Artist: Sonny Stitt
     Album: The Hard Swing
     Label: Verve
     Year: 1959
     Quality: MP3 320 + covers + 5% recovery
     Size: 112 Mb

     Despite the familiar material and nondescript rhythm section (though drummer Lenny McBrowne was highly underrated throughout his career and veteran bassist George Morrow under-utilized during his tenure with Max Roach), Stitt's sound is as golden and radiant as ever, ensuring that each of these songs receives VIP treatment from an artist who, while often suspicious of ”creativity” and ”innovation,” always placed the highest value on clarity, logic and communication. As a result, his mastery of the saxophone and realization of the melodic soul of his material will remain the gold standard, or point of reference, for many years to come. As most true artists soon discover, ”originality” and even ”creativity” become meaningful only when one is able to recognize what is inarguably good or consummate

2 MIrrors

     Artist: Robert Cray Band
     Album: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
     Label: Mercury
     Year: 1988
     Genre: Blues
     Format, bitrate: MP3, 320 kb/s
     Time: 41:28
     Size: 99,6 MB

     With 1986's Strong Persuader, guitarist and vocalist Robert Cray stepped to the front of the line as a smooth and intelligent practitioner of the blues genre. Strong Persuader almost worked as well as a greatest hits set, with the brilliant Willie Mitchell-influenced "I Guess I Showed Her" being best of a perfect ten. With that standard being set, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is marred by it's lack of potent material and a tired-sounding band and Cray. The title is a steamy track punctuated by the Memphis Horns. The edgy and methodical "Don't You Even Care" finds Cray again on the losing end of a relationship. Although the relationship blues are stinging here, this album's best effort strays far from the formula. The oddly humorous "Night Patrol" has Cray playing armchair therapist wondering what went wrong with a drunk, and a 17-year-old girl on the corner. By song's end he can also wonder about himself, as he too hits the streets a potentially dangerous wandering psycho. For the most part Don't Be Afraid of the Dark has the sly work Cray is famous for. The sprite "Gotta Change Rules" the country/Memphis sound influenced has Cray doing some strong vocalizations and taut guitar riffs. "At Last" and "Laugh Out Loud," while not horrible, do come off like uninspired filler. This is one of those albums that might not be exciting at first, but if it is listened to intently some of the songs do become worthwhile. ~ Jason Elias, All Music Guide

     Artist: Stan Getz
     Album: Focus
     Label: Verve Records
     Recorded: July 14, 28, and September-October, 1961
     Release date 24.06.1997
     Tracks: 9
     Time: 0:43:20
     Format: FLAC; MP3/CBR
     Bitrate: 320 kbit/s
     Size: 203 mb;96 MB

     Artists: Art Pepper & George Cables
     Album: Goin'Home
     Label: OJC
     Year: 1982
     Quality: MP3 320 + 5% recovery
     Size: 118 Mb
     Total time: 50:16

     Art Pepper's final recording sessions were comprised of duets with pianist George Cables. Pepper, who splits his time almost evenly here between alto and clarinet, is in surprisingly strong form considering that he only had a month left to live. He is heard at his best on "Goin' Home," "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying," "Isn't She Lovely," and "Lover Man," really pouring out his emotions into the ballads. Two alternate takes were added to the CD reissue, although for the complete picture, one has to acquire Art Pepper's 16-CD Galaxy box set, which contains plenty of otherwise unissued performances. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Eddie Boyd
     Album: Legacy of the Blues, Vol. 10
     Label: GNP
     Year: 1974
     Release Date: 1990
     Genre: Blues
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320kb/s
     Size: 91,4 MB

     A rather confusing budget release, Legacy of the Blues, Vol. 10 collects ten tracks from the singer, seemingly from the latter part of Boyd's career (the lack of decent liner notes is a problem), although the rather arbitrary song selection means that the overall release lacks any kind of cohesiveness. This release does contain classics such as "I'm a Fool" and "Dedication to My Baby," but it's certainly not a good introduction to the artist, nor a release that would attract Boyd's hardcore fans. Boyd's available back catalog is in dire need of an overhaul, but unfortunately releases such as this simply add to the confusion. Thomas Ward. AMG

