Artist: Akiko
     Album: What's Jazz? - STYLE
     Year: 11.17.2008
     Label: Verve / Universal Japan
     Quality: mp3; 256kbps
     Size: 51,5 MB

     Akiko's tribute to the "style" of jazz - soon followed by her "spirit" set - and a package that has far more substance than you might expect! The work's got a cool, classy sort of feel - older jazz modes handled with small group instrumentation that either features piano or organ in the lead, occasionally with a bit of horns, but usually just trio or quartet grooving behind Akiko's slinky vocals! The tunes are a mix of compelling covers and some even more surprising originals by Akiko - self-penned tunes that really stand out in the set, and make us love her talents even more than when she's just going for older American modes. Titles include "When Life Is Over", "Love Theme From Spartacus", "Ladies Love Mercedes", "Come Together", "Madly", and "What's Jazz". © 1996-2008, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

     Artist: Johnny Dodds
     Album: New Orleans Stomp: Johnny Dodds on Brunswick And Vocalion
     Label: Frog
     Year: 2001 [ Orig. Year: 1926-1927]
     Genre: Jazz, Jazz Instrument, Jazz Traditional, Clarinet
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbps
     Time: 73:20
     Size: 106.8 Mb
     Важным инструментом джазовой культуры является кларнет. Наибольшей популярностью он пользовался на первоначальных стадиях развития джаза, во времена новоорлеанского периода. Однако, с рождением новых музыкальных понятий в джазе, таких как свинг и бибоп, кларнет становится менее заметным на фоне саксофона. Не смотря на это нельзя не отметить тот факт, что на протяжении своей жизни джаз дарил миру гениальных кларнетистов. Сегодня речь пойдет о Джонни Доддсе (1892—1940). Прочитав пост evv Blue Clarinet Stomp решил пополнить копилку клуба еще 25 треками.

     Artist: Tal Farlow
     Album: The Legendary Tal Farlow
     Label: Concord
     Year: 1984
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 98 mb
     AMG rating:


     Strange as it seems, this was only the third Tal Farlow album (and first since 1959) to have a horn player. Sam Most (a classic flutist who is also a fine cool-toned tenor saxophonist) is on five of the eight standards, and he blends quite well with Farlow. With pianist Frank Strazzeri, bassist Bob Maize and drummer Al "Tootie" Heath completing the quintet, Farlow (63 at the time) sounds quite inspired. "You Stepped out of a Dream," "When Lights Are Low" and "Who Cares" are most memorable. ~ Review by Scott Yanow, AMG.

     Artist: Tal Farlow
     Album: The Tal Farlow Album
     Label: Verve
     Year: 1954
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 86 mb
     AMG rating:

     For guitarist Tal Farlow's second album as a leader (following a very obscure effort for Blue Note), he is joined by rhythm guitarist Barry Galbraith, bassist Oscar Pettiford and drummer Joe Morello on eight numbers, and pianist Claude Williamson and bassist Red Mitchell for the remaining four. Farlow is heard in his early prime. Thirty-two at the time, he was a brilliant technician who could play extremely fast, yet clean and with a light touch. His solos on the 11 standards (which include Pettiford's "Blues in the Closet," "Stompin' at the Savoy" and "You and the Night and the Music"), plus his own "Gibson Boy," are hard-swinging and creative, yet thoughtful. [Originally released in 1954, Tal Farlow Album was finally reissued on CD in 2002 and includes bonus tracks.] ~ Review by Scott Yanow, AMG.

     Artist - Tal Farlow
     Album - The Artistry of Tal Farlow
     Label - Verve
     Year - 1954
     Quality - MP3@320kbps
     Size - 75,95 mb



     Album, originally released on Norgran in 1954 and featuring Gerry Wiggins on piano, Ray Brown bass and drummer Chico Hamilton.

     Artist: Tal Farlow
     Album: The Interpretations of Tal Farlow
     Label: Verve
     Year: 1955
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 82 mb
     AMG rating:

     Artist: Tal Farlow
     Album: Tal Farlow '78
     Label: Concord
     Year: 1978
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 95 mb
     AMG rating:

     One of the more obscure albums by guitarist Tal Farlow, this LP (not yet reissued on CD by Concord) features Farlow in a sparse trio with bassist Gary Mazzaroppi and drummer Tom Sayek. Performing two originals ("Mahoney's 11 Ohms" and "Gymkhana in Soho") plus a variety of standards/war-horses, Farlow sounds in fine form if at times overly relaxed. His sidemen listen and react closely, with the spotlight being almost entirely on the guitarist. A solid if not overly memorable effort. ~ Review by Scott Yanow, AMG.

