Michel Sajrawy - Floating City

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:24
Size: 112,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:06) 1. Floating City
(6:31) 2. Bride of the Galilee
(6:20) 3. On the Road
(4:29) 4. Life Smiles Back
(4:32) 5. Absence
(4:30) 6. Zanjaran
(6:19) 7. Earth, Wind and Fire
(4:26) 8. I'm Not Sure
(4:06) 9. Sahra

In his ongoing quest to create a singular jazz alignment bridging traditional and contemporary music of his homeland, Israeli guitarist Michel Sajrawy explores the multicultural background of the city of Nazareth, in Floating City. Though Jerusalem gets all the headlines and global attention, Nazareth stands apart as a city epitomizing co-existence in a region ravaged by religious strife, and turmoil.

With his previous releases exposing a western slant on Arabic maqam music, this record has Sajrawy burrowing into his heritage, playing the music with a more exotic sensibility. In a production twist, he doubles on bass throughout, (save for one track) and displays virtuosity on that instrument as well. A Palestinian folkloric wedding ceremony is presented in the title track, with Arabic call and response setting up his blazing guitar work. Make no mistake, though he is a middle-eastern musician, Sajrawy is heavily influenced by British prog rock, American blues and jazz, and deftly brings that into the mix.

"Bride Of The Galilee," is a minor blues dedicated to Nazareth, his beloved city, on the banks of the sea. There is a suspended middle section where Wassim Odeh on the oud, and Suhail Nassar on qanoun, display an engaging interplay, before slowly coming back to the shore. The sensation of mysterious travel describes "On The Road," as images of caravans and camels come to mind. Sajrawy exhibits his jazz repertoire on "Life Smiles Back," keyboardist Loai Abu Sinni complementing the arrangement with soulful organ lines.

The somber melody on the melancholy ballad "Absence," conjures reflections of sitting by the sea, gazing into the past, missing someone from a lifetime ago. Sajrawy brings back his fusion mode, accompanied by Sinni on keys, and drummer Stas Zilberman, on "Zanjaran," and "Earth Wind & Fire," which are both more jazz inclined numbers. Guest bassist Sahar Anak is featured on the bluesy "I'm Not Sure," an stimulating composition that slips into a hard-bop piano segment, augmented by the oud in a true amalgamation of two worlds. They return to the Arabian maqam with "Sahra," this time joined by Wiasam Arram on darbuka, highlighted by Arabic chanting, in homage to the vast desert which dominates much of North Africa.

As with any consummate musician, Michel Sajrawy continues to evolve, not only on his instruments, but as a person seeking knowledge and wisdom. The music he refers to, and chooses to expand upon, hails from an ancient era, which has withstood the test of time, yet is pliable into contemporary forms. In this ode to Nazareth, he relies on the power of music to bring people together, an effort worth applauding. By James Nadal https://www.allaboutjazz.com/floating-city-michel-sajrawy-self-produced-review-by-james-nadal

Personnel: Michel Sajrawy: guitar, bass; Wassim Odeh: oud; Suhail Nassar: qanoun; Loai Abu Sinni: keyboards; Sahar Anak: bass (8); Wisam Arram: darbuka (9); Stas Zilberman: drums.

Floating City

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Willie Jones III - Don't Knock The Swing Vol 2

Styles:  Jazz, Hard Bop

Year: 2003

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 42:36

Size: 97,9 MB

Art: Front

(5:57)  1. Air Tight

(6:11)  2. Jeni's Low Lie

(3:47)  3. For Someone So Beautiful

(7:02)  4. James Tune

(5:28)  5. The Search

(5:56)  6. Alejandra

(5:46)  7. Mix It Up

(2:25)  8. Early Morning (Before Dawn)

Drummer Willie Jones III is back with his second volume of stunning straight ahead jazz. This time around he's joined by pianist Eric Reed, bassist Gerald Cannon, tenor saxophonist Greg Tardy, trumpeter Roy Hargrove and trombonist Steve Davis. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Vol-Dont-Knock-The-Swing/dp/B00009MGEL

Personnel: Willie Jones III (drums); Eric Reed, piano all tracks except 4; Gerald Cannon, Bass; Greg Tardy, Tenor Sax; Roy Hargrove, Trumpet on tracks 1, 4, and 8; Steve Davis, Trombone 1,2, 4 and 8

Don't Knock The Swing Vol 2

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Houston Person - Reminiscing at Rudy's

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:24
Size: 132,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:57) 1. At Long Last Love
(6:50) 2. Again
(4:48) 3. Moon River
(5:27) 4. Put Your Head on My Shoulder
(4:12) 5. Why Did I Choose You
(4:17) 6. Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You
(6:15) 7. My Romance
(7:42) 8. I'll Let You Know
(7:01) 9. Please Send Me Someone to Love
(5:50) 10. Reminiscing at Rudy's

The "Rudy's" in the title of tenor saxophonist Houston Person's album, Reminiscing at Rudy's, is not a nightclub or other such venue but the New Jersey studio of celebrated recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder who died in 2016. As befits reminiscing, the bulk of the album's numbers are tender ballads, every one of which lands squarely in Person's amorous wheelhouse.

