Artist: Cannonball Adderley
     Album: Phenix
     Label: Fantasy
     Years: 1975
     Genre: Funky fusion
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320
     Time: 1:13:23
     Size: 173 MB (3% recovery)

     Adderley's next-to-last recording (cut just four months before he died of a stroke at age 46) was ironically a retrospective of his career. While his then-current group (with cornetist Nat Adderley, keyboardist Mike Wolff, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer Roy McCurdy) was featured on half of this two-LP set (highlighted by "Stars Fell on Alabama," "74 Miles Away," and a medley of "Walk Tall" and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"), on the remainder of this two-fer the Adderleys welcome back several alumni (keyboardist George Duke, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Louis Hayes) for new versions of "High Fly," "Work Song," "Sack O'Woe," "Jive Samba," "This Here," and "The Sidewalks of New York." A recommended set with plenty of excellent music, it serves as a fine overview of Cannonball Adderley's career. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Oscar Peterson
     Album: Oscar's Blues
     Label: Past Perfect
     Year: 1950 - 1951, release 2002
     Genre: jazz
     Format, bitrate: Mp3 320 kb/s
     Time: 53:49
     Size: 123 Mb

     Most of these rare recordings are radio transcriptions made for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, when Oscar Peterson was 25 years old, only two years before being discovered by the great producer and jazz promoter Norman Granz - Bubu Hans

     Artist: Craig Chaquico & Russ Freeman
     Album: From The Redwoods To The Rockies
     Year: rec.Apr 13, 1998-Jun 2, 1998 /rel.Sep 15, 1998
     Label:Windham Hill Jazz
     Format: MP3@320 Kb/s + Flac + full scan
     Time:45:03
     Size:102.43 Mb + 3X97+0.43 Mb
     AMG Rating:

     

     Artist: Lee Morgan
     Album: Introducing
     Label: Savoy MG 12091
     Year: 1956
     Genre: Jazz
     Format, bitrate: mp3@320kb/s covers front/back
     Time: ~ 37 min
     Size: 84,63

     Originally a Hank Mobley session, this is one of trumpeter Lee Morgan's earliest recordings. At the time Morgan (who was just 18) was very much under the musical influence of Clifford Brown although a bit of his own personality was starting to shine through. With the fine tenor of Mobley, pianist Hank Jones, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor, Morgan sounds quite comfortable playing bebop and participating in a ballad medley. This set (along with a previously unissued version of "Nostalgia") was later reissued as A-1 The Savoy Sessions. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

   Artist: NEW YORK JAZZ QUARTET
   Album: IN CONCERT IN JAPAN VOL.1
   Label: SALVATION
   Year: 1973
   Format, bitrate: mp3@320 kbps
   Time: 61.16
   Size: 140 MB

   Fine live session by The New York Jazz Quartet, an East Coast version of The Modern Jazz Quartet, although they play with more blues feeling and foundation. The lineup includes Frank Wess on tenor sax and flute, pianist Sir Roland Hanna, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Ben Riley.
    ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide

   Artist: Cannonball Adderley
   Album: Ballads
   Label: Blue Note / EMD
   Year: 1958 - 1967
   Release: 2002
   Format, bitrate: MP3 320 kbit/s
   Time: 55:03
   Size: 115 mb

     Ballads is a lovely collection of Cannonball Adderley's work on Blue Note from the late '50s to the mid-'60s. Since the nine selections have been taken from nine different albums, the personnel varies widely. The overall mood and approach, however, remain uniform. On "Now I Have Everything" flutist Charles Lloyd, pianist Joe Zawinul, and cornet player Nat Adderley join in for a short, impressionistic lullaby; on "Easy Living" pianist Barry Harris, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Louis Hayes lend their talents to a soulful take on a favorite standard. Adderley's alto paints in broad, expressionistic colors, wringing just a little more feeling from each note of "I Worship You" and "I Can't Get Started." The mood of pieces like "Dancing in the Dark" reminds one of a rainy night in a film noir classic, with the lights reflecting against the wet city streets at three a.m. The last cut, the 15-minute "The Song My Lady Sings," caps off 55 minutes of quiet, reflective jazz. This low-key exit quietly ebbs and flows as the band fills it with atmosphere to spare. For the unfamiliar, Ballads will serve as relaxed introduction into Adderley's stunning work; for all others, Ballads will serve as the perfect disc for late-night listening. ~ Review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., AMG.

