Artist: Various
     Album: Americans In Sweden - Stockholm Sweetnin'
     Label: Metronome JMLP 2-103 (Double LP)
     Year: 1949 - 1954
     Format, bitrate: mp3@320 kbs Covers Front/Inside/Back HD ~ Ripped from original LP
     Time: 51/50 min
     Size: 117,46+118,97 MB

     Artists: Lem Winchester & The Ramsey Lewis Trio
     Album: Perform A Tribute To Clifford Brown
     Label: Argo
     Year: 1958
     Format, bitrate: mp3\320
     Size: 82.09 MB
     Total time:35m40s
     AMG rating




This out-of-print LP, Lem Winchester's first as a leader, matches his vibes with the early Ramsey Lewis trio on a tribute to the late trumpeter Clifford Brown. They perform two of Brownie's best compositions ("Joy Spring" and "Sandu"), four standards (including "Jordu"), the obscure "A Message from Boysie" and Winchester's "Where It Is." The little-known set (a good example of Ramsey Lewis' original piano style) is actually excellent and would be easily recommended to straightahead jazz fans if it could be found. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Alice Coltrane
     Album: Ptah, The El Daoud
     Label: Impulse!
     Year: 1970
     Format: mp3@320
     Size: 58MB
     Time: 46:01
     

Ptah the El Daoud is a truly great album, and listeners who surrender themselves to it emerge on the other side of its 46 minutes transformed. From the purifying catharsis of the first moments of the title track to the last moments of "Mantra," with its disjointed piano dance and passionate ribbons of tenor cast out into the universe, the album resonates with beauty, clarity, and emotion. Coltrane's piano solo on "Turiya and Ramakrishna" is a lush, melancholy, soothing blues, punctuated only by hushed bells and the sandy whisper of Ben Riley's drums and later exchanged for an equally emotive solo by bassist Ron Carter. "Blue Nile" is a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts; Coltrane's sweeping flourishes on the harp nestle in perfectly with flute solos by Pharoah Sanders and Joe Henderson to produce a warm cocoon of sound that is colored by evocations of water, greenness, and birds. Perhaps as strong as the writing here, though, are the performances that Coltrane coaxes from her sidemen, especially the horn players. Joe Henderson, who can always be counted on for technical excellence, gives a performance that is simply on a whole other level from much of his other work — freer, more open, and more fluid here than nearly anywhere else. Pharoah Sanders, who at times with John Coltrane seemed like a magnetic force of entropy, pulling him toward increasing levels of chaos, shows all of the innovation and spiritual energy here that he is known for, with none of the screeching. Overlooked and buried for years in obscurity, this album deserves to be embraced for the gem it is.

     Artist: Billy Cobham
     Album: Palindrome
     Label: ZYX
     Year: 2010
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 224 kbps
     Time: 74:46:11
     Size: 115 Mb

Drummer Billy Cobham has performed with a variety of musicians throughout his career. Former employers include hard bop pianist Horace Silver, tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, and smooth jazz guitarist George Benson. Cobham has also appeared with the Grateful Dead and the Saturday Night Live Band. While he has encountered numerous ensembles and genres in the past half century, the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame inductee is best known for his abilities in a fusion setting. Cobham’s 2010 release, Palindrome (Multimedia Concepts), is further evidence supporting this case.

The album opens with an updated arrangement of Cobham’s “Moon Germs,” originally released in 1975 on the Total Eclipse record. With its funky bassline, solid pocket, and tight horn lines, this track is a suitable microcosm for a majority of the album. “Moon Germs’” use of guitar and keyboard riffs is another common thread within Cobham’s arrangements. “Two For Juan,” revisited from 1987’s Picture This, opens with a driving theme played over the drummer’s relentless backbeat. The combination of instrumentation and melodic material produce a theme suitable for an action sequence on Miami Vice. The tune takes a different direction as keyboardist Christophe Cravero and trombonist Marshall Gilkes take turns blowing over an interlude prior to the return of the initial groove and guitar solo. A mountain climb toward the original theme ensues, not complete without some space for Cobham. “Obliquely Speaking” is one of five new compositions on the album, though it bares multiple similarities to “Two For Juan.” The use of steel pan adds a tropical flavor to this track. >>>

