Various - Blue Bossa

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:40
Size: 157.2 MB
Styles: Latin Jazz
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[4:18] 1. Horace Parlan - Congalegre
[3:53] 2. Charlie Rouse - Back To The Tropics
[7:20] 3. Big John Patton - Latona
[3:28] 4. Duke Pearson - Sandalia Dela
[3:09] 5. Ike Quebec - Loie
[3:31] 6. Cannonball Adderley - Sambop
[5:02] 7. Kenny Dorham - Afrodisia
[5:47] 8. Grant Green - Mambo Inn
[4:56] 9. Horace Silver - The Cape Verdean Blues
[6:17] 10. Andrew Hill - Mira
[8:09] 11. Hank Mobley - Recado Bossa Nova
[5:30] 12. Lou Donaldson - South Of The Border
[7:14] 13. Donald Byrd - Ghana

This compilation should be titled Blue Latin because it's more of a sampler of various Latin jazz styles than just a bossa nova-jazz mix. In an age of overzealous marketing and grab-bag reissues, though, the oversight is understandable. Thankfully, the misguided approach doesn't dim the quality of this very enjoyable Blue Note release. The six actual bossa nova tracks in the collection -- out of 14 -- range from effervescent, hard bop treatments by Hank Mobley ("Recado Bossa Nova") and Cannonball Adderly ("Sambop") to languid ballad renditions by Ike Quebec ("Loie") and Eliane Elias ("Waters of March/Agua de Beber"). The most authentic and best of the bunch is Duke Pearson's "Sandalia Dela," which spotlights Brazilian stars Airto Moreira and Flora Purim. Another standout is John Patton's B-3 organ bossa "Latona," which features inspired solos by guitarist Grant Green and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. Throughout this collection, in fact, excellent solos and support abound by the likes of Lee Morgan, Joe Henderson, Willie Bobo, Dom Um Romao, Nana Vasconcelos, Horace Silver, and J.J. Johnson, among others. The remaining numbers on Blue Bossa showcase everything from mambos to calypso. The highlights here include Horace Parlan's piano trio number "Congalegre," Kenny Dorham's superbly arranged, large ensemble original "Afrodesia," and Donald Byrd's cool cooker "Ghana." If you fancy more authentic Brazilian jazz, bossa nova, or otherwise, then check out Blue Note's excellent Blue Brazil series, which features Brazilian musicians exclusively. If you are a jazz fan with a yen for Stan Getz and the whole stateside bossa nova craze of the '60s, then Blue Bossa is a great buy. ~Stephen Cook

Blue Bossa

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Howard McGhee - Dusty Blue Remembered

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:13
Size: 80.6 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 1960/2012
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. Dusty Blue
[3:29] 2. Park Avenue Petite
[5:49] 3. Flyin' Colors
[4:17] 4. Groovin' High
[3:20] 5. The Sound Of Music
[4:05] 6. I Concentrate On You
[2:52] 7. Sleep Talk
[3:59] 8. With Malice Towards None
[4:27] 9. Cottage For Sale

Howard McGhee (tp) Bennie Green (tb) Roland Alexander (ts) Pepper Adams (bars) Tommy Flanagan (p) Ron Carter (b) Walter Bolden (d) recorded NYC, June 13, 1960.

McGhee had been one of bop’s premier league of trumpet-players since the Forties, alongside Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Clifford Brown, Kenny Dorham and notable for his collaborations with Fats Navarro, a fellow addict. Few had his mastery of the instrument, however his musical career in the Fifties was dogged by spells in prison as a consequence of his addiction, as was the case with Art Pepper and many other jazz musicians. Elvis’s “Jailhouse Rock” had more truth to it than people at the time imagined – Jailhouse Bop.

Dusty Blue, released in 1960 by Bethlehem, is one of the highlights of his Sixties comeback, and sees him teamed with some of long-standing bop collaborators like Bennie Green Tommy Flanagan and Pepper Adams, as they all slide seamlessly into the groove.

Dusty Blue Remembered

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Helen O'Connell - Green Eyes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:55
Size: 73.1 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1950/2011
Art: Front

[3:08] 1. Star Eyes
[2:44] 2. Not Mine
[2:36] 3. Tangerine
[3:51] 4. Amapola
[4:51] 5. When The Sun Comes Out
[2:57] 6. All Of Me
[2:47] 7. Green Eyes
[3:32] 8. Jim
[2:47] 9. Time Was
[2:36] 10. Yours

Helen O'Connell, who had a fairly long career, will always be best remembered for her squeals on "Green Eyes" and her work with Jimmy Dorsey. She originally left her native Toledo with Jimmy Richards' nine-piece group, gigging and touring for a year and a half. O'Connell appeared on a regular radio show in St. Louis until she agreed to tour with Larry Funk's band (which was billed as "Band of a Thousand Melodies"). After the outfit started working in New York, she was discovered and quickly signed up by Jimmy Dorsey in 1938. O'Connell soon had a hit rendition of "All of Me," which was followed by popular recordings of "Embraceable You," "Brazil," "Jim." and "When the Sun Comes Out" (which she introduced). However, it was in December 1940, when she started sharing recordings with ballad singer Bob Eberly, that O'Connell for a time became a household name. Eberly generally took a slow chorus, Jimmy Dorsey would have a brief instrumental interlude, and then O'Connell would finish up the record with a swinging chorus. This combination worked very well on hit versions of "Amapola," "Yours," "Green Eyes" and "Tangerine." After appearing in the 1943 movie I Dood It with Dorsey (singing "Star Eyes"), O'Connell retired to get married; she would eventually have four daughters. In 1950 she began a successful solo career, making occasional records, appearing regularly on television (she spent a period as co-host of The Today Show), toured as part of Four Girls Four (which also included Kay Starr, Rosemary Clooney and Rose Marie) and made guest appearances with the Jimmy Dorsey ghost band, singing in an unchanged style. Although her voice was limited, she made her deficiencies into assets and carved out her own place in musical history. Helen O'Connell was active up until shortly before her death from cancer.

