To A Kiss

(4:31)  9. Ellis In Wonderland

(6:03) 10. Sinatra Medley: The Sky Fell Down / Some Other Time / Why Try To Change Me Now?

(6:08) 11. My Buddy

(5:46) 12. Gray-Blue

(5:12) 13. As Long As There's Music

(4:17) 14. Early Autumn

As a sequel to the previously released Don Loved Midge, veteran saxophonist Don Lanphere again performs a variety of lyrical pieces (mostly older standards) that he and his wife Midge had long enjoyed, plus his originals "Blues for Midge" and "Ellis in Wonderland," and bassist Doug Miller's "GrayBlue." The music swings; there is plenty of melody caressing by the leader and the boppish treatments put the emphasis on melodic development. Lanphere displays fairly distinctive voices on tenor, alto and soprano (which he plays very much in-tune), Jon Pugh has a few pretty cornet solos and guitarist Dave Petersen and trombonist Jeff Hay help out on a few selections. Highlights include the revivals of some obscure but worthy songs including Carroll Coates' "London by Night," Lalo Schifrin's haunting "The Right to Love" and the long-forgotten "Purple Shades." Lanphere's rendition of "Early Autumn" is of particular interest because he had succeeded Stan Getz in Woody Herman's Orchestra and was wise enough to hold on the original sheet music that Getz had used nearly a half-century earlier. A pleasing effort that is easily recommended. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/don-still-loves-midge-mw0000031476

Personnel: Don Lanphere (saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone).  Jon Pugh – (cornet);  Jeff Hay – (trombone); Dave Peterson – (guitar);  Marc Seales – (piano);  Doug Miller – (bass);  John Bishop – (drums).

Don Still Loves Midge

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Della Reese - Della

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1960
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 34:27
Size: 63,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:38)  1. The Lady Is A Tramp
(2:50)  2. If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight
(2:26)  3. Let's Get Away From It All
(2:28)  4. Thou Swell
(2:28)  5. You're Driving Me Crazy
(3:39)  6. Goody Goody
(2:39)  7. And The Angels Sing
(3:08)  8. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
(2:28)  9. I'm Beginning To See The Light
(2:36) 10. I'll Get By
(1:46) 11. Blue Skies
(5:15) 12. Someday You'll Want Me To Want You

Della Reese was never a hardcore jazz singer. Her specialty was traditional pre-rock pop, and unlike jazz-oriented singers Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Carmen McRae, among many others she was not improvisation-minded. Therefore, her work must be judged by pop standards instead of jazz standards. Anyone who isn't a myopic jazz snob realizes that pop standards aren't necessarily low standards; in fact, traditional pop singers like Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, Tony Bennett, and the seminal Bing Crosby have had very high standards. And similarly, Reese brings high pop standards to Della. Recorded in 1959, this excellent album finds Reese backed by an orchestra that Neal Hefti arranged and conducted. Hefti's presence doesn't automatically make Della a jazz session, but he provides tasteful arrangements for a pop singer who has jazz, blues, and gospel influences. In 1959, Reese was very much in her prime, and she is quite soulful on performances of "Blue Skies," "Thou Swell," and other standards. The singer also tackles "The Lady Is a Tramp," one of the many gems that Sinatra defined. Reese, to her credit, doesn't even try to emulate Sinatra's version; instead, she provides a playful interpretation that is rewarding in its own right. ~ Alex Henderson  http://www.allmusic.com/album/della-mw0000658820

Della

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Doc Cheatham - The Fabulous Doc Cheatham

Styles: Trumpet Jazz

Year: 1983

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 42:27

Size: 97,8 MB

Art: Front

(5:08)  1. Big Butter & Egg Man

(4:28)  2. Deed I Do

(6:13)  3. Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)

