Monique DiMattina - Monique DiMattina In New Orleans: NOLA's Ark

Size: 131,2 MB
Time: 56:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals, New Orleans Jazz
Art: Front

01. Young At Heart (4:04)
02. Dig A Hole (3:58)
03. No More Coffee (3:59)
04. Let's Do Something Bad (4:33)
05. What's In A Kiss (3:55)
06. C'est Tout (3:23)
07. I'll Be Seeing You (2:31)
08. Bring On The Rain (6:23)
09. Numb Fumblin' (3:03)
10. Black Cat (5:08)
11. Godzilla (4:29)
12. You Fool You (5:08)
13. Black Cat (Reprise) (5:37)

Personnel:
Eric Bolivar - Drums
Matt Perrine - Acoustic bass and sousaphone
Leroy Jones - Trumpet
Rex Gregory - Clarinet
Loren Pickford - Sax
Richard Scott- Accordion
Anthony Cuccia - Percussion
June Yamagishi - Guitars

Monique diMattina is back, this time with Nola’s Ark, her most inspired album to date. Recorded in the thriving metropolis and birthplace of Jazz, New Orleans, during the hottest month of the year whilst twenty weeks pregnant, accompanied by a talented ensemble of musicians, this album will lead you on an unforgettable musical journey.

That aside, the recording is hot and a result of stellar musicianship with New Orleans good time sensibility. Deeply inspired by the roots music tradition, Monique paid homage to the history of New Orleans, Louisana, known to locals as NOLA and crafted her fourth studio album whilst living and breathing the deep music culture.

The famed downtown Piety Studios (Elvis Costello, John Scofield, Allen Toussaint) the vessel for this masterpiece, with an all-star crew including trumpeter Leroy Jones (Harry Connick Jnr Band) and bass/sousaphone man Matt Perrine (Dr John, Jon Cleary) and masterfully steered by producer Mark Bingham (R.E.M., Cassandra Wilson). Zonked from jet-lag and baby-growing, diMattina fell asleep randomly, and often, but the magic of the moment pulled them through. The outcome? Her best album yet!

Nola’s Ark is Monique’s fourth album and follows the critical success of 2010’s Welcome Stranger, the songwriters’ first foray into the vocal realm – inspired by overseas and hometown experiences alike. This new recording draws on the strong and poignant experiences of motherhood - the juggle and the struggle. Nola’s Ark also includes songs written on her unique 3RRR segment 'Shaken Not Rehearsed', writing and performing original songs, within the hour, live to air according to listener requests.

Nola’s Ark draws together echoes of Ramsey Lewis, Dr John, Nina Simone, Blossom Dearie and, the influence from a mother of two juggling it all, a panorama from sweet sonority to chaos and back. Superb.

Monique DiMattina In New Orleans: NOLA's Ark

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Gene Estes & Dick Grove - West Coast Series/ Jazz & Swing Orchestras, Westful Big, Bad & Beautiful

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2020
Time: 77:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 178,3 MB
Art: Front

( 3:57) 1. Sharly My Boy
( 3:36) 2. All About Henry
( 4:09) 3. Poca Nada
( 3:27) 4. Big “P”
( 3:03) 5. Pot Luck
( 3:03) 6. D.A.V.
( 4:10) 7. Sweet Lump
( 5:02) 8. Bésame Mucho
( 4:34) 9. Goodbye
( 4:17) 10. The Call
( 4:13) 11. Dead Ringer
( 5:22) 12. Dill Pickles
( 3:27) 13. My Lady
( 3:42) 14. Good 'n Plenty
( 4:15) 15. Big, Bad & Beautiful
( 6:26) 16. Ain't No Doubt About It
(10:20) 17. Trilogy for a Boy

When the dust from the collapse of the Swing Era settled, there were few big bands left that had survived. Yet, because they loved the swinging drive of a full-on jazz orchestra, a series of adventurous and unsung bandleaders optimistically organized some fine, but short-lived, new orchestras that were packed with jazz and studio musicians, holding the flag of Swing high.

Gene Estes (1931-1996) had a richly varied and successful musical career as a drummer, vibraphonist, composer and arranger, writing for, and performing equally well with small groups and big bands. His career went through several stages, not the least of which was his attempt to keep a big band going in Hollywood during the ‘60s. He organized it in the fall of 1964 to play his own compositions and arrangements. The first iteration lasted only one year, but in 1966 he reorganized it and was able to keep it active until the end of 1968. “Over the years we’ve had many different good players and always a good band,” Estes mentioned, but then he also recognized that this particular version of the band was his favorite. This is the only recording that exists of this magnificent big band.

Dick Grove (1927-1998) was a rare and unique composer-arranger-conductor, and just as Clare Fischer, Gil Evans and other arrangers of renown, he had to wait until he was in his thirties before he could make any impact on the jazz scene. This album proves he was an inventive, polished arranger, who scored a wide sampling of contemporary musical styles beyond the then accepted boundaries of jazz. All are Grove originals, in a program that jumps from straight-ahead driving tunes, to bossa nova grooves, blues and jazz rock pieces. The interesting performances are spiced by the brilliant solo work of saxophonists Lanny Morgan, Bill Perkins, Bob Hardaway and Bill Hood; trumpeters Joe Burnett and Jay Daversa; pianist and organist Pete Jolly; trombonist George Bohanon; and the brilliant drummer Roy Burns (1935-2018), who adds to the music his masterful technique and rhythmical drive.

