Artist: Woody Herman
     Album: Woodchopper's Ball
     Label: Past Perfect Silver Line
     Year: 2008
     Genre: Classic Jazz
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320kb/s
     Time: 49:38
     Size: 102MB

    Artist: T-Bone Walker
    Album: T-Bone Blues
    Label: Atlantic/WEA
    Year: 1955-1957; release: 1957
    Genre: Blues
    Format mp3, bitrate: 320
    Time: 47:44
    Size: 109 Mb (cover)
    AMG Rating:

The last truly indispensable disc of the great guitar hero's career, and perhaps the most innately satisfying of all, these mid-'50s recordings boast magnificent presence, with T-Bone Walker's axe so crisp and clear it seems as though he's sitting right next to you as he delivers a luxurious remake of "Call It Stormy Monday." Atlantic took some chances with Walker, dispatching him to Chicago for a 1955 date with Junior Wells and Jimmy Rogers that produced "Why Not" and "Papa Ain't Salty." Even better were the 1956-1957 L.A. dates that produced the scalding instrumental "Two Bones and a Pick" (which finds Walker dueling it out with nephew R.S. Rankin and jazzman Barney Kessel). - Bill Dahl at All Music Guide

     Artist: Joachim Kuhn
     Album: Allegro vivace (ACT Piano Works I)
     Label: ACT (ACT9759-2)
     Year: 2003; release: 2005
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 256 kbps CBR
     Time: 54:08
     Size: ~122 MB


     Just judged by its repertoire, this is certainly an impressive solo piano date. Joachim Kьhn performs works by Franзois Couperin (a mass from 1690), Bach, Mozart, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman in addition to three of his own originals. Although the mixture of classical and jazz pieces might seem illogical, Kьhn's subtle improvising on the classical compositions and his ability to create melodies in his improvising on the jazz tunes give this date an evolution that somehow works. Kьhn has always had impressive technique and a healthy musical curiosity. Both serve him well, along with his imagination, on this intriguing and successful outing. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Pee Wee Russell Quartet
     Album: New Groove
     Label: Collectables/Columbia
     Year: 1962, release: 2001
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 77,8 mb
     Total time: 37:34
     AMG Rating:



In 1962, clarinetist Pee Wee Russell, who was closely associated with Dixieland and Eddie Condon even though he had a highly original style, began teaming up with valve trombonist/bass trumpeter Marshall Brown in more modern settings. Utilizing a pianoless quartet, Russell performed music that was a little reminiscent of Gerry Mulligan and often incorporated surprisingly modern songs. The musical partnership lasted for two albums, of which New Groove (originally recorded for Columbia) was the first. On this intriguing set, Russell, Brown, bassist Russell George, and drummer Ron Lundberg perform such songs as "Chelsea Bridge," "Moten Swing," "Good Bait," "'Round Midnight," and even John Coltrane's "Red Planet." Although their follow-up project for Impulse is more classic, this is a particularly intriguing set, with Russell and Brown making for a mutually compatible team. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Various Artists
     Album: Hellhound on My Trail: Songs of Robert Johnson
     Label: Telarc
     Year: 2001
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320kb/s
     Time: 60:26
     Size: 149MB


