Suzy Bogguss - Voices In The Wind

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:25
Size: 89,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:14)  1. Heartache
(3:09)  2. Drive South
(3:30)  3. Don't Wanna
(3:21)  4. How Come You Go To Her
(3:25)  5. Other Side Of The Hill
(3:41)  6. In The Day
(3:16)  7. Love Goes Without Saying
(3:40)  8. Eat At Joe's
(2:56)  9. Lovin' A Hurricane
(4:33) 10. Letting Go
(3:34) 11. Cold Day In July

Voices in the Wind is an album by American country music singer Suzy Bogguss. It was released on October 6, 1992 via Liberty Records. 

It earned her a second straight gold record and her highest-charting single ever, the No. 2 cover of John Hiatt's "Drive South." "Letting Go," a single from Aces which was co-written by Bogguss's husband Doug Crider, peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart not long before the release of Voices in the Wind. In an effort to capitalize on the single's success, it was included on the later album as well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voices_in_the_Wind

Voices In The Wind

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Charles Earland Tribute Band - Keepers of the Flame

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:06
Size: 138,4 MB
Art: Front

( 6:42)  1. Deja Vu
( 7:43)  2. Memorial Day
( 6:37)  3. What Love Has Joined
( 7:25)  4. South Philly Groove
( 5:34)  5. On the Stairs
( 7:42)  6. The Closer I Get to You
( 7:52)  7. The Summit
(10:28)  8. Pick Up the Pieces

Organist Charles Earland, who died in December 1999, was known as “The Mighty Burner.” The intensity of his swing resembled that of the late Art Blakey on drums. An exponent of soul-jazz, Earland was a master of the organ’s foot pedals. His band, usually two or three horns plus guitar and drums, conveyed a big, kicking ensemble sound. The Charles Earland Tribute Band steps in without letdown where the organist left off. With Joey DeFrancesco in the organ seat and five former sidemen from Earland’s band aboard, this album swings hard, with conviction and intelligence. Drummer Vincent Ector organized the group, which features trumpeter James Rotondi, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander and guitarist Bob DeVos (alternating with Pat Martino). Percussionist Kevin Jones, a nonalum, appears on four of the eight tracks. Three well-known hits from the ’70s-“Deja Vu” (originally sung by Dionne Warwick), “The Closer I Get to You” (originally sung by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway) and the Average White Band’s “Pick Up the Pieces”-recall Earland’s ability to find his own jazz groove on pop material. Both hornmen, members of the organist’s final group, sizzle especially well on “Pick Up the Pieces.” Martino, a member of Earland’s first organ group and the most famous participant on the album, performs on three cuts. His “On the Stairs” is a challenging original that each soloist successfully conquers. DeFrancesco, who initiated the current jazz-organ renaissance a decade ago, suggests Earland without slavishly imitating him. His solos are a bit busier than were Earland’s, but his ensemble sound is perfect. The arrangements, uncredited, deserve special mention for their full-sounding harmonies and rhythmic punch. ~ Owen Cordle https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/charles-earland-tribute-band-keepers-of-the-flame/

Personnel:  Jim Rotondi - trumpet;  Eric Alexander - tenor sax;  Joey DeFrancesco - organ;  Pat Martino , Bob DeVos - guitar;  Vince Ector - drums

Keepers of the Flame

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Behn Gillece - Dare To Be

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:28
Size: 127,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:26)  1. Camera Eyes
(5:23)  2. From Your Perspective
(4:40)  3. Amethyst
(4:15)  4. Signals
(5:40)  5. Drought's End
(5:52)  6. Same Shame
(4:28)  7. Live It
(6:18)  8. Dare To Be
(5:49)  9. Trapezoid
(5:32) 10. A Time For Love

When it comes to jazz vibraphone, the names of Stefon Harris and Warren Wolf are most likely to be found on a list of contemporary leaders. Add to that now the name of Behn Gillece, a gentleman who has been honing his skills on the New York scene since 2006. His talents first came to the attention of this reviewer having been a spirited voice on Walt Weiskopf's most recent albums, Overdrive and The Way You Say It. Last year, he debuted as a leader with the album Mindset, this sophomore offering coming fast on its heels. Gillece has obviously taken in the history of his instrument, but speaks with a singular voice and purpose. His tone and attack are on the softer side, not unlike the work of Bobby Hutcherson. Also quite notable, he writes the majority of his own compositions. This too is a major factor in his clarity of purpose, along with the fact that his ensemble choice is an inspired one. A student of Jon Faddis' who is making a name for himself on the current scene, trumpeter Bruce Harris can be heard on three tracks. Gillece makes the most of the unique blend between horn and vibes, especially when it comes to the muted trumpet on "From Your Perspective." More integral to the entire set is guitarist Nate Radley, who is a perfect foil for Gillece. His chordal accompaniment and solo lines support the vibes in a manner quite different than a piano might do. The soulful "Amethyst" is a perfect spot to sample Radley's tonal range, from single note riffs to dark and brooding washes of sound. Bobby Hutcherson's "Same Shame" even finds the guitarist sporting a Frisell-like tone that is pure Americana.  Veteran bassist Ugonna Okegwo and talented drummer on the rise Jason Tiemann are also integral to the proceedings. Dig their tight up tempo slam throughout "Signals" or the way they inject a straight-eighth feel to both "Live It" and "Dare to Be." As for Gillece himself, there's quite of range of abilities on display here. Be it the burning bebop of "Trapezoid" or the mature ballad statement delivered on Johnny Mandel's "A Time for Love," Gillece gets down to serious business and he's a name we should be hearing more and more of in the coming years. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dare-to-be-behn-gillece-posi-tone-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Behn Gillece: vibraphone; Nate Radley: guitar; Ugonna Okegwo: bass; Jason Tiemann: drums; Bruce Harris: trumpet.

