Dick Katz - Three Way Play

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:26
Size: 142.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[5:14] 1. Three Little Words
[4:29] 2. Solar
[4:43] 3. You're My Thrill
[5:45] 4. Steepleechase
[4:01] 5. The Little Things That Mean So Much
[5:18] 6. Monk's Dream
[5:20] 7. Limehouse Blues
[3:15] 8. Star Crossed Lovers
[7:17] 9. Blues In My Heart
[5:57] 10. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
[6:01] 11. Samburan
[5:02] 12. There Is No Greater Love

Dick Katz had a long career in jazz, though a relatively small discography as a leader. These 1992 sessions for Reservoir represent the next to last CD that he made under his own name, with the pianist joined by two veterans, bassist Steve LaSpina and drummer Ben Riley. While Katz has considerable chops, he is not an overly busy pianist on these selections, giving the music plenty of breathing space and room for the input of his sidemen. His breezy take of Miles Davis' "Solar" is a playful affair, while the trio is in jaunty spirits throughout Charlie Parker's "Steeplechase," an imaginative reworking of "I Got Rhythm." There are also plenty of standards, including an intricate study of "There Is No Greater Love" that swings like mad, while his creative take of the old warhorse "Limehouse Blues" incorporates a bit of Claude Debussy's impressionism. It's always great when a leader takes the time to put the spotlight on a contemporary's composition that isn't well-known. His adaptation of pianist/vocalist Daryl Sherman's "Samburan" is a sauntering affair that makes it seem like a perfect soundtrack for a detective show. Sadly, Dick Katz only made one more recording for Reservoir prior to his death in 2009, while this outing is easily one of his best. ~Ken Dryden

Three Way Play mc
Three Way Play zippy

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Seal - Standards

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:46
Size: 95.6 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[4:34] 1. Luck Be A Lady
[2:54] 2. Autumn Leaves
[2:54] 3. I Put A Spell On You
[3:14] 4. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[4:29] 5. Anyone Who Knows What Love Is
[3:42] 6. Love For Sale
[4:30] 7. My Funny Valentine
[3:11] 8. I've Got You Under My Skin
[4:29] 9. Smile
[3:04] 10. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[4:39] 11. It Was A Very Good Year

Seal: vocals, guitar; Randy Waldman: piano; Greg Fields: drums; Chuck Berghofer: bass; The Puppini Sisters: vocals (10).

It shouldn't be a surprise that Seal would take on the American songbook, with a baritone that was made for classics like "Autumn Leaves" and "Love for Sale." Born Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel in Paddington, England, the singer, guitarist and composer rose to fame with his global hits, and Grammy-winning songs, "Crazy" and "Kiss From a Rose," both from his first self-titled album (Warner Music UK, 1991). That albumand a number of subsequent Seal releases were produced by Trevor Horn of The Buggles and Yes. Seal had previously released two albums dedicated to soul classics but Standards is Seal's first foray into the jazz world.

Seal recruited a number of musicians who would bring additional jazz-legitimacy to this project. Pianist Randy Waldman toured with Frank Sinatra and worked with George Benson and The Manhattan Transfer; Greg Fields also played drums with Sinatra and with The Count Basie Orchestra. Bassist Chuck Berghofer played with Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper and others.

Seal's arrangements are not especially innovative but that's an advantage in that the interpretations shine solely on his extraordinary vocal ability. Especially rewarding is "I Put a Spell on You," first made popular by its writer Screamin' Jay Hawkins and later by Nina Simone. Seal offers a beautiful version of "Smile," a hit for Nat "King" Cole in the mid-1950s, the song was written by Charlie Chaplin in 1936, for the soundtrack to his movie Modern Times. Seal gives new life to Duke Ellington's "I'm Beginning to See the Light" and Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin" and includes an outlier, "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is," co-written by Randy Newman and Jeannie Seely.

To add to the aura of authenticity, Seal recorded a good portion of the album in the studios where the original classics were captured, including Capitol Records in Los Angeles and Sinatra's United Studios. During his career, Seal has sold more than thirty-million albums and those who appreciate his popular music legacy are not likely to crave a shift to crooner status. Be that as it may, Annie Lennox and Lady Gaga have successfully taken on standards and Seal is, arguably, a more comfortable fit in this genre. Standards never feels like a pop star cross-over and it would be a welcome treat if Seal chose a follow-up with less ancient material. ~Karl Ackermann

Standards 

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Hampton Hawes - Something Special

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:37
Size: 115.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[7:47] 1. BD & DS Blues
[9:13] 2. Pablito
[9:37] 3. Sunny
[9:03] 4. Nice Meanderings
[5:29] 5. St. Thomas
[9:25] 6. Fly Me To The Moon

This 1994 CD released for the first time a live set (recorded at Half Moon Bay, California) performed less than a year before pianist Hampton Hawes' death. Hawes, in a quartet with guitarist Denny Diaz, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Al Williams, dominates the music and displays his ability to uplift a couple of pop tunes ("Sunny" and "Fly Me to the Moon"). He also swings creatively through a blues, "St. Thomas" and a pair of his originals. This excellent music gives no hints of Hawes' upcoming demise. ~Scott Yanow

