New York Sessions

Maurice El Médioni meets Roberto Rodriguez - Descarga Oriental: The New York Sessions (2006) {Piranha CD-PIR2003}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 392 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 147 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 35 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2006 Piranha Musik | CD-PIR2003
Jazz / Latin / Jewish / International / Piano / Percussion

On first thought, one might be hard-pressed to find a common ground between Algerian raï music and Latin jazz. But for the pianist Maurice el Medioni, an Algerian-born Jew who left his home for France decades ago as an exile, and the Cuban-born, New York-based percussionist Roberto Rodriguez, the link connecting North Africa and Cuba is a direct one – by way of Spanish Andalusia. World music fusion exercises are more common all the time, and cultural distinctions often become so blurred that the sources are obscured rather than accented.

Lisa Hilton - The New York Sessions (2007)
Label: Ruby Slipper | 2007 | MP3 @320 kbps | 104.7 MB
Genre: Jazz, Ballads

Lisa Hilton has surrounded herself with an all-star supporting cast, so The New York Sessions looks promising on the surface. But the pianist is not a particularly distinctive improviser, sounding more like a middle-of-the-road performer rather than a jazz player on far too many of the selections. Her originals often tend to border on new age, while the jazzier selections are arranged so conservatively that her fellow musicians (including alto saxophonist Steve Wilson, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Lewis Nash) aren't really properly showcased. Two bland interpretations of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" don't help matters at all. Even proven vehicles like "Emily" and "Epistrophy" are disappointing in her hands. One last note: it pays to proofread a CD before issuing it, as there is no excuse for misspelling the names of composers Johnny Mandel and Thelonious Monk. – Review by Ken Dryden, AMG.

Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang cut different figures. Joe was combative, a joker and man about town. Eddie was quiet, considerate and careful with money. They were born in Philadephia - Eddie in 1902, Joe in 1903 - to Italian immigrant parents. Both studied the violin. Their partnership began in their mid teens when Eddie joined Joe's newly-formed band as a guitarist. Soon they were performing as a duo. Eddie made the early running. In 1919 he joined Charlie Kerr's Orchestra as a violinist, switching to banjo.