Leading Lightly

Ella Swings Lightly is a 1958 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, recorded with the Marty Paich Dek-tette. Ella also worked with Marty Paich on her 1967 album Whisper Not. The album features a typical selection of jazz standards from this era, songs from musicals like Frank Loesser's If I Were a Bell, and a famous jazz instrumental vocalised by Ella, Roy Eldridge's Little Jazz. This album won Ella the 1960 Grammy award for the Best Improvised Jazz Solo…

In 1988, Peggy Lee was persuaded to leave her casual retirement by the promise of recording some recently unearthed Harold Arlen songs. Her voice was far less attractive and vivacious than it had been even in the '70s, and health problems forced her to record everything from a wheelchair; what's more, when she heard the results, she refused to let the record be released for another three years. Nevertheless, Love Held Lightly is an important album, not just because it saves a few Arlen compositions from the brink of disaster, but also because Lee's unpretty voice serves this material well…

Betty Roché - Lightly and Politely (1961) {Prestige OJCCD-1802-2 rel 1992}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 196 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 86 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 30 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1961, 1992 Prestige Records / Fantasy | OJCCD-1802-2
Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Standards

It is ironic that what is arguably singer Betty Roché's finest all-around recording was also her last. For this session, which has been reissued in the OJC series on CD, Roché (backed by pianist Jimmy Neeley, guitarist Wally Richardson, bassist Michel Mulia, and drummer Rudy Lawless) improvises constantly and uplifts a variety of superior standards, including "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," "I Had the Craziest Dream," and three songs by her former boss, Duke Ellington. It's recommended, particularly to jazz fans not aware of Betty Roché's musical talents.

Blue Mitchell - Step Lightly (1963) {Blue Note Japan SHM-CD UCCQ-5100 rel 2015} (24-192 remaster)
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 236 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 90 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 149 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24-bit 192 kHz remaster
© 1963, 2015 Universal Japan / Blue Note | BN 75th The Masterworks | UCCQ-5100
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet

Features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD player) and the latest 24bit 192kHz remastering. One of the most obscure records from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – a great session recorded in the 60s, during Blue's classic stretch with Blue Note – but not issued until 1980, and even then, only briefly! The record's a great example of Mitchell's strong capacity to play well in a larger group – this time a sextet, featuring Joe Henderson's tenor and Leo Wright's alto – playing imaginative lyrical lines next to Blue's sweet trumpet, and dancing around with a sound that's as lyrical as it is soulful! Other players include Herbie Hancock on piano, Gene Taylor on bass, and Roy Brooks on drums – and titles include "Mamacita", "Andrea", "Step Lightly", "Sweet & Lovely", and "Bluesville".