Benny Carter - Further Definitions

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:32
Size: 161.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, Mainstream jazz
Year: 1966/1997
Art: Front

[3:50] 1. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:57] 2. That Midnight Sun Will Never Set
[3:23] 3. Crazy Rhythm
[5:19] 4. Blue Star
[4:28] 5. Cotton Tail
[4:14] 6. Body And Soul
[4:57] 7. Cherry
[3:32] 8. Doozy
[6:11] 9. Fantastic, That's You
[4:13] 10. Come On Back
[4:27] 11. We Were In Love
[5:48] 12. If Dreams Come True
[3:20] 13. Prohibido
[5:32] 14. Doozy
[4:14] 15. Rock Bottom
[3:01] 16. Titmouse

Altoist/arranger Benny Carter's classic Further Definitions is a revisiting, instrumentation-wise, to the famous 1937 session that Carter and tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins made in France with two top European saxophonists (Andre Ekyan and Alix Combelle) and guitarist Django Reinhardt. The all-star group (which also includes Hawkins, altoist Phil Woods, Charlie Rouse on second tenor, pianist Dick Katz, guitarist John Collins, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Jo Jones) performs a particularly inspired repertoire. Carter's charts, which allow Hawkins to stretch out on "Body and Soul," give everyone a chance to shine. "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Crazy Rhythm" hold their own with the 1937 versions, and "Blue Star" and "Doozy" prove to be two of Carter's finest originals. Although Benny Carter was not actively playing much at the time (this was his only small-group recording during 1963-1975), he is heard in typically prime form. Very highly recommended. ~Scott Yanow

Further Definitions

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Cyrille Aimee, Diego Figueiredo - Smile

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:53
Size: 95.9 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:24] 1. We'll Be Together Again
[3:09] 2. Chega De Saudade
[4:58] 3. Que Reste-T'il
[2:39] 4. Good Morning Cowboy
[4:30] 5. A Felicidade
[3:32] 6. A Night In Tunisia
[3:41] 7. La Vie En Rose
[2:41] 8. Journey Of Life
[5:01] 9. Dindi
[1:58] 10. Yardbird Suite
[3:18] 11. Smile
[2:57] 12. Old Devil Moon

Cyrille Aimée: vocals; Diego Figueiredo: acoustic guitar. Recorded in Brazil on September 2009.

Improvisation is not just a technique for Cyrille Aimée, it’s a way of life. The acclaimed vocalist ventured from singing on street corners in Europe to dazzling audiences at the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals; from sneaking out to sing in gypsy encampments in her native France to acting on Broadway; from braving the notoriously tough audiences at New York’s Apollo Theatre to being called a “rising star in the galaxy of jazz singers” by the New York Times. Among countless accolades, Aimée won the Montreux Jazz Festival Vocal Competition and the Sarah Vaughn International Jazz Vocal Competition. Her most recent album, Let’s Get Lost, is her second with her innovative two-guitar line-up. As an actress, Aimée co-starred with Bernadette Peters in a Stephen Sondheim tribute at New York’s City Center. She’s shared her story via master classes, a TEDx talk, and an address at the Conference on World Affairs.

By opening herself to the whim of the moment, Aimée has ventured from singing on street corners in Europe to dazzling audiences at some of the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals; from sneaking out to sing in gypsy encampments in her native France to acting on Broadway; from braving the notoriously tough audiences at New York’s Apollo Theatre to being hailed by The Wall Street Journal as "one of the most promising jazz singers of her generation" and called a “rising star in the galaxy of jazz singers” by the New York Times.

“In my case,” Aimée told a rapt audience at her 2015 TEDx Talk, “it’s more of a human adventure than a musical vocation that made me want to devote my life to this practice.” That adventure began in the small town of Samois-sur-Seine in France, where the young Cyrille Aimée (Sur-real M-A) was introduced to a wealth of diverse music by her French father and Dominican mother: everything from Michael Jackson to French chanson, Flamenco to country-western. She and her sister would dance around the living room, instilling a gleeful abandon and warm groove that still shine through her music to this day.

Aimée’s passion for music and inherent curiosity led her to a discovery that would change her life. As the site of the annual Django Reinhardt Festival, Samois played host to an annual gathering of gypsies, and their fireside sing-alongs would lure the precocious Cyrille out of her bedroom window after her parents had gone to sleep. Those experiences exposed Aimée not just to the joys of gypsy jazz, which would go on to be an important color in her rich palette of influences, but more importantly to the gypsies’ spontaneous, nomadic and music-filled way of life.

Smile

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Alyn Ainsworth & His Orchestra - Swing Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:47
Size: 146.0 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. If I Had You
[2:23] 2. Something To Remember You By
[2:56] 3. Cherokee
[2:19] 4. That Old Feeling
[2:50] 5. In A Little Spanish Town
[2:22] 6. Moonlight Becomes You
[2:39] 7. Isle Of Capri
[2:35] 8. By The Fireside
[3:01] 9. Valencia
[2:57] 10. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
[2:19] 11. On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at
[3:15] 12. Small Fry
[2:38] 13. Come Back To Sorrento
[2:15] 14. Little White Lies
[2:14] 15. Santa Lucia
[2:13] 16. Thanks For The Memory ('big Broadcast Of 1938')
[2:06] 17. The Cobblers Song
[2:48] 18. East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)
[2:38] 19. When The Guards Are On Parade
[2:10] 20. You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby
[2:13] 21. The Flagwavers
[2:29] 22. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
[2:37] 23. Bedtime For Drums
[2:46] 24. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
[2:12] 25. Transatlantic Lullaby

b. 24 August 1924, Bolton, Lancashire, England, d. 4 October 1990, London, England. A highly respected musical director and arranger for records, television and the West End stage, Ainsworth studied guitar from the age of seven, left school at 14 to join Herman Darewski’s Orchestra as a boy soprano, and sang at the London Palladium. When his voice broke, he returned to Bolton and became an assistant golf professional, playing guitar in his own band, the Falcons, while also studying musical arranging. In the late 40s he worked as a staff arranger for Oscar Rabin, and then Geraldo, one of the top UK dance bands.

