Audrey Morris - Look At Me Now

Size: 127,7 MB
Time: 54:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Oh, Look At Me Now (2:38)
02. Why Try To Chagne Me Now (4:11)
03. Judy (4:00)
04. Slightly Less Than Wonderful (2:13)
05. Blues For Breakfast (3:28)
06. I Watch You Sleep (3:36)
07. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling (2:42)
08. Just The Way I Am (3:06)
09. I Predict (2:39)
10. Something To Live For (3:25)
11. Blizzard Of Lies (3:36)
12. Forget The Woman (3:42)
13. Where Do You Go From Love (4:47)
14. Come By Sunday (3:07)
15. I Get Along Without You Very Well (3:13)
16. When October Goes (3:46)

A celebration of singer-pianist composers that have influenced vocalist; she is joined by Nick Schneider (bass) and Greg Sergo (drums)

Chicago pianist and vocalist Audrey Morris specializes in jazz ballads, as she got her start in music in the early to mid-'50s when such albums as Bistro Ballads and The Voice of Audrey Morris were originally issued. Not much was heard from Morris throughout the '60s and '70s, but she returned in the '80s with her own record label, Fancy Faire, and began releasing albums once more -- including 1984's Afterthoughts and 1989's Film Noir, plus such '90s releases as 1997's Look at Me Now and Round About. ~by Greg Prato

Look At Me Now

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Roberta Piket - One For Marian: Celebrating Marian McPartland

Size: 102,6 MB
Time: 44:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. Ambiance (5:51)
02. One For Marian (4:46)
03. In The Days Of Our Love (6:13)
04. Twilight World (Feat. Karrin Allyson) (4:55)
05. Threnody (5:38)
06. Time And Time Again (5:40)
07. Saying Goodbye (6:12)
08. Kaleidoscope (4:44)

A young, unrecorded artist is asked to share her talents, sitting in a chair that had been warmed by Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Brad Mehldau, Mary Lou Williams, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea and Dizzy Gillespie to name just a few of the legends who graced Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz series. It says a great deal about Roberta Piket, that McPartland would welcome her into the fold of this company and now Piket pays tribute to her host with One For Marian: Celebrating Marian McPartland.

Piket, from a musical family and a pianist from early childhood, has release ten albums as a leader or co-leader. A graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, she has studied with Fred Hersch, Jim McNeely, and Richie Beirach. While the majority of her recorded work has been solo or smaller groups, she is clearly at home in this larger formation.

The sextet includes saxophonist/flautist Steve Wilson, a veteran sideman who has played with Dave Holland and Corea and reed player Virginia Mayhew whose diverse resume runs from Cab Calloway to Frank Zappa. Trumpeter Bill Mobley is an excellent sideman having played with Kenny Barron and Christian McBride. Bassist, and occasional pianist, }}Harvie S}} is the best know member of the group with several releases as a leader and projects with Thad Jones, Gil Evans, Paul Motian and Sheila Jordan. Rounding out the group is drummer Billy Mintz, previously a long-time member of Alan Broadbent's Trio.

One For Marian is comprised of six McPartland compositions and two original tracks. The harmonious "Ambiance" opens the album on a somewhat dark note but Piket's own tribute—the title track—follows with an exuberant and uplifting fête of the late pianist. A particular highlight is Karrin Allyson's affecting duet with Piket on "Twilight World." Piket's other composing contribution "Saying Goodbye" is plaintive without being overly sentimental while "Kaleidoscope" closes the set with a fiery improvisation that involves all the players.

It's not likely anyone could do justice to McPartland's compositions more effectively than Piket has here. These are arrangements that are rich, full of life and reflect McPartland's diverse tastes covering artists from John Coltrane to the Beatles and Piket captures the measure of McPartland's work in these handsomely prepared pieces. One For Marian: Celebrating Marian McPartland is intelligent and versatile, full of exceptional solo work throughout. ~Karl Ackerman

Personnel: Roberta Piket: piano; Steve Wilson: saxophone, flute; Virginia Mayhew: saxophone, clarinet; Bill Mobley: trumpet; Harvie S: bass; Billy Mintz: drums.

One For Marian

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Beth Bruno - Between Worlds

Size: 115,2 MB
Time: 49:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Nascimento Da Venus (4:20)
02. A Song For You (4:12)
03. Gente Humilde (4:58)
04. Can It Be Done (4:13)
05. Al Otro Lado Del Rio (3:43)
06. Nature Boy (5:35)
07. Cais (5:14)
08. Moon River (4:59)
09. Volta (3:48)
10. Acabou Chorare (4:29)
11. O Cantador (3:57)

The critics celebrate Beth Bruno as one of the great voices of Brazil’s musical artists. Marked by a sensual sweetness, her voice and personality enamor her to fellow musicians and captivate her audiences . Her exceptional sensitivity and honor to the music , with acute attention to tone and pitch , bespeak her performances live and recorded .

A native of Brazil , Beth began her career in Rio de Janeiro , performing at MPB Festivals where she won awards for best interpretation . She has performed in Brazil with legendary artists as Djavan , Gilberto Gil , Ivan Lins , Roberto Carlos , Milton Nascimento , and with the great instrumentalists Nico Assumpção , Márcio Montarroyos, Artur Maia , Marco Pereira among others , in it´s best clubs and theaters in Rio de Janeiro , Salvador (Bahia) , Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais) , São Paulo .

