Julie London - Make Love To Me

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:27
Size: 67.4 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 1957/2010
Art: Front

[2:15] 1. If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)
[2:31] 2. It's Good To Want You Bad
[2:12] 3. Go Slow
[2:53] 4. A Room With A View
[2:20] 5. The Nearness Of You
[2:05] 6. Alone Together
[2:06] 7. I Wanna Be Loved
[3:40] 8. Snuggled On Your Shoulder
[1:55] 9. You're My Thrill
[2:32] 10. Lover Man
[2:23] 11. Body And Soul
[2:30] 12. Make Love To Me

Julie London's concise and melodic versions of standards were quite popular during the latter half of the 1950s. Her subtle sensuality and lightly swinging style made for a potent combination. This album (which has not yet reappeared on CD) matches London's voice with an orchestra arranged by Russ Garcia on standards and a couple of newer tunes, including Bobby Troup's "It's Good to Want You Bad." Among the more memorable selections are "If I Could Be With You," "Alone Together," "I Wanna Be Loved" and "You're My Thrill." ~Scott Yanow

Make Love To Me

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Trini Lopez - 2 albums: Trini Lopez At PJ's / More Trini Lopez At PJ's

Album: Trini Lopez At PJ's
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:51
Size: 82.1 MB
Styles: Pop/Rock
Year: 1963/2013
Art: Front

[3:51] 1. A-Me-Ri-Ca
[2:59] 2. If I Had A Hammer
[2:18] 3. Bye Bye Blackbird
[2:03] 4. Cielito Lindo
[3:51] 5. This Land Is Your Land
[3:12] 6. What'd I Say
[4:37] 7. La Bamba
[3:20] 8. Granada
[6:35] 9. Medley Gotta Travel On Down By The Riverside Marianne When The Saints Go Marching In Volare
[3:02] 10. Unchain My Heart

This was the album that made Lopez explode nationally, reaching number two, staying in the Top 40 LP charts for about a year, and yielding the hit "If I Had a Hammer." All of this seems to have been largely forgotten today, but at the time Lopez was ubiquitous indeed. What he did, at the head of a trio with Mickey Jones (later to play briefly with Bob Dylan) on drums and Dick Brant on bass, was to make folk-pop swing. There is certainly some folk music on here, including "If I Had a Hammer," "This Land Is Your Land," and "Gotta Travel On." It could be surmised that by treating such material in this fashion, Lopez had a tiny influence upon the subsequent folk-rock movement; Marty Balin of the Jefferson Airplane has said as much. In truth, however, Lopez was more the all-around entertainer with a Latin lilt than he was a folk singer, so you also get "America" (from West Side Story), "La Bamba," Ray Charles' "What'd I Say," "Volare," and "When the Saints Go Marching In." The live party-a-go-go atmosphere did much to put Lopez's likable energy over, and likely influenced the similar live-in-a-small-club ambience on Johnny Rivers' early hits, especially as Jones played with Rivers as well. ~Richie Unterberger

Trini Lopez At PJ's

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Album: More Trini Lopez At PJ's
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:02
Size: 75.6 MB
Styles: Pop/Rock
Year: 1963/2005
Art: Front

[3:23] 1. Oh, Lonesome Me
[2:45] 2. Never On Sunday
[2:21] 3. The Gang That Sang Heart Of My Heart
[4:05] 4. Corazon De Melon (Watermelon Heart)
[2:02] 5. Go Into The Mountains
[2:14] 6. If You Wanna Be Happy
[2:32] 7. Walk Right In
[2:26] 8. Lonesome Traveler
[2:38] 9. Green, Green
[2:25] 10. Goody Goody
[2:46] 11. Yeah
[3:19] 12. Kansas City

The success of Trini Lopez's live debut, Trini Lopez at PJ's, ensured that the formula would be repeated with the release of More Trini Lopez at PJ's a few months later. The album was another success, barely missing the Top Ten on the album charts, and giving Lopez a second hit single with his hard-rocking performance of "Kansas City." The album was as varied as the debut, offering Latin-tinged, good-time renditions of folk, country, and rock & roll songs, standards, and even an original composition ("Yeah"). Less folk-oriented than the first album in terms of repertoire but no less entertaining, More Trini Lopez at PJ's rivals Lopez's debut in overall quality despite its more modest chart placement. ~Greg Adams

More Trini Lopez At PJ's

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Martin Pyrker - Boogie Woogie Storm

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:51
Size: 150.8 MB
Styles: Boogie woogie, Piano blues
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:12] 1. Sabine's Jive (Feat. Sabine Pyrker)
[2:52] 2. Boogie Woogie Storm
[2:56] 3. Black Key Roller
[3:01] 4. How Long Blues (Feat. Gine Heiger & Michael Hudec)
[3:18] 5. Knockin' Myself Out
[3:26] 6. Blues Whistle
[4:17] 7. Honky Tonk Train Blues
[3:59] 8. I Got A Mind To Ramble
[2:32] 9. My Man Is Gone
[3:08] 10. He's Dynamite
[3:26] 11. Grooving The Blues
[3:51] 12. Mostar Blues
[3:50] 13. My Mellow Man
[3:11] 14. You Can't Take It With You
[3:24] 15. George's Texas Stomp
[3:14] 16. V-Disc Stomp
[2:54] 17. It's Good Like That
[2:41] 18. Cry On Daddy
[4:11] 19. Pallet On The Floor
[2:18] 20. At The Window

Born on August 27th,1954 in Vienna, discovered his love for the piano and thereby for the blues in 1971, when he was 17 years young and already playing the drums for 4 years. A blues program on the radio, an acquaintance with the pianists Vince Weber, Hans-Georg Möller and Axel Zwingenberger from Hamburg, who caused at that time the boogie woogie fever in Germany, and the meeting with the Viennese “blues guru” Hans Maitner, protagonist of the legendary radio program “Living Blues” fascinated Martin Pyrker of a kind of music that has meanwhile become 100 years old: the classical piano-blues and boogie-woogie.

