Natalie Douglas - Human Heart

Styles: Vocal, Cabaret
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:42
Size: 112,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:00)  1. Wholly Earth
(3:50)  2. Sleepy Man
(3:56)  3. I Must Have That Man
(3:31)  4. The Best Is yet to Come
(3:37)  5. Can't Help Loving That Man
(6:38)  6. Mr Bojangles
(2:33)  7. I Hold No Grudge
(4:39)  8. It Never Was You
(3:19)  9. Strange Fruit
(4:01) 10. Mississippi Goddam
(4:05) 11. Throw It Away
(3:28) 12. The Human Heart

Natalie Douglas the acclaimed vocalist hailed as a true, true star by BBC London, sensational by Time Out New York and stirring by The New York Daily News has released her new long-awaited third album Human Heart on Friday, March 18. Human Heart is produced by Brian J. Nash. Human Heart weaves a tapestry of the Great American Songbook delivered with the captivating force of Natalie s incomparable vocal style. The album features her tributes to major jazz divas Abbey Lincoln (Throw It Away and Wholly Earth), Nina Simone (Mississippi Goddam) and Billie Holliday (Strange Fruit), in addition to her unique spin on classic standards like The Best Is Yet to Come and I Must Have That Man. She also performs singular standouts from the musical theater including The Human Heart from Ahrens & Flaherty's Once on This Island and Sleepy Man from The Robber Bridegroom, currently running Off-Broadway. The collection of highlights from her concert repertoire and fan requests is unified by a thread of essential emotional truth, be it love, anger, jealousy, rage, sorrow, or joy. Natalie s trademark storytelling and vocal power are matched by the sophisticated arrangements of longtime musical director Mark Hartman at the piano, and feature Jim Cammack on bass and Charles Ruggiero on drums, as well as Patience Higgins on saxophones and a full string section. Each tune in some way expresses my desire to honor The Ancestors, says Natalie. Some of these songs have been favorites since I first heard them as a child. The stories behind each selection inform a piece of what they mean to me. All of these songs flow from the love of music my parents instilled in me and connect me to the courage, passion, and fire of the artists that went before me. Natalie Douglas the seven-time MAC Award, Backstage Bistro Award and Nightlife Award Winner has garnered rave reviews for her unique mix of jazz, blues, standards, pop, folk and country music. She received the 2014 Margaret Whiting Award at Carnegie Hall from the Mabel Mercer Foundation and her portrait has been added to the Birdland Jazz Club Wall of Fame.

Her recent performances include concerts throughout the U.S. (Carnegie Hall, Café Carlyle, The Appel Room at Lincoln Center, the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, and Thalian Hall in North Carolina) and across three continents (Montenegro, Greece, Corsica, Puerto Vallarta, London, Buenos Aires, Cancun and Germany.) In a Greenwich Village tradition, she performs an annual New Year s Eve collaboration with Mark Hartman at the Duplex. Her solo recordings include her debut CD, Not That Different which was nominated for a 2000 MAC Award for Outstanding Recording and the Nina Simone tribute To Nina...Live At Birdland, praised by JazzReview.com for its great music and personal insight. Her CDs, available at iTunes and other outlets, continue to be featured on NPR and Sirius XM Radio. She also appears on Fine and Dandy for PS Classics and Broadway By The Year: 1940 on Bayview Records.  Natalie is also an actor who has appeared in the feature film The Camera s Eye and ABC-TV s Cupid. Her many theatrical productions include The People vs. Mona, Thalia Follies, theATrainplays (series 5-22) with The Neighborhood Playhouse, Hillside in Hell with 13th Street Rep. Natalie was a featured soloist at the York Theatre Company s benefit production of Children Of Eden at Riverside Church. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Human-Heart-Natalie-Douglas/dp/B01CNE1WU2 

Human Heart

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Allan Vaché - Look To The Sky

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:04
Size: 154,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. For Once In My Life
(4:26)  2. Didn't We
(5:01)  3. Samba De Orfeu
(4:33)  4. Long Ago And Far Away
(5:18)  5. My Shining Hour
(4:44)  6. Moanin' Low
(4:22)  7. So Many Stars
(4:46)  8. Bye, Bye, Blues
(5:43)  9. Blues For Kenny
(4:54) 10. Someone To Light Up My Life
(3:32) 11. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(4:05) 12. Alfie
(5:41) 13. Comes Love
(4:30) 14. Look To The Sky

Since leaving the Jim Cullum Jazz Band, Allan Vaché has thrived in his solo career, leading a number of record dates. These sessions are a bit of a change, in that the clarinetist doesn't stick exclusively to standards and jazz compositions, while several tracks add an orchestra (combining a horn quintet with a string quartet). The core band includes pianist Jeff Phillips, guitarist Bob Leary, bassist Charlie Silva, and drummer Ed Metz. Vaché leads the band through breezy arrangements of "For Once in My Life" and "Bye, Bye, Blues," with the musicians displaying an energy that gives it the feeling of a performance at a jazz party instead of in the studio. Vaché's "Blues for Kenny," a tribute to the late clarinetist Kenny Davern, is an infectious New Orleans-flavored number with the leader's wife Vanessa adding harmony on bass clarinet, along with a delicious understated solo. 

The orchestra is included on six selections, among them a dreamy take of the 1960s pop song "Didn't We" and a richly textured rendition of "Alfie" (long a favorite of jazz musicians). There are also several Brazilian songs, including the brisk, infectious interpretation of "Someone to Light Up My Life" and the lush "So Many Stars." Vocalist Tammy Georgine is added for a sensitive treatment of "Moanin' Low" and a gently swinging "Our Love Is Here to Stay." This diverse outing is among Allan Vaché's finest efforts. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/look-to-the-sky-mw0002040959

Personnel: Allan Vaché (clarinet); Tammy Georgine (vocals); Bob Leary (guitar); Laura Leary, Lisa Ferrigno (violin); Shelley Mathews (viola); Norma Huff (cello); Nicole Scott (flute); Vanessa Vaché (clarinet, bass clarinet); Joanne Pherigo (oboe); Lisa Waite (bassoon); David Atchison (French horn); Jeff Phillips (piano); Ed Metz, Jr. (drums).

