 |
Calendar |
 |
 |
| « February 2012 » | | | | | | | | | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | | 27 | 28 | 29 | |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Friends |
|
|
jasapaal
 Into the Rhythm
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
2010: Thomas Quasthoff - Tell It Like It Is |
Music » Jazz » Vocal Jazz |
 |
|
 Artist: Thomas Quasthoff Album: Tell It Like It Is Label: Decca (UMO) Year: 2010 Format, bitrate: Mp3, VBR Time: 56:39 Size: 72.9 Mb Classical-pop crossover is almost never a good idea. Those who attempt it from the pop side seem to achieve dire results at best, and their counterparts on the other end of the divide rarely fare much better. While such efforts are laudably ambitious and aesthetically expansive, the fact remains that those who have learned their craft on one side of the fence or the other are simply best qualified to understand that tradition's requirements and most likely to meet them. German classical bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff, however, seems to be an unusual exception to this rule of thumb. He began venturing beyond a classical repertoire in 2007 with The Jazz Album: Watch What Happens, on which he successfully tackled the Great American Songbook, and on Tell It Like It Is, Quasthoff takes an even greater leap by venturing into R&B. Unlike others who have attempted similar shifts, Quasthoff leaves the bulk of his classical training on the shelf while tackling pop-oriented material: of course, his spot-on pitch, impressive range, and clarity of tone are like fingerprints that can never be disguised, and they serve him in good stead here. In fact, if one came to Tell It Like Is with no knowledge of Quasthoff's previous work, it would be nearly impossible to guess that he's primarily a classical singer. His graceful understatement, bluesy bends, and undeniable sense of swing -- all marks of a great R&B vocalist -- are brought to bear throughout the album. Quasthoff tends to be more successful tackling straight-up R&B tunes -- including the Ann Peebles hit "I Can't Stand the Rain," Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone to Love," and the Art Neville-penned title track -- than on the more singer/songwriter-oriented cuts, like John Hiatt's "Have a Little Faith in Me" and Randy Newman's "Rider in the Rain." Still, Quasthoff deserves kudos for the acidic sense of humor required to tackle Newman's "Short People," given the disability that affects him. Interestingly, although Quasthoff's classical training never once gets in the way here, his German accent occasionally does; for the most part, he handles the English lyrics deftly, but every once in a while, his nationality peeks out of his voice just a bit, momentarily diverting the focus from the song. Nevertheless, these moments are few and far between, and Tell It Like It Is remains largely a triumph against the enormous odds faced by any classical singer trying to jump over -- however temporarily -- to the pop side of things.~ James Allen, All Music Guide |
|
|
Amy Winehouse - Frank |
Vocal Jazz, Soul-Jazz, Rhythm-n-Blues |
|
|
 Artist: Amy Winehouse Album: Frank Label: Island Year: 2003 Format, bitrate: mp3, 192 kbps Time: 58:48 Size: 94,1 Mb REPOST with a new link Frank is the Ivor Novello Award-nominated debut album by English Soul/Jazz singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse, released by Island Records in October 2003 in the United Kingdom, and in the United States on 20 November 2007. It was nominated for two BRIT Awards and was short-listed for the Mercury Music Prize. The album spawned the singles "Stronger Than Me", "Take the Box", "In My Bed"/"You Sent Me Flying", and "Fuck Me Pumps"/"Help Yourself". The title is a reference to her hero Frank Sinatra and because the word Frank means honest and real. The album was included in the 2006 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, edited by Robert Dimery. Wikipedia.org |
|
|
Wynton Marsalis - Jump Start And Jazz |
Music » Jazz » BeBop » Post-bop |
|
|
 Artist: Wynton Marsalis & the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra Album: Jump Start And Jazz Label: Columbia, (ru) Year: 1996 Format, bitrate: mp3, 160 kbps Time: 68:03 Size: 74 mb These ballets, each lasting a few minutes over half an hour, are mostly written-out compositions with jazz rhythm sections and jazz inflections from the players. As in much of Marsalis' writing in the '90s, he reaches back to several pre-bop classic jazz styles to form a synthesis of his own, with the wailing mark of Ellington ever-present in the voicings and harmonies. Jazz: 6 1/2 Syncopated Movements is a tightly arranged series of episodes that stalk across the jazz landscape from ragtime to dissonance, sometimes so tightly that it begins to resemble cartoon music. One of the more striking sections is "Trail of Tears," which has subtly smeared harmonies and horse-laughing from the muted brasses, and "Express Crossing" is right in the mold of Ellington's "Daybreak Express," with a nice breakneck muted solo for Marsalis. Though burdened with a typically pompous title, Jump Start The Mastery of Melancholy is actually the less pretentious ballet of the two, a suite of ten brief, disconnected big-band pieces in different idioms where the jazz elements come through with more freedom for the rhythm section and the soloists. This work hits its stride only toward the close with "Bebop" for small group (where Marsalis burns as he did in his extreme youth) and Harry "sweets" Edison's delicious cameo on "Jump." Heavily staffed by members of Marsalis' late septet, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra plays both works in precise, crisp fashion, with Marsalis conducting Jump Start and playing lead and section trumpet in both ballets. ~ Richard S. Ginell |
|
|
Wynton Marsalis - Hot House Flower |
Music » Jazz » BeBop » Post-bop |
|
|
 Artist: Wynton Marsalis Album: Hot House Flower Label: Columbia Year: 1984 Release: 1990 Format, bitrate: mp3, 160 kbps Time: 41 min Size: 50 mb Wynton Marsalis, very much in his Miles Davis period, plays quite melodically throughout this ballad-dominated outing with strings. Branford Marsalis (on tenor and soprano), flutist Kent Jordan, pianist Kenny Kirkland, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Jeff Watts are strong assets but it is Wynton's subtle creativity on such songs as "Stardust," "When You Wish Upon a Star," Duke Ellington's "Melancholia," and "I'm Confessin'" that makes this recording special. The arrangements by Robert Freedman generally keep the strings from sounding too sticky and Wynton's tone is consistently beautiful. ~ Scott Yanow, AMG |
|
|
Amy Winehouse - I Told You I Was Trouble: Live From London |
Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Soul-Jazz |
|
|
 Artist: Amy Winehouse Album: I Told You I Was Trouble: Live From London (2007) Label: Universal Records Year: 2007 Format, bitrate: mp3, VBR ~ 210 kbps Time: 66:16 min Size: 95 mb Amy Jade Winehouse (born 14 September 1983) is an English singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic mix of various musical genres including R&B, soul, jazz, rock & roll, and ska.Winehouse is best known for her soulful, powerful contralto vocals.
Winehouse's 2003 debut album Frank was commercially and critically successful in her native Britain. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Her 2006 follow-up album Back to Black led to six Grammy Award nominations and five wins, tying the record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night, and made Winehouse the first British singer to win five Grammys, including three of the "Big Four": Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. On 14 February 2007, she won a BRIT Award for Best British Female Artist; she had also been nominated for Best British Album. She has won the Ivor Novello Award three times, one in 2004 for Best Contemporary Song (musically and lyrically) for "Stronger Than Me", one in 2007 for Best Contemporary Song for "Rehab", and one in 2008 for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Love Is a Losing Game", among other prestigious distinctions.
Winehouse has received media attention apart from her singing. Her distinctive style has been the muse for fashion designers such as Karl Lagerfeld. The singer's problems with drug and alcohol addiction, as well as self-destructive behaviour, have become regular tabloid news since 2007. She and her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, have been plagued by legal troubles that left him serving prison time and a subsequent pending divorce. In 2008, Winehouse faced a series of health complications that threatened both her life and her career Wikipedia.org |
|
|
Diana Krall - Christmas Songs |
Music » Jazz » Vocal Jazz |
|
|
 Artist: Diana Krall (feat. The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orch.) Album: Christmas Songs Label: Verve Year: 2005 Format, bitrate: mp3, VBR ~ 236 kbps Time: 44 min 42 sec Size: 73 mb Co-produced by Krall, with GRAMMY® award winning, Tommy LiPuma, the album features the talents of renowned arranger and bassist John Clayton (Count Basie, Duke Ellington), guitarist Anthony Wilson (Chris Botti, Michael Buble), drummer Jeff Hamilton (Rosemary Clooney, Natalie Cole) and bassist Bob Hurst (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Saturday Night Live). The Clayton/Hamilton Orchestra accompanies Krall for seasonal standards, "Let It Snow," "I'll Be Home For Christmas," "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" and "Jingle Bells."