Beth has shared the stage in venues attended by 20.000 person audiences with names like Paulo Moura , Altamiro Carrilho , Beth Carvalho , Roberto Menescal , and many others . In the legitimate theatre , along with composer Carlos Lyra and actor Antônio Pedro , Beth displayed her acting talents as lead in the musical comedy “ Pobre Menina Rica “ by Vinícius de Moraes and Carlos Lyra . She also toured Brazil with Ivan Lins , and United States with the Batacotô Band .

Beth participated on the CD “ Elas Cantam Caetano Veloso “ , where she interpreted “Dom de Iludir “. She is also featured on the CD of Guinga and Aldir Blanc called “ Simples e Absurdo “singing the “ Sharp Award “ nominated song “ Zen Vergonha “, a CD which includes songs sung by Chico Buarque , Leny Andrade , Leila Pinheiro , Ivan Lins . Claudio Nucci.

Beth´s talents came to the attention of U.S. artists , Al Jarreau and Marcus Miller , who enlisted her to perform with them at Brazil´s Free Jazz Festival . Beth participated in the “Tiradentes” movie soundtrack by Wagner Tiso , singing “Blowing in the wind “ by Bob Dylan . She also sings the song called “ Rainbow´s End “ composed by Ed Motta and Ronaldo Bastos for the animation short movie called “ De Janela Pro Cinema “ by Quiá Rodrigues , which won many of the best national awards , and also was nominated for the Cannes Festival , in France . She participated on the International Music Festival of Hatillo , in Caracas , Venezuela and also The Santa Mônica Summer Festival in Los Angeles , Califórnia .

She also toured with the great composer and singer Milton Nascimento on his “ Crooner “ show. Beth participates as a guest in the DJ Martin Enzo´s project of Chillout Music called “ The Lunar Ark of Isis “ with the song “ The Circles of Mistique “ , playing sucessfully in UK and Ireland venues. In 2012 Beth shared her experience at Berklee School of Music where she was invite to present a Voice Master Class called, “ An Intuitive Approach to Vocal Mastery”. She has performed regularity in venues of NYC and Boston.

Between Worlds

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Maynard Ferguson - Big Bop Nouveau

Size: 108,5 MB
Time: 46:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1989/2016
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Blue Birdland ( 5:09)
02. Cherokee ( 4:26)
03. Caught In A Current ( 4:26)
04. But Beautiful ( 5:59)
05. Cruisin For A Bluessin ( 7:52)
06. The Maynard Ferguson Hit Medley: Chameleon MacArthur Park/Frame For The Blues/Maria Birdland (12:01)
07. Compared To You ( 6:59)

Maynard Ferguson broke up his funk combo High Voltage around the time of Big Bop Nouveau's release and put together a 15-piece straightahead group that emphasized swing and big-band-oriented charts. Although there is a throwaway in "Maynard Ferguson Hit Medley," such pieces as "Blue Birdland," "Cherokee," and "But Beautiful" better showcase the remarkable trumpeter. Sidemen include Christopher Hollyday on alto. This is a good all-round showcase for Ferguson. ~by Scott Yanow

Big Bop Nouveau

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Sue McCreeth - Queer Bird

Size: 122,5 MB
Time: 52:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Mad About The Boy (5:02)
02. The Touch Of Your Lips (4:12)
03. Nuages (4:12)
04. Queer Bird (3:21)
05. The Sky Above The Roof (3:41)
06. Even If Now (4:49)
07. Twentieth Century Blues (4:41)
08. Other Times We Fly (5:11)
09. I Hadn't Anyone 'til You (3:50)
10. Ettu Enna (4:02)
11. Milk Wood Sky (4:35)
12. The Very Thought Of You (4:40)

For this 2016 Release, Sue McCreeth features music by UK composers, from classical Ralph Vaughan Williams and Frederick Delius, to jazz classics by Ray Noble and Noel Coward. The lesser known UK composers Alison Rayner and Stan Tracey are set within this illustrious set. She received permission from the estates and publishers to alter interpretations to fit with jazz repertoire, and to alter the words. So Twentieth Century Blues by Noel Coward becomes Twenty First Century Blues, and with it a completely fresh interpretation, from the lowest notes usually heard in a good jazz voice, but with also the end blues 'lick' which features an effortless and soulful top soprano range. The originals are re-workings of previously recorded material by McCreeth, together with one completely new song, 'Other Times We Fly'. The sparse, crisp and atmospheric musicianship is brought into full rich focus by the great UK jazz bassist and producer Andrew Cleyndert.
'The merest glance at the titles and composers of these twelve songs should tell you that Sue McCreeth is not your average jazz singer. She sings in a warm intimate voice and a deceptively simple style which is far from artless, with a tone of sophisticated ennui.' Dave Gelly writing in the sleeve notes.

'This album is beautifully conceived, elegantly crafted and under pinned by a top flight team of musicians' Chris Hodgkins, formerly Director of Jazz Services, UK, and DJ for London Jazz Radio.

'2016 is witness to Sue McCreeth fulfilling her considerable potential' Keith Ames, Musician Magazine

Martin Shaw (trumpet), Pat McCarthy (guitar), Andrew Cleyndert (double bass), Andres Ticino (percussion).