(5:11)  4. The Man I Love

(2:31)  5. Swing That Music

(5:25)  6. 'Round Midnight

(5:08)  7. Jeepers Creepers

(3:35)  8. I Double Dare You

(4:44)  9. Flee As A Bird / St. James Infirmary

One of the very last survivors of the early days of jazz, trumpeter Adolphus “Doc” Cheatham attracted attention from the historically- inclined right up to his death in 1997 at the age of 91. His career recapitulated much of the history of jazz as a whole: he came of age hearing and playing with the New Orleans masters of the music's classic period; he participated in the big band movement that defined jazz in the 1930s; after the Second World War he affiliated himself with popular Latin dance orchestras on one hand and appeared with select, connoisseur-oriented small-group jazz combos on the other. As if defying time, his later recordings and performances were his best, and it was toward the end of his life that he allowed himself more often to step into the spotlight as a soloist.

Doc Cheatham was born in Nashville on June 13, 1905. Cheatham took up the cornet and soon after the trumpet as a teenager, taking lessons from two itinerant circus trumpeter brothers named Professor N. C. Davis and Professor C. M. Davis. He landed a job in the pit orchestra at Nashville's Bijou theatre, which played host to great performers of the black touring circuit of the 1920s such as Bessie Smith. He also played in a small band based at Nashville's historically black Meharry Medical College, acquiring the nickname “Doc” as a result. His parents hoped that he would indeed become a doctor, but instead Cheatham headed for Chicago, a city that was just coming into its own as a jazz mecca when he arrived in 1925. Rubbing elbows with already-legendary trumpeters like Louis Armstrong, Freddie Keppard, and “King” Oliver, he took another crucial step forward musically when he learned to read musical notation. “I was in {pianist} Charlie Johnson's band only one night,” he recalled in a Down Beat interview. I was fired that same night. . . .I couldn't read the show music. So that's when I got busy down there. I found a teacher, Viola something.” In 1927 Cheatham made his first recording.

Cheatham moved to the East Coast in 1927 and did stints with several celebrated bands, including McKinney's Cotton Pickers. Stable employment came during an eight-year tenure with bandleader Cab Calloway, from 1932 to 1940. Cheatham had been recommended by jazz musician Benny Carter. Calloway's band, often performing at New York's renowned Cotton Club, was one of the most successful of the era. The rigors of life on the road took a toll on Cheatham's health, and in 1939 he was hospitalized for nine weeks suffering from anemia and exhaustion, this lead to a hiatus and turning point in Cheatham's career. During World War II he essentially put his performing career on hold, opening a teaching studio in New York and taking a job with the U.S. post office. But he would reenter the music world again.

Joining a band led by Eddie Heywood Jr. Cheatham backed vocalist Billie Holiday in performances at the Cafe Society club, and took solos that showed some of the directions in which he would later develop. New popular musical forms also proved suited to his talents; Cheatham found ready employment after the war when trumpet-oriented Latin dance bands began to gain popularity. For a time, Cheatham played in the orchestra of the incredible Cuban-born bandleader Perez Prado. He continued making jazz appearances as well, and backed Holiday again on a widely viewed 1957 CBS television broadcast called “The Sound of Jazz.” Cheatham's big break came at the age of 60, early in 1966, when he was asked by clarinetist Benny Goodman to join his quintet for a series of performances at the Rainbow Room club. “I was honored to play on the same bandstand as him, whether I played good or not,” Cheatham told Down Beat. Later that year Cheatham toured Europe with a Goodman ensemble. The performances ushered in a astonishing period of late-life creativity.

Cheatham embarked on a seven-year regimen of practice and study, aiming to transform himself into a great soloist. Even in 1993 he told Time that “I study my jazz all the time, trying to improve myself.” From the late 1970s onward, he was a fixture of New York's live jazz scene, and recording opportunities often flowed his way. There was “Swingin’ Way Down in New Orleans,” in ’95 where he plays traditional standards brilliantly.He joined 23-year-old Nicholas Payton for a series of duets on his final recording, 1997's “Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton.” Doc performed right up until the end of his long and productive life, and left us an inspiring legacy. Cheatham was influenced by legends like Armstrong, but created a style uniquely his own. This courtly, restrained musician lived nearly the entire history of jazz, and ended up being accorded his own chapter in that history. http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/doccheatham

