Marlene VerPlanck - I Like To Sing!

Styles: Vocal Jazz 
Year: 1984
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:44
Size: 141,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:33)  1. I Like To Sing!
(2:47)  2. Highly Emotional State
(3:57) 3. Medley  It Could Happen To You Love Walked In
(2:42)  4. Here I Go Again
(2:58)  5. Let Yourself Go
(4:32)  6. All The Things You Are
(2:52)  7. Here's That Sunny Day
(4:05)  8. (I Think Of You) With Every Breath I Take
(1:45)  9. All Or Nothing At All
(3:19) 10. Incurably Romantic
(2:47) 11. The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else
(2:37) 12. Instead Of Saying Goodbye
(4:02) 13. The Man That Got Away
(2:35) 14. Song On The Sand
(2:29) 15. Where Am I Going
(4:23) 16. Don't Worry 'bout Me
(3:57) 17. That's How I Love The Blues
(3:48) 18. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
(2:27) 19. Just One Of Those Things

Marlene Ver Planck paid tribute to the great American songbook. Ver Planck, who grew up in Newark, NJ, listening to Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald on WNEW radio, collaborated throughout her long career with her husband, arranger, composer, and conductor Billy Ver Planck. Her 2000 CD, My Impetuous Heart (DRG), her 17th album, reunited her with some old friends, including jazz pianist Hank Jones and special guests jazz pianists George Shearing and Marian McPartland and guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. Ver Planck's career was a long string of success stories, which showcased her as a versatile singer with a gorgeous, pliable voice that knew how to tell a story.

She started singing at age 19. Her career stretched back to the '50s when she worked with Tex Beneke and Charlie Spivak. Her first big break came in 1955 when she teamed up with pianist Hank Jones, flutist Herbie Mann, trumpeter Joe Wilder, bassist Wendell Marshall, and drummer Kenny Clarke on I Think of You with Every Breath I Take on Savoy Records. She met her husband while performing with Charlie Spivak's band, then both moved over to the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. Tommy Dorsey died in 1956, so the Ver Plancks decided to stay in New York City to pursue studio work with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Tony Bennett, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Blood Sweat and Tears, and Kiss. Millions of people outside the jazz world first heard Ver Planck's voice, though, doing jingles in the '60s : "Weekends were made for Michelob/Yeah!" and "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should!" and "Mmm good/mm-mm good/that's what Campbell's Soups are/mm mm good." After thousands of commercial jingles and hours and hours of studio session work in New York, the Ver Plancks decided to settle down in their house in Clifton, NJ, and began performing and recording together.

Their first recording together was A Breath of Fresh Air, arranged, produced, and conducted by Billy Ver Planck in 1968. In 1976, Marlene Ver Planck hooked up with North Carolina-based composer/pianist Loonis McGlohon, who hired her to do two installments of a radio show he co-hosted called Alec Wilder's American Popular Song. Afterwards, she recorded Marlene Ver Planck Sings Alec Wilder, and later, after Wilder's death, she appeared on the radio show The American Popular Singers, co-hosted by McGlohon and opera singer Eileen Farrell. Ver Planck performed at Carnegie Hall, Michael's Pub, and the Rainbow Room in New York City. She appeared on Entertainment Tonight, The Today Show, and CBS's Sunday Morning. In The Digital Mood, featuring Ver Planck, Mel Torme, and Julius La Rosa with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, became the first big band CD to go gold in the '90s. Ver Planck planned to record again in late 2001 in tribute to her love for the music of Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, and Cole Porter. ~ Robert HicksMarlene Ver Planck paid tribute to the great American songbook. Ver Planck, who grew up in Newark, NJ, listening to Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald on WNEW radio, collaborated throughout her long career with her husband, arranger, composer, and conductor Billy Ver Planck. Her 2000 CD, My Impetuous Heart (DRG), her 17th album, reunited her with some old friends, including jazz pianist Hank Jones and special guests jazz pianists George Shearing and Marian McPartland and guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. Ver Planck's career was a long string of success stories, which showcased her as a versatile singer with a gorgeous, pliable voice that knew how to tell a story.

She started singing at age 19. Her career stretched back to the '50s when she worked with Tex Beneke and Charlie Spivak. Her first big break came in 1955 when she teamed up with pianist Hank Jones, flutist Herbie Mann, trumpeter Joe Wilder, bassist Wendell Marshall, and drummer Kenny Clarke on I Think of You with Every Breath I Take on Savoy Records. She met her husband while performing with Charlie Spivak's band, then both moved over to the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. Tommy Dorsey died in 1956, so the Ver Plancks decided to stay in New York City to pursue studio work with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Tony Bennett, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Blood Sweat and Tears, and Kiss. Millions of people outside the jazz world first heard Ver Planck's voice, though, doing jingles in the '60s : "Weekends were made for Michelob/Yeah!" and "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should!" and "Mmm good/mm-mm good/that's what Campbell's Soups are/mm mm good." After thousands of commercial jingles and hours and hours of studio session work in New York, the Ver Plancks decided to settle down in their house in Clifton, NJ, and began performing and recording together.

