Hank Crawford, Jimmy McGriff - Crunch Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:37
Size: 120.5 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz, Bop
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[6:29] 1. Bow Legs
[8:09] 2. It's All Good
[5:42] 3. Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go)
[7:09] 4. Sandu
[7:12] 5. Crunch Time
[7:12] 6. What's Going On
[4:11] 7. Without A Song
[6:29] 8. The Preacher

Cornell Dupree, Melvin Sparks - Guitar; Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - Drums; Jimmy McGriff - Organ; Hank Crawford - Sax (Alto).

Crunch Time is classic Crawford/McGriff from the laid-back soulfulness of Crawford's "Bow Legs" to the swing given to Horace Silver's "The Preacher." Saxophonist Crawford and organist McGriff, recording as a team for this, their seventh album, go together like red beans and rice, offering a similar blend of comfort and kick. Crawford's distinct, bright tone penetrates the grooves laid-down by McGriff's tasty chordings. It's McGriff who adds the cayenne on his self-penned, bebopping title cut with drummer Bernard Purdie in the pocket all the way. A moving interpretation of the standard ballad "Without a Song," gains emotional impact by its provocatively leisurely pace and the Crawford's heart-wrenching blowing. Guitarists Melvin Sparks and Cornell Dupree, who are heard on alternating cuts, compliment the leaders whether comping behind them with those big fat chords or stepping out to solo. The sense of timing throughout this album and within these musicians is at the music's essence. It's the element which makes Crunch Time-and all of Crawford's and McGriff's music-so timeless. ~Geraldine Wycoff

Crunch Time

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Patti Austin - 2 albums: Havana Candy / For Ella

Album: Havana Candy
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:32
Size: 85.9 MB
Styles: R&B, Vocal jazz
Year: 1977/2016
Art: Front

[5:45] 1. That's Enough For Me
[4:11] 2. Little Baby
[4:53] 3. I Just Want To Know
[4:32] 4. Havana Candy
[4:39] 5. Golden Oldies
[4:27] 6. I Need Somebody
[3:59] 7. We're In Love
[5:01] 8. Lost In The Stars

CTI was having its troubles financially at the time. They recycled arrangements for all their artists and limited their budgets. Austin sang this undistinguished material with as much conviction as she could muster, but the general pallid air lingering over the production also affected her vocals. ~Ron Wynn

Havana Candy

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Album: For Ella
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:02
Size: 105.4 MB
Styles: R&B, Vocal jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[3:57] 1. Too Close For Comfort
[4:13] 2. Honey Suckle Rose
[4:21] 3. (You'll Have To Swing It) Mr. Paganini
[5:28] 4. Our Love Is Here To Stay
[2:49] 5. A Tisket A Tasket
[4:00] 6. Miss Otis Regrets
[3:29] 7. Hard Hearted Hannah
[3:53] 8. But Not For Me
[2:53] 9. Satin Doll
[3:29] 10. The Man I Love
[2:53] 11. Hearing Ella Sing
[4:32] 12. How High The Moon

Patti Austin is well qualified to record an album in the style of Ella Fitzgerald, having spent her career shadowing the paths taken by Fitzgerald and her contemporaries. Although she has worked in R&B-oriented adult pop much of the time, she is clearly in the tradition of Fitzgerald, and in 1988 she even recorded an album of standards that she tellingly titled The Real Me. For Ella easily could be the sequel to that collection. Austin traveled to Köln, Germany, to record a program of songs associated with Fitzgerald with the WDR Big Band conducted by Patrick Williams. Many of the songs, of course, are just ones Fitzgerald happened to sing but that have broader associations as well, such as George & Ira Gershwin's "Our Love Is Here to Stay" and "The Man I Love," though others, such as "A Tisket a Tasket," inevitably evoke Fitzgerald. Austin does not, for the most part, attempt to sing in Fitzgerald's style, giving listeners her own interpretations that, in Williams' neo-swing arrangements, nevertheless hark back to the 1950s. That's fine for the most part, though the version of "Miss Otis Regrets," which treats it as a gospel performance in the manner of Mahalia Jackson, without the slightest touch of humor, is a misstep. On two occasions, Austin does copy Fitzgerald, re-creating the scat sections of "You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)" and "How High the Moon." That obviates the problem of having to compete with Fitzgerald on her greatest improvisational triumphs, but it's a technical achievement of an odd sort. Austin is better off putting her own stamp on the songs; that she does very well. ~William Ruhlmann

