The Benny Goodman Sextet - Featuring Charlie Christian

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 54:28

Size: 124.7 MB

Styles: Big Band, Swing, Guitar jazz

Year: 1989

Art: Front

[3:14] 1. Flying Home

[3:14] 2. Stardust

[3:10] 3. Memories Of You

[2:27] 4. Soft Winds

[2:48] 5. Shivers

[2:47] 6. Ac Dc Current

[2:57] 7. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)

[3:15] 8. The Sheik Of Araby

[2:49] 9. Poor Butterfly

[2:58] 10. I Surrender, Dear

[3:11] 11. These Foolish Things

[2:52] 12. Good Enough To Keep (Air Mail Special)

[3:14] 13. Breakfast Feud

[3:22] 14. I Can't Give You Anything But Love

[2:34] 15. Gilly

[3:30] 16. On The Alamo

[2:41] 17. Gone With What Draft

[3:16] 18. A Smo-O-O-Oth One

Clarinet, Leader – Benny Goodman; Electric Guitar – Charlie Christian; Georgie Auld - Sax (Tenor); Artie Bernstein - Bass; Dudley Brooks, Johnny Guarnieri, Fletcher Henderson, Ken Kersey - Piano; Nick Fatool, Harry Jaeger, Jo Jones, Dave Tough - Drums; Lionel Hampton (Guest Artist) - Vibraphone; Cootie Williams - Trumpet. All tracks recorded in New York, from October 1939 to March 1941.

Over the course of Benny Goodman's career, the stars often lined up right and he found himself working in tandem with someone every bit as talented as he, whether it was Bunny Berigan, Fletcher Henderson, Harry James, Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton or Teddy Wilson. For a brief period after most of the above had left his employ, Goodman hooked up with guitarist Charlie Christian and the jazz world was never the same. Christian played in the big band and his "Solo Flight" was one of the first big-band staples built around the then new electric guitar, but his best work came with a handful of finely wrought gems as a member of Goodman's sextet. Sharing solo space with Goodman and Hampton, Christian gave the electric guitar a place in the music on sides like "Flying Home," "Air Mail Special," "Stardust" and "AC-DC Current," where his instrument seems to be bursting with ideas and ceaseless invention. Along with sides by Eddie Lang and Django Reinhardt's Hot Club of France, these are the recordings that made jazz guitar history. ~Cub Koda

Featuring Charlie Christian

---

Etta Jones - The Complete 1944-1960 (2-Disc Set)

Etta Jones' Early Srudio Recordings In Their Entirety Include Two Original Albums As Well As 27 Rare Titels Including 25 Which Were First Released As 78/45 Rpm Records. Both CD's Have Been Remastered With The Greatest Care.

Album: The Complete 1944-1960 (Disc 1)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 68:29

Size: 156.8 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 2011

[4:21] 1. Yes Sir, That's My Baby

[3:50] 2. Don't Go To Strangers

[4:03] 3. I Love Paris

[5:53] 4. Fine And Mellow

[3:42] 5. Where Or When

[3:51] 6. If I Had You

[3:44] 7. On The Street Where You Live

[3:45] 8. Something To Remember You By

[3:15] 9. Bye Bye Blackbird

[4:40] 10. All The Way

[2:40] 11. Sweethearts On Parade

[2:29] 12. You Call It Madness But I Call It Love

[2:44] 13. Mountain Greenery

[2:15] 14. Don't Worry 'bout Me

[1:51] 15. S'posin

[2:22] 16. I Thought About You

[2:48] 17. I'm Gonna Lock My Heart And Throw Away The Key

[1:54] 18. Since I Fell For You

[2:21] 19. When I Fall In Love

[2:52] 20. White Cliffs Of Dover

[2:59] 21. People Will Say We're In Love

The Complete 1944-1960 (Disc 1)

---

Album: The Complete 1944-1960 (Disc 2)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 74:25

Size: 170.4 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 2011

Art: Front

[2:56] 1. Salty Papa Blues

[2:57] 2. Evil Gal Blues

[2:34] 3. Blow Top Blues

[2:48] 4. Long, Long Journey

[2:46] 5. You Ain't Nothin' Daddy

[2:47] 6. So Tired

[2:49] 7. Solitude

[2:44] 8. I May Be Wonderful (But I Think You're Wrong)

[2:39] 9. Man Wanted

[2:58] 10. Blues To End All Blues

[2:36] 11. Among My Souvenirs

[2:42] 12. Mean To Me

[2:28] 13. Osculate Me, Daddy

[2:45] 14. My Sleepy Head

[2:46] 15. I Sold My Heart To The Junkman

[2:59] 16. The Richest Guy In The Graveyard

[2:34] 17. Ain't No Hurry Baby

[3:15] 18. What Ev'ry Woman Knows

[2:57] 19. Overwork Blues

[2:51] 20. Misery Is A Thing Called Moe

[2:25] 21. This Is A Fine Time

[2:36] 22. One Night In Trinidad

[3:01] 23. Stop

[2:52] 24. One O'clock Jump

[2:26] 25. Kisses All Night Long

[2:11] 26. I Got A Feeling

[2:50] 27. Moolah! Moolah!

The Complete 1944-1960 (Disc 2)

---

Roberto Magris Europlane - Check-In

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:41
Size: 132.0 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[ 7:15] 1. I Remember You
[12:26] 2. Blues For My Sleeping Baby
[ 9:32] 3. African Mood
[ 6:17] 4. Luci Lontane
[ 5:23] 5. What Blues
[ 5:57] 6. Why Did I Choose You
[ 7:23] 7. I Concentrate On You
[ 3:24] 8. Che Cosa C'e'

Tony Lakatos--Saxophones; Michael Erian--Saxophones; Roberto Magris; Robert Balzar--Bass; Gabriele Centis--Drums; Fulvio Zarfet--Congas.

