Dick Hyman - Face the Music: A Century of Irving Berlin

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:04
Size: 131,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:23)  1. Lady of the Evening
(2:25)  2. Let's Face the Music and Dance
(2:51)  3. The Night is Filled With Music
(3:29)  4. Soft Lights and Sweet Music
(4:10)  5. Supper Time
(2:53)  6. Easter Parade
(2:30)  7. Remember
(5:41)  8. The Best Thing for You
(2:26)  9. Always
(5:38) 10. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
(4:48) 11. How About Me?
(6:58) 12. Russian Lullaby
(3:45) 13. Cheek to Cheek
(4:04) 14. I'll See You in C-U-B-A

Dick Hyman certainly had a lot of songs to choose from for this solo piano CD tribute to Irving Berlin (who made it past 100). Hyman is heard expertly mixing together some of Berlin's better-known tunes (such as "Let's Face the Music," "Easter Parade," "Remember" and "Always") with such notable obscurities as "Lady of the Evening," "How About Me?" and "I'll See You In C.U.B.A." Hyman's total control of the piano and his versatile style (which on this date ranges from stride and swing to Art Tatum) makes the set an obvious success.
~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/face-the-music-a-century-of-irving-berlin-mw0000205415

Personnel: Dick Hyman – Piano.

Face the Music: A Century of Irving Berlin

---

Dusty Springfield - The Look of Love

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:55
Size: 92,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:36)  1. The Look of Love
(3:07)  2. Give Me Time
(2:29)  3. (They Long to Be) Close to You
(3:53)  4. If You Go Away
(1:55)  5. Sunny
(2:06)  6. Come Back to Me
(2:14)  7. What's It Gonna Be?
(2:41)  8. Welcome Home
(2:08)  9. Small Town Girl
(2:25) 10. Take Me for a Little While
(2:39) 11. Chained to a Memory
(2:53) 12. I've Got a Good Thing
(2:41) 13. I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face
(2:27) 14. I'll Try Anything
(2:35) 15. It's Over

A true mixed bag, from the sensual title track to the melodramatic "If You Go Away," and some fine soul stylings in between, most notably "Small Town Girl" (check out the choruses) and "I've Got a Good Thing." This is the last of Springfield's Philips albums to be released in America (she signed with Atlantic in the U.S. soon after, and the label declined to release most of her Philips' output here).

~Bruce Eder http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-look-of-love-mw0000235702

The Look of Love

---

Dan Barrett & Al Jenkins - Reunion With Al

Styles: Cornet And Trombone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:19
Size: 176,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:43)  1. Do You Ever Think Of Me
(3:55)  2. Sugar Blues
(4:15)  3. Love Me Or Leave Me
(4:49)  4. (When It's) Darkness On The Delta
(4:50)  5. Oh, Baby
(6:26)  6. After You've Gone
(4:35)  7. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
(5:20)  8. Bright Eyes
(4:21)  9. I Never Knew
(4:38) 10. You're A Heavenly Thing
(4:50) 11. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen
(4:21) 12. At Sundown
(5:36) 13. September Song
(4:37) 14. Girl Of My Dreams
(4:12) 15. Rachel's Boogie
(4:45) 16. Isle Of Capri

Trombonist Al Jenkins, who recorded with Doc Evans in the late 1940s and Art Hodes in 1956, spent much of his career playing either in the Midwest or in Los Angeles and never achieved much fame. He was an early influence on Dan Barrett's style, so in 1993, the younger trombonist persuaded Jenkins to join him on his record date. As it turned out, this would be Jenkins' final recording, since he passed away Nov. 15, 1996 at the age of 82. In deference to Jenkins, Barrett sticks to cornet exclusively on this CD (it is a pity they did not both play trombone on a song or two). With pianist Ray Sherman (always a marvelous soloist), bassist David Stone and drummer Jeff Hamilton contributing tasteful and swinging support, Barrett, Jenkins and Rick Fay (who switches between clarinet, soprano and tenor) make for an appealing frontline. Jenkins was 80-90% in his prime at the time, and one excuses the occasional blurry note due to the rare experience of hearing him stretch out. Barrett's crisp cornet solos put him near the top of his field, despite it being his second instrument, while on this set Fay tends to sound at his best on tenor. The repertoire generally sticks to familiar tunes, but even the warhorses, such as "Sugar Blues," "After You've Gone" (a feature for Sherman's sparkling piano) and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" (sung by Jenkins), sound quite fresh and enthusiastic. A definite highlight is the exuberant playing heard throughout "Do You Ever Think of Me."~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/reunion-with-al-mw0000080227

Personnel: Dan Barrett (cornet); Al Jenkins (vocals, trombone); Ricky Fay (clarinet, soprano & tenor saxophones); Ray Sherman (piano); David Stone (bass); Jeff Hamilton (drums).

Reunion With Al 

---

Scott Colley - Empire

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:47
Size: 126,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. January
(8:24)  2. The Gettin Place
(5:20)  3. For Sophia
(7:23)  4. 5:30 Am
(6:46)  5. Speculation
(3:23)  6. Tomorrowland
(6:14)  7. Now What?
(4:07)  8. Gut
(6:12)  9. Five-Two
(2:01) 10. Five-Two.2

One of jazz's most ubiquitous bassists, Scott Colley has only released a handful of albums as a leader, compared to hundreds of sessions and live dates with artists ranging from Jim Hall and Andrew Hill to Chris Potter and Antonio Sanchez. Architect of the Silent Moment (CamJazz, 2007), was a particularly impressive combination of head and heart, traditional roots and forward thinking, acoustic and electric. One of 2007's best , it was a turning point for Colley a new path that the bassist continues to explore on Empire, a sure contender for one of 2010's top picks. Back from Architect, trumpeter Ralph Alessi and pianist Craig Taborn help make Empire a logical progression, but with drummer Brian Blade replacing Sanchez, and guitarist Bill Frisell fleshing the group out to a quintet, there's plenty of opportunity to explore other avenues, even as they spawn from the primary path defined by Colley's pen, responsible for all of Empire's ten tracks. "For Sophia" could be an outtake from Blade's Season of Changes (Verve, 2008), the four chords of Frisell's tremelo'd guitar and Blade's soft brushwork redolent of "Stoner Hill"'s folkloric Americana vibe, but starker still, with Colley's Charlie Haden-like solo of simple perfection mirrored when the ever-selfless Frisell takes over with equally flawless lyricism.