     Artist: Max Roach, Clifford Brown
     Album:The Last Concert (2CD)
     Label: Rare Live
     Years: 1956,1955, release: 2005
     Format: mp3@320 kb/s
     Size:294M


Since Clifford Brown's unexpected and sudden death following a 1956 car crash, collectors have sought any previously unknown recordings to add to the already sizable legacy left by a trumpet genius who didn't reach his 26th birthday. The Last Concert was broadcast live just eight days prior to his passing, recorded by a listener. Brown, along with co-leader Max Roach on drums, tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, pianist Richie Powell (who died in the accident with Brown), and bassist George Morrow, were in high spirits as they played in the Continental Restaurant in Norfolk, Virginia. The show starts off with Brown's only known interpretation of "Just One of Those Things," a lengthy workout showcasing Brown, Rollins, and Powell. The trumpeter's moving solo in "You Go to My Head" is also a highlight. A boisterous "I Get a Kick Out of You" (clocking in at 24:59) concludes this final show. Although there are some minor problems with the source material, including sporadic tape drop-outs and incomplete performances (the latter due to the fact that some of them run as long as 25 minutes, which would make it tough to judge when to change a tape reel), the recording quality is surprisingly good, even if it was made by someone in the audience. The remaining tracks on disc two come from a 1955 appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival, and may exist in better shape within the holdings of the Library of Congress, which has lots of live jazz originally broadcast behind the Iron Curtain by Voice of America. Harold Land is the tenor saxophonist on this occasion, with the remaining musicians the same. Brown and Land ignite fireworks with the trumpeter's still powerful "Daahoud." Powell's "Jacqui" demonstrates his potential as a composer. The final track features Brown sitting in with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Gerry Mulligan, and Chet Baker in a rousing "Tea for Two" that unfortunately fades prior to completion, due to the tape running out. The sound flaws on this set are mainly from the rowdy audience, as the instruments are fairly distinct.

     Artist: Jimi Hendrix
     Album: Blues
     Label: MCA Records
     Year: 1994
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbit/s
     Time: 1.12:21
     Size: 167 MB


     Una version acustica de "Hear my train..." y otras composiciones sobre el album "Blues".
     Sin duda, ademas de todo lo que inventу, Hendrix era un excelente guitarista de blues.
     Saludos.

     Акустическая версия "Hear my train..." и другие композиции на альбоме "Blues".
     Несомненно, кроме всего того, что он сделал для развития музыки, Hendrix был превосходным блюзовым гитаристом.

     Artist: Arturo O'Farrill & Claudia Acuña
     Album: In These Shoes
     Label: Zoho Music
     Year: 2008
     Genre: Latin Jazz / Vocal, Afro-Cuban Jazz
     Format, bitrate: mp3 @ 320 kbps
     Time: 49:13
     Size: 80,8 MB

A collaboration between an Afro-Cuban jazz band led by pianist/arranger Arturo O'Farrill and vocalist Claudia Acuсa sounds like it should be a rewarding session. Yet in spite of the strong cast of musicians, including guitarist Adam Rogers, trumpeter Michael Mossman, saxophonist Yosvany Terry, and drummer/composer Dafnis Prieto, the CD is slow to get underway, with initially more of a pop emphasis than jazz for the first few tracks. Acuсa proves seductive in the playful opener "In These Shoes," though songs like "Paciencia" and "Cuando Cuando" end up sounding like little more than middle of the road Latin pop. Part of the problem is due to the lack of instrumental breaks in the first few songs, while the vocals are sometimes over-engineered. Oddly enough, it is Van Morrison's tiresome "Moondance" that helps the CD come alive with a perky Cuban chart, Rogers' crisp acoustic guitar and the leader's inventive piano backing Acuсa's magical vocal. The funky cha cha setting of the standard "Willow Weep for Me" is also a lively affair. The invigorating workout of Rubйn Blades' salsa "Dime" would get any audience up dancing. This is still a valuable release, though it falls somewhat short of its potential. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide

     Artist: Charles Mingus
     Album: Tonight At Noon
     Label: Water Music Records
     Years: 1957, 1961, release: 2004
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 83,7 mb (sharebee)
     Total time: 38:15

Tonight at Noon is, essentially, a compilation album -- although not in the usual sense. There are two distinct sessions that make up its contents: a 1957 date with Jimmy Knepper on trombone, drummer Dannie Richmond, saxophonist Shafi Hadi, and pianist Wade Legge, and a 1960 session with Booker Ervin, Roland Kirk on saxes, Knepper, bassist Doug Watkins, Mingus on piano, and Richmond. The feel of the two sets is different to be sure, but this is far from throwaway material; the tunes here are actually studio outtakes from the recordings for The Clown and Oh Yeah. While the former session features Mingus going for the blues via European harmonics and melodic approaches with hard bop tempos (particularly on the title track), the latter session with its nocturnal elegance and spatial irregularities comes off more as some kind of exercise in vanguard Ellington with sophisticated harmonies that give way to languid marches and gospel-tinged blues. Kirk and Ervin are particularly suited to one another, because they both swing hard as well as reach for the fences. Mingus' pianism is deeply rooted in blues, and that sense of pace and easiness informs these three tracks, particularly "'Old' Blue for Walt's Torin." Hints of the material Mingus would record for Columbia on Ah Um are in these compositions. The most beautiful piece is from the 1957 session and closes the album: "Passions of a Woman Loved" is a nearly ten-minute workout that feels like an Ellington suite. Despite the fact that this is an assembled album, it holds plenty of magic nonetheless. The 2004 CD reissue on Water Records is wonderfully done with fine sound and a beautiful package. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

    Artist: The Timeless All Stars
    Album: It's Timeless
    Label: Timeless
    Year: April 28, 1982; release: 1990
    Genre: Jazz/Hard Bop
    Format mp3, bitrate: 320 kb/s
    Time: 54:53
    Size: 125 Mb
    AMG Rating:

Definitive issue of this supergroup united by Timeless label and recorded live at the legendary Keystone Korner jazz club in San Francisco. The lineup is consisted of fine musicians as Cedar Walton (p), Curtis Fuller (tb), Bobby Hutcherson (vib),
Harold Land (ts), Buster Williams (b), and Billy Higgins (d) while the setlist is wonderful and overwhelming.

     Artist: Dinah Washington
     Album: Dinah Washington In The Land Of Hi-Fi (Orchestra Arranged and Conducted by Hal Mooney)
     Label: Emarcy
     Year: 1956
     Release: 1992
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320kb/s
     Time: 30:34
     Size: 64MB
     AMG Rating:


     As with most Dinah Washington records, In the Land of Hi-Fi includes an eclectic program of ballads and swingers, all of which become prime vehicles for the singer's dramatic, blues-tinged vocal stylings. Framed by Hal Mooney's mix of string-laden arrangements and big-band charts, Washington imparts both tenderness and passion to slow numbers like "I've Got a Crush on You" and "Say It Isn't So," while getting into some charged vocal buildups on swingers like "Our Love Is Here to Stay" and "If I Were a Bell." In addition to the gospel-imbued number "There'll Be a Jubilee," Latin-tinged cuts like the beautiful bolero-style "Let Me Love You" and the lounge mambo "Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You" provide nice contrast to this jazz and pop set. Topped off with fine contributions by alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley and pianist Junior Mance, In the Land of Hi-Fi is yet another impressive set among the many fine EmArcy records Washington cut in the '50s.