Personnel:  Bass – Bill Pemberton;  Drums – Jackie Williams;  Piano – Dick Wellstood;  Trumpet, Vocals – Doc Cheatham

The Fabulous Doc Cheatham

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Frank Sinatra - Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Johnny Mercer

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 50:38
Size: 93,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:28)  1. Too Marvelous For Words
(3:18)  2. Day In - Day Out (Ballad Version)
(3:27)  3. Laura
(2:23)  4. Jeepers Creepers
(4:44)  5. Blues in the Night
(2:38)  6. Something's Gotta Give
(3:21)  7. Fools Rush In
(4:21)  8. P.S. I Love You
(3:46)  9. When the World Was Young
(4:03) 10. That Old Black Magic
(2:52) 11. Autumn Leaves
(2:28) 12. I Thought About You
(2:56) 13. Dream
(3:24) 14. Day In - Day Out (Swingin' Version)
(4:23) 15. One For My Baby (And One More For the Road)

This isn't a definitive collection mainly because Frank Sinatra went on to record so many more great Johnny Mercer tunes for his Reprise label. But what does make it onto this CD is top-shelf. Since Sinatra was justly renown for his sensitive way with a lyric, it makes sense to compile numbers that were by written by Mercer, his favorite lyricist. Both men excelled at throwing away jazzy, seemingly off-the-cuff lingo ("Jeepers Creepers") or at spinning sophisticated, worldly narratives "When the World Was Young." This may help explain why so many of these songs became the definitive versions. 

Sinatra puts the twisted sexual obsession back into the film noir theme "Laura," turns "Autumn Leaves" into a wintry funeral dirge, and places so much behind-the-beat jazz phrasing into "Too Marvelous for Words" that the number really does live up to its title. Other highlights include the two versions of "Day In - Day Out" (one's an up-tempo swinger and the other is a ballad version with a swelling arrangement that matches the bizarre "when I awaken/I awaken with a tingle" lyrics), the frenetic "Something's Gotta Give," and the wondrous "One for My Baby," which quickly became one of Sinatra's signature songs. ~ Nick Dedina  http://www.allmusic.com/album/frank-sinatra-sings-the-select-johnny-mercer-mw0000126624

Personnel includes: Frank Sinatra (vocals).

Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Johnny Mercer

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Monique DiMattina - Monique DiMattina In New Orleans: NOLA's Ark

Size: 131,2 MB
Time: 56:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals, New Orleans Jazz
Art: Front

01. Young At Heart (4:04)
02. Dig A Hole (3:58)
03. No More Coffee (3:59)
04. Let's Do Something Bad (4:33)
05. What's In A Kiss (3:55)
06. C'est Tout (3:23)
07. I'll Be Seeing You (2:31)
08. Bring On The Rain (6:23)
09. Numb Fumblin' (3:03)
10. Black Cat (5:08)
11. Godzilla (4:29)
12. You Fool You (5:08)
13. Black Cat (Reprise) (5:37)

Personnel:
Eric Bolivar - Drums
Matt Perrine - Acoustic bass and sousaphone
Leroy Jones - Trumpet
Rex Gregory - Clarinet
Loren Pickford - Sax
Richard Scott- Accordion
Anthony Cuccia - Percussion
June Yamagishi - Guitars

Monique diMattina is back, this time with Nola’s Ark, her most inspired album to date. Recorded in the thriving metropolis and birthplace of Jazz, New Orleans, during the hottest month of the year whilst twenty weeks pregnant, accompanied by a talented ensemble of musicians, this album will lead you on an unforgettable musical journey.

That aside, the recording is hot and a result of stellar musicianship with New Orleans good time sensibility. Deeply inspired by the roots music tradition, Monique paid homage to the history of New Orleans, Louisana, known to locals as NOLA and crafted her fourth studio album whilst living and breathing the deep music culture.