Something Special mc
Something Special zippy

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Nina Simone - Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Singles

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:08
Size: 103.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[4:09] 1. I Loves You, Porgy
[3:20] 2. Love Me Or Leave Me
[3:30] 3. Little Girl Blue
[2:27] 4. He Needs Me
[3:03] 5. Don't Smoke In Bed
[3:08] 6. African Mailman
[2:42] 7. Mood Iindigo
[3:00] 8. Central Park Blues
[3:59] 9. For All We Know
[2:57] 10. Good Bait
[3:09] 11. You'll Never Walk Alone
[3:26] 12. Plain Gold Ring
[2:36] 13. He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
[3:37] 14. My Baby Just Cares For Me

Nina Simone's classic Bethlehem singles collected in one package featuring remastered "Porgy (I Loves You, Porgy)" b/w "Love Me Or Leave Me". Features 7 unique single-only versions and an alternate take of "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands", all previously only available on the Original 45s. Carefully curated and packaged together to bring back Nina's classic recordings, the notes by Ashley Kahn contain a new interview with bassist Al "Tootie" Heath!

Nina Simone is a 2018 inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.

Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Singles mc
Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Singles zippy

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Alex Acuña & The Unknowns - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:10
Size: 101.1 MB
Styles: Fusion
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[3:51] 1. Te Amo
[3:51] 2. Joe's Red Eye
[4:42] 3. Marionettes
[5:30] 4. Hoppin' It
[4:09] 5. Nice
[4:15] 6. Cocho San
[2:52] 7. Van Nuys Jam
[5:04] 8. Thinking Of You (Pensando En Ti)
[6:00] 9. Psalms
[3:52] 10. Ten O' Clock Groove

Backing Vocals – Dante Young, Tiki; Bass – Abe Laboriel, John Peña; Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Alex Acuña; Flute – Danilo Lozano; Flute, Synthesizer [Wind] – Pedro Eustache; Guitar – Carlos Santana; Guitar [Guitars] – Ramon Stagnaro; Keyboards – Cocho Arbe; Keyboards, Vocals – Otmaro Ruiz; Percussion – Luis Conte, Michito Sanchez, Paulinho Da Costa, Rudy Regalado; Saxophone [Sax] – Brandon Fields; Vocals – Diana Acuña; Vocals, Piano – Lou Pardini.

Born in Pativilca, Peru, Acuña played in local bands from the age of ten, and moved to Lima as a teenager. At the age of eighteen he joined the band of Perez Prado, and in 1966 he moved to San Juan Puerto Rico. In 1974 Acuña moved to Las Vegas, working with artists such as Elvis Presley and Diana Ross, and the following year he joined the jazz-fusion group Weather Report, appearing on the albums Black Market and Heavy Weather. Acuña left Weather Report in 1978, and became a session musician in California, recording and playing live with (amongst many others) Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley, Chick Corea, Whitney Houston, Plácido Domingo, former Weather Report bandmates Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Beck, Roberta Flack, U2, Al Jarreau Marcos Witt. He can be found on recordings by musicians as culturally Lee Ritenour, Johnny Clegg, Roy Orbison, YellowJackets, Lalo Schiffrin, Milton Nascimento, Don Grusin, Dave Grusin, The Brecker Brothers, Arturo sandoval, Paquito d' Rivera, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Brad Melhdau, Paco de Lucia, John Patitucci, Sadao Watanabe, Lyle Mays, Diana Ross, Sergio Mendez, Robbie Robertson, Jackson Browne Beth Midler, Christina Aguilrera, Seal, Chris Botti.

Alex Acuna & The Unknowns are one of the greatest fusion groups that nobody has heard of! Alex Acuna (drummer for the famous Weather Report) and world class session drummer is well known but his work with the "Unknowns" remains unknown to the vast majority of the jazz fusion listening public! ~David Arivett

Alex Acuña & The Unknowns mc
Alex Acuña & The Unknowns zippy

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Dave Liebman - Dedications

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:35
Size: 138,8 MB
Art: Front

(11:16)  1. The Delicacy of Youth
( 7:44)  2. South Africa
(12:08)  3. The Code's Secret Code
(12:34)  4. Ode for Leo
( 8:26)  5. Treblinka
( 8:25)  6. Mr. K

'79 septet performances led by saxophonist David Liebman. These mix standards, originals, blues, and ballads, with strong, intense solos from Liebman, fine arrangements and ensemble interaction, and standout contributions from pianist Richie Beirach and bassist Eddie Gomez. 

