Kenny Barron - Confirmation

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:32
Size: 166.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1992/2003
Art: Front

[ 8:58] 1. Confirmation
[ 7:08] 2. On Green Dolphin Street
[ 8:25] 3. Tenderly
[ 9:47] 4. Embraceable You
[ 6:14] 5. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm
[ 8:56] 6. Body & Soul
[10:33] 7. East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)
[ 6:17] 8. Oleo
[ 6:09] 9. Nascimento

The combination of two pianists simultaneously on-stage is the recipe for greatness or a train wreck, but with two masters like Barry Harris and Kenny Barron, the former is a sure bet. Joining them for this live set in the great outdoors of New York City during the late summer Riverside Park Arts Festival are bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Ben Riley. There's plenty of give and take in their lively opener "Confirmation," while the lively interpretation of "On Green Dolphin Street" somewhat suggests the influence of Oscar Peterson. The fireworks really come with their rousing "All God's Chillun' Got Rhythm" with Barron offering a touch of stride piano in the opening, before the band shifts gears into an up-tempo bop setting. Lush treatments of "Body and Soul" and "East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)" are true objects of beauty. Their daredevil dash through "Oleo" at a blazing speed incurs no miscues. The sign-off is Harris' tribute to a fine Latin percussionist, "Nascimento," which has the audience clapping along in delight at times. This CD was unavailable for a time when the label changed hands, though it has since been reissued with a new cover with Barron getting top billing instead of Harris. ~Ken Dryden

Confirmation

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Lorraine Feather - Such Sweet Thunder: Music Of The Duke Ellington Orchestra

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:47
Size: 100.3 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2004/2013
Art: Front

[4:42] 1. Rhythm, Go 'way
[3:12] 2. The 101
[4:03] 3. Can I Call You Sugar
[3:22] 4. Imaginary Guy
[5:14] 5. September Rain
[3:07] 6. Tenacity
[3:35] 7. Backwater Town
[3:51] 8. A Peaceful Kingdom
[5:03] 9. Lovely Creatures
[3:28] 10. Antarctica
[4:05] 11. Mighty Like The Blues

It's a shame that Lorraine Feather wasn't able to contribute lyrics to the music of Duke Ellington prior to his death in 1974, as she's a natural storyteller. Ellington composed or co-wrote most of the 11 songs on this CD, though Feather chose lesser-known and especially challenging material to embellish with her gifts. She is also a superb singer who gets the most out of every track, joined by a large cast of talented musicians who sound as if they've played every chart together night after night for years.

It's hard to beat her hilarious "Imaginary Guy" (based upon "Dancers in Love"), a terrific ditty about a girl so fed up with the opposite sex that she dreamed up the ideal man in her mind. The obscure bossa nova "The Ricitic," written by Ellington for his small group session with Coleman Hawkins, is transformed to the sidesplitting "Antarctica" (sample lyrics: "I cried all night/That's half a year"), a song that is guaranteed to tickle the funny bone of the sourest curmudgeon. The dark-tinged "Lovely Creatures" (based upon the second movement to "Night Creature") is not without its humorous moments ("You've got looks and bucks and yet these blues/Seem to stick to you like gum to shoes").

She wrote the words to "September Rain" (adapted from Billy Strayhorn's gorgeous ballad "Chelsea Bridge") a number of years earlier and recorded it with her group In Full Swing. This chart, with the rhythm section arranged by pianist Mike Lang and the vocal group by Morgan Ames, is every bit as lush as the original instrumental, showcasing Feather's upper range and Terry Harrington's mellow tenor sax. "The 101" is a hard-charging reworking of "Suburbanite" that tells of a dash down a highway to catch up with her lover.

The finale, "Mighty Like the Blues," features words and music by the late Leonard Feather, Lorraine's father. Ellington recorded it in 1938 and again in 1960, though her version, jointly arranged by Russell Ferrante and Bill Elliott, will likely eclipse the maestro's own recordings. ~Ken Dryden

Such Sweet Thunder: Music Of The Duke Ellington Orchestra

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Keith Nichols & The Cotton Club Orchestra - Henderson Stomp

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:40
Size: 168.6 MB
Styles: New Orleans jazz
Year: 1993/2004
Art: Front

[4:00] 1. Shanghai Shuffle
[3:36] 2. The Meanest Kind Of Blues
[3:33] 3. Memphis Bound
[2:50] 4. Money Blues
[2:42] 5. What-Cha-Call-'em Blues
[2:59] 6. T.N.T
[3:32] 7. Carolina Stomp
[4:59] 8. Chinese Blues
[3:28] 9. Henderson Stomp
[3:02] 10. Sweet Thing
[3:01] 11. I Need Lovin'
[3:03] 12. Hot Mustard
[2:46] 13. Rocky Mountain Blues
[3:35] 14. Tozo!
[3:10] 15. Shuffling Sadie
[3:09] 16. I'm Coming Virginia
[3:27] 17. A Rhythmic Dream
[3:50] 18. D-Natural Blues
[3:16] 19. Hop Off
[3:08] 20. Wang Wang Blues
[3:30] 21. Somebody Loves Me
[2:52] 22. Just Blues

