John Scofield - Bar Talk

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:18
Size: 90,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:03) 1. Beckon Call
(6:11) 2. New Strings Attached
(6:49) 3. Never
(6:36) 4. How to Marry a Millionaire
(6:56) 5. Fat Dancer
(5:40) 6. Nature Calls

1980's Bar Talk features a young John Scofield already showing the virtuosity on guitar that subsequently made him a giant in his field. Scofield who honed his chops with artists like Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan, Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Chet Baker, and Charles Mingus displays his talents here as both a player and composer. Scofield is joined in the venture by Steve Swallow on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums a perfectly balanced trio. The Connecticut-born Scofield, who studied jazz at the renowned Berklee School of Music in Boston, spent much of his professional life gigging in Europe. This recording was made by the trio during one of its European tours. The album was well received at the time of its printing in 1980. Its influence has grown, becoming a jazz guitar classic, often listed as a favorite recording by professional critics, other musicians, and fans alike. Most of the songs are penned by Scofield himself. Steve Swallow contributed one tune, the elegiac "Never." The songs are long enough to allow the music to develop, with each musician taking his turn in the jazz conversation. "Fat Woman," "New Strings Attached," and "How to Marry a Millionaire" give the listener a good sampling of the capabilities of these musicians as they morph through a range of moods and colors. The set ends with "Nature Calls," a nod to the double-entendre titles for which Scofield is known. The musician likes to joke around and have fun, but make no mistake, John Scofield is serious about his music.~ Rose of Sharon Witmer https://www.allmusic.com/album/bar-talk-mw0000880104

Personnel: John Scofield - electric guitar; Steve Swallow - bass; Adam Nussbaum - drums

Bar Talk

---

Sant Andreu Jazz Band/Joan Chamorro - Jazzing 7

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:42
Size: 183,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:14) 1. Almost Like Being in Love
(3:41) 2. Sunset Glow
(2:54) 3. Bli Blip
(6:36) 4. Recado Bossa Nova
(5:28) 5. I’d be There
(3:14) 6. O Barquinho
(3:31) 7. Unchain My Heart
(5:48) 8. Triste
(3:46) 9. Louisiana Fairy Tale
(7:39) 10. Quasimodo
(5:50) 11. Social Call
(6:11) 12. Ruby My Dear
(6:27) 13. Laura
(3:08) 14. After You’ve Gone
(6:12) 15. Just a Closer Walk With Thee
(3:57) 16. Since You've Been Gone

«The learning of music is infinite… I always think that we can do things better, without ceasing to enjoy what we do.
When you work with such young musicians it is very important what you teach, yet it’s even more important what you can convey and how you do it, because this will be what makes them want to do music on their own, in an intense, passionate and exciting way.» ~ Joan Chamorro https://santandreujazzband.bandcamp.com/album/jazzing-7

Personnel: Luigi Grasso, Enrique Oliver, Ignasi Terraza, Josep Traver, Esteve Pi, Toni Belenguer, Eva Fernández and Magali Datzira

Jazzing 7

---

Patrick Deltenre, Ivan Paduart - Hand in Hand

Styles: Guitar and Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:48
Size: 128,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:59) 1. Menorca
(6:26) 2. Aperoses
(7:08) 3. Pigeons
(5:00) 4. Hand in Hand
(6:59) 5. La Grazia
(4:42) 6. Lianes
v (4:36) 7. Draisiennes
(5:02) 8. Fringale Matinale
(5:53) 9. Mignardises
(4:59) 10. Ravioli's Blues

Hand in Hand is the latest release from Belgium based duo Ivan Paduart and Patrick Deltenre. According to the press release that accompanied this album, the album title Hand in Hand “…contains two meanings. Firstly, of course, it reflects the artists’ collaboration as a duo; two creative individuals pursuing a musical goal together. Secondly, it is the combination of two harmonic instruments; their sounds are interwoven in such a way that individuality is maintained, while at the same time, a genuine dialogue is created rather than simple musical duplication.” On first listening, I would have to agree with this statement and to continue the analogy I would go so far as saying that these musicians fit together like a “hand in glove”......More... https://jazzineurope.mfmmedia.nl/2018/12/cd-review-ivan-paduart-and-patrick-deltenre-hand-in-hand/

Personnel: Ivan Paduart, Piano | Patrick Deltenre, Guitar

Hand in Hand

---

Enrico Rava - The Pilgrim And The Stars

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:45
Size: 91,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:45) 1. The Pilgrim And The Stars
(1:48) 2. Parks
(9:20) 3. Bella
(5:15) 4. Pesce Naufrago
(1:55) 5. Surprise Hotel
(4:49) 6. By The Sea
(6:50) 7. Blancasnow