Queer Bird

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Benny Green - Green's Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:09
Size: 117.1 MB
Styles: Neo-bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[4:54] 1. I've Heard That Song Before
[3:44] 2. I Wish You Love
[4:18] 3. Someone To Watch Over Me
[4:03] 4. You Make Me Feel So Young
[3:08] 5. Just You, Just Me
[4:54] 6. Green's Blues
[4:28] 7. Green Eyes
[5:36] 8. Misty
[2:20] 9. Nice Work If You Can Get It
[2:58] 10. Ain't Misbehavin'
[4:47] 11. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
[5:55] 12. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)

Green's first-ever fully unaccompanied outing is a knockout -- not a conceptual revolution by any means, but a stylistic triumph and an all-around good time. Like Marcus Roberts, Green is a latter-day master of stride piano, and right off the bat he wows listeners with his skills on "I've Heard That Song Before" and "I Wish You Love" before quieting down with "Someone to Watch Over Me." Green's playing spills over with adventurous, perfectly resolved phrases, crystalline melodies, and controlled dissonance, not to mention a tremendous amount of human spirit. Sticking to standard repertoire (with the exception of the original title track), Green also rummages through other old songs like "Just You, Just Me," "Misty," and "Ain't Misbehavin'," effortlessly creating beauty as he goes. He closes with two Ellington classics, "It Don't Mean a Thing" and "I Got It Bad"; the former is interpolated with Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" and tagged with a variation on Charlie Parker's "Now's the Time." ~David R. Adler

Green's Blues

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Sérgio Pires - Umbigo

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:06
Size: 117.0 MB
Styles: New Age
Year: 1999/2007
Art: Front

[4:10] 1. Batom
[3:56] 2. Libertad
[4:53] 3. Umbigo
[3:40] 4. Lua Nua
[3:38] 5. Quest
[2:50] 6. Beijo
[4:05] 7. Maria Del Sur
[5:32] 8. Cafe Com Leite
[3:48] 9. Barbidol
[4:28] 10. Rio Vermelho
[4:51] 11. Cacos De Vidro
[3:10] 12. Slow Down
[2:00] 13. Valeu

Sergio Pires is a gifted Brazilian songwriter, singer and guitarrist who has been living in Chicago for the last sixteen years, where he produced four Cds mixing his musical influences from Bahia with jazz, funk and rock. Umbigo was produced by Brett Simons and Sergio Pires in 1999.

Umbigo

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Karin Krog - We Could Be Flying

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:51
Size: 79.8 MB
Styles: Funky jazz vocals
Year: 1974/2007
Art: Front

[5:59] 1. We Could Be Flying
[5:02] 2. Meaning Of Love
[2:54] 3. Sometime Ago
[3:26] 4. All I Want
[5:36] 5. Sing Me Softly Of The Blues
[3:41] 6. Raindrops, Raindrops
[2:46] 7. Lament
[2:19] 8. Hold Out Your Hands
[3:02] 9. Time To Go

Bass – Steve Swallow; Drums, Percussion – Jon Christensen; Keyboards – Steve Kuhn; Vocals – Karin Krog.

Recorded for Polydor, six years after her landmark Joy album, this set features Norwegian jazz iconoclast Karin Krog in the electric company of keyboardist Steve Kuhn, drummer percussionist Jon Christensen, and Steve Swallow on one of his early electric bass dates. More song-oriented than her other vanguard dates, We Could Be Flying still showcases the singer in a restless, searching frame of creativity. Obviously influenced by the work Flora Purim had done with Return to Forever and the heyday of jazz-rock fusion, Krog nonetheless puts her indelible stylistic stamp on all the material here. The best tunes here were written by Kuhn, who seems to understand the subtlest nuances in Krog's performing style, as evidenced by "Meaning of Love," with its driven, wispy Latin rhythms and melodic lines that seem to bleed into one another, capturing the softness of Krog's enunciation. The seemingly rocked-up cover of Joni Mitchell's "All I Want" feels out of place here, the band feels stilted into trying to rein themselves into the conventional cut-time signature and fixed spaces where fills are almost unwelcome. While Mitchell's own version is far looser and spacier than this, the band seems to have misunderstood her original intent in this song. The co-write between Carla Bley and Krog on "Sing Me Softly of the Blues," finds the band back on its square, swinging the blues in cool nocturnal fashion with Christensen's swinging cymbal work carries the band underneath the singer's husky contralto. The finest moment here is the funky "Raindrops, Raindrops" written by Kuhn, where his electric piano and double-time bass and drums fall in just behind Krog's shimmering, airy performance. This recording is a fine document of its time, capturing its naivete, sense of adventure, and its willingness to step outside the jazz and vanguard box while never giving in to pop convention. Recommended. ~Thom Jurek

We Could Be Flying

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Bob Berg - Another Standard

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:14
Size: 128.8 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[6:07] 1. You And The Night And The Music
[4:36] 2. Summer Wind
[6:35] 3. Michelle
[6:57] 4. Just In Time
[7:29] 5. My Man's Gone Now
[5:34] 6. All The Way
[6:24] 7. No Trouble
[6:29] 8. It Was A Very Good Year
[6:01] 9. I Could Write A Book

"In order for a tune to become a standard," says Karen Bennett in her liner notes, "it has to have enough appeal and substance to keep both musician and listener engaged on many levels for many years." Late Miles alumnus Bob Berg's Another Standard asserts that status for a lineup of familiar but not front-line tunes: "You and the Night and the Music," "Summer Wind," the Beatles' almost unrecognizable "Michelle," "Just in Time," "My Man's Gone Now" from Porgy and Bess, "All the Way," "It Was a Very Good Year," "I Could Write a Book," and his own "No Trouble."

