David Liebman & Gil Goldstein - West Side Story (Today)

Size: 145,1 MB
Time: 62:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1990
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Something's Coming (5:41)
02. Tonite, Tonite (7:45)
03. Cool (6:26)
04. One Hand, One Heart (7:28)
05. Jet Song (5:33)
06. Somewhere (5:14)
07. A Boy Like That - I Have A Love (8:16)
08. I Feel Pretty (4:45)
09. Maria (5:03)
10. America (5:47)

Personnel: David Liebman (soprano saxophone); Gil Goldstein (piano, synthesizers).

Recorded September 29, 30 1990 at Centerfield Productions Studio, New York.

A 1991 reworking of already overworked material. West Side Story Today songs Both musicians are fine players. ~Ron Wynn

West Side Story (Today)

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Carol Duboc - Open The Curtains

Size: 101,8 MB
Time: 41:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz, R&B, Funk
Art: Front

01. In Pieces (Feat. Mindi Abair & Sheila E.) (3:28)
02. Feeling Good (Feat. Patrice Rushen & Rhonda Smith) (3:46)
03. Open The Curtains (Feat. Patrice Rushen) (4:51)
04. Forget Me Nots (Feat. Patrice Rushen & Bibi McGill) (5:00)
05. Whisper (Feat. Patrice Rushen) (4:27)
06. Faces (Feat. Patrice Rushen & Jennifer Batten) (3:43)
07. Fever (Feat. Aubrey Logan) (4:09)
08. Miss You Missing Me (3:25)
09. Precious (Feat. Mindi Abair) (3:57)
10. I'm Gone (Feat. Jennifer Batten) (4:51)

Jazz vocalist and pianist Carol Duboc delivers her eighth solo album presenting seven vibrant originals and three cover tunes on a set of jazz, R&B, funk and Smooth-styled music on the exciting Open The Curtains. Making this a special recording for Duboc, the singer illuminates the power of women by assembling an all-star, talented cast of female players including Patrice Rushen, Sheila E, and Mindi Abair among others. The result of course, is a collection of hard-driving soulful songs with an appreciable groove propelling the music forward.

The gyrating and percussive "In Pieces," starts the ball rolling featuring the Afro-Latin funk sounds of Sheila E pounding the rhythm as saxophonist Abair extends herself on a burning solo, the song was inspired by a partnership that didn't go well and the tune is meant to convey the act of bouncing back and not falling to pieces. "Feeling Good" is one of the covers of the set and a tribute piece to the great Nina Simone, in which the singer voices the lyrics with emotion and a bit of soul. The title track brings out the funk-side of the leader as she and the ladies who provide the background vocals, reveals what's behind the curtains: high-octane funk and superb piano work by Rushen.

Having perhaps one of the finest melodies of the session, the light "Whisper" is one of the standout songs of the album featuring Rushen on Fender Rhodes, Bibi McGill on guitar, bassist Rhonda Smith and Cora Coleman (Queen Cora) on the drums. All the ladies seem to get into the action on the fast-paced swinging and R&B-styled "Faces," a personal favorite of the leader that here, provides one shoulder-moving statement. The vocalist sings one sultry and seductive rendition of the classic "Fever," showcasing Aubrey Logan on the trombone and Queen Cora on the drums.

The Queen is also on tap on the hard-driving "Miss You Missing Me," as Duboc belts out the lyrics and the drums pound out the beats on another upbeat and lively song. The music begins to close on the delicate and smooth-styled "Precious" highlighted by Abair's soothing soprano saxophone voice and comes to an end on the funky/R&B-tinged finale "I'm Gone," as the songstress reaches and provides a graceful exit. A gifted singer and composer, Carol Duboc unveils an enchanting and tasteful selection of songs designed to get one moving and bopping your head when you Open The Curtains, well done! ~Edward Blanco

Personnel: Carol Duboc: vocals; Patrice Rushen: piano; Fender Rhodes, synthesizer, organ; Cora Coleman (Queen Cora): drums; Rhonda Smith: upright bass, electric bass; Sheila E: percussion; Mind Abair: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; Bibi McGill: Guitars; Jennifer Batten: Guitar (6, 10); Aubrey Logan: trombone (7); Anna Duboc: background vocals (3); Ava Dela Cruz: background vocals (3).

Open The Curtains

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Jeri Southern - You Better Go Now / When Your Heart's on Fire

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:00
Size: 177,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:02)  1. You Better Go Now
(3:14)  2. Give Me Time
(3:44)  3. Something I Dreamed Last Night
(3:12)  4. The Man That Got Away
(3:07)  5. When I Fall in Love
(2:55)  6. Just Got to Have Him Around
(3:11)  7. Dancing on the Ceiling
(2:40)  8. Speak Softly to Me
(3:08)  9. What Good Am I Without You
(3:14) 10. I Thought of You Last Night
(3:19) 11. That Ole Devil Called Love
(3:14) 12. Remind Me
(3:51) 13. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
(2:49) 14. Can I Forget You
(3:51) 15. Little Girl Blue
(3:28) 16. I Remember You
(3:45) 17. He Was Too Good to Me
(2:22) 18. You're Driving Me Crazy
(2:40) 19. You Make Me Feel So Young
(3:51) 20. Someone To Watch Over Me
(2:32) 21. Autumn in New York
(3:56) 22. My Ship
(3:33) 23. No More
(2:10) 24. Let Me Love You

If you were to leaf through all the material written about Jeri Southern in the past five years or so by record reviewers, night club critics, newspaper columnists and others, you would notice a constant recurrence of such words as delicacy, sensitivity, taste, subtlety and restraint. If you find these qualities admirable, then it's a fine experience you have in store as you listen to these lyrical little milestones in Miss Southern's recording career. On some of them she sounds very close to tears, on others she sounds wise and profound and perhaps just a bit cynical. Sometimes she seems like a wistful little girl, and the next minute she's silken and sultry and seductive. The moods are many and complex, and they are all Jeri Southern's. They are all yours too, to share with her here in this album. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com

Personnel : Jeri Southern (vocals, piano); Camarata, Sy Oliver, Sonny Burke, Lew Douglas, Norman Leyden (conductor).

