Monday, December 21, 2009

Gary Peacock - Voice from the Past ­ Paradigm - ECM - 1981



Gary Peacock - Voice from the Past ­ Paradigm - ECM - 1981













1 Voice from the Past
2 Legends
3 Moor
4 Allegory
5 Paradigm
6 Ode for Tomten

Gary Peacock bass
Jan Garbarek tenor and soprano saxophones
Tomasz Stanko trumpet
Jack DeJohnette drums

Recorded August 1981

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Rudy Van Gelder


Rudy Van Gelder (born 2 November 1924, Jersey City, New Jersey) is an American recording engineer specializing in jazz.

Frequently regarded as one of the most important recording engineers in music history, Van Gelder is one of the legendary behind-the-scenes figures in jazz, recording several hundred jazz sessions, including many widely recognized as classics. Bringing an unprecedented clarity to jazz recording, Van Gelder has recorded many of the great names in the genre, including Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Grant Green, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, and many others. He worked with many record companies, but he is most closely associated with Blue Note Records, now a division of EMI.

Van Gelder's recording techniques are often admired for the warmth and presence he brings to the end result. Some critics however have also expressed a distaste for the thin and recessed sound in the instruments, mainly the piano. Richard Cook for example noted that the manner in which Van Gelder recorded piano was often as distinctive as the pianists' playing. Blue Note president and producer Alfred Lion often noted that Rudy was sometimes a little heavy on the reverb and would jokingly note that on the tape box as a "Rudy special".

Blue Note Perfect Takes (The Rudy Van Gelder Edition Remastered)



This is basically a curiosity piece for harder than hardcore jazz fans. These ten tracks were chosen by Rudy Van Gelder, Blue Note's celebrated and indeed legendary engineer, from the label's collection of RVG editions. Some of these cuts, such as Thelonious Monk's "Four in One" and Miles Davis' "Budo" from the Birth of the Cool sessions, were not originally engineered by Van Gelder -- however, he did reengineer them for CD reissue. On these selections he worked from the original lacquer discs, giving him the ability to reproduce sound far more faithfully than any previous CD or LP issue. This means that these versions are supposedly better mastered than even the RVG series. Other cuts he chose were Hank Mobley's "Remember," Freddie Hubbard's "Arietis," Wayne Shorter's "Footprints," Kenny Burrell's "Midnight Blue," Jimmy Smith's "See See Rider," Donald Byrd's "Christo Redentor," Art Blakey's killer read of "Moon River" from 1961, and Joe Henderson's mighty "Mode for Joe." Given the highly idiosyncratic picks of Van Gelder, this collection will have many jazzheads debating and musing over the contents. But it is likely only to be of interest to those who either need everything or have simply got to have the best in audio reproduction. In addition to the music, Blue Note has also included a bonus DVD that contains an interview with Van Gelder by Michael Cuscuna about the many artists he has worked with, personal reminiscences, and his own view of his legacy. ~ Thom Jurek


1 Four In One Thelonious Monk 3:31
2 Budo Miles Davis 2:35
3 Remember Hank Mobley 5:41
4 Arietis Freddie Hubbard 6:40
5 Midnight Blue Kenny Burrell 4:01
6 Mode for Joe Joe Henderson 8:03
7 Cristo Redentor Donald Byrd 5:43
8 Footprints Wayne Shorter 7:31
9 Moon River Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers 5:12
10 See See Rider Jimmy Smith 6:34

Friday, December 18, 2009

Wayne Shorter - Footprints Live! (2002)



This was Wayne Shorter's return to an acoustic jazz quartet.The saxophonist digs deep into his classic repertoire, unearthing compositions like Masqualero, Footprints and Juju from his great Blue Note discs of the 1960s and the slightly later Atlantis.
For the first time since the late 60s, since before In a Silent Way, before Weather Report - Shorter seemed interested in acoustic jazz again. The personnel was first rate; Danilo Perez on piano, John Patitucci on bass and Brian Blade on drums are young but very experienced, each a leader in his own right.

This is Shorter's first live album, and it captures the intense creativity of a band on tour, that's played-in and enjoying each others company. This is a real quartet album, with each of the four playing at his best, and vital to its success.The music Shorter is making is both a throwback to the sixties years with Miles and that 2nd great quintet and also a futuristic meditation on musical abstractions. The way Wayne plays you never know what he is playing until you catch a glimpse of a familiar theme and then with the merry mischievousness of a two year old, as soon as you’ve got it, Shorter has moved on to something else.


1 Sanctuary
2 Masquelero
3 Valse triste (Jean Sibelius - arr. Wayne Shorter)
4 Go
5 Aung San Suu Kyi
6 Footprints
7 Atlantis
8 Juju

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Five Peace Band Live Disc 2


1 Dr. Jackle 22:53
2 Señor C.S. 20:15
3 In a Silent Way/It's About That Time 20:06
4 Someday My Prince Will Come 07:42

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Chick Corea and John McLaughlin


Five Peace Band

Five Peace Band
Chick Corea and John McLaughlin are back on stage together! Forty years after their historic sessions with Miles Davis, they’ve assembled one of the most impressive jazz quintets in recent memory:

— Chick Corea, keyboards
— John McLaughlin, guitar
— Christian McBride, bass
— Kenny Garrett, alto sax
— Vinnie Colaiuta, drums

The masters behind Return to Forever and the Mahavishnu Orchestra are ready to test the limits of electric music again. The double-album Five Peace Band Live captures the band on its European tour, pushing at the edges of plugged-in jazz. International praise for the live show was universal:

Recorded during their European tour last fall (2008), Five Peace Band Live features Corea and McLaughlin’s inspired duets as well as all five members negotiating the twists and turns of the compositions. The recording includes Vinnie Colaiuta – drums, Kenny Garrett – saxophone, Christian McBride – acoustic & electric basses, and Herbie Hancock special guests on the track “In a Silent Way / It’s About That Time.” The double-disc CD was initially made available early at performance venues as well as via the band’s website (www.fivepeaceband.com)...