That is not to say the veteran tenor saxophone maestro who has recorded almost seventy albums as leader of his own groups is not comfortable or creative at other tempos, as he shows, for example, on Cole Porter's medium-paced "At Long Last Love," Henry Mancini's usually placid "Moon River" (presented here as a danceable foxtrot) and his own well-grooved finale, "Reminiscing at Rudy's." The truth is, Person is relaxed and confident in any milieu; he simply has a fondness for sensuous and warm-hearted love songs, and summons forth the utmost warmth and affection each of them has to offer.

As usual, Person is supported by a cannot-lose rhythm section whose members are guitarist Russell Malone, pianist Larry Fuller, bassist Matthew Parrish and drummer par excellence Lewis Nash who even sings possibly a first for him, at least on record on Marvin Fisher's "Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You," which was written for another pretty fair vocalist, Nat King Cole. While he is clearly no Cole nor would he claim to be Nash's smooth, even-tempered baritone is surprisingly good. He may have hit upon an unforeseen side gig.

Even though he is the session's unequivocal guiding light, Person gives everyone a chance to shine, and there are perceptive solos along the way by Fuller, Parrish and Malone, whose easygoing designs mirror Person's and enhance the group's fraternal mood. The most welcome ballad in these quarters is Lionel Newman's too-seldom-heard "Again," an exquisite melody first sung by Ida Lupino in the 1948 film noir, Roadhouse. The others include Paul Anka's "Put Your Head on My Shoulder," Herbert Martin's "Why Did I Choose You," Rodgers and Hart's "My Romance," Cedar Walton's "I'll Let You Know" and Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone to Love."

Person, now nearing his eighty-eighth year, shows no sign of slowing down, playing with the awareness and unerring mastery of someone many years his junior. To put it another way, he is simply quite good at what he does, and what he has been doing for most of his adult life. Reminiscing at Rudy's is yet another melodic milestone in Person's long and impressive career.
By Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/reminiscing-at-rudys-houston-person-highnote-records

Personnel: Houston Person: saxophone, tenor; Russell Malone: guitar, electric; Larry Fuller: piano; Matthew Parrish: bass; Lewis Nash: drums.

Reminiscing at Rudy's

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Roberta Donnay - Blossom-ing

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:33
Size: 121,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:38) 1. Roberta's Blues
(4:02) 2. Peel Me A Grape
(2:44) 3. Just One Of Those Things
(3:49) 4. Inside A Silent Tear
(2:40) 5. Plus Je T'embrasse
(4:20) 6. Someone To Watch Over Me
(2:32) 7. Moonlight Savings Time
(2:28) 8. A Paris
(3:15) 9. The Party's Over
(3:30) 10. If I Were A Bell
(4:36) 11. Spring In Manhattan
(3:23) 12. Unless It's You
(3:36) 13. You Fascinate Me So
(3:16) 14. I Wish You Love
(2:12) 15. It Amazes Me
(2:23) 16. Put On A Happy Face

Blossom-ing! is vocalist Roberta Donnay's tribute to one of the most memorable jazz singers who ever lived, Blossom Dearie. She does so via sixteen songs associated with Dearie including Billie Holiday's "Billie's (or Blossom's) Blues," retitled here "Roberta's Blues." After leading with that one, Donnay lends her tremulous little-girl voice (eerily similar to Dearie's) to one of Dearie's best-known themes, "Peel Me a Grape," before scanning the others.

Unlike Dearie, Donnay doesn't accompany herself at the piano, but Mike Greensill does a splendid job sitting in for Dearie (who was an excellent pianist). Others backing Donnay are guitarist Jose Neto, bassist Ruth Davies and drummer Mark Lee, with David Sturdevant added on harmonica ("Spring in Manhattan") and MB Gordy on percussion ("Inside a Silent Tear"). Two of the songs are rendered in French, a nod to Dearie's early years in Paris as a member of the vocal group the Blue Stars, which later became the Swingle Singers.

Donnay, who is also a producer and award-winning composer, did not have to drastically alter her persona to record an homage to Dearie; she has basically always sung like that, even though she didn't delve deeply into Dearie's music until well after she had launched her now thirty years and counting career. That came about in some measure through a friendship with Bob Dorough, one of Dearie's close friends and collaborators. After becoming familiar with Dearie's music, Donnay knew she had to record a tribute to her celebrated prototype who died in 2009.

Several of the songs (and composers) on Blossom-ing! are well known, others less so, but every one of them is admirable in its own way, and Donnay makes them breathe with warmth and awareness. Like Dearie's, her voice is well-suited to the music, and her interpretations are earnest and persuasive. Cole Porter, the Gershwin brothers, Jule Styne, Frank Loesser and Johnny Mandel are among the tunesmiths, as are Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh ("You Fascinate Me So," "It Amazes Me"), Lee Adams and Charles Strouse ("Put on a Happy Face"), Anthony Scibetta and Alice Reach ("Spring in Manhattan"), Max Francois and Ben Ryan ("Plus Je t'Embrasse").

