Roy Eldridge: I Can`t Get Started (2002)

Roy David Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz" was an American jazz trumpet player. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos and his strong influence on Dizzi Gillespie mark him as one of the most exciting musicians of the swing era and a precursor of bebop.

Tracklist:

01. Jump through the window (Eldridge) [02:42]
02. The Gasser (Eldridge) [02:55]
03. Stardust (Carmicheal) [02:28]
04. Minor Jive [02:43]
05. Don`t be that way (Goodman-Parish-Sampson) [03:14]
06. I want to be Happy (Youmans-Caesar) [02:58]
07. Fiesta in Brass (Calloway) [02:56]
08. I can`t get started (Duke-Gershwin) [03:18]
09. Flyin`on a v-disc - Part 1 Flying home (Goodman-Hampton) [04:56]
10. Flyin`on a v-disc - Part 2 Flying home (Goodman-Hampton) [04:01]
11. Fish Market (Eldridge) [03:12]
12. Twilight Time (Ram-Nevins-Dunn) [02:53]
13. St. Louis Blues (Handy) [02:24]
14. Body and Soul (Green-Heymann-Sour-Eyton) [03:18]
15. After You`ve gone (Creamer-Layton) [03:00]

I Can't Get Started
Hotfile / FileServe @ 320K

Ravi Coltrane: From the Round Box (2000)

Being the legacy of perhaps the most exalted musical martyr of the 20th century carries certain expectations. After all, John Coltrane's are some pretty big shoes to fill. His son, Ravi Coltrane, has his father's facial profile, but, so far, all similarities end there. "Social Drones," the Ralph Alessi composition that begins this quintet album, is closer to Doc Severinsen than the senior Coltrane--a plodding number that's all arid highs, no lows. "The Chartreuse Mean" is a literal toot-around that features Coltrane junior blowing arpeggios in sequence, perhaps in an effort to emulate his dad's celestial textures on such albums as Meditations. Similarly, "Word Order" broaches more of the melodic turf of the elder Coltrane's Crescent period, complete with suitably representative McCoy Tyner-esque accompaniment by Geri Allen. However, Coltrane senior isn't the only influence on his son. Latin traces mark the Ornette Coleman staple "The Blessing," but it's a botched job with Allen once again contributing what amounts to mere atmospherics, and an almost Miles Davis-ish wheeze stamping out any similarities to the original. The band ups the tempo on "Blues a la Carte," a Wayne Shorter composition, but Allen's piano is the equivalent of playing scales (with a touch of pastoral Tyner technique tossed in). Trumpeter Alessi contributes another tune, "Irony," in which Coltrane once again provides flutters of notes that fall short of evoking any kind of melodic force. Comparisons with dad are again inevitable--and that's where he falls short. But then, to be fair, who wouldn't? --Joe S. Harrington

Tracklist:
1. Social Drones
2. Chartreuse Mean, The
3. Word Order
4. Blues a la Carte
5. Monk's Mood
6. Irony
7. Blessing, The
8. Consequence
9. Between Lines
Personnel: Ravi Coltrane (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Ralph Alessi (trumpet, flugelhorn); Geri Allen, Andy Milne (piano); Eric Harland (drums)
From the Round Box
FileServe / Depositfiles @ 320K

Re-Post - Joey DeFrancesco: Ballads And Blues (2002)

Don't be fooled by the title. While Ballads and Blues may sound like a mellow batch of tunes to listen to while strolling in the park, the ever-soulful Joey DeFrancesco has something else in mind. The album takes off with "Get It All," a groovy piece of funk complete with Paul Bollenback's zesty guitar and Byron Landham's balanced backbeat. A steady, rocking groove also defines pieces like "Take the Coltrane" and "Jammin' in the Basement." The latter cut, in particular, emanates a good vibe, perhaps due to the presence of brother John DeFrancesco on guitar and Papa John DeFrancesco on a second B-3. Other guests include Pat Martino and saxophonist Gary Bartz on two tracks each. At least two pieces, "Home on the Range" and "Mama Don't Allow No," suggest that DeFrancesco has been hanging out with genre-bending guitarist Bill Frisell. And while soul-jazz renditions of folk songs may sound like a strange mix, every cut flows together in a lovely mesh of organ, guitar, and drums. DeFrancesco ends the album in a flourish by adding his smooth, rich vocals to "That's All." While his fans probably will not wait for a recommendation to pick up Ballads and Blues, everyone else will find the album a good introduction to organ music for the new millennium.

