Tina Brooks - True Blue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:00
Size: 114.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1960/2015
Art: Front

[8:04] 1. Good Old Soul
[5:14] 2. Up Tight's Creek
[5:49] 3. Theme For Doris
[4:55] 4. True Blue
[5:29] 5. Miss Hazel
[7:50] 6. Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You
[5:05] 7. True Blue
[7:32] 8. Good Old Soul

Obscure but talented tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks is teamed with the young trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (on one of his earliest sessions), pianist Duke Jordan, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Taylor for a set dominated by Brooks' originals. None of the themes may be all that memorable ("Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You" comes the closest), but the hard bop solos are consistently excellent. [Some reissues add alternate takes of "True Blue" and "Good Old Soul."] ~Scott Yanow

True Blue

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Phil Collins - Going Back

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:00
Size: 130.5 MB
Styles: Soul/Pop/Rock vocals
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[2:30] 1. Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)
[3:02] 2. (Love Is Like A) Heatwave
[3:00] 3. Uptight (Everything's Alright)
[3:20] 4. Some Of Your Lovin'
[2:23] 5. In My Lonely Room
[2:56] 6. Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me For A Little While)
[3:24] 7. Blame It On The Sun
[6:41] 8. Papa Was A Rolling Stone
[2:57] 9. Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer
[2:39] 10. Standing In The Shadows Of Love
[2:48] 11. Do I Love You
[2:54] 12. Jimmy Mack
[2:44] 13. Something About You
[2:37] 14. Love Is Here And Now You're Gone
[2:49] 15. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
[2:46] 16. Going To A Go-Go
[2:45] 17. Talkin About My Baby
[4:35] 18. Going Back

A deeply personal labor of love that finds the eight-time Grammy winner, Phil Collins, faithfully recreating the Motown and soul music that played such an influential role in his creative life. Due September 28th, 'Going Back' marks the 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee's first new studio album in eight years. Phil recorded the album along with three of Motown's legendary session players, aka The Funk Brothers bassist Bob Babbitt and guitarists Eddie Willis and Ray Monette. 'It shouldn't really be a surprise to anyone that I've finally made an album of my favourite Motown songs,' explains Collins. 'These songs along with a couple of Dusty Springfield tracks, a Phil Spector/Ronettes tune, and one by the Impressions make up the tapestry, the backdrop, of my teenage years. I remember it as if it was yesterday, going to the Marquee Club in London's Soho and watching The Who, The Action, and many others, playing these songs. In turn I'd go out the next day to buy the original versions. My idea, though, was not to bring anything 'new' to these already great records, but to try to recreate the sounds and feelings that I had when I first heard them. My intention was to make an 'old' record, not a 'new' record. To be able to have three of the surviving Funk Brothers play on all the tracks was unbelievable. There was one moment when they were tracking 'Heat Wave' that I experienced a wave of happiness and wonder that this was actually happening to me! I learned more about production skills and the wonderful songwriting of those concerned whilst making this album, than I have from anything else. To those pioneers... much love and gratitude.'

Going Back

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Freddie Ravel - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:20
Size: 108.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[4:25] 1. Echo De Amor
[4:51] 2. Samba Mundial
[4:10] 3. Sunny Side Up
[4:33] 4. Bolerino Bella
[4:18] 5. Love Is In The Air... When You're Aware
[4:43] 6. Conversations
[4:53] 7. Piano Sensual
[4:58] 8. Dame Tu Calor
[4:31] 9. Summerplay
[4:18] 10. Dame La Razon
[1:35] 11. Echo De Amor

Though Freddie Ravel has done stints as music director for singer Al Jarreau and as a touring member of Earth, Wind & Fire, the keyboardist remains one of the best-kept secrets in smooth jazz. This album, his third, and his first in six years, may change that. Pretty melodies and lush arrangements that are dominated by the music of his Hispanic heritage mark Ravel's music. Marc Antoine, Peter White, and the team of Strunz and Farah will draw fans of flamenco guitar to this release. And Ravel's legendary ex-bandmates from EW&F, bassist Verdine White and guitarist Al McKay, add a funk punch to the track "Sunny Side Up." Ravel shows his palatable vocal chops on the memorable Latin-pop song, "Love Is in the Air ... When You're Aware," a tune that owes a distinct rhythmic debt to Tito Puente. This outing for Ravel should resonate with anyone fond of the crossroads between smooth jazz and samba, rumba, and merengue. --Mark Ruffin

Freddie Ravel

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The Elder Statesmen Band - Ballads, Blues & Rock 'n Roll

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:21
Size: 69.5 MB
Styles: Blues
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:45] 1. Gift Of God
[3:25] 2. Old Statesman
[3:39] 3. You`re Forever Gone
[4:02] 4. Move On
[4:03] 5. Loving You`s A Mans Job
[2:48] 6. Old Blues
[3:00] 7. Shaking
[4:35] 8. Rainy Day

Uwe Gillert Gitarre, Gesang; Maximilian Gillert Gitarre; Burghart Bannach Bass; Winfried Klümpen Drums; Udo Larbig Keyboards, Gitarre.

Eine "nicht nur, aber auch" Blues Band mit einer Mixtur aus Blues Klassikern von BB King bis Muddy Waters, eigenen Blues Nummern, Balladen und Rockern, ist seit 2006 in verschiedenen Besetzungen erfolgreich aktiv!

