Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Dave Stryker Quintet - Passage

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:21
Size: 131,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:27)  1. In The Now
(6:23)  2. Kalahari
(6:48)  3. Passage
(7:27)  4. It's You Or No One
(7:06)  5. Jungle
(5:16)  6. Violation
(3:02)  7. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(5:58)  8. Minor Jones
(7:49)  9. Pursuit

An adept jazz guitarist with a strong blues- and soul-influenced sound, Dave Stryker has worked as both a sideman and bandleader. Born in 1957 in Omaha, Nebraska, Stryker first began playing guitar at age 10. He initially learned to play from listening to records by the Beatles, Cream, and Johnny Winter. Soon, however, he was investigating the music of influential blues artists like Freddie King, as well as more heady jazz improvisers like Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, and Miles Davis. By his teens, he was gigging regularly around Omaha, and in 1978, he moved to Los Angeles where he studied for a time with guitarist Billy Rogers and first befriended Hammond B-3 organist Brother Jack McDuff. After moving to New York City in the '80s, he toured for several years with McDuff's soul-jazz outfit. In 1986, he met Stanley Turrentine, and spent the next decade touring with the saxophonist, during which time he developed significantly, coming into his own as a guitarist. As a solo artist, Stryker debuted in 1991 with Passages on SteepleChase, which also featured Joey Calderazzo, Adam Nussbaum, and others. From there, he delivered a steady stream of well-regarded albums for SteepleChase, including 1993's Full Moon, 1994's Nomad, and 1996's Big Room.

More albums followed in the 2000s, like 2001's Changing Times and 2005's Big City, which showcased his eclectic brand of guitar-based blues, swing, New Orleans funk, soul-jazz, and rock. During this period, he also made appearances on albums by Kevin Mahogany, James Williams, and Royce Campbell, and co-led several dates with saxophonist Steve Slagle. In 2010, he paid homage to longtime bandmate, drummer Tony Reedus (who died from a pulmonary embolism in 2008) with the organ-steeped One for Reedus. Another organ quintet session, Blue Strike, followed a year later.  In 2014, Stryker launched his own Strykezone Records imprint, kicking things off with Eight Track, featuring Stefon Harris, Jared Gold, and McClenty Hunter. Messin' with Mister T followed a year later, and included guest spots from Eric Alexander, Jimmy Heath, Chris Potter, and many more. After a follow-up to his first Eight Track effort (Eight Track, Vol. 2), he released the 2017 quartet session Strykin' Ahead. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dave-stryker-mn0000575988/biography

Personnel: Dave Stryker - guitar, composer; Steve Slagle - alto saxophone, composer;  Joey Calderazzo - piano; Jay Anderson - bass;  Adam Nussbaum - drums

Passage

Monday, July 13, 2020

Bert Kaempfert And His Orchestra - Living It Up

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:41
Size: 88,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:15)  1. Living It Up
(2:44)  2. In The Mood
(3:41)  3. Cherokee
(3:12)  4. Candlelight Cafe (Danke Schoen)
(2:24)  5. Easy Going
(2:09)  6. Tricky Trombone
(2:27)  7. Give And Take
(2:50)  8. Two On A Tune
(2:43)  9. Whispering
(2:15) 10. Dutch Treat
(2:43) 11. Fluter's Holiday
(2:42) 12. Don't Talk To Me
(2:37) 13. Gentleman Jim
(2:54) 14. Pony Violins

It's a shame, in a way, that Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, and Jimmy Dorsey didn't live long enough to witness Bert Kaempfert in his heyday they either would have admired what he'd done, or been terribly jealous, and likely no more so than on hearing this album. Living It Up! is one of the spriteliest albums to come from Bert Kaempfert and his orchestra, a big band-flavored collection of generally upbeat instrumentals that lend themselves to repeated listening, if only for the obvious love that went into it all, especially the cover of "In the Mood." Only the final cut, "Tricky Trombone," sort of breaks the spell, being too cute for words and not interesting enough to sustain its length, but the rest is a veritable celebration of what life was like (or seemed like) for a lot of middle-class listeners in the years before the 1960s turned sour.~ Bruce Eder https://www.allmusic.com/album/living-it-up-mw0000855752

Living It Up

Rue Protzer - One Note Story

Styles: Jazz Funk
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:51
Size: 126,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:42)  1. Funky Funky
(6:41)  2. Action Scene
(5:12)  3. The Beauty of the South
(5:31)  4. Footprints in the Down
(4:16)  5. The Higgs Boson
(4:41)  6. Between Light and Shade
(4:24)  7. Moondance Seven
(5:23)  8. April
(5:00)  9. My Way to Street No. 15
(6:55) 10. One Note Story

Sound, aesthetics and musical versatility make Rue Protzer a sought-after musician within the German and international music landscape "an exceptional phenomenon" (Jazzzeitung) / "a highly sensitive guitar poet" (Jazzpodium). It's hard to put Rue Protzer in a single drawer. He works as a guitarist, bandleader, composer, producer, writer and songwriter. "Music knows no boundaries. Whether it's a simple pop song or a complex instrumental work, there are many ways to create good music. It's exciting for me to always go for new musical ways. " Born in Stuttgart, Rue Protzer gets in contact with music very early: "My parents listened to Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson and Stan Getz, but also Mozart, Beethoven and Bach. Somehow, music always ran with us. " He gets his first guitar lessons at the age of nine and wins his first composing competition at 15. During this time, he gained experience in various bands in the funk / rock area. The recording at the Conservatory (today’s University of Music) in Nuremberg follows this. There he studies both major subject classical guitar as well as major subject composition simultaneously. After completing his studies in public examinations, he mainly works as a studio musician in the field of pop music / advertising and has appeared on numerous national and international publications (including Dollhouse, Funk You, Fancy, Peggy March, Denise, Chris Wolf ...).

Gradually, jazz and thus improvisation become the center of his work. He takes private lessons and attends workshops in New York and London while he deepens his knowledge of jazz and improvisation among others with Pat Metheny, Joe Beck and Gene Bertoncini. Three albums known by the name Rue de Paris follow this. Tours, concerts and radio recordings accompany the international project. With Adam Nussbaum, John Goldsby and Ack van Rooyen he wins jazz greats for the debut "album" Quiet Motion "and signs an exclusive contract with the label SONY Classical. Critics celebrate the album released in 2005 as a masterpiece. The second ‘Rue de Paris' album is produced by Rue Protzer 2007 in New York. The recordings take place in the famous Avatar Studios.