Beginning in quiet contemplation, the episodic "5:30 am" slowly picks up steam, as Alessi's plangent melody leads to an open-ended piano solo that quickly moves from focused melodism to more extreme expressionism, as Taborn passes the baton to Alessi with a repeated motif echoed by the trumpeter's own thematic start. Alessi solos with characteristic control and effortless virtuosity, bolstered by Colley and Blade, who turn up the heat with empathic support as the trumpeter mines the full range of his instrument, leading to Blade's ostinato-driven solo of lithe dexterity and full-throttled invention. Form turns to freedom on "The Gettin Place," with Colley's staggered, yet still grooving pulse setting a gentle context for Frisell, whose inherent idiosyncrasy expands to contrapuntal orbit with Alessi, and a solo shifting from quirky to quintessential, as the guitarist creates layers of soaring distortion and jagged, processed harmonics. Coalescing into a series of shifting voicings, Alessi winds in and around Frisell's changes, his lightning-fast, cascading lines driven by Blade's own turbulence, rallying suddenly to bring down the dynamics for a slowly spreading coda that ultimately dissolves into the ether. Whether it's the cerebral balladry of the dark-hued "Speculation," the angular, ambient lyricism of the bassist's rubato duo with Frisell on "Tomorrowland," his ambiguous, bass riff-driven duet with Alessi on "Gut," the oblique swing-meets-surreal of the quintet-driven "Five-two" or the abstruse but, amidst all this, more accessible "Now What?," Colley's writing acts like a lightning rod, encouraging a remarkable degree of free-thinking exploration amidst a group of charts ranging from detailed to sketch-like. More challenging than Architect, Empire may have been a long time coming, but arrives with an even more definitive sense of purpose and, given the chameleon-like demands on Colley as a sideman, a clear, cohesive and cogent conceptual voice.~JohnKelman
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/empire-scott-colley-cam-jazz-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Scott Colley: bass; Ralph Alessi: trumpet; Brian Blade: drums; Bill Frisell: guitar; Craig Taborn: piano.

Empire

---

Nancy Harrow - Anything Goes

Size: 106,1 MB
Time: 44:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1979/1991
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Anything Goes (2:25)
02. Prelude To A Kiss (2:47)
03. See See Rider (4:19)
04. A Woman's Intuition (2:32)
05. I Wished On The Moon (2:18)
06. Come Rain Or Come Shine (2:51)
07. He's Funny That Way (2:22)
08. Them There Eyes (2:22)
09. My Old Flame (2:07)
10. A Fine Romance (2:22)
11. Foolin' Myself (3:14)
12. I've Got A Crush On You (3:10)
13. A Little Blue (3:44)
14. Memories Of You (3:00)
15. I'll Get By (2:42)
16. Puttin' On The Ritz (2:30)

Nancy Harrow's first record in 16 years features the fine jazz singer accompanied by a sympathetic trio consisting of guitarist Jack Wilkins, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Billy Hart. For this CD reissue, Harrow recorded four additional songs in 1990 with the same group. The renditions (mostly arranged by Bob Brookmeyer) are generally quite concise -- many are under three minutes long -- but full of honest emotion and subtle creativity. Highlights include "A Woman's Intuition," "I Wished On the Moon," "Them There Eyes" and "Foolin' Myself."

Anything Goes

---

Rod Harris Jr. - The Counsel Of Elders

Size: 106,6 MB
Time: 45:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Jazz Funk, Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Jimmy Speaks (Feat. Russell Gunn) (5:14)
02. Up And At It (5:57)
03. Counselor #1 Mr. Montgomery (1:11)
04. S.O.S (Feat. Mike Walton) (6:23)
05. Goodbye, Again (Ms. Collins) (Feat. Lester Walker) (5:57)
06. Counselor #2 Mr. Benson & Mr. Green (0:33)
07. Jean De Fleur (5:43)
08. Clockwise (3:29)
09. Counselor #3 Mr. Burrell (1:07)
10. Midnight Blue (4:46)
11. The Counsel Of Elders (5:18)

Rod Harris Jr. is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. Rod was exposed to music at a young age by his singer/songwriter father. When Rod was 14, his father decided to relocate the family to Atlanta, GA. On his 17th birthday, his father gave him $150 dollars, and he decided to take the money and purchase an acoustic guitar. "...I don't know what provoked me to get a guitar...It had to be God...because I could've partied that money away...quickly.." he says. Once he began learning the instrument he fell in love with it and was determined to be a great player. " ...I think my senior year, my classmates thought I was crazy...I didn't party...I literally locked myself in my room and practiced for hours..."he says. After graduating and just a year of studying guitar, he applied for the Georgia State University School of Music, and was accepted.

It was at Georgia State University where his musical journey began. "...My early college years were pretty influential for me...it put alot into perspective for me...I was really naive..." he adds. Rod credits much of his musical growth during these years to two local Atlanta horn players (Lester Walker and Clyde Jones (deceased) ). "...These two cats were ridiculous...". Also during his freshman year in college Rod performed in the prestigious Atlanta Jazz Festival and also the following year. During these years Rod began to enlist in many local bands not just jazz music but soul and gospel bands. "...I used to wonder if I would ever graduate...the music was takin' over...other stuff was becoming secondary...there were many times I would skip class to go to the practice rooms...".
But Rod did graduate with surprisingly a B.B.A in Management and a Minor degree in Music. "...me and my dad used to get in real heated arguments about me pursuing a degree in music performance...he would also say that I don't need a degree to play music..." "...guess he was right to some degree..."

After college, Rod continued playing at night and worked corporate America during the day. "I felt like Clark Kent...living two lives...I used to go out to my car during my lunch breaks and shed (practice)...I had to get it in"...In 2006, Rod traveled to Nagoya, Japan to do a stint with a cover band at Gary's Motown Sound. "...this is when I knew...the corporate america junk had to go...Japan helped me make that decision..." In 2008, he was called to do a summer tour with Atlantic Records recording artist Musiq Soulchild. Rod would go on to become the resident guitarist for Musiq (2008-present). "This was another pivotal moment for me not just musically but life...I've learned alot about myself during my years in the Soulchild camp...I've definitely grown spiritually, mentally and musically..." Also in 2008, Rod made an appearance in the motion picture film "Cadillac Records", starring Beyonce Knowles and Adrian Brody. "...yeah..2008 was a good year for me..."he laughs.

Over his time as a guitarist, Rod has performed and recorded with countless artists and the list continues to grow. Artists such as songstress Regina Belle, J. Holiday, Miki Howard, jazz trumpeter Russell Gunn, Eightball and MJG, Musiq Soulchild, Jagged Edge, Donell Jones, Lloyd, saxophonist Warren Hill and Paul Taylor, smooth jazz pianist Marcus Johnson, the legendary Fred Wesley, jazz organist Doug Carn, Red Holloway (deceased), Ernie Andrews, Howard Hewitt of Shalamar , Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Maysa, jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, Joi, R&B Diva Syleena Johnson, Bishop Paul S. Morton, Grammy award winning singers Monica, Jennifer Holliday, Dionne Farris, and many others.

The Counsel Of Elders

---

Johnny Hall - Classic Swing

Size: 108,3 MB
Time: 41:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Big Band
Art: Front

01. You Make Me Feel So Young (3:03)
02. Melancholy Baby (3:27)
03. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life (2:32)
04. The Way You Look Tonight (4:35)
05. The Wind Beneath My Wings (3:32)
06. On The Street Where You Live (3:39)
07. If Ever I Would Leave You (3:14)
08. Call Me Irresponsible (3:13)
09. The Shadow Of Your Smile (4:35)
10. You've Got A Friend In Me (3:24)
11. Young At Heart (3:41)
12. Pennies From Heaven (2:56)

After months in the making, Johnny Hall's 10th recording is ready to bring you back to the days when swing was king and the brass was loud and shiny. "Classic Swing" is a celebration of the jazz era and features recordings of Johnny performing his favorites from back when to right now.

