Melissa Collard - Endless Stars

Styles: Vocal, Guitar
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:47
Size: 128,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:35) 1. Beatrice
(5:28) 2. I Hear a Rhapsody
(4:11) 3. Inside a Silent Tear
(3:42) 4. Soul Eyes
(5:40) 5. Endless Stars
(4:31) 6. Like Someone in Love
(5:47) 7. Desafinado
(3:35) 8. Everlasting Night
(6:30) 9. Syeeda's Song Flute
(5:11) 10. I Should Care
(3:40) 11. Take the Light Rail
(2:52) 12. Nice Weather for Ducks

Melissa Collard is an excellent swing singer and guitarist based in Northern California. She grew up in Southern California and was introduced to early jazz through her grandmother, who played ragtime and stride piano. She was also interested in more modern jazz and rock as a teenager, performing as a backup singer with her brothers' rock band. Collard began playing guitar at 12, stretching from Django Reinhardt and Eddie Lang to Pat Metheny and Jimi Hendrix. She first sang regularly at a lounge on the Redondo Beach Pier when she was 14. Collard graduated from high school and studied English at Berkeley, where she met the local traditional jazz musicians.

She played early jazz with such musicians as Dick Oxtot, Bob Mielke, Bob Helm, Ray Skjelbred, Leon Oakley, Jim Goodwin, and Bob Schulz. She also worked with a quartet that was inspired by Django Reinhardt's music. After moving to Sacramento in the late '80s, Collard sang more modern standards with piano trios in hotels, worked with the ghost bands of Tommy Dorsey and Nelson Riddle, sang Western swing with the Lost Weekend big band, and traveled to Europe with the Cosumnes River College Jazz Band. In 2004 she made her recording debut on Old Fashioned Love, a CD also featuring trombonist Dan Barrett and banjoist/guitarist Eddie Erickson.~Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/melissa-collard-mn0000427119/biography

Endless Stars

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Melody Diachun - Dreams & Places

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:00
Size: 119,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:39)  1. The closer I Get To You
(3:55)  2. Little Red Address Book
(4:02)  3. By Your Side
(3:38)  4. In The Meantime
(4:37)  5. Lazy Afternoon
(3:26)  6. I'm Tellin' You Jack
(5:31)  7. October
(4:49)  8. Never Do You Wrong
(3:29)  9. Please Bring Me Back My Home
(4:05) 10. The Love Of You
(3:19) 11. Good For Me
(4:11) 12. Table For One
(3:12) 13. Nowhere Else

As seen on BravoTV and the B.E.T. Network, Juno nominated singer Melody Diachun offers you Pop Jazz at its finest.

This deluxe collection of originals and choice covers features Melody’s stunning vocals and playing from some of Canada’s very best, including Dave Restivo, Tom Keenlyside, Chris Andrew, Doug Stephenson, Tilden Webb… Includes a full color, 12-page booklet with complete original lyrics.

"'Sensual' is the word!" ~  Katie Malloch, host of TONIC, CBC Radio

"A breathy yet funky sound…" ~  Tim Tamashiro, weekend host of TONIC, CBC Radio  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/melody2

Dreams & Places

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Alessandro Galati - Traction Avant

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:06
Size: 143,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:12) 1. How Sweet Is The Ozone
(4:04) 2. Floating 1
(7:44) 3. Andrè
(5:39) 4. Traction Avant
(5:49) 5. J.S.What
(8:14) 6. Wassily
(7:59) 7. Solar
(5:33) 8. Floating 2
(8:31) 9. Amaxonia
(2:16) 10. Blues As You Please

Born in Florence, Italy, in 1966, pianist Alessandro Galati has studied both classical and jazz, under the guiding eye of renowned artist Bruno Tommaso. After playing at numerous clubs and festivals in both Europe and the U.S., Galati began issuing albums on a regular basis, including 1995's Traction Avant, 1997's Jason Salad, and 1999's Europhilia (the latter of which was commissioned by the town council of Sesto Fiorentino, and dedicated to the European United Nations). Since 1988, Galati has been teaching both piano and jazz combo arrangement at the Accademia Musicale di Firenze and the Centro Attivita' Musicali. In addition to his own recordings, Galati has collaborated with numerous other artists, including Steve Lacy, Kenny Wheeler, Lee Konitz, and Bob Sheppard.~Greg Pratohttps://www.allmusic.com/artist/alessandro-galati-mn0001821825/biography

Personnel: Alessandro Galati: piano, keys; Palle Danielsson: double bass; Peter Erskine: drums.