For Ella

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Gene Ammons - Water Jug

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:10
Size: 181.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:36] 1. Water Jug
[4:17] 2. But Not For Me
[3:54] 3. Time On My Hands
[5:25] 4. Confirmation
[4:16] 5. My Romance
[3:44] 6. Love Is Here To Stay
[5:14] 7. Ol' Man River
[8:47] 8. Blues Up And Down
[6:30] 9. There Is No Greater Love
[6:42] 10. Mad House
[8:50] 11. Scamperin'
[8:58] 12. Hip Tip
[4:38] 13. A Pair Of Red Pants
[5:13] 14. My Foolish Heart

Ammons is paired up with a rhythm section featuring Mal Waldron on piano, bassist Wendell Marshall and Ed Thigpen on drums. These are relatively straightforward ballads which concentrate on melody. The tunes serve as effective parts to the album, coming after the celebratory mood of “Water Jug,” and features a creative cadenza by Ammons.

Water Jug

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Peter, Paul And Mary - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:50
Size: 77.5 MB
Styles: Folk
Year: 1962/2008
Art: Front

[1:35] 1. Early In The Morning
[2:43] 2. 500 Miles
[2:52] 3. Sorrow
[2:09] 4. This Train
[2:33] 5. Bamboo
[4:21] 6. It's Raining
[3:26] 7. Cruel War
[2:22] 8. If I Had My Way
[2:09] 9. If I Had A Hammer
[2:55] 10. Lemon Tree
[2:45] 11. Autumn To May
[3:54] 12. Where Have All The Flowers Gone

The debut album by Peter, Paul & Mary is still one of the best albums to come out of the 1960s folk music revival. It's a beautifully harmonized collection of the best songs that the group knew, stirring in its sensibilities and its haunting melodies as it crosses between folk, children's songs, and even gospel ("If I Had My Way"). Light-hearted fare ("Lemon Tree," which became their first hit single) co-existed with more earnest material, particularly "If I Had a Hammer." Ironically, the trio's version of the latter song, which Pete Seeger and Lee Hayes had written in the early days of the Weavers' history, helped push popular folk music in a more political direction at the time, but it was another song in their repertory, Seeger's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," that also indirectly helped jump start that movement. The group had performed it in Boston at a concert attended by the Kingston Trio, who immediately returned to New York and cut their own version, which charted as a single early in 1962. Other highlights include "It's Raining" and "500 Miles." Peter, Paul & Mary, which hit the top spot on the album charts as part of a 185-week run, is the purest of the trio's albums, laced with innocent good spirits and an optimism that remains infectious. ~Bruce Eder

Peter, Paul And Mary

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Lee Konitz, Paul Bley - Out Of Nowhere

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:04
Size: 137.5 MB
Styles: Piano/Saxophone jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[ 6:00] 1. I'll Remember April
[11:01] 2. Lover Man
[ 9:10] 3. Sweet And Lovely
[11:21] 4. I Can't Get Started
[ 7:39] 5. Out Of Nowhere
[ 8:21] 6. Don't Blame Me
[ 6:29] 7. I Want To Be Happy

Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz; Double Bass – Jay Anderson; Drums – Billy Drummond; Piano – Paul Bley. Recorded April 1997.