    Artist: Michel Camilo
    Album: One More Once
    Label:Columbia
    Genre: Latin jazz
    Year: September 27,1994
    Format, Bitrate: MP3, 320 kbps
    Time: 63:30
    Size: 122 Mb

   Michel Camilo is a very powerful Latin jazz pianist who is quite capable of playing several rhythms at once. He emulates an orchestra even when playing solo, so it is not surprising that this outing with 21 other musicians in an impressive all-star band is intense and passionate. Camilo performs ten of his originals on this date including the blues "One More Once," an atmospheric "Dreamlight," "Caribe," "Just Kidding" and his "hit" "Why Not." Among the notables heard from are tenor saxophonist Ralph Bowen, altoist Paquito d'Rivera, Chris Hunter on soprano and alto, and trumpeter Michael Mossman, but Camilo is the main star throughout. The catchy rhythms make the music accessible but the pianist never coasts or takes it easy, constantly challenging himself.

   Artist: Cannonball Adderley
   Album: Alabama / Africa
   Label: Milestone/Prestige
   Year: 1958 - 1962
   Release: 1981
   Format, bitrate: MP3 320 kbit/s
   Time: 1:19:05
   Size: 176 mb

     CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Alabama Africa (1981 US orange Milestone label 20-track double vinyl LP, collecting a number of Riverside recordings, with Art Farmer, Barry Galbraith, Milt Hinton performing John Benson Brooks' Alabama Concerto in four movements and with orchestra featuring Nat Adderley, Wynton Kelly, Oliver Nelson and Bob Brookmeyer, conducted by Ernie Wilkins. Twice during his six years with the label he ventured far afield from his usual small-group blowing format. Alabama Concerto and African Waltz demonstrate these rare moments involving fewer players thus leaving more room for improvisation. Both are fascinating variations on Adderley's customary recorded work. Gatefold pasted card picture sleeve with detailed liner notes M-47059).

     Artist: Oscar Peterson
     Album: Oscar's Ballads
     Label: Telarc
     Year: 1990 - 2000
     Release: 2001
     Format, bitrate: Mp3 224 kb/s vbr
     Time: 1:09:06
     Size: 92,6

     Oscar Peterson's spotless, fiery technique can fool you. He's also a jazz pianist with a sensitive side. And on this disc, Telarc gathers some of his best ballad cuts and reveals just how versatile Peterson can be. In his hands, these original tunes are infused with grace, warmth, and just a hint of swing, and they're all worth hearing. "Harcourt Nights" gets a lush orchestral backing thanks to the Michel Legrand Strings. "If You Only Knew" features Peterson and Benny Green together, weaving long, lyrical piano lines, and "Nighttime" features the pianist at his most soft-hued. As usual, Peterson's lightening-fast fingers are astounding, as is his accompaniment (especially tracks featuring Roy Hargrove and Herb Ellis). All of these recordings have been previously released, but it's nice to have so many soulful and gorgeous ballads on one CD. A rare glimpse at Peterson's lesser-heard playing style. --Jason Verlinde at Amazon.com

     This compilation has a main feature that makes out of it something special.
     All compositions are by Oscar Peterson. Despite the name, not all the tracks are in mellow low tempo (at least partially). Some are in studio and some are live recordings. So Telarc offers us an interesting journey through Oscar's creativity as a composer and as a player. Seat back and enjoy. - Bubu Hans

     Artist: Shemekia Copeland
     Album: Never Going Back
     Years: 2009
     Original Release Date: 2009
     Label: Telarc
     Genre: Blues
     Format, bitrate: MP3/VBR
     Size: 58.9 MB



     For more than a decade, Shemekia Copeland has been paving a road that will inevitably lead to her reign as Queen of the Blues. By some standards, she may already be there: numerous blues awards in the U.S. and elsewhere, a GRAMMY nomination, a resume that includes work with musical titans like Dr. John and Steve Cropper and film giants like Martin Scorsese and Wim Wenders. Never Going Back captures Copeland at a crossroads on that artistic path - a place where numerous new avenues are open to her. While Copeland will always remain loyal to her blues roots, Never Going Back takes a more forward view of the blues, and in so doing points her music and her career in a new direction.

Официально альбом выходит 24 Февраля 2009 года, а у нас его уже можно послушать!

