GERARDO NÚÑEZ • CHANO DOMÍNGUEZ — Jazzpaña II (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

"Terrific music" - (SPIEGEL).
Awarded the Quarterly Prize of the German Record Critics' Award 1/2001 and the German Jazz Award. ACT
Tracklist :
1    Calima 4:44
Acoustic Guitar – Gerardo Nuñez
Alto Saxophone – Perico Sambeat
Arranged By, Conductor – Colin Towns
Bass – Carles Benavent
Cajón – Cepillo
Composed By – Gerardo Nuñez
Drums – Tino Di Geraldo
Electric Guitar – Fareed Haque
Piano – Chano Dominguez
Soprano Saxophone – Jorge Pardo
Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker
2    Un Amor Real (Soleá Por Bulería) 3:24
Acoustic Bass – Renaud Garcia-Fons
Acoustic Guitar – Gerardo Nuñez
Composed By – Gerardo Nuñez
3a    La Liebre (Sevillanas) 1:23
Composed By – Pedro Peña
Vocals, Percussion – Las Corraleras
3b    Plaza Jazzpaña 3:49
Acoustic Guitar – Gerardo Nuñez
Alto Saxophone – Perico Sambeat
Bass – Carles Benavent
Cajón – Cepillo
Composed By – Gerardo Nuñez
Handclaps – Tino Di Geraldo
4    Alma De Mujer (Colombiana) 5:18
Acoustic Guitar – Fareed Haque
Alto Saxophone – Perico Sambeat
Arranged By, Conductor – Colin Towns
Bass – Carles Benavent
Composed By – Chano Dominguez
Drums, Percussion – Tino Di Geraldo
Piano – Chano Dominguez
Soprano Saxophone – Jorge Pardo
5    Blues For Pablo 6:08
Alto Saxophone – Perico Sambeat
Arranged By, Conductor – Colin Towns
Bass – Carles Benavent
Composed By – Gil Evans
Drums – Tino Di Geraldo
Electric Guitar – Fareed Haque
Piano – Chano Dominguez
Soprano Saxophone – Jorge Pardo
Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker
6    Latido Loco 4:48
Acoustic Bass, Arranged By – Renaud Garcia-Fons
Acoustic Guitar – Gerardo Nuñez
Bass – Carles Benavent
Composed By – Renaud Garcia-Fons
Flute, Tenor Saxophone – Jorge Pardo
Percussion – Tino Di Geraldo
Trumpet – Patxi Vrchegvi
7    Jerez-Chicago 4:47
Acoustic Guitar – Gerardo Nuñez
Cajón – Tino Di Geraldo
Composed By – Gerardo Nuñez
Electric Guitar – Fareed Haque
8    Paso For El 4:09
Bass – Carles Benavent
Composed By – Jorge Pardo
Drums – Tino Di Geraldo
Flute – Jorge Pardo
9    Mister Señor 3:54
Acoustic Guitar – Fareed Haque
Alto Saxophone – Perico Sambeat
Bass – Carles Benavent
Composed By – Chano Dominguez
Drums – Tino Di Geraldo
Piano – Chano Dominguez
Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker
10    Que Tambien Es De Sevilla (Sevillanas) 2:07
Composed By – Beltrán, M. Clavero, P. Obregón, Leon
Piano – Chano Dominguez
Vocals – Esperanza Fernandez
11    Samaruco (Bulería) 4:06
Acoustic Guitar – Gerardo Nuñez
Cajón – Cepillo
Composed By – Gerardo Nuñez
12    Para Chick 3:50
Acoustic Guitar – Gerardo Nuñez
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Perico Sambeat
Bass – Carles Benavent
Composed By – Chano Dominguez
Drums, Percussion – Tino Di Geraldo
Flute – Jorge Pardo
Piano – Chano Dominguez
13    Bluesoléa 5:10
Acoustic Guitar – Gerardo Nuñez
Composed By – Gerardo Nuñez

GERARDO NÚÑEZ & ULF WAKENIUS ft. CEPILLO — Logos (2016) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Unusual encounters often lead to extraordinary results: an impressive meeting of two guitar virtuosos. A vibrant encounter of different personalities that symbiotically complement each other. Or simply, a multicultural statement of a unique kind. Unexpected, yet ultimately entirely logical. ACT
Tracklist :
1    Logos 4:46
Music By – Gerardo Núñez
2    Selene 4:43
Music By – Gerardo Núñez
3    Habana 4:43
Music By – Gerardo Núñez
4    Mirlo 3:33
Music By – Ulf Wakenius
5    Philia 5:07
Music By – Gerardo Núñez
6    Orfeo 4:19
Music By – Gerardo Núñez
7    Liber Pater 8:02
Music By – Gerardo Núñez
8    Sevilla 4:39
Music By – Gerardo Núñez
9    Fui Piedra 9:04
Music By – Gerardo Núñez, Ulf Wakenius
Credits:
Acoustic Guitar [Acoustic Nylon String Guitar] – Ulf Wakenius
Cover – Gert & Uwe Tobias
Flamenco Guitar, Producer – Gerardo Núñez
Handclaps [Palmas & Jaleos], Voice – Carmen Cortés, Isabel Núñez
Percussion – Cepillo
Vocals [Flamenco Singing] – Cancun

