Jay McShann - The Band That Jumps The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:33
Size: 76.8 MB
Styles: Bllues-Jazz, Swing
Year: 1973/2011
Art: Front

[2:31] 1. Hot Biscuits
[3:03] 2. Slow Drag Blues
[2:27] 3. M. R. Boogie
[2:37] 4. Buttermilk
[3:44] 5. Skidrow Blues
[2:35] 6. Soft Winds
[2:59] 7. No Name Boogie
[2:41] 8. Thinking About My Baby
[2:24] 9. Geronimo
[2:54] 10. Twelve O'Clock Whistle
[2:31] 11. Mellodrag
[3:01] 12. Eatin' Watermelon

This collector's LP from the British Black Lion label features pianist Jay McShann during his post-war period, when he was often based in Los Angeles and recording for Swingtime. McShann backs singer Jimmy Witherspoon on "Skid Row Blues" (the alternate take is the one included), and vocalist Crown Prince Waterford is on one number. Otherwise, McShann heads medium-size bands from 1948-49 that mostly lack any big names, although the young trumpeter Art Farmer and tenor saxophonist Maxwell Davis make appearances. There are a few vocals by Lois Booker and Maxine Reed, but the emphasis is on ensemble work and concise solos that fall between swing and early R&B. Spirited music, most of which has not been fully reissued on CD yet. ~Scott Yanow

The Band That Jumps The Blues

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Kay Starr - Movin'!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:49
Size: 68.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1959/2011
Art: Front

[1:52] 1. On A Slow Boat To China
[3:09] 2. I Cover The Waterfront
[1:53] 3. Around The World
[2:38] 4. Sentimental Journey
[2:46] 5. Night Train
[2:09] 6. Riders In The Sky (A Cowboy Legend)
[3:39] 7. Goin' To Chicago Blues
[2:14] 8. Indiana (Back Home Again...)
[2:23] 9. Song Of The Wanderer
[2:16] 10. Swingin' Down The Lane
[2:21] 11. Lazy River
[2:24] 12. Movin'

Movin' marked Kay Starr's return to Capitol after a four-year spell with RCA. RCA had Starr cut "Rock & Roll Waltz" and the Rockin' with Kay album, but Capitol sought to "reaffirm her status as a great jazz vocalist," as the Movin' liner notes say. The dozen songs are mostly jazz and pop standards arranged by Dave Cavanaugh with Van Alexander for a big band on most selections. A few others feature arrangements for five trombones and a rhythm section, reminiscent of the Four Freshmen's 1956 album Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones, another Capitol product. The album's emphasis on rhythm may have hinted at rock & roll, but Movin' delivers pure big band and traditional pop music with a swingin beat and Starr's soulful phrasing. Only the cowboy tale "Riders in the Sky" strays from the album's pure pop and jazz trajectory, although even that enjoyed wide currency in pop circles. Movin' yielded no hits, and one suspects that Capitol may have wooed Starr back by letting her record more of the music she liked. ~Greg Adams

Movin'

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Deodato - Somewhere Out There

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:57
Size: 91.5 MB
Styles: Jazz, R&B, Pop
Year: 1989
Art: Front

[4:19] 1. Everybody Wants My Girl
[4:28] 2. The Best Lovers (Are The Best Friends)
[4:35] 3. In This World
[3:54] 4. I Believe In This Love
[3:22] 5. Where Can You Run
[4:32] 6. When A Lover Says Goodbye
[5:30] 7. Forever For You
[4:31] 8. Stay With Me
[4:42] 9. Somewhere Out There

In between all those arranging gigs for everyone from Jobim and Astrud Gilberto to Sinatra, Wes Montgomery and Earth, Wind & Fire, Deodato made many of his own albums for lots of labels from the '60s to the '80s. He does dance-pop with style on this 1989 Atlantic LP: Everybody Wants My Girl; Somewhere out There; In This World , and more!

Somewhere Out There

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Anne Chris - Tomorrow Is Today

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:33
Size: 129.5 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:17] 1. Tomorrow Is Today
[5:53] 2. Long Years
[4:29] 3. New Worlds
[3:51] 4. Let's Stay Together
[4:16] 5. Wandering
[4:18] 6. Empty Road
[5:23] 7. Visions
[5:09] 8. This Is Always
[3:53] 9. You're Everything
[6:09] 10. The Thrill Is Gone
[3:41] 11. Sabia
[6:08] 12. This Is For Me

Singer & composer Anne Chris graduated from the Conservatory of Amsterdam in 2001. She then went on to take postgraduate studies at the same conservatory, during which she specialised in writing her own compositions. In 2003 she concluded her training at the conservatory with a performance in het Bimhuis in Amsterdam during the Graduation Jazz Festival. In July of the same year she performed with her band at the North Sea Jazz Festival.

In March 2004 Anne Chris recorded her debut CD, entitled 'Tomorrow is today', which was released by the Jazz Impuls Foundation. On this cd she sang different styles; in addition to jazz standards, she also recorded a Brazilian song and her own compositions.