The album is titled "New York Slow" and includes five original compositions as well as arrangements of pieces by Steve Swallow, Keith Jarrett and John Coltrane. With the "Who's Who" of the American jazz scene: Randy Brecker, Lee Konitz, Jay Anderson, and Adam Nussbaum. The third album "Trois" will be released in 2009 in The Hague. The album features Marc Johnson, Adam Nussbaum, Thomas Rückert, Julian Wasserfuhr and Cecile Verny. The renowned specialist magazine Stereoplay chooses "Trois" in third place of the ten best jazz CDs of the year. As bandleader, Rue Protzer leads the Band 4 at the club. The live band is one of the most booked bands in Germany and performs at top-class events all over Europe. In the following years, he created the compositions "Xanivia" and "The Pirt Trip" for orchestra, which Rue Protzer premieres with the Metropolorchester in Nuremberg. In 2013, "One Note Story" is the first album under his own name. At the recordings in Munich Patrick Scales, Sebastian Studnitzky, Jesse Milliner, Christian Lettner and Lutz Häfner act as musicians. With "Jimmy! The guitar boss" Rue Protzer develops a series of e-guitar textbooks for children. Edition Dux will publish the first three volumes of the series in 2017. A new project is currently in preparation: "It will be something new and different again", Rue Protzer reveals as a teaser. http://www.rueprotzer.com/en/biography/

One Note Story

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Steve Slagle, Bill O'Connell - The Power of Two

Styles: Saxophone, Flute And Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:29
Size: 126,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Good News
(6:09)  2. One Life
(3:46)  3. Peri's Scope
(3:58)  4. I'll Wait and Pray
(5:09)  5. A New Day
(7:07)  6. KD, Jr. (In Memory of Kenny Drew, Jr.)
(4:28)  7. The Power of Two
(5:20)  8. The Duke
(6:51)  9. Circle
(5:27) 10. Into Your Grace
(0:56) 11. Whistling Spirits

The initial impetus behind the creation of this recording was the passing of Kenny Drew Jr., an exceptional and underappreciated pianist who saxophonist Steve Slagle worked with, both in the Mingus Big Band and on one of his own leader dates Reincarnation (SteepleChase, 1994). On the day his friend passed, Slagle penned "KD JR.," later sending it to Bill O'Connell, another of his piano-playing colleagues. That got the ball rolling for this, the first duo date in Slagle's discography. Slagle and O'Connell have worked together on a number of O'Connell recordings in recent years Rhapsody In Blue (Challenge Records, 2010), Zocalo (Savant, 2013), and Imagine (Savant, 2014) but those recordings were all Latin Jazz-based. Here, while operating as a twosome, they avoid that area. Instead, they engage in dialogue that's grounded in earthy exhibitions, soulful moods, and implied if not outright stated swing of the low key variety. There's a breezy take on a Dave Brubeck classic ("The Duke"), an angular and slightly Monk-ish jaunt ("The Power Of Two"), an odd and unnerving miniature ("Whistling Spirits"), a pleasant stroll through an infrequently covered Miles Davis number ("Circle"), and, of course, Slagle's tribute to his dearly departed friend ("KD JR."). 

While less experienced musicians often try to overcompensate and fill every space when working in exposed settings like this, Slagle and O'Connell don't have this problem. There's an extremely relaxed quality to this music, and it's that easygoing vibe that makes this such an attractive date. These two manage to create music that's uplifting ("A New Day"), reflective ("Into Your Grace"), and wholly inviting. While there are no displays of sheer strength to be found here, there's no denying the power of this pair.~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-power-of-two-steve-slagle-panorama-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Steve Slagle: alto saxophone, flute (3, 8, 11); Bill O'Connell: piano.

Thank you my friend!

The Power of Two

Mark Morganelli, The Jazz Forum All-Stars - Brasil! Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Brasil! Disc 1

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:44
Size: 130,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:48)  1. Amor en Paz
(4:52)  2. Deixa
(5:57)  3. Desafinado
(5:46)  4. Chovendo Na Roseira
(3:27)  5. Velas Icadas
(2:40)  6. Rua Dona Margarida
(4:06)  7. Inutil Paisagem
(3:00)  8. So Danco Samba
(3:24)  9. Anos Dourados
(3:15) 10. A Ra
(2:22) 11. Estrada do Sol
(3:34) 12. Vivo Sonhando
(5:16) 13. Caminos Cruzados
(4:11) 14. Falsa Baiana

Trumpeter and flugelhornist Mark Morganelli has led his own groups since high school days on Long Island. He has performed at the 1976 Montreux Jazz Festival, the 1992 & 1994 Syracuse Jazz Festivals, the Du Maurier Downtown Toronto Jazz Festival, JVC/NY and Saratoga Jazz Festivals, New Orleans' French Quarter Fest, and several tours of Italy, including in 2018. He's also played many concerts and festivals in Europe, Japan, Brazil and the Caribbean, and hosted nightly jam sessions aboard the QE2 to the Newport Jazz Festival from 1996-99. His first record Live On Broadway was recorded in 1982 at his 2nd Jazz Forum loft in NYC and featured James Spaulding, John Hicks, Billy Hart and others. In 1987, he recorded Five Is Bliss in the studio, featuring six originals and five standards including a couple of Brazilian tunes by Jobim. Morganelli has produced forty CDs for Candid Records, including his own Speak Low at Birdland in 1990 with Kenny Barron, Ron Carter & Jimmy Cobb. 

His fourth recording as a leader, “My Romance" was issued from live summer concert performances and featured Houston Person, Richie Hart, Rick Petrone & Joe Corsello. Morganelli has also recorded with Paquito D'Rivera, James Moody, Clark Terry, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Roland Hanna, Milt Hinton, Bucky Pizzarelli and others. He continues to perform with his Jazz Forum All-Stars and Brazil project around the region and Brasil! is his fifth CD as leader. Morganelli and his wife, Ellen Prior opened their new Jazz Forum club venue in Tarrytown, NY in June, 2017. https://news.allaboutjazz.com/trumpeter-and-flugelhornist-mark-morganelli-and-the-jazz-forum-all-stars-new-2-cd-release-brasil-drops-february-24.php

“Mark, congratulations on a beautiful tribute to your other favorite country- on all counts- repertoire, performances, and art work by your son Jaren." ~ Claudio Roditi

“As a master musician, Mark Morganelli has used his gifts as a soloist, band leader and tour guide to bring you to Brasil and Brasil to you, with this classic new album of musical gems. Each song is a treasure. Listen to it over and over (I have done so five times already) Your kids will love it too!" ~ David Amran


