JUTTA HIPP - Jutta Hipp at the Hickory House Vol.1 (1956-2007) RM / MONO / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

At the Hickory House is a thoroughly appealing collection of lightly swinging small-combo jazz that draws equally from hard bop and soul-jazz. There's a soulful lilt to Jutta Hipp's playing that keeps it engaging and enjoyable. The rhythm section of Peter Ind (bass) and Ed Thigpen (drums) largely stay out of the way, letting Hipp dictate the tempo and mood of the pieces, and she has a knack for creating infectious, swinging interpretations of jazz and pop standards that are enjoyable and easy to listen to. Vol. 1 contains such staples as "Dear Old Stockholm," "Billie's Bounce," "Mad About the Boy," "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "These Foolish Things," all of which are performed with verve and style, making the record a wonderful little gem. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist:
1 Take Me In Your Arms 4:38
Written-By – Markush
2 Dear Old Stockholm 4:38
Traditional
3 Billie's Bounce 4:02
Written-By – Charlie Parker
4 I'll Remember April 3:47
Written-By – Raye, De Paul
5 Lady Bird 3:50
Written-By – Tadd Dameron
6 Mad About The Boy 3:40
Written-By – Noel Coward
7 Ain't Misbehavin' 4:59
Written-By – Razaf, Waller, Brooks
8 These Foolish Things 3:58
Written-By – Marvell, Strachey
9 Jeepers Creepers 3:48
Written-By – Warren, Mercer
10 The Moon Was Yellow 4:54
Written-By – Leslie, Ahlert
Credits
Bass – Peter Ind
Drums – Ed Thigpen
Piano – Jutta Hipp

JUTTA HIPP - Jutta Hipp at the Hickory House, Vol. 2 (1956-2007) RM / MONO / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Jutta Hipp at the Hickory House, Vol. 2 has the same infectious spirit and sense of fun as the first volume. Taken from the same date, this ten-track album features such standards as "Moonlight in Vermont," "After Hours," "If I Had You" and "My Heart Stood Still," all of which are given swinging, spirited interpretations by Hipp and her rhythm section of bassist Peter Ind and drummer Ed Thigpen. As with the first volume of At the Hickory House, Vol. 2 is another thoroughly enjoyable set of swinging soul-jazz and should appeal to fans of Horace Silver and the Three Sounds. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist:
1     Gone With the Wind    4:50
Herbert Magidson / Allie Wrubel
2     After Hours    4:40
Erskine Hawkins / Avery Parrish
3     The Squirrel    3:46
Tadd Dameron
4     We'll Be Together Again    3:15
Carl Fischer / Frankie Laine
5     Horacio    3:20
Jutta Hipp
6     I Married an Angel    4:24
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
7     Moonlight in Vermont    3:24
 John Blackburn / Karl Suessdorf
8     Star Eyes/If I Had You/My Heart Stood Still    4:01
Gene DePaul / Don Raye
9     If I Had You    3:54
Jimmy Campbell / Reginald Connelly / Ted Shapiro
10     My Heart Stood Still    4:21
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
Credits
Bass – Peter Ind
Drums – Ed Thigpen
Piano – Jutta Hipp

BLOSSOM DEARIE - Blossom Dearie Sings Comden and Green (1959-2001) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Buoyed by the success of Ella Fitzgerald's songbook series, Verve executive Norman Granz suggested to one of his other artists, Blossom Dearie, that she tackle the canon of lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green. But while Ella's acrobatic voice proved more than a match for any brand of songwriter (especially heavyweights like Gershwin, Porter, and Berlin), Dearie's porcelain vocals and restrained theatrics didn't immediately leap to mind when thinking of Comden and Green's exuberant material. Still, Blossom Dearie Sings Comden and Green is an interesting songbook, a collection of ten standards done Dearie's way, like no other. Usually accompanied just by bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen, she exercises a great deal of restraint for the usually confident "Just in Time." When the same technique is applied to "Dance Only With Me," however, losing just a few steps of the song's waltz tempo proves nearly fatal. Also, Dearie's voice isn't as strong as on her earlier records; perhaps the slight drop in songwriting quality is as much to blame as vocal strain. The date does pick up when Kenny Burrell arrives for the second side (he provides a deft accompaniment to "The Party's Over" and "Lonely Town"), though as darling as Dearie's voice is, the similarity of the material drags down even the sprightliest songbird. by John Bush  
Tracklist:
1 Lucky to Be Me 4:02
Leonard Bernstein / Betty Comden / Adolph Green
2 Just in Time 3:33
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne
3 Some Other Time 3:57
Leonard Bernstein / Betty Comden / Adolph Green
4 Dance Only with Me 2:58
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne
5 I Like Myself 3:31
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / André Previn
6 The Party's Over 4:22
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne
7 How Will He Know 2:54
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne
8 It's Love 2:50
Leonard Bernstein / Betty Comden / Adolph Green
9 Hold Me, Hold Me, Hold Me 3:25
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne
10 Lonely Town 3:33
Leonard Bernstein / Betty Comden / Adolph Green
Credits:
Bass – Ray Brown
Drums – Ed Thigpen
Guitar – Kenny Burrell (tracks: 6 to 10)
Lyrics By [All Lyrics By] – Betty Comden And Adolph Green
Producer [Original Recordings Produced By] – Norman Granz
Vocals, Piano – Blossom Dearie