1 Raju 12:29
2 The Disguise 13:32
3 New Blues, Old Bruise 14:06
4 Hymn to Andromeda 27:45

Monday, December 14, 2009

The Herbie Hancock Box


Given that Blue Note Records has issued a definitive 1960s box set of Hancock's earliest -- and some consider his most seminal -- work, and the literally dozens of best-ofs that have been issued, more by Columbia than by anybody else, this set with its spare futuristic design might at first glance seem like overkill, as in, "do we really need another Herbie Hancock collection, especially a damned box set?" In this case, it's very important to take a second and even third look. For starters, this set is housed in a see-though plastic box, all four CDs clearly visible on spare individual trays. On a fifth tray rests the CD booklet. On the bottom of the box is a sticker identifying the contents within. In the booklet are complete liners by Herbie himself (actually, excepts from an interview by Chuck Mitchell), and gorgeous reproductions of the album covers. It's a cool coffee table conversation piece for hep cats and kitties who are into jazz -- or those who just like happening accoutrements in their living spaces. More substantial is that the material covered here encompasses a whopping 23 albums recorded over 13 years! There are 34 tracks spread out over these four discs, and while little here is completely unreleased, a number of cuts have never been made available in the States before. Lastly, given all of the Hancock material on the market, this set is the only one to capture the huge depth and breadth of Hancock's musically restless vision as it has been recorded. The discs are not presented in chronological order, and that, too, is in keeping with Hancock's modus operandi. Disc one starts with the first V.S.O.P. project from 1976, which was the Miles quintet with Freddie Hubbard playing all new tunes, so you hear the introduction to "Maiden Voyage" and the track itself. Next, it shifts to 1979 with Hancock's Live Under the Sky album, with a killer version of "Para Oriente," and then shifts yet again to the Piano album in 1978, where Hancock plays a "Harvest Time" solo before moving to "The Sorcerer" from the Quartet album of 1981. Before the disc has concluded, you've moved through more V.S.O.P., and the theme from the Round Midnight soundtrack. Disc two features more of these same treatments from the same periods generally, but features a killer version of V.S.O.P. going for broke on a completely unreleased version of Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay" from 1977. Disc three is nearly worth the price of the box alone. This is where you get to explore the electric side of Hancock, and the various guises he worked under from the time he immediately left Miles and worked with some musicians who were totally outside his frame of reference. For instance, there is the glorious "Rain Dance" from 1972, with a large band that included trombonist Julian Priester, synthesist Patrick Gleeson, and drummer Billy Hart. Also, along with more well-known classics such as "Watermelon Man," from Head Hunters, you get tracks from Flood; Thrust; the killer Death Wish title theme with Wah Wah Watson and Lee Ritenour on guitars; "Sun Touch" from Man-Child, featuring the most beautiful flute solo ever played by Ernie Watts; Secrets; Sunlight; and the outstanding "4 a.m.," from the Mr. Hands album. This track, with a quartet that features the late Jaco Pastorius, Tony Williams, and percussionist Bill Summers, reveals the amazing depth of empathy Hancock had for the musicians he employed. His trading of lower runs with Jaco provides a listen to how tender Pastorius could be when presented with a keyboard player who was content to let him sing on the bass, and also how Hancock never has the need to dominate the proceedings, preferring to let the band speak for itself on his tunes. Disc four also features Hancock's more electric ventures. While the material ranges chronologically from "Chameleon" on Head Hunters to a Bill Laswell remake of "Maiden Voyage" in 1988, the sense of continuity that the rest of the box has doesn't seem to flow as easily. The rather jarring juxtapositions of "Stars in Your Eyes," from 1980, to "Rock It," in 1983, to "Calypso" from Mr. Hands in 1980, to "Nobu," in 1974, is too vast an expanse -- mood-wise as well as aesthetically -- to bridge. Perhaps it's the range of musicians that includes everyone from Ray Parker Jr. and Sheila E to Harvey Mason and Tony Williams, just to name a few. While the individual bands add up to pure delight, the track-to-track moves atmospheres, even in the funk-hip-hop worldview from bumpin' street funk to jagged, angular grooves, to near-overdriven bass, and timelines that obliterate continuity. In all, this is a small complaint; doubtless, many will use the random feature on a CD player to remedy this, or the programming feature. The Herbie Hancock Box does stand as a more than representative view of the musician's work with Columbia and reveals how lasting and influential his contributions have been, as well as how diverse, and that's really the point. Hours upon hours of pleasure await the listener who drops the cash for this fine artifact. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

The Herbie Hancock Box Disc 4


1 Chameleon 15:41
2 Stars in Your Eyes 07:04
3 Rockit 05:25
4 Calypso 06:43
5 Satisfied With Love 06:31
6 Karabali 05:15
7 Spider 07:21
8 Nobu 07:23
9 Maiden Voyager/B. Bop 06:33

Sunday, December 13, 2009

The Herbie Hancock Box Disc 3


1 Rain Dance 09:17
2 Watermelon Man 06:29
3 Butterfly 11:18
4 Death Wish (Main Title) 06:11
5 Actual Proof 08:28
6 Sun Touch 05:09
7 4 A.M. 05:23
8 Come Running to Me 08:24
9 People Music 07:07

Saturday, December 12, 2009

The Herbie Hancock Box Disc 2


1 Domo 12:24
2 Dolphin Dance 10:17
3 Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) 08:52
4 Eighty-One 13:03
5 Milestones 06:39
6 Stella by Starlight/On Green Dolphin Street 07:05
7 Red Clay [#] 10:55

Friday, December 11, 2009

The Herbie Hancock Box Disc 1




1 Introduction to Maiden Voyage 04:33
2 Maiden Voyage 13:20
3 Para Oriente 07:16
4 Harvest Time 04:49
5 The Sorcerer 07:18
6 Diana 04:33
7 Finger Painting 06:44
8 'Round Midnight 05:36
9 The Eye of the Hurricane 18:31

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Miles Davis - Complete Live Recordings 1949 - 1954 [10cd Set]


Miles Davis - Complete Live Recordings 1948-1954 Box Set (2006) 10CDs
10 CD Box Set
Covers + Booklet Scans
MP3
128Kbps
RS.com: 589mb Total (average 65mb per file)

Miles Davis - The Complete Live Recordings 1948 - 1955. A great 10 CD box released by United Archives, a French record company. Ten hours and 19 minutes of Miles Davis early performances, with Benny Carter, with Parker and finally Coltrane. Recorded in clubs and concerts.

Here are the contents:

Disc 1

September 11, 1948 - NYC Royal Roost
Miles Davis (tp) Mike Zwerin (tb) Junior Collins (frh) John Barber (tu) Lee Konitz (as) Gerry Mulligan (bars) John Lewis (p) Al McKibbon (b) Max Roach (d) Kenny Pancho Hagood* (vo) Gil Evans (arr, cond), John Lewis, Gerry Mulligan, (arr).
1 Birth Of The Cool Theme (Gil Evans) [0’18]
2 Move (Denzil Best) [4’50]
3 Moon Dreams (McGregor-Mercer) [3’03]
4 Budo (Miles Davis-Bud Powell) [4’23]
5 Godchild (George Wallington) [6’06]
6 S'il Vous Plaît (John Lewis) [4’34]
7 Darn That Dream* (De Lange-Van Heusen) [4’32]
8 Why Do I Love You ?* (Kern-Hammerstein) [3’46]

September 18, 1948 - NYC Royal Roost
Miles Davis (tp) Mike Zwerin (tb) Junior Collins (frh) John Barber (tu) Lee Konitz (as) Gerry Mulligan (bars) John Lewis (p) Al McKibbon (b) Max Roach (d) Gil Evans (arr, cond), John Lewis, Gerry Mulligan (arr).
9 Move (Denzil Best) [3’31]
10 Moon Dreams (McGregor-Mercer) [3’34]
11 Budo (Miles Davis-Bud Powell) [3’27]

BONUS : March 31, 1946 - Benny Carter Orchestra, Los Angeles Streets of Paris
Miles Davis (tpt) Al Grey (tb) Britt Woodman(tb) Benny Carter (as) Hubert "Bumps" Myers (ts) Sonny White (p) James Cannady (g) Thomas Moultrie (b) Percy Brice (d)
12 Just You, Just Me (R. Klages-J. Greer) [3’21]

BONUS August 1948 - Chicago Pershing Ballroom
Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Dave Burns, Willie Cook, Elmon Wright (tp) Jesse Tarrant, Andy Duryea (tb) John Brown, Ernie Henry (as) Joe Gayles, James Moody (ts) Cecil Paynes (bars) James Foreman Jr (p) Nelson Boyd (b) Teddy Stewart (d) Chano Pozo (cga)
13 Good Bait (Tadd Dameron-Count Basie) [2’28]
14 Unknown Ballad [0’32]

Disc 2

September 25, 1948 - NYC Royal Roost
Miles Davis (tp) Lee Konitz (as) John Lewis (p) Curly Russell (b) Max Roach (d) Kenny Pancho Hagood* (vo)
1 Half Nelson (Miles Davis) [5’55]
2 Chasin' The Bird (Charlie Parker) [5’55]
3 52nd Street Theme (Thelonious Monk) [4’56]
4 You Go To My Head* (Dizzy Gillespie-Coots) [5’49]

January 17, 1949 - NYC WPIX radio : All Star Jam Session
Miles Davis (tp) Kai Winding (tb) Buddy DeFranco (cl) Lucky Thompson, Charlie Ventura* (ts) Al Haig (p) Oscar Pettiford (b) Shelly Manne (d)
5 Anthropology (Charlie Parker) [3’27]
6 The Squirrel (Tadd Dameron) [4’19]
7 How High The Moon* (Lewis-Hamilton) [3’41]

