Ernie Watts - Chariots of Fire

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:56
Size: 82,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:55)  1. Chariots of Fire (Theme) (Dance Version)
(4:25)  2. Hold On
(3:49)  3. Lady
(4:36)  4. Gigolo
(5:14)  5. Valdez in the Country
(3:46)  6. Abraham's Theme
(3:40)  7. Five Circles
(4:27)  8. Chariots of Fire (Theme) (Slow Version)

Inexplicably, Ernie Watts thought it a good idea to record an album dedicated to the movie Chariots of Fire, while having very little to do with the overall plot of the film. The opening number is indeed the theme to Chariots of Fire, but sped up to be danceable. The result is what disco connoisseur Morgan Geist might deem to be an "unclassic"really bad but in a very laughable way (it also could double as the fine theme to an afternoon syndicated talk show). James Ingram also makes an appearance on the smooth rocker "Hold On," and there's a ridiculous cover of the Lionel Richie/Kenny Rogers hit "Lady" and one of Donny Hathaway's "Valdez in the Country," which would be appropriate music bedding for your local cable weather forecast. The album is finally put out of its misery with a "slower" and more reggae-based interpretation of "Chariots of Fire" that is just as amusing as the album's opener, if not more so. Proceed with caution. ~ Rob Theaskton https://www.allmusic.com/album/chariots-of-fire-mw0000206731

Personnel: Ernie Watts - Tenor Saxophone; Michael Omartian - Acoustic Piano; Richard Tee - Electric Piano; Carlos Rios - Guitar; Neil Stubbenhaus - Bass; John Robinson - Drums;  Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion;  Ian Underwood - Synthesizer

Chariots of Fire

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Rosemary Clooney - Thanks for Nothing

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:07
Size: 78,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:19)  1. Hello Faithless
(2:34)  2. The Rules of the Road
(2:32)  3. Just One of Those Things
(2:27)  4. All Alone
(3:43)  5. Black Coffee
(2:28)  6. A Good Man Is Hard to Find
(2:11)  7. Baby, The Ball Is Over
(4:16)  8. The Man That Got Away
(3:16)  9. I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues
(3:03) 10. Miss Otis Regrets
(3:06) 11. Thanks for Nothing (At All)
(2:07) 12. Careless Love

Thanks for Nothing was Rosemary Clooney's only album recorded for Frank Sinatra's Reprise Records. (Love, released by Reprise in 1963, actually had been recorded for RCA Victor in 1961.) It was also her last full-length LP project until she began recording for Concord Records in 1977. In his discography included in Clooney's autobiography, Girl Singer, Michael Feinstein notes that Clooney "isn't very fond of this album because the stresses of her personal life are audible on many of the tracks." But those very stresses, which included marital discord and a dependence on prescription drugs, may have contributed favorably to the final product on an album devoted to songs of love gone wrong, much in the mold of Sinatra's Only the Lonely. Arranger/conductor Bob Thompson isn't interested in making all the tunes into saloon ballads, however. True, here you get Clooney's take on "The Man That Got Away," and it isn't very different from Judy Garland's, while Clooney's interpretation of "Black Coffee" resembles Peggy Lee's. But the album opens and closes with country songs of a type Garland and Lee would never imagine trying, while Clooney sounds right at home. And "Just One of Those Things" (complete with introductory verse) and "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" are taken at a jaunty pace that suggests the singer is going to be able to pick herself up off the barroom floor without assistance. Best of all are Carolyn Leigh and Cy Coleman's "The Rules of the Road" and the title song, which Clooney handles with her clear-spoken matter-of-factness. She may have been fading away personally and professionally at this point in her life, but she had one good album left in her, and this is it. ~ William Ryhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/thanks-for-nothing-mw0000662910

Thanks for Nothing

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Randy Weston - Saga

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:46
Size: 174,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:17)  1. The Beauty Of It All
(7:19)  2. Loose Wing
(8:47)  3. Tangier Bay
(6:45)  4. F.E.W. Blues
(8:06)  5. Uncle Neemo
(4:21)  6. Lagos
(4:41)  7. A Night In Mbari
(6:39)  8. Saucer Eyes
(6:14)  9. The Three Pyramids And The Sphynx
(2:58) 10. Casbah Kids
(5:30) 11. Jahjuka
(7:03) 12. The Gathering

Randy Weston was still at the peak of his powers, despite nearing his 70th birthday, for this set recorded with a septet in 1995. Weston's writing and playing have long drawn from a combination of American jazz and African traditions. This set celebrates that rich and entwined heritage, and Weston fearlessly juxtaposes dissonant note clusters with sweetly inviting melodies. "Tangier Bay," is, for example, relentlessly propulsive with undulating counter-rhythms.  His three front-line soloists are distinct and inventive: tenor saxophonist Billy Harper, alto saxophonist Talib Kibwe, and trombonist Benny Powell. This album, along with Earth Birth and the Portraits series, made the '90s an expansive and productive decade for Weston. https://www.allmusic.com/album/saga-mw0000183236

Personnel:  Piano, Composed By – Randy Weston;  Alto Saxophone, Flute – Talib Kibwe;  Double Bass – Alex Blake;  Drums – Billy Higgins;  Percussion – Neil Clarke; Tenor Saxophone – Billy Harper;  Trombone – Benny Powell

Saga

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Young Gun Silver Fox - West End Coast

Styles: Vocal, Guitar, Pop/Rock 
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:26
Size: 93,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:19)  1. You Can Feel It
(4:06)  2. Emilia
(4:02)  3. Better
(3:35)  4. Distance Between Us
(3:19)  5. See Me Slumer
(4:58)  6. In My Pocket
(4:02)  7. So Bad
(3:48)  8. Spiral
(3:46)  9. Saturday
(5:26) 10. Long Way Back