Tracklist:
1. Get It All
2. These Are Soulful Days
3. Take The Coltrane
4. You Don't Know What Love Is
5. Jammin' In The Basement
6. Home On The Range
7. Ceora
8. Basin Street Blues
9. Mama Don't Allow No
10. That's All
Ballads And Blues
FileServe @ 320K

Jeff Lorber Fusion: Galaxian (1981)

GALAXIAN, the 1981 album from modern jazz group The Jeff Lorber Fusion, first appeared in 1981 and features the tracks "Magic Lady" and "Night Love."

Tracklist:
01 - Monster Man
02 - Seventh Mountain
03 - Magic Lady
04 - Night Love
05 - Spur of the moment
06 - Think back and remember
07 - Bright Sky
08 - Galaxian
Personnel:
Jeff Lorber: Keyboards
Kenny G : alto & tenor saxophone, Flute
Dennis Bradford: Drums
Danny Wilson: Electric Bass
Additional musicians
Paulinho Da Costa: Percussion
Stanley Clarke : Bass
Dean Parks : Guitar
Galaxian
FileServe @ flac

Funk Revival Orchestra: FRO (2010)

Founded in Oakland, California in 2008 The Funk Revival Orchestra (F.R.O.) was built for one purpose alone:.... To bring back those rare, funk and latin grooves from the late 60's into the late 70's that you hear sampled on all those old, classic hip hop LP's into clubs and venues throughout the greater bay area..... The band's line-up is a full 9 piece ensemble featuring a three piece horn section, four piece rhythm section and two lead vocalists. ..Header Banner Made with MyBannerMaker.com! Click here to make your own!...

Tracklist:
1. FRO Intro (2:50)
2. It's Your World (3:55)
3. ConFunkShun (4:34)
4. Para Ti (4:42)
--------------
FileServe @ 320K

The Bennie Maupin Quartet: Early Reflections (2008)

The veteran Detroit-born multi-reedman Bennie Maupin has been criminally under-recorded as a leader with just five previous albums under his own name in the last 35 years. But Maupin, whose sinewy bass clarinet solos helped define Miles Davis' landmark fusion album, "Bitches Brew," and who spent most of the '70s riding shotgun with Herbie Hancock, appears to have found a champion in Cryptogramophone, a boutique label based in Los Angeles.

"Early Reflections" is a follow-up to the excellent "Penumbra" from 2006. Maupin is joined by a core quartet of Polish musicians with whom he has developed a rewarding affinity through frequent European sojourns. Based on a collectivist spirit, the music rejects standard melody-solos-melody structures for a brushstroke flow of color, textures, dialogue and modal improvisation. Short, sketch-like compositions give way to more expansive floats of lyricism.

Maupin's circular tenor patterns on "Within Reach" wander languidly through Michal Tokaj's gentle chordal landscapes, bassist Michal Baranski and drummer Lukasz Zyta twitching alongside. Much of the music whispers, and whether Maupin is playing tenor or soprano saxophone, bass clarinet or alto flute, his playing is defined by patience. Even when things heat up, as on "The Jewel and the Lotus," Maupin's best-known composition, arranged here as a swirling, Coltrane-like waltz over an infectious vamp, Maupin's soprano retains a wailing poise. --Detroit Free Press

Tracklist:
1. Within Reach
2. Escondido
3. Inside the Shadows
4. ATMA
5. Ours Again
6. The Jewel in the Lotus
7. Black Ice
8. Tears
9. Not Later Than Now
10. Early Reflections
11. Inner Sky
12. Prophet’s Motifs
13. Spirits of the Tatras
Personnel:
Bennie Maupin - bass clarinet, tenor & soprano saxophones, alto flute
Michal Tokaj - piano
Michal Baranski - bass
Lukasz Zyta - drums, percussion
Hania Chowaniec-Rybka - voice (4, 13)
Early Reflections
FileServe / Depositfiles @ 320K

Andrea Pozza Trio: New Quiet (2010)

The first time I heard Andrea Pozza was on his 2008 release on the Italian Deja Vu label, Drop This Thing, which was one of my favourites of that year. So I was pleased to hear that the Andrea Pozza Trio have teamed up with Paolo Scotti once again for their first release on the Norma Blu imprint. Whereas Drop This Thing was a more uptempo, slightly club oriented set, New Quiet is more of a stylishly laid back effort, with some Latin and sixties jazz influences.
The album opens with a wonderful rendition of Hubbard's Blue Spirits, which really showcases Pozza's talent on the keys. This, however, is just a taste of what's to come, with the dreamlike title track up next. The softly understated playing and the hypnotic lilting bassline make it a tune ideal for a late night Tokyo jazz bar or even al fresco cocktails on a summer night.
The tempo picks up slightly for a couple of bossa-tinged tunes, the infectious Sergio Mendes tune Noa Noa, and a version of the dance classic Nightingale, taken down a notch and expanded here to allow the players space for solos.
The next stop on our journey is a version of Horace Silver's Que Pasa, another understated, moody number with some amazing piano work over the top of a great bassline. This is drifting slowly down a stream in a boat, the warm, fuzzy but melancholic feeling you get from one glass of wine too many, a lazy Sunday afternoon or whatever you want to be. Sheer magic.
Lion's Den is a more uptempo number that will snap you out your reverie and get you tapping your feet at the very least, and this together with the Pozza original New Fast set things up nicely for the climax of the album which begins with a storming Joe Henderson number Recorda Me, where drummer Shane Forbes really lets loose. The album then closes with the Brazilian classic Consolacao, an uplifting dance number that leaves you begging for more.
If you like piano trio jazz, then I can't recommend New Quiet highly enough. The musicianship is evident for all to hear and it is a wonderful set of tunes that sit together perfectly.

