Monday, December 18, 2006

Kenny G reatest Hits

Kenny G exploring jazz music. This guy can carry a melodic tune to any of his compositions that is definitely always have an immense impact to everyone. This video is not actually a concert. These are compilations of his greatest hits. Songs like, Songbird, Don't make me wait for love. Going home , Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas and many more. 40 minutes of commercial cool jazz!




Ricky Lee Jones Live at Wiltern Theater



Ricky Lee Jones has been known as a folk singer with a very distinct voice. Her compositions are a bit lyrical with a little taste of Jazzy tune. Very melodic phrases with lots of loveness. Very ambitious approach and cool, cool voice phrasing. Critics are comparing her to Joni Mitchell 's style but I can vouch for this singer that she's a good one. 60 minutes of pure entertainment. Playing along with her recent band and singing mostly her popular tunes. Lee songs include "Well You Needn't," "Making Whoopie," "Texaco," "Must Be Love," "Don't Like Goodby," "White Boy's Cool."



Sunday, December 10, 2006

Michael Franks - Live at The Blue Note - Japan

Michael Franks (1944) is a jazz singer and songwriter from the United States. Born in La Jolla, California, he began singing folk-rock, accompanying himself on guitar, in High School. He studied music in college, earned an M.A. from UCLA in Comparative Literature and a PhD from the University of Oregon and teaching undergraduate music courses.
He was on records with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and recorded an eponymous CD now titled Previously Unavailable (originally Brut, now DRG Records) before landing a contract with Warner Brothers Music in 1973. Since then, Michael has recorded over 15 more albums.
His best known works include in the Rain,” “Rainy Ni“Popsicle Toes,” “Monkey See-Monkey Do,” “The Lady Wants To Know,” “When the Cookie Jar is Empty,” “Tiger ght in Tokyo” and “Tell Me All About It”. His biggest hit came in 1983 with 'When Sly Calls (Don't Touch That Phone)', from the album Passionfruit. Through his entire career of singing he has accomplished 18 albums since he started. Upto now, his latest CD release is the Rendevouz in Rio 2006. Women really just love his singing mellow voice. In This concert you will witness and listen mostly to his popular songs. You will easily fall for this Heartrob Michael Franks. 1 hour and 30 minutes of entertaining jazz.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Dionne Warwick - Live at Syracuse - Jazz Festival 2003


Marie Dionne Warrick (born December 12, 1940 in East Orange, New Jersey), known professionally as Dionne Warwick, is an American singer best known for her work with Hal David and Burt Bacharach as songwriters .
Born to parents Mansel Warrick and Lee Drinkard, Dionne Warrick began singing gospel with her family, and started her professional career after graduating from the University of Hartford. In the earliest stage of her career, she sang backing vocals on records by Chuck Jackson, Dinah Washington and Solomon Burke, among others. Her first solo single was 1962's "Don't Make Me Over", supplied by Warrick herself when she snapped the phrase at producers Burt Bacharach and Hal David during an arduous recording session producers. In this concert she sung some of her most memorable greatest hits. Celebrating her 40th year in the music industry.

Julia Fordham - That's Live - 2003

Julia Fordham (born August 10, 1962, Portsmouth, England) is a singer-songwriter based in California. Her professional career started in the early 1980s, under the name "Jules Fordham," as a backing singer for the likes of Mari Wilson & the Wilsations and Kim Wilde.
In 1988, she released her first album on Circa Records, Julia Fordham. The album, which contained a pair of UK top 40 singles, introduced her as a singer with considerable vocal range, and her deeply emotional lyrics endeared her to a small, committed audience. Licensed to Virgin Records America, the album was a minor hit and paved the way for the success of 1989's Porcelain. The lead single from this LP, "Manhattan Skyline," was an adult contemporary radio and VH-1 hit. Her music can be considered and categorized as Jazz music. In this concert she has guested multiple -jazz singers which resulted a very entertaining one.



