Artists: John Lee Hooker
     Album: Chill Out
     Label: Shout Factory (under licence to Blue Label)
     Year: 2007, First released: 1995
     Genre: Blues Rock
     Bitrate: MP3@320 kbit/s
     Size: 143 MB; Included HQ covers en booklet

     The Grammy Award-winning album Chill Out was released in 1995 and features a number of guest artists, including Carlos Santana, Van Morrison, Booker T. Jones, Charles Brown and Roy Rogers, on such Hooker classics as "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" and "Tupelo," and the newly written title track.

REPOST! John Lee Hooker - an influential American post-war blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter was born today!

Artist: Helen Merrill
Album: Dream Of You
Label: EmArcy
Recording Date: Jul 26, 1956 - Feb 27, 1957
Time: 57:30
Format: mp3 320 Kbps
Size: 125,42 Mb

One thing that set Helen Merrill apart from other '50s jazz singers was her acutely dramatic vocal style. Her earnest phrasing, elongated notes and incandescent tone might even strike the contemporary listener as qualities more appropriate for the Broadway stage than a jazz club. On 1955's Dream of You, though, Merrill found reconciliation, sounding both melodramatic and swinging within Gil Evans' darkly spacious, yet economical arrangements. Even though her collaboration with Clifford Brown is a great recording, this one with Gil Evans shows off more of Merrill's expressive vocal talents due in no small part to the sympathetic and urbane arrangements. (By Stephen Cook, AMG)

Artist: Frederic Galliano
Album: Espaces Baroques
Label: F Communications
Year: 1997
Genre: Future Jazz, Electronic, Experimental
Format, bitrate: mp3@320Kbps
Time: 55 min
Size: 124 Mb

Фирма F Communications стала известна вовсе не благодаря своим джазовым публикациям. А вот всевозможными экспериментами, околостоящими или ушедшими не очень далеко от джаза, они запомнились. Одним из таких, и что немаловажно, весьма примечательным событием, стала эта пластинка. Я долго думал выставлять ее здесь или нет. И все-таки решился. Уверен, что она останется, скорее всего, незамеченной и не будет избалована повышенным интересом здешних завсегдатаев и всех кто заглядывает сюда от случая к случаю. Не эта цель приследуется. И причины тому очень понятны и логичны. Я сам прохожу, мимо многих новостей даже не заглядывая в них посредством нажатия на кнопку «подробнее». Просто знаю, что это не для меня и иду мимо. Но, тем не менее, пусть эта публикация состоится. Музыка ведь на самом деле интересная. Ритм конечно «не из джаза», да и многие звуки скорее уместны были бы в каком-нибудь чисто электронном проекте, или чил-аут зоне какого-нибудь модного клуба, но в целом все очень даже очень. Как-то все с душой сделано. Воздушно, хоть и немного дипрессивно. Но ведь тот же Майлс Дэвис, к примеру, тоже был не самым «солнечным человеком в джазе». Достаточно вспомнить его музыку к фильму «Лифт на эшафот». Галлиано конечно не Майлз Дэвис, сравнение произвольное, но в таланте, хотя нет, даже не в таланте, а в профессионализме и наличии вкуса, ребятам не откажешь. В первую очередь, наверное, именно ему, Галлиано. Ведь он даже не играет сам, он только придумывает и все сводит воедино. Он известен-то по большей части именно что как ди-джей. Вот собственно и все. Предлагаю обратить особое внимание на треки под номером 3 и 6.

While many electronic artist pay lip service to jazz and world music, Parisian DJ Frederic Galliano made good with the promise behind his Afro-jazz debut album, Espaces Baroques. Much like fellow French artist St. Germain, Galliano choose to work with live jazz musicians, recruiting brothers Stephane Belmondo and Lionel Belmondo to supply tenor sax and bugle to his elaborate sample based African compositions. To further aid in the live aspirations of the album, acoustician Louis 2000 was brought in to aid in the recording, giving Espaces Baroques a natural feel unmatched in electronic music. The album centers on the 23-minute "Nomades Monades," a daunting piece that tends to meander despite occasional flourishes of brilliance, usually in the more synthetic passages. The true strengths of this album come earlier on with "Plis Infinis No1" and "Plis Infinis No3," which are propelled by the inventive use of sleigh bell and "hooting" samples respectively. There is also the scratched vinyl melancholy of "Multples Un'," which uses a lone repeating piano phase to great effect. Although Galliano never reaches the genius intercontinental fusion he so clearly wishes to achieve (one would do better to look towards originators Miles Davis or Fela Kuti), Espaces Baroques is one of the most accomplished Afro-jazz works to come out of the electronic music genre. ~ Joshua Glazer, All Music Guide

