Hot Lips Page - The Best Of Hot Lips Page

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:43
Size: 102.4 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[6:02] 1. Honeysuckle Rose
[5:18] 2. Squeeze Me
[5:54] 3. Muskrat Ramble
[2:50] 4. Savannah
[9:57] 5. The Blues In B
[4:24] 6. Take Your Shoes Off, Baby
[1:58] 7. All Of Me
[5:09] 8. Get The Mop
[3:08] 9. Billie's Blues

Oran Thaddeus Page (January 27, 1908 – November 5, 1954) was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader born in Dallas, Texas, United States. He was better known as Hot Lips Page by the public, and Lips Page by his fellow musicians. He was known as a scorching soloist and powerful vocalist.

Page was a member of Walter Page's Blue Devils, Artie Shaw's Orchestra and Count Basie's Orchestra, and he worked with Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Ida Cox. He was one of the five musicians who opened Birdland with Charlie Parker in 1949.

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Greg Murphy - Blues For Miles

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:51
Size: 164.5 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:32] 1. My Shining Hour
[4:43] 2. Easy To Remember
[7:06] 3. Half-Fulton
[5:31] 4. Nancy's Fantasy
[5:20] 5. Brother, Can You Spare A Dime
[8:25] 6. Blues For Miles
[3:12] 7. Earthlings
[0:10] 8. Split Second
[6:50] 9. Hat Trick
[4:57] 10. For My Mom
[3:27] 11. Blues For Miles (Alternate Take)
[4:27] 12. Blue In Green
[4:14] 13. Free Han Solo
[7:50] 14. Free Ur Mind

Greg Murphy - piano, Raphael Cruz - percussion, Kush Abadey - drums, Josh Evans - trumpet, Eric Wheeler - bass, Tom DiCarlo - bass, Ben Solomon - tenor sax.

Chicago native Greg Murphy has been a major contributor to the New York City jazz scene since the 1980s and he’s probably best known for his twenty-two year association with John Coltrane’s multidirectional drummer, Rashied Ali. Greg began his musical adventures in 1971 when he joined the Ray-Fisk Grammar School Band in Chicago. His classical studies began later that year with Lucia Santini at Roosevelt University. Between 1980 and 1984, he played with the jazz/funk band Lightning Flash Thunder Roar, The University of Illinois at Chicago Big Band, The Northern Illinois University Big Band, and other local Chicago bands. A jazz study grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1984 gave Greg the opportunity to go to New Orleans and study with the eminent pianist and jazz educator, Ellis Marsalis. He remained there and began recording and performing with The New Orleans Jazz Couriers, Percussion Incorporated, and his own group, The Fusicians. The Percussion Incorporated album, Drum Talk, (Greg’s first recording) was recorded and released in 1987. While living in the crescent city, Greg performed with Donald Harrison, Wynton Marsalis, and countless other great musicians.

Greg moved to New York in 1987 and began what had become a long association with multi-directional drummer, Rashied Ali. Greg performed and recorded with Ali and his various groups throughout Europe, Canada, the United States and beyond, from 1987 until Rashied passed away in 2009. Throughout his career, Greg has performed in Japan, China and The Philippines with his own trio and other groups. He’s also worked in New York with Ornette Coleman and in France with Carlos Santana and Archie Shepp. In 2012, Greg recorded the theme song “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” for the HBO documentary Redemption, which was produced and directed by Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill. Redemption received a 2013 Academy Award nomination for best documentary short. Greg also performed with Jeff “Tain” Watts, Billy Hart, Arthur Taylor, Joe Lovano, Grachan Moncur, III, Christian McBride, Cindy Blackman, Flava Flav, Charles McPherson, Larry Ridley, William Parker and Charles Gayle, among many others.

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Camille Bertault - Pas De Geant

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:49
Size: 118.6 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[3:41] 1. Nouvelle York
[4:08] 2. Comment Te Dire Adieu
[4:04] 3. Arbre Ravéologique
[4:34] 4. Là Où Tu Vas
[3:30] 5. Je Me Suis Fait Tout Petit
[3:14] 6. House Of Jade
[2:50] 7. Comptes De Fées
[1:09] 8. Goldberg
[2:10] 9. Very Early
[3:16] 10. La Femme Coupée En Morceaux
[2:36] 11. Winter In Aspremont
[4:16] 12. Entre Les Deux Immeubles
[3:12] 13. Certes
[2:37] 14. Tantôt
[3:12] 15. Suite, Au Prochain Numéro
[3:12] 16. Conne

Camille Bertault comes flying in like a breath of fresh air. She doesn’t seem to want to sound like any other artist and clearly has her own sound. Plus, she sings in French. And she has put words to John Coltrane‘s “Giant Steps” – almost three years ago she came up with a video on Youtube where she imitated Coltrane’s solo on the classic piece note for note with her voice. The new version now appears on her OKeh Records album “Pas De Géant”, French for “Giant Steps”. Also interesting to note: I think this particular track turns out to be the weakest on her album. You might want to describe it as a mélange of Jazz and Chanson. Her lyrics are witty,intelligent, crazy. She plays with her voice which makes you think you’re on a carousel, like on the George Brassens piece “Je Me Suis Fait Tout Petit”.

The way she handles Wayne Shorter‘s “House Of Jade” is also pretty special: overdubbed vocals, lyrics in Portuguese (“Casa De Jade” – she is very popular in Brazil)) and percussion-only accompaniment from the album’s arranger, director, musician Michael Leonhart. Very cool piece this! She sounds like a female Bobby McFerrin on her “Goldberg” interlude – the tempo of her vocalese style is simply breathtaking, as is the piano accompaniment by Dan Tepfer. Change of tempo and style saves this album from becoming too monotonous. There is a sweet version of the Bill Evans anthem “Very Early”, also with new lyrics in French (“La mer brillait mais toi tu avais disparu, disparu trop tôt”).

And yes, you also get the obligatory accordion (Daniel Mille), but not in typical Chansonette fashion, but rather as an accent to the big band-flavored arrangement of Michel Legrand‘s “La Femme Coupée En Morceaux”. There is a lot to explore here, like the accented bass clarinet (Stéphane Guillaume) on the ethereal “Winter In Aspremont”, one of half a dozen original compositions. The album opens with one of those, a love paean to the city of New York, “Nouvelle York”, with bittersweet and lovely lyrics (“Tu te venges et tu m’offres un beau torticolis/Qui m’renvoie illico au statut de fourmi”). Or check out her own “Certes”, a wonderfully flowing piece aided and abetted elegantly by drummer Jeff Ballard. The French and the Jazz sound so natural on this one like it always had been the perfect combination. Bass is played by both Joe Sanders and Christophe “Disco” Minck on the album.

There is a nice Fusion sound, courtesy of Michael Leonhart’s electric keyboard, on “Suite, Au Prochain Numéro” which also reminds me of an intricate, but still highly enjoyable Gil Evans arrangement. She totally lets it loose in eccentric fashion on the album closer “Conne”. My favorite at the moment is an illuminatingly unique, fascinating, soulful take on Serge Gainsbourg‘s “Comment Te Dire Adieu”. ~Matthias Kirsch

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Tommy Flanagan - Lady Be Good... For Ella

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:05
Size: 139.8 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[4:48] 1. Oh, Lady, Be Good!, Pt. 1
[6:40] 2. Love You Madly
[6:00] 3. Isn't It A Pity
[5:36] 4. How High The Moon
[3:49] 5. Smooth Sailing
[7:41] 6. Alone Too Long
[5:33] 7. Angel Eyes
[6:37] 8. Cherokee
[4:54] 9. Rough Ridin'
[5:29] 10. Pete Kelly's Blues
[3:52] 11. Oh, Lady, Be Good!, Pt. 2

The exquisite musings of piano great Tommy Flanagan need no extraneous superlatives; they speak volumes on their own. Here though it's personal, as he pays tribute to First Lady of Jazz Song Ella Fitzgerald, whom he faithfully accompanied first in the summer of 1956, as well as 1962-64 and 1968-78. Of the eleven songs swung by Flanagan, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash, the majority come right out of Ella's fabled songbook, with a couple of zingers tossed in for kicks. By the way, Flanagan himself has never sounded better, illuminating these well-known melodies with some modifications of his own. This program starts and ends with the title cut, but the first time around it's a wistfully slow ballad packed with all the elegance and emotion Flanagan can muster. The finale has him knocking it out flat, rippling with extroversions and extrapolations quite reminiscent of Ella's vocal excursions. Everyone knows how untouchable the pianist is on ballads, shown by the lugubriously patient melody he builds on the absolutely pristine "Isn't It a Pity?," the spooky, foggy "Angel Eyes," or the soft bossa "Alone Too Long." At his excitable best, Flanagan bops away at the midtempo "How High the Moon," goes for it during "Cherokee," chases the Fitzgerald penned "Love You Madly"-type song "Rough Ridin'" full steam ahead, trading eights with the clever Nash. The pianist is at his best during the actual, easy-swinging "Love You Madly," digging into his chordal interpretations of the melody, almost overemphasizing and staggering the phrases into a totally submissive stranglehold. Although Flanagan has many high points in an exceptional career, this is certainly up there with the best, and a great set of Cliff Notes for doing the jazz piano trio right. Highly recommended. ~Michael G. Nastos

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Russell Gunn - Ethnomusicology Vol 3

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:30
Size: 104,3 MB
Art: Front

(0:47)  1. Celebrity Room Intro
(4:12)  2. No Separation
(2:54)  3. The Critic's Song
(6:04)  4. Variations (on a conspiracy theory)
(5:45)  5. East St. Louis
(7:06)  6. John Wicks
(7:35)  7. Yesterdays
(4:03)  8. Strange Fruit
(7:00)  9. Stranger Fruit