Friday, November 17, 2006

Laura Fygi Live at Royal Theatre Carre, Amsterdam - 1998



Laura Fygi ( August 27, 1955 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch singer.
For the first eight years of her life, she lived with her parents in South America. She is the daughter of a Dutch father (a manager at Philips) and an Egyptian mother.
Between 1987 and 1991, Laura Fygi was a member of one of the most popular Dutch girl-bands, Centerfold. During performances, the ladies dressed themselves in sexy lingerie. They had hits in the Netherlands and all over Europe. In Japan, they were considered famous.
In 1991, the ladies of Centerfold stopped performing and Laura (together with Rowan Moore) started a band called The Backlot. After one performance in Dutch theatre Paradiso, an album was expected, but Mercury Records had already asked Laura to make a solo album. This first album of hers was called Introducing (album), produced by Ruud Jacobs. On this album, she was accompanied by famous Belgian musician Jean 'Toots' Thielemans. Most of the songs on the album are jazz. In this concert she sang classic jazz music such as Bewitched,Let there be love,and I've got you under my skin. Some are Antonio Carlos Jobims compositions. Known for her Bossa Nova melodies which made her popular singing to the tunes of some Brazilian jazz music. 1 hour of samba music.



Monday, November 13, 2006

Herbie Hancock Quintet - Live in France - 2002

Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an Academy Award and multiple Grammy Award winning jazz pianist and composer from Chicago, Illinois, USA. Hancock is one of jazz music's most important and influential pianists and composers. He embraced elements of rock, funk, and soul while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz.

As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet", Hancock helped redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section, and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound. Later, he was one of the first jazz musicians to embrace synthesizers and funk. Yet for all his restless experimentalism, Hancock's music is often melodic and accessible; he has had many songs "cross over" and achieve success among pop audiences. In this concert he has invited Michael Brecker- tenor Saxophone player-performing his best- ala John Coltrane. Along with him are Rey Hargrove, George Mraz and Willie Jones at Theater Antique de Vienne on July 8, 2002. 1 hour of mainstream jazz.


Michael Brecker and Pat Metheny Special Quartet - 2000

Michael Brecker Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 29, 1949) is probably the most respected and imitated jazz saxophonist of the post-Coltrane era. As of 2005, he has won 11 Grammys as both performer and composer.
Michael Brecker has been diagnosed with the blood disorder myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Despite a widely-publicized worldwide search, Brecker was unable to find a matching stem cell donor. In late 2005, he was the recipient of an experimental partial matching stem cell transplant. As of mid 2006 he is recovering, but it is unclear whether the experimental procedure will provide a long term remedy. Brecker made his return to public performance in June 2006, playing with Herbie Hancock at Carnegie Hall. In this concert Michael Brecker has teamed up with Pat Metheny forming a Quartet. This was recorded in France -2000. The band members are Pat Metheny-guitar, Michael Brecker-tenor saxophone, Larry Goldings-organ and Bill Stewart-drums. Playing wide selection of original jazz compositions. 1 hour of avant-garde jazz.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Anna Maria Jopek and Pat Metheny - Upojenie - Live in Poland

A combination of two very talented musicians. Anna Maria Jopek, a well known singer from Poland. A Universal recording artist is a classically trained pianist and graduated from Chopin's Academy of Music in Warsaw, Poland. After briefly studying in Manhattan School of Music's Jazz Department Anna decided not to play Mozart concertos anymore and trade her beloved Ravel for Keith Jarrett. Philharmonic Hall for a small, smoky clubs and theatres. Pat Metheny, a professional jazz guitarist and a 15 times Grammy Award winner.

Both has shared their collaborative compositions which resulted a phenomenon hit it Poland. Singing along with Pat Metheny's compositions can be so impressive, full of harmony and deep rooted emotional expressions. This concert has included some of the most beautiful songs Anna and her producer-music partner-husband Marcin Kydrynski have ever written. Aside from having a pretty face, Anna Maria Jopek has a very distinct voice( similar to ENYA) that people from Poland really adores her. Lately, she has been appearing in several jazz concerts seeing with current popular jazz artists like Chris Botti ,Christian McBride, Branford Marsalis and Richard Bona.

How can you refuse to a beautiful voice and face (a great resemblance of Michelle Pfeiffer - American actress) even though her lyrics are all sung in Polish? She has a certain charisma that everybody's always drawn to her whenever she starts singing. The band members are among her closest European musicians, giving ultimate performances. This concert is some of the finest playing of a contemporary guitar genius like Mr. Pat Metheny. 1 whole hour of enjoyment!