Sources: Tracks #1-9, from the album “Westful” (Nocturne Hollywood NRS-701)
Tracks #10-17, from the album “Big, Bad & Beautiful” (First Priority Music FPM 1001)

Personnel on "Westful":
Conte Candoli, Ollie Mitchell, Ralph Osborn, trumpets; Herbie Harper, trombone; Bob Enevoldsen, valve trombone; Dick Leith, bass trombone; Med Flory, alto sax; Tom Scott, alto sax & clarinet; Bob Hardaway, tenor sax & clarinet; Jay Migliori, tenor sax; Bill Hood (#1,3,4,5) or Meyer Hirsh (#2,6,7,8 & 9) baritone sax & clarinet; Joyce Collins, piano; Alan Estes, vibes (#3,4,8); Jim Hughart, bass; Gene Estes, drums, arranger & conductor.
Recorded in two sessions at the MGM Sound Stages, Culver City, Cal. March 23, 1968

Personnel on "Big, Bad & Beautiful":
Buddy Childers, Jack Feierman, Hal Espinosa, trumpets; Joe Burnett, Jay Daversa, trumpet & flugelhorn; Charles Loper, George Bohanon, Bob Edmondson, Dick McQuarry, trombones; Lanny Morgan, Bill Perkins, alto saxes; Bob Hardaway, soprano & tenor sax; Bill Robinson, clarinet & tenor sax; Bill Hood, baritone sax; Pete Jolly, piano, Fender Rhodes & organ; Norm Jeffries, vibes; Al Viola, guitar; Gene Cherico, double bass & Fender bass; Roy Burns, drums; Dick Grove, composer, arranger & conductor.

Recorded at TTG Studios, Hollywood, Cal., summer of 1973

West Coast Series - Jazz & Swing Orchestras, Westful/Big, Bad & Beautiful

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Mark Turner - Reflections on: The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2025
Time: 73:41
File: MP3 @ 128K/s
Size: 68,8 MB
Art: Front

( 4:04) 1. Movement 1. Anonymous
( 9:37) 2. Movement 2. Juxtaposition
( 5:31) 3. Movement 3. Pulmonary Edema
(12:03) 4. Movement 4. New York
( 9:46) 5. Movement 5. Europe
( 8:26) 6. Movement 6. The Texan...The Soldier
( 6:59) 7. Movement 7. Mother...Sister...Lover
( 8:37) 8. Movement 8. Pragmatism
( 6:11) 9. Movement 9. Identity Politics
( 2:22) 10. Movement 10. Closure

“I once heard a colored man sum it up in these words: ‘It’s no disgrace to be black, but it’s often very inconvenient’”. The quote, wry, lightly expressed yet heavily charged, is typical of the text that inspires saxophonist Mark Turner’s ambitious new suite here, as of his own playing and composition.

It comes from the novel in the title, a meditation on race in the USA 100 years ago from the point of view of a black man able to pass as white. A penetrating work by the remarkable author and civil rights activist (also diplomat, lawyer, and university professor) James Weldon Johnson, it grabbed Turner’s attention because members of his own family including his mother were able to pass, so the issues of presentation, perception, identity, status, and self-determination it poses were intensely familiar.

Twenty years later, the ten movement suite he presents here uses words from the book on around half the tracks. The leader’s brief passages of measured narration – in keeping with the prose style set the scene for long musical responses. Bringing words and music together not as songs but as separate strands of the work is always risky. The music or the words may not quite work, or they may not work together. Here, the combination succeeds brilliantly. ‘I wanted to have music that was enhanced with words, not words that were enhanced by music’, Turner tells us in the notes. That is just what he has achieved.

And such music it is. The state of the art quintet assembled here includes Turner’s closest recent associate Jason Palmer on trumpet, David Virelles on piano and – here and there – synthesisers, Matt Brewer on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. The compositions generally begin simply, gathering complexity as they go. Piano, bass and drums furnish an atmospheric backdrop much of the time, with occasional more prominent contributions. Saxophone and trumpet do most of the heavy lifting, and provide one of the most striking twin horn leads on a connected suite of compositions I can recall since Bobby Bradford joined David Murray on the former’s deeply affecting Death of a Sideman.

Like Bradford, Turner displays a cherishable ability to unroll long lines each of which sounds like someone following a fresh train of thought. Some in the past (not me) have suggested that his playing can be stronger on intellect than emotion. If that ever happened, it is certainly not the case here. Every piece fizzes with feeling that the understated narrative preludes mostly prime but do not let loose until the music allows it to emerge.

That culminates in part 9, Identity Politics. For once, the music sets the mood first, Turner and Palmer playing as one in a through-written duet, at once slightly fretful and ruefully resigned, for four minutes. Then Turner voices the protagonist’s closing regret at turning away from his heritage, and the struggle that comes with it, to live in relative security, while Virelles underpins the words with the chords of Lift Every Voice and Sing, for which Johnson also wrote the words to go with his brother’s music.

It’s an indelible moment from a work that lodged firmly in the mind from first hearing.

I thought Turner’s previous release, Live at the Village Vanguard, from 2023 was perfectly achieved music. Reflections, though, feels like a new high water mark for an artist at the peak of his powers.

Mark Turner appears with Jason Palmer’s quartet at Ronnie Scott’s on Weds 15 Nov and Birmingham Conservatory’s East Side Jazz Club on 16 Nov.https://ukjazznews.com/mark-turner-reflections-on-the-autobiography-of-an-ex-colored-man/

Personnel: Mark Turner - Tenor Sax & Narration; Jason Palmer - Trumpet; David Virelles - Piano, Profit & Organ; Matt Brewer - Acoustic & Electric Bass; Nasheet Waits - Drums

Reflections on: The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

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Cozy Cole - Swinging Drums

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:21
Size: 129.0 MB
Styles: Swing, Bebop
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[2:31] 1. Comes The Don
[2:39] 2. Take It On Back
[3:01] 3. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance
[2:46] 4. Willow Weep For Me
[2:47] 5. Smiles
[3:11] 6. Now's The Time
[2:53] 7. Why Regret
[2:43] 8. Look Here
[2:36] 9. Through For The Night
[2:41] 10. Lover Come Back To Me
[2:42] 11. Stompin' At The Savoy
[2:42] 12. All Of Me
[3:11] 13. Dat's Love
[3:04] 14. Night Wind
[2:48] 15. Memories Of You
[2:31] 16. Beat
[2:40] 17. Strictly Drums
[3:09] 18. Hallelujah
[2:48] 19. They Didn't Believe Me
[2:51] 20. When Day Is Done