      Not the first compilation of bluesmen (and one woman) interpreting the limited but radically influential work of Robert Johnson, and almost certainly not the last, this 2001 entry is one of the more substantial efforts in the lineage. Instead of refashioning these classics in unique arrangements, the compilers have stripped the artists and songs down to their unplugged roots. Most perform solo or with another musician. Drums are all but nonexistent, and a sublime organ augments another, but the rest wend their way with the basics of guitar, voice, and harp, as well as a touch of Pinetop Perkins' tinkling piano. What results is an honest, unpretentious, and often thrilling tribute to Johnson by an eclectic array of young and established blues journeymen. As for the old-timers, you don't get any more authentic than Robert Lockwood Jr. and David "Honeyboy" Edwards, both of whom actually played with the legendary Johnson, and their presence instills a legitimate authenticity to the project. Edwards sounds weak but inspired on "Traveling Riverside Blues," and Chicago harp master Carey Bell adds sizzle to Lockwood Jr.'s "Steady Rollin' Man." Muddy Waters' sidemen Bob Margolin and Pinetop Perkins alternate on vocals for two sparkling tracks, and the always dependable Taj Mahal takes on the daunting "Crossroads" with typical aplomb. The album's most radical pairing is guitarist/vocalist Eric Gales, who plays with subtle Hammond B-3 organ accompaniment, offering a changeup from the traditional approach. Susan Tedeschi, the disc's only woman, howls with righteous passion as Derek Trucks turns in a rare unplugged performance on one of two versions of "Walking Blues." Only pop-rocker Robert Palmer seems out of place on the roster, but his version of "Milkcow's Calf Blues" is remarkably faithful to the original and free of the flashy glitz that mars his own work. He even overdubs himself on low-key tuba, adding a distinctive perspective to the track. Elsewhere Joe Louis Walker, Alvin "Youngblood" Hart, and Lucky Peterson represent the youngsters. All acquit themselves with grace and intensity on an album that consistently remains true to the spirit of this most classic of blues music. Few tributes are this honestly constructed and pay respect so gracefully to one of the blues' most beloved and cherished catalogs. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide

     Artist: Dizzy Gilespie
     Album: Dizzy In Greece (live)
     Label: Verve, Japan 24 bit remastered
     Year: rec.May 18, 1956-Jun 6, 1956 / rel.Nov 28, 1957 (Japan 2005)
     Format: MP3 @ 320 Kb/s
     Time:42:07
     Size: 67,8 Mb
     AMG rating:

     Artist: Gerry Mulligan
     Album: Complete 1950 - 1952 Prestige Studio Recordings
     Label: Definitive Records
     Years: 1950 - 1952, release - 2002
     Quality: MP3@256 kbps
     Size: 154 mb
     Total time: 72:18

     The most famous and probably greatest jazz baritonist of all time, Gerry Mulligan was a giant. A flexible soloist who was always ready to jam with anyone from Dixielanders to the most advanced boppers, Mulligan brought a somewhat revolutionary light sound to his potentially awkward and brutal horn and played with the speed and dexterity of an altoist.. . .

Gerry Mulligan, complete 1950-1952 Prestige studio recordings" / Definitive Records 11227. We find on this CD, the Chubby Jackson session recorded the March 15, 1950 and also the famous Prestige album Mulligan plays Mulligan, recorded in august 1951. To complete the CD, Definitive Records has added the Gerry Mulligan Trio, recorded by Pacific Jazz in June 10, 1952.

The composition of this CD is very interesting, we find Gerry Mulligan with two medium - large orchestra. In one , he is a major player and in the second , this is the leader.

    Artist: Sonny Boy Williamson
    Album: His Best
    Label: MCA/Chess
    Year: 1955 - 1964; release: 1997
    Genre: Harmonica Blues
    Format mp3, bitrate: 320 kb/s
    Time: 55:20
    Size: 128 Mb (covers)
    AMG Rating:

While some hardliners will point to his early 1950s Trumpet recordings as his most undiluted work, Sonny Boy's tenure at Chess Records was his longest and most successful and therefore deserves first look for the novice coming to this remarkable bluesman at ground level. This 20-track collection takes 17 tracks from the excellent two-disc Essential Sonny Boy Williamson collection and adds "Sad To Be Alone," "My Younger Days" and an alternate session-second version of "One Way Out" with Buddy Guy on guitar (yes, this is the version that the Allman Brothers used as the blueprint for their cover version) to the final mix. This is another entry into MCA's Chess 50th Anniversary Series and the digital transfers here are exemplary, making this an automatic audio upgrade for those who already have this material in their collection. Because his output for the label was of such a uniformly high quality, virtually everything Williamson put down on tape at the Chess studios could make a final cut on any best of package you'd want to put together on the man. So bemoaning the absence of any track here would be minor critical carping, especially in light of no less than five other Sonny Boy Chess packages still being in print at press time. But if you're only going to own one of them and your wallet tends to shy away from two-disc anthologies, this makes an excellent first purchase. - Cub Koda at All Music Guide

