Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Sylvia Syms - Syms By Sinatra

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:32
Size: 83,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:25) 1. Hooray for Love
(4:40) 2. All My Tomorrows
(3:06) 3. By Myself
(4:43) 4. You Go to My Head
(3:17) 5. Close Enough for Love
(3:16) 6. Them There Eyes
(3:44) 7. Someone to Light Up My Life
(4:12) 8. I Thought About You
(3:59) 9. You Must Believe in Spring
(3:06) 10. That Old Devil Moon

Not to be confused with the English actress of the same name, Sylvia Syms was born Sylvia Blagman in Brooklyn, New York on December 2, 1917. Perhaps less well known for her acting career, Syms became a premier jazz and cabaret singer, remarkable for a versatility that encompassed many genres of music. She was dubbed by close friend, Frank SInatra, as the “world’s greatest saloon singer.” Syms had just begun a month-long residency at the Algonquin Oak Room in Sylvia Syms Sings Sinatra, and famously collapsed on stage as she was about to begin her encore, “This Will Be My Shining Hour.” She was pronounced dead of a heart attack, on May 10, 1992, age 74. She was also about to celebrate the release of a new album, You Must Believe in Spring

Syms’ interest in performing began at an early age her first performance being in front of family and friends. She has said of that, “My parents didn’t know how to cope with my singing. They were poor and their backgrounds had taught them that the life of a singer or actress led directly to the gutter.” She revealed that she was singing in her carriage before she was talking, and later would sit on the stoop of her home in Brooklyn singing at the top of her lungs. Overcoming childhood polio, Syms began haunting clubs in Manhattan as a teenager, where she met the likes of Dean Martin and Mae West (who put her in a revival of “Diamond Lil” as Flo the shoplifter in 1948). She made her first meaningful singing debut in 1941 at Kelly’s Stable, a famous club among famous clubs on West 52nd Street in New York City.

As an actress,she often played the part of Bloody Mary in South Pacific and had the lead in a production of Hello, Dolly! Her other roles were in musicals and plays such as Dream Girl, Thirteen Daughters, Funny Girl, Flower Drum Song and Camino Real. In 1972, Syms had a lung removed, which did not stop her from performing as Bloody Mary at the Chateau de Ville Dinner Theater in Framingham, Massachusetts.

At the beginning of her recording career, Syms released albums on the DRG label, the Bainbridge label and several other independents, producing hits such as “Wild Is the Wind” and “Cuando Te Fuiste De Mi.” Eventually signed to the Decca label, she had a major success with her 1956 release of “I Could Have Danced All Night,” which sold over one million copies and earned her a gold record certification by the Recording Industry Association of America.

She recorded with jazz greats Milt Hinton, Kenny Burrell and Bucky Pizzarelli, among others. Frank Sinatra produced her 1982 album, Syms By Sinatra. Notably, she conducted master classes in singing for 14 years at the Northwood Institute, a performing arts university in Dallas. Syms also appeared regularly at the Cafe Carlyle in Manhattan and would sometimes, impromptu, would join Bobby Short during his set. At the time of her death, Sylvia Syms had recorded more than 15 albums in several different genres, leaving a rich legacy of music to the ages.
https://nitelifeexchange.com/actress-cabaret-and-jazz-doyenne-sylvia-syms-known-for-her-versatility/

Personnel: Sylvia Syms - vocals; Frank Sinatra - conductor; Don Costa - arranger;

Syms By Sinatra

The Capp-Pierce Juggernaut Feat.Joe Williams - Live At The Century Plaza

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:40
Size: 98,1 MB
Art: Front

( 3:57) 1. Fiesta In Brass
( 5:42) 2. Basie's Deep Fry
( 4:35) 3. Souvenir
( 5:08) 4. Capp This!
( 5:02) 5. Tarragon
( 4:44) 6. Swing Shift
(10:51) 7. Joe's Blues
( 2:39) 8. What The World Needs Now Is Love

The packaging for this reissue CD could be better (it leaves out the personnel listing and even the recording date) but the Capp/Pierce Juggernaut is heard throughout the live session in fine form. The main soloists in the 1978 version of the 17-piece orchestra are pianist co-leader Nat Pierce, trumpeter Al Aarons, trombonist Buster Cooper, tenors Bob Cooper and Herman Riley, and altoist Marshall Royal; the other co-leader, Frank Capp, has a drum feature on "Capp This."

The Count Basie sound-alike band (which sounds surprisingly like Duke Ellington's on "Fiesta in Brass") performs Pierce's arrangements with swing and spirit. An added plus is that Joe Williams sits in for "Joe's Blues" (during which he sings some of his favorite blues stanzas) along with a throwaway version of "What the World Needs Now Is Love." By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-live-at-the-century-plaza-mw0000187957

Personnel: Drums – Frankie Capp; Piano – Nat Pierce; Bass – Chuck Berghoffer; Guitar – Ray Pohlman; Saxophone – Bob Cooper, Herman Riley, Lanny Morgan, Marshal Royal*, Bill Green; Trombone – Alan Kaplan, Britt Woodman, Buster Cooper, Garnett Bown; Trumpet – Al Aarons, Bill Berry, Bobby Shew, Frank Szabo; Vocals – Joe Williams

Live At Century Plaza

Bill Charlap, Sandy Stewart - Love Is Here To Stay

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:05
Size: 132,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:09)  1. Love Is Here To Stay
(5:35)  2. After You
(4:29)  3. The Boy Next Door
(5:44)  4. A Sleepin' Bee
(3:34)  5. Always
(5:18)  6. Here I Am In Love Again
(6:16)  7. I've Got a Crush On You
(4:38)  8. Where Is Me?
(5:05)  9. Dancing On The Ceiling
(7:34) 10. It Might As Well Be Spring
(3:36) 11. I'll Never Go There Anymore

It is unusual to hear a son and his mother record together in a jazz setting, but this collection of ballads by Bill Charlap and Sandy Stewart is a stunning duo date. Charlap is best known as the leader of a superb piano trio, along with having worked extensively with Gerry Mulligan and Phil Woods, but he may find himself in great demand by other vocalists following this CD. Stewart has recorded only sporadically over the years, though she has worked with her son on a number of club dates. Her instrument has mellowed like a fine wine, with a slight vibrato that adds to the intimacy of each performance. Charlap's interludes between phrases are lush yet never overdone, while he makes great use of space in his accompaniment.

While there are quite a few standards present, they also chose songs that have been unjustly neglected. "Here I Am in Love Again," written by the late Moose Charlap (the singer's husband and the pianist's father), is a hopeful song about love in its early stages, which they approach with tenderness. Another Charlap composition, "I Never Go There Anymore," is just the opposite, a sentimental look back at a distant past that can never be recaptured. The standards are just as enticing. Stewart restores the frequently omitted verse to a moving take of "Love Is Here to Stay" and perfectly captures the wistful air of "The Boy Next Door." Singer/pianist Barbara Carroll's engaging liner notes capture the essence of this very romantic CD. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-is-here-to-stay-mw0000350948

Personnel: Bill Charlap (piano); Sandy Stewart (vocals).

Love Is Here To Stay

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Shirley Jones & Jack Cassidy - Speaking of Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:10
Size: 89,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:45) 1. Vienna, City of My Dreams
(2:22) 2. I'll Follow My Secret Heart
(3:03) 3. Try to Forget
(2:30) 4. Sympathy
(3:15) 5. The Song Is You
(3:31) 6. Will You Remember
(4:08) 7. If You Could Only Come with Me / I'll See You Again
(2:58) 8. Lover, Come Back to Me
(2:46) 9. Wanting You
(2:53) 10. A Kiss in the Dark
(3:27) 11. You Are Love
(3:25) 12. Kiss Me Again

Shirley Jones, the young star of the Rodgers & Hammerstein movie musicals Oklahoma! and Carousel, married Jack Cassidy, the Broadway stage musical performer whose featured appearances included Wish You Were Here and Shangri-La, on August 5, 1956, and the following year the couple released this LP of songs from musicals and operettas that had played in New York and London between 1905 ("Kiss Me Again" from Victor Herbert's Mlle. Modiste) and 1934 ("I'll Follow My Secret Heart" from Noel Coward's Conversation Piece).

By 1957, such material, the work of composers like Rudolf Friml, Jerome Kern, and Sigmund Romberg, was out of date on stage and film, but Jones and Cassidy applied their trained voices Jones' pure soprano, Cassidy's soaring tenor to it with sincerity and fervor, and Percy Faith gave them an accompaniment to support their best efforts. They didn't quite bring back the age of the operetta, but they showed that it could have a contemporary meaning, especially in its romantic sentiments.

Cassidy soloed brilliantly on Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's "The Song Is You" from Music in the Air, taking the title back from such pop craftsmen as Frank Sinatra, and Jones had her way with Herbert and B.G. DeSylva's "A Kiss in the Dark" from Orange Blossoms. But the rest of the tracks were duets, and the couple's real-life romance turned Kern and Hammerstein's "You Are Love" from Show Boat and Romberg and Hammerstein's "Lover, Come Back to Me!" from New Moon into impassioned musical statements. The interpretations bordered on classical music rather than pop, but they also brought new life to a virtually moribund form.By William Ruhlmann
https://www.allmusic.com/album/speaking-of-love-mw0001286744

Speaking of Love

Dave Brubeck Quartet - London Flat, London Sharp

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:25
Size: 134,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:29)  1. London Flat, London Sharp
(5:07)  2. To Sit And Dream
(7:30)  3. The Time Of Our Madness
(7:04)  4. Unisphere
(3:26)  5. Steps To Peace
(6:23)  6. Forty Days
(4:19)  7. Cassandra
(8:04)  8. Yes, We All Have Our Cross To Bear
(8:04)  9. Mr. Fats
(3:53) 10. Ballad Of The Rhine

