Anthony Wonsey - Anthonyology

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:41
Size: 130,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:37)  1. Inception
(5:08)  2. In the Blue of the Evening
(6:05)  3. Faces of a Clown
(5:24)  4. Temperance
(4:46)  5. Conception
(7:05)  6. Black Fairy Tales
(6:17)  7. Autumn Nocturne
(6:02)  8. Hey Jimmy
(4:41)  9. Daahoud
(5:32) 10. It Might as Well Be Spring/Sweet Lorraine

Originally released in Japan in 1995, this is pianist Anthony Wonsey's debut as a leader. On Anthonyology, the Chicago native enlists the services of bassist Christian McBride and drummer Carl Allen to perform three originals, three standards, and four jazz compositions. Only 24 at the time of this recording, Wonsey doesn't dazzle with technique, but displays lyricism and soulfulness in the tradition of influences Hank Jones, Tommy Flanagan, and Mulgrew Miller, while McBride and Allen, two-thirds of pianist Benny Green's trio during the early '90s, offer solid support. Favorites include up-tempo versions of McCoy Tyner's "Inception" and Clifford Brown's "Daahoud"; a swinging version of Wynton Kelly's rarely played "Temperance"; and Wonsey's "Hey Jimmy," a relaxed swinger named for a Boston cab driver who taught Wonsey some of Bud Powell's music. This is a delightful debut from a fine young musician. ~ Greg Turner http://www.allmusic.com/album/anthonyology-mw0000190385

Personnel:  Anthony Wonsey (piano); Christian McBride (bass); Carl Allen (drums).

Anthonyology

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Chiara Civello - Last Quarter Moon

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:24
Size: 111,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:57)  1. Here Is Everything
(4:23)  2. The Wrong Goodbye
(5:33)  3. Ora
(3:05)  4. Caramel
(6:26)  5. Parole Incerte
(4:13)  6. Last Quarter Moon
(4:19)  7. Nature Song
(3:04)  8. In Questi Giorni
(1:37)  9. Sambaroma
(4:15) 10. Trouble
(3:48) 11. Outono
(2:37) 12. I Won't Run Away

While she's a fresh and exotic voice on the recording scene, the multi-talented, Italian-born, internationally minded singer and musician has been keeping great company. With a vocal range and style that quickly bring Dianne Reeves to mind, she's recorded with Tony Bennett and James Taylor; so impressed Burt Bacharach that he collaborated here on the lush, emotional ballad "Trouble"; snagged legendary rock producer Russ Titelman to helm the recording; and is roundly adored by no less than '80s pop queen Cyndi Lauper, who crowed, "This record is haunting and she's just fantastic...her voice just captivates you." What Cyndi says. Civello's not quite as crisp vocally as Lizz Wright, but her jazz-soul heart is in the same place while traversing many borders singing in English, Italian, and Portuguese. While gently swinging numbers like the Brazilian-flavored, hypnotic "Ora" are more compelling, slower and smokier tunes like "Parole Incerte" offer her deepest modes of expression. Her skills as a songwriter are firmly on display, but she chooses a few interesting, somewhat obscure covers in samba-flavored cuts like Suzanne Vega's graceful "Caramel" and Rosa Passos/Fernando DeOliveira's "Outono." That sort of globe-trotting will set her apart from the pack of great female singers currently dotting the jazz landscape. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/last-quarter-moon-mw0000397350

Personnel: Chiara Civello (vocals, shaker, percussion); Adam Rogers (guitar); Mark Stewart (cello); Alain Mallet (melodica, piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Miguel Zenón (alto saxophone); Larry Goldings (Hammond b-3 organ); Rob Mounsey (keyboards); Mike Mainieri (vibraphone); James Genus, Ben Street (bass instrument); Clarence Penn, Steve Gadd , Dan Rieser (drums); Jamey Haddad (percussion, bells); Alex Alvear (background vocals).

Last Quarter Moon

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David Friesen - Star Dance

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:29
Size: 110,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:00)  1. Winter's Fall
(4:15)  2. Duet and Dialogue
(3:48)  3. Dolphin in the Sky
(3:45)  4. Star Dance
(3:05)  5. 1 Rue Brey
(4:13)  6. Fields of Joy
(6:06)  7. A Little Child's Poem
(3:26)  8. Clouds
(3:50)  9. Children of the Kingdom
(2:57) 10. Mountain Streams

The Inner City CD reissue series has many fine recordings listed, and depending on your point of view and taste level, any of them might be considered important coming out of jazz in the mid- to late '70s. Bassist David Friesen's debut album, Star Dance, has to be considered pivotal and central in the stance of contemporary music for many reasons, not the least of which being that the playing of the musicians is excellent. It also sets a tone for the coming together of world musics in the spirit of the pioneering ensemble Oregon and has within its grasp both spiritual and earthy elements that few groups were able to merge. With elements culled from Friesen's upbringing in the Pacific Northwest, progressive jazz of the '60s, folk-rooted sounds, chamber music, and New York City funk, Friesen and his band sound as unique unto themselves as any band before, during, or after this time period. Paul McCandless (on loan from Oregon), fellow Pacific Northwest friend/electric guitarist John Stowell, and Big Apple studio drummer Steve Gadd are unlikely bedfellows with Friesen, yet achieve common-ground status within this broad mix of styles. McCandless plays the double-reeded English horn on the majority of these selections, and for the outstanding "Winter's Fall" coalesces with Friesen's sky church bowed harmonic bass alongside Stowell's tiny guitar notes, as Gadd's 7/8 beat takes over the three in a 4/4 funky midsection. 