Green Eyes

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Trombone Shorty - Backatown

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:42
Size: 97.8 MB
Styles: Jazz/Funk/Rock/Soul
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:16] 1. Hurricane Season
[3:34] 2. On Your Way Down
[3:02] 3. Quiet As Kept
[3:40] 4. Something Beautiful
[2:45] 5. Backatown
[2:53] 6. Right To Complain
[2:59] 7. Neph
[3:18] 8. Suburbia
[3:14] 9. In The 6th
[2:47] 10. One Night Only (The March)
[2:57] 11. Where Y' At
[3:42] 12. Fallin'
[3:37] 13. The Cure
[0:50] 14. 928 Horn Jam

Troy 'Trombone Shorty' Andrews' new album, Backatown (Verve Forecast April 20), is the work of a rare artist who can draw both the unqualified respect of jazz legends and deliver a high-energy rock show capable of mesmerizing international rock stars and audiences alike. With such an unprecedented mix of rock, funk, jazz, hip-hop and soul, he had to create his own name to describe his signature sound: Supafunkrock! Andrews is the kind of player who comes along maybe once in a generation, and Backatown is the latest, clearest proof that his artistry is as singular as his raw talent.

The album title comes from the locals' term for the area of New Orleans that includes the Tremé [pronounced Tre-MAY] neighborhood in the city's 6th Ward, where Troy was born and raised-getting his nickname at four years old when he was observed by his older brother James marching in a street parade wielding a trombone twice as long as the kid was high. The cultural backdrop of the Tremé-the oldest black neighborhood in the U.S.-is at the very root of Troy's music, on top of which he's built his own sound. The streetwise, gritty feel of the term underscores the difference between the stereotype of the New Orleans jazz musician and what this audacious young artist and his cohorts are going for, and pulling off.

Equally adept on trombone and trumpet, Andrews plays a variety of other instruments as well. He's applied the same skill sets and fierce discipline to his vocal instrument, to soulful effect, as the album demonstrates. Surrounding Andrews is his band, Orleans Avenue-Mike Ballard on bass, Pete Murano on guitar, Joey Peebles on drums, Dwayne Williams on percussion and Dan Oestreicher on baritone sax-virtuosos every one.

Backatown

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Ron Kaplan - New York

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:12
Size: 126.4 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Tin Pan Alley
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[5:38] 1. New York State Of Mind
[3:53] 2. Jumpin With Symphony Sid
[4:15] 3. New York New York
[4:21] 4. Lullaby Of Broadway
[5:05] 5. Take The 'A' Train
[4:09] 6. Drop Me Off In Harlem
[6:30] 7. Harlem Nocturne
[3:39] 8. Forty Second Street
[4:30] 9. Sunday In New York
[3:47] 10. On Broadway
[3:25] 11. Give It Back To The Indians
[5:55] 12. Manhattan

One of our finest contemporary singers of jazz standards, Ron Kaplan has spent his entire career championing the Great American Songbook, with much of that classic material written in or about New York City. So it makes perfect sense that this tradition-oriented vocalist dedicates his latest album, New York, to that remarkable metropolis.

“Although I am from California,” explains Kaplan, “every time I go to New York City I am always struck by the energy, excitement and exuberance of the place. Everything about it is exciting – the history, the architecture, the people, the culture, the arts. It’s the jazz capitol of the world. It’s the home of Broadway theatre, Tin Pan Alley, the Brill Building and countless legendary songwriters over the past century. There is so much to do and the atmosphere is so intense. It’s the city that never sleeps. It is one of the few cities in the world that has had many, many songs written about it. The difficulty wasn’t finding New York-themed songs for this recording, but deciding which ones to sing.”

New York

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Kenny Poole - Heritage

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:56
Size: 153.2 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:55] 1. Mas Que Nada
[7:44] 2. Django
[4:31] 3. If You Never Come To Me
[5:58] 4. Voce E Eu
[6:24] 5. Our Love Is Here To Stay
[3:39] 6. Little White Lies
[6:27] 7. Jive At Five
[5:33] 8. The Song Is You
[4:03] 9. A Pele Do Martin Skin Of Ivory
[6:06] 10. Where Are You
[4:19] 11. Brazil
[6:33] 12. I Can't Get Started
[1:38] 13. Calcutta

Kenny Poole was a guitarist's guitarist. He never sought the limelight that others with his talents achieved, but his much admired jazz chops attracted musicians in the know. He performed with such luminaries as Jack McDuff, Tal Farlow, Joe Pass, Howard Alden and Jack Wilkins. Sadly, Poole lost his fight with cancer in 2006. But with the release of Heritage, a collection of his live solo performances at Cincinnati's Heritage Restaurant, Poole's soulful and sophisticated finger-style arrangements are available for the everyone to admire. The tracks included on Heritage are a marvelous cross-section of Poole's interest in American Songbook and bossa nova styles.