Straight and fast. That's how the Dave Brubeck Quartet grabs you with the opening title song of London Flat, London Sharp. Surrounded by a supporting cast of Bobby Militello, Michael Moore, and Randy Jones, the pianist is at the top of his game on this new outing. Clocking in at just under an hour, with ten tracks ranging from the three-and-a- half-minute ballad "Steps to Peace to the strutting, eight-minute "Mr. Fats, the album covers plenty of ground and takes no detours. After the dazzling opener, the group settles into a laid-back swing on "To Sit and Dream. On both, Militello carries the main melody on alto sax while Brubeck stirs up some delightful piano solos, complemented by Jones on drums and Moore on double bass. Brubeck, now 84, needs little introduction, having been a mainstay on the jazz scene for more than half a century. One of his early quartets struck gold in 1960. Their album, Time Out, and its singles, "Take Five and "Blue Rondo a la Turk, were the first in modern jazz to go gold. While Brubeck is frontman, Militello is the star. He has appeared on some fifty-plus albums with a varied list of performers, including Charlie Shoemake, Chuck Mangione, Mark Colby, and the Manhattan Transfer's Cheryl Bentyne. In the 1970s, Militello spent five years with Maynard Ferguson's orchestra, playing baritone sax and serving up sensational flute solos on such show tune adaptations as "Maria (from 'West Side Story'), "Theme from Star Trek, and "Over the Rainbow, plus Eric Gale's "Swamp. Militello also has four solo albums, and he's recorded fourteen with Brubeck, including the new release. Some of the songs were featured on Brubeck's 40th Anniversary Tour of the UK, including "London Flat, London Sharp, so named because during part of that tour, the group stayed in London apartments (flats), which Brubeck said was sharp after previously complaining about their accommodations. "Steps to Peace, the only song on the new album to feature Militello on flute, was penned by Derrill Bodley on September 11, 2001. 

His daughter, Deora, was a passenger on Flight 93, which was hijacked and later crashed into rural Pennsylvania. The song, written later that day, was dedicated to Deora, the other passengers who died and The Sharing of a Just Peace, an organization Bodley has worked with in recent years. All other tracks are Brubeck originals, including such standouts as "Forty Days, which depict Jesus' period of solitude in the desert, and "The Time of Our Madness. "Yes, We All Have Our Cross to Bear is one of the few spots where bassist Moore gets to stretch out. Jones and Moore provide the backdrop for Brubeck and Militello's leads and improvisations. Though Jones doesn't have any extended solos, his presence is felt on all but "Ballad of the Rhine, a Brubeck solo. With upbeat grooves and eloquent ballads, London Flat, London Sharp is straight jazz with no gimmicks.By Woodrow Wilkins
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/london-flat-london-sharp-dave-brubeck-telarc-records-review-by-woodrow-wilkins.php

Personnel: Dave Brubeck, piano; Bobby Militello, alto sax and flute; Michael Moore, double bass; Randy Jones, drums

London Flat, London Sharp

Linda Keene - One More for the Road. The Dixie Songbird's Complete Recordings Disc1 and Disc 2

Album: One More for the Road.The Dixie Songbird's Complete Recordings Disc 1
Styles: Jazz
Year: 2022
Time: 63:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 149,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:25) 1. Blue And Disillusioned
(2:23) 2. Poor Butterfly
(3:11) 3. White Sails
(3:22) 4. Octoroon
(2:35) 5. The Sheik Of Araby
(3:58) 6. Tears From My Inkwell
(2:38) 7. Yankee Doodle
(3:02) 8. Especially For You
(2:48) 9. You're The Moment In My Life
(2:54) 10. At The Balalaika
(3:14) 11. The Straight Hour
(2:51) 12. As Long As I Live
(2:51) 13. Ac-dc Current
(2:59) 14. I Love You Too Much
(2:31) 15. Time Square Scuttle
(2:55) 16. One Cigarette For Two
(2:54) 17. For Whom The Bell Tolls
(2:24) 18. Number Ten Lullaby Lane
(2:54) 19. Strictly From Dixie
(2:59) 20. Embraceable You
(2:53) 21. Somebody Loves Me
(3:04) 22. Mound Bayou

Album: One More for the Road.The Dixie Songbird's Complete Recordings Disc 2
Styles: Jazz
Year: 2022
Time: 62:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 146,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:01) 1. Georgia On My Mind
(3:00) 2. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
(2:50) 3. Shine
(2:54) 4. Someone To Watch Over Me
(2:52) 5. Ja-da
(2:48) 6. Frankie And Johnny
(2:59) 7. When My Sugar Walks Down The Street
(3:57) 8. Romance
(3:50) 9. Zero Hour
(4:09) 10. Joe-joe Jump
(4:07) 11. Unlucky Woman
(4:44) 12. Blues In The Storm
(3:54) 13. Don't Let It End
(2:50) 14. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
(2:32) 15. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
(2:53) 16. Blues On My Weary Mind
(2:36) 17. I Must Have That Man
(2:29) 18. Muddy Water
(4:10) 19. One For My Baby

"Just when you think you’ve heard every canary from the big band era like Helen Ward, Helen Forrest or Martha Tilton, Fresh Sound Records digs up the virtually unknown Linda Keene, who was the vocalist for bands including Jack Teagarden, Tony Pastor, Bobby Hackett and Lennie Hayton before teaming up with Henry Levine’s Strictly From Dixie Jazz Band.

As you can tell, for the most part Keene was associated with “traditional” sounding bands, aka “Chicago” or “New Orleans”, but, hey, this was the Big Band Era, so everything recorded had a swing feel to it. Keene has a tone in the warm school of Forrest and Tilton, easy on the ears for “Blue and Disillusioned” with Hackett (along with Pee Wee Russell/cl and Eddie Condon/g) and sounding comfy with Teagarden’s band on a fun “Yankee Doodle” and “Tears From My Inkwell”. Hayton’s Orchestra, including guitarist Dave Barbour, has Keene in uptown swing form on “At The Starlight Hour” and the Ellingtonian “I Love You Much Too Much”. In 1941 she fronts Tony Pastor’s band, sharing the vocals with Dorsey Anderson on cozy “For Whom The Bell Tolls.”

