Artists: Peter Brötzmann, Rashied Ali, Fred Hopkins
     Album: Songlines
     Label: FMP
     Year: 1991; Release: 1994
     Format, bitrate: MP3 320 kbps CBR
     Time: 1:10:52
     Size: 161 MB
     AMG Rating:

     In perhaps the most understated performance of his entire career, German saxophone giant Peter Brötzmann played in a trio with American free jazz legends Fred Hopkins and Rashied Ali back in 1991 at the now mythical Total Music Meeting. This "meeting" was designed to level the playing field between musicians on both sides of the Atlantic who regarded each other warily at best. The Europeans, who had had terminal jazz envy for decades had decided that no music from America, institutional or free, was worth crap. Hilarious to think of now that people like Evan Parker, Tony Oxley, Franz Koglmann, and Fritz Hauser were among them. Well, the festival brought the groups together -- three saxophonists, three drummers, three bassists -- from both sides of the ocean and had them play together in every kind of permutation possible. Which brings us to the record at hand. Brötzmann appears to have been in awe on this date so great is his restraint. There are literally no passages in the entire concert where he attempts to push his way through the rhythm section to get to the other side. No mean feat when you consider the man's powerful personality both on and off the stage. But Hopkins was a founding member of Air with Henry Threadgill, and Ali, of course, played with John Coltrane. Given these proceedings with their haunted, hunted, beauty, it would be fair to say that -- even on his own compositions -- the mighty Brötzmann was humbled in the presence of these great musicians. Does that mean he was humbled by them? Hardly. Brötzmann's playing here is so fiery and lyrical, so completely focused on his rhythm section that he turns harmonies on their heads and finds intervals in places where the only thing that should be happening is free blowing. He is the band's leader by the force of that lyricism and restraint. He makes room for the other players to move through and around him rather than behind him. His sheer "musicality" is wondrous. Hopkins and Ali are no strangers to each other -- there is telepathic communication; the shift from one modality to the next is seamless and grounded, each player by the other. There are six compositions on this record; it comes off as a very intense, extremely quiet kind of blowing gig, where this trio were looking to discover things about each other and the music they were making. As a result, it is one of the finest performances issued from that festival, and a landmark in Brötzmann's career in particular.

~All Music Guide - Thom Jurek

     Artist: Peter Brötzmann
     Album: Fuck de Boere: Dedicated to Johnny Dyani
     Label: Atavistic Worldwide
     Years: 1968 - 1970; release: 2001
     Format, bitrate : MP3; 320 kbps CBR
     Time: 54:07
     Size: 124 mb
     AMG Rating:

     Not much has set the jazz community more on its collective ear as when Peter Brotzmann and the rest of his European free jazz associates recorded Machine Gun in May of 1968. Finally released by Atavistic, Fuck de Boere includes two live cuts from that seminal early group at the Frankfurt Jazz Festival. Opening with "Machine Gun," recorded in March of 1968, Peter Brotzmann and his group blast away at what was to become the landmark recording a few months later in the studio. At this time, the group included an additional saxophone player, Gerd Dudek. This version finds itself a bit more playful than Machine Gun's version, not quite as menacing or brooding; the structure is the same, here favoring the longer take, but the interplay and overlap between the instruments is not as urgent. What it lacks in attack, however, it makes up for in improvisation, enthusiasm, and sheer genius of the composition. The second cut, "Fuck De Boere," is itself an audio tornado, buzzing around relentlessly until it breaks down a bit around five minutes in. This was recorded live in 1970 and included the use of four trombonists and the perfectly experimental Derek Bailey on electric guitar. Complete with shouting and animal calls, this number ranges from ambient-like textures to bombastic, split-second punches and involves every possible combination of instrumentation. Every player is on board this amazing journey of a piece, from Fred van Hove's organ-pounding to Han Bennick's cathartic, relentless percussive impulses. "Fuck de Boere" winds to a swirling, sea-sickening ending among triumphant squelches and scattered helpless melodies, only to succumb to a final yelp of Brotzmann's horn. Just under 55 minutes for the entire album, and it's certainly nothing short of stunning. ~ Ian Trumbull, All Music Guide

     Artist: Ethel Ennis
     Album: If Women Ruled the World
     Label: Savoy Jazz
     Year: 1998; release: July 28, 2010
     Format, bitrate:[/b] mp3 320 kbps CBR
     Time: 59:47 min
     Size: 132.09 Мb
     AMG rating


     This is a historic release on two levels. It was one of the first recordings of new jazz for Savoy in a couple decades (unfortunately the label's venture into recording new music did not last long) and it was singer Ethel Ennis' first recording in quite some time. For this project, she interprets a dozen songs written by women, ranging from "God Bless the Child" and "Willow Weep for Me" to more recent songs by Joan Osborne, Joan Armatrading, Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, Carole King, and herself ("Hey You"). The performances range from swinging pieces to folk music with Ennis assisted by pianist Marc Copland, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, guitarist John Abercrombie, soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom, and a couple different rhythm sections. This is a fine effort, making one wish that Ethel Ennis would record much more often. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: The Nu Band
     Album: The Dope and The Ghost: Live in Vienna
     Label: Not Two Records
     Year: 2005; release: 2007
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320
     Size: 166 mb


     The Nu Band is something special. Free free bop with a political message. On their last album they ended with it, on this one they start with it : a long blues-based romp called "Bushwacked", with Roy Campbell "reciting" a newspaper article on President Bush's administration and doubtful policies, and even if this kind of message tends to be tedious in musical settings, this one works well, because the four musicians change this blues into a high energy free jazz piece. The four are Roy Campbell on trumpet, Mark Whitecage on alto sax and clarinet, Joe Fonda on bass, Lou Grassi on drums. Marco Eneidi joins on alto on one - twenty minute long - track. And what can I say? These guys ARE free jazz. Each of them has played a major role in shaping what the genre is today, in showing new ways of expressing emotions and of jointly creating a superb listening experience by ... well by listening to the other band members in the first place and then adding to it, enhancing it, pushing it further, creating new dialogues and phrases. This is music that is adventurous, emotional, but at times so tight, so interlocked, so on the same level, that it's getting uncanny. But the greatest thing : it's real fun too. The intensity! The interplay! The melodies! The emotions! The music! And indeed, something which can only work in front of a live audience. (4,5 stars out of 5)

     Artist: Jimmy Raney
     Album: Two Jims and Zoot
     Label: Mainstream Records
     Year: 1964; release: 1992
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 88,2 mb
     Total time: 40:16
     AMG Rating:

     The slightly unusual date Two Jims and a Zoot features tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims interacting with two guitarists (Jimmy Raney and Jim Hall) while given subtle support by bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Osie Johnson. Although the eight selections (none of which caught on as standards) had all been written recently and sometimes display the influence of bossa nova, the quiet performances could pass for 1954 rather than 1964. The cool-toned improvisations and boppish playing have a timeless quality about them although for the time period aspects of this music already sounded a bit old-fashioned. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Pietro Condorelli
     Album: Easy
     Label:Red Records
     Year: 2003 - 2004
     Quality: MP4;320 kbps
     Size: 137 Mb
     Total time: 61min.

     PIETRO CONDORELLI born in Milan in 1962, he obtained the Diploma in classical guitar and graduated in D.A.M.S. Since 1980 he has been carrying out an intense professional activity in Italy and abroad most of the times in jazz ambits, without disdaining other types of productions in radio, tv and theaters as guitarist and arranger.Once he begun his freelance activity he has had the chance to play with Jerry Bergonzi, Gary Bartz, Gunther Shuller, Urbie Green, Charles Tolliver, Steve Turre, Paolo Fresu, Lee Konitz, Jimmy Owens, Dick Oatts, Steve La Spina, George Cables, Jimmy Wood, Cameron Brown, Maria Pia De Vito, Bon Mover, Billy Hart, Bruce Forman and dozens of other musicians. In June 1989 he partecipated with his own band "Sonora Art Quartet" to a short tour in USA organized by The Italian Institute Of Culture of New York. In the same year he recorded in Boston his first Cd "Sonora" with the presence of the saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi.From '94 until '96 he has been collaborating with the band Area. Nowadays he leads his quartet with Francesco Nastro, Pietro Iodice, Vittorio Pepe (CD "On My Browser"). Lately he has been carrying out a research on the expressive possibilities of the guitar deepening the stylistic peculiarities from jazz to rock music, from etnic music to funk music. In '97 he won the crictic referendum for Top jazz as best new talent.