"My parents grew up in the era of the big bands and ballroom dancing. I have fond memories of watching the Lawrence Welk Show and seeing Mom and Dad dance around the living room to some favorite tune. The love of the jazz/swing sound transferred to me, and as I grew up, my music collection began to fill with the voices of Sinatra, Bennet and Darin. I have wanted to do a recording of swing tunes for a long time and finally got around to doing it."

If you've ever been to one of Johnny's live concerts, you may recall his story about hearing Robert Goulet's perfomance in Hallmark Hall of Fame's Brigadoon and being gobsmacked by his rendition of "If Ever I Would Leave You". Now, with "Classic Swing", you'll be able to hear Johnny perform that classic show tune.

Classic Swing

---

Eileen Howard - Big City Love

Size: 106,2 MB
Time: 45:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. Big City (2:48)
02. Home Is You (4:52)
03. New York New York (5:03)
04. Till Now (4:12)
05. Sunday In New York (3:04)
06. I'll Take It All (3:57)
07. Love Can Change (4:58)
08. Manhattan (4:36)
09. Absent Without Leave (3:47)
10. In Tune (3:01)
11. But Beautiful (5:05)

Critically acclaimed jazz and blues singer/composer Eileen Howard will release her fifth CD, Big City Love, an eclectic musical tribute to love in, and for, the city.

This intensely personal collection of jazz, funk and blues includes four originals composed and arranged by Howard, each a reflection on her 37 year journey of love with her husband, George Howard. Originally a transplant from Ohio, who has lived all over the world, she selected songs on the album to celebrate her adopted city of New York. Howard conceived and arranged a funky version of the classic Kander and Ebb standard, “New York, New York." Her unique arrangement of Roger and Hart’s “Manhattan," using translations of some of its words, is a tribute to the waves of immigrants who wanted to ‘take Manhattan’. Other songs include, “I’ll Take it All," a musical theater composition by up-and-coming New York composers Sam Carner and Derek Gregor. Till Now is a world premier by Nashville composer Thomas O’Connell. “Big City" and “Sunday in New York" were arranged by internationally recognized music director, composer and artist, Michael Raye, who also plays keyboard on the album and was the recording and mixing engineer.

Other talented personnel on the album include Nat Janoff on guitar, Eddy Khaimovich on bass, Darrell Smith on drums, Daniel Bennett on flute and sax, and Matthew Owens on trumpet.

Jazz Journalist, Marcia Hillman, wrote about Big City Love, “With this latest offering, Eileen Howard continues to reach her listening audience with her storytelling ability by singing from the heart with her powerful, melodious voice.” Scott Yanow, L.A. Jazz Scene, called Howard a “very appealing singer with a powerful voice and a joyful personality” and “a singer well worth discovering.” Edward Blanco said, “This lady can definitely sing up a storm with a voice that allows her to reach and hit the high notes with effortless ease...lush velvet voice. A very impressive vocal performance.” Blues Music said: “She harnesses the genre as one of those rare entertainers with the sensitivity and witty flair to deeply evoke the human sensibility.” Deejay Fritz “The Night Owl” called her “One of the most creative and swingin’ singers ever to vocalize on the local jazz scene.” And music review blog, “Wildys World” said, “Eileen Howard sings like a Diva, vamps like a Rat-Pack veteran and generally entertains like few others can...” Her 25-year career as an actress and singer has been studded with awards for musical performance and acting.

Howard previously released a live recording of her sold out “Blues Cabaret” called Blues in the Green Room, which has been praised by music reviewers, two critically acclaimed jazz CD’s, and an eclectic CD of spiritual tunes of her own composition.

Big City Love

---

Randy Napoleon - Soon

Size: 163,1 MB
Time: 70:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Guitar Jazz
Art: Front

01. Be My Love (7:18)
02. Soon (4:32)
03. Grew's Tune (5:33)
04. The Second Star To The Right (5:58)
05. First Love, Only Love (5:46)
06. Moon River (7:37)
07. Isfahan (3:59)
08. So In Love (6:39)
09. Cannonball (3:44)
10. More Than You Know (5:56)
11. Everything I Love (4:11)
12. CC Rider (5:22)
13. Body And Soul (3:28)

Known as a forward-thinking musician with a passion for the jazz tradition, guitarist Randy Napoleon tours with the legendary singer/pianist Freddy Cole and leads his own trios, quartet, and three-horn sextet. He is an assistant professor at Michigan State University, where he teaches jazz guitar.

Napoleon is a composer and an arranger for singers, big bands, and small combos. He arranged as well as performed on Cole’s 2010 Grammy-nominated release from High Note, Freddy Cole Sings Mr. B. He is the guitarist on Cole’s Live at Dizzy’s Club: The Dreamer in Me, Talk to Me, This and That, and Freddy Cole Sings The Blues. He has performed with artists across the jazz spectrum such as Bill Charlap, Natalie Cole, Monty Alexander, Houston Person, Rodney Whitaker, Melissa Morgan, Aaron Diehl, Josh Brown, Dmitry Baevsky, Jared Gold, Etienne Charles, Mike Dease, Sara Gazarek, Brianna Thomas, Bootsie Barnes, Mike Karn, Eric Comstock. Will and Pete Anderson, and Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks.

Prior to joining Freddy Cole, Napoleon toured with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and appears on the recording, The Clayton Hamilton Orchestra: Live at MCG. He has toured extensively with Benny Green and crooner Michael Buble. Napoleon is featured on Buble’s Grammy-nominated CD Caught in the Act.

Napoleon has performed on The Tonight Show, Late Night With David Letterman, The View, The Today Show, and The Ellen DeGeneres show as well as TV shows in South America, Europe and Asia. Napoleon has played or arranged on over seventy records.

Guitarist George Benson calls Napoleon “sensational.” Detroit Free Press critic Mark Stryker says Napoleon “plays with a gentle, purring tone that makes you lean in close to hear its range of color and articulation.” Washington Post critic Mike Joyce praises his “exceptionally nimble finger-style technique.” Comparing him to Wes Montgomery, music critic Michael G. Nastos says, “he displays an even balance of swing, soul, and single-line or chord elements that mark an emerging voice dedicated to tradition and universally accessible jazz values.”

Napoleon has four records out as a leader, including his newest release – Soon. Soon features Napoleon in the classic guitar trio format with bassist Rodney Whitaker and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Also featured on the album are two duets with trumpeter Etienne Charles.

Soon

---

Miss Sophie Lee & The Parish Suites - Traverse This Universe

Size: 100,9 MB
Time: 38:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals, New Orleans Jazz
Art: Front

01. You And Me (The Universe) (4:16)
02. That's When Your Heartache Begins (4:20)
03. Someday (3:26)
04. A Safe Place (2:58)
05. Undecided (4:35)
06. Under The Moon (2:53)
07. The Way That Love Can Be (3:09)
08. Ain't Misbehaving (3:24)
09. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) (3:28)
10. Mean To Me (3:31)
11. Lovely In That Dress (2:44)

The rich, romantic, and sweet voice of Miss Sophie Lee shines on her latest with group the Parish Suites, Traverse This Universe. Shades of Billie Holiday peek up from Lee's voice throughout, and she does it right. Joining her for this latest release are producers/songwriters Luke Winslow King, Earl J. Scioneaux III, and Ben Polcer. Lee is well-versed in trad jazz but reaches beyond that background for an album with more original tunes than covers, though Traverse still includes classically lovely versions of Fats Waller's 'Ain't Misbehavin'' and Duke Ellington's 'It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing).'

