Agneta Baumann - I Am an Illusion

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1981/2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:11
Size: 97,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:46) 1. I Am An Illusion
(4:09) 2. Unlucky In Love
(4:10) 3. Our Love
(3:40) 4. The Queen Of Hearts
(3:25) 5. You Stopped Loving Me
(3:18) 6. Just The Two Of Us
(3:06) 7. Time Will Tell
(4:14) 8. Once Again
(4:25) 9. Everything Or Nothing
(4:08) 10. Hooray For Love
(3:44) 11. När Du Tar Mig I Din Famn

Born 1944, Kalmar, Sweden. As a child Baumann sang at school in both the choir and jazz band. After leaving school, she sang in hotels and restaurants, developing a reputation as a popular entertainer. Although her early musical interests were mainly centred on pop, she began playing close attention to singers from the jazz world, notably Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae, Anita O’Day and Sarah Vaughan. For a while, Baumann was obliged to work outside music but from the mid-60s gained some success with the Golden Girls, a Copenhagen-based Motown Records -style group. In 1968, she went out as a solo singer and band leader in her own right and by the end of the decade was in demand in Sweden and other countries in Scandinavia and northern Europe. A spell in the late 70s with pianist Knud Jørgensen and bass player Bengt Hanson strengthened her jazz singing credentials.

Following the death of her husband in 1986, Baumann stepped out of the spotlight for some years but returned to the stage in 1995. Now committed to jazz, she quickly established a following in Stockholm and was soon becoming very popular in the same areas she had conquered 30 years earlier as a contemporary pop singer. She made her jazz recording debut in 1996, and the following year received a scholarship from Laila and Charles Gavatin’s Foundation for Jazz Music.

In the late 90s and early 00s, Baumann made appearances at jazz festivals in Copenhagen, Helsinki, Krakow, Moscow and Warsaw, while continuing to strengthen her Stockholm base. Among other instrumentalists with whom she has worked are bass players Hans Backenroth and Palle Danielsson, pianists Gösta Rundqvist and Lasse Bagge, trumpeter Bosse Broberg, tenor saxophonist Anders Lindskog, and drummer Johan Löfcrantz. Baumann’s liquid vocal sound and elegant and sometimes stately delivery are particularly well suited to ballads and her interpretation of lyrics is both fluid and deep. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/agneta-baumann-mn0001400868/biography

I Am an Illusion

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Victor Goines - Love Dance

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:14
Size: 157,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:02) 1. Wonderful, Wonderful
(8:56) 2. Love Dance
(6:51) 3. New Arrival
(5:11) 4. Cootie
(9:48) 5. Sunrise
(6:30) 6. Confirmation
(9:08) 7. Midnight
(7:23) 8. Out The Box
(7:20) 9. Home

On Love Dance, the excellent follow-up to New Adventures (Crisss1274CD) Victor Goines is joined by pianist Peter Martin, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Greg Hutchinson, each an A-lister of modern swing. Goines focuses more on the clarinet, which he plays with assured virtuosity and creative flair - he developed an international reputation on the instrument during his tenure with the Wynton Marsalis Septet - but also uncorks a series of authoritative tenor improvisations.
https://www.prestomusic.com/jazz/products/8054512--love-dance

Personnel: Greg Hutchinson - Drums; Peter Martin - Piano; Reuben Rogers - Bass; Victor Goines - Clarinet, Saxophone

Love Dance

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Charlie Hunter [feat. John Ellis & Derrek Phillips] - Friends Seen and Unseen (Remastered)

Styles: Jazz fusion, Post-Bop
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:52
Size: 130,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:31) 1. One For The Kelpers
(5:40) 2. Freedom Tickler
(6:41) 3. Lulu's Crawl
(6:56) 4. Darkly
(6:22) 5. Soweto's Where It's At
(3:42) 6. Running In Fear From Imaginary Assailants
(6:58) 7. Eleven Bars For Gandhi
(3:56) 8. Bonus Round
(4:42) 9. My Son The Hurricane
(5:20) 10. Moore's Alphabet

The prolific and ever interesting Charlie Hunter continues to change musical colors. For over ten years the unique guitarist has continued to produce releases that prove his talent and popularity. Some have hailed Hunter as the new crossover jazz prince who has attracted younger audiences with recordings such as last years Right Now Move and 2001‘s Songs from the Analog Playground which featured guest singers Kurt Elling, Mos Def, Theryl de Clouet, and pop sensation Norah Jones.

With music that is clearly open to the masses be it jazz or otherwise the guitarist is in a class by himself when it comes to technique. His claim to guitar fame lies in his ability to simultaneously play both bass and guitar parts on his specially designed eight-string guitar, which results in most of us asking, “How in the world is he doing that?”- A technique primarily used by Hammond B-3 players in which Hunter also produces organ-like sounds on his guitar. But his success lies not only in his ability but also in his choice of musicians that have been featured with the guitarist in various groups from duo to quintet formats.

The new recording Friends Seen and Unseen finds the guitarist going back to his roots in a trio setting. His last trio release was the landmark Bing, Bing, Bing released in 1995 which put the guitarist on map. Hunter’s new trio features the dynamic skills of saxophonist John Ellis and drummer Derek Phillips both from Right Now Move. The trio setting is naturally more intimate and allows the musicians to interact with a tight yet free style with music that should appeal to both long time and newer fans.