The title track is a trio sans Gadd, which strikes a much more baroque and rural pose in unison lines. "Dolphin in the Sky" is dedicated to friend Jack Howell, a somber, slow tearjerker as if at a gravesite during a funeral, extracting great emotional depth, especially from McCandless. Dancing gleefully, "Mountain Streams" is a flowing, dense, and textural piece that taps into the natural, feminine side of life. On his more familiar oboe, McCandless plays with the full quartet during "Clouds," as the title suggests in a slow, wafting motif, while "Fields of Joy" is also unmistakably similar to the ancient and present music of Oregon, very composed, traipsing through rows of daisies, and breaking into a samba beat. There's a bass/drums duet improvisation, "1 Rue Brey," and an unaccompanied bass solo, "Children of the Kingdom," which readily reveals Friesen's religious center with strummed harmonics and a thematic-based ostinato for improvising off of. The sonic footprint created by this ensemble is both arresting and disarming a sound that uniquely speaks to a higher power and universal dialect. Now that the album is once again in print, there's no excuse to pass on this excellent recording, fused from many disparate elements and brilliantly performed by all the participants. ~ Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/star-dance-mw0000877461

Personnel: David Friesen (acoustic bass); John Stowell (electric guitar); Paul McCandless (oboe, English horn); Steve Gadd (drums).

Star Dance

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Richard Davis With Junior Mance - Blue Monk

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop, Post-Bop 
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:57
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:52)  1. Blue Monk
(7:50)  2. Summertime
(6:55)  3. Single Petal Of A Rose
(9:48)  4. There Is No Greater Love
(5:43)  5. Blue Bossa
(7:29)  6. Dear Old Stockholm
(6:53)  7. On The Trail
(6:23)  8. In A Sentimental Mood

Bassist Richard Davis has always been a genius and even in his later years, he continues to create these magical sounds that nobody else can touch! Davis steps out here in so many unusual, sublime styles that we're newly impressed with his talents – has he bows the bass on some numbers, plucks it on others, and even plays a bit of piano sometimes in collaboration with Junior Mance, who accompanies the bass on some tracks although the album clearly gives Davis plenty of space to move freely on his own! The recording quality is superb, so that all the subtle elements of Richard's playing come through right away although the album's got a power that's far from subtle, too even in some of it's mellower moments. 

Titles include "Summertime", "Blue Bossa", "Dear Old Stockholm", "Blue Monk", and "On The Trail" but all in versions that are quite striking and original! (SHM-CD pressing!) © 1996-2016, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/774594

Personnel:  Richard Davis (bass);  Junior Mance (piano).

Blue Monk

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The Jeff Lorber Fusion - Soft Space

Styles: Jazz Funk, Fusion 
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:33
Size: 86,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:15)  1. The Samba
(5:51)  2. Katherine
(5:39)  3. Black Ice
(5:59)  4. Curtains
(4:43)  5. Proteus
(4:07)  6. Soft Space
(5:56)  7. Swing Funk

Jeff Lorber is one of the top jazz-fusion keyboard players of the late 70s & early 80s. He had numerous jazz albums that made the regular Billboard album charts. He still makes albums & even recently won a Grammy. His very first two albums were originally on the Inner City label in 1977. They have never been issued on CD anywhere in the world until now. Soft Space features guest appearances by Chick Corea & Joe Farrell. Wounded Bird. 2008. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Soft-Space-Jeff-Lorber/dp/B0015I2PYA

Personnel:  Terry Layne (flute, saxophone); Jeff Lorber (keyboards, synthesizer, Moog synthesizer); Lester McFarland (bass guitar); Dennis Bradford (drums); Ron Young (congas, percussion); Joe Farrell (saxophone); Chick Corea (mini-Moog synthesizer).

Soft Space

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Don Friedman - My Foolish Heart

Size: 131,3 MB
Time: 56:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. Positivity (7:41)
02. My Foolish Heart (7:58)
03. Desafinado (6:40)
04. Memory Of Scotty (8:34)
05. Bye, Bye Blackbird (7:24)
06. Petite Fleur (6:21)
07. Swans (6:31)
08. Almost Everything (5:37)

Many modern jazz fans consider the 1960s as the creative apogee of the music. The abundance of top-flight musicians, coupled with a near continuous stream of boundary breaking innovations, made for a creatively explosive combination. The downside to this artistic boon was that many high caliber conceptualists got lost in the deluge.

A case could easily be made for counting Don Friedman among this number, as his early '60s albums for Riverside offered some of the most ingenious variations on the piano trio format of the era. Sadly, they were largely overshadowed by more overtly provocative offerings of artists like Cecil Taylor, Thelonious Monk and Dave Brubeck. Careful listening to Friedman’s early albums reveals that his relegation to the fringes was completely undeserved. Rather than compromise his creativity, he teamed up with guitarist Atilla Zoller and decided to go even further out. The decision ultimately didn’t help his career, but it did result in some of the most adventurous piano-driven jazz of the decade.

Over the years Friedman’s remained active, and while his fame hasn’t risen much beyond the niche community that is creative improvised music, he’s sustained a remarkably high standard of quality in his music. Uniting with a crew of younger players for this latest outing, Friedman’s form sounds undiminished by nearly five decades in the jazz life. The quartet balances four originals with four thoughtfully chosen standards making for a program ripe with both the fresh and familiar. Levy’s “Positivity” gorgeously reflects the sentiment of its title in musical terms. Ferguson has an early shot at the spotlight and his strings practically sing in the crystalline sonics of the studio. Friedman adds delicate accents, eventually regaining the lead in a sparkling outpouring of chords. Ferguson’s fluid breaks beat a soothing path to an elegant recapitulation of the theme by Levy’s effervescent tenor.

The saxophonist sits out on “My Foolish Heart,” and his absence allows for even more intimate interplay between Friedman and his rhythm section mates. After peeling off lush scalar runs down his keyboard, the pianist lays out, leaving room for another contemplative pizzicato foray from Ferguson. Jobim’s “Desafinado” gains a minor harmonic facelift, but still retains its signature beat. Levy sails breezily through the changes, sounding at first slightly like Desmond might have if he had embraced the tenor horn. His tone later hardens, but his melodically infused lines retain relaxed buoyancy in phrasing above the counterpoint of his partners.

