Steve Cohn

Monty Alexander - Saturday Night (1985) {2016 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 401 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 170 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 257 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1985, 2016 Limetree / Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6423
Jazz / Post Bop / Piano

Reissue with the latest remastering and the original cover artwork. Comes with a description written in Japanese. Monty Alexander's always great in a trio, but we really love the pianist when he's trying to add a little something extra to the mix – as he does here in a quartet performance that features some nice added percussion from Robert Thomas! The tracks have that warm glow and open flow that Alexander first started bringing to his music in the 70s – with sensitive rhythm work here from Reggie Johnson on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – but the added percussion really helps things swing at a slightly higher level, giving a gentle kick to some cuts, while Monty's still able to open up with some warmly lyrical lines over the top.

Intrioduction - North Sea Highlights (1982) {2016 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 395 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 175 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 267 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1982, 2016 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6426
Jazz / Post Bop / Piano Trio

Reissue with the latest remastering and the original cover artwork. Comes with a description written in Japanese. Intrioduction, recorded live at the North Sea Festival – on a set that features sparkling interplay between Harry Happel on piano, Koos Wiltenburg on bass, and Fred Krens on drums – a lineup that has a great balance between the strength of Happel's piano lines, and some of the more inventive roles the other musicians can play! The date was recorded by Timeless in 1982, but not issued until the mid 90s CD generation – which means there's plenty of space to present the full performance – almost 75 minutes of music, on some nicely long tracks that include "Soft Winds", "Night Child", "Jordu", "Love For Sale", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Cowboy Samba", "Summertime", and "Place St Henri".

Intrioduction - Intrioduction (1981) {2016 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 250 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 101 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 240 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1981, 2016 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6425
Jazz / Post Bop / Piano Trio

Reissue with the latest remastering and the original cover artwork. Comes with a description written in Japanese. The group's name is a bit of wordplay, and might make you think they're presenting themselves in a flip sort of way – but their music is rock-solid, and has this well-crafted, rock-solid approach that's mighty nice! Intrioduction have that open, flowing sensibility that the better European piano groups started to pick up towards the end of the 70s – a tradition that really seemed to flower in France during the 80s and 90s, but which also has a great proponent here – as the piano of Harry Happel opens up in these waves of lyrical lines that often have a lot of power, but a gentler sort of heart as well. Daan Gaillard is on bass and Fred Krens plays drums – and both players make themselves known throughout, but sometimes in nicely subtle ways.

Harry Verbeke & Rob Agerbeek Quartet - Seven Steps (1982) {2016 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 250 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 101 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 230 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1982, 2016 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6427
Jazz / Post Bop / Cool / Saxophone / Piano Trio

Reissue with the latest remastering and the original cover artwork. Comes with a description written in Japanese. Tenorist Harry Verbeke's a hell of a reedman – a Dutch player who's never gotten the notice he should on our side of the Atlantic, but definitely one of the shining stars of the scene in Netherlands over the past 50 years! Harry blows with a sense of soul and bite right from the very first few notes of this gem of a record – working in tight formation with pianist Rob Agerbeek – another tremendous Dutch talent – in a groove that's as soulful and fluid as the best American work of the late 60s or 70s – classic in conception, but really trying to so something new as well, and with a very personal vibe on the tenor solos. Bassist Harry Emmery rounds out the groove with this wonderful warm tone – and drummer James Martin completes the group – on stellar titles that include "Sometimes Bread", "Ladies Birthday", "Seven Steps", "Ghana", and "Off The Top".

Monty Alexander - Sunday Night (1985) {2016 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 397 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 146 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 245 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1985, 2016 Limetree / Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6424
Jazz / Post Bop / Piano

Reissue with the latest remastering and the original cover artwork. Comes with a description written in Japanese. A nice little set from Monty Alexander – a Sunday Night session recorded with the same group, on the same weekend as his Saturday Night album! Monty Alexander's always great in a trio, but we really love the pianist when he's trying to add a little something extra to the mix – as he does here in a quartet performance that features some nice added percussion from Robert Thomas! The tracks have that warm glow and open flow that Alexander first started bringing to his music in the 70s – with sensitive rhythm work here from Reggie Johnson on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – but the added percussion really helps things swing at a slightly higher level, giving a gentle kick to some cuts, while Monty's still able to open up with some warmly lyrical lines over the top.

Dolf De Vries Trio - Where's That Rainy Day (1986) {2016 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 209 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 89 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 249 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1986, 2016 Limetree / Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6428
Jazz / Post Bop / Piano Trio

Reissue with the latest remastering and the original cover artwork. Comes with a description written in Japanese. A sweet trio session from Dutch pianist Dolf De Vries – a player who can be lyrical one moment, but have a nice sort of punch the next – almost the sort of soulful swing that was first showing up on the Dutch scene in the 60s! The album's got a sprightly vibe all the way through – thanks to Dolf's style – and the trio also features Frank Noya on bass and Peter Ypma on drums – both rhythm players who are well-suited to the approach of De Vries. Titles include "Bernie's Tune", "La Mer", "Comecar De Novo", "30 Square Holiday", "Love City", and "The Look Of Love".

The Rein De Graaff Trio With Ronnie Cuber And Nick Brignola - Baritone Explosion! - Live At Nick's (1995) {2016 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 454 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 153 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 234 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1995, 2016 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6429
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Baritone Saxophone / Piano Trio

Reissue with the latest remastering and the original cover artwork. Comes with a description written in Japanese. We'd hate to get caught in the force of a baritone explosion – as the horns are so big, that's a lot of metal to have to deal with! Fortunately, pianist Rein De Graaf's got the proceedings here on rock-solid territory – providing just the right sort of swing to keep things moving, yet also keep things in control – while both Ronnie Cuber and Nick Brigola open up on the bigger horns – reminding us why they're some of the few players able to carry forward the deftly soulful legacies of earlier baritone greats like Pepper Adams or Serge Chaloff! The album's a live one, and tracks are nice and long – plenty of room for solos on titles that include "Caravan", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Crack Down", "Night In Tunisia", and "Blue Train" – plus two short beautiful ballads, "What's New" and "In A Sentimental Mood".

Janice Lakers & Debbie Poryes - The Rainbow Lady (1985) {2016 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 204 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 82 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 255 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1985, 2016 Limetree / Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6433
Jazz / Cool / Standards / Vocal Jazz / Hip Jazz / Piano Trio

Reissue with the latest remastering and the original cover artwork. Comes with a description written in Japanese. Janice Lakers is a singer we only know from this one album – but she's a hip vocalist with a very compelling style – one that's very much in the best mode of some of the cooler American jazz singers of the late 70s! The song choices are great – some hipper jazz standards – and she's got a way of opening up with the lyrics that's far different than older vocal modes of the 50s – instead nearer to the territory of artists like Janet Lawson or Judy Roberts. Backing is by a hip trio with Debbie Poryes on piano – who really open up with their own sense of presence on the record, too – and titles include "Waltz For Debby", "Like A Lover", "Falling Grace", "Rainbow Lady", "In Your Own Sweet Way", and a nicely grooving take on "Moondance".