Nina Simone - Silk And Soul

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:03
Size: 82.6 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz vocals
Year: 1967/2006
Art: Front

[2:55] 1. It Be's That Way Sometime
[2:22] 2. The Look Of Love
[2:48] 3. Go To Hell
[5:06] 4. Love O' Love
[3:21] 5. Cherish
[3:07] 6. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
[2:24] 7. Turn Me On
[2:00] 8. The Turning Point
[2:08] 9. Some Say
[4:08] 10. Consummation
[2:19] 11. Why Must Your Love Well Be So Dry
[3:21] 12. Save Me

After moving from the blues to soul for her second RCA album, Nina Simone's extroverted, confident delivery proved a natural match with the ranks of soul shouters working the crowds during the late '60s. A plane ticket to Memphis or Muscle Shoals could've resulted in one of Simone's best works; unfortunately, this set was recorded in New York, and it shows. Simone does well taking on Dusty Springfield for "The Look of Love," though the sedate supper-club backing doesn't quite jive with her smooth, studied performance. Better are the less familiar tunes, like the highlight "It Be's That Way Sometimes" (written by Simone's brother Sam Waymon), "Go to Hell," and "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free," a trio of songs Nina Simone has no trouble making her own. ~John Bush

Silk And Soul

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Bud Shank, João Donato - Uma Tarde Com Bud Shank E João Donato

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:10
Size: 128.6 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, World Fusion
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[8:43] 1. Gaiolas Abertas
[8:18] 2. Joana
[7:44] 3. Black Orchid
[5:36] 4. Minha Saudade
[5:30] 5. Night And Day
[5:19] 6. But Not For Me
[6:18] 7. There Will Never Be Another You
[8:37] 8. Yesterdays

O som de Shank assume um tom pungente em 'Joana', sublinhado por Donato em cada inflexão e variação, sustentando seu solo impregnado de lirismo e delicadeza. Shank expõe 'Black Orchid' com acentuado lirismo no qual seu sax literalmente canta a melodia, embarcando numa exploração repleta de variações sugestivas, seguido por Donato, que exibe sua imaginação aparentemente inesgotável. Após introdução de piano em 'Minha Saudade', Shank expõe a melodia com frases articuladas, prelúdio de uma extensa improvisação; o solo de Donato é um autêntico poema tonal, lírico e introspectivo. O sucesso dessas gravações motivou o reencontro de Bud Shank com João Donato, em novembro de 2006, para dois concertos no Mistura Fina. Confira o resultado do encontro desses dois mestres da música!

Uma Tarde Com Bud Shank e Joao Donato                 

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Bob Mintzer Big Band - Old School: New Lessons

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:44
Size: 145.9 MB
Styles: Big band, Progressive jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[7:46] 1. Not Quite Yet
[5:59] 2. Mofongo
[5:44] 3. My One And Only Love
[6:39] 4. Runferyerlife
[7:50] 5. Mosaic
[6:56] 6. Resolution
[7:14] 7. March Majestic
[8:12] 8. Black Sand
[7:19] 9. Go Go

Bob Mintzer: tenor saxophone, flute; Peter Yellin: alto saxophone, flute; Lawrence Feldman: alto saxophone, flute; Bob Malach: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Scott Robinson: baritone saxophone, clarinet; Bob Millikan: trumpet; Scott Wendholt: trumpet, flugelhorn; Terrell Stafford: trumpet; Frank Greene: trumpet; Michael Davis: trombone; Jason Jackson: trombone; Larry Farrell: trombone; David Taylor: bass trombone; Phil Markowitz: piano; Jay Anderson: bass; John Riley: drums; Kurt Elling: vocals; Yellowjackets--Bob Mintzer: tenor saxophone, EWI; Russell Ferrante: acoustic piano, synthesizer; Jimmy Haslip: electric bass; Marcus Baylor: drums.

He may be best known these days as one quarter of the contemporary jazz group Yellowjackets' best lineup in 25 years, but woodwind multi-instrumentalist Bob Mintzer first cut his teeth in the big bands of Buddy Rich and Mel Lewis, along with the late bassist Jaco Pastorius' groundbreaking Word of Mouth Big Band. And so, while he's made a significant part of his reputation through work in smaller ensembles, he's always had an affinity for the sonic possibilities and sheer power of larger ensembles. His own big band has been an ongoing concern since the early 1980s. Mintzer has clear reverence for the swing tradition of those early big bands' experiences. Still, with his own ensembles he's always been equally committed to moving that tradition forward, something he does to great effect on Old School: New Lessons, culled from a series of Manchester Craftsmen's Guild shows in Pittsburgh in 2004 and 2005. Augmenting his sixteen-piece band on two tracks with vocalist Kurt Elling, and on two others with his Yellowjackets bandmates, Mintzer has fashioned a large ensemble record that's respectful enough to appeal to staunch traditionalists, yet contemporary enough to perhaps act as an entry point for contemporary jazz fans who are less familiar with what a big band has to offer.

