Artist - Dave Brubeck
     Album - Gone With The Wind
     Label - Columbia
     Year - 1959, release - 1991
     Quality - MP3@320 kbps
     Size - 90,7 mb
     Total time: 39:47


     The album as a whole is filled with wonderful surprises and contains some of the best that the cool jazz style has to offer. It is written in the record notes that the foursome believed this would be a special session from the very first take. The group played several of these tunes for the first time in the studio, working out the final product spontaneously. This recording is masterful in scope and very stimulating in style and detail. The percussion of Morello and the bass playing of Wright are quite colorful and filled with texture and majestic rhythmic quality. Desmond's lead on the alto sax is compelling and passionate, filled with joyous melodies that would be perfect for a romantic date. His ability to surf up, down, and through scale passages with a sense of effortlessness is certainly full proof as to why he is regarded with such high esteem within the entire spectrum of jazz. Dave Brubeck's proficiency resonates throughout the record as he shows off his classically trained ear. Brubeck is one of the few pianists who, during his day, clearly avoided standard bop melodic conceptions and rhythmic feeling, and played within a unique style very much his own. Gone With the Wind is strongly recommended not only for the seasoned jazz fan, but also for first-time listeners who wish to be thoroughly captivated. ~ Shawn Haney, AMG

   Artist: Oscar Peterson
   Album: Jazz Spectrum vol.3 (compilation)
   Label: FONOGRAM
   Year: 1959-62
   Release 1971
   Format Mp3, bitrate: 320 kb/s
   Time: 32:01
   Size: 76,1 Mb

   Artist: St. Petersburg Ska-Jazz Review
   Album: St. Petersburg Ska-Jazz Review
   Label: Zvezda Records
   Year (Release): 2002
   Genre: ska-jazz
   Format, bitrate:: mp3, 320 kbps 48 kHz
   Time: 53:06
   Size: 122 mb

   The First Album Of The Great Russian Ska-Jazz Band.

   "St. Petersburg Ska-Jazz Review" - питерская музыкальная команда, играющая ska, ska-jazz (плюс элементы фанка, джайва, свинга и рокстеди). St. Petersburg Ska-Jazz Review не гонятся за модой, черпая вдохновение в 40-х-60-х годах XX века, когда талант и мастерство решали всё, а музыка была чистым удовольствием для музыкантов и аудитории. Среди своих«учителей» они называют Луиса Джордана, The J.B.’s и, конечно, легендарных «Скаталайтс». Репертуар St. Petersburg Ska-Jazz Review включает как творчески переосмысленный классический джаз, соул, фанк и ска, так и собственные элегантные и вдохновенные композиции
   (ru.wikipedia.org)

     Artist: Sonny Stitt
     Album: Stitt Plays Bird
     Year: 1963
     Label: Atlantic
     Genre: Bop
     Time: 44:53
     Format: MP3@320/kbs
     Size: 103 Mb
     Rating:

     “There have been vocalese treatments and Super Sax arrangements of Parker songs and solos that re-create each note perfectly. But what makes this homage so compelling 40 years after the fact is that it was played by Sonny Stitt in the spirit of the man, not the letter. The ability to make this legendary music come alive requires someone who knows the material and knows himself…. It requires the great player Sonny Stitt.” – Bob Porter

     Sonny Stitt forged his own approach to playing bebop out of the sound and style of Charlie Parker, so this tribute album was a very logical project. With fine support from guitarist Jim Hall, pianist John Lewis, bassist Richard Davis and drummer Connie Kay, Stitt performs ten Charlie Parker compositions, plus Jay McShann's "Hootie Blues"; these renditions of "Now's the Time" and "Yardbird Suite" were previously unreleased. Stitt, who mastered bebop and could play hot licks in his sleep, is in top form on such numbers as "Constellation," "Confirmation" and "Ko-Ko," making this an essential item for straight-ahead jazz fans (although the prolific altoist would record eight other albums in 1963 alone). [Originally released in 1963 Stitt Plays Bird was reissued on CD in 2006 and contains bonus tracks.] by Scott Yanow