Russell Gunn has a problem with critics but only the ones who don't like his music. The third track on this record makes this point more than abundantly clear. And it's pure hypocrisy. Regardless, I'm afraid I'll have to join this elite group. Gunn's last record (Vol. 2) was a brilliant blending of jazz with hip-hop, funk and other styles. Vol. 3 has crossed the line into pure indulgence and fallen off the edge. A few inspired combinations drown among a heap of tunes ripe with cliche. Suffice to say that the last record is the one to check out. Maybe it's time to quit the series? Give Gunn credit for holding true to his credo that "labels divide, separate." Indeed, his vision is founded on the idea that jazz as a pure entity is naked. When you put improvisation in the context of hip-hop, funk, rap, Latin, and other multifarious so-called "urban" styles, it develops an empowering energy. The point at which it acquires the greatest vigor is when it is tossed in the blender and scrambled. That idea works very well when the other items which go into the mix are clever, but it's critically dependent on the ingredients. One thing so-called "popular" culture celebrated here as a partner to improvisationhas unfortunately absorbed is the nagging influence of mass marketing and homogenization; Vol. 3 displays an unfortunate inability to discriminate product from culture, despite its heated and outspoken rhetoric to the contrary. "No Separation" (with the central message) builds instrumental improvisation (mostly vibes and trumpet) upon a rhythmic foundation that plods roughly through fuzzy hip-hop grooves. Scratches dot the landscape; there's a real drummer instead of a machine. But ironically the tune betrays its message. It sounds like we've heard it a hundred times before. Likewise with "The Critic's Song," which has an perky groove driven upward by keyboards voiced something like electric guitars. Kids rap brightly on, getting to the point that "real artists don't give a fuck about you"... you directed at unenthusiastic critics but also anyone, really. (What happens when you really liked the last album but hate the new one? Maybe that opinion doesn't matter if you're an artist. Hmmm.) Despite earlier errors in judgment, I won't return the favor. It's a good idea, kids and the rap and the groove, but it's just not executed right. The problem lies in the ingredients. They're cliche. At some point you realize that, other than the improvisation, the rest of the music hits you where you've been hit too many times already. Later points of departure include a slow-jam ballad with more vibes and horns; four-to-the-floor dance beats accompanied by chord changes and a big band orchestration; an interesting ambient drone-like eastern soul tune; and a painfully cheesy and outdated '70s synth ballad, complete with spare drums, bells, and floating keyboard textures. When Gunn steps to the fore as a player rather than a "composer," he shines. He has a remarkable ability to coax a wide range of emotions from the trumpet, including a spectrum of electronic effects. It's a shame this talent has gone to waste in an environment that suffocates its freshness. ~ AAJ Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/ethnomusicology-vol-3-russell-gunn-justin-time-records-review-by-aaj-staff.php

Personnel: Russell Gunn: Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Keyboards, Electric Trumpet. With Oliver Lake, Rocky Bryant, Marc Cary, Vincent Chancey, Gary Noble, Carl Burnett, Stefon Harris, James Hurt, Antoine Drye, Nick Rolfe, Duane Eubanks, Carlos Henderson, Dana Murray, Kahlil Kwame Bell, Kebbi Williams, DJ Neil Armstrong, Todd Britt, Kenny "Blue" Campbell, Montez Coleman.

Ethnomusicology Vol 3

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Clementine - Long Courrier

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:18
Size: 124,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. My cherie amour
(4:56)  2. Le beau Felix
(4:05)  3. Cinema muet
(4:30)  4. Chega de samba
(5:11)  5. Indecision
(7:08)  6. Fille de la mer
(5:00)  7. Happy Hour 6 to 8 PM
(4:47)  8. Glamour Girl
(3:46)  9. It's a Shame
(5:44) 10. Jeremie
(4:26) 11. Evasion

Clémentine is a French singer and songwriter based in Japan. She debuted in France in 1988 with the single, "Absolument Jazz". In addition to many releases as a singer, she has appeared regularly on the entertainment segment for NHK Educational TV "French TV". Collaborates frequently with other artists, mostly in Japan. Recently she has often collaborated with her daughter, Solita, who is also a singer.  Born in Paris but traveled widely as a child. With her father transferring first to Mexico and later around the world, she grew in touch with Bossa Nova and other local flavors of music. Returned to France and started Piano lessons at age 10 and Jazz school at age 12. Started her professional career in 1987 by sending a demo tape to Jazz greats Johnny Griffin and Ben Sidran, and was subsequently given an opportunity to record several songs with them. In 1988 released her first single, "Absolument Jazz" with CBS France. Signed a contract with Sony Music Entertainment Japan in 1990, and released many singles and albums. From 2003 to 2005 switched to the Epic Records Japan label, and from 2005 to 2008 to Toshiba EMI. Returned to Sony Music Entertainment in 2008. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cl%C3%A9mentine_(musician)

Long Courrier

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Eric Kloss - About Time

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:05
Size: 172,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:53)  1. Close Your Eyes
(5:49)  2. Old Folks
(8:12)  3. 'S 'Bout Time
(5:32)  4. That's The Way It Is
(5:44)  5. All Blues
(4:33)  6. Embraceable You
(4:58)  7. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(5:56)  8. Just For Fun-K
(5:20)  9. No Blues
(7:41) 10. Love For Sale
(5:09) 11. I'm Glad There Is You
(3:05) 12. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(6:07) 13. Gemini

Eric Kloss was 16 and 17 when he recorded his first two albums, which are reissued in full on this single CD. A brilliant altoist and tenor saxophonist with a sound and a post-bop style of his own, Kloss shows a great deal of potential during these performances, which were originally released as Introducing Eric Kloss and Love and All That Jazz. He is joined by trios that feature either Don Patterson or Richard "Groove" Holmes on organ; Pat Martino, Vinnie Corrao, or Gene Edwards on guitar; and Billy James or Grady Tate on drums. Two Kloss originals and one by Patterson join ten jazz standards, including "Close Your Eyes," "All Blues," a cooking version of "Embraceable You," and Miles Davis' "No Blues." The fire, intensity, and creativity of Eric Kloss' playing makes one regret that he did not have a much longer career. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/about-time-eric-kloss-the-rhythm-section-love-and-all-that-jazz-mw0000221813

About Time

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Bob Florence - State of the Art (Limited Edition)

