Lee Wiley - As Time Goes By

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1991
Time: 64:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 147,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:55) 1. This Is New
(2:52) 2. You're a Sweetheart
(3:22) 3. My Ideal
(2:58) 4. You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby
(3:50) 5. Who Can I Turn to Now?
(3:12) 6. Can't Get Out of This Mood
(3:32) 7. East of the Sun
(3:01) 8. Limehouse Blues
(3:11) 9. As Time Goes By
(2:46) 10. Keepin' Out of Mischief Now
(4:06) 11. Stars Fell on Alabama
(3:10) 12. My Melancholy Baby
(2:59) 13. The Ace in the Hole
(4:05) 14. Someday You'll Be Sorry
(3:06) 15. A Hundred Years from Today
(2:57) 16. Blues in My Heart
(3:13) 17. Maybe You'll Be There
(2:57) 18. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
(2:42) 19. I Don't Want to Walk Without You, Baby
(3:14) 20. Make Believe

Shortly before she slipped completely into obscurity, singer Lee Wiley recorded two albums for Victor. This Bluebird CD has ten of the 12 songs from West of the Moon, nine of the 12 originally on A Touch of the Blues, and a rendition of "Stars Fell on Alabama" taken from a sampler album. Wiley, only 41 at the time of these last recordings, was essentially through with her career despite still being in prime form.

Other than "Stars," Wiley is backed by big bands led by either arranger Ralph Burns or trumpeter Billy Butterfield and mostly performs swing standards, including "You're a Sweetheart," "Can't Get out of This Mood," "Ace in the Hole," "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," and her signature song, "A Hundred Years From Today." An excellent introduction to the work of this unusual and greatly underrated singer.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/as-time-goes-by-mw0000270890#review

As Time Goes By

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Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra - Drop Me Off In Harlem

Styles: Swing, Big Band
Year: 1992
Time: 59:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 135,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:09) 1.Smiles
(2:57) 2.Shady Lady
(3:21) 3.That Old Black Magic
(3:10) 4.Oh, Miss Jaxson
(2:42) 5.Things Ain't What They Used to Be
(2:45) 6.The Moose
(2:47) 7.Pow W@ow
(3:10) 8.The Great Lie
(2:22) 9.Drop Me Off in Harlem
(3:16) 10.Gulf Coast Blues
(3:05) 11.Skyliner
(2:31) 12.Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall
(2:35) 13.You Always Hurt the One You Love
(2:48) 14.West End Blues
(3:09) 15.Desert Sands
(2:31) 16.E-Bob-O-Lee-Bob
(3:17) 17.Andy's Boogie
(3:06) 18.Dark Bayou
(2:52) 19.Zanesville Zohio ZZZ
(3:29) 20. Lonesome as the Night Is Long

Among big band leaders of the 1930s and 1940s, saxophonist Charlie Barnet stood out for his unswerving devotion to his values, both social and musical. In 1934 his band was the first white group to play at Harlem's Apollo Theatre, and he was devoted to jazz with few concessions to popular taste, making his ensemble an instrument of his arrangers' creativity.

This compilation spans 1942-46, an important period when the band achieved its distinctive variation of the rich Ellington style (apparent in three Ellington tunes heard here) and then went on to become the first big band of modern jazz. "The Moose," written by Ralph Burns and a feature for the young pianist Dodo Marmorosa, is a brilliantly shifting harbinger of bebop, while Dennis Sandole's elusive "Dark Bayou" still sounds harmonically fresh.

There's much to enjoy here, from the jive and bop vocals by "Peanuts" Holland to the soaring lead trumpet of Al Killian and Barnet's own solo contributions.By Stuart Broomer
By Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Drop-Off-Harlem-Charlie-Barnet/dp/B000003N3H

Drop Me Off In Harlem

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Fredrik Kronkvist Feat. Kathrine Windfeld - Open Gates

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Bop
Year: 2024
Time: 48:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 112,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:05) 1.Devotion
(1:12) 2.Blackbird Mornings Intro
(4:20) 3.Blackbird Mornings
(5:20) 4.Mandala
(5:50) 5.Healer
(7:03) 6.Trane’s Temple
(1:11) 7.Golden Fields Intro
(4:55) 8.Golden Fields
(4:48) 9.Stealth Mode
(5:30) 10.River Indigo
(4:24) 11.Volcano

The powerful and soulful altoman Fredrik Kronkvist is considered one of Europe’s finest alto saxophonists and takes charge whenever he is in the spotlight.
Fredrik is an award-winning saxophonist and he has several albums out as a leader.
Both his writing and improvisational skills are on display when he gives the audience his experience in drawing the heat from a tune with his big sound.

He is leading his own band where he presents a quartet, consisting of musicians from the vanguard of today´s jazzscene. His strong, creative spirit combined with a profound knowledge of the instrument and jazz has made him into one of Sweden’s international jazz stars.
More...https://fredrikkronkvist.wordpress.com/bio/

Open Gates

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Carl Winther & Jerry Bergonzi - Tetragonz

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
Time: 54:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 126,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:10) 1. Tetragonz
(4:34) 2. Somewhere
(6:35) 3. Dawn
(6:12) 4. Spectre
(4:32) 5. Neverland
(9:08) 6. Like Judas
(7:13) 7. Gabriella
(6:04) 8. Triotone
(5:22) 9. Domolian Mode

Carl Winther is a well-known Danish pianist. He is the son of Jens Winther who was a world-famous composer and trumpet player. He began touring as a child. He has performed with many famous musicians, including Bill Evans, Jerry Bergonzi and Bill Evans, as well as Bill Evans, Bill Evans, Daniel Humiar and Till Broenner.