Pyrker’s legendary concerts in the 1970s with Zwingenberger, Weber and Möller and, originated from this, the first piano-boogie woogie record in Austria (“Boogie Woogie Session 76” / EMI) were the beginning of a growing enthusiasm for this kind of music in Austria and Germany and influenced further generations of young pianists. Solo and together with many other well-known artists at home and abroad, Martin gave a lot of concerts in jazz clubs, blues bars and at blues and boogie festivals, where he also shared the piano with long gone legends of the blues: Blind John Davis, Roosevelt Sykes, Memphis Slims, Champion Jack Dupree, just to mention a few of them.

Since the legendary boogie woogie festival of Cologne (WDR 1974) and Vienna (concert hall 1976) the renaissance of boogie woogie could not be stopped anymore, unnumerous tours through Europe and USA followed (as "Stars of Boogie Woogie" and others). More than 1500 performances and concerts at home and abroad have left their mark on Pyrkers career since then. Also a lot of records were produced, out from a repertoire of more than 100 own compositions and the most important blues and boogie woogie standards, solo and together with international stars of the blues, recorded in Vienna, Wels, Paris and Fort Worth.

Since 1999 he is accompanied frequently by his daughter Sabine on the drums, who attained in the meanwhile absolute professional experience and motivates her father anew at each of their performances in a refreshing way. Martin Pyrker today is the most known authentic blues and boogie pianist in Austria and his CDs are well known in USA too, the origin country of this kind of music.

Boogie Woogie Storm

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Various - In Swing We Trust

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:19
Size: 115.2 MB
Styles: Swing
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[3:17] 1. Giorgio Cuscito - Tuxedo Junction
[2:48] 2. Eloisa Atti - Your Mother's Son In Law
[2:46] 3. Bayou Moonshiners - Me Myself And I
[2:43] 4. My Gypsy Soul - Dinah
[2:52] 5. Pepper And The Jellies - You Can't Bet On Love
[4:03] 6. Harp Bazaar - My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[2:58] 7. Paolo Tomelleri - Esquire Bounce
[2:41] 8. Lara Luppi - Baby It's Cold Outside
[4:07] 9. Mauro Ottolini - Conosci Mia Cugina
[3:48] 10. Eloisa Atti - Comes Love
[3:10] 11. Pepper And The Jellies - Some Of These Days
[2:42] 12. Paolo Tomelleri - Loch Lomond
[3:22] 13. Sandra Cartolari - Dottor Swing
[3:07] 14. Bayou Moonshiners - Big Time Woman
[2:46] 15. Giorgio Cuscito - Silent George
[3:02] 16. My Gypsy Soul - Hokey Pokey

COSE SONORE and RAGTIME MANAGEMENT present the first volume of the compilation IN SWING WE TRUST, selected for listeners and dancers. The mission of Ragtime Cultural Association is preserving, promoting and spreading a music for swing dancers and the label COSE SONORE joins in and with the collection IN SWING WE TRUST puts together some of the best italian musicians and bands which wonderfully continue the tradition of the music which was born in America at the beginning of the last century, went through all kinds of contamination, helped people's integration, brought together incredible amounts of people dancing happily just as it's doing again right now, one century after. Sixteen tracks including some classic songs of the beginning of the XX century like "Dinah", "Some of These Days", "Me Myself and I", "Tuxedo Junction" starring Giorgio Cuscito, Paolo Tomelleri, Lara Luppi and Greg, Mauro Ottolini, Eloisa Atti and many more.

In Swing We Trust

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Oscar Peterson, Stephane Grappelli - Skol (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:30
Size: 136.2 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Mainstream jazz
Year: 1979/2013
Art: Front

[8:14] 1. Nuages
[5:19] 2. How About You
[6:57] 3. Someone To Watch Over Me
[5:16] 4. Makin' Whoopee
[7:33] 5. That's All
[7:04] 6. Skol Blues
[6:32] 7. Honeysuckle Rose
[5:58] 8. Solitude
[6:33] 9. I Got Rhythm

Oscar Peterson: piano; Stephane Grappelli: violin; Joe Pass: guitar; Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen: bass; Mickey Roker: drums.

Music impresario Norman Granz (1918-2001) was a cagey so-and-so. When he inaugurated Pablo Records in 1973, he already had a catalog of recordings and an immediate pool of exceptional performers who also happened to be under his management (often making his acquaintance through Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic program). With this combination of fortunes, Granz was able to release some 350 recordings in 15 years, before he sold his company to Fantasy Records in 1987.

In 1979, with his label connections with pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Joe Pass, bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen and drummer Mickey Roker firmly cemented, Granz was in a perfect position to take advantage of recording this quartet's support of violinist Stephane Grappelli July 6, 1979 at Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens. Grappelli, veteran of guitarist Django Reinhardt's Quintette du Hot Club de France, was to meet another guitar titan in Pass for what would be a memorable show. The concert had two parts, the first recorded with Grappelli, Pass and Pedersen, released as Stephane Grappelli/Joe Pass/Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen: Tivoli Gardens (Pablo, 1979). The second part of the show added Peterson and Roker, eventually becoming the present Skol.

