The Smudge of Ashen Fluff: Blues From Nina

The Smudge of Ashen Fluff: Blues From Nina: "From Nina Simone: The Blues:

I Shall Be Released (Dylan Cover) (mp3)
The Pusher (mp3)"

By popular request--Two More Lorez Alexandria MP3s

The Lorez Alexandria cuts I posted earlier proved to be very popular, so here are two more, from Lorez Sings, The Band Swings


Lorez Alexandria--You're My Thrill

Lorez Alexandria--Don't Blame Me

Jazz and Conversation � Cyrus Chestnut (featuring Anita Baker): Summertime

Jazz and Conversation � That Time Of Year: "Here’s a recent version from pianist Cyrus Chestnut, one of the most underrated and talented pianists in the jazz world. He’s got Ron Carter and Lewis Nash behind him, (playing slow and easy) and pop/soul diva Anita Baker doing the vocal work. I love the way Chestnut sneaks into his solo, and Baker’s delivery is crisp, sweet and sultry. It makes you want to hear Baker do more of this kind of thing. (If any pop singer could make a good “standards” album, she’d be the one.)"

Wanda Robinson--Spoken Soul-Jazz Poetry--2 MP3s

la case de l'affreux thom: Un poisson nomm�Wanda: "# 'Tragedy no. 456' (1971 - Perception), cuivres funestes
# 'My father is dying' (1973 - Perception), comment r�sister ?
# 'Odyssey/The feeling' (1973 - Perception), merci �Steve Turner au sax"

Keep The Coffee Coming: Tea for Two: Blossom Dearie

Keep The Coffee Coming: Tea for Two: Blossom Dearie: "Tea for Two: Blossom Dearie"

Lorez Alexandria--Get Me to the Church on Time & Satin Doll--2 MP3s

Lorez Alexandria



A solid singer who is superior at interpreting lyrics, gives a soulful feeling to each song and improvises with subtlety, Lorez Alexandria has been a popular attraction for several decades. She sang gospel music with her family at churches starting in the mid-'40s and worked in Chicago nightclubs in the 1950s. With the release of several albums for King during 1957-59, Alexandria became popular beyond her hometown and by the early '60s she was living and working in Los Angeles. Despite a long period off records (only a few private recordings during the 1965-76 period), Alexandria has survived through the many changes in musical styles and in the 1990s can be heard in excellent form. In addition to King her earlier recording sessions were for Argo and Impulse while her later albums have been for Discovery and Muse. ~ Scott Yanow
---Scott Yanow, All-Music Guide



Lorez Alexandria - Satin Doll
Lorez Alexandria--Get Me to the Church on Time

Shirley Horn--Bye Bye Love & Georgia on My Mind--2 MP3s

Shirley Horn



A superior ballad singer and a talented pianist, Shirley Horn put off potential success until finally becoming a major attraction while in her 50s. She studied piano from the age of four. After attending Howard University, Horn put together her first trio in 1954, and was encouraged in the early '60s by Miles Davis and Quincy Jones. She recorded three albums during 1963-1965 for Mercury and ABC/Paramount, but chose to stick around Washington, D.C., and raise a family instead of pursuing her career. In the early '80s, she began recording for SteepleChase, but Shirley Horn really had her breakthrough in 1987 when she started making records for Verve, an association that continued on records like 1998's I Remember Miles. You're My Thrill followed in early 2001. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Written by Scott Yanow from Yahoo Music


Shirley Horn - Georgia on My Mind

Shirley Horn - Bye bye Love.mp3

Abbe Lane--Lady in Red & Ain't Misbehavin'--Two MP3s

Abbe Lane



Best known for her marriage to Latin bandleader Xavier Cugat, AbbeLane was one of those people who was born to perform. Her career stared off on radio as a child star, them she moved on to being a song and dance girl on Broadway. She then moved the route most glamour girls did, to the West Coast. She had her hand in movies and television, but it was her singing that caught most people's (including Cugat's) attention. Her formula for success wasn't the 3 B's (bold, brash, and blonde) that usually made a starlette a starlette in the 1950's and early 60's. This fiery redhead, instead, had the same sort of sultry quality about her like some of her European contemporaries (like Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida).

from Java's Bachelor Pad



These two cuts are from the 1958 album The Lady in Red.




Abbe Lane--The Lady in Red
Abbe Lane--Ain't Misbehavin'