Traction Avant

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New York Swing - Live At The 1996 Floating Jazz Festival

Styles: Piano And Guitar Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:54
Size: 181,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:37)  1. Till Tom Special
(6:48)  2. The Song Is You
(6:32)  3. Dot's Cheesecake
(6:36)  4. Have You Met Miss Jones?
(8:31)  5. Always
(4:21)  6. All Too Soon
(3:57)  7. Benny's Bugle
(3:31)  8. Nobody's Heart Belong To Me
(6:38)  9. What Is This Thing Called Love
(6:32) 10. I'll Wind
(7:41) 11. Stars In My Eyes
(8:38) 12. If I Had You
(3:27) 13. Wholly Cats

Consisting of pianist John Bunch, guitarist John Pizzarelli and bassist Jay Leonhart, New York Swing is an acoustic trio that pretty much lives up to its name all three are New York-based, and they favor what is essentially '40s-type swing. The trio uses the same combination of instruments as the Nat King Cole Trio of the '40s (piano, guitar, and bass, but no drums), and their repertoire is pretty much what one would have expected from a swing-playing small group of that era. Enjoying a nice rapport on these intimate live performances (all of them from a Caribbean "jazz cruise" aboard the S.S. Norway), the trio turns its attention to the music of Benny Goodman ("Benny's Bugle," "Wholly Cats"), Duke Ellington (the lovely "All Too Soon"), Rodgers & Hart ("Have You Met Miss Jones?," "Nobody's Heart Belongs to Me"), and others with pleasing results. Although neither earth-shattering nor terribly original, this is a decent, if conventional, CD that lovers of small-group swing will enjoy. ~ Alex Henderson  http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-96-floating-jazz-festival-mw0000039314

Personnel:  John Buch – Piano; Bucky Pizzarelli – Guitar; Jay Leonhart – Bass.

Live At The 1996 Floating Jazz Festival

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David Hazeltine - The Time is Now

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:20
Size: 151,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:45)  1. The Time is Now
(5:25)  2. The Odd Couple
(5:44)  3. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
(6:45)  4. Cabin in the Sky
(5:08)  5. Blues for Eddie
(5:09)  6. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
(5:35)  7. When I'm Here with You
(4:41)  8. The Parlayer
(7:47)  9. In a Sentimental Mood
(6:24) 10. Muse of Montgomery
(4:53) 11. Signals

If you’re going to put together a rhythm section for a piano trio date, you could certainly do a lot worse than Ron Carter and Al Foster. Although the two gentlemen are getting up there in the years (bassist Carter is 81, drummer Foster 74; pianist David Hazeltine himself just turned 60), both are still sharp, instinctual players who adapt easily to any given situation. Hazeltine and Foster first did some gigs together at Smoke in New York in 2016 and with Carter aboard, cut the 11 tracks on a single date in the spring of this year it was the trio’s first time playing together.Unsurprisingly, the music flows easily. Save for a few adventures that take him off the beaten path his “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” here takes some thrilling detours Hazeltine is a relatively conventional, albeit outstanding pianist who prefers to keep his melodies in check. Six of these songs are self-penned, the others come from sources ranging from Duke Ellington to James Taylor, and while all musicians demonstrate superior technique and confidence as a leader, Hazeltine is largely content to keep the arrangements and performances within bounds. 

No one here needs to strut the liner notes indicate that it’s his 34th leader session, after all and the music is better for it. One place the trio does toy with the formula is with its reading of the Neal Hefti/Sammy Cahn theme from The Odd Couple. Slowed to a shuffling pace, it provides an opportunity for the trio to rethink a familiar tune from the inside out, and both Hazeltine and Carter enjoy seeing how far they can go without losing sight of the original intent. “Blues for Eddie,” meanwhile (a nod to Eddie Harris), is all about Carter, and who’s gonna complain about that? ~ Jeff Tamarkin https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/david-hazeltine-time-is-now-smoke-sessions/

Personnel: David Hazeltine - Piano; Ron Carter - Bass; Al Foster - Drums

The Time is Now

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Alexis Cole - Close Your Eyes

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:17
Size: 139,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:50) 1. My Heart Belongs to Daddy
(4:50) 2. I've Got You Under My Skin
(4:31) 3. Teach Me Tonight
(4:39) 4. Cry Me a River
(4:52) 5. In the Still of the Night
(4:23) 6. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:54) 7. Small Fry
(5:23) 8. Witchcraft
(5:41) 9. You and the Night and the Music
(5:22) 10. Close Your Eyes
(3:01) 11. Sway
(7:46) 12. Lover Man

Called “one of the great voices of today,” by Jonathan Schwartz, Alexis Cole has been compared to classic jazz singers such as Sarah Vaughan and Anita O'Day. She's performed with the Boston Pops and New York Philharmonic on stage at venues from Avery Fisher Hall to the Kennedy Center. She records for Motéma Music, NY, Chesky Records, NY and Venus Records, Japan. Her nine recordings, which feature musical luminaries such as Fred Hersch, Eric Alexander, Matt Wilson, Harry Pickens, Don Braden and Pat LaBarbara, have received high praise in the jazz press and are spun on radio world-wide. In addition to her many performances on great stages, Alexis can be seen at top jazz venues like Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, The Jazz Standard, Blues Alley, and Billboard Live, Tokyo. Cole is the recipient of a Swing Journal Gold Disk award, and was a winner of the NY Jazzmobile and Montreux Jazz Festival vocal competitions, and a finalist of the Sarah Vaughan Competition. Alexis studied voice and piano at the University of Miami and William Paterson University, and holds a Masters of Music from Queens College. She has also trained in Indian Classical singing at the Jazz India Vocal Institute in Mumbai. She heads the Jazz Voice Program at SUNY Purchase. She performs and conducts master classes around the world.