In celebration of its fortieth anniversary, ECM has initiated a program called Touchstones in which forty albums recorded from 1971-1993 have been reissued. The program has been designed both to allow collectors to fill in missing releases and to introduce new listeners to a wide range of the music that has defined the "ECM sound." Many of those chosen have been out of print or not readily available in the United States, including trumpeter Enrico Rava's debut album The Pilgrim And The Stars, which has never been available as a CD in the United States. As fascinating as jazz can be by the seemingly endless creation of the new and heretofore unheard, a reissue of a currently hard-to-acquire album allows for the old(er) to be experienced as new. While Western classical music measures its history in centuries, jazz does so in decades. The Pilgrim And The Stars, recorded in 1975, is from ECM's first decade of existence, and presents early performances of guitarist John Abercrombie, bassist Palle Danielsson, and drummer John Christensen, the latter two of whom were members of pianist Keith Jarrett's "European Quartet"see Belonging (ECM, 1974). The music itself sounds remarkably fresh today, which is just an indication that good music is timeless and rises above any stylistic constraints of its era. The compositions, all by Rava (with Graciela Rava added for "By The Sea") vary widely, allowing for an attractive pacing and flow. Overall, there is a strong feeling of each individual performer's freedom intersecting, reacting with, and responding to the group sound of the moment, always, colored, however, by the free romanticism of Rava's trumpet.

Although the album is obviously Rava's through his compositions and trumpet playing, Abercrombie very nearly steals the record with his intense, flying, and completely unpredictable solos, as well as his lush and well-placed, sharp accompaniment. While all of the tracks have something to offer, the title track and "Bella," besides being the longest, are standouts. Constructed similarly, their opening, rubato sections offer beauty and grace, before the band takes off in the middle, extended sections. It is here that Abercrombie, particularly in "Bella," shines, practically searing the speakers and eliciting a "woo," presumably from Rava. Danielsson and Christensen, as the rhythm section, are easily taken for granted since their playing is so highly attuned both to each other and to the rest of the band, pushing and pulling the music along. The Pilgrim And The Stars is a most welcome reissue regardless of perspective, being very alive, vibrant, and simply great music jazz at its best.~ Budd Kopman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-pilgrim-and-the-stars-enrico-rava-ecm-records-review-by-budd-kopman.php

Personnel: Enrico Rava: trumpet; John Abercrombie: guitar; Palle Danielsson: bass; Jon Christensen: drums.

John Abercrombie & Don Thompson - Witchcraft

Styles: Guitar, Post Bop
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:04
Size: 138,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:59) 1. Everything I Love
(5:33) 2. Sometime Ago
(6:04) 3. Witchcraft
(8:50) 4. My Foolish Heart
(6:12) 5. Fall Colours
(5:56) 6. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(5:41) 7. Peace
(7:01) 8. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(8:43) 9. You Don't Know What Love Is

For followers who bemoan guitarist John Abercrombie's tendency to record rather adventurous albums with an often electronically treated tone, Witchcraft will be a delight. On this duo recording with bassist Don Thompson (who also plays piano on three tracks), the guitarists' sound is untreated, and the repertoire is standards. The two play well together, and there are some lovely moments on the record. The title track finds Abercrombie using the differing tonal qualities of his guitar's open strings to give the melody a unique interpretation. The sole original on the record, "Fall Colours" (credited to both writers, although the Canadian spelling may reveal the true author), is based on the standard "Autumn Leaves." Abercrombie sounds fine here, if at times pretty rather than substantial. He prefers to play in long single-note lines, rather than taking the more chordal approach many guitarists attempt in such a stripped-down setting. Thompson is a highly interactive bass player with enviable technique, allowing him to play melodic, fluid solos throughout. There seem to be several sound problems on Witchcraft; the recording level is very low, and a rattling sound often accompanies the musicians' louder notes, which grows to be quite distracting on repeated listenings.~ Dan Cross https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/witchcraft-mr0000352205

Personnel: John Abercrombie - guitar; Don Thompson; double bass, piano

Witchcraft

---

Pia Zadora - Only For Romantics

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:05
Size: 101,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:24) 1. But Beautiful
(3:42) 2. The Man I Love
(4:47) 3. When Your Lover Has Gone
(3:12) 4. I Should Care
(2:53) 5. The More I See You
(4:39) 6. Stormy Weather
(4:10) 7. The Very Thought Of You
(3:45) 8. April Showers
(3:38) 9. These Foolish Things
(5:25) 10. The End Of A Love Affair - How About Me
(3:25) 11. Our Love Is Here To Stay

Often derided by critics in the early '80s for her starring roles in bad movies, Pia Zadora found more respect as a singer. A former child actress, Zadora became a favorite target for film reviewers who argued that her acting career was the result of being married to multimillionaire Meshulam Riklis. (Her Golden Globe award in 1982 was even investigated.) Although Zadora didn't release her first LP, Pia, until 1982, her first recording actually appeared nearly two decades earlier. In 1964, a prepubescent Zadora sang "Hooray for Santa Claus" on the soundtrack to Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Later, in 1983, "The Clapping Song" from Pia hit number 36 on the Billboard charts. Much of Zadora's best adult music work involved covering big band and pop standards. After Zadora toured with crooner Frank Sinatra in the early '80s, he began to heavily influence the material she was performing. For 1985's Pia & Phil, she was even backed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Zadora collaborated with Jermaine Jackson for a modern sound; moreover, in 1988, R&B hitmakers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis produced her album When the Lights Go Out, but it was only distributed in the U.K. When the Lights Go Out was followed by Pia Z. in 1989, which marked Zadora's return to the U.S. market.~ Michael Sutton https://www.allmusic.com/artist/pia-zadora-mn0000846557/biography