His performances are breathtaking and impressive. He can improvise fluently. He is a Jazz and Classic musician with a deep love for Latin and African rhythms. All of these influences have influenced his compositions, which also include the funky sounds of Herbie Hancock’s 70s music as well as avangardistic ideas. Winther was awarded for his elaborate and precise compositions as well as his incredible performance skills. from www.oneworldsmusic.com https://jazzinfo.org/artist/carl-winther

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Jerry Bergonzi, Piano – Carl Winther, Bass – Johnny Åman; Drums – Anders Mogensen

Tetragonz

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Ted Nash, Steve Cardenas, Ben Allison - Somewhere Else: West Side Story Songs

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
Time: 49:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 115,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:36) 1. Jet Song
(4:47) 2. A Boy Like That
(4:04) 3. Maria
(4:00) 4. One Hand, One Heart
(4:00) 5. Tonight
(5:18) 6. America
(3:19) 7. I Have a Love
(6:09) 8. Something's Coming
(4:16) 9. Cool
(5:21) 10. Somewhere
(2:55) 11. Somewhere (Reprise)

When NEA Jazz Master Ron Carter was asked why he so often plays standards when so many musicians insist on writing their own tunes, he was typically succinct. “Artists are not necessarily the best writers, and the proof of that is that the only people who play their material is them. When the new guys write better tunes, then maybe I’ll play them.”

Multireedist Ted Nash, it should be noted emphatically, is a highly accomplished composer and arranger for ensembles both large (the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra; his own big band) and small (his quintet and trio). His gorgeous 2016 Presidential Suite deservedly won him two Grammy Awards.

With no pressure to prove himself as a composer, Nash now takes on the daunting challenge of interpreting one of the 20th century’s greatest musical treasures, West Side Story. The songs that Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim wrote for it, steeped in the sounds of New York jazz and Latin music, have been played in jazz interpretations before, but the creativity that Nash and his trio-mates guitarist Steve Cardenas and bassist Ben Allison bring to the task are exceptional. They transform this passionate material into both a tribute to and a meditation on the songs’ surpassing beauty and power.

With just guitar, bass, and Nash alternating between tenor saxophone and clarinet, the trio deftly captures the expressive power of the Bernstein orchestrations with a few bold strokes, then riffs organically off them in constantly surprising ways. Whether it’s the relative complexity of the improvised, three-voice counterpoint with which they open “Tonight,” or the simplicity of Cardenas wrapping gorgeous improvised lines around Nash’s pure statement of the melody on “One Hand, One Heart,” the album is a revelation; three superlative musicians reveling in the Bernstein score’s most emotional moments with tenderness and candor. One has to believe the maestro, who loved the kind of jazz energy and imagination on display here, would have approved.
By Allen Morrison https://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/somewhere-else-west-side-story-songs

Personnel: Ted Nash: saxophone; Steve Cardenas: guitar; Ben Allison: bass.

Somewhere Else: West Side Story Songs

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Ian Roller - Rollercoaster

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 43:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 100,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:15) 1. Get It
(4:14) 2. Rise
(3:38) 3. Reflect
(3:01) 4. Kick It
(4:57) 5. Yuki and the Ox
(6:30) 6. Textures
(3:16) 7. Something New
(3:03) 8. Perspective
(1:52) 9. I Hate Technology
(3:33) 10. Weight of the World
(2:33) 11. What About
(1:05) 12. Please Hold (Interlude)
(3:05) 13. Dancing in the Sunshine

"Rollercoaster" is not about Ian Roller. At least, not entirely. With 50 collaborators and 10 featured vocalists, it is a thoughtful collection of perspectives on the human experience, which merge to form a cohesive story that we can all relate to/empathize with. Music can give us insightful talking points, and it can also itself be the conversation. Each vocalist and instrumentalist adds deeper perspective, taking the good with the bad, venting frustrations, offering encouragement, making us question the status quo, making us laugh a little, and reminding us of the things in life that inspire peace, joy, and unity.

Ian Roller is a Los Angeles native multi-instrumentalist, writer and producer. Classically trained since he was 8 years old, his artistic curiosity led him into all kinds of situations from Punk shows to Jazz clubs, electronic concerts, comedy clubs and more at an early age, later to focus his studies in Jazz, Funk and Hip Hop music. After graduating from college, he was introduced to a whole other world of creativity in exploring LA's R&B/Soul scene.

Now, approaching 35 years of age, Ian has reached a point of reflection, and of determination to culminate his experiences and influences. To connect the dots, and bring like-minded people a little bit closer together. For Ian, "Rollercoaster" is that culmination, and the marking of a new chapter of service to music...
https://www.diggersfactory.com/vinyl/314284/ian-roller-rollercoaster

Rollercoaster

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Daryl Sherman, Johnny Mercer: A Centennial Tribute

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:57
Size: 146,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:42)  1. I'm Shadowing You
(5:21)  2. Little Ingenue
(5:11)  3. Midnight Sun
(3:20)  4. Jeepers Creepers
(4:38)  5. Come Rain Or Shine
(4:24)  6. The Bathtub Ran Over Again
(6:25)  7. Lazy Bones
(3:00)  8. Peter Piper
(5:38)  9. I Thought About You
(3:21) 10. At The Jazz Band Ball
(4:56) 11. Charade
(4:27) 12. Dream
(4:44) 13. Twilight World
(3:43) 14. Here Come The British

