MIKE STERN - All Over The Place (2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
1    AJ    8:53
Mike Stern
2    Cameroon    5:46
Mike Stern
3    Out Of The Blue    6:15
Mike Stern
4    As Far As We Know    6:33
Mike Stern
5    Blues For Al    7:06
Mike Stern
6    OCD    8:07
Mike Stern
7    You Never Told Me    6:18
Mike Stern
8    Half Way Home    6:29
Mike Stern
9    Light    6:14
Mike Stern
10    Flipside    7:22
Mike Stern
11    All Over The Place    6:20
Mike Stern
Credits:
Victor Bailey, Tom Kennedy, Will Lee, Victor Wooten - Bass
Jim Beard - Engineer, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3, Mixing, Piano, Producer, Synthesizer
Richard Bona - Bass, Engineer, Vocals
Randy Brecker - Trumpet
Keith Carlock, Lionel Cordew, Al Foster - Drums
Bob Franceschini, Kenny Garrett, Bob Malach, Chris Potter - Saxophone
Dave Holland - Bass (Acoustic)
Anthony Jackson - Contrabass Guitar
Tim Keiper - Percussion
Esperanza Spalding - Bass (Acoustic), Vocals
Leni Stern - Wah Wah Guitar
Mike Stern - Composer, Guitar, Guitar (Nylon String), Slide Guitar
Kim Thompson, Dave Weckl - Drums

STANLEY CLARKE - The Toys of Men (2007) APE (image+.cue), lossless

It's unfortunate that it took the sad state of international political affairs of the early 21st century to lure Stanley Clarke back to the intense brand of jazz bass playing he pioneered with Return to Forever in the 1970s, but that's what The Toys of Men is all about. Clarke has spent much of the last couple of decades outside of the realm of jazz, scoring films and television programs, but he has said that his disdain for the very idea of war, and specifically the constant state of war in the Middle East, inspired him to put together a fired-up band and make an antiwar statement with this album. Whether he accomplishes that goal is debatable: only one track here, "The Opening of the Gates," contains a sung vocal, by Esperanza Spalding, and the only other voice heard on the recording is the spoken word of Clarke himself. But whether or not instruments can by themselves make the point that violence and destruction do not exactly offer much hope for the future, the music created here is easily Clarke's most dynamic and potent in a long, long time. The set opens with a six-part suite that also lends its name, "The Toys of Men," to the album itself. Those toys, Clarke has said, are weapons, and he disdains mankind's insistence on using them to kill one another. But the toys of choice for this ambitious, sweeping piece of music are musical instruments, and Clarke and his troops slash and burn in a way that often recalls the early fusion of Return to Forever. Working with a core band that includes drummer Ronald Brumer, Jr., guitarists Jef Lee Johnson and Tomer Shtein, keyboardist Ruslan Sirota, and violinist Mads Tolling, Clarke uses the opening collection of connected themes to take off from an earlier song called "Toys" that he recorded with drummer (and former RTF member) Lenny White in a project they called Vertú. The titles of the second and third sections, "Fear" and "Chaos," offer the most obvious clues as to what Clarke is trying to say, although, ironically, "Chaos" is one of the calmer and more luxuriant pieces on the record -- "Fear," meanwhile, lives up to its name, all blistering fusionoid jamming. Clarke takes plenty of opportunities throughout the record to exercise his trademark slapping bass chops, among them a minimal, bluesy solo on the two-minute "Hmm Hmm" and the rambling, adventurous, seven-plus-minute "El Bajo Negro." Other highlights include "Châteauvallon 1972," a steady-rolling slab o' funk dedicated to the late, great drummer Tony Williams, and "Jerusalem," an airy, swaying, acoustic-based epic whose peacefulness direct contrasts with the tension and restlessness that rock the region in which that historical city sits. by Jeff Tamarkin  
Tracklist:
The Toys Of Men (11:13)
Acoustic Guitar – Tomer Shtein
Electric Bass, Double Bass [Acoustic Bass], Vocals [Spoken Words] – Stanley Clarke
Guitar – Jef Lee Johnson
Keyboards, Piano [Acoustic] – Ruslan Sirota
Violin – Mads Tolling
Written-By – Stanley Clarke
Part 1 Draconian
Part 2 Fear
Part 3 Chaos
Part 4 Cosmic Intervention
Part 5 The Opening Of The Gates
Vocals – Esperanza Spalding
Part 6 God Light
2 Come On 3:00
Bass – Stanley Clarke
Drums – Ronald Bruner Jr.
Guitar – Jef Lee Johnson
Keyboards – Ruslan Sirota
Violin – Mads Tolling
Written-By – Mads Tolling, Ronald Bruner Jr., Ruslan Sirota, Stanley Clarke
3 Jerusalem 6:14
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Michael Landau
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – Stanley Clarke
Keyboards, Programmed By [Programming] – Ruslan Sirota
Written-By – Ruslan Sirota, Stanley Clarke
4 Back In The Woods 1:25
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – Stanley Clarke
Written-By – Stanley Clarke
5 All Over Again 5:02
Bass Guitar, Programmed By [Programming] – Stanley Clarke
Drums – Ronald Bruner Jr.
Keyboards – Ruslan Sirota
Lyrics By – Esperanza Spalding
Vocals – Esperanza Spalding
Written-By – Stanley Clarke
6 Hmm Hmm 1:52
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – Stanley Clarke
Written-By – Stanley Clarke
7 Bad Asses 5:02
Drums – Ronald Bruner Jr.
Electric Bass [Tenor Bass] – Stanley Clarke
Written-By – Stanley Clarke
8 Game 3:15
Bass – Stanley Clarke
Drums – Ronald Bruner Jr.
Guitar – Jef Lee Johnson
Keyboards – Phil Davis
Written-By – Stanley Clarke
9 La Cancion De Sofia 3:06
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – Stanley Clarke
Drums – Ronald Bruner Jr.
Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa
Piano [Acoustic] – Ruslan Sirota
Violin – Mads Tolling
Written-By – Stanley Clarke
10 El Bajo Negro 7:42
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – Stanley Clarke
Written-By – Stanley Clarke
11 Broski 1:58
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – Stanley Clarke
Written-By – Stanley Clarke
12 Châteauvallon 1972 (Dedicated To Tony Williams) 5:22
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – Stanley Clarke
Drums – Ronald Bruner Jr.
Piano [Acoustic] – Ruslan Sirota
Written-By – Stanley Clarke
13 Bass Folk Song No.6 2:51
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – Stanley Clarke
Written-By – Stanley Clarke