Tracklist:
1 Blue Spirits (Freddie Hubbard)
2 New Quiet (Anrea Pozza)
3 Samba Novo
4 Nightingale (Fred Wise,George Rosner,Xavier Cugat)
5 Que Pasa (Horace Silver)
6 Lion's Den (Kenny Drew)
7 New Fast (Anrea Pozza)
8 Recorda Me (Joe Henderson)
9 Consolacao (Baden Powell)
Personnel:
Andrea Pozza p 
Aldo Zunino b
Shane Forbes dr
New Quiet
FileServe @ 320K

Darren Johnston: Cylinder (2011)

Since the late fifties, Ornette Coleman's music has inspired many projects. The music of Cylinder shares Ornette's now-iconic chordless instrumentation (trumpet-reeds-bass-drums) - but the novelty here is in the way the harmolodic concept of the master saxophonist is applied through inventive compositions and creative musical structures. Darren Johnston, Aram Shelton, Lisa Mezzacappa and Kjell Nordeson do this with their own voices, not passively reproducing Ornette's free jazz of the past - "Cylinder," the album, is molded in history, but it's not nostalgic. The members of this quartet, who each compose for the group, come not only from diverse geographical origins (Ontario, Florida, New York and Stockholm, all converging in San Francisco), but also from different practices in jazz and improvisation. We can find Johnston in avant-garde excursions and in straight-ahead contexts, and that says much about his personality. Shelton can be simultaneously lyrical and abrasive, making it impossible to attach his personal style with a specific jazz branch. Mezzacappa is oriented for a cross-current, going from jazz to chamber music to sound art. Nordeson is involved in many experimental and free-improvising bands, and composes for dance and intermedia art. This is music of the future made present, fresh compositions and bold musicianship heralding a new wave of creative music emerging from the West Coast.

Tracklist:

1. The Ear the Was Sold to a Fish 9:28
2. Sung by Dogs 5:30
3. The Deep Disciplines 4:02
4. Crossings 6:28
5. Shells 2:39
6. Four Thoughts 6:38
7. Skipped Rocks 5:56
8. Sink Town 4:36
9. Earthworm 6:56

Personnel:

Darren Johnston (trumpet);
Aram Shelton (alto saxophone, Bb clarinet, bass clarinet);
Lisa Mezzacappa (bass);
Kjell Nordeson (drums, percussion)

-------------------

Fileserve @ 320K

Tom Grant: Life is Good (2008)

Tom Grant has produced his first all original smooth jazz record since his 1998 Windham Hill release Tune It In. Life is Good contains 10 new songs and 2 tunes (Mysterious Smile and In My Body, Out of My Mind) that are reprised from earlier works by the pianist-singer-composer. One of the redone oldies is Mysterious Smile, co-written by Tom and Pink Martini bassist, Phil Baker. Also on this CD is a collaboration between Tom and sultry soul singer Shelly Rudolph. The song is called Gold and it could be the perfect wedding song for newlyweds anywhere. Life is Good also highlights Toms affinity for the Bossa Nova feel of the 60s. The opening piece on the CD is a funky finger-popper featuring Dan Schauffler, Saxophonist with Nu Shooz and the Crazy 8s. Toms regular bass player Dave Captein is heard on this record, along with Gino Vanelli drummer Reinhard Melz. Life is Good also contains sweet ambient grooves along with a couple of smart solo piano pieces.

Tracklist:
1. Utopia
2. Regarding You
3. Step Up
4. Gold
5. Cool Shoes
6. Mysterious Smile
7. Garden of Sublime Enchantment
8. The moon and the Stars and You
9. Morning Glorious
10. Talk to Me Nice
11. In My Body... Out of My Mind
12. Easy Landing
Life is Good
FileServe @ 320K

NICOCO: Coctail (2011)

Remarkable compositions and big band arrangements. A very diversified Jazzalbum. It swings and it grooves ; melodies and sounds may abduct the listener to high spheres and wide range of the world of jazz. This music has ABSOLUTELY deserved to be played by a real Bigband.

Tracklist:
1 Cocktail 5:26
2 Patraque 5:06
3 Crouton 5:29
4 Orchestra 4:15
5 Saladin 6:24
6 Cacahuette 6:14
7 Taniaque 8:11
8 Moquette 6:54
9 Funjazz 5:32
10 Toutou 4:08
11 DDD 6:02 
12 Poison  5:47
13 Fun6chand 4:09
14 House Report 5:11
15 Caro 5:33
16 Superquartet 5:52
17 Babar 4:00
-------------
FileServe @ vbr

Bryant Wilder: The Right Track (2003)

The Right Track contains a host of ridiculously funky instrumental tracks. Bryant has blended his thunderous funky bass playing with his unique production style to craft a brand of music that is rooted in earthy grooves. Guest appearances include Nathaniel Townsley III, O'najee Alan Gumbs, Vicki Genfan, CD Hawkins, Willie Brown and others.

Tracklist:

01. Church Boyz R Funky 2 (Intro)
02. Church Boyz R Funky 2
03. Fuzzy Wahzzy Was a Bass
04. B's Not Dismayed
05. Available 2 U
06. Aah Dios
07. God's # in Completion
08. 3rd Bass W/Strings Attached
09. Where There Are 3
10. Journey to the Gate
11. P150
12. Solace?
13. Tune Up
14. The Call
15. Something Down Inside of Me
16. The Mc
17. Something Deep Inside of Me
18. I Need Thee
The Right Track
FileServe / Depositfiles @ 320K

Charlie Hunter, Chinna Smith and Ernest Ranglin: Earth Tones (2005)

It's been nearly a decade since Charlie Hunter collaborated with other guitarists (the great T.J. Kirk band of the mid-'90s), but Earth Tones finds him revisiting the format with very different results. Hunter got together with legendary Jamaican guitarists Ernest Ranglin and Chinna Smith for an easygoing set of (mostly) covers that largely tread the kind of Jamaican-flavored jazz that Ranglin's been known for for years. There are some reggae and dub elements here and there, but you'd be hard-pressed to call it a reggae album. Recorded with very few overdubs, the cooperative arrangements are perfect, with plenty of space for everyone and the players almost finishing each other's thoughts. Hunter's guitar always has a bit of Leslie effect on it (remember, he's throwing down the basslines at the same time!), Chinna sticks to acoustic, and Ranglin plays with his trademark clean electric sound, so it's really easy to pick out who's doing what and compare their different styles. Ranglin's fluid melodic lines contrast nicely with Smith, who makes some surprising yet wonderful note choices and wild intervalic leaps in his solos. Sharing the spotlight, there's less of Hunter's soloing than on his "proper" albums, but his playing is always fantastic and he lays down some big fat basslines. Drummer Shawn Pelton is ultra-supportive on drums and contributes tasteful drum programming that sometimes bubbles up from underneath, while session percussionist Manolo Badrena adds just the right accents. This album has the casual feel of a one-off affair, but that certainly doesn't mean it's any less enjoyable than Hunter's myriad other projects. In fact, this would have to rank right up there with his best, although one wouldn't necessarily consider this a Charlie Hunter project; it's a true collaboration. Regardless, putting these guys together was a stroke of genius.

Tracklist:
1. Long Bay (5:51)
2. What I Am (9:18)
3. Mestre' Tata (4:16)
4. I've Got The Handle (6:48)
5. One Foundation (5:10)
6. Fade Away (7:27)
7. Passion Dance (6:34)
8. Rivers of Babylon (8:33)
9. Island In The Sun (3:58)
Earth Tones
FileServe @ 320K

Herbie Hancock: Monster (1980)

Despite the PR hype about this being Herbie Hancock's first "rock" album, Monster is really another disco album, though more varied in texture, somewhat more subtle in execution, and blessedly rid of those vocoder vocals, though not of the real ones. "Saturday Night," despite the distinctive presence of Carlos Santana, sets the album's dancefloor tone. The rock element is supposedly supplied by Hancock on the newly-developed Clavitar, where, try as he might to articulate like a guitarist, the sound is still that of a mutated synthesizer. Alphonze Mouzon is wasted on drums, and guitarist Wah Wah Watson has a field day on his eponymous specialty. Most annoying (and defining) track -- "Go for It." ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

