KEITH JARRETT TRIO - Tokyo '96 (1998) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Recorded in Tokyo's Orchard Hall before Japanese royalty and a packed house -- and released two years later while Keith Jarrett was out of action suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome -- the standards trio lives up to its formidable track record of consistency and then some. Jarrett and perennial cohorts Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette are, if anything, even sharper, swinging harder and more attuned to each other than ever. There was a stronger Latin subtext in Tokyo that night than usual; "I'll Remember April" opens with a long, spare drum solo and becomes a high-spirited calypso-flavored workout, and "Last Night When We Were Young" segues into a Jarrett boogaloo improv called "Caribbean Sky." Two bop standards touch off further electric sparks; there is a joyously funky "Billie's Bounce," and Jarrett really puts all of Bud Powell's imitators in the shade with his right-handed prowess on "John's Abbey." Even those who have assiduously collected all of the standards trio's voluminous output will find Jarrett, Peacock and DeJohnette speaking to them in fresh ways here. by Richard S. Ginell

Tracklist:

1 It Could Happen To You 11:39

Written-By – Jimmy Van Heusen / Johnny Burke

2 Never Let Me Go 6:45

Written-By – Jay Livingston / Ray Evans

3 Billie's Bounce 8:07

Written-By – Charlie Parker

4 Summer Night 7:38

Written-By – Al Dubin, Harry Warren 

5 I'll Remember April 10:20

Written-By – Don Raye, Gene De Paul, Patricia Johnston

6 Mona Lisa 3:02

Written-By – Jay Livingston / Ray Evans

7 Autumn Leaves 7:44

Written-By – Jacques Prevert, Joseph Kosma

8 Last Night When We Were Young / Caribbean Sky 9:34

8.1 Last Night When We Were Young

Written-By – E. Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen

8.2 Caribbean Sky

Written-By – Keith Jarrett

9 John's Abbey 5:50

Written-By – Bud Powell

10 My Funny Valentine / Song 7:16

10.1 My Funny Valentine / Song 10.2 ­

Written-By – Richard Rodgers / Lorenz Hart

Written-By – Keith Jarrett

Credits:

Bass – Gary Peacock

Drums – Jack DeJohnette

Piano – Keith Jarrett

Producer [Album Produced By] – Manfred Eicher

ECM 1666

Recorded live March 30, 1996

at Orchard Hall, Tokyo

KEITH JARRETT TRIO - Bye Bye Blackbird (1991-2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is the Keith Jarrett Trio's -- featuring bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette -- elegy for their former employer Miles Davis, recorded only 13 days after the maestro's death. The lonely figure in shadow with a horn on the cover contrasts with the joyous spirit of many of the tracks on this CD, yet there is still a ghostly presence to deal with -- and in keeping with Miles' credo, Jarrett's choice of notes is often more purposefully spare than usual. There is symmetry in the organization of the album, with "Bye Bye Blackbird" opening and the trio's equally jaunty "Blackbird, Bye Bye" closing the album, and the interior tracks immediately following the former and preceding the latter are "You Won't Forget Me" and "I Thought About You." The centerpiece of the CD is an 18-and-a-half-minute group improvisation, "For Miles," which after some DeJohnette tumbling around becomes a dirge sometimes reminiscent of Miles' own elegy for Duke Ellington, "He Loved Him Madly." As an immediate response to a traumatic event, Jarrett and his colleagues strike the right emotional balance to create one of their more meaningful albums. by Richard S. Ginell  

Tracklist:

1. Bye Bye Blackbird - 11:13

(Ray Henderson)

2. You Won't Forget Me - 10:46

(Kermit Goell/Fred Spielman)

3. Butch and Butch - 6:37

(Oliver Nelson)

4. Summer Night - 6:42

(Al Dubin, Harry Warren)

5. For Miles - 18:43

 (Jarrett/Peacock/DeJohnette) 

6. Straight No Chaser - 6:46

 (Thelonious Monk) 

7. I Thought About You - 4:02

(Jimmy Van Heusen/Johnny Mercer)

8. Blackbird, Bye Bye - 3:02

 (Jarrett/Peacock/DeJohnette)

Personnel

Keith Jarrett piano

Gary Peacock bass

Jack DeJohnette drums

ECM 1467

Recorded October 12, 1991 at Power Station, New York

JOHN COLTRANE - Standards (2001) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Every five years since 1986, the corporate custodians of Impulse! have served up batches of Coltrane reissues and unreleased tapes to commemorate a birthday ending in "0" or "5." In the year 2001, which would have been Coltrane's 75th birthday, current label owner Vivendi Universal delivered four single CDs, three of which serve tourists who want to get on the 'Trane for the first time. Standards is probably the least eventful of the lot, offering no unreleased material or particularly enticing packaging. But you won't get shortchanged by the music, which takes us from the first galvanic Impulse! album Africa/Brass ("Greensleeves") through the run of projects by Coltrane's classic quartet of the first half of the '60s (McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones). The tour makes stops at the Village Vanguard for a driving "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," at Birdland for "I Want to Talk About You," a studio date with the dark-honeyed baritone of Johnny Hartman caressing "Lush Life" and "Autumn Serenade." You won't find any examples of the wilder, atonal Coltrane beyond 1965 -- which is just as well since there aren't too many standards to choose from. As a program of Coltrane music, this one plays pretty well, mixing up the tempos and meters astutely. Yet you wonder how representative an album labeled "standards" can be that doesn't include the most famous Coltrane-covered standard of all, "My Favorite Things," among other things. by Richard S. Ginell  
Tracklist:
1 All or Nothing at All 3:33
Arthur Altman / Jack Lawrence
2 Greensleeves 9:59
Traditional
3 Lush Life 5:28
Billy Strayhorn
4 Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise 6:31
Oscar Hammerstein II / Sigmund Romberg
5 I Want to Talk About You 8:10
Billy Eckstine
6 The Inch Worm 6:17
Frank Loesser
7 Autumn Serenade 4:19
Peter DeRose / Sammy Gallop
8 Feeling Good 6:23
Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley
9 What's New? 3:45
Johnny Burke / Bob Haggart
10 Out of This World 14:02
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
Credits:
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Saxophone [Tenor, Soprano] – John Coltrane
Vocals – Johnny Hartman