Look To The Sky

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Cozy Cole - Cozy Cole Hits!

Styles: Jazz, Swing 
Year: 2005
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 64:24
Size: 104,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. Topsy I (Original Version)
(2:29)  2. Bad
(2:24)  3. Turvy I
(4:58)  4. Afro-Caravan
(2:36)  5. Topsy-Turvy I
(3:30)  6. Topsy II (Original Version)
(2:09)  7. Charleston
(2:31)  8. Turvy II
(2:16)  9. Late & Crazy
(2:24) 10. Topsy-Turvy II
(2:44) 11. Crescendo
(3:16) 12. Topsy (Part I)*
(3:29) 13. Topsy (Part II)*
(2:19) 14. North Beach
(2:13) 15. Let There Be Drums
(2:45) 16. Ol' Man Mose
(2:08) 17. Sing! Sing! Sing! (With A Swing)
(2:27) 18. Big Noise From Winnetka (PartI)
(2:40) 19. Big Noise From Winnetka (PartII)
(2:20) 20. Christopher Columbus
(2:16) 21. A Cozy Beat
(2:10) 22. Rockin' Drummer
(2:23) 23. Indian Love Call (Part I)
(2:24) 24. Big Noise from Winnetka 2

William Randolph "Cozy" Cole (October 17, 1909 – January 9, 1981) was an American jazz drummer who had hits with the songs "Topsy I" and "Topsy II". "Topsy II" peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and at No. 1 on the R&B chart. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. The track peaked at No. 29 in the UK Singles Chart in 1958.The recording contained a long drum solo and was one of the few drum solo recordings to make the charts at Billboard magazine. The single was issued by Love Records, a small record label in Brooklyn, New York. Cole's song "Turvy II" reached No. 36 in 1959. William Randolph Cole was born in 1909 in East Orange, New Jersey. His first music job was with Wilbur Sweatman in 1928. In 1930 he played for Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers, recording an early drum solo on "Load of Cole". He spent 1931–33 with Blanche Calloway, 1933–34 with Benny Carter, 1935–36 with Willie Bryant, 1936–38 with Stuff Smith's small combo, and 1938–42 with Cab Calloway. In 1942, he was hired by CBS Radio music director Raymond Scott as part of network radio's first mixed-race orchestra. After that he played with Louis Armstrong's All Stars. Cole appeared in music-related films, including a brief cameo in Don't Knock the Rock. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s he continued to perform in a variety of settings. Cole and Gene Krupa often played drum duets at the Metropole in New York City during the 1950s and 1960s. Cole is cited as an influence by many contemporary rock drummers, including Cozy Powell, who took his nickname "Cozy" from Cole. In 1981, he died of cancer in Columbus, Ohio. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cozy_Cole

Cozy Cole Hits album for sale by Cozy Cole was released Jun 07, 2005 on the Love label. Lyrical is a word sometimes used to describe Cozy Cole's drumming style because his melodious technique goes far beyond mere beat-keeping. Cozy Cole Hits buy CD music The recordings that appeared under his name in the late '50s and '60s are mostly big-band jazz instrumentals that emphasize the drums. "Topsy II," a remake of an old Benny Goodman tune, became a left-field hit on the pop and R&B charts in 1958, introducing the veteran Cole to a new generation of listeners and presaging the rise of rock & roll drummers such as Sandy Nelson and Preston Epps.

Cozy Cole Hits assembles 24 of Cole's recordings for the Love and Coral labels from 1958-1965, including all of his chart hits from the period. In addition to "Topsy II" and its many sequels, Cole steps behind the microphone to sing "Ol' Man Mose," covers Sandy Nelson's "Let There Be Drums," and is joined by a girl group that sings the praises of the "Rockin' Drummer." Most of the music follows in the big-band style of "Topsy II," but several of Cole's later recordings are clearly aimed at the rock & roll audience. Love Records is still in operation and owns Cole's masters, so Cozy Cole Hits is a legitimate release created from the original tapes. However, because it was produced in small quantities, it is available only as a CD-R with poor-quality inserts. The cheap appearance may lead some buyers to assume that their copy of Cozy Cole Hits is a counterfeit or a bootleg, when actually it is the official product as sold through major retailers and directly from Love Records. ~ Greg Adams.http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6878006/a/cozy+cole+hits.htm

Cozy Cole Hits!

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Charles Lloyd New Quartet - Passin' Thru

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:50
Size: 171,6 MB
Art: Front

(17:45)  1. Dream Weaver
(11:54)  2. Part 5, Ruminations
(11:51)  3. Nu Blues
( 9:46)  4. How Can I Tell You
( 7:45)  5. Tagore On The Delta
( 7:22)  6. Passin' Thru
( 8:25)  7. Shiva Prayer

On the threshold of eighty Charles Lloyd continues to show the vibrancy and energy of a thirty year old. We just finished to appreciate the collaboration with Bill Frisell, Greg Leisz and others in The Marvels Project ( I Long to See You Blue Note 2016) that the historic label announces the publication of Passin 'Thru , third his New Quartet disk with Jason Moran on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass and Eric Harland on drums. The disc comes in the tenth year of training, which released two albums for ECM - Rabo de Nube in 2008 and Mirror in 2010-and has given several concerts recently. Passin 'Thru collects seven long pieces from the summer tour 2016: six are drawn from the performance of July 29 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and one ( "Dream Weaver") from Montreux concert on June 30. The photographer recording the quartet in the prime of his understanding, with a different repertoire than in previous albums although not all songs are new: the ecumenical logic of concerts, readings of past successes -like "Dream Weaver" and "Passin 'Thru "-you alternate with original themes and ballad. The executions were the medium-long with a peak of almost 18 minutes in the initial "Dream Weaver."