Dare To Be

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Herbie Hancock - Lite Me Up

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:00
Size: 87,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:41)  1. Lite Me Up!
(3:58)  2. The Bomb
(6:13)  3. Gettin' To The Good Part
(4:29)  4. Paradise
(3:54)  5. Can't Hide Your Love
(4:03)  6. The Fun Tracks
(3:58)  7. Motor Mouth
(7:40)  8. Give it All Your Heart

By 1978, Hancock had another identity as a dance/fusion attraction with the albums Feets Don't Fail Me Now and Sunlight. Lite Me Up is an even more concerted effort to fuse jazz with pop. Hancock handled all of the production chores on all but two of the eight tracks. His main arranger and lyricist here is Rod Temperton, the former Heatwave member who worked with Quincy Jones on albums Off the Wall and Light Up the Night. The title track and "The Bomb" are glossy, propulsive offerings reminiscent of prime Jones without his skill at making it all stick. The biggest hit here, the sleek "Getting' to the Good Part" adheres to the Steely Dan's Gaucho style, has a gorgeous bridge, and has Hancock doing his loved or hated vocoder lead vocals. From a jazz perspective, there is precious little of it on Lite Me Up. In fact, the songs "The Fun Tracks" and the humorous "Motor Mouth" sound like Heatwave retreads. The last song stands out, however. The beautiful, hooky ballad "Give It All Your Heart" features both Hancock and Patrice Rushen both doing their vocal leads on vocoder. The track perfectly captures both prime Temperton and Hancock's '78-'82 fusion ballad style. Songs with producers Jay Graydon and Narada Michael Walden both feature the artist doing vocals without the gadgetry, and, believe it or not, the vocoder is more definitive. Despite the better tracks, Lite Me Up doesn't have the adventurous nature of Hancock's jazz/pop of the era. ~ Jason Elias https://www.allmusic.com/album/lite-me-up-mw0000318353

Personnel:  Vocals, Vocals [Vocoder] – Herbie Hancock, Patrice Rushen, Wayne Anthony;  Backing Vocals – Edi Lehman (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8), Herbie Hancock (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8), Jim Gilstrap (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8), John Lehman (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8), Patti Austin (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8), Paulette McWilliams (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8);  Bass – Louis Johnson (tracks: 1 to 3, 6 to 8);  Drums – John Robinson, Jeff Porcaro, Narada Michael Walden;  Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Clavinet [Clavitar], Synthesizer [Yamaha-cs 80, The Source By Moog, Mini Moog, Waves Mini Moog, Prophet 5, Arp 2600, Arp Odyssey], Keyboards [Emu Digital Keyboard], Synthesizer [Oberheim 8-voice Synthesizer, Roland Jupiter 8], Clavinet [Hohner], Vocoder [Sennheiser], Synthesizer [Synclavier Digital Synthesizer, Linn Drum Synthesizer], Piano – Herbie Hancock; Guitar – David Williams (4) (tracks: 2, 3, 6 to 8), Steve Lukather (tracks: 1);  Saxophone, Woodwind – Gary Herbig (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8), Larry Williams (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8);  Trombone – Bill Reichenbach (2) (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8);  Trumpet – “Dr. Negroidal, The” (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8); Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Jerry Hey (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8);  Trumpet, Trombone – Chuck Findley (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8)

Lite Me Up

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Benny Carter - Aspects

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:19
Size: 112,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:13)  1. June In January
(1:56)  2. February Fiesta
(3:18)  3. March Wind
(3:22)  4. I'll Remenber April
(2:51)  5. One Morning In May
(3:01)  6. June Is Busting Out All Over
(2:52)  7. Sleigh Ride In July
(3:42)  8. August Moon
(2:41)  9. September Song
(2:55) 10. Something For October
(3:03) 11. Swingin In November
(2:38) 12. Roses In December
(1:57) 13. February Fiesta (Mono Take)
(3:01) 14. June Is Busting Out All Over (Mono Take)
(3:36) 15. August Moon (Mono Take)
(3:05) 16. Swingin In November (Mono Take)

This CD reissues an enjoyable obscurity. Although originally associated with big bands, the set has what was Benny Carter's only big-band recording as a playing leader during 1947-86. While the song titles are a bit gimmicky, saluting the 12 months of the year (including "June in January," "I'll Remember April," "June Is Busting Out All Over," etc.), the music (which includes four alternate takes) is solid, mainstream big-band swing. The less familiar titles include four Carter originals written for the date, plus Hal Schaefer's "February Fiesta." 