You Better Go Now / When Your Heart's on Fire

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Joe Henderson - Inner Urge

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 1964

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 43:19

Size: 99,3 MB

Art: Front

(11:59)  1. Inner Urge

( 9:15)  2. Isotope

( 7:16)  3. El Barrio

( 7:22)  4. You Know I Care

( 7:24)  5. Night and Day

This brilliant remastering of saxophonist Joe Henderson's most emotionally urgent album also raises the possibity that it is the ultimate showcase of his distinguished career. The deference to Coltrane is obvious: pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones are on board on every selection, although shifting their styles to mesh with Henderson. The deference to Getz is more subtle, coming clear on Henderson's stingingly lyric ballad feature, "You Know I Care," and his melodic recasting of Cole Porter's "Night and Day." Weaving a path between Coltrane's fiery sermonizing and Getz's singable romanticism, Henderson displays a wholly individual sense of phrasing that alternates molten passionate engagement with cool reflection. The title track is an eleven minute tour de force of musical storytelling, comprising an evocation of Henderson's scuffling for work and recognition in the Big Apple, the tenor man's frustrating rite of passage. You hear plenty of hoarse cries, moans, and barbaric yelps, but you can hear episodes of great restraint within a loose blues structure.


"El Barrio" digs as deeply into the Latin mode as Henderson ever went, again emphasizing a nearly stragulated, gruff sax sound interrupted by beautifully full tones. The empathy with Tyner and Jones is palable throughout the album. They're egging him on, but oh so gently, giving Henderson tons of space to sink or swim in. Henderson thrives in their presence, their hyper-kinetic backing, and bassist Bob Cranshaw, while not as flashy as Jones, definitely keeps the rhythm lines lively. The album seems like an apotheosis of hard bop, a ruthlessly probing amplication of a typical, hard-blowing, Blue Note bop session, pushing bop formulas as far as they could be pushed. As such, I consider it not only one of the best dozen Blue Note sessions ever released, I hear it as one of the major statements of jazz in the '60s, actually recreating the political, economic, and social realities of the turbulent times more precisely than most recorded music of the '60s in any style. An absolutely essential listen and a major masterpiece. ~ Norman Weisntein https://www.allaboutjazz.com/inner-urge-joe-henderson-blue-note-records-review-by-norman-weinstein.php

Personnel: Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone); McCoy Tyner (piano); Bob Cranshaw (bass instrument); Elvin Jones (drums).

Inner Urge

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Lou Donaldson - Lou Takes Off

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:20
Size: 88,2 MB
Art: Front

(10:05)  1. Sputnik
( 7:17)  2. Dewey Square
(14:34)  3. Strollin' In
( 6:22)  4. Groovin' High

A cadre of young musicians, each who would, in time, evolve into a master, is caught as they begin to shine early on for this fireball 1957 set. A thinly disguised take on Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love?" is the opening tune, altoist Lou Donaldson's "Sputnik." It launches matters at full throttle, with Donaldson unmistakably reflecting Charlie Parker's then still very fresh and vibrant influence. Joining the pulsating rhythms is a young Donald Byrd, whose ebullient trumpet intonation makes for a perfect complement to Donaldson's sweet bop heat. Adding more flavor is a strong rhythm section driven by the breathtaking marathon-paced drumming of Art Taylor.

A bop classic, Charlie Parker's own "Dewey Square," includes a showcasing solo from the too-soon-gone Sonny Clark, who was already displaying his rhythmically sophisticated and seriously playful piano. Easing in and out smoothly on the tune is Curtis Fuller, who was already demonstrating the JJ Johnson-influenced technique that, as composer and trombonist, has led to his playing with a galaxy ranging from Miles Davis and John Coltrane to Count Basie and many more. On another Donaldson piece, "Strollin' In," Fuller's sound is so varied and sweet it's as if he's just invented a new instrument. And Clark's piano is so mesmerizing one can only regret, again, that his life was so short.  If Lou Takes Off is not an essential set, it is a fascinating one, if only historically. It's a welcome opportunity to savor a steaming, vivid and fascinating session when a band of young lions were clearly on the verge of greatness. ~ Andrew Velez https://www.allaboutjazz.com/lou-takes-off-lou-donaldson-blue-note-records-review-by-andrew-velez.php

Personnel:  Lou Donaldson: alto saxophone;  Donald Byrd: trumpet;  Curtis Fuller: trombone;  Sonny Clark: piano;  Jamil Nasser: bass;  Art Taylor: drums.