The band takes on a Caribbean beat on 'Under the Moon,' and a Latin tinge on 'Someday.' The porch sitting atmosphere of New Orleans pushes through on 'That's When Your Heartaches Begin,' contrasted by the sweet and innocent sounds of 'A Safe Place.' Also noteworthy are the romantic saxophone undertones on 'You and Me (The Universe)' and 'The Way That Love Can Be.'

Other featured musicians on Traverse This Universe include more than a dozen of the most talented regular musicians on the New Orleans club circuit today, including Aurora Nealand, Helen Gillet, Charlie Halloran, and Khris Royal.

Lee certainly stays busy--in the fifteen years since moving to New Orleans in search of its culinary and musical culture, Ms. Sophie Lee has released four albums, opened the jazz club Three Muses in 2010, and is set to open Seoul Shack this summer. She also has two daughters, ages 8 and 6, who designed the cover art for the album.

Traverse This Universe

---

Dick Hyman - In Recital

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:15
Size: 145,1 MB
Art: Front

( 5:50)  1. The Way You Look Tonight
( 6:01)  2. Lost in the Stars
( 5:13)  3. Just You, Just Me
(10:01) 4. Tea for Two
( 3:11)  5. Odeon
( 5:25)  6. The Song Is You
( 7:37)  7. Lover
( 2:45)  8. Thinking About Bix
( 4:40)  9. Shenandoah
( 8:45) 10. All the Things You Are
( 3:44) 11. Carolina Shout

This is the type of recording opportunity that many jazz pianists dream of: a perfectly tuned superior sounding nine-foot grand in an acoustically exceptional performance hall (The Maestro Foundation, which is actually within an elegant private home!) with an attentive and extremely quiet audience. Dick Hyman takes advantage of all these factors, adding his wide ranging taste in jazz and impeccable playing technique to produce a very memorable CD of solo piano. His stunning opener is a fabulous interpretation of "The Way You Look Tonight," and the program also includes stride ("Carolina Shout"), playful takes of "Just You, Just Me" and "Tea for Two," an elegant waltzing "Lover," and the obscure "Odeon" from the early days of the 20th century. Hyman also adds his jaunty tribute to Bix Beiderbecke ("Thinking About Bix") and delivers a breathtaking treatment of "Shenandoah," a piece of Americana that has retained universal appeal over its long history. Although Dick Hyman has made superb CDs and LPs over his decades-long career, this masterpiece should be considered essential, too, by fans of jazz piano.~Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/in-recital-mw0000044362

Personnel: Dick Hyman (piano).

In Recital 

---

Dianne Reeves - Never Too Far

Styles: Vocal, R&B
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:48
Size: 109,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:45)  1. Hello (Haven't I Seen You Before)
(5:20)  2. Never Too Far
(6:56)  3. Come In
(5:05)  4. How Long
(4:37)  5. Eyes On The Prize
(1:13)  6. Bring Me Joy
(5:32)  7. Fumilayo
(4:09)  8. More To Love
(5:40)  9. We Belong Together
(5:27) 10. Company

Any vocalist whose album release parties are held at Le Dome on Sunset Strip has got to be a class act, and R&B/jazz song stylist Reeves is certainly that. Helped along by the marvelous texturing skills of producer George Duke and the rhythms of such jazz heavies as Kirk Whalum, Luis Conte, Abe Laboriel, and Stanley Clarke, Reeves shows a grand affinity for a wide range of stylings. Her gospel side is brought out by a choir featuring Phil Perry and Philip Bailey on the feel good title cut, while Conte's snazzy percussion brings out the South African rhythms on the brassy "Fumilayo" and "Eyes on the Prize," on which Duke shows considerable aplomb with the synclavier horns. Duke also infuses some funk in the danceable "Hello (Haven't I Seen You Before)," which features backing vocals by Take 6. Best tunes are the safest ones, though the sweet torch ballads "More to Love," "We Belong Together," and the tearjerker "Company," which was co-written by Rickie Lee Jones. Tasty stuff, but how does Reeves sing? Powerfuly, with an emotional voice that commands your attention but doesn't feel the need to overpower. Never Too Far may be classified as an R&B album, but Reeves has the voice and soul of a true jazz diva.~Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/never-too-far-mw0000654241

Never Too Far

---

Giacomo Gates - Everything Is Cool

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:23
Size: 115,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:14)  1. Everything Is Cool
(5:40)  2. If I Were You, Baby, I'd Love Me
(5:17)  3. When Lovers They Lose
(4:16)  4. Social Call
(3:16)  5. Hazel's Hips
(2:54)  6. Almost Blue
(4:33)  7. Take Five
(3:39)  8. Who Threw The Glue
(5:11)  9. Here Today Gone Tomorrow
(3:24) 10. Please Don't Bug Me
(2:59) 11. All Alone
(3:55) 12. Well You Needn't (It's Over Now)

Federal regulations require food and beverage manufacturers to provide "Nutrition Facts" on all package labels. They want you to know what you're digging into. Now, if recordings had that same requirement, Everything Is Cool from Giacomo Gates might read this way: "Ingredients: 100% genuine talent and devotion to the true art of jazz vocalizing. All natural and swinging ingredients. No artificial jive, smooth jazz, or ju-ju. Organic, filled with mojo, and very much the Real Deal, Baby!" You see, Gates is an adoring acolyte to one of jazz's most honored traditions the hard-swinging male jazz vocalist. No smooth, well-coiffed crooner or re-homogenized "package," this blues-collared Cat carries the torch that "Dippermouth" lit when he opened his and began to scat on Perdido Street. That flame was handed down, flickering through artists such as Babs Gonzales (whom Gates highlights here), Jon Hendricks, and Eddie Jefferson. However, Gates drives his own iron in this superior effort and this one's as cool as it gets. The selections, perfectly selected for Gates hip style, tip the beret rakishly to Mr. Gonzalez ("Everything Is Cool," "When Lovers They Lose," "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow"), as well acknowledging other boy hipsters, including Oscar Brown Jr. ("Hazel Hips"), Lenny Bruce ("All Alone"), Frank Rosolino ("Please Don't Bug Me"), Thelonious Monk (Well You Needn't"), Dave Brubeck ("Take Five"), et al. The repertoire is an acknowledgement and fine presentation of great jazz material and is testimony to Gates' enormous versatility, dramatic range, and even hip humor ("If I Were You Baby, I'd Love Me").

