Artist: Cesaria Evora
     Album: Sao Vicente
     Label: Windham Hill
     Year: 2001
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320 kbps
     Time: 1:03:32
     Size: 142.9 Mb
     AMG rating :


Cesaria Evora, who at times has been referred to as a new Edith Piaf, turns in another masterful album with her first release of the new millennium, Sao Vicente. This album features several first-rate guest appearances, including Pedro Guerra, Caetano Veloso, Chucho Valdes, and North American blues superstar Bonnie Raitt (who, as always, delivers a remarkable performance) but none takes the stage from Cesaria. This is an album which, even when sunny and jubilant, still has an underlying theme of boundless sorrow, but in the end, the music is pure joy to the ear and the spirit. Highlights of the album include the elegant, nostalgic and sweeping opener, "Sao Vicente Di Longe" (which is the title of the European version of the album). "Dor Di Amor" best illustrates how such joyful music, with jubilant beats and horns, can be so sad, with Cesaria's mournful laments decorating the uplifting song. The album includes more Latin-tinged songs, including "Tiempo Y Silencio" where she sings in Spanish, and nostalgic torch songs, such as "Linda Mimosa" and "Negue," which finds Cesaria accompanied solely by a piano, resulting in one of the most beautiful and touching performances on the album. As is always the case with this singer, the album is strong from start to finish. One can rejoice in Cesaria's musical journey, which proves that true art and emotion can find a route to success in an era of overwhelmingly manufactured artifice.

     Artist: Milt Jackson
     Album: Opus De Jazz
     Label: Savoy
     Year: 1955; release: 1993
     Format/Bitrate: mp3/ 256 kb/s
     Time: 73:57
     Size: 63,8 mb


One of the best-known 50s jazz sessions from the Savoy label. A laidback classic that's a great illustration of the label's shift in modes after the early bop years

This Savoy CD is a duplicate of the original LP although it lacks the fine liner notes included on the Arista/Savoy 1978 LP. The four selections (which unfortunately total under 34 minutes) are excellent, particularly a fun version of Horace Silver's blues "Opus De Funk" in which vibraphonist Milt Jackson, flutist Frank Wess and pianist Hank Jones have a long tradeoff. The quintet (which also includes bassist Eddie Jones and drummer Kenny Clarke) swings nicely throughout the three blues and lone ballad ("You Leave Me Breathless"). This is not essential, but it is enjoyable music.

     Artist: Jim Hall and Pat Metheny
     Album: Jim Hall and Pat Metheny
     Label: Telarc/Metheny Group Productions
     Year: 1998, release: 1999
     Format/Bitrate: mp3/ 320 kb/s
     Time: 73:57
     Size: 169 mb
     AMG rating:

These two guitarists -- one an elder statesman, the other still a relatively young man in the midst of a stellar career -- are such a natural fit that it's amazing no one's thought of getting them together for a duo album before. Both play with a gentle touch and sweet tone, and both are capable of challenging experimentation, though each have spent most of their time in one mainstream tradition or another (Jim Hall in straight-ahead jazz, Pat Metheny in jazz-rock fusion). On this disc they focus on original compositions (Metheny's "Farmer's Trust" and "Into the Dream," Hall's "Cold Spring" and "Waiting to Dance"), but there are also tunes by Jerome Kern and Steve Swallow as well as the inevitable rendition of "Summertime." Their interplay is nothing short of astounding, and the five improvisational pieces scattered throughout the program sometimes sound as organized as the standards. The mood does get a little bit samey after a while, and the complete lack of high frequencies in both guitarists' tones might leave you wondering if you've got water in your ear. But overall, this really is a wonderful album. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide

     Artist: Chantal Chamberland
     Album: Dripping Indigo
     Label: Chantal Chamberland
     Year: 2006
     Format, bitrate: lossless, ape, 721 kbps
     Time: 1:08:10
     Size: 362 MB


CHANTAL CHAMBERLAND NOMINATED -FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR - CANADIAN SMOOTH JAZZ AWARDS Elegance and sensuality mingle in the music of smoky-voiced chanteuse Chantal Chamberland. Smooth as a dry martini and equally intoxicating, Chamberland's third album DRIPING INDIGO cements her role as one of the best interpreters of classic songbook favorites. Two factors set Chamberland's music apart from the pack. First, the arrangements are slow and sexy relying on a small jazz ensemble for backing (piano, sax, bass, light rhythm). Secondly is her luscious voice, which caresses the listener with a breathy purr throughout the album. With a repertoire that features "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" and " How Deep Is Your Love," the album slowly seduces with its corner jazz club ambience and torch singer grace. ~ cduniverse.com

     Artist: Kid Ory
     Album: Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band
     Year: 1954, release: 1992
     Label: Good Time Jazz
     Quality: mp3/320kbps
     Size: 97 MB
     Time: 41:38
     AMG Rating:



Trombonist Kid Ory, already 68 at the time of this recording, was at the peak of his powers in the mid-'50s. This particular version of his Creole Jazz Band was one of the finest, featuring trumpeter Alvin Alcorn and clarinetist George Probert, talented soloists who were also superb group players. Alcorn generated a lot of excitement perfectly placing long notes near the end of each ensemble chorus. This Good Time Jazz CD is almost up to the level of its 1954 and 1956 counterparts, highlighted by torrid versions of "Shake That Thing," "Royal Garden Blues" and "Indiana." ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Lester Young
     Album: The Complete Lester Young on Keynote
     Label: Verve/Mercury
     Years: 1943-1944, release: 1990
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 130 mb
     Total time: 62:24
     AMG Rating:

This CD has two classic sessions featuring the great tenor saxophonist Lester Young. He is heard with the Kansas City Seven, a small group taken from the Count Basie Orchestra (which he had recently rejoined) and consisting of trumpeter Buck Clayton, trombonist Dicky Wells, pianist Basie, guitarist Freddie Green, bassist Rodney Richardson, and drummer Jo Jones. The full group plays three jump pieces (plus three alternate takes), but the high point of the session is Prez's romp with the rhythm section, trading off with Basie on "Lester Leaps Again." However, that date is actually overshadowed by the four numbers (plus four alternate takes) that Young performed with pianist Johnny Guarnieri, bassist Slam Stewart, and drummer Sid Catlett on December 28, 1943. "I Never Knew" and "Afternoon of a Basie-ite" are heated jams, and "Just You, Just Me" is definitive, but it is "Sometimes I'm Happy" (especially the originally released version) that is truly memorable. The charming Slam Stewart solo (singing along with his bass) is surpassed only by Prez's absolutely perfect improvisation, which has been quoted many times by later jazz musicians. Highly recommended.

     Artist: Tim Warfield Sextet
     Album: A Whisper In The Midnight
     Label: Criss Cross Jazz
     Year: 1995, release: 1996
     Quality: MP3, 320 kb/s
     Size: 120 mb
     Total Time: 58:25
     AMG ratin:

For tenor saxophonist Tim Warfield's second recording as a leader, he gathered the same group of musicians that performed on his first: trumpeter Terell Stafford, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Tarus Mateen, and drummer Clarence Penn, plus added vibraphonist Stefon Harris to perform five Warfield originals, and two standards. "Speak Low" is played as a medium samba-like groove that swings on the bridge, while "Bye Bye Blackbird is played a little slower than usual and features Warfield's full toned tenor. Outside of the CDs opener "Tin Soldier," a Warfield original that opens with a brief horn fanfare and an explosive Penn drum solo, and Warfield's "Prayer For Uthman," which starts out quietly but builds momentum, this is a more relaxed date than A Cool Blue, with Warfield's lyrical writing and playing being the focus of this recording, and Harris' vibes adding more color to the group sound. All in all, a fine step in Warfield's development, although some might like to have heard more of Stafford. ~ Greg Turner, All Music Guide

     Artist: Napoli Centrale
     Album: Mattanza
     Label: BMG Ricordi
     Year: 1976, release: 2003
     Format, bitrate: mp3 192 kbps
     Time: 49:44
     Size: 67.2 MB



