Spyros Manesis - Undelivered

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:15
Size: 101.3 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:42] 1. Cold Inside
[6:44] 2. Not Yet
[5:53] 3. Amsterdam
[5:47] 4. On Green Dolphin Street
[5:08] 5. Falling
[4:54] 6. The Pinwheel
[5:20] 7. Undelivered
[5:44] 8. Exodos

With Joao Hasselberg on bass, Kaspars Kurdeko on drums and Spyros on piano, the trio which formed in Amsterdam in 2010 has recorded its debut album for the Portuguese label JACC Records. The album, Undelivered was officially released in Europe.

Greek pianist Spyros Manesis composes new music, arranges old jazz standards and plays the piano together with Portuguese double bassist João Hasselberg and Latvian drummer Kaspars Kurdeko, who embrace Spyros's musical ideas with deep musicality and remarkable dedication.

The understanding and the unique chemistry among the three musicians have helped the trio develop a distinguished sound characterized by lyricism, a wide range of dynamics and textures, a high level of musical interplay and a real improvisation spirit, which are elements that make their live performances unique musical experiences. Their debut album “Undelivered" is now released by JACC Records.

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The Brian Dickinson Quintet - The Rhythm Method

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:37
Size: 147.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[7:15] 1. Orion
[6:10] 2. Open Season
[7:30] 3. Bon Voyage
[5:46] 4. Moonshine
[6:44] 5. 'tude
[6:49] 6. Lennie's Loonies
[6:57] 7. Trane Trip
[5:22] 8. Stepping Out
[6:43] 9. It's Hugh Or Nolan
[5:17] 10. Raking Leaves

Brian Dickinson: piano; Kelly Jefferson: tenor sax; Luiz Deniz; alto sax; Neil Swainson: bass; Ted Warren: drums.

Toronto-based pianist Brian Dickinson explores the "quintet with a two sax front line" on The Rhythm Method. He takes his lead from the somewhat overlooked pianist/conceptualist Lennie Tristano, who broke the ground with his historic 1949 Capitol Sessions featuring Lee Konitz on alto sax and Warne Marsh on tenor sax; and with his 1956 recordings with Marsh and Ted Brown, both on tenor.

The set opens on Wayne Shorter's "Orion," featuring a sparkling extended solo by Dickenson that brings Shorter's collaborations with Herbie Hancock to mind, while alto saxophonist Luis Deniz stretches his lines, a la Lee Konitz, and tenor sax man Kelly Jefferson blows with a sharper, more powerhouse diction. "Bon Voyage, " a tune brimming with a floating loveliness, unrolls from the like a silken fabric from a smooth-rolling spool, with bassist Neil Swainson and drummer Ted Warren cushioning the rhythm with a nuanced grace. "'Tude" is more propulsive, popping and snapping, with a relentless verve.

"The Rhythm Method Suite" makes up the disc's last five turns. It serves as a spirited and exploratory tribute to the Tristano/Marsh school of music making—a cool, relaxed school that never has gone out of style, even if its roots aren't as acknowledged as they perhaps should be. And the group makes it seem so effortless—the circuitous piano solos, the flexible rhythms, the saxophone conversations—on this set of first rate compositions (all from Dickinson's pen), giving a classic, time-tested approach a compellingly beautiful, modern shine. ~Dan McClenaghan

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Coleman Hawkins - Body & Soul Revisited

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:54
Size: 169.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Swing, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. (It's No) Sin (Single Version)
[2:57] 2. And So To Sleep Again (Single Version)
[3:05] 3. Spellbound (Single Version)
[3:06] 4. Lost In A Fog (Single Version)
[2:27] 5. Carioca (Single Version)
[2:54] 6. Midnight Sun (Single Version)
[3:12] 7. If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight) (Single Version)
[2:55] 8. I Can't Get Started (Single Version)
[2:25] 9. Ruby (Single Version)
[2:58] 10. Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart ) (Single Version)
[2:58] 11. My Blue Heaven
[3:34] 12. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:07] 13. Organ Grinder's Swing
[4:39] 14. Perdido
[3:40] 15. Sweethearts On Parade
[7:01] 16. The Man I Love
[1:24] 17. Foolin' Around
[5:36] 18. Time On My Hands
[5:10] 19. Ornithology
[4:22] 20. Body And Soul
[3:17] 21. Unlisted Blues