Legendary composer Johnny Mandel contributes a string arrangement to "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep." Rounding out the album are previously released versions of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "Christmas Time Is Here" with a band that includes guitarist Russell Malone.
This album is the perfect stocking stuffer for the holiday season for you and all your friends! DianaKrall.com |
|
|
Yvonne Sanchez - My Garden |
Music » Jazz » Latin » Bossa Nova |
|
|
 Artist: Yvonne Sanchez Album: My Garden (2008) Label: Warner Music Year: 2008 Format, bitrate: mp3, 184 kbps Time: 50:27 min Size: 70 mb Polish singer of Cuban descent, Yvonne Sanchez, has become a Prague citizen fourteen years ago. During this time she established herself as one of the country’s leading interpreters of jazz and latin music. However, she is not hiding herself in some tiny jazz club as many rigid jazz musicians do. An extraordinary succes of her last album „My Garden” provided ample proof of her ability to adress wider audience consisting not only of jazz lovers. On „My Garden” Yvonne tears down the borders between pop and jazz, she celebrates her big heroine Sarah Vaughan while adding something fresh and hip. If more CDs like „My Garden” were recorded, jazz genre would easier acquire the position it deserves. ~ Jan Kyncl |
|
|
Veronica Mortensen - Happiness Is Not Included |
Music » Jazz » Vocal Jazz |
|
|
 Artist: Veronica Mortensen Album: Happiness... Is Not Included Year: 2007 Label: Stunt Records Quality/Bitrate: MP3 / VBR kbps / 44.1 Khz / Joint Stereo Time: 45 min 20 sec Size: 60.1 mb Danish singer and composer Veronica Mortensen’s second album ”HAPPINESS is not included” was released in April 2007 at Stunt Records. Like her first album it contains her own material. Most of the lyrics are written with her husband Niels HP, while the music is produced by Morten Eriksen and herself. The album also contains interpretations of 4 songs by Paul Simon, Tom Waits, James Taylor and The Beatles. The music was recorded at Nilento studio in Gothenborg, Sweden, with a handful of the most prominent danish jazz musicians, underlining the jazz influence in Veronica’s catchy tunes.
Veronicas resonant expressive and soulfull voice, indicates that she has listened to afro-american icons, such as Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin and Erykah Badu. Yet she is free from the clichees and manners often associated with modern jazz/soul singers. Instead she comes through with a rare honesty in her singing, her tecnical abilities never standing in the way of the story. |
|
|
Michael Buble Biography |
Biography |
|
|
 Ask Michael Bublé how he felt going in to record his third studio album, Call Me Irresponsible, and this artist with 11 million albums sold and two Grammy nominations under his belt can sum it up in one word.
“Terrified,” he says simply. Terrified?
“Completely, because I knew that it had to be better than the first two — that it had to show growth without alienating anyone, and that’s a tough line. So I sat there from the very beginning and came up with the songs, put together the skeleton, and thought about what arrangers I would hire. I even ended up at the mastering session, which artists rarely attend. I wanted to be involved in every aspect because I wanted it to be conceptually beautiful.”... |
|
|
Diahann Carroll - Biography |
Biography |
|
|
 Êðàòêàÿ áèîãðàôèÿ çíàìåíèòîé âîêàëèñòêè.