February 19, 1949 - NYC Royal Roost
Miles Davis (tp) Kai Winding (tb) Sahib Shihab (as) Benjamin Lundy (ts)
Cecil Payne (bars) Tadd Dameron (p) John Collins (g) Curly Russell (b) Kenny Clarke (d) Carlos Vidal (cga)
8 Good Bait (Tadd Dameron-Count Basie) [3’30]
9 Focus(Tadd Dameron) [4’03]
10 April In Paris (Duke-Harburg) [3’03]
11 Sid’s Delight (Webb’s Delight) (Tadd Dameron) [3’47]

February 26, 1949 - NYC Royal Roost
Miles Davis (tp) Kai Winding (tb) Sahib Shihab (as) Benjamin Lundy (ts) Cecil Payne (bars) Tadd Dameron (p) John Collins (g) Curly Russell (b) Kenny Clarke (d) Carlos Vidal (cga)
12 Miles (Tadd Dameron) [3’38]
13 Casbah (Tadd Dameron) [3’36]

Disc 3

May 8 – 15, 1949 - Paris Salle Pleyel
Miles Davis (tp) James Moody (ts) Tadd Dameron (p) Barney Spieler (b) Kenny Clarke (d) Maurice Cullaz (speaker)
1 Rifftide (Coleman Hawkins) [4’11]
2 Good Bait (Tadd Dameron-Count Basie) [5’55]
3 Don't Blame Me (Fields-McHugh) [4’17]
4 The Squirrel (Tadd Dameron) [3’45]
5 Lady Bird (Tadd Dameron) [5’04]
6 All The Things You Are (Kern-Hammerstein) [4’20]
7 Wee (Allen’s Alley) (Denzil Best) [4’23]
8 Perdido (Wah Hoo) (Tizol-Lengsfelder-Drake) [5’33]
9 Embraceable You (Gershwin) [4’06]
10 Ornithology (Charlie Parker-B.Harris) [4’00]

May 15, 1949 - Paris Salle Pleyel
Aimé Barelli, Bill Coleman, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Hot Lips Page (tp) « Big Chief » Russel Moore (tb) Hubert Rostaing (cl) Sidney Bechet, Pierre Braslavsky (ss) Charlie Parker (as) Don Byas, James Moody (ts) Bernard Pfeiffer (p) Hazy Osterwald (vib) Toots Thielemans (g) Tommy Potter (b) Max Roach (d)
11 Farewell Blues (Blues Final) (Traditionnel) [4’00]

December 25, 1949 - NYC Carnegie Hall - The Stars of Modern Jazz
Miles Davis (tp) Bennie Green (tb) Sonny Stitt (as) Serge Chaloff (bars) Bud Powell (p) Curly Russell (b) Max Roach (d)
12 Move (Denzil Best) [5’37]
13 Hot House (Tadd Dameron-Bregman) [7’55]
14 Ornithology (Charlie Parker-B.Harris) [3’37]

Disc 4

February 18, 1950 - WNYC Radio Broadcast Jazz Festival
Miles Davis (tp) J.J. Johnson (tb) Stan Getz (ts) Tadd Dameron (p) Gene Ramey (b) Art Blakey (d)
1 Conception (George Shearing) [4’20]
2 Ray's Idea (Ray Brown-Gil Fuller) [6’13]
3 Max Is Making Wax (Charlie Parker) [4’11]
4 Woody'n You (Dizzy Gillespie) [5’57]

June 30, 1950 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) J.J. Johnson (tb) Brew Moore (ts) Tadd Dameron (p) Curly Russell (b) Art Blakey (d)
5 Wee (Allen’s Alley) (Denzil Best) [11’20]
6 Ow ! (Dizzy Gillespie) [11’31]
7 Embraceable You (Gershwin) [4’15]
8 Max Is Making Wax (Charlie Parker) [6’31]

Disc 5

June 30, 1950 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis, Fats Navarro (tp) J.J. Johnson (tb) Charlie Parker* (as) Brew Moore (ts) Walter Bishop Jr. (p) Curly Russell (b) Art Blakey, Roy Haynes° (d)
1 Hot House (Tadd Dameron-Bregman) [10’20]
2 Conception / Deception* (George Shearing / Miles Davis) [11’16]
3 Eronel / 52nd Street I (Thelonious Monk) [14’14]
4 52nd Street II°(Thelonious Monk) [5’04]


February 17, 1951 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) J.J. Johnson (tb) Sonny Rollins (ts) Kenny Drew (p) Tommy Potter (b) Art Blakey (d)
5 Move (Denzil Best) [5’57]
6 Out Of The Blue (Evance) (Miles Davis) [6’07]
7 Half Nelson (Miles Davis) [7’58]
8 Tempus Fugit (Bud Powell) [6’34]

Disc 6

June 2, 1951 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) J.J. Johnson (tb) Sonny Rollins (ts) Kenny Drew (p) Tommy Potter (b) Art Blakey (d)
1 Down (Miles Davis) [7’38]
2 Half Nelson (Miles Davis) [8’00]
3 Move (Denzil Best) [6’34]

September 29, 1951 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) Eddie « Lockjaw » Davis, Big Nick Nicholas (ts) Billy Taylor (p) Charles Mingus (b) Art Blakey (d)
4 The Squirrel (Tadd Dameron) [9’14]
5 Move (Denzil Best) [6’46]
6 Lady Bird (Tadd Dameron) [5’57]

April 25, 1952 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) Don Elliott (vib, mellophone*) Beryl Booker (p) Chuck Wayne (g) Clyde Lombardi (b) Connie Kay (d)
7 Rifftide (Coleman Hawkins) [3’37]
8 All the Things You Are (Kern-Hammerstein) [4’37]
9 The Squirrel* (Tadd Dameron) [3’25]


May 2, 1952 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) Jackie McLean (as) Don Elliott (vib, mellophone*) Gil Coggins (p) Connie Henry (b) Connie Kay (d)
10 Out of the Blue (Evance) (Miles Davis) [5’47]
11 Confirmation* (Charlie Parker) [5’53] <

Disc 7

Spring 1952 - St. Louis, MO The Barrelhouse Club
Miles Davis (tp) Jimmy Forrest (ts) Charles Fox (p) John Mixon (b) Oscar Oldham (d) unknown (cga)
1 A Night In Tunisia (Dizzy Gillespie-Paparelli) [8’24]
2 Wee Dot (Jay Jay Johnson) [10’39]
3 What's New ? (Burke-Haggart) [7’29]
4 Perdido (Tizol-Lengsfelder-Drake) [9’24]
5 All The Things You Are (Kern-Hammerstein) [10’06]
6 Our Delight (Tadd Dameron) [7’24]
7 Lady Bird (Tadd Dameron) [6’43]
8 Ow ! (Dizzy Gillespie) [4’07]
9 Ray's Idea (Ray Brown-Gil Guller) [8’36]

Disc 8

May 3, 1952 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) Jackie McLean (as) Don Elliott (vib, mellophone*) Gil Coggins (p) Connie Henry (b) Connie Kay (d)
1 Wee Dot* (Jay Jay Johnson) [6’31]
2 The Chase (Miles Davis) [6’26]
3 It Could Happen To You (Burke-Van Heusen) [4’43]
4 Out Of The Blue (Evance) (Miles Davis) [5’46]

Beginning of 1953 - Boston, MA Hi-Hat Club
Miles Davis (tp) Jay Migliori (ts) Al Walcott, Bob Freeman (p) Jimmy Woode (b) Jimmy Zitano (d)
5 Jumpin' With Symphony Sid (Lester Young) [1’48]
6 Tune Up (Miles Davis) [6’57]
7 Dig (Miles Davis) [8’02]
8 Darn That Dream (De Lange-Van Heusen) [4’28]
9 Ray's Idea (Ray Brown-Gil Fuller) [7’12]
10 Nice Work If You Can Get It (Gershwin) [5’36]
11 Wee Dot (Jay Jay Johnson) [5’57]