One of the top British classic jazz pianists of the last several decades, Keith Nichols, who also plays trombone and (occasionally) vibes, led his first jazz band while in high school. He joined Mike Daniels' combo in 1964 (with whom he made his recording debut), put together the first of his many professional groups, and in 1967-1968 recorded with Dick Sudhalter's Anglo-American Alliance. During a period when the fortunes of classic jazz were at a low point, Nichols worked with a vaudeville band called the Levity Lancers from 1967-1974. While in New York, Nichols played trombone with the New Paul Whiteman Orchestra and wrote charts for the New York Jazz Repertory Company. In 1978 he put together the Midnite Follies Orchestra. Since then he has been a freelancer both in England and the U.S., and is always in demand whenever a stride pianist or a new vintage arrangement is needed. Nichols has recorded as a leader for One-Up (1973-1977) and on a variety of projects for Stomp Off (starting in 1983) and P.E.K. (during the 2000s). ~bio by Scott Yanow

Henderson Stomp

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Marcela Mangabeira - Colors Of Rio

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:09
Size: 101.1 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Latin jazz-pop
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. It's Too Late
[3:43] 2. Don't Stop The Music
[3:47] 3. Hot N Cold
[2:56] 4. I Want You Back
[4:06] 5. September 2
[3:30] 6. Honey
[3:59] 7. Rock With You
[3:31] 8. Put Your Records On
[4:11] 9. Dani California
[5:21] 10. Virtual Insanity
[3:08] 11. Every Litthe Thing She Does Is Magic
[3:00] 12. Poker Face

Marcela Mangabeira (born August 31, 1981) is a Brazilian singer from the state of Mato Grosso. She began her singing career in 1998 and after winning numerous local singing contests, Marcela toured through Spain, Denmark, Germany, France and the UK as a guest singer with BossaCucaNova.

In 2003, she moved to Rio de Janeiro and recorded her first album Simples a year later.

Colors Of Rio

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Jim Holman - Explosion!

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:43
Size: 146,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:50)  1. Explosion
(5:49)  2. Recorda Me
(5:40)  3. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
(4:29)  4. Lazy Bird
(9:30)  5. Bye Bye Blackbird
(5:12)  6. Shakin'
(6:10)  7. Straight, No Chaser
(7:20)  8. Moment's Notice
(6:05)  9. Bill
(7:34) 10. Cantaloupe Island

Up-and-coming Chicago pianist Jim Holman channels all his musical influences into his debut recording without losing his own personal identity. The resulting Explosion! is an intriguing album that treads the border between hard bop and bolder styles. Recorded in two sessions, the disc features Holman in the company of more established musicians like saxophonists Frank Catalano and Richie Cole. Holman deftly leads both quartets and is not overshadowed by his more experienced band mates on almost all of the tracks, the exception being an old-fashioned, R&B-ish "Shakin,'" where Catalano's big horn sound, tight and acerbic, is a direct descendant of the honking and screaming saxophone of men like Big Jay McNeely and Willis Jackson. As such, the tenorist dominates with his complex yet accessible and irresistibly toe tapping solo. Catalano's characteristic gut-bucket tone opens a bluesy "Bye, Bye Blackbird," but the fury of his notes is tempered by an edgy, expansive, piano and drum duet between Holman and Rusty Jones, keeping things fresh and exciting.

Holman's modal improvisations build a new and exciting soundscape around Joe Henderson's "Recorda Me," while simultaneously maintaining the melodic romanticism of the original. Meanwhile Brian Sandstrom handles his double bass like a large flamenco guitar adding to the song's Latin flavor. Sandstrom continues to exhibit his supreme facility becoming almost one with his instrument on "Straight No Chaser" that also showcases Rick Shandling's propulsive and hyper-rhythmic drumming and altoist Cole's fluid sonic spirals. Holman's compositional aptitude is evident on the dark and exotic tribute to Bill Evans, "Bill," that also features his classically inspired extemporizations. His angular take on Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island" brings to mind Don Pullen's circular pianism as he flirts with free jazz while remaining firmly grounded in the mainstream. This freshman effort from a tremendous talent is not only a delightful listening experience it is also, hopefully, a portent of greater things to come from this interesting new voice in jazz. ~ Hrayr Attarian https://www.allaboutjazz.com/explosion-jim-holman-delmark-records-review-by-hrayr-attarian.php
 

Personnel: Jim Holman: piano; Brian Sandstrom: bass; Frank Catalano: tenor saxophone; Richie Cole: alto saxophone, Rick Shandling: drums; Rusty Jones: drums.