Lou Takes Off

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Seamus Blake - Stranger Things Have Happened

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:54
Size: 142,4 MB
Art: Front

( 8:23)  1. Perk
(10:07)  2. Happenstance
( 4:49)  3. Northern Light
( 7:52)  4. Token Cello
(10:48)  5. Extranjero
( 7:33)  6. G.S.S.
( 8:13)  7. Taurus People
( 4:06)  8. Of Ours

Seamus Blake's first disc on the Fresh Sound New Talent label is a marvelous showcase not only for the leader but also for guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, the album's other prominent solo voice. Bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, together the backbone of Brad Mehldau's famous trio, lay down the ideal rhythmic universe for Blake and Rosenwinkel to flourish in. Opening with the wild, funkified double-time of "Perk," the group goes on to traverse a wide swath of territory, from the classic post-bop swing of "Happenstance" and "G.S.S." to the experimental sounds of "Token Cello" and "Of Ours." Jesse Harris guests on second guitar for "Northern Light," a song that almost sounds like Simon & Garfunkel. (There's an uncredited vocal performance, probably by Blake.) "Extranjero," a lilting soprano sax feature, and Farouq Dawad's fast-swinging "Taurus People," the sole non-original piece, complete the inspired program. With Stranger Things Have Happened, Seamus Blake proves many times over that he can go toe-to-toe with great young tenors like Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, and Mark Turner. ~ David R.Adler http://www.allmusic.com/album/stranger-things-have-happened-mw0000672257

Personnel:  Seamus Blake (saxophone), Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar), Larry Grenadier (bass), Jorge Rossy (drums), Jesse Harris (guitar)

Stranger Things Have Happened

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Cyrus Chestnut - Journeys

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:13
Size: 136,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:49)  1. Smitty's Joint
(6:27)  2. Lover
(4:44)  3. Eyes of an Angel
(5:52)  4. Little Jon
(5:56)  5. New Light
(5:31)  6. Journeys
(5:16)  7. The Flowers on the Terrace
(7:00)  8. Yu's Blues
(4:39)  9. In the Still Hours
(8:54) 10. Goliath

During a career spanning 20 years, Cyrus Chestnut has risen to be one of the most esteemed and productive of jazz pianists. Journeys makes 16 recordings under his name. He regularly performs with his trio and is the go-to guy on numerous recording dates and gigs. Having apprenticed with the incomparable vocalist Betty Carter, Chestnut's playing displays a style and technical virtuosity that has him compared to jazz legends from Jelly Roll Morton and Oscar Peterson to Tommy Flanagan. Not associated with a particular style, he displays a wide range with his roots in church music, planted by his father, a pastor.
Journeys features his current touring partners bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Neal Smith turning out an estimable recording that amply shows off his compositional skills in nine originals. The recording starts with a blast on "Smitty's Joint," with Chestnut's fingers a blur on the keyboard. Douglas adds a spirited bass bit and Smith contributes vigorously. Chestnut then has fun with the disc's only standard, Rodgers and Hart's venerable "Lover," upping the tempo and bringing in boppish filigrees. Throughout, Chestnut embellishes songs in creative ways. On "Eyes of an Angel," he uses tremolo effects to decorate the simple melody, while "Little Jon" starts with a jive riff and proceeds to a stirring climax. With the title tune, Chestnut does evoke a journey; a majestic march to Smith's fluttering drums. "Yu's Blues" is a moody late-night blues, with the noirish Douglas' enhancing the feel.  "Goliath" is the album's showpiece, its complex structure beginning quietly, but moving to a mesmerizing climax, amidst Chestnut's swirl of notes, layered over Douglas' steady bass line. This song represents what Chestnut shows throughout Voyage an ability to surprise, with unexpected turns and provocative phrasing. ~ Larry Taylor https://www.allaboutjazz.com/journeys-cyrus-chestnut-jazz-legacy-productions-review-by-larry-taylor.php
 

Personnel: Cyrus Chestnut: piano; Dezron Douglas: bass; Neal Smith: drums.

Journeys

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Bonnie Lowdermilk - Up To Now

Size: 140,5 MB
Time: 60:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Day By Day (3:57)
02. You've Changed (4:33)
03. Jitterbug Waltz (3:46)
04. Get Out Of Town (6:03)
05. All That I Knew (3:17)
06. Nobody Else But Me (3:01)
07. Bankin' On The Moon (4:28)
08. Joy Spring (2:56)
09. It Might As Well Be Spring (6:29)
10. Whistlin' In The Dark (3:43)
11. Power Tool (4:54)
12. Moon River (4:43)
13. Fools Fall In Love (4:50)
14. Dancing In The Dark (3:19)

It has taken cool jazz singer/pianist Bonnie Lowdermilk a little more than a decade to resurface after releasing her debut CD This Heart Of Mine with the Fred Hersch Trio to deliver her follow-up album Up To Now. With all arrangements made by Lowdermilk, the album showcases a broad range of standards from the upbeat swing kilting of Cole Porter’s “Get Out Of Town” to Henry Mancini’s puttering carousal ride “Whistlin’ In The Dark,” in addition to a few originals written by Lowdermilk like the silky beading of “Bankin’ On The Moon“ and the gently propelled “All That I Know.” Assisting Lowdermilk with the swing-inspired rhythms and carpeting of harmoniously groomed motifs are bassists Ken Walker and Mark Simon, drummer Colin Stranahan, trumpeter Greg Gisbert, saxophonist Peter Sommer, and trombonist Nelson Hingle.

