Artists: VA
     Album: Primal Blue
     Label: Hip Bop Essence
     Release 1995
     Genre: BeBop
     Format, bitrate: mp3 320 kb
     Time: 49:00
     Size: 112Mb

     The entire CD is awesome from start to finish, with stand outs and highlights... with a haunting arrangement that lingers for days "PRIMAL BLUE" (Kenny Burrell), "DEAR RUTH" (Cedar Walton), "STOLEN MOMENTS" (Oliver Nelson), YOU GO TO MY HEAD" (Coots/Gillespie) "UNO DOS ADIOS" (Lenny White) smooth jazz is a tall order and Kenny Burrell (guitar), Ron Carter (bass), Tim Hagans (trumpet), Craig Handy (tenor sax/soprano sax), Cedar Walton (piano), Lenny White (drums) fill it with melodic ingredients and then some..."BASS BLUES" (John Coltrane) and "FOR TODDLERS ONLY" (Ron Carter), has the rhythm and tempo you can't get enough of.
     Our friends Reynold da Silva and Yusuf Gandhi (executive producers), Lenny White (producer) at Silva Screen Records and Hop Bop keep the standards high with wonderful material superbly suited for this CD, with some of the best artists of today being featured...can't stop listening to the All-Stars with that touch of Essence...just the way we like 'em!

     Artist - Horace Silver
     Album - Horace-Scope
     Label - Blue Note
     Year - 1960, release 2002
     Quality - MP3@320kb/s
     Size - 89,9mb
     Total time - 39:13


Horace-Scope is the third album by Horace Silver's classic quintet -- or most of it, actually, as drummer Louis Hayes was replaced by Roy Brooks starting with this session. The rhythmic drive and overall flavor of the group are still essentially the same, though, and Horace-Scope continues the tight, sophisticated-yet-swinging blueprint for hard bop pioneered on its two classic predecessors. The program is as appealing as ever, and even though not as many tunes caught on this time -- at least not on the level of a "Juicy Lucy" or "Sister Sadie" -- Silver's writing is tuneful and tasteful. The best-known selections are probably the lovely closing number "Nica's Dream", which had been around for several years but hadn't yet been recorded on a Silver LP, and the genial, laid-back opener "Strollin'." But really, every selection is full of soulful grooves and well-honed group interplay, the qualities that made this band perhaps the top hard bop outfit of the early '60s. Silver was in the midst of a hot streak that wouldn't let up for another few years, and Horace-Scope is another eminently satisfying effort from that period. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

     Artist: Hampton Hawes
     Album: Blues For Bud
     Label: Black Lion
     Year: 1968
     Quality: Track + covers + 5% recovery
     Size: 148 Mb
     Total time: 0.60:40


     One of pianist Hampton Hawes' better sets, this CD reissue features Hawes during a European tour in a trio with bassist Jimmy Woode and drummer Art Taylor. Hawes both explores his bebop roots and contributes new material that shows that he was aware of McCoy Tyner and the more advanced players of the era. Among the highlights are "Blues Enough," "Sonora," "Blues For Bud" (which is one of five previously unreleased performances included in the 11 tracks) and "Spanish Steps." Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow, AMG

     Artist: Ray Charles
     Album: The Genius After Hours
     Quality: Ape (183 MB) + mp3@320Kbps (91 MB) + scans
     Label: Atlantic
     Total time: 38:33

     Taken from the same three sessions as The Great Ray Charles but not duplicating any of the performances, this set casts Charles as a jazz-oriented pianist in an instrumental setting. Brother Charles has five numbers with a trio (three songs have Oscar Pettiford on bass) and jams on three other tunes ("Hornful Soul," "Ain't Misbehavin'," and "Joy Ride") with a septet arranged by Quincy Jones; solo space is given to David "Fathead" Newman on tenor and alto and trumpeter Joseph Bridgewater. Fine music -- definitely a change of pace for Ray Charles. - by Scott Yanow, AMG