Heritage

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Grant Stewart - Plays The Music Of Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:24
Size: 136,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:26)  1. Raincheck
(7:46)  2. Tonight A Shall Sleep
(8:18)  3. Angelica
(7:22)  4. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(5:53)  5. It Don't Mean A Thing
(7:07)  6. Something To Live For
(7:18)  7. The Star Crossed Lovers
(9:10)  8. The Feeling Of Jazz

Here's a refreshing take on Ellingtonia, one that doesn't rely on the overdone ("Take the A Train," "Perdido") or easy ("C-Jam Blues"). Canadian native Grant Stewart brings a post-Swing, combo approach to his Ellingtonia, even going so far as to reference Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk/John Coltrane collaboration. The tenor saxophonist, whose own distinctive style has echoes of Clifford Jordan and later Al Cohn in tone and conception, leads a pos tbop/hard bop-leaning quartet with pianist Tardo Hammer, bassist Paul Gill and drummer Joe Farnsworth.

All of the material here should be familiar to fans of Ellingtonia with one exception: "Tonight I Shall Sleep," a ballad the Ellington Orchestra first recorded in 1945 with guest soloist Tommy Dorsey limning the melody on trombone. Stewart brings a rich warm tone and Dorsey-like legato approach to both the melody and his lyrical solo. Hammer's delicate, mostly single-note solo lines are reminiscent of the late John Lewis. And the ending tenor coda, with its unresolved chord echoing the conclusion of "Lush Life," suggests Strayhorn may have had a hand in the tune, although it's credited solely to Ellington. Stewart ups the tempo, via Bob Mover's chart, of "Something to Live For," revs up "It Don't Mean a Thing" to bebop speed and excavates a bluesy groove on "The Feeling of Jazz." "Raincheck" and "I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart" demonstrate the charms of melodic substance to swing, while "Star-Crossed Lovers" from The Shakespearean Suite, is a tribute to alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges' sumptuous style. ~ George Kanzler  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/plays-the-music-of-duke-ellington-and-billy-strayhorn-grant-stewart-sharp-nine-records-review-by-george-kanzler.php

Personnel: Grant Stewart: saxophone; Tardo Hammer: piano; Paul Gill: bass; Joe Farnsworth: drums.

Plays The Music Of Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn

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Nat Adderley Sextet - Much Brass

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:11
Size: 94,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:41)  1. Blue Concept
(4:31)  2. Little Miss
(3:55)  3. Israel
(3:22)  4. What Next?
(5:05)  5. Moving
(5:43)  6. Blue Brass Groove
(5:43)  7. Accents
(4:07)  8. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child

Nat Adderley's cornet (which in its early days was strongly influenced by Miles Davis) was always a complementary voice to his brother Cannonball in their popular quintet. His career ran parallel to his older brother for quite some time. Nat took up trumpet in 1946, switched to cornet in 1950, and spent time in the military, playing in an Army band during 1951-1953. After a period with Lionel Hampton (1954-1955), Nat made his recording debut in 1955, joined Cannonball's unsuccessful quintet of 1956-1957, and then spent periods with the groups of J.J. Johnson and Woody Herman before hooking up with Cannonball again in October 1959. This time the group became a major success and Nat remained in the quintet until Cannonball's death in 1975, contributing such originals as "Work Song," "Jive Samba," and "The Old Country" along with many exciting hard bop solos. 

Nat Adderley, who was at the peak of his powers in the early to mid-'60s and became adept at playing solos that dipped into the subtone register of his horn, led his own quintets after Cannonball's death; his most notable sidemen were altoists Sonny Fortune (in the early '80s) and Vincent Herring. Although his own playing declined somewhat Adderley's chops no longer had the endurance of his earlier days Nat continued recording worthwhile sessions in the years prior to his death on January 2, 2000. Many but not all of his recordings through the years are currently available (for such labels as Savoy, EmArcy, Riverside, Jazzland, Atlantic, Milestone, A&M, Capitol, Prestige, SteepleChase, Galaxy, Theresa, In & Out, Landmark, Evidence, Enja, Timeless, Jazz Challenge, and Chiaroscuro). https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/nat-adderley-sextet/id2801407#fullText

Personnel:  Nat Adderley – cornet;  Slide Hampton - tuba (track 1), trombone (tracks 2-7);  Wynton Kelly – piano;  Sam Jones - bass (tracks 2-8), cello (track 1);  Laymon Jackson - bass (track 1), tuba (tracks 2-8);  Albert Heath - drums

Much Brass

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Scott Colley - The Magic Line

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:52
Size: 151,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:30)  1. Take It And Like It
(6:34)  2. The Magic Line
(6:16)  3. Convergence
(4:34)  4. Monroe Street
(4:18)  5. Metropolis
(8:01)  6. Trip To Williamsburg
(6:44)  7. Dualessence
(6:29)  8. Soul Gravity
(5:13)  9. Mayberry
(7:12) 10. Dog Logic
(1:58) 11. Epilogue

One of the premier session bassist's in jazz steps out of the pocket with his first solo outing for the Arabesque label titled, The Magic Line. And along with the laudable support of saxophonist Chris Potter and drummer Bill Stewart, Scott Colley exhibits multifarious attributes as a leader and composer. The Trio serves up an interesting mix on pieces such as the title track where the bassist commences with an extended solo passage followed by Potter's entry on tenor. Here, the duo performs fluid unison lines amid Stewart's backwashes of tonal shading and altogether colorful utilization of his cymbals while Colley and Potter also display a resourceful and noticeably inventive harmonic relationship throughout the entire affair.