Friedman’s “Memory of Scotty,” dedicated his long departed colleague Scott LaFaro, pays balladic tribute to the bassist and acts as a cleverly conceived vehicle for Ferguson’s own strings, both arco and plucked. Bechet’s “Petite Fleur” finds Levy on uncredited soprano, in deference to the composer. His translucent tone on the straight horn fits snugly into the Latinized structures of the arrangement. Friedman’s graceful accompaniment and eventual solo further contributes to a feeling of reposeful calm. The upbeat rhythms of the pianist’s “Almost Everything” presage the session’s impending end, but the quartet still has space for a final stretch through regions of warmly voiced lyricism.

Sweeping accolades and fame may not be in the cards for Friedman, but based on the strengths of this session the situation doesn’t seem to matter much. He’ll keep doing what he does best, whether there’s a widespread audience or not. For that, listeners in the know should be grateful. ~by Derek Taylor

Personnel: Don Friedman-piano; Jed Levy-tenor saxophone; Tim Ferguson-bass; Tony Jefferson-drums. Recorded: April 2000.

My Foolish Heart

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Abby Lappen - Double Mentions

Size: 100,8 MB
Time: 43:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Folk, Folk Blues, Folk Jazz
Art: Front

01. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (3:07)
02. Turning The Page (3:47)
03. Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (3:10)
04. Once I Was (3:46)
05. This Song (2:54)
06. Two Brothers (3:32)
07. Why Can't We Live Together (3:45)
08. Sweet Surrender (3:31)
09. It's The Frame (3:42)
10. Texas Waltz (4:40)
11. Thirsty Boots (3:31)
12. Willow (3:49)

Abby Lappen is a singer/songwriter who lives in New York State's Hudson Valley. She displays her passion for live musical performance with a collection of original songs and meaningful covers in a cross genre mix, from haunting folk and satirical blues to jazzy ballads and syncopated melodies. Abby is an accomplished artist whose unique voice and "crisp guitar" mesmerize audiences with warmth and agility.

Double Mentions

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Jeanette Harris - Chocolate Vibez

Size: 107,4 MB
Time: 45:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

01. Crown Royal (4:12)
02. Chocolate Vibez (3:56)
03. Foolin' Around (4:31)
04. Alright (4:16)
05. Steppin' Out (3:59)
06. Folkish (4:06)
07. The Way It Feels (3:58)
08. Sound Check (4:04)
09. Square Biz (4:59)
10. Shrimp & Grits (4:12)
11. Peaceful Journey (3:34)

Jeanette Harris was born and raised in California’s post-Gold Rush town of Fresno, smack in the center of San Joaquin Valley. Reared by her mother Annette Harris and her church organist father Floyd Harris – both of deep spiritual faith and intense believers in the art of music - Jeanette and her older brother Michael Harris received their loves of God, family and each other honest.

“When I was 5, my father put a guitar in my hands,” Jeanette begins. “A year later he switched me to piano with a private teacher. I didn’t like it. Reading treble and bass clefs was so overwhelming I would cry but it did give me a great jumpstart. One day while driving me to 4th grade, Mom was playing a cassette by Grover Washington, Jr. I remember looking at the picture of his alto sax. It was beautiful and Grover made it look so hip. I felt it would be the perfect instrument for me.”

Jeanette played saxophone and piano from grade school to high school where band teacher Steve Alcala had her playing both in the Fresno City College Jazz Band before she even graduated. She won numerous awards and accolades which led to her scholarship to attend Berklee in Boston where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Performance. Back in Fresno, Jeanette self-recorded her first CD, Here and There, grabbed brother Michael on drums and bassist Patrick Olvera, and started developing a following by regularly packing Mike’s Pub & Pizzeria. She recorded her official debut Reflections and later Smooth Holiday Greetings on her family’s J&M Records (Jeanette & Michael’s initials, Mom and Dad’s funds).
Citing her influences, Jeanette continues, “(Saxophonist) Richard Elliott brought some serious R&B GROOVE at a time when smooth jazz really needed more of that funk vibe…especially his song ‘Corner Pocket.’ I just loved his production! As a composer, Stevie Wonder’s music touches the hearts of people with lyrics that have strong meanings, and beautiful chords and melodies. And (guitarist) Norman Brown is the one that inspired me to want to be a performer when my parents took me to see him for my very first concert at The Bastille in Hanford, CA. He gave me chills!” After crossing paths with Brown on the road, Jeanette co-wrote a song with him that became the title track of her fourth CD, Saxified. Brown recorded the song on his CD, 24/7 with a different title, “The Best is Yet to Come” featuring Gerald Albright. “To have Gerald playing a melody that I wrote is so amazing,” Jeanette shares.

Jeanette Harris has played major events from The Coombs River Bend Ranch Festival to festivals in Japan and London. She has performed as a side musician with Howard Hewett and Deniece Williams. She has also opened shows for greats ranging from smooth jazz stars Kirk Whalum, Najee and The Rippingtons to R&B stars Babyface, Phil Perry and KEM. “I got a standing ovation opening for KEM,” Jeanette beams. “He came out to meet me and get my CD. His people said he NEVER does that! That let me know my music does crossover.”

