Eeppi Ursin: Yellow Page Girl (2009)

Eeppi formed her own band in the year 2002. In the spring 2005 the band released the first album Violet, which introduces Eeppi as a composer and lyricist. The music combines jazz, pop and rock and makes a rough and colourful sound. The group was called Eeppi Ursin Band for a few years but since 2006 it is called simply Eeppi Ursin. At the same time Eeppi decided to start playing piano herself. In the original band the pianist was Aki Rissanen. On the Yellow page girl –album Eeppi returns to her roots as a singer-songwriter, a piano playing singer.

Eeppis musicians are known as versatile artists. Timo Kämäräinen moves fluently from rock to jazz from Ismo Alanko to Pepa Päivinen. Antti Lötjönen plays bass for example in Five Corners Quintet and Ilmiliekki. The drummer Olli Krogerus can be spotted from Olavi Uusivirta and Beagon.
Yellow Page Girl (RS) / Yellow Page Girl (MU)

Coleman Hawkins: Body and Soul (1996)

This CD compiles several Coleman Hawkins sessions recorded between 1939 and 1956, capturing the masterful tenor saxophonist at the height of the swing era, in the midst of the bop revolution, and at the helm of large orchestras. While the quality of his accompaniments varies tremendously, Hawkins's contributions don't. The earliest session climaxes with his classic solo version of "Body and Soul," a landmark in both the harmonic language of jazz and improvised musical architecture. Another four tracks come from a 1940 octet date with some of Hawkins's old associates from the Fletcher Henderson band, Benny Carter (on trumpet here) and J.C. Higginbotham on trombone, along with the underrated clarinetist Danny Polo. It's small-group swing of the first order, with touches of traditional jazz in the improvised ensembles.

Tadd Dameron wrote the arrangements for a 1947 band that includes trumpeter Fats Navarro, trombonist J.J. Johnson, pianist Hank Jones, and drummer Max Roach. While the horns all solo fluently on Dameron's "Half Step Down, Please," it's the three ballad features for the leader that stand out, Hawkins drawing inspiration from Dameron's moodily dense harmonies. The settings are pedestrian at best for a series of 1956 recordings, with Billy Byers and Manny Albam writing arrangements. Hawkins bristles with individuality, whether soaring over a substantial big band on "The Bean Stalks Again," cutting a new path through a cluttered "Body and Soul," or counterposing his ruggedly magisterial horn to still fussier arrangements of "I Love Paris" and "Under Paris Skies." --Stuart Broomer

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Body and Soul (RS) / Body and Soul (HF)

Dhafer Youssef: Divine Shadows (2005)

Divine Shadows sees the culmination of Dhafer Youssef's musical journey over the past five years. This, Dhafer's fourth album, consolidates ideas that have emerged through his three albums on Enja Records whilst introducing a new dynamic.

Since his arrival in Europe in 1990, Tunisian vocalist and oud player Dhafer Youssef, has established himself as one of the most exciting artists working in contemporary music. Bringing together the spiritual quality of Sufi with the most cutting edge sound of European jazz, has created a distinctive sound synonymous with his name.

Produced by Norwegian guitarist, composer and producer Eivind Aarset, and featuring music which has formed the basis of the group's live concerts for the past year, Dhafer's debut album for Jazzland displays a mature cohesion. Unlike previous albums, Dhafer's voice and oud are at the fore in this album, from the glorious sweeping vocals of the opening track Cantus Lamentus to the purity of the oud on Miel et Cendres.

The balance of tracks between string quartet and the band create a breadth of textures and musical styles that gives the album diversity and momentum. Gradually building and falling away from the hymn like beginning through the 11 meter groove of Eleventh Stone, the spatial glitchy electronics of 27 th Century Ethos and gently closing with the tender Un Soupir Eternel.

Work on Divine Shadows began almost two years ago when BBC Radio 3 commissioned Dhafer to write 45 minutes of new music for a Contemporary Music Network UK tour featuring a special line up.

Over the first three albums and through his live performances, Dhafer had become increasingly inspired by the sound world and improvisatory style of the Norwegian scene. It was this cinematic and compelling sound world which Dhafer chose to create a backdrop to his voice and oud playing.

At the heart of this group is his long term collaborator Eivind Aarset. Having begun working together in 2001, Dhafer and Eivind have developed a very close personal and musical relationship. Also drawn from his previous band is drummer Rune Arnesen. Previous bands featured acoustic bass, however for this new band Dhafer partnered Rune with his colleague from Nils Petter Molvaer's group, electric bass player Audun Erlien. This quartet of truly remarkable musicians, was topped off by one of Norway's most creative and inspiring musicians, trumpeter Arve Henriksen.

Divine Shadows introduces a new dimension to the band's live performances. The album has an added complexity and subtlety, aided by the inclusion of the Oslo Session String Quartet, which emphasises the melodies, complementing the textures and colours that the core band conjure up.

Divine Shadows reveals the full potential of Dhafer both as a composer and performer, working with musicians whose creativity provides the perfect vehicle for his music.

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Divine Shadows - Part 1 - Part 2 (RS) Part 1 - Part 2 (HF) lossless

Ella Fitzgerald: Ella in London (1974/1998)

This is one of Ella Fitzgerald's most enjoyable recordings from her later years. With pianist Tommy Flanagan, guitarist Joe Pass, bassist Keter Betts, and drummer Bobby Durham serving as a backup group (not a bad band), she swings everything from "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "It Don't Mean a Thing" to "Lemon Drop" and even Carole King's "You've Got a Friend." Her ballad interpretations are only topped by her scatting talents. This set serves as a perfect introduction to the mature Ella Fitzgerald. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

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Ella in London (RS) / Ella in London (HF) @ 320K

Aaron Tesser and the New Jazz Affair: Lookin' Around (2009)

New album by musician & sax player Aaron Tesser and producer Gianluca Viani. Features vocal performances by Fabrizio Rispoli and Elisabeth Geel. The album contains nice performances of vocal jazz and smouth line in the best traditions of musical style.

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Lookin' Around (RS) / Lookin' Around (MU)

V.A.: The Best of Smouth Jazz (2009) [2 cd]

2009 two CD set containing 30 tracks by top artists in the field of Smooth Jazz and Soul playlisted on the UK's #1 Jazz radio station, Jazz FM. Features tracks from Ledisi, Brenda Russell, Incognito, U-Nam, Gianna, George Duke and many others.

Disc: 1

1. Street Life (5:43) - U-Nam

2. You Can't Go Back (4:38) - Arnold McCuller
3. Make You Smile (4:32) -Brenda Russell
4. Will You Be My Lady (4:46) - Damon Cooper
5. For You (5:06) - Bob Baldwin
6. Slippin' (5:47) - Mikelyn Roderick
7. Stone Cold Heart (6:05) - Incognito
8. That's The Way (5:21) - Rahsaan Patterson
9. My Everything (4:23) - Gianna
10. Rescue Me (3:59) - Angela Johnson
11. I Can't Help Myself (4:22) - Chris Standring
12. All For Love (4:26) - Adriana Evans
13. Cupid's Arrow (4:52) - Frank McComb
14. Caveman Boogie (7:41) - Lesette Wilson
15. You Won't Make Me Cry (4:54) - Victor Haynes

Disc: 2
1. Galveston Bay (4:06) - Lonnie Hill
2. Star (3:27) - Brigette
3. Samba For Dias (4:36) -The Jazz Steppers
4. I Realized (5:07) - Jiva
5. Only For You (6:22) - Noel Elmowy
6. Shady Lane (4:09) - Ray Gaskins
7. You're The One (4:13) - Snake Davis
8. Grateful (4:28) - Maysa
9. Duffie's Theme (4:34) - Kloud 9
10. Can We Pretend (5:30) - Nicolas Bearde
11. Company (4:30) - Niteflyte
12. Troubled Times (4:14) - Linn Segolson
13. Superwoman (5:59) - George Duke
14. Natural Thing (3:39) - James Day
15. I Can't Let You Go (3:42) - Ledisi

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The Best (RS) / The Best (HF) @ 320K

Wayne Shorter: Alegria (2003)

Following the release of the critically acclaimed Footprints Live!, this CD is saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter's first studio recording as a leader since the Grammy-winning 1994 release, High Life. Shorter is joined by pianists Danilo Perez and Brad Mehldau, bassist John Patitucci, drummers Terri Lyne Carrington and Brian Blade, and percussionist Alex Acuna. Backed by a superb woodwind and brass ensemble, this project offers a comprehensive and sophisticated presentation of Shorter's music, from the Andalusian airs on "Vendiendo Alegria" by Antonio Molina to a reincarnation of "Capricorn II" from his mid-'60s Miles Davis days. Shorter's soprano and tenor playing is his most expressive in years, and producer Robert Sadin (who worked on Herbie Hancock's Gershwin's World and Kathleen Battle's So Many Stars) has provided Shorter with his most poignant sonic setting on record. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

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Alegria (RS) / Alegria (HF) @ 320K