Album: Brasil! Disc 2

Time: 51:54
Size: 121,1 MB

(4:40)  1. A Felicidade
(2:16)  2. O Morro Nao Tem Vez
(3:21)  3. Este Seu Olhar
(3:33)  4. Outra Vez
(5:08)  5. Corcovado
(3:40)  6. Samba de Verao
(3:37)  7. Fotografia
(2:41)  8. Brigas Nunca Mais
(5:03)  9. Dindi
(1:53) 10. Luiza
(3:30) 11. Mas Que Nada
(7:15) 12. Manha da Carnaval / Samba de Orfeu
(5:12) 13. Aquarela do Brasil


Saturday, July 11, 2020

The Stryker, Slagle Band - The Scene

Styles: Guitar, Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:22
Size: 127,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:38)  1. Skee
(6:18)  2. The Scene
(7:08)  3. Six For Teo
(6:55)  4. Two Sense
(5:25)  5. Kindred Spirits
(5:43)  6. Hopewell's Last
(7:48)  7. Brighter Days
(3:43)  8. Fingers In The Wind
(5:42)  9. Strikology

Consummate professionals, guitarist Dave Stryker and saxophonist Steve Slagle continue to raise the bar of instrumental interplay with The Scene. This pair eschews gimmickry for chops and produces some of the best post-bop anywhere. Joe Lovano, himself one of the busiest and best tenor saxophonists around, joins them again, as he did on their previous release, Latest Outlook (Zoho, 2007).  Along with this powerful frontline, a rhythm section of bassist Jay Anderson and Victor Lewis on drums and the music's compositional strength turns what would otherwise be a good collaboration into a great one. Take, for example, the opening "Skee" dedicated to the late bassist Dennis Irwin on which Lovano and Slagle blend beautifully against a hypnotic rhythm, or Slagle's tribute to his late brother, "Hopewell's Last," a gorgeous soprano (Slagle)/tenor (Lovano) showcase.  The aptly titled "Kindred Spirits" finds Stryker breaking out his acoustic to dovetail with Slagle's alto and Lewis' superb cymbal work, while Roland Kirk's "Fingers In The Wind" pairs an understated acoustic guitar with flute for an arrestingly melodic interlude. "Strikology," with bop chops emerging fore and aft, closes out another strong effort from the Stryker/Slagle Band.~ Elliott Simon https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-scene-stryker-slagle-band-zoho-music-review-by-elliott-simon.php

Personnel: Dave Stryker: guitar; Steve Slagle: alto and soprano sax, flute; Jay Anderson: bass; Victor Lewis: drums; Joe Lovano: tenor sax (1, 3, 6, 7).

The Scene

Marquis Hill - Modern Flows, Vol. 2

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:32
Size: 159,9 MB
Art: Front

(1:53)  1. Modern Flows II Intro
(6:00)  2. Twin Flame
(8:13)  3. Ego vs. Spirit
(5:52)  4. The Watcher
(2:16)  5. It Takes a Village
(6:05)  6. Prayer for the People
(6:02)  7. Moments of Flow
(1:55)  8. Smoke Break
(4:51)  9. Kiss and Tell
(3:33) 10. It's All Beautiful
(6:03) 11. As I Am
(2:57) 12. Herstory
(4:38) 13. Stellar
(5:34) 14. Law of Vibrations
(2:32) 15. Legend's Outro III

In the interim between trumpeter/composer Marquis Hill's Modern Flows EP in 2014 and this full-length sequel, he issued The Way We Play for Concord. It offered his genre blurring style in a program of (mostly) jazz standards. A year later he released the killer Meditation Tape, a recording that serves as a proper introduction to the music found here. The trumpeter is sporting an entirely new Blacktet for this date with drummer Jonathan Pinson, vibraphone and marimba ace Joel Ross, bassist Junius Paul, and alto saxophonist Josh Johnson, and guest vocalists. Hill relentlessly pursues the seams between post-bop jazz, fusion, hip hop, and 21st century soul, erasing their lines of demarcation as he pursues a holistic, insightful vision. In "Twin Flame," Hill's labyrinthine compositional style reveals itself with circular vibraphone pulses and snare breaks under a winding head from the frontline players and Paul's Jaco-esque electric bassline. First single "Ego vs. Spirit" commences with a breezy bass vamp and skittering drums amid martial vibes. The unified head is pastoral at least until it directly quotes Ellington's "Caravan" with loping harmonies over a chorus of wordless backing vocals and Ross' vibes, which wed Ruth Underwood's to Bobby Hutcherson's playing styles in provocative rhythmic flourishes before they give way to a fine solo from Johnson. 

Hill's harmonic conceptions are wholly interactive: "The Watcher" and "Moments of Flow" offer examples where knotty solo transitions meet the horns' elegant lyric passages. The interplay of the rhythm section is remarkable in its complexity and rumbling, funky charm. Second single "Kiss and Tell" is a glorious soul tune with vocals by Braxton Cook and Rachel Robinson entwining like Peaches & Herb or Billy Paul and Marilyn McCoo. While "As I Am" is a flat-out bop sprint, "Herstory" (featuring M'Reld Green) is an in-the-pocket, laid-back funk jam courtesy of the rhythm section. "Law of Vibrations" offers a frontline lyric passage worthy of the Jazz Messengers before Paul and Ross take it outside, complemented by frenetic sticks on wood syncopation from Pinson. The horns enter midway, just in time for wonderful (i.e., not overplayed) solos from Ross, Johnson, and Hill. Modern Flows, Vol. II is a much more unified statement than its predecessor. This is the sound of a band intimately communicating, not just fine players articulating someone's tunes. The juxtapositions of genres here create a true fusion sound; Hill doesn’t discriminate: for him these are incarnations of the same music. That said, unlike many of his peers, he has the compositional skill and requisite taste to communicate just exactly how he hears that.~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/modern-flows-vol-ii-mw0003210186

Personnel: Marquis Hill (tr.), Josh Johnson (alto), Joel Ross (vib.), Junius Paul (cb.), Jonathan Pinson (batt.), M’Reld Green, King Legend, Braxton Cook, Rachel Robinson.