Alto saxophonist Lee Konitz began his more than 50-year career studying with Lennie Tristano and soloing with the Claude Thornhill orchestra and the Miles Davis Nonet before stepping out on his own. His distinctive sound, often described as chilly and dry, and his anti-establishment, modal harmonic improvisations offer the listener a comfortable session containing pleasant lyrical melodies and refreshing colors.

Pianist Paul Bley started his career at about the same time as Konitz, attending the Juilliard School of Music, then working with Charles Mingus, Jackie McLean, Chet Baker, Sonny Rollins, Don Ellis, Jimmy Giuffre, and other jazz legends. His career has afforded Bley the opportunity to form associations with many jazz artists while carving out his own niche, usually described as "avant-garde jazz" with preference for leaving enough space between the notes to allow their beauty to shine through. Supporting Konitz and Bley on this session are bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Billy Drummond.

The SteepleChase label, from Denmark, has issued well over a dozen sessions for Paul Bley – this one is relaxed, with each of these four artists contributing improvisational space. The tunes, mostly familiar easy-to-recognize standards, average eight to nine minutes per track. Drummond lays out on "Lover Man" so that Konitz and Bley may express the piece the way it was intended. Applying lyrical phrases, both leaders present extended solos: Bley with a light touch, keeping the harmony close and maximizing the use of space; Konitz equally light and dry, carrying the lyrics along as if singing them. Similarly, the Vernon Duke classic "I Can't Get Started" is presented slowly and deliberately, with Drummond using brushes; it's an opportunity for Bley to stretch a little.

The moderately paced "Sweet and Lovely" includes fours with Drummond; suiting the mood of the album he is spare in his use of the cymbals here and elsewhere. Instead, the percussionist opts to lay down crisp rolls, moving from one drum to another, slowing down to allow each stroke its distinct pulse. "Don't Blame Me" is a loping ballad presented in blues fashion, with occasional dissonance to keep the perspective clear. Konitz and Bley are unique artists with a sound few can copy, who stroll easily between avant-garde and straight-ahead standards. Recommended. ~Jim Santella

Out Of Nowhere

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Ellis Marsalis - Duke In Blue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:13
Size: 135.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[5:18] 1. The Mooche
[5:58] 2. Prelude To A Kiss
[2:54] 3. Squatty Roo
[5:11] 4. Sophisticated Lady
[5:16] 5. Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)
[4:12] 6. Mood Indigo
[4:52] 7. Caravan
[2:37] 8. Come Sunday
[3:54] 9. Creole Love Call
[3:40] 10. Reflections In D
[3:35] 11. Drop Me Off In Harlem
[4:27] 12. Melancholia
[3:26] 13. Duke In Blue
[3:47] 14. Medley: I'm Beginning To See The Light/Do Nothin' Til You Hear From Me/In A Mellow Tone

Piano – Ellis Marsalis. Piano recital of works by Duke Ellington, et al. Recorded March 23 and 24 at The Performing Arts Center, University of New Orleans.

While some of his sons have received more than considerable attention from both the jazz press and other forms of media, the regrettable fact is that Ellis Marsalis' abilities as a pianist have gone largely unnoticed. Perhaps, though, this solo collection of Ellington songs, ranging from the romping to the ruminative, might tend to redress the imbalance of credit due. Produced by son Delfeayo Marsalis, the program consists of familiar standards, such as "Just Squeeze Me," "Caravan," "Prelude to a Kiss," and "Sophisticated Lady," some less frequently heard pieces-"The Mooche," Johnny Hodges' "Squatty Roo," "Drop Me Off in Harlem," "Reflections In D," and "Melancholia"-and his own "Duke in Blue." The elder Marsalis opts for a fairly unadorned stylistic approach, one that eschews glib virtuosity for meaningful, swinging statement and is always respectful of tradition. ~Jack Sohmer

Duke In Blue

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Sweet Baby J'ai - Straight To That Place