The most special person to come along in the course of Ms. Harris’ career thus far was singer/songwriter Teena Marie who hired her unheard/unseen in a destiny streaked leap of faith totally befitting Jeanette’s life and beliefs. “Her trumpet player saw me at the 2010 NAMM Show and asked for my card. It had already been a unbelievable day where I got endorsements for both Unison saxophones and BARI Reeds. As I was driving home, the guy called me and asked if I wanted to play with Teena for a concert…in London! I couldn’t believe it. I got 4 hours sleep that night studying her music then drove to L.A. for the audition. I had to pull off the freeway when Teena called me personally to get my passport information. The band tested my improvising skills, a funk song and a ballad - then I was in! Teena finally arrived, gave me a big hug and away we went. She featured me in her last concerts playing sax on ‘I’m a Sucker for Your Love’ and ‘Portuguese Love,’ and flute on ‘Déjà vu.’ She was truly a blessing in my life…taught me how to be a strong female leader…and I will miss her always.”

Now with her fifth and finest CD Summer Rain bowing with her own signature Summer Rain Perfume to match, Jeanette Harris is unquestionably the next “Starchild of the Saxophone”…touching hearts with every breath she takes.

Chocolate Vibez

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Yasmine Kyd - Privacy Settings

Size: 99,7 MB
Time: 34:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. That One Day (4:56)
02. Is It Time To Go Home (5:52)
03. Personal (3:43)
04. Paris Jam 69 (2:34)
05. The Finish Line (2:51)
06. Quiet In The Jungle (0:33)
07. Poor Heart, Poor Thing (3:34)
08. The Hideaway (0:52)
09. Is There A Feeling (4:26)
10. Neapolis (5:28)

Yasmine Kyd is a Paris-based singer/songwriter of mixed origins. She grew up on the Atlantic coast of Brittany, listening to sounds from around the globe: Berber folk music (her dad’s Algerian), jazz, soul, gospel, bossa nova and British pop music. Seamlessly piecing together her influences, she has a knack for melodies that stay with you, serviced by a distinctively mellifluous, yet powerful vocal presence.

While her first album 'Earth Woman' (2010) featured a collection of sensitive soul ballads, with a warm acoustic production, her second album 'Mythical Creatures' (2013) was an elegantly produced collection of love songs to jazz and blues, with a hint of nu soul and hip hop, which was described as reminiscent of both Joni Mitchell and Erykah Badu.

The album:
An unapologetic claim to versatility, Yasmine's third album 'Privacy Settings' opens her generous palette to new experiences which could very well make this record something of a 'modern classic'.

Through Yasmine's words and the range of her musical choices, “Privacy Settings” explores the fluctuating boundaries between privacy and exposure in the contemporary world, reflected in a musical journey taking you from a funky slightly dystopian story (That One Day), to an emotive jazz ballad (Is it Time to Go Home?), leading up to a filmed walkabout through the streets of Paris (Paris Jam 69), following an intimate reggae number (Personal), and culminating with a sensual North African acoustic sound picture (Neapolis)...

Personnel:
Yasmine Kyd - Vocals, music, lyrics
Laurent Avenard Kohler - Guitar, composition
Nathalie Ahadji - Saxophone
Leandro Aconcha - Keys
Zacharie Abraham - Bass
Mat Stora - Drums

Guests:
Eric Lelann - Trumpet
Nicolas Guéguen - Keys

Privacy Settings

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Throttle Elevator Music - Throttle Elevator Music IV

Size: 102,6 MB
Time: 35:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Rock
Art: Front

01. Gibralter Road (3:35)
02. Recovery (3:48)
03. We Can Work With That (3:46)
04. Back To Form (2:17)
05. Bridging The Barrier (3:06)
06. Throwing The Switch (2:21)
07. Way Out Of Line (3:23)
08. Sweet Spot (2:06)
09. Bridging The Barrier Ii (3:09)
10. No One To Vote For (2:51)
11. Boeseke Trail (4:53)

Throttle Elevator Music IV reunites with tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington for a fourth album, atop eleven original new compositions by the Throttle writing team (Matt Montgomery and Gregory Howe).

Kamasi's horn soars alongside virtuoso trumpet player Erik Jekabson. Also joining the band for a third record is emerging talented drummer Mike Hughes.

Throttle Elevator Music IV

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Elisabeth Lohninger - Eleven Promises

Size: 154,2 MB
Time: 66:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. When We Were Young (4:07)
02. The Girl from Ipanema (5:03)
03. Take My Picture While I'm Smiling (4:16)
04. Eleven Promises (4:10)
05. Birthday Girl (4:39)
06. And If (7:56)
07. Mellow Moon Moaning (7:38)
08. Each Time You Leave (6:50)
09. Hold On (4:12)
10. Merry Go Round (6:52)
11. Circles (5:21)
12. Ya Mi Corazon (4:51)

New York-based Elisabeth Lohninger and Walter Fischbacher have evolved into a solid power-center in the city's jazz community. They operated Lofish Recording Studios until 2015, when gentrification forced them to close door. The pair have been prolific with recordings, including: Beneath the Surface (Lofish, 2004); The Only Way Out is Up (Lofish, 2007); Songs of Love and Destruction (Lofish, 2010); Christmas in July (Lofish, 2011), Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet: Live (Lofish, 2012), and the most recent and intimate Elisabeth Lohninger & Walter Fischbacher: Ballads in Blue (Jazz Sick Records, 2015).

What is evident from this decade of releases is that the Lohninger/Fischbacher jazz diptych has impressive depth and breadth. The two push their boundaries further with the airy and ethereal Eleven Promises where Lohninger's solidly established alto is allow free reign in an adult contemporary vocals environment. Lushly orchestrated with strings scored by Fischbacher, Eleven Promises approaches a post-modern ideal that had its genesis in the performance style of Sade Adu and Anita Baker. Lohninger enhances this vocals vector with a creatively dense overlay of her and Fischbacher's informed compositional skills. Smart and engaging, the 11 original compositions, lay out a comprehensive vision of singing that goes well beyond simple genre definitions and expectations.