The famed downtown Piety Studios (Elvis Costello, John Scofield, Allen Toussaint) the vessel for this masterpiece, with an all-star crew including trumpeter Leroy Jones (Harry Connick Jnr Band) and bass/sousaphone man Matt Perrine (Dr John, Jon Cleary) and masterfully steered by producer Mark Bingham (R.E.M., Cassandra Wilson). Zonked from jet-lag and baby-growing, diMattina fell asleep randomly, and often, but the magic of the moment pulled them through. The outcome? Her best album yet!

Nola’s Ark is Monique’s fourth album and follows the critical success of 2010’s Welcome Stranger, the songwriters’ first foray into the vocal realm – inspired by overseas and hometown experiences alike. This new recording draws on the strong and poignant experiences of motherhood - the juggle and the struggle. Nola’s Ark also includes songs written on her unique 3RRR segment 'Shaken Not Rehearsed', writing and performing original songs, within the hour, live to air according to listener requests.

Nola’s Ark draws together echoes of Ramsey Lewis, Dr John, Nina Simone, Blossom Dearie and, the influence from a mother of two juggling it all, a panorama from sweet sonority to chaos and back. Superb.

Monique DiMattina In New Orleans: NOLA's Ark

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Wayne Linsey - Wayne Linsey Presents A Swingin Christmas

Size: 167,2 MB
Time: 72:03
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Swing Jazz, Xmas
Art: Front

01. Oh Christmas Tree (5:34)
02. Santa Baby (Feat. Bridgette Bryant) (5:26)
03. Christmas Time Is Here (6:15)
04. The Christmas Song (5:13)
05. Linus And Lucy (8:25)
06. Away In A Manger (2:54)
07. Silent Night (Feat. Bridgette Bryant) (7:15)
08. White Christmas (4:37)
09. Winter Wonderland (5:38)
10. Little Drummer Boy (8:15)
11. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow (3:54)
12. My Favorite Things (8:32)

The consummate musician, producer, arranger, songwriter and artist in his own right, Wayne Linsey’s list of credits reads like a who’s who in contemporary music. Legendary names like Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder are among the plethora of artists with whom the L.A.-based maestro has worked on stage and in the recording studio. Super producers like Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds and hitmakers like Whitney Houston and Earth, Wind & Fire always call Wayne to work on their projects; as a touring musician, Wayne spent many years with the ever-popular band Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, lending his distinctive and soulful touch as the primary keyboardist to the group’s energetic live show.

As a multi-talented instrumentalist, Wayne plays keyboards, guitar, bass and drums on the record; special guest players include trombonist Fred Wesley, Bobby Brown, Michael ‘Patches’ Stewart on trumpet, saxophonist Kenny Garrett, drummer Teddy Campbell., Kevin Ricard on percussion, Hiram Bullock, Paul Jackson Jr., John “Jubu” Smith & Tariqh Akoni on guitars and vocalists Leon Ware, Louis Price Jr., Lamont Van Hook, Sy Smith and Wayne’s former wife, artist in her own right, Lynne Fiddmont, among others. Incorporating funky grooves, soulful slow jams and pieces with topical lyrical messages and including “Bookendz,” a tune originally commissioned by Miles Davis which appears on his live recordings as “Wayne’s Tune,” Wayne’s new CD, “A Song Without Words,” reflects the broad spectrum of music he’s mastered since his early days studying at Washington DC’s Howard University.