“Whenever I’m feeling blue, you make me better. Whatever I’m going through, you make me feel better.”~ “Better,” Young Gun Silver Fox

Good things come to those who wait. In 2012, Andy Platts (U.K. soul-rock band, Mamas Gun) and Shawn Lee, a multi-instrumentalist producer (AM & Shawn Lee; Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra “Kiss the Sky” feat. Nino Moschella) began to work on an album they had wanted to make for nearly 10 years. The result: West End Coast, a soon-to-be critically acclaimed album that pays homage to the warm, analogue So-Cal pop-rock classics of the mid-to-late 1970s. Classified as Yacht Rock, Young Gun Silver Fox have created a debut album that is a testament to the AOR Studio Sound. Hands down, West End Coast is sonic gold. Young Gun Silver Fox is the talented UK-based duo comprised of Platts, a.k.a. Young Gun, and Lee, the “Silver Fox” who hails from Wichita, Kansas. Independently, Platts and Lee have over forty album credits to their names (Lee leads with about 33 albums) including work with Jeff Buckley, Kelis, Amy Winehouse, Rod Temperton, John Oates, Brian Jackson and Ben Oncle Soul. “Tasteful, soulful and very real” are words Lee, who relocated to London, England after spending seven years in Los Angeles, uses to describe the album. “Speaking for myself, this is an album I’ve wanted to make for some time and Andy was the only person I felt I could make it with. Andy understands the classic melodic pop side as well as the soul funky side that was absolutely vital to the creation of this music. What a voice!” Platts calls Lee a “mechanic” for his ability to take a pop song apart and put it back together. Together, Young Gun Silver Fox have created a “musician’s album”, rich with complex instrumental melodies, smooth vocals, and positive lyrics.

West End Coast has been compared to America, Hall & Oates, Loggins & Messina, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Carly Simon, and Ambrosia. The album’s vocal harmonies, lyrics, and production echo Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Earth Wind and Fire. Platts and Lee’s infectious chemistry deliver again and again. What’s old is definitely new again in West End Coast’s original material. It’s hard to pick favourite tracks from such a solid album. As soon as I hear Lee’s smooth guitar riff in the opening track “You Can Feel It”, a smile creeps over my face and induces a fuzzy, heart-warming buzz that recalls the seemingly more simple times of yesteryear. This was actually the last song written for the album, inspired by a riff and some chords Lee texted to Platts one night.  “By the morning, Andy had written and demo’d the song ready for production,” Lee explains. The lyrics and hook from “Better” are contagious and make you want to cruise down California’s Highway 1. The lush orchestration and wah-wah syncopation in “Long Way Back” recalls Curtis Mayfield. The harmonica riffs, horn lines, fat bass lines from “In My Pocket” evoke Hall & Oates, Prince, and Earth Wind and Fire. But Young Gun Silver Fox make the catchy synth pop licks and short electric guitar solo digestible. West End Coast is a warm ray of sunshine on a dreary day. It soothes some of life’s harsh edges through its laid-back west coast vibe. Ironically, the album’s title references both sunny California, as well as grey West London, where the album was written and recorded at Lee’s Trans-Yank Studio. “The most important thing is to make good music that you love and put it out into the world,” Lee, the “Silver Fox”, explains in an online video. “When your music lives out in the world, independently of you, that’s a beautiful thing.” Many iconic musicians may have left us in 2016, but we also gained West End Coast. As we shake off troubling headlines and over-produced, digitized pop, Young Gun Silver Fox brings back cozy love songs and hopeful anthems to help us glide over the snares that life throws at us, reminding us there is hope in life’s chaotic ups and downs. Whatever your personal connection to Yacht Rock or the ‘70s, West End Coast is a much needed audio-ceutical for many. It will warm you up, open your heart, and take you back to the simple things. Young Gun Silver Fox is wrapping up a European tour and will hopefully visit us across the pond by next summer. Live, the band includes Adrian Meehan (drums) and David Page (bass and vocals). Platts plays the Rhodes and does lead vocals while Lee plays the smooth, lead guitar. http://spillmagazine.com/spill-album-review-young-gun-silver-fox-west-end-coast/

Personnel:  Andy Platts (Young Gun): lead & harmony vocals, guitar;  Shawn Lee (Silver Fox): drums, bass, keyboards, vocals and many more guests

West End Coast

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Willie Nelson - Last Man Standing

Styles: Vocal, Guitar, Country
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:40
Size: 79,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:00)  1. Last Man Standing
(2:28)  2. Don't Tell Noah
(3:03)  3. Bad Breath
(2:49)  4. Me And You
(3:53)  5. Something You Get Through
(2:35)  6. Ready To Roar
(3:16)  7. Heaven Is Closed
(3:00)  8. I Ain't Got Nothin'
(2:43)  9. She Made My Day
(2:59) 10. I'll Try To Do Better Next Time
(3:48) 11. Very Far To Crawl

Willie Nelson started singing about the end of the line a while back but now that he's in his mid-eighties, he's so accustomed to having death lurking around the corner that he can kid about it. That's precisely what he does throughout Last Man Standing, an album that serves as a jocular counterpart to its predecessor, God's Problem Child. Nelson didn't avoid humor on that record, but the vibe seemed haunted by a looming sense that the clock is ticking away. Willie shakes off this spookiness on Last Man Standing, whose title track finds him singing that "it's getting hard to watch my pals check out" to a jaunty rhythm. Ultimately, he decides he wants to be the last man standing, a sentiment that's reiterated a few tracks later, when Willie looks into the mirror and determines it's "better to have bad breath than no breath at all." Nelson isn't seizing the day so much as shrugging off worries, and decides just to have a good time. Despite being riddled with songs about death and aging, Last Man Standing is ridiculously fun, thanks not just to Nelson's jocularity it's not just gallows humor, either; the swinging honky tonk of "She Made My Day" is filled with sly one-liners  but to the nimbleness of his band. It's no secret that his bandmembers are pros, but it's still a pleasure to hear them play they're as compelling sliding into the shimmering jazz overtones of "Something You Get Through" as they are kicking out the blues of "I Ain't Got Nothin'" and they give Nelson plenty of cover for working with his weathered voice. No longer able to croon as he once did, Nelson opts for playing around with the rhythms of his delivery, a move that makes him seem limber, adding a sense of vitality to Last Man Standing. Willie realizes he's not going to be here forever but he's made up his mind to make the most of his time here, and that's why Last Man Standing feels richer than so many self-conscious meditations on mortality. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/last-man-standing-mw0003151298

