Artist: The Rob Madna Trio
      Album: Jazz Behind The Dikes 1
      Label: Philips
      Year: 1956
      Format: Flac
      Time: 27:26
      Size: 101 MB

     Rob Madna was born in The Hague, the Netherlands. Madna was a complete autodidact, who learned to play by listening to whatever records happened to be around the house: music of Teddy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, or a recording of George Gershwin’s ‘Porgy and Bess.’ Together with neighborhood friends Ack en Jerry van Rooijen, Rob listened as much as he could to jazz and dance orchestras during the Second World War. After the war he heard the latest music from America, including bebop, which was to have a deep impact on his further musical growth. Madna progressed quickly, and from the age of sixteen he regularly played in public, at times substituting for local professionals, such as Rob Pronk. Apart from submerging himself in music, Madna developed a fascination for mathematics, and he decided to pursue a career as a mathematician rather than a musician. Rob always shunned the spotlights and a life on the road didn’t appeal to him. With what he considered his Asian relativism, he did not seek public recognition and much of his musical life would take place in relative invisibility. Nevertheless, Madna did perform with many jazz outfits, and subbed in many orchestras. He was deeply respected by his fellow musicians and those listeners who knew him. In 1985 Rob Madna became involved in music full time, accepting to teach jazz piano at the Hilversum Conservatory. Yet he is regarded as one of the greatest Dutch jazz pianists, who unfortunately showed little interest in recording. The few records he made are very high rated in the jazz world. During the 2003 North Sea Jazz Festival Rob Madna posthumously received the prestigious Bird Award for his Complete Works.~ robmadna.info

     Artist: Wessel Ilcken
     Album: Jazz On The Left Bank
     Label: Philips/Epic
     Year: 1957
     Quality: mp3, 320 kb/s (LP-rip)
     Size: 112,27 mb



     After playing with the orchestra by Piet van Dijk, 1950, he founded his own band with singer Rita Reys, who he married in 1945th They learned to know in 1943 when she was a singer in the orchestra van Dijk. His Combo played in Amsterdam in 1950-1952 "Hollywood Club ". In 1953 she went to Sweden, then one of the centers of modern jazz in Europe. There she played with saxophonist Lars Gullin, the pianist Bengt Hallberg and large expatriate U.S. musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Mann, Tony Scott, Bob Cooper, Joe Carroll. Back in the Netherlands he was a central figure of modern jazz in the Netherlands, documented in a series of recordings, "Jazz from Holland " (1955) and "Jazz Behind The Dykes" (1955 to 1957), the first recordings of modern jazz in the Netherlands. Most recently, he played with Rita Reys Scheherezade regularly at the nightclub in Amsterdam.

He died at the age of 34 unexpectedly of a cerebral hemorrhage (a result of a waterskiing accident). The largest Dutch Jazz Award, the Boy Edgar Prize, was for many years as "Wessel Ilcken prize named after him (first awarded in 1963, renamed in 1980 after the then recently deceased big band leader Boy Edgar).

     Artist: Chet Baker
     Album: The Sesjun Radio Shows 2CD
     Label: Pink
     Year: 2010
     Quality: Lossless
     Size: 318+417 mb

     'Sesjun' was the most important Dutch Live Jazz Radio Show in the 70's. Many jazzcats showd up, like Gerry Mulligan, Hank Jones. Chet Baker was there often too. On these two discs all that was recorded (and saved) of him during Sesjun was put together and released for the first time.

     There's some dispute about track 5 on Disc 1; as there is also someone playing flute, who is not mentioned in the credits.

     Dutch radio show recording made with Chet during the later part of his career with Dutch jazz artists (Philip Catherine, John Engles, Frank Tusa and others). Tracks include: Lady Bird, My Foolish Heart, Love for Sale, Chet's Theme, There Will Never Be Another You, Ray's Idea, This Is Always, Strollin', I'm Old Fashioned. 15 tracks.