Their first recording together was A Breath of Fresh Air, arranged, produced, and conducted by Billy Ver Planck in 1968. In 1976, Marlene Ver Planck hooked up with North Carolina-based composer/pianist Loonis McGlohon, who hired her to do two installments of a radio show he co-hosted called Alec Wilder's American Popular Song. Afterwards, she recorded Marlene Ver Planck Sings Alec Wilder, and later, after Wilder's death, she appeared on the radio show The American Popular Singers, co-hosted by McGlohon and opera singer Eileen Farrell. Ver Planck performed at Carnegie Hall, Michael's Pub, and the Rainbow Room in New York City. She appeared on Entertainment Tonight, The Today Show, and CBS's Sunday Morning. In The Digital Mood, featuring Ver Planck, Mel Torme, and Julius La Rosa with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, became the first big band CD to go gold in the '90s. Ver Planck planned to record again in late 2001 in tribute to her love for the music of Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, and Cole Porter. ~ Robert Hicks  https://itunes.apple.com/tt/album/i-like-to-sing!/id826388231

Personnel:  Vocal - Marlene Ver Planck;  Bass – Jay Leonhart;  Drums – Luther Rix;  Piano – Ben Aronov

I Like To Sing!

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Dexter Gordon - Our Man in Amsterdam

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:09
Size: 181,5 MB
Art: Front

(12:49)  1. Fried bananas
( 9:45)  2. What's new
(14:25)  3. Good Bait
( 8:57)  4. Rhythm-a-ning
(11:00)  5. Willow weep for me
(12:19)  6. Junior
( 9:50)  7. Scrapple from the apple

Our Man in Amsterdam

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Joel Weiskopf - The Message

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 2017

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 68:46

Size: 157,8 MB

Art: Front

(6:31)  1. Victory March

(6:01)  2. Song for Karla

(8:45)  3. The Original Search

(8:15)  4. Temporary Estrangement

(5:21)  5. Happy Time

(9:35)  6. It Might as Well Be Spring

(7:40)  7. Another Chance Today

(9:28)  8. Lml

(7:06)  9. The Message

Pianist Joel Weiskopf has been making records for a number of years but with each recent release, he seems to be honing his craft even more able to balance darkness and light with effortless ease, but often in a way that never calls too much attention to itself, or to its maker! There's a subtle sort of brilliance going on here a way of working things under the surface, which is offset by some of the bolder lines from tenorist Rob Scheps, who also plays a bit of soprano sax on the record and illuminates the sound nicely, often in contrasting ways with Weiskopf! Joel's not afraid to hit a few more sensitive, lyrical moments, but can shift gears easily too which he seems to do especially well when urged on by the bass of Joe Fitzgerald and bass of Marcello Pellitteri. Titles include "LML", "The Message", "Song For Karla", "The Original Search", "Temporary Estrangement", "Another Chance Today", and "Victory March".  © 1996-2017, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/861589/Joel-Weiskopf:Message

Personnel:  Joel Weiskoff piano;  Rob Scheps tenor & soprano saxophone;  Joe Fitzgeraldd bass;  Marcello PellitteriI drums

The Message

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Dick Oatts - Use Your Imagination

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:01
Size: 140,4 MB
Art: Front

(8:24)  1. Yesteryear
(8:39)  2. Do Da Day
(7:18)  3. Speaking Relative
(7:28)  4. Como Uno
(7:04)  5. Lossofyou
(7:07)  6. Use Your Imagination
(9:34)  7. Mideast Midwest
(5:23)  8. Game Show

Dick Oatts has a wonderful group here  a well-chosen quintet of musicians who really seem to open up the possibilities in each others' sound, especially when it comes to tone, texture, and color! Oatts is always great his raspy alto is deft, but always very personal too and it's offset here by the sparkling trumpet of Joe Magnarelli, who seems to be exploring a lot of fresh territory on the mostly-original tunes provided for the album by Dick. 

Pianist Anthony Wonsey blocks things out strongly with his work on the keys bringing in a soulful, stepping vibe that's mighty nice  before soaring out on his own solos too. And bassist Ugonna Okegwo rounds out the snapping rhythms provided by drummer Chris Smith making for a pair who's sense of timing really inspires the others. Titles include "Como Uno", "Speaking Relative", "Do Da Day", "Yesteryear", "Lossofyou", and "Midwest Mideast".  © 1996-2017, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/861588

Personnel:  Dick Oatts - alto saxophone;  Joe Magnarelli - trumpet;  Anthony Wonsey - piano;  Ugonna Okegwo - bass;  Chris Smith - drums.