Roberto Magris's Check-in began its life as a self-produced recording reviewed earlier in these pages. Now with a new label sponsorship and distribution, this fine recording may find its larger audience. Magris is a pianist born in Trieste, Italy in 1959. Beginning his professional career in the late '70s, Magris went on to front several notable jazz combos, including Europlane (the jazz project from Central European Countries under the sponsorship of INCE-CEI Central European Initiative), the Roberto Magris quartet/quintet/orchestra, Dma Urban Jazz Funk and Alfabeats Nu Jazz.

Check-in finds the versatile Magris leading a nominal quintet fronted by saxophonists Tony Lakatos and Michael Erian. The two saxophonists kick off the festivities with a swinging contrapuntal duet introducing the Schertzinger/Mercer standard, "I Remember You. For almost two blissful minutes, the two saxists weave around one another in brilliantly traded eights, hinting at the melody, but never giving it away until closing the introduction in unison before the entire band comes in. Magris proves the superb comping pianist as he allows the reeds full reign. At least until the pianist solos and Magris spins out Monk notes without the dissonance. His time is quirky and never allows the listener's attention to wander elsewhere.

Conveniently positioned after this introductory salvo is the lengthiest piece on the disc, the minor blues, "Blues for My Sleeping Baby, which is a darkly lilting lullaby. All soloists turn introspective and the results are a light, flowing perfume of melody; this is no "Birk's Works. This highlights the impression that the Italian brand of jazz is always spiced con brio. Magris's approach for the remainder of the disc is seated firmly in the mainstream, while exerting a heady free spirit. His solos are always a surprise, with no predictability whatsoever. The pianist proves to be the most provocative soloist, throwing serrated lines through the expert comping of his rhythm section. He illustrates this best on the original compositions, such as, "African Mood and "What Blues.

The sonics have also improved with Magris's move to a label. The piano is sharp and well-defined. The cymbals are crisp and sharply demarcated. The bass is expansive. This is a thrilling release that, from start to finish, should satisfy the stingiest of listeners! I heartily recommend Check-In. ~C. Michael Bailey

Check-In

---

Gil Evans - Priceless Jazz Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:46
Size: 130.0 MB
Styles: Progressive jazz
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[ 5:09] 1. Where Flamingos Fly
[ 5:49] 2. Push De Button
[ 3:10] 3. Cheek To Cheek
[15:31] 4. La Nevada
[ 2:58] 5. Trav'lin' Light
[ 4:04] 6. Cocoanut Sweet
[ 4:10] 7. The Bilbao Song
[ 2:51] 8. Aren't You Glad You're You
[ 3:49] 9. Savannah
[ 4:16] 10. Sunken Treasure
[ 4:54] 11. Napolean

One of the most significant arrangers in jazz history, Gil Evans' three album-length collaborations with Miles Davis (Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess, and Sketches of Spain) are all considered classics. Evans had a lengthy and wide-ranging career that sometimes ran parallel to the trumpeter. Like Davis, Gil became involved in utilizing electronics in the '70s and preferred not to look back and re-create the past. He led his own band in California (1933-1938) which eventually became the backup group for Skinnay Ennis; Evans stayed on for a time as arranger. He gained recognition for his somewhat futuristic charts for Claude Thornhill's Orchestra (1941-1942 and 1946-1948) which took advantage of the ensemble's cool tones, utilized French horns and a tuba as frontline instruments, and, by 1946, incorporated the influence of bop. He met Miles Davis (who admired his work with Thornhill) during this time and contributed arrangements of "Moon Dreams" and "Boplicity" to Davis' "Birth of the Cool" nonet. After a period in obscurity, Evans wrote for a Helen Merrill session and then collaborated with Davis on Miles Ahead. In addition to his work with Davis (which also included a 1961-recorded Carnegie Hall concert and the half-album Quiet Nights), Evans recorded several superb and highly original sets as a leader (including Gil Evans & Ten, New Bottle Old Wine, and Great Jazz Standards) during the era. Among the albums he worked on in the '60s for other artists were notable efforts with Kenny Burrell and Astrud Gilberto. After his own sessions for Verve during 1963-1964, Evans waited until 1969 until recording again as a leader. That year's Blues in Orbit was his first successful effort at combining acoustic and electric instruments; it would be followed by dates for Artists House, Atlantic (Svengali), and a notable tribute to Jimi Hendrix in 1974. After 1975's There Comes a Time (which features among its sidemen David Sanborn), most of Evans' recordings were taken from live performances. Starting in 1970 he began playing with his large ensemble on a weekly basis in New York clubs. Filled with such all-star players as George Adams, Lew Soloff, Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson, Chris Hunter, Howard Johnson, Pete Levin, Hiram Bullock, Hamiet Bluiett, and Arthur Blythe among others, Evans' later bands were top-heavy in talent but tended to ramble on too long. Gil Evans, other than sketching out a framework and contributing his keyboard, seemed to let the orchestra largely run itself, inspiring rather than closely directing the music. There were some worthwhile recordings from the '80s (when the band had a long string of Monday night gigs at Sweet Basil in New York) but in general they do not often live up to their potential. Prior to his death, Gil Evans recorded with his "arranger's piano" on duets with Lee Konitz and Steve Lacy and his body of work on a whole ranks with the top jazz arrangers. ~bio by Scott Yanow

