TRILOK GURTU'S CRAZY SAINTS - Believe (1994) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Believe    6:25
Trilok Gurtu
2    Vak    6:45
Daniel Goyone
3    Carlinhos    6:24
Trilok Gurtu
4    Offering    6:17
Trilok Gurtu
5    The Western Front    5:32
David Gilmore
6    Fourth Moon    6:09
Trilok Gurtu
7    Protector    7:08
Trilok Gurtu
8    Sidewalk    5:57
Trilok Gurtu
Credits :
Bass – Chris Minh Doky
Guitar – David Gilmore
Piano, Electric Piano, Harmonium, Synthesizer – Daniel Goyone
Producer, Drums, Tabla, Voice, Percussion, Other [Dhol, Waterdrums] – Trilok Gurtu

TRILOK GURTU - Bad Habits Die Hard (1995) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    21 Spices    9:33
Trilok Gurtu
2    Bad Boys    8:38
Andy Emler
3    Returning Home    12:50
Trilok Gurtu
4    Siddhi    11:15
Trilok Gurtu
5    Watapa    7:50
Trilok Gurtu
6    Bad Habits Die Hard    10:06
Trilok Gurtu
7    Carlinhos    13:33
Trilok Gurtu
Credits :
Bass, Voice – Chris Minh Doky
Guitar, Voice – David Gilmore
Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer, Voice – Andy Emler
Producer, Drums, Tabla, Voice, Percussion, Other [Claydrum] – Trilok Gurtu
Saxophone [Tenor, Soprano] – Bill Evans
Violin – Mark Feldman

MIKE STERN - Voices (2001) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Most of Mike Stern's albums have been 100 percent instrumental; as a rule, he doesn't use vocalists because his guitar does all of the "singing." But Voices is an exception -- a highly engaging and memorable exception. This surprising and totally unexpected effort finds a 48-year-old Stern using wordless vocals in a manner that brings to mind fellow fusion guitarists Pat Metheny and Al DiMeola. Think of Metheny on Letter From Home and Still Life (Talking), or DiMeola on Orange and Blue, and one will know the type of approach that Stern is going for this time. While the wordless vocals that Stern uses on Voices add a lot to the album, his guitar is still the focal point. This isn't the type of project in which the leader brings in an acclaimed jazz singer like Dianne Reeves or Kitty Margolis and features her prominently on standards -- that isn't what he was going for. Ultimately, the vocalists who Stern employs (who include Arto Tuncboyaciyan and Elizabeth Kantomanou) are there to serve and compliment his guitar. If Voices were a cake, the vocalists would be the icing; the album still would have been meaningful even without them, but there's no doubt that they add a lot to it. Voices, which contains some of Stern's most lyrical and melodic playing, is full of world music influences. African and Spanish elements are incorporated, and Brazilian music is an especially strong influence. Going back to the Metheny and DiMeola comparisons, this album's world music influences will inevitably inspire comparisons to similar albums by those fellow fusion guitarists. But Stern is always his own man and his guitar playing never fails to sound distinctive -- Voices is most definitely a Mike Stern session. It's also one of the finest albums in his catalog. by Alex Henderson
1    One World 6:23
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan
Vocals – Elizabeth Kontomanou
Vocals, Bass, Kalimba – Richard Bona
2    The River 6:26
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan
Vocals, Bass – Richard Bona
3    Slow Change 7:13
Bass – Lincoln Goines
Drums – Dennis Chambers
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan
Saxophone – Bob Franceschini
4    Wishing Well 6:10
Acoustic Bass – Chris Minh Doky
Acoustic Guitar [12-string ] – Jon Herington
Guitar – Mike Stern
Vocals – Elizabeth Kontomanou, Philip Hamilton
5    Still There 7:30
Bass – Lincoln Goines
Drums – Dennis Chambers
Guitar [Nylon String] – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Saxophone – Bob Franceschini
6    Spirit 6:35
Bass – Lincoln Goines
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan
Rhythm Guitar – Jon Herington
Saxophone – Bob Franceschini
Vocals – Elizabeth Kontomanou, Philip Hamilton
7    What Might Have Been 5:32
Acoustic Bass – Chris Minh Doky
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Vocals – Elizabeth Kontomanou
8    Leni´s Smile 5:31
Bass – Richard Bona
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan
Vocals – Elizabeth Kontomanou, Philip Hamilton
9    Way Out East 7:04
Bass – Richard Bona
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Saxophone – Michael Brecker
Vocals, Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan

MIKE STERN - Who Let the Cats Out? (2006) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