Use Your Imagination

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Lanny Morgan - The Lanny Morgan Quartet

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:27
Size: 145,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:49)  1. Flash
(7:01)  2. Subconscious Lee
(8:34)  3. Strollin'
(5:08)  4. Cherokee
(8:49)  5. Joy Spring
(7:55)  6. You've Changed
(6:15)  7. Minority
(7:45)  8. Bloomdido
(6:07)  9. After You've Gone

Altoist Lanny Morgan, despite being a very talented bop-based improviser and a greatly in-demand sideman, has had relatively few opportunities to record as a leader through the years -- only two. This quartet set with pianist Tom Ranier, bassist Bob Maize, and drummer Frankie Capp is his definitive recording. Morgan is in particularly creative and fiery form on such songs as "Subconscious Lee," "Bloomdido," "After You've Gone," and a song he practically owns, "Cherokee." None of the nine tunes (eight jazz standards plus Tom Garvin's "Flash") are throwaways and this is a CD highly recommended to bop fans.  ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-lanny-morgan-quartet-mw0000177852  

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Lanny Morgan;  Bass – Bob Maize;  Drums – Frank Capp;  Piano – Tom Ranier       

The Lanny Morgan Quartet

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Mark Growden - Saint Judas

Styles: Accordion And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:59
Size: 155,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:19)  1. Undertaker
(6:13)  2. Delilah
(3:25)  3. Saint Judas
(3:48)  4. If the Stars Could Sing
(7:04)  5. Been in the Storm So Long
(4:24)  6. I'm Your Man
(3:57)  7. Faith in my Pocket
(2:29)  8. Everybody Holds a Piece of the
(7:19)  9. Coyote
(3:00) 10. Handlebar Improvisation
(5:35) 11. Inside Every Bird
(9:21) 12. Take me to the Water
(3:57) 13. All The Pretty Little Horses

By now, Mark Growden is probably getting tired of the comparisons to Nick Cave and Tom Waits. While he certainly bears some resemblance to those artists  he shares Cave's penchant for drama and Waits' tendency to use unlikely combinations of instruments and junkyard percussion Growden is his own man. He's a stronger, more expressive singer than either Waits or Cave, and while his music is certainly rooted in blues and folk idioms, he also brings European jazz, gypsy music, and the sounds of German cabaret to the mix. The songs on Saint Judas have a cinematic feel and evolve slowly, drawing you into their dissolute world. The title track is an ominous tango that swings like mad, with Growden's accordion and Chris Grady's trumpet adding manic accents to the disjointed rhythms. "Been in the Storm to Long" is an old spiritual and Rev. Gary Davis borrowed the melody for "Death Don't Have No Mercy." Growden's take is a bluesy squall of trumpet and sax, with a wrenching, anguished vocal. "Faith in My Pocket" sounds like a traditional Appalachian lament as played by a drunken chamber group. Growden's banjo is played in and out of time, Alex Kelly's cello adds moaning accents, and Seth Ford Young's acoustic bass thumps like a broken heart. Growden and his band are expert at laying down dense, murky soundscapes with a dissonant edge that will make most listeners feel a bit unsettled. Growden's background is in jazz, new music, and theater, and in the spring of 2010, he was revamping the songs on Saint Judas for his first opera. Needless to say, this isn't a lighthearted album, but its themes of loss and limitation, dissolution and redemption, will strike a chord with those who like to walk on the dark side. ~ J. Poet https://www.allmusic.com/album/saint-judas-mw0001961573

Personnel: Mark Growden (banjo, accordion, baritone saxophone); Myles Boisen (electric guitar, lap steel guitar); Alex Kelly (cello); Chris Grady (trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn); Seth Ford Young (organ, upright bass); Jenya Chernoff (percussion).

Saint Judas

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Kaori Kobayashi - Saxo Sentimental

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:21
Size: 152,6 MB
Art: Front

( 4:25)  1. Europa
( 4:35)  2. Energy
( 0:31)  3. Phantom Of The Opera
( 7:02)  4. Sunset Ocean
( 4:26)  5. Endless Love
( 7:44)  6. Sunshine
(10:11)  7. If You Want Me To Stay
( 4:46)  8. My Way
( 4:00)  9. The Bodyguard
( 6:31) 10. My Love For You
( 9:02) 11. Chicken
( 3:02) 12. Smooth Jazz

Saxophonist and flutist Musical composition and arrangement / producing.Kaori Kobayashi was born in October of 1981 in Kanagawa Prefecture. She grew up in Tokyo and is a graduate of Senzokugakuen Music University’s Jazz Course. She has released eight albums, one Greatest Hits album, one DVD of her live performance, as well as a collection of her own sheet music. She performs at music venues and at jazz festivals all over Japan, and makes appearances on many TV and radio programs. She has also released her CDs and has performed in Taiwan, South Korea, China and Thailand. She became a household name after her YouTube video “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You” gained more than 5 million views and was widely picked up by newspapers and TV. 2005 February: Released her debut album “Solar” from JVC;  2011 August: Fan clubs were created in both Thailand and Taiwan. A meet-and-greet she held at a music venue in Taiwan was so crowded many fans could not get inside.  2011 February: Released her self-produced album “SEVENth”, which included works she had composed and arranged herself in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The album topped the Jazz Charts for two weeks in a row in Taiwan. She also toured around North East Japan, visiting Ishinomaki and other affected sites of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. 2012 January: Received “Most Beautiful Saxophonist in Asia” from the Thailand Sax Society. 2012 November: Held a successful solo concert in Hong Kong’s STAR HALL.  

