Oliver Jones - Speak Low, Swing Hard

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:01
Size: 119.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1985/1999
Art: Front

[5:14] 1. Softwinds
[4:31] 2. On The Trail
[5:17] 3. Street Of Dreams
[3:41] 4. Ballad For Claire
[4:51] 5. Hilly
[4:57] 6. I'm An Old Cowhand
[7:05] 7. Up Jumped Spring
[4:40] 8. Soul Eyes
[4:15] 9. The Reverend Mr. Jones
[7:25] 10. Speak Low

Bass – Skip Beckwith; Drums – Jim Hillman; Piano – Oliver Jones.

By the time pianist Oliver Jones recorded this set, his sixth release for Justin Time, he was finally gaining recognition in the U.S. for his brilliant playing. A virtuosic pianist, Jones is heard in excellent form on a trio date with bassist Skip Beckwith and drummer Jim Hillman, playing modern mainstream jazz interpretations of such standards as "Soft Winds," "Up Jumped Spring" and "Speak Low," along with his own "Hilly" and a pair of Beckwith originals, including "The Reverend Mr. Jones." ~Scott Yanow

Speak Low, Swing Hard

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Denilson Big D Martins - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:59
Size: 105.3 MB
Styles: R&B, Jazz-blues saxophone
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:22] 1. Get Hot
[2:46] 2. 3d (Feat. Sax Gordon)
[5:16] 3. Bee Hive
[3:30] 4. Oh Mariel (Feat. Sax Gordon)
[5:17] 5. Just A Close
[2:49] 6. Seven To Eleven
[3:46] 7. Joogie The Boogie
[2:39] 8. I Have Decided
[4:42] 9. Rock It
[4:14] 10. Bluejeans
[4:22] 11. The Newborn Shuffle (Feat. Junior Watson)
[3:09] 12. Boogie & Barbecue

Denilson Martins can play anything it seems, but here he’s chosen to apply his considerable abilities to a set of traditional, old-fashioned American Rhythm & Blues. This is rocking music from the days when the saxophone was the go-to instrument for excitement, back in the 1940s and 1950s when Rock & Roll was born, when wild performers pushed the limits of their instruments and their audiences. Things have changed in the music world since then and now it’s rare to find performers so committed and accomplished at this art, but what hasn’t changed is the effect this music has on audiences. Whether you’re dancing, partying, or just sitting back listening, Denilson and his band, led by guitarist and producer Igor Prado, will transport you to a place where the music is real, wild, fun, and spontaneous…a world where musicians and fans, dancers and listeners, are all in it together to have the time of their lives. This CD will bring you there until you get the chance to catch ‘em live! ~SAX GORDON BEADLE

Denilson Big D Martins

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The Hot Sardines - Live At Joe's Pub

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:43
Size: 132.1 MB
Styles: Dixieland jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[ 5:01] 1. T'ain't Nobody's Business
[ 0:58] 2. Bib's Bachification
[ 6:07] 3. Comes Love
[ 9:14] 4. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen
[ 4:04] 5. Meet Me At The Bottom Of The Bottle
[ 7:45] 6. Summertime
[ 5:17] 7. I Love Paris
[11:10] 8. St. James Infirmary
[ 8:03] 9. Bourbon Street Parade

The Hot Sardines sound – wartime Paris via New Orleans, or the other way around – is steeped in hot jazz, salty stride piano, and the kind of music Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt and Fats Waller used to make: Straight-up, foot-stomping jazz. (Literally – the band includes a tap dancer). They manage to invoke the sounds of a near-century ago and stay resolutely in step with the current age.

These tracks were recorded live at one of our absolutely favorite places to play in New York City, Joe's Pub, on January 9, 2013.

Live At Joe's Pub

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Bob Berg - The Best Of Bob Berg On Denon

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:25
Size: 156.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1995/2009
Art: Front

[ 5:24] 1. Friday Night At The Cadillac Club
[ 8:06] 2. Kalimba
[11:16] 3. Pipes
[ 7:25] 4. Mayumi
[ 7:19] 5. In The Shadows
[ 4:55] 6. Autumn Leaves
[ 8:07] 7. Silverado
[ 4:06] 8. When I Fall In Love
[ 6:23] 9. Amazon
[ 5:19] 10. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man