We listened to the disc preview and things that strike are many. First long solos fervent and vibrant Lloyd, animated by an intense groove and exalted by its magnetic postcoltraniano sound. The great form of the leader is supported by the teaching of the partners, which in 2007 were little more than first-timers and are now leading figures in contemporary jazz. Some new songs-especially "Part 5, Ruminations" -are inventive examples of contemporary jazz, where free improvisation takes over, in line with the Lloyd's artistic identity. The attention the formal balance and melody are in fact the central sections of his style, since he debuted with Chico Hamilton in California of the sixties. At other times (exemplary "Nu Blues") the rhythmic tension becomes palpable thanks to a gripping drumming Harland and collective power that flows from it.  More traditional but not at all self-celebrative are the performances of the historical parts. "Dream Weaver" is characterized by an ecstatic introduction of coltranian footprint than six minutes particularly compelling. More colorful is "Passin 'Thru," characterized by a tight rhythmic and frantic individual interventions. The conclusion is entrusted to dilated and meditative "Shiva Prayer."~ Angelo Leonardi https://www.allaboutjazz.com/passin-thru-charles-lloyd-new-quartet-review-by-angelo-leonardi.php

Personnel: Charles Lloyd: tenor saxophone, alto flute; Jason  Moran: piano; Reuben Rogers: bass; Eric Harland: drums.

Passin' Thru

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Skip Martin - The Music From Mickey Spillane's "Mike Hammer"

Styles: Soundtrack
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:28
Size: 86,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:28)  1. Riff Blues (Theme)
(2:25)  2. Corn Pone Woman
(2:21)  3. Coffee House
(3:41)  4. Bad Guys
(3:22)  5. Black Night
(2:53)  6. Back Home
(2:26)  7. Night Crowd
(3:49)  8. Summer Mood
(1:45)  9. Like Mike
(1:56) 10. Morning After
(3:28) 11. Lenox Avenue Strut
(2:48) 12. Hammer Blow

"Officially titled Music From Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, this album was one of the jewels of television's brief flirtation with jazz, in the wake of Peter Gunn. In this case, the arranger/conductor is Skip Martin, and the composers are Dave Kahn and Melvyn Lenard; the players include Ted Nash (alto sax, flute), Cappy Lewis (trumpet), Don Fagerquist (trumpet), Frank Rosolino (trombone), Richie Komuca (tenor sax), Bud Shank (alto), Pete Jolly (piano), Joe Howard (trombone), and Alvin Stoller (drums). The music stands on its own separate from the series, with lots of striking flourishes and solos that normally wouldn't be allowed in soundtrack music (the basic purpose of soundtrack music being to support the action without calling attention to itself). The fact was that the television series was so "hot" visually, amid Darren McGavin's over-the-top portrayal of Hammer, that the composers not only knew they could get away with writing stuff this out in front, but had to in order to fit the action on the screen. The beauty of Pete Candoli's trumpet playing on "Coffee House," Ted Nash's hot flute solo on the same track, Joe Howard's moody, mournful trombone solo on "Black Night," Richie Kamuca's jaunty tenor sax solo on "Back Home," or the overall jauntiness of "Lenox Avenue Strut" all come through amid a wealth of rewarding moments and passages throughout this disc. Originally issued as part of RCA's Living Stereo series, the reissue captures the same vivid, detailed sound textures."~ Bruce Eder http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/skip-martin-albums/1699-the-music-from-mickey-spillane-s-mike-hammer.html

The Music From Mickey Spillane's "Mike Hammer"

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Weather Report - Weather Report

Styles: Jazz Fusion
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:14
Size: 97,2 MB
Art: Front

( 5:26)  1. Volcano For Hire
( 5:55)  2. Current Affairs
(10:11)  3. N.Y.C.: 41st Parallel / The Dance / Crazy About Jazz
( 5:27)  4. Dara Factor One
( 4:47)  5. When It Was Now
( 5:58)  6. Speechless
( 4:27)  7. Dara Factor Two

For some crafty reason, Weather Report gave its 11th Columbia album the same eponymous title as its first, which no doubt led to massive retail confusion. It is the last WR album for Peter Erskine, Jaco Pastorius, and Robert Thomas, Jr.; Thomas left the band soon afterwards. And with Pastorius receding a bit into the background, the creative balance tilts heavily toward Joe Zawinul, who contributes all but one of the seven compositions. "Volcano for Hire" and "Dara Factors One and Two" are the requisite Zawinul groove-athons, and his deepening awareness of the rapidly improving synthesizer's harmonic and timbral possibilities color such tracks as "Current Affairs" and the three-part "N.Y.C." suite. Though the creativity level seems to be on medium-tank here, the band could still startle the ear with surprising new sounds, a supremely pithy Wayne Shorter statement, or fresh Third World spices. Their ability to swing is never in doubt. ~ Richard S.Ginell http://www.allmusic.com/album/weather-report-1982-mw0000192682

Personnel:  Josef Zawinul – Electric keyboards, piano, Wayne Shorter – Tenor and soprano saxophones,  Jaco Pastorius – Bass guitar, percussion, voice,  Peter Erskine – Drums, drum computer, claves,  Robert Thomas Jr. – Percussion

Weather Report

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China Moses - Nightintales

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:38
Size: 107,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:36)  1. Running
(4:11)  2. Put It On The Line
(5:27)  3. Disconnected
(3:32)  4. Ticking Boxes
(5:43)  5. Whatever
(2:38)  6. Watch Out
(3:34)  7. Nicotene
(4:33)  8. Lobby Call
(5:15)  9. Hungover
(3:02) 10. Blame Jerry
(5:00) 11. Breaking Point

A new China has arrived. New band, new style and above all, finished the covers, she starts out in composition, China Moses co-wrote all the tracks with her producer Anthony Marshall. And it did him rather well. The eleven tracks, composed in five days, offer a beautiful journey in the universe of the singer. From pure jazz to blues with the little soul side that suits so well the voice of China. "Put It On The Line" could be sung by his mother, Dee Dee Bridgewater. "Watch Out", "Hangover" or "Blame Jerry" are pure jazzy humor, the double bass rolls, the swinging piano, a sorcerer organ receives the reinforcement of a sax, a trumpet. One imagines it already, on stage, with his glass in one hand and his microphone on the other. China Moses reached with this album an undeniable musical maturity. To taste without moderation! ~ Jacques Lerognon http://www.nouvelle-vague.com/china-moses-nightingales/

Nightintales

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Barney Kessel - Let's Cook!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 39:55

Size: 91.4 MB

Styles: Guitar jazz

Year: 1957/1999

Art: Front

[11:17] 1. Let's Cook!