Only For Romantics

---

Jimmy Witherspoon with Brother Jack McDuff - The Blue is Now

Styles: Jazz Blues
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:08
Size: 76,6 MB
Art: Front
(3:53) 1. Sweet Slumber
(2:48) 2. I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town
(4:23) 3. Past Forty Blues
(2:25) 4. S.K. Blues
(3:03) 5. Late One Evening
(3:31) 6. Part Time Woman
(2:17) 7. Good Rocking Tonight
(5:20) 8. I Won't Tell a Soul
(3:13) 9. My Baby's Quit Me
(2:11) 10. My Money's Long This Morning, Baby

Jimmy Witherspoon recorded a series of excellent albums for Verve in the late '60s. Unfortunately, these have not received the attention they deserve, and are frequently relegated in Witherspoon's huge catalog. The Blues Is Now is arguably the finest of these recordings, and Witherspoon's voice is in top form and hugely expressive. Like all of the artist's albums of the decade, it's not the most consistent of listening experiences, but that's of little interest when songs and performances are as good as "My Baby's Quit Me" and Witherspoon's own "Late One Evening." A light-night blues classic, this is Witherspoon at his most relaxed and assured and is a joy to listen to.~ Thomas Ward https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-blues-is-now-mw0000312591

Personnel: Jimmy Witherspoon — Vocals; Jack McDuff — Organ; Danny Turner — Flute, Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor); Leo Johnson — Flute, Sax (Tenor); Melvin Sparks — Guitar; Jymie Merritt — Bass; Ray Appleton — Drums

The Blue is Now

---

Sant Andreu Jazz Band & Joan Chamorro - Jazzing 8 Vol. 1

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:14
Size: 166,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:36) 1. The Elder
(4:06) 2. What's New
(3:40) 3. Lousiana Fairy Talev
(2:28) 4. Mike's Peak
(5:09) 5. Doralice
(1:56) 6. Blues in Hoss' Flat
(5:37) 7. Big Dipper
(4:26) 8. Baby, You've Got What It Takes
(5:00) 9. Souvenir
(5:30) 10. Bebop
(3:38) 11. A Kiss to Build a Dream
(2:38) 12. Jubilee Stomp
(5:15) 13. Our Love is Here to Stay
(3:12) 14. This Could Be the Star of Somethin
(4:14) 15. Just You, Just Me
(7:42) 16. Count Bubba

Jazzing 8, vol. 1 is the first of 3 volumes: This new work, although it includes many vocal themes, also contains so many instrumental themes in which the increasingly numerous soloists of the orchestra have their opportunity to share their creativity, their ability to generate their own discourse, in a continuous evolution. https://jazztojazz.com/en/product/jazzing-8-vol-1/

Jazzing 8 Vol. 1

---

Dee Dee Lavell - Sanctified

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:47
Size: 103,6 MB
Art: Front

(1:01) 1. Hallelujah
(3:45) 2. Precious Lord Take My Hand
(4:30) 3. Bless the Lord
(3:49) 4. Near to the Heart of God
(5:43) 5. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
(4:11) 6. He Will Wash You White as Snow
(4:07) 7. His Eye Is on the Sparrow
(5:57) 8. Right Here, Right Now
(7:27) 9. Jesus Loves Me / Oh How He Loves You and Me
(4:12) 10. Amazing Grace

SOUL, PASSION, CHARISMA & FIRE are words used to describe the voice of Dee Lavell. A well seasoned performer with over 20 yrs experience on stage as well as in the studio. Dee returned to Australia in 2010 from living in Los Angeles for 8 yrs, and is hitting the Australian music scene once again. Originally from Sydney, Dee was a member of the soul/funk group THE HONEYBEES along with Belle Hendrik and Tina Harrod. She was also a part time member of MOTHER JIVE with the fabulous, Liza Ohlback and Chiara Browne. Dee also headed up her own band, TOTALLY FUNKED UP with Calvin Welch & Eric Johns Rasmussen. In Los Angeles, Dee worked with former members of India Arie, Nika Costa, Barry White, Macy Gray, Stevie Wonder, and even former Motown producers, Frank Wilson, Clay Drayton and Laythan Armor. Dee released this gospel album in 1995, entitled Sanctified. The Lavell family has a legacy of music, including niece Joanna Lavell and nephew Greg Lavell who are both making names for themselves in the Melbourne music scene. https://www.ihearmusic.com/77/dee-lavell/sanctified/

Sanctified

---

Sonny Greenwich - Live at Sweet Basil

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:10
Size: 138,0 MB
Art: Front

(12:18) 1. Tomorrow
(10:10) 2. Libra Ascending
(15:13) 3. Tell Yourself the Truth
( 8:30) 4. You Go to My Head
(13:57) 5. The Sky's The Limit

