Artist: Bob Brookmeyer
     Album: Get Well Soon
     Label: Challenge Records
     Release Date: Jan 20, 2004
     Recording Date: Aug 23, 2002-Aug 25, 2002
     Genre: Post-Bop
     Format, Bit Rate: Mp3 320 Kbps
     Time: 65:37
     Size: 148 Mb
     Rating AMG:

     The strengths of Bob Brookmeyer's writing for large jazz ensembles have been well documented throughout his career. But the New Art Orchestra, which joins him for the third time on this Challenge CD, seems especially in tune to his demanding charts. None of these compositions is easily absorbed by the listener, as it takes time to catch the nuances of each piece. One special guest, trumpeter Till Bronner, was added to the ensemble for this recording.

     Artist: Joachim Kьhn & Michael Wollny
     Album: Live at Schloss Elmau (ACT Piano Works IX)
     Label: ACT (ACT 9758)
     Year: 2008; release: 2009
     Genre: Jazz, Modern Jazz (piano duet)
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320 kbps CBR
     Time: 53:17
     Size: ~98 MB

     Recorded on September 10, 2008 at the ACT Jazz And Friendship Festival at Schloss Elmau, Joachim Kьhn & Michael Wollny Live at Schloss Elmau (Piano Works IX) answers the question of ”What would happen if a thirty-something jazz piano phenom and a sixty-something jazz piano legend teamed up in concert?” The resulting work is nothing short of brilliant as two masters of the grand piano collectively flex their jazz abilities with intensity and sincere reverence for each other’s work.

     Artist - Illinois Jacquet
     Album - Swing's The Sing
     Genre - swing, cool
     Label - Lonehill Jazz
     Years: 1956, 1958; release: 2005
     Quality - MP3@320 kbps
     Size - 106 mb
     Total time - 50:39


This is one of several in the complete collection of Illinois Jacquet's recordings issued by Lonehill Jazz. The years covered by the label are from 1956-1966, in which the great saxophonist and bandleader did record somewhat infrequently but issued great performances each time out. And these two dates, one from 1956 (Swing's the Thing) and one from 1958 (The Cool Rage), were issued on 10" vinyl editions, This CD version also contains one bonus track, an alternate version of "Robin's Nest," inexplicably. There are 11 cuts in all, containing over 50 minutes of music. But the magic is in the performances, so to speak with Jacquet, Roy Eldridge, Jo Jones, Herb Ellis, Jimmy Jones and Ray Brown in the party. The latter session features a young Kenny Burrell, Wild Bill Davis on B-3, and Johnny Williams on drums. This is essential Jacquet. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

     Artist: Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
     Album: The Champs-Elysees Theater Jan. 29-30th, 1965 Part 1
     Label: Laserlight/RTE Europe 1
     Year: 1965, release: 2002
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 141 mb
     Total time: 66:53
     AMG Rating:


The selections on this live CD were taken from the second of two concerts performed by Duke Ellington at the Theatre des Champs Elysees on January 30, 1965, except for "Happy Go Lucky Local," which came from the evening before. With Ellington's band very much in its prime, marked by the return of Ray Nance (for his last extended tour with Ellington aside from some guest appearances over the next few years) and the presence of Cootie Wiliams, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, and Harry Carney, the selections include "Ad Lib on Nippon" (which features the leader's underrated piano playing extensively in a trio setting) plus potent features for Williams ("Afrobossa"), Gonsalves ("The Opener"), and a condensed suite of three themes from Black, Brown and Beige. Originally broadcast by Europe1, this concert is a good example of Duke Ellington at the height of his powers, entering into what would be the final decade of his long career.