This single standard, frightfully enough is well-trodden "The Girl from Ipanema." Like "My Funny Valentine," "The Girl from Ipanema" and other songs like them, experience a certain interpretive tachyphylaxis that manifests as a resistance to renewal and revelation, even in the hands of exceptional artists. In short, when one chooses to interpret a war-torn standard today, he or she should "go big, or go home." Thankfully, Lohninger is up to the challenge, creating a "Girl from Ipanema" as starkly angular and challenging as Laurie Antonioli's "My Funny Valentine" from her darkly beautiful recording Varuna (Origin Records, 2015). Lohninger brings the post-modern spirit with which she caressed this chestnut to the remainder of the recording, joining synergistically with Fischbacher and his intelligently navigated transitions from acoustic ("Take My Picture While I'm Smiling") to electric piano ("Ipanema" and "Mellow Moon Moaning") and stylistically from All American ("Take My Picture") and humidly Latin ("Ya Mi Corazon"). Splendid! ~Michael C. Bailey

Personnel: Elisabeth Lohninger: vocals; Walter Fischbacher: keyboards, string arrangements; Goran Vujic: bass; Ulf Stricker: drums; Ben Butler: guitar (5, 9); Pete McCann: guitar (1, 3); Gary Schreiner: chromatic harmonica (7).

Eleven Promises

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Anthony Wonsey - Open the Gates

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:29
Size: 168,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:42)  1. Xavier's Arrival
( 5:51)  2. My Heart Is with You I
( 8:02)  3. Invitation
( 7:50)  4. A Song for Audrey
( 9:17)  5. Open the Gates
( 9:21)  6. Big Bertha
( 7:10)  7. Into the Blacklight
( 5:48)  8. My Heart Is with You II
(12:25)  9. Blues for Russell and Polly

A native of Chicago, 27-year-old pianist Anthony Wonsey is one of those uniquely blessed musicians who has chops to burn, a big heart, and the ability to all make it sound so smooth and effortless. His two previous recordings, done in Japan and reissued in the States on Evidence, should have sounded a joyful noise regarding a player of significant abilities, but failed to attract much attention. Then he hooked up with trumpet phenom Nicholas Payton and heads began to turn. With the release of Open the Gates, it is now doubtful that Wonsey will remain an unknown entity for very long. There's a refreshing breath of originality that pervades much of Wonsey's work here and his writing, in particular, is strong and cliché free. As for his piano playing, just look out, because the man has it covered- from stride to avant! Duke Pearson's seldom-heard "Big Bertha" receives a transcendent trio performance that starts in stride fashion and then works its way towards a deep and bluesy groove that locks in tight and holds on for dear life. The other trio cut here, "Invitation", also gets revamped and the results are anything but a retread. The remainder of the date finds Wonsey fronting a quintet with old boss Nicholas Payton and seasoned tenor saxophonist Ron Blake. The title track goes for broke with a catchy vamp that launches the theme and then recapitulates as a closing backdrop for drummer Nasheet Waits' pyrotechnic displays. Payton's "Into the Blacklight" hints at vintage Miles, circa '65-'66, and two takes of Wonsey's "My Heart is With You" recall the bucolic whimsy of a classic Wayne Shorter melody. Throughout it all, Wonsey leads with an authority and confidence that is rare for a player of his age. It all adds up to an impressive "opening of the gates" for a talent that we'll be surely hearing more from as the years go by. In the meantime, treasure this one for all its worth. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/open-the-gates-anthony-wonsey-criss-cross-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Anthony Wonsey- piano, Nicholas Payton- trumpet, Ron Blake- tenor saxophone, Gerald Cannon- bass, Nasheet Waits- drums, John Webber- bass (tracks 3 and 6 only), Willie Jones III- drums (tracks 3 and 6 only)

Open the Gates

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Melissa Morgan - Until I Met You

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:44
Size: 163,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:56)  1. Save Your Love For Me
(4:53)  2. Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby
(4:31)  3. Until I Met You
(3:11)  4. He Loves Me I Think
(3:40)  5. The Lamp Is Low
(3:24)  6. Cool Cool Daddy
(3:38)  7. A Sleepin' Bee
(3:30)  8. Yes, I Know When I've Had It
(4:53)  9. I Wonder
(5:22) 10. I Just Dropped By To Say Hello
(3:40) 11. The More I See You

Many young jazz vocalists reach into the book of standards for their first recording. Melissa Morgan follows the tradition, but in a way that works to her advantage. Morgan, 29, grew up on Teaneck, N.J. She became a jazz fan upon hearing her grandmother's old records the music of such inspirational vocalists as Nancy Wilson, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan. A 2004 semi-finalist in the Thelonius Monk International Jazz Competition, Morgan performed before a panel of judges that included Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau, Kurt Elling, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Flora Purim. For her debut, Until I Met You, Morgan is accompanied by the quartet of Gerald Clayton on piano, Randy Napoleon on guitar, Joe Sanders on bass and Kevin Kannar on drums. A slightly slower-than-usual pace is heard in the arrangement of "Save Your Love for Me." Morgan's voice at first is flutelike, but as the song warms up, so does her emphasis. The core quartet is complemented nicely by trumpeter Christian Scott, whose middle solo is crisp, clean, and comfortably loud without being overpowering.

Sassy is the theme for "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby." Morgan begins with a finger-snapping count as the backing quartet adds to the feel, particularly Sanders and Clayton. During the piano solo, Kannar mixes it up on the drums and cymbals, punching here and subtly striking there. As Clayton builds, the other musicians also crank it up before backing off when Morgan reenters. Scott and tenor saxophonist Ben Wendel help on "Cool Cool Daddy" as Morgan delivers like a classic blues singer. The sass is in high gear and evident in the play of all musicians. Wendel and Scott add to the enjoyment of this piece with solos, as well as their answers to Morgan's calls. Already a lively piece, the energy picks up even more to set up the songs emphatic ending.  "Yes, I Know When I've Had It" has a Latin vibe. Scott and Wendel are joined by alto saxophonist Tim Green and trombonist Francisco Torres. The horn section brilliantly supports Morgan and the rhythm quartet. During the middle break, the horns play as a group before ceding the lead to Green. Throughout, Kannar kicks in some action on the toms. The tendency of new recording artists to cover standards can work against them as they're not giving the audience anything they haven't heard. However, Morgan succeeds with the combination of her vocal style and free-spirited arrangements. Until I Met You, named for the Donald Wolf and Freddie Green classic, is an excellent introduction to Morgan. 