Ballads, Blues & Rock'n Roll

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Brad Mehldau Trio - Where Do You Start

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:28
Size: 183,4 MB
Art: Front

( 5:24)  1. Got Me Wrong
( 8:46)  2. Holland
( 8:13)  3. Brownie Speaks
(10:07)  4. Baby Plays Around
( 6:23)  5. Airegin
( 6:24)  6. Hey Joe
( 9:02)  7. Samba e Amor
( 5:26)  8. Jam
( 8:31)  9. Time Has Told Me
( 6:01) 10. Aquelas Coisas Todas
( 4:06) 11. Where Do You Start?

Hot on the heels of Brad Mehldau's Ode (Nonesuch, 2012) the pianist's first all-original set with his current trio comes Where Do You Start, culled from the same recording sessions but, with the exception of one Mehldau tune, all cover material. This isn't the first time Mehldau has split a particularly fruitful session down the same compositional line: Anything Goes (Warner Bros.) and House on Hill (Nonesuch) were both same from the same sessions, recorded with original drummer Jorge Rossy before he left the trio to return to Spain. But the two were released two years apartthe cover-song Anything in 2004 and all-original House in 2006 whereas Where Do You Start comes a mere six months after Ode. For some, this kind of accelerated release schedule can be a problem, but if guitarist Bill Frisell has proven anything, with four albums in the space of less than thirty months from Beautiful Dreamers (Savoy Jazz, 2010) through Floratone II (Savoy Jazz, 2012) it's that if you've established a strong fan base, you can be more aggressive with your release schedule. Despite being literally a generation apart, Mehldau's similarly rapid ascension since first appearing in the early 1990s, to a rarefied space occupied, in his case, by living pianists including Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock has been the direct result of a discography with plenty of hits and really no misses of which to speak.

Of course there's a difference when Mehldau, longtime bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard tackle cover material rather than a set of originals, although Where Do You Start's eclectic song selection ranging from well-worn standards like saxophonist Sonny Rollins' "Airegin" (taken at a fast clip, with the familiar melody skewed ever so slightly) to Billy Roberts' near- Jungian hit for Jimi Hendrix, "Hey Joe" (surprisingly literal, even leading to the psychedelic guitar legend's familiar power riff) provides and encourages the same flexibility and freedom as Mehldau's own writing. The sole Mehldau piece, "Jam," is really just a vamp that is tagged to the end of a gentle reading of Chico Buarque's "Samba E Amor," featuring a lengthy but wonderfully restrained solo that reaffirms the pianist is now in a place where he's nothing left to prove. Of course, Mehldau burns aplenty elsewhere, with the kind of frightening two-hand technique that has distinguished him from so many others. His "Hey Joe" may be relatively faithful, as is "Got Me Wrong," but the Alice in Chains hit provides a chance, in his impressive opening solo, for the pianist to set a very high bar for the rest of the set. From a soft look at Sufjan Stevens' "Holland," that is as much a feature for Grenadier's spare but perfect choices, to a more straight-ahead take on trumpeter Clifford Brown's "Brownie Speaks" (but still, with Mehldau's fugue-like approach), and a particularly lyrical close with the Mandel/Bergman/Bergman title track, Where Do You Start isn't so much an alternative as it is further evidence as if any were needed of this tremendous trio's ability to take any material old, new, borrowed or original and make it firmly its own.~John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/where-do-you-start-brad-mehldau-nonesuch-records-review-by-john-kelman.php
 

Personnel:  Brad Mehldau: piano;  Larry Grenadier: bass;  Jeff Ballard: drums.

Where Do You Start

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Sarah Vaughan - Copacabana

Styles: Vocal, Brazilian Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:37
Size: 82,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:32)  1. Copacabana
(4:17)  2. The Smiling Hour (Abre Alas)
(3:49)  3. To Say Goodbye (Pra Dizer Adeus)
(3:32)  4. Dreamer (Vivo Sonhando)
(2:50)  5. Gentle Rain
(4:38)  6. Tete
(5:29)  7. Dindi
(3:31)  8. Double Rainbow (Chovendo Na Roseira)
(3:55)  9. Bonita

This 1979 production has a smooth, polished, and relaxed feeling. The arrangements are heavy with vocal choruses, electric guitar and languid Latin rhythms. Sarah Vaughn's crooning glows and smolders, creating a magnificent dynamic contrast. Vaughn completely possesses the ballad "Tete," captivating the listener in much the same way she did with her hit "Misty," 20 years previously. Like all her greatest work, it's multi-textured; prolonged whispers, powerful hollering, low moaning, staccato bopping, and a myriad of other techniques she employs with facility and finesse.  "Gentle Rain" finds Vaughn alone with a guitar. The spare orchestration has the profound simplicity of a haiku. Her voice is like a saxophone on this number, holding notes for lush intervals in her lower registers. "To Say Goodbye" has Vaughn modulating her resonant voice from bass to soprano. She is solely responsible for this tune's musical drama, giving it great emotional gravity.http://www.allmusic.com/album/copacabana-mw0000196915

Personnel:  Sarah Vaughan – vocals;  Hélio Delmiro – guitar;  Andy Simpkins - double bass;  Wilson DasNeves - drums

Copacabana

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Jimmy Cobb - Yesterdays

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:23
Size: 115,6 MB
Art: Front

(9:46)  1. Love Walked Right In
(6:05)  2. Without a Song
(5:49)  3. Yesterdays
(9:47)  4. All Blues
(8:19)  5. Monk
(2:14)  6. Faddis
(8:21)  7. Purple Haze

