Jim Rotondi: The Move (2010)

During his 13-year association with Criss Cross, which includes six prior leader dates and another five with the nonpareil hard bop collective One For All, trumpeter Jim Rotondi has consistently maintained high standards of excellence in his playing and writing. The Move is no exception - Rotondi's strong sextet, all long-time colleagues (Ralph Bowen, tenor sax; Mike DiRubbo, alto sax; David Hazeltine, piano; John Webber, bass; Joe Farnsworth, drums), play the stimulating charts with heat, creative spirit, and deep craft, each member stamping themselves as personal voices in the mainstream jazz timeline.

The Move
Depositfiles / Hotfile @ 320K

Art Ruprecht: At the End of the Day (2008)

“At The End Of The Day” is the 2008 smooth-jazz release from guitarist, Art Ruprecht. Hailing from St. Louis, MO, his varied influences range from Ricky Scaggs to George Benson. To that end, it is no surprise that he is at home in myriad genres. From the latin spice of “Elogielo”, to the swinging jazz waltz “Bear-Hug”, and introspective “Eternal Life”, the discerning musical palette is left more than satisfied. Blistering, yet tasteful guitar work overlay a lush funk/R&B bed in this collection of Art’s original works.

Since the first quarter of 2007, Art has had five songs air on The Weather Channel’s “Local On The Eights” segment, and is working with Platinum Music of Great Britain, The Music Library of Studio City, California and has recently signed a deal with LGN Entertainment/Sony-BMG for worldwide digital distribution of “At The End Of The Day”.

Tracklist:

01. Big Talker 4:21

02. At the End of the Day 3:51
03. Elogielo 3:56
04. Streets of Gold 3:57
05. Smooth Stones 3:54
06. Bear-hug 3:13
07. Saturday Morning 3:34
08. The Light Unto My Path 3:59
09. Trinity 4:56
10. As It Is in Heaven 4:54
11. Your Majesty 3:59
12. Rest in You 4:02
13. Eternal Life 2:49
At the End of the Day
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 192K

Azymuth: Live at the Copacabana Palace (1999)

Personnel: Jose Roberto Bertrami (vocals, keyboards, percussion); Alexandre Malheiros (vocals, bass); Aleuda (vocals, percussion); Ivan Conte (drums).

Recorded live in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in March 1979.

Tracklist:

1. Partido Alto

2. Light As A Feather
3. Dona Olimpia
4. Montreux
5. Jazz Carnival
6. Existe Isto
7. Voo Sobre O Horizonte
8. Jazz Carnival Short Version
Live At Copacabana Palace
Depositfiles / Hotfile @ 320K

Rob Martino: One Cloud (2010)

Tracklist :
1. One Cloud (3:35)
2. The Long Circle (11:06)
3. Conscious Dream (5:15)
4. Cloud Dispersed (2:17)
5. Differential (5:27)
6. Turbulence (1:26)
7. Mighty Distant Star (6:11)
8. The Third Enigma (13:14)

Rob Martino says: I am pleased to announce my first solo Chapman Stick album One Cloud

The album is 48 minutes of original music that was composed, performed live and further developed over a period of about five years. I've distilled many of my various progressive rock, folk and classical music influences, as well as some techniques I picked up on other instruments, and attempted to incorporate it into my own style on the Stick. My intent is to create soulful and intricate music that takes the listener on a journey though different moods, themes and sonic images.

Short History:

I put a rough video of my first Stick tune One Cloud on YouTube in 2006, and beyond any expectations many people seemed to respond to that and other videos and recordings I shared. The encouragement I have received has certainly feuled the creation of this album to a large degree, and I am grateful for all the support! Album sales certainly allow me to achieve more in my musical endeavors (more frequent writing, recording and performing)- I don't really have any expectations of playing music as a career, but having some extra time and resouces do help a lot. Special thanks to Ronald Jenkees for directing a lot of traffic my way of late!

Technical Info:

I recorded the album at home on an Apple Macintosh computer (using an Apogee Duet recording interface) and did all the mixing and effects processing in the digital domain (96 Khz/24 bit). Other than the high quality Apogee interface and Avenson DIs, no outboard gear was used- just Logic Pro and plug-ins by Wave Arts and Native Instruments.

