Erroll Garner - Verve Jazz Masters 7

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:26
Size: 164,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:33)  1. I've Got To Be A Rugcutter
(2:48)  2. Misty
(4:28)  3. A Smooth One
(5:33)  4. Love In Bloom
(3:22)  5. All Of A Sudden My Heart Sings
(6:26)  6. Don't Be That Way
(7:18)  7. 7-11 Jump
(6:12)  8. St. James Infirmary
(5:03)  9. Don't Worry Bout Me
(4:00) 10. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?
(4:33) 11. Part Time Blues
(7:24) 12. Yesterdays
(2:33) 13. Oh Lady Be Good
(5:03) 14. Fandango
(4:01) 15. I've Got The World On A String

Pittsburgh born Jazz pianist, prolific composer, concert hall artist, and recording star. Garner was one of the most well known and influential pianists in the world during his lifetime. Surrounded by a musical family, Garner was by all accounts self-taught, began playing at the age of three and was performing professionally by the age of seven. Throughout his career Garner developed a distinctive and original piano style often compared with Art Tatum, Fats Waller, as well as Claude Debussy. Garner released music on over 40 labels, received multiple Grammy nominations, and recorded one of the greatest selling jazz albums of all time, Concert By The Sea. His published catalog contains nearly 200 compositions including “Misty”, which was named #15 on ASCAP’s list of the top songs of the 20th century. He scored for ballet, film, television, and orchestra. 

One of the most televised Jazz artists of his era, Garner appeared on TV shows all over the world, including: Ed Sullivan, Dick Cavitt, Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, and many others. His prolific career began on Allegheny riverboats and spanned from the clubs of 52nd street to the top concert halls of the world. Erroll Garner’s musical and cultural legacy is perhaps stronger today than at any point since his untimely passing in 1977, when Erroll lost his battle with lung cancer at the age of 55. Thanks to the renewed efforts of Octave Music the successor and namesake of the company Garner formed with his manager Martha Glaser in 1952 and it’s Erroll Garner Jazz Project, his music is once again finding fresh audiences through a series of new record releases, multimedia performances, and creative partnerships. https://www.errollgarner.com/biography

Verve Jazz Masters 7

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Jeff Cosgrove - History Gets Ahead of the Story

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:18
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:54)  1. O'neal's Porch
(6:14)  2. Corn Meal Dance
(6:21)  3. Gospel Flowers
(5:30)  4. Little Bird
(6:41)  5. Ghost
(5:58)  6. Moon
(4:28)  7. Things Fall Apart
(4:36)  8. Wood Flute Song
(6:07)  9. Purcell's Lament
(6:24) 10. Harlem

"Over the years, way too much improv has been flung into the realm without a clear grasp of the past. It is not that way with History Gets Ahead Of The Story, which cleverly integrates both mainstream and progressive tradition into a wonderfully refreshing world"

Drummer Jeff Cosgrove’s History Gets Ahead Of The Story is mesmerising on many levels. First of all, arguably a rarity in this day and age, the overall sound is like a warm blanket on a winter’s day and the punch and layered texture of the drums make the record sound even more inviting. Secondly, Cosgrove’s trio of saxophonist Jeff Lederer and organist John Medeski warmed to the challenge of performing the compositions of bassist William Parker and regularly hit bull’s eye. William Parker and Jeff Cosgrove have thread a similar path of improvisational music and released Alternating Current in 2014 and Near Disaster in 2019, which also included pianist Matthew Shipp. Parker’s music, modelled from minimal motives, modality and a lurid sense of tunefulness, merits plenty attention and leaves a lot of room for personal expression.

Both title and content of Things Fall Apart aptly reflect the trio’s vision. Though more precisely it should read in brackets: And We Put Them Back Together Again. Behind the surface of the piece, built from a couple of crunchy figures and scraps of melody, one intuitively senses a balanced pattern of harmony, courtesy of the trio’s responsive interplay and cogent individual statements. Gospel Flowers, a balancing act of semi-waltz and drone, is as winsome as Things Fall Apart. Corn Meal Dance’s sensuality and staccato violence tightens the cords between Cannonball Adderley’s Country Preacher and Pharaoh Sanders’s Karma. O’Neal’s Porch and Harlem employ a blues-based gait as the starting and breaking point for relentless free expression.