JOHN COLTRANE AND JOHNNY HARTMAN - John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (1963-2008) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

John Coltrane's matchup with singer Johnny Hartman, although quite unexpected, works extremely well. Hartman was in prime form on the six ballads, and his versions of "Lush Life" and "My One and Only Love" have never been topped. Coltrane's playing throughout the session is beautiful, sympathetic, and still exploratory; he sticks exclusively to tenor on the date. At only half an hour, one wishes there were twice as much music, but what is here is classic, essential for all jazz collections. by Scott Yanow

Tracklist:

1 They Say It's Wonderful 5:20
Irving Berlin
2 Dedicated to You 5:32
Sammy Cahn / Saul Chaplin / Hy Zaret
3 My One and Only Love 4:55
Robert Mellin / Guy Wood
4 Lush Life 5:29
Billy Strayhorn
5 You Are Too Beautiful 5:36
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
6 Autumn Serenade 4:19
Peter DeRose / Sammy Gallop
Credits:
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane
Vocals – Johnny Hartman

HENRI SALVADOR - Henri ! (2001) 3CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist 1:
1. Le petit indien 3:13
2. Le loup, la biche et le chevalier 2:28
3. Elle me donne 2:42
4. Margaret 2:58
5. Papa loves mambo 3:20
6. Le roi des Caves 3:54
7. Pierrot et Colombine 2:56
8. Cendrillon 3:49
9. L'abeille et le papillon 2:33
10. Rock and roll mops 2:43
11. Dis-moi qu'tu m'aimes rock 2:38
12. Rock hoquet 2:29
13. Va t'faire cuire un oeuf, man ! 2:52
14. Salvador plays the blues 7:02
15. Don't blame me 3:27
16. Stompin' at the Savoy 3:40
17. Y a rien d'aussi beau 2:56
18. Eh ! Mama ! 2:40
19. Oh ! si y'avait pas ton père 2:27
20. C'était hier 2:40
21. Quand je monte chez toi 3:04
22. As-tu vu Adèle ? 2:52
23. Amour perdu 2:43
24. T'es à peindre 3:34
Tracklist 2:
1. Mazurka pour ma mie 2:58
2. Ça pince 2:22
3. Cécilia 3:03
4. Dans mon île 3:22
5. Marianne 3:01
6. Mathilda 2:28
7. Je peux pas travailler 3:08
8. Blouse du dentiste 3:28
9. Moi j'préfère la marche à pied 2:31
10. Trompette d'occasion 2:40
11. Le gosse 3:09
12. Sarah 3:08
13. Le langage des fleurs 2:54
14. Barbarie 2:50
15. Une île au soleil 2:25
16. Riobamba 2:45
17. Bora Bora 2:39
18. Ma jolie petite fleur 2:21
19. Come prima 2:04
20. Bal de Vienne 2:36
21. J'aimerais tellement ça 2:50
Tracklist 3:
1. Un certain sourire 2:50
2. Je me souviens de vous 2:32
3. Gigi 2:49
4. C'était pour jouer 2:37
5. Amour de Saint-Tropez 2:35
6. Rendez-vous au Lavandou 2:40
7. A Cannes cet été 2:38
8. La fin des vacances 2:52
9. Mon ange gardien 2:34
10. Chiche 1:55
11. Place Blanche 1:56
12. Maman 2:24
13. Tout doux, tout doucement 2:18
14. Ne dis plus rien 3:10
15. Petite fleur 2:45
16. Ne sois pas méchante 2:22
17. Ma Louise 2:22
18. Pas mon papa 2:34
19. Soleil de minuit 2:52
20. Verte campagne 3:02
21. Les Papous 2:25
22. Le soleil, ton visage et la mer 2:05
23. L'amour est là 2:33