One listen to this album and you will simply not believe that it was recorded back in 1976! NAPOLI CENTRALE are now just being re-discovered by today's exploration of listeners into fusion-jazz. What is hard to believe is that they were doing this kind of modern sounding stuff back then. On this second album released - "Mattanzo", NAPOLI CENTRALE expanded their soundscape by adding more instrumentation and took another big step towards that fusion jazz prog perfection. Band leader James Senese (sax, vocals and woodwinds) made some lineup changes adding Giuseppe Guarnera on fender piano, Kelvin Bullen on bass and Agostino Marangolo on drums and in doing so has offered a different angle to their music. I must admit that this album took a lot longer for me to get into and deeply appreciate as did their debut album but in many ways now I do prefer this album to it. Best way I could describe their music would be to take a handful of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew (minus the trumpet) , blend in a few cups of (early 70's) Herbie Hancock and then a litre of Frank ZAPPA.

     Artist: Martin Taylor
     Album: Double Standards
     Label: P3 Music
     Year: 2008
     Format, bitrate: MP3, VBR
     Time: 52.4 minutes
     Size: 70,99 MB
     AMG Rating:

Martin Taylor has long been one of the most accomplished guitarists on the jazz scene and while he has performed with a number of different guitarists in a duo setting, this time around he chose to play duets with himself via overdubbing. Choosing a dozen tunes, including standards, jazz classics, and bossa novas, Taylor weaves masterful mostly improvised arrangements, recording one line while imagining what the accompanying part might sound like in his head as he was playing. The duo performance of Duke Ellington's "Drop Me Off in Harlem" is a highlight, with an intricate introduction and a punchy chart that swings like mad. One can just imagine how his old boss, the late Stйphane Grappelli, would have enjoyed taking part on this track, along with the buoyant setting of Toots Thielemans' engaging "Bluesette." His poignant take of "Young and Foolish" and light-hearted brisk waltz setting of "Alice in Wonderland," two gems not played very often in the early 21st century, are great melodies rejuvenated by his imaginative scoring. His intimate reading of "Estatй" and lyrical treatment of "Triste" almost seem to sing though there are no vocals. It's impossible not to break into a smile and think of pianist/vocalist Nat King Cole when Taylor offers his take of "When I Take My Sugar to Tea." Double Standards easily doubles the listening experience for jazz guitar fans from start to finish. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide

     Artist: Thelonious Monk
     Album: 5 By Monk By 5
     Label: OJC/Riverside
     Year: 1959, release: 1995
     Format/Bitrate: mp3/ 320 kb/s
     Time: 58:51
     Size: 129 mb
     AMG rating:

As the '50s drew to a close, so did Thelonious Monk's illustrious tenure on Riverside Records. In fact, the three dates needed for this title would be his penultimate for the label. The concept of the album consists of five Monk originals performed in a quintet setting. Ironically, this was the first time that Monk had recorded with a lineup that so prominently featured the "standard" bop rhythm section incorporating both a trumpet (or, in this case, cornet) and sax player. The quintet featured on Five by Monk by Five includes Monk (piano), Thad Jones (cornet), Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Sam Jones (bass), and Art Taylor (drums). Rouse would become Monk's permanent tenor saxophonist for the majority of the 1960s. In what had become somewhat of a tradition, the disc's program consists of several of Monk's more established works as well as a few new compositions. One of the new works, "Jackie-ing" (incidentally, named after one of Monk's nieces), leads off the disc. It exemplifies the loose, disjointed, and exceedingly difficult arrangements that would define Monk as a premier composer/arranger/bandleader. This is in contrast to Monk the keyboard player and band member, which he skilfully demonstrates throughout the track as well as the rest of the album. The song's opening jam features a tasty tug of war between Rouse's animated lead and Monk's interjections and piano antics. Jones' cornet is incorporated tastefully throughout Monk's tricky arrangements. The stark contrast in performance timbre between the comparatively subdued Rouse or Monk and the frenetic bleating of Jones is notably disconcerting. The CD reissue includes two alternate takes of "Played Twice," the other Monk composition to be debuted on Five by Monk by Five.

     Artist: Peter Bernstein Trio
     Album: Live at Smoke [video]
     Label: City Hall
     Year: 2005
     Style: Soul jazz, Straight-Ahead
     Format: AVI
     Size: ~ 700 mb
     Total time: 89 minutes.

Captured at the New York jazz club Smoke, the Peter Bernstein Trio featuring Larry Goldings and Bill Stewart clearly demonstrates why the group is considered one of today's premier guitar/organ combos. An important figure on the international jazz scene since 1989, Peter Bernstein has played on over 60 recordings and has made numerous festival, concert and club appearances with musicians of all generations. Live at Smoke, his first release on Mel Bay Records, is his sixth recording as a leader.

Peter Bernstein consistently has one of the nicest sounds in jazz guitar these days. That fact is easily heard on this DVD recorded live at NYC's Smoke. The tunes are varied and although this is Bernstein's gig both organist Larry Goldings and drummer Bill Stewart get ample space. Actually, this group has been more of a cooperative since its early days playing in small clubs near NYU beginning in the mid 1990s.

While Bernstein's wonderful sound and phrasing has been well recorded the same can't be said of Goldings B3, which is a shame considering how important he has been in steering the instrument's practitioners away from Jimmy Smith's long time influence. Golding's library of unique sounds isn't well captured here plus his low end work is almost aurally non-existent. But, the real deal here is Bill Stewart. His drumming, which starts very much in the background on the DVD, revs up nicely three tunes in and mid-way through he has picked up the entire group.His solo on "Acrobat" is particularly impressive. All in all a wonderful recording. ~ from liner note.

     Artist: John Coltrane
     Album: Inifinity
     Label: Impulse
     Years: 1965-1966; release: 1972
     Format, bitrate: MP3
     Time: 36.7 minutes
     Size: 50.06 MB

Recorded at several sessions in the two years prior to his death but not issued until 1972, Infinity was the subject of much controversy among Coltrane aficionados when it finally appeared. The horror on the part of Coltrane purists was directed to the posthumous string arrangements written by Alice Coltrane, his widow, which were grafted onto the performances. But however much the strings softened or unnecessarily augmented the music, it must be said that Alice Coltrane really didn't do such a bad job and the ultimate result is an unusual and oddly attractive work. The juxtaposition of the fiery, very free playing of late Coltrane against the dreamy, consonant strings is seductively appealing and one might even make the argument that, given the increasing mystical proclivities of his later years and the presence of Eastern instruments in his ensemble, he may well have approved. The pieces include some of his more powerful late compositions such as "Leo" and "Peace on Earth," and his playing (with a rare smidgen of bass clarinet) is typically inspired, if not reaching the raging heights of releases like Live in Japan. Whatever problems the Coltrane ideologue may have with his wife's embroideries, Infinity still deserves a place in his/her collection. ~ Brian Olewnick, All Music Guide

     Artist:Kid Ory
     Album: THE MAN FROM NEW ORLEANS, FRENCH TV DOCUMENTARY
     Label: INA
     Year: 1956
     Genre: Traditional Jazz
     Format, bitrate: AVI 128 kbps
     Time: 14m 14s
     Size: 112 Mb

     Artist: The Modern Jazz Quartet
     Album: Modern Jazz Quartet at the Music Inn, Vol. 1
     Year: 1956, release: 2005
     Label: 3D
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kb/s
     Time: 40:43
     Size: 86,46 MB (+5% recovery)



The first of two albums the Modern Jazz Quartet recorded at the Music Inn in Lenox, MS, this LP (reissued as part of Atlantic's Jazzlore series in 1982) is highlighted by "Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess," "Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West," "A Morning in Paris," and "England's Carol" which is the MJQ's reworking of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen." Clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre sits in with the group successfully on three numbers; best is "Fun." This is a worthwhile outing that has not yet been reissued on CD.