Tracklist:
01 - Saturday Night
02 - Stars In Your Eyes
03 - Go For It
04 - Don't Hold It In
05 - Making Love
06 - It All Comes Round
Personnel:
Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin - Guitar
Julia Tillman Waters - Vocals
Fred Washington - Bass
Maxine Willard Waters - Vocals
Luther Waters - Vocals
Oren Waters - Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Wah Wah Watson - Guitar
Carlos Santana - Guitar
Freddie "Ready Freddie" Washington - Bass (Electric)
Julia - Vocals (Background)
Greg Walker - Vocals
Bill Champlin - Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Randy Hansen - Guitar
Gavin Christopher - Vocals
Sheila Escovedo - Percussion
Herbie Hancock - Synthesizer, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals, Clavinet, Producer, Oberheim, Mini Moog, Oberheim 8 Voice, Prophet 5, Clavitar
Alphonse Mouzon - Synthesizer, Drums, Keyboards
Ray Parker, Jr.- Bass
Monster
FileServe @ 320K

Jim Hall: Downbeat Critics' Choice (2002)

One of the many great things about guitarist Jim Hall is his unparalleled ability to excel in both a straight-ahead jazz context and in a variety of more experimental modes, from harmonically challenging avant-garde jazz to playful adaptations of Caribbean themes and innovative instrumental settings (such as the trio improvisation with bassist Scott Colley and George Mraz featured on this album). Hall's guitar sound is famously round, soft, and gentle, and yet his note choices and compositional strategies can be highly difficult. Down Beat Critics' Choice collects 12 tracks from albums Hall recorded for the Telarc label between 1995 and 2001, and includes some of his most exciting and sophisticated work, as well as a clunker or two. Among the former are his exquisite collaboration with guitarist Mike Stern on "Stern Stuff," which Hall composed in Stern's honor and which is based on a Monk-ish, almost atonal theme and yet features some of Hall's most spirited and sweetly swinging solo playing. The calypso-flavored "Pan-O-Rama," which features pianist Geoff Keezer, is another solid winner, as is the melancholy "Snowbound," a duet with accordionist Gil Goldstein. "Circus Dance" is just a bit too literal in its development of the titular theme, and never really gets off the ground. But the high points outnumber the low ones by a huge margin on this very fine collection.

Tracklist:
01. Dream Steps (Hall)
02. Stern Stuff (Hall)
03. Snowbound (Hall)
04. Fanfare (Hall)
05. Quadrologue (Hall)
06. Circus Dance (Hall)
07. Pan-O-Rama (Hall)
08. Furnished Flats (Hall)
09. October Song (Hall)
10. The Wind (Freeman-Gladstone)
11. Abstract 3 (Colley-Hall-Mraz)
12. Tango Loco (Hall)
Downbeat Critics' Choice
FileServe / Depositfiles @ 320K

Jim Hall & Bob Brookmeyer: Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival (1999)

The lucid and luminous guitarist Jim Hall is no stranger to the duet setting: over his career, he's waxed duo albums with piano (Bill Evans in the 1960s), bass (Ron Carter in the 1970s), and second guitar (most notably on 1999's record with Pat Metheny. Hall's also no stranger to valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, a co-collaborator in Jimmy Giuffre's late-1950s trio. On this 1979 date, the pair seems liberated by the absence of a rhythm section--twisting and turning the songs at a moment's notice--yet shows great discipline in being able to maintain cohesiveness. On "I Hear a Rhapsody," the two weave stunning improvisations around each other, while on "In a Sentimental Mood," Hall leaves Brookmeyer sufficient room for his rippling runs. They challenge themselves with Sonny Rollins's "St. Thomas," a tune that relies heavily on its rhythmic impulse, and they succeed thanks to Hall's miraculous chord work, which deconstructs and rebuilds the song piece by piece. --Marc Greilsamer

Tracklist:
01. Skating in Central Park (Lewis)
02. I Hear a Rhapsody (Baker-Fragos-Gasparre)
03. My Funny Valentine (Hart-Rodgers)
04. Body and Soul (Eyton-Green-Heyman-Sour)
05. In a Sentimental Mood (Ellington-Kurtz-Mills)
06. Sweet Basil (Brookmeyer-Hall)
07. Darn That Dream (De Lange-Van Heusen)
08. St. Thomas (Rollins)
Personnel:
Jim Hall - guitar
Bob Brookmeyer - valve trombone
Live At The North Sea Jazz Festival, 1979
FileServe @ 320K

Herbie Hancock: Secrets (1976)

Having long since established his funk credentials, Herbie Hancock continues the direction of Head Hunters and its U.S. successors here, welding himself to the groove on electric keyboards while Bennie Maupin again shines sardonic beams of light on a variety of reeds. In "Doin' It," the most successful track, Hancock makes a more overt bid for the dancefloor, for the tune is basically one long irresistible groove with a very commercial-sounding bridge.

Again Hancock chooses to recompose one of his standards; "Cantelope [sic] Island" is almost unrecognizable converted into a sauntering, swaggering thing. A streamlining process has set in -- the drumming has been simplified, some of the old high-voltage drive has been muted -- yet there are still enough enjoyable, intelligently musical things happening here to hold a Hancock admirer's attention.

Tracklist:
1. Doin' It
2. People Music
3. Cantaloupe Island
4. Spider
5. Gentle Thoughts
6. Swamp Rat
7. Sansho Shima
Secrets
FileServe / Depositfiles @ 320K

Don Schiff: Peering Over Clouds (2005)

Don Schiff (born November 9, 1955) is a bass guitar, Chapman Stick, NS/Stick, and bowed guitar player on recordings, TV, and film sessions. He is one of the earliest Stick, NS/Stick, and bowed guitar players. He helped popularize the NS/Stick and a technique of using a carabiner as a slide and tapping device.

A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Schiff moved to Las Vegas, Nevada immediately after high school in 1974. At age 19 he quickly developed a reputation and within five months got his first break when hired to be the 'house bassist' for the Flamingo Las Vegas and Hilton Hotel Showrooms. There, he played for such artists as Elvis Presley, Tina Turner, Peggy Lee, Sammy Davis, Jr., Ann-Margret, Perry Como, and The 5th Dimension, as well as others.

Schiff purchased his first Chapman Stick in 1975 and quickly adapted to it, creating his own style of playing. Gradually, around the time he was making the move to Los Angeles in 1977, he began using it during live dates and recording sessions for various artists including Eddie Money, Lana Lane, Dwight Yoakam, Erik Norlander and Sheryl Crow. He met screenwriter and director Patrick Sean Duncan who hired him to score the films Live From Death Row and Family Values. He can be seen briefly in both of those films since Pat Duncan cast him in films he directed, placing him in odd scenes.

In 2000, Emmett Chapman and Ned Steinberger developed the first prototype NS/Stick. Schiff was given one of the first two prototypes to try out. He developed many new techniques on it including "tapping while plucking" and "slide technique" using a carabiner while tapping.

The song "Cerebral Man", which he wrote along with Tully Winfield, was recorded by Pat Benatar on her album entitled Wide Awake in Dreamland for which he received a gold album in 1988. The song "With Every Word" recorded by Nia Peeples on her self titled album was also written by Schiff and Winfield.

Schiff currently plays NS/Stick in the band Rocket Scientists.
He also scores music for and wrote the theme for the web series "The Guild".

Tracklist:

1  Peering Over Clouds  7:17
2  Winds of Fire, Winds of Change  5:28
3  Under the Olive Tree  5:09
4  Secret World  6:25
5  Inside the Color of Dreams  7:21
6  Tomorrow's Magic  4:29
7  Reflective View  5:32
8  From Where the Past Began  6:17
9  The Eighth Wonder  5:18
10  A Whiter Shade of Pale  4:56
11  Talking in Tongues  4:00
12  Between Sound and Silence  1:25
13  Crossing the Lines of Reason  7:38

Peering Over Clouds

Hotfile / Uploading @ 320K

Alan Skidmore Quintet: One Upon a Time (1969)

Once Upon a Time is one of an amazing 20 albums tenor saxophonist Alan Skidmore appeared on in 1969 and 1970 (including several veritable classics of British jazz, Mike Gibbs' Tanglewood 63, John Surman's How Many Clouds Can You See?, Stan Tracey's Seven Ages of Man, and Graham Collier's Songs for My Father). The lineup of this particular quintet, which represented Britain at the 1969 Montreux Jazz Festival, is truly stellar: in addition to Skidmore there's Canadian trumpeter/flugelhorn virtuoso Kenny Wheeler, pianist John Taylor, bassist Harry Miller, and percussionist Tony Oxley. Two of the six tracks are credited to John Surman, and one, the sultry "Old San Juan," is penned by John Warren, Surman's collaborator on Tales of the Algonquin, another classic release from the same year. If the Surman material reveals the discreet influence of the late-'60s Miles Davis quintet, Oxley's "Majaera" begins to explore the more dangerous territory of free playing he would return to the following year on his Four Compositions for Sextet. Elsewhere, John Taylor's "The Yolk" is a boisterous, brilliant piece of hard bop, and the last three tracks, segued together as a suite, explore a similarly wide range of styles. So much so that Skidmore aficionados tend to prefer the greater coherence of the following year's septet release on Philips, TCB, but Once Upon a Time remains one of the landmark albums of British jazz. ~ Dan Warburton

Tracklist
01 - Once Upon a Time 07:00
02 - Majaera 03:56
03 - The Yolk 05:51
04 - Old San Juan  11:48
05 - Free for Al  04:30
06 - Image  04:56
Personnel: Alan Skidmore (tenor saxophone); Harry Miller (acoustic bass); Kenny Wheeler (flugelhorn); John Taylor (piano); Tony Oxley (drums)
Once Upon a Time
FileServe / Depositfiles @ 320K

Mike Stern: Odds Or Evens (1991)

This is a powerhouse date of high-powered fusion, mixing together the sound of rock with the musicianship and improvising of jazz. With the assistance of tenor saxophonist Bob Berg, keyboardist Jim Beard and a rhythm section, guitarist Stern jams through a set of originals that serve as jumping-off devices for fairly long solos. The musicians really stretch themselves within the idiom and even the quieter numbers are full of intensity.

Tracklist:

1  Keys - Stern 7:28
2  D.C. - Stern 7:40
3  Common Ground - Stern 6:05
4  Odds or Evens - Stern 7:08
5  Seven Thirty - Stern 6:26
6  If You Say So - Stern 7:36
7  Sandbox - Stern 3:59
8  Walkie Talkie - Stern 6:57

Odds Or Evens
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Re-Up: Jimmy Cobb Quartet: Cobb's Corner

The legendary jazz drummer Jimmy Cobb, is a superb, mostly self-taught musician and is the elder statesman of all of the incredible Miles Davis bands. Jimmy's inspirational work with Miles, John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley spanned 1957 until 1963, and included the masterpiece 'Kind of Blue', the most popular jazz recording in history. He also played on 'Sketches of Spain', 'Someday My Prince will Come', 'Live at Carnegie Hall', 'Live at the Blackhawk', 'Porgy and Bess', and many other landmark Miles Davis recordings.

On 'Cobb's Corner' Cobb leads a stellar quartet made up of the brilliant trumpeter Roy Hargrove, pianist Ronnie Mathews and bassist Peter Washington. The programme mostly features a selection of standards including "You and the Night and the Music", "My Romance" and "Lotus Blossom".

A superb, mostly self-taught drummer, Jimmy Cobb has been a dominant accompanist and outstanding soloist. He approaches the drum kit in both a melodic and percussive fashion, never playing overly-long or rambling solos. He's known for working slightly ahead of the beat, and has anchored many fine sessions as well as spending five years with Miles Davis in the '50s and '60s. Cobb did study briefly with Jack Dennett, a percussionist with extensive symphonic credentials. He played with Charlie Rouse, Leo Parker, Frank Wess, Billie Holiday and Pearl Bailey in Washington, D.C. Cobb left in 1950 to join Earl Bostic, and cut his first recordings with him. He played with Dinah Washington over three years, then worked with Cannonball Adderley, Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie. He took over for Philly Joe Jones in the Davis band in 1958, and was on hand for several seminal dates. He finally left, along with Paul Chambers, to team with Wynton Kelly. The trio played and recorded with Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell and J.J. Johnson before it disbanded. Cobb played on the film soundtrack "Seven Days In May," and later worked with David Amram. He worked with Sarah Vaughan through the '70s, and was featured on a public television film of a Vaughan concert at the Wolf Trap Jazz Festival. Cobb also worked with Richie Cole, Sonny Stitt, Nat Adderley and Ricky Ford. During the '80s he worked with the Joe Albany trio. Cobb remains active, though there are currently no albums under his name as a leader listed.

Tracklist:
01. You and the Night and the Music 05:11
02. My Romance 06:29
03. Never Let Me Go 06:20
04. John Charles 04:44
05. My Foolish Heart 06:26
06. I Think You're Wonderful 03:13
07. Lotus Blossom 06:37
08. Book's Bossa 06:25
09. Ruby My Dear 05:01
10. My Ship 05:56
Personnel:
Jimmy Cobb - (drums),
Roy Hargrove - (trumpet),
Ronnie Mathews - (piano),
Peter Washington - (bass)
Cobb's Corner (Hybr)
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Jim Hall: Jim Hall and Basses (2001)

Jim Hall is no stranger to guitar/bass duets after several memorable outings with the likes of Ron Carter and Red Mitchell, but this series of studio sessions is even more challenging, mixing it up in pairings with Dave Holland, Christian McBride, Charlie Haden, George Mraz, and Scott Colley. Only three of the 13 pieces are standards, including a soft and sparse treatment of "All the Things You Are" with Mraz, a whisper-soft and slowly savored "Don't Explain" with Haden, and a switch to acoustic guitar for a tense "Besame Mucho" with Colley. Hall's skills as a composer are vastly underrated by the jazz audience as a whole, but his fellow players recognize his formidable skills. He makes a relatively rare appearance on a 12-string acoustic guitar in his challenging opener, "End the Beguine," in which he and Holland rise to the demands of this captivating piece. McBride joins the leader for the playful waltz "Dog Walk," while Colley, Hall's regular bassist at the time of these recording sessions, joins him for the invigorating "Dream Steps," a reworking of the chords to the standard "You Stepped Out of a Dream." In addition to several memorable duo (or trio) improvisations, Hall is joined by both Colley and Mraz for the initially loping and suddenly very abstract "Tango Loco," featuring Mraz's tasty arco bass. Hall's adventuresome streak as a composer, arranger, and performer continues to flourish. - Ken Dryden