Hawkins had been the dominant tenor-saxophonist from the mid-'20s up until 1940, but even though he remained a major force, his influence was waning, due to the emergence of Lester Young and then Charlie Parker. By the early '50s he only recorded on an infrequent basis. Fortunately a few years later (partly due to the rise of Sonny Rollins whose original hero was Hawk), his fortunes were on the rise again. This Decca CD contains quite a variety of music. There are ten selections of melodic "mood" music from 1951-53 in which Hawkins mostly sticks to the melody (an exception is an excellent version of "If I Could Be with You"). Then the great tenor is heard in an occasionally exciting session with Cozy Cole's All-Stars; cornetist Rex Stewart steals the show with a couple of colorful solos. The best music on this CD is taken from a 1955 radio broadcast in which Hawkins plays "Foolin' Around" (based on the chords of "Body and Soul") totally unaccompanied and roars on "The Man I Love." This set concludes with three selections (one previously unissued) from a fine session led by clarinetist Tony Scott. ~Scott Yanow

Body & Soul Revisited 

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Ian Shaw - Change Partners

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 87:20
Size: 199.9 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:59] 1. Change Partners
[4:02] 2. It Could Happen To You
[3:03] 3. This Can't Be Love
[5:34] 4. The Echo Of A Song
[2:59] 5. I Wish I Were In Love Again
[4:15] 6. Goodnight Angel
[3:26] 7. I'll Be Seeing You
[3:22] 8. Taking A Chance On Love
[4:42] 9. My Heart Is Haunted
[5:35] 10. Time After Time
[3:59] 11. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
[4:22] 12. You Are My Hearts Delight
[5:46] 13. It's Easy To Remember
[4:44] 14. Just Let Me Look At You
[5:17] 15. My Funny Valentine
[4:11] 16. Have You Met Miss Jones
[4:07] 17. Little Girl Blue
[3:24] 18. Where Or When
[3:37] 19. I Concentrate On You
[5:48] 20. With A Song In My Heart

Ian Shaw (born 2 June 1962) is a Welsh jazz singer, record producer, and stand up comedian. Shaw was born in St. Asaph, Wales, and took his music degree at the University of London. His career in performance began in the 1980s on the Alternative Cabaret Circuit, alongside such performers as Julian Clary, Rory Bremner, and Jo Brand. At the same time, he was playing in piano bars and at festivals in London and throughout Europe.

In 1990 he toured Europe and recorded with fellow singer Carol Grimes. Since this time, Shaw has regularly worked in duo settings with other singers, including Claire Martin, Linda Lewis, Liane Carroll, and Sarah Jane Morris. By the mid-1990s, he was regularly performing at the Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and in 1995 released two albums on the club's Jazzhouse label: Ghosthouse and a tribute to Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart Taking It to Hart. In 1996, Shaw led his own 'Very Big Band' on a UK tour, and by the late 1990s he was performing regularly in the U.S. In 1999, he released In a New York Minute, the first of two albums on New York's Milestone Records label. This and Soho Stories, released in 2001, featured American musicians, including Cedar Walton, Lew Soloff, and Eric Alexander. On the album A World Still Turning (2003), he worked with Billy Childs and Peter Washington, and guest vocalist Mark Murphy.

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Anita O'Day - Verve Jazz Masters 49

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:57
Size: 109.8 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[2:27] 1. That Old Feeling
[3:44] 2. Boogie Blues
[3:38] 3. Angel Eyes
[3:45] 4. (Fly Me To The Moon) In Other Words
[3:33] 5. When The World Was Young
[2:13] 6. Ten Cents A Dance
[3:10] 7. Easy Come, Easy Go
[2:32] 8. The No Soap, No Hope, No Mouse, No House Blues
[2:47] 9. Just In Time
[2:52] 10. Old Devil Moon
[4:00] 11. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
[2:39] 12. Them There Eyes
[2:53] 13. If The Moon Turns Green
[1:50] 14. Johnny One Note
[3:20] 15. Waiter, Make Mine Blues
[2:28] 16. What Is This Thing Called Love

This is an excellent one-disc roundup of Anita O'Day's output for Clef, Norgan and Verve -- arguably her most important, most experimental period -- and it is especially valuable because Anita and her manager Alan Eichler made the selections themselves. It was during this decade of activity that O'Day made the transition from a spent former big-band thrush to an acclaimed jazz diva, despite the turmoil in her personal life and her feeling that she was playing second-fiddle to Ella in Norman Granz' recording stable. The selection is remarkably wide-ranging, sampling from twelve of O'Day's sixteen albums for Granz and his successor at Verve, Creed Taylor, with lots of loosely swinging mid- and uptempo numbers and ballads that can be alternately world-wise and innocent. Among the many highlights that illustrate the diversity of O'Day's Verve period are "No Soap, No Hope Blues," from O'Day's first rare ten-inch album for Granz; her saucy remake of "Boogie Blues" with the innovative Gary McFarland orchestra; and the sexy, swaggering title track of Waiter, Make Mine Blues. Anyone seeking an entryway into the tough yet vulnerable song world of Anita O'Day will get a lot of helpful direction from this album. ~Richard S. Ginnell

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Ana Caram - Não Ando Só

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:03
Size: 100.9 MB
Styles: Latin jazz. Christian
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[2:44] 1. Ó Deus De Amor
[3:30] 2. Do Santo Sábado És Senhor
[2:33] 3. Bem De Manhã
[3:15] 4. Querido Jesus
[3:28] 5. Seu Maravilhoso Olhar
[3:37] 6. Saudade
[3:51] 7. Muito Além Do Sol
[4:03] 8. Abre, Senhor, Os Olhos Meus
[4:18] 9. Que Te Darei, Meu Mestre
[4:14] 10. Não Ando Só
[3:38] 11. Quero Estar Ao Pé Da Cruz
[3:00] 12. Ser Igual A Cristo
[1:46] 13. Dá-Me Tua Paz

ANA CARAM lent his voice to the world of popular music and is still known today. She has performed alongside big names and renowned audiences in Brazil and around the world.

After a turnaround in her life, decided to dedicate her voice and his talent to sing songs that, in some way, reveal his new spiritual experience. After some experiences with independent releases, he launches his first work with the label MusiCasa. (Translated from Portuguese.)

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Bill Laswell - In Dub

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 65:00

Size: 148.8 MB

Styles: World music, Reggae, Experimental

Year: 2015

Art: Front

[5:34] 1. Enharmonic

[5:40] 2. Residue

[3:42] 3. Occult Persuasion

[6:05] 4. Metabolic Regulator

[5:22] 5. Entretiens

[4:02] 6. Unveiled

[3:47] 7. Physica Subterranea

[4:42] 8. Spirals

[4:33] 9. Painting In Space

[4:58] 10. Hombre Invisible

[2:42] 11. Polarity, Pt. 1

[4:06] 12. Nonmatter

[5:52] 13. Enharmonic (Extended Version)

[3:49] 14. Polarity, Pt. 2

American bassist, composer and music producer Bill Laswell has an expansive and eclectic discography and has been involved in hundreds of recordings with many artists from across the world. Laswell's music is influenced by a plethora of musical genres, such as funk, world music, jazz, drum and bass, dub and ambient music. Starting in 1978, Laswell has built a reputation as an accomplished bass player and composer. He has also had a prolific career as a music producer and sound engineer, overseeing the recording process of diverse musical acts such as Sly and Robbie, Afrika Bambaataa, Bernie Worrell, Blind Idiot God, Henry Threadgill and Buckethead

In Dub                 

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John Pizzarelli - My Blue Heaven

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:19
Size: 135.8 MB
Styles: Guitar & vocal jazz
Year: 1990/2008
Art: Front

[4:00] 1. My Blue Heaven
[3:46] 2. I'm An Errand Boy For Rhythm
[3:22] 3. It Could Happen To You
[8:02] 4. Oh, Lady Be Good
[2:32] 5. The Touch Of Your Lips
[4:05] 6. Can't Take You Nowhere
[2:51] 7. Take My Smile
[3:02] 8. That's What
[2:42] 9. Stray Horn
[2:45] 10. Best Man
[3:24] 11. Oh Me, Oh My, Oh Gosh
[3:10] 12. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[3:16] 13. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
[4:12] 14. Passion Flower
[4:25] 15. Zoot Walked In Morning Fun
[3:37] 16. Candy