Legendary jazz drummer, Jimmy Cobb, was born in Washington, D.C. on January 20, 1929. A superb, mostly self-taught musician, Jimmy is the elder statesman of all the incredible Miles Davis bands. Jimmy's inspirational work with Miles, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly and Co. spanned 1957 until 1963, and included the masterpiece "Kind of Blue", the most popular jazz recording in history. He also played on "Sketches of Spain", Someday My Prince will Come", "Live at Carnegie Hall, "Live at the Blackhawk", "Porgy and Bess", and many, many other watershed Miles Davis recordings. Jimmy did his first recording with Earl Bostic and played extensively with Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Pearl Bailey, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderly, before joining Miles in 1957. by 1963 Tony Williams took over the Miles drum chair in 1963 and Jimmy left Miles to continue to work with Miles' rhythm section, Winton Kelly and Paul Chambers behind Wes Montgomery. In addition to several Winton Kelly Trio Albums, the three did albums with Kenny Burrell, and J.J. Johnson, among others, before disbanding in the late 60's.Jimmy then worked with Sarah Vaughn for 9 years. Afterward, Jimmy continued to freelance with several great groups throughout the 70's 80's and 90's including, Sonny Stitt, Nat Adderly, Ricky Ford, Hank Jones, Ron Carter, George Coleman, Fathead Newman, The Great Jazz Trio with Nancy Wilson, Dave Holland, Warren Bernhardt, and many, many others worldwide. 

In the early 90's a Television Special produced by Eleana Tee featured Jimmy playing and hanging with Freddie Hubbard, Gregory Hines, Bill Cosby, Dave Leibman, Pee Wee Ellis, and others. Jimmy has played around the world from Newport to Monte Carlo, from LA to Japan. He has performed for both Presidents Ford, and Carter, the Shah of Iran and many other dignitaries in his storied career, and is quoted extensively in "Kind of Blue", the Documentary of those legendary recording sessions as well as Writing the forward for the Book Kind of Blue the making of the Miles Davis Masterpeicein 2000.In 2002 Jimmy completed a "Four Generations of Miles" album with guitarist, Mike Stern, Ron Carter (bass), and George Coleman (tenor) for Chesky records. Other releases include his long awaited solo album, "Yesterdays", produced by Eleana Tee for Rteesan Productions. It features Michael Brecker on tenor, Marion Meadows on soprano, Roy Hargrove, trumpet and flugelhorn, Jon Faddis, trumpet, Eric Lewis, electric piano, Peter Bernstein, guitar, and John Weber on bass. This album was done in Jimmy's two adopted home towns; recorded and shot in New York, and mixed and edited in Woodstock, NY. It includes a wide variety of arrangements ranging from a unique interpretation of Jimi Hendrix "Purple Haze" to ballads "Yesterdays" and blues (All Blues, Faddis, Monk) and standards, "Without a Song" and "Love Walked Right In". This major musical statement will include several music videos and a complete television documentary.

Later, Jimmy's Albums New York Time, Cobb's Corner and West of 5th, Produced by Eleana SteinbergTee and David Chesky were released. Jimmy's Album New York Time played by Jimmy, Christian McBride, base, Javon Jackson, tenor sax, and Cedar Walton, on piano incorporates songs for all moods. West of 5th features Jimmy, accompanied by Hank Jones on piano and Christian McBride on Bass, in this compilation of songs is a ballad written by Mr. Cobb in tribute to his late younger sister Eleanor. And In 2007 Cobbs Corner was released, played by Jimmy, Roy Hargrove, Ronnie Mathews, and Peter Washington AKA The Jimmy Cobb Quartet. Jimmy remains active, not only in New York City, where he leads Jimmy Cobb's Mob but on the international circuit including Japan, China, Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, & South Africa.

TEACHING: Jimmy is constantly being approached to teach what he knows and loves to aspiring jazz musicians all over the world. Jimmy travels every year for the last 9 years to Stanford University to teach Master Classes for the Universities Jazz Workshop. He has taught for Parsons: The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, at the University of Greensboro in North Carolina, the International Center for the arts at San Francisco and numerous educational institutions throughout the globe. And in January, Jimmy will be teaching the North Sydney Boys High School Orchestra at the Toronto Canada Jazz Festival. And as usual with Jimmy Cobb, you won't believe what's up next! http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7615047&style=music&fulldesc=T

Yesterdays

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James Blood Ulmer - Odyssey

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:52
Size: 88,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:58)  1. Church
(4:47)  2. Little Red House
(5:07)  3. Love Dance
(3:41)  4. Are You Glad To Be in America?
(3:29)  5. Election
(5:03)  6. Odyssey
(4:11)  7. Please Tell Her
(4:32)  8. Swings & Things

Tales of Captain Black was a startling debut, but Odyssey stands as James Blood Ulmer's signature masterpiece, the purest and most accessible showcase for his bold, genre-clashing guitar vision. With minimal trio accompaniment -- only drummer Warren Benbow and violinist Charles Burnham -- Ulmer's guitar is always the meat of the ensemble, especially since his unique tuning (developed specially for this album) allows him to cover bass parts as well as guitar leads. Save for the title track, his playing isn't as jagged or fragmented as on past efforts. Part of the reason is his conscious emphasis on the smoother tones of Burnham's amplified violin, which is often fed through a wah-wah pedal; his solos often resemble the faux-orchestral sounds electric guitarists can create by skillfully manipulating their volume controls. It lends an almost pastoral tint to Ulmer's skittering avant jangle, which is otherwise firmly rooted in downtown New York. Few other scenes could have nurtured Ulmer's blend of free jazz, blues, rock & roll, funk, and punk (by way of no wave noise rock). And Odyssey mixes them all freely yet cohesively, as though there had never been a line separating the most experimental musical forms from the earthiest. The instrumentals are particularly inspired examples: The opener "Church" contrasts freely improvised passages with spare James Brown grooves; the droning, Eastern-tinged "Love Dance" features soaring interplay between Ulmer and Burnham; and the closing "Swing & Things" switches between dissonant jazz-rock and straight-up guitar boogie. In addition, Ulmer's vocals are showcased at their most effective on the blues "Little Red House," the Jimi Hendrix-style ballad "Please Tell Her," and a major-label revisitation of his signature tune, "Are You Glad to Be in America?" All the pieces come together to produce not only Ulmer's finest album, but a certified classic of the modern jazz avant-garde.~Steve Huey http://www.allmusic.com/album/odyssey-mw0000648740

Personnel: James Blood Ulmer (vocals, guitar); Charles Burnham (violin); Warren Benbow (drums).