Friday, November 10, 2006

George Duke - Live in Japan - 1983

George Duke (born 12 January 1946 in San Rafael, California) is a piano and synthesizer pioneer. He is known for his own work as well as for his collaborations with composers such as Frank Zappa and Stanley Clarke. He earned a bachelor's degree in music from the San Francisco Conservatory in 1967. In 2001, French House duo Daft Punk used a looped sample from the intro to Duke's song "I Love You More" in their song "Digital Love". In this concert he explored more into his compositions. A fan of George Duke will surely love this concert.



Monday, November 06, 2006

TOTO - Live in Paris - 2004

Toto is an American rock/pop/prog band which had their greatest commercial success in the 1980s. They are known for covering several music styles, such as pop, rock, funk, prog, jazz, and others.

Toto was formed in Los Angeles in 1977 by David Paich, Steve Lukather, Bobby Kimball, brothers Steve and Jeff Porcaro, and David Hungate. The band members had met in high school and at studio sessions in the 1970s, when they became some of the busiest session musicians in the music business. This video will bring you back from some of their greatest hits. Awesome concert.




Steely Dan - Two Against Nature

Steely Dan is an American rock band centered around the core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. The band's peak of popularity was in the 1970s, when it released six albums that blended together elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Their music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies, literate lyrics and adroit musicianship.
Fagen and Becker named the band for a steam-powered dildo in the William Burroughs novel Naked Lunch. The group toured from 1972 to 1974, but from 1975 to 1980 the group became purely a studio-based act. The band was known for using session players such as Michael McDonald on their recordings. Steely Dan was inactive from 1981 through 1992, after Becker and Fagen parted ways but they have since reunited, returning with the 2000 release Two Againts Nature


Monday, October 30, 2006

Bireli Lagrene - Gypsy Project - Paris 2005

Bireli Lagrene was born a Sinti Gypsy on September 4th 1966 in the border region between France and Germany known commonly as the Alsace. He still lives in a caravan, unlike many of his contemporaries.
He started playing guitar at the age of four years, even by Gypsy standards this is still early, and was playing jazz by the age of seven.
Even at thirteen when he started recording, his maturity of playing was truly astounding. With a depth and passion of his own compositions only normally found (if your lucky) after many years playing, already coming to the fore.
As the "Django Style" of playing was the mainstream of his family's music, his father was a renowned guitarist in the thirties and his brothers and cousins are all competent self taught musicians, he became a bit of a Django copyist but he very soon moved on to create his own style. This style is very hard to define as he is constantly changing but always staying within the jazz spectrum. Bireli is classed as a guitarists guitarist always surprising and bloody cool with it. He can be found most years playing at Samois sur Seine. Not only on stage but also with Babik on the river front and around the various Gypsy sites.
This concert will bring you purely entertainment. Skillfull display of acoustic, electric guitar and some portions of bass playing. Years ago, he has worked with the Master Genius- bass player - Jaco Pastorius. Bereli Lagrene is a sure winner when it comes to playing the tunes of Django Reinhardt and Jaco Pastorius. 1 and half hours of jazzin....


Thursday, October 26, 2006

Larry Carlton - Live at the North Sea Jazz

Larry Carlton (born 2 March 1948) is an American jazz guitarist, dividing his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with more popular bands. Over his career Carlton has won three Grammys for his performances and compositions, including the theme song for the hit television series, Hill Street Blues (1981). It is perhaps Carlton's creative and musical blend of jazz and rock elements that make him such a unique and talented artist.
Appreciated by smooth jazz fans for his subtle, velvety style, and also by jazz and blues guitarists for his tight phrasing and impressive technique, Carlton started learning to play guitar when he was six years old. Taking an interest in jazz whilst at high school, his playing style was most influenced by guitarists Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Barney Kessel, and B.B. King. Saxophonist John Coltrane has also made a notable impression on Carlton, and Carlton's live albums have featured cuts from Miles Davis's hallmark Kind of Blue. This concert is full of detailed and intricate showmanship. Mr. COOL has it all!  