The final mastering stage took a complimentary approach- Michael Romanowski used his audiophile analog/tube/tape methods (and great ears) to establish a deep, warm and cohesive sound. Not much compression or limiting was used: I resisted the trend to make the album "bright and loud" like many other modern recordings (which often end up being fatiguing to the ears). Instead it has a smoother "vintage" audio quality that has more space to breathe. For best results, turn it up some more!

One Cloud

Depositfiles / Hotfile @ 320K

Alphonse Mouzon: The Sky Is The Limit (1996)

This is a perfect mixture of smooth contemporary jazz & soulful funk w. Richard Elliot-sax, Ronnie Laws-sax, Larry Coryell-gtr, Ray Parker Jr.-gtr + 1985

Tracks 9-12 are previously released on THE 11TH HOUSE (LP).

Personnel: Alphonse Mouzon (electric piano, keyboards, synthesizer, drums, percussion); Paul Jackson, Jr., Ray Parker, Jr., Torsten de Winkel (guitar, electric guitar); Larry Coryell (electric guitar); Richard Elliot (lyre, tenor saxophone, lyricon); Chris Schneider, Ernie Watts, Christian Schneider, Ronnie Laws (tenor saxophone); Terumasa Hino (cornet, flugelhorn); Geoff Stradling (electric piano, keyboards, synthesizer); Mike Mandel (electric piano); John Lee, Kai Eckhardt-Karpeh, Nathan East (electric bass); Julia Waters, Maxine Willard Waters (background vocals).

Tracklist:

1. Why Don't You Break It

2. Jean-Pierre

3. Do You Want to Dance?
4. Making Love With You
5. Come and See What I've Got
6. Sky Is the Limit, The
7. Starting All over Again
8. Rock & Roll Waltz, The
9. Don't Break My Funk
10. Old Friends
11. Night for Love
12. One More Time
The Sky Is The Limit
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K

Elmore James: The Best of the Modern Years (2005)

No two ways about it, the most influential slide guitarist of the postwar period was Elmore James, hands down. Although his early demise from heart failure kept him from enjoying the fruits of the '60s blues revival as his contemporaries Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf did, James left a wide influential trail behind him. And that influence continues to the present time -- in approach, attitude and tone -- in just about every guitar player who puts a slide on his finger and wails the blues. As a guitarist, he wrote the book, his slide style influencing the likes of Hound Dog Taylor, Joe Carter, his cousin Homesick James and J.B. Hutto, while his seldom-heard single-string work had an equally profound effect on B.B. King and Chuck Berry. His signature lick -- an electric updating of Robert Johnson's "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom" and one that Elmore recorded in infinite variations from day one to his last session -- is so much a part of the essential blues fabric of guitar licks that no one attempting to play slide guitar can do it without being compared to Elmore James. Others may have had more technique -- Robert Nighthawk and Earl Hooker immediately come to mind -- but Elmore had the sound and all the feeling. - Amazon

Tracklist:
1. I Believe
2. Baby What's Wrong
3. Early in the Morning
4. Hawaiian Boogie
5. Strange Kinda Feeling
6. Please Find My Baby
7. Hand in Hand
8. Make My Dreams Come True
9. Sho' Nuff I Do
10. Sunny Land
11. Standing at the Crossroads
12. Mean & Evil
13. Happy Home
14. No Love in My Heart (For You)
15. Dust My Blues
16. I Was a Fool, Too
17. Blues Before Sunrise
18. Goodbye Baby
19. Wild About You
The Best of the Modern Years
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K

Gannin Arnold: Not From Here (2010)

2010 release Gannin Arnold "Not From Here" is a Guitar instrumental CD that draws influences from Jeff Beck, John Mclaughlin, Allan Holdsworth and Steve Vai to name but a few. Gannin was fortunate enough to have some his favorite musicians perform on his CD: Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Jimmy Chamberlin (Smashing Pumpkins), Simon Phillips, Gary Novak, Pat Mastelotto and Tony Levin (King Crimson), Tim Landers, Rudy Sarzo, Tris Imboden, Stephen Perkins (Janes Addiction), Drew Hester. Gannin Arnold has recorded and performed with some of todays biggest artists: Joe Walsh, Cheap Trick, Jeff Berlin, Lee Ritenour, Brian Bromberg, and George Duke. For more info visit: www.ganninarnold.com