     Artist: Julian "Cannonball" Adderley
     Album: Portrait of Cannonball
     Label: Original Jazz Classics
     Year: 1958
     Genre: Jazz
     Format, bitrate: MP3 320
     Time: 38:23
     Size: 86.7 mb


     This fine Riverside debut by Adderley was cut just a few months after the alto saxophonist had contributed to Miles Davis' stellar Milestones release. Joining Adderley for the six tracks here are fellow Davis alumni Philly Joe Jones on drums and Bill Evans on piano. These three are augmented by the wonderful and often-underrated Blue Mitchell on trumpet and the equally illustrious Sam Jones on bass. Everyone is in top form on a varied set that takes in two Adderley originals (the fine ballad "Straight Life" and "A Little Taste"), a classic Gigi Gryce number ("Minority"), and Miles' oft-covered "Nardis." Filling out the program, we have a rare Sam Jones-penned cut, "Blue Funk," and a lone standard in the Rogers & Hammerstein chestnut from Oklahoma, "People Will Say We're in Love." One of the highlights from Adderley's hard bop prime. ~ Stephen Cook, All Music Guide

     Artist: Antonio Carlos Jobim
     Album: Terra Brasilis
     Label: Warner Bros
     Year: 1980
     Genre: Bossa Nova
     Format, bitrate: mp3 320kb HQ CBR
     Time: 71:21
     Size: 150 mb

     Отличная солянка с вокальными и инструментальными партиями. Старые версии знакомых композиций преподнесены в новой форме.

     In some ways, this is a strategic retreat for Antonio Carlos Jobim after the classical departures of the '70s -- a retrospective of past triumphs, including some of the most trod-upon standards ("Ipanema," "Desafinado," "One-Note Samba," etc.), with Claus Ogerman again at hand. But these are thoughtful retoolings, some subtle, some radical, ranging in backing from a lonely piano to elaborate yet sensitive Ogerman orchestral flights that cram more complexity than ever into the spaces (listen to his beguilingly involved take on "Double Rainbow") with only a few overbearing faux pas. Jobim's own vocals sound increasingly casual in temperament as he serves them up in an unpredictable mixture of Portuguese, English and scat. And there is much unfamiliar material here, often dressed up in a brooding classical manner. Originally a two-LP set and now on one CD, this is a snapshot of Jobim's view of his output as of 1980; as such, it is not as definitive as Verve's posthumous The Man from Ipanema set ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

     Artist: Curtis Fuller
     Album: Jazztet
     Label: Savoy MG12143
     Year: 1959
     Genre: Jazz
     Format, bitrate: mp3@320kb/s covers front/back
     Time: ~ 41 min
     Size: 98,62

     Like the other Savoy recordings of Curtis Fuller, The Curtis Fuller Jazztet is a relaxed hard bop set featuring many of the young stars of the day. The more famous Blues-ette, from earlier in 1959, featured Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Garrison, and Al Harewood. This time, however, the Fuller/Golson combination included Lee Morgan, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and the percussive talents of drummer Charlie Persip. Listeners already acquainted with Blues-ette (or other comparable dates) should find this session to be familiar territory. Similarly, it is also very much in the same vein as another classic, Meet the Jazztet, upon which Fuller and Golson were again paired. Even though the compositions may not be as strong as those on Blues-ette (and how could they be?), there are a number of highly engaging solos by all and perhaps a bit more diversity with regard to both tempo and arrangement. Where Blues-ette's sublime grace stems from the collective understanding displayed by the group, the greatness of The Curtis Fuller Jazztet is to be found in the individual talents of the soloists. Of particular note are Golson's flights on up-tempo numbers such as the album's opener, "It's Alright With Me," and absolutely every soloist's take on the ballad "I'll Walk Alone." Let this highly recommended set also be a testament to the sparkling, Roy Haynes-like "snap-crackle" style of the underappreciated Charlie Persip. ~ Brandon Burke, All Music Guide

     Artist: Nat King Cole
     Album: Nat King Cole 1940 - 1941
     Label: Classics
     Years: 1940-1941, release: 1994
     Genre: Jazz
     Format, bitrate: FLAC
     Time: 48:00
     Size: 210 MB