[ 4:18] 2. Time Remembere

[ 4:56] 3. Just In Time

[ 9:49] 4. Tiger Rag

[ 9:33] 5. Jersey Bounce

This is an excellent session from guitarist Barney Kessel. Kessel is matched with vibraphonist Victor Feldman, pianist Hampton Hawes, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Shelly Manne for a blues-with-a-bridge (the 11-minute "Let's Cook"), Vernon Duke's ballad "Time Remembered," and "Just in Time." The second half of the album has modernized versions of "Tiger Rag" and "Jersey Bounce" as played by the guitarist, tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, trombonist Frank Rosolino, pianist Jimmie Rowles, Vinnegar, and Manne. Throughout, Kessel keeps with the other all-stars, swinging hard while paying tribute to the legacy of Charlie Christian. ~Scott Yanow

Let's Cook  

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Morelenbaum2, Ryuichi Sakamoto - A Day In New York

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:08
Size: 103.3 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[4:03] 1. Desafinado
[2:11] 2. Bim Bom
[4:20] 3. Insensatez
[4:10] 4. Coracao Vagabundo
[3:48] 5. Falando De Amor
[3:30] 6. Chora Coracao
[4:54] 7. Sabia
[5:35] 8. Tango (Versao Em Portugal)
[3:15] 9. Chega De Saudade
[4:45] 10. Samba De Aviao
[4:32] 11. Fotografia

A Day in New York, recorded at the end of a U.S. tour the group made in 2002 in support of the Casa release is, simply, Morelenbaum Squared's live set performed -- live -- in a New York studio. The emphasis, of course, is on songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim, although Caetano Veloso, João Gilberto, and even Ryuichi Sakamoto and Paula Morelenbaum get a look in. The music is exquisite, gently understated, and shimmering like a heat mirage. Morelenbaum is a more than capable singer, and often a delight here (as on "Fotografia"), while Sakamoto is the real revelation of the album. He blends in so perfectly it's hard to believe he's not Brazilian; he's deft in rhythmic support, and never pushes too much on his solos. Cellist Jacques Morelenbaum is the veteran, but he keeps a sense of discovery in his playing, and the inclusion of the bowed instrument offers an almost chamber music-feel to this music, bringing another dimension to the sound. The three are the focal points, but kudos too, to the guitarist and drummer, who keep in the background, but offer vital support. It's remarkable just how familiar many of these songs are; not merely the obvious "Desafinado" and "Chega De Saudade," but "Samba De Avião" and "Fotografia." In a way, it's like chancing upon an old friend after many years, and finding a new richness. A joy to the ear. ~Chris Nickson

A Day In New York

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Raul Malo - Lucky One

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:39
Size: 118.2 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[4:31] 1. Lucky One
[4:16] 2. Moonlight Kiss
[3:43] 3. Something Tells Me
[3:29] 4. Hello Again
[4:41] 5. Ready For My Lovin'
[4:45] 6. Crying For You
[3:25] 7. You Always Win
[3:17] 8. Lonely Hearts
[5:28] 9. One More Angel
[4:51] 10. Rosalie
[4:18] 11. Haunting Me
[4:49] 12. So Beautiful

2009 release from the former leader of The Mavericks. Lucky One is his first album of original material in seven years. Drawing on his deep love of Country, Rock, Jazz and Latin music. Malo displays not only his eclectic taste but a crystal clear voice unmatched by any other singer today. 11 tracks including the first single 'Hello Again'.

On "Lucky One," his first album of original material in seven years, Raul Malo has shed his musical shackles. "I have been fighting my whole life against people who want to pigeonhole music. We fought that in the Mavericks. I feel like I've got no restrictions anymore," the Grammy winner says. "I'm not really writing for any specific genre. I feel like I can do whatever I want."

Clearly, followers of Malo's eclectic career--both with the Mavericks and after-- know he's always chafed at placing any confines on music. Or, as he laughingly confesses, "if most people do what I've done in my career, they'd be driving a taxi by now." However, a talent as mighty as Malo's simply can't be denied. His glorious voice has been rapturously described by The New York Times as "exceptional" and the Wall Street Journal as "exquisite." Its crystal purity is simply unmatched by any other singer's today. And a voice like his deserves a loving, sturdy melody to wrap itself around. Although completely contemporary, the music on "Lucky One" recalls the great tunes of the `50s, `60s and `70s, made famous by Malo's musical heroes like Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.

The songs on his Fantasy Records debut range from the silly to the sublime, by Malo's own design, and draw on his deep love of country, rock, jazz and Latin music. "Moonlight Kisses" features a playful male chorus and a snazzy tuba (!!), while songs such as "One More Angel" and "Rosalie" take on gut wrenching loss of life. Malo wrote "Lucky One" over a two-year period at his Nashville home and was so happy with the result that several of his home demos appear as final versions on the CD. For the rest, he enlisted co-producer Steve Berlin, best known for his work with Los Lobos. "I trust Steve musically," Malo says. "Art comes first with him. That's the most important quality of all; nothing gets in the way of that."

