BOB JAMES TRIO — Straight Up (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This record is an unexpected treat. Bob James has had a lucrative career writing and playing crossover jazz/pop. Although he had actually started his career with a straight-ahead trio date for Mercury in 1962 and also led a bizarre avant-garde session for ESP in 1965, his career since 1974 has offered very little of interest to consumers who prefer to hear inventive jazz as opposed to pleasant background music. But for this session, James returned to the roots few knew he had. Playing in an acoustic trio with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade, James contributes five straightforward originals in addition to the standard "Lost April," and interprets tunes by Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays, Horace Silver ("The Jody Grind"), and Denny Zeitlin. While not hinting at all at his usual pop material, James plays quite well, takes plenty of chances, and sounds influenced a bit by Bill Evans. With McBride and Blade contributing consistently stimulating interplay, Bob James has recorded what is certainly the finest jazz album of his career. Scott Yanow 
Tracklist :
1 Night Crawler 4:43
Bob James 
2 Ambrosia 7:18
Bob James
3 James 4:52
Billy Joel / Lyle Mays / Pat Metheny
4 The Jody Grind 7:07
Horace Silver 
5 Lost April 5:39
Eddie DeLange / Emil Newman / Hubert Spencer 
6 Three Mice Blind 7:18
Bob James 
7 Hockney 6:10
Bob James 
8 Shooting Stars 6:20
Bob James 
9 Quiet Now 6:20
Denny Zeitlin 
Credits :
Bass – Christian McBride
Drums – Brian Blade
Piano – Bob James

BUDDY RICH AND HIS SEXTET — Blues Caravan (1961-2005) RM | LP Reproduction Series | APE (image+.cue), lossless

This crack sextet recording by Buddy Rich is one of the long lost treasures in his vast discography as a leader, featuring a band he took on a State Department-sponsored tour of the Far East and Asia not long after the recording sessions were completed for this album. The band includes flutist Sam Most, trumpeter Rolf Ericson (who achieved his greatest fame with Duke Ellington), Wyatt Ruther (previously a sideman with Dave Brubeck), vibraphonist Mike Mainieri, and the somewhat obscure pianist Johnny Morris. Rich's pulsing drums are right in front in their aggressive arrangement of Horace Silver's blues "Blowin' the Blues Away," in which each soloist seems stimulated by the musician preceding him. "Caravan" begins with the leader's thunderous solo, though it quickly softens with Rich taking a backseat to Most and Ruther; the remainder of the band makes a delayed entrance. Mainieri contributed the exciting blues "Young Blood," which showcases his best solo on the date. The vibraphonist is also the featured soloist in the mellow interpretation of "I Remember Clifford," where he is backed by the haunting blend of trumpet and flute, with Rich staying very much in the background. Reissued as a limited-edition CD by Verve in 2005, this should be considered an essential Buddy Rich recording. Kent Dryden
Tracklist :
1. Blow'n The Blues Away 8:40
 Horace Silver
2. BR Blues 3:14
 Buddy Rich
3. Late Date 5:12
 Waalter Maynard
4. Caravan 9:44
 Duke Ellington / Irving Mills / Juan Tizol
5. Young Blood 5:59
  Mike Mainieri
6. I Remember Clifford 3:35
 Benny Golson
Credits :
Bass – Wyatt Ruther
Drums, Leader – Buddy Rich
Flute – Sam Most
Piano – Johnny Morris
Trumpet – Rolf Ericson
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Mike Mainieri

JAMES CARTER — JC on the Set (1994) WV (image+.cue), lossless

Twenty-five at the time of this CD, James Carter had already absorbed much of the tradition. His debut as a leader includes compositions by the classic tenors Don Byas and John Hardee, Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady" and even a Sun Ra ballad. He also shows that he has the courage to play completely outside whenever it seems logical to him; in fact on the title cut Carter moves from Gene Ammons and Illinois Jacquet to outbursts a la David Murray in the stratosphere. But most importantly, at this early stage James Carter already had his own sound. He switches between the tenor (his main ax) to alto and baritone, shows self-restraint on the ballads and fills his improvisations with continual surprises. Joined by the supportive pianist Craig Taborn, bassist Jaribu Shahid and drummer Tani Tabbal, James Carter puts on quite a tour-de-force throughout this very impressive set. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 JC On The Set  6:25
Written-By – J. Carter
2 Baby Girl Blues  7:47
Written-By – J. Carter
3 Worried And Blue 8:07
Written-By – D. Byas
4 Blues For A Nomadic Princess  13:50
Written-By – J. Carter
5 Caravan  9:43
Written-By – D. Ellington, I. Mills, J. Tizol
6 Hour Of Parting  8:18
Written-By – Sun Ra
7 Lunatic  4:18
Written-By – J. Hardee
8 Sophisticated Lady  6:41
Written-By – D. Ellington, I. Mills, M. Parrish
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – James Carter
Bass – Jaribu Shahid
Drums – Tani Tabbal
Piano – Craig Taborn