The leader/altoist solos on every selection, and among the other top West Coast studio players featured are trumpeters Shorty Sherock, Pete Candoli and Joe Gordon, trombonists Frank Rosolino and Herbie Harper, vibraphonist Larry Bunker, pianists Arnold Ross and Gerry Wiggins, and guitarist Barney Kessel. Two overlapping big bands were utilized, and the music alternates between being forceful and lyrical. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/aspects-mw0000613039

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Benny Carter;  Bass – Joe Comfort;  Drums – Shelly Manne;  Guitar – Barney Kessel, Bobby Gibbons Leader – Benny Carter;  Piano – Arnold Ross, Gerry Wiggins;  Saxophone – Buddy Collette, Chuck Gentry, Jewell Grant, Justin Gordon, Plas Johnson, Bill Green;  Trombone – Frank Rosolino, George Roberts, Herbie Harper, Russ Brown), Tommy Pederson;  Trumpet – Al Porcino, Conrad Gozzo, Joe Gordon, Pete Candoli, Ray Triscari, Shorty Sherock, Stu Williamson, Uan Rasey;  Vibraphone [Vibes] – Larry Bunker 

Aspects

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Carolyn Leonhart - Steal the Moon

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:57
Size: 116,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:02)  1. It Didn't Turn Out That Way
(6:20)  2. Nature Boy
(4:16)  3. A Sunday Kind of Love
(7:11)  4. Juju Knows
(4:14)  5. All Because of You
(5:17)  6. Steal the Moon
(5:12)  7. I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face
(4:16)  8. Little Man
(6:07)  9. Yesterday's a Dream
(3:57) 10. Moonglow

Carolyn Leonhart sits astride the jazz and pop worlds, allowing both to inform her singing and repertoire. The daughter of bassist Jay Leonhart and a backup singer for the reunited Steely Dan, Leonhart inflects her jazz singing with an unmistakable dose of soul and R&B, not unlike Chaka Khan or even Rickie Lee Jones. Pianist Rob Bargad is Leonhart's main collaborator on this album, contributing five compositions, including the lush ballad "Yesterday's a Dream" and a borderline-corny but charming vocal duo with Leonhart on "Steal the Moon," a good candidate for radio play. Leonhart even hands two tracks over entirely to Bargad: the Vince Guaraldi-like piano trio feature "Juju Knows" and a bluesy, smart-alecky vocal tribute to a child titled "Little Man." Leonhart is bright-toned and sultry on the standards "Nature Boy," "I've Grown Accustomed to His (Her) Face," and "Moonglow," the last an oh-so-hip duo between her and father Jay Leonhart on the bass. She struts her stuff sassily on "Sunday Kind of Love," Bargad's "All Because of You," and Mose Allison's "It Didn't Turn Out That Way." 

Bargad's solid post-bop piano work anchors every track. Jimmy Cobb and Billy Drummond share drumming duties, Daniel Sadownick weighs in with perfect percussion flourishes, and David Gilmore guests on acoustic guitar for the title track. As might be expected from a singer with such diverse influences, Leonhart walks a fine line between telling a coherent story and presenting a musical patchwork. But her voice is polished and distinctive, and her band cooks, which invariably makes Steal the Moon a fun listen. ~ David R.Adler https://www.allmusic.com/album/steal-the-moon-mw0000066428

Personnel: Carolyn Leonhart (vocals); Rob Bargad (piano, vocals, producer, songwriter); Jay Leonhart (bass).

Steal the Moon

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Bud Shank - Bud Shank Plays Tenor

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:21
Size: 106,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:42)  1. Thou Swell
(7:53)  2. Tenderly
(4:24)  3. Over The Rainbow
(4:53)  4. Long Ago And Far Away
(6:33)  5. I Never Knew
(4:55)  6. All The Things You Are
(5:12)  7. Body And Soul
(5:45)  8. Blue Lou

"As its title promises, Bud Shank Plays Tenor eschews the jazzman's signature alto and flute, and while the leap to tenor doesn't dramatically impact his overall sound and style, it does add soul and depth to his lyrical solos. Paired with pianist Claude Williamson, bassist Don Prell, and drummer Chuck Flores, Shank crafts a radiant set of standards spanning from "All the Things You Are" to "Long Ago and Far Away," and while none of the performances reinvent the familiar material, the robust approach sets the session apart from his other Pacific Jazz dates."~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/album/bud-shank-plays-tenor-mw0000869407

Personnel:  Bud Shank (tenor sax), Claude Williamson (piano), Don Prell (bass), Chuck Flores (drums).

Bud Shank Plays Tenor

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Guilhem Flouzat - On Way...or Another

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:28
Size: 121,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:39)  1. Stompin
(6:32)  2. One Way... or Another
(6:19)  3. Clap
(2:47)  4. Black Magic
(9:49)  5. Sometimes, at Night
(6:10)  6. Agin
(6:30)  7. Avant l'Orage
(5:38)  8. Meet
(3:01)  9. Black Magic

It is interesting the assortment of sextet protagonist of this One Way ... Or Another. Together with a handful of very promising youngsters led by drummer composer Guilem Flouzat (a highly regarded student of John Riley) we find the already experienced Ben Wendel (Kneebody saxophonist) and Laurent Coq (the most American of French pianists) and, in three pieces, a rising star increasingly star like the Armenian-born pianist Tigran Hamasyan. The mix works pretty well, so much so that it's more than a One Way debut album ... Or Another seems like the work of a musician with years of experience behind him. 

