Al Grey - Matzoh And Grits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:46
Size: 134.6 MB
Styles: Trombone jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[7:51] 1. Exactly My Sentiments
[4:49] 2. Grey Rose Shores
[7:33] 3. A Day In The Life Of A Fool
[4:50] 4. Jumpin' With Symphony Sid
[6:09] 5. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
[4:10] 6. Matzoh And Grits
[2:51] 7. Cotton Tail
[2:53] 8. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
[4:36] 9. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[5:48] 10. My Romance
[7:11] 11. Caravan

Al Grey: leader, trombone, vocal on "Cotton Tail"; Randolph Noel: piano; Cleve Guyton: alto, flute; Joe Cohn: guitar; J.J. Wiggins: bass; Bobby Durham: drums.

"Exactly My Sentiments" is a good start to this new release by Al Grey’s group. Randolph Noel on piano wrote the tune and he does shine on it. Most musicians do their best on tunes they write; this tune is no exception. Joe Cohn gives a spirited performance on this tune and "A Day in the Life of a Fool." Everyone gets a chance to show their stuff on "Jumpin’ With Symphony Sid," especially Cleve Guyton on alto after an intro by Cohn, then Al plunges in with some of the tricks he does with the trombone.

"Matzoh and Grits" is an original by Al and he really shows you that his trombone and group can produce a rhythm that is contagious. "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" belongs to Joe Cohn, who is fast becoming one of our top guitarists. His unique creative ability is coming into its own, and it is no longer necessary to make a point of his musical upbringing. Randy Noel is featured on "My Romance" and he does give an expressive reading which would capture any audience. "Caravan" starts off with Al who gives it a mysterious aura that is then continued by the rhythm section.

Al is a national treasure because of his long history of graceful performances with groups, vocalists, and his artistic work with the trombone. He still teaches his techniques with the plunger and using his hand and fingers to give his solos a special flavor, but until his students learn to use his methods, we should know that he is the last of the creative trombonists still active. ~Arthur C. Bourassa

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Sandro Roy - Souvenir De Paris

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:31
Size: 166.0 MB
Styles: Violin jazz
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[5:06] 1. Let's Face The Music And Dance
[3:04] 2. Souvenir De Paris
[6:12] 3. Waltz For Nicky
[5:51] 4. September Second
[4:39] 5. Paris Violon
[8:53] 6. Post Phrasing
[5:31] 7. Dolphin Dance
[6:36] 8. Une Histoire Simple
[3:39] 9. Tendre Reve
[7:37] 10. Wendy
[3:57] 11. Gipsylogy
[4:29] 12. Sambroy
[6:51] 13. With A Song In My Heart

The print media wasted no time upon release of his debut album, “Where I Come From”. The German news weekly Der Spiegel: “Fabulous start for a mega-talent.” NEUE MUSIKZEITUNG, a trade magazine for the music biz, voted it Debut of the Month, and “Münchner Konzertgesellschaft”, a non-profit association famed for promoting classical music and now Jazz as well, awarded him its Jazz Incentive Prize. Numerous appearances, for instance at the Rheingau Musik Festival or at ‘hot’ Jazz clubs throughout Germany, had audiences thundering for more.

Two years later this young violinist is now returning with a project devoted to France as its thematic focus: amazingly mature and conceptually coherent in the choice of content, yet sparkling with facets that surprise again and again. “Souvenir De Paris”, the title track, one of his own compositions and a very poetic dedication to the city that, in his opinion, “has inspired so many musicians,” readily demonstrates that the lyrical tone of this young man from a small city in southern Germany has ripened to global sophistication. It seems only natural that the great French musicians and composers such as Michel Legrand, Babik Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli have inspired him. Yet interestingly enough, it’s the younger Jazz generation that spurs him on to thrillingly new interpretations, musicians like Michel Petrucciani and Richard Galliano.

For this album he chose the members of the Jermaine Landsberger Trio as accompanists. Landsberger, who like Roy stems from a Sinti family, supports the violin player with a number of arrangements and distinguishes himself via solo work on the piano as the perfect counterpart to Sandro Roy’s playing. Very special highlights are set by two more guest artists with established ‘names’ in French-speaking regions: Marcel Loeffler, a blind accordion-player who can be heard together with Sandro Roy as a duo on the French classics “Tendre Reve” and “Paris Violon”, and together with the trio on the Richard Galliano composition entitled “Waltz For Nicky”. Such tracks are followed by breathtaking moments playing with Roby Lakatos, a highly esteemed violinist in classical circles, where dizzyingly divine dialogs arise on Irving Berlin’s “Let’s Face The Music And Dance” and “Gipsylogy”.