Most of this is a "standard" quartet date, featuring Berg on tenor and soprano, David Kikoski on piano, Ed Howard on bass, and Gary Novak on drums. Randy Brecker chimes in with trumpet and flugelhorn on the Gershwin tune and "I Could Write a Book," and Berg enlists Mike Stern's guitar on his own track.

Berg is a devout and thoroughgoing Coltraneian. He attacks "You and the Night and the Music" as if it's "Giant Steps," adding a few Impulse!-era phrase resolutions involving tinges of keening and honking; on "Summer Wind" he appends little commenting tags to his completed phrases, just like the man who recorded all those dates for Prestige. "Michelle" and "Just in Time" are more individual for the most part, but both eventually arrive in Sheets-of-Soundville before it's through. The liner notes explicitly compare his soprano interplay with Kikoski on "It Was a Very Good Year" to Coltrane and Tyner on "My Favorite Things," but the xerox machine was evidently set to copy light. A good bit of this — try "All the Way"— sounds like the lost seventeenth disc from Trane's mammoth Prestige box set. As far as I know, that box is still in print. "My Man's Gone Now" sounds like the lost movement of A Love Supreme, which is certainly an original take on Porgy and Bess. Brecker sounds here a good bit like Wynton Marsalis playing the Coltrane masterpiece, although the Gershwin strains come through strongly in his impassioned solo. The original, "No Trouble," betrays a more Ornetteish flavor than Berg shows otherwise; it could be an outtake from Coltrane's venture into Ornette Land with Don Cherry on The Avant-Garde.

Bob Berg is clearly a virtuoso instrumentalist. When Miles Davis hired him, he knew what he was doing (maybe all the way down to the Coltrane inflections.) Berg's command is total and flawless. His mates, Kikoski in particular, are fine, although the rhythm section sounds a little dulled, what with thirty years of rock and disco between us and Coltrane's quartet with Elvin Jones. One may hope that in his next outing he leaves aside his homage to Coltrane and lets listeners hear a little more of his own voice. After all, in an improviser's art, that's what it's all about. ~Robert Spencer

Another Standard

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Thelonious Monk & Gerry Mulligan - Mulligan Meets Monk

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz

Year: 1957

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 66:00

Size: 151,4 MB

Art: Front

(8:28)  1. 'Round Midnight

(5:19)  2. Rhythm-A-Ning

(7:18)  3. Sweet and Lovely

(5:55)  4. Decidedly (take 4)

(6:59)  5. Straight, No Chaser (take 3)

(6:53)  6. I Mean You (take 4)

(6:39)  7. Decidedly (take 5)

(5:30)  8. Straight, No Chaser (take 1)

(6:25)  9. I Mean You (take 1)

(6:31) 10. I Mean You (take 2)

The beauty of the Concord Music Group's treasure trove of a catalog is that it will always provide material for the "Reassessing" column at All About Jazz and similar columns elsewhere. The newest round of re-releases celebrate the 60th anniversary of Riverside Records. Riverside Records was founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer in 1953, remaining a major force in jazz recording in New York City for a decade, when Grauer perished from a heart attack and the label declared bankruptcy. The catalog was acquired by Fantasy Records in 1972 and the catalog released under the Original Jazz Classics imprint. Concord Records purchased Fantasy Records in 2004, creating the largest jazz catalog available. One of the first releases celebrating this anniversary are the August 12-13, 1957 recordings that were to become Mulligan Meets Monk. Is this the best Mulligan or Monk? Probably not, but, then again, compared to what? Thelonious Monk is easily the greatest composer of jazz standards (those songs composed specifically for jazz and not derived from the Great American Songbook). Gerry Mulligan, a mere three years previously, turned jazz on its ear by removing the piano as a harmonic instrument, essentially suspending the solo instruments on a highwire with the barest of rhythmic support. The meeting celebrates the spontaneity of jazz, its improvisational core.

The recital is of Monk's book. It could have been no other way. A lengthy "'Round Midnight" kicks things off. It is hard to hear and not think of the perfection Miles Davis achieved with his first great quintet in the year before while recording what would become 'Round About Midnight (Columbia, 1957). That said, the real article of Monk adds the dimension of event. This is Monk in all of his strange glory, playing his wonky brand of stride piano and demonstrating how he changed the white hot style of bebop harmonically. Two takes of "Straight, No Chaser" and three of "I Mean You" allow Mulligan plenty of time a room to fully warm up and blow. Melodically sophisticated, Mulligan's arranging capabilities inform his ensemble and solo play by giving them a deliberate trajectory within the framework of improvisation. This is not a perfectly performed recording. Mulligan fluffs his share of notes and Monk, well, Monk is Monk, still able to startle 50 years later.~C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/gerry-mulligan-and-thelonious-monk-mulligan-meets-monk-gerry-mulligan-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Gerry Mulligan: baritone saxophone; Thelonious Monk: piano; Wilbur Ware: bass; Shadow Wilson: drums.