2013 February: Released the R&B themed “Urban Stream”, her eighth studio album in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Placed #1 in the Taiwanese Jazz Charts for the third year in a row. 2013 March: Performed at the Java Jazz Festival, the biggest jazz festival in Asia, held in Jakarta, Indonesia. There, her performance was met with high praise and she made the front page of the local newspaper, alongside musicians such as Basia. 2013 October: Performed at the Taichung Jazz Festival, held in Taichung, Taiwan, and received a stating ovation from a crowd of 60,000. 2014 March: Invited by the Japanese Embassy to the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC. The next day, she performed at Blues Alley in front a full audience, her first show in the USA. 

2014 May: Released the 9th Self-produced J-pop themed album “SPIRIT” in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. 2015 June: Released the 10th Anniversary album “STORY” in Japan and Asia. which includes 3 music numbers produced by Jamie Odell of the SHAKTAK Family. July perform in SAPPORO CITY JAZZ. September perform in TOKYO JAZZ. 2016 August : Released the11th  album “Melody”, covering the well known popular songs .Kaori is also participating as a sax player  in the band of such singers as Shigeru Izumiya and YukihideTakekawa, the artists representingJapan. http://kaorikobayashi.com/biographyeng

Saxo Sentimental

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Frank Morgan - Bop!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:41
Size: 143,8 MB
Art: Front

( 6:09)  1. Milano
( 6:21)  2. Well, You Needn't
( 9:14)  3. KC Blues
( 8:00)  4. Night In Tunisia
( 5:11)  5. Blue Monk
(11:25)  6. Half Nelson
( 6:32)  7. Lover Man
( 9:49)  8. 52nd Street Theme

Although all eight selections on this CD have been played many times before (the only song not a boppish warhorse is John Lewis' "Milano"), altoist Frank Morgan makes each of the pieces sound fresh. As producer John Snyder is quoted in the liner notes, this is bop without cliches. Morgan, who is assisted by pianist Rodney Kendrick, drummer Leroy Williams and either Curtis Lundy or Ray Drummond on bass, digs into such songs as "Well You Needn't," "A Night In Tunisia" and an 11 ½ minute version of "Half Nelson," coming up with some surprising twists and plenty of viable ideas. A fine effort. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/bop-mw0000593991

?Personnel: Frank Morgan (alto saxophone); Rodney Kendrick (piano); Curtis Lundy, Ray Drummond (bass); Leroy Williams (drums).

Bop!

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Louis Smith - Bopsmith

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 59:03
Size: 108,4 MB
Art: Front

( 4:41)  1. Val's Blues
( 8:37)  2. For Heaven's Sake
( 9:11)  3. The Way You Look Tonight
(10:26)  4. I Love You
( 8:10)  5. Ed's Love
(10:00)  6. A Ghost of a Chance
( 7:55)  7. Sweet Clifford

He’s one of the guys you probably never knew was still around. Trumpeter Louis Smith has become the stuff of legend, especially among Blue Note collectors who proudly cherish the two sets for the label that bear his name. In Michigan, where he currently resides, Smith is somewhat of a household name among jazz fans and he’s usually on hand for Detroit’s Ford International Jazz Festival. For many years now, the trumpeter has also been a favorite of SteepleChase producer Nil Winther and a sizable catalog of Smith led sessions have been the result, with The Bopsmith being the most recent.  Although past Smith SteepleChase sides have found him working with such names as Vincent Herring, Kenny Washington, George Cables, and Junior Cook, this may be one of the most finely integrated units to back Smith to date. Alto saxophonist Jon Gordon’s tart sound fits in ever so nicely with Smith’s decidedly bebop outlook, while pianist Michael Weiss provides the kind of tasty support that has made him a favorite accompanist to such performers as the incomparable Johnny Griffin. Finally, bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Joe Farnsworth form a tightly knit rhythm team that keeps things moving along properly.  No surprises here as to the material, with bop and standards the order of the day. Even Smith’s two originals, “Val’s Blues” and “Ed’s Love” (the title is a play on words involving the name of Detroit deejay Ed Love, although the liners don’t allude to this fact) are squarely in the mainstream. This is where one could pick a bone of contention if feeling inclined to do so. There’s a manner of similitude to much of the material that prevents this from becoming a five star affair, yet bop fans will still find much to enjoy and the individual contributions of the band members are definitely worth a listen. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-bopsmith-louis-smith-steeplechase-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Louis Smith (trumpet); Jon Gordon (alto saxophone); Michael Weiss (piano); Joe Farnsworth (drums).