~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/dedications-mw0000871380     

Personnel: Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute [Alto], Producer – David Liebman;  Bass – Eddie Gomez;  Cello – Clay Ruede;  Piano – Richard Beirach;  Viola – Judy Geist;  Violin – Charles Veal, Susan Ornstein

Dedications

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Alison Ruble - Ashland

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:38
Size: 125,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:43)  1. The Summer Knows
(6:03)  2. S'wonderful
(4:29)  3. Here I Am
(7:06)  4. Let's Fall In Love
(4:13)  5. Night And Day
(5:42)  6. Under The Milky Way
(5:32)  7. Tangled And Dark
(4:04)  8. Matte Kudasai
(4:49)  9. Route 66
(4:53) 10. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go

Vocalist Alison Ruble's second CD for Origin is much like her first effort, a mix of standards and pop with embellishments of folk and rock, with arrangements again by guitarist John McLean. Gifted with a warm alto voice, Ruble starts off with an intriguing take of "The Summer Knows" (remembered by many as Michel Legrand's haunting theme written for the early-'70s film Summer of '42) that has a rich backdrop of acoustic guitar, alto flute, arco cello, and bass caressing her warm vocals. Most arrangers don't put a lot of thought into the scoring of the standard "Let's Fall in Love," yet McLean's brilliant chart incorporates an infectious vamp and subtle use of the strings and Jim Gailloreto's soprano sax to back Ruble's playful vocal. Though written by Bobby Troup, "Route 66" is readily identified with the late jazz pianist/vocalist Nat King Cole. Ruble's contemporary version is well out of jazz territory and heads into soft rock, though it retains a high energy level. The newer songs from country, pop, rock, and blues are a bit uneven. Emmylou Harris is a country/rock artist who has thoroughly tested her own musical boundaries, so it's logical that Ruble would explore her own songs. Organ and acoustic guitar are prominent in Ruble's contemporary interpretation of Harris' "Here I Am." Less interesting are the country-flavored setting of King Crimson's "Matte Kudasai" (hampered by both its weak melody and forgettable lyrics) and the funky yet bland take of Bonnie Raitt's "Tangled and Dark." While this is a generally enjoyable CD by Alison Ruble, it isn't quite as strong as her debut release This Is a Bird. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/ashland-mw0002029531

Personnel: Alison Ruble (vocals); John McLean (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Jill Kaeding (cello); Jim Gailloreto (alto flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Karl Montzka (Hammond b-3 organ); Larry Kohut (acoustic bass, Chapman stick); Jim Widlowski (drums, percussion)

Ashland

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Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Quartet - Dancing on the Tables

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:48
Size: 91,3 MB
Art: Front

(14:48)  1. Dancing on the Tables
( 1:37)  2. Future Child
( 3:32)  3. Jeg gik mig ud en sommerdag
( 9:30)  4. Evening Song
(10:19)  5. Clouds

Famous for his work as a teenager in Europe playing with veteran American greats, and for his many recordings as a sidemen with the veteran straight-ahead jazz all-stars for the Pablo label (including Oscar Peterson), bassist Niels Pedersen's own projects tend to be more modern than bop-oriented. For this set, Pedersen's quartet includes three rather notable sidemen: the then fairly unknown guitarist John Scofield; drummer Billy Hart; and Dave Liebman on tenor, soprano, and alto flute. The bassist contributed four compositions, which are joined by a Danish folk song. The nearly 15-minute "Dancing on the Tables" (which utilizes some childlike melodies) and the episodic "Clouds" are highlights of the continually intriguing and adventurous program. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/dancing-on-the-tables-mw0000181517  

Personnel:  Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen – bass;  Dave Liebman – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute;  John Scofield – guitar;  Billy Hart – drums

Dancing on the Tables

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Gianni Basso & Renato Sellani - Isn't It Romantic?

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:20
Size: 166,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. Nancy with the Laughing Face
(5:20)  2. Embraceable You
(5:51)  3. I'm Getting Sentimental over You
(5:30)  4. Deep Purple
(4:11)  5. Everything I Have Is Yours
(3:49)  6. Isn't It Romantic?
(8:02)  7. Body and Soul
(4:29)  8. I Should Care
(7:46)  9. I'll Remember April
(5:23) 10. Over the Rainbow
(8:48) 11. It Might as Well Be Spring
(7:21) 12. I Remember Clifford

A fantastic update of an older tenor and piano mode served up here by the great Gianni Basso and Renato Sellani! Both players are stalwarts of the Italian scene, and both often never fully got their due on this side of the Atlantic and together, they craft a wonderful set of moody, late nite ballads that could just as easily have been cut by Ben Webster and Oscar Peterson although maybe with some darker, more modern currents on Sellani's piano than Oscar and some classic, but individual phrasing by Basso! 

The tunes are all standards, but opened up in that very personal way that the best soloists can acquire and titles include "Nancy", "Everything I Have Is Yours", "Deep Purple", "I Remember Clifford", "I Should Care", "Body & Soul", and "I'll Remember April".  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/857709/Gianni-Basso-Renato-Sellani:Isn%27t-It-Romantic

Personnel: Gianni Basso (tenor saxophone); Renato Sellani (piano).

Isn't It Romantic?