The original six tunes are supplemented with previously unreleased performances of Honeysuckle Rose," "Solitude" and "I Got Rhythm" making this overall re-release quite attractive. The performance begins with an extended suite version of Django Reinhardt's "Nauges" introduced first by a solo performance by Pass, followed by Pass supporting Grappelli and then a solo performance by Peterson. The entire band joins in the coda, reminding an appreciative audience why they came to this particular show on a balmy Summer night. ~C. Michael Bailey

Skol (Remastered)

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Vic Dickenson - Gentleman of the Trombone

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:23
Size: 134,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:05)  1. Too Marvelous for Words
(6:03)  2. Nice and Easy Blues
(4:59)  3. Just Too Late
(4:18)  4. Shine
(5:03)  5. Sweet Sue, Just You
(6:19)  6. Bye Bye Blackbird
(3:01)  7. More Rain
(8:01)  8. S'posin'
(4:29)  9. Love Letters in the Sand
(5:28) 10. Christopher Columbus
(5:34) 11. I Ain't Got Nobody

Vic Dickenson was one of the great trombone stylists whose relaxed sound, slurred notes, and impeccable feel invested every solo with a unique warmth never duplicated by anyone else. While he was often recorded as a sideman, he was rarely captured as a leader. This mid-'70s studio session, recorded late in his career, features a mature Dickenson leading a sympathetic rhythm section of pianist Johnny Guarnieri, bassist Bill Pemberton, and drummer Oliver Jackson. The real treasure is the chance to hear the trombonist playing tunes with which he was comfortable and improvising at length. His renditions of "Sweet Sue, Just You," "Christopher Columbus," and "Bye Bye Blackbird" are perfect expositions of his classy way of capturing the essence of a tune. The trombonist sings on a couple of tracks ("Just Too Late" and "More Rain"), but his vocals are more of interest as novelty items for completists. Johnny Guarnieri struts his stuff on "Shine," with a hot solo worthy of the era in which the piece was written. ~ Steve Loewy http://www.allmusic.com/album/gentleman-of-the-trombone-mw0000232307

Vic Dickenson (vocal and trombone), Johnny Guarnieri (piano), Bill Pemberton (bass), Oliver Jackson (drums).

Gentleman of the Trombone

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Mindi Abair - In Hi-Fi Stereo

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:21
Size: 112,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. Any Way You Wanna
(3:29)  2. All Star
(4:25)  3. L'Espirit Nouveau
(3:24)  4. Get Right (feat. Ryan Collins)
(3:52)  5. Be Beautiful (feat. David Ryan Harris)
(4:09)  6. Down For The Count
(4:04)  7. Girl's Night Out
(4:19)  8. Let The Whole World Know (Sing Your Song)
(6:10)  9. It's A Man's Man's Man's World (feat. Lalah Hathaway)
(4:41) 10. Take Me Home
(4:51) 11. The Alley

As soul music has vanished from urban radio, driven out by the predominance of rap, hip-hop and Auto Tune, it's become harder to find real soul made with real instruments, either on record or on the airwaves. A Mindi Abair album is not the go-to place that comes to mind for a showcase of old school soul and bluesy funk. Abair has carved out a niche as a capable, if not always inspired, smooth jazz saxophonist, cut from the cloth of her contemporaries Kenny G, Richard Elliot and others, whom occasionally dip a toe into R&B, but never totally immerse themselves in the idiom. Once again, the danger of making assumptions is proven, because with In Hi-Fi Stereo Abair takes the plunge headfirst into the deep end of soul-infused jazz. Equal parts homage to the music of David Sanborn, Hank Crawford and The Crusaders offer a testimony of her own artistic growth. Abair makes a declarative statement that she is a formidable talent who can do far more than smooth jazz noodling.

Abair shoots for a more organic feel than her often overly slick previous work, achieving a funkier feel, alongside producer Rex Rideout, by employing Rhodes electric piano, Wurlitzer and B3 organs, and even an ARP synth on "Take Me Home." Another masterstroke was utilizing soul music veterans, drummer Gadson and bassist Reggie McBride, as the rhythm section for most of the album.  On Stars (Peak, 2008), Abair split duties between saxophone and singing. The improvement here is that she focuses almost exclusively on saxophone, and wisely selects vocalists better suited to the material rather than stretch her own thin voice. This choice allows Abair to play to her strength as a far more accomplished saxophonist than vocalist. "Get Right" and "Be Beautiful" are a pair of soul/funk workouts, featuring vocals by Ryan Collins and David Ryan Harris respectively. Abair is content to support the vocals instead of competing with them for prominence. Lalah Hathaway's turn on the instantly familiar, but slightly sexist James Brown classic, "It's A Man, Man's World" is initially jarring. Abair has long wanted to work with her fellow Berklee alumnus, and this bluesy outing was the perfect opportunity to do so. Abair's sparkling alto sax dukes it out with Hathaway's swaggering vocal turn in a bold, audacious and totally unexpected way. And it all works perfectly. The best thing about In Hi-Fi Stereo is that it doesn't sound anything like what a Mindi Abair album is supposed to sound like. That may seem like a backhanded compliment, but it's not. It's more a recognition of how Abair has blossomed as an artist. Whether this signals a new course in Abair's career or if this is merely a sentimental romp, who can say? Either way, it's a good sign. ~ Jeff Winbush https://www.allaboutjazz.com/in-hi-fi-stereo-mindi-abair-heads-up-international-review-by-jeff-winbush.php

Personnel: Mindi Abair: alto saxophone, vocals, horn arrangement; James E. Gadson: drums (1-4, 7-10); Reggie McBride: bass (1-4) (6-11); Randy Jacobs: electric and acoustic guitar (1-4, 7-10); Stephen "Stevo" Theard: arrangement, keyboards 1, 6, 10); Rex Rideout: Wurtlizer, keyboards, piano, programming (1, 3, 5-11); Casssandra O'Neal: B3 organ (2, 3, 8,9) ; Lee Thornberg: trumpet and trombone (2, 8, 9); Dave Woodford: tenor and baritone saxophone (2, 8); Bud Harner: ride cymbal (3); Ryan Collins: lead and background vocals (4); David Ryan Harris: guitar, vocals (5); Smitty Smith: bass (5); Michael White: drums (5); Dewayne Swan: B3 organ (5); Jamey Tate: drums (6, 11); Jay Gore: electric guitar (6, 11); Rodney Lee: Wurlitzer solo (6), B3 organ solo (11); Jessi Collins: background vocals; Lalah Hathaway: vocals and background vocals (9); Phil Parlapiano: Rhodes, Arp keyboard, organ (10), Lance Abair: B3 organ (11).