     Artist: Kenny Dorham
     Album: Last But Not Least vol. 2
     Label: Raretone FC 5022
     Year: 1966
     Format, bitrate: mp3@320 kbs Covers Front/Back HD
     Time: ~ 45 min
     Size: 101,64 MB

     Artist: Miles Davis
     Album: Love Songs
     Label: Sony
     Years: VA, release:1999
     Quality: MP3 @ 320kbps
     Size: 158mb, with Covers & Scans
     Time: 70:00

   Artist: Thelonious Monk
   Album: The Unique
   Label: Riverside Records
   Year: 1956
   Release: 1987
   Format, bitrate: mp3, 320kb/s
   Time: 38:12
   Size: 80MB
   AMG Rating:


   The Unique Thelonious Monk is a 1956 album from Thelonious Monk, his second for Riverside Records and like his Riverside debut, is made up of standards. It was a continuation of Riverside's strategy to broaden consumer interest in Monk by having him record cover versions of well-known material which, Riverside hoped, would help to break down the prevailing perception that Monk's original music was "too difficult" for mass-market acceptance.
   Though composed solely of standards, The Unique Thelonious Monk contains strong performances from both Thelonious and his early band members, Art Blakey and Oscar Pettiford. The album itself, however, is often overlooked by documentaries of Monk's career and is little heard. The Riverside publicist Billie Wallington used a marketing ploy, at the time of the first re-issue, of mass-printing the stamp featured on the cover art. Riverside distributed sheets of 100 stamps, some of which even made their way through the United States Postal Service despite being larger than regulation size. Standard stamps of the era were under an inch wide and high; the Monk stamp is 1-9/16" high by 1-3/8" wide. In 1956 it took a 3-cent stamp to carry a 1st Class letter. Riverside's Monk stamp had a 3 in the lower left and a 3-1/3 in the lower right.
   Wikipedia

     Artist: Joe Pass
     Album: Portraits Of Duke Ellington
     Label: Pablo, Japan
     Year:rec.Jun 21, 1974 / rel.1990
     Format:MP3 @ 320 Kb/s
     Time: 49:20
     Size: 105,2 Mb
     AMG rating:

    Artist: Kenny Barron Quartet
    Album: Invitation
    Label: Criss Cross
    Genre: Piano Jazz
    Format mp3, bitrate: 320 kb/s
    Time: 57:53
    Size: 132 Mb
    AMG Rating:

Kenny Barron has been a respected jazz pianist since the early '60s, but it wasn't until the mid-'70s that he began coming into his own as a composer; deftly working complex time signatures and mercurial melodies into seamlessly swinging numbers, agile sambas, and lovely ballads. Fifteen years on, Invitation finds Barron in full maturity as a writer and in the sympathetic company of tenor saxophonist Ralph Moore, bassist David Williams, and drummer Lewis Nash. Barron's democratic pen runs the gamut here as he distills Monk's angular jubilance on "And Then Again," produces one of his most beautiful ballads in "Dewdrop," and works a fine bossa nova groove on "Joanne Julia." The covers are no less impressive. Barron and the group swing solid and fleet on Bronislaw Kaper's caustically subdued "Invitation" and place John Lewis' "Parisian Afternoon" in a gently swinging light. "You Don't Know What Love Is" is read solo by Barron with mysterious aplomb, and "Blue Monk" gets a strong blues reading. Throughout, Ralph Moore's choice tenor lines glide over the notes, Lewis Nash's tasteful drumming impressively anchors the group, and Barron's inventive solos ride atop the band in full stride. With great material, solid playing, and the full Criss Cross sound, Invitation ends up as one of Kenny Barron's finest outings of the 1990s. - Stephen Cook at All Music Guide

     Artist:The Ramsey Lewis Trio
     Album: Down To Earth
     Label: Verve/Mercury
     Year: rec. Nov 6, 1958-Dec 4, 1958 /rel. Jul 9, 1959
     Format: MP3 @ 320 Kb/s
     Time: 45:15
     Size: 90, 3 Mb
     AMG rating:

     Artist: Gypsy Reunion
     Album: Swing 93
     Label Djaz Records
     Year: 1993
     Genre: Gypsy Swing Jazz, Manouche
     Format MP3@320 Kbps
     Total time: 42:85
     Size: 106 mb