The new material is a well-rounded mix of styles that prove Hunter is more than just a jam-band guitarist. Hunter’s music has always been and continues to be about the groove. The opening piece “One For The Kelpers” features a funky vibe with Hunter’s bass strings laying down the slow cooked groove while “Freedom Tickler” introduces a freer melody allowing the trio to stretch things out musically with open solos. Never one to take himself too seriously Hunter adds both depth and humor on “Lulu’s Crawl” which could be the theme song for a sleazy Vegas strip tease show, with honking saxophone, guitar effects, and vivid drumming.

The trio members are up for the challenge and bring their own diverse styles to the music. Ellis is not only a fine saxophonist but also adds some nice touches with baritone sax and also strong flute work on “Darkly”. Derek Phillips also shines on “Darkly” with crisp drum work that is the glue to the recording as he provides expert timing and energetic kit work on every selection.

If Hunter is about the essence of the groove, he is also knows something about the blues. His unique take on “Running In Fear From Imaginary Assailants” has a delta blues feel as he incorporates wah-wah-slide effects and other touches as Ellis and Phillips join in on the fun. The very next selection “Eleven Bars For Ghandhi” seems to pay homage to guitar greats such as BB King and Buddy Guy with wailing notes and soulful phrasing.

With loose comparisons to other recordings there are familiar selections such the reggae themed “Soweto's Where It's At” which recalls 1997’s Bob Marley themed Natty Dread and “Moore’s Theme” which brings to mind 1996’s odd but special Ready...Set...Shango!. With a debatable marketing statement that states that this is Hunter’s best recording ever, the new recording clearly stands on its own and proves that the maturing guitarist still has that special something that keeps the music fresh, vibrant, and enjoyable.By Mark F. Turner
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/charlie-hunter-trio-friends-seen-and-unseen-by-mark-f-turner

Personnel: Charlie Hunter - 8-string guitar, John Ellis – Saxophones, Derrek Phillips - Percussion

Friends Seen and Unseen

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Fletcher Henderson - Smack is Back!

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:47
Size: 87,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:25) 1. I Want To
(3:19) 2. Gulf Coast Blues
(3:02) 3. My Oriental Rose
(3:18) 4. Midnight Blues
(3:33) 5. Chime Blues
(3:07) 6. Fancies
(2:56) 7. Love Days
(3:12) 8. Beale Street Mama
(2:54) 9. Trot Along
(2:46) 10. Unknown Blues
(3:02) 11. Bamboo Isle
(3:07) 12. Down By The River

Fletcher Henderson was very important to early jazz as leader of the first great jazz big band, as an arranger and composer in the 1930s, and as a masterful talent scout. Between 1923-1939, quite an all-star cast of top young Black jazz musicians passed through his orchestra, including trumpeters Louis Armstrong, Joe Smith, Tommy Ladnier, Rex Stewart, Bobby Stark, Cootie Williams, Red Allen, and Roy Eldridge; trombonists Charlie Green, Benny Morton, Jimmy Harrison, Sandy Williams, J.C. Higginbottham, and Dickie Wells; clarinetist Buster Bailey; tenors Coleman Hawkins (1924-1934), Ben Webster, Lester Young (whose brief stint was not recorded), and Chu Berry; altoists Benny Carter, Russell Procope, and Hilton Jefferson; bassists John Kirby and Israel Crosby; drummers Kaiser Marshall, Walter Johnson, and Sid Catlett; guest pianist Fats Waller; and such arrangers as Don Redman, Benny Carter, Edgar Sampson, and Fletcher's younger brother Horace Henderson. And yet, at the height of the swing era, Henderson's band was little-known.

Fletcher Henderson had a degree in chemistry and mathematics, but when he came to New York in 1920 with hopes of becoming a chemist, the only job he could find (due to the racism of the times) was as a song demonstrator with the Pace-Handy music company. Harry Pace soon founded the Black Swan label, and Henderson, a versatile but fairly basic pianist, became an important contributor behind the scenes, organizing bands and backing blues vocalists. Although he started recording as a leader in 1921, it was not until January 1924 that he put together his first permanent big band.

Using Don Redman's innovative arrangements, he was soon at the top of his field. His early recordings (Henderson made many records during 1923-1924) tend to be both futuristic and awkward, with strong musicianship but staccato phrasing. However, after Louis Armstrong joined up in late 1924 and Don Redman started contributing more swinging arrangements, the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra had no close competitors artistically until the rise of Duke Ellington in 1927. By then, Henderson's band (after a period at the Club Alabam) was playing regularly at The Roseland Ballroom but, due to the bandleader being a very indifferent businessman, the all-star outfit recorded relatively little during its peak (1927 to 1930).

With the departure of Redman in 1927, and the end of interim periods when Benny Carter and Horace Henderson wrote the bulk of the arrangements, Fletcher himself developed into a top arranger by the early '30s. However, the Depression took its toll on the band, and the increased competition from other orchestras (along with some bad business decisions and the loss of Coleman Hawkins) resulted in Henderson breaking up the big band in early 1935. Starting in 1934, he began contributing versions of his better arrangements to Benny Goodman's new orchestra (including "King Porter Stomp," "Sometimes I'm Happy," and "Down South Camp Meeting"), and ironically Goodman's recordings were huge hits at a time when Fletcher Henderson's name was not known to the general public. In 1936, he put together a new orchestra and immediately had a hit in "Christopher Columbus," but after three years he had to disband again in 1939.

Henderson worked as a staff arranger for Goodman and even played in B.G.'s Sextet for a few months (although his skills on the piano never did develop much). He struggled through the 1940s, leading occasional bands (including one in the mid-'40s that utilized some arrangements by the young Sun Ra). In 1950, Henderson had a fine sextet with Lucky Thompson, but a stroke ended his career and led to his death in 1952. Virtually all of Fletcher Henderson's recordings as a leader (and many are quite exciting) are currently available on the Classics label and in more piecemeal fashion domestically. By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/fletcher-henderson-mn0000152490/biography

Smack is Back!

