This new Fabulous 2-CD set series opens with the definitive collection of the great Dinah Washington's American jukebox hits. The compilation includes every record she placed on the Billboard charts during the period plus other releases that were regional hits across the US. In support of her vocals are jazz musicians of the highest caliber and the packaging contains full details of all the recording personnel. Acrobat. 2004.

The band are all from Los Angeles, mostly South Central, and it's members - who call themselves variously "The Next Step" and the "The West Coast Get Down" - have been congregating since they were barely teenagers in a backyard shack in Inglewood. The story The Epic tells, without words but rather though some combination of magic, mastery, and sheer force of imagination, the story of Kamasi Washington and the Next Step and their collective mission: to remove jazz from the shelf of relics and make it new, unexpected, and dangerous again.

2018 release. Kamasi Washington's sophomore album Heaven and Earth not only fulfills it's overarching ambition, but illustrates the dialectic between seen and unseen, real and imagined, citizen and culture, self and self, as well as self and other, and does so through the lens of a mature but never jaded revolutionary consciousness. The artist's own words best convey the inspiration behind this monolith of an album "The world that my mind lives in, lives in my mind. This idea inspired me to make this album Heaven and Earth. The reality we experience is a mere creation of our consciousness, but our consciousness creates this reality based on those very same experiences. We are simultaneously the creators of our personal universe and creations of our personal universe. The Earth side of this album represents the world as I see it outwardly, the world that I am a part of. The Heaven side of this album represents the world as I see it inwardly, the world that is a part of me. Who I am and the choices I make lie somewhere in between."

An astonishing collection and piece of blues history, this album caresses your ears with some of the finest tunes by the Queen of Blues who, despite her short life, managed to impose her trademark vocal style on generations of blues makers. Featured here are classics like "Evil Gal Blues," "Since I Fell for You" and a remarkable version of "Please Send Me Someone to Love" written by Percy "Hit the Road Jack" Mayfield.

180 gm vinyl three LP pressing. The most ambitious jazz album to arrive in ages, Los Angeles saxophonist/composer Kamasi Washington's eagerly awaited debut clocks in at 172 minutes with never a dull moment. While his terrific 10-piece band already pack a wallop thanks to their doubled basses and drums, Washington usually embellishes them with a string section and angelic choir. Like his luminous playing on Kendrick Lamar�s To Pimp a Butterfly, Washington solos with power and grace here. Versions of "Cherokee" and Terence Blanchard's "Malcolm's Theme" nod to jazz tradition, but it's originals like "Changing of the Guard" that signal his aspirations.

2014 limited edition Japanese pressing 24 bit remaster. Elektra.

Vinyl LP pressing. Kamasi Washington's sophomore album Heaven and Earth not only fulfills it's overarching ambition, but illustrates the dialectic between seen and unseen, real and imagined, citizen and culture, self and self, as well as self and other, and does so through the lens of a mature but never jaded revolutionary consciousness. The artist's own words best convey the inspiration behind this monolith of an album "The world that my mind lives in, lives in my mind. This idea inspired me to make this album Heaven and Earth. The reality we experience is a mere creation of our consciousness, but our consciousness creates this reality based on those very same experiences. We are simultaneously the creators of our personal universe and creations of our personal universe. The Earth side of this album represents the world as I see it outwardly, the world that I am a part of. The Heaven side of this album represents the world as I see it inwardly, the world that is a part of me. Who I am and the choices I make lie somewhere in between."

HARMONY OF DIFFERENCE

Turning his attention to dance for his latest album, Fearless Movement out this May on Young, Kamasi Washington resumes his ongoing study of music as a means of connection. His 2015 album The Epic, as well as 2018's Heaven and Earth were received by critics and audiences as a reimagination of modern jazz showcasing Washington's larger-than-lift compositions full of celestial grandeur and his distinct blend of jazz, Latin, funk, classical, hip-hop and soul. Fearless Movement, however, offers something different: terrestrial rhythms and collaborations from rappers, musical icons and even Washington's own daughter. Features include: Thundercat, Taj Austin, Ras Austin, Patrice Quinn, DJ Battlecat, Brandon Coleman, D-Smoke, George Clinton, Bj the Chicago Kid, and Andre 3000.

Turning his attention to dance for his latest album, Fearless Movement out this May on Young, Kamasi Washington resumes his ongoing study of music as a means of connection. His 2015 album The Epic, as well as 2018's Heaven and Earth were received by critics and audiences as a reimagination of modern jazz showcasing Washington's larger-than-lift compositions full of celestial grandeur and his distinct blend of jazz, Latin, funk, classical, hip-hop and soul. Fearless Movement, however, offers something different: terrestrial rhythms and collaborations from rappers, musical icons and even Washington's own daughter. Features include: Thundercat, Taj Austin, Ras Austin, Patrice Quinn, DJ Battlecat, Brandon Coleman, D-Smoke, George Clinton, Bj the Chicago Kid, and Andre 3000.