Priceless Jazz is a good midline sampler of highlights from Gil Evans' recordings for MCA and GRP. Although this isn't a definitive collection, it offers representative material to make this a good introduction to these recordings for curious listeners on a budget. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Priceless Jazz Collection

---

Larry Coryell, Paolo Morello, Andreas Dombert, Helmut Kagerer - Night Of Jazz Guitars

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:02
Size: 153.5 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:59] 1. Cookin' At The Continental
[4:31] 2. Koala
[6:03] 3. They Loved You More In Paris
[6:38] 4. Like Someone In Love
[4:40] 5. Jailbreak
[7:03] 6. Tender Tears Theme & Variations
[3:59] 7. Noites Cariocas
[4:51] 8. Blue In Green
[4:12] 9. Blues For Bireli
[5:53] 10. I Think It Is Too Late Now
[4:13] 11. Tadd's Delight
[7:50] 12. Bolero
[3:04] 13. All The Things You Are

Chamber music? Without any doubt! Consciousness of tradition? Definitely! Courage to be innovative? Yes, indeed! Team spirit? Of course! Soloist individuality? Can’t do without it! Thus, same procedure as any time when guitarists get together in a jazz context? Under no circumstances! For Helmut Kagerer, Paulo Morello, Andreas Dombert and guest star Larry Coryell their teamwork means much more than a blue print of the formula “Great Guitars”. These gentlemen define the pure distillation of their stringed work, the intermingling of ideas and chords in a completely new way. Not only in terms of the line-up. Since in modern jazz you have to examine the scene with a fine-tooth comb if you look for a guitaristic quartet. Here four excellent virtuoso and visionary players unify their strength for a fearless highwire act, for exiting and electrifying dialogues. They built an elaborated dramaturgy with plenty of space to improvise. These "four musketeers“ know each other, also know their limits and how to gain more possibilities beyond these limits with every live show they play. When they act on stage you witness adventures which captivate musicians as well as audience. Never before has jazz guitar experienced such a mighty renaissance. Four individualists with distinct personalities melt together for a creative power station and provide new steam for the often cited magic of the strings. These are four outstanding instrumentalists, representing four generations rooted in four different directions. They find a common grounding in standards and original compositions, and they create a very special, warm and breathtaking music which is seldom found in these days.

Night Of Jazz Guitars

---

Aaron Neville - My True Story

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:22
Size: 87.9 MB
Styles: R&B, Adult Contemporary
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:53] 1. Money Honey
[2:59] 2. My True Story
[2:30] 3. Ruby Baby
[3:28] 4. Gypsy Woman
[2:47] 5. Ting A Ling
[3:48] 6. Be My Baby
[2:39] 7. Little Bitty Pretty One
[3:30] 8. Tears On My Pillow
[2:53] 9. Under The Boardwalk
[3:05] 10. Work With Me Annie
[4:30] 11. This Magic Moment True Love
[3:16] 12. Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams)

Back in 1985, Aaron Neville offered fans a glimpse of his love of doo wop with the EP Orchid in the Storm. Over a quarter-century later, he returns to it on My True Story. Doo wop pre-dates rock & roll. Its reliance on the human voice in group harmony communicates not only melody but rhythm, and influenced the sounds of Motown, Stax, and early rock & roll. Even Frank Zappa claimed it as a prime influence. Co-produced by Keith Richards and Blue Note label boss Don Was, the dozen tunes here make prime use of Neville's voice, placing his high, smooth, vulnerable tenor way up front; he is backed by vintage-era doo wop singers and an all-star band that includes Richards and Greg Leisz on guitars, Benmont Tench on keyboards, bassist Tony Scherr, and drummer George R. Receli. Lenny Pickett helps out on horns and winds on a number of tracks as well. The production is clean, the musical backing used more as texture and color than as real support -- Neville and his vocalists offer all the impetus needed to pull this off (indeed one wonders what this set might have sounded like a cappella). The tunes are all classics. Standouts include Lieber & Stoller's "Ruby Baby," a medley of Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman's "This Magic Moment" and "True Love," Hank Ballard's "Work with Me Annie" (featuring a guest appearance from Art Neville on B-3), Sylvester Bradford's and Al Lewis' "Tears on My Pillow," and Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman." The latter marries doo wop to early Chicago soul, and Neville celebrates this in his reading. "Be My Baby," which will forever be associated with the Ronettes and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, is stripped back to the source music that inspired its authors, Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, and Spector -- even when adding a Pickett flute solo to the chart. Ultimately, My True Story is a smooth, mostly laid-back, and soulful recording by Neville. He provides a healthy -- sometimes overly -- reverential respect for the original material. Coupled with his vocals, these restrained yet imaginative arrangements offer some surprising twists and turns. ~Thom Jurek

My True Story

---

Sandra King, Richard Rodney Bennett - Making Beautiful Music Together

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:10
Size: 126.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[2:39] 1. Love Of My Life
[4:19] 2. Blame It On My Youth
[3:04] 3. Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me
[2:53] 4. There Is No Music
[2:54] 5. A Beautiful Friendship/We Could Make Such Beautiful Music Together
[3:27] 6. Second Chance
[3:37] 7. I'm Way Ahead Of The Game
[3:07] 8. On Second Thought
[3:50] 9. I Never Know When
[3:58] 10. I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do
[3:09] 11. Early To Bed
[3:41] 12. Empty Space
[3:21] 13. Boy Wanted
[4:03] 14. If You Never Come To Me
[3:20] 15. I Have The Feeling I've Been Here Before
[3:41] 16. I'll Always Leave The Door A Little Open

Sandra King vocals, Richard Rodney Bennett piano, Greg Cohen bass.