In 1951 Ainsworth began to arrange for the newly formed BBC Northern Variety Orchestra, and, when its conductor, Vilem Tausky, moved to the Northern Symphony Orchestra, Ainsworth was offered the job of resident conductor with the NVO. In December 1952, BBC Television launched The Good Old Days from the City Variety Theatre in Leeds - this music-hall show ran for over 30 years - and Ainsworth and the Northern Variety Orchestra provided the appropriate musical setting. Economics, it is said, obliged the BBC to prune the orchestra, removing all the members of the string section, bar one, and renaming it the Northern Dance Orchestra. With the help of musicians such as trumpeter Syd Lawrence, Ainsworth welded the NDO into one of the finest units of its kind in the world. Based in Manchester for a decade, Ainsworth and the NDO appeared on numerous radio and television programmes, accompanying singers such as Frankie Vaughan, Ronnie Hilton and David Whitfield. Together with singer Sheila Buxton and laid-back announcer Roger Moffat, they had their own highly acclaimed late-night UK television show, Make Way For Music.

In 1961 Ainsworth moved from Manchester to London to serve as musical director for the imported American musical Bye Bye Birdie, which starred Chita Rivera and UK rock ‘n’ roller Marty Wilde. Between 1958 and 1965, the Alyn Ainsworth Orchestra also recorded a number of orchestral pieces for George Martin. During the 60s Ainsworth became a leading conductor and arranger for West End shows such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Hello, Dolly!, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, She Loves Me and Sweet Charity. He also orchestrated Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley’s The Roar Of The Greasepaint - The Smell Of The Crowd. The 60s also saw the start of his long and successful collaboration with singer Shirley Bassey, during which time he acted as her musical director for many cabaret seasons in the UK and abroad. Back home in Britain, Ainsworth’s television credits included Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium, International Cabaret From The Talk Of The Town, The David Nixon Show, Dee Time, The Cannon And Ball Show, Search For A Star, Night Of Hundred Stars, The BAFTA Awards, Live From Her Majesty’s, Bruce’s Big Night Out, more than 10 Royal Command Performances, and many ‘specials’ featuring artists such as Cilla Black, Russ Abbott, Stanley Baxter, Vera Lynn and Lulu. He also composed the theme music for several of the shows. His other compositions included ‘Bedtime For Drums’, ‘Italian Sunset’, ‘Mi Amor’, ‘Pete’s Party’ and ‘If I Were A Buddy Rich Man’. Ainsworth was also associated with the Brotherhood Of Man, and conducted for them at the Eurovision Song Contest, which they won in 1976 with ‘Save Your Kisses For Me’. He also worked with many visiting Americans, including Johnny Mathis, Neil Sedaka, and Barry Manilow. Ainsworth also collaborated with the Beverley Sisters on their recording of ‘Triplets’, among others, and was engaged for a time to one of the twins, Teddie. His own records included a rare excursion into rock ‘n’ roll with ‘18th Century Rock’, credited to ‘Alyn Ainsworth with The Rock-A-Fellas’, and the more typically smooth Themes And Dreams and True Love.

The ultimate professional, Ainsworth would often conduct the first house of one West End show, and the second house of another, after rehearsing for television during the day. He was capable of producing his best work under extreme pressure, while also motivating others, and was the man on whom producers could rely for the big occasion. ~Bio from AllMusic.

Swing Time 

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Eric Gale - Negril

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:52
Size: 86.7 MB
Styles: Funk/Soul/Jazz/Reggae
Year: 1992/2017
Art: Front

[3:47] 1. East Side West Side
[3:43] 2. Honey Coral Rock
[3:45] 3. I Shot The Sheriff
[6:03] 4. Lighthouse
[5:28] 5. Negril Sea Sunset
[4:56] 6. Negril
[4:59] 7. Rasta
[5:08] 8. Red Ground Funk

Bass Guitar – "Family Man" Barrett, Val Douglas; Drums – Paul Douglas, Sparrow Martin; Guitar – Peter Tosh; Percussion – Joe Higgs, Isiah "Sticky" Thompson; Piano – Keith Sterling, Richard Tee; Producer, Guitar – Eric Gale; Saxophone, Percussion – Cedric Brooks; Synthesizer, Organ – Leslie Butler.

I actually just learned this album today. It certainly wasn't one of the most commonly known albums in Eric Gale's catalog. But it was a significant one. This was, especially at this early juncture one of the first jazz-reggae collaborations of this area. Although I should note it was actually an old historical standard coming around full circle. Even before jazz got it's name people from different races would gather in New Orleans in a place called congo square. Many of them were West Indians, likely a lot of Jamaicans as well. Over the years these influences remained very consistant in jazz on an often sudtle level. But here the age old concept all came back here as the fairly new genre of reggae and Eric Gales' bluesy jazz-funk guitar stylings came together just as it had first met in jazz's beginnings in congo square. The interesting part of this album, featuring a slew of Jamaican and American musicians most notably in Peter Tosh on guitar and Richard Tee on keys is that it's divided up into two different styles. The first four songs on the album "East Side","Negril Sea Sunset", a cover of "I Shot The Sheriff" and "Rasta" are all very much attuned to the more urban reggae flavor of the time-the more "commercial" variety of it as it were. For a lot of people at that time it was probably unfamiliar, especially to jazz listeners to hear such direct styles of reggae but even still Eric's guitar style shines through very very well on these songs. The last series of songs including the title song, "Lighthouse" and "Honey Coral Rock" all showcase a more elaborate mixture of reggae with funk/jazz and other Caribbean styles such as Calypso and feature a lot of rainsticks and other percussive instruments. One exception is "Red Ground Funk" which is the most pop oriented funk groove on the album. It actually has something of a blacksploitation flavor to it with a cinamatic style in the melody. The songs provide a very potent brew to the point that you almost wonder if he was saving these more musically ambitious tunes on purpose for later in the album and putting the more sussinct ones earlier in the set. Either way it's an excellent instrumental jazz-reggae album that was both backward and forward thinking all at the same time. Solid proof that when it comes to African American music, especially when it comes to hip-hop and the funk era from which this came is most successful when crossing the bridges between it's past, present and future. ~Andre S. Grindle

Negril

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Patti Page - In The Land Of Hi-Fi

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 27:47
Size: 63.6 MB
Styles: Jazz/Pop
Year: 1956/1999
Art: Front