ESPERANZA SPALDING - Junjo (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The debut recording by acoustic upright bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding, a native of Portland, OR, residing in Boston, MA, is an exercise in joy and freedom. Well rendered for such a very young musician, it's quite notable, considering the certainty of her concept and clarity of her vision. While steeped in contemporary jazz, there are Latin flavors, unabashed free moments, and some implied and direct swing. Further, it is an expression of her well-being, optimism, and future hope for her life in this music. Also in her peer group, pianist Aruan Ortiz and drummer Francisco Mela add a hundredfold to this music and establish themselves as leaders-to-be, and are quite capable partners for Spalding's wonderful sounds. The first piece, a take of the Jimmy Rowles evergreen "The Peacocks," lets you know something special is going on. Spalding's bass leads out with the probing piano of Ortiz as wordless vocals and a modal jam all precede the melody, followed by a free section. The imagination quotient of this interpretation is off the charts. "Mompouana" is a most impressive circular tune surrounding the sweetness and light of Spalding's voice in a 9/8 time signature, choppy piano motifs, upper to midrange drama, and thoughtful, intricate secondary lines. In their ultimate playful state, "Perazuán" and "Perazela" show Spalding's ability to scat, with Ortiz on the former and furiously alongside Mela on the latter track. The other covers are a darker-than-the-original rendition of Chick Corea's neo-bopper "Humpty Dumpty" and the personable, lighthearted "Loro," written by Egberto Gismonti. "Two Bad," with a feeling reminiscent of the standard "Alone Together," is a brittle, quirky, and unpredictable tune that is the only instrumental of the lot. Spalding sings no lyric content whatsoever; her style is all natural, sensual, and precious. Whether she is coerced to sing songs in the future is to be determined. For sure, she is an accomplished bassist, musician, and original thinker. Junjo is an auspicious beginning that should catch the ears of any lover of great music. by Michael G. Nastos 