Modern Flows, Vol. 2

Friday, July 10, 2020

Doug Ferony - You Will Be My Music

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:57
Size: 74,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:17)  1. Fly Me to the Moon
(3:17)  2. Do You Wanna Dance
(3:18)  3. I Love You More Today Than Yesterday
(4:38)  4. You Will Be My Music
(2:32)  5. We've Only Just Begun
(2:59)  6. Come Fly With Me
(3:46)  7. How Do You Keep the Music Playing
(3:37)  8. I Can't Stop Loving You
(2:22)  9. Oh Look At Me Now
(3:08) 10. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm

In his career, Doug Ferony has proven to be one of the more enjoyable and musical crooners of the 21st century. As was evident on his first eight CDs, he loves performing high-quality standards, has a warm voice, swings easily and enthusiastically and, while fond of the singing of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and other top-notch vocalists, has a sound of his own. You Will Be My Music showcases Doug’s singing while accompanied by an excellent and supportive big band arranged by Khadafy Khan, Clark Gault and Paul Swain. The repertoire is comprised of vintage songs along with a few more contemporary tunes that fit the singer’s style and musical interests quite comfortably. The opening “Fly Me To The Moon” utilizes a classic arrangement by Quincy Jones and features Doug swinging hard, making each note count. 

The infectious “Do You Wanna Dance” is quite catchy while “I Love You More Today Than Yesterday” is a bit obscure but well worth reviving. “You Will Be My Music” utilizes a string orchestra. Doug’s version is quite dramatic and heartfelt. “We’ve Only Just Begun,” one of the biggest hits for the Carpenters, is taken faster than usual and benefits from this infectious treatment. “Come Fly With Me” features Doug doing his own twist on the Frank Sinatra hit. An emotional “How Do You Keep The Music Playing” precedes Doug’s version of “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” a song identified with both Ray Charles and Count Basie. You Will Be My Music concludes with a pair of swingers. “Oh Look At Me Now,” easily pianist Joe Bushkin’s best known song, was a hit for Tommy Dorsey in the 1940s while Irving Berlin’s “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” was a big seller for Les Brown. Doug Ferony’s versions sound unlike anyone else’s and make the two vintage songs sound fresh and lively. Enjoy swinging crooners who put a lot of heart into their singing? Then You Will Be My Music is for you. Scott Yanow, author of ten books including Swing, Trumpet Kings, Jazz On Film and Jazz On Record 1917-76
~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/You-Will-Be-My-Music/dp/B006IG0C58

You Will Be My Music

Ben Webster - At The Renaissance

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:51
Size: 156,1 MB
Art: Front

( 9:30)  1. Gone With The Wind
(11:22)  2. Stardust
(10:16)  3. Caravan
( 6:59)  4. Georgia On My Mind
( 7:14)  5. Ole Miss Blues
( 8:24)  6. Mop Mop
( 7:47)  7. What Is This Thing Called Love
( 6:15)  8. Renaissance Blues

This live set features tenor great Ben Webster playing with pianist Jimmy Rowles, guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Red Mitchell, and drummer Frank Butler in a club, and the music is consistently wonderful. Whether showing warmth and sentimentality on "Georgia on My Mind" and "Stardust" or growling and roaring on "Caravan" and "Ole Miss Blues," Webster (who was then somewhat taken for granted) is in superior and creative form. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/at-the-renaissance-mw0000006477

Personnel: Ben Webster - tenor saxophone; Jim Hall - guitar; Jimmy Rowles - piano; Red Mitchell - bass; Frank Butler - drums

At The Renaissance

Thursday, July 9, 2020

Bob Mintzer, Gil Goldstein - Longing

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:10
Size: 129,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:22)  1. Overlap
(5:29)  2. Jaco
(5:42)  3. Angelique & Ellen
(5:49)  4. Comotion
(6:14)  5. Longing
(5:44)  6. Your Story
(4:26)  7. What's The Word
(4:03)  8. Two To Tango
(5:58)  9. Three Little Initials
(7:20) 10. Everything Happens To Me

The pairing of Bob Mintzer and Gil Goldstein as a duo is an inspired affair. With Mintzer playing tenor sax and Goldstein on piano, they each contributed a number of strong originals to the date. Mintzer's moody ballad "Longing" and intricate bop vehicle "Where's the Word" are among his finest compositions on CD. Goldstein's "Three Little Initials" is a subtle variation of the well known "Body and Soul." Mintzer switches to bass clarinet for Goldstein's lush ballad "Angelique & Ellen" (written for the film Radio Inside), a haunting treatment of the late Bill Evans' "Your Story," along with a fascinating rendition of the standard "Everything Happens to Me" that begins with an unaccompanied Eric Dolphy-inspired solo by the reed player. Goldstein's "Two to Tango" is a delightful upbeat duet for bass clarinet and accordion. Highly recommended!
 ~ https://www.allmusic.com/album/longing-mw0000480211

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Bob Mintzer; Piano, Piano Accordion, Producer – Gil Goldstein  

Longing

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Steve Slagle Quartet - Our Sound

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:24
Size: 144,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:42)  1. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(6:15)  2. Eve
(6:20)  3. Little Rootie Tootie
(6:01)  4. Theme For Ernie
(8:13)  5. Crazy She Calls Me
(6:55)  6. Haitian Fight Song
(4:45)  7. Lush Life
(8:45)  8. All Or Nothing At All
(8:24)  9. Beautiful Friendship

Steve Slagle is an American jazz saxophonist, flautist, and composer. Slagle was born in Los Angeles and grew up in suburban Philadelphia. He received a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music and received a master's degree in Music From Manhattan School of Music.. He came to New York in 1976, first working with Machito and his Afro-Cuban orchestra, and then toured and recorded with Ray Barretto, Steve Kuhn, Lionel Hampton, Brother Jack McDuff, and Carla Bley. He also performed and traveled with Woody Herman and Cab Calloway. In the mid-1980s, he began leading his own combos, first with Mike Stern and then with Dave Stryker; the combo is currently the main focus of Slagle's music. He has also played frequently with Joe Lovano and has featured on several of Lovano's albums, including the Grammy-winning 52nd Street Themes.

In the mid-1980s, global and especially Latin influences began to inflect Slagle's work, and he appeared on albums by Milton Nascimento and recorded Rio Highlife in Brazil. He toured frequently worldwide during the 1990s and 2000s, especially in Western Europe, Japan, South America and, latterly, Russia and Bulgaria. During the 1990s, he was a leading figure in the Charles Mingus Big Band. Ever since the late 1990s, Slagle has co-led a band with guitarist Dave Stryker. New New York, his 2000 release, has been seen as an evocation of the city's mood on the verge of 9/11 and an expression of Slagle's love for the city he has made his home. He has played with such diverse artists as Milton Nascimento, St. Vincent, Elvis Costello, the Beastie Boys, and Mac Rebennack (aka Dr. John). Slagle has taught at the Manhattan School of Music, Rutgers, The New School, NYU, and clinics through the Thelonious Monk Institute as well as the Mingus Jazz Workshop and master classes and clinics worldwide.