     Artist: Benny Golson
     Album: Tenor Legacy
     Label: Arkadia
     Year: 1996
     Quality: Mp3 320 + covers + 5% recovery
     Size: 161 Mb

     Tenor sax Benny Golson was immortalized long ago by "I Remember Clifford," his paean to trumpeter Clifford Brown. Here, however, he elects to pay heed to his colleagues on the tenor sax--and to that end enlists a tenor elder, Harold Ashby, and two of the sharpest young players on the scene, Branford Marsalis and James Carter. Yes, three-plus decades separate Golson and Ashby's birthdates and those of Marsalis and Carter, and yes, this is a sax quartet fronting a rhythm section. And the quartet sounds every bit like a joyful chorus here, from their punchy take on "Lester Leaps In" to the imaginative, high-tone tenor they take up on "My Favorite Things." Probably the finest colors fly on "Lover Come Back to Me," which the group dedicates to Ashby's mentor, Ben Webster. All the smolder the ad hoc sax quartet throws into the mix with Geoff Keezer's fast-thinking piano is kept fiery by everyone's ability to jump sky-high in their note runs. So it is that this CD runs the traps from hard swinging bounce to after-hours sizzle. With all the great assets of an age-old jam session, this CD is also a flash of tenor sax brilliance

     Artist: Horace Silver & the Jazz Messengers
     Album: Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers
     Released year: 1955
     Genre: HardBop
     Label: Blue Note
     Time: 43:30
     Size: 83,5 Mb
     Format/Bitrate: MP3-320kb/s

this set is most notable for the original versions of Silver's "The Preacher" and "Doodlin'," funky standards that helped launch hard bop and both the Jazz Messengers and Silver's quintet. Essential music.

     Классика хард-бопа....

REPOST! Happy Birthday, mr. Silver!

     Artist: Vic Lewis
     Album: Big Band Explosion
     Label: Ember CJS807, SE8018
     Year: 1959; Date: June 1959
     Genre: Jazz, Big Band
     Format: MP3@320 kbps
     Time: 38:58
     Size: 94 Mb

     Although not a major musician himself, Vic Lewis has been an important force in British jazz since the 1930's, leading bands that have covered a wide range of styles. A rhythm guitarist (he started when he was three) and an occasional cornetist and trombonist in his early days, Lewis gained early experience leading a band that included the teenage George Shearing. When he first visited the U.S. in 1938, he led a couple of dixieland-oriented recording sessions that included Bobby Hackett, Eddie Condon and Pee Wee Russell. Lewis served in the RAF during 1941-44 but was still able to record as a rhythm guitarist with Buddy Featherstonhaugh and led a series of recorded jam sessions during 1944-45. Lewis worked with Stephane Grappelli (1944-45), Ted Heath and had a dixieland band before organizing his first big band in 1946. Originally a swing group, by 1947 Lewis' orchestra was strongly influenced by Stan Kenton; in fact Kenton through the years gave the British bandleader copies of many of his orchestra's arrangements including charts (sometimes not previously recorded) by Pete Rugolo, Gerry Mulligan and Bill Holman among others. Billed as "The Music Of Tomorrow By the Band Of Today," the Vic Lewis Orchestra also often featured the charts of its pianist, Ken Thorne. Lewis visited the US with his band during a tour in 1956-57 and again during 1958-59. The orchestra recorded during the 1947-56 period for Parlophone, Esquire, Decca and Phillips and the big band (although a bit derivative) was considered one of England's best.
     Although he retired from music for a time in 1959, Vic Lewis has since led occasional bands, making occasional recordings (including a 1989 session featuring West Coast All-Stars playing Bill Holman arrangements and several other dates in the 1990's for Candid) and acted as a propagandist for jazz in general. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: McCoy Tyner
     Album: The Real McCoy
     Year: 1967
     Label: Blue Note
     Time: 36:52
     Format, bitrate: MP3 @320 kbps
     Size: 83 mb (RS.com, with covers and scans)
     AMG Rating: Stars