She spent a couple of years with Levine’s Dixie Jazz Band, giving an impressive read of “Georgia On My Mind” and sounding believable on “Someone to Watch Over Me”. A bluesy meeting with Joe Marsala’s Orchestra, which included Leonard Feather/p, Joe Thomas/tp and Chuck Wayne/g along with the clarinet leader, having Keene tap into her inner Peggy Lee on “Unlucky Woman” and “Blues in the Storm”.

Most fun and modern is her stint with trumpeter Charlie Shavers in a smaller unit, and Keene sounding delightful on “Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good To You” and a drenched “Blues On My Weary Mind”. A spartan early 50s session with guitar and piano has her in a rowdy mood for “Muddy Water” and out Sinatra-ing on “One For My Baby”. Included are all of the session notes, and a great 52-page booklet giving you some background on this lady. How did we miss this?" By George W. Harris (June 16, 2022)
https://www.jazzweekly.com

One More for the Road. The Dixie Songbird's Complete Recordings Disc1,Disc2

Mark Sherman - The L.A. Sessions

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:53
Size: 162.3 MB
Styles: Vibraphone jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:39] 1. Woody N' You
[5:18] 2. Quasimodo
[5:47] 3. It Could Happen To You
[5:46] 4. Celia
[5:31] 5. Far Away
[5:43] 6. Whisper Not
[5:00] 7. Moment's Notice
[9:11] 8. Bag's Groove
[5:02] 9. Serpent's Tooth
[5:27] 10. Quasimodo (Bonus)
[5:31] 11. Woody 'n You (Bonus)
[6:51] 12. Celia (Bonus)

Vibraphonist Mark Sherman has had a longstanding desire to release an album featuring some of his favorite bebop and standard tunes. Now, in L.A. Sessions, this dream comes true, with happy results. These jazz gems from a half-century ago are played in the tradition, but Sherman and his cohorts lovingly add luster. Chief help comes from Bill Cunliffe, on Hammond B-3 organ (rather than his usual piano), and masterful guitarist John Chiodini, a favorite on the Southern California club scene.

Sherman has 30 years of recording, composing, and performing with top players and vocalists. Indicating his prowess, he topped Downbeat Magazine's Critics Poll in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Much influenced by Milt Jackson, his centerpiece here is an extended version of the great vibraphonist's classic "Bag's Groove." On this, he is laidback and mellow, embracing, midway, solid guitar, organ and drum solosBop's progenitors are well represented. Dizzy Gillespie's 1942 standby, "Woody N' You," is a pleasure, as is Bud Powell's "Celia," another game-changing genre piece with its unmistakable and groundbreaking rhythmic repetition and chord tones. The quartet excels on both.

Sherman travels forward in time with Miles Davis' "Serpent's Tooth," featuring Charles Ruggiero's torrential drums, helping to create a swirling vibes-guitar tempest. Along the way, John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice" brings a post bop feel to the proceedings, while Sherman's original, "Far Away," with its haunting atmosphere, brings to mind Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight" from the earlier era.

If asked what bop was like, this CD could be used as an aural illustration. Not as authentic as listening to a pioneer like Charlie Parker, perhaps, but these enthusiastic recreations do prevail. ~Larry Taylor

Mark Sherman: vibes; Bill Cunliffe: Hammond B3 organ; John Chiodini: guitar; Charles Ruggiero: drums.

The L.A. Sessions

Monday, March 13, 2023

Maria Kim - With Strings: Dream of You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:31
Size: 100,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:05) 1. Dream Of You
(5:23) 2. Dancing In The Dark
(3:31) 3. Almost Like Being In Love
(5:47) 4. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:39) 5. Embraceable You
(2:45) 6. Give Me The Simple Life
(6:00) 7. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
(4:20) 8. It's All Right With Me
(4:03) 9. 'S Wonderful
(3:54) 10. What's New

An original, lyrical soloist and a demanding group leader, Maria Kim is a dynamic singer, pianist and composer. Maria Kim grew up in South Korea, and took up the piano at the age of 3; 12 years later she was singing and playing the piano professionally throughout South Korea as the youngest jazz vocalist and pianist.

When she was 18yrs old, Maria Kim won 1st Place in Vocals and a scholarship from the Berklee College of Music World Scholarship Tour held in South Korea. She moved to Boston in 2006, and there she performed weekly gigs with the Berklee professors as well as attending school there.

After Berklee, Maria Kim enrolled in the New England Conservatory of Music where she studied under Ken Schaphorst, Ran Blake and Dominique Eade. She performed with Irene Aebi, Dave Holland, Ran Blake, and Steve Swallow, and started to develop her own unique style combined with free jazz.

Free jazz pianist and legend, Ran Blake, noted "Maria Kim is very special and one of the greatest singers I've played with."

Based on her career throughout South Korea and the United States, she set her musical direction to, "Not a single note wasted". Her music is a battle of two different egos within herself; Calm, dispassionate contemplation of her piano playing and the fearless vocalist exploring promptly to reach the perfect note, harmony and rhythm.

In 2013, Maria Kim became the first person to win two sections of Jazz People Magazine's "Rising Star" award for piano and vocal. She released her album which she directed, composed, wrote lyrics, played piano and sang. She was also selected as the "2016 New Face of Korean Jazz" by EBS Gonggam.

In 2017, accompanied by Yoonseung Cho, the first Korean Monk Institute graduate, Maria Kim released her new album "I'm Old Fashioned". Jazz critics had this to say about the new album:

"Whenever, wherever, with whoever you listen to this album, it gives that thrilling heart warming moment. This is something we call the jazz magic" ~ Jiho Choi

"Why is the dense reinterpretation so important in Jazz field? [I'm Old Fashioned] contains one possibility." ~ Kyoungjun Lee

In 2018 She release the first jazz vocal duet album in Korea with the male vocalist Sung Huh through Sony Music Korea. This album "I Want to Be Happy" was selected as one of the Jazz People magazine’s 2018 top 10 jazz album.

With Strings: Dream of You

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Irene Reid - The Queen of the Party

Styles: Vocal, Jazz Soul
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:51
Size: 139,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:22)  1. Million Dollar Secret
(4:50)  2. I'm Gettin' Tired
(4:01)  3. If I Never Get To Heaven
(4:41)  4. I'm Walkin'
(5:11)  5. Aiming At Nothing
(6:19)  6. Once There Lived a Fool
(4:29)  7. Long John Blues
(4:51)  8. One Eyed Man
(5:50)  9. I Took the Backdoor Out
(5:07) 10. I Ain't Doing Too Bad
(5:18) 11. I'll Take You Back
(5:47) 12. Big Fat Daddy

From her days singing with the Count Basie band as a replacement for Joe Williams, to her Indian summer of renewed popularity, Irene Reid always lived up to her moniker, The Queen of Uptown Blues. Like Dinah Washington & Esther Phillips, Irene had a church background and never lost that divine intensity or power to convey the emotions in a lyric. Her most notable post-Basie gig was playing the wicked witch on Broadway in "The Whiz." Here is a program featuring Irene, the Charles "Mighty Burner" Earland, Eric Alexander and the rest of the crew doing what Irene did best: the Uptown Blues. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Party-Irene-Reid/dp/B008645ZFM

The Queen of the Party

Jaana Narsipur - Better Than Anything

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:30
Size: 44,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:33) 1. Better Than Anything
(4:12) 2. The Jody Grind
(5:49) 3. Small Day Tomorrow
(5:27) 4. Nica's Dream
(4:31) 5. But for Now
(4:44) 6. Comin' Home Baby
(5:00) 7. Lonely Woman
(4:43) 8. Senor Blues
(4:43) 9. Devil May Care
(3:44) 10. Peace

Vocalist Jaana Narsipur's album, Better Than Anything, is a tribute to the bebop and hard bop masters Horace Silver and Bob Dorough. Featuring all original arrangements by Jaana, the album contains her interpretations of vocalese swing tunes, grooving hard bop, and lush ballads. Better Than Anything has a stellar cast of New York based musicians playing in unique settings like a string quartet plus rhythm section on the Bob Dorough ballad "But For Now" and a quintet with tenor sax and trumpet on the Horace Silver classic "Senor Blues."
https://jaananarsipur.bandcamp.com/album/better-than-anything

Personnel: Jaana Narsipur: vocals/arrangements; Cary Brown: piano/Rhodes electric piano/Hammond C-3; Thomson Kneeland: drums; Sean Nowell: tenor saxophone; Eli Asher: trumpet; Ludovica Burtone: violin, viola; Reenat Pinchas: cello

Better Than Anything

Cyrus Chestnut - Soul Brother Cool

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:29
Size: 136,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:44) 1. Spicy Honey
(5:52) 2. Soul Brother Cool
(6:32) 3. The Happiness Man
(6:03) 4. Piscean Thought
(6:56) 5. In Search of a Quiet Place
(5:47) 6. The Raven
(5:31) 7. Dawn of the Sunset
(6:27) 8. Intimacy
(4:59) 9. Every Which Way
(6:34) 10. Stripes

Graced with the robust technique of a premier concert hall pianist, Cyrus Chestnut is totally absorbed in exploring and celebrating the seemingly unlimited sonic potential of his grand instrument, using its keyboard and pedals to generate resonant, thickly-textured, amazingly agile, nuanced orchestral effects.By Chicago Tribune
https://cyruschestnutwj3.bandcamp.com/

Credits: Cyrus Chestnut Composer, Piano, Primary Artist; Dezron Douglas Bass; Freddie Hendrix Trumpet; Willie Jones III Drums, Producer

Soul Brother Cool

Mike LeDonne - Heavy Hitters

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:19
Size: 141,1 MB
Art: Front

(8:19) 1. Hub
(6:39) 2. A New Day
(7:30) 3. Silverdust
(5:25) 4. Un Dia Es Un Dia
(5:37) 5. Big Richard
(7:57) 6. Chainsaw
(6:14) 7. This Is Something New
(6:07) 8. Cedar Land
(7:27) 9. Bluesit

The self-titled debut from the Heavy Hitters, pianist Mike LeDonne's latest sextet, has the feel of a tribute album. However, unlike most recordings of that nature, there is no classic repertoire present, as all nine tracks are penned either by LeDonne or his colleague, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander. Instead, it is a tribute to a sound that LeDonne and partners are aiming for: in this case, that of the iconic Blue Note label's 1950s-60s period, when artists such as Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and many others effectively placed their stamp on midcentury jazz. From the bold yet straightforward design of the album's cover, to the choice of recording venue in fabled Blue Note producer Rudy Van Gelder's former studio, Heavy Hitters evokes that golden era of jazz with panache and top-quality musicianship.