                          



Kurt Elling - Live at the Basement

Kurt Elling (born November 2, 1967) is an American jazz vocalist.
Elling graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota in 1989. He then enrolled in The University of Chicago's Divinity School and remained a student there until January 1992, when he left school one credit short of graduation.
In the last decade, Elling has released six albums for the Blue Note label. He has also performed and recorded with many musicians, including David Amram, Bob Belden, Joanne Brackeen, Oscar Brown, Jr., Billy Corgan, Orbert Davis, George Freeman, Buddy Guy, Jon Hendricks, Charlie Hunter and Rex Richardson. In this concert he included some of the classic hit songs with his own rendition of style. Very clever performance.

Lee Ritenour - Overdrive 1 & 2 - 2006

Lee Ritenour was born January 11, 1952 in Los Angeles, California. He played his first session when he was 16 with the Mamas and the Papas. Nicknamed "Captain Fingers", he (along with Larry Carlton) was a sought-after session guitarist by the mid-1970s. He is noted for playing his red Gibson ES-335 and his Gibson L5 guitars. One of his most notable influences is the pioneering jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery. In 1976, he released his first solo album, First Course. This was followed up by his fusion work Captain Fingers in 1976. Since First Course he has released over 30 albums — the 30th being Rit's House in 2002. One of his most notable works is his pop album (featuring vocalist Eric Tagg) 1981 Rit, which contained chart hits "Is It You," and "Mr. Briefcase." In the 90s, he was one of the founding members of smooth jazz group Fourplay. Witness to watch this wonderful concert playing along with some of his favorite musicians. Dave Grusin,Patrice Rushen, Anthony Jackson and Dave Mason.

Michael Buble - Live

Michael Bublé (born 9 September 1975 in Burnaby, British Columbia) is a Canadian crooner, big band singer and actor. While achieving modest chart success in the United States, his 2003 self-titled album has reached the top ten in Canada, the UK and Australia. In 2004, a live album and video Come Fly With Me (2004) was listed on the Billboard music video charts and reached Australia's top 40 album charts. He reached commercial success in the U.S. with It's Time.

Steely Dan - Live at NISSAN Pavillion , Stone Ridge with guest star - Wayne Kruntz

Steely Dan is an American rock band centered around the core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. The band's peak of popularity was in the 1970s, when it released six albums that blended together elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Their music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies, literate lyrics and adroit musicianship.
Fagen and Becker named the band for a steam-powered dildo in the William Burroughs novel Naked Lunch. The group toured from 1972 to 1974, but from 1975 to 1980 the group became purely a studio-based act. The band was known for using session players such as Michael McDonald on their recordings. Steely Dan was inactive from 1981 through 1992, after Becker and Fagen parted ways but they have since reunited, returning with the 2000 release Two Against Nature. This concert is full of Steely Dan's greatest hits. Full Band members complete with voluptous back-up singers. Wayne Krantz performing second lead guitar. Showed very powerful blendings and carefully catching to every tune Donald Fagan performs. You won't regret viewing this video and for sure you'll be glued with the familiar tunes of Steely Dan.

Spyro Gyra - Live at The North Sea Jazz

Spyro Gyra is an American jazz fusion band that was originally formed in the early 1970s. With over 20 albums released and 10 million copies sold, they are among the most prolific as well as commercially successful groups of the scene. Among their most successful hit singles are "Shaker Song" and "Morning Dance".
Their music, which has been influential in the development of smooth jazz, combines jazz with elements of R&B, funk and pop music. Although generally considered to be more "jazz" than "smooth", Spyro Gyra's music has been criticized for being light-weight and for emphasizing melody over improvisation. They have nevertheless been praised as skilled instrumentalists and for their live performances.
With the exception of alto saxophonist, songwriter and founding bandleader Jay Beckenstein, the personnel has changed somewhat over time as well as between the studio and the live stage.