NINA SIMONE — The Complete RCA Albums Collection (2011) 9xCD BOX-SET | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Nina Simone was a singular artist, and she went where she pleased, leaving behind a recorded legacy that is passionate, political, defiant, and delicate by turns, no matter what strain of folk, blues, jazz, or gospel she was dipping into, and she did it all with dignity, grace, and intelligence. This set collects all nine of her albums for RCA Records (released between 1967 and 1974), and thus includes some of her greatest recordings. Signature songs like "I Loves You, Porgy," "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl" (in a couple of versions), and "Mississippi Goddam" (a Simone original -- one wishes she had written more than she did) are all here, along with powerful versions of songs by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Willie Dixon, the Beatles, and Randy Newman, among others. Simone didn't just sing a song. She made it hers. Steve Leggett

CD1: Nina Simone Sings The Blues (1967)
CD2: Silk & Soul (1967)
CD3: 'Nuff Said! (1968)
CD4: Nina Simone And Piano! (1969)
CD5: To Love Somebody (1969)
CD6: Black Gold (1969)
CD7: Here Comes The Sun (1971)
CD8: Emergency Ward! (1972)
CD9: It Is Finished (1974)

JOHN PIZZARELLI — P.S. Mr. Cole (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Just as when we listen to Harry Connick, Jr., there's a sense that John Pizzarelli is an old soul who is living back in the 1940s and '50s golden age of music and that listeners are time-traveling with him. But that just bears testament to the timeless nature of his easy vocals, lush and often snappy electric guitar work and the loving way he embraces classic material. P.S. Mr. Cole, the follow-up to Dear Mr. Cole is as, pardon the expression, unforgettable as his first tribute to the grace and panache of Nat King Cole. Just as with his recent tribute to the Beatles, Pizzarelli is just fine on the soft, sparse ballads but saves his most interesting interpretations for swinging trio arrangements. Because this is the sequel, the tunes aren't all household hums, and that makes this even more interesting. "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" swings gently along, breaks for a colorful guitar-piano duet (with Ray Kennedy), then speeds up towards the dramatic conclusion. "Welcome to the Club," whose lyric marvelously chronicles the shared experience of being a fool in love, opens with the singer scatting over a buoyant rhythm section (cleverly belying the melancholy nature of the theme). Other titles he adds his unique flair to are "The Late Late Show," "Tenderly," and Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" (which could have perhaps been done with a little more wryness). Recently Pizzarelli declared that he's not intimidated putting his own originals alongside classics, and his tribute tune, "That's Nat," is one of the most adventurous pieces here. Perhaps Pizzarelli should do a few duets next time with Natalie Cole. That would be unforgettable, too. Jonathan Widran
Tracklist :
1. Walkin' My Baby Back Home 2:30
 Fred E. Ahlert / Roy Turk
2. Candy 5:33
 Mack David / Alex Kramer / Joan Whitney
3. Welcome To The Club 3:21
 Noel Sherman / Dick Wolf
4. Indiana 3:23
 James F. Hanley / Ballard MacDonald
5. I Love You For Sentimental Reasons 2:52
 William "Pat" Best / Deek Watson
6. Don't Let It Go To Your Head 2:23
 Henry Hadamik / Frank LaVere / Bob Nast
7. Meet Me At No Special Place 3:19
 Henry Pyle / J. Russel Robinson / Arthur Terker
8. The Late Late Show 3:06
 Roy Alfred / Murray Berlin
9. Smile 3:52
 Charlie Chaplin / Geoffrey Parsons / John Turner
10. Tenderly 4:16
 Walter Gross / Jack Lawrence
11. I Was A Little Too Lonely 3:27
 Redd Evans / Jay Livingston
12. I'm An Errand Boy For Rhythm 3:34
 Nat King Cole
13. Then I'll Be Tired Of You 4:02
 E.Y. "Yip" Harburg / Arthur Schwartz
14. That's Nat 3:04
 John Pizzarelli
15. Azure-Te 3:51
 Bill Davis / Don Wolf
16. I Know That You Know 3:43
 Anne Caldwell / Vincent Youmans
17. Embraceable You 3:28
 George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
18. I Like Jersey Best 7:17
Credits :
John Pizzarelli - Guitar, Vocals
Ray Kennedy - Piano
Martin Pizzarelli - Bass
Guest: Harry Allen - Tenor Sax (tracks: 6, 13)