GUINGA - Porto da Madama (2017) Mp3

JOE LOVANO - Folk Art (2009) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Jazz is essentially an African-American folk art, elements not lost on Joe Lovano as he presents this all-original program of progressive music. His updated quintet Us Five is one of his freshest units in some time, with bassist Esperanza Spalding, the criminally underrated pianist James Weidman, and two stir-the-pot drummers in Francisco Mela and Otis Brown III. Together they fulfill Lovano's vision as a band that is not afraid to take many chances, stay within a bop-based tradition, and cut loose on many levels in terms of adding diverse elements to this mix of music. Lovano is noticeably restless, using his reliable tenor sax, but also straight alto, clarinet, and taragato. The drummers not only play their standard kits, but ethnic percussion instruments from many continents, while Spalding is maturing and growing exponentially into a formidable voice on her instrument. Weidman is simply brilliant throughout, largely ignored since his early days with Abbey Lincoln until now, but there's no reason he should be so underestimated or slighted. The title track is as intriguing as its concept, dipping into modal jazz via a stairstep melody and slipstream steady swing that staggers slightly (influenced by one beer?) punctuated by the drummer's "solo" and Weidman's outstanding bop step out. Always an outside-the-box thinker, Lovano's tenor stretches in unique, post-Coltrane mannerisms for "Us Five" surrounding his rhythm makers and the chords of the piano, while the band explores improvisation in no time during the wondrous "Ettenro," completely untethered by any standardized structure. The distinctive and most enjoyable "Dibango" is a slightly squawky funk with Lovano on taragato, up in a high, sustained register, a bit goofy, and very reminiscent of Don Pullen's great tune "Big Alice." "Powerhouse" is the straitlaced neo-bop tune à la Thelonious Monk that Lovano has always favored, his clarinet comes out on the delicate, serene soul blues "Page 4," and the appropriately titled "Wild Beauty" is not so much exotic as it is edgy within a ballad framework. Of the many excellent and diverse projects Joe Lovano has produced and won critical acclaim for, this ranks with his very best, as strong an album as he has ever produced, with musicianship at an extremely high level, and well-conceived compositions that continue to identify him a true original. Folk Art, close to his definitive statement, is highly recommended, and should be considered a candidate for Jazz Album of 2009.  by Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist:
1 Powerhouse 4:04
Joe Lovano
2 Folk Art 10:06
Joe Lovano
3 Wild Beauty 7:17
Joe Lovano
4 Us Five 8:09
Joe Lovano
5 Song for Judi 5:46
Joe Lovano
6 Drum Song 8:30
Joe Lovano
7 Dibango 6:44
Joe Lovano
8 Page 4 5:52
Joe Lovano
9 Ettenro 8:12
Joe Lovano
Credits:
Bass – Esperanza Spalding
Drums, Bells [Ankle Bells], Gong [Ascending Opera Gong], Gong [Descending Opera Gong] – Otis Brown, III
Drums, Pandeiro [Pandero], Goblet Drum [Dumbek], Drums [Ethopian Drums], Bells [Ankle Bells] – Francisco Mela
Management [Esperanza Spalding] – Montuno Productions
Piano – James Weidman
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone [Straight Alto Saxophone], Tárogató [Taragato], Alto Clarinet, Saxophone [Aulochrome], Gong [Gongs] – Joe Lovano
Written-By – Joe Lovano

