Jazz music you will love

Jazz

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Editor's Picks (see more)

MELVA HOUSTON AND BAND: Black Coffee
Internationally-known and loved jazz singer, Melva Houston truly dazzles on Black Coffee, transfixing her listeners with her smokin’ voice, perfectly suited for bluesy R&B and soul. Coloring these jazzy numbers with some real no-nonsense attitude and with a powerhouse combo backing her up, this disc ranges from a variety of sauntering ballads to swinging shakers. Having recorded with R&B greats such as Isaace Hayes, Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas and Wilson Pickett at the fresh age of 16, Houston again reminds her fans why she’s such a force to be reckoned with. Without a doubt, this is the jazz pick of the month.
CD price: $16.95
LENI STERN: Africa
After the moving, “teaser” 5-song EP, Alu Maye, whetting our appetite for Leni’s distinct singer/songwriter style imbedded with the sounds and atmosphere of Mali, this full-length, 13-track project, Africa, beautifully builds upon the momentum she ignited. With songs that speak to, express and reflect the issues affecting Mali, from a deep regard for life-giving, precious water to the plight of child soldiers, this project, two years in the making, embodies not just the rich, harmonic and percussive sounds of the region but its spirit, its people, its beauty, its pace of life, serving as a kind of audio documentary. Recorded at Salif Keita’s Bamako Studios, set for an October 30th release but now available digitally, this is one of the most respectable and moving collaborations between musical styles, instruments, ideas and cultures; Stern is the female answer to Markus James.
CD price: $12.97 / MP3 price: $12.97
JIMMY BRUNO: Maplewood Avenue
With charming discourse between Tony Miceli on vibraphone and Jeff Pedras on bass, the elegant but gigantic sound of Jimmy Bruno’s guitar is right in line with the integrity of his previous work. With an exquisitely intimate, close-up sound captured in his home recording studio, Maplewood Avenue features both Bruno’s gift for shaping and sculpting the subtleties, the most fragile of nuances, as well as his incendiary ability to sizzle and set a phrase in breathless motion. Whether he’s channeling the contemplative or the combustive, one of the most signature qualities of this disc is his commitment to make every note sing and blossom in the connected context of the larger phrase. In other words, these aren’t just a bunch of notes assembled together in a groovy manner; Bruno sees and recreates all the levels of musicality, the note level, the phrase level and the way every detail makes or breaks the song as a whole. It’s not every day that one finds a musician who can nurture and cultivate the finer details (“does this phrase turn up or down?” “does the phrase point to this note or that note?”) while also giving equal attention to the conversation between instruments, the larger picture that emanates from the bottom up. Jimmy is this sort of musician. Extending from that sincerity, his guitar is an extension of his mind, body, heart and wit. Finally, although the album surely showcases his talent, not just in his chops but in his thoughtful musicality, Jimmy gives ample time to both Miceli and Pedras to take the floor and demonstrate their own prowess and noteworthy musicianship. Any fan of jazz guitar should not miss this release
CD price: $15.00
THE STOLEN SWEETS: Shuffle Off to Buffalo
A true Portland favorite, the Stolen Sweets ooze with succulent, three-part vocal harmonies drawn from the Boswell Sisters that power these crisp and saucy numbers, throwing us head first into 1920's and 1930's jazz. Featuring notable local musicians Pete Krebs, Jen Bernard and Lara Michell, their charming, dainty approach bubbles up with a frisky, flirtatious and tangibly rebellious nature. Flashing a coy smile and a mischievous wink, Shuffle Off to Buffalo leaves fans tickled pink and goggle-eyed, caught between blushing and retreating versus hooting and hollering for encores.
CD price: $16.00 / MP3 price: $16.00
MIDNIGHT SERENADERS: Magnolia
Bringing together Portland natives as well as transplants from Colorado to the deep south, the Rose City’s newest 20s and 30s jazz getup is already tickling ears and funny bones with the release of their debut album, Magnolia. To see them live, in character, is a delightful treat but lucky for us, all of the personality shines through in this recording. From Dee Settlemier’s spunky, sometimes growling vocals, appropriate for a uke strumming, flapper dressed front-woman, to the signature, perky Hawaiian steel guitar punctuation courtesy of Henry Bogdan, to Doug Sammon’s top hat and gentlemanly vocals, this combo not only brings the charm of vintage jazz and swing but the spirit, the background and all of the wonderful connotations and quirks to boot. Well suited to their name, the Midnight Serenaders specialize in happy music for hard times: appropriate for the 20s and 30s as much as it is relevant today.
CD price: $15.00 / MP3 price: $15.00

Top Sellers (see more)

THE BLANKS: Riding The Wave
A "Barber-NOT Quartet," as seen on NBC's "Scrubs" in the role of Ted's Band, this quirky foursome's debut record features strictly four-part a cappella arrangements in an eclectic mix of styles, talking toys and hidden mic sketches from the "Scrubs" set.
CD price: $14.97
JACO PASTORIUS: Portrait of Jaco - The Early Years
This critically acclaimed boxed audio biography brings an 80-page color booklet and over 2 1/2 hrs of never-before-heard recordings of Jaco from 1968 up through his glory years. Hear his earliest bands, unheard originals, and very beginnings as a soloist
CD price: $34.95
DEVIL DOLL: Queen of Pain
sex and sorrow. 40's style torch jazz meets punk rock. angry and sexy.
CD price: $14.00 / MP3 price: $14.00
INGA SWEARINGEN: Learning How To Fly
Inga revives the art of scat-singing, imbuing these jazz standards with a rare vitality
CD price: $12.97 / MP3 price: $9.97
MAUDE MAGGART: With Sweet Despair
The heartbreaking voice of Maude Maggart breathes new life into classic and contemporary American standards. She is accompanied by piano and strings.
CD price: $18.00
MAUDE MAGGART: Look For The Silver Lining
This debut CD of Maude Maggart's is a collection of songs written in the 1920's, beautifully interpreted through Miss Maggart's haunting and ethereal voice.
CD price: $18.00
EL GRUPO: Live
High Energy Jazz Rock Fusion Recorded Live and featuring Steve Lukather
CD price: $13.97 / MP3 price: $13.97
MICHAEL MANRING: Soliloquy
Solo Bass Guitar
CD price: $14.95 / MP3 price: $14.95
CHANDRA CURRELLEY: Love Songs
Chandra Currelley presents Urban,Spiritual,Jazz, music that quenches the spiritual appetite through improvisational vocal energy, reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald and Anita Baker. From the former lead singer of the S.O.S. Band.
CD price: $13.97 / MP3 price: $13.97
THE HOWLAND/IMBODEN PROJECT: The Howland/Imboden Project
An all instrumental jazz/rock/fusion project with a strong emphasis on songs, featuring current members of the band Chicago: Keith Howland on guitar and Tris Imboden on drums.
CD price: $15.99