Bopsmith

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Pat Metheny - Day Trip

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:08
Size: 156,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:49)  1. Son Of Thirteen
(8:00)  2. At Last You're Here
(5:21)  3. Let's Move
(6:01)  4. Snova
(7:31)  5. Calvin's Keys
(4:36)  6. Is This America?
(9:08)  7. When We Were Free
(7:47)  8. Dreaming Trees
(4:50)  9. The Red One
(9:03) 10. Day Trip

While the trio format isn't new to guitarist Pat Metheny, Day Trip does represent a number of firsts. And with only one minor quibble, if it's not the best trio record he's released since Bright Size Life (ECM, 1976), it's pretty darn close. It's his first trio record to consist of all-original material. And, with the exception of the simmering waltz "When We Were Free," from Pat Metheny Group's Quartet (Nonesuch, 1996) and the rock/reggae-tinged "The Red One," from I Can See Your House from Here (Blue Note, 1994), Metheny's collaboration with John Scofield, the remaining eight tunes appear on a Metheny album for the first time. True, the bossa nova-inflected "Snova" and fierier "Son of Thirteen" first surfaced on Alex Sipiagin's Returning (Criss Cross, 2005); but these stripped down but no less harmonically rich versions contrast with the trumpeter's twin-horn quintet takes, opening up in completely different ways, especially on "Snova," where Metheny's warm, hollow-body electric creates a more expansive feel than Adam Rogers' nylon-string acoustic on Sipiagin's version. Day Trip and Returning are also linked by the common element of Antonio Sanchez who, appearing here and with Metheny on last year's reunion tour with Gary Burton, is the first Metheny Group drummer recruited by the guitarist for a variety of other projects. It's no surprise that the ever-flexible and vibrant Sanchez is Metheny's drummer of choice these days. 

He may bristle with energy on the knotty and high-speed "Let's Move," but he's equally capable of gentle brushwork on the Americana-informed "Is This America? (Katrina 2005)," further evidence of Metheny's innate ability to write lyrical and instantly memorable song forms.  Bassist Christian McBride fleshes out the group and, while one hesitates to draw comparisons to illustrious bassists in previous Metheny trios, he's undeniably the perfect closing side to this equilateral triangle. His robust tone anchors "When We Were Free" and the ambling swing of the blues-based "Calvin's Keys," and he's the first acoustic bassist to go arco with Metheny, delivering an economically melodic solo on "Is This America?" As ever, Metheny manages to sound unmistakably, well, Metheny, while continuing to break new ground gradually; his increasing ability to self-accompany sounds occasionally overdubbed despite this being a live in the studio recording made in just one day. His hollow-body tone dominates, but he brings out nylon-string and steel-string acoustics respectively for "Is This America?" and the more harmonically complex ballad, "Dreaming Trees." Only "The Red One" and the latter half of "When We Were Free" both using his horn-like guitar synth seem out of place amidst the lush textures heard throughout the rest of the album. This is, however, a minor criticism on an album recorded unlike previous trio studio discs after significant road-testing of the material. Day Trip's distinguishing characteristics aside, it's the guitarist's most well-honed trio to date, and if a minor misstep prevents it from being his definitive trio disc, it's still a fine addition to the half dozen trio records he's released since 1976. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/day-trip-pat-metheny-nonesuch-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Pat Metheny: guitars, guitar synth; Christian McBride: acoustic bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums.

Day Trip

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Junior Mance - The World of Junior Mance

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:21
Size: 168,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:49)  1. How Long Has This Been Going On
(5:34)  2. Yancey Special
(7:02)  3. Down the Line
(4:34)  4. Basin Street Blues
(7:26)  5. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:58)  6. Atlanta Blues
(5:17)  7. Detour Ahead
(6:20)  8. Work Song
(6:12)  9. Jubilation
(7:04) 10. Georgia on My Mind
(4:27) 11. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free
(7:29) 12. Out South

This is veteran pianist Junior Mance's first solo piano album. At age 80, he recorded this special album in Japan where his piano style is revered by many fans. In this intimate and intensely personal format, Mance shows all of his pianistic artistry: elegance, relaxed swing feel, soulfulness, a deep sense of blues and more than a touch of gospel feel. As if it is a reflection of his life, the music we hear is warm and beautiful. Having nothing to prove, the piano master is simply being himself, relaxed and enjoying the spontaneous creation of music, and the performance reaches us somewhere deep and moves us. This is a wonderful piano solo album. Recommended!
 

Personnel:  Junior Mance - Piano.

The World of Junior Mance

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Joyce Breach - Remembering Mabel Mercer Vol. 2

Size: 162,9 MB
Time: 69:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2004
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. While We're Young (2:53)
02. Mandy, Make Up Your Mind (2:51)
03. Blame It On My Youth (5:03)
04. How Little We Know (4:39)
05. Merely Marvelous (2:24)
06. After You (2:56)
07. When In Rome (4:04)
08. Love-Wise (3:56)
09. In The Spring Of The Year (2:15)
10. All In Fun (4:12)
11. The Riviera (3:09)
12. I Walk A Little Faster (3:58)
13. Early Morning Blues (3:19)
14. Sunday In New York (3:11)
15. Sell Me (4:20)
16. My Love Is A Wanderer (3:06)
17. Would You Believe It (1:46)
18. Lucky To Be Me (3:30)
19. Acne In The Hole (3:12)
20. This Is All I Ask (4:29)

Although she does not sound like Mabel Mercer, Joyce Breach learned the importance of understatement from the highly influential cabaret singer. On this second disc in her tribute to Mercer, Breach performs 20 songs out of her huge repertoire. The backing is jazz-oriented, with pianist Keith Ingham leading an excellent swing-based trio. Laurie Goldstein guests on bassoon on three numbers. Breach is a warm and masterful interpreter of lyrics. She successful revives such Mercer-associated songs as "After You," "The Riviera," "My Love Is a Wanderer," and a variety of superior obscurities. Certainly "Merely Marvelous" and Cole Porter's "Ace in the Hole" are not performed all that often, but Joyce Breach makes them sound like they should be standards. Recommended. ~by Scott Yanow

