Jimmy Smith - Home Cookin'

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:52
Size: 159.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Soul-jazz
Year: 1959/2004
Art: Front

[6:32] 1. See See Rider
[5:17] 2. Sugar Hill
[3:54] 3. I Got A Woman
[5:54] 4. Messin' Around
[5:51] 5. Gracie
[6:51] 6. Come On Baby
[5:07] 7. Motorin' Along
[4:16] 8. Since I Fell For You
[6:32] 9. Apostrophe
[8:07] 10. Groanin'
[5:00] 11. Motorin' Along
[6:26] 12. Since I Fell For You

Drums – Donald Bailey; Guitar – Kenny Burrell; Organ – Jimmy Smith; Tenor Saxophone – Percy France. Recorded at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

The Hammond organ mastery of Jimmy Smith is arguably nowhere as profound as on 1959's Home Cookin'. Support is provided by the formidable trio of drummer Donald Bailey, guitarist Kenny Burrell, and tenor Percy France. Here they couple a few understated cool R&B classics with their own originals. The almost dirge-like cadence of "See See Rider" is given a bluesy and low-key workout, featuring tasty interaction between Smith and Burrell. The languid pace churns steadily as they trade off impressive solos with almost palpable empathy. Burrell's "Sugar Hill" swings with a refined post-bop attack. His call-and-response with Smith conjures the pair's trademark give and take, which is assuredly one of the reasons the two maintained a five-plus-decade association. Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman" is nothing short of definitive as the upbeat rhythm immediately propels Smith and Burrell into an otherwise unassuming and practically infectious bounce. Also duly noted is the sturdy backing of Bailey, whose discerning and compact snare is impeccably suited to the arrangement. (Sadly, the track fades just as the band begin to really get loose.) "Messin' Around" and "Gracie" bring France on board, adding a subtle reedy texture to Smith's intricate and advanced melodies. "Come on Baby" is another Burrell composition that slinks with a soulful mid-tempo groove, allowing for some inspired soloing. The title perfectly captures the travelogue nature, proving that getting there is indeed half the fun. Jimmy Smith's voluminous catalog is remarkably solid throughout and Home Cookin' is a recommended starting place for burgeoning enthusiasts as well as a substantial entry for the initiated. [Some reissues add five additional cuts, including an alternate take of "Motorin' Along," two readings of the pop standard "Since I Fell for You" and an impressive cover of Jack McDuff's "Groanin'."] ~Lindsay Planer

Home Cookin'

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Hope Clayton - Introducing Hope Clayton

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:21
Size: 145.1 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1986
Art: Front

[4:32] 1. That Old Devil Moon
[4:37] 2. Body And Soul
[4:44] 3. I Won't Dance
[5:40] 4. Little Girl Blue
[5:25] 5. New York State Of Mind
[3:00] 6. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[5:21] 7. 'round Midnight
[2:31] 8. Bye Bye Blackbird
[2:50] 9. My Funny Valentine
[4:53] 10. How Long Has This Been Going On'
[2:35] 11. Somewhere
[1:55] 12. Them There Eyes
[2:16] 13. A Foggy Day
[2:23] 14. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
[2:23] 15. All The Things You Are
[5:04] 16. How Insensitive
[3:04] 17. Secret Love

An irresistible invitation to the fresh and vibrant sounds and interpretations of a masterful vocalist. Genres are mixed, artfully displaying Hope Clayton's singular spark of creativity and complimented by equally astute bass and piano. Her voice is like a clear stream while full of subtlety and depth. I love the moments of exquisitely exposed bass-only accompaniment in "That Old Devil Moon". Her flirtatious and flouncy "I Won't Dance". The originality of Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind", then her gut-wrenching delivery of" 'Round Midnight", which plummets us darkly down to the place where despair and loss reside. Full of nuance, range, and love of the craft, this CD satisfies in every way.

Introducing Hope Clayton

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Andre Persiani - The Real Me

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:18
Size: 142.6 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:49] 1. If Dreams Come True
[4:06] 2. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
[8:49] 3. Gwendolyn
[4:23] 4. Straight Life
[4:26] 5. King Porter Stomp
[6:06] 6. Don't Worry About Me
[4:32] 7. The Real Me
[6:04] 8. What I Am Here For
[4:29] 9. Straight Life (Take 1)
[3:35] 10. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
[4:04] 11. King Porter Stomp (Take 1)
[7:48] 12. Gwendolyn (Take 1)

André Persiani, also known as Persiany, was a French jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader who, "with his block-chord technique as the stylistic successor of Milt Buckner.

Persiany, from 1946 onwards, directed his own formations, a. with Joseph Reinhardt and Michel de Villers, played with the Be Bop Minstrels (1947/48) with Robert Mavounzy and Emmanuel Soudieux, as well as duo with the pianist Eddie Bernard. He was best known for his collaboration with American musicians such as Sidney Bechet, Don Byas and Bobby Jaspar (1953), Buck Clayton (1949), Lionel Hampton, Bill Coleman, Kenny Clarke (1948), Big Bill Broonzy, Albert Nicholas and Mezz Mezzrow, also under the pseudonym Jules Dupont in 1954 in the orchestras of Bernard Zacharias and Charlie Singleton, the latter also as a Celesta player. In January 1953 he accompanied Django Reinhardt with four numbers; he also wrote arrangements for Henri Salvador. In 1956, he moved to the United States for the first time, performing in the Metropole with Zutty Singleton, Charlie Shavers and Roy Eldridge, and Birdland. In 1956 he had the opportunity to record a big-band album for Columbia (Impressions in New York); he led the Big Band formation International Jazz Group, a. Seldon Powell, Taft Jordan, Lawrence Brown, Tyree Glenn and Eddie Barefield. In 1958 he accompanied Hildegard Knef (alias "Hildegarde Neff") with some of his songs by Boris Vian and Harry Warren / Al Dubin (Das Mädchen von Hamburg).