The band performs an affable groove oriented spin on the theme from the old Andy Griffith TV series, aptly titled, "Mayberry" while they also turn in a peppery swing vamp on "Dog Logic" as Stewart and Potter trade sprightly fours atop Colley's fervent walking bass lines and broad bottom. Overall, there's quite a bit to get revved up about here as the band emits a quiet fire amid thoughtful improvising and intriguing ensemble work. A noteworthy endeavor it is! ~ Glenn Astarita  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-magic-line-scott-colley-arabesque-jazz-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: Scott Colley: bass; Chris Potter: tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet; Bill Stewart: drums.

The Magic Line

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Cyrille Aimée - Let's Get Lost

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:38
Size: 105,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:36)  1. Live Alone and Like It
(3:47)  2. There's a Lull in My Life
(3:20)  3. Estrellitas y Duendes
(4:52)  4. Lazy Afternoon
(2:32)  5. Three Little Words
(3:19)  6. T'es Beau tu Sais
(2:35)  7. Let's Get Lost
(4:20)  8. Samois a Moi
(2:52)  9. Nine More Minutes
(2:20) 10. Laverne Walk
(2:38) 11. That Old Feeling
(3:26) 12. Each Day
(3:41) 13. Words
(3:14) 14. Well You Needn't (Bonus Track)

'Let's Get Lost', Cyrille Aimée's second album for Mack Avenue Records brings to light a different side of the radiant singer. After two years of dazzling audiences around the world with the joyful repertoire of 'It's a Good Day', Aimée reflects on her musical and personal growth, telling us the story of a nascent love coming to full bloom. Accompanied by two guitar wunderkinds, Adrien Moignard and Michael Valeanu, as well as an Australian rhythm section (consisting of bassist Sam Anning and drummer Raj Jayaweera) so tight-knit that they are almost the same person, she adds pensive touches to her usual zest and reveals a bittersweet depth that will have listeners daydreaming for a while. 'Let's Get Lost' speaks of love in three different languages, wide ranging references, oldies and odd metered originals, yet it retains a distinct identity, like summer grass freckled with late afternoon sun. Aimée and her band weave confidently from one musical region to the next, and Valeanu's guitar arrangements always underscore the meaning of every word in uncontrived and subtle fashion.   http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Get-Lost-Cyrille-Aim%C3%A9e/dp/B0188EOGU4

Let's Get Lost

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Gerald Wilson Orchestra - Legacy

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:00
Size: 114,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:35)  1. Variation on a Theme by Igor Stravinsky
(9:58)  2. Virgo
(7:36)  3. Variations on Clair de Lune
(6:20)  4. Variation on a Theme by Giacomo Puccini
(7:05)  5. September Sky
(2:09)  6. A Jazz Mecca
(3:43)  7. A Night at the El Grotto
(1:55)  8. Riffin' at the Regal
(3:09)  9. Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and White Sox
(1:07) 10. 47th St. Blues
(1:01) 11. Blowin' in the Windy City
(2:17) 12. A Great Place to Be

The beauty of listening to an orchestra in fine form is like being treated to an oceanic swell of music that rises and falls, creating great harmonic waves of sound. This further regales the intellect with the swish of brushstrokes as the music changes in color, from sometimes thick, dark dripping shades, evoking brooding emotion to the pale and moist shades of elation in an ever-changing palette. Then there are the timbres that refresh the soul and the rhythms that dance as soloists and ensemble engage in endless maneuvers, to bring the music to life. This and so much more is something to that flows effortlessly and endlessly from the Gerald Wilson Orchestra on Legacy. The vibrant force of the music is unstoppable, as Wilson draws music from the soul of each member of his ensemble.

Aside from the sophistication of the music putting it in a stellar region all its own Wilson digs ever so deeply into his own heart and soul, and finds the magical element of the blues in its most visceral and elemental form. That and the almost vanishing aspect of great jazz: swing. So whether he is paying homage to one of his fellow-musicians, albeit from another era Igor Stravinsky, or Giacomo Puccini or Claude Debussy Wilson calls up the swagger and wickedly sensuous swish of rhythmic swing. Like the other masters of the attitudinal strut, Duke Ellington, his old mentor, Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie and a handful of others, Wilson can make music dally almost languorously and yet move up and down and side to side in a hip-grinding manner. He is that young of heart.

With a handful of notes, a few bars of music tossed in the air like an expert juggler, Wilson creates sweeping sketches of impressionistic beauty in each case. The bone-crunching thunder of his "Variations on a Theme by Igor Stravinsky" is followed closely by an exquisitely complex wave of harmonic majesty in his homage to Debussy in "Variations on Clair de Lune." The deepest of emotion and painter-like brush-strokes are reserved for the Puccini impression. In all of these pieces, Wilson's joyous character is retained, as he makes the music of his ancestors meld with the Europeans, like an expert alchemist working the brass in bright bronzed shades, and hammering the metal into submitting to sheets of sound, tempered by virtuoso rhythm. No credit is given to soloists here, and the breaks are short, but the pirouetting cadenzas, but the technical virtuosity and the deep emotion of each are unparalleled.