Earth,Wind and Fire,Jazz Crusaders & Monty Alexsander Trio - Montreux Jazz 97


Earth, Wind & Fire is a world-renowned American band which fuses different genres of music , formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 which is led by Maurice White.
Earth, Wind & Fire became the first African-American performers to headline throughout the world without an opening act, to receive Madison Square Garden's Gold Ticket Award for selling more than 100,000 tickets and to receive the Columbia Records Crystal Globe Award for selling more than five million albums in foreign markets.Earth Wind & Fire were among the first pop culture superstars to embrace their African heritage.


The Crusaders are an American music group popular in the early 1970s known for their amalgamated Jazz, Pop and Soul sound. From 1961 to present more than forty albums have been credited to the group (some live and compilations), 19 of which were recorded under the name "The Jazz Crusaders" (1961-1970).In 1960, following the demise of a few short-lived Houston-based groups, pianist Joe Sample, drummer Stix Hooper, saxophonist Wilton Felder and trombonist Wayne Henderson relocated to Los Angeles, CA. After changing their name to "The Jazz Crusaders," the group signed with Pacific Jazz Records, where they would remain throughout the 1960s. Employing a two-manned front-line horn section (trombone and tenor saxophone), the group's sound was rooted in hard bop, with an emphasis on R&B and soul. This video is loaded with powerful bands. Packed in 1 hour long of quality viewing.

Ben Sidran - Live


Ben Sidran (born 1943, Chicago) is an American jazz pianist.
He may be best-known for having written the Steve Miller hit song "The Joker." The composer is also a jazz keyboardist of wide renown (both on piano and Hammond B3 organ), as well as a record producer and writer, among his many pursuits.
Born in Chicago and reared in Racine, Wisconsin, Sidran was earning money as a pianist at fraternity parties in Madison, Wisconsin, even before he enrolled in the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1961. There he became a member of band The Ardells, along with Miller and Boz Scaggs.
When Miller and Scaggs left Wisconsin for the West Coast and stardom, Sidran stayed behind to earn a degree in English literature. After his 1966 graduation, he proceeded to the University of Sussex, England, to pursue a master's degree in American Studies.
Sidran rejoined Miller in an English recording studio the next year, playing on the album "Children of the Future." While in England, he was a session musician for artists that included Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones In this concert he has performed mostly his greatest hits.

Tribute to Burt Bacharach and Hal David

Burt Bacharach , born May 12, 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri) is an award-winning American pianist and composer. He is best known for his many pop hits from 1962-69, co-written with Hal David and Bacharach studied music at McGill University and the Mannes School of Music. In the '50s and early '60s he was the pianist, arranger and bandleader for Marlene Dietrich with whom he toured. In 1959 while still a relatively unknown songwriter, he got a big break when his song Heavenly recorded by Johnny Mathis and title of the album became a gold record. Later the same year another Bacharach song Faithfully also achieved gold record status with Mathis. The two artists have remained lifelong friends.
In the early sixties Bacharach paired with lyricist Hal David (and occasionally others) and wrote a wealth of popular songs throughout the '60s and '70s, many of which still enjoy popularity today. He and David wrote songs specially for Dionne Warwick who has charted some 21 Bacharach wriiten songs.sung mostly by Dionne Warwick

Cris Botti - Live

Chris Botti is an American trumpeter and composer; born in Portland, Oregon, and a native of Oregon. He plays a Martin Committee trumpet made in 1939, and uses a mouthpiece from Bach made in 1926, having recently retired his 1920 Bach mouthpiece.
As of 2006, Botti has recorded eight solo albums. His first few efforts could safely be classified as smooth jazz, though critic Alex Henderson argues that Botti's music was a cut above much of the genre; reviewing his 1999 effort, Slowing Down the World, Henderson writes "it would be a major mistake to lump it in with the outright elevator muzak that Kenny G, Dave Koz, Najee, and Richard Elliot were known for ... Botti is capable of a lot more."Though still featuring heavy contributions from pop music singers, Botti's more recent albums have found him exploring more traditional jazz territory, with lush orchestral arrangements even earning comparisons to Gil Evans.
Botti has also performed or recorded with artists such as Sting, Chaka Khan, Andrea Bocelli, The Blue Nile, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, Dave Koz, Jeff Lorber, David Torn, Lee Ritenour, Renee Olstead, Paula Cole and Brian Culbertson. Botti was also a member of Bruford Levin Upper Extremities, a more experimental, jazz fusion-oriented group.
Several tabloids have claimed that Botti had been seen dating NBC's The Today Show anchor, Katie Couric, although additional sources dispute this. They reportedly broke up in February 2005.
Botti is also a radio host. His show, "Chill with Chris Botti," focuses mainly on "chill" music, which is described as "smooth jazz with a touch of cool jazz."