“Souvenir De Paris” underscores Sandro Roy’s rare gift for picking and choosing from sources in classical music and Jazz in a remarkable way, for allowing his music to become a stand-alone cosmos marked by virtuoso performance, and all that on what may very well be the most difficult instrument of all, the violin.

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Andy Laverne - True Colors

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:52
Size: 139.4 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[ 5:39] 1. True Colors
[ 4:39] 2. Maximum Density
[ 5:56] 3. Song Is You
[ 5:17] 4. Cubic Zirconia
[ 5:23] 5. Night And Day
[ 6:13] 6. Once I Loved
[ 6:00] 7. I Hear A Rhapsody
[ 3:51] 8. Pannonica
[ 5:51] 9. If I Were A Bell
[12:01] 10. In Your Own Sweet Way

Andy LaVerne's True Colors is a 1987 meeting with old friend Jerry Bergonzi, with whom he has recorded on a number of occasions; rounding out the quartet are the outstanding bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Danny Gottlieb. The saxophonist sits out the trio numbers. One surprise is the dark arrangement of pop vocalist Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors"; another, the tense buildup of "The Song Is You," which disguises the piece rather well. LaVerne's offbeat rhythmic accents in "Night and Day," with Gottlieb's adept brushwork and Johnson's spacious bassline, keep it sounding fresh. The pianist's playful introduction to "If I Were a Bell" begins with a chime-like lick, then delves into a bit of down-home gospel before the rhythm section makes its entrance. Bergonzi plays (unaccredited) soprano sax on LaVerne's driving "Maximum Density," which was inspired by "Stella by Starlight." Another LaVerne original is the percolating "Cubic Zirconia," which is a hidden jewel. The saxophonist was quite at home with Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way" due to his several years playing with its composer, though LaVerne's conception of the piece is dramatically different, utilizing a rewritten bridge and changing the melody as well. Finally, Thelonious Monk's "Pannonica" is the leader's chance to showcase his immense talent in a solo setting. ~Ken Dryden

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Heidi Lange - Later

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:54
Size: 93.6 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:27] 1. Gloomy Sunday
[3:46] 2. Later (Feat. Chris Tsujiuchi)
[4:40] 3. Any Time Soon (Feat. Pat Carey)
[4:09] 4. Legacy (Schatz) (Feat. Robi Botos)
[2:45] 5. You Can Tell (Feat. Alexis Baro)
[6:03] 6. Snuggled On Your Shoulder (Feat. Robi Botos)
[5:02] 7. My Own
[5:52] 8. Tuesday Heartbreak (Feat. Peter Kadar, Chris Tsujiuchi)
[4:07] 9. Goes On Forever

Heidi Lange has been singing since before she could talk. Exposed to everything from Bach to Boney M. growing up, she didn’t learn to classify music at a very early age. She began studying violin when she was 7, followed by piano a year later. While she sang at home constantly, and loved being in school choirs, shyness prevented her from singing solo in front of other people until she was in high school. At that point, she decided to embrace the fact that singing was her passion, and there has been no looking back ever since….. “well, there has been, but I always get pushed back around!”

Heidi has studied both music theatre as well as an applied music program focusing on jazz. After graduating, she began teaching voice, piano and music theatre, eventually increasing her students until she was teaching full-time. She soon realized that she needed to carve out time to resume performing, and after moving to Toronto, began organizing recitals, studying privately, and gaining gigs at clubs in the city.
After the death of her father in the fall of 2007, Heidi found herself writing a great deal, and plans to make an album became much more personal. The meaning of "Later" also began to have several layers. The album tells stories of the night, but there is also a strong element of time at work. The title track is concerned with time running out. “Legacy (Schatz)” and “Goes On Forever” both explore the bonds of love outlasting life. The song “My Own” is “about how long it can take to trust your own voice, instead of all the other, often negative ones you hear from in life.” The album has moments of darkness and light, and reflects the facets and influences that have made Heidi the woman and artist that she is.

Performing on Later are some of Canada’s most talented and respected musicians: Peter Kadar and Robi Botos share piano duties, Mark Inneo sits in on drums, Collin Barrett

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Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood - Juice

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:00
Size: 144.2 MB
Styles: Jazz/Funk/Rock
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[ 5:41] 1. Sham Time
[ 6:33] 2. North London
[ 6:07] 3. Louis The Shoplifter
[ 7:07] 4. Juicy Lucy
[ 8:01] 5. I Know You
[ 4:02] 6. Helium
[ 5:34] 7. Light My Fire
[10:51] 8. Sunshine Of Your Love
[ 5:23] 9. Stovetop
[ 3:36] 10. The Times They Are A-Changin'

John Medeski: keyboards; John Scofield: guitar; Billy Martin: drums, cuica, talking drum, caxixi and guiro; Chris Wood: basses.

