Artist: Chet Baker
     Album: In Tokyo [Live]
     Year: 1987
     Discs: 2
     Quality: MP3 @ VBR 128-192kbps
(Low bitrates, but good sound, on a hard-to-find album!)
     Size: 129mb (RS.com) with all covers
     Recording Date: June 14, 1987
     Time: 115:37
     Tracks: 11
     Label: Evidence

     Perhaps this is Chet Baker's greatest recording. The fact that it was recorded less than one year before his death fuels the "what if" scenarios. Could Chet have continued to make great music like this on into the '90's? We'll never know, but we do know that Chet was in great shape that night in 1987. Chet plays wonderful, long solos on "My Funny Valentine" and "Arborway". The ballads are so moving and sincere, they'll send chills down your spine. But most of the album is upbeat and lively. You'll also hear some great piano work by the great, underrated Harold Danko. The concert was filmed for Japanese television and is available on DVD. - Chetbakertribute.com

     Artist: Ray Bryant
     Album: Ray Bryant Trio
     Label: Epic
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 212 MB & 90 MB
     Time: 40:44

     Artist - Flip Phillips
     Album - Spanish Eyes
     Label - Candid
     Year - 1975
     Quality - MP3@320 kbps
     Size - 101mb
     Total time - 54:09


This 1975 session, which originally was released as Phillips' Head by Choice, marked Flip Phillips' first date as a leader after a nearly a dozen years, although he had been recording during the period. With pianist Mickey Crane, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Mousie Alexander, Phillips ventures into a mix of vintage and current songs with great results throughout the date. A swinging rendition of "Spanish Eyes," written by easy listening bandleader Bert Kaempfert, became a favorite of the tenor saxophonist. His melodious takes on "This Is All I Ask" and "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)" bring Ben Webster to mind. One surprise is the lively version of Hugo Montenegro's "Jeannie," which is the theme to the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie starring Barbara Eden. He switches to bass clarinet (an instrument on which he excelled but played only occasionally on record dates) for several tracks. He performs an inspired call-and-response duet with Hinton on "Nature Boy," a rather novel approach to a tune that can easily become hackneyed in the wrong hands, with the rest of the group joining him after a couple of choruses. His original blues "Fat Tessie's Ass" is a swinger with a fine solo by Hinton, while his use of the instrument on "Everything Happens to Me" adds to the already morose nature of this classic ballad. This 1997 reissue by Candid adds several alternate takes to this already worthwhile disc. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide

     Artists: Roswell Rudd & Toumani Diabate
     Album: Malicool
     Format: FLAC & mp3 (320k/s)
     Size: 325 & 140 MB (scans)
     Label: Universal
     Total time: 60:48
     Genre: world jazz, african

     At first blush, adding Roswell Rudd to a group of native West African musicians might seem, well, stretched. Surprisingly, though, it proves a remarkably impressive combination -- in large part due to the simple melodies, the opportunity for the trombonist to stretch out, and the quality of the band. Curiously, although recorded in Mali, half of the tunes are not indigenous to the region: Three are by Rudd, "Jackie-ing" is, of course, by Monk, and "All Through the Night" is a traditional Welsh song. Rudd plays the only Western-style horn (the others perform on a variety of local instruments or contribute vocals), and his burly tone and raunchy swagger take full advantage of the moment. The trombonist is in prime form, relaxed and expansive. The Africans are splendid, too, not only laying down a sympathetic carpet of light percussion over which the trombonist improvises but also providing some interesting diversions on instruments such as the kora, the balophone, the djembe, and the ngone. The acclaimed Toumani Diabate is co-leader of the session, contributes a few pieces, and shines on his native kora (a 21-stringed harp). "Jackie-ing" is perhaps the most interesting of the tunes, if only because it is so difficult for the Africans to manage. As Rudd explains in his notes, the tradition among the Africans is to focus on simple riffs as accompaniments and to continue to explore sections to their fullest rather than jumping to the next section of a song. Ultimately, these issues (and others) are worked out, and Monk is given a sort of facelift that proves compelling. Overall, the band is tight and well-rehearsed, Rudd's solos rival his best, and the tunes are catchy, simple, and accessible. Fans of the trombonist or of West African music will not wish to miss the opportunity to pick up this rare and exciting collaboration. ~ Steven Loewy, AMG

     Artist - Eric Alexander Quartet
     Album - Gentle Ballads II
     Release - 2006
     Label - Venus Record
     Format/Bitrate - MP3/320 kbps
     Size - 137 mb

     In 2004, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander recorded a smash hit album Gentle Ballads for Venus Records that earned Swing Journal's 2004 Jazz Disc Silver Award in Japan. What we have here is Gentle Ballads II, a second helping recorded two years later.