Mulligan Meets Monk

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Dianne Reeves - Bridges

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:05
Size: 141,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:20)  1. In Your Eyes
(5:51)  2. I Remember
(5:19)  3. Suzanne
(5:30)  4. Goodbye
(5:34)  5. Bridges
(6:22)  6. River
(2:23)  7. Olokun
(4:39)  8. Testify
(6:51)  9. Mista
(5:25) 10. 1863
(7:45) 11. Make Someone Happy

Dianne Reeves is such a talented and warm singer that many jazz fans wish that she would stick to performing jazz. Reeves, here, mostly performs music that is folk and pop oriented, sincere renditions that actually have very little improvisation. Only the closing, "Make Someone Happy" (which has a trumpet solo from Marcus Printup) is jazz oriented. Otherwise, Reeves sings pieces that apparently mean a lot to her (including a couple songs that might be autobiographical) with a band that has appearances by keyboardists Billy Childs, George Duke and Eddie Del Barrio, altoist Kenny Garrett, bassist Stanley Clarke, drummer Terri Lynn Carrington and others.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/bridges-mw0000239132

Personnel:  Bass – Reginald Veal (tracks: 1 to 6, 9, 10, 11), Stanley Clarke (tracks: 8);  Bongos – Manolo Badrena (tracks: 2);  Drums – Brian Blade (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), Terri Lyne Carrington (tracks: 1, 9, 10, 11);  Electric Piano – George Duke (tracks: 9);  Guitar – Romero Lubambo (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9) Harmonica – Jimmy Zavala (tracks: 9);  Percussion – Manolo Badrena (tracks: 3, 5, 6), Munyungo Jackson (tracks: 1, 8, 9, 10);  Piano – Billy Childs (tracks: 1, 3, 7), Eduardo Del Barrio (tracks: 10), George Duke (tracks: 8, 11), Mulgrew Miller (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 6);  Producer – George Duke ;  Saxophone – Kenny Garrett (tracks: 3, 6);  Trumpet – Marcus Printup (tracks: 11);  Vibraphone, Marimba [Bass] – Joe Locke (tracks: 6);  Vocals – Dianne Reeves

Bridges

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Oscar Peterson - The Trio: Live from Chicago

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:08
Size: 108,1 MB
Art: Front

( 5:41)  1. I've Never Been in Love Before
( 8:08)  2. In the Wee Small Hours of the
( 9:04)  3. Chicago
( 4:49)  4. The Night We Called It a Day
(11:44)  5. Sometimes I'm Happy
( 5:49)  6. Whisper Not
( 1:50)  7. Billy Boy

Strong work from the Peterson Trio's London House gig in Chicago in 1961 material that offers some slightly longer than usual takes on the group's sound, especially on a few numbers that really let Oscar open up on the keys! The group here is the legendary combo with Ed Thigpen on drums and Ray Brown on bass but on the album's long versions of "Sometimes I'm Happy", "In The Wee Small Hours" and "Chicago", it's Oscar's inventive work on the keys that really dominates the nearly 10 minute run of each track. Other shorter tunes include "Billy Boy", "Whisper Not", and "The Night We Called It A Day". © 1996-2016, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/608312
 

Personnel: Oscar Peterson (piano); Ray Brown (bass); Ed Thigpen (drums).

The Trio: Live from Chicago

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Emily Remler - East To Wes

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:40
Size: 119,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. Daahound
(6:39)  2. Snowfall
(5:45)  3. Hot House
(5:38)  4. Sweet Georgie Fame
(7:25)  5. Ballad For A Music Box
(6:26)  6. Blues For Herb
(8:14)  7. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
(6:12)  8. East To Wes

The late guitarist's last CD to be released before her premature death is her finest effort. Emily Remler's fluid technique brightens such seldom-heard numbers as Clifford Brown's "Daahoud" and her simplified arrangement of Claude Thornhill's lovely "Snowfall," as well as more relaxed tunes like "Sweet Georgia Fame." 

The polished rhythm section includes the masterful pianist Hank Jones, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith. Highly recommended.~Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/east-to-wes-mw0000201311

Personnel: Emily Remler (acoustic & electric guitars); Hank Jones (piano); Buster Williams (bass); Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums).

East To Wes

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Kenny Dorham - 'Round About Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia (2-Disc Set)

Kenny Dorham: trumpet; J. R. Monterose: tenor sax; Kenny Burrell: guitar; Bobby Timmons: piano; Sam Jones: bass; Arthur Edgehill: drums.

There's a thickness to the sound of this 1956 Kenny Dorham set as reissued by Music Matters on two 45-rpm records—a density that blows from the speakers and settles in the room like smoke. Which is to say the fidelity of the Music Matters product proves itself as strong on live recordings as it has on their Blue Note studio reissues. Here, the club acoustics are palpable, requiring only the cracking of a favorite beverage to complete the scene.

Not long from his stint with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and their recorded blasts at the Cafe Bohemia, trumpeter Dorham gathered a tight group of young musicians to have his own go at the legendary Greenwich Village establishment. Dorham and guitarist Kenny Burrell would both go on to attain considerable success as leaders, while the others remained mostly in supporting roles, never becoming household names as leaders, even to jazz fans. Still, tenor saxophonist J.R. Monterose is a nice foil for the trumpeter, often following Dorham's bright, ballooning sound with a thinner, abrasive take—flowing where Dorham stutters ("Monaco," "Mexico City"), squeaking and giving space after the leader sprints ("Hill's Edge"). There's a nice, if unsurprising, flow to the program, with the bop burners cooled and dimmed by the interspersed "'Round About Midnight" and "Autumn in New York," the latter a solo vehicle for Dorham in which he captures a delicious, crisp moment of solitude within the Big Apple. "Monaco," a Dorham original, opens the record on a thick loping beat that showcases Sam Jones' fat, insistent bass work, which accounts for much of the record's full cloud of sound. (Eat your heart out, Phil Spector.) Dorham enters on extended phrases, but soon picks up the pace and begins punching out fast but articulated lines—the type of well-constructed progression for which he'd become known. Burrell channels Charlie Christian on his opening-track solo, but later shows sparks of his developing individual voice, most notably on "Mexico City" and "A Night in Tunisia."

