Artists: Dianne Mower and Norman Johnson
   Album: Maybe September
   Label: Mojoh Music
   Year: 1995
   Format, bitrate: Lossless, FLAC+CUE+LOG+Covers
   Size :185 MB

   One of many very good jazz singers living, working and teaching in the New England area, Dianne Mower never had a jazz in mind when she started singing professionally in 1973 at the age of 20. She turned to jazz when an impresario in Hartford, CT wanted to form a Lambert, Hendricks and Ross tribute band. Mower, who at the time was singing in Top 40 lounges along the East Coast, was tapped to join the group. Having regularly listened to Mitch Miller's Sing Along TV programs as a youngster, she knew a lot of standards, so it didn't take much for her to fit right in. Also to her advantage was a voice with a huge range allowing her to "play"Annie Ross with facility. Based on that experience, she has added Vocalese to her repertoire which is used to good effect on her initial album for Bellaphon A Song for You, where she is backed by Bill Mays. She has since joined with Norman Johnson to make Maybe September and The New Millennium Jazz Ensemble, released in 1995 and 1996, respectively. Mower has appeared at such eminent jazz venues as New York's Blue Note, participated in several concerts with the Hartford Jazz Society and appeared at various jazz festivals. Since turning all of her attention to jazz, Ms Mower has looked to Ella Fitzgerald, Morgana King, Irene Kral and Joe Williams for stylistic inspiration. Dianne Mower continues to perform in the New England area and record, and teaches at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts.

   Artist: Thelonious Monk
   Album: The Art Of The Ballad (compilation)
   Label: Prestige/Fantasy
   Year: 1954 - 1959
   Release 1998
   Format, bitrate: Mp3, 256 kb/s
   Time: 1:10:42
   Size: 129 Mb



   With a handful of Prestige dates and an ample supply of Riversides to choose from, Fantasy came up with a wide-ranging sampler of Thelonious Monk's idiosyncratic work on ballads, his own and those of others. Monk's angular, stabbing manner is anything but pretty, but he gives a refreshingly sardonic twist to such standards as "I Surrender Dear," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "Mood Indigo" and "Tea for Two." Fantasy mixes up the formats throughout, with lots of solo Monk, combos ranging from a drumless trio on "Monk's Mood" to a septet on "Crepuscule with Nellie." The set is bracketed by two versions of "Ruby, My Dear," recorded within months of each other in 1957, but with Coleman Hawkins manning the tenor on one version and John Coltrane on the other — both eloquently — one can easily excuse the duplication. Everything here has long been out on CD, and there are understandably no hard swingers, but in all, this is not a bad introduction to what is often considered Monk's best period.
   ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

   Artist: Red Garland with Ron Carter & Philly Joe Jones
   Album: Crossing
   Label: Galaxy/OJC
   Year: 1977
   Release 1991
   Format, bitrate: Mp3, 320 kb/s
   Time: 39:36
   Size: 94,6 Mb (complete covers)
   Bubu's Rating:



   Amazingly enough, this set (reissued on CD) was the first time that pianist Red Garland and drummer Philly Joe Jones recorded together in a trio setting, even though they had both been a part of Miles Davis' first classic quintet. With bassist Ron Carter completing the group, they perform five standards and the bassist's "Railoroad Crossing." This is one of Garland's best later dates (Philly Joe often pushes him), and the highlights include "Solar," "Oleo" and "Love for Sale."
   ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

   Artist: Willy DeVille
   Album: The Berlin Concerts
   Year: 2002
   Format: Ddv-Rip (2) | AVI/XVID, 768 x 576
   Audio: Mp3, 320 kbps
   Size: 2,32 Gb

      Synopsis
   A fourteen year old kid has just settled in on the roof of a building on MacDougal Street. We’re in the early sixties, New York. The West Village. Sounds of the raucous and throaty voice of Fred Neil, of Bob Dylan's unbridled folk hymns and of the electroshock guitar of Jimi Hendrix waft out of the clubs on the street. And the kid living on the roof, he takes it all in. Willy DeVille's introduction to music contains within it the true and complete character of an urban tale.
   In 1977, after having been billed through Mink DeVille as one of the most original groups on the New York punk scene, in the mythical CBGB’s club alongside Blondie or the Ramones, the staggering recording debut of Willy Deville takes place with the launching of the album Cabretta, praised by the influential Rolling Stone as one of the best albums of the year, with the charm of it's popular urban rock'n'roll-rhythm'n'blues of the '50s and '60s, between the DRIFTERS and PHIL SPECTOR. It was Jack Nitzsche himself, the former fabulous arranger of Phil Spector and of Wall of Sound during the Golden Age of Teenage Pop who produced the album. Two hits brought Willy Deville public recognition, particularly in Europe: "Spanish Stroll” and "Cadillac Walk"...

   Artist: Pat Metheny
   Album: [b]Trio 99-00
   Label: Warner
   Year: 2000
   Format, bitrate: Lossless, FLAC+CUE+LOG+Covers
   Size: 394 MB
   AMG Rating

   Mixing up his pitches just to keep his fans off balance as always, Metheny returns to the strict jazz-guitar trio format for the first time in a decade, in league with a couple of combative, unintimidated partners. At the age of 45, Metheny leaves no doubt that he has become a masterful jazz player, thoroughly at home with even the most convoluted bebop licks ("What Do You Want?") yet still as open as ever to ideas outside the narrow mainstream, as illustrated in the country-western-tinged phrasing on "The Sun in Montreal." Bassist Larry Grenadier propels his own voice prominently into the texture, even when walking the fours, and drummer Bill Stewart does not hesitate to go against the grain of Metheny's ideas. There is a slow, almost bossa nova-like take on "Giant Steps" that works unexpectedly well; it actually becomes a lyrical, gliding thing. Bye Bye Birdie's "Got a Lot of Livin' to Do" gets a rare contemporary cover, and why not? it's a good tune that holds up, even when fractured as creatively as it is here. There are also a few songs on acoustic guitar that sound like embryonic soundtrack material: "Just Like the Day," "We Had a Sister," and "Travels," the latter being Metheny's first studio recording of a tune that was recorded live 17 years before. Metheny's brigade of jazz buffs will savor this.
   ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

   Artist: Terence Blanchard
   Album: The Heart Speaks
   Label: Sony Records
   Year: 1995
   Release: 1996
   Format, bitrate: Lossless, FLAC+CUE+LOG+Covers
   Time: 01:04
   Size: 350 MB
   AMG Rating:


   Although trumpeter Terence Blanchard gets first billing on this recording, it is very much a joint effort with singer-composer Ivan Lins. Not only are all 13 songs by Lins but he sings on all but the three instrumentals although sometimes just wordlessly in the background. Blanchard often harmonizes with Lins' voice, creating a melancholy and dreamy atmosphere. Most selections feature Blanchard's regular rhythm section of the time, augmented by Paulinho Da Costa's percussion and occasionally Oscar Castro-Neves' acoustic guitar. This CD, which is full of haunting ballads along with a few more jubilant numbers, serves as a superior introduction to Lins' music for jazz fans who might only be familiar with his "Love Dance."
   ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

   Artist: Thelonious Monk
   Album: Live at the Jazz Workshop
   Label: Columbia/Legacy
   Year: 1964
   Release: 2001
   Format, bitrate: Mp3, 320 kb/s
   Time: 2:27:49
   Size: 344 Mb (covers)
   

   Record labels reissuing titles that have previously existed on other mediums — vinyl for instance — are afforded the ability to monopolize on the extended capacity of the CD format. This allows the simulation of vintage performances in real-time with exceeding accuracy. Live at the Jazz Workshop is a prime example of the splendor of art meeting technology. The title now includes all known useable material from the first two evenings of the Thelonious Monk quartet's brief residency at San Francisco's renowned Jazz Workshop in November 1964. Not only is this set sporting a baker's dozen of previously unissued titles, it also includes a trio of tunes in their original and otherwise unedited form. The quartet shines, exuding wave upon wave of brilliant individual and group improvisation within the familiar confines of some of Monk's most memorable titles. "Straight, No Chaser," "'Round Midnight," and "Well You Needn't" may be familiar, but the resurrected performances on Live at the Jazz Workshop are anything but standard. When not establishing a melodic pattern, Monk's percussive outbursts contain urgency and danger just below the surface. The intensity conjured on "Well You Needn't" from disc two is nothing short of a four-way tug of war. Monk musically challenges with intensity and his uncanny ability to know when to play and when to lay out, thus allowing the trio — led by longtime Monk sidekick Charlie Rouse — to propel him back into the groove. Keen observers might notice the dates of the performances on Live at the Jazz Workshop directly precede those of another essential Monk release. Live at the It Club — Complete was recorded on October 31 and November 1, 1964, at the It Club in Los Angeles. Both releases are quintessential in the appreciation of Monk during his rightful ascension into jazz immortality.
   ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide

   Artist: Bill Chase
   Album: Chase
   Label: One Way Records Inc
   Year: 1971
   Format, bitrate: Mp3 320 Kbps
   Time: 33:14
   Size: 67 MB



   Chase's self-titled LP was as close to unabashed critical success as the group ever got, coming out just as Chicago and Blood, Sweat, & Tears were both at their respective peaks of popularity. There's not much here that sounds like either band -- Chase had a leaner, livelier sound, with an especially frantic rhythm section. The music is heavily white soul-influenced, dressed up in strong contrapuntal figures, soaring riffs, and riveting climaxes, which may come just a little too often given the relatively modest length of the album. The record is chock-full of enjoyable moments and one unabashed hit ("Get It On"), and loaded with virtuoso playing. Lead singer Terry Richards and backing vocalists Ted Piercefield and Jerry Van Blair (who also play trumpets) are strong but not overbearing singers, and a good balance is struck between the vocalists and the band, which was a problem that Blood, Sweat, & Tears never did solve -- the result is a record that's sort of a rock-influenced descendant of Stan Kenton's more experimental work of the late '40s and early '50s, which slotted in well with the progressive side of jazz-rock in 1971. "Invitation to a River," at 14 minutes and divided into five parts, may seem like the height of pretentiousness, but in 1971 audiences devoured it, and the playing, including what sound like 16th notes on the trumpets, is something to marvel at in a popular context. The CD reissue even reprints Nat Hentoff's original liner notes.
   ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

     Artist: Hank Jones (feat. Wendell Marshall & Kenny Clarke)
     Album: The Trio
     Label: Fresh Sound
     Release: 2008
     Format/Bitrate: Mp3/320
     Size: 119 MB
     AMG Raiting:





     This is a superb Hank Jones date; highly recommended for fans of piano trio music...    (AMG)

     Enjoy...

   Artist: Vargas Blues Band
   Album: Flamenco Blues Experience
   Label: Warner Music Spain
   Year: 2008
   Format mp3, bitrate: 320 kbps
   Time: 57:34
   Size: 130.26 MB

   The album features collaborations by Frank Marino (Mahogany Rush), Raimundo Amador (one of Spain's finest flamenco guitarists), Devon Allman (son of Greg
   Allman), Rey Morao (a well known Spanish duo), The Cherry Boppers (an awesome (European funk band), and many more. The artwork for the album has been created by none other than Bob Masse (Jimi Hendrix, The Cream, Bob Dylan, Janis Jopplin, U2, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Strokes, etc...)

   Джавьер Варгас – красавец-кабальеро - соединил практически несоединимое-блюз и фламенко. Получилось мощно, красиво и очень самобытно. Виртуозность Карлоса Сантаны. благодатная почва испанских традиций и ритм-секция, подстать Led Zeppelin. По сути это ураган эмоций, темперамента, фантазии И вдруг среди этого хард-блюза - изящные, импрессионистические джазовые композиции. Впрочем, описать творчество Варгаса невозможно. Его нужно просто слушать и радоваться, что такая музыка есть.

   Artist: Terence Blanchard
   Album: Wandering Moon
   Label: Sony Classical
   Year: 2000
   Format, bitrate: Lossless, FLAC+CUE+LOG+Covers
   Size:440 MB


   Jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard has quite the resume: he played in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the 1980s and composed music for some of director Spike Lee's films. Blanchard is fairly unique: a relatively young (born 1962) jazz player, he achieves a rare balance between loyalty to the Jazz Tradition (swing, melodicism) and the pack of players who, without necessarily being "avant-garde," want to push at the boundaries (think Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, Andrew Hill).