Sandra King treasures the memory of a day in the mid-1970s when she came to Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London to rehearse for an engagement. As she and her accompanist Pat Smythe ran through Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood," King noticed a man watching her from the back. He came closer, and she found herself face to face with Stan Getz. He proceeded to tell her how much he admired her singing. "Stan was finishing a two-week booking there that night," she recalls. "He asked me if I'd like to join him on stage to sing a couple of songs. I was terrified, but I went down there and sang while he played behind me. It's an experience I'll never forget."

Making Beautiful Music Together

---

Sonny Criss Quartet - Featuring Wynton Kelly

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:37
Size: 79.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:39] 1. Sweet Lorraine
[3:59] 2. You Don't Know What Love Is
[5:35] 3. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
[4:02] 4. Butts Delight
[3:49] 5. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
[7:39] 6. Sylvia
[5:51] 7. (Back Home Again In) Indiana

Sonny Criss (as), Wynton Kelly (p), Bob Cranshaw (b), Walter Perkins (d), Ole Hansen (tb). Recorded in Chicago, 1959.

Recorded in Chicago in 1959, this date places the great underappreciated altoist Sonny Criss in the company of Miles Davis' pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Walter Perkins, with some help from Norway's Ole Hansen on trombone. The program consists of straight late-'50s ballads and hard bop. Most of the program belongs to standards, such as "You Don't Know What Love Is," "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" (a staple of Criss' live set throughout his life), and Duke Ellington's "I Got It Bad." But the real surprises here are the originals. Criss' crew really rocks it on "Butts Delight," playing stellar sprinting hard bop with incredible soloing by the leader. "Sylvia," his other number, is a strolling blues with requisite swing and beautifully articulated interplay between the saxophone and trombone. For the all too few Criss lovers out there, these sessions are essential. In addition to the material, the presentation and sound are excellent -- something rather uncharacteristic for Fresh Sounds as a label. ~Thom Jurek

Featuring Wynton Kelly

---

Mick Goodrick, David Liebman, Wolfgang Muthspiel - In The Same Breath

Styles: Guitar And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:54
Size: 148,8 MB
Art: Front

( 7:07)  1. Hope
( 5:00)  2. Nardis
( 7:14)  3. Throughout
( 7:27)  4. Mothers and Daughters
( 9:46)  5. Visiones
( 5:51)  6. The Crusher
( 4:45)  7. Liebeslied
( 7:06)  8. The Three Stages
(10:34)  9. Ad Liebitum

Breathe in, breathe out, breathe out. When Liebs' sweetly purling soprano saxophone infiltrates the Mick 'n Wolfie guitar duo, what seemed a perfectly natural process suddenly becomes an out-of-body experience. Goodrick and Muthspiel have honed a mesmerizing mutual plectral hypnosis that levitates and transmigrates with each tune, whirling round and round the globe. They began it in small rooms like Ryle's Upstairs in Somerville, MA, and have taken it at least halfway 'round the Northern Hemisphere, as this album was recorded in Germany. When they invite in a third electronically adventuresome master instrumentalist, worlds collide and subside, pulses escalate. As saxophonist/teacher/writer Dave Liebman explains, concisely, with creative syntax: "The soprano immersed within the strings; the single line within the polyphony; the similar range of color for all three; the intensity and diversity of the rhythm-quite a large universe!" The three ply smooth and near waters (M. Davis' "Nardis") as well as those stormy and distant ("The Crusher"), two gorgeous waltzes (by Muthspiel and Kurt Weill). They sing in clear, brave voices in many tongues... Oh, let's let Liebs tell it: "The trio's range of expression moves from "Liebeslied" (swirling and harmonic) to "The Crusher" (textural) to "Mothers and Daughters" (polytonal) to the classic "Nardis" (swinging) to "Hope" (lyrical) to "Ad Liebitum" (rhythmical). This is one of the most pleasant and listenable recordings that I have ever been part of." ~  Fred Bouchard http://jazztimes.com/articles/8882-in-the-same-breath-mick-goodrick-dave-leibman-woflgang-muthspiel

Personnel:  Mick Goodrick – guitar;  David Liebman - soprano saxophone, wooden flute, piano;  Wolfgang Muthspiel - guitar, electric nylon string guitar, guitar synth, violin

In The Same Breath

---

Greta Matassa - I Wanna Be Loved

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:14
Size: 150,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:02)  1. Broadway
(5:39)  2. Chan´s Song
(4:56)  3. Alone In The World
(6:42)  4. I Wanna Be Loved
(5:37)  5. Nothing Like You
(5:27)  6. You´ll See
(5:57)  7. Save Me
(5:49)  8. Two For The Road
(6:33)  9. The Night Mist
(4:22) 10. Would You Believe
(6:05) 11. All Night Long

Greta Matassa made her mark performing in the Pacific Northwest as a jazz vocalist, with a great insight into the Great American Songbook and strong scatting abilities. Both are on display in this big-band session, with arrangements by the promising young pianist Tamir Hendelman and an all-star group. Following a swinging "Broadway" that also includes a healthy dose of scat, she is draped in strings and complemented by Steve Wilkerson's soprano sax in a lively take of Herbie Hancock's "Chan's Song" that sounds like it could have come from a movie soundtrack. There are several little-known songs that Matassa makes her own, including Jerry Goldsmith's moving ballad "Alone in the World" (written for the soundtrack to the film Russia House and performed with just the rhythm section, Carroll Coates' luxurious ballad "You'll See," and a touching setting of Cy Coleman's "Would You Believe." If there's a weak spot, it is Al Jarreau's "Save Me," which is undermined a bit by its uninspired lyrics and the questionable use of a harmonica synthesizer (perhaps no jazz harmonica player was available at the time?). Greta Matassa makes a strong statement with this memorable recording. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-wanna-be-loved-mw0000817563

Personnel: Greta Matassa (vocals); Bruce Forman (guitar); Christian Howes (violin); Cameron Patrick, Gina Kronstadt, Susan Chatman (strings); Steve Wilkerson (reeds); Steve Wilkerson & Andrea Baker (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Willie Murillo (trumpet); Darin Clendenin & Friends, Darin Clendenin, Tamir Hendelman (piano); Bob Leatherbarrow (vibraphone, drums); Clipper Anderson (bass instrument).

