Jazz Cafee

Herbie Hancock & Carlos Santana – Live Under Sky 1981 [2020/FLAC]

Live Under the Sky was an annual multi-day summer jazz festival held in Tokyo's 10,000-capacity Denen Hall, featuring the cream of local and international talent. The climax of 1981's festival, broadcast by NHK radio was a jointly headlined set by Herbie Hancock and Carlos Santana, together with a band including Wynton Marsalis, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. A joyous blend of jazz and Latin-tinged funk, it is presented in full here, together with background notes and images.

Double Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Anthony Williams
Electric Guitar – Carlos Santana
Grand Piano, Keyboards – Herbie Hancock
Percussion – Armando Peraza, Orestes Vilato, Raul Rekow
Trumpet – Wynton Marsalis

A1 Watermelon Man > Evil Ways > Watermelon Man 25:33

B1 'Round Midnight 7:24

B2 Parade 9:54

B3 Unknown #1 7:47

C1 A Quick Sketch 17:39

C2 Love Theme From Spartacus 8:37

C3 Unknown #2 (Fade Out) 2:59

D1 Unknown #2 (Cont.) 3:24

D2 Unknown #3 5:55

D3 Europa 9:08

D4 Saturday Night 11:28

Hossam Ramzy discography [1986-2011]

Hossam Ramzy (15 December 1953 – 10 September 2019) was an Egyptian percussionist and composer. He worked with Western artists like Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Siouxsie Sioux, as well as with Arabic music artists like Rachid Taha and Khaled.

Ramzy was born into a wealthy Cairo family. He began playing the darbuka and tabla at an early age. He moved to Saudi Arabia for a time and learned traditional Bedouin music styles. In the 1970s he moved to London and began playing with saxophonist Andy Sheppard. His collaborations with jazz musicians earned him the nickname "The Sultan of Swing". In 1989 he worked with Peter Gabriel on the soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ. This brought him to the attention of artists such as Frank Asher and the Gipsy Kings.

Charlie Parker - A Studio Chronicle 1940-1948 [5 CD, 2003] (FLAC + 320)

A Studio Chronicle 1940-1948 is a five-disc box set detailing what producer Ted Kendall considers to be the essential studio recordings of saxophonist Charlie Parker. Included here are not only the innovative bebop sides that made Parker a living legend, but also the early Kansas City swing recordings he appeared on while playing with the Jay McShann Orchestra. The result is a studio history of Parker's development from a struggling farm kid turned musician to the most important figure in jazz history next to Louis Armstrong. Given that these recordings are widely available, the real attraction here is the faithful-to-the-original remastered sound, the historically enlightening liner notes, and the overarching critical aesthetic that these are the Bird cuts to check out. Also, given that the tracks are presented with few repeats on discs in chronological order makes this better listening than Atlantic's Complete Savoy and Dial Studio Recordings 1944-1948. Oddly though, the only place Kendall delineates what labels these tracks were originally released on -- mostly Dial and Savoy -- is in the track listing and there only by label numbers. Despite this confusing omission, Kendall has produced a superb collection that illuminates more than it overlooks.

The great veteran pianist Jay McShann (also known as Hootie) enjoyed a long career and it is unfair to primarily think of him as merely the leader of an orchestra that featured a young Charlie Parker. He was mostly self-taught as a pianist, worked with Don Byas as early as 1931 and played throughout the Midwest before settling in Kansas City in 1936. McShann formed his own sextet the following year and by 1939 had his own big band. In 1940 at a radio station in Wichita, KS, McShann and an octet out of his orchestra recorded eight songs that were not released commercially until the 1970s; those rank among the earliest of all Charlie Parker records (he is brilliant on "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Lady Be Good") and also feature the strong rhythm section team McShann had with bassist Gene Ramey and drummer Gus Johnson. The full orchestra recorded for Decca on two occasions during 1941-1942 but they were typecast as a blues band and did not get to record many of their more challenging charts (although very rare broadcasts have since surfaced and been released on CD by Vintage Jazz Classics). In addition to Bird (who had a few short solos), the main stars were trumpeter Bernard Anderson, the rhythm section, and singer Walter Brown. McShann and his band arrived in New York in February 1942 and made a strong impression, but World War II made it difficult for any new orchestras to catch on. There was a final session in December 1943 without Parker, but McShann was soon drafted and the band broke up. After being discharged later in 1944, McShann briefly re-formed his group but soon moved to Los Angeles, where he led combos for the next few years; his main attraction was the young singer Jimmy Witherspoon.

McShann was in obscurity for the next two decades, making few records and mostly playing in Kansas City. In 1969 he was rediscovered and McShann (who had first sung on records in 1966) was soon a popular pianist/vocalist. Sometimes featuring violinist Claude Williams, he toured constantly, recorded frequently, and appeared at many jazz festivals, being active into the mid-'90s. Jay McShann, who recorded through the years for Onyx (the 1940 radio transcriptions), Decca, Capitol, Aladdin, Mercury, Black Lion, EmArcy, Vee Jay, Black & Blue, Master Jazz, Sackville, Sonet, Storyville, Atlantic, Swingtime, and Music Masters among others, was a vital pianist and an effective blues vocalist who keept a classic style alive. A live album, Hootie Blues, recorded in 2001 in Toronto and released in 2006 by Stony Plain, showed that McShann could still bring it at the age of 85. He died at the age of 90 on December 7, 2006.