Remembering Mabel Mercer Vol. 2

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Terry Gibbs - From Me To You: A Tribute To Lionel Hampton

Size: 153,2 MB
Time: 65:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Midnight Sun (4:08)
02. Blues For Hamp (5:53)
03. Ring Dem Bells (3:49)
04. Moonglow (3:47)
05. Gates Got Rhythm (3:23)
06. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (4:56)
07. From Me To You (7:00)
08. Red Top (5:51)
09. Evil Gal Blues (4:19)
10. Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop (3:57)
11. Two-Finger Boogie Shuffle (3:22)
12. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise (2:15)
13. Star Dust (7:12)
14. Flying Home (5:56)

“No one wants to see a short Jew singing love songs—unless you’re Al Jolson. But rhythm songs? So long as you have a good time it’s OK.” —Terry Gibbs

Trust me, it’s more than just OK and you will have a good time, as vibraphone master Terry Gibbs sings, swings, and generally carouses his way through this tribute to Lionel Hampton. Featuring many of the classic songs usually associated with the late great King of the Vibes, including “Midnight Sun,” “Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop,” and “Evil Gal Blues,” plus some new compositions by Gibbs himself – this record that will make any fan of classic swing smile.

“Ring Dem Bells,” a delicious Duke Ellington romp, takes a joyous trip into the past, with Gibbs’ vocals duetting with the band. Gibbs sings again on a gently nostalgic “Sunny Side of the Street,” and the infectious “Hey! Ba-Ba- Re-Bop,” making one wonder why it’s taken him over five decades years to be recorded as a vocalist again (his last vocal recording was on “Lemon Drop” with Woody Herman, 54 years ago).

Accompanying Gibbs is the quartet of Pete Christlieb on tenor sax, Anthony Wilson on guitar, Mike Melvoin on piano, Dave Carpenter on bass, and Jeff Hamilton on drums. Their playing is solid, especially on their solos.

The album also features guest stars Joey DeFrancesco on organ and bluesy singer Barbara Morrison. DeFrancesco makes his mark on the seriously cool “Blues for Hamp.” (Christlieb and Melvoin are especially strong on this track as well.) It’s a swinging and entirely appropriate tribute, and Gibbs has some of his best moments here with a great solo punctuated by his singing (humming? talking?) along with the groove.

Barbara Morrison’s take on “Evil Gal Blues” (a song first recorded by Dinah Washington) is sultry, soulful, and serious. It’s low-down blues, with Gibbs’ vibes acting as a sympathetic chorus to the powerful vocals and DeFrancesco chiming in to punctuate the “I’m no good for you” message.

Gibbs puts the mallets down in fact if not in spirit for “Two-Finger Boogie Shuffle,” a struttin’ piano duet with Melvoin. Gibbs plays it as advertised, with two fingers, and the result is a cool, syncopated stride that’s pure pleasure.

Whether it’s fast and furious (“The World is Waiting for Sunrise”) or easy and romantic (“Star Dust”), Gibbs and band handle it with class and style— just like Hampton did. I think he’d approve of From Me to You. It truly does capture Hamp’s musicality, swing, and, above all, joy. Bravo, Mr. Gibbs, I think you’ve succeeded in ensuring that your audience has almost as much fun as I’m sure you had recording this. ~Lisa Dornell

Personnel: Terry Gibbs - Vibes, Dave Carpenter - Bass, Michael Melvoin - Piano, Joey DeFrancesco - Organ, Anthony Wilson - Guitar, Jeff Hamilton - Drums, Barbara Morrison, Terry Gibbs - Vocals.

From Me To You

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Michelle Coltrane - Awakening

Size: 117,5 MB
Time: 50:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. My Favorite Things (4:22)
02. Cove Island (4:35)
03. Moment's Notice (3:41)
04. Wouldn't It Be Nice (4:18)
05. Tin Man (5:05)
06. Baby Blue (4:03)
07. All The Things You Are (2:42)
08. I Want To Know What Love Is (6:07)
09. Same Ole Love (3:40)
10. Love & Spring (4:54)
11. Out Of The Shadows (7:12)

Michelle Coltrane was born in Paris, France, and is the only daughter of Alice and John Coltrane. While living in Japan Michelle worked as a DJ. She performed and arranged background vocals for prominent artists. Eventually, finding work in voiceovers, Michelle was featured on two Chevrolet commercials. She was also hired to write a song for the theme park called “Color the Night” which was featured at Space World Amusement Park in Japan.

