Artist: Gary Primich
     Album: Dog House Music
     Label: Antone's Records
     Year: 2002
     Genre: Blues
     Tracks: 10
     Format: mp3, Bitrate: @ CBR 256
     File Size: 96 MB

     Dog House Music, Primich's debut album on the Antone's Records label and his seventh in a series of releases that have previously racked up considerable critical acclaim. The album melds the sweaty feel of an inspired nightclub set with the sharp sonic atmosphere of the studio, resulting in blues music that is vivid and full of life.

     Artist: Gary Primich
     Album: Company Man
     Label: Black top
     Year: 1997
     Genre: Blues
     Tracks: 12
     Format: mp3, Bitrate: @ CBR 256
     File Size: 84 MB

     Blues with an infusion of rock and a touch of southern soul -- that's what Gary Primich offers in his debut album on Black Top. Primich plays harmonica, which he has done as sideman on recordings by Steve James, Omar and the Howlers, and Tish Hinojosa. On his own, he keeps his harp by turns wailing and laughing on the mostly original tunes, and turns in solid vocal work on several cuts as well.

     Artist: Dave Brubeck
     Album: The Very Best
     Year: 2000
     Label: Sony Jazz / Sony BMG
     Genre: Jazz
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320 kb/s
     Size: 81+87,8 MB

     A generation ago Brubeck was largely dismissed as an unswinging pianist with a vulgar preoccupation with odd time-signatures. Now he is a senatorial figure whose work is celebrated as much as it used to be reviled. On this evidence the contemporary view is fair. Brubeck could be heavy-handed, and some of his 1960s work was undoubtedly pretentious; on the other hand, he had considerable harmonic imagination, constantly surprised with his delicate melodiousness, and could generate prodigious swing. Moreover, in Paul Desmond he enjoyed the services of a top-class alto saxophonist who was also a deeply sympathetic spirit. Here they are joined on all but one of the 15 tracks by Brubeck's finest rhythm section, bassist Eugene Wright and drummer Joe Morello, and the programme, in addition to memorialising old favourites, includes Brubeck's excellent compositions "The Duke", "Mr. Broadway" and "In Your Own Sweet Way" and offers intriguing readings of "Camptown Races" and "Trolley Song". Strongly recommended to anyone new to Brubeck, the CD will please his dedicated fans too. ~ Richard Palmer

     Artist - The New York Hardbop Quintet
     Album - A Whisper Away
     Label - TCB Records
     Year - 1997, release - 1999
     Quality - MP3@320 kbps
     Size - 101,0 mb

     This group certainly lives up to its name, featuring five New York musicians (trumpeter Joe Magnarelli, tenor saxophonist Jerry Weldon, pianist Keith Saunders, bassist Bim Strasberg, and drummer Clifford Barbaro) playing in a hard-boppish style. Not a revivalist group, the band actually interprets seven of their own originals and just one standard, "Everything I Have Is Yours." The music is swinging, but not simplistic or predictable. Magnarelli, Weldon, and Saunders have plenty of fine solos, with Strasberg and Barbaro offering stimulating support, and the music should easily please straight-ahead jazz fans. ~ Scott Yanow AMG

     Artist: Chieli Minucci
     Album: Jewels
     Label: JVC / Xrcd
     Year: 1995
     Genre: Jazz, Smooth Jazz
     Tracks: 13
     Format: mp3, Bitrate: @ CBR 320
     Size: 65 MB + 65 MB
     Total Time: 57:42

     Based on Special EFX's eclectic artistic output since switching from GRP to JVC three years ago, long-time followers of veteran pop-jazz/world beat duo Chieli Minucci and George Jinda are no doubt wondering what happened to the classic, sound they knew and loved. First, percussion madman Jinda put out two solo albums with his own band, World News. Then he meets hip hop-drenched saxman Mark Johnson, produces his two discs and lets him take over the soundscapes of Special EFX's urban-bloated latest release, Catwalk. Minucci's response? Jewels, an amazing voyage into the furthest recesses of the guitarist's heart, covering paths once travelled in tandem with Jinda as well as edgier areas which don't fit into the band's street vibe. The art of the Jewels is that Minucci doesn't have to settle on one particular mode, like so many contemporary instrumentals feel they have to. Confident in his ability to master fiery Beck-like roaring rockers ("Dig The Dirt") as well as blues, funk and tough-spirited acid jazz, Minucci weaves across every dimension of emotional import. A few tunes will please EFX fans with their breezy, mid-tempo energy, but more often than not, his acrobatic strings fly without benefit of a comfortable net. Cases in point: the ethereal "Mountains" (written by his father), " the jamming reggae cover of "Sitting in Limbo") featuring a bouncy vocal by Johnny Kemp), and the four part, nine minute title extravaganza, which takes Minucci down a highway of burning passion and detours into the wayward expanses of a soul raised on Seventies rock radio. In so doing, Minucci reaches higher evolutionary ground than does any of his fine work in thirteen years collaborating with Jinda. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide

     Artist: Gary Primich
     Album: Mr. Freeze
     Label: Flying Fish Records
     Year: 1995
     Genre: Blues
     Tracks: 13
     Format: mp3, Bitrate: @ CBR 256
     File Size: 85 MB
     Total Time: 45:39

     "...Gary Primich is a tonemaster; it's his harp sound, always richly textured and supple, that makes his brand of Texas blues so inviting. At times on MR. FREEZE Primich blows his harp like it was a saxophone, inviting comparisons to Charlie Musselwhite and Little Walter..."

     Artist: Michael Buble
     Album: Call Me Irresponsible
     Year: 2007
     Label: REPRISE / WEA
     Genre: Vocal Jazz
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320 kb/s
     Time: 50 min
     Size: 60+56 MB

     Michael Buble ranks among the best of the contemporary crooners working in a classic pop-vocal style, and his 2007 album, CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE, further refines his suave, smooth style. With its finger-snapping big band arrangements, the album has its share of homage to Frank and Dino, both obvious cornerstones of Buble's music. But this isn't merely a retro exercise; the tunes, the production, and the overall feel are decidedly contemporary.
Stylistically adventurous versions of songs by Eric Clapton, Leonard Cohen, and Willie Nelson keep things lively, while "Everything," a Buble original, is one of the album's highlights. Still, cuts like the lead-off track ("The Best Is Yet to Come") and the old chestnut "I've Got the World on a String" will give listeners looking for some elegant, back-in-the-day pizzazz exactly that.
     

     Artist: Curtis Fuller
     Album: Vol. 3
     Label: Blue Note (BLP 1583)
     Year: 1957
     Quality: FLAC
     Size: 241 MB
     Time: 39:33

     Trombonist Curtis Fuller settled in New York in April of 1957, after working for several years in his native Detroit. Volume 3 pairs him with trumpeter Art Farmer, along with a buoyant rhythm section comprising Sonny Clark (who also relocated to N.Y.C. in April '57), George Tucker and Louis Hayes. This third solo recording for Fuller on the Blue Note label is stronger than its predecessors, especially in showcasing the trombonist's writing talents. The five original tunes and one standard feature some fine ensemble playing and cover a broad range from Afro-Cuban to medium swing to ballad. Fuller's composition "Carvon" is exceptional; the main theme is played on trombone accompanied only by bowed bass. This recording firmly established Curtis Fuller as a serious, mature voice on his instrument. -- Review by Lee Bloom, AMG.

     Artists: VA
     Album:The Glenn Miller Story(Sowndtrack)
     Release Date: 2006
     Label: Hollywood
     Genre: Original Soundtrack
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320 kb/s
     Size: 74,4+73 MB



     Description: The Glenn Miller Story - Film Musical Collection CD. Music From the Soundtrack Of The Universal-International Film Starring James Stewart and June Allyson. Plus bonus tracks from films featuring Glenn Miller and his Orchestra.

     Artist - The New York Hardbop Quintet
     Album - Rokermotion
     Label - TCB Records
     Year - 1996
     Quality - MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 83,8+73,2 mb
     Total Time: 65:41

     A casual listen to some of the music on this CD may cause one to believe that it is a previously unissued Blue Note date by Lee Morgan and Hank Mobley, except that much of the material is new and the musicians do not really sound like exact duplicates of the early hard bop greats. Very much living up to their group name, the fine players (tenorman Jerry Weldon, trumpeter Joe Magnarelli, pianist Keith Saunders, bassist Bim Strasberg and veteran drummer Mickey Roker) are quite creative within the older genre, much of which falls into the 1955-60 period (with occasional nods toward the mid-'60s). Performing six originals plus a lyrical "More than You Know" and a reharmonized "East of the Sun" on their third release, the members of the quintet take consistently swinging solos and the spontaneous-sounding ensembles are quite clean and exciting. Whether it be the boogaloo "Little Jake" (which finds Weldon hinting at Stanley Turrentine), a jazz waltz ("The Hip Naz") or the uptempo "Waat" (based on "The Way You Look Tonight"), this set has many fine moments and is well worth searching for by straightahead jazz fans. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Gary Primich
     Album: My Pleasure
     Label: Amazing Records
     Year: 1992
     Genre: Blues
     Tracks: 14
     Time: 50:38
     Format: mp3, Bitrate: @ CBR 256
     File Size: 95 MB

     My Pleasure is pretty much straight-up Chicago blues, delivered with authority by Gary Primich. Fellow harpist James Harman produced the record, and he tames Primich's more adventurous qualities. However, he does bring out the grease and grit of Primich's straightforward blues that was lacking on the previous record, which makes this a very enjoyable, if predictable, album. - Thom Owens, AMG

     Artist: Sandor Szabo
     Album: Sanctified Land
     Quality: mp3@320 Kbps
     Size: 104 MB (covers)
     Genre: jazz, acoustic fingerstyle
     Year: 1989
     Label: HWYL (1991)
     Total time: 44:39

     Regarded by many as one of Eastern Europe's finest exponents of "New Guitar" music, Sandor has spent many years studying and mastering "The Guitar". Playing a varied collection of stringed instruments, from 8-string classical, 16-string guitar to Guitarvina (a special 16-string instruments of his own device). Versed in a variety of different music styles, Sandor during his early 20' developed a passion for Jazz improvisation and freeform musics. This early passion had led to his commitment to perfecting his own method of musicianship and music style. Various Eastern and traditional Hungarian folk musics are drawn upon creating a unique tapestry of sound. His deep love and respect for the music of Kodaly and Bartok can be experienced in his music, Sandor makes music that is deeply emotive, atmospheres are intimate. His music bears such mood and spiritual depth akin to Indian Ragas and Arabian Maqams music. He has worked with several foreign musicians, most notably Gilbert Isbin on Isbins release "The Clear Perception of Provenance Within". He works within an acoustic trio called Guitar Workshop, lpaying experimental contemporary music, also a quartet, Great Plain-Workshop. - Steve Parry (original liner notes)

     Artist - Tyrone Brown
     Album - Song of the Sun
     Label - Naxos Jazz
     Year - 1996, release - 1999
     Quality - MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 124,31 MB
     Total time - 54:18


     For this unusual set, bassist Tyrone Brown leads an ensemble including two violins, two violas, one cellist, and a percussionist. The music is actually fairly conventional, including some melodic originals, "All the Things You Are," and "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise," with the main solo space taken by Brown, violinist John Blake, and Melissa Ortega on viola. The unusual sound of the ensemble, the impressive musicianship, and the fine material make this a straight-ahead set of strong interest. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Thelonious Monk
     Album: Monk's Music
     Label: Riverside / Original Jazz Classics
     Year: 1957, release 1991
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbps (+ covers)
     AMG Rating:

     Bought this album recently and realy didn't regret!  It's one of the 20-bit remastered albums from the series 'Original Jazz Classics'.
     "Monk's Music"was recorded in New York on June 26, 1957. The first song "Abide With Me" - a hymn by W. H. Monk - is played by the septet's brass section. The song "Ruby my Dear" is performed only by Monk, Coleman Hawkins, Wilbur Ware and Art Blakey. All of the songs are original compositions by Thelonious Monk, but some had appeared on previous albums by Monk. The recording became a classic due to the richness of the septet's interpretation. The album was reissued by the Original Jazz Classics label on July 1, 1991.

     Artists:VA
     Album - Dance To The Bands! Vol. 2
     Label - Capitol
     Year - 1956
     Quality - MP3@256kbps (LP-rip)
     Total time - 31:00

     Artist: Scott Hamilton
     Album: Radio City
     Label: Concord Jazz
     Year: 1990
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbps (+ frontcover)

     This is another typically excellent Scott Hamilton quartet CD on Concord. In this case, the swing tenor is joined by pianist Gerry Wiggins (who contributes plenty of infectious riffs), bassist Dennis Irwin, and drummer Connie Kay. The group performs a pair of Hamilton originals ("Radio City" and "Wig's Blues") plus eight standards. Hamilton is the most consistent of jazz improvisers so it is of little surprise that he is in top form throughout this set, with the highlights including Woody Herman's romping "Apple Honey," Duke Ellington's beautiful "Tonight I Shall Sleep (With a Smile on My Face)," and "Yesterdays." -- Review by Scott Yanow, AMG.

     Artist: Soesja Citroen with The Metropole Orchestra
     Album: Yesterdays
     Label: Challenge Records
     Years: 1984-1988; Release: 2007
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbps

     Spanning 1984 through 1988, Yesterdays is a collection of previously released material that draws on three of Soesja Citroen's albums: Angel Eyes, Soesja Citroen Sings Fred Astaire, and Soesja in Silk. The thing that all 16 of these tracks (which Challenge licensed from Varagram) have in common is the backing of the Metropole Orchestra. Embracing such well-known standards as "Come Rain or Come Shine," "Night and Day," and "The Way You Look Tonight," the Dutch vocalist does what everyone from Billie Holiday to Wes Montgomery did before her, enjoying the lushness of a string orchestra. Over the years, the "jazz with strings" concept has had its share of detractors. Many jazz purists have argued that it's best for jazz artists to stay away from strings and leave them to pop artists, but those who say that are simply being dogmatic. Strings, in fact, have their place in jazz; Artie Shaw proved this back in the 1930s, and Citroen reminds us of this fact on the pleasant, if conventional, Yesterdays. It's true that these more arranged sessions don't give Citroen as much room to improvise and that she has been more adventurous and risk-taking elsewhere. While these aren't among Citroen's more essential recordings, they're enjoyable nonetheless. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

     Artist: Scott Hamilton
     Album: Scott Hamilton Plays Ballads
     Label: Concord Jazz
     Year: 1989
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbps (+ frontcover)

     Its title accurately describes the romantic music on this CD. The warm tenor of Scott Hamilton (accompanied by pianist John Bunch, guitarist Chris Flory, bassist Phil Flanigan and drummer Chuck Riggs) brings out a great deal of beauty on 11 ballads, including his own "Two Eighteen" and a variety of veteran melodies.

     Artist - Ike Quebec
     Album - Complete Blue Note 45's
     Label - Blue Note
     Years: 1959-1962
     Quality - MP3@192 kbps & MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 176 MB or 320 MB
     AMG Rating:

     These 26 tunes, recorded at three sessions between 1959 and 1962, were initially done to produce 45-pm singles for the jukebox market. The material leans heavily toward standards with a few bluesy originals thrown in. Quebec’s vulnerable, big-toned tenor caresses every melody beautifully and his heartfelt solos are stirring. Sidemen include Sir Charles Thompson (on organ), Milt Hinton and Skeeter Best.

     Artist: Lou Donaldson
     Album: The Time Is Right
     Label: Blue Note
     Year: 1959
     Quality: FLAC
     Size: 238 MB
     Time: 37:05