For over two decades, keyboardist John Medeski, percussionist Billy Martin, drums and bassist Chris Wood's abiding fascination with the endless possibilities of groove-based music has taken them from intimate jazz clubs to outdoor festival stages. Their eclectic efforts have included a number of high-profile collaborations; the most prolific and successful has been with esteemed guitarist John Scofield. Following the concert performances issued as In Case the World Changes Its Mind (Indirecto, 2011), Juice is their fourth album together since 1998's pace setting A Go Go (Verve). Where their previous studio recording, Out Louder (Indirecto, 2006), emphasized collaboratively written pieces, this session focuses on individually penned numbers and a handful of choice covers, unified by a concentration on infectious Latin rhythms culled from the African diaspora. This song-oriented approach differs dramatically from the spontaneously conceived free-form structures of Woodstock Sessions, Vol. 2 (Woodstock Sessions, 2014), the trio's dynamic live-in-the-studio experiment with another equally revered guitarist, Nels Cline.

Juice opens with a buoyant rendition of Eddie Harris' soul jazz classic "Sham Time," establishing the date's celebratory mood and sense of camaraderie from the start, fortified by Scofield's bluesy lyricism, the shimmering warmth of Medeski's vintage analog keyboards, Wood's supple contributions and Martin's shuffling backbeats. Reinforcing the set's festive atmosphere, "Juicy Lucy" even borrows the iconic riff from "Louie Louie," transposing the indelible theme into a slinky Afro-Cuban vamp bathed in a scrim of dancehall reverb. In addition to a half-dozen original compositions, ranging from the swinging "North London" to the introspective ballad "I Know You," the record includes three covers of legendary classic rock tunes. Although using post-war era pop songs as source material for jazz improvisation is hardly a novel concept, how creatively such warhorses are reinterpreted often determines their level of artistic merit. Recast as nostalgic Americana, Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" is given a mellow, gospel-inflected reading that sounds downright Frisellian. Their rhapsodic interpretation of The Doors' "Light My Fire" on the other hand, builds from lite funk to an electrifying climax (courtesy of Scofield's progressively heated fretwork), but it's the psychedelic dub deconstruction of Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" that is the most impressively reimagined of the three. Considering its winning combination of tuneful melodies, danceable rhythms and earthy textures, Juice is Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood's most appealing, cohesive and consistently engaging release to date. ~Troy Collins

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Johnny Griffin, Art Taylor - Johnny Griffin / Art Taylor

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:43
Size: 159.6 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[17:34] 1. What Is This Thing Called Love
[ 9:26] 2. Body And Soul
[ 4:48] 3. Wee Dot
[19:26] 4. Doctor's Blues
[ 9:56] 5. Exactly Like You
[ 8:30] 6. A Night In Tunisia

Johnny Griffin (ts & vo), Kenny Drew (p), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b) and Art Taylor (dr).

This live CD marks the first release of music recorded during a series of dates led by Johnny Griffin at Montmartre Jazzhaus, with Kenny Drew, Niels Pedersen and Art Taylor Johnny Griffin/Art Taylor In Copenhagen buy CD music. Both "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and Griffin's "Doctor's Blues" are long jams, with the latter including a humorous vocal by the leader Johnny Griffin/Art Taylor In Copenhagen CD music. All of the musicians are in top form throughout, highlighted by the pulsating "Wee Dot" and a tribal chant-like introduction to build tension as they launch "A Night In Tunisia." Johnny Griffin/Art Taylor In Copenhagen album for sale. These recordings are a little bit on the bassy side, and there are noticeable tape dropouts at times Johnny Griffin/Art Taylor In Copenhagen songs. ~ Ken Dryden

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Kari Bremnes - You'd Have to Be Here

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:48
Size: 98,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:19)  1. You'd Have to Be Here
(3:45)  2. Protection
(4:16)  3. Can It Really Be Years
(3:53)  4. Zarepta
(3:52)  5. A Fantastic Time Already
(4:18)  6. Full Control
(2:23)  7. I See You
(4:13)  8. I Would Like to Go
(3:54)  9. Waltz
(3:26) 10. Look Homeward, Angel
(4:23) 11. Who Knows Where the Time Goes

Norwegian born singer and songwriter Kari Bremnes was born in 1956 in Lofoten. Her career as a performer was delayed by her desire to finish university (she earned a Master's Degree) and a short stint as a journalist. Eventually, the call of the stage won out, and in 1987 she released her first album, Mitt Ville Hjerte. From there, Bremnes went on to release more than ten full-lengths over the next 20 years, as well as a number of successful in Norway and in other European nations singles. In 2007, Bremnes released the album Reise or, "Journey," in English. ~ Chris True https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/youd-have-to-be-here/296138439