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Maria Mendes, Metropole Orkest & John Beasley - Saudade, Colour of Love

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:48
Size: 137,4 MB
Art: Front

(8:43) 1. Com Que Voz
(6:58) 2. Tudo Isto É Fado
(7:49) 3. Verdes Anos
(5:24) 4. Foi Deus
(5:43) 5. Hermeto's Fado for Maria
(4:30) 6. E Se Nâo for Fado
(6:59) 7. Dança Do Amor
(8:06) 8. Quando Eu Era Pequenina
(5:32) 9. Meu Pobre Capitão

Saudade, Colour of Love isn’t so much a follow-up to Netherlands-based vocalist Maria Mendes’ 2019 album Close to Me, which won the Dutch equivalent of a jazz vocal Grammy Award. Rather, it’s a captivating elaboration featuring much the same material and the same cast of characters.

Like Close to Me, her third album, Saudade is a sumptuous collaboration with pianist John Beasley conducting the Metropole Orkest, a mainstay of the Dutch music scene since the end of World War II. But whereas the former release was a studio project, the new album is a concert recording that offers Mendes and some orchestra members a little more leeway to stretch out on a fado-centric program. Trained as an opera singer, the Portuguese-born Mendes veered off the conservatory path with her discovery of jazz, attaining real authority in the tradition after years of study.

Working with Beasley, who produced and orchestrated the Saudade arrangements they wrote together (part of a most impressive run for Beasley, with Saudade arriving the same year as his spectacular work on Chucho Valdés’ late-career masterwork La Creación), Mendes takes another step into a largely uncharted realm where jazz inflects the ritualistic laments of fado, a blues-like song form that evolved on Lisbon’s hard-scrabble waterfront. By Andrew Gilbert https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/maria-mendes-saudade-colour-of-love-challenge/

Saudade, Colour of Love

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Alexis Cole - Zingaro

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:19
Size: 109,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:39) 1. Stompin' At The Savoy
(6:00) 2. God Bless The Child
(2:00) 3. Morning With You
(5:57) 4. Over The Rainbow
(3:31) 5. Sweet Lorraine
(5:01) 6. Body And Soul
(3:50) 7. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
(6:57) 8. Zingaro
(7:22) 9. I Thought About You
(1:57) 10. Walkin'

On this Toronto-based (but New York-born) vocalist's second release, she takes on several familiar standards with a personal signature, enhanced by a sparse instrumentation: here, she is accompanied solely by guitarist Ron Affif and bassist Jeffry Eckels, who play on all the tracks but the two Cole originals, the upbeat "Walkin' and "Morning With You, both of which feature fine work by Saul Rubin (guitar) and John Roche (bass).

The album's title, which means "gypsy, is taken from a classic tune by Brazilian composers Chico Buarque de Hollanda and Antonio Carlos Jobim, with new English lyrics by Roger Schore, who was on hand at the jam-packed CD release concert at New York's Zinc Bar in July, 2007, where Cole showcased material from the disc with Affif and Eckels. The tune, originally called "Portrait in Black and White (the only one played from a bossa nova point of view), reflects the singer's peripatetic lifestyle in the past few years, she has traveled extensively through South America on a music program with the Berklee College of Music, and has barely kept a permanent mailing address.

One of the disc's highlights is "Stompin' At The Savoy, which Cole cleverly chose to open her set with at the Zinc Bar. The Benny Goodman swing, originally for big band, becomes something much subtler in her hands. On "Baby Ain't I Good To You she takes advantage of the song's simple bluesy structure to suit her own interests. "Over The Rainbow might be a little overplayed, but Cole sings it from the heart, drawing from an earlier experience with the tune while she was working with special education students in North Carolina, as was explained during the concert.

Zingaro is a fine opportunity to discover this singer and 2007 Jazzmobile Vocal Competition winner, who sets herself apart from your average jazz vocalist by taking on various sonic influences without veering too far from jazz. The sparse instrumentation allows the listener to focus on the individual talents of the musicians without distractions. It is a disc that will please purists and more adventurous listeners alike.By Ernest Barteldes https://www.allaboutjazz.com/zingaro-alexis-cole-canopy-jazz-review-by-ernest-barteldes

Personnel: Alexis Cole: vocal; Ron Affif: guitar; Jeffry Eckels: bass; Saul Rubin: guitar; Jon Roche: bass.

Zingaro

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Eric Reed - Everybody Gets the Blues

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:35
Size: 137,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:49) 1. Everybody Gets the Blues
(8:23) 2. Cedar Waltzin' ~ Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing
(5:28) 3. Naima
(7:49) 4. Martha's Prize
(6:07) 5. Yesterday ~ Yesterdays
(8:49) 6. Up Jumped Spring
(5:00) 7. Dear Bud
(9:30) 8. New Morning
(4:36) 9. Road Life

The title of Eric Reed’s new album has a double meaning as in, everybody understands the blues, and everybody feels down from time to time. “Your blues may not be my blues, but everybody gets them,” he writes in the liner notes. True enough, but this album is too joyful for that to be the parting message. After having listened to it, you’ll understand intuitively if you don’t already why Eric Reed is one of the most reliably good pianists in the gospel-jazz tradition. Reed grew up in the church his father was a Baptist preacher in Philadelphia and here, accompanied by saxophonist Tim Green, drummer McClenty Hunter, and bassist Mike Gurrola, he filters pop medleys, jazz standards, and original compositions through the gospel prism.