A live club date in New York City consisting of three originals and one standard with quartet. This man is an unsung hero, revered by guitarists. ~ Michael G. Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-sweet-basil-mw0000911556

Personnel: Guitar – Sonny Greenwich; Bass – Ron Séguin; Drums – Andre White; Piano – Fred Henke

Live at Sweet Basil

---

Ethel Ennis - Eyes For You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:48
Size: 89,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:02) 1. I Only Have Eyes For You
(2:59) 2. Summertime
(2:55) 3. Here's That Rainy Day
(2:17) 4. Almost Like Being In Love
(3:25) 5. God Bless The Child
(2:25) 6. The Song Is You
(2:38) 7. I Love Being Here With You
(4:05) 8. Yesterdays
(4:20) 9. Little Girl Blue
(3:08) 10. Angel Eyes
(3:12) 11. But Beautiful
(2:18) 12. Too Close For Comfort

Baltimore jazz institution Ethel Ennis was born November 28, 1932. Beginning her vocal career while a pianist in a high school jazz group, she quickly went on to sing with everyone from Louis Armstrong to Duke Ellington to Count Basie. Ennis' debut LP, Lullabies for Losers, appeared on Jubilee in 1955, with the follow-up, Change of Scenery, issued two years later on Capitol. Around the same time, she toured Europe with Benny Goodman, but finding the grind of the road too intense, she returned home to Baltimore, and much to the detriment of her rising fame rarely played outside of the Charm City area in the decades to come. After 1958's Have You Forgotten?, Ennis did not resurface until six years later, landing at RCA for This Is Ethel Ennis; three more LPs Once Again, Eyes for You, and My Kind of Waltztime quickly followed by another eight-year studio hiatus which finally ended with the 1973 release of the BASF album 10 Sides of Ethel Ennis. That same year, she also sang the National Anthem at the re-inauguration proceedings of President Richard Nixon. Ennis next turned up on vinyl in 1980 with Live at Maryland Inn; a self-titled follow-up was 14 years in the making, with If Women Ruled the World appearing in 1998. Ennis died following a stroke on February 17, 2019; she was 86 years old.~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ethel-ennis-mn0000206512/biography

Eyes For You

---

Nancy Walker - Invitation

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:22
Size: 140,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:00) 1. Invitation
(9:03) 2. Strange Bird
(5:26) 3. If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You
(9:32) 4. Black Coral
(8:37) 5. Little Dark One
(4:33) 6. Union/Reunion
(5:27) 7. A Child Is Born
(7:59) 8. The Blessing
(5:42) 9. Flip-Flop

Nancy’s debut recording as leader, Invitation, was released in August of 1997 on the UP Label (Unity/Page). The CD, featuring tunes from the standard repertoire and five of her own compositions, has garnered reviews and received nationwide airplay.

Voted one of the year’s best by Jazz Canadiana reviewers, Invitation is a trio date, with Nancy on piano, Kieran Overs on bass, and Barry Romberg on drums. https://nancywalkermusic.com/album/invitation/

Personnel: Nancy Walker: Piano; Kieran Overs: Bass; Barry Romberg: Drums

Invitation

---

Kim Weston - For The First Time

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:55
Size: 82,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:57) 1. Where Am I going
(4:50) 2. Free Again
(3:06) 3. Everything In The World I love
(2:48) 4. When The Sun Comes Out
(2:53) 5. Walking Happy
(3:12) 6. The Beat Goes On
(3:29) 7. In The Dark
(3:46) 8. If You Go Away
(2:24) 9. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(3:01) 10. Come Back To Me
(3:25) 11. That's Life

I know a lot of people who seek for this rare album. Her first on MGM. Duke Ellington describes Kim Weston as a “beautiful ebony-hued satin doll whose generous physical adornments are well distributed”. But as everyone knows it takes more to make it in music business. Kim’s most important assets are a great voice and an ability to get out there and sell any songs she sings. Well known for her duets with Marvin Gaye, Kim Weston should have been a big star. But Berry Gordy was more interested in promoting some of his other artists and Kim remained under appreciated (and under exposed).she is one of the most talented artist to come out of Detroit. Best known as a duet partner of Marvin Gaye, Kim Weston also charted with some of her own solo sides during the ’60s, although she never had the breakout success of a Martha Reeves or Diana Ross. Born Agatha Natalie Weston in Detroit in 1939, she started singing in her church choir at age three, and by her teenage years had joined a touring gospel group called the Wright Specials. She signed with Motown during the company’s early days, scoring a minor RB hit in 1963 with “Love Me All the Way“. The following year, she recorded her first duet with Gaye, “What Good Am I Without You” but made the tactical error of turning down a chance to record “Dancing in the Street“, which subsequently became a smash hit for Martha the Vandellas. She enjoyed her biggest solo hit in 1965 with “Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)” and followed it up in 1966 with the equally soulful “Helpless“, both of which helped make her reputation among soul collectors. Also in 1966, she cut an entire album of duets with Gaye, Take Two, which produced the Top Five RB classic “It Takes Two“. By the time it was peaking on the charts in early 1967, however, Weston had already left Motown; she and her husband, producer William “Mickey” Stevenson, moved to MGM, but a pair of albums there (For the First Time and This Is America) proved to be commercial failures. Weston subsequently recorded for Volt (Kim Kim Kim), People (Big Brass Four Poster, an album of jazz standards with the Hastings Street Jazz Experience), and Johnny Nash’s Banyan Tree, all without much success. She did, however, chart with her version of the anthem “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” in 1970. Weston largely disappeared from the music industry during the ’70s; in 1987, Weston became the first of many Motown artists to work with British producer Ian Levine on the Motorcity label, re-recording many of her old hits for the Northern soul market; her two albums for Motorcity, 1990’s Investigate and 1992’s Talking Loud, also featured some new material. https://www.funkmysoul.gr/kim-weston-1967-for-the-first-time/