Drummer Arthur Edgehill rarely steps out of his supporting role, though the flurry of his sticks is in evidence throughout "Mexico City"; his cow bell pronounced on "Tunisia"; and he's obviously given room to stretch on the Dorham-penned nod to the drummer, "Hill's Edge." Pianist Bobby Timmons solos on most tunes, but he often makes more of a statement when fashioning blunt chordal motifs beneath the horns or emerging, as in "Mexico City," to walk in thrilling harmonic step with Dorham.

'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia is a full and often exhilarating set of mid-'50s bop. It also proves, in the three Dorham originals, that the trumpeter was a quality composer, capable of rendering more than just Latin-tinged themes like "Blue Bossa" and "Una Mas." And the excellent fidelity of this vinyl reissue boosts the session's composed but inventive ambience. ~Matt Marshall

Album: 'Round About Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:28
Size: 154.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1956/2002

[10:40] 1. K.D.'s Blues
[ 4:38] 2. Autumn In New York
[ 5:33] 3. Monaco
[ 5:36] 4. N.Y. Theme
[ 9:30] 5. K.D.'s Blues
[ 8:16] 6. Hill's Edge
[ 9:32] 7. A Night In Tunisia
[ 4:59] 8. Who Cares
[ 8:39] 9. Royal Roost

'Round About Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia (Disc 1)

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Album: 'Round About Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:19
Size: 126.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1956/2002
Art: Front

[6:02] 1. Mexico City
[7:44] 2. 'round About Midnight
[6:38] 3. Monaco
[6:21] 4. Who Cares
[7:50] 5. My Heart Stood Still
[7:51] 6. Riffin'
[6:33] 7. Mexico City
[6:17] 8. The Prophet

'Round About Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia (Disc 2)

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Suzy Bogguss - American Folk Songs

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:54
Size: 139.4 MB
Styles: Folk
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[2:36] 1. Shady Grove
[2:43] 2. Shenandoah
[3:52] 3. Red River Valley
[3:34] 4. Froggy Went A-Courtin'
[4:21] 5. Waywaring Stranger
[4:08] 6. Banks Of The Ohio
[3:13] 7. Joohnny Has Gone For A Soldier
[2:26] 8. Old Dan Tucker
[3:18] 9. Rock Island Line
[4:22] 10. Sweet Betsy From Pike
[4:18] 11. Swing Low Sweet Chariot
[4:02] 12. Careless Love
[3:24] 13. All The Pretty Little Horses
[4:21] 14. Git Along Little Dogies
[3:39] 15. Erie Canal
[3:21] 16. Wildwood Flower
[3:08] 17. Beautiful Dreamer

Suzy reveals that the idea for the project first came to her while on tour with Garrison Keillor. She realized that while everyone loves to sing along to such enduring folk tunes as ‘Red River Valley,’ with music education disappearing from public schools, many children aren’t being exposed to the folk songs that have been a vivid scrapbook of the American experience.

“Music has always been my purest joy even as a child,” Suzy writes in the introduction to the songbook. “One of my favorite memories is my grade-school music teacher pounding on the piano and leading the class in rousing renditions of folk songs from all around the world. In the summer of 2008, I toured with the brilliant and engaging Garrison Keillor. The energy that passed between the audience and Garrison was overwhelming at times. Several thousand people standing and singing together-old songs, hymns, the Beatles and the Everly Brothers. People of all ages, sharing music. Ahhh, pure joy.”

American Folk Songs

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Jerri Winters - Winters Again

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 27:30
Size: 63.0 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1955/2012
Art: Front

[3:02] 1. The Lost And The Lonely
[1:57] 2. I'm Afraid To Love You
[2:15] 3. Elmer's Tune
[2:42] 4. This Is Our Song Of Love
[2:04] 5. Gal In Calico
[2:26] 6. It's A Wonderful World
[3:40] 7. I'm Gonna Laugh You Out Of My Life
[2:50] 8. Through Again
[2:55] 9. In The Wee Small Hours
[3:35] 10. Did I Remember

Romeo Penque (ww), Anthony Miranda (frh), Eddie Costa (vib, p), Howard Collins (g), Mundell Lowe (g, dir), George Duvivier (b), Ed Shaughnessy (d), Felix Giglio, Leo Kruczek, Charles Libove, Gene Orloff, Frank Siegfried (vn), Sid Brucher, Morris 'Lefty' Lefkowitz (vl), Seymour Barab (vc), Abe Rosen (hrp), Jerri Winters (v).