HUONG THANH & NGUYÊN LÊ — Fragile Beauty (2007) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

For sheer melodic and timbral beauty, there are few languages that can match Vietnamese -- like most tonal languages, it sounds like it's being sung even when it's being spoken, and the effect is like a series of delicate, tuned gongs being struck quickly in sequence. The language's inherent lyricism brings an added layer of complexity and beauty to the traditional and dramatic Vietnamese song repertoire, and on this album vocalist Huong Thanh adds yet another layer to those song traditions by teaming up with guitarist, producer, and arranger Nguyên Lê. Lê's arrangements are varied in tone and texture, but almost all are both strange and wonderful, and his guitar solos are exquisite. On "Weaving & Awaiting" there's a gorgeous moment at the end of his solo when Thanh's vocals come back in, but multi-tracked in close harmony; "Plantation Song" flows gently in a jazzy style; "The Swallows' Bridge" features lovely counterpoint between a Japanese koto and a fretless electric bass, over which dances a cool and complex horn chart. Perhaps the album's most beautiful track is the final one, "Tales of the Mountain," on which funky beats bump up against a gentle arrangement, tastefully restrained guitar, and Thanh's otherworldly voice. It's one of the most softly impressive songs on an album that is full of both sweet melodic beauty and subtly dense complexity. Very highly recommended. Rick Anderson  

"Behind Thanh's warm-hearted voice, guitarist Lê lays down subtle grooves that ingeniously bring together musicians and instruments from all over the world." - STEREOPLAY ACT
Tracklist :
1    Drifting On The Water    3:48
2    Weaving & Awaiting    5:58
3    Faithfulness    3:39
4    Plantation Song    4:22
5    The Five Calls Of The Night    5:03
6    Fragile Beauty    5:12
7    Rowing The Sampan    3:17
8    The Pavillon Of Crystallized Azure    4:54
9    At Dusk, From The West Balcony    4:18
10    Go Cong Blues    3:57
11    The Swallow's Bridge    6:23
12    Tales Of The Mountain    7:18
Credits:
Acoustic Bass [Pizzicato, Arco 5-string] – Renaud Garcia-Fons
Backing Vocals – Nguyên Van-Hong
Balafon [Trung] – Illya Amar
Bass [Fretless] – Etienne Mbappé
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Synthesizer, Computer – Nguyên Lê
Koto – Mieko Miyazaki
Percussion – Alex Tran, Francis Lassus
Piano – Dominique Borker
Recorded By, Mixed By, Producer – Nguyên Lê
Soprano Saxophone, Flute [Flutes] – Stéphane Guillaume
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Paolo Fresu
Vocals – Huong Thanh
Zither [Đàn Bầu], Zither [16-strings Dàn Tranh], Flute [Sao, Meo Bamboo Flutes] – Hao Nhiên Pham