Odyssey

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Asa Harris - All In Good Time

Size: 119,9 MB
Time: 51:46
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1999
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. The Song Is You (2:58)
02. Daydream (5:29)
03. A Time For Love (4:46)
04. The Late, Late Show (3:37)
05. Love For Sale (4:40)
06. It Never Was You (3:48)
07. The Jitterbug Waltz (4:07)
08. These Foolish Things (4:26)
09. Wave (4:23)
10. Someone To Watch Over Me (3:46)
11. Tuxedo Junction (4:00)
12. Die Moritat Von Mackie Messer (3:29)
13. Lullaby Of Birdland (2:11)

The Vocal Series. Borrowing the majority of Christine Hitt’s band from her recording You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To. Vocalist Asa Harris makes her MAXJAZZ debut with a collection of standards that is unique in itself. The fourth in a Vocal Series released by the new label, Harris is preceded by the aforementioned Hitt disc, LaVerne Butler’s Blues In The City and Carla Cook’s It’s All About Love. All of these recordings have an interesting and often surprising mix of standards and some originals. Ms. Harris’ offering is no different.

I believe that Chicago-born Ms Harris addresses all of the major eras of jazz. Chronologically, she begins in the Stride era with a lilting “Jitterbug Waltz”, hits the Swing era with Tuxedo Junction (composed by her Uncle, Erskine Hawkins), and proceeds through the height of Tin Pan Alley with an up-tempo “Love For Sale”, a pensive “Someone to Watch Over Me”. She rounds out the disc with the Bebop balladry of “Lullaby of Birdland” and a very cool “Mack the Knife”. The overall feeling of this disc is laid-back brilliance. All of the performances are self assured and creatively arranged. Kudos to bassist Tom Kennedy for his superb playing in general and his over-the-top introduction on “Tuxedo Junction”. ~by C. Michael Bailey

Personnel: Asa Harris: Vocals; Todd Strait: Drums; Tom Kennedy: Acoustic Bass;; Rick Haydon: Guitar; Ray Kennedy, Kim Portnoy: Piano

All In Good Time

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Allen Toussaint - American Tunes

Size: 119,6 MB
Time: 51:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: New Orleans Jazz Blues, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Delores' Boyfriend (3:32)
02. Viper's Drag (3:18)
03. Confessin' (That I Love You) (2:50)
04. Mardi Gras In New Orleans (3:13)
05. Lotus Blossom (4:17)
06. Waltz For Debby (3:14)
07. Big Chief (2:12)
08. Rocks In My Bed (4:37)
09. Danza Op. 33 (3:25)
10. Hey Little Girl (2:36)
11. Rosetta (4:07)
12. Come Sunday (5:09)
13. Southern Nights (3:30)
14. American Tune (5:00)

So busy was Allen Toussaint in the wake of his late-2000s revival, he didn't wind up entering a recording studio to begin work on a sequel to his 2009 jazz album, The Bright Mississippi, until 2013 (2013's Songbook consisted of live recordings from 2009). A few solo sessions happened that year, followed by a round with a band and guests in October 2015 and then he died a few weeks later, passing away in Madrid, Spain while on tour. Producer Joe Henry, who helmed The Bright Mississippi, pulled together American Tunes for a posthumous release in the summer of 2016. Tonally, American Tunes isn't much different from its predecessor, yet its elegiac elegance doesn't come from a place of despair: it's a wistful look back at his past and home. Where The Bright Mississippi focused firmly on jazz standards, American Tunes positions these prewar standards as just part of the fabric. Toussaint touches upon Big Easy standards, spinning "Mardis Gras in New Orleans" and "Big Chief" in a way that emphasizes their lyricism instead of rhythm, thereby drawing connections with the Bill Evans, classical, and Duke Ellington covers heard elsewhere on the record. Sometimes, the guests assert themselves -- Rhiannon Giddens commands attention when she sings Ellington -- but the presence of Charles Lloyd and Van Dyke Parks underscores the generous collaborative spirit within Toussaint's music; even when he's heard alone here, he's playing with and commenting upon tradition. American Tunes concludes with Toussaint singing two modern pop standards: "Southern Nights," an original of his popularized by Glen Campbell, and Paul Simon's "American Tune." Both function as revealing footnotes to the gorgeous instrumentals, underscoring his contribution to American popular song and how he found his own voice in the work of others. He was an American original, and American Tunes functions as a lovely coda to a legendary career. ~by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

American Tunes

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David Linx & Brussels Jazz Orchestra - Brel

Size: 182,9 MB
Time: 79:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Chanson
Art: Front

01. Quand On N'a Que L'amour (8:00)
02. La Chanson Des Vieux Amants (5:43)
03. Vesoul - Amsterdam (7:34)
04. Ces Gens-La (6:48)
05. Mathilde (6:25)
06. Ne Me Quitte Pas (4:24)
07. Le Plat Pays (8:02)
08. Bruxelles (8:51)
09. Isabelle (5:00)
10. La Valse A Mille Temps (5:12)
11. Bruxelles (Radio Edit) (Bonus Track) (4:12)
12. La Ville S'Endormait (Bonus Track) (8:55)

While David Linx's name may not be writ large here in the States, the fifty-one year-old singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist is a mega-star in his native Belgium, and in 2005 was named Best Jazz Musician in Europe, which covers a whole lot of territory. On Brel, Linx sings music composed by his Belgian forerunner, the late and legendary Jacques Brel, accompanied by the world-class Brussels Jazz Orchestra (whose personnel are not listed on the bare-bones promotional copy save for saxophonist / music director Frank Vaganee).