He was born William Randolph Cole in East Orange, New Jersey in 1909. Cozy had studied music from childhood and his career spanned the entire history of jazz with debut records made with Jelly Roll Morton between 1927-1930 continuing to play until the week of his death. Primarily known as a swing drummer, Cozy Cole worked with some of the best big bands including Benny Carter, Stuff Smith, Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Jack Teagarden, Earl Hines, Jelly Roll Morton, Teddy Wilson, Bunny Berigan, Bud Freeman, Lionel Hampton, and Coleman Hawkins.

Between 1938 and 1942 Cozy was featured with the dynamic Cab Calloway band, on three drum pieces which may be the earliest drum feature recordings. They were Paradiddle, Ratamacue, and Crescendo In Drums. Cole was featured in two Broadway musicals, Carmen Jones (1954) and Seven Lively Arts (1946). He was also the first black musician to work as a CBS Studio staffman. His drumming bridged the swing to bebop gap when he recorded with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie between 1945-1946. In fact, in a 1960 issue of Down Beat, Don DeMicheal noted that Cozy’s “major addition to the jazz drummer’s frame of reference was a technical one: hand and foot independence. He was one of the first—if not the first—to develop and master this coordination, which is such a necessity for today’s drummer.” ~Scott Fish

Swinging Drums

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Nicki Parrott - After Midnight

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2025
Time: 56:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 129,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:09) 1. I Love Being Here With You
(4:19) 2. Unchain My Heart
(3:52) 3. All I Do Is Think About You
(5:13) 4. Crazy He Calls Me
(4:13) 5. After Midnight
(3:54) 6. The Thrill Is Gone
(3:58) 7. What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted?
(3:54) 8. I Don't Need No Doctor
(3:59) 9. Your Cheatin' Heart
(3:34) 10. Wild Women Don't Have The Blues
(4:31) 11. He Called Me Baby
(4:15) 12. You Don't Know
(3:29) 13. Let The Good Times Roll
(2:54) 14. Somewhere Over the Rainbow

This release captures Nicki Parrott's sultry and soulful voice in a deeply evocative session that blends jazz sophistication with the raw emotion of blues. Parrott delivers a sexy and melancholic blues night, drawing on the rich traditions of American roots music. Influences from Ray Charles, B.B. King, and others shine through as she seamlessly fuses elements of jazz, blues, and country into a fresh, expressive sound.

Personnel: Nicki Parrott - vocals and bass; Steve Russell - piano; Dave Sanders - drums; Martha Baartz - tenor & alto saxophones; Jim Kelly - guitar

After Midnight

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Boz Scaggs - Detour

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2025
Time: 48:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 112,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:28) 1. It’s Raining
(4:46) 2. Angel Eyes
(3:53) 3. Once I Loved
(5:10) 4. The Very Thought Of You
(4:47) 5. I'll Be Long Gone
(5:24) 6. Detour Ahead
(4:40) 7. I Could Have Told You
(3:56) 8. The Meaning Of The Blues
(4:27) 9. Tomorrow Night
(3:47) 10. Too Late Now
(3:23) 11. We'll Be Together Again

Sometimes in life, an unexpected detour leads you right where you belong. Boz Scaggs’ captivating new album is proof of that.

“I had no intention of making a record when I started singing these songs,” the Grammy-winner confesses. “It was all very casual at first, just an opportunity to explore a style of music I’ve always liked, to get together with a friend and play for the sheer joy of it.”

Detour, Scaggs’ first new studio album in seven years, is more than just a sonic diversion, though; it’s a love letter to the Great American Songbook. Recorded over the course of the last several years with pianist Seth Asarnow, the collection finds Scaggs interpreting timeless standards with tender insight and profound emotional sophistication. The tracks here began life as a series of demos for Scaggs’ personal use as he expanded his vocal stylings, but it soon became apparent that there was something magical about the performances and arrangements, something undeniable that deserved to see the light of day. The result is an eclectic mix of the familiar and the obscure that tips its hat to everything from Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald to Irma Thomas and Lonnie Johnson, an elegant reimagining of old favorites and new discoveries delivered with both reverence and a fresh perspective.

“There are as many different approaches to these songs as there are singers who’ve taken them on over the years,” says Scaggs. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to join their harmonic ranks and contribute my renditions to this rich musical legacy.”

Hailed by Rolling Stone as “one of rock and roll’s most soulful vocalists,” Scaggs has his own rich musical legacy dating back to the 1960s, when he took on the role of guitarist and singer with the Steve Miller Band. His tenure with the group was short-lived, though, and after just two albums, he left to pursue his own solo career with Atlantic Records, who released his self-titled American debut (produced by Jann Wenner and featuring a young Duane Allman) in 1969. By the ’70s, Scaggs had made the leap to Columbia, releasing a series of critically acclaimed records leading up to 1976’s Silk Degrees, which would make him a household name on the strength of smash singles like “Lido Shuffle,” “It’s Over,” and “Lowdown.” (The five-times platinum album also spawned the band Toto, which featured several musicians Scaggs assembled for the recording sessions.) In the years to come, Scaggs would go on to share bills with the likes of Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles, play everywhere from SNL and The Tonight Show to Austin City Limits, and tour as The Dukes of September with Donald Fagan and Michael McDonald. Along the way, he would sell millions of records worldwide and crack the Top 40 eight more times while carving out a distinctive and enduring path that’s endeared him to six decades of fans.