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Matthew Shipp - Zero

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:51
Size: 103,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:33)  1. Zero
(3:52)  2. Abyss Before Zero
(3:22)  3. Pole After Zero
(4:17)  4. Piano Panels
(3:46)  5. Cosmic Sea
(2:15)  6. Zero Skip and a Jump
(6:39)  7. Zero Subtract from Jazz
(5:18)  8. Blue Equation
(2:50)  9. Pattern Emerge
(1:42) 10. Ghost Pattern
(5:13) 11. After Zero

Playing improvised solo piano is essentially a conundrum. Where do you start and when does a form emerge? Music begins as sounds and a composition could be the shaping of those sounds, but what about silence and the thing that comes before sound? Avantgarde-composer, John Cage, famously framed the sound of silence on his composition "4'33" to show that music is always happening, but in a very conceptual way. Pianist, improvisor and composer, Matthew Shipp, arrives at the same point on his solo piano album, Zero, but not through the reduction of minimalism, but the expansion of melody. Indeed, Zero, in spite of its philosophical implications, is not a difficult avant-garde work, but an album that can be enjoyed simply as great jazz music bursting with musical ideas. The idea of the zero is referenced on several compositions: "Zero," "Abyss Before Zero," "Pole After Zero," "Zero Skip and a Jump," "Zero Subtract From Jazz" and "After Zero" and in the liner notes, writer Steve Dalachinsky also quotes Shipp pondering the subject of zero: "What existed before existence zero is the universe a vacuum state where things seem to exist but in reality are flows of energy that twirl in kaleidoscopic flow patterns? does it go back to its ground state in zero? what is a piano? is it a zero? is it an alphabet of language of zero? how could it be anything if ground bass is zero? is zero base potentially everything? or is it one? I have an album called ONE. also, I like emanations does one come out of zero? is one zero? who gives a fuck? is the universe one big fucking joke or is it zero joke?"

Musically the question of zero becomes a joyful journey through many different musical forms. The title track alone contains enough musical information for several compositions as melodic lines evolve with hints of baroque ornamentation, solid swing and knotty breaks and a theme emerges that would have made Thelonious Monk proud. There is a strange feeling of the piece moving forward and yet starting again and again. The music seems through-composed, every phrase shining like diamonds, and yet there's an immediate energy that comes with improvisation, music being made in the moment. To quote another title, a "Pattern Emerge" and a form becomes. These forms are also historically conscious. The sounds of "Pole After Zero" could only have been made by a pianist who knows Duke Ellington and the complex anatomy of swing. Inspiration can be a simple thing, the quotation of specific songs or the use of clearly identifiable musical tropes, like a certain riff. Shipp's inspiration is more complex than that. It is rather subtle layers. The idea of an archaeologist digging through the ground to find layers of different historical periods comes to mind. Shipp seamlessly integrates all the ages of jazz into his expression and comes out with something that is both old and new. Another thing is the attention to harmony. The lush harmonic landscape of "Cosmic Sea" is stunning in its sensitivity and far from the sledgehammer that Shipp has used to great effect on some of his other pieces. Here the language is more delicate. A composition like "Piano Panels" says it all. Shipp knows the tiniest details of his instrument and brings out all of its shades and colors. The music is both bodily, intellectual and spherical, but most of all immediately accessible. Despite the complexity of musical information, it reaches out with melodies and rhythms that connect the past, present and future. Zero is both a return to the roots and a new beginning that offers an alternative path to solo piano playing. ~ Jacob Baekgaard https://www.allaboutjazz.com/zero-matthew-shipp-esp-disk-review-by-jakob-baekgaard.php

Personnel: Matthew Shipp: piano.

Zero

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Terry Bowness - Regeneration

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:17
Size: 108.3 MB
Styles: Hammond organ jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[7:09] 1. Olivia's Dream
[5:57] 2. Her Raven Hair
[3:07] 3. Tears For Bill
[6:04] 4. Neil Young
[5:17] 5. Nimbus
[3:47] 6. Song For Nina
[3:17] 7. Big Nose Stella
[4:03] 8. Blue Bell Knoll
[2:09] 9. K.B
[6:21] 10. Kind Of Pink

Jazz pianist/composer Terry Bowness ventures into the realm of the organ trio with his 3rd release on Aardvark Records. Accompanied by the deep and versatile talents of Bruce Saunders on guitar and the chops of drummers Ernie Durawa, Steve Schwelling and Kyle Thompson, this work is not your grandfather’s organ trio. The nine original compositions and an interpretation of The Cocteau Twins’“Blue Bell Knoll” paint a sonic landscape with textures of americana, psychedelia, and Miles Davis’ “In A Silent Way.”

Regeneration mc
Regeneration zippy

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Leslie Pintchik - Quartets

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:50
Size: 127.8 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[5:31] 1. Happy Days Are Here Again
[6:52] 2. Too Close For Comfort
[5:53] 3. A Simpler Time
[6:21] 4. Not So Fast
[5:49] 5. Over Easy
[7:13] 6. Private Moment
[6:48] 7. Fugu
[5:35] 8. Small Pleasures
[5:44] 9. Somewhere Berimbau

Both quartets on Quartets include pianist Leslie Pintchik, bassist Scott Hardy and drummer Mark Dodge. One quartet extends its percussion section with Satoshi Takeishi, who played drums and percussion on Pintchik's first release, So Glad to Be Here (Ambient Records, 2004). The other quartet features Scott Wilson on alto or soprano saxophone.

A strength of this disc is its three standards, inventively arranged by Pintchik and Hardy. "Happy Days Are Here Again" moves at a stately pace, starting with an aura of hushed wonder, enhanced by Takeishi's rattling and tinkling and Dodge's cymbals. The mood gradually builds to a contained exuberance. "Too Close For Comfort" drives along in a percussive Brazilian groove in which all players bear down hard on the "too close" figure. (Ken Dryden's liner notes point out that they actually use two different dance rhythms.) Pintchik enriches with bluesy chords and figures, and Hardy plays an agile, swinging solo.

Among Pintchik's compositions, the upbeat "A Simpler Time" has an organic form and triplet phrasing over a duple meter. "Over Easy" has an active melody that, like other Pintchik compositions, repeats a phrase in different keys with rhythmic displacements. Wilson plays the lead on soprano and takes two interesting solos. "Small Pleasures" is a catchy tune, served well by the dark and rich tone of Wilson's soprano. Pintchik's solo hints at the style of Herbie Hancock in her use of arpeggios, blues-riff ornamentation, and alternation of single notes and octaves on a melodic line.

"Private Moments" has a long, songlike melody mixing duple and triple rhythms. Throughout, Pintchik's playing moves through tonal centers, suggesting light following shadow. Wilson takes the lead on soprano and plays an emotive solo. As an inspiration for the composition, Pintchik cites Pierre Bonnard's paintings of his wife bathing. I can feel a connection between her musical style and the painter's use of spare outlines with underlying meticulous brushwork that conveys complex light and color.

An intriguing departure from Pintchik's other compositions here, "Not So Fast" is a minor blues in a finger-snapping shuffle groove, with an angular melody reminiscent of "Something's Coming" and "Cool" from West Side Story (an association reinforced by the disc's closing "Somewhere/Berimbau"). A more weighty character emerges through Pintchik's boppish solo and then Wilson's solo full of blazing runs. As background to Dodge's deft solo, the other musicians play a modal-jazz rework of the tune based on its opening motif.

Hardy's composition "Fugu" is a samba poised between major and minor. As Pintchik plays the melody quietly, Hardy interpolates a falling half-step for a moving call-response effect. Hardy uses the singing character of his instrument to complement and extend the inherently percussive sound of the piano.

The closing standard, "Somewhere," is a standout. The song is effectively framed by a contrasting introduction and ending. The musicians ply varied tempos and grooves to convey the song's ambiguous message (should we believe and rejoice, or sigh at the futility?). For the introduction, Pintchik plays a descending-fifth motif over a four-measure chord vamp, which Dodge and Takeishi embellish and Hardy enhances with melodic swells. Pintchik improvises as the tempo increases and then falls back. The pitch drops a half step and then another, and they begin the theme. The simultaneous rise in intensity and fall in key is briefly disorienting.

Pintchik's treatment of the melody reflects the yearning quality of the Bernstein-Sondheim song in its original setting. At the same time, Hardy's walking bass with pedal points, as well as Dodge and Takeishi's percussion that includes cymbals, bells, and occasional snare rolls, add a tension and forward momentum that's almost marchlike. When the opening vamp returns, Pintchik solos with a bluesy touch. The tempo speeds up and then drops back for the return of the head. In the original arrangement, the "somewhere" cadence in parallel major triads has a modal flavor. Pintchik pares that down to parallel fourths, which suggests tenuous hope. But on the final "somewhere," she shifts its accent to create the instrument-mimicking introductory figure of Baden-Powell's "Berimbau," ending the piece in a joyful Brazilian groove. ~Virginia A. Schaefer

Quartets mc
Quartets zippy

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Duduka Da Fonseca Trio - Plays Dom Salvador

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:08
Size: 112.5 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[4:18] 1. Farjuto
[4:20] 2. Transition
[4:28] 3. Mariá
[5:47] 4. Antes Da Chuva
[3:11] 5. Samba Do Malandrinho
[5:36] 6. Temátrio
[4:31] 7. Gafiera
[4:18] 8. Para Elis
[4:57] 9. Valsa De Esquina
[4:13] 10. Clauditi
[3:24] 11. Meu Fraco é Café Forte

Duduka Da Fonseca - drums; David Feldman - piano; Guto Wirtti - bass.

Duduka Da Fonseca Trio Plays Dom Salvador was born from the leader’s love of Salvador and his music and Fonseca’s effort to make a proper tribute to his friend and mentor. The featured trio was born of a 2000 meeting with pianist David Feldman, who was studying then at the New School in New York, and with whom Fonseca recorded with later in 2009 in Brazil, where he also met the trio’s bassist, Guto Wirtti.