"Lucky One" follows "You're Only Lonely" and "After Hours," two CDs of cover songs written by many of Malo's favorite tunesmiths including Kris Kristofferson, Dwight Yoakam, Roger Miller and Willie Nelson. "How could that not influence my songwriting on `Lucky One,'" Malo asks. "It certainly had an effect on how I wrote for this. [There's] an appreciation for song structure, melody and lyric that these guys certainly had."

After close to 20 years of making music, Malo is having more fun than ever. "I get to play exactly what I want. I have a great band. I have great fans," he says. "It's really fantastic. And the creative freedom I have now, I wouldn't trade that for the world." The liberation that true talent and vision bring has led to the ultimate freedom so lovingly evident on "Lucky One": "I know that at the end of the day I can go somewhere with my guitar and someone will come see me."

Lucky One

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Ken Fowser, Behn Gillece - Duotone

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:34
Size: 131.8 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, Vibraphone jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:06] 1. Overcooked
[5:40] 2. Spontaneity
[6:30] 3. Attachment
[6:45] 4. Back To Back
[3:24] 5. Come Around Again
[7:40] 6. In The Twilight
[5:41] 7. Low Ball
[5:22] 8. Bongo
[7:20] 9. Offset
[4:01] 10. One For G

"Duotone" is a term that belongs to the world of photography, but it makes perfect sense when applied to this recording. Tenor saxophonist Ken Fowser and vibraphonist Behn Gillece superimpose their tonal colors and personalities against one another, to create an aural portrait that's both traditional and modern.

While the supporting personnel have changed on each of their three Posi-Tone dates, the basic template by which their music is designed remains, essentially, the same. On each album, the pair employs a quintet to deliver melodically-inviting material with impressive soloing , but they also branch out beyond this general description. "Spontaneity" features a wide developmental arc, which begins with impressionistic piano and loose, searching statements, eventually arriving at propulsive swing, and "Come Around Again" is an intimate, musical-dream sequence.

Both men own equal shares in this music but, as on Little Echo (Posi-Tone, 2010), Gillece serves as the primary composer. Fowser's contributions—the breezy, Brazilian-tinged "Bongo" and the hip, swinging "One For G"—come at the end of the album, after Gillece has already established himself as the compositional kingpin of the group. His music can be hypnotic ("Offset"), relaxed and carefree ("Low Ball"), or caffeinated and swinging ("Back To Back"), depending on the moment, but all of it remains highly accessible.

While the solid architecture of each piece speaks to the writing skills of Gillece, and Fowser on a smaller scale, jazz remains an improviser's art, and this album features plenty of soloing to attest to their strengths in this area. While they take the large majority of the solo spots, pianist Donald Vega is an almost-equal partner in this department. He steals the show on the up-tempo "Back To Back," and his bluesy piano work on "Offset" takes the song in a different direction.

The team of bassist David Wong, of drummer Roy Haynes' Fountain of Youth band fame, and überdrummer Willie Jones III are as good a rhythm duo as can be hoped for, and they provide superb support throughout the program. When the music requires intensity, they push and prod to perfection, but they also underline the cool characteristics of the slower, swinging material on the album.

Duotone isn't a radical departure from Full View (Posi-Tone, 2009) and Little Echo, but that's just fine. It's a winning program of original tunes that continues to show off the chemistry which exists between two exciting instrumental voices bound for the big time. ~Dan Bilawsky

Duotone

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Joan Stiles - Love Call

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:53
Size: 121.1 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[4:33] 1. Spherical
[6:44] 2. When I Fall In Love
[4:11] 3. Daahood
[4:40] 4. Creole Love Call
[5:43] 5. Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[4:38] 6. Tea For Two
[3:55] 7. Blood Count
[4:14] 8. Take The A Train
[3:59] 9. I've Never Been In Love Before
[4:47] 10. My Man's Gone Now
[5:25] 11. Almost Like Being In Love

The back cover of Love Call, Joan Stiles' first album as a leader, lists her as a "pianist and arranger." Why was it necessary for Stiles to point out that she's an arranger? Because it's a major part of her musical identity -- an identity that serves the native New Yorker well on Love Call, which was recorded in 1998 and boasts major names like Clark Terry (trumpet, flugelhorn), Frank Wess (tenor sax), and Warren Vaché (trumpet), as well as trombonist Benny Powell, saxman Jerry Dodgion, and Joe Temperley (an excellent but underexposed baritone saxophonist who is also heard on bass clarinet). Different combinations of players are employed on different songs, but whoever Stiles is featuring on this bop-oriented CD, she brings a real bandleader/arranger mentality to the table. Stiles' arrangements are consistently tasteful, and her sidemen have no problem bringing them to life. If Love Call has any noticeable shortcoming, it is Stiles' tendency to be much too conservative in her choice of material -- most of the time, she sticks to warhorses that have been beaten to death over the years. Describing "Surrey With the Fringe on Top," "When I Fall in Love," and "Almost Like Being in Love" as warhorses isn't saying that they aren't great songs, only that they're overdone -- and instead of being so warhorse-minded, Stiles would do well to surprise us with more gems that haven't been recorded so often. She obviously has quite an ear for the rich and vast Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn songbook; instead of yet another version of "Take the A Train," how about surprising us with some of the Duke's lesser-known treasures? Ellington was an amazingly prolific composer, and he wrote countless gems that never became standards -- gems that would work well for Stiles (such as "The Mystery Song" or "The Eighth Veil"). But despite the warhorse factor, Love Call is an enjoyably solid and promising debut from Stiles, who is well worth keeping an eye on. ~Alex Henderson

Love Call

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Eddie Gomez Trio - Live In Italy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:45
Size: 155.1 MB
Styles: Straight ahead jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[12:37] 1. How Deep Is The Ocean
[11:26] 2. Con Alma
[12:54] 3. You Don't Know What Love Is
[ 8:31] 4. On Green Dolphin Street
[12:10] 5. My Funny Valentine
[10:04] 6. Blues Out Of The Closet