In the 1960s he worked in the quartet of trumpeter Jonah Jones; In 1970 he returned to France. There he continued his collaboration with Americans such as Charlie Shavers, Milt Buckner, Cat Anderson, Arnett Cobb / Eddie Chamblee and Budd Johnson as well as the French Christian Garros, Guy Lafitte, Gérard Pochonet and Bernard Vitet Le Furstemberg. He worked as an arranger, a. for Al Gray (Trombone by five, 1977). Among his recordings are Swinging Here and There (1958 for Pathé), The Real Me (1970, Black & Blue) and Every Night at Furstemburg (1977).

The Real Me

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Marian McPartland's The Hickory House Trio - Reprise

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:14
Size: 144.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[6:15] 1. I Hear Music
[4:12] 2. Street Of Dreams
[4:45] 3. I Thought About You
[3:34] 4. Stella By Starlight
[5:41] 5. Falling In Love With Love
[3:04] 6. Last Night When We Were Young
[4:19] 7. In Your Own Sweet Way
[4:06] 8. New Orleans
[5:11] 9. Tickle Toe
[4:33] 10. Two For The Road
[4:29] 11. Symphony
[5:36] 12. Cymbalism
[7:25] 13. Things Ain't What They Used To Be

They were fixtures on New York's fabled 52nd Street in the mid-'50s, a crack piano trio consisting of McPartland on piano, bassist-turned-author Bill Crow, and then-little-known ace drummer Joe Morello. But in 1957, Dave Brubeck made Morello famous by astutely hiring him away from McPartland, then Crow joined Gerry Mulligan's sextet, and the engagement at the Hickory House ended in 1960. Much later, after two brief one-off reunions in the '90s, McPartland put together a couple of nights with the trio at the new Birdland, and they turned out a lovely, relaxed set of standards and one quirky McPartland original, "Cymbalism." It is a special pleasure to hear Morello who has appeared on only a handful of recordings in the previous quarter-century. Morello plays in a more laconic yet still ineffably swinging way than he once did, and Crow gets in lively, dancing solos on "Falling in Love With Love" and "Tickle Toe." Appropriately enough, one of the tunes is Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way" where McPartland incorporates a few shadings in Brubeck's manner and Morello's brushes sound right at home. It's a nice souvenir that recalls a treasured time, one that doesn't sound at all quaint today. ~Richard S. Ginnell

Reprise

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Chuck Mangione - Greatest Hits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:43
Size: 145.9 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Crossover jazz
Year: 1996/2010
Art: Front

[9:35] 1. Feels So Good
[6:26] 2. Hill Where The Lord Hides
[6:28] 3. Bellavia
[7:13] 4. Fun And Games
[3:16] 5. Children Of Sanchez
[8:57] 6. Land Of Make Believe
[6:09] 7. Give It All You Got
[4:53] 8. Chase The Clouds Away
[3:56] 9. Cannonball Run Theme
[6:47] 10. Doin' Everything With You

This Chuck Mangione compilation Greatest Hits collects many of the famed flügelhorn player's crossover jazz hits. Included are such tracks as his classic 1977 cut "Feels so Good," as well as his theme for the 1979 film Children of Sanchez, and the title track from his 1973 album "Land of Make Believe." ~Matt Collar

Greatest Hits

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Richie Beirach Trio - No Borders

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:47
Size: 127.7 MB
Styles: Classical jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[5:44] 1. Scenes From Childhood Op. 15 No. 1
[6:56] 2. Pathetique In C Minor Slow Movement
[5:08] 3. Gnossienne No. 1 In F Minor
[5:40] 4. Pavane In G Minor
[7:37] 5. Footprints In The Snow
[4:15] 6. Siciliano In G Minor
[8:10] 7. Impressions Intimas No. 1 In A Minor
[7:47] 8. Prelude For Piano No. 4 In E Minor
[4:25] 9. Steel Prayers Ballad For 9 11 Wtc

Double Bass – George Mraz; Drums – Billy Hart; Piano – Richie Beirach; Violin – Gregor Huebner (tracks: 5, 9). Recorded at "The Studio" in New York on May 7 and 8, 2002.

No Borders focuses on classical pieces as a basis for improvisation, and, on the other hand, also contains a completely composed original composition by Beirach: "Steel Prayers", a piece for the victims of 9/11. To take classical pieces and open them for improvisation, without depriving them of their character, is also the basic principle in the cooperation with violinist Gregor Hübner.