This is thanks to the richness and the intrinsic articulation of the compositions that, despite their defined and recognizable structure, activate a continuous game of particularly interesting references and overlaps. To the care and dynamism of the arrangements that manage to combine timbric mixtures that are not exactly customary and to give continuous executions deviations from the traced paths. And finally, thanks to the ability with which Flouzat keeps away from an exhibitionism often lurking among young talents and to the wisdom with which he leads the sextet. One Way ... Or Another is enjoyable, fresh, intelligent disc, it holds up well to the test of repeated listening and will please both the faithful of a modern mainstream and lovers of contemporary sounds and contaminations.~AAJ Italy Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/one-way--or-another-ben-wendel-point-of-departure-wmpg-fm-review-by-aaji-staff.php

Personnel: Antonin Hoang (alto saxophone except 4,8,9); Ben Wendel (tenor sax, except 8); Laurent Coq (plan except for 3.4.8); Tigran Hamasyan (plan 3.8); Michael Valeanu (guitar except 8.9); Matteo Bortone (double bass except 1,2,6,8); Simon Tailleu (double bass in 1,2,3,6); Guilhem Flouzat (drums).

On Way...or Another

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Joachim Kühn New Trio - Love & Peace

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:38
Size: 108,5 MB
Art: Front

(1:59)  1. Love And Peace
(4:12)  2. Le Vieux Chateau
(3:19)  3. The Crystal Ship
(5:14)  4. Mustang
(3:50)  5. Barcelona-Wien
(4:14)  6. But Strokes Of Folk
(3:43)  7. Lied Ohne Worte No. 2
(3:52)  8. Casbah Radio
(4:17)  9. Night Plans
(5:20) 10. New Pharoah
(6:31) 11. Phrasen

The German ACT label achieved global recognition when they issued the Esbjorn Svensson Trio album Viaticum (2005) and they warrant broader discovery by U.S. jazz fans. Though their country's best known label casts a global shadow over its competition, the ACT catalog has included , Lars Danielsson, Vijay Iyer, Manu Katche, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bugge Wesseltoft, Tore Brunborg and a host of other well-known artists. Among those talents is one the finest but under-recognized jazz pianists of the past half-century. Joachim Kühn has had a presence on the label for more than twenty years and returns with his "New Trio" on Love & Peace. The trio no longer exactly "new" has been together since 2015 and had previously released Beauty & Truth (ACT, 2017). Bassist Chris Jennings and drummer Eric Schaefer, two musicians half Kühn's age, lend a vitality to the music that drives the pianist as well. The eleven tracks on Love & Peace are compact and crisp with straight-forward melodies, six of those written by Kühn. Jennings and Schaefer each contribute a composition and two others are from the very different worlds of The Doors and Modest Mussorgsky. The diversity of inspirations doesn't mar the overall theme. The very brief title track sets the tone leading into Mussorgsky's "La Vieux Chateau," putting Kühn at home with his early classical training. The Doors "The Crystal Ship" is not the first time Kühn has covered the Morrison catalog; "The End" had appeared on Beauty & Truth. "Barcelona Wien" is lighter fare, conceived in-flight between those two cities. Eric Schaeter's "Lied ohne Worte No. 2" is the most melancholy piece on the album while Jennings' piece is a pastoral and vacillating "Casbah Radio." Ornette Coleman has long been a jazz hero for Kühn, the two recording the duo album Colors: Live from Leipzig (Harmolodic/Verve, 1997). "Night Plans" which first appeared on that album gets an abbreviated treatment here and one that has a more concentrated focus on the basic melody. Yet, as he does with each of the pieces here, Kühn demonstrates his unique skill at maintaining a harmonious core within his unusual musical inventions. In an interview with the Steinway piano company, Kühn said "I like to improvise life, piano, and painting. Really improvise not knowing what you're going to do. Do it by doing." There's no question that the New Trio does just that on Love & Peace. ~ Karl Ackermann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/love-and-peace-joachim-kuhn-act-music-review-by-karl-ackermann.php

Personnel: Joachim Kühn: piano; Chris Jennings: bass; Eric Schaefer: drums.

Love & Peace

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Dexter Gordon - Sophisticated Giant

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:59
Size: 128,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:41)  1. Laura
(6:39)  2. The Moontrane
(8:53)  3. Red Top
(7:55)  4. Fried Bananas
(9:52)  5. You're Blasé
(4:54)  6. How Insensitive
(4:51)  7. Diggin' In
(5:10)  8. It's Only a Paper Moon

This excellent Columbia album was recorded less than a year after Dexter Gordon's well-publicized tour of the United States following a dozen years spent living in Europe. With assistance from such other major players as trumpeters Woody Shaw and Benny Bailey, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson sounds in superlative form on Woody Shaw's "The Moontrane," four standards, and his own "Fried Bananas." In addition to the original program (which features Dexter with an all-star tentet), the 1997 CD reissue adds two 1979 features for vocalese singer Eddie Jefferson ("Diggin' It" and "It's Only a Paper Moon") that were originally released on Gordon's Great Encounters; trumpeter Shaw and trombonist Curtis Fuller co-star with Gordon. An excellent acquisition. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/sophisticated-giant-mw0000674545

Personnel:  Dexter Gordon — tenor and soprano saxophone;  Frank Wess — alto saxophone, flute, piccolo;  Woody Shaw — trumpet, fluegelhorn;  Benny Bailey — lead trumpet, fluegelhorn;  Slide Hampton — trombone;  Wayne Andre — lead trombone;  Howard Johnson — tuba, baritone saxophone;  Bobby Hutcherson — vibes;  George Cables — piano;  Rufus Reid — bass;  Victor Lewis — drums