Lowdermilk is schooled in tailoring her vocal melodies to the mood of the music as she vacillates from traipsing like a woodland sprite in “Day By Day” to crooning like a maiden whose fantasy-man has lost his luster in “You’ve Changed“ and scatting like a cat indulging her freewill in “Joy Spring.” Her vocal strut boasts a self-assurance relatable to Diana Krall and a rhythmic chiming reflective of Dena DeRose. Lowdermilk adds personality and poignant inflections through Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern’s tune “Nobody Else But Me,” and evokes pure emotion along the wispy strokes of “Moon River” as her vocals advance and ebb along the ducts of lacy piano keys. The horn arrangement opening “Power Tool” exude a spirited rhapsody which switches directions and fosters a supper club atmosphere in “Dancing In The Dark.” Lowdermilk’s style of singing is dapper chaffed in roughly cut edges that give her resonance a rugged texture that is both real and attractive.

Writing and performing for two decades now, Bonnie Lowdermilk has honed her craft to a Dianne Reeves-sparkle. Over the years, Lowdermilk has worked in a wide array of forums from being a solo artist to performing in duets, trios, quartets, quintets, and sextets in clubs, concerts, parties, festivals, and other events. Her palate is broad as she is able to sing in French, Portuguese and English, and groomed as an instructor to administer piano and vocal lessons. Lowdermilk has a penchant for grabbing a song’s reins with a firm grip, and thrusting her voice forward displaying a clarity and elasticity that is inviting as she asserts a bold presence in the vocal melodies relatable to such prominent singers as Frank Sinatra and Wayne Newton. ~by Susan Frances

Up To Now

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Brian Charette - Once & Future

Size: 136,6 MB
Time: 58:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz, Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Jitterbug Waltz (4:14)
02. Tyrone (3:39)
03. Latin From Manhattan (3:54)
04. Da Bug (4:05)
05. At Last (4:48)
06. Hot Barbeque (4:29)
07. Dance Of The Infidels (3:02)
08. Zoltan (4:51)
09. The Scorpion (4:43)
10. Falling Fourth (3:19)
11. Ain't It Funky Now (3:34)
12. Mellow Mood (4:15)
13. Road Song (4:15)
14. Blues For 96 (5:14)

Nobody who wields an instrument of any sort can truly escape the gravitational pull of history. There are many who try to fight it, but better to embrace what came before, acknowledge where a sound or concept originates, and use that knowledge as both a port of arrival and a point of departure. There are no severed ties between past, present, and future; there are only visible and obscured links.

Organist Brian Charette's fourth album on the Posi-Tone imprint is fully invested in that art of recognition, the belief in invention, and, perhaps most importantly, reconciliation between the two. Charette covers a good deal of music written by or associated with some iconic organists—Fats Waller, Jimmy Smith, Brother Jack McDuff, and Larry Young among them—and puts the material through his own spin cycle, influenced by modernists among us like the forward-thinking Sam Yahel and chops 'n' groove champion Joey DeFrancesco. The album falls a notch or two lower on the quirky/freewheeling scale than his previous releases for the label, but it's just as enjoyable and listener-friendly.

Charette travels through fourteen songs here with a pair of label-mates who are well-suited to this environment—guitarist Will Bernard and drummer Steve Fidyk. Together they reconstitute a series of classics and should-be classics with originality and taste, mixing in three originals from the leader for good measure. Jocular moods and serious skills mix often, grooves run deep, and transience triumphs, both in terms of style and song length. This crew moves easily and quickly from funk to swing and soul to bop while extending on the tradition(s).

That once and future blend is always in sight, as demonstrated right off the bat on the back-to-back pairing of Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz" and Young's "Tyrone." The former is tied to the jovial, cascading melodic truths of its origins while the latter is reborn as a funky vehicle in seven. The remainder of the program is no less invested in the idea of bridging then with now. Charette and company have a blast visiting and/or retooling different times, places, and styles—hard bop via "Da Bug," a twenty-four bar blues waltz from Freddie Roach; boogaloo in the form of McDuff's "Hot Barbecue"; straight-up dance floor designs, courtesy of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now"—and they invite the listener to smile and join in the party. ~Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Brian Charette: organ; Will Bernard: guitar; Steve Fidyk: drums.