Awards & Grants 2007 New York City Jazzmobile Vocal Competition 1st Place Winner 2004 Montreux Jazz Festival Shure Vocal Competition, 3rd Prize Winner 2003& 2005 Montreux Jazz Festival Shure Vocal Competition finalist 2004 Council for Arts and Humanities on Staten Island Emerging Artist Grant 1998National Endowment for the Arts Charles Cinnamon Grant 1994 National Endowment for the Arts A.R.T.S. Scholarshiphttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/alexis-cole

Personnel: Alexis Cole (vocal); John di Martino (piano); James Cammack (bass); Daduka Da Fonseca (drums)

Close Your Eyes

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Shorty Rogers & Andre Previn - In Collaboration

Styles: Trumpet And Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:53
Size: 140,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:37)  1. Heat Wave
(3:35)  2. Everything I’ve Got
(3:00)  3. It Only Happens When I Dance With You
(2:24)  4. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
(3:00)  5. General Cluster
(2:41)  6. 40º Below
(3:23)  7. Claudia
(3:22)  8. Some Antics
(2:26)  9. It’s Delovely
(2:45) 10. Porterhouse
(3:06) 11. You Do Something To Me
(2:16) 12. Call For Cole
(3:00) 13. Lullaby Of Birdland
(2:50) 14. You’re Driving Me Crazy
(3:25) 15. Tomorrow Mountain
(2:47) 16. Treat Me Rough
(2:33) 17. Mountain Greenery
(2:47) 18. You Took Advantage Of Me
(2:30) 19. Sidewalks Of Cuba
(3:23) 20. My Man’s Gone Now
(2:53) 21. Island In The West Indies

This is a really unusual and outstanding album. It presents two of the most celebrated and creative personalities of the Hollywood jazz and studio fields in collaboration. In the early Fifties, trumpeter, bandleader, composer and arranger Shorty Rogers was the head of the flourishing West Coast school of jazz, and André Previn was one of the most gifted pianists, conductors and composers of the scene; he wielded an awesome command of almost every kind of music. In addition to writing the challenging instrumental sides, they also wrote together the scores for André’s wife Betty Bennett, a respected well-known jazz & pop singer who never had had a chance to show how she really sanguntil Shorty’s Giants backed her, that is. 

Featuring: Shorty Rogers (tp), Milt Bernhart, Frank Rosolino (tb), Bud Shank (as, fl), Harry Klee (as), Bob Cooper (ts), Jimmy Giuffre (bars), André Previn (p), Al Hendrickson, Jack Marshall, Barney Kessel (g), Joe Mondragón, Curtis Counce, Ralph Peña (b).

In Collaboration

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Michela Lombardi & Renato Sellani Trio - Still in My Heart (Thinking of Chet, Vol.2)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:50
Size: 135,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:51) 1. I Wish I Knew
(4:35) 2. If You Could See Me Now
(4:48) 3. I Wish I Knew (Duo Version)
(3:42) 4. I Should Care (Alternative Take)
(5:16) 5. Embraceable You (Alternative Take)
(2:00) 6. There's a Small Hotel (Alternative Take)
(4:50) 7. There's a Small Hotel
(3:40) 8. I Should Care
(4:54) 9. I'm Through with Love
(2:48) 10. But Not for Me
(4:52) 11. Embraceable You
(3:49) 12. That Old Feeling
(5:39) 13. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
(4:00) 14. Time After Time

Renato Sellani (8 January 1926 – 31 October 2014) was an Italian jazz pianist and composer. Born in Senigallia, Sellani started his professional career in 1954, when he entered the Basso-Valdambrini Quintet. In 1958 he started a long collaboration with his longtime friend Franco Cerri. He was part of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra directed by Gorni Kramer. As a pianist, he collaborated with Chet Baker, Billie Holiday, Dizzie Gillespie, Lee Konitz, Bill Coleman, Gerry Mulligan, Enrico Rava and Tony Scott, among others.

Sellani was an incidental music composer for stage plays, and his works include several scores for the Piccolo Teatro in Milan and a long collaboration with the stage company of Tino Buazzelli. https://peoplepill.com/people/renato-sellani

Still in My Heart (Thinking of Chet,Vol.2)

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Kenny Shanker - Steppin' Up

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:22
Size: 123,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:19) 1. Winter Rain
(5:31) 2. Fifth And Berry
(2:56) 3. Rhapsody
(6:06) 4. Quirk
(6:51) 5. E.J...
(5:28) 6. Sarah
(4:55) 7. Prowl
(5:53) 8. Saints
(6:34) 9. Home Sweet Home
(4:44) 10. Somewhere

Alto Saxophonist Kenny Shanker is proof that an artist's direction isn't always reflected in their tonal personality. Shanker possesses a sleek-and-sweet tone that has served him well on dates with big name ghost band, like the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, as well as smooth-leaning pianist David Benoit, but his own music operates outside of the "contemporary jazz" orbit.

Shanker occasionally hints at the simpler side of jazz, with an easily appealing, less-is-more melody ("Home Sweet Home") or a heart-wrenching ballad ("Sarah") that showcases his tender side, but he also puts his silky saxophone to good use in more striking fashion. He throws caution to the wind on the urgent "Fifth And Berry," which showcases a bevy of bravura solos from various band members, turns up the heat during his solo on "Quirk," and brings a sense of elation to "E.J."

While Shanker didn't invite any horn players to join him here, guitarist Lage Lund occasionally serves as his front line partner. Both men complement each other when working in tandem, but Lund's greater contributions come with his solos. He pushes at the boundaries of Shanker's songs in pleasurable ways and brings a thoroughly modern slant to this music. Pianist and label mate Art Hirahara also shares Lund's sense of adventure when soloing, and his comping pushes Shanker in some unexpected directions during the saxophonist's solo flights.

While Hirahara mans the keys for the majority of this music, Mike Eckroth takes over on three numbers, and his playing is in-line with Shanker in every way. His soloing on Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere" is a sparkling example of measured contemplation and musicality, and completely captures the emotional essence of "Sarah."

It took Shanker eight post-college years to step out and record this debut, and the album aged on the shelves for another two-plus years, but it was worth the wait. Steppin' Up signals the arrival of another unique and promising saxophone personality in the ever-impressive Posi-Tone stable.~Dan Bilaswskyhttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/steppin-up-kenny-shanker-posi-tone-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky

Personnel: Kenny Shanker: alto saxophone; Art Hirahara: piano; Lage Lund: guitar; Yoshi Waki: bass; Brian Fishler: drums: Mike Eckroth: piano.

Steppin' Up

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Don Sebesky - I Remember Bill - A Tribute To Bill Evans

Styles: Crossover Jazz, Hard Bop

Year: 1998

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 78:34

Size: 183,6 MB

Art: Front

(4:46)  1. Waltz for Debby

(5:29)  2. I Remember Bill

(8:24)  3. So What

(4:07)  4. Quiet Now

(6:16)  5. All the Things You Are

(6:47)  6. Peace Piece

(5:58)  7. Bill, not Gil

(7:22)  8. Very Early

(4:22)  9. (T.T.T.T.) Twelve Tone Tune Two

(4:52) 10. Autumn Leaves

(5:06) 11. Blue in Green

(7:52) 12. I'm Getting Sentimental over You

(1:18) 13. Epilogue

(5:53) 14. Bill Evans Interview

Veteran arranger Don Sebesky crafts an often-glowing portrait of famed jazz pianist Bill Evans in this quite welcome orchestral jazz tribute. While he is too often derided (and unfairly) as the guy who mucked up Wes Montgomery and other CTI stars with strings and horn sections, Sebesky often presents subtle arrangements that offer keen respect for a soloist's musicianship. When a listener notices Sebesky's work, it's often in the occasional punctuation mark or interesting sound combinations he creates. But it's his respect for the featured musician that sets him apart and probably drew him to this project. Here, Sebesky has gathered a prominent collection of top-shelf jazz musicians, many of whom actually worked with Evans during his career. But one instrumentalist he did not recruit was a pianist. A wise move. This permits appropriate direction from the bassist and drummer and allows reliance on a rhythm player who is not burdened by aping or avoiding Bill Evans' style. Such daunting responsibility falls to the guitarist; in most cases, Larry Coryell, who is outstanding in his eight appearances here and, perhaps, emerges as this session’s real star.

The material is carefully drawn from Evans' originals and standards associated with the pianist. But, in a quest for variety, the result is something of a mixed bag. Standouts include sterling takes of "All the Things You Are" (with Lee Konitz), Sebesky's oddly-titled "Bill, Not Gil" and "T.T.T.T." (both featuring Bob Brookmeyer and Eddie Daniels) and, of course, "Waltz for Debby" (with Joe Lovano and Tom Harrell). But Sebesky achieves greatness with his transformation of Evans' lovely "Peace Piece" into an elegant adagio. Effectively coordinating strings, harp, percussion and Hubert Laws' flute, he has surely crafted one for the ages here. His boisterous take on "So What" (with solid contributions from Joe Lovano, Tom Harrell and Larry Coryell) is also worthwhile, but seems reminiscent of his showy work with Wes Montgemery. The three vocal tunes (separately featuring Chet Baker-like John Pizzarelli, Jeannie Bryson and the intolerable New York Voices), though, all are quite unnecessary and seem to break any mood Sebesky may have been aiming for. Still, it's refreshing to hear high-quality orchestral jazz being made in the late nineties  and one hopes Don Sebesky will be in the forefront of keeping it alive. ~ Douglas Payne https://www.allaboutjazz.com/i-remember-bill-a-tribute-to-bill-evans-don-sebesky-rca-victor-review-by-douglas-payne.php

Personnel: Tom Harrell: flugelhorn; Bob Brookmeyer: valve trombone; Joe Lovano: tenor sax; Lee Konitz: alto sax; Eddie Daniels: clarinet; Hubert Laws: flute; Larry Coryell, Ken Sebesky: guitar; John Pizzarelli: guitar, vocals. Marc Johnson, Eddie Gomez: bass; Joe LaBarbera, Marty Morell, Dennis Mackrel: drums; Toots Thielmans: harmonica; Sue Evans, Joe Passaro: percussion; Dave Samuels: vibraphone; New York Voices (Darmon Meader, Lauren Kinhan, Peter Eldridge, Kim Nazarian), Jeanie Bryson: vocals; with brass, woodwinds and strings.

I Remember Bill - A Tribute To Bill Evans

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Alessandro Galati - Traction Avant Vol .2

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:29
Size: 114,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:42) 1. Red Milk
(6:09) 2. Someday My Prince Will Come
(7:07) 3. Ripple
(6:51) 4. Blues If and as You Please
(1:38) 5. Palle's Solo
(7:06) 6. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:52) 7. Crinkle
(7:59) 8. Solar

Born in Florence, Italy, in 1966, pianist Alessandro Galati has studied both classical and jazz, under the guiding eye of renowned artist Bruno Tommaso. After playing at numerous clubs and festivals in both Europe and the U.S., Galati began issuing albums on a regular basis, including 1995's Traction Avant, 1997's Jason Salad, and 1999's Europhilia (the latter of which was commissioned by the town council of Sesto Fiorentino, and dedicated to the European United Nations). Since 1988, Galati has been teaching both piano and jazz combo arrangement at the Accademia Musicale di Firenze and the Centro Attivita' Musicali. In addition to his own recordings, Galati has collaborated with numerous other artists, including Steve Lacy, Kenny Wheeler, Lee Konitz, and Bob Sheppard.~Greg Pratohttps://www.allmusic.com/artist/alessandro-galati-mn0001821825/biography

Personnel: Alessandro Galati - piano; Palle Danielsson - bass; Peter Erskine - drums

Traction Avant Vol.2

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Melissa Collard - In A Mellow Tone

Size: 153,5 MB
Time: 65:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Out Of Nowhere (4:02)
02. How Am I To Know (3:42)
03. I'm Confessin' (3:52)
04. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire (4:16)
05. In A Mellow Tone (2:47)
06. Jitterbug Waltz (5:16)
07. Love You Madly (4:05)
08. Lullaby Of The Leaves (4:32)
09. Indian Summer (4:43)
10. As Long As I Live (3:16)
11. We'll Be Together Again (5:31)
12. If I Had You (3:06)
13. You're Driving Me Crazy (2:42)
14. Azure (2:46)
15. Save Your Sorrow (2:29)
16. Love Locked Out (3:11)
17. O Barquinho (Little Boat) (4:54)

Melissa Collard is an excellent swing singer and guitarist based in Northern California. She grew up in Southern California and was introduced to early jazz through her grandmother, who played ragtime and stride piano. She was also interested in more modern jazz and rock as a teenager, performing as a backup singer with her brothers' rock band. Collard began playing guitar at 12, stretching from Django Reinhardt and Eddie Lang to Pat Metheny and Jimi Hendrix. She first sang regularly at a lounge on the Redondo Beach Pier when she was 14. Collard graduated from high school and studied English at Berkeley, where she met the local traditional jazz musicians. She played early jazz with such musicians as Dick Oxtot, Bob Mielke, Bob Helm, Ray Skjelbred, Leon Oakley, Jim Goodwin, and Bob Schulz. She also worked with a quartet that was inspired by Django Reinhardt's music. After moving to Sacramento in the late '80s, Collard sang more modern standards with piano trios in hotels, worked with the ghost bands of Tommy Dorsey and Nelson Riddle, sang Western swing with the Lost Weekend big band, and traveled to Europe with the Cosumnes River College Jazz Band. In 2004 she made her recording debut on Old Fashioned Love, a CD also featuring trombonist Dan Barrett and banjoist/guitarist Eddie Erickson. ~by Scott Yanow

In A Mellow Tone

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Miles Davis - The Lost Quintet

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:11
Size: 133,7 MB
Art: Front

( 7:18) 1. Directions
(10:27) 2. Bitches Brew
(25:26) 3. Sanctuary
(14:59) 4. Masqualero

Miles Davis (tpt), Wayne Shorter (ten, sop), Chick Corea (fender rhodes), Dave Holland (bs), Jack De Johnette (drs)

This is the long awaited release of Miles "Lost Quintet" recordings of 1969 on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary. The recording date and venue was November 9th 1969 in Rotterdam just three months after the "Bitches Brew" original studio takes with the full band that were not released until March 1970. That incredible two disc recording followed the earlier game changer"In A Silent Way"in the same year and changed the career outcome of every single one of the players involved and as some would say "The whole face of jazz forever". The performance on this album was the last of a ten gig European tour which included two nights in London on the first and second of the month. The gathering of this core group from the earlier albums was the last ever time Miles would record with a small conventional group of instruments during the rest of his career.

The fifty eight minutes of live music here is just what you might expect from these five incredibly talented and creative musicians with the performance of Chick Corea perhaps the one that stands out slightly above the others. Things kick off with "Directions", a piece that Miles often opened up with during this period including the Copenhagen concert of the same year and released on the fortieth anniversary triple album edition of Bitches Brew and of course the subtitle of the original album. Here the rhythm instruments set the mode for the leaders fiery extended excursion into the far reaches of the trumpets capability. Wayne answers Miles, as he often did, within his self titled style of "egg scrambling" leaving no possible corner of the much hidden theme unexplored. All this rides above the increasingly violent but logical assault by Jack De Johnette on his heavy duty drum kit. Emerging from the hectic maelstrom of all that follows a re-visit to "Bitches Brew". At just over ten minutes long this seems a more considered version than the original studio recording which took up a full side on the vinyl edition. Miles opening solo, when did he ever not go first?, is almost from the fifties style, but soon drops into the more fragmented grove of the times over rolling drums along with probing inlays from Chick's keyboard plus a wonderful interlude from Wayne, again on tenor. Rampant applause ensues from the ecstatic Belgian masses.