Sophisticated Giant

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Carmen Souza - Kachupada

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:55
Size: 111,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:34)  1. Manha 1 de Dezembro
(2:57)  2. Donna Lee
(4:15)  3. Luta
(5:25)  4. My Favourite Things
(3:41)  5. Ivanira
(3:55)  6. Xinxiroti
(4:09)  7. Terra Sab
(0:49)  8. Origem
(3:17)  9. 6 On Na Tarrafal
(3:48) 10. Vida Facil
(2:36) 11. Tchega
(4:20) 12. Koladjazz
(4:04) 13. Novo Dia

Lisbon-born, to a Cape Verdean family, Carmen Souza is now a London resident, but sings (in the words of David Sylvian) ‘in her native creole dialect with an intimacy, sensuality and vivacity, characterised by a tremendous lightness of touch’. She writes the lyrics, producer/bassist Theo Pas’cal the melodies, of most of the songs (in a genre described by Sylvain as ‘world soul’) on this charming album, but there are a couple of nods to the world of jazz: Charlie Parker’s frenetic bop anthem ‘Donna Lee’, and an arrestingly idiosyncratic visit to a standard, the Sound of Music’s ‘My Favourite Things’. ‘Kachupada’ refers to family and friends getting together to eat Cachupa (Cape Verdean soul food), and there is, appropriately enough, an atmosphere throughout this entirely original-sounding album of informality, joyousness and celebration, the arrangements lean but intense, driven by skilfully calibrated percussion and lithe bass playing, and occasionally tastefully augmented by accordion, flute, guitar, saxophone and flugelhorn. Souza’s voice is striking, strong but flexible, with an attractive rasp and the odd sigh or cry emphasising the songs’ sentiments; overall, this is a highly unusual mix of Cape Verdean rhythms, jazz and soul that should see her audience widen way beyond the WOMAD Festival faithful that currently form its core. http://www.londonjazznews.com/2013/02/cd-review-carmen-souza-kachupada.html

Kachupada

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Jackie McLean - Let Freedom Ring

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:09
Size: 87,9 MB
Art: Front

(13:19)  1. Melody For Melonae
( 6:18)  2. I'll Keep Loving You
(10:00)  3. Rene
( 8:31)  4. Omega

Jackie McLean had always been a highly emotional soloist, so it makes sense that he was one of the first hard bop veterans to find a new voice in the burning intensity of jazz's emerging avant-garde. McLean had previously experimented with Coltrane's angular modes and scales and Ornette's concept of chordal freedom, but Let Freedom Ring was the landmark masterpiece where he put everything together and ushered in the era of the modernists at Blue Note. A number of saxophonists were beginning to explore the ability of the instrument to mimic human cries of passion, and here McLean perfected a long, piercing squeal capable of expressing joy, anguish, fury, and more. The music on Let Freedom Ring remained more rooted in hard bop structure than Coleman's, and McLean was still recognizably himself, but that was precisely what was revolutionary about the album: It validated the avant-garde aesthetic, demonstrating that it had enough value to convert members of the old guard, and wasn't just the province of radical outcasts. There are only four pieces, one of which is the surging Bud Powell ballad "I'll Keep Loving You"; the other three are McLean originals ("Melody for Melonae," "Rene," and "Omega," dedicated to his daughter, son, and mother respectively) that spotlight his tremendous inventiveness on extended material and amaze with a smoldering fire that never lets up. Pianist Walter Davis takes the occasional solo, but the record is McLean's statement of purpose, and he accordingly dominates the proceedings, with the busy, free-flowing dialogues of bassist Herbie Lewis and Ornette drummer Billy Higgins pushing him to even greater heights. The success of Let Freedom Ring paved the way for a bumper crop of other modernist innovators to join the Blue Note roster and, artistically, it still stands with One Step Beyond as McLean's greatest work. ~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/album/let-freedom-ring-mw0000188382

Personnel:  Jackie McLean — alto saxophone;  Walter Davis, Jr. — piano;  Herbie Lewis — bass;  Billy Higgins — drums

Let Freedom Ring

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Roland Kirk - Left & Right

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:55
Size: 101,2 MB
Art: Front

( 1:18)  1. Black Mystery Has Been Revealed
(19:36)  2. Expansions
( 3:48)  3. Lady's Blues
( 3:41)  4. I X Love
( 3:24)  5. Hot Cha
( 4:13)  6. Quintessence
( 2:54)  7. I Waited For You
( 3:57)  8. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing

The title of this album, Left and Right, no doubt refers to the sides of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's brain, which were both heavily taxed in the composing, arranging, conducting, and playing of this recording. For starters, the band is huge 17 players plus a 16-piece string section, all of it arranged and conducted by Kirk, a blind man. None of this would matter a damn if this weren't such a badass platter. Along with Kirk's usual crew of Ron Burton, Julius Watkins, Dick Griffin, Jimmy Hopps, and Gerald Brown, there are luminaries in the crowd including Alice Coltrane on harp, Pepper Adams on baritone saxophone, and no less than Roy Haynes helping out on the skins. What it all means is this: The man who surprised and outraged everybody on the scene as well as blew most away was at it again here in "Expansions," his wildly ambitious and swinging post-Coltrane suite, which has "Black Mystery Has Been Revealed" as its prelude. While there are other tracks on this record, this suite is its centerpiece and masterpiece despite killer readings of Billy Strayhorn's "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing" and "Quintessence." "Expansions" has Kirk putting his entire harmonic range on display, and all of the timbral extensions he used in his own playing are charted for a string section to articulate. There are subtleties, of course, which come off as merely tonal variations in extant harmony with the other instruments, but when they are juxtaposed against a portrayal of the entire history of jazz from Jelly Roll Morton to the present day then they become something else: the storytellers, the timbres, and the chromatic extensions that point in the right direction and get listeners to stop in the right places. This is an extreme for Rahsaan  extremely brilliant and thoroughly accessible. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/left-right-mw0000661555

Personnel: Roland Kirk: tenor saxophone, manzello, stritch, clarinet, flute, organ, narration, thumb piano, celesta; Jim Buffington, Julius Watkins: french horn; Frank Wess: woodwinds;   Richard Williams: trumpet;   Dick Griffith, Benny Powell: trombone;   Daniel Jones: basoon;  Pepper Adams: baritone saxophone;  Alice Coltrane: harp;   Ron Burton: piano;  Vernon Martin: bass;  Roy Haynes: drums;  Jimmy Hopps: drums;  Warren Smith: percussion, vocals;  Gerald "Sonny" Brown: percussion;  Gil Fuller: arranger

Left & Right

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Arthur Blythe & David Eyges - Today's Blues

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:55
Size: 135,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:05)  1. The John & The Sam
(4:59)  2. Gee's Minor Mood
(3:28)  3. Calling Mr. Blythe
(2:38)  4. American Forms 2
(2:37)  5. Warne Waltz
(4:42)  6. Eleven + Six
(4:43)  7. Prayer
(2:54)  8. Worker Bee
(3:23)  9. Something Like You
(4:56) 10. N Double Flat
(4:08) 11. My Sun Ra
(4:43) 12. Today's Blues
(2:42) 13. Randy Andy
(4:31) 14. No Solitude
(3:11) 15. Jig Tag
(3:08) 16. Encore

Poor Arthur Blythe's recording history has been analyzed ad nauseum. From great black hope to commercial fizzle, Blythe's early promise has not always been fulfilled, even though he has produced some outstanding albums. This scintillating set of fifteen original duets (with a solo piece thrown in) with cellist David Eyges should help restore the saxophonist's somewhat tarnished reputation. Totally exposed in this format, with plenty of time to stretch, Blythe proves himself a formidable pro, with an acerbic, blues-drenched tone that purrs, caresses, and slices across genres. The underrated Eyges is a stunning stylist, and one of the few masters of the electrified cello. 

Whether as a soloist or in tandem, Eyges brings an exciting and original vision. With a varied mix, and short tracks (nothing more than five minutes), Blythe and Eyges have scored an attractive collection.~ Steve Loewy https://www.allmusic.com/album/todays-blues-mw0000316668

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone - Arthur Blythe;  Cello [Electric Cello] - David Eyges

Today's Blues

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Buck Clayton - Junpin' At The Woodside

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:54
Size: 80,3 MB
Art: Front

( 8:02)  1. Rock-A-Bye Basie
(10:37)  2. Junpin' At The Woodside
( 6:36)  3. Blue And Sentimental
( 9:37)  4. Broaway

The Buck Clayton jam sessions of the mid-'50s led to writer Stanley Dance coining the term "mainstream" to describe swing-oriented veterans of the era. This out-of-print LP, whose contents have been reissued by Mosaic in their six-CD Buck Clayton box set, has a variety of top mainstream all-stars jamming on four songs associated with Count Basie. 

The music is taken from three different sessions, with this version of "Jumpin' at the Woodside" splicing together the best of two completely different performances. The lineup of top players (including trumpeters Clayton, Joe Newman and Ruby Braff, trombonists Trummy Young, Urbie Green and Benny Green, clarinetist Woody Herman and tenors Coleman Hawkins, Al Cohn, Buddy Tate and Lem Davis among others) gives one a good idea as to the high quality of the music.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/jumpin-at-the-woodside-mw0000871165

Personnel:  Buck Clayton – trumpet;  Joe Newman (tracks 2 & 3), Joe Thomas (track 2) – trumpet;  Ruby Braff – cornet (tracks 1 & 4);  Bennie Green (tracks 1 & 4), Urbie Green (tracks 2 & 3), Dicky Harris (tracks 1 & 4), Trummy Young (track 2) – trombone;  Woody Herman – clarinet (track 2);  Lem Davis – alto saxophone (tracks 2 & 3);  Al Cohn (track 2), Julian Dash (track 2), Coleman Hawkins (tracks 1–4), Buddy Tate (tracks 1 & 4) – tenor saxophone;  Charles Fowlkes – baritone saxophone (tracks 2 & 3);  Jimmy Jones (track 2), Billy Kyle (tracks 2 & 3) – piano, celeste;  Al Waslohn – piano (tracks 1 & 4);  Steve Jordan (tracks 1, 2 & 4), Freddie Green (tracks 2 & 3) – guitar;  Milt Hinton (tracks 1–4), Walter Page (track 2) – bass;  Jo Jones – drums;  Jack Ackerman – tap dancing (track 1).