     Artist: Tal Farlow
     Album: Tal
     Label: Verve
     Year: 1956
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 101 mb
     AMG rating:

     Tal Farlow was hitting his stride in 1956; he was named by Down Beat magazine critics as the very best jazz guitarist in the world, and for all the right reasons. Where other similar players of his day combined rhythmic chords with linear melodies, Farlow preferred placing single notes together in clusters, varying between harmonically richened tones based on a startling new technique. His spider-like fingers handled the guitar in a way no other player could match, and this physical approach set Farlow apart from all others. The evidence is clearly heard on this trio recording sans drummer, ably helped by the wonderful pianist Eddie Costa and bassist Vinnie Burke. At his core a bopper, Farlow fairly flies through this stack of standards with astounding dexterity, and makes it all sound so easy when in fact it is not. At his most relaxed "Isn't It Romantic" is surprisingly polite, but Farlow plays with the guitar, plucking strings and letting them briefly resonate with a sound that is compellingly arresting. ->>

     Artist: Tal Farlow
     Album: Cookin In All Burners
     Label: Concord
     Year: 1982
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 96 mb
     AMG rating:

     On the fifth of six Concord albums (a surprising amount of activity considering that he only played locally in the New England area during most of 1957-1975), the brilliant bop-based guitarist Tal Farlow performs concise renditions (none over six and a half minutes in length) of nine standards with pianist James Williams, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Vinnie Johnson. Highlights of the excellent straight-ahead date include "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," "I've Got the World on a String," "Love Letters," and "Just Friends." ~ Review by Scott Yanow, AMG.

     Artist: Tal Farlow
     Album: Complete Private Recordings
     Label: Definitive
     Year: 2002
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 216 mb
     AMG Rating:

     Definitive Records from Spain has been issuing very exciting re-releases and unusual items for years now, but in 2002 they picked up the pace with a series of recordings that had not been seen on U.S. shores on compact disc before. This double CD was issued as two separate albums on the Xanadu label under the titles Fuerst Set and Second Set -- the man who recorded them was jazz enthusiast Ed Fuerst. While the sound here is in mono, and a tad distorted because it wasn't recorded in a studio but in a New York City apartment, the performance of this trio of Farlow with pianist Eddie Costa and bassist Vinnie Burke is among the finest items ever released in his catalog and reveals more than his recordings with Hank Jones and Oscar Pettiford the following year. ->>

     Artist: Wynton Kelly
     Album: Kelly Great
     Year: 1959
     Label: Vee-Jay
     Time: 35:00
     Format: MP3 @320kbps
     Size: 90mb (RS.com, with 5% File Recovery)

     Pianist Wynton Kelly teams up with trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones for a fine, advanced hard bop date. There are four originals (all virtually forgotten decades later) by Kelly, Shorter and Morgan but it is the lone standard, a playful version of "June Night" (which has some puckish Morgan trumpet), that is the standout. At 35 minutes, this CD reissue of a former LP is pretty brief, but what is here on the formerly rare session should satisfy collectors of the style. -- AMG

     Artist - Eddie South
     Album - Eddie South 1937-1941
     Label - Classics
     Years: 1937-1941, release - 1996
     Quality - MP3@320 kbps
     Size - 93,3 mb
     Total time - 56:16



     Known as the Dark Angel of the Violin, Eddie South remains unsurpassed as a jazz violin virtuoso. South performed soulful gems from the classical violin repertoire with passion and timeless beauty of tone. He brought a gypsy flair to his interpretation of popular tunes, and could swing with the best.

     The 20 recordings on the 1937-1941 volume were cut variously in Paris during 1937; Hilversum, Holland, in 1938; and New York in 1940 and 1941. The French and Dutch recordings represent South's final European sessions before his return to the United States in 1938 that's Django Reinhardt strumming along on the two Parisian sides, "Fiddle Blues" and "Interpretation Sing du Premier Mouvement du Concerto en Re Mineur de Jean-Sebastien Bach-Part 2," with Stephane Grappelli joining him on violin. South's own quintet (including the extraordinarily sweet piano of David Martin) is featured on the four Hilversum sides, all of which "Honeysuckle Rose," "On the Sunny Side of the Street," the delightful "Fiddleditty," and the extraordinary "Black Gypsy," a track worthy of Jascha Heifetz are worth the price of this disc. South's New York-based Columbia and Okeh sides never sold as well as what he did for Swing, but they're equally worthwhile. The disc closes out with his hot rendition of "Lady Be Good" and a mellow version of "Stompin' at the Savoy." ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

     Composer: Модест Мусоргский (Modest Mussorgsky)
     Artist: Thorsten Gobel (Organ)
     Album: Картинки с Выставки (Pictures at an Exhibition)
     Genre: classical music
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320 kbps
     Time: 39 min, 39 sec
     Size: 95 mb.


     Итак, друзья мои, в очередном выпуске столь любимых мною "фиалок", осмелюсь предложить Вам ознакомиться с довольно-таки оригинальной версией знаменитого произведения Модеста Мусоргского "Картинки с Выставки". А поможет нам в этом занимательном деле немецкий органист Thorsten Gobel.
Итак,приготовьтесь услышать нечто очень занимательное.