Tracklist:
01. End the Beguine! (Hall)
02. Bent Blue (Hall)
03. Abstract 1 (Hall-Haden)
04. All the Things You Are (Hammerstein-Kern)
05. Abstract 2 (Hall-Colley-Mraz)
06. Sam Jones (Hall)
07. Don't Explain (Herzog-Holiday)
08. Dog Walk (Hall)
09. Abstract 3 (Hall-Colley-Mraz)
10. Besame Mucho (Skylar-Velazquez)
11. Dream Steps (Hall)
12. Abstract 4 (Hall-Colley)
13. Tango Loco (Hall)
Personnel:
Jim Hall - electric &acoustic guitars
Scott Colley, Charlie Haden, Dave Holland, Christian McBride, George Mraz - bass
Jim Hall & Basses
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Al Foster: Love, Peace & Jazz (2008)

Al Foster is probably best known as Miles Davis' drummer for much of the '70s and '80s, and as a well-regarded sideman for jazz giants including Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson. He's also, somewhat quietly, been leading a first-rate unit of his own for more than a decade, one that has only released two albums, the first in 1997 and the second just out in 2008 on the Italian Jazz Eyes label.

Love, Peace and Jazz! captures Foster, who turns 65 in January, leading a quartet of highly accomplished and much younger players on a live date at New York's Village Vanguard last year. With Foster directing the action from the drum chair, the group delivers a rousing set of the sort of expansive post-bop that's been Foster's bread and butter for the past 40 years. The repertoire is split between Foster originals and tunes associated with some of his past employers, including two from Davis' book—"Blue in Green" and "E.S.P."—and Blue Mitchell's "Fungii Mama," a catchy calypso number that a young Foster first recorded with the trumpeter in 1964.

All the songs are given expanded treatments ranging from eight to fourteen minutes, leaving plenty of room for saxophonist Eli Degibri, a double threat on soprano and tenor, pianist Kevin Hays and bassist Douglas Weiss to showcase their considerable talents. But it's Foster who leaves the most lasting impression, both for his profound knowledge of the jazz idiom and for his generosity as a leader, pushing his junior cohorts to dig deeper and reach further in support of a shared vision.

Tracklist:

1  The Chief (Foster) 10:30
2  ESP (Shorter) 11:31
3  Blue in Green (Davis) 14:10
4  Peter's Mood (Foster) 10:47
5  Brandyn (Foster) 13:40
6  Fungii Mama (Mitchell) 8:27
Love, Peace And Jazz
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Ray Brown: Some of My Best Friends are... guitarists (2002)

The fifth in Ray Brown's series of recordings pairing his working trio with several different musicians from the same family of instruments (although one volume was exclusively singers) features a half-dozen guitarists, ranging from fellow Oscar Peterson alumni Herb Ellis (who worked with Brown in the pianist's most famous trio) and Ulf Wakenius to veteran Kenny Burrell, as well as seasoned players like John Pizzarelli and Bruce Forman and the rising star Russell Malone. Each song sounds as if the group could be a working quartet, due to the great interaction between the trio and each guest. Pizzarelli shines in a bluesy, strutting take of Duke Ellington's "Just Squeeze Me" (erroneously labeled as Fats Waller's "Squeeze Me") which has a nice series of exchanges between the guitarist and the leader. Ellis brings back memories of the Oscar Peterson Trio with a heated performance of "I Want to Be Happy" during which pianist Geoff Keezer is up to the task of carrying on where Ellis left off. Wakenius is the guest on a particularly moody take of "My Funny Valentine." Burrell, Forman, and Malone also fare nicely on each of their pair of tracks, so it's very easy to recommend this very enjoyable disc. ~ Ken Dryden

Tracklist:

1. Squeeze Me
2. I Want To Be Happy
3. Heartstrings
4. Blues For Ray
5. Fly Me To The Moon
6. The Song Is You
7. Little Darlin'
8. Blues For Junior
9. Tangerine
10. My Funny Valentine
11. Blues For Wes
12. Soulful Spirit (Dedicated To Billy Higgins)

Personnel: Herb Ellis, John Pizzarelli, Kenny Burrell, Russell Malone, Ulf Wakenius, Bruce Forman (guitar); Geoff Keezer (piano); Karriem Riggins (drums).

Some of My Best Friends Are Guitarists
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