More than two decades into his solo career, Mike Stern, on his 13th album as a leader, continues to prove why he's earned so many "Best Jazz Guitarist" honors through the years. Stern's skills are undeniable, and new ideas never fail to materialize when he's at work. But what makes Stern stand out from the pack of virtuosic guitar technicians is that he always insists on letting his, and his support team's, abilities serve the music, not vice versa. On Who Let the Cats Out?, Stern and his well-chosen crew spill out lick upon impressive lick, but they never get so carried away with themselves that they lose sight of the tune's purpose and structure. Grandiosity is never a factor here, although there are dozens of occasions to applaud these musicians' chops. Richard Bona, the Cameroonian bassist, has worked with Stern before, but here he is given an expanded role, appearing on four tracks and contributing his falsetto-style, scat-like vocals to three of them: On "All You Need," one of the prettiest tracks on the record, Bona provides an uplifting sensuality. He also shines on "We're with You," a ballad featuring Stern on acoustic guitar. Devoid of pyrotechnics, this song of support to those hurting utilizes synth-derived orchestration and a mournful, quiet tone to bring home its emotionalism. Drummer Dave Weckl -- who alternates throughout with the excellent Kim Thompson -- is another major pacesetter here: On "Texas," the often-overdriven Weckl restrains himself, his no-frills drums and Me'Shell NdegéOcello's creative bass chasing Stern's skronky slide while Gregoire Maret's harmonica provides the necessary borderland flavor. The title track, a quasi-swing/bop showpiece, finds Stern -- peeling out some of his most blazing, how'd-he-do-that? riffs -- and trumpet great Roy Hargrove trying to outdo each other and calling it a draw. Stern's soloing throughout the record is, in fact, ceaselessly imaginative: Whether within a total funk exercise like "Roll with It," which borrows Victor Wooten from the Flecktones for bass duties and spotlights sexy sax from Bob Malach, or the moody ballad "KT," on which Stern's guitar escalates in intensity alongside Jim Beard's soulful organ, Stern finds his place within the song's architecture, then rises several levels above what's required of him to present something unexpected and rewardingly original. Only on "Blue Runway," the eight-and-a-half-minute closer, with Anthony Jackson taking over the bass, do the players allow themselves to approach tediousness. Overextending themselves as they shift into hyperdrive, they turn the piece into a jam for its own sake. An anomaly, it doesn't by any means detract from the album's overall quality, though it does allow it to end on a disappointingly self-absorbed note. by Jeff Tamarkin
Tracklist:
1    Tumble Home    8:14
2    KT    7:57
3    Good Questions    4:17
4    Language    7:03
5    We're With You    5:48
6    Leni Goes Shopping    4:38
7    Roll With It    5:02
8    Texas    7:04
9    Who Let The Cats Out?    7:44
10    All You Need    6:57
11    Blue Runaway    8:37
Credits:
Bass – Anthony Jackson, Chris Minh Doky, Meshell Ndegeocello, Victor Wooten
Drums – Dave Weckl, Kim Thompson
Guitar – Mike Stern
Harmonica – Gregoire Maret
Keyboards, Producer – Jim Beard
Saxophone – Bob Franceschini, Bob Malach
Trumpet – Roy Hargrove
Vocals, Bass – Richard Bona 

BILL EVANS - Touch (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Mixing laid-back melodies with go-for-broke jams with some of the greatest names in modern instrumental music, saxophonist Bill Evans lives in the middle ground between smooth jazz and what could easily be termed of as contemporary jazz fusion. On his Zebra Records debut, Touch, the distinction is based on each song's sense of adventure. "In Your Heart," for instance, is the kind of right in the pocket, sweet little slice of passion that radio drools over, made unique (as Evans does on all tunes) by switching off from the high tones of the soprano with the darker shades of tenor to better discuss the emotional complexities of love. Likewise there's the cool, urban-flavored "Remember," which features subtle vocal chanting floating off in the distance. But then there's the edgier side of Evans intertwining his soprano with Lew Soloff's staccato trumpet energy on the brisk blues of "Dixie Hop," and kicking up all sorts of dust on the last two tunes, "Back to the Walls" and the ten-minute "Country Mile." "Back to the Walls" blends both of Evans's axes with Soloff's trumpet, an African vocal chant, the insistent wah-wah guitar of Adam Rogers, and a jamming Memphis soul-inspired horn section featuring Soloff and trombonist Conrad Herving as the Voodoo Horns. by Jonathan Widran 

Tracklist:
1     Wild Ride     3:41
2     In Your Heart     4:46
3     Remembering     4:30
4     Dixie Hop     4:54
5     Girl By The Sea     5:20
6     Nashville Cowboys     4:01
7     Touch     5:00
8     Little Hands     4:44
9     Skippin'     4:46
10     BackTo The Walls     5:30
11     Country Mile     10:32
Credits:
Acoustic Bass – Chris Minh Doky
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Tim Lefebvre
Bass – Mark Egan, Victor Bailey
Drum Programming – Michael Colina, Zach Danziger
Drums – Lionel Cordew, Vinnie Colaiuta
Grand Piano – Jim Beard
Grand Piano, Keyboards [Additional] – Henry Hey
Guitar – Adam Rogers, Chuck Loeb, Dean Brown, Lee Ritenour
Percussion – Manolo Badrena
Producer, Written-By, Arranged By – Bill Evans
Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Keyboards – Bill Evans
Trombone – Conrad Herwig
Trumpet – Lew Soloff, Wallace Roney
Vocals – Lani Groves, Philip Hamilton

