Artist: Marvin Gaye
   Album: Here, My Dear
   Label: Tamla
   Year: 1978
   Release: 2007
   Format, bitrate: mp3, 320kb/s
   Time: 1:17:00
   Size: 172MB
   AMG Rating:

   Pre-dating the voyeuristic tendencies of reality television by 20 years, Here, My Dear is the sound of divorce on record exposed in all of its tender-nerve glory for the world to consume. During the amazing success of I Want You and his stellar Live at the London Palladium album, Marvin Gaye was served with divorce papers from his then-wife Anna Gordy Gaye (sister of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy). One of the conditions of the settlement was that Gordy Gaye would receive an extensive percentage of royalties as well as a portion of the advance for his next album. Initially, Gaye was contemplating giving less than his best effort, as he wouldn't stand to receive any money, but then reconsidered at the last moment. The result is a two-disc-long confessional on the deterioration of their marriage; starting from the opening notes of the title track, Gaye viciously cuts with every lyric deeper into an explanation of why the relationship died the way it did. Gaye uses the album, right down to its packaging, to exorcise his personal demons with subtle visual digs and less-than-subtle lyrical attacks. The inner sleeve had a pseudo-board-game-like illustration entitled "Judgment," in which a man's hand passes a record to a woman's. One side of the sleeve has Gaye's music and recording equipment, while the other side of the board included jewelry and other luxurious amenities. Musically the album retains the high standards Gaye set in the early '70s, but you can hear the agonizing strain of recent events in his voice, to the point where even several vocal overdubs can't save his delivery. Stripped to its bare essence, Here, My Dear is no less than brilliantly unsettling and a perfect cauterization to a decade filled with personal turmoil.
   ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide

   Artist: Ronny Jordan
   Album: At Last
   Label: N2K
   Year: 2002 - 2003
   Release: 2003
   Format, bitrate: Mp3, 192 kb/s
   Time: 52:47
   Size: 72 MB

   Ronny Jordan's first effort for N-Coded after a pair of winners on Blue Note is a dйjа vu of sorts for anyone who was interested in the initial modern-day groove jazz ushered in by George Benson with Breezin'. Not that Jordan's fine At Last sounds anything like Benson's album, or that the two have anything in common besides Wes Montgomery — it's more vibe than anything. At Last is the album where Jordan is relaxed enough to prove he has nothing left to prove. He's not only arrived, but he's not going anywhere either. The ten tracks here are mature, progressive, and steeped in summery groove. The hip-hop evident on his forays into the genre has virtually evaporated. The harder-edged, funky sounds on the Blue Note records are largely absent and his journeys down R&B and soul paths forged by the O'Jays and others have been set aside in favor of a return to jazz. Jordan's playing here is in the tradition of Montgomery and Grant Green, to be sure, though the vibe is an update of the soul-jazz sound Benson patented. But it's a thorough update. For the most part, Jordan plays sweet, shimmering, chorded leads over keyboards and drum programming by Joel Campbell. But there are tracks such as the opener, the stunningly beautiful title track, where Elliot Mason solos on both flugelhorn and trumpet with backing by the pair that makes for stunning sonic and textural contrast. Elsewhere, such as on "Rendezvous" and "(In) The Limelight," Mason's brother, Brad, adds the warmer brass sonority of the trombone to the groove essentials. On the former, Jordan adds a layer of acoustic guitars to the mix and the rhythm tracks slip toward the back of the mix; on the latter, he plays a single-string lead throughout over chunky, phased, echoplexed chords over a skittering drum'n'bass loop as the horns play unison harmonics on spare charts that add depth and mass to the rhythm section. Crystal Lake makes an appearance on a gorgeous duet with Jordan. She is a soul singer first, but given the shiny jazz atmospherics, she comes across more like Monday Michiru. On "St. Tropez," the album's closer, we get a club mix. Jordan departs for the first time from the patchwork quilt of pure silky black he's woven over the course of the album. It won't be everybody's thang, but it keeps the sexy, summery vibe even if it gives up the jazz groove for a funkier heartbeat. In sum, this is easily Jordan's most consistent date as well as his most mature compositionally, musically, and soulfully. At Last is the summer smooth jazz record of 2003.
   ~ Thom Jurek, AMG

В 1971-м году Дюк Эллингтон со своим оркестром посетил с концертами СССР, выступив в Москве, Ленинграде, Минске, Киеве и Ростове-на-Дону. Советские гастроли музыканта оказались исключительно успешными: билеты на его концерты были полностью проданы. На каждом из трех концертов Эллингтона в Киеве присутствовало десять тысяч человек, а московские выступления посетило более двенадцати тысяч человек...