     Artist: Thelonious Monk
     Album: Monk In Tokyo I & II
     Label: Columbia
     Year: 1963
     Quality: MP3 320 + covers + 5% recovery
     Size: 101 Mb + 109 Mb

     This double-CD package of a single Tokyo gig during Monk's seven-date tour of Japan is being issued in the United States for the first time on compact disc. Of the many bootlegs of the shows Monk played there in 1963, be assured that Columbia has chosen the best one for official release. Recorded in the middle of May in 1963, this was one of the last tours Monk would undertake with the rhythm section of drummer Frankie Dunlop and bassist Butch Warren. The group had been together since 1959, and Monk was looking in new rhythmic directions as he entered fully into his record deal with Columbia. The band comes out steaming with "Straight, No Chaser," with its lyrical off-meter strut swinging through a weird 5/8 time signature. Rouse solos first, winding through a Dexter Gordon ballad ("Star Eyes") and through to some of Monk's faves that would be played later that evening, such as "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" and "Evidence." The tone is rough, raw, and punchy. Rouse swung hard his entire life and his '60s-period playing is easily his best. Monk takes up the solo with interesting counterpoint figures at harmonic odds with the key signature of the tune but, true to form, he could bend any pitch worth messing with to get the right harmonic balance. When he starts plunking down cluster chords followed by higher- to lower-register slide runs, the tune's up for grabs. It's Dunlop's dancing drumming and Warren's steady if unimaginative playing here that keeps it grounded. Given the adulation of the Tokyo audience, Monk slides easily into "Pannonica," with his solo quoting "Liza" and "Uptown" in the same eight measures. Rouse is at his level swinging best on "Just a Gigolo." After a rousing and harmonically bizarre ride through "Bemsha Swing," Monk introduces the "Epistrophy" theme and carries it through the rest of the gig in suite form. The tunes between the theme and its full-on jam treatment are "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You," "Hackensack," and a stinging "Blue Monk," which creates the seamless opportunity for the band to shift rhythms and changes and move into a harmonically dense yet flowing final round of "Epistrophy." The solos of both Monk (in which he quotes Errol Garner, Bud Powell, and Teddy Wilson) and Rouse (which uses the hard bop approach to go sailing over the band by double-timing the rhythm section) are as breathtaking as they seem effortless. The Japanese audience howls its appreciation, making for a finely recorded ending to this phase of Monk's career. The CD sound is improved over the Japanese issues and far cleaner than either of the LP versions. What's more, no additions or deletions were made from this performance, meaning it was originally issued exactly as it happened. For the many who believe Monk did his best work on the bandstand, this set is a fine point to make in your argument.

     Artist: Jimmy Skidmore
     Album: Skid Marks
     Label: Silverline DJSL026
     Year: 1972
     Genre: Jazz, Swing
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320 kbps
     Time: 39:07
     Size: 96 Mb