Dearie co-wrote "Inside a Silent Tear" and "A Paris," while the peerless Dave Frishberg authored "Peel Me a Grape." Greensill's arrangements are by and large spot-on, with one exception: "The Party's Over," from Bells Are Ringing, is a lament and should be played that way, not as a jaunty foxtrot. Aside from that one slip, no problem. And no problem with Donnay either, as she clearly lends her heart and soul to this rhapsodic tribute to one of the jazz world's remarkable treasures, the incomparable Blossom Dearie. By Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blossom-ing-roberta-donnay-self-produced

Personnel: Roberta Donnay: voice / vocals; Mike Greensill: piano; Ruth Davies: bass, acoustic; Mark Lee: drums; Jose Neto: guitar; MB Gordy: drums; David Sturdevant: harmonica.

Blossom-ing

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Billy Taylor & Gerry Mulligan - Live at MCG

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:35
Size: 160,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:11)  1. Stompin' At The Savoy
(4:57)  2. Just You Just Me
(7:11)  3. Darn That Dream
(5:11)  4. All The Things You Are
(8:19)  5. Laura
(7:27)  6. Line For Lyons
(8:10)  7. Body And Soul
(6:14)  8. Indiana (Back Home Again In Indiana)
(8:23)  9. Come Sunday
(6:28) 10. Capricious

The typical jazz listener easily tires of hearing standards covered by newer artists. However, it's occasionally good to hear the masters revisit some of these old compositions a way of staying connected. Jazz legends Billy Taylor and Gerry Mulligan have done that with Live at MCG. The Manchester Craftsmen's Guild is a non-profit organization in Pittsburgh, USA whose mission is to preserve, present and promote jazz. In doing so, MCG brings in artists such as Taylor and Mulligan to entertain and educate the jazz public. Taylor is a pianist, composer, teacher, lecturer, radio and television personality, recording artist and author. His career began in 1944, and he's enjoyed working alongside such musical powerhouses as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis. Mulligan, who passed away in 1996, was an arranger, composer, saxophonist and conductor, and has shared the stage or studio with icons including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Lester Young, Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck and Billie Holliday. Live at MCG captures the pair, backed by Taylor's regular sidemen, during a series of 1993 concerts at the MCG Music Hall. The ensemble performs ten songs, including two originals. Mulligan's baritone sax carries most of the lead on the delightful "Stompin' at the Savoy, though Taylor also licks his chops. 

Drummer Carl Allen helps underscore "Just You Just Me with some crisp work on the cymbals and snare. Bassist Chip Jackson opens up during Taylor's solo. One of the original songs is Mulligan's "Line for Lyons. Here, the quartet functions more as a unit than on most other tracks. Mulligan carries the lead, but Taylor, Allen and Jackson also give strong performances. Again, Jackson shows his skills during Taylor's solo, and later delivers a solo of his own. The other original is Taylor's "Capricious, an energetic closer to this collection. As with "Line for Lyons, the foursome is more of a unit than on other tracks. Allen's rim shots and variances on the toms and cymbals help give this an extra kick. Live at MCG serves a dual purpose: It entertains while providing a subliminal lesson in improvisation, a hallmark of jazz past and present. Having these two masters work together enhances the experience. ~ Woodrow Wilkins https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-mcg-billy-taylor-mcg-jazz-review-by-woodrow-wilkins.php

Personnel: Billy Taylor; piano; Gerry Mulligan; baritone saxophone; Chip Jackson; bass; Carl Allen; drums.

Live at MCG

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Betty Roché - Lightly And Politely

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:05
Size: 84,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:48)  1. Someone To Watch Over Me
(3:30)  2. Why Shouldn't I?
(4:35)  3. Jim
(3:52)  4. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
(2:43)  5. For All We Know
(4:13)  6. Rocks in My Bed
(2:42)  7. Just Squeeze Me
(3:44)  8. I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)
(3:39)  9. Maybe You'll Be There
(2:14) 10. I Had the Craziest Dream

It is ironic that what is arguably singer Betty Roché's finest all-around recording was also her last. For this session, which has been reissued in the OJC series on CD, Roché (backed by pianist Jimmy Neeley, guitarist Wally Richardson, bassist Michel Mulia, and drummer Rudy Lawless) improvises constantly and uplifts a variety of superior standards, including "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," "I Had the Craziest Dream," and three songs by her former boss, Duke Ellington. It's recommended, particularly to jazz fans not aware of Betty Roché's musical talents. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/lightly-and-politely-mw0000619973

Personnel: Betty Roché (vocals); Wally Richardson (guitar); Jimmy Neely (piano); Rudy Lawless (drums).