     Considering how well he improvised at the piano, Nat King Cole's rise to fame was gruelingly gradual. Volume Two in the Classics Nat King Cole chronology contains all of the recordings he made between July 22, 1940 and March 14, 1941. His trio, a sharp little unit containing guitarist Oscar Moore and string bassist Wesley Prince, spent much of the year 1940 holding down a steady gig in the Radio Room, a small club located at 1539 Vine Street in Hollywood. It was there that they polished their act to perfection, ignored by both the public at large and the major record labels. As King Cole's Swingsters, they did manage to cut a small number of records for the Davis & Schwegler transcription service, a sleazy little fly by night outfit that soon went bankrupt, leaving the recordings unreleased and the musicians unpaid. Cole sued and was ultimately granted the princely sum of $7.47 to compensate himself and his group for an entire day's work. These are the circumstances behind the first 12 tracks on this compilation. Cole sings on four of them, Maxene Johnson (who also recorded with Franz Jackson and Count Basie) sings four and the remaining four titles are instrumental. The King Cole Trio started working for Decca on December 6, 1940. "Sweet Lorraine" is the first example on record of Nat King Cole as a fully developed mellifluous crooner; everything he previously recorded in this vein was preliminary. "Gone with the Draft" proves that United States citizens were bracing for participation in global warfare almost exactly one year before the Japanese air force bombed the U.S. military installations in Hawaii's Pearl Harbor. "Honeysuckle Rose" is one of the greatest jazz piano trio recordings of its time. When the Trio returned to the Decca studio three months later they cut four more fine sides, rendering up group vocals on "Babs" and "Scotchin' with the Soda." Everything was in place for this little group to enjoy success, but their progress would not be easy, for Nat Cole's career was rife with complications and challenges. ~ Arwulf Arwulf, AMG

     Artist: Chet Baker
     Album: Chet Baker & Crew
     Year: 1956
     Label: Pacific Jazz
     Time: 63:12 & 38:29
     Format: MP3 @ 320kbps & FLAC
     Size: 155mb (5% file recovery) & 187 MB
     Includes Covers + Scans
     AMG: 4 stars


     This Crew, a quintet with Phil Urso and Bobby Timmons, was one of Chet's hardest-swinging groups, with great tunes by Gerry Mulligan, Al Cohn, Miles Davis and others. Six bonus tracks have been added to the original LP's eight selections. The CD's one vocal selection is a version of Mulligan's classic "Line For Lyons" with new lyrics by Bill Loughbrough, who also plays percussion on several selections.

     Artist: Antonio Carlos Jobim
     Album: Urubu
     Label: Warner Bros. Records
     Year: 1976
     Genre: Bossa Nova
     Format, bitrate: mp3 320kb HQ CBR
     Time: 37:37
     Size: 82 mb

     Хороший альбом но весь в миноре. Либо настроение было такое , либо так повлияли Lнgia и Вngela :) Мне,как давнему почитателю его таланта показался немного трагическим. Огерман с оркестром еще больше сгустил краски.Только вот как луч солнца среди суровых туч звучала Correnteza. Слушать в депрессивном состоянии не рекомендую :)

     Urubu is the album that MCA's Jobim probably aspired to be, a total break away from the bossa nova past that is both ambitious and strikingly original. The shock of dissonant strings, percussive and wind sounds from the Brazilian interior greet us on the first track "Bфto," the first of four songs in which a defiant Jobim throws structural complexities at us and sings in Portuguese only. The second four tracks are an even more radical departure; all are classical orchestral pieces, melancholy and even anguished in tone, owing little or nothing to anyone, streaked with imaginative, even avant-garde orchestral touches from Claus Ogerman. Clearly we are not on the Ipanema beach anymore, and although this may be rough going for jazz-minded Jobim fans, the pay-off is a glimpse into the depths of Jobim's soul. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

     Artist: Billie Holday
     Album: Solitude
     Label: Verve
     Year: 1952, release 1993
     Format, bitrate: Mp3 224 kb/s
     Time: 51:56
     Size: 82,8 Mb


     Billie Holiday's first recordings for Norman Granz' Clef Records present a vocalist truly at the top of her craft, although she would begin a rapid decline soon thereafter. This 1952 recording (originally issued as a 10" LP, Billie Holiday Sings) places Holiday in front of small piano and tenor saxophone-led groups including jazz luminaries such as Oscar Peterson and Charlie Shavers, where her gentle phrasing sets the tone for the sessions, evoking lazy evenings and dreamy afternoons. The alcoholism and heroin use that would be her downfall by the end of this decade seems to be almost unfathomable during these recordings since Holiday is in as fine a voice as her work in the '30s, and the musical environment seems ideal for these slow torch songs. Solitude runs as the common theme throughout these 16 tracks; the idle breathiness of "These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)" finds the vocalist casually reminiscing, and Barney Kessel's warm guitar lines frame the title track beautifully. Several of Holiday's best-known recordings came from this session, including outstanding versions of "I Only Have Eyes for You" and a darkly emotional "Love for Sale," making this album far and away the best work of her later years, and certainly a noteworthy moment of her entire career. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide

     Artist: Chet Baker
     Album: Big Band
     Quality: mp3@320 kbps + all covers
     Label: Pacific
     Year: 1956/re. 2004
     Playing Time: 00:41:41

     This highly enjoyable 1993 CD issue compiles the original six-song Chet Baker Sextet 10" EP as well as the Chet Baker Big Band 12" album. Although these two sessions were held more than two years apart, this was due primarily to an extended European tour during the intervening months and Baker's obvious unavailability stateside. Releasing an entire album under the moniker Chet Baker Big Band is a bit of a misnomer, as only the first four sides actually incorporate an 11-person configuration. The remaining tracks from the long-player feature a slightly smaller nonet configuration. Among the luminaries joining Baker (trumpet) and participating in the big-band arrangements are Art Pepper (alto sax), Bud Shank (alto sax), Phil Urso (tenor sax), and Bobby Timmons (piano).

     Artist: Nick Curran and The Nitelifes
     Album: Player!
     Year: release 2004
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbit/s
     Label: Blind Pig
     Time: 44:29
     Size: 85.3 Mb

     С великой радостью должен сообщить вам, что вдруг, все сильнее стали проявляться классные тенденции возвращения к корневой музыке или как это еще принято называть – ретро звучанию. Перед вами как раз таки яркое проявление оных – Nick Curran and Nitelifes. Для начала отметим, что данное изделие блюзовых мастеров выпущено на очень авторитетном лейбле - Blind Pig, что само по себе является достаточным знаком качества, ибо не так много осталось на планете издателей настоящего, вгоняющего в трепет блюза.

И хотя данная работа не является блюзом в чистом виде, то, что уж касаемо ретро звучания, здесь поверьте, все нормально! Хотя, если честно и блюза в ней в достаточном количестве, просто этот жанр необычайно многолик, и мы знаем кучу тому примеров.

Оформление пластинки может отпугнуть неопытного искателя своей заведомой кичевостью, но что уж поделать, если наш герой черпает вдохновение в эпохе, когда звезды эстрады были совершенно не похожи на обычных людей, и уж тем более на выходцев из черных кварталов нынешних мегаполисов. Зато внутреннее содержание возвратит вас во времена, когда царили Ray Charles, Django Reinhart, Louis Prima, Freddie King, короче все те, у кого в крови было чувство свинга, а в пальцах – динамит!

Такой вот он, наш новый кумир – Nick Curran, - кабриолеты, неоновая реклама, дамы с ярким макияжем и непременно в бикини, бриолин и яркие галстуки шириной в грудь… и никакой электроники…

     Artist: Eddy 'The Chief' Clearwater
     Album: West Side Strut
     Year: rel. Mar 4, 2008
     Label: Alligator Records
     Genre: Modern Electric Blues, Electric Chicago Blues
     Format: MP3@320/kbs
     Size: 116.27 MB

     “Joyous rave-ups...Clearwater testifies with stunning soul fervor and a powerful guitar. One of the blues’ finest songwriters” –Blues Revue
     “With his powerful left-handed guitar playing, unique hybrid of West Side blues, relentless rockabilly and high energy performances, Eddy “The Chief” is Chicago’s premier blues showman” –Chicago Tribune
     “Clearwater is equally adept at Chuck Berry-style guitar as he is at deeper blues style. He’s a fine singer who puts on a wild, exciting show...the sort of exuberant entertainer who can turn a concert into a party” –New York Times
     Eddy Clearwater is a man of many tastes, a musician who is known to incorporate gospel, country, rock ‘n’ roll and deep blues into his repertoire. He certainly manages to do that on West Side Strut, which bears the heavy influence of Ronnie Baker Brooks’ hard rockin’ blues style. Eddy and Ronnie have put together a fine album here (with Ronnie’s own band providing the instrumental backing on most tracks), one containing enough stylistic variations to keep listeners from becoming overwhelmed by all of the guitar work. Fans of rockin’ blues, and especially those of Ronnie Baker Brooks, should enjoy this CD immensely.
     Мне кажется, этот блюзмен незаслуженно обойдён вниманием. Предлагаю послушать последнюю студийную работу ветерана чикагского блюза (точнее сказать, одного из его течений - West Side). Альбом стилистически разнообразен и увлекателен. Удивительно, сколь энергично и молодо звучит Clearwater в столь преклонном возрасте.