Disc 9

Beginning of 1953 - Boston, MA Hi-Hat Club (cont.)
Miles Davis (tp) Jay Migliori (ts) Al Walcott, Bob Freeman* (p) Jimmy Woode (b) Jimmy Zitano (d)
1 Alone Together (Schwartz-Dietz) [5’26]
2 Well, You Needn't (Thelonious Monk) [9’50]
3 A Night in Tunisia (Dizzy Gillespie-Paparelli) * [7’49]
4 Jumpin' with Symphony Sid (Lester Young) [2’07]

May 16, 1953 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) Sahib Shihab (bars) Wade Legge (p) Lou Hackney (b) Al Jones (d) Joe Carroll* (vo) Candido Camero° (cga)
5 Move (Denzil Best) [5’37]
6 Tenderly (Lawrence-Gross) [4’44]
7 A Night in Tunisia° (Dizzy Gillespie-Paparelli) [5’56]
8 Dig° (Miles Davis) [3’51]
9 I Got Rythm* (Gershwin) [4’51]

May 23, 1953 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie (tp) Charlie Parker (as) Sahib Shihab (bars) Wade Legge (p) Lou Hackney (b) Al Jones (d) Joe Carroll (vo)
10 The Bluest Blues (Gary McFarland-Charles Thompson) [6’39]
11 On The Sunny Side Of The Street (Fields-McHugh) [2’52]

Disc 10

September 13, 1953 - Los Angeles, CA
Miles Davis, Rolf Ericson* (tp) Bud Shank (as, bars) Bob Cooper (ts) Lorraine Geller (p) Howard Rumsey (b) Max Roach (d)
1 Round Midnight (Monk-Williams-Hanighen) [5’44]
2 Night In Tunisia* (Gillespie-Paparelli) [11’59]
3 Infinity Promenade* (Shorty Rogers) [12’17]

July 17, 1955 - Newport, RI Newport Jazz Festival
Miles Davis (tp) Zoot Sims (ts) Gerry Mulligan (bars) Thelonious Monk (p)Percy Heath (b) Connie Kay (d)
4 Introduction by Duke Ellington [1’14]
5 Hackensack (Thelonious Monk) [8’09]
6 Round About Midnight (Thelonious Monk) [6’09]
7 Now's the Time (Charlie Parker) [8’46]

November 18, 1955 - NYC Basin Street Club, TV broadcast « The Steve Allen Tonight Show »
Miles Davis (tp) John Coltrane (ts) Red Garland (p) Paul Chambers (b) Philly Joe Jones (d)
8 Max Is Making Wax (Charlie Parker) [3’04]
9 It Never Entered My Mind (Rodgers-Hart) [2’55]

10 CDs - ADD - Mono

Bird and Diz (1950 re-issue 1986)

Bird & Diz is a studio album by jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, recorded primarily on June 6, 1950 in New York City. Two tracks featured on the original pressing, "Passport" and Visa", were recorded by Parker, without Gillespie and with a different personnel than that of the other tracks, in March and May 1949.The album was originally issued in 1952 in 10" format as a collection of 78 rpm singles on the Verve subsidiary label Clef Records.In a 1952 four-star review of Bird & Diz, a Down Beat magazine columnist wrote of Granz's contribution to the album's sound, stating "Though there is no mention of bop in Norman Granz'[s] notes, we owe him a salvo for reminding us through this LP that this music is still very much alive." It serves as the final collaborative studio recording by Parker and Gillespie, and it is also notable for featuring an early appearance of pianist Thelonious Monk.The album has been reissued several times by Verve and PolyGram Records.


01 Bloomdido (Master Take) (3:24)
02 An Oscar For Treadwell (Alternate Take) (3:20)
03 An Oscar For Treadwell (Master Take) (3:22)
04 Mohawk (Alternate Take) (3:48)
05 Mohawk (Master Take) (3:34)
06 My Melancholy Baby (Alternate Take) (3:16)
07 My Melancholy Baby (Master Take) (3:23)
08 Leap Frog (Alternate Take) (2:33)
09 Leap Frog (Alternate Take) (2:00)
10 Leap Frog (Alternate Take) (2:05)
11 Leap Frog (Master Take) (2:28)
12 Relaxin' With Lee (Alternate Take) (3:53)
13 Relaxin' With Lee (Master Take) (2:44)


Bass - Curly Russell /Drums - Buddy Rich/ Mastered By - Dennis Drake /Piano - Thelonious Monk /Producer - Norman Granz/ Saxophone [Alto] - Charlie Parker /Trumpet - Dizzy Gillespie

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Charlie Parker Inglewood Jam - Bird & Chet Live At The Trade Winds 1952


This jazz collector's gem captures a set by two tragic, self-destructive yet historically immortal giants at a club in Inglewood, CA, June 16 1952. As a bonus, the pair are joined by the late Sonny Criss, one of the best and most under-recognized Parker-influenced alto players. Parker was at this time an established musician, and Baker was just out of the Army, on his way up. The concert, which is excellently recorded with sharp, crisp detail, gives everyone a chance to stretch out beyond the confines of a recording studio.

Everyone here sounds inspired, with little wandering and no wasted notes. Baker sounds like he's been listening to a lot of Dizzy & Miles, and while his style hadn't yet fully formed, he more than keeps up with his company. Parker and Criss play with rich-as-fudge, mercurial, blues-drenched tones. If you're a Parker fan, you should own this release. If you're a Baker fan, and you want a look at his early years, dig in. If you love live jazz (bop/mainstream style) albums, this is one of the better ones.

1. Squirrel, The
2. Irresistible You
3. Indiana
4. Liza

Friday, October 30, 2009

Charlie Parker - With Strings, The Master Takes (1949)


Charlie Parker with Strings: The Master Takes
1949

01 Everything Happens to Me / Charlie Parker 3:15
02 April in Paris / Charlie Parker 3:06
03 Summertime / Charlie Parker 2:46
04 I Didn't Know What Time It Was / Charlie Parker 3:12
05 If I Should Lose You / Charlie Parker 2:46
06 Dancing in the Dark / Charlie Parker 3:10
07 Out of Nowhere / Charlie Parker 3:06
08 Laura / Charlie Parker 2:57
09 East of the Sun (And West of the Moon) / Charlie Parker 3:37
10 They Can't Take That Away from Me / Charlie Parker 3:17
11 Easy to Love / Charlie Parker 3:29
12 I'm in the Mood for Love / Charlie Parker 3:33
13 I'll Remember April / Charlie Parker 3:02
14 What Is This Thing Called Love? / Charlie Parker 2:55
15 April in Paris / Charlie Parker 3:13
16 Repetition / Charlie Parker 2:48
17 Easy to Love / Charlie Parker 2:25
18 Rocker / Charlie Parker 3:00
19 Temptation / Charlie Parker 3:31
20 Lover / Charlie Parker 3:06
21 Autumn in New York / Charlie Parker 3:29
22 Stella by Starlight / Charlie Parker 2:56
23 Repetition / Charlie Parker 2:57

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Fuse One - The Complete Recordings


Track listing

1. Grand Prix - Ronnie Foster
2. Waterside - Bedrich Smetana
3. Sunshine Lady - Stanley Clarke
4. To Whom All Things Concern - John McLaughlin
5. Double Steal - Jeremy Wall
6. Friendship - John McLaughlin
7. Taxi Blues - Stanley Clarke
8. Silk - Ndugu
9. In Celebration of the Human Spirit - Stanley Clarke
10. Hot Fire - Ndugu
11. Sunwalk - Ronnie Foster

Saturday, September 26, 2009

The Complete Columbia Recordings - Miles Davis & John Coltrane

The Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis with John Coltrane is a box set by jazz musicians Miles Davis and John Coltrane. It is the first box set in a series of eight from Columbia/Legacy compiling Davis's work for Columbia Records. Originally issued in 2000 in a limited-edition metal slipcase, it was reissued in 2004 in an oversized book format.Davis' and Coltrane's work together for Columbia produced three studio albums, two tracks from a fourth, and two live albums, all of which are contained in this box set:

* 'Round About Midnight (released March 4, 1957)
* Milestones (released September 2, 1958)
* Kind of Blue (released August 17, 1959)
* Someday My Prince Will Come (released December 11, 1961) (2 tracks only)
* Miles & Monk at Newport (released May 11, 1964) (one side only), reissued as Miles Davis At Newport 1958 in 2001
* Jazz at the Plaza (released September 28, 1973)

Thursday, September 24, 2009

VA - Talkin Jazz Vol 2: More Themes From The Black Forest

Tracklisting
01 The Dave Pike Set - Mathar
02 Wolfgang Dauner - Take Off Your Shoes To Feel The Setting Sun
03 Jonny Teupen - Love Me
04 Dee Dee, Barry & The Movements - Get Out of My Life Woman
05 The Dave Pike Set - Big Schlepp
06 Knut Kiesewetter Train - Roll On The Left Side
07 Catch Up - Onkel Joe
08 Dieter Reith Trio - Wives And Lovers
09 Karel Velebny - Nude
10 Francy Boland - Espresso Loco
11 Third Wave - Cantaloupe Island
12 Karin Krog - Maiden Voyage
13 George Duke - Feel

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Miles Davis Quintet - The Complete Columbia Studio Sessions, 1965-68 (1998) 6CD


THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO RECORDINGS (1965-1968) includes every track from the albums E.S.P., MILES SMILES, SORCERER, NEFERTITI, MILES IN THE SKY as well as portions of WATER BABIES, CIRCLE IN THE ROUND, DIRECTIONS and FILLES DE KILIMANJARO that featured the quintet. This release includes a 116-page booklet enclosed in a scrapbook-like packager with an engraved metal binder.

Recorded between January 20, 1965 and June 21, 1968. Includes liner notes by Michael Cuscuna, Todd Coolman and Bob Belden.

THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO RECORDINGS (1965-1968) won the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Album Notes and was nominated for Best Boxed Recording Package.

After hiring Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams for the New York sessions of SEVEN STEPS TO HEAVEN, Miles Davis combed through a series of saxophonists until settling on Wayne Shorter to complete his second great quintet. From their first complete recording as a unit, E.S.P. (1965), to their last session for FILLES DE KILIMANJARO (1968), this group profoundly changed the face of modern jazz. This recorded history has been beautifully preserved and presented in this staggering collection, THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO RECORDINGS 1965-68.

From the beginning it is evident that the music herein is of an unmatched quality and power. The genius of Hancock, the melodic invention of Shorter, the solidity of Carter's foundation and the thundering torrent of Williams all gels into a cohesive symphony of sound under the guiding hand of the Prince of Darkness, himself. The listener is able to trace the development of each member's compositional prowess and its effect on Davis' musical approach throughout the group's tenure. Each successive disc illustrates how the group explored uncharted musical territory with each session. Eventually, Davis would take his art in a new, more electric direction, thus ending this important period of jazz history

Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Essential Larry Coryell


Larry Coryell was born 2 April, 1943 in Galveston, Texas. As a child he studied and played piano, switching to guitar (acoustic, and then electric) in his teens. After studying journalism at the University of Washington, he moved to New York City in 1965, where he played behind guitarist Gabor Szabo in drummer Chico Hamilton’s jazz quintet. However, by 1966, he had replaced Szabo and later that same year went on to record his vinyl debut with Hamilton’s band. Also in 1966 he co-founded an early jazz-rock band, the Free Spirits, with whom he recorded one album, 1966’s rare, Free Spirit: Out Of Sight And Sound. Soon after his stint with the Free Spirits he joined vibra-harpist Gary Burton’s band, recording with him three seminal albums, all of which are now long out of print. In 1969 he recorded Memphis Underground with flautist Herbie Mann whose band, at that time, included Roy Ayers and the influential free-jazz guitarist Sonny Sharrock. Also in 1969, before recording his first solo LP, he toured Europe and the U.S. with ex-Cream bassist Jack Bruce, ex-Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell, as well as keyboardist and future Coryell side-man Mike Mandel.

Throughout the seventies he released album after album, often playing alongside the very best jazz had to offer. Some of the heavy-weights include: guitarists John McLaughlin, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Paco De Lucia, Pat Metheny, Al Di Meola, John Abercrombie, Larry Carlton, John Scofield, Kazumi Watanabe, Ralph Towner, and Steve Kahn; drummers Billy Cobham, Elvin Jones, Steve Gadd, Lenny White, Mitch Mitchell and Tony Williams; alto sax player David Sanborn, tenor sax players Pharoah Sanders and Michael Brecker; soprano sax players Sonny Rollins and Steve Lacy, cornet player Don Cherry, trumpet players Maynard Ferguson and Randy Brecker; violinist Stephane Grappelli, keyboardists Chick Corea, Larry Young, David Sancious and Lyle Mays; and bassists Charles Mingus, Miroslav Vitous, Ron Carter, Eddie Gomez, Jack Bruce, Jimmy Garrison, Charlie Haden, Steve Swallow and Tony Levin.

When Larry Coryell recorded the sides gathered on this 70-minute CD, fusion was still a new and radical idea -- and the guitarist was one of the adventurers who did more than his part to get the ball rolling. Coryell's diehard followers will be familiar with most of this material, but for novices, The Essential Larry Coryell can serve as a splendid introduction to his Vanguard output. This diverse compilation ranges from 1968's landmark "Stiffneck" (a duet with drummer Elvin Jones that is among the earliest examples of fusion) to the abrasive, Jimi Hendrix-influenced "The Jam with Albert" to the haunting "Spaces (Infinite)," which unites Coryell with another very influential fusion guitarist: John McLaughlin. It's hard to miss Miles Davis' influence on "Yin," a gem underscoring the initial excellence of Coryell's Eleventh House. But even so, there's no mistaking the fact that Coryell was very much a visionary in his own right.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

larry carlton singing playing


This is Larry Carlton's second record. The trademark 'Carlton' guitar sound is evident throughout, as is his toneless singing. The tracks here have a more earthy feel, as opposed to the over-produced stylings he would later employ; however, the overall results are disappointing. The guitar playing is certainly impressive (especially the distortion-filled "Free Way"), but there is simply not enough of it. Regardless, this is an interesting part of Carlton's beginnings and there are enough moments here that foreshadow his evolvement into one of the most distinctive voices in the history of electric guitar.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Jazz Crusaders The Pacific Jazz Quintet Studio Sessions


First-Time Ever Set From A One-of-a-Kind Band.

From their first recordings, The Jazz Crusaders proved they sounded like no one else. They took as their foundation what Joe Sample called the three pillars of African American music: jazz, blues and gospel. So many of the songs could only have come from this band, whose unique approach to writing sustained them over their many years of working together. Each member would bring tunes to the session, where they would work over them as a team. The result would be complex phrases, uncommon segment lengths and music tinged with many elements.

It's no surprise that a band as committed to ensemble writing would excel at ensemble playing, and The Jazz Crusaders were masters of the art through this period of their history. Henderson's liquid trombone, Felder's hot Texas tenor, Hooper's driving beat, and Sample's commanding, confident piano style, make the perfect blend.

When they surfaced in Los Angeles in 1961, poised to make their first LP, no one knew quite what to make of these musicians who seemed unlike any other "West Coast" organizations. Not only weren't they part of the west coast sound, whatever that was, but they didn't seem to even care about it or recognize its relevance. The Jazz Crusaders featured their own eclectic line-up; played a signature mix of sounds, all with an appealing, tight groove, that had more to do with the music's roots than a lot of the jazz they were hearing. The music they played was typical of their hometown, Houston, Texas - bluesy, soulful, and spirited.

A great discovery lies ahead for music buyers whose collections were assembled primarily in the CD era. And for others who let intervening years dull their memory of this band's truly original talent. This is the first major retrospective of The Jazz Crusaders and this collection, from the 1960s, presents them at a time when they were largely un-amplified, full of energy, and unbelievably prolific.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Clifford Brown & Max Roach

Clifford Brown & Max Roach, also known as Daahoud, is a 1955 album by influential jazz musicians Clifford Brown and Max Roach as part of the Clifford Brown and Max Roach Quintet, described by The New York Times as "perhaps the definitive bop group until Mr. Brown's fatal automobile accident in 1956". The album was critically well-received and includes several notable tracks, including two that have since become jazz standards. The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. It is included in Jazz: A Critic's Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings at #34, where it is described by New York Times jazz critic Ben Ratliff as "one of the strongest studio albums up to that time".

Originally released on the EmArcy label, it has been multiply re-issued, including in a 2000 edition by Verve Records that contains additional tracks.

Tracks:

1 Delilah
2 Parisian Thoroughfare
3 The Blues Walk
4 Daahoud
5 Joy Spring
6 Jordu
7 What Am I Here For
plus alternate takes of Tracks 3, 4 and 5.

Personnel:

Clifford Brown (trumpet)
Harold Land (tenor saxophone)
Richie Powell (piano)
George Morrow (bass)
Max Roach (drums)

Monday, September 7, 2009

J.J. Johnson & Kai Winding - Jay & Kai (1947)


Album Reviews:

Down Beat - 4.5 Stars - Very Good/Excellent - "The first, and one of the best, of many collaborations by the two trombonists...notable not only for their sweet harmonies and interplay on the leads, but Johnson's pearly solos, Winding's blattier ones and the needle-fine, single-noters of light-fingered guitarist Billy Bauer..."

Album Notes

Personnel: J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding (trombone); Leo Parker (baritone saxophone); Wally Cirillo, Hank Jones, Lou Stein (piano); Billy Bauer (guitar); Charles Mingus, Al Lucas, Eddie Safranski (bass); Kenny Clarke, Shadow Wilson, Tiny Kahn (drums); Al Young (bongos, timbales).

Recorded between 1947 & 1952.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Lennie Tristano - Descent Into the Maelstrom (1953-1965)


Recorded betweeen 1953 and 1965. Released in 1978.
Label: Inner City Records

Lennie Tristano, piano
Sonny Dallas, bass
Peter Ind, bass
Roy Haynes, drums
Nick Stabulas, drums



Tracks:

1. Descent Into The Maelstrom (3:24)
2. Dream: Paris 1965 (2:58)
3. Image: Paris 1965 (3:25)
4. Take 1 (4:30)
5. Take 2 (3:11)
6. Take 3 (4:03)
7. Stretch (6:08)
8. Pastime (3:39)
9. Ju-Ju (2:15)
10. Con Con (8:47)

This hard-to-find LP starts off with the utterly unique title cut. On this completely atonal track (which predates Cecil Taylor by a few years), Lennie Tristano overdubbed several pianos and created picturesque and extremely intense music. The remainder of this album is mostly comprised of leftovers and rehearsal tracks which, considering Tristano's slim discography, is quite welcome. The pianist is heard solo in 1961 and 1965, in a trio with bassist Peter Ind and drummer Roy Haynes in 1952 and (in what might be his last recordings) performing a pair of originals with bassist Sonny Dallas and drummer Nick Stabulas in 1966. Tristano fans can consider this important release to be essential.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Cecil Taylor – Jazz Advance


This CD is probably the best place to start for those unfamiliar with Cecil Taylor. Not only is it fascinating to hear his unique, dischordant piano technique in the context of a traditional bebop band, but it is easier to follow the logic of his playing at this early stage. Although it is not as radical as his later stuff, this album sounds like nothing else recorded in 1956. Truly ahead of its time.

Original Release Date: September 14, 1956

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Charles Lloyd in the Soviet Union


The Charles Lloyd Quartet was (along with Cannonball Adderley's band) the most popular group in jazz during the latter half of the 1960s. Lloyd somehow managed this feat without watering down his music or adopting a pop repertoire. A measure of the band's popularity is that Lloyd and his sidemen (pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Ron McClure and drummer Jack DeJohnette) were able to have a very successful tour of the Soviet Union during a period when jazz was still being discouraged by the communists. This well-received festival appearance has four lengthy performances including an 18-minute version of "Sweet Georgia Bright" and Lloyd (who has always had a soft-toned Coltrane influenced tenor style and a more distinctive voice on flute) is in top form.
Tracks

1 Days and Nights Waiting
2 Sweet Georgia Bright
3 Love Song to a Baby
4 Tribal Dance

Monday, August 24, 2009

Sonny Sharrock - Ask The Ages 1991


Sharrock was semi-retired for much of the 1970s, undergoing a divorce from wife/occasional collaborator Linda in 1978. In the intermittent years until producer/bassist Bill Laswell coaxed him out of retirement, he worked as both a chauffeur and a caretaker for mentally challenged children. At Laswell's urging, Sharrock appeared on Material's (one of Laswell's many projects) 1981 effort, Memory Serves. In addition, Sharrock was a member of the punk/jazz band Last Exit, together with Peter Brötzmann, Laswell and Ronald Shannon Jackson. During the late 1980s, he recorded and performed extensively with the New York-based improvising band Machine Gun, as well as leading his own bands. Sharrock flourished with Laswell's help, noting in a 1991 interview that "the last five years have been pretty strange for me, because I went twelve years without making a record at all, and then in the last five years, I've made seven records under my own name. That's pretty strange." [5] Laswell would often perform with the guitarist on his albums, and produced many of Sharrock's recordings, including the entirely solo Guitar, the metal-influenced Seize the Rainbow, and the well-received Ask the Ages, which featured John Coltrane's bandmates Pharoah Sanders and Elvin Jones. One writer described Ask the Ages as "hands down, Sharrock's finest hour, and the ideal album to play for those who claim to hate jazz guitar

The Freedom Sounds Featuring Wayne Henderson

People Get Ready was the first of two albums cut for Atlantic Records by Freedom Sounds, a nine-piece group put together by trombonist Wayne Henderson of the Jazz Crusaders. It was cut around the same time that Henderson appeared as part of Hugh Masekela's band at the Monterey International Pop Festival, and it comes from a similar multi-cultural, musical, multi-lingual sensibility. Henderson and his band -- including Al Abreus on tenor and soprano sax, James Benson on baritone sax and flute, Pancho Bristol on electric bass, Harold Land at the piano, Moses Obligacion on the conga drum, Ricardo Chimelis on the timbales, Max Garduno on percussion, and Paul Humphrey on drums -- range freely across excellent Henderson originals such as "Cucamunga," and cover "Respect," "People Get Ready," "Things Go Better" (yes, the Coca-Cola jingle, which they do wonderful things with), and "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)." The originals, especially "Orbital Velocity" and "Cathy the Cooker," possess vast kinetic energy and the bracing quality of a concert performance, capturing for posterity the reality behind this group's reputation as a live band. The record has aged well and, as if to prove it, WEA International reissued it in 2004 as part of the Atlantic Masters series, in an audiophile-quality CD reissue re-creating the original LP jacket.

Sonny Sharrock - Black Woman (1969)


Picked by WIRE magazine as one of the 100 records which set the world on fire, 1970s-era Miles Davis guitarist Sonny Shamrock's LP was released in 1969 and produced by Herbie Mann, who loved Sharrock's uncompromising blasts of atonal guitar with Mann's own band. Recorded with N.Y. free jazz musicians Dave Burrell, Norris Jones, Ted Daniel and Milford Graves, the LP features Sonny's with Linda on Yoko Ono-style vocals. There's plenty of soul and gospel influences and a slight pop element counterpoint to Sonny's aggressive guitar and Linda's wails. Originally released on Atlantic Records.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Thelonious Monk - Underground


Underground is a 1968 album by Thelonious Monk, notable for its diverse and rare time signatures. It features Monk on piano, Larry Gales on bass, Charlie Rouse on tenor sax, and Ben Riley on drums.