Expressionism finds its climax in the stately song Purcell’s Lament. Lederer is a wildly imaginative player of tenor and soprano sax and flute, ecstatic and full of warmth, a mix that is supported by far-reaching technical command of his instruments. Medeski fits right in, fiery and revelling in an effective display of different Hammond organ sounds. The pulse and melodic finesse of Cosgrove firmly directs proceedings. 

Over the years, way too much improv has been flung into the realm without a clear grasp of the past. It is not that way with History Gets Ahead Of The Story, which cleverly integrates both mainstream and progressive tradition into the wonderfully refreshing world that it is unto itself. https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2020/06/29/jeff-cosgrove-history-gets-ahead-of-the-story/

Personnel: Drums – Jeff Cosgrove; Organ – John Medeski; Saxophone, Flute – Jeff Lederer

History Gets Ahead of the Story

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Sonny Stitt - Stitt Plays Bird

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:39
Size: 104,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:16)  1. Now's the Time
(3:04)  2. My Little Suede Shoes
(4:18)  3. Parker's Mood
(3:15)  4. Constellation
(2:39)  5. Au Privave
(6:23)  6. Hootie Blues
(4:34)  7. Confirmation
(4:52)  8. Ko-Ko
(4:49)  9. Yardbird Suite
(3:46) 10. Scrapple from the Apple
(3:38) 11. Ornithology

Sonny Stitt forged his own approach to playing bebop out of the sound and style of Charlie Parker, so this tribute album was a very logical project. With fine support from guitarist Jim Hall, pianist John Lewis, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Connie Kay, Stitt performs ten Parker compositions, plus Jay McShann's "Hootie Blues"; these renditions of "Now's the Time" and "Yardbird Suite" were previously unreleased. Stitt, who mastered bebop and could play hot licks in his sleep, is in top form on such numbers as "Constellation," "Confirmation," and "Ko-Ko," making this an essential item for straight-ahead jazz fans (although the prolific altoist would record eight other albums in 1963 alone). ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/stitt-plays-bird-mw0000195617

Personnel: Sonny Stitt – alto saxophone; John Lewis – piano; Jim Hall – guitar; Richard Davis – bass; Connie Kay – drums

Stitt Plays Bird

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Jaki Byard - Parisian Solos

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1971
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:10
Size: 140,7 MB
Art: Front

( 3:19)  1. Dedicated to Bob Vatel of the Ten Gallons
( 4:36)  2. When Lights Are Low
( 4:17)  3. Besame Mucho
( 6:08)  4. Willow Weep for Me
( 3:42)  5. Tribute to Jimmy Slide
( 5:19)  6. Love Is Here to Stay
( 6:23)  7. Isle to Isle
( 5:40)  8. Shiny Stockings
( 4:28)  9. Bugle Call Rag
(12:06) 10. Medley: Goin' Out Of My Head / Mind And Soul / Besame Mucho / Sunday
( 5:06) 11. Going Home Blues

The late Jaki Byard was, arguably, the most versatile pianist in jazz, though he also played trombone and was an excellent tenor saxophonist. Born in 1922, he grew up during the golden era, and while younger than Duke Ellington, he embraced, as had his predecessor, all of the changes the music went through, from its origins in New Orleans through the free improvisation era. Byard would, in a single solo concert, reveal his truly awesome mastery of the aforementioned styles, as well as R&B, stride, swing, funk, blues, honky tonk, and the extreme arpeggios of Art Tatum. But Byard's style was completely his own, developed from his early days playing with Earl Bostic in the late '40s and early '50s. After leaving Bostic, he played with Herb Pomeroy and Maynard Ferguson until he won a spot in the legendary Charles Mingus band of 1962-1964 along with Eric Dolphy. He also recorded with Dolphy and Booker Ervin, as well as Charlie Mariano and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. 