Norah Jones- Live in New Orleans

Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar on March 30, 1979) is an American multi-Grammy Award winning pianist and singer-songwriter. Norah's career was launched with her massively successful 2002 debut album Come Away with Me, a contemporary pop album with a sensual, plaintive soul/folk/country tinge, that sold 20 million copies worldwide and received eight Grammy awards.Norah Jones was born as Geetali Norah Jones Shankar in New York City, but later changed her name officially to Norah Jones at age 16. She is the daughter of Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar and Sue Jones, and is the half-sister of musician Anoushka Shankar, Ravi Shankar's daughter from his second marriage. She spent her childhood with her mother, who moved to Dallas, Texas, when Norah was four. She has always liked the music of Bill Evans and Billie Holiday among others from the 'oldies' section. Norah has had a profound appreciation for the music and finds it intriguing and relieving. She has been quoted as saying, "My mom had this eight-album Billie Holiday set, I picked out one disc that I liked and played that over and over again; 'You Go to My Head', that was my favorite..."

Tony Williams Quintet Live in New York, USA -1989


Tony Williams (December 12, 1945 – February 23, 1997) was an American jazz drummer.
Born in Chicago and growing up in Boston, Williams began studies with master drummer Alan Dawson at an early age and began playing professionally at the age of 13 with saxophonist Sam Rivers. Jackie McLean hired Williams at 16. At 17 Williams found considerable fame with Miles Davis, joining a group that was later dubbed Davis's "Second Great Quintet." His first album as a leader, 1964's Life Time (not to be confused with the name of his band "Lifetime," which he formed several years later) was recorded during his tenure with Davis.

Williams was a vital element of the group, called by Davis in his autobiography "the center of the group's sound". His inventive playing helped redefine the role of jazz rhythm section through the use of polyrhythms and metric modulation (transitioning between mathematically related tempos and/or time signatures). But perhaps his overarching achievement was in demonstrating, through his playing, that the drummer need not be relegated to timekeeping and accompaniment in a jazz ensemble; that the drummer may be free to contribute to the performance as an equal partner in the improvisation. Tony has contributed a great role as a jazz drummer for the past years until the time of his death. Very influential and innovative player.

Recorded on December 15, 1989 at Chelsea Television Studio, New York His contribution in the legendary Miles Davis quintet (Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Carter, Williams) was a milestone in the development of the jazz drums. While drummers before played tripling or ternary Tony Williams changed this in a binary way of playing and controlled the rhythmical happenings by speeding up, slowing down or at times abandoning the tempo and hence challenged his accompanists creatively. That opened the reach of play that would have remained closed by sticking to a consistent stare beat. Together with John McLaughlin and the organist Larry Young he found at the beginning of the 1970s the group "Lifetime" that had a significant impact on the connection of jazz with rock elements and therefore was style formative for the development of jazz-rock respectively fusion-jazz. In the 1980s Williams studied additionally composition and performed exclusively with his own bands. In this period arised "Sister Cheryl" too which became for the meantime a standard composition of Tony Williams.


Track List:

1. City Lights
2. Geo Rose
3. Juicy Fruit
4. Warrior
5. Sister Cheryl
6. Life of the Party

Personnel:

Wallace Roney (trumpet)
Bill Pierce (tenor and soprano saxophones)
Mulgrew Miller (piano)
Ira Coleman (bass)
Tony Williams (drums)

Recorded at Chelsea TV Studios, N.Y.C., USA, December 15, 1989


Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Ramsey Lewis features Pat Metheny and Jim Hall


Patrick Bruce Metheny (born August 12, 1954 in Lee's Summit, Missouri) is a world renowned American jazz guitarist and leader of the Pat Metheny Group as well as various collaborations, duets, solo works, and other side projects.