Once & Future

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Pearl Bailey - The Best

Size: 152,5 MB

Time: 64:44

File: MP3 @ 320K/s

Released: 2016

Styles: Jazz Vocals

Art: Front

01. Blue Grass (3:19)

02. I Ain't Talking Though It's All Over Town (2:42)

03. Personality (3:11)

04. Me And My Shadow (2:42)

05. Don't Ever Leave Me (2:13)

06. Old Man, You Been Gone Too Long (2:58)

07. It's A Woman's Prerogative (3:08)

08. Legalize My Name (3:09)

09. As Long As I Live (2:28)

10. Who (2:50)

11. Row, Row, Row (3:03)

12. A Little Learnin' Is A Dangerous Thing (6:31)

13. Baby, It's Cold Outside (2:56)

14. Vagabond Shoes (2:30)

15. I'm Lazy That's All (2:34)

16. Nothin', Nothin' Baby Without You (3:19)

17. Let There Be Love (2:46)

18. Fifteen Years And I'm Still Serving Time (3:02)

19. She's Something Spanish (2:50)

20. That's No Way To Do (3:02)

21. Protect Me (3:20)

An uninhibited vocalist who gave more to her performances than any other singers around, Pearl Bailey gained fame for her work in Broadway, cabaret, and Hollywood. Bailey's sultry, slurred delivery livened up many a stale standard, including "Baby It's Cold Outside" and her only hit, "Takes Two to Tango." The daughter of a preacher, Bailey began singing at the age of three (her brother, Bill Bailey, also taught her a few dance steps). She was performing professionally by her early teenage years and after touring as a dancer for several years, she featured both as a singer and dancer with jazz bands led by Noble Sissle, Cootie Williams, and Edgar Hayes. She began performing as a solo act in 1944, and wooed night club audiences with her relaxed stage presence and humorous asides. After briefly replacing Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Cab Calloway's Orchestra during the mid-'40s, she debuted on Broadway during 1946 in the musical St. Louis Woman. Bailey earned an award for most promising newcomer, and made her first film, Variety Girl, in 1947. Though it wasn't a hit, her version of "Tired" (from Variety Girl) increased her standing in the jazz community. She recorded for several different labels, including Columbia, during the '40s and finally found a hit in 1952 after signing to Coral. Her version of "Takes Two to Tango," backed by Don Redman's Orchestra, hit the Top Ten. That same year, she married drummer Louie Bellson, and he left his position with Duke Ellington to become her musical director. Bailey recorded several albums for Coral during the early '50s, and starred as a fortune teller in the 1954 film Carmen Jones. More starring roles followed, in the W.C. Handy biopic St. Louis Blues as well as the first filmed version of Gershwin's classic operetta Porgy and Bess. In 1959, a new recording contract (with Roulette) resulted in a change of direction. After her double-entendre LP For Adults Only was banned from radio play, it became a big seller and occasioned a string of similar albums during the early '60s. She continued to perform on Broadway, and won a Tony award in 1970 for her title role in Hello, Dolly!. She led her own television variety show in 1971, but retired from active performance several years later. Pearl Bailey was named to the American delegation to the United Nations in 1976, and awarded the Medal of Freedom in 1988. ~John Bush

The Best  

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Jerome Epps - Sophisticated Funk

Size: 102,3 MB
Time: 41:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Funk
Art: Front

01. Sophisticated Funk (6:04)
02. Nasty Funk (5:41)
03. Motherfunk (4:15)
04. J-Funk (5:54)
05. Funk Bounce (4:51)
06. Neon Funk (5:17)
07. Carousel Funk (4:46)
08. Jazz Brunch (4:47)

I’ve always been influenced by many genres of music, but Funk music lies at the roots of my journey. This album is a compilation of Contemporary Jazz Funk Fusion & hip hop grooves. During the recording of this album I could feel the spirit of Jazz Funk Legends like Herbie Hancock, George Duke, James Brown, George Clinton and Prince running through my veins. It’s these legends of the past, present & future that have inspired me to bring you “Sophisticated Funk”. Home is where the Funk is and it's good to be back home. Enjoy!

Sophisticated Funk

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Julian Yeo - Another Season

Size: 107,4 MB
Time: 43:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Lullaby Of Birdland (1:56)
02. How High The Moon (2:51)
03. The Summer Wind (3:02)
04. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (2:23)
05. I Can’t Give You Anything But Love (3:10)
06. A Fine Romance (3:20)
07. East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon) (2:18)
08. All The Things You Are (2:22)
09. Makin’ Whoopee (3:16)
10. Polka Dots And Moonbeams (3:33)
11. Emily (2:31)
12. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To (2:35)
13. Misty (4:02)
14. What Is This Thing Called Love (3:01)
15. S’wonderful (2:36)

Another Season, Another Reason to Record Another Album.

With each season's passing, I seem to gain a slightly different perspective and interpretation of the songs that I love to sing.

So, a few years after I released "You and the Night; Night and the Music", I went back to the recording studio. The first thing I did was to look into the vault of previously unreleased tracks that I had recorded with the band. These tracks were not included in my prior albums for various reasons, mostly because they did not fit in with the overall vibe. With the help of modern technology, I was able to re-record the vocals. With a tad more mature tone, some of these songs seem more convincing when I sing it at a later stage of my life.

I also couldn't wait to record new materials with a live band. So, I summoned guitarist Tony Romano (sometimes joined by bassist Haeng Seol) to lay down more tracks, adding songs that would round up the album with a more intimate introspective vibe, reimagining jazz standards from the 20s to 50s in a chill coffee shop. I sincerely hope you enjoy “Another Season”. ~Julian

Another Season

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Sara Gazarek & Josh Nelson - Dream In The Blue

Size: 126,2 MB
Time: 53:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Blackbird - Bye Bye Blackbird (4:14)
02. O Pato (3:27)
03. Sunny Side Of The Street (4:13)
04. All Again (4:24)
05. I Can't Make You Love Me (4:16)
06. Mood Indigo (3:55)
07. No Moon At All (5:26)
08. Petit Papillon (3:58)
09. I Don't Love You Anymore (3:47)
10. Father Father (5:05)
11. Behind Me (4:28)
12. Cello Song - Without A Song (6:24)

The success of a story often hinges on the art of the telling. Listen to vocalist Sara Gazarek with pianist Josh Nelson and you immediately see that to be true. These two use ripples of inflection to elicit tidal waves of emotion, uncover new wrinkles in the oldest of thematic fabrics, paint scenes and/or inhabit characters so deeply and convincingly that they blur or erase the lines separating true self from role, and willingly reveal all that this world has to offer—blessings, drama, and slings and arrows included. On Dream In The Blue, Gazarek and Nelson alternately elicit tears of joy and sorrow by moving from escape to reality, heaven to earth, and mirth to melancholy, reaffirming their collective position as one of the most arresting voice-and-piano pairings out there in the process.

While their musical relationship is at the heart of all four of Gazarek's previous albums, it's never been highlighted to this degree before. Through duo work these two have discovered an even deeper bond than those formed over their many years of collaboration; it's a bond built on the mutual acceptance of art as a reflection of life.