Explosion

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Jackie Allen - Love Is Blue

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:11
Size: 108,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:51)  1. Lazy Afternoon
(5:01)  2. Go
(3:29)  3. The Performer
(5:04)  4. Love Is Blue
(4:02)  5. Moon Of Deception
(5:15)  6. Pavement Cracks
(3:52)  7. Here Today
(3:52)  8. Turnin' Around
(4:29)  9. Taste Of Honey
(4:02) 10. You Become My Song
(4:06) 11. I'll Be Around

Although very much a jazz singer, Jackie Allen explores music on Love Is Blue that crosses over style-wise into 1970s pop and singer/songwriter material. There are versions of two veteran standards ("Lazy Afternoon" and Alec Wilder's "I'll Be Around") but most of the repertoire, which deals with the darker side of love, is made up of recent originals (including "Go," which was co-written by the singer) and music taken from the pop world. 

Allen has a flexible voice and sounds fine on the ballad-oriented material, but the lack of mood variation makes this set of less interest than expected. It is well performed but not essential, despite the talents involved. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-is-blue-mw0000204729

Personnel: Jackie Allen (vocals);  Hans Sturm (acoustic bass, double bass);  John Moulder (guitar);  Frank Glover (clarinet);  Laurence Hobgood (piano);  Rob Mathes (Fender Rhodes piano, organ, keyboards);  Dane Richeson (marimba, drums, percussion).

Love Is Blue

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Mark Murphy - Shadows

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:36
Size: 137,2 MB
Art: Front

( 5:53)  1. Dawn
( 8:37)  2. If I Should Lose You
( 7:08)  3. Empty Room
( 6:17)  4. Next Page
( 7:33)  5. Lilac Wine
( 8:23)  6. Hodnik
( 5:12)  7. Shadows
(10:29)  8. Humanity Ltd

For decades, the question What exactly is a jazz singer has had two easy answers: Betty Carter and Mark Murphy. ~ New York Post

'Mark has devoted a long career to singing the hippest music with the best musicians. Consider the company he has kept on records. In the '60s, Clark Terry, Dick Hyman, Roger Kellaway. In the '70s, David Sanborn and the Brecker Brothers. In the '80s, Frank Morgan, Richie Cole, and the Azymuth Trio. Consider the jazzmen to whose instrumental works he has composed and sung lyrics: Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Pat Metheny, Charlie Parker, McCoy Tyner, Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter. ~ Leonard Feather (jazz journalist)

I can't help relishing his sure and swinging time, his musical and ever-inventive phrasing and that certain quality of sound and feeling combined with time and taste that to me spells jazz. ~ Dan Morgenstern (jazz journalist)

'Mark has devoted a long career to singing the hippest music with the best musicians. Consider the company he has kept on records. In the '60s, Clark Terry, Dick Hyman, Roger Kellaway. In the '70s, David Sanborn and the Brecker Brothers. In the '80s, Frank Morgan, Richie Cole, and the Azymuth Trio. Consider the jazzmen to whose instrumental works he has composed and sung lyrics: Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Pat Metheny, Charlie Parker, McCoy Tyner, Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter. ~ Leonard Feather (jazz journalist)

I can't help relishing his sure and swinging time, his musical and ever-inventive phrasing and that certain quality of sound and feeling combined with time and taste that to me spells jazz. ~ Dan Morgenstern (jazz journalist) https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Mark-Murphy/dp/B00MVALK1U

Personnel:  Mark Murphy, vocal;  Karlheinz Miklin, saxes, flute;  Fritz Pauer, piano;  Ewald Oberleitner, double bass;  Dusan Novakov, drums

Shadows

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Will Downing - Black Pearls

Styles: Vocal, Soul, R&B
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:22
Size: 117,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. Everything I Miss at Home
(4:32)  2. Don't Ask My Neighbors
(5:01)  3. Your Smile
(4:38)  4. Get Here
(6:02)  5. Street Life
(4:35)  6. Everlasting Love
(5:10)  7. Black Butterly
(4:52)  8. Nights over Egypt
(7:10)  9. Meet Me on the Moon
(5:22) 10. Don't Let It Go to Your Head