DINAH

October 24, 1992 was a fateful day indeed for saxophonist Benny Barksdale, Jr. In the week leading up to the event, an impending concert from saxophone legend Grover Washington, Jr. That was to take place in Red Bank, New Jersey, Washington had been in New York doing interviews to prepare for a series of upcoming shows taking place in the Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. One of the people that had reached out to Grover during the week was the young saxophonist Benny Barksdale, Jr., a long-time fan, acolyte and professional musician who was a member of Chicago Soul giants The Dells and a top session player whose talent was in demand on many sessions, among them as a frequent member of The Society Hill Orchestra. Grover invited Benny to come meet him before the Red Bank show and meet they certainly did. They hit it off so well that Grover invited Benny to perform with the band that night. Truly a dream come true, Washington called Barksdale to the stage of the Count Basie Theatre to play on one his favorite tunes, the worldwide hit, "Mister Magic." Grover awarded Benny an extended solo and the young Mr. Barksdale acquitted himself magnificently as he and his idol exchanged choruses. Thankfully, this momentous occasion was recorded, and it was a night that Barksdale would never forget. Presented here is Grover Washington, Jr. #and Benny Barksdale, Jr. #delivering an awesome rendition of Grover's smash, "Mister Magic."

Dinah Washington - Hits And Classics: The Singles Collection 1944-62 - Dinah Washington was one of the most popular and successful female singers of the post-war decades, her immaculate vocal style and phrasing enabling her to encompass blues, R&B, jazz, big band and sophisticated pop with ease, and had her life not been cut short in 1963 at the age of 39, she would undoubtedly have had a lengthy career as an album artist. As it was, she was consistently successful with her single releases, racking up 60 hits across the US pop and R&B charts. This 108-track 4-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides of her releases on the Keynote, Decca, Apollo and Mercury labels from this era, with at least one side of most of her records included. It features 58 of her hits, including the R&B No. 1s "Am I Asking Too Much", "Baby Get Lost" and "This Bitter Earth", and numerous Top 5 hits including "What A Difference A Day Makes", "It's Too Soon To Know", "September In The Rain", "Teach Me Tonight" and the Top 5 duet hits with Brook Benton "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" and "A Rockin' Good Way". It features performances with some of the top orchestras of the day, including the sextets of Lionel Hampton and Leonard Feather, and with Lucky Thompson's All Stars, plus the orchestras of Quincy Jones, Hal Mooney, Belford Hendricks, Ike Carpenter and more. It's a substantial and varied showcase for one of the great singers of the era

Track Listing
1. C Jam Blues
2. Solitude
3. Mood Indigo
4. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
5. Lush Life
6. Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)
7. Things Ain't What They Used to Be
8. Caravan
9. Take the "A" Train
10. Cotton Tail
11. Sophisticated Lady

Personnel: Harry Allen (tenor saxophone); Bill Charlap (piano); Peter Washington (bass); Kenny Washington (drums).
Recorded at Nola Recording Studios, New York, New York on July 28 & 29, 1999. Includes liner notes by Harry Allen.
Personnel: Harry Allen (tenor saxophone); Bill Charlap (piano); Kenny Washington (drums).
Liner Note Author: Harry Allen.
Recording information: Nola Recording Studios, New York, NY (07/28/1999/07/29/1999).
Photographer: Junichi Takahashi.
Allen's tenor sax sound is perfectly suited for the music of Duke Ellington. His literate, traditional approach and occasionally Stan Getz-ian breathy tones go to the heart of Duke's melodic and harmonic concepts. Pianist Bill Charlap is excellent through and through, while bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington are dutiful in attending to their swing. Several of these tracks are read pretty straight, as the ballad "Lush Life," the easy swinger "Just Squeeze Me," the Afro-Cuban to bop "Caravan," and the air-filled "Sophisticated Lady." But the band changes up the rest. At the least extreme, "Mood Indigo" is easy swing as opposed to balladic; "Take the A Train" is slowed way down with Allen and Charlap only, while the pianist plays the melody while Allen's tenor counter-swipes licks on "C Jam Blues." More adapted is the slow tick-tock to bossa of the usual wall-melting ballad "Solitude," and a low-down, lugubrious bluesy swing with Charlap loading up on the intro and melody of "Things Ain't What They Used to Be," with Allen's stacatto stopped accents. At their most energetic, the quartet charges hard and trade eights during the up-tempo workout "Cotton Tail," whereas Allen and bassist Washington in duet need no other instrumental accoutrements in order to rhythmically fire up "It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got That Swing." This is most likely Allen's best batch yet, for he is a great interpreter rather than innovator. Duke did all the inventing necessary here, and this true collective quartet is hard to top.