Tracklist :
01. Not From Here (03:38)
02. Dropout (03:25)
03. Unnecessary Flash (04:03)
04. True Believers (03:13)
05. Speed Of Sound (03:09)
06. No Words (04:29)
07. Get On With It (02:28)
08. El nino (04:07)
09. Blue Ships (05:31)
10. America (04:19)
11. All Tom Up (04:27)
12. 1981 (03:56)
13. Outside (04:55)
Not From Here
Depositfiles / Hotfile @ 320K

Jeff Lorber and others: Shades of Soul (2004)

In the '70s, the Portland, Oregon, group Pleasure may have been ahead of its time with its jazzy funk. During the same time, in the same town, the Jeff Lorber Fusion was breaking ground with its own funky brand of jazz. In the '90s, the old friends hooked up for this recording, which sounds as fresh as if they'd recorded it yesterday. Lorber fans will love tracks featuring then-rising stars like trumpeter Chris Botti and the late saxophonist Art Porter, but it's the timeless funk of the boys from Pleasure that dominate here with red-hot grooves on "Enjoy Yourself," "We Got To Live Together," the title track, and Roy Ayers's "Hey Uh." Lorber contributes mightily with "Get Wid It," a dynamic example of his early keyboard style, but guitarist Marlon McLain and bassist Nathaniel Phillips, with the help of vocalist Terry Stanton of Hidden Beach Unwrapped, truly funk things up. --Mark Ruffin

Shades of Soul
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K

Kevin Eubanks: The Heat of Heat (1987)

If heat is the process of energy transfer from one body to another, then that is what Kevin Eubanks has set out to do with velvety guitar sounds that will rub you the right way. Familiar to millions of viewers nightly as the leader of Jay Leno's Tonight Show Band, Eubanks creates this generation's finest creative jazz tunes on The Heat of Heat. Dreamy and memorizing, Eubanks creates an odyssey, with him leading the way, that compels you to dance, twirl, evoke your inner sexuality, and if you could, dip yourself.

Tracklist:

1. Palace of the Seven Jewels

2. In a Few

3. Heat of Heat
4. Nardis
5. First Things First
6. Sojourn
7. Sorrir/Smile
8. Receipt Please [*]
9. Third Interior
The Heat of Heat
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K

Travis Vega: U (2010)

All of his life Travis Vega has been fascinated with the timeless, all-encompassing qualities of without words.. Pure music. Travis feels words can sometimes take away from the true message… Travis music takes him beyond words, melding his passion and talent to create his rhythmic autobiography both in the studio and in live performances.

Like his role model, Travis has broken down barriers by crossing his music over into mainstream circles through an ethnic funk jazz-fusion. This combination entices bodies young and old to sway with the wholesome beat of pure passion. Through his talent, Travis has created a smooth laid-back melodic feel, earning him the “Rising Star” award in a Northern California. As an artist Travis is a bridge to deliver a positive musical message to an audience willing to journey with him. Travis…tunes are their escape and his expression of gratitude for all that music has blessed him with.

After Just Let It Flow (2007) and Smooth Urban Night (2008) Travis now releases his third album U (2010). Anew Travis allures the audience with appealing melodies and his amazing performance.

Tracklist:

01. So Excited (3:34)

02. Feelin' You Out (4:08)
03. It's Done (4:07)
04. What You Need (4:51)
05. Groovin' Down the Block (4:05)
06. You Already Know (4:58)
07. On the Spot (4:39)
08. Your Everything (4:43)
09. Just For You (4:30)
10. Steps Ahead (4:12)
U
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 192K

Alan Broadbent: Every Time I Think Of You (2005)

On Every Time I Think of You, two-time Grammy nominee Alan Broadbent delivers a 10-song collection of both standards and originals steeped in emotion and a romanticism that's infused with an underlying drama. Backed by master acoustic bassist Brian Bromberg, drummer Kendall Kay and a full string section, Every Time I think of You is a heartfelt mission statement from this acclaimed pianist, composer and arranger.