The music is for the most part cerebral and debonair, lending itself quite well to a jazz milieu (one of the few French words salvaged from high school). As for the lyrics, they are generally sung in the aforementioned Gallic tongue; in other words, incomprehensible. Linx employs the universal jazz "language"—scat—on the flag-waving "Mathilde" and sings in English on "Vesoul -Amsterdam" and "Isabelle," reminding the listener why he doesn't choose to do so often. Elsewhere, like most other French singers, he sounds exceedingly French (or Belgian). Those who've heard Brel, Maurice Chevalier, Georges Guetary, Charles Aznavour, Sacha Distel and other standard-bearers should grasp the allusion.

The session opens quietly with the melodious "Quand on n'a Que L'Amour" and ends on a dynamic note with "La Valse a Mille Temps," which must translate into "waltz, fast and loud." Even though the lyrics (in most cases) are foreign, there's no doubt that Linx sings them well, with excellent diction and phrasing. As for the BJO, it plays its ancillary role to perfection, giving Linx a hermetic framework from which to operate while weighing in with a number of brief yet persuasive solos along the way. In spite of his prominence, there haven't been a great number of tributes to Jacques Brel and his music, which makes this one by David Linx and the BJO that much more enticing. ~Jack Bowers

Personnel: David Linx: vocals. Brussels Jazz Orchestra, Frank Vaganee: artistic director.

Brel

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Jasmin Bayer - Summer Melodies

Size: 125,1 MB
Time: 53:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. The Very Thought Of You (2:37)
02. Summer Melodies (4:41)
03. You Sold Me Down The River (4:00)
04. There Is No Greater Love (4:03)
05. Nature Boy (7:54)
06. No Use Lying To A Liar (4:46)
07. Mona Lisa (3:42)
08. Her Passion Is Chemistry (4:09)
09. Goldfinger (4:13)
10. That's Clear (4:10)
11. Endeavour (5:15)
12. Come Share This Minute (4:21)

An exciting discovery: Jasmin commands a completely natural voice, perfect intonation and great stage presence. This is her first recording and it will be a surprise for many.

After a career in modelling and the movies in the US she now moved over to the jazz world with fine success, building up her fan base quickly. Her CD is different from the often heard US songbook, highly individual as Jasmin writes and composes a great part of her repertoire herself. Excellent trumpeter Peter Tuscher who holds the trumpet chair at the Linz conservatory celebrates a great comeback to the live scene with this album.

Summer Melodies

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Branford Marsalis Quartet - Upward Spiral (Feat. Kurt Elling)

Size: 161,3 MB
Time: 69:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Modern Jazz
Art: Front

01. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York (5:21)
02. Blue Gardenia (4:34)
03. From One Island To Another (6:00)
04. Practical Arrangement (9:44)
05. Doxy (3:51)
06. I'm A Fool To Want You (3:00)
07. West Virginia Rose (2:28)
08. So Tinha De Ser Com Voce (3:38)
09. Momma Said (2:43)
10. Cassandra Song (8:28)
11. Blue Velvet (3:44)
12. The Return (Upward Spiral) (7:15)
13. Long As You're Living (8:45)

To one extent or another, jazz has always maintained a discriminatory dividing line between vocalists and instrumentalists. Instead of being viewed as equals—artists on par with all the rest, possessing the same good sense, skill, and stake in an artistic outcome—vocalists have often been unfairly stigmatized and interned in a separate category. But all of that has slowly been changing, due in no small part to a large and continually growing crop of vocalists who are consistently raising the bar.

For the past two decades, the one and only Kurt Elling has been a central figure in that category. He's both world-wise and street smart in his moves, able to touch on highbrow topics and base emotions with equal success. There's been a hint of vanity in some of his fine art, but it's never there without just cause. The man acknowledges his influences but remains a school of one, a force of nature who's capable of covering more ground than almost anybody. There's simply nobody else who's better suited to enter into an artistic agreement with one of jazz's most outspoken personalities—saxophonist Branford Marsalis.

Whether on or off the bandstand, Marsalis doesn't mince words or ideas. Due to that fact, few vocalists are really up to the challenge of entering his orbit and thriving in such a climate. In Elling, however, Marsalis has found one who's every bit his match. The saxophonist and his quartet mates are able to telescope focus toward Elling's warm, strong, and pliant voice, and Elling is able to accentuate the inherently melodic and lyrical qualities in this group's work. The beauty in Marsalis' music isn't cited often enough, as many tend to focus exclusively on the edgier side of his sound. This project rectifies that problem.

This playlist is as eclectic as one might expect given the architects at the drawing board. Everybody from saxophonist Sonny Rollins to vocalist Elis Regina and pianist Fred Hersch to poet Calvin Forbes is referenced in one way or another, and the music is suffused with graciousness, beauty, and, on occasion, heartbreak. Elling dons the face of Mr. Charisma on "There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York," maintains his status as the heir to Mark Murphy's throne of hip on "Doxy," delves into modern jazz Americana on Hersch's "West Virginia Rose," and plays it cool as the breeze on "Só Tinha De Ser Com Você." Through every one of those turns, Marsalis and company are right there with him, exploring every little and large event with the utmost respect for the music and the contributions of one another.