Personnel:  Willie Nelson – vocals, guitar;  Alison Krauss – background vocals, fiddle;  Mickey Raphael – harmonica;  James Mitchell – guitar

Last Man Standing

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Barbara Reed - On Stage

Size: 123,0 MB
Time: 52:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. The Tear Returns To Me (3:31)
02. The Way You Look Tonight (4:05)
03. It's All In The Game (4:43)
04. You Can Take It All Back (3:25)
05. The Child In You (5:05)
06. Right Here All The Time (5:38)
07. The Song Remembers When (6:29)
08. Beyond The Sea (2:06)
09. In A Kid's World (4:41)
10. Why Don't You Do Right (3:10)
11. Remember Me (3:24)
12. She Saw You Comin' (2:49)
13. But It's His Eyes (3:38)

Musicians who are also authors tend to be relatively common -it's those Muse juices, you know. Mary Higgins Clark would title her books with the names of well-known popular songs. Popster parrotter Jimmy Buffett and even Madonna have penned. Barbara Reed, however, does it all: she's an outstanding vocalist/pianist/composer/lyricist—and a celebrated author whose work on all embraces song.

The LA-based Reed has been a fixture on the So Cal music scene for years. She's a solid, musically-grounded artist who can deftly shape-shift across genres—and she does just that superbly here. Reed's On Stage offers a baker's dozen tracks, a varied bunch of material incorporating Reed originals, a GASser and a few pop classics—all recorded either in studio or live.

The album kicks off with a hip Reed original, "The Tear Returns to Me," an Al Jarreau-like groover that sets the upbeat tone for the date. Reed digs swingingly into the GAS with "The Way You Look Tonight" (with a tasty Sam Riney sax solo) and also into pop dusties -a straight-up version of Teddy Edwards,' "It's All in the Game" and Bobby Darin's signature hit, "Beyond the Sea." All are delivered impeccably and with respect for melody and line. Vocally, Reed's bright soprano voice is inviting and her technical chops there and on the keys are gymnast-like. Her dynamic control and phrasing are Aces.

There's a lovely intimacy in her interpretation of a line. Her genre versatility is on also display with her original "Right Here All the Time" and the Trisha Yearwood 90s' cross-over award-winner, "The Song Remembers When." Her take on Benny Goodman/Peggy Lee and Roger Rabbit's well-known "Why Don't You Do Right" is, to Reed's credit, fun and not goofily camped up.

As a composer, Reed has got to be L.A.'s biggest secret. Her writing and lyricist ability—remember, she's also a celebrated novelist—are versatile and her word choice is always right on. The "Child in You" and "It's a Kid's World" have that special ear-and heart-grab texture that you'd swear that they were in a flick from the Mouse House. The darker "She Saw You Comin'" lets Reed soul it up blue. The closer "But It's His Eyes" is a "killer," sending us off poetically into the Hollywood noir.

The groups behind Reed are L.A.-1 with terrific taste and support. They each frame Reed superbly offering tasteful back-up without stepping on musical toes.

While there are obviously no intentions to break envelopes or redefine things with On Stage, it's a most entertaining near-hour of great music and word delivered by a very talented artist—one certainly worthy of much wider recognition. On Stage is in deed the word. ~Nicholas F. Mondello

Personnel: Barbara Reed: vocals, piano, keyboards; Llew Matthews: piano, keyboards; bass: Max Bennett, Tom Gargano, Mark Tavarez, Eddie Young; drums: Randy White, Jeff Fish.

On Stage

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Maria Baptist - Ressonance

Size: 95,6 MB
Time: 41:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. Resonance (6:48)
02. Stillness Speaks (3:24)
03. The High Line (3:44)
04. After The Darkness (5:32)
05. Urban Meditation (5:40)
06. Raising The Frequencies (3:09)
07. The Blossom (5:13)
08. Early Sunday Morning (3:20)
09. Song Of The Soul (4:27)

Personnel:
Maria Baptist: piano.

Maria Baptist has several favorite contexts for her piano—trio, trio-plus-one, solo or with an orchestra—and yet there's always a certain throughline that comes through in any setting. It's a sophisticated voice that's highly emotional, evocative and vivid as life.

Following on from a successful year of profile-building and highly visible gigs, Baptist goes small-scale here for her most cozy and intimate recording yet. It's themed around the practice of meditation, being fully present in one's surroundings and open to anything. Arguably most music is best experienced that way—even though that (to put it mildly) is often not the case—and Resonance not only deserves such attention but demands it. Baptist's intense focus and immersion in the music elevates it to beautiful, sometimes breathtaking, results.

In keeping with the in-the-moment theme, this recording was largely improvised in a single-day session starting with only a handful of loosely drawn ideas. Keith Jarrett listeners will doubtlessly notice the similarity to his iconic Facing You (ECM, 1971) for that reason right away. Baptist does show the stamp of her predecessor, from ear-catching vamps to classy chamber sounds and warm hints of American folk, and a blind listener would believe this was an ECM release with no trouble. Still, these meditations make an eclectic series of aural paintings that couldn't have come from anybody else.