Tracklist:

1. Autumn Variations 6:25

2. Bess, Oh Where's My Bess 5:13

3. Blue in Green 7:49
4. E.32nd Elegy 7:19
5. Last Night When We Were Young 5:56
6. Everytime I Think Of You 7:14
7. Lover Man 6:29
8. Nirvana Blues 5:50
9. Spring Is Here 5:40
10. Woody 'n' Me 4:54
Every Time I Think of You
Part 1 - Part 2 (RS) / Part 1 - Part 2 (HF)

China Moses & Raphael Lemonnier: This One's For Dinah (2009)

2009 release from the Soul/Jazz vocalist and the French producer, composer and arranger, a tribute to Jazz legend Dinah Washington. China is first and foremost an eclectic artist who embodies the American idea of an entertainer. Her first single, 'Time', was released in 1996, whereupon her career took off. This was followed by three albums: China (1997), On Tourne en Rond (2000) and Good Lovin' (2004).

Subsequent collaborations with Me'shell Ndegeocello, Bob Power, Etienne de Cr‚cy, Guru, Mounir Belkhir, Diam's, Camille, Fabe, DJ Mehdi and Karriem Riggins cemented her reputation in the world of alternative R&B.

Tracklist:
1. Fine Fine Daddy
2. Dinah's Blues
3. Mad About The Boy
4. Lover Come Back To Me
5. Is You Or Is You Ain't My Baby
6. Blue Gardenia
7. Teach Me Tonight
8. Cry Me A River
9. Fat Daddy
10. Goodbye
11. Evil Gal Blues
12. What A Difference A Day Makes
13. Gardenias For Dinah
This One's for Dinah
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K

Louis Johnson: Evolution (1986)

Louis Johnson of Brothers Johnson fame released the Evolution album in 1985 and it has now been reissued along with a bonus extended mix! Funky Town Grooves a.k.a. FTG out of the U.K. is a new label reissuing classic Disco dance music from the eighties with excellent sound and original artwork.

Personnel:

Louis Johnson: Drums, bass, guitar, all synthesizers, keyboards, guitars (rhythm and lead)

Louis uses the BB5000 and Yamaha equipment (the best) exclusively.

Lead vocals: Louis Johnson
Background vocals: Louis Johnson, Lena Sunday, Edie Lehman
Vocals on I Wanna Take You Away: Denise White
Guitar solo on Kinky: Paul Jackson Jr.
Additional rap vocals on Midnight: Tony Haynes
Trumpet on Touch of Class: Bobby Rodriguez
Tracklist:
Kinky 4:26
Our Love 4:20
Might As Well Make Love 4:46
I Tried 4:06
A Touch Of Class 4:19
Midnight 4:56
I Wanna Take You Away 5:04
Your Vain And Shallow Love 4:53
To Get Love (You Make Love) 4:17
She's Bad 3:23
Evolution
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K

Dennis Chambers: Outbreak (2002)

A formidable, ferocious and ultra-funky presence behind the kit in such celebrated ensembles as Parliament-Funkadelic, Steely Dan, Santana and the Brecker Brothers as well as incendiary fusion outfits led by guitarists John Scofield, Mike Stern and John McLaughlin, Dennis Chambers is everyone's choice for all world drummer. On "Outbreak", his Stateside debut as a leader, Dennis slams home some solid grooves in the company of such heavyweights as guitarists Scofield, Jon Herington, Nick Moroch and Dean Brown, bassists Will Lee, Gary Willis, Matthew Garrison and his old P-Funk rhythm tandem mate Rodney 'Skeet' Curtis, saxophonists Michael Brecker, Bobby Malach and Aaron Heick, trumpeter Randy Brecker and long time colleague and keyboardist Jim Beard, who produced the New York session.