     Artist: Harold Mabern
     Album: Kiss Of Fire
     Label: Venus Records, Japan (24 bit, HMS)
     Year: rec. Dec 2, 2001/rel. 2003
     Format: MP3 @ 320 Kb/s
     Time: 65:30
     Size: 139,7 Mb

     Artist: Harold Mabern
     Album: Somewhere Over The Rainbow
     Label: Venus Records, Japan (24 bit, HMS)
     Year: rec.Nov 11, 2005 /rel.2006
     Format: MP3 @ 320 Kb/s
     Time: 55:12
     Size: 119 Mb
      AMG rating:

     Artist - Terry Gibbs
     Album - Terry Gibbs Plays
     Jewish Melodies In Jazztime
     Label - Verve/Mercury
     Year - 1963, release - 2002
     Quality - MP3@320kbps
     Size - 78,9 mb
     Total time - 36:58

     Terry Gibbs integrates two separate bands on this album, which not only interprets traditional Jewish melodies, but also works of fairly recent vintage (at the time these 1963 recordings were made) that incorporate Jewish rhythms. The results have stood the test of time very well, with swinging versions of "And the Angels Sing" and "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon," along with centuries - old melodies like "Kazochock (Russian Dance)," which has an introduction that makes one visualize a circus, and "Vuloch (A Folk Dance)," reworked by Gibbs into a snappy waltz. Most of the artists accompanying Gibbs have faded into obscurity, but there's one surprise: One of the pianists is Alice McLeod, who later became better known as Alice Coltrane; this is actually her debut recording. Like other reissues in Verve's limited-edition series released during 2002, this CD should be snapped up without delay. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide

    Artist: Muddy Waters
    Album: At Newport (bonus tracks)
    Label: MCA/Chess
    Year: 1960; release: 2001
    Genre: Chicago Blues
    Format mp3, bitrate: 320 kb/s
    Time: 44:34
    Size: 95,7 Mb (covers)
    AMG Rating:

For many back in the early '60s, this was their first exposure to live recorded blues, and it's still pretty damn impressive some 40-plus years down the line. Muddy, with a band featuring Otis Spann, James Cotton, and guitarist Pat Hare, lays it down tough and cool with a set that literally had 'em dancing in the aisles by the set closer, a rippling version of "Got My Mojo Working," reprised again in a short encore version. Kicking off the album with a version of "I've Got My Brand on You" that positively burns the relatively tame (in comparison) studio take, Waters heads full bore through impressive versions of "Hoochie Coochie Man," Big Bill Broonzy's "Feel So Good," and "Tiger in Your Tank." A great breakthrough moment in blues history, where the jazz audience opened its ears and embraced Chicago blues. This album was in print almost continuously on vinyl for 20-plus years, and MCA reissued it in a fair CD version in 1986. At least one enterprising European bootlegger issued their version in the early '90s, but the real edition of this album to get is the March 2001 remastering from MCA. Transferred in high-resolution digital audio, it brings up the bass overall and the details of just about every aspect of the playing, as well as moving Muddy's singing several layers forward in the mix, so that one gets a very vivid stage ambience, making the original CD seem very ragged. The reissue has been augmented by the presence of four studio sides cut by the same group a month prior to the concert — none hold a candle to the live material, but they do fill in a few holes in Muddy's U.S. discography. The new notes by Mary Katherine Aldin also give a much better picture of the background of the show and Muddy's performance (so where's the film of the performance that she mentions?). - Cub Koda & Bruce Eder at All Music Guide