Choosing "I'm Shadowing You" as the opener on Daryl Sherman's fine Centennial Tribute to composer and lyricist Johnny Mercer inevitably recalls Blossom Dearie. Heretofore that tune has pretty much been the exclusive property of the late vocalist. There are also other, more than passing, resemblances between the two singers, both first-class self-accompanists on piano possessing underage sounding voices used effectively to slyly charming ends. With a legacy of 1,500 heartfelt and humorous songs, Mercer's is a rich one from which to choose. Sherman's selections are a welcome mix of classics such as "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "Midnight Sun" with more than a few choice rarities like "The Bathtub Ran Over Again." On the latter Wycliffe Gordon joins Sherman for a delightfully foxy vocal duet. His gravelly sound contrasts perfectly with Sherman's petite smoothness. "Little Ingenue" (co-written with Jimmy Rowles) is another gem. 

Here Sherman's silken glissando, backed by Jerry Dodgion's alto sax, is especially effective in capturing hope in the face of glamour that's a tad shopworn. On "Dream," one of the few songs for which Mercer wrote both music and lyrics, Gordon's trombone provides the most sensitive of accompaniment. As Sherman conjures "smoke rings rising in the air," he is playing heavenly notes behind her. It is a great, great song performed to perfection. The artistry and empathy between Sherman and her fellow musicians makes for a set that is a glowing tribute to one of the great masters of the jazz idiom and the American Songbook. ~ Andrew Velez  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/johnny-mercer-a-centennial-tribute-daryl-sherman-arbors-records-review-by-andrew-velez.php#.VFkx_8mHmtg

Personnel: Daryl Sherman: piano, vocals; Jerry Dodgion: alto sax; Wycliffe Gordon: Trombone, vocals; Howard Alden: guitar, banjo; Jay Leonhart: bass, vocals; Chuck Redd: drums, vibraphone; Marian McPartland: piano, Barbara Carroll: piano.

Daryl Sherman Johnny Mercer: A Centennial Tribute

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Jack McDuff - Hallelujah Time!

Styles: Soul Jazz
Year: 1967
Time: 30:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 61,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:44) 1. Almost Like Being In Love
(5:14) 2. East of the Sun
(3:18) 3. Au Privave
(8:03) 4. Undecided
(3:49) 5. Hallelujah Time
(4:14) 6. The Live People

A killer 60s album from Brother Jack McDuff cut at a time when he was one of the most hard-hitting players on the Hammond! The set has a great lineup Red Holloway plays tenor on all cuts, except for "The Live People", which features him and Harold Ousley playing back to back and Joe Dukes is on drums throughout, and the guitar parts are handled by Pat Martino and George Benson all players who really take off under the leadership of McDuff! Cuts include "Au Private", "East of the Sun", "The Live People", and "Hallelujah Time"
© 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.https://www.dustygroove.com/item/7978/Jack-McDuff:Hallelujah-Time

Personnel: Jack McDuff - organ; Red Holloway (tracks 1-5), Harold Ousley (track 6) - tenor saxophone; George Benson (tracks 2-5), Pat Martino (tracks 1 & 6) - guitar; Joe Dukes - drums

Hallelujah Time!

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Blossom Dearie - Blossom Time at Ronnie Scott's

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1966
Time: 41:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 94,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:55) 1. On Broadway
(4:20) 2. When the World Was Young
(4:45) 3. When in Rome
(4:13) 4. The Shadow of Your Smile
(4:28) 5. Everything I've Got Belongs to You
(3:51) 6. Once Upon a Summertime
(2:48) 7. I'm Hip
(5:05) 8. Mad About the Boy
(2:42) 9. The Shape of Things
(5:13) 10. Satin Doll

Several years ago Blossom Dearie said that of all her recordings, this on-location session from 1966 was her personal favorite. Although artists are notoriously unreliable critics of their own work, it's hard to quarrel with the singer/pianist's preference given the evidence on this reissue. Anyone who has yet to discover the inimitable, Lolita-like voice of this worldly-wise, genuinely hip, surprisingly versatile performer can be assured of making her acquaintance under optimal musical circumstances.

Even devoted fans seem unaware of the girlish-sounding singer's past travels. After performing with Woody Herman as a member of a vocal group, the Blue Flames, she appeared on King Pleasure's quasi-classic recording of "Moody's Mood for Love," made an album limited to piano solos, went to Paris to form a new vocal group, the Blue Stars, and produced a hit recording (in French) of "Lullaby of Birdland." Next, Norman Granz contracted her for Verve records, and she married the highly-regarded Belgian tenor saxophonist/flutist Bobby Jaspar. But her run at Ronnie Scott's in London in 1966 was what cemented her place as a premier cabaret-supper club attraction.

The set gets underway with a rhythmically complex yet feathery-light, smooth-as-glass treatment of "On Broadway," where Dearie and bassist Jeff Clyne half-time the challenging vocal line before catching up with drummer Johnny Butts' crisp brush work on the instrumental chorus. An exquisite ballad, "When the World Was Young," follows immediately half elegiac recitative and half warm, nostalgic reverie with an interpretation by the vocalist that's a trifle sadder but no less wiser than Peggy Lee's memorable version on Black Coffee (Decca, 1953).