In 2015, his duo recording with pianist Bill O'Connell, a tribute album to Kenny Drew Jr. was released as The Power of Two. In February 2016, Routes (by the Stryker/Slagle Band-Expanded) was released. It was produced by Rick Simpson, with 4-horn arrangements by Steve Slagle. With much critical acclaim, Routes reached #2 on the national radio charts. Slagle plays and endorses Yanagisawa saxophones  the WO-10 alto saxophone and S9930 soprano saxophone. Steve has also been a long time player of Haynes flutes. On tenor sax, Steve plays a mid-60's Selmer Mark VI, and on baritone sax, a 1947 Silver Conn. In 2011, Slagle published a composition and improvisation workbook for the creative musician, and stories about his life in "Scenes, Songs and Solos" (Schaffner Press). His many original compositions are published with Slagle Music, BMI. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Slagle

Our Sound

Monday, July 6, 2020

Scott Hamilton & Bucky Pizzarelli - The Red Door...Remember Zoot Sims

Styles: Saxophone And Guitar Jazz 
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:21
Size: 132,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:38)  1. It Had To Be You
(5:55)  2. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
(4:59)  3. Red Door
(5:25)  4. Dream Of You
(5:46)  5. The Jitterbug Waltz
(5:23)  6. Two Funky People
(5:05)  7. Just You, Just Me
(5:30)  8. In The Middle Of A Kiss
(4:19)  9. Morning Fun
(7:19) 10. It's Alright With Me

As of 1998, when this CD was released, Scott Hamilton had recorded over 30 albums as a leader for Concord. Although all are quite worthwhile, the swing tenor's consistency and unchanged style since the 1970s have resulted in a certain sameness and predictability to his recordings. This release, however, definitely stands apart from the crowd, for it is a set of tenor/guitar duets that Hamilton performs with Bucky Pizzarelli. A tribute to Zoot Sims (one of Hamilton's early influences), this is a very successful outing. Pizzarelli's mastery of the seven-string guitar allows him to play basslines behind solos, so one never misses the other instruments. Although the duo performs a variety of standards, there are also some lesser-known pieces among the highlights including the title cut, Al Cohn's "Two Funky People," the Sims/Cohn collaboration "Morning Fun," and the obscure "In the Middle of a Kiss." 

Both Hamilton and Pizzarelli sound inspired in this format, stretching themselves while always swinging. Pizz had recorded a duo album with Sims back in 1973, and Zoot also cut a full set with guitarist Joe Pass a couple years later. This excellent, slightly offbeat outing is on the same level as those two and is highly recommended to fans of swinging mainstream jazz. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/red-door-remember-zoot-sims-mw0000042967

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Scott Hamilton; Guitar – Bucky Pizzarelli

The Red Door - Scott Hamilton & Bucky Pizzarelli Remember Zoot Sims

Duke Ellington - At Fargo 1940 Special 60th Anniversary Edition Disc1, Disc2

Album: At Fargo 1940 Special 60th Anniversary Edition Disc 1

Styles: Big Band
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:31
Size: 179,3 MB
Art: Front

(0:47)  1. It's Glory
(5:24)  2. The Mooche
(2:55)  3. The Sheik Of Araby
(1:15)  4. Sepia Panorama
(2:22)  5. Ko Ko
(3:09)  6. There Shall Be No Night
(4:34)  7. Pussy Willow
(3:22)  8. Chatterbox
(4:15)  9. Mood Indigo
(3:43) 10. Harlem Airshaft
(1:33) 11. Ferryboat Serenade
(3:36) 12. Warm Valley
(2:42) 13. Stompy Jones
(4:03) 14. Chloe
(4:02) 15. Bojangles
(5:08) 16. On The Air
(2:36) 17. Rumpus In Richmond
(0:15) 18. Chaser
(5:07) 19. The Sidewalks Of New York
(4:59) 20. The Flaming Sword
(4:21) 21. Never No Lament
(3:44) 22. Caravan
(3:28) 23. Clarinet Lament

Album: At Fargo 1940 Special 60th Anniversary Edition Disc 2

Time: 76:54
Size: 177,8 MB

(3:24)  1. Slap Happy
(5:11)  2. Sepia Panorama
(5:36)  3. Boy Meets Horn
(1:27)  4. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
(2:17)  5. Oh Babe, Maybe Someday
(2:00)  6. Five O'Clock Whistle
(0:32)  7. Fanfare
(1:33)  8. Call Of The Canyon
(4:54)  9. Rockin' In Rhythm
(5:11) 10. Sophisticated Lady
(3:06) 11. Cotton Tail
(2:30) 12. Whispering Grass
(4:07) 13. Conga Brava
(5:29) 14. I Never Felt This Way Before
(6:44) 15. Across The Track Blue
(5:08) 16. Honeysuckle Rose
(2:49) 17. Wham
(4:15) 18. Star Dust
(3:33) 19. Rose Of The Rio Grande
(5:39) 20. St. Louis Blues
(0:50) 21. Warm Valley
(0:28) 22. God Bless America

This two-disc set is a true historical treasure. An amateur recording of a Duke Ellington dance engagement at the Crystal Ballroom in Fargo, North Dakota made by two dedicated fans, one a high-school senior at the time, and the other a college student, coupled with a remote radio broadcast complete with a KVOX announcer, it makes a fascinating document of an era long gone. Ellington's famed orchestra at the time consisted of Rex Stewart, Wallace Jones, Ray Nance, Sam Nanton, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown, Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Ben Webster, Harry Carney, Fred Guy, Jimmy Blanton, Sonny Greer, and vocalists Ivie Anderson and Herb Jeffries, and having played the night before in Winnipeg, Canada and traveling by train, they still delivered a fine set. This is not a professional recording, however, with occasional missed openings and several ongoing microphone adjustments throughout, but that adds to the immediacy and intimacy of it all, really, and as an archival document of one of jazz's greatest bands in full dress at a typical gig, this set is simply a blessing to have and to hear. ~ Steve Leggett https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-duke-at-fargo-1940-special-60th-anniversary-edition-mw0000678707

Personnel: piano and conducting: Duke Ellington.; trumpet : Wallace Jones, Ray Nance; cornet : Rex Stewart; trombone : Tricky Sam Nanton , Lawrence Brown; valve trombone : Juan Tizol; clarinet : Barney Bigard; alto saxophone : Johnny Hodges; tenor saxophone : Ben Webster , Otto Hardwick; baritone saxophone : Harry Carney; guitar : Fred Guy; double bass : Jimmy Blanton; percussion instruments : Sonny Greer; singing : Ivie Anderson, Herb Jeffries


Sunday, July 5, 2020

Tierney Sutton - Desire

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:35
Size: 132,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:15)  1. It's Only A Paper Moon
(4:52)  2. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
(5:45)  3. Long Daddy Green
(4:58)  4. Fever
(4:37)  5. It's All Right With Me
(4:23)  6. Then I'll Be Tired Of You
(5:22)  7. Cry Me A River
(4:54)  8. Love Me Or Leave Me
(3:54)  9. Heart's Desire
(5:38) 10. Whatever Lola Wants
(5:50) 11. Slylark

Dark chocolate is a beautifully nefarious romantic ideal. Rather than possessing the youthful sweetness of milk chocolate, it instead offers a libertine bitterness, a taste that must be acquired to appreciate but once acquired, no other taste can sate. Having to learn to like something so that knowledge will bring added pleasure is an adult concept, perhaps a hedonistic one, that Paul obviously meant to express when he divinely penned to those salacious Corinthians, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." Dark chocolate has the added decadence of danger. That thing denied that is so coveted because it is denied. It is this dark romance that Tierney Sutton began investigating on her previous effort, On The Other Side (Telarc, 2007), and has continued to cultivate on Desire. 

Where On The Other Side rubbed together the innocent lyrics of "Get Happy" and "You Are My Sunshine" with sensual too-close-for-comfort support, Desire further strips down this tact to the bare essentials. Drummer Ray Brinker and bassists Trey Henry and Kevin Axt provide Sutton tactile terrain over which the vocalist redevelops these standards anew. "It's Only a Paper Moon" has Brinker quietly brushing double time, just a low hum of anxiety beneath Sutton and pianist Christian Jacob, who rendezvous darkly. Against Kevin Axt's complex bass line and Jacob's piano seasoning, Sutton stretches like Eliot's cat on "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." . Sutton gives a superbly sardonic kiss-off on "Cry Me a River" and "Love Me or Leave Me." Her unique ability to sing words while conveying their exact opposite is the key to what has made these last two albums so artistically successful. Again, it is Henry's bass figure, ascending and descending, that provides the jagged terrain Sutton must travel to thumb her nose at an ex-lover. "Whatever Lola Wants" is delivered with a languid and spoiled attitude. Jacob's solo shards are delivered over a brilliantly off time left hand figure, so menacing that this ballad may best be reserved for Halloween (in the best possible way). The closing "Skylark" is as spooky as they come. With Desire, Sutton tempers her signature sound: edgy, intelligent, and beautiful. ~C. Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/desire-tierney-sutton-telarc-records-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Tierney Sutton: vocals; Christian Jacob: piano; Trey Henry and Kevin Axt: bass: Ray Brinker: drums.

Desire

Jan Lundgren, Peter Asplund Quartet - California Connection

Styles: Piano And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:35
Size: 147,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:24)  1. Au Privave - Studio
(4:28)  2. Att Angöra En Brygga
(5:48)  3. Swedish Pastry
(6:51)  4. What is This Thing Called Love
(5:08)  5. Södermalm
(3:22)  6. I Hear a Rhapsody
(5:08)  7. How Deep is the Ocean
(6:44)  8. Stockholm Sweetnin'
(6:34)  9. Indian Summer
(6:13) 10. There Will Never Be Another You
(4:33) 11. When It's Sleepy Time Down Sout
(4:20) 12. Cottontail

The “California connection” on this colorful studio date, recorded in January ’96, is scrupulously forged between two marvelous young Swedish musicians, Asplund and Lundgren, and a duo of long–time West Coast stalwarts, Carpenter and Kreibich. Although Asplund was only 27 at the time and Lundgren 29, they play with an awareness and maturity far beyond their years, while Carpenter (37) and Kreibich (40) balance the scales with the bright eyed energy and enthusiasm of callow apprentices. Asplund and Lundgren met and became friends in ’93 when Jan received Sweden’s prestigious Thore Swanerud Award for young swing/bop musicians (Asplund had earned the award in 1990). After Lundgren was named Sweden’s Jazz Musician of the Year in ’94, he and Asplund decided to record an album of standards. 

The result is California Connection, whose cast was assembled on behalf of Four Leaf Clover by veteran Los Angeles producer Dick Bank. The quartet connects at every conceivable level on eight of the twelve selections, and for variety Lundgren and Asplund play without the rhythm section on Swanerud’s best known composition, “Södermalm,” Lundgren and Carpenter alone interpret Irving Berlin’s “How Deep Is the Ocean,” Lundgren plays with Carpenter/Kreibich on the late Stan Hasselgaard’s “Swedish Pastry,” and Asplund does likewise on “I Hear a Rhapsody.” Asplund’s horn is muted on “Rhapsody,” “Cottontail” and “Stockholm Sweetnin’,” open the rest of the way (and sounds at times like a flugelhorn, even though there’s no mention of that in the notes). In any case, he displays uncommon resourcefulness and superior chops, as does Lundgren, who is beyond any doubt one of the most accomplished young post–bop pianists not only in Sweden, but anywhere in the world. Good as Asplund and Lundgren are, Carpenter and Kreibich have no trouble keeping pace with them, and this is about as commendable a session of modern mainstream Jazz as any quartet is likely to fashion.~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/california-connection-jan-lundgren-four-leaf-clover-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Peter Asplund, trumpet; Jan Lundgren, piano; Dave Carpenter, bass; Paul Kreibich, drums.