Where Jarrett is known for spinning such patterns into epic explorations, Baptist turns them into carefully sculpted miniatures. There's almost a narrative flow through the set, as it begins with some deceptively simple-sounding candlelight meditations before drifting toward more skewed tonalities. The pieces are often dazzling on a technical level whether fast or slow (see the disquieting mid-set "Urban Meditation" and thunderous rumbles of "Raising the Frequencies"), though that's always secondary to the powerful emotional punch conveyed by the music's own picturesque lifts and falls.

The warmth is almost palpable when those roiling cascades give way to simple pastoral melodies towards the end. The early struggle of "The Blossom" makes its harmonic unfolding sound like a well-deserved reward; the easy-loping "Early Sunday Morning" channels just the right dose of Vince Guaraldi to follow, while the heartfelt closer feels like a pure cozy sunbeam. Resonance is a journey crafted with laughter and drama, unafraid to embrace simplicity and silence, and makes an experience worth savoring in every moment. ~Geno Thackara

Ressonance

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Spencer Day - Angel City

Size: 107,6 MB
Time: 45:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front & Back

01. Overture (0:32)
02. Angel City (3:55)
03. Lost In La (4:06)
04. Come And Save Me (2:48)
05. I Got Love (Gold Digger) (3:59)
06. The California Yes (3:12)
07. 72 And Sunny Interlude (0:46)
08. 72 And Sunny (3:51)
09. Riding On A Broken Dream (3:05)
10. Ghost Of The Chateau Marmont (3:08)
11. Who Do You Know (2:53)
12. I Wish I Didn't Care (3:32)
13. Training Wheel (5:10)
14. Somewhere There's A City (4:17)

Spencer Day – born in Utah, raised in rural Arizona, and currently living in New York City – has wandered amid the expansive and diverse landscape of American music, developing an artistic sensibility that borrows from numerous sources: jazz, musical theater, cabaret, soul, folk, traditional and contemporary pop. He uses intuition and improvisation as his primary tools to craft a sound that is familiar, yet fresh and innovative at the same time. Day’s album Vagabond peaked at #11 on the Billboard Album Chart and stayed on the chart for 47 weeks. The lead single, “Til You Come To Me,” peaked at #3. His recent album, Daybreak, debuted at #1 on the iTunes Jazz Chart.

Angel City, his seventh and latest album, was recorded at Capitol Records with the support of the Budman-Levy Orchestra. Using the fabled city of Los Angeles as a backdrop, the recording continues Spencer’s meditations on love, fame, narcissism, and how an artist can maintain integrity and authenticity. New Yorkers will be able to find their own parallels in the themes of the songs. The album’s lyrics and melodies reveal something of a stylistic departure from Spencer’s previous records, although you’ll certainly find his unique blend of blue-eyed soul, pop and film noir moodiness from the classic jazz era. Incorporating slices of life from legends and nobodies, the city of dreams is built on projections and fantasy, light and darkness.

The Washington Post praised his “cool jazz sensibilities” and “cleverly crafted tales,” with Time Out New York calling him “a compelling, quirky singer-songwriter.” According to The San Francisco Chronicle, “his melodies are infectious, his arrangements are dazzling and, most of all, his delivery is heartfelt and, often, heartbreaking. He is not only a superb pianist, but a brilliant arranger, who consistently celebrates the partnership between his voice and the piano.

Angel City

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The Drawtones - Down The Line (Feat. Derek Nash)

Size: 105,9 MB
Time: 45:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Funk, Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Charlie Chan (3:33)
02. Little Sunflower (5:45)
03. Down The Line (3:57)
04. Return Of The Nightfly (3:58)
05. Tobacco Road (4:09)
06. Lonely Days (5:01)
07. One Hundred Ways (5:04)
08. The Sermon (3:36)
09. Comin' Home Baby (4:50)
10. Voodoo Rex (5:09)

Personnel:
Rod Pooley - Hammond Organ
Derek Nash - Saxophone
Andy Williams - Guitar
Simon Brewin - Bass
Jessica Dann - Drums

"Down the Line" The Drawtones debut album featuring special guest Jools Holland saxophonist Derek Nash, who also recorded and produced the album superbly at his Bexley, London studio.
10 fabulous tracks, 4 Originals and 6 great jazz and funk organ classics.

Down The Line

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Christine Tavares-Mocha - Good To Be Yours: Christine Tavares-Mocha Sings The John Morell Songbook

Size: 88,1 MB
Time: 37:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Thought I'd Never Fall Again (3:36)
02. Serious Thing (2:38)
03. Touch Of Love (3:59)
04. I Could Swear I'm In Love (2:56)
05. Don't Talk To Me About Love (3:46)
06. Sunshine Way (3:25)
07. Dancing Ground (3:46)
08. Bad Boy Blues (3:04)
09. Then Came You (3:34)
10. Good To Be Yours (3:41)
11. Strange And Fateful Day (3:15)

Songwriter John Morell and jazz chanteuse Christine Tavares-Mocha have produced an exciting collaboration featuring fresh, new love songs that attempt to capture the spirit, lyricism and melodic appeal of standards from the Great American Songbook. Deliberately non-contemporary, these tracks (with perhaps the exception of the mysterious "Strange and Fateful Day") are pointedly focused on "breaking old ground." Enjoy!