Listeners who think they know Cy Coleman's "When in Rome" because of the first Tony Bennett/Bill Evans meeting will discover there are many sides to the Eternal City which, as Dearie's reading of the song suggests, is equal parts humor, sadness and undeniable drama. The range of emotions in the pianist's understated singing stems from two primary sources: first, scaled-down textures that permit the tiniest sliver of light to illuminate an entire scene; and second, the ironies set in play by a guileless, innocent little voice that can afford to ignore adult inhibitions and conventions. There's rarely a hint of torchiness, sultriness or even seductiveness here: she's all candor and refreshing clarity, leaving it to the listener to supply any ironical subtexts.

The singer can take on "I'm Hip," a Frishberg/Dorough parody of countercultural self-congratulation, without regendering lines like "I even read Playboy magazine," "I even call my girlfriend 'Man'" and "I don't wear a beard." Whatever you choose to call it hipness, honesty, objectivity that's Blossom Dearie, too faithful to her material to be an "act, too detached from its emotions to be merely sincere, too unselfconscious, really, to be one of the cultural elite's pop "sophisticates.

Among musicians it's become debatable over the years whether Ellington/Strayhorn's "Satin Doll" is a song or a cliché. When Blossom Dearie closes the set with this tune, it's a composition reborn, but played and sung with such disarming innocence and unflinching directness that even the most jaded listener couldn't be blamed for pronouncing it the best new song of the present millennium.By Samuel Chell
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blossom-time-at-ronnie-scotts-blossom-dearie-verve-music-group-review-by-samuel-chell

Blossom Time at Ronnie Scott's

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Joe La Barbera - World Travelers

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 2024
Time: 74:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 170,8 MB
Art: Front

( 9:50) 1. Blue Notes
( 5:24) 2. Landmarks Along The Way
(10:09) 3. Lake Erie
( 7:24) 4. Barcelona
( 6:43) 5. You Know I Care
( 5:15) 6. It's a Big Wide Wonderful Word
(10:43) 7. Simone
( 9:12) 8. Soultrane
( 9:35) 9. Grand Central

Drummer Joe La Barbera has an extensive and impressive resume. At the age of 20, he played in the second drum chair for the Buddy Rich Big Band before driving the 1972 stellar lineup of Woody Herman's Thundering Herd. In 1978, he was offered the prestigious opportunity to be part of the acclaimed (and what turned out to be the final) line-up of the Bill Evans Trio, where he stayed until the pianist's tragic death in 1980. Later, gigs with Chuck Mangione, Tony Bennett, Art Pepper and Art Farmer, to name but a few, showcased La Barbera's versatility and ability to play in any style, and to steer and complement whatever the leader's vision called for.

Afterwards he settled in Los Angeles and became an in-demand freelancer. In the '90s he formed his own quintet with local friends, trumpeter Clay Jenkins, saxophonist Bob Sheppard and pianist Bill Cunliffe, all of whom have extensive and impressive resumes as well.. Each had stints in big band settings, offering a great understanding of the subtle importance of a song's arrangement. Bassist Jonathan Richards (who replaced founding member Tom Warrington), by far the youngster in the band, is a great find and fits perfectly. This tight-knit group has been (in between occasional side gigs) mainly active ever since. Their debut release was The Joe La Barbera Quintet Live (Jazz Compass, 1999). World Travelers is the group's fifth release.and their first since Silver Streams (Jazz Compass, 2012).

This live record is the perfect vehicle to showcase the band's abilities, strengths and empathy with each other. Four newer originals open the record. Cunliffe's "Blue Notes" sets the table with the bass and drums setting a groove one can drive a truck (and sometimes a high performance sports car) through. It is a sultry bop piece which has twists and turns leading to some captivating duo leads and solos by the horns. The Joe Lovano-penned barn-burner "Landmarks Along the Way" also has an unconventional form, hinting at John Coltrane's "Giant Steps." The crowd's response at the song's end says it all.

La Barbera's original "Lake Erie" begins appropriately with a drum solo. Here, he shows in less than two minutes his prodigious ability and impeccable taste. The song then segues into an old-school Blue Note, Art Blakey-type performance. Pianist Alan Pasqua's composition "Barcelona" is a lovely bossa nova. The interplay and harmonies between Sheppard and Jenkins are simpatico. Sheppard shines on a lilting soprano saxophone (he plays tenor saxophone on all other tracks), while Jenkins' solo is beautifully thought out. It is simple, eloquent and lyrical. Richards shows he belongs with these masters during his break. Here and throughout the record, Cunliffe is the glue that holds everything together, while also showing off his impressive soloing skills.

The remaining cuts are five carefully selected songs which are familiar, but not quite standards. Pianist Duke Pearson's lovely ballad, "You Know I Care" features a sensitive Sheppard, while the other ballad, Tadd Dameron's "Soultrane," showcases Jenkins' expressive vocabulary. "Simone" by Frank Foster is perhaps the album's best-known piece. It is a minor-key blues waltz which includes a lovely bowed bass solo by Richards and a wonderful solo by Cunliffe reminiscent of McCoy Tyner.

The remaining two tracks are up-tempo jam fests. "It's a Big, Wide, Wonderful World" was written for a 1940 Broadway musical, while the classic John Coltrane tune, "Grand Central" is the set's closer. The former has a Latin-tinged intro before the familiar melody appears, while the latter stays true to the original. Both tracks allow all the players a chance to blow. Once again, the groove created by La Barbera and Richards is deep and foundational, allowing plenty of room for everyone to explore the compositions, utilizing their unique sensibilities.