California Connection

David Hobson - Endless Days

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:30
Size: 105,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:38)  1. Ae Fond Kiss
(2:53)  2. The Mountains Of Mourne
(4:46)  3. Carrickfergus
(3:05)  4. Wild Mountain Thyme
(2:45)  5. Spanish Lady
(3:45)  6. My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose
(2:58)  7. The Maid Of Culmore
(3:44)  8. Shenandoah
(2:23)  9. Suo Gân (Lullaby)
(5:30) 10. Blood Of Eden
(3:04) 11. The Dark Island
(2:35) 12. Show Me The Place
(3:18) 13. 500 Miles

Renowned Australian composer and opera singer David Hobson had his sights set on a career as an economist or lawyer, but the Ballarat native's plans were thwarted by the intervention of the Victoria State Opera. Hobson made his operatic debut as Rodolfo in La Bohéme in 1987, became a company member of the Australian Opera, and was awarded the Dame Joan Sutherland Scholarship the following year. He has since starred in numerous productions; composed for television, film, and theater; and received a myriad of awards.~ James Christopher Monger https://www.allmusic.com/artist/david-hobson-mn0002223090/biography

Endless Days

Friday, July 3, 2020

Bob Wilber And The Tuxedo Big Band Of Toulouse France - More Unrecorded Arrangements

Styles: Clarinet Jazz, Big Band   
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:54
Size: 137,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. Tuxedo Stomp
(4:16)  2. Blue Interlude
(3:15)  3. I'm Coming Virginia
(2:09)  4. All The Things You Are
(3:02)  5. I Want To Be Happy
(3:23)  6. Guess I'll Go Back Home This Summer
(2:58)  7. Some Of These Days
(3:19)  8. Ballad For Benny
(3:56)  9. Royal Garden Blues
(3:15) 10. Song Of The Plow
(3:54) 11. I Know That You Know
(2:23) 12. Mendelssohn Mowed Down
(2:47) 13. Limehouse Blues
(2:48) 14. The Thrill Is Gone
(3:03) 15. Conversation
(6:04) 16. Clarinetta
(3:59) 17. Benny's Bugle

This marvelous new recording by clarinetist Bob Wilber and the Tuxedo Big Band from Toulouse, France, is akin to finding buried treasure and it’s no wonder, as these sparkling arrangements by Fletcher Henderson were “buried” for many years in collections donated by Benny Goodman to the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts and the Yale University Music Library. Wilber was given access to them in 1984 as he planned a 75th birthday tribute to the King of Swing at Waterloo Village in New Jersey, and spent more than a decade after Goodman’s death in 1986 planning an album to showcase Henderson’s unrecorded gems as he searched for a big band capable of expressing their notable spirit and charm. Wilber found his band in Toulouse, France. Tuxedo, formed in 1990 by clarinetist Paul Chéron and named in honor of the Tuxedo Club in turn of the century Manhattan, is devoted to music of the Swing Era. 

The band has recorded two CDs of material by Jimmie Lunceford, Rhythm Is Our Business and Siesta at the Fiesta, on its own TBB label, and recently released a third album, To Ella and Chick, dedicated to Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb. Even more important, Wilber and Chéron have become friends and Wilber has performed with the band on a number of occasions. 

The surprisingly accomplished TBB is present on all save one selection, Jerome Kern / Dorothy Fields’ “Bojangles of Harlem,” played by Wilber and the rhythm section. With the exceptions of “Bojangles,” Neil Moret’s “Song of the Wanderer,” Antonin Dvorak’s “Humoresque” and the Dixieland staple “Milenburg Joys,” the songs were adapted by Henderson from the Great American Songbook, the sturdy bedrock on which every Swing Era band rested. Make no mistake, these charts are by no means “modern”; they are typical of the period in which they were written, the mid ’30s to late ’40s when Goodman’s orchestra was at the height of its popularity. 

The Tuxedo band stays in character throughout, sounding for all the world like a pre–World War II era ensemble; even the solos are swing-derived carbons. Wilber, who says Goodman was his "first inspiration to play clarinet," is a masterful replacement for the King, flexing his impressive chops on most numbers and building to a toe-tapping finish on "Bojangles" (which also features inspired drumming by Jean-Luc Guiraud). Those who remember and / or appreciate America's golden age of big-band music will find a lavish storehouse of riches in these previously unheard arrangements.~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/fletcher-hendersons-unrecorded-arrangements-for-benny-goodman-bob-wilber-arbors-records-review-by-jack

Personnel: Clarinet – Bob Wilber;  Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – Stéphane Lourties; Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Bass Clarinet – Guy Robert (2); Bass – Pierre-Luc Puig; ; Drums – Jean-Luc Guiraud; Guitar – Henri Chéron ; Music Director, Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet – Paul Chéron; Piano – Thierry Ollé; Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Gérard Batbie, Jean-François Bonnel; Trombone – Didier Pascal, Laurent Hotta, Michel Chalot; Trumpet – Eric Robert (2), Jacques Sallent, Jean Imbert, Philippe Laudet

More Unrecorded Arrangements

Willie Nelson - First Rose of Spring

Styles: Vocal, Country
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:26
Size: 97,7 MB
Art: 

(3:41)  1. First Rose of Spring
(4:35)  2. Blue Star
(2:49)  3. I'll Break Out Again Tonight
(3:07)  4. Don't Let the Old Man In
(3:15)  5. Just Bummin' Around
(3:51)  6. Our Song
(4:03)  7. We Are the Cowboys
(3:41)  8. Stealing Home
(4:11)  9. I'm the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised
(4:34) 10. Love Just Laughed
(3:33) 11. Yesterday When I Was Young (Hier Encore)

Willie Nelson’s 70th solo studio album, released in his 88th year, is a reflection on life experience, love and mortality. If that sounds morbid, it’s not: there’s catharsis in the country legend’s beguiling delivery. The slow-paced title-track opener sets the tone with plaintive harmonica, pedal-steel guitar and tender, but weary, vocals. It’s followed by Nelson and his long-term friend and producer Buddy Cannon’s atmospheric “Blue Star”, which reassures a younger lover that they will meet once again beyond the pearly gates (“And when we reach the heaven’s bright/ I’ll be the blue star on your right”). Subtle harmonising backing vocals, sliding guitar and organ combine beautifully.