One of his notable achievements was as the pianist in the Mingus band that tore apart concert halls all over Europe in 1964. Between 1961 and 1972, he issued a string of his own dates for Prestige (Hi-Fly, Here's Jaki, and Out Front! among them) and other labels; they embody his finest work, with a rhythm section that included Richard Davis and Alan Dawson, though he never made a bad record. Byard became an educator in the early '70s (after another collaboration with Mingus in 1970), teaching at Harvard, the Hartt School of Music, and the New England Conservatory, and he recorded and performed intermittently the world over until his death from a gunshot wound in 1999. 

~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jaki-byard-mn0000112535/biography

Personnel: Jaki Byard - piano

Parisian Solos

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Tricycle - Orange for tea

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:10
Size: 128,4 MB
Art: Front

(1:07)  1. Intro Kater
(4:32)  2. Contamines, mon joie
(7:16)  3. Jouer au parc rouge
(5:07)  4. Moving on
(4:14)  5. Evinha, minha vizinha
(0:49)  6. SILVANA
(4:14)  7. Kater
(0:42)  8. L'homme marche droit
(5:32)  9. Then At Least
(3:44) 10. Tzygane
(1:35) 11. Stilte voor de storm
(3:39) 12. Bangkok ou ailleurs
(5:11) 13. Con Largos
(7:23) 14. Orange for tea

The Belgian trio Tricycle consists of Tuur Florizoone (accordion and piano), Philippe Laloy (sax and flute) and bassist Vincent Noiret, all former students at the Brussels conservatory. Seeing an opening to classify their music as "academic" is a little too easy. It soon becomes clear that the gentlemen are more concerned with musical charm than experimental ambition. With their characteristic line-up, their often nostalgic music floats sweetly between chanson and jazz without becoming curly. Catchy themes, clear structures and the emphasis on melody (sometimes beautifully harmlessly polyphonic) dominate. The arrangements go in so smoothly that subtle changes and carefully polyphonic passages glide effortlessly, with sax and accordion in particular snapping together and following each other.

This effortless, scattering effect is enhanced by an exact, chamber music-like interplay. Not exaggeratedly virtuoso, but all the more stylized, the three move in the tradition of entertainment music without parodying (themselves). The bass riffs are perfectly measured, the sax sound (mainly soprano sax) is wonderfully slightly lyrical and the accordion provides a spirited drive. The beautiful and the innocent are never tested, let alone broken. Because of this very balanced, but also climaxless, the CD can become too clean for some listeners.

Within the musical "modesty", however, the trio succeeds in eating from different, albeit close-together walls. For example, 'Con Largos' is drenched in a fado-like melancholy, as the 'hopla' rhythm of 'Tzygane' refers to the gypsy culture. With the walking bass line in 'Bangkok ou Ailleurs' salon jazz emerges, while the cautious and harmoniously misty piano part of 'Kater' (with a vocal contribution by Jessa Wildemeersch) could easily have escaped from an impressionistic song by Duparc.

With all these accessible references, it is almost inevitable that Tricycle flirts with kitsch here and there. Especially when Laloy switches from sax to flute in 'Evinha, Minha Vizinha', they really push the boundaries. The guys of Tricycle manage to stay on the tasteful side of the line. And that in itself is an achievement for those who get started with a combination of atmosphere and sentiment as loaded as Tricycle. Unpretentious entertainment? Possibly, but at least musical entertainment. Translate By Google http://www.kwadratuur.be/cdbesprekingen/detail/tricycle_-_orange_for_tea/#.XxHZSilKiUk

Personnel: Double Bass – Vincent Noiret; Piano, Accordion – Tuur Florizoone; Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute – Philippe Laloy

Orange for tea

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George Shearing Quintet - Latin Lace