In the efforts to make the best recording and present Salvador’s music in the best light, Fonseca reached out to Salvador for lead sheets for his compositions. Feldman also took time to consult Salvador and learn the repertoire from its source, removing any doubts about structural and interpretive nuances. Many of Salvador’s songs seem simple but have difficult elements, most notably in the rhythmic combinations. Fonseca traveled to Brazil three times: the first to rehearse the music, the second to record over two days, and the third to mix and master. The trio aimed to make the recording as natural as possible, eventually using many first or second takes.

Plays Dom Salvador mc
Plays Dom Salvador zippy

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Nathan Davis - Happy Girl

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:15
Size: 85.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1965/2014
Art: Front

[4:51] 1. The Flute In The Blues
[7:02] 2. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
[7:16] 3. Happy Girl
[7:15] 4. Evolution
[5:09] 5. Theme From Zoltan
[2:19] 6. Along Came Byrd
[3:21] 7. Mister E

Bass – Jimmy Woode; Drums – Billy Brooks; Piano – Larry Young; Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Nathan Davis; Trumpet – Woody Shaw.

Nathan Davis has split his career between being a fine tenor saxophonist and a jazz educator. He played briefly with Jay McShann in 1955, attended the University of Kansas, spent time in the Army in Berlin (1960-1963), and stayed in Paris where he worked with Kenny Clarke (1963-1969), Eric Dolphy (1964), and Art Taylor. He also toured Europe with Art Blakey (1965) and Ray Charles. Since 1969, Davis has been a professor of jazz at the University of Pittsburgh and Moorhead State University. His two most important musical associations have been heading the Paris Reunion Band (1985-1989) and leading Roots (which he formed in 1991). ~Scott Yanow

Happy Girl mc
Happy Girl zippy

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Tubby Hayes, Tony Coe - Jazz Tete A Tete

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:25
Size: 104.0 MB
Styles: Bop Saxophone jazz
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[ 8:10] 1. Freedom Monday
[10:52] 2. Everybody Split
[ 4:34] 3. The Jeep Is Jumpin'
[ 5:47] 4. The Blues We Played Last Night
[ 4:32] 5. Blues For Sunday
[ 3:43] 6. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
[ 7:43] 7. Tenderly

This CD contains seven selections performed at the Students Union Hall at Bristol University by three separate British jazz groups. At times sounding close to Stan Getz tonewise, tenor saxophonist Tubby Hayes has two lengthy numbers while joined by trumpeter Les Condon, pianist Mike Pyne, bassist Ron Matthewson and drummer Tony Levin. In contrast, tenorman Tony Coe (who is featured on three songs, including a version of "Tenderly" not released until this 1993 CD) often recalls Paul Gonsalves, particularly on "The Jeep Is Jumpin'." He is joined by trombonist John Picard, pianist Collin Purbrook, bassist Peter Ind and drummer Jackie Dougan. In addition, there are two numbers (a blues and "Polka Dots and Moonbeams") performed by guitarist Frank Evans in a trio with Ind and Dougan. Overall, Coe takes solo honors during the concert, and it is unfortunate that he does not get to team up with Hayes. ~Scott Yanow

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Cyrus Chestnut - Cyrus Plays Elvis

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:16
Size: 126.5 MB
Styles: Neo bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:37] 1. You Ain't Nothin But A Hound Dog
[5:29] 2. Don't Be Cruel
[3:49] 3. I Can't Help Fallin In Love With You
[4:57] 4. Love Me Tender
[5:11] 5. It's Now Or Never
[5:31] 6. Don't
[5:07] 7. Graceland
[6:01] 8. Suspicious Mind
[5:25] 9. Hearbreak Hotel
[5:01] 10. In The Ghetto
[4:02] 11. How Great Thou Art

You've got to give Cyrus Chestnut credit for not playing by the rules. Although he had little familiarity with the music of Elvis Presley, 15 years into his recording career the gifted jazz pianist decided -- virtually on a whim -- to record an album of Elvis songs. Chestnut did some homework, and working with his trio members bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Neal Smith, set out to explore. It's a great idea -- in theory, but not always in practice. Like any standards -- and Elvis' catalog certainly falls into that category at this point in time -- the Presley canon is ripe for interpretation. Presley never wrote his own material, but he had the best in the business at his disposal, and the more substantial songs he chose to record (that would mean no "Do the Clam") certainly boasted memorable melodies -- the key component to an artist seeking to offer his own interpretive non-vocal take on a song. But Chestnut doesn't always make the most of those melodies here. Cyrus Plays Elvis is most satisfying when the pianist breaks loose from the original setting and leaves it way behind. On the album's opening track, "Hound Dog," he sticks cautiously close to the root melody and tempo until it's solo time, at which point Chestnut turns out a thrilling cascade of tuneful keyboarding. Like a number of other tracks on the album, it's reminiscent of the Ramsey Lewis Trio's approach to interpreting pop in the mid-'60s, not a bad thing by any means, but not very challenging jazz.