В данной новости представлена статья Юрия Тихоновича Верменича "Дюк Эллингтон: Ростовская премьера".



"Все-таки это состоялось - спустя 38 лет после Англии мы тоже получили «возможность ознакомиться с настоящим джазом». И я тогда же написал об этом статью, которую без субъективных преувеличений считаю лучшим из всего, что мне когда-либо удалось написать вообще. Она была напечатана в одиннадцатом номере «Квадрата», где подверглась столь бессвязному редакционному кастрированию, что местами было просто трудно понять, о чем идет речь. И я прошу прощения, но здесь мне хотелось бы привести ее полностью. Да и самому приятно вспомнить о тех временах."

    Artist: Roy Buchanan
    Album: Live in Japan
    Label: Polydor/Repertoire
    Year: 1978
    Release: 2003
    Format, bitrate: mp3, 320 kb/s
    Time: 42:24
    Size: 104 Mb (full covers)
    AMG Rating:

    Live in Japan (2003) is said to have been Roy Buchanan's favorite of all his platters, and ironically, it was never issued stateside. However, as word spread, the title became an essential addition to his discography. Fact is that it may have never come out at all, had there not been a loophole in Buchanan's contract with former label Polydor, giving them control over his non-North American output. Joining the guitarist for his 1977 tour of Japan are John Harrison (bass), Malcolm Lukens (keyboards), and Byrd Foster (drums/vocals). . . .

    Artist: Tony Reedus
    Album: Minor Thang
    Label: Criss Cross Jazz
    Year: 1995
    Release: 1996
    Format, bitrate: mp3, 192 kbps
    Time: 54:12
    Size: 71mb


    On drummer Tony Reedus' Criss Cross debut, he enlists the services of guitarist Dave Stryker, tenor saxophonist Ron Blake, and bassist Ritchie Goods to perform one original, five jazz classics, and two standards. Reedus, who has recorded with Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, and James Williams, to name a few, stays in the background throughout this recording, letting Blake grab the spotlight. Blake, who has performed in the groups of Roy Haynes, Art Farmer, and Roy Hargrove, among others, displays a full tone and improvisational ideas influenced by players such as his mentor Johnny Griffin, John Coltrane, and Wayne Shorter. Highlights include the title track, an up-tempo blues, the relaxed swing of Frank Strozier's "Frank's Tune," Shaw's "Beyond All Limits," the session's up-tempo burner, and a hip tenor sax-bass-drums arrangement of Cole Porter's "I Love You." This is a solid recording from one of the busiest drummers on the jazz scene.
    ~ Greg Turner, AMG

    Artist: Karrin Allyson
    Album: Collage
    Label: Concord
    Year: 1996
    Time: 57:18
    Format, bitrate: mp3, 320 Kbps
    Size: 112 Mb

    Vocalist Karrin Allyson [i]stretches herself during this diverse set. A superior jazz singer, Allyson scats quite well during "It Could Happen to You/Fried Bananas" and "Cherokee," sings lyrics in English, French ("Autumn Leaves") and Italian, interprets some fairly current pop tunes, is touching on Thelonious Monk's "Ask Me Now" and is quite memorable on "Joy Spring" and "All of You." With assistance from her fine Kansas City-based rhythm section (led by pianist Paul Smith) and with some worthy guests (including altoist Kim Park, violinist Claude Williams and flugelhornist Mike Metheny), Karrin Allyson shows just how versatile and talented a singer she is. Recommended.
    ~ Scott Yanow, AMG

   Artist: Frank Zappa
   Album: Sleep Dirt (Hot Rats III)
   Label: DiscReet Records
   Year: 1979
   Release: 1979
   Format: Mp3, 128 kbps
   Time: 38:39
   Size: 35.12 MB

   The material on this album originally was intended to be part of a four-record set called Lдther, prepared for release in 1977. Then Frank Zappa got into a disagreement with his record company, Warner Bros., and Lдther was split up into several different releases as part of a contractual agreement. The results were dumped on the market during 1978 and 1979, while Zappa moved on to his own record label. Sleep Dirt consists of miscellaneous tracks recorded between 1974 and 1976, including "Flambay," "Spider Of Destiny," and "Time Is Money," songs that apparently were part of an unissued Zappa musical/rock opera from 1972 called Hunchentoot. They are sung by soprano Thana Harris. It's impossible to say what the entire work would have been like, but this album is little more than musical fragments.
   ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

