Epm

Terry Gibbs - Bopstacle Course (1974) {EPM Musique ‎FDC 5177, Xanadu Collection rel 1991}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 231 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 103 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 52 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1974, 1991 EPM Musique / Xanadu Records | FDC 5177
Jazz / Bop / Vibes

Vibraphonist Terry Gibbs' first recording as a leader in eight years is quite exciting. Gibbs, Barry Harris (the foremost exponent in the 1970s and '80s of bebop piano), bassist Sam Jones and drummer Alan Dawson romp through four Gibbs originals, "Body and Soul," "Softly As In a Morning Sunrise," "Manha De Carnaval" and "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You." As is usually true of most Terry Gibbs dates, even the ballads are full of plenty of energy. Gibbs and Harris should have a rematch.

Philippe Petit - Guitar Reflections (1991) {EPM Musique 982262}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 216 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 114 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 99 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1991 EPM Musique | 982262
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Guitar

Petit plays a real solid, soulful jazz style, in many ways like Wes Montgomery. Frankly, however, some of Petit's solos just sound better than Wes's. I don't have the liner notes in front of me, but listening to it, I think the tracks are mostly his own rhythm and solos laid on top of each other. This makes for a surprisingly full sound. If you're a fan of good jazz guitar, this CD will make a great addition to your collection. It's quite accessible, never disappointing or cheesy, and for a CD that doesn't have driving rhythm section it really gets your foot tapping.

Dinah Washington - The Queen Sings Jazz (1999) {EPM Musique ‎159482 rec 1943-1948}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 126 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 131 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 26 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1943-48, 1999 EPM Musique / Jazz Archives ‎| 159482
Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Standards

It was around 1954 that some big cheese in the recording industry began squeezing Dinah Washington's music into delineated columns labeled "blues," "jazz," and "pop." While these categories might have been useful for certain marketing purposes, such artificial boundaries may in fact create more confusion than clarity. Anybody who has listened to a lot of Dinah Washington knows that even under the most impossibly square or over-arranged circumstances this woman was always a jazz singer at heart. Her approach to the blues, jazz ballads, or lightweight pop tunes was uniformly dazzling, her presence so arresting and substantial as to outweigh a full dozen run-of-the-mill vocalists from any given genre.

Willem Breuker Kollektief - A Paris & Summer Music (1978) {EPM-FD Music FD152012}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 263 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 101 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 18 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1978, 1993 EPM / FD Music / Marge | FD152012
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Experimental Big Band / Avant-Garde Jazz

A great Parisian recording from the legendary Willem Breuker – pulled from the most inventive years of his legendary group of Dutch avant musicians! The set captures the maestro at his best – working with a classic lineup of the Kollektief that includes Leo Cuypers on piano and vocals, Maarten Van Norden on saxes, Boy Raayamkers on trumpet, and some great drum work from Rob Verdurmen – all holding together beautifully with the offbeat mix of modern and traditional elements that Breuker used in his music. The sound of the album is surprisingly strong at times – especially on the straighter tracks, which groove along in a rhythmic mode, then break out for some solos that really go to town – and the whole thing's also handled with a fair degree of wit, as you'd expect from Breuker.

The link between Phil Napoleon and Red Nichols does not stop at their meeting on this record under the auspices or a new CD edition. The present disc opens with recordings of Red Nichols (five sides in all) and presents him leading his own band, whether it be Red Nichols and His Orchestra or Red and his Big Ten, nine or ten musicians in all. Part of the space devoted to Phil Napoleon includes small formations - five to seven musicians. Phil and Red both were important musicians and both had to suffer from a relative critical exclusion reserved by some to white jazz musicians. Phil recorded a large number of sides between the twenties and the thirties, a time at which he knew considerable success…