For The First Time

---

Bing Crosby - Return To Paradise Islands

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:45
Size: 121,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:21) 1. Return To Paradise
(2:15) 2. The Hukilau Song
(3:48) 3. The Old Plantation
(2:56) 4. Lovely Hula Hands
(3:19) 5. Love And Aloha
(2:46) 6. Keep Your Eyes On The Hands
(3:17) 7. Adventures In Paradise
(2:51) 8. Frangipani Blossom
(3:25) 9. Forevermore
(3:59) 10. Farewell My Tane
(3:44) 11. Beautiful Kahana
(3:08) 12. Home In Hawaii (King's Serenade)
(1:00) 13. Return To Paradise (False Start And Studio Chatter)
(2:26) 14. My Little Grass Shack (In Kealakakua, Hawaii)
(2:15) 15. The Cockeyed Mayor Of Kaunakakai
(2:31) 16. Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula
(2:22) 17. Ukelele Lady
(2:13) 18. King's Serenade

Although a parade of pop artists recorded Hawaiian material between the '20s and '50s, none of them are as associated with it as Bing Crosby who could have (and did) populate an entire hits collection with only his Hawaiian-themed songs. In the early '60s, Crosby was briefly signed to Reprise Records, the new home for the best vocalists in traditional pop, but his only solo-billed record was this one, from 1963. It's an overlooked gem, recorded with Nelson Riddle, who understood more than any other arranger of his era how to bring exotic sounds home to American shores without proceeding directly to overkill. Riddle employs strings slightly more than on his classic arrangements, but they're sweeping and lush completely in keeping with the material. Crosby sounds not merely comfortable, but fully relaxed in these songs. The opener, "Return to Paradise," a movie theme from a few years earlier, is the perfect place to start; not with some frothy hula dances, but a warm and reflective ballad wrapped in Riddle's strings, which ebb and flow in an obvious homage to ocean shores. The rest of the record balances a few wistful ballads like the first with light novelties that employ the lap-steel guitar and ukulele that's de rigeur for a Hawaiian LP.~ John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/album/return-to-paradise-islands-mw0000837367

Return To Paradise Islands

---

Lauren Hooker - Life of the Music

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:32
Size: 114,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:34) 1. Life of the Music / Your Music Brings Out the Poetry In Me
(3:24) 2. If That's What You Feel
(3:42) 3. Love Me or Leave Me
(4:14) 4. I Am Doing Very Well
(6:57) 5. Songs to a Seagull
(3:59) 6. I Lied
(4:47) 7. Spring Is Here
(3:52) 8. Countin' on the Blues
(3:48) 9. Hey This Is Me
(2:51) 10. Walkin' on Down the Line
(5:20) 11. Some Other Time

In 2007, vocalist Lauren Hooker turned out an impressive debut, Right Where I Belong (Musical Legends, Inc., 2007), which highlighted her solid, yet flexible, voice, and an ability to graft her own lyrics onto familiar instrumental jazz standards. Three years later, Hooker returns with a program that largely focuses on her own lyrics and music, demonstrating interests in the blues, straight-ahead jazz, funk, pop and Brazilian music. The opening track a collaboration between Hooker and poet Jeanette Curtis Rideau has some bite to it, featuring a burning solo from Scott Robinson's molten soprano saxophone. "If That's What You Feel" begins with Hooker's wordless vocals moving along with Robinson's flugelhorn, over a swaying Brazilian beat. One of the most emotionally powerful originals on the album is "I Am Doing Very Well" a break-up song that touches on all of the conflicting emotions and pain that comes with that territory. Bassist Martin Wind adds a little Brazilian bounce to "I Lied," but John Hart's guitar work is the focal point on this one. Wind and drummer Tim Horner are a solid team behind Hooker on "Countin' The Blues," which features a terrific walking-the-bar-type saxophone solo from Robinson. "Hey This Is Me" is Hooker's take on contemporary pop with a slight R&B tinge to the music and "Walkin' On Down The Line" features some funky drumming from Horner and raunchy guitar sounds from Hart. While Hooker's compositional craft is at the core of the album, she also finds time to tackle four standards, shaped to her own liking. Her vocals cut like a knife on "Love Me Or Leave Me," which features some sublime scatting, and she soars on a waltzing "Spring Is Here." The latter tune is underscored by Horner's crisp, dry and articulate ride cymbal work, and Robinson's fluttery flute is a treat here. "Some Other Time" gently glides long as Hooker is intimately accompanied by Mike Richmond on bass and Hart on guitar. Seagulls had their place on Hooker's first album with "Seagulls (Seagulls of Kristiansund)" and this particular fowl found its way onto this record through Joni Mitchell's "Song To A Seagull." Hooker manages to create wide dramatic range coming off with full throated vocals that Mitchell couldn't match when she penned this early-career classic and the pairing of cello and piano is a nice touch. While this song has a sunny veneer, darker moods seem to lurk around. Life Of The Music, with its engaging original material and intelligently crafted covers, might just get plenty of people hooked on Lauren Hooker.~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/life-of-the-music-lauren-hooker-miles-high-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Lauren Hooker: vocals, acoustic piano, electric piano; djembe; Jim Ridl: acoustic piano; Tim Horner: drums, congas, pandera, shaker, whistle, flute; Scott Robinson: flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, flugelhorn, trumpet; John Hart: acostic guitar, electric guitar; Jeanette Curtis Rideau: spoken word (1); Mike Richmond: cello (5), acoustic bass (11)