Tracklist:

1. Roll Call

2. Otay

3. Groovus Interruptus
4. Paris on Mine
5. In Time
6. Plan B
7. Outbreak
8. Baltimore, Dc
9. Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothin'
Outbreak
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K

Kevin Eubanks: Face to Face (1986)

Kevin Eubanks' first album with a string section is a triumph of good taste, both in the guitarist's gently swinging work and in GRP chief Dave Grusin's unobtrusive, intelligent, unsentimental string charts. Grusin's gorgeously recorded strings seem to seep into the texture, filling the spaces with just enough mortar. The backings alternate between an electric group — with Marcus Miller on bass and Grusin applying the Yamaha DX7 electric piano sound — and often just Ron Carter on acoustic bass (plus the strings, of course). The treatment of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave" is a beaut, with a lot of rapid acoustic guitar figurework in mid-track. Even unreconstructed beboppers will enjoy the fluid duo-only exchange between Carter's 4/4 bass and Eubanks' electric guitar on Wes Montgomery's "The Trick Bag" and Bird's "Relaxin' at Camarillo," the latter of which Eubanks immodestly calls attention to in his liner notes. But he's entitled; it is impressive.

Face to Face

Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K

Baptiste Trotignon: Suite (2010)

Born in 1974, this young pianist, after studying classical piano, moved to Paris in 1995, and decided to devote himself to jazz. Having founded his own jazz trio (1998) - with Clovis Nicolas (double-bass) and Tony Rabeson (drums) - Baptiste Trotignon asserts himself as a leader. He played with : Archie Shepp, Tom Harrell, Ari Hoenig, Brad Mehldau, Bill Mobley, Michel Portal, Rick Margitza, Francois et Louis Moutin, Aldo Romano, Kenny Wheeler, Angelique Kidjo, Claude Nougaro, Christian Escoudé, Albert Mangelsdorff, Bireli Lagrène, André Ceccarelli, Bob Hurst, Jeff Watts, Elisabeth Kontomanou, Mark Turner, Catherine Ringer, Sara Lazarus , Stephane Belmondo , Sylvain Beuf, David Murray, Nicholas Angelich, Peter King, Didier Lockwood…

Suite was recorded live in London last summer with Mark Turner, Jeremy Pelt, Matt Penman, Eric Harland.

Suite

Rapidshare / Hotfile @ vbr

Deodato: 2 (1973)

Deodato's debut for CTI, Prelude, earned him a genuine reputation for funky fusion with its groove-tight cover of "Thus Spake Zarathustra," the theme from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. The rest of the album isn't quite as memorable, but it fit the bill and got nice reviews for its innovative read of Borodin and Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun." On 2, the Brazilian composer and arranger dips into the funked-up fusion formula tank once again, and comes out with a more consistent disc than its predecessor. Arranged, conducted, and keyboarded by Deodato himself instead of CTI house arrangers Don Sebesky or Bob James, the maestro enlisted a fusion who's who of sidemen including drummer Billy Cobham, bassist Stanley Clarke, and flutist Hubert Laws, as well as rockers like John Tropea on guitar. The larger ensemble that provides brass, woodwind, and string support includes trumpeter Jon Faddis and Jim Buffington. "Super Strut" kicks it off. Deep-grooved lines of accented angular riffing and rim-shot syncopation by Cobham turn this simply notated four-stepper into a burning ball of greasy rock and souled-out jazz. This is followed by a wildly campy but nonetheless wondrous read of "Rhapsody in Blue" done Stevie Wonder-style. Deodato's keyboard work never lets the groove drop; he pulls the rhythm section down around him and hunkers his phrasing to punch up the long, sweeping horns and string lines. Less successful is a read of "Nights in White Satin," with its overwrought strings, and a "Pavane for a Dead Princess" that's a snore. The album officially closes with "Skyscrapers," another jazz-rock rave-up that blasts holes in the sonic sky with its dueling keyboard and guitar lines. [The remastered version of the CD includes three bonus tracks that include a steamy little bossa nova number, "Latin Flute," with Laws tearing up the solo spot, and a lounge lizard's dream of a cover version in Steely Dan's "Do It Again," with flutes and keys trading the melody lines and Tropea's wah-wah guitars chunking up the backbeat. Why this wasn't on the original album or a follow-up is a mystery.]