Tenor saxophonist Bob Berg channeled the bold dynamics of hard bop to emerge as one of contemporary jazz's most expressive and resourceful improvisers, honing a richly articulated sound bolstered by flawless technical command. Born in New York City on April 7, 1951, Berg grew up in Brooklyn, initiating piano lessons at age six. At 13, he moved to alto saxophone, first discovering jazz when a high school teacher introduced him to the music of Cannonball Adderley and Horace Silver. After dropping out of New York's High School of Performing Arts, Berg enrolled in a special non-academic curriculum at the Juilliard School of Music. In 1968, he made his professional debut touring behind Brother Jack McDuff, and by the time the 1960s drew to a close, he specialized in tenor saxophone, his subsequent creative path profoundly shaped by John Coltrane. After a brief flirtation with free jazz Berg renounced the avant-garde in favor of postwar bop. On the recommendation of fellow saxophonist Michael Brecker, he joined Silver in 1973, remaining with his boyhood hero for three years, when he replaced George Coleman in Cedar Walton's Eastern Rebellion. In 1978 Berg stepped out to record his debut LP, New Birth, and after leaving Walton in 1981 he cut his sophomore effort, Steppin': Live in Europe; he rose to new levels of renown upon joining Miles Davis in 1984, a three-year stint that set the stage for his 1987 breakout session, Short Stories. Berg closed out the decade in the band he led with co-founder/guitarist Mike Stern, cutting a series of LPs including 1988's Cycles and 1990's In the Shadows. In 1992, he signed on with Chick Corea's acoustic quartet, and that same year led his own quartet on a U.S. Department of State-sponsored tour of the Caribbean. Upon releasing the 1997 solo date Another Standard, Berg joined an acoustic reincarnation of the group Steps Ahead, and in 2000 he also joined the cooperative project the Jazz Times Superband, collaborating with Randy Brecker, Joey Defranchesco, and Dennis Chambers. Berg next surfaced alongside vibraphonist Joe Locke in the group 4 Walls of Freedom. Sadly, their eponymous debut set did not appear until after the saxophonist's death in an auto accident near his home on Long Island on December 5, 2002. ~bio by Jason Ankeny

The Best Of Bob Berg On Denon

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Frankie Avalon - 25 All-Time Greatest Hits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:18
Size: 140.4 MB
Styles: Early pop/rock
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[2:23] 1. Venus
[2:52] 2. I'll Wait For You
[2:10] 3. Dede Dinah
[2:01] 4. Gingerbread
[2:27] 5. Just Ask Your Heart
[2:38] 6. Where Are You
[2:17] 7. A Perfect Love
[2:35] 8. Why
[2:54] 9. Tuxedo Junction
[2:08] 10. Too Young To Love
[2:37] 11. Bobby Sox To Stockings
[1:57] 12. A Boy Without A Girl
[2:30] 13. Togetherness
[2:43] 14. Don't Let Love Pass Me By
[1:54] 15. Swinging On A Rainbow
[2:30] 16. All Of Everything
[2:28] 17. Don't Throw Away All Those Teardrops
[2:23] 18. Who Else But You
[3:04] 19. You Are Mine
[2:48] 20. Call Me Anytime
[2:19] 21. A Miracle
[2:12] 22. Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea
[2:18] 23. Two Fools
[2:00] 24. Beach Party
[2:55] 25. Don't Stop Now

This package is part of the Varese Sarabande label's general campaign to put out new greatest-hits packages of artists they've already given the best-of treatment to, the chief difference being the inclusion of more tracks the second time around. The company's The Best of Frankie Avalon, issued in 1995, had 18 songs; 25 All-Time Greatest Hits, as is self-evident, has seven more. The biggest hits are on both CDs, but alas it's not an automatic given that 25 All-Time Greatest Hits makes other Avalon anthologies redundant, since it's missing a number 56 chart hit that was on The Best of Frankie Avalon, "The Puppet Song." Granted that tune's not a world-beater, but its inclusion would probably mean something to a lot of fans who bother to select an Avalon best-of off the shelves. That omission aside, this has everything almost anyone would want by Avalon, including a bunch of songs beyond the half-dozen or so that still cling to oldies radio play lists. The best of the obscure tracks are the ones from the 1963 non-charting 45 "Beach Party"/"Don't Stop Now," which are far harder-rocking than most of his output, though they're not memorable. "Beach Party" was written by Gary Usher and Roger Christian, who were involved in composing many a hot rod and surf record, including some for the Beach Boys; "Don't Stop Now," which sounds like it would have fit in well in one of his beach movies, even has some early fuzz guitar. Beyond that, it might be noted that a surprisingly high portion of this has no relation to rock music, being far more in the orchestrated pop balladeer school that rock & roll did so much to close down. ~Richie Unterberger

25 All-Time Greatest Hits

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Irene Kral, Alan Broadbent - Where Is Love?

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:27
Size: 92,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:09)  1. I Like You, You're Nice
(3:38)  2. When I Look in Your Eyes
(6:31)  3. A Time for Love/Small World
(3:10)  4. Love Came on Stealthy Fingers
(4:36)  5. Never Let Me Go
(5:03)  6. Spring Can Really Hang You Up
(6:44)  7. Lucky to Be Me/Some Other Time
(4:22)  8. Where Is Love?
(3:09)  9. Don't Look Back

It's really quite amazing to read anything about the late jazz vocalist Irene Kral. I've never seen anything less than superlative adjectives applied to her all-too-brief career. The younger sister of singer-pianist Roy Kral (Jackie & Roy) who died in July 2002, she spent some time with Maynard Ferguson's band in 1957 and Herb Pomeroy's organization in Boston in '58. I've always enjoyed her presence as Eliza Doolittle on Shelly Manne's 1964 My Fair Lady with the Unoriginal Cast, in which she sings with, and without, a clowning Jack Sheldon as Henry Higgins. After leaving the business in the mid 1960s to raise a family, Irene Kral returned to record a series of ballad albums with pianist-arranger Alan Broadbent and a final work with Loonis McGlohan, before succumbing to breast cancer in 1978. Which brings us to Where is Love, recorded in 1976. It's been almost 30 years since it was released and I haven't heard my vinyl copy in a while (well... decades), so I don't mind telling you that if I had my Desert Island Discs all lined up, Kral's would certainly be represented.