     Artist: Various Artists
     Album: Rural Blues, Vol. 3
     Label: BGO
     Year: 1999
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320 kb/s
     Time: 36:17
     Size: 90,4mb


   Originally issued on vinyl in the 1970s, this set is even better on CD, featuring a treasure trove of rare and previously unissued sides from the vast EMI vaults. Big-ticket highlights include the Papa Lightfoot sides ("Jump the Boogie" is a major revelation), Boogie Bill Webb's chaotic "Boogie," and J.D. Edwards' "Playboy Blues" and "Hobo," both featuring massively distorted lead guitar work from Hop Wilson. Tracks from Lowell Fulson, Roosevelt Sykes, Manny Nichols, Country Jim Bledsoe, and Little Son Jackson complete this wonderful set.
   

   Artist: Eric Alexander
   Album: In Europe
   Label: Criss Cross Jazz
   Year: 1995
   Release: 1996
   Format, bitrate: mp3, 190 kbps
   Time: 63.15
   Size: 76mb

   For a change of pace, Eric Alexander recorded this set with an organ trio. The fact that it was cut in Europe is not too relevant, since the musicians are all Americans. With stimulating backing by organist Melvin Rhyne, guitarist Bobby Broom, and drummer Joe Farnsworth, Alexander plays five originals by bandmembers (including three of his own) and a trio of standards. However, the originals all swing and mostly sound as if they could have been veteran standards, too. With the underrated Rhyne keeping the rhythm grooving and lightly funky, Alexander often tears into the pieces, while playing the ballads with a great deal of warmth. Virtually all of Eric Alexander's recordings are easily recommended.
   ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist - Ella Fizgerald
     Album - Mack The Knife - The Complete Ella in Berlin
     Label - Verve
     Year - 1993
     Quality - MP3@320kb/s
     Size - 78,3mb
     Total time - 49:36



   This LP is a classic. Ella Fitzgerald is heard at the peak of her powers during a Berlin concert that is famous for her unique version of "Mack the Knife"; when she forgot the words in mid-performance, she substituted spontaneous and remarkable lyrics of her own. All of the music (plus four other titles from the same concert) have been reissued on CD but, in one form or another, this music (which also includes a hot version of "How High the Moon") is essential for all serious jazz collections. [Originally released in 1960, Ella in Berlin was reissued on CD in 2004.]

   Artist - Dave Brubeck
   Album - All The Things We Are
   Label - Atlantic
   Years: 1973-1974, release -1976
   Quality - MP3@320 kbps
   Size - 99,5 mb
   Total time - 45:11




   All the Things We Are is a bit unusual in the Dave Brubeck discography. The pianist is heard in a quartet with altoist Lee Konitz on "Like Someone in Love" and a brief "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," with avant-garde giant Anthony Braxton (also on alto) featured on "In Your Own Sweet Way," while both Konitz and Braxton team up for "All the Things You Are." In addition, the Brubeck Trio (with bassist Jack Six and drummer Alan Dawson) plays an exquisite and frequently exciting 21-minute, five-song "Jimmy Van Heusen Medley." A total success, this "experimental" Brubeck set is highly recommended.

   Artist - Erroll Garner
   Album - Too Marvelous For Words - The Erroll Garner Collection vol. 3
   Label - EmArCy
   Year - 1954, release - 1990
   Quality - MP3@320 kbps
   Size - 114 mb
   Total time - 53:25


   The third volume in a series of unissued recordings that Emarcy began issuing in th late 1980s over a decade after Erroll Garner's death comes from a previously unknown 1954 record date. Like all of his trio dates, the rhythm section, including bassist Wyatt Ruther and drummer Eugene Heard, strictly provides a supporting role for the pianist. This date is a bit different than many of Garner's releases, as it includes a piano novelty (Zez Confrey's "Kitten on the Keys"), a brisk take of the normally placid "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" and other pieces one wouldn't usually associate with him. More than a few of the old songs present on this session were recorded by the great Art Tatum, so it is possible that Garner was exposed to them through the virtuoso pianist's recordings, though Garner never deviates from his trademarked approach to the piano. Like other volumes in this series of collectable Garner CDs, this disc disappeared from print with a few years of its 1990 release, so it will be somewhat challenging to find.