Deodato 2
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K

Kevin Eubanks: Turning Point (1992)

Turning Point is a highly appropriate title for this album. After recording his share of commercial fluff for GRP, Kevin Eubanks switched to Blue Note with this heartfelt CD and strived for excellence instead of going out of his way to avoid it. Creativity, personal improvising, and spontaneity are main ingredients of the album, which unites the talented electric and acoustic guitarist with bass explorer Dave Holland and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith, among others. Like so much intellectual jazz, Point requires several listenings in order to be fully appreciated.~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Personnel:
Charnett Moffett - Bass, Bass (Acoustic)
Mark Mondesir - Drums
Kent Jordan - Flute (Alto)
Kevin Eubanks - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
Dave Holland - Bass, Bass (Acoustic) 1-3-6
Marvin "Smitty" Smith - Drums
Turning Point
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K

Michael J. Thomas: City Beat (2010)

City Beat is an instrumental R&B-pop collection that chronicles Thomas’ joyful discovery, eager exploration and adventurous wanderings in sprawling metropolises such as New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Bangkok, Thailand. Sophisticatedly cool and cosmopolitan, “Midtown Manhattan” opens the album on which Thomas wields a tenor, alto and soprano sax. A gorgeous melody laid over the pitter-patter of a gentle brushed drum beat, “Wedding Song (Forever Always)” poignantly pledges eternal love. Thomas is backed on the record by a taut rhythm section comprised of bassist Eric Lampley and drummer Jonathan Davis who laid down the funk on “30-A Degrees.” A huge Michael Jackson fan, Thomas decided to cover the gloved one’s most famous song, “Billie Jean” a year ago. Aside from adding a haunting ambient intro, the track is faithful to the original version. Thomas’ lustful soprano sax seduces on the sensual “Pretty Skin.” On “Mind Your Step,” Wallace’s electric guitar riffs combine with the rhythm section to create a deep-pocketed groove that is ignited further by the gritty urban sound of turntable pyrotechnics. Thomas indulges his newfound love for wine on “Amante Del Vino.” Keyboardist Diki Ross helps welcome Thomas “Back Home,” a warm and cozy ballad. Closing with “Cali Trippin’,” Wallace’s wailing electric guitar and Paul Scurto’s classy trumpet solos spark the journey piloted by Thomas’ tenor.

Tracklist:

01. Midtown Manhattan
02. City Beat
03. Wedding Song (Forever Always)
04. 30-A Degrees
05. Billie Jean
06. Pretty Skin
07. Mind Your Step
08. Amante Del Vino
09. Back Home
10. Cali Trippin'
City Beat
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K

3 Cohens: Braid (2007)

Siblings Yuval, Anat and Avishai Cohen have been playing together since childhood. Now, as seasoned musicians and band-leaders, they pair the joy of family music-making with musicianship of the highest level. They complete each other s phrases, seamlessly intertwining solo and accompaniment in an exciting original program. Featuring Aaron Goldberg, Eric Harland and Omer Avital. - Amazon

Personnel:
Anat Cohen: tenor saxophone, clarinet (4);
Avishai Cohen: trumpet;
Yuval Cohen: soprano saxophone;
Aaron Goldberg: piano;
Omer Avital: bass; Eric Harland: drums.
Tracklist:
1. Navad (The Wanderer) (5:32)
2. Gigi et Amelie (6:17)
3. Freedom (9:06)
4. Beaches (7:24)
5. U-Valley (3:28)
6. Lies and Gossip (9:13)
7. It Could Happen To you (2:47)
8. Elegy for Eliku (6:06)
9. Tfila (Prayer) (6:23)
10. Shoutin' Low (5:22)
Braid
Part 1 - Part 2 (RS) / Part 1 - Part 2 (HF) flac

Richard Bona: The Ten Shades of Blues (2009)

Tracklist: Take One; Shiva Mantra; Good Times; M'Bemba Mama; Kurumalete; Souleymane; African Cowboy; Esukudu; Yara's Blues; Sona Moyo; Camer Secrets

Personnel: Rochard Bona: vocals, bass, keyboards, guitars, drums, percussion, mandolin, samples; Shankar Mahadevan: vocals; Nandini Srikar: vocals; Vivek Rajgopalan: mridangam, ganjira, konnakol; Satyajit Talwalkar: tabla, konnakol; Niladiri Kumar: sitar; Bob Reynolds: saxophone; Michael Rodrigues: trumpet; Marshall Gilkes: trombone; Frank McComb: vocals; Obed Calvaire: drums; Gregoire Maret: harmonica; Sylvain Luc: guitars; Jean-Michel Pilk: piano; Christian Howes: fiddle; Bailo Baa: fula flute; Jojo Kuoh: drums; Ryan Cavanaugh: banjo; Bert Van den Brink: hammond organ

Widely known in jazz circles for his virtuosity on the bass, relatively little attention has been paid to Richard Bona's solo career. Pity, as his solo records are generally excellent. Bona's records have a style that can only be referred to as world music. Generally, that term is misused, but Bona truly takes his influences from all over the world. Sure, he's Cameroonian, and his heritage plays a large role. But one can also hear overt references to jazz, bluegrass, blues, European pop and much, much more in Bona's music. This adds a sense of unpredictability to his work—it's impossible to know what to expect and so just about anything is possible.

Bona's The Ten Shades of Blues continues in the same vein. There are references to India, Africa, and good ol' down home Americana, all interpreted with Bona's natural flair and effervescent smile. As on most of his other solo work, the multitalented Bona is everywhere and plays almost everything. The album opens with "Take One," a choral masterpiece—except all of the voices are Bona's. "Shiva Mantra" follows, and here Bona is credited with lead and background vocals, bass, keyboards, guitars and percussion. Somehow, on this track, Bona manages to be at the forefront of the background, keeping the music grounded in jazz and African traditions while being overtly Indian. It's Indian religious music—with a kickin' bass line.

The special guests on the album also leave their imprint. "Shiva Mantra" works due to the powerful vocals of Shankar Mahadevan (John McLaughlin's Remember Shakti) and Nandini Srikar, as well as Niladiri Kumar's tasteful sitar. "Good Times" is a showcase for R&B vocalist Frank McComb and harmonica master Gregoire Maret. Ryan Cavanaugh, Bona's compatriot in Bill Evans' Soulgrass ensemble, joins in on banjo along with fiddler Christian Howes on "African Cowboy," a rootsy bluesgrass mйlange.

"M'Bemba Mama" is a highlight. A simple ballad, Bona's light yet powerful voice fits perfectly, with Jean-Michel Pilc's piano and Sylvain Luc's guitars providing beautiful counterpoint. While lighthearted, "M'Bemba Mama" is bubbling with emotion. Bona's vocal incorporates just the slightest bit of longing while managing to stay positive.

Bona is certainly a talent deserving wider recognition. His considerable musicianship speaks for itself, and his passion for music is evident in all of his work, whether as a sideman or a leader. The Ten Shades of Blues continues his excellent solo work, joining the likes of Scenes from My Life and Tiki as essential.

The Ten Shades of Blues
Part 1 - Part 2 (RS) / Part 1 - Part 2 (HF) flac

Antonio Carlos Jobim's: Finest Hour (2000)

While Antonio Carlos Jobim is an essential figure in the music of Brazil, he also created a significant place for himself in American music as a great songwriter and a key figure in the tremendous popularity of bossa nova. Apart from his unique melodic gift, what makes Jobim's work memorable is the complexity of mood he could evoke--the touch of sadness that colors the brightest bossa nova, the irony in the midst of joy, and the mixture of delicacy and resilience in his voice and piano. He was an artist who worked primarily in pastels, but it was his sense of shadows that gave his work its most enduring qualities. Including his most famous tunes and collaborators--like "The Girl from Ipanema" with Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto--Jobim's Finest Hour catches it all, from the standard-bearers to such gems as the playful "Aguas de Marco." --Stuart Broomer

Tracklist:

01-The Girl from Ipanema 12.42 MB

02-Desafinado 9.71 MB
03-Corcovado 9.79 MB
04-Agua de Beber 6.61 MB
05-O Morro Nao Tem Vez 8.30 MB
06-Insensatez 6.71 MB
07-One Note Samba 5.24 MB
08-Meditation (Meditacao) 7.56 MB
09-Chega de Saudade 9.95 MB
10-Wave 6.72 MB
11-The Girl from Ipanema 11.17 MB
12-Remember 9.26 MB
13-Un Rancho Nas Nuvens 9.40 MB
14-Aguas de Marco (Waters of March) 8.19 MB
15-Inutil Paisagem (Useless Landscape) 7.37 MB
16-Passarim 8.35 MB
17-Looks Like December 8.61 MB
Antonio Carlos Jobim's Finest Hour
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K

Youssou N'Dour: Egypt (2004)

African music heads have done a bit of grumbling over the years about Youssou N'Dour. They take issue with the great singer's choice to record high-energy mbalax music, which mixes African and Cuban rhythms, for his Senegal homeland fans while recording (lesser to some) modern global pop for his European and American releases. N'Dour continues to do the crossover thing on Egypt, but rather than draw upon Western pop song constructs, he dives into Arabian and Egyptian orchestra music complete with strings, flutes, and percussion. In the past, the singer's voice often had a keening quality that allowed him to soar over his working band, the great Super Etoile, but here N'Dour smoothes over the rough edges to render some of his most delicate and subtle singing to date. Providing strong support, the orchestra sounds lush and dynamic throughout. The only real complaint here is the relatively short 41-minute running time of the album, but there's still plenty music for purists and popsters. --Tad Hendrickson

Tracklist:
1. Allah
2. Shukran Bamba
3. Mahdiyu Laye
4. Tijaniyya
5. Baay Niasse
6. Bamba the Poet
7. Cheikh Ibra Fall
8. Touba - Daru Salaam
Egypt
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K

Alphonse Mouzon: Back to Jazz (2010) Originally Released on 1985

Throughout his career, drummer Alphonse Mouzon has been featured in many different settings. Some of his own recordings as a leader have been purposely commercial, but this date (originally released by Pausa and reissued by Mouzon on his Tenacious label) is more jazz-oriented. Most selections feature the fine altoist Doug Norwine (where has he been since?), in a quartet with Mouzon, pianist Jeff Daniels (doubling on synth) and bassist Welton Gite; on many of the numbers, Mouzon and Daniels also utilize synths, and "Peace on Earth" has vocal appearances by the drummer's two children. There is also a brief feature ("Space Commander") for Mouzon's electronic percussion. An interesting set worth picking up.

Tracklist:

01. St. Thomas
02. Time We Love, The
03. Poobli
04. Space Commander
05. Peace on Earth
06. Baker's Daughter, The
07. Just Because of You
08. Step into the Funk - (bonus track)
09. When We Were Young - (bonus track)
10. Hello, I Must Be Going - (bonus track)
Back to Jazz
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K

Azymuth: Tightrope Walker (1986)

By the mid-'80s, "fusion" had long been a dirty word in jazz circles, with the once-interesting melding of jazz and rock marred by far too many lukewarm, noodly, and pop-oriented albums by artists who had forgotten the initial questing spirit of the music. Happily, there was also the Brazilian trio Azymuth, whose records were undeniably slick and full of synthesizers and electronic drums. The key, however, is that the electronics never overpower the percussion, electric bass, and piano that are at the root of the trio's sound. There are a few weak moments (the hip-hop-influenced "Folklore" sounds terribly dated, like a cheap knockoff of Herbie Hancock's "Rockit"), but when Azymuth is exploring the softer side of Brazilian jazz, it's unbeatable. Reflective without being overly mellow, tunes like the playful, Bill Evans-like "Pygmalion" and the tender ballad "Tu Me Delirio" are mainstream jazz that doesn't insult the intelligence. CTI Records fans will particularly appreciate the relaxed grooves of the final two tracks, "Samba da Barra" and "Brazil." -- AMG

Tracklist:

1. Tu Mi Delirio
2. Broken Key
3. If You'd Like to Know (Se Queres Saber)
4. Folklore
5. Pygmalion
6. Tightrope Walker
7. Other Side of the Coin (O Outro Lado da Moeda)
8. Samba da Barra
9. Brazil [*]
Tightrope Walker
Rapidshare / Hotfile @ 320K