You'd Have to Be Here

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Roy Ayers - West Coast Vibes

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:58
Size: 97,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:41)  1. Sound And Sense
(3:34)  2. Days Of Wine And Roses
(3:47)  3. Reggie Of Chester
(3:14)  4. It Could Happen To You
(3:12)  5. Donna Lee
(5:02)  6. Ricardo's Dilemma
(3:02)  7. Romeo
(6:25)  8. Out Of Sight
(3:44)  9. Young And Foolish
(3:13) 10. Well You Needn't

Roy Ayers had a career before he had hit records, and this reissue proves the vibraphonist was both well-versed and eloquent within the realm of post-bop jazz. In the company largely of a cast including pianist Jack Wilson and Curtis Amy on tenor and soprano saxophones, Ayers works his way through the kind of programme of standards and originals that was pretty much the order of the day back in the early 1960s. This does not, however, alter the fact that a lot of the musicians here were probably not big names at the time. The passing of time has not changed that situation a great deal, and it's tempting to put this down to the fact that they were not based in New York.Comparison between this reading of Benny Golson's "Reggie Of Chester" and the one on Lee Morgan's Blue Note debut from a few years earlier reveals no great difference in approach, and the way Ayers plays what for the vibes might not have been the easiest of lines is nothing other than joyful listening. The Ayers original "Ricardo's Dilemma" is similar in spirit to the theme for "The Odd Couple," and Curtis Amy's soprano sax playing on it is every bit as distinctive as the soprano work Sonny Criss would commit to posterity a few years after this piece was recorded. If the documentation of underappreciated musicians can be considered as an integral part of this disc, then the presence of alto saxophonist and vocalist Vi Redd on the two bonus tracks is a joy in itself. The same is true of trumpeter Carmell Jones (on the same tracks), who is perhaps the musician who gets close enough to some East Coast ideal to satisfy the pedants. At the same time Redd perhaps inevitably evokes the spirit of Charlie Parker on two of his lines, she also has a sound and conception all her own. Which brings us nicely back to Ayers, for whom that old standby about being his own man might have been invented. On a more profound level, West Coast Vibes is further recorded evidence of the fact that there was a whole lot more to West Coast jazz in its heyday than the stereotypes which came to be associated with it.~ Nic Jones https://www.allaboutjazz.com/west-coast-vibes-roy-ayers-mighty-quinn-productions-review-by-nic-jones.php

Personnel: Roy Ayers: vibes; Curtis Amy: tenor and soprano saxophonees (1,3,6,8,9); Vi Redd: alto saxophone (11,12), vocals (11); Carmell Jones: trumpet (11,12); Jack Wilson: piano (1-10); Russ Freeman: piano (11,12); Bill Plummer: bass (1,3,6,8,9); Vic Gaskin: bass (2,4,5,7,10); Leroy Vinnegar: bass (11, 12); Tony Bazley: drums (1,3,6,8,9); Kenny Dennis: drums (2,4,5,7,10); Richie Goldberg: drums (11,12).

West Coast Vibes

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Ronnie Cuber - Two Brothers

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:22
Size: 100,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:37)  1. Two Brothers
(5:49)  2. On Green Dolphin Street
(8:00)  3. Heavy Hang
(6:43)  4. Move It
(5:52)  5. Snotty
(5:35)  6. Pin Point
(3:43)  7. Afro Cuber

The accent is on R&Bish rhythms during this CD. Baritonist Ronnie Cuber teams up with altoist David Sanborn and a five-piece rhythm section (which includes bassist Will Lee and drummer Steve Gadd) for a variety of rhythmic originals plus "On Green Dolphin Street." Pleasing music but not too memorable. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/two-brothers-mw0000649464  

Personnel: Alto Saxophone – David Sanborn;  Baritone Saxophone – Ronnie Cuber;  Bass – Will Lee;  Drums – Steve Gadd;  Guitar – Georg Wadenius;  Keyboards – Rob Mounsey;  Percussion – Steve Thornton

Two Brothers

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Otros Aires - The New Sound Of Tango

Styles: Tango 
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:26
Size: 131,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:53)  1. Sin Rumbo
(5:00)  2. Percanta
(3:17)  3. Otro Puente Alsina
(5:43)  4. La Pampa Seca
(2:43)  5. Los Vino
(4:41)  6. Barrio De Tango
(3:55)  7. Un Baile A Beneficio
(3:56)  8. Milonga Sentimental
(3:58)  9. Aquel Muchacho Bueno
(3:53) 10. Rotos En El Raval
(4:10) 11. Amor Que Se Baila
(4:12) 12. En Direccion A Mi Casa