     Artist: Miles Davis
     Album: The Last Word (Part 1)
     Label: Warner Brothers
     Years: 1985-1987
     Quality: FLAC
     Size: 244,8+235,23 mb



     During 2001-2 Warner Brothers was busy with the creation of a boxed set that was to include everything Miles Davis had recorded in the studio during his time with the company, 1985-1991, including many previously unreleased studio outtakes, plus some particularly noteworthy live material from the same era. The box was to be called The Last Word, and was initially earmarked for release on Rhino Records in September 2001, to commemmorate the 10th anniversary of Miles's death.
     Yours truly was approached in the beginning of 2001 by Matt Pierson, head of jazz at Warners, who declared himself a huge fan of Miles Beyond, and asked me to write the liner notes for what initially was going to be a 6 CD set. So far, so good. One of many problems was, however, that the Miles Davis Estate was, at the time, annoyed with some aspects of Miles Beyond. Pierson was confident that he could sort it all out, and asked me to go ahead with writing the liner notes. There were positive sounds from the Estate, but soon after I had finished the text, the Estate eventually vetoed my participation in the project. Frustratingly, the Estate has also since blocked several other attempts by record companies to enlist me in the writing of Miles-related liner notes. Particularly given the rather insubtantial reasons for their annoyance, it's been a long time to hold a grudge against someone who is on your side. I'm told, however, that the people in the Estate have finally dropped whatever axe they had to grind with me, and so I've deleted most of the story from this page... Let bygones be bygones, no reason to keep this story alive, etc, etc...
Attempts to put out the boxed set continued, but some time in 2002 the release was quietly abandoned altogether. Officially no reasons were given. When I queried an insider at Rhino, he would only say: 'Estate problems.' So while it is unlikely that you'll ever get to hear all of the music included in the original 6-CD set, here, at least, are my original liner notes...
2010 update: apparently there have been movements this year within Warners to release finally this boxed set, but the very latest is that the project has been shelved, once again... I'll let you now if there are any updates on that!

     Artist: Miles Davis
     Album: 'Shout'
     Label: Columbia
     Year: 1981
     Format, bitrate: mp3; 320 kb/s (LP-rip)
     Size: 31,34 mb

     Artists: VA
     Album: Jazz Classics In Digital Stereo Vol.3 - New York
     Label: ABC
     Years: 1923-1935, release: 1986
     Quality: FLAC
     Size: 270 mb (with artwork)




     On the third of four CDs in the Robert Parker series that reissues a cross section of early jazz recordings from a regional area, the music ranges from the famous (Jelly Roll Morton, Fletcher Henderson, Bessie Smith and Duke Ellington) to the lesser known (Charlie Johnson's Paradise Ten, Lloyd Scott and Freddy Jenkins). Veteran collectors will prefer to skip this sampler and get the complete sessions elsewhere but listeners just beginning to explore early jazz should find these early recordings (which range from pre-swing to some heated jams) worth investigating. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: The Tommy Flanagan Trio
     Title: The Tokyo Recital
     Year: 1975
     Label: Pablo / OJC 25218-6737-2
     Format: WAV
     Size: 333 mb
     Time: 50:00



     When this set was recorded, pianist Tommy Flanagan had spent so much time as Ella Fitzgerald's accompanist (the past seven years, plus two before that) that many jazz followers had forgotten how strong a soloist he was. In a trio with bassist Keter Betts and drummer Bobby Durham on this straight CD reissue of a former LP, Flanagan is heard in superior form. He interprets a full set of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn-associated songs. Highlights include "U.M.M.G. (Upper Manhattan Medical Group)," "Main Stem," "Chelsea Bridge," and a particularly memorable rendition of "The Intimacy of the Blues." Highly recommended.

     Artist: Milt Buckner
     Album: The New World Of Milt Buckner
     Label: Bethlehem
     Years: 1962-1963
     Quality: FLAC
     Size: 193 mb
     Total time: 37:29


Like many U.S. jazz musicians who struggled at home and did better abroad, Milt Buckner clearly preferred the cultural and vocational climate in Europe. Over the 11 years that remained in his life, he only returned to North America for brief concert and club bookings -- five times to the U.S. and twice to Canada. Beginning in 1966 with his first Parisian session in the company of Illinois Jacquet and trumpeter Roy Eldridge, Buckner's discography indicates a more stable working environment involving skilled musicians and appreciative audiences. Milt Buckner's final decade of professional activity is mostly measured in recordings issued on the Black & Blue label, with the exception of a few Prestige, Jazz Odyssey and Riff releases. AMG