“If I look at myself as a musician over the years, I’d have to consider my primary instrument to be my voice,” says Scaggs. “Early on I was really influenced by rock and roll guys like Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley and R&B and soul singers like Curtis Mayfield and Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, but there was something about jazz and standards that always fascinated me.”
More..............https://concord.com/concord-albums/detour-2/

Detour

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Stevie Holland - Talk to Your Tomatoes

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2025
Time: 39:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 90,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:56) 1. On a Clear Day
(3:49) 2. Help Me
(4:24) 3. When Two Hearts Collide
(4:55) 4. How I Feel
(3:09) 5. Blossom
(3:27) 6. Talk to Your Tomatoes
(4:20) 7. Round Midnight
(3:29) 8. You Pull Through
(3:18) 9. Pure Imagination
(4:19) 10. East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)

Stevie Holland has returned to the recording studio with Talk to Your Tomatoes, a collection of songs from the pop, jazz and American Songbook catalogs. Also included are original songs penned by Holland and her longtime collaborator and arranger, award-winning composer Gary William Friedman. The album will be released on October 10th.

The instrumentation for this album includes a wide variety of orchestrations that include string orchestra, horn combo and guitar, along with the trio on several tracks. The 10-track set begins with Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner’s “On A Clear Day," and also includes songs such as "How I Feel” from the musical The Me Nobody Knows, Joni Mitchell's "Help Me," and "Pure Imagination."

Holland’s trio consists of Matthew Sheens, piano; Matt Aranoff, bass; and Jeff Davis, drums. Lauded guitarist Ben Monder guests on three tracks, including an intimate vocal/guitar duo on “Round Midnight”, with a horn combo led by Chet Doxas.

Recorded in April 2025, Talk To Your Tomatoes is Holland’s sixth release of standards and original material from 150 Music. Her most recent recordings include Life Goes On and Before Love Has Gone.

Talk to Your Tomatoes will be available for streaming on all major platforms and Holland’s back catalog is also being reissued for streaming across all platforms.

About Stevie Holland:
Stevie Holland is an American jazz vocalist, writer and lyricist. She has headlined at major concert halls, jazz clubs and cabaret rooms, in addition to performing in theater.

She created the one-woman musical Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter with award-winning composer Gary William Friedman. Love, Linda had its Off-Broadway Premiere at the York Theatre 2013-2014, returned to the Triad Theater for a special limited engagement in October 2018, and was filmed for a worldwide on-demand video release in 2021. Holland starred in all productions, with direction by TONY-Winner Richard Maltby, Jr. The film has earned multiple awards at festivals in the USA & UK, including a BEST ACTRESS IN A FEATURE FILM award for Holland at the Culver City Film Festival in California. The film is streaming at Amazon Prime/BroadwayHD.https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Vocalist-Stevie-Holland-to-Release-New-Album-Talk-to-Your-Tomatoes-20250813

Talk to Your Tomatoes

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101 North - 101 North

Styles: Jazz Fusion
Year: 1987
Time: 45:17
File: MP3 @ 128K/s
Size: 42,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:04) 1. Lady Of The Night
(4:22) 2. So Easy
(4:35) 3. Africa
(7:45) 4. Night Voices
(7:04) 5. Pillow Talk
(4:57) 6. Suzanne
(3:24) 7. Sashimi
(4:39) 8. Sunday
(2:24) 9. Children Of Time

This band is a project of keyboardist George Duke who composed, arranged and produced the album, it was released in 1988 on Valley Vue/Capitol Records and features Leon Ndugu Chancler, Byron Miller, Paulinho Da Costa, Dawilli Gonga, George Duke, John Robinson and singers Josie James, Carl Carwell and Ellis Hall.https://www.nts.live/artists/38912-101-north

101 North

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Alf Clausen Jazz Orchestra - Swing Can Really Hang You Up the Most

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2005
Time: 67:15
File: MP3 @ 128K/s
Size: 62,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:21) 1. Captain Perfect
(5:08) 2. Just Feelin' So Blue
(7:10) 3. Trollin' For Thadpoles
(9:05) 4. Lookin' For The Back Door
(4:27) 5. Samba De Elencia
(9:35) 6. Brief Encounter
(7:29) 7. Ballad For Gary
(7:16) 8. A Final Farewell
(5:18) 9. A Pair of Threes
(6:22) 10. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most

You may not realize it, but if you have a TV, you've heard Alf Clausen's music many times before this. The two-time Emmy winner composed the music for Moonlighting, The Critic, ALF (no relation), Bette, Police Story, and many other TV series, served as musical director for numerous variety shows, and for the past 15 years has been the composer and songwriter on The Simpsons. But now, for the first time, Alf is presenting the music that is his first love.

"I've loved big band music since I was in my late teens living in North Dakota," he recalls. "It had a very strong allure. I ended up attending the Berklee College in Boston to learn the craft necessary to become a professional big band arranger. After graduation, my quest for 'gainful employment' dictated that I was going to have to move to either New York or Los Angeles. So, in 1967, I chose Los Angeles. It was a fortuitous move because many of the television shows were moving to the West Coast at that time, so there was a lot of work for arrangers out here.

"I couldn't specialize in big band music exclusively and still support a family, so I broadened my horizons and concentrated on writing music for television and film. I never lost my love for big band music; I just put it aside for the moment. That 'moment,' unfortunately, turned out to be quite a few years.

"In my early days I wrote a lot of original charts for bands and was fortunate enough to have some of them recorded by Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Stan Kenton and Ray Charles. But I always wanted to present my own take on my music with a select group of jazz musicians." And this group is very select, a collection of first call studio regulars, gifted jazz players who don't get the chance to play much jazz in their day-to-day gigs. "Quite a few of them are guys who have been playing in my studio orchestra for more than 25 years," Alf points out. "And I think they just played their livin' hearts out!"

