The Big Short 2015

Maria Schneider Orchestra - The Thompson Fields (2015) {ArtistShare AS0137}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 415 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 188 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 46 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2015 ArtistShare / Maria Schneider | AS 0137
Jazz / Experimental Big Band / Post-Bop / Modern Big Band / Progressive Jazz

There's a wealth of information to be found inside the beautiful packaging that accompanies this release, but a brief Theodore Roosevelt quote may be the most telling piece of text to be found there. It reads: "There is nothing more practical in the end than the preservation of beauty, than the preservation of anything that appeals to the higher emotions in mankind." That really says it all about this artist and her work, for there is nobody more capable of harnessing emotions in music and projecting and preserving the beauty and power of the natural world in sound than Maria Schneider. She's demonstrated that time and again, and she does it once more on this awe-inspiring release.

Dave Bailey - Two Feet In The Gutter (1961) {2015 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICJ 32}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 243 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 86 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 279 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1961, 2015 Epic / Sony Music Japan | SICJ 32
Jazz / Hard Bop / Drums

Reissue with the latest DSD remastering. Comes with liner notes. Hardbop albums don't get any better than this – and although drummer Dave Bailey only recorded for a brief stretch as a leader, this session's one that shows that he was a heck of a force to contend with! The record's got an intensity that easily rivals the best by Art Blakey over at Blue Note during the early 60s – but Dave's also got a slightly looser groove too – a bit more sense of humanity, and one that allows for really organic interplay between the players. There's a slight soul jazz undercurrent – especially in the piano lines of Billy Gardner – and other players in the quintet include Bill Hardman on trumpet, Frank Haynes on tenor, and Ben Tucker on bass. The group wails on an early version of Tucker's classic "Comin' Home Baby", plus other great originals like "Coffee Walk", "Lady Iris B", and "Two Feet In the Gutter".

Harold Ashby - On The Sunny Side Of The Street (1992) {2015 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 402 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 158 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 264 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1992, 2015 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6376
Jazz / Post Bop / Saxophone / Piano Trio

Reissue with the latest remastering. Features original cover artwork. Comes with a descripton in Japanese. Harold Ashby's a tremendous tenorist – almost like Von Freeman or Buck Hill, in that he had years of experience before getting a bit of wider experience on records – thanks to albums like this! The set's got Ashby's great raspy tone in perfect formation with a trio led by pianist Horace Parlan – himself experiencing a big new wave of exposure at the time, on some of his other Timeless sessions, which marked a move to spacious, more tradition-filled playing – which makes him a great partner for Ashby on this set!