[1:43] 1. Nevertheless
[2:20] 2. Out Of Nowhere
[2:45] 3. The Lady Is A Tramp
[2:55] 4. The Thrill Is Gone
[2:43] 5. A Foggy Day
[2:23] 6. Mountain Greenery
[1:35] 7. I've Got My Eyes On You
[1:35] 8. My Kind Of Love
[2:39] 9. I Didn't Know About You
[1:39] 10. My Sin
[1:23] 11. Taking A Chance On Love
[2:28] 12. Love For Sale
[1:34] 13. I've Got My Eyes On You (Alternative Take)

High Fidelity Magazine once ran a piece on why Patti Page would never be considered a great American popular singer. But "In The Land of Hi-Fi" and her other two jazz albums demonstrate she was, indeed, much more than a lady who could turn out hit records as fast as you could turn out pancakes. With June Christy's arranger, Pete Rugolo, overseeing the orchestrations, Patti Page turns out to be a nimble, persuasive, inventive and witty artist who can navigate the most tricky musical map. This album is warm, entertaining, surprising and short (barely a half hour) and certainly has stood the test of time. If you'd never heard "Doggie In The Window" you'd think this is one of the great jazz singers. By the way, the musicians who worked on these dates were surprised to find Patti Page a very hip lady, extremely pleasant to work with and very up on what she needed to do here--plus she wore eyeglasses and smoked! ~Jim Andrews

In The Land Of Hi-Fi

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Roberto Bossard-The Trio - Monday Nights

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:11
Size: 121.7 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[5:42] 1. Mixes Message
[5:50] 2. 9th Avenue
[2:36] 3. Tribute
[5:17] 4. Golden Earrings
[4:29] 5. Stablemates
[4:29] 6. Sud Ouest Jump
[3:26] 7. Hope
[3:33] 8. Crosscourt
[5:37] 9. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
[4:42] 10. Pensative
[4:13] 11. Backup
[3:12] 12. Mirrorland

Bossard, who comes from a musical family, first learned classical violin, before he played guitar as a self-taught. A television concert by Joe Pass brought him to modern jazz; He took private lessons with Christy Doran. Between 1977 and 1981, he studied at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern, then from 1982 at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles with Pass and Joe Dorio. Back in Switzerland, he worked from 1983 as a teacher at a youth music school. He also played in the Guitarsummit by Pierre Cavalli (1983-84), which also included Thomas Moeckel and Markus Plattner. He also formed the "Boss Art Band", u. a. with Andy Scherrer, then with Martien Oster. In 1988 he played in the quartet with Sal Nistico. Then he founded his own hardbop quintet, which included next to his brother, the trumpeter Corrado Bossard, Daniel Schnyder (later Domenic Landolf), Erich Peter and Alberto Canonico. He also appeared frequently with Vince Benedetti, Makaya Ntshoko, Sandy Patton, Matthieu Michel and James Zollar. In 1999 he founded his organ trio "Organ-X" with Chris Wiesendanger and Elmar Frey, which was occasionally expanded by the saxophonist Roland von Flüe. Since 2002, he has continued to play regularly with Hämi Hämmerli and Frey in "The Trio". He also played in the swing band Buddha's Gamblers and can be heard on albums by Peggy Chew, Gabriela Krapf, vocal contact, voicetet and the Mellow Brass.

Bossard played at relevant Swiss jazz festivals (inter alia, television record of the Jazz Festival Montreux 1987), but also on such in the Netherlands and France. He also toured Germany, Austria, Italy and Brazil. In 1999 he won the readers poll of the jazz magazine Jazz & Cultur as "best swiss jazz guitarist 1998". (Translated from German.)

Monday Nights

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Bennie Wallace - Disorder At The Border: The Music Of Coleman Hawkins

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:22
Size: 150,4 MB
Art: Front

(11:36)  1. Disorder At The Border
( 8:55)  2. La Rosita
( 9:42)  3. Bean And The Boys
(10:01)  4. Honeysuckle Rose
( 8:25)  5. Body And Soul
(16:40)  6. Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho

This is a stomping band, as Coleman Hawkins said of the Fletcher Henderson orchestra he and the hitherto mostly awkward tenor saxophone grew up together with. Louis Armstrong and his hero the great cellist Pablo Casals inspired Hawkins' phrasing and timing, Art Tatum and J.S. Bach his harmonic command. His nickname "Bean" referred to high intelligence, he was an instrumental virtuoso with immense stamina and invention qua improviser, a passionate complex man never to be underrated.  The extraordinary "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" which concludes this 2004 Hawkins centenary concert from Berlin is very appropriate. Swinging fiercely with mostly just Alvin Queen's magnificent drumming, Bennie Wallace exhibits his own stamina in impassioned tenor saxophone emulation of a Bach solo invention; and that's only the climax, after a startling arrangement and succession of stirring solos: an ideal centenary celebration. Wallace comes out of the Hawkins school: no imitator, where he sounds very like Hawkins that's a natural aspect of his own way, and what he's playing. On "Body and Soul" he's entirely individual, and has maybe never played more beautifully.  In this stomping band Stafford and Anderson can each sound like two men in ensemble, Anthony Wilson's bop-slanted arrangements are subtle or driving as appropriate, and Donald Vega's atmospheric, often extended piano introductions risk overshadowing his solo work elsewhere. Hawkins wasn't Henderson's only major soloist: I hadn't previously heard young Leali, Schroeder, Vega and Boller and want to hear more. Jesse Davis I know. Where he and Leali solo in succession then trade passages theye are plainly individual stylists.