Junpin' At The Woodside

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Barbara Mendes - Nada Pra Depois

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:53
Size: 94,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:08)  1. Joana
(3:53)  2. Já sabia
(4:00)  3. Nada pra depois
(4:03)  4. Ouro e marrom
(3:18)  5. Brasil invertido
(4:24)  6. Ardendo em cores
(3:58)  7. Vem cá
(3:19)  8. Tatuagem
(4:14)  9. E isso acontece
(3:36) 10. Segue sorrindo
(2:54) 11. Maya

'Nada Pra Depois' is the name of the Barbara Mendes album. With a super brazilian sound, it counts on the illustrious participations of Djavan, in the track that gives name to the disc: 'Nothing To After' and Ivan Lins, in 'And It Happens'. By the way, these two icons of national music are two great admirers of Barbara's talent and music. https://www.somlivre.com/barbara-mendes-nada-pra-depois.html

Nada Pra Depois

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Toots Thielemans - Giants Of Jazz

Styles: Harmonica Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:12
Size: 185,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:18)  1. Isn't It Romantic
(7:17)  2. East Of The Sun
(2:30)  3. Don't Blame Me
(2:47)  4. Scotch On The Rocks
(2:14)  5. Cocktails For Two
(2:26)  6. I Let Song Go Out Of My Heart
(3:01)  7. Sophisticated Lady
(4:39)  8. Don't Be That Way
(3:14)  9. Stars Fell On Alabama
(4:33) 10. Strutting With Some Barbecue
(4:30) 11. Imagination
(3:49) 12. 18th Century Ballroom
(7:05) 13. Soul Station
(4:56) 14. Fundamental Frequensy
(4:43) 15. On The Alamo
(4:33) 16. Diga Diga Doo
(2:03) 17. Skylark
(4:27) 18. Sonny Boy

Toots Thielemans virtually introduced the chromatic harmonica as a jazz instrument. In fact, beginning in the mid-'50s, he never had a close competitor. Thielemans simply played the harmonica with the dexterity of a saxophonist and even successfully traded off with the likes of Oscar Peterson. Thielemans' first instrument was the accordion, which he started when he was three. Although he started playing the harmonica when he was 17, Thielemans' original reputation was made as a guitarist who was influenced by Django Reinhardt. Very much open to bop, Thielemans played in American GI clubs in Europe, visited the U.S. for the first time in 1947, and shared the bandstand with Charlie Parker at the Paris Jazz Festival of 1949. He toured Europe as a guitarist with the Benny Goodman Sextet in 1950, and the following year moved to the U.S. During 1953-1959, Toots was a member of the George Shearing Quintet (mostly as a guitarist) and freelanced for the remainder of his lengthy career in music. He first recorded his big hit, "Bluesette" (which featured his expert whistling and guitar) in 1961, and was subsequently in great demand (particularly for his harmonica and his whistling) on pop records (including many dates with Quincy Jones) and as a jazz soloist. 

Toots' two-volume Brasil Project was popular in the 1990s and found him smoothly interacting on harmonica with top Brazilian musicians. Heard on numerous movie soundtracks (including Breakfast at Tiffany's and Midnight Cowboy) and also on the opening theme of television's Sesame Street, Thielemans received Jazz Master honors from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2009. He died in Belgium in August 2016 at the age of 94.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/toots-thielemans-mn0000159791/biography

Giants Of Jazz

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Guilhem Flouzat Trio - A Thing Called Joe

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:51
Size: 93,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:58)  1. There's No You
(3:09)  2. Oska T
(5:27)  3. Perdido
(7:19)  4. When I Fall In Love
(4:42)  5. Walking My Baby Back Home
(7:17)  6. Midnight Mood
(3:49)  7. Mrs. Parker of KC
(4:05)  8. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe

Drummer Guilhem Flouzat, gearing up for his third recording as a leader, had meant to steer his music along the path he'd taken on his sophomore album, Portraits (Sunnyside Records, 2015) a rotating cast of musicians laying down a batch of the leader's eloquent compositions. But a post card slipped through the mail slot suggesting a step back a piano trio outing exploring the standards, in the classic style. Turns out that was good advice. The proof: A Thing Called Joe. With Sullivan Fortner in the piano chair and Desmond White wielding the bass, the trio creates a sound and mood reminiscent of the classic Prestige Records trio outings, especially those of Red Garland. The New Orleans-bred Fortner has style here that harkens, in part, to Art Tatum, Erroll Garner, and Oscar Peterson, and Red Garland, with its classy ebullience, its intricate refinement and bright erudition and elegance. Bassist White and drummer/leader Flouzat are perhaps more adventurous than the rhythm guys of the fifties and sixties, but every bit as in the pocket and supportive. The tunes are familiar: "Perdido" "When I Fall In Love," Jaki Byard's "Mrs.Parker Of K.C." And some surprises are shuffled in: Thelonious Monk's seldom-covered "Osak T" and bouncy take on the Nat "King" Cole vehicle, "Walkin' My Baby Back Home."  With its classic feel, the astute selection of tunes, the adept sequencing, and the superb playing all around, A Thing Called Joe compares very favorably with perhaps the best of Red Garland's Prestige discs, Red Garland's Piano (1957), as one of those feelgood jazz discs that stays in the stack next to the stereo, always somewhere near the top.~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-thing-called-joe-guilhem-flouzat-sunnyside-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel:  Sullivan Fortner: piano;  Desmond White: bass;  Guilhem Flouzat: drums