Vocally, Gates is a ballsy baritone who offers more swings than a big city park. His rhythmic sense -one festooned with syncopated upbeats is swingingly instrumental. He can taffy-pull a beat's heart with the best of them and does so here. And, his lyric delivery has a speak-song flair to it which provides a pungent, yet attractive seasoning, bringing those black dots on the staff to jazz life. Gates' dramatic sense, one robust and filled with obvious life-experience overtones, is evidently displayed on the superb balladic material (Bruce's "All Alone" and Elvis Costello's "Almost Blue"). The accompanying crew here is indeed up for the date, with guitarist Tony Lombardozzi and pianist John J. DiMartino (both frequent Gates sidekicks) standing out, but not on anyone's toes. Saxophonist Grant Stewart is a hair reserved here, but covers his solos admirably. Bassist Ed Howard and drummer Willard Dyson provide whiplash momentum for the stagecoach when needed and offer tasteful textures when not. Giacomo Gates may not have his dough, notoriety, or "square"-ish black-rimmed glasses, but, after digging what's richly served up in Everything Is Cool, that other Gates might very well be in the market for shades, a black beret, and finger-popping lessons. Dig it.

~Nicholas F.Mondello http://www.allaboutjazz.com/everything-is-cool-giacomo-gates-savant-records-review-by-nicholas-f-mondello.php

Personnel: Giacomo Gates: vocals; Grant Stewart: saxophone; John Di Martino: piano; Tony Lombardozzi: guitar; Ed Howard; bass; Willard Dyson: drums.

Everything Is Cool

---

Diane Schuur - Pure Schuur

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:46
Size: 109,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:10)  1. Nobody Does Me
(4:53)  2. All Caught Up In Love
(2:19)  3. Deed I Do
(4:54)  4. What A Difference A Day Makes
(6:10)  5. Touch
(4:32)  6. Baby You Got What It Takes
(3:55)  7. Unforgettable
(4:53)  8. I Could Get Used To This
(3:15)  9. You Don't Remember Me
(4:25) 10. Hold Out
(3:15) 11. We Can Only Try

Diane Schuur has always been one of the world's greatest modern jazz voices, and her purity on this collection makes for her most artistic yet accessible statement to date. She may be broadening her scope to include pop, but she's also sure to pay homage to her jazzy upbringing, most notably on her stunning renditions of "Unforgettable" (the same year Natalie Cole triumphed with the song) and "Deed I Do," a sassy big-band duet with the late Joe Williams. The magic of Pure Schuur lies in Schuur's ability to pick and interpret such a wide range of songs with so many different types of arrangements.

While producer Andre Fischer seems to have a grand old time backing Deedles with sporty horn sections and synthesized sounds, the album is most effective with minimal instrumentation, as on the magnificent "You Don't Remember Me" and "We Can Only Try." As with Frank Sinatra and the like, Schuur is blessed with good-to-great songs, smart arrangers, and stellar productions, but it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that...voice. Schuur's is clear, rich, and powerful, mixing fun and romance as only a jazz legend in the making can.~Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/pure-schuur-mw0000317774

Personnel: Diane Schuur (vocals, keyboards); Joe Williams , Bobby Womack (vocals); Dean Parks (guitar, acoustic guitar); Grant Geissman (guitar); Ernie Fields Jr., Fred Jackson, Jr. , Jack Nimitz, Joel Peskin (saxophone); Larry Williams (alto saxophone); Chuck Finley (tenor saxophone, trumpet); Dan Higgins (tenor saxophone); Kim Hutchcroft (baritone saxophone); Gary Grant (trumpet, flugelhorn); Nolan Andrew Smith, Oscar Brashear, Sal Marquez, Steve Huffsteter , Frank Szabo (trumpet); Chuck Findley (flugelhorn); David Duke , Richard Perissi, Art Mawby, Marni Robinson, Richard Evans (French horn); Dick Hyde, Garnett Brown, Richard Hyde, Charles Loper, Maurice Spears (trombone); David Benoit, Tom Garvin (piano); Michael Ruff (organ); Marc Hugenberger (keyboards, programming); André Fischer (drums, programming); Harold Jones , Carlos Vega (drums); Larry Steelman (programming, keyboard programming); Brad Cole (programming); Denise DeCaro, Maxine Anderson, Lynn Davis , Maxi Anderson (background vocals).

Pure Schuur

---

Edward Simon, Scott Colley, Clarence Penn - A Master's Diary

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:15
Size: 120,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:02)  1. Eugenia's Theme
(7:36)  2. Passeggiata nel Parco
(5:53)  3. In Cerca di Cibo
(3:09)  4. Nel Parco
(3:36)  5. Diario di un Maestro
(5:23)  6. Valzer Lento
(6:20)  7. Eugenia's Theme
(6:34)  8. Passeggiata nel Parco (Reprise)
(3:41)  9. Diario di un Maestro
(3:56) 10. In Cerca di Cibo

Creative jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader Edward Simon was born in Punta, Cardón, Venezuela in 1969, first traveling to the United States in 1981 at 12 years of age and attending the Performing Arts School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After graduating at age 15, he studied classical piano and music performance under a scholarship at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, then moved on to the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied jazz piano and music performance. By 1988 he was performing and recording professionally; Simon made his first recorded appearance on the 1988 Greg Osby album Mind Games, and the following year he joined saxophonist Bobby Watson's Horizon ensemble, remaining with the band until 1994 and appearing on such Watson albums as The Inventor (1990), Present Tense (1992), and Midwest Shuffle (1994). 

Upon departing Watson's group, Simon became a member of trumpeter Terence Blanchard's band between 1994 and 2002; the pianist can be heard on a number of Blanchard albums, including Romantic Defiance and the score to the Spike Lee-directed movie Clockers (both 1995), The Heart Speaks (1996), the score to the Kasi Lemmons film Eve's Bayou (1997), and Let's Get Lost (2001). During these years, Simon also appeared on recordings by the likes of guitarist Kevin Eubanks, alto saxophonist Dave Binney, flutist Herbie Mann, and tenor saxophonist Mark Turner. Simon's debut as a leader arrived in 1994 with Beauty Within on the Audioquest label; the album also introduced listeners to the Edward Simon Group, a trio featuring the pianist accompanied by electric bassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Horacio "El Negro" Hernández. The following year found Simon recording and releasing an eponymous sophomore album with a new trio featuring bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Adam Cruz, along with occasional support from Turner on tenor saxophone and Milton Cardona on percussion. Simon expanded his ensemble beyond the post-bop piano trio format for 1998's La Bikina, including both Turner and Binney on saxophones and Diego Urcola on trumpet in addition to drummer/percussionist Cruz, bassist Ben Street, percussionist Pernel Saturnino, and Cardona contributing vocals. 