   Artist: Sonny Stitt
   Album: Blues for Duke
   Label: Muse
   Year: 1975
   Format/Rate: MP3/320
   Size: 84 MB

   LP-Rip of this wonderful Hommage to Duke Ellington. Very rare MUSE-LP!

   Sonny Stitt (on tenor exclusively except for an alto feature on "I Got It Bad") pays tribute to the recently departed Duke Ellington with renditions of five songs associated with Ellington, plus Stitt's title cut. The rhythm section (pianist Barry Harris, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Billy Higgins) is excellent, and although the results are somewhat predictable (with "C Jam Blues" and "Perdido" being the high points), the music on this LP can be enjoyed by bop fans.
   Scott Yanow, AMG

   Artist: Mick Taylor Band
   Album: Little Red Rooster
   Label: Woodstock Music
   Year: 2001
   Release: 2007
   Quality: FLAC (tracks), CUE + LOG ; mp3@320
   Size: 314; 314 mb (with covers)



   Mick Taylor, Noel Redding and John Coghlan live in Hungary 2001. 5 tracks running over 50 minutes: Catfish Blues, Red House, Little red rooster, You shook me, I wonder why. Some shiny moments, but also some clunkers and dull parts. Mick shines in good bands, but not as a band leader. Example: Mayall's 70th birthday video/cd. His vocals lack, he is not the born bandleader - but his guitar playing on a good day is unbeaten. How to rate such a CD? Well, I give it a 4 for its better parts.

   Artist: Ray Brown & friends
   Album: Some of my best friends are:
               The Piano Players
                   The Sax Players
                   Singers
                   The Trumpet Players
                   Guitarists
   Label: Telarc
   Year: 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002
   Format, bitrate: mp3, 320 kbps
   Time: 5h, 13 min, 39 sec.
   Size: ~720 mb.

   Не так давно наткнулся в нашем клубе на одну весьма любопытную запись - трио Рэя Брауна с друзьями-пианистами. К сожалению, ссылка там уже почила в бозе с обменником Shareonall, зато публикация вдохновила меня на поиск остальных альбомов из этой серии. Два из них были обнаружены в нашем клубе, остальные нашлись на бескрайних просторах интернетов. Не могу не поделиться этой радостью с друзьями по клубу.
   Итак...

     Artist: Various Artists
     Album: Big Bands Vintage Vaults [4 CD Box Set]
     Label: Direct Source
     Year: 1938-1941
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbps
     Time: 44:40 43:42 42:26 43:33
     Size: 88.1 + 83.2 + 85 + 87.8Mb

     Big Bands Vintage Vaults - хорошо подобранная музыкальная компиляция биг-бэндов на 4 дисках. На дисках собраны лучшие биг-бэнды , музыка и исполнение которых давно стали классикой. 56 треков прекрасного свинга. Имена музыкантов говорят сами за себя. Слушайте и наслаждайтесь изысканным майстерством великих маэстро джаза!

   Artist: CTI All-Stars
   Album: California Concert: At the Hollywood Palladium
   Label: CTI
   Year: 1971
   Release: 1972
   Format Mp3@320 kbps
   Size: 175 Mb

   This album captured the event that more or less shouted the existence of the CTI label previously little-known outside of musician circles to the world. Along with veterans such as Stanley Turrentine and Hank Crawford, the album showcased the playing of Billy Cobham about to emerge from the Mahavishnu Orchestra in a big way (stealing most of that band's energy and excitement with him when he left) and comparatively new talents such as George Benson. Not all of the music has aged well "Blues West" was definitely of its time, though it's still a great showcase for Benson's guitar and Freddie Hubbard's trumpet and, perhaps a little less enduringly so, Hubert Laws' flute. But "Fire and Rain" (a great jazz take on James Taylor's song), "Red Clay," and "Sugar" need no justification for a return visit four decades after the fact, with solos and explorations that will always stand the test of time. The only caveat for listeners choosing the CD version of this album - and it is a big one is the absence of "Leaving West," the original nearly 16-minute closing track from side four of the double LP. Apparently Columbia Records wasn't prepared to make this a double CD in 1990, and the CD issue runs only 60 minutes and change.