      Artist: Bill Watrous
      Album: Reflections
      Label: Soundwing Records
      Year: 1987
      Format: Flac
      Time: 40:05
      Size: 240 MB

      One of the finest bop-oriented trombonists of the past 30 years, Bill Watrous has had a low profile since moving to Los Angeles in the 1980s despite remaining quite active. Possessor of a beautiful tone and remarkable technique, Watrous has been constantly overlooked in jazz popularity polls of the past two decades. His father was a trombonist and introduced Bill to music. He played in traditional jazz bands as a teenager and studied with Herbie Nichols while in the military. Watrous made his debut with Billy Butterfield, and was one of the trombonists in Kai Winding's groups during 1962-1967. He was a busy New York-based studio musician during the 1960s, working and recording with Quincy Jones, Maynard Ferguson, Johnny Richards, and Woody Herman; playing in the television band for Merv Griffin's show (1965-1968); and working on the staff of CBS (1967-1969). After playing with the jazz-rock group Ten Wheel Drive in 1971, Watrous led his own big band (the Manhattan Wildlife Refuge) during 1973-1977, recording two superb albums for Columbia. After moving to Los Angeles in the late '70s, Watrous continued working in the studios, appearing at jazz parties, playing in local clubs, and leading an occasional big band. He has recorded as a leader for Columbia, Famous Door, Soundwings, GNP Crescendo, and with his late-'90s big band for Double-Time.

      Artist: Various Artists
      Album: featuring: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
      Label: Verve
      Year: 1996
      Format: Flac
      Time: 1:03:08
      Size: 408MB All scans included

      Basically they recreated the Hey Hey Club, as it was in the 30′s. They brought in the best sound guys in the business to mic the place correctly to get that authentic sound, and then they brought in the musicians. Man did they bring em in! You get a virtual who’s who of jazz in one room. Guys like Joshua Redman, Geri Allen, Kevin Mahogany and Cyrus Chestnet all get their jam on in what can only be described as the most awesome way ever. They also brought in an enthusiastic full audience, shouting out encouragement and cheers throughout the set. Essentially this recording grabs the listener and tosses them back in time to a place that doesn’t exist anymore.

      I don’t know of very many albums that succeed in doing this.

      Filled with hits of the era from the likes of Count Basie (‘Blues in the Dark’) and Bennie Moten (‘Moten Swing’ ), this is a must have for anyone who likes the swinging sound of Kansas City jazz. Or just jazz in general. ~ Dj Tim

     Artists: Peggy Lee & Ella Fitzgerald
     Album: Songs from "Pete Kelly's Blues"
     Label: Decca
     Year: 1955
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps (LP-rip)
     Size: 82,5 mb
     Total time: 37:28

Peggy Lee received strong reviews for her portrayal of a troubled singer in Jack Webb's Jazz Age crime drama Pete Kelly's Blues. This isn't the movie's official soundtrack (which comes with musical contributions from Ella Fitzgerald and a crack jazz ensemble, as well as many of the songs found here), but re-recordings of tunes that Lee performed in the movie. Since Pete Kelly's Blues takes place during the 1920s, Harold Mooney's orchestrations combine elements of old-style Dixieland with a 1950s swing style. Lee is perfectly in sync with this approach, and sounds strong throughout, even on her appropriately freaky interpretation of "Sing a Rainbow," which her character performs from the confines of a mental institution after suffering a complete breakdown. Lee was rewarded for her performance with a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination but surprisingly, this didn't result in the movie career that she'd always wanted. It is widely believed that this was due to Hollywood considering Peggy Lee's portrayal of a singer plagued by alcohol and mental health problems as (rightly or wrongly) too close to the vocalist's own life.