The two Elling tracks are a lush reading of "My One and Only Love and a powerful version of "Resolution" that puts last year's Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra's overly-arranged version of John Coltrane's A Love Supreme to shame. Otherwise, the compositions are all Mintzer's. And of those seven Mintzer titles, a full five were originally recorded with Yellowjackets. While the use of his electronic wind instrument (EWI) feels a little out of place on the samba-inflected "Mofongo, which also features Yellowjackets pianist Russell Ferrante, electric bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Marcus Baylor, Mintzer's thirteen-piece horn section gives the piece a bright energy that surpasses the Yellowjackets version from Mint Jam (Heads Up, 2002). The pop balladry of "Mosaic, which also first appeared on Mint Jam, on the other hand, feels more organically integrated here. But Mintzer's Yellowjackets tunes interpreted by the big band alone best exemplify the convergence of these two seemingly disparate musical worlds. "Go Go, rhythmically rooted in the underground scene of Washington, DC, manages to feel authentic yet swings a little harder; pianist Phil Markowitz's accompaniment to Bob Malach's tenor solo is more abstractly modal than Ferrante's take on Time Squared (Heads Up, 2003). And while the burning "Runferyerlife grooved with a kind of Weather Report swagger on the live Mint Jam, it's more closely aligned here with traditional big band swing.

All too few artists today are exploring the greater possibilities a large ensemble can afford. So it's good news that Mintzer has chosen to remain committed to his big band throughout his career. Old School: New Lessons, a vivid set filled with excitement and color, continues to demonstrate Mintzer's ability to comfortably marry tradition with innovation. ~John Kelman

Old School: New Lessons

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Katie Melua - The Katie Melua Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:40
Size: 141.2 MB
Styles: Adult alternative, Pop-Rock-Jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:12] 1. The Closest Thing To Crazy
[3:16] 2. Nine Million Bicycles
[4:19] 3. What A Wonderful World
[3:59] 4. If You Were A Sailboat
[3:24] 5. Piece By Piece
[3:25] 6. Call Off The Search
[4:39] 7. On The Road Again
[3:12] 8. Mary Pickford
[3:59] 9. Spider's Web
[3:39] 10. Thank You, Stars
[3:36] 11. I Cried For You
[3:25] 12. Crawling Up A Hill
[3:05] 13. Tiger In The Night
[3:12] 14. Toy Collection
[3:49] 15. Somewhere In The Same Hotel
[2:58] 16. Two Bare Feet
[3:23] 17. When You Taught Me How To Dance

With combined U.K. album sales of nearly three million copies, Georgian-born Katie Melua has quietly become one of the biggest-selling female artists of the decade. Without the media profile of Britney Spears, the powerhouse vocals of Anastacia, or the critical acclaim of Dido, her success has been based purely on old-fashioned songs that have managed to have appeal beyond the usual folk-pop market. Indeed, just like her biggest influence, Eva Cassidy, who appears here on a posthumous cover of "What a Wonderful World," Melua's soothing and jazz-tinged tones found an audience through repeated plays on Terry Wogan's BBC Radio 2 show. So the fact that the majority of The Katie Melua Collection never really moves past first gear shouldn't come as any surprise. But what her detractors may call dull, others may call refreshingly simple. Indeed, her back-to-basics approach sometimes works wonderfully, particularly on her two biggest singles, the naïvely charming "Closest Thing to Crazy" and the Celtic-inspired "Nine Million Bicycles," one of the most lyrically unique love songs of recent times. Elsewhere, "I Cried for You" showcases Melua's heartfelt, impassioned vocals to full effect, while the dramatic "Spider's Web" is a decent stab at a rock-led political song. However, the less-is-more production sometimes renders the songs so nondescript that it's hard to remember anything about them. And the likes of "Call Off the Search" and "Crawling Up the Hill" do little to dispel the unwanted Norah Jones comparisons. However, the three new tracks, Melua's first since her split with longtime collaborator Mike Batt, suggest a different direction for album number four, with the jaunty big-band party song "Two Bare Feet" a particular highlight. Overall, this is a comprehensive roundup of a surprisingly successful, if fairly unadventurous, first chapter of her career. Without the aid of her chief songwriter, it will be interesting to see how she develops from here. ~Jon O'Brien

The Katie Melua Collection

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Chuck Wayne - Jazz Guitar Essentials

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:54
Size: 150.9 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:04] 1. Lullaby In Rhythm
[2:40] 2. More Than You Know
[3:10] 3. Cool Saturday Night
[4:35] 4. Embraceable You
[5:06] 5. Red Sun Blues
[3:23] 6. What A Difference A Day Made
[5:06] 7. Love For Sale
[3:13] 8. Carmel
[3:27] 9. Body And Soul
[4:25] 10. Lover Man
[2:29] 11. Snuggled On Your Shoulder
[3:15] 12. Along With Me
[3:28] 13. Rockabye Bay
[3:48] 14. How About You
[6:00] 15. Blue Serge
[4:17] 16. Good Old Guy
[2:00] 17. Five O'clock Blues
[2:22] 18. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe

Although he often paid his bills with non-jazz pursuits, native New Yorker Chuck Wayne was an expressive and talented, if underexposed, bebop guitarist along the lines of Barney Kessel, Tal Farlow, Jimmy Raney, and Johnny Smith. Wayne was never a huge name in the jazz world, but he did cross paths with major jazzmen like Dizzy Gillespie, Zoot Sims, and Woody Herman -- and improvisers who were familiar with his swinging yet lyrical playing (a relatively small group) swore by him. Wayne was capable of playing more than one style of jazz; he played swing before he played bop, and he could handle Dixieland as well. But bop was his preference, and that's the style that he is best known for in jazz circles. Wayne was born Charles Jagelka in the Big Apple on February 27, 1923 -- that's the name that appeared on his birth certificate -- but when he pursued a career in music, he realized it would be easier and more convenient to go by Chuck Wayne. The improviser didn't start out as a guitarist; as a teenager in the late '30s, he played swing on the mandolin. But by the early '40s (when he was hired a sideman by swing pianist Clarence Profit), Wayne had switched to the guitar and made it his primary instrument. After spending some time in the United States Army, Wayne became quite active on midtown Manhattan's legendary 52nd Street scene of the '40s -- and that was where he made the transition from swing to bebop. Wayne, whose early influences included Oscar Moore (of the Nat King Cole Trio) and the seminal Charlie Christian, first heard Charlie Parker around 1944; it didn't take him long to take the bebop plunge. The mid-'40s found Wayne playing with Woody Herman's big band, and 52nd Street was where he played with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. Wayne (who played the banjo and the balalaika as secondary instruments) was a sideman for pianist George Shearing from 1949-1952, and in the '50s he recorded some LPs for the Progressive label as a leader. But it was also during the '50s that Wayne had a lot of non-jazz activities, which ranged from writing for Broadway to working as a staff musician for CBS-TV to a stint with singer Tony Bennett (who isn't jazz per se but is a fine example of jazz-influenced traditional pop). However, Wayne never gave up bebop, and he recorded a handful of bop-oriented albums in the '60s and '70s (two more decades that found him dividing his time between jazz and non-jazz pursuits). The '80s found Wayne teaching at the Westchester Conservatory of Music in suburban White Plains, NY (just outside of the Big Apple), and he continued to teach and play in the '90s. On July 29, 1997, Wayne passed away at the age of 74. ~ Alex Henderson

Jazz Guitar Essentials

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Melissa Manchester - Playlist: The Very Best Of Melissa Manchester

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:49
Size: 114.0 MB
Styles: Soft rock, Adult Contemporary
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:55] 1. Midnight Blue
[3:38] 2. Just Too Many People
[4:14] 3. You Should Hear How She Talks About You
[3:58] 4. Lovers After All
[2:55] 5. Rainbird
[4:23] 6. Talkin' To Myself
[3:51] 7. Walk On By
[3:47] 8. I Can't Get Started
[4:10] 9. Through The Eyes Of Love (Theme From The Motion Picture Ice Castles )
[4:16] 10. Come In From The Rain
[3:48] 11. Don't Cry Out Loud
[3:13] 12. Shine Like You Should
[3:35] 13. A Mother And Father's Prayer

MOR singer/songwriter Melissa Manchester, whose father was a bassoonist for the New York Metropolitan Opera, began singing commercial jingles at age 15 and went on to become a staff writer for Chappell Music while attending the High School of Performing Arts. After taking a songwriting class at New York University taught by Paul Simon, Manchester took her talents to the Manhattan club scene, where she was discovered by Bette Midler and Barry Manilow; the two hired her as a backup singer in 1971. She recorded her debut album, Home to Myself, in 1973, co-writing many of the songs with Carole Bayer Sager. Released in 1975, Melissa produced her first Top Ten hit, "Midnight Blue," and set the tone for most of her career with its direct, slickly produced MOR pop sound. She and Kenny Loggins co-wrote the latter's 1978 duet hit with Stevie Nicks, "Whenever I Call You Friend," and the following year, Manchester returned to the Top Ten with "Don't Cry Out Loud." In 1980, Manchester became the first singer to have two movie themes nominated for Academy Awards (Ice Castles and The Promise); two years later she achieved her highest Billboard singles chart placement with the number five hit "You Should Hear How She Talks About You," which won a Grammy for Best Female Vocal Performance. Through the '80s and '90s, Manchester alternated occasional recording with scriptwriting and acting, appearing with Bette Midler in For the Boys and on the television series Blossom as the title character's birth mother. In spring 2004, Manchester returned with her first album in ten years. When I Look Down That Road, which included collaborations with Beth Nielsen Chapman and Keb' Mo' and marked her first proper release with Koch. ~bio by Steve Huey

Playlist: The Very Best Of Melissa Manchester

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Bob James, David Sanborn - Double Vision

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:15
Size: 99.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Crossover jazz
Year: 1986/2014
Art: Front

[6:47] 1. Maputo
[6:16] 2. More Than Friends
[7:03] 3. Moon Tune
[5:49] 4. Since I Fell For You
[5:13] 5. It's You
[6:27] 6. Never Enough
[5:36] 7. You Don't Know Me

Bass – Marcus Miller; Drums – Steve Gadd; Guitar – Paul Milton Jackson Jr.; Keyboards, Synthesizer, Arranged By [Rhythm & Synthesizer], Programmed By – Bob James; Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa; Saxophone – David Sanborn.

This combination works quite well. Poppish keyboardist/arranger Bob James joins with electric bassist Marcus Miller, drummer Steve Gadd, guitarist Paul Jackson, percussionist Paulinho da Costa, and (on two songs) guitarist Eric Gale to accompany the distinctive and always soulful altoist David Sanborn. Sanborn caresses the strong melodies, mostly originals by James and Miller, and plays well with guest vocalist Al Jarreau on "Since I Fell for You." One of the best recordings ever released under James' name (Sanborn gets co-billing) and a big seller. ~Scott Yanow

Double Vision 

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Gato Barbieri - Under Fire

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:47
Size: 81.9 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 1971/2016
Art: Front

[9:08] 1. El Parana
[4:51] 2. Yo Le Canto A La Luna
[3:51] 3. Antonico
[9:35] 4. Maria Domingas
[8:20] 5. El Sertao

Under Fire is Gato Barbieri in his early-'70s prime, when the Argentinean tenorman's transition from the avant-garde to exploring his South American continental routes still hadn't passed beyond the pale into flaccid fusion. He's joined by a pretty stellar band: his regular pianist Lonnie Liston Smith (before he fuzaked out), Airto Moreira and James Mtume on drums and percussion, the veteran Roy Haynes guesting on "El Parana," a young John Abercrombie on guitar and Stanley Clarke in his young lion-of-acoustic-bass phase.