The album was recorded live at the Los Angeles club, Sam First. Recently, the owners decided to start their own label and release albums recorded at their venue. Initially, all releases are digital only, followed later by a very Limited Edition (only 200) vinyl option. For example, the digital files for this album were released in February 2023, but the vinyl LP was released in August.

The Joe La Barbera Quintet comprises extraordinary players, but more than that, they are an experienced, well-oiled group where the whole is even greater than the sum of its talented parts. Put them in a live, intimate setting, with a wonderful mix of great originals and covers and the result is the front-runner for live jazz album of the year.By Dave Linn https://www.allaboutjazz.com/world-travelers-joe-la-barbera-sam-first-records

Line-up/Musicians: Joe La Barbera: drums; Bob Sheppard: saxophone, tenor; Clay Jenkins: trumpet; Bill Cunliffe: piano; Jonathan Richards: bass

World Travelers

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Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - The Best Of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong On Verve

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1997
Time: 68:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 155,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:14) 1.Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
(4:00) 2.Love Is Here To Stay
(5:42) 3.The Nearness Of You
(3:35) 4.Stars Fell On Alabama
(4:13) 5.Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You
(4:40) 6.They Can't Take That Away From Me
(5:59) 7.Autumn In New York
(5:01) 8.Summertime
(5:09) 9.Tenderly
(5:14) 10.Stompin' At The Savoy
(4:18) 11.Under A Blanket Of Blue
(4:38) 12 I Wants To Stay Here
(3:11) 13.I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
(4:54) 14.There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
(3:09) 15.You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart)

The Best of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong from Verve contains a selection of 15 duets the two jazz legends recorded for the label over the years.

Clearly, this set isn't of particular interest to hardcore collectors, since they'll already own much of the material, but as a sampler targeted at casual fans, this is quite nice indeed, since it contains such timeless classics as "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," "Stars Fell on Alabama, " "Autumn in New York, " "Summertime," and "They Can't Take That Away from Me." By Stephen Thomas Erlewine
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-ella-fitzgerald-and-louis-armstrong-on-verve-mw0000025726#review

Personnel: Bass – Dale Jones, Ray Brown; Clarinet – Edmond Hall; Drums – Barrett Deems, Buddy Rich, Louis Bellson; Guitar – Herb Ellis ; Piano – Billy Kyle, Oscar Peterson; Trombone – Trummy Young; Trumpet – Louis Armstrong; Vocals – Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong

The Best Of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong On Verve

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Lee Wiley - The Dawn of Jazz - the Early Years of Lee Wiley (Remastered)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
Time: 37:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 87,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:05) 1. A Hundred Years From Today
(2:05) 2. A Tree Was A Tree
(2:56) 3. You're An Old Smoothie
(2:50) 4. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues
(2:58) 5. Hands Across The Table
(3:16) 6. Time On My Hands
(3:12) 7. Got The South In My Soul
(3:06) 8. Let's Call It A Day
(3:11) 9. Careless Love
(3:06) 10. Easy Come, Easy Go
(3:46) 11. Take It From Me
(4:14) 12. I've Got You Under My Skin

The Dawn of Jazz - the Early Years of Lee Wiley

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Randy Brecker - Live in Amazonas

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
Time: 38:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 88,0 MB
Art: Front

( 5:35) 1. Some Skunk Funk (Live)
( 5:32) 2. Shanghigh (Live)
(10:21) 3. First Tune Of The Set (Live)
( 6:55) 4. Tijuca (Live)
( 9:53) 5. Straphangin’ (Live)

The American trumpeter has been nominated 12 times for a Grammy and won 10 times. He will perform on the last day of the event, on Sunday (30).

The Amazonas Green Jazz Festival 2023 holds its last two nights of shows this weekend, on the stage of Teatro Amazonas. On Saturday (29), the stars will be pianists Amilton Godoy and Eliane Elias, followed by the North American female collective Momentum Octet. On Sunday (30), the CD “Randy Brecker Live in Amazonas” will be released and a solo performance by Eliane Elias will take place, which together mark the end of the Festival.

This Saturday, at 8pm, Brazilian pianists Amilton Godoy and Eliane Elias start the night. Former leader of the legendary Zimbo Trio, Amilton has been active on the artistic circuit since the 60s and has gained international respect throughout his decades-long career. In 2023, he continues to reinvent himself and promises unforgettable moments for the public.

By his side will be one of his most notable pupils. Passionate about music since she was seven years old, Eliane plays bossa nova with her incomparable vocal timbre, gaining respect around the world. Currently, she has 28 albums, more than 2 million records sold and two Grammys under her belt.

At 9:30 pm, the night continues with the North American female group Momentum Octet. Led by pianist, composer and University of Michigan professor Ellen Rowe, the group was born from the work “Portraits of Women in Motion”. Recognized as an inspiration for new generations of artists, Ellen promises a sensational show.

On Sunday, the last night of the festival begins at 7pm, with the launch of the CD “Randy Brecker Live in Amazonas”, which marks the end of the 2023 edition of the Festival.

With more than 50 years of career at the top of jazz culture, the American trumpeter has been nominated 12 times for a Grammy and won 10 times. The show will also have the Amazonas Jazz Band on stage and the special participation of Brazilian saxophonists Felipe Salles and Rodrigo Ursaia.
Soon after, at 8:30 pm, there will be a show with Eliane Elias and her quartet., at Amazonas Jazz Band, played with Randy Brecker in the last edition, in 2022.