     Born in 1916 in East London Jimmy Skidmore started on guitar at the age of eighteen doing local gigs, before taking up the tenor sax at the age of twenty.
     He was self taught, mainly by listening to records, and working with local dance bands and eventually turning professional at the Cafe Society Club in Dean Street.
     He began to sit in at jam sessions run by the Number 1 Rhythm Club, was heard by Harry Parry, and invited to join his Radio Rhythm Club Sextet in 1942. He left after a few weeks and after another short stay in the Princess Restaurant band he was back with the West London Rhythm Club and played at the opening night of the Feldman Swing Club (also called No 1 Swing Club and became a regular performer at famous London jazz landmark.
He had played alongside George Shearing in the West London Rhythm Club in 1940 and other top bands followed, Carlo Krahmer (1943), Frank Deniz Spirits of Rhythm and Eric Winstone in 1944. Began an association with Vic Lewis in 1945, first with the Vic Lewis - Jack Parnell Jazzmen, that went through to 1947. In 1948 he worked with Victor Feldman's Quartet and Basil Kirchin's Sextet as well as taking part in the historic Club Eleven recordings of 1948 in the historic "Jazz at the Town Hall Ensemble" concert. After touring with Dill Jones where they played at the first Nice Jazz Festival he joined the Ralph Sharon Quintet in 1949 that became a sextet when Victor Feldman joined to play vibes.
     After leaving Ralph Sharon in December 1950 he joined Kenny Baker in March 1951 and frequently worked in Baker's star studded sextet that included Vic Ash and Tubby Hayes, and the Jazz Today Unit. By 1952 he was in a sextet led by trumpeter Terry Brown, again working with Tubby Hayes. He made appearances with Kenny Graham's Afro-Cubist band and then had a long spell with Eric Delaney from summer 1954 until October 1956.
Early in 1957 he played in a quintet with Tubby Hayes - a forerunner of the Jazz Couriers, and then in April 1957 he joined the Humphrey Lyttelton mainstream band and stayed with them until 1960 and can be heard to advantage on the Lyttelton recordings from this period.
     He then freelanced throughout the 1960s and 1970s often working in small groups with son Alan also a tenor sax player. He had a spell out of music in the 1960s when he worked as a publican and later for a supermarket but by the 1980s and 1990s was again gigging with his own and other groups. In 1996 celebrated his 80th birthday playing alongside Alan before his death in 1998.
     Jimmy Skidmore was a gifted musician with an unpretentious swing-based style that owed a lot to Zoot Sims. He was comfortable in settings as diverse as the modernistic Ralph Sharon Sextet and Humphrey Lyttelton's mainstream style band. If he lacked anything it was ambition to lead a band and become the star his talent merited...

     Artist: Charlie Byrd
     Album: Byrd's Word!
     Quality: Ape (256 MB) + mp3@320Kbps (99 MB) with scans
     Year: 1958 (Riverside)
     Label: OJC (2000)
     Total time: 41:25

     Byrd's Word! is an early Charlie Byrd recording that finds the guitarist in a variety of settings. The idea seems to be showcasing Byrd with a number of friends, including valve trombonist Bobby Felder, tenor saxophonist Buck Hill, and pianist Tee Carson. Though there are really no bad cuts on the album, the content is so diverse -- acoustic trios, electric guitar with brass, and acoustic guitar with vocals -- that the album doesn't flow as a whole. "Byrd's Word" opens the album, with a big brassy sound, complete with Byrd cutting loose on electric guitar. On this cut, and even more so on "Bobby in Bassoonville," his electric guitar sounds derivative of Charlie Christian or Herb Ellis. The best material finds an acoustic Byrd already in his small combo niche, as on "Satin Doll," with bassist Keter Betts and drummer Eddlie Phyfe. On "Conversation Piece," Byrd and Betts perform an intimate, bluesy instrumental with lots of interplay. Two quiet cuts, "Blue Turning Grey Over You" and "Don't Explain," feature Ginny Byrd on vocals. These quiet songs, with her airy, pleasant vocals, backed only by Byrd's guitar, make for great listening. The variety of material and styles gives the impression that Byrd was experimenting, but even so, his experimentation was conservative. His electric playing looks back toward swing while his acoustic playing leans toward quieter ballads. The issue then is less about style than approach: To plug in or to not plug in, that is the question. Byrd's Word! may not be a great album, but it is certainly a good place to get a look at Byrd's early development. ~ Ronnie Lankford, Jr., AMG

     Artist: Koko Taylor
     Album: Royal Blue
     Rating AMG: 3
     Release Date: Jun 6, 2000
     Label: Alligator
     Genre: Blues, Styles: Modern Electric Chicago Blues, Chicago Blues, Vocal Pop
     Time: 53:08
     Format/Bitrate - mp3, 320 kbps
     Size: 80 + 48 Mb (Rapidshare)

     Вновь в Клубе Koko Taylor. Этот диск был записан в 2000-ом году после семилетней паузы. Номинировался на Грэмми.
     Приятного прослушивания.