Barbieri floats in the background of "El Parana" before kicking into the song proper at an accelerated tempo. More than improvising per se, his trademark was the emotionally charged sonic stamp he put on the melody (check the intro to the ballad "Yo Le Canto a la Luna," where Barbieri sounds like he's aiming to blow down walls) that made clichés like "Latin passion and fire" sound like, well, the real deal. It also provides a good counterpoint to the exuberant playing of the group -- Smith's solo shows the impact of his years with Pharoah Sanders, but it's Clarke and the rhythm section that really drive the piece while Abercrombie tosses in fills here and there.

"Antonico" features double-tracked Barbieri and the strongest improvisation (so far) at the end, while Brazilian songwriter Jorge Ben's "Maria Domingas" fades in with a full head of steam thanks to Abercrombie and Clarke dueling over Moreira and Mtume. Barbieri's echoed yelps give way to a deeply lyrical sax melody -- he does a lot of similar dynamic shifts here -- before Abercrombie's guitar comps re-start the up-tempo with Clarke effortlessly loping on as the octave-leaping anchor for Barbieri's searing statement of the theme. "El Sertao" opens with Barbieri squeaks over Smith's echoed Fender Rhodes trills, a Clarke foundation riff, and Abercrombie's comps before Barbieri enters full-force. The music stays light and buoyant before another downtempo shift builds to a climatic coda with Clarke shining.

Even the longer pieces are over before you know it so, although Under Fire doesn't quite match the charged intensity of Fenix or El Pampero, it leaves you wishing for two things. First, that there were outtakes to include here because you never come close to getting tired of the music -- double the music would mean double the fun. And what a shame that Carlos Santana, who was just entering his Devadip phase, never recorded with Barbieri at this point in their careers because that combination had the potential to create some pretty incredible music. ~Don Snowden

Under Fire

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Joan Osborne - How Sweet It Is

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:59
Size: 121.3 MB
Styles: R&B, Adult Alternative
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[4:28] 1. I'll Be Around
[3:37] 2. Think
[4:20] 3. How Sweet It Is
[4:42] 4. Smiling Faces Sometimes
[4:10] 5. Love's In Need Of Love Today
[4:37] 6. These Arms Of Mine
[3:45] 7. Only You And I Know
[5:48] 8. War
[4:59] 9. Why Can't We Live Together
[4:01] 10. Axis Bold As Love
[5:13] 11. The Weight
[3:14] 12. Everybody Is A Star

While 1995's Relish proved Joan Osborne was a smart and idiosyncratic lyricist with a big, strong and soulful voice, the unexpected success of the album (and the single "One Of Us") proved to be as much of a burden as a blessing. Touring kept Osborne out on the road for the next few years, and troubles with her record company prevented her follow-up, Righteous Love, from arriving in stores until 2000, after which it died quickly on the vine (though the album deserved a better fate). As Osborne was blocking out plans for her next album in the fall of 2001, the terrorist attacks of September 11 upended her musical priorities, and for How Sweet It Is, Osborne has indulged herself in the musical equivalent of comfort food by cutting covers of a dozen classic soul and R&B tunes from the 1960s and '70s, with the exception of three reworked rock numbers (Dave Mason's "Only You Know and I Know," the Band's "The Weight," and Jimi Hendrix's "Axis: Bold As Love"). While Osborne devotes herself to vintage material here, for the most part she avoids a retro vibe and, thankfully, avoids the contemporary failing of proving one's soulfulness by bending vocal lines into uncontrollable spasms of melisma. Here, Osborne merges passion with simplicity, while most of the tunes are recast in clean, spare arrangements which capture the classic lines of their melodies without sounding like retreads. And in a season of loss, fear, and mistrust, "Smiling Faces Sometime," "Why Can't We Live Together," and "Love's in Need of Love Today" sound potent and almost painfully relevant in this context, while the bluesy pleasures of "These Arms of Mine" and "I'll Be Around" feel as comforting as a hug and a cup of cocoa. How Sweet It Is is a rare example of an album of covers that doesn't sound like a holding action, and makes clear Joan Osborne is still an artist well worth watching. ~Mark Deming

How Sweet It Is

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Ahmad Jamal - Saturday Morning

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 62:17

Size: 142.6 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 2013

Art: Front

[ 4:09] 1. Back To The Future

[ 4:34] 2. I'll Always Be With You

[10:21] 3. Saturday Morning

[ 4:47] 4. Edith's Cake

[ 7:15] 5. The Line

[ 6:37] 6. I'm In The Mood For Love

[ 4:04] 7. Firefly

[ 4:40] 8. Silver

[ 5:36] 9. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good

[ 6:29] 10. One (Ahad)

[ 3:41] 11. Saturday Morning (Reprise)

Ahmad Jamal: piano; Reginald Veal: double bass; Herlin Riley: drums; Manolo Badrena: percussion.