     The band is the same and the concept is the same. What you get is a lot of wonderful tenor sax playing. What strikes me most is Alexander's great tone. It is strong and brawny, and supremely powerful. The recording captured this wonderful sound and put it center and forward.

     If you are a fan of this instrument and well-played jazz ballads, you'll simply love this album. It's an album to listen to at night, preferably with your loved one at your side. Sit back with your favorite drink and let the warm sound of Alexander's tenor envelop you and intoxicate you.

     Artist: Krzysztof Komeda Quintet
     Album: Astigmatic
     Label: Power Bros Records [PB 00125]
     Year: 1998 [Orig. Year 1965]
     Genre: Jazz, Free Jazz, Avant-Garde Jazz
     Quality: FLAC (cue+log)
     Time: 46:48
     Size: 81.6x3 + 71.9 Mb

     Во время очередного традиционного появления на Варшавском фестивале Джаз Джембори '65, Комеда Квинтет исполняет две дерзкие композиции: "Astigmatic" и "Kattorna". Записанная в декабре пластинка "Astigmatic" является вершиной деятельности коллектива музыкантов, руководимый Кшиштофом Комедой. Это подлинная masterpiece, одна из жемчужин мирового джазового наследия. Сложная заглавная сюита "Размытый" составлена из соло и диалогов. Она настолько разнообразна, что ее 23 минуты пролетают словно на одном дыхании, нисколько не утомляя слушателей. Следующая композиция "Котята", написаная Комедой для одноименного кинофильма датского кинорежиссера Хеннига Карлсена, превращается на пластинке в настоящий прорыв Томаша Станько, блестяще справившегося со своей ролью. Последняя вещь "Svantetic", посвященная другу Комеды, шведскому поэту и журналисту Сванте Форстеру, состоит из блестящих медитаций баса и фортепиано, а также демонстрирует талант Збигнева Намысловского, колдующего на альт-саксофоне.
Приятного прослушивания!

     Artist: Charlie Byrd
     Album: Byrd Plays
     Label: Concord Jazz
     Year:2002
     Format, quality: 320 Kbps Mp3
     Size:114 MB
     Time: 67:21

     When guitarist Charlie Byrd scored big on Stan Getz's Jazz Samba in 1962, he found a niche that served him well for the next 35 years. Byrd, however, no more invented bossa nova than Getz. Instead, both men proved masterful interpreters of a music defined by composers like Antonio Carlos Jobim. Plays Jobim represents a marriage of style and vision, of deep writing and sensitive interpretation. A dozen songs are drawn from five Concord albums, and even casual bossa nova fans will recognize Jobim classics like "Desfinado" and "The Girl From Ipanema." The recordings are performed in multiple settings, ranging from the nonet of "So Danco Samba" to the septet on "Favela" to the quartets of "Corcovado" and "Meditation." The smaller settings work best because Byrd has more room to stretch out and his acoustic guitar is never in danger of being drowned out by the other players. The larger settings, accompanied by clarinet and harmonica, also border closer to contemporary jazz than samba. Upbeat cuts like "Agua de Beber" and slow, romantic pieces like "If You Never Come to Me" are more successful, providing intimate settings for Byrd to work his magic. Chuck Redd's vibraphone also proves complimentary to the spirit and tone of Byrd's acoustic guitar on these cuts. Overall, Plays Jobim is a relaxed set, perfect for the early evening. Fans of Bryd and Jobim will enjoy revisiting these fine compositions. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., AMG

     Artist: Miles Davis
     Album: Nefertiti
     Label: Columbia
     Year: 1968 , release: 1998
     Genre:
     Format, bitrate: flac; mp3/320kbs
     Time: 46:07
     Size: 466mb(4x100+1x66); 153mb(mp3)


     Nefertiti, the fourth album by Miles Davis' second classic quintet, continues the forward motion of Sorcerer, as the group settles into a low-key, exploratory groove, offering music with recognizable themes -- but themes that were deliberately dissonant, slightly unsettling even as they burrowed their way into the consciousness. In a sense, this is mood music, since, like on much of Sorcerer, the individual parts mesh in unpredictable ways, creating evocative, floating soundscapes. This music anticipates the free-fall, impressionistic work of In a Silent Way, yet it remains rooted in hard bop, particularly when the tempo is a bit sprightly, as on "Hand Jive." Yet even when the instrumentalists and soloists are placed in the foreground -- such as Miles' extended opening solo on "Madness" or Hancock's long solo toward the end of the piece -- this never feels like showcases for virtuosity, the way some showboating hard bop can, though each player shines. What's impressive, like on all of this quintet's sessions, is the interplay, how the musicians follow an unpredictable path as a unit, turning in music that is always searching, always provocative, and never boring. Perhaps Nefertiti's charms are a little more subtle than those of its predecessors, but that makes it intriguing. Besides, this album so clearly points the way to fusion, while remaining acoustic, that it may force listeners on either side of the fence into another direction. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