"Christine is an extraordinary jazz vocalist, with great pitch, time & phrasing, advanced improvisational skills, and most importantly, has her own honest and unique voice. She is the kind of singer whom can truly touch listeners, because it is evident that she believes in every note and lyric that she sings." — Gretchen Parlato

Good To Be Yours

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Herb Alpert - Blow Your Own Horn

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:14
Size: 100,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:46)  1. Red Hot
(4:06)  2. True Confessions
(3:47)  3. Blow Your Own Horn
(4:15)  4. Gently
(4:09)  5. The Midnight Tango
(5:16)  6. Garden Party
(4:19)  7. Paradise Cove
(4:12)  8. Latin Lady
(3:56)  9. Oriental Eyes
(3:23) 10. Sundown

This album is typical of Herb Alpert's '80s style, with his familiar horn sound grafted to contemporary dance and R&B rhythm tracks. He even got the old Motown team of Holland-Dozier-Holland to write and co-produce a couple of tunes. Although there is nothing here to rival Alpert's 1979 comeback "Rise," he had multi-format success with the album, which charted pop, R&B, and jazz and threw off two chart singles, "Garden Party" and "Red Hot." ~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/blow-your-own-horn-mw0000189061

Personnel:  Trumpet – Herb Alpert; Vocals – Herb Alpert (tracks: 1, 3, 6), Lamont Dozier (tracks: 3), Randy Badazz (tracks: 1, 5);  Trombone – Randy Aldcroft (tracks: 6);  Tenor Saxophone – Ernie Watts (tracks: 1, 6);  Acoustic Guitar – Tommy Tedesco (tracks: 1);  Bass – Abraham Laboriel (tracks: 1), Freddie Washington (tracks: 10), Nathan East (tracks: 2, 4, 6);  Bass [Moog] – Bill Cuomo (tracks: 6, 8 to 10);  Clavinet – Andy Armer (tracks: 5);  Drums – Carlos Vega (tracks: 6 to 8, 10), John Robinson (2) (tracks: 5), Steve Gadd (tracks: 1);  Drums [Linn] – Herb Alpert (tracks: 4);  Drums [Simmons] – John Gilston (tracks: 7), Mike Baird (tracks: 2);  Electric Guitar – Chris Pinnick (tracks: 1);  Guitar – Lee Ritenour (tracks: 7), Paul Jackson,Jr. (tracks: 2 to 4, 6), Steve Lukather (tracks: 9), Tim May (tracks: 5, 10);  Keyboards – Bill Cuomo (tracks: 4, 7 to 9), John Barnes (tracks: 2, 3), Neil Larsen (tracks: 6);  Piano – Andy Armer (tracks: 1), Michel Colombier (tracks: 10);  Piano [Acoustic] – Bill Cuomo (tracks: 8, 9), John Barnes (tracks: 2), Sergio Andrade (2) (tracks: 4);  Piano [Wurlitzer] – Mike Lang (tracks: 1)

Blow Your Own Horn

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Eddie Calvert - The Forgotten Tracks

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:55
Size: 177,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:45)  1. Cry My Heart
(2:17)  2. Spellbound
(2:50)  3. Mystery St
(2:48)  4. Montparnasse
(2:45)  5. Midnight
(2:16)  6. Almost Paradise
(2:31)  7. Cossak Patrol
(2:46)  8. The Man I Love
(2:42)  9. Esther
(2:31) 10. The Rumpty Tumpty Melody
(2:26) 11. Tipsy Tune
(1:57) 12. Turkish Patrol
(2:16) 13. Americano
(2:35) 14. Trumpet Cha Cha Cha
(2:20) 15. Cha Cha In The Rain
(2:35) 16. Angelina
(2:24) 17. Julia
(2:07) 18. Song Of Venice
(2:42) 19. Morgen
(2:18) 20. Gillie
(2:25) 21. Till We Meet Again
(3:29) 22. Wonderland By Night
(2:07) 23. Trumpet Twist
(2:43) 24. Quando Quando Quando
(2:09) 25. Letkiss Jenka
(2:58) 26. Buona Sera (Signorina)
(2:04) 27. Mama (Non Mi Sgridare Piu)
(2:38) 28. Dream Baby
(3:17) 29. Il Silenzio

Eddie Calvert, known as the man with the golden trumpet, was born in Preston, Lancashire on the 15th March 1922 as Albert Edward Calvert. As a child he was exposed to his family's love of brass band music and he learned to play many brass instruments but concentrated on the trumpet. He joined the Preston Town Silver Band at the age of 11 but the war interrupted his musical career and by the late 1940s he returned to play in various amateur brass bands, eventually moving to the professional circuit with the dance bands Geraldo and Billy Ternet. Going solo, he appeared on TV with the Stanley Black Orchestra. He signed to the Columbia label, part of the EMI group and released an instrumental trumpet version of the German song Oh Mein Papa which had most famously been covered in English as Oh My Papa by Eddie Fisher. Calvert's instrumental easily won the chart battle in the UK and it remained at no.1 for nine weeks at the beginning of 1954. Over a year later he was involved in another chart battle for supremacy with the song Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White and this time it was much closer with both his and a very similar trumpet version by Perez Prado reaching no.1 in the Spring of 1955. Several other hits followed including a version of Stranger In Paradise, John And Julie and Mandy, while Little Serenade was his final hit in June 1958. When the 1960s provided no change of fortune, Calvert moved away to settle in South Africa where he lived out the remainder of his life, dying on the 7th of August 1978. 

~ Sharon Mewer https://www.allmusic.com/artist/eddie-calvert-mn0000793645

The Forgotten Tracks

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Tord Gustavsen Trio - The Other Side

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:35
Size: 153,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:04)  1. The Tunnel
(5:13)  2. Kirken, den er et gammelt hus
(5:17)  3. Re-Melt
(4:37)  4. Duality
(3:54)  5. Ingen vinner frem til den evige ro
(3:14)  6. Taste And See
(4:54)  7. Schlafes Bruder
(4:32)  8. Jesu, meine Freude / Jesus, det eneste
(3:24)  9. The Other Side
(3:33) 10. O Traurigkeit
(2:28) 11. Left Over Lullaby No. 4
(6:19) 12. Curves

Like a dusty, Southern gothic novel, Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen opens his return to the trio format with the moody, enigmatic "The Tunnel." All his compositions on The Other Side bare their secrets slowly and play out their methodically expressionistic hauntings with a gospel-influenced left hand seemingly rooted thousands of miles away in the muddy Louisiana delta. Though Being There (ECM, 2007) was widely hailed yet often criticized as being cool in nature, The Other Side is a warm, whole-cloth adventure of spacious interiors, dug into and revealed with the kindred aid of stalwart drummer Jarle Vespestad and new bassist Sigurd Hole, who bears his love of dark contours and folk influences on his sleeve, creating a full, deft space through which the pianist leads his trio. Harald Johnsen, the trio's original bassist, died of an unknown illness at the age of 41 in 2011. 

