Johnny 'Hammond' Smith - Black Coffee

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:07
Size: 176.5 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz
Year: 1962/2013
Art: Front

[4:17] 1. Black Coffee
[3:04] 2. Monterey Theme
[4:15] 3. I Remember Clifford
[7:13] 4. Far Away Places
[7:19] 5. Rufus Toofus
[6:18] 6. Body and Soul
[5:30] 7. He's a Real Gone Guy
[4:59] 8. Blues for DeDe
[5:20] 9. Mr. Wonderful
[4:20] 10. Cyra
[3:41] 11. Lambert's Lodge
[5:39] 12. Love Letters
[4:45] 13. Blues on Sunday
[5:53] 14. Departure
[4:29] 15. Opus 2

Drums – Leo Stevens; Guitar – Eddie McFadden; Organ – Johnny "Hammond" Smith*; Tenor Saxophone – Selden Powell* (tracks: A1, A3, B1 to B3). Recorded live at the Monterey Club, New Haven, Connecticut, November 8, 1962.

Two of organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith's earliest gems (Black Coffee and Mr. Wonderful) are reissued in full on a single CD, Black Coffee. Although influenced by Jimmy Smith, this particular organist was also a strong grooving player, able to play both blues and more complicated chord changes. He is showcased with a quartet that includes tenor saxophonist Seldon Powell and guitarist Eddie McFadden, and in a quintet with McFadden, tenor man Houston Person and trumpeter Sonny Williams; in both cases Leo Stevens is on drums. The material (with eight colorful originals including "I Remember Clifford," "Body and Soul," and "He's a Real Gone Guy" among the 15 numbers) has a fair amount of variety, and Johnny "Hammond" Smith is heard at his best throughout this reissue. ~Scott Yanow

Black Coffee

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Jan Garber - The Great Jan Garber

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:01
Size: 71.0 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[0:44] 1. My Dear
[2:29] 2. 's Wonderful
[3:14] 3. More Than You Know
[2:49] 4. Maria Elena
[3:02] 5. Stardust
[3:08] 6. It's A Wonderful World
[2:33] 7. Lovely To Look At
[2:36] 8. Oh, Lady Be Good
[2:29] 9. It's Only A Paper Moon
[2:16] 10. Birth Of The Blues
[2:41] 11. I'll See You In My Dreams
[2:54] 12. The Things We Did Last Summer

Jan Garber began his extended career on America's bandstands as a modest quartet (including his own violin) following World War I. It later emerged as a full-fledged 'hot band' in the 1920s; a 'sweet' band in the early 1930s through the early 1940s; a 'swing' band during World War II; and back to the 'sweet' style permanently in late 1945.

Jan's greatest popularity surfaced in early 1933, shortly after he took over leadership of the 'Little Freddie Large Orchestra' from Canada. With Freddie's unique lead alto saxophone captivating radio listeners from Cincinnati to Catalina Island, the Garber Band - with a sound like Lombardo but lots peppier - became an overnight sensation at Chicago's famed Trianon Ballroom. A year later, it was solidly entrenched among the most popular dance groups in the entire country.

Prominent in this emergence were the imaginative musical arrangements of pianist Doug Roe; the singing of Nebraska native Lee Bennett; and a series of comic skits, special shows and mini-concerts during each dance.

The Great Jan Garber

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Lena Horne - Love Is The Thing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:28
Size: 138.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[2:47] 1. I'd Do Anything
[3:17] 2. Love Is The Thing
[3:28] 3. Fun To Be Fooled
[2:11] 4. It's Love
[3:35] 5. You're The One
[3:40] 6. I Get The Blues When It Rains
[2:39] 7. Darn That Dream
[2:56] 8. I'm Through With Love
[3:15] 9. Someone To Watch Over Me
[2:42] 10. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
[3:24] 11. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
[2:18] 12. It's Anybody's Spring
[3:33] 13. The Rules Of The Road
[3:37] 14. Paradise
[2:49] 15. I Got Rhythm
[3:43] 16. I Understand
[2:35] 17. It's A Lonesome Old Town
[2:43] 18. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
[2:15] 19. They Didn't Believe Me
[2:50] 20. Come On Strong

Since there isn't much out there from Lena's 50s career this is the only collection available. It finds Miss Horne backed by hot jazz combos on such numbers as "Love Is The Thing" and strings for instance on "Fun To Be Fooled." This is an overall satisfying compilation by a fine pop singer, who at times does sing straight ahead jazz. ~Aaron/Amazon

Love Is The Thing

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Lee Konitz - Tenderlee For Chet

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:03
Size: 178.7 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1999/2012
Art: Front

[10:26] 1. Blues For Chet
[12:16] 2. My Funny Valentine
[11:40] 3. Just Friends
[ 7:27] 4. It Could Happen To You
[10:38] 5. But Not For Me
[13:08] 6. What's New
[12:24] 7. I'll Remember April

Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz; Bass – Pietro Ciancaglini; Drums – Fabrizio Sferra; Piano – Stefano Bollani. Recorded live in Rome at La Palma on December 5 & 6, 1998.

One of the most individual of all altoists (and one of the few in the 1950s who did not sound like a cousin of Charlie Parker), the cool-toned Lee Konitz has always had a strong musical curiosity that has led him to consistently take chances and stretch himself, usually quite successfully. Early on he studied clarinet, switched to alto, and played with Jerry Wald. Konitz gained some attention for his solos with Claude Thornhill & His Orchestra (1947). He began studying with Lennie Tristano, who had a big influence on his conception and approach to improvising. Konitz was with Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool Nonet during their one gig and their Capitol recordings (1948-1950) and recorded with Lennie Tristano's innovative sextet (1949), including the first two free improvisations ever documented. Konitz blended very well with Warne Marsh's tenor (their unisons on "Wow" are miraculous) and would have several reunions with both Tristano and Marsh through the years, but he was also interested in finding his own way; by the early '50s he started breaking away from the Tristano school. Konitz toured Scandinavia (1951), where his cool sound was influential, and he fit in surprisingly well with Stan Kenton & His Orchestra (1952-1954), being featured on many charts by Bill Holman and Bill Russo. Konitz was primarily a leader from that point on. He almost retired from music in the early '60s but re-emerged a few years later. His recordings have ranged from cool bop to thoughtful free improvisations, and his Milestone set of Duets (1967) is a classic. In the late '70s Konitz led a notable nonet and in 1992 he won the prestigious Jazzpar Prize. He kept a busy release schedule throughout the '90s and dabbled in the world of classical music with 2000's French Impressionist Music from the Turn of the Twentieth Century. The Mark Masters Ensemble joined him for 2004's One Day with Lee, and in 2007 he recorded Portology with the Ohad Talmor Big Band. He has recorded on soprano and tenor but has mostly stuck to his distinctive alto. Konitz has led consistently stimulating sessions for many labels, including Prestige, Dragon, Pacific Jazz, Vogue, Storyville, Atlantic, Verve, Wave, Milestone, MPS, Polydor, Bellaphon, SteepleChase, Sonet, Groove Merchant, Roulette, Progressive, Choice, IAI, Chiaroscuro, Circle, Black Lion, Soul Note, Storyville, Evidence, and Philogy. In 2011, he released his own trio album Knowinglee and appeared on the live ECM date Live at Birdland (recorded in 2009) with pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Paul Motian. ~ Scott Yanow

Tenderlee For Chet

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Kirk Lightsey Trio & Freddie Hubbard - Temptation

Styles: Piano And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:16
Size: 117,6 MB
Art: Front

(10:29)  1. Gibraltar
( 7:23)  2. Evidence
( 7:59)  3. Society Red
(11:06)  4. Temptation
( 8:13)  5. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
( 6:04)  6. Brigitte

A pianist who is not a trendsetter but is consistently excellent, Kirk Lightsey long ago developed his own sound within the hard bop tradition. He started playing piano when he was five, although he also played clarinet while in high school. Lightsey worked in Detroit and California in the early '60s, often accompanying singers. He gained some attention in 1965 when he recorded with Sonny Stitt and was on five Prestige records with Chet Baker. However, Lightsey mostly had low-profile gigs until he toured with Dexter Gordon (1979-1983) and became part of the Leaders (starting in the late '80s). Kirk Lightsey has recorded with Jimmy Raney, Clifford Jordan, Woody Shaw, David Murray, and Harold Land, among others, and has led his own sessions for Criss Cross and Sunnyside, including piano duets with Harold Danko. He released the duo album, The Nights of Bradleys with bassist Rufus Reid on Sunnyside in 2004. https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/kirk-lightsey-trio/id293375220#fullText

Personnel: Kirk Lightsey (piano), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Santi Debriano (bass), Eddie Gladden (drums), Jerry Gonzalez (percussion).

Temptation

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Liza Pulman - Liza Pulman Sings Harold Arlen

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:48
Size: 86,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:14)  1. I Had Myself A True Love
(2:57)  2. With The Sun Warm Upon Me
(4:27)  3. One For My Baby
(2:50)  4. Let's Fall In Love
(3:41)  5. Stormy Weather
(4:02)  6. Over The Rainbow
(3:12)  7. Last Night When We Were Young
(2:07)  8. Happiness Is Just A Thing Called Joe
(6:15)  9. I'll Wind/Come Rain Or Come Shine/When The Sun Comes Out (Weather Medley)
(3:00) 10. Get Happy/Shining Hour

Liza has enjoyed an extensive and varied careerencompassing a broad spectrum of music, comedy and theatre.  After training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama she joined Glyndebourne Opera enjoying roles in many of the globally renowned ompany’s leading productions.
From Glyndebourne she guested with the D’Oyly Carte and Carl Rosa companies playing the leads in operettas by Offenbach and Gilbert and Sullivan. Liza has always been in demand for musical theatre. Her performances have included Adrian Noble’s award-winning 2002 production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium with Michael Ball, a production which became the theatre’s longest running show. Liza also played opposite Phillip Schofield in the UK tour of Doctor Dolittle.

In 2004 Liza joined the internationally renowned comedy trio Fascinating Aïda and their award winning shows have taken them to venues and festivals across the globe.Liza continues her solo career with numerous projects including her acclaimed show Everything’s Coming Up Roses and the development of her concert and recording series Liza Pulman Sings. In 2016 Liza is touring the UK with her major theatre show The Songs Of Hollywood.  http://www.lizapulman.com/biography/

Liza Pulman Sings Harold Arlen

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Masqualero - Masqualero

Styles: Jazz Fusion
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:02
Size: 179,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:00)  1. Ved Fossen
(3:42)  2. Wallen, wallen!/Helsinki song
(7:04)  3. Delete
(5:30)  4. Nyl
(4:50)  5. Til Radka
(4:50)  6. Rememberance
(5:43)  7. Fortere
(5:45)  8. Drifter
(5:27)  9. Masqualero
(4:14) 10. Sinki song
(5:06) 11. Aural Exciter
(4:39) 12. Not yet
(4:55) 13. Off balance
(6:11) 14. Den hemmelige

Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, there are still those who think that Norwegian musicians can't play "real jazz" (whatever that is), and that what they do play is something consistently (and erroneously) categorized as "Nordic Cool." Submitted for your approval is today's Rediscovery: the self-titled debut from Masqualero, a group that would retrospectively become known as a Norwegian supergroup and one that demonstrates there's plenty of "real jazz" going on in this country of five million, with a disproportionate number of significant artists going on to garner international acclaim. What group, after all, would name itself after a composition by American saxophonist Wayne Shorter a composition that appears as the only non-original on Masqualero and not be somehow affiliated with the jazz tradition? Two of Masqualero's members its cofounders were already internationally known names. Double bassist Arild Andersen first appeared on Munich's lauded ECM label with Jan Garbarek on the saxophonist's early classic Afric Pepperbird (1970), moving on to record a number of albums for the label under his own name (three of them released between 1975 and '78 and collected by the label in the 2010 box set Green Into Blue-Early Quartets). Drummer Jon Christensen, after also appearing on Afric Pepperbird, went on to become the label's de facto house drummer for the next decade or so, appearing on subsequent albums by artists ranging from Garbarek, Ralph Towner and Eberhard Weber to Bobo Stenson, Miroslav Vitous and Keith Jarrett.

Both continue to record for the label to this day. Andersen's last album was the superb Mira (2014), with his longstanding trio featuring saxophonist Tommy Smith and irrepressible drummer Paolo Vinaccia; he remains a bassist who, despite possessing a muscular tone and frightening dexterity, is capable of deeper lyricism and an ability to make his instrument truly sing. Christensen heard most recently on the overdue first-time CD issue of bassist Miroslav Vitous' Miroslav Vitous Group (1981) is a drummer whose earlier power has been diminished somewhat by physical impairments, but who these days remains a creative player of a more textural bent. Still, 30 years on, their collaborative work in Masqualero remains some of their absolute best. The balance of Masqualero's five members were relative youngsters.already showing substantial promise and who would subsequently go on to become well-known leaders and, in some cases, international stars. Trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer was just 23 when Masqualero was released, and while playing here with a more burnished tone and unmistakable jazz sensibility, he would go on to become a world-famous fuser of improvisation, electronica, world music and more on albums like Khmer (ECM, 1997), which was one of a number of albums released by Norwegian artists in 1997-'98 that truly shook the music world. 

Pianist Jon Balke was 28, but was on the cusp of emerging as not just an improviser with an unmistakable voice in groups like Jøkleba!, but as an even more influential composer with Oslo 13 and Magnetic North Orchestra, ensembles that had a significant impact on up-and-comers like The Source, Trygve Seim and Jaga Jazzist.  23 year-old saxophonist Tore Brunborg, in addition to superb albums as a leader including Tid (Curling Legs, 1993) and the more recent Lucid Grey (DRAVLE, 2009), would become an important collaborator with artists ranging from Ketil Bjornstad, Tord Gustavsen and Mathias Eick to Manu Katche, Misha Alperin and Mats Eilertsen. Recorded at Oslo's Talent Studio with engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug a pairing that, by that time, had also become a regular one for ECM label head/founder Manfred Eicher Masqualero comes charging out of the gate with Brunborg's high octane "Ved Fossen" and rarely lets up throughout the 73-minutes of Odin's 1997 CD of the original 1983 vinyl edition, adding five bonus tracks totalling 25 minutes and, rather than placing them at the end of the record, integrates within the original set list to create a large whole with its own distinct arc. More...John Kelman  https://www.allaboutjazz.com/masqualero-masqualero-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel:  Bass – Arild Andersen;  Drums – Jon Christensen , Piano, Electric Piano [El. Piano] – Jon Balke;  Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Tore Brunborg;  Trumpet – Nils Petter Molvær

Masqualero

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Joel Weiskopf - Where Angels Fear To Tread