~ Woodrow Wilkins https://www.allaboutjazz.com/until-i-met-you-melissa-morgan-telarc-records-review-by-woodrow-wilkins.php

Personnel: Melissa Morgan: vocals; Gerald Clayton: piano; Randy Napoleon: guitar (1-4, 9); Joe Sanders: bass; Kevin Kannar: drums; Christian Scott: trumpet (1, 3, 6, 8); Tim Green: alto saxophone (3, 5, 8); Ben Wendel: tenor saxophone (3, 6, 8); Francisco Torres: trombone (3, 8).

Until I Met You

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Marc Copland, John Abercrombie, Kenny Wheeler - That's for Sure

Styles: Piano, Guitar And Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:22
Size: 134,2 MB
Art: Front

(8:14)  1. When We Met
(7:49)  2. That's for Sure
(6:49)  3. Kind Folk
(6:08)  4. Soundtrack
(6:21)  5. Played Straight
(8:05)  6. Dark Territory
(6:46)  7. How Deep Is the Ocean
(5:13)  8. # 114
(2:54)  9. Neba

The Netherlands-based Challenge label has brought together three masters of the art of harmonious jazz. While overall the album leans toward the avant-garde side of the genre, these e three protagonists are wise enough to make their music sufficiently accessible so that the regular run of the mill jazz fan, as well as those more advanced, can get equal pleasure from it. Kenny Wheeler's "Neba" for example, is a lovely ballad where the trumpet plays slightly off center adding a little more bite to the ballad. John Abercrombie's pensive sometimes moody guitar adds a dark hue to those cuts he is prominent on. In some cases, Marc Copland plays a foil to that mood with his sprightly piano playing, a role he assumes on other tracks as well, like the sun breaking if not through the clouds, then through the haze. This contrast in temperament is apparent on the title tune, "That's for Sure". All but one of the items on the play list are originals written by one of the members of the trio. The other is Irving Berlin's "How Deep Is the Ocean". Throughout, the players create a musical vignette with each tune. Sometimes the depiction is meditative as on "Kind Folk" and there's probably no player around who is able to create a trumpet sound as Wheeler is able to do. Other places it's a bit, but not much more, lively such as on "Soundtrack". The bottom line with this album to write this is almost apostasy these days when attractive is considered passe this is very pretty music beautifully played by three highly skilled and sensitive musicians. Recommended. ~ Dave Nathan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/thats-for-sure-challenge-records-review-by-dave-nathan.php 
 

Personnel: Marc Copland - Piano; John Abercrombie - Guitar; Kenny Wheeler - Trumpet/Flugelhorn

That's for Sure

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Steve LaSpina - New Horizon

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:20
Size: 136,4 MB
Art: Front

(1:07)  1. Folksong
(6:05)  2. You Can't Go Back
(8:50)  3. Socks
(4:01)  4. Behind You
(7:13)  5. Reunion
(4:36)  6. Vicki's Dream
(4:54)  7. Morning Run
(8:49)  8. Don't Ask
(6:19)  9. New Horizon
(7:21) 10. Folksong

Born Steven Frank LaSpina, 24 March 1954, Wichita Falls, Texas, USA. As a child LaSpina studied with his bass playing father although he had to wait until he was tall enough before he had the reach for the upright acoustic instrument. He subsequently studied at university and in Chicago with bass master, Rufus Reid. It was in Chicago that he first played professionally, working from the age of 15 with musicians such as Bunky Green and Larry Novak. In the mid- to late 70s LaSpina was a member of Chet Baker’s band, worked with Red Norvo, and also appeared with Marian McPartland, a collaboration that extended into the mid-80s and included recordings such as Personal Choice. Based in New York City from the end of the 70s, LaSpina also played with Mel Lewis’ big band, Stan Getz, and at different times with guitarists Jim Hall, Mary Osborne, Jack Wilkins, and Vic Juris. He also worked with Andy LaVerne, Dave Liebman, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Benny Carter, and Bob Brookmeyer, among many. LaSpina has worked with numerous singers over the years, among them Bill Henderson, Mark Murphy, Susannah McCorkle, Michael Feinstein, and Carol Sloane. 

For several years LaSpina taught bass and improvisation at New York University and other seats of learning. LaSpina is an accomplished composer and his recording sessions as leader feature much of his own relaxed and tuneful music. On these dates, the band is usually a quartet with regular members being Billy Drewes (saxophone), Marc Copland or Jim McNeely (piano), and Jeff Hirshfield (drums). In addition to playing the upright acoustic bass LaSpina also plays electric bass, both fretted and fretless. His playing is fluid, technically assured, and provides lift and drive to the bands in which he plays. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/steve-laspina-mn0000036650/biography

Personnel:  Steve LaSpina - bass;  Billy Drewes - sax;  Marc Copland - piano; Jeff Hirshfield  - drums

New Horizon

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Dida Pelled - Plays And Sings

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:09
Size: 145,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(4:47)  2. After You've Gone
(6:51)  3. Fried Pies
(3:49)  4. There's A Lull In My Life
(5:33)  5. Can't Take My Eyes Off You
(4:28)  6. It's A Sad City
(5:45)  7. Three Coins In The Fountain
(6:12)  8. More Than You Know
(6:09)  9. Stompin' At The Savoy
(6:58) 10. Calcutta Cutie
(2:47) 11. That's All
(5:16) 12. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most