Passion. Music. Emotion. Dance. .Tango. Never before has a dance been so closely identified with the concept of the Tango. They say it takes two to Tango and this is very true within the sounds of Otros Aires' New Sound Of Tango- Modem Tango For the 21st Century. The music is a perfect blend of the classic sounds meets the new modern textures. Otros Aires blend modem ambient rhythms mixed with the classic sultry sounds of Argentine Tango. You can play this record at a party, at home alone, while drinking coffee on Sunday morning or when you and your lover are about to Tango! ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/New-Sound-Tango-Otros-Aires/dp/B008646038

Personnel: Miguel Di Genova (vocals, guitar, programming, sampler); Hugo Satorre (bandoneon); Pablo Lasala (keyboards); Emmanuel Mayol (percussion).

The Nev Sound Of Tango

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Ray Bryant Trio - Play The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:50
Size: 153.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2000/2013
Art: Front

[4:58] 1. Gotta Travel On
[7:54] 2. I'm A Just Lucky So & So
[7:56] 3. Slow Freight
[5:00] 4. C Jam Blues
[6:48] 5. Stick With It
[6:06] 6. St. Louis Blues
[8:27] 7. C. C. Rider
[6:49] 8. Please Send Me Someone To Love
[6:29] 9. After Hours
[6:17] 10. Things Ain't What They Used To Be

Bass – Ray Drummond; Drums – Kenny Washington; Harmonica, Guest – Hugh McCracken; Piano – Ray Bryant. Recorded on September 13th and 14th 1999.

Ray Bryant came from a musical family and became known to fellow musicians as the house pianist at the Philadelphia Blue Note Club, he later worked and recorded with many of the giants in the jazz world including Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis and Coleman Hawkins. He is also an accomplished accompanist working with singers like Carmen McRae. He is at his best working in a trio or even as a solo pianist where he excels with his blues and gospel laden playing.

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Jerry Granelli - A Song I Thought I Heard Buddy Sing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:47
Size: 132.3 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 1992/2015
Art: Front

[7:39] 1. Wanderlust
[0:38] 2. Smoky Row
[5:02] 3. The Oyster Dance
[6:20] 4. Billie's Bounce
[9:26] 5. Coming Through Slaughter
[6:01] 6. In That Number
[5:06] 7. Prelude To Silence Shell Beach-Lincoln Park
[7:23] 8. I Put A Spell On You
[6:02] 9. Blues Connotation
[4:06] 10. Blues Connotation (Reprise)

Alto Saxophone – Kenny Garrett; Bass – Anthony Cox; Drums – Jerry Granelli; Electric Bass – J. Granelli; Guitar – Robben Ford; Guitar, Banjo – Bill Frisell; Soprano Saxophone – Denny Goodhew; Trombone – Julian Priester. Recorded at London Bridge Studio, Seattle, January – February, 1992.

Drummer Jerry Granelli offers a wide-ranging amalgam of styles and sounds on this 1993 date. The life of legendary (but unrecorded) jazz trumpeter Buddy Bolden is aurally covered through a ten-track, four-part set that sequences songs according to movements; Bolden's world, journey, memories, and an epilogue are the settings, with an interesting lineup that includes torrid alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, Bill Frisell playing banjo as well as guitar, trombonist Julian Priester, guitarist Robben Ford, and bassist Anthony Cox. It is not strictly traditional New Orleans jazz nor merely reflective or commemorative fare, but an aggressive musical commentary on the Bolden legend. ~Ron Wynn

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Carla Bley, Steve Swallow - Are We There Yet?

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:27
Size: 108.6 MB
Styles: Avant garde jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[ 3:34] 1. Major
[ 7:13] 2. A Dog's Life
[ 8:41] 3. Satie For Two
[ 5:14] 4. Lost In The Stars
[ 4:37] 5. King Korn
[ 4:41] 6. Playing With Water
[13:24] 7. Musique Mecanique Part I, Part II, Part III

Carla Bley and Steve Swallow's third outing as a duo captures them live on their 1998 European tour sounding fabulous. Three of the seven tunes are by Bley: "Major," an infectious triadic shell game; "King Korn," a whimsical run through rhythm changes in the keys of E flat and C; and "Musique Mecanique," an ambitious three-part suite adapted from Bley's 1978 album of the same name. Three other compositions are by Swallow: "A Dog's Life," a Ray Charles-style tune in a slow 6/8; "Satie for Two," an affecting tribute to the minimalist composer; and "Playing With Water," a bossa nova previously performed by Swallow's 1991 sextet. The only non-original of the set is Kurt Weill's ballad "Lost in the Stars," which Bley and Swallow play beautifully.