HARRY BELAFONTE - Belafonte Sings the Blues (1962) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After flirting with traditional African-American material in his previous albums, Belafonte, for the first time, devotes an entire album to the blues. However, of the eleven songs, only two could be classified as traditional blues: "In the Evenin' Mama" and "Cotton Fields," the latter given a five minute treatment. Belafonte would take this song on the road as part of his live act for the next decade. Of the other songs, three were covers of Ray Charles standards ("A Fool For You," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Mary Ann"). Another highlight is Belafonte's rendition of Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child." With few exceptions, the entire album is understated and not as exciting or riveting as other Belafonte records. Still, it's solid listening, and taken track by track, thoughtful performances. Footnote: this was the first Belafonte album recorded in stereo. Some releases feature a thick, dark blue spine. by Cary Ginell
Tracklist:
1 A Fool For You 3:38
Written-By – Ray Charles
2 Losing Hand 4:16
Written-By – Charles Calhoun
3 One For My Baby 4:34
Written-By – Johnny Mercer - Harold Arlen 
4 In The Evenin' Mama 3:29
Written-By – C. C. Carter 
5 Hallelujah I Love Her So 2:53
Written-By – Ray Charles
6 The Way That I Feel 4:29

Written-By – Fred Brooks

7 Cotton Fields 5:17
Written-By – C. C. Carter 
8 God Bless' The Child 5:03
Written-By – Herzog, Jr., Holiday 
9 Mary Ann 2:41
Written-By – Ray Charles
10 Sinner's Prayer 4:42
Written-By – Lowell Fulson
11 Fare Thee Well 4:37
Written-By – Fred Brooks
Credits:
Conductor – Alan Greene, Bob Corman, Dennis Farnon

THE FOUR FRESHMEN - The Complete Capitol Four Freshmen Fifties Sessions (2000) 9CD / FLAC (tracks), lossless

Who better than the connoisseurs at Mosaic records to properly document the legacy of pop vocal pioneers the Four Freshmen? Superior sound as well as booklets that are equally as informative as they are visually striking herald the label's long-standing commitment to quality. This nine-disc retrospective contains all 14 Four Freshmen long-players cut for Capitol records during the '50s, as well as the quartet's contributions to Stan Kenton's Popular Favorites and Road Show albums. The set commences with a five-song demo cut in New York City at the behest of Capitol in April of 1950. The remainder of discs one through three compile the singles and EPs that would eventually be reconfigured and re-released as Voices in Modern and Freshman Favorites, Vols. 1 & 2. Scattered chronologically throughout these three discs are five tracks issued only on 45, with another 17 that remained previously unissued altogether. Discs four through eight contain the concept albums that ultimately became one of the Four Freshmen's most distinctive trademarks. Each featured the quartet with an eclectic variety of musical soundscapes and accompaniments. Included are: ... And Five Trombones, ... And Five Trumpets (featuring four additional bonus tracks), ... And Five Saxes, Voices in Latin (with one additional bonus track), Voices in Love, Love Lost, ... And Five Guitars, Voices and Brass, First Affair, and The Freshman Year. The final disc showcases the Four Freshmen in two different performance environments. The first was originally issued as In Person and includes four bonus tracks. The second is the quartet's sizable contributions to Stan Kenton's Road Show album. A particular highlight is Kenton's orchestral accompaniment on "Day In, Day Out," "Angel Eyes," and "September Song." The latter is also a bonus track featuring vocalist June Christy, who shared the bill with Kenton and the Four Freshmen. The Complete Capitol Four Freshmen Fifties Sessions box set is limited to an edition of 3,500 copies and available mostly at independent CD dealers or online at www.mosaicrecords.com. by Lindsay Planer  

STAN KENTON - Cuban Fire! (1960-1991) MONO / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This CD contains one of the classic Stan Kenton albums, a six-part suite composed and arranged by Johnny Richards. The Kenton orchestra was expanded to 27 pieces for these dates including six percussionists, two French horns and six trumpets. With such soloists as tenor-great Lucky Thompson (on "Fuego Cubano,") trombonist Carl Fontana, altoist Lennie Niehaus, Bill Perkins on tenor and trumpeters Sam Noto and Vinnie Tanno, and plenty of raging ensembles, this is one of Stan Kenton's more memorable concept albums of the 1950s. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Fuego Cubano (Cuban Fire) 6:02
Johnny Richards
2 El Congo Valiente (Valiant Congo) 5:53
Johnny Richards
3 Recuerdos (Reminiscences) 5:01
Johnny Richards
4 Quien Sabe (Who Knows) 4:49
Johnny Richards
5 Guera Baila (The Fair One Dances) 5:09
Johnny Richards
6 La Suerte de los Tontos (Fortune of Fools) 4:20
Johnny Richards
7 Tres Corarones (Three Hearts) 2:59
Johnny Richards
8 Maliba Moonlight 3:51
Johnny Richards
9 El Dangon 4:34
Johnny Richards
10 Carnival 5:21
Gene Roland
11 Wagon 3:05
Johnny Richards
12 Early Hours (Lady Luck) 2:56
Gene Roland
Credits:
Alto Saxophone – Gabe Baltazar (tracks: 8 to 12), Lennie Niehaus (tracks: 1 to 7)
Baritone Saxophone – Billy Root (tracks: 1 to 7), Marvin Holladay (tracks: 8 to 12), Wayne Dunston (tracks: 8 to 12)
Bass – Curtis Counce (tracks: 1 to 7), Pete Chivily (tracks: 8 to 12)
Bass Saxophone – Wayne Dunston (tracks: 8 to 12)
Bass Trombone – Bob Knight (tracks: 8 to 12), Jim Amlotte (tracks: 8 to 12)
Bongos – Willie Rodriguez (tracks: 1 to 7)
Claves – Roger Mozian (tracks: 1 to 7)
Congas – George Acevedo (tracks: 8 to 12), Tommy Lopez (tracks: 1 to 7)
Drums – Art Anton (tracks: 8 to 12), Mel Lewis (tracks: 1 to 7)
Flugelhorn – Vinnie Tano (tracks: 1 to 7)
French Horn – Irving Rosenthal (tracks: 1 to 7x), Julius Watkins (tracks: 1 to 7)
Guitar – Ralph Blaze (tracks: 1 to 7)
Maracas – Mario Alvarez (tracks: 1 to 7)
Mellophone – Bill Horan (tracks: 8 to 12), Dwight Carver (tracks: 8 to 12), Gene Rolland (tracks: 8 to 12), Joe Burnett (tracks: 8 to 12), Tom Wirtel (tracks: 8 to 12)
Piano – Stan Kenton
Tenor Saxophone – Bill Perkins (tracks: 1 to 7), Lucky Thompson (tracks: 1 to 7), Paul Renzi (tracks: 8 to 12), Sam Donahue (tracks: 8 to 12)
Timbales – George Laguna (tracks: 1 to 7)
Timpani – George Gaber (tracks: 1 to 7), Saul Gubin (tracks: 1 to 7)
Trombone – Bob Fitzpatrick (tracks: 1 to 7), Carl Fontana (tracks: 1 to 7), Dick Hyde (tracks: 8 to 12), Don Kelly (tracks: 1 to 7), Kent Larsen (tracks: 1 to 7), Ray Sikora (tracks: 8 to 12)
Trumpet – Al Mattaliano (tracks: 1 to 7), Bob Rolfe (tracks: 8 to 12), Bud Brisbois (tracks: 8 to 12), Dalton Smith (tracks: 8 to 12), Ed Leddy (tracks: 1 to 7), John Audino (tracks: 8 to 12), Lee Katzman (tracks: 1 to 7), Phil Gilbert (tracks: 1 to 7), Sam Noto, Steve Hoffsteter (tracks: 8 to 12), Vinnie Tano (tracks: 1 to 7)
Tuba – Albert Pollan (tracks: 8 to 12), Jay McAllister (tracks: 1 to 7)