However, the ensuing years would see Simon continue to explore the possibilities of the piano-bass-drums trio with a series of recordings including 2003's The Process (with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Eric Harland); 2004's Simplicitas (with bassist Avishai Cohen and drummer Adam Cruz); and 2006's Unicity, 2009's Poesía, and 2013's Trio Live in New York at Jazz Standard (all with Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade). Meanwhile, Simon and Binney co-founded the collaborative creative jazz quartet Afinidad in 2000; the band (with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade) released an eponymous debut in 2001 and Océanos in 2007. In 2003 Simon founded Ensemble Venezuela, an ambitious project melding creative jazz with the traditional musics of his home country, and in 2005 he received a Chamber Music America commission to compose Venezuelan Suite for the ensemble. Simon assembled ten musicians (including saxophonist Turner and drummer Cruz) from the United States, Venezuela, and Colombia to record the suite at Brooklyn's Systems Two studio in 2012; the album Venezuelan Suite was released by the Sunnyside label in January 2014. Simon is also a member of the SF Jazz Collective. ~ Dave Lynch https://itunes.apple.com/ph/artist/edward-simon/id7370451#fullText

Personnel: Edward Simon ( Piano );  Clarence Penn ( Drums );  Diego Urcola ( Trumpet, Flugelhorn );  Scott Colley ( Bass )

A Master's Diary

---

Adam Rogers - Allegory

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:54
Size: 167,5 MB
Art: Front

( 8:19)  1. Confluence
(10:01)  2. Phyrigia
( 4:07)  3. Was
( 7:53)  4. Genghis
( 3:50)  5. Angle Of Repose
( 9:48)  6. Orpheus
( 7:03)  7. Red Leaves
( 8:46)  8. Cleveland
( 9:06)  9. Purpose
( 3:56) 10. Angle Of Repose - Reprise

After establishing a solid reputation as part of the fusion collective Lost Tribe and as a sideman with the likes of Michael and Randy Brecker, Ravi Coltrane, and others, guitarist Adam Rogers is flexing his considerable chops as a leader. Allegory , his sophomore effort, adds tenor saxophonist Chris Potter to Rogers' quartet with pianist Edward Simon, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Clarence Penn. It features ten original compositions that display his quirky, syncopated melodies and clean, fluid guitar style over driving (and often odd-time) rhythms. Potter's saxophone adds weight to the melodies, many of them played in unison with Rogers' guitar. The arrangements are straight-ahead with pronounced heads and solo sections. But the interplay between the musicians and their improvisatory abilities keeps things unpredictable. On "Phyrigia," Colley plays a thematic bass solo over the Eastern-like changes, and Potter blisters through the upper registers of the tenor during his lead, prodded by Penn's flourishes. "Genghis" also features a guitar-saxophone melody, which slowly unfolds over a plodding, funky groove.


Rogers displays his classical guitar technique on "Red Leaves," a spacious ballad that also features a lyrical bass solo. "Angle of Repose" is another unhurried piece with room for the musicians to explore the sparse melodic movement. Conversely, "Cleveland" is an energetic piece with melodic twists and turns over which the musicians solo adeptly. To celebrate the release of Allegory , Rogers performed two sold-out sets at the Jazz Gallery last month. Bassist James Genus and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts provided the rhythm for him and Potter. As on the recording, "Confluence" kicked things off and Watts' relentless ride-cymbal propelled the leader's first solo. Watts and Potter had several spirited exchanges and the drummer seemed to push the saxophonist to dig deeper into the tunes and Potter ably accepted the challenge. 

The bluesy vamp "Purpose" got an especially raucous workout, highlighted by Watts' only solo of the first set. The show had a raw, kinetic energy often originating from the rhythm section, which provided a solid foundation for the soloists. The crowd's approval during the live performance, as well as the solid tunes on Allegory, show that Rogers has developed nicely into a role as leader with a promising future.~Sean Patrick Fitzell http://www.allaboutjazz.com/allegory-adam-rogers-criss-cross-review-by-sean-patrick-fitzell.php

Personnel: Scott Colley - bass; Chris Potter - tenor sax; Clarence Penn - dums; Adam Rogers - guitar; Edward Simon - piano.

Allegory

---

The Pointer Sisters - The Pointer Sisters

Styles: Vocal, Funk
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:01
Size: 117,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:01)  1. Yes We Can Can
(3:10)  2. Cloudburst
(4:40)  3. Jada
(5:51)  4. River Boulevard
(4:01)  5. Old Songs
(7:08)  6. That's How I Feel
(2:18)  7. Sugar
(2:36)  8. Pains And Tears
(3:45)  9. Naked Foot
(7:27) 10. Wang Dang Doodle

The Pointer Sisters began their formal vocal training in their father's church, The Church of God in West Oakland, California. They went on to achieve worldwide fame and have secured a place in pop music history as a dynamic female group! Their first performance in Los Angeles at the Troubadour club was hailed by critics for its versatility and range and called The Pointer Sisters "the most exciting thing to hit show business in years." Their 1973 debut album gave us the singles, "Yes We Can, Can," which reached #11 on Billboard magazine's pop singles chart. The album was certified gold and the group had become the most talked-about new act of the year. The following year, the sisters released That's A Plenty, an album that included a bona-fide country-western tune, "Fairytale," written by the sisters. The single hit big on both the country and pop charts. As a result, the sisters became the first black female group to ever perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. They also became the first contemporary act to perform at the San Francisco Opera House and released a live recording of the performance. In 1975, "Fairytale" won the sisters their first Grammy Award, for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Elvis Presley later covering the tune. That year, the Pointers released their fourth album for Blue Thumb. Entitled Steppin', the record included "How Long (Betcha Got A Chick On The Side)"; co-written by the sisters, it went top 20 on the pop charts and sailed all the way to #1 on R&B. In 1976, the sisters hit the big screen, joining Richard Pryor in the film, Car Wash. "You Gotta Believe" which was featured on the film's soundtrack, rose up the R&B charts. In 1977, the Pointer Sisters released Having a Party, their last album for Blue Thumb and their last album as a quartet.

In an effort to change their style, the sisters signed with Planet Records and teamed up with Richard Perry, a well-known producer who had previously worked with such artists as Barbara Streisand and Carly Simon. Together, they decided to record a rock 'n roll album. The group's debut single, Bruce Springsteen's "Fire," went all the way to #2 on the pop charts and went gold. Boosted by "Fire," the Energy album was certified gold and went on to spawn another top single with "Happiness". In 1980, the group released the gold-certified Special Things; it featured the song "He's So Shy" that went to #3 and gold status. In 1981, the group released Black & White, which included one of the biggest hits of the year, "Slow Hand." The single topped out at #2 on the Billboard charts, and became an anthem for women across the country.

Alas, the title of their 1983 album summed up exactly what the trio was about to do: Break Out. Upon its release, Stereo Review called the new album "the Pointer Sisters at their sassiest, brassiest, up-tempo best." When Ruth took the lead for "Automatic," her deeper-than-deep vocals practically leapt off the vinyl, and helped the single go all the way to #5. The Pointer Sisters landed all over MTV, becoming one of the first black acts to be played in heavy rotation. "Jump(for my love)" raced to #3 on the pop charts. "I'm So Excited" hit the Top 10 and became a Pointer classic! To date, the song has been played over 2.5 million times on radio. "Neutron Dance," featuring Ruth's gospel-spiked shouts, rose to #6 on the pop charts as its video dominated MTV. Paramount Pictures included the hit in their film, Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy. Finally, Break Out spawned a sixth single, "Baby Come And Get It." The success of the album earned the sisters two Grammy Awards (Best Vocal by a Duo or Group for "Jump" and Best Vocal Arrangement for "Automatic") and two American Music Awards. Break Out was certified triple-platinum, making it the biggest selling album of the Pointer Sisters' career. While they toured heavily and made countless television appearances, the group made a move to RCA Records, which released the Contact album in 1985. The set's first single, "Dare Me," hit #11 and was accompanied by another stylish video that established the Pointer Sisters as trendsetters for a whole new generation. Within three weeks of its release, Contact was certified platinum, and the group went on to win another American Music Award for Best Video Group. In late 1986, the Pointer Sisters released their second album on RCA, Hot Together, which spawned a top 40 hit with "Goldmine." The Pointers helped promote the album in 1987 by hitting prime time with their first television network special, Up All Night, featuring the sisters touring Los Angeles night spots with guest stars Whoopi Goldberg, Bruce Willis and The McGuire Sisters.