There's certainly more darkness and woe here than usual for Gazarek and Nelson, but there's no lack of light. The triptych that introduces the album makes that clear. First up is their signature marriage of "Blackbird" and "Bye Bye Blackbird," a beautiful medley filled with hopefulness and reflection. A perky performance of "O Pato" follows. Gazarek moves effortlessly from Portuguese to English, shades of "Take The 'A' Train" materialize in the harmonic framework of the song, and effervescence rules the day. Then optimism continues to shine through with a version of "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" that finds Gazarek matching moves with Nelson on some daring, wordless, well-choreographed maneuvers.

Everything is looking up at this point in the album, but then the realization that nobody rides life's highs forever is swiftly set upon the listener. With "All Again," a radio-worthy Nelson original, a balance point is achieved between darkness and hope; a poignant and nuanced performance of the Bonnie Raitt-associated "I Can't Make You Love Me" tears the heart apart; and a highly personalized rendition of "Mood Indigo," harmonically tweaked and rooted to sixteenth notes, brings out the dark blue meaning in the title better than most.

The second half of the album is no less intriguing in its emotional and musical blend. The seductive "No Moon At All" swings and sings just as it should, demonstrating a straightforward approach that still offers a few surprises. An amalgamation of musical lightness and subject heaviness appears with "Petit Papillon," a Gazarek-Nelson work that uses the plight of a captured and damaged butterfly as an analogue for a woman snared in love, wounded by its daggers, and left in the dust. Then there's "I Don't Love You Anymore," a collaboration between these two and songwriter Cliff Goldmacher that's built around an emotional wallop of a post-breakup encounter. It comes softly but hits hard. This is the point where heartbreak is piled upon heartbreak.

The album then moves toward its conclusion with Laura Mvula's hymn-like "Father Father," Nelson's "Behind Me" (with new lyrics from Gazarek), and a medley of Nick Drake's "Cello Song" and "Without A Song." That last entry, bridging two distinctly different forms of popular music from different eras, conceptually complements the album's opening number and brings things to an ideal conclusion.

Convincingly selling this wide variety of material in such an intimate setting is no easy feat, but Sara Gazarek and Josh Nelson are uncommonly gifted communicators who have no problem getting these stories across in just the right way(s). Dream In The Blue is a testament to the strength of their relationship. It's an album that's likely to endure in hearts and minds. ~Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Sara Gazarek: vocals; Josh Nelson: piano.

Dream In The Blue

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Chris Cheek - Vine

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:33
Size: 168,8 MB
Art: Front

( 9:11)  1. So It Seems
(13:06)  2. The Wing Key
( 6:39)  3. Vine
( 7:57)  4. Ice Fall
(10:35)  5. Granada
( 7:33)  6. Reno
( 8:56)  7. What's Left
( 9:32)  8. Not a Samba

Chris Cheek's sophistication as a writer takes a giant leap with Vine, his best album to date. Joining the saxophonist are two of the most talked-about instrumentalists in jazz, pianist Brad Mehldau and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, as well as bassist Matt Penman and drummer Jorge Rossy. Mehldau plays acoustic piano on only three tracks; otherwise, his instrument of choice is the Fender Rhodes, which blends with Rosenwinkel's guitar in subtle, miraculous ways. "So It Seems" begins the album with winding melodies over a double-time feel and space-age chords that suggest club genres such as jungle and drum-n-bass. Rosenwinkel's solo is dirty and distorted; his expressive vocabulary takes some startling and highly original turns, such as falling off a note with an awkward wobble to end a phrase. In contrast, his solo on the quick 6/8 tune "Ice Fall" glistens with a clean tone and flawlessly executed lines. Mehldau is in top form throughout, getting around the Rhodes with consummate flair and playing beautiful piano behind Cheek's soprano sax on the final duo piece, "Not a Samba."

There's an epic side to Cheek's writing that we haven't quite heard prior to this album. In addition to "So It Seems," there's "The Wing Key," a Latin-tinged exploration that begins with a series of stunning tenor/guitar unison lines; "Granada," a more introspective piece with a Spanish-style hook at the end of the form; and "What's Left," a bright 12/8 piece that Mehldau, Cheek, and Rosenwinkel whip up in turn with brilliant solos. In contrast, "Vine" and "Reno" are simpler constructions, more similar to the folk and country elements heard on Cheek's previous album, A Girl Named Joe. Perhaps this is what it would have sounded like had Keith Jarrett ever happened to sit in with The Band.  It's not exactly surprising when a "dream team" of players such as this shines with instrumental brilliance. But it takes an artistic sensibility as focused and fully realized as Cheek's to work with the raw materials at hand and come up with something smashing. ~ David R.Adler http://www.allmusic.com/album/vine-mw0000528712

Personnel: Chris Cheek (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar); Brad Mehldau (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Jorge Rossy (drums).

Vine

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Jenny Evans - The Four Seasons Of Love

Styles: Vocal Jazz

Year: 2011

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 55:18

Size: 127,0 MB

Art: Front

(3:34)  1. The Four Seasons Of Love

(4:57)  2. Early Autumn

(4:14)  3. Like A Breath Of Spring

(5:07)  4. Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer´s Day

(4:35)  5. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most

(5:53)  6. In September

(4:46)  7. September Song

(5:17)  8. November Day

(3:42)  9. The Summer Knows

(2:37) 10. Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind

(1:25) 11. April Is In My Mistress Face

(4:23) 12. The Summer Wind

(4:44) 13. In Summer (Estate)

The English singer Jenny Evans has, for many years now, been regarded as one the leading jazz vocalists in Europe.When guitar player Paulo Morello played her one of his melodies a while back it was the start of a new musical project. Without further ado Jenny wrote lyrics to the tune, calling the song Like A Breath of Spring and this gave rise to a whole new programme with songs inspired by the four seasons of the year. For this project the vocalist presents a New Trio feat. Paulo Morello (guitar), Sven Faller (bass) and Felix Sapotnik (saxophones, clarinets, flute). Jazz standards like Estate, Early Autumn and Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most find themselves in the company of classical melodies by Erik Satie and Thomas Morely; a sonette by Shakespeare - Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer’s Day is complemented by European compositions like The Summer Wind and Michel Legrands The Summer Knows as well as one of Kurt Weill’s American hits, September Song. Paulo Morello has written a theme song specially for this project: The Four Seasons Of Love to which Jenny Evans wrote the lyrics.