HUONG THANH — Dragonfly (2001) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Huong Thanh
Born in Vietnam, the internationally recognised singer is known for her fusion of traditional Vietnamese music with jazz and world music. She grew up in a musical family and later moved to Paris, where she collaborated with renowned guitarist Nguyên Lê to combine modern soundscapes with Vietnamese folk songs. Her albums such as ‘Dragonfly’ and ‘Fragile Beauty’ have been acclaimed worldwide and demonstrate her ability to transcend cultural boundaries. Houng Thanh has performed at numerous international festivals and is known for her emotional voice and her ability to interpret traditional music in an innovative way. She is recognised as one of the most important Vietnamese artists in the field of world music. ACT
Tracklist :
1    Ten Reasons For Loving You 7:14
Flute [Pi Thiu] – Dinh Cong Tuyên
Flute [Sao] – Hao Nhiên
Fretless Bass – Etienne Mbappé
Guitar, Synthesizer, Samples – Nguyên Lê
Shaker, Tabla – François Verly
Zither, Lute – Duong Tam
2    Bakida 4:43
Bass [Pizz], Arco Bass [5-string Acoustic] – Renaud Garcia-Fons
Guitar – Nguyên Lê
Zither [Đàn Bầu] – Duong Tam
3    Dragonfly 4:09
Cajón – Tino Di Geraldo
Guitar [Electroacoustic] – Nguyên Lê
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Fretless Bass, Shaker, Bongos, Darbouka – Richard Bona
Zither – Duong Tam
Zither, Chimes – François Verly
4    What The Bird Says 5:42
Bass – Etienne Mbappé
Bells, Chimes – François Verly
Fiddle – Duong Tam
Frame Drum – Tino Di Geraldo
Guitar, Synthesizer, Samples – Nguyên Lê
5    Two Sisters 5:04
Cello – Sophie Lechelle
Ensemble – The Barbès Deluxe Strings
Fretless Bass – Etienne Mbappé
Lute, Fiddle – Duong Tam
Lute, Zither – Hao Nhiên
Percussion – François Verly
Synthesizer, Samples – Nguyên Lê
Trumpet – Paolo Fresu
Viola – Martin Rodriguez
Violin – Raphaëlle Pacault
6    The Betel Tray 5:25
Bass [Pizz], Arco Bass [5-string Acoustic ] – Renaud Garcia-Fons
Bells, Gong, Singing Bowls [Tibet Bowls] – François Verly
Guitar, Mandolin, Synthesizer – Nguyên Lê
Zither [Đàn Bầu] – Duong Tam
7    Graceful Bamboo 6:59
Bass – Etienne Mbappé
Frame Drum – Tino Di Geraldo
Guitar, Synthesizer, Samples – Nguyên Lê
Lute – Hao Nhiên
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Paolo Fresu
8    Crossing The Valley 5:16
Backing Vocals – Richard Bona
Bass – Etienne Mbappé
Flute [Sao], Zither, Other [Cliquettes & Sapèques] – Hao Nhiên
Guitar, Synthesizer, Samples – Nguyên Lê
Zither [Solo] – Duong Tam
9    Drums In The Night 6:20
Bells – François Verly
Guitar, Synthesizer, Samples – Nguyên Lê
Lute, Guitar [Cai Luong], Percussion [Song Lan Woodblock], Zither [Đàn Bầu] – Duong Tam
10    Scent Of My Childhood 4:28
Cello – Sophie Lechelle
Ensemble – The Barbès Deluxe Strings
Guitar [Nylon] – Nguyên Lê
Piano – Dominique Borker
Viola – Martin Rodriguez
Violin – Raphaëlle Pacault

IDA SAND — Meet Me Around Midnight (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

29-year-old singer and pianist Ida Sand didn't feel rushed to start a solo career: Born into a musical family -- her father was an opera singer, her mother a church musician -- she studied music in Stockholm and then worked with a large number of Swedish musicians, honing her skills. One of these musicians was Nils Landgren, who gave Sand ample opportunity to show her talent on the latest release of his Funk Unit, Licence to Funk, and now that she has finally recorded an album under her own name, Landgren is on board as a producer and also guests on a number of songs. Meet Me Around Midnight is a vocal jazz album deeply influenced by blues and soul, and Sand's experience as a musician shows: she has an earthy, expressive voice, but she never feels the need to push it into the spotlight -- where other young singers make every song a showcase for their undeniably impressive technique, Sand is refreshingly relaxed and focuses on the songs, not on herself. Most of the tracks are covers, and they have been selected from a wide range of sources: Sand performs two Stevie Wonder songs ("Feeding Off the Love of the Land" and "Higher Ground"), the Eurythmics composition "Here Comes the Rain Again," Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang," a Lightnin' Hopkins song ("Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes") and the old Arlen-Mercer song "One for My Baby" (made famous in versions by Frank Sinatra and Etta James). She finds a fresh arrangement for most of these, some more acoustic-based, with piano, bass, drums, and vocals as the main ingredients, and others more electric, giving them a bluesy touch with guitar and electric piano. Sand's own composition "Brutal Truth" is one of the album's highlights, a funky R&B song with a soulful groove, and her beautiful piano ballad "Home" quietly ends the album. Not every song on Meet Me Around Midnight is a standout, but even the less exciting arrangements ("At Last") are performed skillfully enough to make the album work as a whole. Sand is a promising new talent on the music scene, and with her subtle feel for dynamics, Meet Me Around Midnight shows more sophistication than you'd expect from a debut album. It's simply a good listen all the way through. Christian Genzel

"Ida Sand sings with power and feeling – the best female soul voice in a long time!"- (JAZZPODIUM) ACT
Tracklist :
1    Mr Pianoman    3:38
2    Bang Bang    2:47
3    Brutal Truth    3:59
4    Every Little Bit Hurts    4:06
5    Here Comes The Rain Again    4:05
6    One For My Baby    3:50
7    Feeding Off The Love Of The Land    5:16
8    Higher Ground    4:36
9    At Last    5:05
10    Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes    2:53
11    Maybe You'll Be There    4:13
12    Use Me    3:17
13    Home    4:08
Credits:
Acoustic Guitar – Ulf Wakenius
Bass – Lars Danielsson, Ove Andersson (tracks: 12)
Cello – Lars Danielsson (tracks: 12)
Drums – Michael Edlund (tracks: 7, 10, 12), Rasmus Kihlberg
Electric Guitar – Henrik Jansson, Ola Gustafsson (tracks: 7, 10, 12)
Grand Piano – Jan Lundgren (tracks: 1, 5)
Trombone, Vocals – Nils Landgren
Vocals, Grand Piano, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Arranged By – Ida Sand