The musicians do not disguise their musical debts. The crackling opener, "Hub," will have Hubbard fans going back to revisit classic gems such as Hub-Tones (Blue Note, 1963) or Breaking Point (Blue Note, 1964), and the Horace Silver vibes run deep on "Silverdust," with a hard-bop head that sails along effortlessly and with an undeniable groove. Elsewhere other jazz legends are acknowledged, as "Cedar Land" is built over a chord progression from pianist Cedar Walton's "Holy Land," while "This is Something New" is adapted from an unfinished tune by saxophonist George Coleman.

Projects of this sort invariably take the risk of becoming mere exercises in nostalgia, reminding us of the unsurpassed greatness of the titans of old. While there are moments here in which that can happen, as a listener temporarily forgets that they are hearing something recorded not in 1965 but in 2022, the abundance of strong playing throughout the disc is more than enough to maintain interest.

LeDonne's solos are terrific, but perhaps even more impressive is his comping, which is consistently inventive and rhythmically tenacious: check out his work underneath the soloists on the Latin-hued "Un Dia es un Dia" as evidence, where he digs in with zest to keep the music moving. The horns, which include not only Alexander but also alto saxophonist Vincent Herring and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, bring plenty of fireworks to the proceedings; but they are also able to carve out more pensive ruminations as well.

Alexander's heartfelt statement on the lovely ballad "Big Richard" is a case in point. And the bass-drums tandem of Peter Washington and Kenny Washington is tough to beat, with impeccable instincts for swing and groove. All in all, this is a satisfying release that extracts a lot of fine contributions from musicians who are indeed among the "heavy hitters" of their generation. Fans of classic jazz will very much appreciate the spirit and dedication on display here. By Troy Dostert
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/heavy-hitters-heavy-hitters-cellar-music-group

Personnel: Mike LeDonne: organ, Hammond B3; Eric Alexander: saxophone, tenor; Jeremy Pelt: trumpet; Vincent Herring: saxophone; Peter Washington: bass; Kenny Washington: drums; Rale Micic: guitar.

Heavy Hitters

Saturday, March 11, 2023

Kathy Lyon - A Song for You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:12
Size: 169,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:12) 1. How Dare You
(4:45) 2. My Foolish Heart
(4:45) 3. Perfidia
(4:32) 4. (I Wonder) Where Our Love Has Gone
(3:59) 5. Hit the Road to Dreamland
(5:41) 6. Here's to Life
(3:24) 7. Close Your Eyes
(5:40) 8. Still Got the Blues
(4:16) 9. What a Little Moonlight Can Do
(6:49) 10. The Nearness of You
(4:20) 11. He's Not There
(3:10) 12. The Best Is yet to Come
(7:13) 13. This Masquerade
(5:29) 14. When I Fall in Love
(4:51) 15. A Song for You

Some time back Kathy toured with the USO entertaining American troops abroad. At that time the money was slim and you had to pay for your own hotel. However the money was not the motivating factor for Ms. Lyon. She wanted to deliver the American sound personally to our troops serving in other lands. The first person experience in and of itself was pay enough. As she performed on those stages she could feel the welcomed reception of the songs.

Kathy Lyon would go on to become an experienced jazz festival performer and graced the stages at such notable events as the Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival, Roswell Jazz Festival, Jazz By The Bay Festival, and closer to home the Pensacola Jazz Festival. Her professional abilities also extend beyond her performances as she creates original songs as well. To date Kathy has released four albums with the latest being available now, Nothin’ But Love.
https://www.pumpitupmagazine.com/jazz-vocalist-kathy-lyon-releases

A Song for You

Jeremy Pelt - The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 2: His Muse

Styles: Vocal, Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:52
Size: 116,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:30) 1. …For Whom I Love So Much
(5:19) 2. Slow Hot Wind
(3:04) 3. If I Ruled the World
(4:38) 4. I Can't Escape from You
(6:08) 5. There'll Be Other Times
(4:57) 6. Don't Love Me
(6:40) 7. Blues in Sophistication
(4:33) 8. Two Different Worlds
(4:25) 9. When She Makes Music
(4:34) 10. Two for the Road

Playing jazz is a lot like love itself, it is as much about poignancy as it is about joy, whether we listen to a torch song or read a love poem by Shelley, we experience their creator's pain or we share in their euphoria.

And it is Jeremy Pelt's understanding of this dichotomy of passion and restraint that makes this album so compelling. The set list is as all-encompassing as a love affair - from the straight-ahead feeling of "I Can't Escape from You" to the breathless stillness of his muted trumpet on "There'll Be Other Times." His sly, half-valve effects on "Blues in Sophistication" show an impish delight while Henry Mancini's "Slow Hot Wind" throbs with an ever so discreet Latin feel.

This may be considered a "with strings" record but Pelt does not allow it to descend into a vibrato-laden string sound. There is an unusually classical feel to this album with the string quartet supporting, reinforcing and commenting on Pelt's playing rather than sugar-coating it. Buddy Rich once said, "Jazz should be treated the same as classical music." He was right. He "got it" and, as evidenced herein, so does Jeremy Pelt.