Wayne Shorter, by common consent is a wonderful jazz composer as well as a master saxophonist. He has created some real masterpieces over the years, none greater than the wonderful "Sanctuary". This appears on a number of albums including B.B. plus a particularly fine take on Circle In The Round by the second great quintet with George Benson guesting. However none of them get such a thorough investigation as the twenty five minute plus version here. Miles is in his "Picasso like" sketching mode early on with Dave Holland in support, soon you realise that this is nothing at all like other versions of the piece as the leader upgrades both the tempo and tension over increasingly frantic drumming which continues under Wayne's soprano solo until things fall away with bass and drums having the final say. Perhaps this take is not the easiest listen of the piece, Miles always had the ability to shock and surprise and we must thank him for that. The closing cut of the album "Mastuero" is the standout track and seems to draw on many of the finest traits from earlier performances during 69. Miles un-muted solo is profound and purposeful over the rarely subdued rhythm team. Chick's contribution is hypnotic, everyone seems to be listening to each other here and although the overall style is entirely different there are times when the listener is reminded of Miles second great quintet with Coltrane. This disk is a heady reminder of the time back in the late sixties when Miles changed the shape of jazz once again, and is a valuable addition to any collection of the great man's music.~Jim Burlonghttps://www.jazzviews.net/miles-davis---the-lost-quintet.html

The Lost Quintet

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Maurice Vander - Spécial Piano Rendez-Vous

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:26
Size: 85,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:13) 1. The Wedding of the Painted Doll
(2:58) 2. Nola
(3:15) 3. Fascination
(3:37) 4. Close Your Eyes
(2:50) 5. Carioca
(2:30) 6. What a Difference a Day Made
(3:29) 7. Never On Sunday
(3:21) 8. Dancers in Love
(2:37) 9. Fascinating Rhythm
(3:11) 10. Bewitched
(3:41) 11. San Antonio Rose
(2:40) 12. Temptation Rag

Maurice Vanderschueren, better known as Maurice Vander (born 11 June 1929, Paris, died 16 February, 2017) was a French jazz keyboardist.

Vander worked in the 1950s with Don Byas, Django Reinhardt, Bobby Jaspar, Jimmy Raney, Stephane Grappelli, Chet Baker, and Kenny Clarke. He won the Prix Django Reinhardt in 1962. In the 1960s he was a session musician for Roger Guerin, Pierre Gossez, and Boulou Ferré, and played with Claude Nougaro and Ivan Jullien. He played with Baker again in the late 1970s and with Johnny Griffin; his later work included performing and recording with Clarke, Richie Cole, Art Farmer, and Benny Powell. Vander is the adoptive father of Christian Vander (musician). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Vander

Spécial Piano Rendez-Vous

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George Cables - You Don't Know Me Vol 1

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:13
Size: 131.0 MB
Styles: Jazz piano
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[5:55] 1. My Foolish Heart
[6:12] 2. You Don't Know Me
[6:27] 3. Evc
[4:00] 4. Up Jumped Spring
[4:48] 5. You Don't Know What Love Is
[5:41] 6. Lullaby
[6:09] 7. Helen's Song
[5:57] 8. Helen Mother's Song
[5:50] 9. Spookarella
[6:09] 10. Honey Lulu

George Cables has quietly assembled an impressive discography as a leader over his long career. Two days of sessions in May 2007, a few months before medical problems caused him to undergo a multiple organ transplant, resulted in one of his very best releases. The first disc opens with a rambunctious take of "My Foolish Heart" that is a refreshing alternative to the typical overly sentimental arrangements. His upbeat, subtle treatment of Freddie Hubbard's "Up Jumped Spring" is beautifully understated, while his dramatic setting of "You Don't Know What Love Is" (erroneously credited to Billie Holiday) has Art Tatum-like flourishes. Most of the remaining tracks on disc one are Cables originals, highlighted by his delicate ballad "Lullaby" (a favorite of the late alto saxophonist Frank Morgan when he played with the pianist) and his inventive, bluesy "Helen's Song." Disc two opens with a trio of African-American spirituals, each played with the authority of a man who has lived the music. Cables' breezy take of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" takes this standard into less familiar territory, while his intricate reworking of the warhorse "Stella by Starlight" is just as dazzling. Bill Evans' "Waltz for Debby" has long been a favorite of jazz pianists, though Cables successfully puts his own stamp on it with a sparkling arrangement that still retains the original's playful attitude. Cables also includes a trio of originals on disc two, with the descriptive "Morning Song" especially standing out. Highly recommended. ~Ken Dryden

You Don't Know Me Vol 1

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Michela Lombardi & Renato Sellani - Moonlight Becomes You (Thinking Of Chet, Vol.1)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:46
Size: 120,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:32) 1. Aren't You Glad You're You?
(5:46) 2. The Nearness of You
(4:39) 3. Moon and Sand
(3:02) 4. Violets for Your Furs
(3:13) 5. Tis Autumn
(5:06) 6. Star Eyes
(5:01) 7. My Foolish Heart
(1:13) 8. I'm Old Fashioned
(4:07) 9. For All We Know
(4:57) 10. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(2:22) 11. Moonlight Becomes You
(4:41) 12. My Foolish Heart
(1:15) 13. I'm Old Fashioned
(3:45) 14. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

Elegant, delicate, intense. The Tuscan Michela Lombardi is among the top ten Best Italian Jazz Vocalists according to the "Jazzit Award 2011", she has often been mentioned in the "Best Voice" section in the Top Jazz polls of the "Musica Jazz" magazine and the Jazz Magazine Italia has dedicated her the cover of February 2008 with Tierney Sutton and Anne Ducros.