In Hi-Fi Stereo

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Andy Laverne - Serenade To Silver

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:27
Size: 150,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:12)  1. Nica's Dream
(7:51)  2. Strollin'
(6:47)  3. Song For My Father
(5:11)  4. Summer In Central Park
(6:05)  5. Nutville/Cape Verdean
(5:39)  6. Silver's Serenade
(6:53)  7. Gregory Is Here
(6:26)  8. Peace
(6:17)  9. Serenade To Silver
(8:03) 10. Barbara

One might think that focusing on a single composer's well-known pieces and then pretty much using the same instrumentation as he did in a recording session would be a recipe for disaster. But pianist Andy LaVerne manages to find something fresh within ten pieces by Horace Silver, even though he utilizes the same instruments as most of the original recordings. With a front line including trumpeter Tim Hagans and tenor saxophonist Rick Margitza, LaVerne approaches "Strollin'" with a lighter rhythmic touch, while he opens "Song for My Father" with a disguised vamp and immediately starts twisting it harmonically. An explosive medley combining "Nutville" and "Cape Verdean Blues" sizzles with excitement, contrasting with the mellow ballad "Peace," which beautifully blends Hagans' muted horn with Margitza's warm tenor. LaVerne's one original, "Serenade to Silver," is a perky original that captures the spirit of its honoree perfectly. This is a fine all-around salute by Andy LaVerne to the great Horace Silver. 

~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/serenade-to-silver-mw0000050642

Personnel: Andy LaVerne (piano); Rick Margitza (tenor saxophone); Tim Haggans (trumpet); Steve LaSpina (bass); Billy Drummond (drums).

Serenade To Silver

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Teddy Wilson And His Piano - Intimate Listening

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:52
Size: 114,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:00)  1. The One I Love
(2:18)  2. Darn That Dream
(3:19)  3. Tea For Two
(3:01)  4. Oh, Lady Be Good
(2:38)  5. Emaline
(3:10)  6. Tenderly
(3:13)  7. Everything Happens To Me
(2:27)  8. Liza
(3:01)  9. Nice Work If You Can Get It
(3:22) 10. Airmail Special
(3:02) 11. Night And Day
(3:55) 12. Cheek To Cheek
(3:11) 13. East Of The Sun (West Of The Moon)
(2:48) 14. Autumn In New York
(4:12) 15. Isn't It Romantic
(3:09) 16. You Go To My Head

Intimate listening from pianist Teddy Wilson, but surprisingly lively listening too as Teddy's as fleet on the keys as ever, and maybe even more so in this well-recorded session from the 50s! The record's got a great Verve vibe simple, unadorned presentation of the Teddy Wilson genius at its mature height with bass and drums to help bring in a gentle bit of rhythm, but Teddy handling most of the energy himself with an amazing command of the keyboard that really transforms these familiar tunes. The approach is like Erroll Garner at his best from the time subtle magic from simple sources but Teddy's lighter, and more lyrical too  especially on his flourishes on the keys. Titles include "You Go To My Head", "Night & Day", "Cheek To Cheek", "Nice Work If You Can Get It", "East Of The Sun", and "Everything Happens To Me". (SHM-CD pressing!) © 1996-2017, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/799414

Personnel:  Teddy Wilson – piano;  John Simmons, Aaron Bell, Arvell Shaw – bass;  Buddy Rich, Denzil Best, J. C. Heard – drums.

Intimate Listening

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Jessica Pilnäs - Norma Deloris Egstrom - A Tribute to Peggy Lee

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:54
Size: 115,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:18)  1. There'll Be Another Spring
(2:56)  2. Do I Love You
(3:29)  3. Blue Prelude
(4:34)  4. Smile
(4:10)  5. Fever
(2:57)  6. This Is a Very Special Day
(6:11)  7. It Never Entered My Mind
(2:52)  8. What's New
(3:01)  9. Boston Beans
(2:17) 10. I Wound It Up
(2:53) 11. I'm Gonna Go Fishin'
(6:34) 12. The Folks Who Live On the Hill
(3:36) 13. The Gold Wedding Ring

Peggy Lee is not an artist who is usually associated with Sweden, but as Norma Deloris Egstrom A Tribute To Peggy Lee indicates, her real name comes straight from her family's roots in that Scandinavian country. Singer Jessica Pilnäs is Swedish, although this link is of relatively little importance to the music on offer here. More vitally, she's a talented interpreter of songs who can do justice to the legacy of one of the great singers of jazz and popular music. Pilnäs doesn't, as yet, have Lee's international profile or status although she's been singing for most of her life and has worked with trombonist Nils Landgren, among others. She's a talented singer and she's wise enough not to simply copy Lee's style. She's capable of replicating Lee's emotional engagement, however, be it the seductiveness of Cole Porter's "Do I Love You" or the pathos of Rodgers and Hart's "It Never Entered My Mind." Pilnäs' vocals have panache and, in combination with the unusual instrumental lineup and Johan Norberg's arrangements, she gives the songs a very personal touch. Mattias Ståhl's vibraphone is used to particularly good effect as the album's lead instrument, with telling contributions from trumpeter Karl Olandersson.