Just prior to signing with RCA/Novus, John Pizzarelli recorded two sets for Chesky that featured him playing in the swing style that he would soon make quite popular. Although joined by all-stars (pianist Dave McKenna, bassist Milt Hinton, drummer Connie Kay, his father, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, and flugelhornist Clark Terry) rather than his regular trio, Pizzarelli's likable vocals and relaxed guitar solos are not overshadowed. In fact, this is a delightful date, with memorable renditions of such songs as "I'm An Errand Boy for Rhythm," "Lady Be Good," "The Best Man," "Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You" and "Candy." Easily recommended to John Pizzarelli fans. ~Scott Yanow

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Paolo Fresu - Mamut

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:21
Size: 115.3 MB
Styles: Modern Creative jazz
Year: 1986/2009
Art: Front

[7:19] 1. Dedalo
[3:08] 2. Yatra (First Take)
[3:59] 3. In
[1:03] 4. Yatra (Second Take)
[5:27] 5. Pin Pon
[4:01] 6. Dibuixos Sobre La Sorra Carillon
[6:53] 7. Mamut
[1:58] 8. March (First Take)
[0:55] 9. Birds
[3:04] 10. March (Second Take)
[3:34] 11. 'round About Midnight
[1:31] 12. Mar-Home-Mar
[7:21] 13. Pà

Bass, Electric Bass – Attilio Zanchi; Congas, Percussion – Mimmo Cafiero; Drums, Percussion – Ettore Fioravanti; Piano, Keyboards (Yamaha DX7) – Roberto Cipelli; Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Tino Tracanna; Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Cornet, Pocket Trumpet, Arranged By – Paolo Fresu.

Mämût is trumpet player and composer Paolo Fresu's first major statement as a bandleader. Though he has been awarded many honors, including Musician of the Year by the Italian Critics' poll in 1990, it wasn't until 1985 when the first of these works was recorded that Fresu's ensemble and his compositional style had reached its chromatic sophistication and intervallic elegance. The odd thing is, the music found on Mämût was recorded in 1985 and 1986 with music composed for two theater productions. The most remarkable thing about this album is how all of it flows as if from a single source, including the glorious cover of Monk's "'Round About Midnight," which occurs at the end of the disc. The 12 originals are a mix of pastoral swinging lyricism, post-bop modal inventions, and bluesed-out lyricism. The two takes each of "Yatra" and "March" are evidence of just how deep Fresu's ability to transfer emotion is without syrup or sentimentality. Part of this is due to the fact that he writes specifically for his wondrous sextet, which includes the great saxophonist Trino Tracanna, pianist Roberto Cipelli, bassist Attilio Zanchi, and drummer Ettore Fioravanti with percussionist Mimmo Cafiero. These men are all wise in the manner of understatement and are all intimately familiar with the curiously spare dynamics of Fresu's compositional methods. It can be argued on the basis of this lush, haunting record alone that without this band, Fresu's music would have an entirely different timbre. No matter, it's this sextet who performs the 13 tunes here and this band who expresses what to everyone, with the exception of Fresu, would be inexpressible. This is Italian jazz at its very best. ~Thom Jurek

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Rigmor Gustafsson - I Will Wait For You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:24
Size: 124.5 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[3:56] 1. Empty Hearts
[4:10] 2. Is It A Crime
[4:49] 3. If You Go Away (Ne Me Quitte Pas)
[3:58] 4. Makin' Whoopee
[4:00] 5. Fire And Rain
[5:45] 6. It Never Entered My Mind
[3:45] 7. Fever
[4:33] 8. The Moon's A Harsh Mistress
[4:19] 9. I Will Wait For You
[4:41] 10. It's Been So Long
[5:20] 11. Black Coffee
[5:03] 12. The More I See

Bass – Lars Danielsson; Drums – Wolfgang Haffner; Piano – Roberto Di Gioia; Strings [Guest] – The Fleshquartet; Trombone, Vocals, Producer, Liner Notes – Nils Landgren; Trumpet [Guest] – Staffan Svensson; Vocals – Rigmor Gustafsson. Recorded and Mixed by Jan Ugand at Polar Studios, Stockholm, Sweden in January and April 2003.