That's on "Honeysuckle Rose," the one non-Wilson chart. Wallace organised it with reminiscences of Benny Carter's great arrangements and brilliant transcription of a passage James P. Johnson delivered in his piano solo recording of the number. Subtlety's one thing, but there's also none of that carefulness which can afflict deliveries of arrangements of music with a vintage. This is musical performance, and no pastiche. Listen to the bluesiness and slow stride of Vega's intrHenderson's recorded performances were restricted by technology: time limits. They couldn't unfold with the freedom, relaxation and fire Hawkins remembered. This is of course a live performance, nobody worried about finishing within any time limit, and the only "Disorder" was a word in the opening stomper's title. Stafford's immense tone powers in ensemble, and blazes in solo. The master colourist trombonist Anderson is involved in the one brief wobble, his sound and Wallace's don't blend in their brief ensemble unison on "La Rosita," whoops! But Anderson's solo immediately thereafter has an amazing transition from harshness to luminous transparency. He delivers a differently magnificent eruption on "Honeysuckle Rose," and preaches on "Joshua..." Wallace's tenor is properly to the fore throughout, with here an altoist, there Schroeder's baritone, performing a substantial solo as the middle section of an extended development Wallace himself has begun; and subsequently proceeds to bring to extended climax. He's a giant tenorist. This is a great and not merely stomping band. ~RoberR.Calder https://www.allaboutjazz.com/disorder-at-the-border-the-music-of-coleman-hawkins-bennie-wallace-enja-justin-time-review-by-robert-r-calder.php

Personnel: Bennie Wallace: tenor saxophone, leader; Brad Leali: alto saxophone; Jesse Davis: alto saxophones Adam Schroeder: baritone saxophone; Ray Anderson: trombone; Terell Stafford; trumpet; Donald Vega: piano; Danton Boller: bass; Alvin Queen: drums; Anthony Wilson: arranger.

Disorder At The Border: The Music Of Coleman Hawkins

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Kathy Sanborn - Six Degrees of Cool

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:14
Size: 90,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:59)  1. Long Live Jazz
(4:22)  2. What a Man
(3:54)  3. Bitter Winter
(4:29)  4. Six Degrees of Cool
(2:53)  5. No More Same Old Same
(4:32)  6. Shanty Man
(3:11)  7. Where Are the Stars
(3:57)  8. Ba Doo Bay
(4:16)  9. Can I
(3:36) 10. Long Live Jazz (Live Version)

Jazz singer, pianist, and composer showcases her cool jazz vocal style with Six Degrees of Cool. Drawing from renowned influences such as Cool Jazz giants Miles Davis, Chet Baker, and Anita O’Day, Six Degrees of Cool brings Cool Jazz into today’s contemporary music scene. Sanborn says her latest release, Six Degrees of Cool, may remind you of the “West Coast Jazz” phenomenon of the 50s and 60s, complete with smooth, clear vocals and cool trumpet provided by Wayne Ricci. But Sanborn’s new album is not your mother’s jazz music; Sanborn composes jazz for today’s listener, with fresh lyrics and melodies for the modern era. Six Degrees of Cool has something for every jazz lover, even social commentary. Packing a punch on the nature of economic hard times are Bitter Winter and Shanty Man, the last a song describing the effects on a family in the great Depression of the 1930s. The title track, Six Degrees of Cool, is the one instrumental on the album, and features trumpeter Wayne Ricci. Six Degrees of Cool is the follow-up album release to Sanborn’s critically acclaimed album, Blues for Breakfast. Released in 2011, Blues for Breakfast reached #4 on Amazon’s MP3 Vocal Jazz charts. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/kathysanborn2

Six Degrees of Cool

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Jerry Bergonzi - Tenorist

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:23
Size: 132,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:08)  1. Gecko Plex
(6:52)  2. Pannonica
(6:55)  3. Simultaneous Looks
(7:59)  4. Table Steaks
(6:19)  5. La Mesha
(3:50)  6. Czarology
(7:41)  7. With Reference
(7:07)  8. Creature Feature
(4:29)  9. On Again Off Again

We all make our choices in life, and perhaps saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi's desire to teach which has resulted in a position at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston as well as several acclaimed books on improvisation explains why he does not have the name recognition (and big major label contract) of some other tenors. Judging from this Savant release, Tenorist, it sure ain't the music. This disc is full of strong tunes and exciting playing, but alas and alack for the marketing wings of said major labels no "startling use of electronics, no Radiohead covers, and no edgy political statements. Just modern jazz of a high order, which, if there is any justice in the world, will be enough to gain the listeners Bergonzi deserves. Tenorist is boosted from "good to "great by the presence of the always-interesting guitar of John Abercrombie, who alternately supports and spars with the leader on seven Bergonzi originals, Thelonious Monk's "Pannonica, and Kenny Dorham's "La Mesha. Things get off to a good start with the loping "Gecko Plex, which sounds something like a classic bop theme played at the 16 rpm setting on some old turntable, which gives it a film "noir gumshoe flair. Bergonzi can work into the nooks and crannies of a melody like Sonny Rollins, a gift that is most clear on the abovementioned Monk tune, which also features a nice solo by bassist Dave Santoro. The shuffling "Table Steaks and the off-kilter Latinized twitch of "Czarology swing hard, the latter featuring some gasp-inspiring simultaneous guitar-and-sax soloing over excellent playing by longtime Bergonzi drummer Adam Nussbaum. The overdubbed harmony sax theme of "With Reference recalls Warne Marsh and Lee Konitz more than anything, but the tune quickly enters the modern world with long and exhilarating solos by Abercrombie and Bergonzi. Fans of the guitarist can do no better than his work on "Creature Feature, which goes out against some tight and tense grooving by Nussbaum and Santoro. Great stuff, one and all. For the many who know of Jerry Bergonzi only vaguely, Tenorist will be a revelation. It serves as a potent reminder that this tenor man belongs in the top rank, and that straight-ahead jazz, minus the gimmicks, has still got it. ~ Joshua Weiner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tenorist-jerry-bergonzi-savant-records-review-by-joshua-weiner.php

Personnel: Jerry Bergonzi: tenor sax; John Abercrombie: guitar; Dave Santoro: bass; Adam Nussbaum: drums.