      Artist: Chuck Mangione
      Album: Feel So Good
      Label: A&M (SP-4658)
      Year: 1977
      Format, bitrate: Mp3, 320 Kbps (Lp-rip)
      Time: 45:48
      Size: 108,66 Mb
      AMG rating:


      Due to the title cut, this was a huge seller when it originally came out. Reissued on CD, this set from flügelhornist Chuck Mangione (which helped give guitarist Grant Geissman some fame) is actually stronger from the jazz standpoint than Mangione's subsequent dates. The leader has some good solos, as does Geissman and saxophonist Chris Vadala, and the quintet's ensembles are generally both sparse and attractive. Pity that in ways this was Chuck Mangione's last worthwhile release to date; success did stunt his artistic growth.

     Artists: Charles "Bobo" Shaw & Human Arts Ensemble
     Album: P'NKJ'ZZ
     Label: Muse Records (Catalog#: MR 5232)
     Format, Bitrate:FLAC-8 (LP-Rip)
     Year:1981
     Size: 150MB
     Time: 35:08

     This album was recorded sometime in 1977 and released in 1981. All tracks other than Conceré Ntasiah, written by Abdul Wadud, are penned by Charles "Bobo" Shaw. In terms of jazz it leans more towards a mix of Jazz-Rock-Fusion. The first track sets in motion a driving bass offset with a blending of jazz guitar and reeds held together by Shaw's incessant drumming. Following next is a bit of a Latin groover with some great trombone playing from Joseph Bowie inclusive with Julius Hemphill soprano ventures. The second side gets down to more of a free jazz exploration with Bowie making his mark alongside an anchoring and at times soloing guitar and rhythm section beat; inter-mingled with Hemphill's soprano. The final composition sees further exploration jazz reminiscent of late 60's free jazz groupings. Abdul Wadud presents some innovative cello similar to what we would expect from the likes of Leroy Jenkins and the Revolutionary Ensemble. Overall this album is quite an allusive merging of styles whether it can be termed ‘Punk Jazz’ that warrants further listens to decipher; each time an enjoyable exercise.

     Artist: Wadada Leo Smith
     Album: Lake Biwa
     Label: Tzadik Records
     Year: 2004
     Format, bitrate: MP3 320 kbps CBR
     Time: 1:09:36
     Size: 159 mb
     AMG rating

     The four pieces that make up Wadada Leo Smith's Lake Biwa were composed between 2000 and 2004. They appear here for the first time. The musicians who perform these pieces include John Zorn; drummers Susie Ibarra, Gerald Cleaver, and Kwaku Kwaakye Obeng; pianists Craig Taborn, Jamie Saft, Anthony Coleman, and Yuko Fujiama; bassists John Lindberg and Wes Brown; violinist Jennifer Choi; cellist Erik Friedlander; guitarist Marc Ribot; and tuba player Marcus Rojas. This is quite a lineup, to say the least. Smith has been composing with his originally conceived and developed Ankhrasmation system of notation since the early '70s. The subdued title track is ethereal in places, yet utterly grounded by its sense of time and color. Smith's trumpet enters at midpoint and begins to stir the players to improvisation without ever losing sight of the melody and harmony in the piece. The longest work here is "Sanai's Enclosed Garden of the Truth." Smith uses spacious intervals to meticulously enter the theme, breaking it down a bit at a time as improvisers enter the fray. Zorn's solo here is exceptional; he rides along Friedlander's cello as the piano anchors the piece harmonically until it's time to solo, and then the burden of structure is laid at the feet of the strong players. Choi's violin and Friedlander's cello carry it out in counterpoint against the drums and piano. "Diamondback Serpent in a House Full of Water and Still Rising" is introduced by the piano. A theme is played, considered, and recounted with fewer notes, and then disintegrates as the ensemble enters and creates tension that eventually explodes. The final work here, "Africana World," employs long tonal drones and skittering movement on the part of the strings, and Smith carries the motion of the piece forward when the rest of the ensemble enters, introduced by the staccato repetitive movement of Cleaver's drums. In sum, Lake Biwa is a delight, and is full of invention. The players here perform the work's written and improvised sections with a determined sense of attack that also includes warmth, humor, and the desire for collective discovery. Smith has been on a tear for the past 15 years. Let's hope it continues.

     Artist: "Big" Walter Horton
     Album:Live at the Knickerbocker
     Year: rec. 1980/rel. Jun 12, 2001
     Label:JSP
     Format: MP3@320 Kb/s
     Time: 52:24
     Size: 116.9 Mb