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:28
Size: 161,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:59)  1. Patience
(7:15)  2. Breakthrough
(5:26)  3. Came to Believe
(9:11)  4. Love Song
(9:02)  5. Elegy for D Sharpe
(8:49)  6. Lonely Evening
(8:09)  7. Where Angels Fear to Tread
(6:48)  8. Time Remembered
(7:45)  9. Free Fall

Award-winning pianist/composer Joel Weiskopf has long been established in the straightahead jazz scene in the USA and abroad. While he has released a number of leader albums, this is his debut leader outing on SteepleChase. On this album Weiskopf brings out his time-tested repertoire (all originals plus Bill Evans' "Time Remembered") for a quintet date with his Syracuse compatriots, trumpeter Joe Magnarelli and saxophonist Andy Fusco, plus drumming sensation Jaimeo Brown.

"Joel Weiskopf is a serious jazz pianist with an individualistic style that is an amalgam of a great number of influences from American jazz to Brazilian samba." - C. Andrew Hovan, CD Review http://www.propermusic.com/product-details/Joel-Weiskopf-Where-Angels-Fear-to-Tread-227884

Personnel: Joel Weiskopf (piano), Joe Magnarelli (trumpet, flugelhorn), Andy Fusco (alto and soprano saxophone), Doug Weiss (bass), Jaimeo Brown (drums)

Where Angels Fear To Tread

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Sue Raney - Autumn In The Air / Singles

Album: Autumn In The Air
Size: 127,1 MB
Time: 53:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Looking Back (5:58)
02. I'll Never Go There Anymore Time Was Medley (4:24)
03. The Song Is Ended (3:55)
04. Once Upon A Summertime/The Summer Knows Medley (3:43)
05. Here's To Life (3:42)
06. I'll Be Seeing You (3:15)
07. Autumn In The Air (4:46)
08. When The World Was Young/Young And Foolish Medley (3:47)
09. Some Other Time (2:50)
10. Why Did I Choose You (3:33)
11. They Can't Take That Away From Me (3:01)
12. This Is All I Ask (5:47)
13. Over The Rainbow (5:12)

Sue Raney, a top studio singer for years and a beloved, well-respected vocal coach, had not recorded a full showcase for quite some time before making this CD in 1997. Blessed with a very appealing voice, Raney is accompanied by pianist Dick Shreve, whose sensitivity is a major asset to the date, and, on six of the 13 selections, bassist Bob Magnusson. Emphasizing ballads that often have the theme of the singer being in the autumn of her life, Raney manages to avoid sounding dreary or downbeat. In fact, the joy heard in her voice (one knows immediately that she loves singing and that she has complete control over her "instrument") allows her to uplift and make fresh such familiar material as "The Song Is Ended," "I'll Be Seeing You" (taken at a medium tempo), "Over the Rainbow" and even the overrecorded tearjerker "Here's to Life." Other highlights include Shreve's haunting "Autumn In the Air," "Some Other Time" and "This Is All I Ask." Sue Raney's improvising is quite subtle, but even when she sings material fairly straight, her dramatic pauses and placement of notes make the music special. Available from the Spanish Fresh Sound label, this is one to look for. ~by Scott Yanow

MC
Ziddu

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Album: Singles
Size: 101,3 MB
Time: 41:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. What's The Good Word Mr. Bluebird (2:09)
02. The Careless Years (3:06)
03. Don't Take My Happiness (2:41)
04. Please Hurry Home (1:56)
05. Periwinkle Blue (2:19)
06. My My, How The Time Goes By (2:07)
07. The Restless Sea (3:11)
08. Everybody Loves My Baby (2:51)
09. I Don't Look Right Without You (1:56)
10. Swingin' In A Hammock (2:05)
11. The Word Got Around (2:01)
12. One-Finger Symphony (2:28)
13. Wait Until Dark (2:05)
14. Parade (2:17)
15. Early Morning Blues And Greens (2:44)
16. Knowing When To Leave (2:33)
17. Til There Was You (2:36)

Blessed with a beautiful voice from an early age, Sue Raney has performed music ranging from swinging jazz and ballads to cabaret, middle-of-the-road pop and jingles. Her mother was a singer and a great great aunt had been in German opera. Raney started singing when she was four and a year later she first performed in public, at a party in Wichita, Kansas. Because a voice teacher could not be found for her daughter (because of her extreme youth), Raney's mother took voice lessons herself and then passed down what she learned to Sue. A professional before she was a teenager, Raney worked steadily in New Mexico when her family relocated and took several trips out to Los Angeles during a couple of summer vacations. She joined the Jack Carson radio show in 1954 in L.A. when she was barely 14. Raney then appeared on Ray Anthony's television program and became his band's main vocalist. At 18 she started working as a single. She had already recorded for Phillips and then signed with Capitol, recording several middle-of-the-road jazz-influenced pop dates for the company. In the 1960's Raney often appeared on television variety shows, she led her own group and became very active in the studios where her impressive voice helped sell products. By the early 1980's, she was also working as a voice teacher. In the 1990's Sue Raney has sung with the L.A. Voices and Supersax, the Bill Watrous big band and as a single in addition to staying active as a jazz educator and in the studios. Her main jazz recordings were a trio of albums for Discovery in the 1980's; a VSOP/Studio West CD features the singer on various live performances from the 1960's. ~by Scott Yanow