While no "one size fits all" prescription exists for molding and educating unique artists, some schools seem to have an exceptional track record. A large segment of the who's who of jazz greats from Detroit went through Cass Technical High School and more than a few Texas jazz titans received their education at Booker T. Washington High School For The Performing And Visual Arts. Another, less likely source The Thelma Yellin High School Of The Arts in Tel Aviv, Israel wasn't really on anybody's radar twenty years ago, but has become the ultimate hotbed for Israeli jazz activity. Bassist Omer Avital, the Cohen siblings (Anat Cohen, Avishai Cohen - Trumpet and Yuval Cohen), and pianists Omer Klein and Shimrit Shoshan all blossomed in this artistic incubator. Now, guitarist/vocalist Dida Pelled deserves to be added to the list. Pelled has taken the prescribed course for Israeli jazz hopefuls, graduating from Thelma Yellin and honing her skills during her service in the Israeli Army, but she's no cookie-cutter performer. Pelled's warm voice possesses an emotive quality that's simultaneously soothing and intoxicating, and her guitar playing, which is built on her round sound, strong comping skills and soulful single note solo lines, places her in a category all her own.

On Plays And Sings, the young guitarist proves to be an old soul, capable of crafting timeless, yet modern, interpretations of classic fare. While the core trio of Pelled, bassist Tal Ronen and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, are responsible for delivering these charming and swinging performances, a pair of guest trumpeters occasionally join in the music-making. Roy Hargrove provides little asides and some strong solo work on "Our Love Is Here To Stay," revels in the grooving atmosphere of Wes Montgomery's "Fried Pies," and follows the changes in mood on a Four Seasons favorite ("Can't Take My Eyes Off You"), while Fabio Morgera's pair of appearances feature his clean-toned trumpet work ("Three Coins In The Fountain") and muted obbligato ("More Than You Know"). While both men are welcome additions to the program, their appearances are a bonus, not a necessity. Pelled's guitar playing, which can be pleasantly dreamy ("More Than You Know"), quaint ("Stompin At The Savoy") and rhythmically engaging ("Fried Pies"), is of greater importance than any guest spots. When accompanying herself, she creates a mesh of warmth that perfectly matches her vocal style, but when she removes her voice from the equation, things can go in another direction. Her lines are often informed by a laid-back, Grant Green-influenced style of playing that touches on the blues in a soulful manner, but she also brings her background into play. Horace Silver's "Calcutta Cutie" might have originally contained allusions of India, but Pelled's angular lines and Ronen's exotic bass riff turn it into a musical caravan across the Negev desert.  Plays And Sings doesn't present a singer that also plays a little guitar or a guitarist who occasionally picks up a microphone. Dida Pelled sings and plays with equal skill, and her one of kind sound steeped in tradition while residing deep in a dream mark her as an artist deserving greater attention. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/plays-and-sings-dida-pelled-red-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Dida Pelled: guitar, voice; Tal Ronen: bass; Gregory Hutchinson: drums; Roy Hargrove: trumpet (1, 3, 5); Fabio Morgera: trumpet (7-8).

Plays And Sings

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The Dave Brubeck Quartet - At Carnegie Hall

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 104:15
Size: 240,9 MB
Art: Front

(11:54)  1. St. Louis Blues
( 7:22)  2. Bossa Nova U.S.A.
( 9:38)  3. For All We Know
(10:17)  4. Pennies From Heaven
( 7:14)  5. Southern Scene
( 6:37)  6. Three To Get Ready
( 3:45)  7. Eleven Four
( 6:15)  8. King for a Day
(14:14)  9. Castilian Drums
( 6:48) 10. It's A Raggy Waltz
(12:43) 11. Blue Rondo A La Turk
( 7:23) 12. Take Five

For all those who have a big axe to grind with Brubeck, for all those who claim the band was only successful because they were predominantly white, or played pop-jazz, or catered to the exotica craze, or any of that, you are invited to have all of your preconceptions, tepid arguments, and false impressions hopelessly torn to shreds by one of the great live jazz albums of the 1960s. The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall is a date that showcases the finest elements of the storied Brubeck Quartet, which featured, alongside Brubeck's piano, alto innovator Paul Desmond, bassist Eugene Wright, and Joe Morello on drums. On this February night in 1963 either the 21 or 22nd depending on which side of the cover you believe  W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues" was given a knotty rhythmic workout it had never seen on Basin or Bourbon Street. Time signatures moved and shifted all over the tune for 12 minutes as Brubeck and Desmond exchanged cross-contrapuntal solos and melodic inventions back and forth. Movement, and plenty of it, was the identity this old nugget took on, with Brubeck taking Wright's cue and moving the blues into unheard-of harmonic spaces and intervals. At one point, with 16/4 time forcing itself onto the front line, Desmond makes his move quickly with one scalular interval to the top of the meter and stops. It's enough, he seems to be saying, that it gets brought back to a humane tempo before clamoring from a samba back into the blues before winding it out. And that's just for openers! 