Personnel: Jeremy Pelt: trumpet, vocal; Victor Gould: piano; Buster Williams: bass; Billy Hart: drums; Chico Pinheiro: guitar (track 10 only), String Ensemble arranged & conducted by David O'Rourke

The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 2: His Muse

Eric Reed - Black, Brown, and Blue

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:44
Size: 156,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:17) 1. Black, Brown, and Blue
(4:02) 2. Lean on Me
(3:15) 3. I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)
(4:57) 4. Peace
(6:36) 5. Search for Peace
(9:29) 6. Christina
(5:03) 7. Infant Eyes
(5:40) 8. Cheryl Ann
(5:22) 9. Along Came Betty
(7:59) 10. Variation Twenty-Four
(5:42) 11. One for E
(3:58) 12. Pastime Paradise
(3:18) 13. Ugly Beauty

2023 release. Think of the songwriters whose work comprises the canon of jazz standards, and names like George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Irving Berlin, and Cole Porter immediately come to mind. On his new album, Black, Brown, and Blue, pianist/composer Eric Reed argues for a revision of that canon to focus on Black and Brown composers, songwriters whose work originates within the jazz realm rather than on the Broadway stage.

Black, Brown, and Blue features music written by jazz masters like Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Benny Golson, Horace Silver, Buddy Collette, and Buster Williams, along with jazz-conversant pop/R&B songwriters Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers. In addition, Reed and his bandmates on this thrilling session - bassist Luca Alemanno and drummer Reggie Quinerly - each contribute a new piece of their own.By Editorial Reviews
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Brown-Blue-Eric-Reed/dp/B0BRVL686B

Personnel: Eric Reed - piano; Luca Alemanno - bass; Reggie Quinerly drums; Calvin B. Rhone - vocals on “Lean on Me”; David Dautghtry - vocals on “Pastime Paradise”

Black, Brown, and Blue

Lafayette Harris, Jr. - Swingin' Up in Harlem

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:12
Size: 115,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:52) 1. Swingin' Up in Harlem
(4:49) 2. Living for the City
(4:15) 3. Teach Me Tonight
(6:31) 4. The Nearness of You
(6:08) 5. Stardust
(3:40) 6. St. Thomas
(5:41) 7. Over the Rainbow
(4:49) 8. It's All in the Game
(5:36) 9. Solitude
(4:46) 10. Nat's Blues

In the grand tradition of jazz piano trio records, Lafayette Harris returns to the Van Gelder studios for 'Swingin' Up In Harlem', covering a wide spectrum of tunes by composers ranging from Hoagy Carmichael to Stevie Wonder.

Harris' sympathies have always been wide-ranging, as one would imagine from his stints with Max Roach, Donald Byrd, Ernestine Anderson and others. His style of playing keeps one foot rooted in the rich history of jazz piano and the other is knee-deep in contemporary and modern jazz resulting in an album of personal, memorable renditions with subtle colours and elegant nuances.

You need a first-rate rhythm section for a trio recording and bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash bring the insight that only their decades of experience can give. The album also boasts the participation of saxophonist Houston Person, this time in the producer's chair. If tasteful, effortless piano playing is to your liking, then you will certainly find great pleasure in the joy, humour and exuberance of Lafayette Harris Jr
https://www.propermusic.com/scd2203-swingin-up-in-harlem.html

Personnel: Lafayette Harris Jr: piano; Peter Washington: bass; Lewis Nash: drums

Swingin' Up in Harlem

Thursday, March 9, 2023

Manhattan Trinity - Sunflower

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:23
Size: 141,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:09) 1. The Pink Panther
(5:35) 2. Sunflower
(6:31) 3. Mr. Lucky
(6:08) 4. Whisling Away The Dark
(7:04) 5. Dreamsville
(5:32) 6. Moment To Moment
(5:37) 7. Days Of Wine And Roses
(4:38) 8. Two For The Road
(5:43) 9. Moon River
(7:22) 10. Autumn Kisses

This all-star ensemble featuring Cyrus Chestnut, Lewis Nash, and George Mraz has been performing and recording off and on since the mid-90s. The musical inspiration for the band is "The Great Trio" from the 70s featuring Hank Jones, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams. This ensemble has such a tight connection, that the performances can only be described as sublime. Eric Alexander sometimes joins the group as a special guest.https://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/artist/manhattan-trinity

Personnel: Cyrus Chestnut (piano); George Mraz (bass); Lewis Nash (drums)

Sunflower

Sant Andreu Jazz Band - Jazzing 12 Vol 2

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 94:19
Size: 217,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:48) 1. Easy Money
(5:12) 2. Wave
(6:24) 3. What's New
(4:55) 4. Baby, You've Got What It Takes
(2:56) 5. 'S Wonderlul
(8:08) 6. Recado Bossa Nova
(4:04) 7. Just You , Just Me
(5:12) 8. My One and Only Love
(5:08) 9. Stéphane
(2:46) 10. I Like Yo Hear It Sometimes
(3:36) 11. That's a Plenty
(6:25) 12. My Blue Heaven
(4:22) 13. Since You've Been Gone
(3:56) 14. Night and Day
(6:02) 15. From This Moment On
(4:41) 16. Feeling Good
(7:26) 17. Moanin'
(6:08) 18. Pyramid

A great party, yes, that is what the concert at the Palau de la Música was on December 10, 2021 as part of the Barcelona Jazz Festival. This concert is the one you have in your hands, on two CDs, because it was a musically generous concert, where we managed to bring together practically all the musicians who had gone through the project plus those who were part of it at that time.