     Two and a half years after his last recording as a leader for Impulse, pianist McCoy Tyner emerged to start a period on Blue Note that would result in seven albums. Having left John Coltrane's Quartet in late 1965, Tyner was entering a period of struggle, although artistically his playing grew quite a bit in the late '60s. For this release, the pianist is teamed with tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Elvin Jones for five of his originals. Highlights of the easily recommended album include "Passion Dance," "Four by Five," and "Blues on the Corner." - AMG

     Artist: Hank Mobley
     Album: A Jazz Message II
     Label: Savoy
     Year: 1956
     Quality: MP3 320 + covers + 5 % Recovery
     Size: 79 Mb

     Impressive lineups, both in the front line and the rhythm section, fuel the two 1956 sessions on this Savoy reissue. The players are committed, the writing is good, and the performances reward repeated listening. The result is a worthwhile precursor to the industry-standard hard bop Mobley would later record for Blue Note.
     Lee Morgan, then 18, joins Mobley on two tracks that have pianist Hank Jones, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor in the rhythm section. Even if Morgan at this time was audibly still growing as a trumpet player, his poise, execution, and resourceful imagination were already the tools of a master. Donald Byrd, on form and playing with crispness and authority, moves into the trumpet chair for the three remaining tracks. This time it's Barry Harris on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and Watkins (again) on bass. The influence on Mobley of swing era tenors, from Lester Young to Illinois Jacquet, can be clearly heard on these tracks. Mobley's respect for and understanding of the pre-bebop style serve him well in his contribution to the development of the predominant jazz style that followed bebop. In addition to three Mobley originals, there is a blues by Thad Jones and another from Watkins. The standout track is Mobley's "Space Flight," a bright, up-tempo bop number that has memorable solos from Mobley, Byrd, Harris, and Clarke. The recording on this CD is very good but, as is common on Savoy reissues, the running time isn't long -- 32 minutes in the case of this jazz message

     Artist: Duke Jordan
     Album:Flight To Jordan
     Label: Blue Note 92759
     Format: MP 3 @ 320 Kbps
     Time: 47:50
     Size:57.2 + 47.2 Mb
     

     Artist: Anders Widmark
     Album: Carmen
     Quality: Ape (175 MB) + MP3@320 Kbps (91 MB) with scans
     Label: Universal (2001)
     Total time: 38:43

     The double bass does the Toreador. The piano is Carmen. Or perhaps Don Josй? Drums and percussions play parts in a drama. Improvisers have always interpreted well-known melodies, trying to create a tension between the familiar and the new. Yet Carmen's blend of Spanish folk music and the popular song of the day - the aria - was a revolution in the world of music. I made my first recording of the Seguidilla ten years ago. The Toreador aria I had only just hummed. It was not until much later that I came up with the idea of interpreting the whole opera. The musical aspects of the opera sounded rather bombastic at first. The language of jazz felt alien. Yet Georges Bizet's Carmen somehow tempted me. I Wanted to move on with her. The secret lay in stricking a balance berween the grandiose opera form and the simple melodic line. So I Started humming the Toreador again... ~ Anders Widmark (from liner notes)

     Artist: The Robert Cray Band
     Album: False Accusations
     Label: Universal Music
     Year: 1985
     Release: 2003
     Genre: Blues
     Format, bitrate: MP3, 320 kb/s
     Time: 37:49
     Size: 89,7 MB

     Robert Cray's third album is also his first great one. The production is vastly superior, finally allowing one to hear what a gorgeous tone Cray gets on the guitar. His singing is relaxed and assured, and the songs, originals by Cray and his bandmates, are sensational.
     FALSE ACCUSATIONS comes across as a concept album about infidelity and guilt. Everything clicks here, but the best songs are slow burners such as "Porch Light" and "Playin' in the Dirt," where Cray's solos are little marvels of concision and passionate intensity. "I've Slipped Her Mind," a gospel-tinged ballad about being stood up, is an instant classic. Cray turns the number into a virtuoso soul workout that stands with the best of Otis Redding or James Brown.