Tenorist

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Sarah Manning - Harmonious Creature

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:50
Size: 135,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:55)  1. Copland on Cornelia Street
(4:52)  2. Tune of Cats
(3:10)  3. Floating Bridge
(4:44)  4. I Dream a Highway
(5:55)  5. Grey Dawn, Red Fox
(6:44)  6. Radish Spirit
(8:27)  7. Three Chords for Jessica
(5:52)  8. Don't Answer to the Question
(7:23)  9. On the Beach
(5:45) 10. What the Blues Left Behind

In order to create the music for Harmonious Creatures, saxophonist Sarah Manning had to put the hustle and bustle behind her. She picked herself up and took to the woods, composing and communing with nature at the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire where she was living out her time as a MacDowell fellow in October of 2012. The time she spent at that artist's refuge gave her a chance to reflect, bridge worlds, and blur lines in her compositions. The serenity of the woods and the constant motion of modern day life now come together as one in her work. Harmonious Creatures presents a more emotionally balanced voice than the one heard on the critically acclaimed Dandelion Clock (Posi-Tone, 2010), but the already-established tart-toned and acerbic nature of Manning's horn still shines through here; it's just seen in a different light now. On Dandelion Clock her horn stood out in sharp relief against the piano trio that worked with her, but here her horn is fully integrated with the other aural elements at play. Violist Eyvind Kang, perhaps best known for his work with guitarist Bill Frisell, joins Manning in the front line and operates in a similar sonic space; never have a viola and alto saxophone sounded so in tune with one another. The other X factor here is guitarist Jonathan Goldberger. His hallucinatory twangs and strums add volumes to the musical atmosphere; when all three parties converge, collide or cross paths, the resultant music is heady and spellbinding. Manning's work can be alluring, focused, and free spirited all at once ("Three Chords For Jessica"). Her never-derivative saxophone blowing can be barbed ("Floating Bridge") or beautifully direct ("I Dream A Highway"), and her boundless creativity often surfaces in the most surprising of places (Neil Young's "On The Beach"). Her simpatico band mates mirror her mood swings and follow her through the highs and lows here. Sonic thickets abound, but so do clearings in the pasture. Sarah Manning proves to be a harmonious creature herself, capable of balancing order and chaos, shadows and light, and the simple and complex without issue. In an age when many a critic has bemoaned the homogenization of saxophonists on the scene, Sarah Manning is proof that personality can still triumph over standardization; Manning stands apart from the sea of sound-alikes. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/harmonious-creatures-sarah-manning-posi-tone-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Sarah Manning: alto saxophone; Eyvind Kang: viola; Jonathan Goldberger: guitar; Rene Hart: bass; Jerome Jennings: drums.

Harmonious Creature

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Joel Evans & Friends - Cozy Cool

Size: 195,5 MB
Time: 82:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I Never Say No (Feat. Maggie Herron) (2:50)
02. There You Go (Feat. Jackie Ryan) (4:19)
03. Open Road (Feat. Carla Helmbrecht) (4:37)
04. The Dreamin' Kind (Feat. Roberta Donnay) (3:12)
05. Just The Right Amount Of Wrong (Feat. Tami Damiano) (3:57)
06. Don't Tell Me (Feat. Jackie Ryan) (3:40)
07. I Got Nothin' (To Worry About) [Feat. Roberta Donnay] (3:01)
08. What Have You Done (Feat. Carla Helmbrecht) (3:16)
09. Leaning Into Love (Feat. Jennifer Lee) (4:42)
10. Happy Lovin' You (Feat. Roberta Donnay) (3:09)
11. Christmas Time For Two (Feat. Carla Helmbrecht) (4:41)
12. I Never Say No (Vocal Muted) (2:50)
13. There You Go (Vocal Muted) (4:13)
14. Open Road (Vocal Muted) (4:32)
15. The Dreamin' Kind (Vocal Muted) (3:12)
16. Just The Right Amount Of Wrong (Vocal Muted) (3:52)
17. Don't Tell Me (Vocal Muted) (3:40)
18. I Got Nothin' (To Worry About) (Vocal Muted) (3:01)
19. What Have You Done (Vocal Muted) (3:16)
20. Leaning Into Love (Vocal Muted) (4:42)
21. Happy Lovin' You (Vocal Muted) (3:08)
22. Christmas Time For Two (Vocal Muted) (4:41)

Composer/Songwriter Joel Evans has songs & cues in more than 85 movies and 400 TV episodes; major Hollywood films, hip indie flicks, network and daytime dramas; ranging from Wedding Crashers to Passengers; and from Friends to Stranger Things. The 2014 Daytime Emmy winning special Young & Restless Tribute to Jeanne Cooper features as its main theme, “That’s When I’ll Stop Loving You”, co-written with Byron Walls (Starman, New Christy Minstrels). Ciroq Vodka TV and radio ads highlight his Big Band number, "Fly Away." Grammy-winning vocalist Carmen Bradford sings his song, "No Easy Way To Say Goodbye” on tour with the Count Basie Orchestra. Joel's songs have been recorded by diverse artists, including Spencer Day, Dave Samuels, Shaun Murphy, Roberta Donnay, The Yellowjackets and Peter Tork. (the former Monkee has a great blues band!)

After earning his BA on flute at Cal State University East Bay he performed with a series of groups, and quickly realized the fortunes of a jazz flautist were capricious at best. “We did one gig where our earnings didn't even pay off our bar tab,” he notes wryly. Later, a stint on piano backing Bobby Freeman (“Do You Wanna Dance”) took Evans to Tahoe and Reno, where watching the rock godfather reiterate the same patter night after night further inspired him to improvise. Life imitates art: in the film Rumor Has It, Kevin Costner and Jennifer Aniston share a conversation while the Joel Evans Combo paints the aural backdrop in the same San Francisco hotel bar where he once worked a steady piano gig. Evans’ Hollywood-sophisticated melodies are often used on screen to evoke sumptuous surroundings like hotel lobbies and upscale restaurants, so it’s no coincidence that he spent years performing in just these types of venues. Swing, big band and jazz: he occupies a decided stylistic niche. “I can’t do everything. I don’t write stuff that sounds like the 'Top 10'. I decided early on to hell with it, I’m going to do what I love.”