At its lamest, Cyrus Plays Elvis is too simplistic and loungey, adding nothing to these familiar songs. The smooth jazz treatment utilized on tunes like "Can't Help Falling in Love" and "Suspicious Minds" probably makes sense if Chestnut's sole aim is to get those songs played on "lite" radio stations, but as an involving listening experience it leaves something to be desired. "It's Now or Never," despite the clever Brazilian/Latin swing arrangement, feels ready-made for a noisy hotel bar where it will be played to oblivious tourists over the sounds of clanking glasses and dumb pickup lines. And "Suspicious Minds," though performed deftly by the trio, doesn't really possess the desperate sense of impending loss that Elvis' version did. There are moments of brilliance, to be sure, and three of them close out the album. "Heartbreak Hotel" is as close to free and adventurous as this record gets, a rolling, unleashed improvisation loosely based on the theme. The first segment of the track serves as a showcase for the drummer, and when Chestnut takes over midway through he immediately proves just how inventive he can be, and how willing he is to let go and venture into uncharted waters. Most of the song sounds nothing at all like the Elvis tune, and it works because of its lack of allegiance to the original melody, not in spite of it. "In the Ghetto" is soulful and heartfelt, as it should be -- Chestnut is closer to the song's intent than he is to, say, "Don't Be Cruel" -- but it's the final track, "How Great Thou Art," one of many religious-themed songs Elvis recorded over the years, that suggests just how special the entire effort could have been. Like Elvis, Chestnut is a man of faith -- he's recorded in the Christian vein before -- but he eschews a standard gospel format here and instead delivers a solo piano rendition that is regal, warm, and, yes, inspirational. Perhaps next time Chestnut should stick with Cyrus Plays Elvis Gospel. ~Jeff Tamarkin

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Nick Finzer - Hear & Now

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:07
Size: 130.8 MB
Styles: Trombone jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[4:49] 1. We The People
[6:07] 2. The Silent One
[4:50] 3. Single Petal Of A Rose
[8:55] 4. Again And Again
[6:30] 5. Race To The Bottom
[8:04] 6. New Beginnings
[7:31] 7. Lullaby For An Old Friend
[5:01] 8. Dance Of Persistence
[5:15] 9. Love Wins

Nick Finzer: trombone; Lucas Pino: tenor sax, bass clarinet; Alex Wintz: guitar; Glenn Zaleski: piano; Dave Baron: drums; Jimmy MacBride: drums.

New York-based trombonist Nick Finzer has benefited from mentorships under trombone masters Wycliffe Gordon and Steve Turre; but his third CD release, Hear And Now also brings the original trombones master, J.J. Johnson to mind. One of Johnson's last CDs, the minor masterpiece, Heroes (Verve Records, 1995), featured a sextet configuration with an enormously-talented pianist, Renee Rosnes, in the mix. Hear & Now is a sextet outing with an up-and-coming, unlimited potential talent, Glenn Zaleski, sitting in front of the eighty-eights. Both the albums are filled with cerebral-yet-always engaging tunes, all of them very artfully arranged—Johnson was a master at that craft. It seems that Nick Finzer is developing on a b-line in that direction.

On a nine tune set, featuring eight Finzer originals, along with Duke Ellington's "Single Petal Of A Rose," everything from the opener—the propulsive barn burner, "We the People," through to the dreamily gorgeous closer "Love Wins"—comes wrapped in often delicate, always intricate arrangements, featuring snappy interplay and back and forth harmonics between Zaleski's piano and Alex Wintz' guitar; with intimate conversations between the leader's muscular notes and Lucas Pino's searing tenor sax and his mellifluously beautiful bass clarinet work; all of this anchored by the solid yet-flexible bass/drums team of, respectively, Dave Baron and Jimmy Macbride.

The sextet broods in dark tones on "The Silent One." The music is, in part, Finzer's reaction to America's social framework, to events transpiring here and now. This tune changes directions and tempos; Pino's saxophone lets loose and anguished cry; Baron and MacBride churn up a disconcerting turbulence, before Finzer and Pino harmonize into a soothing—or perhaps slightly exhausted by the whole affair (the framework, not the music)—conclusion. The group's take on Ellington's "The Single Petal of a Rose," from the under recognized "The Queen's Suite," is a idiosyncratic examination of one of Duke's most beautiful tunes, with Zaleski displaying a light, floating touch on the piano, and Finzer and Pino (on bass clarinet here) sounding as if they'd fit into Ellington's orchestra, from any era. Finzer has crafted a complex showcase for his vision throughout the set, with music that goes moves from the timelessness of Ellington into more modern territory as it lays down an unsettled feeling with "Again And Again," into the frenetic, wired tight "Race To the Bottom." As for Finzer, it sounds as if he may be on track toward a race to the top, as much as an arranger/composer/conceptualist as he is a trombonist.

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Joni James - The Broadway Hits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:28
Size: 111.0 MB
Styles: Vocal, Easy Listening
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:23] 1. Hey There!
[3:31] 2. Till There Was You
[3:36] 3. I've Grown Accustomed To His Face
[4:21] 4. Bali Ha'i
[3:29] 5. Isn't It Romantic
[4:47] 6. If I Loved You
[4:31] 7. Mr. Wonderful
[3:55] 8. Baubles, Bangles And Beads
[4:29] 9. Bewitched
[3:18] 10. Hello Young Lovers
[4:22] 11. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[3:41] 12. The Party's Over

Pop songstress Joni James was born Giovanna Carmella Babbo in Chicago on September 22, 1930. After studying drama and ballet throughout her adolescence, she joined a local dance troupe on a tour of Canada upon graduating high school, later working as a chorus girl at the Windy City's Edgewater Beach Hotel. A fill-in gig at an Indiana roadhouse convinced James to pursue a career as a singer, and while appearing in a TV commercial she was spotted by executives at MGM, signing to the label in 1952. Her single "Why Don't You Believe Me" sold over a million copies, topping the U.S. charts for six weeks and falling just shy of the Top Ten in Britain.

An overnight sensation, James enjoyed an incredible run of hits over the next year, among them the double-sided "Have You Heard"/"Wishing Ring," "Purple Shades," Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Is It Any Wonder," "Almost Always," "My Love, My Love," "You're Fooling Someone," "Nina-Non (A Christmas Lullaby)," and "You're My Everything." By 1954, however, James' early success seemed to dissipate entirely, and after returning to the Top Ten twice the following year with "How Important Can It Be?" and "You Are My Love" she never reached to the upper rungs of the charts again, although she continued cracking the Top 100 for the remainder of the decade. In 1964, she retired from music to tend to her ailing husband, musical director Anthony Acquaviva, and spent the next three decades essentially removed from the public eye; finally, during the mid-'90s she returned to touring while also supervising the re-release of her classic MGM recordings. ~ Jason Ankeny

The Broadway Hits

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Frank Wess - The Flute Mastery Of Frank Wess

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:48
Size: 134.6 MB
Styles: Flute jazz
Year: 1981/2013
Art: Front

[6:16] 1. Lover Come Back To Me
[5:59] 2. Spring Is Here
[5:04] 3. Riled Up
[6:25] 4. There Is No Greater Love
[5:15] 5. Nada Mas
[5:36] 6. Battle Royal
[6:38] 7. Lover Come Back To Me (Alt Take 1)
[5:47] 8. Spring Is Here (Alt Take 1)
[6:48] 9. There Is No Greater Love (Alt Take 3)
[4:53] 10. Nada Mas (Alt Take 1)

This excellent 1981 date from Frank Wess is, as its title suggests, the first -- and only -- all-flute session from the man who brought the instrument to prominence as a soloist in creative mainstream jazz during the 1950s. Wess -- also a fine saxophonist -- has a list of credits including the Billy Eckstine Orchestra in the late '40s and Count Basie's legendary 1950s band with Frank Foster. He won the Down Beat critic's poll for flute for six consecutive years between 1959 and 1964. The Flute Mastery of Frank Wess was produced by Gus Statiras, and the session's other personnel include bassist George Mraz, pianist Tommy Flanagan, and drummer Ben Riley. The original six-track program includes lovely readings of the standards "Lover Come Back to Me," "Spring Is Here," and "There Is No Greater Love," Duke Ellington's "Battle Royal," and two excellent Wess originals in "Nada Mas" and "Riled Up." In addition are bonus cuts that feature alternate takes of the standards as well as "Nada Mas." ~Thom Jurek

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Cy Touff & Richie Kamuca - Primitive Cats

Styles: Trumpet And Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:34
Size: 118,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:41)  1. Primitive Cats
(5:27)  2. It's Sand, Man
(5:27)  3. Prez-Ence
(3:53)  4. Half Past Jumping Time
(7:01)  5. A Smooth One
(7:53)  6. Keenster Parade
(4:58)  7. TNT
(4:25)  8. What Am I Here For
(4:13)  9. Groovin' Wailin'
(2:32) 10. A Smooth One

When these recordings were made, Cy Touff had been sitting in the Woody Herman trombone section for almost two years. His ungainly looking instrument seldom has been heard in the Jazz field. It sounds much like a valve trombone, but seems to be more flexible and more personal than the bone. Richie Kamuca, who co-featured with Cy on these sessions, was also a member of the Herman Herd. Both men have Lester Youngs spirit in their playing. They typify the mainstream school of Jazz. The groups on this CD achieve a compulsive swing and joy that is practically guaranteed to make you pat a hole in the floor with your foot. The quintet sides are marked by lengthier solos from Cy and Richie, and presented them with an auspicious bow as recorded leaders. Johnny Mandel and Ernie Wilkins charts provide ample chance for the octet to get a walking, pulsing, Basie-ish beat going behind all the soloists. https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/cy-touff-richie-kamuca-albums/4582-primitive-cats.html

Personnel:  Cy Touff (bass trumpet), Richie Kamuca (tenor sax), Matt Utal (alto sax, baritone sax), Pete Jolly (piano), Leroy Vinnegar (bass), and Chuck Flores (drums).

Primitive Cats

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