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:01
Size: 128.2 MB
Styles: R&B, Jazz vocals
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[2:39] 1. Feeling Good
[4:45] 2. Feva (Fever)
[4:51] 3. Straight To That Place
[5:01] 4. Killer Joe
[4:01] 5. When You're In Love
[4:09] 6. Black Magic Woman
[4:12] 7. That's All
[4:24] 8. Scofield's Blues
[5:22] 9. Call My Name (Message From Your Angel)
[4:26] 10. Girl From Ipanema
[5:22] 11. I'm Consumed
[4:20] 12. Rock Me, B.B.
[2:23] 13. Feeling Good (Still)

This latest cd, Straight To That Place, produced by renowned pianist, arranger, producer Jane Getz, critically acclaimed singer, composer, producer Sweet Baby J’ai and Grammy award winning engineer, producer Bob Tucker, showcases sublime offerings fusing jazz, blues, R&B and Latin. “It’s been a while since my last recording so with this project I wanted to go straight there – straight to that place where I go to in my heart and soul, ” says J’ai, “I wanted to express what I’ve been going through in love and life, celebrate some of my favorite musicians and composers, and share some of my own compositions. Every note, every chord and every word tells a story!”

There are incredible nuances and bold statements happening simultaneously on Sweet Baby J’ai’s current album, Straight To That Place. Respected for her considerable gifts as a vocalist and songwriter, J’ai’s original compositions draw us in with their openhearted lyrics, working into our consciousness and taking us to wondrous places. She breathes new life into classics with great reinterpretations giving us a new scope to appreciate timeless songs with a different perspective. Her deeply soulful vocals are infectious, and the stellar support by musicians Mimi Fox, Nolan Shaheed, Jane Getz, Karen Hammack, Chris Colangelo, Peter Buck, Carol Chaikin, Bob Tucker and others are electrifying. Straight To That Place delivers on what it promises, taking its listeners straight to wonderland. This is an outstanding album and well worth the wait!

Sweet Baby J’ai has performed extensively nationally and internationally and has been featured at numerous concert halls, festivals, and clubs. She has shared the stage with such luminaries as, Herbie Hancock, Etta James, Jill Scott, Joe Sample, KD Lang, Tom Waits, Terri Lyne Carrington, Patrice Rushen, Sheila E., and Eddie Harris, to name a few.

Straight To That Place

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Jack Sheldon Quartet & Quintet - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:22
Size: 168.0 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[2:29] 1. Get Out Of Town
[3:10] 2. Ah Moore
[2:39] 3. Dozo (Let's Go)
[3:28] 4. Cheek To Cheek
[2:50] 5. Mad About The Boy
[3:04] 6. Streets Of Madashi
[2:49] 7. Toot Sweet
[3:03] 8. Jack Departs
[3:35] 9. What Is There To Say
[3:54] 10. Groovus Mentus
[3:09] 11. Beach-Wise
[3:14] 12. Palermo Walk
[4:43] 13. Blues
[3:56] 14. Irresistible You
[3:21] 15. Guatemala
[3:42] 16. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
[7:17] 17. It's Only A Paper Moon
[5:54] 18. Leroy's Blues
[6:55] 19. Contour

Alto Saxophone – Joe Maini; Bass – Bob Whitlock, Leroy Vinnegar, Ralph Pena; Drums – Gene Gammage, Lawrence Marable; Piano – Kenny Drew, Walter Norris; Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims; Trumpet – Jack Sheldon. #1-3: Recorded in Los Angeles on November 18, 1955; Originally issued on various Pacific Jazz Anthologies. #4-11: Recorded at Western Recorders, Los Angeles in the summer, 1954; Originally issued on Jazz West 10" LP-1. #12-19: Recorded at Capitol Studios, Los Angeles in the spring, 1955; Originally issued on Jazz West 10" LP-2.