She has toured the US and France as a soloist and has performed with such artists as Kenny Kirkland, Jeff Watts, Ronnie Laws, Billy Childs, Jack DeJohnette, Marvin Smitty Smith, Reggie Workman, The Gap Band and with the McCoy Tyner Trio at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Her first CD, I THINK OF YOU, is a classic and contemporary jazz collaboration with musician and composer Scott Hiltzik. The recording was well received by Jazz Times and won a YES Award, presented by blues artist Barbara Morrison. Michelle was a featured performer at the 2013 Panama Jazz Festival, and recent appearances include shows at The John Ford Amphitheater in Los Angeles, The Miami Jazz Festival, Vibratos in Bel Air Ca., H. O. M. E. (House of Music & Entertainment) Beverly Hills, Ca., Bar 1912 in Beverly Hills, Ca., Yoshi’s Jazz Club, Oakland Ca. and Fort Bend Indiana Jazz Festival 2017.

Michelle honed her skills as an Emcee to many John Coltrane Scholarship events at the Wiltern Theatre and The House of Blues in Los Angeles. During the late 1990s, Michelle co-hosted a radio program on 90.7 FM for 5 years, “Straight No Chaser” with Maggie Le Pique, interviewing artists such as Charlie Haden, Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard, Elvin Jones, Stanley Clarke and many others.

Michelle’s new band a collaboration with Shea Welsh guitarist and MD. Michelle and Shea have composed new material and are arranging new and classic standards to create the bands unique modern and retro sound. Musicians who I have had the pleasure of working with this past year are: Gerry Gibbs who produced 4 tracks on “Awakening” Lonnie Plaxico, Alex Collins, others include Abe Lagrimas, Mahesh Balsooriya, Edwin Livingston, Paul Mc Donald, Ramon Yslas, Ravi Coltrane, Ron Jerome Avant, Miguel Atwood Ferguson and Shea Welsh.

Some of the new musicians we have been working with are Ryan Cross, Tim Lefebvre, Cameron Graves, and Kamasi Washington.

I have released my second recording on the Blu Jazz Record Label. The album is entitled “Awakening”.

Awakening

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Brian Charette - Backup

Size: 153,0 MB
Time: 65:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Tadd's Delight (5:46)
02. Chelsea Bridge (7:41)
03. A Shade Of Jade (7:21)
04. Backup (5:47)
05. The Blessing (5:53)
06. Dance Of The Infidels (5:45)
07. Spring Is Here (6:40)
08. Dahoud (6:24)
09. These Are Soulful Days (5:20)
10. Ritha (9:11)

One of New York's (or rather the World's) top Hammond Organ players Brian Charette's unique approach has deepened and expanded the boundaries of music that B-3 organ can create.

Here again for his sixth release on SteepleChase Brian opted for a somewhat unusual Organ-Piano trio format with repertoire of traditional materials dotted with experimental treatments conjuring up a compelling middle ground between past and future.

"Brian Charette has emerged as one of the top organists of his generation because of a fresh approach to his instrument, drawing from musical influences around the world with often surprising results." - Ken Dryden, New York City Jazz Records on 'The Questions That Drives Us' (SCCD31784)

Personnel: Brian Charette (B3 Hammond organ), Henry Hey (piano), Jochen Rueckert (drums).

Backup

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Joanie Pallatto & Sparrow - Float Out To Sea

Size: 111,8 MB
Time: 47:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Away (4:16)
02. Float Out To Sea (4:22)
03. Nicole (4:16)
04. The Last Circus In Town (4:05)
05. You're Me And I'm You (3:20)
06. Dreams (9:02)
07. Joyce And Roy (4:08)
08. No Longer Small (3:35)
09. Is This Reason (5:38)
10. Hidden Away (5:06)

Vocalist Joanie Pallatto and Pianist and Composer Bradley Parker-Sparrow claim Chicago as their home - their life in music has blossomed over the decades, along with their marriage. As co-owners of Southport Records and producers and engineers at Sparrow Sound Design Recording Studio, together they have released close to 150 recordings since 1977 - mostly of jazz artists, along with cabaret performers and contemporary classical composers. Over the years, the revered artists in the Southport catalog include Von Freeman, Willie Pickens, George Freeman, Fred Anderson, King Fleming and George Flynn.

Joanie & Sparrow were named 2016 Jazz Heroes by the Jazz Journalists Association for their extraordinarily broad support of Chicago's community of musicians. "The Last Cabrini" (a Southport Film ©2012) premiered at Chicago's CIMMFest 2016 - a cinema tone poem with Rick Kogan, narrator and Joanie Pallatto, voice. Shot, directed, edited and composed by Sparrow.

For over twelve years as curators of their "Southport Records Presents" series at Katerina's in Chicago, Joanie and Sparrow opened each evening with their duets of original music, followed by featuring a different artist from their Southport Records label.

Float Out To Sea

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Peter Fessler & Peter Weniger - Two In One: The Concert

Size: 137,2 MB
Time: 59:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Black Orpheus (Live) ( 8:07)
02. Wohlauf In Gottes Schone Welt (Live) ( 6:27)
03. Lately (Live) ( 4:57)
04. Nothing Comes From Fighting This Way (Live) ( 4:40)
05. Agora (Live) ( 4:49)
06. Corcovado (Live) (11:22)
07. Apelo (Live) ( 7:42)
08. Berimbau (Live) ( 6:42)
09. Guten Abend, Gut' Nacht (Live) ( 4:41)

Peter Fessler and Peter Weniger are two of the most accomplished and well-known jazz musicians of their generation. They have been playing their diverse music in projects as virtuoso instrumentalists and composers for more than two decades, meeting up with each other time and again along the way.