Wayne Linsey Presents A Swingin Christmas

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Michael Rosen - Sweet 17

Size: 137,4 MB
Time: 59:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Saxophone Jazz
Art: Front

01. Architextures (6:21)
02. Ebb Tide (7:11)
03. Sweet 17 (6:54)
04. Fair Weather Ahead (7:10)
05. Hopefully (7:04)
06. Safe As Houses (5:01)
07. 39 Belgrave Square (7:38)
08. Yellow Barn Road (1:13)
09. Jacoby's Ladder (6:56)
10. The Way We Were (3:38)

17 years it is the age when one dreams and hopes that one day their dreams come true, and this is what happened to the American saxophonist, residing for almost 30 years in the beautiful country, and currently splits most of his time between Rome and London, maintaining intense activity in both musical circles of the two capitals.
Today, after 35 years of international success, 9 CDs as a leader and sideman made by almost 200, and backed by collaborations with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Sarah Jane Morris, Mike Stern, the Orchestra della Scala, and countless other musicians Americans and Europeans, the seventeen year old boy with long hair and disheveled, now at the height of his artistic maturity, wanted to return to New York, his hometown, to record his new music with a stellar cast of jazz musicians .
Sweet 17, like all the cd of the saxophonist / composer, leaves ample room for melodic beauty and expressiveness, and proposes compositions more dynamic, modern and evolved so far that Rosen has written, reflecting all the experience gained from the late 80s to date, and also thanks to the great musicians who have chosen this trip: Lage Lund on guitar, Ralph Alessi on trumpet, Domenico Sanna on the ground, Matt Penman on bass and Bill Stewart on drums. ~automatic translation.

Sweet 17

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Jack Jones - Live In Liverpool / Fly Me To The Moon

Album: Live In Liverpool
Size: 140,5 MB
Time: 60:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Without A Song (Live) (4:29)
02. I've Got You Under My Skin (Live) (4:08)
03. She Loveboat (Live) (5:48)
04. Intro To Song (Live) (0:58)
05. Dio Como Ti Amo (Live) (4:57)
06. Sullivan Story (Live) (3:05)
07. Send In The Clowns (Live) (3:10)
08. George Story (Live) (2:41)
09. Man Of La Mancha/Impossible Dream (Live) (6:48)
10. Music Of The Night (Live) (5:46)
11. Imagine From A Distance (Live) (7:03)
12. Intro Band (1:06)
13. If (Live) (5:01)
14. Intro Song (Live) (0:34)
15. We'll Be Together Again (Live) (4:37)

Personnel:
Lou Forestieri: Piano
Chris Colangelo: Bass
Kendall Kay: Drums
Paul Kelvington: Keyboard
John Chamberlain: Keyboard
George Double: Percussion

Recorded at the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool 29 May 2013, England.

Live In Liverpool

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Album: Fly Me To The Moon
Size: 105,3 MB
Time: 43:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Fly Me To The Moon (2:56)
02. Donkey Serenade (2:33)
03. Show Me The Way To Get Out Of This World ('cause That's Where Everything Is) [Remastered] (2:25)
04. Swinging Through The Park (2:08)
05. Angel Eyes (Remastered) (3:10)
06. Me And My Big Ideas (2:12)
07. Then I'll Be Tired Of You (3:20)
08. When I Take My Sugar To Tea (2:27)
09. Gift Of Love (2:16)
10. I've Got My Pride (2:27)
11. It's A Lonesome Old Town (3:03)
12. When A Man Cries (2:17)
13. I Like The Likes Of You (2:13)
14. Pick Up The Pieces (2:16)
15. She's My Darling, She's My Heart (2:35)
16. Bye Bye Baby (2:28)
17. Time After Time (3:01)

A two-time Grammy winner in the early '60s, Jack Jones has made a fine living since, blending vocal standards from traditional pop with swinging renditions of contemporary pop and rock hits. Born in Los Angeles in 1938, Jones was the son of the romantic lead actor and recording artist Allan Jones (who had a hit with "The Donkey Serenade") and actress Irene Hervey. He began studying the vocal arts in high school, and after graduation joined his father's successful act on the nightclub circuit. Jack left less than a year later, determined to make it on his own, and began playing small clubs around the country.