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:38
Size: 128,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:22)  1. Just Friends
(5:13)  2. Moonlight Serenade
(6:55)  3. Silky
(7:05)  4. The Crunch
(4:05)  5. Stella by Starlight
(8:46)  6. All the Things You Are
(6:04)  7. Mr. Paddington
(5:42)  8. BBC
(5:23)  9. Auld Lang Syne

The first of two sets by Bob Florence's Limited Edition Orchestra for the USA label breaks from his tradition in that only four of the nine selections are Florence originals. The arranger completely reworks such familiar tunes as "Just Friends," "Moonlight Serenade," "All the Things You Are" and even "Auld Lang Syne." Among the key players are altoist Lanny Morgan, trumpeter Steve Huffsteter, Bob Cooper on tenor, and Kim Richmond on alto and soprano. Modern, swinging and unpredictable music. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/state-of-the-art-mw0000198731    

Personnel: Bob Florence (piano, electric piano, synthesizer); Lanny Morgan (flute, piccolo, clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Kim Richmond (flute, clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Dick Mitchell, Bob Cooper (flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone); Bob Efford (bass clarinet, baritone saxophone); John Lowe (e flat clarinet, baritone saxophone); George Graham, Larry Ford, Steve Huffsteter , Warren Luening (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Culper, Herbie Harper, Rick Culver, Charles Loper, Chauncey Welsch (trombone); Donald Waldrop (bass trombone); Tom Warrington (acoustic bass, electric bass); Peter Donald (drums); Alex Acuña (percussion).

State of the Art (Limited Edition)

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Elmo Hope Quintet - Elmo Hope Quintet

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:45
Size: 173.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1954/1991/2015
Art: Front

[2:48] 1. It's A Lovely Day Today
[2:51] 2. Mo Is On
[2:59] 3. Sweet And Lovely
[2:52] 4. Happy Hour
[3:53] 5. Hot Sauce
[3:06] 6. Stars Over Marakesh
[3:05] 7. Freffie
[2:56] 8. Carvin' The Rock
[2:46] 9. I Remember You
[2:52] 10. Mo Is On (Alternate Take)
[4:17] 11. Crazy
[3:48] 12. Abdullah
[3:36] 13. Chips
[4:01] 14. Later For You
[4:12] 15. Low Tide
[4:25] 16. Maybe So
[4:23] 17. Crazy (Alternate Take)
[6:08] 18. So Nice
[5:56] 19. St. Elmo's Fire
[4:45] 20. Vaun-Ex

Bass – Percy Heath; Drums – Art Blakey; Piano – Elmo Hope; Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster; Trumpet – Freeman Lee.

Of the collections of Elmo Hope's '50s recordings, Trio and Quintet is the one to get. It includes his prime Blue Note sessions and features a stellar cast of hard bop musicians including Art Blakey, Frank Foster, Philly Joe Jones, and Harold Land. The majority of the tunes are Hope originals which, in their angular introspection, bear the influence of both Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk. Things begin with ten mostly hard bop swingers from a trio date in 1953. Prominently featured is Hope's Powell like, single line attack. Solos stay brisk and straightforward on uptempo numbers like "Hot Sauce," but turn a bit mercurial on slower pieces like "Happy Hour." Standout tracks include Hope's "Mo Is On" with its "off to the races" opening statement and "Carvin' the Rock," which falls somewhere between Powell's "Parisian Thoroughfare" and "So Sorry Please." Percy Heath and Philly Joe Jones provide sympathetic support throughout. The Quintet tracks start with an East Coast session featuring Foster and Blakey. "Crazy"; it causes some problems for trumpeter Freeman Lee, but finds Foster in command with a vigorous solo statement. The remainder of the session impresses with a series of rhythmically rich Hope compositions which, like the majority of Monk's tunes, stay memorable in spite of their complexity. Three more Hope tunes from a West Coast date round out the quintet tracks and close the CD. This Blue Note release is great not only for its cross-section of Hope compositions, but also for the many fertile ideas they've inspired in top-drawer soloists. ~Stephen Cook

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Howard Alden, Andy Brown Quartet - Heavy Artillery

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:24
Size: 136.0 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[6:23] 1. Louisiana
[5:54] 2. Chuckles
[6:27] 3. Voce E Eu
[6:13] 4. I Had The Craziest Dream
[5:06] 5. Three And One
[6:08] 6. No One Else But You
[6:09] 7. Brigas Nunca Mais
[5:26] 8. Heavy Artillery
[5:39] 9. I Brung You Finjans For Your Zarf
[5:55] 10. If Dreams Come True

Its title notwithstanding, Heavy Artillery has far more to do with finesse than firepower, something that’s evident from the opening track, a slyly unfolding, effortlessly swinging rendition of “Louisiana.”

Lest anyone need further proof that guitarists Howard Alden and Andy Brown-mentor and protégé, respectively-are inspired by their rhythm tandem (bassist Joe Policastro and drummer Bob Rummage) and the relaxed studio setting, the balance of the album offers seven additional selections that elegantly underscore ensemble chemistry and intuitive guitar interplay. There is a pair of guitar duets, too. The last, a woven interpretation of “If Dreams Come True,” is as spry as it is delightful, arranged in ways that showcase nimble exchanges and contrapuntal designs.