Metheny was born and raised in Missouri. Following high school, he attended the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
Metheny came onto the jazz scene quickly in 1975, at the age of 21, after joining Gary Burton's band and then recording a trio record with Jaco Pastorius called Bright Size Life. Metheny's next recording, 1977's Watercolors, featured pianist Lyle Mays. Metheny's next album formalized this partnership and began the Pat Metheny Group, featuring several songs co-written with Mays; the album was released as the self-titled Pat Metheny Group on the ECM record label. Pat Metheny also has released notable solo, trio, quartet and duet recordings with musicians such as Jim Hall, Dave Holland, Roy Haynes, Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Charlie Haden, John Scofield, Jack DeJohnette, Herbie Hancock, Bill Stewart, Ornette Coleman, Brad Mehldau, and many others.

A harmonically advanced cool-toned and subtle guitarist, Jim Hall has been an inspiration to many guitarists, including some (such as Bill Frisell) who sound nothing like him. Hall attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and studied classical guitar in Los Angeles with Vincente Gomez. He was an original member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet (1955-1956), and during 1956-1959 was with the Jimmy Giuffre Three. After touring with Ella Fitzgerald (1960-1961) and sometimes forming duos with Lee Konitz, Hall was with Sonny Rollins' dynamic quartet in 1961-1962, recording The Bridge. He co-led a quartet with Art Farmer (1962-1964), recorded on an occasional basis with Paul Desmond during 1959-1965 (all of their quartet performances are collected on a Mosaic box set), and then became a New York studio musician. He has mostly been a leader ever since and, in addition to his own projects for World Pacific/Pacific Jazz, MPS, Milestone, CTI, Horizon, Artists House, Concord, Music Masters, and Telarc, Jim Hall recorded two classic duet albums with Bill Evans. A self-titled collaboration with Pat Metheny followed in 1999. A flurry of studio albums, reissues, and compilations followed throughout the next few years, with the exceptional Jim Hall & Basses standing out for its bass/guitar duet format.




Keith Jarrett - 100th Performance in Japan 1987


Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945 in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American pianist and composer.
His career started with Art Blakey, Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s he has enjoyed a great deal of success in both classical music and jazz, as a group leader and a solo performer. His improvisation technique combines not only jazz, but also other forms of music, especially classical, gospel, blues, and various ethnic-folk musics. Keith Jarrett/Solo Tribute: The 100th Performance In Japan (1987) Captured live at Tokyo's Suntory Hall, renowned piano virtuoso Keith Jarrett performs some of his most memorable and haunting standards before an enthusiastic crowd. Performed entirely solo, these numbers clearly reveal the breadth and power of his immense musical skills. Tracks: The Night We Called It a Day, I Love You, Things Ain't What They Used to Be, Sound, I Loves You Porgy, There Is No Greater Love, Round About Midnight, Solar, Then I'll Be Tired of You, Sweet and Lovely, The Wind, Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me, I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good, Summertime.

Stacey Kent - Live

An American language student visits Europe to study French, Italian and German for a Masters degree in comparative literature. Her life takes an unexpected twist that sees Stacey Kent become one of the world's foremost jazz singers. Stacey now boasts six best-selling albums, a string of awards, including the 2001 British Jazz Award and 2002 BBC Jazz Award for 'Best Vocalist,' and the 2004 Backstage Bistro Award, a fan base that enables her to sell out concert halls around the world, as well as a voice on BBC Radio 3, as presenter of Jazz Legends.

The twist of fate that took her life in this new direction was a chance meeting in Oxford with saxophonist, Jim Tomlinson. Like Stacey, Jim was embarked on an academic path, but their meeting sparked in each other the desire to pursue their love of music together.After a year's study at the Guildhall School of Music, Stacey set about honing her skills on the London jazz scene in the company of, now husband, Jim Tomlinson.A demo tape, sent simultaneously to Polygram, Candid Records and broadcaster, Humphrey Lyttelton, secured her a role in Ian McKellen's film version of Richard III, a recording contract and national airplay and endorsement from Britain's most respected jazz broadcaster.Since the release of Stacey's first album, Close Your Eyes (1997), she has achieved, without compromise, both critical and popular success, with her fresh and heart-felt interpretations of the finest love songs of the twentieth century.