"Although somewhat underrated, Richie Beirach is a consistently inventive pianist whose ability to play both free and with lyricism makes him an original." ~Scott Yanow

No Borders

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Kenny Drew & Niels-H.O.Pedersen - Duo Live in Concert

Styles: Bop, Piano Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:24
Size: 161,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:44)  1. In Your Own Sweet Way
(5:26)  2. My Little Suede Shoes
(6:15)  3. You Don't Know What Love Is
(8:45)  4. My Shining Hour
(5:50)  5. Viking's Blues
(0:36)  6. Oleo
(6:36)  7. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans
(4:27)  8. Serenity
(6:04)  9. All Blues
(5:00) 10. Trubbel
(9:21) 11. There's No Greater Love
(2:14) 12. Oleo

“.. .the best in European jazz of 1975” (Record Collectors Journal)

“… (Drew) is now at the peak of his career. Duo Live In Concert is his third collaboration with bassist Niels Pedersen, and to hear those two solo voices together is a thrill…this album improves upon its excellent predecessors .” (Transition, N.Y.)

“… Duo Live abounds with an exuberance …” (Jazz Magazine, USA)

Personnel:  Kenny Drew – piano;  Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - bass

Duo Live in Concert

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Joe Chambers - Mirrors

Styles: Jazz, Straight-ahead/Mainstream 
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:24
Size: 126,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:44)  1. Tu-Way-Pock-E-Way
(6:05)  2. Mirrors
(7:24)  3. Caravanserai
(7:09)  4. Ruth
(5:52)  5. Mariposa
(5:43)  6. Lady In My Life
(3:43)  7. Circles
(5:17)  8. Come Back To Me
(7:24)  9. Ruthless

Drummer Joe Chambers, 56, recorded his first Blue Note sessions as a youthful twenty year old, deeply immersed in the New York City jazz scene. While the 1960s were healthy years for the drummer’s professional development, the decade included many distractions for the jazz world. Fusion with rock music and the electronic revolution in equipment introduced many changes and several rifts. The music survived to witness its ‘90s comeback and usher in a generation of young lions. Leaders with whom Chambers worked and recorded in his early years include Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, and Chick Corea. They’ve survived the changes as well, and each of them has remained true to his original ideas. Fred Jung’s interview with Joe Chambers contains a revealing look at the drummer’s spirit and professional goals. Seven of the nine pieces are the leader’s compositions. The two exceptions are pop favorites "Lady in My Life" and "Come Back to Me." "Mirrors" takes modern mainstream to its core with ride cymbal, walking bass, and solos from tenor saxophone, trumpet, piano & bass. "Caravanserai" issues a Middle Eastern mood, while "Mariposa" clears the air with a fast-moving arrangement led by Vincent Herring’s soprano sax. The quintet moves lightly but quickly, and in all directions at once - like a butterfly. As the ending nears, Chambers steps up to solo and the piece appears to have attracted a whole swarm of tiny butterflies. For "Circles" and "Lady in My Life" the leader adds vibraphone to the mix. His lyrical two-mallet approach is a little too percussive for the ballad. It’s more appropriate on "Circles," however, as Chambers gives the ensemble a rest and multi-tracks two vibraphones and drum set to provide a syncopated percussion adventure that’s similar to the work he’s done with Max Roach and M’Boom. There’s no hidden connection between "Ruth" and "Ruthless." One is a soft modal ballad featuring Herring’s alto and tempered by brushes and a bass interlude. The other is at the core of straight-ahead jazz, driven hard and culminating in fours with the drummer. Highly Recommended. ~ Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/mirrors-joe-chambers-blue-note-records-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Joe Chambers- drums, vibraphone; Mulgrew Miller- piano; Ira Coleman- bass; Vincent Herring- tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone; Eddie Henderson- trumpet.

Mirrors

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Joe Henderson - Tetragon

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:01
Size: 94,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:18)  1. Invitation
(5:38)  2. R.J.
(8:39)  3. The Bead Game
(5:40)  4. Tetragon
(4:29)  5. Waltz for Zweetie
(5:15)  6. First Trip
(4:59)  7. I've Got You Under My Skin

Joe Henderson's second Milestone recording (which, as with all the others, is currently available on his massive "complete" eight-CD box set) features the great tenor with two separate rhythm sections: Kenny Barron or Don Friedman on piano, bassist Ron Carter and either Louis Hayes or Jack DeJohnette on drums. Highlights of this album include the title track, "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "Invitation."~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/tetragon-mw0000177166

Personnel:  Joe Henderson - tenor saxophone;  Kenny Barron – piano;  Ron Carter – bass;  Louis Hayes – drums;  Don Friedman: piano;  Jack DeJohnette: drums

Tetragon

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Vijay Iyer Sextet - Far From Over

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:54
Size: 137,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:48)  1. Poles
(6:15)  2. Far From Over
(5:41)  3. Nope
(2:17)  4. End Of The Tunnel
(7:43)  5. Down To The Wire
(3:22)  6. For Amiri Baraka
(5:00)  7. Into Action
(4:46)  8. Wake
(6:32)  9. Good On The Ground
(8:24) 10. Threnody

There are any number of valid ways to describe Vijay Iyer's music over the course of his twenty-three albums. Analytical, angular, intricate, dissonant, and oddly lyrical; his two previous ECM releases, Break Stuff (2015) and the duo outing, A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke, with Wadada Leo Smith (2016), have been more widely accessible without forsaking complexity. Not merely an academic, Iyer is a perpetual student, absorbing information and disseminating his aggregate knowledge in new and inventive ways. On Far From Over, there is an overall level of energetic enthusiasm played out in funk, swing, hard bop, and the avant-garde, all with Iyer's idiosyncratic approach and often surprising in pure elation. Bassist Stephan Crump and the ubiquitous Tyshawn Sorey are a regular rhythm section for Iyer; Sorey occasionally trading off with Iyer's other drummer of choice, Marcus Gilmore. The sextet fills out with a stellar horn section; Graham Haynes on cornet, flugelhorn and electronics, the eclectic alto saxophonist Steve Lehman and Mark Shim on tenor saxophone add much of the punch on this album.