STAN KENTON - Cuban Fire! (1960) 

(1991)  Capitol / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa

BOBBY McFERRIN - VOCAbuLarieS (2010) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Bobby McFerrin has always been a wildly restless talent, continually looking to develop fresh ideas for the human voice and place it in -- sometimes wildly -- different contexts from simple folk and pop songs to improvisational settings to strident compositional frameworks. His productions include duet records with instrumentalists Chick Corea and Yo-Yo Ma, as well as the creation of a virtual a cappella choir from his own vocal overdubs. All of this said, there has always been “something missing” from his recorded works that shows itself in concert, outside recording studio confines. On VOCAbuLarieS he seems to have found it. This is the work that anyone remotely interested in McFerrin needs to hear. Collaborating with composer, arranger, and conductor Roger Treece over seven years, McFerrin’s been given a foil who not only understands his previous output, but can focus his ideas and take them to the next developmental peak. The pair employed over 50 vocalists from different genres and nations to create a virtual choir in the studio. According to a press release, they cut over 1,400 vocal tracks. The music here is “fusion” in the most seamless and beautiful sense of the word: classical, pop, soul, Middle Eastern, African, and Eastern European vocal traditions all move together, and encounter one another head-on. They meld into a whole where the seams show, but are elegantly aurally tailored to create something entirely new -- even if the material always isn’t. Three selections here come from the controversially beautiful Medicine Music album, from 1996. But the versions here are radically different than the originals; the voices, rhythms, textures, and even ambiences of these voices have a more muscular quality, much more forceful and complex while simultaneously being more "listenable." The opener, “Baby,” provides proof. In the original it was a simple folk song, a lullaby with African roots; here is it a harmonically challenging, intricate labyrinth where 22 singers accompany McFerrin as well as a rhythm section. ”Wailers” is a pulsing chant with Middle Eastern, African, and Eastern European harmonies woven together by singers who include Sussan Deyhim, Luciana Souza, and Janis Siegel. ”He Ran to the Train” combines -- in a wholly new way -- two tracks from Medicine Music in an explosively knotty, compellingly emotional call-and-response piece that is as rhythmically complex as it is harmonically. The set closes with “Brief Eternity,” a new piece of modern sacred music that evokes everything from Gregorian chant and polyphony to John Tavener and Arvo Pärt. VOCAbuLarieS is easily McFerrin’s finest moment on record as well as his most ambitious, and should win him some new fans even among cynics. by Thom Jurek 
Tracklist:
1 Baby 8:04
Bobby McFerrin / Roger Treece
2 Say Ladeo 8:44
Bobby McFerrin / Don Rosler / Roger Treece
3 Wailers 10:25
Bobby McFerrin / Roger Treece
4 Messages 11:22
Don Rosler / Roger Treece
5 The Garden 8:34
Bobby McFerrin / Roger Treece
6 He Ran to the Train 10:29
Bobby McFerrin / Roger Treece
7 Brief Eternity 06:13
Don Rosler / Roger Treece

BOBBY McFERRIN - VOCAbuLarieS

 (2010) Emarcy / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 O Púbis da Rosa