Aria

COLOR & LIGHT: JAZZ SKETCHES

The recordings on this release are chosen from three terrific evenings at Montmartre in October 2015, during Kenny’s second visit to Copenhagen. “Those of us who attended the concerts witnessed the great affection that developed between Kenny and the audience; the public simply wouldn’t let him leave the stage,” writes Christian Brorsen, music director at Jazzhus Montmartre. A smiling Jacob Christoffersen distributed warmth from behind the piano, and bassist Jesper Bodilsen and Zoltan Csorsz easily join the magnificent musical union. Brorsen also writes ”Kenny has a lot of heart and exudes a kind of warmth rarely encountered. Along with possessing perfect pitch and presiding over a repertoire that seems practically endless, he is a sensational singer—and a greater entertainer than he realizes!” Kenny Washington is an authentic virtuoso who exposes new facets of himself every time he performs. The quintet extracts new warmth from classics such as “Do You Know What It Means to Miss Orleans” an excel on the title track “Moanin’”. Kenny’s talent puts him among the world’s best jazz vocalists—at the very top of the list!

This performance of Rigoletto features possibly the most famous tenor of all time, Luciano Pavarotti. This three act opera by Giuseppe Verdi was premiered in Venice on March 11, 1851. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave, and is based on Victor Hugo’s play Le roi s’amuse. Alongside Pavarotti is a world-class cast, including Kostas Paskalis in the title role, Renata Scotta as Gilda andRosa Laghezza as Maddalena.

This live La Forza del Destino by Giuseppe Verdi from Firenze, Italy in June 1956 stars a young and dynamic tenor Giuseppe di Stefano near the beginning of a brilliant, decades-long stage career and Renata Tebaldi, a lyric soprano blessed with one of the most gorgeous and forthright voices in 20th century opera, and in all likelihood in operatic history. The mezzo-soprano Fedora Barbieri is always a welcome presence in Italian opera recordings of this period. Gabriele Santini conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Comunale di Firenze.

“Dinah Washington, the “Queen of the blues”, was the most outstanding blues artist among female jazz singers and the greatest female jazz vocalist to sing the blues! She occupies a place in the history of Afro American vocal art at the summit, alongside Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Mahalia Jackson and Ella Fitzgerald. Jean Buzelin allows the listener to discover the amazing talent of Dinah Washington in this 42 titles double CD-set accompanied with a French and English 24 pages booklet.” Patrick Fremeaux

This is the first in a series recorded at the Washington National Cathedral featuring new American choral music.

This laid back program of classics by powerhouse jazz composers Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn adequately show Tommy Smith’s virtuosic saxophone playing. Smith does a fantastic job of keeping the composers’ intentions in mind, while still adding his own colors and textures to these classics. Smith is accompanied here by an all-star trio of musicians, including Kenny Barron, Peter Washington and Billy Drummond. Many of these tracks were recorded in just one take. This album was originally released in 1998, and is being re-issued here as part of Linn’s ECHO series.

The Italian composer Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842) isn’t much remembered today, though a not inconsiderable number of recordings are making known his instrumental, vocal and, most significantly, his operatic works that, historically, carry the most weight and are his most significant contribution to music. Long before re-discovery however, came this 1960 Elisa, a two-act opéra comique that had its premiere in Paris in 1794, a time of much turmoil in that city. An all-Italian cast, conductor, orchestra and locale feature here, with Gabriela Tucci and Gianni Raimondi assuming the lead roles.

This Myto release of Gaetano Donizetti’s repertoire staple opera ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ with its famed “mad scene” features, among others, a stellar trio of singers at or near their respective vocal primes in Renata Scotto, Alfredo Kraus and Sesto Bruscantini. + This live recording from July, 1963 finds distinguished conductor Bruno Rigacci, a musician with over 100 operas in his repertoire, directing the proceedings.

Dinah Washington - As Duke Ellington would have said, Dinah Washington was "beyond category." Subtle and inventive enough to hold an honored place in the jazz pantheon yet tough and forceful enough to command the attention of blues, R&B and rock n' roll audiences.

Dinah Washington - As Duke Ellington would have said, Dinah Washington was "beyond category." Subtle and inventive enough to hold an honored place in the jazz pantheon yet tough and forceful enough to command the attention of blues, R&B and rock n' roll audiences.

Classical Music

2020 collection. On this very personal selection - mostly up-tempo numbers and brilliantly arranged pop - you will find rarities and greatest hits. Among them her smash hits 'What A Diff'rence A Day Made' (she sang makes instead of made), 'September In The Rain', 'Mad About The Boy' as well as the two duets with Brook Benton: 'A Rockin' Good Way' and 'Baby (You Got What It Takes)'! Rarities such as the hard-to-find Mercury single 'Honky Tonky', which was released in 1958 under the pseudonym The Queen, are also included With this Juke Box Pearls edition from the great Dinah Washington we are erecting a small but fine memorial. This compilation of 29 songs does not follow a chronological order, but it outlines the great career of the artist, who died far too early.

W. Mingus, Milt Jackson, Lucky Thompson 1945.