Guitarist Anthony Wilson contributes "Virgo," a muscular, yet pliant and soaring piece that mimics the constellation. Eric Otis seems in tune with the magic and mystery of brassy musical alchemy in the wonderfully crafted "September Sky." But it is the unstoppable "Yes Chicago Is... (Suite)" that is ultimately the centerpiece. Legacy is a heartfelt homage to a city that has clearly touched Wilson to his very soul; one that he wants enshrined in gorgeous, joyful music. ~ Raul D´Gama Rose  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/legacy-gerald-wilson-mack-avenue-records-review-by-raul-dgama-rose.php

Personnel: Gerald Wilson: conductor; Lewis Nash: drums; Renee Rosnes: piano; Peter Washington: bass; Anthony Wilson: guitar; Antonio Hart: alto saxophone, flute; Dick Oatts: alto saxophone, flute; Kamasi Washington: tenor saxophone; Ron Blake: tenor saxophone; Jay Brandford: baritone saxophone; Gary Smulyan: baritone saxophone; Frank Greene: trumpet, flugelhorn; Sean Jones: trumpet, flugelhorn; Tony Lujan: trumpet, flugelhorn; Freddie Hendrix: trumpet, flugelhorn; Jeremy Pelt: trumpet, flugelhorn; Mike Rodriguez: trumpet, flugelhorn; Dennis Wilson: trombone; Luis Bonilla: trombone; Alan Ferber: trombone; Douglas Purviance: trombone.

Legacy

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Mark Turner - Ballad Session

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:11
Size: 127,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:42)  1. I Loves You Porgy
(5:27)  2. Some Other Time
(5:45)  3. Nefertiti
(5:55)  4. Skylark
(2:56)  5. No More
(5:20)  6. All or Nothing at All
(5:10)  7. Visions
(8:06)  8. Alone and I
(6:09)  9. Late Lament
(4:38) 10. Jesus Maria

Mark Turner’s Ballad Session presents a tenor saxophonist of extraordinary poise and emotional attunement. Throughout this recording Turner deftly maintains his balance, avoiding sentimentality, presenting a consistently direct emotional response to the compositions and to his fellow musicians. This disc reveals Mark Turner to be a young musician to watch carefully. Pianist Kevin Hays is an especially attentive accompanist whose solos add to the emotional focus of this recording. Bassist Larry Grenadier plays a spare, loping bass that allows plenty of room for interaction. Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel alternates with Hays in the second instrument slot, replacing Hays on about half of the disc’s tracks. He is also an excellent accompanist; his duet work with Turner is a highlight of this recording. Drummer Brian Blade’s presence is low-key and affective throughout; his lack of an intrusive ego is notable. 

Above this band soars Mark Turner with a clear, bright sound that often emphasizes the higher registers of the tenor. The earthier Zoot Sims provides an interesting comparison to Turner. They both have a harmonic sophistication that results in a sure-footed ability to make every phrase sound as if it were inevitable. Turner has succeeded in developing a band that seems to bring out the best in him. This recording is a dramatic advance from his earlier (1998) somewhat “steely” disc entitled In This World the difference being the emotional depth of this very fine session. Highly recommended. ~ Mike Neely  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/ballad-session-mark-turner-warner-bros-review-by-mike-neely.php

Personnel:  Mark Turner, tenor saxophone;  Kevin Hays, piano;  Kurt Rosenwinkel, guitar;  Larry Grenadier, bass;  Brian Blade, drums.

Ballad Session

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Minnie Riperton - The Best Of Minnie Riperton

Styles: Vocal, R&B
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:25
Size: 156,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:23)  1. Perfect Angel
(3:48)  2. Lover And Friend
(3:30)  3. Memory Lane
(3:45)  4. Woman Of Heart And Mind
(3:23)  5. Lovin' You
(3:44)  6. Young Willing And Able
(4:16)  7. Can You Feel What I'm Saying?
(6:16)  8. Stick Together
(3:59)  9. Wouldn't Matter Where You Are
(3:17) 10. Stay In Love
(3:58) 11. Inside My Love
(4:05) 12. Here We Go
(4:05) 13. Give Me Time
(3:43) 14. You Take My Breath Away
(3:13) 15. Adventures In Paradise
(3:41) 16. Simple Things
(5:08) 17. Light My Fire

Until 1999's Free Soul (Capitol) and 2001's exhaustive but more excellent overall Petals (The Right Stuff) came along, Capitol Gold offered the best summation of this true original's horribly undervalued solo career. As with Free Soul, Capitol Gold leaves a significant gap by excluding the best moments from Minnie Riperton's debut (Come to My Garden), an album that was released on GTR. This issue would be rectified by The Right Stuff, a subsidiary of Capitol, for Petals. Still, Capitol Gold makes for a fine substitute introduction to Riperton; it includes all of her significant singles and a good survey of album tracks that didn't receive the notice they deserved when they were originally released. ~ Andy Kellman  http://www.allmusic.com/album/capitol-gold-the-best-of-minnie-riperton-mw0000098299

The Best Of Minnie Riperton

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Leroy Vinnegar - Leroy Walks Again!!