Just over a year after Blue Moon (Jazzbook Records, 2012) Jamal's stellar homage to American cinema and Broadway—the Pittsburgh pianist returns in the same rich vein of form on Saturday Morning. Blue Moon earned a Grammy nomination, and for the second time in recent years Jamal was invited to open the Lincoln Center season in September; clearly, Jamal is enjoying his status as one of jazz's great, elder statesmen. Saturday Morning could almost be part of the same sessions that produced Blue Moon with its mixture of standards, new compositions and reworked older material. Like Blue Moon, this recording occasionally evokes his classic 1950s Argo years, only there's more meat on Jamal's arrangements these days, and remarkably, greater fire in his fingers.

Though drummer Herlin Riley and former Weather Report percussionist Manolo Badrena first played with Jamal in the 1980s, these latter two Jamal recordings have the feel of a new quartet, especially in the wake of the departure of long-standing drummer Idris Muhammad and bassist James Cammack. Happily, bassist Reginald Veal is much more prominent than on Blue Moon, engendering real swing and irresistible funk grooves. Stepping into Cammack's shoes Jamal's bassist for 29 years can't have been easy but Veal's lyricism, bold motifs and striking improvisations color the music greatly. Badrena conversely, plies his wares more subtly than before, while Riley keeps a simple, in the pocket groove throughout, rarely slipping the leash.

Jamal has created his own language on piano; on "Back to the Future" his jangling left-hand powers like rising flood water while rhapsodic right-hand explorations alternate between chordal steps, spinning flurries and long, cascading runs. On this opening number Jamal's two-handed synchronized run towards the finishing line and his trademark final punctuation epitomizes the sense of drama that inhabits his play. On "I'll always be with You" Jamal emerges from a tempestuous improvisation to land on the most delicate of blue notes, as though flung from a washing machine only to land on his feet immaculately attired. Jamal admirers and detractors alike point to his continual, restless motivic development and compositions like the gently paced "Edith's Cake" and the grooving "The Line" have enough "fiddling and diddling" to quote Cammack from a 2012 interview to delight and frustrate according to taste. At his most fluid, when there don't seem to be enough keys on the piano to accommodate his dazzling runs, it's easy to see where pianist Hiromi Uehara finds much of her inspiration.

For all his technical dexterity and passion, Jamal is never more at home than when caressing and teasing the melody of a ballad. There are a few to savor here, notably a majestic rendition of "I'm In the Mood for Love" and Duke Ellington's "I Got it Bad and that Ain't Good." On the latter, Jamal plays with the melody, letting it drift before gently rekindling the flame. Bass, brushes and percussion lend tender support. Jamal can't resist quoting the melody to "Take The A-Train" here, and on numerous occasions throughout the album he exercises his penchant for quoting the popular melodies he has breathed for a lifetime. Jamal pays tribute to pianist Horace Silver on the Afro-Caribean flavored "Silver," whose simple melody and uncluttered arrangement harks back to the Jamal of yesteryear. Similarly, the sparse architecture and beautiful minimalism of Saturday Morning recall At The Pershing:But Not For Me (Argo, 1958) a million-selling album that cemented Jamal's reputation as an original and influential voice. The lilting melody of the title track is hypnotic enough for the quartet to repeat it throughout the song's ten-minute duration without it ever sounding less than charming a signature tune to replace "Poinciana" perhaps?

The title track from One (20th Century Fox Records, 1978) seems like an unnecessary indulgence on an album that weighs in at a healthy one hour. Nevertheless, its jaunty melody and infectious groove will appeal to new fans and maybe send others back to rediscover an overlooked recording nestled in the middle ground of a discography that dates to 1951. "Saturday Morning (reprise)" a three and a half-minute radio-friendly version serves up that delightful melody one last time and burns it into the subconscious mind if it wasn't already there. Jamal proves once again that he's lost none of his customary elegance or electricity. His expansive imagination as an interpreter of standards particularly ballads remains almost unmatched. The four musicians sound fully molded to each other contours and the result is music that is fantastically tight yet exhilarating. Jamal is still minting great melodies, still blazing his own trail and for many still leading the way. ~Ian Patterson

Saturday Morning 

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Joe Beck Trio - Brazilian Dreamin'

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:03
Size: 148.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Fusion
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:18] 1. Vivo Sonhando
[4:53] 2. Manha De Carnaval
[6:46] 3. Aquarius
[4:49] 4. O Grande Amor
[5:26] 5. Felicidade
[5:49] 6. And Here's To You
[5:47] 7. Brazil
[4:50] 8. Ela E Carioca
[6:21] 9. Falando De Amor
[5:14] 10. Zanzibar
[5:11] 11. Giant Steps
[4:37] 12. What Would I Do Without You

Joe Beck has had a long career, though he remains an artist deserving of wider recognition. These 2005 sessions are a relaxing affair that will delight fans of Brazilian jazz. Joined by bassist Ira Coleman and drummer Thierry Arpino (who is known for his work with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty), Beck's fluid electric guitar (while sometimes overdubbing an acoustic rhythm line) makes the most of each selection, playing a heavy dose of popular tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim and his own tasty originals. Highlights among the Jobim compositions include the bittersweet "O Grande Amor" and the easygoing "Felicidade." Harmonica player Gregoire Maret is added for the leader's gentle bossa nova "And Here's to You" and Jobim's bittersweet "Falando De Amor." Beck also offers an inventive samba arrangement of John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" that adds a few twists while played at a slower-than-typical tempo, so it sneaks up on the listener. Highly recommended! ~Ken Dryden

Brazilian Dreamin'

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Gypsy Mania - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:02
Size: 132.9 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[5:15] 1. Butterfly
[4:39] 2. East Hennepin
[3:19] 3. It Don't Mean A Thing
[6:33] 4. Blues De Paris
[3:50] 5. Gypsymania
[6:13] 6. Blue Drag
[5:59] 7. Bar Del Pie
[2:11] 8. Minor Swing
[2:30] 9. Belleville
[3:19] 10. Honeysuckle Rose
[7:27] 11. Sweet Chorus
[3:33] 12. Les Yeux Noirs (Dark Eyes)
[3:09] 13. Summertime

Glen Helgeson - Guitar; Gary Schulte - Violin; Jay Epstein - Drums; Steve Pikal - Bass.