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:50
Size: 72,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:31)  1. The Story Of Love
(2:45)  2. Serenata
(2:05)  3. Tu, Mi Delirio
(2:50)  4. Cali Mambo
(2:52)  5. Rondo
(2:45)  6. To The Ends Of The Earth
(2:42)  7. The Moon Was Yellow
(2:33)  8. Wonder Struck
(2:09)  9. Sand In My Shoes
(2:59) 10. Mambo Caribe
(1:51) 11. It's Not For Me To Say
(2:42) 12. Mambo #2

The second of pianist George Shearing's full-length Latin albums once again finds his quintet (with vibraphonist Emil Richards, guitarist Toots Thielemans, bassist Al McKibbon and drummer Percy Brice) being joined by the exciting congas of Armando Peraza. Most of the easy-listening melodies are from south of the border, but even the ones that aren't (such as "The Story of Love," "The Moon Was Yellow" and "It's Not for Me to Say") are given a Latinized treatment. This is nice (if rather safe) music but the LP is long out of print.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/latin-lace-mw0000891823

Personnel:  George Shearing – piano; Toots Thielemans – guitar; Al McKibbon – double bass; Armando Peraza – congas; Emil Richards – vibraphone; Percy Brice – drums; Dave Cavanaugh – producer

Latin Lace

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Adrian Raso - Gypsybilly King

Styles: Guitar Jazz, Gypsy Swing
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:57
Size: 117,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:35)  1. Eric the Baker
(3:27)  2. One Last Time
(5:17)  3. Tres Pistoleros
(3:12)  4. Once Upon a November
(4:11)  5. St. James Infirmary
(3:13)  6. Bobolobo
(3:23)  7. The Gypsybilly King
(3:34)  8. Catch the Devil By It's Tale
(4:36)  9. Dark Waltz
(5:17) 10. Playa La Ropa
(3:08) 11. Beelzebaby Swing
(3:25) 12. Emilja's Waltz
(3:33) 13. Allumette

A journey from dusty desert roads, to deep south swamps, from Parisian rooms to bars in Prague. Zegna pinstripe suit, black Biltmore Eleganza fedora and Ted Baker tie: Adrian Raso is a sharply dressed man. The Toronto guitarist cuts a raffish figure, as he plays observers might just imagine him having succumbed to the old blues myth of selling his soul so to become a master musician. Raso defiantly blends a vast musical vocabulary that sees his supple guitar technique reference Django Reinhardt’s Gypsy jazz stylings and Brian Setzer rockabilly licks, whilst his diverse songwriting channels Johnny Cash’s ghost and deep south voodoo - drawing a clear line through these disparate yet similar musical-sociological traditions. Cutting his teeth playing tough Toronto dive bars, Raso came to realise he preferred forging his own path. Having released several solo albums in Canada, Raso’s 2014 collaboration with superstar Romanian brass band Fanfare Ciocarlia “Devil’s Tale’” ( Asphalt Tango Records ) secured his international reputation. Never before had East met West so successfully, the album, one of the first to combine Balkan/ Gypsy style rhythms with Mediterranean music, charted #1 on the World Music Charts and earned wide critical praise and a myriad awards. In 2019 Raso released his follow up and 10th studio album aptly titled “Gypsybilly King”. Blending furious Rockabilly guitar with influences ranging from Country Western, Romanian Hora, deep south Blues and Italian Tarantella. Raso seamlessly moves us from a smoky room in Paris to an after-hours bar in Prague, before quietly taking us down a dusty road in Texas, until finally settling in the dark streets of New Orleans. Mixed and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Bob St. John, the album also features collaborations with the likes of Prince’s drummer Michael Bland, The Stray Cats bassist Lee Rocker, along with multiple members of Del Bel. https://theadrianraso.bandcamp.com/releases

Gypsybilly King

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Archie Shepp, Chet Baker Quintet - In Memory Of: First and Last Meeting in Frankfurt and Paris 1988

Styles: Saxophone, Trumpet And Piano Jazz 
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:47
Size: 160,5 MB
Art: Front