Life of the Music

---

Júlia Karosi, Ben Monder - Without Dimensions

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:20
Size: 135,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:38) 1. Without Dimensions
(4:26) 2. Rebirth
(7:08) 3. Epigrams No. 7, 8
(2:15) 4. "Only from the Purest Source" Hommage Á Béla Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle Prologue
(4:11) 5. "Only from the Purest Source" Hommage Á Béla Bartók: Mikrokosmos III, No. 92
(1:18) 6. "Only from the Purest Source" Hommage Á Béla Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances No. 3
(2:18) 7. "Only from the Purest Source" Hommage Á Béla Bartók: Outro for Romanian Folk Dances No.3
(1:45) 8. "Only from the Purest Source" Hommage Á Béla Bartók: Sorrow
(1:25) 9. "Only from the Purest Source" Hommage Á Béla Bartók: Mikrokosmos IV, No. 115
(5:08) 10. "Only from the Purest Source" Hommage Á Béla Bartók: Mikrokosmos IV, No. 113
(7:06) 11. Insomnia
(3:42) 12. Words and Beyond Pt. 1
(2:31) 13. Words and Beyond Pt. 2
(3:05) 14. Words and Beyond Pt. 3
(5:20) 15. Madeleine Moment

Júlia Karosi: "I have always wondered if music belongs to one of the dimensions as theorized in the 'Standard Model' of modern physics. I summarized my subjective answer as the title of this album. I believe that the obvious lack of dimensions of music Their unique ability to lift us humans into a sphere of existence in which we are no longer aware of time and space. I also believe that these timeless experiences are usually associated with certain events in our lives that we often experience Getting caught ignorance of their meaning - the very moments that make our lives worth living in. With the programmatic titles in my original compositions in this album, I have contemplated some unforgettable moments in my own life.Rebirth reflects on the birth of my son, followed by Insomnia (obviously), Words andBeyond is a conflict between verbal and non-verbal expressions. Madeleine Moment is a musical quote from Marcel Proust's poetic description of involuntary memory in his work In Search of Lost Time. In this album I would like to pay a "jazz homage" to two of the greatest Hungarian composers of the twentieth century, Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály, with arrangements and jazz transcriptions of their works. I hope you don't mind! "Madeleine Moment is a musical quote from Marcel Proust's poetic description of involuntary memory in his work In Search of Lost Time. In this album I would like to pay a "jazz homage" to two of the greatest Hungarian composers of the twentieth century, Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály, with arrangements and jazz transcriptions of their works. I hope you don't mind! "Madeleine Moment is a musical quote from Marcel Proust's poetic description of involuntary memory in his work In Search of Lost Time. In this album I would like to pay a "jazz homage" to two of the greatest Hungarian composers of the twentieth century, Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály, with arrangements and jazz transcriptions of their works. I hope you don't mind! "https://translate.google.com.br/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=https://www.jazz-fun.de/julia-karosi-without-dimensions.html&prev=search&pto=aue

Personnel: Júlia Karosi - Vocals; Ben Monder - Guitar; Áron Tálas - Piano; Ádám Bögöthy - Double Bass; Bendegúz Varga - Drums

Without Dimensions

---

Nancy Walker - Rainy Days & Mondays

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:50
Size: 138,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:49) 1. All by Myself
(5:45) 2. The Sound of Silence
(3:22) 3. In My Life
(4:18) 4. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
(4:36) 5. All out of Love
(4:47) 6. Help Me Make It Through the Night
(4:27) 7. If You Leave Me Now
(4:48) 8. Honesty
(4:13) 9. I'm Not in Love
(4:59) 10. I'd Really Love to See You Tonight
(3:21) 11. If
(4:09) 12. Don't Cry out Loud
(3:47) 13. So Far Away
(3:22) 14. Rainy Days and Mondays