1993 marked the Pointer Sisters 20th year in the recording industry, and they helped celebrate the anniversary with a new album, entitled, Only Sisters Can Do That, on SBK Records. All three sisters wrote material for the album. Fans and critics alike sang the record's praises Entertainment Weekly, for one, called the album "catchier than…Janet Jackson" and proclaimed it "the catchiest Sisters set since 1984's hit-packed Break Out." In 1994, a massive crowd swarmed to Hollywood Boulevard to see the ladies receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an event proclaimed "Pointer Sisters Day" in Hollywood. That same day, it was announced that the group would begin a world-wide tour of the Fats Waller musical, Ain't Misbehavin'. They toured with the show for 46 weeks and recorded a cast album. The sisters went on to be honored on the Soul of American Music Awards and were also inducted into the Soul Train Hall of Fame. They performed a special concert at the White House for then President Clinton. In 1996, they were one of the legendary acts that performed at the closing ceremony of the Olympics in Atlanta, and the group was saluted with Fire The Very Best of the Pointer Sisters, a 36-song anthology that chronicled the sisters' career. In recent years, the group has performed with some of the greatest symphony orchestras in the world, including San Francisco, Jacksonville, Atlanta's Symphony Orchestra and the renowned Boston Pops. 

They were a smash hit at Night of the Proms, which spanned over 50 sold-out performances throughout Germany, Holland and Belgium, and has secured the group many more successful tours in Europe. The group recorded a live CD/DVD, which captured the energetic Pointers performing the hits that fans of all ages continue to enjoy! Ruth, Issa and Sadako maintain a busy touring schedule and perform the music of The Pointer Sisters all over the world.http://www.thepointersisters.com/group-biographies/group-bio-short

Personnel:  Anita Pointer, Ruth Pointer, Bonnie Pointer, June Pointer – vocals;  Gaylord Birch – drums;  Tom Salisbury – piano;  Ron McClure – acoustic bass, electric bass;  Willie Fulton – electric guitar;  Ed Marshall – drums on "Cloudburst" and "Jada";  Rod Ellicott – bass on "River Boulevard";  Norman Landsberg – piano on "Old Songs";  The Hoodoo Rhythm Devils – backing band on "Wang Dang Doodle"

The Pointer Sisters 

---

Ella Fitzgerald - Jazz At The Philharmonic: The Ella Fitzgerald Set

Size: 160,4 MB
Time: 68:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Introduction Of Ella Fitzgerald (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (0:20)
02. Robbins' Nest (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (2:22)
03. A New Shade Of Blues (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (2:56)
04. Old Mother Hubbard (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (2:53)
05. I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (2:54)
06. Somebody Loves Me (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (1:55)
07. Basin Street Blues (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (3:08)
08. Ow! Introduction Of Ella Fitzgerald (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (0:39)
09. Flyin' Home (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (5:30)
10. Oh, Lady, Be Good! (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (2:52)
11. Black Coffee (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (3:41)
12. A-Tisket, A-Tasket (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (2:36)
13. How High The Moon (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (5:43)
14. Norman Granz Announcement (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (0:29)
15. Perdido (Live From Carnegie Hall 1949) (8:37)
16. Bill (Live From Carnegie Hall 1953) (2:55)
17. Why Don't You Do Right (Live From Carnegie Hall 1953) (3:15)
18. A Foggy Day (In London Town) (Live At Bushnell Memorial Hall 1954) (2:46)
19. Lullaby Of Birdland (Live At Bushnell Memorial Hall 1954) (2:23)
20. The Man That Got Away (Live At Bushnell Memorial Hall 1954) (4:39)
21. Hernando's Hideaway (Live At Bushnell Memorial Hall 1954) (3:17)
22. Later (Live At Bushnell Memorial Hall 1954) (2:50)

Complete U.S. JATP Performance Released for First Time with 22 Remastered Tracks

As part of Verve’s 60th Anniversary, the storied imprint is set to release the complete U.S. Jazz at the Philharmonic performances of celebrated vocalist Ella Fitzgerald. This classic material, which has previously been released on various albums, will be released for the first time in one dynamic live set featuring the original 12-track vinyl LP album cover from 1983. The re-mastered 22-track CD and digital audio collection, with an essay by author Will Friedwald, features a wide spectrum of A-list musicians including Hank Jones, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, and more.

Jazz at the Philharmonic: The Ella Fitzgerald Set was recorded through various performances between 1949 and 1954, with all original recordings being supervised by the historic label’s founder and Fitzgerald’s longtime manager, Norman Granz. Highlights include jaw-dropping interpretations of “Old Mother Hubbard,” “Oh, Lady Be Good!,” “Lullaby of Birdland,” and the all-star jam session, “Flying Home.”

In 1944, Granz launched the historic Jazz at the Philharmonic series in Los Angeles, which would last 40 years. In the formative years of JATP, Granz invited the vocal icon to join some of the greatest musicians in the world, following in the JATP tradition of Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, and Helen Humes. It wasn’t until 1953, when JATP was on tour in Japan that Granz talked to Fitzgerald about managing her career when the singer’s contract with Moe Gale at Associated Booking Corporation ran up at the end of the year. She was hesitant at first, but after telling her that it was a matter of pride, the two joined for a historic partnership that lasted more than four decades. With a soon-to-be-ending contract with Decca, Granz launched Verve and announced Fitzgerald as their inaugural signing while they continued work on the JATP series.

The crown jewel of Jazz at the Philharmonic: The Ella Fitzgerald Set was the September 1949 performance at the famed Carnegie Hall-the engagement provides more than 45-minutes of music for this historic release. Granz opens that performance and this release with a special introduction of “the greatest thing in jazz today,” Ella Fitzgerald. Two other introductions of the illustrious vocalist appear on the box as well-another from Granz, and one from Dizzy Gillespie.

Throughout three heavy-hitting tracks, Fitzgerald receives support from an all-star JATP horn section featuring trumpeter Roy Eldridge, trombonist Tommy Turk, and saxophonists Charlie Parker, Flip Phillips, and Lester Young. “Flying Home” showcases remarkable scatting from Fitzgerald and features a Phillips solo. “How High the Moon” shows a new take on the classic chorus while switching back and forth between horn players, and “Perdido” hands the reins to the brass players for the melody, with each player taking a solo while Fitzgerald replaces the published lyrics with fervent scatting.