The opening track, Captain Perfect, pays homage to one of Alf's arranger-composer heroes, the late Thad Jones. The soprano saxophone lead is a very 'Jonesian' trait, as is the judicious use of dynamics. "That's what I always loved about Thad and Mel's band," he comments. "It never overplayed. It was all so musical." The soloists are Bob Summers on muted trumpet and Dan Higgins on soprano saxophone, and you can't help but be struck by the strong lead trumpet of Gary Grant. "Gary and I have been working together," Alf recalls, "since I was musical director for The Donny and Marie Show back in 1976."

Alf's melancholy ballad, Just Feelin' So Blue, which was once recorded by Woody Herman, serves here as a showcase for the sensuous alto saxophone of Brian Scanlon. "I was trying to write a ballad that was somewhat reminiscent of the Duke Ellington band,' he explains, "one that would have some fairly angular melodic turns to it. I always loved Duke's ballads, 'Prelude to a Kiss' and 'Sophisticated Lady' and all those beautiful Ellington-Billy Strayhorn tunes."

The inspiration for Trollin' for Thadpoles is quite obvious both from the title and the writing. Alf's tricky unison theme draws upon his hero's love of timbre and tone color, as all five trumpeters use different mutes, and all five woodwind players play different instruments - including piccolo! There is a terrific solo line-up - Andy Martin on trombone, Bob Summers on trumpet, Bob Sheppard on tenor sax, Mike Lang on piano, and, dominating the powerful coda, Bernie Dresel's drums as well as a meticulously played, soprano-led saxophone soli chorus. More.....https://www.jazzbob.com/notes.php?id=14

Personnel: Acoustic Bass – Ken Wild; Alto Saxophone – Brian Scanlon, Dan Higgins; Baritone Saxophone – Bob Efford; Bass Clarinet – Bob Efford; Bass Trombone – Alan Kaplan; Clarinet – Bob Sheppard, Terry Harrington; Drums – Bernie Dresel; Flugelhorn – Bob Summers (3), Charley Davis, Chuck Findley, Gary Grant, Warren Luening; Flute – Bob Efford, Bob Sheppard, Brian Scanlon, Dan Higgins, Terry Harrington; Piano – Mike Lang; Piccolo Flute – Dan Higgins; Producer – Alf Clausen; Soprano Saxophone – Brian Scanlon, Dan Higgins; Tenor Saxophone – Bob Sheppard, Terry Harrington; Trombone – Andy Martin, Bob McChesney, Bob Payne; Trumpet – Bob Summers, Charley Davis, Chuck Findley, Gary Grant, Warren Luening

Swing Can Really Hang You Up the Most

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Marshall Royal - Gordon Jenkins Presents Marshall Royal

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:41
Size: 95.4 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1960/2007
Art: Front

[2:13] 1. Caravan
[3:18] 2. Ain't Misbehavin'
[3:26] 3. Birth Of The Blues
[4:52] 4. Take The A Train
[3:23] 5. When I Grow Too Old To Dream
[4:27] 6. Intermezzo
[3:24] 7. Blue Prelude
[2:43] 8. Battle Royal
[3:28] 9. Goodbye
[2:46] 10. Pagan Love Song
[3:30] 11. Black Coffee
[4:05] 12. Blues For Beverly

Altoist Marshall Royal led relatively few sessions in his career, just three full albums of his own, with the second one not released until 1978. For this project from 1960, Royal, who was still with Count Basie's big band, is backed by a string section, an occasional choral group (which sometimes gets in the way), and a rhythm section (partly from Basie's orchestra) on arrangements by Gordon Jenkins. Jenkins was best known for his lush charts for commercial settings, and the music on this CD reissue is not that much of a stretch for him. He essentially frames Royal's alto as if it was a voice. Royal, who sounds a lot like Johnny Hodges, plays well on the concise performances although much of the time he sticks near the melody. There are a few medium-tempo numbers included but this is mostly a ballad set. The overall results are nice if not particularly challenging. ~Scott Yanow

Gordon Jenkins Presents Marshall Royal

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Michel Legrand - 50 Years Of Music And Movies

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 2010

File: MP3@320K/s 

Time: 66:31

Size: 153,4 MB 

Art: Front

(3:32)  1. Happy

(5:08)  2. Watch What Happens

(5:26)  3. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life

(4:20)  4. His Eyes, Her Eyes

(4:12)  5. How Do You Keep the Music Playing

(3:45)  6. Summer Knows

(3:29)  7. I Will Wait for You

(3:18)  8. The Windmills of Your Mind

(4:19)  9. Love Makes the Changes

(3:48) 10. Summer of '42

(2:52) 11. Brian's Song

(4:09) 12. Summer Me, Winter Me

(5:18) 13. Rhapsody in Blue

(3:05) 14. Un Parfum De Fin Du Monde

(9:42) 15. Steve McQueen Tribute

Michel Legrand has made his fame and fortune from writing for films, but he has done significant work in jazz on an occasional basis. In 1957, he arranged a set of Dixieland and swing standards for a French orchestra (recorded on Philips), in 1958 he used three different all-star groups for the classic Legrand Jazz (with such sidemen as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Phil Woods, Herbie Mann, Bill Evans, Ben Webster, Art Farmer, and others), in 1968 he recorded a strictly jazz set with a trio and Legrand has written for albums led by Stan Getz (1971), Sarah Vaughan (1972), and on several occasions, Phil Woods. Several of his songs (such as "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life," "Watch What Happens," and "The Summer Knows") have been recorded many times by jazz musicians. ~ Scott Yanow  https://itunes.apple.com/br/artist/michel-legrand/id10943?l=en#fullText

50 Years Of Music And Movies

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Bradley Leighton - Soul Collective

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:29
Size: 97,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:58)  1. It's On!
(4:46)  2. Rock Me Softly!
(4:31)  3. She's Gone!
(3:56)  4. That Man!
(4:46)  5. Ode to Billy Joe!
(6:01)  6. Wake Up Call!
(3:54)  7. Undercover!
(5:08)  8. Café Con Leche!
(4:26)  9. Keep That Same Old Feeling!