A Thing Called Joe

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Gabor Szabo - Gabor Szabo In Budapest Again

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:07
Size: 117,5 MB
Art: Front

(11:04)  1. Concorde
( 9:11)  2. Magic Mystic Faces
( 3:58)  3. Django Part 1
( 6:12)  4. Django Part 2
( 4:55)  5. Killing Me Softly
( 5:52)  6. The Last Song
( 4:44)  7. The Biz
( 5:07)  8. From A Dream

Gabor Szabo was one of the most original guitarists to emerge in the 1960s, mixing his Hungarian folk music heritage with a deep love of jazz and crafting a distinctive, largely self-taught sound. Inspired by a Roy Rogers cowboy movie, Szabo began playing guitar when he was 14 and often played in dinner clubs and covert jam sessions while still living in Budapest. He escaped from his country at age 20 on the eve of the Communist uprising and eventually made his way to America, settling with his family in California. He attended Berklee College (1958-1960) and in 1961 joined Chico Hamilton's innovative quintet featuring Charles Lloyd. Urged by Hamilton, Szabo crafted a most distinctive sound; as agile on intricate, nearly-free runs as he was able to sound inspired during melodic passages. Szabo left the Hamilton group in 1965 to leave his mark on the pop-jazz of the Gary McFarland quintet and the energy music of Charles Lloyd's fiery and underrated quartet featuring Ron Carter and Tony Williams. Szabo initiated a solo career in 1966, recording the exceptional album, Spellbinder, which yielded many inspired moments and "Gypsy Queen," the song Santana turned into a huge hit in 1970. Szabo formed an innovative quintet (1967-1969) featuring the brilliant, classically trained guitarist Jimmy Stewart and recorded many notable albums during the late '60s. The emergence of rock music (especially George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix) found Szabo experimenting with feedback and more commercially oriented forms of jazz. During the '70s, Szabo regularly performed along the West Coast, hypnotizing audiences with his enchanting, spellbinding style. From 1970, he locked into a commercial groove, even though records like Mizrab occasionally revealed his seamless jazz, pop, Gypsy, Indian, and Asian fusions. 

Szabo had revisited his homeland several times during the '70s, finding opportunities to perform brilliantly with native talents. He was hospitalized during his final visit and died in 1982, just short of his 46th birthday.~ Douglas Payne https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gabor-szabo-mn0000184187/biography

Gabor Szabo In Budapest Again

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Charles Earland & Odyssey - Revelation

Styles: Piano, Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:36
Size: 88,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:30)  1. Betty Boop
(6:49)  2. Ode To Chicken George
(6:45)  3. Revelation
(4:10)  4. Shining Bright
(4:42)  5. Singing A Song For You
(7:44)  6. Elizabeth
(2:53)  7. I Wish

Charles Earland came into his own at the tail-end of the great 1960s wave of soul-jazz organists, gaining a large following and much airplay with a series of albums for the Prestige label. While heavily indebted to Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff, Earland came armed with his own swinging, technically agile, light-textured sound on the keyboard and one of the best walking-bass pedal techniques in the business. Though not an innovative player in his field, Earland burned with the best of them when he was on. Earland actually started his musical experiences surreptitiously on his father's alto sax as a kid, and when he was in high school, he played baritone in a band that also featured fellow Philadelphians Pat Martino on guitar, Lew Tabackin on tenor, and yes, Frankie Avalon on trumpet. After playing in the Temple University band, he toured as a tenor player with McGriff for three years, became infatuated with McGriff's organ playing, and started learning the Hammond B-3 at intermission breaks. When McGriff let him go, Earland switched to the organ permanently, forming a trio with Martino and drummer Bobby Durham. He made his first recordings for Choice in 1966, then joined Lou Donaldson for two years (1968-1969) and two albums before being signed as a solo artist to Prestige. Earland's first album for Prestige, Black Talk!, became a best-selling classic of the soul-jazz genre; a surprisingly effective cover of the Spiral Starecase's pop/rock hit "More Today Than Yesterday" from that LP received saturation airplay on jazz radio in 1969. He recorded eight more albums for Prestige, one of which featured a young unknown Philadelphian named Grover Washington, Jr., then switched to Muse before landing contracts with Mercury and Columbia. 

By this time, the organ trio genre had gone into eclipse, and in the spirit of the times, Earland acquired some synthesizers and converted to pop/disco in collaboration with his wife, singer/songwriter Sheryl Kendrick. Kendrick's death from sickle-cell anemia in 1985 left Earland desolate, and he stopped playing for awhile, but a gig at the Chickrick House on Chicago's South Side in the late '80s brought him out of his grief and back to the Hammond B-3. Two excellent albums in the old soul-jazz groove for Milestone followed, and the '90s found him returning to the Muse label. Earland died of heart failure on December 11, 1999, the morning after playing a gig in Kansas City; he was 58.~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/charles-earland-mn0000204850/biography

Personnel:  Organ, Electric Piano, Synthesizer [Arp String Synthesizer], Clavinet, Piano – Charles Earland  Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Arthur Grant;   Trumpet – Randy Brecker;  Bass – Paul Jackson;   Drums – Harvey Mason;  Guitar – Eric Gale;    

Revelation

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