"Poles" opens with Iyer's delicately cascading notes before the horns explode and take over. The piece rises to a fevered pitch and then descends on Haynes beautifully rounded flugelhorn. Iyer takes a more active role on the title track where the horns again engage in thorny interplay, setting up a boisterous solo for piano. When Haynes, Lehman and Shim rejoin, the effect is dramatic. "Nope" is more abstract with short bursts of soloing in close proximity, making for an attention-grabbing interlocking of sounds that would be very much at home on a Lehman recording. The brief "End of the Tunnel" is electric, mysterious and a fine lead-in to "Down To The Wire" with Iyer's bewilderingly fast playing stitching together the late arriving horns and pulling up just short of a free-for-all. Far From Over has its more reflective moments as well, "Wake" being other-worldly and "For Amiri Baraka" and "Threnody" affecting lamentations driven by Iyer's piano. Despite the caliber of musicians on Far From Over, this very much a group album, steeped in spontaneous improvisation. Iyer explains his methodology as looking to ..."build from the rhythm first, from the identity of the groove...." In doing so, there are often textural designs taking shape and dissolving at close intervals, making the listening experience something like watching an abstract painter work on canvas. The complexity of it all can make subsequent listening experiences seem to shift their emphasis. As always in Iyer's work, there is a lot going on and it's all intensely engaging. ~ Karl Ackermann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/far-from-over-vijay-iyer-ecm-records-review-by-karl-ackermann.php
 

Personnel: Vijay Iyer: piano, Fender Rhodes; Graham Haynes: cornet, flugelhorn, electronics; Steve Lehman: alto saxophone; Mark Shim: tenor saxophone; Stephan Crump: double-bass; Tyshawn Sorey: drums.

Far From Over

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Jack McDuff - Another Real Good 'Un

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:02
Size: 105.4 MB
Styles: Soul jazz
Year: 1990/2009
Art: Front

[7:31] 1. Another Real Good'Un
[8:49] 2. Summertime
[4:41] 3. Off the Beaten Path
[5:33] 4. Long Day Blues
[6:58] 5. Rock Candy
[7:16] 6. I Can't Get Started
[5:11] 7. I Cover the Waterfront

HOUSTON PERSON, tenor sax; JACK McDUFF, organ; RANDY JOHNSON, guitar; CECIL BROOKS III, drums. Recorded at Englewood Cliffs, N.J., July 18, 1990.

Another Real Good 'Un is a latter-day Brother Jack McDuff session which finds the organist joined by tenor legend Houston Person, as well as (at various times) alto/tenor saxophonist Ron Bridgewater, trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater, drummers Buddy Williams and Cecil Brooks III, and guitarists Randy Johnston and John Hart. It's one of McDuff's better comeback albums, as he keeps the groove pumping throughout the record, swinging soulfully and interacting nicely with the other soloists. 32 Jazz reissued the session in 1999, Savoy Jazz in 2003. ~Steve Huey

Another Real Good 'Un

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Poncho Sanchez - Cambios

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:13
Size: 137.9 MB
Styles: Cuban jazz
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[4:53] 1. Yesterdays
[8:05] 2. El Sabroson
[5:38] 3. Cambios
[6:12] 4. My Foolish Heart
[4:22] 5. Hey Bud
[4:54] 6. Insight
[7:42] 7. In A Sentimental Mood
[5:41] 8. Pique
[6:11] 9. Sky Dive
[6:31] 10. Chanko

Poncho Sanchez congas, percussion, lead vocals; David Torres piano; Ramon Banda timbales, percussion; Tony Banda bass, background vocals; Jose "Papo" Rodriguez bongos, percussion, background vocals; Art Velasco trombone, background vocals; Gene Burkert tenor & alto saxophone, flute; Sal Cracchiolo trumpet, flugelhorn. With special guest: Freddie Hubbard trumpet, flugelhorn (tracks 1,4,9).