     Пользуясь случаем хотел бы пригласить вас в свой музыкальный блог (http://ev-music.blogspot.com). Принципиально нового (по сравнению с Клубом) там ничего нет. В нем я просто собрал свои публикации сделанные в Клубе. Тем не менее все ссылки рабочие (по крайней мере на момент поста) и пользоваться им достаточно удобно, благодаря наличию индекса.      Кроме того, возможно, вы найдете там что-то полезное для себя.

     Welcome to my blog: http://ev-music.blogspot.com

     Artist - Artie Shaw
     Album - The Chant
     Label - HEP
     Years: 1936-1937, release - 1996
     Quality - MP3@256 kbps
     Size - 116 mb
     Total time - 64:28


     A major turning point occurred when Artie Shaw performed at an all-star big band concert at the Imperial Theatre in May 1936, surprising the audience by performing with a string quartet and a rhythm section. He used a similar concept in putting together his first orchestra, adding a Dixieland-type front line and a vocalist while retaining the strings. Despite some fine recordings, that particular band disbanded in early 1937 and then Shaw put together a more conventional big band.

     Artist: Artist: Joe Henderson
     Album: Mode For Joe
     Label: Blue Note Records
     Year: rec. Jan 27, 1966/rel.Sep 2, 2003
     Format: MP 3 @ 320 Kb/s
     Time: 49:31
     Size:57.2 + 54.4 Mb
     AMG: 4 1/2 stars

     Artist: Buddy Guy
     Album: Damn Right, I've Got the Blues
     Label: Jive
     Original Year: 1991
     Genre: Blues
     Format/Bitrate: MP3/320
     Size: 100 mb + 12 mb

     This guest-studded CD relaunched Buddy Guy's career and set him toward the pinnacle of contemporary blues. Despite turns from Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, and others, it's Guy who burns brightest--and loudest. He delivers roaring, exuberant performances of classic R&B ("Mustang Sally"), old-time blues ("Black Night"), and house rockers ("Where Is the Next One Coming From"). Most poignant, though, is his seven-minute instrumental "Rememberin' Stevie," which not only rekindles the fiery spirit of his own youth, but pays sensitive tribute to his late friend and admirer Stevie Ray Vaughan. This is the blueprint for Guy's current performing style. ~ Ted Drozdowski

     Artist: Florin Niculescu
     Album: Plays Stephane Grappelli
     Label: Blujazz
     Release: 22 mai 2008
     Format, bitrate: MP3 320 kbps
     Size: 110 MB
     Forin Niculescu Site

     Le violoniste Florin Niculescu est aujourd’hui un musicien majeur de la scène jazz internationale. Il a, au travers de ses multiples collaborations musicales, développé une sonorité propre et un langage singulier. Une singularité qui tient d’abord à sa personnalité, mais aussi à sa solide formation classique nourrie, par ailleurs, par l’expérience tzigane puis orientée vers le jazz dans ses diverses variantes.

     Artist: Marcel Dadi
     Album: Guitar Legend Vol. 1
     Year: 1989
     Label: EPM Musique FDC 1091
     Fotmat, bitrate: Flac & MP3 320 kbs
     Size: 213 MB (flac) & 98 MB (MP3)
     Time: 1.10:33

     Marcel Dadi was a Tunisian-born French guitarist known for his finger-picking style which faithfully recreated the instrumental styles of American guitarists such as Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and Jerry Reed. He became a personal friend of country star Chet Atkins.

     Artist: Teddy Wilson
     Album:The Impeccable Mr. Wilson
     Label:Verve
     Release:1957
     Foermat/Bitrate:MP3/320
     Size:76.1MB



     In this fantastic album, Teddy Wilson is indeed impeccable...
     If you like piano jazz or are looking to start listening, this is a great album to start with....(vervemusicgroup)

    Enjoy...