Tomorrow Is Today

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Scott Henderson, Jeff Berlin, Dennis Chambers - HBC

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:28
Size: 136,7 MB
Art: Front

(10:16)  1. Actual Proof
( 6:58)  2. Mysterious Traveller
( 8:45)  3. Footprints
(11:57)  4. D Flat Waltz
( 3:25)  5. The Orphan
( 5:18)  6. Sightseeing
( 4:21)  7. Wayward Son Of Devil Boy
( 3:09)  8. Threedom
( 5:15)  9. Stratus

Not simply a super-group, but more like a jazz-fusion superpower as this formidable trio melds classic fusion works amid a few originals on its debut release, although the artists have crossed paths over the years. Bios and resumes would transcend the limitations of a review or analysis. So, it's the in-your-face attitude, creative impetus, and the respective musicians' gargantuan chops that account for a passionate exposition. Guitarist Scott Henderson's enviable technique as a monumental blues-rock soloist shines on his "Wayward Son of Devil Boy," inflicting pain on his axe via some serious shedding and molding a blues-with-a-vengeance stance with blazing fills, detuned extended notes and wailing choruses. But the preponderance of the album offers an abundance of cunning insights and spins on pieces such as drummer Billy Cobham's jazz-fusion anthem "Stratus." Then again it would be a sacrilege to ignore this trend-setting classic. Here, all-universe session drummer Dennis Chambers slams the backbeat into overdrive in concert with bass great Jeff Berlin's sinuous fretless bass lines. Owing to the original recording, Henderson abides by late guitarist Tommy Bolin's tension and release buildup, and then goes off the radar with stratospheric licks, leading to the heavy metal-like finale.

Henderson morphs polytonal chord voicings to execute a translation of pianist Herbie Hancock's funkified "Actual Proof," where Berlin unleashes a mindboggling solo, awash with twirling notes and breakneck linear runs. Henderson injects some spacey electronic treatments and spatial attributes into saxophonist Wayne Shorter's title track from Weather Report's Mysterious Traveler (Columbia, 1974), raising the bar with edgy and distorted crunch chords while reshaping and reconfiguring the primary theme, tinted with a rather ominous rite of passage.  HBC also integrates a pure jazz element into Shorter's "Sightseeing," offset by the artists' expressive solo spots and streaming background effects, all the while prepping for the kill towards the coda as Berlin thumps and plucks his bass strings into submission. Sure, he's all over the place, but lessons learned will dictate that he makes every note count, marked by his lyrical thematic statements and a technique to die for. Other than the instrumentalists' technical mastery, these works' construction lend to a refreshing glimpse of the proverbial roads previously traveled. From a holistic perspective of the jazz-fusion genre, it doesn't get a whole lot better.~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/hbc-scott-henderson-tone-center-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: Scott Henderson: guitar; Jeff Berlin: bass; Dennis Chambers: drums.

HBC

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Awa Ly - Five and a feather

Styles: Vocal, Soul, R&B
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:52
Size: 97,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:34)  1. Storyteller
(3:30)  2. Let you down
(3:41)  3. Let me love you
(3:44)  4. Help you out
(3:33)  5. Here
(4:30)  6. Friendship
(3:37)  7. Sunflowers
(3:29)  8. You will be mine
(4:22)  9. Stranger
(3:56) 10. Wide open
(3:51) 11. I'll be gone (bonus track)

One night, Awa had a dream ... The atmosphere was enchanted, as mystic, nimbed in a scenography summoning the moon, the Earth and the elements. An ancestral mixture between the Indians of America and Africa, the shaman was there, expressing himself in an unknown tongue, telling real or fantasized stories. These accounts, she received others, appropriated them, impregnated them, shared their joy, relieved pain or contained sadness. Upon awakening, the shamanic narrator had fainted but her presence was still palpable, Awa made the storyteller of this new album: Five and a Feather. This album was directed by Jean Lamoot and Pascal Danaé (Victory of the Music 2015, category music of the world with their group Rivière Noire Collaborations with Black Désir, Bashung, Salif Keita, Gainsbourg, Giberto Gil, Peter Gabriel, Ayo, Mayra Andrade ) with the participation of Faada Freddy, Paco Sery, Ballake Sissoko, Greg Cohen and Slow Joe. https://www.amazon.fr/Five-Feather-Awa-Ly/dp/B01BESGO1A

Five and a feather

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Magnus Lindgren - Batucada Jazz

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:28
Size: 148,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:51)  1. Alligator
(5:45)  2. Elbow Style
(4:18)  3. Rio Shadow
(4:08)  4. Copaflat
(6:25)  5. Soofa
(3:29)  6. Farofa
(6:19)  7. Flutish
(4:38)  8. Dalodrum
(3:37)  9. Djungeldance
(6:32) 10. Batacuda Jazz
(3:27) 11. Never Let Go
(6:55) 12. No More Words

Magnus Lindgren is a young Swedish jazz sax and flute player, arranger, composer and bandleader who is rapidly becoming a top name in Europe working with many of the most famous jazz artists. This album which features all original songs composed and arranged by Magnus was recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and features several outstanding Brazilian and European musicians. The result is a remarkable album with very strong influences of Brazilian music and rhythms but also with a definite jazz quality throughout. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Batucada-Jazz-Magnus-Lindgren/dp/B00280NYN0