Gustavsen freely mixes the ancient music of Norway with his love of Bach, the pianist arranging three chorales for the album; amongst them, the Vespestad-led "Schlafes Bruder" integrates a deep groove that Bach may never have imagined. Gustavsen brings all he's learned in the interim years, playing with fiddlers and Iranian musicians, to his writing. "Re-Melt" is powered by the pianist's melodic insistence and Vespestad's understated groove. The atmospheric rumination of "Taste and See," "Leftover Lullaby No. 4," and the closing "Curves" are simply beautiful, lyrical statements, taken at a pace that almost belies time. ~ Mike Jurkovic https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-other-side-tord-gustavsen-ecm-records-review-by-mike-jurkovic.php

Personnel:  Tord Gustavsen: piano, electonics;  Sigurd Hole: bass;  Jarle Vespestad: drums.

The Other Side

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Billy Stritch - Waters of March: The Brazilian Album

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz, Brazilian Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:37
Size: 103,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:04)  1. Waters of March
(4:24)  2. How Insensitive
(4:10)  3. As Rosas Não Falam
(3:43)  4. Gently
(4:48)  5. Astrud
(4:33)  6. If Ever
(3:20)  7. Someone to Light up My Life
(3:25)  8. Samba De Verão
(3:54)  9. So Many Stars
(3:58) 10. Evolution
(4:13) 11. I Don't Want to Be Away from You

An award-winning composer, arranger, vocalist, and jazz pianist of extraordinary range and sophistication, Billy Stritch breathes new life into the Great American Songbook, all the while bringing an easy sense of humor and showmanship to his performances. Born and raised in Sugar Land, Texas, Billy Stritch got his start at age 12, playing piano at his neighborhood First Presbyterian Church. Word spread about the child prodigy, and the local country club hired him for a four-year weekly gig in the piano bar. The dreaded requests came in droves, prompting Billy to rush home and learn all the requisite standards, which would subsequently fill his tip bowl! Inspiration came from jazz greats like Oscar Peterson and George Shearing, but his older sister’s love for Elton John and Billy Joel opened up a new world of pop music which informs his playing to this day. After being turned on to singers like Mel Torme, Ella Fitzgerald, Mark Murphy and Carmen McRae, Stritch started to find his own voice to use in conjunction with the piano mastery. While at the University of Houston, Billy teamed with two female vocalists and created Montgomery, Plant & Stritch. The jazz vocal trio appeared in local saloons, but soon they were playing the most important supper clubs in the country. Eventually, the JVC Jazz Festival paired the group with Mel Torme at Carnegie Hall, they became regulars at the Newport Jazz Festival, and they toured Italy with the North Sea Jazz Festival four years in a row. When the group broke up, Billy made the big move to New York City. He was playing a piano bar when Liza Minnelli stopped in, listened and immediately hired him to arrange for her “Steppin’ Out At Radio City” extravaganza. This led to international performances on stage at The Palais de Congres in Paris, The Municipale in Rio de Janeiro, The Russiya in Moscow, NHK Hall in Tokyo and The Royal Albert Hall in London. He acted as associate producer, pianist and arranger for Minnelli’s Gently CD, which earned two Grammy nominations, and was co-arranger with Marvin Hamlisch for Minnelli On Minnelli at the Palace Theater in New York City. His arrangements have also been performed in the annual Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall, most memorably in the "Multiplying Santa" fantasy.

As a composer, Stritch and Nashville writer Sandy Knox penned the 1994 Grammy Award-winning country song, "Does He Love You?," recorded by Reba McEntire and Linda Davis, which has sold over four million copies nationwide. The song was named one of the Top Ten Country Songs of 1994 by the readers of Music City News and also appears on Patti LaBelle’s CD, Flame. Most recently, it was performed on "American Idol" by Reba McIntire and the show’s winner Kelly Clarkson. In 2001, a new door opened in the professional life of Billy Stritch. He was cast in the role of Oscar, the piano-playing crooner in the Broadway revival of “42nd Street” which starred Christine Ebersole Their show-stopping number together, "I Only Have Eyes For You", led to television spots on The Rosie O’Donnell Show and CBS This Morning. In February 2004, Billy and Christine collaborated on a nightclub act entitled “In Your Dreams” which they have performed at Feinstein’s in New York, The Cinegrill in Hollywood, and Manhattan’s famed jazz nightspot Birdland. In November 2004, the two released a CD also entitled “In Your Dreams” on the Ghostlight Records label and they have many concert appearances scheduled through 2005 and beyond. Billy’s other TV appearances include Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall, The Today Show, The Charlie Rose Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He was also guest conductor for The Rosie O’Donnell Show when regular musical director John McDaniel was on the road in concert. His first solo recording, “Billy Stritch” (DRG Records), finds Stritch swinging standards with Chip Jackson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums. His follow-up CD on the Touchwood Record label, “Waters Of March: The Brazilian Album”, features Dave Ratajczak on drums, David Finck on bass, along with a 40-piece string orchestra. “Jazz Live”, his third release (Fynsworth Alley), was recorded live at The Jazz Standard in New York City with John Arbo on bass and Dave Ratajczak on drums, and caused the London Times to rave, "Equally gifted as a player and a singer, and doing both with no-holds-power, Stritch is not afraid to dazzle!" http://www.billystritch.com/Billy-Stritch-Bio.html

Personnel: Billy Stritch (vocals, piano); Jukka Linkola (conductor); Emanuel Moriera, Romero Lubambo (guitar); Gerry Niewood (flute, tenor saxophone); Alex Norris (flugelhorn); Glen Ostrin (French horn); Andrew Williams (trombone); David Finck (bass); Dave Ratajczak (drums); Cafe (percussion); Cortes Alexander, Natalie Blalock, Alexandra Haas (background vocals).