A spontaneous, vivid performance by some of Minnesota’s most stellar gypsy-jazz artists played in the Django Reinhardt French swing tradition of the 1930’s. Gypsy Mania features an exceptional stylistic dimension with prodigious improvisation – a group not to be missed. The ensemble includes the unmistakable mastery of jazz violinist Gary Schulte, plus the diverse guitar styling of Glen Helgeson, and tasty, refined bass work by acoustic bassist Steve Pikal and accomplished jazz drummer Jay Epstein

Gypsy Mania Quartet is the creation of longtime bandleader and guitar stylist Glen Helgeson, who is known for pulling together the stars of the Minnesota music scene. Helgeson is an ambassador in the jazz tradition, bringing diverse world music styles to people, educating them in these traditions, and manifesting an unusual ability to write in those genres.

Gypsy Mania

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Oliver Nelson, Lem Winchester - Nocturne

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:25
Size: 90.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1960/2006
Art: Front

[3:44] 1. Nocturne
[5:28] 2. Bob's Blues
[6:07] 3. Man With A Horn
[4:46] 4. Early Morning
[6:12] 5. In A Sentimental Mood
[5:41] 6. Azure Te
[7:24] 7. Time After Time

Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Oliver Nelson; Bass – George Duvivier; Drums – Roy Haynes; Piano – Richard Wyands; Vibraphone – Lem Winchester. Recorded in Englewood Cliffs, NJ; August 23, 1960. Digital remastering, 1991 (Fantasy Studios, Berkeley).

This relaxed set (originally on the Prestige subsidiary Moodsville) puts the emphasis on ballads and slower material. Nelson (switching between alto and tenor) is joined by vibraphonist Lem Winchester, pianist Richard Wyands, bassist George Duvivier and drummer Roy Haynes for four standards and three of his originals (including the swinging "Bob's Blues"). Everyone plays well but the intentional lack of mood variation keeps this release from being all that essential. ~Scott Yanow

Nocturne

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Steve Kuhn Trio - I Will Wait For You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:17
Size: 154.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:40] 1. I Will Wait For You
[7:06] 2. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
[6:24] 3. Watch What Happens
[7:08] 4. How Do You Keep The Music Playing
[8:08] 5. Summer Me, Winter Me
[6:51] 6. Once Upon A Summertime
[7:07] 7. Brian's Song
[5:27] 8. You Must Believe In Spring
[7:36] 9. The Summer Knows
[5:46] 10. I Will Wait For You (Reprise)

Double Bass – George Mraz; Drums – Billy Drummond; Piano – Steve Kuhn. Recorded at The Avatar Studio in New York on February 24&25, 2010

One of the veteran American pianists who release new recordings from Venus Records regularly, Steve Kuhn has been admired and loved by jazz fans both in the US and Japan. His latest release is a winning trio recording of the music of Michel Legrand. The lyrical, romantic and memorable melodies written by the French composer--many of which have become part of the standard jazz repertoire--are brilliantly interpreted and performed by a superb trio that includes George Mraz on bass and Billy Drummond on drums. Kuhn and co. add a muscular, driving sense of swing to the faster tunes while digging deep emotionally on beautiful ballads. A wonderful piano trio CD!

I Will Wait For You

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Jeanne Gies - Mad About The Boy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:27
Size: 154.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:59] 1. Rhode Island Is Famous For You
[3:09] 2. A Foggy Day In London Town
[3:38] 3. I Love Paris
[4:28] 4. Fever
[4:21] 5. Do You Know The Way To San Jose
[5:41] 6. Hotel California
[2:40] 7. West Coast Blues
[3:46] 8. Lover, Come Back To Me
[6:51] 9. Mad About The Boy
[3:53] 10. Crazy He Calls Me
[3:04] 11. Makin’ Whoopee
[5:54] 12. Peri
[2:18] 13. The Way You Look Tonight
[4:39] 14. Cry Me A River
[4:12] 15. So Many Stars
[1:32] 16. But Not For Me
[3:14] 17. Just One Of Those Things

Jeanne’s steadily increasing popularity has landed her regular gigs in well-known venues including The Carnegie Club, Shelly’s New York, Iridium, The Bar Next Door, Sweet Rhythm, Jilly’s, Monte’s and many more. Last year marked Jeanne’s debut at the legendary Smoke Jazz club, as guest singer for WBGO radio host Sheila Anderson’s book signing (The Quotable Musician.)