Her most recent album, The Boy Next Door, a celebration of many of her heroes, was launched in style with a worldwide concert tour, lasting two years. Among the many highlights were shows at New York's Carnegie Hall, a month-long sell-out run at The Algonquin Hotel, a sell-out performance at Taipei’s Chiang Kaishek Concert Hall and extensive touring in France, where The Boy Next Door also earned Stacey the 'Silver Disc' in France four months after its release. The album also remained in USA's Billboard Charts for 35 weeks. Stacey's admirers are not limited to the loyal fans that buy her albums and pack out her concerts. A track from her third album, Let Yourself Go, was selected by Kazuo Ishiguro on his recent appearance on Desert Island Discs, and Best-selling crime writer, John Harvey, has Stacey sing, if only fictionally, in his latest novel, Still Water. Clint Eastwood invited Stacey to sing at his 70th birthday party, Michael Parkinson, invited Stacey to sing on his television show, as did Sir David Frost, who asked her to join him one Sunday morning in January 2003, to sing a song and review the morning papers on "Breakast with Frost."Most tellingly perhaps, Stacey is appreciated by the writers of the songs she sings.

Madeleine Peyroux - Live in Spain

Madeleine Peyroux has a beautiful time machine. Step inside and it whisks you back to a time before American Idol, Wi-Fi and Paris Hilton. A time before auto-tuned vocals and attitude. Two years ago, she spun our chronometers with the coolly anachronistic Careless Love. Now she returns with the equally enchanting, fashion unconscious .

This concert was held in Spain. Madeleine Peyroux resumes her languid tour through the '30s & '40s smoky nightclub style with well-chosen covers and a handful of originals. Great concert!


Ramsey Lewis features John Pizzarelli and Jane Monheit

John Paul Pizzarelli Jr. (born April 6, 1960) is an American jazz guitarist, singer, songwriter. He is probably best known for his leadership of the John Pizzarelli Trio, featuring his brother Martin on bass and Ray Kennedy on the eighty-eight and for his performance as the singer on the Foxwoods Casino TV and radio commercials. He is the son of legendary jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli Despite his young age, John Pizzarelli has recorded nearly 40 albums of music, either as the leader or in tandem with other performers. Among others, Pizzarelli has recorded with such luminaries as George Shearing, Rosemary Clooney, and Buddy DeFranco, as well as the Boston Pops Orchestra. Many if not most of his albums have received good to excellent reviews and are very popular sellers. Additionally, he has been a guest performer on numerous records throughout his career.

Jane Monheit (born November 3, 1977) is considered by some to be one of the most promising American jazz vocalists of her generation, by others to be more of a cabaret/broadway style singer and not really a jazz singer at all Monheit began singing professionally while attending Connetquot High School. At 17, she began to study at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City under the tutelage of Peter Eldridge. She earned a Bachelor's degree in music in 1999. At the age of 20, as a senior, she won the first runner-up prize at the 1998 Thelonious Monk Institute Vocal Competition.

As guest artists in Ramsey Lewis JazzLine, both showed excellent combination of extraordinary showmanship. Very captivating selected jazz songs. 45 minutes of interval personal interviews and jazz music.




Toots Thielemans - Live at the Baltica

Jean Baptiste Frederic Isidor "Toots" Thielemans (born Brussels, April 29, 1922) is a Belgian jazz artist well known for his guitar, harmonica play and also for his highly accomplished professional whistling. He is often credited by jazz aficionados and jazz critics of being the greatest jazz hamonica player of the century.Thielemans started his career as a guitar player. In 1949 he joined a jam session in Paris with Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Max Roach and others. In 1951 he went on tour with Bobbejaan Schoepen.
He moved to the US in 1952 where he was a member of Charlie Parker's All-Stars. He played and recorded with names like Ella Fitzgerald, The George Shearing Quintet, Quincy Jones, Bill Evans, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Astrud Gilberto, Elis Regina and others.

I can't see a video clip of this concert in YOUTUBE, but was able to look at some of Toots performances that was surely an amazing one!