ARNE DOMNÉRUS - Jazz at the Pawnshop [1977] LP [24-96] FLAC (tracks), lossless

This is the first of four CD volumes that fully document a legendary engagement at the Pawnshop club in Stockholm, Sweden. Featured are Arne Domnerus (doubling on alto and clarinet), pianist Bengt Hallberg, vibraphonist Lars Erstrand, bassist Georg Riedel and drummer Egil Johansen. They mostly stick to swing standards, recalling the groups of Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. Highlights include a heated "Limehouse Blues," the African folk song "High Life," "Lady Be Good" and Coleman Hawkins's "Stuffy." All of the volumes in this series are well worth getting by straightahead jazz fans, particularly those not familiar with Arne Domnerus's excellent playing. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist  
A1 Limehouse Blues                9:35
   Written By – Philip Braham / Douglas Furber / Arne Domnérus
A2 I'm Confessin                    8:00
   Written By – Ellis Reynolds / Arne Domnérus
A3 High Life                          6:40
   Written By – Traditional / edit B. Egerbladh
B1 Lady Be Good                      9:00
   Written By – George Gershwin / Bengt Hallberg
B2 Take Five                          7:00
   Written By – Paul Desmond / Arne Domnérus
B3 Everything Happens To Me 5:00
   Written By – Matt Dennis / Arne Domnérus
Personnel:
– Arne Domnérus - alto saxophone & clarinet
– Bengt Hallberg - piano
– Lars Erstrand - vibes
– Georg Riedel - bass
– Egil Johansen - drums

ARNE DOMNÉRUS - Jazz at the Pawnshop 

[1977] ATR / LP [24bit 96khz] FLAC (tracks), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa

BOBBY McFERRIN - The Voice [1984] APE (image+.cue), lossless

The Voice was a milestone in jazz history; it was the first time a jazz singer had recorded an entire album solo, without accompaniment or overdubbing, for a major label. Bobby McFerrin's amazing ability to switch back and forth between bass notes and falsetto, along with his talent for jumping octaves, made this record quite a virtuoso showcase. For those interested in the potential of the human voices and in an important jazz talent, The Voice is recommended without reservations.  by Scott Yanow 
Tracklist 
1 Blackbird 2:49
John Lennon / Paul McCartney 
2 The Jump 4:49
Bobby McFerrin 
3 El Brujo 4:11
Bobby McFerrin 
4 I Feel Good 3:02
James Brown 
5 I'm My Own Walkman 3:58
Bobby McFerrin 
6 Music Box 3:40
Bobby McFerrin 
7 Medley: Donna Lee/Big Top/We're in the Money 7:01
Al Dubin / Bobby McFerrin / Charlie Parker / Harry Warren 
8 I'm Alone 4:37
Bobby McFerrin 
9 T.J. 3:47
Bobby McFerrin 
10 Take the "A" Train 3:40
Billy Strayhorn 
Credits:
Vocals [Live Acapella], Bobby McFerrin

BOBBY McFERRIN - The Voice

 [1984] Elektra / APE (image+.cue), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa

SAMMY DAVIS JR & BUDDY RICH - The Sounds of '66 [1966]

If a pop singer is backed by a jazz band, he/she doesn't automatically turn into a jazz singer -- having jazz accompaniment doesn't necessarily make you jazz. But if a pop singer likes to swing, having jazz accompaniment is certainly a plus. Like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr. was a jazz-influenced pop singer who knew how to swing hard. And when Davis joined forces with drummer Buddy Rich in 1966, swinging hard was inevitable. The Sounds of '66 documents a 1966 show in Las Vegas, where Davis was backed by Rich's big band. Although Rich had a reputation for being difficult to work with and could be a loose cannon at times, he was an extraordinary musician -- and if you were able to get along with the volatile drummer (musically or personally), he could certainly add a lot of fire to your performances. Fire is exactly what Rich brings to The Sounds of '66; he clearly inspires Davis to go that extra mile on performances of songs that range from "Come Back to Me" to Sammy Cahn's "If It's the Last Thing I Do" and Frank Loesser's "Once in Love With Amy." Even "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead" (a song that listeners generally associate with The Wizard of Oz) is hard-swinging -- Davis and Rich approach the E.Y. "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen song as aggressive big band pop, not children's music. A major departure from the famous Wizard of Oz version, Davis and Rich's version is definitely an adult interpretation. Not every album that Davis recorded in the '60s is great, but lovers of traditional jazz-influenced pop can't go wrong with this excellent CD.  by Alex Henderson 
Tracklist:
1  Come Back to Me 4:12
Burton Lane / Alan Jay Lerner 
2  I Know a Place 2:27
Tony Hatch 
3  What Did I Have That I Don't Have? 3:43
Burton Lane / Alan Jay Lerner 
4  What the World Needs Now Is Love 3:04
Burt Bacharach / Hal David 
5  Once in Love With Amy 2:45
Frank Loesser 
6  Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead 1:48
Harold Arlen / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg 
7  What Now My Love 3:07
Gilbert Bécaud / Pierre Delanoë / Carl Sigman 
8  What Kind of Fool Am I?  3:07
Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley 
9  If It's the Last Thing I Do 3:24
Sammy Cahn / Saul Chaplin 
10 Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone 3:26
Sidney Clare / Sam H. Stept 
Credits
Arranged By, Conductor – Ernie Freeman, George Rhodes
Featuring – Buddy Rich And His Orchestra

SAMMY DAVIS JR & BUDDY RICH - The Sounds of '66 [1966]

RM [1996] Reprise / CBR320 / scans

O Púbis da Rosa

NEW YORK VOICES - A Day Like This [2007] MCG / FLAC

With ensemble vocal jazz, the danger is always that tight and complex harmony writing will come across as too smooth and too sweet -- for some reason, chords that sound sharp and bracing when distributed among reed instruments can sound cloying and overly slick when sung by human voices. The vocal/instrumental quartet New York Voices don't avoid that trap entirely on their latest album (and their first as an ensemble in seven years), but they continue to demonstrate their mastery of the genre with a solid program of new and old songs and innovative arrangements. Their take on "Darn That Dream" is startlingly new (and features a fine bass clarinet solo by Bob Mintzer), and the lyrics that group members added to John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice" work very nicely. Not everyone will agree that the world needed a vocal jazz version of Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic," but the New York Voices' version is really lots of fun and is sure to bring a nostalgic tear to more than one baby-boomer eye. Apart from a couple of saccharine moments on "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," A Day Like This is a pleasure from start to finish. by Rick Anderson   
Tracklist
1   Darn That Dream 3:31
Eddie DeLange 
2   The World Keeps You Waiting 6:08
Peter Eldridge / Lauren Kinhan 
3   In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning 5:30
Bob Hilliard 
4   On a Clear Day 5:02
Burton Lane / Alan Jay Lerner 
5   For All We Know 4:02
J. Fred Coots 
6   Love You Madly 4:20
Duke Ellington 
7   As We Live and Breathe  4:23
Lauren Kinhan / Eve Nelson 
8   No Moon at All 4:51
Redd Evans 
9   Chamego (Betty's Bossa) 4:00
Jack Donahue / Peter Eldridge 
10   Noticing the Moment 4:36
John Coltrane / Peter Eldridge / Kim Nazarian 
11   Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing 4:33
Stevie Wonder 
12   Stoned Soul Picnic 3:44
Laura Nyro 
13   A Day Like This 4:49
Peter Eldridge / Darmon Meader 
14   Jackie  4:31
Hampton Hawes / Annie Ross
Credits 
Voice – Kim Nazarian, Lauren Kinhan
Voice, Piano – Peter Eldridge
Voice, Tenor Saxophone – Darmon Meader

NEW YORK VOICES - A Day Like This

 [2007] MCG / FLAC / scans

O Púbis da Rosa

APRIL STEVENS - Teach Me Tiger! [1959] FLAC

April Stevens (born Carol LoTempio, April 29, 1936, Niagara Falls, New York) is an American singer.

She has recorded since she was 16 years old. Her most popular solo recording was her RCA Victor recording of "I'm in Love Again" (music and lyrics by Cole Porter). Accompanied by an orchestra arranged and conducted by Henri René, Stevens' recording peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1951.

Stevens returned to the U.S. chart in 1959 with the song "Teach Me Tiger", which caused a minor uproar for its sexual suggestiveness and consequently did not receive airplay on many radio stations. The song peaked at No. 86 on the Billboard Hot 100. Stevens' recording of this song often erroneously accredited to Marilyn Monroe.

She is perhaps best known for her 1963 Atco Records recording of "Deep Purple" (music by Peter DeRose and lyrics by Mitchell Parish) with her brother Antonino LoTempio (singing under the stage name Nino Tempo). A standard song that Larry Clinton and His Orchestra and band vocalist Bea Wain had popularized in 1939, the Stevens and Tempo version reached No.1 on the Billboard chart in November 1963. The song won the 1964 Grammy Award for Best Rock and Roll Recording. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

They also enjoyed a 1964 follow-up hit in the U.S. with the standard song "Whispering" (music by Vincent Rose and lyrics by Richard Coburn and John Schonberger). The recording, which had an arrangement similar to their recording of "Deep Purple", reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. They also had chart success with "All Strung Out", which reached No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966.  by Jason Ankeny 
Tracklist
A1 Do It Again  2:36
DeSylva, Gershwin
A2 Teach Me Tiger  2:25
 Tempo
A3 I Want A Lip  2:30
Written-By – Tempo
A4 In Other Words  2:24
 Howard
A5 I Get Ideas  2:29
Cochran, Sanders
A6 Talk To Me  2:15
 Snyder, Vallee, Kahan
B1 I'm In Love Again  2:17
 Porter
B2 That's My Name  1:59
Lampert, Loring
B3 I'm Making Believe  2:14
 Monaco, Gordon
B4 I'll Wait For Your Love  2:36
Hooven, Hooven, Hooven
B5 It Can't Be Wrong  2:07
Gannon, Steiner
B6 When My Baby Smiles At Me  2:14
 Sterling, Munro, Von Tilzer, Lewis

April Stevens - Teach Me Tiger [1959]