Jeanne conducts vocal workshops around the world, and specializes in accent elimination for singers. Jeanne Gies is a licensed Speech Pathologist, and has extensive experience assisting clients from all over the world in accent elimination. Actors, broadcasters, and professional speakers have all benefited from her services. During her recent forays on the European jazz scene, Jeanne met many aspiring vocalists for whom English is a second language. This inspired her new on-line workshops designed specifically for singers who struggle to eliminate accent during performance. Word of these unique methods spread like wildfire, and Jeanne’s client base has expanded to include Japan, Korea, the Philippines, the UK, and Australia. Jeanne’s practical, one-on-one techniques are personalized to meet the needs of each individual singer.

Mad About The Boy

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Ronnie Milsap - Just For A Thrill

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:36
Size: 113.5 MB
Styles: Country, Standards
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. I Don't Want Nobody To Have My Love But You
[4:06] 2. Teach Me Tonight
[3:51] 3. Cry
[3:23] 4. Make Believe, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down Snd Write Myself A Letter Medley
[3:44] 5. Bewitched
[2:53] 6. Haunted Heart
[4:03] 7. But I Do
[4:17] 8. Since I Fell For You
[4:05] 9. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
[2:19] 10. But Not For Me
[3:25] 11. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
[3:35] 12. Just For A Thrill
[3:39] 13. My Funny Valentine
[3:27] 14. My Babe

Just for a Thrill was first put into motion in 2000 when producer Jerry F. Sharell approached Ronnie Milsap about recording a standards project. Sharell proposed over 150 songs to Milsap, which were then whittled down to 40 and finally the 14 included on this Image release. Milsap's voice is in great shape. His vocals and piano complement the arrangements of Jimmie Haskell, Charles Calello, Sammy Nestico, and Doc Mulligan on such standards as "Bewitched," "Haunted Heart," "Every Time We Say Goodbye," "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," and "Since I Fell for You." While not as radio friendly as some of the chart-topping covers Milsap recorded in the '80s like "Snap Your Fingers," "Any Day Now," and "He Got You," the string-laden Just for a Thrill works in same the manner as similar undertakings by Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, and Rod Stewart, in that Milsap has an obvious love of these tunes that shines through all 14 tracks. ~Al Camppbell

Just For A Thrill

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Laurent Courthaliac Trio - Pannonica

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:46
Size: 132.2 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[6:05] 1. Nicaragua
[5:13] 2. With A Song In My Heart
[6:53] 3. Nica
[6:27] 4. Thelonica
[3:43] 5. I'm A Dreamer (Aren't We All )
[5:17] 6. Pannonica
[5:02] 7. Acinonnap
[4:06] 8. Three Wishes
[6:15] 9. Broome St. Blues
[4:09] 10. If There Someone Lovelier Than You
[4:30] 11. Goodbye

Different stories of love, art and family populate this recording, which resonates like a prestigious, vintage Grand Cru. Pianist Laurent Courthaliac pays tribute to be-bop and its patron muse, the baroness Pannonica de Koeenigswarter - ''Nica'' whose granddaughter Nadine designed the artwork. The repertoire mixes and mingles Courthaliac's originals with those of jazz giants from that time, including iconic legend Thelonious Monk. The trio, led by its pianist (sublime quality guaranteed: bassist Ron Carter performs on two thirds of the tracks), guides us through the intricacies of an era and style that goes beyond modern.

Pannonica

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Red Garland - Red In Bluesville

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 41:41

Size: 95.4 MB

Styles: Bop, Piano jazz

Year: 1959/1993

Art: Front

[5:09] 1. He's A Real Gone Guy

[7:56] 2. See See Rider

[7:32] 3. M Squad Theme

[5:47] 4. Your Red Wagon

[5:44] 5. Trouble In Mind

[9:30] 6. St. Louis Blues

Pianist Red Garland and his trio (with bassist Sam Jones and drummer Art Taylor) explore six veteran blues-based compositions ranging from Nellie Lutcher's "He's a Real Gone Guy" and "St. Louis Blues" to "Your Red Wagon" and Count Basie's "M-Squad (Theme)." Throughout, Garland modernizes each of the selections with his distinctive chord voicings, and he makes the songs sound fresh and new. A solid effort from this very consistent pianist, who will always be best remembered for his playing with the classic Miles Davis Quintet. ~Scott Yanow

Red In Bluesville

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Various - Capitol Sings Coast To Coast

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:46
Size: 118.5 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Vocal
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[2:45] 1. Margaret Whiting - Moonlight In Vermont
[2:24] 2. Susan Barrett - Old Cape Cod
[2:48] 3. Dakota Staton - Broadway
[2:39] 4. Jo Stafford - Autumn In New York
[2:48] 5. Dean Martin - When It's Sleepy Time Down South
[3:03] 6. Judy Garland - Carolina In The Morning
[2:39] 7. The Four Knights - Georgia On My Mind
[3:02] 8. Peggy Lee - Basin Street Blues
[2:05] 9. Dinah Shore - Mississippi Mud
[2:36] 10. Ray Anthony & His Orchestra - Chattanooga Choo Choo
[2:13] 11. Kay Starr - Indiana (Back Home Again In Indiana)
[3:38] 12. Nat King Cole - (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66
[2:00] 13. Sandler & Young - Chicago
[2:17] 14. June Christy - You Came A Long Way From St. Louis
[2:13] 15. Gordon Macrae - When It's Springtime In The Rockies
[2:50] 16. Peggy Lee - I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City
[2:54] 17. Johnny Mercer - San Fernando Valley
[2:21] 18. Nancy Wilson - I Left My Heart In San Francisco
[2:15] 19. Ella Fitzgerald - Hawaiian War Chant (Ta-Hu-Wa-Hu-Wai)
[2:07] 20. The Pied Pipers - Avalon