I Wanna Be Loved

---

John Nugent - Taurus People

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:08
Size: 140,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:11)  1. Taurus People
(6:48)  2. Monk's Dream
(6:23)  3. Star Crossed Lovers
(7:42)  4. Picadilly Lilly
(5:28)  5. Beija Flor
(9:18)  6. 12 Tone Poem
(5:10)  7. The Final Push
(8:20)  8. Bright Piece
(6:46)  9. Four of a Kind

Sharing the mike on four tunes with sopranist/tenorman Dave Leibman, his former teacher and continued good friend, tenorman John Nugent is here making his first bid for national attention. That he is doing this at the now comparatively advanced age of 35 seems to indicate a bit of well-advised caution and patience, a sign of maturity not shared by many other of our newer names. Stylistically, Nugent comes out of an essentially post-Coltrane/Shorter bag, but this is not to say that he is devoid of a personal sense of direction. He seems to be at his best on the tracks upon which he is the only hornman, i.e., "Monk's Dream," "Star Crossed Lovers," "Beija Flor," pianist Bruce Barth's "The Final Push," and Nugent's own "Four of a Kind."  Throughout, the contributions of Barth, bassist Doug Weiss, and drummer Al Foster present a flowing stream of time, while Liebman's soprano solos on the up-tempo "12 Tone Poem" and "Bright Piece" are typical of this idiosyncratic improviser. But on the occasions when he joins Nugent on tenor ("Taurus People" and "Picadilly Lily") there are noticeable differences of opinion regarding intonation, especially on unison passages. ~ Jack Sohmer http://jazztimes.com/articles/10553-taurus-people-john-nugent-quartet

Personnel: John Nugent (saxophone, tenor saxophone); David Liebman (saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Bruce Barth (piano); Al Foster (drums, snare drum).

Taurus People

---

Jack Walrath - Master Of Suspense

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:23
Size: 111,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:05)  1. Meat!
(5:19)  2. Children
(5:58)  3. No Mystery
(4:50)  4. A Study In Porcine
(3:52)  5. I'm Sending You A Big Bouquet Of Roses
(3:09)  6. The Lord's Calypso
(9:06)  7. I'm So Lonemsome I Could Cry
(5:27)  8. Monk On The Moon
(6:34)  9. A Hymn For The Discontented

The biggest news of this CD by trumpeter Jack Walrath is that Willie Nelson sings and plays guitar on two numbers: "I'm Sending You a Big Bouquet of Roses" and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." The other selections feature Walrath (who composed all but the two Nelson features) with a larger group than normal; a septet that includes altoist Kenny Garrett, tenor saxophonist Carter Jefferson, trombonist Steve Turre, pianist James Williams, bassist Anthony Cox and drummer Ronnie Burrage. As usual Walrath's music stretches the boundaries of hard bop without tossing away its roots. Among the more memorable titles are "Meat," "The Lord's Calypso" and "Monk on the Moon." ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/master-of-suspense-mw0000193705

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Kenny Garrett;  Bass – Anthony Cox;  Drums – Ronnie Burrage;  Guitar, Vocals – Willie Nelson ;  Piano – James Williams ;  Tenor Saxophone – Carter Jefferson;  Trombone – Steve Turre;  Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Jack Walrath

Master Of Suspense

---

Donald Edwards - Prelude To Real Life

Styles: Post Bop, Contemporary Jazz  
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:11
Size: 156,7 MB
Art: Front

(1:57)  1. Taking Shape
(6:23)  2. Incantation
(1:00)  3. Hop Scotch
(8:09)  4. Apple Street
(8:08)  5. Way to Her
(0:38)  6. King
(7:37)  7. Queen and the Princess
(7:58)  8. Stablemates
(8:56)  9. Beautiful Intuition
(6:57) 10. Thought for the Day
(4:34) 11. Skippy
(4:47) 12. Prelude to Real Life

On his second Criss Cross leader date, Prelude to Real Life, drummer Donald Edwards picks up where he left off with the next installment of an autobiographical narrativ in notes and tones. Whereas in his debut, Evolution of an Influenced Mind, Edwards conveyed the story of his formative years as a musician with eleven original compositions, here he addresses themes of love, family and fatherhood with an engaging suite comprising six kinetic, diverse originals of his and one by Alex Sipiagin, two personalized standards (Thelonious Monk's Skippy; Benny Golson's Stablemates); and three textural drum interludes. Rejoining him from the first date are pianist Orrin Evans and tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III, both Criss Cross veterans, guitarist David Gilmore, while rising star Luques Curtis assuming the bass chair. Edwards' old friend Nicholas Payton plays keyboards on three tracks, and eminent New York singer Vivian Sessoms lends her voice to three selections. https://www.amazon.com/Prelude-Real-Life-Donald-Edwards/dp/B019A1AZJU

Personnel: Donald Edwards (drums); David Gilmore (guitar); Walter Smith III (tenor saxophone); David Stoller (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, organ); Nicholas Payton (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Orrin Evans (piano).