 Imperial 12055 / LP /  2012 / TOCJ-9745 / FLAC / scans

O Púbis da Rosa

PEGGY LEE - Dream Street (1957-1999) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Dream Street captures Peggy Lee at her most intimate and melancholy -- a song cycle exploring love and loss in uncompromisingly frank terms, it strips away the saccharine and schmaltz so common among the singer's Decca sessions to effectively create the first truly adult music of her career. Lee occupies the same harrowing emotional territory staked out by Frank Sinatra via the landmark In the Wee Small Hours, investing the material with the kind of heartbreak and longing that belies the whole "easy listening" tag -- this is music shorn of pretense and artifice, as intense as a primal scream yet beautiful in the way only art of this magnitude can be.  by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist 
1 Street Of Dreams  3:17
Written-By – S.M. Lewis, V. Young
2 What's New  2:55
Written-By – B. Haggart, J. Burke
3 You're Blase  2:46
Written-By – B. Sievier, O. Hamilton
4 It's All Right With Me  2:20
Written-By – C. Porter
5 My Old Flame  2:35
Written-By – A. Johnston, S. Coslow
6 Dancing On The Ceiling  3:36
Written-By – L. Hart, R. Rogers
7 It Never Entered My Mind  2:57
Written-By – L. Hart, R. Rogers
8 Too Late Now  3:44
Written-By – A. J. Lerner, B. Lane
9 I've Grown Accustomed To His Face  2:42
Written-By – A. J. Lerner, F. Lowe
10 Something I Dreamed Last Night  2:25
Written-By – H. Magidson, J. Yellen, S. Fain
11 Last Night When We Were Young  2:51
Written-By – E.Y. Harburg, H. Arlen
12 So Blue  2:11
Written-By – DeSylva, Brown, Henderson
Credits
Larry Bunker - Percussion, Vibraphone
Nick Fatool - Drums
Peggy Lee - Primary Artist, Vocals
Lou Levy - Piano

SUE RANEY - Songs For A Raney Day [1959] CAPITOL / FLAC

Tracklist:
1 I Get the Blues When It Rains  2:46
Marcy Klauber / Harry Stoddard
2 Impossible  2:57
Steve Allen
3 A Blossom Fell  2:08
Howard Barnes / Harold Cornelius / Dominic John
4 Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams  2:37
Harry Barris / Ted Koehler / Billy Moll
5 The Whippoorwill Song  2:11
6 Rain  2:49
Eugene Ford
7 Rain on the Roof  2:09
Ann Ronell
8 Blue Tears  2:49
Sue Raney
9 Exactly Like You  2:34
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
10 Wanna' Laugh?  2:31
Larry Coleman
11 My Prayer  3:17
Georges Boulanger / Jimmy Kennedy
12 September in the Rain  2:34
Al Dubin / Harry Warren
Credits
Conductor – Billy May
Vocals – Sue Raney

SUE RANEY - Songs For A Raney Day [1959]

[1997] EMI / FLAC / scans

O Púbis da Rosa

SAMMY DAVIS JR Sings, LAURINDO ALMEIDA Plays [1966] CCM / FLAC

The intimacy inherent in this collection places 1966's Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays in a class unto itself. As he had done on the highly conceptual All-Star Spectacular in 1962 and California Suite in 1964, multi-talented entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. has created a unique and thoroughly fascinating outing. The ten selections feature Davis and Brazilian instrumentalist/arranger Laurindo Almeida, who made a name for himself as an accompanist for Carmen Miranda before delving into the decidedly American art form of West Coast cool jazz with saxophonist Bud Shank in the mid-'50s. Here, the pair effortlessly complement each other inside the very intonation and tenor of their respective crafts. Davis' incisive abilities as an emotive performer bring a pervasive dramatic quality to the wide range of material covered. When compared to fellow Rat Packer Frank Sinatra's reading of "Here's That Rainy Day," Davis' vocals lean into the song, resulting in a palpable sense of melancholia. He evokes a similar sentiment on the achingly poignant version of Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" as well as the hopelessly optimistic "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows." However, the real magic woven into this collaboration is without a doubt Davis' incorporation of several significant Broadway melodies. "Where Is Love" -- taken from Lionel Bart's Oliver -- is a stunning, if not mesmerizing, interpretation. "Joey, Joey, Joey" bears an earthy closeness, offering what is arguably a defining moment as the tune transcends its place within the stage production Most Happy Fella, becoming an exceptional and exquisite ballad. [In 2004, Collectors' Choice Music reissued Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays as part of the label's complete restoration of Davis' 1960s Reprise Records catalog.]  by Lindsay Planer 
Tracklist 
1 Here's That Rainy Day  2:15
Written-By – Burke/Van Heusen
2 Two Different Worlds  3:21
Written-By – Frisch, Wayne
3 The Shadow Of Your Smile  4:12
Written-By – Mandel, Webster
4 Where Is Love   3:00
Written-By – Lionel Bart
5 Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye  4:01
Written-By – Cole Porter
6 I'm Always Chasing Rainbows  2:20
Written-By – Carroll, McCarthy
7 We'll Be Together Again  3:14
Written-By – Fischer, Laine
8 Joey, Joey, Joey  4:18
Written-By – Frank Loesser
9 The Folks Who Live On The Hill  3:40
Written-By – Kern/Hammerstein
10 Speak Low  3:32
Written-By – Weill, Nash
Credits
Classical Guitar – Laurindo Almeida
Vocals – Sammy Davis Jr.