Fronted by the great guitar: violin playing; and composing talent of Dorado Schmitt, Gypsy Reunion have created an original recording here. Dorado hails from the Manouche traditional scene as do all the players on this CD and is one of the Gypsy scene's greatest exponents having written some of what are now great Gypsy standards. He can be heard here playing some of his compositions on violin and guitar.Tchavolo Schmitt really bangs out some cracking solo's on tracks "Tschawolo Swing", "Valse a Dora", and "Romance Manouche", I wonder why we have not heard more of him since. Our old friend Patrick Saussois turns up again here to put some great input throughout. Nouna Schmitt's lovely voice can be heard on "Djas ap Maro Drom" and Aven, "Aven Pach Mende"

    Artist: Herbie Hancock
    Album: Gershwin's World
    Label: Verve
    Genre: Jazz/Post-Bop
    Format mp3, bitrate: 320 kb/s vbr
    Time: 56:15
    Size: 79,8 Mb (cover)
    AMG Rating:

Gershwin's World is a tour de force for Herbie Hancock, transcending genre and label, and ranking among the finest recordings of his lengthy career. Released to coincide with the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin's birth, this disc features jazzman Hancock with a classy collection of special guests. The most surprising of Hancock's guest stars is Joni Mitchell, who delivers a gorgeously sensual vocal on "The Man I Love," then provides an airy, worldly take on "Summertime." On these two tracks, she shows she has come a long way from her folksinger beginnings to become a first-class jazz singer in her own right. Stevie Wonder's unmistakable harmonica complements Mitchell's singing on "Summertime" and shares lead instrument space with his own voice on the W.C. Handy classic "St. Louis Blues." Jazzman extraordinaire Wayne Shorter smokes a solo spot on Duke Ellington's "Cotton Tail" and carves out some space for his soprano saxophone in the midst of "Summertime." A number of the young lions of jazz are featured on various cuts, and Herbie's old pal Chick Corea joins the leader for a piano duet of James P. Johnson's "Blueberry Rhyme." Gershwin's wonderful, extended "Lullaby" finds Hancock teamed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, as does an attractive arrangement of a "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra" by Maurice Ravel, whose jazz influence can be heard on the piece. In addition, one of the most beautiful tracks on the album places star soprano Kathleen Battle's voice at the forefront of Gershwin's own "Prelude in C# Minor." Yet with all the fine performances by his guests, Gershwin's World remains Hancock's show, and he plays magnificently throughout. From beautiful to funky, percussive to melodic, improvisational to tightly arranged, Hancock and cohorts take a wondrous journey through the music and world of Gershwin. - Jim Newsom at All Music Guide

     Artist:Rosemary Clooney
     Album:Songs From The Girl Singer - A Musical Autobiography
     Label: Concord
     Year: 1999     
     Format, bitrate: MP# 320
     Time: 41 Min+60 min
     Size: 86.6 MB+132 mb
     AMG Rating

Rather than rely solely upon its back catalog as usual, Concord has gone the extra mile to make this Clooney career survey a must-buy, raiding the archives of various labels and the singer's own collection for a really valuable two-CD retrospective. Virtually all of the early stuff, where she emerges as a major pop hitmaker from Mitch Miller's Columbia stable, is on the first disc, while the second wraps up her latter-day resurrection as a jazz-tinged diva. Obviously, disc one carries the most fascination; besides being loaded with naive mid-century charm, it shows just how big Clooney was in the 1950s. There are duets with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Frank Sinatra, and appearances with the orchestras of Duke Ellington (singing a vocalise on "Blue Rose"), Nelson Riddle, and Percy Faith. Yes, there is also the totally atypical 1951 "Come on-a My House" set against Stan Freeman's jangly harpsichord that broke Clooney into stardom. Concord picks up the thread in 1977-1980, surrounding her with jazz musicians; her voice gets a bit richer, losing some of the hard brassiness of youth, picking up some jazz inflections, yet she never quite becomes a "jazz" singer per se. When the set leaps into the '90s (skipping the '80s almost entirely), her timbre darkens more and develops an affecting quaver. The choice of material from this period, though, has strong autobiographical content (the set was released in conjunction with her 1999 autobiography); hence, the probable reason for giving short shrift to the '80s the material may not have been there. And after hearing a final, affectionately sung capsule of philosophy, "Secret of Life," at the end of disc two, you realize you've been through a remarkable emotional journey.