     Artist: Stephane Grappelli & Bucky Pizzarelli
     Album: Duet
     Year: , release 1979
     Label: Distribution
     Genre: Swing
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 256 kbps
     Time: 1h; 3 min; 34 sec
     Size: 124 mb

REPOST with NEW LINK

     Artist: Alan Shorter
     Album: Orgasm
     Label: Polygram Records
     Year: 1998 [Release Date: 1968]
     Genre: Jazz, Free Jazz, Avant-Garde Jazz
     Quality: FLAC (cue+log+cover)
     Time: 57:46
     Size: 85.8x3 + 48.2 Mb

     One of only two sessions led by flugelhornist Alan Shorter (Wayne's older brother), this set (which was reissued as a 1998 CD) is a near-classic. Shorter and his quartet (with tenor saxophonist Gato Barbieri, either Charlie Haden or Reggie Johnson on bass, and Muhammad Ali or Rashied Ali on drums) perform six of the leader's complex originals. Barbieri lets out some strong screams in places but sounds more restrained and coherent than on his other avant-garde recordings of the period. The rhythm sections are stimulating and alert, while Shorter, although not a virtuoso, comes up with consistently inventive ideas. The style is sometimes slightly reminiscent of Ornette Coleman (partly due to the presence of Haden), but Shorter had apparently not heard Ornette's band before recording this music. Well worth several listens. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Wilson Pickett
     Album: It's Harder Now
     Label: Bullseye Blues
     Year: 1999
     Genre: Blues
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320kb/s
     Time: 42:43
     Size: 99MB

     Most modern-day soul albums, especially those of the comeback variety, usually fall several steps short of their goal; the production is some sort of mummified "this-is-how-the-old-records-sounded" rehash, the band (while playing very competently) just lays there flat and lifeless, and the singers always sound about ten squares past their prime. A nice little trip down nostalgia lane, perhaps, but if you're going to compare this to their best work from the late '50s to mid-'60s, the new recordings just don't stack up, no way. But here's the album that proves to be a major league exception to the rule. It took Wilson Pickett something like 12 years to get around to making another record, but it definitely was worth the wait. Pickett is in top form on It's Harder Now, with a brand new batch of tunes, almost all of them co-written by producer-guitarist-bandleader Jon Tiven, with the Wicked One contributing to five of the 11 tunes onboard. His sore-throated howl is still mightily intact, even in the falsetto regions (yep, he can still hit those high screeches that fueled his best work on Atlantic), and his energy and instincts are as finely tuned as ever.
Modern-day soul albums are seldom very rewarding, but this one is and then some. It's a comeback album that exceeds all expectations and acts as proof that Pickett is still wicked heading into the 21st century. Lovers of real soul music should add this one to their shopping list; it'll make you dance. Cub Koda,All Music Guide

ФИАЛКИ ПО СРЕДАМ (выпуск шестой)

     Composer: Niccolo Paganini
     Artist: Julian Cawdrey
     Album: Paganini: 24 Caprices (Arranged for Flute)
     Label: Pavane
     Year: , release Sep 29, 1998
     Genre: classical
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320 kbps
     Time: 1h, 17 min, 25
     Size: 185 mb.

     Итак, друзья мои, продолжаем наше путешествие по миру вечной классики.
Сегодня я хочу предложить Вам ознакомиться с ещё одной оригинальной версией двадцати четырёх каприсов Паганини.
На этот раз солирует флейта.
Итак,

     Artist: Solomon Burke
     Album: Like a Fire
     Year: 2008
     Label: Shout! Factory
     Genre: R&B, Soul
     Format: MP3@320/kbs
     Size: 85.87 MB