Unlike many instrumental composers, Evans usually co-writes complete songs. “Until it Happens to You” from Mini’s First Time provided an improbable soundtrack to a fight scene with stars Jeff Goldblum and Alec Baldwin “trying to kill one another, with my Sinatra style swing thing in the background,” laughs Evans. He notes that one of his most unexpected inclusions was in the gritty rock and roll noir film, Sugartown, where his sweet song, “Moody” played behind, as he delicately phrases it, “The depiction of an act of love. But it fit the scene.” A self-professed team player, Evans enlists first call musicians who can deliver the requisite tones; veterans like Dame Cleo Laine's favorite pianist, Larry Dunlap and David Rokeach from the Ray Charles band; seasoned authorities who helped define the genres his compositions reference. Talented Co-writers like Nashville-based Lisa Aschmann and pop/theatrical writer Adryan Russ contribute their magic to the sterling credibility of the songs. ~Bio by Dan Kimpel

Cozy Cool

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Barbra Lica - Christmas Present

Size: 70,4 MB
Time: 30:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals/Xmas
Art: Front

01. The Christmas Waltz (2:46)
02. Christmas On The Beach (3:57)
03. What Do Bad Girls Get (3:35)
04. Last Christmas (3:13)
05. Noel A Paris (4:12)
06. Christmas Time Is Here (4:00)
07. Marshmallow World (2:49)
08. O' Christmas Tree (2:01)
09. Winter Wonderland (3:23)

Juno-nominated artist Barbra Lica is a fast-rising star in the Canadian music scene and has been receiving accolades for a unique vocal ability that stresses subtlety and grace. Based in Toronto, Canada, Barbra’s live show captivates audiences all over North America with her genuine warmth and confident stage presence.

A deep passion for the music of classic vocalists like Doris Day and Ella Fitzgerald led Barbra to pursue a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance at the University of Toronto. Shortly after graduating, Barbra was runner-up in the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition with judges Al Jarreau and Gretchen Parlato. Now a seasoned live act on the Canadian club and festival circuit, Barbra consistently performs in intimate spaces and prestigious theatres, such as Toronto’s Jazz Bistro and Koerner Hall. Most recently, she has been billed as an opening act for the likes of Christian McBride, Pat Metheny, and Terence Blanchard.

Barbra’s debut album That’s What I Do (Triplet / Universal Jazz Japan) was released to widespread acclaim in 2012, ranking her in Canada’s Top 5 Jazz singers on the CBC, as well Top 5 up-and-coming Toronto jazz artists on blogTO. Her band made their Japanese debut live at the Tokyo International Jazz Festival in 2015 for over 1000 audience members. She is now promoting her latest project, I’m Still Learning, which was released September 2016 by Justin Time Records. It introduces all new original music from Barbra and was nominated for a 2017 Juno Award in the category of “Best Vocal Jazz Album”. It features a stellar band including Larnell Lewis on drums (Snarky Puppy, Laila Biali), Marc Rogers on bass (The Philosopher Kings, Nikki Yanofsky), Lou Pomanti on piano (Michael Bublé, Gordon Lightfoot) and acclaimed pop songwriter-guitarist James Bryan on guitar (Nelly Furtado, Olly Murs). It also presents Barbra’s touring band of up-and-coming jazz musicians who will be joining her on her summer/fall 2017 tour of Canada and the U.S. Barbra’s versatility as a performer continues to grow along with her fan base. "Barbra Lica is a dazzling performer who has talent to burn and vocals that will knock you over.” – Ross Porter

Christmas Present

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Kat Green - Until You

Size: 118,5 MB
Time: 50:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Nature Boy (3:46)
02. My Heart Is Open (4:01)
03. Breathe Me In (3:55)
04. Autumn Leaves (4:06)
05. Can't Help Falling In Love (3:36)
06. Until You (4:00)
07. Stray Cat Strut (4:18)
08. Landslide (3:44)
09. Bubble (4:22)
10. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (3:32)
11. Fields Of Gold (4:07)
12. Chandelier (3:57)
13. Dream A Little Dream Of Me (3:16)

“Until You” is a jazz crossover album like no other. Created while going through a heart wrenching divorce, Kat pays homage to the late great emotional balladeer Eva Cassidy with new arrangements of songs like "Autumn Leaves", "Landslide" and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", as well as taking on songs from the past few years, like Maroon 5's "My Heart is Open" and a new dramatic piano version of Sia's “Chandelier" that would make Tori Amos proud. Not to be confined by an era, Kat bravely tackles the likes of Elvis’ heartbreaking classic “Can’t Help Falling In Love“, a trip-hop version of "Nature Boy", and even throws in a sexy syrupy arrangement of “Stray Cat Strut.” To round off the album are a few stand out originals like the haunting “Breath Me In”, "Bubble", and the title track "Until You" – all written for the award-winning film “The Big Swim” that Kat also directed.

Kat directs her own music videos. "I have an affinity for music videos of the original MTV era and feel they are an awesome way of expressing the song in another creative medium. It's a chance for me to combine my love of music and film within an open unbridled platform. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to tell a story or create an abstract piece of art and collaborate with more amazingly talented people. In the case of the "Nature Boy" video, it's a little of both - story and art. For an artist, creating music videos is the ultimate fulfillment, like the icing on the cake only it's that yummy dark chocolate frosting inside the middle of the cake - rich and satisfying."

Full of uniquely arranged standards and originals, “Until You,” is mixed by BAFTA-nominated engineer John Rodd (“Breaking Bad,” “Call of Duty: Black Ops II”) and mastered by Grammy-winning music veteran Gavin Lurssen (Alison Kraus, Robert Plant, Sheryl Crow, T-Bone Burnett), the album features an all-star cast, including players from the esteemed Brian Setzer Orchestra among many other top-notch musicians and producers.

This timeless album offers an emotionally inspired escape that perfectly captures sentiments of heartache, depression, sensuality, love and drama through a passionate vocalist. If the incredible Kat Green isn’t on your Spotify playlist yet… it’s time to add her!

Until You

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Louise Baranger - Louise Baranger Plays The Great American Groove Book

Size: 136,0 MB
Time: 57:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz, Pop, Rock
Art: Front

01. Got To Give It Up (4:59)
02. Camaro Willy (4:48)
03. Soul Bossa Nova (3:40)
04. Higher Ground (5:04)
05. Soulful Grazing (5:35)
06. Love Potion No. 9 (4:06)
07. The Sidewinder (4:34)
08. Ain't No Sunshine (5:19)
09. Take Me To The River (4:32)
10. Never Can Say Goodbye (4:51)
11. Inner City Blues (5:21)
12. With You I'm Born Again (4:56)

Born in Hollywood, CA, Louise Baranger studied trumpet with Harold "Pappy" Mitchell and Uan Rasey, the former first trumpets at the MGM Studios, as well as jazz trumpeter Bobby Shew and legendary William Vacchiano of the New York Philharmonic.