The colorfully varied tune selection is also a big plus. Alden and Brown never seem at a loss when it comes to refreshing a vintage tune, familiar or not. Both players excel at melodic embellishment, and when shifting from lead to rhythmic roles, as they often do, the transitions are seamless. One after another, pieces composed by Clark Terry (“Chuckles”), Thad Jones (“Three and One”), Antonio Carlos Jobim (“Brigas Nunca Mais”), Don Redman (“No One Else But You”), Django Reinhardt (the album’s title track) and, not least, Red Norvo/Tal Farlow (“I Brung You Finjans for Your Zarf”) are imaginatively recast and revived by the quartet-so much so, in fact, that the absence of original material is never an issue. ~Mike Joyce

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Sy Smith - Sometimes A Rose Will Grow In Concrete

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:09
Size: 94.2 MB
Styles: Soul
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[4:06] 1. Perspective
[3:54] 2. Can't Get Over You
[4:51] 3. Camelot
[5:03] 4. We Were Never Free
[3:02] 5. Catastrophe
[1:28] 6. I'll Always Come Back To You (A Prelude)
[5:36] 7. Closer Than You Know
[1:38] 8. Doowop With Dad (A Prelude)
[4:30] 9. Now And Later
[0:45] 10. Suri Speaks (A Prelude)
[4:13] 11. Sometimes A Rose Will Grow In Concrete
[1:58] 12. It's All In My Mind (Reprise)

“Sometimes A Rose Will Grow In Concrete” (SRWGC) is fifth studio album by critically-acclaimed progressive soul artist Sy Smith. Often called the “Queen Of Underground Soul”, her previous works include “The Syberspace Social” (named in the top 10 albums of 2005 by The Boston Globe), “Psykosoul Plus” (2007) “Conflict” (2008, with charting radio singles “Fly Away With Me” and “The Art Of You”), and “Fast And Curious” (called “one of the best releases by a female” of 2012 by Soultracks.com). SRWGC is the first album completely written and produced by this multi-talented singer/songwriter/musician and features her slick synth bass playing and lithe fingering on piano/keys along with her incomparable soprano voice and signature harmonies/vocal arrangements. Sy Smith is finally having her singer/songwriter moment (think a 21st century Roberta Flack) - this album flourishes with compelling musical/vocal arrangements, thoughtful lyrics and Sy’s voice sounding better than ever.

As a producer, Sy displays an expected but not-before seen maturity on SRWGC. When she does play keys and synth bass, she does both effortlessly; but she brings in some of the top sidemen when the songs call for a different touch. Sy enjoys international acclaim having toured/recorded with some of the best-known recording artists including Whitney Houston and Meshell Ndegeocello. She’s currently a featured special guest on tour with Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti and is featured on his Grammy-nominated DVD “Live In Boston”. SRWGC features many of these previous/current bandmates including legendary percussionist Sheila E. (with whom Sy has toured/recorded) and violinist Lucia Micarelli (bka Annie on HBO’s Treme). Vocally, Sy’s soprano soars effortlessly; she shows off a sure-footed whistle tone (a la Minnie Riperton), confident jazz chops (Sy has been featured with numerous orchestras in tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, including at Carnegie Hall & Kennedy Center), a full-out commanding belt in her upper register - but usually her whimsical, conversational tone is utilized to tell the stories on this project. Still carrying a strong pen, Sy reveals victories won and battles still being fought as she allows her listeners into the most intimate spaces she’s ever exposed. The title track is a powerful, if haunting, ode to people (especially Black women in this case) who come through the harshest of trials and still bloom as beautifully as roses. Sy is that defiant rose throughout this entire project.

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Russell Gunn - Ethnomusicology Vol 2

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:31
Size: 153,7 MB
Art: Front

( 2:04)  1. Intro (A.K.A... I Think I Love You)
( 6:29)  2. Epistrophy
( 5:57)  3. Del Rio (A.K.A. Anita)
( 8:18)  4. Dance of the Concubine
( 6:08) 5. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Go-Go- Swing)
( 1:14)  6. Kebbi Williams Interlude
( 5:13)  7. I Wish
( 6:47)  8. Caravan
( 9:12)  9. Lyne's Joint
(15:04) 10. Outro

Trumpeter Russell Gunn demonstrated a very personal vision of jazz fusion on the first volume in this series, which generated a lot of media interest and earned him a Grammy nomination. He continues along the same vein with Ethnomusicology, Vol. 2, a fine showcase for his manifold crossover interests. It's too easy to dismiss this music as lightweight or trivial. Gunn is serious about his work, and there's ample evidence on Ethnomusicology, Vol. 2 to prove the point. His interpretation of Monk's "Epistrophy," for example, blows the original apart. Building layers of piano vamp, guitar pulse, bass bop, scratching, and hip-hop lyrics, this piece eventually settles into a harmonized statement of the theme on the horns. The foundations lay down a laid-back groove while Gunn takes his opportunity to solo convincingly on top. One tune later, on "Del Rio," he invades Afro-Latin rhythms with a Cubanized theme. It's all part of Gunn's extended continuum, which includes Go-Go swing piano ("It Don't Mean a Thing"), free improv ("Kebbi Williams Interlude"), Afro-Cuban dance music ("Del Rio"), understated Brazillian cool ("Dance of the Concubine"), hip-hop attitude ("Epistrophy"), and airtight funk ("Caravan"). Only the soul ballads "I Wish" and "Lyne's Joint" sag a bit at times, rearing the ugly head of smooth jazz. Gunn has come up with a beautiful blend of styles, and it's remarkable that his group can stretch to fit each niche. Much of that effect comes from the efforts of multi-talented pianist Marc Cary and versatile drummer Woody Williams. But guitarist Carl Burnett lends some critical support, and the other horns play important roles both as support and lead. One has the sense from listening to Ethnomusicology, Vol. 2 that these musicians had a lot of fun putting this record together. Adding to this spirit, the pictures of band members all feature images from early childhood. But make no mistake: Gunn is at the helm, and his vision is what keeps everyone together. Like the best kind of fusion, this record comes off like it was put together effortlessly. Everyone gets a chance to stretch out and have some fun. Hardly by accident, though. Don't dismiss Russell Gunn: he's a man with some interesting ideas. Check this disc out. ~ AAJ Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/ethnomusicology-vol-2-russell-gunn-justin-time-records-review-by-aaj-staff.php