Although this album is most widely-known for its provocative cover image, which depicts Monk as a fictitious French Resistance fighter in the Second World War, it contains a number of new Monk compositions, some of which only appear in recorded form on this album. This is the last Monk album featuring the Thelonious Monk Quartet, and the last featuring Charlie Rouse (who only appears on half the tracks)

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser


Straight, No Chaser is an album by jazz musician Thelonious Monk, released in 1967.
The album was reissued on CD in 1996, including restored versions of previously abridged performances and three additional tracks.

Track Listing (1996 Cd Reissue)

1. "Locomotive" - 6:40
2. "I Didn't Know About You" - 6:52
3. "Straight, No Chaser" - 11:28
4. "Japanese Folk Song" - 16:42
5. "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" - 7:36
6. "We See" - 11:37
7. "This Is My Story, This Is My Song" - 1:42
8. "I Didn't Know About You" - 6:49
9. "Green Chimneys" - 6:34

Personnel

* Thelonious Monk - piano
* Charlie Rouse - tenor sax
* Larry Gales - bass
* Ben Riley - drums

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Chico Hamilton - The Dealer

The Dealer is a 1966 release by jazz drummer/bandleader Chico Hamilton. It was first released by Impulse! Records (AS-9130) and has been subsequently reissused on CD with the addition of bonus tracks from 'Chic Chic Chico', 'Definitive Jazz Scene Vol.3' and 'Passin' Thru'. The bonus tracks feature different line-ups to that of the album, including Charles Lloyd and Gabor Szabo. In the 1960s, Chico Hamilton recorded five albums for Impulse! Records, The Dealer and Man from Two Worlds are the only two to be reissued on CD. The bonus track, "El Toro" is also featured on the Impulsive! Unmixed compilation. The packaging takes the form of a digipack-styled case with a 12-page booklet featuring the original liner notes and photographs.

All tracks are originals, composed by Hamilton and some arranged by Jimmy Cheatham. The exception is "For Mods Only"; composed by free jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp, who features on the track playing piano.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Illumination!: Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison Sextet


Recorded in 1963 and co-led by John Coltrane's drummer and bassist (Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison), the music is most significant for introducing Sonny Simmons (alto and English horn) and Prince Lasha (flute and clarinet), who are joined in the sextet by underrated baritonist Charles Davis and Trane's pianist McCoy Tyner. Each of the musicians except Jones contributed an original (there are two by Davis); the music ranges from advanced hard bop to freer sounds that still swing. While Garrison's contributions are conventional (this was his only opportunity to lead or co-lead a date), Jones is quite powerful. However, it is the playing of both Simmons, who tears it apart on English horn during 'Nuttin' Out Jones,' and Lasha (when is he going to be rediscovered and recorded again?) that make this early 'New Thing' date of greatest interest.

Eddie Costa & Art Farmer - In Their Own Sweet Way


Eddie Costa was one of the most sought after studio pianist and vibes players in New York before he died in a car crash in 1962 at the age of 31. This is the one of the few release currently available which features him as leader. Accompanied by Art Farmer...

Recorded in New York in July, 1957.

Personnel: Eddie Costa (piano, vibraphone), Phil Woods (alto saxophone), Art Farmer (trumpet), Teddy Kotick (bass), Paul Motian (drums).

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Barry Miles - White Heat (1971)


Tracklisting:

A1 Little Heart Of Pieces (4:37)
A2 White Heat (8:04)
A3 Woodstock (4:25)
Written-By - Joni Mitchell
B1 Descent (3:33)
B2 Tangent (4:38)
B3 Foot Mother (6:06)
B4 Sound Song (4:44)
An overlooked gem from keyboardist Barry Miles -- and one of the most compelling early 70s sides on the Mainstream Records label! Barry's got a way of really making his keys sing out nicely -- playing both acoustic and electric piano with plenty of warm tones and gently flowing modes -- but never in a way that's too far out from jazz, or too smooth to be sleepy. The set features twin guitars from Pat Martino and John Abercrombie, both of whom underscore the chromatic nature of Miles' playing -- and other players include Lew Tabackin on tenor and flute, Victor Gaskin on bass, Terry Silverlight on drums, and Warren Smith on congas. Titles are mostly Miles originals -- and include "Descent", "Tangent", "White Heat", and "Little Heart Of Pieces".

Chick Corea - Sundance


Sundance is an album recorded by Chick Corea and released in 1969.








Track listing


  1. "The Brain" (Corea) – 10:04
  2. "Song Of Wind" (Corea) – 7:53
  3. "Converge" (Corea) – 7:56
  4. "Sundance" (Corea) – 9:49

Personnel

Herbie Hancock - The Collection


1. Empty Pockets
2. Jack Rabbit
3. Yams
4. Eye Of The Hurricane
5. Cantaloupe Island
6. Sorcerer
7. I Have A Dream

Saturday, August 8, 2009

The Free Spirits - Out Of Sight And Sound (1967 - 2006, Sunbeam)


Way ahead of its time, The Free Spirits' radical 1967 album Out of Sight and Sound has never previously been available on CD. Co-founded by the young and future jazz-rock guitar legend Larry Coryell, who made his recording debut here, the band was only together briefly but dazzled all who heard them (including Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and The Velvet Underground) with their revolutionary brand of psychedelic jazz-rock. One highlight includes "Blue Water Mother," a song which employs the oft-unheard sound of two separate vocal tracks singing two entirely separate sets of lyrics. One of the first fusions of jazz and rock, this early experiment in sound will appeal to fans of straight-up heavy '60s jams as well.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Gary Burton - A Genuine Tong Funeral


One of vibraphonist Gary Burton's most intriguing recordings, A Genuine Tong Funeral (Carla Bley's suite which musically depicts attitudes toward death) was called by its composer a "Dark Opera Without Words." Burton's classic Quartet (which also includes guitarist Larry Coryell, bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Bob Moses) is augmented by six notable all-stars: soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy, trumpeter Mike Mantler, Gato Barbieri on tenor, trombonist Jimmy Knepper, Howard Johnson on tuba and baritone and Bley herself on piano and organ. The music is dramatic, occasionally a little humorous, and a superb showcase for Gary Burton's vibes.

Monday, August 3, 2009

John Coltrane - The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions


Africa/Brass is a 1961 album by John Coltrane, his first for the new Impulse! label. It features Coltrane's five-piece working band (which at the time included two bassists - Reggie Workman and Art Davis), backed by a fifteen-piece brass band including, among others, trumpeters Freddie Hubbard and Booker Little, and bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy. The brass arrangements were originally credited to Dolphy, but in the years since the album was released it has emerged that they were, in fact, primarily the work of pianist McCoy Tyner (misspelled "Turner" on the original issue). Tyner wrote out the arrangement for the English traditional song, "Greensleeves"; for the two original pieces, "Africa" and "Blues Minor", Dolphy and Coltrane adapted Tyner's piano voicings for the orchestra.

A second LP, culled from the same sessions, was released in 1974. It was titled Africa/Brass Sessions, Volume 2. It featured a version of the slavery-era spiritual-cum-code-tune, "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd" (retitled "Song of the Underground Railroad") as well as alternate takes of "Greensleeves" and "Africa". There also exist outtakes from the sessions - a version of Cal Massey's "The Damned Don't Cry", and additional alternate versions of "Africa" and "Greensleeves".

Both albums have since been combined onto one compact disc. All existent takes (including both albums, and the three outtakes) from the sessions have also been compiled in order of recording on the double-CD collection, The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions....Africa/Brass remains one of the most powerful and compelling examples of the art of John Coltrane.