Styles: Jazz, Cool Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:23
Size: 95,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:48)  1. Hard To Find
(4:34)  2. Down Under
(4:08)  3. I'll String Along With You
(5:39)  4. Subway Grate
(4:26)  5. Restin' In Jail
(5:36)  6. Motherland
(5:58)  7. For Carl
(4:11)  8. Wheelin' And Dealin'

The follow-up to Leroy Vinnegar's first Contemporary album, this CD reissue matches the excellent bassist (who is mostly content to back the other soloists) with trumpeter Freddy Hill, tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards, Victor Feldman on piano and vibes and drummer Ron Jefferson for four of the seven selections; the other numbers also use Hill and Edwards along with pianist Mike Melvoin, vibraphonist Roy Ayers (at the beginning of his career) and drummer Milt Turner. The set (which has three originals by Vinnegar, Edwards' "Wheelin' and Dealin'," Don Nelson, Les McCann and Freddie Hubbard in addition to the one standard "I'll String Along with You") helps define the modern mainstream of the early '60s, when cool jazz was being replaced by hard bop. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/leroy-walks-again!!-mw0000690475

Personnel: Leroy Vinnegar (acoustic bass); Teddy Edwards (tenor saxophone); Freddie Hill (trumpet); Victor Feldman (piano, vibraphone); Ron Jefferson (drums).

Leroy Walks Again!!

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Bill Harris - The Blues-Soul Of Bill Harris: Complete Mercury Recordings 1956-1959

Size: 145,6+159,2 MB
Time: 61:12+67:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz: Guitar Jazz, Bop, Swing
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. Stompin' At The Savoy (2:19)
02. Moonglow (2:33)
03. Cherokee (1:33)
04. Out Of Nowhere (3:00)
05. Ethyl (2:44)
06. Possessed (2:46)
07. Perdido (2:39)
08. I Can't Get Started (1:50)
09. Dreaming (2:35)
10. K. C. Shuffle (2:18)
11. Ivanhoe (2:09)
12. Lover (2:22)
13. Spring (1:42)
14. Baker's Dozen (1:46)
15. Golden Sunset (2:37)
16. Honeysuckle Rose (2:57)
17. Midnight Blue (3:04)
18. Yesterdays (1:55)
19. The Harris Touch (3:28)
20. All The Things You Are (2:55)
21. 'S Wonderful (2:19)
22. Sometimes I'm Happy (2:36)
23. Rock Bottom Blues (4:22)
24. The Man I Love (2:32)

CD 2:
01. Lullaby Of Birdland (2:39)
02. Blue Angel (2:04)
03. The Song Is You (2:42)
04. Daahoud (2:00)
05. Ethyl (2:05)
06. Wind Song (2:03)
07. Ol' Man River (3:35)
08. Once In A While (2:51)
09. Poinciana (Song Of The Tree) (2:05)
10. Concerto For Jazz Guitar (Your Majesty) (3:13)
11. Jordu (1:45)
12. Lover (6:55)
13. All The Things You Are (1:50)
14. Poinciana (Song Of The Tree) (Alt Take) (2:37)
15. Well You Needn't (3:25)
16. Intaglio Monk Parts 1 & 2 (6:13)
17. Stompin' At The Savoy (2:26)
18. Possessed (1:27)
19. Cherokee (4:42)
20. The Song Is You (3:37)
21. Where Is Big Joe Williams Blues (3:20)
22. Ethyl (3:35)

Sources:
CD 1 - Tracks #1-12, from the album
“Bill Harris” (Mercury/EmArcy MG 36097)
CD 1 - Tracks #13-24, from the album
“The Harris Touch” (Mercury/EmArcy MG 36113)

CD 2 - Tracks #1-11, from the album
“Great Guitar Sounds” (Mercury/Wing MGW 12220)
CD 2 - Tracks #12-22, from the album
“Caught in the Act” (Jazz Guitar JGLP 100)

Personnel
BILL HARRIS: Bill Harris, guitar solos
Recorded in New York City, 1956

THE HARRIS TOUCH: Bill Harris, classical and electric guitar; Hank Jones, piano and celeste; unidentified bassist, drummer, and bongo player
Recorded in New York City, May 2 (#15,16,18,21,23,24) & 21 (#13,14,17,19,20), 1957

GREAT GUITAR SOUNDS: Bill Harris, guitar solos
Recorded in New York City, 1959

CAUGHT IN THE ACT: Bill Harris, guitar solos
Recorded at Cafritz Auditorium, Washington D.C., December, 1962

4 LPs on 2 CDs + Two Bonus Tracks. Digitally Remastered.

When Bill Harris recorded his first album as a leader in 1956, he had already been the electric guitar accompanist for The Clovers one of the most outstanding r&b vocal groups since 1949. Fellow guitarist Mickey Baker recommended him to Mercury/EmArcy s a&r head, Bob Shad, and it is to Shad s credit that he gave Harris so much scope on his debut. The full colored natural sound of Harris s unamplified Spanish guitar is a rare and interesting pleasure. In the words of Nat Hentoff, the blues-soul of Harris courses richly through everything he plays.
On his second album for the label, The Harris Touch, Bill was backed by a conventional rhythm section and a bongo player. The session featured the excellent piano work of Hank Jones, with three of the tunes vehicles to showcase of Harris s electric guitar. On the Mercury/Wing album, Harris again performs solo, displaying his remarkable feeling for the unamplified guitar in both jazz and semi-classical contexts. The fourth album on this set is also a solo recital, recorded during a Bill Harris concert in Washington in 1962. Harris plays with engaging easiness in a live program which mainly includes material from the other three albums, demonstrating his abilities as an improviser of lovely, rhythmically resilient variations.
Down Beat magazine defined his style as a combination of beauty, lyricism, charm and solid strength. This collection of performances is both a masterpiece of guitar versatility and a master class in improvisation.