That comes through most clearly on his own “New Morning,” whose lovely solo piano introduction, with lush blues-inflected chord voicings, recalls Oscar Peterson’s “Night Train.” There’s a Coltrane cover (“Naima”), a hat tip to Freddie Hubbard (“Up Jumped Spring”), and snippets of two mainstream pop tunes the Beatles’ “Yesterday,” in a medley with Jerome Kern’s “Yesterdays,” and Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing,” which appears as a tag at the end of “Cedar Waltzin,’” Reed’s nod to Cedar Walton. An actual Walton composition, “Martha’s Prize,” is recast here as a funk number. Near the end, Reed plays a phrase from the buoyant Roy Hargrove earworm “Strasbourg/St. Denis,” an upbeat line that’s in keeping with this album’s optimistic spirit, its title notwithstanding. ~ Matthew Kassel is a freelance writer whose work has been published by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, and The Columbia Journalism Review, among other publications.
https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/eric-reed-everybody-gets-the-blues-smoke-sessions/

Personnel: Organ – Eric Reed; Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Tim Greene; Bass – Mike Gurrola; Drums – McClenty Hunter Jr.

Everybody Gets the Blues

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Tommy Dorsey - Music Maestro Please!

Styles: Swing, Big Band
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:53
Size: 66,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:53) 1. Music Maestro Please
(2:33) 2. A Tisket A Tasket
(3:09) 3. Boogie Woogie
(3:17) 4. Symphony In Riffs
(2:26) 5. Sheik Of Araby
(2:37) 6. I'll See You In My Dreams
(2:37) 7. Shine On Harvest Moon
(3:02) 8. Chinatown My Chinatown
(2:52) 9. Sweet Sue Just You
(3:22) 10. Washboard Blues

Though he might have been ranked second at any given moment to Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, or Harry James, Tommy Dorsey was overall the most popular bandleader of the swing era that lasted from 1935 to 1945. His remarkably melodic trombone playing was the signature sound of his orchestra, but he successfully straddled the hot and sweet styles of swing with a mix of ballads and novelty songs. He provided showcases to vocalists like Frank Sinatra, Dick Haymes, and Jo Stafford, and he employed inventive arrangers such as Sy Oliver and Bill Finegan. He was the biggest-selling artist in the history of RCA Victor Records, one of the major labels, until the arrival of Elvis Presley, who was first given national exposure on the 1950s television show he hosted with his brother Jimmy.

Dorsey was 21 months younger than Jimmy and thus the second son of Thomas Francis Dorsey, Sr., a music teacher and band director, and Theresa Langton Dorsey. Both brothers received musical instruction from their father. Tommy focused on the trombone, though he also played trumpet, especially early in his career. The brothers played in local groups, then formed their own band, Dorsey's Novelty Six, in 1920. By 1922, when they played an engagement at a Baltimore amusement park and made their radio debut, they were calling the group Dorsey's Wild Canaries. During the early and mid-'20s, they played in a series of bands including the Scranton Sirens, the California Ramblers, and orchestras led by Jean Goldkette and Paul Whiteman, sometimes apart, but usually together. Eventually, they settled in New York and worked as session musicians. In 1927, they began recording as the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for OKeh Records, using pickup bands, and they first reached the charts with "Coquette" in June 1928. In the spring of 1929, they scored a Top Ten hit with "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)," which featured Bing Crosby on vocals.

The Dorseys finally organized a full-time band and signed to Decca Records in 1934. Hiring Bing Crosby's younger brother Bob Crosby as their vocalist, they scored a Top Ten hit with "I Believe in Miracles" in the late winter of 1935, quickly followed by "Tiny Little Fingerprints" (vocal by Kay Weber) and "Night Wind" (vocal by Bob Crosby). They then enjoyed successive number one hits with "Lullaby of Broadway" (vocal by Bob Crosby) and "Chasing Shadows" (vocal by Bob Eberly, Bob Crosby's replacement). The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra was poised to become the biggest band in the country in the spring of 1935 and might have been remembered for launching the swing era, but at the end of May the brothers, whose relationship was always volatile, disagreed, and Tommy left the band (which nevertheless scored another Top Ten hit with "Every Little Movement" that summer). Jimmy Dorsey continued to lead the band, which eventually was billed as Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra and went on to considerable success. But while the Dorseys stumbled, Benny Goodman achieved national success and was dubbed "the King of Swing."

Tommy Dorsey took over the remnants of the Joe Haymes band in founding his own orchestra in the fall of 1935. Signing to RCA Victor Records, he scored an immediate success with "On Treasure Island" (vocal by Edythe Wright), which topped the charts in December 1935, one of four Dorsey records to peak in the Top Ten before the end of the year. Dorsey was back at number one in January 1936 with "The Music Goes Round and Round" (vocal by Edythe Wright) and topped the charts again in February with "Alone" (vocal by Cliff Weston). "You" (vocal by Edythe Wright) gave him his third number one in 1936, to which can be added eight other Top Ten hits during the year. Dorsey was even more successful in 1937, a year in which he scored 18 Top Ten hits, among them the chart-toppers "Marie" (vocal by Jack Leonard), "Satan Takes a Holiday" (an instrumental), "The Big Apple," "Once in a While," and "The Dipsy Doodle" (vocal by Edythe Wright). Dorsey earned his own radio series, which ran for nearly three years. His 15 Top Ten hits in 1938 included the number one "Music, Maestro, Please" (vocal by Edythe Wright), and he had another 11 Top Ten hits in 1939, among them "Our Love" (vocal by Jack Leonard), which hit number one.
More....By William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tommy-dorsey-mn0000934072/biography

Music Maestro Please!

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Ibrahim Maalouf - Capacity to Love

Styles: Mainstream Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:59
Size: 125,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:23) 1. Intro
(5:00) 2. Speechless
(3:27) 3. El Mundo
(2:41) 4. Better On My Own
(2:53) 5. The Pope
(4:39) 6. Quiet Culture (Feat. Pos Of De La Soul)
(3:20) 7. Todo Colores
(3:19) 8. Money
(2:31) 9. Back Home
(3:34) 10. Tout S'illumine
(3:54) 11. Right Time
(3:13) 12. Feeling Good
(4:25) 13. Capacity To Love
(6:10) 14. Our Flag
(3:22) 15. Humble

Ibrahim Maalouf's 15th studio album is a hymn to inclusion, sharing and identity in a world where claiming one's difference has become divisive. A new album under the sign of hope and tolerance sublimated by a guest list as bluffing as unexpected.

CAPACITY TO LOVE is an album that lives up to the ambitions of Ibrahim Maalouf. The famous trumpet player has invited artists such as crooner Gregory Porter, Pos of De La Soul the legendary American rap group, English pop icon JP Cooper, Erick the Architect the charismatic leader of the group Flatbush Zombies or the new Mozart of US rap, winner of "Rhythm + Flow" D Smoke. The album also features French singer and guitarist -M-, Cuban phenomenon Cimafunk, new New Orleans sensation Tank and the Bangas, Quincy Jones' protégé Sheléa Frazier and new talent Alemeda, recently signed to TDE, Kendrick Lamar's historic label. Finally, Ibrahim Maalouf has invited pop culture icons such as Sharon Stone and Charlie Chaplin.

Ibrahim Maalouf is embarking on a new adventure that already promises to be historic. With CAPACITY TO LOVE, he seeks to honor the art of urban music with class and humility, while developing an aspect of his work that nobody would have imagined a few years ago. A true festival in the colors of the artist's dreams.

For the first time, Ibrahim Maalouf decided to produce an album in collaboration with two production geniuses, NuTone and Henry Was. https://www.ibrahimmaalouf.com/en/music/capacity-to-love/

Capacity to Love

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Chick Corea Band Feat. Sadao Watanabe - Live Under the Sky...80

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:32
Size: 106,7 MB
Art: Front

(12:26) 1. Nice Shot
(11:52) 2. Someday My Prince Will Come
(16:17) 3. 500 Miles High
( 5:56) 4. Piano Solo

The Chick Corea Band featured here is a high energy quartet plus saxophonist Sadao Watanabe. In fact, the concert feels at times like a showcase for the world's preeminent Japanese jazz musician who was very much a local hero. The music is electric jazz with heavy Latin and funk elements rather than high concept fusion.

Bunny Brunel on fretless bass and Tom Brechtlein on drums were Corea regulars at the time and the addition of legendary (even then) percussionist Don Alias makes this 1980 Live Under The Sky performance something special. Performed at the Denen Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan, 27 July 1980 and originally broadcast on NHK radio.By Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Under-Chick-Watanabe-Sadao-Corea

Personnel: Chick Corea(p, key), Sadao Watanabe(sax), Bunny Brunel(b), Tom Brechtlein(ds), Don Alias(perc)

Live Under the Sky...80

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Gerald Wilson Big Band - Moment Of Truth

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:32
Size: 93,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:47)  1. Viva Tirado
(4:26)  2. Moment Of Truth
(5:57)  3. Patterns
(2:58)  4. Terri
(2:41)  5. Nancy Jo
(5:40)  6. Milestones
(5:06)  7. Latino
(4:29)  8. Josephina
(3:25)  9. Emerge

Gerald Wilson's Pacific Jazz albums of the 1960s were arguably the most significant of his career. This CD reissues his second record of the period and has among its highlights the original version of "Viva Tirado" (a catchy number made into a surprise pop hit by El Chicano later in the decade) and a driving rendition of "MIlestones"; the other seven songs (six of which are Wilson's originals) are also quite enjoyable. Among the more notable soloists are trumpeter Carmell Jones, both Teddy Edwards and Harold Land on tenor, guitarist Joe Pass, and pianist Jack Wilson. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/moment-of-truth-mw0000654233

Personnel: Gerald Wilson - arranger and conductor; John Audino, Jules Chaiken, Freddie Hill, Carmell Jones, Al Porcino  - trumpet; Lou Blackburn, Bob Edmondson, Lester Robertson, Frank Strong - trombone; Bob Knight - bass trombone; Joe Maini - alto saxophone; Bud Shank - alto saxophone, flute; Teddy Edwards, Harold Land - tenor saxophone; Jack Nimitz, Don Raffell - baritone saxophone; Jack Wilson - piano; Joe Pass - guitar; Jimmy Bond - bass; Mel Lewis - drums; Modesto Duran - congas

Moment Of Truth

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Althea Rene - Pastel Leather

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:04
Size: 69,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:00) 1. Pastel Leather
(3:37) 2. Blue Room
(4:03) 3. Tabula Rasa
(4:25) 4. Show You The Way
(4:42) 5. Seven Years Good Luck
(4:39) 6. Jamoca Almond
(4:35) 7. Gogo Bootz

Althea René is releasing her new project titled “Pastel Leather” in mid-October (her hit single “Pastel Leather” is the title track). The theme of the project is a particular duality of human behavior. Sometimes we are forced to exhibit a soft, polite, and forgiving demeanor while quietly maintaining a hard mentality and physical toughness. The project features a powerful lineup of guest artists like vibe master Warren Wolf, trumpeter Lin Rountree, producer/writer Demetrius “Krayon” Nabors, and jazz fusion icon Jeff Lorber. https://althearene.com/product/844053