1957 Jimmy Witherspoon & Jay McShann & His Band - Goin' To Kansas City Blues

1991 Paris All-Star Blues Featuring Jay McShann - A Tribute To Charlie Parker

1992 Ralph Sutton, Jay McShann - Last Of The Whorehouse Piano Players

1997 Jay McShann & Duke Robillard Band - Hootie's Jumpin' Blues

1998 Jay McShann - My Baby With The Black Dress On

1999 Jay McShann - What A Wonderful World

2000 The Jay McShann Trio - Hootie

2003 Jay McShann - Goin' To Kansas City

2006 Jay McShann - Hootie Blues

Al Di Meola with John McLaughlin & Paco de Lucia - discography 1981-1996 (FLAC)

1981 - Friday Night in San Francisco

1983 - Passion Grace and Fire

1996 - The Guitar Trio

Billie Holiday - Songs for Distingue Lovers (1957/2012/FLAC)

Songs for Distingué Lovers is an album by jazz singer Billie Holiday released in 1957 on Verve Records. It was originally available in both mono, catalogue number MGV 8257, and stereo, catalog number MGVS 6021. It was recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles from January 3 to January 9, 1957, and produced by Norman Granz.

Billie Holiday, vocal
Harry Edison, trumpet
Ben Webster, tenor saxophone
Jimmy Rowles, piano
Barney Kessel, guitar
Red Mitchell, double bass
Alvin Stoller, drums
Joe Mondragon, double bass
Larry Bunker, drums

01. Day In Day Out (Mercer-Bloom) - 6:49

02. A Foggy Day (Gershwin-Gershwin) - 4:43

03. Stars Fell on Alabama (Perkins-Parish) - 4:31

04. One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) (Arlen-Mercer) - 5:40

05. Just One of Those Things (Porter) - 5:33

06. I Didn't Know What Time It Was (Rodgers-Hart) - 5:59

George Benson discography 1964 - 2019 (FLAC)

George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist.

A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, playing soul jazz with Jack McDuff and others. He then launched a successful solo career, alternating between jazz, pop, R&B singing, and scat singing. His album Breezin' was certified triple-platinum, hitting no. 1 on the Billboard album chart in 1976. His concerts were well attended through the 1980s, and he still has a large following. Benson has won ten Grammy Awards and has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1964 - George Benson - The New Boss Guitar of George Benson

1966 - The George Benson Quartet - It's Uptown

1967 - The George Benson Quartet - The George Benson Cookbook

1968 - George Benson - Giblet Gravy

1968 - George Benson - Goodies

1968 - George Benson - Shape Of Things To Come

1969 - George Benson - Tell It Like It Is

1970 - George Benson - The Other Side of Abbey Road

1971 - George Benson - Beyond The Blue Horizon

1972 - George Benson - White Rabbit

1973 - George Benson - Body Talk

1973 - George Benson Quartet - After Hours - Live at Casa Caribe Club

1974 - George Benson - Bad Benson

1976 - George Benson & Joe Farrell - Benson & Farrell

1976 - George Benson - Benson Burner

1976 - George Benson - Breezin'

1976 - George Benson - Good King Bad

1976 - George Benson - In Concert-Carnegie Hall

1977 - George Benson & Jack McDuff

1977 - George Benson - In Flight

1978 - George Benson - Weekend In L.A

1979 - George Benson - Livin' Inside Your Love

1980 - George Benson - Give Me The Night

1981 - George Benson - The George Benson Collection

1983 - George Benson - In Your Eyes

1983 - George Benson - Pacific Fire

1984 - George Benson - I Got A Woman And Some Blues

1985 - George Benson - 20-20

1986 - George Benson - While The City Sleeps

1987 - George Benson & Earl Klugh - Collaboration

1988 - George Benson - Twice The Love

1989 - George Benson - Tenderly

1990 - George Benson - Big Boss Band

1990 - George Benson - Grand New World - Greatest Love Songs

1993 - George Benson - Love Remembers

1996 - George Benson - That's Right

1998 - George Benson - Standing Together

2000 - George Benson - Absolute Benson

2003 - George Benson - Irreplaceable

2006 - George Benson & Al Jarreau - Givin' It Up

2009 - George Benson - Songs And Stories

2011 - George Benson - Guitar Man

2013 - George Benson - Inspiration. A Tribute To Nat King Cole

2019 - George Benson - Walking To New Orleans

Kenny Clarke - The Complete Albums Collection (4 CD, 2022) [FLAC]

This four-disc set compiles much of Kenny Clarke’s finest work, including as it does all albums on which he performed as leader or co-leader. While only covering the period during which he performed under his own name, the collection serves as a fine starting point to the work of this maverick jazz pioneer and a delightful reminder of the great man’s most accomplished music.

Lady In Satin is Billie Holiday’s penultimate masterpiece. The 1958 gem is one of her finest achievements and a full display of her immortal vocal abilities. Joined by the Ray Ellis Orchestra, Holiday dazzles on tunes including “For Heaven's Sake,” “You Don't Know What Love Is” and “I'm A Fool To Want You.” The album is one of Holiday’s personal favorites and an emotional listen from start to finish. It is one of jazz’s bestselling albums and was inducted into the GRAMMY® Hall of Fame.

Mel Davis - trumpet
Ray Ellis - conductor, arranger
Ray Ellis Orchestra
Barry Galbraith - guitar
Urbie Green - trombone
Milt Hinton - bass
J.J. Johnson - trombone
Osie Johnson - drums
Phil Kraus - Percussion
Tommy Mitchell - trombone
George Ockner - violin
Dave Sawyer - cello
Mal Waldron - piano
Miriam Workman - soprano

1 I'm A Fool To Want You 3:25
2 For Heaven's Sake 3:28
3 You Don't Know What Love Is 3:51
4 I Get Along Without You Very Well 3:02
5 For All We Know 2:56
6 Violets For Your Furs 3:26
7 You've Changed 3:19
8 It's Easy To Remember 4:04
9 But Beautiful 4:31
10 Glad To Be Unhappy 4:09
11 I'll Be Around 3:25