Bley's piano is remarkably versatile and passionate, and Swallow's signature electric bass sound tickles the senses, especially during the Weill song where one moment he makes the room vibrate with low notes, and the next reaches the stratosphere of his range with singing melodies. ~David R. Adler

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Nils Lofgren - Old School

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:23
Size: 101.6 MB
Styles: Heartland rock
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:11] 1. Old School
[3:01] 2. 60 Is The New 18
[2:38] 3. Miss You Ray
[3:51] 4. Love Stumbles On
[2:44] 5. Amy Joan Blues
[5:10] 6. Irish Angel
[4:40] 7. Ain't Too Many Of Us Left
[4:32] 8. When You Were Mine
[2:31] 9. Just Because You Love Me
[4:30] 10. Dream Big
[3:09] 11. Let Her Get Away
[4:22] 12. Why Me

As its title implies, getting older is on Nils Lofgren's mind for his first album of new material since 2006. Besides the title track, "60 Is the New 18," "Miss You Ray" (dedicated to Ray Charles), and "Ain't Too Many of Us Left" speak to the frustrations facing an aging rocker in a young man's game. To his credit, Lofgren doesn't modernize his style to endear himself for a younger audience, but has written 11 out of these dozen selections in the same melodic rock format that he's adhered to since his days in Grin. He's never been a great singer, but his voice has lost much of its high end, which makes him sound more grizzled than usual. Still, that generally works to his advantage since his veteran status allows him to comment on everything from the maturing of love to teens and their annoying habits. The distinctive electric guitar sound that made Lofgren so invaluable as a backing soloist to Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen is tamped down for the most part, although it weaves throughout songs that rely more on melody, lyrics, and singing than hotshot six-string work. Guest vocals from Paul Rodgers and Lou Gramm minimally enhance a few tracks, but Sam & Dave's Sam Moore shines on his duet for the chorus for "Ain't Too Many of Us Left," a song that also gives Lofgren a chance to unwind on guitar. Heartfelt ballads such as the lovely "When You Were Mine," the haunted memories of the closing "Why Me," the acoustic "Let Her Get Away," "Love Stumbles On"'s wistful recollection, and especially "Irish Angel" (the disc's only cover) work particularly well with Lofgren's grainy, somewhat compromised voice. Perhaps his advancing years have shifted Lofgren's focus from the rockers that used to dominate his albums to the slower, more reflective compositions here. Regardless, he's in good form; spirited on the rockers and appropriately melancholy on the softer material. He knows his shot at solo stardom is behind him but that doesn't stop him from writing solid, at times exemplary, songs and performing them with the verve and panache he has always exhibited in his work. This isn't his best hour but it's far from his worst. It's a workmanlike effort from a veteran rocker who is too driven, vital, and talented to seriously consider retiring. That should sit just fine with fans who have stuck with him this long, and they especially will be rewarded with a solid, credible, and honest project that plays to Lofgren's still considerable strengths. ~Hal Horowitz

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Stefan Michalke Trio - Little Stories

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:54
Size: 130.3 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:11] 1. Osterlied
[3:47] 2. Tschamin
[5:42] 3. I Fall In Love Too Easily
[5:36] 4. M & M
[4:15] 5. Valse Triste
[3:46] 6. Giselle
[4:51] 7. Danzelot
[6:00] 8. Desaja
[4:27] 9. 45
[3:53] 10. Choral
[4:40] 11. Kleine Reise
[4:40] 12. Sufi Dance

This classic piano trio led by Stefan Michalke has been making shapes in the world of modern jazz since 2004. While upholding the traditions of jazz, they also push the genre’s boundaries with their tremendous enthusiasm and spontaneity - this is what distinguishes the trio’s unique style. Light-heartedly referring to themselves as the "The Stefan-et", Stefan Michalke (piano, composition), Stefan Werni (bass) and Stefan Kremer (drums) playfully span the divide between composition and improvisation. Three very relaxed, and in the best sense of the word, adult musicians, who don’t need to test their long-standing musical relationship with outbursts and egotism, but rather they confidently and nonchalantly lead each other to "musical departures".