Personnel: Flute: Althea René; Keyboard & Programming: Demetrius “Krayon” Nabors; Bass: Robert “Rob Bass” Skinner; Guitar: Gary Johnson; Drums: Nate Winn

Pastel Leather

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Anthony Strong - Easy Sailing

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:38
Size: 121,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:21) 1. Skylark
(4:02) 2. Maria
(3:03) 3. Do It The Hard Way
(3:30) 4. Lucky To Be Me
(3:27) 5. When You Wish Upon A Star
(3:52) 6. Look For The Silver Lining
(2:03) 7. I'm Beginning To See The Light
(3:25) 8. Comes Love
(3:56) 9. Celeste
(4:22) 10. Minute By Minute
(3:36) 11. Don't Dream It's Over
(3:50) 12. Any Old Place
(3:31) 13. Straighten Up & Fly Right
(4:05) 14. Yesterday
(1:28) 15. Nature Boy

Bringing together a lush string orchestra, timeless repertoire and a deep jazz sensibility, British singer-pianist Anthony Strong presents his 5th studio offering 'Easy Sailing' this November. With more than a decade of touring under his belt - from the Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl in the West to Shanghai and Beijing in the East - the record captures the dynamism of his live show, in full technicolour.
Fifteen carefully-crafted songs songs take the listener on a voyage from jazz legends Nat King Cole and Hoagy Carmichael to Musical Theatre great Leonard Bernstein and even The Beatles.
https://www.propermusic.com/gr004cd-easy-sailing.html

Easy Sailing

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Kitt Lough - Orange Colored View

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:04
Size: 94,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:30)  1. Honeysuckle Rose
(6:09)  2. Lover Man
(2:15)  3. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
(5:17)  4. Love Me Or Leave Me
(3:45)  5. Sentimental Journey
(3:54)  6. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
(4:00)  7. No Moon At All
(6:03)  8. Cry Me A River
(2:27)  9. Orange Colored Sky
(4:40) 10. The Very Thought of You

Alternately emotive, sultry and swinging vocals on jazz standards with great arrangements. Makes the old sound fresh and new! There was a time when vocalists infused every carefully chosen lyric with meaning, every precious syllable with emotion, and every note with golden tone. It was the era of the true 'chanteuse'. That era is alive and well, living in the person of Kitt Lough, an inspiring new voice on the jazz scene. Melding sultry, velvety vocals with a beguiling appearance, Kitt creates a romantic experience that transports the listener to an age when glamour, rhythm and romance ruled the day. By turns playful & coquettish or plaintive & mournful, she sparkles in the spotlight with her visual and vocal artistry wherever she sings. She imbues every lyric with an emotional range that makes evident the wealth of her life's experience. Her debut CD "Orange Colored View" is enjoying rave reviews and generous airplay on jazz stations acrss the southeast. Stunningly produced and arranged by Dan Serafini, it showcases her vocal versatility and places her squarely among today's best jazz vocalists. (http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7456417&style=music&fulldesc=T).

Orange Colored View

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Willis Jackson - Soul Night Live!

Size: 166,2 MB
Time: 71:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1964/2002
Styles: Jazz: Soul Jazz
Art: Full

01. The Man I Love (5:45)
02. Perdido (7:58)
03. Thunderbird (5:17)
04. Polka Dots And Moonbeams (5:59)
05. All Soul (4:59)
06. Flamingo (5:47)
07. I Can't Stop Loving You (6:33)
08. One Mint Julep (4:00)
09. Up A Lazy River (3:06)
10. Jumpin' With Symphony Sid (4:19)
11. Tangerine (2:44)
12. Ebb Tide (4:13)
13. Blue Gator (6:21)
14. Secret Love (4:14)

The term "soul" was tossed around quite a bit in the '60s and '70s. It usually had an African-American connotation -- as in soul brother, soul sister, soul food, soul music (a specific style of R&B), or James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. But the term isn't always used in reference to black culture; soulful means expressive, and in that sense, country greats Ernest Tubb and Patsy Cline were seriously soulful. However you define the word soul, Willis "Gator" Jackson was the epitome of it. The tenor titan played with a tremendous amount of feeling, and in the '60s, Prestige wasn't shy about using the word soul in connection with his work. Recorded at a New York club called the Allegro on March 21, 1964, Soul Night Live! isn't soul music in the James Brown/Rufus Thomas/Sam & Dave/Marvin Gaye sense; however, Jackson's quintet (which also includes trumpeter Frank Robinson, guitarist Pat Martino, organist Carl Wilson, and drummer Joe Hadrick) offers instrumental soul-jazz/hard bop that has just as much humanity and blues feeling. Jackson doesn't play any vocal-oriented R&B -- which is what the term "soul music" usually referred to in the '60s and '70s -- but he does bring a wealth of emotion to the table on tunes that range from the standard "Flamingo" to the funky boogaloo "Thunderbird." Jackson throws listeners a major curve ball on George & Ira Gershwin's "The Man I Love," which starts out at its usual ballad tempo before suddenly turning into a 100-mile-an-hour bop workout. "The Man I Love" has been recorded hundreds of times over the years, but rarely at a fast tempo. Soul Night Live! is an accurate title for this LP, which does, in fact, focus on a night of soulfulness. [The 2002 CD reissue on Fantasy adds the entirety of the album Tell It..., also recorded on March 21, 1964 at The Allegro in New York.] ~by Alex Henderson

Soul Night Live! 

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Julius Watkins Sextet - Volumes 1 & 2

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:18
Size: 97,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:21) 1. Linda Delia
(5:09) 2. Perpetuation
(4:28) 3. I Have Known
(4:53) 4. Leete
(4:45) 5. Garden Delights
(3:35) 6. Julie Ann
(4:18) 7. Sparkling Burgundy
(5:00) 8. B And B
(4:45) 9. Jor-du

Before the rise of bebop, the French horn was never heard as an improvising instrument in jazz. John Graas, who worked with Stan Kenton and Shorty Rogers, was the first jazz French horn player to lead his own record date, in 1953. However, Julius Watkins soon surpassed him as a major soloist and would be the top jazz French horn player to emerge until the 1990s. He appeared as a soloist on a Thelonious Monk date in 1953 next to Sonny Rollins, and in 1954-1955 recorded music for a pair of very rare Blue Note 10" LPs. All of the latter performances are on this CD reissue.

The 42 minutes of music find Watkins heading sextets with either Frank Foster or Hank Mobley on tenor, guitarist Perry Lopez, George Butcher or Duke Jordan on piano, bassist Oscar Pettiford, and Kenny Clarke or Art Blakey on drums. The French horn/tenor front line is an attractive sound (substitute Watkins for a trombonist, and one has the Jazz Crusaders); when Watkins formed Les Jazz Modes (which lasted for five years) a few years later, he would use Charlie Rouse as his tenor.

The French horn might be a difficult instrument, but Watkins played it with the warmth of a trombone and nearly the fluidity of a trumpet. All nine straight-ahead selections on his CD are group originals, with Duke Jordan's future standard "Jordu" being heard in one of its earliest versions. Overall, the music fits into the modern mainstream of the period. This early effort by Julius Watkins is easily recommended.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/julius-watkins-sextet-vols-1-2-mw0000601261

Personnel: French Horn – Julius Watkins; Bass – Oscar Pettiford; Drums – Art Blakey (tracks: 5 to 9), Kenny Clarke (tracks: 1 to 4); ; Guitar – Perry Lopez; Piano – Duke Jordan (tracks: 5 to 9), George Butcher (tracks: 1 to 4); Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster (tracks: 1 to 4), Hank Mobley (tracks: 5 to 9)

Sextet Volumes 1 & 2

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Craig Davis (with John Clayton & Jeff Hamilton)- Tone Paintings: The Music of Dodo Marmarosa

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
Time: 50:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 117,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:23) 1. Mellow Mood
(5:13) 2. Dodo’s Bounce
(6:08) 3. Dodo’s Blues
(2:53) 4. Escape
(4:03) 5. A Ditty For Dodo
(3:57) 6. Opus No. 5
(4:12) 7. Compadoo
(4:12) 8. Dary Departs
(3:24) 9. Tone Paintings
(3:16) 10. Battle Of The Balcony Jive
(7:06) 11. Dodo’s Lament

The subtitle of pianist Craig Davis' second album, Tone Paintings, is "The Music of Dodo Marmarosa." For those who may be inclined to ask, "Dodo who?" the album offers a mini-biography of Pittsburgh-born Michael (Dodo) Marmarosa, an exceptionally talented pianist whose promising early career was cut short by the crushing weight of mental and emotional problems that proved too unbearable for him to overcome. At his peak, in the decade from 1940-50, Marmarosa was a member of big bands led by Gene Krupa, Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw, and played and/or recorded with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie (on Parker's first recordings for Dial Records), Wardell Gray, Lionel Hampton, Mel Torme, Lester Young and Willie "The Lion" Smith, among others, as well as recording with his own groups. The peerless Art Tatum, asked in the mid-'40s to name the most promising young pianists he'd heard, singled out Marmarosa and Red Garland.

Like Marmarosa (and legendary pianist Erroll Garner), Davis hails from Pittsburgh, and was well aware of Dodo's trail-blazing career at the keyboard. What is lesser known (and what Davis chooses to emphasize here) is Marmarosa's singular proficiency as a composer. To do so, he has enlisted the services of a blue-chip rhythm section comprising bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton to perform ten of Marmarosa's seductive original compositions and one flat-out charmer ("A Ditty for Dodo") by Davis. The bop influence is strong throughout, as is Marmarosa's capacity to write enchanting melodies that also swing.

The album's opening number, the Garner-like "Mellow Mood," was written when Marmarosa was a scant fourteen years old (yes, he was a child prodigy who became a professional musician in his mid-teens and listed among his early musical influences Chopin, Ravel, Debussy and Stravinsky). "Mood" is delightful, but no more so than Dodo's eight other themes, which include a blues, a bounce, a battle, a lament and "Tone Paintings." There is even a clever contrafact ("Compadoo") of the standard "Sweet Georgia Brown." The tasteful and deeply grooved "Dary Departs" is among the album's several highlights, as is the animated "Battle of the Balcony Jive," which leads to the pensive and suitable closing number, "Dodo's Lament."

The album's other numbers are "Dodo's Bounce," "Dodo's Blues," "Escape" and "Opus No. 5." The guess here is that Davis an artist to keep an eye on plays them precisely as Marmaroso would have wanted. As for Clayton, he is simply one of the finest bassists on the scene (his solos are models of elegance and perception), while Hamilton's superior talents with sticks and brushes remain at their peak. As trio sessions go, it does not get much better than this. An exemplary tribute to a remarkable musician whose legacy should neither be undervalued nor overlooked.By Jack Bowers
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tone-paintings-craig-davis-mcg-jazz

Personnel: Craig Davis: piano; John Clayton: drums; Jeff Hamilton: drums.

Tone Paintings

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Howard Mcghee - Introducing The Kenny Drew Trio

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:38
Size: 129,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:36) 1. Meciendo
(2:50) 2. Lo-flame
(2:52) 3. Fluid Drive
(2:53) 4. I'll Remember April
(3:10) 5. Fuguetta
(2:51) 6. Donnellon
(2:54) 7. Lo-flame (Alt. Take)
(5:21) 8. Yesterdays
(2:29) 9. Stella By Starlight
(3:24) 10. Gloria
(2:45) 11. Be My Love
(3:33) 12. Lover Come Back To Me
(4:43) 13. Everything Happens To Me
(2:50) 14. It Might As Well Be Spring
(2:27) 15. Drew's Blues
(4:23) 16. Yesterdays (Alt. Take)
(3:29) 17. Everything Happens To Me (Alt. Take)

This 1998 CD has all of the music from two formerly scarce 10" LPs. Trumpeter Howard McGhee heads an all-star group that includes trombonist J.J. Johnson, tenor saxophonist Brew Moore, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Curly Russell, and drummer Max Roach on "I'll Remember April," an original by the leader and four songs (plus an alternate take) by Drew, who was making his recording debut.

Because it was the tail-end of the 78 era, all of the performances are between 2:34 and 3:07 in length but the concise solos are generally quite strong. Although McGhee gets the top billing on this CD, the second half of this disc is actually by the Kenny Drew Trio (with Russell and drummer Art Blakey) from three years later, Drew's debut as a leader. Other than his "Gloria" and the basic "Drew's Blues," all of the music (which is augmented by two alternate takes) is standards including "Be My Love," "Yesterdays," and a surprisingly heated rendition of "It Might As Well Be Spring." Easily recommended to bebop collectors. By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/introducing-the-kenny-drew-trio-mw0000601264

Personnel: Howard McGhee - Trumpet; J.J. Johnson - Trombone; Brew Moore - Saxophone; Kenny Drew - Piano; Curly Russell - Bass; Max Roach - Drums

Howard Mcghee Introducing The Kenny Drew Trio

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Ben Wolfe Quintet - Live At Smalls

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:12
Size: 140,1 MB
Art: Front

( 7:26)  1. Block 11
( 7:36)  2. For The Great Sonny Clark
( 8:57)  3. Telescope
(11:12)  4. Contraption
( 8:41)  5. Unjust
( 3:12)  6. I'll Know You More
( 5:06)  7. Double Czech
( 7:57)  8. Coleman's Cab
( 1:01)  9. The Trade

In New York City, there's a popular venue known as Smalls Jazz Club. The Ben Wolfe Quintet introduces a series of performance recordings, simply titled Smalls Live. A Baltimore native, Wolfe's professional associations include Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick, Jr. and Diana Krall. He is currently a faculty member at Julliard School of Music, Jazz Division. 

The high-energy, attention-grabbing "Block 11"one of nine songs, all composed and arranged by Wolfe begins the set, with Ryan Kisor's blistering trumpet inspiring thoughts of the late Freddie Hubbard. Pianist Luis Perdomo delivers a solo, accompanied only by Wolfe and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. The band slows to a near stop before shifting back into gear as tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland follows with a passionate solo, supported by Hutchinson, as the song downshifts again for its conclusion. The band swings on the easygoing "Telescope," with trumpet and sax blending for the melody before splitting into layered leads. Strickland takes point for a pleasure jaunt while, after Perdomo's solo, Hutchinson shows his skills in a call-and-response with the rest of the group. Te closing "The Trade" is a brief duet for Wolfe and Hutchinson.

Musically, there's nothing to complain about here, with Wolfe and his sidemen tight throughout the disc. The only negative is the packaging. Dark purple print over a solid black background makes it difficult to read song titles, players' instruments and other notes. Despite that, Live at Smalls scores big. ~ Woodrow Wilkins  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=38413#.Uoz4KeJc_vs

Personnel: Ben Wolfe: acoustic bass; Marcus Strickland: tenor saxophone; Ryan Kisor: trumpet; Luis Perdomo: piano; Gregory Hutchinson: drums.

Live At Smalls

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Benny Golson - Gettin' With It

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:20
Size: 86,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:15)  1. Baubles, Bangles And Beads
( 5:11)  2. April In Paris
( 6:55)  3. Blue Streak
( 6:40)  4. Tippin' On Thru
(12:16)  5. Bob Hurd's Blues

Benny Golson leads a potent quintet in this 1959 studio date; the tenor saxophonist is joined by pianist Tommy Flanagan, trombonist Curtis Fuller, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor. Golson's snappy arrangement of "Baubles, Bangle and Beads" features Fuller's fine mute work and Flanagan's upbeat inventive solo before he introduces his big-toned tenor into the mix. Golson's slight vibrato and Taylor's swirling brushwork are highlights of his interpretation of "April in Paris." The remaining three tracks are all originals by the leader: the up-tempo hard bop cooker "Blue Streak," the jaunty strut "Tippin' on Thru," and the extended blues "Bob Hurd's Blues," which will get anyone's feet tapping. This is one of Benny Golson's best dates as a leader because one not only gets to enjoy his always strong arrangements, but his consistently first-rate tenor sax solos. Highly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/gettin-with-it-mw0000180765

Personnel: Benny Golson - tenor saxophone; Curtis Fuller - trombone; Tommy Flanagan - piano; Doug Watkins - bass; Art Taylor - drums

Gettin' With It

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