Initially, we didn't think about turning those moments into an album, but Brecker saw a very great quality. We are very honored by the honor”, highlights Rui Carvalho, conductor of the Amazonas Jazz Band and artistic director of the Festival.
https://g1.globo.com/am/amazonas/noticia/2023/07/29/lancamento-do-cd-randy-brecker-live-in-amazonas-marca-encerramento-do-amazonas-green-jazz-festival.ghtml

Live in Amazonas

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Greg Abate / Alan Barnes / John Donaldson - Birds of a Feather

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
Time: 69:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 160,6 MB
Art: Front

( 9:58) 1. Hot House
(10:00) 2. Wong's Way
( 9:44) 3. In The Stratosphere
( 6:59) 4. The Love Of Life
( 6:22) 5. Mr. T.C.
(10:27) 6. The Birdfeeder
(10:45) 7. The 'y' Blues
( 5:33) 8. Be-Bop

Anybody who grew up in a place called Woonsocket probably has to have cultivated a phlegmatic outlook on life, and saxophonist Greg Abate like his fellow Rhode Islander Scott Hamilton clearly believes the long familiar practices of classic bebop and mainstream swing have plenty of musical possibilities and ticket sales left in them.

Like Hamilton, Abate is a regular visitor to the UK and, again like Hamilton, he's the perfect partner for the British straightahead virtuoso Alan Barnes, engaging in a lively dialogue with him throughout this live recording from Leicester's Y theatre in November 2007.

Pianist John Donaldson, bassist Andy Cleyndert and drummer Spike Wells make up the rhythm section. Half of the tunes are Abate's, one is Barnes's and the others are standards including Tadd Dameron's Hot House and Dizzy Gillespie's Be-bop.

Abate's themes are dead right for the idiom, though not particularly memorable, but both saxophonists ingeniously improvise on them, with the amiable mainstream two-sax sound often driving the proceedings.

Donaldson's ebullient trills and churning mid-tempo rhythms glimmer through the music, and grooving blues like Mr TC and The Y Blues revel in the snappily punctuated melodies this style depends on. It's unpretentious swing, played with effortless relaxation.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jan/09/greg-abate-alan-barnes

Personnel: Greg Abate - alto / tenor; Alan Barnes - alto / baritone; John Donaldson - piano; Andrew Cleyndert - acoustic bass; Spike Wells - drums

Birds of a Feather

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Milt Hinton - East Coast Jazz Series/5

Styles: Post Bop
Year: 1955
Time: 41:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 94,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:16) 1. Mean To Me
(4:45) 2. Pick 'N Pat
(3:40) 3. Over The Rainbow
(3:38) 4. Milt To The Hilt
(2:30) 5. Don't Blame Me
(5:20) 6. Katz' Meow (A Canon For Cats)
(2:17) 7. Upstairs With Milt
(2:44) 8. Ebony Silhouette
(4:29) 9. Cantus Firmus
(3:50) 10. These Foolish Things
(3:51) 11. Milt To The Hilt (Alt Take) (bonus track)

This 1955 date finds the venerable jazz bassist in the choice company of clarinetist Tony Scott (listed as A.J. Sciacca), pianist Dick Katz, and drummer Ossie Johnson. Having already established himself as a veteran sideman after getting his start in the late '20s, Hinton marked the mid-'50s with some solo dates for Bethlehem label. This collection features several remastered tracks from this association, including the Hinton originals "Pik 'N' Pat" and "Upstairs with Milton."

And while Scott and Katz avail themselves nicely on a smattering of solos, Hinton is the focus, displaying his deft bass work on every track with some extended soloing -- he even indulges in a bit of bowing on his own "Ebony Silhouette." Topped off with some fetching numbers by Katz and Scott, and handful of tasty covers, this Hinton disc makes for a perfect showcase of the master bassist's considerable talents.By Stephen Cook.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/east-coast-jazz-5-mw0000009728#review

Personnel: Bass – Milt Hinton; Clarinet – A. J. Sciacca; Drums – Osie Johnson; Piano – Dick Katz

East Coast Jazz Series No.5

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Buddy Rich - Live at Ronnie Scott's

Styles: Post Bop
Year: 1980
Time: 44:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 102,1 MB
Art: Front

( 4:37) 1. Beulah Witch
( 6:54) 2. Grand Concourse
( 6:18) 3. Blues a la 88 (Ernie's Blues)
( 5:28) 4. Saturday Night
( 5:43) 5. Slow Funk
(15:34) 6. Good News

Arguably the greatest jazz drummer of all time, the legendary Buddy Rich exhibited his love for music through the dedication of his life to the art. His was a career that spanned seven decades, beginning when Rich was 18 months old and continuing until his death in 1987. Immensely gifted, Rich could play with remarkable speed and dexterity despite the fact that he never received a formal lesson and refused to practice outside of his performances.

Born Bernard Rich to vaudevillians Robert and Bess Rich on September 30, 1917, the famed drummer was introduced to audiences at a very young age. By 1921, he was a seasoned solo performer with his vaudeville act, "Traps the Drum Wonder." With his natural sense of rhythm, Rich performed regularly on Broadway at the age of four. At the peak of Rich's early career, he was the second-highest paid child entertainer in the world. Rich's jazz career began in 1937 when he began playing with Joe Marsala at New York's Hickory House.