Personnel: Russell Gunn: trumpet, flugelhorn, piano, fender rhodes, keyboards; Gunn Fu: vocals; Andre Heyward: trombone; Kebbi Williams: tenor saxophone; Marc Cary: piano, fender rhodes; Carl Burnett: guitar; Lonnie Plaxico: acoustic bass; Woody Williams: drums; D.J. Apollo: turntables. Special guests: Sherman Irby: flute, alto saxophone; Shedrick Mitchell: piano; Tony Suggs: keyboards.

Ethnomusicology  Vol  2

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Harold Mabern Trio - Straight Street

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:55
Size: 132,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:35)  1. Mr. Stitt
(5:20)  2. It's All in the Game
(4:27)  3. To Wane
(6:34)  4. Afterthoughts
(4:14)  5. Straight Street
(6:04)  6. Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing
(6:49)  7. Crescent
(6:01)  8. It's You or No One
(6:43)  9. Seminole
(5:04) 10. APAB and Others

For a time in the early 1990s, some of the CDs from the Japanese DIW label were made available domestically through Columbia. This trio date by pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Jack DeJohnette has Mabern originals dedicated to Sonny Stitt and Wayne Shorter, plus some offbeat standards and a pair of rarely performed John Coltrane tunes ("Straight Street" and "Crescent"). The interplay between the musicians is impressive and Mabern is heard throughout in excellent form. He closes the set with a piano solo that he titled "Apab and Others," after Art Tatum, Phineas Newborn, Ahmad Jamal and Bud Powell. This will be a difficult CD to find. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/straight-street-mw0000279535 

Personnel:  Harold Mabern – piano;  Ron Carter – bass (tracks 1–9);  Jack DeJohnette – drums (tracks 1–9)

Straight Street

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Lindsey Webster - Love Inside

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:45
Size: 132,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:18)  1. Love Inside
(4:26)  2. A Love Before
(4:10)  3. Bad Grammar (Me & You)
(4:57)  4. Free To Be Me (feat. Norman Brown)
(4:42)  5. Dream
(4:01)  6. Don't Give Up On Me
(4:12)  7. One Last Time
(1:40)  8. Even If He Lied
(5:52)  9. Walk Away
(5:27) 10. It's Not You, It's Me (feat. Rick Braun)
(5:27) 11. Opportunity 2.0
(4:29) 12. By My Side

Lindsey Webster is the first vocalist to score four #1 Smooth Jazz radio hits in a row and was recently named the #1 Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs Artist for 2017. She's been on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart for an amazing 60 weeks. Her swift rise has been nothing short of spectacular! Love Inside promises to be Lindsey Webster's breakout album. The album's first single, "Love Inside," is quickly following the suit and making it's way up the chart!. Other highlights such as the sensuous "It's Not You, It's Me" (featuring Rick Braun) and the soulful "Free To Be Me" (featuring Norman Brown) help make Love Inside a must have release for Lindsey's growing legion of dedicated fans! ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Love-Inside-LINDSEY-WEBSTER/dp/B078X679P2

Love Inside

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Yelena Eckemoff - Blooming Tall Phlox

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 98:12
Size: 248,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:42)  1. Blooming Tall Phlox
(6:53)  2. Apples Laid Out On The Floor
(5:16)  3. Baba Lisa's Singer
(5:39)  4. Old-Fashioned Bread Store
(6:18)  5. Wildflower Meadows
(5:17)  6. Fish Fried On Open Fire
(8:54)  7. Sleeping In The Tent
(8:25)  8. Pine Needles Warmed By The Sun
(6:48)  9. Smoke From The House Chimneys In Frosty Air
(6:15) 10. Talks Over Hot Tea
(7:52) 11. Grandpa Lera's Bookcase
(7:43) 12. Clementines And Candies On Christmas Tree
(5:05) 13. Mommy's Shawl
(5:13) 14. Aunt Galya's Perfume
(5:45) 15. Scented Candles And Sparkling Wine