Trumpeter Jack Sheldon's debut on record was undeniable proof that he had established himself among the most promising young talents of his era. He had an exciting conception, warm tone, and an earthier sound than his peer, Chet Baker. On the quartet session here, Sheldon is backed by the trio of the articulate, fleet, swinging pianist Walter Norris, who composed three of the originals included. Norris is also the pianist on the first quintet sides, with Sheldons fine horn and Zoot Sims hard-swinging tenor. In the final quintet here, the main assets include the fire and drive of pianist Kenny Drew and the Bird-influenced saxophonist Joe Maini.

Today, over fifty years after these first recordings by Jack Sheldon for producers Herbert Kimmel and Dick Bock, his well-earned reputation as one of the best trumpeters ever to grace the West Coast scene remains unchallenged.

Jack Sheldon Quartet & Quintet

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Kurt Elling - Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane & Hartman

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 55:58

Size: 128.1 MB

Styles: Vocal jazz

Year: 2009

Art: Front

[6:50] 1. All Or Nothing At All

[4:05] 2. It's Easy To Remember (A Jazz Story Memory)

[6:36] 3. Dedicated To You

[2:40] 4. What’s New

[4:39] 5. Lush Life

[3:11] 6. Autumn Serenade

[6:40] 7. Say It (Over And Over Again)

[4:00] 8. They Say It's Wonderful

[3:27] 9. My One And Only Love

[4:56] 10. Nancy With The Laughing Face

[0:39] 11. Acknowledgements

[8:10] 12. You Are Too Beautiful

Kurt Elling: voice; Laurence Hobgood: piano; Clark Sommers: bass; Ulysses Owens: drums; Ernie Watts: tenor saxophone (1, 4-7, 10, 12); Corenlius Dufalo: violin; Ralph Farris: viola; Dorothy Lawson: cello; Mary Rowell: violin.

Dedicated To You is a tribute to one of the most beloved and beautiful recordings in jazz, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. On that six song album, John Coltrane introduces a relatively unknown singer named Johnny Hartman. The two musicians had only just met one another, however in a mere three hours, they produce a classic. Hartman unfortunately never gains much recognition beyond this one album. Coltrane obviously fares a bit better. Kurt Elling is a standout choice to honor Hartman. He boasts a rich baritone with flawless intonation and an uncanny flair for storytelling, just like Hartman before him. They're also both from Chicago, which may be related to Elling's interest in this project (Elling was recently named "Chicagoan of the Year" and holds down a regular night at The Green Mill when not on tour). The supporting voice on that classic album is, of course, Coltrane. Ernie Watts, a veteran of the LA studio scene, doesn't jump out as the obvious pick for this role. Nonetheless, he doesn't disappoint, though at times he sounds more like Lenny Pickett than John Coltrane. But while his tone may not match the expectations of purists, his solos compliment the vocal approach of Elling perfectly.

This is not meant to be a replica of the 1963 classic. In fact, many of the tracks are from Ballads (Impulse!, 1962), another seminal Coltrane album recorded around the same time. It also doesn't have the spare quartet sound of the original. Elling's pianist and arranger Laurence Hobgood enlists the ETHEL string quartet to fill-out the group. This provides opportunities for a fuller orchestral feel with a few chamber interludes too. The CD's lone instrumental "What's New?" receives a bit too much care (and vibrato), which when combined with strings starts to drift into the realm of '70s-style Muzak. The track is short and soon the band is back to business with one of the most memorable songs on the original LP, "Lush Life."

Don't be put off by the Ink Spots-style talking in the beginning of the second track, "It's Easy To Remember." Elling proceeds to tell the fascinating story of the Coltrane/Hartman session. For those don't know the album's history, it may be surprising to learn how loose and unstructured the session really was Hobgood likely spent a bit more time preparing for this set. It's also poignant to hear of Hartman's struggle to achieve prominence as a vocalist, as his fame is mostly posthumous. Dedicated to You is a live recording from the Lincoln Center's lavish Allen Room. The sound quality is first-rate, and the audience enthusiastic. Elling has once again shown that he's not only a lover of this music, but a big part of its future. ~Andrew

Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane & Hartman

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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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