The Blues-Soul Of Bill Harris CD 1
The Blues-Soul Of Bill Harris CD 2

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Cheryl Barnes - Live At Port Hueneme Beach Festival

Size: 142,2 MB
Time: 61:03
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Dindi (Live) (6:50)
02. Like Jazz (Live) (4:33)
03. That Afternoon In Harlem (Live) (4:55)
04. Come With Me (Live) (4:31)
05. Baby's Got Some Aweful Kind Of Blues (Live) (5:09)
06. And The Melody Still Lingers On (Live) (6:44)
07. What's Fair In Love (Live) (5:05)
08. U-Turn (Live) (8:00)
09. Listen To This (Live) (5:18)
10. What's On Your Mind (Live) (9:52)

Cheryl Dyrithe Barnes is a classically trained jazz singer in possession of remarkable depth, range and technique. beloved around the world as a captivating live performer, Cheryl shied away from making records for nearly a decade. Now in 2014, Ms. Barnes returns with her fourth and finest album to date, a studio recording entitled listen to this for which every one of the twelve selections is a personally inspired gem. Produced by Rahn Coleman and also featuring the impassioned piano playing of her husband Phil Cabasso, listen to this was patiently rendered over a 5-year period, prepared with tender loving care utilizing Los Angeles’ finest, including soloists saxophonists Rickey Woodard and Pete Christlieb, pianists John Hammond and Joel Scott, and trumpeter Nolan Shaheed.

Listen To this moves from two tunes penned by Mark Winkler (the sassy “Like Jazz” and the evocative nostalgia of “That Afternoon In Harlem” to inventive adaptations of “When I Am Laid In Earth” (from Henry Purcell’s opera “Dido and Aeneas”) and Joni Mitchell’s epic “Come In From The Cold.” There’s even a Christmas song. “I love how varied the album is…because i’m varied,” Cheryl beams. “The complexity of jazz – of improvisation, expression and harmony – is clearly there. Rahn, Phil and our engineer Aaron Testerman spent hours – I’m talking marathon sessions – working,” Cheryl shares. “Phil would come home with his eyes like xs! We didn’t have a deadline so we never rushed. A beautiful evolution blossomed through the process.”

From the hippest of contemporary faire like “Come with me” and “What’s On Your Mind” to choice standards such as “I wish you love” (dedicated to the memory of Gloria Lynne) and “Why Did I Choose You” (inspired by Barbara Streisand’s rendition), Ms. Barnes brings a singular warmth and empathy to every line she sings, engaging listeners from a purr to a power belt. The title track “Listen To This” (composed and arranged by Cabasso), “What’s Fair In Love” (created and directed by coleman) and “Baby’s Got Some Awful Kind Of Blues” (crafted by John Hammond) are renderings of original pieces that are sure to go down as Cheryl Barnes classics. “This project solidifies within myself my view of myself as a true artist,” Cheryl poetically states.

Live At Port Hueneme Beach Festival

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We Three - East Coasting

Size: 139,2 MB
Time: 60:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Jazz: Guitar Jazz, Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Isn't She Lovely (6:38)
02. My Girl Is Just Enough Woman For Me (4:37)
03. The Triangle (4:30)
04. Here, There And Everywhere (7:04)
05. Basic Instinct (6:31)
06. Soulmates (4:47)
07. East Coasting (8:10)
08. You Say You Care (6:01)
09. Estate (6:03)
10. Fingersnappin', Foottappin' (5:44)

Organ Trio with New Jersy based organ player Dan Kostelnik. On drums is Duck Scott (son of organ legend Shirley Scott) and on guitar is Michael Arlt from Germany.

East Coasting

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Eva Fernandez - That Darkness

Size: 99,2 MB
Time: 38:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. My Favorite Things (6:55)
02. Love Is A Losing Game (3:22)
03. Dream A Little Dream (7:27)
04. Never Will I Marry (2:53)
05. That Darkness (4:28)
06. Diz Que Eu Fui Por Aí (3:51)
07. El Día Que Me Quieras (4:17)
08. Nadir (5:26)

That Darkness is the first solo album by Eva Fernández. Released by Taller de Músics. That Darkness is both the title of the album and of one of the songs included in it, an original composition by Eva Fernández. The album features the special participation of Pablo Fernández and up-and-coming flamenco cantaor Pere Martínez.

Eva Fernández is a promising young Catalan jazz musician who already stands out as a talented saxophonist and singer. Despite her youth, and as member of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band directed by the polyinstrumentalist Joan Chamorro, Eva has performed with great figures such as Perico Sambeat, Dick Oatts, Ken Peplowski, Ignasi Terraza, Bobby Gordon, Jesse Davis, Terell Stafford, Wycliffe Gordon, Josep M. Farràs, Scott Robinson, Josep Traver, Matthew Simon, Llibert Fortuny, Carles Benavent and Jordi Bonell. She has also performed with Andrea Motis & Joan Chamorro Group. She has participated in the Jazz festivals of Barcelona, Terrassa, Porta Ferrada, Menorca, Roses, Vic and Xàbia (Valencia), among others.