A true alto, with a lovely rich, yet light touch. Wonderful tasteful arrangements on not-so-well-known standards. I'd check her out. Another forgotten voice, and she shouldn't be. ~Mia

Winters Again

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The Johnny Coles Quartet - The Warm Sound

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 49:54

Size: 114.2 MB

Styles: Hard bop, Trumpet jazz

Year: 1961/2007

Art: Front

[5:41] 1. Room 3

[7:47] 2. Where

[5:31] 3. Come Rain Or Come Shine

[5:37] 4. Hi-Fly

[5:47] 5. Pretty Strange

[5:21] 6. If I Should Lose You

[5:14] 7. Babe's Blues

[8:52] 8. Hi-Fly

Trumpeter Johnny Coles, best-known for his association with Charles Mingus in 1964, made his recording debut as a leader on this Epic session which was reissued on CD in 1995 by Koch. A bop-based trumpeter with a lyrical sound of his own, Coles is showcased here with an excellent quartet (Kenny Drew or Randy Weston on piano, bassist Peck Morrison and drummer Charlie Persip). He is in top form on a pair of standards (including "If I Should Lose You"), his own blues "Room 3" and four Weston originals; the reissue adds an alternate take of "Hi-Fly" to the original program. A fine outing. ~Scott Yanow

The Warm Sound

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Lee Konitz,Brad Mehldau,Charlie Haden,Paul Motian - Live At Birdland

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:21
Size: 163,7 MB
Art: Front

(11:58)  1. Lover Man
(10:16)  2. Lullaby Of Birdland
(11:39)  3. Solar
(10:17)  4. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(11:49)  5. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
(15:19)  6. Oleo

Grist for what seems like an endless flow of recordings, The Great American Songbook has, ultimately, become as much a crutch as it is an inspiration. There's no denying the staying power of music that's near-Jungian in its collective familiarity, but if an artist is simply running down the tunes, à la Real Book head, solo, head the music too easily becomes nothing more than a tired retread, a kind of whitewashing that, rather than moving jazz forward, stops it in its tracks. But there are exceptions: pianist Keith Jarrett, for example, whose near three-decade old Standards Trio continues to demonstrate there's plenty of life, still, in these iconic tunes. And there are others. Pianist Brad Mehldau may spend equal time on his own writing, and interpreting more contemporary fare from artists like Nick Drake, Soundgarden and Radiohead, but he's also been steadfastly recreating The Great American Songbook in his own image since the 1990s. And when octogenarian altoist Lee Konitz performed at the 2008 Ottawa Jazz Festival, his hour-long set of off-the-cuff standards was a whirlwind of invention and reinvention, where the material itself might almost have been irrelevant, except that it was chosen for a reason: its inherent potential.

As artists with separate and highly successful careers, Mehldau and Konitz have been linked, in the past, through their participation on recordings for Germany's ECM Records: Mehldau, on a session for saxophonist Charles Lloyd that yielded both The Water is Wide (2000) and Hyperion with Higgins (2001); Konitz, on trumpeter Kenny Wheeler's classic Angel Song (1997). More importantly, however, the two collaborated on Alone Together (Blue Note, 1997), a live trio date with bassist Charlie Haden. Live at Birdland reunites that trio, augmented by drummer Paul Motian, another player intimately familiar with the blurry nexus of form and freedom. There's nothing in the set that hasn't been played endless times before, but as old a warhorse as "Loverman" may be, this quartet's immediacy and flexibility lends it the relentless unpredictability that, despite its gentle delivery, strikes a perfect balance between respect and irreverence, and a relaxed feeling that nobody has anything left to prove. Comfort can sometimes lead to complacency, but not with these players. Instead, George Shearing's "Lullaby of Birdland" swings amiably, but not from any single player acting as anchor; instead, traditional delineations are thoroughly blurred as it becomes increasingly clear, when Mehldau pushes and pulls near the end of his solo, that time is suggested rather than defined coming, as it does, from a magical confluence of collective implication.

If there's any other well-known touchstone for this kind of open-minded use of popular song as jumping-off point, it's trumpeter Miles Davis' Plugged Nickel recordings of the mid-1960s. Not that anyone here plays anything like the members of Davis' quintet; these are all players with individual personalities far too strong. But the way that the trumpeter's "Solar" is stretched, almost beyond recognition Mehldau barely alluding to its theme, as he picks up the baton from Konitz, who reorganizes the opening melody into a quirky, contrapuntal jigsaw puzzle with the pianist speaks to a similarly unfettered approach,where everything is possible but nothing presupposed. Konitz delivers the familiar head to "Oleo" relatively faithfully, in duet with Motian, but that's about all there is to link the quartet's version to saxophonist Sonny Rollins' classic. As Mehldau enters, and Haden gradually finds his way in, it turns into a liberated tour de force, and the album's clear highlight, as Mehldau's solo builds towards a fugue-like climax that stops unexpectedly, leading to Haden's strongest solo of the set as ever the epitome of economy. Konitz's dry, soft-toned delivery makes a tender look at "I Fall in Love Too Easily" another highpoint, the interplay between the altoist and Mehldau exhilarating, paradoxical though that might seem when talking about the album's softest ballad. But it's this quartet's ability to interconnect at the deepest level that makes Live at Birdland a new benchmark for standards interpretation. Konitz, Mehldau, Haden and Motian may have done absolutely nothing to prepare for this specific gig at the legendary New York venue near the end of 2009, but they've been preparing for moments like these their entire lives.~John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/konitz-mehldau-haden-motian-live-at-birdland-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Lee Konitz: alto saxophone; Brad Mehldau: piano; Charlie Haden: bass; Paul Motian: drums.