   Artist: Lisa Ekdahl
   Album: Give Me That Slow Knowing Smile
   Label: Sony Music
   Year: 2009
   Format, bitrate: Mp3/320Kbps
   Time: 36:20
   Size: 138Mb (+Scans)

   2009 album from the Swedish singer/songwriter, whose voice has been compared to Blossom Dearie, Diana Krall and Astrud Gilberto. Ekdahl became an overnight sensation in Sweden with her 1994 debut album and has since become one of the country's most beloved musical talents. Give Me That Slow Knowing Smile presents an extremely inspired collection of Pop-Folk sung in English and entirely written Lisa herself. The album was partly produced by Swedish multi-instrumentalist
    ~ Mattias Blomdahl, Sony/BMG

   Artists: SPJ
   Album: Tributo a Charlie Parker
   Label: Free Code Jazz Records
   Year: 2005
   Format: FLAC Tracks
   Size: 350 mb (+scans)

   The third of traballos edited and "SPJ tribute to Charlie Parker" with Joao Guimaraes (saxo alto), Virxilio da Silva (guitar), Xan Campos (piano), Josй Ferrer (bass) and Max Gуmez (drum), the low artistic production by Paco Charlin, and Isaac Palacнn (in production technique). This disc was recorded the past Xoves August 25 at the Teatro Principal de Pontevedra. Figuran composiciуns of this disc and Paco Charlin Virxilio da Silva concevidas for this proxecto, a text of critical jazz prestixioso Portuguese Zй Duarte, and nail ilustraciуns the luxury of illustrator canguйs Tebo. This is the xeito in the SPJ render tribute to Charlie Parker on the 50 anniversary of its dead.

   Artist: Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
   Album: High Flying
   Label: Columbia
   Year: 1961
   Release: 1962
   Format, bitrate: MP3, 320 kbp/s (LP-rip)
   Time: 42:53
   Size: 92MB

   High Flying, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross' third album for Columbia, features more of the group's inventive and playful vocalese, including a vocal adaptation of John Coltrane's "Mr. P.C." The group's active imagination leaves no stone unturned, finding musical inspiration in the alphabet ("The New ABC"), shopping at the "Farmer's Market," and shivering through the seasonal hijinks of "Halloween Spooks." Dave Lambert and company cover kindred soul Slim Gaillard's "Popity Pop," and answer their critics with a disarmingly straightforward vocal group performance on "With Malice Toward None." The Ike Isaacs Trio provides instrumental accompaniment on this delightful outing that was the group's final album with Annie Ross. The album was reissued in its entirety with different cover art as The Way-Out Voices of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.
   ~ Greg Adams, AMG

    Artist: Various Artists
    Album: Les Chansons Inoubliables (2cd compilation)
    Label: MTV History
    Release: 1996
    Format, bitrate: mp3, 256 kb/s
    Time: 2:24:49
    Size: 248 Mb (covers) + 193 Mb
    Bubu's Rating:

   Today, the 14th of July, is the national day of France. With this special occasion, we present you a compilation of the most beautiful French songs ever. Long live La France, long live Paris the city of lights and of everlasting romantic love. We hope that more beautiful French music will find its way to the club in the future. And if you enjoyed this one, we offer you a special bonus for a special day. 

    Artist: Oscar Peterson
    Album: The Way I Really Play
    Label: MPS
    Year: 1968
    Format, bitrate: mp3, 256 kb/s (vinyl rip)
    Time: 40:05
    Size: 50,6 Mb

          EVERY DAY IS AN OSCAR PETERSON DAY !

   I once had the pleasure of shaking hands with the the master....after a concert in Rochester, NY at the now defunct (sadly) Midtown Tower. I was absolutely astonished at how he could transfix my emotions as he played..how he could make the piano come alive with his interpretations...and how much he made me love jazz even more than I already did....I was 10 at the time...And my beloved father was so right in saying how this man's playing will affect you...If you want to go to a place that only Oscar can take you and swing forever...just close your eyes...and listen to "The way I Really Play"....and be engulfed by his rapturous rendering of "Satin Doll" and the other tracks here....As long as your heart is beating and your hearing works...you will be in Heaven...
   Weathership (Columbus, OH), Amazon.com