Ashley Pezzotti - We've Only Just Begun

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Year: 2019
Time: 59:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 137,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:34) 1. It Only Takes a Moment
(4:53) 2. We've Only Just Begun
(5:23) 3. Solo Tu
(4:40) 4. That Way
(3:30) 5. I Hope You Find Her
(6:03) 6. Nothing Good Happens After Midnight
(5:41) 7. September in the Rain
(4:35) 8. But Not for Me
(3:43) 9. Something I Dreamed Last Night
(5:13) 10. Drunk on Love
(3:45) 11. Just One of Those Things
(6:02) 12. Darn That Dream
(3:24) 13. Jackie

New York vocalist and composer Ashley Pezzotti discovered her love for music when her Dominican father would sing her classic Spanish songs to sleep. She began taking voice lessons at only 4 years old, and in 2018 she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music with a full tuition scholarship. In the spring of 2019, Ashley participated in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program where she gained invaluable mentorship by Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jason Moran and Marcus Printup. She is also a 2021 alumni of Dee Dee Bridgewater’s Woodshed Network program.

​At the young age of 26 years old, Ashley has performed with renowned artists such as Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Arturo Sandoval, Joey Alexander, Dave Holland, Jon Secada, and country star Keith Urban. She has also performed as a leader at prestigious venues such as Birdland Jazz Club, Dizzy’s Club, Blue Note Jazz Club, The Jazz Showcase, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall, Stockholm Concert Hall, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.

​Her 2019 encouragingly titled album “We’ve Only Just Begun” features an array of original compositions inspired by the Great American Songbook. She is accompanied by renowned musicians such as Emmet Cohen on piano, Alex Weitz on tenor sax, Kyle Poole on drums and Bob Bruya on bass. Ashley is featured on Wynton Marsalis’ 2020 album release on Blue Engine Records, The Ever Fonky Lowdown, along with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The album is a sweeping Marsalis suite that captures the artist’s insight on culture and society. https://theravenscroft.com/event/ashley-pezzotti/

Ashley Pezzotti on vocals

Alex Weitz on tenor saxophone

Emmet Cohen on piano

Bob Bruya on bass

Kyle Poole on drums

We've Only Just Begun (mp3 320)
We've Only Just Begun (FLAC)

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Jean John (feat. Emmet Cohen & Russell Hall) - A Love Lane Nocturne

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2019
Time: 58:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 134,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:46) 1. We Could Be so Happy
(4:14) 2. Down the Old Fulton
(4:06) 3. Hump the Swag
(4:14) 4. Aj's Footsteps
(6:49) 5. A Love Lane Nocturne (Live)
(4:36) 6. Suits Only
(3:03) 7. T'ain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do
(6:59) 8. I Guess I'll Hang My Tears out to Dry
(4:47) 9. In More Ways Than One
(5:51) 10. Epistrophy / Crepuscule with Nellie
(6:49) 11. A Love Lane Nocturne (Trio)

The newly assembled “The New Standards Trio” behind the project “A Love Lane Nocturne”, which gave its debut performance at the world renowned John F. Kennedy Centre for Performing arts in Washington D.C. in March 2017, features prodigious American pianist and a Yamaha artist, Emmet Cohen (Christian Mcbride “Tip City Trio”, Billy Hart Quartet) and exuberant Jamaican bassist Russell Hall.  (Branford Marsalis Quartet). 

  

The New Standards Trio is returning jazz to people, to swing and to its roots, the blues. The trio’s freshness, joyfulness and mesmerizing dancing quality, is re-establishing jazz as popular music as the trio’s main mission is the irresistible good feeling and the divine sensation of liberty of each and every audience member. https://www.jean-john.com/a-love-lane-nocturne

A Love Lane Nocturne (mp3 320)
A Love Lane Nocturne (FLAC)

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The Four Freshmen Feat. Emmet Cohen. Russell Hall, & Kyle Poole - Vol. 1 & 2

Vol. 1 

Styles: Jazz & Harmony Vocals
Year: 2022
Time: 39:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 90,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:14) 1. From This Moment On (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(5:44) 2. All The Things You Are (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(3:48) 3. Have You Met Miss Jones? (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(4:19) 4. Blame it on My Youth (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(4:46) 5. No More Blues (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(4:32) 6. Waltz For Debby (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(4:29) 7. Easy Living (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(3:45) 8. Put on a Happy Face (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(3:33) 9. What a Wonderful World (feat. Emmet Cohen)

The Four Freshmen:

Ryan Howe - lead voice

Tommy Boynton - 2nd voice

Jake Baldwin - 3rd voice / trumpet / bass trumpet

Bob Ferreira - 4th voice

Featuring:

Emmet Cohen - piano

Russell Hall - bass

Kyle Poole - drums

IN THE BEGINNING

In 1948, four young men created a sound that forever changed the way vocal jazz harmony was heard and performed. Known as The Four Freshmen, the group started with two brothers, Don and Ross Barbour, their cousin Bob Flanigan, and friend Hal Kratzsch. With a soaring, true tenor in Bob Flanigan, the group created a sound that has endured for over 6 decades. Hal Kratzsch sang the bass part and played trumpet. He sang the bass part with a big sound, laying the foundation for the Barbour brothers to add their beautiful inner part stylings. Ross sang the 3rd part and played drums. Don sang the 2nd part and played guitar. Thus, the original Four Freshmen was born and began touring, playing bowling alleys and small clubs across the country.  

STAN KENTON

Early on in their career, the Freshmen met Stan Kenton. He had heard the rumors of a vocal group that sounded like his band. The Freshmen were all fans of Kenton and in many ways, modeled their sound after the Kenton trombone section. Once Kenton heard them, he was hooked. He loved the group and believed in them so much that he approached Capitol and essentially got the Freshmen signed in 1950. This led to a fruitful partnership between Capitol Records and the Freshmen for over 10 years. During the Capitol years, the Freshmen had some of their biggest hits, including their first hit with Capitol called "It's A Blue World." 

https://fourfreshmen.com/history

https://www.fourfreshmen.com/band

The Four Freshmen Featuring Emmet Cohen, Russell Hall, & Kyle Poole, Vol. 1 (mp3 320)
The Four Freshmen Featuring Emmet Cohen, Russell Hall, & Kyle Poole, Vol. 1 (FLAC)

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Vol. 2

Styles: Jazz & Harmony Vocals
Year: 2025
Time: 35:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 82,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:27) 1. When You're Smiling (Take 2)
(2:51) 2. You and the Night and the Music (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(4:21) 3. Some Other Spring (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(3:33) 4. You Do Something to Me (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(5:52) 5. The Sweetest Sounds (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(3:42) 6. It's a Blue World (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(5:05) 7. Besame Mucho (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(3:46) 8. Cry Me a River (feat. Emmet Cohen)
(3:15) 9. When You're Smiling (Take 1) (feat. Emmet Cohen)

Our new album is here!

The Four Freshmen featuring Emmet Cohen, Russell Hall & Kyle Poole – Volume 2 is out now, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you.

Recording with Emmet, Russell, and Kyle was every bit as joyful and effortless as it sounds. Their energy, spirit, and deep connection to the jazz tradition helped us create something that honors our 77-year legacy while celebrating the present. We’re deeply grateful—to everyone we love, and to all who’ve loved this music from 1948 to today. Give it a listen, share it around, and most of all… enjoy. With love,

The Four Freshmen — Ryan, Tommy, Jake & Bob

The Four Freshmen Featuring Emmet Cohen, Russell Hall, & Kyle Poole, Vol. 2 (mp3 320)
The Four Freshmen Featuring Emmet Cohen, Russell Hall, & Kyle Poole, Vol. 2 (FLAC)

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Brian Lynch & Emmet Cohen - Questioned Answer

Styles: Post Bop

Year: 2014

Time: 79:42

File: MP3 @ 320K/s

Size: 183,0 MB

Art: Front

( 7:39) 1. Cambios
( 7:33) 2. Dark Passenger
( 8:25) 3. How Deep Is the Ocean
( 9:08) 4. Buddy
( 8:33) 5. Distant Hallow
( 7:20) 6. I Wish I Knew
(11:21) 7. Petty Theft
( 6:06) 8. Just in Time
( 7:43) 9. Questioned Answer
( 5:50) 10. Blues by Four

Four highly regarded musicians from three different age groups come together for a two-leader session resulting in one terrific album. That's Questioned Answer by the numbers, but there's a lot more to the story than basic numerics.

The partnership between veteran trumpeter Brian Lynch and rising star pianist Emmet Cohen was born out of serendipity and mutual appreciation. Lynch first heard Cohen when they were both working the 2011 Jazz Cruise—the former as a featured soloist and the latter with his trio from the University of Miami's Frost School of Music. Not too long after, Lynch took on the title of Professor of Jazz Trumpet at that fine institution, putting him in a position to work with Cohen—then finishing his undergraduate work—on a regular basis. That's when the seeds of this album were sown.

The album itself is split between duo and quartet performance. The six originals—three from each leader—feature the quartet of Lynch, Cohen, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Billy Hart. Together, that group makes its way through uncertain scenarios ("Petty Theft"), lets a simple and hip groove carry the day ("Buddy"), and swings along with aplomb. Hart always keeps things interesting, alternately adding sounds of stability and surprise; Kozlov provides pointed bass lines that provide architectural undergirding; Cohen comps, locks riffs in with Kozlov, and tosses off imaginative solo statements; and Lynch floats, flies, and bounds along.

The three classics on the program—"How Deep Is The Ocean," "I Wish I Knew," and "Just In Time"—provide a clear look at the musical relationship between Cohen and Lynch as they deliver personalized interpretations of the material sans drums and bass. A wonderful sense of urgency develops during "How Deep Is The Ocean," "Just In Time" proves to be highly playful in nature, and "I Wish I Knew" shows Lynch at his most melodious. Cohen and Lynch may be decades removed from one another, but this album is firm proof that they're on the same page when it comes to music. ~Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Brian Lynch: trumpet; Emmet Cohen: piano; Boris Kozlov: bass; Billy Hart: drums

Questioned Answer (mp3 320)
Questioned Answer (FLAC)

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EMMET COHEN

Multifaceted American jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen is in the vanguard of his generation's advancement of music and the related arts. A recognized prodigy, Cohen began Suzuki method piano instruction at age three, and his playing quickly became a mature melding of musicality, technique, and concept. Downbeat observed that his "nimble touch, measured stride and warm harmonic vocabulary indicate he's above any convoluted technical showmanship." Cohen notes that performing jazz is "about communicating the deepest levels of humanity and individuality; it's essentially about connections," both among musicians and with audiences. He leads his namesake ensemble, the "Emmet Cohen Trio," is a vibrant solo performer, and is in constant demand as a sideman. Possessing a fluid technique, an innovative tonal palette, and an extensive repertoire, Cohen plays with the command and passion of an artist fully devoted to his medium.

Emmet Cohen is committed to the intergenerational transfer of the knowledge, history, and traditions of jazz. His signature professional undertaking is the "Masters Legacy Series," a celebratory set of recordings and interviews honoring legendary jazz musicians. He serves as both producer and pianist for each album in the series. This landmark, ongoing project provides musicians of multiple generations the means to share the unwritten folklore that is America's unique artistic idiom. Cohen has observed that jazz "is enriched immeasurably by connecting and studying with jazz masters, forging backward to the very creation of the art form." Four volumes of the "Masters Legacy Series" have been released, spotlighting Cohen's collaborations with Jimmy Cobb, Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Tootie Heath, and George Coleman.

Emmet Cohen is the winner of the 2019 American Pianists Awards and the Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association, and Artist-in-Residence at the University of Indianapolis.

He placed first in both the 2014 American Jazz Pianists Competition and the 2011 Phillips Piano Competition at the University of West Florida and, as a finalist in the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition, he was received in the Oval Office by President Obama.

Cohen has appeared in varied international jazz events, including the Newport, Monterey, Detroit, North Sea, Bern, Edinburgh, and Jerusalem jazz festivals, as well as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia. He has also performed at the Village Vanguard, the Blue Note, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Birdland, Jazz Standard, London's Ronnie Scott's, Jazzhaus Montmartre in Copenhagen, Lincoln Center's Rose Hall, the Cotton Club in Tokyo, and Washington's Kennedy Center. For many years he was Hammond B-3 organist-in-residence at Harlem's SMOKE jazz club.  (https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/emmet-cohen/)

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Emmet Cohen - Uptown in Orbit

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:55
Size: 131,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:11) 1. Finger Buster
(8:13) 2. Uptown In Orbit
(5:36) 3. My Love Will Come Again
(7:05) 4. Spillin' The Tea
(7:13) 5. Li'l Darlin'
(5:23) 6. The Loneliest
(1:19) 7. Uptown In Orbit (Reprise)
(7:18) 8. Distant Hallow
(3:46) 9. Mosaic
(3:03) 10. Venus De Milo
(3:43) 11. Braggin' In Brass

Emmet Cohen’s time has come. Since his debut Mack Avenue release, "Future Stride," Cohen has toured the world consistently bringing the joy of music to people in need during a global pandemic all while hosting weekly livestream concerts from his home in Harlem, NY. These livestreams provided a sense of community and a home to the displaced musicians of New York, reminiscent of the 1920s rent parties.