With "Little Stories", the musician and composer Stefan Michalke has succeeded in creating a very personal work (with two of the compositions written by Stefan Kremer). The name says it all - composed of moods, inspired by people and experiences, the pieces highlight a variety of life’s situations like scenes from an anthology film. Sometimes energetic, sometimes lyrical, but always with a keen sense of melodic beauty and a penetrating groove that they reflect through different worlds of sound. "Easter Song" represents the overwhelming joy that arrives as nature reawakes, and viewed metaphorically, the piece also signifies a fresh start in life. "45" was created on a birthday, but you can hear that for yourself! And who could "Giselle" be?

Little Stories mc
Little Stories zippy

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Gary Burton, Stephane Grappelli - Paris Encounter

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:17
Size: 80.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Vibraphone jazz
Year: 1972/2005
Art: Front

[4:05] 1. Daphné
[3:36] 2. Blue In Green
[3:12] 3. Falling Grace
[5:26] 4. Here's That Rainy Day
[3:57] 5. Coquette
[3:39] 6. Sweet Rain
[3:43] 7. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
[3:23] 8. Arpege
[4:12] 9. Eiderdown

Drums – Bill Goodwin; Electric Bass – Steve Swallow; Vibraphone [Vibraharp] – Gary Burton; Violin – Stéphane Grappelli. Recorded at Studios Europe Sonor, Paris, France.

Atlantic has thus far been very slow to reissue its six valuable Gary Burton records. This particular set is the most accessible of the group, for it matches the advanced vibraphonist with the classic violinist Stephane Grappelli in a quartet also including electric bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Bill Goodwin. The music alternates between standards and originals (including Swallow's famous "Eiderdown"), and both Grappelli and Burton prove to be flexible enough to have much common ground despite a 35-year difference in age. A frequently delightful set. ~Scott Yanow

Paris Encounter mc
Paris Encounter zippy

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Bill Hardman - What's Up

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:33
Size: 154,9 MB
Art: Front

( 5:25)  1. Fuller Up
( 9:22)  2. I Should Care
( 8:20)  3. Whisper Not
(10:31)  4. Straight Ahead
( 7:10)  5. P.B.
( 8:57)  6. Like Someone In Love
( 7:42)  7. Yo What's Up
(10:03)  8. Rooms Blues

A reliable hard bop-oriented trumpeter, Bill Hardman never became famous, but he helped out on many sessions. While a teenager, Hardman gigged with Tadd Dameron, and after graduating high school he was with Tiny Bradshaw (1953-1955). He debuted on record with Jackie McLean (1955), played with Charles Mingus (1956), and gained recognition for his work with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (1956-1958). 

Hardman worked with Horace Silver (1958), Lou Donaldson (on and off during 1959-1966), re-joined Blakey twice (1966-1969 and in the late '70s), was with Mingus again during parts of 1969-1972, and led a group with Junior Cook (1979-1981). Bill Hardman had an appealing style in the Clifford Brown tradition and recorded as a leader for Savoy (1961) and Muse. 

~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/whats-up/159915066

Personnel:  Bill Hardman - trumpet;  Junior Cook - tenor saxophone;  Robin Eubanks - trombone;  Mickey Tucker - piano;  Paul Brown - bass;  Leroy Williams - drums

What's Up 

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Leslie Uggams - Try To See It My Way

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 27:01
Size: 63,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:33)  1. Love Is A Good Foundation
(3:01)  2. Try To See It My Way
(2:31)  3. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
(3:03)  4. I Love You (Je Vous Aime Oui Fais)
(2:24)  5. Brighten Hill
(3:31)  6. Oh Lord What Are You Doing To Me
(2:26)  7. I Just Can't Help Believin'
(2:44)  8. The Love Of My Man
(1:56)  9. Rescue Me
(2:48) 10. The Weight

A singer and actress perhaps best known for her work in the landmark television miniseries Roots, Leslie Uggams was born May 25, 1943, in New York City. The product of a showbiz family her father sang with the Hall Johnson Choir and her mother was a chorus dancer  she began her own career while still a child, making her TV debut at the age of six on the series Beulah. A year later, Uggams began performing regularly at the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem, opening for such legends as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dinah Washington; she subsequently attended the Professional Children's School of New York, and frequently guested on television variety programs including The Milton Berle Show, The Arthur Godfrey Show, and Your Show of Shows. At the age of 12, Uggams retired from performing; her absence from the spotlight was relatively brief, however, and three years later she appeared as a vocalist on the TV quiz show Name That Tune.While a student at Juilliard, Uggams was tapped to join the cast of Sing Along with Mitch, becoming the first female singer and the first African-American talent to join the Mitch Miller-hosted variety program; in 1962, she also made her on-screen film debut with a cameo in Two Weeks in Another Town, and after signing to Columbia scored a hit single with "Morgan." She spent the next several years alternating nightclub dates with stage performances, also appearing in the theatrical production The Boyfriend. In 1968, Uggams was chosen to replace Lena Horne in the lead role in the Broadway musical Hallelujah, Baby!; the performance earned her a Tony Award and culminated her rise to stardom. In 1970, she was named the host of her own CBS variety series, the first black female since Hazel Scott a decade earlier to be given such an opportunity; however, The Leslie Uggams Show proved short-lived, one in a long list of sacrifices to the ratings juggernaut known as Bonanza. 

