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

Mike Stern: Time in Place (1988)

Guitarist Mike Stern's music has often been a little difficult to classify, featuring strong improvisations, the sound and power of rock, and elements of funk, R&B and sometimes pop. For his second recording as a leader, Stern is joined by either Bob Berg or Michael Brecker on tenor, keyboardist Jim Beard, electric bassist Jeff Andrews, drummer Peter Erskine and percussionist Don Alias; Don Grolnick sits in on organ during "No Notice." The music (seven Stern originals) ranges from the rhythmic to the more sophisticated and features plenty of the leader's high-powered guitar.
Tracklist:
1. Gossip
2. Time in Place
3. Before You Go
4. No Notice
5. After All
6. Four Shades
7. Chromazone
Time in Place

Hotfile / Depositfiles @ 320K

Cheryl Bentyne: Talk of the Town (2004)

Cheryl Bentyne is justly celebrated for her work as the soprano voice in Manhattan Transfer, but her work outside of that ensemble is just as impressive, if sometimes less flashy. This solo album, in fact, is notable for its lack of pyrotechnical wizardry, and is all the stronger for it. Focusing almost exclusively on standards, Talk of the Town finds Bentyne singing with an almost Ella Fitzgerald-like transparency, imposing little of her own ego on the material and avoiding heavy-handed interpretation. This is not to say that she sings without personality or style — simply that she sings like someone who wants to showcase the songs themselves rather than her own artistry. The result is quietly spectacular: on straightforwardly melodic fare like Cole Porter's "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" and the classic ballad "These Foolish Things," the songs are like jewels in simple but lush settings; on more difficult numbers, such as "Little Butterfly" (which consists of lyrics by Jon Hendricks set to the Thelonious Monk composition "Pannonica"), she negotiates the tricky changes with grace and deceptive ease. Bentyne's voice sounds the way a warm shower feels. Very highly recommended.--AMG

Buy at Amazon.com

Talk of the Town (RS) / Talk of the Town (HF) / Talk of the Town (DF) @ 320K