     Artist: The Mundell Lowe Quintet
     Album: Mundell Lowe
     Label: RCA Victor LJM 3002 (10 inch LP)
     Year: 1954
     Format: FLAC (LP rip)
     Time: 0.29:13
     Size: 157 MB

     A reliable cool-toned guitarist who was on many sessions through the years despite never becoming a household name, Mundell Lowe picked up early experience during 1936-1940 playing Dixieland in New Orleans and country music in Nashville. He toured with Jan Savitt (1942), Ray McKinley (1945-1947), Mary Lou Williams (1947-1949), Red Norvo, and Ellis Larkins. In 1950, he became a staff musician at NBC, although he always played jazz on the side. Lowe was with the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra (1952-1953), worked with Benny Goodman on an occasional basis, and recorded as a leader for RCA, Riverside, Camden, and Charlie Parker Records. ~ Scott Yanow, AMG.

     Artist: Bill Evans
     Album: Spring Leaves 2LP
     Label: Milestone
     Year: 1959-1961
     Quality: mp3; 320 kb/s
     Size: 64+60 mb (with covers)





     Bill Evans's greatest trio was the one with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian during 1959-61. In addition to their justifiably famous Village Vanguard recordings (performed just two weeks before LaFaro's death in a car accident), Evans's Trio also recorded the two studio albums (originally titled Portrait in Jazz and Explorations) that are included on this two-LP set. The interplay between the three musicians (with LaFaro assuming as important a role as Evans) was very influential on rhythm sections from the 1960s up to the present. "Autumn Leaves" (heard in two versions), "When I Fall in Love," "Blue in Green," "Nardis" and "How Deep Is the Ocean" are among the many highlights of this very significant body of work. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Bobby Troup
     Album: Bobby Troup Sings Johnny Mercer
     Label: Bethlehem
     Year: 1955
     Quality:mp3;320 kb/s
     Size: 97 mb

     Bobby Troup is not strictly a jazz performer but he has made several important contributions to the music. As a composer he has written "Daddy," "Snooty Little Cutie," "Baby, Baby All the Time," and the major hit "Route 66." Troup has long been a fine pianist (having a regular jazz trio in the 1950s), a personable singer (although some of his early records were overly mannered), and an actor, and during 1956-1958 he moderated a legendary television series (Stars of Jazz) that featured a who's who of jazz players. He also produced some best-selling records for his wife, Julie London. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Bobby Troup is better known as a composer ("Route 66") than performer, but the English CD reissue of Bobby Troup Sings Johnny Mercer, a mid-'50s studio session made for Bethlehem, showcases his vocals. Accompanying himself on piano on some of the tracks and accompanied by bassist Red Mitchell, guitarist Howard Roberts, drummer Don Heath, and valve trombonist Bob Enevoldsen, Troup explores a dozens pieces with lyrics by the masterful Mercer. Troup doesn't have a great vocal range, but his smooth singing style is very appealing. The selection of material includes rarities like the happy-go-lucky "Jamboree Jones" (a piece which also has music by Mercer), "I'm With You" (which he co-composed with Mercer), and the equally fun "Cuckoo in the Clock." Among the many standards present are the swinging but subtle take of "That Old Black Magic," cool instrumental arrangements of "Laura" and "Jeepers Creepers," and a mellow "Skylark." This mellow album is easily recommended. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide

     Artist: Charles Mingus
     Album: East coasting By Charles Mingus
     Label: Bethlehem
     Year: 1957
     Quality: FLAC (with covers)
     Size: 278 mb




     One of Charles Mingus's lesser-known band sessions, this set of five of his originals (plus the standard "Memories of You") features his usual sidemen of the period (trombonist Jimmy Knepper, trumpeter Clarence Shaw, Shafi Hadi on tenor and alto and drummer Dannie Richmond) along with pianist Bill Evans. The music stretches the boundaries of bop, is never predictable and, even if this is not one of Mingus's more acclaimed dates, it is well worth acquiring for the playing is quite stimulating. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide