all that jazz

Welcome

2011-12-24T14:43:00.001+02:00

Have fun and enjoy the music. This effort is made purely out of love for the music, and as jazz lends itself to discussion so nicely don't forget to drop a line; don't be afraid of the keyboard, it won't bite you. Your thoughts, suggestions & contributions are welcome.

d3lta

Jazz great Lou Donaldson in action (pic by yours truly)

Miles Davis: Isle of Wight 1970 - Repost

2011-09-28T11:37:00.000+03:00

Miles Davis passed away 20 years ago today, so some kind of tribute is in order. Here's mine.

Upturn every jazz stone after the 1940s and chances are that you will see the name Miles Davis written underneath more often than not.

He started his meteoric musical career as a young trumpet player beside Charlie Parker, and it has been upwards ever since.

His Birth Of The Cool sessions of 1949 with his nonet first introduced jazz audiences to the notion of cool jazz. His subsequent quintet of the mid fifties featuring John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb et al, showed the world how hard bop should be.

As if these were not enough, his 1958 "Kind Of Blue" album, THE most successful jazz album of all time, gave the world modal jazz.

His second great quintet with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams of the 1960s explored the new territory of post and freebop.

And finally, his 1969 Bitches Brew album, turned the jazz world on its head with its reckless electric experimentalism, and fusion music was born, not to mention that musicians in the caliber of Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Joe Zawinul and many others won instant recognition. Not bad at all.

The 1970 Isle of Wight festival was by far the largest and most famous of these early festivals indeed it was said at the time to be one of the largest human gatherings in the world surpassing the attendance at Woodstock. The most notable of over fifty performers were The Who, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Ten Years After, Joni Mitchell, Melanie, Donovan, Free, Chicago, Richie Havens, John Sebastian, Leonard Cohen, Jethro Tull and Tiny Tim. The unexpected level of the attendees (tickets holders accounted only for 50.000) was beyond that which the festival organizers and local authorities could supply adequate amenities and guarantee public safety for. Such concerns led in 1971, to Parliament passing the "Isle of Wight Act" preventing gatherings of more than 5,000 people on the island without a special license.

The festival was revived only in 2002.

A piece of music history then, Miles Davis in the company of jazz superstars to-be Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Airto Moreira and Gary Bartz, in a 35 minute free form improvisation which Miles, after being asked the title famously replied "oh, call it anything".

Miles Davis At The Isle Of Wight '70 - Call It Anything 1/2
Uploaded by Delta_Mike

Miles Davis At The Isle Of Wight '70 - Call It Anything 2/2
Uploaded by Delta_Mike

Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and Special Guests - Leverkusen Jazz Fest Oct. 9 1989

2011-09-27T14:29:00.005+03:00

German 1989 TV special celebrating Bu's 70th birthday. Stellar lineup including Terence Blanchard, Freddie Hubbard, Brian Lynch (tp) Curtis Fuller, Frank Lacy (tb) Donald Harrison, Jackie McLean (as) Benny Golson, Javon Jackson, Wayne Shorter (ts) Walter Davis Jr., Geoff Keezer (p) Essiet Okon Essiet, Buster Williams (b) Art Blakey, Roy Haynes (d) Michelle Hendricks (v).

Tracklisting:

Two of a Kind
Moanin'
Along Came Betty
Lester Left Town
Mr. Blakey
Drum Duo
Blues March
Buhaina's Valediction
Interview

Louis Armstrong - Body and Soul (1930) + You Can Depend on Me (1931) [Parlophone UK 78 R1355]

2011-07-19T18:15:00.000+03:00

Beginning in about 1929 or 1930, Parlophone started a series of American jazz records on their "Rhythm Style Series". Edgar Jackson was the director of this series, which was issued within the existing R- series (the first issue was R-448). Culled from the American OKeh label, artists like Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Frank Trumbauer, Duke Ellington, Miff Mole, and other major artists who recorded for OKeh. These records were usually "split-coupled" (the top and bottom side of each record was usually by different artists and did not correspond with the original American coupling). The "Second New Rhythm-Style" series replaced the first series in about 1931, and there was a separate series for each year from 1934 through 1941, as well as some miscellany series. These 78's were popular and remained in print for years. Even though these records were never licensed for sale in the U.S., they were heavily imported through jazz shops like Commodore and Liberty in the late 1930s and were sold through the 1940s and into the early 1950s. They are treasured by collectors because they are pressed from the original stampers and usually sound much better than the worn and usually rare U.S. OKeh original records.

Side A

Louis Armstrong And His New Sebastian Cotton Club Orchestra
October 9, 1930, Los Angeles, CA

Body And Soul (Heyman, E.; Sour, R.; Eyeton, F.; Green, J.) [master W.404411-D] -- OKeh 41468

Armstrong, Louis (Trumpet, Vocal)
Hite, Les (Conductor, Saxophone)
Orendorff, George (Trumpet)
Scott, Harold (Trumpet)
Graven, Luther (Trombone)
Johnson, Marvin (Alto Saxophone)
Jones, Charlie (Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet)
Prince, Henry (Piano)
Perkins, Bill (Banjo, Steel Guitar)
Bailey, Joe (Tuba, Bass)
Hampton, Lionel (Vibraphone, Drums)

A completely new lineup for the Orchestra (except for the great Hampton).

Side B

Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
November 5, 1931, Chicago, IL

You Can Depend On Me (Dunlap; Hines; Carpenter) [master W.405062-2] -- OKeh 41538

Armstrong, Louis (Trumpet, Vocal)
Randolph, Zilner (Trumpet)
Jackson, Preston (Trombone)
Boone, Lester (Clarinet, Alto Saxophone)
James, George (Reeds)
Washington, Albert (Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone)
Alexander, Charlie (Piano)
McKendrick, Mike (Banjo, Guitar)
Lindsay, John (Bass)
Hall, Tubby (Drums)

78rpm shellack transfer from my personal collection, enjoy

Hampton Hawes - The Challenge (1968) LPRip 24bit-96khz

2011-07-18T14:34:00.002+03:00

Although it does not say it anywhere on this LP (originally recorded in Japan for RCA), the "challenge" was that this was Hampton Hawes' first set of unaccompanied piano solos. Although based in bop, Hawes was always much more than a one-handed pianist, and he proves up to the challenge. The repertoire includes jazz standards, three originals, and the current pop tune "Who Can I Turn To." Throughout the date, the pianist shows that he could create stirring music without the assistance of a rhythm section. Unfortunately, this music (last put out on a Storyville LP) has yet to be reissued on CD.

Track Listing

A1 Hamp's Blues 3:50
A2 Summertime 2:25
A3 What's New 4:37
A4 It Could Happen To You 3:37
A5 My Romance 4:02
A6 Autumn Leaves 2:47
B1 Just One Of Those Things 3:32
B2 Who Can I Turn To 3:02
B3 Bag's Groove 5:11
B4 Clementine 1:58
B5 Young People's Tune 3:06
B6 Shinjuku 1:55

Recorded at Lino Hall, Tokyo, May 7, 9 12, 1968
Hampton Hawes - solo piano

New, superior-sounding 24bit-96khz rip of this super rare out-of-print LP!

Art Tatum - Piano Starts Here + Live at the Shrine (1933, 1949) [Zenph Re-Performance 2008]

2011-07-18T01:50:00.000+03:00

Sony's take of the Art Tatum 1933 and 1949 classic sets using Zenph's zany technology and using the same Los Angeles Shrine auditorium where these historic performances took place. If you want to hear how Art Tatum would be caught on tape using today's technology, that's the one to go for. For comparison's sake I uploaded the real Tatum performances, you might want to check these out.

Track Listing

01 Tea For Two
02 St. Louis Blues
03 Tiger Rag
04 Sophisticated Lady
05 How High The Moon
06 Humoresque
07 Someone To Watch Over Me
08 Yesterdays
09 I Know That You Know
10 Willow Weep For Me
11 Tatum Pole Boogie
12 The Kerry Dance
13 The Man I Love

Recorded live on September 23, 2007 at the Shrine Auditorium, LA, CA

Original performances
Tracks 1-4 recorded March, 1933
Tracks 5-13 recorded live at the Gene Norman 'Just Jazz' concert at Shrine Auditorium in 1949

Art Tatum - solo piano

Art Tatum - Piano Starts Here (1933, 1949)

2011-07-18T01:45:00.001+03:00

There are many Art Tatum records available, but this is the one to pull out to amaze friends, particularly with Tatum's wondrous version of "Tiger Rag," during which he sounds like three pianists jamming together. This CD consists of Tatum's first studio session as a leader in 1033 (which resulted in "Tea for Two," "St. Louis Blues," "Tiger Rag," and "Sophisticated Lady") and a remarkable solo concert performance from the spring of 1949. While "Tiger Rag" dwarfs everything else, the live set is highlighted by a very adventurous, yet seemingly effortless exploration of "Yesterdays," a ridiculously rapid "I Know That You Know," and the hard-cooking "Tatum Pole Boogie." This is an essential set of miraculous music that cannot be praised highly enough. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing

01 Tea For Two
02 St. Louis Blues
03 Tiger Rag
04 Sophisticated Lady
05 How High The Moon
06 Humoresque
07 Someone To Watch Over Me
08 Yesterdays
09 I Know That You Know
10 Willow Weep For Me
11 Tatum Pole Boogie
12 The Kerry Dance
13 The Man I Love

Solo performer: Art Tatum (piano)

Tracks 1-4 recorded March, 1933
Tracks 5-13 recorded live at the Gene Norman 'Just Jazz' concert at Shrine Auditorium in 1949

Glenn Miller - Tuxedo Junction + Danny Boy [HMV UK 78 BD5595 1940]

2011-07-17T15:24:00.000+03:00

The Glenn Miller Orchestra fronted by The Man himself in Tuxedo Junction, one of the coolest tunes ever to come out of the Big Band era and a smash hit (number one for nine weeks on Billboard's Juke Box chart in 1940) and the everlasting ballad Danny Boy aka Londonderry Air. This is the Glenn Miller Orchestra at its very best. 78rpm record transfer from my personal collection.

Track List

Side A. Tuxedo Junction (Feb. 5, 1940)

Side B. Danny Boy aka Londonderry Air (Oct. 6, 1939)

The Glenn Miller Orchestra

Technical info:

Dual 1019 turntable
Shure M78S cartridge
Rotel RHQ-970 Michi Phono stage
A to D: M-Audio Audiophile 192 soundcard via Audacity
Cancelling of RIAA equalization, application of 'correct' eq
Click and crackle removal with Click Repair and de-hissing with DeNoise, the aim being of staying as close to the original without subtracting from the signal.

Unprocessed raw file included for the brave to experiment, enjoy

Nat King Cole - Song of Delilah + Here's to my Lady [Capitol UK 78 CL13670 1952]

2011-07-10T20:29:00.006+03:00

Here's the one and only Nat "King" Cole with his trio consisting of Irving Ashby on guitar and Joe Comfort on bass backed by the Dave Barbour Orchestra covering the haunting Song of Delilah, the music theme heard on Cecil B. DeMille's 1949 epic Samson and Delilah starring Hedy Lamarr and Victor Mature. Flip side is Johnny Mercer's Here's to my Lady. 78rpm record transfer from my personal collection.

Perry Como - Wanted (1953) + Give Me Your Hand (1949) HMV UK B.10691 78rpm (1954)

2011-07-01T21:21:00.000+03:00

Another gem from the 78 era, this time it's Perry Como with the Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra and Chorus on their December 29, 1953 recording of Wanted that made it to #1 of billboard Magazine's Singles Charts of 1954. Side B for this UK release is Dorothy Stewart's Give Me Your Hand recorded on May 3, 1949. Once one gets used to the sound of these, he realizes how much more natural they sound compared to CD remasterings that sound artificial. I even included the original raw file for the brave to experiment, enjoy.

Glenn Miller and his Orchestra - Melancholy Lullaby + Blue Moonlight (1939)

2011-06-30T16:53:00.000+03:00

Another gem from the 78 era, this time it's Glenn Miller and his orchestra on the September 11, 1939 session issued in the UK under HMV 5822. Side A is Benny Carter's and Edward Heyman's Melancholy Lullaby, side B is Dana Suesse's beautiful Blue Moonlight. Both tracks feature Ray Eberle on vocals. Once one gets used to the sound of these, he realizes how much more natural they sound compared to CD remasterings that sound artificial. I even included the original raw file for the brave to experiment, enjoy.

Charlie Parker Quartet with Strings (1949)

2011-06-28T07:17:00.002+03:00

This is the legendary November 30, 1949 session, meticulously transferred to digital from my original Mercury 78rpm 3-record album. The Verve remastered CD always sounded too artificial to my ears, so there you go, enjoy a slice of recorded music history.

319-5 Just Friends - Mercury 11036
320-3 Everything Happens To Me - Mercury 11036
321-3 April In Paris - Mercury 11037
322-2 Summertime - Mercury 11038
323-2 I Didn't Know What Time It Was - Mercury 11038
324-3 If I Should Lose You - Mercury 11037

Charlie Parker Quartet With Jimmy Carroll Orchestra

Mitch Miller (ob, ehr) Charlie Parker (as) Bronislaw Gimpel, Max Hollander, Milton Lomask (vln) Frank Brieff (vla) Frank Miller (vlc) Meyer Rosen (harp) Stan Freeman (p) Ray Brown (b) Buddy Rich (d) Jimmy Carroll (arr, cond)

Reeves Sound Studios, NYC, November 30, 1949

Ray Bryant - Take a Bryant Step (1967)

2011-06-04T12:08:00.000+03:00

Ray Bryant's cover of Miriam Makeba's 1957 signature hit Pata Pata, released in the US in 1967. On this same year Cadet released the Take a Bryant Step LP consisting of covers and Bryant originals, a joyful affair, mostly targeted for airplay. Ray is backed by the Richard Evans Orchestra. This LP has never made it to CD to my knowledge.

Track listing

A1 To Sir With Love 3:05
A2 Ramblin 3:10
A3 Natural Woman 2:35
A4 Ode To Billy Joe 3:13
A5 Up-Up And Away 3:18
A6 Paint It Black 3:17
B1 Pata Pata 3:07
B2 Poochie 3:07
B3 Yesterday 2:40
B4 Paper Cup 2:55
B5 Doing My Thing 2:40
B6 Dinner On The Grounds 3:27

personnel

Arranged By – Ray Bryant (tracks: A1 to A4, A6, A3), Richard Evans (2) (tracks: A5, B1, B2, B4 to B6)
Engineer – Doug Brand
Orchestra – Richard Evans Orchestra
Piano – Ray Bryant

Recorded August & November, 1967, at Ter Mar Studios, Chicago

Ray Bryant (1931-2011)

2011-06-03T20:20:00.005+03:00

A small tribute to this piano jazz legend who left us on June 3. Ray Bryant has had an unflinching love affair with the blues idiom throughout his career as this video of the composer of "Little Suzie" and "Cubano Chant" asserts. Taped at Montreux, Switzerland in 1977.

Ray Bryant - Blues No. 6
Uploaded by Delta_Mike

This is Ray's famous composition "Little Suzie" in a small edit by yours truly. Groovy as hell, propelled by one of the best left hands in the jazz piano business, enjoy.

Ray Bryant - Little Susie
Uploaded by Delta_Mike

The Ray Bryant Trio - All Blues (1978)

2011-06-03T09:00:00.003+03:00

This blog laments the loss of jazz piano giant Ray Bryant on June 3. This is Ray Bryant's blues opus from 1978. Magnificent playing from a Ray at the peak of his powers on compositions by Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Lester Young and Percy Mayfield. Bryant includes a new version of his 1950s classic “Blues Changes” which created a subtle new shade of the blues - now a standard feature of the jazz canon. With Sam Jones on bass and Grady Tate on drums. RIP Ray.

Stan Getz - Anniversary + Serenity ft. Kenny Barron (1987)

2011-05-27T14:40:00.002+03:00

Stan Getz celebrated his 60th birthday -- as he had his 50th -- with a gig at the renown Cafe Montmartre Jazzhus in Copenhagen on July 6, 1987. Backed by a stellar rhythm session consisting of Kenny Barron on piano, Rufus Reid on bass and Victor Lewis on drums the delivery is nothing short of exemplary as one would expect. Sadly, Getz had only four more years to go before losing a long battle with cancer. This enhances the status of these magnificent sessions from essential to mandatory listening for any serious jazz aficionado.

Tracklisting:

Anniversary

1. El Cahon
2. I Can’t Get Started
3. Stella By Starlight
4. Stan’s Blues
5. I Thought About You
6. What Is This Thing Called Love
7. Blood Count

Serenity

1. On Green Dolphin Street
2. Voyage
3. Falling In Love
4. I Remember You
5. I Love You

Personnel:

Stan Getz, ts
Kenny Barron, p
Rufus Reid, b
Victor Lewis, d

Recorded live at the Cafe Montmartre, Copenhagen, Denmark on July 6, 1987

Wes Montgomery - The Complete Smokin' at the Half Note

2011-01-24T22:57:00.002+02:00

It has been well established by jazz pundits that Smokin' at the Half Note is one of the seminal recordings of live jazz guitar. Recorded on June 24, 1965 at the now defunct Half Note in NYC, it paired the legendary guitarist with Miles Davis' 50s rhythm section, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Their playing is the stuff of legend. What is definitely not stuff of legend though is Verve's marketing policy. Of the original LP album only two of the original five tracks were recorded at the Half Note ("No Blues" and "If You Could See Me Now"). At the behest of producer Creed Taylor, the other three were re-recorded on September 22, 1965 at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in New Jersey. To further complicate matters, the remaining Half note numbers were included in the LP Willow Weep for Me, a posthumous 1969 album laced with Claus Ogerman's string and brass arrangements (shock, horror!) added in the studio. For comic relief, Willow won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group. No doubt Wes was smiling in the sky. Our mission here is to demystify dubious artistic/marketing decisions made by clueless record producers and this 1998 version issued for the Japanese market puts things in order as it contains all nine numbers recorded during that historical night at the Half Note. I even went the extra step of adding Rodgers' and Hammersteins' version of The Surrey with the Fringe on Top contained in Wes' the The Verve Jazz Sides double CD as all previous issues of this track were heavily edited (a mid-solo fade-out in our case). This version restores as much of the original performance as possible, as heavy editing of the tape has rendered full recreation of the original an impossibility.

Chico O'Farrill - Carambola (2000)

2011-01-21T17:43:00.000+02:00

Arturo "Chico" O'Farrill's (1921 - 2001) swan song Carambola was nominated for the 2001 Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album and deservedly so. This is what Down Beat (11/00, p.73) had to say : "...The third, and best, installment in a much deserved late career rediscovery. There is clarity, a sense of strength and a coherence in this album that is rare even for a master. It plays like a wise and joyous summation of a career, 5 stars out of 5..."

Tracklisting:

1. Carambola 00:05:18
2. The Aztec Suite 00:15:09
3. Delirio 00:04:24
4. Havana Blues 00:05:28
5. Vanna's Song 00:03:22
6. Crazy City (… But I Love It) 00:03:55
7. Waller Exercise 00:01:47
8. Rhapsody For Two Islands 00:03:35
9. Oye Mi Rumba 00:02:19
10. Enamorado (Falling In Love) 00:04:46
11. Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite 00:15:54

Personnel: Graciela Peréz Grillo (vocals); Lewis Kahn (violin); Mario Rivera (flute, alto saxophone); Jimmy Cozier, Peter Brainin, Marshall McDonald (saxophone); Mike Migliore (tenor saxophone); Matt Hilgenberg, Jon Owens, Kenny Rampton, Michael Mossman, Jim Seeley (trumpet); Vincent Chancey, Chris Komer (French horn); Gary Valente, Papo Vazquez, Sam Burtis, Jack Jeffers (trombone); Arturo O'Farrill (piano); Steve Berrios (drums, congas, bata, claves, maracas, shekere, timbales, percussion); Victor Jones (drums); Joe Gonzalez (bongos, bells).

Recorded at Clinton Recording Studios, New York, New York in July 2000.

Dudley Moore Trio 1969

2011-01-05T16:11:00.003+02:00

There are many, many people who are totally ignorant of the fact that the late Dudley Moore, who as well as being a great actor, was also an extremely talented jazz composer and pianist. Dudley's approach to music, especially jazz was seriously important to him. He liked his music to have a swinging and happy feel. He was strongly influenced by the playing of Erroll Garner and Oscar Peterson, who he idolized, and this album, at times is similar to the conceptual styles of these great artists. Dudley Moore's compositions have a lovely romantic and beautiful feel to them. This 1969 self-titled album consists of all-Dudley Moore compositions and was the first album by the Trio that did not feature any cover versions. It is a lovely album and deserves to be heard by a bigger audience. There was an outstanding album "Jazz Jubilee" released in 2004 which featured concerts by The Dudley Moore Trio recorded in Australia and England during the seventies. The revenue from this record's sale was, at the time, going to charities supported by Dudley Moore. I don't know if the album is still available, but if you see it, check that the charity rules still apply, and if so, think about buying the album.

Tracklisting

1 Fanfare
2 120 Plus Optional Magic Exploding Cadence
3 Chimes
4 Love Song from an Imaginary Musical
5 Bags of Chris
6 Pop and Circumstance
7 Romantic Notion
8 Folk Song
9 Amalgam
10 Nursery Tune
11 Hymn

All compositions by Dudley Moore

ABOUT THE TRIO

Dudley Moore - Piano, born on 19 April, 1935, Dagenham, England. Died on 27 March, 2002. A hugely talented comedian, actor, composer and jazz pianist.

Jeff Clyne - Bass, born 29 January 1937, in London is a British jazz bassist (playing both bass guitar and double bass). Some of the great artists he has played with include Isotope, Nucleus, Julie Driscoll, Kevin Ayers, Georgie Fame, John McLaughlin, and Zoot Sims.

Chris Karan - Drums, born October 14, 1939, is a jazz percussionist, primarily a drummer, of Greek descent from Melbourne. He played in Mike Nock's trio. He also worked with Roy Budd and Katie Melua, along with putting out CDs of his own. Other than drums he has an interest in various percussion styles of the world and plays the tabla on some albums.

Dizzy Gillespie - Afro (1954)

2011-01-01T15:43:00.002+02:00

Everything about this incredible Dizzy Gillespie LP screams "masterpiece". From the classic Manteca Suite (1-4), written by Cuban genius Chico O’Farrill, to the dionysian Caravan, to the incredible list of band members, a virtual who's who of Afro-Cuban jazz luminaries, right down to the stupendous cover art by David Stone Martin. If you enjoy your jazz latin-tinged, this is the one to go for.

Track List:

1. Manteca Theme
2. Contraste
3. Jungla
4. Rhumba Finale
5. A Night in Tunisisa
6. Con Alma
7. Caravan

Personnel

# Quincy Jones Trumpet | (1-4)
# Jimmy Nottingham Trumpet | (1-4)
# Ernie Royal Trumpet | (1-4)
# Leon Comegys Trombone | (1-4)
# J. J. Johnson Trombone | (1-4)
# George Matthews Trombone | (1-4)
# George Dorsey Alto Saxophone | (1-4)
# Hilton Jefferson Alto Saxophone | (1-4)
# Hank Mobley Tenor Saxophone | (1-4)
# Lucky Thompson Tenor Saxophone | (1-4)
# Danny Bank Baritone Saxophone | (1-4)
# Ray Concepcion Piano | (1-4)
# Wade Legge Piano | (1-4)
# Lou Hackney Bass | (1-4)
# Robert Rodriguez Bass |
# Jose Manguel |
# Candido Camero Congas |
# Mongo Santamaria Congas | (1-4)
# Ubaldo Nieto Timbales |
# Charlie Persip Drums | (1-4)
# Rafael Miranda Percussion | (5-7)
# Alejandro Hernandez Piano | (5-7)
# Gilberto Valdez Flute | (5, 7)
# Chico O'Farrill Arranger, Conductor | (1-4)

Original recordings produced by Norman Granz

Tracks 1-4 recorded May 21, 1954 at Fine Sound, New York City; tracks 5-7 recorded June 3, 1954 at Fine Sound, New York City.

Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis with the Shirley Scott Trio (1958)

2010-12-31T12:26:00.011+02:00

A misnomer, this is not the Eddie Davis Trio featuring Shirley Scott Complete Recordings as the CD title wants us to believe. It's actually the other way around i.e. the Shirley Scott Trio, consisting of Scott on organ (who was 24 when these recordings were made), George Duvivier on bass and Arthur Edgehill on drums, serving as a solid foundation for Jaws to blow his magic. And of course this is by no means a 'complete recordings' reissue. To be precise, this CD includes 2 LPs, Roulette R 52019, SR 52019 and Roost RLP 2227 in their entirety. This is very common in jazz releases, as in so many sessions there is no 'leader' per se, and for marketing purposes record labels issued the same session under a different leader. Add to this the reissue craze of the last 25 years or so and you are stumped! These are an archivist's rantings you might say and you would be right, the music is always what counts and the music presented here is priceless. For inquiring minds a complete Shirley Scott discography can be found here.

Track list:

1. Close Your Eyes 2:31
2. Canadian Sunset 4:15
3. Just One More Chance 2:58
4. Night And Day 3:26
5. Snowfall 2:18
6. Afternoon In A Doghouse 3:21
7. A Gal In Calico 3:39
8.(Where Are You) Now That I Need You 2:36
9. This Time The Dream's On Me 3:01
10. There Is No Greater Love 2:51
11. What Is There To Say 2:28
12. Fine And Dandy 3:11
13. Day By Day 4:04
14. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me 3:50
15. I Remember You 4:12
16. Land Of Dreams 4:14
17. Scotty 3:46
18. On The Street Where You Live 3:34
19. Dee Dee's Dance 3:00
20. Don't Get Around Much Anymore 2:45
21. Everything I Have Is Yours 3:47
22. Don't Worry 'Bout Me 4:07
23. Autumn In New York 3:15
24. Penthouse Serenade 2:46

Eddie Davis (ts)
Shirley Scott (org)
George Duvivier (b)
Arthur Edgehill (d)

recorded in NY March 1958 (tracks 1-12) & May 1958 (tracks 13-24)

PS Johnny-come-latelies can watch the Jaws performing his magic on video here. Happy 2011 all.

Bill Evans - The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings

2010-12-29T18:05:00.003+02:00

On June 25th, 1961, Bill Evans and his trio made jazz history over the course of five sets at the Village Vanguard. Selections from those performances were released on two full-length LPs, Waltz for Debby and Sunday at the Village Vanguard, both of which went on to become landmark jazz albums from the era. This three-disc set provides a valuable service by presenting all five sets in their complete and original sequence, with crisp remastered sound, a previously unissued take (Scott LaFaro's "Gloria's Step"), and snippets of on-stage patter.

Much has been made of the chemistry between Evans, bassist LaFaro, and drummer Paul Motian, and little of it has been overblown. The three make intuitive, shape-shifting music that breaks new ground with its subtle, sophisticated rhythmic interplay and achingly lyrical beauty. Evans's playing, informed by a Chopin-esque delicacy as much as by post-bop dynamism, is a case study of the jazz ideal achieved. The music, the improved sound, and the chance to have the complete date under one cover make this set a must. ”

This is the remastered set that features 20 bit k2 super coding. It is the complete days worth of recording of this legendary session, warts and all. One of the warts is a 3 second power outage during the first part of disc one-- it's not a defect in the ripping or the the cd itself, just part of the recording.

tracklist

DISC 1:
1. Spoken Introduction
2. Gloria's Step - (take 1, interrupted)
3. Alice in Wonderland - (take 1)
4. My Foolish Heart
5. All of You - (take 1)
6. Announcement and Intermission
7. My Romance - (take 1)
8. Some Other Time
9. Solar

DISC 2:
1. Gloria's Step - (take 2)
2. My Man's Gone Now
3. All of You - (take 2)
4. Detour Ahead - (take 1)
5. Discussing Repertoire
6. Waltz For Debby - (take 1)
7. Alice in Wonderland - (take 2)
8. Porgy (I Loves You, Porgy)
9. My Romance - (take 2)
10. Milestones

DISC 3:
1. Detour Ahead - (take 2)
2. Gloria's Step - (take 3)
3. Waltz For Debby - (take 2)
4. All of You - (take 3)
5. Jade Visions - (take 1)
6. Jade Visions - (take 2)
7. ... A Few Final Bars

Bill Evans, p
Scott LaFaro, b
Paul Motian, d

Recorded June 25th, 1961 at the Village Vanguard, New York

Happy Holidays all

2010-12-25T12:10:00.001+02:00

Sonny Sharrock - Monkey-Pockie-Boo (1970)

2010-12-23T20:05:00.002+02:00

An album recorded in Paris on June 22nd, 1970 with wife Linda plus Ben Guerin (bass) and Jacques Thollot (drums). Sonny Sharrock was one of the top avant-garde guitarists and his playing was intense and ferocious. He mixed together Jimi Hendrix and Pharoah Sanders. "Sharrock was the first guitarist to really embrace fire music. He wanted his playing to mirror the emotional scream of the tenor saxophone' (Thurston Moore and Byron Coley)".

Tracklist

1. 27th Day 17:01 Written BySonny Sharrock
2. Soon 7:59 Written By Linda Sharrock
3. Monkey-Pockie-Boo 9:00 Written By Linda Sharrock

Credits

Bass - Beb Guérin
Drums - Jacques Thollot
Engineer - Daniel Vallencien
Guitar, Whistle [Slide], Vocals - Warren «Sonny» Sharrock
Photography, Coordinator [Coordination] - Jacques Bisceglia
Producer - Jean Georgakarakos , Jean-Luc Young
Vocals - Linda Sharrock

Recorded June 22, 1970 at Studio Saravah, Paris.

Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff : Zenph Re-performance (2009)

2010-12-09T00:28:00.002+02:00

Sony Masterworks and Zenph Studios announce the third release in an ongoing collaboration to breathe new life into legendary performances that have been marred by the poor recording quality of past times. Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff follows upon the success of Zenph Studios' productions of Glenn Gould's 1955 recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations (2007) and Art Tatum's Piano Starts Here (2008). This new compilation of re-performances is made from original masters that the colossal Russian composer and pianist recorded during his lifetime. Available on September 22nd, 2009, the release celebrates the 100th anniversary of Rachmaninoff's United States debut recital, which took place at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. The recording features Rachmaninoff playing five of his own compositions, including the Prelude in C-sharp Minor, the Etudes Tableaux in C- and E-flat Major, Op. 33, his piano transcription of the song "Daisies and Moment Musicaux in E-flat Minor, Op. 16. It also includes Rachmaninoff's renditions of Kreisler's Liebesleid and Liebesfreud, Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee, Mendelssohn's "Scherzo" from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Tchaikovsky's Lullaby, and the Prelude, Gavotte and Gigue from Bach's Violin Partita No. 3, BWV 1006.

Sony Masterworks has newly recorded—in crystaline stereo sound—performances originally recorded by Rachmaninoff between 1921 and 1942. The production team selected and customized an instrument that Rachmaninoff likely performed on during his lifetrime, a 1909 Steinway D concert grand piano. This CD release allows the listener to experience his performances without the hissing or popping that were once considered as much a part of those monaural 78s as the music itself. Zenph Studios eliminates the need for such compromise, returing Rachmaninoff's performances to their original luster, like a team of artists restoring the painting of an old master.

Rachmaninoff was well known for his exacting standards during his recording sessions; biographer Max Harrison relates that he used a hammer to smash the 78s for takes he deemed unsatisfactory. The team of Zenph Studios has pride in restoring the brilliance of these marvelous artifacts of musical genius.

All 13 tracks are presented twice on the CD, once in regular stereo, and again for headphones. For the second version, the "dummy head" was positioned where Rachmaninoff's head would have been during the recording process, so listeners hear the music as Rachmaninoff himself might have heard it when he was positioned at the piano. ”

tracklist:

•Krelsier/Rachmaninoff: Liebeslied (r. 1921)
•Rachmaninoff: Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 3/2 (r. 1928
•Rimsky-Korsakov/Rachmaninoff: The Flight of the Bumblebee (r. 1929)
•Mendelssohn/Rachmaninoff: Scherzo from A Midsummer Night's Dream (r. 1935)
•Rachmaninoff: Etude Tableau in C Major, Op. 33/2 (r. 1940)
•Rachmaninoff: Etude Tableau in E-flat Major, Op. 33/7 (r. 1940)
•Rachmaninoff: MOment Musicaux, Op. 16/2 (r. 1940)
•Rachmaninoff: "Daisies," Op. 38/3 (r. 1940)
•Tchaikovsky/Rachmaninoff: Lullaby, Op. 16/1 (r. 1942)
•Bach/Rachmaninoff: Violin Partita No. 3: Prelude, Gavotte, and Gigue (r.1942)
•Kreisler/Rachmaninoff: Liebesfreud (r. 1942)

Jimmy Raney - Solo (1976)

2010-12-05T10:52:00.002+02:00

As the title suggests, this album is Jimmy Raney all by himself, the genuine article if you will, as Raney chose to accompany himself using overdubbing like Bill Evans did on his famous "Conversations with Myself" string of recordings. Raney said in an interview that he doesn't think of the guitar in guitar terms, but rather as a means of making music. Nowhere is this more evident than on this album where he lays his artistry bare to the listener and everything falls into place magnificently. My favorite Raney recording. ”

Personnel:

Jimmy Raney - guitar

Tracklisting:

1. The Fugue
2. New Signal
3. How Deep is the Ocean
4. The Way You Look Tonight
5. Wait Till You See Her
6. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
7. Blues Variations
8. Suzanne
9. The End of a Love Affair

#1-7 NYC 12/20/1976
#8-9 NYC 09/02/1975
FDC 5178 / ADE 664 / XANADU 140

Stan Getz and the Oscar Peterson Trio - 1958

2010-12-02T08:54:00.004+02:00

Stan Getz said of this historic meeting with the Oscar Peterson Trio, "This is one of the most enjoyable recordings I ever made. How refreshing it is to play with these pros." ...Here, for the first time - in one collection - is the complete session.

TRACKLIST

1 I Want to Be Happy
2 Pennies from Heaven
3 Ballad Medley
4 I'm Glad There Is You
5 Tour's End
6 I Was Doing All Right
7 Bronx Blues
8 Three Little Words
9 Detour Ahead
10 Sunday
11 Blues for Herky

PERSONNEL

Stan Getz
Oscar Peterson
Herb Ellis
Ray Brown

Original session produced by Norman Granz. Recorded October 10, 1957 at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles in mono.

Sonny Sharrock & Nicky Skopelitis - Faith Moves (1990)

2010-12-01T08:23:00.004+02:00

Outstanding duo session featuring two very adventurous guitarists. Skopelitis generally plays a supporting role on various guitars and guitar-like instruments while Sharrock soars. Sharrock had already made a great solo album ("Guitar", 1986) and this one is on the same high level. CMP (Creative Music Production) was started by Kurt Renker in 1977 and specialized a traditional and modern Avant-Garde Jazz, Experimental Rock and World Music. Almost all of CMP Records albums have an identifiable CMP Records sound, much like ECM, courtesy of recording engineer Walter Quintus. His production work gave CMP recordings uniquely spacious and detailed sound. After CMP records became defunct the label name and catalog was acquired by Silva Screen Records and almost the entire CMP catalog has been resurrected.

Tracklist

1 Who Are You 5:27
2 Becoming 2:34
3 Mescalito 3:28
4 Venus 5:48 (Pharoah Sanders)
5 In The Flesh 3:05
6 Sacrifice 4:43
7 First Of Equals 5:11
8 The Pyre 6:06
9 Uncle Herbie's Dance 2:55

Credits

Sonny Sharrock - electric guitar

Nicky Skopelitis - electric guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Baglama, Baglama [Saz], Sitar [Coral], Bass, Tar (lute)

Produced by Bill Laswell , Nicky Skopelitis

tracks 1 to 3, 5 to 8 composed by Nicky Skopelitis, tracks 1 to 3 & 6 to 9 by Sonny Sharrock

Tommy Flanagan - The Tokyo Recital (Pablo 1975)

2010-11-21T14:59:00.003+02:00

Tommy Flanagan on piano, Keter Bets on bass and Bobby Durham on drums in an outstanding all-Ellington/Strayhorn set. Fantastic JVC K2 sound. Enough said.

Track Listing:

1. All Day Long
2. U.M.M.G. (Upper Manhattan Medical Group)
3. Something to Live For
4. Main Stem
5. Day Dream
6. The Intimacy of the Blues
7. Caravan
8. Chelsea Bridge
9. Take the "A" Train

Personnel: Tommy Flanagan (piano); Keter Betts (bass); Bobby Durham (drums)

Liner Note Authors: Benny Green; Norman Granz

Recording information: Tokyo, Japan (02/15/1975)

Photographer: Norman Granz

The Tommy Flanagan Trio - Prestige Moodsville Series No. 9

2010-11-16T20:20:00.002+02:00

The Prestige Moodsville series was a series of LPs intended to provide a a compilation of performances where "imporant names in jazz can just relax and play the tunes they like" and where the "emphasis will be on relaxed, thoughtful and expressive jazz, after hours music if you will". Tommy Flanagan must have been an obvious choice. He is aided in this set by Tommy Potter on bass and Roy Hanes on drums. Rudy van Gelder captured the exquisite sound in his usual manner by setting up a couple of high-fidelity microphones and letting the players and room speak for themselves. Sound even bettered and brought up to modern standards by JVC's renown K2 remastering process.

Track Listing:

1. 2257 You Go To My Head
2. 2258 In The Blue Of The Evening
3. 2259 Velvet Moon
4. 2260 Come Sunday
5. 2261 Jes' Fine
6. 2262 Born To Be Blue
7. 2263 In A Sentimental Mood

personnel:

Tommy Flanagan (p) Tommy Potter (b -1/3,5/7) Roy Haynes (d -1/3,5/7)

Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, May 18, 1960

Stan Hope - Pastels

2010-11-10T20:59:00.002+02:00

This Stan Hope recording combines bold confidence with a polished elegance reminiscent of Erroll Garner, his early influence. Hope's playing sparkles like Garner's, but is not as fanciful or as ornate. Hope doesn't engage in those long, twisting runs Garner is noted for, but he certainly swings and plays in an unabashedly romantic manner. His renditions of 4 Garner charts have the same spare yet melodic selectivity as that of his idol. While this album is primarily a piano trio set, long-time sidecick Houston Person shows up with his swinging soulful tenor saxophone on three cuts. Drummond and Washington are their usual excellent selves and sonics are plush in trademark Savant manner.

1. Be Anything
2. Summer Serenade
3. Moment's Delight
4. That's My Kick
5. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing / Forest Flower
6. Hopeful Blues
7. Pastels
8. Nightwind
9. Indiana
10. Cottage For Sale / Everything I Have Is Yours / I'm Falling For You

Personnel: Stan Hope (piano); Houston Person (tenor saxophone); Ray Drummond (bass); Kenny Washington (drums)

Recorded at M & I Studios, New York, New York on November 17, 1999.

Paul Chambers & Tommy Flanagan - Motor City Scene

2010-11-01T17:43:00.008+02:00

Collected recordings of two excellent hard bop units consisting of musicians solely from Detroit, the first led by Thad Jones and Billy Mitchell and the second by Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams that not only stand out as two of the rarest of the Bethlehem jazz recordings, but which are also two of the best records made by the teams of these venerable Detroiters. Lone Hill Jazz chose to market this CD under the names of Flanagan and Chambers which were present on both sessions. Both combos groove very nicely here and who dares not to in the presence of hard bop royalty such as Kenny Burrell, Thad Jones, Al Grey, Pepper Adams, Donald Byrd, Tommy Flanagan, Paul Chambers, "Hey" Lewis (a Louis Hayes alias) and Elvin Jones. The bands are very tight and the tracks are long enough that everybody gets in some good licks on the solos. 9 numbers in all: "Let's Play One", "Minor on Top", "Like Old Times", "No Refill", "Stardust", "Trio", "Philson", "Libeccio", and "Bitty Ditty". Originally released as Motor City Scene (#1-4) and Stradust (#5-9) on the Bethlehem label this CD puts the 2 sessions together for the first time. Way harder than most of the west coast sessions on Bethlehem, and two essential hard bop classics that's nigh on impossible to find on wax.

1. Let's Play One
2. Minor on Top
3. Like Old Times
4. No Refill
5. Stardust
6. Trio
7. Philson
8. Libeccio
9. Bitty Ditty

1-4 (Motor City Scene): Thad Jones (cnt, flhrn), Al Gery (tb), Billy Mitchell (ts), Tommy flanagan (p), Paul Chambers (b), Elvin Jones (d)
New York October 24 & 32, 1959

5-9 (Stardust): Donald Byrd (tp), Pepper Adams (bar), Tommy Flanagan (p), Kenny Burrell (g), Paul Chambers (b), Louis Hayes (d)
New York, 1960

Carmen McRae - Birds of a Feather ft. Ben Webster (Decca 1958)

2010-10-27T20:02:00.006+03:00

Yes, there's a concept on the loose here -- all the songs are about birds. Fortunately, there are plenty of good songs on the subject, and it's not so narrow that all the focus hinges on birds themselves. Add horn men Ben Webster and Al Cohn to McRae's enigmatic, dark contralto voice and you get the general idea.

1. Skylark
2. Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)
3. Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, A
4. Mister Meadowlark
5. Bye Bye Blackbird
6. Flamingo
7. The Eagle and Me
8. Baltimore Oriole
9. When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along
10. Chicken Today and Feathers Tomorrow
11. When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano
12. His Eye Is on the Sparrow

Personnel: Carmen McRae (vocals); Barry Galbraith, Mundell Lowe (guitar); Al Cohn, Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Irwin "Marky" Markowitz (trumpet); Dick Berg, Fred Klein, Donald Corrado (French horn); Don Abney (piano); Don Lamond, Todd Sommer, Nick Stabulas (drums).

Liner Note Author: Burt Korall.

Recording information: New York, NY (08/04/1958-08/08/1958).

Director: Ralph Burns.

Arrangers: Milt Gabler; Ralph Burns.

Dr. John performing the music of Duke Ellington - Duke Elegant (1999)

2010-10-24T18:36:00.003+03:00

Dr. John (a.k.a. Mac Rebennack) may have been a couple of months late in releasing this Duke Ellington centennial tribute, but his execution of these legendary numbers is still a delight. Rather than handling each classic as if it were a delicate museum piece to be treated with kid gloves, Rebennack instead infuses them with his signature style, which leans more toward New Orleans R&B. Songs such as "I'm Gonna Go Fishin" and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" are given light funk workouts dominated by chugging grooves and popping bass. The album constantly shifts gears, as Dr. John turns "Satin Doll" into a latin shuffle, hops on the organ to inject some Jimmy Smith-flavored phrasing into "Perdido," and transforms "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" into a Meters-like workout. Dr. John's brightest moments come on "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" and "Flaming Sword." Rebennack transforms the former from wistful ballad into an upbeat declaration of freedom while on the latter, his piano breezily dances along the top of a syncopated rhythm in a manner reminiscent of his late friend James Booker. So in a nutshell the Duke gets pure fonk-i-fied by the good Dr.

1. On the Wrong Side of the Railroad Tracks
2. I'm Gonna Go Fishin'
3. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
4. Perdido Street Blues
5. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
6. Solitude
7. Satin Doll
8. Mood Indigo
9. Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me
10. Things Ain't What They Used to Be
11. Caravan
12. The Flaming Sword

Personnel: Dr. John (vocals, piano, Hammond B-3 organ); Bobby Broom (guitar, background vocals); Ronnie Cuber (saxophone); David Barard (bass, background vocals); Herman Ernest III (drums, background vocals); Cyro Baptista (percussion).

Recorded at RPM Sound Studios, New York, New York. Includes liner notes by Dr. John.

Professor Longhair (featuring Dr. John) - Crawfish Fiesta (1980 Alligator Records)

2010-10-23T10:55:00.004+03:00

New Orleans is said to be a city where having a party has been elevated from a casual pastime to a way of life. Nobody understood this better than Professor Longhair, one of the pioneers of New Orleans rhythm & blues. His influence can be heard in Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint and Dr. John, among many others. Known for his unique mix of blues, jazz, calypso, ragtime, and zydeco, "Fess" (as he was known) defined and captured the essence of New Orleans in his music. This is his best album and unfortunately it was his last. Professor Longhair is the very essence of New Orleans blues. He was Dr. John's mentor, who also was Professor Longhair's studio guitarist, before he dedicated himself to the piano and led a career of his own.

1. Big Chief 3:16
2. Her Mind Is Gone 4:24
3. Something On Your Mind 4:13
4. You're Driving Me Crazy 2:36
5. Red Beans aka I Got My Mojo Working 4:12
6. Willie Fugal's Blues 2:06
8. In The Wee Wee Hours 3:24
9. Cry To Me 3:38
10. Bald Head 3:00
11. Whole Lotta Loving 3:48
12. Crawfish Fiesta

Recorded at Sea-Saint Studios, New Orleans. Includes liner notes by Tad Jones and Mindy Giles.

Personnel: Professor Longhair (piano, vocals); Dr. John (guitar); Andy Kaslow, Tony Dagradi (tenor saxophones); Jim Moore (baritone saxophone); David Lee Watson (bass); John Vidacovich (drums); Alfred "Uganda" Roberts (congas)

T-Bone Walker - Funky Town (1969)

2010-10-06T18:10:00.003+03:00

T-Bone Walker's legacy casts a giant shadow over modern blues. He exerted a major influence on many artists, including B.B. King, Pee Wee Crayton and Chuck Berry. T-Bone combined superlative guitar playing with a fine singing voice. Although the forties and fifties were his heyday, he never stopped touring. Bob Thiele, an experienced producer for abc/Impulse (jazz) and abc/Bluesway, recorded him in the late sixties (as he did with B.B. KIng, Earl Hooker, Charlie Brown, etc) producing two LPs "Stormy Monday Blues" (1967) and "Funky Town" (1969). On these recordings, he is perfectly backed by veteran virtuoso Lloyd Glenn - who originally accompanied Walker on his 1947 blues mega-hit Stormy Monday Blues - on keyboards and by three other excellent younger musical hotshots: Mel London (gtr), Ron Brown(bs) and Paul Humphrey (dms). As usual for T-Bone, a good horn section is featured as well. These are, actually, the last true jewels that T-Bone recorded before passing away in 1975. Here, he reprises some of his best known numbers but also proves able to modernize his blues, making it sound - indeed - funkier. He achieves this by using faster tempos and by giving a lot of room to his accompanists (particularly to Mel Brown's hard edged guitar sound). His voice, now huskier than before, perfectly complements the musical stew. This compilation provides an interesting contrast to his previous, smoother and more sophisticated sides. However, the latter qualities have not been thrown overboard. The jazzy tinge of his earlier work remains apparent but does not dominate as much as before. As could be expected, the sound quality on this Bob Thiele production is certainly way more dynamic than the one found on his early 78's from the forties and early fifties. An album to (re)discover without hesitation.

track listing

1 Going to funky town
2 Party girl
3 Why my baby ( keep on bothering me )
4 Jealous woman
5 Going to build me a playhouse
6 Long skirt baby blues
7 Struggling blues
8 I'm in an awful mood
9 I wish my baby ( would come home at night )

personnel:

Lloyd Glenn (kbs), Mel London (g), Ron Brown (b), Paul Humphrey (d), horn section (uncredited)

produced by Bob Thiele for abc/Bluesway, 1969

Stan Hope feat. Houston Person - Put on a Happy Face

2010-06-07T16:31:00.003+03:00

Killer session featuring the great Stan Hope on piano, a player who has been active for seven (!) decades as an active jazz pianist and a long-time sidekick of great tenor sax man Houston Person who participates on three numbers. Stalwarts Ray Drummond and Kenny Washington on bass and drums respectively provide the rhythmic foundation and superb sound is guaranteed by the great Rudy Van Gelder, what more could a jazz lover ask for?

track listing

1. R.D.'s Blues
2. Then I'll Be Tired of You
3. My Ship
4. Easy to Love
5. Put on a Happy Face
6. They Can't Take That Away from Me
7. I'm Afraid the Masquerade Is Over
8. Somewhere in the Night
9. Medley: I'll Never Stop Loving You/The Island: I'll Never Stop Loving You / The Island
10. K.W. Groove

personnel & info

Audio Mixer: Rudy Van Gelder.

Liner Note Author: David Jaye.

Recording information: Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (12/22/2004).

Personnel: Stan Hope (piano); Stan Hope; Houston Person (tenor saxophone); Ray Drummond (bass guitar); Kenny Washington (drums).

Additional personnel: Houston Person (on tracks 1, 2 & 7)

Duke Jordan Trio - Flight to Denmark (1973)

2010-03-25T09:05:00.004+02:00

Upon Duke Jordan's initial visit to Copenhagen, Denmark, followed by his decision to make the move as an expatriate permanent, he was tempted to stay by playing with some extraordinary Scandinavian rhythm sections. Bassist Mads Vinding, one of many skilled Danish jazz bassists, is here on the date performing in fine style. Drummer Ed Thigpen, who left the U.S. to take up permanent residence in Europe, was an even bigger influence in making Jordan's decision a good one, and is an equally skillful musical partner on this date. This is an expanded edition from the previous original issue on the Steeplechase label; a Japanese import with several alternate takes. It's an understated session for the most part, equal parts melancholy and hopeful, as one might expect with the trepidation of leaving home for new, unknown horizons to be discovered in a foreign land. The upbeat songs, as the modal, popping, tom-tom driven "No Problem" (from the movie soundtrack Les Liason Dangereuses) and the famous bop flag-waver "Jordu," bookend the CD. The bulk of the recording showcases the softer side of Jordan, with takes of the somber ballad "Here's That Rainy Day," the slightly brighter "Everything Happens to Me," and two versions of the polite waltz "Glad I Met Pat," dedicated to a nine-year-old girl Jordan knew in New York City prior to her being kidnapped. The pianist employs chiming piano chords for "How Deep Is the Ocean?," is lighthearted in his slight interpretation of the well worn "On Green Dolphin Street," does two takes on the light, bluesy swinger "If I Did, Would You?," and ramps up to midtempo the bluesy original "Flight to Denmark," reflective of the insecurity and consequential optimism that followed his leaving the States. This is Duke Jordan at his most magnificent, with the ever-able Vinding and expert Thigpen playing their professional roles perfectly, producing perhaps the second best effort (next to Flight to Jordan from 13 years hence) from the famed bop pianist. [Originally released in 1973, Flight to Denmark was reissued as an import-only Japanese CD in 2002.] ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide

track listing

No Problem (6:46)
Here's That Rainy Day (7:27)
Everything Happens to Me (5:44)
Glad I Met Pat [Take 3] (5:45)
Glad I Met Pat [Take 4] (5:29)
How Deep Is the Ocean? (7:25)
On Green Dolphin Street (8:24)
If I Did - Would You? [Take 1] (3:43)
If I Did - Would You? [Take 2] (3:52)
Flight to Denmark (5:48)
No Problem [Take 2] (7:14)
Jordu [Take 1] (4:54)

personnel

Duke Jordan
Mads Vinding
Ed Thigpen

Jazz on a Summer's Day (1960)

2010-03-21T12:25:00.004+02:00

Hailed by critics to be the best jazz film ever, famous photographer's Bert Stern's Jazz On A Summer's Day lives up to its reputation today.

Shot in Newport, RI during the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival and the America's Cup trials of the same year, initially intended as a full length motion picture, it was downsized to a concert documentary due to lack of funds. We have to thank our good luck for this, as this film broke new ground on how a live music performance should be captured. It literally wrote the book.

Shot in lush color instead of the grim black and white used until then, including scenes in broad daylight, interleaving performances with the sailing races going on simultaneously, it made people look at jazz from an entirely different perspective.

This was half a century ago and it really shows. People hit it off very differently back then, as the amazing crowd scenes attest to. With rock 'n roll just around the corner ready to take the popular music scene by storm, these were merrier, more innocent times.

Cast (in credits order)

Jimmy Giuffre ... Himself
Thelonious Monk ... Himself
Henry Grimes ... Himself
Sonny Stitt ... Himself
Sal Salvador ... Himself
Anita O'Day ... Herself
George Shearing ... Himself
Dinah Washington ... Herself
Gerry Mulligan ... Himself
Big Maybelle ... Herself
Chuck Berry ... Himself
Chico Hamilton ... Himself

Louis Armstrong ... Himself
Jack Teagarden ... Himself
Mahalia Jackson ... Herself

rest of cast (listed alphabetically):

David Baily ... Himself
Danny Barcelona ... Himself
Bob Brookmeyer ... Himself
Buck Clayton ... Himself
Willis Conover ... Interviewer
Gergory Corso ... Himself
Bill Crow ... Himself
Eric Dolphy ... Himself
Eli's Chosen Six ... Themselves
Art Farmer ... Himself
Harold Gaylon ... Himself
Nathan Gershman ... Himself
Terry Gibbs ... Himself
Urbie Green ... Himself
Jim Hall ... Himself
Peanuts Hucko ... Himself
Jo Jones ... Himself
Ray Mosca ... Himself
Armando Peraza ... Himself
Max Roach ... Himself
Rudy Rutherford ... Himself
Martin Williams ... Jazz Critic in Audience
Patricia Bosworth... Disgruntled redhead in audience (uncredited)

Kenny Drew Trio - Dark Beauty (1974)

2010-03-14T11:05:00.003+02:00

Dark Beauty, recorded in 1974 with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Albert "Tootie" Heath, became a break-out hit that helped advance Drew's acclaim. On this album he displays tremendous pianistic skills, intelligent and advanced harmonic sensibilities and driving sense of swing. Pedersen is featured throughout, and his solos demonstrate awe-inspiring technique and imagination. This CD edition contains three bonus tracks which did not appear in the original LP ("A Felicidade," "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "A Stranger In Paradise"). ”

Track listing:

1. Run Away
2. Dark Beauty
3. Summer Night
4. All Blues
5. A Felicidade
6. It Could Happen To You
7. Love Letters
8. Silk Bossa
9. Blues Inn
10. In Your Own Sweet Way
11. Stranger In Paradise

Personnel

Kenny Drew (piano)
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass)
Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums)

Recorded in Copenhagen, May 21 & 22, 1974. Originally released by SteepleChase Records in 1974. This reissue CD -- special limited paper sleeve edition -- released in Japan on March 19, 2008.

Nikos Skalkottas - Mayday Spell, Concerto for Double Bass & Orchestra, 3 Greek Dances

2010-02-27T02:07:00.002+02:00

Nikos Skalkottas (1904-1949) was versatile, inventive and prolific. To that effect, this CD works as a nice sampler of the composer's qualities. Two of the works (Mayday spell and the three Greek dances) are tonal, both employ Greek folk music motives, arranged in a neo-classical form and orchestrated in Skalkottas' unique manner. Christodoulou's interpretation is somewhat technical, yet still captures the magic of Skalkottas writing. The Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra is atonal and will most certainly appeal to hardened/converted fans. Expertly crafted music from an obscure genius deserving wider recognition.

Track listing

Mayday Spell - A Fairy Drama, Symphonic Suite (1944-49)
1. I. Overture 8'08
2. II. Fairy Tale 7'14
3. III. Ballet - Dance of the Faires 3'29
4. IV. Love scene 1'19
5. V. Argyro´s Song 0'59
6. VI. Little Dance Song 0'55
7. VII. Folk-song 4'29
8. VIII. Short folk dance 0'43
9. IX. Prelude 0'58
10. X. The mother´s lament 4'27

Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra (1942)
11. I. Andante - Allegro 7'32
12. II. Andantino 4'30
13. III. Allegro vivo e molto ritmato 5'21

Three Greek Dances for strings (1936)
14. Nissiotikos 4'57
15. Tsamikos 2'10
16. Mazochtos 1'54

personnel

Þóra Einarsdóttir, soprano
Vassilis Papavassiliou, double bass
Iceland Symphony Orchestra, orchestra
Nikos Christodoulou, conductor

Tete Montoliu - Boston Concert Vol.2 (1980)

2010-02-24T00:13:00.002+02:00

Second volume of legendary solo piano recording of the blind Catalan pianist Tete Montoliu recorded on March 17, 1980, at the Alfred Morse Auditorium on the Boston University campus in Boston, Massachusetts. The late Montoliu demonstrates what separates the men from the boys as far as jazz piano is concerned.

Track listing
1. Airegin
2. Lush Life
3. Giant Steps
4. When I Fall In Love
5. A Child Is Born
6. Confirmation
7. Apartment 512
8. Oleo/Come Sunday/Oleo

Personnel: Tete Montoliu, piano

Tete Montoliu - Boston Concert Vol.1 (1980)

2010-02-21T11:20:00.003+02:00

First volume of legendary solo piano recording of the blind Catalan pianist Tete Montoliu recorded on March 17, 1980, at the Alfred Morse Auditorium on the Boston University campus in Boston, Massachusetts. The late Montoliu demonstrates what separates the men from the boys as far as jazz piano is concerned. Unmissable.

Track listing
1. Introduction
2. New England Blues
3. I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
4. Have You Met Miss Jones?
5. Catalan Suite
6. Hot House

Personnel: Tete Montoliu, piano

Gary Burton - Next Generation (2005)

2010-02-17T15:46:00.002+02:00

Gary Burton spent a great deal of his professional life juggling his duo careers as a bandleader and jazz educator. So it came as no surprise to see him form a brand new group of talented up and coming players in 2004, the eighth such new unit by his count. Burton's skill on vibes is a given, but his ability to find four impressive young men able to jump right in and perform at a high level also deserves kudos. The leader first heard guitarist Julian Lage on the 2000 Grammy Awards at the tender age of 12; he was just 16 at the time of these sessions and had already appeared with Burton on the earlier CD Generations. Lage, who shows incredible chops without overdoing it, also contributed the easygoing, infectious strut "Walkin' in Music" and "Clarity," a playful duet with Burton. Vadim Neselovskyi not only is a surprising pianist but a thoughtful composer whose works (including the intricate "Prelude for Vibes" and the tense, rapid fire "Get Up and Go") belie his age. Bassist Luques Curtis, in addition to solidly anchoring the rhythm section with the gifted drummer James Williams, penned the funky Latin "Ques Sez." The leader's liner notes don't specifically credit anyone with the wild arrangement of 20th century composer Samuel Barber's Fuga or the jaunty, somewhat angular rendition of the standard "My Romance" (possibly because they were a group effort), but they also merit high praise. This meeting of a jazz master and four prodigies is well worth acquiring. ~ Ken Dryden

Track listing
1.Prelude for Vibes
2.My Romance
3.'Ques Sez
4.Get Up and Go
5.B & G
6.A Dance for Most of You
7.Walkin' In Music
8.Summer Band Camp
9.Fuga
10.Clarity

Personnel: Gary Burton: vibraphone; Julian Lage: guitar; Vadim Neselovski: piano; Luques Curtis: double-bass; James Williams: drums.

Recording information: Fantasy Studios, Studio D, Berkeley, CA (11/08/2004/11/10/2004).

Tete Montoliu Trio - Tête à Tete (1976)

2010-02-12T21:18:00.004+02:00

Tete Montoliu's fourth LP for SteepleChase is primarily a fun-filled trio date with bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath, frequent collaborators with the blind pianist. The influence of Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson is evident in his rollicking take of "What's New?", "We'll be Together Again" follows with some tour de force solo features for the great pianist and finally the 20-minute "Catalan Suite", a medley of five traditional folk songs from Montoliu's homeland, giving ample space to the trio to stretch out; it's a shame one can't hear the words that accompany these joyous melodies. This is essential listening for fans of this late genius of contemporary jazz piano. ”

Track Listing
A1 What's New (Haggart - Burke) 11:08
A2 We'll Be Together Again (Fischer-Lane) 09:10
B1 Catalan Suite (T. Montoliu) 20:01

Personnel:
Tete Montoliu (p)
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b)
Albert 'Tootie' Heath (d)

Date: February 16, 1976
Location: Weesp, Netherlands

(marvelous sounding) SteepleChase SCS-1054 24bit-96khz LP rip

Dexter Gordon Quartet (feat. Tete Montoliu) - Bouncin' with Dex (1975)

2010-02-09T15:57:00.003+02:00

It is well known that jazz giant Dexter Gordon spent 15 years in Europe, between 1962 and 1977, mostly in Paris and Copenhagen. In the early 1960s Gordon played often in the famed Jazzhus Montmartre with Catalonian pianist Tete Montoliu and local bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. In addition, superbly talented drummer Billy Higgins happened to be in town and was available for this legendary recording. Throughout this one day session, this international all-star group was totally inspired. While the main attraction here is clearly Gordon whose tenor sax sounds as good as ever, the fiery solos by Montoliu, the lithe and limber drumming by Higgins and the authentic bass played by Pedersen contribute to elevate their collective performance to a higher plane. There is not a single weak moment in this exciting record. Recorded in Copenhagen on September 14, 1975. Originally released in 1976 by SteepleChase Records. This reissue CD -- special limited paper sleeve edition -- released in Japan by Videoarts Music on March 19, 2008. ”

Track Listing
1. Billie's Bounce
2. Easy Living
3. Benji's Bounce
4. Catalonian Nights
5. Four
6. Easy Living [take 1]

Personnel
Dexter Gordon (tenor sax)
Tete Montoliu (piano)
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass)
Billy Higgins (drums)

Recorded in Copenhagen on September 14, 1975. Originally released in 1976 by SteepleChase Records. This reissue CD -- special limited paper sleeve edition -- released in Japan in 2008.

Kenny Drew - New Faces, New Sounds (1953)

2010-02-03T01:02:00.005+02:00

Kenny Drew's debut as a leader in the more than able company of Messrs. Curly Russel on bass and Ard Blakey on drums, where we get to hear what a great pianist Drew was from the very beginning and the influence Bud Powell had on him. Other than his "Gloria" and the basic "Drew's Blues," all of the music is standards including "Be My Love," "Yesterdays" and a surprisingly heated rendition of "It Might As Well Be Spring. Sparkling mono sound from this mint 1999 reissue limited edition lovingly pressed by Toshiba EMI Japan in 1999.

Track listing
A1 Yesterdays
A2 Stella By Starlight
A3 Gloria
A4 Be My Love
B1 Lover, Come Back To Me
B2 Everything Happens To Me
B3 Spring Will Be A Little Late
B4 Drew's Blues

Personnel
Kenny Drew (p) Curly Russell (b) Art Blakey (d)

Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, April 16, 1953

The Gadd Gang

2010-01-31T10:28:00.006+02:00

Turn every stone in jazz, soul, pop, rock and whatnot since the 70s and chances are that you'll bump into drum wunderkind Steve Gadd. Steve's talent has graced albums of Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Al Jarreau, Joe Cocker, Stuff, Bob James, Chick Corea, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Jim Croce, Eddie Gomez, The Manhattan Transfer, Michal Urbaniak, Steps Ahead, Al Di Meola, Manhattan Jazz Quintet, Richard Tee, Jon Bon Jovi, Bee Gees to name but a few. As Chick Corea said ""Every drummer wants to play like Gadd because he plays perfect ... He has brought orchestral and compositional thinking to the drum kit while at the same time having a great imagination and a great ability to swing" (Duke's Lullaby from this LP proves that in spades). Gadd has collaborated since the 70s with ace session men Cornell Dupree, Richard Tee and Eddie Gomez with the group Staff. Bari sax legend Ronnie Cuber was added to the roster during the 80s and the Gadd Gang was born. This is feel-good music, these seasoned veterans sound like having a heck of a time playing it scoring high marks in the trouser flapping department, great, groovy stuff.

Tracklisting
1 Watching The River Flow 6:36
Composed By - Bob Dylan

2 Strength 4:28
Composed By - R. McDonald* , S. Gadd* , W. Salter*

3 Way Back Home 6:57
Composed By - Wilton Felder

4 Morning Love 4:20
Arranged By - Richard Tee
Composed By - Eddie Gomez

5 Duke's Lullaby 3:59
Composed By - Steve Gadd

6 Everything You Do 3:47
Composed By - Richard Tee

7 Honky Tonk / I Can't Stop Loving You 6:53
Arranged By [Horns] - David Matthews*
Composed By - B. Doggett* , B. Butler* , C. Scott* , D. Gibson* , E. Grover* , S. Shepard*
Saxophone [Tenor] - George Young (2) , Michael Brecker
Trombone - Barry Rogers , David Taylor
Trumpet - Jon Faddis , Lew Soloff

The gang
Richard Tee keyboards
Cornell Dupree guitar
Eddie Gomez bass
Steve Gadd drums
Ronnie Cuber baritone sax (on #1,3,& 7)

Recorded and mixed at Record Plant Studios, NYC in June and August, 1986 by using SONY 3324 Digital Recorder.

Kenny Drew and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - Duo (1973)

2010-01-28T21:42:00.004+02:00

Hugely talented pianist Kenny Drew performed and recorded during the 1950s with Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Johnny Griffin, Art Blakey and Charlie Mingus before moving to Europe in 1961. In 1964 he settled down in Copenhagen as the house pianist of the famous jazz club called Jazzhus Montmartre. Hugely talented bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen was still in his twenties when he recorded this classic album with Drew in 1973, but he was already considered to be the best bassist in Europe. He had become the house bassist at Jazzhus Montmartre in 1964, and had been playing with Drew in that context for almost a decade before the two went into the studio.

The eclectic program consists of Danish traditional melodies ("Once A Saturday Night," "In The Stil Of The Woods"), original compositions by the two, Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave" in which Drew plays both acoustic and electric piano. Guitarist Ole Molin joins the duo on "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans." This is a must-own item for fans of Drew and Pedersen. Recorded in Copenhagen on April 2, 1973. Originally released by SteepleChase Records in 1973 on LP and 1988 on CD . This reissue CD -- special limited paper sleeve edition -- released in Japan by Videoarts Music on March 19, 2008. ”

Track Listing
1. In The Still Of The Woods [take 2]
2. Come Summer
3. Lullaby
4. Kristine
5. Serenity
6. Once A Saturday Night
7. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
8. Wave
9. Duo Trip
10. Hush-A-Bye
11. In The Still Of The Woods [take 1]

Personnel
Kenny Drew (electric piano,piano)
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass)
Ole Molin (guitar)

This CD is part of SteeplaChase's Limited Edition Series available only in Japan. This series consists of only 10 choice CDs from the extensive SteepleChase catalog, are meticulously produced and sonically on a par with JVC's XRCDs.

Teddy Wilson - Piano Moods (1950)

2010-01-25T16:22:00.006+02:00

In so many ways, the piano trio is really one of the most perfect combinations in jazz. In the right hands, the impression of a much larger group is possible and various combinations of each instrument allow for freshness and variety. Knowing a good thing when they heard one, the magic of the piano trio was not lost on Columbia Records when they decided to launch a series of “Piano Moods” back in 1948. It was really a combination of ideas and technology, however. First of all, these records would be among the earliest examples of the long-playing 33 1/3-rpm format. Secondly, the 20 albums eventually issued would ultimately take in some of the more popular styles in addition to obvious jazz sensibilities. As an added source of inimitability, many of the original records were produced with no pauses between tracks, giving the side of a record album the feel of having someone performing for you right there in your own living room. This 10" LP documents Columbia Records' first attempt at niche marketing with the Piano Moods series. Born out an impromptu marketing plan by a small Columbia Records staff in 1950, the Piano Moods series was hatched from the marketing discovery that there were more pianos than phonographs (that's record players for all you kids who don't remember vinyl LPs) in the homes of postwar America. The 12" LP had been launched a scant two years before and few titles were available. The Piano Moods series linked 20 albums of the same general type, all of them produced and sequenced by George Avakian, who had created the jazz and pop catalog on LP for Columbia beginning in 1948 -- though they were originally released 33 rpm 10" discs to keep the folks with all those 10" 78 rpm discs happy when it came to storage. The sides were cut -- usually -- with no spirals (spaces) between tunes, giving the side a longer feel than its 17 minutes because the music was continuous. Most pianists preset their sequences and prepared introductions of the key of the preceding tune that modulated into the key of the next one. Some would cut the modes later and have Avakian splice them or, in the case of Teddy Wilson, he would play it straight through (as can clearly be heard on this LP), and if he felt he flubbed anything, would re-record a tune and have Avakian work the tape magic. The series was wildly successful as a whole, and most homes had at least a few of these sides and some had many or all. The interesting comment here is that many of these pianists had little or nothing in common with one another. They ranged from the jazzers like Wilson, Art Tatum, Errol Garner, and Ahmad Jamal (whose album was released as a 12" LP) to stride cats like Ralph Sutton and Joe Sullivan -- who plays Fats Waller here -- to swingers like Earl "Fatha" Hines, Joe Bushkin (of Tommy Dorsey fame), and Jess Stacy. There are more than a few unknown jazzers as well, like Buddy Weed, Max Miller, Eddie Heywood, and Bill Clifton. Last but not least is the man who could -- and did -- play everything, concert virtuoso Stan Freeman.

Track listing
A1 Just One Of Those Things
A2 Just Like A Butterfly
A3 Runnin' Wild
A4 I've Got The World On A String
A5 Fine & Dandy
A6 I Don't A Stand A Ghost Of A Chance
A7 Honeysuckle Rose
B1 Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea
B2 Bess, You Is My Woman
B3 I Can't Give You Anything But Love Baby
B4 After You've Gone

Personnel
Teddy Wilson, piano with:

Orville Shaw bass
J. C. Heard drums on side A

Carl Fields bass
Al McKibbon drums on side B

N.B. Sides A and B are left intact to preserve the original feeling, attentive listeners will notice that in essence this LP consists of two long tracks.

10" LPRip @ 24bit-96khz | FLAC | 257 MB (3% recov) | 25:06 | Full Artwork
Classic Jazz / Philips Minigroove B07625R / Original 1950s 10" LP pressing made in Holland (mono)

The LA4 - Live at Montreux Summer 1979

2010-01-23T09:58:00.004+02:00

Altoist/flutist Bud Shank and Brazilian acoustic guitarist Laurindo Almeida first teamed up in the 1950s to create music that predated but strongly hinted at bossa nova. In 1974, they reunited to form the L.A. Four with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Chuck Flores. With Shelly Manne and later Jeff Hamilton replacing Flores on drums, the L.A. Four recorded eight albums for Concord through 1982, breaking up shortly afterward. Their mixture of cool-toned bop, Brazilian-oriented music, and ballads was quite attractive. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

While not of Kind of Blue stature this excellent live recording delivers the goods in spades, these hardened veterans play their hearts out and sonics are top-notch easily transferring the listener to the Montreux Auditorium ~itsartolie ”

Track Listing
1. I Love You 9:17
2. Hammertones 7:37
3. Just in Time 6:55
4. Return of Captain Gallo 9:23
5. Duke's Mélange: I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart/Caravan/Take the 'A' Train/Rockin' in Rhythm 14:59

Personnel
Bud Shank
Laurindo Almeida
Ray Brown
Jeff Hamilton

LPRip 24bit-96khz | FLAC | ~1 GB (3% recov.) | 48:09 | Full Artwork

Wes Montgomery - Round About Midnight

2010-01-21T12:06:00.006+02:00

Two cuts ('Round about Midnight and Missile Blues) from Wes Montgomery's meteoric entrance into the jazz world with his first LP as a leader (The Wes Montgomery Trio - A Dynamic New Sound) released in 1959 on this rare 7 inch EP from Riverside's Extended Play series. Montgomery is in the company of Melvin Rhyne on B-3 organ and Paul Parker on drums.

This 45rpm EP sounds much better than the OJC LP and CD.

Track Listing

1. 'Round About Midnight (T. Monk) 4:49
2. Missile Blues (W. Montgomery) 5:57

Personnel

Wes Montgomery, guitar
Melvin Rhyne, organ
Paul Parker, drums

Rec. Oct 1959 in NYC

N.B. EPrip @ 24-bit-96khz | WAV | 145 MB | Full artwork

Kenny Burell - Midnight Blue (1963)

2010-01-20T06:47:00.005+02:00

Every jazz lover and his dog knows this one, it is easily the most recognizable Blue Note album, and understandably so. The groove is low down (and dirty sometimes), the interplay between these top-notch musicians is exemplary, a perfect companion for those relaxing, late-night sessions with the proverbial scotch at hand. Even the late Stevie Ray Vaughan covered the famous Chitlins con Carne (albeit not very successfully). Here's your chance to taste the real thing the way it was supposed to be heard in its original 1963 monophonic version from my private collection (complete with surface noise here and there, perfect for evoking that all-important time capsule effect)...

Track listing

1. Chitlins con Carne
2. Mule
3. Soul Lament
4. Midnight Blue

5. Wavy Gravy
6. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You
7. Saturday Night Blues

Personnel

Kenny Burrell – guitar
Stanley Turrentine – tenor saxophone
Major Holley – bass
Billy Gene English – drums
Ray Barretto – conga

Rudy van Gelder - engineer
Alfred Lion - producer
Reid Miles – cover design, typography
Francis Wolff – photography, cover photo

Recorded on Jan. 7, 1963, Blue Note BLP 4123

*NB - This is an LP rip of the original 47-year old LP in 24bit-96khz high resolution

Paul Bley Trio - My Standard

2010-01-18T15:33:00.004+02:00

One of the most lyrical works of this most original of contemporary jazz pianists lovingly recorded by the audiophile Danish SteepleChase label.

Track Listing
1. I'm Glad There Is You
2. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
3. Lover Man
4. All The Things You Are
5. Long Ago And Far Away
6. Black And Blue
7. How Long Has This Been Going On
8. A.R.B.
9. Blues Waltz
10. I Wish I Knew
11. If I'm Lucky
12. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
13. I Can't Get Started
14. The Theme
15. Becky
16. Bolivar Blues
17. Goodbye

Personnel
Billy Hart (drums); Jesper Lundgaard (bass); Paul Bley (piano)

Recorded at Sound Track Studios, Copenhagen, December 8, 1985

Laurindo Almeida - Virtuoso Guitar (1977)

2010-01-11T21:02:00.005+02:00

This extraordinary Brazilian guitarist, composer, and arranger was introduced to music by his mother, a concert pianist who gave him his first lessons. Like his sister, however, he would eventually choose the guitar as his primary instrument. As a teenager, Almeida witnessed, and participated in, a great deal of civil unrest; the experience galvanized him and fueled a lifelong passion for the politics of his native country. At age 19, he became a performer aboard the Brazilian ocean liner Cuyaba, which enabled him to travel to Europe, hear the legendary Django Reinhardt in Paris, and experience a great deal of foreign culture.

In Brazil, he formed a guitar duo named Cordas Quentes with Garoto, who he met at Radio Mayrink Veiga in Rio de Janeiro. In 1947, he went on tour with singer and actress Carmen Miranda's band. This led him to Hollywood, where he performed on film soundtracks and appeared in concerts with violinist Elizabeth Waldo; he also composed the first of his more than 800 scores for movies and television series. He was to win Oscars for his soundtracks to The Old Man and the Sea (1958) and The Magic Pear Tree (1970). He soon joined the innovative Stan Kenton Orchestra and became a featured soloist. After three years, he established permanent residence in Los Angeles and began an astonishingly prolific recording career that was to earn him ten Grammy awards.

Almeida's palette of stylistic and emotional expression was wide-ranging. His early '50s Brazilliance albums with Bud Shank helped establish the bossa nova style in the States several years before the craze hit. He also recorded and toured with the Modern Jazz Quartet and was equally at home with classical and modern concert music, such as Gnattali's Concerto de Copacabana and the Guitar Concerto of Villa-Lobos. ~ "Blue Gene" Tyranny, All Music Guide

About the Recording

Virtuoso Guitar is a very rare 1977 US 4-track limited edition 'Supercut' direct to disc 45RPM audiophile LP recorded live directly to the master lacquer & pressed on high quality vinyl, silvered embossed pasted picture sleeve. Fabulous sound quality and "there"-ness. Laurindo Almeida interprets classics such as Yesterday and also delves into more comptempory music blending in and creating a soundscape so effortless whatever the tune. And oh, the sound quality is simply astonishing, makes you really just sit and listen.

Track Listing:
1. Yesterday
2. Jazz-Tuno At The Mission
3. Late Last Night
4, 5, 6. Sonata For Guitar & Cello In Three Movements by Radames Gnattali

Year: 1977
Label: Crystal Clear Records CCS 8001
Style: Acoustic Jazz, Guitar
Audio: 24bit-96kHz Vinyl rip, FLAC
Size: 498 MB

Joe Sample, Ray Brown, Shelly Manne - The Three (1975)

2010-01-06T22:17:00.004+02:00

One of the most successful Japanese piano trio recordings of the 70s -- a super-session performed by a a trio of Americans that includes Joe Sample on acoustic piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums! Given that Sample's best known during the era for his electric keys with the Crusaders (and on countless studio sessions), it's a real treat to hear him tickle the ivories in an acoustic way -- and a genuine surprise to hear how strong his work is in such a format.

Joe manages to swing the tunes with plenty of creative improvisation, but also keeps a strong focus on the groove too -- making for an album that's got some of the rhythmic flourishes of the best work of the Oscar Peterson trio in later years, but with some of the added freedoms of the Japanese scene and a tight swinging sound that's very much in the soul jazz tradition of the LA scene that spawned all three players.

Personnel:
Joe Sample - Piano
Ray Brown - Bass
Shelly Manne - Drums

Track listing:
1 Yearnin'
2 On Green Dolphin Street
3 Satin Doll
4 Mañha de Carnaval
5 'Round About Midnight
6 Funky Blues

Vinyl rip in 24-bit/96kHz | FLAC | East Wind 10001 Nippon Phonogram Tokyo Direct-to-disc recording

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella in Hollywood (1961)

2009-12-31T20:16:00.004+02:00

Ella in Hollywood is a live 1961 album by Ella Fitzgerald, with a jazz trio led by Lou Levy, recorded in Hollywood, Los Angeles. This album features Ella at the height of her vocal powers, one month before the recording of her most critically acclaimed studio album, Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!. Ella in Hollywood features several songs that serve as starting points for Ella's seemingly effortless scat solos ("Take the 'A' Train" is considered one of her best scat performances on record), and a selection of beautiful ballads balance out the album. For many years, the album was only available on CD as a Japanese import, but in April 2009 Verve finally gave it a worldwide CD release.

There’s nothing rare about a joyous Ella Fitzgerald recording; the woman exuded joy in nearly every note she sang. Yet the level on these sessions soared higher and plumbed deeper. Gary Giddins, the veteran critic and author of “Jazz,” agrees. “This ranks on the top shelf of her live recordings,” he said. “It’s about as good as it gets.” The 1961 Crescendo gig, which took place from May 11 to 21 (with one night off), was booked as an afterthought to begin with, a time filler between a European tour that Fitzgerald and her quartet had begun in February and a monthlong stay at the Basin Street East in New York that June. Norman Granz took the unusual step of taping every set. But in the next year alone he and Fitzgerald recorded six studio albums, most of them with large orchestras, including two of her eight heavily promoted songbook albums, each devoted to standards by a prominent American composer. In this context it’s not so surprising that the Crescendo tapes received short shrift. “My guess,” Mr. Seidel said in a phone interview, “would be that Norman Granz was just recording Ella so much at the time, and was probably focused much more on her big studio projects.” Granz did pull 12 tracks from the roughly 14 hours of material recorded at the Crescendo and released them that year as an LP called “Ella in Hollywood.” But the album didn’t do well, perhaps because it sounded so strange. In between the songs, for reasons now unknown, someone spliced in loud applause that had been recorded in a large concert hall, making the whole album seem artificial. (The Crescendo was a nightclub of 200 seats). Whatever the reasons for the flat reviews and scant sales, the executives of Verve — which Granz had sold to MGM in 1960 — put the Crescendo tapes in the vault, where they were forgotten for the next 27 years (this refers to the 4-CD boxset also released by Verve in 2009).

Track listing:
1. "This Could Be the Start of Something Big" (Steve Allen) – 2:33
2. "I've Got the World on a String" (Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler) – 3:44
3. "You're Driving Me Crazy" (Walter Donaldson) – 3:23
4. "Just in Time" (Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Jule Styne) – 1:56
5. "It Might as Well Be Spring" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers) – 3:07
6. "Take the "A" Train" (Billy Strayhorn) – 9:04
7. "Stairway to the Stars" (Matty Malneck, Mitchell Parish, Frank Signorelli) – 3:56
8. "(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)" (Sam Coslow) – 4:05
9. "Satin Doll" (Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Strayhorn) – 2:53
10. "Blue Moon" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 3:17
11. "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home?" (Charles Warfield, Clarence Williams) – 3:41
12. "Air Mail Special" (Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Mundy) – 5:26

Personnel:
* Ella Fitzgerald - Vocals
* Wilfred Middlebrooks - Bass
* Lou Levy - Piano
* Gus Johnson - Drums
* Herb Ellis - Guitar

Recorded live, May 11- May 21, 1961, Hollywood, Los Angeles

Bill Frisell - Music for the Film of Buster Keaton - The High Sign ; One Week {Elektra Nonesuch 1995}

2009-12-30T11:27:00.004+02:00

“The most inventive and compelling guitarist to emerge in more than a decade” (Oakland Tribune), composer/guitarist/bandleader Bill Frisell trains his unique compositional lens on the silent film works of 1920s comedic phenom Buster Keaton, forging Music for the Films of Buster Keaton: Go West and The High Sign / One Week, two remarkable recordings representing the sixth and seventh additions to Frisell's Nonesuch catalog.

Music for the Films of Buster Keaton provides a deeper look at Frisell’s longstanding fascination with Americana (also explored in his earlier Nonesuch releases This Land and Have a Little Faith). In a musical storytelling of the rises, falls and comedic/tragic mishaps of Buster Keaton’s most memorable screen personae, the voice of Frisell’s signature guitar presides conversing, pondering, scheming over vignettes of fluctuating rhythms, tempos and moods, weaving the particular atmosphere of placid tumult so intrinsic to Keaton’s work and life. After a New York City performance accompanying the films, the New York Times said, “Mr. Frisell’s scores perfectly balance the need to be abstract and the need to be literal ... [He has] recurring motifs that suggest the new American possibility of the time, motifs redolent of the sort of optimism heard in some country music, blues and jazz.”

Both Go West and The High Sign / One Week feature the Bill Frisell band, a tightly knit trio in which longtime collaborators Kermit Driscoll (bass) and Joey Baron (drums) flank Frisell’s inimitable fretwork, exhibiting a level of communication for which Frisell’s ensembles are renowned. Formed in 1986, the band often conspired with such notable talents as clarinetist Don Byron, trombonist Curtis Fowlkes, and accordionist Guy Klucevsek, among others. ”

Track Listing:
1 Introduction 0:37
2 The High Sign Theme / Help Wanted 0:42
3 Target Practice 1:16
4 The Blinking Buzzards 1:06
5 Good Shot / Swearing In / Shooting Gallery 2:30
6 Chase / Cop 5:45
7 The High Sign Theme / At the Home of August Nickel 1:10
8 Chase / Caught 3:21
9 The High Sign Theme 1:56
10 One Week Theme / The Wedding 0:27
11 Reckless Driving 1:39
12 Construction 0:49
13 Oh, Well / The Piano 3:12
14 Fight 2:05
15 Oh, Well / Bath Scene 1:42
16 Housewarming Party and Storm 2:32
17 One Week Theme / Aftermath 2:19
18 Here Comes the Train 0:44
19 Oh, Well 0:49

Personnel:
Bill Frisell, acoustic and electric guitars
Kermit Driscoll, acoustic and electric basses
Joey Baron, drums and percussion

Nikos Skalkottas (1904-49) Music For Violin And Piano

2009-12-28T14:42:00.005+02:00

Nikos Skalkottas produced his abundant compositional legacy in virtual obscurity. Even some of his close colleagues and family members had no idea he was a composer. A half century after Skalkottas' early death, the Greek composer is finally getting his due. Gunther Schuller's Margun Music has published a significant handful of scores, while BIS continues what hopes to be an ongoing survey of his music. In certain respects, it's a miracle that the music has survived at all. Much of Skalkottas' prolific output only exists in manuscript; tracking it all down amounts to a detective job from hell. For instance, only the second movement survives from Skallkotas' first of four Violin Sonatinas recorded here. It's a three-minute curio that aptly can be described as "Schoenberg meets Samba".

Much of Skalkottas' music, in fact, evokes the lilting, cosmopolitan sound world of the composers who made up "Les Six", yet the grammar is thoroughly rooted in Schoenberg's gritty, uncompromising 12-tone lexicon. Hints of catchy melodies flicker in and out of thorny chordal bushes and spiky rhythmic cells. Skalkottas is fond of abrupt endings. Each of Sonata for Solo Violin's four movements, for example, concludes in midthought, as if the composer simply decided to stop in his tracks and give his feverish pen a rest.

While it makes programming and marketing sense to build a CD release around all the Skalkottas violin music, it's best to absorb these dense, quirky works in small doses. Start with the oddly engaging Little Chorale and Fugue, then proceed to the larger-scaled Fourth Sonatina. Then choose an encore from any of the five concluding miniatures at the end of the disc. Georgios Demertzis and Maria Asteriadou dive head first into this strange, insidiously original music, playing with ferocity and musicianly abandon. Powerful stuff. ~Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com

Track listing:

Sonata for Solo Violin (1925)
1. I. Allegro furioso, quasi Presto 2'33
2. II. Adagietto 2'42
3. III. Allegro ritmato 1'41
4. IV. Adagio - Allegro molto Moderato 5'40

Sonatina No.1 for Violin and Piano (1929)
5. II. Andantino 2'50

Sonatina No.2 for Violin and Piano (1929)
6. I. Allegro 2'13
7. II. Andante 2'20
8. III. Allegro vivace 2'01

Sonatina No.3 for Violin and Piano (1935)
9. I. Allegro giusto 2'55
10. II. Andante 5'06
11. III. Maestoso - Vivace 3'17

Sonatina No.4 for Violin and Piano (1935)
12. I. Moderato 3'26
13. II. Adagio 6'49
14. III. Allegro moderato 2'51

Little Chorale and Fugue (c.1936/37?)
15. Adagio 1'16
16. Moderato 1'40

17. March of the Little Soldiers (c. 1936/37?) 0'50

18. Nocturne (c. 1936/37?) 4'53

19. Rondo (c. 1936/37?) 1'18

20. Gavotte (1939) 1'36

21. Scherzo (c. 1940?) 2'22

22. Menuetto Cantato (c. 1940?) 2'14

personnel:

Georgios Demertzis, violin
Maria Asteriadou, piano

BIS CD-1024, 1999

ClassicsToday.com 10/10

Stan Getz & Gerry Mulligan - Getz Meets Mulligan in Hi-Fi (1957){DCC GZS-1074 1995}

2009-12-27T20:30:00.008+02:00

"This is the least satisfying of Gerry Mulligan's celebrated sax duet albums for Verve, but that's mainly because Getz and Mulligan switch instruments on the second half (a lame idea considering that Stan's sound on the tenor was as rare and unique as Mulligan's fluidity on the baritone). Thankfully, the CD reissue adds bonus cuts of them playing their respective horns..." sez a Mr. Nick Dedina reviewing this CD for Rhapsody.com.

Of course, we know better (or do we?) and will cherish this wonderful album for two reasons, the first one being playing the guess-who's-playing-the-bari-on-this-number and a more obvious one, i.e. the cracking enjoyment of listening to two of the greatest horn men in jazz at the peak of their artistic powers, happy holidays all...

Track Listing:
1. Let's Fall in Love
2. Anything Goes
3. Too Close for Comfort
4. That Old Feeling
5. This Can't Be Love
6. A Ballad
7. Scrapple from the Apple (bonus track)
8. I Didn't Know What Time It Was (bonus track)

Personnel:
Gerry Mulligan (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Stan Getz (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Lou Levy (piano); Ron Carter (bass); Stan Levy (drums)

Recorded Oct. 12, 1957 for Verve Records (monaural)

Johnny Hodges & Wild Bill Davis

2009-12-14T15:44:00.003+02:00

This is a selection of some of the most memorable tracks from the many fast-selling LPs that Johnny Hodges and the organist Wild Bill Davis made together back in the good 'ole 1960's. Most of the material was written down by Hodges himself, sometimes in collaboration with one or another of his long-time associates in Duke Ellington's band and in two cases, "Hodge Podge" and "Harmony in Harlem", with the master himself. Several classics of easy-listening music such as Hash Brown and Wings and Things are included.

The latter, the longest track here, typifies the sort of performance that made the original releases so popular. Just as simple and direct is the more relaxed A&R Blues and in all cases the rapport between these masters is obvious. Davis sometimes uses his instrument with restraint, but he more often cuts loose, as in those many pieces where Hodges lays familiar blues phrases end to end with Davis blasting away behind him. Neither of them is afraid to repeat the same idea over and again, and on all tracks barring the ballads the rhythm sections keep up a heavy, absolutely unvarying beat, really driving things to the ground.

As should be expected there are no signs of hesitancy or inhibition in these performances, and that tells us a great deal about Hodges in the sense that he sounds completely different here from in the many sophisticated vehicles the Duke provided him with. The same goes for distinguished trombonist Lawrence Brown who plays along on several tracks. But it really is all down to Hodges and Davis who manage to make these pieces their own. Having heard these two play them, nobody would want to hear them played by anyone else.

Track listing:

1. Blue Hodge
2. Hodge Podge
3. Knuckles
4. Jones
5. I Cried for You
6. A&R Blues
7. Wings and Things
8. Peg o' my Heart
9. Spotted Dog
10.Blues for Madeleine
11.Rabbit Out of the Hat
12.Hash Brown
13.Harmony in Harlem
14.Blues o' Mighty

Various personnel, recorded between 1961-66, Verve 1988

Kenny Drew Trio - If You Could See Me Now (1974)

2009-12-12T13:37:00.005+02:00

Born in New York City in 1928, Drew first recorded with Howard McGhee in 1949, and over the next two years recorded with Buddy DeFranco, Coleman Hawkins, Milt Jackson, Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, and Dinah Washington. He then led many recording sessions throughout the 1950s, and appeared on John Coltrane's album Blue Train.

Along with several other American jazz musicians who went to Europe, in 1961 he moved to Copenhagen, Denmark. While he sacrificed much of the interest of the American jazz audience, he gained a wide following across Europe. Kenny Drew was a well known figure on the Copenhagen jazz scene, recording many sessions with the Danish bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen.

Kenny Drew and Dexter Gordon appeared onscreen in Ole Ege's theatrically released hardcore pornographic film Pornografi (1971), for which they composed and performed the score.

On his passing in 1993, Kenny Drew was interred in the Assistens Cemetery in Nørrebro, Copenhagen.

His son Kenny Drew, Jr. is also a jazz pianist.

If You Could See Me Now is the sequel album to Kenny Drew's most successful recording Dark Beauty (both for the Danish SteepleChase label). In fact, they were part of the same session as they were recorded a day apart (May 21 & 22 1974 respectively) and finds the trio in top form. Drew is expertly accompanied by Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass and Albert "Tootie" Heath on drums.

Track Listing:

In Your Own Sweet Way
If You Could See Me Now
All Souls Here
I'm Old Fashioned
Prelude To A Kiss
This Is The Moment
Oleo

Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Red Black & Green (1973)

2009-12-05T13:53:00.002+02:00

The words versatile and multi-talented seem to damn vibraphonist/bandleader Roy Ayers with faint praise, but summing up a musician of this quality without going over the moon is a tough task. Known to the hip-hop generation as Icon Man of acid jazz, Roy Ayers roots extend deep into bop. He started playing with West Coast jazz ensembles back in the early Sixties when he was 22 or so, working with the likes of Chico Hamilton, Gerald Wilson and Hampton Hawes, among others. In 1966, he hooked up with jazz flutist Herbie Mann, and performed and recorded him for four years, most notably on Mann's Concerto Grosso In D Blues and Memphis Underground albums. By 1970, he was ready to move on, which he did with Mann's blessing and assistance. He formed the Roy Ayers Ubiquity, with an ever-changing cast that included saxman Sonny Fortune (who appears on this disc) and percussionists Billy Cobham and Alphonse Mouzon (who don't). Red Black & Green came along in 1973, at about midpoint in Ayers' Polydor career. He manages to straddle the line between jazz and soul quite comfortably, but that was an era (think Grover Washington Jr. and George Benson's CTI-era recordings) when the borders were fluid. The disc went Top 5 on the Billboard jazz chart, though it contains versions of such soul classics as Papa Was A Rolling Stone and Ain't No Sunshine.

Tracklisting:
1 Ain't No Sunshine 6:20
Written-By - Bill Withers
2 Henceforth 3:53
Written-By - Roy Ayers
Written-By, Co-producer - Myrnaleah Williams
3 Day Dreaming 5:32
Written-By - Aretha Franklin
4 Red Black & Green 4:43
Written-By - Edwin Birdsong , Roselle Weaver , Roy Ayers
5 Cocoa Butter 4:50
Written-By - Roy Ayers
6 Rhythms Of Your Mind 3:08
Co-producer - Myrnaleah Williams
Written-By - Dennis Davis
7 Papa Was A Rolling Stone 5:32
Written-By - Barrett Strong , Norman Whitfield

Credits:
Arranged By [Strings], Conductor [Strings] - William S. Fischer
Backing Vocals - Carol Smiley , Claudia Moore , Laverne Seabrook , Tamara Richardson , Victoria Haspedale , Wayne Garfield
Bass - Clint Houston , Emir Ksasan
Congas, Percussion - Billy King , Daniel Benzebulon
Drums, Vocals, Arranged By - Dennis Davis
Electric Piano, Piano - Harry Whitaker
Engineer - Buzz Richmond
Engineer [Remix] - Eddie Kramer
Guitar - Billy Nichols , Bob Fusco , David Barron
Producer - Jerry Schoenbaum
Saxophone [Soprano] - Sonny Fortune
Strings - Alfred Brown , Charles McCracken , Emanuel Brown , Gene Orloff , Kermit Moore , Selwart Clarke
Trombone - Garnett Brown
Trumpet - Charles Tolliver
Vibraphone, Vocals, Piano, Organ, Arranged By - Roy Ayers

Recorded at Electric Lady Studio N.Y.C.

Bill Frisell - Music for the films of Buster Keaton - Go West

2009-11-29T14:05:00.006+02:00

Amazon.com essential recording
Guitarist Bill Frisell's exploration of 20th-century Americana has led him to many places, but the films of silent-screen comedian Buster Keaton have been a special inspiration. What makes this "background" music so compelling is Frisell's ability to reimagine the particular landscape of Keaton's Wild West, its wide-open spaces and doomed humor. His compositional materials are almost minimalist. A few short melodies recur throughout, and the bass motif that appears with the brief "Box Car" appears again and again, in "Train," "Bullfight," "New Day," and "Cattle Drive," until it assumes the inexorable momentum of narrative. In his handling of these materials, Frisell is able to suggest a host of other musics (like the blues of "Card Game" and the dissonant near-flamenco of "Ambush") and a range of complex emotions. His then-regular partners make essential contributions: Kermit Driscoll provides rock-steady bass lines, while Joey Baron's creative use of percussion extends to using woodblocks for both humor and foreboding. Like Keaton, Frisell has the ability to take the expected, even the cliché, and make it resonate with subtle and sometimes disturbing dimensions. In the process, he has created a score that not only enriches the film but is able to stand on its own. For another Frisell take on Keaton, check out the shorter High Sign/One Week. --Stuart Broomer

For maximum enjoyment of this masterwork, one of course has to listen to the music while watching the film, he's in for an unforgettable trip, this 'soundtrack' works wonders on old Buster's antics carrying them to the late 20th century with aplomb -- kudos to these three master musicians then, and especially to Baron who propels the whole band.-- d3lta

Track listing

1. "Down on Luck" - 4:11
2. "Box Car" - 0:57
3. "Busy Street Scene" - 0:44
4. "Go West" - 1:00
5. "Train" - 3:06
6. "Brown Eyes" - 4:21
7. "Saddle Up!" - 2:41
8. "First Aid" - 0:51
9. "Bullfight" - 2:25
10. "Wolves" - 3:14
11. "New Day" - 5:27
12. "Branded" - 1:20
13. "Eats" - 1:13
14. "Splinter Scene" - 2:33
15. "Cattle Drive" - 4:36
16. "Card Game" - 5:03
17. "Ambush" - 4:02
18. "Passing Through Pasadena" - 1:52
19. "To The Streets" - 3:11
20. "Tap Dancer and Confusion" - 6:42
21. "Devil Suit" - 2:08
22. "Cops and Fireman" - 3:58
23. "That a Boy" - 1:31
24. "I Want Her" - 2:13

All compositions by Bill Frisell

* Recorded at Möbius Music, San Francisco 1995
Personnel

* Bill Frisell: acoustic and electric guitars
* Kermit Driscoll: acoustic and electric basses
* Joey Baron: drums and percussion

Label: Nonesuch

Tim Hagans & Marcus Printup - HubSongs - The Music of Freddie Hubbard

2009-11-27T15:33:00.005+02:00

The Hub, of course, is Freddie Hubbard and although he doesn't play he's definitely at the center of this recording. Freddie picked and arranged the tunes, which are, save for one, all Hubbard originals. Hagans and Printup have both expressed their admiration for Hubbard's work and their delight in tackling his sometimes complex music is evident throughout. The bulk of the material is drawn from Hubbard's hard bop days at BlueNote and his jazz/funk output for the Atlantic label. Vincent Herring (alto), Javon Jackson (tenor), Benny Green (piano), Peter Washington (bass), and Kenny Washington (drums) provide the twin trumpeters with "all-star" support. Green is most effective in a duo role with Hagans and Printup while Jackson gets to strut his stuff on "Thermo", a bop classic that dates back to Hubbard's tenure with Art Blakey. Herring is best heard on an intense performance of "Life Flight". The real stars of this date are, of course, Tim and Marcus. I'm betting that Freddie was thrilled by their crackling interplay and inventive improvisations on this terrific "tribute" CD. ~ John Sharpe @ allaboutjazz.com

Tracklisting:
1. Backlash
2. Happy Times
3. Hub Cap
4. Lament For Booker
5. On the que-Tee
6. Crisis
7. Byrd Like
8. Thermo
9. Up Jumped Spring
10. Life Flight

Release Date: Jan. 13, 1998
Recorded at Avatar Studio C, New York, New York on August 1 & 2, 1997
Produced & arranged by Freddie Hubbard
High-rez recording mastered from 20-bit sources

The Gil Evans Orchestra - Little Wing (Live 1978)

2009-11-26T07:19:00.005+02:00

Let's stick to the '70s for a bit and this gem of a recording featuring Gil Evans and his superb group of soloists in an outstanding live set from 1978 consisting of reworkings in the unique Evans style. Every conceivable style is thrown in for good measure, the highlight of course being the superb rendition of Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing clocking a staggering 25 minutes. Absolutely essential listening.

Tracklisting:
1. Dr. Jeckyl (Jackle) 16:12
2. The Meaning of the Blues 9:04
3. Little Wing 25:09
4. For Bob's Tuba 9:58

The Gil Evans Orchestra consisting of:
Lew Soloff: trumpet, piccolo trumpet
Terumasa Hino: trumpet
Gerry Niewood: alto saxophone
George Adams: tenor saxophone, flute, percussion
Bob Stewart: tuba
Gil Evans: electric piano
Pete Levin: synthesizer
Don Pate: electric bass
Rob Crowder: drums

Recorded live in Germany, October 19, 1978

Richard Davis - Now's the Time (1972)

2009-11-24T19:44:00.012+02:00

Let's move into more adventurous musical territory: Chicago-born Davis (1930 - ) spent 23 years in New York City establishing himself as one of the world's premier bass players. Downbeat International Critics Poll named him Best Bassist from 1967-74. He has recorded a dozen albums as a leader and 2000 recordings/jingles as a sideman. Some of his performance/recording credits include Sarah Vaughan, Eric Dolphy, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Miles Davis Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Band, Dexter Gordon, Ahmad Jamal and a host of other notables. Davis is equally at home in the world of classical music, having played under the batons of George Szell, Leopold Stokowski, Igor Stravinsky, Pierre Boulez, Gunther Schuller, and Leonard Bernstein. His great versatility as a bassist keeps him in constant demand for worldwide concert appearances.

Now's the Time originally consisted of two side-long avant-garde jams on bebop standards in its LP form("Now's the Time" and "Epistrophy" which both clock in at over 22 minutes apiece), this live session was expanded upon its CD reissue with the inclusion of a version of Clifford Jordan's "Highest Mountain." Although tenor saxophonist Jordan, pianist Joe Bonner, drummer Freddie Waits and bassist Richard Davis were on the date, trumpeter Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson is the most dominant force, both as a player and in his conception of opening up the music. These very unpredictable renditions reward repeated listenings.

Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Pass, Ray Brown, Mickey Roker

2009-11-21T10:18:00.004+02:00

In the autumnal phase of his recording career, Dizzy Gillespie was reunited with Jazz At The Philharmonic producer Norman Granz for a series of finely crafted recordings on his Pablo label (so named because Granz financed the label by selling off some of his valuable Picassos).

These later recordings are often mistakenly undervalued by critics, despite their superb production values, dynamic acoustic sound, and generally provocative mix of players and musical materials. DIZZY'S BIG 4 is one of the very best, featuring a dream team rhythm section that responds to all of Gillespie's virtuoso challenges, and then some. Ray Brown is one of the all-time greats, who startled the jazz world when he first emerged as Dizzy's bassist while still in his teens; drummer Mickey Roker is a commanding percussionist and long-time Gillespie collaborator, while guitarist Joe Pass is a stellar virtuoso, with a series of excellent recitals of his own on Pablo.

Gillespie is in a particularly puckish mood on these sessions. Where the youthful Gillespie might have ordinarily opted for more of the bravura pyrotechnics, represented herein by the relentlessly uptempo changes of "Be Bop (Dizzy's Fingers)," DIZZY'S BIG 4 is distinguished by the ballads "Hurry Home," "Russian Lullaby" and "September Song." Here the trumpeter's rich timbral shadings plumb deep new meaning from these familiar melodies. Most impressive is Dizzy's depth and range as a blues player, which further enlivens his improvisations on Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz," his own latin styled funk on "Frelimo" and the hard bopping "Birks Works."

Tracklisting:
1.Frelimo 8:06 (Gillespie)
2.Hurry Home 6:20 (Meyer/Emmerich/Bernier)
3.Russian Lullaby 6:46 (I. Berlin)
4.Be Bop (Dizzy's Fingers) 4:26 (Gillespie)
5.Birks Works 8:48 (Dizzy Gillespie)
6.September Song 2:45 (M. Anderson/K. Weill)
7.Jitterbug Waltz 6:49 (Fats Waller)

Personnel:
Dizzy Gillespie t
Joe Pass g
Ray Brown b
Mickey Roker d

Recorded at Cherokee Recording Studios, Hollywood, California on September 17 & 19, 1974. Originally released on Pablo (2310-719). Produced by Norman Granz.Includes liner notes by Benny Green.
Digitally remastered by Phil De Lancie (Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California).

Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie

2009-11-21T09:57:00.003+02:00

Amazon.com essential recording
This 1977 date joins two jazz giants with contrasting approaches: Gillespie's explosive bop trumpet virtuosity and Basie's laconic piano style. The bare-bones quartet format--with the sterling rhythm team of bassist Ray Brown and drummer Mickey Roker--does nothing to conceal the differences, but it sets up a comfortable middle ground that accommodates swing and bop nuances alike. Differences apart, the co-leaders share infectious warmth, a deep feeling for the blues, and an absolute compulsion to swing. Basie's understatement triggers some of Gillespie's most thoughtful playing of his later career, developing long, intricate solos that combine harmonic exploration and direct, speechlike inflections, often with the distinctive burr of a harmon mute. The settings--two Gillespie tunes, the ancient "St. James Infirmary," and a series of impromptu collaborations--are casual, doing nothing to encumber the musicians in a session they're clearly enjoying. --Stuart Broomer

Tracklisting
1.Back To The Land 7:20
2.Constantinople 8:28
3.You Got It 5:21
4.St. James Infirmary 6:54
5.Follow The Leader 6:24
6.Ow 6:18

Personnel:
Count Basie p
Dizzy Gillespie t
Ray Brown b
Mickey Roker d

Recorded at Las Vegas Recording Studio, Las Vegas, NV; February 3, 1977 for Pablo Records. Produced by Norman Granz. Remastering 1996 - Phil De Lancie.

Thelonious Monk Live at the It Club 1964

2009-11-19T09:04:00.004+02:00

A lost Thelonious Monk treasure from the 60s -- a really open-ended live set recorded in LA in 1964, but not issued by Columbia until the early 80s -- making the package a wonderful re-discover of Monk's genius during these years! The tunes are much more freewheeling than some of the studio work cut by Monk's quartet at the time -- stretched out takes on Monkish favorites, played by Thelonious on piano, Charlie Rouse on tenor, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums -- all with plenty of room for extended solos. This wonderful 2CD package brings together the complete recordings from the show -- offering up many tracks in their full recorded versions, and adding in a few unreleased tracks too -- titles that include "Bemsha Swing", "Blue Monk", "Well You Needn't", "Misterioso", "Gallops Gallop", "Teo", "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You", "All The Things You Are", "Blues Five Spot", "Evidence", "Bright Mississippi", and "Nutty". Dusty Groove America

Recorded over two evenings in Los Angeles in 1964 and arranged in order, this recording presents the great Thelonious Monk at the peak of his considerable talents--and with his most enduring sidemen, including saxophonist Charlie Rouse and drummer Ben Riley. This version also restores 11 (!) cuts to their entirety (previous versions edited or offered shortened bass and drum solos). Aside from the now-complete versions of the set's songs, this It Club also offers three previously unreleased songs ("Teo," "Bright Mississippi," and "Just You, Just Me") and 20-bit digital remastering. The result is perhaps as close as we can come to a great-sounding complete show by one of the most fertile minds in the history of jazz. While not one of Monk's wilder live sessions, this set nonetheless effortlessly communicates the pianist's offbeat genius. From the first note, the sound (which thanks to the remaster, begs for high volume) is classic Monk: inquisitive right-hand chord exploration, thundering left-hand exclamations, and intoxicating runs up and down the keyboard fly from his fingers while the band gives him enough room so that every thought, strategy, and wild hare is allowed to range free. Highlights include an exquisitely gorgeous "I'm getting Sentimental over You", a spicy "Rhythm-A-Ning," and an uptempo "Bright Mississippi." With excellent liner notes by Bob Blumenthal and some new photos, this package rates as a must-buy for all Monkophiles. amazon.com

...Very little of his recorded legacy has more of the feeling of spontaneity and joy at music-making than this set, recorded in 1964.... Never before released in its entirety, the set contains 27 minutes of previously unreleased titles plus original tracks restored to their full length for the first time. BBC magazine

Tracklisting
Disc 1: Blue Monk; Well, You Needn’t; ‘Round Midnight; Rhythm-a-Ning; Blues Five Spot; Beshma Swing; Evidence; Nutty; Epistrophy (Theme).

Disc 2: Straight, No Chaser; Teo; I’m Getting Sentimental Over You; Misterioso; Gallop’s Gallop; Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-are; Bright Mississippi; Just You, Just Me; All The Things You Are; Epistrophy

Personnel
Thelonious Monk (piano)
Charlie Rouse (tenor sax)
Larry Gales (bass)
Ben Riley (drums)

Recorded live at the “It” Club, Los Angeles CA, on October 31st and November 1st 1964.

Billy Cobham

2009-11-18T12:08:00.006+02:00

Coming to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cobham is, in the words of critic Steve Huey, "generally acclaimed as fusion's greatest drummer," and "one of the best [drummers] in the world" with an influential style that combines explosive power and exacting precision.

This 1987 compilation documenting his Atlantic period ably demonstrates what a hell of a musician Cobham is (and a great guy speaking from personal experience). Snoopy's Search/Red Baron from his mega-hit Spectrum LP alone warrants the price of admission.

tracklisting

1 Quadrant 4 4:30
2 Snoopy's Search / Red Baron 7:39
3 Spanish Moss 4:08
4 Moon Germs 4:55
5 Stratus 9:50
6 The Pleasant Pheasant 5:11
7 Solo / Panhandler 4:06
8 Do What Cha Wanna 4:35

notes
Tracks 1,2 and 5 from Atlantic SD 7268 ''Spectrum'' LP.
Tracks 3 and 6 from Atlantic 7300 ''Crosswinds'' LP.
Track 4 from Atlantic 18121 ''Total Eclipse'' LP.
Track 7 from Atlantic SD 18149 ''A Funky Thide Of Sings'' LP.
Track 8 from Atlantic SD 18194 ''The Billy Cobham / George Duke Band Live'' LP.

Al Haig Plays the Music of Jerome Kern (1978)

2009-11-13T21:43:00.006+02:00

Veteran bop survivor Al Haig plays four unaccompanied piano solos, has four duets with bassist Jamil Nasser, and backs singer and producer of this obscure album Helen Merrill on "They Didn't Believe Me." Although Jerome Kern did not care for jazz, his songs have long been viable vehicles for jazz improvisations, and Haig picked out some of the best ones for the date, including The Way You Look Tonight, All the Things You Are and The Song Is You.

Original LP cover

"...There is a curious sense of history revisited, or rewritten, in the release of this album by Al Haig. More than three decades ago, in 1947, Haig was a member of the large orchestra (woodwings, strings, French horns) conducted by Johnny Richards for a Dizzy Gillespie record session. The date was dedicated to Jerome Kern; in fact, two of the four songs recorded, The Way You Look Tonight and All the Things You Are are found in the present Haig collection.

As one of the first and most gifted pianists to become involved in the revolutionary new jazz of the period, Haig was in and out of the bebop scene for several years, working from time to time with big bands such as Charlie Barnet’s or Jimmy Dorsey’s, but also answering calls from Dizzy or Bird.

The present album finds Al in his element, provided with material from the long-prolific pen of Jerome Kern. Haig’s version of Yesterdays (introduced in a 1933 musical, Roberta) finds him in a reflective mood, with fills and ornamentations that are at times evocative of Art Tatum. It is interesting that even on the up tempo pieces such as I’m Old Fashioned, Al bears little resemblance to Bud Powell, who was generally accepted in his day as the pace-setting bebop pianists. The supple bass work on this and other tracks is by Jamil Nasser..." ~from the 1980 liner notes.

tracklisting:
The Way You Look Tonight
Yesterdays
Dearly Beloved
Can I Forget You
I'm Old Fashioned
All The Things You Are
The Song Is You
They Didn't Believe Me (Helen Merrill, vcl)
The Folks Who Live on The Hill

personnel: Al Haig (p), Jamil Nasser (b), Helen Merrill (vcl, producer)

rec Downtown Sound, NYC, 1978

Al Haig Quartet 1954

2009-11-13T12:18:00.004+02:00

One of the finest pianists of the bop era (and one who learned from Bud Powell's innovations quite early), Al Haig was quite busy during two periods of his career but unfortunately was pretty obscure in the years between. After serving in the Coast Guard (playing in bands during 1942-1944) and freelancing around Boston, Haig worked steadily with Dizzy Gillespie (1945-1946), Charlie Parker (1948-1950), and Stan Getz (1949-1951); and was on many recordings, mostly as a sideman (including some classic Diz and Bird sessions) but also as a leader for Spotlite, Dawn, and Prestige. However (other than little-known dates in 1954 for Esoteric, Swing, and Period), Haig did not lead any more albums until 1974. He played fairly often during the 1951-1973 period, but was generally overlooked. That changed during his last decade, when he was finally recognized as a bop giant and recorded for Spotlite, Choice, SeaBreeze, Interplay, and several Japanese and European labels. ~ Scott Yanow, AMG.

Tracklisting:

1. Sweet Loraine (C.Burwell-M.Parish)
2. Tea For Two (V.Youmans-I.Caesar)
3. You Go To My Head (F.Coots-H.Gilespie)
4. You Stepped Out Of A Dream (Brown-Kahn)
5. Undecided (C.Shavers-S.Robin)
6. The Man I Love (G&I Gershwin)
7. Woodyn' You (D.Gillespie)
8. Stella By Starlight (Young-Washington)
9. Someone To Watch Over Me (G&I Gershwin)

Featuring: Al Haig (p), Benny Weeks (g), Teddy Kotick (b), Phil Brown (d)

Released September 1954

Earl "Fatha" Hines with Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge 1965

2009-11-11T21:33:00.006+02:00

Earl "Fatha" Hines, a contemporary of Louis Armstrong, had been making musical history for four decades previous to recording this 1965 date at the Village Vanguard. It is beyond me why Hines is often "second fiddle" to lesser musicians in many texts and critiques of this music called Jazz. After all, he was present at the birth of Jazz as a musical art form; maybe second only to Jelly Roll Morton. His influence on musicians that came afterward (such as Art Tatum, Errol Garner and Nat Cole) cannot be denied. Why does he seldom show up on the short list of musicians in the Jazz pantheon?

I paid a small fortune for these two hidden gems; more than any other in my collection. But, the purchase has paid off in spades. What a dynamite performance by not only Hines but also elders Roy Eldridge and Coleman Hawkins. The program of standards is exemplary, the collaborative execution is exciting and the sound is superb for this live date. Add to this the wonderful liner notes detailing this trio's not so positive experience with Charles Mingus during the week at the Vanguard and you have a GREAT listening experience as well as a palatable history lesson. TEN STARS! (obviously) happy amazon customer

..This is one of the great feel-good jazz recordings of his or anyone's career. Hines plays it every way but safe here, taking outrageous harmonic and metric chances....It's one of Hawk's last superior performances...
JazzTimes (05/01/1996)

Tracklisting
DISC 1:
1. Portraits of Fats Waller: Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now / Two Sleepy People / Ain't Misbehavin' / The Jitterbug Waltz / Squeeze Me / Honeysuckle Rose
2. C-Jam Blues
3. Sunday
4. Broadway Medley: Baubles, Bangles And Beads / Tea For Two
5. Sweet Georgia Brown

DISC 2:
1. The Grand Terrace Medley: Breezin' Along With The Breeze / A Cottage For Sale / Fine And Dandy
2. Man I Love, The
3. Rosetta
4. Undecided
5. Just One More Chance - (previously unreleased)
6. Take the "A" Train

Album notes
Earl Hines Trio: Earl Hines (piano); George Tucker (bass); Oliver Jackson, Jr. (drums), Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone); Roy Eldridge (trumpet, flugelhorn)

Recorded live at The Village Vanguard, New York on March 14, 1965. Originally released on Limelight (86020, 86028) as two separate LPs. Includes liner notes by Dan Morgenstern, Ira Gitler and Chris Albertson.

Digitally remastered by Suha Gur (Polygram Studios).

Steve Coleman & Five Elements - Curves Of Life

2009-11-09T12:14:00.003+02:00

When will Five Elements do a 'Live' recording?" When indeed - how about now! The Tao of Mad Phat (one of the previous Steve Coleman recordings) was recorded 'live' in a recording studio in front of an audience. According to Steve, "that recording (The Tao of Mad Phat) has a small club atmosphere to it, so when I got the opportunity to actually record in a club, I liked the idea a lot." Public response to 'The Tao' prompted the members of the band more eager to record a truly 'live' album.

While doing a very important grass roots style tour thru the west coast of the United States in the fall of 1994, Steve met with Jean-Paul Artero, owner of the club Hot Brass club in Paris (Artero happened to be in California at the same time). Jean-Paul had heard about a gig done in New York City earlier that year which featured several of Steve's groups in a series on the music of Steve Coleman. He approached Steve about doing this kind of thing at the Hot Brass in Paris. Coleman liked the idea so much that he approached BMG/RCA about recording at least some of the music. After a consideration, BMG France, in collaboration with BMG New York, decided to record all of the music that would be played during the band's 5 nights of performances at Hot Brass. The idea was to release the music on three separate CDs, each one representing one of Coleman's groups, and also to make the recordings available as a box set.

For this gig Steve chose to work with three of his groups - Steve Coleman and Five Elements, Steve Coleman and Metrics and Steve Coleman and The Mystic Rhythm Society. This last group had never been heard in Europe before these recordings were made. The musicians who contributed to this recording particularly liked the atmosphere at the Hot Brass club. The owners and workers of the club did everything possible to ensure the comfort of the performers and provide a nice atmosphere.

This recording, Curves of Life features Steve Coleman and Five Elements. The group had made eight recordings previously, five of these with BMG, so their identity has been well documented on recordings. But all of these recordings have been studio recordings and this recording captures the spirit of the music in an actual performance before an audience. The title refers to the way the music unfolds organically representing the growth patterns of living organisms. Steve has been in the process of studying this approach of creating music spontaneously for many years and he plans on using it as a basis for the future development of his music.

The band played as they normally would and was not overly concerned about the recording process. Even to the point of letting musicians in the audience sit in and participate in impromptu jams (David Murray's appearance on this recording was not planned, he just happened to be in Paris playing another gig and dropped by to see Steve perform). When the band plays a gig, they usually play whatever they feel at any given moment. None of the music is planned out ahead of time; the musicians don't have any idea what they are going to play themselves and in many instances play music that they had never conceived of before the moment of performance.. This meant that the recording engineers had to be alert and prepared for any sound (vocal or instrumental) that might come from the musicians. This situation is not normal but the engineers who recorded these concerts did a great job.

This album is part of a trilogy.

Volume 1:
Steve Coleman and The Mystic Rhythm Society
Myths, Modes and Means BMG 74321316922

Volume 2:
Steve Coleman and Metrics
The Way of the Cipher BMG 74321316902

Volume 3:
Steve Coleman and Five Elements
Curves of Life BMG 74321316932

Also available as a box set:
Steve Coleman's Music
Live at the Hot Brass BMG 74321316912

tracklisting:

1. Multiplicity Of Approaches (The African Way of Knowing) 15:34
2. Country Bama 19:12
3. The Streets 09:01
4. Round Midnight 07:06
5. Drop Kick Live 09:40
6. The Gypsy 03:46
7. I'm Burnin Up (Fire Theme) 13:40

personnel:

Steve Coleman (alto saxophone), Andy Milne (piano/keyboards), Reggie Washington (bass), and Gene Lake (drums).

Special guest:
David Murray (tenor saxophone) on "Country Bama" and "I'm Burnin Up". Sitting in on "I'm Burnin Up" are lyricists Black Indian, Sub-Zero and Kokayi.

Wattstax (1973)

2009-11-08T09:51:00.005+02:00

Wattstax is a 1973 documentary film by Mel Stuart that focused on the 1972 Wattstax music festival and the African American community of Watts in Los Angeles, California. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Documentary Film in 1974. It was also screened at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, but wasn't entered into the main competition. The concert was held at the Los Angeles Coliseum on August 20, 1972, and organized by Memphis's Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Watts riots. Wattstax was seen by some as "the Afro-American answer to Woodstock". To enable as many members of the black community in L.A. to attend as possible, tickets were sold for only $1.00 each. The Reverend Jesse Jackson gave the invocation, which included his "I Am - Somebody" poem, which was recited in a call and response with the assembled stadium crowd. In the film, interspersed between songs are interviews with Richard Pryor, Ted Lange and others who discuss the black experience in America.

Come Together - A Guitar Tribute to the Beatles (1993)

2009-11-08T01:06:00.005+02:00

Legendary NY vibraphonist and producer Mike Mainieri gathered an amazing group of jazz guitarists to pay their respects to the masters of British pop. A real dream team in the likes of (in order of appearance) Mark Whitfield, Toninho Horta, Ralph Towner, Steve Khan, Zachary Breaux, Adrian Belew, John Abercrombie, Allan Holdsworth, Leni Stern, Larry Coryell and Toots Thielemans offer us their versions of Beatles standards in this very enjoyable (albeit romantic) set, enjoy.

Tracklisting

Come Together
She's Leaving Home
Here, There & Everywhere
Within You, Without You / Blue Jay Way
Eleanor Rigby
Blackbird
And I Love Her
Michelle
Norwegian Wood
Something
Yesterday

Nikos Skalkottas (1904-49) - Ballet Music for Piano

2009-10-31T09:42:00.003+02:00

BIS' vividly titled The Land and the Sea of Greece takes its moniker from an inspired and lively ballet suite by that title dating from 1948; it, Island Images (1943), and The Maiden and Death (1938) constitutes all of the ballet music Greek composer Nikos Skalkottas produced for solo piano. It is played by a young Greek virtuoso, Lorenda Ramou, who also functions as one-half of Duo Palmós, which specializes in four-hand Greek piano music. This is the 16th disc in BIS' comprehensive series exposing the complete works of Skalkottas, the former Schoenberg student who was probably the greatest classical composer Greece produced in the twentieth century, little represented on recordings until BIS took up his cause in 1999.

The Maiden and Death is already recognized as a landmark work in Skalkottas' oeuvre, as it opens the door to what would prove the final chapter in Skalkottas' artistic development, a relaxation of his use of twelve-tone techniques in favor of more traditional, folk-derived motifs, nonetheless informed by his contact with serialism. The score for an orchestral version of The Maiden and Death, made by Skalkottas in the mid-'40s, has disappeared, so a reconstruction was made based on this piano version combined with old photographs taken of the missing orchestral score. The orchestral The Maiden and Death has already been recorded, but Ramou's performance here is the first of the piano original. Island Images was written for dancer Aleka Mazaraki-Katseli, then a student of Polyxeni Mathéy, whose work as a choreographer and ballet teacher proved the impetus that inspired much of the music here. There are some tiny photographs reproduced in the booklet of early performances of The Land and the Sea of Greece, one of which takes place on a barge mid-water off the Island of Aegina -- one wishes that these were easier to see.

Skalkottas' music is ruthlessly efficient, somewhat cold, and akin to Prokofiev's ballet music, although his musical style is unquestionably Greek and not Russian. It is also intense and brightly rhythmic; it is easy to see how well chiseled these creations were wrought for the dance. In these piano versions, however, it's rather hard for the sound of the music to avoid a certain "piano rehearsal" quality; that's pretty much what these scores were meant for. Nevertheless, Ramou projects the best aspects that the music has to offer, and it's a promising recording debut for her in addition to being a strong addition to Skalkottas' ever-expanding recorded catalog. ~ Uncle Dave Lewis, All Music Guide

Tracklisting
1-6 The Land and the Sea of Greece, ballet suite for piano 21:29
7-12 Island Images, ballet suite for piano 13:18
13-19 The Maiden and Death, ballet suite for piano 19:26
20 Procession to Acheron, ballet music for piano 4:23
21 Echo, ballet for Piano 4:11

Atlantic Jazz - Soul (1986)

2009-10-26T11:20:00.011+02:00

An Atlantic Jazz slice of mostly '60s jazz-soul treats. Fittingly, the 11-track disc includes a side by one of the prime progenitors of soul, Ray Charles: He and MJQ vibraphonist, Milt Jackson, stretch out on the canonized "How Long Blues." Further expounding on the soul-jazz trajectory, the collection spotlights work by organist Shirley Scott (the Aretha Franklin hit "Think"), Les McCann and Eddie Harris (their classic Montreux Festival cut "Compared to What"), Yusef Lateef ("Russell and Elliot"), and Hank Crawford ("You're the One"). And there's even a bit of boogaloo-enhanced bossa, compliments of trumpeter Nat Adderley ("Jive Samba"). A nice introduction to the soul-jazz movement that superceded hard bop.

Track Listing

1. Think - Shirley Scott
2. Twist City - Matthew Gee, Johnny Griffin
3. How Long Blues - Ray Charles, Milt Jackson
4. Comin' Home Baby - Herbie Mann
5. Russell and Eliot - Yusef Lateef
6. Listen Here - Eddie Harris
7. With These Hands - Les McCann
8. Compared to What - Eddie Harris, Les McCann
9. You're the One - Hank Crawford
10. Jive Samba - Nat Adderley
11. Money in the Pocket - Joe Zawinul

Roy Ayers Live at Ronnie Scott's 1998

2009-10-23T10:54:00.005+03:00

Captured back in 1988 within the intimate settings of London's legendary West End jazz haunt, Ronnie Scott's in Soho, Roy Ayers delivers big time his unique fusion of funk, jazz and soul -- topped by his trademark jazz vibe playing. The album includes infectious reworkings of such club classics as 'Running Away', 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' and 'Cant You See Me'. (from the liner notes)

Indeed, this is a live set guaranteed to make everybody get up and start shakin' this booty as can be attested by embedded videos of this very set below. The participation of the late, great Zachary Breaux on guitar in this formidable band can only be regarded as a bonus and a fitting tribute.

Tracklisting:

1. The Spirit of Doo Do
2. I Wanna Touch You Baby
3. Everybody Loves the Sunshine
4. Fast Money
5. Battle of the Vibes
6. Can't You See Me
7. Running Away
8. Don't Stop the Feeling

Personnel:

Roy Ayers - vocals, vibraphone
Zachary Breaux - guitar
Errol Louis - Bass
Ben Peronsky - drums
Dwight Gassaway - percussion

Battle of the Vibes, where we get to meet Roy Ayers the stand-up comedian.

Running Away featuring a killer solo by Zachary Breaux, rip.

Roy Ayers Ubiquity - He's Coming (1972)

2009-10-22T08:20:00.004+03:00

One of the rarest and greatest Roy Ayers albums of all time -- the sly, funky and spiritual masterpiece He's Coming from 1971 -- really the beginning of the funk years from Roy Ayers Ubiquity! This one's a totally solid mix of soulful jazz, jazzy soul and righteous funk -- and it's straight up wonderful all the way through -- with a groove that's hugely influential to say the least! Includes the amazing track "We Live In Brooklyn Baby", which has a slow sample bassline in the intro that's just incredible -- plus groovy cuts like the spiritual funk classic Jesus Christ Superstar "He's a Superstar", "He's Coming", and "Sweet Tears". The lineup includes Sonny Fortune on soprano sax and flute and Billy Cobham drums and percussion, and the record's co-arranged by Harry Whitaker, who's also on keys and vocals -- with other tracks include "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "Ain't Got Time", "I Don't Know How To Love Him", "Sweet Butterfly Of Love" and "Fire Weaver". Amazing stuff, really a beautiful encapsulation of Roy Ayers in peak form! ~Dusty Groove America

Tracklist
He's A Superstar
He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother
Ain't Got Time
I Don't Know How To Love Him
He's Coming
We Live In Brooklyn Baby
Sweet Butterfly Of Love
Sweet Tears
Fire Weaver

Credits
Electric Piano, Organ, Vocals - Harry Whitaker
Vibraphone, Organ, Vocals - Roy Ayers
Backing Vocals - Carol Smiley , Gloria Jones , Victoria Hospedale
Bass - John Williams, Ron Carter
Congas - Jumma Santos
Drums - David Lee, Jr.
Drums, Percussion - Billy Cobham
Guitar - Bob Fusco, Sam Brown
Soprano Sax, Flute - Sonny Fortune
Strings - Selwart Clarke
Engineer - Rudy Van Gelder

Polydor PD5022 1972

Roy Ayers - Ubiquity (1970)

2009-10-21T13:48:00.005+03:00

One of the greatest Roy Ayers albums of all time. The record is right in the same vein as Roy's groundbreaking He's Coming LP -- a righteous mix of soul jazz, subtle funk, and some of the cosmic wisdom that Roy was spreading among the jazz funk underground -- all wrapped up beautifully, but never in a way that's like commercial soul of the time. There's a few instrumental tracks on the album, plus some vocal ones that show that off-beat male/female style that Roy would use more famously in later tracks like "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" or his work with Ramp. Players include Harry Whitaker on electric piano, Edwin Birdsong on organ, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, Jumma Santos on congas -- and titles include a version of Nat Adderley's "Hummin", done as "Hummin In The Sun", and very much in the Ramp vein. Also features instrumental cuts "The Fuzz", which has Roy's vibes toned way up, and the cool mellow "The Painted Desert", a really offbeat slow jazz number. The group also does a great job with Edwin Birdsong's "Pretty Brown Skin", picking up the song as a really anthemic groover that gives the record a nice kick. ~Dusty Groove America

Tracklisting

1. Pretty Brown Skin
2. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
3. I Can't Help Myself
4. Love
5. The Fuzz
6. Hummin'
7. Can You Dig It?
8. Painted Desert
9. He Gives Us All His Love

LP 58496 Polydor, 1971

Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Virgo Red (1973)

2009-10-21T10:06:00.004+03:00

Despite contributions from an abundance of soul-jazz greats including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jimmy Owens, and Garnett Brown, VIRGO RED is the most stripped-down and nuanced of Roy Ayers's Ubiquity LPs. Its sinuous funk grooves are first and foremost a showcase for the intuitive interplay of Ayers and electric keyboardist Harry Whitaker, whose Fender Rhodes fill-ins orbit Ayers's vibes solos like a planet circling the sun. The material is a crazy quilt of righteously soulful originals and deeply funky covers spanning Leroy Hutson's soul classic "Giving Love" to Stories' soft-pop smash "Brother Louie" to absolute treacle like THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE's "The Morning After"--by all rights it shouldn't work, but as the astrological overtones winding through VIRGO RED attest, sometimes the stars align.

1. Brother Louie
2. Virgo Red
3. I Am Your Mind
4. The Morning After
5. Love From The Sun
6. It's So Sweet
7. Giving Love
8. Des Nude Soul

Baritone Vocals - Argerie Ayers , Arthur Clark , Denise Bridgewater* , Leslie Carter (2) , Seldon Powell , Willie Michael
Bass - David Johnson (2) , Gordon Edwards
Congas, Bongos, Vocals - Chano O'Ferral
Drums, Percussion - Dennis Davis
Guitar - Dennis Heaven , Will Hawes
Percussion - Adrian Dey , Stephen Sadiz Shbazzberrios
Piano, Electric Piano, Organ - Harry Whitaker
Producer - Jerry Schoenbaum
Sitar [Electric Sitar] - Jerry Friedman
Trombone - Garnett Brown
Trumpet - Cecil Bridgewater , Jimmie Owens
Vibraphone, Organ, Vocals, Percussion - Roy Ayers
Vocals - Dee Dee Bridgewater

Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, New York, July 1973

Material - Hallucination Engine (1993)

2009-09-19T10:33:00.005+03:00

Praising Hallucination Engine as a postmodern Bitches Brew may seem mad, but Material bassist-composerguru Bill Laswell risks a maneuver akin to the one Miles Davis pulled off with his 1969 trailblazer: fusing disparate sounds into one groovy om of exhilaration and release. For sonic gorgeousness, funky trance states and technical bravado, this bid is the boldest.

In fact, the array of guest musicians is more diverse than ever: Trilok Gurtu, Jonas Hellborg, Zakir Hussain, Bootsy Collins -- the list goes on and on and even includes William Burroughs (who intones a hilarious list of "Words of Advice" over a churning mid-tempo funk groove). In his ambient mode, Laswell has been accused of turning too little music into too much track length, and there's some justice to those criticisms; here, "Black Light" and the unbelievably well-named "Eternal Drift" both plod along for far too long with far too little development. But that William Burroughs track kicks in just as you're about to fall asleep, and it's followed immediately by a very funky and very jazzy remix of "Cucumber Slumber." "The Hidden Garden/Naima" proposes an interesting juxtaposition of Arabic pop song and modal jazz, with dramatic and beautiful results, while "Shadows of Paradise" brings the album to a close with a gentle whimper, not a bang.

* Arranged By - Bill Laswell
* Bass - Bill Laswell , Bootsy Collins , Jonas Hellborg
* Chatan, Congas, Percussion - Aiyb Dieng
* Daff, Tambourine - Michael Baklouk
* Drums [Kit] - Sly Dunbar
* Engineer - Martin Bisi , Oz Fritz , Robert Musso
* Ghatam - Vikku Vinayakram
* Guitar, Sitar, Baglama - Nicky Skopelitis
* Mastered By - Howie Weinberg
* Ney - Jihad Racy
* Oud - Simon Shaheen
* Piano [Electric], Organ [Hammond B-3] - Bernie Worrell
* Producer - Bill Laswell
* Qanoum - George Basil
* Sampler, Programmed By [Beats, Loops] - Bill Laswell
* Saxophone [Tenor, Soprano] - Wayne Shorter
* Synthesizer - Jeff Bova , Nicky Skopelitis
* Tabla - Trilok Gurtu , Zakir Hussain
* Violin - Shankar , Simon Shaheen
* Voice - Fahiem Dandan , Liu Sola , William S. Burroughs

Bill Ware · Marc Ribot - Dir Duke (2001)

2009-09-16T08:32:00.005+03:00

Vibraphone demon Bill Ware and guitar wizard Marc Ribot both have well deserved reputations as doyens of the downtown avant jazz scene, players capable of pushing the music into uncharted territory. Thus, it's doubly surprising when the pair decide to not only collaborate on a duet album of Duke Ellington tunes, but to honor the Duke's work with some of the most straight-ahead playing in either man's career. There are no radical deconstructions going on here, as Ware and Ribot take on some of the most beloved gems in the Ellington catalog. Instead, there's a respectful adherence to the original melodic/harmonic framework of the tunes. The most striking aspect of the arrangements comes from the strict duo format of the album, which necessitates use of space, subtle dynamics, and a modern kind of minimalism. After listening to SIR DUKE, no one ever need wonder again about the old-school chops of these two warriors on the edge of jazz.

Recorded at Studio 900, New York.

Personnel: Bill Ware (vibraphone); Marc Ribot (guitar).

Track listing:
1. C Jam Blues
2. I Got It Bad
3. In a Sentimental Mood
4. Mood Indigo
5. It Don't Mean a Thing
6. Solitude
7. Caravan
8. Come Sunday
9. Take the -A- Train
10.Sophisticated Lady

CMJ (10/1/01, p.21) - "...The feel is like a late-night jam between friends out to prove nothing....The choice of material is non-stop Ellilngton, but the tunes take on a new life of their own..."
Down Beat (1/02, pp.73-4) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...A straight, down-the-middle homage to Ellington....a warm, very melodic and sympathetic collection..."
JazzTimes (5/02, pp.141-2) - "...A disc of bright, light music in the form of duets...it's all clever, pleasant music."

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the A. C. Jobim Songbook (1981)

2009-09-11T20:25:00.007+03:00

Ella Abraça Jobim or Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook is a 1981 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald, devoted to the songs of Antonio Carlos Jobim.

It was reissued on CD in 1991 (found here), although the CD version does not include the songs "Don't Ever Go Away" and "Song of the Jet".

Though it is subtitled as such, this album is not usually considered part of Fitzgerald's 'Songbook' series, the last of the 'Songbook' albums having been recorded in 1964.

It was Fitzgerald's first album of music devoted to a single composer since 1972's Ella Loves Cole, and it was her only album recorded entirely in the Bossa Nova style, though she had been singing Jobim's songs since the mid 1960's.

Fitzgerald never worked with Antonio Carlos Jobim, though she appeared alongside Frank Sinatra for a 1967 television special that also featured Jobim.

Ella Abraça Jobim translates (with a pun) as 'She Hugs Jobim' (Ela Abraça Jobim) in Portuguese.

Track listing

1. "Somewhere in the Hills" (Favela) (Vinícius de Moraes, Ray Gilbert) – 3:56
2. "The Girl from Ipanema" (de Moraes, Norman Gimbel) – 3:50
3. "Dindi" (Ray Gilbert, Aloysio Oliveira) – 6:37
4. "Desafinado" (Off Key) (Jesse Cavanaugh, Jon Hendricks, Newton Mendonça) – 3:41
5. "Water to Drink" (de Moraes, Gimbel) – 2:44
6. "Dreamer (Vivo Sonhando)" (Gene Lees) – 4:55
7. "Corcovado" (Lees) – 5:40
8. "Bonita" (Gilbert, Lees) – 2:50
9. "One Note Samba" (Mendonça, Hendricks) – 3:51
10. "Don't Ever Go Away (Por Causa de Voce)" (Gilbert, Dolores Duran) - 2:52
11. "Triste" – 4:07
12. "How Insensitive" (de Moraes, Gimbel) – 3:00
13. "He's a Carioca (Ele É Carioca)" (de Moraes, Gilbert) – 5:14
14. "This Love That I've Found (Só Tinha de Ser Com Você)" (Oliveira) – 5:17
15. "A Felicidade" (de Moraes) – 2:19
16. "Wave" – 5:22
17. "Song of the Jet (Samba Do Avião)" (Lees) – 3:40
18. "Photograph" (Fotografia) (Gilbert) – 3:49
19. "Useless Landscape (Inútil Paisagem)" (Gilbert, Oliveira) – 7:59

All songs composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim, with lyricists indicated.

Personnel

Recorded September 17-19, 1980, March 18-20, 1981 Hollywood, Los Angeles:

* Ella Fitzgerald - Vocals
* Clark Terry - Trumpet
* Zoot Sims - Tenor Saxophone
* Toots Thielemans - Harmonica
* Henry Trotter - Keyboard
* Mike Lang
* Clarence McDonald
* Joe Pass - Guitar
* Oscar Castro-Neves
* Paul Jackson
* Mitch Holder
* Ronald Bautiste
* Abraham Laboriel - Double Bass
* Alex Acuña - Drums
* Paulinho da Costa - Percussion

Pablo records, 1981

Danny Gatton - 88 Elmira St. (1991)

2009-06-20T20:11:00.005+03:00

This album is nothing short of a complete celebration of the electric guitar. Danny Gatton (1945-1994) was part fierce monster and part teddy bear. His playing style suggests bits of Dick Dale, bits of Chet Atkins, and traces of everything in between. During up-tempo numbers, Gatton could rip the roof off. His ballads and quiet moments never failed to draw tears. 88 ELMIRA ST. marked his debut on a major label after a handful of small-label releases.

The half-dozen originals among 88 ELMIRA ST's eleven tracks are more than simple vehicles for Gatton's soloing. He is ably backed by his regular quartet, and each number shows sharp character and a sense of style. Gatton's rapid-fire runs on such pieces as "Funky Mama" are balanced by the subtler pleasures of his version of The Beach Boys' "In My Room." Sadly, Gatton was even more troubled than Brian Wilson, and the guitarist took his own life four years after the release of this album.

Live RecordingRolling Stone (4/4/91) - 3 Stars - Good "...Gatton is essentially a pre-rock-era guitarist...a glorious anachronism."
Musician (3/91) - "Gatton isn't interesting for what he plays, so much as the way he plays it. Meaning there's little on this album that you haven't heard done a million times before, and nothing you've heard done better."

tracklisting:

1. Funky Mama 5:41
2. Elmira St. Boogie 4:06
3. Blues Newburg 4:11
4. Quiet Village 4:52
5. Red Label 5:06
6. In My Room 4:50
7. The Simpsons 3:16
8. Muthaship 4:40
9. Pretty Blue 6:10
10. Fandingus 3:08
11. Slidin' Home 4:58

Luiz Bonfa - O Violao e o Samba (1962)

2009-06-18T13:10:00.006+03:00

Luiz Floriano Bonfá (October 17, 1922 - January 12, 2001) was a Brazilian guitarist and composer best known for the compositions he penned for the film Black Orpheus.

Bonfá was born on October 17, 1922 in Rio de Janeiro. He began teaching himself to play guitar as a child; he studied in Rio with Uruguayan classical guitarist Isaías Sávio from the age of twelve. These weekly lessons entailed a long, harsh commute by rail and on foot from his family home in the western rural outskirts of Rio de Janeiro to the teacher's home in the hills of Santa Teresa. Given Bonfá's extraordinary dedication and talent for the guitar, Sávio excused the youngster's inability to pay for his lessons.

Bonfá first gained widespread exposure in Brazil in 1947 when he was featured on Rio's Rádio Nacional, then an important showcase for up-and-coming talent. He was a member of the vocal group Quitandinha Serenaders in the late 1940s. Some of his compositions were recorded and performed by Brazilian crooner Dick Farney in the 1950s. It was through Farney that Bonfá was introduced to Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, the leading songwriting team behind the worldwide explosion of Brazilian jazz/pop music in the late 1950s and 1960s. Bonfá collaborated with these and with other prominent Brazilian musicians and artists in productions of de Moraes' anthological play Orfeu da Conceição, which several years later gave origin to Marcel Camus' legendary film "Black Orpheus" (Orfeu Negro in Portuguese). In the burgeoning days of Rio de Janeiro's thriving jazz scene, it was commonplace for musicians, artists, and dramatists to collaborate in such theatrical presentations. Bonfá wrote some of the original music featured in the film, including the numbers "Samba de Orfeu" and his most famous composition, "Manhã de Carnaval" (translated to English as "A Day in the Life of a Fool"), which has been among the top ten standards played worldwide, according to The Guinness Book of World Records.

As a composer and performer, Bonfá was at heart an exponent of the bold, lyrical, lushly orchestrated, and emotionally charged samba-canção style that predated the arrival of João Gilberto's more refined and subdued bossa nova style. Jobim, João Donato, Dorival Caymmi, and other contemporaries were also essentially samba-canção musicians until the sudden, massive popularity of the young Gilberto's unique style of guitar playing and expressively muted vocals transformed the music of the day into the music of the future. Camus' film and Gilberto's and Jobim's collaborations with American jazzmen such as Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd did much to bring Brazilian popular music to the attention of the world, and Bonfá became a highly visible ambassador of Brazilian music in the United States beginning with the famous November 1962 Bossa Nova concert at New York's Carnegie Hall.

Bonfá lived in the USA from the early 1960s until 1975. He worked with American musicians such as Quincy Jones, George Benson, Stan Getz, and Frank Sinatra, recording several albums while in United States. Elvis Presley sang a Bonfá composition, "Almost in Love", in the 1968 MGM film "Live a Little, Love a Little". Bonfá remained well-connected in the US after returning to Brazil, but his profile receded into relative obscurity during his final decades. His last album, 1997's "Almost in Love", was a collaboration with Brazilian singer Ithamara Koorax.

Bonfá died in Rio de Janeiro on January 12, 2001 from prostate cancer complicated by ischemia. He was 78 years old.

In 2005, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings released an album of Bonfá's work, entitled, "Solo in Rio 1959", which included previously unreleased material from the original recording session.

In 2008, Universal Music France released a coffee table book containing two CDs which included previously unreleased material of "Black Orpheus" soundtrack, and a DVD. Also in 2008, Universal Music released "The Brazilian Scene" , "Braziliana" and "Black Orpheus" celebrating the 50th anniversary of the bossa nova.

Bonfá's major legacy continues to be his compositions from the "Black Orpheus" soundtrack, most notably the instantly recognizable bossa nova classic "Manhã de Carnaval." But Bonfá's huge discography also attests to his uniquely inventive mastery of Brazilian jazz guitar. Bonfá's guitar style was brassier and more penetrating than that of his major contemporary, João Gilberto, and Bonfá was a frequent and adept soloist whereas Gilberto plays his own suave, intricate brand of rhythm guitar almost exclusively. Bonfá often played solo guitar in a polyphonic style, harmonizing melody lines in a manner similar to that made famous by Wes Montgomery in the USA, or playing lead and rhythm parts simultaneously. As a composer and as a guitarist, Bonfá played a pivotal role in bridging the incumbent samba-canção style with the innovations of the bossa nova movement. (wikipedia)

Tracklisting:

01. Inquietação (2:27)
02. Nossos Momentos (2:35)
03. Meu Nome é Ninguém (1:45)
04. Lamento No Morro (2:10)
05. Pastorinhas (2:40)
06. Voce Chegou Sorrindo (2:26)
07. Murmúrio (2:31)
08. Liberdade Demais (1:56)
09. Amor Em Brasilia (2:19)
10. Saudade Da Bahia (Longing For Bahia) (2:30)
11. Copacabana (2:03)
12. Amor De Solidão (2:43)

amazing Japanese fan's link featuring Bonfa's prodigious recorded output can be found here:

John Mayall - Jazz Blues Fusion (1972)

2009-06-16T15:06:00.006+03:00

Superb 1972 live offering from British blues legend John Mayall throwing in some Clifford Jordan-style jazz for good measure expertly aided by trumpet giant Blue Mitchell in one of their classic collaborations.

personnel:

john mayal
blue mitchell
clifford solomon
larry taylro
freddie robinson
ron selico

rec. 1972

John Zorn's Masada - Live in Middelheim (1999)

2009-05-05T20:17:00.005+03:00

Every album by John Zorn's Masada seems better than the last, and this one is no exception. By the time of this recording the group was a tightly cohesive unit, performing at an extremely high and satisfying level, with Zorn and Douglas playing comfortably at a blistering pace. The songs are tinged with hints of Eastern European harmony, but the heat generated, while perhaps related to the raucous dancing at a Jewish wedding, is firmly rooted in the ways of Avant Garde Jazz. Zorn takes some of his best solos on disk, sounding like silly putty on speed, while the more proper Dave Douglas lags only slightly behind. With a recording time nearing eighty minutes, and substantial contributions from the entire quartet, the recording marks not so much a milestone in the life of the group as a symbol of its ability to constantly expand upon itself and draw on its not inconsequential roots, proving again that you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy Jewish-tinged culture. ~ Steven Loewy, All Music Guide

In addition to Mr. Lowey's very knowledgeable review, I have to say that this is one of the best jazz albums in recent years, it grabs you by the balls and never lets go, enjoy. ~d3lta

track listing:

1. Nevuah
2. Sippur
3. Hath-Arob
4. Kedushah
5. Ne'eman
6. Karet
7. Kochot
8. Piram
9. Paran
10. Ashnah
11. Tahah

personnel:

john zorn as
dave douglas t
greg cohen b
joey baron d

rec. 1999

Bobby Broom - Modern Man (2001)

2009-05-04T20:19:00.003+03:00

Guitarist Bobby Broom has been playing profesionally for more than 30 years. He's worked, with Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Dr. John, Art Blakey, Kenny Burrell, Charles Earland et al. Modern Man brings to mind the urgent, smoking energy of a young, unbridled George Benson, circa 1966's Cookbook. Indeed, fire-breathing baritone sax ace Ronnie Cuber and Hammond B-3 marvel Dr. Lonnie Smith - both key elements of that ferocious mid-60's Benson quartet - are both aboard here to ignite the fire beneath Broom's guitar in a set so diverse that it even includes pop-funk standards as Stevie Wonder's Superstition and Eric Clapton's rock anthem Layla. Great stuff.

Tracklisting:

1. Dance For Osiris
2. Ponta Grossa
3. Superstition
4. Mo'
5. I'll Never Fall in Love Again
6. Blues For Modern Man
7. Old Devil Moon
8. A Peck A Sec
9. After Words
10.Layla

personnel:

Bobby Broom - guitar

Dr. Lonnie Smith - Hammond B-3 organ

Ronnie Cuber - baritone sax

Idris Muhammad - drums

rec 2000

The Paul Bley Quartet w/J. Surman B. Frisell P. Motian (1988)

2009-04-16T12:37:00.005+03:00

This 1988 release was the second by this quartet (Fragments, their first, was released two years earlier). The set features compositions written by each of the players, with two contributions from Bley. The ensemble is well matched and the absence of a traditional rhythm section allows the musicians to play in and around open spaces (an approach in keeping with the group members' own releases). Bill Frisell's long and lingering notes peek out from behind Bley's piano, while John Surman's reeds wrap the whole in a rich, gauzy cloth. All the while drummer Paul Motian plays his kit with the quiet majesty of volcanic ash settling onto horizontal surfaces. Recorded in Norway at one of the producer's preferred studios, the sonic clarity is gorgeous (a hallmark of ECM releases). The title of Bley's "Interplay" invokes the key word that makes this music work so well.

track listing:

Interplay
Heat
After Dark
One In Four
Triste

personnel:

Payl Bley piano
John Surman soprano sax bass clarinet
Bill Frisell guitar
Paul Motian drums

Recorded at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, Norway in November 1987 ECM 1365

Paul Bley - Films · Jazz 'n (e)motion

2009-04-15T10:11:00.006+03:00

Sumptuous out-of-print solo Bley offering from RCA France's 1997 Jazz 'n (e)motion series where this master of understatement takes a peek at favorite film themes that have entered the jazz canon in the form of standards. Exquisite stuff.

track listing:

Laura
All The Things You Are
As Time Goes By
I Got Rhythm
Someday My Prince Will Come
What Is This Thing Called Love
It Might As Well Be Spring
Married Alive

Paul Bley - piano

rec. Paris 1997

Paul Bley Trio - Closer (1965)

2009-04-14T11:30:00.006+03:00

If the strident experimentation of free-jazz pioneers such as Cecil Taylor and Albert Ayler railed against conventional ideas of chord voicing and fixed rhythmic accompaniment, pianist Paul Bley took a decidedly more understated approach to musical innovation. Bley's classic 1966 trio album for ESP-Disk, Closer, is a study in restraint. Moving confidently from melodic lyricism to explosive bursts of tone color, Bley and his compatriots--drummer Barry Altschul and bassist Steve Swallow--strike a pleasing balance between order and chaos, creating music as evocative as it is challenging. This offering, along with Barrage (see previous post) are Bley's classic free-form statements of the era.

personnel:

Paul Bley (piano); Steve Swallow (bass); Barry Altschul (drums)

track listing:

1. Ida Lupino
2. Start
3. Closer
4. Sideways in Mexico
5. Batterie
6. And Now the Queen
7. Figfoot
8. Crossroads
9. Violin
10.Cartoon

rec. in NYC, December 12, 1965

Down Beat (6/93, p.48) - 4 Stars - Very Good - "...Compared to the previous year's ESP date, it is the calm after the storm, highlighting Bley's oblique lyricism, as well as his will-to-wail. Those twin attributes have stood Bley in good artistic stead over the years..."

Paul Bley Quintet - Barrage (1964)

2009-04-14T10:40:00.006+03:00

What a difference in an artist's development a decade makes. Released originally in 1964, Paul Bley's Barrage is a creative, thoroughly satisfying free-jazz outing. For these six compositions, all by Carla Bley, the leader is joined by drummer Milford Graves, bassist Eddie Gomez, trumpeter Dewey Johnson and saxophonist Marshall Allen (of the Sun Ra Arkestra) for improvisations of an intense yet deeply considered nature.

In his piano playing, Bley seems to draw inspiration from Cecil Taylor, while the skittering dialogues between the instruments owe a debt to Ornette Coleman's early ensemble work. Yet there is something quite fresh and distinctive about the music on Barrage, thanks largely to the distinctive voices of each player, and the way these voices play off each other in skilled, thrilling ways.

personnel:

Paul Bley (piano); Marshall Allen (alto saxophone); Dewey Johnson (trumpet); Eddie Gomez (bass); Milford Graves (percussion)

track listing:

1. Batterie
2. Ictus
3. And Now the Queen
4. Around Again
5. Walking Woman
6. Barrage

rec. in NYC October 20, 1964

Paul Bley - Introducing (1953)

2009-04-14T09:29:00.003+03:00

Paul Bley was 21 years old when he recorded his first album in 1953. With Art Blakey on drums and Charles Mingus on bass (it was originally released on his Debut Records label), this finds Bley still working within the framework of bebop. This CD reissue adds four extra tracks and the alternate take it includes of Bley's own "Opus 1" is fascinating for what it reveals. In his soloing--different on each of the two takes--he can be heard using forceful but brief melodic fragments with little harmonic embellishment. He's continued to explore those possibilities on through the decades. However, it is remarkable to notice here, at the beginning of the young pianist's career, to hear Bley stepping out of the confines of the genre and to witness the development of his distinctive individual voice.

personnel:

Paul Bley (piano); Charles Mingus (bass); Art Blakey (drums)

track listing:

1. Opus One
2. (Teapot) Walkin'
3. Like Someone in Love
4. Spontaneous Combustion
5. Split Kick
6. I Can't Get Started
7. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
8. Opus One [Alternate Take]
9. Theme
10. This Time the Dream's on Me
11. Zootcase

rec. 1953

Kenny Burrell - Guitar Forms (1964)

2009-04-09T22:34:00.007+03:00

"I didn't want to put out an album with a variety of sounds and persuasions just as a showcase, without having depth to it." So Kenny Burrell, master of so many guitar forms, remembers. His caution -- as well as his choice of arranger, Gil Evans -- paid off with this classic record that integrates his vast array of techniques in a timeless, artistic whole.

"I'd like to play many types of music. Guitar Forms is probably the best reflection of that of any album I've done, in terms of the variety of things I truly love."

Track listing:

1. Downstairs
2. Lotus Land
3. Terrace Theme
4. Prelude #2 - excerpt
5. Moon and Sand
6. Loie
7. Greensleeves
8. Last Night When We Were Young
9. Breadwinner

personnel:

Kenny Burrell Guitar
Jimmy Cleveland Trombone
Jimmy Knepper Trombone
Steve Lacy Soprano Saxophone
Lee Konitz Alto Saxophone
Roger Kellaway Piano
Grady Tate Drums

Gil Evans Arranger

Recorded at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on December 4, 1964, December 15, 1964, April 6, 1965 and April 12, 1965.

Original recordings produced by Creed Taylor

(flac with scans)

The Mar-Keys - The Great Memphis Sound (1966)

2009-04-05T20:10:00.005+03:00

The Mar-Keys, formed in 1958, were a studio session band for the Stax label from Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1960s. As the first house band for the label, their backing music formed the foundation for the early 1960s Stax sound. The Mar-Keys was a play on the word "marquee" referring to the marquee outside of Stax studios (at the time called Satellite Records). They also recorded organ and saxophone oriented singles of their own, scoring a number three hit nationally with "Last Night" in 1961. Keyboard was played by Jerry Lee "Smoochy" Smith. Other singles of theirs from the early 1960s include "Philly Dog" and "Pop-eye Stroll." Members of this rhythm section later formed other nationally prominent Memphis studio session groups, including the Memphis Horns, the Packers, and Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Each of these offshoot groups also recorded popular instrumental albums of their own, in addition to serving as the backing band on albums by dozens of rock, r&b, and soul music stars on Stax, Volt and other national labels. The legacy of the Mar-Keys and later groups was that of having been key players in the development of soul music styles like Southern soul and Memphis soul. This 1966 out-of-print date is fun, feelgood music, perfect for those spring Sunday nights, enjoy.

Members

* Steve Cropper - guitar
* Donald "Duck" Dunn - bass
* Charles "Packy" Axton - tenor sax
* Don Nix - saxophone
* James Terry Johnson - piano
* Wayne Jackson - trombone, trumpet
* Jerry Lee "Smoochie" Smith - keyboards
* Booker T. Jones - keyboards
* Isaac Hayes - organ
* James Terry Johnson - drums
* Al Jackson - drums

Discography

* The Last Night!, 1961
* Do the Pop-Eye, 1962
* The Great Memphis Sound, 1966
* Back to Back, 1967
* Mellow Jelly, 1968
* Damnifiknow!, 1969
* Memphis Horns, 1970
* Memphis Experience, 1971
* High on Music, 1976

track listing

Honey Pot
Plantation Inn
Loving You Too Long
Cleo's Back
Grab This Thing
Philly Dog
Walking With The Duke
The Girl From Ipanema
In The Mood
"Dear James" Medley (Night Train, Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, I Got You, Good Loving, I'll Go Crazy)

rec. 1966

Bobby Enriquez - Wild Piano (1988)

2009-04-05T15:24:00.003+03:00

Criminally underrated Philipino jazz piano great Bobby Enriquez (1943-96) in a set guaranteed to make your heart race. With bass ace Eddie Gomez and super drummer Al Foster successfully holding on, the exuberant pianist turns eight jazz standards inside out and takes "Classical Gas" as an unaccompanied solo. Highlights of this typically high-powered Enriquez date include "All Blues," "Bye Bye Blackbird," Thelonious Monk's "Four in One," and "Cherokee.

track listing:

1. All Blues
2. September Song
3. Classical Gas
4. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You
5. Bye Bye Blackbird
6. 'Round Midnight
7. Four in One
8. Pannonica
9. Cherokee

personnel:

Bobby Enriquez
Eddie Gomez
Al Foster

rec. 1988

Pharoah Sanders - Tauhid (1967)

2009-03-22T16:50:00.003+02:00

Here's Pharoah Sandres' legendary "Tauhid" featuring the great late Sonny Sharrock (see previous post). Although introduced as a protege of John Coltrane and touted by many as his heir apparent, reedman Pharoah Sanders quickly proved his own man. His shared interest in the "cosmic" music of Coltrane's final period belies the fact that Sanders frequently plays with an unhurried sense of peace and satisfaction rarely found in his mentor's music. His use of space, African and Asian motifs and instruments, and simple, repetitive melodies also pointed the way for jazz, rock, and new age musicians in the '70s and '80s, while his sometimes raucous use of harsh, shrieking runs influenced many of jazz's most adventurous saxophonists.

Tauhid showcases both of those abilities. By turns meditative and impulsive, Tauhid's lynchpin is the 17-minute "Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt," on which Sanders plays piccolo in the first half and tenor sax in the second; the duality of the composition suggests both the ancient and modern aspects of Africa and, in turn, its melding with European and American culture. "Japan," a short composition on which Sanders performs a warm, spry vocalese, is both folksy and engaging, while the album's closing triumvirate of "Aum," "Venus," and "Capricorn Rising" proves wild and woolly.

track listing:

1. Upper Egypt & Lower Egypt 16:16
2. Japan 3:24
3. a. Aum b. Venus c. Capricorn Rising 14:46

personnel:

Pharoah Sanders (Tenor and Alto Saxophone, Piccolo and Vocals)
Sonny Sharrock (Guitar)
Dave Burrell (Piano)
Henry Grimes (Bass)
Roger Blank (Drums)
Nat Bettis (Percussion)

rec. 1967