JOE LOVANO - Folk Art

 (2009) BLUE NOTE / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa

MIKE STERN - Big Neighborhood (2009) WV (tracks+.cue), lossless

Like all the legends he ever worked for or with, from Miles Davis to Jaco Pastorius, Billy Cobham to the Brecker Brothers, the five-time Grammy nominee has learned over the course of his 26-year recording career -- 33 since he got his breakthrough gig with Blood, Sweat & Tears -- something about the nuanced art of collaboration. Not only does it take a village to make a great, boundary-stretching jazz recording, the wild excursions on his second Heads Up date seem to be shouting, as it actually involves a whole Big Neighborhood. On this diverse 12-track set, whose styles range from blazing jazz fusion to African-tinged exotica and trippy Middle Eastern journeys, Mike Stern invites a few of his pals back who populated his similarly eclectic 2006 label debut Who Let the Cats Out? Especially significant is the renewed invitation extended to Richard Bona, whose rumbling bass and spirited vocalese bring authenticity to the highly spiritual African vibes of "Reach." Looks like Stern's got a little crush on the brilliant young bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spalding, whose voice, he says, knocks him out. Pairing her with drum great Terri Lyne Carrington isn't just a cool, girl-power endeavor. The two have genuine chemistry with the guitarist; "Song for Pepper" drifts dreamily with Spalding's endearing vocalizations, and "Coupe de Ville" darts and swings playfully as Bob Malach's sax and Stern's strings weave through the rhythmic foundation forged by Spalding and Carrington. Finally, Stern swings the door open to a lot of fresh melodic and improvisational ideas via his jazz-rock cohorts Eric Johnson (playing it cool on the moody, soulful "6th Street") and Steve Vai (wailing like crazy on the searing title track). He goes artsier with "jam band godfathers" Medeski, Martin & Wood, who help spin a wild blues-rock web on "Check One" and cool to a simmer on the more pop/rock-oriented "Check One." There's also an appearance by Stern's old friend, Randy Brecker. This is one block party jazz fusion fans won't want to miss in 2009! by Jonathan Widran 
Credits
1 Big Neighborhood 7:40
Bass – Lincoln Goines
Drums – Dave Weckl
Guitar – Mike Stern, Steve Vai
Piano, Keyboards – Jim Beard
2 6th Street 7:48
Bass – Lincoln Goines
Drums – Lionel Cordew
Guitar – Eric Johnson, Mike Stern
Organ [Hammond] – Jim Beard
3 Reach 5:29
Bass, Vocals – Richard Bona
Drums – Dave Weckl
Guitar – Mike Stern
Piano, Keyboards – Jim Beard
Saxophone – Bob Franceschini
4 Song For Pepper 5:43
Bass, Vocals – Esperanza Spalding
Drums – Terri Lyne Carrington
Guitar – Mike Stern
Piano, Organ [Hammond] – Jim Beard
5 Coupe De Ville 4:35
Bass, Vocals – Esperanza Spalding
Drums – Terri Lyne Carrington
Guitar – Mike Stern
Piano – Jim Beard
Saxophone – Bob Malach
6 Bird Blue 5:42
Bass, Vocals – Esperanza Spalding
Drums – Terri Lyne Carrington
Guitar – Mike Stern
Piano, Keyboards – Jim Beard
7 Moroccan Roll 7:04
Bass – Lincoln Goines
Drums – Dave Weckl
Guitar – Mike Stern
Piano, Keyboards – Jim Beard
Sitar [Sitar Guitar] – Steve Vai
8 Long Time Gone 7:51
Bass – Lincoln Goines
Drums – Lionel Cordew
Guitar – Eric Johnson, Mike Stern
Organ [Hammond] – Jim Beard
9 Check One 7:37
Drums – Billy Martin
Electric Bass – Chris Wood
Guitar – Mike Stern
Organ [Hammond], Clavinet – John Medeski
Saxophone – Bob Malach
10 That's All It Is 4:50
Acoustic Bass – Chris Wood  
Drums – John Medeski
Guitar – Mike Stern
Organ [Hammond], Piano [Wurlitzer] – John Medeski
Saxophone – Bob Malach
11 Hope You Don't Mind 5:18
Bass – Chris Minh Doky
Drums – Cindy Blackman
Guitar – Mike Stern
Piano – Jim Beard
Trumpet – Randy Brecker

MIKE STERN - Big Neighborhood

 (2009) HUCD / WAVPack (tracks+.cue), lossless

 O Púbis da Rosa

Esperanza Spalding - Esperanza (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Bassist, vocalist, and composer Esperanza Spalding's eponymous release on Heads Up International is touted on the Concord Label Group's website as her debut recording. This is patently untrue. In fact, if it weren't for her actual debut , 2006's Junjo on Spain's Ayva imprint, this set may not have existed at all. Junjo showcased Spalding as a leader, playing in an acoustic trio with pianist Aruan Ortiz and drummer Francisco Mela singing wordlessly over bubbling Latin and Afro-Cuban melodies and rhythms. Though written by Brazilian legend Milton Nasciemento and featuring backing vocalists and additional percussion to the bass, piano, and drum format, Esperanza's opening track, "Ponta De Areia" resembles the sound and M.O. of the earlier album quite a bit. This is on purpose, as Spalding simply nods to one of the many places she comes from musically. The track, with its languid, nursery rhyme-like melody and beautifully understated instrumental accompaniment, gently opens the listener to an aural experience that's quite unlike anything else out there. Spalding sings in three languages here -- English, Spanish, and Portuguese -- she plays bass, does the arranging, and acts as her own producer on this wildly diverse and exceptionally well-executed set. How does a 23-year-old get all that control? Simple: she's a prodigy; she is a seasoned session player (she's worked with Joe Lovano, Pat Metheny, and Patti Austin to name just three), and she's a faculty member at the Berklee College of Music.