Understatement serves as a source of strength in much of this music, and fragility is as strong a lure as any of the aforementioned qualities. Case in point is Sting's "Practical Arrangement," a song that elicits an incredibly strong emotional response. That number alone is worth the price of admission, and it's not the only tearjerker. The Marsalis-Elling duo take on "I'm A Fool To Want You," while delivered with more poise and less vulnerability, belongs in the same category.

While there are far more ambitious outings in the respective discographies of both of these marquee names, there's nothing more arresting in either man's portfolio. Beauty becomes these musicians. They carry the torch of grace to the heavens in their own inimitable upward spiral.

Personnel: Branford Marsalis: saxophones; Joey Calderazzo: piano; Eric Revis: bass; Justin Faulkner: drums; Kurt Elling: vocals.

Upward Spiral

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Various - At Last: The Blues Ballads

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 68:25

Size: 156.6 MB

Styles: Blues/Jazz vocals

Year: 2014

Art: Front

[3:40] 1. Mighty Mo Rodgers - Have You Seen The American Dream

[2:57] 2. Marlena Shaw - Anyone Can Move A Mountain

[4:15] 3. Nina Simone - Don't Explain

[2:58] 4. Etta James - At Last

[7:40] 5. James Brown - (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons

[4:43] 6. Susan Tedeschi - Lord Protect My Child

[4:36] 7. Labelle - Miss Otis Regrets

[6:01] 8. Larry Carlton - Cold Day In Hell

[3:04] 9. Peggy Lee - Black Coffee

[3:04] 10. Queen Latifah - I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl

[7:32] 11. Robben Ford - Life Song

[6:03] 12. Diane Schuur - Someone To Love

[4:52] 13. Lizz Wright - I Idolize You

[4:14] 14. Nina Hagen - What It Is

[2:36] 15. Dinah Washington - A Bad Case Of The Blues

The term blues ballad is used to refer to a specific form of popular music which fused Anglo-American and Afro-American styles from the late 19th century onwards. Early versions combined elements of the European influenced "native American ballad" with the forms of African American music. From the 20th century on it was also used to refer to a slow tempo, often sentimental song in a blues style.

At Last: The Blues Ballads

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Carole King - Pearls: Songs Of Goffin & King

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:06
Size: 75.8 MB
Styles: Soft rock
Year: 1980/2012
Art: Front

[3:28] 1. Dancin' With Tears In My Eyes
[2:30] 2. The Loco-Motion
[2:29] 3. One Fine Day
[3:40] 4. Hey Girl
[4:25] 5. Snow Queen
[2:54] 6. Chains
[3:00] 7. Oh No, Not My Baby
[3:34] 8. Hi-De-Ho (That Old Sweet Roll)
[3:15] 9. Wasn't Born To Follow
[3:46] 10. Goin' Back

Make no doubt about it, this is possibly Carole King's most important work since Tapestry, and why a similar album didn't follow Tapestry or its follow-up, Music, was a marketing blunder and a mystery. Missing here is Lou Adler's production, though King and her co-producer Mark Hallman are hardly inefficient. It's just that some songs get more attention than others. "Dancin' With Tears in My Eyes" opens the collection, a pleasant new addition to their repertoire, but next to "Locomotion," "One Fine Day," "Chains," and "Snow Queen," its purpose is more to bring the album full circle than to try to compete with these classics. "One Fine Day," the song the Chiffons brought Top Five, was the hit, going Top 15 from this set 17 years later. The reworking of the Freddie Scott/Bobby Vee/Donny Osmond hit "Hey Girl" is breathtaking. Here King is backed by lush production and a bluesy vocal that surpasses anything else on this record, as well as much of what was on the charts at this time. Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King is the set the artist's longtime fans craved when Tapestry made her more than a household name. This album deserves its place right next to Tapestry. ~Joe Viglione

Pearls: Songs Of Goffin & King

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Leroy Vinnegar - Integrity

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:27
Size: 156.7 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[ 9:12] 1. Blue 'n' Boogie
[ 8:57] 2. Segment
[14:24] 3. Little Sunflower
[ 9:06] 4. We'll Be Together Again
[ 9:18] 5. Everywhere Calypso
[10:44] 6. Me Ho
[ 5:35] 7. Blues By Five
[ 1:06] 8. The Theme

Bassist Leroy Vinnegar, a fixture in Los Angeles from the 1950s on, has lived in Portland, OR, since the mid-'80s. Although he was mostly off records from 1977-92 and had a spell of bad health, he is in fine form throughout the 1995 concert documented on his fine release from Jazz Focus. Vinnegar and veteran drummer Mel Brown team up with a pair of excellent Portland-based players for a fine bop-oriented set. Tenorman Gary Harris (who switches to soprano on Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower") is sometimes reminiscent of Harold Land with touches of Red Holloway (although he does a good job of hinting at Sonny Rollins on "Everywhere Calypso") while guitarist Dan Faehule is most influenced by Wes Montgomery and Herb Ellis. Both of the younger musicians show potential for the future. The repertoire is strictly standards and blues (except for Hampton Hawes's obscure "Me Ho") and highlights include the swinging "Blue 'N Boogie," a tenor feature on "We'll Be Together Again" and the calypso. As usual Leroy Vinnegar is content to stick mostly to the background, holding the music together while inspiring the lead voices. Although few surprises occur, the music has plenty of spirit and will easily appeal to straightahead jazz fans. ~Scott Yanow

Integrity

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James Blood Ulmer - Free Lancing