The best recordings are not necessarily the most publicized. One can find hidden gems like this one. Great straight ahead jazz. The introduction in Italian emphasizes that it's a live recording, and transports the listener to that moment. You Don't Know What Love is features great drumming, the brushes are cleanly heard. Very well recorded. My Funny Valentine, is presented in a very memorable way, including some latin rhythms. The final number Blues out of the Closet features fiery solos from the pianist. A number of excellent solos are featured throughout the recording, with a superb interaction between the musicians. ~Rodolfo Romanach-suarez

Live In Italy

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Jose James - Blackmagic

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:14
Size: 153.9 MB
Styles: Neo Soul
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[ 4:54] 1. Code
[ 4:18] 2. Touch
[ 5:06] 3. Lay You Down
[ 4:35] 4. Promise In Love
[ 5:55] 5. Warrior
[ 3:50] 6. Made For Love
[ 3:32] 7. Save Your Love For Me
[ 4:19] 8. The Greater Good
[ 4:03] 9. Blackmagic
[ 4:01] 10. Detroit Lovelette
[ 5:16] 11. Love Conversation
[ 4:10] 12. Beauty
[ 2:40] 13. No Tellin'-I Need You
[10:29] 14. The Light

When Gilles Peterson's Brownswood imprint released American vocalist and composer José James' debut album Dreamer, the effect in club culture and throughout the jazz communities in New York, Japan, and Europe was immediate. Jazz Times selected it as one of its albums of the year in 2008. James' voice echoed the social consciousness of Gil Scott-Heron, the hipness of Babs Gonzales, the sophistication of Jon Lucien, and the soulfulness of Terry Callier, whether he was improvising over a piano trio playing Mingus, or singing his own lyrics over electronic beats. On Blackmagic, James forges deeper into 21st century soul and experimental territory, without giving up his jazz chops. Enlisting Flying Lotus and a number of other producers, this is a late-night, groove record that allows hip-hop, club jazz, and lithe funk to accent -- rather than drive -- his smooth, sultry baritone. His approach, while more innovative this time out, feels no less organic. The set kicks off with “Code,” produced by Flying Lotus. A Rhodes piano, congas, languid bassline, the sounds of scratchy vinyl, backing vocals, and ambient sounds underscore James’ vocal; phrasing only a few words at a time as hip hop beats and skittering loops permeate his lines. Likewise, the ethereal title track shivers with sensual invitation via a mercurial groove created by Flying Lotus with guitars, elegantly caressed snares, and James answering his more declamatory sung lines with crooning improvisations. “Lay You Down” is a neo-soul babymaker, with a handclap à la D’Angelo as the basis for its pulse. James’ airy delivery is the melodic instrument as horns, Rhodes, bass, and drums fill the space dimensionally. “Warrior” is an uptempo groover using Benga's “Emotions” dubstep rhythm as its ground before kit drum breaks, basses, and the woven textures of acoustic and electric pianos push from underneath; James chants/sings in call and response with himself. “Detroit Loveletter” is a telltale Moodymann production. It’s an utterly seductive soul-by-cut-groove ballad, with a funky shimmering bassline, dreamy backing vocals, and wistful keys; James' vocal hovers above this mix. The grain in his voice beckons the listener to pleasures unnamed but unmistakable. As a whole, Blackmagic is skillfully sequenced and intelligently arranged to avoid neo-soul or jazz clichés -- there isn’t a hint of artifice on it. This is 21st century jazzed-out soul at its best; and in the spirit of both traditions, it creates something new from traces of the familiar. ~Thom Jurek

Blackmagic

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Frank Catalano, Jimmy Chamberlin, David Sanborn - Bye Bye Blackbird

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:15
Size: 71.6 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[4:32] 1. Chicago Eddie
[4:12] 2. Bye Bye Blackbird
[6:21] 3. Sugar
[4:59] 4. All Blues
[4:58] 5. At Last
[6:10] 6. Shakin'

Frank Catalano - Tenor Saxophone; Jimmy Chamberlin - Drums; David Sanborn - Alto Saxophone (Tracks 2 & 3); Nir Felder - Guitar; Demos Petropoulos - Hammond B3 Organ.

Catalano’s instantly recognizable, powerful and dynamic tenor playing — yet at the same time nimble and thoughtful — is on full display on Bye Bye Blackbird. To stay true to his Chicago roots, the album pays homage to his heroes and mentors Von Freeman — affectionately known throughout Chicago as Vonski — and Eddie Harris.

Bye Bye Blackbird

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Anne Phillips - Born To Be Blue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:30
Size: 79.0 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1959/2000
Art: Front

[3:34] 1. Born To Be Blue
[1:53] 2. Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night Of The Year
[3:22] 3. Easy Street
[2:46] 4. For Heaven Sake
[2:34] 5. It Could Happen To You
[2:46] 6. You Don't Know What Love Is
[2:47] 7. Lonelyville
[2:36] 8. I've Got To Pass Your House
[3:14] 9. A Stranger In Town
[3:55] 10. I Don't Want To Walk Without You
[1:51] 11. There Will Never Be Another You
[3:08] 12. When Sunny Gets Blue

b. Anne Latta Dinsmore, 17 February 1935, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Growing up near Readong, Pennsylvania, Phillips ‘played piano by ear non-stop as a child’, later studying piano and voice. She attended Oberlin College, singing in her freshman year with the college big band. She had her own radio show, singing and playing on the college station, and sang with a college trio that was the supporting act on the occasion of Dave Brubeck’s famous Brubeck At Oberlin concert. After attending the New England Conservatory of Music, she relocated to New York City. There, she performed on a number of live television shows as a member of two of the best known choirs, the Ray Charles Singers and the Norman Luboff Choir. She also sang demonstrations for songwriters such as Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Carole King, Neil Diamond and Paul Simon.

After making her recording debut in 1959 for Roulette Records, with Born To Be Blue, the marked shift in popular music patterns resulted in a highly successful career in the studios. Phillips now became one of the most respected and in-demand studio performers in the music business in New York City. Throughout the 60s, she sang in backing groups on countless recording sessions, wrote, arranged and produced commercials for the American Gas Association, Kent Cigarettes, Campbell’s Soup, Sheraton Hotels and Pepsi Cola. Artists with whom she worked during these years include the Sammy Davis Jnr. , the Four Tops, Leslie Gore, Linda Ronstadt, Mahalia Jackson, Wilson Pickett and Martha And The Vandellas. She formed her own choir for recording and broadcasting, and became music director at St. Bartholomew’s Church on Park Avenue. She wrote book, lyrics and music for The Great Grey Ghost Of Old Spook Lane, a children’s show that has been produced by many theatrical groups and, with her husband, tenor saxophonist, Bob Kindred, created Bending Towards The Light … A Jazz Nativity, the Christmas story told through the medium of jazz. This work is produced annually in New York and elsewhere in America and has featured guests such as Brubeck, Al Grey, Lionel Hampton, Tito Puente and Clark Terry. She and her husband also operate a non-profit organization, the Kindred Spirit Foundation. Additionally, from the early 90s onwards, Phillips has been on the adjunct faculty of the Jazz and Contemporary Music Department at New York University, where she arranges for and directs the NYU Jazz Choir.

When she returned to an own-name recording session in 2000, it was her songs that demonstrated vividly how attuned she is to the great qualities of American popular song. All are gems, which deserve a place in the repertoires of all singers who admire music of quality. She has arranged and/or produced recording sessions by Kindred (That Kindred Spirit and Hidden Treasures). A fluid, melodious voice allied to intelligent reading of lyrics makes Phillips one of the outstanding performers of popular song of her day.

Born To Be Blue

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The Isley Brothers - 3+3

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:05
Size: 176.5 MB
Styles: Soul, Pop, Funk
Year: 1973/2013
Art: Front

[5:34] 1. That Lady Pts. 1 & 2
[4:02] 2. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
[3:23] 3. If You Were There
[3:06] 4. You Walk Your Way
[4:05] 5. Listen To The Music
[3:53] 6. What It Comes Down To
[4:22] 7. Sunshine (Go Away Today)
[6:11] 8. Summer Breeze Pts 1 & 2
[4:18] 9. The Highways Of My Life
[3:13] 10. That Lady Pt. 1
[3:06] 11. Summer Breeze Pt. 1
[3:19] 12. The Highways Of My Life
[4:32] 13. Sunshine (Go Away Today)
[6:17] 14. Summer Breeze
[6:33] 15. That Lady (Interview Pt. 1)
[5:12] 16. Listen To the music (interview Pt. 2)
[2:26] 17. Summer Breeze (Interview Pt. 3)
[3:25] 18. The Highways Of My Life (Interview Pt. 4)

Recorded in 1973, 3 + 3 was a major turning point for the Isley Brothers. With this album, the Isleys moved their T-Neck label from Buddah to Epic/CBS (which became Epic/Sony in the early '90s), and it was at Epic that they unveiled their new lineup. Lead singer Ronald Isley and his siblings O'Kelly and Rudolph remained, but the Isleys became a sextet instead of a trio when cousin Chris Jasper and younger brothers Ernie and Marvin were added. This new lineup was called 3 + 3, and the addition of Jasper on keyboards, Ernie on guitar, and Marvin on bass added exciting new elements to the Isleys' sound. One of finest R&B bassists of the 1970s, the ever-so-funky Marvin is in a class with heavyweights like Larry Graham and Louis Johnson -- and Ernie is a stunning guitarist who is heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix but has a distinctive style of his own. The Isleys had always been lovers of rock, but with the addition of Ernie, their sound became even more overtly rock-influenced. Nonetheless, the rock and pop elements didn't alienate R&B audiences, which ate this album up. The single "That Lady" (which is based on an Impressions-like gem they had recorded in 1964) was a major hit, and the Isleys are equally captivating on soul interpretations of Seals & Crofts' "Summer Breeze," James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," and the Doobie Brothers' "Listen to the Music." With this superb album, the Isley Brothers sounded better than ever -- and they gained a lot of new fans without sacrificing the old ones. ~Alex Henderson

3+3

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Arne Domnérus - Jazz At The Pawnshop

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:29
Size: 159.1 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 1977
Art: Front

[10:13] 1. Limehouse Blues
[ 8:03] 2. Confessin' (That I Love You)
[ 7:11] 3. High Life
[ 7:04] 4. Jeep's Blues
[ 9:19] 5. Lady, Be Good!
[ 6:57] 6. Take 5 Take Five
[ 5:16] 7. Everything Happens To Me
[ 8:18] 8. Barbados
[ 7:05] 9. Stuffy

Bass – Georg Riedel; Drums – Egil Johansen; Piano – Bengt Hallberg; Saxophone, Clarinet – Arne Domnérus; Vibraphone – Lars Erstrand.

This is the first of four CD volumes that fully document a legendary engagement at the Pawnshop club in Stockholm, Sweden. Featured are Arne Domnerus (doubling on alto and clarinet), pianist Bengt Hallberg, vibraphonist Lars Erstrand, bassist Georg Riedel and drummer Egil Johansen. They mostly stick to swing standards, recalling the groups of Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. Highlights include a heated "Limehouse Blues," the African folk song "High Life," "Lady Be Good" and Coleman Hawkins's "Stuffy." All of the volumes in this series are well worth getting by straightahead jazz fans, particularly those not familiar with Arne Domnerus's excellent playing. ~Scott Yanow

Jazz At The Pawnshop

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Nicki Parrott - Fever: The Best Of Nicki Parrott

Size: 159,7 MB
Time: 68:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Full

01. Moon River (4:00)
02. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (3:38)
03. Getting Some Fun Out Of Life (4:41)
04. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen (4:03)
05. Fly Me To The Moon (4:05)
06. I Love The Way You're Breakin' My Heart (4:03)
07. Black Coffee (5:36)
08. Dark Eyes (3:52)
09. Fever (4:14)
10. Like A Lover (5:01)
11. For No One (2:31)
12. How Could You Do A Thing Like That To Me (4:23)
13. Detour Ahead (5:32)
14. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (5:32)
15. Best Things In Life Are Free (3:18)
16. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life (3:38)

Born in Newcastle, Australia, Nicki started her musical training at age four with the piano, followed by the flute, soon after. Nicki switched to double bass at the age of 15.