   Artist - Mel Torme
   Album - Torme
   Label - Verve
   Year - 1958, release - 1989
   Quality - MP3@320 kbps
   Size - 95,5 mb
   Total time - 44:03
   AMG rating



   Mel Tormй made many memorable recordings with orchestras conducted and arranged by Marty Paich during his long career, though this CD deserves wider recognition. Tormй alternates between joyful swingers and bittersweet ballads, with his golden vocals capturing the essence of every song. These 1958 sessions have their share of time-tested favorites, including "Body and Soul" and "'Round Midnight." But it is the less familiar songs, like "Gloomy Sunday" (which has been performed rarely by singers), a bluesy "The House Is Haunted (By the Echo of Your Last Goodbye)," and an especially dramatic "I Don't Want to Cry Anymore," which features a plaintive introduction backed initially only by bongos and trombone, that stand out. Just as effective is his pair of duets ("Nobody's Heart" and "I'm Going to Laugh You Right Out of My Life") with an unidentified guitarist. But the gem of the date is an extended chart of the brilliant "Blues in the Night." Highly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide

   Artist: John Fahey
   Album: God, Time And Causality
   Label: Shanachie
   Year: 1989
   Format/bitrate: mp3 / 574 kbs
   Size: 98,1 MB
   AMG Rating:




   John Fahey's technique is highly distinctive — a single steel-strung guitar with a roar of sound, suddenly getting quiet and gentle, then playful, then angry, up and down and around. Where classical guitarists defined themselves by fluidity and technique, Fahey, and Leo Kottke like him, defined himself by the feeling involved in the playing. While there's structure to the music, it can, at any moment, veer off to some other place for a quick visit — "Lion" is very much of that nature.

     Artist: Yoko Nakamura
     Album: Girlish
     Label: Meldac
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 338 MB & 138 MB
     Time: 58:27

Yoko Nakamura was born in Kamakura, Japan in 1985 and started to learn the piano at an early age. In 1998, she was invited to perform at International Music Day Memorial Festival in Tokyo promoted by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs. Between 2000 and 2003, Yoko studied at Tokyo College of Music Senior High School, and performed at the Tokyo Opera City Recital Hall during this period.

Yoko has been successful in many national and international competitions. These include the top prize at Kawai Music Competition in Japan (1998), the special award at Takasaki International Competition in Japan (2001), the first prize at Nisshin International Competition in Tokyo (2002), the first prize of Piano Premier Challenge Cup at North London Festival (2005). She was a finalist in the Royal College of Music Concerto Competition 2007 performing the Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1.

Yoko has performed at various venues include recent concerts at Hinde Street Church in Marylebone, Chapel in the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea, Chappell of Bond Street Piano Hall (represented the RCM in Conservatoire Concert Series organized by YAMAHA London), St Michael’s Church in Chester Square, Claremont Centre in Islington, St Mary Abbots Church in Kensington, the Finchcocks Music Museum in Kent and at the Harlequin Theatre in Surrey.

Yoko is currently in her fourth year (Bachelor of Music degree with Honours) at the Royal College of Music in London, studying piano with Kevin Kenner.

     Artist: The Roy HargroveQuintet
     Album: Earfood
     Label: Emarcy
     Year: 2008
     Genre: Jazz, Post-Bop
     Format, rate: mp3, 320kbs
     Size: 142MB
     Time: 67:19



     The now mature jazz trumpeter/composer/bandleader Roy Hargrove, who has been utterly masterful since the beginning of his career, has been involved with various all-star bands, neo-fusion outfits, and made a very good living playing modern instrumental music. Now he is reaching a new and elevated level of pure jazz artistry with Earfood. A studio recording of his live touring repertoire with his working quintet, Hargrove presents several ballads, favorites from jazz veterans, and well rendered originals, all in the spirit of the famed trumpeters who preceded him. Alto saxophonist Justin Robinson and pianist Gerald Clayton are not only rising stars and standout soloists, but also players perfectly compatible to play this contemporary and mainstream modern jazz. Add young bassist Danton Bolder and the excellent drummer Montez Coleman, and you have a band that can bring Hargrove's music fully to life. =>