Prelude To Real Life

---

Various - Soul Summit

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:04
Size: 169.5 MB
Styles: Bop, Soul Jazz
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[9:13] 1. Jack McDuff - Tubby
[5:01] 2. Gene Ammons - Dumplin'
[4:34] 3. Jack McDuff - When You Wish Upon A Star
[6:02] 4. Jack McDuff - Shuffle Twist
[5:42] 5. Jack McDuff - Sleeping Susan
[6:45] 6. Jack McDuff - Out In The Cold Again
[5:09] 7. Jack McDuff - Love, I've Found You
[4:27] 8. Etta Jones - But Not For Me
[3:57] 9. Oliver Nelson, Clark Terry, Red Holloway - Too Marvelous For Words
[4:22] 10. Etta Jones - If You're But A Dream
[7:41] 11. Jack McDuff - Scram
[6:13] 12. Jack McDuff - Ballad For Baby
[4:50] 13. Etta Jones - Cool Cool Daddy

The two early-'60s LPs in the Soul Summit series featured some of the many collaborations of tenors Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt, who are joined by organist Jack McDuff and drummer Charlie Persip. Their six performances are primarily riff tunes, with "When You Wish Upon a Star" taken at a medium pace and "Out in the Cold Again" the lone ballad. The second half of this CD, which features both volumes, features Ammons on two songs ("Love, I've Found You" and a swinging "Too Marvelous for Words") with a big band arranged by Oliver Nelson, jamming "Ballad for Baby" with a quintet, sitting out "Scram" (which stars McDuff and the tenor of Harold Vick), and backing singer Etta Jones on three numbers, of which "Cool, Cool Daddy" is the most memorable. Overall, this is an interesting and consistently swinging set that adds to the large quantity of recordings that the great Ammons did during the early '60s. ~Scott Yanow

Soul Summit

---

Flora Purim - That's What She Said

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 35:24

Size: 81.0 MB

Styles: Fusion, Latin jazz

Year: 1978/2001

Art: Front

[4:31] 1. Look Into His Eyes

[4:31] 2. Juicy

[5:07] 3. Hidden Within

[3:29] 4. You On My Mind

[5:02] 5. What Can I Say

[4:44] 6. Love's The Way I Feel 'bout Cha

[3:52] 7. That's What She Said

[4:04] 8. You Are My Heart

Accompanied By/With – Airto, Alphonso Johnson, Byron Miller, Ernie Watts, George Bohanon, George Duke, Jay Graydon, Leon Ndugu Chancler, Oscar Brashear. Recorded (mostly in 1976) at Paramount Recording Studios, Holywood.

Toward the close of her Milestone years, Flora Purim teamed up with producer/keyboardist George Duke -- and the imprint of Duke, then entering his funkified "Dukey Stick" period, is heavy enough to dominate the record. Very often, Duke uses his then rhythm section of bassist Byron Miller (alternating with Alphonso Johnson) and drummer Ndugu Chandler to give the grooves a definite '70s funk feel -- and percussionist Airto adapts his talents seamlessly to this way of life. Duke's electronic keyboard arsenal is all over the record, occasionally going gonzo on the Moog synthesizer, draping a then-still-fashionable ARP string synthesizer over the landscape, comping on the Rhodes electric piano or Yamaha electric grand. Joe Henderson turns up with a funk-bop tenor solo on the Brazilian/funk groove on "What Can I Say?" (what could he say?), part of a first-call L.A. studio horn section that includes trumpet Oscar Brashear, trombonist George Bohanon, and Ernie Watts on flute. And where does all of this instrumental activity leave Purim? Floating on top of the mix as usual, whether in a wordless vocalise, agile scatting with Duke's lead synth on the title track, or heavily accented English, sometimes in multiple overdubs. Nevertheless, the Brazilian feeling is not quite cancelled out by Duke's busy production hand -- and this Western Hemispheric amalgam would soon pave the way for groups like Azymuth. ~Richard S. Ginnell

That's What She Said

---

Barney Wilen - Essential Best

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:03
Size: 162.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:06] 1. Valse Hot
[4:39] 2. Dig
[5:17] 3. Caravan
[7:27] 4. Granadas
[5:45] 5. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[5:54] 6. Blues Walk
[9:21] 7. No Problem '94
[5:03] 8. Estate
[7:02] 9. Jitterbug Waltz
[9:59] 10. My Ship
[5:26] 11. Passione

Barney Wilen's mother was French, his father a successful American dentist-turned-inventor. He grew up mostly on the French Riviera; the family left during World War II but returned upon its conclusion. According to Wilen himself, he was convinced to become a musician by his mother's friend, the poet Blaise Cendrars. As a teenager he started a youth jazz club in Nice, where he played often. He moved to Paris in the mid-'50s and worked with such American musicians as Bud Powell, Benny Golson, Miles Davis, and J.J. Johnson at the Club St. Germain. His emerging reputation received a boost in 1957 when he played with Davis on the soundtrack to the Louis Malle film Lift to the Scaffold. Two years later, he performed with Art Blakey and Thelonious Monk on the soundtrack to Roger Vadim's Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1960). Wilen began working in a rock-influenced style during the '60s, recording an album entitled Dear Prof. Leary in 1968. In the early '70s, Wilen led a failed expedition of filmmakers, musicians, and journalists to travel to Africa to document pygmy music. Later Wilen played in a punk rock band called Moko and founded a French Jazzmobile-type organization that took music to people living in outlying areas. He also worked in theater. By the mid-'90s, he was working once again in a bebop vein in a band with the pianist Laurent de Wilde. Much of Wilen's later work was documented on the Japanese Venus label. ~bio by Chris Kelsey