     Artist: Eric Clapton
     Album: The Blues
     Label: Polydor (Compilation)
     Year:rec.Sep 2, 1970-Aug 1980 / rel.Jul 27, 1999
     Format:MP3 @ 320 Kb/s
     Time: CD1 72:07, CD2 74:39
     Size: 155,3 Mb + 161,6 Mb
     AMG rating:

    Artist: George Duke
    Album: The Aura Will Prevail
    Label: Universal Distribution
    Year: ; release: 1975
    Format mp3, bitrate: 320 kb/s
    Time: 47:35
    Size: 105 Mb
    AMG Rating:

In 1975, George Duke was dabbling in R&B vocals. But instrumental jazz-fusion was still his primary focus, and he had yet to be played extensively on any of the genres' stations. When The Aura Will Prevail came out that year, no one bought the LP for its occasional R&B vocal — the main attraction was Duke's keyboard playing. "Fools" is a melancholy soul ballad that finds him singing lead and predicts what was to come on R&B-oriented releases like Don't Let Go (1978) and Master of the Game (1979), but it isn't typical of the album on the whole. This is a fusion effort first and foremost, and Duke has plenty of room to stretch out and improvise on instrumentals that range from the insistent "Floop de Loop" to the Brazilian-influenced "Malibu" (which shouldn't be confused with the Hole/Courtney Love gem). Two of the songs were written or co-written by Frank Zappa: the fusion instrumental "Echidna's Arf" and the gospel-minded soul item "Uncle Remus" (another tune that gives Duke a chance to sing lead). Without question, The Aura Will Prevail is among this artist's finest fusion-oriented albums. - Alex Henderson at All Music Guide

     Artist: Jim Hall & Bob Brookmeyer
     Album: Live At the North Sea Jazz Festival
     Label: Challenge Records
     Year: 1979
     Release: 1999
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320kb/s
     Size: 148MB



     Released for the first time on this 1999 Challenge CD, this live set features the unusual duo of guitarist Jim Hall and valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, two-thirds of the 1957 Jimmy Giuffre Three. Although there are occasions when one of the musicians accompanies the other one, much of the time Hall and Brookmeyer function as equals, improvising together on a set of standards plus an ad-lib blues called "Sweet Basil." Their ability to improvise while thinking of the whole picture and their knack for spontaneously harmonizing really come in handy during this intriguing and frequently exciting outing. Among the selections reborn in the playing of Hall and Brookmeyer are John Lewis' "Skating in Central Park," "Body and Soul," "Darn That Dream," and "St. Thomas." A successful effort that should not have taken 20 years to release. ~ Albumrecensie

     Artist: Brother Jack McDuff And David Newman
     Album: Double Barrelled Soul
     Label: Atlantic Masters
     Year: Aug 8, 1967-Aug 9, 1967
     Release: 2000
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320kb/s
     Size: 77MB




     1968's Double Barrelled Soul co-stars reedman David Newman in a set that eventually serves up some serious soul-jazz, once it gets past a funky warm-up on "But It's Alright" and an uneventful cover of the ubiquitous "Sunny." Newman's "Duffin' Around" and "More Head," and his collaboration with McDuff, "Untitled Blues," are state of the art organ jazz that spotlight McDuff's clean, powerful technique and improvisational skills. Newman splits his time between sax and flute. In a number of spots, Newman, Leo Johnson and Danny Turner are heard together on flute for some effective ensemble work -- not something one expects on a date like this, but here it works. The classy rhythm guitar of the excellent Melvin Sparks effectively underpins the playing of the co-leaders.