Bradley Leighton is a fine flute player who is a bit reminiscent in tone and style of Herbie Mann. Like Mann, Leighton is often heard in a wide variety of settings, ranging from creative jazz to crossover pop. The music on Soul Collective almost ranges that far, from fine examples of funky jazz to a pair of throwaway R&B vocals. Some of the music seems aimed at the smooth market while other selections would function best as background music for dancers. The musicianship is excellent, the rhythm sections groove, and the horn section (which includes Tom Scott on three selections) is full of talent. Leighton plays quite well throughout. But nothing all that unexpected occurs and the results are a bit too predictable and safe to be all that memorable. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/soul-collective-mw0000784407

Bradley Leighton brings a unique and powerful sound to flute. His style of swing evolved from listening to the big, hi-octane bands of Kenton, Herman and Ferguson in the 60's-70's. His funkiness derives from years of listening to Tower of Power, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Brecker Brothers and countless other soul/R&B acts. He brings a fire and flair not usually heard nor expected from a flutist. Bradley has performed across the US and Asia, as both sideman and bandleader, for over 25 years. His most recent gigs included headlining the Gainesville Jazz Festival and opening for Gerald Albirght at the Greater Hartford Jazz Festival. Bradley Leighton is currently a Yamaha Performing Artist, a teacher and clinician and performing at venues across the United States and in Europe. He's flute coach at Oak Park Elementary in San Diego, CA - the music magnet school. He now resides in San Diego.  http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/bradleyleighton

Personnel: Bradley Leighton (flute, alto flute); Paula Prophet, Katreese Barnes (vocals, background vocals); Evan Marks, Sherrod Barnes (guitar); Tom Scott (saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Tom Braxton (saxophone, alto saxophone); Mic Gillette (trumpet, trombone); Greg Adams (trumpet); Allan Phillips (keyboards, drums, percussion, programming); Jason Miles (keyboards); Cesar Lozano, Brian Dunne (drums).

Soul Collective

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Pat Boone/Take 6 - Pat Boone Sings a Tribute to The Ink Spots featuring Take 6

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
Time: 32:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 75,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:21) 1. Christopher Columbus
(3:25) 2. Java Jive
(3:34) 3. You Always Hurt The One You Love
(3:04) 4. If I Didn't Care
(2:58) 5. Cow Cow Boogie
(2:42) 6. Do I Worry?
(3:37) 7. Stompin' At The Savoy
(3:12) 8. We Three
(3:28) 9. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(3:02) 10. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire

The Ink Spots were an admired quartet notable for blending R&B with the Pop sound of the day. In this easy-going, jazzy collection of R&B history, Pat Boone pays tribute to the renowned quartet with 10 all-new covers featuring the vocal talents of 10-time Grammy Award-winning singing group Take 6, and including a duet with Ella Fitzgerald.https://www.amazon.ca/Sings-Tribute-Spots-Featuring-Take/dp/B007FQUEWG

Pat Boone Sings a Tribute to The Ink Spots featuring Take 6

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Kenny Burrell - Weaver Of Dreams

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:45
Size: 77.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Guitar jazz
Year: 1961/2001
Art: Front

[2:07] 1. I'll Buy You A Star
[2:24] 2. Weaver Of Dreams
[2:49] 3. The More I See You
[2:53] 4. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
[2:01] 5. A Fine Romance
[3:01] 6. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
[2:34] 7. The Blues Is Awful Mean
[3:25] 8. That Old Feeling
[2:05] 9. If I Had You
[3:54] 10. Hootchie-Koo
[4:15] 11. Afternoon In Paris
[2:11] 12. Like Someone In Love

KENNY BURRELL, guitar (also vocals on 1-9 & 12);
(5, 6) & (8): BOBBY JASPAR (ts, fl), WENDELL MARSHALL (b), BOBBY DONALDSON (d). TOMMY FLANAGAN out. New York, October 18, 1960.

Consummate musical taste, fluid technique, emotional warmth, clarity of ideas and tone, and refusal to compromise his artistic principles to passing fads are Burrell hallmarks that have made him among the most highly respected of all jazz guitarists.

Weaver Of Dreams

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Johnny Hodges - Triple Play

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:47
Size: 109.4 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1967/2015
Art: Front

[3:38] 1. Take 'em Off, Take 'em Off, Pt. 1
[2:55] 2. Take 'em Off, Take 'em Off, Pt. 2
[3:45] 3. The Nearness Of You
[3:52] 4. Monkey On A Limb
[4:53] 5. A Tiny Bit Of Blues
[3:01] 6. For Jammers Only (A.K.A. Wild Onions)
[2:51] 7. On The Way Up
[3:19] 8. Big Boy Blues
[2:48] 9. The Very Thought Of You
[6:21] 10. Fur Piece
[3:18] 11. Sir John
[2:38] 12. Figurine
[4:20] 13. C-Jam Blues

Baritone Saxophone – Harry Carney; Bass – Aaron Bell, Joe Benjamin, Milt Hinton; Cornet – Ray Nance; Drums – Gus Johnson, Oliver Jackson, Rufus Jones; Guitar – Billy Butler, Les Spann, Tiny Grimes; Leader, Alto Saxophone – Johnny Hodges; Piano – Hank Jones, Jimmy Jones, Nat Pierce; Piano – Jimmy Jones; Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Gonsalves; Trombone – Benny Powell, Buster Cooper, Lawrence Brown; Trumpet – Cat Anderson, Roy Eldridge; Vibraphone – Bill Berry.