By 1939, he had joined Tommy Dorsey's band, and he later went on to play with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Ventura, Louis Armstrong and Gene Krupa. Rich was regularly featured in Jazz at the Philharmonic during the late 1940s. He also appeared in such Hollywood films as Symphony of Swing (1939), Ship Ahoy (1942) and How's About It (1943). Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Rich toured with his own bands and opened two nightclubs, Buddy's Place and Buddy's Place II. Both clubs were regularly filled to capacity by fans of the great master drummer. After opening Buddy's Place II, Rich introduced new tunes with elements of rock into his repertoire, demonstrating his ability to adapt to his audience's changing tastes and establishing himself as a great rock drummer.

Known for his caustic humor, Rich was a favorite on several television talk shows including the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, the Mike Douglas Show, the Dick Cavett Show and the Merv Griffin Show. During these appearances, audiences were entertained by Rich's constant sparring with the hosts and his slights of various pop singers. This famed musician received outstanding recognition throughout his career. The Downbeat Magazine Hall of Fame Award, the Modern Drummer Magazine Hall of Fame Award and the Jazz Unlimited Immortals of Jazz Award are just a few of his numerous honors. Rich gained international attention for such master compositions as his 10-minute West Side Story medley.

During his lengthy career, Rich toured around the globe, performing for millions of fans and several world leaders including the King of Thailand, King Hussein of Jordan the Queen of England, and U.S. presidents Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. On April 2, 1987, Rich died of heart failure following surgery for a malignant brain tumor. Longtime friend, Frank Sinatra, spoke a touching eulogy at Rich's funeral. Today, Buddy Rich is remembered as one of history's greatest musicians. According to jazz legend Gene Krupa, Rich was "The greatest drummer ever to have drawn breath."
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/buddy-rich/

Live at Ronnie Scott's

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Harry Allen & Luigi Grasso - Live at the Duc des Lombards Vol.1, Vol.2

Harry Allen & Luigi Grasso - Live at the Duc des Lombards Vol.1

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
Time: 75:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 172,7 MB
Art: Front

( 9:02) 1. Step Right Up
(13:06) 2. Lady Be Good
( 9:13) 3. You ’n’ Me
( 8:22) 4. Harry Allen Ballad Composition
(11:21) 5. In the Still of the Night
( 7:00) 6. Wes’ Tune
(11:09) 7. The Blues up and Down
( 6:10) 8. One for Duke

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Harry Allen & Luigi Grasso - Live at the Duc des Lombards Vol.2

File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 180,6 MB
Art: Front

( 9:32) 1. Step right up
( 4:47) 2. Wes' Tune
( 9:35) 3. Stuffy
( 7:08) 4. One for the Duke
( 8:03) 5. You 'n' Me
( 5:36) 6. Prelude to a kiss
( 8:52) 7. The Birth of the Blues
( 9:32) 8. In the still of the night
( 5:28) 9. Old Joe
(10:16) 10. Blues up and down

Gene Lees writes, "Stan Getz was once asked his idea of the perfect tenor saxophone soloist. His answer was, 'My technique, Al Cohn's ideas, and Zoot's time.' The fulfillment of that ideal may well be embodied in thirty-year-old Harry Allen."

BMG recording artist Harry Allen has over twenty recordings to his name. Three of Harry's CDs have won Gold Disc Awards from Japan's Swing Journal Magazine, and his CD Tenors Anyone? won both the Gold Disc Award and the New Star Award. His recordings have made the top ten list for favorite new releases in Swing Journal Magazine's reader's poll and Jazz Journal International's critic's poll for 1997, and Eu Nao Quero Dancar (I Won't Dance), the third Gold Disc Award winner, was voted second for album of the year for 1998 by Swing Journal Magazine‚s reader‚s poll.

Harry has performed at jazz festivals and clubs worldwide, frequently touring the United States, Europe, and the Far East. He has performed with Rosemary Clooney, Ray Brown, Hank Jones, Frank Wess, Flip Phillips, Scott Hamilton, Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Kenny Burrell, Herb Ellis, John Pizzarelli, Bucky Pizzarelli, Gus Johnson, Jeff Hamilton, Terry Gibbs, Warren Vache, and has recorded with Tony Bennett, Johnny Mandel, Ray Brown, Tommy Flanagan, James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Kenny Barron, Dave McKenna, Dori Caymmi, Larry Goldings, George Mraz, Jake Hanna, and Al Foster, among others.

Harry is featured on many of John Pizzarelli's recordings including the soundtrack and an on-screen cameo in the feature film The Out of Towners starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. He has also done a series of commercials for ESPN starring Robert Goulet.

Harry was born in Washington D.C. in 1966, and was raised in Los Angeles, CA and Burrillville, RI. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in music in 1988 from Rutgers University in New Jersey, and currently resides in New York City.https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/harry-allen/

Personnel: Harry Allen - Tenor Sax, Luigi Grasso - Alto Sax, Dave Blenkhorn - Guitar, Sebastien Girardot - Bass, Guillaume Nouaux - Drums

Live at the Duc des Lombards Vol. 1, Vol.2

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Daniel Humair - Humair Louiss Pont Disc 1, Disc 2

Daniel Humair - Humair Louiss Pont Disc 1
Styles: Jazz
Year: 1968
Time: 45:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 105,0 MB
Art: Front

( 8:43) 1. You've Changed
( 9:33) 2. Summertime
( 6:56) 3. 'Round Midnight
(14:33) 4. So What?
( 6:05) 5. Nostalgia in Times Square

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Daniel Humair - Humair Louiss Ponty Vol 2
Styles: Jazz
Year: 1968
Time: 49:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 113,4 MB
Art: Front

(13:42) 1. Carole's Garden
(11:54) 2. That's All
( 9:47) 3. Bag's Groove
( 9:13) 4. Sonny Moon for Two
( 4:55) 5. Ole O

Drummer Daniel Humair's name might be listed first on this double CD, and organist Eddy Louiss may be the dominant voice, but it is the inclusion of violinist Jean-Luc Ponty as part of the trio that really makes it quite historic.