Several years after forging his independence, Jack Jones was spotted in San Francisco and signed to Kapp Records in 1961. Though he was called into the army soon after, he managed to record the single "Lollipops and Roses," a moderate 1962 hit which earned him a Grammy for Best Performance by a Male Singer. Jones earned several other awards during the mid-'60s, including another Grammy for his best-known hit, the Burt Bacharach-Hal David chestnut "Wives and Lovers." Though he only recorded one more single that performed as well, 1965's "The Race Is On," Jones became a successful LP seller, touring artist (especially in Great Britain), and occasional television performer. He moved to RCA Records in 1967, and began to add to his repertoire rock songs such as "Light My Fire" and "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today." Jack Jones also mounted a successful act in Las Vegas during the 1980s and '90s. ~by John Bush

Fly Me To The Moon

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Andy Williams - We Need A Little Christmas

Size: 103,5 MB
Time: 44:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1995/2015
Styles: Pop Vocals, Xmas
Art: Front

01. Silent Night (5:24)
02. What Child Is This (4:05)
03. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day (3:04)
04. Jolly Old St. Nicholas (2:29)
05. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (3:31)
06. The Christmas Song (3:58)
07. Angel Medley (4:36)
08. We Need A Little Christmas (3:28)
09. Away In A Manger (2:57)
10. Up On The House-Top (3:04)
11. I'll Be Home For Christmas (3:16)
12. Mary's Little Boy Child (4:11)

An engaging crooner, TV personality, and entrepreneur, Andy Williams was one of the most bankable and popular singers of his era. With his laid-back delivery, supple voice, and amiable charm, Williams rode a wave of success that took him from a childhood vocal act with his brothers to worldwide fame as a solo artist, eventually finding latter-day success as a theater impresario in Branson, Missouri. Though he started out as a crooner in the post-Frank Sinatra style, his wide-ranging taste in music (as evidenced by the guests on his '60s variety show) found him embracing artists and songs across generational and stylistic boundaries; and he can be heard on record interpreting songs that range from traditional pop to rock to bossa nova, country, and beyond. From the pre-rock & roll era onward, Williams was one of the most recognizable singers of his day.

Born in Wall Lake, Iowa, Williams sang in his church choir and later formed a quartet with his three brothers. The group performed on radio throughout the Midwest, then moved to Los Angeles to make it in show business. The Williams Brothers Quartet appeared on Bing Crosby's 1944 hit "Swinging on a Star" and appeared with comedienne Kay Thompson during the late '40s.

Andy Williams finally began his solo career in 1952, making several appearances on Steve Allen's The Tonight Show before signing a contract with Archie Bleyer's Cadence Records in 1955. He hit the Top Ten in 1956 with his third single for the label, "Canadian Sunset." One year later, his soft-toned cover of the Charlie Gracie rockabilly nugget "Butterfly" hit number one (it's still his biggest hit). Additional Top Ten entries "Are You Sincere," "Lonely Street," and "The Village of St. Bernadette" followed before Williams moved to Columbia in 1961.

Despite another big hit in 1963, "Can't Get Used to Losing You," Williams failed to generate much action on the singles charts during the 1960s. Instead, his highly rated variety program on NBC-TV spurred interest in the ever-growing LP market for adult and middle-of-the-road audiences. The popular 1962 album Moon River & Other Great Movie Themes featured the song he's most identified with, and the following year's Days of Wine and Roses hit the top of the album charts. Nine more LPs hit the Top Ten for Andy Williams during the '60s, many organized around loose themes -- Broadway, ballads, and one album that featured members of his family. Though 1971's Love Story was a platinum success that sparked a Top Ten hit for the title song, his television show was canceled that year.

Andy Williams remained very popular during the '70s, especially for British audiences. His single "Solitaire" hit the Top Ten there in 1973, though it didn't even chart in America. Two of his subsequent albums also performed well, but only in Britain. He released relatively few LPs during the 1980s, but returned to the pop world in the early '90s when he founded his own theater/resort in the home-grown entertainment capital of Branson, Missouri. Williams continued to headline shows there for 20 years, although he announced from its stage during a Christmas 2011 show that he had been diagnosed with cancer. It finally took his life on September 25, 2012. ~by John Bush

We Need A Little Christmas

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