Altoist Johnny Hodges is heard in three different settings on this reissue CD. Such top swing stars as trumpeters Ray Nance, Cat Anderson and Roy Eldridge, trombonists Buster Cooper, Lawrence Brown and Benny Powell, tenors Paul Gonsalves and Jimmy Hamilton, baritonist Harry Carney, pianists Hank Jones and Jimmy Jones (the latter two sometimes together), guitarists Tiny Grimes, Les Spann and Billy Butler, bassists Milt Hinton, Aaron Bell and Joe Benjamin and drummers Gus Johnson, Rufus Jones and Oliver Jackson are heard in nonets with the great altoist. Despite the many changes in personnel, the music is pretty consistent, with basic swinging originals, blues and ballads all heard in equal proportion. As usual, Johnny Hodges ends up as the main star. ~Scott Yanow

Triple Play

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Charles Lloyd - Figure In Blue

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2025
Time: 98:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 225,2 MB
Art: Front

( 2:51) 1. Abide With Me
( 7:50) 2. Hina Hanta, the way of peace
( 7:13) 3. Figure In Blue, memories of Duke
( 5:49) 4. Desolation Sound
(10:39) 5. Ruminations
( 5:03) 6. Chulahoma
( 8:38) 7. Song My Lady Sings
(10:27) 8. The Ghost of Lady Day
( 8:17) 9. Blues for Langston
( 6:16) 10. Heaven
( 9:04) 11. Black Butterfly
( 1:51) 12. Ancient Rain
( 9:26) 13. Hymn To The Mother, for Zakir
( 4:34) 14. Somewhere

In March 2025, the legendary saxophonist Charles Lloyd convened a new trio of musical explorers with Jason Moran on piano and Marvin Sewell on guitar for his 87th birthday concert at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara and immediately brought them into the studio to record his remarkable twelfth Blue Note album, Figure In Blue. The spacious double album travels wide expanses of musical terrain from beautiful ballads to raw Delta blues and includes stunning homages to Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Zakir Hussain. https://charleslloyd.com/discography/figure-in-blue/

Personnel: Charles Lloyd – saxophone; Jason Moran – piano; Marvin Sewell – guitar

Figure In Blue

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Bradley Leighton - Back To The Funk

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 52:45
Size: 84,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:32)  1. Runaway
(5:08)  2. Flow
(4:29)  3. Back To The Funk
(4:30)  4. Midnight Affairs
(5:56)  5. Clear Blue Skies
(4:42)  6. Special Lady
(3:43)  7. Sunday In San Diego
(3:59)  8. Make It With You
(4:53)  9. Ready For You
(4:53) 10. Soul Moon
(4:53) 11. Love Light In Flight

Back to the Funk is an intentional throwback to early-'70s funky jazz, the type of music performed by flutist Herbie Mann and a little later by saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr. The R&B-ish grooves are catchy if predictable and the backup band is solid, with flutist Bradley Leighton in the lead nearly all of the time. Nothing unusual happens, but Leighton plays well over the vamps, sounding enthusiastic and reasonably creative within the genre. While eight of the 11 selections are recent originals, this could very easily be an album from 1972. Fans of that era's funky music will want to pick this one up. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/back-to-the-funk/id91059200

Personnel: Bradley Leighton (alto flute); Scott "Tempo" Kyle, Scott Kyle (trombone); Allan Phillips (piano, keyboards, percussion, drum programming); Cecil McBee Jr. Back to the Funk songs (bass instrument); Evan Marks (guitar); John Rekevics (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Brad Steinwehe (trumpet); Duncan Moore (drums).

Back To The Funk

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Buddy Collette Big Band - In Concert

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:48
Size: 127.7 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[ 7:13] 1. Magali
[ 7:04] 2. Andre
[ 3:08] 3. Mr. And Mrs. Goodbye
[ 4:25] 4. Blues Number Four
[11:55] 5. Jazz By The Bay
[ 7:59] 6. Blues In Torrance
[ 7:00] 7. Point Fermin From Friendships Suite
[ 7:01] 8. Buddy Boo

Bass – Richard Simon; Cello – Fred Katz; Drums – Chico Hamilton, Leon Ndugu Chancler; Guitar – Al Viola; Piano – Gerald Wiggins; Trombone – Britt Woodman, Garnett Brown, George Bohanon, Les Benedict, Maurice Spears; Trumpet – Al Aarons, Anne King (2), Nolan Shaheed, Ronald Barrows; Woodwind – Ann Patterson, Buddy Collette, Ernie Fields, Jackie Kelson, John Stephens, Louis Taylor Jr., Steven Carr. Recorded at the Lincoln Theatre, Washington D.C.

A fluent multi-instrumentalist, and the composer of everything from TV jingles to chamber music to jam-session staples, Buddy Collette has tended to be a victim of his own versatility. But The Buddy Collette Big Band in Concert, which captures a 1996 performance in Washington, D.C., is probably his best calling card to date. For one thing, it demonstrates that the 75-year-old leader remains in fine form on the tenor sax, clarinet, and (especially) flute--check out his nuanced reading of "Blues in Torrance," and the way his ebullient solo keeps bumping up against the tune's descending harmonies. What's more, the disk showcases Collette's compositional gifts. He's concocted some rousing vehicles for his 19-piece band, and the bright, brassy arrangements on "Andre" and "Blues Number Four" suggest late-period Basie, alternating catchy riffing with piquant solo voices. Among the latter, Garnett Brown delivers some attractively gutbucket trombone, while saxophonist Louis Taylor comes out swinging on "Magali." There's also a guest appearance by the leader's old comrade-in-arms Chico Hamilton, who drives the ensemble through a heated version of "Buddy Boo." But despite his aversion to hogging the spotlight, this is clearly Collette's show--and it's about time, isn't it? ~James Marcus