Brief biography of the famous cantatrice. One of television's premiere African-American series stars, elegant actress, singer and recording artist Diahann Carroll was born Carol Diann (or Diahann) Johnson on July 17, 1935, in the Bronx, New York. The first child of John Johnson, a subway conductor, and Mabel Faulk Johnson, music was an important part of her life as a child, singing at age 6 with her Harlem church choir. While taking voice and piano lessons, she contemplated an operatic career after becoming the 10-year-old recipient of a Metropolitan Opera scholarship for studies at New York's High School of Music and Art. As a teenager she sought modeling work but it was her voice, in addition to her beauty, that provided the magic and the allure. |
|
|
Jane Monheit - In The Sun |
Music » Jazz » Vocal Jazz |
|
|
 Artist: Jane Monheit Album: In The Sun Label: Silverline Year: 2002 Format: Flac Time: 00:52:46 Size: 333mb
Jane Monheit's third album attempts to combine a number of elements: jazz standards, Brazilian repertoire, ballads lushly orchestrated by Alan Broadbent and Vince Mendoza, and even pop vehicles originally sung by Linda Ronstadt and Judy Collins. The young vocalist is usually at her best fronting a small combo; here one wishes she had relied more on her working band with pianist Michael Kanan, bassist Joe Martin, tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm, and drummer/husband Rick Montalbano. It is they who provide this record's most rewarding moments: Martin reharmonizes Ellington's "Just Squeeze Me"; Kanan presents a funky take on "Cheek to Cheek" and duets with Monheit on an unusually slow "Tea for Two." On these tracks one can hear Monheit taking vocal risks, testing her mettle with bluesy inflections and bold peaks in volume. Much of the rest of the album is closer to Streisand than Sarah Vaughan, however. The final four tracks bog down in slow tempos and a vanilla-syrup aesthetic; her Portuguese-language rendition of Ivan Lins' "Comecar de Novo" seems especially contrived. But her duet with guitarist Rene Toledo on "Chega de Saudade" is more convincing, and Lins' guest appearance on his own "Once I Walked in the Sun" provides some lilting harmonic tensions. ~ David R. Adler, All Music Guide |
|
|
Jane Monheit - The Season |
Music » Jazz » Vocal Jazz |
|
|
 Artist: Jane Monheit Album: The Season Label: Epic Year: 2005 Format, bitrate: mp3, VBR ~236 kbps Size: 66 mb Jane Monheit followed her 2004 Sony debut, Taking a Chance on Love, with the Christmas album The Season. It's an inevitable release. Monheit's star has risen consistently -- she's one of the darlings (or saviors) of contemporary vocal jazz alongside artists like Madeleine Peyroux and Norah Jones -- so something as pretty and easily salable as The Season ensures even more name recognition. Which is just fine. Monheit's rich, if mannered delivery is perfect for the classics ("Sleighride," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), and her interpretations of "I Love the Winter Weather/I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" (where Ella Fitzgerald's influence is strong) and the Carpenters ("Merry Christmas Darling") mix striking professionalism with a gentle, breathy swagger that's pretty endearing. Monheit worked with her usual quartet for The Season, though the arrangement for "Merry Christmas Darling" is filled out with a string section and the horns on "The Man with the Bag" combine with Monheit's winsome, scatting vocal to really take it out of time. Is this 2005 or a classic Perry Como special? The Season is a nice holdover for Monheit, a chance to have some fun with some standards while keeping her name and wonderful voice top of mind. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide |
|
|
Jane Monheit - Surrender |
Music » Jazz » Vocal Jazz |
|
|
 Artist: Jane Monheit Album: Surrender Year: 2007 Label: Concord Records Size: 112 mb Jane Monheit has a lovely voice, one that in its purest, most lilting form reminds you of the young Barbra Streisand, with the show-stopping qualities that suggests. Her haunting rendition of Sergio Mendes'"So Many Stars," the runaway highlight of Surrender, is also one of the best things she's ever done. (Mendes arranged and produced the track and plays keyboard on it.) Since she stopped trying so hard to be a jazz singer and found her mark as a popular vocalist specializing in Brazilian music (there are also guest turns by singer Ivan Lins and harmonica great Toots Thielemans), Monheit has sounded more at home with herself. The problem is, as delectable as her instrument is, her performances, more often than not, have a perplexing emptiness to them: they're like romantic settings with candles providing the requisite glow but no real warmth. She's only 29, which means she has plenty of time to deepen as an artist. But it could also be that what you hear now is what you're going to get in the future. ~ Lloyd Sachs |
|
|
English
Ðóññêèé
Set Home Page
Add to Favorite
Rss 2.0 news