Singles

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The Chuck Berghofer Trio - The Film Music Of Ralph Rainger: Thanks For The Memory

Size: 184,2 MB
Time: 78:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Miss Brown To You ( 5:09)
02. Easy Living ( 5:47)
03. Sweet Is The Word For You ( 5:02)
04. Please ( 4:32)
05. Blue Hawaii ( 4:21)
06. If I Should Lose You (Feat. Sue Raney) ( 5:04)
07. Havin' Myself A Time ( 4:20)
08. Faithful Forever ( 4:08)
09. June In January ( 5:24)
10. Moanin' Low ( 4:39)
11. Here Lies Love ( 5:52)
12. I Wished On The Moon ( 5:29)
13. Love In Bloom ( 4:12)
14. Thanks For The Memory (Feat. Sue Raney) ( 3:45)
15. For These Memories...Thanks! (10:44)

Personnel: Jan Lundgren (p), Chuck Berghofer (b), Joe La Barbera (d), Sue Raney (vcl on #6 & 14)

Following his tribute to film composer Bronislau Kaper, record producer Dick Bank has turned his attention to another great talent who’s overdue for recognition. Ralph Rainger was a virtuoso pianist who enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with lyricist Leo Robin at Paramount Pictures in the 1930s. The result was a cavalcade of hit songs, many of which went on to become standards and also jazz perennials, including…

“Easy Living,” “I Wished on the Moon” (lyric by Dorothy Parker), “If I Should Lose You,” “Blue Hawaii,” “Love in Bloom,” “Please,” and “Thanks for the Memory.” (Rainger is less recognized as a pioneer in film scoring, as he often worked without credit in the early 1930s, when multiple composers would contribute to a movie’s underscore.)

To interpret the selections, Bank called on three of the finest jazz players in Los Angeles: pianist Jan Lundgren, drummer Joe La Barbera, and the great bassist Chuck Berghofer, who has never served as a leader on a record date—until now. Appropriately enough, he states the melodic line on several of these tunes, giving them a fresh, lively approach. This is impeccably tasteful straight-ahead jazz.

In addition to the titles mentioned above, the disc includes “Moanin’ Low,” Rainger’s first hit, with words by Howard Dietz, “Faithful Forever” from Max Fleischer’s animated feature Gulliver’s Travels, and many others.

A bonus track features Rainger in a rare, somewhat “canned” radio interview from 1937 that concludes with the composer playing a florid piano rendition of “Love in Bloom.” Then he and Leo Robin perform the same song at a famous 1940 ASCAP concert that took place in San Francisco.

An accompanying booklet fills us in on Ralph Rainger’s life and untimely death, and includes some publicity articles that appeared under his and Leo Robin’s byline in the 1930s along with photos and sheet music covers. I can’t think of a better tribute to an unsung figure from Hollywood’s—and popular music’s—golden age. ~Leonard Maltin

The Film Music Of Ralph Rainger

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Pepper Adams - Encounter!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:54
Size: 102.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1969/1996
Art: Front

[5:52] 1. Inanout
[3:54] 2. The Star-Crossed Lovers
[5:59] 3. Cindy's Tune
[6:27] 4. Serenity
[7:15] 5. Elusive
[7:17] 6. I've Just Seen Her
[4:04] 7. Punjab
[4:02] 8. Verdandi

Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams; Bass – Ron Carter; Drums – Elvin Jones; Piano – Tommy Flanagan; Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims. Recorded on 3 & 4 January, 1969 at Nola Sound Studios, NY.

Baritonist Pepper Adams and tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims (who rarely performed together) make a surprisingly compatible team on this CD reissue of a 1968 Prestige session. With pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Elvin Jones forming a fairly adventurous rhythm section, Pepper and Sims sound inspired on material that includes obscurities by Flanagan, Thad Jones and Adams in addition to the Ellington-Strayhorn ballad "Star-Crossed Lovers" and a pair of Joe Henderson songs. The setting is more advanced than usual for Sims, who rises to the challenge. ~Scott Yanow

Encounter!

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George Colligan - Ask Me Tomorrow

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 53:17

Size: 122.0 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 2014

Art: Front

[7:33] 1. Ask Me Tomorrow

[7:56] 2. Two Notes Four Chords

[5:32] 3. Prague

[9:05] 4. Return To Copemhagen

[3:28] 5. Insistent Linda

[7:42] 6. Jeeper's Summer House

[6:42] 7. Catharsis

[5:14] 8. Jet Blue

Bass – Linda Oh; Drums – Ted Poor; Piano – George Colligan; Recorded January 2012.

George Colligan can, apparently, do no wrong. His choices in musicians and his compositional skills—not to mention superior musicianship—cannot be second-guessed. “Ask Me Tomorrow” is one more example in a long catalog of examples. Fronting his own trios and quartets or with Jack DeJohnette’s group, as a professor at Portland State University or as a blog-writer himself, Colligan does not disappoint.

“Ask Me Tomorrow”, recorded in January, 2012, Colligan points out in his liner notes was supposed to be a demo. He wanted to document this particular trio, and rightly so, because he calls it “one of the most liberating gigs” that he has ever played. Half-way through the first track the listener can already understand why. That first track—“Ask Me Tomorrow”—was the only track that was not a first take. The energy is high and the focus is razor sharp. It is all so clear from the outset. Colligan’s choices of Linda Oh (bass) and Ted Poor (drums) are spot-on. Colligan admits that he played “once or twice with Miss Oh in the band of flautist Jamie Baum” but that he had heard Ted Poor only on recording with trumpeter Cuong Vu. Poor’s reputation, however, was well-established and he was highly regarded.

Again, Colligan’s choice was correct. Poor plays the title track on the deep end of this blues and Oh plays off him and against him very well. Colligan himself, as always, is on top of the proceedings and, as composer, he is second to none. I even named him my “2013 Composer of the Year” for the Jazz Journalist Association poll for that year. ~Travis Rogers

Ask Me Tomorrow

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P.J. Perry & Tommy Banks - Old Friends

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:57
Size: 160.1 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:36] 1. First Song For Ruth
[4:48] 2. For All We Know
[3:17] 3. Joy Spring
[5:23] 4. My Old Flame
[3:05] 5. The Best Things In Life Are Free
[4:36] 6. Darn That Dream
[4:21] 7. Ceora
[4:34] 8. Laura
[4:15] 9. My Foolish Heart
[4:05] 10. If You Could See Me Now
[4:41] 11. Blue And Sentimental
[4:41] 12. September Song
[4:23] 13. Delilah
[4:15] 14. My Ideal
[4:40] 15. Old Folks
[4:08] 16. You Can't Go Home Again

For their first duo record, saxophonist P.J. Perry and pianist Tommy Banks play with the unforced enthusiasm you might expect but with an added ear for nuance and detail given their spare setting. While they stick with ballads through most of this 70-minute set of standards there are still a few sprightly tempos among 16 carefully engineered tracks. Perry’s glowing alto sax remains his most revealing instrument though it’s closely matched in the big, breathy feel of his tenor outings as he conjures up romance (My Old Flame, Laura), melancholy (If You Could See Me Now, My Ideal), and fleeting joy (Joy Spring, The Best Things In Life Are Free). Banks’ solo breaks take off with elegance, cheerful lyricism (Ceora, September Song) and understated bluesiness (Blue And Sentimental) when he’s not playing the perfect foil to Perry’s fluid melodies. This is an intimate collaboration every classic jazz fan should hear for the decades of shared experience it reflects and the intangible magic of two familiar musical minds meeting up for the simple satisfaction of it all. ~Roger Levesque

Old Friends  

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Alemay Fernandez - Hard To Imagine

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:44
Size: 95.6 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[5:51] 1. Being You
[3:09] 2. Hard To Imagine
[4:43] 3. Spare Me The Details
[3:27] 4. I Believe
[4:35] 5. Meant To Be
[3:07] 6. Sheer Perfection
[3:58] 7. How Many Ways
[5:30] 8. Heaven Wrote A Song
[2:40] 9. My Baby & Me
[4:40] 10. I Got The Feeling

Hailed by TimeOut magazine as one of Singapore's "best-loved entertainers", homegrown vocal powerhouse Alemay Fernandez is a rising star in the Asian Jazz scene. Known for her sultry-smooth tone and an onstage presence that keeps the audience eating out of the palm of her hand, she has performed with The Count Basie Orchestra, David Foster, The Platters' Bobby Soul, and opened for Laura Fygi & Incognito.

Hard To Imagine is her maiden album - a labour of love five years in the making. The album of original tracks is the singer’s first foray into writing, arranging and producing. Deeply personal, the tunes are a diary of her journey as an artiste. Expect an elegant mix of jazz, soul & bluesy goodness backed by soulfully honest vocals. There are 21 musicians as well as 4 guest vocalists on this album featuring a cross-section of both Singaporean as well as internationally renowned musicians including drummer Erik Hargrove (who has toured with James Brown & Bootsy Collins), drummer Pablo Calzado (who has played with The Buena Vista Social Club), bassist Christy Smith (who has toured with Stevie Wonder), vocalist Richard Jackson (who has performed with Randy Brecker & Ernie Watts), vocalists Vanessa Fernandez & Michaela Therese (who have recorded and performed respectively with Brian McKnight).

Hard To Imagine

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Kenny Ball - Invitation To The Ball

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:51
Size: 100.4 MB
Styles: Dixieland
Year: 1960/2011
Art: Front

[2:48] 1. Hawaiian War Chant
[2:55] 2. Them There Eyes
[2:37] 3. Georgia Swing
[4:37] 4. Riverside Blues
[4:02] 5. Sorry
[5:49] 6. Original Dixieland One Step
[4:03] 7. Teddy Bears' Picnic
[2:43] 8. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
[3:11] 9. Dinah
[3:36] 10. Lazy River
[2:43] 11. 1919 Rag
[4:40] 12. South Rampart Street Parade

Kenny Ball's debut album presents the band in superb form, the rhythm section locked together like they're joined at the hip, and the rest not much less tight -- and their ranks include Diz Disley, no less, on banjo. The stereo sound is used a bit more subtly that it would have been in America, but the dividing of the soloists and the section plays well off the technology. ~Bruce Eder

Invitation To The Ball

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Ernie Watts & Gilberto Gil - Afoxé (Ah-Fo-SHAY)

Styles: Vocal and Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:05
Size: 131,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:34)  1. The Green Giant, Part I
(3:32)  2. Show Me
(5:01)  3. You're My Thrill
(7:37)  4. From Japan
(1:50)  5. Meditation
(3:49)  6. Rituals Of Spring
(7:44)  7. A Raca Humana
(4:13)  8. Free Afoxe
(4:33)  9. Gondwana
(5:32) 10. Oriente
(3:07) 11. The Green Giant, Part II
(4:28) 12. From Japan (Portuguese version)

Afoxé (pronounced ah-fo-SHAY), much like the music Ernie Watts, Gilberto Gil and their friends have created here and in Brazil itself, is the sum of striking contradictions. In Bahia, the vast coastal state known as the heartland of African culture in Brazil contemporary secular version of sacred Afo-Brazilian candomblé hymns are called afoxés. (The ritualistic candomblé sect is the product of an innovative blending of Catholic tradition and the beliefs of the secretive African religious societies.) The procession of musicians and singers who bring the candomblé message to the streets of Salvador every year during carnaval is itself known as an afoxé. And so are the drums, Brazil's answer to the Cuban conga. Even a popular percussion instrument today as much at home in high school band rooms in the U.S. Midwest as it is in the winding back alleys of Salvador's historic Pelourinho neighborhood, has taken the name afoxé. http://www.erniewatts.com/discography/afoxe.html

Personnel:  Ernie Watts – Saxophones;  Gilberto Gil - Vocals, Guitar; Robert Sadin – Keyboards;  Dunn Pearson - Additional Keyboards;  Sharon Bryant – Vocals;  Marlon Graves – Guitar;  Ray Bardani - Synthesized Percussion;  Marcus Miller – Bass;  Kenny Kirkland - Electric Piano;  Romero Lubambo - Midi Guitar;  Mark Egan – Bass;   Victor Bailey – Bass;  Frank Colon – Percussion;  Jack DeJohnette - Kalimba, Drums;  Eddie Gomez – Bass. 

Afoxé (Ah-Fo-SHAY)

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Sue Raney - Sue Raney Volume II

Styles: Vocal Jazz

Year: 2004

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 48:38

Size: 111,7 MB

Art: Front

(2:22)  1. Someone To Watch Over Me

(1:57)  2. I Hear Music

(2:10)  3. Trouble Is A Man

(2:59)  4. Breezin Along With The Breeze

(2:36)  5. Little Girl Blue

(2:24)  6. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

(1:28)  7. Deed I Do

(1:59)  8. Love Me Or Leave Me

(1:56)  9. No Place To Go

(2:41) 10. Five Definitions Of Love

(2:47) 11. With A Little Help From My Friends

(2:58) 12. My Love Is A Wanderer

(3:58) 13. Umbrellas Of Cherbourg (Watch What Happens)

(2:24) 14. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

(3:28) 15. Burnt Sugar

(2:26) 16. I Ain't Got Nobody

(2:03) 17. Deed I Do

(1:55) 18. Breezin Along With The Breeze

(2:01) 19. Goodbye Charlie

(1:57) 20. Bluesette

Sue Raney, who has always had a beautiful voice, first gained some recognition for her work in jazz and popular music in the late 1950s. She has been a fixture in Los Angeles ever since, becoming a well-known vocal coach and teacher in addition to continuing her solo career. The second volume of previously unreleased material from Studio West features Raney in four different settings. Nine selections team her with a quartet led by pianist Page Cavanaugh that perfectly fits her singing. Two songs have her joined by Page 7 (a septet led by Cavanaugh), there are five numbers with a quartet co-led by clarinetist Buddy DeFranco and accordionist Tommy Gumina, and the remaining four selections are with the 1970 version of Shelly Manne & His Men. The performances are usually brief but Raney takes advantage of each moment, stretching her repertoire from swing standards to the Beatles"With a Little Help From My Friends" and Michel Legrand's "Umbrellas of Cherbourg." Highlights include "Trouble Is a Man," "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams," and two versions apiece of "Breezin' Along With the Breeze" and "'Deed I Do." Because Sue Raney has never recorded often enough, this set of rarities is particularly recommended to listeners unfamiliar with the talented singer. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/volume-ii-mw0000152127

Personnel: Sue Raney (vocals); Tommy Gumina (accordion); Buddy DeFranco (clarinet); Shelly Manne & His Men, Page Cavanaugh Quartet.