HELEN HUMES - On The Sunny Side of the Street (1974-1993) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Several major jazz personalities are heard on this Black Lion reissue CD, recorded live at the 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival. The fine singer Helen Humes sticks to standards and blues while accompanied by either Earl Hines or Jay McShann on piano, tenor-saxophonist Buddy Tate, bassist Jimmy Woode and drummer Ed Thigpen. Although Hines and McShann are not the ideal accompanists, Humes fares quite well, winning the audience over with her enthusiasm and sincerity. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1    Alright, Okay, You Win    5:08
Mayme Watts / Sidney Wyche
2    If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight    4:30
Henry Creamer / James P. Johnson
3    Ain't Nobody's Business    6:35
Porter Grainger / Everett Robbins
4    Kansas City    4:52
Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
5    I'm Satisfied    3:43
Duke Ellington / Mitchell Parish
6    Blue Because Of You    4:55
Charles Carpenter / Louis Dunlap / Quinn Wilson
7    On The Sunny Side Of The Street    3:58
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
8    I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good    6:02
Duke Ellington / Paul Francis Webster
Credits:
Bass – Jimmy Woode
Drums – Ed Thigpen
Lead Vocals – Helen Humes
Piano – Earl Hines (tracks: 5-8), Jay McShann (tracks: 1-4)
Producer – Alan Bates
Tenor Saxophone – Buddy Tate
 

BLOSSOM DEARIE - My Gentleman Friend (1959-2003) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 
The most expressive of jazz vocalists, Blossom Dearie's first three records for Verve -- all masterpieces -- displayed an artist with an uncommon ability to transfer a well-worn standard into a new song, usually informed by her light touch with piano and voice as well as her delightful coquette persona. My Gentleman Friend, her final full-length for the label, suffers only in comparison to her previous work; with fewer all-time standards available from her performing repertoire, Dearie was forced to resort to a few French titles and many middle-rank or then-current standards. It doesn't come as a surprise, then, that the song with the most compositional weight -- George and Ira Gershwin's "Someone to Watch Over Me" -- is the highlight. Dearie gracefully tiptoes through the classic, her reading rosy and meditative. Another Gershwin tune, "Little Jazz Bird," leads off the record with Dearie affecting her usual blend of warmth and insouciance. Aside from those two, the rest of the material is Blossom by numbers: simply average, forgettable songs given solid readings. The backing very nearly makes up for the lack of great compositions -- Dearie leads a quartet comprising her piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. by John Bush 
Tracklist:
1     Little Jazz Bird 3:43   
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
2     Gentleman Friend 3:49   
Arnold B. Horwitt / Richard Lewine
3     It's Too Good to Talk About Now 3:09    
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
4     Chez Moi 3:09
Jean Féline / Paul Misraki / Bruce Sievier
5     You Fascinate Me So 3:33
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
6     You've Got Something I Want 2:37   
7     Boum 2:10
Charles Trénet
8     L' Étang 2:27
Paul Misraki
9     Hello Love 2:51   
10     Someone to Watch Over Me 5:57
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
Credits:
Bass – Ray Brown
Drums – Ed Thigpen
Flute – Bobby Jaspar (tracks: 4, 7, 8)
Guitar – Kenny Burrell
Piano – Blossom Dearie (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 10)
Producer [Original Recordings Produced By] – Norman Granz
Vocals – Blossom Dearie