Though Nelson laments failed relationships in “Love Just Laughed” (“We can look back and smile and say/ Whatever happened brought us down to today”), it’s not all downbeat. Listen to his cover of the hammond-driven “Just Bummin’ Around” (by Pete Graves) and you’ll feel a surge of jauntiness. Nelson’s first release since winning a 2020 Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance with last year’s “Ride Me Back Home” features just two new songs “Blue Star” and “Love Just Laughed”. On First Rose of Spring, Nelson is more interested in paying tribute to the artists he admires, imbuing their songs with his gravelly emotion. “In this time that I’ve been given/ To fill my life with livin’/ I hope I’ve done the best that I can do”, he sings on “Our Song”. That this is a cover of Chris Stapleton who has hailed Nelson “one of my biggest influences” acknowledges his mutual respect for the younger star and suggests he could be ready to hand over the mantle to his successor. But First Rose of Spring is the work of an artist wwho will never grow old. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/willie-nelson-review-first-rose-of-spring-denai-moore-modern-dread-stream-a9596686.html

First Rose of Spring

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Peter Asplund Quartet - Melos

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:33
Size: 141,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:14)  1. Immel Touch
( 6:31)  2. W.S. and P. T.
( 9:54)  3. Alone Again
( 9:18)  4. Baldinavian Love Song
(11:00)  5. Leaving
( 9:15)  6. Take Care
( 8:17)  7. Hunter

Peter Asplund is one of Sweden's foremost trumpeters. Or why not say as it is? He is one of Europe's or even one of the world's foremost trumpeters! Why draw a line when you don't need to? Jazz is not felt at any national borders! "A fantastic musician who always plays straight from the heart" has someone written somewhere. And that's just to agree. Over the years, he has developed his dynamic and energy-laden, slightly melancholy and melodic trumpet games until he can say what he wants, whenever he wants. That's when he plays a standard song by George Gerschwin, Cole Porter or Duke Ellington. And that is when he plays any of his own slightly tense songs, songs where the melodic vein is strong, "my own standards" as he calls them.He has made eight CDs in his own name, nominated for Grammis and received Jazz Sweden's foremost award, Gyllene Skivan for both "Lochiel´s warning" and "Asplund meets Bernstein". Not for nothing is he one of the most sought after musicians in Sweden. He appeared on stage during the early 1990s. At the same time, soul music received a great revival and pop music began to be "jazzed up". Peter Asplund, "the lone trumpeter on the top of the alpine", became an invited soloist at just that spice on more than 200 plates.

This is completely in line with Peter Asplund's idea that you develop when you work and work hard. To be an artist you also have to be a craftsman. One feeds the other and somewhere along the way you find your personal voice and expression. Peter Asplund did so early. He was a wonderful child who quickly went from clarity to clarity. Since then he has only developed and refined what has always been there. It sounds easy and may have been. But it would not have happened without all the work. Constantly in demand by everything and everyone but first and foremost Peter Asplund is a jazz artist. He has been at the front of a number of his own groups. Perhaps he is best known for his successful years with his quartet with pianist Jacob Karlzon, bassist Hans Andersson and drummer Johan Löfcrantz Ramsay. With it and other groups he has toured in Sweden and abroad, he has played at small clubs, concert halls and festivals, traveled around the USA, Canada, England, Germany, Australia, Poland, Switzerland, former Yugoslavia, Romania, Ireland, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa, Japan and of course the other Scandinavian countries. But Peter Asplund has not only been at the forefront of his own groups and projects, he has also been a central member of Sweden's foremost big band for a long number of years, the Tolvan Big Band and the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra. And together with saxophonist Magnus Lindgren, he also leads the Blue House Jazz Orchestra, Stockholm's own big band. Today, jazz artist Peter Asplund is mainly a soloist with trios, big bands, orchestras, wind orchestras and choirs.

In 2007, Peter Asplund surprised the jazz world. He made his debut as a jazz singer and quickly sailed as one of Sweden's foremost jazz singers in Frank Sinatra's and Mel Tormé's swing-saturated footsteps. After a hot scat duet with singer Deborah Brown, she briefly stated that he should make a record - to show how male jazz singing really should sound. As if all this was not enough, Peter Asplund is also a sought-after and often hired educator with a unique ability to share his ever-growing knowledge. For several years he was a trumpet teacher at Kungl. Stockholm University College of Music and he regularly provides clinics throughout Sweden. Peter Asplund is also a responsive producer who is increasingly engaged in jazz recordings. Over the years, Peter Asplund has managed to play with most major Swedish musical names and an impressive crowd in the international elite: Patti Austin, Louie Bellson, Jerry Bergonzi, Randy Brecker, Bob Brookmeyer, Deborah Brown, Randy Crawford, Eddie Daniels, Sinne Eeg , Georgie Fame, Mike Gibbs, Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, Mel Lewis, Dave Liebman, Ivan Linz, Joe Lovano, Jim McNeely, Vince Mendoza, Bob Mintzer, Veronica Mortensen, Silje Nergaard, Ceacilie Norby, Adam Nussbaum, Dick Oatts, Maria Schneider, Gary Smulian, Martial Solal, Clark Terry, Toots Thielemans, Stan Tracey, McCoy Tyner, Jukkis Uotila, The Vanguard Orchestra, Kenny Werner, Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone, Niels Henning Ørstedt Pedersen, Jan Allan, Alice Babs, Claes Crona, Lars Danielsson, Arne Domnérus, Rigmor Gustavsson, Lars Jansson, Nils Landgren, Magnus Lindgren,The Real Group, Esbjörn Svensson Trio (est), Bobo Stensson, Svante Thuresson, Victoria Tolstoy, Bengt-Arne Wallin, Putte Wickman, Monica Zetterlund, Lennart Åberg ... https://peterasplund.com/index.php?sida=bio&lang=s

Melos

Louis Prima, Keely Smith - Hey Boy! Hey Girl!

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:31
Size: 80,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:52)  1. Hey, Boy! Hey, Girl!
(2:32)  2. Banana Split For My Baby
(2:21)  3. You Are My Love
(3:06)  4. Fever
(2:27)  5. Oh, Marie
(3:29)  6. Lazy River
(2:49)  7. Nitey-Nite
(2:41)  8. When The Saints Go Marching In
(2:52)  9. Autumn Leaves
(1:28) 10. Hey, Boy! Hey, Girl! - Reprise
(3:09) 11. Don't Take Your Love From Me
(2:16) 12. (Nothing's Too Good) For My Baby
(2:23) 13. Oh, Marie - Alternate stereo version

Louis Prima and Keely Smith were at the height of their fame when they starred in the Hollywood film Hey Boy! Hey Girl! This soundtrack album has ten numbers from the film including spots for Prima's trumpet on "Oh Marie" and "When the Saints Go Marching In," two numbers for Smith in which she is backed by the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, a feature for Sam Butera on "Fever" and several notable vocal duets by the stars (including "Lazy River" and two versions of the title cut). 

The music never quite cuts loose but does include some exciting moments. Louis Prima fans will want to search for this collector's item. https://www.allmusic.com/album/hey-boy%21-hey-girl%21-mw0000873667

Hey Boy! Hey Girl!