In this occasion, Eva Fernández presents her quintet, a project that gathers together well-known musicians from Spain, such as the jazzman David Pastor, José Luis Guart, Toni Pagès and Miquel Angel Cordero. Under the name of Eva Fernández Group, the group offers a varied jazz repertoire. Contemporary and classic, audacious, elegant, fresh. Talent and complicity, youth and experience, a straight-to-the-emotions show, re-elaborating classic standards, paving the road for the standards that will be. Contemporary and classic, audacious, elegant, fresh. That and more can be said about Eva Fernández’s Group’s approach to jazz. Talent and complicity, youth and experience, a straight-to-the-emotions show, re-elaborating classic standards, paving the road for the standards that will be.

That Darkness

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Good Lovelies - Good Lovelies

Size: 99,3 MB
Time: 34:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Country, Folk, Pop
Label: Good Lovelies
Art: Front

01. I Want (3:04)
02. Sleepwalkin' (2:13)
03. Down Down Down (3:04)
04. Cheek To Cheek (3:02)
05. So Charming (3:05)
06. Lie Down (2:50)
07. Baby, I Got My Way (2:10)
08. Laundry (I'm Happy) (3:54)
09. February Song (4:05)
10. Lumberjack (3:30)
11. Into The Spotlight (3:58)

The Good Lovelies - Sharp, sassy, funny and building a following across Canada

The Good Lovelies are not your run-of-the-mill "all girl" band. At a time when too many of us are affected by gloom, doom and advancing recession these three women are the perfect antidote.

Armed with a pile of instruments, a repertoire of sassy and sophisticated songs and an effervescent sense of humour they never fail to charm even the toughest audiences.

The aptly named Good Lovelies are Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough and Sue Passmore, all of them best friends and refugees from solo careers. Described as "flirty-bluegrass" and "the mischievous Andrews Sisters" the Toronto-based trio rely on unerring three-part vocal harmonies, clever songs and, onstage, convulsively funny repartee.

The trio started as a group only two years ago. Since then, they have quit their jobs (or successfully begged for leaves of absence), played countless clubs and coffee houses and half a dozen folk festivals, completed a 40-date tour from Montreal to Vancouver Island and back (by car and without quarrelling) and released a five-track EP with the playful single, and CBC Radio favourite 'Taboo.'

Not to mention singing backup on Jill Barber’s latest CD, earning CBC airplay, opening for the likes of the Arrogant Worms and Lynn Miles, holding down a weekly spot at the uber-hip Cameron House and selling out a solo show at Toronto’s Hugh’s Room.

The Good Lovelies’ first full-length self-titled CD is being released in January; it contains 11 finely-crafted original songs with catchy lyrics and memorable melodies. The album borrows styles from bygone eras, all the while keeping the music current and relevant.

Produced by Les Cooper (Madison Violet, Craig Cardiff, Jill Barber) and Adam King, the CD features guest musicians Christine Bougie, Darcy Yates, Drew Jurecka, Justin Rutledge, Joel Stouffer, Spencer Evans and Marc Rogers.

Apart from the new album, Caroline, Kerri and Sue are planning two major tours, have already been booked (for the second year in a row) at Mariposa, and will play the In the Dead of Winter Festival in Halifax.

Spreading sharp, light-hearted music from coast to coast is the plan for 2009. And after that? Well, there’s a huge country south of Canada that could use some laughter and another dose of hopeful goodwill from their neighbours, and the Lovelies are just the women to provide it.

Good Lovelies

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Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson - Blues, Boogie & Bebop: Meat's Too High

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:21
Size: 172.5 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz, West Coast blues
Year: 1998/2007
Art: Front

[2:39] 1. Old Maid Boogie
[3:59] 2. Somebody's Gotta Go
[7:35] 3. Travellin'
[3:15] 4. Home Boy
[4:13] 5. Meat's Too High
[4:11] 6. If You Were My Buddy
[3:03] 7. Investigation Blues
[4:05] 8. That's All
[6:58] 9. Race Track Blues
[6:35] 10. Somebody Else Has Taken My Place
[8:36] 11. Cleanhead's Thing
[5:01] 12. Roxanne
[4:45] 13. Fun In London
[4:34] 14. High Class Baby
[5:45] 15. Straight Away

A powerful vocalist and a wickedly expressive alto saxophonist, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson is celebrated with this JSP reissue compilation containing 15 choice cuts recorded in London, England, in May 1980 and March 1982. The earlier of the two dates yielded an album with the title Fun in London; unfortunately, an eight-minute jam called "The Theme" was excluded from this reissue. Vinson never ever fit into anybody's pigeon holes; a formidable improvising instrumentalist who excelled both as a balladeer ("Roxanne," "That's All") and as a straight-ahead hard bopper ("Travelin'," "Somebody Else Has Taken My Place," "Cleanhead's Thing," "Fun in London," "Straight Away"), Vinson's worldly command of the sax and his hormonally charged astringency as a blues shouter constitute two of the great dependable forces in all of blues and jazz. The words he puts across on "Meat's Too High" touch upon inflation, taxes, groceries, and human sexuality. ~arwulf arwulf

Blues, Boogie & Bebop: Meat's Too High

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