(11:58)  1. Dedication to Bessie Smiths Blues
( 9:14)  2. My Foolish Heart
(11:06)  3. Confirmation
( 9:28)  4. When Lights Are Low
( 9:44)  5. How Deep Is the Ocean
(10:54)  6. Old Devil Moon
( 7:19)  7. My Ideal

This is one of the odder releases of the 1980s. For the first and only times, trumpeter Chet Baker and tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp teamed up for a pair of concerts in a quintet which also included pianist Horace Parlan, bassist Herman Wright and drummer Clifford Jarvis. The fact that Shepp is an emotional avant-gardist and Baker a cool-toned lyrical trumpeter and that both have radically different singing styles (they take a vocal apiece) results in the obvious: these two individualists do not blend together very well. Other than Shepp's "Dedication to Bessie Smith's Blues," the repertoire is all standards. Baker plays pretty, while Shepp sounds sloppy and heavy. This CD is definitely a historical curiosity, but does not need to be listened to more than once.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-memory-of-mw0000654787

Personnel: Trumpet, Vocals – Chet Baker; Saxophone [Tenor], Vocals – Archie Shepp; Piano – Horace Parlan; Bass – Herman Wright; Drums – Clifford Jarvis

In Memory Of: First and Last Meeting in Frankfurt and Paris 1988

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Peter & Will Anderson - Peter and Will Anderson: Featuring Jimmy Cobb

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:44
Size: 149,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:43)  1. Two For One
(5:17)  2. Hot and Cold
(7:37)  3. Blues for You
(7:10)  4. Rhythm in F
(7:08)  5. Autumn in New York
(5:13)  6. Pick Your Spot
(8:08)  7. Someday My Prince Will Come
(6:09)  8. Jeannine
(7:28)  9. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
(4:45) 10. I'll Tell You Later

Grammy Award-winning saxophonists and identical twins, Peter and Will Anderson document another burner of a recording on their Featuring Jimmy Cobb album, released within days of the passing of the legendary drummer in May 2020. The last surviving member of the Miles Davis band that recorded the ground-breaking jazz album Kind of Blue (Columbia, 1959), Jimmy Cobb passed away at age 91. While not originally designed as a tribute project, this album may well be one of the last recordings featuring Cobb, as his last album as leader, This I Dig of You (Smoke Sessions Records, 2019), was released in 2019. The Anderson brothers craft an exciting session of music, mixing six new originals and four standards in which each piece is a keeper. Accompanying Will, on alto saxophone, and brother Peter, on tenor sax, are Jeb Patton on the piano, David Wong on bass and, of course, Jimmy Cobb. The band opens in blistering fashion, cooking through the first four originals: "Two for One," "Hot and Cold," "Blues for You," and "Rhythm In F," where the bebop and hard bop sounds paint this canvas red hot.

There are two relative soft spots on this album with the first belonging to the Anderson treatment of the Vernon Duke classic "Autumn In New York." On "Someday My Prince Will Come," and the time-honored standard from Duke Pearson, "Jeanine," the boys are wild with phenomenal call and response performances. The Jimmy Van Heusen standard "Polka Dots & Moonbeams," occupies the other mellow piece of the set with Will teeing off on the alto, marking this rendition of the piece as one of the finest. The brothers play in unison on the final track, "I'll Tell You Later," capping off an incredible session of hard-core bebop the way it was intended to be performed. The rhythm section, and especially Cobb, provide an amazing performance. As for the twins, we've heard the phrase "brothers in arms." Well, in this case it's "brothers in bebop," for Will and Peter Anderson Featuring Jimmy Cobb is one outstanding recording and remembrance of a legend.~ Edward Blanco https://www.allaboutjazz.com/featuring-jimmy-cobb-peter-and-will-anderson-outside-in-music

Personnel: Peter Anderson: saxophone, tenor; Will Anderson: saxophone, alto; Jimmy Cobb: drums; Jeb Patton: piano; David Wong: bass.