Some of the vocalist’s classic tunes appear in this performance as well. She infuses the 1800’s nursery rhyme “Old Mother Hubbard” with modern jazz chord progressions and a number of outside melodies, and also performs her trademark tune, “A-Tisket, A-Tasket.” Fitzgerald visits two soulful ballads as well, including “A New Shade of Blues” and “Black Coffee,” a signature tune for Peggy Lee later on.

Having produced an entire album in homage to Gershwin, it’s fitting that the singer includes two of the venerable pianist’s tunes. “Oh, Lady Be Good!” has a breakneck tempo that also appears on Ella Sings Gershwin, while “Somebody Loves Me” has a snappy up-tempo that did not appear on her previous Gershwin record. Fitzgerald also explores recordings from Sir Charles Thompson (“Robbins Nest”), Duke Ellington (“I’m Just a Lucky So-And-So”), and Spencer Williams (“Basin Street Blues”).

The rest of the release comes from two performances, a year apart, at Bushnell Memorial Hall in Hartford, Connecticut with support from pianist Raymond Tunia, guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer J.C. Heard. In 1953, Granz captures two rare songs from Fitzgerald: a moving performance of Jerome Kern’s “Bill,” and a blues-heavy version of Peggy Lee’s tour-de-force “Why Don’t You Do Right.”

The final five tracks were recorded just a year later. The 1954 performances start off with Gershwin’s songbook-standard “A Foggy Day,” and move on to showcase compelling contemporary hits. By the time she performed “Lullaby of Birdland” in Hartford, it had already become a success from a recording made just a few months earlier. A beautiful rendition of “The Man That Got Away” is a calm and deliberate recording, while “Hernando’s Hideaway” contrasts as a comedy and dance number from The Pajama Game with lyrics exclusive to performance (a 1962 recording of this track did not include this one-time chorus). The set closes with “Later,” which elegantly displays Fitzgerald’s seamless blend of R&B, pop, bebop, and swing.

The remarkable relationship between an American jazz impresario and the First Lady of Song stands alone as a historically important release and is equally as crucial to celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Verve. Granz produced many consequential performances, however the dynamic live recordings heard on Jazz at the Philharmonic: The Ella Fitzgerald Set are in a league of their own.

Jazz At The Philharmonic

---

Dave Anderson - Dave Anderson's Blue Innuendo (Feat. Matt Wilson, Pat Bianchi & Tom Guarna)

Size: 132,1 MB
Time: 57:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Label: Label 1
Art: Front

01. Urban Dillema (7:53)
02. 22 Doors (6:49)
03. 12-Step Blues (5:24)
04. Parallel Present (5:04)
05. Genealogy (5:29)
06. Stuck (4:35)
07. The Phantom (For Joe Henderson) (4:55)
08. Two-Tone Tune (3:37)
09. Blue Innuendo (For Joey D) (6:40)
10. Redeye (6:54)

Personnel:
Dave Anderson - tenor & soprano saxes
Tom Guarna - guitar
Pat Bianchi - organ
Matt Wilson - drums

Dave Anderson is the tenor (and soprano) man in question. He leads the band through a set of hiply swinging originals on Blue Innuendo (Label 1 2003-2). This is music rooted in the toughness of hard bop, yet fully modern in its tang of the beyond. It is no accident that Dave dedicates one of the numbers to Joe Henderson, for there is some of that sophisticated, hard-driving facility going on here, plus Dave himself showing his own way through nicely.
Dave Anderson sounds great, with plenty to say on both horns and a way of saying it that channels sax soulfulness and a true sense of what matters, yesterday and today.
Pat Bianchi on organ is a model for the extensions of organ bop-soul into now. He makes me smile as he always seems to. Tom Guarna, the guitarist, has a perfect presence in the ensemble and solos with authority. He also in his own way channels bop-and-after giants yet sounds original and contemporary.
Matt Wilson on drums comes through as he ever does as the swinging giant so necessary for the success of this kind of thing.
It's a model for how the organ-band roots can be enacted but with the modern complexities brought to the fore at the same time. A blazer, a hip disk is this! Hear it. ~Republic of Jazz

Dave Anderson's Blue Innuendo

---

Stacy Sullivan - Stranger In A Dream

Size: 110,5 MB
Time: 46:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front & Back

01. Passion/Loving You (3:08)
02. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top (From Oklahoma!) [Live] Oklahoma! Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' (3:33)
03. Portrait Of Mercer Ellington - Prelude To A Kiss (5:31)
04. Stranger In A Dream (3:55)
05. In A Melancholy Mood (1:16)
06. In The Days Of Our Love (2:26)
07. Portrait Of Marcia Ball (0:46)
08. Treasure Girl I've Got A Crush On You (4:07)
09. Lullaby Of Birdland (2:19)
10. A Delicate Balance (1:32)
11. Melody For Two September In The Rain/Come Away With Me (3:41)
12. Twilight World (3:00)
13. Castles In The Sand (2:14)
14. A Connecticut Yankee My Heart Stood Still (1:41)
15. Very Warm For May All The Things You Are/Waltz No. 10 In B Minor, Op. 69, No. 2 (Arr. J. Weber) (2:59)
16. I'm Beginning To See The Light - It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) - Jump For Joy (3:20)
17. Piano Jazz Kaleidoscope (1:06)

Winner of the 2015 MAC Award for Outstanding Major Artist, Bistro and Nightlife Award, Stacy Sullivan has appeared in esteemed venues around the world, from The Crazy Coqs in London, the Cafe Carlyle in New York City, Orange County’s Carpenter Center and Catalina’s Jazz Club in California. Her six albums, including her newest recording “Stranger in a Dream-Songs for Marian McPartland,” newly released on Harbinger Records can be heard regularly on Sirius XM Radio, WNYC, and NPR.

Sullivan grew up in Oklahoma, the seventh of eight children in a wildly musical family, where she began performing in venues across the south and midwest at the age of five. Graduating Cum Laude from Tulsa University with her degree in Music, she left home to follow her musical and acting dreams in Los Angeles.

“On the Air,” the show she wrote and performs for Piano Jazz creator, Marian McPartland, caught the eye (and ear) of legendary radio personality and music connoisseur Jonathan Schwartz, who presented it to New York City at WNYC’s “The Greene Space,” which led to a run at The York Theatre in Manhattan and the recording, “Stranger in a Dream.” The Wall Street Journal called it “Cabaret for Thinking People,” and The New York Times raved, “Sullivan transports you to a twilight zone of wistful refl ection that recalls the dreamier side of Peggy Lee.”

Numerous awards, including The MAC Award (2015) for “Major Artist,” The Nightlife Award (2014) for “Best Female Vocalist, The Bistro Award, and The Lamott/Friedman Award for “Best Recording” for “It’s a Good Day—A Tribute to Miss Peggy Lee” give her the opportunity to tour the world with her band, as well as in a duo setting with Piano Jazz host and jazz pianist, Jon Weber.

Now, Sullivan and Weber have rejoined forces with their newest Harbinger Records release, “Stranger in a Dream—Songs for Marian McPartland.” This heartfelt tribute to pianist Marian McPartland captures all the spirit of the legendary pianist and broadcaster.

Stranger In A Dream

---