Two songs in particular emphasize the range of moods and emotions that Lee commands. Pilnäs retains Lee's assertive sexuality on "Fever" but the music exchanges the original's cool, hip, style for a lighter and more humorous arrangement that puts Olandersson's muted trumpet and Ståhl's vibraphone to the fore. Ståhl opens "The Folks Who Live On The Hill" with a few bars of gentle, relaxing vibes before Pilnäs and bassist Fredrik Jonsson make their own understated entrance. With subtle use of the Fleshquartet's strings, this is a beautiful version of the song, all the better for eschewing the full-on and rather over-dramatic orchestral arrangement of Lee's own recording. The song selection does occasionally seem rather quirky, with a few undistinguished numbers taking up space that might have been better occupied by much finer compositions. Lee may have written "I Wound It Up" and co-composed "Boston Beans," but they're a poor substitute for "Why Don't You Do Right," "Alright, Okay, You Win" or Leiber and Stoller's stunning "Is That All There Is?," to name just three songs she's strongly associated with. At least Pilnäs hasn't simply gone for the obvious entries in the Peggy Lee Songbook and she gives the same amount of care and spirit to every one of her performances. Norma Deloris Egstrom A Tribute To Peggy Lee is a welcome reminder of Lee's talents as a singer and composer. It's also a showcase for Pilnäs' own talent: she's an excellent interpreter of these classic songs and in creating a fine tribute to Lee, she has enhanced her own reputation. ~ Bruce Lindsay https://www.allaboutjazz.com/norma-deloris-egstrom--a-tribute-to-peggy-lee-jessica-pilnas-act-music-review-by-bruce-lindsay.php

Personnel: Jessica Pilnäs: vocals; Mattias Ståhl: vibraphone; Karl Olandersson: trumpet; Fredrik Jonsson: bass; The Fleshquartet (Sebastian Öberg, Örjan Högberg, Mattias Helldén, Christian Olsson): strings.

Norma Deloris Egstrom - A Tribute to Peggy Lee

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Horace Parlan - On the Spur of the Moment

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:58
Size: 130,6 MB
Art: Front

( 5:56)  1. On the Spur of the Moment
(10:59)  2. Skoo Chee
( 4:45)  3. And That I Am So in Love
( 7:06)  4. Al's Tune
( 6:59)  5. Ray C.
( 6:38)  6. Pyramid
( 8:00)  7. On the Spur of the Moment (alternate take)
( 6:31)  8. Pyramid (alternate take)

Again working with his longtime rhythm section of George Tucker (bass) and Al Harewood (drums), Horace Parlan manages to On the Spur of the Moment make distinctive by emphasizing the rhythmic side of his hard bop. Tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine and trumpeter Tommy Turrentine help give the quintet a bluesy edge, which the band exploits to an appealing effect throughout these six, mostly original, compositions. There are a few ballads, and even when things are at their hottest, Parlan's understated playing is a cue for the group to keep it tasteful, but that relaxed atmosphere is part of the reason why On the Spur of the Moment is another winning effort from the underrated pianist. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/on-the-spur-of-the-moment-mw0000033102

Personnel: Horace Parlan (piano); Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone); Tommy Turrentine (trumpet); George Tucker (bass); Al Harewood (drums).

R.I.P.
Born: January 19, 1931, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: February 23, 2017, Korsør, Denmark

On the Spur of the Moment

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Steve Davis - Images

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:14
Size: 129,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:49)  1. Nato
(6:52)  2. The Modernist
(5:40)  3. Twain's World
(5:55)  4. J Mac's Way
(7:07)  5. Mode for Miantonomoh
(4:51)  6. Rose Garden
(6:00)  7. Tune for Calhoun
(5:21)  8. Park Street
(5:28)  9. Kenney's
(5:07) 10. Club 880

Images is trombonist Steve Davis' love letter to his hometown of West Hartford, CT. The ten pieces he wrote for the album, and which make up his "Hartford Suite," are all dedicated to people or places associated with this geographic region. While Davis' penchant for crisp swing and clear, lyrical lines plays a big part here, some compositional cunning and some pieces that fall outside this general area helps to keep things from falling into a stylistic rut.  Dedicated to bassist Nat Reeves, the mid-to-up-tempo swing of "Nato" possesses a persistent, four-note figure that drops in as the parade of soloists pass along. "The Modernist" plays off of oddly placed accents, slightly obscuring an otherwise straightforward feel, while the horns stretch out over some cymbal rolls and arco bass before the music starts to cook on "Twain's World." A phrase with a cycling rhythm leads into the solos here, putting Davis and trumpeter Josh Evans in the spotlight. "J Mac's Way," dedicated to Jackie McLean, features some of pianist David Bryant's most absorbing solo work on the album, while the bass hook at the start of the waltzing "Mode For Miantonomoh" is an instant attention grabber. Bryant's zeal adds a lot to this track, bit its alto saxophonist Mike DiRubbo who is the standout soloist, showcasing his unique phrasing and style.

While the first half of the album has plenty to offer, the two tracks that seem to rise above the rest are on the latter half of the recording. Davis admittedly acknowledges the Billy Strayhorn influence on "Rose Garden," a ballad that exudes all of the tender sophistication and class associated with that genius of jazz composition. While Davis and DiRubbo carefully shape their lines to fit the song's mood, bassist Dezron Douglas provides some thick bass notes that hang, seemingly suspended in mid-air, behind them. "Park Street" has an infectiously joyous, party-like vibe, and uses a Latin groove as its rhythmic framework, set behind a 12-bar blues-like progression. All the soloists take things up a notch here, and Douglas' solo is bursting with creative energy. While familiarity with the city of Hartford would probably yield a unique appreciation for this album, the musical images presented here can easily stand on their own. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/images-steve-davis-posi-tone-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php
 

Personnel: Steve Davis: trombone; Mike DiRubbo: alto saxophone; David Bryant: piano; Dezron Douglas: bass; Eric McPerson: drums; Josh Evans: trumpet, flugelhorn; Kris Jensen: tenor saxophone (10).

Images

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Steve LaSpina - The Bounce

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:36
Size: 156,8 MB
Art: Front

( 7:43)  1. The Bounce
( 6:23)  2. Only Now
( 4:51)  3. My One And Only Love
( 9:51)  4. Seven F
(11:03)  5. Ask Me Now
( 8:28)  6. Let Me Go
( 6:06)  7. I've Heard That Song Before
(13:06)  8. How Deep Is The Ocean

Bassist Steve LaSpina's seventh outing on SteepleChase features Dave Ballou on trumpet and flugel, Billy Drewes on tenor and soprano, Vic Juris on guitar, and Jeff Hirshfield on drums. The leader presents four originals: "The Bounce," based on a swinging bass ostinato; "Only Now," a ballad with beautiful chording from Juris; "Seven F," a medium waltz with mellifluous soloing by Drewes, Ballou, and LaSpina; and "Let Me Go," a free bop tune with multiple tempo shifts and a real romp for the horns (Drewes on soprano). Juris contributes "I've Heard That Song Before," which he plays on acoustic guitar (horns lay out), while LaSpina steps forward with a solo rendition of "My One and Only Love," wringing polyphonic possibilities from his instrument. 

The quintet also explores Monk's "Ask Me Now" and closes with a semi-abstract "How Deep Is the Ocean." Beautiful playing from everyone involved. ~ David R.Adler http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-bounce-mw0001203847

Personnel:  Steve LaSpina (bass);  Billy Drewes (tenor sax, alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet);  Dave Ballou (trumpet);  Jeff Hirshfield (drums);  Vic Juris (guitar)

The Bounce

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Terry Myers - Smiles

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 65:13
Size: 122,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:33)  1. Them There Eyes
(6:51)  2. Blue Prelude
(6:01)  3. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(6:58)  4. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
(4:27)  5. As Long as I Live
(5:55)  6. Blue Hodge
(4:26)  7. Someday Sweetheart
(4:14)  8. It's You or No One
(6:24)  9. Everything Happens To Me
(4:15) 10. Oh, Baby
(6:13) 11. When Day Is Done
(4:51) 12. Smiles

Tuneful, swinging and technically polished. Terry Myers isn't worried about anything else jazz is "supposed" to be. Smiles is a relaxed yet energetic romp through some standards, ballads and blues that the Florida-based saxophonist clearly loves to play. There's nothing complex or innovative here, just four musicians having a good time and looking to take the listener along. A jumping "Them There Eyes" introduces Myers's straightforward approach to contemporary swing. He crafts phrases with rhythm and reason that are fun to follow, even if they're rarely surprising. On other fast numbers such as "It's You Or No One" and the title track, Myers sparks solid grooves from neatly structured patterns. Medium tempos are effective but not as stirring. "Blue Hodge" sounds dutiful rather than heartfelt, disappointing in a tune written for the emotive Johnny Hodges.  A spare but spurring rhythm section gives Myers plenty of room: no modern jazz interjections, just steady propulsion. Pianist Johnny Varro occasionally wraps playful counterpoint around Myers's lines, and contributes coy, Teddy Wilson-inspired solos. Bassist Joel Forbes walks effectively behind the band, and drummer Ed Metz maintains an airy, dancing beat. His solos are hummable orchestrations of skins and cymbals, for example on "Don't Get Around Much Anymore."

Duke Ellington's beloved pop song is given a simmering 6/8 waltz treatment, one of the few breaks from pure swing on this album. While the generic Latin feel on "Blue Prelude" suggests a two-drink minimum at the corner lounge, the reflective pace of "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" presents Myers at his soul- searching best. His bright tone darkens slightly, but retains its flexibility. Here and on the other ballad "Everything Happens To Me," the saxophonist truly soars even as he sticks to his stylistic guns. In the liner notes Myers explains that if he had it his way, he'd mostly play ballads; the man could probably get by on those instincts. His soprano sax comes off as merely tepid during medium tempo strolls through "As Long As I Live" and "Someday Sweetheart." More chances to hear him open up on the larger horn would have been welcome. The title of this disc is a great example of honesty in advertising. It won't change the course of music, but it should raise the corners of your lips. You'll know how many more Smiles you need. ~ Andrew J.Sammut https://www.allaboutjazz.com/smiles-terry-myers-arbors-records-review-by-andrew-j-sammut.php
 

Personnel: Terry Myers: tenor and soprano saxophones; Johnny Varro: piano; Joel Forbes: bass; Ed Metz: drums.

Smiles

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Suzanne Vega - Lover, Beloved: Songs from an Evening with Carson McCullers

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:10
Size: 76,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:56)  1. Carson's Blues
(3:09)  2. New York Is My Destination
(3:07)  3. Instant of the Hour After
(2:52)  4. We of Me
(3:18)  5. Annemarie
(2:47)  6. 12 Mortal Men
(3:43)  7. Harper Lee
(3:24)  8. Lover, Beloved
(4:18)  9. The Ballad of Miss Amelia
(3:32) 10. Carson's Last Supper

Suzanne Vega has always been a songwriter with a literary sensibility, displaying a feel for character and wordplay that was noticeably more nuanced than her peers. It seems entirely fitting that Vega might wish to honor one of her influences as a writer, and with Lover, Beloved: Songs from an Evening with Carson McCullers, she's done just that. One of Vega's favorite authors is Carson McCullers, who enjoyed critical and popular success in the '40s with her novels The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, The Member of the Wedding, and Reflections in a Golden Eye. In 2011, Vega performed a one-woman show about McCullers' life and work, and five years later she's released Lover, Beloved, which features ten songs she wrote for the show. (Duncan Sheik co-wrote the music with Vega, except for two songs she wrote in collaboration with Michael Jefry Stevens.) The album often has a somewhat different feel than much of Vega's work, especially in the songs in which she takes on McCullers' persona and discusses her early days after leaving Georgia for New York City ("New York Is My Destination"), and dishes about fellow authors she sees as hopeless inferiors ("Harper Lee"). The vintage jazz accents on "Carson's Blues" and "Harper Lee" also take Vega's songs into musical territory that doesn't always seem comfortable to her. However, the less specifically biographical numbers are quite effective, as Vega takes up stories from McCullers' life and work and weaves them into her own creative sensibility. Vega's vocal performances are intelligent and skillful throughout, and the largely acoustic arrangements give this music a vintage sensibility without forcing the issue. Lover, Beloved isn't a radical shift from Suzanne Vega's usual body of work, but it does find her stretching a bit from her comfort zone, and she sails gracefully along on this smart and tuneful song cycle. ~ Mark Deming http://www.allmusic.com/album/lover-beloved-songs-from-an-evening-with-carson-mccullers-mw0002961432

Personnel: Suzanne Vega (vocals); Gerry Leonard (guitar, mandolin, ukulele, vibraphone); Jason Hart (piano); Byron Isaacs (upright bass); Yuvall Lyon (drums).

Lover, Beloved: Songs from an Evening with Carson McCullers

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Jeff Harnar - Because Of You: Fifties Gold

Size: 101,1 MB
Time: 43:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Pop
Art: Front

01. Hold Me! Thrill Me! Kiss Me!/You Send Me (3:44)
02. Young At Heart (3:02)
03. It's Not For Me To Say (3:55)
04. Quizas (3:19)
05. Little White Cloud That Cried (2:20)
06. Secret Love (2:40)
07. Fever (3:45)
08. Smile/Cry (4:56)
09. Nature Boy (2:12)
10. Cabin In The Sky/Stranger In Paradise/Angel (5:28)
11. Because Of You (3:16)
12. Unchained Melody (4:33)

Because of You: Fifties Gold finds Jeff Harnar running through '50s pop standards like "Fever," "Young at Heart," "Unchained Melody," and "Nature Boy." Harnar has a rich, warm croon and delivers these songs with a minimum of camp and kitsch. Because of You is simply good neo-traditional pop, and Harnar makes it more than nostalgia with his passionate performances. ~by Rodney Batdorf

Because Of You

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Sal Mineo - Start Movin': The 1950's Recordings

Size: 142,6 MB
Time: 59:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Pop Rock
Art: Front

01. Start Movin' (In My Direction) (2:30)
02. Love Affair (2:26)
03. Lasting Love (2:26)
04. You Shouldn't Do That (2:05)
05. Party Time (2:13)
06. The Words That I Whisper (2:06)
07. Little Pigeon (2:00)
08. Cuttin' In (2:15)
09. Seven Steps To Love (2:08)
10. A Couple Of Crazy Kids (2:24)
11. Secret Doorway (2:16)
12. Souvenirs Of Summertime (2:46)
13. Young As We Are (2:13)
14. Make Believe Baby (2:04)
15. I'll Never Be Myself Again (2:10)
16. (I Play) The Part Of A Fool (2:10)
17. Dino (1:59)
18. Too Young (2:13)
19. My Bride (2:18)
20. Not Tomorrow But Tonight (1:47)
21. Blue Eyed Baby (2:09)
22. Tattoo (1:51)
23. Now And For Always (2:04)
24. Down By The Riverside (2:40)
25. Oh Marie (2:07)
26. Deep Devotion (2:50)
27. Baby Face (1:30)

Actor Sal Mineo blazed a trail to glory on the silver screen in the mid 1950s in films like 'Rebel Without A Cause', 'Giant' and 'Somebody Up There Likes Me' to quickly become one of the most recognisable and beloved actors of his generation. Sal also had a pretty profitable sideline as a singer during the second half of the 1950s, one that brought him a worldwide Top 20 hit with "Start Movin'" and almost half a dozen other medium sized US hits. Titled after his pan-global smash, 'Start Movin'' is a comprehensive chronicle of Sal's active career as a singer containing, as it does almost every recording he made during the 1950s and early 1960s, the A and B sides of 8 singles, the entire contents of his lone LP 'Sal Sings', a soundtrack EP rarity and material not issued at the time. Sal recorded new songs by some of the best known pop writers of the era, including Barry Mann, Luther Dixon, the team of Frank Slay and Bob Crewe, Gary Paxton and Cameo-Parkway's Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe (using aliases of Harold Lund and Jon Sheldon) and 'Start Movin'' composer Bobby Stevenson. He may have regarded his singing career as a distant second to his acting but the material he cut for his fans was never less than first rate. He never really felt comfortable as a singer and was happy to call time on his vocal career as the 60s got underway, but Sal Mineo's chart profile makes him one of the most consistently successful 'singing actors' of any period. Jasmine is more than happy to restore his recordings to catalogue in a package that pays tribute to the many talents of Salvatore Mineo Jr.