He has recorded two discs with Phil Woods also composing some lyrics, he has signed a song with Burt Bacharach, he teaches jazz singing in three Italian conservatories, in his last two discs - "Solitary Moon" with the Piero Frassi trio together with Gabriele Evangelista and Andrea Melani , and “Live To Tell” with the Riccardo Fassi trio together with Luca Pirozzi and Alessandro Marzi - Steven Bernstein, Emanuele Cisi and Don Byron play as special guests.

He presented "Live To Tell" at the "jazzahead!" 2017 in Bremen (Germany) with the Riccardo Fassi trio and Alex Sipiagin special guest obtaining a final standing ovation, won the Ciampi 2010 prize and obtained the Special Mention at the 2007 Crest Jazz Vocal Concours, sang in duo with Danilo Rea, inaugurated the 2009 jazz season at the Tel Aviv Opera House with Nicola Stilo 5tet, she sang at the Duc des Lombards in Paris with her 4tet guest Nico Gori, she won the audience award as composer at the Piacenza Jazz Note di Donna 2009, she composed lyrics for a song by Kenny Wheeler who wanted her to sing it with him on stage (Bargajazz 2007), was conducted in bigband by Massimo Nunzi with the Operaia Orchestra (Arezzo, December 2014) and performed with the Barga Jazz Big Band,

He has sung / collaborated, among others, with: Kelvin Sholar, Byron Landham, Philip Harper, Matt Garrison, Michael Baker, Alex Sipiagin, Tom Kirkpatrick, Gabriele Evangelista, Bernardo Guerra, Andrea Tofanelli, Fabio Morgera, Riccardo Arrighini, Aldo Zunino, Massimo Faraò, Francesco Ponticelli, Giovanni Ceccarelli, Stefano Nunzi, Andrea Nunzi, Carlo Battisti, Alberto Marsico, Alessandro Minetto, Francesco Puglisi, Pietro Tonolo, Mattia Barbieri, Petra Magoni, Stefano Bollani, Marco Tamburini, Danilo Rea and many others. https://www-michelalombardi-it.translate.goog/singer/biography/?_x_tr_sl=it&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

Personnel: Michela Lombardi(vo); Renato Sellani(p); Massimo Moriconi(b); Stefano Bagnoli(ds)

Moonlight Becomes You (Thinking Of Chet, Vol.1)

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Ketty Lester - When a Woman Loves a Man

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 23:07
Size: 53,2 MB
Art: Front

(1:55) 1. Love Me
(2:00) 2. In Time
(2:16) 3. We'll Be Together Again
(2:08) 4. Til The End of Time
(2:36) 5. When a Woman Loves A Man
(3:00) 6. It Hurts So Bad
(2:32) 7. Nice and Easy
(2:14) 8. The Shadow of Your Smile
(2:13) 9. You Always Hurt The One You Love
(2:09) 10. Are You Ready For A Woman

Singer Ketty Lester has a career that spans music, TV, film, and stage. Her cover of Dick Haynes' 1945 hit "Love Letters" went to number five pop and number two R&B on Billboard's charts in the spring of 1962. The tune was originally the title theme from the 1945 Jennifer Jones movie.

Ketty Lester was born Revoyda Frierson on August 16, 1934, in Hope, AR. She was one of 15 children born into a farmer's family. After winning a scholarship in 1955, she moved to California and attended San Francisco City College, majoring in nursing. Lester sang in church and the school choir, and performed in summer stock theater. She also appeared as a contestant on the classic '50s game show You Bet Your Life. Meeting country singer/comedienne Dorothy Shay at the Purple Onion club (where she was performing), Lester was introduced to producers Ed Cobb and Lincoln Mayorga. Herb Newman's Era Records released the resulting single, "I'm a Fool for You" b/w "Love Letters." DJs and listeners preferred the sparse, steamy B-side, making it a Top Five pop hit. The follow-up single, a cover of George Gershwin's "But Not for Me" from the musical Girl Crazy, peaked at number 41 pop during summer 1962.

Ketty Lester was issued that same year. It featured two singles, "You Can't Lie to a Liar" and a cover of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land." Another Era single was "Fallin Angel" b/w "Lullaby for Lovers." She also recorded the upbeat "West Coast" b/w the ballad "I'll Be Looking Back" for Capitol, "I Said Goodbye to My Love" b/w "Queen for a Day" for Everest, and "Measure of a Man" b/w "Cracker Box Livin'," "Show Me" b/w "Since I Fell for You," and the LP Same for the Pete label.

Lester recorded for RCA (Soul of Me, Where Is Love, the singles "Better World," "Roses Grow With Thorns," "You Go Your Way," "Some Things Are Better Unsaid," "The Luck of Ginger Coff") and for Tower (When a Woman Loves a Man, "Love Me Just a Little Bit"). She also recorded a Christian album, I Saw Him, for Mega Records.

Originally offered the lead role in Julia, starring Diahann Carroll, Lester appeared in the films Just for Fun, Up Tight, Uptown Saturday Night, The Terminal Man, Street Knight, House Party 3, and Blacula, and the TV movies Louis Armstrong: Chicago Style and Percy and Thunder. She also guest-starred on TV series like Sanford and Son, Laugh-In, Quantum Leap, Hill Street Blues, Love American Style, The FBI, Harry 0 (the 1975 episode with Maureen McCormick), That Girl, Marcus Welby, and Lou Grant. She became a regular on Little House on the Prairie (as Hester Sue Terhune) and the soap operas Days of Our Lives (as Helen Grant) and Rituals. The singer won an Off-Broadway Theater Award for her performance in a revival of A Cabin in the Sky. Lester also had a recurring role as Vivica A. Fox's grandmother on the 1998 sitcom Getting Personal.~ Ed Hoganhttps://www.allmusic.com/artist/ketty-lester-mn0000079654/biography

When a Woman Loves a Man

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Kenny Shanker - Beautiful Things

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:08
Size: 171,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:47) 1. Cool Mint
(3:35) 2. Prestissimo
(7:29) 3. It Never Entered My Mind
(5:33) 4. Mirth
(5:48) 5. L'Impossible
(7:54) 6. Orange and Gray
(8:40) 7. Without a Song
(6:55) 8. I'm Old Fashioned
(7:11) 9. Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise
(5:35) 10. Like Someone in Love
(4:56) 11. In Walked Bud
(5:40) 12. Beautiful Things

Kenny Shanker is back with an exciting program of original compositions and jazz standards for his second release on Wise Cat Records. The common element that appears throughout this diverse set is a search for beauty in all of its various forms. Some highlights include the blazingly fast “Prestissimo,” inspired by the early bebop recordings that Shanker grew up listening to, and the catchy, spirited original composition “Cool Mint.”

Other standouts include straight-ahead renditions of several jazz classics, the spontaneous freedom of “Orange and Gray,” and the classically influenced “Beautiful Things.” He is joined by his longtime rhythm section of Mike Eckroth, Daisuke Abe, Yoshi Waki, and Brian Fishler, along with Bill Mobley on Trumpet. https://kennyshanker.com/music

Personnel: Kenny Shanker - Alto Saxophone; Bill Mobley - Trumpet; Daisuke Abe - Guitar; Mike Eckroth - Piano; Yoshi Waki - Bass; Brian Fishler – Drums

Beautiful Things

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Tape Five - Soiree Deluxe

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:06
Size: 133.0 MB
Styles: Retro swing
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[3:40] 1. Step Into My Time Machine
[3:47] 2. Hush Hush Magazine
[3:22] 3. Love Gun
[3:37] 4. Get Down To Luna Park
[3:26] 5. I Like Stepping Out
[3:48] 6. Good Girl Bad Woman
[0:14] 7. Interlude At Roadhouse Eleven
[3:33] 8. The Magic Slapstick
[3:43] 9. I Like The Twilight
[3:37] 10. She's Undressed To Kill
[2:17] 11. Do The Hobo Shuffle
[3:41] 12. Nowhere's End
[0:29] 13. Interlude Paradise Lost
[3:56] 14. Burn The City
[3:56] 15. Topanga Valley
[0:40] 16. Interlude Sophisticated Simplicity
[3:49] 17. Crazy World Crazy World
[3:10] 18. Codeword Marlene
[3:14] 19. Love Me All Around The World

Welcome to Soiree Deluxe! You'll get in if you´re fancy, free and selected. Step into our Time Machine to experience new music in the style of the early and mid-20th century. Get down to the Luna Parks of your mind, and with a wave of The Magic Slapstick, be ready to draw your Love Gun. But be discrete, it might be the exclusive in Hush Hush Magazine the very next day!

TAPE FIVE co-invented the electro swing genre. But they do not play just one style, TAPE FIVE is a brand - a style in itself! The message is a light, positive vibe! Brought to you with elements of swing, electro swing, jazz, dixie, latin, funk, hip-hop, reggae, dub and tango. Everything combined with a strong retro attitude. You'll hear all the usual suspects in the skilled TAPE FIVE horn section, and singers Dionne Wudu, Henrik Wager, Brenda Boykin, Iain Mackenzie, Yuliet Topaz and Maria Maschenka appearing as “Marlene”. All combined with that special TAPE FIVE production style to serve you something to move to – and something to listen to. Beside some strong and up-tempo TAPE FIVE styled classics, be open for some experiments in sound: a swinging roots reggae against the babylon system, a funny tango with german lyrics, chilled vibes from the Topanga Valley or a message rap about this crazy, Crazy World!

This is the 6th studio album of the German based project, that started in 2003... and has since toured from Brazil via Europe to Russia and Korea, with songs selected for TV shows and ads around the globe. That’s the story, believe it... and step right into Soiree Deluxe... Welcome!

Soiree Deluxe

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Frank Wess - Suprise, Surprise (Disc 1), (Disc 2)

Album: Suprise, Surprise (Disc 1)