While the art of playing jazz qualifies as a multisensory experience, involving listening, touching, and seeing, it usually doesn't extend so far as to include the sense of smell. But that's not to say that a nose for scents has no place in musical and artistic spheres. If you need convincing, just look at Blooming Tall Phlox. For her tenth album in six years, pianist Yelena Eckemoff uses life and nature's bouquets as her muse. Her memory sniffs out various ideas and moments in time, which are then remarkably translated to the page and further expanded upon in performance. There are no secrets to be found in the titles themselves, as Eckemoff points directly to the aromas and odors that inspired them, but the music is full of mystique and aural arcana. In considering those facts, Blooming Tall Phlox can accurately be described as Eckemoff's most and least direct album to date. Eckemoff and her band, comprised of up-and-coming Finnish musicians, explore fifteen different topics here, split over two CDs and divided into two seasonal categories"Summer Smells" and "Winter Smells." The album opens in the former season with the title track. A gentle metallic clang greets the listener, inviting the ears into a free and nebulous atmosphere at first glance. Bassist Antii Lötjönen eventually helps the music to coalesce, and trumpeter Verneri Pohjola, entering more than a minute into the piece, further assists in the binding process. Pohjola's searching horn draws focus upon its entrance, but it doesn't retain control. Eventually solid shapes are reduced to seemingly formless wanderings that eventually merge anew and evolve into a courtly dance for Eckemoff, Pohjola, vibraphonist Panu Savolainen. This initial offering doesn't define what's to follow, but it illustrates how concrete writing and indeterminate thoughts both have a seat at the table when Eckemoff is at the head of it.

As Eckemoff and company continue to move through the lazy days of summer, they continue to toy with expectations. "Apples Laid Out On The Floor," a number with a swinging subtext, benefits from the use of an accelerando and rallentando that help to create a tempo arc in the music; "Baba Liza's Singer" builds off of minimalistic layering before using Pohjola as a directional beacon to take the music from dirge-like depths to soaring heights; "Old-Fashioned Bread Store" sways and swoons, presents some of Eckemoff's hippest soloing on the album, and offers another opportunity to appreciate the interplay between trumpet, piano, and vibraphone; and "Fish Fried On Open Fire" presents like an attractively quirky tango in a slow glide, inviting the ear to take part in an oddly alluring dance. The trip into winter that occurs on the second disc is equally intriguing, but it isn't the icy spell that might be expected. Eckemoff certainly conjures a chill, as displayed on the sedate yet impactful "Smoke From The House Chimneys In Frosty Air," but she largely shuns glacial tempos and oh-so-spare atmospheres here. "Clementines And Candies On Christmas Tree," for example, puts beauty and strength in balance and focus, and "Scented Candles And Sparkling Wine" grows from daintiness and gaiety to a controlled groove that's magic. Whether you appreciate this music or not, you really have to hand it to Eckemoff. She's quickly managed to create an enviable body of work that blends post-modern abstraction, classical thought, and jazz language into a seamless whole. There's a fearlessness in her art that's not always addressed in discussions of her work. 

It's not so easy to just dive into jazz when you're further down life's road, it's certainly a challenge to try to match forces with some of the music's giants shortly after taking the initial plunge, and it's quite difficult to create original music that offers intelligent thought and surprise when you're working under the aforementioned realities. Kudos to her for overcoming those obstacles. Eckemoff may not be a pure jazz musician, but who is these days? She has her own voice, she knows how to utilize her gifts, and she's managed to create quite a lot of compelling music in an incredibly short period of time. We may not know where she'll go next, but if the recent past is any indication, she'll probably go there soon, and it will probably be a trip unlike any other. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blooming-tall-phlox-yelena-eckemoff-l-and-h-production-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Yelena Eckemoff: piano; Verneri Pohjola: trumpet, flugelhorn; Panu Savolainen: vibraphone; Antti Lötjönen: double bass; Olavi Louhivuori: drums, percussion.

Blooming Tall Phlox

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Air - Air Lore

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:31
Size: 84,1 MB
Art: Front

( 9:20)  1. The Ragtime Dance
( 9:27)  2. Buddy Bolden's Blues
( 3:48)  3. King Porter Stomp
( 2:19)  4. Paille Street
(11:35)  5. Weeping Willow Rag

Recorded for RCA in 1979, the vanguard trio Air set out to explore its jazz roots. In fact, not only the trio's jazz roots, but everybody's right back to Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton as they were inventing a music that would tear up the streets of New Orleans and later change the world. Interestingly, since most of the music here all written by the aforementioned except for one tune was composed by pianists and is widely regarded as piano music, Air's exploration entirely struck the piano from the conversation. Reedman Henry Threadgill, bassist Fred Hopkins, and drummer Steve McCall turned the ragtime music of the fathers inside out and created an exploratory reinsertion of it into the avant-garde of the late '70s. Jelly Roll's "Buddy Bolden's Blues" becomes a blues from another century in the melodic universe of Threadgill, who doesn't give a damn about changes as much as he does stretching the harmonics of the blues idiom into other musics entirely. And in the familiar "King Porter Stomp," also by Morton, Threadgill challenges McCall, who quadruples the time so Henry and Fred can stop up the middle eight with some weird angular intervals where arpeggiated harmony and modal striation become one and the same thing. Finally, on Joplin's "Weeping Willow Rag," the band moves through the changes and then undermines them, turning them inside out as if this were really a party tune from somewhere that willow trees didn't exist or had already disappeared into some toxic twilight. Here are the joyous blues, the raucous blues, the rip 'em up and then send 'em home blues trapped in a color palette so rich and so varied it's difficult to find only one or two textures to fit them inside. Through it all, this remains the album most Air fans love most, precisely because of all the joy and irreverence in the proceedings, which didn't update the old music, but brought it into focus for the revolutionary improvisational template that it is. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/air-lore-mw0000197994

Personnel:  Henry Threadgill – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute;  Fred Hopkins – double bass;  Steve McCall  – drums, percussion.