Now, finally, they are improvising together. Bold and daring to the last note, excitingly fresh, and original in experimentation – it's the new jazz chamber music. Every genre suits them perfectly, allowing them to juggle sounds with their proverbial mastery and to win you over with their creative force.

Two In One

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Nathan Pacheco - O Holy Night

Size: 103,8 MB
Time: 38:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Classical, Pop, Xmas
Art: Front

01. Tornera La Neve (4:09)
02. O Come, All Ye Faithful (2:56)
03. O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Feat. Mairead Nesbitt) (3:09)
04. O Holy Night (5:13)
05. Silver Bells (2:45)
06. Silent Night (Feat. Madilyn Paige) (3:00)
07. Winter Wonderland (2:43)
08. Joy To The World (2:31)
09. Gaudete (3:11)
10. What Child Is This (4:27)
11. Star Carol (2:17)
12. Hark! The Herald Angel Sings (2:22)

Nathan Pacheco is a classically trained tenor who has a passion for reaching out and uplifting people through music. He has been featured globally in live performances, including touring the United States, Canada, and Mexico with Yanni; performing with Latin singing sensation Olga Tañon; touring England, Scotland, and Wales with Katherine Jenkins and the National Symphony Orchestra; performing for Prince Charles in conjunction with the British Forces Foundation and the USO; and performing with the San Diego and Miami Symphonies.

Introducing Nathan Pacheco and Christmas with Nathan Pacheco began airing on PBS in 2012. Nathan has also been featured prominently in broadcasts with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Katherine Jenkins, and Yanni. He has been featured on multiple Yanni recordings, including the latest album Inspirato, where Nathan was featured alongside Plácido Domingo, Renée Fleming, and other opera stars.

Nathan’s debut album was released in 2012 by Disney Pearl, an affiliate of Disney Music Group. His second album, Nathan Pacheco II, was released on Valentine’s Day 2015. Nathan collaborated with David Archuleta in November 2015 to release “The Prayer,” which quickly climbed to #3 on the holiday charts on iTunes. And in 2016, David and Nathan performed together for a largely sold-out Christmas tour. Nathan produced and arranged his first sacred songs album, Higher, which was released in February 2017 and was ranked #1 on Billboard for best classical and classical/crossover album.

O Holy Night

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Mary Ann Redmond - Prisoner Of The Heart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:29
Size: 113.3 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues vocals, R&B
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[4:02] 1. Make It Last
[5:44] 2. Since I Fell For You
[4:19] 3. Maybe I'm Amazed
[5:20] 4. Blind To Love
[4:03] 5. That's All
[4:03] 6. Prisoner Of The Heart
[4:58] 7. You Send Me
[5:44] 8. Many Rivers To Cross
[3:37] 9. Ain't It A Shame
[4:34] 10. Too Precious
[3:02] 11. I Can Let Go Now

Mary Ann Redmond is a Washington, D.C.-based rock/blues/soul vocalist who packs a mighty wallop, especially when performing a gutsy rendition of Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" and her heartening soul/jazz spin on Sam Cooke's "You Send Me." With this release, Redmond garners sturdy support from her sextet and duo of background singers. Her powerful and undeniably emotional delivery sparks memories of the late Janis Joplin. Whereas, this outing features a potpourri of upbeat, funk-rock grooves, gospel-tinged ballads, and more. The ensemble provides sympathetic support via a non-obtrusive methodology, consisting of bluesy soloing endeavors and firmly organized rhythms. A few of Redmond's original compositions seem to deviate into a myriad of nondescript vocal forums and, to some extent, suffer from an air of invariability. But the vocalist's interpretations of the aforementioned classics amid the catchy hooks witnessed on the title piece signify a sample of the highlights. ~Glenn Astarita

Prisoner Of The Heart

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Anders Mogensen - Taking Off Again

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:27
Size: 108.6 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 1998/2011
Art: Front

[6:04] 1. Airborne
[3:31] 2. December Dreams
[6:25] 3. The Shadow Of Your Smile
[0:48] 4. The Call
[3:12] 5. What's Up
[5:19] 6. Old Folks
[2:07] 7. Remembering Ed
[4:46] 8. Hang Out At Uncle Bob's
[3:54] 9. Moments Of Peace
[6:40] 10. Blues On The Corner
[4:35] 11. Still Crazy After All These Years

Anders Mogensen (drums and cymbals); Hans Ulrik (tenor and soprano saxophone); Niclas Knudsen (electric and acoustic guitar); Anders Christensen (acoustic bass); Henrik Lindstrand (hammond organ).

"What you hear on this CD is music recorded by four of my favorite musicians. After a short tour we went into the studio to record this CD. It shows some first take energy as well as the more produced side of a CD production. The whole session was completed in two days with everybody involved having a great time. I really hope you'll enjoy this music as much as I do myself." `~Anders Mogensen.

Taking Off Again

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