Recorded in Paris in 1968, the live set features Ponty at the beginning of his career, before he came to the U.S., teamed up with the George Duke Trio, joined forces with Frank Zappa, became part of the second Mahavishnu Orchestra and had his long string of fusion albums for Atlantic.

Not quite 26 at the time, Ponty is featured on the date mostly playing standards including "You've Changed," "Summertime" (which is taken double time), "So What," "Bag's Groove" and "Oleo." Sometimes his violin sounds a little like a saxophone and it is clear, even at this early stage, that Ponty had a great deal of potential in jazz.

Louiss' organ is fairly original, breaking away from Jimmy Smith to hint at the avant-garde and modal music in spots while always swinging. Humair is excellent in support. The program, never before available in the U.S., is quite intriguing and enjoyable.

Since it is very doubtful that Jean-Luc Ponty can be persuaded to play straight-ahead jazz again (his musical tastes have long been elsewhere although his musicianship is still in prime form), this two-fer is a must for jazz violin collectors.
By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/humair-louiss-and-ponty-vol-1-mw0000899823

Humair Louiss Ponty Vol 1, Vol 2

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Joyce Breach - Reel Songs

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:09
Size: 156.0 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[3:04] 1. I'm A Dreamer, Aren't We All
[3:44] 2. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing/Tender Is The Night
[2:36] 3. Zing A Little Zong
[5:17] 4. That Old Feeling
[3:39] 5. Mind If I Make Love To You
[2:21] 6. That's For Me
[4:44] 7. All That Love Went To Waste
[5:16] 8. The Bad And The Beautiful/Laura
[3:06] 9. You Wonderful You
[4:46] 10. A Very Precious Love/A Certain Smile
[3:24] 11. The Tender Trap
[4:05] 12. Love Can Change The Stars
[3:06] 13. The Boy Next Door
[3:28] 14. Oh, But I Do
[3:46] 15. The Best Of Everything
[4:33] 16. Wild Is The Wind
[3:38] 17. Did I Remember
[3:26] 18. There Will Never Be Another You

For her sixth album for George Buck's Audiophile label, consummate cabaret songstress Joyce Breach has selected a program of torch songs, a novelty tune or two, and some up-tempo material. The common thread running through the musical agenda is that all the tunes are from movies made during the years 1929 to 1973. Thus, the album's title Reel Songs. To their credit, the producers did not fall back on familiar warhorses from movie musical scores, but instead they rescued songs that have been relegated to the oblivion bin. The arrangements tend to favor Breach being backed by piano, rhythm, and a sole instrument like sax or trumpet. This works because the instrumentalists brought in to support this singer are first class. Experienced accompanist Keith Ingham is on most cuts with his sympathetic piano. But nowhere does his ability as a singer's friend come through more than on the poignant medley "A Very Precious Love"/"A Certain Smile." His understanding keyboard work can be a model for the way a pianist should work with a vocalist. Randy Reinhard shows he is equally adept on trumpet and trombone. His soft, mellow slide horn is featured on "All That Love Went to Waste." Reinhardt favors the muted horn, à la Harry Sweets Edison, on the haunting "Laura," one the highlights of the album. Scott Robinson's Stan Getz-influenced honeyed tenor provides the support for Breach on several cuts and is especially telling on "Love Can Change the Stars" while his clarinet takes the lead on "That's for Me." Robinson is a favorite among singers, having shared a recording studio with Rebecca Kilgore. Not only is the individual work outstanding, but the ensemble playing is equally adroit. On "The Tender Trap," the group is pushed along by Ingham's blusey piano for a swinging version of this tune from the 1955 movie of the same name becoming a staple in the Frank Sinatra repertoire. With her cool, but not emotionless, understated manner of delivery, Joyce Breach, along with her talented confreres, provides a very entertaining hour's plus worth of movie tunes with arrangements shaped to show off Breach's voice and delivery at their very best. This album is recommended. ~Dave Nathan

Reel Songs

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Wild Bill Davis, Johnny Hodges - Con-Soul and Sax

Styles: Post Bop, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:59
Size: 85,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. On the Sunny Side of the Street
(3:15)  2. On Green Dolphin Street
(4:10)  3. Lil' Darlin'
(4:52)  4. Con-Soul and Sax
(2:30)  5. The Jeep Is Jumpin'
(3:25)  6. I'm Beginning to See the Light
(4:01)  7. Sophisticated Lady
(4:25)  8. Drop Me Off In Harlem
(3:21)  9. No One
(3:09) 10. Johnny Come Lately

Con-Soul & Sax is an album by American jazz saxophonist Johnny Hodges and organist Wild Bill Davis featuring performances recorded in 1965 and released on the RCA Victor label. The title is a play on words based on the term "console organ", a term used by the Hammond organ company to describe the type of organs favored by Davis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Con-Soul_%26_Sax

Personnel:  Wild Bill Davis - organ; Johnny Hodges - alto saxophone; Dickie Thompson, Mundell Lowe - guitar; Milt Hinton, George Duvivier - double bass; Osie Johnson - drums

Con-Soul and Sax

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