Peter and Will Anderson: Featuring Jimmy Cobb

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Bola Sete - Live At Grace Cathedral

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:16
Size: 134,2 MB
Art: Front

( 2:23)  1. Jongo
( 5:52)  2. Gaucho / Meu Ogum
( 4:01)  3. Carnival Nights
(15:37)  4. Flamenco Fantasy
( 7:11)  5. Ocean Waves (O Mar)
( 5:33)  6. Jongada
( 2:52)  7. O Astronauto
( 5:23)  8. Vira Mundo Penba
( 4:32)  9. Guitar Lamento
( 4:47) 10. Tio George

This live solo guitar concert took place on May 21, 1976 in the acoustically lush Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. It is an enhanced CD which includes sheet music, photos and the original concert program of this memorable evening of music performed by. Samba Moon.2005 ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Live-Grace-Cathedral-1976-Francisco/dp/B0007VF1R4

Live At Grace Cathedral

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Tricycle - King Size

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:29
Size: 134,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:40)  1. 4 & 3 + 4
(3:31)  2. Belly Button
(5:07)  3. Silvana's Dream
(5:32)  4. Epilogue
(5:30)  5. 3 Pinguins on a Sunday Afternoon
(3:44)  6. Tupyzinho
(6:13)  7. Tribute to Vissotsky
(4:52)  8. Pas Ce Soir, Je Suis Crevé
(5:35)  9. Le Mystère du Petit Sac Noir
(6:25) 10. Ode à Lydie
(6:15) 11. Rustic

The cat which illustrates the cover of the disc is probably not there by chance. Tricycle takes us on a journey with the agility and finesse of a feline. With this group, we travel through different countries, different atmospheres of jazz tinged with Slavic, Latin or imaginary folklore music. Throughout this journey, while fragile and sometimes unspoken, the breath of the accordion by Tuur Florizoone is rightly mixed with that of the viola or soprano by Philippe Laloy . And as if to stay the course, the warm and enveloping bass from Vincent Noiret is the third essential wheel of this tricycle. For this second album, the trio this time took on a few traveling companions (hence the title King Size ) who are not one to slow down the cart: Laurent Blondiau (Mäâk's Spirit, Octurn, Rackham…) at the trumpet and flugelhorn, Stephan Pougin (Phinc, Rêve d'Eléphant Orchestra…) with volatile percussion and Brazilian-born guitarist Victor Da Costa . We pass from light and joyful moments, which promise a carefree perspective ("4 & 3 + 4"), to clearly darker moments. "Epilogue" for example, with a heavy and desolate atmosphere, suggests the delicate marriage of the sax and the trumpet in a song of extreme restraint. 

From this meditation escape piano notes which fall like tears that cannot be held back. Between nonchalance and lively slowness, Tricycle has a sense of simple happiness and flexible rhythm. The slow and melancholic waltz of "Belly Button", which evokes a tired fun fair inspired by an Italian neo-realistic film, echoes the malicious "Not tonight, I'm exhausted" ... Here, it is the double bass that has the hangover. The theme hesitates between going dancing or resigning itself to staying in bed. Da Costa's guitar, with slightly South American accents, and the accordion are trying to get this little world out of a soft torpor. 

Our little band then pays a beautiful tribute to Trovesi and Coscia by taking "Tribute To Vissotsky" where the twirling soprano by Laloy exchanges winks with an accordion with a deep voice. Detour also on the side of Central America with "Tupyzinho" who races like a sarabande, this time taken by a flute and Pougin's percussions. Of course, dreaming is part of the journey with "3 Pinguins On A Sunday Afternoon" and especially "Sylvana's Dream" where a light, sensual and lunar saxophone resounds. All these melodies advance in hushed steps, between perpetual folklore and jazz which does not say its name. Tricycle is not cluttered with labels and only takes emotion with it as luggage. And it's already a lot. https://www.citizenjazz.com/Tricycle.html

Personnel: Yuur Florizoone (acc, p), Philippe Laloy (ss, as, fl), Vincent Noiret (b), Laurent Blondiau (tp, bugle), Victor Da Costa (g), Stephan Pougin (perc, dm)

King Size

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Brasil!

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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

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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

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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

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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

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