Live At Birdland

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Eydie Gorme - Swings The Blues

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:19
Size: 87,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:58)  1. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
(2:51)  2. When Your Lover Has Gone
(3:15)  3. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
(3:14)  4. When The Sun Comes Out
(2:37)  5. After You've Gone
(2:18)  6. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(3:55)  7. Blues In The Night
(2:51)  8. The Man I Love
(3:33)  9. Stormy Weather
(3:24) 10. You Don't Know What Love Is
(3:33) 11. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
(3:45) 12. A Nightingale Can Sing The Blues

The success of "Eydie Gorme" my "first album" was so extraordinary that I became an instant headliner and with Don Costa as my musical arranger and conductor I began working the big night clubs all over the country. Steve Allen my TV boss, would allow me from time to time to go out on personal appearances and then return to the show where I could sing my songs on his "Tonight Show"... the TV exposure was astounding. Those were the days of swing and jazz clubs in every city we played. After the show, we would stop in to listen to the "greats" playing after hours... Oscar Peterson, Count Base and Joe Williams, George Shearing, Erroll Garner, Sarah Vaughn (my idol) and as many others as we could. Woody Herman, one of my mentors, came to see me one night and after the sow he took me to several secret clubs some of which required 3 knocks on the door to get in. When they saw Woody, the doors swung wide open, and the music blew us away.

Don and I were preparing our second album, and when I told Costa about my "after midnight" excursions with Woody and the music, he said" perfect"... Don and I had a close understanding with each other and parallel views on the treatment of each song. He knew about my proclivity for jazz and swing. This then became a labor of love, for the two of us. There was little doubt in his mind that the effort he put forth in his sparkling arrangements would be equaled by his admiring protégé... that would be me! So I said to Don upon completion of this album... "Do I have a right to sing the blues" ... he said, "Baby... You gotta right to sing anything". Enjoy, 

http://steve-eydie.com/eg_swingstheblues.html

Personnel: Eydie Gorme (vocals).

Swings The Blues

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Raphael Wressnig & Enrico Crivellaro - Mosquito Bite

Styles: Organ Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:14
Size: 131,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Speedin'
(3:05)  2. Mosquito Bite
(6:27)  3. Wally's March
(6:32)  4. Boom Bello
(4:51)  5. West 43rd St. Blues
(7:39)  6. Cherokee
(6:28)  7. Frankie Lee Goes Uptown
(3:59)  8. Banana Boogaloo
(5:50)  9. A-Level
(7:07) 10. Sugar

Raphael Wressnig, based in Austria but frequently on the road, is not your ordinary B-3 organ player. He’s actually one of a kind: a young master of the imposing, large instrument who is expansive in his breadth of expertise. He’s technically fluent in the blues, in jazz, in soul, and in funk, and he concocts exciting mixed-genre music from his fervid imagination. Versatile Wressnig doesn’t flaunt his virtuosic talent for the sake of spectacle but rather backs up his every movement on the keyboards, the drawbar and the bass pedal boards with a fierce emotional commitment. Influenced by royal predecessors like Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott, Booker T. Jones and Joe Zawinul, Wressnig has taken his music throughout Europe and all over the world, from North Africa and Asia to the Middle East to the United States, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and the Caribbean. This self-effacing musician, a native of Graz in southeast Austria, has recorded at least 16 feature albums and appeared as a guest on about 30 others. In 2013, 2015 & 2016, he was honored with a nomination for best organ player of the year in Downbeat Magazine.

A fine composer with a gift for searching out splendid classic material to rearrange, Wressnig confidently brings out the inherent pyrotechnic power and mightiness of the large B-3 console. Yet he’s also comfortable with slowing down the pace and lowering the heat in order to achieve colorful passages of quieter music. Not unlike a musician born and bred in New Orleans, the B-3 player possesses special knowledge about conjuring “groove.” As his many fans know so well, this surging or swinging rhythmic “vibe” is vastly important to the success of Wressnig’s sui generis music. In the 2010’s, Wressnig has solidified his standing as a solo artist. The sheer force of his artistic development has been a wonder to behold, whether encountered on albums or, better yet, at concerts. Live performances are particularly memorable for the happy collision of wild entertainment and focused artistry. In January of 2014 the B-3 groove master made a trip to New Orleans, literally and spiritually, to cook some Gumbo. Soul Gumbo, that is. For spice, he brought along loyal partners Alex Schultz on guitar and sax-extraordinaire Craig Handy. To bring the heat, he called on one of the funkiest drummers around, New Orleans' own, Stanton Moore. Wressnig's exciting music – a special hybrid of soul, funk, r&b, blues and jazz – benefits from the expert, soulful playing of Crescent City dignitaries Walter “Wolfman” Washington, The Meter’s George Porter, Jr. and Eric Bloom. Piano-man and soulful troubadour Jon Cleary was a special guest, as well as bayou-blues man Larry Garner from Baton Rouge and Midwestern testifier Tad Robinson. After all, Wressnig and the coterie of American and European musicians supporting him always give their best and it shows.http://raphaelwressnig.com/biography/

Personnel:  Raphael Wressnig - Hammond B-3 organ;  Enrico Crivellaro – guitar;  Lukas Knöfler – drums;  Special guest: Scott Steen – trumpet 3, 9

Mosquito Bite

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