The quartet move through all their hits and their new instincts gained from traveling abroad for the better part of six years. With cuts like "Bossa Nova U.S.A" and "Blue Rondo a la Turk," the quartet breathes new fire both melodically and tonally into its material, while other standards such as "Pennies from Heaven" were literally harmonically reinvented by the intense counterpoint, double and even triple, that went on between Desmond and Brubeck. And that's what this set is a reflection of: the Brubeck band would have loved to be recorded live every night they played. They hated the studio because there was nothing to compete against and no energy but their own to glean from. Check out "Eleven Four" and see where the audience in stuffy old Carnegie Hall is transformed into a hooting mob as Desmond solos his head off. When Brubeck pulls Ravel out of his back pocket and Wright accommodates him, setting a samba tempo for him to play against, the crowd may not know what they are hearing, but they flip just the same; they know something's happening and they're right there to experience his past harmonic indulgence mixed with the contrapuntal bop syntax from Desmond. It's no surprise that "Take Five" would take the set out, but given what has been played over two LPs, it's almost a comfort. There are fewer surprises here, it's true, but then, the tune's a groover anyway, and they grease it to the point of making it funky thanks to Wright's slapping at his bass in the middle section. This LP is perhaps the one essential Brubeck live album. While Take Five is rightfully a classic in that it changed everything, At Carnegie Hall reveals the band at the epitome of its musical harmonic, rhythmic, melodic, improvisational strength with near telepathic communication. It swings like a mother and offers an entirely new dimension to the definition of "melodic improvisation." ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-dave-brubeck-quartet-at-carnegie-hall-mw0000001437

Personnel: Dave Brubeck- piano; Paul Desmond- alto saxophone; Eugene Wright- bass; Joe Morello- drums.

At Carnegie Hall

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Elvira Nikolaisen & Mathias Eick - I Concentrate On You

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:03
Size: 92,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:55)  1. What’s New
(4:15)  2. I Concentrate on You
(3:35)  3. Don’t Smoke in Bed
(3:29)  4. Time After Time
(4:13)  5. For All We Know
(2:58)  6. I’ll Be Seeing You
(4:39)  7. You Can Have Him
(3:42)  8. Come Rain or Come Shine
(5:47)  9. Little Girl Blue
(3:24) 10. Answer Me

Elvira Nikolaisen (born 16 July 1980 in Moi) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter signed for Sony BMG. She released her debut single Love I Can't Defend in December 2005, it reached the number 3 spot on the Norwegian singles list. She followed up the hit with her first album, Quiet Exit, and a second single, Egypt Song, in March 2006. The album peaked at #2 in the Norwegian chart.  Nikolaisen is from a musical family, her father is a church organist and her brother Emil is the vocalist and guitarist for Serena Maneesh, and her sister Hilma is the bassist for the same band. Her brother Ivar is lead singer of the Norwegian punk band Silver. In 1998, Nikolaisen with her brother Emil fronted the independent band Royal. The band released one album titled My Dear on Soulscape Records and distributed through Tooth and Nail Records. While she's from a very religious family, Nikolaisen rejected her Christian beliefs at the age of eighteen. Some of her lyrics reflect the impact of this change on her life.  

Nikolaisen released her second album, Indian Summer in April 2008. However, she failed to repeat the success of the debut album, Quiet Exit. On the latest album I Concentrate on You (2013) Nikolaisen in collaboration with the Jaga Jazzist trumpeter Mathias Eick, moves into American popular music, fulfilling her old dream to go into the great American songbook. Other contributors on this album are Ola Kvernberg (violin, viola & bass-violin), Andreas Ulvo (piano, cembalo, celesta) and Gard Nilssen (drums). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvira_Nikolaisen

Personnel:  Mathias Eick - bass, trumpet, backing vocals, vibraphone; Gard Nilssen – percussion;  Andreas Ulvo - piano, celesta, harpsichard;  Elvira Nikolaisen – vocals;  Ola Kvernberg - violin, viola

I Concentrate On You

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David Friesen, Glen Moore - Returning

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop 
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:27
Size: 186,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:26)  1. My Funny Valentine
(4:49)  2. Reserve
(4:32)  3. Let´s Pretend
(4:11)  4. Free Bowing
(2:45)  5. Free One
(4:13)  6. Stride La Congo
(3:57)  7. I´m Old Fashioned
(2:38)  8. Past Finding Out
(2:24)  9. On the Road with Jazz
(2:36) 10. Free Two
(4:56) 11. Sweet Georgia
(3:19) 12. Last Time Through
(1:54) 13. Free Three
(3:04) 14. Toby and Tina
(6:18) 15. Blue in Green
(2:16) 16. Bongo Bass
(1:40) 17. Dancing with My Daughter
(5:29) 18. Return
(1:53) 19. Amazing Grace

Returning is the collaboration of two renowned jazz bassists, both from Portland. Glen Moore, a member of the jazz and world music group Oregon, has collaborated with artists such as Rabih Abou-Khalil, Nancy King, and Larry Karush. David Friesen was listed on a recent Jazz Bass Survey by jazz educators as one of the 24 most influential bassists in the history of jazz. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Returning-Friesen/dp/B000003BMF

Personnel: David Friesen (upright bass); Glen Moore (piano, upright bass).

Returning

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Jazz Incorporated - Live At Smalls

Styles: Jazz, Hard-Bop
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:21
Size: 134,9 MB
Art: Front

( 8:11)  1. Punsu
( 8:33)  2. Is That So?
( 7:37)  3. Woody 'n You
(10:32)  4. We Kiss in a Shadow
(10:50)  5. Hey Jimmy
(12:36)  6. Shout!

Jazz Incorporated is a collective ensemble co-led by Jazz drum legend Louis Hayes and trumpet player Jeremy Pelt. This contemporary hard-bop quartet plays repertoire from the legacy of their drummer as well as standards and originals. The energy during these sets was electric and the house was packed. Louis Hayes demonstrates the authoritative swing that has established his legend. He has been the driving force behind bands led by Cannonball Adderly, Horace Silver and Freddie Hubbard. Jeremy Pelt plays with an effortless majesty and true jazz conviction to each phrase. Pianist Anthony Wonsey delivers impeccable accompaniment and some sparkling solos. Dezron Douglas makes his second SmallsLIVE appearance proving why he is rapidly becoming the first call bassman for the top-shelf groups. The music is exciting, accessible and full of life. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Incorporated-Live-at-Smalls/dp/B004NWHVLC

Personnel: Jeremy Pelt (trumpet); Anthony Wonsey (piano); Louis Hayes (drums).

Live At Smalls

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