Essential Best

---

Lester Young - The Complete Savoy Recordings (2-Disc Set)

When this double-album set was first released, the "two-fer" fad in jazz and blues reissues was not exactly new, but a consensus on what to do with alternate takes had not been reached, if it ever has. Compact discs made the entire situation easier to deal with, as machines could be programmed to play the selections in any order, and the perception of monotony that lingers just under the surface of any alternate-takes collection could be avoided with the click of a button. Back in the vinyl days, the way this set was programmed would have been bad news for anyone who had problems listening to four takes of "Exercise in Swing" in a row -- although obviously, the thing for such a person to do would be avoid buying this collection entirely. All the versions of a given tune are presented right in a row, with an average of three different titles per side. The takes presented would all have been considered usable, so this is not a case of listening to out-of-tune versions or breakdowns. And in the end, this set is much more varied and interesting to listen to than it might appear from a glance at the track list. Hearing the difference in the solos from version to version would be the major draw for the typical jazz fan, and these recordings are totally satisfying from that perspective. Young is a master soloist who never fails to come up with a odd slant on the melody, usually after lulling the listener into a false sense of calm. He is heard with a selection of players that are at the very least pleasant and swinging. The arrangements and brevity of the tracks means things move along quickly; hearing one soloist who is a genius followed by another who simply plays well is part of the fun, as a pure spirit of jazz flows through all the participants. The 1944 tracks were originally issued under the name of Earl Warren and His Orchestra, but it is actually the Count Basie band in disguise. Due to contract hassles, Basie turned the piano bench over to Clyde Hart, and alto saxophonist and amusing vocalist Earl Warren assumed mock leadership. These tracks absolutely defy the idea that listening to different versions of the same songs is dull. For one thing, the charts are complicated, and it will probably take multiple listens until one even gets used to the melodies enough to become bored by them. It is also thrilling to hear this totally tight band whip through these arrangements and the sequences of quick, energized, and clever solos that follow. At the same session, Young cut some tunes with a smaller band that has an exquisitely polished sound. Pianist Johnny Guarnieri plays wonderfully, a bit of Basie here, a touch of Tatum there, a wash of Wilson to wrap it up. Drummer Cozy Cole is tasteful, while Young's masterful phrasing is well-balanced in a horn lineup of trumpet and clarinet. This takes us to side C, which perhaps should have been identified as the third side to avoid the mediocrity associated with a C grade. Because now Basie himself is on the scene in a small band grouping that is some of the best recorded work of all concerned. It is simple material, played without a touch of pomposity. Some of the titles are only done once, such as "Jump Lester Jump," which everyone must have agreed could not possibly have been improved upon. The tunes that are done twice provide a tremendous opportunity to compare happenings. Rhythm-section fanatics can follow the strumming of Freddie Green or the snare drum of Shadow Wilson, because this is all about details. What happens exactly, that makes one version of tune six seconds longer than another? In the case of "Ding Dong," two of the three versions are exactly the same length, to the second, while the third is only a single second longer. The final session jumps ahead to 1949 and presents Young in a combo with several youngsters that went on to greater jazz glory. Roy Haynes, in his early twenties at the time of these recordings, is as delightful as he is on his Alladin sessions with Young, while the bluesy touch of pianist Junior Mance is right up Young's alley. It is sad to say Mance never backed up anyone as good as this again -- but in a way, nobody did. ~Eugene Chadbourne

Album: The Complete Savoy Recordings (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:10
Size: 172.1 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1973/2002

[2:55] 1. These Foolish Things
[3:00] 2. Exercise In Swing (Take 1, Master)
[2:47] 3. Salute To Fats
[3:08] 4. Exercise In Swing (Take 3)
[3:00] 5. Exercise In Swing (Take 4)
[3:20] 6. Salute To Fats (Take 1)
[1:16] 7. Salute To Fats (Take 2)
[2:57] 8. Salute To Fats (Take 3)
[0:56] 9. Salute To Fats (Take 4)
[2:56] 10. Salute To Fats (Take 5, Master)
[2:58] 11. Basie English (Take 1)
[3:00] 12. Basie English (Take 2, Master)
[2:54] 13. Empty Hearted (Take 1, Master)
[3:11] 14. Circus In Rhythm (Take 1, Master)
[3:03] 15. Circus In Rhythm (Take 2)
[2:53] 16. Circus In Rhythm (Take 3)
[2:55] 17. Poor Little Plaything (Take 1, Master)
[3:00] 18. Poor Little Plaything (Take 2)
[2:49] 19. Tush (Take 1)
[2:58] 20. Tush (Take 2, Master)
[3:21] 21. Blue Lester
[3:25] 22. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You (Take 1)
[3:18] 23. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You (Take 2, Master)
[2:51] 24. Back Home In Indiana
[2:55] 25. (Back Home Again In) Indiana (Take 2, Master)
[3:14] 26. Jump Lester Jump

The Complete Savoy Recordings (Disc 1)

---

Album: The Complete Savoy Recordings (Disc 2)
itrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:10
Size: 176.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1973/2002
Art: Front

[2:44] 1. Crazy Over Jazz (Take 1)
[2:45] 2. Exercise In Swig
[2:41] 3. Crazy Over J-Z (Take 3, Master)
[2:23] 4. Ding Dong (Take 1)
[2:23] 5. Ding Dong (Take 2)
[2:25] 6. Ding Dong (Take 3, Master)
[2:10] 7. Blues 'n' Bells (Take 1)
[2:20] 8. Blues 'n' Bells (Take 2)
[2:21] 9. Blues 'n' Bells (Take 3, Master)
[2:35] 10. June Bug (Take 1, Master)
[3:08] 11. Neenah
[3:41] 12. Body And Soul
[4:12] 13. Up And Adam
[9:23] 14. Big Eye Blues
[6:16] 15. One O'clock Blues
[4:52] 16. Lester's Mop Mop Blues
[5:31] 17. Pennies From Heaven
[4:13] 18. I Can't Get Started
[7:01] 19. How High The Moon
[3:57] 20. Jumpin' With Symphony Sid

