Barney Wilen - New York Romance (1994)

Sumptuous blowing from the old master on soprano, baritone and tenor saxophones accompanied by stalwarts Kenny Barron on piano, Ira Coleman on bass and Lewis Nash on drums in a set consisting of mostly ballads and mid-tempo numbers, ideal vehicles for the group to display what good jazz is all about through this seminar in group empathy and interplay. Recorded at the historic Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, on June 19 & 20, 1994. Highly recommended.

1. No Problem '94
2. Cry Me a River
3. Blues Walk
4. You've Changed
5. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To
6. Mack the Knife
7. Don't Fence Me In
8. Old Devil Moon
9. I Will Say Goodbye

Barney Wilen - Newport '59

This great record displays Barney Wilen in three different musical settings: Tracks 1 through 4 are from Wilen's first visit to the US in 1959 and his appearance at the renown Newport, RI, Jazz Festival , maybe the first non-US musician to appear there. He is accompanied by a stellar band consisting of Toshiko Akiyoshi, fresh out of Berklee and eager to please US audiences, Tommy Bryant on bass and legend Roy Haynes on drums. Tracks 5 and 6 are recorded in Paris in the company of Clark Terry on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Eric Peter on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums - these gentlemen need no introduction. And finally, Thelonious Monk's masterpiece 'Round Midnight is recorded in the company of a local German band while Wilen visited there. Savvy listeners will no doubt notice how mature and original Wilen sounds at such an early age as well as his ability to adapt to the musical situation at hand.

As this disc consists of three dates, sound is a bit sketchy at places, but as a testament to Wilen's genius this is essential listening.

Barney Wilen Quartet
Featuring: Barney Wilen (ts, ss), Toshiko Akiyoshi (p), Tommy Bryant (b), Roy Haynes (d), Clark Terry (tp), Bud Powell (p), Eric Peter (b), Kenny Clarke (d), Evald Heideprim (p), Karl Theodore Geier (b), Eberhard Stengel (d)

Track listing:

Newport Jazz Festival, July 4th, 1959
1. Introduction By Willis Conover
2. Passport (Parker)
3. 'Round Midnight (Monk-Hanighen)
4. Barney's Tune (Wilen)

Paris, 1959
5. No Problem (Jordan)
6. Miguel's Party (Powell)

Düsseldorff, late 50's
7. 'Round Midnight (Monk-Hanighen)

Barney Wilen - Tilt (1957)

Amazing debut as leader for French tenor sax superhero Barney Wilen (1937-1996) who was not even 20 at the time! Recorded in Paris in January 1957 with Maurice Vander (piano), Bibi Rovère (bass) and Al Levitt (drums) on the first side and Jack Cnudde (piano), Bibi Rovère (bass) and Charles Saudrais (drums) on the side two. Probably the rarest and definitely the most sought-after french jazz record of all time in its LP form (pictured below); the playing is to die for, of course.



track listing:

1.Blue n' Boogie
2.Nature boy
3.Melancholy baby
4.Night in Tunisia
5.The way you look tonight
6.Hackensack
7.Blue monk
8.Mysterioso
9.Think of one
10.Blue n' Boogie - alt. take previously unreleased
11.Nature boy - alt. take previously unreleased
12.Hackensack - alt. take previously unreleased
13.Blue Monk - alt. take previously unreleased
14.We see - previously unreleased
15.Let's call this - previously unreleased