In 1982 Harry James asked her to join his band, and she remained until Harry’s death in 1983. She spent the next few years playing lead trumpet in the Las Vegas production of Sugar as well as freelancing in Los Angeles and working with such big bands as Nelson Riddle, Jack Wilson and Ray Anthony.

Her many television credits include appearances on Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, A PBS tribute to Harry James, Dallas, Falcon Crest, The Flash, KMEX Children’s Telethon, Fox Studios TV Logo, Barry Manilow’s Big Fun On Swing Street (with Gerry Mulligan, Carmen McRae and Stanley Clarke), The Bobby Vinton Show, Kid’s Day at Walt Disney World, and The World Music Awards. Film credits include Blake Edwards’ Mickey and Maude, Mark Rydell’s For The Boys, and Dennis Dugan’s Brain Donors.

Louise has played on Albums and videos with Bobby Womack, Joe Cocker, Holly Near, the Stan Kenton Alumni Tribute Orchestra, the Ladd McIntosh Big Band and dozens of jingles.

In live performance, Louise has toured the world and backed the talents of Bobby Womack, Dionne Warwick, Steve Allen, Buddy Greco, Carol Lawrence, George Burns, Clark Terry, Joan Rivers, Milton Berle, Candice Bergen, Sammy Davis, Jr., the Fifth Dimension, and a host of others.

On Broadway she has worked as a substitute player on Carousel, Les Miserables, and 42nd Street, as well as performed at Carnegie Hall with John Pizzarelli, Skitch Henderson and the New York Pops.

As a soloist Louise has been featured with the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, the Jazz Ensamble de Santa Fe (Argentina), Leipzig and Mannheim Big Bands (Germany), the Athens Symphony, and Macon Symphony.

As a leader her nine piece "little big band" has played at the 1999 Emmy Awards, the Millennium New Year’s Eve Celebration at Boston’s Symphony Hall, and jazz concerts featuring trombone great Carl Fontana, in addition to many private events and fund raisers.

Louise’s first CD, Trumpeter’s Prayer (Summit Records DCD222), features Arturo Sandoval, Frank Sinatra Jr., Carl Fontana and Steve Allen. A newly recorded CD, The Great American Groove Book will be released in 2017.

In 2005 Louise was a featured soloist at the Stars and Stripes Presidential Inaugural Ball in Washington, DC. She has also played for President Bill Clinton.

Louise’s currently plays with the brass quintet, Revolutionary Brass and, along with her husband Fred Tregaskis performs a wine tasting/music show for fundraisers and other private events. She also performs with her nine-piece little big band and the Groove Book Band, a jazzy tribute to the music of Motown.

She was a senior faculty member at the Litchfield Jazz Camp from 2005-2012 and has given master classes in Japan, Argentina, Peru, Germany, and across the U.S. As a private teacher many of her students have held principal chairs in CT regional and All-State honor bands, both jazz and classical.

Plays The Great American Groove Book

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Kathleen Bertrand - It's Time To Love

Size: 99,9 MB
Time: 42:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Soul Vocals
Art: Front

01. It's Time To Love (4:20)
02. Diamonds (4:59)
03. Come Rain Or Come Shine (4:09)
04. Baby, I'm Yours (4:55)
05. Almost Like Being In Love (4:30)
06. Walking Through The Door (4:33)
07. Anyone Who Had A Heart (5:03)
08. It's Me (Standing In The Need Of Prayer) (Live) (5:16)
09. Love From The Sun (4:15)

Multifaceted recording artist and writer Kathleen Bertrand is a native Atlantan and Spelman College graduate, whose performances have ranged from two Olympic Games to performances before two presidents, as well as appearances at jazz festivals world-wide. Bertrand toured and recorded as vocalist with jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers.

This three-octave vocal artist has received numerous honors for her jazzy vocal stylings and arts contributions including the Kuumba Award given by East Point/College Park Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, the inaugural Impact Award from Black Women In Jazz, recognition by the United Negro College Fund as one of “Atlanta’s Legends”, the “Contribution to the Arts” Award by the Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Civic Award in The Arts, by the Southern Conference of The Links, Inc., the Georgia Highlight Award given by the Georgia Entertainment Gala, and recognition by Spelman College with its distinguished “Alumnae Achievement Award for the Arts & Entertainment.” She been an invited performer at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland on three occasions and has made multiple appearances at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, including that of headliner in 2012, and as part of the Nina Simone Tribute Ensemble in 2015. That same year, she was voted Jazz Vocalist of the Year by Black Women in Jazz.

As a songwriter, she penned the national theme song for the 100 Black Men of America – What They See is What They’ll Be - as well as several songs on her CDs All of Me, No Regrets, Reasons for the Season, New Standards, and CD Katharsis, which was released in June 2011 and is still receiving nationwide and world-wide airplay, including 14 weeks on the UK Soul Chart top 30, 6 weeks in the UK Soul Charts Top 10, and 2 weeks at #1. She has recently returned to the recording studio in preparation for her next CD release in 2017, It’s Time to Love. Bertrand has opened for many of America’s finest jazz artists, including Ray Charles, Will Downing, Rachelle Ferrell, Najee, Roy Ayers, and Kenny G. Her fan base includes radio and internet listeners across the USA as well as in England, Japan, Finland, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, New Zealand, France, the Netherlands, and Brazil among others.

Bertrand recently co-produced “Sisters in Song: Saluting Jazz’s Greatest Divas.” The March 19, 2017 standing room only performance featured Atlanta’s top jazz vocalists – all on one stage - in a salute to Women’s History Month. She is producer of "Celebrating Sarah – Honoring the Music of Sarah Vaughan" for the 2017 Atlanta Jazz Festivals Legends Stage in May.

It's Time To Love

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Olga Konkova & Jens Thoresen - Old Songs

Size: 124,4 MB
Time: 53:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Futile Sentiments (4:14)
02. Lamento (7:00)
03. Blue In Green (4:13)
04. Bossa Verde (4:43)
05. The Things We Could Have Been (6:51)
06. Minor Tweaks (4:03)
07. One Day! (5:13)
08. Slow Walk (5:36)
09. Tristissimo (7:10)
10. Sol (4:14)

Olga Konkov and Jens Thoresen seemingly can't sit down for a chat without something beautiful coming out. Each has a mellifluous touch on their instrument, but their eloquent back-and-forth chemistry is the bigger part of what makes their duo recordings special. Following on from the holiday collection December Songs (Losen, 2016), the pair sticks to the same approach of re-shaping their source songs almost beyond recognition, producing another excellent release suitable for late-night quiet moments during any time of year.