Kenny Dorham - Afro-Cuban


1. Afrodisia
2. Lotus Flower
3. Minor's Holiday
4. Minor's Holiday (Alternate Version)
5. Basheer's Dream
6. K.D.'s Motion
7. La Villa
8. Venita's Dance
9. K.D.'s Cab Ride


KD - tr
J.J. Johnson - 'bone (1-5)
Hank Mobley - tenor sax.
Cecil Payne - baritone sax.
Horace Silver - piano
Oscar Pettiford - bass (1-5)
Percy Heath - bass (6-9)
Carlos "Patato" Valdes - conga (1-5)
Art Blakey - drums

Sunday, August 2, 2009

California Concert: The Hollywood Palladium [LIVE] - 1971

CD 1 (total time 39:55) :
1. Fire and Rain (11:35) [James Taylor]
solos: Hubert Laws, flute; George Benson, guitar
2. Red Clay (14:31) [Freddie Hubbard]
solos: Freddie Hubbard, trumpt; Stanley Turrentine, tenor saxophone; George Benson, guitar; Ron Carter, bass
3. Sugar (15:51) [Stanley Turrentine]
solos: Stanley Turrentine, tenor saxophone; Freddie Hubbard, trumpt; George Benson, guitar; Ron Carter, bass
CD 2 (total time 36:36) :
1. Blues West (20:40) [Eumir Deodato]
solos: Stanley Turrentine, tenor saxophone; George Benson, guitar; Freddie Hubbard, trumpt; Hubert Laws, piccolo; Johnny Hammond, electric piano; Ron Carter, bass
2. Leaving West (15:51) [Stanley Turrentine, Ron Carter]
solos: Stanley Turrentine, tenor saxophone; George Benson, guitar; Billy Cobham, drums; Airto Moreira, percussion

George Benson & Joe Farrell - Benson & Farrell


This little-known CTI recording matches guitarist George Benson and Joe Farrell, a multi-reed player who mostly sticks to flute. Joined by a large rhythm section and sometimes two other flutists (including Eddie Daniels), Benson and Farrell play four originals by session arranger Dave Matthews, plus the standard "Old Devil Moon." This pleasing if not all that memorable instrumental date was recorded right after Benson's Breezin' (and before its release), ending the guitarist's CTI period right before he became a vocal star

ART PEPPER meets THE RHYTHM SECTION (1957)


Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section is a 1957 jazz album by saxophonist Art Pepper playing with Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, who at the time were the rhythm section for Miles Davis's quintet.

According to legend, the album was recorded under enormous pressure: Pepper first learnt of it on the morning of the recording session, had never met the other musicians (though he admired them all), hadn't played for two weeks (according to the liner notes) or six months (according to Pepper's autobiography Straight Life), was playing on an instrument in a bad state of repair, and was suffering from a drug problem. (This story is clearly unreliable: the discography in Straight Life reveals, for instance, that he had recorded many sessions in the previous weeks, including one just five days before.) Whatever the truth of the recording's circumstances, it is considered a milestone in Pepper's career, and launched a series of albums for Les Koenig's Contemporary label which remain the cornerstone of Pepper's recorded work.

TAL FARLOW - Tal's Blues


01 - Strike Up The Band 02 - Skylark 03 - Have You Met Miss Jones - 04 - Tenderly 05 - And She Remembers Me 06 - My Old Flame 07 - Cherokee 08 - Autumn In New York 09 - Tal's Blues 10 - I Like To Recognize The Tune 11 - There Will Never Be Another You 12 - Just One Of Those Things 13 - Tenderly 14 - It's You Or No One

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Thelonious Monk ~ Brilliant Corners (1957)


Brilliant Corners is a 1957 album by jazz musician Thelonious Monk. It was his third album for the Riverside label and the first, for this label, to include his own compositions. The complex title track required over a dozen takes in the studio, and is considered one of his most difficult compositions. In 2003, it was one of fifty recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.

Because of its historical significance the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

The track "Pannonica" is named for Pannonica de Koenigswarter, a close friend of Monk's.

Track listing

1. "Brilliant Corners" (Thelonious Monk) – 7:42
2. "Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-are" (Monk) – 13:24
3. "Pannonica" (Monk) – 8:50
4. "I Surrender Dear" (Barris-Clifford) – 5:25
5. "Bemsha Swing" (Monk-Best) – 7:42

Personnel

Musicians

* Thelonious Monk — piano; celeste on "Pannonica"
* Ernie Henry — alto saxophone on "Brilliant Corners", "Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-are" and "Pannonica"
* Sonny Rollins — tenor saxophone
* Oscar Pettiford — double bass on "Brilliant Corners", "Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-are" and "Pannonica"
* Max Roach — drums; timpani on "Bemsha Swing"

* Clark Terry — trumpet on "Bemsha Swing"
* Paul Chambers — double bass on "Bemsha Swing"

Thursday, July 23, 2009

VA - The West Coast Jazz Box, an Anthology of California Jazz



Disc: 1
01. Move - aka Jazz on Sunset - Wardell Gray & Dexter Gordon
02. Intermission Riff - Sonny Criss
03. Bright Boy - Wardell Gray
04. Body and Soul - Charles Mingus
05. Popo - Shorty Rogers & His Giants
06. Swing Shift - Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars
07. Bernie's Tune - Gerry Mulligan Quartet
08. My Funny Valentine - Gerry Mulligan Quartet
09. Stardust - Dave Brubeck Quartet
10. Sunset Eyes - Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars
11. Isn't it Romantic? - Chet Baker Quartet
12. Maid in Mexico - Chet Baker Quartet
13. Crazy Ryhthm - Stan Getz Quintet
14. Etude de Concert - Shelly Manne & His Men
15. A Night in Tunisia - Miles Davis & The Lighthouse All-Stars

Disc: 2
01. Blue Baiao - Laurindo Almeida Quartet
02. Aquarium - Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars
03. Lotus Bud - Bud Shank Quintet
04. Herbstone - Herbie Harper Quintet
05. Fearless Finlay - Stan Kenton Orchestra
06. Daahound - Clifford Brown Ensemble
07. Mamblues - Cal Tjader
08. All the Things You Are - Hampton Hawes Trio
09. Whose Blues? - Lennie Niehaus Quintet
10. Blue Sands - Chico Hamilton Quintet
11. Keester Parade - Cy Touff Octet
12. Whippet - Frank Morgan with Machito's Rhythm Section
13. Get Me to the Church on Time - Shelley Manne & His Friends
14. Get Out of Town - Jack Sheldon Quartet
15. Trio Blues - Art Tatum Trio
16. St. Andrews Place Blues - Buddy Collette Quintet
17. 2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West - Bill Perkins/John Lewis
18. One for My Baby (And One More For the Road) - Gerald Wiggins Trio

Disc: 3
01. Pickin' 'em Up and Layin' 'em Down - Jimmy Giuffre Trio
02. On Green Dolphin Street - The Poll Winners
03. Red Sails - Red Norvo
04. Way Out West - Sonny Rollins
05. A Walkin' Thing - Benny Carter
06. Rainy Night - Red Mitchell Quartet
07. Walkin' My Baby Back Home - Leroy Vinnegar Sextet
08. Dues Blues - Brew Moore Quintet
09. No Heat - Bill Holman Big Band
10. Love For Sale - Frank Rosolino
11. Katanga - Curtis Amy Sextet
12. Carl's Blues - Curtis Counce Group
13. Far East - Chico Hamilton Quintet
14. The Spinx - Ornette Coleman Quintet

Disc: 4
01. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To - Art Pepper Quartet
02. Shaw Nuff - Art Pepper + Eleven
03. Minor Bertha - Elmo Hope Trio
04. The Fox - Harold Land Quintet
05. Indiana - Richie Kamuca/Bill Holman Octet
06. Bright Eyes - Terry Gibbs Dream Band
07. Viva Tirado - Gerald Wilson Orchestra
08. Something Blue - Paul Horn Quintet
09. Georgia on My Mind - Ben Webster
10. Theme: A Gem from Tiffany - Shelley Manne & His Men
11. Together Again - Howard McGhee/Teddy Edwards
12. Cheryl - Phineas Newborn, Jr.
13. Cast Your Fate to the Wind - Vince Guaraldi Trio
14. For Django - Joe Pass

Friday, July 17, 2009

Charlie Parker & Miles Davis


Blue Bird Legendary Savoy Sessions (2000)