Nancy Walker is a Canadian musician based in the Toronto area. Her work as a pianist and composer reflects her view of the times we live in at times intense, at times poignant, at times cerebral. Her most recent recording as leader is ‘Til Now Is Secret (Addo Records). Showcasing ten of her original compositions, the recording features multi-reed player Shirantha Beddage, guitarist Ted Quinlan, bassist Kieran Overs and drummer Ethan Ardelli, and was made possible with the help of the Ontario Arts Council. Nancy has been recognized Canada-wide. Winner of the 2008 National Jazz Awards Keyboardist Of The Year Award and the 2003 Montréal International Jazz Festival’s prestigious Grand Prix de Jazz, Nancy has several previous discs as leader to her credit. Her debut, Invitation, was released in 1997, and was voted one of the year’s best by Jazz Canadiana reviewers. Toronto Star critic Geoff Chapman named Luminosity (2000) one of the top jazz recordings of that year. Levitation, Nancy’s third recording (2003), was “a fine example of the modern jazz musician’s art” according to the Globe & Mail’s Mark Miller. When She Dreams was released in 2004 on Canada’s premier jazz label, Justin Time Records, and shot to the number one position on Canadian campus radio jazz charts.

In 2005, Nancy and her quartet (featuring saxophonist Kirk MacDonald, bassist Kieran Overs and drummer Barry Romberg) toured the Canadian jazz festivals. That same year Nancy was nominated in four categories at Canada’s National Jazz Awards. In 2006, Nancy’s recording Rainy Days and Mondays (Somerset/Universal) was nominated for a JUNO award in the “Instrumental Album Of The Year” category. She was also among the Keyboardist Of The Year nominees at the 2006 and 2007 National Jazz Awards. Her next recording Need Another was a trio date with Kieran Overs and drummer Ethan Ardelli. Nancy’s 2011 release New Hieroglyphics (made possible with the help of The Ontario Arts Council) featured Ted Quinlan (guitar) along with Overs and Ardelli. Nancy’s quartet toured Western Canada in the fall of 2011 in support of the recording, with the assistance of The Canada Council For The Arts. Nancy has a solid background as a pianist and keyboard player for a variety of international recording and concert acts, both in and outside the jazz idiom. She’s recorded and toured with folk artist Sylvia Tyson, children’s entertainer Raffi, pop icons The Parachute Club, balladeer Roger Whittaker, and well-loved composer (the late) Hagood Hardy, to name a few.

Over the years Nancy has built enduring jazz relationships. As the pianist in the John Geggie Trio, Nancy held the piano chair in the house rhythm section for The Ottawa International Jazz Festival’s nightly jam sessions for over a decade. With bassist Geggie, Nancy has performed in concert with drum legend Billy Hart, contemporary drum heavyweight Matt Wilson and saxophone dynamo Donny McCaslin. She has recorded and performed in concert with the cream of Canada’s jazz vocal crop, from Vancouver’s Karin Plato to Toronto’s Emilie-Claire Barlow, and has worked frequently alongside Toronto saxophonists Kirk MacDonald and Pat Labarbera. Nancy can be heard on recently released recordings by Kirk MacDonald Jazz Orchestra, Fair/Galloway Quintet, John Geggie + Donny McCaslin (this Plunge Records release garnered rave reviews and made several “Best of” lists), and Swedish guitarist Mikko Hildén.Thanks to grants from The Canada Council For the Arts, Nancy has had the opportunity to study with renowned American pianist/composers Fred Hersch, Jason Moran, and Myra Melford. https://nancywalkermusic.com/biography/

“Nancy Walker has played enough piano to know how to keep listeners interested however hard she pushes the boundaries of familiarity.”~ Geoff Chapman, The Whole Note Magazine

Rainy Days & Mondays

---

Pia Zadora - All or Nothing at All

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:38
Size: 84,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:51) 1. All or Nothing at All
(5:40) 2. Body and Soul
(2:34) 3. The Best Is yet to Come
(3:08) 4. Witchcraft
(4:36) 5. Cry Me a River
(3:14) 6. Teach Me Tonight
(3:19) 7. Nice and Easy
(5:06) 8. Come Rain or Come Shine
(5:06) 9. Tears out to Dry

Often derided by critics in the early '80s for her starring roles in bad movies, Pia Zadora found more respect as a singer. A former child actress, Zadora became a favorite target for film reviewers who argued that her acting career was the result of being married to multimillionaire Meshulam Riklis. (Her Golden Globe award in 1982 was even investigated.) Although Zadora didn't release her first LP, Pia, until 1982, her first recording actually appeared nearly two decades earlier. In 1964, a prepubescent Zadora sang "Hooray for Santa Claus" on the soundtrack to Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Later, in 1983, "The Clapping Song" from Pia hit number 36 on the Billboard charts. Much of Zadora's best adult music work involved covering big band and pop standards. After Zadora toured with crooner Frank Sinatra in the early '80s, he began to heavily influence the material she was performing. For 1985's Pia & Phil, she was even backed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Zadora collaborated with Jermaine Jackson for a modern sound; moreover, in 1988, R&B hitmakers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis produced her album When the Lights Go Out, but it was only distributed in the U.K. When the Lights Go Out was followed by Pia Z. in 1989, which marked Zadora's return to the U.S. market. ~ Michael Sutton https://www.allmusic.com/artist/pia-zadora-mn0000846557/biography