In total, 64 musicians, plus regular guests: Ignasi Terraza, Josep Traver and Esteve Pi. It was really wonderful to be able to come together and make music again and recreate some of the most popular songs from all these years (plus 3 new songs that we had never recorded before). A jazz party in style, where it was exciting to hear the evolution of many of the musicians I hadn't heard for years. Many of them have their own projects and play an important role in the current jazz scene.

This recording is really very special, both emotionally and musically. In some of the songs we can practically hear two big bands playing at the same time, with two drummers, two bassists, two guitars, 10 saxophones, 6 or 7 trombones, 6 or 7 trumpets, choirs of more than 10 people, etc. It wasn't easy, but we made it possible. Because, as I already said back in 2009, in the first JAZZING: the Sant Andreu Jazz Band is a dream come true. And we are in 2022 (the year in which this 2021 recording appears) and we continue dreaming.
Translate By Google https://santandreujazzband.bandcamp.com/album/jazzing-12-vol-2

Jazzing 12

Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt - Boss Tenors

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 79:49
Size: 184.8 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1961/2012
Art: Front

[4:22] 1. Red Sails In The Sunset
[5:13] 2. My Foolish Heart
[6:34] 3. Autumn Leaves
[6:31] 4. There Is No Greater Love
[3:19] 5. A Mess
[8:48] 6. Blues Up And Down
[2:37] 7. Headin' West
[4:38] 8. A Pair Of Red Pants
[4:17] 9. But Not For Me
[3:56] 10. New Blues Up And Down
[7:12] 11. The One Before This
[4:33] 12. We'll Be Together Again
[9:39] 13. Counter Clockwise
[3:54] 14. Time On My Hands
[4:11] 15. Autumn Leaves (Alternate Take)

This encounter between tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt (who doubles on tenor and alto) is a true classic. Ammons and Stitt teamed together many times over a three-decade period, including co-leading a band during 1950-1952, but Boss Tenors is arguably their finest recording. Backed by pianist John Houston, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer George Brown, Ammons and Stitt battle it out on "There Is No Greater Love," Ammons' "The One Before This," "Autumn Leaves," "Blues Up and Down," and Stitt's "Counter Clockwise." This is competitive bebop at its best, with Stitt and Ammons proving to be equal matches. Essential music for all jazz collections. ~Scott Yanow

Boss Tenors

Shirley Jones - Richard Rodgers Songbook With Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:01
Size: 76,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:08) 1. Wish I Were In Love Again
(3:18) 2. It Never Entered My Mind
(3:00) 3. Isnt It Romantic
(4:29) 4. Spring Is Here
(3:14) 5. Where Or When
(2:47) 6. I Have Dreamed
(3:28) 7. Blue Moon
(4:15) 8. It Might As Well Be Spring
(2:05) 9. Falling In Love With Love
(4:14) 10. Bewitched

Named after child star Shirley Temple, Shirley Jones started singing at the age of six. She started formal training at the age of 12 and would dream of singing with her idol, Gordon MacRae. Upon graduating from high school, Shirley went to New York to audition for the casting director of Rodgers & Hammerstein. Taken by Shirley's beautifully trained voice, Shirley was signed as a nurse in the Broadway production of "South Pacific". Within a year, she would be in Hollywood to appear in her first film Oklahoma! (1955) as Laurey, the farm girl in love with cowboy Gordon MacRae. Oklahoma! (1955) would be filmed in CinemaScope and Todd-AO wide-screen and would take a year to shoot.

After that, Shirley returned to Broadway for the stage production of "Oklahoma!" before returning to Hollywood for Carousel (1956). But by this time, musicals were a dying art and she would have a few lean years. She would work on television in programs like Playhouse 90 (1956). With a screen image comparable to peaches-n-cream, Shirley wanted a darker role to change her image. In 1960, she would be cast as the vengeful prostitute in the Richard Brooks dramatic film Elmer Gantry (1960). With a brilliant performance against an equally brilliant Burt Lancaster, Shirley would win the Oscar for Supporting Actress. But the public wanted the good Shirley so she was cast as "Marion", the librarian, in the successful musical The Music Man (1962). Robert Preston had played the role on Broadway and his performance along with Shirley was magic.

Shirley would again work with little Ron Howard in The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963). But the movies changed in the 60's and Shirley's image did not fit so she would see her movie career stop in 1965. There were always nightclubs, but Shirley would be remembered by another generation as "Shirley Partridge" in the television series The Partridge Family (1970). While the success of the show would do more for her stepson, teen idol David Cassidy, it would keep her name and face in the public view for the four years that the series ran. The show still plays in reruns. After the show ended, Shirley would spend the rest of the 70's in the land of television movies.

The television movie The Lives of Jenny Dolan (1975) would be made as a pilot for a series that was not picked up. In 1979, Shirley appeared in a comedy show called Shirley (1979), but the show lasted only one season. Shirley would appear infrequently in the 80's and in video's extolling fitness and beauty at the end of the decade.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0429250/bio?ref_=nm_ql_1#mini_bio

The Richard Rodgers Songbook With Love