Poncho Sanchez's many recordings for Concord Picante, going back to 1982, are quite consistent. Boppish solos mix in with an emphasis on Latin percussion to create high-quality, accessible Latin jazz. This particular CD is another delightful and infectious effort highlighted by a group vocal on "El Sabroson," melodic improvisations and the three exciting percussionists. Trombonist Art Velasco (featured on "In a Sentimental Mood") is powerful on "Pique" and emerges as the top soloist of the program, along with pianist David Torres (who is the musical director). Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard makes three guest appearances, but these are disappointments -- he is average on "Yesterdays" and "Sky Dive" and cracks an excess of notes on "My Foolish Heart." Otherwise, this is a rewarding and typically infectious Poncho Sanchez set. ~Scott Yanow

Cambios

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Diana Panton - If The Moon Turns Green

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:18
Size: 140.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:21] 1. Destination Moon
[3:18] 2. I'm Old Fashioned
[2:44] 3. It's Like Reaching For The Moon
[4:35] 4. If The Moon Turns Green
[3:37] 5. Reaching For The Moon
[5:08] 6. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars
[4:54] 7. Moonlight Serenade
[3:25] 8. There Ought To Be A Moonlight Savings Time
[3:26] 9. A Litte Girl A Little Boy A Little Moon
[3:43] 10. Moon And Sand
[2:52] 11. I've Told Ev'ry Little Star
[3:27] 12. A Handful Of Stars
[3:49] 13. Oh You Crazy Moon
[4:59] 14. So Many Stars
[4:25] 15. Fly Me To The Moon
[3:28] 16. Moon River

Diana Panton has quietly become one of the brightest lights on the jazz scene today. Her work has been consistently praised by listeners and music critics alike for her ethereal vocals, exceptional song selection and emotional intensity. "Her diaphanous vocal sound never insists and her high speed vibrato is like the beat of a hummingbird's heart - natural, untainted and pure." ~Lesley Mitchell-Clarke

If The Moon Turns Green 

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Alessandro Pitoni - In Love Again (Bacharach's Songs)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:49
Size: 114.1 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[3:43] 1. The Look Of Love
[4:21] 2. Arthur's Theme
[4:00] 3. Close To You
[3:06] 4. 'll Never Fall In Love Again
[3:37] 5. This Guy's In Love With You
[3:30] 6. Any Day Now
[3:31] 7. On My Own
[2:32] 8. Magic Moments
[2:55] 9. A House Is Not A Home
[3:43] 10. Wives And Lovers
[3:19] 11. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
[3:11] 12. Please Stay
[3:06] 13. What The World Needs Now
[2:45] 14. Walk On By
[2:25] 15. Alfie

"I'm an atypical singer.
Instinctive, distracted, lazy, gentle, restless. Maybe because I was born in a day when nobody listens to you. December 31st.

The music takes her kick even before she is born at a The Rokes concert. "It's the rain that goes ... and the serene returns". She then meets her for nine years in the hands of Paolo Lucci: Chorus of white voices of ARCUM. Wonderful years for a kid. Then the voice changes and the music becomes LIFE.

Leave studies, volunteer part in paratroopers. After so much flying, he decides to land on a stage, steals a microphone and with guitarist Daniele Bazzani puts on one of the luckiest bands of those years: BESTAFF (1990). Live live and still live, with a fantastic group of musicians. Pure fun. Puro Rock blues .. With the same, in 1993 he participated in Sanremo in the young category with the song "Walking" and then the first and only album of the group. "As long as we go there." (BMG). (Translated from Italian.)

In Love Again (Bacharach's Songs) 2017

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Ray Gelato - Giants of Jive

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:06
Size: 112,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:35)  1. Sing, Sing, Sing
(3:59)  2. On the Sunny Side of the Street
(5:27)  3. T'Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That 'Cha Do It)
(4:19)  4. Flying Home
(3:13)  5. Please Mr Policeman
(3:14)  6. All the Jive Is Gone
(4:55)  7. Late Night Blues
(2:15)  8. Big Fat Mamas Are Back in Style Again
(3:59)  9. The Eel
(5:16) 10. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(3:05) 11. Baby It's Cold Outside
(4:43) 12. Perdido

Ray Gelato is credited for helping kick off the Swing revival in the early '80s. This interest in vintage Swing/Jazz and R&B went massive in the '90s, spreading all over the US, and spawning bands like The Brian Setzer Big Band and The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies to name but a few. Ray started playing the tenor sax in 1979 and learned initially by playing along to his Dad’s old Rock'n'Roll records. He diligently learned the solos of such greats as Bill Haley’s sax player Rudy Pompilli, and Little Richard's sax man Lee Allen and was gigging within six months of owning a tenor sax! Playing the Rock'n'Roll and Blues circuits, he credits this training ground for him developing a huge sound on the tenor and realizing that your tone is your trademark. During this time, Ray also started studying music formally at the City Lit College in London and took private lessons from UK sax great, the late Pat Crumly. His interest in music soon developed beyond R&B and Rock'n'Roll into really studying the jazz greats such as Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young and many more. He numbers amongst his strongest influences, Illinois Jacquet, Gene Ammons and Coleman Hawkins. However, Ray still recognizes the importance of those early Rock'n'Roll / R&B sax greats, and always keeps a part of them in his playing, up to this day.

Ray is proud to have been a part of the vibrant London club scene of the early to mid 1980's. Fronting the highly successful band The Chevalier Brothers gained him great experience working before an audience.  At their peak, The Chevalier Brothers were playing around 200 shows a year ! It was in this band that Ray developed his distinctive, Louis Prima  influenced vocal style that people still love to this day. Respected Jazz critics such as Jack Massarik (Eve Standard), Clive Davis (The Times) and Martin Chilton (Daily Telegraph) have given Ray very high accolades about his ‘Swing based' saxophone playing, giving special note to his sound and phrasing and also to his original, swinging vocal style .Ray has had a fruitful career and has been fortunate to have worked with many greats in this business including, Sam Butera, Scott Hamilton, Al Grey ( Count Basie), Buddy Tate, Van Morrison, Al Casey (Fats Waller). He has also performed with Pete Long’s Echoes of Ellington Orchestra, The Barcelona Big Blues Band, and Philadelphia’s City Rhythm Orchestra. Ray and his acclaimed band The Giants have been a favourite at the world-famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, holding down a 14 year residency over the Christmas period. Personal highlights of his career include playing Umbria Jazz in Italy 8 times! The Montreal Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note NY, The Lincoln Center NY and Sir Paul McCartney’s wedding. He has also opened for Robbie Williams at The Royal Albert Hall and performed on two occasions for HM The Queen. Mr. Gelato continues to lead his long running band The Giants and is also touring with the great Claire Martin O.B.E  in a show entitled A Swingin’ Affair.  https://www.raygelato.com/

Personnel: Ray Gelato (vocals, tenor saxophone); Claire Martin (vocals); Mark Seymour (trombone, background vocals); Simon Wallace (piano); Clark Kent (double bass); John Piper, Ian Thomas (drums).

Giants of Jive

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Phil Woods - Cool Woods

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 45:55
Size: 84,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:36)  1. Lullaby Of The Leaves
(4:26)  2. All The Things You Are
(7:39)  3. Round Midnight
(7:29)  4. You Don't Know What Love Is
(5:20)  5. Embraceable You
(5:23)  6. Samba Dubois
(7:57)  7. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life

One of the true masters of the bop vocabulary, Phil Woods had his own sound beginning in the mid-'50s and stuck to his musical guns throughout a remarkably productive career. There was never a doubt that he was one of the top alto saxophonists in jazz, and he lost neither his enthusiasm nor his creativity through the years. Woods' first alto was left to him by an uncle, and he started playing seriously when he was 12. He gigged and studied locally until 1948, when he moved to New York. Woods studied with Lennie Tristano, at the Manhattan School of Music, and at Juilliard, where he majored in clarinet. He worked with Charlie Barnet (1954), Jimmy Raney (1955), George Wallington, the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra, Buddy Rich (1958-1959), Quincy Jones (1959-1961), and Benny Goodman (for BG's famous 1962 tour of the Soviet Union), but mostly headed his own groups after 1955, including co-leadership of a combo with fellow altoist Gene Quill in the '50s logically known as "Phil & Quill." Woods, who married the late Charlie Parker's former wife Chan in the 1950s (and became the stepfather to singer Kim Parker), was sometimes thought of as "the new Bird" due to his brilliance in bop settings, but he never really sounded like a copy of Parker. Woods popped up in a variety of settings in the 1960s on Benny Carter's classic Further Definitions record, touring Europe with the short-lived Thelonious Monk Nonet, and appearing on studio dates like the soundtracks to The Hustler and Blow Up. Always interested in jazz education (although he believed that there is no better way to learn jazz than to gig and travel constantly), Woods taught at an arts camp in Pennsylvania in the summers of 1964-1967. Discouraged with the jazz scene in the U.S., he moved to France in 1968. For the next few years, Woods led a very advanced group, the European Rhythm Machine, which leaned toward the avant-garde and included pianist George Gruntz. Their recordings still sound fresh and exciting today, although this venture would only be a detour in Woods' bebop life. In 1972, he returned to the U.S. and tried unsuccessfully to lead an electronic group that featured keyboardist Pete Robinson.

In 1973, Woods formed a quintet with pianist Mike Melillo, bassist Steve Gilmore, drummer Bill Goodwin, and guitarist Harry Leahey that had much greater success. Their recording Live at the Showboat officially launched the band, which, after a few personnel changes, toured the world. After Leahey left in 1978, it was known as the Phil Woods Quartet until trumpeter Tom Harrell (1983-1989) joined; his spot was then assumed by trombonist Hal Crook (1989-1992) and trumpeter Brian Lynch. Pianist Melillo went out on his own in 1980, and his successors were Hal Galper (1980-1990), Jim McNeely (1990-1995), and Bill Charlap; Gilmore and Goodwin were with Woods from the group's start. Not just bebop repertory bands, Woods' ensembles developed their own repertoire, took plenty of chances, and stretched themselves while sticking to his straight-ahead path. Woods contributed the famous alto solo to Billy Joel's hit recording of "Just the Way You Are" and was one of Michel Legrand's favorite artists, guesting with Legrand on an occasional basis; he made dozens of rewarding recordings himself through the years. After debuting as a leader in the mid-'50s, he recorded for Prestige, Savoy, RCA, Mode, Epic, Candid (the brilliant The Right of Swing in 1961), Impulse, MGM, Verve, Embryo, Testament, Muse, Omnisound, Enja, and Chesky, and recorded with his Quintet/Quartet for RCA, Gryphon, Adelphi, Clean Cuts, SeaBreeze (two sets adding Chris Swansen's inventive synthesizer to the band), Red, Antilles, Palo Alto, BlackHawk, Denon, and quite extensively for Concord. Some key sets include 1960's Rights of Swing on Candid, 1974's Musique Du Bois on 32 Jazz, 1981's Birds of a Feather from Antilles, and 2002's Americans Swinging in Paris from EMI. An Italian label, Philogy (which has some broadcasts and live performances from Woods' bands), is named after the popular and brilliant altoist. Still going strong into the 21st century, Woods cut a live session with the Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra in 2005 that was released by Jazz Media in 2006. American Songbook, which features Woods' treatment of pop and jazz standards, appeared from Kind of Blue later that same year. In 2009, after years of attempting to secure the rights to interpret the work of writer A.A. Milne, Woods released Children's Suite a tribute to Milne's classic book Winnie the Pooh. Phil Woods died from complications of emphysema in September 2015 at the age of 83. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/phil-woods/id124283

Personnel:  Phil Woods - Alto saxophone;  Junko Onishi – Piano;  Ron Carter – Bass;  Bill Goodwin - Drums

Cool Woods

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Joe Henderson - Our Thing

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:49
Size: 105,6 MB
Art: Front

( 8:33)  1. Teeter Totter
(10:04)  2. Pedro's Time
( 5:36)  3. Our Thing
( 6:19)  4. Back Road
( 8:05)  5. Escapade
( 7:10)  6. Teeter Totter (alt tk)

Joe Henderson's second recording as a leader features a very strong supporting cast: trumpeter Kenny Dorham (one of Henderson's earliest supporters), pianist Andrew Hill, bassist Eddie Khan, and drummer Pete La Roca. Together they perform three Dorham and two Henderson originals, advanced music that was open to the influence of the avant-garde while remaining in the hard bop idiom. The up-tempo blues "Teeter Totter" contrasts with the four minor-toned pieces and, even if none of these songs became standards, the playing is consistently brilliant and unpredictable. Even at this relatively early stage, Joe Henderson showed his potential as a great tenorman. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/our-thing-mw0000100911

Personnel:  Joe Henderson, tenor sax;  Kenny Dorham, trumpet;  Andrew Hill, piano;  Eddie Khan, bass;  Pete La Roca, drums

Our Thing

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The Touré-Raichel Collective - The Tel Aviv Session

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:51
Size: 148,2 MB
Art: Front

(8:12)  1. Azawade
(5:59)  2. Bamba
(6:21)  3. Experience
(5:03)  4. Alkataou
(7:00)  5. Hawa
(4:26)  6. Kfar
(4:06)  7. Toure
(7:59)  8. Le Niger
(2:47)  9. Al Houde Baakoi
(3:38) 10. Ane Nahatka
(8:15) 11. Alem

This is the best record you will hear this year! Vieux Farka Toure has, for my money, been putting out solid albums for a while now, long since moving out from the lengthy shadow of his father Ali and staking his own acoustic-electric, Afro-trad-rock territory. Last year's album The Secret was an excellent addition to his ouevre, coming on the heels of his 2010 live album and featuring surprising contributions from unlikely sources like Derek Trucks and John Scofield. None of that history, though, could have prepared a listener for the transcendent brilliance of Toure's latest effort, an album-length collaboration with Israeli keyboardist and pop star Idan Raichel. The Toure-Raichel Collective, as the men have dubbed themselves, sat down one afternoon in Israel to spontaneously jam and swap musical ideas back and forth. The results betray a rare but profound responsiveness to one another's work, and a refreshing willingness to set aside egos in favor of musical purity. It would be an understatement to say that The Tel Aviv Session is a good record, or even a great one. This is, simply put, one of the best Afro-pop collaborations you are likely to hear, rivaling the elder Toure's 1994 effort with Ry Cooder, Talking Timbuktu. Yes, it's that good.

Toure sets aside his electric guitar for these sessions, and the revelation one of them is that his sinuous melody lines are just as much at home on an unplugged instrument. Many of these songs are framed by his rapidfire fingerpicking, before settling into an easy, lilting rhythm, which invites accompaniment from Raichel's equally fluid piano playing. Album opener "Azawade" finds its rhythm right off the bat, and stays nestled in its groove for the next eight-plus minutes. Accents of piano, accordion and vocals add to the spell without diluting its simple power. To put it simply, it hits the sweet spot. In fact it hits such a sweet spot that the listener half hopes it will never end, but at the same time can't wait to hear what else these musicians have in store. The answer to that is: plenty. The bend reels off a string of outstanding tunes without pausing for breath: "Bamba", "Experience", "Alkataou", and "Hawa" all sound like the work of a band that's been playing together for years, the various instruments and voices mingling with apparent effortlessness. "Experience" is a knockout track, with a snaky Middle Eastern melody led by Raichel's piano and echoed by Toure's confident but never aggressive guitar. Vocals remain an element in the instrumental mix but are never the focus of a song, and this decision, like so many others, fits the mood of the album perfectly.