All or Nothing at All

---

Herbie Harper - Jazz Greats

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 80:00
Size: 185,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:18) 1. Jive at Five
(3:05) 2. King Porter Stomp
(2:55) 3. Dinah
(4:03) 4. Adios
(2:59) 5. Herbstone
(2:03) 6. Stars Fell on Alabama
(2:58) 7. 6/4 Mambo
(3:02) 8. Summertime
(2:13) 9. Five Brothers
(2:53) 10. Alone Together
(3:29) 11. Don't Buck It
(3:32) 12. Bananera
(2:55) 13. Julie Is Her Name
(3:38) 14. The Happy Clown
(3:15) 15. Sanguine
(5:14) 16. Jeepers Deepers
(2:55) 17. Juan Don
(3:14) 18. Now Playing
(2:32) 19. Patty
(3:08) 20. Pick Yourself Up
(2:44) 21. Skull Cap
(3:39) 22. The New York City Ghost
(3:23) 23. Jim's Tune
(3:14) 24. Godchild
(2:26) 25. Indian Summer

A fine trombonist active in the West Coast jazz scene of the 1950s, Herbie Harper spent most of his playing time after 1955 as a studio musician, although he occasionally re-emerged in the jazz world. After playing with Charlie Spivak's Orchestra (1944-1947), Harper settled in Los Angeles, where he gigged with Teddy Edwards and had short-time associations with Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, and Stan Kenton (1950). In addition to recording in the 1950s with June Christy, Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, Benny Carter, and Barnet, Herbie Harper led five albums of his own during 1954-1957 for Nocturne, Tampa, Bethlehem, and Mode. He mostly worked in the studios afterwards, but emerged to play with Bob Florence's big band and, in the 1980s, he recorded for SeaBreeze and with Bill Perkins for VSOP.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/herbie-harper-mn0000572512/biography

Jazz Greats

---

Anne Phillips - Anne Phillips: Live at the Jazz Bakery

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:26
Size: 140,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:48) 1. I'm Gonna Lay My Heart on the Line
(0:07) 2. Anne Talks to Audience First Time
(3:51) 3. Born to Be Blue
(4:34) 4. Easy Street
(7:01) 5. Anne Talks to Audience Second Time
(2:10) 6. Watching You Watching Me
(4:33) 7. Hey Look Where I Am
(5:20) 8. New York Night Time Blues
(1:54) 9. Anne Talks to Audience Third Time
(3:23) 10. To Make Them Like Me
(1:30) 11. Anne Talks to Audience Fourth Time
(5:02) 12. Another Day Without Him
(0:32) 13. Anne Talks to Audience Fifth Time
(4:44) 14. After All These Years
(5:09) 15. Embraceable You
(5:41) 16. There Will Never Be Another You

Anne Phillips has had a life in music if not always on record. Her career as a jazz singer began as a high schooler in rural Pennsylvania. At Oberlin, she DJ’d a radio show and with the jazz club put on the first Brubeck at Oberlin concert. At 19, in 1954, she moved to New York City at what turned out to be a very auspicious time. She quickly found work six nights a week as a singer in the burgeoning nightclub scene and as a demo singer for aspiring songwriters. In 1959 she recorded an album, Born to be Blue, that continues to be a collector favorite. Her industry was soon disrupted by rock ‘n roll and she wouldn’t record another album under her name until 2000. Her recording career may have paused but her involvement in music never did. She worked as a singer, choral arranger, conductor, and helped produce many national television and radio commercials. She’s written a jazz opera, Bending Towards the Light A Jazz Nativity, which is performed annually in several cities with performers including Lionel Hampton, Dave Brubeck, and Tito Puente. Her non-profit, Kindred Spirits, engages children’s jazz choirs in learning Songbook material.

She’s also composed features in the classical realm and is on the faculty of the Jazz Department at NYU. Since returning to recording in 2000 she’s released several solo albums, often joined by personal friends like Marian McPartland and Dave Brubeck. 60 years after her debut album she returns to some of the same material for her latest, Live at the Jazz Bakery, released this October. The set is intermixed with stories from her years in showbusiness, and compositions she squirreled away while her career focused on songwriter demos, commercial jingles, and backup singing.Comparing 1959’s Born to be Blue with this set her voice has held up remarkably well. Her accompaniment is jazzier now than it was then, led by husband Bob Kindred on tenor sax and joined by Roger Kellaway on piano and Chuck Berghoffer on bass. Her original compositions make up most of the album with a couple of standards thrown in. Her writing captures that mid-century moment when songs and singers were appreciated. This intimate and warm album, with its engaging monologues peppered with recognizable names spanning a half-century, feels like meeting someone special. If like me you are inspired to investigate her other creative work you won’t be disappointed. https://syncopatedtimes.com/anne-phillips-live-at-the-jazz-bakery/

Anne Phillips: Live at the Jazz Bakery

---