Old Songs puts some of the genre's best-known standards through the duo's looking glass to beautifully contemplative results. It would be a fun game for the jazz connoisseur to take a first blind listen here before reading the full "inspired by" list that accompanies the track titles. Spotting John Coltrane's iconic chord progression from "Giant Steps" isn't too hard, for instance, though its two renditions here amble at a determinedly non-frenetic pace that oozes with subtle warmth (and even comes out worthy enough for us to almost forgive the spelling of "Little Tweakz"). Such transformations remain the order of the day, whether they're giving the Beatles a gentle yet busily-rumbling tribute or turning Jobim's "The Girl from Ipanema" into the most soothing of sambas.

Konkova takes the more edgy role with piano cascades or rambling solo lines, though she's still willing to settle down to floating chords or briefly sit out when called for. Thoresen for his part sticks largely to deceptively simple lines and smooth-toned strums that create a perfectly soft bed for the songs to breathe. It would be great to hear what this pair could also do with a collection of original pieces or improvisations somewhere down the line. As long as this lovely banter is intact, though, it'll remain a small joy to hear them doing anything at all, old songs or new or anything in between. ~Geno Thackara

Personnel: Olga Konkova: piano; Jens Thoresen: guitar.

Old Songs

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Dave Hosley & The Terrence Brewer Trio - Welcome To The Club

Size: 101,4 MB
Time: 35:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. St. Thomas (2:59)
02. Tower Of Song (6:21)
03. Welcome To The Club (3:28)
04. I Keep Goin' Back To Joe's (4:21)
05. I've Got Your Number (3:26)
06. It's All In The Game (3:57)
07. Pennies From Heaven (4:00)
08. Give Me The Simple Life (3:33)
09. Time To Smile (3:46)

Dave Hosley grew up in Simsbury, Connecticut. He made his living playing the drums and singing in various rock and Top –40 bands up until 1986 when he headed west to San Francisco to try his hand as a solo entertainer, singing and playing the keyboard.

Welcome To The Club

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Sally Cameron - Always Christmas

Size: 112,6 MB
Time: 48:12
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Big Band, Xmas
Art: Front

01. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow (2:44)
02. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (3:11)
03. Here Comes Santa Clause (3:22)
04. Christmas Time Is Here (3:48)
05. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve (6:28)
06. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas (4:17)
07. Once In Royal David's City (3:15)
08. Snowfall (3:29)
09. Jingle Bells (5:35)
10. I'll Be Home For Christmas (4:47)
11. When You Wish Upon A Star (3:02)
12. O Come, O Come Emmanuel (4:08)

She has performed alongside Barry Humphries (AKA Dame Edna Everage), Katie Noonan, Tina Arena, Guy Sebastian, Kate Ceberano, James Morrison, Marina Prior, Gordon Goodwin, Emma Pask, Teddy Tahu-Rhodes, The Manhattan Transfer, David Campbell and with the Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide & Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras.

For the 10 years Sally was a member of Australia's premier professional a cappella group, The Idea of North (TION), she recorded seven albums, four of which received an ARIA nomination and two that won the ARIA for Best Jazz Album.

Sally captivates audiences with her sweet tone, incredible accuracy and emotional subtlety. A four octave vocal range, great comedic timing and an approachable demeanour ensures a lively and entertaining interaction with her audiences of all ages.

Years of classical and jazz vocal training whilst studying various musical instruments has shaped her into a versatile musician and vocal educator. Her solid involvement in the Australian music industry is testament to her wide-ranging experience in ensembles spanning from choirs to rock bands and everything in between.

Sally’s latest album is - Always Christmas.

Always Christmas

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Hampton Hawes!!! With Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne & Red Mitchell - Four!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:01
Size: 121.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1958/1988
Art: Front

[6:40] 1. Yardbird Suite
[6:59] 2. There Will Never Be Another You
[6:30] 3. Bow Jest
[5:36] 4. Sweet Sue
[5:08] 5. Up Blues
[3:21] 6. Like Someone In Love
[5:42] 7. Love Is Just Around The Corner
[4:54] 8. Thou Swell
[8:08] 9. The Awful Truth

Bass – Red Mitchell; Drums – Shelly Manne; Guitar – Barney Kessel; Piano – Hampton Hawes. Recorded January 27, 1958 at Contemporary's studio in Los Angeles.

Pianist Hampton Hawes' 1950s recordings for the Contemporary label are at such a high level that they could all be given five stars. This outing with bassist Red Mitchell, drummer Shelly Manne, and guitarist Barney Kessel (who is a slight wild card) is also quite successful. Two previously unreleased numbers ("Thou Swell" and "The Awful Truth") have been added to the CD reissue. Highlights of the exciting bop date include "Yardbird Suite," "There Will Never Be Another You," and "Love Is Just Around the Corner." ~Scott Yanow

Four!

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Sonny Davis - Sweet Sue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:40
Size: 116.0 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[2:18] 1. Sweet Sue
[4:35] 2. The Shadow Of Your Smile
[3:59] 3. There Will Never Be Another You
[5:17] 4. Take Five
[1:49] 5. Cold Water
[2:07] 6. The Sheik Of Araby
[2:18] 7. Hot Lips
[2:29] 8. China Boy
[5:52] 9. The Days Of Wine And Roses
[3:55] 10. Nuages
[6:10] 11. Wave
[2:51] 12. Topsy
[4:28] 13. Donna Lee
[2:25] 14. Blue Bossa

Sonny Davis (real name is Alex Davidson)was born & raised in Niagara Falls, Ont.After 13 years on the road playing Rock, country, jazz & blues he settled into session life. The studio experience was great so I applied it to creating the 13 CD's (of mine) to date. Musically, I enjoy composing & improvising and for guitar playing I enjoy GYPSY JAZZ (the music of Django Reinhardt).Such beautiful melodies & chord progressions & passion!

Sweet Sue

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