DOKY BROTHERS - Doky Brothers (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This release sounds contemporary in spots due to the prominence and virtuosity of bassist Chris Minh Doky (who sometimes shares in the melody statements), two appearances by Michael and Randy Brecker, the fact that the flavor of Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock (along with Oscar Peterson and Vince Guaraldi) can be heard in pianist Niels Lan Doky's spirited solos, and the inclusion of a song apiece by Jaco Pastorius and Carole King. However, the music should mostly be of interest to modern mainstream collectors due to the strong playing of the co-leaders. The vocals of Curtis Stigers (a straightforward "My One and Only Love") and Deborah Brown (a swinging "I Feel Pretty") give the set some variety as does the changing instrumentation, and even the occasional melodic poppish numbers are generally enjoyable. Although he does not yet have a distinctive sound, pianist Niels Lan Doky is an obvious up-and-coming talent, making this diverse CD recommended overall.  by Scott Yanow

DOKY BROTHERS - Doky Brothers 2 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

CHRIS MINH DOKY - Minh (1998) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
1 I Told You So 3:25
2 Every Breath You Take 4:06
3 Welcome 0:11
4 Waiting On You (Jungle Vibe) 2:46
5 Sleepless Dream 5:03
6 Chhaya 0:04
7 Lean On Me 5:37
8 I Just Wanna Stop 4:53
9 A New Day 4:49
10 Ken & Mai 0:08
11 It Once Was 5:36
12 Mardi Chez Lionel 3:41
13 Messages 0:27
14 Home Sweet Home 5:40
15 New York City 0:19
16 Don't Get Funny With My Money 5:02
Credits:
Jim Beard - Keyboards
Michael Bland - Drums
Michael Brecker - Sax (Tenor), Saxophone
Randy Brecker - Composer, Guitar, Trumpet, Vocals
Hiram Bullock - Guitar
Joey Calderazzo - Piano
Joe Caro - Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)
Chris Minh Doky - Arranger, Bass, Bass (Acoustic), Bass (Electric), Composer, Keyboards,  Producer, Vocals
David Gilmore - Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)
Larry Goldings - Piano
Lalah Hathaway - Composer, Vocals
Lasse Janson - Piano
Norbert Lucarain - Clay Pot, Percussion, Wood Box
Adam Nussbaum - Drums
Chris Parks - Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Producer, Programming
Ricky Peterson - Fender Rhodes, Keyboards, Organ (Hammond), Piano
Dianne Reeves - Vocals
Alex Riel - Drums
David Sanborn - Sax (Alto), Saxophone
Vivian Sessoms - Vocals
St. Paul - Drums, Guitar
Mike Stern - Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
Lenny White - Drums
Louis Winsberg - Composer, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)

PHILIPPE SAISSE - Masques (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:

1 Me & The Boyz 4:31

Alto Saxophone – Andy Snitzer

Baritone Saxophone – Roger Rosenberg

Bass [Upright] – Chris Minh Doky

Drums – Poogie Bell

Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Philippe Saisse

Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Chris Botti, Tony Kadleck

Trombone – Michael Davis

2 Masques 4:57

Fretless Bass – Pino Palladino

Piano, Synthesizer – Philippe Saisse

3 Madison Rose 5:14

Bass [Upright] – Chris Minh Doky

Drums – Poogie Bell

Percussion – Mino Cinelu

Piano, Synthesizer, Vocals – Philippe Saisse

4 Feelin' Kinda Sexy 4:36

Bass [Upright] – James Genus

Piano, Keyboards – Philippe Saisse

Trumpet – Chris Botti

Vocals – Yvette Cason

5 Proko-Groove 6:47

Guitar – Nick Moroch

Piano, Synthesizer – Philippe Saisse

Soprano Saxophone – Kenny Garrett

6 Secret Garden 1:10

Piano – Philippe Saisse

7 Wolverine 5:26

Alto Saxophone – Andy Snitzer

Electric Guitar – Nick Moroch

Synthesizer – Philippe Saisse

8 Maurice & Igor 5:42

Flute [Alto] – Roger Rosenberg

Fretless Bass – Marcus Miller

Piano, Synthesizer, Drums, Drum Programming – Philippe Saisse

Soprano Saxophone – Kenny Garrett

Trombone – Michael Davis

9 Prelude 6:15

Fretless Bass – Victor Bailey

Piano, Synthesizer, Drum Programming, Sampler [Sampled Vocals] – Philippe Saisse

Soprano Saxophone – Bill Evans 

Trombone – Michael Davis

Trumpet – Chris Botti

10 Images 6:10

Acoustic Guitar – Jonathan Butler

Bass [Upright] – Chris Minh Doky

Drums – Poogie Bell

French Horn – John Clark 

Piano, Synthesizer, Vocals – Philippe Saisse

11 Will You Ever Know 2:46

Piano – Philippe Saisse

Tenor Saxophone – Kirk Whalum