Waters of March: The Brazilian Album

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Sandy Stewart - My Coloring Book

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:16
Size: 90,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:30)  1. My Coloring Book
(4:27)  2. Little Girl Blue
(4:26)  3. Greensleeves
(3:02)  4. Tangerine
(2:43)  5. Where The Blue Of The Night
(3:25)  6. Over The Rainbow
(3:19)  7. Deep Purple
(3:27)  8. Scarlet Ribbons
(2:46)  9. Little White Lies
(2:43) 10. Beautiful Brown Eyes
(2:38) 11. Ivy Rose
(2:44) 12. Red Sails In The Sunset

Sandy Stewart first sang "My Coloring Book" on the Kraft Music Hall television program on October 31, 1962. It was an instant hit Stewart's only hit over her long career and became the impetus for this LP. Although Stewart owns a very pretty voice and uses it to good effect, there's nothing about it, or Stewart's approach to the songs on this album, distinguishing her from the many other pop female singers of that or any other day. On this disc, she sounds a lot like Dinah Shore. Moreover, the heavy string orchestrations contrived by Don Costa and O. B. Massingill tend to make the music murky. In fact, Stewart is sometimes overwhelmed by the arrangements and sweet-voiced choral backing that show up on some of these tracks. Stewart was much better served in a small group setting, especially when backed by occasional playing partner Dick Hyman. She first appeared on record with Hyman in 1958 and then again in 1985. Stewart also worked with Hyman on NBC radio at the tender age of 16. While Stewart didn't make much of a mark as a vocalist, she produced a son who was to become a foremost jazz pianist, Bill Charlap. ~ Dave Nathan https://www.allmusic.com/album/my-coloring-book-mw0000743978

My Coloring Book

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David Grisman Quintet - Dawgwood

Styles: Mandolin
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:22
Size: 115,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:27)  1. Dawgwood
(6:41)  2. Dawgmatism
(5:35)  3. Jazzin' (with Joe-Bob)
(6:25)  4. Sea of Cortez
(6:44)  5. Steppin' with Stephane
(6:01)  6. Bolero de Django
(6:19)  7. Assanhado
(9:05)  8. New Dawg's Rag

David Grisman's self-named "Dawg" music defies traditional categories, as it is such a unique blend of many influences, including bluegrass, jazz, gypsy music, Latin, and so much more. He's joined by flutist Matt Eakle, percussionist and violinist Joe Craven, bassist Jim Kerwin, and guitarist Rick Montgomery. The veteran mandolinist wrote six of the eight songs, starting with the cheerful opener, which features everyone in turn. The intricate waltz "Dawgmatism" adds an exotic flavor with Craven's violin and Eakle's haunting flute. "Jazzin' (With Joe-Bob)" is a wild masterpiece (later appearing in slightly different form on his compilation DGQ-20 with jazz DJ Al "Jazzbeaux" Collins as "Jazzin' With Jazzbeaux"), with Craven providing percussion on bongos (and vocals with assorted hisses and comments) as well as overdubbing a slashing violin solo. "Steppin' With Stephane" was originally recorded by Grisman with its honoree, jazz violin great Stephane Grappelli. This version is lighter but every bit as swinging. "Bolero de Django," composed by Django Reinhardt, has a definite gypsy air, though Eakle's alto flute gives the piece a more modern flavor. "New Dawg's Rag" is an updated arrangement of an earlier Grisman chart; while the instrumentation has been changed, the impact of this brilliant performance is still pure magic. Throughout this release, Grisman's playing is nothing short of phenomenal. It should come as no surprise that fans of David Grisman should consider this CD an essential purchase. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/dawgwood-mw0000096725

Personnel:  David Grisman – mandolin;  Rick Montgomery – guitar;  Matt Eakle – flute;  Jim Kerwin – bass;  Joe Craven – percussion, violin

Dawgwood

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Yusuf / Cat Stevens - The Laughing Apple

Styles: Vocal, Guitar, Pop/Rock
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:30
Size: 79,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. Blackness of the Night
(3:44)  2. See What Love Did to Me
(3:04)  3. The Laughing Apple
(2:46)  4. Olive Hill
(3:03)  5. Grandsons
(2:21)  6. Mighty Peace
(3:35)  7. Mary and the Little Lamb
(3:10)  8. You Can Do (Whatever)!
(2:41)  9. Northern Wind (Death of Billy the Kid)
(3:38) 10. Don't Blame Them
(2:21) 11. I'm So Sleepy

There's something about career milestones that make many artists look fondly to the past, and Yusuf  the artist who rose to international fame in the '70s as Cat Stevens  is no different than anyone else in this respect. 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of his first success on the U.K. charts with the single "I Love My Dog," and on his album The Laughing Apple  the first for his own Cat-O-Log label  he explicitly looks back to his early days, albeit filtered through the eyes of experience. The Laughing Apple reunites Yusuf with Paul Samwell-Smith, who produced Cat Stevens' best-known work of the '70s, as well as guitarist Alun Davies, whose acoustic guitar work was an integral part of those sessions. And along with a handful of new songs, Yusuf has reworked a few of his earliest tunes for this album (including "Northern Wind," "I'm So Sleepy," and the title cut) as well as resurrecting some unfinished pieces ("You Can Do [Whatever]" dates back to the songs he penned for the movie Harold & Maude, but wasn't completed in time for the film). Not surprisingly, The Laughing Apple bears no small resemblance to vintage Cat Stevens favorites like Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat, though this is clearly the work of an older and more seasoned artist, especially in his new take on "Grandsons," where the lyrics reflect what was once a young man's imaginings and are now an older man's reality. Yusuf can't quite hit the high notes as well as he used to, but otherwise his instrument is in fine shape, and the languid arrangements suit the melodies quite well. And while Yusuf doesn't sing at length about his faith, there's a spiritual undertow to many of the lyrics; "See What Love Did Do Me" is clearly about both human and divine love, and "Don't Blame Them" and the title tune can easily be read as fables and not just pop songs. The Laughing Apple can in some ways be viewed as a compromise, as Yusuf makes an album that will resonate with old Cat Stevens fans, but there's never a moment where he seems less than sincere and committed, and this merging of past and present makes for Yusuf's most satisfying album since his return to popular music in 2006. ~ Mark Deming https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-laughing-apple-mw0003081408

The Laughing Apple

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Doug Webb - Fast Friends

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:37
Size: 129,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:23)  1. Last Trane To Georgia
(4:57)  2. Friends Again
(4:35)  3. High Groove, Low Feedback
(5:15)  4. Surfing The Webb
(6:23)  5. Ah-Leu-Cha
(4:31)  6. Dease Things
(5:48)  7. Dream Stepper
(5:04)  8. A Night In Tunisia
(5:07)  9. Dig Doug
(4:35) 10. The Things We Did Last Summer
(4:53) 11. Nopolo

Doug Webb is a heck of a great tenorist here deft, tight, yet wonderfully soulful and open too really the completeness of an old school player on his instrument but without ever sounding old school at all! The tunes are a mix of Webb originals, standards, and bop classics and Doug handles them all with a freshness that's great quick-moving energy that's full of color and life, balanced by work from bandmates Michael Dease on trombone, Mitchel Forman on piano, Chris Colangelo on bass, and Roy McCurdy on drums. The combination of Dease's trombone and Webb's tenor is especially great  and titles include "Last Trane To Georgia", "Dease Things", "Dream Stepper", "Nopolo", "Dig Doug", "Surfing The Webb", and "High Groove Lo Feedback".  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/896220/Doug-Webb:Fast-Friends

Personnel:  Doug Webb - sax;  Michael Dease - trombone;  Mitchel Forman - piano;  Chris Colangelo - bass;  Roy McCurdy - drums

Fast Friends

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Stacey Kent - What The World Needs Now Is Love

Size: 113,7 MB
Time: 48:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front & Back

01. What The World Needs Now Is Love (4:12)
02. Comes Love (4:03)
03. He Loves And She Loves (4:25)
04. I've Got A Crush On You (4:40)
05. My Heart Stood Still (2:56)
06. People Will Say We're In Love (3:49)
07. You've Got A Friend (4:22)
08. Shall We Dance (3:41)
09. You're Looking At Me (4:31)
10. I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket (3:44)
11. Polka Dots & Moonbeams (4:35)
12. It's Delovely (3:21)

Personnel:
Vocals – Stacey Kent
Clarinet, Saxophone – Jim Tomlinson
Guitar – Colin Oxley
Piano – David Newton
Bass – Andrew de Jong Cleyndert*, Dave Green, Simon Thorpe
Double Bass – Dave Chamberlain
Drums – Jeff Hamilton, Jesper Kviberg, Matt Home, Steve Brown

Grammy-nominated, Patinum-selling singer, Stacey Kent, sings from the soul, telling her stories with faultless phrasing and a lucid, enchanting voice. Before signing to Blue Note and now Sony Records, Stacey recorded for Candid Records from 1997-2003.

Candid proudly presents ‘What the World Needs Now is Love’ a collection of all-time classic love songs. The idea for this collection was inspired by its title. When Stacey sang ‘What the World Needs Now is Love’ on stage in Paris at her December 2015 concert at the Theatre des Champs Elysees, we thought how fitting this message of hope and healing would be, especially after the terror attacks in France.

Whether it is Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “People will say we’re in Love”, Gershwin’s “I’ve got a Crush on You”. Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend” or any of the other dozen songs in this presentation, Miss Kent’s interpretations are all the definitive article.

“Stacey’s singing never lets us forget these songs are about people. Her protagonists come to life so fully in her voice, you sometimes have to remind yourself the CD has no visuals. She has, in fact, much in common with today’s finest screen actors who, assured of the camera’s ability to pick out detail, portray complex shades of personality, motive and feeling through subtle adjustments of face and posture …..here’s a great jazz diva of our age.” – Kazuo Ishiguro

What The World Needs Now Is Love

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Joey Calderazzo - Live From The Cotton Club Tokyo Vol. 1

Size: 149,1 MB
Time: 64:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. Hats Off To Rebay (10:49)
02. Cianna (10:03)
03. One Way (13:35)
04. Manifold ( 9:37)
05. Free (12:22)
06. The Mighty Sword ( 8:14)

Personnel:
Joey Calderazzo – piano
Orlando Le Fleming- bass
Donald Edwards – drums

This recording is superb example of the virtuosity of a live piano trio. Taken from his four night run at the iconic Cotton Club, Tokyo, Japan in February 2017, this is Joey Calderazzo at his best. The spontaneity, virtuosity and playfulness of the trio is found throughout this performance. Featuring five original compositions and one cover, this is a shining example of the piano trio format; full of expression, musical charm and just plain fun!

Live From The Cotton Club Tokyo Vol. 1

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