Lightly And Politely

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Nicholas Payton - The Couch Sessions

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:11
Size: 170,8 MB
Art: Front

(8:16) 1. Feed the Fire
(5:05) 2. Bust-a-Move
(6:38) 3. Blossom
(5:31) 4. Pinocchio
(3:15) 5. His Name is Lenny
(6:47) 6. Bleek's Blues
(2:18) 7. Along Came Betty
(3:55) 8. Watch It
(7:30) 9. Fall
(6:36) 10. Christina
(7:06) 11. The Sorcerer
(6:54) 12. Jazz is a Four-Letter Word
(4:13) 13. From a Flicker to a Flame...

Music has the power to heal, a fact that has never been as relevant as it has over the challenging last few years. On his captivating album, THE COUCH SESSIONS, the brilliant multi-instrumentalist and composer Nicholas Payton provides a session of musical therapy that draws on the compositions and words of some of the music’s most visionary artists.

The latest in a series that he has recorded pairing him with dream rhythm sections, Payton is joined by bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White, who not only have forged one of the most distinctive rhythm tandems in recent decades but have also worked with many of the legendary artists to whom this album is dedicated.

“I decided to use Buster and Lenny for their shared history,” Payton says, “not only working with each other but also with my favorite artist ever – Miles Davis. There are a lot of connections between the artists on the album and the lineages that they either came out of or were integral in starting. Working with Buster and Lenny together was a bucket list item for me.”

Throughout The Couch Sessions, Nicholas Payton and his stellar trio play therapist to listeners in need of some vital musical counseling. “In these uncertain new times, the importance of music and the arts has come even more to the forefront,” he says. “With this album, I wanted to speak to music as a healing force, an essential source of light in our lives.”

The Couch Sessions

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Nikki Yanofsky - Nikki By Starlight

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:05
Size: 116,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:42) 1. I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)
(3:42) 2. Comes Love
(2:30) 3. Crazy He Calls Me (Feat. Greg Phillinganes)
(2:41) 4. I Get A Kick Out Of You
(2:18) 5. Comment Allez Vous
(3:12) 6. Stella By Starlight
(3:42) 7. They Say It's Spring
(3:34) 8. It Never Entered My Mind
(2:52) 9. C'est Si Bon
(2:39) 10. West Coast Blues (Feat. Greg Phillinganes)
(3:19) 11. Let Me Love You
(3:04) 12. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) (Feat. Nathan East)
(4:11) 13. Estate (Feat. Arturo Sandoval)
(4:23) 14. You Stepped Out Of My Dream
(4:09) 15. Some Other Time

A celebration of jazz for purists and new generations alike, ‘Nikki By Starlight’ is comprised of 15 standards from legends Frank Sinatra, Chet Baker, Billie Holiday and more. Out October 21st, Nikki By Starlight was co-produced with the JUNO-winning producer/composer Paul Shrofel and features contributions from Stevie Wonder’s bandmate Greg Phillinganes, Nathan East (Bobby Womack, Herbie Hancock, Michael Jackson) and the iconic Cuban-American jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval.

Today she releases the French song “C’est Si Bon,” originally composed in 1947 by Henri Betti with lyrics by André Hornez. Popularized by Eartha Kitt, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Barbara Streisand, and more, Yanofsky’s poised rendition follows in the footsteps of these classic standard bearers.

Yanofsky describes the process of recording this album as an invigorating and joyful time that allowed her to tap into the purest part of herself again. She reconnected with the classics on her own terms especially as an artist who did her first show at just 12 years old, and sometimes felt like a “party trick” singing songs from a bygone era when she was so young. Even so, jazz was her first love, and this record is a true homecoming.
https://femmusic.com/wp/index.php/2022/09/09/nikki-yanofsky-nikki-by-starlight/

Nikki By Starlight

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Canadian Jazz Quartet - Brazilian Reflections

Styles: Mainstream Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:48
Size: 138,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:10) 1. Don't Quote Me
(5:19) 2. Choi Lin
(4:31) 3. Tristeza
(5:02) 4. Villa Lobos
(4:07) 5. Samba De Orfeu
(3:59) 6. Every Time I See You
(4:26) 7. Menina Flor
(5:43) 8. O Grande Amor
(4:48) 9. One Note Samba
(4:56) 10. With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair
(4:20) 11. Desafinado
(3:26) 12. Zingaro
(3:56) 13. Triste

For its fourth album, the Canadian Jazz Quartet – which has played Fridays since 2006 at Quotes on King St. West has chosen a different direction. The result is a real treat, for those enamoured of Brazilian music and for fans of a stylish group whose jazz evolves seamlessly around tradition.