Start Movin'

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Irvin Mayfield & The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra - Live At Newport

Size: 157,3 MB
Time: 68:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: New Orleans Jazz, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Tune Up (Rising Tide) (Live) ( 2:24)
02. The Elder Negro Speaks (Live) ( 7:48)
03. Angola (Live) ( 7:52)
04. Yesterday (Live) ( 4:34)
05. I've Got The World On A String (Live) ( 6:57)
06. Sweet Bread On The Levees (Live) ( 5:41)
07. Overjoyed (Live) ( 5:40)
08. Indians (Live) ( 6:46)
09. May His Soul Rest In Peace (Live) ( 9:40)
10. We Will Rock You - Joe Avery Blues (Second Line) (Live) (10:37)

With his latest record, Grammy and Billboard Award winning Irvin Mayfield joins the ranks of Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Ray Charles and Led Zeppelin. The latest in a recording career of more than 30 live and studio albums, Live at Newport gives the listener an opportunity to hear Mayfield and the nineteen musicians fresh, raw, and uncut.

Live at Newport brings you through a world of jazz experiences from well-known standards, heavily orchestrated traditional New Orleans-style jazz, and jazzified rock and pop. It’s a live experience entertaining to all and is not one to be missed.

Live At Newport

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Fay Claassen - Luck Child

Size: 122,6 MB
Time: 49:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Luck Child (A.K.A. Sandbox) (4:00)
02. One Trick Pony (3:32)
03. Song Of Life (4:05)
04. Blackbird (5:03)
05. Fay (3:22)
06. In A Sentimental Mood (4:54)
07. Finding You (3:54)
08. When Love Is New (4:46)
09. Oh Shenandoah (3:45)
10. Miniature No. 7 (0:57)
11. A House Is Not A Home (3:17)
12. God Bless The Child (4:25)
13. Cinema Paradiso (3:23)

With this album Luck Child a long-standing wish of jazz singer Fay Claassen is fulfilled. It is an ode to youth and beauty with a mix of old and new songs. This compilation album consists mostly of songs that she has been singing for many years but never recorded before. Famous and beloved songs by like Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Burt Bacharach and Ennio Morricone are presented alongside new compositions by Paul Heller.

Luck Child

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Organic Trio - Saturn's Spell

Size: 152,0 MB
Time: 65:03
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz, Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Johnny Young (7:32)
02. But When Do We Eat (8:09)
03. The Place Is Now (6:26)
04. Vum Land (4:21)
05. Saturn's Spell (7:51)
06. Quirky (5:13)
07. The Flower (5:16)
08. Organ Donor (7:35)
09. Twist (4:18)
10. Buffalo Trace (8:18)

The Organic Trio’s infectious groove, stellar musicianship and compelling compositions, have been flooring fans for four years across Europe and in the States. They have succeeded in updating the possibilities of the classic Hammond powered format, and even better, they’ve done it naturally, without any overt effort or artificial ingredients. Sure they swing out and get funky like their honored predecessors, but they also explore the ethereal, the poignant and the bombastic. It’s all delivered with enthusiasm, sincerity and, some might say, a fraternal love. Best of all, the Organic Trio has that special 6th sense that only comes when a band of kindred spirits gets to tour together for many years and hundreds of shows.

BRIAN SEEGER – guitar
Brian Seeger is an integral part of New Orleans vibrant jazz community. His fluid and rich tone, and searching melodic improvisations, have led to his recognition as “One of New Orleans’ best jazz guitarists.” No stranger to the Hammond Trio format, Seeger has performed with some of the all-time greats of the idiom, including Dr. Lonnie Smith and Big John Patton, as well as many other jazz and New Orleans music scene luminaries. Although his musical excursions have been influenced by his studies with jazz figures such as Gary Burton and Ellis Marsalis, Seeger’s playing and compositions are well grounded in the blues and American roots music, as well as the sounds of New Orleans’ streets. Seeger melds these elements into an approach that is heartfelt and individual; his aesthetic is that of a jazz musician, but there is still space for ideas from other idioms. Seeger holds a faculty position in the esteemed University of New Orleans Jazz Studies program.

JEAN-YVES JUNG – organ
Yves Jung is easily one of France’s most well-renowned organists. When Jung is not touring with the Organic Trio, he holds down the Hammond chair with guitar phenom Bireli Lagrene's Quartet. Jung’s organ skills and compositions are extensively featured on Lagrene's latest Verve release, Mouvements. Jung’s organ playing can be nimble and acrobatic, funky and futuristic, soulful and searching. He emanates a tremendous joy from the stage whenever he plays, and the challenges of his compositions are juxtaposed by his playful sense of melody and rhythm. Along with the Organic Trio and Bireli Lagrene, Jean-Yves has had the opportunity to record and tour with many musical greats, including Billy Cobham, Philip Catherine, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Andre Ceccarelli, The Paris Jazz Big Band, Jimmy Woode and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg.

PAUL WILTGEN – drums
Luxembourg native Paul Wiltgen, is internationally recognized as an accomplished jazz percussionist, an imaginative composer and a visionary bandleader. An artist in the truest sense of the word, Paul compellingly balances his musical aesthetic and his personal passion, creating a sound from the drums that simultaneously supports and inspires.
Wiltgen is in the vanguard of today’s jazz scene, having worked with many of its leading voices, including Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mike Moreno, Dave Binney, Lage Lund, Patrick Cornelius, Michael Janisch, Ambrose Akinmusire and Will Vinson.
Paul earned a Masters Degree from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, and has studied with David Liebman, Samir Chatterjee and John Riley. Wiltgen is also an active member of the collective Trio Reis/Demuth/Wiltgen (Laborie Records, FR).

Saturn's Spell

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