Artist - Miles Davis
Album - Why Do I Love You?
(Rare Broadcasts 1947-48)
Label - Natasha Imports
Genre - bebop, Third stream
Years: 1947-1948, release - 1993
Quality - MP3@256 kbps
Size - 88 mb
Total time - 52:54

These recordings from the short-lived Royal Roost gig comprise the only live broadcasts that have ever surfaced by this most influential Davis combo. Since this two-week stint in September 1948 was their only appearance before a live audience, there is little chance of any other live material turning up now.

Their twelve recordings for Capitol have never been out of print since their initial issue; contrarily, this live material (which predates the first Capitol session by four months) has only appeared briefly on obscure European releases.

Fortunately for posterity, these broadcasts include two selections that Davis didn't record for Capitol: Why Do I Love You and S'il Vous Plait. Several others are much longer than their commercial counterparts: Godchild, Darn That Dream, Move and Budo (announced here under its original tide, Hallucinations). Of course, all the music heard here provides welcome alternative readings of the classic Capitol arrangements. Since all the other instrumentals are originals, Moon Dreams seemed a strange choice for this group to record- this offbeat pop tune was written in 1943 by Chummy MacGregor, pianist of the Glenn Miller civilian band. Presumably the connection to Miles was Addison Collins, French hornman with the Miller AAF Band, which played the tune often during the war years.

     Artist: Rosemary Clooney & Bing Crosby with Billy May & His Orchestra
     Album: Fancy Meeting You Here
     Recording Date: Jul 28, 1958-Aug 1959
     Label: RCA Victor
     Time: 52:19
     Format: mp3 320Kbps
     Size: 119 Mb



     Замечательный дуэт, голоса подходят друг другу, оркестр отличный - и вот он - музыкальный урок географии, пронизанный чувством юмора

     Artist:
     Album: Skin Deep
     Year: rel. 20.07.2008
     Format: MP 3 (320 kb/s)
     Size: 71.5+43.9 Mb
     Time: 58:00

     Artist - Jorge Lopez Ruiz
     Album - De Prepo
     Label - whatmusic.com / Finetunes
     Year - 1972
     Quality - MP3@320
     Size - 80 MB
     Total time - 34:42

     This blast from the past, a 1972 classic from Argentinean bassist, Jorge López Ruiz, is hard, if not impossible to beat with its lush, 70's jazz harmonies intercepting something like an electric Miles Davis set in Buenos Aires. Though the psychedelic quality is undoubtedly present, there is an incredible richness, a remarkable dialogue between Ruiz and his quartet which lifts this disc way above its competitors, whether they be dated from the 1970's or today. All these colors and textures which wind and weave within dreamy layers of guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums are penetrated only (and artistically) by the outspoken if not entrancing cry of the sax. Bliss surely awaits you with "De Prepo". This is not to be missed. ~ CD Baby

     Artists: Stephane Grappelli & Toots Thielemans
     Album: Bringing It Together
     Audio CD (July 31, 1995)
     Original Release Date: 1984
     Label: Independent Nat’l Di
     Format: Flac & MP3 320 kbit/s
     Size: 211 MB & 94 MB

     Toots Thielemans is the grand master of the Jazz harmonica. Stephane Grappelli is the grand master of Jazz violin. Together they’ve dominated their respective instruments for over half a century and now the two finally get an oppurtunity to play with one another.
     Both players shine on this CD. Sometimes it’s Grappelli who shows Thielemans a thing or two. Sometimes it’s Toots that get in the last word. Overall, this recording is a joy to listen to.

     Hardcore Jazz fans who dismiss either the violin or the harmonica as serious Jazz instruments should listen to this album.