     An American soul and country music pioneer, Solomon Burke is regarded by many aficionados as the best soul singer of all time. As a child in Philadelphia in the '50s, he sang and preached the gospel as the “Wonder Boy Preacher." Following a stint at Apollo Records, he broke nationally with a series of country-soul masterpieces for the famed Atlantic Records label.
     Crowned the King of Rock 'n Soul, Burke continued to record in the soul idiom until the Grammy-winning 2001 Don't Give Up on Me, produced by Joe Henry and featuring songs by Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan and Brian Wilson. He followed it up in 2005 with two Grammy-nominated albums for Shout! Factory, Make Do With What You Got, and Nashville, the latter a return to his country roots featuring duets with Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Patty Loveless, Patty Griffin, and Gillian Welch.
     A member of the celebrated Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, Burke ventured back to the recording studio in January 2008 to lay down tracks with producer/drummer Steve Jordan. The album, Like A Fire pairs the master with guest stars Ben Harper and Keb’ Mo’ and features songs written by fellow musical legends Eric Clapton and Jesse Harris. The result is a collaboration Relix Magazine says “makes even the simplest of songs vital.”
     Eric Clapton wrote the title track and co-wrote “Thank You” with Solomon. Ben Harper duets with Solomon on his composition, “A Minute To Rest And A Second To Pray.” And Keb’ Mo’ and Jesse Harris (writer of Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why”) each play guitar and sing backing vocals on their songs. Like A Fire was produced by Grammy-winning master drummer Steve Jordan, who has worked with Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer and countless other greats, and who also wrote three tracks for the album. http://www.shoutfactory.com/browse/87/solomon_burke.aspx

     Artist: Nils Landgren & Joe Sample
     Album: Creole love call
     Label: ACT-music
     Year: 2005
     Quality: mp3@256
     Size: 95 mb

     Swedish trombonist and vocalist Nils Landgren joins forces with Joe Sample and friends in New Orleans for this studio session, which mixes up a hot gumbo of R&B, jazz, and Crescent City down-home fun. The play list draws from many styles, including works by local legend Allen Toussaint, Ray Charles, rocker Stephen Stills, and even Willie Nelson, as was as originals by Sample and one from jazz master Duke Ellington. The duet tracks are the most fun as Landgren shares the vocals with Ray Parker, Jr. ("Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay") and Charmaine Neville (on the funky "With You in Mind"). The guitar and percussion-heavy take of "Love the One You're With" leans more toward Stills' original conception than the Isley Brothers' overdone interpretation, though Sample's playful licks keep things loose and the heavy overdubs of the composer are missing in this version. The only dull track is the monotonous "I Can't Get Enough of Your Love," which wears out its welcome quickly. "Creole Love Call" adds the Piety Street Brass Band for a slightly modern twist on an early jazz favorite from the 1920s. When he's not singing, Landgren plays a mean trombone. Fortunately, this CD was completed several months before the unwelcome arrival of Hurricane Katrina.

     Artist: Albert King
     Album: The Best of Albert King
     Label: Stax
     Year: 1986
     Release: 1991
     Genre: Blues
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320kb/s
     Time: 61:55
     Size: 141MB

     "The best of Albert King"? More like the best material that he happened to record for Stax between 1968 and 1973. Even that's debatable, the 13 tracks including covers such as "Honky Tonk Woman," "Sky Is Crying," and "Hound Dog." It does present a reasonable cross-section of his soul-inflected work of the period, drawing from over a half-dozen LPs and a couple of singles, though you might be as well or better off with his more focused individual titles. And for the true "best of Albert King", Rhino's Ultimate Collection remains the hands-down winner. Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

     Artist: Albert King
     Album: Funky London
     Label: Stax
     Year: 1974
     Release: 1994
     Genre: Blues
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320kb/s
     Time: 51:34
     Size: 117MB

     Albert King cut his teeth on the blues circuits of Arkansas and St. Louis, developing his style in a number of electric outfits. His recording career was, at least initially, erratic, though the quality of the sides he cut for the Parrot, King, and Coun-Tree imprints certainly was not. It wasn't until King signed to Stax in 1966, however, and the guitarist's electric blues fused with the muscular bass, funky guitars, and sparkling horns of the label's outstanding session players, that he found his first home. King stayed with the label for eight years, leaving only when Stax was entering its financial decline. Funky London manages to dig up a few from the period that nearly got away, compiling three 45 sides and six unreleased tracks. The singles include a pair of instrumentals (a cover of James Brown's "Cold Sweat" and "Funky London," a dispensable, up-tempo 12-bar workout) and one vocal ("Can't You See What You're Doing to Me"). By the nature of the material, those songs and the six that follow lack the cohesiveness of an album, though the quality of the music ultimately prevails. Downshifting for "Lonesome," the combo is steeped in the blues. After a false start ("What's the matter with y'all!?" asks King), the band begins again, King's crying guitar lines joined by keyboard commentary, smoky threads of wah-wah guitar and an exquisite horn arrangement. "Sweet Fingers" is an excellent example of funky blues ensemble playing and "Driving Wheel" a fine interpretation of the Roosevelt Sykes tune. Perhaps most important is the fact that the majority of the music here maintains the standards established on King's official Stax releases, making this a desirable set. Nathan Bush, AMG