The source material for the inspired, all-covers Black Pearls album was popularized strictly by women. It's an unsurprising concept, given that Will Downing made his 1987 solo debut with a version of Deniece Williams' "Free" and went on to cover classics by Rose Royce and Aretha Franklin. The singer's first album for the Shanachie label, this features updates of well-known songs, mostly ballads, that originated in the late '70s and the early '90s. The likes of Jean Carn's "Don't Let It Go to Your Head," Williams' "Black Butterfly," René & Angela's "Your Smile," and Brenda Russell's "Get Here" easily the biggest crossover hit among the selections are reinterpreted faithfully with Downing's typical richness and restraint. Phyllis Hyman's "Meet Me on the Moon" (1991), co-written by Gene McDaniels, is the deepest selection, but even that one is far from obscure, and it's evidently as close to Downing's heart as anything else. A characteristically polished recording produced by Downing, it involves discerning use of strings and horns, as well as help from some longtime associates. Wife Audrey Wheeler Downing on background vocals, Melvin Davis on bass, and Randy Bowland on guitar are all along for the trip. Kirk Whalum's flute augments "Nights Over Egypt," and Najee takes a saxophone solo on "Street Life." ~ Andy Kellmanhttp://www.allmusic.com/album/black-pearls-mw0002948892

Black Pearls

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Al Cohn - Play It Now

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:12
Size: 89.8 MB
Styles: Swing, Bop
Year: 1975/2009
Art: Front

[6:02] 1. You're My Everything
[9:37] 2. Lover
[4:56] 3. Play It Now
[6:51] 4. Irresistible You
[6:09] 5. Georgia On My Mind
[5:35] 6. It's Sand, Man

Al Cohn tenor sax; Barry Harris piano; Larry Ridley bass; Alan Dawson drums.

Tenor saxophonist Al Cohn did some of his finest playing during his period (1975-80) with Xanadu. For this quartet set, Cohn is ably backed by the great bop pianist Barry Harris, bassist Larry Ridley and drummer Alan Dawson. Cohn, who had spent much of his career as a successful arranger/composer, contributed only one of the six numbers ("Play It Now") on the album and was content to jam spiritedly on such tunes as "Lover," "Irresistible You" and "It's Sand, Man." ~Scott Yanow

Play It Now

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Peanuts Hucko, Lars Erstrand, Louise Tobin, Marty Napoleon, Jack Lesberg, Gus Johnson - Tribute To Benny Goodman

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:14
Size: 124.2 MB
Styles: Dixieland jazz
Year: 1984/2000
Art: Front

[4:11] 1. Rose Room
[5:32] 2. Rockin' Chair
[4:48] 3. If I Had You
[5:33] 4. Moonglow
[3:37] 5. Seven Come Eleven
[3:32] 6. He Is Funny That Way
[3:14] 7. Goodnight
[1:45] 8. 'deed I Do
[4:02] 9. The Man I Love
[5:20] 10. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
[3:15] 11. Am I Blue
[1:47] 12. There'll Be Some Changes Made
[7:32] 13. Stealin' Apples

Louise Tobin (vocals); Peanuts Hucko (clarinet); John Bunch, Marty Napoleon (piano); Lars Erstrand, Frits Landesbergen (vibraphone); Gus Johnson , Jack Hanna (drums).

A terrific homage to the hits of Benny Goodman beautifly recorded on the Timeless label. Recorded during the mid 80s in Germany. The clarinet is performed by Peanuts Hucko to great effect. Special treat are vocals by Hucko's wife Louise Tobin who was once married to Harry James and sung with Benny's big band in the 30's! 50 years later she sounds even more swell with a charming style similar to Mildred Bailey and a bit like Maria Muldaur. Wild! ~Bruce London

Tribute To Benny Goodman

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Yoichi Murata, Ivan Lins - Janeiro

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:13
Size: 128.7 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:26] 1. Setembro
[6:25] 2. Closer
[3:56] 3. Desesperar Jamais
[5:12] 4. Cross The Rubicon
[6:25] 5. Rei Do Carnaval
[4:16] 6. Rio De Maio
[5:42] 7. Janeiro
[3:12] 8. Sentimental Friends
[6:12] 9. Decisão Serena
[6:12] 10. Pontos Cardeais
[5:10] 11. Cadeira No Parque

Renowned as a carioca songwriter, vocalist, and pianist, Ivan Lins recorded several albums for EMI Brasil and Reprise, as well as writing Brazilian standards. Born in 1945, Lins came to fame in Brazil in 1970 when Elis Regina recorded his song "Magdalena" for a hit. His worldwide debut, A Noite, appeared in 1979. Lins' most famous composition, "Love Dance" ("Lembrança"), has been recorded by dozens of jazz artists, including Kenny Burrell, Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter, Nancy Wilson, Mark Murphy, George Benson, Diane Schuur, and James Blood Ulmer. Other noted songs by Lins ("The Island," "Comecar de Novo," "Dona Palmeira," "Nocturna") have been recorded by artists including Airto Moreira, Herbie Mann, and Terence Blanchard. ~ John Bush

Janeiro

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June Katz - Shiny Stockings

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:22
Size: 101.6 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1983/1997
Art: Front

[3:53] 1. Out Of Nowhere
[4:25] 2. Green Dolphin Street
[5:20] 3. But Beautiful
[2:59] 4. The Very Thought Of You
[3:57] 5. Slow Boat To China
[5:12] 6. Early Autumn
[3:08] 7. A Good Man Is Hard To Find
[3:14] 8. Shiny Stockings
[4:30] 9. Again
[3:52] 10. Red Top
[3:47] 11. Where Or When

Recorded Live at Blue Wave Studios, Vancouver, BC, January 30 and February 10, 1983.