The Complete Savoy Recordings (Disc 2)

---

Jack Jezzro - Romance In Venice

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:36
Size: 120,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:42)  1. Santa Lucia
(4:07)  2. The Godfather Waltz / Speak Softly Love
(3:41)  3. Arrivederci Roma (Goodbye To Rome)
(4:08)  4. Non Dimenticar
(3:44)  5. Oh Marie
(3:18)  6. Mattinatta (In The Morning)
(3:00)  7. Torna A Surriento (Come Back To Sorrento)
(3:29)  8. Mio Dolce Sogno
(4:47)  9. O Sole Mio
(3:19) 10. Mala Femmena
(3:45) 11. Bella Notte
(2:50) 12. Tra Veglia E Sonno
(3:12) 13. Vieni Sul Mar (Come To The Sea)
(3:29) 14. Serenade

Imagine you are gliding through the moonlight canals of Venice as your gondolier serenades you with an Italian romantic classic such as "Santa Lucia" or "O Sole Mio". That's where this instrumental collection of favorite Italian love songs will take you through strings of the mandolin, chords of the accordion, and sweeping notes of the violin. Romance yourself around the world with this elegant Italian musical tapestry. https://www.amazon.com/Romance-Venice-Jack-Jezzro/dp/B0001GMT2K

Personnel: Butch Baldassari (mandolin); Jack Jezzro, Pat Bergeson, Van Manakas, John Pell (guitar); Antoine Silverman (violin); Jeff Taylor (accordion); Lee Levine (clarinet); Roger Spencer (bass instrument).

Romance In Venice

---

Ari Ambrose - Cyclic Episode

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:58
Size: 160,5 MB
Art: Front

( 9:31)  1. Gingerbread Boy
( 9:17)  2. Mirror Mirror
( 9:22)  3. Early Minor
(12:03)  4. Cyclic Episode
(10:38)  5. Goodbye to Childhood
( 9:11)  6. Roses Poses
( 9:53)  7. Remember

That astute follower of new talent, Nils Winther, introduced us to up and coming tenor saxophonist Ari Ambrose in 1998 with a trio date sans piano that was as remarkable in its daring as it was in its pronouncement of a great new talent on the scene. Now comes along Cyclic Episode and we hear Ambrose in a more conventional line-up, but that electrifying sense of abandon and joie de vivre is still there, making this set another triumph.  Going for a collection of seldom-done pieces, Ambrose proves to be a shrewd judge of great music. Sam Rivers wrote the title track, Joe Zawinul’s “Early Minor” comes from the neglected Nat Adderley album You, Baby, and “Goodbye To Childhood” is a shinning jewel from Herbie Hancock’s transcendent Speak Like a Child. A take on Berlin’s “Remember” also suggests that Ambrose has done his homework by checking out Hank Mobley’s version from the classic Soul Station. 

As a tenor stylist, Ambrose possesses a tone that’s full-bodied, but just a little rough at the edges. His fluidity is obvious over the course of the many choruses he spins during the opening “Gingerbread Boy.” Ballad work is a sign of maturity and Ambrose passes the test on “Early Minor” and “Goodbye to Childhood,” with a nod to Sonny Rollins obvious in the latter performance. The rest of the ensemble is also of the highest rank, Colligan and Drummond continuing to impress this reviewer as just about the most exciting thing since sliced bread. So the saying goes, they don’t make ‘em like they used to, but if you’re looking for the kind of spirited jams that used to come with those old Blue Notes and Prestiges, then look no further than Cyclic Episode. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/cyclic-episode-ari-ambrose-steeplechase-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Ari Ambrose- tenor saxophone, George Colligan- piano and Fender Rhodes, Joe Martin- bass, Billy Drummond- drums

Cyclic Episode

---

David Liebman Quintet - Doin' It Again

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:49
Size: 87,0 MB
Art: Front

(9:45)  1. Doin' It Again
(9:40)  2. Lady
(9:26)  3. Stardust
(8:57)  4. Cliff's Vibes

Considering what Liebman's quintet was able to achieve on "If They Only Knew," this one is a bit of a disappointment. For one thing, trumpeter Terumasa Hino plays a smaller role, featured only on a lovely rendition of "Stardust." For another, there is more of a feel of 1970s fusion to the whole, which while appealing to some, is nonetheless dated. John Scofield is splendid on electric guitar, with the spiraling, atmospheric forays for which he is known. Overall, this is lightweight fare, with pleasant, danceable melodies and a solid beat provided by drummer Adam Nussbaum. Liebman plays both tenor and soprano saxophones, and he burns on the latter for Ron McClure's "Lady." He shows why he is such a well-respected and sought after performer, and he easily rises above the material. While there are plenty of good moments throughout this recording, there are better examples of the saxophonist's work. The ethereal nature of some of the CD leads to a light airy quality. For those looking for the beef, this might be a tad disappointing. ~ Steve Loewy http://www.allmusic.com/album/doin-it-again-mw0000539969

Personnel:  David Liebman - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone;  Terumasa Hino - trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion;  John Scofield – guitar;  Ron McClure - acoustic and electric bass;  Adam Nussbaum -drums

Doin' It Again

---