Personnel:  Jenny Evans (vocal); Paulo Morello (guitar);  Sven Faller (bass);  Felix Sapotnik (saxophone, clarinet, flute)

The Four Seasons Of Love

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Brian Charette - Upside

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:16
Size: 145,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:25)  1. Yolk
(7:39)  2. Silicone Doll
(6:25)  3. Look Elsewhere
(5:10)  4. Public Transportation
(4:18)  5. You've Changed
(3:28)  6. Furthering Adventures
(4:57)  7. Altered Waltz
(4:55)  8. Girls
(6:27)  9. Prelude To a Kiss
(3:50) 10. Upper Manhattan Medical Group
(5:07) 11. Upside
(5:31) 12. Wish List

Brian Charette is one of many New York City-based jazz musicians seeking to further his career. Following two projects for small labels (the first a self-produced outing), the organist should get greater recognition with this appearance on Steeplechase. Utilizing his working trio with guitarist Ben Monder (who has recorded extensively as a leader and sideman) and drummer Jochen Ruckert, Charette penned nine originals specifically for this session. The humorously titled “Silicone Doll" is not a parody of the famous Ellington ballad, though it is easy to imagine a pretty young lady walking to its catchy theme. The aggressive bop vehicle “Public Transportation" suggests the sudden lane changes in heavy traffic at high speed that stresses the hearts of tourists in New York City, while the lower-key “Altered Waltz" proves equally infectious. Charette's lyrical take of Duke Ellington's “Prelude to a Kiss" allows the ballad plenty of breathing room, with spacious chords on the organ and sensitive use of the volume pedal, while Monder also never adds an unnecessary note, all of it backed by Ruckert's sensitive brushwork. But the trio takes in “U.M.M.G." (aka “Upper Manhattan Medical Group") at a breezy clip, with plenty of fireworks. “Upside," penned by pianist Andy LaVerne for his meeting with organist Gary Versace, is pure groove music with a solid swagger. Brian Charette has staked his claim as one of the top jazz organists of his generation with this superb release. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/upside-mw0000832904

Personnel: Brian Charette (Hammond b-3 organ); Ben Monder (guitar).

Upside

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Jeff Lorber - Step It Up

Styles: Jazz Fusion, Jazz Funk 
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:05
Size: 133,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:19)  1. Get Up
(5:38)  2. Up On This
(5:16)  3. Mustang
(5:44)  4. Fire Spirit
(4:24)  5. Arecibo
(4:50)  6. Right On Time
(5:04)  7. Starfish
(4:51)  8. Tenth Victim
(6:30)  9. Deep Green
(5:51) 10. Soul Party
(4:33) 11. Step It Up

Step It Up, the fourth offering from the revamped Jeff Lorber Fusion, picks up almost exactly where 2014's Grammy-nominated Hacienda left off  with a couple of twists. Keyboardist Lorber and bassist Jimmy Haslip co-produced the 57-minute, 11-track set of originals. The pair got help from their regular stable of sessionmen including guitarists Paul Jackson, Jr. and Michael Thompson, saxophonist Gary Meek, percussionist Lenny Castro, and a slew of drummers including Vinnie Colaiuta. There are also a couple of star guest appearances from Haslip's former Yellowjackets bandmates, tenorman Bob Mintzer and guitarist Robben Ford. The horn charts were expertly scripted by David Mann. Musically, this material harkens back to the mid-'70s; knotty funk, modal jazz, and the melodic invention of R&B are carefully balanced in a breezy, thoughtful, and spine-tingling presentation. "Mustang," one of two pre-release singles, comes right out of Grover Washington, Jr.'s Feels So Good/Mr. Magic period, with a very similar keyboard vamp and contrasting harmonic interludes in the bridge. Colaiuta's kit and Castro's congas create a hypnotic center around the melody before Mintzer's meaty tenor break turns left of center. 

"Arecibo," the first of two tracks to feature Ford on lead guitar, is feel- good jazz-funk. The interplay between keyboard tones, melodies, and chunky rhythmic vamps contrast beautifully with the guitarist's deep blues fills and solo. Ford and Mintzer also feature on "Soul Party," the other single. Mann's horn chart has a wider color palette thanks to Haslip's bassline presence. The tenor, Lorber, and the guitarist dialogue in a series of finger-popping cadences, taut funk breaks, and fleet solo moments. Everything in the mix comes back to swinging, meaty, in-the-pocket R&B. As smooth as Galaxy and substantial as Hacienda, this set offers the best of both albums but goes further in its imaginative lyricism and charts. The groove quotient on Step It Up is exceptionally high, refracted through the prism of focused, precise compositions. ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/step-it-up-mw0002873038

Step It Up

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The Don Friedman Vip Trio - Timeless