In Concert

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Jay Azzolina - Present Tense

Styles: Jazz Contemporary
Year: 2025
Time: 46:47
File: MP3 @ 320
Size: 43,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:25) 1. Big Lou
(7:12) 2. Viracocha
(7:25) 3. I Choose You
(6:34) 4. Clarebelle
(6:28) 5. He's Back
(5:23) 6. It's All About You
(3:21) 7. Rhythms Change
(2:55) 8. While We're Here

Jay Azzolina is a contemporary jazz guitarist whose music bridges the legacy of post-bop with modern improvisation and fresh harmonic ideas. His latest album Present Tense showcases this blend beautifully bringing together soulful accordion lines, deep grooves, and harmonic textures that challenge and uplift the listener. Inspired by the idea of living in the moment, Present Tense reflects Jay's belief that music is one of the few places where we truly live in the present. With standout collaborators like bassist Dave Zinno, drummer Rafael Barata, and accordionist Sonny Barbato, the album pushes jazz into a bold, expressive space while staying rooted in Jay’s love for songwriting and melodic exploration.

After moving to the UK in August 2024, Jay has been active on the British and Welsh jazz scenes, performing with local musicians and bringing his creative voice to audiences across the region. He will perform in London at the 606 Club and serve as a clinician at the Wrexham International Guitar Workshop. Jay's summer plans include the Fishguard Jazz Festival and performances throughout Pembrokeshire. From early beginnings on trumpet, influenced by his father, to his eventual transition to guitar under the spell of Lenny Breau’s harmonies, Jay’s journey reflects his deep passion for musical evolution. His discography, including Never Too Late, Past Tense, and Live at One Station Plaza, continues to grow as he seeks to share his music on new platforms and connect with listeners around the world.https://www.truthrevolutionrecords.com/jay-azzolina

Present Tense

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Christian McBride - Without Further Ado, Vol 1

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2025
Time: 37:12
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 86,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:05) 1. Murder by Numbers
(3:49) 2. Back In Love Again
(4:19) 3. Old Folks
(6:19) 4. Moanin'
(3:16) 5. All Through The Night
(6:17) 6. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
(3:38) 7. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(4:27) 8. Op. 49 - Cold Chicken Suite, 3rd Movement

The fourth album by the 17-piece Christian McBride Big Band is nothing like your dad’s big band albums. Without Further Ado, Vol. 1 is as much a vocal album as a big band effort, and within those vocals lie several genres. Now, as surprising as that may sound, it is more typical of Christian McBride’s career than not. His versatility matches his virtuosity, and the former may well be his primary trait.

The opener unites two of the three members of The Police as Sting and guitarist Andy Summers proffer one of the band’s biggest hits, “Murder by Numbers.” The song was the B-side of “Every Breath You Take” and marks the first time the two bandmates have played together since the band’s 2007-2008 reunion tour. The tune also features solos from trumpeter Nabate Isles and percussion from the great guest Pedrito Martinez, arguably making it more powerful than the original. Many may be equally surprised to hear R&B great Jeffrey Osborne of the ‘70s group LTD, singing the group’s mega hit “Back in Love Again” to a funky backdrop featuring McBride’s eclectic bass and the punchy horns of the big band. McBride has long had a soft spot for R&B and says in the liner notes that he flashed back to seeing LTD at Philly’s Spectrum in 1979.

The abrupt segue brings us to the jazz standard “Old Folks” sung by the inimitable Grammy winner Samara Joy. The textures are much softer, aided by Warren Wolf on vibraphone, Todd Bashore on flute, and Carl Miraghi on bass clarinet. Longtime McBride collaborator Ron Blake delivers the tenor sax solo. Joy, of course, is an ‘old soul,” a perfect match for the song where she emotes like few can.

Jose James steps in for the standout rendition of Bobby Timmons’ “Moanin’.” James somehow meshes ’50s-’60s big band swing with the vintage soul of greats such as Lou Rawls and Ernie Andrews in this setting while still putting his signature brand of modern-day soul and R&B on the tune. Trombonist Steve Davis and trumpeter Freddie Hendrix deliver the bracing solos. Just listen to James take it out! “All Through the Night” has one of the more complex horn charts and terrific drumming from McClenty Hunter, not to mention the inventive vocal take from Cecile McLorin Salvant in a different arrangement of the tune that appeared on the big band’s 2017 album. Miraghi weighs in with a swinging baritone sax turn.

The incomparable Dianne Reeves has the uncanny ability to make any song her own as she does here with an intimate version of the 1960 hit by the Shirelles, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” written by Carole King/Gerry Goffin. You can hear another version on Reeves’ 1997 That Day in an arrangement by Yellowjackets keyboardist Russell Ferrante. Yet, the swelling horns here and a sterling solo from another McBride longtimer, Steve Wilson, on soprano sax make this one special. McBride introduces vocalist Antoinette Henry, who attended his same high school in Philadelphia, CAPA, for a tender take on the standard “Come Rain or Come Shine,” tender until the explosive finale. (listen for that!)

McBride is also blessed with a sense of humor. “Opus 49, The Cold Chicken Suite” is his 49th composition and is dedicated to the official food of the working musician, cold chicken. He was commissioned to write a three movement suite by the North American Saxophone Alliance. This is the third movement, a relatively short piece that allows the big band to deliver the goods alone. Once again, tenorist Ron Blake is featured.

The diversity of music and the vocal star power on Without Further Ado, Vol.1 will inevitably garner deservedly high recognition. McBride says there will be just one more, Vol. 2,, with a different cast of vocalists. Stay tuned. By Jim Hynes
https://glidemagazine.com/316570/the-christian-mcbride-big-band-delivers-stunningly-diverse-without-further-ado-vol-1-album-review/

Without Further Ado, Vol 1

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