Later in the record, "Toure" rocks with surprising vigor, helped along by an unexpected but thoroughly welcome harmonica, while "Le Niger" strikes a dreamier note for its eight-minute running time. These tracks have ample time to breathe and stretch. Six of the album's eleven songs top six minutes, while just two clock in at under four. Despite that, the tracks never seem formless or meandering; they're as long as they need to be. The record ends on yet another high note, with Raichel's piano intro leading into the eight-minute-plus "Alem", which evolves into one more trance-inducing experience. Toure's guitar plays off Raichel's keyboards, and vice versa, with occasional other sounds creeping into the mix as well. It all sounds earthy and unearthly at the same time--something that could be said about much of this record. If you're going to own only one Afro-pop album in your entire collection, then I would recommend Talking Timbuktu. Second would be something by Baaba Maal (Baayo and Firin' In Fouta are both good places to start). Three and four would be Salif Keita (Papa) and Tinariwen's Amassakoul. But number five? Make it The Tel Aviv Session. This is high praise, as I'm sure the musicians themselves would agree. Mighty high praise indeed, and entirely deserved. This record is a gift. ~  PopMatters, March 27, 2012  ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Tel-Aviv-Session-Toure-Raichel-Collective/dp/B00701QWO0

Personnel:  Bass – Yossi Fine;  Guitar – Vieux Farka Touré;  Piano – Idan Raichel

The Tel Aviv Session

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Allan Harris - Nat King Cole: Long Live The King

Size: 128,3 MB
Time: 54:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front & Back

01. It's Only A Paper Moon (3:27)
02. I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons (5:18)
03. L-O-V-E (5:11)
04. I'll Be Seeing You (3:29)
05. The Very Thought Of You (5:34)
06. Straighten Up And Fly Right (3:01)
07. A Blossom Fell (3:43)
08. Non Dimenticar Pretend (4:11)
09. Walkin' My Baby Back Home (2:42)
10. Mona Lisa (3:33)
11. Too Young (3:23)
12. Nature Boy (6:33)
13. Unforgettable (4:37)

Allan Harris has oft been told his vocal style bears close resemblance to the late Nat King Cole, so he has followed that sentiment by concocting a program from Cole's repertoire for performance. These sessions from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. have him interpreting most of Cole's most well-known numbers, with half of them being ballads. There is no fault with that, primarily because Harris sounds quite similar, but not perfectly like Nat. His personalized lyric phrasing is his own, while his good piano playing is not as masterful as his hero, which would be a daunting task anyway. Saxophonist Jesse Jones plays a more perfunctory rather than complementary role in the band, and at times is a bit overbearing for the general dynamics of the music. The concert is an up-and-down affair, gaining and losing momentum to the point where a coach would drastically improve the pacing. Overall the sound of the band is tight and unassuming, pleasant, light and carefree. There is a drawback with the production values, as the recording is a bit thin and not completely clear and robust. The typical songs you expect are here -- "For Sentimental Reasons," "Love," "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," "Mona Lisa," "Unforgettable," etc., with "I'll Be Seeing You" less like Nat and more like Harris. "Non Dimenticar/Pretend" comes closest to a direct cop of Cole, sporting a nice Latin baseline. Of the more lively selections, the opener "It's Only a Paper Moon" differs in that Harris improvises in his own way on the second chorus. The other variation "Nature Boy" is adapted in bold and dramatic modal trim, with the fluttery, overblown sax of Jones shooting a spark. The introductory arrangement on "Straighten Up & Fly Right" is somewhat unique with a stop-start technique employed, while Jones eschews a boppish Richie Cole-like line during "Too Young." Putting this up against a Nat or Freddy Cole recording might be unfair, for Harris does exude his own soul, but as a single concept phase in his career, it's a decent, unobtrusive aside. ~by Michael G. Nastos

Nat King Cole

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Carolina Zingler & Nuvens - Birds Flying High

Size: 122,2 MB
Time: 52:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz, Blues, Bossa Nova
Art: Front

01. Four Women (5:14)
02. Temptation (5:01)
03. Confessin (4:50)
04. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (5:18)
05. Love Came Here (3:20)
06. Smile (5:02)
07. Summertime (4:29)
08. I'm A Fool To Want You (3:21)
09. Carelessly (4:08)
10. After You've Gone (4:02)
11. Caravan (5:39)
12. Trav'lin Light (2:08)

Birds flying high is a record of songs from different eras, which includes songs like "After you've gone (1918)", "Travling Light (1937)", "Temptation" and "Love came here" . The album has a lot of influence in blues, jazz, Latin music and rock and is a record based on the repertoire that the singer and her band Nuvens presented in their shows. Tom Waitts, George Gershwin, Lhasa, Charles Chaplin and Nina Simone are some of the composers of the songs chosen. The arrangements were composed during the shows, with the orchestrations of Fabio Mello with the collaboration of Juliana Schmidt.

One street corner. wide sidewalks. Freedom. Carpets, lampshades, car battery. Scenario. Clear sky. People passing. Audience. Dusk, night. Music. Guitar, percussion. Violin. Guitar and Sax. Exchange. Inspiration, creation. Jazz. Delicacy.

Carolina Zingler is street music artist and presents the show “Esquina do Jazz” promoting her latest album “Birds Flying High” and some authorial compositions.

The brazilian singer has two albums released - Butterfly and Birds Flying High (Blues - Jazz - Bossa nova). She studied singing, piano and guitar mostly by herself. Carolina is a Music Producer, specialized on Soundtracks and Audio Engineering. As a good Sagittarian she’s always traveling around the world singing her songs, producing new songs and artists!

On 2017 Carolina prepares presentation of another authorial album called "Mantras das Matas," bringing new compositions in the genres: Jazz, Mantra, Afro-Brazil.

Birds Flying High

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