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 54:29
Size: 87,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:06)  1. Alone Together
(6:26)  2. Star Eyes
(7:34)  3. Body And Soul
(6:20)  4. Emily
(7:01)  5. Turn Out The Stars
(6:29)  6. What Is This Thing Called Love
(5:50)  7. Bouncing With Bud
(7:40)  8. 'Round Midnight

The producer of this 2003 studio session decided to mix things up a bit for veteran jazz pianist Don Friedman by inviting a new rhythm section to play with him. Neither bassist John Patitucci nor drummer Omar Hakim had crossed paths with Friedman on a recording date, though they are both accomplished musicians who provide excellent support for him. The leader planned a set mixing standards and time-tested jazz compositions by various greats. The chemistry is readily apparent in the trio's fluid approach to "Star Eyes" and the light bossa nova setting of "Body and Soul." Friedman's lush, lyrical arrangements of the upbeat ballad "Emily" and the bittersweet "Turn Out the Stars" will invite comparisons to Bill Evans' memorable recordings. There's nothing predictable about the group's interpretation of "'Round Midnight," with each musician finding a new facet to explore within this decades-old jazz standard. Highly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/timeless-mw0000210928

Personnel:   Don Friedman (piano); Omar Hakim (drums); John Patitucci (double bass).

Timeless

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Dave Kikoski - Dave Kikoski

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:18
Size: 138,3 MB
Art: Front

( 5:14)  1. E
( 8:16)  2. B Flat Tune
( 8:10)  3. Giant Steps
(11:20)  4. Long Ago and Far Away
( 7:22)  5. Chant
( 6:25)  6. The Shadow
( 7:13)  7. 7/4 Ballad
( 6:15)  8. Spacing

This is Kikoski's only recording to date for a major record label. Not only is it his best by far, it is arguably one of the best piano trio albums of the 1990s. Joined by bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer Al Foster, Kikoski scales the heights of jazz with soaring lyricism, harmonic ingenuity, and at times sheer fury. His version of John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" features a stride piano break as technically stunning as it is unexpected. His extended reading of Gershwin's "Long Ago and Far Away" is nothing short of poetic. And of the album's original pieces, "B Flat Tune" and "The Shadow," despite their enormous complexity, sing with an accessibility that marks the finest songwriting. Purists will insist that packaging is irrelevant to great jazz, but not in this instance. The highly evocative cover artwork, quirky typography, laconic liner notes, and aqua-tinted jewel case make the album even more unique, a near classic. ~ David R.Adler http://www.allmusic.com/album/dave-kikoski-mw0000119723

Personnel: Dave Kikoski (piano); Essiet Essiet (bass); Al Foster (drums).

Dave Kikoski

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Lena Horne - Lena Goes Latin & Sings Your Requests

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:08
Size: 119,9 MB
Art: Front

(1:54)  1. From This Moment On
(2:27)  2. Take Me
(2:44)  3. Night And Day
(2:43)  4. Old Devil Moon
(1:47)  5. More
(2:28)  6. My Blue Heaven
(3:37)  7. Cuckoo In The Clock
(2:23)  8. Meditation
(2:47)  9. By Myself
(2:24) 10. Island In The West Indies
(2:49) 11. Ours
(2:03) 12. Falling In Love With Love
(1:52) 13. He Loves Me
(2:44) 14. Every Little Bit Hurts
(3:22) 15. Stormy Weather
(2:25) 16. Poppa Don't Preach To Me
(2:58) 17. Honeysuckle Rose
(2:22) 18. The Lady Is A Tramp
(3:27) 19. Lover Man
(2:44) 20. Can't Help Lovin' That Man

In 1963, Lena Horne left a long association with RCA Victor Records and signed to the smaller Charter label, for which she recorded two albums, Goes Latin and Sings Your Requests. Those two albums are combined on this two-fer compilation. The first ten tracks, which comprised the original Goes Latin LP, were arranged by Shorty Rogers and conducted by Horne's husband, Lennie Hayton. In keeping with the title, the arrangements feature Latin percussion, with punchy big-band horn charts on top. Horne was no stranger to such material, at least in the diluted form heard here, having performed Latin-style arrangements in the movies and on Broadway, and in fact her lively, take-charge interpretations are well-suited to Rogers' arrangements, whether applied to a Cole Porter show tune or a more contemporary song such as the Mondo Cane movie theme "More" or Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Meditation." Sings Your Requests earned its title by featuring re-recordings of several songs long associated with Horne, including "Stormy Weather," "Honeysuckle Rose," "The Lady Is a Tramp," and "Can't Help Lovin' That Man." (All are songs she sang in the movies.) But the combination of the two albums onto one disc is justified by their similarity. The first four tracks of the second LP (tracks 11-14 here) are also Rogers arrangements conducted by Hayton, some of them with more Latin percussion, suggesting they came from the same sessions as those for the first LP. (The rest were arranged and conducted by Marty Paich.) Horne remains masterful on the familiar material, and she gives an excellent reading to the newly minted show tune "He Loves Me," a gender-switched version of the title song from the Broadway musical She Loves Me. Lena Horne may have fallen out of commercial favor on records by 1963, but these recordings demonstrate that she hadn't lost her appeal. ~ William Ruhlmann  http://www.allmusic.com/album/lena-goes-latin-sings-your-requests-mw0000649569

Personnel:  Lena Horne – vocals;  Lennie Hayton - arranger, conductor (#1-14);  Shorty Rogers - arranger (#1-14);  Marty Paich - arranger (#15-20)

Lena Goes Latin & Sings Your Requests

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