     Artists: The Modern Jazz Quartet
     Album: The Legendary Profile
     Label: Atlantic Records - SD 1623
     Year: 1972
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbit/s
     Time: 0.35:57
     Size: 82 MB


     The Modern Jazz Quartet had been together 20 years at the time of this lesser-known Atlantic LP. Vibraphonist Milt Jackson and pianist John Lewis introduced two new songs apiece for this date and the quartet (with bassist Percy Heath and drummer Connie Kay) also performs Tim Hardin's "Misty Roses" and the pop song "What Now My Love." Nothing all that unusual happens except that Lewis for the first time with The MJQ doubles on two songs on electric piano. Despite that, the classic sound was still intact and the style remained unchanged. ~ Review by Scott Yanow, AMG.

     Artist: Cal Tjader
     Album: Several Shades of Jade
     Label: Verve
     Year: 1963
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbit/s
     Time: 0:31,50
     Size: 74,5 Mbyte
     AMG rating:

     Очень экзотический альбом Cal Tjader, в котором великий вибрафонист вместе с композитором Lalo Schifrin обращается к этнической музыке, от Китая до Средней Азии и от Индонезии до Японии.

     One of the most unique albums of Cal Tjader's career, 1963's Several Shades of Jade is a collaboration with composer and arranger Lalo Schifrin that transposes the vibraphonist's musical travels from Latin America to the Far East.

     Artist: Renee Rosnes
     Album: As We Are Now
     Label: Blue Note
     Year: 1997
     Quality: flac
     Size: 3x96mb+81mb + front cover and data
     AMG rating:


     As We Are Now is another wonderful session from pianist Renee Rosnes, finding her nativgating a challenging set of six original compositions and three covers. Rosnes is supported by drummer Jack DeJohnette, bassist Christian McBride and saxophonist Chris Potter, an impressive lineup that alows Rosnes to stretch her limits. As We Are Now finds the limits of hard bop and pushes it further, resulting in an adventurous, rewarding listen. ~ Leo Stanley, All Music Guide

     Artist - Tal Farlow
     Album - A Recital By Tal Farlow
     Label - Verve
     Year - 1955
     Quality - MP3@320kbps
     Size - 76,17mb
     AMG Rating:



     In this Norgran Album, "A Recital By Tal Farlow", you will hear guitarist Farlow in a new and decidedly unfamiliar setting - as a part of a six-piece combination. Normally, of course, Farlow finds himself an integral corner of a jazz trio, most notably these last few years, The Red Norvo Trio.

     Artist: Наталия Лебедева (Nataliya Lebedeva)
     Album: Краски (Paints)
     Label: Comp music
     Released: 2006
     Quality: mp3 CBR 320
     Size: 141 MB (with scans)

     Замечательная киевская джазовая пианистка. Яркий, сильный альбом, создающий, тем не менее, спокойную и светлую атмосферу. Рекомендую настоятельно.

   Artist: Louis Armstrong
   Album: Louis Armstrong and His Friends
   Label: RCA Victor Europe
   Year: 1970
   Release: 2002
   Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbps
   Time: 52:21
   Size: 117.5 Mb

     Louis Armstrong and His Friends isn't among the trumpeter/singer's essential releases, but it is certainly interesting, enjoyable, and historically important. Recorded in May 1970, Louis Armstrong and His Friends was his next-to-last studio session -- on July 6, 1971, the jazz giant passed away. When this album (which Bluebird/RCA reissued on CD in 2002) was recorded, Armstrong was in poor health; in fact, he wasn't well enough to do any trumpet playing on this album. But he was still able to sing, and he gets his points across on songs that range from "My One and Only Love" and Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo" to unlikely choices such as "Give Peace a Chance," Pharoah Sanders' "The Creator Has a Master Plan (Peace)," and the civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome." Produced by Bob Thiele and arranged by Oliver Nelson, Louis Armstrong and His Friends sometimes goes out of its way to sound contemporary (by early-'70s standards). And for the most part, it works. "The Creator Has a Master Plan (Peace)" and "Give Peace a Chance" aren't songs that Armstrong's longtime fans would have expected him to record, but they work surprisingly well for him. Meanwhile, Nelson's string arrangement on "Everybody's Talkin' (Echoes)" sounds dated (although not in a bad way) and even somewhat disco-ish. The disco era didn't really get started until around 1974, but in 1970 there were certain soul arrangers who were paving the way for disco (including Isaac Hayes and the Kenneth Gamble/Leon Huff team). And on "Everybody's Talkin' (Echoes)," Nelson sounds like he was paying close attention to some of the people who were taking soul into the '70s. Again, this CD falls short of essential, but for Armstrong's truly devoted fans, it is a fascinating (if imperfect) album to listen to. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide