Lee Konitz - Inside Hi-Fi

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:10
Size: 94,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:08)  1. Kary's Trance
(4:30)  2. Everything Happens To Me
(4:02)  3. Sweet And Lovely
(5:29)  4. Cork 'N' Bib
(5:10)  5. All Of Me
(5:21)  6. Star Eyes
(5:08)  7. Nesuhi's Instant
(5:19)  8. Indiana

This excellent recording (part of their 1987 Jazzlore series) features altoist Lee Konitz with two separate quartets during 1956. Either guitarist Billy Bauer or pianist Sal Mosca are the main supporting voices in groups also including either Arnold Fishkind or Peter Ind on bass and Dick Scott on drums. The most unusual aspect to the set is that on the four selections with Mosca, Konitz switches to tenor, playing quite effectively in a recognizable cool style. The overall highlights of this enjoyable album are "Everything Happens to Me," "All of Me," and "Star Eyes," but all eight performances are well played and swinging.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/inside-hi-fi-mw0000194310

Personnel: Lee Konitz (alto & tenor saxophones); Sal Mosca (piano); Billy Bauer (guitar); Arnold Fishkind, Peter Ind (bass); Dick Scott (drums).

Inside Hi-Fi

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Tina Carr - Songs For Curly

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
Time: 43:14
File: MP3 @ 128K/s
Size: 41,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:00) 1. What's New
(4:41) 2. If You Could See Me Now
(2:55) 3. Social Call
(3:00) 4. Don't Smoke in Bed
(4:27) 5. Ask Me Now
(5:30) 6. Detour Ahead
(3:10) 7. Afternoon in Paris
(4:56) 8. If I Had You
(2:50) 9. Losing My Mind
(3:59) 10. Pannonica
(3:41) 11. Moonglow

“This week I listened to nothing but Tina Carr’s marvellous record ‘Song’s For Curly’ while writing my column” Stephen Bush, associate editor, Financial Times

“ a very distinctive voice a stunning debut ..Tina has leapt into the world of music with both feet” Jumoke Fashola, BBC Radio London, presenter, artist

“It’s full of your playful personality, incredible musicianship, and just sparkling with your joy for this music I can’t stop listening!” - Emilia Martensson, artist, founder, Beyond Vocals https://www.tinacarrmusic.com/music


Personnel:
Vocals - Tina Carr
Bass - Conor Chaplin
Piano - Matt Robinson
Recorded at Eastcote Studios, London, February 2022

Songs For Curly

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Louis Smith - Once in a While

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:23
Size: 161,8 MB
Art: Front

( 8:21)  1. Just Friends
(10:32)  2. Once in a While
( 9:22)  3. Over the Rainbow
( 5:36)  4. Tune Up
( 7:42)  5. Don't Blame Me
( 7:36)  6. Once I Had a Secret Love
( 9:47)  7. Sandu
(11:24)  8. There Is No Greater Love

Trumpeter Louis Smith’s only major claim to fame has been two late ‘50s dates he cut for Blue Note. Then his propensity for musical pedagogy led him to the University of Michigan, where he spent many years quietly teaching and inspiring youngsters. Back in 1978, a renewed career as a recording artist came in the guise of a contract with the Danish SteepleChase label, briefly interrupted in the ‘80s by a return to teaching. Now, Smith finds himself retired and that has given him more time to concentrate on his trumpet work once again. Cut in Denmark during Smith’s summer vacation in 1998, Once In a While is representative of the kind of bebop session that is part and parcel of Smith’s time-honored approach, although the line-up is a novel one not used previously by the trumpeter. Guitarist Doug Raney is the ringer in this piano-less group that also includes SteepleChase regular Keith Copeland on drums. The quartet hits a relaxed, but resolute groove on a set of eight golden standards, including a tip of the hat to Louis’ fellow trumpeters- namely through versions of Miles Davis’ "Tune Up" and Clifford Brown’s "Sandu." Never much of a technician, Smith still has the ability to construct intelligent solos that tell a story and his sound is marked by a round and softened timbre. Raney should have received equal billing here, because his rich and melodic lines are some of the best moments to be found among this generous offering of music. Cutting to the chase, this no-nonsense affair is a worthy addition to Smith’s burgeoning recorded career. And who says there ain't life after retirement? ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/once-in-a-while-louis-smith-steeplechase-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Louis Smith- trumpet, Doug Raney- guitar, Hugo Rasmussen- bass, Keith Copeland- drums

Once in a While

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Dinah Washington - Live At Birdland 1962

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1962
Time: 51:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 118,7 MB
Art: Front

(1:55) 1. Soft Winds
(7:58) 2. Medley: What A Diff'rence A Day Made - I Thought About You - Love is Here To Stay
(2:43) 3. Somewhere Along The Line
(8:21) 4. Medley: What A Diff'rence A Day Made - I Thought About You - Makin' Whoopee
(3:52) 5. This Bitter Earth
(7:03) 6. Medley: A Foggy Day - Unforgettable - There Goes My Heart
(5:42) 7. Medley: A Foggy Day - Unforgettable - Baby Won't You Please Come Home
(1:59) 8. Fly Me To The Moon
(3:22) 9. In The Evening
(7:13) 10. Medley: I'll Close My Eyes - I Understand - This Bitter Earth
(1:36) 11. I Could Write A Book

Dinah Washington's career can easily be divided into two periods. Prior to 1959, she was one of jazz's great individualists, able to sing anything from standards to blues, R&B, pop, and spirituals, and yet retain her own musical personality, always uplifting the material. After she had a surprise pop hit in 1959 with "What a Difference a Day Made," her recording career declined artistically, as she was continually backed by string sections on pop ballads in hopes of duplicating her commercial success.

On some records before her accidental death in 1963, the Queen of the Blues almost sounded like a parody of herself. However, as this CD shows, Dinah Washington was much more interesting in person than on records during her last four years. She is backed on most of the selections by her regular trio of the period (pianist Joe Zawinul, a year before he joined Cannonball Adderley; bassist Jimmy Rowser, and drummer Al Jones); the last couple numbers find her joined by an organ combo. Washington shows that she was still in prime form this late bin her career.

Five of the 11 selections (all taken from radio broadcasts that originated from Birdland) are actually three-song medleys. Fortunately, her rhythm section was quite alert, for Washington continually ties together ideas from different songs and switches tunes in odd places to humorous effect. She somehow combines "What a Difference a Day Made" with "I Thought About You" and "Makin' Whoopee"; and another unlikely medley consists of "A Foggy Day," "Unforgettable," and "Baby Won't You Please Come Home." Since there are relatively few examples of Dinah Washington singing live this late in her career, and she still sounds so saucy here, this CD is easily recommended. By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-birdland-1962-mw0000032909#review

Personnel: Vocals – Dinah Washington; Bass – Jimmy Rouser; Drums – Al Jones; Piano – Joe Zawinul

Live At Birdland 1962

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Andre Previn's Trio Jazz - King Size!

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:57
Size: 105,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:24)  1. I'll Remember April
(9:30)  2. Much Too Late
(7:04)  3. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To
(5:56)  4. It Could Happen to You
(8:59)  5. Low and Inside
(8:01)  6. I'm Beginning to See the Light

The multi-talented Andre Previn is heard on this recording as the leader of a trio with bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Frankie Capp. Previn always had his own swing/bop piano style, and he is in top form on two of his originals (including the bluish "Much Too Late") and four superior standards. This fine release gives one an excellent example of Previn's skills as a jazz pianist. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/king-size%21-mw0000276385

Personnel: Piano – André Previn;  Bass – Red Mitchell; Drums – Frankie Capp

R.I.P.
Died: February 28, 2019, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States 

Born: April 6, 1929, Berlin, Germany

King Size!

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Louis Smith - Just Friends

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1978
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 57:52
Size: 106,1 MB
Art: Front

( 7:02)  1. Blues For Jimmy
( 8:58)  2. Lulu
( 8:11)  3. Vaughn's Bounce
( 9:37)  4. Quiet Nights
( 9:11)  5. I Remember Clifford
( 4:39)  6. Oleo
(10:11)  7. Minor Bit

Great date for master trumpeter with Memphis friends, including George Coleman on tenor sax. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/just-friends-mw0001881587

Personnel: Trumpet – Louis; Smith Bass – Jamil Nasser;  Drums – Ray Mosca;  Piano – Harold Mabern;  Tenor Saxophone – George Coleman

Just Friends

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Louis Smith Quintet - Silvering

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:55
Size: 155.5 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[ 9:10] 1. I'll Remember April
[ 7:17] 2. Au Privave
[10:18] 3. Roadies
[ 4:45] 4. What Is This Thing Called Love
[10:04] 5. Body And Soul
[ 7:44] 6. Silvering
[11:35] 7. Stella By Starlight
[ 7:00] 8. Blues For Alice

Even after the re-entry to the recording scene with his first SteepleChase recording SCCD 31096 “Just Friends” in 1978 ending his two decades’ silence since his Blue Note recording days, trumpeter Louis Smith has been hard to catch on the band stand. He chose to leave Horace Silver’s group in 1958 in favour of full time teaching job. However, this situation is now changed for good. Louis retiring from his job as a music teacher, resumed his career as musician with this new recording which took place in Chicago October 1993. With the Windy City’s legendary tenorman Von Freeman in the backing group, Louis the hard bopper tells his story in his warm, beautiful tone with unflagging intensity and impeccable technique.

Silvering

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101 North - Forever Yours

Styles: Jazz, Pop/Rock
Year: 1991
Time: 63:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 147,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:17) 1. Living In Somebody's Dream
(3:57) 2. Forever Yours
(5:04) 3. I Wish That Love Would Last
(5:00) 4. Somewhere Sometime
(3:48) 5. Stop
(4:24) 6. You Need Me
(5:34) 7. That Feelin'
(4:35) 8. I Like What You Do
(4:24) 9. Situation
(5:06) 10. Trust In Me
(3:51) 11. Dinorah, Dinorah
(5:03) 12. Tribute (To Miles Davis)
(4:27) 13. So Easy
(6:16) 14. Forever Yours (Forever And Ever Remix)

"Forever Yours" by 101 North (1991, Capitol) is a well-regarded album in the UK/sophisti-pop/soul scene, often cited for its smooth, polished sound. Featuring tracks like "So Easy" (with Josie and Carl), it is described as a nostalgic favorite for listeners of the genre. The album is sometimes associated with a 1990s pop/soul sound

Forever Yours (mp3 320)
Forever Yours (FLAC)

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LOUIS SMITH (REQUEST)

Louis Smith was a talented, but underrecorded, straight-ahead bop trumpeter who led two dates in the 

’50s before retiring to teach at the University of Michigan and the nearby Ann Arbor Public School system. 

For most of his career, he remained a teacher, making a brief comeback in the late ’70s before returning to education. It wasn’t until the mid-’90s that he began a recording career in earnest, turning out a series of albums for the Steeplechase label. 

A native of Memphis, TN, Louis Smith began playing trumpet as a teenager. He graduated high school with a scholarship to Tennessee State University, where he studied music and became a member of the Tennessee State Collegians. Following his college graduation, Smith did a little graduate work at Tennessee before transferring to the University of Michigan, where he studied with professor Clifford Lillya. At Michigan, he had opportunities to play with traveling musicians, including Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. In January 1954, Smith was drafted into the Army, spending a little over a year-and-a-half in his tour of duty. Once he left the Army in late 1955, he began teaching at the Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, GA. While teaching at Booker T. Washington, Smith continued playing bop and hard bop in clubs, and was able to jam with Cannonball Adderley, Kenny Dorham, Donald Byrd, Lou Donaldson, Zoot Sims, and Philly Joe Jones, among many others. In 1956, he made his recording debut as a sideman on Kenny Burrell’s Swingin’. A year later, he had the opportunity to lead his own recording session for Tom Wilson’s Boston-based label, Transition. He assembled a quintet featuring Cannonball Adderley (who performed under the pseudonym Buckshot La Funke), bassist Doug Watkins, drummer Art Taylor, and pianists Duke Jordan and Tommy Flanagan, who alternated on the date. Transition went out of business before the label had the chance to release the record. Blue Note chief Alfred Lion purchased all the Transition masters and signed Smith to an exclusive contract, releasing the session as Here Comes Louis Smith. During 1958, the trumpeter played on two Blue Note sessions — Kenny Burrell’s Blue Lights and Booker Little’s Booker Little 4 and Max Roach — in addition to leading the date that became Smithville. 

That brief burst of activity turned out to be his only recording dates for 20 years. Smith moved back to the Ann Arbor, MI area, where he taught at the University of Michigan and public schools. Between 1978 and 1979, he cut a pair of albums — Just Friends and Prancin’ — before returning to teaching. A decade later, Smith began his recording career in earnest. After playing on Mickey Tucker’s Sweet Lotus Lips in 1989, he signed with Steeplechase and recorded Ballads for Lulu in 1990. He didn’t return to the studio for another four years, but he did record two albums — Silvering and Strike Up the Band — in 1994. The Very Thought of You appeared in 1995. A year later, Smith recorded I Waited for You, which was followed by There Goes My Heart in 1997.

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Louis Smith - Smithville

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 57:29

Size: 131.6 MB

Styles: Hard bop, Trumpet jazz

Year: 1958/2008

Art: Front

[11:02] 1. Smithville

[ 9:00] 2. Wetu

[ 7:04] 3. Embraceable You

[ 5:31] 4. There Will Never Be Another You

[ 6:25] 5. Later

[ 6:29] 6. Au Privave

[ 6:22] 7. Bakin'

[ 5:32] 8. There Will Never Be Another You

Like his debut, Smithville is another set of thoroughly winning straight-ahead bop from the underappreciated trumpeter Louis Smith. Stylistically, there are no surprises here -- this is mainstream bop and hard bop, comprised of original and contemporary bop numbers, as well as standards ("There'll Never Be Another You," "Embraceable You") -- but since the music is performed so well, it doesn't matter.

There is genuine passion to this music, not only from Smith, but also from pianist Sonny Clark, tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor. It's a first-rate hard bop set that deserves wider distribution than it has received. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Smithville (Remastered) (mp3 320)
Smithville (Remastered) (FLAC)

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Various Artists - Jazzmen Play the Blues 1923-1957 (CD 1 & 2)

Jazzmen Play the Blues 1923-1957 (CD 1)

Styles: Blues
Year: 2009
Time: 65:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 152,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:10) 1 Louis Armstrong. West End Blues
(4:20) 2 Louis Armstrong. Back O’Town Blues
(3:45) 3 Louis Armstrong. Jack-Armstrong Blues
(3:40) 4 Tommy Ladnier. Really the Blues
(2:29) 5 King Oliver. Dippermouth Blues
(3:11) 6 Bubber Miley & Duke Ellington. Black and Tan Fantasy
(2:33) 7 Cootie Williams. Mobile Blues
(3:15) 8 Rex Stewart. Jug Blues
(4:21) 9 Sidney De Paris. The Call of the Blues
(2:44) 10 Hot Lips Page & Mezzrow-Bechet. House Party
(3:20) 11 Hot Lips Page & Don Redman. Carrie Mae Blues
(3:13) 12 Buck Clayton & Teddy Wilson. Blues Too
(3:02) 13 Kid Ory. Aunt Hagar’s Blues
(2:54) 14 Cootie Williams & Duke Ellington. Sweet Chariot
(4:43) 15 Vic Dickenson & Albert Ammons. Bottom Blues N°2
(3:23) 16 Dickie Wells. Dickie Wells Blues
(3:06) 17 Joe 'Tricky Sam' Nanton & Duke Ellington. Harlem Flat Blues
(3:06) 18 Joe 'Tricky Sam' Nanton & Duke Ellington. Saturday Night Function
(2:55) 19 Johnny Dodds & Louis Armstrong. S.OL. Blues
(2:36) 20 Johnny Dodds. Clarinet Wobble

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Jazzmen Play the Blues 1923-1957 (CD 2)

Styles: Blues
Year: 2009
Time: 67:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 156,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:30) 1 Sidney Bechet. Blue Horizon
(2:44) 2 Mezzrow-Bechet. Gone Away Blues
(2:59) 3 Johnny Hodges. Dooji-Wooji
(2:58) 4 Johnny Hodges. That’s the Blues, Old Man
(3:05) 5 Louis Jordan. Inflation Blues
(2:45) 6 Ben Webster & Johnny Otis. One Nighter Blues
(3:11) 7 Buddy Tate. Blue Buddy
(2:36) 8 Illinois Jacquet. Goofin’ Off
(3:07) 9 Arnett Cobb & Lionel Hampton. Salty Papa Blues
(2:55) 10 Joe Thomas. Harlem Hop
(4:36) 11 Ike Quebec. Blue Harlem
(2:59) 12 Eddie Chamblee & Sonny Thompson. Long Gone Part 2
(6:02) 13 Lionel Hampton. Vibe Boogie
(2:59) 14 Milton Buckner. Mighty Low
(3:40) 15 Wild Bill Davis. I Ain’t Feeling So Long
(3:29) 16 Count Basie. Way Back Blues
(2:26) 17 Pete Johnson & Albert Ammons. Cuttin’ the Boogie
(3:06) 18 Buddy Johnson. Minglin’
(4:20) 19 T-Bone Walker. Blues for Marili
(2:56) 20 Tiny Grimes. Rockin’ the Blues Away

Not only a form of expression unique to black America, the blues is one of the major musical elements of jazz. Great jazzmen are often also great bluesmen with the gift of adapting the sound of the human voice to that of their instrument. In this album, comprising two CDs, Jacques Morgantini presents some of the most beautiful blues recorded by jazz musicians, a perfect blend of the lyricism of blues and the exuberance of jazz. (by Patrick Frémeaux)

https://www.fremeaux.com/en/2478-jazzmen-play-the-blues-1923-1957-3561302525624-fa5256.html

Jazzmen Play the Blues 1923-1957 (CD 1 & 2) (mp3 320)
Jazzmen Play the Blues 1923-1957 (CD 1 & 2) (FLAC)

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Sullivan Fortner - Solo Game Cd1, Cd2

Sullivan Fortner - Solo Game Cd1

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
Time: 46:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 107,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:50) 1. Don't You Worry About a Thing
(9:24) 2. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(4:39) 3. Congolese Children
(4:29) 4. I'm All Smiles
(4:45) 5. Invitation
(6:31) 6. Once I loved
(3:17) 7. Cute
(5:01) 8. This Is New
(4:37) 9. Come Sunday

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Sullivan Fortner - Solo Game Cd2

Time: 32:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 75,4 MB
Art: Front

(0:15) 1. Power Mode
(5:07) 2. It's a Game
(5:28) 3. Snakes And Ladders
(1:25) 4. Hounds and Jackal
(2:04) 5. King's Table
(1:07) 6. Stag
(2:54) 7. Cross and Circle
(4:51) 8. Space Walk
(3:20) 9. Valse du petit chien
(1:56) 10. Fred Hersch, notes on Solo
(3:58) 11. Jason Moran, notes on Game

Mentored by Fred Hersch and Jason Moran, and produced by Hersch, Solo Game puts pianist Sullivan Fortner in a really good place. That is before the music even starts. Then it does start with a sly and subdued solo on Stevie Wonder's buoyant 1973 top tenner, "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing," while dropping subtle hints to the trip ahead, forged by Fortner's quixotic self.

Fortner, who has steadily grown a discography which includes his own quartet recording Aria (Impulse!, 2015), a seven year stint with Roy Hargrove, and choice sessions with Paul Simon, Cecile McLorin Salvant (who adds her ethereal magic to the "Tubular Bells" like "Snakes and Ladders"), and Melissa Aldana just to name a few. With his perfect pitch and classic stride approach, the pianist has a long and illustrious career ahead of him.

An autumnally seasoned approach to Richard Rodgers' "I Didn't Know What Time it Was" belies Fortner's age. There is a clear sense of yearning yet knowing the years reveal as they will. Hersch's production is pristine, throwing light on Fortner's clearly articulated vision a new and most assured take on things of beauty over convenience, things with eternal presence.

The pianist does what all great artists, innovators, and true creators (not Tik Tok spin offs) do; they challenge themselves and rise well above said challenge. So, Randy Weston's "Congolese Children" sounds fully conceived and of a piece, as does Antonio Carlos Jobim's luscious "Once I Loved." Fortner is so aware of those who have mastered the keys before him that, by the time we get to singularly malleable romps through Neil Hefti's bouncing "Cute" and Kurt Weill's neo-ragtime "This Is New," visions of Art Tatum and Bud Powell are dancing in our heads.

These solo ventures can get over-wrought at times think of young Keith Jarrett's one man Restoration Ruin (Vortex, 1968) but Solo Game for the greater part avoids those youthful pratfalls. Though it does have its wrought moments, such as "It's A Game" the second track on Disc Two it runs a bit too long, predictably. Here the pianist takes on a host of instruments including vibes, celeste, chime tree, Moog, Vocoder, Rain Maker, Hammond B3, and egg shaker.

Fully composed by Fortner, the brooding Shaft-like undertow "Snakes and Ladders" falls victim to, once again, its length. "Hounds and Jackals" on the other hand, is too short. "Space Walk " is. well, the new generation watching 2001: A Space Odyssey. But, given the gravity and the gravitas of Solo Game, this is really nitpicking. These two discs are beyond question worth the time it takes to get pulled into their gracious and sustainable orbit. By Mike Jurkovic Sullivan Fortner: Solo Game album review @ All About Jazz

Personnel: Sullivan Fortner: Piano (Steinway B), Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3 Organ, Vibes, Celeste, Chime Tree, Moog, Vocoder, Rain Maker, Hand Percussion, Egg Shaker, Triangle, Vocals, Hand Claps, Shakers, Canopus Bass Drum, Mongolian Gong (2); Kyle Pool: hand claps on (2-2); Cecile McLorin Salvant: vocals on (2-3).

Solo Game (mp3 320)
Solo Game (FLAC)

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Sullivan Fortner - Southern Nights

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2025
Time: 49:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 113,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:37) 1. Southern Nights
(5:13) 2. I Love You
(3:45) 3. 9 Bar Tune
(6:36) 4. Tres Palabras
(4:07) 5. Waltz For Monk
(7:13) 6. Again, Never
(5:26) 7. Discovery
(5:46) 8. Daahoud
(5:31) 9. Organ Grinder

There’s a smile to the music Sullivan Fortner makes. It can be über serious, but inside, it smiles because that’s Sullivan Fortner a pianist of unabashed charm and incredible technique all wrapped up in a bit of New Orleans showmanship. New Orleans. That’s where Fortner comes from even though he now lives in New York City. And New Orleans remains the center of his musical heart.

As a result, it’s not surprising that his latest recording, Southern Nights, brims with the spirit conjured by that title. Written by Allen Toussaint, truly a patron saint of New Orleans musical history, the title track became a hit for pop legend Glen Campbell back in the 1970s, but leading off this album, Fortner’s version is a breezy, lovely lope that conjures the best of that southern city on a spring morning. But don’t let that fool you. What he’s doing with his left and right hands is crazy complex yet incredibly catchy. “Southern Nights” is the opening tune on this terrific nine-song set, which includes tunes from other great composers as well.

Cole Porter’s “I Love You” kicks off with an avant garde-ish intro before taking off on a quick-paced thrill ride with Fortner backed beautifully by bassist Peter Washington and drummer Marcus Gilmore. From there, Fortner makes even more interesting song choices. Osvaldo Farres’ “Tres Palabras” sends shivers with an awesome solo by Washington; Donald Brown’s “Waltz For Monk” is quirky cool; Bill Lee’s “Never Again” shows Fortner’s love for getting inside a ballad; Consuela Lee’s “Discovery” packs in the drama and pianistic glitter; Clifford Brown’s “Daahoud” has Gilmore setting the tone with a tasteful, tight drum solo to kick off the piece; and Woody Shaw’s “The Organ Grinder” swings just right.

There’s one Fortner original on the set, “9 Bar Tune,” a Monkish tip of the cap that suits the program perfectly. Throughout, it’s amazing to listen to what this trio accomplishes: complex rhythms and chord changes, beautiful melodies and quirky “out” passages, all presented as if gliding on air. The album was recorded right after Fortner, Washington and Gilmore finished a week at the Village Vanguard in New York. So, the music was selected, rehearsed, minted and audience-approved before taking it into the studio. We’re lucky they did. It’s is a wonderful document of one of our true rising stars on the piano and a trio that refines its presentation with each live performance. Hopefully, they’ll tour.
https://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=32157&title=sullivan-fortner-southern-nights-review

Southern Nights

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Clark Tracey - The Jazz Champions

Styles: Contemporary Jazz

Year: 2025
Time: 40:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 92,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:06) 1. Matrix
(8:10) 2. A Sound for Sore Ears
(8:03) 3. CUCB
(6:06) 4. Euphony
(6:37) 5. Snap Crackle
(5:25) 6. We Are the Champions

Drummer Clark Tracey leads a group of outstanding quality featuring saxophonists Art Themen and Simon Allen, pianist Dave Newton and bassist Andrew Cleyndert, performing new arrangement of music by Chick Corea, Jimmy Heath, Bobby Wellins, Stan Tracey and Freddie Mercury. "In April last year I had a 24 date UK tour booked - but no band. I turned to some of my oldest and most trusted friends, and we've been playing to sold out houses ever since.

I've known saxophone legend Art Themen for over 50 years; we began playing together in 1978. Simon Allen, a remarkable musician I first met in the mid-1990s, later joined my Father's ensembles until 2013. Dave Newton, the UK's most awarded pianist, and I first worked together in the early 1980s and have shared many stages since. Andrew Cleyndert, our outstanding bassist, joined my first group as a teen and later my Father's bands in 1995.

Unwilling to call yet another band "The Clark Tracey Quintet", I wanted to show off the fact I now had the cream of a generation nearer my own. I eventually settled on "The Jazz Champions". It was later that I was listening to Freddie Mercury's lyrics on "We Are The Champions", when it dawned on me that his simple words had a poignancy to my predicament at that time. I decided to ask Simoon to write a modern arrangement of it and invite a vocalist to sing it for us for a recording. Sylvia McEwen is someone I was aware of and, knowing she'd cut it superbly, I was delighted that she agreed to record it with us." https://propermusic.com/products/clarktracey-thejazzchampions

Clark Tracey: drums

Art Themen: reeds

Simon Allen: reeds

Dave Newton: piano

Andrew Cleyndert: bass

Sylvia McEwen: vocal (track 6)

The Jazz Champions (mp3 320)
The Jazz Champions (FLAC)

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Joel Ross - Gospel Music

Styles: Post-Bop, Straight-Ahead Jazz, Vibraphone/Marimba Jazz
Year: 2026
Time: 78:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 180,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:33) 1. Wisdom Is Eternal (For Barry Harris)
(7:20) 2. Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
(8:15) 3. Protoevangelium (The First Gospel)
(7:23) 4. Hostile
(5:14) 5. The Shadowlands
(3:23) 6. Nevertheless
(5:00) 7. Word for Word
(6:55) 8. Repentance
(3:04) 9. The Sacred Place
(1:25) 10. A Little Love Goes A Long Way
(3:20) 11. Praise To You, Lord Jesus Christ
(5:55) 12. Calvary
(2:56) 13. The Giver
(4:24) 14. To The Throne (The Mercy Seat)
(3:46) 15. Be Patient
(2:25) 16. The New Man
(2:57) 17. Now & Forevermore

If the title has you looking for “Take My Hand Precious Lord” on organ in 12/8, this ain’t it. In fact, vibraphonist Joel Ross’ Gospel Music is nearly two-thirds through before it shows any of the traditional hallmarks of, well, gospel music. What we hear instead is Joel Ross music: contemplative, sometimes intricate, often moody 21st-century post-bop with subtle emotional colorings.

All that said, Gospel Music is a musical retelling of the Bible, placing an epigram up top (the thoughtfully patterned “Wisdom Is Eternal (For Barry Harris)”) before diving into an analogue of Genesis 1:1 (“Trinity (Father, Son And Holy Spirit)”) and continuing through Revelation (“Now And Forevermore”). But one need not know the Old Testament to recognize the troubled mien saxophonists Josh Johnson (alto) and Maria Grand (tenor) project on “Hostile,” corresponding to humanity’s growing corruption before the Flood — though schooling in jazz probably helps one recognize the echoes of Bud Powell’s “Tempus Fugit.” The transition into hope and peace offered by “The Sacred Place,” with Jeremy Corren’s gentle piano line over Kanoa Mendenhall and Jeremy Dutton’s light bass and drums. The album liners offer chapter-and-verse citations that provide perspective, but the message is clear without them.

In that final third, not only do the familiar gospel music tropes resound (beginning with the short but quietly joyful “A Little Love Goes A Long Way”), but so do vocals. Laura Bibbs offers soft plaintiveness on “Praise To You, Lord Jesus Christ”; Ekep Nkwelle brings stately grandeur to “Calvary”; guitarist Andy Louis quietly declaims in an intimate and profoundly moving duo with Corren on “The Giver.” Gospel Music is rewriting the rules of gospel music; these moments simply place it more firmly in our grasp. https://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/gospel-music

Gospel Music (mp3 320)
Gospel Music (FLAC)

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Gerry Mulligan - Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960/2013
Time: 33:03
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 76,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:44) 1. Bunny
(3:41) 2. What's The Rush
(7:23) 3. Back Beat
(3:57) 4. What It's All About
(5:13) 5. 18 Carrots For Rabbit
(7:03) 6. Shady Side

Gerry Mulligan's 1959 studio date with Johnny Hodges is one of the most satisfying sessions of his various meetings with different saxophonists for Verve, yet it was inexplicably the last to be made available on CD. With a hand-picked rhythm section consisting of pianist Claude Williamson, bassist Buddy Clark, and drummer Mel Lewis, and three originals contributed by each of the two leaders, everything gels nicely, though several tracks took more than three takes (in spite of liner note writer Nat Hentoff's assertions) to reach their final form. Mulligan contributed the gorgeous ballad "What's the Rush" (where he sat back to enjoy Hodges' solo and never plays his own horn), the easygoing swinger "Bunny," and the brisk cooker "18 Carrots (For Rabbit)," the latter which its composer would revisit with his Concert Jazz Band. The veteran alto saxophonist contributed the low-key ballad "Shady Side," the sassy blues "Back Beat" (later re-recorded by Hodges during a still unreleased 1960 studio meeting with Ben Webster), and "What It's All About," another potent blues. Throughout the date, the two saxophonists blend beautifully and complement one another's efforts, even though this was their only opportunity to record together in the studio. Sadly, no alternate takes or unissued numbers (at least two of which exist) have been added to this long anticipated reissue. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/gerry-mulligan-meets-johnny-hodges-mw0000029368

Personnel: Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Claude Williamson (piano); Buddy Clark (bass); Mel Lewis (drums).

Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges (mp3 320)
Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges (FLAC)

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Ekkehard Wölk Trio - Songs, Chorals and Dances

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2005
Time: 66:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 151,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:14) 1. Menuet
(4:23) 2. Der Frühling
(9:14) 3. Che Faro Senza Eurydice
(6:40) 4. Gute Nacht
(6:05) 5. Liebster Jesu Wir Sind Hier
(2:43) 6. E Lucean Le Stelle
(4:24) 7. Des Baches Wiegenlied
(5:02) 8. Ging Heut Morgen Übers Feld
(7:17) 9. An Die Freude
(8:37) 10. O Haupt Voll Blut Und Wunden
(7:19) 11. Nur Wer Die Sehnsucht Kennt

Listening to Ekkehard Wölk's arrangements of the great classics of Western music, from Mozart to Bach, from Gluck to Mahler, one repeatedly comes to the same conclusion: he has found his way. While the genre had been dominated for decades by the admittedly brilliant Jacques Loussier and his trios, Ekkehard Wölk has demonstrated since 2005 that it can be done with even greater sensitivity. His albums "Desire For Spring" and "Reflections on Mozart" have already shown how it can be done.

Today, I can present to you another product of the Ekkehard Wölk Trio, or rather, an introduction to Wölk's jazz interpretation of classical music. "Songs, Chorals and Dances" (2005) offers an inspired and vibrant selection ranging from J.S. Bach's Baroque Creed to Gustav Mahler's Songs of a Wayfarer. Two excursions into the world of opera offer encounters with Gluck's "Orpheus and Eurydice" and Puccini's magnificent "Tosca." With Ravel's "Menuet," Wölk achieves a feather-light entry into this demanding project. It is precisely this (seemingly) lightness that distinguishes his work from that of Eugène Cicero or Loussier. His Ravel possesses an almost baroque brilliance, and his arrangement of Mozart's "Sehnsucht nach dem Frühling" (Longing for Spring) set to Overbeck's "Komm lieber Mai und mache..." (Come, dear May, and make...) sparkles with swinging, jazzy cascades.

Sensitively supported by Johannes Fink's double bass, Gluck's beautiful "Ach, ich habe sie verloren" (Ah, I have lost her) resonates with the poignant intensity of its dramatic subject matter. Schubert's goodnight greeting is joyful, Bach's "Liebster Jesu..." (Dearest Jesus...) almost gospel-like, before opera takes center stage once more. "E lucevan le stelle," Cavaradossi's aria, retains its drama and brilliance even in the version arranged for jazz trio. In Schubert's "Des Baches Wiegenlied" (The Brook's Lullaby), Wölk's trusted drummer, Andrea Marcelli, demonstrates his skill as a clarinetist. Emotionally charged and thus fitting for Mahler, "Ging heute Morgen übers Feld" (I Went Across the Field This Morning) follows, featuring hints of free jazz from Fink, who seems to coax improvised sounds from his bass.

Mozart's entire soul is captured once again in the dreamlike "An die Freude" (O Joy), which, with Fink's double bass—the choice is difficult—is, for me, one of the most beautiful pieces on the album. Bach's "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden" (O Sacred Head, Now Wounded) and Tchaikovsky's Song of Longing from Op. 6, No. 6, conclude the cycle, which has now captivated me from beginning to end for the third time. A top-notch album that jazz and classical music lovers should quickly get before it sells out.

https://www.omm.de/cds/jazz/ekkehard-woelk-songs.html

Bass – Johannes Fink

Drums – Andrea Marcelli

Piano – Ekkehard Wölk

Songs, Chorals and Dances (mp3 320)
Songs, Chorals and Dances (FLAC)

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Julia Hülsmann Octet - While I Was Away

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2026
Time: 47:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 110,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:56) 1. Coisário De Imagens
(5:06) 2. Sleep
(4:58) 3. Up, Up, Up, Up, Up, Up
(4:19) 4. Felicia's Song
(3:51) 5. You Come Back
(4:55) 6. Walkside
(4:02) 7. Hora Azul
(4:57) 8. TicToc
(4:37) 9. Iskele
(5:08) 10. Moonfish Dance

Hülsmann’s compositions always have great respect for melody that lends depth and an enduring quality to her finest work, which with every addition to her ECM discography, keeps growing.  – Jazzwise Magazine

 

After the highly acclaimed run of quartet recordings from Not Far From Here (2019), The Next Door (2022) to Under The Surface (2025), German pianist Julia Hülsmann has decided to alter the narrative and up the ante with a newly formed octet of award-winning instrumentalists and vocalists. On While I Was Away Julia combines the line-up of a classical trio (violin, cello, piano) with a common jazz piano trio and invites three singers to join in for a programme of adventurous originals, an individual take on Ani DiFranco’s 1999 hit “Up Up…” and a breezy Brazilian tune by songwriter Zélia Fonsesca. The music is often combined with lyrics of renown writes, for instance Emily Dickinson, Margaret Atwood and E.E. Cummings. A wide pallet of musical connotations unfolds, as Brazilian dance, musical-like storytelling, chamber music dynamics and passages of dense, free improvisation colour a fluorescent picture of a fierce ensemble. The musicians of Julia’s octet are: Eva Klesse, Eva Kruse, Susanne Paul, Héloïse Lefebvre, Michael Schiefel, Aline Frazão and Live Maria Roggen.

https://ecmrecords.com/product/while-i-was-away-julia-hulsmann-octet/

While I Was Away (mp3 320)
While I Was Away (FLAC)

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Tierney Sutton: Meets Charlier/Sourisse: Talking to the Sun, featuring Serge Merlaud

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2025
Time: 55:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 127,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:50) 1. Talking to the Sun
(5:04) 2. Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?
(7:28) 3. Modinha
(4:22) 4. Flor de Lis
(2:50) 5. Play for me (Pra Quem Quiser Visitar)
(2:33) 6. Laptop choro
(5:23) 7. Eu não existo sem você
(4:26) 8. Springtime, I'll be there
(4:59) 9. The prince of Calais
(5:57) 10. Bluesette
(6:33) 11. Les étoiles de Léa

A light choro with a pandeiro beat, a clever text and a rangy melody that winds around itself, ramping up the tempo on the final turn, "Laptop Choro" is the pick hit of Tierney Sutton Meets Charlier/Sourisse: Talking to the Sun.

Sutton's lyric, a relatable contemporary tale, offers a litany of complaints about the digital life: wasting an inordinate amount time on hold with insufferable music in order to speak with a software specialist, reboots that cause whatever progress seemed to have been made previously to revert to square one, and feelings of frustration and inadequacy for not being able to make it all work. Sisyphus at the computer.

Emotions run strong.  "I know it's only just a stupid machine, not a human thing, and yet I hate it with a passion that is burning hot, deep in the core of my soul, just like a smoldering coal," our protagonist sings, rejecting numerous ineffectual solutions and ultimately throwing in the towel.

I need to meditate, decaffeinate or maybe I should emigrate to somewhere, if it's not too late to get some vindication. I'll just reset the WiFi and start to cry. I've got to liquidate and isolate, exterminate, evaporate. I'll go where I can hibernate and have a celebration. Yes, I'll turn off the WiFi and say goodbye. I'll leave it to a younger generation. This is my annihilation from the said abomination. Please accept my resignation, over and out.

Sutton has nine Grammy nominations under her belt, but Talking to the Sun is the first of her albums as a leader to feature her own lyrics. If "Laptop Choro" is an indication, this is a fruitful new avenue for her. And a chorinho by the enduringly inventive duo of keyboardist Benoit Sourisse and drummer Andre Charlier is the perfect place to begin.

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/talking-to-the-sun-tierney-sutton-meets-charlier-sourisse-featuring-serge-merlaud-tierney-sutton-gemini-records__18356

Talking to the Sun (mp3 320)
Talking to the Sun (FLAC)

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Diane Marino - Diane Marino Live at Vitello's

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2026
Time: 64:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 148,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:42) 1. This Can't Be Love (Live)
(7:36) 2. Just For A Thrill (Live)
(4:08) 3. How Am I To Know (Live)
(5:10) 4. Take Love Easy (Live)
(5:35) 5. Someone You've Loved (Live)
(2:45) 6. What a Difference A Day Made (Live)
(5:01) 7. Chopin Prelude Op 28 No 4 - How Insensitive (Live)
(3:58) 8. I Didn't Know What Time It Was (Live)
(4:54) 9. Never Let Me Go (Live)
(5:32) 10. Get Out Of Town (Live)
(5:48) 11. I See Your Face Before Me (Live)
(4:56) 12. I Just Found Out About Love (Live)
(5:15) 13. Too Late Now (Live)

These 13 tracks on Diane Marino’s “Live at Vitello’s” cd exemplifies a spontaneous, creative performance from five world class musicians.  After booking a date at Vitello’s in Los Angeles, we were in need of an L.A. sax/flute player and drummer. We contacted Rickey Woodard for sax and Clayton Cameron for drums for this performance. A close friend of Diane’s, trumpeter Harry Kim, also performed on a few tunes. The band was set. We were performing, with no rehearsal, for the first time with these three stellar musicians. As you will hear, it’s as if we had performed together many times!

https://dianemarino.com/diane-marino-live-at-vitellos-releasing-january-30-2026/

Arrangements by Diane Marino

Diane Marino… vocals/piano

Rickey Woodard… tenor sax/flute

Clayton Cameron… drums

Frank Marino… bass

Harry Kim… trumpet track 5

Diane Marino Live at Vitello's (mp3 320)
Diane Marino Live at Vitello's (FLAC)

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