Brazilian Reflections (Cornerstone CRST CD136 www.cornerstonerecordsinc.com) is class all the way, with leader and guitarist Gary Benson adding four originals to the 13 songs, five by Jobim, two from Luiz Bonfa. Elegance is the watchword with Benson colleagues vibraphonist Frank Wright, bass Duncan Hopkins and drummer Don Vickery in superlative form employing lilting rhythms as guitar and vibes demonstrate luminous comfort with the melodies. Desafinado is here of course, but so are lesser-known gems.
https://www.thewholenote.com/index.php/booksrecords2/jazzaimprovised/10040-its-our-jazz-march-2011

Personnel: Gary Benson (guitar); Frank Wright (vibes); Duncan Hopkins (bass); Don Vickery (drums)

Brazilian Reflections

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Jessica Williams - All Alone

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 61:55

Size: 141.8 MB

Styles: Piano jazz, Mainstream jazz

Year: 2003/2013

Art: Front

[4:53] 1. As Time Goes By

[5:28] 2. In A Sentimental Mood

[6:25] 3. Warm Valley

[6:02] 4. Music Box Revue / All Alone

[5:13] 5. Annie Get Your Gun / They Say It's Wonderful

[5:25] 6. Don't Explain

[3:53] 7. Toshiko

[4:33] 8. The Sheikh

[5:09] 9. Bill's Beauty

[5:37] 10. The Quilt

[5:10] 11. Orange Was The Colour Of Her Dress Then Blue Silk

[4:00] 12. Too Young To Go Steady

Jessica Williams has turned out a phenomenal amount of rewarding recordings since her career began to really take off during the 1990s. This solo piano outing recorded in 2002 is among her finest efforts, especially in her refreshing approaches to standards and some usually overdone (and frequently underplayed) war horses. "As Time Goes By" has almost become a cliché due to its inclusion in the still popular film Casablanca, but Williams' quirky approach to it suggests Art Tatum, Erroll Garner, and Thelonious Monk at different times, yet never loses touch with the melody. Likewise, her playful little embellishment added to Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood" suggests a wink and a smile accompanying the expected "I Love You" to someone special. Irving Berlin wrote many memorable songs during his long career, but the pianist chooses two that aren't heard all that often in jazz settings, "All Alone" and "They Say It's Wonderful," with their often maudlin settings drastically altered. Her originals are just as remarkable. The captivating melody of her delicate ballad "Toshiko" glistens, while she playfully hand-mutes the piano strings and incorporates a little strumming of them as well in her infectious and bluesy "The Sheikh." The intimate sound of this CD makes it seem as if the listener is enjoying a private solo piano recital, so it is very easy to recommend this disc highly and without the slightest reservation. ~Ken Dryden

All Alone 

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Michel Petrucciani - Solo in Denmark

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:35
Size: 127,5 MB
Art: Front

( 5:02) 1. P'tit Louis
( 5:10) 2. In A Sentimental Mood
( 7:58) 3. She Did It Again
( 7:17) 4. Round Midnight
( 7:52) 5. Estate
( 8:25) 6. Blue Monk
(13:47) 7. Medley: Autumn Leaves, Rachid, Prelude To A Kiss, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Miles Davis' Licks, Nardis

Storyville Records is proud to present Michel Petrucciani – Solo in Denmark. This album features French piano prodigy Michel Petrucciani in a solo recording from Silkeborg Church, 1990. MP was one of the most popular pianists in the 1990’s due to his extraordinary technique, his astounding musical outlook and extremely dynamic playing style. His music is simply timeless and magical, seemingly coming straight from his soul. As he is often quoted: “I’m not playing to your head, but to your soul. When I play, I’m like a bird flying over the landscape, and I can land anywhere.”

Recorded on June 23, 1990 at the Riverboat Jazz Festival in Silkeborg, Denmark, this album is a tour de force that leads the listener through a series of the most iconic motifs in jazz, all of which are deconstructed and transformed by an outstanding craftsman and embellished along the way by a true master. And he also allows himself to insert unexpected twists and turns that are guaranteed to make the listener smile. Pay special attention to his small rhythmic and melodic tags, little hints for the well-trained ear.

They reveal a musician who never grows complacent or takes himself too seriously. Here, the totality of MP’s talents are exhibited in an intimate setting, where he stuns the crowd with his inventive and blindingly rapid playing. The music emanating from the man simply grabs everybody’s attention. Arrangements by jazz legends like Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis gets the cheeky Petrucciani treatment with his rather audacious approach to ‘established’ jazz standards. MP had the ability to effortlessly travel through the history of jazz on his piano, fascinating his audience in the process. This church concert clearly displays why MP quickly developed into a truly exceptional member of the international jazz scene.

For MP, joyful playing with the music was a necessity of life. He lived and breathed for the opportunity to show it his love and respect. And all we have to do is open our ears, mind and soul and accept the gems from a musical individualist, who has made an indelible impression on millions of jazz listeners around the world. Solo in Denmark is simply another chapter in the remarkable story of a man, who perceived himself as a servant of the music.

Personnel: Michel Petrucciani - Piano

Solo in Denmark

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Malene Mortensen - A New Kind of Love

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:12
Size: 93,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:02) 1. Tiny Hands
(5:50) 2. Get Out of Town (Get Lost)
(4:18) 3. A Mile from Your Heart
(6:06) 4. Jeg Gik Mig Ud En Sommerdag
(6:10) 5. All the Thing You Are
(4:51) 6. There Will Never Be Another You
(5:07) 7. It Might as Well Be Spring
(3:46) 8. No More Blues

Malene Mortensen is one of the most prominent, Danish jazz vocalist with an extraordinary CV. She has been touring all over the world and she has been recording under her own name since 2003. Malnes’s own compositions is a selection of tunes focusing on everyday challenges, small joys and simple pleasures.

Story: Malene Mortensen released her first album in 2003 at the age of 21. From the very start she worked with great musicians like Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Alex Riel, Chris Potter, Mike Stern, Avishai Cohen, Christian Sands, Terreon Gully, Chad Wackerman, Adam Rogers and Niels Lan Doky.

The days when she was a promising young talent are long gone; her voice has many colors, her phrasing grows ever more challenging, and her timbre expands with each new release. Malene is an artist of international stature; she has passed the stage of youthful weltschmerz. Today she can encompass and express all the positive things as well which isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Over the past 15 years while taking her Master and Soloist degrees from The Rhythmic Conservatory in Copenhagen.


Malene Mortensen has performed on jazz stages in virtually every European country, the Middle East, USA, Australia and large parts of Asia with her own trio, as vocalist with big bands or featured guest in various setups most recently on tour with Kid Creole & The Coconuts.
https://inmusic.dk/artist/malene_mortensen/

A New Kind of Love

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Louis Stewart - Louis The First

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:25
Size: 86,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:42) 1. All The Things You Are
(6:18) 2. Bluesology
(4:08) 3. Body And Soul
(3:06) 4. Send In The Clowns
(5:50) 5. O Grande Amor
(3:58) 6. Here Is That Rainy Day
(5:45) 7. Alone Together
(3:35) 8. Autumn Leaves

The first time I saw Louis Stewart play was when I was 14 years old. My father, a jazz devotee, who knew many of the Irish jazz musicians, took me to a jazz party in Sandycove at the home of the saxophonist John Curran. Before I even got there my father had told me that Louis would be there and that he was the greatest jazz musician Ireland had ever produced. So before I ever saw him play, Louis’ greatness was imprinted on my mind. And at the party, even to my adolescent (and at that time non-playing) self, I could see that they were right he was something special.

There was a fluidity about his playing that marked him out, and this was especially evident when he played with John Wadham another great of the Irish jazz scene whom I saw for the first time that night who clearly sparked Louis’ playing. My memory of that night is very vivid. There were other jazz-scene notables there such as Brian Dunning and Mike Nolan, a string quartet played Haydn, there was food and banter all of which seemed incredibly glamorous to me. Not to mention staying up till 4am. The true jazz life…

Over the following years I saw him play several times, including a memorable night when my father whisked me off to see him playing in Mooney’s in Dún Laoghaire the night before my Inter Cert exams were to start, much to my mother’s horror. My father’s answer to my mother’s protests was, ‘What he doesn’t know now he won’t know in two hours time’. And he was right. What I do remember learning that night is that there was a tune called ‘Maiden Voyage’ that sounded very exotic. Again I wasn’t playing at this point, so had no idea of structure or harmonic content of the piece, but I remember Louis announcing it and being totally enthralled by it.
By Ronan Guilfoyle https://journalofmusic.com/focus/louis-first

Personnel: Louis Stewart, guitar; Martin Walshe, bass; John Wadham, drums.

Thank You JT!

Charles Lloyd - Trios: Sacred Thread

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:56
Size: 89,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:19) 1. Desolation Sound
(4:13) 2. Guman
(9:23) 3. Nachekita's Lament
(1:54) 4. Saraswati
(7:51) 5. Kuti
(8:48) 6. Tales of Rumi
(3:25) 7. The Blessing

This is the third and final album in Blue Note's Charles Lloyd-dedicated ‘Trio of Trios’ series, with the orchestrally-resourceful guitarist Julian Lage joining mindbendingly multi-tasking percussion legend Zakir Hussain in conversation with the 84 year-old US reeds maestro.

Sacred Thread represents the Trio series' most radical departure from the freeboppish or bluesily grooving soundscapes of its predecessors Chapel, and Ocean a more open global-musical trip, as well as an homage to Lloyd's decades-long devotion to the spirituality of the East. Mutual empathy is plain from the opening ‘Desolation Sound’, with its deep-hooting tenor ballad statement punctuated by the leader's characteristically fast-wriggling fills spinning off dolorous long tones.

Hussain's reverentially tender singing is shadowed by Lage's chord chimes on ‘Guman’, 'Nachekita's Lament' is a meditation for billowing flute tones, slow chanting and brooding guitar rejoinders that becomes a catchy tabla-driven canter. Lloyd plays the mournful soprano sax-like tárogató on ‘Saraswati’ (mostly with only gentle gong-sounds fitful tabla-rhythm flickers for company), Hussain's voice and Lloyd's vaporous flute share the initially ballad-like ‘Kuti’ before a groove much more suggestive of the hi-life star of the title emerges to draw a boldly skidding break from Lage. ‘Tales of Rumi’ invites an enthralling Hussain long intro of racing rhythms and whoopy voicelike accents before it becomes a tenor-led folk dance, and a quietly impassioned Lloyd-Lage dialogue on ‘The Blessing’ wraps up a real gem, even by the octogenarian California jazz guru's standards.
By John Fordham https://www.jazzwise.com/review/charles-lloyd-trios-sacred-thread

Personnel: Charles Lloyd (ts, fl); Julian Lage (g); Zakir Hussain (perc)

Trios: Sacred Thread

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Octokats - Cool West Coast Jazz Comes to Toronto

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:58
Size: 168,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:36) 1. El Prince
(1:23) 2. Dave Pell Intro
(5:09) 3. Nap's Dream
(5:10) 4. Java Junction
(3:11) 5. Have You Met Miss Jones
(2:50) 6. Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me
(3:35) 7. Cheerful Little Earful
(6:02) 8. Love Me Or Leave Me
(3:54) 9. Intermission Riff
(2:53) 10. Dave Pell Intro To Lester Young
(4:06) 11. You Can Depend On Me
(4:31) 12. Lester Leaps In
(5:07) 13. How High The Moon
(2:39) 14. When You're Smiling
(5:19) 15. Just You, Just Me
(3:59) 16. One O'clock Jump
(5:31) 17. Jumpin' At The Woodside
(3:56) 18. Session At Pete's Pad

West Coast jazz refers to various styles of jazz music that developed around Los Angeles and San Francisco during the 1950s. West Coast jazz is often seen as a sub-genre of cool jazz, which featured a less frenetic, calmer style than bebop or hard bop. The music tended to be more heavily arranged, and more often composition-based.

We, the Octokats, have resurrected this relaxed sytle of jazz here in Southern Ontario. The very essence of COOL can be found in this style of music. One of the most famous West Coast Jazz Musicians is Dave Pell. We modeled our octet after the Dave Pell lineup.The instrumentation for his octet consisted of Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax, Trumpet, Trombone, Piano, Guitar, Bass and Drums.http://www.octokats.com/?page_id=56

Personnel: Sarang Kulkarni (Baritone/Alto Saxophones); Gary Martin (Alto/Tenor Saxophones); James Shea (Trumpet/Flugelhorn); Michael Kearns (Trombone); Stephen Landsberg (Guitar); William Bryant (Piano); Mauro Bellotto (Upright Bass); John Collin (Drums); Alan Reid (Drums)

Special Guests: Dave Pell; Pat Labarbera

Cool West Coast Jazz Comes to Toronto

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Diane Marino - I Hear Music

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:41
Size: 117,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:14) 1. I Hear Music
(3:43) 2. Moonray
(4:27) 3. Ain't No Use
(3:54) 4. Let Me Off Uptown
(4:47) 5. You Showed Me The Way
(3:56) 6. Rock Me To Sleep
(5:09) 7. It Could Happen To You
(4:50) 8. Detour Ahead
(3:29) 9. The Late, Late Show
(5:18) 10. I'll Close My Eyes
(4:12) 11. When Lights Are Low
(3:37) 12. You'd Better Love Me

Jazz singer/pianist Diane Marino was born in the New York City borough of Manhattan and began piano lessons at the age of ten. She attended the High School for the Performing Arts as a classical piano major, then studied piano with Murray Perahia at the Mannes College of Music. She had already begun appearing professionally before earning her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from Mannes, playing and singing around the New York metropolitan area. She worked solo until she met bassist Frank Marino, whom she subsequently married, and with whom she formed the Brazilian nonet Som Brasiliero.

On August 26, 2003, the Marinos' M&M Records label released A Sleepin' Bee, an album by the Diane Marino Quartet, also featuring flute and saxophone player Rusty Jessup and drummer Chris Brown. On the Street Where You Live followed on May 4, 2004. Having relocated to Nashville, Marino released her third album, Just Groovin', a collection of her interpretations of '60s pop standards featuring such guests as Kirk Whalum, Houston Person, and Felix Cavaliere, on September 16, 2008. By William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/artist/diane-marino-mn0000255089/biography

I Hear Music

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Jeremy Pelt - November

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:08
Size: 121,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. Mata
(8:09)  2. Avatar
(5:42)  3. Clairvoyant
(5:55)  4. Dreamcatcher
(5:34)  5. Phoenix
(5:44)  6. Rosalie
(3:54)  7. Monte Cristo
(6:05)  8. Nephthys
(6:48)  9. 466-64 (Freedom Fighters)

In the same way that Roy Hargrove's Earfood (Emarcy, 2008) updated Lee Morgan's Cornbread (Blue Note, 1965), so Jeremy Pelt's November updates Miles Davis' Miles Smiles (Columbia/Legacy, 1966). If creativity and art can be evaluated on both the vertical and horizontal, Morgan's and Davis' offerings represent horizontal progressions of the art of jazz into new areas, where Hargrove's and Pelt's are vertical elaborations of those previous collections. Jeremy Pelt (with his band Wired) last offered Shock Value: Live at Smoke (MaxJazz, 2007), an exploration of the style Miles generated with Live at the Fillmore East (March 7, 1970): It's About That Time (Legacy, 2001). Pelt returns to a fully acoustic format on November, but this music is no more wooden than Miles' groundbreaking second quintet recordings were. 

November is a fully realized post-bop suite, a jazz Also Sprach Zarathustra. "Mata" is five-plus minutes of introduction, a free form recital with no resolution. Here and throughout the disc we can hear the spirit of the late Anthony Tillman Williams, who's drumming for Miles Davis, continues to touch all aspects of jazz percussion almost 50 years later. Pelt's compositions are all tightly angular and anxious, both probing and airy. His trumpet is tart and sweet, the tone very much his own. The choice of JD Allen on tenor saxophone was a deeply thoughtful one as Allen is one of the finest post bop tenor's performing. As a collection, November is a compelling listening experience from beginning to end. Do you miss Nefertiti (Columbia/Legacy, 1967)? Not any more. 

~ C.Michael Bailey http://www.allaboutjazz.com/november-jeremy-pelt-maxjazz-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Jeremy Pelt: trumpet; JD Allen: tenor saxophone; Danny Grissett: piano; Dwayne Burno: bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

November

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Jim Snidero - MD66

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:39
Size: 123,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:15)  1. MD66
(9:38)  2. Recursion
(5:48)  3. Free Beauty
(6:08)  4. Unified
(6:27)  5. Who We've Known
(6:42)  6. Un4Scene
(4:35)  7. Blue in Green
(6:02)  8. Purge

Over the course of the past three decades alto saxophonist and composer Jim Snidero has been constantly pushing himself to explore new territories and expand his outlook. In 1989 (!) his extraordinary album Blue Afternoon made its way into The Penguin Jazz Guide: The History of the Music in the 1001 Best Albums. Later on he made his mark in the sax-with-strings department, not only playing at the top of his game, but also composing and arranging all of the music on the project. Most recently he's impressed more than a few listeners with a spate of fine albums on Savant. On this his latest release, Snidero tackles open modal forms and uses his unfettered imagination as a portal into free(r) territory, and takes his soloing to the next level by working an inside/outside approach that's rooted in the structure and style of each song but radical enough to move in wildly unexpected directions. This is a musical promised land where revelations, whether subtle or seismic in nature, are guided by revolution. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/MD66-Jim-Snidero/dp/B01ICUPAHM

Personnel:  Jim Snidero (alto saxophone);  Alex Sipiagin (trumpet);  Andy LaVerne (piano);  Ugonna Okegwo (bass);  Rudy Royston (drums).

MD66

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Dizzy Reece - Blues In Trinity (Remastered)

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:33
Size: 109,3 MB
Art: Front

( 6:47)  1. Blues In Trinity
( 3:04)  2. I Had The Craziest Dream
(10:39)  3. Close Up
( 6:37)  4. Shepherd's Serenade
( 6:02)  5. Color Blind
( 4:46)  6. 'Round About Midnight
( 4:03)  7. Eboo
( 5:31)  8. Just A Penny

One of the few American releases cut by the legendary British trumpeter Dizzy Reece and a great one! The album was strange for Blue Note, in that it was a joint US/UK session featuring American players Donald Byrd and Art Taylor, along with great Brit players Reece, Tubby Hayes, Terry Shannon, and Lloyd Thompson. Hayes is especially excellent here, and the record captures him at the peak of his young imaginative powers. With a two-trumpet frontline held down by Byrd and Reece, Hayes' tenor solos cut through hard and clean, with a deep soulful sound that makes him the most sparkling player on the session. Titles include "Close Up", "Blues In Trinity", "Color Blind", and "Round Midnight". © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/515086/Dizzy-Reece:Blues-In-Trinity

Personnel: Dizzy Reece - trumpet; Donald Byrd - trumpet; Tubby Hayes - tenor saxophone; Terry Shannon - piano; Lloyd Thompson - bass; Art Taylor - drums

Blues In Trinity

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Darcy Cooke - Careless love

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:35
Size: 86,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:30) 1. Moonglow
(5:00) 2. Can’t help lovin’ dat man
(3:07) 3. My heart belongs to daddy
(3:33) 4. And so it goes
(2:36) 5. What is this thing called love
(5:54) 6. I know you oh so well
(4:13) 7. I can’t give you anything but love
(4:37) 8. Lies of handsome men
(5:00) 9. Careless love - St. Louis blues

Darcy Cooke is a classically trained jazz vocalist who has been performing nearly all her life. As a regular in DC area jazz bars, piano lounges, music venues, and private events, she has enjoyed performing with many of DMV’s great musicians such as Chris Grasso, Wayne Wilentz, David Jernigan, Harry Appelman, Keith Butler, Jr, Wade Beach, and more. Additionally, she has shared the stage with many of the area’s top vocalists. She studied music, voice, and theater while attending the Shenandoah Conservatory and has trained with multiple vocal coaches and top jazz singers in the DMV area.

With a love of jazz and a background in theater and stage performance, Darcy’s repertoire is expansive, ranging from jazz standards of the Great American Songbook to blues, to show tunes to cabaret and pop. Darcy is currently working on her first solo album to be released in 2022.
https://www.reverbnation.com/darcycooke?popup_bio=true

Careless love

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