SAMMY DAVIS JR Sings LAURINDO ALMEIDA Plays [1966]

[2004 RE] Collectors' Choice Music / FLAC / scans

O Púbis da Rosa

BOBBY SHORT - My Personal Property [1963] Atlantic

My Personal Property is Bobby Short's album of songs written by pop and show composer Cy Coleman, all of them except the title track with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. Short is a longtime musical friend of an earlier generation of similar writers such as Cole Porter, Noël Coward, George Gershwin, and Rodgers & Hart, but he proves just as compatible with Coleman, if not more so. Coleman got his start in Tin Pan Alley, penning standards like "The Best Is Yet to Come" and "Witchcraft" before moving to Broadway with the musicals Wildcat ("Hey Look Me Over") and Little Me. His jazzy, upfront style and strong melodies are perfect for Short's forceful interpretative style, and Leigh's sly, witty lyrics are equally appropriate to a singer used to wringing every humorous nuance from Cole Porter. Short has learned to vary his approach over the years, not playing and singing flat out on every number, and that allows him to be delicate and precise on "I've Got Your Number," for example, without any loss of power. The piano-bass-drums arrangements are augmented by a couple of conga players here and there, to good effect. Coleman has had some important interpreters, including Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, but Bobby Short is worthy of such company, and he demonstrates that Coleman is worthy of the company of the classic songwriters he usually covers. by William Ruhlmann  
Tracklist
1 The Best Is Yet to Come 3:44
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
2 Witchcraft 2:19
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
3 I've Got Your Number 3:59
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
4 It Amazes Me 2:30
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
5 Its 2:37
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh 
6 On the Other Side of the Tracks 2:48
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
7 My Personal Property 3:43
Cy Coleman / Dorothy Fields
8 Hey, Look Me Over!  2:00
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
9 I Walk a Little Faster 2:16
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
10 Here's Hoping 2:39
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
11 You Fascinate Me So 2:51
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
12 Rules of the Road 2:11
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
Credits
Arranged By, Piano – Bobby Short (tracks: All)
Bass – Beverly Peer (tracks: All)
Drums – Dick Sheridan (tracks: All Except 7), Gene Gammage (tracks: 7)
Percussion – Valdo Ramirez (tracks: All), Willie Rodriguez (tracks: All)
Written-By – Carolyn Leigh (tracks: All Except 7), Cy Coleman (tracks: All), Dorothy Fields (tracks: 7)

BOBBY SHORT - My Personal Property 

[1963] Atlantic / CBR320 / scans

O Púbis da Rosa

BOBBY McFERRIN & CHICK COREA - The Mozart Sessions [1996] FLAC

The informal title says a great deal about the contents of The Mozart Sessions, which could have been called Concerti for Piano and Orchestra, Nos. 23 and 20, since that is, for the most part, what it is. But of course the conductors, vocalist Bobby McFerrin and jazz keyboard player Chick Corea, are not your average classical musicians. Nor is there any doubt about the non-traditional

nature of the recording, when it starts with McFerrin's patented improvisational vocals followed

by Corea's piano inventions under the title "Prelude." So, for a start, purists should be warned away. On the other hand, the more adventurous may be slightly disappointed, since after they get the preliminaries out of the way, McFerrin and Corea, aided and abetted by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, turn in pleasant but unexceptional readings of the concerti, with Corea especially eschewing any attempt at dazzle in what are usually showcase pieces. The piano work is fluid and the orchestral accompaniment delicate, but the principals seem sufficiently concerned about getting anything wrong not to really take off. At the end, as Corea once again improvises in tandem with McFerrin's voice, one longs for more of their interaction, perhaps in a less restrictive context. by William Ruhlmann 

Tracklist:

1. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No 23 In A Major K 488-1-Prelude-Allegro

2. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No 23 In A Major K 488-2-Adagio

3. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No 23 In A Major K 488-3-Allegro Assai

4. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No 2 In D Minor K 466-1-Prelude-Allegro

5. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No 2 In D Minor K 466-2-Romance

6. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No 2 In D Minor K 466-3-Rondo (Allegro Assai)

7. Song For Amadeus-Improvisation On Sonata No 2 In F Major K 28-189E-2 Adagio

1. Concerto for Piano no 23 in A major, K 488 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 

Performer: Chick Corea (Piano)

Conductor: Bobby McFerrin

Orchestra/Ensemble: St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

Written: 1786 

Date of Recording: 1996

Length: 29 Minutes 36 Secs.

Notes: This selection begins with an improvisation entitled "Prelude" (Bobby McFerrin, vocals; Chick Corea, piano).

2. Concerto for Piano no 20 in D minor, K 466 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 

Performer: Chick Corea (Piano)

Conductor: Bobby McFerrin

Orchestra/Ensemble: St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

Written: 1785 

Date of Recording: 1996

Length: 34 Minutes 0 Secs.

Notes: This selection begins with an improvisation entitled "Prelude" (BobbyMcFerrin, vocals; Chick Corea, piano).

3. Song for Amadeus by Chick Corea 

Performer: Bobby McFerrin (Voice), Chick Corea (Piano)

Period: 20th Century

Written: USA 

Date of Recording: 1996

Length: 2 Minutes 29 Secs.

Notes: This work is an improvisation on the Adagio (2nd) movement of W. A. Mozart's "Sonata for Piano no. 2 in F Major, K. 280 (189e)".

BOBBY McFERRIN & CHICK COREA 

 The Mozart Sessions 

[1996] Sony / FLAC / scans

O Púbis da Rosa