Vocalist June Katz, the "resident den mother of the West Coast jazz scene," has been an important force in the music community as both a performer, and a nurturer for fellow artists. A fixture at the Alma Street Café from 1986 to 1993, Katz became known for her uniquely passionate and honest brand of jazz stylings, displaying what singer Kate Hammett-Vaughan has termed a "depth of innocence." In addition to holding down the venue's headlining spot, Katz turned the café into an informal training ground for musicians, inviting both veteran and up-and-coming artists to play and collaborate nightly. One of these up-and-comers was local musician Ross Taggart, who notes, "Playing at the Alma Street Café was like going to college for me, playing sax and piano with the best musicians in town." For Katz, " the young musicians who perfected their craft while playing in or with her band" became her "extended family."

Shiny Stockings

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Stan Getz - Serenity

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:52
Size: 127.9 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, West Coast jazz
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[13:37] 1. On Green Dolphin Street
[12:04] 2. Voyage
[ 9:05] 3. Falling In Love
[10:09] 4. I Remember You
[10:56] 5. I Love You

From the same sessions that resulted in Anniversary, Stan Getz celebrated his 60th birthday as he had his 50th, with a gig at the Cafe Montmartre in Copenhagen. Joined by pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Victor Lewis, Getz (who only had four years left) plays in peak form, really stretching out on lengthy versions of three standards, Victor Feldman's "Falling in Love" and Kenny Barron's "Voyage." His solo on "I Remember You" is particularly strong. ~Scott Yanow

Serenity

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Wallace Roney - No Room for Argument

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:40
Size: 164,7 MB
Art: Front

( 5:29)  1. No Room for Argument
( 7:47)  2. Homage & Acknowledgement 

( 7:11)  3. Straight No Nothing
( 4:33)  4. Metropolis
( 8:02)  5. Christina
(10:14)  6. NeuBeings
( 8:22)  7. Cygroove
( 5:19)  8. He Who Knows
( 8:27)  9. Virtual Chocolate Cherry
( 6:13) 10. Midnight Blue

In the mid-eighties I caught the great drummer Tony Williams’ band live. Williams, a member of Miles Davis’ second great quintet, had been making some pretty interesting music leading a band of youngsters including bassist Ira Coleman, saxophonist Billy Pierce, and trumpeter Wallace Roney. His music was a natural extension of those great sixties records and the Miles tradition. When the band took the stage my jaw dropped seeing the young Wallace Roney. He was the spitting image of the young Miles Davis. Although he didn’t play with his back to the band, I saw and heard the similarities. The resemblance has been both a blessing and a curse. It has drawn attention to his smoking trumpet, yet also given fuel to his detractors. The Art Blakey graduate received the ultimate blessing when Miles himself asked Roney to play alongside, and to take many of his parts on a Quincy Jones conduction of Gil Evans’ arrangements in 1991. His prior major label release Village (Warner 1997) was the precursor to this date, hinting at Miles’ Nefertiti, Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi group and even some early Weather Report. No Room For Argument gives us a fully formed concept. Roney, like Williams before him, is taking Miles’ concepts the next logical step. In other words he is advancing the music of Davis, who advanced Charlie Parker, who advanced Lester Young, and so on. Many may claim Roney to be looking backwards. 

Listening to this disc, I’d say he’s walking a street dedicated to Miles, one few have dared to walk or even cross. The title track opens with samples of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Deepak Chopra and Marcus Garvey. Over the drum machine march, Roney’s muted melody speaks a continuous line almost in response to the samples. This opening blow signals this record is going to be forward looking and forward sounding, but with tradition in mind. Roney then follows with the bass line of “Love Supreme” and a melody from Miles’ “Filles De Kilimanjaro.” With this as a base camp, he climbs into a future formed from Herbie Hancock’s electric/acoustic years, Chick Corea’s Return To Forever bands, and the much loved/hated Bitches Brew. His band includes former Hancock Sideman Buster Williams, Corea and Davis sideman Lenny White and Davis sideman Adam Holzman. 

With the question WWMD (what would Miles Do?), Roney invokes the Miles admired music of Prince (and Morris Day’s Time) on “Virtual Chocolate Factory.” While the mid-eighties funk can get a bit silly, the fiery trumpet Roney displays makes you ignore the cheese.This isn’t a fusion record in any sense of the word. Roney speaks authentic jazz. His slow/fast “He Who Knows” emits enough spark to be bebop, yet it’s filled with synthesizers. Herbie Hancock is conjured on ‘CyGroove” as is the organ/funk of Medeski, Martin, and Wood. Roney burns on “Neubeings” along with brother Antoine and wife Geri Allen. They mix hard bop with a Wayne Shorter-like composition for Weather Report. Many criticize Roney for being too much like Miles. Now comes something more to hate, or love. Roney gives us a relentless hardcore electric record. If there is still a public audience for progressive jazz, let them digest, argue, and deal with this music. ~ Mark Corroto https://www.allaboutjazz.com/no-room-for-argument-wallace-roney-concord-music-group-review-by-mark-corroto.php

Personnel: Wallace Roney (trumpet); Steve Hall (bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Antoine Roney (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Geri Allen (piano, electric piano, Fender Rhodes piano, synthesizer); Adam Holzman (electric piano, organ, Wurlitzer organ, synthesizer, mini-Moog synthesizer); Lenny White, Val "Gelder" Jeanty (drums).

No Room for Argument

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Marilyn Scott - Walking With Strangers

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:42
Size: 132,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:30)  1. Loving You
(6:04)  2. I Always Think Of You
(4:26)  3. Give In
(6:35)  4. All Of The Above
(5:51)  5. Beginning With You
(5:13)  6. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:52)  7. Walking With Strangers
(4:41)  8. Don't Let Love Get Away
(4:44)  9. Who's Looking For Me?
(6:15) 10. No Room For Hate
(4:26) 11. A Call For Peace

The well-known adult contemporary singer debuted her powerful, poetic, and anthemic closing track, "No Room for Hate," in April of 2000 in front of 80,000 people at Equality Rocks, an all-star concert to benefit the Human Rights Campaign. The song and its message of compassion seem even more timely coming out just a few months after September 11. The rest of the time here, Scott's appealing voice tackles her usual spread of romantic lyrics and stylistic excursions to Brazil (the balmy, soundscape-enhanced samba-lite "I Always Think of You," co-written with and featuring guitarist Ricardo Silveira). She's been part of the Los Angeles studio scene for many years and always works with the cream of the crop. The inspirational, semi-gospel-flavored "Give In" features producer Russell Ferrante on keyboards, while Ferrante's fellow Yellowjacket, bassist Jimmy Haslip, plays on various cuts, including the dark-chorded, bluesy retro-soul meditation "All of the Above" (written by Brenda Russell and Michael Ruff) and an elegant cover of "You Don't Know What Love Is." This last cut was produced by drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and features a seductive percussion line and Patrice Rushen's restrained piano behind one of Scott's more emotional vocals (in a duet with Frank McComb). Most of the disc features live drumming, so the programmed groove of the otherwise appealing title track comes as a little bit of a letdown. "Don't Let Love Get Away" is a more overt gospel-flavored rumination on love lost, while "Who's Looking for Me" brings Scott together once again with keyboardist George Duke. 

With the exception of a few tracks, this disc is pretty much typical middle-of-the-road Scott; she could be the poster girl for adult contemporary singers but she should also take a cue from Randy Crawford and try some more up-tempo material. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/walking-with-strangers-mw0000017175

Personnel : Marilyn Scott (vocals); Ray Fuller, James Hara (guitar); Patrice Rushen (piano, keyboards); Renato Russell Ferante (keyboards); Jimmy Haslip (electric bass, fretless bass, keyboards, percussion); Vinny Coliauta, Terri Lyne Carrington, Michael White (drums); Darlene Perry, Lori Perry, Carolyn Perry, Leslie Smith (background vocals).

Walking With Strangers

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Bobby Caldwell - Solid Ground

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:18
Size: 101,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:12)  1. Don't Lead Me On
(4:05)  2. Stuck On You
(4:42)  3. Cry
(4:27)  4. Janet
(4:42)  5. Without Your Love
(3:47)  6. Promised Land
(3:23)  7. Don't Give Me Bad News
(4:07)  8. Solid Ground
(4:24)  9. Back To You
(5:24) 10. Every Man

Contemporary jazz singer/guitarist Bobby Caldwell was born August 15, 1951, in Manhattan, NY; his parents, Bob and Carolyn, were the hosts of the television variety show Suppertime and exposed the child to a wide variety of musical influences. Caldwell began studying piano and guitar at age 12; he initially pursued a career in rock & roll but was equally adept at playing jazz and R&B and at 17 took his band on the road to play the Las Vegas circuit. From there the group moved on to Los Angeles, but despite recording an album titled Kathmandu, Caldwell enjoyed little success and eventually returned to his parents home in Miami. There he began work on his 1978 breakthrough album What You Won't Do for Love, scoring a hit single with the title cut. Efforts including a 1979 self-titled LP, The Cat in the Hat, and Carry On followed, and although Caldwell enjoyed a strong following at home, he became a superstar in Japan. He shifted creative gears with 1996's Blue Condition, a collection of big band-era standards; the similarly themed Come Rain or Come Shine followed three years later. ~ Jason Ankeny http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/biography

Solid Ground

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Hank Mobley - Straight No Filter (Limited Edition)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 58:33

Size: 134.1 MB

Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz

Year: 1986/2001

Art: Front

[ 5:53] 1. Straight No Filter

[10:57] 2. Chain Reaction

[ 4:43] 3. Soft Impressions

[ 6:20] 4. Third Time Around

[ 7:38] 5. Hank's Waltz

[ 5:31] 6. Syrup And Biscuits

[ 6:20] 7. Comin' Back

[ 5:35] 8. The Feelin's Good

[ 5:30] 9. Yes Indeed

Bass – Bob Cranshaw (tracks: 1 to 3), Butch Warren (tracks: 8, 9), John Ore (tracks: 6, 7), Paul Chambers (3) (tracks: 4, 5); Drums – Philly Joe Jones* (tracks: 6 to 9), Billy Higgins (tracks: 1 to 5); Piano – Andrew Hill (tracks: 6, 7), Barry Harris (2) (tracks: 4, 5), Herbie Hancock (tracks: 8, 9), McCoy Tyner (tracks: 1 to 3); Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley; Trumpet – Donald Byrd (tracks: 8, 9), Freddie Hubbard (tracks: 4, 5), Lee Morgan (tracks: 1 to 3, 6, 7). Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on June 17, 1966 (#1-3), February 4, 1965 (#4-5), October 2, 1963 (#6-7) and March 7, 1963 (#8-9).

Hank Mobley's Blue Note dates of the 1960s had a remarkable consistency, a blend of Mobley's mellow sound and fluid invention with a shifting core of sidemen who shared his commitment to the tenets of hard bop--music that matched harmonic complexity with forceful swing. That consistency comes to the fore on Straight No Filter, with material from four quintet sessions presented in reverse chronological order from 1966 to 1963. The core is a session from 1966, with a band of trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Billy Higgins that produced just three tunes, but they're all outstanding, from the insistent title track to the blues march of "Soft Impressions." Titles might have gotten mixed up between the recording and the material's first release in 1979. The extended "Chain Reaction" is a sideman's chronicle, a variant of Coltrane's "Impressions," already based on the scalar pattern of Miles Davis's "So What." It's a pattern that Mobley and Tyner had explored almost nightly during their tenures in the Davis and Coltrane bands respectively, and Mobley even throws in a quotation from "St. Thomas," a nod to Cranshaw's regular employer, Sonny Rollins. The other three sessions contribute two tracks each, completing the material from Mobley's Turnaround and No Room for Squares sessions. Along the way there are repeat appearances by Morgan, Higgins, and drummer Philly Joe Jones that give a unified feel, while there's a remarkable range of distinctive pianists, from the angular Andrew Hill to the boppish Barry Harris and the smoother Herbie Hancock. There's often a funkier feel, with "Hank's Waltz" inspiring a superb Freddie Hubbard trumpet solo and "Yes Indeed," the only standard included, suffused with a strong gospel feel. ~Stuart Broomer

Straight No Filter

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Laurie Wheeler & Nash De Ville - Things Ain't What They Used To Be

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:03
Size: 98.6 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz vocals
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[3:36] 1. Jeanie
[5:02] 2. Lil' Darlin
[2:35] 3. The Glow Worm
[2:55] 4. I Like To Riff
[3:30] 5. Centerpiece
[3:18] 6. You Can Depend On Me
[4:03] 7. Down For The Count
[2:52] 8. That Cat Is High
[3:54] 9. Tuxedo Junction
[2:35] 10. Gone
[6:19] 11. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[2:18] 12. Choo Choo Ch'boogie

Laurie, with her jazz vocal trio Nash deVille, recreate Big Band swing classics, with an edge. Her professional jazz colleagues commonly refer to Laurie Wheeler as an instrumentalist whose instrument happens to be her voice. Laurie has been ranked one of the World's Top 10 Female Jazz Vocalists 2 years in a row by the DownBeat Readers poll. She has performed with such notables as Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, Michael McDonald, Louis Bellson, Steve Winwood, Buddy DeFranco, Charlie Byrd, and Bobby Peterson.

A veteran of jazz for over 20 years, Laurie has released 4 CD's – From the Land of Dreams, Twisted, Laurie Wheeler and Nash deVille, and Twilight. Her albums showcase tight vocal harmonies, be-bop scats, impressive arrangements, original song style, and her love and expertise of the art of vocalese. Laurie currently calls Nashville home, and aside from touring and writing songs for her next project, she dedicates much of her time helping young, aspiring musicians develop their talents.