"Rigmor is the greatest jazz singer that we have had in Sweden for a very long time" wrote the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. For years Rigmor Gustafsson has been a star of the young, vital Swedish jazz scene and has already released three albums in her own name. In Germany her highly-praised performance at the Berlin Jazz Festival in 2001 led to an invitation to the JazzBaltica Festival in 2002 as a result of which she could be introduced to the wider German audience as a "new star in the vocal heaven" (Jazzthetik). In the same year she guested on Nils Landgren’s successful Sentimental Journey album (ACT 9409-2). Now with the first ACT release I Will Wait For You she finally proves that she inherits seamlessly the tradition of great Swedish female vocalists such as Monica Zetterlund, Lill Lindfors and others.

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Janos Varga, The Mediterranean Combo - Latin Fantasy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:49
Size: 118.6 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:37] 1. Mediterranean Nights
[5:18] 2. Copacabana
[5:12] 3. Shall We Dance
[6:03] 4. Samba
[4:37] 5. Flamenco Flounces
[6:34] 6. Bacardi
[3:23] 7. When I'm Going To You
[6:52] 8. Castillan Hills
[4:32] 9. Fading Clouds
[4:36] 10. Sweet Dream

If you love the Latin/Mediterranean sounds of artists such as Oscar Lopez, Armik, the trio (Al Di Meola, Paco de Lucia, John Mc Laughlin) and other fiery acoustic players, you’ll really enjoy the legendary ex-East guitarist Janos Varga’s project recorded with his son Varga Jr. on second guitar and Zsolt Nagy on piano and Tsoukalas Hristos on darbuka. Entitled Latin Fantasy, the tunes exude passion and excitement while offering a melodic treat for the ears. Varga and Nagy also add some wicked hand percussion to the proceedings - in short, some amazing Latin and Mediterranean style music from a place you might not expect - Hungary.

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Don Bagley - Jazz On The Rocks

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:02
Size: 75.6 MB
Styles: Progressive jazz
Year: 1957/1999/2012
Art: Front

[5:29] 1. Batter Up'
[4:56] 2. Come Out Swingin'
[4:40] 3. Odd Man Out
[4:17] 4. Bull Pen
[8:47] 5. Hold In There
[4:50] 6. Miss De Minor

Alto Saxophone – Phil Woods; Bass – Don Bagley; Drums – Charlie Persip; Guitar – Sal Salvador; Piano, Vibraphone – Eddie Costa.

Don Bagley was better known as a sideman than a leader during the 1950s, touring with Stan Kenton and recording with the likes of Nat King Cole and Dexter Gordon. This is the second of just three records the bassist made as a leader, with a lineup of rising young stars including Phil Woods, Eddie Costa, Sal Salvador, and Charlie Persip. All six tracks are originals by Bagley, starting with the perky "Batter Up." The leader and the drummer set up the exotic groove to "Come Out Swingin'," which features a superb solo by Woods. "Odd Man Out" spotlights Bagley, with some delicate background accompaniment by Costa on piano. Costa switches to vibes for the driving bop vehicle "Bull Pen" and the playful "Hold in There." Originally recorded for Regent and reissued by Savoy on LP, this album finally reappeared in 1999 as a CD on the Spanish Blue Moon label. ~Ken Dryden

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Holly Cole - Dark Dear Heart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:54
Size: 118.8 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1987
Art: Front

[3:27] 1. I've Just Seen A Face
[3:58] 2. Make It Go Away
[4:03] 3. Onion Girl
[3:58] 4. Dark, Dear Heart
[4:30] 5. You Want More
[3:48] 6. Timbuktu
[5:16] 7. World Seems To Come And Go
[4:43] 8. River
[4:31] 9. Hold On
[4:51] 10. Brighter Lonely Day (Run, Run, Run)
[4:19] 11. I Told Him That My Dog Wouldn't Run
[4:24] 12. All The Pretty Little Horses

Instead of opting for the full-on pop diva route, Cole travels a far more interesting path towards the mainstream that picks up on the vapor trails of "I Can See Clearly Now" and her album of Waits covers. "I've Just Seen a Face" retains echoes of its signature melody, but is otherwise a smart reinvention, and Sheryl Crow's "You Want More" or the slinky Aaron Davis cowrite "Timbuktu" make fine follow-ups. Larry Klein's spartan production shines in particular on the title track. ~Jeff Bateman

Showcasing Cole in her most innovative and evocative setting yet, Dark Dear Heart promises to take her way beyond her rabid following. Leaving behind most of the jazz trappings that graced her earlier efforts, Holly moves squarely into a unique pop region which she will undoubtedly claim as her own. Produced by Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Shawn Colvin), music here ranges from breezy to unforgettable. 1st AAA single/video: A reworking of the Fab Four's "I've Just Seen a Face."

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Dave Valentin - Red Sun

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:28
Size: 104,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:21)  1. With A Little Help From My Friends
(5:12)  2. Red Sun
(3:47)  3. Two Steps Ahead
(5:17)  4. We'll Be Together Again
(4:34)  5. Beyond The Ridge
(4:29)  6. Lia's Song
(5:05)  7. Loco Motion
(6:23)  8. Little Sunflower
(4:15)  9. Pensativa

This was flutist Dave Valetin's 15th release for GRP and, as with his previous ones, it features impeccable musicianship, subtle funk grooves, some heated Latin rhythms and rather lightweight melodies. Despite some passionate moments, the music always sounds a bit controlled, never exceeding prescribed time limits or emotional boundaries. There are some strong moments of interest on this relatively pleasing CD, particularly a restrained melodic statement by trumpeter Arturo Sandoval on "We'll Be Together Again" and a groovin' version of "With a Little Help from My Friends."~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/red-sun-mw0000097869

Personnel: Dave Valentin (flute); Jon Lucien (vocals); Bernd Schoenhart (guitar); Arturo Sandoval (flugelhorn); Steve Turre (trombone); Bill O'Connell (piano, synthesizer); Dave Samuels (vibraphone); Lincoln Goines (acoustic bass); Robby Ameen (drums, cymbals, percussion); Richie Morales (drums, cymbals); Milton Cardona (congas, cowbells, percussion); Sammy Figueroa (percussion); Steve Shapiro (programming).

Red Sun

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Renee Olstead - Skylark

Styles: Vocal  Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:41
Size: 123,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:02)  1. Midnight Man
(5:02)  2. Lover Man
(3:15)  3. Stars Fell On Alabama
(3:03)  4. My Baby Just Cares For Me
(4:43)  5. When I Fall In Love
(3:01)  6. Thanks For The Boogie Ride
(4:02)  7. Hold Me Now
(4:12)  8. Skylark
(3:26)  9. Midnight In Austin Texas
(3:23) 10. Hit The Road Jack
(3:28) 11. You've Changed
(2:46) 12. Ain't We Got Fun
(4:11) 13. Nothing But The Blame

Much like her self-titled debut from 2004, the second album by television actress and jazz-pop singer Renee Olstead finds the flame-haired teenager working with producer and arranger David Foster on a track list consisting mostly of standards from the Great American Songbook. A more than adequate singer with a surprising depth for such a young age (just 17 when this album was recorded), Olstead shines on classics like "Stars Fell On Alabama" and "Lover Man."~ Charity Sttaford https://www.allmusic.com/album/skylark-mw0000794568

Skylark

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Don Rendell et Bobby Jaspar - Recontre À Paris

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:55
Size: 62,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. Pot Luck
(5:13)  2. Olympia
(3:56)  3. Dave's Blues
(3:25)  4. Kingfish
(3:48)  5. Thou Swell
(4:46)  6. A Long Way From Home

Born 4 March 1926, Plymouth, Devon, England. Rendell began playing alto saxophone as a child but later switched to tenor. He played in a number of dance bands during the late 40s, and in 1950 became a member of John Dankworth’s septet. After leaving Dankworth in 1953 he formed his own small group but also worked with bands led by Tony Crombie, Ted Heath and others. In 1956 he joined Stan Kenton for a European tour, appearing on Live At The Albert Hall. In the late 50s he played with Woody Herman. During the 60s Rendell was again leading his own bands, featuring musicians such as Graham Bond, Michael Garrick and Ian Carr, with whom he was co-leader of a successful band. The four albums he recorded with Carr are highly recommended. Rendell has also recorded with Stan Tracey (The Latin American Caper), and Neil Ardley (Greek Variations). A fluent improviser, with hints of post-bop styling overlaying a deep admiration for the earlier work of Lester Young, Rendell has long been one of the most admired of British jazz artists. For many years he has been tireless in the promotion of jazz through his activities as a sought-after teacher.  https://www.allmusic.com/artist/don-rendell-mn0000193495/biography              

Personnel:  Don Rendell (Tenor Sax);  Bobby Jaspar (Tenor Sax);  Dave Amram  (Cor);  Sacha Distel (Guitar);  Maurice Vaer (Piano);  Guy Pedersen (Bass);  Mac Kak (Drums).