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:39
Size: 116,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:24)  1. Timeless
(5:03)  2. Pleasure Control
(5:25)  3. Night Lover
(4:41)  4. Where Did All The Girls Come From ?
(4:03)  5. High Time
(4:43)  6. Hijack
(4:40)  7. Free Lancing
(3:46)  8. Stand Up To Yourself
(5:35)  9. Rush Hour
(5:14) 10. Happy Time

After cultivating a huge underground reputation both as a sideman in Ornette Coleman's Prime Time band and as an increasingly influential musician among the more experimental edges of the New York City punk and noise scenes, James Blood Ulmer was finally, in 1981, given a major-label contract by Columbia. Free Lancing was the first of three albums for the label before he, like many before and after, was unceremoniously dropped. It opens explosively with "Timeless," a ripping instrumental showcasing Ulmer at his best, all jagged angles, raw blues feeling, and chainsaw guitar shards. One of several cuts with only the trio of Ulmer, bassist Amin Ali, and drummer G. Calvin Weston, it's the guitarist at his most elemental, brutal, and real. Other tracks lean toward the funky side of things, with the leader's vocals (always at least a bit reminiscent of Hendrix) and a few female background vocals that impart a certain simmering sexiness even as they always serve to "slickify" the final product. But even here, on tracks like "Where Did All the Girls Come From?," Ulmer manages to raise the stakes far beyond the standard jazz-punk-funk of the period. Three other songs import the impressive horn trio of David Murray, Oliver Lake, and Olu Dara, used to provide a supremely strutting back line on "High Time" and giving the trumpeter a fine, fat solo on "Hijack" (a tune that recalls Ronald Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society). But it's Ulmer's stinging guitar lines rough-hewn, corrosive, and scrabbling throughout this recording that make it one of his finest.~Brian Olewnick http://www.allmusic.com/album/free-lancing-mw0000895852

Personnel: James Blood Ulmer (vocals, guitar); Irene Datcher, Diane Wilson, Zenobia Kankerite (vocals); Ronald Drayton (guitar); Oliver Lake (alto saxophone); David Murray (tenor saxophone); Olu Dara (trumpet); Amin Ali (bass guitar); Calvin Weston (drums).

Free Lancing

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Marion Montgomery - And Now That Lady From Natchez

Size: 178,5 MB
Time: 71:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Baubles, Bangles And Beads (5:03)
02. Why Can't You Behave (4:08)
03. Sweet Georgia Brown (5:41)
04. How Deep Is The Ocean (4:20)
05. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire (3:09)
06. Candy (3:24)
07. Has Anybody Seen My Dream (4:51)
08. Exactly Like You (2:42)
09. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me (5:39)
10. Get Happy (3:16)
11. Close Your Eyes (4:10)
12. Oh Lady, Be Good (5:41)
13. And Now (4:14)
14. Dream (4:15)
15. Accentuate The Positive (3:44)
16. If I Should Lose You (4:32)
17. 'S Wonderful (2:45)

If you're not familiar with the singing of Marion Montgomery, you are in for a treat - from the first phrases of "Baubles, Bangles And Beads", to the last notes of "'S Wonderful", you are in the hands of a consummate, swinging pro.

At an early age in Marion Montgomery's career beginnings, she made her critically-acclaimed LP recording debut for the influential Capitol label. She instantly became popular on the night club circuit and did the usual media interviews. Capital released extraordinary follow-up recordings; however Rhythm 'n' Blues and Rock 'n' Roll soon prevailed in "pop" music and neither road was to be treated by Marion Montgomery. No more new recordings originated from the USA until now, but many more were certainly made in England and there she is legendary.

Unfortunately, because she made her home in England since 1965, she is not well known today in her native USA. Originally from Natchez, Mississippi, she has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in New York, Las Vegas, Hollywood and Miami. But most of her time is spent is spent in England, where she has been a regular at Ronnie Scott's jazz club, and done major concerts with her acclaimed husband Laurie Holloway. She has also done BBC television, commercials, and appeared most successfully in the West End as Reno Sweeney in "Anything Goes".

She has been admired by Johnny Mercer, Nat "King" Cole, Nelson Riddle, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, to name just a few. In a recent performance at Vine Street in Hollywood, the LA Times said "She has considerable acting talent as well as her musical abilities... she lets the lyric sell the song...a classy lady".

I first saw Marion in person at Ronnie Scott's in London in the summer of 1971. I was knocked out, and became a fan for life. I've since seen her in engagements in New York (where she appeared with longtime partner Richard Rodney Bennett) and in Hollywood. I'm always amazed and gratified by her honesty, and her innate ability to swing, and still communicate. She always lets the lyric make sense from her unique point of view.

This CD was recorded in New Orleans in March of 1997, when she and her husband / accompanist / arranger Laurie Holloway were on a quick trip to her home town of Natchez and a "gig" in Florida.

Note her seductive phrasing and unique tempos on "Why Can't You Behave". It would make anyone want to misbehave badly, if only to have her sing it to you. Her scatting on "Sweet Georgia Brown" is really down and funky. Then there's the unusual rhythm of "Candy", the floating bossa nova of "Dream" by Johnny Mercer (with whom she has sung duets), and two excellent original new tunes by Laurie Holloway: "And Now" and "Has Anybody Seen My Dream?" (lyric by John Junkin). She had the good taste to record Berlin's "How Deep Is The Ocean?" and Robin & Rainger's "If I Should Lose You" with enormous sensitivity.

She's beautifully accompanied by bassist Bill Huntington, Gerald French on drums and Tom Fischer on tenor sax, all New Orleans musicians. And first and foremost by husband Laurie Holloway on very tasty and swinging jazz piano.