On "Uptown in Orbit," his sophomore release for Mack Avenue, Cohen brings the tradition of jazz to the forefront while providing the modern twist needed for the current times. Featured on this release is trumpeter/educator Sean Jones, saxophonist Patrick Bartley, bassist Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole. https://emmetcohen.bandcamp.com/album/uptown-in-orbit

Personnel: Emmet Cohen — piano (all tracks); Russell Hall — acoustic bass (all tracks);Kyle Poole — drums (all tracks); Patrick Bartley — alto sax (2, 3, 6, 7, 8); Sean Jones — trumpet (2, 3, 6, 7, 8)

Uptown in Orbit (mp3 320)
Uptown in Orbit (FLAC)

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Benny Benack III - Third Times the Charm

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:52
Size: 149,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:21) 1. Third Time's The Charm
(3:54) 2. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
(5:30) 3. Scootin'
(7:08) 4. Catching Drift
(4:38) 5. Thank You For The Heartbreak
(3:34) 6. Gary, Indiana
(5:41) 7. In A Mellow Tone
(4:29) 8. It's Not Unusual
(4:58) 9. Twilight Blue
(4:41) 10. Roylike
(3:14) 11. Jade
(3:00) 12. American Woman
(4:24) 13. Giselle
(5:14) 14. Pretty Eyed Baby

Though the title of this third album from multihyphenate Benny Benack III might imply misfires with his first two go-rounds, the truth really runs contrary to that line of reasoning. One of a Kind (BB3, 2017), while flying under the radar, introduced some listeners to a talent far too large to be contained; and A Lot of Livin' To Do (La Reserve, 2020) proved to be a strong follow-up statement, earning greater attention and acclaim for a dashing leading man with the world on a string. Now, building on those past successes while capitalizing on his growing experience(s), Benack is in full bloom and truly coming into his own.

Third Time's The Charm is the portrait of a debonair dynamo both strong and wise, able to power along or play with patience, all depending on what the music and the moment require. Tapping pianist Emmet Cohen's trio with bassist Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole, and adding some ace guests when the time is right, Benack brings his many talents as trumpeter, singer, lyricist, composer, arranger and producerto the fore. For starters he offers the title track a snazzy, swinging number that's chock-full of charm and a lovely, loyal take on "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" that leaves no doubt as to the power and poetry of a Bacharach-David tune in the right hands. The first two numbers on an album that presents 14, they bode very well for the balance.

Following those introductory offerings, Benack brings some more good friends into the fold. Guitarist Peter Bernstein, appearing on several numbers spread out across the program, drops by for some boogaloo action on "Scootin,'" plays the perfect chordal accompanist on the intimate and muted "Thank You For The Heartbreak," and proves key to the bossa-based beauty of "Jade." Tenor saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown makes for a well-matched frontline partner on the churning and waltzing "Catching Drift" and noir-ish, swirling "Twilight Blue." Vocalist and trumpeter Bria Skonberg complements and counters Benack in perfect form on an irresistible "In a Mellow Tone." And Michael Stephenson puts his tenor to good use on the funky "Roylike" and shares the vocal spotlight with the leader on scat-friendly closer "Pretty Eyed Baby."

Each of the aforementioned artists add volumes with their appearance(s), and in doing so they also reinforce Benack's elevated position and place in this music. Not that this all-rounder needs any help, of course. Even while sharing the spotlight, Benack is beaming. Whether gleefully singing and blowing the praises of "Gary, Indiana" with his piano pal by his side, delivering mellifluous and magical crooning over a "Poinciana"-influenced groove on "It's Not Unusual," jettisoning his whole crew (save for a mood-setting and song-grounding Hall) on a thrilling take on The Guess Who's "American Woman," or bathing the ears in tender balladry during "Giselle," this leader is always on point. His star power is absolutely undeniable. Benny Benack III is quite simply a force to be reckoned with, and Third Time's The Charm says as much or more. By Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/third-times-the-charm-benny-benack-iii-la-reserve-bandstand-presents

Personnel: Benny Benack III - trumpet; Emmet Cohen - piano; Russell Hall - bass.; Kyle Poole - drums; Ruben Fox - saxophone; Chad Lefkowitz-Brown - saxophone tenor; Peter Bernstein - guitar.

Third Times the Charm

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