Artist: Eddie Costa
Album: The House of Blue Lights
Label: Dot
Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
Size: 221 MB & 90 MB
Time: 40:17

Eddie Costa was probably better known for his work as a vibraphonist than as a pianist during his all too brief career, which ended suddenly after a fatal car crash in 1962. He sticks exclusively to piano on his final album as a leader, joined by bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Paul Motian. His interpretation of Gigi Gryce's "The House of Blue Lights" has a dark tone overall, very percussive at times and often incorporating fast runs. Likewise, his take of "My Funny Valentine" is rather moody, as if a breakup between lovers is imminent. "Diane" finally lightens the mood with some mid-tempo breezy bop. Costa's two originals include the upbeat cooker "Annabelle" and the rambling, almost avant-gardish "What's It to Ya." Marshall and Motian provide great support for Costa throughout these experimental sessions. It is a pity that Eddie Costa died at such a young age before he had an opportunity to expand upon the work heard in this valuable date. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide

     Artist: Roger Kellaway
     Album: Roger Kellaway trio
     Year: rec. May 10-13, 1965
     Label: Prestige
     Format: MP 3 @ 320 Kb/s
     Time: 41:10
     Size: 89.3 Mb

Artist: Joe Henderson
Album: Porgy and Bess
Label: Verve Records
Year: , release 1997
Genre: jazz
Format, bitrate: MP3, 320 kbps
Time: 1h, 1min, 9 sec
Size: 142 mb

Бессмертное творение Джорджа Гершвина в исполнении великолепного саксофониста. Вокальные партии исполняют Chaka Khan и Sting.

In general, Joe Henderson's take on Porgy and Bess meets the high standards of his latter-day records for Verve. Working with arranger Bob Belden and a wonderful combo — including guitarist John Scofield, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Dave Holland, drummer Jack DeJohnette, trombonist Conrad Herwig and vibraphonist Stefon Harris — Henderson brings Gershwin's music to life with subtle beauty and grace. Furthermore, he demonstrates his uniqueness — Henderson's Porgy and Bess may share the same source as Miles Davis' legendary Porgy and Bess, yet it has an original sound, relying less on orchestration than that classic. While this disc is not flawless — instead of enhancing the music, guest spots from vocalists Chaka Khan and Sting actually stop the momentum, calling attention to themselves — it nevertheless is another valuable addition to Henderson's catalog. Leo Stanley, AMG

Artist: Blue Mitchell
     Album: The Thing To Do
     Label: Blue Note 94319
     Year: rec. July 30, 1964/rel.2004
     Format: MP 3 @ 320 Kb/s
     Time:40:15
     Size: 73.4 Mb


Вашему вниманию великолепнейший шедевр стиля Hard Bop - The Thing To Do от Blue Mitchell. Лучший альбом в дискографии исполнителя.
Приятного прослушивания.


Дорогие друзья! Давайте сегодня, в День рождения великолепного трубача, ещё раз послушаем его прекрасную музыку...

Artist: BBC Big Band Orchestra
Album: The Best Of The Big Bands Disc2
Label:Madacy
Year: 2004
Genre: Jazz, Big Band
Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbps
Time: 47:00
Size: 66.76 + 37.12 Mb

Удивительное дело, самым патриотическим фильмом во времена Второй мировой войны оказался вовсе не боевик голливудского образца с героем-суперменом в главной роли. Это была английская музыкальная комедия "Let George Do It" - "Поручите это Джорджу"
Фильм был с успехом показан в Нью-Йорке, а в 1943 году появился и на наших экранах под названием "Джордж из Динки-джаза". Простодушный герой Джорджа Формби покорил и русских зрителей. А звучал в нем как понятно из названия конечно джаз ну почти такой как на предлагаемом к прослушиванию втором диске!!!

Artist: BBC Big Band Orchestra
Album: The Best Of The Big Bands Disc1
Label: Madacy
Year: 2004
Genre: Jazz, Big Band
Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbps
Time: 55:23
Size: 66.76 + 55.66 Mb

Вторая Мировая война и музыкальные пристрастия простого народа в те тяжелые дни?
Если говорить не раздумывая, то это военные марши. Но люди и на войне оставались людьми и конечно же слушали не только марши.
Внесли свою лепту в это и музыканты и кинематографисты.
Музыкальные диски предлагаемые Вашему вниманию - это Bonus к документальным фильмам о войне: Episode 1, War Comes to America и Episode 2, D-Day the Normandy Invasion. Да именно джаз был популярен в те времена. Слушайте и наслаждайтесь!!!