Sue Raney Volume II

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Julie London - Wild, Cool & Swingin'

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 57:05

Size: 130.7 MB

Styles: Vocal jazz, Torch songs

Year: 1999

Art: Front

[2:54] 1. Come On-A My House

[2:39] 2. My Heart Belongs To Daddy

[2:38] 3. Girl Talk

[2:12] 4. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

[1:54] 5. You're My Thrill

[2:41] 6. Makin' Whoopee

[3:02] 7. Black Coffee

[2:03] 8. 'tain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)

[3:48] 9. Blues In The Night

[2:32] 10. Comin' Thro' The Rye

[2:24] 11. Night Life

[2:37] 12. You And The Night And The Music

[2:28] 13. Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast

[2:33] 14. Watermelon Man

[2:12] 15. Go Slow

[2:37] 16. Wives And Lovers

[2:16] 17. I Must Have That Man!

[2:03] 18. Let There Be Love

[2:08] 19. Mad About The Boy

[4:25] 20. Daddy

[2:37] 21. Love For Sale

[2:09] 22. Mickey Mouse March

Wild, Cool and Swingin' compiles 22 songs from several of the many albums she made for the Liberty label from 1957 though 1966. Most of the selections link London with obviously good but mostly unidentified studio players, as well as with excellently arranged material that is unencumbered, for the most part, by syrupy string ensemble playing. Her 1960 recording of "Black Coffee" compares well with the slinky Peggy Lee and soulful Carmen McRae versions of this tune. Andre Previn is with her for a very Billy May-like arrangement of "Makin' Whoopee." A fine guitar player is present on "`Tain't What You Do (It's the Way That Cha Do It)," and a sax player sounding much like Plas Johnson sets the tone for a powerful rendition of "Night Life." London is appropriately sensuous on "Come on-A My House" and "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." The vocalist also proves she can get down with the blues on "Watermelon Man," where she is backed by an orchestra led by Gerald Wilson, along with a down and dirty organ. "Daddy" finds her in the company of Jimmy Rowles along with a hot fiddle. Ernie Freeman, who has backed many a singer, is represented on several of the tracks. His ability to write arrangements which enhance the special qualities of the vocalists is evident on such tunes as "Wives and Lovers." Given the songs compiled for this release, it's clear that the producers wanted to show that there is something more to London's warbling than romantic ballads backed with string orchestras, playing stock arrangements. For both Julie London fans as well as those who appreciate good vocals of well-arranged tunes, this album is recommended. ~Dave Nathan

Wild, Cool & Swingin'

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Dutch Swing College Band - The Swing Code

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:48
Size: 134.6 MB
Styles: Dixieland
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:36] 1. Stomp With The Dsc
[4:34] 2. The Last Time
[5:24] 3. There'll Be Some Changes Made
[5:00] 4. Caspar's Eye
[3:22] 5. African Queen
[3:56] 6. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
[3:21] 7. High Society
[3:15] 8. Dippermouth Blues
[2:52] 9. Creole Jazz
[2:40] 10. Memphis Blues
[2:28] 11. I Love You Samantha
[3:43] 12. At The Jazzband Ball
[3:06] 13. Bourbon Street Parade
[3:03] 14. Willy The Weeper
[2:50] 15. Blues For Jimmie
[2:06] 16. Muskrat Ramble
[2:25] 17. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans

Bob Kaper - (clarinet, alto sax, vocals), Bert de Kort - (cornet, vocals), Frits Kaatee - (clarinet, saxes), George Kaatee - (trombone), Marcel Hendricks - (piano), Ton van Bergeijk - (banjo, guitar), Adrie Braat - (double bass), Han Brink - (drums).

The world famous Dutch trad jazz band celebrates its 60th anniversary with a brand new studio recording. After performing 8 tracks on their own, DSCB is joined by four stars of traditional jazz, trombonist Chris Barber, clarinetist Acker Bilk, trumpeter Kenny Ball and trombonist Papa Bue, who feature as soloists on a further 9 classic tunes.

The Swing Code

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Elmo Hope - Hope Full

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:48
Size: 91.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Swing
Year: 1961/1995
Art: Front

[4:35] 1. Underneath
[5:17] 2. Yesterdays
[5:00] 3. When Johnny Comes Marching Home
[5:05] 4. Most Beautiful
[6:04] 5. Blues Left And Right
[3:30] 6. Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away)
[5:23] 7. My Heart Stood Still
[4:50] 8. Moonbeams

During the early years of the bop revolution, few of its younger pianists recorded unaccompanied solos. Even by 1961, solo albums by the bop musicians were considered a bit unusual, but Elmo Hope (an underrated composer and pianist) fares quite well during this Riverside set, which has been reissued on CD. Hope is joined by his wife Bertha on second piano during three of the eight numbers, most notably on a swinging "Blues Left and Right." Of the solo pieces, Elmo Hope is at his best on "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and a cocktailish, but appealing, version of "Liza." ~Scott Yanow

Hope Full

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