In the 1950's, Capitol Records had some of the best talent in the music industry, including Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, both of whom were at the apex of their respective forms. At least Dean is present in this collection of songs, all of which are tied to the theme of places within the United States (continental and otherwise). Even though Frank is not represented, some of my favorite voices of the era are here, including Jo Stafford, Margaret Whiting, Nat "King" Cole, Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett and the incomparable Johnny Mercer. Unfortunately, the songs don't always match up to the talent. There are some stand-outs, such as "Moonlight in Vermont," "Old Cape Cod," "Autumn in New York" and "Georgia on My Mind." ~Sarah Bellum

Capitol Sings Coast To Coast

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Tim Davies Big Band - The Expensive Train Set

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:55
Size: 150.9 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[7:17] 1. Conceivilization
[7:33] 2. Sarahbande
[7:07] 3. Minor Incidents
[9:58] 4. The Expensive Train Set (An Epic Sarahnade For Double Big Band)
[6:08] 5. Sing Sing Sing
[5:47] 6. Let Sleeping Questions Lie
[7:59] 7. Circadian Rhythms
[7:38] 8. Jazz Vespas
[6:23] 9. Goon Juice

Tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 9 (Los Angeles) – Jon Papenbrook: trumpet; Rich Hofmann: trumpet; Walt Simonsen: trumpet; Ken Bausano: trumpet; Brian Owen: trumpet; Alex Budman, Ann Patterson, Mike Nelson, Lee Secard, Ken Fisher: saxophones; Jacques Voyemant: trombone; Kerry Loeschen: trombone; Martha Catlin: trombone; Steve Hughes: trombone; Mark Cally: guitar; Alan Steinberger: keyboards; Ken Wild: bass; Tim Davies: drums. Tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 (Melbourne) – Greg Spence: trumpet; Michael Fraser: trumpet; Eugene Ball: trumpet; Paul Williamson: trumpet; Thomas Jovanovic: trumpet; Greg Clarkson, Tim Wilson, Tony Hicks, Andrew O’Connell, Stuart Byrne: saxophones; Dave Palmer: trombone; Jordan Murray: trombone; Daryl McKenzie: trombone; Matt Amy: trombone; Jack Pantazis: guitar; Marty Hicks: keyboards; Kim May: bassTim Davies: drums. Additional musicians – Jim Honeyman: saxophone; Bram Glik: saxophone; Bobby Burns Jr.: trumpet; James Blackwell: trumpet; Javier Gonzalez: trumpet; Nicholas Daley: trombone; Jeremy Levy: trombone; Juliane Gralle: trombone.

Tim Davies, who led a big band in his native Australia before relocating to Los Angeles in 2000, reprises that experience on parts of The Expensive Train Set, returning home to supervise his Melbourne ensemble on four selections, presiding over his Los Angeles-based band on four others, and somehow managing to blend the two groups together as one on the ambitious title song, which Davies calls "the centerpiece of the album," as well it should be. Whereas Davies' previous album, Dialmentia, was focused in part on his recurring nightmares, Train Set undrapes a more amiable theme, the singular experience of becoming a father, as Davies recently did. In fact, the opening number, "Conceivilization," is arranged to depict in musical terms—how shall we say this?—the act of making love, with two soloists in each movement playing the part of the lovers. Be sure not to miss the exciting climax!

The Melbourne band makes its first appearance on "Sarahbande," a charming ballad dedicated of course to Davies' newborn daughter. Again, two soloist perform side-by-side, in this case tenor saxophonist Tony Hicks and trombonist Jordan Murray. Then it's back to L.A. for "Minor Incidents," a mid-tempo exercise in darkness and light based on a number of close calls that could have been harmful to toddler Sarah's health and well-being. The parallel soloists are trumpeter Brian Owen and guitarist Mark Cally. The expansive (and expensive!) "Train Set" is next up, and here is how it came about: Davies recorded the drums first (in L.A.), then the rhythm and Melbourne band, followed by the Los Angeles band. Not only is this the album's focal point, it is the last of four movements devoted to the over-all themes of birth and parenthood. Its subtitle is "An Epic Sarahnade for Double Big Band." The deftly-sewn garment is seamless, buttressing splendid solos by baritone Stuart Byrne, trombonist Jacques Voyemant and bassist Kenny Wild.

It's back to Melbourne and the Swing Era for Louis Prima's classic "Sing Sing Sing," on which clarinetist Hicks sits in for Benny Goodman and Davies does the same for Gene Krupa (in point of fact, Davies serves as the able timekeeper for both bands). In L.A. again, Davies and the band welcome guest singer Raya Yarbrough for "Let Sleeping Questions Lie," a pensive ballad that she also wrote. "Circadian Rhythms" (Melbourne) is a serpentine vehicle for the ensemble and Marty Hicks' expressive Hammond organ, "Jazz Vespas" a muscular blues named for Davies' Vespa motor bike. The dynamic, Latin-centered "Goon Juice" (L.A.) applauds a brew favored by many younger (and older) Aussies. Cogent solos on "Vespas" courtesy of flutist Tim Wilson, tenor Andrew O'Connell and bassist Kim May, on "Juice" by trumpeter Jon Papenbrook and alto Mike Nelson. Stylish compositions and arrangements by Davies, plus two world-class bands for the price of one add up to an invigorating ride on an Expensive Train Set that is more than worth the price of a ticket. ~Jack Bowers

The Expensive Train Set

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