Artist - Cozy Cole
Album - Cozy Cole 1944 - 1945
Label - Classics
Years: 1944-45, release - 1996
Quality - MP3@256 kbps
Size - 103 mb
Total time - 56:28


This Classics CD reissues drummer Cozy Cole's sessions for Continental, Keynote, and Guild, most of which have been out of print for years. The two Continental dates feature overlapping all-star groups (with trumpeter Charlie Shavers, clarinetist Hank D'Amico, Coleman Hawkins, Walter "Foots" Thomas, and/or Don Byas on tenors, Clyde Hart or Johnny Guarnieri on piano, guitarist Tiny Grimes, bassist Slam Stewart, and the drummer/leader), but are sometimes a bit frustrating. Since every player is a potential soloist and the performances are limited to around three minutes apiece, the solos are almost cameos, generally eight or 16 bars apiece. The most memorable spot, Hawkins' exploration of "When Day Is Done," finds the great tenor doing what he can with his half chorus. The Keynote session is most notable for Don Byas' solos and for the recording debut of 20-year-old trumpeter Shorty Rogers. The Guild sides have Byas well showcased in a quintet, two extensive drum features ("Stompin" and "Strictly Drums"), and three dramatic vocals from June Hawkins. Overall, this is an interesting and enjoyable CD — swing music with slight touches of bop. ~ Scott Yanow, AMG

Artist: Gianluigi Trovesi
Album: Vaghissimo Ritratto
Year: 2007
Label: ECM
Genre: Jazz-Classical Fusion
Quality: mp3@320 Kbps
Size: 73+53 Mb
Total time - 58:00


Italian reed-master Gianluigi Trovesi, a central figure in the ‘reformulation’ taking place in European jazz, returns in a new trio with poetic pianist Umberto Petrin and subtle drummer Fulvio Maras. Their enchanting album looks at the European ‘songwriter’ in a very broad sense ranging from Monteverdi and Josquin Desprez to cellist Alfredo Piatti, Italian pop legend Luigi Tenco and Belgian chansonnier Jacques Brel – all connected by the quick-witted improvising that is Trovesi’s forte. ~ ECM

     Artist: Blossom Dearie
     Album: Give Him The Ooh-La-La
     Label: Verve
     Recording: Sep 12-13 1957
     Format: mp3 320 Kbps
     Size: 79,47 Mb

     Of the six recordings Blossom Dearie did for the Verve label in the '50s, Give Him the Ooh-La-La is the third one to be released on CD. Three titles still remain in the vaults including a Betty Comden and Johnny Green tribute as well as a Broadway Hits collection. It's a shame because Dearie's girlishly dynamic voice, subtle piano playing, and rarified choice of contemporary material made her recordings unique among '50s jazz vocal outings. Give Him the Ooh-La-La is no exception, with stellar backing by regular bassist Ray Brown, drummer Jo Jones and guitarist Herb Ellis, and Dearie's taut arrangements of a set of glowing ballads and brisk swingers. (By Stephen Cook)

     Artist: Mike Stern
     Album: Between The Lines
     Label: Atlantic Jazz
     Year: 1996
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbps
     Time: 1.10:27
     Size: 163 Mb

     Between The Lines was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance.

     Artist: Nancy Wilson
     Album: Love, Nancy
     Release Date: 1994
     Label: Sony
     Format: mp3 320kbps
     Size: 122 MB

     Wilson has been able to adjust and retain her appeal while expanding her musical repertoire to include contemporary numbers and experiments with various collaborators and situations. On this album, she's accompanied by an orchestra and does such classic tunes as "Day Dream," plus current numbers. Andre Fischer's production lets Wilson's still enchanting, powerful voice dominate the orchestrations. There are occasional tasty instrumental contributions from selected guest stars, but for the most part it's Wilson's warm, inviting leads that make this CD so delightful. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide

     Artist: Chu Berry
     Album: Chu
     Label: Epic
     Year: 1955
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 190 MB & 97 MB
     Time: 43:36

     Artist: Johnny Hartman
     Album: Boston Concert 1976
     Label: Msi Music
     Year: 1976; Release: 2007
     Format, bitrate: MP3 320 kbps
     Size: 188 MB

     Some of the hippest American work of the 70s by vocalist Johnny Hartman -- smooth, sophisticated, and with a groove that's almost somewhat different than his more famous records of the decade before! Hartman's captured here in a live setting that's intimate, but never too sleepy or standard -- warmly relaxed with backing from a trio that includes Reggie Moore on piano and Bill English on bass -- and recorded with some great between-songs patter from Johnny, showing a charm that goes even beyond his studio sides. Titles include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Didn't We", "Watch What Happens", "Help Me Make It Through The Night", "Bidin My Time", "If", "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", "I've Got To Be Me", "Blues", and "Lush Life".