Personnel: Magnus Lindgren (vocals, guitar, flute, clarinet, reeds, tenor saxophone, percussion); Pirulito, Armando Marçal (vocals, percussion); Leonardo Amuedo (guitar); Kiko Continentino (piano); Magnus Persson (drums); Sebastian Notini, Robert Ikiz (percussion)

Batucada Jazz

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Ron Carter - Live At Theaterstübchen Kassel

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:03
Size: 177,2 MB
Art: Front

(12:16)  1. Laverne Walk
( 6:47)  2. Candle Light
( 7:46)  3. Golden Striker
( 7:20)  4. Samba de Orfeu
( 9:14)  5. Eddie's Theme
( 7:26)  6. A Nice Song
(10:44)  7. My Funny Valentine
( 6:26)  8. Cedar Tree (Bonus Track)

The epitome of class and elegance without the stuffiness, Ron Carter has been a world-class bassist and cellist since the '60s. He's among the greatest accompanists of all time, and has made many albums exhibiting his prodigious technique. He's a brilliant rhythmic and melodic player, who uses everything in the bass and cello arsenal; walking lines, thick, full, prominent notes and tones, drones and strumming effects, and melody snippets. His bowed solos are almost as impressive as those done with his fingers. Carter has been featured in clothing, instrument, and pipe advertisements; he's close to being the bass equivalent of a Duke Ellington in his mix of musical and extra-musical interests. Carter's nearly as accomplished in classical music as jazz, and has performed with symphony orchestras all over the world. He's almost exclusively an acoustic player; he did play electric for a short time in the late '60s and early '70s, but he didn't used it for many, many years. Carter began playing cello at ten. But when his family moved from Ferndale, Michigan to Detroit, Carter ran into problems with racial stereotypes regarding the cello and switched to bass. He played in the Eastman School's Philharmonic Orchestra, and gained his degree in 1959. He moved to New York and played in Chico Hamilton's quintet with Eric Dolphy, while also enrolling at the Manhattan School of Music. Carter earned his Master's degree in 1961. After Hamilton returned to the West Coast in 1960, Carter stayed in New York and played with Dolphy and Don Ellis, cutting his first records with them. He worked with Randy Weston and Thelonious Monk, while playing and recording with Jaki Byard in the early '60s. Carter also toured and recorded with Bobby Timmons' trio, and played with Cannonball Adderley. He joined Art Farmer's group for a short time in 1963 before he was tapped to become a member of Miles Davis' band.

Carter remained with Davis until 1968, appearing on every crucial mid-'60s recording and teaming with Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams to craft a new, freer rhythm section sound. The high-profile job led to the reputation that's seen Carter become possibly the most recorded bassist in jazz history. He's been heard on an unprecedented number of recordings; some sources claim 500, others have estimated it to be as many as 1,000. The list of people he's played with is simply too great to be accurately and completely cited. Carter's been a member of New York Jazz Sextet and New York Jazz Quartet, V.S.O.P. Tour, and Milestone Jazzstars, and was in one of the groups featured in the film Round Midnight in 1986. He's led his own bands at various intervals since 1972, using a second bassist to keep time and establish harmony so he's free to provide solos. Carter even invented his own instrument, a piccolo bass. He's contributed many arrangements and compositions to both his groups and other bands, and made duo recordings with either Cedar Walton or Jim Hall. He's recorded for Embryo/Atlantic, CTI, Milestone, Timeless, EmArcy, Galaxy, Elektra, and Concord, and eventually landed at Blue Note for LPs including 1997's The Bass and I, 1998's So What, and 1999's Orfeu. At the dawn of the new millennium, Carter remained an active, in-demand artist, releasing a steady stream of albums and keeping a busy live schedule. 

When Skies Are Grey surfaced in early 2001, followed in 2002 by Stardust, Carter's tribute to the late bassist Oscar Pettiford. That same year, he joined saxophonist Houston Person for the duo's third album of standards, Dialogues. In 2006, another tribute album was released, Dear Miles, dedicated to Miles Davis, also on Blue Note. Several more small group solo albums followed including 2007's Japan-only It's the Time and 2008's Jazz and Bossa. In 2011, Carter delivered his first effort with big-band music, Ron Carter's Great Big Band featuring arrangements by conductor Robert M. Freedman and a bevy of name players including pianist Mulgrew Miller and drummer Lewis Nash. He then joined drummer Gerry Gibbs for two albums with 2013's Thrasher Dream Trio and 2014's We're Back. Also in 2014, Carter was backed by the WDR Big Band on My Personal Songbook. In 2016, the bassist once again paired with saxophonist Person for the duo album Chemistry. ~ Ron Wynn  https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/golden-striker-live-at-theaterst%C3%BCbchen-kassel-donald/id1226020388

Personnel:  Ron Carter – bass;  Donald Vega – piano; Russell Malone – guitar.

Live At Theaterstübchen Kassel

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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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