After graduating high school she moved to Sydney to study jazz at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music where she began to play with Australian musicians such as Mike Nock, Dale Barlow, Paul Grabowsky, Bernie McGann, and Ten Part Invention. She also toured Australia with Russian musicians Daniel Kramer and Alexander Fischer and American trumpeters Bobby Shew and Chuck Findley. She continued her studies with various bassists including visiting artists Ray Brown and John Clayton.

Nicki was the recipient of two awards, a scholarship to Pan Pacific Music Camps at the age of 16, and first place in the 1992 Jazz Action Society’s Annual Song Competition for her composition “Come and Get It,” which is the opening track of Nicki and her sister Lisa’s debut CD, “Awabakal Suite”. She was also nominated for the annual Australian Young Achievers Award by the Arts Council of Australia who granted her the funds to come to New York to study with Rufus Reid. Nicki came to New York in May 1994.

In June 2000, Nicki began performing on Monday nights at the Iridium Jazz Club with the legendary guitarist and inventor, Les Paul. As part of the Les Paul Trio, Nicki worked side-by-side with guitar greats from Paul McCartney, Slash, Steve Miller to fellow Aussie, Tommy Emmanuel.

Since then she has performed with such notable musicians as Michel Legrand, Joe Wilder, Randy Brecker, Clark Terry, Jose Feliciano, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, Dick Hyman, Patti Labelle & the New York Pops Orchestra, Harry Allen, Marlena Shaw, David Krakauer, Ken Peplowski, Ann Hampton Callaway, Bill Mays, Scott Hamilton, Lillian Boutte, Larry Carlton and Houston Person, just to name a few.

Nicki has also performed in several Broadway shows such as Avenue Q, Imaginary Friends, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Summer of ’42 and Jekyll and Hyde and has made several television and documentary appearances including The Gossip Girls, Chasing Sound and Thank You Les, which recently debuted on PBS.

In 2007 and 2008, Nicki received back to back honors for Swing Journal’s Best Jazz Vocal Album (Moon River and Fly Me to The Moon, respectively).

In 2010 her album Black Coffee (Venus) received Swing Journal’s Gold Disc award.

In 2012, Nicki headlined the Fujitsu Concorde Jazz festival after the release of her eighth CD from Venus Records, Sakura Sakura. She is currently recording her 16th release for the label.

Nicki has performed at most major festivals around the globe including the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Jazz in July at the 92nd Street Y, Litchfield Jazz Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and the Newport Beach Jazz Party, Jazz Ascona and Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland and many others.

Fever

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Dave Askren & Jeff Benedict - Come Together

Size: 139,7 MB
Time: 60:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Cheese Grits (6:01)
02. Come Together (8:21)
03. Nardis (5:14)
04. Moments Notice (6:09)
05. Hear This (5:18)
06. On It (6:16)
07. Pineapple Head (5:19)
08. Willow Weep For Me (6:31)
09. Groove Merchant (6:01)
10. 'Deed I Bu (4:52)

Cheese Grits reflects my long-standing love for Stanley Turrentine, who was my inspiration for this recording. I saw Stanley when I was in high school – he was playing in Denver at a club called Ebbets Field and Paul Romaine and I weaseled our way in, even though we were under age. I was blown away by his great sound and impeccable time. I later discovered the recordings of Stanley with Shirley Scott and Jimmy Smith – and I fell in love with the sound of Tenor Sax, Guitar and Organ. I have had the good fortune to play in some organ groups, but I have always wanted to record with one. Come Together is Dave’s take on the Beatles’ classic. He put it in 7/4, which made it a real challenge. We were worried that we wouldn’t be able to pull it off in the studio – and we ended up getting it on the first take. Moment?s Notice is also Dave’s concept, and it is also in an odd meter. Paul and Joe really brought the groove alive on this tune – we struggled with it until we stopped trying to be the Coltrane quartet and we laid it back a bit – it locked right in with more of a cool feel to it. Hear This is an original by Dave, and he based the tune on the standard I Hear a Rhapsody. It’s a nice laid-back funk groove with a lot of space for everyone. On It is another original by Dave – an up-tempo groove. Pineapple Head is a tune I wrote some years back. I had a huge crush on a beautiful girl I met in college named Karen – one of the things I loved bout her was her unusually thick hair. Sometimes she would tie it up on the top of her head to get it out of her way, and she looked like a Pineapple –so she became Pineapple Head. I dug it out for this session because I knew Joe and Paul would find a nice groove on it. Willow Weep For Me is based on The Blood, Sweat and Tears version of God Bless the Child. BS&T was a huge influence on me. When I thought about doing a recording with an organ group, I knew we would have to have a shuffle. Groove Merchant reflects my love for the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra – I heard them in Denver in 1976 and I was never the same. I was fortunate to get to play a lot of their music in college (I had a hip band director), and my favorite sax section soli was on Groove Merchant. As a nod to Thad, I wrote a soli for guitar and saxophone. Deed I Bu is Paul’s creation. It’s a tune that is based on a particular groove that Paul’s African Grey Parrot Bu gets into from time to time. Paul likes to say that it’s his Bird Transcription. The title stems from the fact that the tune is based on the changes to ‘Deed I Do.’ - Jeff Benedict

Come Together

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