Recontre À Paris

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Wayne Shorter - Etcetera

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:15
Size: 100,0 MB
Art: Front

( 6:21)  1. Etcetera
( 6:46)  2. Penelope
( 7:24)  3. Toy Tune
(11:08)  4. Barracudas (General Assembly)
(11:35)  5. Indian Song

In Harold and the Purple Crayon,” a children’s book from 1955, the intrepid hero, a sturdy toddler, decides to go for a walk in the moonlight. There is no moon, and so, with his purple crayon, Harold draws one, and then decides to draw a straight path to walk upon. When this leads him nowhere, he follows his crayon under the moon’s watchful eye through a series of adventures, conjuring a field, a forest, an apple tree, a nasty dragon, an ocean, a sailboat, a beach, a picnic lunch of pie, a moose and a porcupine to eat it, a mountain to climb, a balloon to ferry him down it, a house, a front yard, a city full of windows, and a policeman to point the way home. Then, finally, he draws his bedroom window around the moon, draws his bed, draws himself under the covers, drops the pen and goes to sleep. This synesthetic process is not unlike what Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Cecil McBee, and Joe Chambers did at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio on June 14, 1965, when they made Etcetera, Shorter’s fifth recording for Blue Note. Like each of Shorter’s other Blue Note sessions from that era, it was a one-shot affair.  “There was nothing developmental as a band,” he told his biographer Michelle Mercer. “A recording was just one movie, and then the next was another movie, in a kind of dream away from Miles.”

The notion of an imaginary screenplay in notes and tones suits the ambiance of this exceptional date. Each piece evokes a fantasy world, tells a story with a beginning, a middle and an end upon which the protagonists improvise, creating lines that assume a life of their own and following them wherever they choose. As Hancock put it thirty-seven years later, “The world is Wayne’s stage; he can grab a metaphor from almost anything in life.” Perhaps that cinematic, episodic quality is one reason why Etcetera, which would not be released until fifteen years after it was recorded, resonates so deeply with numerous Boomer jazzfolk. Another is the humanity of Shorter’s instrumental voice, efflorescent in the quartet setting, emotional, hardcore, expressing the same passion, vulnerability and free spirit that suffuses his pieces.

Consider the kaleidoscopic emotional range conveyed on the noirish title track, on which the leader and Hancock, already close friends after nine months together with Miles, offer soliloquies conveying ecstasy, torment, and angst, navigating the tricky harmonic terrain with melodies that meander through, around, and in synch with Joe Chambers’ roiling, orchestrative, funky beats. On the meditative “Penelope,” dedicated perhaps to the wife of Odysseus or to a real, live woman (Shorter doesn’t say), the composer channels his inner Strayhorn, while on “Toy Tune,” a mid-tempo swinger that doesn’t settle on a key center, Shorter offers a master class on building tension over multiple choruses. On Gil Evans’ “Barracudas,” he uncorks a Coltrane-inflected declamation (Hancock’s response is equally intense) whose thematic coherence is undoubtedly informed by his year-earlier solo flight on Evans’ swirling arrangement of that piece on The Individualism of Gil Evans.  Of “Indian Song,” an anthemic line propelled by Cecil McBee’s insistent bass vamp and Joe Chambers’ impeccable, surging, polyrhythmic 5/4 beat, Shorter further refracts Coltrane’s syntax and spirit into his own argot on a lengthy first section, before Hancock, himself a force of nature, completely changes the feel. Perhaps another reason why Etcetera has become such a notable signpost is that, as much as any other Shorter album, it emblemizes an aspiration that Shorter stated in 2003, while traveling in Europe with his present quartet in the aftermath of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. “Music is a part of the struggle,” he said. “They talk about the unknown factor they don't know what's going to happen. Why don't we do that every night on stage?  There's no school, no university for the unknown. Music is mysterious. Everything is. The unexpected is what's happening.”

Personnel:  Wayne Shorter (Tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (Piano); Cecil McBee (Bass); Joe Chambers (Drums).