Things Ain't What They Used To Be

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Sam Butera - La Vie En Rose

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:47
Size: 59.0 MB
Styles: New Orleans jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:25] 1. La Vie En Rose
[2:35] 2. All The Way
[2:04] 3. Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody
[2:34] 4. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
[2:06] 5. Too Young
[1:55] 6. Around The World
[2:09] 7. Three Coins In The Fountain
[2:28] 8. I Love Paris
[2:12] 9. On The Street Where You Live
[2:54] 10. Hey There
[2:19] 11. Moulin Rouge

Sam Butera spent much of his career leading Louis Prima's band, but his career continued long after Prima's death, coming to include sounds and styles far beyond Prima's brand of New Orleans jazz. A rock, R&B, and jazz legend, Butera is a towering crossover figure at the saxophone and as a bandleader. He was born in New Orleans to Italian-American parents. His father Joseph owned a butcher shop in a black section of the city, and played the guitar and the concertina in his spare time. At a wedding he was taken to at age seven, Sam Butera first saw and heard a saxophone, and, with his father's blessings, asked to take lessons. He studied the clarinet at school but eventually returned to the sax, and at age 18 was featured in Look magazine (Life's major competitor) as one of the top young jazzmen in the country. He got a gig with Ray MicKinley right out of high school, and also played with the bands of Tommy Dorsey and Joe Reichman. His major influences in those years included Charlie Ventura, Lester Young, Gene Ammons, Charlie Parker, and Big Jay McNeely; he seemed to gravitate naturally to swing and bebop. Ultimately, however, the biggest influence on his playing was Lee Allen, a member of Paul Gayten's band, with which he frequently played. Butera formed his own group -- inspired by Gayten's band -- after returning to New Orleans, and they quickly began a four-year engagement at the 500 Club, which was owned by Louis Prima's brother. His sound reflected a vast range of influences, including modern jazz and R&B, and in 1951 Butera cut a pair of raunchy R&B instrumental sides that might have figured in the early history of white rock & roll if only they'd gotten out at the time. He also had a featured spot in a Woody Herman concert that yielded both a chance for a new tour and a recording contract with RCA. The resulting sessions in the fall of 1953 gave Butera a chance to rock out in an alternately soft and sweet, or hard and playful manner. There weren't any significant sales, but RCA had him back in early 1954 for a series of sessions of its R&B-oriented Groove label (home of Piano Red, amongst others), and his version of "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" was a modest regional hit. He played some R&B shows, including a celebrated tour as part of Alan Freed's first East Coast rock & roll showcase, and Butera's loud, wild sax sound won him an enthusiastic following. By 1955, however, he was back doing jazz with Ella Fitzgerald and Louie Bellson. He finally hooked up with Louis Prima and spent the next 20 years leading his band, the Witnesses. Butera's own record releases were cut short, with only a handful of his Groove sides (including a vocal performance, "Giddyap Baby") ever issued at the time. Butera achieved financial security over the next 20 years working for Prima, and only then, in the mid-'70s, began re-emerging as a performer in his own right. ~bio by Bruce Eder

La Vie En Rose

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Simone Kopmajer - Moonlight Serenade

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:10
Size: 164,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:55)  1. Tea For Two
(4:55)  2. Fragile
(3:43)  3. L-O-V-E
(3:47)  4. For No One
(5:08)  5. Save Your Love For Me
(6:05)  6. I've Grown Accustomed To His Face
(4:04)  7. I'm Through With Love
(4:19)  8. Autumn Leaves
(4:19)  9. What A Diff'rence A Day Made
(5:31) 10. The Nearness Of You
(5:08) 11. Besame Mucho
(4:12) 12. Like Someone In Love
(4:23) 13. Peace
(6:07) 14. Moonlight Serenade
(3:26) 15. Stompin' At The Savoy

A cool-toned Austrian jazz vocalist, Simone Kopmajer sings in flawless English. She had classical piano lessons starting at the age of eight and at 12 began playing saxophone. She performed in a youth big band and sang regularly in her father's band as a teenager. At 17 she studied with Sheila Jordan, who encouraged her. Kopmajer also studied with Mark Murphy, Jay Clayton, and Michele Hendricks. Since earning a Masters from the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria, Kopmajer has toured the Netherlands twice with the Euro Big Band, appeared at European jazz festivals, and recorded three CDs: Moonlight Serenade (for the Japanese Venus label), her best-known set Romance (for Zoho), and her privately released Taking a Chance on Love. Each CD emphasizes her own fresh versions of standards. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/simone-kopmajer-mn0001897290/biography

Personnel:  John Di Martino (piano);  Hans Glawischnig (bass);  Philipp Kopmajer (drums);  Simone (vocals).

Moonlight Serenade

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