With just a spare piano accompanyment, the vocalist tackles nine very well chosen ballads that are meant not only to entertain us but to advise us about the compositions of singer-songwriters like Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg and Blossom Dearie. Her "Lucky To Be Me"/"Some Other Time" medley are two of the best reasons to see the Leonard Bernstein-Comden/Green musical Wonderful Town (just revived in NYC). It's no wonder that musicians like Bill Evans/Mark Murphy/Fred Hersch have gravitated to recording these tunes. Her unhurried and moving delivery opens up the lyrical content of show tunes like the title song from Oliver or Leslie Bricusse's "When I Look In Your Eyes." I defy you to find a better recording of "Love Came On Stealthy Fingers" or the jazz chanteuse standard "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most."  Although Kral chose to perform in a low-key manner in her final years, she was a fine interpreter of mid- and up-tempo vocals. Clint Eastwood was well aware of this when he chose two of her selections with the Junior Mance Trio to use in his Bridges of Madison County film. When the Eastwood character wanted to demonstrate the power of jazz music circa 1965, he turned on the truck radio and received her versions of "It's A Wonderful World" and "This is Always." ~ Michael P.Gladstone https://www.allaboutjazz.com/where-is-love-irene-kral-choice-candid-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php

Personnel: Irene Kral, vocals; Alan Broadbent, piano

Where Is Love?

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Peter Bernstein - Stranger In Paradise

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:31
Size: 153,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:19)  1. Venus Blues
(6:51)  2. Stranger In Paradise
(6:24)  3. Luiza
(6:04)  4. How Little We Know
(6:03)  5. Bobblehed
(8:42)  6. Just A Thought
(6:30)  7. This Is Always
(5:40)  8. Soul Stirrin
(6:34)  9. That Sunday,That Summer
(6:20) 10. Autumn Nocturne

Guitarist Peter Bernstein is reunited with pianist Brad Mehldau once more (their fourth recording together under Bernstein's name) and also keeps the rhythm section intact from his earlier Criss Cross CD Heart's Content, with Larry Grenadier on bass and drummer Bill Stewart. These rewarding sessions blend elements of hard bop and post-bop, including an intriguing, slightly off-center approach to "Stranger in Paradise" and an intricate, moving interpretation of "This Is Always," a ballad that can become stale in the wrong hands. The quartet also tackles quite a few works that don't get all that much attention, like a greasy arranging of Babs Gonzales' "Soul Stirrin'" and a breezy take of "That Sunday, That Summer," the latter a hit for Nat King Cole during his years as a popular singer. 

Bernstein also adds four potent originals, all of which set the band afire. It is a shame that Peter Bernstein is overlooked by American record labels, but be thankful that the Japanese know talent when they hear it and invest the time and money to document his work. Highly recommended! ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/stranger-in-paradise-mw0000697592

Personnel: Peter Bernstein (guitar); Brad Mehldau (piano); Larry Grenadier (bass); Bill Stewart (drums).

Stranger In Paradise

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McCoy Tyner - Blue Bossa

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:43
Size: 88,9 MB
Art: Front

(9:57)  1. Blue Bossa
(5:50)  2. Recife's Blues
(7:45)  3. I'll Take Romance
(6:49)  4. Rotunda
(8:21)  5. We'll Be Together Again

McCoy Tyner's CD for the budget label LRC finds his regular trio of the time (bassist Avery Sharpe and drummer Aaron Scott) augmented by percussionist Raphael Cruz and trumpeter/fluegelhornist Claudio Roditi on most of the tracks. Unfortunately, Cruz proves to be more of an unnecessary distraction, marring an otherwise potent take of "Blue Bossa" and adding little to Tyner's hard driving "Rotunda." Roditi is a better fit with Tyner's group, especially on the lyrical arrangement of "We'll Be Together Again," but his two originals are rather lame compared to the remainder of the release. Tyner's trio tackles "I'll Take Romance" without either one of their guests, with superb results. Three additional tracks from these sessions appeared on the compilation Double Exposure. A later reissue of this CD by Laserlight under the same title omits both Roditi's "The Natural Bridge" and Tyner's "Traces." Although Tyner is in top form throughout, this is not an important release in his considerable discography, but its low price make it worth acquiring. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-bossa-mw0000268506

Personnel: McCoy Tyner (piano); Claudio Roditi (trumpet, flugelhorn); Avery Sharpe (bass); Aaron Scott (drums); Raphael Cruz (percussion).

Blue Bossa

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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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