Air Lore

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Brian Lynch Quintet - Back Room Blues

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:37
Size: 135,7 MB
Art: Front

(9:39)  1. Back Room Blues
(8:26)  2. I Waited For You
(8:47)  3. One For Mogie
(7:01)  4. Chandeks's Den
(9:36)  5. C.k.'s Bossa
(6:44)  6. Blues For Cramer Street
(7:23)  7. Confluence

Brian Lynch's second Criss Cross release features the fiery trumpeter in a hard bop quintet with tenor-saxophonist Javon Jackson, pianist David Hazeltine, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash. Although the musical style might be familiar, the repertoire (five Lynch originals and one by Hazeltine plus the Dizzy Gillespie-associated "I Waited For You") is not. Lynch digs quite ably into the largely straightahead material and the results are predictably swinging and creative within the tradition. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/back-room-blues-mw0000269853

Personnel:  Trumpet – Brian Lynch;  Bass – Peter Washington;  Drums – Lewis Nash;  Piano – David Hazeltine;  Tenor Saxophone – Javon Jackson

Back Room Blues

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Kristin Asbjornsen - Traces Of You

Size: 90,4 MB
Time: 38:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. By Your Side (3:33)
02. You Hold Me While Leaving Me (3:53)
03. She Holds My Hand (3:17)
04. Promise (4:06)
05. We Haven't Found Our Way Back Home (3:15)
06. Goodbye (3:19)
07. Finally (3:10)
08. I Won't Leave The Room (3:32)
09. Spring Reappears (4:36)
10. Traces Of You (2:23)
11. Vil Du Være Her Bestandig (3:13)

Personnel:
Olav Torget – guitars, konting & bass
Suntou Susso – kora & vocals
Anders Engen – percussion & vocals
Monica Ifejilika – vocals

Based on her assured melodic flair and poetic lyrics, Kristin has on Traces of You explored new fields of music. The songs have developed a haunting sound where vocals, guitars, kora, konting and hand claps are woven creatively into a meditative and warm vibration.

The album’s expression is naked and rich in details, with traces of West African music, lullabyes and Nordic contemporary jazz.

Traces of You has a serene intensity, conveyed by the unique presence of Kristin’s vocals.

The album was made in close collaboration with her longtime guitarist Olav Torget and sound maestro Ulf Holand. The album also introduces a new musical encounter with the Gambian griot and kora player Suntou Susso. Lyrical African ornaments unite in a playful dialogue with a sonorous guitar universe. Kristin sings in moving chorus with griot Suntou, using excerpts of her poems translated into Mandinka language.

Traces of You embracing the complexity and beauty of belonging. The songs are like delicate sensations: of life’s imprints, presence and love’s transformations.

Traces Of You

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Chris Standring - Sunlight

Size: 116,5 MB
Time: 50:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

01. Static In The Attic (4:49)
02. Aphrodisiac (7:41)
03. Love Street (3:42)
04. The Revisit (Feat. Bob James) (6:52)
05. No Explanation (Feat. Mica Paris) (3:55)
06. God Only Knows (Feat. John Novello) (4:11)
07. Like Paradise (3:49)
08. Moon Child (4:26)
09. Do Not Adjust Your Set (5:20)
10. The Principle Of Pleasure (4:33)
11. Static In The Attic (Reprise) (0:53)

Celebrating an extraordinary and prolific 20 years since the release of his debut album Velvet, Chris Standring once again spins his trademark retro-meets-modern vibes in fresh and unexpected directions to create the perfect antidote for these daunting, uncertain times - a powerful, melodic and rhythmically infectious burst of Sunlight. A bright, ambitious soul-jazz experience featuring multiple soloists including legendary pianist Bob James, and British soul singer Mica Paris, Sunlight draws on Standring's trademark, slightly off the beaten path urban jazz artistry infusing elements of classic soul, cool jazz and some fine jazz guitar playing.

Sunlight

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Lynda Carter - Red Rock N' Blues

Size: 163,0 MB
Time: 69:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Pop
Art: Front

01. You Never Need Nobody (4:38)
02. Take Me To The River (4:12)
03. Stop In The Name Of Love (5:14)
04. Gone, Gone, Gone (2:59)
05. Who's Foolin' Who (4:37)
06. Change Just A Little (3:25)
07. Put The Gun Down (3:18)
08. God Bless The Child (6:25)
09. Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing (3:06)
10. All I Have To Do Is Dream (2:50)
11. The Other Side Of Trouble (3:41)
12. After All These Years (3:33)
13. I'm Yours (3:41)
14. Long Legged Woman (3:01)
15. Lonely Girl (3:43)
16. I'm On Fire (3:36)
17. You've Changed (4:11)
18. Mercy (3:38)

Best known for winning our hearts as TV’s iconic Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter is an accomplished singer who has performed to rave reviews before sell-out crowds around the world. In addition to her long acting career, Lynda has the distinction of producing and starring in five highly rated network television specials, several of which were Emmy Award nominated.

She has appeared on stage with many of the world’s most famous singers including Ray Charles, Tom Jones, Kenny Rogers, George Benson and Ben Vereen. This Spring, Lynda, along with her All-Star Band of award-winning Nashville musicians, has released her latest album “Red, Rock N’ Blues”, which is the name of her newest show she will be presenting on her return to the Franklin Theatre. “Singing is in my soul,” says Lynda.

An engaging storyteller, she takes her audience on a journey where her life story and music intertwine. This new show will feature her distinctive takes on rock, jazz, blues, country, pop and original tunes.

Red Rock N' Blues

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