Etcetera

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Vincent Herring - Don't Let It Go

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:24
Size: 124,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:26)  1. Don't Let It Go
(7:37)  2. Into the Midnight
(6:57)  3. Sabrosa
(7:02)  4. In the Shadow of John Galt
(5:38)  5. Big Bertha
(6:24)  6. The Unknown Ideal
(7:24)  7. Liberation
(6:52)  8. Blueprint for a New Tomorrow

On alto saxophonist Vincent Herring's third Musicmasters release, he is joined by trumpeter Scott Wendholt, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Jesse Yusef Murphy, and drummer Carl Allen to perform seven originals (five by the group's members) and one jazz classic, Duke Pearson's hard-swinging "Big Bertha." Outside of "Big Bertha," this recording has a more relaxed, introspective feel, a departure from Herring's previous hard bop-oriented releases.

Herring's big, Adderley-influenced sound is intact, but his attack is more restrained, expressing the emotions that help to shape the music, and his unison lines with Wendholt on the melodies give this recording much of its flavor. Other favorites include the Shorter-ish title track, Chestnut's Latin-influenced "Into the Midgreg Turner night" (a feature for Herring's soprano), Tex Allen's "Sabrosa," which has a slower, Latin-influenced melody, and Wendholt's fast waltz, "The Unknown Ideal" (another Herring soprano feature). This is a welcome addition to the Herring discography. ~ Greg Turner https://www.allmusic.com/album/dont-let-it-go-mw0000125935

Personnel:  Vincent Herring (Alto saxophone, soprano saxophone); Scott Wendholdt (Trumpet); Cyrus Chestnut (Piano); Jesse Yusef Murphy (Bass); Carl Allen (Drums).

Don't Let It Go

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Benny Carter Quartet - Sax A La Carter

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:22
Size: 106.2 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[2:56] 1. And The Angels Sing
[3:34] 2. Everything I Have Is Yours
[3:04] 3. I Understand
[3:15] 4. All Or Nothing At All
[2:21] 5. I'll Never Smile Again
[3:43] 6. If I Loved You
[3:22] 7. Far Away Places
[3:57] 8. I Should Care
[2:59] 9. For All We Know
[2:47] 10. (I Don't Stand A) Ghost Of A Chance With You
[3:04] 11. The One I Love (Belongs To Someone Else)
[2:42] 12. Moon Of Manakoora
[2:19] 13. Ennui
[3:01] 14. Friendly Islands
[3:10] 15. Friendly Islands

Benny Carter - sax, Jimmy Rowles - piano, Leroy Vinnegar - bass, Mel Lewis - drums. Recorded at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles on February 5, 1960.

This is the great American alto saxist and composer Benny Carter, who died last year (2004) at 95, breezing along with a fine quartet in LA in 1960 - with that genius of piano accompaniment, Jimmy Rowles. Carter's sound seems to embody the pragmatically sensual, life-embracing ease that characterises the jazz of the pre-bop era - though as an immensely sophisticated musician, Carter's improvising was full of modern audacities.

This is a conventional and easy-swinging set - but the pleading romantic tremor in the ballad playing, the suggestively swivelling slurs and the almost Bird-like brittleness on For All We Know all testify to a master in his prime. ~John Fordham

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Akiko - Simply Blue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:10
Size: 105.7 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:38] 1. Let's Face The Music And Dance
[4:19] 2. Speak Low
[5:49] 3. Same Ol' Gloomy Song
[3:45] 4. Old Devil Moon
[4:32] 5. Blues No. 8
[4:49] 6. Whisper Not
[4:54] 7. Do You Know
[4:25] 8. Night And Day
[4:30] 9. Not Lovers, Always Friends
[5:24] 10. Wish You Were Here

Drums – Tommy Campbell; Piano – Tadataka Unno; Bass – Yoshio “Chin” Suzuki; Vocals – Akiko.

Born in Tokyo, Akiko began playing piano at age 4. She began listening to rock and punk music when she was a junior high school and then began to take their interest in different types of music including 70's Disco Music 60's Oldies, 50's Rock and Country & Western In particular, they like music, she was particularly inspired by old black music Jump & Jive and Doo Wop. At age 18, she happened to listen to Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald and met with Jazz Afterwards she began to sing like a pro at Jazz Club Tokyo when she was a student.

Akiko in 2001 signed with Universal Jazz. In June 2005, Akiko released his first live album "Simply Blue "which was recorded at the Jazz Club Motion Blue Yokohama.

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