Mr Holloway conducts regularly for Stephane Grappelli, Dame Edna Everage and Elaine Paige. He has accompanied Kiri Te Kanawa, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Anthony Newley...and many more. He has won numerous awards, and written a musical, "Instant Marriage", which played in London's West End. Marion and Laurie's combined credits would fill a large volume. I for one, am looking forward to their autobiographies.

If this sounds like a love letter - it probably is. I've devoted my life to keeping this music alive, so I'm very appreciative of anyone who does it with such care and love, and does it so well. ~Ronny Whyte

And Now That Lady From Natchez

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Alice Underground - The Cambria Sessions

Size: 108,7 MB
Time: 46:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Gipsy Swing
Art: Front

01. Catch Me Before Midnight (3:45)
02. Superman (3:53)
03. LA Is Burning (4:21)
04. Belleville Rendez-Vous (3:44)
05. Dream A Little Dream (3:21)
06. Hollywood Hills (3:33)
07. Willow By The Sea (3:36)
08. Hard To Resist (4:40)
09. Tank! (5:04)
10. Fly Me To The Moon (4:33)
11. Seven Block Blues (5:51)

Alice Underground is Tash Cox vocals, bass, piano; Sasha Travis, vocals; Scott Landes, guitar, piano; Gordon Bash, standup bass, piano, guitar, vocals; and Steve Kefalas, drums, percussion. The band members boast eclectic and impressive resumes. Lead vocalist Tash Cox formerly sang with The Beta Machine, which included members of A Perfect Circle and Eagles of Death Metal. Tash has also sung in many operas, Neely Bruce’s, “Circular 14: The Apotheosis of Aristides” being her favorite. Scott Landes has played with Collide, Android Lust, I, Parasite, and ¡BASH!, among others. Steve Kefalas has also been a member of Android Lust, I, Parasite, and ¡BASH!. Gordon Bash is an active jazz and rock musician, that has appeared on America’s Got Talent playing with William Close. He heads up the punk/rockabilly band ¡BASH!, and is also the bassist for the popular ska band Save Ferris. Sasha Travis is a singer, producer, director, and all-around artist. She has directed and produced for the Labyrinth Masquerade Ball, and Golden Stag events, written and directed for the Astra Dance Theater, and been a long time co-collaborator at Sypher Arts Studio.

The Cambria Sessions is threaded with a wildly fishtailing story of two girls moving to Hollywood to make their dreams come true. Detailing the narrative are the intertwined voices of Tash and Sasha. The story is rife with surrealism and mythology, with subtle allusions to Joseph Campbell. In the end, the protagonists flee Hollywood for the safe haven of Cambria, the beautiful wine country expanse in Northern California.

The album’s lead off single is the slinky “Superman.” The dizzying track swings mightily with whimsically zigzagging melodic passages and a seductive urgency oozing from voices of Tash and Sasha. The song intimates a love triangle. One of the girls is far too preoccupied with a male lover whose bravado has gotten him into a dicey situation. “It’s about how in love, we either put someone else on a pedestal, or we struggle with being put on a pedestal,” Tash explains. “I don’t need a superman—I just want to love as a human being.” The video for “Superman” is a collaboration with fashion photographer turned director Jean Renard It’s a feast for the senses boasting a cross section of LA’s finest dancers, eye-popping visual technology, and steamy film noir imaging.

Other standouts on the Cambria Sessions include a nostalgic and impressionistic version of the jazz standard “Fly Me To The Moon” and, the sultry and dark, “LA Is Burning.” Traditionally, the evergreen “Fly Me To The Moon” is a swinging track that soars with optimism. Alice Underground’s rendition is reflective and romantic, evoking the moment right before dreams slip away. Gordon says: “We went for that ‘hero with her hair flying in the wind’ feel. It’s right before the girls escape for Cambria. It’s very Thelma & Louise.” The city smolders, and the torch ballad “LA Is Burning” wafts in from the rubble. “There is a lot of pain in that one,” Scott shares. Tasha adds: “It evokes that sentiment of feeling alone in a faraway place, engulfed by loneliness.”

The Cambria Sessions

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Andrew Young - Diamonds

Size: 105,6 MB
Time: 45:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

01. Summertime (5:30)
02. Harlem Nocturne (5:04)
03. Amazing Grace (4:01)
04. Don't Know Why (4:41)
05. Cavatina (4:13)
06. Long And Winding Road (3:38)
07. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (3:31)
08. Besame Mucho (4:35)
09. Chuan Qi (4:47)
10. Mannenberg (5:27)

Born in Liverpool, England. After completing his Saxophone and Clarinet studies in London, Andrew moved to Germany to pursue a desire for a broader and more eclectic involvement in all genres of music.

He had the honour of performing as soloist with various Symphony Orchestras and engaged in session work and concerts alongside Pop/Jazz/Funk luminaries such as Matt Bianco and Precious Wilson Band.

The invitation to perform in South Africa whirled an engulfing wave of success with the Kwazulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra and newly formed 5 piece Jazz/Funk/Fusion Band "Let It Flow."

Andrew soon became involved in the crosscurrents of South African and International music, meeting and being invited to perform with artists such as Joseph Shabalala (Ladysmith Black Mambazo), Jonathan Butler, Shakatak, Shirley Bassey, James Gallway as well as American R+B artist Keith Washington and a Tour of Austria with Dionne Warwick.

This culminated in the release of his debut album "Soul People" , a synergy of forces with BMG and producer Dennis East. The album topped the South African charts twice and was nominated five times for the South African Music Awards, paving the way for a pivotal point in his career.

Diamonds

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