The ambition on display on Esperanza is not blind; it's deeply intuitive, and her focus brings out the adventure on the album in all the right ways. By a lesser musician, even attempting something like this would have been disastrous. A core band consisting of pianist Leo Genovese, percussionist Jamey Haddad, and drummer Otis Brown backs Spalding. She follows the Nasciemento cut with her own fingerpopping midtempo ballad "I Know You Know," where her crystal clear contralto walks a phrasing tightrope between near scat, classic jazz, and Latin soul singing. The layers of hand percussion and knotty pianism fill the middle as her bassline and drums hold down a constant skittering thrum for the lyrics to balance on. But she can write and sing straight ballads as well. "Fall In," a seemingly simple duet where her voice over Genovese's piano are the only ornaments, is a stellar example and also displays a very sophisticated and slippery sense of wordcraft and a gorgeous melodic sensibility. "I Adore You," featuring Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez in one of his two appearances on drums, offers another example of Spalding's wordless vocalizing; it is a popping Brazilian samba-cum-rhumba with a snappy backing chorus of Brown, Gretchen Parlato, and Theresa Perez. They help her move the smoking piano and the shuffling, time-shifting drums of Hernandez on the choruses. Spalding's bass part here is anything but basic, it's startling in its rhythmic and lyric invention as it adds another harmonic counterpart to the piano and percussive textures. New Orleans saxophonist Donald Harrison performs in one of his two guest spots on the provocative and sassy jazz tune "She Got to You." With a quick, even-burning tempo, there are traces of Betty Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, and even Blossom Dearie in Spalding's phrasing. For all of the hard-driving percussion and the track's boppish tempo, it is wonderfully accessible. "Precious," played with her trio (including some nice Rhodes work by Genovese) is like a mirror image; it's lithe, new-soul melody line flirts with jazz in the arrangement but stays on the pop side of the fence. If radio would get behind this it would be a monster. "Mela" is a wailing, post-bop instrumental with Hernandez on drums and guest Ambrose Akinmusire on trumpet. Check Spalding's bass solo here, it, like the tune, is a burner. In sum, Esperanza sounds like the work of a much older, more experienced player, singer, and songwriter. Spalding not only has these gifts in natural abundance but is disciplined in her execution as well. On this recording she seeks to widen her musical adventure at every turn, but she does it with such with taste, refinement, and a playful sense of humor that virtually anyone who encounters this offering will find not only much to delight in, but plenty to be amazed by as well.

Tracklist :

1. "Ponta de Areia" (Milton Nascimento, Fernando Brant) - 5:39

2. "I Know You Know" - 3:46

3. "Fall In" - 3:57

4. "I Adore You" - 7:27

5. "Cuerpo y Alma (Body & Soul)" (Edward Heyman, Robert Sour) - 8:01

6. "She Got to You" - 4:29

7. "Precious" - 4:24

8. "Mela" - 6:57

9. "Love in Time" - 5:47

10."Espera" - 4:40

11."If That's True" - 7:33

12."Samba em Preludio" (Vinícius de Moraes, Baden Powell) - 5:11

All songs written and composed by Esperanza Spalding, except where noted

Personnel

Esperanza Spalding - electric bass, acoustic bass, vocals

Leo Genovese - piano, Wurlitzer electric piano (track 7), Fender Rhodes piano (track 10)

Jamey Haddad - percussion

Otis Brown - drums

Horacio Hernandez - drums (tracks 4 and 8)

Ambrose Akinmusire - trumpet (tracks 8 and 11)

Donald Harrison - saxophone (tracks 6 and 11)

Gretchen Parlato - background vocals (tracks 1 and 4)