The early '70s marked a decline in Uggams' fortunes; outside of an appearance in the all-star 1972 film Skyjacked, she enjoyed little of the same success of recent years, and a move from Columbia to Atlantic did little to resuscitate her singing career. In 1977, however, she returned to television in the slavery saga Roots, with her superb performance as Kizzy earning an Emmy nomination; two years later, Uggams earned more kudos for her work in another miniseries, Backstairs at the White House, and in 1983 won an Emmy as co-host of the short-lived NBC series Fantasy. Later in the decade, Uggams returned to Broadway, starring in the musicals Blues in the Night and Jerry's Girls. In 1987, she toured with Peter Nero and Mel Tormé in The Great Gershwin Concert, and in 1988 starred in the Lincoln Center production of Anything Goes. After touring during the early '90s in Stringbean, a musical based on the career of Ethel Waters, in 1996 Uggams joined the cast of the hit daytime soap opera All My Children. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/leslie-uggams-mn0000820567              

Try To See It My Way

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Harold Ashby Quartet - What Am I Here For?

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:17
Size: 159,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:31)  1. I Can't Get Started
(7:35)  2. What Am I Here For?
(5:08)  3. Mood Indigo
(7:41)  4. Frankie And Johnny
(4:54)  5. Once In A While
(9:00)  6. Poinciana
(7:47)  7. C Jam Blues
(6:55)  8. Prelude To A Kiss
(8:27)  9. September In The Rain
(6:15) 10. Perdido

It shouldn't be surprising that Harold Ashby has a decidedly Ellington slant to this CD. A tenor saxophonist in the mold of Ben Webster (who first introduced him to the maestro) Ashby was a frequent substitute on call until he replaced the departed Jimmy Hamilton in 1968, where he remained until the year after Ellington's death. On this relatively rare date as a leader, the veteran devotes half of his program to music from the vast Ellington repertoire, including a strutting take of "What Am I Here For?" and a lush treatment of "Mood Indigo" that initially features Mulgrew Miller's old-fashioned stride piano and Rufus Reid's arco bass in unison with Ashby. An up-tempo "C Jam Blues" is kicked off by drummer Ben Riley, while the leader's rich vibrato reins supreme in their interpretation of the lovely "Prelude to a Kiss." The final track from the Ellington book is Juan Tizol's "Perdido," which wraps the CD with a flourish. 

Most of the non-Ellington tracks that make up the rest of this release are favorites of the swing era, with the exception of the easygoing and somewhat romantic bossa nova "Poinciana." Although this session was recorded in New York City, the erratic distribution of the Criss Cross label makes this CD somewhat more difficult to find than it should be for many swing fans. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/what-am-i-here-for-mw0000083425

Personnel: Harold Ashby (tenor saxophone), Mulgrew Miller, Rufus Reid, Ben Riley.

What Am I Here For?

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Geoff Keezer - Here And Now

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:08
Size: 140,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:26)  1. There But For The Grace Of...
(7:52)  2. Headed Off At The Pass
(9:49)  3. Leilanis Mirror
(5:39)  4. Agra
(4:05)  5. (It Was) Just One Of Those Things
(4:59)  6. Its The Thought That Counts
(7:50)  7. The Feeling Of Jazz
(4:22)  8. Turning Point
(4:22)  9. It Never Entered My Mind
(4:38) 10. Scandal In Shinjuku

Pianist Geoff Keezer, two months shy of his 21st birthday at the time of this session, sometimes recalls McCoy Tyner in his playing with touches of Herbie Hancock, although on a romping version of "Just One of Those Things," his interpretation is pure Bud Powell. Steve Nelson's vibes are most heavily influenced by Bobby Hutcherson and Milt Jackson, while the somewhat dry originals take quirky twists in the best tradition of Wayne Shorter. With bassist Peter Washington and drummer Billy Higgins completing the quartet (altoist Donald Harrison guests on three numbers), this is an excellent (if not innovative) modern mainstream set, a strong showcase for both Keezer and Nelson. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/here-and-now-mw0000264840

Personnel:  Geoff Keezer piano;  Steve Nelson vibraphone;  Peter Washington bass;  Billy Higgins drums;  Donald Harrison alto saxophone.

Here And Now

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